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it’s unusual to see one-or-two-story, freestanding houses in manhattan, but there are a pair of surviving ones on east 58th street just east of 2nd avenue. high-rise buildings cluster nearby, the queensboro bridge went up in 1909 a block away, and an automobile approach ramp was built in 1930 an apartment building away to the east, but here they still are, protected by the landmarks preservation commission in 1967 for #311 and 1970 for #313.
the pair were built in an italianate style in the late 1850s and must have been among the first buildings on east 58th, as the cross street had only recently been laid out at that time. both are brick with stone trim and have basements; only #313 has retained a porch.
#311 is home to antiques store phillip colleck, ltd., while #313 at last check was home to painter john ransom phillips after a stint as the czech pavilion restaurant.
12/13/14
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tˈwɛnti wən dɔgz wər faʊnd ɪn ðə bæk əv ə kɑr ɪn ə ˌhɑnəˈlulu ˈpɑrkɪŋ lɔt læst ˈθərzˌdeɪ. ə ˈwʊmən ɔn ə wɔk hərd ˌɪnˈsɛsənt ˈbɑrkɪŋ ənd ˈfɑloʊd ðə saʊnd ˈoʊnli tɪ faɪnd ðə kɑr fʊl əv mɪks dɔgz. "ðeɪ wər ɪn ˈkeɪʤɪz. səm wər ˈrənɪŋ əraʊnd. ðeɪ wər ˈbɑrkɪŋ soʊ ˈlaʊdli ənd ɔl ðə ˈwɪndoʊz wər əp. ɪt wɑz kəmˈplitli stimd əp," kæt ˈlɪŋkər toʊld həˈwaɪˌi nuz naʊ. "ɪt wɑz ˌæbsəˈlutli ˈhɔrəbəl ənd aɪ nu ðɛr wɑz ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈsɪriəsli rɔŋ." ʃi kɔld 911 ənd ˈoʊpənd ən ənˈlɑkt dɔr. "wɪn aɪ ˈoʊpənd ðə dɔr, ðə stɛnʧ ðət keɪm aʊt əv ðət kɑr wɑz ˌæbsəˈlutli ˈhɔrəbəl," sɛd ˈlɪŋkər. pəˈlis ˈkɑnfəˌskeɪtəd ɔl əv ðə dɔgz ənd trækt ðə kɑr tɪ ə ˈwʊmən huz ˈdɔtər brɛd ðə dɔgz. pəˈlis dɪd nɑt saɪt ðə ˈwʊmən fər ˈɛni kraɪm, ˈivɪn ðoʊ ʃi hæd ˈteɪkən ðə dɔgz wɪˈθaʊt hər ˈdɔtərz pərˈmɪʃən ənd hər ˈdɔtər hæd bɪn ˈsərʧɪŋ fər ðə dɔgz. bɪˈkəz həˈwaɪˌi lɔ steɪts ðət ˈoʊnli tɛn dɔgz meɪ lɪv ɪn wən ˈhaʊsˌhoʊld, ðə pəps wɪl bi splɪt əp baɪ ðə həˈwaɪˌi hjuˈmeɪn soʊˈsaɪɪti.
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twenty one dogs were found in the back of a car in a honolulu parking lot last thursday.
a woman on a walk heard incessant barking and followed the sound only to find the car full of pomeranian-poodle mix dogs.
"they were in cages. some were running around. they were barking so loudly and all the windows were up. it was completely steamed up," kat linker told hawaii news now. "it was absolutely horrible and i knew there was something seriously wrong."
she called 911 and opened an unlocked door.
"when i opened the door, the stench that came out of that car was absolutely horrible," said linker.
police confiscated all of the dogs and tracked the car to a 68-year-old woman whose daughter bred the dogs.
police did not cite the woman for any crime, even though she had taken the dogs without her daughter's permission and her daughter had been searching for the dogs.
because hawaii law states that only ten dogs may live in one household, the pups will be split up by the hawaii humane society.
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na`vi* ˈvərsəz klaʊd 9 ɪn ˈfaɪnəlz təˈnaɪt ənd klaʊd 9 wɪl bi kəmˈpitɪŋ ɪn ə ˈʃoʊˌdaʊn təˈnaɪt fər æt list ənd ðə 2 ˈʧæmpiənz lig ˈtaɪtəl. ðɛr mæʧ wɪl stɑrt æt æt. ˈæftər ə ˈlɪtəl ˈoʊvər tu mənθs, wi hæv ˈfaɪnəli riʧt ðə grænd ˈfaɪnəlz əv ðə 2 ˈʧæmpiənˌʃɪp ligz ˈsɛkənd ˈsizən. ə lɔt ɪz æt steɪk ɪn ðɪs match-up*. boʊθ timz ər traɪɪŋ tɪ ɪˈstæblɪʃ moʊˈmɛntəm ɛz ðeɪ priˈpɛr ɪn ðɛr ˈəpˌkəmɪŋ ˈtərnəmənts. əˈsaɪd frəm ðə praɪd ənd ˈɑnər wɪʧ ər ˈɔlˌweɪz æt steɪk, ðɪs mæʧ wʊd ˈɔlsoʊ spɛl ðə praɪz ˈdɪfərəns əv æt list fər ðə timz. ɪz ˈɛnərɪŋ ðə ˈfaɪnəlz ɛz ðə ˈfeɪvərɪt. ˈæftər ˈtɑpɪŋ ðɛr grup ɪn ðɪs ˈtʊrnəmənt, ðə tim ˈbætəld ə ˈfaɪsti əˈlaɪəns tim ɪn ə θˈrɪlər mæʧ. əˈməŋ ðə timz ðət həz ˈbɛstɪd ɪn ðə grup steɪʤ ɪz klaʊd 9 ˌɪtˈsɛlf, ˈwɪnɪŋ ðɛr mæʧ læst ˈfɛbruˌɛri ɪn ðə skɔr əv klaʊd 9 ɛz ˈmɛnʃənd əˈbəv, ˈdɪdənt hæv ɛz ˈbjutəfəl stɑrt ɪn ðɪs ˈtʊrnəmənt ɛz ðɛr əˈpoʊnənts hæd. ðeɪ hæd ə ˌmidiˈoʊkər ˈrɛkərd, ʤɪst ˈbɛrli ɪˈnəf fər ə θərd pleɪs ˈfɪnɪʃ ɪn ðɛr grup. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ðeɪ hæv kəm əˈlaɪv ɪn ðə pleɪɔfs, ɛz ðeɪ dɪˈfitɪd boʊθ ənd ðə ˈstrikɪŋ ˈɛmpaɪər ɪn ðə skɔrz əv ɪn ðə ənd ˌsɛmɪˈfaɪnəlz rɪˈspɛktɪvli. klaʊd 9 ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ traɪɪŋ tɪ ˈbɛtər ðɛr rɪˈzəlt frəm ðə fərst ˈsizən, wɛˈrɪn ðeɪ (ðɛn noʊn ɛz spid ˈgeɪmɪŋ) ˈfɪnɪʃt ˈsɛkənd. 74 ˈmæʧɪz læst 20 ˈmæʧɪz 22 10 mæps ˈkɑmən lʊk aʊt fər klaʊd 9 68 ˈmæʧɪz læst 20 ˈmæʧɪz 18 13 58 mæps ˈkɑmən lʊk aʊt fər boʊθ timz ər pɑrt əv ˈhaɪli kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv ˈwɛstərn ˈtərnəmənts, wɪʧ ɪz waɪ ˈæftər kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ðə ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən, ðɛr ˈrisənt pərˈfɔrməns ɪz ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈbɛtər ðən wət ɪt simz. ðə tim ɪz nɑt fɑr ɔf ðɛr ˈævərɪʤ, ənd ðeɪ hæv ˈæˌkʧuəli wən fər aʊt əv ðɛr læst faɪv ˈmæʧɪz. dɪˈspaɪt ɪkˈspɪriənsɪŋ ə bɪg drɔp ɪn ðɛr ˈwɪnɪŋ pərˈsɛnɪʤ, ɪz ˈrənɪŋ ɪn haɪ ˈspɪrɪts ˈæftər ˈklɪnʧɪŋ ə spɑt ɪn ðə læn pleɪɔfs bɪˈhaɪnd ˈvɪktəriz ˈvərsəz tim dɔg ənd. əˈsaɪd frəm ðɛr mæʧ ɪn ðɪs ˈtʊrnəmənts grup steɪʤ, ðiz timz hæd ˈɔlsoʊ feɪst wən əˈnəðər twaɪs ɪn ˈrisənt ˈmɛməri. boʊθ əv ðoʊz ˈmæʧɪz wər hɛld ʤɪst ðɪs ˈeɪprəl, wɪθ ˈwɪnɪŋ ðə fərst ɪnˈkaʊnər ənd ˈteɪkɪŋ ðə ˈsɛkənd. ðə ˈægrəgət skɔr əv ðoʊz tu ˈmæʧɪz ɪz ən ˈikwəl tu ˈmæʧɪz əˈpis fər boʊθ saɪdz. ðə timz ər ˈsimɪŋli ɪn ˈikwəl ˈfʊtɪŋ ənd wɪθ ðɛr ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ playstyles*, ʃʊd meɪk əˈnəðər θˈrɪlɪŋ ˈʧæmpiənˌʃɪp ˈsɪriz. ðə ˈfaɪnəlz ɪz ˈskɛʤʊld æt təˈdeɪ. ðɛr wɪl bi ən ˈɪŋlɪʃ ənd ə ˈrəʃən kæst. ju kən faɪnd ðə mæʧ peɪʤ, təˈgɛðər wɪθ ðə bɛts, strim ənd pɪks, hir.
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na`vi versus cloud 9 in d2cl finals tonight
natus vincere and cloud 9 will be competing in a best-of-five showdown tonight for at least $25,000 and the dota 2 champions league title. their match will start at at 19:00 cet.
after a little over two months, we have finally reached the grand finals of the dota 2 championship league's second season. a lot is at stake in this match-up. both teams are trying to establish momentum as they prepare in their upcoming tournaments. aside from the pride and honor which are always at stake, this match would also spell the prize difference of at least $10,000 for the teams.
natus vincere is entering the finals as the favorite. after topping their group in this tournament, the ukranian team battled a feisty alliance team in a 3-2 thriller semi-finals match. among the teams that na`vi has bested in the group stage is cloud 9 itself, winning their match last february in the score of 2-1.
cloud 9, as mentioned above, didn't have as beautiful start in this tournament as their opponents had. they had a mediocre 6-4 record, just barely enough for a third place finish in their group. however, they have come alive in the playoffs, as they defeated both fnatic and the streaking empire in the scores of 3-1 in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. cloud 9 is also trying to better their result from the first season, wherein they (then known as speed gaming) finished second.
natus vincere
wins-losses-draws : 294-99-11 (74%) - matches
last 20 matches : 22 - 10 (68.5%) - maps
common :
look out for :
cloud 9
wins-losses-draws : 155-70-8 (68%) - matches
last 20 matches : 18 - 13 (58%) - maps
common :
look out for :
both teams are part of highly competitive western tournaments, which is why after considering the opposition, their recent performance is actually better than what it seems. the ukranian team is not far off their average, and they have actually won for out of their last five matches. c9, despite experiencing a big drop in their winning percentage, is running in high spirits after clinching a spot in the wpc-ace's lan playoffs behind back-to-back victories versus team dog and fnatic.
aside from their match in this tournament's group stage, these teams had also faced one another twice in recent memory. both of those matches were held just this april, with na`vi winning the first encounter and c9 taking the second. the aggregate score of those two matches is an equal two matches apiece for both sides. the teams are seemingly in equal footing and with their exciting playstyles, tihs should make another thrilling best-of-five championship series.
the best-of-fiive finals is scheduled at 19:00 cet today. there will be an english and a russian cast. you can find the match page, together with the bets, stream and picks, here.
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maɪ kənˌgræʧəˈleɪʃənz tɪ ðə ˈɔθərz əv ðə tɔr ˈprɑʤɛkt. aɪ ˈdɪdənt ˈmænɪʤ tɪ faɪnd ˈɛni ˈɛrərz ˈæftər ðə æˈnælɪsɪs baɪ ˈstætɪk koʊd ˈænəˌlaɪzər. wi raɪt səʧ wərdz ˈvɛri ˈrɛrli, soʊ ðə ˈɔθərz meɪ ˈrɪli bi praʊd. ðeɪ du dɪˈzərv ə ˈmɛdəl fər ðə ˌhaɪkˈwɑləti koʊd. ðɪs ɪz nɑt ðə fərst taɪm wɪn wi ʧɛk tɔr ˈjuzɪŋ ˈænəˌlaɪzər. ðə ˈpriviəs ʧɛk wɑz ɪn 2012 ˈæftər ðət aɪ roʊt ə smɔl poʊst: "sɪˈkjʊrəti, sɪˈkjʊrəti! bət du ju tɛst ɪt?" ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ ɪˈnəf, 5 jɪrz əˈgoʊ aɪ kʊd faɪnd ˈɛrərz, bət naʊ ðeɪ ər nɑt ðɛr. ˈoʊvər ðə pæst 5 jɪrz wi hæv sɪgˈnɪfɪkəntli dɪˈvɛləpt ðə ˌdaɪəgˈnɑstɪk ˌkeɪpəˈbɪlətiz əv, ənd ɪt ˈlərnɪd tɪ aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ nu ˈpætərnz əv ˈɛrərz, səʧ ɛz ˈmɛməri liks, dɛd koʊd, ˌɪnkərˈɛkt ˈprɑsɛsɪŋ əv ðə strɪŋz əv taɪp ənd məʧ mɔr. wi ˈizəli faɪnd ˈɛrər ɪn ðə koʊd əv səʧ ˈprɑʤɛkts ɛz gcc*, llvm*, si++ rɛst sdk*, gdb*, qt*, ˈkroʊmiəm, ˈlɪnəks ˈkərnəl (si ðə lɪst əv ˈɑrtɪkəlz). bət wi ˈkʊdənt raɪt ˈɛniˌθɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˈɛrərz ɪn tɔr! wət dɪz ɪt ʃoʊ? ðə ˈɔθərz əv ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈstɑrtɪd ˈteɪkɪŋ ðə kˈwɑləti əv ðə koʊd ˈvɛri ˈsɪriəsli. ðɛr wər ˈɔlsoʊ ˈkeɪsɪz wɪn wi ˈdɪdənt faɪnd ˈɛni ˈɛrərz fərst, bət wɪn ðə ˈænəˌlaɪzər bɪˈkeɪm mɔr ˈpaʊərfəl, wi ˈmænɪʤd tɪ faɪnd ðɛm. ðɪs ɪz ðə fərst keɪs, wɪn wi juzd tɪ dɪˈtɛkt ˈɛrərz, bət naʊ ðeɪ ər nɑt. tɔr dɪˈvɛləpərz dɪd ə ˈrɪli greɪt ʤɑb! ðeɪ ər ˈrɪli ən ɪgˈzæmpəl fər ˈəðər ˈproʊˌgræmərz. ə ˈkəpəl əv wərdz əˈbaʊt ðə ʧɛk ˌɪtˈsɛlf. wi ʧɛkt ðə ˈleɪtəst ˈvərʒən əv ðə tɔr sɔrs koʊd æt ðə taɪm əv ˈraɪtɪŋ ðɪs ˈɑrtɪkəl. wi juzd, ˈvərʒən fər ðə æˈnælɪsɪs. ðə ˈænəˌlaɪzər ˈɪʃud ə ˈsərtən ˈnəmbər əv ˈwɔrnɪŋz, bət ðeɪ ˈɑrənt ˈvɛri ˈjusfəl, ɛz ðiz ər ˈmoʊstli fɔls ˈpɑzətɪvz. ˈhævɪŋ ˈstədiz ðə rɪˈpɔrt, aɪ ˈnoʊtɪd daʊn 9 ˈpætərnz əv fɔls ˈpɑzətɪvz, ðət wɪl hɛlp ˈjuˈɛs ˌɪmˈpruv ðə ˈænəˌlaɪzər. ɪt tərnd aʊt ðət ɪt ˈwəzənt ðə ʧɛk əv tɔr ˈprɑʤɛkt, bət ˈrəðər ðə əˈdɪʃənəl ˈtɛstɪŋ əv. ɛz aɪ hæv sɛd, ðɛr wər səm ˈwɔrnɪŋz, wɪʧ wərənt ˈrɪli fɔls ˈpɑzətɪvz, bət ðɛr ɪz noʊ ril juz ɪn ðɛm. ə ˈsɪmpəl ɪgˈzæmpəl: read_all*(...., kaʊnt, ɪf (kaʊnt kaʊnt ssize_max*) ðə ˈænəˌlaɪzər ˈɪʃuz ə ˈwɔrnɪŋ: kənˈsɪdər ˌɪnˈspɛktɪŋ ðɪs ɪkˈsprɛʃən. ðə ɪkˈsprɛʃən ɪz ɪkˈsɛsɪv ər kənˈteɪnz ə ˈmɪˈsprɪnt. 2116 lɛts teɪk ə lʊk ˈæftər ɪkˈspændɪŋ ðə macros*: ɪf (kaʊnt 16 kaʊnt 0x7fffffffffffffffl*) jɛs, ðə koʊd ɪz rɪˈdəndənt: ðə ˈsɛkənd kəmˈpɛrəsən kən bi riˈmuvd. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ɪts klɪr ðət ðɛr ɪz noʊ nid tɪ fɪks ðɪs koʊd, bɪˈkəz ðɪs ʧɛk meɪ bi ˈjusfəl wɪθ ˈəðər ˈvæljuz əv ðə ˈkɑnstənts. wɪʧ minz ðət ɪt ɪz ə fɔls ˈpɑzətɪv, bət wi doʊnt noʊ haʊ tɪ tiʧ ðə ˈænəˌlaɪzər tɪ ˌɪgˈnɔr səʧ ˈfrægmənts. ðɛr ər səm ˈminɪŋfəl ˈwɔrnɪŋz, bət ðeɪ ˈɑrənt ɪˈnəf tɪ raɪt ən ˈɑrtɪkəl wɪθ ðə ˈtaɪtəl "bəgz ɪn tɔr ˈprɑʤɛkt". wən əv səʧ ˈkeɪsɪz: ʧɑr *ɛr strchr(cp*, 2 tor_assert(err*); ðə əˈsərt wʊd ˈnɛvər wərk. ˈivɪn ɪf ðə ˈfəŋkʃən rɪˈtərnz nəl, ðɛn ðə ˈpɔɪntər ɛr wɪl stɔr ən ˌɪnˈvæləd ˈvælju ((ʧɑr 2 bət ɪt woʊnt bi nəl. ɪt wʊd bi kərˈɛkt tɪ raɪt ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ: ʧɑr *ɛr strchr(cp*, tor_assert(err*); ɛr 2 ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ɛz aɪ ˌəndərˈstænd, ðə ˈfəŋkʃən wɪl ˈnɛvər rɪˈtərn nəl, ənd ðə ʧɛk ɪz ˈrɪtən ʤɪst ɪn keɪs. aɪ kʊd noʊt ʤɪst wən ˈwɔrnɪŋ aʊt əv ɔl əv ðɛm, wɪʧ ˈɪndɪˌkeɪts ən ˈɛrər. lɛts kənˈsɪdər ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ koʊd ˈfrægmənt: ˈstætɪk naʊ, get_end*) keɪs unit_month*: ɪf ˌbiˈfɔr)) --tm.tm_mon*; ˈwɔrnɪŋ: ə ˈpætərn wɑz dɪˈtɛktɪd: ) ) ðə ɪkˈsprɛʃən ɪz ɪkˈsɛsɪv ər kənˈteɪnz ə ˈlɑʤɪkəl ˈɛrər. 333 ðə ʧɛk kən bi ˈsɪmpləˌfaɪd tɪ: ɪf ) pərˈhæps, ðɛr ɪz ə ˈtaɪpoʊ ər ə ˈlɑʤɪkəl ˈɛrər ɪn ðɪs kənˈdɪʃən. ðɛr ɪz ˈnəθɪŋ mɔr aɪ kʊd raɪt əˈbaʊt. ðɛr ɪz ə ʧeɪnʤ ðət aɪ kʊd hæv ˌɪnədˈvərtəntli skɪpt səm ˈɛrər, bət ðɪs ˈwʊdənt ʧeɪnʤ ðə ˈoʊvərˌɔl ˈpɪkʧər. ˈʧɛkɪŋ ˈəðər ˈoʊpən sɔrs ˈprɑʤɛkts, wi faɪnd ˈdəzənz ənd ˈivɪn ˈhənərdz ˈɛrərz. æt ðɪs pɔɪnt wi hæv mɔr ðən 10 000 bəgz ɪn ɑr kəˈlɛkʃən, faʊnd ɪn ˈvɛriəs ˈoʊpən sɔrs ˈprɑʤɛkts. aɪ wʊd bi ˈhæpi tɪ faɪnd səm ɪn tɔr, ənd ðɛn dɪˈskraɪb əv ðə moʊst ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ əv ðɛm, bət aɪ ˈkʊdənt. wəns mɔr, ðə ˈɔθərz əv ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt dɪd ə greɪt ʤɑb.
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my congratulations to the authors of the tor project. i didn't manage to find any errors after the analysis by pvs-studio static code analyzer. we write such words very rarely, so the authors may really be proud. they do deserve a medal for the high-quality code.
this is not the first time when we check tor using pvs-studio analyzer. the previous check was in 2012, after that i wrote a small post: "security, security! but do you test it?" interesting enough, 5 years ago i could find errors, but now they are not there.
over the past 5 years we have significantly developed the diagnostic capabilities of pvs-studio, and it learned to identify new patterns of errors, such as memory leaks, dead code, incorrect processing of the strings of bstr type and much more. we easily find error in the code of such projects as gcc, llvm, c++ rest sdk, gdb, qt, chromium, linux kernel (see the list of articles). but we couldn't write anything about errors in tor!
what does it show? the authors of the project started taking the quality of the code very seriously.
there were also cases when we didn't find any errors first, but when the analyzer became more powerful, we managed to find them. this is the first case, when we used to detect errors, but now they are not. tor developers did a really great job! they are really an example for other programmers.
a couple of words about the check itself. we checked the latest version of the tor source code at the time of writing this article. we used pvs-studio, version 6.15 for the analysis. the analyzer issued a certain number of warnings, but they aren't very useful, as these are mostly false positives. having studies the report, i noted down 9 patterns of false positives, that will help us improve the analyzer. it turned out that it wasn't the check of tor project, but rather the additional testing of pvs-studio.
as i have said, there were some warnings, which weren't really false positives, but there is no real use in them. a simple example:
ssize_t read_all(...., size_t count, ....) { .... if (count > size_t_ceiling || count > ssize_max) {
the analyzer issues a warning: v590 consider inspecting this expression. the expression is excessive or contains a misprint. util.c 2116
let's take a look after expanding the macros:
if (count > ((size_t)(0x7fffffffffffffffl -16)) || count > 0x7fffffffffffffffl) {
yes, the code is redundant: the second comparison can be removed. however, it's clear that there is no need to fix this code, because this check may be useful with other values of the constants. which means that it is a false positive, but we don't know how to teach the analyzer to ignore such fragments.
there are some meaningful warnings, but they aren't enough to write an article with the title "bugs in tor project". one of such cases:
const char *err = strchr(cp, ':')+2; tor_assert(err);
the assert would never work. even if the function strchr returns null, then the pointer err will store an invalid value ((char *)2), but it won't be null. it would be correct to write the following:
const char *err = strchr(cp, ':'); tor_assert(err); err += 2;
however, as i understand, the function strchr will never return null, and the check is written just in case.
i could note just one warning out of all of them, which indicates an error. let's consider the following code fragment:
static time_t edge_of_accounting_period_containing(time_t now, int get_end) { .... case unit_month: { if (tm.tm_mday < cfg_start_day || (tm.tm_mday < cfg_start_day && before)) { --tm.tm_mon; } .... }
pvs-studio warning: v686 a pattern was detected: (tm.tm_mday < cfg_start_day) || ((tm.tm_mday < cfg_start_day) && ...). the expression is excessive or contains a logical error. hibernate.c 333
the check can be simplified to:
if (tm.tm_mday < cfg_start_day) {
perhaps, there is a typo or a logical error in this condition.
there is nothing more i could write about. there is a change that i could have inadvertently skipped some error, but this wouldn't change the overall picture. checking other open source projects, we find dozens and even hundreds errors. at this point we have more than 10 000 bugs in our collection, found in various open source projects. i would be happy to find some in tor, and then describe 20-30 of the most interesting of them, but i couldn't. once more, the authors of the project did a great job.
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pliz ɪˈneɪbəl ˈʤɑvəˌskrɪpt tɪ wɔʧ ðɪs ˈvɪdioʊ ˌlɑfiˈɛt, ind*. pəˈlis ərˈɛstɪd ə ˌlɑfiˈɛt ˈməðər əˈkjuzd əv ˈbitɪŋ ənd ˈbərnɪŋ hər ˈbeɪbi. ˌdænˈjɛl hənt ɪz ˈfeɪsɪŋ ˈbætəri ənd nɪˈglɛkt ˈʧɑrʤɪz ˈæftər ʃi kənˈfɛst tɪ pəˈlis. kɔrt ˈpeɪpərz rɪˈvil ðə ˈbeɪbi hæd ˈblɪstərd bərnz tɪ hɪz feɪs ənd ˈəpər ˈbɑdi. ˈdɑktərz ˈɔlsoʊ faʊnd ˈnumərəs ˈhilɪŋ ˈfrækʧərz ɪn hɪz lɛgz, rɪbz, ˈvərtəˌbreɪ ənd hɪz skəl. hənt toʊld dɪˈtɛktɪvz ʃi əˈbjuzd hər ˈbeɪbi "aʊt əv ˈæŋgər." ˈpɛrənts gɪt ˈfrəˌstreɪtəd, wɪn æt ə haɪər rɪsk fər ʧaɪld əˈbjuz ənd nɪˈglɛkt tɪ occur,”*,” sɛd ˈɔdri meɪb, ə ˈpɛrənt ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən ˈsupərˌvaɪzər wɪθ ˈfæməliz fərst. ðə ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ˈtiʧɪz ˈpɛrənts haʊ tɪ dil wɪθ ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmɪŋ ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃənz, wɪʧ kən pruv əˈspɛʃəli ˈdɪfəkəlt fər ˈjəŋgər ˈpɛrənts. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈʧɑrʤɪŋ ˈdɑkjəmənts, hənt rɪˈkɔld wən ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən wɪn səm əv hər ˈdərti ˈdaɪpər gɑt ˈɔntu hər. hənt ədˈmɪtəd ʃi ðɛn "skwizd ðə fʊt ənˈtɪl ʃi hərd ə ˈpɑpɪŋ nɔɪz." ðə jəŋ ˈməðər ˈɔlsoʊ toʊld ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪtərz ʃi θru hər ˈbeɪbi æt ə ʧɛr bɪˈkəz hi stɑp kraɪɪŋ. ˌɪˈmæʤən wət ðət ˈpɛrənt fɛlt laɪk tɪ du ˈsəmθɪŋ laɪk ðət, tɪ ðət dɪˈgri tɪ ə child,”*,” sɛd meɪb. goʊɪŋ θru soʊ ˈmɛni trænˈzɪʃənz ˈjɔrsɛlvz ənd trænˈsɛndɪŋ ˈɪntu əˈdəlˌthʊd soʊ ə lɔt əv ˈprɛʃər tɪ bi ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt, tɪ hæv ə ʤɑb, hæv ˌtrænspərˈteɪʃən, hæv ɪt ɔl ɪt ɔl together,”*,” sɛd meɪb. wɪn kˈwɛsʧənd əˈbaʊt hər bərnz, hənt əˈlɛʤədli toʊld pəˈlis ʃi hɛld ɪm ɪn ðə ʃaʊər ˈəndər hɑt ˈrənɪŋ ˈwɔtər ənˈtɪl ʃi ˈnoʊtɪst hɪz skɪn ˈstɑrtɪŋ tɪ bərn. æt læst ʧɛk, ðə ˈbeɪbi ɪz stɪl ˈhɑspɪtəˌlaɪzd ənd ˈlɪstɪd ɪn ˈsɪriəs bət ˈsteɪbəl kənˈdɪʃən. ˈpɛrəntɪŋ ˈɛkspərts wɔnt ˈpɛrənts tɪ noʊ ðət ˈfilɪŋ strɛst ər ˈfrəˌstreɪtəd ɪz pɑrt əv biɪŋ ə ˈpɛrənt, bət ɪf ðə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃənz gɪts tɪ ðə pɔɪnt əv pəˈtɛnʃəli bɪˈkəmɪŋ ˈdeɪnʤərəs, taɪm tɪ riʧ aʊt fər hɛlp. əv ðə weɪz ju kən hɛlp ˈfilɪŋ soʊ ˈfrəˌstreɪtəd wɪn ˈbeɪbi ɪz kraɪɪŋ, ɪz ˈɔlˌweɪz pʊt ðɛm ɪn ə seɪf pleɪs ənd ju kən wɔk əˈweɪ. ju kən goʊ ɪn əˈnəðər rum, aʊt ɔn jʊr frənt pɔrʧ ənd gɪt səm frɛʃ ɛr ər ju kən ˈɔlˌweɪz kɔl ˈsəmˌwən fər hɛlp. kɔl ə ˈneɪbər, kɔl ə frɛnd, kɔl ə ˈfæməli ˈmɛmbər ɪf ju fil laɪk tu ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmɪŋ fər you,”*,” sɛd meɪb. ðə ˈkraɪsəs ˈhɑˌtlaɪn ˈnəmbər ɪz ðɛr ɪz ˈsəmˌwən hu wɪl ˈænsər jʊr kɔl 24 aʊərz ə deɪ, ˈsɛvən deɪz ə wik.
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lafayette, ind. police arrested a lafayette mother accused of beating and burning her baby.
eighteen-year-old danielle hunt is facing battery and neglect charges after she confessed to police.
court papers reveal the 3-month-old baby had blistered burns to his face and upper body. doctors also found numerous healing fractures in his legs, ribs, vertebrae and his skull. hunt told detectives she abused her baby "out of anger."
“when parents get frustrated, that’s when you’re at a higher risk for child abuse and neglect to occur,” said audrey mabe, a parent education supervisor with families first. the organization teaches parents how to deal with overwhelming situations, which can prove especially difficult for younger parents.
according to charging documents, hunt recalled one situation when some of her son’s dirty diaper got onto her. hunt admitted she then "squeezed the infant’s foot until she heard a popping noise." the young mother also told investigators she threw her baby at a chair because he wouldn’t stop crying.
“i can’t imagine what that parent felt like to do something like that, to that degree to a child,” said mabe.
“you’re going through so many transitions yourselves and transcending into adulthood so there’s a lot of pressure to be independent, to have a job, have transportation, have it all it all together,” said mabe.
when questioned about her baby’s burns, hunt allegedly told police she held him in the shower under hot running water until she noticed his skin starting to burn.
at last check, the baby is still hospitalized and listed in serious but stable condition.
parenting experts want parents to know that feeling stressed or frustrated is part of being a parent, but if the situations gets to the point of potentially becoming dangerous, it’s time to reach out for help.
“one of the ways you can help feeling so frustrated when you’re baby is crying, is always put them in a safe place and you can walk away. you can go in another room, out on your front porch and get some fresh air or you can always call someone for help. call a neighbor, call a friend, call a family member if you feel like it’s too overwhelming for you,” said mabe.
the crisis hotline number is 317-251-7575. there is someone who will answer your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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ʤɑn ɪz wən əv ðə əv techworld*, ˈhævɪŋ ˈpriviəsli ˈɛdɪtɪd ˈsɛvərəl tɛkˈnɑləʤi ˈtaɪtəlz ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈnɛtˌwərk wərld, ˈnɛtˌwərk wik ənd læn ˈmægəˌzin. ə ˌnɔrˈwiʤən tim kleɪmz ɪt həz kəm əp wɪθ ə nu weɪ tɪ hæk kˈwɑntəm ki ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən (qkd*) ˈsɪstəmz ðət wʊd əˈlaʊ ən əˈtækər tɪ ˌɪnərˈsɛpt ə ki wɪˈθaʊt biɪŋ dɪˈtɛktɪd. ən əndɪˈtɛktəbəl əˈtæk ɔn saʊnz ˌɪmˈpɑsəbəl bɪˈkəz ðə ˈfɪzɪks ðət ˈəndərˌpɪn ðə tɛkˈnɑləʤi ər ənˈʃeɪkəbəl. ˈɛniˌwən ˌɪnərˈsɛptɪŋ ðə ˈfoʊˌtɑnz juzd tɪ ɛnˈkoʊd ðə ki ɪn ˈɛni əv ˈsɛndɪŋ ˈproʊtəˌkɔlz bɪtˈwin pɔɪnt ə ənd pɔɪnt bi wɪl ˈɔltər ðɛr kˈwɑntəm steɪt, ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðɛr ˈprɛzəns ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli ˈɑbviəs tɪ ðə rɪˈsivər. ðət ɪz wət, ɪn ˈɛsəns, əˈmaʊnts tɪ ðə dɪˈtɛkʃən əv ðə ˌɪnərˈsɛpʃən əv ɛnˈkrɪpʃən kiz wɪθ ˈæbsəˌlut ˈsərtənti. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ə ˈnuli ˈpəblɪʃt ˈpeɪpər ɪn ˈneɪʧər photonics*, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ðə tim æt ˌnɔrˈwiʤən ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv saɪəns ənd tɛkˈnɑləʤi ɪn ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ ˌɛkˈsplɔɪt ˈwiknəs ɪn ðə weɪ ˈsɪstəmz ər kənˈfɪgjərd baɪ tu ˈvɛndərz, ˈaɪˈdi ənd tɛkˈnɑləʤiz, tɪ breɪk ðɪs əˈpɛrəntli ˈwɔtərˌtaɪt əˈsəmpʃən. baɪ ˈfaɪərrɪŋ ə ˈleɪzər æt ðə rɪˈsivɪŋ ˈfoʊˌtɑn dɪˈtɛktər, ðə ˈsaɪəntɪsts wər ˈeɪbəl tɪ ‘‘blind’*’ ɪt, ɪt aʊt əv ɪts kˈwɑntəm steɪt. ðə hæk wɑz ðət ðə rɪˈsivɪŋ dɪˈtɛktər həz noʊ weɪ ər ðət ɪt ɪz noʊ ˈlɔŋgər ˈɔpərˌeɪtɪŋ ɛz ə kˈwɑntəm dɪˈtɛktər ənd soʊ ðə ənˈʃeɪkəbəl lɔz ər ˈnɛvər brɔt ˈɪntu pleɪ. ðə əˈtæk kʊd ɪn ˈθɪri bi ˈkaʊntərˌæktɪd baɪ ə ˈsɛpərˌeɪt dɪˈtɛkʃən ˈsɪstəm nɑt ˈkərəntli ˈfɪtɪd tɪ ˈərli kəˈmərʃəl ˈsɪstəmz. ˈnɔrməli, dɪˈtɛkʃən əv ˌɪnərˈækʃən wɪθ ðə kˈwɑntəm steɪt əv ən ərˈaɪvɪŋ ˈfoʊˌtɑn rɪˈleɪts tɪ ən ˈɛrər reɪt ɪkˈsidɪŋ 20 pərˈsɛnt, wɪʧ teɪks əˈkaʊnt əv ðə nɔɪz θˈrɛˌʃoʊld ˈʤɛnərˌeɪtɪd baɪ ˌɪˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪk dɪˈvaɪsɪz juzd ɪn ˈsɪstəmz. ən əˈtæk frəm ˈərliər ðɪs jɪr wɑz ˈeɪbəl tɪ məˈnɪpjəˌleɪt səʧ nɔɪz ˈlɛvəlz tɪ meɪk ˌɪnərˈsɛpʃən bɪˈloʊ ðət ˈlɛvəl ʤɪst ˈpɑsəbəl, ðə fərst taɪm ðə əˈsəmpʃənz əv hæd bɪn ʃoʊn tɪ bi flɔd ɪn ə kəˈmərʃəl ˈsɪstəm. ðə nu əˈtæk ˈjuzɪz ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈmɛθəd tɪ ʃoʊ ðət ˈsɪstəmz du nid tɪ bi dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ teɪk əˈkaʊnt əv ðiz ˌθiərˈɛtɪkəl əˈtæks. krips ˈfɔrwərd təˈwɔrdz ˈmeɪnˌstrim juz ɪn smɔl bət ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ədˈvænsɪz səʧ ɛz wən frəm ðə toʊˈʃibə ˈrisərʧ læb ənd ðə ˈkævəndɪʃ ˈlæbrəˌtɔri, wɪʧ təˈgɛðər faʊnd ə weɪ tɪ juz ˈkɑmən tɪ kriˈeɪt ˈfoʊˌtɑnz. ˈdɪstənsɪz ənd ər ˈɔlsoʊ ˌɪmˈpruvɪŋ.
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john is one of the cofounders of techworld, having previously edited several technology titles including network world, network week and lan magazine.
a norwegian team claims it has come up with a new way to hack quantum key distribution (qkd) systems that would allow an attacker to intercept a key without being detected.
an undetectable attack on qkd sounds impossible because the physics that underpin the technology are unshakable. anyone intercepting the photons used to encode the key in any of qkd’s sending protocols between point a and point b will alter their quantum state, making their presence immediately obvious to the receiver.
that is what, in essence, qkd amounts to – the detection of the interception of encryption keys with absolute certainty.
according to a newly published paper in nature photonics, however, the team at norwegian university of science and technology in trondheim decided to exploit weakness in the way qkd systems are configured by two vendors, id quantique and magiq technologies, to break this apparently watertight assumption.
by firing a 1-milliwatt laser at the receiving photon detector, the scientists were able to ‘blind’ it, jilting it out of its quantum state. the hack was that the receiving detector has no way or realising that it is no longer operating as a quantum detector and so the unshakable laws are never brought into play.
the attack could in theory be counteracted by a separate detection system not currently fitted to early commercial qkd systems.
normally, detection of interaction with the quantum state of an arriving photon relates to an error rate exceeding 20 percent, which takes account of the noise threshold generated by electronic devices used in qkd systems.
an attack from earlier this year was able to manipulate such noise levels to make interception below that level just possible, the first time the assumptions of qkd had been shown to be flawed in a commercial system.
the new attack uses a different method to show that qkd systems do need to be designed to take account of these theoretical attacks.
qkd creeps forward towards mainstream use in small but sometimes important advances such as one from the toshiba research lab and the cavendish laboratory, which together found a way to use common leds to create photons. distances and bitrates are also improving.
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ˈdɑktər. həz juzd ə ˈroʊˌbət tɪ pərˈfɔrm mɔr ðən ə hæf ˈdəzən θroʊt ˈsərʤəriz ˈoʊvər ðə pæst mənθ. ˈsɪmpli pʊt, ðə ˈroʊˌbət ɪz mɔr ˈækjərət ðən kʊd hoʊp tɪ bi. ðə flɛks ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsɪstəm ɪz soʊ ˈizi tɪ juz, sɛd ˈivɪn ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈstudənts kən lərn tɪ juz ɪt wɪθ prəˈfɪʃənsi wɪˈθɪn θri traɪz., dɪˈrɛktər əv hɛd ənd nɛk ˈsərʤəri æt ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈpɪtsbərg ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈsɛnər (upmc*), sɛd ðə flɛks ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsɪstəm ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈroʊˌbət hiz bɪn ˈjuzɪŋ həz ˈækjərəsi; ɪt kən "sneɪk" ɪts weɪ tɪ ˈɛni pleɪs ɪn ðə ˈbɑdi ənd ɪt ˈkɔzɪz lɛs ˈdæmɪʤ tɪ sɔft ˈtɪʃu. ə dɪˈpɪkʃən əv haʊ ðə flɛks ˈsɪstəm ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈroʊˌbət kən bi juzd tɪ ˈɔpərˌeɪt ɔn ðə θroʊt əv ə ˈpeɪʃənt. ɛz fɑr bæk ɛz 2008 ˈstədiz ʃoʊd ðət ˈpeɪʃənz ˌəndərˈgoʊɪŋ ˈmɪnəməli ˌɪnˈveɪsɪv ˈsərʤəri ˈjuzɪŋ ə ˈroʊˌbət hæd ə ˈʃɔrtər ˈhɑˌspɪtəl steɪ, ˈfæstər rɪˈkəvəri, fjuər ˌkɑmpləˈkeɪʃənz ənd ə ˈbɛtər ʧæns ðət ðə ˈbaɪˌpæst ˈvɛsəlz wʊd rɪˈmeɪn ˈoʊpən. læst jɪr, ə ˈflɔrɪdə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl pruvd ˈroʊˌbəts kʊd ɪˈneɪbəl ˈsərʤənz tɪ riˈmoʊtli ˈɔpərˌeɪt ɔn ˈpeɪʃənz. ðə ˈflɔrɪdə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ˈnɪkəlsən ˈsɛnər ɪn ˌsɛləˈbreɪʃən səkˈsɛsfəli ˈtɛstɪd kriˈeɪtɪd baɪ ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt fər ə ˈsɪmjəˌleɪtɪd ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsərʤəri ɪn ft*. wərθ, ˈtɛksəs, mɔr ðən maɪəlz əˈweɪ frəm ðə ˈsərʤɪn æt ðə ˈvərʧuəl kənˈtroʊlz. biɪŋ ˈeɪbəl tɪ pərˈfɔrm rɪˈmoʊt ˈsərʤəriz wʊd əˈlaʊ ˈspɛʃəlɪsts tɪ əˈtɛnd tɪ ˈɛni ˈpeɪʃənt, ˈɛniˌwɛr ɪn ðə wərld. ðə ˈnɪkəlsən ˈsɛnərz ˈsɪmjəˌleɪtər ˈmɪmɪks prəˈsiʤərz pərˈfɔrmd baɪ ə ˈdiˈeɪ ˈvɪnʧi ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈsɪstəm, ðə moʊst ˈkɑmən ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ɪkˈwɪpmənt ɪn juz təˈdeɪ; ɪts ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn ˈhənərdz əv ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈsərʤəriz ˈɛvəri jɪr ˈwərldˈwaɪd. ðə fud ənd drəg ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən əˈpruvd ðə ˈdiˈeɪ ˈvɪnʧi ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈsɪstəm frəm ˌɪnˈtuətɪv ˈsərʤɪkəl ɪn ˈsəniˌveɪl, ˈkælɪf. ɪn 2000 sɪns ðət taɪm, ðə ˈdiˈeɪ ˈvɪnʧi həz bɪn əˈdɑptəd baɪ ˈhɑˌspɪtəlz ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts ənd ˈjʊrəp tɪ trit ə reɪnʤ əv kənˈdɪʃənz. ðə ˈsɪstəmz ˈkɑnsoʊl gɪvz ðə ˈsərʤɪn ə high-definition*, ˈmægnəˌfaɪd vju əv ðə ˈsərʤɪkəl saɪt. ˈroʊˌbəts kən ˈɔlsoʊ bi juzd tɪ dɪˈlɪvər haɪ ˈdoʊsɪz əv ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃən wɪθ ˈækjərəsi ˈɛniˌwɛr ɪn ðə ˈbɑdi. ðə ˈækjərˌeɪ ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsɪstəm ɪz wən səʧ ˈsɪstəm dɪˈvɛləpt ɪn 1990 baɪ ə prəˈfɛsər əv ˌnʊroʊˈsərʤəri ənd ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃən ɑŋˈkɑləʤi æt ˈstænfərd ˌjunəˈvərsəti. əˈpruvd baɪ ðə ɪn 2001 ðə ˈsɪstəm kən trit ˈtumərz ˈɛniˌwɛr ɪn ðə ˈbɑdi ənd həz bɪn juzd ɔn ˈpeɪʃənz ˈwərldˈwaɪd, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈkəmpəˌni. ˈækjərˌeɪ ðə ˈsɪstəm kən trit ˈtumərz ɪn ˈɛni loʊˈkeɪʃən əv ðə ˈbɑdi wɪθ ˈækjərəsi; ɪt həz bɪn juzd ɔn ˈpeɪʃənz ˈwərldˈwaɪd. waɪl stɪl ˈnidɪŋ skɪld ˈmɛdɪkəl ˌpərsəˈnɛl tɪ ˈoʊvərˌsi ðɛm, ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈroʊˌbəts ər ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli ʃoʊɪŋ əp ɪn ˈɔpərˌeɪtɪŋ rumz, ənd ðeɪ meɪ səm deɪ əˈlaʊ ˈpipəl wɪθ ˈoʊnli ˈbeɪsɪk ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈnɑlɪʤ tɪ pərˈfɔrm ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ˈsɛtɪŋ. baɪ 2020 ˈsərʤɪkəl ˌroʊˈbɑtɪks seɪlz ər ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈdəbəl tɪ ˈbɪljən, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ə ˈrisənt rɪˈpɔrt baɪ ˈæˌlaɪd ˈmɑrkɪt ˈrisərʧ. ðət wʊd ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt ə ˈænjuəl groʊθ reɪt bɪtˈwin 2014 ənd 2020 ɪn 2014 ðə ˌgaɪnəkəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən ˌsɛgˈmɛnt əˈkaʊntɪd fər 28 əv ðə ˈsərʤɪkəl ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsɪstəmz ˈmɑrkɪt ʃɛr; ɪt ɪz ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ meɪnˈteɪn ɪts ˈdɑmənəns θruaʊt ðə nɛkst fɔr jɪrz. kriˈeɪtɪv ˈkɑmənz lic*. ə əˈsɪstɪd ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈsɪstəm ðət kən bi juzd baɪ fɪˈzɪʃənz fər prostatectomies*, ˈkɑrdiˌæk vælv rɪˈpɛr ənd ˌgaɪnəkəˈlɑʤɪk ˈsərʤɪkəl prəˈsiʤərz. ðə ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ nid fər ɔtəˈmeɪʃən ɪn ˈhɛlθˌkɛr ənd groʊɪŋ dɪˈmænd fər ˈmɪnəməli ˌɪnˈveɪsɪv ˈsərʤəriz ər ˈdraɪvɪŋ ðə ˈsərʤɪkəl ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsɪstəmz ənd prəˈsiʤərz ˈmɑrkɪt, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈæˌlaɪd. ɪn əˈdɪʃən, ə raɪz ɪn ˈkeɪsɪz əv ˌkoʊloʊˈrɛktəl ˈkænsər, ˌnʊrəˈlɑʤɪkəl dɪˈsɔrdərz ənd ˌgaɪnəkəˈlɑʤɪkəl dɪˈzizɪz, əˈməŋ ˈəðərz, wʊd bust ðə əˈdɑpʃən əv ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈsɪstəmz wɛl əˈdæptɪd fər ˈmɪnəməli ˌɪnˈveɪsɪv prəˈsiʤərz. "ˈsərʤɪkəl ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsɪstəmz ˈɔfər lɛs ˌkɑmpləˈkeɪʃənz ənd rɪˈdus ˈleɪbər kɔst," ðə ˈstədi sɛd. "du tɪ ðɪs, ˈlɑrʤˌskeɪl ˈhɑˌspɪtəlz beɪst ɪn dɪˈvɛləpt ənd dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ɪˈkɑnəmiz ər naʊ ˈfeɪvərɪŋ ˈɔtəˌmeɪtɪd ˈsərvɪsɪz, wɪʧ ˈəltəmətli draɪvz ðə ˈmɑrkɪt groʊθ." tɪ ðə ˈrɛskju ðə flɛks ˈsɪstəm ɪz ðə fərst ˈflɛksəbəl ˌɛndoʊˈskɑpɪk ˈplætˌfɔrm əv ɪts kaɪnd ənd ðə fərst tɪ rɪˈsiv əˈpruvəl wɪθ ðə wərd "ˈroʊˌbət" ɪn ɪts neɪm, əˈkɔrdɪŋ haʊi, ə prəˈfɛsər əv ˌroʊˈbɑtɪks æt ˌkɑrˈneɪgi ˈmɛlən ˌjunəˈvərsətiz (ˈsiˈɛmˈju) ˌroʊˈbɑtɪks ˈɪnstɪˌtut, wɛr ɪt wɑz ˌɪnˈvɛntɪd. ðə flɛks ˈsɪstəm lɛts ˈsərʤənz ˈɔpərˌeɪt θru nɑnˈlɪˌniər ˈwaɪndɪŋ pæθs, ənd θru ə ˈækˌsɛs ˈɪntu ðə ˈbɑdi. ðə ˈɛndoʊˌskoʊp məˌnuvərəˈbɪlɪti kəmz frəm ˈnumərəs məˈkænɪkəl lɪŋks wɪθ kənˈsɛntrɪk ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəmz. iʧ ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəm kən bi pleɪst ˈɪntu ə ˈrɪʤɪd ər ə lɪmp steɪt. baɪ ɪmˈplɔɪɪŋ "follow-the-leader*" ˈmuvmənt wɪθ ˈɔltərˌneɪtɪŋ ˈrɪʤɪd ər lɪmp steɪts, ðə ˈɛndoʊˌskoʊp kən bi dɪˈrɛktɪd ˈɪntu ˈɛni ʃeɪp θru ðə ˈrɛlətɪv ˌɔriɛnˈteɪʃənz əv ɪts ˈlɪŋkɪʤɪz. ðə flɛks ɑrm ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈsɪstəm. frəm lɛft tɪ raɪt: ðə kɑrt fər ˈtrænspɔrt; ðə beɪs wɪθ ðə ˈɪnstrəmənt ənd ðə kənˈtroʊl ˈkɑnsoʊl. ðə flɛks ɑrm ˈroʊˌbət ɪz soʊ ˈizi tɪ juz, ˈivɪn ə kən lərn ɪt ɪn 20 ˈmɪnəts, əˈkɔrdɪŋ. ɛz ə rɪˈzəlt, ðə flɛks ˈsɪstəm kʊd səm deɪ əˈlaʊ ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˈmɛdɪks ɪn ðə fild tɪ pərˈfɔrm ˈmɪnəməli ˌɪnˈveɪsɪv ˈsərʤəri ɔn ˈwundɪd ˈsoʊlʤərz, sɛd. ˈsiˈɛmˈju həz kənˈdəktəd ˈstədiz wɪθ ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈrɛzɪdənts wɛr ðə ˈstudənts juzd ðə flɛks ɑrm ˈsɪstəm wəns ə deɪ fər faɪv deɪz. "waɪl ˈɛvriˌwən ˈstɑrtɪd ɔf æt ˈdɪfərənt ˈlɛvəlz əv skɪl, ðeɪ ˈprɪti məʧ keɪm tɪ seɪm ˈbɛnʧˌmɑrk wɪˈθɪn θri traɪz," sɛd. "wət ðɪs toʊld ˈjuˈɛs ɪz ðət ˈɛniˌwən kən lərn tɪ juz ðɪs ənd ɪt teɪks əˈbaʊt θri traɪz tɪ lərn haʊ tɪ juz ɪt ɪn ə ˈsərʤɪkəli ˈminɪŋfəl weɪ," hi ˈædɪd. wəns ðə flɛks ɑrm ˈroʊˌbət məˈnuvərz ɪts weɪ tɪ ə saɪt wɪˈθɪn ðə ˈbɑdi, ˈsərʤənz kən ðɛn dɪˈplɔɪ ɑrˈtɪkjəˌleɪtɪŋ ˈɪnstrəmənts θri ˈmɪləˌmitərz ɪn daɪˈæmətər, wɪʧ ˈfərðər ɪkˈstɛndz ðɛr riʧ tɪ pərˈfɔrm prəˈsiʤərz. ðə flɛks ɑrm ˈroʊˌbət məˈnuvərz ɪts weɪ tɪ ə saɪt wɪˈθɪn ðə ˈbɑdi, ənd ðɛn ˈsərʤənz kən dɪˈplɔɪ frəm ə ˈsteɪbəl ˈplætˌfɔrm ɑrˈtɪkjəˌleɪtɪŋ ˈɪnstrəmənts ɪn daɪˈæmətər, wɪʧ ˈfərðər ɪkˈstɛndz ðɛr riʧ tɪ pərˈfɔrm prəˈsiʤərz. "wiv juzd ɪt tɪ ˈtækəl ˈpeɪʃənz wɪθ ˈtumərz ɔn ðə bæk əv ðə təŋ ər ˈɔrəl ˈfɛrɪŋks ˈriʤən," sɛd. "ðə ˈtɪpɪkəl [ˌɛndoʊˈskɑpɪk] dɪˈvaɪsɪz tɛnd tɪ bi streɪt stɪk ˈlɪniər dɪˈvaɪsɪz. wɪn hæv tɪ ˈɔpərˌeɪt ɔn ðə bæk əv təŋ, bɪˈkəz ɪts kərvd, ðeɪ tɛnd tɪ bi mɔr ˈlɪmɪtɪd ɪn wət ðeɪ kən du." ˈɔlsoʊ ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzɪz ðət ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈroʊˌbəts hæv ðɛr ˌlɪmɪˈteɪʃənz. fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ə 5-in*. ˈtumər ˈwʊdənt bi ə gʊd ˈkænədɪt fər ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsərʤəri ɛz ɪt wʊd ˌrikˈwaɪər ə məʧ ˈlɑrʤər hoʊl ɪn ə ˈpeɪʃənts ˈbɑdi tɪ bi riˈmuvd. "aɪ si ðiz ˈroʊˌbəts ɛz tulz," sɛd. "ɛz ðoʊz tulz gɪt ˈbɛtər ənd ˈbɛtər, ju doʊnt nid ɛz məʧ ˌspɛʃələˈzeɪʃən tɪ du ə tæsk. səm prəˈsiʤərz təˈdeɪ [səʧ ɛz colonoscopies*] wi maɪt kɔl ruˈtin prəˈsiʤərz ənd ðeɪ ər biɪŋ dən baɪ non-surgeons*, soʊ ˈsərʤənz ər frid əp tɪ du mɔr ˈkɑmpləˌkeɪtəd tæsks. "aɪ ˈɔlsoʊ du si ˈroʊˌbəts biɪŋ ˈeɪbəl tɪ prəˈvaɪd mɔr ˈfidˌbæk ənd ˌvɪʒwələˈzeɪʃən soʊ fɪˈzɪʃənz kən meɪk mɔr ˌɪnˈfɔrmd dɪˈsɪʒənz," ˈædɪd. waɪl ˈdəzənt si ˈroʊˌbəts ˈmeɪkɪŋ ˈmɛdɪkəl dɪˈsɪʒənz, hi dɪz ɪkˈspɛkt ðɛm tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ˈækjərəsi ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈmɪnəməli ˌɪnˈveɪsɪv ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz, ˈdæmɪʤ lɛs ˈtɪʃu ənd rɪˈdus ðə ˌpɑsəˈbɪləˌti əv ˌɪnˈfɛkʃən. ɛz ə rɪˈzəlt, ðeɪ ˈɔlsoʊ hoʊld ðə ˈprɑməs əv ˈdiˌkrisɪŋ kɔsts frəm ˈpeɪʃənt. fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, hɑrt ˈbaɪˌpæs ˈsərʤəri trəˈdɪʃənəli rikˈwaɪərz ðət ə ˈpeɪʃənts ʧɛst bi ˈoʊpənd baɪ weɪ əv ə lɔŋ ˌɪnˈsɪʒən. ə ˈdiˈeɪ ˈvɪnʧi ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈsɪstəm kən pərˈfɔrm ðə seɪm ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən baɪ ˈjuzɪŋ θri ər fɔr wən ˈsɛntəˌmitər ˌɪnˈsɪʒənz ɪn ðə ʧɛst. sˈmɔlər ˌɪnˈsɪʒənz min lɛs ˈtɪʃu ˈdæmɪʤ ənd ə ˈfæstər rɪˈkəvəri. sɪns ðə əˈfɔrdəbəl kɛr ækt əv 2010 kriˈeɪtɪd boʊθ ðə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl rɪˈdəkʃən ˈproʊˌgræm ənd ə nu ˈsɪstəm beɪst ɔn kˈwɑləti əv kɛr nɑt ðə ˈnəmbər əv prəˈsiʤərz ˈroʊˌbəts kʊd ɛnd əp peɪɪŋ fər ðɛmˈsɛlvz., ə ˈmɑrkətɪŋ ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv wɪθ ˈmɑrkɪt ˈrisərʧ fərm ˈæˌlaɪd ˈrisərʧ, sɛd ə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ðət spɛnz frəm 1 ˈmɪljən tɪ 2 ˈmɪljən ɔn ə ˈdiˈeɪ ˈvɪnʧi ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsɪstəm, nɑt ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ə ˈmeɪntənəns ˈkɑnˌtrækt, kʊd rɪˈkup ɪts kɔsts wɪˈθɪn tu jɪrz. "ˈhɑˌspɪtəlz kənˈsɪdər ˈmɛni ˈfæktərz waɪl ˈɔfərɪŋ ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsərʤəri, səʧ ɛz ˈpeɪʃənt ˈbɛnəfɪt, ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ˌkɑmpəˈtɪʃən ənd ˈhɑˌspɪtəl kɔsts. ðə trɛnd təˈwɔrd ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsərʤəri ˈɔlsoʊ brɪŋz əp səʧ ˈɪʃuz ɛz ˈoʊvərˌɔl ˈhɛlθˌkɛr ˈspɛndɪŋ, ðə kəmˈpærətɪv ˈifɛktɪvnəs əv ˈtritmənt ˈɔpʃənz ənd ðə peɪs əv tɛkˈnɑləʤi əˈdɑpʃən. ðəs, ɪt ɪz wərθ tɪ ˌɪnˈvɛst ɪn ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈroʊˌbəts, dɪˈspaɪt əv ɪts haɪ kɔst ənd kəmˈpærətɪv skænt ˈrisərʧ," sɛd sɛd. fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, sɛd, wən ˈhɑˌspɪtəl wɪθ əraʊnd 300 bɛdz bɔt ə ˈsərʤɪkəl ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsɪstəm fər ˈmɪljən ənd ðɛn juzd ɪt tɪ pərˈfɔrm 650 ˈsərʤəriz læst jɪr. ðə ˈnəmbər əv ˈsərʤəriz ɪz ˈlaɪkli tɪ riʧ 750 ˈpeɪʃənz ðɪs jɪr, ɛz mɔr prəˈspɛktɪv ˈpeɪʃənz lərn ðə tɛkˈnɑləʤi ɪgˈzɪsts. waɪl ðə ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ˈhɑˌspɪtəl wɑz læst ɪn ɪts ˈmɑrkɪt tɪ baɪ ə ˈsərʤɪkəl ˈroʊˌbət, ɪt bɪˈkeɪm ə ˈlidər baɪ pərˈfɔrmɪŋ twaɪs ɛz ˈmɛni ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsərʤəriz ɛz ˈəðər ˈɛriə ˈhɑˌspɪtəlz ənd ˈboʊstɪd ðə ˈvɑljum ɪn ðə steɪt, sɛd. "ˈmɛni fɪˈzɪʃənz seɪ ˈkæpʧərɪŋ ðə ˈmɑrkɪt ʃɛr kən bi ðə ˈbɪgəst ædˈvæntɪʤ əv ˌɪnˈvɛstɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈroʊˌbət. soʊ, ɪf səm ˈhɑˌspɪtəlz kən ˈmɑrkɪt ðɪs ənd kən bi fərst ɪn ðɛr ˈɛriə tɪ du soʊ, ðɛn ɪt wɪl bi ˈizi tɪ gɪt ˈməni bæk ɪn ˈkəpəl əv jɪrz bɪˈkəz ðeɪ ər ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈpeɪʃənz ənd ˌrɛkɪgˈnɪʃən fər biɪŋ ədˈvænst ˈhɑˌspɪtəlz ɛz wɛl," hi sɛd. ɛz ˈsərʤəri əˈʧivz ˈgreɪtər əˈdɑpʃən, siz ðə nɛkst stɛp ɛz ər ˈsərʤəri. fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ə kɔrt skæn kʊd prəˈvaɪd ə ˌroʊˈbɑtɪk ˈsɪstəm wɪθ ən ˈoʊvərvˌju əv ə ˈpeɪʃənts vasculature*. "soʊ pərˈhæps ju ˈoʊvərˌleɪ ðət ˈɪmɪʤ ɔn ə ˈtumər ənd ə ˈroʊˌbət gaɪdz ðə ˈsərʤɪn tɪ steɪ əˈweɪ frəm noʊ flaɪ zoʊnz," sɛd. "soʊ waɪl aɪ si ə ˈgreɪtər roʊl fər ˌroʊˈbɑtɪks, aɪ doʊnt noʊ ðət ðeɪ wɪl ˈɛvər ˌriˈpleɪs ˈjumən ˈsərʤənz."
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dr. umamaheswar duvvuri has used a snake-like robot to perform more than a half dozen throat surgeries over the past month. simply put, the robot is more accurate than duvvuri could hope to be.
the flex robotic system is so easy to use, duvvuri said even medical students can learn to use it with proficiency within three tries.
duvvuri, director of head and neck surgery at the university of pittsburgh medical center (upmc), said the flex robotic system surgical robot he's been using has sub-millimeter accuracy; it can "snake" its way to anyace in the body and it causes less damage to soft tissue.
medrobotics a depiction of how the flex system surgical robot can be used to operate on the throat of a patient.
as far back as 2008, studies showed that patients undergoing minimally invasive heart-bypass surgery using a robot had a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, fewer complications and a better chance that the bypassed vessels would remain open.
last year, a florida hospital proved robots could enable surgeons to remotely operate on patients. the florida hospital nicholson center in celebration successfully tested lagtime created by the internet for a simulated robotic surgery in ft. worth, texas, more than 1,200 miles away from the surgeon at the virtual controls. being able to perform remote surgeries would allow specialists to attend to any patient, anywhere in the world.
the nicholson center's simulator mimics procedures performed by a da vinci robotic surgical system, the most common robotic equipment in use today; it's involved in hundreds of thousands of surgeries every year worldwide.
the food and drug administration approved the da vinci surgical system from intuitive surgical in sunnyvale, calif. in 2000. since that time, the da vinci has been adopted by hospitals in the united states and europe to treat a range of conditions. the system's console gives the surgeon a high-definition, magnified 3-d view of the surgical site.
robots can also be used to deliver high doses of radiation with sub-millimeter accuracy anywhere in the body. the accuray cyberknife robotic radiosurgery system is one such system developed in 1990 by a professor of neurosurgery and radiation oncology at stanford university. approved by the fda in 2001, the cyberknife system can treat tumors anywhere in the body and has been used on 40,000 patients worldwide, according to the company.
accuray the cyberknife system can treat tumors in any location of the body with sub-millimeter accuracy; it has been used on 40,000 patients worldwide.
while still needing skilled medical personnel to oversee them, surgical robots are increasingly showing up tableside in operating rooms, and they may some day allow people with only basic medical knowledge to perform operations outside of a hospital setting.
by 2020, surgical robotics sales are expected to almost double to $6.4 billion, according to a recent report by allied market research. that would represent a 10.2% annual growth rate between 2014 and 2020.
in 2014, the gynecological application segment accounted for 28% of the surgical robotic systems market share; it is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the next four years.
creative commons lic. a robotically assisted surgical system that can be used by physicians for prostatectomies, cardiac valve repair and gynecologic surgical procedures.
the increasing need for automation in healthcare and growing demand for minimally invasive surgeries are driving the surgical robotic systems and procedures market, according to allied. in addition, a rise in cases of colorectal cancer, neurological disorders and gynecological diseases, among others, would boost the adoption of robotic surgical systems well adapted for minimally invasive procedures.
"surgical robotic systems offer less post-surgical complications and reduce labor cost," the study said. "due to this, large-scale hospitals based in developed and developing economies are now favoring automated surgical/hospital services, which ultimately drives the market growth."
roto-rooter to the rescue
the flex system is the first robot-assisted flexible endoscopicatform of its kind and the first to receive fda approval with the word "robot" in its name, according howie choset, a professor of robotics at carnegie mellon university's (cmu) robotics institute, where it was invented.
the flex system lets surgeons operate through non-linear winding paths, and through a single-site access into the body. the endoscope maneuverability comes from numerous mechanical links with concentric mechanisms. each mechanism can beaced into a rigid or a limp state. by employing "follow-the-leader" movement with alternating rigid or limp states, the endoscope can be directed into any shape through the relative orientations of its linkages.
medrobotics the medrobotics flex arm robotic surgical system. from left to right: the cart for transport; the base with the transoral instrument and the control console.
the flex arm robot is so easy to use, even a non-surgeon can learn it in 20 minutes, according choset. as a result, the flex system could some day allow military medics in the field to perform minimally invasive surgery on wounded soldiers, choset said.
cmu has conducted studies with medical residents where the students used the flex arm system once a day for five days. "while everyone started off at different levels of skill, they pretty much came to same benchmark within three tries," duvvuri said.
"what this told us is that anyone can learn to use this and it takes about three tries to learn how to use it in a surgically meaningful way," he added.
once the flex arm robot maneuvers its way to a site within the body, surgeons can then deploy articulating instruments three millimeters in diameter, which further extends their reach to perform procedures.
medrobotics the flex arm robot maneuvers its way to a site within the body, and then surgeons can deploy from a stableatform articulating instruments three-millimeter in diameter, which further extends their reach to perform procedures.
"we've used it to tackle patients with tumors on the back of the tongue or oral pharynx region," duvvuri said. "the typical [endoscopic] devices tend to be straight stick linear devices. when have to operate on the back of tongue, because it's curved, they tend to be more limited in what they can do."
duvvuri also recognizes that surgical robots have their limitations. for example, a 5-in. tumor wouldn't be a good candidate for robotic surgery as it would require a much larger hole in a patient's body to be removed.
"i see these robots as tools," choset said. "as those tools get better and better, you don't need as much specialization to do a task. some procedures today [such as colonoscopies] we might call routine procedures and they are being done by non-surgeons, so surgeons are freed up to do more complicated tasks.
"i also do see robots being able to provide more feedback and visualization so physicians can make more informed decisions," choset added.
while choset doesn't see robots making medical decisions, he does expect them to improve accuracy during minimally invasive operations, damage less tissue and reduce the possibility of infection. as a result, they also hold the promise of decreasing costs from patient readmissions.
for example, heart bypass surgery traditionally requires that a patient's chest be opened by way of a one-foot long incision. a da vinci robotic surgical system can perform the same operation by using three or four one centimeter incisions in the chest. smaller incisions mean less tissue damage and a faster recovery.
since the affordable care act of 2010 created both the hospital readmissions reduction program and a new pay-for-performance system based on quality of care -- not the number of procedures -- robots could end up paying for themselves.
snehal chougule, a marketing executive with market research firm allied research, said a hospital that spends from $1 million to $2 million on a da vinci robotic system, not including a $150,000 maintenance contract, could recoup its costs within two years.
"hospitals consider many factors while offering robotic surgery, such as patient benefit, hospital competition and hospital costs. the trend toward robotic surgery also brings up such issues as overall healthcare spending, the comparative effectiveness of treatment options and the pace of technology adoption. thus, it is worth to invest in surgical robots, despite of its high cost and comparative scant research," said chougule said.
for example, chougule said, one hospital with around 300 beds bought a surgical robotic system for $1.8 million and then used it to perform 650 surgeries last year. the number of surgeries is likely to reach 750 patients this year, as more prospective patients learn the technology exists.
while the particular hospital was last in its market to buy a surgical robot, it became a leader by performing twice as many robotic surgeries as other area hospitals and boasted the second-highest volume in the state, chougule said.
"many physicians say capturing the market share can be the biggest advantage of investing in the robot. so, if some hospitals can market this and can be first in their area to do so, then it will be easy to get money back in couple of years because they are getting patients and recognition for being advanced hospitals as well," he said.
as robot-assisted surgery achieves greater adoption, upmc's duvvuri sees the next step as semi-autonomous or robotic-guided surgery. for example, a ct scan could provide a robotic system with an overview of a patient's vasculature.
"so perhaps you overlay that image on a tumor and a robot guides the surgeon to stay away from no fly zones," duvvuri said. "so while i see a greater role for robotics, i don't know that they will ever replace human surgeons."
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ʤɛf ˈkæmərən lʊkt bæk sɪns ˈʤɔɪnɪŋ stoʊk ˈsɪti frəm ðə ˈhjustən ˈdaɪnəˌmoʊ ɪn ˈɔgəst 2012 ənd θɪŋz ər ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈbɛtər fər ðə juz. ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl. ɪn hɪz ˈsɛkənd fʊl ˈsizən ɪn ðə prɛˈmɪr lig, ˈkæmərən həz kənˈsɑləˌdeɪtəd hɪz pleɪs ɛz ə ˈstɑrtər fər stoʊk ɛz nu ˈmænɪʤər mɑrk juz ˌriˈpleɪst ˈtoʊni, ðə mæn hu bɔt ˈkæmərən. ðə dɪˈfɛndər huz ˌvərsəˈtɪləti ənd ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbəl ˈɪnʤən həz sin ɪm juzd ɪn ə vərˈaɪəti əv pəˈzɪʃənz fər kləb ənd ˈkəntri bət ˈmoʊstli raɪt bæk fər ðə ˈpɑtərz ɪz ɛkˈsɛlɪŋ ɛz ən əˈtækɪŋ fʊl bæk ˈəndər juz ənd spiks əˈbaʊt ðə ʧeɪnʤ ɪn fəˈlɑsəfi frəm tɪ juz ˈsutɪŋ hɪz ˈtælənts. (mɔr: rɛd ðə fʊl ˈɑrˌkaɪv əv ˈspɑˌtlaɪt ˈjuˈɛˈseɪ, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ tɪm rim, bræd ˈfridəl) ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə tu ˈrisənt ɪn ˈjʊrəp, ˈkæmərən ɪkˈsɛld æt ˈsɛnər bæk ənd wɑz ˈɑrgjuəbli ðə bɛst pleɪər əˈgɛnst ˈskɑtlənd ənd ˈɔstriə. nɑt ə bæd θɪŋ tɪ bi duɪŋ ɛz hi lʊks tɪ hɪz spɑt ɪn ðə ˈstɑrtɪŋ ˈlaɪˌnəp æt ðə wərld kəp ɪn brəˈzɪl nɛkst ˈsəmər. ˈkæmərən pleɪd ɪn 35 geɪmz ˈdʊrɪŋ hɪz ˈdeɪbju ˈsizən ɪn ˈɪŋglənd, bɪn ˈɛvər ˈprɛzənt ɪn tim ðɪs ˈsizən soʊ fɑr tu. aɪ kɔt əp wɪθ ɪm ɛz wɛl ɛz θroʊɪŋ ə bɪt əv ˈbæntər æt iʧ ˈəðər ɛz ɑr pæθ krɔst ˈmɛni munz əˈgoʊ əˈməŋst ðə ˈkɑlɪʤ ˈsɑkər ˈsərkət waɪlst hi wɑz ɔn ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˈduti wɪθ ðə juz. skwɑd. ðɪs ɪz wət ðə mərˈɔdɪŋ raɪt bæk hæd tɪ seɪ. ɔn pleɪɪŋ fər nu stoʊk ˈmænɪʤər mɑrk juz: aɪ θɪŋk bɪn trɪˈmɛndəs, ə ˈrɪli, ˈrɪli gʊd koʊʧ. ˈpɑzətɪv, pleɪɪŋ ðə bɔl ɔn ðə pɪʧ ənd ðət suts maɪ staɪl ˈbɛtər ðən ðə weɪ wi pleɪd ˈəndər wɪʧ wɑz ə lɔt əv lɔŋ bɔlz. ðət sut maɪ staɪl ɛz məʧ ɛz aɪ ˈwɔntɪd ɪt tɪ. seɪɪŋ ðət, aɪ hæd 38 geɪmz læst jɪr ˈəndər ɪm [pulis*] bɪn ˈfɔrʧənət. ənd ɛz fər pleɪɪŋ fər juz, bɪn greɪt soʊ fɑr. ɔn biɪŋ ɪnˈkərəʤd tɪ əˈtæk frəm raɪt bæk: hi wɔnts ðə ˈaʊtˈsaɪd bæks tɪ gɪt ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ənd bi ə pɑrt əv ðə əˈfɛns ənd meɪk ɪt ˈdɪfəkəlt fər ðə ˈəðər tim soʊ ðeɪ hæv tɪ dɪˈfɛnd mi ɛz wɛl. ənd, siɪŋ ðə bɔl ə lɔt mɔr. wɛr læst jɪr, ju ʤɪst gɪt ɪt ənd ju həmp ɪt daʊn ðə laɪn ənd ju ʤɪst hoʊp fər ˈsəmθɪŋ. wɛˈræz ðɪs jɪr ˌɪnˈtɛnʧən əv goʊɪŋ ˈfɔrwərd, ˈkəmɪŋ ɪn, ˈgɪtɪŋ ɪt bæk ənd kriˈeɪtɪŋ stəf. ɔn mɪkst bæg əv rɪˈzəlts soʊ fɑr: aɪ θɪŋk ˈoʊvərˌɔl, ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd wɪθ səm əv ðə rɪˈzəlts ðət hæd. ju noʊ, ðə ˈmænˌʧɛstər juˈnaɪtɪd ənd geɪm ənd mæn ˈsɪti æt hoʊm wi ʃʊd hæv wən, wi hæd ˌɑpərˈtunətiz tɪ pʊt ðə bɔl ɪn ðə bæk əv ðə nɛt, soʊ ðoʊz θɪŋz ənd ðoʊz ˈlɪtəl pɔɪnts hir ənd ðɛr hərt ju. seɪɪŋ ðət, bi ˌoʊˈkeɪ. aɪ θɪŋk wəns wi gɪt əˈnəðər wɪn ˈəndər ɑr bɛlt, ɑr ˈkɑnfədɛns wɪl goʊ ənd wi wɪl gɪt ɔn ə roʊl. aɪ θɪŋk ˈsəmˌtaɪmz wi gɪt ɪn ə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən wɛr ju goʊ əp ənd nɑt juzd tɪ biɪŋ əp ɔn timz bɪˈkəz ju kaɪnd əv faɪt fər ə goʊl ɪn ðə læst ˈmɪnət ər ˈsəmθɪŋ laɪk ðət ənd ju ˈrɪli ˈriəˌlaɪz, ‘‘hey*, əp əˈgɛnst, kip duɪŋ wət duɪŋ, pleɪ ðə weɪ wi pleɪd tɪ gɪt ðə tu goals.’*.’ ɔl əv ə ˈsədən aɪ θɪŋk wi gɪt ə ˈlɪtəl ˈnərvəs ənd nɑt ˈkɑnfədənt wɪθ ˈkipɪŋ ðə lɛd. ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət wi ˈɑbviəsli hæv tɪ wərk ɔn ənd gɪt ðət mɛnˈtælɪti. aɪ θɪŋk ə mɛnˈtælɪti θɪŋ. (ðeɪ ˈɑbviəsli hæv bɪn, ɛz ˈkæmərən hɛlpt stoʊk dɪˈfit ˈsəndərlənd ɪn wik 12 əv ðə, ðɛr fərst hoʊm wɪn sɪns ˈɔgəst.) ɔn sɪˈmɛntɪŋ hɪz pleɪs fər: ʤɪst pʊt jʊr neɪm ɔn ðə lɪst. ˈɑbviəsli ðə goʊl, goʊɪŋ tɪ ðə wərld kəp. ju ʤɪst hæv tɪ bi kənˈsɪstənt ənd bi ə ˈrɛgjələr pleɪər ənd goʊ frəm ðɛr, ˈlɪtəl ˈbeɪbi stɛps ju noʊ? ɔn ðə təf wərld kəp drɔ əˈhɛd: wɔʧ ɪt ɔn dɪˈsɛmbər 6 ənd kaɪnd əv goʊ frəm there…*…. ɔn ˈhævɪŋ ðə ˈəðər əˈmɛrɪkən pleɪərz æt stoʊk: kul. ˈʧælənʤɪŋ ðə ˈbrɪtɪʃ gaɪz naʊ, wɪʧ ɪz kul. bɪn ˌaʊtˈnəmbərd fər ə waɪl, ðɛn ənd moʊ keɪm ənd sˈloʊli ˈteɪkɪŋ ˈoʊvər ðə ˈlɑkər rum wɪʧ ɪz ˈprɪti kul. gʊd, aɪ θɪŋk ˈiziər fər ˈpipəl tɪ əˈʤəst bɪˈkəz ðɛr ər ə fju ˈəðər əˈmɛrɪkənz tɪ səˈpɔrt ju ɪf ju nid ˈɛniˌθɪŋ. ˈfɑloʊ
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geoff cameron hasn’t looked back since joining stoke city from the houston dynamo in august 2012 and things are getting better for the u.s. international.
in his second full season in the premier league, cameron has consolidated his place as a starter for stoke as new manager mark hughes replaced tony pulis, the man who bought cameron.
the 28-year-old defender — whose versatility and incredible engine has seen him used in a variety of positions for club and country but mostly right back for the potters — is excelling as an attacking full back under hughes and speaks about the change in philosophy from pulis to hughes suiting his talents.
(more: read the full archive of spotlight usa, including tim ream, brad friedel)
during the two recent usmnt friendlies in europe, cameron excelled at center back and was arguably the usa’s best player against scotland and austria. not a bad thing to be doing as he looks to rubber-stamp his spot in the starting lineup at the world cup in brazil next summer.
cameron played in 35 pl games during his debut season in england, he’s been ever present in stoke’s team this season so far too.
i caught up with him — as well as throwing a bit of banter at each other as our path crossed many moons ago amongst the college soccer circuit — whilst he was on international duty with the u.s. squad.
this is what the marauding right back had to say.
on playing for new stoke manager mark hughes:
i think it’s been tremendous, he’s a really, really good coach. he’s positive, he’s playing the ball on the pitch and that suits my style better than the way we played under pulis which was a lot of long balls. that didn’t suit my style as much as i would’ve wanted it to. saying that, i had 38 games last year under him [pulis] i’ve been fortunate. and as for playing for hughes, it’s been great so far.
on being encouraged to attack from right back:
he wants the outside backs to get involved and be a part of the offense and make it difficult for the other team so they have to defend me as well. and, i’m seeing the ball a lot more. where last year, you just get it and you hump it down the line and you just hope for something. whereas this year there’s intention of going forward, coming in, getting it back and creating stuff.
on stoke’s mixed bag of results so far:
i think overall, we’re disappointed with some of the results that we’ve had. you know, the manchester united and swansea game and man city at home we should have won, we had opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net, so those things and those little points here and there hurt you. saying that, we’ll be okay. i think once we get another win under our belt, our confidence will go and we will get on a roll. i think sometimes we get in a situation where you go up and we’re not used to being up on teams because you kind of fight for a goal in the last minute or something like that and you don’t really realize, ‘hey, you’re up 2-0 against swansea, let’s keep doing what we’re doing, play the way we played to get the two goals.’ all of a sudden i think we get a little nervous and you’re not confident with keeping the lead. that’s something that we obviously have to work on and get that mentality. i think it’s a mentality thing. (they obviously have been, as cameron helped stoke defeat sunderland 2-0 in week 12 of the pl, their first home win since august.)
on cementing his place for usmnt:
just put your name on the list. that’s obviously the goal, going to the world cup. you just have to be consistent and be a regular player and go from there, little baby steps you know?
on the tough world cup draw ahead:
i’ll watch it on december 6 and kind of go from there….
on having the other american players at stoke:
it’s cool. we’re challenging the british guys now, which is cool. i’ve been outnumbered for a while, then brek and mo came and slowly we’re taking over the locker room which is pretty cool. it’s good, i think it’s easier for people to adjust because there are a few other americans to support you if you need anything.
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ˈɪmɪʤ ˈkæpʃən ðə rɪˈvil ə fəˈmɪljər lʊk dɪˈvɛləpərz hæv bɪn ˈgɪvɪn ðɛr fərst glɪmps əv ə ənd ˈoʊpən ɔlˈtərnətɪv tɪ ˈfeɪsˌbʊk. daɪˈæspərə dɪˈskraɪbz ˌɪtˈsɛlf ɛz ə "privacy-aware*, personally-controlled*" ˈsoʊʃəl ˈnɛtˌwərk. ɪt wɑz kənˈsivd ˈərliər ðɪs jɪr baɪ fɔr ˈjuˈɛs ˈstudənts ˈdʊrɪŋ ə ˈpɪriəd wɪn ˈfeɪsˌbʊk keɪm ˈəndər faɪər fər ɪts ˈpraɪvəsi ˈsɛtɪŋz. ðə ˈoʊpənˌsɔrs ˈprɑʤɛkt həz naʊ riˈlist ɪts fərst koʊd tɪ dɪˈvɛləpərz ənd ˈɔlsoʊ ˈpəblɪʃt. "ðɪs ɪz naʊ ə kəmˈjunɪti ˈprɑʤɛkt ənd dɪˈvɛləpmənt ɪz ˈoʊpən tɪ ˈɛniˌwən wɪθ ðə ˈtɛknɪkəl ˌɛkspərˈtiz hu ʃɛrz ðə ˈvɪʒən əv ə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈnɛtˌwərk ðət pʊts ˈjuzərz ɪn kənˈtroʊl," ðə tim sɛd ɪn ə blɔg. ˈmɛni əv ðə ˈfiʧərz ʃoʊn ɔn ðə saɪt wɪl bi fəˈmɪljər tɪ ˈpipəl ɔˈrɛdi ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl ˈnɛtˌwərks səʧ ɛz ˈfeɪsˌbʊk, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ ʃɛr ˈmɛsɪʤɪz, ˈfoʊˌtoʊz ənd ˈstætəs ˈəpˌdeɪts. ðə tim sɛd ðeɪ ər ˈkərəntli ˈwərkɪŋ tɪ ˈɪnəˌgreɪt ðə saɪt wɪθ ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ənd tɪ meɪk ɪt ˈizi fər ˈpipəl tɪ teɪk kənˈtroʊl əv ənd muv ðɛr ˈpərsɪnəl ˈdætə. ðeɪ eɪm tɪ lɔnʧ ðə fərst ˈpəblɪk ˈprɑdəkt ɪn ɑkˈtoʊbər. ˈpraɪvəsi wɪn ðɛr aɪˈdiə əv ˈbɪldɪŋ daɪˈæspərə ˈstɑrtɪd ˈərliər ðɪs jɪr ˈdʊrɪŋ ə ˈpɪriəd əv ˌɪnˈtɛns ˈkrɪtɪˌsɪzəm əv ˈfeɪsˌbʊk, ðə wərldz ˈlɑrʤəst ˈsoʊʃəl ˈnɛtˌwərk. ðə saɪt, wɪʧ boʊst 500 ˈmɪljən ˈmɛmbərz, wɑz fər ˈhævɪŋ ˈoʊvərli ˈkɑmplɛks ənd kənfˈjuzɪŋ ˈpraɪvəsi ˈsɛtɪŋz. ɪt wɑz ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli fɔrst tɪ roʊl aʊt ˈsɪmpləˌfaɪd kənˈtroʊlz. "wi wɔnt tɪ pʊt ˈjuzərz bæk ɪn kənˈtroʊl əv wət ðeɪ ʃɛr," mæks ˈsɔlzbərg, wən əv ðə ˈfaʊndərz əv daɪˈæspərə, toʊld ˌbibiˈsi nuz æt ðə taɪm. ɪf ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ˈʤɛnjuˌaɪnli si ðɪs ɛz ə θrɛt ər si ðət ˈpipəl ˈrɪli laɪk ɪt ɛz ən aɪˈdiə, ɪt meɪ ˈɪnfluəns wət ðeɪ du fər ˈpraɪvəsi neɪt ˈɛliət, ˈænəlɪst, ˈfɔrəstər ðə tim tərnd tɪ ðə ˈfənˌdreɪsɪŋ saɪt tɪ reɪz fəndz tɪ bɪld ðə ˈnɛtˌwərk, ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli ˈreɪzɪŋ frəm ˈnɪrli ˈpipəl. mɑrk ˈzəkərˌbərg, ðə ˈfaʊndər əv ˈfeɪsˌbʊk, rɪˈpɔrtədli ˈdoʊˌneɪtɪd tɪ ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt. ðə lɔnʧ əv ðə fərst koʊd mɑrks ə ˈmaɪlˌstoʊn fər ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ðə tim wɔrnd ðət ðɛr wər stɪl ˈprɑbləmz tɪ aɪərn aʊt. "ɪt ɪz baɪ noʊ minz ər feature-complete*, bət ɪt [ɪz] ən ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt stɛp fər ˈpʊtɪŋ ˈjuˈɛs, ðə ˈjuzərz, ɪn kənˈtroʊl," ðeɪ roʊt. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, bəgz meɪ nɑt bi ðə ˈoʊnli ˈʧælənʤ ðə ˈnɛtˌwərk ˈfeɪsɪz, sɛd neɪt ˈɛliət, ˈprɪnsəpəl ˈænəlɪst æt ˈrisərʧ fərm ˈfɔrəstər. "ɪt simz ðeɪ ər ˈsɪmpli ˈkɑpiɪŋ ˈfeɪsˌbʊk wɪθ ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈɑrkəˌtɛkʧər," hi toʊld ˌbibiˈsi nuz. "ɪf ðə ˈoʊnli ˌdɪfərˌɛnʧiˈeɪʃən ɪz əraʊnd ˈpraɪvəsi, aɪ kænt ˈɪmɪʤ ðeɪ wɪl pərsˈweɪd ɪˈnəf ˈpipəl tɪ muv əˈweɪ frəm ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ənd ðə ˈnɛtˌwərk ˈifɛkt ɪt həz." hi sɛd ðə saɪt wɑz ə "greɪt ˈkɑnsɛpt" bət aɪˈdiəz laɪk "ˈdætə ˌpɔrtəˈbɪlɪti" wər ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ ˈɪmpləmənt. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, hi sɛd, ɪt meɪ ˈɪnfluəns ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ɪn ˈəðər weɪz. "ˈfeɪsˌbʊk həz bɪn ˈvɛri gʊd æt ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzɪŋ wət ɪz gʊd əˈbaʊt ðɛr kəmˈpɛtɪtərz ənd ˈpʊlɪŋ ɪn ðoʊz bɛst ˈfiʧərz." hi sɛd ðə saɪt hæd səkˈsɛsfəli ˌɪnˈkɔrpərˌeɪtɪd ˈfiʧərz frəm tˈwɪtər ənd loʊˈkeɪʃən ˈsərvɪs ˈfɔrskˈwɛr. "ɪf ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ˈʤɛnjuˌaɪnli si ðɪs ɛz ə θrɛt ər si ðət ˈpipəl ˈrɪli laɪk ɪt ɛz ən aɪˈdiə, ɪt meɪ ˈɪnfluəns wət ðeɪ du fər ˈpraɪvəsi," hi sɛd. "ðət wʊd bi ə wɪn fər ðə [daɪˈæspərə] tim." ˈəðərz hæv kˈwɛsʧənd ˈwɛðər ðɛr ɪz tu məʧ ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃən ɔn ðə ˈsərvɪs. "waɪl ɪts ˈpɑsəbəl fər fɔr ˈtæləntɪd kəmˈpjutər ˈsaɪəntɪsts, ɪn ə ˈsəmər, tɪ meɪk ə pis əv ˈsɔfˌwɛr ðæts soʊ kəmˈpɛlɪŋ ənd attention-grabbing*, nɑt ʤɪst ɪn ˈθɪri bət ɪn ˈækʧəwəl juz ɪts ˈɔlsoʊ fɑr frəm ˈlaɪkli," roʊt deɪv ˈwaɪnər, ə ˈjuˈɛs ˈsɔfˌwɛr dɪˈvɛləpər, ˌbiˈfɔr ðə koʊd wɑz riˈlist.
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image caption the screenshots reveal a familiar look
developers have been given their first glimpse of a community-funded and open alternative to facebook.
diaspora describes itself as a "privacy-aware, personally-controlled" social network.
it was conceived earlier this year by four us students during a period when facebook came under fire for its privacy settings.
the open-source project has now released its first code to developers and also published screenshots.
"this is now a community project and development is open to anyone with the technical expertise who shares the vision of a social network that puts users in control," the team said in a blog.
many of the features shown on the site will be familiar to people already on social networks such as facebook, including the ability to share messages, photos and status updates.
the team said they are currently working to integrate the site with facebook and to make it easy for people to take control of and move their personal data.
they aim to launch the first public product in october.
privacy win
their idea of building diaspora started earlier this year during a period of intense criticism of facebook, the world's largest social network.
the site, which boast 500 million members, was criticised for having overly complex and confusing privacy settings. it was eventually forced to roll out simplified controls.
"we want to put users back in control of what they share," max salzberg, one of the founders of diaspora, told bbc news at the time.
if facebook genuinely see this as a threat or see that people really like it as an idea, it may influence what they do for privacy nate elliott, analyst, forrester
the team turned to the fundraising site kickstarter to raise funds to build the network, eventually raising $200,642 from nearly 6,500 people.
mark zuckerberg, the founder of facebook, reportedly donated to the project.
the launch of the first code marks a milestone for the project. however, the team warned that there were still problems to iron out.
"it is by no means bug-free or feature-complete, but it [is] an important step for putting us, the users, in control," they wrote.
however, bugs may not be the only challenge the network faces, said nate elliott, principal analyst at research firm forrester.
"it seems they are simply copying facebook with a different architecture," he told bbc news.
"if the only differentiation is around privacy, i can't image they will persuade enough people to move away from facebook and the network effect it has."
he said the site was a "great concept" but ideas like "data portability" were difficult to implement. however, he said, it may influence facebook in other ways.
"facebook has been very good at recognising what is good about their competitors and pulling in those best features."
he said the site had successfully incorporated features from twitter and location service foursquare.
"if facebook genuinely see this as a threat or see that people really like it as an idea, it may influence what they do for privacy," he said.
"that would be a win for the [diaspora] team."
others have questioned whether there is too much expectation on the service.
"while it's possible for four talented computer scientists, in a summer, to make a piece of software that's so compelling and attention-grabbing, not just in theory but in actual use - it's also far from likely," wrote dave winer, a us software developer, before the code was released.
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triz ˈvərsəz. vjuz: kʊd siˈætəlz tri ˈpɑləsi ʧeɪnʤ? læst jɪr, ə ˈhoʊˌmoʊnər əˈplaɪd fər ə ˈpərˌmɪt tɪ ˈlaɪtli prun ə fju ˈsɪti triz nɪr hər hoʊm tɪ ɛnˈhæns hər vju əv leɪk ˈwɔʃɪŋtən. ðə ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən ˌɪgˈnaɪtɪd reɪʤ ˈoʊvər ə ˈpɔɪzənɪŋ əv ə ˈmeɪpəl ɪn ðə ˈɛriə, wɪʧ peɪvd ðə weɪ fər ə ˈkɑrənt ˌmɔrəˈtɔriəm ɔn ɔl səʧ ˈpərˌmɪts, wɪʧ lɛd tɪ ə rɪˈnud dəˈbeɪt ɔn ðə ˈɛθɪks əv tri ˈtrɪmɪŋ ɔl ˈoʊvər ə dɪˈzaɪər tɪ snɪp ə fju ˈbrænʧɪz. bət ɪn leaf-loving*, siˈætəl, ðə dəˈbeɪt bɪtˈwin ˈseɪvɪŋ triz ənd prɪˈzərvɪŋ vjuz həz ˈɔlˌweɪz bɪn tɛns. ˈstɔriz əv ˈbʊʧərd triz ˈɔfən prɑmpt ðə seɪm ˈaʊtˌkraɪ ɛz ˈvaɪələnt kraɪmz, wɪθ tri ˈləvərz ˈreɪlɪŋ əˈgɛnst ˈhoʊˌmoʊnərz huz ˈprɑpərti ˈvæljuz dɪˈpɛnd ɔn haʊ ˈbʊʃi ðə ˈfoʊlɪʤ gɪts ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðɛr ˈwɪndoʊz. ɛz kənˈsərn ˈoʊvər siˈætəlz ʃˈrɪŋkɪŋ tri ˈkænəpi həz groʊn, ðə ˈsɪti həz bɪˈkəm ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli riˈstrɪktɪv ɪn wət ˈhoʊˌmoʊnərz kən ˈligəli du tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ðɛr vjuz. ðə ˈkɑrənt ˈpɑləsiz hæv wərkt ˈprɪti wɛl, sɛd mɑrk mid, ðə ˈsɪtiz ˈsinjər ˈərbən ˈfɔrəstər. bət ðɛr ər hɪnts ðət θɪŋz meɪ ʧeɪnʤ. ðə tri dəˈbeɪt ðə ˈkɑrənt dɪˈskəʃən ɔn tri ˈtrɪmɪŋ kənˈteɪnd fər naʊ ˈmoʊstli wɪˈθɪn ðə pɑrks bɔrd ənd ðə ˈnuli fɔrmd ˈərbən ˈfɔrəstri kəˈmɪʃən həz tæpt ˈɪntu ˈtɛnʧənz. noʊ ˈækʃən həz bɪn rɪkˈwɛstɪd, bət kəˈmɪʃənərz ənd ˈrɛzɪdənts ər dəˈbeɪtɪŋ səʧ kˈwɛsʧənz ɛz: ɪz ɪt ˈoʊˈkeɪ tɪ ˈsækrəˌfaɪs ˈpəblɪk ˈprɑpərti fər ˈpraɪvət geɪn? du ˈpipəl wɪθ vju hoʊmz hæv ə raɪt tɪ ɪkˈspɛkt ðət ðɛr vju wɪl ˈɔlˌweɪz bi ðɛr? haʊ məʧ ˈpəblɪk wərk ʃʊd ˈhoʊˌmoʊnərz bi rikˈwaɪərd tɪ du ɪf ðeɪ trɪm ˈpəblɪk triz? ɪf ə ˈpərˌmɪt ˈsɪstəm wɑz ɪˈlɪməˌneɪtɪd, wʊd klænˈdɛstɪn ˈkətɪŋz ənd ˈpɔɪzənɪŋz əv triz ˌɪnˈkris? ʃʊd ðə ˈsɪti ʧɑrʤ mɔr ðən 135 fər ə ˈpərˌmɪt? "ˈərbən pɑrks ər əˈbaʊt ə ˈrɛspɪt frəm ðə ˈərbən ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt," ʤɑn ˈbɑrbər, ə nu pɑrks bɔrd kəˈmɪʃənər, sɛd læst mənθ ˈdʊrɪŋ ə ˈbrifɪŋ ɔn ðə ˈɪʃu. "wɪn triz ər trɪmd fər vjuz, ˈsəmˌbɑdi ˈɛlsɪz vjuz ər əˈfɛktɪd. soʊ, ˈrɪli, ʃʊd ðɛr ˈivɪn bi ə ˈpərˌmɪt ˈsɪstəm? ʃʊd ˈpraɪvət ˈpɑrtiz bi ˈgɪvɪn ðə raɪt tɪ ˈmɑdəˌfaɪ ɑr triz?" ˈpərˌmɪts tɪ prun triz ɔn ˈsɪti lænd ˌrikˈwaɪər ðət ðə ˈtrɪmɪŋ bi kənˈsərvətɪv ənd kərˈɛkt," wɪθ ðə juz əv səʧ ˈpræktɪsɪz ɛz "drop-crotching*," ər kraʊn rɪˈdəkʃən. tri ˈtɑpɪŋ ɪz nɑt əˈlaʊd. tri rɪˈmuvəl ɪz nɑt əˈlaʊd ˈsoʊəli tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ə ˈpraɪvət vju. ðə ˌɪnˈʤɛkʃən əv ˈhɔrˌmoʊn groʊθ ˈrɛgjəˌleɪtərz ɪz ˈsəmˌtaɪmz juzd. ənd ðə ˈhoʊˌmoʊnər məst du səm ˈplæntɪŋ ər ˈlænˌskeɪpɪŋ ðət wɪl ˈɔfˌsɛt ðə lɔs əv tri ˈkəvərɪʤ ənd bi ɪn ðə ˈpəblɪks ˈbɛnəfɪt. "ðɛrz ˈpipəl hu bɪˈliv wi ʃʊd bi prəˈtɛktɪŋ ˈpraɪvət vjuz bɪˈkəz ðə vjuz ðæts wət ðeɪ bɔt ðɛr ˈprɑpərti fər," mid sɛd. "ənd ðɛrz ðə kəmˈplit ˈɑpəzɪt: ˈpipəl seɪɪŋ wi ˈʃʊdənt bi dɪˈstrɛsɪŋ ər ˈdæmɪʤɪŋ ˈpəblɪk ˈæˌsɛts fər ˈpraɪvət geɪn." hi sɛd siˈætəl gɪvz aʊt ˈoʊnli əˈbaʊt θri tɪ faɪv ˈpərˌmɪts ə jɪr, ənd ˈoʊnli θri tɪ fɔr triz ər ˈtɪpɪkəli rɪˈdust wɪθ ə ˈsɪŋgəl ˈpərˌmɪt. dɪˈspaɪt ðoʊz loʊ ˈnəmbərz, mid ˈɛstəˌmeɪtɪd ðət ˈpərˌmɪt kˈwɛsʧənz əˈkaʊnt fər ˈrəfli 75 pərˈsɛnt əv ðə kɔlz hi gɪts. "wɪr traɪɪŋ tɪ ˈbæləns bɪtˈwin biɪŋ gʊd ˈneɪbərz ənd (prəˈtɛktɪŋ triz)," hi sɛd. "wɪr traɪɪŋ tɪ faɪnd ə gʊd ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪz." bət ɪts ə təf ˈbætəl. dɪˈmɪnɪʃt ˈkænəpi ðə ˈsɪtiz tri ˈkænəpi-- ðə pərˈsɛnt əv lænd ˈkəvərd baɪ triz həz ˈwɪðərd frəm 40 pərˈsɛnt ɪn 1972 tɪ əˈbaʊt 22 pərˈsɛnt təˈdeɪ, ˈlɑrʤli du tɪ ˈərbən dɪˈvɛləpmənt ənd pur tri ˈmænɪʤmənt. ðə ˈsɪti həz ə goʊl əv ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ ðət ˈkænəpi tɪ 30 pərˈsɛnt baɪ 2037 wɪʧ lɛd tɪ ðə ˈsɪtiz fɔrˈmeɪʃən əv ðə ædˈvaɪzəri ˈərbən ˈfɔrəstri kəˈmɪʃən ənd tɪ səm ˈprɪti ˈvoʊkəl tri ˈpɑləˌtɪks. ðə keɪs ɪz ən ɪgˈzæmpəl əv ðət. ðə smɔl ˈwʊdɪd ˈɛriə ɪn kˈwɛʃən ə sloʊp əˈbəv ist ˈɔldər strit ənd ˈævəˌnu ist wɑz ðə sin əv ə mɪˈstɪriəs ˈpɔɪzənɪŋ ˈdɛkeɪdz əˈgoʊ, ɪn wɪʧ ˈsəmˌwən drɪld hoʊlz ˈɪntu ðə trəŋk əv bɪg lif ˈmeɪpəl ənd pɔrd ˈsəmθɪŋ "ˈkɛmɪkəl sˈmɛlɪŋ" ˈɪntu ðɛm. ðə tri ˈleɪtər hæd tɪ bi riˈmuvd. ðə ˈɪnsədənt hæd ˈfɑloʊd ˈprɪkli ˈklæʃɪz bɪtˈwin ə ˈhoʊˌmoʊnər ɔn ðə hɪl hu ˈwɔntɪd ə ˈbɛtər vju, ənd ʤɪm snɛl, hu lɪvz æt ðə ˈbɑtəm əv ðə hɪl. snɛl həz fɔt ˈnɪrli ˈɛvəri əˈtɛmpt tɪ prun ðə ˈɛriəz ˈpəblɪk triz. "aɪ θɪŋk ðoʊz kaɪnz əv ˈpipəl gɪt ˈspɛʃəl ˈtritmənt baɪ ðə ˈsɪti. ðeɪ ˈsəmˌhaʊ sim tɪ gɪt əˈweɪ wɪθ θɪŋz," sɛd snɛl, ə rɪˈtaɪrd ˈsoʊʃəl sɪˈkjʊrəti ədˈmɪnɪˌstreɪtər, əv ðə fərst ˈhoʊˌmoʊnər. soʊ wɪn ðə ˈkɑrənt ˈhoʊˌmoʊnər ˈwɔntɪd tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv hər vju, snɛl gɑt ˈæŋgri, roʊt ðə meɪərz ˈɔfəs ənd sɛt ɔf əˈlɑrmz ənd iˈmeɪl kæmˈpeɪnz əˈməŋ ˈəðər tri ˈləvərz. ðət lɛd ðə weɪ fər ðə ˈsɪtiz ˌmɔrəˈtɔriəm ɔn ɔl ˈpərˌmɪts. "ɪt dɪz nɑt meɪk sɛns əˈlaʊɪŋ ə ˈprɛsɪdənt tɪ meɪnˈteɪn ən ˈkɔrɪdər ðæts bɪn ˈoʊpənd baɪ ˈpɔɪzənɪŋ," snɛl sɛd. ðə ˈkɑrənt ˈhoʊˌmoʊnər, hu hæd prəˈpoʊzd ən ɪkˈstɛnsɪv ˌvɛʤəˈteɪʃən ˈmænɪʤmənt ˈproʊˌgræm tɪ ˈkɑmpənˌseɪt fər ðə tri ˈtrɪmɪŋ, dɪd nɑt rɪˈtərn kɔlz fər ˈkɑmɛnt. mid sɛd ðə ˌmɔrəˈtɔriəm əˈlaʊz fər ˈstədi baɪ ðə nu meɪər, ə nu ˈæktɪŋ pɑrks ˌsupərɪnˈtɛndənt, nu pɑrks kəˈmɪʃənərz, ənd ðə ˈərbən ˈfɔrəstri kəˈmɪʃən, wɪʧ fɔrmd ðɪs jɪr. "ɪts ˈɔlˌweɪz gʊd tɪ ˌrivˈju ðiz ˈpɑləsiz. wi fil laɪk wɪr ə 100 pərˈsɛnt trænˈspɛrənt," hi sɛd. ðɛrz ə lɔt tɪ weɪ. ɪn əˈdɪʃən tɪ ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzɪŋ ðə gʊd əv triz ˈhæbəˌtæts fər bərdz, kənˈsəmʃən əv ˈgrinˌhaʊs ˈgæsɪz ðə ˈsɪti məst kənˈtɛnd wɪθ ˌɪnˈgreɪnd ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃənz əv ˈhoʊˌmoʊnərz, ənd əv siˈætəl biɪŋ ə ˈsɪti əv vjuz. tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ˈvɪstəz, siˈætəl juzd tɪ əˈlaʊ ˈhoʊˌmoʊnərz tɪ boʊθ dɪg aʊt triz ənd "tɔp" ðɛm, ə ˈpræktɪs ðət meɪd triz proʊn tɪ ˈrɑtɪŋ ənd ˈbreɪkɪʤ. ðə ˈsɪti ˈɔlsoʊ juzd tɪ tɔp triz æt ˈhoʊˌmoʊnərz' rɪkˈwɛsts; ðə groʊv əˈbəv ˈgoʊldən ˈgɑrdənz, tɑpt fər ˈrɛzɪdənts ɔn vju ˈævəˌnu ˌnɔrθˈwɛst, ər ə ˈlæstɪŋ ɪgˈzæmpəl əv ðət ˈpræktɪs, mid sɛd. "moʊst əv ðə (vju) hoʊmz wər bɪlt ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ənd 70s*, wɪn ðə lænd wɑz dɪˈnudɪd," hi sɛd. "wɪn ðə ˈprɑpərtiz wər bɪlt, ðə triz wərənt ðɛr."
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trees vs. views: could seattle's tree policy change?
last year, a leschi homeowner applied for a permit to lightly prune a few city trees near her home to enhance her view of lake washington.
the application ignited rage over a long-ago poisoning of a big-leaf maple in the area, which paved the way for a current moratorium on all such permits, which led to a renewed debate on the ethics of tree trimming -- all over a desire to snip a few branches.
but in leaf-loving, view-gawking seattle, the debate between saving trees and preserving views has always been tense. stories of butchered trees often prompt the same outcry as violent crimes, with tree lovers railing against homeowners whose property values depend on how bushy the foliage gets outside their windows.
as concern over seattle's shrinking tree canopy has grown, the city has become increasingly restrictive in what homeowners can legally do to improve their views. the current policies have worked pretty well, said mark mead, the city's senior urban forester.
but there are hints that things may change.
the tree debate
the current discussion on tree trimming -- contained for now mostly within the parks board and the newly formed urban forestry commission - has tapped into long-simmering tensions. no action has been requested, but commissioners and residents are debating such questions as:
is it ok to sacrifice public property for private gain? do people with view homes have a right to expect that their view will always be there?
how much public work should homeowners be required to do if they trim public trees? if a permit system was eliminated, would clandestine cuttings and poisonings of trees increase? should the city charge more than $135 for a permit?
"urban parks are about a respite from the urban environment," john barber, a new parks board commissioner, said last month during a briefing on the issue.
"when trees are trimmed for views, somebody else's views are affected. so, really, should there even be a permit system? should private parties be given the right to modify our trees?"
permits to prune trees on city land require that the trimming be conservative and "aboriculturally correct," with the use of such practices as "drop-crotching," or crown reduction.
tree topping is not allowed. tree removal is not allowed solely to improve a private view. the injection of hormone growth regulators is sometimes used. and the homeowner must do some planting or landscaping that will offset the loss of tree coverage and be in the public's benefit.
"there's people who believe we should be protecting private views because the views - that's what they bought their property for," mead said.
"and there's the complete 180-degree opposite: people saying we shouldn't be distressing or damaging public assets for private gain."
he said seattle gives out only about three to five permits a year, and only three to four trees are typically reduced with a single permit. despite those low numbers, mead estimated that permit questions account for roughly 75 percent of the calls he gets.
"we're trying to balance between being good neighbors and (protecting trees)," he said. "we're trying to find a good compromise."
but it's a tough battle.
diminished canopy
the city's tree canopy-- the percent of land covered by trees - has withered from 40 percent in 1972 to about 22 percent today, largely due to urban development and poor tree management. the city has a goal of increasing that canopy to 30 percent by 2037, which led to the city's formation of the advisory urban forestry commission and to some pretty vocal tree politics.
the leschi case is an example of that. the small wooded area in question -- a slope above east alder street and 35th avenue east -- was the scene of a mysterious poisoning decades ago, in which someone drilled holes into the trunk of big leaf maple and poured something "chemical smelling" into them. the tree later had to be removed.
the incident had followed prickly clashes between a homeowner on the hill who wanted a better view, and jim snell, who lives at the bottom of the hill. snell has fought nearly every attempt to prune the area's public trees.
"i think those kinds of people get special treatment by the city. they somehow seem to get away with things," said snell, a 74-year-old retired social security administrator, of the first homeowner.
so when the current homeowner wanted to improve her view, snell got angry, wrote the mayor's office and set off alarms and email campaigns among other tree lovers. that led the way for the city's month-old moratorium on all tree-trimming permits.
"it does not make sense allowing a precedent to maintain an open-view corridor that's been opened by poisoning," snell said. the current homeowner, who had proposed an extensive vegetation management program to compensate for the tree trimming, did not return calls for comment.
mead said the moratorium allows for study by the new mayor, a new acting parks superintendent, new parks commissioners, and the urban forestry commission, which formed this year. "it's always good to review these policies. we feel like we're a 100 percent transparent," he said.
there's a lot to weigh. in addition to recognizing the good of trees -- habitats for birds, consumption of greenhouse gasses -- the city must contend with ingrained expectations of homeowners, and of seattle being a city of views.
to improve vistas, seattle used to allow homeowners to both dig out trees and "top" them, a practice that made trees prone to rotting and breakage.
the city also used to top trees at homeowners' requests; the grove above golden gardens, topped for residents on view avenue northwest, are a lasting example of that practice, mead said.
"most of the (view) homes were built before the 60s and 70s, when the land was denuded," he said. "when the properties were built, the trees weren't there."
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ə ˌɪnˈtɛns ˌkɑmpəˈtɪʃən tɪ ˈsɪnθəˌsaɪz ə wɪrd ənd ˈkɑmplɛks ˈkɑmpaʊnd həz ˈfaɪnəli ˈɛndɪd. ðə fərst ˈprɔˌsɛs fər ˈbɪldɪŋ ðə ˈkɑmpaʊnd,, aʊt əv məˈlɛkjələr kəmˈpoʊnənts wɑz ˈpəblɪʃt ɪn ˈʧɛmi læst wik. ju maɪt θɪŋk ðət ðə ˈsəbstəns ˈkɔzɪŋ ɔl ðə fəs ɪz sˈleɪtɪd tɪ bi ə ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈmɪrəkəl, ənd ˌɪnˈdid ɪt dɪz hæv səm ˈfæsəˌneɪtɪŋ ˌænˌtiˈfəŋgəl, ˌæntibaɪˈɑtɪk ənd ˌænˌtiˈkænsər ˈprɑpərtiz (.pdf*). bət ðə ril ˈrizən ˈdəzənz əv ˈkɛmɪstri ph.d*. ˈstudənts pʊt ðɛr bləd, swɛt ənd tɪrz ˈɪntu ˈsɪnθəˌsaɪzɪŋ ɪt wɑz ˈsɪmpələr: ˈglɔri. bɪˈkəz ðə ˈkɑmpaʊnd, kɔld, ɪz soʊ streɪnʤ ənd soʊ ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ meɪk, ɪt bɪˈkeɪm ə sɔrt əv ˌɛkˈskæləbər, wɪθ ˈsɛvərəl læbz əraʊnd ðə wərld vaɪɪŋ tɪ bi ðə fərst tɪ bɪld ɪt. ˈmɛni ˈpipəl hæd traɪd tɪ ˈsɪnθəˌsaɪz ðə ˈkɛmɪkəl, ənd ˈmɛni hæd feɪld ənˈtɪl fɪl skrɪps ˈrisərʧ ˈɪnstɪˌtut tim ˈfaɪnəli gɑt ɪt raɪt. "[sɪnˈθɛtɪk ˈkɛmɪstri] ɪz ə vɔɪəʤ ˈɪntu ˈfaɪndɪŋ aʊt haʊ ˈlɪtəl wi noʊ," bɑˈrɑn sɛd. ˈæftər ðɪs ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ədˈvɛnʧər, wi naʊ noʊ ə ˈlɪtəl mɔr əˈbaʊt haʊ tɪ ʤɔɪn ˈætəmz təˈgɛðər ɪn ɪgˈzɑtɪk məˈlɛkjələr ˈstrəkʧərz. ɪt maɪt nɑt ʧeɪnʤ jʊr laɪf təˈdeɪ, bət ðə tɛkˈniks dɪˈvɛləpt tɪ bɪld ɪt kʊd wən deɪ bi juzd kriˈeɪt ˈəðər məˈdɪsənəl ˈkɑmpaʊndz. gɑt ɪts ðə neɪm frəm ɪts hoʊm ˈaɪlənd ɪn ðə saʊθ pəˈsɪfɪk. ɪt wɑz ˈaɪsəˌleɪtɪd frəm ə mərˈin spənʤ laɪk ðə wən ɪn ðə ˈfoʊˌtoʊ əˈbəv 17 jɪrz əˈgoʊ. ðə spənʤ prəˈdusɪz ðə streɪnʤ ˈsəbstəns tɪ kɪl ˈɛniˌθɪŋ traɪɪŋ tɪ it ɪt. "ɪts noʊn baɪ ðə ˌɪnˈdɪʤənəs ˈpipəl əv ˈpælaʊ ɛz ðə ˈtɑksɪk spənʤ," bɑˈrɑn sɛd. "ðeɪ noʊ, doʊnt mɛs wɪθ ðət spənʤ. ənd pɑrt əv ðə ˈrizən ɪz ðət ɪt meɪks ˈkreɪzi θɪŋz laɪk ðɪs." waɪl ðə ˈkɛmɪkəl ˈsɪnθəsəs əv ˈmɑləˌkjulz meɪ nɑt bi ˈvoʊtɪd "ˈsɛksiəst fild" ɪn ə ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˌpɑpjəˈlɛrəti ˈkɑntɛst, ˈkɛmɪsts laɪk bɑˈrɑn ənd hɪz kəmˈpɛtɪtərz kriˈeɪt ðə ˈmɛni drəgz əv ˈmɑdərn ˈmɛdəsən, əˈməŋ ˈəðər θɪŋz. ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs əv ˈsɪnθəˌsaɪzɪŋ ˈmɑləˌkjulz rɪˈmeɪnz ˈlɑrʤli trial-and-error*. ˈdɪfərənt ˈsəbstənsɪz ər mɪkst æt ˈdɪfərənt ˈtɛmpərəʧərz ənd ˈprɛʃərz ɪn hoʊps əv ˈfaɪndɪŋ ʤɪst ðə raɪt ˌtrænsfərˈmeɪʃənz tɪ kriˈeɪt ə dɪˈzaɪərd kənˌfɪgjərˈeɪʃən əv ˈætəmz. səm ˈkɛmɪkəl ˈstrəkʧərz ər ˈizi tɪ kriˈeɪt, waɪl ˈəðərz pəˈzɛs əˈtrɪˌbjuts ðət meɪk ðɛm ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli hɑrd tɪ bɪld. ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnts ðə ɪkˈstrim ɛnd əv ðə ˈdɪfɪˌkəlti skeɪl. ˈlɛri ˈoʊvərmən, ən ɔrˈgænɪk ˈkɛmɪst æt ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə, ˈərvaɪn, toʊld ˈkɛmɪkəl ənd ˈɛnʤəˈnɪrɪŋ nuz ðət "ɪts ˈnæsti ˈfɪzɪkəl ˈprɑpərtiz hæd ˌəndərˈmaɪnd ˈtoʊtəl ˈsɪnθəsəs ɪnˈdɛvərz ɪn ˈlidɪŋ ˈlæbrəˌtɔriz ˈwərldˈwaɪd." soʊ, læb hæd tɪ kəm əp wɪθ səm nu weɪz əv duɪŋ ˈkɛmɪstri. fərst, ðeɪ hæd tɪ dil wɪθ ɪts naɪn ˈnaɪtrəʤən ˈætəmz. ˈnaɪtrəʤən ˈætəmz ər ɪkˈstrimli ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ dil wɪθ æt ə məˈlɛkjələr ˈlɛvəl. bɑˈrɑn sɛd ðɛrz ən oʊld ʤoʊk ðət "ˈɛvəri wən ˈnaɪtrəʤən ˈætəm ædz ˈsɛvən jɪrz" tɪ ðə taɪm ˈnɛsəˌsɛri tɪ lərn tɪ ˈsɪnθəˌsaɪz ɪt. moʊst əˈproʊʧɪz tɪ ˈnaɪtrəʤən kəmˈpoʊnənts ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ˈkəvərɪŋ ðɛm əp wɪθ wət bɑˈrɑn kɔld "wɛt ˈblæŋkɪt" ˈmɑləˌkjulz ðət kip ðɛm ˈmɛsɪŋ əp riˈækʃənz. "wət wi traɪd tɪ du wɑz teɪk ɔf ðə ˈblæŋkɪt ənd dil wɪθ ðə ˈneɪkəd grups," hi sɛd. ənd ɪt wərkt. ˈsɛkənd, ðə ˈækʧəwəl ˈstrəkʧər əv ðə ˈkɑmpaʊnd ɪz ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ hoʊld təˈgɛðər. tu əv ɪts rɪŋ ˈstrəkʧərz ɪn ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr kɔz ˈprɑbləmz. "ɪts ə ˈhaɪli streɪnd ˈkɑmpaʊnd," bɑˈrɑn sɛd. "ɪf ju meɪk ə ˈplæstɪk ˈmɑdəl əv ðə ˈkɑmpaʊnd, ɪt wɔnts tɪ pɑp ˈoʊpən." ðə ˈstrəkʧər ɪz soʊ ɑd, ɪn fækt, ðət ˈæftər jɪrz əv ˈstədi, ðə haɪˈpɑθəˌsaɪzd ˈstrəkʧər əv ðə ˈkɑmpaʊnd hæd tɪ bi kæst əˈsaɪd ɪn 2007 dɪˈspaɪt ðə lɔŋ ˈhɪstəri əv ˈsɪnθəsəs ˈfeɪljərz, læb kɛpt æt ɪt. waɪl ðə rɛst əv ðə ˈkɛmɪstri wərld hæd bɪn ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ ə flɔd ˈmɑdəl ˈstrəkʧər, hɪz timz wərk wɪθ ˈəðər ˈkɑmpaʊndz prəˈdust baɪ ˈsɪmələr ˈspənʤɪz lɛd ðɛm tɪ ðə raɪt ˈstrəkʧər lɔŋ ˌbiˈfɔr ˈəðər ˈsaɪəntɪsts ˈriəˌlaɪzd ðə ˈɛrərz ɪn ðɛr weɪz. bɑˈrɑn ˈdəzənt ɪkˈspɛkt tɪ si kəˈmərʃəˌlaɪzd, soʊ doʊnt ɪkˈspɛkt tɪ si ɪt ˈkjʊrɪŋ dɪˈziz ˈɛniˌtaɪm sun. səm əv ðə tulz hɪz læb keɪm əp wɪθ tɪ ˈsɪnθəˌsaɪz ðə ˈkɑmpaʊnd, laɪk ə ˈɑksɪˌdaɪzər, ər ɔˈrɛdi ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðɛr weɪ ˈɪntu ðə ˈkɛmɪstri wərld. "ðə ˈoʊvərˌraɪdɪŋ goʊl ɪz ˌɪnˈvɛnʃən," bɑˈrɑn kənˈkludɪd. "ðə ˈʤɛnərəl θim əv ɑr læb ɪz tɪ æt list mæʧ, ɪf nɑt ˌaʊtˈdu, ˈneɪʧər." ˈɪmɪʤ: ˈkɑrloʊs ɛf. saɪˈteɪʃən: "ˈtoʊtəl ˈsɪnθəsəs əv palauamine*" baɪ ˈiən ˈsipəl, ʃən su, ˈiən ɛs. jəŋ, ʧæd ə. luɪs, ˌjɑmɑˈguʧi, ənd fɪl ɛs. bɑˈrɑn si ˈɔlsoʊ: əˈlɛksɪs tˈwɪtər, ˈgugəl ˈridər fid, ənd grin tɛk ˈhɪstəri ˈrisərʧ saɪt; waɪərd saɪəns ɔn tˈwɪtər ənd
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a 17-year-long intense competition to synthesize a fascinatingly weird and complex compound has finally ended.
the first 25-step process for building the compound, palau'amine, out of molecular components was published in angewandte chemie last week.
you might think that the substance causing all the fuss is slated to be a medical miracle, and indeed it does have some fascinating antifungal, antibiotic and anticancer properties (.pdf). but the real reason dozens of chemistry ph.d. students put their blood, sweat and tears into synthesizing it was simpler: glory.
because the compound, called palau'amine, is so strange and so difficult to make, it became a sort of excalibur, with several labs around the world vying to be the first to build it. many people had tried to synthesize the chemical, and many had failed until phil baran's scripps research institute team finally got it right.
"[synthetic chemistry] is a voyage into finding out how little we know," baran said.
after this particular adventure, we now know a little more about how to join atoms together in exotic molecular structures. it might not change your life today, but the techniques developed to build it could one day be used create other medicinal compounds.
palau'amine got its the name from its home island in the south pacific. it was isolated from a marine sponge like the one in the photo above 17 years ago. the sponge produces the strange substance to kill anything trying to eat it.
"it's known by the indigenous people of palau as the toxic sponge," baran said. "they know, don't mess with that sponge. and part of the reason is that it makes crazy things like this."
while the chemical synthesis of molecules may not be voted "sexiest field" in a scientific popularity contest, chemists like baran and his competitors create the many drugs of modern medicine, among other things. the process of synthesizing molecules remains largely trial-and-error. different substances are mixed at different temperatures and pressures in hopes of finding just the right transformations to create a desired configuration of atoms.
some chemical structures are easy to create, while others possess attributes that make them particularly hard to build. palau'amine represents the extreme end of the difficulty scale. larry overman, an organic chemist at the university of california, irvine, told chemical and engineering news that "its nasty physical properties had undermined total synthesis endeavors in leading laboratories worldwide."
so, baran's lab had to come up with some new ways of doing chemistry. first, they had to deal with its nine nitrogen atoms. nitrogen atoms are extremely difficult to deal with at a molecular level. baran said there's an old joke that "every one nitrogen atom adds seven years" to the ph.d.-student time necessary to learn to synthesize it. most approaches to nitrogen components focus on covering them up with what baran called "wet blanket" molecules that keep them messing up reactions.
"what we tried to do was take off the blanket and deal with the naked groups," he said. and it worked.
second, the actual structure of the compound is difficult to hold together. two of its ring structures in particular cause problems.
"it's a highly strained compound," baran said. "if you make a plastic model of the compound, it wants to pop open."
the structure is so odd, in fact, that after years of study, the hypothesized structure of the compound had to be cast aside in 2007.
despite the long history of synthesis failures, baran's lab kept at it. while the rest of the chemistry world had been working with a flawed model structure, his team's work with other compounds produced by similar sponges led them to the right structure long before other scientists realized the errors in their ways.
baran doesn't expect to see palau'amine commercialized, so don't expect to see it curing disease anytime soon. some of the tools his lab came up with to synthesize the compound, like a silver-based oxidizer, are already making their way into the chemistry world.
"the overriding goal is invention," baran concluded. "the general theme of our lab is to at least match, if not outdo, nature."
image: carlos f. barbas
citation: "total synthesis of palauamine" by ian seiple, shun su, ian s. young, chad a. lewis, junichiro yamaguchi, and phil s. baran
see also:
wisci 2.0: alexis madrigal's twitter, google reader feed, and green tech history research site; wired science on twitter and facebook.**
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ˈjugoʊ ənd ˈnɛbjələ ˈɔθər ˈmaɪkəl ˈlɔnʧɪz ə nu ˈfɪkʃən ˈsɪriz æt əv ˈstɔriz ɔl sɛt ɪn ðə seɪm wərld. wi bɪˈgɪn wɪθ mɑŋˈgoʊljən wizard,”*,” ə ˈstɔri əv ə ˈvɛri ənˈjuˌʒuəl ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˈkɑnfərəns ɪn ə ˈfrækʧərd ˈjʊrəp ðət ˈnɛvər wɑz. ðɪs ˈstɔri wɑz əkˈwaɪərd ənd ˈɛdɪtɪd fər baɪ tɔr bʊks ˈɛdɪtər ˈpætrɪk ˈnilsən ˈheɪdən. ðə waɪld fər wɪʧ ðə ˈriʤən wɑz ˈfeɪməs wər ˈspɔrtɪŋ ɪn ðə skaɪ əˈbəv ðə piks əv ðə ˈmaʊntənz wɪn sər ˈtoʊbi əraɪvd æt ʃlɔs, leɪt ɛz ˈjuʒəwəl. ðə mut hæd bɪn ɪn ˈsɛʃən fər θri deɪz ənd, truθ bi toʊld, noʊ wən hæd ˈnoʊtɪst hɪz ˈæbsəns ənˈtɪl hɪz ˈkɛrəʤ ˈɪntu ðə ˈkɔrˌtjɑrd. ðɛn ðɛr wɑz səʧ ə ˌtuˈdu, wɪθ ˈhɔrsɪz ˈræmpɪŋ ənd sˈnɔrtɪŋ waɪt plumz əv stim ənd ənˈloʊdɪŋ trəŋks ənd ðə əv ðə ˈkɑnfərəns ˈsɛnər ˈʃaʊtɪŋ ənd ˈtərnɪŋ rɛd ɛz hi traɪd tɪ weɪv ðə ˈləgɪʤ əraʊnd tɪ ðə bæk əv ðə ˈbɪldɪŋ, ðət ðə ˈɪŋlɪʃ ˈimərʤəns keɪm ɛz ə dɪˈstɪŋkt anticlimax*. bət ðɛn sər ˈtoʊbi, trɪˈmɛndəs əv gərθ, sˈmaɪlɪŋ ˈwaɪdli æt ðə ˌɪˈmæʤənd wɔrmθ əv hɪz rɪˈsɛpʃən, ənd ˈkɛriɪŋ ə smɔl ɪn ə keɪʤ əˈgɛnst ðə ˌpɑsəˈbɪləˌti ðət hi maɪt ˈsədənli nid tɪ wɔrm hɪz fit, stɛpt aʊt əv ðə ˈkɛrəʤ ənd ˈɔntu ə pæʧ əv aɪs. hi wɛnt flaɪɪŋ. ˈʤunjər luˈtɛnənt ˈrɪtər hæd ʤɪst stɛpt ˈaʊtˈsaɪd, hɪz wʊlf ˈʤɛˌri ˈpædɪŋ əˈlɔŋ æt hɪz hil, tɪ ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ ə ɪn ðə ˈwɪntər ɛr. hi wɑz ˈʃeɪkɪŋ aʊt hɪz ˈlusəfər mæʧ wɪn hi sɔ ðɪs ˈwɪmzɪkəl ˈmaʊntən əv flɛʃ ˈhərtlɪŋ təˈwɔrd ɪm. ˈbɑdiz kəˈlaɪdɪd. sɪˈgɑr wɛnt flaɪɪŋ frəm hɪz maʊθ, ˈtreɪsɪŋ ə ˈpərˌfɪkt ɑrk əv smoʊk bɪˈhaɪnd ɪt, ənd hi faʊnd hɪmˈsɛlf, half-dazed*, laɪɪŋ ɔn ðə graʊnd. ðɛn hi wɑz biɪŋ hɛlpt tɪ hɪz fit baɪ ðə seɪm mæn hu hæd nɑkt ɪm daʊn. ðɛr wɑz ˈbɛrli ɪˈnəf taɪm fər ˈrɪtər tɪ noʊt wɪθ ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən ðət, ðoʊ ˈʤɛˌri stʊd ˈbrɪsəlɪŋ ənd fæŋz bɛrd, hi hæd, ɛz pər hɪz ˈtreɪnɪŋ, rɪˈfreɪnd frəm əˈtæk. ðɛn sər ˈtoʊbi slæpt bæk soʊ hɑrd hi ˈɔlˌmoʊst wɛnt daʊn əˈgɛn. dən, jəŋ ˈfɛloʊ! θæŋk ju fər ˈkʊʃənɪŋ maɪ fɔl. aɪ daʊt ɪt wɑz ɪgˈzæktli dɪˈlɪbərˌeɪt, bət æt maɪ eɪʤ wən dɪz nɑt lʊk tu ˈskɛptɪkəli æt ə kaɪnd deed.”*.” hi θrəst aʊt ə hænd. willoughby-quirke*, æt jʊr ˈsərvɪs. ˈbrɪtɪʃ ʃʊr ju kən tɛl baɪ naʊ ə ˈwɑndərɪŋ magician-at-large*. ənd ju are—?”*—?” ˈrɪtər. ˈwɛrˌwʊlf kɔrz. riˈspɑnsəbəl fər sɪˈkjʊrəti here.”*.” ðeɪ ʃʊk. ““excellent*, ˈɛksələnt! ju kən hɛlp maɪ ˈpipəl sɛt əp ðə ˌdɛmənˈstreɪʃən. ðət weɪ ju wɪl bi əˈʃʊrd əv ə gʊd pəˈzɪʃən frəm wɪʧ tɪ əbˈzərv it.”*.” sər ˈtoʊbi tərnd əˈweɪ, sɔ ˈsəmˌbɑdi hi nu, ənd wɪθ ə ˈhæpi ˈbɛloʊ əv ˈgritɪŋ, plənʤd ˌɪnˈsaɪd. ɪn hɪz weɪk, ˈrɪtər sɔ fɔr ˈkɛriɪŋ ə trəŋk ɛz ˈsɔləmli ɛz wɪθ ə ˈkɔfɪn. kˈwɪkli ˈstɛpɪŋ ɪn frənt əv ðə ˈsərvənts, ˈrɪtər ʃʊk ə ˈfɪŋgər æt ðɛm ənd sɛd, ““stay.”*.” ðɛn hi ˈhərid ˈæftər ðə ˈɪŋlɪʃ ˈmeɪniˌæk. æt ðə dɔr, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv vɔn ənd stɑpt ɪm wɪθ ən hænd. ðɛm baɪ, nephew,”*,” ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv sɛd. ˈtoʊbi məst hæv hɪz ˈlɪtəl show.”*.” hi ˈʤɛsʧərd ðə tɪ kəm wɪˈθɪn. meɪ sɛt əp ɪn ðə ˈbɪljərdz room,”*,” hi toʊld ðɛm. ðə stɛrz, daʊn ðə hɔl ɔn ðə raɪt, θərd dɔr tɪ ðə left.”*.” ðɛn, rɪˈtərnɪŋ tɪ ˈrɪtər, ˈnɛvər sin ðɪs. aɪ bɪˈliv faɪnd ɪt diverting.”*.” aɪ bi ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv reɪzd hɪz ˈaɪˌbraʊz ənd pərst hɪz lɪps ɪn ə weɪ ðət wɑz ˈklɪrli mɛnt tɪ lʊk waɪz. ɪz ðə ˈlɑrʤəst ˈkɑnˌkleɪv əv ˈwɪzərdz ɪn ˈjʊrəp ɪn ˈoʊvər ə ˈdɛkeɪd ənd aɪ pʊld ə lɔt əv strɪŋz tɪ brɪŋ ju hir. ðɛr ər ˈpipəl tɪ mit ənd kəˈnɛkʃənz tɪ bi meɪd. jʊr ˈpɛrənts wʊd nɑt bi plizd ɪf ju ˈweɪstɪd ðɪs ˌɑpərˈtunəti baɪ pleɪɪŋ soldier.”*.”, uncle.”*.” gɛsts wər ɔˈrɛdi ˈgæðərɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈbɪljərdz rum wɪn ðeɪ əraɪvd, ənd, ˈkɑntrɛri tɪ sər pərˈɛmptəri kəˈmænd, ðə rikˈwaɪərd noʊ hɛlp ˌwətsoʊˈɛvər ˈsɛtɪŋ əp. ðeɪ ˈkɛrfəli pleɪst ðə trəŋk daʊn əˈtɑp ə ˈbɪljərd ˈteɪbəl ənd ðɛn wən saɪd. ɪt swəŋ ˈəpwərd, rɪˈvilɪŋ ə sɛt əv smɔl, rumz səʧ ɛz maɪt ˈkɑnstəˌtut ə ˈdɑˌlhaʊs ɪf ˈoʊnli sɛd ʧaɪld wər boʊθ ˈwɛlθi ənd ˈfɪkˌseɪtɪd əˈpɑn ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˈhaʊzɪŋ. ðɛr wər ˈtaɪdi officers’*’ kˈwɔrtərz, ˈbɛrəks fɪld wɪθ bəŋk bɛdz fər ðə ˌɛnˈlɪstɪd mɛn, tu ˈsɛpərˌeɪt ˈmɛsɪz, ˈlaʊnʤɪz ənd geɪm rumz, ənd ə ˈkɪʧən wɪθ ˈtaɪni ˈkɑpər pɑts ənd pænz a-gleam*. aʊt mɑrʧt ə pləˈtun əv ˈmɪnɪˌʧʊr ˌməskəˈtirz, noʊ mɔr ðən tu ˈɪnʧɪz tɔl. dɪˈmɪnjətɪv ˈpaɪpərz paɪpt ənd wi drəmz ˈrəmbəld. ɔl bət ənˈnoʊtɪst, ðə ˈsərvənts læʧt əp ðə trəŋk ənd wɪskt ɪt əˈweɪ, waɪl ðə ˈsoʊlʤərz fɔrmd əp ɪn tu laɪnz ɔn ðə grin beɪz. ““parade*, atten-shun!”*!” sər ˈtoʊbi kəˈmændɪd. ðə ˈsoʊlʤərz snæpt tɪ əˈtɛnʃən. ðɪs ˌdɛmənˈstreɪʃən, maɪ mɛn wɪl bi ˈfaɪərrɪŋ ˈpaʊdər wɪˈθaʊt shot,”*,” sər ˈtoʊbi rɪˈmɑrkt. fər ˈseɪfti, ju understand.”*.” ðɛn hi bɑrkt, ˈsɛkʃən, praɪm and—load!”*!” ðə frənt laɪn brɔt ðɛr tɪ ðə ˈpraɪmɪŋ pəˈzɪʃən, pænz ˈoʊpən. ðeɪ dru ˈkɑrtrəʤəz, bɪt ɔf ðə tɑps, ənd pɔrd ə pɪnʧ əv ˈpaʊdər ˈɪntu ðə ˈpraɪmɪŋ pænz ənd ðə rɛst daʊn ðə ˈbɛrəlz. ðɛn ðeɪ dru ənd droʊv ˈpeɪpər daʊn ðə ˈbɛrəlz, twaɪs, ənd rɪˈtərnd ðɛr tɪ ðə hups ˈəndər ðə ˈbɛrəlz əv ðɛr gənz. ɪt wɑz ɔl dən ɪn ˈpərˌfɪkt ˈjunɪsən. ˈsɛkʃən, praɪm ənd loʊd! fərst ˈsɛkʃən, ˈprɛzənt ɑrmz! fire!”*!” ˈrɪtər wɔʧt, ɪnˈtrænst, ɛz ðə bæk laɪn ˈloʊdɪd ðɛr ənd ðə frənt laɪn faɪərd ə krɪsp fˈjusɪˌleɪd. ər tɛn stɛps ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn ˈloʊdɪŋ ənd ˈfaɪərrɪŋ, bət ðə kəˈmændz aɪ hæv ˈgɪvɪn ər ðoʊz wɪʧ, fər seɪk, wʊd bi ɪmˈplɔɪd ɪn ˈækʧəwəl ˈkɑmbæt. naʊ maɪ mɛn ʃæl ˈdɛmənˌstreɪt ˈskərmɪʃ fɔrˈmeɪʃən. ˈsɛkənd ræŋk, ədˈvæns and—fire!”*!” ðə rɪr laɪn əv ˈsoʊlʤərz stɛpt θru ðə ˈspeɪsɪz bɪtˈwin ðə mɛn ˌbiˈfɔr ðɛm, pʊt tɪ ˈʃoʊldərz, ənd faɪərd. bɪˈhaɪnd ðɛm, wət hæd bɪn ðə frənt laɪn wɑz reloading*. ˈsoʊlʤərz kən ruˈtinli faɪər θri ʃɑts pər minute,”*,” sər ˈtoʊbi sɛd. ðɪs fɔrˈmeɪʃən, ðət əˈmaʊnts tɪ wən ʃɑt ˈɛvəri tɛn ˈsɛkəndz. ˌfɔrˈmɪdəbəl ˌɪnˈdid! ˈfaɪərrɪŋ ɪn ˈræpɪd səkˈsɛʃən ˈrəðər ðən ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli, maɪ mɛn kən leɪ daʊn ə wɔl əv ˈbʊləts waɪl ədˈvænsɪŋ ˈstɛdəli əˈkrɔs ðə ˈbætəlˌfild. naʊ lɛt ˈjuˈɛs si wət ˈhæpənz wɪθ ə fɔrˈmeɪʃən əv θri ræŋks. ju wɪl noʊt ðət ˈrɪtər faʊnd hɪmˈsɛlf ˈmɛzmərˌaɪzd baɪ ðə ˈbjuti əv sər ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən. ˈjutəˌlaɪzɪŋ səʧ ə tɔɪ mɪˈlɪʃə, ə ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri θiərɪst kʊd dɪˈzaɪn ənd tɛst nu fɔrˈmeɪʃənz wɪθ ə ˈmɪnəməm əv ɪkˈspɛns ənd noʊ ˈdeɪnʤər tɪ ˈækʧəwəl ˈsoʊlʤərz. hir, ˌbiˈfɔr ɪm, wər ðə bɪˈgɪnɪŋz əv ə tru saɪəns əv huz ˈfaɪndɪŋz wʊd bi testable*, ˈvɛrəˌfaɪəbəl, ənd reproducible*. hi ˈwəndərd ɪf sər ˈtoʊbi wɑz əˈwɛr əv ɪts ˌpɑsəˈbɪlətiz. ðɪs kʊd ˈmɑdərˌnaɪz ˈwɔrˌfɛr, ˈəʃərɪŋ ɪt ˈɪntu ə nu ənd mɔr ɪˈfɪʃənt ˈɪrə! ˈrɪtər wɑz əˈweɪkənd frəm hɪz ˌspɛkjəˈleɪʃənz baɪ pəˈlaɪt əˈplɔz ˈmɑrkɪŋ ðə ɛnd əv ðə ʃoʊ. sər ˈtoʊbi bimd ɛz ɪf ðə ˈækəˌleɪdz hæd bɪn ˈθəndərəs. ju! θæŋk ju! wət ju hæv ʤɪst sin wɑz bət maɪ ˈlɪtəl ˈpɑrti trɪk. naʊ, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, kəmz maɪ də résistance!”*!” æt ə ˈʤɛsʧər wən əv hɪz ˈsɔləmli nɛlt ənd praɪd ˈoʊpən ə ˈbeɪsˌbɔrd wɪθ ə ˈsɪlvər wɛʤ. ðə ˈmɪnɪˌʧʊr ˈsoʊlʤərz, ˈminˌwaɪl, hæd əˈfɪkst ˈwɛpənz ənd ˈɪnstrəmənts tɪ ðɛr bæks ənd wər rəˈpɛlɪŋ daʊn frəm ðə ˈbɪljərdz ˈteɪbəl ɔn roʊps noʊ ˈθɪkər ðən θrɛdz. ðeɪ fɔrmd əp əˈgɛn ɔn ðə ˌɔriˈɛnəl ˈkɑrpət. ˈpipəl æsk mi waɪ aɪ æm ˈwɛlkəm, ɛz soʊ fju ər, ɪn ɔl ðə greɪt ˈhaʊsɪz əv ˈjʊrəp, aɪ ˈɔlˌweɪz rɪˈplaɪ: bɪˈkəz ˈæftər ðə dɪˈspleɪ əv kloʊz ˈɔrdər drɪl, aɪ sɛnd maɪ mɛn ˈɪntu ðə ˈəndərˌbɛli əv maɪ haʊs tɪ ˌsɪstəˈmætɪkli hənt daʊn ənd kɪl ɔl ðə ræts ənd maɪs, ˈlivɪŋ ɪt ˈlɪtərəli vermin-free*. ðɪs haʊs gɪft, ɪf ju wɪl, ɪz waɪ, fər ɔl maɪ fɔlts, aɪ æm ˌjunəˈvərsəli beloved.”*.” ˈnɑdɪŋ ˈdaʊnwərd, sər ˈtoʊbi sɛd, ðə charge.”*.” ə ˈtaɪni ˈfɪgjər ˈlɪftɪd ˈbjugəl tɪ lɪps, prəˈdusɪŋ ə saʊnd ɛz feɪnt ənd ˈdɪstənt ɛz ðə hɔrnz əv elfland*. wɪθ ə ʧɪr, ðə ˈsoʊlʤərz ʧɑrʤd ˈɪntu ðə ənd ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd. ʤɔ fɛl. hi ˈmænɪʤd tɪ hoʊld hɪz pis ənˈtɪl ðə rum wɑz ˈnɪrli ˈɛmti ənd ðɛn, ˈtərnɪŋ tɪ hɪz ˈəŋkəl, ˈmərmərd, ju teɪk noʊt əv ɪgˈzæktli haʊ ˈmɛni əv sər tɔɪz wɛnt ˈɪntu ðə wall?”*?”, əv kɔrs nɑt. aɪ daʊt ɪf ˈɛnibədi did.”*.” ““exactly*! ənd ɪf ˈkaʊntɪd, hu ɪz tɪ seɪ ðət ðə ˈnəmbər əv mɛn hu kəm aʊt əv ðə wɔlz ɪz ðə seɪm ɛz ðə ˈnəmbər hu wɛnt in?”*?” ən əmˈjuzd toʊn ˈɛnərd ðə vɔɪs. ju səˈʤɛstɪŋ ðət sər ˈtoʊbi ɪz ə spy?”*?” ʤɪst seɪɪŋ ðət ðə sɔrt əv θɪŋ wi ʃʊd bi ˈkipɪŋ ən aɪ on.”*.” ˈaʊtˈsaɪd wɪθ me.”*.” ˈrɪtər ˈfɑloʊd hɪz ˈəŋkəl ɔn tɪ ðə ˈbælkəni. ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv sizd ðə ˈreɪlɪŋ wɪθ boʊθ hænz ənd stɛrd ˈɪntu ðə ˈdɪstəns. ju ˈɛvər ˈwəndərd haʊ ɪt ɪz ðət ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ wərk ˈmæʤɪk ɪz ˈlɑrʤli ˈkɔnsənˌtreɪtɪd ɪn ðə nobility?”*?” hæd ˈɔlˌweɪz əˈsumd ðət əˈbɪləˌti wɑz riˈspɑnsəbəl fər ðɛr əˈsɛnʃən ɪn ðə fərst place.”*.” ““possibly*. jɛs, ðət ɪz ðə ˈstɔri wi tɛl. jɛt ɪt kʊd ˈizəli hæv gɔn ðə ˈəðər weɪ, wɪθ ðə ˈkɑmən rək əv mɛn riˈæktɪŋ wɪθ fɪr ənd ˈloʊθɪŋ ˈrəðər ðən ɔ ənd rɪˈspɛkt. wi wʊd ðɛn bi ən ˌɪmˈpɑvrɪʃt, ˈpərsəˌkjutəd minority—untrained*, əˈneɪbəl tɪ dɪˈvɛləp ɑr paʊərz, ənd sˈloʊli dˈwɪndəlɪŋ təˈwɔrd ɪkˈstɪŋʃən. ˈsəmˌtaɪmz aɪ ˈwəndər ɪf ɪt bi ˈbɛtər ðət way.”*.” ““uncle!”*!” si ðət dɛd tri ɔn ðə ˈmaʊntən sloʊp əˈkrɔs ðə valley?”*?” ˈrɪtər dɪd, ðoʊ ɪt wɑz ˈlɪtəl mɔr ðən ə braʊn smɪr ɪn ðə ˈdɪstəns. ɪt ˈkɛrfəli. kaʊnt tɪ θri ˈəndər jʊr breath.”*.” ˈrɪtər dɪd soʊ. wən tu ðə tri flæʃt ˈɪntu fleɪm. ““impressive*, ju maɪt θɪŋk. ə ˈkænən kʊd du ɛz məʧ! jɛt bɪˈkəz aɪ wɑz bɔrn wɪθ ðə ˈæptəˌtud ənd maɪ ˈpɛrənts ˌɪnˈsɪstɪd aɪ pʊt ɪn ðə jɪrz əv hɑrd wərk rikˈwaɪərd tɪ dɪˈvɛləp ɪt, aɪ æm ɛnˈtrəstɪd wɪθ səm ʃɛr əv riˌspɑnsəˈbɪləti fər ðə feɪt əv maɪ nation.”*.” ˈrɪtər ˈnɑdɪd, ˈwəndərɪŋ wɛr ɔl ðɪs wɑz goʊɪŋ. hɪz ˈəŋkəl tərnd hɪz bæk ɔn ðə ˈmaʊntən. ɪz ə ˈvɛri pur ˈbeɪsɪs fər paʊər. ju məst lərn tɪ ɪkˈsɛl ɪn ˈpɑləˌtɪks ɪf ɑr haʊs ɪz tɪ sərˈvaɪv. moʊst əv ðə greɪt ˈfæməliz ˈnaʊəˌdeɪz du nɑt ˈriəˌlaɪz ðɪs, wɪʧ ɪz waɪ ðeɪ ər lɛd baɪ fulz, ˈsutɪd ˈoʊnli fər smɔl wɔrz ənd wizard-feuds*. wik ɛz ˈwɔtərd mɪlk, ðə lɔt əv ðɛm! ənd sər ˈtoʊbi ɪz ðə wərst əv ɔl. wɪn hi wɑz jəŋ, səm prɪˈdɪktɪd ðət hi wʊd ˈsəmˌdeɪ bɪˈkəm wən əv ðə priˈɛmənənt ˈwɪzərdz ɔn ðə ˈkɑntənənt. jɛt wət həz hi dən wɪθ ɔl hɪz pəˈtɛnʃəl? ˈnəθɪŋ, gɑd hɛlp ˈjuˈɛs, bət pleɪ wɪθ tɔɪ soldiers!”*!” see,”*,” ˈrɪtər sɛd. ˈpraɪvətli, ðoʊ, hi ˈwəndərd. ɪgˈzæktli haʊ ˈklɛvər wər sər ɔˈtɑmətə? kʊd hi ˈpɑsəbli si θru ðɛr aɪz ənd hir θru ðɛr ɪrz? sər ˈtoʊbi maɪt nɑt bi ðə ful hi pərˈzɛnəd hɪmˈsɛlf ɛz biɪŋ. hi nu ˈbɛtər ðən tɪ seɪ soʊ tɪ hɪz ˈəŋkəl. bət ɪt wɑz wərθ ˈkipɪŋ ɪn maɪnd. moʊst əv ðə wərk wɑz dən ɪn ˈklɑzətɪd ˈmitɪŋz, boʊθ lɑrʤ ənd smɔl, tɪ wɪʧ ˈrɪtər wɑz nɑt ˈprɪvi. bət ˈʤəʤɪŋ baɪ ðə ˌɪnˈfɔrməl ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃənz hi ˈoʊvərˈhərd, ˈrɪtər θɪŋk ðət məʧ wɑz biɪŋ əˈkɑmplɪʃt bɪˈhaɪnd ðoʊz kloʊzd ənd ˈgɑrdɪd dɔrz. æm sɪk əv ˈhirɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə mɑŋˈgoʊljən wizard!”*!” ˈmædəm də ˌlɑfənˈteɪn ɪkˈskleɪmd æt ðə ˈkɑkˌteɪl ˈpɑrti æt ðə ɛnd əv ðə ˈsɛʃən. ər wi soʊ əˈfreɪd əv ðɪs ˈskærˌkroʊ? faɪv jɪrz əˈgoʊ, ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi hæd ˈivɪn hərd əv him.”*.” naʊ hi kənˈtroʊlz ɔl əv russia,”*,” kaʊnt sɛd. ju nɑt faɪnd ðət alarming?”*?” kən ˈkɑŋkər ˈrəʃə. aɪ kʊd du ɪt ˌmaɪˈsɛlf. bət aɪ ʃʊd laɪk tɪ si ðɪs ˈəpˌstɑrt traɪ tɪ ˈkɑŋkər france.”*.” wʊd aɪ, wər maɪ ˈneɪʃən nɑt ˈsɪʧuˌeɪtɪd bɪtˈwin ðə tu əv you.”*.” ðə ˌɪgˈnɔrd ðə ʤaɪb. ““anyway*, haʊ kʊd ˈivɪn wən tɛnθ əv ðə paʊərz əˈskraɪbd tɪ ɪm bi tru? ɪt wʊd teɪk ˈsɛnʧəriz tɪ dɪˈvɛləp them.”*.” seɪ hi ɪz ə ˈθaʊzənd jɪrz old,”*,” ðə sˈwidɪʃ ˈʤɛnərəl ˈtinoʊ järvenpää*ää sɛd. ðət hi ɪz ˌɪˈmɔrtəl. ˈhævɪŋ feɪst daʊn hɪz ˈfɔrsɪz æt karelia*, aɪ æm priˈpɛrd tɪ bɪˈliv ˈɛniˌθɪŋ, ənd rɪˈləktənt tɪ prəˈvoʊk ɪm ə ˈsɛkənd time.”*.” ˈstændɪŋ wɪθ hɪz ˈəŋkəl, ˈlɪsənɪŋ rɪˈspɛktfəli, ˈrɪtər ˈhæpənd tɪ glæns æt ðə fɑr ɛnd əv ðə rum, wɛr sər ˈtoʊbi hæd bɪn ˈhoʊldɪŋ fɔrθ ɔn ðə ˈtæktɪks əv kloʊz ˈɔrdər drɪl, ənd sɔ ðə ˈɪŋglɪʃmən teɪk ə stɛp ˈbækwərdz frəm ə nɑt əv ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən wɪʧ hæd ˈklɪrli muvd bɪɔnd hɪz ˈsɪgnəʧər ˌdɪsəˈpɪr. ˈrɪtər blɪŋkt. bət ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv ʧoʊz ðət ˈmoʊmənt tɪ skwiz hɪz ɑrm ənd ˈkɑmɛnt ˈwɔrmli, də ˌlɑfənˈteɪn ɪz kwaɪt ə ˈstraɪkɪŋ ˈwʊmən, she?”*?” wɪʧ, ˌɪnˈdid, wɑz soʊ. hæf ðə mɛn ɪn ðə rum wər drɔn tɪ hər ɛz flaɪz tɪ ə raɪp ˈeɪprəˌkɑt. ɪz ɛz ˈbjutəfəl ɛz springtime.”*.” waɪ wʊd ə mæn drɔ əˈtɛnʃən tɪ hɪmˈsɛlf baɪ hɪz ˈbʊrɪʃ ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən ənd ðɛn ˈlɪtərəli ˌdɪsəˈpɪr? bɪˈkəz hi ˈwɔntɪd ˈɛvriˌwən tɪ ˈriˌkɔl ðət hi wɑz ˈprɛzənt lɔŋ ˈæftər hi dɪˈpɑrtɪd. ˈʃʊrli ðɛr wər ˈɪnəsənt ˈrizənz fər səʧ ən ˈækʃən, bət ˈəðər ðən ən wɪθ ə ˈmɛrid ˈwʊmən, ˈrɪtər kʊd nɑt θɪŋk əv ˈɛni. ənd sər ˈtoʊbi dɪd nɑt straɪk ɪm ɛz ðə ˈwʊməˌnaɪzɪŋ taɪp. ɪz ɪn hər leɪt fifties,”*,” ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv sɛd. ““eh?”*?” paʊər ɪz ˈglæmər ənd hər ˈwiknəs ɪz ˈvænɪti. soʊ ʃi ɪmˈplɔɪz ɪt ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ əˈpɪr fərˈɛvər jəŋ. ə ˈplɪtɪkli ˈnɛglɪʤəbəl ˈkriʧər, bət ˈtæləntɪd ɪn ðə boudoir.”*.” spik frəm experience?”*?” ˈrɪtər wʊd hæv laɪkt tɪ ˈfɑloʊ sər ˈtoʊbi ənd faɪnd aʊt wət ðə ˈskaʊndrəl wɑz əp tɪ. bət hi nu hɪz ˈəŋkəl wʊd nɑt ˈtɑlərˌeɪt ɪt. ˈmɛni ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz. wi wəns spɛnt ə wik ɪn trist wɪʧ wɛl! aɪ θɪŋk ðət ɪt wʊd bi wɛl wərθ maɪ taɪm tɪ riˈkɪndəl ɑr acquaintance.”*.” hi wɪŋkt ɪn ə ˌkɑnfəˈdɛnʃəl ˈmænər. ənd lərn haʊ ə mæn əv ɪkˈspɪriəns ˈhændəlz səʧ ə woman.”*.” ˈmædəm də ˌlɑfənˈteɪn hæd ʤɪst prəˈdust ə ˌsɪgəˈrɛt frəm ə kləʧ. soʊ ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv stroʊd ˈfɔrwərd, ə fleɪm ˈdænsɪŋ əˈtɑp ən aʊtˈstrɛʧt ˈfɪŋgər, tɪ laɪt ɪt. ˈdɑrlɪŋ gabrielle!”*!” hi sɛd. dɪˈlaɪtfəl tɪ si ju again.”*.” ˈmædəm də feɪs froʊz. ðɛn ʃi tərnd hər bæk ɔn ɪm. ˈsəmˌbɑdi gæspt. ə ˈʤɛnəlmən ər tu reɪzd ə ˈhæŋkərʧɪf tɪ hɪz maʊθ tɪ hɛlp ˈstaɪfəl ˌɪnˈvɑlənˌtɛri ˈlæftər. ˈwɪspərz sprɛd θru ðə rum ɛz ðoʊz hu hæd ˈwɪtnəst ðə ɪˈvɛnt dɪˈskraɪbd ɪt tɪ ðoʊz hu hæd nɑt: ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv vɔn ənd hæd bɪn snəbd, baɪ gɑd! kət dɛd ənd ɪn ˈpəblɪk tu. ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv fləʃt fˈjʊriəsli ənd, ˈtərnɪŋ ɔn hɪz hil, flɛd ðə rum. ɪn ðə weɪk əv hɪz dɪˈpɑrʧər, ˈrɪtər lɛd hɪz wʊlf aʊt əv ðə greɪt hɔl, ˈpɔzɪŋ naʊ ənd əˈgɛn fər ə brif ˈplɛzəntri (fər hi wɑz nɑt ɪnˈtaɪərli dɛf tɪ hɪz ˈtiʧɪŋz) wɪθ ə ˈdɪgnəˌtɛri huz əkˈweɪntəns hi hæd ɔˈrɛdi meɪd. ɪn ðə ˈvɛstɪˌbjul, hi slɪd ˈɪntu maɪnd, ˈɛkspərtli ˈsuðɪŋ ðə ˈnæʧərəl rɪˈzɪstəns tɪ ðə ˌɪnˈveɪʒən. ðɛn hi ˈvɪʒwəˌlaɪzd sər ˈtoʊbi. ðə maɪnd ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli kɔld əp ə sɛnt kəmˈpaʊndɪd əv ˈjumən swɛt, paɪp təˈbæˌkoʊ, dɑrk bɪr, ˌɪˈtæljən but ˈlɛðər, ˈgənˌpaʊdər, ənd ˈɪndiə ɪŋk. ˈfɑloʊ, ˈrɪtər kəˈmændɪd. faɪnd. wʊlf fərst, ðeɪ muvd ɔl bət aʊt əv ðə ˈpəblɪk ˈɛriəz əv ðə ˈkɑnfərəns ˈsɛnər ənd ˈɪntu ðə ˈwɔrən əv ˈnɛroʊ ˈkɔrɪdərz ɪmˈplɔɪd baɪ ðə ˈsərvənts. wɪn ˈʤɛˌri ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ tərn ˈɪntu ðə ˈkɪʧən, ˈrɪtər læft ənd jæŋkt bæk ɔn hɪz ˈmɛntəl liʃ., noʊ, greedy-guts*. aɪ ˈʃədər tɪ θɪŋk wət ə fəs ðə ʃɛf wʊd meɪk ɪf aɪ lɛt ə ˈkɑrnɪˌvɔr laɪk ju ˈɪntu hɪz demesne!”*!” hi ˈdaʊtɪd ðət sər ˈtoʊbi wʊd hæv bɪn ˈlʊkɪŋ fər ə snæk wɪn ðɛr wər ˈsərvənts wɪθ treɪz əv ˈwərkɪŋ ðə rɪˈsɛpʃən. soʊ hi məst hæv bɪn ˈmɪrli ˈpæsɪŋ θru. ˈpeɪʃəns, ˈrɪtər θɔt, ənd lɛd ðə wʊlf aʊt ə saɪd dɔr ənd əraʊnd ðə bæk əv ðə ˈkɪʧən. ˈpɪkɪŋ əp ðə treɪl əˈgɛn, ˈʤɛˌri lɛd ðɛm tɪ ðə rɪr əv ðə ˈkɑnfərəns ˈsɛnər. ðɛr ə lɑrʤ pɛr əv dɔrz ˈoʊpənd ɔn tɪ ə sɛt əv stoʊn stɛrz ˈlidɪŋ daʊn ˈɪntu ðə ˈstɔrɪʤ ˈsɛlər. ðə ˈsoʊlʤər ˈrɪtər hæd sɛt ðɛr ɔn gɑrd səˈlutəd æt hɪz əˈproʊʧ. ˈɛniˌwən goʊ ˈɪntu ðə ˈbeɪsmənt ʤɪst now?”*?” wən, sir!”*!” ər positive?”*?” ““yes*, sir!”*!” θru ðə sensorium*, ˈrɪtər kʊd teɪst sər sɛnt, mɪr ˈmɪnəts oʊld, ˈlidɪŋ ˈdaʊnwərd. wɪˈθaʊt əˈnəðər wərd, hi plənʤd daʊn ðə stɛrz. ðə ˈstɔrɪʤ rumz wər ɔl bət lightless*. bət ˈrɪtər dɪd nɑt straɪk ə mæʧ, ˈtrəstɪŋ ˌɪnˈstɛd tɪ hɪz naɪt ˈvɪʒən. stealthily*, ðeɪ muvd θru ˌlæbərˈɪnˌθin ˈpæsɪʤɪz, ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ðə treɪs, ənˈtɪl ˈfaɪnəli ðeɪ sɔ ðə gloʊ əv ə ˈkændəl ɪn ðə ˈdɑrknəs ənd ðɛn ðə ˈaʊˌtlaɪn əv sər ˈtoʊbi. hi wɑz ˈfrænəkəli ˈʃəvɪŋ ˈləgɪʤ tɪ wən saɪd ənd əˈnəðər ɔn ðə ʃɛlvz. ˈrɪtər kɔft tɪ əˈnaʊns hɪmˈsɛlf. sər ˈtoʊbi spən əraʊnd, ˈhoʊldɪŋ ðə ˈkændəl haɪ ɪn wən hænd ənd ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli θˈrəstɪŋ ðə ˈəðər ˈɪntu ə ˈʤækɪt ˈpɑkət. ðɛn, əˈpɑn hɪz ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzɪŋ ˈrɪtər, ðə hænd ˈimərʤd ˈɛmti. luˈtɛnənt ritter!”*!” sər ˈtoʊbi ɪkˈskleɪmd. æm ɪkˈstrimli glæd tɪ si you.”*.” ɪn hɪz vɔɪs wɑz nɑt ðə list treɪs əv ðə ˈʤoʊviəl bəˈfun hi hæd ˈərliər pərˈzɛnəd hɪmˈsɛlf ɛz biɪŋ. hoʊp ðət ɪz true,”*,” ˈrɪtər sɛd. aɪ æm əˈlɑrmd tɪ si ju ɪn səʧ ˌɪnˈkrɪməˌneɪtɪŋ ˈsərkəmˌstænsɪz, sər ˈtoʊbi. tɛl mi ɪgˈzæktli wət ju ər duɪŋ hir, du nɑt θɪŋk tɪ juz jʊr ˌdɪsəˈpɪrɪŋ trɪk ɔn mi. ə ˈsɛnsɪz ər nɑt soʊ ˈlɪmɪtɪd ɛz ə man’s.”*.” hi kɛpt ə laɪt hænd ɔn ˈmɛntəl liʃ, priˈpɛrd tɪ lɔnʧ ɪm æt ðə ˈɪŋglɪʃmən æt ðə fərst saɪn əv əˈgrɛʃən. bət sər ˈtoʊbi ʃoʊd nən. æm ˈsərʧɪŋ fər maɪ mɛn. ˈfɔrti wɛnt ˈɪntu ðə ənd nɑt ə wən həz kəm aʊt. ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈtɛrəbəl həz ˈhæpənd hir ɪn ðə ˈdɑrknəs ənd aɪ fɪr ɪt wɑz ə massacre.”*.” ˈmæsəkər əv tɔɪ soldiers?”*?” ər nɑt toys,”*,” sər ˈtoʊbi sɛd ˈgrɪmli, ˈlɪvɪŋ, ˈθɪŋkɪŋ mɛn laɪk ju ənd mi. ðoʊz ju sɔ ər ˈmərsəˌnɛriz frəm ə ˈaɪlənd ˈneɪʃən ɪn ðə pəˈsɪfɪk ˈoʊʃən. they—”*—” sər ˈtoʊbi pɔzd. wʊd hɛlp ɪf aɪ nu haʊ məʧ ju ɔˈrɛdi know.”*.” noʊ ðət ju ər ɪn ə ˈvɛri səˈspɪʃəs pəˈzɪʃən ənd aɪ æm ɔl bət ˈsərtən ðət ju ər ə hum aɪ ˈkænɑt seɪ. əˈlaʊ mi tɪ əˈʃʊr ju ðət ðə ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk ˌɪmˈjunɪti ju ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ əpˈstɛrz wɪl nɑt əv nəˈsɛsɪti prəˈtɛkt ju hir, wɛr ðɛr ər noʊ witnesses.”*.” ər ə hɑrd ənd səˈspɪʃəs mæn, kapitänleutnant*, ənd aɪ wɪʃ aɪ hæd ə ˈdəzən laɪk ju ˈwərkɪŋ fər mi. jɛs, aɪ æm ə spaɪ, ɪn ðə ˈsərvɪs əv hɪz ˈmæʤəsti kɪŋ ˈoʊbərˌɑn vii*, ənd, jɛs, aɪ wɑz ˈpleɪsɪŋ ˈeɪʤənts ɪn ðə ˈbɪldɪŋ tɪ dɪˈtərmən ðə ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən əv ðə ˈvɛriəs paʊərz ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnɪd hir. jʊr ˈneɪʃən ənd maɪn boʊθ ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪz ðə θrɛt poʊzd baɪ ðə mɑŋˈgoʊljən ˈwɪzərd ənd ðəs ɪt ɪz bət ˈprudənt fər ˈjuˈɛs tɪ du ɔl wi kən tɪ prəˈmoʊt ən əˈlaɪəns əv ðə greɪt ˈhaʊsɪz əv ˈjʊrəp. aɪ meɪk noʊ əˈpɑləˌʤiz fər ə did ðət rikˈwaɪərz none.”*.” ˈʤɛˌri meɪd ə loʊ nɔɪz ɪn ðə bæk əv hɪz θroʊt. ˈkɛrfəl tɪ kip hɪz ˈaʊtwərd əˈtɛnʃən ˈfoʊkɪst ɔn ðə ˈɪŋlɪʃ spaɪ, ˈrɪtər ˈfɑloʊd ðə θɔts ənd ðɛn sɛd, simz ðət æt list pɑrt əv jʊr ˈstɔri ɪz tru. maɪ ˈpɑrtnər sɛnts smɔl əv rumz ˈfərðər in.”*.” wɪn sər ˈtoʊbi sɔ ðə ˈtaɪni ˈbɑdiz ˈskætərd əˈbaʊt ðə flɔr, hi ˈhərid tɪ ðɛm ənd, ˈnilɪŋ, sərʧt ˈæŋkʃəsli fər ˈɛni saɪn əv laɪf. ““dead*, ɔl əv them!”*!” hi moʊnd. nɑt ə mɑrk ɔn ˈɛniˌwən. wət kən hæv kɔzd ðɪs horror?”*?” ˈminˌwaɪl, ˈrɪtər ˈfɑloʊd ə faʊl stɛnʧ tɪ ðə fʊt əv ə kreɪt ðət hæd bɪn ˈbroʊkən ˈoʊpən ənd, əˈməŋ ɪts ˈsplɪntərd slæts, faʊnd ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət lʊkt laɪk ðə bɪˈdrægəld kɔrps əv ə ˈrustər ˈtæŋgəld əp wɪθ ə dɛd ˈædər. hi nəʤd ðə θɪŋ ˈoʊvər wɪθ hɪz toʊ, ənd lɪt ə mæʧ soʊ hi kʊd ɪgˈzæmɪn ɪt. hɪz bləd ræn koʊld. ɪt wɑz ə. faʊnd ðə kɔz əv ðə massacre,”*,” hi sɛd. ““dead*, θæŋk god.”*.” sər ˈtoʊbi brɔt hɪz ˈkændəl kloʊz. brɛst ɪz ˈrɪdəld wɪθ bullet-holes*. daɪɪŋ ðoʊ ðeɪ wər frəm ɪts ˈpɔɪzən, maɪ mɛn brɔt ðə ˈmɑnstər down.”*.” hi waɪpt ə tɪr frəm hɪz aɪ. ðɛn, ɪz ə ˈdɛzərt ˈkriʧər. haʊ ɪn ðə wərld dɪd wən wɪnd əp here?”*?” riˈlist ɪt. fər səm ˈrizən ðeɪ broʊk ˈɪntu ðɪs kreɪt ənd ɪt wɑz ˈweɪtɪŋ inside.”*.” ˈrɪtər pʊt hɪz hænz ˈɪntu ðə briʧ ənd bɪˈgæn ˈpʊlɪŋ slæts fri. moʊst əv ðə ˌɪnˈtɪriər wɑz speɪs fər ðə ˈgɑrdiən, æt ɪts ˈsɛnər wɑz ə sˈmɔlər bɑks, pərˈhæps θri fit əˈkrɔs, meɪd əv tik. ɪts ˈsərfəs wɑz ˈrɪʧli kɑrvd ɪn ˌʤiəˈmɛtrɪk ˈpætərnz ənd ˈstaɪˌlaɪzd fleɪmz. hi ˈlɪftɪd ðə lɪd ənd ðə sɛnts əv ˈsɪnəmən, spikenard*, ənd mər ˈwɑftɪd fɔrθ. ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə bɑks, ˈnɛsəld əˈməŋ draɪd ˈspaɪsɪz, wɑz ˈsəmθɪŋ smuð ənd ˈgoʊldən ənd raʊnd. ɪt gloʊd ɪn ðə ˈdɑrknəs. sər ˈtoʊbi græbd ˈrɪtər frəm bɪˈhaɪnd ənd pʊld ɪm əˈweɪ frəm ðə θɪŋ. təʧ it!”*!” hi kraɪd. ə ˈθaʊzənd taɪmz mɔr ˈliθəl ðən ðə ˈɛvər was.”*.” ɪz it?”*?” ˈrɪtər sɛd wonderingly*. ˈfinɪks egg.”*.” ðə ˌkɑnfərˈiz dɪd nɑt məʧ laɪk biɪŋ ɪˈvækjəˌweɪtɪd, əv kɔrs. bət ˈrɪtər nu hɪz əˈθɔrəti ənd wɑz priˈpɛrd tɪ ækt ɔn ɪt. hi sɛt wən əv hɪz mɛn tɪ ˈhæmərɪŋ ɔn ðə əˈlɑrm gɔŋ ənd ˈəðərz tɪ ˈɛmtiɪŋ aʊt ðə ʃlɔs flɔr baɪ flɔr. bi əˈfreɪd tɪ ʃut ˈɛniˌwən hu you,”*,” hi sɛd, noʊɪŋ ðət ə ˈsoʊlʤər wɪθ səʧ ˈɔrdərz wʊd ˈprɛzənt hɪmˈsɛlf ɪn səʧ ə weɪ ɛz tɪ meɪk ðə ˈækʃən ənˈnɛsəˌsɛri. tɪ ðə, hi sɛd, ðə gɪt ðə ˈhɔrsɪz ˈɪntu ˈhɑrnɪs ənd laɪn əp ˈɛvəri ˈkɛrəʤ ju hæv aʊt frənt. lɔrdz ənd ˈwɪzərdz goʊ fərst, ˈnæʧərəli, bət aɪ wɔnt ˈɛvəri ˈjumən biɪŋ daʊn tɪ ðə ˈminəst ˈsərvənt aʊt əv hir baɪ midnight.”*.” wɛr wɪl ðeɪ go?”*?” ðə mæn dɪˈmændɪd. ˈrɪtər glænst æt sər ˈtoʊbi. ˈvɪlɪʤ æt ðə fʊt əv ðə ˈmaʊntən ɔt tɪ bi fɑr enough,”*,” ðə ˈwɪzərd sɛd. ðɛm tɪ plattergarten*. wi kən ˌrɛkwəˈzɪʃən speɪs fər ðɛm wɪn wi gɪt ðɛr. ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi ɪz tɪ weɪt ɔn ˈləgɪʤ ər tɪ teɪk mɔr ðən ðeɪ kən ˈizəli ˈkɛri. wɪn ju rən aʊt əv ˈkɛrəʤəz, sɛnd ˈpipəl daʊn ðə roʊd ɔn fʊt. maɪ ˈsoʊlʤərz wɪl goʊ læst ənd rɛst əˈʃʊrd ðeɪ wɪl nɑt bi ˈizi ɔn ˈɛniˌwən hu traɪz tɪ stay.”*.” ə dɪˈstrɛst ˈnoʊbəlmən keɪm ˈrənɪŋ əp ənd hi tərnd tɪ feɪs ðə mæn. ““yes*, uncle?”*?” ˈmædnəs ɪz ðɪs? ju ər ˈmeɪkɪŋ ˈɛnəmiz əv hæf ðə ˈwɪzərdz ɔn ðə continent!”*!” ðət ðeɪ ʃʊd heɪt mi ðən ðət ðeɪ ʃʊd die.”*.” ˈrɪtər ˈkrʊkəd ə ˈfɪŋgər ənd wən əv hɪz mɛn stɛpt ˈfɔrwərd. ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv tɪ hɪz ˈkɛrəʤ ənd meɪk ˈsərtən ðət hɪz ɪz ðə fərst tɪ leave.”*.” wɪn ðə ˈmɑrˌgreɪv hæd bɪn lɛd əˈweɪ, ˈrɪtər ˈmərmərd, ju θɪŋk wi kən gɪt ɔl əv ðɛm ˈseɪfli away?”*?” brɔt ðə ˈfinɪks ɛg hir, ənd ðət ˈsəmˌwən kən ˈoʊnli hæv bɪn wən əv ðə ˈvɪzɪtɪŋ ˈwɪzərdz. huˈɛvər ɪt wɑz, ju meɪ bi ʃʊr, ɪz haɪ ɪn ðə mɑŋˈgoʊljən trəst. hi wʊd nɑt bi ˈsəmˌbɑdi tɪ bi ˈlaɪtli dɪˈskɑrdɪd. jɛt ɔl ðə ˈdɛləˌgeɪts ər stɪl ɔn ðə ˈmaʊntən. ðət, ənd ðə trəˈdɪʃən ðət sɪz ðət ðə ˈfinɪks ɪz ˌɪnˈvɛriəbli ˈriˈbɔrn æt dɔn, tɛl mi wi hæv taɪm ɪˈnəf ənd səm tɪ spare.”*.” good,”*,” ˈrɪtər sɛd. sim tɪ bi wɛl ˌəndərˈweɪ hir. si ɪf wi kən kæʧ ɑr saboteur.”*.” ɪt wɑz tˈwaɪˌlaɪt baɪ ðə taɪm ðə fərst ˈkɛrəʤ ˈrəmbəld daʊn ðə ˈmaʊntən. ˈstændɪŋ æt ðə baɪ ðə ˈɛntrəns tɪ ðə graʊnz, ˈrɪtər sɔ hɪz feɪs, waɪt ənd dɪsəˈpruvɪŋ ɛz ə ghost’s*, θru ɪts ˈwɪndoʊ. hoʊp aɪ hæv nɑt ʤɪst myself,”*,” hi rɪˈmɑrkt. ðoʊ, ɪn fækt, ðə ˈprɑspɛkt dɪd nɑt ˈbɑðər ɪm wən wɪt. hi wɑz naʊ kənˈvɪnst ðət wɔr wɑz ˈkəmɪŋ, ənd ɪn taɪm əv wɔr ðɛr wɑz ˈɔlˌweɪz wərk fər ə ˈsoʊlʤər., ˈminˌwaɪl, hoʊp ðət jʊr ˈfəri frɛnd ɪz ɛz gʊd ɛz ju say.”*.” sər ˈtoʊbi stʊd, hænz ɪn ˈpɑkəts, ˈskaʊlɪŋ, wɪθ hɪz ˈflæpɪŋ sˈlaɪtli ɪn ðə ʧɪl briz. ““cinnamon*, spikenard*, ənd mər ər dɪˈstɪŋktɪv ˈoʊdərz. ˈʤɛˌri sɛnst ðə ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃən mɔr ðən wəns ˈoʊvər ðə pæst θri deɪz, bət aɪ θɔt ɪt ˈmɪrli ə wɪf əv pərfˈjum wɔrn baɪ wən əv ðə ˈleɪdiz. ɑr ˌsæbəˈtər həz ˈtreɪsɪz əv ðoʊz ˈspaɪsɪz ɔn hɪz hænz ənd dɪz nɑt noʊ ɪt. wi ʃæl snɪf ɪm aʊt, ˈnɛvər fear.”*.” wən baɪ wən, ðə ˈkɛrəʤəz pɔzd æt ðə, ðɛn ˈtrəndəld daʊn ðə roʊd frəm ʃlɔs ənd ˌdɪsəˈpɪrd ˈɪntu ˈdɑrknəs. ˈrɪtər stæmpt hɪz fit ənd blu ɔn hɪz hænz tɪ kip wɔrm. ɔˈkeɪʒənəˌli ə ˈrənər keɪm, ˈbɛrɪŋ nuz ər rɪkˈwɛstɪŋ ˌɪnˈstrəkʃənz. bət ˈʤɛˌri, ðoʊ hi ˈdutifəli snɪft æt iʧ kənˈveɪəns, dɪˈskəvərd ˈnəθɪŋ. ənˈtɪl ˈmædəm də ˈkɛrəʤ stɑpt ənd ðə wʊlf lɛt aʊt ə ˈmɛntəl haʊl soʊ laʊd ðət ˈrɪtər wɑz ˈɔlˌmoʊst səˈpraɪzd wɪn ðə ˈleɪdi hərˈsɛlf ʃoʊd noʊ saɪnz əv ˈhirɪŋ ɪt. ju wʊd pliz stɛp aʊt əv ðə ˈkɛrəʤ, milady,”*,” hi sɛd. ɪz ˈoʊnli ə formality.”*.” ʃi alit*. ðɪs fəs, ˈsɪmpli tɪ mit me?”*?” ˈmædəm də ˌlɑfənˈteɪn sɛd ɪn ən əmˈjuzd toʊn. coquettishly*, ʃi ˈpɔɪntɪd hər fæn təˈwɔrd hɪz ʧɛst. wɪˈθaʊt ˈwɔrnɪŋ, ˈʤɛˌri lɛpt, sˈnɑrlɪŋ, æt ðə ˈwʊmən. ˈrɪtər θrəst hɪmˈsɛlf ˈɪntu ðə maɪnd, ˈmərʤɪŋ aɪˈdɛntəˌti wɪθ ɪt, ɔl bət bɪˈkəmɪŋ ðə wʊlf, traɪɪŋ tɪ brɪŋ ɪm ˈəndər kənˈtroʊl. bət ˌbiˈfɔr hi kʊd, ə pəf əv smoʊk əˈpɪrd æt ðə tɪp əv ðə fæn. ˈægənaɪzɪŋ peɪn wɑʃt θru ɪm ɛz ə ˈbʊlət ˈpɛnəˌtreɪtɪd breɪn. ðə wʊlf, ðoʊ dɛd ər daɪɪŋ, wɑz ˈkɛrid ˈɔnwərd baɪ moʊˈmɛntəm, ənd hɪz ˈbɑdi nɑkt ˈoʊvər ˈmædəm də ˌlɑfənˈteɪn. ˈkləʧɪŋ hɪz oʊn hɛd, ˈrɪtər ˈɔlsoʊ fɛl tɪ ðə graʊnd. ɪt wɑz frəm ə proʊn pəˈzɪʃən ðət, uncomprehending*, hi sɔ sər ˈtoʊbi wɔk təˈwɔrd ðə ˈfɑlən ˈwʊmən, ˈpɪstəl ɪn hænd. hər aɪz ˈwaɪdənd ɪn ʃɑk ɛz hi ˈpɔɪntɪd ɪt æt hər. sər ˈtoʊbi faɪərd. ɪn ən ˈɪnstənt, ˈmædəm də əˈpɪrəns ʧeɪnʤd. gɔn wɑz ðə ˈbjutəfəl jəŋ, ˌriˈpleɪst nɑt baɪ ən ˈoʊldər ˈvərʒən əv hərˈsɛlf bət baɪ ən ˈikwəli jəŋ ˈwʊmən wɪθ ʃɔrt blæk hɛr ənd ʃɑrp, laɪk ˈmædəm də ˌlɑfənˈteɪn, bət ɪn ðə ˈsərvɪs əv ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈmæstər. ðə fæn ʃi hɛld wɑz naʊ rɪˈvild tɪ bi ə ˈpɪstəl. ɔl ðɪs ˈrɪtər sɔ ɪn ðə ˈɪnstənt ˌbiˈfɔr hi pæst aʊt. æt ˈsənˌraɪz, ðə ˈmaʊntənˌtɑp ˌɪˈrəptɪd ɪn faɪər ənd sist tɪ bi. ˈɛvriˌwən ɪn ðə ˈvɪlɪʤ bɪˈloʊ, ˈstændɪŋ ɪn ðə strits tɪ wɔʧ, θru əp ðɛr ɑrmz tɪ blɑk ðə saɪt ənd tərnd əˈweɪ frəm ɪts fˈjʊri. wɪn ˈrɪtər kʊd si əˈgɛn, ðɛr wɑz ə ˈlumənəs klaʊd əv smoʊk ənd æʃ ˈraɪzɪŋ frəm wət hæd bɪn ʃlɔs. ˌkoʊəˈlɛsɪŋ ɪn ðə hɑrt əv ðə faɪər, ə ˈmaɪti ˈfaɪərˌbərd sˈloʊli tʊk fɔrm. ɪt ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ muv ɪts trɪˈmɛndəs wɪŋz ˈivɪn ˌbiˈfɔr ðeɪ wər kəmˈplit. ðɛn, ˈoʊvər ðə kɔrs əv ˈsɛvərəl ˈmɪnəts, ɪt broʊk fri əv ðə ˈraɪzɪŋ klaʊd ənd bɪˈgæn ðə lɔŋ flaɪt bæk tɪ ɪts ænˈsɛstrəl ˈhoʊmˌlændz ɪn ðə ist. ˈtɛrəˌfaɪɪŋ sight,”*,” ˈrɪtər sɛd æt læst. ər wərs tɪ come,”*,” sər ˈtoʊbi rɪˈplaɪd. əraɪvd æt ðə ˈkɑnfərəns leɪt bɪˈkəz, baɪ ə ˈspɛʃəl ˌdɪspənˈseɪʃən əv jʊr ˈɛmpərər ˈrupərt, aɪ hæd əreɪnʤd ən ˈɪntərvˌju wɪθ ðə ˈwɪtənbərg ˈsɪbəl. ʃi fɔrˈsiz ˈsɪtiz dɪˈstrɔɪd, ˈfɑrmˌlændz ˈblæstɪd, ðə sˈlɔtər əv ˈmɪljənz ɪn ə ˈpɔɪntləs ənd ˈʤɛnəˌsaɪdəl wɔr. ðɪs ʃi toʊld mi ɪn greɪt ənd ˈhɔrəˌfaɪɪŋ detail.”*.” ˈʃʊrli ðət ɪz ˈoʊnli ə ˈpɑsəbəl future,”*,” ˈrɪtər sɛd. aɪ ˌəndərˈstænd ɪt, ðə ˈsɪbəl ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈɔfərz tu ˌkɑntrəˈdɪktəri priˈdɪkʃənz, wən məʧ ˈdɑrkər ðən ðə other.”*.” ˌəndərˈstænd. wət aɪ toʊld ju wɑz ðə gʊd ˈaʊtˌkəm. ðə wən wɛr, ˈæftər ˈtɛrəbəl ˈsəfərɪŋ, ðə mɑŋˈgoʊljən ˈwɪzərd ənd hɪz ˈivəl ˈɛmpaɪər ər dɪˈfitɪd. ðə alternative—well*, aɪ du nɑt kɛr tɪ spik əv ðə alternative.”*.” ðeɪ stʊd ɪn ˈsaɪləns fər ə taɪm, ˈwɑʧɪŋ ðə klaʊd ˈoʊvər ðə ˈmaʊntən raɪz ənd ðɛn sprɛd, laɪk ə trɪˈmɛndəs ˈməʃrum. æt læst sər ˈtoʊbi sɛd, æm ˈsɑri jʊr wʊlf died.”*.” wɑz ə ˈsoʊlʤər, laɪk mi. wɪn wən ɪz ə ˈsoʊlʤər, ɪt ɪz ɔˈkeɪʒənəˌli ˈduti tɪ die.”*.” ˌəndərˈstænd ðət nəˈsɛsɪti, bət aɪ stɪl rɪˈgrɛt iʧ dɛθ. təˈdeɪ, ˌbiˈfɔr aɪ slip, aɪ məst raɪt tɪ ðə ˈfæməliz əv ˈfɔrti ˈsoʊlʤərz, ˌɪnˈfɔrmɪŋ ðɛm əv ðɛr ləvd əv hɪz dɛθ. bɪˈliv mi, aɪ ˌəndərˈstænd jʊr loss.”*.” you.”*.” tɛl mi ju hæv ə ˈsɛkənd wʊlf, ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈfʊli treɪnd. haʊ lɔŋ ˌbiˈfɔr hi ɪz fɪt fər service?”*?” ʃʊd bi ˈrɛdi ɪn θri wiks. waɪ du ju ask?”*?” ˈwərkɪŋ fər mi now.”*.” ˈrɪtər tərnd tɪ feɪs ðə ˈɪŋlɪʃ ˈwɪzərd. ““eh?”*?” ˌɪnˈtɛnd tɪ æsk jʊr ˈəŋkəl tɪ əreɪnʤ fər jʊr ˈgəvərnmənt tɪ lɛnd ju tɪ mi ˈəndər ɪkˈstɛndɪd liv. ˈæftər ɔl this—”*—” sər ˈtoʊbi ˈʤɛsʧərd əp æt wət hæd bɪn ðə ˈmaʊntənˌtɑp si ɪm rɪfˈjuzɪŋ mi məʧ əv anything.”*.” waɪ me?”*?” smɑrt, ˈskɛptɪkəl, ənd wɪθ ə ˈlɪtəl ɛnˈkərɪʤmənt aɪ bɪˈliv ju kʊd bi ˈruθləs. ˈɔlsoʊ, ˈrisəntli lɔst wən əv maɪ bɛst ˈeɪʤənts. aɪ hæv ən opening.”*.” sər ˈtoʊbi pleɪst ə hænd ɔn ˈʃoʊldər ənd skwizd ˈbrifli. tɪ ðə ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˈsikrɪt ˈsərvɪs, sən. naʊ, ɪf ɪkˈskjuz mi, aɪ hæv ˈlɛtərz tɪ write.”*.” ˈrɪtər wɔʧt ðə ɪˈnɔrmɪs mæn wɔk əˈweɪ ənd, ɛz hi dɪd, kʊd nɑt hɛlp bət ˈwəndər. ðɛr wɑz ˈoʊnli wən ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl hu wʊd hæv ˈbɛnəˌfɪtɪd frəm ðə bərθ waɪl ðə ˈkɑnfərəns wɑz ɪn fʊl mɑŋˈgoʊljən ˈwɪzərd. ðə ækt wʊd hæv kɪld hæf ðə ˈlidərˌʃɪp əv lændz hi wɑz ʃʊr tɪ ˌɪnˈveɪd sun. sin ðət weɪ, ðə əˈtɛmptəd ˈsæbəˌtɑʒ hæd ˈbækˌfaɪərd. ðoʊz seɪm lɔrdz ənd ˈwɪzərdz hu kʊd nɑt gɪt əˈlɔŋ wɪθ iʧ ˈəðər wʊd naʊ əˈʃʊrədli sɛt əˈsaɪd ðɛr ˈdɪfərənsɪz tɪ fɔrm ə koʊˈhisɪv əˈlaɪəns əˈgɛnst ðə ˈkɑmən ˈɛnəmi huz ˈruθləsnəs hæd ʤɪst bɪn soʊ ˈvɪvədli ˈdɛmənˌstreɪtɪd. ˌhaʊˈɛvər ˌhaʊˈɛvər, lʊkt æt əˈnəðər weɪ, ɛz ən ækt əv ˈsæbəˌtɑʒ ðət wɑz ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd tɪ feɪl, səˈspɪʃən məst ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli fɔl ə ˈlɪtəl ˈkloʊzər tɪ hoʊm. ðoʊ ðə sən hæd ˈrɪzən, ðə ˈmɔrnɪŋ wɑz stɪl ˈbɪtər koʊld. ə wɪnd blu əp ənd wɛnt raɪt θru hɪz ˈkloʊðɪŋ, ˈʧɪlɪŋ ɪm tɪ ðə boʊn. sər ˈtoʊbi hæd sɛd ðət hɪz bɛst ˈeɪʤənt hæd daɪd ˈrisəntli. ˈrɪtər kʊd nɑt hɛlp ˈθɪŋkɪŋ əv ðə lʊk əv ʃɑk ɔn ðə feɪs əv ðə wɪn sər ˈtoʊbi ʃɑt hər. ʃɑk, ˈpɑsəbli, æt hɪz bɪˈtreɪəl? hər ˈbɑdi hæd bɪn lɛft ɔn ðə ˈmaʊntənˌtɑp. ðɛr kʊd bi noʊ aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪɪŋ ɪt naʊ. noʊ weɪ ðət ˈrɪtər kʊd ˈɛvər noʊ ɪf hɪz dɑrk ˌsəpəˈzɪʃən wər tru. jɛt, ˈivɪn ɪf ɪt wər, kʊd hi ɪnˈtaɪərli kənˈdɛm hɪz nu ˈmæstər fər ən ækt huz ˌripərˈkəʃənz wər ˈʃʊrli fər ðə gʊd? dɛθs weɪd əˈgɛnst ˈmɪljənz. sər ˈtoʊbi ˈvæljud əˈbəv ɔl θɪŋz. tɪ ɪm, ðət wɑz ðə kaɪnd əv ˌkælkjəˈleɪʃən ðət sɑlvd ˌɪtˈsɛlf. dɑrk deɪz wər əˈhɛd, ənd hi wɑz goʊɪŋ tɪ bi ə pɑrt əv ðɛm. ˈrɪtər ˈfərvəntli hoʊpt hi wʊd ˈnɛvər riʧ ðə pɔɪnt wɛr səʧ ə ˈsækrəˌfaɪs wʊd sim tɪ ɪm ə ˈsɛnsəbəl θɪŋ. bət hi ˈrəðər səˈspɛktɪd ðət hi wʊd. mɑŋˈgoʊljən wizard”*” ˈkɑpiˌraɪt 2012 baɪ ˈmaɪkəl ɑrt ˈkɑpiˌraɪt 2012 baɪ ˈgrɛgəri
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hugo and nebula award-winning author michael swanwick launches a new fiction series at tor.com of stand-alone stories all set in the same world. we begin with “the mongolian wizard,” a story of a very unusual international conference in a fractured europe that never was.
this story was acquired and edited for tor.com by tor books editor patrick nielsen hayden.
the wild griffins for which the region was famous were sporting in the sky above the snow-clad peaks of the riphean mountains when sir toby arrived at schloss greiffenhorst, late as usual. the moot had been in session for three days and, truth be told, no one had noticed his absence until his carriage clattered into the courtyard. then there was such a to-do, with horses ramping and snorting white plumes of steam and footmen unloading brass-bound trunks and the building-master of the conference center shouting and turning red as he tried to wave the luggage around to the back of the building, that the english lord’s emergence came as a distinct anticlimax.
but then sir toby, tremendous of girth, smiling widely at the imagined warmth of his reception, and carrying a small kettle-dragon in a cage against the possibility that he might suddenly need to warm his feet, stepped out of the carriage and onto a patch of ice.
he went flying.
junior lieutenant franz-karl ritter had just stepped outside, his wolf geri padding along at his heel, to enjoy a cheroot in the winter air. he was shaking out his lucifer match when he saw this whimsical mountain of flesh hurtling toward him.
bodies collided. ritter’s cigar went flying from his mouth, tracing a perfect arc of smoke behind it, and he found himself, half-dazed, lying on the ground. then he was being helped to his feet by the same man who had knocked him down.
there was barely enough time for ritter to note with satisfaction that, though geri stood bristling and fangs bared, he had, as per his training, refrained from attack. then sir toby slapped ritter’s back so hard he almost went down again. “gallantly done, young fellow! thank you for cushioning my fall. i doubt it was exactly deliberate, but at my age one does not look too skeptically at a kind deed.” he thrust out a hand. “tobias gracchus willoughby-quirke, at your service. british born—as i’m sure you can tell by looking—but now a wandering magician-at-large. and you are—?”
“kapitänleutnant franz-karl ritter. werewolf corps. i’m responsible for security here.” they shook.
“excellent, excellent! you can help my people set up the demonstration. that way you will be assured of a good position from which to observe it.” sir toby turned away, saw somebody he knew, and with a happy bellow of greeting, plunged inside. in his wake, ritter saw four footmen carrying a trunk shoulder-high as solemnly as pallbearers with a coffin.
quickly stepping in front of the servants, ritter shook a finger at them and said, “stay.” then he hurried after the english maniac.
at the door, however, the margrave von und zu venusberg stopped him with an upraised hand. “let them by, nephew,” the margrave said. “sir toby must have his little show.” he gestured the footmen to come within. “you may set up in the billiards room,” he told them. “up the stairs, down the hall on the right, third door to the left.” then, returning to ritter, “you’ve never seen this. i believe you’ll find it diverting.”
“shouldn’t i be . . . ?”
the margrave raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips in a way that was clearly meant to look wise. “this is the largest conclave of wizards in europe in over a decade and i pulled a lot of strings to bring you here. there are people to meet and connections to be made. your parents would not be pleased if you wasted this opportunity by playing soldier.”
“no, uncle.”
guests were already gathering in the billiards room when they arrived, and, contrary to sir toby’s peremptory command, the footmen required no help whatsoever setting up. they carefully placed the trunk down atop a billiard table and then unlatched one side. it swung upward, revealing a set of small, well-appointed rooms such as might constitute a child’s dollhouse if only said child were both wealthy and fixated upon military housing. there were tidy officers’ quarters, barracks filled with bunk beds for the enlisted men, two separate messes, lounges and game rooms, and a kitchen with tiny copper pots and pans a-gleam.
out marched a platoon of miniature musketeers, no more than two inches tall.
diminutive pipers piped and wee drums rumbled. all but unnoticed, the servants latched up the trunk and whisked it away, while the soldiers formed up in two lines on the green baize.
“parade, atten-shun!” sir toby commanded.
the soldiers snapped to attention.
“for this demonstration, my men will be firing powder without shot,” sir toby remarked. “just for safety, you understand.” then he barked, “first section, prime and—load!”
the front line brought their muskets to the priming position, pans open. they drew cartridges, bit off the tops, and poured a pinch of powder into the priming pans and the rest down the barrels. then they drew ramrods and drove paper wadding down the barrels, tamped twice, and returned their ramrods to the hoops under the barrels of their guns. it was all done in perfect unison.
“second section, prime and load! first section, present arms! fire!”
ritter watched, entranced, as the back line loaded their muskets and the front line fired a crisp fusillade.
“there are ten steps involved in loading and firing, but the commands i have given are those which, for efficiency’s sake, would be employed in actual combat. now my men shall demonstrate skirmish formation. second rank, advance and—fire!”
the rear line of soldiers stepped through the spaces between the men before them, put muskets to shoulders, and fired. behind them, what had been the front line was reloading.
“british soldiers can routinely fire three shots per minute,” sir toby said. “in this formation, that amounts to one shot every ten seconds. formidable indeed! firing in rapid succession rather than simultaneously, my men can lay down a wall of bullets while advancing steadily across the battlefield. now let us see what happens with a formation of three ranks. you will note that . . .”
ritter found himself mesmerized by the beauty of sir toby’s innovation. utilizing such a toy militia, a military theorist could design and test new formations with a minimum of expense and no danger to actual soldiers. here, before him, were the beginnings of a true science of war—one whose findings would be testable, verifiable, and reproducible. he wondered if sir toby was aware of its possibilities. this could modernize warfare, ushering it into a new and more efficient era!
ritter was awakened from his speculations by polite applause marking the end of the show. sir toby beamed as if the accolades had been thunderous. “thank you! thank you! what you have just seen was but my little party trick. now, however, comes my pièce de résistance!” at a gesture one of his footmen solemnly knelt and pried open a baseboard with a silver wedge. the miniature soldiers, meanwhile, had affixed weapons and instruments to their backs and were rappelling down from the billiards table on ropes no thicker than threads. they formed up again on the oriental carpet. “when people ask me why i am welcome, as so few are, in all the great houses of europe, i always reply: because after the display of close order drill, i send my men into the underbelly of my host’s house to systematically hunt down and kill all the rats and mice, leaving it literally vermin-free. this house gift, if you will, is why, for all my faults, i am universally beloved.”
nodding downward, sir toby said, “sound the charge.”
a tiny figure lifted bugle to lips, producing a sound as faint and distant as the horns of elfland. with a cheer, the soldiers charged into the wainscoting and disappeared.
ritter’s jaw fell. he managed to hold his peace until the room was nearly empty and then, turning to his uncle, murmured, “did you take note of exactly how many of sir toby’s toys went into the wall?”
“no, of course not. i doubt if anybody did.”
“exactly! and if nobody’s counted, who is to say that the number of men who come out of the walls is the same as the number who went in?”
an amused tone entered the margrave’s voice. “are you suggesting that sir toby is a spy?”
“i’m just saying that it’s the sort of thing we should be keeping an eye on.”
“come outside with me.”
ritter followed his uncle on to the balcony. the margrave seized the railing with both hands and stared into the distance. “have you ever wondered how it is that the ability to work magic is largely concentrated in the nobility?”
“i had always assumed that ability was responsible for their ascension in the first place.”
“possibly. yes, that is the story we tell. yet it could easily have gone the other way, with the common ruck of men reacting with fear and loathing rather than awe and respect. we would then be an impoverished, persecuted minority—untrained, unable to develop our powers, and slowly dwindling toward extinction. sometimes i wonder if it wouldn’t be better that way.”
“uncle!”
“you see that dead tree on the mountain slope across the valley?” ritter did, though it was little more than a brown smear in the distance. “watch it carefully. count to three under your breath.”
ritter did so. one . . . two . . .
the tree flashed into flame.
“impressive, you might think. a cannon could do as much! yet because i was born with the aptitude and my parents insisted i put in the years of hard work required to develop it, i am entrusted with some share of responsibility for the fate of my nation.”
ritter nodded, wondering where all this was going.
his uncle turned his back on the mountain. “magic is a very poor basis for power. you must learn to excel in politics if our house is to survive. most of the great families nowadays do not realize this, which is why they are led by mutton-headed fools, suited only for small wars and wizard-feuds. weak as watered milk, the lot of them! and sir toby is the worst of all. when he was young, some predicted that he would someday become one of the preeminent wizards on the continent. yet what has he done with all his potential? nothing, god help us, but play with toy soldiers!”
“i see,” ritter said. privately, though, he wondered. exactly how clever were sir toby’s automata? could he possibly see through their eyes and hear through their ears? sir toby might not be the fool he presented himself as being.
he knew better than to say so to his uncle. but it was worth keeping in mind.
* * *
most of the conference’s work was done in closeted meetings, both large and small, to which ritter was not privy. but judging by the informal conversations he overheard, ritter didn’t think that much was being accomplished behind those closed and guarded doors.
“i am sick of hearing about the mongolian wizard!” madame de lafontaine exclaimed at the cocktail party at the end of the day’s session. “why are we so afraid of this scarecrow? five years ago, nobody had even heard of him.”
“yet now he controls all of russia,” count gasiewski said. “do you not find that alarming?”
“anyone can conquer russia. i could do it myself. but i should like to see this upstart try to conquer france.”
“so would i, were my nation not situated between the two of you.”
the frenchwoman ignored the jibe. “anyway, how could even one tenth of the powers ascribed to him be true? it would take centuries to develop them.”
“some say he is a thousand years old,” the swedish general tino järvenpää said. “others that he is immortal. having faced down his forces at ladoga karelia, i am prepared to believe anything, and reluctant to provoke him a second time.”
standing with his uncle, listening respectfully, ritter happened to glance at the far end of the room, where sir toby had been holding forth on the tactics of close order drill, and saw the englishman take a step backwards from a knot of conversation which had clearly moved beyond his signature obsession—and disappear.
ritter blinked.
but the margrave chose that moment to squeeze his arm and comment warmly, “madame de lafontaine is quite a striking woman, isn’t she?” which, indeed, was so. half the men in the room were drawn to her as flies to a ripe apricot.
“she is as beautiful as springtime.” why would a man draw attention to himself by his boorish conversation and then literally disappear? because he wanted everyone to recall that he was present long after he departed. surely there were innocent reasons for such an action, but other than an assignation with a married woman, ritter could not think of any. and sir toby did not strike him as the womanizing type.
“she is in her late fifties,” the margrave said.
“eh?”
“her power is glamour and her weakness is vanity. so she employs it in order to appear forever young. a politically negligible creature, but talented in the boudoir.”
“you speak from experience?” ritter would have liked to follow sir toby and find out what the scoundrel was up to. but he knew his uncle would not tolerate it.
“from many experiences. we once spent a week in trieste which . . . well! i think that it would be well worth my time to rekindle our acquaintance.” he winked in a confidential manner. “watch and learn how a man of experience handles such a woman.”
madame de lafontaine had just produced a cigarette from a jeweled clutch. so the margrave strode forward, a flame dancing atop an outstretched finger, to light it. “my darling gabrielle!” he said. “how delightful to see you again.”
madame de lafontaine’s face froze. then she turned her back on him.
somebody gasped. a gentleman or two raised a handkerchief to his mouth to help stifle involuntary laughter. whispers spread through the room as those who had witnessed the event described it to those who had not: the margrave von und zu venusberg had been snubbed, by god! cut dead and in public too.
the margrave flushed furiously and, turning on his heel, fled the room.
* * *
in the wake of his mentor’s departure, ritter led his wolf out of the great hall, pausing now and again for a brief pleasantry (for he was not entirely deaf to his uncle’s teachings) with a dignitary whose acquaintance he had already made. in the vestibule, he slid into geri’s mind, expertly soothing the animal’s natural resistance to the invasion. then he visualized sir toby. the wolf’s mind immediately called up a scent compounded of human sweat, pipe tobacco, dark beer, italian boot leather, gunpowder, and india ink. follow, ritter commanded. find.
wolf first, they moved all but noiselessly out of the public areas of the conference center and into the warren of narrow corridors employed by the servants. when geri started to turn into the kitchen, ritter laughed and yanked back on his mental leash. “no, no, greedy-guts. i shudder to think what a fuss the chef would make if i let a carnivore like you into his demesne!” he doubted that sir toby would have been looking for a snack when there were servants with trays of canapés working the reception. so he must have been merely passing through. patience, ritter thought, and led the wolf out a side door and around the back of the kitchen.
picking up the trail again, geri led them to the rear of the conference center. there a large pair of doors opened on to a set of stone stairs leading down into the storage cellar. the soldier ritter had set there on guard saluted at his approach.
“did anyone go into the basement just now?”
“no one, sir!”
“you are positive?”
“yes, sir!”
through the wolf’s sensorium, ritter could taste sir toby’s scent, mere minutes old, leading downward. without another word, he plunged down the stairs.
the storage rooms were all but lightless. but ritter did not strike a match, trusting instead to his animal’s night vision. stealthily, they moved through labyrinthine passages, always following the englishman’s trace, until finally they saw the glow of a candle in the darkness and then the corpulent outline of sir toby. he was frantically shoving luggage to one side and another on the shelves.
ritter coughed to announce himself.
sir toby spun around, holding the candle high in one hand and simultaneously thrusting the other into a jacket pocket. then, upon his recognizing ritter, the hand emerged empty.
“junior lieutenant ritter!” sir toby exclaimed. “i am extremely glad to see you.” in his voice was not the least trace of the jovial buffoon he had earlier presented himself as being.
“i hope that is true,” ritter said. “for i am alarmed to see you in such incriminating circumstances, sir toby. tell me exactly what you are doing here, sir—and do not think to use your disappearing trick on me. a wolf’s senses are not so limited as a man’s.” he kept a light hand on geri’s mental leash, prepared to launch him at the englishman at the first sign of aggression.
but sir toby showed none. “i am searching for my men. forty went into the wainscoting and not a one has come out. something terrible has happened here in the darkness and i fear it was a massacre.”
“a massacre . . . of toy soldiers?”
“they are not toys,” sir toby said grimly, “but living, thinking men like you and me. those you saw are mercenaries from a recently-discovered island nation in the pacific ocean. they—” sir toby paused. “it would help if i knew how much you already know.”
“i know that you are in a very suspicious position and i am all but certain that you are a spy—for whom i cannot say. allow me to assure you that the diplomatic immunity you enjoy upstairs will not of necessity protect you here, where there are no witnesses.”
“you are a hard and suspicious man, kapitänleutnant, and i wish i had a dozen like you working for me. yes, i am a spy, in the service of his majesty king oberon vii, and, yes, i was placing agents in the building to determine the disposition of the various powers represented here. your nation and mine both recognize the threat posed by the mongolian wizard and thus it is but prudent for us to do all we can to promote an alliance of the great houses of europe. i make no apologies for a deed that requires none.”
geri made a low noise in the back of his throat. careful to keep his outward attention focused on the english spy, ritter followed the wolf’s thoughts and then said, “it seems that at least part of your story is true. my partner scents small corpses—many of them—two rooms further in.”
* * *
when sir toby saw the tiny bodies scattered about the floor, he hurried to them and, kneeling, searched anxiously for any sign of life. “dead, all of them!” he moaned. “yet there’s not a mark on anyone. what can have caused this horror?”
meanwhile, ritter followed a foul stench to the foot of a crate that had been broken open and, among its splintered slats, found something that looked like the bedraggled corpse of a rooster tangled up with a dead adder. he nudged the thing over with his toe, and lit a match so he could examine it. his blood ran cold.
it was a basilisk.
“i’ve found the cause of the massacre,” he said. “dead, thank god.”
sir toby brought his candle close. “its breast is riddled with bullet-holes. dying though they were from its poison, my men brought the monster down.” he wiped a tear from his eye. then, “the basilisk is a desert creature. how in the world did one wind up here?”
“they released it. for some reason they broke into this crate and it was waiting inside.” ritter put his hands into the breach and began pulling slats free. most of the crate’s interior was empty—living space for the guardian basilisk, obviously—but at its center was a smaller box, perhaps three feet across, made of teak. its surface was richly carved in geometric patterns and stylized flames. he lifted the lid and the scents of cinnamon, spikenard, and myrrh wafted forth. inside the box, nestled among dried spices, was something smooth and golden and round.
it glowed in the darkness.
sir toby grabbed ritter from behind and pulled him away from the thing. “don’t touch it!” he cried. “it’s a thousand times more lethal than the basilisk ever was.”
“what is it?” ritter said wonderingly.
“a phoenix egg.”
* * *
the conferees did not much like being evacuated, of course. but ritter knew his authority and was prepared to act on it. he set one of his men to hammering on the alarm gong and others to emptying out the schloss floor by floor. “don’t be afraid to shoot anyone who disobeys you,” he said, knowing that a soldier with such orders would present himself in such a way as to make the action unnecessary. to the building-master, he said, “have the ostlers get the horses into harness and line up every carriage you have out front. lords and wizards go first, naturally, but i want every human being down to the meanest servant out of here by midnight.”
“but where will they go?” the man demanded.
ritter glanced at sir toby. “the village at the foot of the mountain ought to be far enough,” the wizard said.
“send them to plattergarten. we can requisition space for them when we get there. nobody is to wait on luggage or to take more than they can easily carry. when you run out of carriages, send people down the road on foot. my soldiers will go last and rest assured they will not be easy on anyone who tries to stay.” a distressed nobleman came running up and he turned to face the man. “yes, uncle?”
“what madness is this? you are making enemies of half the wizards on the continent!”
“better that they should hate me than that they should die.” ritter crooked a finger and one of his men stepped forward. “see the margrave to his carriage and make certain that his is the first to leave.”
when the margrave had been led away, ritter murmured, “do you think we can get all of them safely away?”
“somebody brought the phoenix egg here, and that someone can only have been one of the visiting wizards. whoever it was, you may be sure, is high in the mongolian wizard’s trust. he would not be somebody to be lightly discarded. yet all the delegates are still on the mountain. that, and the tradition that says that the phoenix is invariably reborn at dawn, tell me we have time enough and some to spare.”
“very good,” ritter said. “things seem to be well underway here. let’s see if we can catch our saboteur.”
* * *
it was twilight by the time the first carriage rumbled down the mountain. standing at the gatehouse by the entrance to the grounds, ritter saw his uncle’s face, white and disapproving as a ghost’s, through its window. “i hope i have not just disinherited myself,” he remarked. though, in fact, the prospect did not bother him one whit. he was now convinced that war was coming, and in time of war there was always work for a soldier.
“i, meanwhile, hope that your furry friend is as good as you say.” sir toby stood, hands in pockets, scowling, with his greatcoat flapping slightly in the chill breeze.
“cinnamon, spikenard, and myrrh are distinctive odors. geri sensed the combination more than once over the past three days, but i thought it merely a whiff of perfume worn by one of the ladies. our saboteur has traces of those spices on his hands and does not know it. we shall sniff him out, never fear.”
one by one, the carriages paused at the gatehouse, then trundled down the road from schloss greiffenhorst and disappeared into darkness. ritter stamped his feet and blew on his hands to keep warm. occasionally a runner came, bearing news or requesting instructions. but geri, though he dutifully sniffed at each conveyance, discovered nothing.
until madame de lafontaine’s carriage stopped and the wolf let out a mental howl so loud that ritter was almost surprised when the lady herself showed no signs of hearing it. “if you would please step out of the carriage, milady,” he said. “this is only a formality.”
she alit. “all this fuss, simply to meet me?” madame de lafontaine said in an amused tone. coquettishly, she pointed her fan toward his chest.
without warning, geri leaped, snarling, at the woman. ritter thrust himself into the wolf’s mind, merging identity with it, all but becoming the wolf, trying to bring him under control. but before he could, a puff of smoke appeared at the tip of the fan. agonizing pain washed through him as a bullet penetrated geri’s brain.
the wolf, though dead or dying, was carried onward by momentum, and his body knocked over madame de lafontaine. clutching his own head, ritter also fell to the ground.
it was from a prone position that, uncomprehending, he saw sir toby walk toward the fallen woman, pistol in hand. her eyes widened in shock as he pointed it at her.
sir toby fired.
in an instant, madame de lafontaine’s appearance changed. gone was the beautiful young frenchwoman, replaced not by an older version of herself but by an equally young woman with short black hair and sharp features—a glamour-wielder, like madame de lafontaine, but in the service of a different master. the fan she held was now revealed to be a pistol.
all this ritter saw in the instant before he passed out.
* * *
at sunrise, the mountaintop erupted in fire and ceased to be. everyone in the village below, standing in the streets to watch, threw up their arms to block the sight and turned away from its fury. when ritter could see again, there was a luminous cloud of smoke and ash rising from what had been schloss greiffenhorst. coalescing in the heart of the fire, a mighty firebird slowly took form. it started to move its tremendous wings even before they were complete. then, over the course of several minutes, it broke free of the rising cloud and began the long flight back to its ancestral homelands in the east.
“a terrifying sight,” ritter said at last.
“there are worse to come,” sir toby replied. “i arrived at the conference late because, by a special dispensation of your emperor rupert, i had arranged an interview with the wittenberg sibyl. she foresees cities destroyed, farmlands blasted, the slaughter of millions in a pointless and genocidal war. this she told me in great and horrifying detail.”
“but surely that is only a possible future,” ritter said. “as i understand it, the sibyl always offers two contradictory predictions, one much darker than the other.”
“you don’t understand. what i told you was the good outcome. the one where, after terrible suffering, the mongolian wizard and his evil empire are defeated. the alternative—well, i do not care to speak of the alternative.”
they stood in silence for a time, watching the cloud over the mountain rise and then spread, like a tremendous mushroom. at last sir toby said, “i am sorry your wolf died.”
“geri was a soldier, like me. when one is a soldier, it is occasionally one’s duty to die.”
“i understand that necessity, but i still regret each death. today, before i sleep, i must write to the families of forty soldiers, informing them of their loved one’s heroism—and of his death. believe me, i understand your loss.”
“thank you.”
“they tell me you have a second wolf, almost fully trained. how long before he is fit for service?”
“freki should be ready in three weeks. why do you ask?”
“because you’re working for me now.”
ritter turned to face the english wizard. “eh?”
“i intend to ask your uncle to arrange for your government to lend you to me under extended leave. after all this—” sir toby gestured up at what had been the mountaintop “—i don’t see him refusing me much of anything.”
“but . . . why me?”
“you’re smart, you’re skeptical, and with a little encouragement i believe you could be ruthless. also, i’ve recently lost one of my best agents. i have an opening.” sir toby placed a hand on ritter’s shoulder and squeezed briefly. “welcome to the british secret service, son. now, if you’ll excuse me, i have letters to write.”
ritter watched the enormous man walk away and, as he did, could not help but wonder.
there was only one individual who would have benefited from the phoenix’s birth while the conference was in full session—the mongolian wizard. the act would have killed half the leadership of lands he was sure to invade soon. seen that way, the attempted sabotage had backfired. those same lords and wizards who could not get along with each other would now assuredly set aside their differences to form a cohesive alliance against the common enemy whose ruthlessness had just been so vividly demonstrated.
however . . .
however, looked at another way, as an act of sabotage that was intended to fail, suspicion must necessarily fall a little closer to home.
though the sun had risen, the morning was still bitter cold. a wind blew up and went right through his clothing, chilling him to the bone. sir toby had said that his best agent had died recently. ritter could not help thinking of the look of shock on the face of the glamour-wielder when sir toby shot her. shock, possibly, at his betrayal? her body had been left on the mountaintop. there could be no identifying it now. no way that ritter could ever know if his dark supposition were true.
yet, even if it were, could he entirely condemn his new master for an act whose repercussions were surely for the good? forty-one deaths weighed against millions. sir toby valued tough-mindedness above all things. to him, that was the kind of calculation that solved itself.
dark days were ahead, and he was going to be a part of them. ritter fervently hoped he would never reach the point where such a sacrifice would seem to him a sensible thing.
but he rather suspected that he would.
“the mongolian wizard” copyright © 2012 by michael swanwick
art copyright © 2012 by gregory manchess
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uk* ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns bɔs: wi hæd ɔl ðɪs ˈɪnfoʊ ənd ˈtoʊtəli feɪld tɪ prɪˈvɛnt ˈʧɑrli əˈtæk... soʊ gɪv ˈjuˈɛs mɔr ˈɪnfoʊ frəm ðə um,-what*? ðə hɛd əv ˈændru ˈpɑrkər, həz kɔld fər nu paʊərz tɪ hɛlp faɪt ˈɪsləmɪst ˌɪkˈstrɛmɪzəm, ˈwɔrnɪŋ əv ə ˈdeɪnʤərəs ɪmˈbæləns bɪtˈwin ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ ˈnəmbərz əv ˈtɛrərɪst plɑts əˈgɛnst ðə ənd ə drɔp ɪn ðə ˌkeɪpəˈbɪlətiz əv ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˈsərvɪsɪz tɪ snup ɔn kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz.... wi ər tɪ du ɑr ʤɑb, wɪl kənˈtɪnju tɪ nid tɪ bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ ˈpɛnəˌtreɪt ðɛr kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz ɛz wi hæv ˈɔlˌweɪz dən. ðət minz ˈhævɪŋ ðə raɪt tulz, ˈligəl paʊərz ənd ðə əˈsɪstəns əv ˈkəmpəˌniz wɪʧ hoʊld ˈrɛləvənt ˈdætə. ˈkərəntli, ðɪs ˈpɪkʧər ɪz patchy.”*.” wi ɔˈrɛdi roʊt əˈbaʊt sərˈveɪləns steɪt ˌɑpərˈtunɪsts laɪk ˈmaɪkəl ˈheɪdən ˈjuzɪŋ ðə ˈʧɑrli əˈtæks ɛz ˈɛvədəns fər waɪ ðə sərˈveɪləns steɪt ʃʊd bi əˈlaʊd tɪ spaɪ ɔn ˈɛvriˌwən, ənd naʊ ðə hɛd əv ðə ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˈeɪʤənsi həz ˈsɪmələrli juzd ðə əˈtæk ɛz ən ɪkˈskjuz tɪ dɪˈmænd mɔr sərˈveɪləns paʊərz wəts əˈspɛʃəli ˈsɪkənɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðɪs ɪz ðət ðɪs ˈɑrgjəmənt "wərks" fər sərˈveɪləns steɪt ˌɑpərˈtunɪsts ˈwɛðər ðeɪ səkˈsid ər feɪl. ɪf ðeɪ ˈæˌkʧuəli du stɑp ˈtɛrərɪst θrɛts (ənd ɪn ðə seɪm spiʧ ˈpɑrkər kleɪmz ðeɪ hæv stɑpt ə fju plænd əˈtæks ɪn "ˈrisənt mənθs" bət feɪlz tɪ prəˈvaɪd ˈɛni ˈditeɪlz), ðeɪ juz ðət tɪ kleɪm ðət ðə sərˈveɪləns wərks ənd ðeɪ nid tɪ du mɔr. jɛt wɪn ðeɪ feɪl tɪ stɑp ən əˈtæk ɛz ɪn ðə ˈʧɑrli keɪs ðeɪ doʊnt seɪ ɪts bɪˈkəz ðə sərˈveɪləns feɪld, ˌɪnˈstɛd, ɪts bɪˈkəz ðeɪ ˈdɪdənt hæv ɪˈnəf ˈdætə ər ɪˈnəf paʊərz tɪ kəˈlɛkt mɔr ˈdætə. ɪn ˈəðər wərdz, səkˈsid ər feɪl, ðə ˈɑrgjəmənt ɪz ˈɔlˌweɪz ðə seɪm: gɪv ˈjuˈɛs mɔr ˈækˌsɛs tɪ mɔr ˈpraɪvət ðɛl kleɪm ðɪs əˈgɛn ənd əˈgɛn, ˈivɪn ɛz ɪts bɪn ʃoʊn ˈoʊvər ənd ˈoʊvər əˈgɛn ðət ˈgræbɪŋ mɔr ˈgɑrbɪʤ ˈdætə ˈæˌkʧuəli meɪks ɪt ðət məʧ mɔr ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ faɪnd ˈrɛləvənt ˈdætə. ˈpaɪlɪŋ mɔr heɪ ˈɔntu ðə ˈheɪˌstæk ˈdəzənt meɪk ðə ˈnidəlz ˈiziər tɪ faɪnd. ɪt meɪks ðɛm məʧ ˈhɑrdər tɪ faɪnd ənd ˈɔfən sɛndz ju ˈdɪgɪŋ θru paɪlz əv heɪ fər ə ˈnidəl ju θɪŋk ju sɔ, bət ˈɪzənt ˈrɪli ðɛr. jɛt ðət ˈnɛvər simz tɪ ˈɛnər ðə ɪkˈweɪʒən. ɪts ɛz ɪf ðoʊz ɪn ðə sərˈveɪləns ˈbɪznɪs doʊnt ˌəndərˈstænd ðə aɪˈdiə əv kˈwɑntəti ˈoʊvər ðɪs goʊz bɪɔnd ʤɪst ðə ˈʤɛnərəl dɪˈzaɪər fər "mɔr" paʊər, tɪ ə rɪˈdɪkjələs bɪˈlif əˈməŋ səm ɪn ðə paʊər əv ˈælgərˌɪðəmz tɪ sɔrt θru ðɪs ˈdætə. ðə paʊər əv "bɪg ˈdætə" kən bi ˈjusfəl ɪn ˈmɛni weɪz, bət ˈpipəl gɪt soʊ əbˈsɛst wɪθ ðə ˈmæʤɪk əv ˈælgərˌɪðəmz ənd ðə paʊər ɪn "bɪg ˈdætə" ðət ðeɪ fərˈgɛt ðət ðiz θɪŋz ər ˌɪmˈpərfɪkt, ənd ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ sɔrt θru ˈmæsɪv paɪlz əv ˈdætə fər ˈrɛləvənt ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ənd lɪŋks ɪz ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbli ˈlɪmɪtɪd ənd ˈfɔlti. jɛt, bɪˈkəz ə kəmˈpjutər dɪz ɪt, ðeɪ gɪt ɔl ɪkˈsaɪtɪd ənd θɪŋk ɪts ɔl ˈpaʊərfəl. ɪts ðɪs mɪˈsteɪkən bɪˈlif ɪn ðə paʊər əv ðə ˈælgərˌɪðəmz ðət lidz ðɛm tɪ ˈɔlˌweɪz əˈsum ðət "mɔr ˈdætə ɪz ˈbɛtər" ənd ðə ɛnd rɪˈzəlt, ənˈfɔrʧənətli, ɪz kənˈtɪnjuəsli ˈstrɪpɪŋ əˈweɪ ˈpraɪvəsi, ɪn sərʧ əv səm ˈtaɪni ˈmɑrʤənəl ˈbɛnəfɪt ðət meɪ nɑt ˈivɪn ɪgˈzɪst. faɪld ˈəndər: ˈændru ˈpɑrkər, ˈʧɑrli əˈtæk, ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns kəmˈjunɪti, sərˈveɪləns
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uk intelligence boss: we had all this info and totally failed to prevent charlie hebdo attack... so give us more info
from the um,-what? dept
the head of mi5, andrew parker, has called for new powers to help fight islamist extremism, warning of a dangerous imbalance between increasing numbers of terrorist plots against the uk and a drop in the capabilities of intelligence services to snoop on communications....
[....]
“if we are to do our job, mi5 will continue to need to be able to penetrate their communications as we have always done. that means having the right tools, legal powers and the assistance of companies which hold relevant data. currently, this picture is patchy.”
we already wrote about surveillance state opportunists like michael hayden using the charlie hebdo attacks as evidence for why the surveillance state should be allowed to spy on everyone, and now the head of the uk's mi5 intelligence agency has similarly used the attack as an excuse to demand more surveillance powers what's especially sickening about this is that this argument "works" for surveillance state opportunists whether they succeed or fail. if they actually do stop terrorist threats (and in the same speech parker claims they have stopped a few planned attacks in "recent months" but fails to provide any details), they use that to claim that the surveillance works and they need to do more. yet when they fail to stop an attack -- as in the charlie hebdo case -- they don't say it's because the surveillance failed, instead, it's because they didn't have enough data or enough powers to collect more data. in other words, succeed or fail, the argument is always the same: give us more access to more private data.and they'll claim this again and again, even as it's been shown over and over again that grabbing more garbage data actually makes it that much more difficult to find relevant data. piling more hay onto the haystack doesn't make the needles easier to find. it makes them much harder to find and often sends you digging through piles of hay for a needle you think you saw, but isn't really there. yet that never seems to enter the equation. it's as if those in the surveillance business don't understand the idea of quantity over quality.and this goes beyond just the general desire for "more" power, to a ridiculous belief among some in the power of algorithms to sort through this data. the power of "big data" can be useful in many ways, but people get so obsessed with the magic of algorithms and the power in "big data" that they forget that these things are imperfect, and the ability to sort through massive piles of data for relevant information and links is incredibly limited and faulty. yet, because a computer does it, they get all excited and think it's all powerful. it's this mistaken belief in the power of the algorithms that leads them to always assume that "more data is better" and the end result, unfortunately, is continuously stripping away privacy, in search of some tiny marginal benefit that may not even exist.
filed under: andrew parker, charlie hebdo attack, intelligence community, mi5, surveillance
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hɛˈloʊ ˈgeɪmərz! wi ər plizd tɪ əˈnaʊns ðət wi ər bæk ənd ˈplænɪŋ fər əˈnəðər læn! ɑr θərd læn wɪl bi ˈbɪgər ənd ˈbɛtər! ɛz ə pɑrt əv ðə ˌsækrəˈmɛntoʊ ˈgeɪmɪŋ ɪˈvɛnts fər ˈʧɛrɪti wi ər ˈgɪrɪŋ əp ðə fən. ʧɛk bæk fər mɔr nuz ˈəpˌdeɪts, ɛz ðə læn ˈplænɪŋ ɪz ˈfaɪnəˌlaɪzd. stɑrts: ˈʤænjuˌɛri 25 2013 ɛndz: ˈʤænjuˌɛri 27 2013 ˈtoʊtəl aʊərz əv ˈɔsəm geɪm taɪm: 47 aʊərz taɪp læn: brɪŋ jʊr oʊn kəmˈpjutər loʊˈkeɪʃən: greɪt ɪˈskeɪp geɪmz ˈæˌdrɛs: 1250 haʊ ˈævəˌnu ˌsækrəˈmɛntoʊ, ˈsiˈeɪ 95825 ˌrɛʤɪˈstreɪʃən ˈpraɪsɪz: ˈrɛʤɪstər ɔn ɑr saɪt ˌbiˈfɔr 22nd*, 2013 35 ˈnɔrməl sit (fər ðoʊz hu hæv ˈnɔrməl paʊər rɪkˈwaɪrmənts) ˈpraɪsɪz: mɪst ðə ˌrɛʤɪˈstreɪʃən? ˈmeɪbi wi kən fɪt ju ɪn! 40 ˈnɔrməl sit (fər ðoʊz hu hæv ˈnɔrməl paʊər rɪkˈwaɪrmənts) wət ɪz ə læn event/party*?: ə læn ɪˈvɛnt ər læn ˈpɑrti ɪz wɛr ˈgeɪmərz ˈgæðər ənd kəm təˈgɛðər wɪθ ðɛr ˈpiˈsiz, kəˈnɛkt ðə ˈpiˈsiz təˈgɛðər θru ən ɪkˈstrimli fæst ˈnɛtˌwərk, ənd pleɪ geɪmz wɪθ ˈlɪtəl tɪ noʊ ˈleɪtənsi ər læg. ər ˈrɪli fən ənd gʊd weɪ tɪ mit nu ˈgeɪmərz, meɪk frɛndz, wɪn ˈpraɪzɪz, ənd ʃoʊ ɔf jʊr ˈkəstəm dɪˈzaɪnd ˈpiˈsi (ər gɪt hɛlp wɪθ ˈɛniˌθɪŋ ˈpiˈsi ˈgeɪmɪŋ rɪˈleɪtɪd). əˈbaʊt ˈjuˈɛs: greɪt ɪˈskeɪp læn ɪz ə ˌnɑnˈprɔfɪt ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ˈdɛdəkeɪtəd tɪ prəˈvaɪdɪŋ ˈɔsəm, fən, ənd ˈfrɛndli ˈgeɪmɪŋ əˈməŋ frɛndz ənd ˈfæməli. ɔl ˈməni ənd prəˈsidz meɪd frəm ðə ɪˈvɛnt wɪl bi ˈdoʊˌneɪtɪd tɪ ˈʧɛrɪti (juˈnaɪtɪd weɪ əv ˌsækrəˈmɛntoʊ) tɪ hɛlp səˈpɔrt ɑr kəmˈjunɪti ənd ðoʊz ɪn nid. greɪt ɪˈskeɪp læn ɪz mɛnt tɪ bi ə ˈfæməli ˈfrɛndli event/environment*. ˈælkəˌhɑl ɪz ˌæbsəˈlutli nɑt əˈlaʊd ɪn ər əraʊnd ðə ɪˈvɛnt. wɪθ ˈjuˈɛs biɪŋ ə ˈfæməli ˈfrɛndli ɪˈvɛnt, wi ər nɑt ˈfoʊkɪst ɔn kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv taɪps əv ɪˈvɛnts ər geɪm play(e-sports*). wi du rən ə ˈkəpəl ˈfrɛndli ˈtərnəmənts fər ðə soʊl ˈpərpəs əv ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt. ðɛr wɪl bi ə ˈræfəl ənd ən ɪˈvɛnt ˌɪnˈspaɪərd praɪz gɪv əˈweɪ fər ˈrɛʤɪstərd gɛsts ənd pɑrˈtɪsəpənts ˈoʊnli. fər kəmˈplit rulz ənd ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz pliz ˌrivˈju ɑr rulz ˈsɛkʃən ɔn ðə greɪt ɪˈskeɪp læn saɪt ənd rɛd ˈoʊvər ɑr ˈweɪvər fɔrm. ɔl əˈtɛndɪŋ gɛsts məst kəmˈplitli rɛd, ˌrivˈju, saɪn, ənd brɪŋ ðə ˈweɪvər æt check-in*, ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ bi lɛt ɪn ðə ɪˈvɛnt. ɪf ju du nɑt brɪŋ ə ˈweɪvər fɔrm, ðɛr wɪl bi ˈɛkstrə wənz ɔn saɪt. ˈfeɪsˌbʊk grup stəf tɪ brɪŋ: wi æt greɪt ɪˈskeɪp læn wɪl prəˈvaɪd sˈwɪʧɪz, paʊər strɪps, ˈteɪbəlz, ənd ʧɛrz. pliz brɪŋ ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ. ˈɛvriˌwən jʊr ˈaɪˈdi ənd saɪnd (ˈsɛkʃən ii*) ˈɔlsoʊ (ˈsɛkʃən ɪf ˈmaɪnər) ˈnɛtˌwərk ˈkeɪbəl 20 fit) paʊər ˈkeɪbəlz fər jʊr rɪg (ˈlɪmɪtɪd tɪ 2 pləgz ɔn ə paʊər strɪp*) ɔl jʊr kəmˈpjutər ɪkˈwɪpmənt (computer,keyboard*, maʊs, ˈmɑnətər, ˈhɛdˌfoʊnz ˌɛtˈsɛtərə noʊ ˈspikərz) (ˈɔpʃənəl) ə ʧɛr əv jʊr oʊn. (wi hæv ˈbeɪsɪk ˈmɛtəl ʧɛrz prəˈvaɪdɪd) fud (wi ər rɪkˈwɛstɪŋ noʊ ˈkulərz, aɪs ˈbɑksɪz, ˈaʊtˈsaɪd drɪŋks ər snæks bi brɔt ˈɪntu ðə ɪˈvɛnt. ɛz ɑr ˈspɑnsər, greɪt ɪˈskeɪp geɪmz wɪl bi ˈvɛndɪŋ fud, snæks ənd drɪŋks æt ɑr ɪˈvɛnt. pliz hɛlp səˈpɔrt greɪt ɪˈskeɪp geɪmz ənd rɪˈspɛkt θiər rɪkˈwɛst. *milz ər əˈlaʊd tɪ bi brɔt ɪn) sˈlipɪŋ stəf (ɪf ju plæn tɪ slip) geɪm feɪs (moʊst ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt θɪŋ) geɪmz biɪŋ pleɪd: ˈnæʧərəl səˈlɛkʃən 2 ˈstɑrˌkræft 2 tim ˈfɔrtrəs 2 ˈbætəlˌfild 3 lig əv ˈlɛʤəndz, kɔl əv ˈduti: lɛft 4 dɛd 2 minecraft*, ˈkaʊntər straɪk: ˈgloʊbəl əˈfɛnsɪv, dərt ˈʃoʊˌdaʊn, səˈprim kəˈmændər 2 ənd ˈmɛni mɔr! geɪmz wi wɪl hæv ˈtərnəmənts fər: lig əv ˈlɛʤəndz ˈstændərd ˈbætəlˌfild 3 ˈkɑŋkwɛst ˈpraɪzɪz ənd gɪv ˈeɪˌweɪz: θæŋks tɪ ɑr ˈspɑnsərz ənd səˈpɔrtərz, wi wɪl hæv tənz əv ˈpraɪzɪz tɪ gɪv əˈweɪ. səm ˈpraɪzɪz wɪl bi ˈgɪvɪn ɛz pɑrt əv ən ɪˈvɛnt, ənd səm wɪl bi ˈgɪvɪn əˈweɪ ˈrændəmli. ˈpraɪzɪz wɪl reɪnʤ frəm ssd's*, ræm, hdd's*, motherboards*, cpu's*, ənd məʧ mɔr!
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hello gamers! we are pleased to announce that we are back and planning for another lan! our third lan will be bigger and better! as a part of the lanfest sacramento gaming events for charity we are gearing up the fun. check back for more news updates, as the lan planning is finalized.
starts: january 25, 2013 @ 6pm
ends: january 27, 2013 @ 5pm
total hours of awesome game time: 47 hours
byoc type lan: bring your own computer
location: great escape games
address:
1250 howe avenue #3a
sacramento, ca 95825
pre-event registration prices: register on our site before janurary 22nd, 2013!
$35 - normal seat (for those who have normal power requirements)
at-the-door prices: missed the pre-event registration? maybe we can fit you in!
$40 - normal seat (for those who have normal power requirements)
what is a lan event/party?: a lan event or lan party is where gamers gather and come together with their pc's, connect the pc's together through an extremely fast network, and play games with little to no latency or lag. lan's are really fun and good way to meet new gamers, make friends, win prizes, and show off your custom designed pc (or get help with anything pc gaming related).
about us:
great escape lan is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing awesome, fun, and friendly gaming among friends and family. all money and proceeds made from the event will be donated to charity (united way of sacramento) to help support our community and those in need. great escape lan is meant to be a family friendly event/environment. alcohol is absolutely not allowed in or around the event. with us being a family friendly event, we are not focused on competitive types of events or game play(e-sports). we do run a couple friendly tournaments for the sole purpose of entertainment. there will be a raffle and an event inspired prize give away for registered guests and participants only. for complete rules and regulations please review our rules section on the great escape lan site and read over our waiver form. all attending guests must completely read, review, sign, and bring the waiver at check-in, in order to be let in the event. if you do not bring a waiver form, there will be extra ones on site.
facebook group
stuff to bring:
we at great escape lan will provide switches, power strips, tables, and chairs. please bring the following.
. everyone your id and signed wavier (section ii) also (section iii if minor)
. network cable (20 feet)
. power cables for your rig (limited to 2 plugs on a power strip*)
. all your computer equipment (computer,keyboard, mouse, monitor, headphones etc no speakers)
. (optional) a chair of your own. (we have basic metal chairs provided)
. food (we are requesting no coolers, ice boxes, outside drinks or snacks be brought into the event. as our sponsor, great escape games will be vending food, snacks and drinks at our event. please help support great escape games and respect thier request. *meals are allowed to be brought in)
. sleeping stuff (if you plan to sleep)
. game face (most important thing)
games being played:
natural selection 2, starcraft 2, team fortress 2, battlefield 3, league of legends, call of duty: bo3, left 4 dead 2, minecraft, counter strike: global offensive, dirt showdown, supreme commander 2, and many more!
games we will have tournaments for:
league of legends 5v5 standard
battlefield 3 8v8 conquest
prizes and give aways:
thanks to our sponsors and supporters, we will have tons of prizes to give away. some prizes will be given as part of an event, and some will be given away randomly. prizes will range from ssd's, ram, hdd's, motherboards, cpu's, and much more!
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britain’s* smɔl flit əv ˈbrɪtɪʃ sərf fɪlm ˈmeɪkərz hæv bɪn ˈspɔɪlɪŋ ˈjuˈɛs ˈrisəntli wɪθ haɪ kˈwɑləti sərf klɪps. læst wik sɔ ˈɑli ˈfɔsɪt drɔp moments’*’ ˈfiʧərɪŋ æʃ ənd naʊ ˈmɪstər bi həz riˈlist ən ˈɛpɪk koʊld ˈwɔtər ˈɔfərɪŋ ˈfiʧərɪŋ ˈrɑbənsən. ðə sərf ˈfɛstɪvəl 2016 sɔ bɪg swɛlz ənd ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ wɪndz fər deɪz rɪˈzəltɪŋ ɪn ə ˈprɪti ˈɛpɪk ɪˈvɛnt wɪθ ˈpəmpɪŋ weɪvz æt ənd sandside*. dɪˈspaɪt ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðə ˈfaɪnəl, ˈrɑbənsən stɪl faʊnd taɪm tɪ sərʧ ðə nɔrθ koʊst əv ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbəl ˈsɛˌtəp. ˈfɔrʧənətli ðɛr wɑz ən əˈbəndəns əv swɛl, wɪndz ənd ˈpərˌfɪkt ˈhɛvi rifs əraʊnd ˈɛvəri ˈkɔrnər. steɪd fər ˈoʊnli ə wik ənd ˈmænɪʤd tɪ skɔr ɔl ðoʊz ˈɛpɪk ˈlɪtəl slæbz ənd ˈɔlsoʊ ə fju ˈəðər weɪvz ðət ˈfiʧərd ɪn ðə clip”*” sɛd fɪlm ˈmeɪkər wɑz ˈʃutɪŋ ðə ˈʤunjərz ɪn ðə ˈkɑntɛst ðɛr wər ə ˈkəpəl əv ˈəðər ˈʧiki ˈsɛʃənz æt ˈsikrɪt spɑts ˈskætərd wɪˈθɪn hæf aʊər əv thurso.”*.” ər ɔl ˈvɛri shallow”*” sɛd əv ðə weɪvz ˈfiʧərd ɪn ðə klɪp hæd ə fju fɔlz wɪʧ aɪ θɔt fər ʃʊr goʊɪŋ tɪ hərt ˌmaɪˈsɛlf, bət ɛz feɪt həz ɪt wi ɔl keɪm əˈweɪ wɪθ noʊ ˈbroʊkən boʊnz ər ˈivɪn ˈbruzɪz. ɪt dɪz hɛlp ˈhævɪŋ ɔl ðət ˈrəbər ɔn maɪnd, ɪf aɪ wər ˈsərfɪŋ ɪn aɪ θɪŋk ɪt wʊd bi ə ˈdɪfərənt story.”*.”
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britain’s small fleet of british surf film makers have been spoiling us recently with high quality surf clips. last week saw olly fawcett drop ‘those moments’ featuring reubyn ash and now mr b has released an epic cold water offering featuring jayce robinson.
the thurso surf festival 2016 saw big swells and changing winds for days resulting in a pretty epic event with pumping waves at thurso and sandside.
despite making the final, jayce robinson still found time to search the north coast of scotland’s incredible setup. fortunately there was an abundance of swell, favourable winds and perfect heavy slabbing reefs around every corner.
“we stayed for only a week and managed to score all those epic little slabs and also a few other waves that didn’t featured in the clip” said jayce “whilst film maker mr.b was shooting the juniors in the contest there were a couple of other cheeky sessions at secret spots scattered within half hour of thurso.”
“they are all very shallow” said jayce of the waves featured in the clip “i had a few falls which i thought for sure i’m going to hurt myself, but as fate has it we all came away with no broken bones or even bruises. it does help having all that rubber on mind, if i were surfing in boardshorts i think it would be a different story.”
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0 pəˈlis: ˈtiˌneɪʤ bɔɪ ʃɑt ɪn hɛd waɪl sˈlipɪŋ ɪn ˈsænfərd hoʊm ˈsænfərd, fla*. ə bɔɪ wɑz ʃɑt ɪn ðə hɛd leɪt ˈsənˌdi æt ə hoʊm, ðə ˈsænfərd pəˈlis dɪˈpɑrtmənt sɛd. ˈsəmˌwən ʃɑt ˈɪntu ə hoʊm ˈʃɔrtli ˌbiˈfɔr ˈmɪdˌnaɪt ɔn ˈlɪtəl fɑks ˈævəˌnu nɪr nɔrθ ˈrɑnəld ˈrigən ənd ist leɪk ˈmɛri ˈbʊləˌvɑrdz, pəˈlis ˈspoʊksmən ˈrɑni nil sɛd. pəˈlis sɛd ðə bɔɪ wɑz ˈteɪkən tɪ ˈsɛntrəl ˈflɔrɪdə ˈriʤənəl ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ɪn ˈsteɪbəl kənˈdɪʃən. hɪz ˈɪnʤəriz wərənt ˈlaɪfθˌrɛtnɪŋ, əˈfɪʃəlz sɛd. ˈsɛmɪˌnoʊl ˈkaʊnti ˈpəblɪk skulz ˈspoʊksmən ˈmaɪkəl ˈlɔrəns sɛd ðə bɔɪ ɪz ə ˈwɪntər spərɪŋz haɪ skul ˈstudənt. ə grif ˈkaʊnsələr wɑz æt ðə skul ˈmənˌdeɪ. "ɑr θɔts ər wɪθ ðə ˈstudənts ˈfæməli, frɛndz ənd ləvd wənz æt ðɪs taɪm," ˈlɔrəns sɛd. "wi ər ˈhoʊpfəl fər ə fʊl ənd ˈspiˌdi rɪˈkəvəri." ˈfoʊˌtoʊz: ˈʃutɪŋ ɪn ˈsænfərd ˈneɪbərˌhʊd 2019 kɑks ˈmidiə grup. 2019 kɑks ˈmidiə grup. rɛd: jʊr ˈʧɪldrən kloʊz,' sɪz ˈməðər əv ˈtiˌneɪʤ bɔɪ ˈfeɪtəli stæbd ɪn ˈsænfərd ʃɔn ˈmɛrəl ˈsɪstər. toʊld ˈʧænəl 9 ðət hɪz sən, ʃɔn ˈmɛrəl jr*., wɑz ʃɑt bət sɛd hi ˈdəzənt bɪˈliv hɪz sən wɑz ðə ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd ˈtərgət. hi sɛd hi θɪŋks ðə ˈgənmən hæd ðə rɔŋ hoʊm. ˈmɛrəl ˈsɪstər. sɛd hɪz ˈdɔtər tərnd ɔn hər ˈbrəðərz ˈbɛˌdrum laɪts ənd faʊnd ɪm ˈblidɪŋ. əˈbaʊt ə ˈhæfˌdəzən ˈbʊlət hoʊlz kən bi sin ɪn ðə hʊd əv ˈmɛrəl kɑr, ɪn ðə ˈstəkoʊ əv ðə hoʊm ənd ðə frənt ˈwɪndoʊz. "maɪ sən ɪz 16 jɪrz oʊld. hi goʊz tɪ ˈwɪntər spərɪŋz haɪ skul. hi pleɪz ˈvɑrsɪti ˈbæskətˌbɔl," ˈmɛrəl ˈsɪstər. sɛd. "hi (ˈdəzənt) noʊ ˈnəθɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə strit laɪf." hi sɛd hɪz sən ˌəndərˈwɛnt ˈsərʤəri ˈmənˌdeɪ tɪ hæv ðə ˈbʊlət riˈmuvd frəm hɪz hɛd. hi sɛd ðə bɔɪ ɪz əˈlərt ənd ˈtɔkɪŋ. "hi æst mi, hi sɛd, 'dɪz ðɪs min aɪ pleɪ ˈbæskətˌbɔl?'" ˈmɛrəl ˈsɪstər. sɛd. hi bɪˈlivz ˈsəmθɪŋ sloʊd ðə ˈbʊlət daʊn. "frəm ˈhɪtɪŋ ðə ˈwɪndoʊ ənd ðə ˈhɛdˌbɔrd, ɪt ˈrɪli sloʊd ðə ˌɪmˈpækt daʊn," hi sɛd. ˈbæskətˌbɔl koʊʧ, ˈkæmbəl, sɛd ðə ˈvɪktɪm ɪz ə gʊd kɪd, bət ˌəndərˈstænd waɪ ˈsəmˌwən wʊd ʃut æt ə hoʊm ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl əv ðə naɪt. "gən ˈvaɪələns ˈhæpənz ˈɛvriˌwɛr. aɪ ʤɪst wɪʃ ðət ˌbiˈfɔr ju goʊ ˈʃutɪŋ ˈsəmˌwɛr, ju traɪ tɪ riˈzɑlv ɪt ə ˈdɪfərənt weɪ bɪˈkəz gən ˈvaɪələns kɪlz ˈpipəl ˈdeɪli," ˈkæmbəl sɛd. tu ˈviɪkəlz wər sin ˈdraɪvɪŋ pæst ðə ˈvɪktɪmz hoʊm ɪn sərˈveɪləns ˈfʊtɪʤ ðət wɑz rɪˈkɔrdɪd frəm ə ˈneɪbərz hoʊm, ə pəˈlis rɪˈpɔrt sɛd. "ðə fərst ˈviɪkəl droʊv pæst sˈloʊli ənd ðə ˈsɛkənd stɑpt ɪn frənt əv ðə hoʊm," ðə ˈɔfɪsər roʊt. "aɪ wɑz əˈneɪbəl tɪ əbˈteɪn ə ˈviɪkəl dɪˈskrɪpʃən ˈəðər ðən ðət ðeɪ wər boʊθ ˈpæsənʤər kɑz." ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪtərz sɛd ðə ˈgənmən rɪˈmeɪnz æt lɑrʤ. ðə ˈʃutɪŋ rɪˈmeɪnz ˈəndər ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən. rɛd: ˈrɛˌstrɑnt ˈwərkərz θæŋk ˈsænfərd pəˈlis fər kwɪk rɪˈspɑns tɪ ˈmænɪʤərz ˈstæbɪŋ 2019 kɑks ˈmidiə grup.
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0 police: teenage boy shot in head while sleeping in sanford home
sanford, fla. - a 16-year-old boy was shot in the head late sunday at a home, the sanford police department said.
someone shot into a home shortly before midnight on little fox avenue near north ronald reagan and east lake mary boulevards, police spokesman ronny neal said.
police said the boy was taken to central florida regional hospital in stable condition. his injuries weren't life-threatening, officials said.
seminole county public schools spokesman michael lawrence said the boy is a winter springs high school student. a grief counselor was at the school monday.
"our thoughts are with the student's family, friends and loved ones at this time," lawrence said. "we are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery."
photos: shooting in sanford neighborhood
© 2019 cox media group. © 2019 cox media group.
read: ‘keep your children close,' says mother of teenage boy fatally stabbed in sanford
shaun merrill sr. told channel 9 that his son, shaun merrill jr., was shot but said he doesn't believe his son was the intended target. he said he thinks the gunman had the wrong home.
merrill sr. said his 18-year-old daughter turned on her brother's bedroom lights and found him bleeding.
about a half-dozen bullet holes can be seen in the hood of merrill sr.’s car, in the stucco of the home and the front windows.
"my son is 16 years old. he goes to winter springs high school. he plays varsity basketball," merrill sr. said. "he (doesn't) know nothing about the street life."
he said his son underwent surgery monday to have the bullet removed from his head. he said the boy is alert and talking.
"he asked me, he said, 'does this mean i can’t play basketball?'" merrill sr. said.
he believes something slowed the bullet down.
"from hitting the window and the headboard, it really slowed the impact down," he said.
merrill’s basketball coach, ondraus campbell, said the victim is a good kid, but can’t understand why someone would shoot at a home in the middle of the night.
"gun violence happens everywhere. i just wish that before you go shooting somewhere, you try to resolve it a different way because gun violence kills people daily," campbell said.
two vehicles were seen driving past the victim's home in surveillance footage that was recorded from a neighbor's home, a police report said.
"the first vehicle drove past slowly and the second stopped in front of the home," the officer wrote. "i was unable to obtain a vehicle description other than that they were both passenger cars."
investigators said the gunman remains at large.
the shooting remains under investigation.
read: restaurant workers thank sanford police for quick response to manager's stabbing
© 2019 cox media group.
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haʊs ˈspikər pɔl raɪən əv wɪs. ædˈmɪnɪstərz ðə haʊs oʊθ əv ˈɔfəs tɪ rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. ˈbɑrbərə ˈkɑmˌstɑk, r-va*., ˈdʊrɪŋ ə mɑk sˈwɛrɪŋ ɪn ˈsɛrəˌmoʊni ɔn ˈkæpɪtəl hɪl ɪn ˈwɔʃɪŋtən, ˈtuzˌdeɪ, ʤæn. 3 2017 ɛz ðə ˈkɑŋgrəs bɪˈgæn. ˌeɪˈpi luis mɑˈgænə) (ˌhoʊˈzeɪ luis magana/ap*) rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. ˈbɑrbərə ˈkɑmˌstɑk (r-va*.) ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ broʊk wɪθ ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈdɑnəld trəmp ɔn hɪz ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv ˈɔrdər ˈɪnstɪˌtutɪŋ ə ˈhaɪrɪŋ friz. ðə ˈkɑŋgrəsˌwʊmən ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnts ə ˈmɑdərˌeɪt ˈnɔrðərn vərˈʤɪnjə ˈdɪstrɪkt, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ənd ˈfɛrˌfæks ˈkaʊntiz, wɪʧ ɪz hoʊm tɪ ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈgəvərnmənt ɪmˈplɔɪiz. ˈfɛdərəl ˈbəʤɪt ˈkænɑt bi ˈbælənst ɔn ðə bæks əv ɑr ˈfɛdərəl workforce,”*,” ʃi sɛd ɪn ə ˈsteɪtmənt. səˈpɔrt ðɪs taɪp əv friz ənd θɪŋk ɪt ɪz ˈbɛtər tɪ lʊk æt praɪˈɔrətiz ənd ˈɛriəz wɛr əˈproʊpriˌeɪt kəts kən bi meɪd ənd wɛr wi kən kənˈsɑlɪˌdeɪt ˈɛfərts ər aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ ənˈnɛsəˌsɛri kɔsts ðət kən bi eliminated.”*.” ˌɔlˈðoʊ ʃi ˈlɔdɪd ðə ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv kɑrv aʊts fər ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri, ˈpəblɪk ˈseɪfti, ənd ˈpəblɪk hɛlθ ˈsɛktərz, ʃi sɛd ˈʤɛnərəl əˈkaʊnɪŋ ˈɔfəs ˈrisərʧ ʃoʊz ˈhaɪrɪŋ ˈfrizɪz ɪn rɪˈpəblɪkən ənd ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃənz kɔst mɔr ɪn ðə long-run*. du tɪ ˈprɑbləmz, ər ˈprɑbləmz ɪn rɪˈkrutɪŋ ər dɪsˈrəpʃən əv ki ˈgəvərnmənt ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz ənd rikˈwaɪərd ˈsərvɪsɪz tɪ ðə əˈmɛrɪkən people,”*,” ʃi sɛd. ðə ˈɔrdər ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnts ðə ˈsɛkənd taɪm ɪn ə fju wiks ðət rɪˈpəblɪkənz hæv ˈtɑrgətɪd ˈfɛdərəl ˈwərkərz. æt ðə stɑrt əv ðə nu ˈsɛʃən əv ˈkɑŋgrəs, ˈkɑmˌstɑk ˈvoʊtɪd tɪ ɪˈlɪməˌneɪt frəm ðə haʊs rulz ˈpækɪʤ ə prəˈvɪʒən ðət wʊd gɪv ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl ˈmɛmbərz ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl ˈwərkərz ənd slæʃ ðɛr ˈsæləriz tɪ ɛz ˈlɪtəl ɛz 1 rənz ðɪs ˈkəntri, ðə ˈpipəl əv ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts ər ðə ˈpipəl ɔn ðə payroll?”*?”] ðə ˈɛfərt feɪld ənd ˈkɑmˌstɑk ˈvoʊtɪd fər ðə ɪnˈtaɪər rulz ˈpækɪʤ, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə ˈhɑlmən rul, wɪn ɪt keɪm əp fər ə flɔr voʊt. ɪt pæst ˈizəli ɪn ðə ˈʧeɪmbər. ɛz ðə ˈoʊnli rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈmɛmbər əv ˈkɑŋgrəs ɪn ðə ˈdɪstrɪkt əv kəˈləmbiə ˌmɛtrəˈpɑlətən ˈɛriə, riɪˈlɛkʃən kæmˈpeɪn pɔrˈtreɪd hər ɛz ə ˈʧæmpiən fər ˈloʊkəl ˈɪʃuz səʧ ɛz ˈfɛdərəl workers’*’ ˈbɛnəfɪts ənd ˈmɛˌtroʊ ˈfəndɪŋ. ðə haɪt əv ðə kæmˈpeɪn ˌkoʊənˈsaɪdəd wɪθ ðə ˌpəblɪˈkeɪʃən əv ə 2005 ˈvɪdioʊ ɪn wɪʧ trəmp spoʊk ɪn lud tərmz əˈbaʊt ˈwɪmən. ˈkɑmˌstɑk kɔld ɪt ““disgusting”*” ənd ““vile”*” ənd ərʤd ɪm tɪ drɔp aʊt əv ðə reɪs. ˈaʊtˈsaɪd grups pɔrd ˈmɪljənz əv ˈdɔlərz ˈɪntu hər reɪs əˈgɛnst ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈʧælɪnʤər ˈbɛnɪt ənd ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈænəlɪsts ˈreɪtɪd ɪt ə kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv tɔs əp. bət ɪn ðə ɛnd ˈkɑmˌstɑk wən baɪ sɪks pɔɪnts.
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house speaker paul ryan of wis. administers the house oath of office to rep. barbara comstock, r-va., during a mock swearing in ceremony on capitol hill in washington, tuesday, jan. 3, 2017, as the 115th congress began. ( ap photo/jose luis magana) (jose luis magana/ap)
rep. barbara comstock (r-va.) on monday broke with president donald trump on his executive order instituting a government-wide hiring freeze.
the two-term congresswoman represents a moderate northern virginia district, including loudoun and fairfax counties, which is home to thousands of government employees.
“the federal budget cannot be balanced on the backs of our federal workforce,” she said in a statement. “i don’t support this type of across-the-board freeze and think it is better to look at priorities and areas where appropriate cuts can be made and where we can consolidate efforts or identify unnecessary costs that can be eliminated.”
although she lauded the executive order’s carve outs for military, public safety, and public health sectors, she said general accounting office research shows hiring freezes in republican and democratic administrations cost more in the long-run.
that’s due to “staffing problems, or problems in recruiting or disruption of key government operations and required services to the american people,” she said.
the order represents the second time in a few weeks that republicans have targeted federal workers.
at the start of the new session of congress, comstock voted to eliminate from the house rules package a provision that would give individual members the ability to identify individual workers and slash their salaries to as little as $1.
[“who runs this country, the people of the united states or the people on the people’s payroll?”]
the effort failed and comstock voted for the entire rules package, including the holman rule, when it came up for a floor vote. it passed easily in the gop-controlled chamber.
as the only republican member of congress in the district of columbia metropolitan area, comstock’s reelection campaign portrayed her as a champion for local issues such as federal workers’ benefits and metro funding.
the height of the campaign coincided with the publication of a 2005 video in which trump spoke in lewd terms about women. comstock called it “disgusting” and “vile” and urged him to drop out of the race.
outside groups poured millions of dollars into her race against democratic challenger luann bennett and independent political analysts rated it a competitive toss up.
but in the end comstock won by six points.
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juz. əˈfɪʃəlz ˈvɪzɪt oʊld; ɪkˈsprɛs concern’*’ æm ə ˈtæmpə, ˈflɔrɪdə bɔɪ hu wɑz ˈvɪzɪtɪŋ ˈrɛlətɪvz ɪn ʤərˈusələm wɪn hi wɑz græbd baɪ ˌəndərˈkəvər ˌɪzˈreɪli ˈɔfɪsərz ənd ˈbædli ˈbitən ɪn ðə feɪs ənd hɛd rɪˈsivd ə ˈvɪzɪt frəm juz. əˈfɪʃəlz ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ, ɪn ədˈvæns əv hɪz kɔrt ˈhirɪŋ ˈæbu, 15 ɪz ðə ˈkəzən əv moʊˈhæmɪd ˈæbu, hu wɑz bərnd tɪ dɛθ ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ ˈmɔrnɪŋ, əˈpɛrəntli baɪ ðə seɪm grup əv ˌɪzˈreɪliz hu wər sin ˈfɔrsɪŋ ɪm ˈɪntu ə kɑr ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ə mɔsk ɪn, ist ʤərˈusələm ʤɪst ˌbiˈfɔr 4 æm ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ. dɪˈspaɪt ˈvɪdioʊ ˈfʊtɪʤ əv ðə əbˈdəkʃən, ənd ðə ˈlaɪsəns pleɪt ˈnəmbər ˈhævɪŋ bɪn ˈkæpʧərd baɪ ˈaɪˌwɪtnəsɪz, ðə ˌɪzˈreɪli pəˈlis hæv feɪld tɪ aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪ ər dɪˈteɪn ðə ˈkɪlərz əv moʊˈhæmɪd ˈæbu. ðə deɪ ˈæftər hɪz ˈmərdər, oʊld ˌtɑˈrik wɑz græbd baɪ ˌəndərˈkəvər ˌɪzˈreɪli ˈfɔrsɪz ɪn, wɛr ˈproʊˌtɛsts hæd ˈbroʊkən aʊt ˈkɔlɪŋ fər ˈʤəstɪs fər moʊˈhæmɪd. ə ˈwɪtnəs ɪn ə ˈnɪrˈbaɪ əˈpɑrtmənt ˈbɪldɪŋ ˈkæpʧərd ˈvɪdioʊ ˈfʊtɪʤ əv ðə əˈtæk, wɪʧ ʃoʊz θri mɛn ˈhoʊldɪŋ ənd rɪˈpitɪdli ˈbitɪŋ ə proʊn ˌpælɪˈstɪniən wɪθ ðɛr fɪsts ənd ˈəðər ˈɑbʤɛkts. hi wɑz ðɛn ˈkɛrid ˈɪntu ə pəˈlis væn ənd ˈteɪkən ˈɪntu ˈkəstədi wɪθ ˈdəzənz əv ˈəðər ˌpælɪˈstɪniənz hu hæd bɪn swɛpt əp ɪn ðə pəˈlis ˈkrækˌdaʊn ɔn ðə ˈproʊˌtɛsts. pəˈlis dɪˈnaɪd ɪm ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈtritmənt fər ˈoʊvər faɪv aʊərz, dɪˈspaɪt hɪz hɛd ənd ˈbroʊkən noʊz. ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv əv ðə juz. ˈkɑnsələt ɪn ʤərˈusələm kənˈfərmd ðət əˈfɪʃəlz hæd ˈvɪzɪtɪd ˌtɑˈrik, hu ɪz stɪl ɪn ˌɪzˈreɪli ˈkəstədi, ɔn ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ, ənd ˈɪʃud ə ˈsteɪtmənt ðət ər proʊˈfaʊndli ˈtrəbəld baɪ rɪˈpɔrts ðət hi wɑz səˈvɪrli ˈbitən waɪl ɪn pəˈlis ˈkəstədi, ənd ˈstrɔŋli kənˈdɛm ˈɛni ɪkˈsɛsɪv juz əv force.”*.” juz. əˈfɪʃəlz ˈrɛrli ˌɪntərˈvin ɪn ˈkeɪsɪz ˌɪnˈvɑlvɪŋ ˌpælɪˈstɪniənz dɪˈteɪnd ər ˈbrutəˌlaɪzd baɪ ˌɪzˈreɪli ˈfɔrsɪz, ˈivɪn wɪn ðoʊz dɪˈteɪnd ər juz. ˈsɪtɪzənz. ɪn ðɪs keɪs, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, wɪθ ɪkˈstɛnsɪv ˈfæməli kəˈnɛkʃənz əˈkrɔs ðə juz., ðə ˈæbu ˈfæməli hæv ˈprɛʃərd juz. əˈfɪʃəlz tɪ teɪk ˈækʃən ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli sɪns ðə ˈfæməli həz ɔˈrɛdi ˈsəfərd ðə lɔs əv oʊld moʊˈhæmɪd, hu wɑz bərnd tɪ dɛθ, prɪˈzuməbli baɪ ˌɪzˈreɪli ˈsɛtələrz, ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ. ðə ˌpælɪˈstɪniən ˈprɪzənər raɪts grup ˈɔlsoʊ tʊk əp ðə keɪs əv ˌtɑˈrik ˈæbu, ˈsteɪtɪŋ, ˈʧɑrʤɪz ər ˌækjəˈzeɪʃənz hæv bɪn brɔt əˈgɛnst, jɛt hɪz dɪˈspaɪt hɪz jəŋ eɪʤ ənd ənˈlɔfəl ˈtritmənt, hɪz dɪˈtɛnʃən həz bɪn ɪkˈstɛndɪd ənˈtɪl ðə ˈmɔrnɪŋ əv ˈsənˌdi 6 ˌʤuˈlaɪ ɪn ðə kɔrt əv fərst ˈɪnstənsɪz ɪn ʤərˈusələm. ɪz wən əv 11 ˌpælɪˈstɪniənz hu wər ˈbitən ənd ərˈɛstɪd ɪn læst naɪt ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ðə ˈbrutəl ˈmərdər əv oʊld ʧaɪld moʊˈhɑmɛd ˈæbu, hu wɑz faʊnd ˈbitən ənd bərnd ɔn ðə ruɪnz əv ˌpælɪˈstɪniən dɪˈstrɔɪd ˈvɪlɪʤ ˈjæsɪn aʊərz ˈæftər hi wɑz ˈkɪdˌnæpt ɪn ə ˌrɛtrəˈbjuʃən ækt. ðə ˌɪzˈreɪli ˈgəvərnmənt həz ə rɪˈgɑrdɪŋ ðə ˈsərkəmˌstænsɪz əv ˈkɪdˌnæpɪŋ ənd ˈmərdər. kənˈtɪnjud ˈvaɪələns əˈgɛnst ˈʧɪldrən ɪz ənˈlɔfəl ənd ˌənækˈsɛptəbəl. ˈərʤɪz ˌɪˈmiˌdiət ˈækʃən ənd kɔlz ɔn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd ˈneɪʃənz, ðə ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl kəˈmɪti əv ðə rɛd krɔs, ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts ˈkɑnsələt ənd ɔl ˈriʤənəl ˈɛmbəsiz ənd ˈkɑnsələts, ˈjumən raɪts ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz ənd ˈʤərnəlɪsts tɪ əˈtɛnd ˈæbu ˈhirɪŋ ɔn ˈsənˌdi 6 ˌʤuˈlaɪ tɪ ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪt ðə ˌɪnˈtɛnsɪˌfaɪd əˈgrɛʃən əˈgɛnst ˌpælɪˈstɪniən children.”*.” ˈəpˌdeɪtɪd frəm: ˈkəzən əv ˈmərdərd tin ˈbitən baɪ pəˈlis ɪn fri*, 04 2014 ə ˌpælɪˈstɪniən ˈtiˌneɪʤər aɪˈdɛntəˌfaɪd baɪ ˈloʊkəl ˈsɔrsəz ɛz ðə ˈkəzən əv ðə hu wɑz ˈmərdərd ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ wɑz ˈbitən ənd əbˈdəktɪd baɪ ˌɪzˈreɪli pəˈlis ɔn ˈθərzˌdeɪ, ənd wɑz rɪfˈjuzd ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈtritmənt fər hɪz ˈbroʊkən noʊz ənd ˈəðər ˈɪnʤəriz waɪl ɪn ˈkəstədi. ðə ˌpælɪˈstɪniən rɛd ˈkrɛsənt soʊˈsaɪɪti həz ˌriˈpɔrtəd ðət ˈoʊvər 170 ˌpælɪˈstɪniənz hæv bɪn ˈɪnʤərd sɪns ˈmənˌdeɪ, wɪn ðə ˈbɑdiz əv θri ˌɪzˈreɪli ˈtiˌneɪʤərz hu hæd gɔn ˈmɪsɪŋ tu wiks ˈərliər wər faʊnd. oʊld ˌtɑˈrik wɑz əˈlɛʤədli pɑrˈtɪsəˌpeɪtɪŋ ɪn wən əv ˈsɛvərəl ˈproʊˌtɛsts ðət tʊk pleɪs ɪn ənd ˈnɪrˈbaɪ ˈɛriəz ˈæftər mʊˈhɑməd ˈæbu, 16 wɑz əbˈdəktɪd baɪ ˌɪzˈreɪliz, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈaɪˌwɪtnəsɪz, ənd ˈleɪtər faʊnd bərnd tɪ dɛθ ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ. ˈhənərdz əv ˌpælɪˈstɪniənz tʊk pɑrt ɪn ðə ˈproʊˌtɛsts, wɪʧ wər mɛt wɪθ tɪr gæs, stil ˈbʊləts ənd kənˈkəʃən grəˈneɪdz. æt list θri ˈɪnsədənts hæv bɪn ˌriˈpɔrtəd əv ˌɪzˈreɪli pəˈlis ənd ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˈjuzɪŋ lɪv ˌæmjəˈnɪʃən əˈgɛnst ðə ˈdɛmənˌstreɪtərz. əv ðə 170 ˈɪnʤərd sɪns ˈmənˌdeɪ, æt list sɪks ər ˈʤərnəlɪsts. sɪns hɪz dɛθ ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ, ðə ˈfæməli əv mʊˈhɑmɛd ˈæbu həz feɪst ˌɪnˌtɛrəˈgeɪʃənz, ˈdiˌɛˈneɪ tɛsts ənd ə ˌmɪsɪnfərˈmeɪʃən kæmˈpeɪn ˈstɑrtɪd baɪ ðə ˌɪzˈreɪli pəˈlis tɪ kleɪm, beɪst ɔn noʊ ˈɛvədəns, ðət ðə bɔɪ wɑz kɪld ɪn ə ˈfæməli dɪˈspjut ɪn əˈdɪʃən tɪ ðə ˌɪzˈreɪli pəˈlis rɪfˈjuzɪŋ tɪ lʊk æt sərˈveɪləns ˈvɪdioʊ ʃoʊɪŋ ðə əˈseɪlənts, wɪʧ wʊd ˈnɔrməli bi ə ˈmeɪʤər pɑrt əv ən ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən. ðə əˈtæk ɔn ðə əˈpɪrz tɪ bi ðə ˈleɪtəst əˈfrənt tɪ ə ˈfæməli ðət ɪz ˈmɔrnɪŋ ðə ˈbrutəl dɛθ əv ə ʧaɪld. ˌtɑˈrik ɪz ə hu wɑz steɪɪŋ wɪθ ˈfæməli ɪn ʤərˈusələm wɪn hi wɑz ˈbitən ənd əbˈdəktɪd baɪ ˌɪzˈreɪli pəˈlis. ðə fʊl ɪkˈstɛnt əv hɪz ˈɪnʤəriz ɪz stɪl ənˈnoʊn.
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u.s. officials visit badly-beaten 15-yr old palestinian-american; express ‘grave concern’
7:00 am
a tampa, florida boy who was visiting relatives in jerusalem when he was grabbed by undercover israeli officers and badly beaten in the face and head received a visit from u.s. officials saturday, in advance of his court hearing sunday.tariq abu khdeir, 15, is the cousin of mohammed abu khdeir, who was burned to death on wednesday morning, apparently by the same group of israelis who were seen forcing him into a car outside a mosque in shu’fat, east jerusalem just before 4 am on wednesday. despite video footage of the abduction, and the license plate number having been captured by eyewitnesses, the israeli police have failed to identify or detain the killers of mohammed abu khdeir.
the day after his cousin’s murder, 15-year old tariq was grabbed by undercover israeli forces in shu’fat, where protests had broken out calling for justice for mohammed. a witness in a nearbyrtment building captured video footage of the attack, which shows three men holding and repeatedly beating a prone palestinian with their fists and other objects.
he was then carried into a police van and taken into custody with dozens of other palestinians who had been swept up in the police crackdown on the protests. police denied him medical treatment for over five hours, despite his badly-swollen head and broken nose.
representative of the u.s. consulate in jerusalem confirmed that officials had visited tariq, who is still in israeli custody, on saturday, and issued a statement that “we are profoundly troubled by reports that he was severely beaten while in police custody, and strongly condemn any excessive use of force.”
u.s. officials rarely intervene in cases involving palestinians detained or brutalized by israeli forces, even when those detained are u.s. citizens. in this case, however, with extensive family connections across the u.s., the abu khdeir family have pressured u.s. officials to take action – particularly since the family has already suffered the loss of 16-year old mohammed, who was burned to death, presumably by israeli settlers, on wednesday.
the palestinian prisoner rights group addameer also took up the case of tariq abu khdeir, stating, “no charges or accusations have been brought against tarek, yet his despite his young age and unlawful treatment, his detention has been extended until the morning of sunday 6 july in the court of first instances in jerusalem.
“tarek is one of 11 palestinians who were beaten and arrested in shofat last night following the brutal murder of 16-year old child mohammad abu khdeir, who was found beaten and burned on the ruins of palestinian destroyed village deir yassin hours after he was kidnapped in a retribution act. the israeli government has instated a gag-order regarding the circumstances of mohammad’s kidnapping and murder.
“the continued state-sanctioned violence against children is unlawful and unacceptable.
“addameer urges immediate action and calls on the united nations, the international committee of the red cross, the united states consulate and all regional embassies and consulates, human rights organizations and journalists to attend tarek abu khdeir’s hearing on sunday 6 july to investigate the intensified aggression against palestinian children.”
updated from:
15-year-old cousin of murdered teen beaten by police in shu’fat
fri, 04 jul 2014 11:34:02
a palestinian teenager identified by local sources as the cousin of the 16-year-old who was murdered on wednesday was beaten and abducted by israeli police on thursday, and was refused medical treatment for his broken nose and other injuries while in custody.
the palestinian red crescent society has reported that over 170 palestinians have been injured since monday, when the bodies of three israeli teenagers who had gone missing two weeks earlier were found.
15-year old tariq was allegedly participating in one of several protests that took place in shu’fat and nearby areas after muhammad abu khdeir, 16, was abducted by israelis, according to eyewitnesses, and later found burned to death on wednesday.
hundreds of palestinians took part in the protests, which were met with tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets and concussion grenades. at least three incidents have been reported of israeli police and military using live ammunition against the demonstrators. of the 170 injured since monday, at least six are journalists.
since his death wednesday, the family of muhammed abu khdeir has faced interrogations, dna tests and a misinformation campaign started by the israeli police to claim, based on no evidence, that the boy was killed in a family dispute in addition to the israeli police refusing to look at surveillance video showing the assailants, which would normally be a major part of an investigation.
the attack on the 15-year-old appears to be the latest affront to a family that is mourning the brutal death of a child. tariq is a palestinian-american who was staying with family in jerusalem when he was beaten and abducted by israeli police. the full extent of his injuries is still unknown.
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ˈæftər jɪrz əv laɪɪŋ tɪ ɪts ˈmɛmbərz, ðə ˈpəblɪk, ənd ˈəðər prəˈfɛʃənəlz, ðə əˈmɛrɪkən ˌsaɪkəˈlɑʤɪkəl əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən (apa*) faɪndz ˌɪtˈsɛlf ɪn ðə ˈɔkwərd pəˈzɪʃən əv biɪŋ ə prəˈfɛʃənəl ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ðət noʊ ˈlɔŋgər həz ə ˈmɔrəl ər ˈɛθɪkəl lɛg tɪ stænd ɔn. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ə nu rɪˈpɔrt baɪ ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪtər ˈdeɪvɪd ˈhɔfmən, nɑt ˈoʊnli dɪd ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl ˈmɛmbərz laɪ ənd ˈkəvər əp ðɛr ɪkˈstɛnsɪv ˌɪnˈvɑlvmənt wɪθ ˈtɔrʧər. bət ɔn bɪˈhæf əv ðiz ˈmɛmbərz, ðə ɪnˈtaɪər ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənəl ˈstrəkʧər kəˈludɪd tɪ kip ðiz laɪz goʊɪŋ. ənd nɑt ʤɪst ə ˈdɛkeɪd ər mɔr əˈgoʊ. noʊ, ðə laɪz ənd ˌʤəstɪfɪˈkeɪʃənz fər ðə laɪz kənˈtɪnjud raɪt əp ənˈtɪl læst jɪr. ˈæftər ə bʊk ˈkrɪtɪkəl əv stæns ɔn ˈtɔrʧər wɑz ˈpəblɪʃt læst jɪr (ˈrɪzən, 2014 dɪd ðə səˈʤɛst ðə bʊk hæd ˈmɛrət? noʊp, ˌɪnˈstɛd ðə kɛpt ˈmeɪkɪŋ ɪkˈskjuzɪz, dɪˈskrɛdətɪŋ ðə ˈɔθər ənd ðə bʊk seɪɪŋ ɪt wɑz beɪst ɔn ˌɪnjuˈɛndoʊ ənd ˌwənˈsaɪdəd reporting”*” ənd θəroʊ ˌrivˈju əv ðiz ˈpəblɪk məˈtɪriəlz ənd ɑr ˈstændɪŋ ˈpɑləsiz wɪl ˈklɪrli ˈdɛmənˌstreɪt ðət wɪl nɑt ˈtɑlərˌeɪt saɪˈkɑləʤəst pɑrˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən ɪn torture.”*.” ðə teɪk: fər mɔr ðən ə ˈdɛkeɪd, ðə əˈmɛrɪkən ˌsaɪkəˈlɑʤɪkəl əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən (apa*) həz meɪnˈteɪnd ðət ə strɪkt koʊd əv ˈɛθɪks proʊˈhɪbəts ɪts mɔr ðən ˈmɛmbərz tɪ eɪd ɪn ðə ˈtɔrʧər əv dɪˌteɪˈniz waɪl ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli pərˈmɪtɪŋ ˌɪnˈvɑlvmənt ɪn ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ənd ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˌɪnˌtɛrəˈgeɪʃənz. ðə grup həz rɪˈʤɛktɪd ˈmidiə rɪˈpɔrtɪŋ ɔn psychologists’*’ kəmˈplɪsɪti ɪn ˈtɔrʧər; səˈprɛst ˌɪnˈtərnəl dɪˈsɛnt frəm ˈdɑktərz; klɪrd ˈmɛmbərz əv ˈrɔŋduɪŋ; ənd pɔrˈtreɪd ˌɪtˈsɛlf ɛz ə kənˈsɪstənt ˈælaɪ əˈgɛnst əˈbjuz. naʊ, ə vəˈlumənəs ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt ˌrivˈju kənˈdəktəd baɪ ə ˈfɔrmər əˈsɪstənt ˈjuˈɛs əˈtərni, ˈdeɪvɪd ˈhɔfmən, ˌəndərˈmaɪnz ðə dɪˈnaɪəlz ɪn fʊl ənd ˈvɪndɪˌkeɪts ðə dɪˈsɛnərz. ðə ˈprɑbləm ˈstɑrtɪd fərst wɪθ ə rɪˈlæksɪŋ əv ˈɛθɪks baɪ ðə ɪn 2002 ənd ðɛn wɪθ ən ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl tæsk rɪˈpɔrt ɪn 2005 wɪʧ ˈsteɪtɪd ɪn pɑrt: ɪt ɪz kənˈsɪstənt wɪθ ðə koʊd əv ˈɛθɪks fər saɪˈkɑləʤəsts tɪ sərv ɪn kənˈsəltətɪv roʊlz tɪ ˌɪnˌtɛrəˈgeɪʃən- ər ˈprɑsɛsəz fər ˈnæʃənəl ˈpərpəsɪz. waɪl ɪnˈgeɪʤɪŋ ɪn səʧ kənˈsəltətɪv ənd ædˈvaɪzəri roʊlz ɪnˈteɪlz ə ˈdɛləkət ˈbæləns əv ˈɛθɪkəl kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃənz, duɪŋ soʊ pʊts saɪˈkɑləʤəsts ɪn ə juˈnik pəˈzɪʃən tɪ əˈsɪst ɪn ɪnˈʃʊrɪŋ ðət səʧ ˈprɑsɛsəz ər seɪf ənd ˈɛθɪkəl fər ɔl pɑrˈtɪsəpənts. nɑt ʃʊr haʊ ˈɛniˌwən æt ðə ˈɛvər θɔt səʧ ə ˈsteɪtmənt wɑz ɪn ˈɛni weɪ ˈkipɪŋ wɪθ ðə roʊl əv saɪˈkɑləʤəsts. ər ðət ə tæsk fɔrs wɛr 6 əv ðə 10 ˈmɛmbərz hæd kəˈnɛkʃənz tɪ ðə dɪˈfɛns ər ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns kəmˈjunɪtiz wʊd bi ˌənˈbaɪəst ənd əˈbʤɛktɪv. ɪt tʊk ðə ˈoʊvər 8 jɪrz tɪ rɪˈsɪnd ðɪs rɪˈpɔrt ənd kəmˈplitli rɪˈnaʊns psychologists’*’ roʊl ɪn ˈtɔrʧər ˌɪnˌtɛrəˈgeɪʃənz! ɔl ðə waɪl, ˈlidərˌʃɪp, prɛs ˈɔfəs, ənd ˈivɪn ɪts ˈmɛmbərz, wər meɪd tɪ lʊk ˈfulɪʃ, rɪˈpɔrtɪŋ ðə seɪm dɪˈnaɪəlz, jɪr ˈæftər jɪr. æt ðə ˈsɛnər əv ðə ˈkɑntrəˌvərsi wɑz ˈstivən bɛŋk, ðə ˈɛθɪks ʧif ju noʊ, ðə seɪm gaɪ riˈspɑnsəbəl fər ˈhoʊldɪŋ saɪˈkɑləʤəsts tɪ ðə ˈɛθɪkəl ˈstændərdz əv ðə ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən. əˈpɛrəntli ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi ˈɛvər ˈbɑðərd ˈhoʊldɪŋ ðɪs gaɪ tɪ ˈɛni ˈɛθɪkəl ˈstændərdz: ə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv saɪˈkɑləʤəst, bɛŋk həz hɛld hɪz pəˈzɪʃən wɪˈθɪn ðə sɪns 2000 ənd, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈsɔrsəz, juzd ɪt tɪ ˈstaɪfəl dɪˈsɛnt. rɪˈpɔrt faʊnd bɛŋk ˈsteɪtmənts əˈpoʊzɪŋ ˈmɛmbər ˈmoʊʃənz tɪ rɪˈbjuk ˈtɔrʧər; wɑz ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn ˈvoʊtər ˌɪˌrɛgjəˈlɛrəti ɔn ˈmoʊʃən passings*; spaɪkt ˈɛθɪks kəmˈpleɪnts; ənd tʊk ˈəðər ˈækʃənz tɪ səˈprɛs kəmˈpleɪnts. ˈæftər ˌsaɪkiˈætrɪk taɪmz ˈpəblɪʃt ən ˈɑrtɪkəl ˈkrɪtɪkəl əv ðə stænd ɔn ˈtɔrʧər ɪn 2008 bɛŋk pɛnd ðɪs ˈwərdi dɪˈfɛns əv ðə pəˈzɪʃən. ənd ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi æt ðə əˈpɛrəntli ˈriəˌlaɪzd ə gʊd haʊs ˈklinɪŋ wɑz ˈnidɪd, ənˈtɪl rɪˈpɔrt wɑz likt ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ. ˈivɪn ðoʊ, fər jɪrz, ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt saɪˈkɑləʤəsts ənd ˈəðər ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə hæv kˈwɛsʧənd ðɪs bɪˈheɪvjər. ˈmɛri ˈpɪfər rɪˈtərnd hər ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl saɪˈteɪʃən ˈoʊvər ðə ˈmætər. (wi ˈkəvərd ðɪs ˈɪʃu bæk ɪn 2008 ənd aɪ sɛd aɪ tu wɑz kənfˈjuzd baɪ ənˈklɪr ənd ˌbjʊrəˈkrætɪk rɪˈspɑns.) ˈɔlsoʊ nɑt æt ɔl klɪr ˈwɛðər ðə ˈpɑləsi ənd prəˈsiʤərəl ˈʧeɪnʤɪz ˌrɛkəˈmɛndɪd baɪ ðə wʊd prɪˈvɛnt ə fˈjuʧər əˈkərəns əv ðɪs kaɪnd əv kəˈluʒən. ˈnəθɪŋ kwaɪt ɛz ˈifɛktɪv ɛz ˈkloʊzɪŋ ðə bɑrn dɔr ˈæftər ðə hɔrs həz rən əˈweɪ. ənd ðə hɔrs rən əˈweɪ ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ hi ræn əˈweɪ jɪrz əˈgoʊ. maɪ ˈmɛmbərˌʃɪp ɪn ðə waɪl ˌɛnˈʤɔɪd ðə kəˌliʤiˈælɪti əv ˈhævɪŋ ˈəðər saɪˈkɑləʤəsts tɪ tərn tɪ ˈoʊvər ðə jɪrz əv meɪnˈteɪnɪŋ maɪ ˈmɛmbərˌʃɪp, ðɪs rɪˈpɔrt həz meɪd ɪt klɪr ðət ðə ɪn ɪts ˈkɑrənt fɔrm ɪz ən ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ðət həz lɔst ðə plɑt. aɪ fil ðət ɪt ɪz ˈʃeɪmfəl ðət ə ˈmɛmbər əv ən ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ðət həz ˈstaɪfəld ənd dɪsˈmɪst dɪˈsɛnt, waɪl ˈkəvərɪŋ əp ɪts oʊn əˈnɛθɪkəl ˈpræktɪsɪz. ɪf ðə wər ə prəˈfɛʃənəl əv ɪts oʊn ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən, ɪt wʊd hæv kɪkt ˌɪtˈsɛlf aʊt jɪrz əˈgoʊ fər ɪts əˈnɛθɪkəl bɪˈheɪvjər ənd laɪz. ɪn ʃɔrt, maɪ ˈmɛmbərˌʃɪp ɪz ˈæˌkʧuəli ə ˌlaɪəˈbɪlɪti naʊ. aɪ ˈrɛfˌjuz tɪ bi ə ˈmɛmbər ɪn ˈɛni ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ðət həz spɛnt soʊ məʧ taɪm, ˈɛfərt ənd ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn dɪˈfɛndɪŋ ɪts əˈnɛθɪkəl ˈpræktɪsɪz ðən ɪn duɪŋ məʧ əv ˈɛniˌθɪŋ tɪ hɛlp maɪ prəˈfɛʃən. aɪ kən noʊ ˈlɔŋgər trəst ɪt tɪ ækt rɪˈspɑnsəbli ənd ˈɛθɪkəli, nɔr kən aɪ ˈɛni ˈlɔŋgər trəst ˈɛniˌθɪŋ ðə tɛlz mi (ər ðə ˈpəblɪk). waɪ rɪˈzaɪnɪŋ maɪ ˈmɛmbərˌʃɪp. ˈəpˌdeɪt: əˈpɑn ˈfərðər kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən, ˈhoʊldɪŋ ɔf ɔn rɪˈzaɪnɪŋ æt ðɪs taɪm. aɪ wɔnt tɪ si wət ðə ˈfaɪnəl ˈaʊtˌkəm əv ðə rɪˈspɑns ɪz tɪ ðə ˈhɔfmən rɪˈpɔrt wɪˈθɪn ðə nɛkst fju mənθs. ɪf ðeɪ meɪk kɔr ˈʧeɪnʤɪz tɪ ðɛr ˈlidərˌʃɪp ənd ˈgəvərnəns ˈstrəkʧərz tɪ prɪˈvɛnt ən ˈɪnsədənt laɪk ðɪs frəm əˈkərɪŋ ɪn ðə fˈjuʧər, aɪ meɪ rɪˈteɪn maɪ ˈmɛmbərˌʃɪp. fər ˈfərðər reading…*… ˈspɛʃəl ˈsɛkʃən: ðə ˈhɔfmən rɪˈpɔrt ɑr fʊl ˈkəvərɪʤ ˈspɛʃəl ˈsɛkʃən ˈdɛlvɪŋ ˈɪntu ðə ˈditeɪlz əv ðə rɪˈpɔrt. steɪ tund tɪ ðɪs ˈsɛkʃən, ɛz wi kənˈtɪnju ˈpəblɪʃɪŋ nu ˈɑrtɪkəlz ˈɛvriˈdeɪ θruaʊt ðə wik ɔn ðə rɪˈpɔrt ənd ɪts ˈʃɑkɪŋ ˈfaɪndɪŋz. ðə ˈhɔfmən rɪˈpɔrt: ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt ˌrivˈju rɪˈleɪtɪŋ tɪ ˈɛθɪks ˈgaɪˌdlaɪnz, ˈnæʃənəl sɪˈkjʊrəti ˌɪnˌtɛrəˈgeɪʃənz, ənd ˈtɔrʧər (pdf*) ðə ˈgɑrdiən: ˈjuˈɛs ˈtɔrʧər ˈdɑktərz kʊd feɪs ˈʧɑrʤɪz ˈæftər rɪˈpɔrt əˈlɛʤɪz ‘‘collusion’*’ ðə nu jɔrk taɪmz: saɪˈkɑləʤəsts ˈʃildɪd juz. ˈtɔrʧər ˈproʊˌgræm, rɪˈpɔrt faɪndz ðə ˈhɔfmən rɪˈpɔrt: ˈæftər jɪrz əv laɪz, hu hoʊldz ðə əˈkaʊntəbəl?
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after years of lying to its members, the public, and other professionals, the american psychological association (apa) finds itself in the awkward position of being a professional organization that no longer has a moral or ethical leg to stand on.
according to a new report by independent investigator david hoffman, not only did individual apa members lie and cover up their extensive involvement with post-9/11 torture. but on behalf of these members, the entire apa organizational structure colluded to keep these lies going.
and not just a decade or more ago. no, the lies and justifications for the lies continued right up until last year. after a book critical of apa’s stance on torture was published last year (risen, 2014), did the apa suggest the book had merit? nope, instead the apa kept making excuses, discrediting the author and the book saying it was “largely based on innuendo and one-sided reporting” and “a thorough review of these public materials and our standing policies will clearly demonstrate that apa will not tolerate psychologist participation in torture.”
here’s the guardian’s take:
for more than a decade, the american psychological association (apa) has maintained that a strict code of ethics prohibits its more than 130,000 members to aid in the torture of detainees while simultaneously permitting involvement in military and intelligence interrogations. the group has rejected media reporting on psychologists’ complicity in torture; suppressed internal dissent from anti-torture doctors; cleared members of wrongdoing; and portrayed itself as a consistent ally against abuse. now, a voluminous independent review conducted by a former assistant us attorney, david hoffman, undermines the apa’s denials in full — and vindicates the dissenters.
the problem started first with a relaxing of ethics by the apa in 2002, and then with an apa presidential task force’s report in 2005, which stated in part:
it is consistent with the apa code of ethics for psychologists to serve in consultative roles to interrogation- or information-gathering processes for national security-related purposes. while engaging in such consultative and advisory roles entails a delicate balance of ethical considerations, doing so puts psychologists in a unique position to assist in ensuring that such processes are safe and ethical for all participants.
i’m not sure how anyone at the apa ever thought such a statement was in any way keeping with the role of psychologists. or that a task force where 6 of the 10 members had connections to the defense or intelligence communities would be unbiased and objective. it took the apa over 8 years to rescind this report and completely renounce psychologists’ role in torture interrogations! all the while, apa’s leadership, press office, and even its members, were made to look foolish, reporting the same denials, year after year.
at the center of the controversy was stephen behnke, the apa’s ethics chief — you know, the same guy responsible for holding psychologists to the ethical standards of the organization. apparently nobody ever bothered holding this guy to any ethical standards:
a university of michigan-pedigreed psychologist, behnke has held his position within the apa since 2000, and, according to sources, used it to stifle dissent. hoffman’s report found behnke ghostwrote statements opposing member motions to rebuke torture; was involved in voter irregularity on motion passings; spiked ethics complaints; and took other actions to suppress complaints.
after psychiatric times published an article critical of the apa’s stand on torture in 2008, behnke penned this wordy defense of the apa’s position.
and nobody at the apa apparently realized a good house cleaning was needed, until hoffman’s report was leaked yesterday. even though, for years, independent psychologists and other members of the apa have questioned this behavior. mary pipher returned her presidential citation over the matter. (we covered this issue back in 2008, and i said i too was confused by apa’s unclear and bureaucratic response.)
it’s also not at all clear whether the policy and procedural changes recommended by the apa would prevent a future occurrence of this kind of collusion. nothing quite as effective as closing the barn door after the horse has run away. and the horse didn’t run away yesterday — he ran away years ago.
my membership in the apa
while i’ve enjoyed the collegiality of having other like-minded psychologists to turn to over the years of maintaining my apa membership, this report has made it clear that the apa in its current form is an organization that has lost the plot.
i feel that it is shameful that i’m a member of an organization that has stifled and dismissed dissent, while covering up its own unethical practices. if the apa were a professional of its own organization, it would have kicked itself out years ago for its unethical behavior and lies.
in short, my apa membership is actually a liability now. i refuse to be a member in any organization that has spent so much time, effort and focus on defending its unethical practices than in doing much of anything to help my profession. i can no longer trust it to act responsibly and ethically, nor can i any longer trust anything the apa tells me (or the public).
that’s why i’m resigning my apa membership.
update: upon further consideration, i’m holding off on resigning at this time. i want to see what the final outcome of the apa’s response is to the hoffman report within the next few months. if they make core changes to their leadership and governance structures to prevent an incident like this from occurring in the future, i may retain my membership.
for further reading…
special section: the hoffman report
our full coverage special section delving into the details of the report. stay tuned to this section, as we continue publishing new articles everyday throughout the week on the report and its shocking findings.
the hoffman report: independent review relating to apa ethics guidelines, national security interrogations, and torture (pdf)
the guardian: us torture doctors could face charges after report alleges post-9/11 ‘collusion’
the new york times: psychologists shielded u.s. torture program, report finds
the hoffman report: after years of lies, who holds the apa accountable?
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nu ˈɑnərz laɪf, ˈlɛʤənˌdɛri kərɪr əv ˌmɑriˈɑnoʊ rɪˈvɛrə ɪn kənˈʤəŋkʃən wɪθ hɪz ˈrisənt rɪˈtaɪərmənt, ə nu həz bɪn riˈlist ˈɑnərɪŋ fˈjuʧər hɔl əv feɪm ˈpɪʧər ˌmɑriˈɑnoʊ rɪˈvɛrə. ðə tɛlz ðə ˈstɔri əv laɪf, frəm hɪz ˈhəmbəl bɪˈgɪnɪŋz ɪn ˈpænəˌmɑ θru hɪz ˈlɛʤənˌdɛri kərɪr ɛz ðə nu jɔrk ˈjæŋkiz ˈkloʊzər. nɑt ˈoʊnli dɪz ðə ʃoʊ ðə ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbəl ˈrɛgjələr ˈsizən ənd ˈrɛkərdz rɪˈvɛrə həz kəmˈpaɪld, ɪt ˈɔlsoʊ pɔɪnts aʊt səm kərɪr ˈmaɪlˌstoʊnz, ənd ˈəðər ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ stəˈtɪstɪks tɪ kˈwɑntɪˌfaɪ ðə skoʊp əv hɪz ˈstɔrid kərɪr. "wəns aɪ sæt daʊn ənd ˈstɑrtɪd goʊɪŋ θru ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ hi həz əˈkɑmplɪʃt, ɪt wɑz əˈmeɪzɪŋ," sɛd skɑt ˈrɑʤərz, ənd ʧif kriˈeɪtɪv ˈɔfɪsər æt hu dɪˈzaɪnd ðə. "aɪv spɛnt kənˈsɪdərəbəl taɪm wɪθ ɪm ˈpərsənəli, ˈgɪtɪŋ tɪ noʊ ɪm ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ˈbeɪsˈbɔl, ənd tɪ bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ dɪˈzaɪn ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət wɑz ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv əv ɪm ˈpərsənəli ənd prəˈfɛʃənəli wɑz ðə list aɪ kʊd du. ðɛr hæv bɪn fju dɪˈzaɪn ˈprɑʤɛkts aɪ hæv ˌɛnˈʤɔɪd mɔr ðən ðɪs. ɛz ðə nɛkst ˈʧæptər əv hɪz laɪf bɪˈgɪnz, aɪ dɪˈzaɪnd ðɪs ɛz ə tul tɪ ˈɛʤəˌkeɪt ˈpipəl ɔn ðə fərst fju ˈʧæptərz əv hɪz bʊk." riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp wɪθ rɪˈvɛrə deɪts bæk tɪ ˈeɪprəl 2012 wɪn ɪt hɛlpt ɪˈstæblɪʃ ə ˈpɑrtnərˌʃɪp bɪtˈwin ɪm ənd ðə nu jɔrk ˈækjərə ˈdilərz, wɪʧ kənˈtrɪbjut pər mənθ tɪ ðə ˌmɑriˈɑnoʊ rɪˈvɛrə faʊnˈdeɪʃən. ˈrisəntli lɔnʧt ə ˈædvərˌtaɪzɪŋ kæmˈpeɪn wɪθ rɪˈvɛrə ənd ðə nu jɔrk ˈækjərə ˈdilərz ˈtaɪtəld "ˈlɛʤəndz." "ˌmɑriˈɑnoʊ ɪz ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ wi ˈwɔntɪd ɪn ə brænd ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv," sɛd skɑt ˈflɛʧər, ənd vaɪs ˈprɛzɪdənt əv əˈkaʊnt ˈsərvɪsɪz æt "wi ɔl noʊ haʊ greɪt hi wɑz ɛz ə pleɪər, bət fju noʊ ðə ɪnˈtaɪər bæk ˈstɔri ðət hɛlpt ʃeɪp ɪm ˈɪntu ðə greɪt ˈpərsən hi ɪz təˈdeɪ. ˈhoʊpfəli ðɪs wɪl hɛlp ˈpipəl ˈbɛtər ˌəndərˈstænd ðə ˈstɔri bɪˈhaɪnd ðɪs greɪt ˈjumən biɪŋ ənd ˈlɛʤənˌdɛri ˈpɪʧər."
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new infographic honors life,
legendary career of mariano rivera
in conjunction with his recent retirement, a new infographic has been released honoring future hall of fame pitcher mariano rivera. the infographic tells the story of rivera's life, from his humble beginnings in panama through his legendary career as the new york yankees closer.
not only does the infographic show the incredible regular season and postseason records rivera has compiled, it also points out some career milestones, factoids and other interesting statistics to quantify the scope of his storied 19-year career.
"once i sat down and started going through everything he has accomplished, it was amazing," said scott rodgers, co-founder and chief creative officer at tier10, who designed the infographic. "i've spent considerable time with him personally, getting to know him outside of baseball, and to be able to design something that was representative of him personally and professionally was the least i could do. there have been few design projects i have enjoyed more than this. as the next chapter of his life begins, i designed this as a tool to educate people on the first few chapters of his book."
tier10's relationship with rivera dates back to april 2012, when it helped establish a partnership between him and the new york acura dealers, which contribute $50,000 per month to the mariano rivera foundation. tier10 recently launched a multi-platform advertising campaign with rivera and the new york acura dealers titled "legends."
"mariano is everything we wanted in a brand representative," said scott fletcher, co-founder and vice president of account services at tier10. "we all know how great he was as a player, but few know the entire back story that helped shape him into the great person he is today. hopefully this infographic will help people better understand the story behind this great human being and legendary pitcher."
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ˈdɪʤɪtəl dɪsˈrəpʃən həz ˈvərʧuəli ˈɛvəri ˈkɔrnər əv ˈpəblɪʃɪŋ, bət ɪn ðə wərld əv ˈkɑmɪk bʊks, ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈkjʊriəs ɪz ˈhæpənɪŋ: prɪnt seɪlz ər θˈraɪvɪŋ əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd ðə raɪz əv ðɛr ˈdɪʤɪtəl ˈkaʊntərˌpɑrts. prɪnt ˈkɑmɪk bʊk ˈrɛvəˌnuz hæv bɪn ɔn ðə raɪz ɪn ˈrisənt jɪrz, ˈivɪn ɛz ˈdɪʤɪtəl ˈkɑmɪks' seɪlz bum. prɪnt rɪˈsits hæv hɛld əp æt ə taɪm wɪn ˈpəblɪʃərz hæv ˌɪntrəˈdust səbˈskrɪpʃənz ðət ˈɔfər ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈkɑmɪks fər ə flæt ˈmənθli ər ˈænjuəl fi. ɪn 2014 ˈdɪʤɪtəl ˈkɑmɪks ˈrɛvəˌnuz ɪkˈskludɪŋ ənˈlɪmɪtɪd səbˈskrɪpʃənz riʧt 100 ˈmɪljən, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ən ˈɔnˌlaɪn treɪd ˈmægəˌzin ðət træks ˈkɑmɪk seɪlz ənd ˈəðər trɛnz. ðət wɑz əp frəm ʤɪst 1 ˈmɪljən ˈsɛvən jɪrz əˈgoʊ, wɪn ˈstɑrtɪd kəˈlɛktɪŋ ˈdætə. ˈminˌwaɪl, ðə nɔrθ əˈmɛrɪkən ˈmɑrkɪt fər prɪnt ˈkɑmɪks gru frəm ən ˈɛstəˌmeɪtɪd reɪnʤ əv 650 tɪ 700 ˈmɪljən ɪn 2009 tɪ 835 ˈmɪljən ɪn 2014 əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ənd ðə ˈkɑmɪks ˈkrɑnɪkəl. ðət ˌɪnˈkludz seɪlz əv ˈsɪŋgəl ˈɪʃuz æt ˈkɑmɪk ʃɑps ənd ˈnuzˌstændz, ɛz wɛl ɛz bʊk ˈʧænəl seɪlz əv treɪd ˈpeɪpərˌbæks, ər kəˈlɛktəd ˈvɑljumz əv ˈkɑmɪks. ðɛr ər saɪnz ˈdɪʤɪtəl ˈkɑmɪks ər ˈbətɪŋ əp əˈgɛnst ðə lɔ əv lɑrʤ ˈnəmbərz. seɪlz groʊθ sloʊd ɪn 2014 tɪ 11 pərˈsɛnt, daʊn frəm 29 pərˈsɛnt ɪn 2013 ənd 180 pərˈsɛnt ɪn 2012 ɪn ðə ˈkəmɪŋ jɪrz, ɪt kʊd bi mɔr ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ kip groʊɪŋ ðə ˈridərˌʃɪp. ˈteɪkən təˈgɛðər, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ɪt səˈʤɛsts ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt eɪʤ ˈhæzənt rikt ðə seɪm taɪp əv ˈhævək ɔn ˈkɑmɪks ðət ɪt həz ɔn ˈsɛktərz laɪk mˈjuzɪk ənd prɪnt ˈmidiə.
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digital disruption has upended virtually every corner of publishing, but in the world of comic books, something curious is happening: print sales are thriving alongside the rise of their digital counterparts.
print comic book revenues have been on the rise in recent years, even as digital comics' sales boom. print receipts have held up at a time when publishers have introduced all-you-can-download subscriptions that offer thousands of comics for a flat monthly or annual fee.
in 2014, digital comics revenues excluding unlimited subscriptions reached $100 million, according to icv2, an online trade magazine that tracks comic sales and other trends. that was up from just $1 million seven years ago, when icv2 started collecting data.
meanwhile, the north american market for print comics grew from an estimated range of $650 to $700 million in 2009 to $835 million in 2014, according to icv2 and the comics chronicle. that includes sales of single issues at comic shops and newsstands, as well as book channel sales of trade paperbacks, or collected volumes of comics.
there are signs digital comics are butting up against the law of large numbers. sales growth slowed in 2014 to 11 percent, down from 29 percent in 2013 and 180 percent in 2012. in the coming years, it could be more difficult to keep growing the readership.
taken together, however, it suggests the internet age hasn't wreaked the same type of havoc on comics that it has on sectors like music and print media.
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wɪn ðə wɑz dɪˈskəvərd ɪt sɛnt ə weɪv əv ɛˈnui θru ðə ˈfɪzɪks kəmˈjunɪti. nɑt ðət ɪts ˌdɪˈskəvri wɑz ənɪmˈpɔrtənt, bət ɔn ðə ˈbeɪsɪs əv ˈθɪri, ˈɛvriˌbɑdi ɪkˈspɛktɪd ɪt. ˈrɑʤər ʤi. ˈnutən ðə truθ əv saɪəns ˈʧɔnsi ənd aɪ wər kin ɪˈnəf əˈbaʊt ɑr ɛsˈθɛtɪk səˈluʃən tɪ ðə ɛˈnui əv wɔr tɪ traɪ tɪ ˈprɑsələˌtaɪz ˈəðərz. hi ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzd dɪˈskəʃən grups wɪθ ðə kru; aɪ tʊk ˌvɑlənˈtɪrz tɪ ˈvɪzɪt ˈlændˌmɑrks luɪs "əˈtlæntɪk wɔr," ɪn ˈɔθərz æt si, ɛd. ˈrɑbərt ʃɛŋk ðə əˈtɛndənt ˈaʊtˈsaɪd wɑz ˈstændɪŋ ɔn ˈtɛnɪs bɔlz, ˈɛksərˌsaɪzɪŋ ðə soʊlz əv hər fit, hər ˈbɑdi sweɪɪŋ bæk ənd fɔrθ wɪθ ðə ɛˈnui əv ˈʤɛli. ˈɛdnə oʊˈbraɪɪn nu ˈjɔrkər ðəs ðə deɪz əv laɪf ər kənˈsumd, wən baɪ wən, wɪˈθaʊt ən ˈɑbʤɛkt bɪɔnd ðə ˈprɛzənt ˈmoʊmənt; ˈɛvər flaɪɪŋ frəm ðə ɛˈnui əv ðət, jɛt ˈkɛriɪŋ ɪt wɪθ ˈjuˈɛs ˈtɑməs ˈʤɛfərsən ɪn ə ˈlɛtər ˈdeɪtɪd 7 ˈfɛbjəˌwɛri. 1787 ˈtɑməs ˈʤɛfərsən: ˈraɪtɪŋz ðə kaɪnd əv ɛˈnui ðət kəmz frəm ˈhævɪŋ tu məʧ taɪm ɔn wənz hænz ənd tu ˈlɪtəl wɪl tɪ faɪnd ˈsəmθɪŋ pərˈdəktɪv tɪ du
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when the antiproton was discovered … it sent a wave of ennui through the physics community. not that its discovery was unimportant, but on the basis of dirac's theory, everybody expected it. — roger g. newton , the truth of science ,
chauncey and i were keen enough about our aesthetic solution to the ennui of war to try to proselytize others. he organized discussion groups with the crew; i took volunteers to visit landmarks … — louis auchincloss , "atlantic war," in authors at sea, ed. robert shenk ,
the attendant outside was standing on tennis balls, exercising the soles of her feet, her body swaying back and forth with the ennui of jelly. — edna o'brien , new yorker ,
thus the days of life are consumed, one by one, without an object beyond the present moment; ever flying from the ennui of that, yet carrying it with us … — thomas jefferson , in a letter dated 7 feb. 1787 thomas jefferson: writings ,
the kind of ennui that comes from having too much time on one's hands and too little will to find something productive to do
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ðɪs ɪz pɑrt 1 əv maɪ ˈsɪriz ɔn ˈprɪzən ˌæbəˈlɪʃən. ɛz aɪ hæv əˈdrɛst ˈpriviəsli, dɪˈspaɪt wət ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ʃoʊz ənd ˈmuviz maɪt traɪ tɪ ʃoʊ ju, ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz ər ˈʤɛnərəli nɑt æt rɪsk əv off”*” ɔn ən ˌɪnˈsænɪti dɪˈfɛns. ðeɪ ˈjuʒəwəli wɪnd əp ɪn ˈprɪzən, ənd gɪt ˈsɛntənsɪz ðət ər ɛkˈsprɛsli ər baɪ ˈneɪʧər laɪf ˈsɛntənsɪz. ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz skɛr ənd ˈfæsəˌneɪt ˈjuˈɛs. ðɛr ər nɑt ˈoʊnli ʃoʊz əˈbaʊt ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz laɪk ˈdɛkstər ənd, maɪ ˈpərsɪnəl ˈfeɪvərɪt, ˈdɛdli ˈwɪmən, ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz ˈɔfən pɑp əp ɛz ə plɑt ɪn kraɪm ʃoʊz ər ˈivɪn ɛz ə plɑt twɪst ɪn ʃoʊz nɑt əˈbaʊt kraɪm æt ɔl. bət ɪf ˈɛvər wɔʧt ə ˌdɑkjəˈmɛnəri ər ˌsaɪkəˈlɑʤɪkəl æˈnælɪsɪs əv ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz, ju noʊ ðət ɑr ˈækʧəwəl ˈnɑlɪʤ əv waɪ ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz ər ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz ɪz ˈprɪti spɑrs. ənd ˈivɪn əˈməŋ ˈɛkspərts ðə kənˈkluʒənz riʧt ər ˈɔfən ˈteɪntɪd wɪn baɪəs bɪˈgɪnz æt ðə ˈvɛri ˌmɛθəˈdɑləʤi əv ˈstədi. ɪt ɪz əv kɔrs ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ nɑt hæv ˈfilɪŋz əˈbaʊt ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz. ˈmɛni əv ðɛm ˈtərgət ðə moʊst ˈmɑrʤənəˌlaɪzd ˈpipəl ɪn ɑr soʊˈsaɪɪti sɛks ˈwərkərz, kwɪr juθ, ˌɪnˈdɪʤənəs ˈwɪmən, blæk ˈwɪmən, ðə ˈmɛnəli ɪl, ˌɛtˈsɛtərə. ˈkɪlɪŋz ər ˈɔfən pɛrd wɪθ groʊˈtɛsk ækts əv ˈsɛkʃuəl ˈvaɪələns, ˈkænəbəˌlɪzəm, ənd ˈtɔrʧər. ðə ˈkɪlɪŋz kən bi soʊ ˈbrutəl ɛz tɪ liv ɪkˈspɪriənst pəˈlis ˈɔfɪsərz ˈʃeɪkən. waɪl wi du nɑt ˌəndərˈstænd ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz, ðeɪ ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt ðə ˈəltəmət ɪmˈbæləns bɪtˈwin praɪˈɔrəˌtaɪzɪŋ ˈpənɪʃmənt ˈoʊvər ˌriəˌbɪləˈteɪʃən. wi ər toʊld ˈsoʊsioʊˌpæðz du nɑt ʧeɪnʤ. ðeɪ wər ˈiðər ˈnæʧərəli ðɪs weɪ ər soʊ ˈkɑnstəntli bərɑʒd baɪ ˈtrɔmə ɪn ˈʧaɪlˌdhʊd ɛz tɪ bi bɪɔnd ““saving.”*.” ðeɪ ˈiðər nid tɪ bi lɑkt əˈweɪ fərˈɛvər ər ˈmərdərd ðɛmˈsɛlvz baɪ ðə steɪt. maɪ ˈɑrgjəmənt ɪz two-pronged*: 1 ɪz ðə ˈɛvədəns ɔn ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz biɪŋ ˈækjərət? 2 ˈivɪn ɪf ɪt ɪz ˈækjərət, ɪz ˌɪnˌkɑrsərˈeɪʃən stɪl ðə bɛst səˈluʃən? ə kwɪk skæn əv ðə ˈlɪtərəʧər ɔn tərnz əp ə lɔt əv ˈɑrtɪkəlz ðət ər ˈrɪli mɔr əˈbaʊt ˈæshoʊl ˈbɔɪˌfrɛndz ðən ˈækʧəwəl ˈsoʊsioʊˌpæðz. wət ɪz ə ˈsoʊsioʊˌpæθ? wɛl, pərˈhæps ˌnɑnəgˈzɪstənt. ˈæftər ɔl, ðə ˌdaɪəgˈnɑstɪk ənd stəˈtɪstɪkəl ˈmænjuəl vi, ðə ˈbaɪbəl əv sɪˈkaɪətri, dɪz nɑt hæv ˈklɪnɪkəl ˌdɛfəˈnɪʃənz əv saɪˈkɑpəθi ər. ˈrəðər, ðɛr ˌklæsəfəˈkeɪʃənz ər əv ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz, ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ˌæntɪˈsoʊʃəl ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər, ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər, ˈbɔrdərˌlaɪn ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər, ˌnɑrsɪˈsɪstɪk ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər, ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər, ənd ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər. waɪl ðiz ˈdɪfər ɪn ˈvɛriəs weɪz, ðə vi ˈɔlsoʊ ˈspɛsəˌfaɪz ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ɛz ˈʤɛnərəl ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər treɪts: 1 sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt ˌɪmˈpɛrmənts ɪn sɛlf (aɪˈdɛntəˌti ər self-direction*) ənd ˌɪntərˈpərsənəl (ˈɛmpəθi ər ˈɪntəməsi) ˈfəŋkʃənɪŋ. 2 wən ər mɔr ˌpæθəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˌpərsəˈnælɪti treɪt doʊˈmeɪnz ər treɪt ˈfæsəts. 3 ðə ˌɪmˈpɛrmənts ɪn ˌpərsəˈnælɪti ˈfəŋkʃənɪŋ ənd ðə ˌpərsəˈnælɪti treɪt ɪkˈsprɛʃən ər ˈrɛlətɪvli ˈsteɪbəl əˈkrɔs taɪm ənd kənˈsɪstənt əˈkrɔs ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃənz. 4 ðə ˌɪmˈpɛrmənts ɪn ˌpərsəˈnælɪti ˈfəŋkʃənɪŋ ənd ðə ˌpərsəˈnælɪti treɪt ɪkˈsprɛʃən ər nɑt ˈbɛtər ˌəndərˈstʊd ɛz ˈnɔrmətɪv fər ðə dɪˌvɛləpˈmɛnəl steɪʤ ər ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt. 5 ðə ˌɪmˈpɛrmənts ɪn ˌpərsəˈnælɪti ˈfəŋkʃənɪŋ ənd ðə ˌpərsəˈnælɪti treɪt ɪkˈsprɛʃən ər nɑt ˈsoʊəli du tɪ ðə dɪˈrɛkt ˌfɪziəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˈifɛkts əv ə ˈsəbstəns (e.g*., ə drəg əv əˈbjuz, ˌmɛdəˈkeɪʃən) ər ə ˈʤɛnərəl ˈmɛdɪkəl kənˈdɪʃən (e.g*., səˈvɪr hɛd ˈtrɔmə). aɪ noʊ aɪ ˈprɑbəˌbli hæv ˈridərz hu ər nɑt kin ɔn ðə vi, bət ɪt ɪz ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd ðə ˌsaɪkiˈætrɪk ˌdɛfəˈnɪʃən əv ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər bɪˈkəz ɪt ɪz, æt ɪts bɛst, ə pərˈspɛktɪv ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ðə ˈkrɪmənəl ˈʤəstɪs ˈsɪstəm ˈfoʊkɪst ɔn kɛr ˈrəðər ˈpənɪʃmənt ənd, æt ɪts wərst, ə riˈmaɪndər ðət ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ ˈtritmənt, səʧ ɛz ˌɪnˈvɑlənˌtɛri kəˈmɪtmənt, ˈmɪrərz ˌɪnˌkɑrsərˈeɪʃən. ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz kən bi ˈtritɪd boʊθ ˈmɛdɪkəli ənd non-medically*. ˈmɛdɪkəli, ˈpipəl wɪθ ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz ər ˈɔfən priˈskraɪbd wɪθ ˈeɪʤənts ər mud ˈsteɪbəˌlaɪzərz. non-medically*, ˈpipəl wɪθ ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz ər ˈgɪvɪn ˌɪnˈsɪnɪvz tɪ ʃeɪp ðɛr bɪˈheɪvjər tɪ ˈsoʊʃəl ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃənz ˈrəðər ðən ðɛr oʊn. ə ki ˌrɛkɪgˈnɪʃən hir ɪz ðət ˈpipəl wɪθ ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz du nɑt rɪˈspɑnd tɪ ˈpənɪʃmənt ɛz ən ˈeɪʤənt əv ˈpərsɪnəl ʧeɪnʤ. bət əv kɔrs, ðə ˈpərpəs əv ˌɪnˈkɑrsərˌeɪtɪŋ ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz ɪz nɑt tɪ ˌriəˈbɪləˌteɪt bət tɪ ˈpənɪʃ ənd tɪ prəˈtɛkt soʊˈsaɪɪti. ɪt ɪz prɪˈsaɪsli ðət daɪˈnæmɪk ðət ɪz aʊt əv laɪn wɪθ boʊθ ˈmɛdɪkəl ənd ˈtritmənts əv ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz. 1 ɪn 25 ˈpipəl hæv ə ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər, ənd wi noʊ ðət 1 ɪn 25 ˈpipəl ər nɑt ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz. ˈfərðər, wi noʊ ðət ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz hæv bɪn ɔn ðə raɪz, ˈminɪŋ ðət ɪt ɪz nɑt ˈkoʊdɪd ˈɪntu ɑr ʤəˈnɛtɪks bət æt ðə ˈvɛri list ən ˌɛpɪʤəˈnɛtɪk, ɪf nɑt ˌsoʊsiəˈlɑʤɪkəl, fəˈnɑməˌnɑn. ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz du nɑt kɪl ˈpjʊrli baɪ ˈhævɪŋ ə ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər, ənd tɪ seɪ soʊ ˈpipəl wɪθ ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz ənd ˈglɔsɪz ˈoʊvər ðə fækt ðət ˈpipəl wɪθ ˈmɛntəl dɪˈsɔrdərz ər ˈɪlnəsɪz ər fɑr mɔr ˈlaɪkli tɪ bi ə ˈvɪktɪm əv ˈvaɪələns ðən tɪ kəˈmɪt ˈvaɪələns ðɛmˈsɛlvz. ðɛr ən ˈizi ˈænsər fər wət ɪt ɪz ðət ˈpʊʃɪz ˈsəmˌwən wɪθ ə ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdər ˈɪntu ðə rɛlm əv ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlər. ənd ˈɑrgjuəbli, ˈmɛni əv ðə wərst ˈkɪlərz əv ðə wərld dɪd nɑt ˈivɪn hæv ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz ɪf wi ˌɪnˈklud ˈɛvəri ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˈʤɛnərəl, ˈɛvəri ˈkəmpəˌni ðət stoʊkt ˈkɑnflɪkt tɪ meɪk ˈprɑfɪts, ənd ˈəðər ˈsoʊʃəli ˈsæŋkʃənd fɔrmz əv mæs ˈmərdər. aɪ bɪˈliv ðət noʊ wən ʃʊd bi ˈgɪvɪn əp ɔn tɪ hæv ə ˈminɪŋfəl laɪf ɪn ðɛr kəmˈjunɪti, ənd məʧ əv ðə ril ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˈlɪtərəʧər bæks mi əp. ənd ˈivɪn ɪf ðɛr ər ðiz ˈmɪθɪkəl ˈpipəl wɪθ ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz hu ər ʤɪst ˌpriˈdɛstənd tɪ traɪ tɪ mæs ˈmərdər ənd kən ˈnɛvər bi ʧeɪnʤd ər stɪrd əˈweɪ frəm ðət ˈpərpəs, wi stɪl du nɑt ˈbɛnəfɪt ɛz ə soʊˈsaɪɪti frəm ˌɪnˈkɑrsərˌeɪtɪŋ ðɛm. ˌɪnˌkɑrsərˈeɪʃən ɪz ə riˈækʃəˌnɛri, ˈpjunətɪv ˈstrætəʤi tɪ æt bɛst prɪˈvɛnt ˈfərðər ˈprɑbləmz. ˌɪnˌkɑrsərˈeɪʃən dɪz nɑt prɪˈvɛnt ˈvaɪələns ˈifɛktɪvli, ˈwɛðər ˈvaɪələns frəm ə dəˈmɛstɪk dɪˈspjut ər frəm ə ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlər. ˈrəðər, wət wɪl prɪˈvɛnt ˈkɪlɪŋz baɪ ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz ɪz ˈsəbstəntɪv ənd əˈbʤɛktɪv ˈrisərʧ ˈɪntu haʊ tɪ ˈpɪnˌpɔɪnt ˈpipəl æt rɪsk ənd ˌɪntərˈvin. ðɛr ər səm ˈproʊˌgræmz fər ðɪs ˈpərpəs, bət ðeɪ ər ˈpurli ˈfəndɪd ənd ˈjuʒəwəli wɪˈθɪn ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənz wɪθ əˈʤɛndəz ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ˈhɛlpɪŋ ðoʊz wɪθ ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz (i.e*. skulz wɔnt tɪ meɪnˈteɪn ˈɔrdər ənd kənˈfɔrməti, ðə ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri wɔnts tɪ meɪnˈteɪn ɪts strɛŋθ, ˌɛtˈsɛtərə.). ənd ˈspikɪŋ əv ðə ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri, wi məst ɛnd ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənz ðət baɪ ðɛr ˈneɪʧər prəˈvaɪd ˈsɪˌriəl ˈkɪlərz tɪ bi wɪθ ðə ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ˈtreɪnɪŋ ənd ˈwɛpənri. ʤərɑrd ʤɑn ˈʃeɪfər, jr*. ɪz ðə moʊst ˈɑbviəs ɪgˈzæmpəl əv ðɪs, ə pəˈlis ˈɔfɪsər hu juzd hɪz ˌɪmˈpjunɪti tɪ kɪl 30 gərlz ənd ˈwɪmən. bət ðə ˈlɑrʤəst baɪ fɑr ɪz ðə ˈwɛpənz ˈɪndəstri. ðə ˌkɑnstəˈtuʃənəl ˈfoʊkɪs əv ˈsɛkənd əˈmɛndmənt raɪts ɔn ðə ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl ˈɔfən livz aʊt əv ðə ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən ðət ðə ˈwɛpənz ˈɪndəstri ˈlɪtərəli ˈprɑfɪts ɔf əv ˈmərdər. ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ðə læk əv riˈstrɪkʃənz ɔn ˈæˌmoʊ pərˈdəkʃən, ˈrəðər ðən ˈæˌmoʊ ˈoʊnərˌʃɪp, ɪnˈʃʊrz ðət ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ˈæˌmoʊ ɪz ˈnɛvər ə ˈprɑbləm fər ˈsəmˌwən hu wɔnts tɪ kəˈmɪt ə mæs ˈʃutɪŋ. ðɪs poʊst ɪz ə bɪt ˈdɪfərənt ðən moʊst əv maɪn: ˈlɪtəl ˈligəl æˈnælɪsɪs, ˈmoʊstli ənd ˌsaɪkəˈlɑʤɪkəl æˈnælɪsɪs. bət ɪt ɪz noʊ lɛs ˈtɑpɪks əv ˈligəl kənˈsərn. ðə ˈkɑrənt lɔz əv ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts ər ˈwoʊfəli aʊt əv təʧ wɪθ ˈkɑrənt ˌɛmˈpɪrɪkəl ənd ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk θɔt, ənd ðə ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ˌɪnˈkɑrsərˌeɪtɪŋ ˈpipəl wɪθ ˌpərsəˈnælɪti dɪˈsɔrdərz ɪz ʤɪst wən ɪgˈzæmpəl əv ðɪs. wi məst stɑp əkˈsɛptɪŋ ðət ðə lɔ ɪz ə ˈsɪstəm ˈəntu ˌɪtˈsɛlf nɑt baʊnd tɪ ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv stɛr decisis*. ənd wɪθ ˈʤəstɪs ˈskɑljə ɪn ðə greɪv, naʊ maɪt bi ðə taɪm tɪ bɪˈgɪn tɪ pʊʃ fər səʧ ˈʧeɪnʤɪz ˈbrɔdli. pɑrt 2 baɪ baɪ ˈbroʊkən ˈwɪndoʊz? ˈædvərˌtaɪzmənts
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this is part 1 of my series on prison abolition.
as i have addressed previously, despite what tv shows and movies might try to show you, serial killers are generally not at risk of “getting off” on an insanity defense. they usually wind up in prison, and get sentences that are expressly or by nature life sentences.
serial killers scare and fascinate us. there are not only shows about serial killers like dexter and, my personal favorite, deadly women, serial killers often pop up as a plot in crime shows or even as a plot twist in shows not about crime at all. but if you’ve ever watched a documentary or psychological analysis of serial killers, you know that our actual knowledge of why serial killers are serial killers is pretty sparse. and even among experts the conclusions reached are often tainted when bias begins at the very methodology of study. it is of course difficult to not have feelings about serial killers. many of them target the most marginalized people in our society sex workers, queer youth, indigenous women, black women, the mentally ill, etc. killings are often paired with grotesque acts of sexual violence, cannibalism, and torture. the killings can be so brutal as to leave experienced police officers shaken.
while we do not understand serial killers, they represent the ultimate imbalance between prioritizing punishment over rehabilitation. we are told sociopaths do not change. they were either naturally this way or so constantly barraged by trauma in childhood as to be beyond “saving.” they either need to be locked away forever or murdered themselves by the state.
my argument is two-pronged: (1) is the evidence on serial killers being irredeemable accurate? (2) even if it is accurate, is incarceration still the best solution?
a quick scan of the literature on sociopathy turns up a lot of pop-science articles that are really more about asshole boyfriends than actual sociopaths. what is a sociopath? well, perhaps non-existent. after all, the diagnostic and statistical manual v, the bible of psychiatry, does not have clinical definitions of psychopathy or sociopathy. rather, their classifications are of personality disorders, particularly antisocial personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder.
while these differ in various ways, the dsm v also specifies the following as general personality disorder traits: (1) significant impairments in self (identity or self-direction) and interpersonal (empathy or intimacy) functioning. (2) one or more pathological personality trait domains or trait facets. (3) the impairments in personality functioning and the individual‟s personality trait expression are relatively stable across time and consistent across situations. (4) the impairments in personality functioning and the individual‟s personality trait expression are not better understood as normative for the individual‟s developmental stage or sociocultural environment. (5) the impairments in personality functioning and the individual‟s personality trait expression are not solely due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., severe head trauma).
i know i probably have readers who are not keen on the dsm v, but it is important to understand the psychiatric definition of personality disorder because it is, at its best, a perspective outside of the criminal justice system focused on care rather punishment and, at its worst, a reminder that mental health treatment, such as involuntary commitment, mirrors incarceration. personality disorders can be treated both medically and non-medically. medically, people with personality disorders are often prescribed with antipsychotic agents or mood stabilizers. non-medically, people with personality disorders are given incentives to shape their behavior to social expectations rather than their own. a key recognition here is that people with personality disorders do not respond to punishment as an agent of personal change. but of course, the purpose of incarcerating serial killers is not to rehabilitate but to punish and to protect society. it is precisely that dynamic that is out of line with both medical and non-medical treatments of personality disorders. 1 in 25 people have a personality disorder, and we know that 1 in 25 people are not serial killers. further, we know that personality disorders have been on the rise, meaning that it is not statically coded into our genetics but at the very least an epigenetic, if not sociological, phenomenon.
serial killers do not kill purely by having a personality disorder, and to say so stigmatizes people with personality disorders and glosses over the fact that people with mental disorders or illnesses are far more likely to be a victim of violence than to commit violence themselves. there isn’t an easy answer for what it is that pushes someone with a personality disorder into the realm of serial killer. and arguably, many of the worst killers of the world did not even have personality disorders if we include every military general, every company that stoked conflict to make profits, and other socially sanctioned forms of mass murder. i believe that no one should be given up on to have a meaningful life in their community, and much of the real scientific literature backs me up.
and even if there are these mythical people with personality disorders who are just predestined to try to mass murder and can never be changed or steered away from that purpose, we still do not benefit as a society from incarcerating them. incarceration is a reactionary, punitive strategy to at best prevent further problems. incarceration does not prevent violence effectively, whether violence from a domestic dispute or from a serial killer. rather, what will prevent killings by serial killers is substantive and objective research into how to pinpoint people at risk and intervene. there are some programs for this purpose, but they are poorly funded and usually within institutions with agendas outside of helping those with personality disorders (i.e. schools want to maintain order and conformity, the military wants to maintain its strength, etc.). and speaking of the military, we must end institutions that by their nature provide serial killers to be with the access to training and weaponry. gerard john schaefer, jr. is the most obvious example of this, a police officer who used his impunity to kill ~30 girls and women. but the largest by far is the weapons industry. the constitutional focus of second amendment rights on the individual often leaves out of the conversation that the weapons industry literally profits off of murder. particularly the lack of restrictions on ammo production, rather than ammo ownership, ensures that access to ammo is never a problem for someone who wants to commit a mass shooting.
this post is a bit different than most of mine: little legal analysis, mostly socio-political and psychological analysis. but it is no less topics of legal concern. the current laws of the united states are woefully out of touch with current empirical and scientific thought, and the focus on incarcerating people with personality disorders is just one example of this. we must stop accepting that the law is a system unto itself not bound to rationale’s outside of stare decisis. and with justice scalia in the grave, now might be the time to begin to push for such changes broadly.
part 2: bye bye broken windows?
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iʧ jɪr, wi laɪk tɪ rən ə ˈsɪriz əv poʊsts kɔld ðə aɪˈdiə ɪz ðət wɪl teɪk ə lʊk æt ˈɛvəri pleɪər ɔn ðə ˈrɑstər, frəm ðə ˈvɛri ˈbɑtəm tɪ ðə tɔp ənd breɪk ðɛm daʊn ə fju weɪz. ðɪs ˈrɑstər wɪl ˈsərtənli ʧeɪnʤ, ənd səm deɪz wɪl hæv mɔr ðən wən soʊ ɪts nɑt ɪgˈzæktli 90 pleɪərz ɪn 90 deɪz. æt ðɪs pɔɪnt, ɪts ə neɪm wɪr ˈkipɪŋ əraʊnd fər strit cred*. ɪt wɑz ə məʧ ˈlɔŋgər weɪt ðən ɪkˈspɛktɪd, bət ðə sæn frænˈsɪskoʊ ˈfaɪnəli səˈlɛktɪd ə waɪd rɪˈsivər wɪn ðeɪ ˈædɪd brus ˈɛlɪŋtən ɪn ðə fɔrθ raʊnd əv ðə ˈɛˌnɛˈfɛl dræft. ˈɛlɪŋtən ɪz ən ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ pleɪər ðət ædz ə skɪl sɛt ðə dɪd nɑt ˈpriviəsli hæv æt ðə pəˈzɪʃən. wɪn ɪˈvæljuˌeɪtɪŋ ˈɛlɪŋtənz geɪm teɪp, ðɛr wɑz ə lɔt tɪ bi ɪkˈsaɪtɪd əˈbaʊt. hi həz səm wərk tɪ du wɪθ rɪˈgɑrdz tɪ hɪz rut ˈrənɪŋ ənd ˈkæʧɪŋ ðə bɔl əˈweɪ frəm hɪz ˈbɑdi, bət hɪz æθˈlɛtɪˌsɪzm ənd əˈbɪləˌti ˈæftər ðə kæʧ ər fænˈtæstɪk. ˈɛlɪŋtənz ɪkˈspɪriəns ɛz ðə ˈstɑrtɪŋ pɔɪnt gɑrd ɔn saʊθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnəz ˈbæskətˌbɔl tim ɪz ˈvɛri ˈprɛvələnt ɪn hɪz geɪm. hiz ˈvɛri ˈkəmfərtəbəl wɪθ ˈbɑdiz əraʊnd ɪm ənd ɪz ˈeɪbəl tɪ strɪŋ təˈgɛðər ˈməltəpəl muvz waɪl meɪnˈteɪnɪŋ hɪz ˈbæləns ənd kənˈtɪnjuɪŋ tɪ muv ˈfɔrwərd. məʧ laɪk sæn frænˈsɪskoʊz fərst raʊnd pɪk, ˈʤɪmi wɔrd, ˈɛlɪŋtən ɪz ə təf, ˈfɪzɪkəl pleɪər ðət pleɪz ˈlɑrʤər ðən hɪz freɪm. hiz səʧ ən ˈifɛktɪv ˈblɑkər æt ðə waɪd rɪˈsivər pəˈzɪʃən ðət saʊθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə wʊd ɔˈkeɪʒənəˌli ˈmoʊʃən ɪm daʊn nɛkst tɪ ðə taɪt ɛnd ɛz ə wɪŋ pleɪər ɪn ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃənz ənd hi wɑz ˈfrikwɛntli ˈeɪbəl tɪ hɔl ɪn rɪˈsɛpʃənz waɪl əbˈzɔrbɪŋ ˈkɑnˌtækt frəm ə dɪˈfɛndər. ɪkˈspɛktɪd 2014 ˌɪmˈpækt: ɛz məʧ ɛz aɪ laɪk ˈɛlɪŋtənz skɪl sɛt, ɪts ˈdɪfəkəlt ɛnˈvɪʒənɪŋ ɪm ˈhævɪŋ ə bɪg ˌɪmˈpækt ˈdʊrɪŋ hɪz ˈrʊki ˈsizən. bɪɔnd ðə ˈdɪfɪˌkəltiz əv ˈoʊvərˌkəmɪŋ wət həz bɪˈkəm ə ˈloʊdɪd tɔp ɛnd əv ðə waɪd rɪˈsivər dɛpθ ʧɑrt, ðə ˌriˈæləˌti ɪz ðət ˈrʊki waɪd rɪˈsivərz, əˈspɛʃəli ðoʊz ðət ˈɑrənt səˈlɛktɪd təˈwɔrdz ðə tɔp əv ðə dræft, doʊnt tɛnd tɪ pərˈfɔrm ˈvɛri wɛl ˈdʊrɪŋ ðɛr fərst ˈsizən. sɪns ðə ˈmərʤər ɪn 1970 ðɛr hæv ˈoʊnli bɪn 33 ˈrʊki rɪˈsivərz hu wər səˈlɛktɪd ɪn ðə fɔrθ raʊnd ər ˈleɪtər tɪ kræk ˈivɪn 500 jɑrdz ʤɪst ˈoʊvər 31 jɑrdz pər geɪm ɪn ə ˈsizən. wi wɛnt θru ə ˈsɪmələr ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən læst ˈsizən wɪn ðə səˈlɛktɪd kwɪnˈtɔn ˈpætən ɪn ðə fɔrθ raʊnd. ˈpætən ɪz ə ˈtæləntɪd pleɪər ənd ðɛrz ˈplɛnti əv ˈrizən tɪ bi ɪkˈsaɪtɪd əˈbaʊt hɪz fˈjuʧər, bət ɪn ðə naɪn geɪmz hi pleɪd ɪn læst ˈsizən (ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ pleɪɔfs), hi ˈmænɪʤd ʤɪst faɪv rɪˈsɛpʃənz fər 59 jɑrdz. tɔs ɪn ðə fækt ðət sæn frænˈsɪskoʊ ˈjuzɪz θri waɪd rɪˈsivərz lɛs ðən ˈɛni tim ɪn ðə ˈɛˌnɛˈfɛl ənd ðət ˈɛlɪŋtən ɪz ˈlaɪkli tɪ bi ðə fɪθ rɪˈsivər ɔn ðə dɛpθ ʧɑrt, ðɛr ʤɪst ˈɑrənt goʊɪŋ tɪ bi ˈmɛni snæps fər ˈɛlɪŋtən tɪ gɪt. ðə wɪl ˈroʊˌteɪt ðə waɪd rɪˈsivərz ðeɪ juz ənd aɪ θɪŋk ˈɛlɪŋtən ɪz ˈtæləntɪd ɪˈnəf tɪ ˈwɔrənt æt list ə ˈhændˌfʊl əv snæps pər geɪm bət hi wɑz ˈdræftɪd tɪ meɪk ən ˌɪmˈpækt daʊn ðə roʊd. ɑdz əv ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðə ˈrɑstər: wɪθ ˈmaɪkəl ˈkræbˌtri, ˈboʊldɪn ənd ˈstivi ˈʤɑnsən ɔl biɪŋ ˈrɑstər lɑks, ðət wɪl liv ˈɛlɪŋtən ˌriəˈlɪstɪkli kəmˈpitɪŋ wɪθ kwɪnˈtɔn ˈpætən, ˈbrændən lɔɪd, ʤɑn ˈbɔldwən ənd ˈɑsˌgʊd fər æt moʊst θri spɑts. ˈsəmθɪŋ wʊd hæv tɪ goʊ ˈhɔrəbli rɔŋ fər ˈɛlɪŋtən tɪ nɑt sərˈvaɪv aʊt əv ðət grup. aɪˈdili, sæn frænˈsɪskoʊ wɪl ˌdɪˈsaɪd tɪ kip sɪks rɪˈsivərz, ˈhæŋɪŋ ɔn tɪ ðə ˈjəŋstərz ˈpætən ənd ˈɛlɪŋtən əˈlɔŋ wɪθ ˈɑsˌgʊd fər ˈspɛʃəl timz ˈpərpəsɪz waɪl ˈpɑrtɪŋ weɪz wɪθ lɔɪd ənd ˈbɔldwən.
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each year, we like to run a series of posts called "90-in-90." the idea is that we'll take a look at every player on the roster, from the very bottom to the top and break them down a few ways. this roster will certainly change, and some days we'll have more than one so it's not exactly 90 players in 90 days. at this point, it's a name we're keeping around for street cred.
it was a much longer wait than expected, but the san francisco 49ers finally selected a wide receiver when they added bruce ellington in the fourth round of the nfl draft. ellington is an exciting player that adds a skill set the 49ers did not previously have at the position.
when evaluating ellington's game tape, there was a lot to be excited about. he has some work to do with regards to his route running and catching the ball away from his body, but his athleticism and ability after the catch are fantastic. ellington's experience as the starting point guard on south carolina's basketball team is very prevalent in his game. he's very comfortable with bodies around him and is able to string together multiple moves while maintaining his balance and continuing to move forward.
much like san francisco's first round pick, jimmie ward, ellington is a tough, physical player that plays larger than his frame. he's such an effective blocker at the wide receiver position that south carolina would occasionally motion him down next to the tight end as a wing player in short-yardage situations and he was frequently able to haul in receptions while absorbing contact from a defender.
expected 2014 impact:
as much as i like ellington's skill set, it's difficult envisioning him having a big impact during his rookie season. beyond the difficulties of overcoming what has become a loaded top end of the wide receiver depth chart, the reality is that rookie wide receivers, especially those that aren't selected towards the top of the draft, don't tend to perform very well during their first season. since the afl-nfl merger in 1970, there have only been 33 rookie receivers who were selected in the fourth round or later to crack even 500 yards – just over 31 yards per game – in a season.
we went through a similar situation last season when the 49ers selected quinton patton in the fourth round. patton is a talented player and there's plenty of reason to be excited about his future, but in the nine games he played in last season (including playoffs), he managed just five receptions for 59 yards.
toss in the fact that san francisco uses three wide receivers less than any team in the nfl and that ellington is likely to be the fifth receiver on the depth chart, there just aren't going to be many snaps for ellington to get. the 49ers will rotate the wide receivers they use and i think ellington is talented enough to warrant at least a handful of snaps per game but he was drafted to make an impact down the road.
odds of making the roster:
with michael crabtree, anquan boldin and stevie johnson all being roster locks, that will leave ellington realistically competing with quinton patton, brandon lloyd, jon baldwin and kassim osgood for at most three spots. something would have to go horribly wrong for ellington to not survive out of that group. ideally, san francisco will decide to keep six receivers, hanging on to the youngsters patton and ellington along with osgood for special teams purposes while parting ways with lloyd and baldwin.
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lɔŋ əˈgoʊ ənd fɑr əˈweɪ, ɪn ðə ˈərli 1950s*, aɪ wɑz ə smɔl ʧaɪld ɔn strit kɔld ˈhɑrvi roʊd, ɪn ˈsɪlvər spərɪŋ, ˈmɛrələnd. æt ðət taɪm, ˈsɪlvər spərɪŋ wɑz ə smɔl taʊn. naʊ ðə ˈsɛkənd ˈbɪgəst ˈsɪti ɪn ˈmɛrələnd. ɑr strit wɑz əˈbaʊt ənd half-christian*. ˌɪnˈdid, ɪt hæd bɪn dɪˈvɛləpt wɪθ ˈləvli ˈmɑdərn ˈhaʊsɪz ɔn lɑts bɪˈkəz soʊ ˈmɛni əv ðə ˈəðər ˈneɪbərˌhʊdz ˈnɪrˈbaɪ dɪd nɑt əˈlaʊ ʤuz tɪ lɪv ɔn ðɛm. ðət wɑz ril ˈreɪˌsɪzəm, nɑt ““microaggressions”*” səʧ ɛz wi si naʊ. ðɪs ˈmaɪˌkroʊ. ɪt wɑz ˈmækroʊ. ɑr nɛkst dɔr ˈneɪbərz ɔn ðə wɛst saɪd wər ˈælfrɪd ənd ˈsɪlviə ˈbərnstin, ənd ðɛr θri ˈʧɪldrən, tu ˈləvli gərlz ənd ə sən wən jɪr ˈoʊldər ðən aɪ wɑz. hi wɑz kɑrl ˈbərnstin ənd bɪˈkeɪm ə ˈvɛri ˈfeɪməs ˈʤərnəlɪst fər hɪz əˈtæks ɔn ˈrɪʧərd ˈnɪksən ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈwɔtərˌgeɪt ˈɪrə. fər ðiz hi wən ðə ˈpʊlətsər praɪz. əv kɔrs, wɪn wi wər 9 ər 10 jɪrz oʊld, nən əv ˈjuˈɛs hæd ˈɛni aɪˈdiə ðət ðɪs wɑz ɪn ðə ˈɔfɪŋ. bət wi dɪd noʊ ðət ˈpɛrənts wər bɪg taɪm ˈlɛftɪsts, æt ðə ˈvɛri lɛft ɛnd əv ðə ˈdɛməˌkræt ˈpɑrti. maɪ ˈpɛrənts wər dɪˈvaɪdɪd. ˈməðər wɑz ə ˈdɛməˌkræt bət ə ˈsupər wən, ənd maɪ pɑp, hu bɪˈkeɪm ə ˈfeɪməs ɪˈkɑnəmɪst, wɑz ə rɪˈpəblɪkən. ðiz wər deɪz əv klɪr ˌaɪdiəˈlɑʤɪkəl ænˈtɪpəθi, ðə ˈvɛri ˈzinɪθ əv ðə koʊld wɔr ənd əv məˈkɑrθiɪzəm. bət maɪ ˈpɛrənts ənd ˈpɛrənts wər kloʊz frɛndz. kɑrl ənd aɪ wər ˈvɛri kloʊz frɛndz. wi spɛnt ˈmɛni ən aʊər ˈlɪsənɪŋ tɪ ˈbədi ˈhɑli, ˈlɪtəl ˈrɪʧərd ənd kɑrl ˈpərkɪnz, wɪθ kɑrl ˈbrɪljəntli pleɪɪŋ əˈlɔŋ ɔn hɪz gɪˈtɑr. ɔn æt list tu ɔˈkeɪʒənz, wɪn ˈməðər wɑz aʊt ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə skul deɪ, kɑrl wɑz sɛnt hoʊm sɪk frəm ər greɪd ənd maɪ ˈməðər pʊt ɪm tɪ bɛd ɔn ɑr kaʊʧ. əp ðə strit frəm ˈjuˈɛs wɑz ə ˈfæməli kɔld ðə sculls*. ðeɪ wər frəm ðə moʊst ˈɛləgənt ˈbləˌdlaɪnz ðɛr kʊd bi ɪn ə dɪˈmɑkrəsi. ðə ˈməðər wɑz ə dɪˈsɛndənt əv laɪt hɔrs ˈhɛri li, ˈkævəlri ʧif, ənd əv mɑntˈgəmri blɛr, ə kloʊz ædˈvaɪzər tɪ ˈlɪŋkən. ðeɪ wər ˈkloʊsli bət rɪˈleɪtɪd tɪ ˈrɑbərt i. li, hu wɑz ə ˈdiəti ɪn səm ˈhaʊsˌhoʊldz əv ðə ˈɪrə ənd ðə ˈɛriə. ðeɪ kʊd hæv lɪvd ˈɛniˌwɛr. bət ðeɪ ʧoʊz tɪ lɪv ɪn ə ˈneɪbərˌhʊd ðət wɑz ˈlɑrʤli ʤuɪʃ ənd ðeɪ wər greɪt pælz tɪ ˈɛvriˌwən ɪn ðə ’’hood*, ˈlɛtɪŋ ˈjuˈɛs ɔl juz ðɛr sˈwɪmɪŋ pul æt ˈdɛzɪgˌneɪtɪd deɪz ənd taɪmz ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə wik. ðə ˈməðər wɑz ðɛn ə ˈdɛməˌkræt əv ðə oʊld ˈsəðərn ˈdɛməˌkræt vərˈaɪəti (ʃi ˈleɪtər bɪˈkeɪm ən ɪkˈstrimli prəˈgrɛsɪv ˈdɛməˌkræt) ənd ðə ˈfɑðər wɑz ə rɪˈpəblɪkən huz ˈænˌsɛstərz hæd hɛlpt tɪ faʊnd ˈprɪnstən. hi bɪˈkeɪm ə paʊər ɪn ˈloʊkəl ˈpɑləˌtɪks ənd wərkt hɑrd tɪ gɪt ən ˈoʊpən ˈhaʊzɪŋ ˈɔrdənəns fər ɑr bɪˈləvəd mɑntˈgəmri ˈkaʊnti (neɪmd fər hɪz ˌɪnˈlɔz) ˌbiˈfɔr ðɛr wɑz ə ˈfɛdərəl lɔ ɔn ðə ˈsəbʤɪkt. ðeɪ ˈɔlsoʊ ɔl gɑt əˈlɔŋ. wi ɔl gɑt əˈlɔŋ. ɪt kəmz tɪ maɪnd bɪˈkəz aɪ juzd tɪ hæv ɛz maɪ ˈvɛri bɛst frɛndz ə ˈkəpəl hum aɪ wɪl kɔl ˈmɪstər. ənd ˈmɪsɪz. bi. ðeɪ wər səkˈsɛsfəl ˈpipəl ɪn ˈhɑliˌwʊd wɪn aɪ mɛt ðɛm ɪn 1975 ɪn ðə ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ˈɛmpaɪər əv ˈnɔrmən lɪr. ðeɪ kʊd nɑt hæv bɪn mɔr kaɪnd tɪ mi. seɪnts. boʊθ prəˈfɛʃənəli ənd ˈpərsənəli. aɪ wʊd hæv swɔrn ðeɪ wʊd bi maɪ kloʊz pælz ənˈtɪl maɪ daɪɪŋ deɪ ər ðɛrz. bət ɔn noʊˈvɛmbər 8 əv 2016 ˈmɪsɪz. bi æst mi hu aɪ hæd ˈvoʊtɪd fər ɪn ðə ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən. aɪ toʊld hər ɪt hæd bɪn ə rɪˈləktənt ʧɔɪs. bət aɪ pʊld ðə ˈlɛvər fər trəmp. ˈmɪsɪz. bi, hu hæd bɪn maɪ frɛnd sɪns fɔrd wɑz ˈprɛzɪdənt, həŋ əp ðə foʊn ənd həz ˈnɛvər ˈspoʊkən tɪ mi sɪns. hər ˈdɔtər, ə ˈmɪdəl ˈeɪʤɪd ˈwʊmən əv minz, iˈmeɪld mi ðət maɪ voʊt fər trəmp hæd kɔst mi hər parents’*’ ˈfrɛndʃɪp fər ðə rɛst əv maɪ laɪf. aɪ ˈleɪtər ˈlərnɪd ðət ðə ˈdɔtər hæd əˈpɛrəntli ˌəndərˈgɔn ən ˈɪnsədənt ɪn ˈkɑrməl ɪn wɪʧ ʃi fɛlt θˈrɛtənd baɪ ə trəmp səˈpɔrtər bɪˈkəz ʃi wɑz ˈwɛrɪŋ ə ˈhɪləri ˈtiˌsərt. ɪt hæd bɪˈkəm ə tɛst əv ˈlɔɪəlti tɪ hər ˈfæməli ˈwɛðər ˈɛniˌwən ʃi nu kʊd ˈstəmək trəmp sɪns ðət ˈɪnsədənt, əv wɪʧ aɪ wɑz ˌənəˈwɛr. ɪf ju pæs ðə tɛst, ju wər aʊt fər gʊd. naʊ, ˈæftər ðə ɪˈlɛkʃən, aɪ sɛnt flaʊərz tɪ ˈmɪsɪz. bi. aɪ sɛnt hər tu ər θri ˈvɛri ˈlɛŋθi ˈlɛtərz ˈtɛlɪŋ hər waɪ aɪ hæd ˈvoʊtɪd fər trəmp ənd riˈmaɪndɪŋ hər əv pæst ˈfeɪvərz ˈgɪvɪn ənd rɪˈsivd. aɪ bɛgd fər ɑr ˈfrɛndʃɪp tɪ bi rɪˈnud. noʊ daɪs. noʊ fərˈgɪvnəs. kæst ˈɪntu ðə ˈaʊtər ˈdɑrknəs. naʊ, stɪl frɛndz wɪθ kɑrl ˈbərnstin ˈivɪn ðoʊ hi pleɪd ə ˈmeɪʤər roʊl ɪn ɛkˈskɔriˌeɪtɪŋ maɪ ˈfɔrmər bɔs ənd ˈaɪdəl, ˈrɪʧərd ˈnɪksən. stɪl frɛndz wɪθ ˈnɔrmən lɪr. wɪθ ˈəðər ˈpaʊərfəl ““progressives.”*.” bət ðə ˌɛkskəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃən baɪ ðə kənˈtɪnjuz. ɛks ˈhɪləri, nɑn ɛst. ə ˈdɪfərənt wərld naʊ frəm wət wi hæd ˈsɪksti jɪrz əˈgoʊ. ən ˈæŋgriər wərld. ə ˈsædər wərld. ənd waɪ? aɪ ˌəndərˈstænd pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈdɪfərənsɪz. ˈɔfən fˈjʊriəs æt ˈmɪsɪz. pɛˈloʊsi ər ˈmɪstər. ˈʃumər. bət ɪf ðɛr kɪdz lɪvd ˈnɪrˈbaɪ ənd wər sɛnt hoʊm frəm skul, aɪ wʊd ˈʧɪrfəli teɪk ðɛm ɪn ənˈtɪl ðɛr ˈpɛrənts rɪˈtərnd frəm wɛˈrɛvər ðeɪ wər. aɪ wʊd nɑt ˈivɪn drim əv nɑt ˈspikɪŋ tɪ ən oʊld frɛnd bɪˈkəz hi ˈvoʊtɪd ˈdɪfərˈɛntli frəm mi. ɪt wʊd bi ˌɪnkənˈsivəbəl. jɛt aɪ hir ˈstɔriz laɪk ðə ˈstɔri əv ðə ənd mi ˈkɑnstəntli. ˈfrɛndʃɪps ˈpərmɑˌnɛnˌtli ˈsɛvərd ˈoʊvər ən ɪˈlɛkʃən. wɛr dɪd ɔl əv ðɪs reɪʤ kəm frəm? əpˈsɛtɪŋ ˌɪnˈdid. əˈmɛrɪkə ɪz nɑt səˈpoʊzd tɪ hæv ðɪs məʧ ˈæŋgər. wət meɪks ɪt əˈmɛrɪkə.
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long ago and far away, in the early 1950s, i was a small child on street called harvey road, in silver spring, maryland. at that time, silver spring was a small town. now it’s the second biggest city in maryland. our street was about half-jewish and half-christian. indeed, it had been developed with lovely mid-century modern houses on treed lots because so many of the other neighborhoods nearby did not allow jews to live on them.
that was real racism, not “microaggressions” such as we see now. this wasn’t micro. it was macro.
our next door neighbors on the west side were alfred and sylvia bernstein, and their three children, two lovely girls and a son one year older than i was. he was carl bernstein and became a very famous journalist for his attacks on richard nixon during the watergate era. for these he won the pulitzer prize. of course, when we were 9 or 10 years old, none of us had any idea that this was in the offing.
but we did know that carl’s parents were big time leftists, at the very left end of the democrat party. my parents were divided. mother was a democrat but a super anti-communist one, and my pop, who became a famous economist, was a republican.
these were days of clear ideological antipathy, the very zenith of the cold war and of mccarthyism. but my parents and carl’s parents were close friends. carl and i were very close friends. we spent many an hour listening to buddy holly, little richard and carl perkins, with carl brilliantly playing along on his guitar. on at least two occasions, when carl’s mother was out during the school day, carl was sent home sick from 5th or 6th grade and my mother put him to bed on our couch.
up the street from us was a family called the sculls. they were from the most elegant bloodlines there could be in a democracy. the mother was a descendant of light horse harry lee, washington’s cavalry chief, and of montgomery blair, a close advisor to lincoln. they were closely but collaterally related to robert e. lee, who was a deity in some households of the era and the area.
they could have lived anywhere. but they chose to live in a neighborhood that was largely jewish and they were great pals to everyone in the ’hood, letting us all use their swimming pool at designated days and times during the week. the mother was then a democrat of the old southern democrat variety (she later became an extremely progressive democrat) and the father was a republican whose ancestors had helped to found princeton. he became a power in local politics and worked hard to get an open housing ordinance for our beloved montgomery county (named for his in-laws) before there was a federal law on the subject.
they also all got along. we all got along.
it comes to mind because i used to have as my very best friends a couple whom i will call mr. and mrs. b. they were successful people in hollywood when i met them in 1975 in the tv empire of norman lear. they could not have been more kind to me. saints. both professionally and personally. i would have sworn they would be my close pals until my dying day or theirs.
but on november 8 of 2016, mrs. b asked me who i had voted for in the presidential election. i told her it had been a reluctant choice. but i pulled the lever for trump.
mrs. b, who had been my friend since ford was president, hung up the phone and has never spoken to me since. her daughter, a middle aged woman of means, emailed me that my vote for trump had cost me her parents’ friendship for the rest of my life.
i later learned that the daughter had apparently undergone an incident in carmel in which she felt threatened by a trump supporter because she was wearing a hillary t-shirt. it had become a test of loyalty to her family whether anyone she knew could stomach trump since that incident, of which i was unaware. if you didn’t pass the test, you were out for good.
now, after the election, i sent flowers to mrs. b. i sent her two or three very lengthy letters telling her why i had voted for trump and reminding her of past favors given and received. i begged for our friendship to be renewed. no dice. no forgiveness. cast into the outer darkness.
now, i’m still friends with carl bernstein even though he played a major role in excoriating my former boss and idol, richard nixon. i’m still friends with norman lear. with other powerful “progressives.” but the excommunication by the b’s continues. ex hillary, non salvatio est. it’s a different world now from what we had sixty years ago. an angrier world. a sadder world. and why? i understand political differences. i’m often furious at mrs. pelosi or mr. schumer. but if their kids lived nearby and were sent home from school, i would cheerfully take them in until their parents returned from wherever they were. i would not even dream of not speaking to an old friend because he voted differently from me. it would be inconceivable. yet i hear stories like the story of the b’s and me constantly. friendships permanently severed over an election. where did all of this rage come from? it’s upsetting indeed. america is not supposed to have this much anger. that’s what makes it america.
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ɪt ɪz ˈʃʊrli wən əv nu ˈgrændəst saɪts, ɪf ju ər ə dɔg: ˈprɑspɛkt pɑrk ɔn ə ˈsəni fɔl ˈmɔrnɪŋ. ðɛr, ˈdʊrɪŋ aʊərz, ðə lɪŋkt fildz əv lɔŋ ˈmɛˌdoʊ ˈtrænsfɔrm ˈɪntu ə ˈkeɪˌnaɪn fænˈteɪʒə. ˈeɪkərz ənd ˈeɪkərz əv grin græs əˈbaʊnd, əˈlɔŋ wɪθ hɪlz ənd græs ənd triz ənd græs ənd, ɔf ɪn ðə ˈdɪstəns, mɔr græs. ənd dɔgz, əv kɔrs ˈhənərdz əv ðɛm, frid frəm ðɛr ˈjumənz, pleɪɪŋ ʧeɪs ər təˈgɛðər ɪn ər ˈteɪkɪŋ ɔf ɔn sprɪnts, təŋz ˈweɪvɪŋ laɪk ˈpɛnənts. ðɛr ər mɔr ˈtɛnɪs bɔlz flaɪɪŋ ðən ɪn ðə ˈərli raʊnz əv ðə juz. ˈoʊpən. ðə ˌɑpərˈtunətiz ər ˈnɪrli ˈɪnfənət. wət dɔg ləv ðɪs? ɑrz, ɪt tərnz aʊt. ˈlɛmən ɪz ə ʃi mɪks wɪθ ˈmɛni faɪn kˈwɑlətiz, bət kərɪʤ ɪz nɑt wən əv ðɛm. wɪn wi əˈproʊʧ ðə ˈoʊpən fildz ˈdʊrɪŋ aʊərz, hər ˈbɑdi ˈvɪzəbli. ðə sˈlaɪtəst ˈfɔreɪ ˈɔntu ðə græs prɑmpts ə ˈfræntɪk ˈskæmpər bæk tɪ ðə ˈæsˌfɔlt.
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it is surely one of new york’s grandest sights, if you are a dog: prospect park on a sunny fall morning.
there, during off-leash hours, the linked fields of long meadow transform into a canine fantasia. acres and acres of green grass abound, along with hills and grass and trees and grass and, off in the distance, more grass.
and dogs, of course — hundreds of them, freed from their fuddy-duddy humans, playing chase or clumped together in growly play-scrums or taking off on wild-eyed sprints, tongues waving like pennants. there are more tennis balls flying than in the early rounds of the u.s. open. the butt-sniffing opportunities are nearly infinite.
what dog wouldn’t love this?
ours, it turns out. lemon is a shih tzu mix with many fine qualities, but courage is not one of them. when we approach the open fields during off-leash hours, her 16-pound body tenses visibly. the slightest foray onto the grass prompts a frantic scamper back to the asphalt.
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fæt waɪt ˈfæməli ər sɛt tɪ riˈlis nu ˈælbəm 'sɔŋz fər ɑr ˈməðərz' ɔn ˈʤænjuˌɛri 22nd*. ðə ˈfɑloʊ əp tɪ ðə grups gərɑʒ pəŋk ˈdeɪbju, ðə məˈtɪriəl wɑz leɪd daʊn æt ðə ˈstudiˌoʊz ɪn nu ˈmɔldən ənd ˈstudiˌoʊz ɪn nu pɔlts, ˈəpˈsteɪt nu jɔrk. ˌɪnˈtrigɪŋli, ðə ʃɔn ˈlɛnən træk, 'ˈsætɪsˌfaɪd' ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ du tɪ əˈpɪr ɔn ðə ˈælbəm. fæt waɪt ˈfæməli ɪkˈspleɪn: waɪl ɑr fərst ˈɛlˈpi maɪt bi kənˈsɪdərd ən əˈsɔlt, ə spæzˈmɔdɪk ˌaʊtˈpɔrɪŋ əv dɪsˈdeɪn ˈʤɛnərˌeɪtɪd baɪ ðə ˈətər ˈtidiəm əv laɪf wɪn ɪt ɪz faʊnd ənˈlɪvəbəl, sɔŋz fər ɑr ˈməðərz ɪz ən ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃən. ɪt ɪz ən ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃən, sɛnt baɪ ˈmɪzəri, tɪ dæns tɪ ðə bit əv ˈjumən ˈheɪtrəd. ɪn ɪt wi æsk ðət ju teɪk ˈjuˈɛs ˈʤɛntli baɪ ðə hænd ɛz wi lɛd ju ɔn ə ˈʤərni, ə ˈʤərni ðət lidz ˈjuˈɛs frəm ðə ˈblaɪndɪŋ waɪt hit əv ə ˈmɪdˌdeɪ ˌmɛdətərˈeɪniən ʃɔr, tɪ ðə ɛmˈbætəld ˈbuˌdɔɪr əv aɪk ənd ˈtinə ˈtərnər, frəm ðə ˈklɑtɪd greɪ droʊl əv ˈdɑktər ˈhɛrəld ˈweɪtɪŋ rum, tɪ ðə ˈfaɪnəl aʊərz əv ðə θərd raɪk ɪn ðə bərˈlɪn ˈbəŋkər. ɪt ɪz ɛz məʧ ə ˈkætəˌlɔg əv ɑr əbˈsɛʃənz ɛz ɪt ɪz ə ˈsɛnʃəwəl ˈɑdəsi; sɛks, drəgz, ˈpɑləˌtɪks, dɛθ, ðə ˈnɔrðərn ˈaɪrɪʃ sæm nil, ɪts ɔl hir, ɔl ðæts lɛft tɪ du naʊ ɪz brið ɪt ɪn. 'sɔŋz fər ɑr ˈməðərz' wɪl bi riˈlist ɔn ˈʤænjuˌɛri 22nd*. tracklisting*: 1 ˈwaɪtɪst bɔɪ ɔn ðə biʧ 2 ˈsætɪsˌfaɪd 3 ləv ɪz ðə kræk 4 ˈduˌʧeɪ 5 6 hɪts hɪts hɪts 7 8 wɪn ˈʃɪpmən ˌdɪˈsaɪdz 9 wi məst lərn tɪ raɪz 10 ˌgʊdˈbaɪ ˈgoʊbəlz
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fat white family are set to release new album 'songs for our mothers' on january 22nd.
the follow up to the group's debauched garage punk debut, the material was laid down at the trashmouth studios in new malden and marcata studios in new paltz, upstate new york.
intriguingly, the sean lennon co-produced track, 'satisfied' is also due to appear on the ten-track album. fat white family explain:
while our first lp might be considered an assault, a spasmodic outpouring of disdain generated by the utter tedium of life when it is found unlivable, songs for our mothers is an invitation. it is an invitation, sent by misery, to dance to the beat of human hatred. in it we ask that you take us gently by the hand as we lead you on a journey, a journey that leads us from the blinding white heat of a midday mediterranean shore, to the embattled boudoir of ike and tina turner, from the clotted grey droll of dr harold shipmans waiting room, to the final hours of the third reich in the berlin bunker.
it is as much a catalogue of our obsessions as it is a sensual odyssey; sex, drugs, politics, death, the northern irish a-lister sam neil, it's all here, all that's left to do now is breathe it in.
'songs for our mothers' will be released on january 22nd. tracklisting:
1. whitest boy on the beach
2. satisfied
3. love is the crack
4. duce
5. lebensraum
6. hits hits hits
7. tinfoil deathstar
8. when shipman decides
9. we must learn to rise
10. goodbye goebbels
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səm rɪˈpəblɪkənz wʊd hæv ju bɪˈliv ðət ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈbɑrək ˌoʊˈbɑmə ˌɪnˈhɛrətɪd ə ˈrizənəbəl ɪˈkɑnəmi ənd, ˈivɪn wɪn ðeɪ ækˈnɑlɪʤ ɪt wɑz ə ˈtrəbəld wən, kənˈtɛnd hi həz meɪd ɪt wərs ənd hæv ə klu tɪ ˈfɪksɪŋ ðə ˈprɑbləm. bət ˌoʊˈbɑmə ˌɪnˈhɛrətɪd ə kəˈtæstrəfi. bæŋks wər kəˈlæpsɪŋ, ðə ˈhaʊzɪŋ ˈmɑrkɪt wɑz biɪŋ krəʃt ənd ˈkraɪslər ənd ˈʤɛnərəl ˈmoʊtərz wər nɪr kəˈlæps. ˌoʊˈbɑmə seɪvd ənd ˈkraɪslər, ɛz boʊθ ər θˈraɪvɪŋ, ənd ðə ˈbæŋkɪŋ ˈsɪstəm dɪd nɑt kəˈlæps. ðə mənθ hi tʊk ˈɔfəs wi lɔst ˈnɪrli ʤɑbz. ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ˈpɑləsiz kriˈeɪtɪd ər seɪvd 2 ˈmɪljən tɪ 3 ˈmɪljən ʤɑbz. wət rɪˈpəblɪkənz ər ˈɔfərɪŋ ər ðə ɪgˈzækt ˈpɑləsiz ʤɔrʤ ˈdəbəlju. bʊʃ juzd tɪ gɪt ˈjuˈɛs ˈɪntu ðə wərst ˌriˈsɛʃən sɪns ðə greɪt dɪˈprɛʃən tæks kəts fər ˌbɪljəˈnɛrz ənd ˌmɪljəˈnɛrz, ˈmæsɪv diˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃən ənd læks ɛnˈfɔrsmənt əv ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl lɔz.
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some republicans would have you believe that president barack obama inherited a reasonable economy and, even when they acknowledge it was a troubled one, contend he has made it worse and have a clue to fixing the problem.
but obama inherited a catastrophe. banks were collapsing, the housing market was being crushed and chrysler and general motors were near collapse. obama saved gm and chrysler, as both are thriving, and the banking system did not collapse.
the month he took office we lost nearly 800,000 jobs. the obama policies created or saved 2 million to 3 million jobs.
what republicans are offering are the exact policies george w. bush used to get us into the worst recession since the great depression — tax cuts for billionaires and millionaires, massive deregulation and lax enforcement of financial laws.
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ɪt ɪz ɔˈrɛdi ə fækt ðət ɪˈkɑnəmɪsts ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmɪŋli səˈpɔrt fri treɪd. ɪt ɪz ˈrɪli ˈsɪmpəl ənd ˌɪnˈtuətɪv advantage’*’ ðət meɪks ɪt əˈbəndəntli klɪr. mɔr ðən ðət ˈfərðər ˈrisərʧ ɪn treɪd ˈθɪri, lɑ pɔl ˈkrəgmən həz meɪd ðɪs əˈbəndəntli klɪr. jɛt, ðə ˌɪntuˈɪʃən ɪz ˈlækɪŋ əˈməŋst ðə ˈpəblɪk. mɔr soʊ, ɪt ɪz ˈlækɪŋ əˈməŋ ˈfɛloʊ ˈstudənts ɪn maɪ klæs ənd ˈkɑligz ɪn ðə ˈəðər ˈsoʊʃəl ˈsaɪənsɪz (pəˈlɪtɪkəl saɪəns, ˌsoʊsiˈɑləʤi fər ɪgˈzæmpəl). ðɛr ər tu hoʊld əps. wən ɪz ðə kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən fər industries’*’, ər ˈrəðər wət aɪ si ɛz ðɛr baɪəs əˈgɛnst fri treɪd ðət gɪvz ˈɪnfənt ˈɪndəstriz ə weɪt tu lɑrʤ fər ˈivɪn ɪts oʊn ˈfaɪndɪŋz ɛz ən ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈkɑnsɛpt. ðɛr ɪz ə ˌmɛθədəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˈɪʃu ðət ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz fɔl ˈɪntu wɪn ðeɪ gɪv ɪkˈsɛsɪv weɪt tɪ ə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp. liv ˈɪnfənt ˈɪndəstriz fər əˈnəðər poʊst bət fər ðɪs poʊst aɪ wɔnt tɪ dɪˈskəs ðə aɪˈdiə ðət fri treɪd ˌɪnˈkrisɪz ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl ˌdɛgrəˈdeɪʃən. ðə ˈkɑmən freɪz ɪz ˈæˌkʧuəli ə tɪ ðə bottom”*”. ðɪs ˈkɑnsɛpt minz ˈsərtən ˈpɑləsi, ˈmoʊstli diˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃən, əˈtrækts ˈfɔrən ˈbɪznɪs ˈlidɪŋ tɪ ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl ˈdæmɪʤ. ju ˈjuʒəwəli si ðɪs freɪz ɪn ðə ˈkɑntɛkst əv loʊər ˈtɛrəfs əˈməŋ ə ˈwɛstərn ənd dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈkəntri, soʊ ðət rɪʧ pəˈlutɪŋ fərmz kən teɪk ædˈvæntɪʤ əv ʧip ˈleɪbər ənd læks ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃən ˈɛlsˌwɛr ənd ˈdæmɪʤ ðə ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt. ðɪs wərks wɛl ɛz ə ˈstɔri wɪθ ə ˈvɛri ˈbeɪsɪk ɪˈkɑnəmi wɛr wi əˈsum ðət pəˈlutɪŋ ɪz əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd ˈoʊnli wɪθ ʧip ənd ˈdeɪnʤərəs ˈɪndəstriz. ðɪs ˈstɔri, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, breɪks daʊn wɪn fɔrst tɪ feɪs ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈθɪri ənd ˈdætə. tɪm ðə ˌəndərˈkəvər ɪˈkɑnəmɪst həz ə ˈrɪli gʊd dɪˈskəʃən (pg*. 202 əv ðɪs ðət ˈjuzɪz ə pis əv pəˈluʃən ənd ˈdætə ʃoʊ, ðoʊ ˈɑrgjuəbli hɪz dɪˈskəʃən ʃoʊz ðə ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˌɪntuˈɪʃən məʧ ˈbɛtər. aɪ ˌrɛkəˈmɛnd hɪz bʊk ɪn ˈʤɛnərəl du tɪ ɪts ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ˌɪntuˈɪʃən ənd læk əv ˌtɛknɪˈkælɪti fər ˈpipəl. ˈdeɪvɪd ˈwilər, fər ðə wərld bæŋk, ˈvɛri ˈsɪmpli ˈplɑtɪd pəˈluʃən ənd ˈfɔrən dɪˈrɛkt ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt (fdi*). ɪn ðiz θri ˈkeɪsɪz ˌɪnˈkrisɪz ɪn treɪd frəm əˈbrɔd ˌkoʊɪnˈsaɪdz wɪθ fɔlz ɪn ɛr pəˈluʃən. ðɪs trɛnd ɪkˈstɛndz ˈfərðər tɪ təˈdeɪ, fər ˈɪnstəns əraʊnd ðə 2008 oʊˈlɪmpɪks ˈʧaɪnə ɛˈnæktəd ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz. soʊ, ðɪs bɛgz ðə kˈwɛʃən, waɪ dɪz ðə trɛnz əˈbəv əˈkər. ənd waɪ wi ˈæˌkʧuəli ɪkˈspɪriəns ˈwaɪdˈsprɛd əˈfɛkts əv tɪ ðə bottom”*” ɪn ˈʤɛnərəl. aɪ hæv bɪn tɪ dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈneɪʃənz, ɪn fækt aɪ hæv bɪn tɪ ðə seɪm ˈkəntriz æt ˈdɪfərənt taɪmz ənd ðeɪ riʧt ðə səˈpoʊzd ““bottom”*”. ðɛr ər tu θɪŋz tɪ kənˈsɪdər tɪ waɪ fri treɪd ˈdiˌkrisɪz pəˈluʃən. ðə fərst ɪz ðə kəmˈpærətɪv ædˈvæntɪʤ əv dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈneɪʃənz əˈtrækt ðə ˈhɛvəli pəˈlutɪŋ ˈɪndəstriz, laɪk wənz ɪn pərˈdəkʃən əv ˈhɛvi ˈkɛmɪkəlz wɪʧ əˈkər ˈmoʊstli ɪn lɑrʤ dɪˈvɛləpt ˈneɪʃənz, wɪʧ hæv ðə ˈjumən ˈkæpɪtəl ənd tɛkˈnɑləʤi fər səʧ ˈɪndəstriz tɪ bɪˈkəm ə kəmˈpærətɪv ædˈvæntɪʤ. ðə ˈsɛkənd kɔz ɪz wət ɪz ˈsəmərˌaɪzd ɪn ðə ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl kərv. tɪ ˈsəmərˌaɪz, səˈsaɪɪtiz gɪt ˈrɪʧər ənd θru ˈvɛriəs ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənəl ˈʧeɪnʤɪz boʊθ ˈrɛgjələˌtɔri ənd ɪˈfɪʃənsi ɪn ˈɪndəstri lɛd tɪ fɔl ɪn pəˈluʃən (wət həz əˈkərd ɪn ˈʧaɪnə ˈvɛri ˈrisəntli). wɪn ɪt kəmz tɪ ðə ˈrizənɪŋ beɪst ɔn ɪˈfɪʃənt ˈɪndəstri, ˈwilər pɔɪnts aʊt ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈvɛri ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ðət ˈɛvəri treɪd ənd tɪ ðə bottom”*” prəˈpoʊnənt fərˈgɛts: ˈrisərʧ ɪn boʊθ haɪ- ənd ˌloʊˈɪnkəm ˈkəntriz səˈʤɛsts ðət pəˈluʃən kənˈtroʊl dɪz nɑt ˌɪmˈpoʊz haɪ kɔsts ɔn ˈbɪznɪs fərmz. ˈʤæfi 1995 ənd ˈəðərz hæv ʃoʊn ðət kəmˈplaɪəns kɔsts fər ˈɪndəstriz ər səˈpraɪzɪŋli smɔl, dɪˈspaɪt ðə juz əv ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz ðət ər ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪkli ˌɪnɪˈfɪʃənt. ðiz rɪˈzəlts səˈʤɛst ðət ˌdɪfərˈɛnʃəl pəˈluʃən kənˈtroʊl kɔsts du nɑt prəˈvaɪd fərmz wɪθ strɔŋ ˌɪnˈsɪnɪvz tɪ muv ˈɔfˈʃɔr. (pg*. 6 fərmz teɪk ædˈvæntɪʤ əv ðə ˌɪˈnɪʃəl læk əv ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃən ɪn ˌwəˈtɛvər dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ˈneɪʃən. ðə kɔsts əv kəmˈplaɪɪŋ wɪθ ˈstændərdz ɪz nɑt ɪkˈstrimli haɪ ər ə ˈweɪˌti kɔst. ˈwilər faɪndz ðət ˌɪnɪˈfɪʃənsi ɪz lɪŋkt tɪ ˈpurli rən ˈɛnərˌpraɪzɪz ɪn ˈʧaɪnə ˌbiˈfɔr dɛθ əv maʊ ɛz ən ɪgˈzæmpəl. ˈɔlsoʊ, ðə əˈsəmpʃən ðət pur ˈkəntriz kɛr əˈbaʊt ðə ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt ɪz nɑt tru. ənd ˈsərtənli, ˈmɛni ˌməlˌtiˈnæʃənəl ˌkɔrpərˈeɪʃənz faɪnd ɪt ɪn ðɛr ˈɪntərɪsts tɪ kəmˈplaɪ wɪθ ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz mɔr soʊ ðən ˈneɪtɪv ər fərmz. aɪ ˈrɪli du ˌrɛkəˈmɛnd ˈrɛdɪŋ wərld bæŋk rɪˈpɔrt. ˈpərsənəli, maɪ ɪkˈspɪriəns wɪθ ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪks wɑz ˈziroʊ ˌbiˈfɔr ðɪs ˈpeɪpər. ðə ˈrizənz ˈsteɪtɪd əˈbəv dil wɪθ ðə pur əˈsəmpʃənz əˈbaʊt haʊ ðə tɪ ðə bottom”*” pleɪz aʊt ɪn ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl treɪd. ðɛr ər ˈəðər kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃənz tɪ kənˈsɪdər. ðə kərv. ˈkəntriz ðət bɪˈkəm ˈæfluənt ənd ˈrɪʧər tɛnd tɪ hæv ˈʧeɪnʤɪz ˈplɪtɪkli θru ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən ənd nu nidz ənd wɔnts. ðə kərv fər ðə ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt ɪz ˈrɛlətɪvli ˈnɔɪzi. ˈplɑtɪd ˈdætə ʃoʊz ə slaɪt trɛnd bət ɪt ˈsərtənli ɪkˈspleɪn ðə spɪˈsɪfɪk ˈdɪfərənsɪz ɪn pəˈluʃən əˈməŋst ˈkəntriz. ˈsərtənli ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənəl ˈifɛkts, səʧ ɛz taɪp əv ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃən, ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˌaɪdiˈɑləʤi, strɛŋθ əv ˈgəvərnmənt ɪn ˌɪmˈpoʊzɪŋ lɔz ər taɪp əv ˈrɛgjələˌtɔri rəˈʒim maɪt ɪkˈspleɪn ˈdɪfərənsɪz əˈməŋ ˈkəntriz mɔr. bət ˈsərtənli ðə ˌɪnˈkris ɪn ˈlɪvɪŋ ˈstændərdz lɛd tɪ lɛs pəˈluʃən ənd ˌɪnˈkrist pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈækʃən. əˈgɛn, tɪ ðə bottom”*” rɪˈvilz tɪ bi ə pur ˈkɑnsɛpt ɪn ˈɛvəri weɪ. ɪn ə ˈjunəˌvərs wɛr ðə reɪs tɪ ðə ˈbɑtəm hoʊldz, ðə kərv wʊd hæv ðə pur wərld æt ə haɪ ˈlɛvəl əv pəˈluʃən ɪn ə fri treɪd rəˈʒim ənd ðə dɪˈvɛləpt wərld æt ə loʊər ˈlɛvəl əv pəˈluʃən. ðət trɛnd ɪz ˌnɑnəgˈzɪstənt. wət ɪz ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ ɪz ðət ðɪs min ˌlɪˌbərəlɪˈzeɪʃən ʃʊd ˈɔlsoʊ bi ˌɪˈmiˌdiət. ˈʧaɪnə ɪz ən ˈɛksələnt ɪgˈzæmpəl wɛr ɪn ðə dɪˈlɪbərˌeɪt ənd kənˈtroʊld ˌlɪˌbərəlɪˈzeɪʃən lɛd tɪ ˈlɪmɪtɪd ˈpɑkəts əv pəˈluʃən, ˈmoʊstli steɪt ˈɪndəstriz wər pəˈlutɪŋ æt ə ˈlɛvəl ðət kriˈeɪtɪd ˈpərmɑˌnɛnˌtli ˈdæmɪʤɪŋ ɛkəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˈifɛkts. ɪf ɔn wən deɪ ðə pəˈlutɪŋ ˈɪndəstriz wər ˈlɪˌbərəˌlaɪzd wɪˈθaʊt taɪm fər ðə ˈpəblɪk tɪ riækt tɪ ˌlɪˌbərəlɪˈzeɪʃən ðɛr wʊd bi haɪ ˈlɛvəlz əv pəˈluʃən bət ɪn ˈlɪmɪtɪd ˈpɑkəts. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, əˈgɛn ɪt bi ˈpərmɑˌnɛnt ər ˈɛni wərs ðən steɪt ˈɛnərˌpraɪzɪz. bət æd fri treɪd ənd ˈpɑsəbli ðə ˈɑpəzɪt əˈkərz. noʊ mɔr reɪs tɪ ðə ˈbɑtəm. bət ˌbiˈfɔr wən ˈrizənz ðət ðə pəˈluʃən əˈkərz ɪn lɑrʤ ˈpɑpjələs ˈwɛstərn ˈneɪʃənz ɛz ˈɪndəstriz liv fər pur ˈneɪʃənz, kənˈsɪdər ˈfɪgjər 5 ɪn ðə ˈwilər ˈpeɪpər. ðə trɛnd kənˈtɪnjuz ˈivɪn ˈɪntu təˈdeɪ. ðɛr ər ˈmɛni ˈrizənz, frəm ˈrɛgjələˌtɔri tɪ ˌtɛknəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˌɪmˈpruvmənts. ɛz wɛl, tækˈseɪʃən həz bɪn rɪˈmɑrkəbəl səkˈsɛsfəl (si ˈsəlfər pəˈluʃən ɪn ðə ˈjuˈɛs), məʧ ˈbɛtər ðən ˈaʊˈtraɪt bænz ər ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃən. ɪt hɛlps kərˈɛkt ˈmɑrkɪt ˈfeɪljərz ənd ʃoʊz ðət kəmˈpleɪnts baɪ fərmz kənˈsərnɪŋ kɔsts tɪ əˈvərt pəˈluʃən wər ɪgˌzæʤərˈeɪʃənz, ðə ˈmɑrkɪt ʃoʊz ðə truθ əv ðɛr ˈækʃənz. ðɪs wɑz ˈnoʊtɪd baɪ ˈwilər. ˈkəmɪŋ bæk tɪ tɪm bʊk, wɪʧ aɪ heɪt tɪ stil frəm. ˈivɪn ðoʊ aɪ rɛd ðə bʊk jɪrz əˈgoʊ, wən ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃən hi ʃɛrz frəm ˈdætə ɪz ðət ˈkəntriz ðət ˈpræktɪs prəˈtɛkʃəˌnɪzəm ɪn ˈægrɪˌkəlʧər tɛnd tɪ hæv haɪər ˈlɛvəlz əv ˈfərtəˌlaɪzər juz. ðə ˌɪnˈtuətɪv ˈrizən əv kɔrs ɪz ðət ɪf jʊr kəmˈpærətɪv ædˈvæntɪʤ fər ˈnæʧərəl ˈrizənz ɪz nɑt ˈægrɪˌkəlʧər bət ju stɪl ˈsəbsɪˌdaɪz ənd prəˈtɛkt ɪt ðɛn jʊr ˈɪndəstri wɪl rɪˈlaɪ ɔn ˈpɑsəbli haɪ ənd ənˈnɛsəˌsɛri ˈlɛvəlz əv ˈfərtəˌlaɪzər juz. ðɪs kən hæv ən ˈifɛkt ɔn sɔɪl kˈwɑləti ɪn ðə fˈjuʧər. ðɪs prəˈtɛkʃəˌnɪzəm əˈkərz ɪn rɪʧ, dɪˈvɛləpt ˈkəntriz. θɪŋk əv saʊθ ˌkɔˈriə, ʤəˈpæn, ˈjuˈɛˈseɪ, eu*, ˌɛtˈsɛtərə. reɪs tɪ ðə ˈbɑtəm ˈoʊnli əˈkərz ɪn prəˈtɛktɪd ˈɪndəstriz. waɪ ðɪs ˈɑrgjəmənt stɪl rɪˈmeɪnz ˈprɛvələnt əˈgɛnst fər ˈɪnstəns, aɪ æm ənˈʃʊr. aɪ kən ˈoʊnli ˈhæfəzərdli əˈsum ɪt həz tɪ du wɪθ ˈsərtən individuals’*’ pəˈlɪtɪkəl praɪərz. ˈsɔrsəz: ˈædvərˌtaɪzmənts
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it is already a fact that economists overwhelmingly support free trade. it is really ricardo’s simple and intuitive ‘comparative advantage’ that makes it abundantly clear. more than that further research in trade theory, à la paul krugman has made this abundantly clear. yet, the intuition is lacking amongst the public. more so, it is lacking among fellow students in my class and colleagues in the other social sciences (political science, sociology for example). there are two hold ups. one is the consideration for ‘infant industries’, or rather what i see as their bias against free trade that gives infant industries a weight too large for even its own findings as an economic concept. there is a methodological issue that individuals fall into when they give excessive weight to a relationship. i’ll leave infant industries for another post but for this post i want to discuss the idea that free trade increases environmental degradation.
the common phrase is actually a “race to the bottom”. this concept means certain policy, mostly deregulation, attracts foreign business leading to increasing environmental damage. you usually see this phrase in the context of lower tariffs among a western and developing country, so that rich polluting firms can take advantage of cheap labor and lax regulation elsewhere and damage the environment. this works well as a story with a very basic economy where we assume that polluting is associated only with cheap and dangerous industries. this story, however, breaks down when forced to face economic theory and data.
tim harford’s the undercover economist has a really good discussion (pg. 202) of this that uses a piece of pollution and fdi data i’ll show, though arguably his discussion shows the economic intuition much better. i recommend his book in general due to its focus on intuition and lack of technicality for non-economics people.
david wheeler, for the world bank, very simply plotted pollution and foreign direct investment (fdi).
in these three cases increases in trade from abroad coincides with falls in air pollution. this trend extends further to today, for instance around the 2008 olympics china enacted environmental regulations. so, this begs the question, why does the trends above occur. and why can’t we actually experience widespread affects of “race to the bottom” in general. i have been to developing nations, in fact i have been to the same countries at different times and they hadn’t reached the supposed “bottom”. there are two things to consider to why free trade decreases pollution. the first is the comparative advantage of developing nations doesn’t attract the heavily polluting industries, like ones in production of heavy chemicals which occur mostly in large developed nations, which have the human capital and technology for such industries to become a comparative advantage. the second cause is what is summarized in the environmental knutz curve. to summarize, societies get richer and through various institutional changes both regulatory and efficiency in industry lead to fall in pollution (what has occurred in china very recently).
when it comes to the reasoning based on efficient industry, wheeler points out something very important that every anti-free trade and “race to the bottom” proponent forgets:
research in both high- and low-income countries suggests that pollution control does not impose high costs on business firms. jaffe (1995) and others have shown that compliance costs for oecd industries are surprisingly small, despite the use of command-and-control regulations that are economically inefficient. these results suggest that differential pollution control costs do not provide oecd firms with strong incentives to move offshore. (pg. 6)
firms don’t take advantage of the initial lack of environmental regulation in whatever developing nation. the costs of complying with standards is not extremely high or a weighty cost. wheeler finds that inefficiency is linked to poorly run state-run enterprises in china before death of mao as an example. also, the assumption that poor countries don’t care about the environment is not true. and certainly, many multinational corporations find it in their interests to comply with regulations more so than native or state-run firms. i really do recommend reading wheeler’s world bank report. personally, my experience with environmental economics was zero before this paper.
the reasons stated above deal with the poor assumptions about how the “race to the bottom” plays out in international trade. there are other considerations to consider. the knutz curve. countries that become affluent and richer tend to have changes politically through access to education and new needs and wants. the knutz curve for the environment is relatively noisy. plotted data shows a slight inverted-u trend but it certainly doesn’t explain the specific differences in pollution amongst countries. certainly institutional effects, such as type of regulation, existing political ideology, strength of government in imposing laws or type of regulatory regime might explain differences among countries more. but certainly the increase in living standards lead to less pollution and increased political action. again, “race to the bottom” reveals to be a poor concept in every way. in a universe where the race to the bottom holds, the knutz curve would have the poor world at a high level of pollution in a free trade regime and the developed world at a lower level of pollution. that trend is non-existent.
what is interesting is that this doesn’t mean intra-country liberalization should also be immediate. china is an excellent example where in the 1980s deliberate and controlled liberalization lead to limited pockets of pollution, mostly state industries were polluting at a level that created permanently damaging ecological effects. if on one day the polluting industries were liberalized without time for the public to react to liberalization there would be high levels of pollution but in limited pockets. however, again it won’t be permanent or any worse than state enterprises. but add free trade and possibly the opposite occurs. no more race to the bottom. but before one reasons that the pollution occurs in large populace western nations as non-polluting industries leave for poor nations, consider figure 5 in the wheeler paper. the trend continues even into today. there are many reasons, from regulatory to technological improvements. as well, pigouvian taxation has been remarkable successful (see sulfur pollution in the us), much better than outright bans or regulation. it helps correct market failures and shows that complaints by firms concerning costs to avert pollution were exaggerations, the market shows the truth of their actions. this was noted by wheeler.
coming back to tim harford’s book, which i hate to steal from. even though i read the book years ago, one observation he shares from oecd data is that countries that practice protectionism in agriculture tend to have higher levels of fertilizer use. the intuitive reason of course is that if your comparative advantage for natural reasons is not agriculture but you still subsidize and protect it then your industry will rely on possibly high and unnecessary levels of fertilizer use. this can have an effect on soil quality in the future. this protectionism occurs in rich, developed countries. think of south korea, japan, usa, eu, etc. race to the bottom only occurs in protected industries. why this argument still remains prevalent against tpp for instance, i am unsure. i can only haphazardly assume it has to do with certain individuals’ political priors.
sources:
http://infohouse.p2ric.org/ref/22/21758.pdf
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/extpremnet/resources/ep86.pdf
http://steadystate.org/wp-content/uploads/stern_kuznetscurve.pdf
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ənd kəˈmɛndz ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt ənd hɪz ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən fər kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ənd rɪˈspɑndɪŋ tɪ citizens’*’ kənˈsərnz wɪθ sɛd ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃən; ənd ˈərʤɪz ðə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən, ɪn ˌkɑnsəlˈteɪʃən wɪθ ˈrɛləvənt rɪˈlɪʤəs ˈbɑdiz, tɪ ˌɪnˈklud ˈfərðər ˈnɛsəˌsɛri prəˈtɛkʃənz tɪ ˈseɪfˌgɑrd ðə rɪˈlɪʤəs raɪts əv ɔl americans.”*.” fən wɪθ ˈfənˌdreɪsɪŋ ʤɪst ən əˈnɔɪɪŋ riˈmaɪndər. ““potus”*” ər ““potus”*” ˈsɪmpli minz əv ðə juˈnaɪtɪd states.”*.” naʊ, ɔn wɪθ ðə ʃoʊ, ɛz dɪˈskraɪbd ɪn ðə waɪt haʊs pul rɪˈpɔrt frəm nu jɔrk taɪmz pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈraɪtər ˈpitər ˈbeɪkər, ˈaʊˌtlaɪnɪŋ ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈskɛʤʊl θru ˈθərzˌdeɪ. ˈlivɪŋ ˌkɑlərˈɑdoʊ spərɪŋz, wɪl hɛd tɪ ˈdɛnvər, wɛr hi wɪl ˈhɛˌdlaɪn ə rɪˈsɛpʃən fər 700 æt ðə haɪət ˈriʤənsi ˈdɛnvər æt ðə ˌkɑlərˈɑdoʊ kənˈvɛnʃən ˈsɛnər. ˈʤɛnərəl ədˈmɪʃən ˈtɪkɪts ˈstɑrtɪd æt 500 əˈpis nɛkst, hi flaɪz tɪ ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə, wɛr hi wɪl əˈpɪr æt ə ˈdɪnər æt ə ˈpraɪvət ˈrɛzɪdəns ðət wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ ˌɪnˈklud ə pərˈfɔrməns baɪ ˈdeɪvɪd ˈkrɔzbi ənd græm næʃ əv ˈkrɔzbi, stɪlz, ənd næʃ. əˈbaʊt 60 ˈpipəl ər ɪkˈspɛktɪd æt ðə ˈdɪnər fər apiece.”*.” ˈfɪnɪʃɪz ðə lɔŋ deɪ æt fɑks ˈθieɪtər ɪn ˈrɛdˌwʊd ˈsɪti, ˈkælɪf., wɛr hi wɪl ˈæˌdrɛs ˈpipəl hu peɪd fər ˈtɪkɪts ðət ˈstɑrtɪd æt 250 bɛn ˈhɑrpər wɪl pərˈfɔrm. təˈmɑˌroʊ, wɪl əˈtɛnd ə ˈfənˌdreɪzər wɪθ 20 ˈpipəl æt ðə ˈfɛrˌmɑnt sæn ˌhoʊˈzeɪ, wɪθ ˈtɪkɪts ˈkɔstɪŋ pər ˈpərsən. prəˈsidz frəm ɔl ðiz ɪˈvɛnts goʊ tɪ ˌoʊˈbɑmə ˈvɪktəri fund.”*.” ðə ˈputɪn ˈfæktər ˈfoʊˌtoʊz əv praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər vˈlædəmɪr ˈputɪn əˈstraɪd ə hɔrs spɑrkt məʧ prɛs ˈhəbəb ə fju jɪrz əˈgoʊ; ˈivɪn ðə steɪd taɪmz əv ˈləndən prɪˈdɪktɪd ðə ˈɪmɪʤɪz wʊd ˈtrɪgər mæs sˈwunɪŋ baɪ ˈwɪmən ɔl ˈoʊvər russia.”*.” pərˈhæps ðə ˈpeɪpər ɪz raɪt: nu ˈnəmbərz ʃoʊ ðət ðə ˈlidər ɪz ˌɪnˈdid ˈvɛri ˈpɑpjələr əˈməŋ ˈfiˌmeɪlz. ɪz wɛl laɪkt baɪ moʊst ˈrəʃənz, wɪθ ˈrəfli 7 ɪn 10 72 pərˈsɛnt) ˈɔfərɪŋ ə ˈfeɪvərəbəl əˈpɪnjən əv ðə ˈrisəntli ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈputɪn ɪz ˈbrɔdli ˈpɑpjələr, bət əˈspɛʃəli soʊ əˈməŋ women,”*,” noʊts ə nu pju ˈrisərʧ ˈsɛnər attitudes”*” ˈsərˌveɪ riˈlist ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ. ə ˈhɑrti 75 pərˈsɛnt əv ˈrəʃən ˈwɪmən hæv ə ˈfeɪvərəbəl ˌɪmˈprɛʃən əv ˈmɪstər. ˈputɪn, ɛz du ˈjəŋgər ˈædəlts ˈeɪʤɪz ənd ðoʊz wɪθ ə ˈsɛkənˌdɛri skul ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən ər lɛs. ˈrəʃənz ˈɔlsoʊ hæv chauvinism,”*,” ðə ˈsərˌveɪ sɪz, rɪˈvilɪŋ ðət 53 pərˈsɛnt əv ðə ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃən seɪ ðɛr ˈhoʊmˌlænd ʃʊd bi ˈrəʃənz only.”*.” ðə ˈnəmbər wɑz 26 pərˈsɛnt ɪn 1991 wɪn ðə ˈsoʊviˌɛt ˈjunjən wɑz nɪr ɪts ˈɛndˌpɔɪnt. ˈɪmɪʤ əv ˈrəʃə ɛz ən ˌɪmˈpɪriəl paʊər pərˈsɪsts əˈməŋ ə səbˈstænʃəl ˈnəmbər əv ˈrəʃənz təˈdeɪ. ə 44 pərˈsɛnt plərˈælɪti seɪ ˈnæʧərəl fər ðɛr ˈkəntri tɪ hæv ən empire,”*,” ðə ˈrisərʧ sɪz, ˈnoʊtɪŋ ðət 73 pərˈsɛnt θɪŋk ðət ˈrəʃə ʃʊd bi respected”*” əraʊnd wərld. ðə ˈsərˌveɪ əv ˈfeɪstuˈfeɪs ˈɪntərvˌjuz wɪθ ˈrəʃənz wɑz kənˈdəktəd mɑrʧ 4 əˈplɔz fər hoʊm frənt θri ʧɪrz fər ə ˈspɑrkəlɪŋ ɪˈvɛnt tɪ ˈɑnər ðə bɛst əv ðə əˈmɛrɪkən hoʊm frənt: ˈfæməli ənd frɛndz əv dɪˈplɔɪd ˈsərvɪs ˈmɛmbərz, ənd ðoʊz hu kɛr fər ˈwundɪd ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˈvɛtərənz. ðə ˈpɛnɪˌgɑn ˈfɛdərəl ˈkrɛdɪt ˈjunjən eɪθ ˈænjuəl əv ˈhɪroʊz gala”*” æt hɪˈstɔrɪk hoʊˈtɛl ɔn ˈθərzˌdeɪ ˈivnɪŋ həz drɔn səʧ gɛsts ɛz ˈlɔrə, mɪs əˈmɛrɪkə 2012 ˈæktər ʤoʊ mantegna*; ˈæʃtən bi. ˈkɑrtər, ˈdɛpjəti ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri əv dɪˈfɛns; rɪˈtaɪrd ʤɛn. ˈbɛri məˈkæfri; ˈɛnˌbiˈsi ˈpɛnɪˌgɑn ˌkɔrəˈspɑndənt ʤɪm miklaszewski*; ənd ˈdæljə ˈkɑnstənˌtin, hu kɛrd fər hər ˈʤəstɪn ˈkɑnstənˌtin, ˈgreɪvli ˈwundɪd ɛz ə juz. mərˈin ɪn ˌɪˈrɑk sɪks jɪrz əˈgoʊ. hæv səʧ ə dip ənd ˈhɑrtˌfɛlt sɛns əv ˈgrætəˌtud fər ðə ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbəl ˈsækrəˌfaɪsɪz meɪd baɪ ɑr ˈwundɪd ˈsoʊlʤərz, ɑr kərˈeɪʤəs ˈvɛtərənz, ənd ðɛr dɪˈvoʊtɪd families,”*,” mɪs sɪz. ðə ˈkələr θim fər ðə ˈivnɪŋ ɪz goʊld, wɪθ ə hɪnt əv blu, ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzərz seɪ, wɪθ waɪt ˈɔrkədz ənd ɔn ðə tabletops*. ˈkjʊriəs əˈbaʊt ðə ˈmɛnju? ɪt ˌɪnˈkludz ““wedge”*” ˈlɛtəs ˈsæləd wɪθ ˈkrəmbəld ˈʧɛdər ʧiz, ˈbeɪkən, rɛd ˈənjən, təˈmɑˌtoʊ ənd rænʧ ˈdrɛsɪŋ; ˈænʧoʊ bif ˈtɛndərˌlɔɪn wɪθ sɔs; lik mæʃt pəˈteɪtoʊz; ˈʤəmboʊ əˈspɛrəgəs; təˈmɑˌtoʊ; ənd ˈʧɔklət fəʤ keɪk wɪθ ˈsɔltɪd ˈkɛrəməl sɔs ənd ˈlɛmən ˌsɔrˈbeɪ. ˈvɪzɪt ðə nɑnˈprɑfət faʊnˈdeɪʃən æt poʊl də ʤur 60 pərˈsɛnt əv əˈmɛrɪkənz seɪ ðə rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈpɑrti ɪz moʊst əˈtund tɪ rɪˈlɪʤəs kənˈsərvətɪvz; 9 pərˈsɛnt saɪt ˈdɛməˌkræts, 11 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ðə ˈpɑrtiz hæv ˈikwəl ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti, 11 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ““neither.”*.” 31 pərˈsɛnt seɪ rɪˈpəblɪkənz ər moʊst əˈtund tɪ ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri ˌpərsəˈnɛl; 23 pərˈsɛnt saɪt ˈdɛməˌkræts, 31 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ðə ˈpɑrtiz hæv ˈikwəl ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti, 10 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ““neither.”*.” 37 pərˈsɛnt seɪ rɪˈpəblɪkənz ər moʊst əˈtund tɪ ˈoʊnərz; 31 pərˈsɛnt saɪt ˈdɛməˌkræts, 15 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ðə ˈpɑrtiz hæv ˈikwəl ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti, 10 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ““neither.”*.” 29 pərˈsɛnt seɪ rɪˈpəblɪkənz ər moʊst əˈtund tɪ riˈtaɪˈriz; 31 pərˈsɛnt saɪt ˈdɛməˌkræts, 20 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ðə ˈpɑrtiz hæv ˈikwəl ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti, 16 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ““neither.”*.” 30 pərˈsɛnt seɪ rɪˈpəblɪkənz ər moʊst əˈtund tɪ ənd jʊr family”*”; 37 pərˈsɛnt saɪt ˈdɛməˌkræts, 15 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ðə ˈpɑrtiz hæv ˈikwəl ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti, 16 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ““neither.”*.” 27 pərˈsɛnt seɪ rɪˈpəblɪkənz ər moʊst əˈtund tɪ ðə ˈmɪdəl klæs; 40 pərˈsɛnt saɪt ˈdɛməˌkræts, 17 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ðə ˈpɑrtiz hæv ˈikwəl ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti, 14 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ““neither.”*.” 5 pərˈsɛnt seɪ rɪˈpəblɪkənz ər moʊst əˈtund tɪ geɪz ənd ˈlɛzbiənz; 63 pərˈsɛnt saɪt ˈdɛməˌkræts, 13 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ðə ˈpɑrtiz hæv ˈikwəl ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti, 14 pərˈsɛnt seɪ ““neither.”*.” sɔrs: ən ˈɛnˌbiˈsi strit ˈʤərnəl poʊl əv juz. ˈædəlts kənˈdəktəd meɪ skwɔks, tɪ ˈkɑpiˌraɪt 2019 ðə ˈwɔʃɪŋtən taɪmz, llc*. klɪk hir fər riˈprɪnt pərˈmɪʃən.
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in the wake of a damning media research center report that broadcast news networks afforded a mere 19 seconds of coverage to historic catholic lawsuits challenging the white house on certain mandates in the health care bill, religious and pro-life leaders have stepped forward to express “outrage” at abc, cbs and nbc.
the list so far: patrick reilly, president of the cardinal newman society; marjorie dannenfelser, president of the susan b. anthony list; the rev. jonathan morris, fox news analyst and program director for the catholic channel on sirius xm radio; matt smith, president of the catholic advocate; the rev. robert sirico, president of the acton institute; brian burch, president of catholicvote.org; lila rose, president of live action; ed whelan, president ethics and public policy center; and bill donohue, president of the catholic league.
“the elite media may attempt to ignore what is about to happen in our nation regarding religious freedom, but believers of all religious traditions, and even nonbelievers who are fair-minded, are about to retrieve america’s rich and firm tradition of religious liberty, sending intolerant secularists into retreat,” observes the aforementioned mr. smith.
and another voice
citing “certain minimum health insurance coverage requirements” that “would require some employers to violate the injunctions of their religion,” the rabbinical council of america, which represents 1,000 orthodox rabbis in 14 countries, issued this resolution at its recent convention, declaring the organization:
“commends the catholic church and other religious organizations for raising issues of concern on this matter; and commends the president and his administration for considering and responding to citizens’ concerns with said regulation; and urges the administration, in consultation with relevant religious bodies, to include further necessary protections to safeguard the religious rights of all americans.”
fun with fundraising
just an annoying reminder. “potus” or “potus” simply means “president of the united states.” now, on with the show, as described in the white house pool report from new york times political writer peter baker, outlining president obama’s schedule through thursday.
“after leaving colorado springs, potus will head to denver, where he will headline a reception for 700 at the hyatt regency denver at the colorado convention center. general admission tickets started at $500 apiece next, he flies to california, where he will appear at a dinner at a private residence that will also include a performance by david crosby and graham nash of crosby, stills, and nash. about 60 people are expected at the dinner for $35,800 apiece.”
“then potus finishes the long day at fox theater in redwood city, calif., where he will address 1,100 people who paid for tickets that started at $250. ben harper will perform. tomorrow, potus will attend a fundraiser with 20 people at the fairmont san jose, with tickets costing $35,800 per person. proceeds from all these events go to obama victory fund.”
the putin factor
shirtless photos of then-russian prime minister vladimir putin astride a horse sparked much press hubbub a few years ago; even the staid times of london predicted the images would “inevitably trigger mass swooning by women all over russia.” perhaps the paper is right: new numbers show that the leader is indeed very popular among females.
“putin is well liked by most russians, with roughly 7 in 10 (72 percent) offering a favorable opinion of the recently re-elected president . putin is broadly popular, but especially so among women,” notes a new pew research center “global attitudes” survey released wednesday.
a hearty 75 percent of russian women have a favorable impression of mr. putin, as do younger adults ages 30-49 and those with a secondary school education or less. russians also have “ethnic chauvinism,” the survey says, revealing that 53 percent of the population say their homeland should be “for russians only.” the number was 26 percent in 1991 when the soviet union was near its endpoint.
“the image of russia as an imperial power persists among a substantial number of russians today. a 44 percent plurality say natural for their country to have an empire,” the research says, noting that 73 percent think that russia should be “more respected” around world. the survey of 1,000 face-to-face interviews with russians was conducted march 19-april 4.
applause for home front
three cheers for a sparkling event to honor the best of the american home front: family and friends of deployed service members, and those who care for wounded military veterans.
the pentagon federal credit union foundation’s eighth annual “night of heroes gala” at washington’s historic ritz-carlton hotel on thursday evening has drawn such guests as laura kaeppeler, miss america 2012; actor joe mantegna; ashton b. carter, deputy secretary of defense; retired gen. barry mccaffrey; nbc pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski; and dahlia constantine, who cared for her then-fiance justin constantine, gravely wounded as a u.s. marine in iraq six years ago.
“i have such a deep and heartfelt sense of gratitude for the incredible sacrifices made by our wounded soldiers, our courageous veterans, and their devoted families,” miss kaeppeler says.
the color theme for the evening is gold, with a hint of blue, organizers say, with white orchids and hydrangea on the tabletops. curious about the menu? it includes “wedge” lettuce salad with crumbled cheddar cheese, bacon, red onion, tomato and ranch dressing; ancho chili-roasted beef tenderloin with tomatillo sauce; leek mashed potatoes; jumbo asparagus; oven-roasted tomato; and seven-layer chocolate fudge cake with salted caramel sauce and lemon sorbet.
visit the nonprofit foundation at www.pentagonfoundation.org
poll du jour
• 60 percent of americans say the republican party is most attuned to religious conservatives; 9 percent cite democrats, 11 percent say the parties have equal sensitivity, 11 percent say “neither.”
• 31 percent say republicans are most attuned to military personnel; 23 percent cite democrats, 31 percent say the parties have equal sensitivity, 10 percent say “neither.”
• 37 percent say republicans are most attuned to small-business owners; 31 percent cite democrats, 15 percent say the parties have equal sensitivity, 10 percent say “neither.”
• 29 percent say republicans are most attuned to retirees; 31 percent cite democrats, 20 percent say the parties have equal sensitivity, 16 percent say “neither.”
• 30 percent say republicans are most attuned to “you and your family”; 37 percent cite democrats, 15 percent say the parties have equal sensitivity, 16 percent say “neither.”
• 27 percent say republicans are most attuned to the middle class; 40 percent cite democrats, 17 percent say the parties have equal sensitivity, 14 percent say “neither.”
• 5 percent say republicans are most attuned to gays and lesbians; 63 percent cite democrats, 13 percent say the parties have equal sensitivity, 14 percent say “neither.”
source: an nbc news/wall street journal poll of 1,000 u.s. adults conducted may 16-20.
• squawks, tut-tuts to jharper@washingtontimes.com
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ə ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən wɪθ ðə grəˈfiti ˈɑrtɪst ganzeer*. bidoun*: ˌɪntrəˈdus ˈjɔrsɛlf. ɔl wi noʊ ɪz ðət ju ər ə strit ˈɑrtɪst. ganzeer*: noʊ, nɑt ɔl. bət səm θɪŋz ər mɔr ˈsutəbəl ɔn ðə strit. bi: hæv ju bɪn ˈmeɪkɪŋ θɪŋz ə lɔŋ taɪm? ʤi: sɪns 2007 bi: wət wər ju duɪŋ ˌbiˈfɔr ðət? ər ju ə dɪˈzaɪnər, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl? ʤi: jæ. bi: soʊ ɑrt həz bɪn ˈsəmθɪŋ ɔn ðə saɪd, ər dɪˈzaɪn wɑz ɔn ðə saɪd? ʤi: nɑt ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli. aɪ min, aɪ du boʊθ. bi: ju du kəˈmərʃəl wərk? ʤi: frəm taɪm tɪ taɪm. bi: ˈminɪŋ ju hæv ə ʤɑb? ʤi: ˈbɪŋgoʊ. bi: traɪɪŋ tɪ gɪt æt wət ju wər duɪŋ before…*… ʤi: wət du ju min? bi: kəm aʊt ənd seɪ ɪt ər ju ən ˈɑrtɪst? wər ju ən ˈɑrtɪst? c’mon*, ə ˈstreɪtˈfɔrwərd kˈwɛʃən. ʤi: well…*… bi: lɛt mi pʊt ɪt ðɪs weɪ: ər ju ˈsəmˌwən hu θɪŋks əˈbaʊt jʊr wərk ənd ðə juz əv jʊr wərk ənd ðə kˈwɛʃən əv waɪ wən ʃʊd wərk? ʤi: jæ. aɪ min, ʃʊr. ɪn ˈʤɛnərəl. bi: soʊ ˌbiˈfɔr ðə, haʊ wər ju ˈfilɪŋ əˈbaʊt jʊr wərk ənd ðə ˈjuzɪz əv jʊr wərk? ʤi: aɪ min, aɪ ˈɑbviəsli θɪŋk ɪt wɑz ˈvɛri meaningful…*… ˌbiˈfɔr. bi: ju wər, seɪ, ˈfrəˌstreɪtəd? ʤi: nɑt ʃʊr aɪ hæd riʧt ðə pɔɪnt əv frəˈstreɪʃən yet…*… bi: hæd ju dən ʃoʊz ɪn ˈgæləriz? ʤi: jæ. bət mɔr əv ðə ˈprɑbləm. bi: tɛl mi waɪ? ʤi: waɪ ɪz ɪt pɑrt əv ðə ˈprɑbləm? ɪt doesn’t…*… bɪˈkəz ɪt fən. bi: ɪt ˈsætɪsˌfaɪɪŋ? ʤi: noʊ! bi: bət jʊr ˈvɛri oʊn ʃoʊ?! ʤi: jɛs, maɪ ˈvɛri oʊn ʃoʊ! bi: ə ˈsoʊˌloʊ ʃoʊ! ʤi: jɛs, ˈivɪn ˈsoʊˌloʊ ʃoʊz! bi: ɪt ˈsætɪsˌfaɪɪŋ bɪˈkəz ɪt ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt. ˌoʊˈkeɪ. ənd wət wɑz ðə ˈsɛnər əv jʊr wərk æt ðə taɪm? ʤi: maɪ wərk ɛz ə hoʊl? bi: jɛs, ɪn ˈʤɛnərəl. ʤi: aɪ min, ɪt dɪˈpɛndz ɔn ðə θɪŋ. bi: naʊ wi ər ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈsəmˌwɛr. soʊ wərk dɪˈpɛndz ɔn ðə θɪŋ? ʤi: raɪt. bi: ɪz ɪt fɛr tɪ seɪ ðət? ʤi: jɛs, fɛr tɪ seɪ. bi: soʊ, ju wɔnt tɪ just…*… wərk. ju ˈwɔntɪd tɪ bi rɪˈspɑndɪŋ tɪ ˈsəmθɪŋ? ʤi: raɪt. bi: soʊ wət kaɪnd əv θɪŋz wʊd ju rɪˈspɑnd tɪ? ʤi: wət kaɪnd əv θɪŋz? ˌoʊˈkeɪ, laɪk ðɪs ðɛr ər tu taɪps əv shows…*… ər things…*… bɪn ˌɪnˈvɑlvd wɪθ soʊ fɑr. wən wɛr aɪ hæv ən aɪˈdiə, ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəntli, ənd aɪ du ɪt, tɛl ˈpipəl ənd laɪk, ““great*, ˌoʊˈkeɪ, du this.”*.” ðɛn wɪn ˈsəmˌwən sɪz ˈsəmθɪŋ laɪk, ““okay*, goʊɪŋ tɪ du ə ʃoʊ əˈbaʊt ðɪs θim, ðɪs thing.”*.” ənd ə bənʧ əv ˈdɪfərənt ˈɑrtɪsts du ˈsəmθɪŋ ɔn ðɪs θim. ənd ðɛn du fər ðɪs θɪŋ, seɪ. soʊ jæ, ˈrɪli ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn boʊθ. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, boʊθ ər kaɪnd əv dictated…*… ɪn wən ju ər pʊt ɪn ðɪs ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən əv ˈhævɪŋ tɪ ˈfɪgjər aʊt wət tɪ du wɪθ ɪt, ðɪs spɪˈsɪfɪk θim. tɪ rɪˈspɑnd tɪ ɪt ər ˌwəˈtɛvər. soʊ ju du ə spɪˈsɪfɪk θɪŋ, rɪˈspɑndɪŋ tɪ ðə θɪŋ, ənd ɪt maɪt bi nis fər ðɪs θɪŋ ər ˌwəˈtɛvər, but…*… ðɛr ɪz stɪl ə ˈvɛri spɪˈsɪfɪk taɪp əv ˈɔdiəns ðət goʊz tɪ ðɪs θɪŋ tɪ si ðiz taɪps əv things…*… ˈwɛðər ə spɪˈsɪfɪk ˈɔdiəns ɪn ˈkaɪroʊ ər ˈɛlsˌwɛr, stɪl ðə seɪm ˈvɛri spɪˈsɪfɪk ˈɔdiəns, ənd ðeɪ si θɪŋz ɪn ə ˈvɛri spɪˈsɪfɪk sɔrt əv weɪ. ɔn ðə ˈəðər hænd ˈivɪn ɪf ju du jʊr oʊn stəf, fər ˈjɔrsɛlf ju du jʊr oʊn stəf noʊɪŋ duɪŋ ɪt fər ə ˈgæləri, eventually…*… ˈɑbviəsli ɪf aɪ du ˈsəmθɪŋ fər ə ˈgæləri ɪt bi ðə seɪm ɛz ˈsəmθɪŋ aɪ wʊd du fər ðə strit ər ɪn ðə fɔrm əv ə ˈfrikɪŋ zaɪn ðət aɪ gɪv ˈpipəl ɔn ðə street…*… ər ˈsəmθɪŋ fər ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt. laɪk, ɪn iʧ ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən aɪ hæv ðə ˈɔdiəns ɪn maɪnd, ˈəðərˌwaɪz aɪ wʊd bi kaɪnd əv ˈstupɪd. soʊ ˈbeɪsɪkli, seɪ ðə ˈgæləri stəf ɪz ðə list ˈsætɪsˌfaɪɪŋ wərk ju kʊd ˈɛvər du, bɪˈkəz ə wət ɪt minz tɪ ðə ˈɔdiəns ɪz nɑt ˈrɛləvənt tɪ laɪf. ju noʊ wət seɪɪŋ? bi: jæ. aɪ ʤɪst wɔnt ju tɪ seɪ ɪt. soʊ haʊ dɪd ðə θɪŋ ðət ˈhæpənd sɪns ðə əˈfɛkt ðə θɪŋz ju meɪk? ʤi: ju min sɪns ˈʤænjuˌɛri 25 kaɪnd əv fəkt əp. laɪk ɪt ˈɔlˌweɪz ɪz. aɪ wɑz ˈmoʊstli steɪɪŋ æt ˈpleɪsɪz, əraʊnd, ˌwəˈtɛvər. bi: mɔr ˈkɑnˌkritli? ʤi: wɛl. aɪ kaɪnd əv dɪd ə θɪŋ kaɪnd əv hush-hush*, tɔp ˈsikrɪt. aɪ dɪd ðɪs ˈlɪtəl ˈliflət ɛz ə pdf*. ədˈvaɪs fər protesters…*… bi: ɪz ðɪs ðə peɪʤ θɪŋ?! ʤi: wɑz ɪt ˈpeɪʤɪz? aɪ meɪd ɪt ɔn ðə twenty-seventh…*… bi: wət wɑz ɪn ðə ˈmænjuəl? ʤi: ʤɪst ədˈvaɪs. bi: laɪk ˈpræktɪkəl ədˈvaɪs? ʤi: jæ, laɪk wɛr, ənd haʊ, wi ʃʊd muv, məˈnuvər, θɪŋz laɪk ðət. bi: ənd haʊ dɪd ju kəm əp wɪθ ðɪs stəf? ʤi: wɛl, kaɪnd əv baɪ koʊˈɪnsɪdəns aɪ plænd tɪ ʤɔɪn ðə ˈproʊˌtɛsts ɔn ðə. aɪ wɑz ʤɪst ˈhæŋɪŋ aʊt wɪθ frɛndz hu lɪvd kloʊz tɪ. deɪ əv, raɪt. wi wər ʤɪst əraʊnd. ˈlɪsənɪŋ tɪ mˈjuzɪk. bi: wət mˈjuzɪk? ʤi: bɑb ˈdɪlən. [ˈlæftər. ʃɔrt breɪk fər əˈplɔz.] ənd ðɛn, soʊ laɪk siɪŋ ðiz tweets*, tˈwɪtər ækˈtɪvɪti, ənd ɔl əv ə ˈsədən aɪ si ˈmæsɪz əv ˈpipəl, ˈmæsɪz əv tweets*, lɪv ˈvɪdioʊz. laɪk ˈmæsɪz raɪt? ənd tɪ si ɪt ˈhæpənɪŋ ˈpipəl ˈʤɔɪnɪŋ, ˈʧæntɪŋ, laɪk, ðə ˈærəb ˈænθəm. ʤɪst ɔn ðə strits ɪt fɛlt ˈrɪli əˈmeɪzɪŋ. soʊ aɪ wɛnt daʊn, aɪ hɪt ðə strits ənd ðɛr wər əv raɪət pəˈlis ˈɛvriˌwɛr sərˈaʊndɪŋ ðə skwɛr tɪ meɪk ʃʊr ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi gɪts θru. baɪ ðə taɪm aɪ riʧt ðɛm, ðə people…*… nɑt ʃʊr wɛr ðeɪ wər ˈkəmɪŋ frəm ðeɪ wər ˈmɑrʧɪŋ, ðeɪ kɛpt ˈkəmɪŋ, ðeɪ kɛpt ərˈaɪvɪŋ. aɪ wɑz kaɪnd əv ˈwɔkɪŋ ɔn ðə ˈsaɪdˌwɔk ənd ðɛr ər əv ˈpipəl ˈstændɪŋ ɔn ðə ˈsaɪdˌwɔk too…*… lɑts əv ˈproʊˌtɛstərz ˈʧæntɪŋ, ənd ðeɪ mɛt əp wɪθ ðə raɪət pəˈlis hu wər ʤɪst bɪˈhaɪnd mi ənd æt ðət ˈmoʊmənt ðeɪ klæʃt. pɪnd ðɛm ɪn. ənd ðɛn ðə ˈpipəl hu wər ʤɪst ˈstændɪŋ ɔn ðə saɪdz wɛnt bərˈsərk. ðeɪ ˈstɑrtɪd ˈʃaʊtɪŋ æt ðə pəˈlis ənd ðɛn ˈɛvriˌwən ˈstɑrtɪd ˈʤəmpɪŋ ɔf ðə reɪlz, ənd ˈfəkɪŋ ˈpaʊndɪŋ ðə police…*…. bi: ðə ˈpipəl ɔn ðə saɪdz ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈproʊˌtɛstərz? ʤi: noʊ! ɪgˈzæktli ðeɪ wər ʤɪst ðə ˈpipəl ɔn ðə strit, ˈloʊkəlz, ˈwərkərz, bət wɪn ðeɪ sɔ wət wɑz goʊɪŋ ɔn, ðeɪ ʤɪst hæd tɪ ʤɔɪn bɪˈkəz ɪt wɑz ʤɪst soʊ ˈfəkɪŋ ju noʊ? soʊ, ˈɛniˌweɪ, aɪ ˈɛndɪd əp there…*… ənd aɪ ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ ˈnoʊtɪs haʊ ðə raɪət pəˈlis hæd ə strategy…*… ðeɪ wʊd pʊl bæk ənd ˈpipəl wʊd stɑrt rɪˈlæksɪŋ, ʤɪst chilling…*… ðeɪ ˈstɑrtɪd ˈʧɪlɪŋ ənd ˈstɑrtɪd ˈmɑrʧɪŋ təˈwɔrd, seɪ, ɛl strit, bət æt ðə seɪm taɪm ðeɪ wər ˈtoʊtəli ˌɪgˈnɔrɪŋ ðə fækt ðət raɪət pəˈlis wər ˈkloʊzɪŋ ɔf ðə rɛst əv sərˈaʊndɪŋ strits. ɪt wɑz wɪrd fər mi, ʤɪst ɛz ən əbˈzərvər: waɪ wər ðeɪ ˌɪgˈnɔrɪŋ ðə raɪət pəˈlis bɪˈhaɪnd ðɛm ənd tɪ ðɛr saɪdz? ˈɑbviəsli ðeɪ wər goʊɪŋ tɪ gɪt ˈkɔrnərd. wɪʧ ɪz wət ˈhæpənd. ɪt gɑt mi tɪ θɪŋk, ˌoʊˈkeɪ, ˈmeɪbi aɪ ʃʊd pʊt ˈsəmθɪŋ təˈgɛðər ənd sprɛd ɪt aʊt. ˈmeɪbi aɪ kʊd help…*…. bi: soʊ ɪt wɑz ʤɪst frəm ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃən? ʤi: aɪ min, ɪt wɑz ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃən fərst, pləs θɪŋz aɪ lʊkt əp ˈɔnˌlaɪn. laɪk, wət tɪ du wɪθ tɪr gæs: juz ˈwɔtər, juz ðɪs ər that…*… bət ðə mɔr spɪˈsɪfɪk ˈkaɪroʊ stəf hæd tɪ du ˈprɪti məʧ wɪθ ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃən. wɪθ ðə hoʊp ðət ˈpipəl wʊd bi mɔr kəˈlɛktɪvli ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzd. bi: wər ju ən ˈæktɪvɪst ˌbiˈfɔr ðɪs? ʤi: noʊ! nɑt ən ˈæktɪvɪst, bət aɪ hæv ˈmaɪndɪd biɪŋ wən, ˈɑbviəsli. bət ɪt laɪk maɪ ˈmɪʃən ɪn laɪf. jæ, bət ɪt wɑz ˈɑbviəs ðət wi noʊ wət ðə fək ðeɪ wər duɪŋ. ðeɪ ʤɪst ˈwɔntɪd tɪ hɛd tɪ ðə strits ənd ˈfɪgjər ʃɪt aʊt ɔn ðə weɪ. bi: wət ɛls dɪd ju du ˈdʊrɪŋ ðət ˈpɪriəd? ʤi: ɛz fɑr ɛz dɪˈzaɪn ənd ɑrt, ðət wɑz ðə meɪn θɪŋ. ənd ðɛn ðɛr wər ˈstɪkərz ənd flaɪərz ənd spɪˈsɪfɪk θɪŋz fər ˌhiliˈɑpələs, wɛr frəm. wi dɪd ə ˈproʊˌtɛst ɪn ˌhiliˈɑpələs. bi: wət wɑz ðə ˈɪmpətəs fər ðət? ʤi: ˈmɪdˌweɪ ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə θɪŋ ðə hoʊl ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən ðɛr wɑz ə pɔɪnt wɪn ju gɑt ɔl ðiz ˈrɪli ˈɑnəst, ˈrɪli sɪnˈsɪr, ˈpipəl. əˈspɛʃəli wɛr aɪ æm frəm. ðət wɑz ðə pɑrt ðət wɑz ˈrɪli sæd. aɪ wʊd kəm hir tɪ, ənd ˈɛvriˌbɑdi wʊd bi ˈsɛləˌbreɪtɪŋ, ɛz ɪf ðeɪ wər ɔl əv ˈiʤɪpt, pɛnd ɪn baɪ ðə ˈɑrmi. bət ɔn ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən, ənd ɪn ˈnuzˌpeɪpərz, ðɛr wər ðiz laɪz biɪŋ sprɛd, ðət ðə ˈpipəl ɪn wər mɪkst əp wɪθ ˈfɔrənərz, and…*… goʊ hoʊm tɪ ˌhiliˈɑpələs ənd ˈpipəl wər ˈplæstərɪŋ flaɪərz ˈɛvriˌwɛr ənd aɪ wɑz laɪk, djudz?! ˈθɪŋkɪŋ duɪŋ, laɪk, nis gʊd didz, fər ðə ˈpipəl əv ˈiʤɪpt. ˈhændɪŋ ðɛm aʊt tɪ kɑz ɪn ˈtræfɪk. ənd ðə gaɪz ˌɪnˈsaɪd ər ˈprɑbəˌbli laɪk, out!”*!” soʊ aɪ wʊd kəm, ənd ðeɪ wʊd æsk mi fər ˈstɔriz, ənd bi laɪk, jæ, ʧɛk aʊt ðiz ˈvɪdioʊz. ənd ʃoʊ ðɛm ðiz ˈvɪdioʊz. ənd bi laɪk, ʃɪt, ɔl ðiz ˈpipəl ɪn tahrir!”*!” ðeɪ hæd noʊ aɪˈdiə ðət ðɪs wɑz ə ˌrɛvəˈluʃən. bi: ˌoʊˈkeɪ, soʊ ðət wɑz ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˌrɛvəˈluʃən. wət əˈbaʊt naʊ wɪθ ðə ˈʧeɪnʤɪz ðət hæv ˈteɪkən pleɪs, ˌwəˈtɛvər wi kɔl ðɛm ðə ʧeɪnʤ əv ˈætməsˌfɪr. wʊd ju seɪ ɪt həz ʧeɪnʤd ðə weɪ ðət ju wərk, ər ʤɪst ˈgɪvɪn ju ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈkɑntɛkst? ʤi: aɪ θɪŋk ʤɪst ˈgɪvɪn mi ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈkɑntɛkst. bi: ɪt ˈɪntərɪsts mi ˈkəmɪŋ frəm ə ˈkəntri wɛr wi hæv nɑt ˌoʊvərθˈroʊn muˈbɑrɪk ɪn ə weɪ wi stɪl wɔnt, ənd du nɑt hæv, wət ju naʊ hæv, ɪn tərmz əv ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈkɑntɛkst ɪn wɪʧ tɪ meɪk ənd ʃoʊ wərk. ʤi: wɛl, aɪ noʊ. ˌɔlˈðoʊ, əm, aɪ θɪŋk ju gaɪz ənd aɪ gɛs baɪ ju gaɪz, aɪ min ˈpipəl ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ðə steɪts ju du hæv ə lɔt tɪ tɔk about…*… bət ju maɪt nɑt ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli bi ˈvɛri əˈwɛr əv, əv, of…*… aɪ min. ˈlɪsən. əˈmɛrɪkə ɪz nɑt ə dɪˈmɑkrəsi. ˌoʊˈkeɪ? ˈsəmθɪŋ tɪ tɔk əˈbaʊt. ju nid muˈbɑrɪk tɪ tɔk əˈbaʊt ˈpɑləˌtɪks, ju noʊ wət seɪɪŋ? ʤɪst bɪˈkəz ju gaɪz hæv ə ˈlɪtəl pis əv ˈpeɪpər ju pʊt ɪn ðə ˈbælət min ju hæv ə dɪˈmɑkrəsi. aɪ θɪŋk ðə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən həz bɪn ˈnutrəˌlaɪzd ɪn ðə steɪts, ɪn ə weɪ, fər ju gaɪz tɪ bɪˈliv ɪt ɪz ə dɪˈmɑkrəsi ðət ju ər fri. bi: wi ər ˈtoʊtəli free…*… tɪ ɪkˈsprɛs ɑrˈsɛlvz. ʤi: ɪgˈzæktli. bi: haʊ hæv ju bɪn ɪkˈsprɛsɪŋ ˈjɔrsɛlf ˈleɪtli? ʤi: ðə ˈmɑrtər mˈjʊrəl ˈprɑʤɛkt, wɪʧ ɪz, laɪk, bɪg mˈjʊrəlz wɪθ ˈmɑrtərz. ðɪs ɪz ə ˈlɔŋˈtərm θɪŋ, bɪˈkəz ɪt teɪks mi ə waɪl tɪ du wən. ənd ðɛr ər ə lɔt əv ðɛm. soʊ ˈɔnˌgoʊɪŋ. bi: ənd ju du ðɪs wɪˈθaʊt pərˈmɪʃən ju ʤɪst pɪk ə wɔl? ʤi: jæ. ˈjuʒəwəli ˈpəblɪk wɔlz. bi: aɪ hərd wən əv jʊr ˈmɑrtərz gɑt ˈpeɪnɪd over…*… ʤi: wən əv ðə ˈmɑrtərz wɑz ɪˈreɪst, wɪθ ə ˈhɔrəbəl wɪrd ˈkələr. ɪt kɔzd ən ˈaʊˌtreɪʤ ɪn ðə twittersphere*. bi: du ju noʊ hu ɪˈreɪst the…*… ʤi: lʊks laɪk ə ˈgəvərnmənt ʤɑb tɪ mi. ðət ˈɔfəl ˈkələr, mæn! ənd ðə peɪnt ˈsplætərd ɔl ˈoʊvər ðə flɔr ˈvɛri ˈgəvərnmənt. ɪt ˈstɑrtɪd ən ˈaʊˌtreɪʤ soʊ kaɪnd əv ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzɪŋ a…*… rɪˈspɑns. ˈkɔlɪŋ ɪt ðə mæd grəˈfiti ˈwiˌkɪnd. ənd goʊɪŋ tɪ ˈmoʊbəˌlaɪz ənd hɪt ˈsɛvərəl loʊˈkeɪʃənz əˈkrɔs ˈkaɪroʊ. bi: haʊ ˈmɛni əv ju ər ðɛr? ʤi: aɪ hæv noʊ aɪˈdiə, dud; ɪt dɪˈpɛndz ɔn hu ʃoʊz əp. bi: soʊ naʊ ə strit ˈɑrtɪst? ʤi: wɛl noʊ, nɑt æt ɔl. bi: wʊd ju seɪ ðət ju kɛr əˈbaʊt strit ɑrt? ər ju nɑt kɛr əˈbaʊt strit ɑrt? ʤi: jæ. aɪ min, aɪ əˈpoʊz ðə aɪˈdiə əv strit ɑrt. bi: bət nɑt ə θɪŋ. ʤi: raɪt, bət aɪ du θɪŋk ðət ɪt ɪz ən ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt θɪŋ. ɛz ə weɪ tɪ riˈkleɪm ðə strits, meɪk ɪt ðə strit, nɑt ˈɛnibədi else’s…*… ðə aɪˈdiə ðət ju nid pərˈmɪʃən. bi: ju hæv ə nu ɪmˈplɔɪər. ju hæv ə nu ˈkɑntɛkst ənd ˈtɔkɪŋ tɪ ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈɔdiəns, wɪʧ ɪz suddenly…*… ðə ˈpipəl. ˈrəðər than…*… ɑrt ˈpipəl. dɪz ðɪs ˈɔdiəns ɪgˈzərt ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈprɛʃər ɪn tərmz əv intelligibility…*… ðə ˈprɛʃər, seɪ, tɪ bi ˈizəli ˌəndərˈstʊd? ʤi: aɪ min, aɪ θɪŋk ə gʊd aɪˈdiə tɪ ˈəndərˈɛstəˌmeɪt jʊr ˈɔdiəns æt ɔl, bət æt ðə seɪm taɪm, aɪ θɪŋk fɛr tɪ kriˈeɪt ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət dɪˈzərv tɪ bi kriˈeɪtɪd ɪn ðə fərst pleɪs. ðət ˈwərði əv being…*… sin. ɪf tu ənˈklɪr tɪ ðə pɔɪnt əv ɪt nɑt ˈminɪŋ ˈɛniˌθɪŋ æt ɔl ɪf ðət ənˈklɪr ðɛn aɪ fil ˈmeɪbi ɪt dɪˈzərv tɪ exist…*… ɪt nidz tɪ hæv ˈpipəl ˌɪnˈvɑlvd wɪn siɪŋ ɪt. laɪk ˈraɪtɪŋ ə bʊk ðət bi ɔn ðə ʃɛlf. ɪt həz tɪ bi ˈwərði əv ə taɪm tɪ wərk θru, tɪ flɪp θru, tɪ rɛd ɪt. bi: bət wət meɪks ɪt ˈwərði? ʤi: wət meɪks ɪt ˈwərði ɪz ðət ɪt ɪz ˈrɛləvənt tɪ ðə vjuər, nɑt ˈoʊnli ˈrɛləvənt tɪ ˈjɔrsɛlf. ɪf ʤɪst ˈrɛləvənt tɪ ˈjɔrsɛlf, ðɛn ðɛr ɪz noʊ ˈrizən tɪ pʊt ɪt ɔn ðə strit. aɪ kʊd ʤɪst du ɪt ɔn maɪ oʊn, æt hoʊm, ɔn ə pis əv ˈpeɪpər ər ˈskɛʧˌbʊk. bət waɪ du aɪ ʧuz tɪ pʊt ɪt aʊt ðɛr? bɪˈkəz ɪt həz tɪ bi ˈrɛləvənt ˈɑbviəsli, ɪf duɪŋ ɪt, ɪt ʃʊd bi ˈrɛləvənt tɪ mi, bət ɪf ˈpʊtɪŋ ɪt aʊt ðɛr, aɪ wɔnt ɪt tɪ bi ˈrɛləvənt tɪ ˈəðər ˈpipəl. bi: ju wɔnt jʊr wərk tɪ wərk. ʤi: jæ. bət wɪˈθaʊt ˌəndərˈɛstɪˌmeɪtɪŋ ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns. bi: du ju hæv ˈɛni ɪgˈzæmpəlz əv ˈkəmɪŋ əp əˈgɛnst ðɪs ˈɪʃu? ʤi: wɛl, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, aɪ dɪd ə pis ɪn əv muˈbɑrɪk ənd hɪz ˈfæməli. bi: oʊ ju dɪd ðət pis? ˈvɛri photo-real*. ʤi: life-size*. ʤɪst ðə, ˈteɪkɪŋ ə stroʊl, sərˈaʊndɪd baɪ ˈlɪtəl hɑrts. aɪ dru ðɛm, ənd aɪ dru ˈlɪtəl hɑrts əraʊnd ðɛm. ənd ðət wɑz ɪt fər mi, aɪ wɑz dən. bət ðɛn wɪn ˈpipəl wər ˈpæsɪŋ baɪ səm ˈpipəl wʊd bi laɪk: ɔn ə wɔl sərˈaʊndɪd baɪ ˈlɪtəl hɑrts wət ðə fək ɪz goʊɪŋ ɔn?! ənd aɪ ˈnoʊtɪst ðət səm ˈpipəl kənfˈjuzd ðə ˈmɛsɪʤ. ɪt maɪt hæv rɛd like…*… bi: ləv mubarak.”*.” ʤi: raɪt. ɪt maɪt hæv simd tɪ people…*… bi: aɪ θɔt ɪt wɑz steɪt ɑrt! ʤi: soʊ ˈpipəl gɑt ɪt kənfˈjuzd. bət ˌɪˈnɪʃəli wɪn aɪ keɪm əp wɪθ ðə aɪˈdiə ɪt ʤɪst meɪd sɛns tɪ mi ɪn ðət ðiz ˈpipəl ləv iʧ ˈəðər. [læfs] bi: ɪt wɑz raɪt ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðɪs ˈrɪli ˈstɑʤi ˈgæləri though…*… wɑz ɪt kəˈmɪʃənd? ʤi: well…*… ðə ˈoʊnər əv ðə ˈgæləri ˈwɔntɪd mi tɪ du ˈsəmθɪŋ æt ðə speɪs, ənd ɪt wɑz raɪt ˈæftər muˈbɑrɪk stɛpt daʊn. ʃi wɑz ˈtɛlɪŋ mi, kʊd hæv ən ˈivnɪŋ wɛr ˈpipəl kʊd ʃoʊ ɑrt, spik, ənd tɔk əˈbaʊt aɪˈdiəz, pleɪ mˈjuzɪk, ˈpoʊətri, whatever.”*.” ənd ɑrt kʊd bi soʊld ənd ðə ˈprɑfɪts kʊd goʊ tɪ ˈʧɛrɪti, ˌwəˈtɛvər. ənd aɪ wɑz ˈtɛlɪŋ hər, nɑt ʃʊr ɪf aɪ wʊd bi ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪd ɪn duɪŋ ðət sɔrt əv thing.”*.” ənd ʃi wɑz ˈtɛlɪŋ mi, noʊ ɔl ðiz ɑrˈtɪstɪk ˈpipəl, ʃʊr ðeɪ du ɑrt, ðeɪ rɪˈspɑnd tɪ happening.”*.” ənd ˈtɛlɪŋ hər, ““yeah*, ðeɪ rɪˈspɑnd tɪ ˈhæpənɪŋ, bət nɑt ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli ɪn ðɪs ˈgæləri context.”*.” ənd laɪk,! haʊ ər ju responding?”*?” ənd æt ðət pɔɪnt aɪ ʃoʊ hər ðə ˈpɪkʧər əv ðə mˈjʊrəl fər ðə fərst ˈmɑrtər, aɪ hæd ʤɪst ˈfɪnɪʃt ɪt, ənd laɪk, ““perfect!”*!” ənd ʃi gɪts əp ənd ˈoʊpənz ðə geɪt ənd laɪk, ˈmɑrtərz ɔn ɔl əv ðiz walls!”*!” [læfs] ənd laɪk, ˈsæli! ˈrɪli cute!”*!” bi: hu? ʤi: ə ˈmɑrtər. bi: ɪz ʃi ðə ˈhɑtəst ˈmɑrtər? ʤi: ə ʧɪk. soʊ, aɪ toʊld hər, ““okay*, si wət aɪ kən do.”*.” ənd ðɛn aɪ kɔld hər bæk ənd sɛd, du ɪt, bi ə nis surprise.”*.” ɪt tʊk mi ə waɪl tɪ gɪt əraʊnd tɪ ɪt. kɔl mi ənd bi laɪk, ˈweɪtɪŋ fər maɪ paintings!”*!” soʊ aɪ dɪd ðə wɪθ ðə hɑrts. ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə ˈgæləri. ðə əˈtɛndənt frəm ðə ˈgæləri kɔlz mi ðə nɛkst ˈmɔrnɪŋ, ˈvɛri ˈkɔʃəsli: dɪz ðɪs mean?”*?” aɪ toʊld ɪm, ə painting!”*!” ənd laɪk, nɑt martyrs!”*!” ənd hi sɪz ðə toʊld ɪm tɪ gɪt ə gaɪ tɪ kəm peɪnt ˈoʊvər ɪt ðə ˈnɔrməl greɪ ˈkələr. ənd soʊ aɪ tɔk tɪ hər ənd ʃi sɪz, dɪˈsivd me!”*!” aɪ æst, dɪd aɪ dɪˈsiv you?”*?” ənd ʃi sɛd, sɛd ju wʊd du ˈmɑrtərz ənd ju du ðə martyrs.”*.” ənd laɪk, ““well*, æt ðə taɪm ˈmeɪbi aɪ wɑz riˈæktɪŋ baɪ duɪŋ ˈmɑrtərz, bət raɪt naʊ riˈæktɪŋ tɪ ðə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən æt hænd ənd aɪ dɪd ðɪs. ənd ju sɛd ju ˈwɔntɪd tɪ hæv ən ɪˈvɛnt wɛr ˈpipəl riækt tɪ ðə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən ənd stəf, soʊ aɪ θɔt du ðɪs ənd ðɛn tɛl ˈpipəl, heɪ, ʧɛk ðɪs kul ˈgæləri aʊt, ðeɪ hæv ðɪs wɔl, ðeɪ əˈlaʊ ˈjuˈɛs tɪ du ðɪs ˈkrɪtɪkəl ɑrt ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə space.”*.” ənd aɪ wɑz ˈtɔkɪŋ tɪ hər ðət weɪ. ənd laɪk, ““no*, noʊ, noʊ, noʊ, noʊ. nɑt əkˈsɛptəbəl, nɑt cool,”*,” ˌwəˈtɛvər. ənd ðɛn aɪ hæd ðɪs ˈrɪli ˌɛgˌzɪˈstɛnʃəl ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən wɪθ hər əˈbaʊt əkˈsɛptəbəl ənd wət əkˈsɛptəbəl, ənd wət ʃʊd bi ɔn ðə strit ənd wət bi ɔn ðə strit. ənd ðɛn aɪ meɪd ə dil wɪθ hər ðət du ðə ˈmɑrtərz fər hər ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə ˈgæləri ɪf ʃi livz ðɪs θɪŋ ɔn ðə wɔl fər wən wik. ʃi sɛd ˌoʊˈkeɪ. bət ˈsəmˌbɑdi ɛls tʊk ɪt əˈpɑn hɪmˈsɛlf tɪ spreɪ peɪnt ˈoʊvər ɪt. bi: soʊ ˈhæpənɪŋ frəm ðə mˈjʊrəl? ʤi: aɪ noʊ. bət du ðə ˈmɑrtərz. ðɛr ər wɔlz ɔn ˈəðər strits. ənd meɪk hər ˈhæpi. aɪ wɔnt tɪ du ðə ˈmɑrtərz ˈɛniˌweɪ. bi: waɪ du ju wɔnt tɪ du ˈmɑrtərz? ʤi: wɛl, ðə ˈmɑrtərz ər ˈɑbviəsli ðeɪ ər ðə seɪf strit ɑrt ju kən du ðət ɪz nɑt əˈfɛnsɪv tɪ ˈɛnibədi, soʊ ju noʊ ðə ˌpɑsəˈbɪləˌti əv ðɛm steɪɪŋ əp fər ə lɔŋ taɪm ɪz mɔr ˈlaɪkli ðən ˈsəmθɪŋ mɔr pəˈlɪtɪkəl. bət æt ðə seɪm taɪm kaɪnd əv ˈpaʊərfəl. ˈivɪn ðoʊ ðə ˈseɪfəst θɪŋ, ˈpaʊərfəl. siɪŋ ðə ˈpərsən ə strɔŋ riˈmaɪndər. ðiz ˈpipəl daɪd fər ə kɔz ənd ju wɔnt tɪ lɛt ðə kɔz daɪ, fər ðə seɪk əv ðiz ˈpipəl. bi: ə ˈprɪkli ˈɪʃu, ˈmɑrtərz. ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt. ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt fər ɪt tɪ steɪ ɪn ðə ˈpəblɪk ˈkɑnʃəsnəs, bət æt ðə seɪm taɪm wɪn ju rɪˈpit ən ˈɪmɪʤ wɪn ju si ðiz ˈpipəl ˈɛvəri deɪ ɔn wɔlz ənd ˈtiˌsərts, wɪn ju lɪv ɔn ðə strit ənd ju pæs ɪt ɔn ðə weɪ tɪ wərk ðɛr ɪz ðə rɪsk əv ðɛm bɪˈkəmɪŋ laɪk ðə ˈmoʊnə ˈlisə. bɪˈkəmɪŋ ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl, kaɪnd əv bəˈnɑl. aɪ ʤɪst kaɪnd əv ˈwəndər ɪf pɑrt əv jʊr ˈprɔˌsɛs? ʤi: wɛl, aɪ ˈnɛvər θɔt əv ðət ˌbiˈfɔr. [læfs] bət ə gʊd pɔɪnt. aɪ min, ju du meɪk ə gʊd pɔɪnt. bi: bət ɪz ðɛr ə weɪ əv duɪŋ ɪt ðət dɪz boʊθ ənd nɑt ðə ˈəðər? ən ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ ˈʧælənʤ. bɪˈkəz ðə ˈizi θɪŋ tɪ wʊd bi tɪ θɪŋk, ““okay*, aɪ nid tɪ peɪnt ˈmɑrtərz bɪˈkəz ˈsəmˌbɑdi ɛls ɪz goʊɪŋ to.”*.” bət ðə ˈbɛtər kˈwɛʃən ɪz, du aɪ peɪnt martyrs…”*…” ʤi: jæ. aɪ min, aɪ know…*… bi: ðɛr ər ə lɔt əv ˈmɑrtərz. ʤi: 847 bi: du ju wɔnt tɪ du ðɛm ɔl? ʤi: jæ. bi: ˈʤizəs kraɪst ʤi: jæ. bi: haʊ ˈmɛni hæv ju dən? ʤi: θri. [læfs] bi: ɪf ju du wən ə day…*… soʊ ðə wən ðeɪ ˈpeɪnɪd ˈoʊvər, ər ju goʊɪŋ tɪ riˈdu ɪt? ʤi: jæ. bi: ənd ˈɛvəri taɪm ðeɪ peɪnt ˈoʊvər wən ju wɪl riˈdu ɪt? ʤi: ə ˈvɛri gʊd kˈwɛʃən aɪ θɔt əv jɛt. aɪ noʊ.
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a conversation with the graffiti artist ganzeer.
bidoun: introduce yourself. all we know is that you are a street artist.
ganzeer: no, not all. but some things are more suitable on the street.
b: have you been making things a long time?
g: since 2007.
b: what were you doing before that? are you a designer, for example?
g: yeah.
b: so art has been something on the side, or design was on the side?
g: not necessarily. i mean, i do both.
b: you do commercial work?
g: from time to time.
b: meaning you don’t have a job?
g: bingo.
b: i’m trying to get at what you were doing before…
g: what do you mean?
b: i’ll come out and say it are you an artist? were you an artist? c’mon, it’s a straightforward question.
g: well…
b: let me put it this way: are you someone who thinks about your work and the use of your work and the question of why one should work?
g: yeah. i mean, sure. in general.
b: so before the 25th, how were you feeling about your work and the uses of your work?
g: i mean, i obviously didn’t think it was very meaningful… before.
b: you were, let’s say, frustrated?
g: i’m not sure i had reached the point of frustration yet…
b: had you done shows in galleries?
g: yeah. but that’s more of the problem.
b: tell me why?
g: why is it part of the problem? it doesn’t… because it wasn’t fun.
b: it wasn’t satisfying?
g: no!
b: but it’s your very own show?!
g: yes, it’s my very own show!
b: a solo show!
g: yes, even solo shows!
b: it wasn’t satisfying because it wasn’t important. okay. and what was the center of your work at the time?
g: my work as a whole?
b: yes, in general.
g: i mean, it depends on the thing.
b: now we are getting somewhere. so work depends on the thing?
g: right.
b: is it fair to say that?
g: yes, that’s fair to say.
b: so, you didn’t want to just… work. you wanted to be responding to something?
g: right.
b: so what kind of things would you respond to?
g: what kind of things? okay, it’s like this there are two types of shows… or art-type things… i’ve been involved with so far. there’s one where i have an idea, independently, and i do it, tell people and they’re like, “great, okay, let’s do this.”
then there’s when someone says something like, “okay, we’re going to do a show about this theme, this thing.” and a bunch of different artists do something on this theme. and then i’ll do stencils for this thing, let’s say. so yeah, i’m really involved in both.
however, both are kind of dictated… in one you are put in this situation of having to figure out what to do with it, this specific theme. to respond to it or whatever. so you do a specific thing, responding to the thing, and it might be nice for this thing or whatever, but… there is still a very specific type of audience that goes to this thing to see these types of things… whether it’s a specific audience in cairo or elsewhere, it’s still the same very specific audience, and they see things in a very specific sort of way.
on the other hand even if you do your own stuff, for yourself you do your own stuff knowing you’re doing it for a gallery, eventually… obviously if i do something for a gallery it wouldn’t be the same as something i would do for the street or in the form of a freaking zine that i give people on the street… or something for the internet. like, in each situation i have the audience in mind, otherwise i would be kind of stupid.
so basically, i’d say the gallery stuff is the least satisfying work you could ever do, because uh what it means to the audience is not relevant to life. you know what i’m saying?
b: yeah. i just want you to say it. so how did the thing that happened since the 25th affect the things you make?
g: you mean since january 25? it’s kind of fucked up. like it always is. i was mostly staying at friend’s places, bumming around, whatever.
b: more concretely?
g: well. i kind of did a thing that’s kind of hush-hush, top secret. i did this little leaflet as a pdf. advice for protesters…
b: is this the twenty-six page thing?!
g: was it twenty-six pages? i made it on the twenty-seventh…
b: what was in the manual?
g: just advice.
b: like practical advice?
g: yeah, like where, and how, we should move, maneuver, things like that.
b: and how did you come up with this stuff?
g: well, kind of by coincidence i hadn’t planned to join the protests on the 25th. i was just hanging out with friends who lived close to tahrir. day of, right. we were just dicking around. listening to music.
b: what music?
g: bob dylan.
[laughter. short break for applause.]
and then, so i’m like seeing these tweets, twitter activity, and all of a sudden i see masses of people, masses of tweets, live videos. like masses right? and to see it happening people joining, chanting, like, the arab anthem. just on the streets it felt really amazing.
so i went down, i hit the streets and there were shitloads of riot police everywhere surrounding the square to make sure nobody gets through. by the time i reached them, the people… i’m not sure where they were coming from they were marching, they kept coming, they kept arriving. i was kind of walking on the sidewalk and there are shitloads of people standing on the sidewalk too… lots of protestors chanting, and they met up with the riot police who were just behind me and at that moment they clashed. pinned them in. and then the people who were just standing on the sides went berserk. they started shouting at the police and then everyone started jumping off the rails, and fucking pounding the police….
b: the people on the sides weren’t actually protestors?
g: no! exactly they were just the people on the street, locals, workers, but when they saw what was going on, they just had to join because it was just so fucking you know? so, anyway, i ended up there… and i started to notice how the riot police had a strategy… they would pull back and people would start relaxing, just chilling… they started chilling and started marching toward, say, kasr el aini street, but at the same time they were totally ignoring the fact that riot police were closing off the rest of surrounding streets. it was weird for me, just as an observer: why were they ignoring the riot police behind them and to their sides? obviously they were going to get cornered. which is what happened. it got me to think, okay, maybe i should put something together and spread it out. maybe i could help….
b: so it was just from observation?
g: i mean, it was observation first, plus things i looked up online. like, what to do with tear gas: don’t use water, use this or that… but the more specific cairo stuff had to do pretty much with observation. with the hope that people would be more collectively organized.
b: were you an activist before this?
g: no! i’m not an activist, but i wouldn’t have minded being one, obviously. but it wasn’t like my mission in life. yeah, but it was obvious that we didn’t know what the fuck they were doing. they just wanted to head to the streets and figure shit out on the way.
b: what else did you do during that period?
g: as far as design and art, that was the main thing. and then there were stickers and flyers and specific things for heliopolis, where i’m from. we did a protest in heliopolis.
b: what was the impetus for that?
g: midway during the thing the whole situation there was a point when you got all these really honest, really sincere, pro-mubarak people. especially where i am from. that was the part that was really sad. i would come here to tahrir, and everybody would be celebrating, as if they were all of egypt, penned in by the army. but on tv, and in newspapers, there were these lies being spread, that the people in tahrir were mixed up with foreigners, and… i’d go home to heliopolis and people were plastering pro-mubarak fliers everywhere and i was like, dudes?! thinking they’re doing, like, nice good deeds, for the people of egypt. handing them out to cars in traffic. and the guys inside are probably like, “far out!” so i would come, and they would ask me for stories, and i’d be like, yeah, check out these videos. and i’d show them these videos. and they’d be like, “oh shit, all these people in tahrir!” they had no idea that this was a revolution.
b: okay, so that was during the revolution. what about now with the changes that have taken place, whatever we call them the change of atmosphere. would you say it has changed the way that you work, or just given you a different context?
g: i think it’s just given me a different context.
b: it interests me coming from a country where we have not overthrown mubarak in a way we still want, and do not have, what you now have, in terms of a different context in which to make and show work.
g: well, i know. although, umm, i think you guys and i guess by you guys, i mean people living in the states you do have a lot to talk about… but you might not necessarily be very aware of, of, of… i mean. listen. america is not a democracy. okay? that’s something to talk about. you don’t need mubarak to talk about politics, you know what i’m saying? just because you guys have a little piece of paper you put in the ballot doesn’t mean you have a democracy. i think the situation has been neutralized in the states, in a way, for you guys to believe it is a democracy that you are free.
b: we are totally free… to express ourselves.
g: exactly.
b: how have you been expressing yourself lately?
g: the martyr mural project, which is, like, big murals with martyrs. this is a long-term thing, because it takes me a while to do one. and there are a lot of them. so it’s ongoing.
b: and you do this without permission you just pick a wall?
g: yeah. usually public walls.
b: i heard one of your martyrs got painted over…
g: one of the martyrs was erased, with a horrible brownish-beigeish-pinkish weird color. it caused an outrage in the twittersphere.
b: do you know who erased the…
g: looks like a government job to me. that awful color, man! and the paint splattered all over the floor very government. it started an outrage so we’re kind of organizing a… response. we’re calling it the mad graffiti weekend. and we’re going to mobilize and hit several locations across cairo.
b: how many of you are there?
g: i have no idea, dude; it depends on who shows up.
b: so now you’re a street artist?
g: well no, not at all.
b: would you say that you care about street art? or you don’t not care about street art?
g: yeah. i mean, i don’t oppose the idea of street art.
b: but it’s not a fetishized thing.
g: right, but i do think that it is an important thing. as a way to reclaim the streets, make it the people’s street, not anybody else’s… the idea that you need permission.
b: you have a new employer. you have a new context and you’re talking to a different audience, which is suddenly… the people. rather than… art people. does this audience exert a different pressure in terms of intelligibility… the pressure, let’s say, to be easily understood?
g: i mean, i don’t think it’s a good idea to underestimate your audience at all, but at the same time, i don’t think it’s fair to create something that doesn’t deserve to be created in the first place. that isn’t worthy of being… seen. if it’s too unclear to the point of it not meaning anything at all if it’s that unclear then i feel maybe it doesn’t deserve to exist… it needs to have people involved when seeing it. it’s like writing a book that shouldn’t be on the shelf. it has to be worthy of a person’s time to work through, to flip through, to read it.
b: but what makes it worthy?
g: what makes it worthy is that it is relevant to the viewer, not only relevant to yourself. if it’s just relevant to yourself, then there is no reason to put it on the street. i could just do it on my own, at home, on a piece of paper or sketchbook. but why do i choose to put it out there? because it has to be relevant obviously, if i’m doing it, it should be relevant to me, but if i’m putting it out there, i want it to be relevant to other people.
b: you want your work to work.
g: yeah. but without underestimating people’s intelligence.
b: do you have any examples of coming up against this issue?
g: well, for example, i did a piece in zamalek of mubarak and his family.
b: oh you did that piece? it’s very photo-real.
g: it’s life-size. it’s just the mubaraks, taking a stroll, surrounded by little hearts. i drew them, and i drew little hearts around them. and that was it for me, i was done. but then when people were passing by some people would be like: mubarak’s on a wall surrounded by little hearts what the fuck is going on?! and i noticed that some people confused the message. it might have read like…
b: “i love mubarak.”
g: right. it might have seemed to people…
b: i thought it was state art!
g: so people got it confused. but initially when i came up with the idea it just made sense to me in that these people love each other. [laughs]
b: it was right outside this really stodgy gallery though… was it commissioned?
g: well… the owner of the gallery wanted me to do something at the space, and it was right after mubarak stepped down. she was telling me, “we could have an evening where people could show art, speak, and talk about ideas, play music, poetry, whatever.” and people’s art could be sold and the profits could go to charity, whatever. and i was telling her, “i’m not sure if i would be interested in doing that sort of thing.” and she was telling me, “you know all these artistic people, i’m sure they do art, they respond to what’s happening.” and i’m telling her, “yeah, they respond to what’s happening, but not necessarily in this gallery context.” and she’s like, “what! how are you responding?” and at that point i show her the picture of the mural for the first martyr, i had just finished it, and she’s like, “perfect!” and she gets up and opens the gate and she’s like, “do martyrs on all of these walls!” [laughs] and she’s like, “do sally! sally’s really cute!”
b: who?
g: she’s a martyr.
b: is she the hottest martyr?
g: she’s a chick. so, i told her, “okay, i’ll see what i can do.” and then i called her back and said, “i’ll do it, it’ll be a nice surprise.” it took me a while to get around to it. she’d call me and be like, “i’m waiting for my paintings!” so i did the mubaraks with the hearts. outside the gallery. the attendant from the gallery calls me the next morning, very cautiously: “what does this mean?” i told him, “it’s a painting!” and he’s like, “but they’re not martyrs!”
and he says the gallerist told him to get a guy to come paint over it the normal gray color. and so i talk to her and she says, “you deceived me!” i asked, “how did i deceive you?” and she said, “you said you would do martyrs and you didn’t do the martyrs.” and i’m like, “well, at the time maybe i was reacting by doing martyrs, but right now i’m reacting to the situation at hand and i did this. and you said you wanted to have an event where people react to the situation and stuff, so i thought i’d do this and then tell people, hey, check this cool gallery out, they have this wall, they allow us to do this critical art outside the space.” and i was talking to her that way. and she’s like, “no, no, no, no, no. it’s not acceptable, it’s not cool,” whatever. and then i had this really existential conversation with her about what’s acceptable and what isn’t acceptable, and what should be on the street and what shouldn’t be on the street. and then i made a deal with her that i’ll do the martyrs for her inside the gallery if she leaves this thing on the wall for one week. she said okay. but somebody else took it upon himself to spray paint over it.
b: so what’s happening she’s disassociating from the mural?
g: i don’t know. but i’ll do the martyrs. there are walls on other streets. and it’ll make her happy. i want to do the martyrs anyway.
b: why do you want to do martyrs?
g: well, the martyrs are obviously they are the safe street art you can do that is not offensive to anybody, so you know the possibility of them staying up for a long time is more likely than something more political. but at the same time they’re kind of powerful. even though they’re the safest thing, they’re powerful. you’re seeing the person it’s a strong reminder. these people died for a cause and you don’t want to let the cause die, for the sake of these people.
b: it’s a prickly issue, martyrs. it’s important. it’s important for it to stay in the public consciousness, but at the same time … when you repeat an image when you see these people every day on walls and t-shirts, when you live on the street and you pass it on the way to work there is the risk of them becoming like the mona lisa. becoming invisible, kind of banal. i just kind of wonder if that’s part of your process?
g: well, i never thought of that before. [laughs] but it’s a good point. i mean, you do make a good point.
b: but is there a way of doing it that does both and not the other? it’s an interesting challenge. because the easy thing to would be to think, “okay, i don’t need to paint martyrs because somebody else is going to.” but the better question is, “how do i paint martyrs…”
g: yeah. i mean, i don’t know…
b: there are a lot of martyrs.
g: 847.
b: do you want to do them all?
g: yeah.
b: jesus christ
g: yeah.
b: how many have you done?
g: three. [laughs]
b: if you do one a day… so the one they painted over, are you going to redo it?
g: yeah.
b: and every time they paint over one you will redo it?
g: that’s a very good question i haven’t thought of yet. i don’t know.
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gun-rights* grups əˈpil bæn tɪ səˈprim kɔrt ˈwɔʃɪŋtən ðə ˈlidɪŋ əˈpoʊnənts əv sˈwipɪŋ, gən lɔz əˈpild ðə bæn tɪ ðə juz. səˈprim kɔrt ɔn ˈθərzˌdeɪ, ˈɑrgjuɪŋ ðət ˈwɛpənz laɪk ðə ər ˈwaɪdli ˈpɑpjələr ənd tɪ hoʊm dɪˈfɛns. lɔ əˈpɑn raɪts ˌgɛrənˈtid baɪ boʊθ ðə ˈfɛdərəl ənd steɪt constitution,’’*,’’ sɛd skɑt ˈwɪlsən, ˈprɛzɪdənt əv ðə kəˈnɛtəkət citizens’*’ dɪˈfɛns lig, ðə lɛd ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ɪn ðə keɪs. ˈrɛzɪdənts dɪˈzərv tɪ hæv ðiz raɪts rɪˈstɔrd ənd prəˈtɛktɪd baɪ ðə səˈprim court.’’*.’’ ˈʤəstɪsɪz əv ðə haɪəst kɔrt wɪl kənˈsɪdər ðə pəˈtɪʃən ənd ˌdɪˈsaɪd ˈwɛðər tɪ hir ðə keɪs. ðət dɪˈsɪʒən kʊd kəm ˈɛni taɪm əp ənˈtɪl ðə kɔrt əˈʤərnz ɪn leɪt ʤun. səm ˈligəl əbˈzərvərz seɪ ðə ənd ðə ˈəðər ˈpɑrtiz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈʃutɪŋ spɔrts əv mənˈroʊ ənd ðə ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən əv kəˈnɛtəkət ˈspɔrtsmɪn meɪ faɪnd ðə kɔrt ənrɪˈsɛptɪv. ɪn 2008 ðə kɔrt ˈsteɪtɪd ðə ˈsɛkənd əˈmɛndmənt dɪz, ɪn fækt, kənˈfər ðə raɪt əv ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz tɪ oʊn ˈfaɪˌrɑrmz. bət ðə əˈpɪnjən əv ˈʤəstɪs ˈæntənɪn ˈskɑljə, ðə ˈlidɪŋ kənˈsərvətɪv, sɛd ðət ˈsɛkənd əˈmɛndmənt raɪts ər unlimited.’’*.’’ ənd leɪt læst jɪr, ðə səˈprim kɔrt rɪfˈjuzd tɪ kənˈsɪdər ə ˈʧælənʤ tɪ ən bæn ˌɪmˈpoʊzd baɪ ðə ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ ˈsəbərb əv ˈhaɪlənd pɑrk, ɪl. səˈprim kɔrt ɪz nɑt ˈlaɪkli tɪ hir ðɪs case,’’*,’’ sɛd ˈædəm ˈwɪŋklər, ə lɔ prəˈfɛsər hu həz ˈrɪtən ˈwaɪdli ɔn gən lɔ. ˈɛriə əv lɔ həz ˈmɛni ˈoʊpən kˈwɛsʧənz, ənd loʊər kɔrts lʊk tɪ ðə səˈprim kɔrt fər ˈgaɪdəns. ɪn ðə ˈsɛkənd əˈmɛndmənt ˈɛriə, ðət ˈgaɪdəns həz bɪn absent.’’*.’’ bæn wɑz əˈməŋ ðə slu əv lɔz pæst ɪn ðə weɪk əv ðə dɪˈsɛmbər 2012 ˈsændi hʊk ˌɛləˈmɛnʧri skul ðət rɪˈzəltɪd ɪn ðə dɛθs əv 20 ˈʧɪldrən ənd sɪks ˈædəlt stæf ˈmɛmbərz. ðə ˈʃutər, ˈædəm ˈlænzə, juzd ə ˈvərʒən əv ðə ðə lɔ bænz ˈɛni ˈwɛpən ðət həz ə dɪˈtæʧəbəl ˌæmjəˈnɪʃən ˈmægəˌzin ənd ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri staɪl ˌkɛrɪktərˈɪstɪks səʧ ɛz ə ˈpɪstəl grɪp, ə flæʃ səˈprɛsər ər ə ˈfoʊldɪŋ stɑk. ɪt ˌɪnˈkludɪd ə ˈgrænˌfɑðər klɔz ðət ˈpərˌmɪts ˈwɛpənz oʊnd baɪ ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz praɪər tɪ ðə bæn. ðə tərm weapon’’*’’ ɪz ɪn ˌɪtˈsɛlf pəˈʤɔrətɪv ənd ˌɪˈnækjərət, ðə ˈlɛŋθi brif steɪts. ˈkætəˌgɔri əv ˈfaɪˌrɑrmz kəˈnɛtəkət bænz ər juˈnaɪtɪd baɪ ˈnəθɪŋ ˈəðər ðən ðə pəˈzɛʃən əv ˈfiʧərz ðət sərv tɪ meɪk ðɛm mɔr rɪˈlaɪəbəl ənd ˈbɛtər ˈsutɪd tɪ hoʊm defense,’’*,’’ ðə brif sɛd. bæn ɔn ðiz ˈfaɪˌrɑrmz ɪz soʊ ˌɪˈræʃənəl ðət ɪt məst fall.’’*.’’ ðə ˈpleɪnɪfs ˈɑrgjud ðət ðə kaɪnd əv ˌsɛmɪˌɔtəˈmætɪk ˈwɛpənz əˈfɛktɪd baɪ ðə bæn ər ˈrɛrli juzd ɪn kraɪmz ənd, ˌɪnˈdid, ər ðɛmˈsɛlvz rɛr əˈkərənsɪz. ðə kəˈnɛtəkət bæn aʊt fər ˈspɛʃəl dɪsˈfeɪvər nɑt ə ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzd taɪp əv ˈfaɪˌrɑrm, bət ˈsərtən ˈfiʧərz ˌɪnˈkludɪd ɔn səm firearms,’’*,’’ ðə brif steɪts. meɪks lɔ ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ˌɪˈræʃənəl, sɪns moʊst əv ðə ˈfiʧərz ɪt bænz ˈæˌkʧuəli sərv tɪ meɪk ðə ˈfaɪˌrɑrmz ɔn wɪʧ ðeɪ ər ˌɪnˈkludɪd safer.’’*.’’ ɪt ˈɑrgjuz, ˌʤɛriˈmændərd klæs əv ˈfaɪˌrɑrmz kəˈnɛtəkət həz bænd ˌɪnˈkludz səm əv ðə moʊst ˈpɑpjələr ˈfaɪˌrɑrmz ɪn əˈmɛrɪkə ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə ənd ɪt saɪts ˈdætə ʃoʊɪŋ ðət ɪn 2012 əv ðə taɪp kəˈnɛtəkət bænz meɪd əp tˈwɛnti pərˈsɛnt əv ɔl ˈriˌteɪl ˈfaɪˌrɑrm sales.’’*.’’ ðə nu juz. kɔrt əv əˈpilz fər ðə ˈsərkət læst jɪr ˈsaɪdɪd wɪθ ðə steɪt əv kəˈnɛtəkət ɪn rɪˈʤɛktɪŋ ðə əˈpil. ðə ənd ðə ˈəðər ˈpleɪnɪfs ˈɑrgju ɪn ðə brif ðət ðə ˈsərkət ˌmɪsəˈplaɪd ðə səˈprim oʊn ˈstændərdz sɛt aʊt baɪ ðə kɔrt ɪn ɪts ˈlændˌmɑrk 2008 əˈpɪnjən. bət ðeɪ ækˈnɑlɪʤd ðət sɪns ðɛn, kɔrt həz rɪˈmeɪnd ˈsaɪlənt waɪl ˈsɛkənd əˈmɛndmənt ˈdɔktərɪn həz ripened.’’*.’’ ðeɪ ˈɑrgjud ðə kəˈnɛtəkət keɪs ɪz ðə raɪt wən tɪ flɛʃ aʊt ðə ˌəˈnænsərd kˈwɛsʧənz əv haʊ fɑr ˈsɛkənd əˈmɛndmənt raɪts goʊ. neɪmd dɪˈfɛndənts wər kəˈnɛtəkət gəv. məˈlɔɪ ənd ə hoʊst əv steɪt ˈprɑsɪˌkjutərz ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈdeɪvɪd aɪ. koʊən, rɪˈtaɪrd ˈstæmfərd əˈtərni; ʤɑn si. smriga*, ˈbrɪʤˌpɔrt əˈtərni, ˈkɛvɪn di. ˈlɔlər, ˈmɪlfərd əˈtərni; ənd ˈstivən ʤeɪ. sedensky*, iii*, ˈdænbəri əˈtərni. ðɛr wɑz noʊ ˌɪˈmiˌdiət ˈkɑmɛnt frəm ðə ˈɔfəs.
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gun-rights groups appeal ban to supreme court
washington — the leading opponents of connecticut’s sweeping, post-newtown gun laws appealed the state’s assault-weapons ban to the u.s. supreme court on thursday, arguing that semi-automatic weapons like the ar-15 are widely popular and well-suited to home defense.
connecticut’s law “infringes upon rights guaranteed by both the federal and state constitution,’’ said scott wilson, president of the connecticut citizens’ defense league, the lead organization in the case. “connecticut residents deserve to have these rights restored and protected by the supreme court.’’
justices of the highest court will consider the petition and decide whether to hear the case. that decision could come any time up until the court adjourns in late june.
some legal observers say the ccdl and the other parties, including md shooting sports of monroe and the coalition of connecticut sportsmen may find the court unreceptive.
in 2008, the court stated the second amendment does, in fact, confer the right of individuals to own firearms. but the opinion of justice antonin scalia, the court’s leading conservative, said that second amendment rights are “not unlimited.’’
and late last year, the supreme court refused to consider a challenge to an assault-weapons ban imposed by the chicago suburb of highland park, ill.
“the supreme court is not likely to hear this case,’’ said adam winkler, a ucla law professor who has written widely on gun law. “this area of law has many open questions, and lower courts look to the supreme court for guidance. in the second amendment area, that guidance has been absent.’’
connecticut’s assault-weapons ban was among the slew of laws passed in the wake of the december 2012 sandy hook elementary school mass-shooting that resulted in the deaths of 20 children and six adult staff members. the shooter, adam lanza, used a bushmaster version of the ar-15.
the law bans any weapon that has a detachable ammunition magazine and military style characteristics such as a pistol grip, a flash suppressor or a folding stock. it included a grandfather clause that permits weapons owned by individuals prior to the ban.
the term “assault weapon’’ is in itself pejorative and inaccurate, the plaintiff’s lengthy brief states.
“the category of firearms connecticut bans are united by nothing other than the possession of safety-enhancing features that serve to make them more reliable and better suited to home defense,’’ the brief said. “a ban on these firearms is so irrational that . . . it must fall.’’
the plaintiffs argued that the kind of semiautomatic weapons affected by the ban are rarely used in crimes and, indeed, mass-shootings are themselves rare occurrences.
the connecticut ban “singles out for special disfavor not a recognized type of firearm, but certain features included on some firearms,’’ the brief states. “that makes connecticut’s law particularly irrational, since most of the features it bans actually serve to make the firearms on which they are included safer.’’
it argues, “the gerrymandered class of firearms connecticut has banned includes some of the most popular firearms in america — including the ar-15.’’ and it cites data showing that in 2012, “rifles of the type connecticut bans made up twenty percent of all retail firearm sales.’’
the new york-based u.s. court of appeals for the 2nd circuit last year sided with the state of connecticut in rejecting the appeal. the ccdl and the other plaintiffs argue in the brief that the 2nd circuit misapplied the supreme court’s own standards set out by the court in its landmark 2008 opinion.
but they acknowledged that since then, “this court has remained silent while second amendment doctrine has ripened.’’ they argued the connecticut case is the right one to flesh out the unanswered questions of how far second amendment rights go.
named defendants were connecticut gov. dannel malloy and a host of state prosecutors including david i. cohen, retired stamford state’s attorney; john c. smriga, bridgeport state’s attorney, kevin d. lawlor, milford state’s attorney; and stephen j. sedensky, iii, danbury state’s attorney.
there was no immediate comment from the governor’s office.
dan@hearstdc.com
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ˈdɑnəld trəmp həz ə lɔt əv pəˈtɛnʃəl ˈkɑnflɪkts əv ˈɪntəˌrɛst ɛz ˈprɛzɪdənt bət ðɛrz noʊ lɔ ðət spəˈsɪfɪkli rikˈwaɪərz ə kəˈmændər ɪn ʧif tɪ riˈmuv ðɛmˈsɛlvz frəm ɔl əv ðɛr ˈbɪznɪs ˈɪntərɪsts. ðə ˈpitər ˈdəbəlju. ˈstivənsən ɪkˈspleɪnz waɪ ˈprɛzɪˌdɛnts ˈjuʒəwəli pʊt ðɛr ˈæˌsɛts ɪn ə "blaɪnd trəst" tɪ əˈvɔɪd ˈprɑbləmz. (ˈpitər ˈwɔʃɪŋtən poʊst) ˈdɑnəld trəmp həz ə lɔt əv pəˈtɛnʃəl ˈkɑnflɪkts əv ˈɪntəˌrɛst ɛz ˈprɛzɪdənt bət ðɛrz noʊ lɔ ðət spəˈsɪfɪkli rikˈwaɪərz ə kəˈmændər ɪn ʧif tɪ riˈmuv ðɛmˈsɛlvz frəm ɔl əv ðɛr ˈbɪznɪs ˈɪntərɪsts. ðə ˈpitər ˈdəbəlju. ˈstivənsən ɪkˈspleɪnz waɪ ˈprɛzɪˌdɛnts ˈjuʒəwəli pʊt ðɛr ˈæˌsɛts ɪn ə "blaɪnd trəst" tɪ əˈvɔɪd ˈprɑbləmz. (ˈpitər ˈwɔʃɪŋtən poʊst) kæθˈlin klɑrk ɪz ə lɔ prəˈfɛsər æt ˈwɔʃɪŋtən ˌjunəˈvərsəti ənd ˈpræktɪsɪz ˈgəvərnmənt ˈɛθɪks lɔ. ɪn ðə wiks sɪns ðə ɪˈlɛkʃən, ðə nuz əˈbaʊt ðə ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl trænˈzɪʃən həz bɪn ˈdɑməˌneɪtəd baɪ ˈstɔriz əˈbaʊt ˈdɑnəld ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ɪnˈtæŋgəlmənts æt hoʊm ənd əˈbrɔd. hi həz ˈɛkˌsplɔɪtəd ækˈtɪvɪtiz, səʧ ɛz hɪz ˈmitɪŋz wɪθ ˈfɔrən ˈgəvərnmənt ˈlidərz, tɪ ədˈvæns hɪz oʊn ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈɪntərɪsts. wɪn hi mɛt wɪθ ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˌpɑləˈtɪʃən ˈnaɪʤəl farage*, trəmp sɔt hɛlp əˈpoʊzɪŋ ˈɔfˈʃɔr wɪnd fɑrmz bɪˈkəz trəmp bɪˈlivz ðeɪ spɔɪl ðə vju frəm hɪz gɔlf ˈkɔrsɪz. wɪn hi bɪˈkəmz ˈprɛzɪdənt, trəmp wɪl hæv ˌɛkstrəˈɔrdəˌnɛri ˌɑpərˈtunətiz tɪ juz ˈgəvərnmənt paʊər tɪ ˌɪnˈkris hɪz ˈpərsɪnəl wɛlθ ənd ðət əv hɪz ˈbɪznɪs ˈpɑrtnərz. ə ˈfɛdərəl ˈstæʧut proʊˈhɪbəts ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv brænʧ ɪmˈplɔɪiz frəm ˈjuzɪŋ ˈgəvərnmənt paʊər tɪ ˈfərðər ðɛr ˈpərsɪnəl ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈɪntərɪsts. bət ɛz trəmp həz ˈpɔɪntɪd aʊt, ðət ˈstæʧut həz ən ɪgˈzɛmpʃən fər ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt. ˈækʃənz ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə trænˈzɪʃən ənd hɪz rɪfˈjuzəl tɪ ˈsɛpərˌeɪt ðə ənd hɪz ˈpərsɪnəl ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈɪntərɪsts meɪk klɪr ðət ˈkɑŋgrəs nidz tɪ riˈmuv ðə ˈkɑnflɪkt ɪgˈzɛmpʃən fər ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt. ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt ʃʊd bi baʊnd baɪ ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈkɑnflɪkt ˈstændərdz, ʤɪst ɛz ˈəðər ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv brænʧ ɪmˈplɔɪiz ər. ən ˈərliər ˈkɑŋgrəs ˌɪmˈpoʊzd ðɪs ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈkɑnflɪkt ˈstændərd ɔn ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt. wɪn ˈkɑŋgrəs ɛˈnæktəd ðə ˈkɑnflɪkt ˈstæʧut ɪn 1962 ɪt dɪd nɑt ɪgˈzɛmpt ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt. bət ɪn 1989 ˈprɛzɪdənt ʤɔrʤ h.w*. bʊʃ prəˈpoʊzd ə ˌkɑmpriˈhɛnsɪv ˈpækɪʤ ðət ɪgˈzɛmptɪd ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt frəm θri ki ˈstæʧuts: ðə lɔ, ðə ˌproʊəˈbɪʃən ɔn ˈsæləri ənd ðə riˈstrɪkʃən. rɪˈfɔrm prəˈpoʊzəl dɪd nɑt ɪkˈspleɪn waɪ ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈnidɪd ðiz ɪgˈzɛmpʃənz, ənd ˈkɑŋgrəs ˈfoʊkɪst ɪts əˈtɛnʃən ɔn ˈəðər ˈæˌspɛkts əv ðə prəˈpoʊzəl, səʧ ɛz ɪts ɪkˈstɛnsɪv riˈstrɪkʃənz fər ˈmɛmbərz əv ˈkɑŋgrəs ənd ˈsərtən ˌhaɪˈlɛvəl ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv brænʧ ˌpərsəˈnɛl. ˌnənðəˈlɛs, ˈkɑŋgrəs ɛˈnæktəd ðə prəˈpoʊzd ɪgˈzɛmpʃən. ðə ɪgˈzɛmpʃən meɪ stɛm frəm ə 1974 ˈlɛtər ˈrɪtən baɪ ˈæktɪŋ əˈtərni ˈʤɛnərəl (naʊ ˈfɛdərəl ˈsərkət ʤəʤ) ˈlɔrəns ˈsɪlbərmən, əˈsərtɪŋ ðət ðə ˈkɑnflɪkt ˈstæʧut dɪd nɑt əˈplaɪ tɪ ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt. ˈsɪlbərmən, hu həz ə ˌrɛpjəˈteɪʃən fər əˈpoʊzɪŋ riˈstrɪkʃənz ɔn ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl paʊər, ˈɑrgjud ðət ˌkɑnstəˈtuʃənəl problems”*” wʊd əraɪz ɪf ðə ˈkɑnflɪkt ˈstæʧut wər əˈplaɪd tɪ ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt. hi ɪkˈsprɛst kənˈsərn ðət ðə ˈstæʧut wʊd [ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt] frəm pərˈfɔrmɪŋ səm əv ðə ˈfəŋkʃənz priˈskraɪbd baɪ ðə ˌkɑnstəˈtuʃən ər ɪˈstæblɪʃ ə kˌwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən fər hɪz ˈsərvɪŋ ɛz ˈprɛzɪdənt (tɪ wɪt, ɪˌlɪməˈneɪʃən əv ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈkɑnflɪkts) bɪɔnd ðoʊz kənˈteɪnd ɪn ðə constitution.”*.” bət ˈɑrgjəmənt ɪz unpersuasive*. ðə ˈkɑnflɪkt ˈstæʧut dɪd nɑt dɪˈseɪbəl ə ˈprɛzɪdənt (ər ˈɛniˌwən ɛls) frəm pərˈfɔrmɪŋ ə ˌgəvərnˈmɛntəl ˈfəŋkʃən ər ɪˈstæblɪʃ ə kˌwɑləfəˈkeɪʃən fər ˈɔfəs. ɪt ˈsɪmpli proʊˈhɪbətəd ə ˈprɛzɪdənt (ənd ˈɛvəri ˈəðər ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv brænʧ ɪmˈplɔɪi) frəm pɑrˈtɪsəˌpeɪtɪŋ ɪn ə ˈmætər ɪf hi ər ʃi hæd ə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈɪntəˌrɛst ɪn ðət ˈmætər. mɔˈroʊvər, ðə ˌkɑnstəˈtuʃən gɪvz ˈkɑŋgrəs ə roʊl ɪn ˈrɛgjəˌleɪtɪŋ ˈgəvərnmənt ˈɛθɪks. ðə klɔz spəˈsɪfɪkli ˈɔθərˌaɪzɪz ˈkɑŋgrəs tɪ sɛt ˈstændərdz fər ðə rɪˈsit əv gɪfts ənd ˈpeɪmənts frəm ˈfɔrən ˈgəvərnmənts. ˈkɑŋgrəs həz ə lɔŋ ˈhɪstəri əv ˌɪmˈpoʊzɪŋ ˈɛθɪks ˈstændərdz ɔn ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə ˌproʊəˈbɪʃən ɔn braɪbz ənd ˌɪˈligəl grəˈtuɪtiz. ðə sɪgˈnɪfɪkəns əv ðə 1989 lɔ ʧeɪnʤ wɑz nɑt ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli əˈpɛrənt bɪˈkəz ˈprɛzɪˌdɛnts sɪns ðɛn kənˈtɪnjud tɪ ækt ɛz ðoʊ ðeɪ wər baʊnd baɪ ðə ˈkɑnflɪkt ˈstæʧut. ˈprɛzɪˌdɛnts ʤɔrʤ h.w*. bʊʃ, bɪl ˈklɪntən, ʤɔrʤ ˈdəbəlju. bʊʃ ənd ˈbɑrək ˌoʊˈbɑmə əˈvɔɪdɪd ˈkɑnflɪkts baɪ ˈpleɪsɪŋ ðɛr ˈæˌsɛts ɪn blaɪnd trəsts ər ɪn dɪˈvərsəˌfaɪd mˈjuʧuəl fəndz ənd ˈtrɛʒəri bɑndz. ðɪs ˈpræktɪs həz ˈgɪvɪn ðə ˈpəblɪk ˈkɑnfədɛns ɪn ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl dɪˈsɪʒənz. ˈivɪn wɪn ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə ˈpəblɪk dɪsəˈgri wɪθ ə dɪˈsɪʒən ɔn ˈpɑləsi graʊnz, ðeɪ ər əˈʃʊrd ðət ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt wɑz ˈæktɪŋ aʊt əv hɪz kənˈsɛpʃən əv ðə ˈpəblɪk ˈɪntəˌrɛst ˈrəðər ðən ðə ˈprɑspɛkt əv ˈpraɪvət ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl geɪn. bət rɪfˈjuzəl tɪ ˈfɑloʊ ðə ɪgˈzæmpəl əv hɪz ˈprɛdəˌsɛsərz həz brɔt ðɪs ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ɪgˈzɛmpʃən tɪ ə hɛd. ˈkɑŋgrəs nidz tɪ kərˈɛkt ðə mɪˈsteɪk ɪt meɪd ɪn 1989 ənd ðə ˈkɑnflɪkt ˈstæʧut ɔn ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt goʊɪŋ ˈfɔrwərd. rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. ˈkæθərɪn ɛm. klɑrk (d-mass*.) həz ˌɪntrəˈdust ə bɪl ðət wʊd ˌɪmˈpoʊz ə ˈstændərd ɔn ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt, ənd sɛn. ˈbɛnʤəmən ɛl. ˈkɑrdɪn (d-md*.) ɪz ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ ˌɪntrəˈdus ə ˈsɪmələr ˌrɛzəˈluʃən. ˈkɑŋgrəs meɪ wɔnt tɪ ˈspɛsəˌfaɪ ðət ˈɛni ˈstæʧəˌtɔri ʧeɪnʤ ʃʊd goʊ ˈɪntu ˈifɛkt sɪks ər mɔr mənθs ˈæftər ɛˈnæktmənt ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ gɪv trəmp taɪm tɪ dɪˈvɛst frəm hɪz kənˈflɪktɪŋ ˈɪntərɪsts. ðə trəmp ˈprɛzɪdənsi meɪ gɪv ˈjuˈɛs ˈmɛni ˌɑpərˈtunətiz tɪ si haʊ roʊˈbəst ɑr ˈsɪstəm əv ʧɛks ənd ˈbælənsɪz ɪz. wən əv ðə fərst tɛsts fər ˈkɑŋgrəs ɪz ˈwɛðər ɪt wɪl ðə ˈstændərd ɔn ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt ənd prɪˈvɛnt ˈprɛzɪdənt trəmp frəm ˈjuzɪŋ ðə haɪəst ˈɔfəs tɪ ˈmæksəˌmaɪz hɪz ˈpərsɪnəl wɛlθ.
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donald trump has a lot of potential conflicts of interest as president – but there's no law that specifically requires a commander in chief to remove themselves from all of their business interests. the fix's peter w. stevenson explains why presidents usually put their assets in a "blind trust" to avoid problems. (peter stevenson/the washington post)
donald trump has a lot of potential conflicts of interest as president – but there's no law that specifically requires a commander in chief to remove themselves from all of their business interests. the fix's peter w. stevenson explains why presidents usually put their assets in a "blind trust" to avoid problems. (peter stevenson/the washington post)
kathleen clark is a law professor at washington university and practices government ethics law.
in the weeks since the election, the news about the presidential transition has been dominated by stories about donald trump’s financial entanglements at home and abroad. he has exploited transition-related activities, such as his meetings with foreign government leaders, to advance his own financial interests. when he met with british politician nigel farage, trump sought farage’s help opposing offshore wind farms because trump believes they spoil the view from his golf courses. when he becomes president, trump will have extraordinary opportunities to use government power to increase his personal wealth and that of his business partners.
a federal conflict-of-interest statute prohibits executive branch employees from using government power to further their personal financial interests. but as trump has pointed out, that statute has an exemption for the president. trump’s actions during the transition and his refusal to separate the government’s and his personal financial interests make clear that congress needs to remove the conflict statute’s exemption for the president. the president should be bound by financial conflict standards, just as other executive branch employees are.
an earlier congress imposed this financial conflict standard on the president. when congress enacted the conflict statute in 1962, it did not exempt the president. but in 1989, president george h.w. bush proposed a comprehensive ethics-reform package that exempted the president from three key statutes: the financial-conflict law, the prohibition on salary supplementation and the post-employment restriction. bush’s reform proposal did not explain why the president needed these exemptions, and congress focused its attention on other aspects of the proposal, such as its extensive post-employment restrictions for members of congress and certain high-level executive branch personnel. nonetheless, congress enacted the proposed exemption.
the financial-conflict exemption may stem from a 1974 letter written by acting attorney general (now federal circuit judge) laurence silberman, asserting that the conflict statute did not apply to the president. silberman, who has a reputation for opposing restrictions on presidential power, argued that “weighty constitutional problems” would arise if the conflict statute were applied to the president. he expressed concern that the statute would “disable [the president] from performing some of the functions prescribed by the constitution or . . . establish a qualification for his serving as president (to wit, elimination of financial conflicts) beyond those contained in the constitution.”
but silberman’s argument is unpersuasive. the conflict statute did not disable a president (or anyone else) from performing a governmental function or establish a qualification for office. it simply prohibited a president (and every other executive branch employee) from participating in a matter if he or she had a financial interest in that matter. moreover, the constitution gives congress a role in regulating government ethics. the emoluments clause specifically authorizes congress to set standards for the receipt of gifts and payments from foreign governments. congress has a long history of imposing ethics standards on the president, including the prohibition on bribes and illegal gratuities.
the significance of the 1989 law change was not immediately apparent because presidents since then continued to act as though they were bound by the conflict statute. presidents george h.w. bush, bill clinton, george w. bush and barack obama avoided conflicts by placing their assets in blind trusts or in diversified mutual funds and treasury bonds. this practice has given the public confidence in presidential decisions. even when members of the public disagree with a president’s decision on policy grounds, they are assured that the president was acting out of his conception of the public interest rather than the prospect of private financial gain.
but president-elect trump’s refusal to follow the example of his predecessors has brought this presidential exemption to a head. congress needs to correct the mistake it made in 1989 and re-impose the conflict statute on the president going forward.
rep. katherine m. clark (d-mass.) has introduced a bill that would impose a financial-conflict standard on the president, and sen. benjamin l. cardin (d-md.) is expected to introduce a similar resolution. congress may want to specify that any statutory change should go into effect six or more months after enactment in order to give trump time to divest from his conflicting interests.
the trump presidency may give us many opportunities to see how robust our system of checks and balances is. one of the first tests for congress is whether it will re-impose the financial-conflict standard on the president and prevent president trump from using the nation’s highest office to maximize his personal wealth.
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wəns ə mənθ ɔn ˈsənˌdi naɪts, maɪ ˈlɪvɪŋ rum gɪts ə ˈlɪtəl laʊd. maɪ frɛndz ənd aɪ græb səm snæks ənd tərn ɔn ðə ˈnɛtˌwərk fər ə naɪt əv ˌənəˈdəltərˌeɪtɪd ˈrɛsəlɪŋ ˈmædnəs. ðɪs ˈʤænjuˌɛri, wi gɑt tɪ wɔʧ ə hɪˈstɔrɪk rɔɪəl ˈrəmbəl pay-per-view*, ɪn wɪʧ ˈθərˌdi mɛn ˈbætəld ɪt aʊt ɪn ðə ˈvɛri fərst rɔɪəl ˈrəmbəl mæʧ wɛr ðə ˈwɪnər wʊd bi kraʊnd ðə wərld ˈhɛviˌweɪt ˈʧæmpiən. ˈspɔɪlərz əˈhɛd: ðə naɪt sɔ ðə ənˈsitɪŋ əv ˈʧæmpiən ˈroʊmən reɪnz ɪn ˈfeɪvər əv wən əv ðə hɛdz əv ðə ˈkɔrpərət saɪd ənd ˈrɛsəlɪŋ ˈlɛʤənd, ˈtrɪpəl eɪʧ, ənd ˈwɛðər ə fæn əv ðə ˈaʊtˌkəm əv ðə ˈrəmbəl ər nɑt, ɪt wɑz ə greɪt dɪˈspleɪ əv spɔrts ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt. ðət sɛd, ðɛr wɑz ə saʊər noʊt tɪ ðə ˈivnɪŋ, ənd ɪt keɪm ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈdivəz ˈʧæmpiənˌʃɪp mæʧ. ɪn keɪs ju wɔʧ proʊ ˈrɛsəlɪŋ, ˈdivəz ər wət ðə həz ˈbrændɪd ðɛr ˈwɪmən ˈrɛsələrz. ðə ˈkɑrənt ˈʧæmpiən ɪz ˈʃɑrlət, ˈdɔtər əv ðə ˈrɛsəlɪŋ ˈlɛʤənd rɪk flɛr, ənd æt ðə rɔɪəl ˈrəmbəl, ʃi wɑz sɛt tɪ feɪs ɔf əˈgɛnst hər ˈfɔrmər bɛst frɛnd, ˈbɛki lɪnʧ. ɪn ðə ˈfɪkʃən əv ðə ˈjunəˌvərs, ˈbɛki ɪz ðə ˈskræpi ˈaɪrɪʃ ənd ə fæn ˈfeɪvərɪt hu keɪm əp wɪθ ˈʃɑrlət frəm ðɛr taɪm ɪn dɪˌvɛləpˈmɛnəl ˈproʊˌgræm,. soʊ, wɪn ˈʃɑrlət bɪˈkeɪm ˈʧæmpiən ənd gɑt ə ˈlɪtəl swɛld hɛd, ɪt wɑz ˈbɛki hu ˈʧælənʤd hər fər ə ʧæns æt ðə goʊld. ɪt wɑz sɛt tɪ bi ə hɛl əv ə greɪt mæʧ. rɪk flɛr wɑz aʊt ðɛr ɪn hɪz ˈkɔrnər, soʊ ɪt wɑz noʊ səˈpraɪz wɪn hi gɑt ˌɪnˈvɑlvd wɪθ ðə mæʧ tɪ dɪˈstrækt ˈbɛki. trəˈdɪʃən fər ˈɛniˌwən ˈrɪŋˌsaɪd tɪ traɪ tɪ hɛlp aʊt ðɛr ˈælaɪ, ər ɪn ðɪs keɪs, ðɛr ˈdɔtər. aɪ wɑz ɪkˈspɛktɪŋ ˈprɪti məʧ ˈɛniˌθɪŋ frəm ðə ˈwaɪli ol’*’ ˈneɪʧər bɔɪ rɪk flɛr. wət aɪ ɪkˈspɛkt wɑz fər flɛr tɪ græb ˈbɛki lɪnʧ ənd stil ə sˈlɑpi, dɪsˈgəstɪŋ kɪs. ɪn ðə (rɛd: ðə ˈfɪkʃən kriˈeɪtɪd baɪ ðə), rɪk flɛr ɪz ə wheelin’*’, dealin’*’, kɪs stealin’*’ oʊld mæn. bɪn pɑrt əv hɪz pərˈsoʊnə sɪns hi wɑz ə ˈwaɪli jəŋ mæn, bət ˈwɑʧɪŋ ðɪs mæn græb ə gərl tɪ kɪs hər əˈgɛnst hər wɪl ˈdʊrɪŋ ə mæʧ, ɪn frənt əv hɪz oʊn ˈdɔtər ənd ðə wərld, aɪ gɑt ðɪs sɛns ðət ˌwəˈtɛvər ʧɑrm rɪk flɛr meɪ hæv ˈɛvər hæd wɔr ɔf. səm ˈpipəl ɪn ðə ˈɔdiəns læft, ˈmɛni ʤɪrd, bət ˌəndərˈniθ wɑz ə ˈsɪriəs ˈəndərˌkərənt ənd ˈæŋgər æt ðə ˌdɪsrɪˈspɛkt peɪd tɪ ˈbɛki lɪnʧ, ə ˌhɑrdˈwərkɪŋ jəŋ ˈwʊmən ənd ˈæθˌlit. bət ðɛn, waɪ ər wi səˈpraɪzd? ˌdɪsrɪˈspɛktfəl bɪˈheɪvjər təˈwɔrdz ˈwɪmən həz ˈsædli bɪn ə ˈmætər əv kɔrs ɔn ˈproʊˌgræmɪŋ. ʤɪst ðə nɛkst naɪt ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ naɪt rɑ, ðə ˈjunəˌvərs wɛnt bəˈnænəz wɪn ˈfɔrmər ˌsupərˈstɑr ənd naʊ fɪlm stɑr dweɪn rock”*” ˈʤɑnsən ʃoʊd əp tɪ prəˈmoʊt ðə ˈəpˌkəmɪŋ wrestlemania*, ənd waɪl ɪt wɑz əˈmeɪzɪŋ tɪ si ðə rɑk əˈgɛn, hɪz ˈproʊˌmoʊ ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ðə lɪv ˈkæmərəz ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ɪm waɪl hi ˈkɔrnərd ˈlænə, væˈleɪ ənd fiancé*é tɪ ˌsupərˈstɑr rusev*, tɪ riˈmaɪnd hər əˈbaʊt ə səˈpoʊzd ˈtɔrəd naɪt ðeɪ hæd təˈgɛðər. waɪl ðə rɑk ənd ʤoʊkt əˈbaʊt ɔl ðə ““exercises”*” ˈlænə ʃoʊd ɪm, aɪ hɛlp bət ˈwəndər wət ðə hɛl ðɪs səˈpoʊzədli ˈædɪd tɪ ðə ˈproʊˌgræmɪŋ ɪkˈsɛpt tɪ riˈmaɪnd ˈjuˈɛs ɪgˈzæktli wɛr ˈwɪmən fɪt ɪn ðə ˈjunəˌvərs. ɪn wən naɪt, bɪn pərˈzɛnəd wɪθ ɔl ðə ˈfeɪvərɪts fər ðə: kəˈnaɪvɪŋ, gərl ˈstɛfəni məkˈmæn; ˈlɛgi, ˈnɪrli ˈsaɪlənt ɑrm ˈkændi ˈlænə; ðə ˈtoʊtəl ˈdivəz ˌriˈæləˌti stɑrz ɔn pəreɪd; ənd ðə spɔɪld bræt ˈʧæmpiən, ˈʃɑrlət. wi wər pərˈzɛnəd wɪθ ɔl ðə ˈgreɪtəst ˈsɛksɪst ˈstɛrioʊˌtaɪps əv ˈwɪmən, pʊʃt ˈɔntu ˈæθˌlits hu ˈfræŋkli dɪˈzərv ə lɔt ˈbɛtər. oʊ ənd nɑt fərˈgɛt ðə rɑk ˈkɔlɪŋ ˈrɛsələr bɪg i ə ˈwʊmən ɛz ə ˈmætər əv ˌɪnˈsəlt. bɪˈkəz, ju noʊ, biɪŋ kɔld ə ˈwʊmən ɪz ən ˈizi ˌɪnˈsəlt tɪ meɪk ˈɛni mæn ˈæŋgri. ɪt wɑz ʤɪst əˈnəðər ˈmənˌdeɪ naɪt rɑ. ɛz ə ˈwʊmən ənd ə ˈræbɪd fæn, aɪ juzd tɪ bɪˈliv ɪn ðə ˈdivəz dɪˈvɪʒən. ˈərliər ɪn 2015 wɪn peɪʤ wɑz brɔt ˈɪntu ðə frəm ðɛr dɪˌvɛləpˈmɛnəl ˈproʊˌgræmɪŋ ɔn, aɪ bɪˈlivd ðət ðə ˈrɪli wɑz ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪd ɪn kriˈeɪtɪŋ ə ˈdivəz ˌrɛvəˈluʃən. aɪ bɪˈlivd ðeɪ ˈwɔntɪd tɪ si ðə dɪˈvɛləp ə ˈsɪriəs dɪˈvɪʒən, ðə weɪ ðət hæd. ʤɪst gɪv ðɛr ˈwɪmən ˈtælənt ə ʧæns tɪ meɪd ðə ˈwɪmən ˈɪntu meɪn ɪˈvɛnt ˈhɛˌdlaɪnərz. ˈwɪmən ˈrɛsələrz laɪk ˈbeɪli ənd ˈsæʃə bæŋks ˈhɛˌdlaɪnd peɪ pər vjuz ɛz ðə meɪn ˈivɪn. ˈwɪmən laɪk ʃoʊd wət ˈdɪfərənt ˈfaɪtɪŋ staɪlz frəm əraʊnd ðə wərld kʊd brɪŋ, waɪl wɑz ə ˈpaʊərfəl pləs saɪz ˈrɛsələr hu ˈɔdiənsəz ɛmˈbreɪst. ðə ˈwɪmən əv ər ˈpaʊərfəl, strɔŋ, fæst, ənd ˈtæləntɪd. ðeɪ ˈɔlsoʊ hæv ˌɪnˈtɛgrəti, ənd soʊ dɪz ðə ðət simz tɪ bi ˈsɔrli ˈlækɪŋ wɪn ˈdilɪŋ wɪθ ðə ˈdivəz dɪˈvɪʒən ɪn ðə. ðə ˈtrəbəl, əv kɔrs, ɪz ðət nɑt ðə ˈdivəz ðɛmˈsɛlvz ðət ər tɪ bleɪm, bət ðə kriˈeɪtɪv tim bɪˈhaɪnd ðə. ðə ˈfɪkʃən əv ðə ˈdivəz dɪˈvɪʒən simz tɪ bi træpt ɪn ə taɪm wɪn ˈɔdiənsəz ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ si ðɛr ˈwɪmən ˈæθˌlits ɛz ˌtudɪˈmɛnʃənəl sɛks ˈɑbʤɛkts, træpt ɪn ˈhæknid ˈstɔriˌlaɪnz ðət wər ɔˈrɛdi ˈgɪtɪŋ oʊld ɪn ðə ’90s*. ðə ˈkæti, backstabbing*, ʃˈrikɪŋ ˈstɔriˌlaɪnz əˈbaʊt bɪˈtreɪɪŋ ənd ˈstilɪŋ mæn wɛnt aʊt wɪθ ənd bɪˈkini ˈmæʧɪz, ər æt list ðeɪ ʃʊd hæv. ˌɪnˈstɛd, wi hæv rɪk flɛr ˈgræbɪŋ ə jəŋ ˈwʊmən ənd ˈstilɪŋ ə kɪs ɪn ˈmɪdəl əv ə ˈʧæmpiənˌʃɪp mæʧ. ðə ˈlɛvəl tɪ wɪʧ ðət wən ˈmoʊmənt ˌdɪsrɪˈspɛktɪd ən ˈæθˌlit laɪk ˈbɛki lɪnʧ ˈkænɑt bi ˈəndərˌsteɪtɪd. ə ˈsizənd ˈæθˌlit, ə ˈtæləntɪd ənd məʧ ləvd pərˈfɔrmər. ʃi dɪˈzərvd ðə seɪm rɪˈspɛkt ˈɔfərd ˈɛni ˈʧæmpiənˌʃɪp kənˈtɛndər. ˈwɛðər ər nɑt ˈbɛki saɪnd ɔf ɔn ðə kɪs ɛz pɑrt əv ðə fər ðət ˈivnɪŋ, ðət ˈmoʊmənt wɑz ə riˈmaɪndər ðət ɪn ðə ˈfɪkʃən əv ðə ˈjunəˌvərs, ə ˈwʊmən ˈæθˌlit kən bi ˈmænˌhændəld baɪ ə mæn, ˈsɛkʃuəli, fər læfs. ðət ˈmoʊmənt toʊld ðə ˈɔdiəns ðət ʃi ən ˈæθˌlit tɪ bi rɪˈspɛktɪd, bət ˈrəðər ə ˈwʊmən hu hæd hər speɪs ənd hər ˈbɑdi pɔd baɪ ən oʊld mæn ɪn ə sut. ˌbiˈsaɪdz biɪŋ groʊs tɪ wɔʧ, ðə ˈmoʊmənt rɪˈdust ðiz tu ˈwɪmən ˈæθˌlits tɪ ðə ˈpleɪˌθɪŋz əv ən oʊld wɪm, ən oʊld mæn məˈnɪpjəˌleɪtɪŋ hɪz ˈdɔtər ənd hər əˈpoʊnənt. ˌwəˈtɛvər paʊər ðoʊz ˈwɪmən hæd ɪn ðət ˈmoʊmənt wɑz ɪˈreɪst wɪθ wən sˈlɑpi kɪs, pleɪd əp fər læfs. ənd ˈmɪljənz əv fænz əˈkrɔs ðə wərld sɔ ɪt ˈhæpən, bɪˈkəz ɪt wɑz ˈskrɪptɪd, ənd bɪˈkəz ɪt wɑz lɪv. bɪn ə ˈrɛsəlɪŋ fæn sɪns aɪ wɑz ə ˈlɪtəl gərl. wɪn aɪ wɑz ˈoʊnli sɪks ər ˈsɛvən, aɪ wʊd snik ˈoʊvər tɪ maɪ haʊs, wɛr ʃi wɑz əˈlaʊd tɪ wɔʧ bæk ɪn ðə deɪz əv həlk ˈhoʊˌgɑn, ðə ˈmɑʧoʊ mæn ˈrændi ˈsævɪʤ, ənd brɛt hitman”*” hɑrt. aɪ fɛl ɪn ləv wɪθ ðə laɪts ənd ðə faɪts, ðə ˈækʃən ənd ðə əˈnaʊnsɪŋ. ɪt simd laɪk ə wərld wɛr ˈɛniˌθɪŋ wɑz ˈpɑsəbəl. ðət ɪz, ənˈlɛs ju wər ə ˈwʊmən. si, kɛpt əp wɪθ proʊ ˈrɛsəlɪŋ sɪns maɪ ˈʧaɪlˌdhʊd, wɪʧ minz wɔʧt tˈwɛnti faɪv jɪrz əv spɔrts ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt goʊ baɪ. aɪ wɑz ˈwɑʧɪŋ wɪn bleɪz, ðə ˈʧæmpiən, əˈpɪrd ɔn wcw*, ˈoʊnli tɪ tɔs ðə bɛlt ˈɪntu ə ˈgɑrbɪʤ kən. ðət wən ˈmoʊmənt ʃɑt wət ˈəpwərdz moʊˈmɛntəm ˈwɪmən hæd ɛz ˈrɛsələrz ɪn ðə lɛg fər ˈdɛkeɪdz tɪ kəm. aɪ wɔʧt ɛz ˈwɪmən laɪk ˈseɪbəl, chyna*, trɪʃ ˈstrætəs, ˈlitə, ənd li ɔl ˈstrəgəld əˈgɛnst ðə seɪm glæs ˈsilɪŋ ðət hɛld ðɛm ɪn pleɪs. moʊst əv ðɛm kɑrvd aʊt ðɛr pleɪs ɪn ˈhɪstəri bət wər ˈoʊnli əˈlaʊd tɪ goʊ wɛr ðə male-created*, kriˈeɪtɪv dɪˈvɪʒənz wʊd lɛt ðɛm. ðeɪ wər ˈgɪvɪn ðɛr oʊn dɪˈvɪʒən, bət ðeɪ ˌsupərˈstɑrz laɪk ðɛr meɪl ˈkaʊntərˌpɑrts. noʊ, ðeɪ ər ˈdivəz. ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈfaɪtɪŋ fər ə ˈʧæmpiənˌʃɪp, ðə ˈwɪmən ˈæθˌlits əv ðə ˌɪnˈstɛd ˈbætəl fər ə pɪŋk, bɛlt fər ðə ʧæns tɪ bi kɔld ðə ˈdivəz ˈʧæmpiən. ðiz ˈwɪmən ər nɑt ˈwɪmən ˈrɛsələrz ɪn ðə, bət ˈdivəz. ðə neɪm nɑt ˈoʊnli pərˈpɛʧəˌweɪts ðə ˌsɛpərˈeɪʃən bɪtˈwin ðə ˈwɪmən ˈæθˌlits ənd ðɛr meɪl ˈkaʊntərˌpɑrts, bət sɛts ðə toʊn fər ðə taɪp əv ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt ju ɪkˈspɛkt tɪ si wɪn ðə ˈdivəz ər ɔn skrin. ðə mɛn gɪt tɪ bi ˌsupərˈstɑrz ənd faɪt fər ðə ˈglɔri əv ˈʧæmpiənˌʃɪp bɛlts. ðə ˈwɪmən gɪt tɪ faɪt ˈoʊvər ðɛr ˈbətərˌflaɪ bɛlt, skrim ˈkæti ˌɪnˈsəlts æt wən əˈnəðər, ðɛn wərk ɛz hɑrd ɛz ðɛr meɪl ˈkaʊntərˌpɑrts tɪ pʊt ɔn səm ˈstənɪŋ ˈmæʧɪz ðət ðə ˈɔdiəns ˌɪˈnɛvətəbli rɪˈspɛkt ɪˈnəf, ˌbiˈfɔr ðeɪ ˌdɪsəˈpɪr fər ə waɪl tɪ teɪp ə ˈsizən əv ðə ˈpeɪnfəl ˌriˈæləˌti ʃoʊ, ˈtoʊtəl ˈdivəz. soʊ ˈrɪli, ɪn ðə lɔŋ rən, ə ˈtoʊtəli ˌɪnəˈproʊpriɪt ˈstoʊlən kɪs ɪz ʤɪst ðə tɪp əv ðə ˈaɪsbərg. wɪn dɪˈskəsɪŋ ðə fˈjuʧər əv ˈrɛsəlɪŋ, ə fju ˈɑrgjəmənts gɪt pʊt əp ɛz tɪ waɪ ðə həz stɔld ɔn ðɛr revolution.”*.” wən ˈmeɪʤər ˈɑrgjəmənt sɪz ðət fænz ʤɪst teɪk ˈrɛsəlɪŋ ˈsɪriəsli, ˈsaɪtɪŋ haʊ ˈbædli ðə ˈɔdiəns ˈɔfən riækts tɪ ˈdivəz ˈmæʧɪz. ðət ˈɑrgjəmənt hoʊld məʧ ˈwɔtər ɪf wən lʊks æt ðə əˈmeɪzɪŋ səˈpɔrt ðə dɪˈvɪʒən həz ˈgɔtən ˈoʊvər ðə læst fju jɪrz. klɪr ðət nɑt ˈoʊnli wɪl ˈɔdiənsəz ʧɪr fər ˈmæʧɪz wɪn pərˈzɛnəd wɛl, bət wɪl ʃoʊ əp ɪn droʊvz fər ˈwɪmən ˈhɛˌdlaɪnɪŋ ə ppv*. ɔl beɪst ɔn ˈwɛðər ər nɑt ðə ˈwɪmən ər ˈgɪvɪn ˈprɑpər ˈtritmənt baɪ ðə ˈfɪkʃən ənd ˈwɛðər ðə ʃoʊ gɪvz ðə ˈɔdiəns ðə kjuz ðət seɪ ðiz ˈwɪmən ʃʊd bi ˈteɪkən ˈsɪriəsli. ðə ˈsɛkənd ˈɑrgjəmənt ɪz mɔr ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ ˈoʊvərˌkəm: ðə ɪz ə ˈpəblɪkli ˈtreɪdɪd, ˈdɔlər ˈɛntɪti, goʊz ðə ˈɑrgjəmənt. ʃʊd ðeɪ traɪ tɪ ˈʃoʊˌkeɪs ˈwɪmən ˈfaɪtɪŋ ɪn ə mɔr ˈsɪriəs ˈivɪn mɔr ənˈθɪŋkəbəl, ˈwɪmən ˈfaɪtɪŋ feɪs pəˈtɛnʃəl ˈbæˌklæʃ frəm boʊθ kənˈsərvətɪv ənd ˈlɪˌbərəl grups. ðə həz bɪn traɪɪŋ tɪ eɪm mɔr təˈwɔrdz ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt, ənd ɪn ə wərld wɛr dɪˈskəʃənz əˈbaʊt dəˈmɛstɪk ˈvaɪələns ənd ˈvaɪələns əˈgɛnst ˈwɪmən ɪz ə ˈmeɪʤər ənd ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ˈtɑpɪk, ˈhævɪŋ ə ʃoʊ ðət əˈlaʊz ˈwɪmən tɪ gɪt ˈbitən əp baɪ mɛn wʊd bi ə ˈdɛdli bloʊ tɪ ðə ˌrɛpjəˈteɪʃən ənd ðɛr ˈbɑtəm laɪn. ðɪs ˈɑrgjəmənt dɪz hoʊld ə lɔt əv ˈwɔtər. ðə trænˈzɪʃən ˈoʊvər tɪ əˈlaʊɪŋ ˈwɪmən tɪ faɪt mɔr ˈprɑmənəntli wʊd ˌrikˈwaɪər ˈkɛrfəl ˈhændəlɪŋ ənd ə lɔt əv ˈpəblɪk dɪˈskəʃən ˈoʊvər ðə pleɪs əv ˈwɪmən ˈfaɪtərz ɪn spɔrts ˌɔltəˈgɛðər. ə ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən ˈrɑndə ˈraʊsi feɪst wɪn ˈpipəl ˈstɑrtɪd ˈæskɪŋ ɪf faɪt meɪl əˈpoʊnənts, tu. ˈwɪmən ˈfaɪtɪŋ ˈwɪmən ɪz ˌkɑntrəˈvərʃəl ɪˈnəf, bət tɪ si ə ˈwʊmən gɪt pənʧt ɪn ðə feɪs ər nɑkt tɪ ðə graʊnd baɪ mɛn wʊd əˈpɛrəntli bi tu məʧ fər (ˈlɑrʤli meɪl) ˈɔdiənsəz. ˈminˌwaɪl, ˈəðər ˈrɛsəlɪŋ pərˈmoʊʃənz hæv kɔt ɔn ðət ðə tˈwɛntiˌfərst ˈsɛnʧəri minz ə ʧeɪnʤ fər ðɛr ˈwɪmən pərˈfɔrmərz. ʃoʊz laɪk ˈəndərˌgraʊnd ɔn ðə ɛl reɪ ˈnɛtˌwərk nɑt ˈoʊnli əˈlaʊ ˈwɪmən tɪ hæv ðɛr oʊn ˌɪmˈprɛsɪv ˈmæʧɪz, bət ðeɪ faɪt əˈgɛnst meɪl kəmˈpɛtɪtərz ɪn ˈsɪŋgəlz ənd mɪkst tæg tim ˌkɑmpəˈtɪʃənz. ˈwɪmən laɪk ˈsɛksi stɑr oʊn ðɛr sɛks əˈpil ənd ðɛn kəmˈpit ɔn ðə seɪm ˈlɛvəl ɛz ðɛr meɪl ˈkaʊntərˌpɑrts wɪθ iz. əˈkrɔs ðə wərld, ɪn ˈpleɪsɪz laɪk ʤəˈpæn, ˈwɪmən ˈfaɪtərz ər kənˈsɪdərd ˈpaʊərfəl ənd ˈæθˌlits. ɪn sˈmɔlər pərˈmoʊʃənz əˈkrɔs ðə ˈjuˈɛs, ˈwɪmən ˈrɛsələrz laɪk ðə ˈɔsəm ˈɛnər ðə rɪŋ əˈgɛnst mɛn ənd pʊt ɔn greɪt ʃoʊz. ˈivɪn ə ˈrɛsəlɪŋ pərˈmoʊʃən noʊn ɛz ˈʃɪmər, wɛr ˈwɪmən faɪt wən əˈnəðər ənd drɔ ə lɑrʤ ˈfɑloʊɪŋ. ðiz pərˈmoʊʃənz hæv ˈlərnɪd wət ðə simz tɪ bi rɪˈzɪstɪŋ: ðət ˈwɪmən hæv ə pleɪs əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd meɪl kəmˈpɛtɪtərz ənd dɪˈzərv tɪ bi ˈgɪvɪn ˈbʊkɪŋz ənd ˈstɔriˌlaɪnz ðət rɪˈspɛkt ðɛm ɛz ðə ˈæθˌlits ðeɪ ər. ðoʊ ðiz ˈkəmpəˌniz ər sˈmɔlər pərˈmoʊʃənz wɪθ lɛs tɪ luz ðən ðə, ɪf ðə ˈbɪgəst pərˈmoʊʃən ɪn ðə wərld gɪt bɪˈhaɪnd ðiz ˈʧeɪnʤɪz, ðɛn ˈprɑˌgrɛs meɪ bi dɛd ɪn ðə ˈwɔtər. ˈlʊkɪŋ æt ðə hoʊl steɪt əv ˈrɛsəlɪŋ ənd ðə, noʊ səˈpraɪz ðət ðə ˈbɛki lɪnʧ kɪs, ðə ˈkɑmɛnts əˈbaʊt ˈwɛrɪŋ ə drɛs, ər ðə wənz əˈbaʊt bɪg i biɪŋ ə ˈwʊmən ˈhæpən. kriˈeɪtɪvli, ðə ˈtritmənt əv ˈwɪmən ɪn ðə ɪz stək ɪn ðə dɑrk ˈeɪʤɪz əv ðə ənd ’90s*. waɪl fænz hæv bɪˈkəm ənd mɔr əˈwɛr əv ðə weɪz ɪz ˈkræftɪd, ðə kriˈeɪtɪv tim simz tɪ hæv ˈfɑlən bæk ɔn ˈæntəkˌweɪtɪd ənd ˈsɛksɪst ðət ˈpændər tɪ ðə loʊəst ˈkɑmən dɪˈnɑməˌneɪtər. soʊ tɪ bleɪm wɪn ðə ˈɔdiəns ʃaʊts aʊt lud ˈkɑmɛnts əˈbaʊt ðə ˈwɪmən ˈæθˌlits ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈmæʧɪz, ər ɛls ʧænt, ““boring!”*!” wɪn ðə ˈwɪmən ər ˈbɪzi ˈpʊtɪŋ ɔn ə gʊd ʃoʊ. juzd tɪ ðə ˌdɪsrɪˈspɛktɪŋ ðə ˈdivəz wən ˈmoʊmənt ənd ðɛn ˈtaʊtɪŋ ðɛm ɛz ˈwɪmən ˈæθˌlits ðə nɛkst. nɑt ʃʊr ˈwɛðər gɪt ə greɪt mæʧ ər ðə nɛkst səˈleɪʃəs ʤoʊk ər kɪs. ðɪs ɪz wət ˈɔdiənsəz hæv bɪn pərˈzɛnəd, ənd ðə ˈraɪtərz sim tɪ bi ˈpændərɪŋ tɪ ðət kræs ˌrɛprəzɛnˈteɪʃən əv ɪts ˈdivəz, waɪl mɔr ˈsævi əv hum ər bæk ənd krɪnʤ. hu noʊz. ˈmeɪbi ə ʧæns si ə ʧeɪnʤ. ˈmeɪbi ðət ˈdivəz ˌrɛvəˈluʃən wɪl ˌɪnˈstɛd raɪz əp ənd ˈfaɪnəli bɪˈkəm ə tru ˌrɛvəˈluʃən. ˈmeɪbi si ə ˈʧæmpiənˌʃɪp bɛlt ɪn ðə, ənd ə taɪm wɪn noʊ ˈwɪmən wɪl gɪt pɔd ər ˈifɛktɪvli ˈsɛkʃuəli həræst ɔn ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən pay-per-views*. wən kən ˈoʊnli hoʊp, bɪˈkəz ðɛr ər weɪz tɪ bi ˈfəni, tɪ bi ˈpleɪfəl, ənd tɪ kɪk æs wɪˈθaʊt biɪŋ ˈoʊvər ənd disempowered*, wɪˈθaʊt ʃoʊɪŋ ðə ˈɔdiəns wəns mɔr ʤɪst wɛr ə ““place”*” ɪz ɪn ðə ˈhaɪˌrɑrki əv proʊ ˈrɛsəlɪŋ. sˈmɔlər ˈvɛnuz ənd pərˈmoʊʃənz sim tɪ bi ˈgɪtɪŋ ðə pɔɪnt. ʤɪst hoʊp ðət ðə ˈbɪgəst ˈrɛsəlɪŋ ˈvɛnju ɪn ðə wərld ˈkæʧɪz ɔn. ɪz ə ˈraɪtər, geɪm dɪˈzaɪnər, ənd ˈskɑlər hu ləvz ɔl laɪk. ʃi ɪz ðə ˈɔθər əv səʧ ˈroʊlˌpleɪɪŋ geɪmz ɛz ˈdeɪnʤərz ənˈtoʊld, ˈsərvɪs, ðə læst tɛn ˈmɪnəts, ənd ˈkipɪŋ ðə ˈkændəlz lɪt, ənd həz bɪn ə kənˈtrɪbjutɪŋ dɪˈzaɪnər ənd ˈraɪtər fər ˈoʊvər ə ˈdəzən ˈkəmpəˌniz ɪn ðə geɪm wərld. ˈɔlsoʊ prəˈdusər bɪˈhaɪnd ðə ˈəpˌkəmɪŋ ˈpɔdˌkæst nu jɔrk ˈəndərˌgraʊnd ənd ðə ˈkɑmɪk ˈnoʊˌwɛr gərlz. wɪn nɑt ˈraɪtɪŋ, ˈtrævəlɪŋ ðə wərld tɪ rən lɪv ˈækʃən ˈroʊlˌpleɪɪŋ geɪmz, ər ˈwɑʧɪŋ wɪθ hər frɛndz. ə kənˈtrɪbjutɪŋ ˈblɔgər fər hæf ə ˈdəzən ˈdɪfərənt saɪts ənd meɪnˈteɪnz hər oʊn blɔg æt hər website,www.shoshanakessock.com*. ə bɔrn ənd reɪzd ˈbrʊklɪn gərl hu flɛd ðə haɪ rɛnts tɪ ˈʤərzi ˈsɪti, bət ˈmoʊstli lɪvz ɔn tˈwɪtər @shoshanakessock*. (ˈɪmɪʤ ˈviə) meɪk noʊt əv ðə ˈmɛri ˈʤɛnərəl ˈkɑmɛnt policy.—*.— du ju ˈfɑloʊ ðə ˈmɛri su ɔn tˈwɪtər, ˈfeɪsˌbʊk, ˈtəmblər, pinterest*, ˈgugəl
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once a month on sunday nights, my living room gets a little loud. my friends and i grab some snacks and turn on the wwe network for a night of unadulterated wrestling madness. this january, we got to watch a historic royal rumble pay-per-view, in which thirty men battled it out in the very first royal rumble match where the winner would be crowned the wwe world heavyweight champion. spoilers ahead: the night saw the unseating of champion roman reigns in favor of one of the heads of the wwe’s corporate side and long-time wrestling legend, triple h, and whether you’re a fan of the outcome of the rumble or not, it was a great display of sports entertainment.
that said, there was a sour note to the evening, and it came during the divas championship match. in case you don’t watch pro wrestling, divas are what the wwe has branded their women wrestlers. the current champion is charlotte, daughter of the wrestling legend ric flair, and at the royal rumble, she was set to face off against her former best friend, becky lynch. in the fiction of the wwe universe, becky is the scrappy steampunk-wearing irish lass-kicker and a fan favorite who came up with charlotte from their time in wwe’s developmental program, nxt. so, when charlotte became champion and got a little swelled head, it was becky who challenged her for a chance at the gold.
it was set to be a hell of a great match. ric flair was out there in his daughter’s corner, so it was no surprise when he got involved with the match to distract becky. it’s tradition for anyone ringside to try to help out their ally, or in this case, their daughter. i was expecting pretty much anything from the wily ol’ nature boy ric flair.
what i didn’t expect was for flair to grab becky lynch and steal a sloppy, disgusting kiss.
in the kayfabe (read: the fiction created by the wwe), ric flair is a wheelin’, dealin’, kiss stealin’ old man. it’s been part of his persona since he was a wily young man, but watching this 66-year-old man grab a girl to kiss her against her will during a match, in front of his own daughter and the world, i got this sense that whatever charm ric flair may have ever had wore off. some people in the audience laughed, many jeered, but underneath was a serious undercurrent and anger at the disrespect paid to becky lynch, a hard-working young woman and athlete.
but then, why are we surprised? disrespectful behavior towards women has sadly been a matter of course on wwe programming. just the next night on monday night raw, the wwe universe went bananas when former wwe superstar and now film star dwayne “the rock” johnson showed up to promote the upcoming wrestlemania, and while it was amazing to see the rock again, his promo involved the live cameras following him while he cornered lana, valet and fiancé to wwe superstar rusev, to remind her about a supposed torrid night they had together. while the rock wink-winked and joked about all the “exercises” lana showed him, i couldn’t help but wonder what the hell this supposedly added to the programming except to remind us exactly where women fit in the wwe universe.
in one night, we’d been presented with all the archetypical favorites for the wwe: conniving, power-hungry daddy’s girl stephanie mcmahon; leggy, nearly silent arm candy lana; the total divas reality stars on parade; and the spoiled brat champion, charlotte. we were presented with all the greatest sexist stereotypes of women, pushed onto athletes who frankly deserve a lot better. oh and let’s not forget the rock calling wrestler big e a woman as a matter of insult. because, you know, being called a woman is an easy insult to make any man angry. it was just another monday night raw.
as a woman and a rabid wwe fan, i used to believe in the divas division. earlier in 2015, when paige was brought into the wwe from their developmental programming on nxt, i believed that the wwe really was interested in creating a divas revolution. i believed they wanted to see the wwe develop a serious women’s division, the way that nxt had. nxt didn’t just give their women talent a chance to wrestle—they made the women into main event headliners. women wrestlers like baylee and sasha banks headlined pay per views as the main even. women like asuka showed what different fighting styles from around the world could bring, while nia jax was a powerful plus size wrestler who audiences embraced. the women of nxt are powerful, strong, fast, and talented. they also have integrity, and so does the nxt women’s division—something that seems to be sorely lacking when dealing with the divas division in the wwe.
the trouble, of course, is that it’s not the divas themselves that are to blame, but the creative team behind the kayfabe. the fiction of the divas division seems to be trapped in a time when audiences expected to see their women athletes as two-dimensional sex objects, trapped in hackneyed storylines that were already getting old in the ’90s. the catty, backstabbing, shrieking storylines about betraying bffs and stealing someone’s man went out with hair-pulling and bikini matches, or at least they should have. instead, we have ric flare grabbing a young woman and stealing a non-consensual kiss in middle of a championship match.
the level to which that one moment disrespected an athlete like becky lynch cannot be understated. she’s a seasoned athlete, a talented and much loved performer. she deserved the same respect offered any championship contender. whether or not becky signed off on the kiss as part of the kayfabe for that evening, that moment was a reminder that in the fiction of the wwe universe, a woman athlete can be manhandled by a man, sexually, for laughs. that moment told the audience that she isn’t an athlete to be respected, but rather a woman who had her space and her body pawed by an old man in a suit. besides being gross to watch, the moment reduced these two women athletes to the playthings of an old man’s whim, an old man manipulating his daughter and manhandling her opponent. whatever power those women had in that moment was erased with one sloppy kiss, played up for laughs.
and millions of wwe fans across the world saw it happen, because it was scripted, and because it was live.
i’ve been a wrestling fan since i was a little girl. when i was only six or seven, i would sneak over to my neighbor’s house, where she was allowed to watch wwe back in the days of hulk hogan, the macho man randy savage, and brett “the hitman” hart. i fell in love with the lights and the fights, the high-flying action and the over-the-top announcing. it seemed like a world where anything was possible.
that is, unless you were a woman.
see, i’ve kept up with pro wrestling since my childhood, which means i’ve watched twenty five years of sports entertainment go by. i was watching when alundra blayze, the wwe women’s champion, appeared on wcw, only to toss the wwe belt into a garbage can. that one moment shot what upwards momentum women had as wrestlers in the leg for decades to come. i watched as women like sable, chyna, trish stratus, lita, and aj lee all struggled against the same glass ceiling that held them in place. most of them carved out their place in wwe history but were only allowed to go where the male-created, male-dominated creative divisions would let them. they were given their own division, but they aren’t superstars like their male counterparts. no, they are divas.
instead of fighting for a women’s championship, the women athletes of the wwe instead battle for a pink, butterfly-shaped belt for the chance to be called the divas champion. these women are not women wrestlers in the wwe, but divas. the name not only perpetuates the separation between the women athletes and their male counterparts, but sets the tone for the type of entertainment you expect to see when the divas are on screen. the men get to be superstars and fight for the glory of championship belts. the women get to fight over their barbie-pink butterfly belt, scream catty insults at one another, then work as hard as their male counterparts to put on some stunning matches that the audience inevitably doesn’t respect enough, before they disappear for a while to tape a season of the wwe’s painful reality show, total divas.
so really, in the long run, a totally inappropriate stolen kiss is just the tip of the iceberg.
when discussing the future of women’s wrestling, a few arguments get put up as to why the wwe has stalled on their “divas revolution.” one major argument says that fans just won’t take women’s wrestling seriously, citing how badly the audience often reacts to divas matches. that argument doesn’t hold much water if one looks at the amazing support the nxt women’s division has gotten over the last few years. it’s clear that not only will audiences cheer for women’s matches when they’re presented well, but will show up in droves for women headlining a ppv. it’s all based on whether or not the women are given proper treatment by the show’s fiction and whether the show gives the audience the cues that say these women should be taken seriously.
the second argument is more difficult to overcome: the wwe is a publicly traded, multi-billion dollar entity, goes the argument. should they try to showcase women fighting in a more serious manner—or even more unthinkable, women fighting men—they’ll face potential backlash from both conservative and liberal groups. the wwe has been trying to aim more towards family-friendly entertainment, and in a world where discussions about domestic violence and violence against women is a major and important topic, having a show that allows women to get beaten up by men would be a deadly blow to the company’s reputation and their bottom line. this argument does hold a lot of water. the transition over to allowing women to fight more prominently would require careful handling and a lot of public discussion over the place of women fighters in sports altogether. it’s a conversation ronda rousey faced when people started asking if she’d fight male opponents, too. women fighting women is controversial enough, but to see a woman get punched in the face or knocked to the ground by men would apparently be too much for (largely male) audiences.
meanwhile, other wrestling promotions have caught on that the twenty-first century means a change for their women performers. shows like lucha underground on the el rey network not only allow women to have their own impressive matches, but they fight against male competitors in singles and mixed tag team competitions. women like sexy star own their sex appeal and then compete on the same level as their male counterparts with ease.
across the world, in places like japan, women fighters are considered powerful and well-respected athletes. in smaller promotions across the us, women wrestlers like the awesome jessicka havok enter the ring against men and put on great shows. there’s even a women’s wrestling promotion known as shimmer, where women fight one another and draw a large following. these promotions have learned what the wwe seems to be resisting: that women have a place alongside male competitors and deserve to be given bookings and storylines that respect them as the athletes they are. though these companies are smaller promotions with less to lose than the wwe, if the biggest promotion in the world can’t get behind these changes, then progress may be dead in the water.
looking at the whole state of women’s wrestling and the wwe, it’s no surprise that the becky lynch kiss, the off-color comments about miz wearing a dress, or the ones about big e being a woman happen. creatively, the treatment of women in the wwe is stuck in the dark ages of the ’80s and ’90s. while fans have become savvier and more aware of the ways kayfabe is crafted, the creative team seems to have fallen back on antiquated and sexist tropes that pander to the lowest common denominator. so who’s to blame when the audience shouts out lewd comments about the women athletes during matches, or else chant, “boring!” when the women are busy putting on a good show. they’re used to the kayfabe disrespecting the divas one moment and then touting them as women athletes the next. they’re not sure whether they’ll get a great match or the next salacious joke or non-consensual kiss. this is what audiences have been presented, and the writers seem to be pandering to that crass representation of its divas, while more savvy fans—many of whom are women!—sit back and cringe.
who knows. maybe there’s a chance we’ll see a change. maybe that divas revolution will instead rise up and finally become a true women’s revolution. maybe we’ll see a women’s championship belt in the wwe, and a time when no women will get pawed or effectively sexually harassed on international television pay-per-views. one can only hope, because there are ways to be funny, to be playful, and to kick ass without being over sexualized and disempowered, without showing the audience once more just where a woman’s “place” is in the hierarchy of pro wrestling. smaller venues and promotions seem to be getting the point. let’s just hope that the biggest wrestling venue in the world catches on.
shoshana is a writer, game designer, and scholar who loves all things-nerd like. she is the author of such roleplaying games as dangers untold, service, the last ten minutes, and keeping the candles lit, and has been a contributing designer and writer for over a dozen companies in the game world. she’s also producer behind the upcoming podcast new york underground and the comic nowhere girls. when she’s not writing, she’s traveling the world to run live action roleplaying games, or watching pro-wrestling with her friends. she’s a contributing blogger for half a dozen different sites and maintains her own blog at her website,www.shoshanakessock.com. she’s a born and raised brooklyn girl who fled the high rents to jersey city, but mostly lives on twitter @shoshanakessock.
(image via wwe)
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ˌbeɪˈʒɪŋ moʊst ˌɪnfluˈɛnʃəl wɛb ˈpɔrtəlz hæv ˈbændɪd təˈgɛðər tɪ bɪld wət ɪz biɪŋ bɪld ɛz fərst control”*” ˈɔnˌlaɪn saɪt, ə ˈplætˌfɔrm ʧaɪˈniz steɪt ˈmidiə ɪz ˈtrəmpətɪŋ wɪl hɛlp kərb ðə sprɛd əv ˈrumərz ðət θˈrɛtən harmony.”*.” ðə nu saɪt noʊn ɛz ðə juˈnaɪtɪd ˈɪntərˌnɛt ˈænˌti ˈrumər platform,”*,” ˈdeɪbjutɪd ˈθərzˌdeɪ. ɪt ɔˈrɛdi həz ə ˈdætəˌbeɪs əv əraʊnd ˈɛntriz sɛd tɪ bi ˈrumərz ðət kənˈteɪn fɔls ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ɛz wɛl ɛz ðə pərˈpɔrtɪd truθ bɪˈhaɪnd ðə ˈfælsˌhʊdz. ðə nu ˈplætˌfɔrm ɪz rɪˈpɔrtədli ðə kriˈeɪʃən əv sɪks əv ˈmeɪʤər wɛb ˈkəmpəˌniz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə ˈsərvɪs,, sərʧ ˈɪnʤən, baidu*, ənd wɛb ˈpɔrtəl sohu*. ˈmɛni əv ðə ˈwɛbˌsaɪts ˌɪnˈvɑlvd dɪˈklaɪnd tɪ ˈkɑmɛnt əˈbaʊt ðə nu ˈplætˌfɔrm, bət ən ɪmˈplɔɪi ˈkɑnˌtæktɪd æt wən əv ðə ˈkəmpəˌniz səˈʤɛstɪd tɪ ˈɛnˌbiˈsi nuz ðət ðɛr pɑrˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən ɪn ðə nu saɪt meɪ nɑt ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli hæv bɪn ɔn ðɛr oʊn əˈkɔrd, bət æt ðə rɪkˈwɛst. wɪθ ə ˈvaɪbrənt ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃən əv ˈoʊvər 564 ˈmɪljən, ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt ɪn ˈʧaɪnə ɪz ə sɔrs əv nuz ənd ˌɛnərˈteɪnmənt fər ən ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli ˈneɪʃən. fər ˈrulɪŋ ˈkɑmjənəst ˈpɑrti ðoʊ, ðə sprɛd əv ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈrumərz ril ər ˈəðərˌwaɪz ɪz ə ˈkɑnstənt sɔrs əv ˈhɛˌdeɪk ənd ən ˈʧælənʤ tɪ ˈpɑrti kənˈtroʊl. kən ˌɪmˈpoʊz səˈvɪr saɪd ˈifɛkts ɔn ðə ˈsoʊʃəl regulation,”*,” wɔrnd ən ˌɛdəˈtɔriəl ɪn ˈgloʊbəl taɪmz ˈnuzˌpeɪpər. kən kɔz ˈwaɪdˈsprɛd ˈpænɪk, dɪˈstərb ðə ˈɔrdər əv soʊˈsaɪɪti ənd ˈdæmɪʤ ðə credibility.”*.” ðə ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəm bɪˈhaɪnd ðə nu ˈplætˌfɔrm ɪz ˈrɛlətɪvli streɪt ˈfɔrwərd. ˈmænɪʤd baɪ ðə ˌbeɪˈʒɪŋ ˈɪntərˌnɛt ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ˈɔfəs, ðə nu ˈplætˌfɔrm ɪz dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ sɔrs ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən frəm sərʧ ˈɛnʤənz, fidz ənd nuz ˈwɛbˌsaɪts tɪ ˈkɑmbæt wət ər pərˈsivd tɪ bi ˈdeɪnʤərəs ˈrumərz. ɪn əˈdɪʃən, ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ˌɪnˈkludz əraʊnd 30 ˈwɛbˌsaɪts ðət ˈɪntərˌnɛt ˈjuzərz kən rɪˈpɔrt ˈhɑrmfəl ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈrumərz ənd ˈfɪʃɪŋ ˈwɛbˌsaɪts tɪ. wən ˈrisənt ɪgˈzæmpəl əv ðə taɪp əv ˈrumərz ðə ʧaɪˈniz ˈgəvərnmənt ɪz traɪɪŋ tɪ ˈkɑmbæt ˈhæpənd ɪn ˈeɪprəl wɪn ˈrumərz sprɛd əˈkrɔs ðət ə ˈloʊkəl ˌbeɪˈʒɪŋ ˈhɑˌspɪtəl hæd dɪˈskəvərd ɪts fərst ˈkeɪsɪz əv bərd flu. ðə ˈrumər spɑrkt fɪr əˈkrɔs ðə ˈsɪti æt ðə taɪm. ɔn ðə nu ˈplætˌfɔrm, ðə oʊld ˈstɔri ɪz ˈkɛrfəli dɪˈbəŋkt ˈsaɪtɪŋ ə ˈpoʊstɪŋ frəm ðə əˈfɪʃəl əˈkaʊnt dɪˈklɛrɪŋ ðeɪ hæd noʊ ˌɪnˈfɛktɪd ˈpeɪʃənt æt ðət taɪm. dɪˈspaɪt ðə ˌɪˈmiˌdiət ˈmɪʃən tɪ ˈtækəl ˈrumərz, ðə ˈplætˌfɔrm ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ sɛt əp tɪ ˈæˌdrɛs ˈstɔriz frəm əˈkrɔs ˈʧaɪnə ənd əˈbrɔd. ˈɛnˌbiˈsi news’*’ tjɑn li kənˈtrɪbjutɪd tɪ ðɪs rɪˈpɔrt. rɪˈleɪtɪd lɪŋks:
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beijing – china’s most influential web portals have banded together to build what is being billed as china’s first “rumor control” online site, a platform chinese state media is trumpeting will help curb the spread of rumors that threaten “social harmony.”
the new site known as the “beijing united internet anti rumor platform,” debuted thursday. it already has a database of around 100,000 entries said to be rumors that contain false information – as well as the purported truth behind the falsehoods.
the new platform is reportedly the creation of six of china’s major web companies, including the mainland’s twitter-like service, weibo, search engine, baidu, and web portal sohu.
many of the websites involved declined to comment about the new platform, but an employee contacted at one of the companies suggested to nbc news that their participation in the new anti-rumor site may not necessarily have been on their own accord, but at the government’s request.
with a vibrant online population of over 564 million, the internet in china is a source of news and entertainment for an increasingly plugged-in nation. for china’s ruling communist party though, the spread of online rumors – real or otherwise – is a constant source of headache and an ever-present challenge to party control.
“rumors can impose severe side effects on the social regulation,” warned an editorial in china’s global times newspaper. “they can cause widespread panic, disturb the order of society and damage the government’s credibility.”
the mechanism behind the new platform is relatively straight forward. managed by the beijing internet information office, the new platform is designed to source information from search engines, microblog feeds and news websites to combat what are perceived to be dangerous rumors. in addition, the project includes around 30 websites that internet users can report harmful online rumors and phishing websites to.
one recent example of the type of rumors the chinese government is trying to combat happened in april when rumors spread across weibo that a local beijing hospital had discovered its first cases of h7n9 bird flu. the rumor sparked fear across the city at the time.
on the new platform, the old story is carefully debunked citing a weibo posting from the hospital’s official account declaring they had no infected patient at that time.
despite the site’s immediate mission to tackle beijing-based rumors, the platform is also set up to address stories from across china and abroad.
nbc news’ tian li contributed to this report.
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hu tɪ kɔl: haʊ tɪ gɪt hɛlp wɪθ ˌθæŋksˈgɪvɪŋ ˈkʊkɪŋ dəˈlɛməz hɪrz ə ˈkloʊzər lʊk æt səm əv ðə ərbz ðət hɛlp ʃeɪp ðə ˈfleɪvər əv ˌθæŋksˈgɪvɪŋ ˈdɪnər: beɪ livz. ðeɪ goʊ ˈɪntu stɑks ənd braɪnz ənd ər ˈʤɛnərəli juzd hoʊl. ðə livz ər riˈmuvd ˈæftər ðə ˈkʊkɪŋ ər ˈmɛrəˌneɪtɪŋ ˈprɔˌsɛs ɪz kəmˈplit. ðɛr ˈfleɪvər ɪz strɔŋ, wɪθ ˈrɛsəpiz ˈɔfən ˈkɔlɪŋ fər ˈoʊnli wən ər tu livz. bət baɪ mæs, ðɛr ə ˈlaɪtˈweɪt. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈspaɪsɪz ˈkætəlɔg, 8 ˈaʊnsɪz əv beɪ livz wʊd fɪl ə ˈgælən. səm kʊks laɪk tɪ æd ə beɪ lif tɪ ðə ˈwɔtər wɪn ˈkʊkɪŋ ˈpɑstə. ˈpɑrsli. wɪn juzd frɛʃ, ər ˌɪˈtæljən ˈpɑrsli ɪz ˈʤɛnərəli prɪˈfərd fər ɪts ˈrɪʧər, ˈstrɔŋgər teɪst, ˈvərsəz. ˈkərli ˈpɑrsli, wɪʧ ɪz mɔr əv ə ˈgɑrnɪʃ. ˈpɑrsli ɪz ˈvæljud fər ɪts roʊl ɪn ˈblɛndɪŋ ˈəðər ˈfleɪvərz, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ "ðə ʤɔɪ əv ˈkʊkɪŋ" baɪ ˈərmə ɛs., ˈmɛriən ˈbɛkər ənd ˈiθən ˈbɛkər. ɪt ɪz ˈʤɛnərəli soʊld ɪn ˈbənʧɪz ˈrəðər ðən ˈpækɪʤd ɪn ˈplæstɪk laɪk ˈəðər frɛʃ ərbz ənd ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈʤɛnərəli lɛs ɪkˈspɛnsɪv ðən moʊst ˈəðər ərbz. "ðət həz tɪ du wɪθ dɪˈmænd," sɛd fɪl din, ˈoʊnər əv ðə ərb fɑrm. "wɪn ðɛrz ə juʤ dɪˈmænd, ðeɪ kən ˈpækɪʤ əp kreɪts əv ɪt ənd ə stɔr wɪl goʊ θru ɪt. wɛˈræz ˈsəmθɪŋ laɪk chervil*, ɔn ðə ˈəðər hænd...." ˈroʊzˌmɛri. ðɪs ərb həz stɪf livz ər "ˈnidəlz" ðət ər kwaɪt ˈpənʤənt. draɪd livz kən bi krəʃt. frɛʃ wənz ʃʊd bi ˈfaɪnli ʧɑpt. graʊnd, ər ˈpaʊdərd, ˈroʊzˌmɛri ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ əˈveɪləbəl. seɪʤ. ənˈlaɪk moʊst ərbz, seɪʤ həz ə ˈstrɔŋgər ˈfleɪvər frɛʃ ðən draɪd. draɪd seɪʤ ɪz soʊld boʊθ "rəbd" ənd "graʊnd," wɪθ rəbd seɪʤ ˈʤɛnərəli prɪˈfərd bɪˈkəz ɪt hoʊldz ɪts ˈfleɪvər ˈbɛtər. θaɪm. ðə livz əv θaɪm ər ˈtaɪni, ənd ðɛr ˈfleɪvər ˈkɑmpləmənts ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ frəm ˈpoʊltri ənd mit tɪ ˈvɛʤtəbəlz ənd ˈpɑstə. θaɪm ɪz ˈɔfən faʊnd ɪn stɑks ɛz ə kəmˈpoʊnənt əv ðə ˈklæsɪk ərb ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃən buˈkeɪ garni*. ənd hɪrz ə lʊk æt ðə ˈspaɪsɪz: ˈɔlˌspaɪs. ˈkɑntrɛri tɪ ɪts neɪm, ˈɔlˌspaɪs ɪz ə ˈsɪŋgəl spaɪs, nɑt ə ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃən əv ˈsɛvərəl. ɪt kəmz frəm ðə ˈɔlˌspaɪs ˈbɛri, ˈɔlsoʊ noʊn ɛz ðə ʤəˈmeɪkə ˈpɛpər. ˈsɪnəmən. ɪt kəmz frəm ðə bɑrk əv ə tri ðət ɪz ðɛn kərld ˈɪntu stɪks. ɪn stɪk fɔrm, ɪt hɛlps ˈfleɪvər hɑt ˈsaɪdər. wɪn ɪts graʊnd, ɪt goʊz ˈɪntu ˈɛni ˈnəmbər əv beɪkt gʊdz. kloʊvz. ðɪs spaɪs ɪz frəm ðə draɪd, əˈnoʊpənd bədz əv ðə tri. ðə hɛdz əv ðə kloʊvz ər ˈsəmˌtaɪmz riˈmuvd bɪˈkəz əv ðɛr ˌɪnˈtɛns ˈfleɪvər, ənd ðə ˈmaɪldər pɑrt əv ðə ɪz wət ɪz juzd tɪ meɪk graʊnd kloʊvz. hoʊl kloʊvz kən bi juzd tɪ stəd hæmz, ˈənjənz ənd ˈɔrɪnʤɪz. ðeɪ ʃʊd bi riˈmuvd ˌbiˈfɔr ə dɪʃ ɪz sərvd. ˈʤɪnʤər. ðɪs ˈraɪˌzoʊm ɪz ə ki kəmˈpoʊnənt əv ˈmɛni ˈeɪʒən ˈdɪʃɪz. draɪd ˈʤɪnʤər kən bi stipt ɪn ˈwɔtər tɪ kriˈeɪt ə ˈlɪkwɪd ˈfleɪvərɪŋ. ˈpɪkəld ˈʤɪnʤər, wɪʧ ɪz ˈθɪnli slaɪst frɛʃ ˈʤɪnʤər ðæts bɪn prɪˈzərvd ɪn raɪs ˈvɪnəgər, ɪz juzd ɛz ə ˈkɑndəmənt wɪθ ˈsuʃi. ˈkændid, ər ˈkrɪstəˌlaɪzd, ˈʤɪnʤər kən bi juzd ɪn beɪkt gʊdz, ɛz kən draɪd graʊnd ˈʤɪnʤər. ðə spaɪs ˈhaʊsɪz ˈmænɪʤər, keɪt, ˌrɛkəˈmɛndz ˈædɪŋ ˈkrɪstəˌlaɪzd ˈʤɪnʤər tɪ ˈkrænˌbɛri sɔs. "ɪt ædz ə ˈlɪtəl bɪt əv sˈwitnəs frəm ðə ˈʃʊgər, bət ɪt ˈɔlˌmoʊst gɪvz ɪt ə ˈlɪtəl bɪt əv ə baɪt, bɪˈkəz ˈʤɪnʤər ɪz kaɪnd əv hɑt," ʃi sɛd. ˈnətˌmɛg. ˈnətˌmɛg ənd meɪs kəm frəm ðə seɪm plænt. meɪs ɪz graʊnd frəm ðə ˈleɪsi ˈkoʊtɪŋ ðət səraʊndz ðə hɑrd ˈnətˌmɛg ˈkərnəl. "meɪs ɪz ˈvɛri məʧ laɪk ˈnətˌmɛg," sɛd. "ɪts juzd ə lɔt kəˈmərʃəli, bət ju doʊnt si ɪt tu məʧ ɪn ˈkʊkɪŋ." ər soʊld hoʊl fər ˈgreɪtɪŋ ər ˈgraɪndɪŋ æt hoʊm, ənd graʊnd. wən hoʊl ˈnətˌmɛg wɪl ˈproʊdus 2 tɪ 3 ˈtiˌspunz əv graʊnd ˈnətˌmɛg. ʤɪst ɛz səm kʊks prɪˈfər ˈfrɛʃli graʊnd blæk ˈpɛpər, səm laɪk ðə ˈfrɛʃər ˈfleɪvər əv ˈnətˌmɛg ðeɪ greɪt ðɛmˈsɛlvz.
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who to call: how to get help with thanksgiving cooking dilemmas
here's a closer look at some of the herbs that help shape the flavor of thanksgiving dinner:
bay leaves. they go into stocks and brines and are generally used whole. the leaves are removed after the cooking or marinating process is complete.
their flavor is strong, with recipes often calling for only one or two leaves. but by mass, they're a lightweight. according to the penzey's spices catalog, 8 ounces of bay leaves would fill a gallon. some cooks like to add a bay leaf to the water when cooking pasta.
parsley. when used fresh, flat-leaf or italian parsley is generally preferred for its richer, stronger taste, vs. curly parsley, which is more of a garnish. parsley is valued for its role in blending other flavors, according to "the joy of cooking" by irma s. rombauer, marion rombauer becker and ethan becker. it is generally sold in bunches rather than packaged in plastic like other fresh herbs and is also generally less expensive than most other herbs.
"that has to do with demand," said phil dean, owner of the herb farm. "when there's a huge demand, they can package up crates of it and a store will go through it. whereas something like chervil, on the other hand...."
rosemary. this herb has stiff leaves or "needles" that are quite pungent. dried leaves can be crushed. fresh ones should be finely chopped. ground, or powdered, rosemary is also available.
sage. unlike most herbs, sage has a stronger flavor fresh than dried. dried sage is sold both "rubbed" and "ground," with rubbed sage generally preferred because it holds its flavor better.
thyme. the leaves of thyme are tiny, and their flavor complements everything from poultry and meat to vegetables and pasta. thyme is often found in stocks as a component of the classic herb combination bouquet garni.
and here's a look at the spices:
allspice. contrary to its name, allspice is a single spice, not a combination of several. it comes from the allspice berry, also known as the jamaica pepper.
cinnamon. it comes from the bark of a tree that is then curled into sticks. in stick form, it helps flavor hot cider. when it's ground, it goes into any number of baked goods.
cloves. this spice is from the dried, unopened buds of the clove tree. the heads of the cloves are sometimes removed because of their intense flavor, and the milder part of the clove is what is used to make ground cloves.
whole cloves can be used to stud hams, onions and oranges. they should be removed before a dish is served.
ginger. this rhizome is a key component of many asian dishes.
dried ginger can be steeped in water to create a liquid flavoring. pickled ginger, which is thinly sliced fresh ginger that's been preserved in rice vinegar, is used as a condiment with sushi. candied, or crystallized, ginger can be used in baked goods, as can dried ground ginger.
the spice house's manager, kate erd, recommends adding crystallized ginger to cranberry sauce.
"it adds a little bit of sweetness from the sugar, but it almost gives it a little bit of a bite, because ginger is kind of hot," she said.
nutmeg. nutmeg and mace come from the same plant. mace is ground from the lacy coating that surrounds the hard nutmeg kernel.
"mace is very much like nutmeg," erd said. "it's used a lot commercially, but you don't see it too much in cooking."
nutmegs are sold whole for grating or grinding at home, and ground. one whole nutmeg will produce 2 to 3 teaspoons of ground nutmeg. just as some cooks prefer freshly ground black pepper, some like the fresher flavor of nutmeg they grate themselves.
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ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈvərʧu ˈkɑnʃəs, ˈbəbəl əˈmɛrɪkənz gloʊ ˈoʊvər ˈɪməgrənts. ˈɪməgrənts ɪnˈrɪʧ ðə ˈneɪʃən. ˈstrəgəlɪŋ ˈɪməgrənts ɪmˈbɑdi ˈvərʧuz ənˈnoʊn tɪ waɪt əˈmɛrɪkənz, hu ər ˈsɛlfɪʃ ənd ˌzɛnəˈfɑbɪk. ˈnuˌkəmərz kəm fərst. ɪt ɪz ðə ˈduti əv ðə juz. tɪ ˈwɛlkəm ðɛm. wət meɪks əˈmɛrɪkə greɪt. hu wi ər. bət ə lɑrʤ ˈpɔrʃən əv ðə ɪˈlɛktərət, ɪt əˈpɪrz, dɪz nɑt əˈgri. ɪt θɪŋks ðə juz. ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈsɪstəm ɪz ˈbroʊkən. ɪt wɔnts tɪ rɪˈdus ðə ˈnəmbər əv ˈfɔrənərz floʊɪŋ ˈɪntu ðə ˈkəntri. ˈʃeɪmɪŋ waɪt əˈmɛrɪkə mɪkst wɪθ ˈoʊpənd ˈbɔrdərz ənd ðə ˈprɑspɛkt əv ˈæmnəsti wɑz nɑt ə voʊt ˈgræbər ðɪs jɪr. stɪl, ˈhoʊlˌseɪl ˈpərʤɪz rɪˈmeɪn ə ˈfivərd ˈfænəsi əˈməŋ taɪmz ˌɛdəˈtɔriəlɪsts ənd səm trumpists*. ˈaɪdiəlɔgz ənd waɪt ˈnæʃənəlɪsts əraʊnd ˈmɪstər. trəmp ər ˈɪʧɪŋ fər ɪm tɪ bi merciless,”*,” ˈʃɪvərd ðə nu jɔrk taɪmz ˌɛdəˈtɔriəl bɔrd læst wik, ənd tɪ meɪk gʊd ɔn ə əv mæs deportation.”*.” ˈbləstər dɪz nɑt hɛlp. wi ər goʊɪŋ tɪ du ɪz gɪt ðə ˈpipəl ðət ər ˈkrɪmənəl ənd hæv ˈkrɪmənəl ˈrɛkərdz, gæŋ ˈmɛmbərz, drəg ˈdilərz, wɛr ə lɔt əv ðiz ˈpipəl, ˈprɑbəˌbli tu ˈmɪljən, ɪt kʊd bi ˈivɪn θri ˈmɪljən, wi ər ˈgɪtɪŋ ðɛm aʊt əv ɑr ˈkəntri ər wi ər goʊɪŋ tɪ incarcerate,”*,” trəmp sɛd ɔn 60 ˈmɪnəts faɪv deɪz ˈæftər ðə ɪˈlɛkʃən. ˈgɪtɪŋ ðɛm aʊt əv ɑr ˈkəntri, hir illegally.”*.” kəmˈjunɪtiz əˈkrɔs america,”*,” ðə taɪmz ˌɛdəˈtɔriəl kənˈtɪnjuz. ðə ˈgɪvəˌweɪ!! ðə taɪmz ər ˈθɪŋkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðət nis ˈhaʊˌskipər, mərˈiə, ər ˌsæntiˈɑgoʊ, ðə greɪt gaɪ hu teɪks kɛr əv ðə ˈpləmɪŋ æt ðə ist ˈhæmptən pleɪs. ˈoʊnli ə ˈbəbəl ˈpərsən wʊd seɪ ““immigrant-rich.”*.” hɑp ɔn ðə ˈmɪdˌdeɪ ɪkˈsprɛs treɪn tɪ ðə brɑŋks əˈmɪd ðə ˈʤɑsəlɪŋ, bling*, ˈməltəpəl ˈbɑdi ˌtæˈtuz, ənd smartphones*. hu ɪz peɪɪŋ fər ðɪs ˌpændɪˈmoʊniəm, ən ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk əˈmɛrɪkən maɪt æsk. ˈvɪzɪt ðə ˈsidi ɪn ə bæd pɑrt əv taʊn, ˈmeɪbi ˈrɛdɪŋ, ˌpɛnsəlˈveɪnjə. si ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈdɪfərənt frəm mərˈiə ənd ˌsæntiˈɑgoʊ. ju maɪt ɪnˈkaʊnər ə fərˈlɔrn jəŋ deɪ ˈleɪbərər ənd hɪz waɪf wɪθ ən ˈɪnfənt, aʊt ɔn ə lɪm ənd ˈlʊkɪŋ tɪ baɪ ˈsəmθɪŋ tɪ it. ðɛn ðɛr ər ɪˈlusɪv ˈprɛdətərz, laɪk ɪŋ əv ðə ˈoʊklənd, ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə, goʊst ʃɪp faɪər. ðə greɪt məˈʤɔrəti əv ˈɪməgrənts ər hɪˈspænɪk, ˈmoʊstli ˈmɛksəkən. əv ən ˈɛstəˌmeɪtɪd 35 ˈmɪljən mexican-americans*, pərˈhæps hæf ər hir ˌɪˈligəli. ðə ˈnəmbərz ər lus. ˈɛstəˌmeɪts reɪnʤ frəm 11 ˈmɪljən əp tɪ 20 ˈmɪljən. səm kəm frəm ˈwərldli kəˈloʊniəl ˈsɪtiz; ˈəðərz ər ˈdɛstəˌtut, ˌɪˈlɪtərət əˈprutɪd frəm ðə ˈdɛzərt. nɑt wən bɪg ləˈtinoʊ ˈfæməli. faɪv ˈmɪljən ˈpɔrtər ˈrɪkənz ər ˈkləstərd ɪn ðə ˌnɔrˈθist. doʊˈmɪnɪkənz, ˈkjubənz, sælvəˈdɔrənz, ənd gˌwɑtəˈmɑlənz ə ˈmɪljən frəm iʧ ˈkəntri ˈɔlsoʊ rɪˈzaɪd ɪn ðə juz. iʧ əv ðiz grups ɪz ˈɛθnɪkli self-aware*, ˈdipli soʊ. (ɪt ɪz ˈivɪn mɔr ˈlæfəbəl tɪ θɪŋk əv ʧaɪˈniz, ˌʤæpəˈniz, ˌkɔˈriənz, viˌɛtnɑˈmis, ənd ˌfɪləˈpinoʊz ɛz wən ““asian”*” ˈpipəl. bət wi du.) frəm ˈwɔlˌmɑrt ˌɪnvənˈtɔri tɪ ˈhaʊˌskipɪŋ ɪn moʊˈtɛlz, ˈwərkɪŋ ðə əˈsɛmbli laɪnz, groʊvz ənd fildz, ənd kənˈstrəkʃən, sˈlɔtərɪŋ ˈʧɪkənz ənd ˈbɪldɪŋ roʊdz, ˈɪməgrənts ˈligəl ənd ˌɪˈligəl du ðə wərk, ðə ənˈglæmərəs wərk. waɪl ən ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ ˈnəmbər əv əˈmɛrɪkənz lɪv ɔf ˈdɪvɪˌdɛndz ər ˈhænˌdaʊts, ðə juz. həz kriˈeɪtɪd ən ˈɪməgrənt ˈwərkɪŋ klæs fər hum baɪ prɪˈveɪlɪŋ juz. ˈstændərdz ɪz ˈwəndərˌlænd. əˈmɛrɪkənz lɛft ɪn ðə ˈleɪbər ˈmɑrkɪt, ˈminˌwaɪl, feɪs ə ˈrɛlətɪv loʊər ˈstændərd əv ˈlɪvɪŋ. ˈɪməgrənts ˈoʊnli teɪk ʤɑbz ðət əˈmɛrɪkənz du ɪz ə laɪ. ˈmɛksɪkənz ənd ˈəðər lɑˈtinoʊs wərk hɑrd, ɪmˈplɔɪərz əˈgri, ənd tɪ rɪˈteɪn ʧip ˈleɪbər, ðeɪ rɪˈzɪst ˌɪˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪk ˌvɛrəfəˈkeɪʃən ənd ˈəðər minz əv dɪˈskəvərɪŋ ˌɪˈligəl ˈɪməgrənts. ðə immigrants”*” ər ˈfrɛndli, kənˈsɪdərət ˈpipəl, ˌdɛfərˈɛnʧəl tɪ ðɛr ˈbɔsɪz ənd ˈkəstəmərz. jɛt ɛz ðeɪ wərk hɑrd æt lɛs ðən dɪˈzaɪərəbəl, ʤɑbz, ðeɪ dɪˈprɛs ˈweɪʤɪz. ˈθɔtfəl əˈmɛrɪkənz noʊ ðɛr wɪl bi noʊ mæs ˌdipɔrˈteɪʃənz. ɪn əˈmɛrɪkə, ɛz ɪn əˈmɛrɪkə ˌbiˈfɔr ɪt, ðə juz. dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv ˈhoʊmˌlænd sɪˈkjʊrəti wɪl stɑp ˈplɛnti əv ˌɪˈligəlz æt ðə ˈbɔrdər. ɪt wɪl riˈmuv ˈveɪgrənts, ˈkrɪmənəlz, ənd ˈpɛrəˌsaɪts ɔn ə ˈbeɪsɪs. ðɛr wɪl bi noʊ wɔl frəm sæn diˈeɪgoʊ tɪ ˈbraʊnzvɪl. əˈtərni ˈʤɛnərəl ʤɛf ˈsɛʃənz ənd ðə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən wɪl ɛnˈfɔrs ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən lɔz ɔn ðə bʊks, ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ ˈkɑŋgrəs tɪ meɪk ˈoʊvərˈdu riˈvɪʒənz ɪn ˌɪmˈprudənt reunification”*” ˈpɑləsiz, ˈvizə ˈlɑtəriz, ənd ˈəðər ˈligəl chicaneries*. ðə wɪl ˈsɪgnəl over”*” tɪ ˈkləŋkərz hu mɪlk əˈmɛrɪkən æmˈbɪvələns, bəˈnɛvələns, ənd rul əv lɔ. ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈlɔjərz, ɛŋˈgoʊz, ˈsæŋkʧuˌɛri ˈsɪtiz, ənd ə ˌsɛlˈfraɪʧəs fɪθ ˈkɑləm wɪl ˌɪmˈpid ðiz rɪˈfɔrmz æt ˈɛvəri stɛp. ɑˈdeɪʃəs maɪndz hæv ˈgɪvɪn ðə ˈkəntri fɛr ˈwɔrnɪŋ. ʤɑn fɑnt æt ðə ˈhədsən ˈɪnstɪˌtut həz ˈstədid ˈnæʃənəl aɪˈdɛntəˌti fər mɔr ðən ə ˈdɛkeɪd. ˈvɪktər ˈdeɪvɪs ˈprɛsiənt 2003 sɛt aʊt dɪˈrɛkʃɪn ɔn ðɪs əˈkaʊnt. ˈsoʊʃəl ˈkrɪtɪk ˈstivən ˈseɪlər əbˈzərvd ɪn ə 2004 ˈpeɪpər æt ˈfɔrən ˈpɑləsi ˈrisərʧ ˈɪnstɪˌtut: frəm ə ˈpræktɪkəl pɔɪnt əv vju, ˈɛni ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈpɑləsi məst ˈænsər tu ˈbeɪsɪk kˈwɛsʧənz: wət ʃʊd bi ðə kˈwɑntəti əv ˈɪməgrənts? ənd, wət ʃʊd bi ðə kˈwɑləti əv ˈɪməgrənts? ˈʧuzɪŋ ˈɪməgrənts ˈwaɪzli kən meɪk ə bɪg ˈdɪfərəns ɪn ðə kˈwɑləti əv laɪf əv ˈkɑrənt ˈsɪtɪzənz. ðə ˈoʊvərˌɔl goʊl, ˈðɛrˌfɔr, əv ə ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈpɑləsi wʊd ˈlɑʤɪkli bi tɪ ʧuz ðə kˈwɑntəti ənd kˈwɑləti əv ˈɪməgrənts ðət ˈmæksəˌmaɪzɪz ðə ˌwɛlˈbiɪŋ əv ðə ˈkɑrənt ˈsɪtɪzənz, nɑt əv ðə ˈfɔrənərz hu wʊd laɪk tɪ ˈɪməˌgreɪt. ðɪs ɔl saʊnd ˈsɛnsəbəl? fər taɪmz ˈɛdɪtərz ənd prɑˈgrɛsɪvz ˈigər tɪ ““transform”*” əˈmɛrɪkə, prəˈtɛkt ðɛr wɛlθ, ənd præns ˈpraʊdli ɛz nu ˌɛrəˈstɑkrəsi, ðə ˈænsər ɪz rɪˈzaʊndɪŋli, ““no.”*.”
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always virtue conscious, bubble americans glow over immigrants. immigrants enrich the nation. struggling immigrants embody virtues unknown to low-end white americans, who are selfish and xenophobic. newcomers come first. it is the duty of the u.s. to welcome them. that’s what makes america great. that’s who we are.
but a large portion of the electorate, it appears, does not agree. it thinks the u.s. immigration system is broken. it wants to reduce the number of low-skilled foreigners flowing into the country. shaming white america mixed with opened borders and the prospect of amnesty was not a vote grabber this year.
still, wholesale purges remain a fevered fantasy among times editorialists and some trumpists. “nativist ideologues and white nationalists around mr. trump are itching for him to be merciless,” shivered the new york times editorial board last week, and to make good on a “pledge of mass deportation.”
trump’s bluster does not help. “what we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers, where a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million, we are getting them out of our country or we are going to incarcerate,” trump said on 60 minutes five days after the election. “but we’re getting them out of our country, they’re here illegally.”
“in immigrant-rich communities across america,” the times editorial continues. that’s the giveaway! immigrant-rich! the times grandees are thinking about that nice housekeeper, maria, or santiago, the great guy who takes care of the plumbing at the east hampton place. only a bubble person would say “immigrant-rich.”
hop on the midday express train to the bronx amid the jostling, bling, multiple body tattoos, and rap-blaring smartphones. who is paying for this pandemonium, an economic american might ask. visit the seedy 7-eleven in a bad part of town, maybe reading, pennsylvania. you’ll see something different from maria and santiago. you might encounter a forlorn young day laborer and his common-law wife with an infant, out on a limb and looking to buy something to eat. then there are elusive predators, slumlords like chor ng of the oakland, california, ghost ship fire.
the great majority of immigrants are hispanic, mostly mexican. of an estimated 35 million mexican-americans, perhaps half are here illegally. the numbers are loose. estimates range from 11 million up to 20 million. some come from worldly colonial cities; others are destitute, illiterate indios uprooted from the desert. it’s not one big latino family. five million puerto ricans are clustered in the northeast. dominicans, cubans, salvadorans, and guatemalans — a million from each country — also reside in the u.s. each of these groups is ethnically self-aware, deeply so. (it is even more laughable to think of chinese, japanese, koreans, vietnamese, and filipinos as one “asian” people. but we do.)
from wal-mart inventory to housekeeping in motels, working the nation’s assembly lines, groves and fields, and construction, slaughtering chickens and building roads, immigrants — legal and illegal — do the work, the unglamorous work. while an increasing number of native-born americans live off dividends or handouts, the u.s. has created an immigrant working class for whom near-poverty by prevailing u.s. standards is wonderland. native-born americans left in the labor market, meanwhile, face a relative lower standard of living.
immigrants only take jobs that americans won’t do is a lie. mexicans and other latinos work hard, employers agree, and to retain cheap labor, they resist electronic verification and other means of discovering illegal immigrants. the “good immigrants” are friendly, considerate people, deferential to their bosses and customers. yet as they work hard at less than desirable, low-paying jobs, they depress wages.
thoughtful americans know there will be no mass deportations. in trump’s america, as in obama’s america before it, the u.s. department of homeland security will stop plenty of illegals at the border. it will remove vagrants, criminals, and parasites on a case-by-case basis. there will be no berlin-like wall from san diego to brownsville.
attorney general jeff sessions and the administration will enforce immigration laws on the books, working with congress to make overdue revisions in imprudent “family reunification” policies, visa lotteries, and other legal chicaneries. the dhs will signal “game over” to clunkers who milk american ambivalence, benevolence, and rule of law. immigration lawyers, ngos, sanctuary cities, and a self-righteous fifth column will impede these reforms at every step.
audacious minds have given the country fair warning. john fonte at the hudson institute has studied national identity for more than a decade. victor davis hanson’s prescient mexifornia (2003) set out california’s direction on this account. social critic steven sailer observed in a 2004 paper at foreign policy research institute:
• from a practical point of view, any country’s immigration policy must answer two basic questions: what should be the quantity of immigrants? and, what should be the quality of immigrants? • choosing immigrants wisely can make a big difference in the quality of life of current citizens. • the overall goal, therefore, of a democracy’s immigration policy would logically be to choose the quantity and quality of immigrants that maximizes the well-being of the current citizens, not of the foreigners who would like to immigrate.
doesn’t this all sound sensible? for times editors and asset-rich progressives eager to “transform” america, protect their wealth, and prance proudly as diversity’s new aristocracy, the answer is resoundingly, “no.”
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aɪ hæd ən ənˈləki deɪ təˈdeɪ. ðɪs ˈmɔrnɪŋ səm əv maɪ ˈfɛloʊ ˈkoʊˈwərkərz ənd aɪ faʊnd aʊt wi wʊd bi lɛt goʊ frəm ɑr ˈkəmpəˌni ɪn tu mənθs. ˈleɪtər, waɪl ˈdraɪvɪŋ aɪ ˈnoʊtɪst maɪ taɪər ˈprɛʃər ˈsɛnsər hæd gɔn ɔf ənd ˈæftər ˈʧɛkɪŋ maɪ taɪərz, aɪ faʊnd ə pis əv ˈmɛtəl wɑz stək ɪn wən əv ðɛm. aɪ mɪst ˈsɛvərəl əˈpɔɪntmənts waɪl maɪ kɑr wɑz biɪŋ wərkt ɔn æt ðə taɪər ʃɑp. ɪt reɪnd ɔl deɪ ənd aɪ fɛlt ˈmɪzərəbəl. fæst ˈfɔrwərd tɪ mi ˈoʊpənɪŋ əp maɪ frənt dɔr tɪ faɪnd ə ˈpækɪʤ ˈweɪtɪŋ ɔn ðə pɔrʧ frəm maɪ ˈsikrɪt ˈsænə. ðɛrz səm əˈmeɪzɪŋ ˈgʊdiz ˌɪnˈsaɪd! ðə dud gɑt mi ə ˈlɪtəl əv ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ ðət aɪ laɪk: 1 ˈɔrəʤɪnz: ˌwʊlvərˈin geɪm fər 360 2 dɑrθ ˈveɪdər tɔrʧ laɪt ki ʧeɪn, 3 ˈsaɪˌnaɪd ˈhæpinəs ˈkɑmɪk kəˈlɛkʃən, 4 ˈbætˌmæn: ðə lɔŋ ˌhæləˈwin kəmˈplit ˈgræfɪk ˈnɑvəl. θæŋks ˈsikrɪt ˈsænə! ju ˈtoʊtəli ʧɪrd mi əp ənd aɪ fil soʊ ˈkəmfi raɪt naʊ ˈrɛdɪŋ ðə nu ˈkɑmɪks ɪn bɛd ɛz ðə ˈpætər əv ˈreɪnˌdrɑps ˈaʊtˈsaɪd suðz maɪ ˈspɪrɪt. ˈmɛri x-mas*! ˈəpˌdeɪt: təˈdeɪ əˈnəðər ˈpækɪʤ əraɪvd! ɪn ɪt wɑz ə 360 ˈtrɪpəl pæk dɪsk ðət hæd "traɪəlz hd*," "ˈlɪmboʊ," ənd mæn" ɔn ɪt. soʊ ˈɔsəm, aɪv ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈwɔntɪd tɪ pleɪ ɔl 3 bət ˈnɛvər gɑt ðɛm. θæŋks əˈgɛn ˈsikrɪt ˈsænə!
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i had an unlucky day today. this morning some of my fellow coworkers and i found out we would be let go from our company in two months. later, while driving i noticed my tire pressure sensor had gone off and after checking my tires, i found a piece of metal was stuck in one of them. i missed several appointments while my car was being worked on at the tire shop. it rained all day and i felt miserable.
fast forward to me opening up my front door to find a package waiting on the porch from my secret santa. there's some amazing goodies inside! the dude got me a little of everything that i like: 1) x-men origins: wolverine game for xbox 360, 2) darth vader lightsaber torch light key chain, 3) cyanide & happiness comic collection, 4) batman: the long halloween complete graphic novel.
thanks secret santa! you totally cheered me up and i feel so comfy right now reading the new comics in bed as the pitter patter of raindrops outside soothes my spirit. merry x-mas!
update: today another package arrived! in it was a xbox 360 triple pack disc that had "trials hd," "limbo," and "'splosion man" on it. so awesome, i've always wanted to play all 3 but never got them. thanks again secret santa!
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ˈmɔˌskaʊ əˈθɔrətiz bæn ˈraɪtər frəm ðə ˈkəntri ɪn fərst ɪkˈspəlʃən əv ˈjuˈɛs ˈʤərnəlɪst sɪns ðə koʊld wɔr ˈrəʃə həz ɪkˈspɛld ə ˈjuˈɛs ˈʤərnəlɪst ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ˈmɔˌskaʊ fər ðə fərst taɪm sɪns ðə koʊld wɔr, ɪn ə muv ðət ɪz ˈlaɪkli tɪ streɪn riˈleɪʃənz wɪθ ˈwɔʃɪŋtən ɔn ðə iv əv ðə ˈsoʊʧi ˈwɪntər oʊˈlɪmpɪks. ˈdeɪvɪd ˈsætər ə dɪˈstɪŋgwɪʃt ˈfɔrmər ˌkɔrəˈspɑndənt wɪθ ðə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl taɪmz ənd ðə ˈɔθər əv θri bʊks ɔn ˈrəʃə ənd ðə ˈsoʊviˌɛt ˈjunjən wɑz toʊld ɔn ˈkrɪsməs deɪ ðət hi hæd bɪn bænd frəm ðə ˈkəntri. ˈsætər hæd bɪn beɪst ɪn ðə ˈrəʃən ˈkæpɪtəl sɪns sɛpˈtɛmbər. læst mənθ, hi ˈtrævəld tɪ ðə juˈkreɪniən ˈkæpɪtəl kiɛv tɪ rɪˈnu hɪz ˈvizə wɛr əˈlɛksi gruby*, ə ˈdɪpləˌmæt æt ðə ˈrəʃən ˈɛmbəsi, rɛd ɪm ə priˈpɛrd ˈsteɪtmənt ðət sɛd: "ðə ˈkɑmpətɪnt ˈɔrgənz hæv ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd ðət jʊr ˈprɛzəns ɔn ðə ˈtɛrɪˌtɔri əv ðə ˈrəʃən ˌfɛdərˈeɪʃən ɪz nɑt dɪˈzaɪərəbəl. ju ər bænd frəm ˈɛnərɪŋ ˈrəʃə." ðə "ˈkɑmpətɪnt ˈɔrgənz" ər ðə ˈfɛdərəl sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈsərvɪs (fsb*), ˈprɛzɪdənt vˈlædəmɪr ˈpaʊərfəl dəˈmɛstɪk spaɪ ənd ˈeɪʤənsi. səʧ ˈlæŋgwɪʤ ɪz ˈjuʒəwəli juzd ɪn spaɪ ˈkeɪsɪz. ðə ˈjuˈɛs æmˈbæsədər ɪn ˈmɔˌskaʊ, ˈmaɪkəl məkˈfɔl, reɪzd keɪs wɪθ ˈrəʃəz ˈdɛpjəti ˈfɔrən ˈmɪnɪstər, ˈsɛrˌgeɪ ˈraɪbəˌkɑv, ɔn ðə iv əv ðə rɪfˈjuzəl. ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ɪkˈspəlʃən, ðə ˈɛmbəsi ˈɪʃud ə ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk ˈproʊˌtɛst ənd æst fər ən ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən. ðə ˈrəʃən əˈθɔrətiz dɪˈklaɪnd tɪ gɪv wən. ɔn ˈtuzˌdeɪ ˈrəʃəz ˈfɔrən ˈmɪnɪstri əˈkjuzd ˈsætər əv ˌɪnˈfrɪnʤɪŋ maɪˈgreɪʃən rulz. ɪn ə ˈsteɪtmənt, ðə ˈmɪnɪstri sɛd ðə ˈʤərnəlɪst hæd ˈweɪtɪd faɪv deɪz ˌbiˈfɔr kənˈvərtɪŋ hɪz ˌɪˈnɪʃəl ˈɛntri ˈvizə ˈɪntu ə ˈvizə "ə ˈfleɪgrənt vaɪəˈleɪʃən". hi wɑz naʊ bɑrd frəm ðə ˈkəntri fər faɪv jɪrz, ɪt sɛd. sɪns 2009 ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən həz pərˈsud ə prægˈmætɪk ˈpɑləsi əv "resetting*" riˈleɪʃənz wɪθ ðə ˈkrɛmlɪn. ˈkrɪtɪks seɪ ðɪs həz brɔt fju ˈpɑzətɪv rɪˈzəlts. ɪkˈspəlʃən ɪz səˈpraɪzɪŋ. ɪt kəmz wiks ˈæftər ˈputɪn geɪv ən ˈæmnəsti tɪ ˈsɛvərəl ˌhaɪˈproʊfaɪl pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈprɪzənərz ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə ʤeɪld ˈfɔrmər ˈoʊlɪˌgɑrk mɪˈkeɪl khodorkovsky*, ðə ˈɑrtɪk 30 ˈgrinˌpis ˈæktɪvɪsts ənd tu ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə ˈfɛmənɪst pəŋk bænd ˈpʊsi raɪət. ðə muv wɑz ˈwaɪdli sin ɛz ən əˈtɛmpt tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ˈrəʃəz ˈɪmɪʤ əˈhɛd əv ðə ˈsoʊʧi oʊˈlɪmpɪks, wɪʧ bɪˈgɪn ɔn 7 ˈfɛbruˌɛri. ɪkˈspəlʃənz əv ˈwɛstərn ˌkɔrəˈspɑndənts wər ə ˈrɛgjələr ˈhɑlˌmɑrk əv ðə koʊld wɔr ˈɪrə. ðə ˈkrɛmlɪn ɪˈvɪktɪd ə strɪŋ əv əˈmɛrɪkən rɪˈpɔrtərz ɪn ðə 1960s*, ənd 80s*. ðə læst tɪ bi ˌjunəˈlætərəli θroʊn aʊt wɑz ˈnuzˌwik ˈbjʊroʊ ʧif ˈændru nəˈgɔrski ɪn 1982 əˈnəðər rɪˈpɔrtər, ˈnɪkələs ˈdænəlɔf, wɑz ˈbrifli ʤeɪld ɪn 1986 ˈæftər ðə ˈɛfˈbiˈaɪ ərˈɛstɪd ə ˈsoʊviˌɛt spaɪ ɪn nu jɔrk. ˈəndər ˈputɪn, ðə həz brɔt bæk ˈmɛθədz əv hərˈæsmənt əˈgɛnst ˈfɔrən ˈʤərnəlɪsts. ðiz ˌɪnˈklud dɪˈmɑnstrətɪv əˈpɑrtmənt break-ins*, sərˈveɪləns ənd ˌɪnˌtɛrəˈgeɪʃənz. ˈlɑrʤli ˌənriˈpɔrtɪd, ðə ɪz ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli rɪˈʤɛktɪŋ ˈvizə ˌæpləˈkeɪʃənz frəm ˈwɛstərn ˌækəˈdɛmɪks ˈsikɪŋ tɪ ˈvɪzɪt ˈrəʃə ɪf ðɛr ˌpəblɪˈkeɪʃənz ər dimd ˈhɑstəl. ˈspikɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈgɑrdiən frəm ˈləndən, ˈsætər, 66 sɛd: "maɪ pəˈzɪʃən ɪz ðət ðɪs bæn ʃʊd bi rɪˈvərst ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli." hi sɛd ðə ˈmænər əv hɪz ɪkˈspəlʃən wɪˈθaʊt ˈɛni ˌɛkspləˈneɪʃən səˈʤɛstɪd ðə sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈsərvɪsɪz rɪˈgɑrdɪd ɪm ɛz ə rɪsk. "ðɪs ɪz ə ˈfɔrmjələ juzd fər spaɪz," hi sɛd. "tɪ əˈplaɪ ɪt tɪ ə ˈʤərnəlɪst ɪz ˈsəmθɪŋ aɪ hæv nɑt sin ɪn ˈnɪrli fɔr ˈdɛkeɪdz əv ˈraɪtɪŋ ənd rɪˈpɔrtɪŋ ɔn ˈrəʃə. ɪt ɪz ˌɪnˈdɪkətɪv ðət ðeɪ kənˈsɪdər mi, fər ˌwəˈtɛvər ˈkreɪzi ˈrizənz, tɪ bi ə sɪˈkjʊrəti θrɛt." ˈsætər fərst ˈvɪzɪtɪd ˈmɔˌskaʊ ɪn 1969 ɛz ən ˈɑksfərd ˈgræʤəˌweɪt ˈstudənt. bɪtˈwin hi wɑz ðə ˌkɔrəˈspɑndənt ɪn ðə ˈsɪti. ɪn 1979 ðə əˈθɔrətiz θˈrɛtənd tɪ ɪkˈspɛl ɪm fər "ˈhulɪgəˌnɪzəm", ˈoʊnli tɪ bæk daʊn ˈleɪtər. hi rɪˈtərnd tɪ ˈrəʃə ɪn ðə ˈərli ənd wɛnt bæk tɪ ˈmɔˌskaʊ frəm ðə ˈjuˈɛs fər əˈnəðər stɪnt læst ˈɔtəm. nu roʊl wɑz ən ædˈvaɪzər tɪ ðə ˈbrɔdˌkæstər ˈreɪdiˌoʊ fri ˈlɪbərˌti, wɪʧ ɪz ˈfəndɪd baɪ ðə ˈjuˈɛs ˈkɑŋgrəs. hi wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈwərkɪŋ ɔn ə bʊk ɔn ˈrəʃəz ˈhɪstəri. ˈsætər sɛd hi hæd bɪn əˈneɪbəl tɪ kəˈlɛkt hɪz noʊts, kloʊðz ənd ˈəðər bɪˈlɔŋɪŋz, wɪʧ rɪˈmeɪn ɪn hɪz flæt ɪn ˈsɛntrəl ˈmɔˌskaʊ. æst waɪ ˈrəʃə hæd kɪkt ɪm aʊt, ˈsætər sɛd hi dɪd nɑt noʊ ðə ˈænsər. bət hi ˈspɛkjəˌleɪtɪd ðət ðə dɪˈsɪʒən meɪ bi lɪŋkt tɪ hɪz ˈraɪtɪŋz ɔn ˈrəʃəz 1999 əˈpɑrtmənt ˈbɑmɪŋz wən əv ðə ˈɛpɪˌsoʊdz ɪn ðə ˈkəntriz ˈhɪstəri. mɔr ðən 300 ˈpipəl wər kɪld ɪn ə ˈsɪriz əv ˌənprəˈvoʊkt ɪkˈsploʊʒənz ɪn ˈmɔˌskaʊ ənd tu ˈəðər ˈsɪtiz. ˈputɪn bleɪmd ðə ˈbɑmɪŋz ɔn ˈʧɛʧɪn ˈtɛrəˌrɪsts. hi ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli sizd ɔn ðə blæsts tɪ ˈʤəstəˌfaɪ ə ˈsɛkənd, ˈpjunətɪv ənd ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ wɔr ɪn ˈʧɛʧniə. ˈsætər, ənd ˈəðərz, bɪˈliv ðə ˈbɑmɪŋz meɪ hæv bɪn ən ˌəndərˈkəvər ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən, dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ bust ˌpɑpjəˈlɛrəti ənd tɪ sɪˈkjʊr hɪz ɪˈlɛkʃən ɛz ˈprɛzɪdənt. ɪn hɪz 2003 bʊk, ˈdɑrknəs æt dɔn: ðə raɪz əv ðə ˈrəʃən ˈkrɪmənəl steɪt, ˈsætər kənˈkludɪd ðət ðə ˈɛvədəns əv ðə biɪŋ bɪˈhaɪnd ðə blæsts wɑz "ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmɪŋ". ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər 1999 ˈɔfɪsərz wər kɔt ˈplæntɪŋ əˈnəðər bɔm ˈəndər ən əˈpɑrtmənt blɑk ɪn ryazan*. ðə hɛd əv ðə, ə kloʊz ˈælaɪ əv, ˈleɪtər kleɪmd ðə bɔm hæd bɪn ən ˈtreɪnɪŋ ˈɛksərˌsaɪz. 2003 bʊk wɑz riˈprɪntɪd ɪn ˈrəʃə læst ˈfɛbruˌɛri, ˈəndər ðə ˈtaɪtəl haʊ ˈputɪn bɪˈkeɪm ˈprɛzɪdənt. ˈsɛvərəl ˈəðər ˈprɑmənənt ˈrəʃənz hæv ˈsɪmələrli əˈkjuzd ðə, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə ˈʤərnəlɪst ˈænə ənd ˌælɪgˈzændər litvinenko*. boʊθ wər ˈsəbsəkwəntli ˈmərdərd. ˈputɪn həz dɪsˈmɪst ðə kleɪm ɛz ə sˈlændər. ˈsætər sɛd hi hæd plænd tɪ ɪkˈspænd ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪtɪv ˈʤərnəˌlɪzəm æt ˈreɪdiˌoʊ ˈlɪbərˌti, wɪʧ həz ˈrisəntli bɪn ɪn ə steɪt əv ˈtərˌmɔɪl ˈæftər ˈmɛni əv ɪts ˈrəʃən stæf wər sækt. ɪt ɪz wən əv fju ˈsɔrsəz əv ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt nuz ɪn ˈrəʃə, wɛr moʊst əv ðə ˈmidiə ɪz ˈiðər ər ɪn ðə hænz əv ˈoʊlɪˌgɑrks lɪŋkt tɪ ðə steɪt. sɪns rɪˈtərn tɪ ðə ˈkrɛmlɪn ɪn 2011 ðə əˈfɪʃəl ˈmidiə həz bɪˈkəm ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli anti-western*. "wi ˈwɔntɪd tɪ peɪ əˈtɛnʃən tɪ hɪˈstɔrɪkəl ɪˈvɛnts ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə moʊst ˈkrɪtɪkəl ənd ˈtræʤɪk ɪˈvɛnts," ˈsætər sɛd. "aɪ ˈdɪdənt goʊ bæk tɪ ˈrəʃə tɪ rɪˈpɔrt ɔn ðə əˈpɑrtmənt ˈbɑmɪŋz. aɪv ɔˈrɛdi dən ðət. bət æt ðə seɪm taɪm aɪ doʊnt bɪˈliv kˈwɛsʧənz əv səʧ ˌɪmˈpɔrtəns kən bi ˌɪgˈnɔrd." ˈəðər ˈsɛnsɪtɪv ɪˈvɛnts ˌɪnˈklud ðə 2004 skul ˈhɑstɪʤ ˈkraɪsəs, ɪn wɪʧ 334 ˈpipəl, moʊst əv ðɛm ˈʧɪldrən, daɪd, hi sɛd. ə ˈsinjər ˈfɛloʊ æt ðə ˈhədsən ˈɪnstɪˌtut ənd ə ˈfɛloʊ æt ʤɑnz ˈhɑpkɪnz ˌjunəˈvərsəti, ˈsætər ɪz ˈskeɪðɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə waɪt ˈhaʊsɪz ənˈkrɪtɪkəl əˈproʊʧ təˈwɔrdz ðə ˈkrɛmlɪn. hi dɪˈskraɪbz ˌoʊˈbɑməz ˈpɑləsi ɛz ˈkaʊnərprəˌdəktɪv ənd flɔd: "aɪ θɪŋk maɪ ɪkˈspəlʃən ʃoʊz ðə tru ˈneɪʧər əv ðə ˈrisɛt. ɪt wɑz ˈminɪŋləs frəm ðə stɑrt. ɪt ˌɪgˈnɔrz ðə ˌriˈæləˌtiz əv ˈrəʃən laɪf ənd ˈrəʃən ˈpɑləˌtɪks. "ɪt trits ˈrəʃə ɛz ə ˈnɔrməl ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈkəntri, ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈtritɪŋ ɪt ɛz ə soʊˈsaɪɪti ˈdɑməˌneɪtəd baɪ ə smɔl grup ˈdɛdəkeɪtəd ˈoʊnli tɪ ˌɪtˈsɛlf, boʊθ məˈtɪriəli ənd ˈplɪtɪkli. ɪts self-deluding*. ɪt meɪks ɪt mɔr ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ dil wɪθ ðə ˈkɑnsəkˌwɛnsəz." kənˈsərnz ˈoʊvər sɪˈkjʊrəti æt nɛkst mənθs ˈsoʊʧi geɪmz hæv bɪn ˈhaɪtənd baɪ twɪn ˈsuɪˌsaɪd əˈtæks læst mənθ ɔn ðə ˈsɪti əv ˈvoʊlgoʊˌgræd, wɪʧ kɔzd 32 dɛθs. ðə əˈθɔrətiz hæv bleɪmd ˈɪsləmɪst hu ər ˈfaɪtɪŋ tɪ ɪˈstæblɪʃ ə "caliphate*" ɪn ðə ˈnɪrˈbaɪ nɔrθ ˈkɔkəsəs. "ɪn ˈrəʃə wi doʊnt ˈɔlˌweɪz noʊ hu ɪz bloʊɪŋ əp hum," ˈsætər sɛd. taɪz hæv bɪn streɪnd fər səm taɪm. ðeɪ ˈwərsənd læst jɪr wɪn ˈputɪn ˈgrænɪd əˈsaɪləm tɪ ˈɛdwərd sˈnoʊdən. noʊ ˈjuˈɛs ˌpɑləˈtɪʃən wɪl ˈvɪzɪt ðə ˈoʊpənɪŋ ˈsɛrəˌmoʊni ɪn ˈsoʊʧi ənd ðə waɪt haʊs həz ˌɪnˈkludɪd ˈsɛvərəl ˈoʊpənli geɪ ˈmɛmbərz əv ɪts əˈfɪʃəl ˌdɛləˈgeɪʃən, ə rɪˈspɑns tɪ ˌlɛʤəsˈleɪʃən pæst baɪ ˈrəʃəz ˈdumə læst jɪr. ˈputɪn wɑz ðə bɔs ˌbiˈfɔr hi bɪˈkeɪm praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər ɪn 1999 ənd ˈprɛzɪdənt ɪn 2000 ðə ˌɔrgənɪˈzeɪʃən ɪz noʊn fər ɪts kənˌspɪrəˈtɔriəl wərld vju ənd ɪts hɑˈstɪləti təˈwɔrdz ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts. ðə naʊ əˈpɪrz tɪ bi ðə ˈəltəmət ˈɑrbɪtər əv hu ɪz əˈlaʊd ˈɪntu ðə ˈkəntri. ðɪs ˈɑrtɪkəl wɑz əˈmɛndɪd ɔn 16 ˈʤænjuˌɛri 2014 ðə ˈərliər ˈvərʒən mɪˈspɛld ˈændru ɛz ˈænˌdreɪ.
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moscow authorities ban writer from the country in first expulsion of us journalist since the cold war
russia has expelled a us journalist living in moscow for the first time since the cold war, in a move that is likely to strain relations with washington on the eve of the sochi winter olympics.
david satter – a distinguished former correspondent with the financial times and the author of three well-received books on russia and the soviet union – was told on christmas day that he had been banned from the country.
satter had been based in the russian capital since september. last month, he travelled to the ukrainian capital kiev to renew his visa where alexy gruby, a diplomat at the russian embassy, read him a prepared statement that said: "the competent organs have decided that your presence on the territory of the russian federation is not desirable. you are banned from entering russia."
the "competent organs" are the federal security service (fsb), president vladimir putin's powerful domestic spy and counter-intelligence agency. such language is usually used in spy cases.
the us ambassador in moscow, michael mcfaul, raised satter's case with russia's deputy foreign minister, sergei rybakov, on the eve of the refusal. following satter's expulsion, the embassy issued a diplomatic protest and asked for an explanation. the russian authorities declined to give one.
on tuesday russia's foreign ministry accused satter of infringing migration rules. in a statement, the ministry said the journalist had waited five days before converting his initial entry visa into a multi-entry visa – "a flagrant violation". he was now barred from the country for five years, it said.
since 2009, the obama administration has pursued a pragmatic policy of "resetting" relations with the kremlin. critics say this has brought few positive results.
satter's expulsion is surprising. it comes weeks after putin gave an amnesty to several high-profile political prisoners including the jailed former oligarch mikhail khodorkovsky, the arctic 30 greenpeace activists and two members of the feminist punk band pussy riot. the move was widely seen as an attempt to improve russia's image ahead of the sochi olympics, which begin on 7 february.
expulsions of western correspondents were a regular hallmark of the cold war era. the kremlin evicted a string of american reporters in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. the last to be unilaterally thrown out was newsweek bureau chief andrew nagorski in 1982. another reporter, nicholas daniloff, was briefly jailed in 1986 after the fbi arrested a soviet spy in new york.
under putin, the fsb has brought back kgb-style methods of harassment against foreign journalists. these include demonstrative apartment break-ins, surveillance and interrogations. largely unreported, the fsb is increasingly rejecting visa applications from western academics seeking to visit russia if their publications are deemed hostile.
speaking to the guardian from london, satter, 66, said: "my position is that this ban should be reversed immediately."
he said the manner of his expulsion – without any explanation – suggested the security services regarded him as a risk. "this is a formula used for spies," he said. "to apply it to a journalist is something i have not seen in nearly four decades of writing and reporting on russia. it is indicative that they consider me, for whatever crazy reasons, to be a security threat."
satter first visited moscow in 1969 as an oxford graduate student. between 1976-82 he was the ft's correspondent in the city. in 1979, the authorities threatened to expel him for "hooliganism", only to back down later. he returned to post-communist russia in the early 1990s and went back to moscow from the us for another stint last autumn.
satter's new role was an adviser to the broadcaster radio europe/radio free liberty, which is funded by the us congress. he was also working on a book on russia's post-communist history. satter said he had been unable to collect his notes, clothes and other belongings, which remain in his flat in central moscow.
asked why russia had kicked him out, satter said he did not know the answer. but he speculated that the fsb's decision may be linked to his writings on russia's 1999 apartment bombings – one of the murkiest episodes in the country's post-soviet history.
more than 300 people were killed in a series of unprovoked explosions in moscow and two other cities. putin blamed the bombings on chechen terrorists. he immediately seized on the blasts to justify a second, punitive and devastating war in chechnya.
satter, and others, believe the bombings may have been an undercover fsb operation, designed to boost putin's popularity and to secure his election as president. in his 2003 book, darkness at dawn: the rise of the russian criminal state, satter concluded that the evidence of the fsb being behind the blasts was "overwhelming".
in september 1999, fsb officers were caught planting another bomb under an apartment block in ryazan. the head of the fsb, a close ally of putin's, later claimed the bomb had been an fsb training exercise. satter's 2003 book was reprinted in russia last february, under the title how putin became president.
several other prominent russians have similarly accused the fsb, including the journalist anna politkovskaya and alexander litvinenko. both were subsequently murdered. putin has dismissed the claim as a slander.
satter said he had planned to expand investigative journalism at radio liberty, which has recently been in a state of turmoil after many of its long-standing russian staff were sacked. it is one of few sources of independent news in russia, where most of the media is either state-controlled or in the hands of oligarchs linked to the state. since putin's return to the kremlin in 2011, the official media has become increasingly anti-western.
"we wanted to pay attention to historical events including the most critical and tragic events," satter said. "i didn't go back to russia to report on the apartment bombings. i've already done that. but at the same time i don't believe questions of such importance can be ignored." other sensitive events include the 2004 beslan school hostage crisis, in which 334 people, most of them children, died, he said.
a senior fellow at the hudson institute and a fellow at johns hopkins university, satter is scathing about the white house's uncritical approach towards the kremlin. he describes obama's policy as counterproductive and flawed: "i think my expulsion shows the true nature of the reset. it was meaningless from the start. it ignores the realities of russian life and russian politics.
"it treats russia as a normal democratic country, instead of treating it as a society dominated by a small group dedicated only to itself, both materially and politically. it's self-deluding. it makes it more difficult to deal with the consequences."
concerns over security at next month's sochi games have been heightened by twin suicide attacks last month on the city of volgograd, which caused 32 deaths. the authorities have blamed islamist jihadis who are fighting to establish a "caliphate" in the nearby north caucasus. "in russia we don't always know who is blowing up whom," satter said.
us-russian ties have been strained for some time. they worsened last year when putin granted asylum to edward snowden. no high-ranking us politician will visit the opening ceremony in sochi – and the white house has included several openly gay members of its official delegation, a response to anti-gay legislation passed by russia's duma last year.
putin was the fsb's boss before he became prime minister in 1999 and president in 2000. the organisation is known for its conspiratorial world view and its hostility towards the united states. the fsb now appears to be the ultimate arbiter of who is allowed into the country.
• this article was amended on 16 january 2014. the earlier version misspelled andrew nagorski's forename as andrei.
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ˈæʤəns ˈɪmɪʤɪz ɪn ə ˈfoʊtəˌgræf ˈteɪkən ɔn meɪ 7 2012 gɛsts ˌɪnˈspɛkt ˈvɛriəs fərˈɑri kɑz pɑrkt ˌbiˈsaɪd ˈsɪti wɔl ˈæftər ðə ˈdilər ˈrɛntɪd ə geɪt fər ə ʃoʊɪŋ əˈlɔŋ ðə ˈkəlʧərəl ˈprɑpərti ɛnˈsərkəlɪŋ ðə ˈfɔrmər ˌɪmˈpɪriəl ˈkæpɪtəl, ɪn ˈnænʤɪŋ, ist ˈʧaɪnəz ˈʤjɑŋsu ˈprɑvɪns. ə fərˈɑri ˈdilərˌʃɪp ɪmˈplɔɪi tʊk ə spɪn ɔn ˈsɪti wɔl, ˈlivɪŋ taɪər mɑrks ɔn ðə ʧaɪˈniz ˈrɛlɪk ənd ˈprɑmptɪŋ ən əˈpɑləˌʤi frəm ðə ˈɔtoʊˌmeɪkər. eɪt fərˈɑri ˈdraɪvərz wər kɔt ˈspidɪŋ ɪn ə ˈkɑnˌvɔɪ əˈlɔŋ ə ˈpəblɪk ɪkˈsprɛsˌweɪ ɪn ˈʧaɪnə ˈoʊvər ðə ˈwiˌkɪnd wən ˈtrævəlɪŋ ɛz fæst ɛz 231 ˈkɪləˌmitərz 132 maɪəlz) pər aʊər ɪn ən ˈɪnsədənt ðət həz ˌriɪgˈnaɪtɪd ˈnɛgətɪv pəˈblɪsɪti fər ðə ˌɪˈtæljən ˈɔtoʊˌmeɪkər əˈmɪd ˈfərvənt ˈpəblɪk dəˈbeɪt ˈoʊvər ðə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈkɑnʃəns əv ðə ˈwɛlθi ɪˈlit. ˈtræfɪk pəˈlis səˈspɛndɪd ðə ˈlaɪsənsɪz əv faɪv ˈdraɪvərz kɔt ˈtrævəlɪŋ æt 150 ˈkɪləˌmitərz pər aʊər ər mɔr ɔn ə strɛʧ əv ˈhaɪˌweɪ ˈlɪŋkɪŋ ðə ˈistərn ʧaɪˈniz ˈsɪtiz əv ənd jingdezhen*, wɪʧ həz ə spid ˈlɪmət əv 100 ˈkɪləˌmitərz pər aʊər, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ə rɪˈpɔrt ɪn ðə ˈgloʊbəl taɪmz. θri ˈəðər ˈdraɪvərz hu broʊk ðə spid ˈlɪmət baɪ lɛs ðən 50 ˈkɪləˌmitərz pər aʊər wər faɪnd 200 juɑn 31 ðə ˈpeɪpər sɛd. fərˈɑri həz ɔˈrɛdi bɪn ˈwərkɪŋ hɑrd tɪ ˈɛʤəˌkeɪt fərˈɑri ˈdraɪvərz, wɪʧ ər ðə ˈjəŋgəst ɪn ðə wərld, ðə ˈɔtoʊˌmeɪkərz tɔp ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv ɪn ˈʧaɪnə sɛd ˈmənˌdeɪ. treɪn ɑr nu ˈdraɪvərz, ˈtiʧɪŋ ðɛm tɪ draɪv rɪˈspɑnsəbli ənd tɪ pʊt ˈseɪfti fərst, bət wi ˈkænɑt pʊt ə pəˈlis kɑr bɪˈhaɪnd everyone,”*,” sɛd ˈɛdwɪn ˈfɛnɪk, ʧif ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv əv fərˈɑri ˈʧaɪnə, ˈædɪŋ ðə ˈævərɪʤ eɪʤ əv ə fərˈɑri ˈdraɪvər ɪn ˈʧaɪnə ˈhəvərz əraʊnd 35 wɪʧ ɪz 10 tɪ 15 jɪrz ˈjəŋgər ðən ɪn ˈəðər ˈmɑrkɪts.
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agence france-presse/getty images in a photograph taken on may 7, 2012 guests inspect various ferrari cars parked beside nanjings 600-year-old city wall after the dealer rented a gate for a showing along the state-protected cultural property encircling the former imperial capital, in nanjing, east china's jiangsu province. a ferrari dealership employee took a spin on nanjings 600-year-old city wall, leaving tire marks on the chinese relic and prompting an apology from the automaker.
eight ferrari drivers were caught speeding in a convoy along a public expressway in china over the weekend -- one traveling as fast as 231 kilometers (132 miles) per hour -- in an incident that has reignited negative publicity for the italian automaker amid fervent public debate over the social conscience of the country’s wealthy elite.
traffic police suspended the licenses of five drivers caught traveling at 150 kilometers per hour or more on a stretch of highway linking the eastern chinese cities of hangzhou and jingdezhen, which has a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour, according to a report in the state-run global times.
three other drivers who broke the speed limit by less than 50 kilometers per hour were fined 200 yuan ($31), the paper said.
ferrari has already been working hard to educate china’s ferrari drivers, which are the youngest in the world, the automaker's top executive in china said monday. “we train our new drivers, teaching them to drive responsibly and to put safety first, but we cannot put a police car behind everyone,” said edwin fenech, chief executive of ferrari china, adding the average age of a ferrari driver in china hovers around 35, which is 10 to 15 years younger than in other markets.
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læst ˈsənˌdi ˈivnɪŋ, ˈpoʊstɪd ðə ˈpərsɪnəl ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz əv ˈsɛvən ˌhaɪˈproʊfaɪl geɪ ənd ˈlɛzbiən mɛn ənd ˈwɪmən. ðeɪ toʊld ˈstɔriz əv ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə ənd ˈheɪtrəd. bət ˈɔlsoʊ teɪlz əv əkˈsɛptəns ənd ləv. ðə ˈɪntərvˌjuz ənd ˈraɪtɪŋz ˈsərtənli hɪt hoʊm fər ˈmɛni əv ɑr ˈridərz ənd wi wər ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmd wɪθ ðə rɪˈspɑnsɪz tɪ ɑr rɪkˈwɛst fər jʊr ˈstɔriz. ənˈfɔrʧənətli, wi hæv nɑt bɪn ˈeɪbəl tɪ ˌriprəˈdus ˈɛvəri səbˈmɪʃən, bət hæv pɪkt ə səˈlɛkʃən tɪ ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt ðə ˈvɛriəs ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz ˈpipəl toʊld ˈjuˈɛs əˈbaʊt. səm hæv ˈɔlsoʊ bɪn ˈʃɔrtənd. wi hæv əreɪnʤd ðə ˈɛkˌstrækts ɪn ˈsɛpərˌeɪt poʊsts. hir, wi lʊk æt ðə hɪˈstɔrɪk ənd ˈkɑrənt ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz əv mɛn ənd ˈwɪmən əˈkrɔs ðə ˈaɪlənd. ðɛr wər səm θim ˈrənɪŋ θru ˈmɛni əv ðə ˈstɔriz, səʧ ɛz ðoʊz hu hæv nɑt bɪn ˈsəbʤɪkt tɪ ˈvaɪələnt dɪˌskrɪməˈneɪʃən dɪˈskraɪbɪŋ ðɛmˈsɛlvz ɛz ‘‘lucky’*’ ənd ðə paʊər əv ˈsətəl ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə. ðə məˈʤɔrəti ˈɔlsoʊ strɛst ðət ðɛr ˈdeɪli ˈstrəgəlz wɪθ ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə wʊd bi izd ɪf ðə steɪt ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzd ðɛr ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl ˈʧɔɪsɪz ɪn lɔ baɪ əˈlaʊɪŋ fər ˌseɪmˈsɛks ˈmɛrɪʤ. sæm meɪn ɪkˈspɪriəns əv ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbɪk əˈsɔlt wɑz ˈæftər aɪ keɪm aʊt. əraʊnd fɔr jɪrz əˈgoʊ, aɪ wɑz ɪn ˈbərgər æt ðə ɛnd əv strit. aɪ wɑz wɪθ ə frɛnd ənd wi wər ˈʧætɪŋ tɪ ə gaɪ wɪθ hɪz ˈgərlˌfrɛnd. ˈsəmˌhaʊ ðə ˈtɑpɪk əv biɪŋ geɪ keɪm əp. æt ðɪs pɔɪnt, aɪ hæd noʊ fɪr əv ˈpipəl noʊɪŋ aɪ wɑz geɪ. ðə gaɪ wɑz ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪd tɪ noʊ wət ɪt wɑz ɔl əˈbaʊt. hi simd intriguted*. ˈæftər əraʊnd tɛn ˈmɪnəts, wɪˈθaʊt ˈɛni fɔrm əv ˌprɑvəˈkeɪʃən, ə gaɪ ə frɛnd əv ðə ˈəðər mæn keɪm ˈoʊvər ənd pənʧt mi ɪn ðə saɪd əv ðə hɛd. hi sɛd, ˈsprɛdɪŋ jʊr geɪ ʃɪt around.”*.” aɪ wɑz stənd. ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈɛvriˌwən ɪn ðə café*é wɑz stənd. aɪ riækt. aɪ wɑz ɪn ʃɑk. hɪz frɛnd əˈpɑləˌʤaɪzd ənd sɛd hi min ðɪs tɪ ˈhæpən. ðeɪ lɛft ˈʃɔrtli afterwards.”*.” kiθ aɪ ˈnɛvər ɪkˈspɪriənst ɪt ˈfɪzɪkəli. ˌɔlˈðoʊ wɪn jəŋ ənd ˈɪnsəkjər, aɪ wɑz ˈpeɪnfəli əˈwɛr əv haʊ neɪm ˈkɔlɪŋ ənd ˈfɪzɪkəl əˈbjuz wʊd bi juzd ɔn ˈəðərz hu hæd bɪˈheɪvjərz beɪst ɔn ˈstɛrioʊˌtaɪps. wɪn ˈklɑzətɪd, maɪ ˈfæməli ənd frɛndz spoʊk ˈnɛgətɪvli əv ənd meɪd fən əv ˌhoʊmoʊˈsɛkˌʃuəlz. ðɪs ˈrɪli hərt ənd dɪˈleɪd maɪ ˈkəmɪŋ aʊt. wɪn aɪ dɪd kəm aʊt, aɪ wɑz ˌɪnˈfɔrmd baɪ ˈmɛni ðət aɪ bi geɪ bɪˈkəz aɪ ækt laɪk ‘‘them’*’! aɪ gru əp ɪn ə ˈwərkɪŋ klæs ˈɛriə ənd ˈsəmˌhaʊ ə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp dɪˈvɛləpt wɪθ maɪ bɛst meɪt ənd ˈleɪtər ləv əv maɪ laɪf. hi wɑz ə ˈvɛri ˈtæləntɪd ənd ˈvɛri ˈmæskjələn, laɪk ˌmaɪˈsɛlf. wi boʊθ wərkt ɛz əˈprɛntəsɪz ɪn ðə ˈbɪldɪŋ treɪd. hi ˈhændəl ðə ˈnɛgətɪv ˈstɛrioʊˌtaɪps ənd soʊˈsaɪɪti ˈʤəʤɪŋ ɪm ənd ˈlʊkɪŋ daʊn əˈpɑn ɪm fər biɪŋ geɪ. ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli, hi hæd ɪˈnəf əv ɔl ðət ənd həŋ hɪmˈsɛlf. hɪz ˈbrəðər faʊnd hɪz ˈbɑdi. pæt ɛz ə geɪ mæn ɪn hɪz 40s*, ðɪs ɪz ðə ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə aɪ hæv feɪst ɪn maɪ laɪf. ɪn noʊ ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ˈɔrdər: neɪm ˈkɔlɪŋ ənd ˈfɪzɪkəl əˈtæk ɪn ə skul waɪl ðə ˈprɪnsəpəl ˌɪgˈnɔrd maɪ kəmˈpleɪnts ənd toʊld mi tɪ ækt mɔr laɪk ə mæn; ˈhævɪŋ ə frɛnd pənʧt ɪn ðə feɪs ənd hɪz noʊz ˈbroʊkən wɪn sɛt əˈpɑn baɪ θəgz ˈʃaʊtɪŋ faggot’*’ ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ə ˈloʊkəl ˈʧɪpər; ˈhævɪŋ maɪ ˈnɛfju biɪŋ toʊld ɪn skul baɪ ə prist ðət ˌhoʊmoʊˌsɛkʃuˈæləˌti wɑz rɔŋ ənd hi ʃʊd preɪ fər mi; ˈhævɪŋ maɪ ˌsɛkʃuˈæləti ɛz ə ˈtɑpɪk əv dɪˈskəʃən ɪn ðə ˈwərkˌpleɪs; ˈhævɪŋ ˈpipəl əˈsum aɪ laɪk ˈʃɪpɪŋ ənd ˈfæʃən ɛz aɪ æm geɪ; biɪŋ drɑpt frəm maɪ ˈloʊkəl tim wɪn aɪ keɪm aʊt; biɪŋ toʊld geɪ ˈpipəl ər nɑt ˈsutəbəl fər spɔrt; biɪŋ toʊld aɪ du nɑt əˈpɪr gay’*’; nɑt biɪŋ əˈlaʊd tɪ si ə sɪk ˈpɑrtnər ˈæftər ən ˈæksədənt ɪn ə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ɛz aɪ wɑz nɑt nɛkst əv kɪn (ðə ˈfæməli hæd tɪ əˈpruv fərst); biɪŋ toʊld ðət maɪ kərɪr ˈprɑspɛkts wʊd bi ˈdæmɪʤd baɪ biɪŋ aʊt ɛz geɪ; ˈpipəl ˈlɪŋkɪŋ ˌhoʊmoʊˌsɛkʃuˈæləˌti wɪθ ɪn maɪ ˈprɛzəns; ˈhævɪŋ ˈmidiə ˈɑrtɪkəlz dɪˈskəsɪŋ haʊ tɪ meɪk mi ə ˈlɛsər ˈsɪtɪzən əv ˈaɪərlənd; biɪŋ toʊld aɪ æm ˈləki tɪ lɪv ɪn ə soʊˈsaɪɪti ðət əˈlaʊz ˌhoʊmoʊˌsɛkʃuˈæləˌti; biɪŋ pʊt æt ðə ‘‘gay’*’ ˈteɪbəl æt ˈwɛdɪŋz; biɪŋ æst haʊ aɪ noʊ fər ˈsərtən aɪ æm geɪ ɪf aɪ hæv nɑt bɪn wɪθ ə ˈwʊmən; nɑt biɪŋ ˈeɪbəl tɪ ˈdoʊˌneɪt bləd dɪˈspaɪt ˈhævɪŋ fʊl hɛlθ ʧɛks; biɪŋ æst tɪ stɑp ˈkoʊʧɪŋ kɪdz ɪn ˈæftər aɪ keɪm aʊt; ˈhævɪŋ ˈfiˌmeɪlz seɪ, wɔnt ə geɪ bɛst friend’*’ ər fil seɪf wɪθ you’*’; biɪŋ stɑpt goʊɪŋ ˈɪntu ə ˈnɔrməl bɑr baɪ ˈbaʊnsərz seɪɪŋ, gaɪz ʃʊd goʊ tɪ jʊr oʊn places’*’; biɪŋ æst ˈɔlˌweɪz ɪf aɪ ˈrɪli bʊkt ə ˈdəbəl rum; biɪŋ æst ɪf aɪ θɔt əˈbaʊt ˈgɪtɪŋ ə kjʊr. mərˈiə ˈɪmɪʤ: mərˈiə ənd hər ˈpɑrtnər dɪˈnis ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə ɪn 2012 wərst ɪkˈspɪriəns fər mi ɪz ðət wi hæv ˈprɪti məʧ stɑpt goʊɪŋ aʊt ɪn maɪ hoʊm taʊn ɛz ə ˈkəpəl. waɪ? ðə ˈivnɪŋ ˈɔlˌweɪz stɑrts ˈwəndərfəli. ə fju paɪnts; ˈfrɛndli, ˈʧæti ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃənz wɪθ ˈəðər ˈloʊkəlz ənd soʊ ɔn. bət ɛz ðə naɪt kənˈtɪnjuz (ənd ˈpipəl hæv mɔr tɪ drɪŋk), ɪt wɪl ˌɪˈnɛvətəbli ɛnd ɪn wən ər ˈsɛvərəl əv ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ weɪz: bət ər ju ˈrɪli ˈlɛzbiənz? bɛt ju hæv ˈnɛvər hæd ə ril mæn? lɛt mi baɪ ju səm ʃɑts! kəm ˈaʊtˈsaɪd wɪθ mi (ɔn jʊr oʊn) ˈsəmˌwən stɑrts ˈtəʧɪŋ mi ər maɪ ˈgərlˌfrɛnd ˌɪnəˈprɑpriətli ɑ jɛ ˈfəkɪŋ wɪn ju tərn ə jəŋ meɪl daʊn. aɪ æm nɑt ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðɪs stəf əp, ˈmɛni ə greɪt naɪt həz ˈɛndɪd wɪθ frəˈstreɪʃən, ˈæŋgər, ˈsædnəs ðət ɪt həz tɪ tərn aʊt ðɪs weɪ, ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən ˈnɪrli ˈɔlˌweɪz ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli tərnz tɪ ɑr ˌsɛkʃuˈæləti, ɑr riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp ənd səm ˈpipəl gɪt ˈvɛri ˈpərsɪnəl, ˈvɛri rud ənd æsk ˈvɛri ˈɪnɪmət kˈwɛsʧənz ðət ˈsərtənli aɪ wɑz ˈnɛvər æst ɛz ə ‘‘straight’*’ ˈpərsən. ðeɪ fil ðeɪ kən teɪk ˈlɪbərˌtiz, ˈmeɪbi təʧ ˈjuˈɛs əp, kɑp ə fil ənd bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ ʃrəg ɪt ɔf. ˈθæŋkfəli, əv kɔrs, ɪt ɪz ˈsərtənli nɑt ɔl bæd ənd aɪ du θɪŋk ˈaɪərlənd ɪz ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ, ɛz ə ˈpɛrənt, ɛz ə ˈneɪbər, ɛz ən ɪmˈplɔɪi aɪ kən ˈɑnəstli seɪ aɪ hæv ˈnɛvər ɪkˈspɪriənst ˈɛni ˈnɛgətɪv ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz tɪ maɪ feɪs, aɪ noʊ səm ˈpipəl tɔk bɪˈhaɪnd ɑr bæks bət ʃʊr ju gɪt ðət ɪn smɔl taʊnz ˈɛniˌweɪ. maɪ wɑz pleɪɪŋ wɪθ hɪz ˈlɛgoʊ læst wik ənd ðə kwin wɑz ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈmɛrid tɪ ðə blu ˈnɪnʤə. ɪn əˈtɛndəns æt ðɪs ˈlɛgoʊ ˈwɛdɪŋ wər ðə blæk ənd rɛd ˈnɪnʤə hu wər, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ maɪ mæn, geɪ ˈkəpəl ənd ɪn love’*’. aɪ ləv ðət kɪdz kən bi soʊ əkˈsɛptɪŋ, soʊ waɪ ðə rɛst əv ˈjuˈɛs ˈfɑloʊ ðɛr ɪgˈzæmpəl. əˈnɑnəməs maɪ ɪkˈspɪriəns kʊd ˈprɑbəˌbli bi dɪˈskraɪbd ɛz mɔr ðən ʤɪst ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə. frəm ðə jɪrz 2000 tɪ 2002 ˈeɪʤɪd 18 tɪ 20 aɪ əˈtɛndəd əˈweɪ ðə gay’*’ ɪn ˈdəblɪn. ˈlʊkɪŋ bæk, aɪ wɑz kwaɪt dɪˈstrɛst æt ðə taɪm ənd ˌvɑlənˈtɛrəli sɔt ɪt aʊt. aɪ wɑz ˈsəfərɪŋ frəm ə lɔt əv ənˈsərtənti, æŋˈzaɪəti, gɪlt ənd ʃeɪm əraʊnd maɪ ˈsɛkʃuəl ˌɔriɛnˈteɪʃən. aɪ fɛlt dæmd. aɪ wɑz ˈdɛspərɪt nɑt tɪ bi geɪ. ðɪs ˈævəˌnu ˈɔfərd mi ə weɪ aʊt. aɪ əˈproʊʧt ə ˈloʊkəl ˈkæθlɪk prist hu səˈʤɛstɪd aɪ goʊ ənd si ə ˈθɛrəpɪst. aɪ rɪfˈjuzd tɪ goʊ si ˈsəmˌwən hu wʊd ʤɪst tɛl mi tɪ əkˈsɛpt maɪ ˌsɛkʃuˈæləti. ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli, θru ðə prist, aɪ gɑt ɪn təʧ wɪθ ə ˈkrɪsʧɪn ˈkaʊnsələr lɪŋkt tɪ ən ˌivænˈʤɛlɪkəl ˈprɑtəstənt ʧərʧ ɪn ðə loʊˈkæləti. ðɛr, ˈvɛri ˈvəlnərəbəl ənd stɪl æt ə jəŋ eɪʤ, aɪ wɑz ɪkˈspoʊzd tɪ ˈdeɪnʤərəs ənd tˈwɪstɪd aɪˈdiəz ðət wər ˌɪmˈpɔrtɪd streɪt frəm ðə ‘‘ex-gay’*’ ər ˈθɛrəpi ˈmuvmənt ɪn ðə ˈjuˈɛs wɪʧ ɪz stɪl səˈpɔrt baɪ məʧ əv ðə ˌfəndəˈmɛnəlɪst ˈkrɪsʧɪn raɪt ˈoʊvər ðɛr. hɑrd tɪ bɪˈliv ðɪs wɑz ɪn ðə ˈdəblɪn ˈɛriə, ɪn ðə ˈərli jɪrz əv ðɪs ˈsɛnʧəri. ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈsɛltɪk ˈtaɪgər. ˈnidləs tɪ seɪ, aɪ ˈmænɪʤ (ˈθæŋkfəli!) tɪ ʧeɪnʤ maɪ ˈsɛkʃuəl ˌɔriɛnˈteɪʃən. təˈdeɪ, ə ˈhæpi aʊt ənd praʊd geɪ mæn, ðoʊ stɪl ˈsəmˈwət skɑrd baɪ ðət ɪkˈspɪriəns, wɪʧ wɑz ˈdipli ˈrutɪd ɪn ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə ənd ˈɪgnərəns. aɪ hoʊp ðɪs stəf ɪz nɑt stɪl goʊɪŋ ɔn ɪn ˈaɪərlənd. əˈnɑnəməs ˈstɔri, aɪ fil, wɪl bi frəm ə ˈdɪfərənt ˈvæntɪʤ pɔɪnt tɪ moʊst ˈəðərz hu wɪl kənˈtrɪbjut tɪ ðɪs ˈɑrtɪkəl. aɪ əbˈzərv ənd əbˈzɔrb ðə mɪˈstritmənt əv ðə kəmˈjunɪti frəm ðə ˈrɛlətɪvli seɪf ˈpərgəˌtɔri əv ðə ˈklɑzət. aɪ hæv nɑt jɛt bɪn ˈeɪbəl tɪ raɪz frəm ðə ˈæʃɪz laɪk ðə ˈsɔrɪŋ ˈfinɪks. ˌɪnˈstɛd, aɪ æm laɪɪŋ ɪn weɪt fər ðət ˌɑpərˈtun ˈmoʊmənt wɪn aɪ kən ˈfaɪnəli ʃɛd ðə ˈʃækəlz əv maɪ oʊn əˈprɛsɪv ˈsaɪləns. ˌɔlˈðoʊ aɪ æm nɑt ‘‘out’*’, ðət ɪz nɑt tɪ seɪ aɪ hæv nɑt ɪnˈdʊrd maɪ ʃɛr əv ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə. frəm ðə bɪˈgɪnɪŋ əv ˈpjubərti ənd ðə kəˈmɛnsmənt əv ˈsɛkʃuəl əˈwɛrnəs, aɪ hæv noʊn ðət aɪ wɑz, æm ənd ʃæl ˈɔlˌweɪz bi geɪ. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ˈmɛni əv maɪ pɪrz simd tɪ kæʧ ɔn tɪ ðɪs fækt ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli. ðeɪ hæd ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd maɪ ˌsɛkʃuˈæləti ˌbiˈfɔr aɪ wɑz ˈfʊli ˈeɪbəl tɪ kəm tɪ tərmz wɪθ ɪt ˌmaɪˈsɛlf. frəm ðət pɔɪnt ɔn, aɪ fɛlt maɪ ˈsɛkʃuəl ˌɔriɛnˈteɪʃən wɑz ˈəndər ə ˈmægnəˌfaɪɪŋ glæs. moʊst hæd ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd aɪ wɑz geɪ, jɛt aɪ hæd bɪn dɪˈpraɪvd əv maɪ ˈkəmɪŋ aʊt ˈmoʊmənt ənd ðə sɛns əv ˈlɪbərˌti ðət əˈkəmpəniz ɪt. ˌɪnˈstɛd, aɪ wɑz fɔrst tɪ ˈsəfər θru staɪl traɪəlz, wɛrˈbaɪ ə ˈpɔrʃən əv maɪ ‘‘friends’*’ wʊd riˈstreɪn mi waɪl ˈəðərz, ɪn ə ˈrəðər ˌɪnˈveɪsɪv manoeuvre*, sərʧt maɪ ˈmoʊbəl ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ si wɛr aɪ wɑz ˈhaɪdɪŋ maɪ geɪ pɔrn. ɪt wɑz ɛz ɪf ðeɪ kreɪvd ə ˈsərtən sˈməgnəs ðət wʊd kəm ɪn ˈvæləˌdeɪtɪŋ ðɛr accusations…”*…” əˈnɑnəməs wɪn ˈlʊkɪŋ fər ə haʊs æt ðə stɑrt əv ðə ˌækəˈdɛmɪk jɪr tɪ ʃɛr wɪθ maɪ ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd, wi wər tərnd əˈweɪ frəm ə vjuɪŋ baɪ ðə ˈlænˌdlɔrd. hi sɛd, ˈsɑri ə wən ˈbɛˌdrum, ˈoʊnli fər ˈkəpəlz tɪ share.”*.” maɪ ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd ənd aɪ ˈɔkwərdli ˈʃɪftɪd ɪn ɑr ˈpleɪsɪz waɪlst traɪɪŋ tɪ ɪkˈspleɪn ðət wi wər ə ˈkəpəl. ðə ˈlænˌdlɔrd sɛd, ““no*, ˈsɑri aɪ ʃoʊ ɪt tɪ you”*” ənd tərnd əraʊnd tɪ wɔk bæk tɪ hɪz kɑr. əˈnɑnəməs 34 naʊ. aɪ wɑz ðə ˈvɪktɪm əv ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbɪk ˈbʊliɪŋ frəm əˈbaʊt ðə eɪʤ əv 8 ər 9 ənˈtɪl 18 skul wɑz hɛl ɔn ərθ fər mi. ˈɛvəri ˈsɪŋgəl deɪ fər ˈprɑbəˌbli 10 jɪrz aɪ wɑz mɑkt, vərˈbæli əˈbjuzd ənd, ɪn səm ˈkeɪsɪz, ˈfɪzɪkəli əˈbjuzd. aɪ wɔkt əˈweɪ ɪn 1998 ˈθæŋkfəl ðət maɪ hɛl ɔn ərθ wɑz ˈoʊvər. æt ðə eɪʤ əv 12 ər soʊ aɪ kənˈsɪdərd ˈsuɪˌsaɪd bɪˈkəz aɪ ˌæbsəˈlutli ˈheɪtɪd skul. maɪ ˈpɛrənts meɪd mi tɛl ðɛm wət wɑz goʊɪŋ ɔn. ðeɪ əˈproʊʧt ðə ˈtiʧər (aɪ səˈʤɛstɪd maɪ rɪˈlɪʤən ˈtiʧər). hi sɛd ðə ˈbʊliɪŋ wʊd ˈfɪnɪʃ ˌɪtˈsɛlf ˈnæʧərəli. ɪt. aɪ ˈkəvərd ɪt əp ˌmaɪˈsɛlf fər əˈnəðər faɪv jɪrz. ɪn səm weɪz, aɪ hæv ˈnɛvər rɪˈkəvərd. aɪ bɪˈkeɪm ˈɪntroʊˌvərtɪd, hæd ˈɔlˌmoʊst noʊ frɛndz ənd ʃət ˌmaɪˈsɛlf əˈweɪ. aɪ stɪl hæv ˈvɛri fju kloʊz frɛndz. aɪ hæv ˈnɛvər hæd ə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp. aɪ ɪkˈspɪriənst ˈɛni ˈpərsɪnəl ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə ɪn əˈbaʊt 13 jɪrz. wəns ə ˈpərsən aɪ hæd gɔn tɪ skul wɪθ pʊld mi əˈsaɪd ənd toʊld mi geɪ ˈpipəl wər nɑt ˈwɛlkəm ɪn ðət pub.”*.” ˈʤɛri fər ˌmaɪˈsɛlf, ˈstændɪŋ æt ə pəˈdɛstriən ˈkrɔsɪŋ ˈɛkoʊd maɪ oʊn ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz. aɪ hæv faʊnd ˌmaɪˈsɛlf æt ˈkrɔsˌroʊdz ɪn maɪ ˈbərθˌpleɪs əv clontarf*, ˈhævɪŋ ˈfægət skrimd æt mi frəm ə ˈpæsɪŋ kɑr ɔn tu ɔˈkeɪʒənz. wɪn aɪ fərst keɪm aʊt æt 18 aɪ wʊd ˈrɛgjələrli faɪnd ˌmaɪˈsɛlf ɔn ðə ˈəpər dɛk əv ðə 130 bəs, ˈɪrˌfoʊnz ɪn, traɪɪŋ tɪ dɪm aʊt ðə ˈvərbəl tɔnts ənd ʃaʊts əv ‘‘faggot’*’ frəm grups əv meɪl pɪrz ˈsɪtɪŋ bɪˈhaɪnd. ɪt wɑz ə ˈskɛri taɪm fər mi ənd ˌɔlˈðoʊ ˈdəblɪn həz ʧeɪnʤd ə lɔt, ðɛr ər ˈɔlˌweɪz ðə riˈmaɪndərz ðət hu aɪ æm ɪz stɪl nɑt ækˈsɛptɪd baɪ ɔl ˈpipəl. læst mənθ, naʊ ˈeɪʤɪd 32 aɪ wɑz ˈwɔkɪŋ daʊn ðə roʊd nɑt tu fɑr frəm ðət sɛt əv ˈtræfɪk laɪts wɛr aɪ hərd faggot’*’ ˈʃaʊtɪd ə ˈdɛkeɪd ˌbiˈfɔr. ðɛn ə ˈkɑrtən əv ɛgz wər fləŋ ɪn maɪ dɪˈrɛkʃɪn. waɪl ðə tərm ˈfægət skrimd aɪ kən ˈoʊnli ˌɪˈmæʤən ðət ˈsəmθɪŋ əˈbaʊt mi, ˈwɔkɪŋ ˈhədəld ɪn ðə reɪn, məst hæv prəˈvoʊkt ðə ˈpæsənʤərz ɪn ðə ˈpæsɪŋ kɑr tɪ hæv riˈæktɪd tɪ maɪ ˈprɛzəns wɪθ səʧ ˈviəməns. hɑrt bɪn ə ˈvɪktɪm əv ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə ɔn ˈsɛvərəl ɔˈkeɪʒənz. ˈθæŋkfəli, nən əv ðiz hæv bɪn ˈvaɪələnt ər ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli əˈgrɛsɪv, bət bɪn əpˈsɛtɪŋ ɔl ðə seɪm. gɪv ju ə fju ɪgˈzæmpəlz əv maɪ oʊn ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz: ə mæn wəns kɔld ˌmaɪˈsɛlf ənd maɪ ˈgərlˌfrɛnd ɪn ɪn ðə ˈdeɪˌtaɪm waɪl wi stʊd ˈlʊkɪŋ æt wɪʧ fɪlm tɪ si, ˈhoʊldɪŋ hænz. hi lʊkt laɪk ə nis gaɪ ɪn hɪz ˈərli ənd aɪ wɑz soʊ ʃɑkt ðət aɪ hæd tɪ ˈdəbəl teɪk. ɪt fɛlt ˈhɔrəbəl. ɔn ˈsɛvərəl ˈsɛpərˌeɪt ɔˈkeɪʒənz, bɪn æst ɪf traɪd biɪŋ wɪθ mɛn wɪn aɪ tɛl mɛn geɪ ɪf ðeɪ ʧæt mi əp. ɪt ɪz ˈæˌkʧuəli ðə moʊst ˈɪgnərənt, ˈɪrəˌteɪtɪŋ θɪŋ tɪ bi æst. wən taɪm wɪn aʊt æt ə ˈʤɛnərəli streɪt kləb, aɪ wɑz ˈkɪsɪŋ ə gərl ənd ə grup əv boʊθ gaɪz ənd gərlz ˈstɑrtɪd ˈteɪkɪŋ ˈfoʊˌtoʊz əv ˈjuˈɛs. ðeɪ wər ɑr oʊn eɪʤ, ənd jɛt, simd tɪ faɪnd ðə aɪˈdiə əv tu gərlz ˈkɪsɪŋ ˈətərli hɪˈlɛriəs. wi hæd tɪ æsk ðɛm tɪ dɪˈlit ðə ˈfoʊˌtoʊz. ɪt wɑz ˈrɪli ˈʃɑkɪŋ ənd dɪsˈgəstɪŋ. læst ˈsəmər, aɪ wɑz ɪn bərˈlɪn wɪθ maɪ ˈgərlˌfrɛnd ənd wi ˈkədəld ɪn ˈpəblɪk ɔn ðə strit. aɪ lʊkt ˈoʊvər tɪ si ə ˈwʊmən hu lʊkt tɪ bi ɪn hər ˈlʊkɪŋ æt ˈjuˈɛs. aɪ ˈnoʊtɪst ðət ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈlʊkɪŋ æt ˈjuˈɛs, ʃi wɑz sˈmaɪlɪŋ ˈwɔrmli, ɛz ðoʊ ʃi faʊnd ðə ˈpəblɪk dɪˈspleɪ əv əˈfɛkʃən tɪ bi ə ˈpɑzətɪv ənd nis θɪŋ. ɪt strək mi ðət ðɪs wɑz ðə fərst taɪm ɪn maɪ laɪf ðət ðɪs hæd ˈhæpənd tɪ mi ɪn ə ˈsɛtɪŋ, ənd ˈɔlsoʊ ðət ðɪs məst bi wət laɪk tɪ bi streɪt. ˈkeɪti wən əv maɪ frɛndz tɔk tɪ mi fər wɛl ˈoʊvər ə mənθ wɪn aɪ keɪm aʊt tɪ hər. aɪ meɪk ˈɛni əˈtɛmpt tɪ ˈrɛkənˌsaɪl ðə ˈfrɛndʃɪp. ðɛn wən deɪ ʃi əˈproʊʧt mi ənd əˈpɑləˌʤaɪzd. ʃi hæd θɔt ɪt θru ənd ʃi wɑz ˈoʊˈkeɪ wɪθ ɪt ɛz lɔŋ ɛz aɪ wɑz ˈhæpi. ʃi noʊ ˈlɔŋgər həz ə ˈprɑbləm wɪθ mi biɪŋ hu aɪ æm. aɪ θɪŋk maɪ frɛnd ɪz ə greɪt ɪgˈzæmpəl əv ˈsəmˌwən hu ˈæˌkʧuəli pʊt θɔt ˈɪntu ðɛr ‘‘homophobic’*’ ˈækʃənz ənd traɪd tɪ vju ðə ˈɪnsədənt frəm ðə ˈɑpəzɪt ɛnd əv ðə ˈspɛktrəm. ʃi ˈlərnɪd ənd gru ɛz ə ˈpərsən. ðə ɪkˈspɪriəns wɑz ˌbɛnəˈfɪʃəl tɪ hər ˈmɔrəli, ɪn maɪ əˈpɪnjən. wi ər bɛst frɛndz ənd ʃi ˈvæljuz mi fər hu aɪ æm ˈrəðər ðən hu aɪ ləv. greɪs fərst taɪm aɪ kɪst ən ˈɛkzˈgərlˌfrɛnd əv maɪn wi wər ɪn ðə ˈsɪti ˈsɛntər. wɪˈθɪn ðə faɪv ˈsɛkəndz ər soʊ ðət ðə kɪs ˈlæstɪd, wi hæd əˈtræktəd əˈbaʊt faɪv mɛn, kæt ˈkɔlɪŋ ənd ˈwɑʧɪŋ ˈjuˈɛs. ˈʃaʊtɪŋ ˈoʊvər ɑbˈsɛnɪtiz. ðət bɪˈheɪvjər ˈmɪrərz ˈɛvəri ˈsɪŋgəl ˈsərkəmˌstæns əv mi ˈkɪsɪŋ ə gərl ɪn ˈpəblɪk. waɪl wət geɪ ˈwɪmən ɪkˈspɪriəns ɛz ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə ɪn ðɪs ˈɪnstəns meɪ nɑt bi ˈvaɪələnt, ɪt kən stɪl bi ɛz ˈdeɪnʤərəs. ðə əv ˈlɛzbiən ənd ˈwɪmən ɪz ˈdeɪnʤərəs ənd ˈdɛfənətli ə fɔrm əv ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə. aɪ noʊ soʊ ˈmɛni mɛn ðət əˈpoʊz geɪ ˈmɛrɪʤ jɛt ˈlɛzbiən pɔrn ɪz ðɛr pɔrn əv ʧɔɪs. fər ˈpipəl tɪ si geɪ ˈwɪmən ɛz ˈɑbʤɛkts ɪn ðɪs weɪ ɪz ə greɪt ˈæˌspɛkt wɪʧ ɪz ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈprɛzənt ɪn oppression.”*.” aɪ gru əp ɪn ˈkæθlɪk ˈaɪərlənd wɛr sɛks nɑt tɪ ˈmɛnʃən ˌhoʊmoʊˌsɛkʃuˈæləˌti wɑz ˈnɛvər dɪˈskəst soʊ aɪ wɛnt tɪ ˈstədi fər ðə ˈpristhʊd fər ˈsɛvən jɪrz ɪn sərʧ əv ə seɪf ˈheɪvən wɛr aɪ kʊd haɪd ˌmaɪˈsɛlf ɛz aɪ ˈrɪli hæd noʊ klu ˌwətsoʊˈɛvər ɛz tɪ wət wɑz ‘‘wrong’*’ wɪθ mi. ɪt saʊnz soʊ naɪiv naʊ bət bæk ðɛn, geɪ ˈpipəl wər ˈfɪgjərz əv ˈrɪdəˌkjul hu wi θɔt drɛst ɛz ˈwɪmən ənd wər ˈmɛnəli soʊ ðə ˈpristhʊd simd ə greɪt ˈɔpʃən. ˈʃɔrtli ˈæftər ˌɔrdəˈneɪʃən, aɪ wɑz beɪst ɪn ðə ənd mɛt ə mæn aɪ fɛl ˈtoʊtəli ɪn ləv wɪθ ənd ˈriəˌlaɪzd aɪ wɑz geɪ. aɪ hæd ə ˈsikrɪt riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp wɪθ ɪm ˈoʊvər fɔr jɪrz, ˈfilɪŋ ˈtɛrəbli ˈgɪlti. aɪ wɑz ˈləki ɪˈnəf ðət æt ðə pɔɪnt əv ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈriʧɪŋ ˈtoʊtəl ˈbreɪkˌdaʊn, aɪ mɛt ə ˈwəndərfəl ˈleɪdi ˈkaʊnsələr. ˈoʊvər taɪm, ʃi hɛlpt mi ˈriəˌlaɪz hu aɪ æm ənd tɪ əkˈsɛpt ɪt ənd tɪ ˈɔlsoʊ əkˈsɛpt ðət aɪ hæd ˈnəθɪŋ ˌfəndəˈmɛnəli ‘‘wrong’*’ wɪθ mi tɪ heɪt ˌmaɪˈsɛlf fər. aɪ lɛft ðə ˈpristhʊd (ə ˈskændəl ɪn ðoʊz deɪz, əˈspɛʃəli tɪ maɪ naʊ dɪˈsist ˈpɛrənts) ənd treɪnd ɛz ə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈwərkər ˌbiˈfɔr rɪˈtərnɪŋ tɪ ˈdəblɪn. aɪ naʊ hæv ə gʊd ˈkædri əv frɛndz əv ɔl pərsˈweɪʒənz ənd ə kˈwɑləti əv laɪf aɪ ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ. aɪ du nɑt haɪd maɪ ˌsɛkʃuˈæləti bət ˈɔlsoʊ aɪ moʊst ˈsərtənli du nɑt ʃaʊt ɪt frəm ðə ˈrufˌtɑps ər dɪˈskəs maɪ pæst laɪf ɛz ə prist. aɪ traɪ tɪ lɪv ən ˈɔrdəˌnɛri laɪf ənd, dɛr aɪ seɪ ɪt, blɛnd ɪn wɪθ ˈəðər ˈpipəl. jɛt, laɪk, aɪ tu noʊ ðə ˈloʊnlinəs ənd dɪˈspɛr əv biɪŋ kɔld ˈfægət baɪ klaɪənts, ˈrændəm ɔn ðə strit ənd aɪ ˈsərtənli hæv ˈnɛvər dɛrd tɪ ʃoʊ ˈpəblɪk əˈfɛkʃən tɪ ə ˈpɑrtnər. aɪ hæv bɪn spæt ɔn ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə ʤɔrʤ pəb. aɪ θɪŋk əˈbaʊt maɪ kloʊðz ˈɛvəri ˈmɔrnɪŋ ˌbiˈfɔr wərk ɪf ðeɪ sim tu braɪt ər tu geɪ. ənd aɪ hæv kraɪd ɪn dɪˈspɛr ˈlɪsənɪŋ tɪ ˈrizənəbəl ˈpipəl ˈhævɪŋ ˈrizənəbəl dəˈbeɪts ɔn ðə ˈmidiə ɛz tɪ wət ˈjuˈɛs ˌhoʊmoʊˈsɛkˌʃuəlz ʃʊd bi əˈlaʊd tɪ du. ðɪs ɪz ə ˈvɛri smɔl səˈlɛkʃən əv wət aɪ ənd ˈmɛni, ˈmɛni mɔr geɪ ˈpipəl hæv tɪ pʊt əp wɪθ ɪn laɪf. aɪ kən ˈoʊnli ˌɪˈmæʤən ju wɪl bi ˈɪnənˌdeɪtɪd wɪθ ˈstɔriz fɑr wərs ðən maɪn bət iʧ ər ˈoʊnli ðə tɪp əv ðə iceberg…*… 1 aɪ wəns wərkt ɪn ə dɪˈpɑrtmənt fər ə ˌməlˌtiˈnæʃənəl kənˈsəltɪŋ ˈkəmpəˌni. aɪ wɑz nɑt aʊt tɪ ðə ˈkəmpəˌni ənd wəns wɪˈθɪn ðə tim ˈmitɪŋ, wən əv ðə tim ˈmɛmbərz reɪzd ðə ˈɪʃu əv ˈhɛlθˌkɛr ˌɪnˈʃʊrəns. ðə ˈkəmpəˌni peɪd fər stæf members’*’ hɛlθ ˌɪnˈʃʊrəns ɛz wɛl ɛz ðɛr ˈhəzbəndz ənd waɪvz. ɪt hæd bɪn rɪkˈwɛstɪd baɪ ə ˈmɛmbər stæf tɪ ɪkˈstɛnd ðɪs tɪ ɪmˈplɔɪiz hu wər nɑt ˈmɛrid bət lɪvd wɪθ ˈpɑrtnərz. ðə dɪˈrɛktər sɛd ðət ɪt wɑz faɪn ənd tɪ ɪkˈstɛnd ðə ˈɔfərɪŋ tɪ ˈpipəl hu æst bət nɑt tɪ ˈædvərˌtaɪz ɪt. ðɛn ðə ˈbɪznɪs ˈpɑrtnər reɪzd ðə kˈwɛʃən ɛz tɪ ˈwɛðər ɪt kʊd bi ɪkˈstɛndɪd tɪ geɪ ˈpɑrtnərz ənd ðə tim ɔl læft. ɪt wɑz sɛd nɑt tɪ seɪ ə wərd ər ðə geɪ ˈɑrmi wʊd bi əp ɪn ɑrmz, kˈwoʊtɪŋ wʊd hæv ə praɪd mɑrʧ ɔn ɑr building”*”. 2 biɪŋ toʊld maɪ ˈməðər tɪ ˈbeɪbisɪt maɪ ˈnisɪz, ˈnɛfju ər friends’*’ kɪdz ɛz ɪt wʊd reɪz kˈwɛsʧənz ər accusations”*”. ʃi ˈʤɛnjuˌaɪnli æst ðɪs ɪn ə ˈkɛrɪŋ weɪ fər maɪ oʊn seɪk. 3 waɪl ɔn ə ˈsɪti breɪk ˌmaɪˈsɛlf ənd maɪ ˈpɑrtnər wər ˈwɔkɪŋ frəm ðə ˈloʊkəl pəb tɪ ɑr hoʊˈtɛl ənd ə kɑr droʊv pæst ˈjuˈɛs ənd ðə ˈɑkjəpənts ˈʃaʊtɪd fək ɔf aʊt əv hir ju faggots”*”. 4 æt 23 jɪrz əv eɪʤ ənd stɪl ˈkəmɪŋ tɪ tərmz wɪθ maɪ oʊn ˌsɛkʃuˈæləti, aɪ wərkt ɪn ə ˈgəvərnmənt ˈɔfəs ənd ə ˈsinjər keɪs ˈɔfɪsər bɪˈgæn tɪ tɛl mi əˈbaʊt ə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈwɛlˌfɛr keɪs wɛr ə ˈkəpəl kleɪmd tɪ bi geɪ. ðə ˈsinjər ˈɔfɪsər wɑz səˈpoʊzd tɪ bi goʊɪŋ ɔn ə haʊs ˈvɪzɪt ənd toʊld mi ðət hi ˈstəmək geɪ ˈpipəl ənd ðət hi kip maɪ ɑrs tɪ ðə wall”*” ənd meɪk mi sick”*”. 5 biɪŋ frəm ə smɔl ˈkəntri taʊn, ˈhævɪŋ grəˈfiti spreɪd ɔn ə wɔl ɪn ðət taʊn wɔl, ˈneɪmɪŋ mi ɛz geɪ. 6 ˈʃɔrtli ˈæftər ðə ˈpipəl əv maɪ hoʊm taʊn dɪˈskəvərɪŋ aɪ wɑz geɪ, wət wɑz wəns ə kloʊz frɛnd æst mi ɪf aɪ hæd ˈɛvər ˌɪnərˈfɪrd wɪθ hər sən ənd ðət ʃi dɪd nɑt wɔnt mi tɪ si ɪm ˌɛniˈmɔr. ðɛr wɑz noʊ ˈbeɪsɪs fər ðə ˌækjəˈzeɪʃənz bɑr ə læk əv ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən. 7 ɪn ˈkɑlɪʤ, biɪŋ ˈʃaʊtɪd æt ɪn ə ʤɪm ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ rum nɑt tɪ kəm ɪn ənˈtɪl ðɪs ˈəðər gaɪ hæd ʧeɪnʤd. 8 ɪn maɪ ˈkɑrənt ʤɑb, aɪ sɪt ˌbiˈsaɪd ˈsəmˌwən hu ˈkɑnstəntli rɪˈfərz tɪ ˈsərtən ˈpipəl ʃi mits θru ɑr ʤɑb ɛz ““queens”*”, gaɪ ever”*”, ɪz səʧ ə ˈlɪtəl bɪʧ, hi nidz tɪ gɪt hɪmˈsɛlf ə mæn hu hæd bɔlz bɪˈkəz hi ʤɪst həz ə vagina”*”. 9 biɪŋ æst baɪ ðə seɪm ˈmænɪʤər ɪf ʃi kən kəm tɪ ə geɪ bɑr wɪθ mi æt ðə ˈwiˌkɪnd bɪˈkəz ʃi həz ˈnɛvər bɪn tɪ ə ““seedy”*” geɪ kləb ˌbiˈfɔr. fər səm ˈrizən ʃi θɪŋks geɪ kləbz ər ˈsidi. 1o*. ˈdeɪli ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃənz, əˈspɛʃəli wɪθ ˈpipəl hu ˈriəˌlaɪz ər noʊ ðət aɪ æm geɪ. ˈkɑmɛnts, slagging*, ʤaɪbz. ˈkɑnstəntli biɪŋ meɪd tɪ fil laɪk ʃɪt ənd tɪ dɪˈnaɪ hu aɪ æm. əˈnɑnəməs aɪ hæv bɪn əˈtækt ɪn bərˈlɪn, ʧeɪst ɪn græn canaria*, ˈfɑloʊd hoʊm ɪn ə kɑr ɪn ˈdəblɪn, gɑt ə ˈbɑtəl ɪn ðə feɪs ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ə geɪ kləb ɪn ˈgɑlweɪ ənd gɑt fɔr ˈstɪʧɪz. ˈoʊnli læst wik, ˈaʊtˈsaɪd pantibar*, ə frɛnd ənd aɪ wər əˈbjuzd ənd θˈrɛtənd. ˈfɪlɪp aɪ gru əp ɔn ðə nɔrθ saɪd əv ˈdəblɪn. aɪ wɛnt tɪ ən ˈsiˌbiˌɛs wɛr ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə wɑz ˈɛvriˌwɛr. aɪ gru əp preɪɪŋ iʧ naɪt aɪ wʊd weɪk əp streɪt. ˈweɪkɪŋ əp iʧ ˈmɔrnɪŋ wɪθ ðə hoʊp ðət maɪ prɛrz wər ˈænsərd ənd ðɛn ˈʧɛkɪŋ ɪf aɪ wɑz stɪl geɪ. maɪ prɛrz wər ˈnɛvər ˈænsərd (aɪ æm soʊ ˈhæpi təˈdeɪ ðeɪ weren’t)…*)…. aɪ gru əp ˈhaɪdɪŋ moʊst əv maɪ ˈtiˌneɪʤ jɪrz. aɪ keɪm aʊt æt 21 ənd maɪ ˈfæməli ækˈsɛptɪd mi 100 pər sɛnt. aɪ, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, tʊk ˈmɛni, ˈmɛni mɔr jɪrz. ˈæftər aɪ keɪm aʊt ənd ˈivɪn təˈdeɪ aɪ gɪt toʊld ðət aɪ lʊk ər ækt geɪ. æt fərst aɪ laɪkt tɪ hir ðɪs. aɪ hərd ðɪs frəm geɪ ənd streɪt ˈpipəl. aɪ laɪkt ɪt bɪˈkəz əv haʊ aɪ gru əp ənd ðə vjuz aɪ pɪkt əp əˈbaʊt geɪ ˈpipəl frəm soʊˈsaɪɪti. aɪ wɑz ənd stɪl æm ə ˈlɪtəl ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbɪk. ðɪs ˈoʊnli meɪd ɪt ˈivɪn mɔr ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ əkˈsɛpt ˌmaɪˈsɛlf. aɪ æm ɪn ə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp wɪθ ən əˈmeɪzɪŋ mæn (aɪ wʊd ləv ðə raɪt tɪ ˈmɛri ɪm). aɪ laɪk tɪ hoʊld hɪz hænz ər kɪs ɪm wɪn ðə ˈmoʊmənt filz raɪt. duɪŋ ðɪs ɔn ðə strits əv ˈdəblɪn ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈreɪzɪz ˈaɪˌbraʊz ər ˈpipəl ʤɪst stɛr ənd meɪk ˈkɑmɛnts ər du ðɪs tɪ gɪt ə riˈækʃən ər meɪk ə ˈsteɪtmənt. ə ˈpraɪvət ˈpərsən ɪn general…*… aɪ æm ˈkərəntli ˈweɪtɪŋ ɔn maɪ ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd ɪn ˈdəblɪn ˈɛrˌpɔrt. wɛr aɪ hæv ˈɔlsoʊ myself’*’ ənd ˈkɪsɪŋ ənd ˈhəgɪŋ ɪm. aɪ æm goʊɪŋ tɪ gɪv ɪm ðə ˈbɪgəst həg ənd kɪs naʊ. bət ðɛr wɪl ˈɔlˌweɪz bi ə smɔl pɑrt əv mi ˈfilɪŋ wət kən ˈoʊnli bi dɪˈskraɪbd ɛz biɪŋ ɪmˈbɛrəst. aɪ heɪt ˌmaɪˈsɛlf fər stɪl ˈfilɪŋ ðɪs əˈbaʊt ə mæn hu minz ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ tɪ me.”*.” ɪn 2010 aɪ wɑz ˈwɔkɪŋ daʊn ˈpɑrnəl strit wɪθ maɪ ˈpɑrtnər, ˈhoʊldɪŋ hɪz hænd. ɪt wɑz əˈbaʊt ɪn ðə ˈwɪntər soʊ ɪt wɑz dɑrk. tu mɛn, hu wər ˈvɛri tɔl ənd ˈməskjələr, pʊʃt pæst mi, spæt ɪn maɪ feɪs ənd sɛd ˈsəmθɪŋ ɪn ˈrəʃən. aɪ ˈrɪli noʊ wət wɑz ˈhæpənɪŋ ənd aɪ ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli rɪˈplaɪd, ðə hɛl wɑz ðət for?”*?” ɪn maɪ jəŋ, ˈfulɪʃ weɪ, aɪ spæt bæk æt ɪm. ðɪs taɪm, ðeɪ boʊθ stɑpt ənd tərnd tɪ mi, ˈkɔlɪŋ mi ə ˈfægət, ˈtɛlɪŋ mi aɪ dɪˈzərv tɪ lɪv. ðə wən hu spæt æt mi ˌɪˈnɪʃəli kɪkt mi ɪn ðə ʧɛst ənd nɑkt mi daʊn. maɪ ˈpɑrtnər pɪkt mi əp ənd wi rænt tɪ ðə ˈəðər saɪd əv ˈpɑrnəl skwɛr waɪl ðə tu mɛn əˈbjuzd ˈjuˈɛs. wi wər ˈləki ðeɪ ˈfɑloʊ ˈjuˈɛs. əˈnɑnəməs skul ɛz ə ˈtiˌneɪʤər ðə wərd ˈfægət wɑz mɔr ˈkɑmənli juzd ðən ˈɛni ˈəðər ˌɪnˈsəlt. ɪt wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ ðə ˈəltəmət ˌɪnˈsəlt. ɪf ju wər ə ˈfægət ju wər ən ˈaʊtˌkæst, noʊ wən ˈwɔntɪd tɪ bi sin ˈtɔkɪŋ tɪ ə geɪ ˈpərsən ɪn skul ɪn keɪs ˈpipəl ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ ˈsəˌspɛkt ju wər geɪ. aɪ ˈɔlˌweɪz nu aɪ laɪkt gaɪz ənd gərlz. aɪ wɑz ˈkəmfərtəbəl wɪθ ðət ənˈtɪl aɪ ˈstɑrtɪd ˈsɛkənˌdɛri skul. aɪ hæd ə krəʃ ɔn ə gaɪ ɪn maɪ klæs. hi wɑz ˈrɪli nis, ˈfəni ənd æθˈlɛtɪk. hi wɑz ə ril kæʧ. wi ˈɛndɪd əp bɪˈkəmɪŋ ˈrɪli kloʊz ənd ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli spɛnt ðə naɪt təˈgɛðər. ɪt wɑz əˈmeɪzɪŋ. aɪ fɛlt ɛz ðoʊ aɪ wɑz ɪkˈsplɔrɪŋ səʧ ən ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt pɑrt əv maɪ ˌpərsəˈnælɪti ənd ɪt meɪd mi fil ˈbælənst fər ðə fɪst taɪm. ənˈtɪl wən deɪ ɪt keɪm aʊt ɪn skul ðət hi wɑz geɪ. aɪ wɪl fərˈɛvər bi əˈʃeɪmd əv ðə fækt ðət wɪn hi wɑz ˈaʊtəd, ɪn ðə ˈɪntəˌrɛst əv sɛlf ˌprɛzərˈveɪʃən, aɪ kət ɔl taɪz wɪθ ɪm. aɪ noʊ ðət hi ˈnidɪd mi ˈdʊrɪŋ ðət taɪm ənd θru ðə rɛst əv skul bət aɪ wɑz tu skɛrd əv ðə wɪʧ hənt tɪ bi frɛndz wɪθ ɪm. ˈsəbsəkwəntli, hi noʊ ˈlɔŋgər wɑz ˈteɪkən ˈsɪriəsli baɪ ˈɛni əv ðə ˈstudənts ənd ˈɛni taɪm ðə ˈtiʧər wʊd æsk ɪm ə kˈwɛʃən ɪn klæs, səm ˈstudənts wʊd rɪˈpit wət hi sɛd bæk ɪn ə vɔɪs. wɪn hi stʊd əp fər hɪmˈsɛlf ɪn jɑrd hi wʊd sˈwɪftli rɪˈsiv ə pənʧ ɪn ðə feɪs frəm wɪˈʧɛvər ˈskəmˌbæg fɛlt laɪk ˈhɪtɪŋ ɪm. aɪ wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ ˈbʊlid fər ˈdɪfərənt ˈrizənz wɪʧ lɛd mi tɪ biɪŋ əˈfreɪd tɪ ˈoʊpən əp əˈbaʊt maɪ ˌsɛkʃuˈæləti. aɪ kən ˈnɛvər fərˈgɪv ˌmaɪˈsɛlf bɪˈkəz aɪ noʊ ɪf aɪ hæd ðə kərɪʤ tɪ bi ðɛr fər ɪm wi kʊd hæv gɔn θru ɪt together.”*.” dɑˈvinə groʊɪŋ əp ənd ˈkəmɪŋ aʊt ɛz ə ˈlɛzbiən ɪn ˈaɪərlənd wɑz wən əv ðə ˈhɑrdəst θɪŋz aɪ hæv ˈɛvər dən ənd ˈprɑbəˌbli wɪl ˈɛvər du. wɪn aɪ seɪ do’*’, bɪˈkəz ɪt ɪz ə kənˈtɪnjuəs θɪŋ ˈkəmɪŋ aʊt, ˈkɑnstəntli ˈhævɪŋ tɪ tɛl nu ˈpipəl ju mit ðət geɪ, ˈhævɪŋ tɪ ˈænsər ðə ju ə fella?”*?” kˈwɛʃən wɪθ ““no*, bət aɪ hæv ə girlfriend”*”. ɪt dɪz gɪt ˈiziər ˈkəmɪŋ aʊt ðoʊ, ju lərn hu ju kən seɪ ɪt tɪ ənd hu ju. moʊst əv maɪ ˈfæməli hæv ˈɔlˌweɪz bɪn 100 pər sɛnt səˈpɔrtɪv. ˌɔlˈðoʊ groʊɪŋ əp, maɪ ˈfɑðər wʊd ˈsəmˌtaɪmz meɪk ˈkɑmɛnts əˈbaʊt geɪ mɛn. aɪ rɪˈmɛmbər ˈwɑʧɪŋ ə krɪˈstinə ɑgwiˈlɛrə mˈjuzɪk ˈvɪdioʊ fər hər sɔŋ ‘‘beautiful’*’ wɪn aɪ wɑz ə jəŋ ˈtiˌneɪʤər ənd tu mɛn kɪst, ˈnəθɪŋ ˈvəlgər ər pərˈvərtɪd, ʤɪst ə ˈsɪmpəl kɪs bɪtˈwin tu ˈpipəl hu wər ˈɑbviəsli səˈpoʊzd tɪ bi ɪn ləv. maɪ ˈfɑðər streɪt əˈweɪ tərnd ðə ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ɔf ənd toʊld mi ɪt wɑz dɪsˈgəstɪŋ. ðət həz steɪd wɪθ mi, aɪ wɪl ˈnɛvər fərˈgɛt haʊ ˈsɪkənd hi lʊkt baɪ ɪt. wɪn aɪ wɑz ˈkəmɪŋ aʊt tɪ ɪm ɔl aɪ kʊd θɪŋk əv. sɪns ˈkəmɪŋ aʊt tɪ ɪm ðoʊ hi həz kəmˈplitli ʧeɪnʤd hɪz ˈætəˌtud ənd ˈivɪn ləvz wən əv maɪ geɪ frɛndz ɛz ɪf hi wər hɪz oʊn sən. ɪt wɑz bɪˈkəz əv ʃɪr ˈɪgnərəns ənd ˈnɑlɪʤ əv geɪ ˈpipəl ðət hi θɔt hi wɑz səˈpoʊzd tɪ heɪt ðɛm. rɑb ˈnɛvər ɪkˈspɪriənst ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə əˈməŋ maɪ frɛndz ər ˈfæməli, wɪʧ kwaɪt ˈfɔrʧənət fər, bət aɪ hæv hæd ˈrændəm ɪnˈkaʊnərz waɪlst ˈhoʊldɪŋ hænz ɪn ˈpəblɪk ˈpleɪsɪz səʧ ɛz: ə ˈbɑtəl əv θroʊn frəm ə ˈmuvɪŋ kɑr; ə ˈmɪlkˌʃeɪk θroʊn frəm ə ˈmuvɪŋ kɑr; ˈsəmˌwən ˈʃaʊtɪŋ əv faggots”*” frəm, jɛs, ə ˈmuvɪŋ kɑr; ə mæn wɔkt ɪn frənt əv ˈjuˈɛs ənd toʊld ˈjuˈɛs wi nɑt bi ˈstɛrɪŋ æt hɪz æs now”*”. ðɛr wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ ən əˈkeɪʒən wɛr ə drəŋk gaɪ həgd ənd ˌsɛrəˈneɪdɪd mi wɪθ wɔnt ɪt ðət way”*” baɪ bɔɪz ʤɪst bɪˈkəz aɪ wɑz geɪ bət ðət fɛlt mɔr ˈpəzəlɪŋ ðən ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli homophobic…”*…” ˈdeɪvɪd ʤɪst wən ɪgˈzæmpəl əv ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə əˈməŋst ˈmɛni aɪ hæv ɪkˈspɪriənst wɑz wɪn aɪ wɑz ˌfɔrˈtin. ɪt wɑz maɪ fərst deɪ bæk tɪ skul ɪn ˈsɛkənd jɪr ənd wi hæd pe*. wi hæd sˈwɪmɪŋ fər ðət ˈmɑʤul. ðət ˈmɔrnɪŋ aɪ hæd faʊnd ˌmaɪˈsɛlf əˈtræktəd tɪ ə gaɪ fər ðə fərst taɪm ɪn ðə sˈwɪmɪŋ pul, soʊ ˈnæʧərəli maɪ maɪnd wɑz əˈbəz wɪθ kˈwɛsʧənz kənˈsərnɪŋ maɪ aɪˈdɛntəˌti. ˈæftər ðə klæs, ɔl ðə bɔɪz wər ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ aʊt əv ðɛr sˈwɪmˌwɛr ənd wən əv ðɛm hæd wɔrn hɪz ˈəndərˌwɛr ˈhævɪŋ fərˈgɑtən trəŋks. ðə rɛst əv ðə lædz ɪm, wɪʧ hi wɛnt əˈlɔŋ wɪθ, ˈmeɪkɪŋ ə ʃoʊ əv hɪmˈsɛlf. aɪ wɑz ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ, ˈwɑnɪŋ tɪ gɪt aʊt əv ðɛr ɪn taɪm fər ðə nɛkst klæs. aɪ hæd bɪn ʃəvd ˈɪntu, trɪpt əp, hæd θɪŋz θroʊn æt mi ənd hæd ˈkɑmɛnts laɪk ““gay”*” ənd ““fag”*” spæt æt mi əp ənˈtɪl ðɪs pɔɪnt ɪn skul. hi ðɛn keɪm əp frəm bɪˈhaɪnd mi, pʊʃt mi ənd hɛld mi əˈgɛnst ðə wɔl, ˈgraɪndɪŋ ˈɪntu mi, ˈfilɪŋ maɪ ˈʤɛnətəlz, seɪɪŋ θɪŋz əˈlɔŋ ðə laɪnz əv laɪk ðət, hə faggot?”*?”, ˈgoʊdɪd ɔn baɪ ɔl əv ðə rɛst əv ðɛm ɛz ðeɪ læft ənd ˈpɔɪntɪd laɪk ˈsəmθɪŋ aʊt əv ə bæd tin ˈhaɪˌskul flɪk. hi tʊk ɔf hɪz ˈəndərˌwɛr ənd prəˈsidəd tɪ ʃəv hɪz ˈneɪkəd rɪr ˈɪntu maɪ feɪs ɛz hi wɑz draɪɪŋ hɪmˈsɛlf wɪθ ə taʊəl raɪt əp əˈgɛnst mi, ɔl ðə waɪl məʧ tɪ ðə kənˈtɪnjuəs hɪˈlɛrəti əv ðə ˈəðər bɔɪz. ˈdʊrɪŋ ɔl əv ðɪs aɪ hæd ˈfroʊzən, ˈhævɪŋ noʊ aɪˈdiə wət wɑz goʊɪŋ ɔn, wɪθ trɔˈmætɪk ˈmɛməriz biɪŋ ˈtrɪgərd baɪ wət wɑz trænˈspaɪərɪŋ. bɛr ɪn maɪnd ðət nɑt ˈivɪn aɪ hæd ˈriəˌlaɪzd ðət aɪ wɑz geɪ əp ənˈtɪl ðət ˈmɔrnɪŋ aɪ ˈbɛrli nu wət biɪŋ geɪ wɑz, ˈhævɪŋ bɪn brɔt əp ɪn ə ˈhjuʤli ˌivænˈʤɛlɪkəl ˈhaʊsˌhoʊld, ənd hæd bɪn tɔt ðət ɪt wɑz ənˈnæʧərəl ɔl ˈækʃən hæd bɪn ˈteɪkən ˈsɪmpli ˈəndər ðə ðət aɪ wɑz geɪ. noʊ wən dɪd ˈɛniˌθɪŋ tɪ traɪ ənd stɑp ɪt. aɪ rɪˈmɛmbər məʧ ˈæftər ðət, aɪ ʤɪst out.”*.” ˈkoʊlɪn hir ɪz ən əˈkaʊnt əv maɪ ˈmɛmərəbəl ɪˈvɛnts ɪn ðə læst 10 jɪrz: 1 aɪ æm toʊld ˈfrikwɛntli ðət aɪ æm streɪt ˈæktɪŋ ənd ˈlʊkɪŋ. ɪt ɪz mɛnt ɛz ə ˈkɑmpləmɛnt bət kaɪnd əv ˌɪmˈplaɪz ðət ˈlʊkɪŋ ““gay”*” ɪz bæd. 2 ɛz ˈrisəntli ɛz ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ, aɪ wɑz kɔld ə ˈfægət baɪ ə grup əv jəŋ lædz waɪl ˈwɔkɪŋ ɪn maɪ frənt geɪt. 3 aɪ hæv ˈɔlsoʊ hæd ə fju ˈkɑmɛnts frəm wərk ˈkɑligz. wən ˈwʊmən sɛd tɪ mi ðət ʃi wʊd draʊn hər sən ɪf hi wɑz geɪ. 4 aɪ wɑz biɪŋ əˈfɛkʃənət tɪ maɪ ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd waɪl wi wər ɪn ˈtræfɪk ənd ə grup əv lædz ɪn ðə kɑr nɛkst tɪ ˈjuˈɛs wər ˈʃaʊtɪŋ slərz æt ˈjuˈɛs. 5 aɪ wɑz ˈhɛdɪŋ hoʊm ˈæftər ə naɪt aʊt ɪn kɔrk ˈsɪti ənd ə grup əv jəŋ gərlz θru ə bæg əv ʧɪps æt wən əv maɪ geɪ frɛndz ənd wər ˈkɔlɪŋ ˈjuˈɛs ɔl ðə trəˈdɪʃənəl neɪmz. 6 aɪ wɑz ˈdænsɪŋ wɪθ maɪ ˈpɑrtnər æt hɪz ˈkəzənz ˈwɛdɪŋ ənd hæd ˈnɛgətɪv ˈkɑmɛnts pæst baɪ ˈəðər ˈwɛdɪŋ gɛsts. maɪ ˌɪˈmiˌdiət riˈækʃən ɪz tɪ ˌɪgˈnɔr wət ɪz biɪŋ sɛd ənd tɪ gɪt aʊt əv ðə ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən ɛz fæst ɛz ˈpɑsəbəl. aɪ ˈʤɛnərəli teɪk ɪt tɪ hɑrt. aɪ pʊt əp wɪθ ɪt. aɪ kənˈsɪdər ˌmaɪˈsɛlf wən əv ðə ˈləki wənz ɛz aɪ hæv ˈnɛvər bɪn ˈfɪzɪkəli əˈtækt, aɪ hæv ə fænˈtæstɪk ˈpɑrtnər, maɪ ˈfæməli ənd frɛndz ər səˈpɔrtɪv ənd aɪ hæv ˈnɛvər fɛlt ðət maɪ ɪmˈplɔɪərz dɪˈskrɪməˌneɪts əˈgɛnst me.”*.” ˈdɛrɪk ˈlɪvɪŋ wɪθ ə grup əv frɛndz, ðɛr wɑz ən ˈɪnsədənt bɪtˈwin ˌmaɪˈsɛlf ənd əˈnəðər gərl, ə dɪsəˈgrimənt əv sɔrts. wɪʧ ˈhæpənz wɪn koʊˈhæbɪtɪŋ ɪn ˈrɛntɪd əˌkɑməˈdeɪʃən. aɪ θɔt ðɪs wɑz dən ənd ˈoʊvər wɪθ ənˈtɪl ə fju deɪz ˈleɪtər ˈæftər ˈkəmɪŋ hoʊm frəm wərk ðət ˈivnɪŋ. aɪ rɪˈmɛmbər ˈθɪŋkɪŋ ɪt wɑz streɪnʤ ɛz ˈjuʒəwəli ðə læst wən hoʊm ðət ðɛr wɑz noʊ wən ɛls hoʊm jɛt. aɪ hæd ə ʃaʊər ənd waɪl aɪ wɑz əpˈstɛrz aɪ hərd ə nɑk ɔn ðə frənt dɔr. wɪn aɪ keɪm daʊn aɪ kʊd si tu gaɪz θru ðə glæs, wən aɪ ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzd ɛz ðə ˈbrəðər əv ðə gərl aɪ hæd ðə dɪsəˈgrimənt wɪθ. aɪ ɪkˈspleɪnd ɛz aɪ ˈoʊpənd ðə dɔr ðət ʃi wɑz nɑt hir bət hi sɛd ju (mi) aɪ ˈæˌkʧuəli keɪm tɪ si ənd wɪθ ðət hi ʤæmd hɪz fʊt ɪn ðə dɔr ənd pʊʃt hɪz weɪ ɪn. ɛz hi pənʧt mi ɪn ðə feɪs ðə ˈəðər gaɪ hɛld maɪ ɑrmz bɪˈhaɪnd maɪ bæk tɪ prɪˈvɛnt mi frəm traɪɪŋ tɪ prəˈtɛkt ˌmaɪˈsɛlf. hi ˈməmbəld ˈmɛni əˈfɛnsɪv θɪŋz əˈlɔŋ wɪθ ðə fækt aɪ wɑz ˈnɛvər tɪ ˈəpˌsɛt hɪz ˈlɪtəl ˈsɪstər əˈgɛn ““faggot”*”, ““puff”,”*”,” bɛt jʊr ˌɛnˈʤɔɪɪŋ ðɪs ɪn ə weɪ you?”*?” aɪ hæv tɪ ˈɛvər kəm bæk hir tɪ dil wɪθ ju əˈgɛn kɪl you!”*!” ðeɪ lɛft mi ɪn ə hip ɔn ðə flɔr ɛz hi kɪkt mi ənd wɔkt əˈweɪ hɪz læst wərdz wər queer”*”. tɪ seɪ ðɪs hæd ə proʊˈfaʊnd ˈifɛkt ɔn mi wʊd bi ən ˈəndərˌsteɪtmənt. aɪ slip, aɪ əˈvɔɪdɪd maɪ hoʊm ɛz məʧ ɛz ˈpɑsəbəl ənd ˈʃɔrtli ˈæftər ðət aɪ hæd tɪ muv aʊt ɛz aɪ wɑz ˈtɛrəˌfaɪd tɪ ˈəpˌsɛt ðət gaɪz sister”*”. ɛz taɪm goʊz baɪ ðoʊ ju traɪ ənd fərˈgɛt ər blɑk aʊt ðɪs ˈɔfəl θɪŋ ðət ˈhæpənd tɪ ju. tɪ bi geɪ bæʃt ɪn jʊr oʊn hoʊm. bət ðɛr wɑz lɑts əv taɪmz aɪ wʊd lʊk ɪn ðə ˈmɪrər ənd ˈwəndər wət wɑz ɪt əˈbaʊt mi ðət meɪd ðət meɪd mi səʧ ən ˈizi ˈtərgət, nɑt ˈivɪn soʊ məʧ ðə ˈbitɪŋ, bət ðə rɪŋ əv ðə wərdz ɪn maɪ maɪnd ðət wʊd gɪv mi bæd drimz. aɪ faʊnd ˌmaɪˈsɛlf traɪɪŋ tɪ meɪk ˌmaɪˈsɛlf əˈpɪr gay”*”. ˈkɑnʃəs əv haʊ aɪ drɛst, wɔkt ər ˈivɪn haʊ aɪ spoʊk. əˈnɑnəməs æm ə ˈwʊmən. aɪ æm streɪt, jɛt aɪ tu hæv bɪn ðə ˈvɪktɪm əv ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə. ˈsəmθɪŋ pʊt tɪ ðə bæk əv maɪ maɪnd fər ˈmɛni jɪrz, ˌhaʊˈɛvər wɪn aɪ sɔ ðə ˈvɪdioʊ əv ɪn ðə ˈæbi ˈθiətər, ə fju ˈmɛməriz rəʃt bæk. aɪ dɛr tɪ seɪ maɪ ɪkˈspɪriəns wɑz ɛz ˈhɛroʊɪŋ ər dɪˈstərbɪŋ ɛz ər ˈmɛni əv ðə ˈəðər ˈvɪktɪmz əv ˌhoʊməˈfoʊbiə ðət hæv kəm tɪ laɪt, ˌhaʊˈɛvər ɪt ɪz ən ˈɑnəst ˌriˈkaʊnt əv wət ˈhæpənd tɪ mi. wɪn aɪ wɑz 17 jɪrz oʊld, maɪ ˈbrəðər hu wɑz 18 æt ðə taɪm, ˈbreɪvli keɪm aʊt tɪ hɪz frɛndz ənd ˈfæməli. wərd kˈwɪkli sprɛd θru ɑr smɔl taʊn, ənd waɪlst aɪ ˈpərsənəli si ðə bɪg dil (hi wɑz stɪl ðə seɪm ˈpərsən tɪ mi!), hi bɪˈkeɪm ðə ˈvɪktɪm əv ˈaɪdəl ˈgɑsəp. maɪ ˈbrəðər wɑz ˈlɪvɪŋ əˈweɪ frəm hoʊm æt ðə taɪm, ˈhæpi ɪn ˈkɑlɪʤ ənd ˈlɪvɪŋ hɪz laɪf, ənd soʊ aɪ faʊnd ˌmaɪˈsɛlf ““answerable”*” tɪ ˈpipəl ɔn hɪz bɪˈhæf. ɪf ˈɛniˌwən æst ɪf ɪt wɑz tru maɪ ˈbrəðər wɑz geɪ, aɪ sɛd jɛs. aɪ ˈɑnəstli si ə ˈprɑbləm wɪθ ɪt, jɛt dɛlt wɪθ ˈpipəl, əv ɔl ˈeɪʤɪz. aɪ wɑz aʊt wɪθ frɛndz wən naɪt ɪn maɪ ˈhoʊmˌtaʊn ənd ˈɛndɪd əp æt ðə ˈʧɪpər (ɛz ɪz ˈkəstəˌmɛri ɪn smɔl taʊn ˈaɪərlənd). aɪ wɑz ˈtɔkɪŋ tɪ ə grup əv ˈpipəl ðət aɪ kaɪnd əv nu. aɪ kʊd si ə ˈkəpəl əv lædz ˈwɪspərɪŋ bət pæs məʧ hid. ɔl əv ə ˈsədən, wən əv ðə lædz spæt æt mi, ənd sɛd maɪ ˈbrəðər wɑz ə paedophile*, hɪz frɛnd bækt ɪm əp. ðeɪ boʊθ gɑt ɪn maɪ feɪs ənd ˈræntɪd əˈbaʊt haʊ dɪsˈgəstɪŋ maɪ ˈbrəðər wɑz. noʊ wən bækt mi əp. aɪ ˈænsərd bæk bət ˈnəθɪŋ aɪ sɛd kʊd draʊn aʊt ðə æˈbhɔrənt kleɪmz ðeɪ meɪd əˈbaʊt maɪ ˈləvli, kaɪnd, ˈkɛrɪŋ, ˈwəndərfəl bɪg ˈbrəðər, ənd əv ˌmaɪˈsɛlf biɪŋ ‘‘guilty’*’ baɪ association.”*.” ˈnaɪʤəl ˌfɪtˈspætrɪk
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last sunday evening, thejournal.ie posted the personal experiences of seven high-profile gay and lesbian men and women.
they told stories of homophobia and hatred. but also tales of acceptance and love.
the interviews and writings certainly hit home for many of our readers and we were overwhelmed with the responses to our request for your stories.
unfortunately, we have not been able to reproduce every submission, but have picked a selection to represent the various experiences people told us about.
some have also been shortened.
we have arranged the extracts in separate posts.
here, we look at the historic and current experiences of men and women across the island. there were some theme running through many of the stories, such as those who have not been subject to violent discrimination describing themselves as ‘lucky’ and the power of subtle homophobia.
the majority also stressed that their daily struggles with homophobia would be eased if the state recognised their individual choices in law by allowing for same-sex marriage.
sam
“my main experience of homophobic assault was after i came out. around four years ago, i was in rick’s burger at the end of george’s street. i was with a friend and we were chatting to a guy with his girlfriend. somehow the topic of being gay came up. at this point, i had no fear of people knowing i was gay. the guy was interested to know what it was all about. he seemed intriguted.
after around ten minutes, without any form of provocation, a guy – a friend of the other man – came over and punched me in the side of the head. he said, “stop spreading your gay shit around.” i was stunned. actually everyone in the café was stunned. i didn’t react. i was in shock. his friend apologised and said he didn’t mean this to happen. they left shortly afterwards.”
keith
i never experienced it physically. although when young and insecure, i was painfully aware of how name calling and physical abuse would be used on others who had behaviours based on stereotypes. when closeted, my family and friends spoke negatively of and made fun of homosexuals. this really hurt and delayed my coming out. when i did come out, i was informed by many that i couldn’t be gay because i didn’t act like ‘them’! i grew up in a working class area and somehow a relationship developed with my best mate and later love of my life. he was a very talented footballer and very masculine, like myself. we both worked as apprentices in the building trade. he couldn’t handle the negative stereotypes and society judging him and looking down upon him for being gay. eventually, he had enough of all that and hung himself. his 12-year-old brother found his body.
pat o’donnell
as a gay man in his 40s, this is the homophobia i have faced in my life. in no particular order:
name calling and physical attack in a catholic-run school while the principal ignored my complaints and told me to act more like a man;
having a friend punched in the face and his nose broken when set upon by thugs shouting ‘fucking faggot’ outside a local chipper;
having my nephew being told in school by a priest that homosexuality was wrong and he should pray for me;
having my sexuality as a topic of discussion in the workplace;
having people assume i like shipping and fashion as i am gay;
being dropped from my local gaa team when i came out;
being told gay people are not suitable for sport;
being told i do not appear ‘very gay’;
not being allowed to see a sick partner after an accident in a catholic-run hospital as i was not next of kin (the family had to approve first);
being told that my career prospects would be damaged by being out as gay;
people linking homosexuality with paedophilia in my presence;
having media articles discussing how to make me a lesser citizen of ireland;
being told i am lucky to live in a society that allows homosexuality;
being put at the ‘gay’ table at weddings;
being asked how i know for certain i am gay if i have not been with a woman;
not being able to donate blood despite having full health checks;
being asked to stop coaching kids in gaa after i came out;
having females say, ‘i want a gay best friend’ or ‘i feel safe with you’;
being stopped going into a normal bar by bouncers saying, ‘you guys should go to your own places’;
being asked always if i really booked a double room;
being asked if i thought about getting a cure.
maria
image: maria and her partner denise outside the gaiety in 2012.
“the worst experience for me is that we have pretty much stopped going out in my home town as a couple. why?
the evening always starts wonderfully. a few pints; friendly, chatty conversations with other locals and so on. but as the night continues (and people have more to drink), it will inevitably end in one or several of the following ways:
but are you really lesbians?
bet you have never had a real man?
let me buy you some shots!
come outside with me (on your own)
someone starts touching me or my girlfriend inappropriately
ah ye fucking dykes/faggots/whores when you turn a young male down.
i am not making this stuff up, many a great night has ended with frustration, anger, sadness that it has to turn out this way, conversation nearly always eventually turns to our sexuality, our relationship and some people get very personal, very rude and ask very intimate questions that certainly i was never asked as a ‘straight’ person. they feel they can take liberties, maybe touch us up, cop a feel and be able to shrug it off.
thankfully, of course, it is certainly not all bad and i do think ireland is changing, as a parent, as a neighbour, as an employee i can honestly say i have never experienced any negative experiences to my face, i know some people talk behind our backs but sure you get that in small towns anyway.
my seven-year-old was playing with his lego last week and the queen was getting married to the blue ninja. in attendance at this lego wedding were the black and red ninja who were, according to my ‘lil man, ‘a gay couple and in love’. i love that kids can be so accepting, so why can’t the rest of us follow their example.
anonymous
my experience could probably be described as more than just homophobia. from the years 2000 to 2002, aged 18 to 20, i attended ‘pray away the gay’ counselling in dublin. looking back, i was quite distressed at the time and voluntarily sought it out. i was suffering from a lot of uncertainty, anxiety, guilt and shame around my sexual orientation. i felt damned. i was desperate not to be gay. this avenue offered me a way out. i approached a local catholic priest who suggested i go and see a therapist. i refused to go see someone who would just tell me to accept my sexuality. eventually, through the priest, i got in touch with a christian counsellor linked to an evangelical protestant church in the locality. there, very vulnerable and still at a young age, i was exposed to dangerous and twisted ideas that were imported straight from the ‘ex-gay’ or reparative therapy movement in the us – which is still support by much of the fundamentalist christian right over there. it’s hard to believe this was in the dublin area, in the early years of this century. during the celtic tiger. needless to say, i didn’t manage (thankfully!) to change my sexual orientation. today, i’m a happy out and proud gay man, though still somewhat scarred by that experience, which was deeply rooted in homophobia and ignorance. i hope this stuff is not still going on in ireland.
anonymous
“my story, i feel, will be from a different vantage point to most others who will contribute to this article. i observe and absorb the mistreatment of the lgbt community from the relatively safe purgatory of the closet. i have not yet been able to rise from the ashes like the soaring phoenix. instead, i am lying in wait for that opportune moment when i can finally shed the shackles of my own oppressive silence.
although i am not ‘out’, that is not to say i have not endured my share of homophobia. from the beginning of puberty and the commencement of sexual awareness, i have known that i was, am and shall always be gay. however, many of my peers seemed to catch on to this fact simultaneously. they had decided my sexuality before i was fully able to come to terms with it myself. from that point on, i felt my sexual orientation was under a magnifying glass.
most had decided i was gay, yet i had been deprived of my coming out moment and the sense of liberty that accompanies it. instead, i was forced to suffer through witch-hunt style trials, whereby a portion of my ‘friends’ would restrain me while others, in a rather invasive manoeuvre, searched my mobile in order to see where i was hiding my gay porn. it was as if they craved a certain smugness that would come in validating their accusations…”
anonymous
when looking for a house at the start of the academic year to share with my boyfriend, we were turned away from a viewing by the landlord. he said, “i’m sorry it’s a one bedroom, it’s only for couples to share.” my boyfriend and i awkwardly shifted in our places whilst trying to explain that we were a couple. the landlord said, “no, i’m sorry i won’t show it to you” and turned around to walk back to his car.
anonymous
“i’m 34 now. i was the victim of homophobic bullying from about the age of 8 or 9 until 18.
school was hell on earth for me. every single day for probably 10 years i was mocked, verbally abused and, in some cases, physically abused. i walked away in 1998, thankful that my six-year hell on earth was over.
at the age of 12 or so i considered suicide because i absolutely hated school.
my parents made me tell them what was going on. they approached the teacher (i suggested my religion teacher). he said the bullying would finish itself naturally. it didn’t. i covered it up myself for another five years.
in some ways, i have never recovered. i became introverted, had almost no friends and shut myself away. i still have very few close friends. i have never had a relationship.
i haven’t experienced any personal homophobia in about 13 years. once a person i had gone to school with pulled me aside and told me gay people were not welcome in that pub.”
gerry
for myself, rory’s standing at a pedestrian crossing echoed my own experiences. i have found myself at crossroads in my birthplace of clontarf, having faggot screamed at me from a passing car on two occasions. when i first came out at 18, i would regularly find myself on the upper deck of the 130 bus, earphones in, trying to dim out the verbal taunts and shouts of ‘faggot’ from groups of male peers sitting behind. it was a scary time for me and although dublin has changed a lot, there are always the reminders that who i am is still not accepted by all people. last month, now aged 32, i was walking down the road not too far from that set of traffic lights where i heard ‘fucking faggot’ shouted a decade before. then a carton of eggs were flung in my direction. while the term faggot wasn’t screamed i can only imagine that something about me, walking huddled in the rain, must have provoked the passengers in the passing car to have reacted to my presence with such vehemence.
leanne harte
i’ve been a victim of homophobia on several occasions. thankfully, none of these have been violent or particularly aggressive, but they’ve been upsetting all the same.
i’ll give you a few examples of my own experiences:
a man once called myself and my girlfriend faggots in cineworld in the daytime while we stood looking at which film to see, holding hands. he looked like a nice guy in his early 30s and i was so shocked that i had to double take. it felt horrible.
on several separate occasions, i’ve been asked if i’ve tried being with men when i tell men i’m gay if they chat me up. it is actually the most ignorant, irritating thing to be asked.
one time when out at a generally straight club, i was kissing a girl and a group of both guys and girls started taking photos of us. they were our own age, and yet, seemed to find the idea of two girls kissing utterly hilarious. we had to ask them to delete the photos. it was really shocking and disgusting.
last summer, i was in berlin with my girlfriend and we cuddled in public on the street. i looked over to see a woman who looked to be in her 50s looking at us. i noticed that instead of looking disapprovingly at us, she was smiling warmly, as though she found the public display of affection to be a positive and nice thing. it struck me that this was the first time in my life that this had happened to me in a non-gay-friendly setting, and also that this must be what it’s like to be straight.
katie
one of my friends didn’t talk to me for well over a month when i came out to her. i didn’t make any attempt to reconcile the friendship. then one day she approached me and apologised. she had thought it through and she was ok with it as long as i was happy. she no longer has a problem with me being who i am. i think my friend is a great example of someone who actually put thought into their ‘homophobic’ actions and tried to view the incident from the opposite end of the spectrum. she learned and grew as a person. the experience was beneficial to her morally, in my opinion. we are best friends and she values me for who i am rather than who i love.
grace
“the first time i kissed an ex-girlfriend of mine we were in the city centre. within the five seconds or so that the kiss lasted, we had attracted about five men, cat calling and watching us. shouting over obscenities. that behaviour mirrors every single circumstance of me kissing a girl in public. while what gay women experience as homophobia in this instance may not be violent, it can still be as dangerous.
the festishisation of lesbian and non-straight women is detrimentally dangerous and definitely a form of homophobia. i know so many men that oppose gay marriage yet lesbian porn is their porn of choice. for people to see gay women as objects in this way is a great dehumanising aspect which is always present in oppression.”
tomás
i grew up in catholic ireland where sex – not to mention homosexuality – was never discussed so i went to study for the priesthood for seven years in search of a safe haven where i could hide myself as i really had no clue whatsoever as to what was ‘wrong’ with me. it sounds so naive now but back then, gay people were figures of ridicule who we thought dressed as women and were mentally disturbed/damaged so the priesthood seemed a great option. shortly after ordination, i was based in the uk and met a man i fell totally in love with and realised i was gay. i had a secret relationship with him over four years, feeling terribly guilty. i was lucky enough that at the point of almost reaching total breakdown, i met a wonderful lady counsellor. over time, she helped me realise who i am and to accept it and to also accept that i had nothing fundamentally ‘wrong’ with me to hate myself for. i left the priesthood (a scandal in those days, especially to my now deceased parents) and trained as a social worker before returning to dublin. i now have a good cadre of friends of all persuasions and a quality of life i enjoy. i do not hide my sexuality but also i most certainly do not shout it from the rooftops or discuss my past life as a priest. i try to live an ordinary life and, dare i say it, blend in with other people. yet, like panti, i too know the loneliness and despair of being called faggot by clients, random yobs on the street and i certainly have never dared to show public affection to a partner. i have been spat on outside the george pub. i think about my clothes every morning before work if they seem too bright or too gay. and i have cried in despair listening to reasonable people having reasonable debates on the media as to what us homosexuals should be allowed to do.
anon
this is a very small selection of what i and many, many more gay people have to put up with in life. i can only imagine you will be inundated with stories far worse than mine but each are only the tip of the iceberg…
1. i once worked in a hr department for a multinational consulting company. i was not out to the company and once within the hr team meeting, one of the team members raised the issue of healthcare insurance. the company paid for staff members’ health insurance as well as their husbands and wives. it had been requested by a member staff to extend this to employees who were not married but lived with partners. the hr director said that it was fine and to extend the offering to people who asked but not to advertise it. then the hr business partner raised the question as to whether it could be extended to gay partners and the team all laughed. it was said not to say a word or the gay army would be up in arms, quoting “we would have a pride march on our building”.
2. being told my mother to “never babysit my nieces, nephew or friends’ kids as it would raise questions or accusations”. she genuinely asked this in a caring way for my own sake.
3. while on a city break , myself and my partner were walking from the local pub to our hotel and a car drove past us and the occupants shouted ” fuck off out of here you faggots”.
4. at 23 years of age and still coming to terms with my own sexuality, i worked in a government office and a senior case officer began to tell me about a social welfare case where a couple claimed to be gay. the senior officer was supposed to be going on a house visit and told me that he couldn’t stomach gay people and that he “better keep my arse to the wall” and “they make me sick”.
5. being from a small country town, having graffiti sprayed on a wall in that town wall, naming me as gay.
6. shortly after the people of my home town discovering i was gay, what was once a close friend asked me if i had ever interfered with her son and that she did not want me to see him anymore. there was no basis for the accusations bar a lack of education.
7. in college, being shouted at in a gym changing room not to come in until this other guy had changed.
8. in my current job, i sit beside someone who constantly refers to certain people she meets through our job as “queens”, “the campest guy ever”, “he is such a little bitch, he needs to get himself a man who had balls because he just has a vagina”.
9. being asked by the same manager if she can come to a gay bar with me at the weekend because she has never been to a “seedy” gay club before. for some reason she thinks gay clubs are seedy.
1o. daily conversations, especially with people who don’t realise or know that i am gay. comments, slagging, jibes. constantly being made to feel like shit and to deny who i am.
anonymous
i have been attacked in berlin, chased in gran canaria, followed home in a car in dublin, got a bottle in the face outside a gay club in galway and got four stitches. only last week, outside pantibar, a friend and i were abused and threatened.
philip
i grew up on the north side of dublin. i went to an all-boys cbs where homophobia was everywhere. i grew up praying each night i would wake up straight. waking up each morning with the hope that my prayers were answered and then checking if i was still gay. my prayers were never answered (i am so happy today they weren’t)….
i grew up hiding most of my teenage years. i came out at 21 and my family accepted me 100 per cent. i, however, took many, many more years.
after i came out – and even today – i get told that i don’t look or act gay. at first i liked to hear this. i heard this from gay and straight people. i liked it because of how i grew up and the views i picked up about gay people from society. i was – and still am – a little homophobic. this only made it even more difficult to accept myself.
i am in a relationship with an amazing man (i would love the right to marry him). i like to hold his hands or kiss him when the moment feels right. doing this on the streets of dublin always raises eyebrows or people just stare and make comments or laugh…i don’t do this to get a reaction or make a statement. i’m a private person in general…
i am currently waiting on my boyfriend in dublin airport. where i have also ‘checked myself’ and second-guessed kissing and hugging him. i am going to give him the biggest hug and kiss now. but there will always be a small part of me feeling what can only be described as being embarrassed. i hate myself for still feeling this about a man who means everything to me.”
anon
in 2010, i was walking down parnell street with my partner, holding his hand. it was about 8pm in the winter so it was dark. two men, who were very tall and muscular, pushed past me, spat in my face and said something in russian. i didn’t really know what was happening and i immediately replied, “what the hell was that for?” in my young, foolish way, i spat back at him. this time, they both stopped and turned to me, calling me a faggot, telling me i didn’t deserve to live. the one who spat at me initially kicked me in the chest and knocked me down. my partner picked me up and we rant to the other side of parnell square while the two men abused us. we were lucky they didn’t follow us.
anonymous
“in school as a teenager the word faggot was more commonly used than any other insult. it was also the ultimate insult.
if you were a faggot you were an outcast, no one wanted to be seen talking to a gay person in school in case people started to suspect you were gay.
i always knew i liked guys and girls. i was comfortable with that until i started secondary school. i had a crush on a guy in my class. he was really nice, funny and athletic. he was a real catch. we ended up becoming really close and eventually spent the night together.
it was amazing. i felt as though i was exploring such an important part of my personality and it made me feel balanced for the fist time. until one day it came out in school that he was gay.
i will forever be ashamed of the fact that when he was outed, in the interest of self preservation, i cut all ties with him. i know that he needed me during that time and through the rest of school but i was too scared of the witch hunt to be friends with him.
subsequently, he no longer was taken seriously by any of the students and any time the teacher would ask him a question in class, some students would repeat what he said back in a lisped voice.
when he stood up for himself in yard he would swiftly receive a punch in the face from whichever scumbag felt like hitting him. i was also bullied for different reasons which led me to being afraid to open up about my sexuality. i can never forgive myself because i know if i had the courage to be there for him we could have gone through it together.”
davina
growing up and coming out as a lesbian in ireland was one of the hardest things i have ever done and probably will ever do. when i say ‘will do’, it’s because it is a continuous thing coming out, constantly having to tell new people you meet that you’re gay, having to answer the “have you a fella?” question with “no, but i have a girlfriend”. it does get easier coming out though, you learn who you can say it to and who you can’t. most of my family have always been 100 per cent supportive. although growing up, my father would sometimes make comments about gay men. i remember watching a christina aguilera music video for her song ‘beautiful’ when i was a young teenager and two men kissed, nothing vulgar or perverted, just a simple kiss between two people who were obviously supposed to be in love. my father straight away turned the tv off and told me it was disgusting. that has stayed with me, i will never forget how sickened he looked by it. when i was coming out to him that’s all i could think of. since coming out to him though he has completely changed his attitude and even loves one of my gay friends as if he were his own son. it was because of sheer ignorance and knowledge of gay people that he thought he was supposed to hate them.
rob
“i’ve never experienced homophobia among my friends or family, which i’m quite fortunate for, but i have had random encounters whilst holding hands in public places such as:
a bottle of buckfast thrown from a moving car;
a milkshake thrown from a moving car;
someone shouting “shower of faggots” from, yes, a moving car;
a man walked in front of us and told us we “better not be staring at his ass now”.
there was also an occasion where a drunk guy hugged and serenaded me with “i want it that way” by backstreet boys just because i was gay but that felt more puzzling than particularly homophobic…”
david
just one example of homophobia amongst many i have experienced was when i was fourteen. it was my first day back to school in second year and we had pe. we had swimming for that module. that morning i had found myself attracted to a guy for the first time in the swimming pool, so naturally my mind was abuzz with questions concerning my identity. after the class, all the boys were changing out of their swimwear and one of them had worn his underwear having forgotten trunks. the rest of the lads slagged him, which he went along with, making a show of himself. i was changing, wanting to get out of there in time for the next class. i had been shoved into, tripped up, had things thrown at me and had comments like “gay” and “fag” spat at me up until this point in school. he then came up from behind me, pushed me and held me against the wall, grinding into me, feeling my genitals, saying things along the lines of “you like that, huh faggot?”, goaded on by all of the rest of them as they laughed and pointed – like something out of a bad teen high-school flick. he took off his underwear and proceeded to shove his naked rear into my face as he was drying himself with a towel right up against me, all the while much to the continuous hilarity of the other boys. during all of this i had frozen, having no idea what was going on, with traumatic memories being triggered by what was transpiring. bear in mind that not even i had realised that i was gay up until that morning – i barely knew what being gay was, having been brought up in a hugely evangelical household, and had been taught that it was unnatural – all action had been taken simply under the *assumption* that i was gay. no one did anything to try and stop it. i don’t remember much after that, i just slunk out.”
colin
here is an account of my memorable events in the last 10 years:
1. i am told frequently that i am straight acting and looking. it is meant as a compliment but kind of implies that looking “gay” is bad.
2. as recently as yesterday, i was called a faggot by a group of young lads while walking in my front gate.
3. i have also had a few comments from work colleagues. one woman said to me that she would drown her son if he was gay.
4. i was being affectionate to my boyfriend while we were in traffic and a group of lads in the car next to us were shouting slurs at us.
5. i was heading home after a night out in cork city and a group of young girls threw a bag of chips at one of my gay friends and were calling us all the traditional names.
6. i was dancing with my partner at his cousins wedding and had negative comments passed by other wedding guests.
my immediate reaction is to ignore what is being said and to get out of the situation as fast as possible. i generally don’t take it to heart. i put up with it.
i consider myself one of the lucky ones as i have never been physically attacked, i have a fantastic partner, my family and friends are supportive and i have never felt that my employers discriminates against me.”
derrick
living with a group of friends, there was an incident between myself and another girl, a disagreement of sorts. which happens when cohabiting in rented accommodation. i thought this was done and over with until a few days later after coming home from work that evening. i remember thinking it was strange as i’m usually the last one home that there was no one else home yet. i had a shower and while i was upstairs i heard a knock on the front door. when i came down i could see two guys through the glass, one i recognised as the brother of the girl i had the disagreement with. i explained as i opened the door that she was not here but he said it’s you (me) i actually came to see and with that he jammed his foot in the door and pushed his way in. as he punched me in the face the other guy held my arms behind my back to prevent me from trying to protect myself. he mumbled many offensive things along with the fact i was never to upset his little sister again “faggot”, “puff”,” bet your enjoying this in a way aren’t you?” “if i have to ever come back here to deal with you again i’ll kill you!” they left me in a heap on the floor as he kicked me and walked away his last words were “dirty queer”. to say this had a profound effect on me would be an understatement. i couldn’t sleep, i avoided my home as much as possible and shortly after that i had to move out as i was terrified to upset that guys “little sister”. as time goes by though you try and forget or block out this awful thing that happened to you. to be gay bashed in your own home. but there was lots of times i would look in the mirror and wonder what was it about me that made that made me such an easy target, not even so much the beating, but the ring of the words in my mind that would give me bad dreams. i found myself trying to make myself appear “less gay”. conscious of how i dressed, walked or even how i spoke.
anonymous
“i am a 30-year-old woman. i am straight, yet i too have been the victim of homophobia. it’s something i’ve put to the back of my mind for many years, however when i saw the video of panti in the abbey theatre, a few memories rushed back.
i wouldn’t dare to say my experience was as harrowing or disturbing as rory’s or many of the other victims of homophobia that have come to light, however it is an honest recount of what happened to me.
when i was 17 years old, my brother who was 18 at the time, bravely came out to his friends and family. word quickly spread through our small town, and whilst i personally couldn’t see the big deal (he was still the same person to me!), he became the victim of idle gossip.
my brother was living away from home at the time, happy in college and living his life, and so i found myself “answerable” to people on his behalf. if anyone asked if it was true my brother was gay, i said yes.
i couldn’t honestly see a problem with it, yet dealt with people, of all ages.
i was out with friends one night in my hometown and ended up at the chipper (as is customary in small town ireland). i was talking to a group of people that i kind of knew. i could see a couple of lads whispering but didn’t pass much heed. all of a sudden, one of the lads spat at me, and said my brother was a paedophile, his friend backed him up. they both got in my face and ranted about how disgusting my brother was. no one backed me up. i answered back but nothing i said could drown out the abhorrent claims they made about my lovely, kind, caring, wonderful big brother, and of myself being ‘guilty’ by association.”
nigel fitzpatrick
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lɔs ˈænʤəlɪs noʊ ˌsupərˈhiroʊz pliz. aɪ wɑz tæskt wɪθ ˈneɪmɪŋ ðə bɛst ˈkɑmɪk bʊk fɪlmz ðət dɪd nɑt ərˈɪʤəˌneɪt ɪn ˈkɔˌstumd kruˈseɪdər ˈsɑgəz frəm ˈiðər ˈmɑrvəl ər ˌdiˈsi ˈkɑmɪks. aɪ ɪnˈθuzd əˈbaʊt sɪks (pləs ˈɑnərəbəl ˈmɛnʃənz) ənd ʃɛrd ðɛm wɪθ zæk sˈnaɪdər. hi ˈsaɪtɪd ɪt ɛz ˈprɪti strɔŋ list,”*,” ənd nɑt ʤɪst bɪˈkəz aɪ ˌɪnˈkludɪd wən əv hɪz ˈtaɪtəlz. sˈnaɪdər, hu ʤɪst prəˈdust 300 raɪz əv ən ˈɛmpaɪər, ˈɔfərd əp ə ˈsɛvənθ: roʊd tɪ. ə greɪt movie.”*.” hi ˈɔlsoʊ ɪkˈspleɪnd waɪ ˈkɑmɪk bʊks ər səʧ ə rɪʧ veɪn: ““now*, ɔl əv ðə ‘‘a’*’ ˈɛfərt ɪz ɪn ˈʒɑnrə fɪlmz. ˈʒɑnrə ɪz naʊ ðə thing!”*!” ɪn ˈɔrdər, maɪ wɪθ ˈɪnˌpʊt: 300 2006 sɔrs: fræŋk 1998 ˈgræfɪk ˈnɑvəl fər dɑrk hɔrs ˈkɑmɪks. ðə ˈmuvi: zæk kəlt ˈklæsɪk, ˈstɑrɪŋ ʤərɑrd ˈbətlər ɛz kɪŋ liˌɔˈnidəz. ˈwərldˈwaɪd bɑks ˈɔfəs: 456 ˈmɪljən. ðə ˌɪnˈsaɪd ˈstɔri: ˈfeɪsɪŋ ə ˈmæsɪv ˈpərʒən ˌɪnˈveɪʒən ɪn 480 b.c*., 300 ˈspɑrtənz ənd 700 faɪt tɪ ðə dɛθ tɪ sloʊ ðə ˈɛnəmi æt ðə hɑt geɪts. ʃɑt ˌɪnˈsaɪd ə ˌməntriˈɔl saʊnd steɪʤ, ðə ˈhaɪli ˈstaɪˌlaɪzd fɪlm ə ˈlɛʤənˌdɛri teɪl frəm ðə ˈeɪnʧənt wərld. ə ˈhɪstəri əv ˈvaɪələns 2005 sɔrs: ʤɑn ˈwægnər ənd vɪns ˈgræfɪk ˈnɑvəl, fərst ˈpəblɪʃt ɪn 1992 baɪ ˈpɛrəˌdɑks prɛs (ðɛn ə dɪˈvɪʒən əv ˌdiˈsi ˈkɑmɪks, bət rən ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəntli wɪˈθaʊt ˌsupərˈhiroʊz). ðə ˈmuvi: kəˈneɪdiən ˈfɪlˌmeɪkər ˈdeɪvɪd ˈbrɪljənt ˈdrɑmə, ˈstɑrɪŋ ˈmɔrtɪnsən ɛz ðə rɪˈləktənt taʊn ˈhɪroʊ. ˈwərldˈwaɪd bɑks ˈɔfəs: ˈmɪljən ðə ˌɪnˈsaɪd ˈstɔri: ðə tərˈɪfɪk ˈwɪljəm hərt ərnd ən ˈɔskər nɑm dɪˈspaɪt biɪŋ ənˈʃʊr ðət hɪz ““operatic”*” əˈproʊʧ wɑz əˈproʊpriˌeɪt ɪn səʧ ə ˌriəˈlɪstɪk fɪlm. ˈlɪtərəli ɪz wən əv maɪ ˈfeɪvərɪt directors,”*,” sɪz sˈnaɪdər, huz ˈdeɪli ˈkɔfi məg ridz: lɪv ðə nu flesh!”*!” 2004 sɔrs: maɪk ˈgræfɪk ˈnɑvəlz, wɪʧ kɪkt ɔf ɪn sæn diˈeɪgoʊ ˈkɑmɪks ɪn 1993 ðə ˈmuvi: gwɪˈljɛrmoʊ dɛl ˈoʊpəs, ˈstɑrɪŋ rɑn ˈpərlmən ɛz ðə daɪˈnæmɪk ˈdimən. ˈwərldˈwaɪd bɑks ˈɔfəs: ˈmɪljən. ðə ˌɪnˈsaɪd ˈstɔri: ɑrmd wɪθ ˌsupərˈhjumən paʊərz, dɪˈfɛndz ˈmænˈkaɪnd frəm ˈivəl ˈfɔrsɪz. dɛl ˈtɔroʊ ˈkɑnʤərd ðə ˈwɪrdnəs ˈnɛsəˌsɛri tɪ meɪk ðɪs ˈɪntu ə dɪˈlɪʃəʃli ˈwɪkəd ˈkɑmədi rɑmp. ə ˈlɛsər ˈsikwəl, ii*: ðə ˈgoʊldən ˈɑrmi, əˈpɪrd ɪn 2008 goʊst wərld 2001 sɔrs: ˈdænjəl clowes’*’ ˈgræfɪk ˈnɑvəl, ərˈɪʤənəli ˈsɪˌriəˌlaɪzd ɪn ɛz pɑrt əv fər bʊks. ðə ˈmuvi: ˈtɛri ˈbrɪljənt kəˌlæbərˈeɪʃən wɪθ klaʊz, ˈstɑrɪŋ ˈθɔrə bərʧ ɛz ˈinɪd ˈkoʊlsˌlɑ ənd ˈskɑrlɪt ˌʤoʊˈhɑnsən ɛz rəˈbɛkə doppelmeyer*. ˈwərldˈwaɪd bɑks ˈɔfəs: ˈmɪljən. ðə ˌɪnˈsaɪd ˈstɔri: dɪˈspaɪt ˈdiviˌeɪtɪŋ frəm ðə ˈkɑmɪks ənd ˈæŋgərɪŋ ˈpjʊrɪsts, ˈmuvi proʊˈvɑkətɪvli tɛlz ðə ˈstɔri əv tu ˈmɑrʤənəˌlaɪzd tinz wɪθ ə wɔrpt pərˈspɛktɪv. sɪn ˈsɪti 2005 sɔrs: fræŋk ˈgræfɪk ˈnɑvəlz, fərst əˈpɪrɪŋ ɪn dɑrk hɔrs ˈkɑmɪks ɪn 1991 ðə ˈmuvi: ə kəˌlæbərˈeɪʃən ˌɪnˈvɑlvɪŋ ˈmɪlər, ˈrɑbərt rɑˈdrigɛz ənd gɛst kˈwɛntɪn tɑrɑnˈtinoʊ, wɪθ brus ˈwɪlɪs ˈhɛdɪŋ ən ˌɔlˈstɑr kæst. ˈwərldˈwaɪd bɑks ˈɔfəs: 159 ˈmɪljən. ðə ˌɪnˈsaɪd ˈstɔri: ˈvaɪələnt bət ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbli ˈstaɪlɪʃ, ðə ərˈɪʤənəl ˈmuvi stərd əp ˈpæʃənz. ˈmɪlər ənd rɑˈdrigɛz ər ˈrɛdiɪŋ sɪn ˈsɪti: ə deɪm tɪ kɪl fər fər ˈɔgəst. skɑt ˈpɪlgrɪm ˈvərsəz. ðə wərld 2010 sɔrs: braɪən li ˈkɑmɪk ˈsɪriz skɑt ˈpɪlgrɪm, wɪʧ ˈdeɪbjutɪd ɪn 2004 fər prɛs. ðə ˈmuvi: ˈɛdgər comedy-fantasy*, ˈstɑrɪŋ ˈmaɪkəl ˈsɛrə. ˈwərldˈwaɪd bɑks ˈɔfəs: ˈmɪljən. ðə ˌɪnˈsaɪd ˈstɔri: ə kəˈneɪdiən ˈrɑkər ɪn tərˈɑntoʊ həz tɪ dɪˈfit ðə ˈsɛvən ˈivəl əv ən əˈmɛrɪkən gərl ˌbiˈfɔr ʃi wɪl deɪt ɪm. ˈpurli soʊld ɛz ˈɛpɪk əv ˈɛpɪk epicness,”*,” ˈʧɑrmɪŋ ˈmuvi dɪˈzərvd ˈbɛtər ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən ənd boxoffice*. roʊd tɪ 2002 sɔrs: mæks ˈælən collins’*’ ˈgræfɪk ˈnɑvəlz, fərst deɪˈbjutɪŋ ɪn 1993 fər ˈpɛrəˌdɑks prɛs. ðə ˈmuvi: sæm mendes’*’ 2002 kraɪm θˈrɪlər, ˈstɑrɪŋ tɑm hæŋks ɛz ðə prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈhɪtˌmæn ənd pɔl ˈnumən ɛz hɪz bɔs. ˈwərldˈwaɪd bɑks ˈɔfəs: 181 ˈmɪljən. ðə ˌɪnˈsaɪd ˈstɔri: wɪn ðə ʤɑb ɪz ɪkˈspoʊzd, hi ˈfeɪsɪz ə ˈfæməli ˈkraɪsəs. ˈnɑməˌneɪtəd fər sɪks, ɪt wən wən ˈpɑsʧʊməs ˈɔskər fər ðə ˈgɔrʤəs ˌsɪnɪməˈtɑgrəfi əv ˈlɛʤənd ˈkɑnræd hɔl. ˈɑnərəbəl ˈmɛnʃənz: teɪlz frəm ðə krɪpt 1972 ðə kroʊ 1994 ðə mæsk 1994 əˈmɛrɪkən ˈsplɛndər 2003 ənd vi fər vɛnˈdɛtə 2005 pləs ðə ˈvɪntɪʤ ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ˈsɪriz teɪlz frəm ðə krɪpt ənd ðə ˈkɑrənt ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ˈsɪriz ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd.
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los angeles no superheroes please. i was tasked with naming the best comic book films that did not originate in costumed crusader sagas from either marvel or dc comics.
i enthused about six (plus honourable mentions) and shared them with producer-director zack snyder.
he cited it as “a pretty strong list,” and not just because i included one of his titles.
snyder, who just produced 300: rise of an empire, offered up a seventh: road to perdition. “that’s a great movie.”
he also explained why comic books are such a rich vein: “now, all of the ‘a’ effort is in genre films. genre is now the money-making thing!”
in order, my favourites with snyder’s input:
• 300 (2006)
source: frank miller’s 1998 graphic novel for dark horse comics.
the movie: zack snyder’s cult classic, starring gerard butler as sparta’s king leonidas.
worldwide box office: $456 million.
the inside story: facing a massive persian invasion in 480 b.c., 300 spartans and 700 thespians fight to the death to slow the enemy at the hot gates. shot inside a montreal sound stage, the highly stylized film re-invents a legendary tale from the ancient world.
• a history of violence (2005)
source: john wagner and vince locke’s graphic novel, first published in 1992 by paradox press (then a division of dc comics, but run independently without superheroes).
the movie: canadian filmmaker david cronenberg’s brilliant drama, starring viggo mortensen as the reluctant town hero.
worldwide box office: $60.7 million
the inside story: the terrific william hurt earned an oscar nom despite being unsure that his “operatic” approach was appropriate in such a realistic film. “cronenberg literally is one of my favourite directors,” says snyder, whose daily coffee mug reads: “long live the new flesh!”
• hellboy (2004)
source: mike mignola’s graphic novels, which kicked off in san diego comic-con comics in 1993.
the movie: guillermo del toro’s action-packed opus, starring ron perlman as the dynamic demon.
worldwide box office: $99.3 million.
the inside story: armed with superhuman powers, hellboy grumpily defends mankind from evil forces. del toro conjured the weirdness necessary to make this into a deliciously wicked comedy romp. a lesser sequel, hellboy: the golden army, appeared in 2008.
• ghost world (2001)
source: daniel clowes’ graphic novel, originally serialized in 1993-1997 as part of eightball for fantagraphics books.
the movie: writer-director terry zwigoff’s brilliant collaboration with clowes, starring thora birch as enid coleslaw and scarlett johansson as rebecca doppelmeyer.
worldwide box office: $8.8 million.
the inside story: despite deviating from the comics and angering purists, zwigoff’s movie provocatively tells the story of two marginalized teens with a warped perspective.
• sin city (2005)
source: frank miller’s neo-noir graphic novels, first appearing in dark horse comics in 1991.
the movie: a three-director collaboration involving miller, robert rodriguez and guest quentin tarantino, with bruce willis heading an all-star cast.
worldwide box office: $159 million.
the inside story: violent but incredibly stylish, the original movie stirred up passions. miller and rodriguez are readying sin city: a dame to kill for for august.
• scott pilgrim vs. the world (2010)
source: bryan lee o’malley’s comic series scott pilgrim, which debuted in 2004 for oni press.
the movie: edgar wright’s comedy-fantasy, starring michael cera.
worldwide box office: $47.7 million.
the inside story: a canadian rocker in toronto has to defeat the seven evil ex’es of an american girl before she will date him. poorly sold as “an epic of epic epicness,” wright’s charming movie deserved better distribution and boxoffice.
• road to perdition (2002):
source: max allan collins’ graphic novels, first debuting in 1993 for paradox press.
the movie: sam mendes’ 2002 crime thriller, starring tom hanks as the professional hitman and paul newman as his boss.
worldwide box office: $181 million.
the inside story: when the hitman’s job is exposed, he faces a family crisis. nominated for six, it won one posthumous oscar for the gorgeous cinematography of legend conrad hall.
• honourable mentions: tales from the crypt (1972), the crow (1994), the mask (1994), american splendor (2003) and v for vendetta (2005); plus the vintage tv series tales from the crypt and the current tv series the walking dead.
bruce.kirkland@sunmedia.ca
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ðə ˈʧɛrmən əv ðə ˈʤərmən fri ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈpɑrti ˈkrɪsʧɪn ˈlɪndnər əˈtɛndz ə bɔrd ˈmitɪŋ æt ðə ˈpɑrtiz ˈhɛdˌkɔrtərz ɪn bərˈlɪn, ˈmənˌdeɪ, noʊv. 20 2017 (ˈmɑrkəs ʃˈraɪbər) bərˈlɪn (ˌeɪˈpi) ðə ˈleɪtəst ɔn pəˈlɪtɪkəl ənˈsərtənti (ɔl taɪmz ˈloʊkəl): p.m*. ˈʤərmən ˈʧænsələr ˈænʤələ ˈmərkəl sɪz ʃi ɪz skeptical”*” əˈbaʊt ðə aɪˈdiə əv ˈrənɪŋ ə məˈnɔrəti ˈgəvərnmənt ənd nu ɪˈlɛkʃən wʊd bi ə ˈbɛtər ˈɔpʃən ɪf nɑt ˈpɑsəbəl tɪ fɔrm ə ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən. əˈtɛmpt tɪ bɪld ə ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən əv hər kənˈsərvətɪvz ənd tu sˈmɔlər ˈpɑrtiz kəˈlæpst ɔn ˈsənˌdi. hər ˈpɑrtnərz ɪn ðə ˈaʊtˌgoʊɪŋ ˈgəvərnmənt, ðə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈdɛməˌkræts, ˌɪnˈsɪstɪd ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ ðət ðeɪ rɪˈnu ðə əˈlaɪəns. noʊ ˈəðər ˈplɪtɪkli ˈplɔzəbəl ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃən həz ə ˌpɑrləˈmɛntəri məˈʤɔrəti ˈlivɪŋ ə məˈnɔrəti ˈgəvərnmənt ər ə nu ɪˈlɛkʃən ɛz ðə ˈoʊnli ˈɔpʃənz. ˈmərkəl sɛd ɪn ən ˈɪntərvˌju wɪθ ɑrd ˈpəblɪk ˈproʊˌgræm: hæv ə məˈnɔrəti ˈgəvərnmənt ɪn maɪ wɔnt tɪ seɪ ˈnɛvər təˈdeɪ, bət aɪ æm ˈvɛri ˈskɛptɪkəl ənd aɪ θɪŋk ðət nu ɪˈlɛkʃənz wʊd ðɛn bi ðə ˈbɛtər way.”*.” p.m*. ðə ˈlidər əv fri ˈdɛməˌkræts həz dɪˈfɛndɪd hɪz dɪˈsɪʒən tɪ tɔrˈpiˌdoʊ tɔks ɔn ˈfɔrmɪŋ ə ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən ˈgəvərnmənt wɪθ ˈʧænsələr ˈænʤələ kənˈsərvətɪv blɑk ənd ðə grinz, seɪɪŋ ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪzɪz ˈnidɪd wʊd hæv gɔn əˈgɛnst ðə ˌfəndəˈmɛnəl ˈprɪnsəpəlz. ˈkrɪsʧɪn ˈlɪndnər toʊld rɪˈpɔrtərz ˈmənˌdeɪ hɪz ˈpɑrti hæd əˈtɛmptəd ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪzɪz bət stɪl faʊnd səˈʤɛsʧənz ˈoʊvər ɪts ki ˈtɑpɪks əv maɪˈgreɪʃən ˈpɑləsiz, ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈɪʃuz ənd ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən tu fɑr riˈmuvd frəm ðə ɪn policies”*” ðət ˈʤərmənz ˈvoʊtɪd fər ɪn ðə ɪˈlɛkʃənz. hi sɪz: ðə hæd əˈgrid tɪ ðiz, wi wʊd hæv hæd tɪ əˈbændən ɑr ˌfəndəˈmɛnəl positions.”*.” hi sɪz wɪθ səʧ straɪf ˈoʊvər traɪɪŋ tɪ ɪˈstæblɪʃ ðə ˈfreɪmˌwərk fər ˈfɔrməl ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən nɪˌgoʊʃiˈeɪʃənz, hɪz ˈpɑrti lɔst ðət ə ˈsteɪbəl ˈgəvərnmənt kʊd bi fɔrmd wɪθ ðɪs constellation”*” əv ˈpɑrtiz. ˈlɪndnər spoʊk ˌbiˈfɔr ˈprɛzɪdənt ərʤd ɔl ˈpɑrtiz tɪ ˌrikənˈsɪdər ðɛr pəˈzɪʃənz soʊ ə ˈgəvərnmənt kʊd bi fɔrmd. p.m*. ˈprɛzɪdənt ɪz ˈərʤɪŋ hɪz pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈpɑrtiz tɪ ˌrikənˈsɪdər ðɛr pəˈzɪʃənz ənd meɪk ɪt ˈpɑsəbəl tɪ fɔrm ə nu ˈgəvərnmənt. kənˈsərvətɪv ˈʧænsələr ˈænʤələ tɔks ɔn ˈfɔrmɪŋ ə ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən wɪθ ðə fri ˈdɛməˌkræts ənd trəˈdɪʃənəli grinz kəˈlæpst ˈsənˌdi naɪt. ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ, ðə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈdɛməˌkræts ˈpɑrtnərz ɪn ðə ˈaʊtˌgoʊɪŋ ˈgəvərnmənt sɛd ðeɪ bəʤ frəm ðɛr rɪfˈjuzəl tɪ ˈɛnər ə nu ˈmərkəl ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən. ɪf ðət stændz, ə məˈnɔrəti ˈgəvərnmənt ər nu ɪˈlɛkʃənz ər ðə ˈoʊnli ˈɔpʃənz. ˈprɛzɪdənt, hu wʊd hæv tɪ ˌdɪˈsaɪd ɔn ðoʊz ˈɔpʃənz, sɛd hi wɪl mit ðə ˈvɛriəs ˈpɑrtiz ðɪs wik ənd ərʤd ðɛm tɪ riˈθɪŋk. sɛd: wʊd bi ənd greɪt kənˈsərn ˌɪnˈsaɪd ənd ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ɑr ˈkəntri, ənd ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ɪn ɑr ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈneɪbərˌhʊd, ɪf ðə pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈfɔrsɪz ɪn ðə ˈbɪgəst ənd ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪkli ˈstrɔŋgəst ˈkəntri ɪn ˈjʊrəp əv ɔl ˈpleɪsɪz fʊlˈfɪl ðɛr responsibility.”*.” p.m*. ðə ˈlidər əv meɪn ˈpɑrti sɪz ɪt wɪl stɪk baɪ ɪts rɪfˈjuzəl tɪ ʤɔɪn ə nu ˈgəvərnmənt ˈəndər kənˈsərvətɪv ˈʧænsələr ˈænʤələ ˈmərkəl. ðə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈdɛməˌkræts hæv bɪn ðə ˈʤunjər ˈpɑrtnərz ɪn ə coalition”*” ˈgəvərnmənt əv ˈbɪgəst ˈpɑrtiz sɪns 2013 bət ðɛr ˈlidərz hæv sɛd sɪns ðə ˈpɑrti sləmpt tɪ ɪts wərst ɪˈlɛkʃən rɪˈzəlt sɪns wərld wɔr ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər ðət ɪt wʊd goʊ ˈɪntu ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən. ˈpɑrti ˈʧɛrmən ˈmɑrtɪn ʃʊlts sɛd ˈmənˌdeɪ ðət ðə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈdɛməˌkræts ər available”*” fər ə rɪˈpit əv ðə ˈaʊtˌgoʊɪŋ ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən. hi sɛd ðət, ˈæftər ðə ɪˈlɛkʃən, wɑz klɪr ðət ðə coalition’*’ hæd gɑt ðə rɛd card.”*.” ʃʊlts sɛd ðət hɪz ˈpɑrti əˈfreɪd əv ə nu ɪˈlɛkʃən. əˈtɛmpt tɪ fɔrm ə ˈgəvərnmənt wɪθ ˈəðər ˈpɑrtnərz kəˈlæpst ˈsənˌdi naɪt. p.m*. frɛnʧ ˈprɛzɪdənt ɪˈmænjuəl həz ɪkˈsprɛst kənˈsərnz əˈbaʊt ðə kəˈlæps əv nɪˌgoʊʃiˈeɪʃənz tɪ fɔrm ə ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən ˈgəvərnmənt lɛd baɪ ˈʧænsələr ˈænʤələ ˈmərkəl ɪn ˈʤərməni. ˈspikɪŋ ɪn ˈpɛrɪs ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ, sɛd nɑt ɪn ɑr ˈɪntəˌrɛst fər ɪt tɪ gɪt tense.”*.” prɪˈlɪməˌnɛri ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən tɔks broʊk daʊn leɪt ˈsənˌdi ˈæftər ðə fri ˈdɛməˌkræts (fdp*) boʊd aʊt əv ðə nɪˌgoʊʃiˈeɪʃənz wɪθ kənˈsərvətɪv blɑk ənd ðə grinz. ˈlidər ˈkrɪsʧɪn ˈlɪndnər sɛd hɪz ˈpɑrti pʊld aʊt əv ðə tɔks ˈrəðər ðən ˈfərðər ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪz ɪts ˈprɪnsəpəlz sɛd hi hæd ˈspoʊkən tɪ ˈmərkəl ˈsənˌdi naɪt ənd bɪˈlivd ðət ðə ˌdɛklərˈeɪʃənz əv ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈkrɪsʧɪn ˈlɪndnər kwaɪt hard.”*.” ðə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp bɪtˈwin fræns ənd ˈʤərməni, ðə tu ˈstrɔŋgəst ɪˈkɑnəmiz, ɪz sin ɛz ðə ˈdraɪvɪŋ fɔrs bɪˈhaɪnd ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈjunjən. a.m*. meɪn ˈbɪznɪs grup ɪz ˈkɔlɪŋ ɔn ðə ˈmeɪnˌstrim pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈpɑrtiz tɪ ʃoʊ riˌspɑnsəˈbɪləti ənd meɪk ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪzɪz ˈæftər ðə ˈfeɪljər əv ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən tɔks. ðə hɛd əv ðə ˌfɛdərˈeɪʃən əv ˈʤərmən ˈɪndəstriz, ər bdi*, sɛd ˈmənˌdeɪ ðət stəˈbɪlɪti nidz pəˈlɪtɪkəl stability.”*.” ˈditər kɛmpf sɛd ðət ˈʤərmən ˈɪndəstri ˈfeɪsɪz challenges”*” dɪˈspaɪt ðə gʊd ˈkɑrənt ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən. hi ˈpɔɪntɪd tɪ ˈkraɪsiz, ðə nid fər rɪˈfɔrm ɪn ˈjʊrəp ənd ˈərʤənt dɪˈsɪʒənz fər investment”*” ɪn ˈʤərməni ˌɪtˈsɛlf, ənd sɛd ðət rikˈwaɪərz mɔr ðən ə ˈkɛrˌteɪkər ˈgəvərnmənt. kɛmpf sɛd ðət ˈpɑrtiz məst bi priˈpɛrd tɪ meɪk ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪzɪz fər groʊθ, prɑˈspɛrəti ənd employment.”*.” a.m*. ðə netherlands’*’ ˈfɔrən ˈmɪnɪstər sɪz nu ɪˈlɛkʃənz ɪn ˈʤərməni, ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən moʊst ˈpɑpjələs ˈmɛmbər, wʊd bi wərst scenario.”*.” dəʧ ˈfɔrən ˈmɪnɪstər sɛd ɪn ˈbrəsəlz ˈmənˌdeɪ ðət ɪz ə ˈvɛri ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ˈkəntri ɪn ˈjʊrəp ənd ðəs ɪt wɪl bɪˈkəm ˈdɪfəkəlt tɪ teɪk ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt dɪˈsɪʒənz ɪn brussels.”*.” ˈnoʊtɪd ðət ɪt tʊk ðə ˈnɛðərləndz ˈsɛvən mənθs tɪ fɔrm ə nu ˈgəvərnmənt ˈæftər ən ɪˈlɛkʃən ˈərliər ðɪs jɪr. ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən tɔks ɪn ˈʤərməni kəˈlæpst ɔn ˈsənˌdi naɪt, ˈnɪrli tu mənθs ˈæftər ɪˈlɛkʃənz. sɛd: seɪ, θɪŋk əˈbaʊt ɪt əˈgɛn, ənd ˈmeɪbi ɪt ɪz ˈbɛtər tɪ tɔk əˈgɛn ðən tɪ hæv ɪˈlɛkʃənz again.”*.” a.m*. meɪn ˈpɑrti sɪz ðə ˈpɑrtiz ðət feɪld tɪ fɔrm ə nu ˈgəvərnmənt hæv pʊt ðə ˈkəntri ə ˈdɪfəkəlt situation.”*.” ðə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈdɛməˌkræts hæv bɪn ðə ˈʤunjər ˈpɑrtnərz ɪn ə coalition”*” ˈgəvərnmənt əv ˈbɪgəst ˈpɑrtiz sɪns 2013 bət ðɛr ˈlidərz hæv sɛd sɪns ðə ˈpɑrti sləmpt tɪ ɪts wərst ɪˈlɛkʃən rɪˈzəlt sɪns wərld wɔr ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər ðət ɪt wʊd goʊ ˈɪntu ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən. ðə ˈʤɛnərəl ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri, haɪl, sɛd ˈmənˌdeɪ ðət ðə pəˈzɪʃən known”*” ənd sɛd ˈpɑrti ˈlidərz wɪl naʊ kənˈsɪdər haʊ tɪ pərˈsid. hi ɪˈlæbərˌeɪt əˈhɛd əv ə plænd əˈpɪrəns baɪ ˈpɑrti ˈlidər ˈmɑrtɪn ʃʊlts ˈmənˌdeɪ ˌæftərˈnun. fɔr wiks əv tɔks bɪtˈwin ˈjunjən blɑk, ðə fri ˈdɛməˌkræts ənd ðə trəˈdɪʃənəli grinz kəˈlæpst ˈsənˌdi naɪt. a.m*. ˈʤərmən ˈʧænsələr ˈænʤələ ˈmərkəl ɪz tɪ mit wɪθ ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈæftər tɔks ɔn ˈfɔrmɪŋ ə nu ˈgəvərnmənt kəˈlæpst ɪn ðə naɪt, ˈreɪzɪŋ ðə ˌpɑsəˈbɪləˌti əv nu ɪˈlɛkʃənz. ˈmərkəl wɪl mit ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈleɪtər ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ tɪ brif ɪm ɔn ðə nɪˌgoʊʃiˈeɪʃənz ənd dɪˈskəs wət kəmz nɛkst. prɪˈlɪməˌnɛri ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən tɔks broʊk daʊn leɪt ˈsənˌdi ˈæftər ðə fri ˈdɛməˌkræts boʊd aʊt əv ðə nɪˌgoʊʃiˈeɪʃənz wɪθ kənˈsərvətɪv blɑk ənd ðə grinz. ˌbiˈsaɪd ðə ˌpɑsəˈbɪləˌti əv nu ɪˈlɛkʃənz, ˈmərkəl kʊd əˈtɛmpt tɪ kənˈtɪnju hər ˈkɑrənt ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən wɪθ ðə ˈsoʊʃəl ˈdɛməˌkræts wɪʧ ðət ˈpɑrti həz sɛd ɪt wɪl nɑt du ər ʃi kʊd traɪ tɪ goʊ əˈhɛd wɪθ ə məˈnɔrəti ˈgəvərnmənt. fri ˈdɛməˌkræts ˈlidər ˈkrɪsʧɪn ˈlɪndnər toʊld rɪˈpɔrtərz hɪz ˈpɑrti pʊld aʊt əv ðə tɔks ˈrəðər ðən ˈfərðər ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪz ɪts ˈprɪnsəpəlz.
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the chairman of the german free democratic party fdp christian lindner attends a board meeting at the party's headquarters in berlin, monday, nov. 20, 2017. (markus schreiber)
berlin (ap) — the latest on germany’s political uncertainty (all times local):
5:35 p.m.
german chancellor angela merkel says she is “very skeptical” about the idea of running a minority government and new election would be a better option if not possible to form a coalition.
merkel’s attempt to build a coalition of her conservatives and two smaller parties collapsed on sunday. her partners in the outgoing government, the center-left social democrats, insisted on monday that they won’t renew the alliance.
no other politically plausible combination has a parliamentary majority — leaving a minority government or a new election as the only options.
merkel said in an interview with ard public television’s brennpunkt program: “i don’t have a minority government in my plans....i don’t want to say never today, but i am very skeptical and i think that new elections would then be the better way.”
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2:55 p.m.
the leader of germany’s free democrats has defended his decision to torpedo talks on forming a coalition government with chancellor angela merkel’s conservative bloc and the greens, saying compromises needed would have gone against the pro-business party’s fundamental principles.
christian lindner told reporters monday his party had attempted compromises but still found suggestions over its key topics of migration policies, financial issues and education too far removed from the “change in policies” that germans voted for in the elections.
he says: “if the fdp had agreed to these, we would have had to abandon our fundamental positions.”
he says with such strife over trying to establish the framework for formal coalition negotiations, his party lost “confidence that a stable government could be formed with this constellation” of parties.
lindner spoke before president frank-walter steinmeier urged all parties to reconsider their positions so a government could be formed.
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2:45 p.m.
germany’s president is urging his country’s political parties to reconsider their positions and make it possible to form a new government.
conservative chancellor angela merkel’s talks on forming a coalition with the pro-business free democrats and traditionally left-leaning greens collapsed sunday night. on monday, the center-left social democrats — merkel’s partners in the outgoing government — said they won’t budge from their refusal to enter a new merkel administration.
if that stands, a minority government or new elections are the only options. president frank-walter steinmeier, who would have to decide on those options, said he will meet the various parties this week and urged them to rethink.
steinmeier said: “there would be incomprehension and great concern inside and outside our country, and particularly in our european neighborhood, if the political forces in the biggest and economically strongest country in europe of all places didn’t fulfill their responsibility.”
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2:15 p.m.
the leader of germany’s main center-left party says it will stick by its refusal to join a new government under conservative chancellor angela merkel.
the social democrats have been the junior partners in a “grand coalition” government of germany’s biggest parties since 2013. but their leaders have said since the party slumped to its worst election result since world war ii in september that it would go into opposition.
party chairman martin schulz said monday that the social democrats are “not available” for a repeat of the outgoing coalition. he said that, after the election, “it was clear that the ‘grand coalition’ had got the red card.”
schulz said that his party isn’t afraid of a new election. merkel’s attempt to form a government with other partners collapsed sunday night.
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12:55 p.m.
french president emmanuel macron has expressed concerns about the collapse of negotiations to form a coalition government led by chancellor angela merkel in germany.
speaking in paris on monday, macron said “it’s not in our interest for it to get tense.”
preliminary coalition talks broke down late sunday after the pro-business free democrats (fdp) bowed out of the negotiations with merkel’s conservative bloc and the left-leaning greens. fdp leader christian lindner said his party pulled out of the talks rather than further compromise its principles
macron said he had spoken to merkel sunday night and believed that the declarations of pro-business fdp president christian lindner “were quite hard.”
the relationship between france and germany, the eurozone’s two strongest economies, is seen as the driving force behind the european union.
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11:20 a.m.
germany’s main business group is calling on the country’s mainstream political parties to show responsibility and make compromises after the failure of coalition talks.
the head of the federation of german industries, or bdi, said monday that “economic stability needs political stability.” dieter kempf said that german industry faces “enormous challenges” despite the country’s good current economic situation.
he pointed to “global crises, the need for reform in europe and urgent decisions for investment” in germany itself, and said that requires more than a caretaker government.
kempf said that “all parties must be prepared to make compromises for growth, prosperity and employment.”
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10:50 a.m.
the netherlands’ foreign minister says new elections in germany, the european union’s most populous member, would be “the worst scenario.”
dutch foreign minister halbe zijlstra said in brussels monday that “germany is a very important country in europe and thus it will become difficult to take important decisions in brussels.”
zijlstra noted that it took the netherlands seven months to form a new government after an election earlier this year. coalition talks in germany collapsed on sunday night, nearly two months after elections.
zijlstra said: “so i’d say, think about it again, and maybe it is better to talk again than to have elections again.”
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10:40 a.m.
germany’s main center-left party says the parties that failed to form a new government have put the country “in a difficult situation.”
the social democrats have been the junior partners in a “grand coalition” government of germany’s biggest parties since 2013. but their leaders have said since the party slumped to its worst election result since world war ii in september that it would go into opposition.
the party’s general secretary, hubertus heil, said monday that the party’s position “is known” and said party leaders will now consider how to proceed. he didn’t elaborate ahead of a planned appearance by party leader martin schulz monday afternoon.
four weeks of talks between merkel’s union bloc, the pro-business free democrats and the traditionally left-leaning greens collapsed sunday night.
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8:20 a.m.
german chancellor angela merkel is to meet with the country’s president after talks on forming a new government collapsed in the night, raising the possibility of new elections.
merkel will meet president frank-walter steinmeier later on monday to brief him on the negotiations and discuss what comes next.
preliminary coalition talks broke down late sunday after the pro-business free democrats bowed out of the negotiations with merkel’s conservative bloc and the left-leaning greens.
beside the possibility of new elections, merkel could attempt to continue her current coalition with the social democrats — which that party has said it will not do — or she could try to go ahead with a minority government.
free democrats leader christian lindner told reporters his party pulled out of the weekslong talks rather than further compromise its principles.
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ə 15 ˈmɪljən ˈbiʧˌsaɪd ˈbudəst riˈtrit, wɪʧ ˈfiʧərz ən ˈstæˌʧu ɛz ɪts centrepiece*, wɪl ˈwɛlkəm əp tɪ ˈvɪzɪtərz ə jɪr wɪn ɪt ˈoʊpənz. ˈɑrtɪsts ˌɪmˈprɛʃənz əv ðə næn pu ˈtɛmpəl əv riˈtrit, wɪʧ ˈfiʧərz ə pəˈgoʊdə, ən ˈtɛmpəl ənd ʧaɪˈniz ˈgɑrdənz, hæv bɪn ʃɛrd wɪθ ðə ˈædvərˌtaɪzər. ðə ˈæbət ˈvɛnərəbəl ʃi, huz drim ɪt həz bɪn tɪ kriˈeɪt ðə hɪl riˈtrit, sɪz ɪt ɪz ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ ˈoʊpən ɪn θri tɪ faɪv jɪrz. ˈteɪkən ə lɔŋ taɪm fər maɪ wɪʃ tɪ hæv ə riˈtrit hir ənd ɪt wɪl bi fər ɔl ˈpipəl hu wɔnt tɪ lərn ˌmɛdəˈteɪʃən ənd hæv ə riˈtrit tɪ practise,”*,” hi sɛd. ɪz tɪ ðə ˈbɛnəfɪt əv ðə hoʊl kəmˈjunɪti. ˈwɛlkəm ˈɛvriˌwən hir, ɪt ˈmætər wət rɪˈlɪʤəs background.”*.” ˈæbət ʃi ɪkˈspɛkts ðə riˈtrit, ɔn ˈkæktəs ˈkænjən rd*, wɪl əˈtrækt ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈvɪzɪtərz frəm əˈkrɔs ðə gloʊb. ðə hoʊl ˈtɛmpəl ɪz ˈfɪnɪʃt, ɪn wən jɪr aɪ ɪkˈspɛkt æt list ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˈbudəsts ənd ˈtʊrɪsts tɪ come,”*,” hi sɪz. ɔˈrɛdi ˈvɪzɪtərz hæv flɑkt tɪ ðə ˈkoʊˌstlaɪn tɪ vju ðə 350 tən ˈstæˌʧu əv yin,*, ðə ˈgɑdəs əv ˈmərsi, wɪʧ wɑz ənˈveɪld læst wik. ˈæbət ʃi preɪzd ðə ˈfɪnɪʃt ˈstæˌʧu əv jɪn, wɪʧ ˌʤɛnərˈɑsəti. ə ˈvɛri mægˈnɪfɪsənt ˈstæˌʧu ənd ju kən si hər feɪs ɪz fʊl əv pis ənd tranquillity,”*,” hi sɪz. jɪn həz ə ˈvɛri kaɪnd hɑrt ənd huˈɛvər siz hər əˈpɪrəns ˈɔlˌweɪz θɪŋks əv ˈkaɪndnəs ənd tɪ hɛlp people.”*.” ˈæbət ʃi sɛd hi ˈtrævəld ðə wərld tɪ faɪnd ðə ˈpərˌfɪkt ˈpisfəl loʊˈkeɪʃən fər ðə dɪˈvɛləpmənt ənd ðə 1 ˈmɪljən ˈstæˌʧu. ɪt wɑz ˈstændɪŋ ɔn hɪl ˈoʊvərˌlʊkɪŋ ðə kɑm ˈoʊʃən ðət hɪz dɪˈsɪʒən wɑz meɪd. hæd ə ˈvɪʒən frəm jɪn tɪ kəm hir ənd bɪld ɪt here,”*,” hi sɛd. ɪz ðə ˈsəðərn saɪd əv ðə ɔˈstreɪljə ənd jɪn məst feɪs ðə ˈsəðərn si. lʊk æt ðə vju ənd ðə si, magnificent.”*.” wərk ɔn ðə ˈgɑrdənz wɪl stɑrt nɛkst, ˈfɑloʊd baɪ ðə kənˈstrəkʃən əv 10 ˈjunɪts ənd ˈfaɪnəli ðə ˈtɛmpəl. næn pu ˈtɛmpəl əv ˈædəˌleɪd ˈspoʊksmən li ʧu sɛd ðə ˈstæˌʧu ɪz ˈloʊˌkeɪtəd ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl əv ə kənˈstrəkʃən saɪt ənd ɪz nɑt jɛt ˈoʊpən tɪ ðə ˈpəblɪk. ðə ˈbudəst riˈtrit wɑz fərst sˈleɪtɪd ɪn 1997 ˌbiˈfɔr ə rɪˈvaɪzd plæn wɑz əˈpruvd ɪn 2009
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a $15 million beachside buddhist retreat, which features an 18m-tall statue as its centrepiece, will welcome up to 20,000 visitors a year when it opens.
artists impressions of the nan hai pu tuo temple of australia’s retreat, which features a 35m pagoda, an 18m temple and chinese gardens, have been shared with the advertiser.
the temple’s abbot venerable maiojing shi, whose dream it has been to create the sellicks hill retreat, says it is expected to open in three to five years.
“it’s taken a long time for my wish to have a retreat here and it will be for all people who want to learn meditation and have a stress-free retreat to practise,” he said.
“it is to the benefit of the whole community.
“we welcome everyone here, it doesn’t matter what religious background.”
abbot shi expects the retreat, on cactus canyon rd, will attract thousands of visitors from across the globe.
“once the whole temple is finished, in one year i expect at least 10,000-20,000 international buddhists and tourists to come,” he says.
already visitors have flocked to the south’s coastline to view the 350 tonne statue of guan yin, the goddess of mercy, which was unveiled last week.
abbot shi praised the finished statue of guan yin, which symbolises generosity.
“it’s a very magnificent statue and you can see her face is full of peace and tranquillity,” he says.
“guan yin has a very kind heart and whoever sees her appearance always thinks of kindness and to help people.”
abbot shi said he travelled the world to find the perfect peaceful location for the development and the $1 million statue.
it was standing on sellicks hill overlooking the calm ocean that his decision was made.
“i had a vision from guan yin to come here and build it here,” he said.
“this is the southern side of the australia and guan yin must face the southern sea. look at the view and the sea, it’s magnificent.”
work on the retreat’s gardens will start next, followed by the construction of 10 units and finally the temple.
nan hai pu tuo temple of australia’s adelaide spokesman lee chew said the statue is located in the middle of a construction site and is not yet open to the public.
the buddhist retreat was first slated in 1997, before a revised plan was approved in 2009.
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nuərk, ʤun 30 fɪˈlipeɪ ˌdeɪroʊˈʒɪrz, ˈdræftɪd 54 ˈoʊvərˌɔl baɪ ðə ˈdæləs stɑrz, rɪˈsivz hɪz nu tim hæt ənd ˈʤərzi ˈæftər hi wɑz ˈdræftɪd ɪn ðə ˈsɛkənd raʊnd ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə 2013 dræft æt ðə pruˈdɛnʃəl ˈsɛnər ɔn ʤun 30 2013 ɪn nuərk, nu ˈʤərzi. (ˈfoʊˌtoʊ baɪ brus ˈɪmɪʤɪz) ðə stɑrz hæv ə fri ˈeɪʤənt hu həz bɪn ɪn ðə ˈsɪstəm fər tu ˈsizənz (mæks lɑˈgɑʧi), ə hu wɑz ˈdræftɪd ɪn 2013 ənd ɪz ə proʊ (fɪˈlipeɪ ˌdeɪroʊˈʒɪrz) ənd ə ðeɪ saɪnd aʊt əv ðə ˈwɛstərn ˈhɑki lig ðɪs ˈsəmər (ˈlændən boʊ). ðə ˈtriˌoʊ ɪz ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ kəmˈpit ɪn ən ˈoʊpən traɪaʊt tɪ si hu ɪz ðə noʊ. 1 ˈgoʊli fər ðə ˈtɛksəs stɑrz ənd ə ˈhɑrtˌbit əˈweɪ frəm ðə. bət waɪl wən bɪg əˈtɛmpt tɪ groʊ frəm wɪˈθɪn feɪld ɪn ʤæk ˈkæmbəl, ˈdæləs ɪz ˈhoʊpɪŋ tɪ kˈwɪkli rɪˈfrɛʃ ðə jəŋ wɪθ ə ˈbætəl ɪn ðə ɑl. ɛz məʧ ɛz fænz ˈwəri əˈbaʊt ðə stɑrz' pəˈtɛnʃəl ˈprɑbləmz ɪn ðə, ðə səˈluʃən tɪ fˈjuʧər nɛt səkˈsɛs ˈɔlsoʊ ɪz əp ɪn ðə ɛr. ˈdæləs, sɛpˈtɛmbər 18 mækˈsim lɑˈgɑʧi 35 əv ðə ˈdæləs stɑrz ˈpoʊzɪz fər hɪz əˈfɪʃəl fər ðə ˈsizən ɔn sɛpˈtɛmbər 18 2014 æt ðə əˈmɛrɪkən ˈɛˌrlaɪnz ˈsɛnər ɪn ˈdæləs, ˈtɛksəs. (glɛn ˈviə ˈgɛti ˈɪmɪʤɪz) "ˈɛni taɪm ju hæv θri jəŋ gaɪz ˈpʊʃɪŋ iʧ ˈəðər, ɪts ə gʊd θɪŋ," sɛd maɪk ˈvæli, stɑrz dɪˈrɛktər əv dɪˈvɛləpmənt. "wi nid ˈsəmˌwən tɪ stɛp əp ənd bɪˈkəm ɑr θərd gaɪ ɪn laɪn." boʊ ənd ˌdeɪroʊˈʒɪrz ər pɑrˈtɪsəˌpeɪtɪŋ ɪn ðə stɑrz dɪˈvɛləpmənt kæmp æt ðə ˈdɑktər ˈpɛpər stɑrz ˈsɛnər ɪn ˈfriskoʊ ðɪs wik. waɪl ɪts ʤɪst ə smɔl stɛp ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ˈprɑspɛkt ˈtʊrnəmənt ɪn ˈtrævərs ˈsɪti ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər ənd ˈtreɪnɪŋ kæmp ˈæftər ðət, ɪts ə nis riˈmaɪndər fər ðə jəŋ ðət ðeɪ ər əˈbaʊt tɪ tɛst iʧ ˈəðər ɪn ə fɛr faɪt. "ɪts ə greɪt ˌɑpərˈtunəti, ənd naʊ ɪts əp tɪ mi tɪ wərk hɑrd ðɪs ˈsəmər ənd bi ˈrɛdi," boʊ sɛd. boʊ hæd ə greɪt ˈsizən ɪn siˈætəl ənd ɪz ˈhoʊpɪŋ tɪ bɪld ɔf əv ðət. ðə hæd ə ˈrɛkərd, ˈævərɪʤ ənd 938 seɪv pərˈsɛnɪʤ ˈæftər biɪŋ ˈtreɪdɪd frəm swɪft ˈkɑrənt. hi sɛd ðə muv hɛlpt ɪm riəˈsɛs hɪz əˈproʊʧ. "aɪ ˈsɪmpləˌfaɪd maɪ geɪm," boʊ sɛd. "aɪ θɪŋk aɪ ʤɪst traɪd tɪ du tu məʧ wɪn aɪ wɑz ɪn swɪft ˈkɑrənt. bət wɪn aɪ wɛnt tɪ siˈætəl, aɪ ʤɪst ˈfoʊkɪst ɔn maɪ geɪm. aɪ ˈdɪdənt ˈwəri əˈbaʊt wət ˈɛnibədi ˈɛlsɪz ʤɑb wɑz." ˌdeɪroʊˈʒɪrz ˈbætəld wɪθ lɑˈgɑʧi ənd ˈkæmbəl læst ˈsizən ɪn ðə stɑrz' ˈsɪstəm. hi pleɪd ˈmoʊstli ɪn ðə ənd hæd ə ˈrɛkərd wɪθ ðə ˈaɪdəˌhoʊ steelheads*. ˌdeɪroʊˈʒɪrz hæd ə ənd 913 seɪv pərˈsɛnɪʤ ɪn ˈaɪdəˌhoʊ. hi sɛd hiz ˈrɛdi tɪ ˈbætəl fər mɔr pleɪɪŋ taɪm ɪn ðə ɑl. "ju hæv tɪ bi ˈrɛdi ˈɛvəri deɪ. ju hæv tɪ wərk hɑrd," ˌdeɪroʊˈʒɪrz sɛd. "laɪk [stɑrz gm*] ʤɪm nɪl sɛd, 'ju hæv tɪ bi ən ˈɛvriˈdeɪ pleɪər.' ju hæv tɪ pʊt ðə wərk ɪn. aɪ wɔnt tɪ bi ˈrɛdi ənd pruv əm ðə gaɪ." lɑˈgɑʧi pruvd ɪt læst ˈsizən. hi ˈaʊtˌgənd ˈkæmbəl, ðə ˈoʊvərˌɔl pɪk frəm 2010 hu wɑz ˈtreɪdɪd tɪ lɔs ˈænʤəlɪs ðɪs ˈsəmər, ənd ˈfɪnɪʃt wɪθ ə ˈrɛkərd ɪn ðə ɑl. lɑˈgɑʧi hæd ə ənd 913 seɪv pərˈsɛnɪʤ ənd wɪl ˈɛnər kæmp ɛz ðə ˈfeɪvərɪt tɪ wɪn ðə ʤɑb.
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newark, nj - june 30: philippe desrosiers, drafted #54 overall by the dallas stars, receives his new team hat and jersey after he was drafted in the second round during the 2013 nhl draft at the prudential center on june 30, 2013 in newark, new jersey. (photo by bruce bennett/getty images)
the stars have a 23-year-old free agent who has been in the system for two seasons (max lagace), a 20-year-old who was drafted in 2013 and is a second-year pro (philippe desrosiers) and a 20-year-old they signed out of the western hockey league this summer (landon bow). the trio is expected to compete in an open tryout to see who is the no. 1 goalie for the texas stars and a heartbeat away from the nhl.
but while one big attempt to grow from within failed in jack campbell, dallas is hoping to quickly refresh the young goaltenders with a three-man battle in the ahl.
as much as fans worry about the stars' potential goaltending problems in the nhl, the solution to future net success also is up in the air.
dallas, tx - september 18: maxime lagace #35 of the dallas stars poses for his official headshot for the 2014-2015 season on september 18, 2014 at the american airlines center in dallas, texas. (glenn james/nhli via getty images)
"any time you have three young guys pushing each other, it's a good thing," said mike valley, stars director of goaltending development. "we need someone to step up and become our third guy in line."
bow and desrosiers are participating in the stars development camp at the dr pepper stars center in frisco this week. while it's just a small step before the prospect tournament in traverse city in september and nhl training camp after that, it's a nice reminder for the young goalies that they are about to test each other in a fair fight.
"it's a great opportunity, and now it's up to me to work hard this summer and be ready," bow said.
bow had a great season in seattle and is hoping to build off of that. the 6-5, 208-pound albertan had a 16-6-0 record, 1.76 goals-against average and .938 save percentage after being traded from swift current. he said the move helped him reassess his approach.
"i simplified my game," bow said. "i think i just tried to do too much when i was in swift current. but when i went to seattle, i just focused on my game. i didn't worry about what anybody else's job was."
desrosiers battled with lagace and campbell last season in the stars' system. he played mostly in the echl and had a 15-7-6 record with the idaho steelheads. desrosiers had a 2.34 gaa and .913 save percentage in idaho. he said he's ready to battle for more playing time in the ahl.
"you have to be ready every day. you have to work hard," desrosiers said. "like [stars gm] jim nill said, 'you have to be an everyday player.' you have to put the work in. ... i want to be ready and prove i'm the guy."
lagace proved it last season. he outgunned campbell, the 11th overall pick from 2010 who was traded to los angeles this summer, and finished with a 19-10-3 record in the ahl. lagace had a 2.90 gaa and .913 save percentage and will enter camp as the favorite to win the job.
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wi ˈɔfən strɛʧ ɑr ˈfaɪˌnænsɪz θɪn tɪ baɪ stəf wi ˈrɪli, ˈrɪli wɔnt. ə nu, ˈbɪgər ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən. ə ˈfænsiər foʊn. ˈbɛtər kloʊðz. əv kɔrs, ðɪs ˈhæbət ˈjuʒəwəli lidz tɪ ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈtrəbəl, ənd ɛz ˈməni ˈraɪtər ˈnætəli ˈbeɪkən pɔɪnts aʊt, ˈbɛtər tɪ wɔnt ðən tɪ owe.”*.” kˈwoʊtɪŋ ˈpɔdˌkæstər ˈændi ˈstænli, ˈbeɪkən ɪkˈspleɪnz ðət, ɛz təf ɛz ɪt kən bi tɪ wɔnt ˈsəmθɪŋ ju əˈfɔrd, wərs tɪ oʊ ˈməni fər ˈsəmθɪŋ ju əˈfɔrd. dɪˈskəsɪŋ ðə ˈkɑnsɛpt əv ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈmɑrʤən, ˈbeɪkən raɪts: ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈlɪvɪŋ soʊ kloʊz tɪ ðə ɛʤ əv jʊr kæʃ floʊ ˈɛvəri mənθ, ju ʃʊd seɪ ““no”*” tɪ mɔr ˈspɛndɪŋ ənd gɪv ˈjɔrsɛlf mɔr ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ɪt bi nis ɪf θɪŋz soʊ taɪt ˈɛvəri mənθ? kriˈeɪtɪŋ ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈmɑrʤən ˈizi bət ˌwəˈtɛvər ju kən du tɪ hɛlp ˈjɔrsɛlf tɪ gɪt ˈkloʊzər tɪ ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈfridəm, ju ʃʊd du... ɪf ju hæv tɪ goʊ ˈɪntu dɛt tɪ baɪ ˈsəmθɪŋ ðɛn ju baɪ ɪt. waɪ? bɪˈkəz ˈbɛtər tɪ wɔnt ðən tɪ oʊ. ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt əv kɔrs, ˈsəmθɪŋ tɪ bi sɛd fər duɪŋ wət wərks fər ju. ˈʤɛnərəli, ðoʊ, moʊst əv ˈjuˈɛs nid mɔr ˈmɑrʤən ɪn ɑr lɪvz. ˈstrɛʧɪŋ jʊr ˈbəʤɪt θɪn tɪ baɪ ˈsəmθɪŋ rɪˈdusɪz jʊr ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈmɑrʤən, ənd ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈɪntu dɛt dɪˈstrɔɪz ɪt ˌɔltəˈgɛðər. ə ˈsɑləd ˈmæntrə tɪ rɪˈmɛmbər nɛkst taɪm ˈtɛmptɪd tɪ spɛnd. fər tɪps ɔn haʊ tɪ kip jʊr ˈspɛndɪŋ ɪn ʧɛk, hɛd tɪ fʊl poʊst æt ðə lɪŋk bɪˈloʊ. ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt ˈbɛtər tɪ wɔnt ðən tɪ oʊ
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we often stretch our finances thin to buy stuff we really, really want. a new, bigger tv. a fancier phone. better clothes. of course, this habit usually leads to financial trouble, and as money writer natalie bacon points out, “it’s better to want than to owe.”
quoting podcaster andy stanley, bacon explains that, as tough as it can be to want something you can’t afford, it’s worse to owe money for something you couldn’t afford. discussing the concept of financial margin, bacon writes:
instead of living so close to the edge of your cash flow every month, you should say “no” to more spending and give yourself more financial margin...wouldn’t it be nice if things weren’t so tight every month? creating financial margin isn’t easy – but whatever you can do to help yourself to get closer to financial freedom, you should do... if you have to go into debt to buy something then you shouldn’t buy it. why? because it’s better to want than to owe.
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of course, there’s something to be said for doing what works for you. generally, though, most of us need more margin in our lives. stretching your budget thin to buy something reduces your financial margin, and getting into debt destroys it altogether.
it’s a solid mantra to remember next time you’re tempted to spend. for tips on how to keep your spending in check, head to bacon’s full post at the link below.
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it’s better to want than to owe | financegirl
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ˈbreɪkɪŋ nuz iˈmeɪlz gɪt ˈbreɪkɪŋ nuz əˈlərts ənd ˈspɛʃəl rɪˈpɔrts. ðə nuz ənd ˈstɔriz ðət ˈmætər, dɪˈlɪvərd ˈwikˌdeɪ ˈmɔrnɪŋz. ɔkt. 26 2017 piɛm ˈəpˌdeɪtɪd ɔkt. 26 2017 piɛm baɪ klɑrk ə ˈfɛdərəl ˈwɑʧˌdɔg ˈeɪʤənsi wɪl ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪt ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈdɑnəld ɪˈlɛkʃən ˌɪnˈtɛgrəti kəˈmɪʃən, ɪt wɑz əˈnaʊnst ˈθərzˌdeɪ. ðə ˈgəvərnmənt əˈkaʊntəˌbɪlɪti ˈɔfəs plænz tɪ proʊb ðə ˈvoʊtər frɔd ˈpænəlz ˈfəndɪŋ, ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz ənd haʊ ɪt ɪz prəˈtɛktɪŋ ənd ˈsɔrtɪŋ ðə tɛnz əv ˈmɪljənz əv ˈsɛnsɪtɪv ˈvoʊtər faɪlz ðə kəˈmɪʃən həz kəˈlɛktəd. ðə əˈnaʊnsmɛnt kəmz ˈæftər θri ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈsɛnətərz ˈeɪmi əv ˌmɪnɪˈsoʊtə, ˈmaɪkəl ˈbɛnɪt əv ˌkɑlərˈɑdoʊ ənd ˈkɔˌri ˈbʊkər əv nu ˈʤərzi sɛnt ə ˈlɛtər læst wik ˈərʤɪŋ ðə ˈeɪʤənsi tɪ ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪt ðə kəˈmɪʃən, seɪɪŋ ɪt hæd ˌɪgˈnɔrd ˈsɛvərəl rɪkˈwɛsts frəm ˈkɑŋgrəs eɪmd æt ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ ɪts wərk. ðə ˈsɛnətərz sɛd ðə ˈpænəlz kriˈeɪʃən ənd ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz wər "kɔz fər ˈsɪriəs concern.”*.” ðə ˈsɛnətərz roʊt ðət ðeɪ fɪr ðə weɪ ðə kəˈmɪʃən ɪz kənˈdəktɪŋ ɪts wərk wɪl "prɪˈvɛnt ðə ˈpəblɪk frəm fʊl ənd trænˈspɛrənt ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ əv ðə kənˈkluʒənz ənd ənˈnɛsəˌsɛrəli dɪˈmɪnɪʃ ˈkɑnfədɛns ɪn ɑr ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈprɔˌsɛs." ɪn ə ˈlɛtər ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ tɪ ðə ˈlɔˌmeɪkərz, ðə sɛd ɪt hæd ækˈsɛptɪd ðə rɪkˈwɛst. ðə ˈeɪʤənsi sɛd ðə ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən wʊd bɪˈgɪn ɪn əˈbaʊt faɪv mənθs. trəmp fɔrmd ðə kəˈmɪʃən ɪn meɪ θru ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv ˈɔrdər tɪ ɪgˈzæmɪn ˈvoʊtər frɔd. ɪt ɪz ˈhɛdɪd baɪ vaɪs ˈprɛzɪdənt maɪk pɛns, waɪl ˈkænzəs ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri əv steɪt krɪs kobach*, ən ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ənd strɪkt ˈvoʊtər aɪˌdɛntəfəˈkeɪʃən lɔ ˈædvəˌkeɪt, sərvz ɛz vaɪs ʧɛr. sɪns ɪts fɔrˈmeɪʃən, ðə kəˈmɪʃən həz bɪn ə sɔrs əv ˈkrɪtɪˌsɪzəm frəm ˈmɛmbərz əv boʊθ ˈpɑrtiz fər rɪkˈwɛstɪŋ ə ˈmæsɪv əˈmaʊnt əv ˈsɛnsɪtɪv ˈvoʊtər ˈdætə. ðə kəˈmɪʃən həz ˈɔlsoʊ bɪn maɪrd ɪn ˌɪnˈtərnəl straɪf, wɪθ səm ˈmɛmbərz dɪsəˈgriɪŋ ɔn ˈwɛðər ˈvoʊtər frɔd ɪgˈzɪsts, wɪθ tu ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk kəˈmɪʃən ˈmɛmbərz ˈoʊpənli əˈkjuzɪŋ ðə ˈpænəlz əv ə læk əv trænˈspɛrənsi. ˈkrɪtɪks hæv kɔld ðə kəˈmɪʃən ə ˈplɪtɪkli ˈmoʊtəˌveɪtəd ˈɛfərt tɪ ˈsætɪsˌfaɪ ənˈfaʊndɪd kleɪmz əˈbaʊt ˈræmpənt ˈvoʊtər frɔd ɪn ðə 2016 ɪˈlɛkʃən.
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oct. 26, 2017, 4:54 pm gmt / updated oct. 26, 2017, 4:59 pm gmt by dartunorro clark
a federal watchdog agency will investigate president donald trump’s election integrity commission, it was announced thursday.
the government accountability office plans to probe the voter fraud panel's funding, internal operations and how it is protecting and sorting the tens of millions of sensitive voter files the commission has collected.
the announcement comes after three democratic senators — amy klobuchar of minnesota, michael bennet of colorado and cory booker of new jersey — sent a letter last week urging the agency to investigate the commission, saying it had ignored several requests from congress aimed at understanding its work. the senators said the panel's creation and operations were "cause for serious concern.”
the senators wrote that they fear the way the commission is conducting its work will "prevent the public from full and transparent understanding of the commission’s conclusions and unnecessarily diminish confidence in our democratic process."
in a letter wednesday to the lawmakers, the gao said it had accepted the request. the agency said the investigation would begin in about five months.
trump formed the commission in may through executive order to examine voter fraud.
it is headed by vice president mike pence, while kansas secretary of state kris kobach, an immigration hard-liner and strict voter identification law advocate, serves as vice chair.
since its formation, the commission has been a source of criticism from members of both parties for requesting a massive amount of sensitive voter data.
the commission has also been mired in internal strife, with some members disagreeing on whether voter fraud exists, with two democratic commission members openly accusing the panel's co-chairs of a lack of transparency.
critics have called the commission a politically motivated effort to satisfy trump’s unfounded claims about rampant voter fraud in the 2016 election.
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ˈɛmˈsi ˈʤɛrəˌmi ˈkrɪsʧɪn sɪz hi wɪl faɪl ˈfɪzɪkəl əˈsɔlt ˈʧɑrʤɪz əˈgɛnst ˈkæptən frɛd ˈɑrθər, hu slæpt ɪm ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˌsɛləˈbreɪʃən əv ðə ˈfɛstɪvəl ˈpəblɪʃt piɛm, meɪ 21 2017 ˈsɪti, ˈfɪləˌpinz ə ˈkæptən frəm, wɪl feɪs ˈʧɑrʤɪz fər sˈlæpɪŋ ðə ˈmæstər əv ˈsɛrəˌmoʊniz ər ˈɛmˈsi ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə taʊnz ˌsɛləˈbreɪʃən əv ðə ˈfɛstɪvəl. ɪn ə rɪˈpɔrt ɔn ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ, meɪ 20 nuz sɛd frɛd ˈɑrθər wɑz əˈlɛʤədli drəŋk wɪn hi slæpt ðə ˈɛmˈsi, hu wɑz ðɛn ˈspikɪŋ æt ðə ˈpoʊdiəm. wɑz səˈpoʊzədli ərkt bɪˈkəz hi dɪd nɑt hir hɪz neɪm kɔld. ɪz frəm ˈsɛntroʊ (poblacion*) ənd ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt əv ðə əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən əv ˈkæptənz (ˈeɪˌbiˌsi) ɪn. ɔn ˈsənˌdi, meɪ 21 ˈlərnɪd ðət ðə ˈɛmˈsi wɑz ˈʤɛrəˌmi ˈkrɪsʧɪn, ə ˈgræʤəˌweɪt əv ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ðə ˈfɪləˌpinz lɔs (uplb*) hu ɪz naʊ ˈwərkɪŋ æt ðə dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt ənd ˈnæʧərəl ˈrisɔrsɪz (denr*) ˈriʤənəl ˈɔfəs. toʊld ðət hi wɑz ˈrɛdɪŋ ə lɪst əv ənd ðɛr ˈkæptənz əreɪnʤd ɪn ˌælfəˈbɛtɪkəl ˈɔrdər. neɪm hæd jɛt tɪ bi kɔld, bət ðə ˈɛmˈsi sɛd hi kəˈmɪtɪd noʊ mɪˈsteɪk. "ˌənɪkˈspɛktɪdli, 'jəŋ ɪkˈsaɪtɪd poʊ nɑ ˈkæpɪtən nɑ sɑ ˈhɪndi dɔ neɪm... ˈkɑzi æt ɪkˈsaɪtɪd. ˈgəˌstoʊ poʊ fərst ɪn ðə lɪst ˈkɑzi æŋ ˈeɪˌbiˌsi ˈprɛzɪdənt," sɛd. (ˌənɪkˈspɛktɪdli, ðə ˈkæptən hu wɑz ɪkˈsaɪtɪd tɪ bi kɔld wɛnt əp ðə steɪʤ bɪˈkəz hi dɪd nɑt hir hɪz neɪm kɔld. hi wɑz drəŋk ənd ɪkˈsaɪtɪd. hi ˈwɔntɪd hɪz neɪm tɪ bi ˈmɛnʃənd fərst sɪns hiz ðə ˈeɪˌbiˌsi ˈprɛzɪdənt.) ˈædɪd ðət hi ʧoʊz tɪ kənˈtɪnju wɪθ ðə ˈproʊˌgræm ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈfaɪtɪŋ bæk ər ˈwɔkɪŋ aʊt əv ðə ɪˈvɛnt. "ɪf ðɛr ɪz wən θɪŋ [əm] praʊd əv, [ɪt] ɪz ðə ˈmænərz ənd gʊd ˈmɔrəlz maɪ ˈpɛrənts ənd soʊˈsaɪɪti hæv tɔt mi... ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈfaɪtɪŋ bæk ər ˈwɔkɪŋ aʊt əv ðə ɪˈvɛnt, aɪ θɔt tɪ ˌmaɪˈsɛlf, ðɛr ər ˈhənərdz əv ˈspɛkteɪtərz ˈweɪtɪŋ ənd aɪ doʊnt wɔnt tɪ weɪst ðɛr taɪm, soʊ aɪ ʤɪst kənˈtɪnjud ənd ˌɪgˈnɔrd ɪt ɛz ɪf ˈnəθɪŋ ˈhæpənd," hi sɛd. naʊ plænz tɪ faɪl ˈfɪzɪkəl əˈsɔlt ˈʧɑrʤɪz əˈgɛnst ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ, meɪ 22 θru ðə hɛlp əv meɪər ˈmɑrʤəri ˈsæləzɑr. ðə ˈɛmˈsi sɛd ðə ˈkæptən həz jɛt tɪ riʧ aʊt tɪ ɪm.
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emcee jeremy christian rola says he will file physical assault charges against barangay captain fred arthur agatep, who slapped him during the celebration of the tinupig festival
published 6:50 pm, may 21, 2017
tuguegarao city, philippines – a barangay captain from lasam, cagayan will face charges for slapping the master of ceremonies or emcee during the town's celebration of the tinupig festival.
in a report on saturday, may 20, gma news said fred arthur agatep was allegedly drunk when he slapped the emcee, who was then speaking at the podium. agatep was supposedly irked because he did not hear his name called.
agatep is from barangay centro ii (poblacion) and is also the president of the association of barangay captains (abc) in lasam.
on sunday, may 21, rappler learned that the emcee was jeremy christian rola, a graduate of the university of the philippines los baños (uplb) who is now working at the department of environment and natural resources (denr) regional office.
rola told rappler that he was reading a list of barangays and their captains arranged in alphabetical order. agatep's name had yet to be called, but the emcee said he committed no mistake.
"unexpectedly, 'yung excited po na kapitan pumunta na siya sa harap dahil hindi daw natawag name niya... lasing kasi siya at excited. gusto niya po first in the list kasi siya ang abc president," rola said.
(unexpectedly, the barangay captain who was excited to be called went up the stage because he did not hear his name called. he was drunk and excited. he wanted his name to be mentioned first since he's the abc president.)
rola added that he chose to continue with the program instead of fighting back or walking out of the event.
"if there is one thing [i'm] proud of, [it] is the manners and good morals my parents and society have taught me... instead of fighting back or walking out of the event, i thought to myself, there are hundreds of spectators waiting ... and i don't want to waste their time, so i just continued and ignored it as if nothing happened," he said.
rola now plans to file physical assault charges against agatep on monday, may 22, through the help of lasam mayor marjorie apil salazar.
the emcee said the barangay captain has yet to reach out to him. – rappler.com
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ˈsɛrə ˈʧæmpiən wɑz dɪsˈmɪst frəm ðə ˈʃæˌdoʊ frənt bɛnʧ læst mənθ fər seɪɪŋ ðət ˈbrɪtən həz ə ‘‘problem’*’ wɪθ ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˌpækɪˈstæni mɛn ˈɛkˌsplɔɪtɪŋ waɪt gərlz ðə lɛft ɪz ˈtərnɪŋ ə blaɪnd aɪ tɪ sɛks ˈgrumɪŋ gæŋz fər fɪr əv biɪŋ ˈbrændɪd ˈreɪsɪst, ə sækt ˈleɪbər həz sɛd. ˈsɛrə ˈʧæmpiən wɑz dɪsˈmɪst frəm ðə ˈʃæˌdoʊ frənt bɛnʧ læst mənθ fər seɪɪŋ ðət ˈbrɪtən həz ə ‘‘problem’*’ wɪθ ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˌpækɪˈstæni mɛn ˈɛkˌsplɔɪtɪŋ waɪt gərlz. ɪn hər fərst ˈɪntərvˌju sɪns ðɛn, ðə ˈfɔrmər ˈʃæˌdoʊ ˈwɪmən ənd ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri sɛd ðə left’*’ wɑz ˈfeɪlɪŋ ˈvəlnərəbəl ˈʧɪldrən wɪθ ɪts ˈsaɪləns. ɪn ə ˈnuzˌpeɪpər pis læst mənθ, ðə sɛd: həz ə ˈprɑbləm wɪθ ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˌpækɪˈstæni mɛn ˈreɪpɪŋ ənd ˈɛkˌsplɔɪtɪŋ waɪt girls.’*.’ ʃi kwɪt hər roʊl ˈæftər ðə pis kɔzd ən ˈaʊtˌkraɪ əˈməŋ hər ˈleɪbər ˈkɑligz. ˈæftər hər ˌrɛzɪgˈneɪʃən ˈleɪbər ˈlidər ˈʤɛrəˌmi ən ɪn islington*, nɔrθ ˈləndən sɛd hɪz ˈpɑrti wʊd nɑt ‘‘blame’*’ ər ˈɛni ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr group’*’. hi əˈkjuzd ðə ˈpeɪpər əv ˌɪnˈsaɪtɪŋ ənd communities’*’. bət ˈleɪbər wɑz əˈkjuzd əv ˈstaɪfəlɪŋ fri spiʧ. ðə juzd ən ˈɪntərvˌju wɪθ ðə taɪmz ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ tɪ ˈhaɪˌlaɪt ˈdɪfərənsɪz ɪn ˈætəˌtudz bɪtˈwin ðə ˈkæpɪtəl ənd ˈnɔrðərn heartlands*. ʃi sɛd ə ˈlɪˌbərəl fɪr əv biɪŋ ˈbrændɪd ˈreɪsɪst wɑz prɪˈvɛnɪŋ ðoʊz ɔn ðə lɛft frəm ˈspikɪŋ aʊt. ʃi sɛd: ɔn ðə ˈflɑpi lɛft, tɪ bi əˈkjuzd əv ˈreɪˌsɪzəm ɪz ˈprɑbəˌbli ðə wərst θɪŋ ju kən kɔl mi. ðət fɪr wɪl ˈmoʊtəˌveɪt mi tɪ stɛp əˈweɪ frəm ə lɔt əv ˈtɑpɪks ˈmeɪbi ˈtækəl hɛd ɔn ɪf aɪ hæv ðət phobia.’*.’ hər kənˈstɪʧuənsi wɑz hoʊm tɪ wən əv ðə moʊst ˌhaɪˈproʊfaɪl ˈgrumɪŋ ˈskændəlz. ˈæftər hər ˌrɛzɪgˈneɪʃən ˈleɪbər ˈlidər ˈʤɛrəˌmi ən ɪn islington*, nɔrθ ˈləndən sɛd hɪz ˈpɑrti wʊd nɑt ‘‘blame’*’ ər ˈɛni ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr group’*’ ʃi sɛd ˈmɛni ˈleɪbər ˈmɛmbərz ənd ˌpɑləˈtɪʃənz beɪst ɪn ˈləndən hæd bɪn ˈʧælənʤd baɪ ə ˌriˈæləˌti different’*’ frəm ðɛr ˈlɑrʤli ‘‘tolerant*, ˌməltiˈkəlʧərəl world’*’. ɪz nɑt ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv əv ðə ənd ˈdɛfənətli nɑt ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv əv ðə nɔrθ əv ˈɪŋglənd ɪn riˈleɪʃən tɪ race,’*,’ ʃi sɛd. ənd ˈmɛni taʊnz ər stɪl segregated.’*.’ ʃi ˈædɪd: ˌməltiˈkəlʧərəl ˈpɑləsiz ðət aɪ, θru maɪ ˈwərkɪŋ kərɪr, gru əp wɪθ, ənd wɪʧ ˈʤɛrəˌmi gru əp wɪθ, nid ə trænzˈleɪʃən tɪ kəm ˈaʊtˈsaɪd london.’*.’ mɪs ˈʧæmpiən strɛst: nɑt ðət ˈreɪsɪst, ðət ˈjɔrkʃər ɪz ˈvɛri blənt ənd ˈɛniˌθɪŋ., frəˈstreɪʃən ɪz ðət ɪf ðeɪ ɔl nu wət wɑz goʊɪŋ ɔn, waɪ ðə ˈpipəl hu wər mɛnt tɪ prəˈtɛkt ðɛm du ˈɛniˌθɪŋ əˈbaʊt it?’*?’ mɪs ˈʧæmpiən meɪd hər ˈkɑmɛnts əˈbaʊt ˌpækɪˈstæni men’*’ ɪn ə sən ˈkɑləm læst mənθ. ʃi ðɛn rɪˈzaɪnd ənd meɪd ən əˈpɑləˌʤi fər wət ʃi kɔld hər pur ʧɔɪs əv words’*’. wɑz wən əv ˈmɛni ˈɪŋlɪʃ ˈsɪtiz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ rochdale*, ˈɑksfərd ənd ˈnuˌkæsəl, wɪʧ hæv bɪn hoʊm tɪ ˈgrumɪŋ gæŋz.
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sarah champion was dismissed from the shadow front bench last month for saying that britain has a ‘problem’ with british pakistani men exploiting white girls
the left is turning a blind eye to sex grooming gangs for fear of being branded racist, a sacked labour mp has said.
sarah champion was dismissed from the shadow front bench last month for saying that britain has a ‘problem’ with british pakistani men exploiting white girls.
in her first interview since then, the former shadow women and equalities secretary said the ‘floppy left’ was failing vulnerable children with its silence.
in a newspaper piece last month, the mp said: ‘britain has a problem with british pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls.’
she quit her role after the piece caused an outcry among her labour colleagues.
after her resignation labour leader jeremy corbyn - an mp in islington, north london - said his party would not ‘blame’ or ‘demonise any particular group’.
he accused the paper of inciting islamophobia and stigmatising ‘entire communities’. but labour was accused of stifling free speech.
the rotherham mp used an interview with the times yesterday to highlight differences in attitudes between the capital and labour’s northern heartlands.
she said a liberal fear of being branded racist was preventing those on the left from speaking out.
she said: ‘if i’m on the floppy left, to be accused of racism is probably the worst thing you can call me. that fear will motivate me to step away from a lot of topics i’d maybe tackle head on if i didn’t have that phobia.’
her constituency rotherham was home to one of the most high-profile grooming scandals.
after her resignation labour leader jeremy corbyn - an mp in islington, north london - said his party would not ‘blame’ or ‘demonise any particular group’
she said many labour members and politicians based in london had ‘never been challenged by a reality that’s different’ from their largely ‘tolerant, multicultural world’.
‘london is not representative of the uk and it’s definitely not representative of the north of england in relation to race,’ she said.
‘rotherham and many post-industrial towns are still segregated.’
she added: ‘the multicultural policies that i, through my working career, grew up with, and which jeremy corbyn grew up with, need a translation to come outside london.’
miss champion stressed: ‘it’s not that yorkshire’s racist, it’s that yorkshire is very blunt and doesn’t sugar-coat anything.
‘in rotherham, people’s frustration is that if they all knew what was going on, why didn’t the people who were meant to protect them do anything about it?’
miss champion made her comments about ‘british pakistani men’ in a sun column last month. she then resigned and made an apology for what she called her ‘extremely poor choice of words’.
rotherham was one of many english cities, including rochdale, oxford and newcastle, which have been home to grooming gangs.
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brɛnt bərnz həz dən ɪt ɔl ðɪs ˈsizən fər ðə sæn ˌhoʊˈzeɪ ʃɑrks. tɪ mɑrk ðə kˈwɔrtər poʊl əv ðə ˈsizən, ɪz ˈrənɪŋ ɪts θərd ˌɪnˈstɔlmənt əv ðə ˈtroʊfi ˈtrækər ˈsɪriz ðɪs wik. təˈdeɪ, wi lʊk æt ðə reɪs fər ðə ˈnɔrɪs ˈtroʊfi. θru 62 geɪmz, hi həz 27 goʊlz, taɪɪŋ ən kərɪr haɪ hi sɛt læst ˈsizən, ənd 66 pɔɪnts, naɪn fjuər ðən hi hæd ɪn 82 geɪmz ɪn hi ræŋks fərst əˈməŋ ɪn goʊlz ənd pɔɪnts, ənd ɪz taɪd fər fɔrθ ɪn ðə lig ɪn ˈskɔrɪŋ. bərnz həz 19 pɔɪnts (ˈsɛvən goʊlz) ənd ə ˈreɪtɪŋ. ɪt ʃʊd kəm ɛz noʊ səˈpraɪz ðət bərnz wɑz ðə juˈnænəməs ʧɔɪs fər ðə ˈnɔrɪs ˈtroʊfi ɛz ðə bɛst ɪn ðə lig, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ə ˈpænəl əv 13 ˈraɪtərz. bərnz həz faɪv game-winning-goals*, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ tu ɪn ˈoʊvərˌtaɪm. hi lidz ðə lig ɪn ʃɑts ɔn goʊl 249 ənd tɑps ðə ʃɑrks wɪθ əv aɪs taɪm pər geɪm, pleɪɪŋ ɪn ɔl ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃənz. hɪz ɔn ðə paʊər pleɪ ɪz fərst ɔn sæn ˌhoʊˈzeɪ, ənd hi ˈɔlsoʊ gɪts əv aɪs taɪm pər geɪm, fɪθ ɔn ðə ʃɑrks. "wi ˈnidɪd ə spɑrk ənd hiz bɪn ðɛr ɔl jɪr," sæn ˌhoʊˈzeɪ koʊʧ ˈpitər ˈdiboʊər læst mənθ. "bɪg goʊl æt ðə raɪt taɪm. hiz ə ˈfɪrləs pleɪər, hi wɔks ðə laɪn. ˈəndər ˈprɛʃər hi həz ə əˈfɛnsɪvli tɪ ɪm ðət ɪz hɑrd tɪ tiʧ, wɪʧ ˈrɪli ˈsɛpərˌeɪts greɪt pleɪərz frəm ˈəðər gaɪz." ˈvɪdioʊ: sjs@ari*: bərnz skɔrz ˈsɛkənd goʊl ɔn ə paʊər pleɪ bərnz həz 20 geɪmz ənd həz ðə ʃɑrks hu ər ɪn fərst pleɪs ɪn ðə pəˈsɪfɪk dɪˈvɪʒən, ˈhəŋgri fər ðə ˈstænli kəp ˈæftər ðeɪ ədˈvænst tɪ ðə kəp ˈfaɪnəl læst ˈsizən, ˈluzɪŋ ɪn sɪks geɪmz tɪ ðə ˈpɪtsbərg ˈpɛŋgwənz. hi hæd ˈsɛvən goʊlz ənd 17 əˈsɪsts ɪn 24 geɪmz ɪn ðə 2016 postseason*. bərnz kʊd bɪˈkəm ðə fərst sɪns ˈbɑbi ɔr ɪn tɪ wɪn ðə ˈskɔrɪŋ ˈtaɪtəl; hiz sɪks pɔɪnts bɪˈhaɪnd ˈkɑnər məkˈdeɪvəd əv ðə ˈɛdməntən ˈɔɪlərz 72 fər ðə lig lɛd. "aɪ θɪŋk ju lʊk æt ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ," bərnz sɛd. "wi hir əˈbaʊt ɪt frəm ju gaɪz əˈbaʊt stæts ɔl ðə taɪm, soʊ wɪr əˈwɛr əv ɪt." ˈtiˌmeɪt ˈloʊgən kuˈtʊr sɛd bərnz' ˌɛksəˈkjuʃən ɪz wət meɪks ɪm soʊ gʊd. "hɪz ʃɑt ɪz ˌənbəˈlivəbəl," kuˈtʊr sɛd. "ðə əˈbɪləˌti hi həz tɪ gɪt hɪz ʃɑt θru, ðɛrz noʊ wən ɪn ðə lig ðət dɪz ɪt ˈbɛtər ðə weɪ hi kən pʊl ðə pək ɪn ər pʊʃ ɪt ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ðət fərst gaɪ. hi ʃuts wɪθ hɪz hɛd əp æt ɔl taɪmz soʊ hi ɪz ˈlʊkɪŋ fər leɪnz ənd gaɪz ɪn frənt ənd noʊ wən dɪz ɪt ˈbɛtər ðən ɪm." ʃɑrks ˈgoʊli ˈmɑrtɪn ʤoʊnz ɪz glæd hi ˈdəzənt hæv tɪ feɪs bərnz. "ɪts ˌɛnərˈteɪnɪŋ. ɪts ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ," ʤoʊnz sɛd əv pleɪɪŋ bɪˈhaɪnd bərnz. "hiz greɪt. hi brɪŋz ə lɔt tɪ ðə ˈteɪbəl. ˈɛvəri taɪm hi ʃuts ðə pək, ɪt həz ə ʧæns tɪ goʊ ɪn." ˈvoʊtɪŋ ˈtoʊtəlz (pɔɪnts əˈwɔrdɪd ɔn ə ˈbeɪsɪs): brɛnt bərnz, sæn ˌhoʊˈzeɪ ʃɑrks, 65 ˈɛrɪk ˈkɑrlsən, ˈɑtəˌwɑ ˈsɛnətərz, 37 ˈvɪktər ˈhɛdmən, ˈtæmpə beɪ ˈlaɪtnɪŋ 26 raɪən ˈsutər, ˌmɪnɪˈsoʊtə waɪld, 21 dru ˈdɔti, lɔs ˈænʤəlɪs kɪŋz, 18 ʃeɪ ˈwɛbər, ˌməntriˈɔl canadiens*, 11 ˈdəŋkən kiθ, ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ ˈblæˌkhɔks, 13 ˈdəstɪn byfuglien*, ˈwɪnɪpəg ʤɛts, 2 ˈkɛvɪn shattenkirk*, st*. luɪs ˈkæpɪtəlz, 1
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brent burns has done it all this season for the san jose sharks.
to mark the quarter pole of the 2016-17 season, nhl.com is running its third installment of the trophy tracker series this week. today, we look at the race for the norris trophy.
through 62 games, he has 27 goals, tying an nhl career high he set last season, and 66 points, nine fewer than he had in 82 games in 2015-16. he ranks first among defensemen in goals and points, and is tied for fourth in the league in scoring. burns has 19 power-play points (seven goals) and a plus-23 rating.
it should come as no surprise that burns was the unanimous choice for the norris trophy as the best defenseman in the league, according to a panel of 13 nhl.com writers.
burns has five game-winning-goals, including two in overtime. he leads the league in shots on goal (249) and tops the sharks with 24:54 of ice time per game, playing in all situations. his 3:37 on the power play is first on san jose, and he also gets 1:47 of shorthanded ice time per game, fifth on the sharks.
"we needed a spark and he's been there all year," san jose coach peter deboer last month. "big goal at the right time. he's a fearless player, he walks the line. under pressure he has a fearlessness offensively to him that is hard to teach, which really separates great players from other guys."
video: sjs@ari: burns scores second goal on a power play
burns has 20 two-point games and has the sharks (37-18-7), who are in first place in the pacific division, hungry for the stanley cup after they advanced to the cup final last season, losing in six games to the pittsburgh penguins. he had seven goals and 17 assists in 24 games in the 2016 postseason.
burns could become the first defenseman since bobby orr in 1974-75 to win the nhl scoring title; he's six points behind connor mcdavid of the edmonton oilers (72) for the league lead.
"i think you look at everything," burns said. "we hear about it from you guys about stats all the time, so we're aware of it."
teammate logan couture said burns' execution is what makes him so good.
"his shot is unbelievable," couture said. "the ability he has to get his shot through, there's no one in the league that does it better the way he can pull the puck in or push it outside of that first guy. ... he shoots with his head up at all times so he is looking for lanes and guys in front and no one does it better than him."
sharks goalie martin jones is glad he doesn't have to face burns.
"it's entertaining. it's interesting," jones said of playing behind burns. "he's great. he brings a lot to the table. every time he shoots the puck, it has a chance to go in."
voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis): brent burns, san jose sharks, 65 ; erik karlsson, ottawa senators, 37; victor hedman, tampa bay lightning 26; ryan suter, minnesota wild, 21; drew doughty, los angeles kings, 18; shea weber, montreal canadiens, 11; duncan keith, chicago blackhawks, 13; dustin byfuglien, winnipeg jets, 2; kevin shattenkirk, st. louis blues/washington capitals, 1.
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5 ʃɛrz ˈfeɪsˌbʊk tˈwɪtər ˈmælɪk ənd ˈɛdwərdz hæv ˈʤɛtɪd ɔf ɔn ˈhɑlɪˌdeɪ wɪθ hɪz ˈfæməli. ðə ˈkəpəl, huz riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp wɑz ˈrisəntli rɑkt baɪ ˈʧitɪŋ ˈrumərz, wər ˈspɑtɪd ˈbɔrdɪŋ ə ˈpraɪvət ʤɛt ɪn ðə wɪθ ə smɔl ˈnəmbər əv ˈpipəl, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ hɪz ˈsɪstərz ənd ˈməðər, təˈdeɪ. ɪt ɪz nɑt jɛt noʊn wɛr ðə grup hæv floʊn tɪ, bət ðə gərlz wər ˈspɑtɪd ˈʃɑpɪŋ fər ʃɔrts ənd ˈdrɛsɪz ɪn ˌprɛpərˈeɪʃən fər ðə trɪp ˈərliər ðɪs wik. ðə ˈfɔrmər wən dɪˈrɛkʃɪn ˈsɪŋər ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ kwɪt ðə grup læst wik tɪ commit”*” tɪ hɪz ˈæftər ˈpɪkʧərz ˈimərʤd əv ɪm ˈhoʊldɪŋ hænz wɪθ ˈlɔrən ˈrɪʧərdsən ɪn ˈtaɪˌlænd. ðə ˈhɑrtθˌrɑb wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ əˈkjuzd əv ˈhævɪŋ ən əˈfɛr wɪθ sˈwidɪʃ ˈmɑdəl mɑrˈtinə ˈoʊlsən ɪn ˈtaɪˌlænd ˈərliər ðɪs mənθ. bət ə sɔrs ˈpriviəsli rɪˈvild ðət ˈlɪtəl mɪks stɑr, 21 ɪz ˈstændɪŋ baɪ hər boʊ ənd ɪz ˈplænɪŋ tɪ ˈmɛri ɪm ðɪs ˈsəmər naʊ ðət hi həz mɔr taɪm ɔn hɪz hænz. ðə ˌɪnˈsaɪdər sɛd: ˈnərsɪŋ θru ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ. ʃi noʊz ə təf taɪm fər ɪm ənd əˈpriʃiˌeɪts wət ə bɪg ˈsækrəˌfaɪs meɪd fər hər. ʃi wɔnts tɪ ˈfoʊkɪs ɔn ðə ˈpɑzətɪvz ənd stɑrt ˈplænɪŋ ðə ˈwɛdɪŋ. boʊθ ləv ə ˈsəmər celebration.”*.”
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zayn malik and perrie edwards have jetted off on holiday with his family.
the couple, whose relationship was recently rocked by cheating rumours, were spotted boarding a private jet in the uk with a small number of people, including his sisters and mother, today.
it is not yet known where the group have flown to, but the girls were spotted shopping for shorts and dresses in preparation for the trip earlier this week.
the former one direction singer decided to quit the group last week to “fully commit” to his fiancée after pictures emerged of him holding hands with lauren richardson in thailand.
the heartthrob was also accused of having an affair with swedish model martina olsson in thailand earlier this month.
but a source previously revealed that little mix star perrie, 21, is standing by her beau and is planning to marry him this summer now that he has more time on his hands.
the insider said: “she’s nursing zayn through everything. she knows it’s a tough time for him and appreciates what a big sacrifice he’s made for her. she wants to focus on the positives and start planning the wedding. they’d both love a summer celebration.”
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ðə 2015 bɪg tɛn ˈbæskətˌbɔl timz ənd ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl ˈɑnərz wər riˈlist ˈmənˌdeɪ naɪt ɔn live.”*.” mɔr: bɪg tɛn ˈtərni ˈbrækɪt timz wɪˈskɑnsən stɑr fræŋk kəˈmɪnski, ə kənˈsɛnsəs ɑnərˈi, swɛpt bɪg tɛn pleɪər əv ðə jɪr, ˈərnɪŋ ən juˈnænəməs dɪˈstɪŋkʃən frəm ðə ˈmidiə. oʊˈhaɪoʊ steɪt stɑr ˈrəsəl swɛpt bɪg tɛn ˈfrɛʃmən əv ðə jɪr, waɪl boʊ raɪən (ˈkoʊʧɪz) ənd mɑrk ˈtərʤɪn (ˈmidiə) splɪt bɪg tɛn koʊʧ əv ðə jɪr. vju ðə əˈfɪʃəl 2015 bɪg tɛn timz ənd ˈɑnərz bɪˈloʊ. ˈkoʊʧɪz fərst tim ˈjoʊgi ˈfɛrɪl, ˌɪndiˈænə ˈɛrən waɪt, ˈaɪəwə wɛlz, ˈmɛrələnd ˈrəsəl, oʊˈhaɪoʊ steɪt fræŋk kəˈmɪnski, wɪˈskɑnsən ˈsɛkənd tim ˈmɛloʊ ˈtrɪmbəl, ˈmɛrələnd ˈbrændən ˈdɔsən, ˈmɪʃɪgən steɪt d.j*. ˈnuˌbɪl, pɛn steɪt a.j*. ˈhæmənz, pərˈdu sæm ˈdɛkər, wɪˈskɑnsən θərd tim ˈʤærə uthoff*, ˈaɪəwə ˈtrævɪs traɪs, ˈmɪʃɪgən steɪt ˈdɛnzəl ˈvælənˌtaɪn, ˈmɪʃɪgən steɪt ˈpɛtweɪ, nəˈbræskə ˈnaɪʤəl heɪz, wɪˈskɑnsən ˈɑnərəbəl ˈmɛnʃən: ˈmælkəm hɪl, ˌɪləˈnɔɪz; raɪs, ˌɪləˈnɔɪz; ʤeɪmz ˈblækmən jr*., ˌɪndiˈænə; trɔɪ ˈwɪljəmz, ˌɪndiˈænə, ʤeɪk ˈleɪmən, ˈmɛrələnd; ˈɑnˌdreɪ ˈhɑlɪnz, ˌmɪnɪˈsoʊtə; treɪ dɛmps, ˌnɔrθˈwɛstərn; ˈdeɪvɪs, pərˈdu; ʤɑn octeus*, pərˈdu tim ʤeɪmz ˈblækmən jr*., ˌɪndiˈænə ˈmɛloʊ ˈtrɪmbəl, ˈmɛrələnd braɪənt ˈmækənˌtɔʃ, ˌnɔrθˈwɛstərn ˈrəsəl, oʊˈhaɪoʊ steɪt teɪt, oʊˈhaɪoʊ steɪt pleɪər əv ðə jɪr: fræŋk kəˈmɪnski, wɪˈskɑnsən dɪˈfɛnsɪv pleɪər əv ðə jɪr: ˈdeɪvɪs, pərˈdu ˈfrɛʃmən əv ðə jɪr: ˈrəsəl, oʊˈhaɪoʊ steɪt sɪksθ mæn əv ðə jɪr: geɪb olaseni*, ˈaɪəwə koʊʧ əv ðə jɪr: boʊ raɪən, wɪˈskɑnsən juˈnænəməs səˈlɛkʃənz ɪn ɔl kæps ˈmidiə fərst tim ˈjoʊgi ˈfɛrɪl, ˌɪndiˈænə ˈɛrən waɪt, ˈaɪəwə ˈmɛloʊ ˈtrɪmbəl, ˈmɛrələnd ˈrəsəl, oʊˈhaɪoʊ steɪt fræŋk kəˈmɪnski, wɪˈskɑnsən ˈsɛkənd tim wɛlz, ˈmɛrələnd ˈbrændən ˈdɔsən, ˈmɪʃɪgən steɪt d.j*. ˈnuˌbɪl, pɛn steɪt a.j*. ˈhæmənz, pərˈdu sæm ˈdɛkər, wɪˈskɑnsən θərd tim ʤeɪk ˈleɪmən, ˈmɛrələnd ˈtrævɪs traɪs, ˈmɪʃɪgən steɪt ˈdɛnzəl ˈvælənˌtaɪn, ˈmɪʃɪgən steɪt ˈpɛtweɪ, nəˈbræskə ˈnaɪʤəl heɪz, wɪˈskɑnsən ˈɑnərəbəl ˈmɛnʃən: ˈmælkəm hɪl, ˌɪləˈnɔɪz; raɪs, ˌɪləˈnɔɪz; ʤeɪmz ˈblækmən jr*., ˌɪndiˈænə; trɔɪ ˈwɪljəmz, ˌɪndiˈænə; ˈʤɛrɪd uthoff*, ˈaɪəwə; ˈɑnˌdreɪ ˈhɑlɪnz, ˌmɪnɪˈsoʊtə; ˈmɑrɪs ˈwɔkər, ˌmɪnɪˈsoʊtə; treɪ dɛmps, ˌnɔrθˈwɛstərn; ˈæləks ˈoʊlə, ˌnɔrθˈwɛstərn; ˈʃænən skɑt, oʊˈhaɪoʊ steɪt; sæm ˈtɑmsən, oʊˈhaɪoʊ steɪt; ˈdeɪvɪs, pərˈdu; ʤɑn octeus*, pərˈdu; maɪlz mæk, ˈrətgərz pleɪər əv ðə jɪr: fræŋk kəˈmɪnski, wɪˈskɑnsən ˈfrɛʃmən əv ðə jɪr: ˈrəsəl, oʊˈhaɪoʊ steɪt koʊʧ əv ðə jɪr: mɑrk ˈtərʤɪn, ˈmɛrələnd juˈnænəməs səˈlɛkʃənz ɪn ɔl kæps
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the 2015 big ten men’s basketball teams and individual honors were released monday night on “btn live.”
[ more: big ten tourney bracket | btn.com’s all-b1g teams ]
wisconsin star frank kaminsky, a consensus first-team honoree, swept big ten player of the year, earning an unanimous distinction from the media.
ohio state first-year star d’angelo russell swept big ten freshman of the year, while wisconsin’s bo ryan (coaches) and maryland’s mark turgeon (media) split big ten coach of the year.
view the official 2015 big ten teams and honors below.
coaches
first team
yogi ferrell, indiana
aaron white, iowa
dez wells, maryland
d’angelo russell, ohio state
frank kaminsky, wisconsin
second team
melo trimble, maryland
branden dawson, michigan state
d.j. newbill, penn state
a.j. hammons, purdue
sam dekker, wisconsin
third team
jarrod uthoff, iowa
travis trice, michigan state
denzel valentine, michigan state
terran petteway, nebraska
nigel hayes, wisconsin
honorable mention: malcolm hill, illinois; rayvonte rice, illinois; james blackmon jr., indiana; troy williams, indiana, jake layman, maryland; andre hollins, minnesota; tre demps, northwestern; rapheal davis, purdue; jon octeus, purdue
all-freshman team
james blackmon jr., indiana
melo trimble, maryland
bryant mcintosh, northwestern
d’angelo russell, ohio state
jae’sean tate, ohio state
player of the year: frank kaminsky, wisconsin
defensive player of the year: rapheal davis, purdue
freshman of the year: d’angelo russell, ohio state
sixth man of the year: gabe olaseni, iowa
coach of the year: bo ryan, wisconsin
* unanimous selections in all caps
***
media
first team
yogi ferrell, indiana
aaron white, iowa
melo trimble, maryland
d’angelo russell, ohio state
frank kaminsky, wisconsin
second team
dez wells, maryland
branden dawson, michigan state
d.j. newbill, penn state
a.j. hammons, purdue
sam dekker, wisconsin
third team
jake layman, maryland
travis trice, michigan state
denzel valentine, michigan state
terran petteway, nebraska
nigel hayes, wisconsin
honorable mention: malcolm hill, illinois; rayvonte rice, illinois; james blackmon jr., indiana; troy williams, indiana; jared uthoff, iowa; andre hollins, minnesota; maurice walker, minnesota; tre demps, northwestern; alex olah, northwestern; shannon scott, ohio state; sam thompson, ohio state; rapheal davis, purdue; jon octeus, purdue; myles mack, rutgers
player of the year: frank kaminsky, wisconsin
freshman of the year: d’angelo russell, ohio state
coach of the year: mark turgeon, maryland
* unanimous selections in all caps
***
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ʤərˈusələm (jta*) ˌhɑˈmɑs plænd tɪ juz ðə ˈtənəlz ɪt dəg frəm ˈgɑzə tɪ ˈɪzriəl tɪ ˈɛksəˌkjut ə ˈmæsɪv əˈtæk ɔn ˈsəðərn ˈɪzriəl, ən ˌɪzˈreɪli ˈnuzˌpeɪpər ˌriˈpɔrtəd, ˈsaɪtɪŋ ənˈneɪmd ˌɪzˈreɪli sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈsɔrsəz. ˈəndər ðə plæn dɪˈteɪld ˈfraɪˌdeɪ baɪ ðə ˌmɑɑˈriv ˈdeɪli, ˌhɑˈmɑs plænd tɪ sɛnd ˈtɛrəˌrɪsts θru ðə mɔr ðən 30 ˈtənəlz ənˈkəvərd baɪ ˌɪzˈreɪli trups ənd ˈɪntu sɪks ˈsəðərn ˌɪzˈreɪli kəmˈjunɪtiz ɔn rɔʃ ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər əv ðɪs jɪr. ðə plæn wɑz tɪ kɪl ənd ˈkɪdˌnæp ɛz ˈmɛni ˌɪzˈreɪliz ɛz ˈpɑsəbəl, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə rɪˈpɔrt. ˌɪzˈreɪli praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər ˈbɛnʤəmən ˌnɛtənˈjɑˌhu rɪˈpɔrtədli toʊld ðə sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈkæbənət əˈbaʊt ðə dɪˈskəvərd plɑt ˈdʊrɪŋ leɪt læst wik. ˌmɑɑˈriv kˈwoʊtɪd ðə sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈsɔrsəz ɛz seɪɪŋ ðə wɔr wɪθ ˌhɑˈmɑs prɪˈvɛnɪd ə dɪˈzæstər ɔn ðə ˈɔrdər əv ðə jɑm ˈkɪpər war.”*.”
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jerusalem (jta) — hamas planned to use the tunnels it dug from gaza to israel to execute a massive attack on southern israel, an israeli newspaper reported, citing unnamed israeli security sources.
under the plan detailed friday by the hebrew-language maariv daily, hamas planned to send terrorists through the more than 30 tunnels uncovered by israeli troops and into six southern israeli communities on rosh hashanah in september of this year.
the plan was to kill and kidnap as many israelis as possible, according to the report.
israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu reportedly told the security cabinet about the discovered plot during late last week.
maariv quoted the security sources as saying the “unplanned war with hamas prevented a disaster on the order of the yom kippur war.”
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redditor* teɪks breɪk frəm ˈbraʊzɪŋ pɔrn tɪ ˈlɛkʧər ˈkrɪsʧɪnz ɔn ˌmɔˈræləˌti mɑntˈgəmri, ˈʤeɪsən ˈnɪksən, 32 tʊk ə breɪk frəm ə θriaʊər ˈmɛrəˌθɑn əv ˈbraʊzɪŋ ðə ˈpɑpjələr ˈwɛbˌsaɪt filthiest*, moʊst dɪˈplɔrəbəl ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ ɪnˈgeɪʤ wɪθ ən ˈɔnˌlaɪn dəˈbeɪt ɔn ˌmɔˈræləˌti ənd ˈɛθɪks wɪθ ən əˈpɛrənt ˈkrɪsʧɪn, ˈsɔrsəz kənˈfərmd ˈfraɪˌdeɪ. goʊɪŋ baɪ ðə ˈhændəl ˈnɪksən wɑz əˈlɛʤədli əˈtɛmptɪŋ tɪ ˈnævəˌgeɪt tɪ ə jɛt əˈnəðər peɪʤ ðət kəˈlɛkts ənd dɪˈspleɪz ˈhənərdz əv ˈθaʊzənz əv dɪsˈgəstɪŋ ənd ˈʃɑkɪŋ ˌpɔrnəˈgræfɪk ˈɪmɪʤɪz. bət ˈnɪksən mɪˈsteɪkənli klɪkt ɔn ðə page”*” ˈbətən, ˈteɪkɪŋ ɪm tɪ ə ɪn wɪʧ ˈpipəl əv ˈvɛriəs feɪθs dəˈbeɪt wən əˈnəðər ˈoʊvər ˈvɛriəs ˈɪʃuz. ˈspɑtɪŋ ə poʊst frəm ə ˈkrɪsʧɪn ˈkleɪmɪŋ ðət ðə ˈbaɪbəl wɑz ðə ˈprɑpər, ˈmɛtrɪk baɪ wɪʧ ˈɛni sɛns əv ˈpərsɪnəl ˌmɔˈræləˌti ɪz tɪ bi ʤəʤd, ˈnɪksən ənˈliʃt ɔl ðə ˈnɑlɪʤ hi hæd geɪnd frəm ˈsɛvərəl jɪrz əv ˈbraʊzɪŋ mimz ˈfiʧərɪŋ ˈrɪʧərd ˈdɔkɪnz ənd nil dɪˈgrɑsi ˈtaɪsən ɪn ðə, schooling”*” ðə bɪˈlivər. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈsɔrsəz, hi wɑz ənˈfɔrʧənətli bænd frəm ðə ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ɛz hɪz poʊst ˈvaɪəleɪtɪd ˈsɛvən əv ðə rulz əv ˈkɑndəkt. ˈhævɪŋ faɪərd ɔf hɪz ˈnɑˌkaʊt ˈsælvoʊ, ˈnɪksən ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli lɛft ðə peɪʤ ənd rɪˈzumd hɪz dɪˈspɪkəbəl ənd ˈʃeɪmfəl kənˈsəmʃən əv əbˈsin ənd əˈpɔlɪŋ ˈɪmɪʤɪz ðət hi wɑz ˈoʊnli ˈeɪbəl tɪ vju wɪˈθaʊt du tɪ ˈoʊvər twɛlv jɪrz əv ˌɪnˈtɛns desensitization*, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˈsɔrsəz.
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redditor takes ten-minute break from browsing porn to lecture christians on morality
montgomery, al—redditor jason nixon, 32, took a ten-minute break from a three-hour marathon of browsing the popular website reddit’s filthiest, most deplorable subreddits in order to engage with an online debate on morality and ethics with an apparent christian, sources confirmed friday.
going by the handle “diefundies83,” nixon was allegedly attempting to navigate to a yet another subreddit page that collects and displays hundreds of thousands of disgusting and shocking pornographic images. but nixon mistakenly clicked on the website’s “random page” button, taking him to a subreddit in which people of various faiths debate one another over various issues.
spotting a post from a self-declared christian claiming that the bible was the proper, god-given metric by which any sense of personal morality is to be judged, nixon unleashed all the knowledge he had gained from several years of browsing memes featuring richard dawkins and neil degrasse tyson in the website’s r/atheism subreddit, “totally schooling” the believer. according to sources, he was unfortunately banned from the subreddit however, as his post violated seven of the moderator’s rules of conduct.
having fired off his knockout salvo, nixon immediately left the page and resumed his despicable and shameful consumption of obscene and appalling images that he was only able to view without gagging due to over twelve years of intense desensitization, according to sources.
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ə ˈpeɪʃənt æt ən oʊˈhaɪoʊ ˈdɛntɪsts ˈɔfəs wɑz ˈəndər ˈnɪtrəs ˈɑkˌsaɪd ənd ˌæksəˈdɛnəli ʃɑt hɪmˈsɛlf ðɪs wik. ʤeɪmz waɪt ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ bɪˈlivd hi hərd hɪz sɛl foʊn ˈrɪŋɪŋ ənd wɛnt tɪ pɪk ɪt əp, bət gɑt hɪz gən, ˌriˈpɔrtəd. waɪt ʃɑt hɪmˈsɛlf ɪn ðə hænd, ənd ðə ˈbʊlət greɪzd hɪz ˈstəmək, ðə ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ˈsteɪʃən sɛd. skroʊl daʊn fər ˈvɪdioʊ ə ˈpeɪʃənt æt ən oʊˈhaɪoʊ ˈdɛntɪsts ˈɔfəs wɑz ˈəndər ˈnɪtrəs ˈɑkˌsaɪd ənd ˌæksəˈdɛnəli ʃɑt hɪmˈsɛlf ðɪs wik ˈsɑrʤənt. krɪˈstinə wɪθ ðə klɑrk ˈkaʊnti ˈʃɛrɪfs ˈɔfəs toʊld: 'goʊɪŋ tɪ ə ˈdɑktərz ˈɔfəs wɛr ju maɪt ˈpɑsəbli bi pleɪst ˈəndər səm kaɪnd əv ˌmɛdəˈkeɪʃən ðət meɪ ˈɔltər jʊr ˈmɛntəl ˈstætəs æt ðə pɔɪnt, ju maɪt nɑt wɔnt tɪ ˈkɛri ə ˈwɛpən ɪn ðɛr æt ðət taɪm. 'soʊ θɪŋk əˈbaʊt jʊr ˈseɪfti ənd ðə ˈseɪfti əv ðə ˈpipəl əraʊnd ju.' ə nu ˈkɑˌrlaɪl ˈdɛntəl grup ˈdɛntəl ˈwərkər sɛd ɪn ə 911 kɔl ˈbrɔdˌkæst baɪ ðə ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ˈsteɪʃən: 'wi hæv ə ˈpeɪʃənt hir ɪn ə ʧɛr. hi ˌæksəˈdɛnəli ʃɑt hɪmˈsɛlf wɪθ ə gən ɪn hɪz hænd.' ðə ˈwərkər sɛd ɪn ðə kɔl: 'hi wɑz ɪn ðə ʧɛr, ənd hi wɑz duɪŋ hɪz ˈfɪlɪŋ, ənd əm nɑt fər ʃʊr wət ˈhæpənd. hi gɑt hɪz gən ənd aɪ doʊnt noʊ.' waɪt ʃɑt hɪmˈsɛlf ɪn ðə hænd, ənd ðə ˈbʊlət greɪzd hɪz ˈstəmək ðə mæn wɑz ˈteɪkən tɪ ə ˈhɑˌspɪtəl fər ˈtritmənt əv ðə ˈɪnʤəri, wɪʧ ˈwəzənt kənˈsɪdərd ˈsɪriəs, ðə ˈsprɪŋˌfild ˌriˈpɔrtəd. noʊ ˈəðər ˈɪnʤəriz wər ˌriˈpɔrtəd. ˈsɑrʤənt. ʧæd braʊn sɪz ðə ˈpeɪʃənt həz ə ˈpərˌmɪt tɪ ˈkɛri ə kənˈsild ˈwɛpən. ðə mæn maɪt bi ʧɑrʤd wɪθ ˈjuzɪŋ ˈwɛpənz waɪl ˌɪnˈtɑksɪˌkeɪtɪd, ðə ˈnuzˌpeɪpər ˌriˈpɔrtəd.
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a 72-year-old patient at an ohio dentist's office was under nitrous oxide and accidentally shot himself this week.
james white on wednesday believed he heard his cell phone ringing and went to pick it up, but got his gun, wcmh reported.
white shot himself in the hand, and the bullet grazed his stomach, the tv station said.
scroll down for video
a 72-year-old patient at an ohio dentist's office was under nitrous oxide and accidentally shot himself this week
sgt. christina evans-fisher with the clark county sheriff's office told wcmh: 'going to a doctor's office where you might possibly be placed under some kind of medication that may alter your mental status at the point, you might not want to carry a weapon in there at that time.
'so think about your safety and the safety of the people around you.'
a new carlisle dental group dental worker said in a 911 call broadcast by the tv station: 'we have a patient here in a chair. he accidentally shot himself with a gun in his hand.'
the worker said in the call: 'he was in the chair, and he was doing his filling, and i'm not for sure what happened. he got his gun and i don't know.'
white shot himself in the hand, and the bullet grazed his stomach
the man was taken to a hospital for treatment of the injury, which wasn't considered serious, the springfield news-sun reported. no other injuries were reported.
sgt. chad brown says the patient has a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
the man might be charged with using weapons while intoxicated, the newspaper reported.
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nu ˈgeɪmˌpleɪ ənd əv stɔrm 3 hæv bɪn rɪˈvild! ðeɪ ˈfiʧər, bi,, hanzo*, ənd ə fju əv ðə ˈbætəlɪŋ ɪt aʊt! ɪn ðə ˈvɪdioʊ, ju meɪ ˈivɪn ˈnoʊtɪs ðə səˈpɔrt ˈaɪkɑn əv fu həz wət lʊks tɪ bi ənd rinnegan*! ðə ˈjɛloʊ ˈɔrə əraʊnd ɪn wən əv ðə ɪz fər ə tim əˈtæk. θæŋks ənd uchiha_ren*! ðiz ˈɪmɪʤɪz ər ˈɔlsoʊ ɪn ðə geɪmz ˈɔnˌlaɪn ˈɪmɪʤ ˈgæləri ɪf ju si ðɛm bɪˈloʊ.: ˈəltəmət ˈnɪnʤə stɔrm 3 ɪz ˌbænˈdaɪ geɪmz ənd fɔrθ ˈɛntri ɪn ðə stɔrm ˈsɪriz. ɪt wɪl bi əˈveɪləbəl fər ðə ˈsoʊni ˈpleɪˌsteɪʃən 3 ənd ˈmaɪˌkroʊˈsɔft 360 ɪn nɔrθ əˈmɛrɪkə ənd saʊθ əˈmɛrɪkə ɔn mɑrʧ 5 ˈjʊrəp ənd ɔˈstreɪljə ɔn mɑrʧ 8 ənd ʤəˈpæn ɔn ˈeɪprəl 18 2013 ðə ˈstɔri fər ðə geɪm wɪl bɪˈgɪn wɪθ ðə naɪn teɪld fɑks ˈɪnsədənt frəm 16 jɪrz əˈgoʊ, kənˈtɪnju ɔn tɪ ðə faɪv keɪʤ ɑrk, ənd goʊ əp tɪ ðə wɔr, ˈkəvərɪŋ ðə ˈleɪtəst ˈɛpɪˌsoʊdz əv ɛz ðeɪ ɛr ɪn ʤəˈpæn.
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new gameplay and screenshots of naruto storm 3 have been revealed! they feature sasuke, bee, naruto, hanzo, and a few of the jinchuriki battling it out! in the video, you may even notice the support icon of fu has what looks to be sharingan and rinnegan!
the yellow aura around sasuke in one of the screenshots is for a team attack.
thanks yokito85 and uchiha_ren!
these images are also in the anime games online image gallery if you can’t see them below.
naruto shippuden: ultimate ninja storm 3 is namco bandai games and cyberconnect2’s fourth entry in the storm series. it will be available for the sony playstation 3 and microsoft xbox 360 in north america and south america on march 5, europe and australia on march 8, and japan on april 18, 2013. the story for the game will begin with the nine tailed fox incident from 16 years ago, continue on to the five kage arc, and go up to the shinobi war, covering the latest episodes of naruto shippuden as they air in japan.
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ˈstɔri ˈhaɪˌlaɪts ˈprɛzɪdənt ˌoʊˈbɑmə ɪkˈsprɛsɪz kənˈsərn əˈbaʊt ˈreɪʃəl ˈproʊˌfaɪlɪŋ ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnəz ˈgəvərnər sɪz ðə hɑrt əv ðə lɔ rɪˈmeɪnz ˌɪnˈtækt θri ˈəðər ki pɑrts əˈpoʊzd baɪ ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt gɪt strək daʊn ˈʤəstɪsɪz ˈdɪfər ɔn ðə paʊər əv ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt ˈvərsəz ðə steɪts ðə juz. səˈprim kɔrt ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ strək daʊn ki pɑrts əv ən ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə lɔ ðət sɔt tɪ dɪˈtər ˌɪˈligəl ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən, bət lɛt stænd ə ˌkɑntrəˈvərʃəl prəˈvɪʒən əˈlaʊɪŋ pəˈlis tɪ ʧɛk ə ˈpərsənz ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈstætəs waɪl ɛnˈfɔrsɪŋ ˈəðər lɔz. ɪn ə dɪˈsɪʒən ʃʊr tɪ ˈrɪpəl əˈkrɔs ðə pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈlænˌskeɪp ɪn ə ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən jɪr, ðə kɔrts ˈrulɪŋ əˈphɛld ðə əˈθɔrəti əv ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt tɪ sɛt ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈpɑləsi ənd lɔz. "ðə ˈnæʃənəl ˈgəvərnmənt həz sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt paʊər tɪ ˈrɛgjəˌleɪt ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən," ˈʤəstɪs ˈænθɔˌni ˈkɛnədi roʊt ɪn ðə məˈʤɔrəti əˈpɪnjən. "ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə meɪ hæv ˌəndərˈstændəbəl frəˈstreɪʃənz wɪθ ðə ˈprɑbləmz kɔzd baɪ ˌɪˈligəl ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən waɪl ðət ˈprɔˌsɛs kənˈtɪnjuz, bət ðə steɪt meɪ nɑt pərˈsu ˈpɑləsiz ðət ˈəndərˌmaɪn ˈfɛdərəl lɔ." bət waɪl kənˈkludɪŋ ðət ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt həz ðə paʊər tɪ blɑk ðə lɔ, ðə kɔrt lɛt stænd wən əv ðə moʊst ˌkɑntrəˈvərʃəl pɑrts: ə prəˈvɪʒən ðət lɛts pəˈlis ʧɛk ə ˈpərsənz ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈstætəs waɪl ɛnˈfɔrsɪŋ ˈəðər lɔz ɪf "ˈrizənəbəl səˈspɪʃən" ɪgˈzɪsts ðət ðə ˈpərsən ɪz ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts ˌɪˈligəli. ˈkrɪtɪks sɛd ðət lɔ ˈoʊpənz ðə dɔr tɪ ˈreɪʃəl ˈproʊˌfaɪlɪŋ. "ðɛr ɪz ə ˈbeɪsɪk ənˈsərtənti əˈbaʊt wət ðə lɔ minz ənd haʊ ɪt wɪl bi ɛnˈfɔrst," ˈkɛnədi roʊt, ˈmeɪkɪŋ klɪr ðət ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə əˈθɔrətiz məst kəmˈplaɪ wɪθ ˈfɛdərəl lɔ ɪn kənˈdəktɪŋ ðə ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈstætəs ʧɛks ər feɪs ˈfərðər ˌkɑnstəˈtuʃənəl ˈʧælənʤɪz. ðə ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv ˈpəblɪk ˈseɪfti ənd ðə ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən əv ʧifs əv pəˈlis sɛd ɪt ˈwəzənt ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli klɪr ˈwɛðər əˈθɔrətiz wʊd bɪˈgɪn ˈʧɛkɪŋ ˈmoʊtərɪsts' ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈstætəs waɪl ɛnˈfɔrsɪŋ ˈəðər lɔz. ðeɪ rɪˈfərd kˈwɛsʧənz tɪ ðə ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə əˈtərni ˈʤɛnərəlz ˈɔfəs, wɪʧ dɪd nɑt ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli rɪˈtərn ə kɔl ˈmənˌdeɪ frəm ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn ˈsikɪŋ ˈkɑmɛnt, bət ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə gəv. ʤæn bruər toʊld rɪˈpɔrtərz ʃi ɪkˈspɛktɪd ðə prəˈvɪʒən wʊd goʊ ˈɪntu ˈifɛkt ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli. ʤɪst wɔʧt kɔrt tɪ ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə: ju wɛnt tu fɑr riˈpleɪ mɔr ˈvɪdioʊz məst wɔʧ kɔrt tɪ ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə: ju wɛnt tu fɑr ʤɪst wɔʧt ˈtubən: aɪ hæv ˈsɪmpəθi fər ˈɔfɪsərz riˈpleɪ mɔr ˈvɪdioʊz məst wɔʧ ˈtubən: aɪ hæv ˈsɪmpəθi fər ˈɔfɪsərz ʤɪst wɔʧt arpaio*: ˈrulɪŋ ə ˈvɪktəri fər riˈpleɪ mɔr ˈvɪdioʊz məst wɔʧ arpaio*: ˈrulɪŋ ə ˈvɪktəri fər ʤɪst wɔʧt rulz ɔn ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən lɔ riˈpleɪ mɔr ˈvɪdioʊz məst wɔʧ rulz ɔn ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən lɔ bruər, ə rɪˈpəblɪkən hu saɪnd ðə ˌlɛʤəsˈleɪʃən, kɔld ðə dɪˈsɪʒən "ə ˈvɪktəri fər ðə ˈpipəl əv ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ənd fər əˈmɛrɪkə." ɪn ən ˈɪntərvˌju ɔn ˈsiˈɛˈnɛnz "ʤɑn kɪŋ ˈjuˈɛˈseɪ," ʃi sɛd ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə pəˈlis ənd ˈʃɛrɪfs ˈdɛpjətiz hæv bɪn treɪnd tɪ əˈvɔɪd ˈreɪʃəl ˈproʊˌfaɪlɪŋ, "ənd ðeɪ doʊnt ˈproʊˌfaɪl." ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈbɑrək ˌoʊˈbɑmə ˈɔlsoʊ ɪkˈsprɛst kənˈsərn ðət ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈstætəs ʧɛks əˈlaʊd baɪ ˈmənˌdeɪz ˈrulɪŋ kʊd lɛd tɪ ˈreɪʃəl ˈproʊˌfaɪlɪŋ baɪ pəˈlis. ɪn ə ˈrɪtən ˈsteɪtmənt, ˌoʊˈbɑmə sɛd, "noʊ əˈmɛrɪkən ʃʊd ˈɛvər lɪv ˈəndər ə klaʊd əv səˈspɪʃən ʤɪst bɪˈkəz əv wət ðeɪ lʊk laɪk." ənd hɪz ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən sɛd ɪt wʊd nɑt əˈsɪst ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnəz ˈɛfərts. ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən əˈfɪʃəlz əˈnaʊnst ˈθərzˌdeɪ ðət ðeɪ hæv ˈkænsəld əˈgrimənts ðət əˈlaʊd səm ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə pəˈlis dɪˈpɑrtmənts tɪ ɛnˈfɔrs ˈfɛdərəl ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən lɔz, ənd ðə ˈʤəstɪs dɪˈpɑrtmənt sɛt əp ə ˈtɛləˌfoʊn ˈhɑˌtlaɪn ənd ˈiˌmeɪl ˈæˌdrɛs fər ðə ˈpəblɪk tɪ rɪˈpɔrt ˈsɪvəl raɪts kənˈsərnz əˈbaʊt ðə lɔz ɛnˈfɔrsmənt. bruər rɪˈspɑndɪd ˈæŋgrəli tɪ ðə dɪˈsɪʒən, ˈkɔlɪŋ ɪt "aʊˈtreɪʤəs." "aɪ θɪŋk ðɪs ɪz əˈnəðər əˈsɔlt ɔn ðə steɪt əv ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə," ʃi toʊld ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn. "ɪt bɪˈgæn wɪθ ðɛm ˈdaʊnˌpleɪɪŋ ɑr ˈbɔrdər ˈprɑbləm ənd ðɛm nɑt sɪˈkjʊrɪŋ ɪt, ənd ðɛn, ju noʊ, suɪŋ ðə steɪt əv ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə fər traɪɪŋ tɪ prəˈtɛkt ðə ˈpipəl əv ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ənd əv əˈmɛrɪkə, ðɛn duɪŋ ˈbækˌdɔr ˈæmnəsti." bruər toʊld rɪˈpɔrtərz ˈərliər ðət ʃi ɪkˈspɛktɪd ˈfərðər ˈlɔˌsuts ɔn ðə ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈstætəs ʧɛks, ˈædɪŋ, "ðɪs ˈsərtənli ɪz nɑt ðə ɛnd əv ɑr ˈʤərni." əˈpoʊnənts əv ðə ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə lɔ hæv dəbd ðə prəˈvɪʒən ðə "ʃoʊ mi jʊr ˈpeɪpərz" lɔ, ˈɑrgjuɪŋ ðət ɪt ənˈfɛrli ˈtɑrgəts lɑˈtinoʊs. "aɪ noʊ ðeɪ wɪl nɑt bi ˈjuzɪŋ ðət kaɪnd əv ˈtæktɪk ɔn ˈpipəl wɪθ ðə læst neɪm ˈrɑbərts, ˈrɑmni, ər bruər, bət ɪf jʊr neɪm ɪz ˈsəmθɪŋ laɪk guˈtjɛrɛz ər ʧəŋ ər ˌoʊˈbɑmə, wɔʧ aʊt," sɛd juz. rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. luis guˈtjɛrɛz, d-illinois*. "ðə ɪkˈsprɛs goʊl əv ðə ˈɔθərz əv ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnəz 1070 ɪz tɪ meɪk laɪf ˈmɪzərəbəl fər ˈɪməgrənts soʊ ðət ðeɪ wɪl liv, ənd ə ki tul ɪn ðət ˈɛfərt wɑz əˈphɛld baɪ ðə kɔrt." ənd rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. ˈʧɑrəlz gɑnˈzɑləz, ðə ˈʧɛrmən əv ðə kənˈgrɛʃənəl hɪˈspænɪk ˈkɔkəs, toʊld "ʤɑn kɪŋ ˈjuˈɛˈseɪ" ðət hi ɪkˈspɛkts ðə ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə lɔ wɪl lɛd tɪ ˈreɪʃəl ˈproʊˌfaɪlɪŋ "ɔn ə grænd skeɪl" ənd ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli kəm bæk ˌbiˈfɔr ðə kɔrt. "maɪ priˈdɪkʃən ɪz ðət ðə ˈəðər ʃu wɪl drɔp, ənd ðət ðɪs fɔrθ prəˈvɪʒən wɪl bi ruld ˌənˌkɑnstəˈtuʃənəl," sɛd gɑnˈzɑləz, d-texas*. ˈminˌwaɪl, ˈfɔrmər ˌmæsəˈʧusəts gəv. mɪt ˈrɑmni, ˌoʊˈbɑməz priˈzəmptɪv rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈʧælɪnʤər ɪn noʊˈvɛmbərz ɪˈlɛkʃən, bleɪmd ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt fər wət hi kɔld ə "ˈmədəl" lɛft ɪn ðə weɪk əv ðə kɔrts ˈrulɪŋ. "ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈprɑməst ɪn hɪz kæmˈpeɪn ðət ɪn hɪz fərst jɪr, hi wʊd teɪk ɔn ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ənd sɑlv ɑr ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈʧælənʤɪz, pʊt ɪn pleɪs ə ˈlɔŋˈtərm ˈproʊˌgræm tɪ kɛr fər ðoʊz hu wɔnt tɪ kəm hir ˈligəli, tɪ dil wɪθ ˌɪˈligəl ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən, tɪ dil wɪθ sɪˈkjʊrɪŋ ɑr ˈbɔrdərz," ˈrɑmni sɛd ˈdʊrɪŋ ə kæmˈpeɪn stɑp ɪn ðə ˈfinɪks ˈsəbərb əv ˈskɑtsˌdeɪl, ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə. "ɔl ðiz θɪŋz hi wɑz goʊɪŋ tɪ ɪn hɪz fərst jɪr. hi hæd ə ˈdɛməˌkræt haʊs ənd ə ˈdɛməˌkræt ˈsɛnɪt, bət hi ˈdɪdənt du ɪt. ˈɪzənt ɪt taɪm fər ðə əˈmɛrɪkən ˈpipəl tɪ æsk ɪm waɪ?" ʤɪst wɔʧt ki pɑrts əv ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən lɔ rɪˈʤɛktɪd riˈpleɪ mɔr ˈvɪdioʊz məst wɔʧ ki pɑrts əv ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən lɔ rɪˈʤɛktɪd ʤɪst wɔʧt ˈvɔɪsɪz əv ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən riˈpleɪ mɔr ˈvɪdioʊz məst wɔʧ ˈvɔɪsɪz əv ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ʤɪst wɔʧt gəˈlɛspi ɔn ˈrɑmniz ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən plæn riˈpleɪ mɔr ˈvɪdioʊz məst wɔʧ gəˈlɛspi ɔn ˈrɑmniz ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən plæn ʤɪst wɔʧt ˌoʊˈbɑmə: ˈkɑŋgrəs ʃʊd fɪks ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən riˈpleɪ mɔr ˈvɪdioʊz məst wɔʧ ˌoʊˈbɑmə: ˈkɑŋgrəs ʃʊd fɪks ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən bət gɑnˈzɑləz sɛd ˈrɑmni "noʊz ˈbɛtər." "ɪt həz nɑt bɪn ðə ˈdɛməˌkræts ɪn ˈkɑŋgrəs hu hæv pʊʃt bæk, ɪt həz bɪn ðə rɪˈpəblɪkənz," hi sɛd. ðə ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə lɔ ˈʤɛnərˌeɪtɪd ˌɪˈmiˌdiət ˈkɑntrəˌvərsi ˈæftər bruər saɪnd ɪt ɪn ˈeɪprəl 2010 ðə əˈmɛrɪkən ˈsɪvəl ˈlɪbərˌtiz ˈjunjən ˈɪʃud ə ˈtrævəl əˈlərt fər ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə, ənd ˈdəzənz əv grups ˈkænsəld ˈmitɪŋz ər kənˈvɛnʃənz. ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt ˈʧælənʤd fɔr prəˈvɪʒənz əv ðə ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə lɔ ðət ˈnɛvər wər ɛnˈfɔrst, ˈpɛndɪŋ ðə ˈligəl ˈrulɪŋ. prəˈvɪʒənz strək daʊn ˌɪnˈkludɪd: ˈɔθərˌaɪzɪŋ pəˈlis tɪ ərˈɛst ˌɪˈligəl ˈɪməgrənts wɪˈθaʊt ˈwɔrənt wɛr "ˈprɑbəbəl kɔz" ɪgˈzɪsts ðət ðeɪ kəˈmɪtɪd ˈɛni ˈpəblɪk əˈfɛns ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðɛm rɪˈmuvəbəl frəm ðə ˈkəntri. ˈmeɪkɪŋ ɪt ə steɪt kraɪm fər "əˈnɔθərˌaɪzd ˈɪməgrənts" tɪ feɪl tɪ ˈkɛri ˌrɛʤɪˈstreɪʃən ˈpeɪpərz ənd ˈəðər ˈgəvərnmənt aɪˌdɛntəfəˈkeɪʃən. fərˈbɪdɪŋ ðoʊz nɑt ˈɔθərˌaɪzd fər ɪmˈplɔɪmənt ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts tɪ əˈplaɪ, səˈlɪsɪt ər pərˈfɔrm wərk. ðət wʊd ˌɪnˈklud ˌɪˈligəl ˈɪməgrənts ˈstændɪŋ ɪn ə ˈpɑrkɪŋ lɔt hu "ˈʤɛsʧər ər nɑd" ðɛr ˈwɪlɪŋnəs tɪ bi ɪmˈplɔɪd. "ˈtudeɪz ˈrulɪŋ əˈproʊpriɪtli bɑrz ðə steɪt əv ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə frəm ˈifɛktɪvli ˈkrɪmənəˌlaɪzɪŋ ənˈlɔfəl ˈstætəs ɪn ðə steɪt ənd kənˈfərmz ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənts ɪkˈsklusɪv əˈθɔrəti tɪ ˈrɛgjəˌleɪt ɪn ðə ˈɛriə əv ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən," əˈtərni ˈʤɛnərəl ˈɛrɪk ˈhoʊldər sɛd ɪn ə ˈsteɪtmənt. bət ˈtɛksəs rɛpriˈzɛtətɪv. lɑˈmɑr smɪθ, ðə rɪˈpəblɪkən ˈʧɛrmən əv ðə haʊs ʤuˈdɪʃiˌɛri kəˈmɪti, sɛd ˈmənˌdeɪz ˈrulɪŋ "ɛˈsɛnʃəli pʊts ən ɛnd tɪ ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ɛnˈfɔrsmənt sɪns ðə steɪts noʊ ˈlɔŋgər kən stɛp ɪn ənd fɪl ðə vɔɪd kriˈeɪtɪd baɪ ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən." ðə haɪ kɔrt məˈʤɔrəti ɪn ðə keɪs ˌɪnˈkludɪd ˈkɛnədi, ʧif ˈʤəstɪs ʤɑn ˈrɑbərts, ˈʤəstɪs ˈstivən breɪər, ˈʤəstɪs ruθ ˈbædər ˈgɪnzbərg ənd ˈʤəstɪs ˈsoʊnˌjɑ ˌsoʊtoʊmeɪˈɔr. ˈʤəstɪs ˌɛˈleɪnɑ ˈkeɪgən dɪd nɑt hir ðə keɪs. ˌbiˈfɔr ˈteɪkɪŋ ðə bɛnʧ læst jɪr, ʃi hæd bɪn ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn ðə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃənz ˌɪˈnɪʃəl ˈligəl ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən tɪ ðə lɔ ɛz səˈlɪsətər ˈʤɛnərəl. ˈʤəstɪs ˈæntənɪn ˈskɑljə, ˈraɪtɪŋ fər ðə məˈnɔrəti, ˈɑrgjud ðə kɔrts ˈrulɪŋ ɪnˈkroʊʧɪz ɔn ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnəz ˈsɑvrən paʊərz. "ɪf sɪˈkjʊrɪŋ ɪts ˈtɛrɪˌtɔri ɪn ðɪs ˈfæʃən ɪz nɑt wɪˈθɪn ðə paʊər əv ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə, wi ʃʊd sis rɪˈfərɪŋ tɪ ɪt ɛz ə ˈsɑvrən steɪt," ˈskɑljə roʊt ɪn ə dɪˈsɛnt bækt baɪ ˈʤəstɪsɪz ˈsæmjul əˈlitoʊ ənd ˈklɛrəns ˈtɑməs. səˈpɔrtərz əv ðə ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ˈmɛʒər kənˈtɛnd ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt həz feɪld tɪ ɛnˈfɔrs ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən lɔz, ˈlivɪŋ ɪt tɪ steɪts tɪ teɪk ðɛr oʊn stɛps tɪ dil wɪθ ˈmaʊntɪŋ ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ənd ˈsoʊʃəl ˈprɑbləmz kɔzd baɪ ˌɪˈligəl ˈɪməgrənts. ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ, tu ˈsinjər ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən əˈfɪʃəlz sɛd ðə dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv ˈhoʊmˌlænd sɪˈkjʊrəti ɪkˈspɛkts ˌɪnˈkrist rɪkˈwɛsts frəm ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə pəˈlis tɪ ʧɛk ðə ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈstætəs əv ˈsəˌspɛkts. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ðeɪ sɛd ðə dɪˈpɑrtmənt wɪl gɪt ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ˈoʊnli ɪn ˈkeɪsɪz səʧ ɛz ˈfɛləni əˈfɛndərz, rɪˈpit ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈvaɪəleɪtərz ər ˈnuli əraɪvd ˌɪˈligəl ˈɪməgrənts. ðə ˈpɑləsi rɪˈflɛkts ðə dɪˈpɑrtmənts ˈpɑləsi əv praɪˈɔrəˌtaɪzɪŋ haʊ ɪt spɛnz ɪts ˈrisɔrsɪz, ðə əˈfɪʃəlz sɛd. səʧ praɪˈɔrəˌtaɪzɪŋ əv ˈrisɔrsɪz wɑz ˈsaɪtɪd ɛz ðə ˈbeɪsɪs fər ə ˈrisənt dɪˈsɪʒən tɪ hɔlt ˌdipɔrˈteɪʃənz əv səm jəŋ ˌɪˈligəl ˈɪməgrənts hu keɪm tɪ əˈmɛrɪkə ɛz ˈʧɪldrən, hæd klin ˈrɛkərdz ənd wər ˈstudənts ər sərvd ɪn ðə ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri. ɪn hɪz dɪˈsɛnt, ˈskɑljə ˈnoʊtɪd səʧ səˈlɛktɪv ɛnˈfɔrsmənt əv ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən lɔz, ˈraɪtɪŋ, "tɪ seɪ, ɛz ðə kɔrt dɪz, ðət ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ˌkɑntrəˈdɪkts ˈfɛdərəl lɔ baɪ ɛnˈfɔrsɪŋ ˌæpləˈkeɪʃənz əv ðə ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ækt ðət ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt dɪˈklaɪnz tɪ ɛnˈfɔrs ˈbɑgəlz ðə maɪnd." ˈsɛvərəl ˈəðər steɪts ˈfɑloʊd ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnəz lɛd baɪ ˈpæsɪŋ lɔz mɛnt tɪ dɪˈtər ˌɪˈligəl ˈɪməgrənts. ˈsɪmələr lɔz ər ˈəndər ˈʧælənʤ ɪn loʊər kɔrts ɪn ˈʤɔrʤə, ˌæləˈbæmə, ˈjuˌtɔ, ˌɪndiˈænə ənd saʊθ ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə. ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnəz əˈpil ɪz ðə fərst tɪ riʧ ðə səˈprim kɔrt. "ˈhoʊpfəli ˈtudeɪz dɪˈsɪʒən wɪl spər ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt tɪ ɛnˈfɔrs ðə rul əv lɔ ɪn ðə ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ərˈinə," sɛd ə ˈsteɪtmənt baɪ ˌæləˈbæmə əˈtərni ˈʤɛnərəl ˈluθər streɪnʤ. "maɪ ˈɔfəs wɪl bi rivˈjuɪŋ ˈtudeɪz dɪˈsɪʒən tɪ dɪˈtərmən ðə fʊl ɪkˈstɛnt əv ɪts ˌɪmˈpækt ɔn ˌæləˈbæməz lɔ ənd ðə ˈpɛndɪŋ ˌlɪtəˈgeɪʃən." dæn kəˈwɑlski, əv ˈbɛndərz ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈbʊlɪtən ənd ən ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈlɔjər æt ðə ˈfaʊlər lɔ fərm ɪn ˈɔstən, ˈtɛksəs, sɛd ˈmənˌdeɪz ˈrulɪŋ minz steɪts hæv tɪ "ˈrɪli ˈɔlˌmoʊst goʊ bæk tɪ skwɛr wən ənd ˈrɪli riˈθɪŋk ðɛr əˈproʊʧ ənd haʊ məʧ taɪm ənd ˈməni ðeɪ wɔnt tɪ pʊt ˈɪntu ðiz taɪps əv ˈstæʧuts." "ðɛr goʊɪŋ tɪ hæv tɪ spɛnd ə lɔt əv ˈməni ɔn ˈlɔjərz tɪ traɪ tɪ kræft ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət ðeɪ θɪŋk kən wɪθˈstænd səˈprim kɔrt ˈskrutəni," hi sɛd, ˈædɪŋ ðət steɪts ˈɔlsoʊ wɪl "hæv tɪ ˈbəʤɪt ˈməni fər ˈfərðər ˌlɪtəˈgeɪʃən bɪˈkəz, noʊ ˈmætər wət ðeɪ prəˈpoʊz ɔn ə steɪt ˈlɛvəl, ɪts goʊɪŋ tɪ bi ˈʧælənʤd. ðət kɔsts ə lɔt əv ˈməni. soʊ ðɛr goʊɪŋ tɪ hæv tɪ ˈfɪgjər aʊt ɪf ɪts wərθ ɪt." fɛd əp wɪθ ˌɪˈligəl ˈɪməgrənts ˈkrɔsɪŋ frəm ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ ənd wət ðeɪ seɪ ɪz ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənts ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪti tɪ stɑp ɪt ˈlɛʤəsˌleɪtərz ɪn ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə pæst ðə təf ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən lɔ ɪn 2010 ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt sud, seɪɪŋ ðət ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ˈoʊvərˌriʧt. æt ˈɪʃu wɑz ˈwɛðər steɪts hæv ˈɛni əˈθɔrəti tɪ stɛp ɪn tɪ ˈrɛgjəˌleɪt ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ˈmætərz ər ˈwɛðər ðət ɪz ðə ɪkˈsklusɪv roʊl əv ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt. ɪn draɪ ˈligəl tərmz, ðɪs ˌkɑnstəˈtuʃənəl ˈɪʃu ɪz noʊn ɛz pre-emption*. ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnə ɪz ðə ˈneɪʃənz moʊst ˈhɛvəli ˈtrævəld ˈkɔrɪdər fər ˌɪˈligəl ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ənd sˈməgəlɪŋ. ðə keɪs riʧt ðə səˈprim kɔrt ˈæftər ˈfɛdərəl kɔrts hæd blɑkt fɔr ˈɛləmənts əv ðə steɪts səˈpɔrt ɑr lɔ ɛnˈfɔrsmənt ənd seɪf ˈneɪbərˌhʊdz ækt, noʊn ɛz 1070 ðə ˈʤəstɪs dɪˈpɑrtmənt sɛd ˌɛrɪˈzoʊnəz ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃən əv 2 ˈmɪljən lɑˈtinoʊs ˌɪnˈkludz ən ˈɛstəˌmeɪtɪd ðɛr ˌɪˈligəli, ənd 60 tɪ 70 əv ˌdipɔrˈteɪʃənz ər "rɪˈmuvəlz" ˌɪnˈvɑlv ˈmɛksəkən ˈnæʃənəlz. ðə pju hɪˈspænɪk ˈsɛnər ˈrisəntli ˈɪʃud ə rɪˈpɔrt ðət faʊnd ðət ˈmɛksəkən ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən tɪ ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts həz kəm tɪ ə ˈstændˌstɪl. ðə ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈdaʊnˌtərn ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts ənd ˈbɛtər kənˈdɪʃənz ɪn ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ, əˈlɔŋ wɪθ ˌdipɔrˈteɪʃənz ənd ˈəðər ɛnˈfɔrsmənt, hæv lɛd ˈmɛni tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ðə dəˈbeɪt kənˈtɪnjuz ɛz mɔr ðən 10 ˈmɪljən əˈnɔθərˌaɪzd ˈɪməgrənts frəm ˈmɛksəˌkoʊ ənd ˈəðər ˈkəntriz kənˈtɪnju tɪ lɪv ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts. ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən sɛd ˈmənˌdeɪ ðət ɪt həz ˌɪnˈkrist boʊθ ˈbɔrdər pəˈtroʊl ənd ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ənd ˈkəstəmz ɛnˈfɔrsmənt ˈstæfɪŋ ənd ˈteɪkən ˈəðər stɛps ðət hɛlpt kət ˈbɔrdər ˌæprɪˈhɛnʃənz ɪn hæf sɪns 2008 ˈivɪn ɪf ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən həz sloʊd tɪ loʊz nɑt sin ɪn ˈdɛkeɪdz, prəˈpoʊnənts əv təf ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən lɔz wɔnt tɪ bif əp ɛnˈfɔrsmənt əˈhɛd əv ˈɛni fˈjuʧər ˈprɛʃərz.
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story highlights president obama expresses concern about racial profiling
arizona's governor says the heart of the law remains intact
three other key parts opposed by the federal government get struck down
justices differ on the power of the federal government versus the states
the u.s. supreme court on monday struck down key parts of an arizona law that sought to deter illegal immigration, but let stand a controversial provision allowing police to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws.
in a decision sure to ripple across the political landscape in a presidential election year, the court's 5-3 ruling upheld the authority of the federal government to set immigration policy and laws.
"the national government has significant power to regulate immigration," justice anthony kennedy wrote in the majority opinion. "arizona may have understandable frustrations with the problems caused by illegal immigration while that process continues, but the state may not pursue policies that undermine federal law."
but while concluding that the federal government has the power to block the law, the court let stand one of the most controversial parts: a provision that lets police check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws if "reasonable suspicion" exists that the person is in the united states illegally. critics said that law opens the door to racial profiling.
"there is a basic uncertainty about what the law means and how it will be enforced," kennedy wrote, making clear that arizona authorities must comply with federal law in conducting the immigration status checks or face further constitutional challenges.
the arizona department of public safety and the arizona association of chiefs of police said it wasn't immediately clear whether authorities would begin checking motorists' immigration status while enforcing other laws. they referred questions to the arizona attorney general's office, which did not immediately return a call monday from cnn seeking comment, but arizona gov. jan brewer told reporters she expected the provision would go into effect immediately.
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brewer, a republican who signed the legislation, called the decision "a victory for the people of arizona and for america." in an interview on cnn's "john king usa," she said arizona police and sheriff's deputies have been trained to avoid racial profiling, "and they don't profile."
president barack obama also expressed concern that immigration status checks allowed by monday's ruling could lead to racial profiling by police. in a written statement, obama said, "no american should ever live under a cloud of suspicion just because of what they look like."
and his administration said it would not assist arizona's efforts. administration officials announced thursday that they have canceled agreements that allowed some arizona police departments to enforce federal immigration laws, and the justice department set up a telephone hotline and e-mail address for the public to report civil rights concerns about the law's enforcement.
brewer responded angrily to the decision, calling it "outrageous."
"i think this is another assault on the state of arizona," she told cnn. "it began with them downplaying our border problem and them not securing it, and then, you know, suing the state of arizona for trying to protect the people of arizona and of america, then doing backdoor amnesty."
brewer told reporters earlier that she expected further lawsuits on the immigration status checks, adding, "this certainly is not the end of our journey."
opponents of the arizona law have dubbed the immigration-status provision the "show me your papers" law, arguing that it unfairly targets latinos.
"i know they will not be using that kind of tactic on people with the last name roberts, romney, or brewer, but if your name is something like gutierrez or chung or obama, watch out," said u.s. rep. luis gutierrez, d-illinois. "the express goal of the authors of arizona's sb 1070 is to make life miserable for immigrants so that they will leave, and a key tool in that effort was upheld by the court."
and rep. charles gonzalez, the chairman of the congressional hispanic caucus, told "john king usa" that he expects the arizona law will lead to racial profiling "on a grand scale" and eventually come back before the court.
"my prediction is that the other shoe will drop, and that this fourth provision will be ruled unconstitutional," said gonzalez, d-texas.
meanwhile, former massachusetts gov. mitt romney, obama's presumptive republican challenger in november's election, blamed the president for what he called a "muddle" left in the wake of the court's ruling.
"the president promised in his campaign that in his first year, he would take on immigration and solve our immigration challenges, put in place a long-term program to care for those who want to come here legally, to deal with illegal immigration, to deal with securing our borders," romney said during a campaign stop in the phoenix suburb of scottsdale, arizona. "all these things he was going to in his first year. he had a democrat house and a democrat senate, but he didn't do it. isn't it time for the american people to ask him why?"
just watched key parts of immigration law rejected replay more videos ... must watch key parts of immigration law rejected 02:36
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but gonzalez said romney "knows better."
"it has not been the democrats in congress who have pushed back, it has been the republicans," he said.
the arizona law generated immediate controversy after brewer signed it in april 2010. the american civil liberties union issued a travel alert for arizona, and dozens of groups canceled meetings or conventions. the federal government challenged four provisions of the arizona law that never were enforced, pending the legal ruling.
provisions struck down included:
-- authorizing police to arrest illegal immigrants without warrant where "probable cause" exists that they committed any public offense making them removable from the country.
-- making it a state crime for "unauthorized immigrants" to fail to carry registration papers and other government identification.
-- forbidding those not authorized for employment in the united states to apply, solicit or perform work. that would include illegal immigrants standing in a parking lot who "gesture or nod" their willingness to be employed.
"today's ruling appropriately bars the state of arizona from effectively criminalizing unlawful status in the state and confirms the federal government's exclusive authority to regulate in the area of immigration," attorney general eric holder said in a statement.
but texas rep. lamar smith, the republican chairman of the house judiciary committee, said monday's ruling "essentially puts an end to immigration enforcement since the states no longer can step in and fill the void created by the obama administration."
the high court majority in the case included kennedy, chief justice john roberts, justice steven breyer, justice ruth bader ginsburg and justice sonia sotomayor. justice elena kagan did not hear the case. before taking the bench last year, she had been involved in the administration's initial legal opposition to the law as solicitor general.
justice antonin scalia, writing for the minority, argued the court's ruling encroaches on arizona's sovereign powers.
"if securing its territory in this fashion is not within the power of arizona, we should cease referring to it as a sovereign state," scalia wrote in a dissent backed by justices samuel alito and clarence thomas.
supporters of the arizona measure contend the federal government has failed to enforce existing immigration laws, leaving it to states to take their own steps to deal with mounting economic and social problems caused by illegal immigrants.
on monday, two senior administration officials said the department of homeland security expects increased requests from arizona police to check the immigration status of suspects. however, they said the department will get involved only in high-priority cases such as felony offenders, repeat immigration violators or newly arrived illegal immigrants.
the policy reflects the department's policy of prioritizing how it spends its resources, the officials said. such prioritizing of resources was cited as the basis for a recent decision to halt deportations of some young illegal immigrants who came to america as children, had clean records and were students or served in the military.
in his dissent, scalia noted such selective enforcement of immigration laws, writing, "to say, as the court does, that arizona contradicts federal law by enforcing applications of the immigration act that the president declines to enforce boggles the mind."
several other states followed arizona's lead by passing laws meant to deter illegal immigrants. similar laws are under challenge in lower courts in georgia, alabama, utah, indiana and south carolina. arizona's appeal is the first to reach the supreme court.
"hopefully today's decision will spur the federal government to enforce the rule of law in the immigration arena," said a statement by alabama attorney general luther strange. "my office will be reviewing today's decision to determine the full extent of its impact on alabama's law and the pending litigation."
dan kowalski, editor-in-chief of bender's immigration bulletin and an immigration lawyer at the fowler law firm in austin, texas, said monday's ruling means states have to "really almost go back to square one and really rethink their approach and how much time and money they want to put into these types of statutes."
"they're going to have to spend a lot of money on lawyers to try to craft something that they think can withstand supreme court scrutiny," he said, adding that states also will "have to budget money for further litigation because, no matter what they propose on a state level, it's going to be challenged. that costs a lot of money. so they're going to have to figure out if it's worth it."
fed up with illegal immigrants crossing from mexico -- and what they say is the federal government's inability to stop it -- legislators in arizona passed the tough immigration law in 2010. the federal government sued, saying that arizona overreached.
at issue was whether states have any authority to step in to regulate immigration matters or whether that is the exclusive role of the federal government. in dry legal terms, this constitutional issue is known as pre-emption.
arizona is the nation's most heavily traveled corridor for illegal immigration and smuggling.
the case reached the supreme court after federal courts had blocked four elements of the state's support our law enforcement and safe neighborhoods act, known as sb 1070.
the justice department said arizona's population of 2 million latinos includes an estimated 400,000 there illegally, and 60% to 70% of deportations or "removals" involve mexican nationals.
the pew hispanic center recently issued a report that found that mexican immigration to the united states has come to a standstill.
the economic downturn in the united states and better conditions in mexico, along with deportations and other enforcement, have led many to return to mexico.
however, the debate continues as more than 10 million unauthorized immigrants -- from mexico and other countries -- continue to live in the united states.
the obama administration said monday that it has increased both border patrol and immigration and customs enforcement staffing and taken other steps that helped cut border apprehensions in half since 2008.
even if immigration has slowed to lows not seen in decades, proponents of tough immigration laws want to beef up enforcement ahead of any future pressures.
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wət ɪz ðɪs? ɪn ˈjunəˌvərs, ðə (ˌɑrtəˈfɪʃəl ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˌæpləˈkeɪʃənz dɪˈvɪʒən) ɪz ən ɪkˌspɛrɪˈmɛntəl ˈrisərʧ dɪˈvɪʒən ðət ˈtɛknɪkəli ɪgˈzɪsts ɛz ə brænʧ dɪˈvɪʒən wɪˈθɪn ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən ɪt dɪˈpɑrtmənt. ðə dɪˈvɪʒənz soʊl ˈpərpəs ɪz tɪ dɪˈvɛləp, ˈstədi, ənd ˈjutəˌlaɪz ðə ˈbərʤənɪŋ fild əv ðə eɪaɪ ˈsaɪənsɪz. ɪt ɪz ə fild ðət ɪz boʊθ ˈfæsəˌneɪtɪŋ, ˌmɪsəndərˈstʊd, ənd ɪn səm ˈkeɪsɪz riˈzɛnəd. ˈɑrgjuəbli ðə bɛst dɪˈvɪʒən ɪn ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən. ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən ˌəndərˈstændz ðət ɪf ðeɪ ər nɑt ˌɪnˈvɛstɪŋ taɪm ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ ðɪs ˈkətɪŋ ɛʤ tɛk, səm ˈəðər ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ɪz. ɪn fækt ðɛrz ˈɛvədəns ɔˈrɛdi ˈprɛzənt ðət səʧ tɛk ɪz biɪŋ ˈɛksərˌsaɪzd ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən. ðət fækt əˈloʊn ɪz ɪˈnəf tɪ kip səˈplaɪd wɪθ ə ˈhɛlθi ˈænjuəl ˈbəʤɪt tɪ fənd ɪts ˈprɑʤɛkts. ˈstrəkʧərəli, ðɛrz ˈplɛnti əv ˈrisərʧərz ɔn stæf wɪθ ə ˈməltəˌtud əv rɪˈleɪtɪd ˈbækˌgraʊndz frəm kəmˈpjutər ˈsaɪənsɪz tɪ kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃən tɛkˈnɪʃənz. ðə ɔn faɪl iʧ hæv ðɛr oʊn maɪndz tɪ ˈɛksərˌsaɪz ðɛr dɪˈsɪʒənz; ɔl kɛpt ɪn ʧɛk baɪ ðɛr ˌhɑrdˈwaɪərd "ˈstændərd ˈprɪnsəpəlz". təˈgɛðər, ðeɪ ˈrisərʧ nu weɪz tɪ kriˈeɪt ənd dɪˈfɛnd əˈgɛnst ˈhɑstəl wənz ɪn ðə neɪm əv nɑt ˈoʊnli ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən, bət fər juˈmænɪti ɛz wɛl. ("ˈskaɪˌnɛt") ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən ˌəndərˈstændz ðət ɛz ðə wərld bɪˈkəmz mɔr ˌtɛknəˈlɑʤɪkəl ənd dɪˈpɛndənt ɔn ðət tɛkˈnɑləʤi, ðɛr məst bi ə ˈprɛzəns ˌɪnˈsaɪd boʊθ ˈmɑnətərɪŋ ənd prəˈtɛktɪŋ ɪt. ɪt wɑz mɔr ər lɛs ˈhæfəzərdli ðət wɑz kriˈeɪtɪd ɛz kaɪnd əv ə "knee-jerk*" riˈækʃən tɪ ə ˈkrɪtɪkəl ˈprɑbləm ðət ˈwəzənt ˈfʊli ˌəndərˈstʊd. æt ɪts kɔr, ˈpərpəs ɪz tɪ træk, ˌɪnˈvɛstəˌgeɪt, ənd ɪf ˈpɑsəbəl ˌɪnˈtænʤəbəl θrɛts tɪ boʊθ ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən ənd ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt æt lɑrʤ. ˈmɛni taɪmz ðɪs minz əˈsumɪŋ ðə roʊl əv ə fɔrs. bɪˈkəz pəˈtroʊlɪŋ ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt fər θrɛts ðət kən boʊθ muv ənd θɪŋk æt ɪz ʤɪst ˌɪmˈpɑsəbəl fər ˈɛni ˈjumən, ɪt rɪˈlaɪz ɔn tɪ du ðə ˈdərti wərk ɔn bɪˈhæf əv ðɛm. ðə rɪˈkrutɪd ər kɛpt ɔn ə ˈvɛri ʃɔrt liʃ baɪ boʊθ ˈrisərʧərz ənd ˌælɪgˈzændrə bæk æt ˈɑbviəsli ˈkipɪŋ ɪn ʧɛk ənd ˈmeɪkɪŋ ʃʊr ðeɪ bɪˈheɪv waɪl ðeɪ ər aʊt ɪn ðə ril wərld ɪz ə ˈvɛri bɪg kənˈsərn əv ðə. hɛns ðɛrz ə groʊɪŋ kənˈsɛnsəs ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ðə dɪˈvɪʒən ðət ɪz əˈtɛmptɪŋ tɪ hæv ðə dɪsˈbændɪd fər fɪr əv ɪt bloʊɪŋ əp ɪn ðɛr ˈfeɪsɪz məʧ laɪk əˈnəðər pæst mɪˈsteɪk. ðɛrz ˈplɛnti əv ˈprɛʃər ɔn boʊθ saɪdz skˈwizɪŋ daʊn ɔn tɪ kip θɪŋz haɪ ənd taɪt ənˈtɪl ə dɪˈsɪʒən ɪz meɪd wən weɪ ər ðə ˈəðər. ðə ˈnɛtˌwərk ðə ər ə dɪˌnɔməˈneɪʃən əv ðə ʧərʧ əv ðə ˈbroʊkən gɑd ɛz ɪkˈspleɪnd bɪˈloʊ: "ðə "ʧərʧ əv maxwellism*" (goi-004c*) ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnts ə ˈmɑdərˌnaɪzd, ˌkɑmpjəˈteɪʃən ənd ˈnɛtˌwərk ˈɔriˌɛntɪd minz əv ˈwərʃɪp. noʊ ˈsɛntrəl ˈɔrgəˌnaɪzɪŋ ʧərʧ ˈbɑdi ɪz noʊn tɪ ɪgˈzɪst. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ˈɪntərvˌjuz ənd ˈkoʊvərt sərˈveɪləns həz dɪˈtərmənd ðət ɔl noʊn sɛlz ər ɪn ˈrɛgjələr ˈkɑnˌtækt wɪθ wən əˈnəðər, ənd ˈkeɪpəbəl əv koʊˌɔrdəˈneɪʃən. ˈfeɪvər ˈbɑdi ˌmɑdəfəˈkeɪʃən θru ðə juz əv ədˈvænst ənd ˈɔrgən ɛnˈhænsmənt. waɪl ˌɑrtəˈfɪʃəl lɪmz ər ˌriɪnˈfɔrst ˈskɛlətənz hæv bɪn əbˈzərvd, ˌɪmˈplænts ˈfoʊkɪs praɪˈmɛrəli ɔn kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃən, ˈdætə ˈstɔrɪʤ, ənd ˈnɛtˌwərkɪŋ ˌkeɪpəˈbɪlətiz, ənd ˈsɛnsəri ɛnˈhænsmənt." wɪˈθɪn ðə ˈkænən, ðeɪ ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt ə ˈsɛpərˌeɪt ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ðət ɪz ˈniðər bɪˈnaɪn nɔr ˈhɑstəl. ˈrəðər ðeɪ wʊd prɪˈfər tɪ nɑt bi dɪˈstərbd ənd ˈkɑndəkt ðɛr oʊn ˈbɪznɪs ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv faʊnˈdeɪʃən ˈnɑlɪʤ. məʧ əv ðə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp bɪtˈwin ənd həz bɪn rɪˈvild ɪn teɪl ˈbeɪsɪk ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃənz. ɪn ðɪs, ɪt ɪz ɪkˈspleɪnd haʊ ðə ˈnɛtˌwərk ənd ˈhaɪˌrɑrki ˈɑpərˌeɪts. fər mɔr ˈditeɪlz pliz rɪˈfər tɪ ðɪs poʊst.
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what is this?
aiad
in universe, the aiad (artificial intelligence applications division) is an experimental research division that technically exists as a branch division within the scp foundation it department. the division's sole purpose is to develop, study, and utilize the burgeoning field of the ai sciences. it is a field that is both fascinating, misunderstood, and in some cases resented.
arguably the best division in the foundation.
the foundation understands that if they are not investing time understanding this cutting edge tech, some other organization is. in fact there's evidence already present that such tech is being exercised outside of the foundation. that fact alone is enough to keep aiad supplied with a healthy annual budget to fund its projects.
structurally, there's plenty of researchers on staff with a multitude of related backgrounds from computer sciences to communication technicians. the aics on file each have their own minds to exercise their decisions; all kept in check by their hardwired "standard principles". together, they research new ways to create consciousnesses and defend against hostile ones in the name of not only the foundation, but for humanity as well.
mtf kappa-10 ("skynet")
the foundation understands that as the world becomes more technological and dependent on that technology, there must be a presence inside both monitoring and protecting it. it was more or less haphazardly that mtf k-10 was created as kind of a "knee-jerk" reaction to a critical problem that wasn't fully understood.
at its core, mtf k-10's purpose is to track, investigate, and if possible capture/neutralize intangible threats to both the scp foundation and the internet at large. many times this means assuming the role of a counter-ai force. because patrolling the internet for threats that can both move and think at light-speed is just impossible for any human, it relies on aics to do the dirty work on behalf of them. the aics recruited are kept on a very short leash by both researchers and alexandra back at site-19.
obviously keeping aics in check and making sure they behave while they are out in the real world is a very big concern of the aiad. hence there's a growing consensus outside of the division that is attempting to have the mtf disbanded for fear of it blowing up in their faces much like another past mistake. there's plenty of pressure on both sides squeezing down on aiad to keep things high and tight until a decision is made one way or the other.
the maxwellist network
the maxwellists are a denomination of the church of the broken god as explained below:
"the "church of maxwellism" (goi-004c) represents a modernized, computation and network oriented means of worship. no central organizing church body is known to exist. however, interviews and covert surveillance has determined that all known cells are in regular contact with one another, and capable of coordination. maxwellists favour small-scale body modification through the use of advanced cybernetics and organ enhancement. while artificial limbs or reinforced skeletons have been observed, maxwellist implants focus primarily on communication, data storage, and networking capabilities, and sensory enhancement."
within the aiad canon, they represent a separate organization that is neither benign nor hostile. rather they would prefer to not be disturbed and conduct their own business outside of foundation knowledge. much of the relationship between aiad and maxwellists has been revealed in sunnyclockwork's tale basic observations. in this, it is explained how the maxwellist network and hierarchy operates. for more details please refer to this post.
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ˈstədi poʊks hoʊlz ɪn rap’*’ ˈfaɪndɪŋz səˈʤɛst pəˈtɛnʃəl tɪ trit əˈdɪkʃən ðə plænt ɪz pɑrt əv ðə ˈkɔfi ˈfæməli ənd həz bɪn juzd məˈdɪsənəli fər ˈsɛnʧəriz ɪn ˌsaʊˈθist ˈeɪʒə. ɛz ðə ˈneɪʃən ˈgræpəlz fər səˈluʃənz tɪ ðə ˈkleɪmɪŋ mɔr ðən əˈmɛrɪkən lɪvz iʧ pəˈtɛnʃəl əv ðə plænt tɪ bɪˈkəm ə ˈjusfəl tul ɪn ðə ˈbætəl həz bɪn ˈhɑtli dəˈbeɪtɪd. waɪl səm ɪn ðə ˈmɛdɪkəl fild ənd ˈmɛni ɪn ðə ˈʤɛnərəl ˈpəblɪk əˈtɛst tɪ əˈbɪləˌti tɪ hɛlp kərb əˈdɪkʃən ənd rɪˈliv peɪn, ˌgəvərnˈmɛntəl ˈeɪʤənsiz kənˈtɪnju tɪ wɔrn əˈgɛnst ɪts ˈdeɪnʤərz tɪ ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ, ˈsaɪtɪŋ lɪŋks tɪ saɪˈkoʊsəs ənd əˈdɪkʃən. ɪn 2016 ðə di ˈbrifli ˌrɛkəˈmɛndɪd ˈkrɪmənəˌlaɪzɪŋ pəˈzɛʃən ənd ˌdɪstrəˈbjuʃən, ˌbiˈfɔr wɪθˈdrɔɪŋ ðə prəˈpoʊzəl. bət ə ˈrisəntli ˈpəblɪʃt ˌrivˈju əv 57 jɪrz əv ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˈɛvədəns, lɛd baɪ ˈrisərʧərz æt ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈrɑˌʧɛstər ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈsɛnər (urmc*) ənd ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈbrɪtɪʃ kəˈləmbiə, meɪ hɛlp rɪˈdus mɪskənˈsɛpʃənz əˈbaʊt ənd rɪˈstɔr ɪts pəˈtɛnʃəl ɛz ə ˈpəblɪk hɛlθ tul ðət dɪˈzərvz mɔr ˈrisərʧ. mɑrk sˈwɑgər, ph.d*. ðə ˈstədi nɑt ˈoʊnli pɔɪnts tɪ ðə pəˈtɛnʃəl ˈbɛnəfɪts əv ɛz ə ˈseɪfər ˈsəbstəˌtut fər opioids*, bət səˈʤɛsts ðə pəˈtɛnʃəl tɪ rɪˈdus ˈnɛgətɪv mud ənd rɪˈliv æŋˈzaɪəti. ˈpəblɪʃt ˈɔnˌlaɪn ðɪs wik ɪn ðə ˈʤərnəl drəg ənd ˈælkəˌhɑl dɪˈpɛndəns, ɪt ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnts ðə ˈlɑrʤəst ˌsɪstəˈmætɪk ˌrivˈju əv ðə ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˈlɪtərəʧər ɔn juz ənd ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ. ɪz ə lɔt əv kənfˈjuzɪŋ ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən əˈbaʊt ɪn ðə ˈmidiə ðət meɪks ɪt ˈdɪfəkəlt fər klɪˈnɪʃənz ənd ðə ˈpəblɪk tɪ meɪk ˌɪnˈfɔrmd choices,”*,” sɛd lɛd ˈɔθər mɑrk ti. sˈwɑgər, ph.d*., əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪt prəˈfɛsər ɪn dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv sɪˈkaɪətri. ˈstədi ˈklɛrəˌfaɪz ðət ðɛr ɪz noʊ gʊd ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˈbeɪsɪs fər kleɪmz ðət ˈkɔzɪz saɪˈkoʊsəs, ˈsuɪˌsaɪd, ər ˈvaɪələns, ənd ðə əˈveɪləbəl ˈdætə du nɑt ˈɪndəˌkeɪt ðət ɪz ə sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt ˈpəblɪk hɛlθ problem.”*.” zæk wɔlʃ, ph.d*., əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪt prəˈfɛsər əv saɪˈkɑləʤi æt ðə ˌjunəˈvərsəti əv ˈbrɪtɪʃ kəˈləmbiə noʊts ðət ˈkɑrənt əˈproʊʧɪz tɪ æˈdrɛsɪŋ ðə ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk ər ˈlivɪŋ lɑrʤ ˈnəmbərz əv ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz wɪˈθaʊt ˈifɛktɪv ˈtritmənt. nid tɪ ɪkˈsplɔr ɔl ˈɔpʃənz, ənd ɑr ˈfaɪndɪŋz səˈʤɛst taɪm tɪ ˈkɛrfəli ɪgˈzæmɪn ðə pəˈtɛnʃəl əv ðɪs ˈeɪnʧənt plant,”*,” sɛd wɔlʃ. sˈwɑgər ənd wɔlʃ rivˈjud ðə kəmˈbaɪnd rɪˈzəlts əv 13 ˈstədiz kənˈdəktəd bɪtˈwin ˈʤænjuˌɛri 1960 ənd ˌʤuˈlaɪ 2017 ˈjuzɪŋ ˈdætə frəm ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz. ɪz ə klɪr nid fər mɔr ˈrɪgərəs,, prəˈspɛktɪv ˈstədiz tɪ səˈpɔrt ə səˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtəd, nuɑnst ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ əv ðə plant,”*,” sɛd sˈwɑgər. ˈdætə əˈkrɔs ˈkəlʧərz ˈɪndəˌkeɪtɪd ðət həz ə ləˈʤɪtəmət roʊl tɪ pleɪ ɪn ˈmɪtəˌgeɪtɪŋ hɑrmz əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd wɪθ dɪˈpɛndəns. ðə bəlk əv ðə əˈveɪləbəl ˈrisərʧ səˈpɔrts ˈbɛnəfɪts ɛz ə ˈmaɪldər, lɛs əˈdɪktɪv ənd ˈsəbstəns ðən opioids*, ənd wən ðət əˈpɪrz fɑr lɛs ˈlaɪkli tɪ kɔz ˈfeɪtəl overdose.”*.” speciosa*; ˈɔlsoʊ noʊn ɛz ər ketum*) ɪz pɑrt əv ðə ˈkɔfi ˈfæməli ənd həz bɪn juzd məˈdɪsənəli fər ˈsɛnʧəriz ɪn ˌsaʊˈθist ˈeɪʒə tɪ rɪˈliv ˈsɪmptəmz əv wɪθˈdrɔəl, tɪ rɪˈliv peɪn, ˌdaɪərˈiə ənd kɔf, ənd ˌɪnˈkris ˈstæmənə ənd ˈɛnərʤi. ˈpipəl ʧu rɑ livz əv ðə plænt, bɔɪl ðɛm tɪ sərv ɛz ti, smoʊk ər ˈveɪpərˌaɪz ðɛm. ɪn ˈrisənt jɪrz, juz həz ɪkˈspændɪd bɪɔnd ˈeɪʒə, ənd ɪts livz, ˈpaʊdərz, gəmz, ˈkæpsəlz ənd ˈɛkˌstrækts ər ˈwaɪdli ˈækˌsɛst θru ˈriˌteɪl ˈaʊˌtlɛts ənd ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt ɪn nɔrθ əˈmɛrɪkə ənd ˈjʊrəp. nid mɔr ənd ˈbɛtər ˈrisərʧ tɪ bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ ˈaʊˌtlaɪn ðə rɪsks ənd ˈbɛnəfɪts əv ɪn ˈgreɪtər detail,”*,” hi sɛd. θru ˈstədiz kən wi ɪˈlusəˌdeɪt pəˈtɛnʃəl fər gʊd ənd hɑrm, ənd gɪv ðə ˈpəblɪk, ˈpɑləsi ˈmeɪkərz ənd hɛlθ kɛr prəˈfɛʃənəlz ðə ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ˈnidɪd tɪ meɪk ˌɪnˈfɔrmd decisions.”*.”
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study pokes holes in kratom’s ‘bad rap’
findings suggest plant’s potential to treat opioid addiction
the kratom plant is part of the coffee family and has been used medicinally for centuries in southeast asia.
as the nation grapples for solutions to the opioid epidemic—now claiming more than 33,000 american lives each year—the potential of the psychoactive plant kratom to become a useful tool in the battle has been hotly debated.
while some in the medical field and many in the general public attest to kratom’s ability to help curb opioid addiction and relieve pain, governmental agencies continue to warn against its dangers to mental health, citing links to psychosis and addiction. in 2016, the dea briefly recommended criminalizing kratom possession and distribution, before withdrawing the proposal.
but a recently published review of 57 years of international scientific evidence, led by researchers at the university of rochester medical center (urmc) and the university of british columbia, may help reduce misconceptions about kratom and restore its potential as a public health tool that deserves more research.
marc swogger, ph.d.
the study not only points to the potential benefits of kratom as a safer substitute for opioids, but suggests the plant’s potential to reduce negative mood and relieve anxiety. published online this week in the journal drug and alcohol dependence, it represents the largest systematic review of the scientific literature on kratom use and mental health.
“there is a lot of confusing information about kratom in the media that makes it difficult for clinicians and the public to make informed choices,” said lead author marc t. swogger, ph.d., associate professor in urmc’s department of psychiatry. “this study clarifies that there is no good scientific basis for claims that kratom causes psychosis, suicide, or violence, and the available data do not indicate that kratom is a significant public health problem.”
co-author zach walsh, ph.d., associate professor of psychology at the university of british columbia notes that current approaches to addressing the opioid epidemic are leaving large numbers of high-need individuals without effective treatment.
“we need to explore all options, and our findings suggest it’s time to carefully examine the potential of this ancient plant,” said walsh.
swogger and walsh reviewed the combined results of 13 studies conducted between january 1960 and july 2017, using data from 28,745 individuals.
“there is a clear need for more rigorous, well-controlled, prospective studies to support a sophisticated, nuanced understanding of the plant,” said swogger. “but data across cultures indicated that kratom has a legitimate role to play in mitigating harms associated with opioid dependence. the bulk of the available research supports kratom’s benefits as a milder, less addictive and less-dangerous substance than opioids, and one that appears far less likely to cause fatal overdose.”
kratom (mitragyna speciosa; also known as krathom or ketum) is part of the coffee family and has been used medicinally for centuries in southeast asia to relieve symptoms of opioid withdrawal, to relieve pain, diarrhea and cough, and increase stamina and energy. people chew raw leaves of the kratom plant, boil them to serve as tea, smoke or vaporize them. in recent years, kratom’s use has expanded beyond asia, and its leaves, powders, gums, capsules and extracts are widely accessed through retail outlets and the internet in north america and europe.
“we need more and better research to be able to outline the risks and benefits of kratom in greater detail,” he said. “only through well-controlled studies can we elucidate kratom’s potential for good and harm, and give the public, policy makers and health care professionals the information needed to make informed decisions.”
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““twenty* əv ðə ˈkəntriz 22 ər ɪn 'ˈimərʤənsi' ər 'ˈkraɪsəs' fud ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊrɪti ˈfeɪzɪz ənd ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˌtuˈθərdz əv ðə ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃən ər naʊ ˈfeɪsɪŋ ˈhəŋgər ənd ˈərʤəntli ˌrikˈwaɪər laɪf ənd assistance,”*,” ðə ˈjuˈɛn fud ənd ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən (faʊ) sɛd ɪn ə prɛs riˈlis. ðiz ˈnəmbərz ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt ən ˌɪnˈkris əv 21 pər sɛnt sɪns ʤun 2016 əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən frəm ðə ˈleɪtəst ˈɪnəˌgreɪtɪd fud sɪˈkjʊrəti feɪz ˌklæsəfəˈkeɪʃən (ipc*) æˈnælɪsɪs, ə ˈpɑrtnərˌʃɪp əv faʊ, ˈjuˈɛn wərld fud ˈproʊˌgræm (wfp*) ənd ə ˈnəmbər əv ˌgəvərnˈmɛntəl ənd nɑnˌgəvərnˈmɛntəl ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz. ˈgɪvɪn ðə ˈnəmbər əv ˈpipəl hu ər fud ˈɪnsəkjər, ɪz ˈkərəntli wən əv ðə wərst ˈhəŋgər ˈkraɪsiz ɪn ðə world,”*,” faʊ sɛd. ðə ˈkraɪsəs ɪz fjuəld baɪ ðə lɔŋ ˈkɑnflɪkt, wɪθ ˈɔlˌmoʊst 80 pər sɛnt əv ˈhaʊsˌhoʊldz ɪn ˈjɛmən rɪˈpɔrt ˈhævɪŋ ə wərs ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən ðən ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ˈfaɪtɪŋ. ˈkɑnflɪkt həz ə ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ ˌɪmˈpækt ɔn ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl ˈlaɪvliˌhʊdz. krɑp ənd ˈlaɪvˌstɑk pərˈdəkʃən fɛl sɪgˈnɪfɪkəntli kəmˈpɛrd tɪ levels,”*,” sɛd ˈsælə hæʤ həˈsɑn, faʊ ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv ɪn ˈjɛmən. ˈjuˈɛn əˈfɪʃəlz ər ˈkɔlɪŋ nɑt ˈoʊnli fər ˌɪˈmiˌdiət fud eɪd bət ˈɔlsoʊ fər ˌægrɪˈkəlʧərəl əˈsɪstəns tɪ seɪv ˈlaɪvliˌhʊdz ənd fər ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ðə ˈpipəl ɪn nid. ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ɔl ˈɛriəz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ fər kəˈmərʃəl treɪd, wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ bi ˈkrɪtɪkəl tɪ ɪnˈʃʊr ðə fud ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊrɪti ɪn ðə ˈkəntri dɪz nɑt ˈfərðər deteriorate,”*,” sɛd ˈstivən ˈændərsən, ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv ənd ˈkəntri dɪˈrɛktər ɪn ˈjɛmən. ðə fud ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊrɪti ɪz ˈkɔzɪŋ ˌmælnuˈtrɪʃən reɪts tɪ spaɪk. əv ðə ˈmɪljən ˈʧɪldrən ˈsəfərɪŋ frəm əˈkjut ˌmælnuˈtrɪʃən, mɔr ðən ər səˈvɪrli ənd əˈkjutli mælˈnərɪʃt, ə ˌkætəgərɪˈzeɪʃən noʊn ɛz ““sam”*” ɪn ðə ˌjuˌmænəˈtɛriən kəmˈjunɪti. pʊt θɪŋz ɪn pərˈspɛktɪv, ə sæm ʧaɪld ɪz tɛn taɪmz mɔr æt rɪsk əv dɛθ ɪf nɑt ˈtritɪd ɔn taɪm ðən ə ˈhɛlθi ʧaɪld hɪz ər hər age,”*,” sɛd relaño*, ˈjunəˌsɛf ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv ɪn ðə ˈkəntri. ˈɔnˌgoʊɪŋ ˈkɑnflɪkt ənd fud ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊrɪti wɪl hæv ˈlɔŋˈtərm ˌɪmpləˈkeɪʃənz ɔn ðə hɛlθ ənd ˈoʊvərˌɔl dɪˈvɛləpmənt əv ˈʧɪldrən ɪn yemen.”*.”
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“twenty of the country's 22 governorates are in 'emergency' or 'crisis' food insecurity phases and almost two-thirds of the population are now facing hunger and urgently require life and livelihood-saving assistance,” the un food and agricultural organization (fao) said in a press release.
these numbers represent an increase of 21 per cent since june 2016, according to information from the latest integrated food security phase classification (ipc) analysis, a partnership of fao, un world food programme (wfp) and a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations.
given the number of people who are food insecure, “yemen is currently one of the worst hunger crises in the world,” fao said.
the crisis is fuelled by the two-year long conflict, with almost 80 per cent of households in yemen report having a worse economic situation than before the fighting.
“the conflict has a devastating impact on agricultural livelihoods. crop and livestock production fell significantly compared to pre-crisis levels,” said salah hajj hassan, fao representative in yemen.
un officials are calling not only for immediate food aid but also for agricultural assistance to save livelihoods and for access to the people in need.
“unrestricted access to all areas, including for commercial trade, will also be critical to ensure the food insecurity in the country does not further deteriorate,” said stephen anderson, wfp representative and country director in yemen.
the food insecurity is causing malnutrition rates to spike. of the 2.2 million children suffering from acute malnutrition, more than 460,000 are severely and acutely malnourished, a categorization known as “sam” in the humanitarian community.
“to put things in perspective, a sam child is ten times more at risk of death if not treated on time than a healthy child his or her age,” said meritxell relaño, unicef representative in the country. “the ongoing conflict and food insecurity will have long-term implications on the health and overall development of children in yemen.”
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ɪn ðə læst tu ɪˈlɛkʃənz, ðə kənˈsərvətɪv ˈpɑrti həz bɪn ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbli səkˈsɛsfəl æt ˈsteɪtɪŋ ɛz fækt ðə aɪˈdiə ðət ðə ˈleɪbər ˈpɑrti ɪz ˌɪnˈhɛrəntli ˈweɪstfəl ɪn ˈspɛndɪŋ, wɛˈræz ðə kənˈsərvətɪvz ər ˈnæʧərəli ˈbɛtər æt ˈhoʊldɪŋ ðə ən aɪˈdiə ðət ˈleɪbər dɪd ˈvɛri ˈlɪtəl tɪ ˈʧælənʤ. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ðə græf bɪˈloʊ ʃoʊz ðət ðɪs aɪˈdiə həz ˈlɪtəl truθ tɪ ɪt. græf ʃoʊɪŋ ˌgəvərnˈmɛntəl ˈdɛfəsət ɪn ˈbɪljənz əv paʊnz ˈstərlɪŋ, 1961 2015 ðɛr ər ə ˈnəmbər əv pɔɪnts tɪ noʊt frəm ðɪs ʧɑrt. ˌbiˈfɔr ˈɛni æˈnælɪsɪs, ɪt məst bi ˈnoʊtɪd ðət ðə ˈnəmbərz ər ɛz ðeɪ wər æt ðə taɪm, ənd ðəs nɑt əˈʤəstɪd fər ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən. ðɪs ɪkˈspleɪnz waɪ ðə ˈnəmbərz gɪt ˌɛkspoʊˈnɛnʃəli ˈbɪgər ɛz taɪm goʊz ɔn. wɪθ ðət ɪn maɪnd, kəmˈpɛr səm ˈnəmbərz. ˈfərstli, ˈəndər məkˈmɪlən, ənd fərst ˈpɪriəd ɪn ˈɔfəs, ðə ˈdɛfəsət rɪˈmeɪnd ɪkˈsɛpʃənəli smɔl, wɪθ boʊθ kənˈsərvətɪvz ənd ˈleɪbər. hiθ ðɛn teɪks ˈɔfəs, ənd ˈrənɪŋ ə smɔl ˈdɛfəsət bɪˈkəmz ðə nɔrm. ɛz sin ɪn ðə ʧɑrt bɪˈloʊ, ðɪs wɑz moʊst ˈlaɪkli kɔzd baɪ ə drɔp ɪn tæks rɪˈsits ˈdʊrɪŋ ə ˈpɪriəd əv ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈtrəbəl. ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈɔfəs ənd ˈkæləhæn, ðə ˈdɛfəsət mɔr ər lɛs steɪz ˈsteɪbəl, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ˈfæktərɪŋ ɪn ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən pərˈhæps ə slaɪt ˈdiˌkris ɪn ril tərmz, bət nɑt məʧ ˈmuvmənt rəˈgɑrdləs. ðə swɪʧ frəm ˈkæləhæn tɪ ˈθæʧər əˈgɛn teɪks pleɪs wɪθ ə ˈpɪriəd əv ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈtrəbəl, ənd ˈθæʧər spɛnz ðə fərst tu θərdz əv hər taɪm ɪn paʊər ˈrənɪŋ ðə seɪm saɪz əv ˈdɛfəsət, ˌɔlˈðoʊ əˈgɛn wɪθ ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən, hər ˈdɛfəsət ɪn 1979 wɑz ɪn ril tərmz ˈlɑrʤər ðən hər ˈdɛfəsət ɪn 1986 bət laɪk ˈkæləhæn, nɑt məʧ ˈmuvmənt ˈoʊvərˌɔl. ɪn 1988 ənd 1989 ˈθæʧər həz ˈsərpləsɪz əv ənd ðə fərst ˈsərpləsɪz sɪns (ˈleɪbər) ˈsərpləsɪz əv ənd ɪn ənd æt ðɪs pɔɪnt ɪt ɪz ˈjusfəl tɪ lʊk æt ə ʧɑrt əv gdp*. ˈnoʊtɪs ðət soʊ fɑr wi hæv hæd tu dɪps 1974 ənd 1979 ðə fərst wɑz əbˈzɔrbd baɪ ə ˈleɪbər ˈgəvərnmənt wɪθ ˈlɪtəl ˈifɛkt ɔn ðə ˈdɛfəsət, ənd ðə ˈsɛkənd ˈɔlsoʊ əbˈzɔrbd ˈsɔftli, bət ðɪs taɪm baɪ ə kənˈsərvətɪv ˈgəvərnmənt. kəm ðə 1990 kræʃ, ðɪs əˈbɪləˌti tɪ prəˈtɛkt ˈgəvərnmənt ˈdɛfəsət ˈlɛvəlz ɪz ˈgreɪtli rɪˈdust, ˈlaɪkli du tɪ ðə ʃɪft ɪn ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi əˈweɪ frəm ˈpraɪˌmɛri ənd ˈsɛkənˌdɛri ˈɪndəstriz, təˈwɔrdz ˈtərʃəri wənz. ˈmeɪʤər prəˈsidz tɪ rən ə ˈsɪriz əv ˈsaɪzəbəl ˈdɛfɪsɪts, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ˈridərz ər əˈgɛn riˈmaɪndɪd ðət ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən ɪz ə ki ˈfæktər ɪn ðiz ˈdɛfɪsɪts əˈpɪrɪŋ ˈlɑrʤər ðən ðoʊz ˌbiˈfɔr. ˈɛnər blɛr ɪn 1997 ənd fər ðə ˈoʊnli taɪm sɪns wwii*, ðə ˌɛnˈʤɔɪz θri jɪrz ɪn ə roʊ əv ˈsərpləsɪz. ə ʧeɪnʤ ɪn ˈpɑləsi lidz tɪ ə sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt ˌɪnˈkris ɪn ˈspɛndɪŋ, ˈmeɪnli ɔn hɛlθ ənd ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən, ənd wəns əˈgɛn ə ˈrizənəbli saɪzd ˈpərmɑˌnɛnt ˈdɛfəsət əˈpɪrz, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ˈmɑrʤənəli sˈmɔlər ðən major’s*. ðə ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk kræʃ əv 2008 ˈkɔzɪz ən ɪˈnɔrmɪs ʤəmp tɪ ɪn 2008 ənd ɪn 2009 ɪt ɪz ˈjusfəl fər ˈridərz tɪ noʊt ðət ɪn ðə lɑrʤ ˈspɛndɪŋ ʤəmps, boʊθ ˈəndər braʊn ənd ˈəndər ˈmeɪʤər, ər nɑt ɪn fækt kɔzd baɪ ən ˌɪnˈkris ɪn ˈspɛndɪŋ: ðə ˈdɛfəsət ɪz kɔzd baɪ ðə ˈspɛndɪŋ biɪŋ haɪər ðən tæks rɪˈsits, ənd ɪn boʊθ ðiz ˈkeɪsɪz ðə ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈdɪfɪˌkəltiz rɪˈzəltɪd ɪn ə ʃɑrp drɔp ɪn tæks rɪˈsits, ðəs ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ ðə gæp bɪtˈwin ˈɪnˌkəm ənd ɪkˈspɛndɪʧər. ə ˈfaɪnəl pɔɪnt tɪ noʊt ɪz ðə ˌɪnˈkrɛdəbli sloʊ rɪˈkəvəri frəm 2010 ˈɑnwərdz. ðə ˈnæʃənəl dɛt ɪn 2010 stʊd æt £0.76tn*, ənd ˈtrɛʒəri ˈɛstəˌmeɪts pʊt ðə 2015 ˈfɪgjər æt £1.4tn*, ə ˈlɪtəl ʃaɪ əv ˈdəbəlɪŋ ðə ˈnæʃənəl dɛt. soʊ wɪn ɔl ɪz kəmˈpɛrd ðə aɪˈdiə əv ˈiðər ˈpɑrti biɪŋ ˈspɛndθˌrɪft ər ˈfrugəl kəmˈpɛrd tɪ ðə ˈəðər hoʊldz ˈlɪtəl truθ. iʧ ˈgəvərnmənt ɪz ˈlɑrʤli ðə seɪm ɛz ðə ˈgəvərnmənt ðət prɪˈsidɪd ɪt, ənd ɪn ðə pæst 54 jɪrz, ðɛr hæv bɪn ˈoʊnli 7 jɪrz əv ˈsərpləs: tu wɪθ ˈwɪlsən, tu wɪθ ˈθæʧər, ənd θri wɪθ blɛr. ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ɪn ˈpɑləˌtɪks fækts ˈmætər ə lɔt lɛs ðən əˈpɪnjən, ənd ənˈlɛs ˈleɪbər kən kənˈvɪns ðə ˈpəblɪk ðət ðɛr əˈbɪləˌti tɪ ˈmænɪʤ ˈpəblɪk ˈfaɪˌnænsɪz ɪz noʊ wərs ðən ðə conservatives’*’, ðeɪ wɪl bi æt ə greɪt ˌdɪsədˈvænɪʤ ɪn 2020 ˈædvərˌtaɪzmənts
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in the last two elections, the conservative party has been incredibly successful at stating as fact the idea that the labour party is inherently wasteful in spending, whereas the conservatives are naturally better at holding the nation’s pursestrings – an idea that labour did very little to challenge. however, the graph below shows that this idea has little truth to it.
graph showing governmental deficit in billions of pounds sterling, 1961 – 2015.
there are a number of points to note from this chart. before any analysis, it must be noted that the numbers are as they were at the time, and thus not adjusted for inflation. this explains why the numbers get exponentially bigger as time goes on. with that in mind, let’s compare some numbers. firstly, under macmillan, douglas-home and wilson’s first period in office, the deficit remained exceptionally small, with both conservatives and labour. heath then takes office, and running a small deficit becomes the norm. as seen in the chart below, this was most likely caused by a drop in tax receipts during a period of economic trouble. during wilson’s 2nd office and callaghan, the deficit more or less stays stable, although factoring in inflation perhaps a slight decrease in real terms, but not much movement regardless. the switch from callaghan to thatcher again takes place with a period of economic trouble, and thatcher spends the first two thirds of her time in power running the same size of deficit, although again with inflation, her £8.5bn deficit in 1979 was in real terms larger than her £8.4bn deficit in 1986, but like callaghan, not much movement overall. in 1988 and 1989 thatcher has surpluses of £6bn and £0.6bn – the first surpluses since wilson’s (labour) surpluses of £0.9bn and £0.3bn in ’69 and ’70. at this point it is useful to look at a chart of gdp.
you’ll notice that so far we have had two dips – 1974 and 1979 – the first was absorbed by a labour government with little effect on the deficit, and the second also absorbed softly, but this time by a conservative government. come the 1990 crash, this ability to protect government deficit levels is greatly reduced, likely due to the shift in the uk economy away from primary and secondary industries, towards tertiary ones. major proceeds to run a series of sizeable deficits, although readers are again reminded that inflation is a key factor in these deficits appearing larger than those before. enter blair in 1997, and for the only time since wwii, the uk enjoys three years in a row of surpluses. a change in policy leads to a significant increase in spending, mainly on health and education, and once again a reasonably sized permanent deficit appears, although marginally smaller than major’s. the economic crash of 2008 causes an enormous jump to £100bn in 2008, and ~£150bn in 2009. it is useful for readers to note that in the large spending jumps, both under brown and under major, are not in fact caused by an increase in spending: the deficit is caused by the spending being higher than tax receipts, and in both these cases the economic difficulties resulted in a sharp drop in tax receipts, thus increasing the gap between income and expenditure. a final point to note is the incredibly slow recovery from 2010 onwards. the national debt in 2010 stood at £0.76tn, and treasury estimates put the 2015 figure at ~£1.4tn, a little shy of doubling the national debt.
so when all is compared the idea of either party being spendthrift or frugal compared to the other holds little truth. each government is largely the same as the government that preceded it, and in the past 54 years, there have been only 7 years of surplus: two with wilson, two with thatcher, and three with blair. however, in politics facts matter a lot less than opinion, and unless labour can convince the public that their ability to manage public finances is no worse than the conservatives’, they will be at a great disadvantage in 2020.
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ðə fərst feɪz əv ðə ˈpɛnɪˌgɑnz plæn tɪ ˈsoʊlʤərz' lɪmz ɪz kəmˈplit; ˈsaɪəntɪsts ˈmænɪʤd tɪ tərn ˈjumən skɪn ˈɪntu ðə ɪkˈwɪvələnt əv ə ə mæs əv ənˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃiˌeɪtɪd sɛlz ðət kən dɪˈvɛləp ˈɪntu nu ˈbɑdi pɑrts. naʊ, ˈrisərʧərz ər ɔn tɪ feɪz tu: ˈtərnɪŋ ðət ˈsɛljələr glɑp ˈɪntu ə skwɛr ɪnʧ əv ˈməsəl ˈtɪʃu. ɪŋk. ənd ðə ˈwʊstər ˌpɑˌliˈtɛknɪk ˈɪnstɪˌtut (wpi*) ʤɪst gɑt ə ˈwənˌjɪr, grænt frəm ˈdɑrpə, ðə ˈpɛnɪˌgɑnz ˈrisərʧ ɑrm, tɪ groʊ ðə nu ˈtɪʃuz. "ðə goʊl ɪz tɪ ˈʤɛnjuˌaɪnli ˌriˈpleɪs ə ˈməsəl ðæts lɔst," ˌbaɪoʊˌtɛkˈnɑləʤi prəˈfɛsər ˈreɪmənd peɪʤ tɛlz ˈdeɪnʤər rum. "aɪ əˈpriʃiˌeɪt ðæts ə ˈvɛri əˈgrɛsɪv goʊl." ənd ɪts ˈoʊnli wən pɑrt ɪn ə ˈlɑrʤər, ˈivɪn mɔr æmˈbɪʃəs ˈdɑrpə ˈproʊˌgræm, rəˈstɔrətɪv ˈɪnʤəri rɪˈpɛr, ðət eɪmz tɪ "ˈfʊli rɪˈstɔr ðə ˈfəŋkʃən əv ˈkɑmplɛks ˈtɪʃu (ˈməsəl, nərvz, skɪn, ˌɛtˈsɛtərə.) ˈæftər trɔˈmætɪk ˈɪnʤəri ɔn ðə ˈbætəlˌfild." ˈməsəlz ər, əv kɔrs, ˈfeɪməs fər ðɛr əˈbɪləˌti tɪ riˈʤɛnərˌeɪt; ðɛr ˈbroʊkən daʊn ənd riˈbɪlt wɪθ ˈɛvəri ʤɪm ˈwərˌkaʊt. bət wɪn tu məʧ əv ə ˈməsəl ɪz lɔst ˈiðər frəm ˈɪnʤəri ər ˈɪlnəs "ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ðə rɪˈspɑns, ju gɪt ˈskɑrɪŋ," peɪʤ sɪz. hiz ˈhoʊpɪŋ tɪ gɪt ə ˈdɪfərənt rɪˈzəlt, baɪ ˈkɛrfəli groʊɪŋ frɛʃ ˈməsəl, ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə ˈbɑdi. stɛp wən wɪl bi traɪɪŋ tɪ gɪt ðoʊz ənˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃiˌeɪtɪd sɛlz tɪ tərn ˈɪntu ˈsəmθɪŋ laɪk ˈməsəl sɛlz. ðət minz ˈmeɪkɪŋ ʃʊr ðə sɛlz hæv ˈmaɪəsən ənd ˈæktən tu ˈproʊˌtinz ðət ər ki tɪ ˈfɔrmɪŋ ðə ˈsɛljələr cytoskeleton*, ənd tɪ ˈbɪldɪŋ ˈməsəl ˈfɪləmənts. ðɛn, peɪʤ ənd hɪz tim wɪl traɪ tɪ gɪt ðoʊz sɛlz tɪ fɔrm əraʊnd ə ˈskæfəldɪŋ əv ˈtaɪni θrɛdz, meɪd əv ˌbaɪoʊməˈtɪriəl. ɪgˈzæktli wət wɪl bi ɪn θrɛd, peɪʤ ˈɪzənt kwaɪt ʃʊr ˈmeɪbi collagens*, ˈmeɪbi fibrinogens*. ɪts wən əv ˈmɛni ˈmɪstəriz tɪ ənˈrævəl, ɛz hɪz tim traɪz tɪ groʊ ˈbɑdi pɑrts frəm skræʧ. ˈfoʊˌtoʊ: riˈʤɛnərˈeɪʃən læb
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the first phase of the pentagon's plan to regrow soldiers' limbs is complete; scientists managed to turn human skin into the equivalent of a blastema — a mass of undifferentiated cells that can develop into new body parts. now, researchers are on to phase two: turning that cellular glop into a square inch of honest-to-goodness muscle tissue.
cellthera inc. and the worcester polytechnic institute (wpi) just got a one-year, $570,000 grant from darpa, the pentagon's blue-sky research arm, to grow the new tissues. "the goal is to genuinely replace a muscle that's lost," biotechnology professor raymond page tells danger room. "i appreciate that's a very aggressive goal." and it's only one part in a larger, even more ambitious darpa program, restorative injury repair, that aims to "fully restore the function of complex tissue (muscle, nerves, skin, etc.)
after traumatic injury on the battlefield."
muscles are, of course, famous for their ability to regenerate; they're broken down and rebuilt with every gym workout. but when too much of a muscle is lost — either from injury or illness — "instead of the regenerative response, you get scarring," page says. he's hoping to get a different result, by carefully growing fresh muscle, outside the body.
step one will be trying to get those undifferentiated cells to turn into something like muscle cells. that means making sure the cells have myosin and actin — two proteins that are key to forming the cellular cytoskeleton, and to building muscle filaments. then, page and his team will try to get those cells to form around a scaffolding of tiny threads, made of biomaterial. exactly what will be in thread, page isn't quite sure — maybe collagens, maybe fibrinogens. it's one of many mysteries to unravel, as his team tries to grow body parts from scratch.
photo: uci regeneration lab
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ˈbɑrɪŋ ə ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈmɛltˌdaʊn, ðə ˈtrɛʒəri wərk ɪz ˈjuʒəwəli stəf. ˈweɪˌti tɪ bi ʃʊr, bət nɑt ɪgˈzæktli ˈhɛˌdlaɪn ˈgræbɪŋ. ðɪs wik həz bɪn ən ɪkˈsɛpʃən, wɪʧ ʤæk lu ækˈnɑlɪʤd ɛz hi sæt daʊn fər ən ˈɪntərvˌju ˈθərzˌdeɪ æt ðə hɪˈstɔrɪk ˈtrɛʒəri ˈbɪldɪŋ ɪn ˈwɔʃɪŋtən, d.c*. wɪθ ðə ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃən ˈzɪpɪŋ frəm ə sˈwipɪŋ treɪd bɪl, tɪ ˌhaɪˈproʊfaɪl, nɪˈgoʊʃiˌeɪtɪŋ wɪθ ðə ʧaɪˈniz, tɪ ə ˈpɑsəbəl grik ˌdeɪˌnuˈmɑn oʊ ənd dɪd wi ˈmɛnʃən ə ˈlɪtəl ˈkɑntrəˌvərsi ˈoʊvər ðə 10 bɪl lu əˈpɪrd tɪ bi ˈpɑzətɪvli ˈɛnərˌʤaɪzd, ənd dɛr wi seɪ, ˈivɪn ə bɪt ˈaʊtˈspoʊkən, fər ðɪs ˈjuʒəwəli ˈmɛʒərd mæn. lu ˈsərtənli mɪns wərdz wɪn ɪt keɪm tɪ gris, wɪʧ ˈfeɪsɪz ə ˈdɛˌdlaɪn ɪn ə ˈmætər əv deɪz tɪ ˌrinɪˈgoʊʃiˌeɪt ɪts dɛt ˈpækɪʤ. hoʊp ðeɪ teɪk ðɪs ˈwiˌkɪnd ˈsɪriəsli. ðə θɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðə ˌkɑnvərˈseɪʃənz əraʊnd gris ðət hæv bɪn əv kənˈsərn tɪ mi ɪz ðə ˈnəmbər əv ˈdɛˌdlaɪnz, ðə ˈnəmbər əv taɪmz ɪts ˈgɔtən raɪt tɪ ðə edge,”*,” sɪz lu, bɪn ɪn ˈrɛgjələr təʧ wɪθ ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈlidərz ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ grik praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər əˈlɛksɪs tsipras*. rɪsk əv ən ˈæksədənt goʊz əp ðə mɔr taɪmz ju hæv ðiz [ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃənz, ənd] ˈɛvriˌwən ˈrəʃɪz tɪ ə ˈdɛˌdlaɪn. aɪ hoʊp ðeɪ kən riʧ ən əˈgrimənt ðət prɪˈvɛnts gris frəm goʊɪŋ θru ðə dip peɪn ðət ə ˈbreɪkˌdaʊn wʊd kɔz, ənd ɪt ˈdəzənt kriˈeɪt rɪsks tɪ ˈiðər ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən ər ðə ˈgloʊbəl ɪˈkɑnəmi. ðɪs ɪz nɑt ðə taɪm fər ə shock.”*.” ˈərliər ɪn ðə wik, lu wɑz ɪnˈgeɪʤd ɪn nɪˌgoʊʃiˈeɪʃənz wɪθ ˈsinjər ʧaɪˈniz əˈfɪʃəlz æt ðə ˈtuˌdeɪ strəˈtiʤɪk ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈdaɪəˌlɔg tɔks ɪn ˈwɔʃɪŋtən. lu ʃaɪ əˈbaʊt ˈkɔlɪŋ aʊt ðə ʧaɪˈniz, seɪɪŋ: meɪd ɪt ˈvɛri klɪr ðət ðeɪ du θɪŋz ðət ər ˌənækˈsɛptəbəl. ənd ɑr pɔɪnt həz bɪn ju hæv tɪ stɑp ˈhævɪŋ θɛft əv treɪd ˈsikrɪts θru ˈsaɪbər minz. ɪts ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt ðət ðeɪ noʊ ðiz ər ˈɪʃuz ðət pəˈtɛnʃəli ˈvɛri məʧ kʊd ˌɪnərˈfɪr wɪθ ðə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp ðət ðeɪ wɔnt tɪ hæv wɪθ ðə juˈnaɪtɪd states.”*.” lu sɪz ˈprɑˌgrɛs wɑz meɪd wɪθ ðə ʧaɪˈniz ɪn tərmz əv kəˈmɪtmənts ɔn ˈkərənsi ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ reɪts, ˈoʊpənɪŋ əp ɪts ˈmɑrkɪts ənd ðə ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən tɛkˈnɑləʤi ˈɪʃuz; ðeɪ hæv səˈspɛndɪd ə ˈprɔˌsɛs əv ˈpʊtɪŋ ɪn pleɪs rulz ðət wiv sɛd wər ˈvɛri troubling.”*.” [gɪt ðə ˈleɪtəst ˈmɑrkɪt ˈdætə ənd nuz wɪθ ðə ˈjɑˌhu ˈfaɪˌnæns æp] ənd ɪn ə rɛr ʃoʊ əv ɪn ˈwɔʃɪŋtən ðɪs wik, ðə ˈsɛnɪt pæst ə ˈsoʊˈkɔld treɪd bɪl ðət grænts ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈbɑrək ˌoʊˈbɑmə treɪd pərˈmoʊʃən əˈθɔrəti (tpa*), baɪ ə voʊt əv ˈpʊtɪŋ rɪˈpəblɪkənz ənd ðə ˌoʊˈbɑmə ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən ɔn ðə seɪm saɪd əv ðə aɪəl, waɪl ðə dɪˈsɛnt wɑz ˈpɑpjəˌleɪtəd baɪ dɪsɪnˈʧænɪd ˈdɛməˌkræts hu wər ˈteɪkɪŋ ˈɪntu əˈkaʊnt ˈleɪbər ˈjunjən ənd ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəlɪst kənˈstɪʧuənts hu əˈpoʊzd ðə bɪl. waɪ wər ðə ˈjunjənz əˈgɛnst ɪt, aɪ æst lu? ““look*, ɪts bɪn ə ˈdɪfəkəlt taɪm ɪn ə ˈnəmbər əv ˈsɛktərz əv ðə economy,”*,” hi sɛd. aɪ ˌəndərˈstænd ˈvɛri məʧ ðə ˌɪmˈpækt ðə ʧeɪnʤ həz hæd ɔn ðə lɪvz əv ˈwərkərz. wɪr kəˈmɪtɪd tɪ ˈbrɪŋɪŋ bæk treɪd əˈgrimənts ðət mit ðə haɪ ˈstændərdz ðət wiv kəˈmɪtɪd tɪ. soʊ ɪts nɑt ʤɪst ˈɛni treɪd əˈgrimənt, ɪt həz tɪ bi ə treɪd əˈgrimənt ðət prəˈtɛkts ˈwərkər raɪts, ðət prəˈtɛkts ðə ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt. ˈsɛpərətli, lu wɔrnd ðət ɪz wɑz ə mɪˈsteɪk fər ˈkɑŋgrəs tɪ lɛt ðə ˌɪnˈtərnəl ˈrɛvəˌnu ˈsərvɪs ˈlæŋgwɪʃ. θɪŋk ɪts ˈvɛri ˈʃɔrtˈsaɪtɪd tɪ ˈəndərˌfənd ðə irs,”*,” hi sɛd. ˈɛvəri ˈdɔlər ðət ðeɪ doʊnt hæv tɪ ɛnˈfɔrs ɑr tæks lɔz, ɪt minz wi kəˈlɛkt lɛs tæks ˈrɛvəˌnu. soʊ ɪt ɪz nɑt ˈfɪskəli kənˈsərvətɪv, ənd ɪts nɑt ə gʊd θɪŋ ɪn ə tæks ˈsɪstəm ðət ɪz ˈrɪli beɪst ɔn ˈvɑləntɛri kəmˈplaɪəns. ðɛr ɔt tɪ bi ðə sɛns ðət ˈpipəl hu doʊnt du ðə raɪt θɪŋ wɪl gɪt caught.”*.” ɛz fər ɑr tæks ˈsɪstəm, lu wɑz ˈivɪn mɔr blənt: θɪŋk ɑr ˈbɪznɪs tæks koʊd ɪz ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət ɪz ˈbroʊkən. wi sɔ ðət læst jɪr soʊ ˈklɪrli θru ðə ˈpætərn əv ðət wɑz soʊ ˌənˈpɑpjələr ɪn ðɪs ˈkəntri. ðə kɔz əv ɪt ɪz ə ˈbroʊkən tæks koʊd. wi hæv ðə haɪəst ˈstæʧəˌtɔri tæks reɪt ɪn ðə dɪˈvɛləpt wərld. bət ɑr ˈævərɪʤ tæks reɪt ɪz əˈbaʊt ˈævərɪʤ. ðət minz wi hæv ɔl ðiz ˈluˌphoʊlz ənd dɪˈdəkʃənz ðət ər ˈmeɪkɪŋ ɪt ˈnɛsəˌsɛri fər ðə tæks koʊd tɪ steɪ haɪər ðən ɪz kəmˈpɛtɪtɪv." ˈstɔri kənˈtɪnjuz
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barring a financial meltdown, the treasury secretary’s work is usually behind-the-scenes stuff. weighty to be sure, but not exactly headline grabbing. this week has been an exception, which jack lew acknowledged as he sat down for an interview thursday at the historic treasury building in washington, d.c. with the conversation zipping from a sweeping trade bill, to high-profile, tough-love negotiating with the chinese, to a possible greek denouement -- oh and did we mention a little controversy over the $10 bill -- lew appeared to be positively energized, and dare we say, even a bit outspoken, for this usually oh-so measured man.
lew certainly didn’t mince words when it came to greece, which faces a deadline in a matter of days to renegotiate its debt package. “i hope they take this weekend seriously. the thing about the conversations around greece that have been of concern to me is the number of deadlines, the number of times it's gotten right to the edge,” says lew, who’s been in regular touch with european leaders including greek prime minister alexis tsipras.
“the risk of an accident goes up the more times you have these [situations, and] everyone rushes to a deadline. i hope they can reach an agreement that prevents greece from going through the deep pain that a breakdown would cause, and it doesn't create risks to either the european or the global economy. this is not the time for a shock.”
earlier in the week, lew was engaged in nitty-gritty negotiations with senior chinese officials at the two-day strategic & economic dialogue talks in washington. lew wasn’t shy about calling out the chinese, saying: “we've made it very clear that they do things that are unacceptable. and our point has been you have to stop having government-enabled theft of trade secrets through cyber means. it's important that they know these are issues that potentially very much could interfere with the relationship that they want to have with the united states.” lew says progress was made with the chinese in terms of commitments on currency exchange rates, opening up its markets and “on the information technology issues; they have suspended a process of putting in place rules that we've said were very troubling.”
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and in a rare show of bi-partisanship in washington this week, the senate passed a so-called fast-track trade bill that grants president barack obama trade promotion authority (tpa), by a vote of 60-38, putting republicans and the obama administration on the same side of the aisle, while the dissent was populated by disenchanted democrats who were taking into account labor union and environmentalist constituents who opposed the bill. why were the unions against it, i asked lew?
“look, it's been a difficult time in a number of sectors of the economy,” he said. “and i understand very much the impact the change has had on the lives of workers. we're committed to bringing back trade agreements that meet the high standards that we've committed to. so it's not just any trade agreement, it has to be a trade agreement that protects worker rights, that protects the environment. “
separately, lew warned that is was a mistake for congress to let the internal revenue service languish. “i think it's very shortsighted to underfund the irs,” he said. “for every dollar that they don't have to enforce our tax laws, it means we collect less tax revenue. so it is not fiscally conservative, and it's not a good thing in a tax system that is really based on voluntary compliance. there ought to be the sense that people who don't do the right thing will get caught.”
as for our tax system, lew was even more blunt: “i think our business tax code is something that is broken. we saw that last year so clearly through the pattern of inversions that was so unpopular in this country. the cause of it is a broken tax code. we have the highest statutory tax rate in the developed world. but our average tax rate is about average. that means we have all these loopholes and deductions that are making it necessary for the tax code to stay higher than is competitive."
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ˌbiˈfɔr, aɪ wɑz bət ə ˈpɛnsəl laɪn ˈsɪmpəl ˈlɪtəl stroʊk, ˈlækɪŋ ˈivɪn ə skˈwɪgəl bət ju ju treɪst mi wɛl, geɪv mi dɛpθ ˌdɛfəˈnɪʃən ə flɛr əv ɪŋk, ə dæʃ əv kərv~ dɪˈskəvərd ˈfɪŋgərˌprɪnts wɪθ ˈgræˌfaɪt, ðə ʃeɪd əv skɪn wɪθ lɛd əv ˈmɛni ʃeɪdz əv greɪ, rɪˈvaɪzd maɪ ˈaɪrəsɪz ənˈtɪl ðeɪ wər ˈsərkəlz ˈpərˌfɪkt, fɪld ðə ˈlæʃɪz blæk ənˈtɪl ðeɪ could.blink.perception*, ˈmoʊldɪd maɪ ʧiks ɪn ðə ˈskəlpʧər əv təʧt ʤɔɪ ər blɪs, trɪmd maɪ hɛr ˈɪntu ə ʃeɪps əv sɔft, kɪst lɪps ənˈtɪl brɛθ ˈdrɪbəld dip ˌɪnˈsaɪd ənd aɪ ˈlərnɪd tɪ sɪŋ, ˈtɪkəld maɪ ɪrz ənˈtɪl ðeɪ bɪˈgæn tɪ touchwords*, dænst baɪ maɪ noʊz ənˈtɪl ˌɪnˈheɪlɪŋ bɪˈkeɪm ə nu əˈdɪkʃən, ən ˈaʊˌtlaɪn əv ə hɑrt, ənd lʊkt bɪɔnd ðə aɪz until/blinking/wasn’t/necessary*. ənd ðɛn aɪ ˈteɪstɪd ˈkələr. ɪt wɔrmd maɪ skɪn ənˈtɪl ə ˈsənˌbərn wɑz sɪˈdəktɪv. rɛd sipt ɪn ənd sɪˈdust maɪ ˈblədˌstrim, ˈpəmpɪŋ ˈpæʃən tɪ ðə ˈkɔrnərz əv ɪgˈzɪstəns. spɪld blu ɔl ˈoʊvər maɪ ʤinz. fləŋ ˈjɛloʊ æt maɪ skɪn tɪ meɪk ˈɔrɪnʤ ðət ʃrəŋk ˈɪntu piʧ pɔrz ˈkəvərd ɪn laɪt braʊn ˈfɔrəsts əv ““oh”*”. aɪ hərd ˈɛvəri hju. ənd təʧt ˌɪnˈvɪzəbəl. tərnd əp ðə ˈvɑljum ənˈtɪl aɪ sɔ grin weɪvz əv saʊnd. ʃaʊərd mi wɪθ laɪts ənˈtɪl aɪ ˈteɪstɪd ˈpərpəl. dænst wɪθ sɛnt ˈɪntu ə ril drim. mɔrft maɪ ˈbækˌgraʊnd tɪ ə ˈlɪmətləs ˈkænvəs. kriˈeɪtɪd nu dɪˈmɛnʃənz tɪ reɪz mi frəm ðə peɪʤ. ˌɪnˈvɛntɪd taɪm. soʊ aɪ kʊd. sloʊ daʊn. ənd smɛl ˈmɛməri. wi pikt æt ˌɪnˈfɪnɪti ðə deɪ ju ˈstɑrtɪd tɪ ˈkələr mi ɪn. tˈwɪtər ˈfeɪsˌbʊk iˈmeɪl laɪk ðɪs: laɪk ˈloʊdɪŋ... rɪˈleɪtɪd
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before, i was but a pencil line
_______________, simple little stroke,
lacking even a squiggle but you
you traced me well, gave me depth & definition
a flair of ink, a dash of curve~ discovered
fingerprints with graphite, the shade of skin
with lead of many shades of gray,
revised my irises until they
were circles perfect, filled the lashes black
until they could.blink.perception, molded my cheeks
in the sculpture of touched joy or bliss,
trimmed my hair into a shapes of soft,
kissed grayscale lips until breath dribbled deep
inside and i learned to sing, tickled my ears
until they began to touchwords, danced by my nose until
inhaling became a new addiction,
crosshatched an outline of a heart,
and looked beyond the eyes until/blinking/wasn’t/necessary.
and then i tasted color.
it warmed my skin until a sunburn was seductive.
red seeped in and seduced my bloodstream,
pumping passion to the corners of existence.
spilled blue all over my jeans. flung yellow
at my skin to make orange orbs that shrunk into
peach pores covered in light brown forests of “oh”.
i heard every hue. and touched invisible.
turned up the volume until i saw green waves of sound.
showered me with lights until i tasted purple.
danced with scent into a real dream.
morphed my background to a limitless canvas. created new dimensions to
raise me
from
the page. invented time. so i could. slow down. and smell
memory. we peeked at infinity
the day you started to color me in.
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it’s* ˈizi tɪ wərk aʊt ɪn ə ˈbɑksɪŋ ʤɪm, ˈpaʊndɪŋ ðə ˈhɛvi bæg, ˈfoʊkɪsɪŋ ɔn jʊr ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃənz, paʊər, ˈfʊtˌwərk, ənd ˈkɑrdioʊ. ju kən du raʊnd ˈæftər raʊnd ɔn ðə spid bæg ənd bæg, ˈgɪtɪŋ jʊr ˈtaɪmɪŋ ənd koʊˌɔrdəˈneɪʃən raɪt. bət wɪn ju gɪt ɪn ðə rɪŋ ənd gɪt pənʧt ɪn ðə feɪs ðət ˈvɛri fərst taɪm, ˈprɪti məʧ ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ wərkt soʊ hɑrd tɪ lərn flaɪz streɪt aʊt ðə ˈwɪndoʊ. maɪk ˈtaɪsən sɛd ɪt wɛl. həz ə plæn ənˈtɪl ðeɪ gɪt pənʧt ɪn ðə face.”*.” wɪn ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ nuər ˈbɑksərz, nɑt hɑrd tɪ ˌæksəˈdɛnəli tæg ðɛm hɑrd. ˈivɪn ɪf ˈpʊlɪŋ ˈpənʧɪz, ˈwərkɪŋ fər ˈtəʧɪz ˈrəðər ðən hɑrd hɪts, ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ðeɪ wɔk ˈɪntu wən. ənd ɪt ɪz noʊ fən, aɪ noʊ frəm ɪkˈspɪriəns. ðət dæm gləv pɑps ju bæm! ɔn noʊz ənd ju θɪŋk, ʃɪt! wət ðə hɛl wɑz ðət!? ju ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli drɔp jʊr gɑrd, jʊr plæn, jʊr ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ, ənd traɪ tɪ ˈfɪgjər aʊt ˈwɛðər ər nɑt ˈblidɪŋ, ˈwɛðər ðɪs ɪz ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt, ˈwɛðər ər nɑt ju ˌɪnˈtɛnd tɪ kip ˈbɑksɪŋ. aɪ dɪd ðɪs tɪ ə frɛnd ɪn ðə rɪŋ ˈrisəntli, soʊ frɛʃ ɪn maɪ maɪnd. ənd rɪˈmɛmbərɪŋ maɪ fərst fju (ˈdəzən, hɑ) ˈspɑrɪŋ raʊnz ənd haʊ məʧ əv ə ʃɑk ɪt wɑz tɪ ˈæˌkʧuəli bi hɪt, hɑrd. nɑt ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli bɪˈkəz ˈsəmˌwən həz ɪt ɪn fər ju, bət kəm ɔn, ðɪs ɪz ˈbɑksɪŋ. goʊɪŋ tɪ ˈhæpən. aɪ nu ðət. maɪ ˈspɑrɪŋ ˈpɑrtnər hu tʊk tu ˈhɛvi streɪt raɪts frəm mi ðɪs wik (ɪn ðə ˈvɛri fərst raʊnd, əg) nu ðət. bət ɪt kən stɪl pʊt ə hɑrd stɑp ɔn ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz. wət ˈhæpənz ɪn jʊr hɛd, wɪn ju teɪk jʊr fərst hɑrd ʃɑt ðə fərst θɪŋ ju ɪkˈspɪriəns ɪz ˈaʊˈtraɪt ʃɑk. ju noʊ ˈbɑksɪŋ, bət biɪŋ pənʧt ɪn ðə feɪs ɪz ʤɪst nɑt ˈsəmθɪŋ juzd tɪ. haʊ kʊd ɪt bi? ðə ʃɑk ɪz wət ˈkɔzɪz ju tɪ ˈfɔltər, tɪ stɑp ˈwərkɪŋ ənd stænd ðɛr ɪn ˌdɪsbɪˈlif. ðɪs ɪz ðə fərst ənd ˈgreɪtəst ˈhərdəl tɪ gɪt ˈoʊvər ɪn ˈbɑksɪŋ, ənd əv kɔrs ðɛr ər lɑts əv ˈpipəl hu seɪ wʊd aɪ wɔnt tɪ gɪt ˈoʊvər ðət ˈhərdəl? wət ən ˌɪnˈseɪn sport.”*.” ənd aɪ ˌəndərˈstænd ðoʊz ˈpipəl, aɪ ˈtruli du. bət ðə ˈsɪmpəl fækt ɪz ðət ˈlərnɪŋ tɪ teɪk ə pənʧ tɔt mi ə məʧ ˈbɪgər ˈlɛsən əˈbaʊt ˌmaɪˈsɛlf, ənd əˈbaʊt laɪf. ədˈmɪt ɪt, laɪf ɪz nɑt ən ˈɪnsəˌleɪtɪd ˈlɪtəl ˈnərsəri skul pleɪ jɑrd. ɪf ju groʊ ə pɛr (ˈoʊˌvəriz ər bɔlz, ju ʧuz) naʊ, ju ər ˈæktɪvli, ˈnoʊɪŋli ˈpʊtɪŋ æt greɪt rɪsk ɔl ðə gʊd gɪfts bɪn ˈgɪvɪn ənd ðə fˈjuʧər ju dɪˈzərv tɪ hæv. ðɛr ər θɪŋz ɪn laɪf ju məst faɪt fər, ər bi ˈteɪkən əˈweɪ frəm ju baɪ fɔrs. ˈlərnɪŋ ðət aɪ kʊd teɪk ə pənʧ ənd nɑt bi stɑpt ɪn maɪ træks baɪ ɪt wɑz wən əv ðə moʊst ɪmˈpaʊərɪŋ ˈmoʊmənts əv maɪ ɪnˈtaɪər laɪf. ðə peɪn sɛts ɪn ə ˈsɛkənd ˈæftər ðə ʃɑk. ənd ˈtɛmptɪŋ tɪ lɛt peɪn dɪˈreɪl jʊr plænz ðə weɪ ʃɑk kən. peɪn ɪz ˈpaʊərfli pərsˈweɪsɪv. ə streɪt ʃɑt tɪ ðə noʊz stɪŋz, meɪks jʊr aɪz ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli wɛl əp, ənd sɛndz ə ʤoʊlt əv spɑrks əˈkrɔs jʊr hoʊl feɪs. jʊr noʊz filz skwɑʃt, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ɪt swɛl fər əˈnəðər ˈmɪnət ər soʊ. ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ju blid, ˈsəmˌtaɪmz jʊr noʊz ˈsɪmpli drɪps. hɑrd nɑt tɪ bɪˈliv ˈsɪriəsli ˈɪnʤərd, bət ˈjuʒəwəli ju. ju ˈsɪmpli juzd tɪ ɪt. wət ˈhæpənz tɪ ðə rɛst əv jʊr geɪm ˈnəθɪŋ, wət. ju drɔp jʊr gɑrd ənd pɔ æt jʊr feɪs. ju stɛr æt jʊr ˈspɑrɪŋ ˈpɑrtnər ɛz ɪf ˈnɛvər ˈæˌkʧuəli mɛt ˌbiˈfɔr. ju ʃeɪk jʊr hɛd ənd traɪ tɪ ˈfɪgjər aʊt wət tɪ du nɛkst. ju swɛr ˈoʊvər jʊr mouthguard*. ɪf ju hæv ə gʊd ˈspɑrɪŋ ˈpɑrtnər ər ˈtreɪnər, pɪk əp ðə slæk fər ju baɪ ˈtɛlɪŋ ju tɪ gɪt jʊr gɑrd bæk əp ənd gɪt jʊr æs bæk ɪn ðə geɪm. ðə bɛl rəŋ, ənd jʊr ʤɑb tɪ kip ˈwərkɪŋ ənˈtɪl ɪt dɪz. waɪ ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt tɪ gɪt pənʧt ɪn ðə feɪs, hɑrd ɪf ju ˌɪnˈtɛnd tɪ bɑks ju ər goʊɪŋ tɪ teɪk səm hɑrd dæm ʃɑts. ə ˈθaʊzənd taɪmz ˈbɛtər tɪ ɪkˈspɪriəns ðɪs ɪn ðə rɪŋ wɪθ ə ˈtrəstɪd ˈpɑrtnər ðən ɪt ɪz tɪ lərn ɪt fər ðə fərst taɪm wɪn ɪn ə ril mæʧ əˈgɛnst ən əˈpoʊnənt hu ˈrɪli ɪz traɪɪŋ tɪ nɑk jʊr hɛd ɔf. ðə ˈsɪmpəl truθ ɪz ju gɪt ɪkˈspɪriənst æt ˈteɪkɪŋ ʃɑts. ju faɪnd aʊt wət ɪt ɪz goʊɪŋ tɪ fil laɪk, ju bɪˈgɪn tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd haʊ tɪ əˈvɔɪd ðə wərst əv ðə peɪn, ju lərn haʊ tɪ dil wɪθ ðə ʃɑk ənd kip ˈfaɪtɪŋ, bləd ər noʊ bləd. ə ˈhjuʤli ˈvæljəbəl ˈlɛsən. wən taɪm aɪ wɑz ˈdraɪvɪŋ ɔn ðə ˌɪntərˈsteɪt wɪn aɪ sɔ ə ˈsədənli snæp lus ənd drɔp daʊn əˈkrɔs ðə ˈhaɪˌweɪ, ənd ə pəˈlismən ɔn ə ˈmoʊtərˌsaɪkəl (raɪt ɪn frənt əv mi) hɪt ðə ˈkeɪbəl ənd wɛnt flaɪɪŋ ɔf hɪz baɪk, raɪt ˈɪntu ˈɔnˌkəmɪŋ ˈtræfɪk. ɪt wɑz ə dæmd ˈmɪrəkəl ðət hi kɪld ˈaʊˈtraɪt. aɪ ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli pʊld ˈɪntu ðə ˈsɛntrəl leɪn ðət dɪˈvaɪdɪd ðə ˈhaɪˌweɪ ənd keɪm tɪ ə kwɪk stɑp, ɛz dɪd ˈsɛvərəl ˈəðər kɑz huz ˈdraɪvərz sɔ ɪt ˈhæpən. aɪ dɪˈstɪŋktli rɪˈmɛmbər ˈstændɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl əv ðə ˈhaɪˌweɪ ɪn ʃɑk, ˈstɛrɪŋ æt ðə daʊnd ˈɔfɪsər leɪɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl əv ə leɪn əv ˈtræfɪk. ɪt wɑz ɪgˈzæktli laɪk biɪŋ pənʧt hɑrd ɪn ðə feɪs. aɪ wɑz ɪn kəmˈplit ʃɑk wɪn aɪ ʃʊd hæv bɪn ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ ðə ˈəðər ˈpipəl ˈʤəmpɪŋ aʊt əv ðɛr kɑz tɪ stɑp ˈtræfɪk, gɪt tɪ ðə ˈɔfɪsər, ənd kɔl fər hɛlp. ˈfɔrʧənətli, ˈəðərz ɔn ðə sin wər mɔr ɪkˈspɪriənst ðən aɪ wɑz, ənd ðə ɛnd əv ðə ˈstɔri ɪz ðət ðə ˈɔfɪsər ənd ðə ˈmoʊtərˌsaɪkəl wər bæŋd əp bət ɛˈsɛnʃəli ˌoʊˈkeɪ. ðɛr wər noʊ ˈəðər rɛks. ðə paʊər laɪn wɑz ˈteɪkən kɛr əv. ɪf aɪ wər tɪ bi ɪn ə ˈsɪmələr ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən naʊ aɪ noʊ aɪ wʊd du ə ˈbɛtər ʤɑb əv ˈʃeɪkɪŋ ɔf ðə ʃɑk ənd ˈwərkɪŋ θru ə plæn. ˈmeɪbi aɪ pərˈfɔrm wɪθ staɪl ənd greɪs, bət æt list hæv ə ʧæns æt ɪt. wən læst truθ, wən ˈsikrɪt ʤɔɪ maɪ ˈhəzbənd ɪz ˈrɛdɪŋ moneyball*: ðə ɑrt əv ˈwɪnɪŋ ən ˌɔnˈfɛr geɪm, baɪ ˈmaɪkəl luɪs. (ju meɪ hæv sin ðə ˈmuvi wɪθ bræd pɪt ənd ˈʤoʊnə hɪl.) ðə ˈɔθər tɔks əˈbaʊt haʊ ðə ˈmeɪʤər ligz ər greɪt æt ʧuɪŋ əp ənd ˈspɪtɪŋ aʊt ˈhɪtərz. ju maɪt bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ hɪt ɪn ðə ˈmaɪnərz, bət wɪn ju kəm əp tɪ ðə ʃoʊ, ˈɛvəri ˈpɪʧər ɪn ðə geɪm həz ˈstədid jʊr ˈwiknəsɪz, ənd ɪf ju laɪk haɪ ənd ˌɪnˈsaɪd, wət ˈgɑnə gɪt. faɪnd aʊt ɪgˈzæktli wət ju hɪt, ənd pɪʧ ɪt tɪ ju. saʊnd ˈɛniˌθɪŋ laɪk laɪf? ˈdɛfənətli tru ɪn ˈbɑksɪŋ. ju hæv tɪ gɪt gʊd æt biɪŋ pənʧt hɑrd ɪn ðə feɪs, bɪˈkəz ɪgˈzæktli wət ˈsəmˌwən ɪz goʊɪŋ tɪ bi duɪŋ tɪ ju. ənd ðə ˈbɛtər ju kən ʃrəg ɪt ɔf, slɪp ɪt ɔf, lɛt ɪt slaɪd pæst wɪˈθaʊt ˈstənɪŋ ənd ˈstɑpɪŋ ju, ðə ˈfæstər muv əp ɪn ðə geɪm. ənd ðə ˈsikrɪt truθ ðət ˈɛvəri ˈbɑksər hoʊldz taɪt ɪn hɪz ər hər soʊl? ɪmˈpaʊərɪŋ. ɪt filz ˈfəkɪŋ ˈɔsəm tɪ bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ teɪk ə hɑrd ʃɑt ənd kip ˈfaɪtɪŋ. noʊ ˈəðər weɪ tɪ seɪ ɪt ðən ðət. ə haɪ kɔst, pərˈhæps, bət wɛl wərθ ðə peɪ aʊt. wət du ju θɪŋk? wət wɑz ɪt laɪk, ðə fərst taɪm ju tʊk ə ʃɑt, ɪn ðə rɪŋ ər ɪn laɪf, ənd haʊ dɪd ju du? wʊd ju du ˈbɛtər naʊ? liv mi ə ˈkɑmɛnt ənd ʃɛr jʊr ˈstɔri! ˈsiˈsi ˈɪmɪʤ baɪ ɔn ˈflɪkər
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it’s easy to work out in a boxing gym, pounding the heavy bag, focusing on your combinations, power, footwork, and cardio. you can do round after round on the speed bag and double-end bag, getting your timing and coordination right. but when you get in the ring and get punched in the face that very first time, pretty much everything you’ve worked so hard to learn flies straight out the window.
mike tyson said it well. “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
when you’re working with newer boxers, not hard to accidentally tag them hard. even if i’m pulling punches, working for touches rather than hard hits, sometimes they walk into one. and it is no fun, i know from experience. that damn glove pops you bam! on nose and you think, shit! what the hell was that!?
you immediately drop your guard, your plan, your everything, and try to figure out whether or not you’re bleeding, whether this is important, whether or not you intend to keep boxing.
i did this to a friend in the ring recently, so fresh in my mind. and i’m remembering my first few (dozen, hah) sparring rounds and how much of a shock it was to actually be hit, hard. not necessarily because someone has it in for you, but come on, this is boxing. going to happen. i knew that. my sparring partner who took two heavy straight rights from me this week (in the very first round, ugh) knew that. but it can still put a hard stop on operations.
what happens in your head, when you take your first hard shot
the first thing you experience is outright shock. you know you’re boxing, but being punched in the face is just not something used to. how could it be? the shock is what causes you to falter, to stop working and stand there in disbelief.
this is the first and greatest hurdle to get over in boxing, and of course there are lots of people who say “why would i want to get over that hurdle? what an insane sport.” and i understand those people, i truly do. but the simple fact is that learning to take a punch taught me a much bigger lesson about myself, and about life.
let’s admit it, life is not an insulated little nursery school play yard. if you don’t grow a pair (ovaries or balls, you choose) now, you are actively, knowingly putting at great risk all the good gifts you’ve been given and the future you deserve to have. there are things in life you must fight for, or they’ll be taken away from you by force.
learning that i could take a punch and not be stopped in my tracks by it was one of the most empowering moments of my entire life.
the pain sets in a second after the shock. and tempting to let pain derail your plans the way shock can. pain is powerfully persuasive. a straight shot to the nose stings, makes your eyes immediately well up, and sends a jolt of sparks across your whole face. your nose feels squashed, although it won’t swell for another minute or so. sometimes you bleed, sometimes your nose simply drips. hard not to believe you’re seriously injured, but usually you aren’t. you simply aren’t used to it.
what happens to the rest of your game
nothing, what. you drop your guard and paw at your face. you stare at your sparring partner as if you’ve never actually met before. you shake your head and try to figure out what to do next. you swear over your mouthguard.
if you have a good sparring partner or trainer, they’ll pick up the slack for you by telling you to get your guard back up and get your ass back in the game. the bell rung, and your job to keep working until it does.
why important to get punched in the face, hard
if you intend to box you are going to take some hard damn shots. a thousand times better to experience this in the ring with a trusted partner than it is to learn it for the first time when you’re in a real match against an opponent who really is trying to knock your head off.
the simple truth is you get experienced at taking shots. you find out what it is going to feel like, you begin to understand how to avoid the worst of the pain, you learn how to deal with the shock and keep fighting, blood or no blood. a hugely valuable lesson.
one time i was driving on the interstate when i saw a powerline suddenly snap loose and drop down across the highway, and a policeman on a motorcycle (right in front of me) hit the cable and went flying off his bike, right into oncoming traffic. it was a damned miracle that he wasn’t killed outright. i immediately pulled into the central lane that divided the highway and came to a quick stop, as did several other cars whose drivers saw it happen.
i distinctly remember standing in the middle of the highway in shock, staring at the downed officer laying in the middle of a lane of traffic. it was exactly like being punched hard in the face. i was in complete shock when i should have been working with the other people jumping out of their cars to stop traffic, get to the officer, and call for help.
fortunately, others on the scene were more experienced than i was, and the end of the story is that the officer and the motorcycle were banged up but essentially okay. there were no other wrecks. the power line was taken care of.
if i were to be in a similar situation now i know i would do a better job of shaking off the shock and working through a plan. maybe i wouldn’t perform with style and grace, but i’d at least have a chance at it.
one last truth, one secret joy
my husband is reading moneyball: the art of winning an unfair game, by michael lewis. (you may have seen the movie with brad pitt and jonah hill.) the author talks about how the major leagues are great at chewing up and spitting out hitters. you might be able to hit in the minors, but when you come up to the show, every pitcher in the game has studied your weaknesses, and if you don’t like ’em high and inside, what you’re gonna get. they’ll find out exactly what you hit, and pitch it to you.
sound anything like life? definitely true in boxing. you have to get good at being punched hard in the face, because exactly what someone is going to be doing to you. and the better you can shrug it off, slip it off, let it slide past without stunning and stopping you, the faster you’ll move up in the game.
and the secret truth that every boxer holds tight in his or her soul? empowering. it feels fucking awesome to be able to take a hard shot and keep fighting. no other way to say it than that.
it’s a high cost, perhaps, but well worth the pay out.
what do you think? what was it like, the first time you took a shot, in the ring or in life, and how did you do? would you do better now? leave me a comment and share your story!
cc image by ennuiislife on flickr
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baɪ ˈfoʊˌtoʊ maɪk skɔr, ˈprɛzɪdənt əv hænts fɑrmz, raɪt, ənd ˈændi ˈwɪljəmz, ˈmænɪʤər əv hænts fɑrmz, wɔk θru ðə ˈneɪbərˌhʊd wɛr hænts ˈwʊˌdlændz ər ˈloʊˌkeɪtəd ɪn ˈdiˌtrɔɪt ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ, meɪ 4 2016 (ˈfoʊˌtoʊ: ˈkɪmbərli pi. ˈmɪʧəl, ˈdiˌtrɔɪt fri ˈfoʊˌtoʊ ʤɑn hænts ɪz ˈfrəˌstreɪtəd. ɪn ə ˈlɪtəl ˈoʊvər θri jɪrz sɪns ðə ˈsɪti soʊld ɪm əˈbaʊt 140 ˈeɪkərz əv ˈsərpləs lænd ɔn dɪˈtrɔɪts ist saɪd fər hɪz hænts ˈwʊˌdlændz ˈprɑʤɛkt, hi ənd hɪz tim hæv dən ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ ðeɪ ˈprɑməst. klind əp ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈveɪkənt lɑts. hɔld əˈweɪ ˈmaʊntənz əv træʃ. ˈplænɪd mɔr ðən triz. kɛpt ðɛr lɑts moʊd ənd ˈtaɪdi. bət hænts ənd hɪz tim fil əˈneɪbəl tɪ ˈfɪnɪʃ ðə ʤɑbz əv ðɛr ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈɛriə bɪˈkəz ðə ˈsɪti əv ˈdiˌtrɔɪt həz hɛld bæk ə fju ˈhənərd ˈsərpləs ˈpɑrsəlz wɪˈθɪn ðə hænts ˈwʊˌdlændz ˈdɪstrɪkt. ðiz ər ˈpɑrsəlz ðət wər ərˈɪʤənəli ˌɪnˈkludɪd ɪn ðə dil bət soʊ fɑr hæv nɑt jɛt bɪn ˈtrænsfərd tɪ hænts. təˈdeɪ ðeɪ rɪˈmeɪn ˌoʊvərˈgroʊn ənd ˈblaɪtɪd əˈmɪd ðə ˈpɑrsəlz ðət hænts oʊnz. ðə ˈrizənz ðə ˈsɪti həz wɪθˈhɛld ðiz ˈfaɪnəl fju ˈhənərd ˈpɑrsəlz rɪˈmeɪn ˈsəmˈwət əbˈskjʊr. aɪ æst meɪər maɪk ˈɔfəs əˈbaʊt ɪt. ʤɛd howbert*, ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv dɪˈrɛktər əv ðə ʤɑbz ɪˈkɑnəmi tim, geɪv ə ˈsteɪtmənt: "naʊ ðət wi hæv ə ˈwərldˌklæs ˈərbən ˈplænər ɔn ɑr stæf ɪn ˈmɑrɪs kɑks, wi ʤɪst wɔnt tɪ teɪk ə stɛp bæk ənd ɑr ˈstrætəʤi ˌbiˈfɔr ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ ˈwɛðər wi wɔnt tɪ sɛl lɑrʤ əˈmaʊnts əv lænd." soʊ aɪ æst kɑks, ðə ˈplænɪŋ dɪˈrɛktər, əˈbaʊt ɪt. hi toʊld mi ðə hænts ˈɪʃu ˈgɔtən tɪ ðə tɔp əv ðə praɪˈɔrəti lɪst jɛt əˈməŋ ˈsɪti ˈstæfərz. ðæts ɑd, ənd ɪt ˌkɑntrəˈdɪkts ðə ˈkɑmən əˈsəmpʃən ðət ˈwɛlθi waɪt ˈbɪznɪsˌmɛn laɪk dæn ˈgɪlbərt, maɪk ənd ˈrɑʤər ˈpɛnski gɪt ˌwəˈtɛvər ðeɪ wɔnt frəm ðə ˈsɪti. ˈʤɛnərəli, əv kɔrs, ðeɪ du. ðə ˈrisənt grænd pri ɔn bɛl aɪl, ən ɪˈvɛnt ˈʧæmpiənd baɪ ˈpɛnski, ʃoʊz ʤɪst haʊ ˈwɪlɪŋ ðə ˈsɪti rɪˈmeɪnz tɪ əˈsɪst wən əv ðɛm. dru ʃɑrp: waɪ ðə grænd pri ɪz greɪt fər bɛl aɪl ənd ˈdiˌtrɔɪt rɪˈleɪtɪd: ˈproʊˌtɛstərz seɪ grænd pri ˈdəzənt bɪˈlɔŋ ɔn bɛl aɪl bət fər səm ˈrizən hænts, ə ˈrɛzɪdənt əv dɪˈtrɔɪts ˈɪndiən ˈvɪlɪʤ ˈdɪstrɪkt hu oʊnz ə ˈnəmbər əv ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈsərvɪsɪz fərmz, ˈdəzənt ˈivɪn sim tɪ ˈmɛrət ən ˈænsər ɛz tɪ waɪ ðə ˈsɪti ˈhæzənt jɛt soʊld ɪm ðə rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ ˈpɑrsəlz. ɪts ˈtɛmptɪŋ tɪ seɪ ðə ˈsɪti ɪz biɪŋ ˈkɔʃəs fər fɪr əv ˌriɪgˈnaɪtɪŋ ðə lɔŋ, kənˈtɛnʃəs faɪt ðət prɪˈsidɪd ðə kriˈeɪʃən əv hænts ˈwʊˌdlændz. ðə ˈsɪti ˈkaʊnsəl, ɪn ə voʊt ɪn leɪt 2012 əˈgrid tɪ sɛl hænts ðoʊz ˈnɪrli ˈpɑrsəlz əv lænd ˈæftər jɪrz əv dəˈbeɪt. əˈpoʊnənts ˈsaɪtɪd ˈsɛvərəl ˈrizənz fər ðɛr ““no”*” voʊts kˈwɛsʧənz ˈoʊvər ˈprɔˌsɛs ənd ˈwɛðər hænts wɑz ˈgɪtɪŋ ə dil ˈɔrdəˌnɛri ˈdiˌtrɔɪtərz gɪt. ənd ðɛr wər fɪrz əv ðə ənˈnoʊn, əv wət ə ˈmæsɪv ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən wʊd bi laɪk. fər ˌwəˈtɛvər ˈrizən, ðə ˈsɪti həz nɑt ˈgɪvɪn hænts ənd hɪz tim ə praɪs fər ðə rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ ˈpɑrsəlz ər ə deɪt wɪn ðə ˈsɪti meɪ sɛt səʧ ə praɪs. bət ðɛrz ə kɔst tɪ ðət, ə kɔst ˈmɛʒərd ɪn ˈblaɪtɪd ˈlænˌskeɪp. rɪˈleɪtɪd: ˈdiˌtrɔɪt ər trækt ɔn nu ˈsɪti ˈwɛbˌsaɪt baɪ ˈfoʊˌtoʊ kloʊz tɪ ə ˈθaʊzənd ˌvɑlənˈtɪrz ˈplænɪd ˈsæplɪŋz ɔn ˈsɛvərəl blɑks ɔn ðə ist saɪd əv ˈdiˌtrɔɪt ɛz pɑrt əv ðə hænts fɑrmz ˈprɑʤɛkt ɔn ˈsæˌtɪˌdeɪ, meɪ 17 2014 (ˈfoʊˌtoʊ: roʊˈmeɪn blanquart*, ˈdiˌtrɔɪt fri prɛs) nɪr ðə ˈkɔrnər əv goʊθ ənd ˈlɛmeɪ ɔn ist saɪd, ə ruɪn əv ə haʊs sɪts smæk ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl əv ðə hænts ˈwʊˌdlændz ˈprɑʤɛkt. ðə ˈsɪti əv ˈdiˌtrɔɪt oʊnz ðət ˈblaɪtɪd ruɪn. ɪts wən əv ðə ˈpɑrsəlz hænts həz bɪn traɪɪŋ tɪ baɪ ɪt frəm ðə ˈsɪti fər mɔr ðən ə jɪr soʊ hi kən klin ɪt əp. soʊ fɑr, ðə ˈsɪti əˈgrid tɪ sɛl ɪt tɪ ɪm. ˈnɪrˈbaɪ, ɔn strit, ˈnitli ˈtɛndɪd ənd moʊd lɑts kɛrd fər baɪ ðə hænts ˈwʊˌdlændz ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈɔltərˌneɪt ɪn ˈʧɛkərˌbɔrd ˈfæʃən wɪθ ˌoʊvərˈgroʊn lɑts stɪl oʊnd baɪ ðə ˈsɪti. əˈgɛn, hænts ənd hɪz tim hæv traɪd tɪ baɪ ðoʊz ˈblaɪtɪd lɑts frəm ðə ˈsɪti fər ˈoʊvər ə jɪr, tɪ noʊ əˈveɪl. ðə ˈsɪti ɪz ˈwərkɪŋ hɑrd ɔn blaɪt rɪˈmuvəl, ˈtɪrɪŋ daʊn ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈkrəmbəlɪŋ ˈstrəkʧərz. bət soʊ fɑr ðoʊz ˈɛfərts hæv nɑt təʧt ðə ˈpɑrsəlz hænts ənd maɪk skɔr, ˈprɛzɪdənt əv ðə hænts ˈwʊˌdlændz ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən, hoʊp tɪ baɪ. ɛz ə rɪˈzəlt, ðoʊz rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ ˈpɑrsəlz wɪˈθɪn ðə hænts ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈfʊtˌprɪnt rɪˈmeɪn ən ənˈsaɪtli riˈmaɪndər əv ə ˈsɪti ðət du ɔl ɪt nidz tɪ du baɪ weɪ əv ˈbeɪsɪk ˈsərvɪsɪz. rɪˈleɪtɪd: ˈdiˌtrɔɪt tɪ gɪt ən əˈdɪʃənəl fər blaɪt rɪˈmuvəl ˈsərtənli ðɛr ər mɔr ˈprɛsɪŋ ˈɪʃuz fər ˈdiˌtrɔɪt ðən ðə ˌdɪspəˈzɪʃən əv ə fju ˈhənərd ˈveɪkənt ˈpɑrsəlz ɔn ðə ist saɪd. skulz, kraɪm, ʤɑbz, ˈtrænzɪt ɔl kraɪ aʊt fər səˈluʃənz. bət ˈprɑbəˌbli noʊ kˈwɪkər wɪn fər ˈdiˌtrɔɪt raɪt naʊ ðən tɪ sɛl hænts ðə rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ fju ˈhənərd lɑts ɪn hɪz ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈfʊtˌprɪnt. ðə blaɪt wɪl bi riˈmuvd ɪn ʃɔrt ˈɔrdər æt noʊ kɔst tɪ ðə ˈsɪti. ˌɪnˈdid, beɪst ɔn ðə seɪl praɪs ðə ˈsɪti sɛts, ɪt kən brɪŋ ɪn səm ˈnidɪd kæʃ. ˈivɪn mɔr ˈkjʊriəs ɪz ðət noʊ ˈɪʃu əv kənˈtɛnʃən bɪtˈwin ðə ˈsɪti ənd hænts. ˌɪnˈdid, skɔr toʊld mi ɔn ə ˈrisənt tʊr əv ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ðət ˈɛvriˌwən æt ðə ˈsɪti rɪˈmeɪnz ˈkɔrʤəl tɪ ɪm, ənd ˈwərkɪŋ riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪps ər gʊd. ʤɪst ðət ˈnoʊˌbɑˌdi æt ðə ˈsɪti simz ˈrɛdi tɪ meɪk ə dɪˈsɪʒən. səm weɪz ˈwərkɪŋ together,”*,” skɔr sɛd. ˈɔfəs həz bɪn greɪt. ðə dɪˈpɑrtmənt əv ˈpəblɪk wərks həz bɪn greɪt. ˈbɪldɪŋ ˈseɪfti ənd bɪn greɪt. ðə ˈɔfəs ɪz greɪt. wi hæv ə gʊd ˈwərkɪŋ riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp wɪθ ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl dɪˈpɑrtmənts. bət ðɛn ðə ˈsɪstəm ɛz ə hoʊl ɪz ðə pɑrt bɪn lɛs responsive.”*.” ðə ˈjuʒəwəl ˈænsər ɪz ˈwərkɪŋ ɔn it,”*,” hi sɛd. ˈhoʊldɪŋ bæk ðoʊz ˈpɑrsəlz wʊd meɪk sɛns ɪf ðiz ˈfaɪnəl fju ˈhənərd lɑts wər biɪŋ kleɪmd baɪ ˈneɪbərz ər ˈəðər pəˈtɛnʃəl baɪərz. ˌɪnˈstɛd, moʊst ər laɪk ðə ruɪn æt goʊθ ənd ˈlɛmeɪ sərˈaʊndɪd baɪ ðə ˈnitli ˈplænɪd roʊz əv triz ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl əv ðə hænts ˈwʊˌdlændz ˈprɑʤɛkt. ðə hænts ˈwʊˌdlændz ˈprɑʤɛkt həz pruvd ən ɪgˈzɛmpləri weɪ tɪ klin əp əˈbændənd ˈərbən lænd. ˈneɪbərz laɪk reɪ ˈændərsən, hu lɪv ɪn ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈɛriə ənd wər ˌɪˈnɪʃəli ˈskɛptɪkəl əv ðə hænts ˈprɑʤɛkt, hæv bɪˈkəm ɪts ˈbɪgəst fænz. ˈvɛri plizd wɪθ ə lɔt əv θɪŋz ðət doing,”*,” ˈændərsən, ə rɪˈtaɪrd ˈsɪti ˈwərkər hu həz lɪvd ɔn ˈhoʊlkəm bɪtˈwin mæk ənd ˈʃɑrləvwə fər 59 jɪrz, sɛd læst wik. səm əv hɪz ˈneɪbərz stɪl ˈhɑrbər daʊts, ˈændərsən sɛd, ənd hi wɔnt tɪ teɪk ə pəˈzɪʃən ɔn ðə seɪl əv ðə ˈfaɪnəl ˈpɑrsəlz. bət hi əˈgriz ðə hænts tim həz fʊlˈfɪld ɔl ðɛr ˈprɑməsəz. dən ə greɪt ʤɑb, ənd kənˈtɪnjuɪŋ tɪ du that,”*,” hi sɛd. ðət ɔt tɪ bi gʊd ɪˈnəf fər ðə ˈsɪti. ðə bɛst kɔrs naʊ ɪz tɪ sɛl ðə ˈfaɪnəl lɑts tɪ hænts ənd lɛt ɪm klin ðɛm əp æt noʊ kɔst tɪ ðə ˈsɪti. rɪˈleɪtɪd: fɪlm ɔn hænts fɑrmz ˈdəzənt flɪnʧ frəm ˈkɑntrəˌvərsi ˈkɑnˌtækt ʤɑn ˈgæləgər: ər gallagher@freepress.com*. ˈfɑloʊ ɪm ɔn tˈwɪtər @jgallagherfreep*. baɪ ˈfoʊˌtoʊ ən ˈɛmti ˈpɑrsəl əv lænd oʊnd baɪ ðə ˈsɪti əv ˈdiˌtrɔɪt ðət maɪk skɔr, ˈprɛzɪdənt əv hænts fɑrmz, wɔnts tɪ ˈpərʧəs sɪts ˌoʊvərˈgroʊn nɛkst tɪ ə lɔt meɪnˈteɪnd ənd oʊnd baɪ hænts fɑrmz wɛr hænts ˈwʊˌdlændz ər ˈloʊˌkeɪtəd. (ˈfoʊˌtoʊ: ˈkɪmbərli pi. ˈmɪʧəl, ˈdiˌtrɔɪt fri prɛs) rɛd ər ʃɛr ðɪs ˈstɔri:
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buy photo mike score, president of hantz farms, right, and andy williams, manager of hantz farms, walk through the neighborhood where hantz woodlands are located in detroit on wednesday, may 4, 2016. (photo: kimberly p. mitchell, detroit free press)buy photo
john hantz is frustrated.
in a little over three years since the city sold him about 140 acres of surplus land on detroit's east side for his hantz woodlands project, he and his team have done everything they promised. cleaned up almost 2,000 vacant lots. hauled away mountains of trash. planted more than 20,000 trees. kept their lots mowed and tidy.
but hantz and his team feel unable to finish the jobs of beautifying their east-side project area because the city of detroit has held back a few hundred surplus parcels within the hantz woodlands district. these are parcels that were originally included in the deal but so far have not yet been transferred to hantz. today they remain overgrown and blighted amid the well-tended parcels that hantz owns.
the reasons the city has withheld these final few hundred parcels remain somewhat obscure.
i asked mayor mike duggan’s office about it. jed howbert, executive director of the mayor’s jobs & economy team, gave a statement: "now that we have a world-class urban planner on our staff in maurice cox, we just want to take a step back and re-evaluate our land-use strategy before deciding whether we want to sell large amounts of land."
so i asked cox, the city’s planning director, about it. he told me the hantz issue gotten to the top of the priority list yet among city staffers.
that's odd, and it contradicts the common assumption that wealthy white businessmen like dan gilbert, mike ilitch and roger penske get whatever they want from the city. generally, of course, they do. the recent grand prix on belle isle, an event championed by penske, shows just how willing the city remains to assist one of them.
• drew sharp: why the grand prix is great for belle isle and detroit
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but for some reason hantz, a resident of detroit's indian village district who owns a number of financial services firms, doesn't even seem to merit an answer as to why the city hasn't yet sold him the remaining parcels.
it's tempting to say the city is being cautious for fear of reigniting the long, contentious fight that preceded the creation of hantz woodlands.
the city council, in a 5-4 vote in late 2012, agreed to sell hantz those nearly 2,000 parcels of tax-foreclosed land after years of debate. opponents cited several reasons for their “no” votes – questions over process and whether hantz was getting a deal ordinary detroiters get. and there were fears of the unknown, of what a massive tree-planting operation would be like.
for whatever reason, the city has not given hantz and his team a price for the remaining parcels or a date when the city may set such a price.
but there's a cost to that, a cost measured in blighted landscape.
• related: detroit demolitions are tracked on new city website
buy photo close to a thousand volunteers planted 15,000 saplings on several blocks on the east side of detroit as part of the hantz farms project on saturday, may 17, 2014. (photo: romain blanquart, detroit free press)
near the corner of goethe and lemay on detroit’s east side, a burned-out ruin of a house sits smack in the middle of the hantz woodlands tree-planting project.
the city of detroit owns that blighted ruin. it's one of the parcels hantz has been trying to buy it from the city for more than a year so he can clean it up. so far, the city agreed to sell it to him.
nearby, on beniteau street, neatly tended and mowed lots cared for by the hantz woodlands project alternate in checkerboard fashion with overgrown lots still owned by the city. again, hantz and his team have tried to buy those blighted lots from the city for over a year, to no avail.
the city is working hard on blight removal, tearing down thousands of crumbling burned-out structures. but so far those efforts have not touched the parcels hantz and mike score, president of the hantz woodlands operation, hope to buy. as a result, those remaining parcels within the hantz project footprint remain an unsightly reminder of a city that do all it needs to do by way of basic services.
• related: detroit to get an additional $88m for blight removal
certainly there are more pressing issues for detroit than the disposition of a few hundred vacant parcels on the city’s east side. schools, crime, jobs, transit – all cry out for solutions.
but probably no quicker win for detroit right now than to sell hantz the remaining few hundred lots in his project footprint. the blight will be removed in short order at no cost to the city. indeed, based on the sale price the city sets, it can bring in some needed cash.
what’s even more curious is that no issue of contention between the city and hantz. indeed, score told me on a recent tour of the project that everyone at the city remains cordial to him, and working relationships are good. just that nobody at the city seems ready to make a decision.
“in some ways we’re working together,” score said. “the ombudsman’s office has been great. the department of public works has been great. building safety and engineering’s been great. the assessor’s office is great. we have a good working relationship with individual departments. but then the system as a whole is the part been less responsive.”
the usual answer is “we’re working on it,” he said.
holding back those parcels would make sense if these final few hundred lots were being claimed by next-door neighbors or other potential buyers. instead, most are like the burned-out ruin at goethe and lemay – surrounded by the neatly planted rows of trees in the middle of the hantz woodlands project.
the hantz woodlands project has proved an exemplary way to clean up abandoned urban land. neighbors like ray andersen, who live in the project area and were initially skeptical of the hantz project, have become its biggest fans.
“i’m very pleased with a lot of things that doing,” anderson, a retired city worker who has lived on holcomb between mack and charlevoix for 59 years, said last week.
some of his neighbors still harbor doubts, anderson said, and he want to take a position on the sale of the final parcels. but he agrees the hantz team has fulfilled all their promises.
“they’ve done a great job, and continuing to do that,” he said.
that ought to be good enough for the city. the best course now is to sell the final lots to hantz and let him clean them up at no cost to the city.
• related: film on hantz farms doesn't flinch from controversy
contact john gallagher: 313-222-5173 or gallagher@freepress.com. follow him on twitter @jgallagherfreep.
buy photo an empty parcel of land owned by the city of detroit that mike score, president of hantz farms, wants to purchase sits overgrown next to a lot maintained and owned by hantz farms where hantz woodlands are located. (photo: kimberly p. mitchell, detroit free press)
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ɪn ðə kɔrs əv ˈtiʧɪŋ ə ˈpərsɪnəl ˈɛˌseɪ ˈwərkˌʃɑp ə fju jɪrz əˈgoʊ, ə ˈwɑʧˌwərd pɑpt ˈɪntu maɪ maɪnd: kənˈfɛs: confide!”*!” aɪ traɪd ɪt aʊt ɔn maɪ ˈstudənts ənd faʊnd ðət ɪt simd tɪ hɪt səm ˈtərgət. æt ˈɛni reɪt, ˈsɛvərəl prəˈdust ˈnoʊtˌbʊks ənd ˈʤɑtɪd ɪt daʊn. ˈleɪtər, aɪ dɪˈrɛktɪd ðə grup tɪ raɪt əˈbaʊt ə ˈsɪŋgəl ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən ɪn tu weɪz, fərst ɛz ə kənˈfɛʃən ənd ðɛn ɛz ə ˈkɑnfədɛns. ɪn dɪˈskəʃən, aɪ æst ðɛm tɪ drɔ aʊt ðə dɪˈstɪŋkʃən bɪtˈwin ðə tu ˈnoʊʃənz baɪ ˈænəˌlaɪzɪŋ wət ˈrɪtən. ɛz səˈkrætɪk ˈpɛdəˌgoʊʤi ðə ɪkˈspɛrəmənt feɪld; ɪf ˈɛniˌθɪŋ, ðə dɪˈstɪŋkʃən wɑz ˈmədid. aɪ wɑz ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnɪd, bɪˈkəz bɪn ˈhoʊpɪŋ ðə ˈstudənts wʊd kənˈfərm ər ˈklɛrəˌfaɪ maɪ oʊn dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ vjuz, əˈbaʊt ðə ˈæbˌstrækt ˈdɪfərəns bɪtˈwin kənˈfɛsɪŋ ənd kənˈfaɪdɪŋ ɛz wɛl ɛz ɪts ˈrɛləvəns tɪ ðə ˈpræktɪs əv ˌɔtəˌbaɪəˈgræfɪkəl ˈraɪtɪŋ. bət ðə ˈɛksərˌsaɪz dɪd sim tɪ ˌɪnˈtrig ðə klæs, ənd ɪt ˈjildɪd səm ˈprɑməsɪŋ ˈraɪtɪŋ. ðə mɪr ˌʤəkstəpəˈzɪʃən əv kənˈfɛsɪŋ ənd kənˈfaɪdɪŋ hæd sɛt ˌɪnˈtərnəl kɔrdz ˈhəmɪŋ. aɪ jɛt ˈfɪgjərd aʊt ðə ɪgˈzækt riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp bɪtˈwin ðiz tu idea-cousins*, bət aɪ nu ðət aɪ ˈwɔntɪd tɪ ˈɔfər maɪ ˈstudənts ən ɔlˈtərnətɪv tɪ ðə ˈpjʊrli kənˈfɛʃənəl moʊd. aɪ ˈwɔntɪd ðɛm tɪ raɪt əˈbaʊt ðɛmˈsɛlvz wɪˈθaʊt ˈfɑlɪŋ ˈɪntu ə pɔrˈtɛntəs toʊn. aɪ ˈwɔntɪd mɔr ˈhjumər ɪn ðɛr wərk, mɔr kəmˈplɛksɪti, mɔr ˈditeɪl, mɔr gʊd ˈraɪtɪŋ. aɪ ˈwɔntɪd fjuər ˈpæsɪʤɪz, lɛs juz əv ðə ˈbrɛθləs ˈprɛzənt tɛns. aɪ ˈwɔntɪd noʊ mɔr tɪrz ɪn ðə ˈwərkˌʃɑp, noʊ mɔr ɪmˈbɛrəsɪŋ sinz. bɪn ˈtiʧɪŋ ðiz ˈklæsɪz fər ˈmɛni jɪrz, ənd hæd ˈsəfərd θru ˈsɛvərəl səʧ ˈɛpɪˌsoʊdz. ðə wərst wən ˈhæpənd ɪn ðə leɪt ’90s*. ɔn ðɪs əˈkeɪʒən, ɪn ə kˈweɪvərɪŋ vɔɪs, ə ˈwʊmən ɪn hər rɛd ə ʃɔrt ˈoʊpənɪŋ tɪ ən ˌɔtəˌbaɪəˈgræfɪkəl pis, ˈsəmθɪŋ laɪk ðɪs: ɪt ɪz naɪt. aɪ æm ˈsɛvən. hi stændz ɪn ðə dɑrk æt ðə fʊt əv maɪ bɛd. ˈoʊnli 15 wərdz, mɔr ər lɛs, bət ɪˈnəf tɪ meɪk ɔl hɛl breɪk lus. nɑt ˈoʊnli dɪd ɪt kɔz ə ˈʤɛnərəl ˈaʊtˌbreɪk əv tɪrz ənd həgz, ɪt spɑrkt ən ˌɪnsərˈɛkʃən. ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈlɛtɪŋ ðə ˈstudənt kənˈtɪnju ˈrɛdɪŋ hər wərk, ˈəðərz bərst fɔrθ wɪθ ðɛr oʊn ˈmɛməriz əv əˈbjuz. ðiz wər ˈfrægmənˌtɛri ˌrɛkəˈlɛkʃənz, ər haɪˈpɑθəˌsiz beɪst ɔn ˈflɪmzi ˌsaɪkəˈlɑʤɪkəl gɪt ˈæŋʃəs ˈɛvəri taɪm ˈsəmˌwən kəmz əp bɪˈhaɪnd me,”*,” sɛd wən ˈstudənt. ˈθɛrəpɪst toʊld mi gɑt ɔl ðə hallmarks,”*,” sɛd ðeɪ keɪm aʊt ˈəndər haɪ ˈiˌmoʊʃənəl ˈprɛʃər, laɪk ˈtɛstɪˌmoʊni ɪn ə ˌpɛntəˈkɔstəl ˈtɛmpəl. æt wən pɔɪnt θri wər ˈwərkɪŋ ðə rum. ˈminˌwaɪl, aɪ sæt ˈstɪfli æt ðə hɛd əv ðə ˈsɛməˌnɑr ˈteɪbəl, ˈdipli ɪmˈbɛrəst ənd ə ˈlɪtəl ˈpænɪki ðət soʊ kəmˈplitli lɔst kənˈtroʊl əv ðə klæs. maɪ prəˈvɪʒənəl ˈsɪmpəθi wɑz duɪŋ ˈbætəl wɪθ maɪ ˈneɪtɪv ˈskɛptɪˌsɪzəm. wɑz ɪt ˈrɪli ˈpɑsəbəl ðət faɪv əv ðə 12 ɪn ðɪs grup hæd bɪn ˈsɛkʃuəli əˈbjuzd? bət ðət wɑz ˌbiˈsaɪd ðə pɔɪnt. wət ˈrɪli ˈbɑðərd mi əˈbaʊt ðɪs kəmˈjunəl ˈaʊtˌbərst wɑz ðət ɪt wɑz soʊ unliterary*. ðə ˈsɛkʃuəl əˈbjuz ˈnɛrətɪv hæd bɪn ˈkɑntræktəd tɪ ə kju, ə ˈsɪgnəl. haʊ kʊd ˈɛniˌθɪŋ nu ˈɛvər bi ˈrɪtən əˈbaʊt ɪt? aɪ wɑz riˈmaɪndɪd əv ðə oʊld ʤoʊk əˈbaʊt ðə hu hæd bɪn ˈtɛlɪŋ ðə seɪm sɛt əv ʤoʊks fər soʊ ˈmɛni jɪrz ðət ðeɪ ˈnidɪd ˈoʊnli tɪ kɔl aʊt ə meɪk ˈɛvriˌbɑdi læf. ðə teɪl maɪ ˈstudənt ˈnɛvər gɑt tɪ tɛl wʊd bi ˈklæsəˌfaɪd ɪn ðə kriˈeɪtɪv nɑnˈfɪkʃən wərld ɛz ə ˈtrɔmə ˈnɛrətɪv. səm ˈtiʧərz ˈæktɪvli ɪnˈkərəʤ ðɛr ˈstudənts tɪ rɛd ənd raɪt ðiz. aɪ noʊ wən hu tɔt ən ˈmɛmˌwɑr ˈwərkˌʃɑp ˈjuzɪŋ ˈʤeɪˈsi ˈmɛmˌwɑr, ə ˈstoʊlən laɪf, ɛz hər ˈsɛntrəl tɛkst, ˌsəpləˌmɛntɪd baɪ ˈəðər əˈkaʊnts əv kæpˈtɪvəti ənd ˈsɛkʃuəl ˌɛkˌsplɔɪˈteɪʃən. aɪ traɪd tɪ kənˈsil maɪ ˈhɔrər wɪn ʃi toʊld mi ðɪs, ənd ˈɔlsoʊ maɪ wʊd bi ˈigər tɪ gɪt ˈɪntu ðɪs klæs, ənd ɪt wʊd, ɛz ðeɪ seɪ, tiʧ ˌɪtˈsɛlf. aɪ noʊ əˈnəðər ˈtiʧər, ə ˈraɪtər ənd prəˈfɛsər əv kriˈeɪtɪv nɑnˈfɪkʃən, hu nɑt ˈoʊnli səˈlɪsɪtɪd ˈstɔriz əv əˈbjuz frəm hər ˈstudənts bət ˈɔlsoʊ meɪd ɪt hər ˈbɪznɪs tɪ əˈnərθ ðɛm. wɪn ʃi səˈspɛktɪd ðət ə ˈstudənt wɑz kənˈsilɪŋ ə ˈɛvədəns θˈrɛˌʃoʊld wɑz loʊ: weɪt ˈprɑbləmz, ˈhɛvi ˈmeɪˌkəp, dəl proʊz staɪl; ɔl ðiz wər flægd ɛz prəˈfɛsər kɔld ðə ˈstudənt ˈɪntu ˈpraɪvət ˈkɑnfərəns ɪn hər ˈɔfəs. wəns ðə ˌəndərˈlaɪɪŋ ˈtrɔmə hæd bɪn ˈɛkskəˌveɪtɪd, ənd ðə ˈstudənt pərsˈweɪdɪd tɪ ˌriˈtaɪər ðə ˈbɔrɪŋ ˈkəvər ˈstɔri ˌɪˈnɪʃəli tərnd ɪn ənd tɪ ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪz ðə ˈtrɔmə ɛz hər tru ˈsəbʤɪkt, hər ˈraɪtɪŋ ˌɪmˈpruvd. ðə ˈstudənt hərˈsɛlf ˌɪmˈpruvd, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə prəˈfɛsər. ʃi drɑpt 20 paʊnz, lɛft ɔf ðə θɪk faʊnˈdeɪʃən, wɑz ˈspɑtɪd ˈdænsɪŋ ɪn ə ˈloʊkəl nightspot*. məʧ ɛz aɪ ˌdɪsəˈpruvd əv ðɪs ˌsəbstɪˈtuʃən əv ˈθɛrəpi wɪˈθaʊt ə ˈlaɪsəns fər ˈraɪtɪŋ ˌɪnˈstrəkʃən, aɪ məst seɪ aɪ wɑz dɪˈsɑrmd baɪ ðə ˈkændər. bɪn ˈtiʧɪŋ ɪn ə ˈlæˌkləstər ˈproʊˌgræm fər ˈmɛni jɪrz ənd kənˈfaɪdɪd tɪ ər, ər wər, ˈfrɛndli ʃi faʊnd ðə ˈɛksərˌsaɪz məʧ mɔr ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ ðən ““show*, tell!”*!” ɪn ðə ˈmɑrʤənz əv wən dəl θim ˈæftər əˈnəðər. ɛz ɪt ˈhæpənd, aɪ wɑz pɛrd wɪθ ðɪs prəˈfɛsər ɪn ə dəˈbeɪt əˈbaʊt ˈraɪtɪŋ ɛz ˈθɛrəpi æt ðə ˈmitɪŋz əv ə ˈnæʃənəl ˈraɪtɪŋ əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən. ʃi dɪˈfɛndɪd ðə ˌprɑpəˈzɪʃən ðət ˈraɪtɪŋ kən ənd ʃʊd bi tɔt ɛz ə ˈpjʊrli ˌθɛrəˈpjutɪk ˈɛksərˌsaɪz. aɪ hɛld ðət ɪt ʃʊd bi tɔt ɛz ɑrt. aɪ ˈrɛdəli kənˈsidɪd ðət ˌɔtəˌbaɪəˈgræfɪkəl ˈraɪtɪŋ ˈɔfən dɪz hæv ə ˌθɛrəˈpjutɪk ˈifɛkt ɔn ðə ˈraɪtər, ənd ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ɔn ðə ˈridər tu, bət ˌɪnˈsɪstɪd ðət ˈθɛrəpi ʃʊd bi ˈsɛkənˌdɛri tɪ ðə ˈsɛntrəl eɪm əv kriˈeɪtɪŋ ɑrt. maɪ rɪˈbətəl wɑz ˌɪmˈprɛsɪvli ˈsətəl. ˌɑˈhɑ! ʃi ˈɑbviəsli bɪn ˈweɪtɪŋ fər ˈbɛtər ðə ˈraɪtɪŋ, ðə mɔr ˈifɛktɪvli ɪt sərvz ɛz ˈθɛrəpi. tɪ raɪt əˈbaʊt ðə ˈtrɔmə ɪz tɪ gɪt ðə ˈtrɔmə aʊt, tɪ riˈmuv ɪt frəm ðə sɛlf. tɪ raɪt ˈsəmθɪŋ gʊd ɪz tɪ meɪk bɪn riˈmuvd ˈbjutəfəl, ə ˈlɪtərˌɛri ˈɑbʤɛkt ðət stændz fri əv ðə sɛlf ənd ˈkɑmpənˌseɪts ðə ˈraɪtər fər ðə ʃeɪm əv self-exposure*. ʃi hæd mi ðɛr, ər æt list ʃi meɪd mi stɑp ənd θɪŋk, ənd ðət θru mi ɔf maɪ rɪˈtɔrɪkəl straɪd. ʃi wən ðə dəˈbeɪt, hænz daʊn, bət wəns ðə dɪˈskəʃən ˈpɪriəd gɑt ˈstɑrtɪd, aɪ ˈriəˌlaɪzd bɪn səŋk frəm ðə stɑrt. ɔl ðə kˈwɛsʧənz ənd ˈkɑmɛnts wər əˈdrɛst tɪ maɪ əˈpoʊnənt, ənd ˈɛvriˌwən hu spoʊk əp simd tɪ ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt səm ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən ər ˈɪntəˌrɛst grup. ˈvɪktɪmz əv bərθ ˈdifɛkts, ˈsəfərərz frəm ˈkrɑnɪk fəˈtig ər ptsd*, prəˈskrɪpʃən pɪl əˈbjuzərz, ˌælkəˈhɑlɪks, ˈædəlt ˈʧɪldrən əv ˌælkəˈhɑlɪks. ðɪs wɑz nɑt ə ˈlɪtərˌɛri ˈɔdiəns. ɪt wɑz ə ˈgæðərɪŋ əv kənˈstɪʧuənsiz. ðə ˈtrɔmə ˈnɛrətɪv moʊd hæd lɔŋ bɪn ɪn ðə əˈsɛndənt, əv kɔrs, boʊθ ɪn ðə ˈlɪtərˌɛri wərld ənd ɪn ðə ˈkəlʧər, lɔŋ ɪˈnəf tɪ hæv ˈwɛðərd ˈdɛkeɪdz əv səˈtɪrɪkəl əˈsɔlts ənd ˈərnɪst əˈpɪnjən ˈpisɪz ˈkɔlɪŋ ˈɪntu kˈwɛʃən ðə ˈnɑrsɪˌsɪzəm æt ɪts kɔr. laɪk ˈmɛni ə ˈkəlʧərəl fəˈnɑməˌnɑn, ɪt həz wækst ənd weɪnd ənd ʧeɪnʤd adaptively*. ˈstɑrtɪŋ əraʊnd 2005 maɪ ˈstudənts bɪˈgæn tɪ dɪˈvərsəˌfaɪ ðɛr ˈnɛrətɪvz. səm kənˈtɪnjud tɪ raɪt əˈbaʊt ˈʧaɪlˌdhʊd ˈsɛkʃuəl əˈbjuz, bət ðɛr əˈkaʊnts ˈtɛndɪd tɪ bi tɪŋd wɪθ ˈaɪrəni. hərd ðɪs wən ˌbiˈfɔr, ækˈnɑlɪʤ. ˈəðərz ˈoʊpənd əp əˈʤeɪsənt territories—depression*, ˈitɪŋ dɪˈsɔrdərz, prəˌkræstəˈneɪʃən, ˈʃɑˌplɪftɪŋ, ˈsɛkʃuəl ˌprɑmɪˈskjuəti. ɪn ˈrisənt jɪrz, ˈbʊliɪŋ həz ˈteɪkən ðə ˈspɑˌtlaɪt. ðə kənˈfɛʃənəl ˌɪmˈpəls: hu ˈbɛtər tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd ɪt ðən aɪ, ðə ˈɔθər əv tu ˈmɛmˌwɑrz, boʊθ ˈrəfli ˈklæsəˌfaɪəbəl ˈəndər ðə ˈtrɔmə ˈnɛrətɪv ˈhɛdɪŋ? ɛz ə ˈwərkˌʃɑp ˈtiʧər ɪnˈkərəʤɪŋ ˈstudənts tɪ raɪt əˈbaʊt ðɛr lɪvz, aɪ wɑz ˈhɑrdli ɪn ə pəˈzɪʃən tɪ dɪˈplɔr ɪt. ənd jɛt aɪ dɪd. aɪ ˈbrudɪd əˈbaʊt ɪt, əˈkjuzd ˌmaɪˈsɛlf əv bæd feɪθ. ɪt wɑz wɪn aɪ wɑz ˈsəfərɪŋ moʊst əˈkjutli frəm ˈkɑgnɪtɪv ˈdɪsənəns ðət ðə kənˈfɛs, confide”*” ˈmæksəm spræŋ ˈɪntu maɪ maɪnd. kənˈfɛs, confide.”*.” wət dɪz ðɪs ˈkæˌʧi ˌɛgˌzɔrˈteɪʃən min, ənd wət ɪz ðə ˈdɪfərəns bɪtˈwin ðə tu moʊdz? kənˈfɛsɪŋ ənd kənˈfaɪdɪŋ ər ˈoʊvərˌlæpɪŋ ˈkɑnsɛpts, laɪk ˈɛnvi ənd ˈʤɛləsi, ˈɔfən juzd ˌɪnərˈʧeɪnʤəbli, bət dɪˈstɪŋkt æt ðɛr kɔrz. ðə ˌfəndəˈmɛnəl ˈdɪfərəns bɪtˈwin ðɛm ɪz ðət ə kənˈfɛʃən, ɪn ðə hɪˈstɔrɪkəl, sɛns, ɪz əˈdrɛst tɪ səm entity—god*, ðə kɔrt, ðə ˈpəblɪk, ə ˈpərsən wən həz rɔŋd. ðət ˈɛntɪti ər ˈpərsən hoʊldz ðə paʊər tɪ kənˈdɛm, ˈpənɪʃ, əbˈzɑlv, ər fərˈgɪv. ðə rɪˈsivər əv ə ˈkɑnfədɛns, ɔn ðə ˈəðər hænd, kən ˈkəmfərt ər ʧaɪd ər læf ər wip ɪn ˈsɪmpəθi wɪθ ðə, bət həz noʊ tru əˈθɔrəti ˈoʊvər ɪm. ˈkɑnfəˌdɛnsɪz ər ˈɔfərd tɪ ˈikwəlz, ər æt list ðə ˈɔfərɪŋ ənd əkˈsɛptəns əv ə ˈkɑnfədɛns ˈpleɪsɪz ðə tu ˈpɑrtiz ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɔn ˈikwəl tərmz. kənˈfɛʃənz kən bi koʊərst; ˈkɑnfəˌdɛnsɪz ər ˌɪnˈtrɪnsɪkəli ˈvɑləntɛri. kənˈfɛʃənz tɛnd tɪ bi ˈsɪriəs ənd ˈiˌmoʊʃnəli ʧɑrʤd. ðɪs kən bi tru əv ˈkɑnfəˌdɛnsɪz ɛz wɛl, bət ðeɪ kən ʤɪst ɛz ˈizəli bi laɪt, ˈkɑmɪk, ˈtrɪviəl. (hɑrd tɪ ˌɪˈmæʤən ə ˈlæŋgwəd, kənˈfɛʃən, ɪkˈsɛpt pərˈhæps frəm ə dəˈbɪləˌteɪtɪd ˈpeɪʃənt ɔn hɪz ˈdɛθˌbɛd, ər ə ˈkɛrɪktər ɪn ə ˈrəʃən ˈnɑvəl.) ə kənˈfɛʃən kən bi əˈdrɛst tɪ ə ˈsɪŋgəl ˈpərsən, ə grup, ər tɪ ðə wərld ˈʤɛnərəli, bət ɪkˈsɛpt ɪn ðə keɪs əv ðə ˈkæθlɪk kənˈfɛʃənəl, ðə ˈpərsən rɪˈsivɪŋ ə kənˈfɛʃən dɪz nɑt ˌɪmˈplɪsətli ˈprɑməs tɪ kip ɪt ˈsikrɪt. ə ðət ðə naʊn fɔrm həz bɪˈkəm ˈnɪrli baɪ ˌdɛfəˈnɪʃən ˈpraɪvət, ˈʤɛnərəli ˈɔfərd tɪ ˈoʊnli wən ˈpərsən, ðoʊ ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ə smɔl grup kən rɪˈsiv ə ˈkɑnfədɛns, ɛz ɪn ə ˈleɪtˌnaɪt ˈsɛʃən ɪn ə ˈkɑlɪʤ dɔrm. ə ˈkɑnfədɛns ɪz ʃɛrd wɪθ ðə ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ ðət ɪt ʃʊd nɑt bi rɪˈpitɪd, ðoʊ əv kɔrs ɪt ˈɔfən ɪz. ˈkɑnfəˌdɛnsɪz kən bi læf, bət aɪ θɪŋk ðət jəŋ ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪd ɪn me”*”), bət ðə məst bɪˈliv ɪn ðə truθ əv biɪŋ kənˈfaɪdɪd. ə ˈnoʊɪŋli fɔls kənˈfɛʃən rɪˈmeɪnz ə kənˈfɛʃən, bət ɪf ə ˈpərsən ˈɔfərz ə ˈkɑnfədɛns ɪn ðə ˈkɑnʃəsnəs ðət ənˈtru, noʊ ˈlɔŋgər ə ˈkɑnfədɛns. ə ˈkælkjəˌleɪtɪd məˌnɪpjəˈleɪʃən, ə ˈkɑnfədɛns trɪk. ˈɔlˌweɪz moʊst ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt əˈbaʊt ə kənˈfɛʃən ɪz ɪts ˈkɑntɛnt; ˈɔfən moʊst ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt əˈbaʊt ə ˈkɑnfədɛns ɪz ðə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp ɪt kriˈeɪts ər ˈfərðərz. ˈkɑnfəˌdɛnsɪz ər ðə ˈkərənsi əv ˈfrɛndʃɪp, ənd ər mɛnt tɪ bi ɪksˈʧeɪnʤd. ðeɪ hæv ə ˌpɛdəˈgɑʤɪkəl ˈfəŋkʃən: θru ˈʃɛrɪŋ ðɛm, wi tiʧ ˈəðərz əˈbaʊt ɑrˈsɛlvz ənd ˈsɪgnəl ɑr ˈrɛdinəs tɪ lərn əˈbaʊt ðɛm. ɪn ɪˈstæblɪʃt ˈfrɛndʃɪps ənd ˈmɛrɪʤɪz, məʧ əv ðɪs ˈtiʧɪŋ həz ɔˈrɛdi bɪn dən, bət ðə vaɪəˈbɪləti əv ðiz riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪps ˈɔfən dɪˈpɛndz ɔn ˈkipɪŋ ðə strim əv ˈkɑnfəˌdɛnsɪz ˈtrɪklɪŋ, æt list. ɪf ɪt draɪz əp, ə kənˈfɛʃən meɪ bi ɪn ˈɔrdər. əv kɔrs ˈpipəl du, ˈfeɪməsli, kənˈfaɪd ɪn ˈstreɪnʤərz. hu bɪn ˈprɪvi tɪ ə ˈkɑnfədɛns toʊld baɪ ə ɔn ə pleɪn, ər rɛd ə ˈnɑvəl ər ʃɔrt ˈstɔri ðət ˈjuzɪz səʧ ə sin ɛz ɪts ˈprɛmɪs? ðə ˈpleɪsɪz hɪz trəst (ˈkɑnfədɛns) ɪn ðə ˈkɑmən juˈmænɪti ðət hi ənd hɪz ʃɛr, ənd ˈɔlsoʊ ɪn ðə ˌænəˈnɪmɪti əv ðə ˈsikrɪt ɪz seɪf wɪθ ˈsəmˌwən ˈnɛvər si əˈgɛn. ə ˈkɑnfədɛns wɪl ˈɔfən kənˈteɪn ə kənˈfɛʃən æt ɪts hɑrt, bət ɪn ðɪs ˈkɑntɛkst ðə kənˈfɛʃən ˈluzɪz ɪts ʧɑrʤ, laɪk ə ˌdiˈæktɪˌveɪtɪd bɔm. wət rɪˈmeɪnz ɪz ˈpɔɪnjənsi. kənˈfɛʃənz ər baɪ ˈneɪʧər ˌɪnˈtɛns, ˈsəmˌtaɪmz dɪsˈrəptɪv əv ˈsoʊʃəl ˈɔrdər. ˈkɑnfəˌdɛnsɪz ər ˈʤɛntlər, ənd tɛnd tɪ ˌriɪnˈfɔrs ɪt. ˈivɪn ˈgɑsəp, ˈɔfən sɛd, sərvz ɛz ə ˈbɑndɪŋ ˈeɪʤənt. wɪn aɪ θɪŋk əv ə kənˈfɛʃən, aɪ ˈvɪʒwəˌlaɪz ðə ˈgeɪzɪŋ æt ən ər ðə aɪz. wɪn aɪ ˈpɪkʧər ə ˈpərsən kənˈfaɪdɪŋ ɪn əˈnəðər ˈpərsən, aɪ si ðə pɛr rɪˈgɑrdɪŋ wən əˈnəðər feɪs tɪ feɪs, aɪz ˈlɛvəl. wɪn aɪ θɪŋk əv kənˈfɛʃənz, ðə wərd ““honesty”*” kəmz tɪ maɪnd, ənd aɪ ɛnˈvɪʒən ə tɔˈrɛnʃəl ˈwɔtərˌfɔl. wɪn aɪ θɪŋk əv ˈkɑnfəˌdɛnsɪz, aɪ si ə stɪl pul, ənd ðə əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd wərd ɪz ““candor.”*.” ɔn ðə peɪʤ, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, kənˈfɛsɪŋ ənd kənˈfaɪdɪŋ ˈɔpərˌeɪt ˈvɛri ˈdɪfərˈɛntli frəm ðɛr ˈriˌllaɪf ˈkaʊntərˌpɑrts. ɪn ðə keɪs əv ˈlɪtərˌɛri kənˈfɛʃənz, ðɛr ɪz noʊ gɑd, ˈʤʊri, prist, ər ˈɪnʤərd spaʊs tɪ ˈrɛndər ˈʤəʤmənt ər ˈɔfər expiation*. ˈoʊnli ðə ˈridər, hum ðə kənˈfɛʃənəl ˈraɪtər ˈæˈdrɛsɪz laɪk ən ˈæktər hu həz ˈmæstərd ðə trɪk əv ˈgeɪzɪŋ əˈkrɔs ðə ˈfʊˌtlaɪts, kriˈeɪtɪŋ ɪn iʧ ˈɔdiəns ˈmɛmbər ðə ˌɪˈluʒən ðət hɪz aɪz, ɪn ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr, ər biɪŋ ɪnˈgeɪʤd. ˈivɪn soʊ, ðə ˈɔθər ˈgrænɪŋ ðə ˈridər ə ˈpraɪvət ˈɔdiəns. ʤɪst ɛz wən filz ðə ˈbriðɪŋ mæs əv ˈpipəl əraʊnd wən ɪn ə ˈdɑrkənd ˈθieɪtər, soʊ ðə ˈmɛmˌwɑr ˈridər filz ðə səˈpɔrtɪv ˈprɛzəns əv ˈfɛloʊ ˈridərz, ənd ˈɔlsoʊ filz, ˈvɛnʧər, ðə ˈɛkoʊ əv ə kəmˈjunəl paʊər tɪ grænt fərˈgɪvnəs, tɪ ˈwɛlkəm ðə ˈprɑdɪgəl bæk ˈɪntu ðə foʊld. ðɪs ɪz wən əv ðə ˈætəvɪstɪk ˈkəmfərts əv ˈmɛmˌwɑr, ðɪs ˈfilɪŋ əv biɪŋ pɑrt əv ən ˌɪˈmæʤənd kəmˈjunɪti ðət rɪˈsivz ðə kənˈfɛʃən. ɪn kənˈtɛmpərˌɛri ˈmɛmˌwɑr, ˈnɪrli ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈɪnʤəri ər ɪnˈfərmɪti, nɑt sɪn, ənd ðə ˈridər, sərˈaʊndɪd baɪ ə ˈgoʊstli ˈkəmpəˌni əv ˈfɛloʊ ˈwɪtnəsɪz, ˌəndərˈstændz ðə ˈneɪʧər əv ðə kənˈfɛʃən frəm ɪts ˈvɛri bɪˈgɪnɪŋ. ˈɔlˌmoʊst ə ɪt wɑz wɪθ maɪ ˈwərkˌʃɑp ˌɪnstənˈtæniəs rɪˈspɑns tɪ ə kju. əv kɔrs ðiz tu moʊdz ər ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˌɪˈnɛvətəbli ˈwoʊvən təˈgɛðər ɪn ˈɛni pis əv ˌɔtəˌbaɪəˈgræfɪkəl ˈnɛrətɪv, lɔŋ ər ʃɔrt, ðoʊ tɛnd tɪ du mɔr kənˈfɛsɪŋ ənd ˈpərsɪnəl mɔr kənˈfaɪdɪŋ. ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ə kənˈfɛʃən ənd ə ˈkɑnfədɛns ər ˈprɛzənt ɪn ðə seɪm ˈpɛrəˌgræf, ər ˈivɪn ɪn ðə seɪm ˈsɛntəns. (ə pərɛnˈθɛtɪkəl freɪz, ˌɪnˈsaɪd ˈbrækɪts ər nɑt, ɪz ˈnɪrli ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈklæsəˌfaɪəbəl ɛz ə ˈkɑnfədɛns, ənd ˈpərsɪnəl ˈɛˌseɪz tɛnd tɪ bi ˈloʊdɪd wɪθ ðɛm.) tɪ hɛlp maɪ ˈstudənts si ðə dɪˈstɪŋkʃən, aɪ əˈsaɪn bərt oʊ. slaɪt stoop,”*,” wɪʧ ɪz ðə moʊst ˈpjʊrli ““confiding”*” ˈɛˌseɪ aɪ noʊ, pɛrd wɪθ ləv əv maɪ life,”*,” ˈʃɛrəl ˌɪnˈtɛnsli kənˈfɛʃənəl ˈnɛrətɪv əˈbaʊt hər plənʤ frəm ˌɪnˈtræktəbəl grif ˈɪntu waɪld ˌprɑmɪˈskjuəti ˈæftər hər dɛθ. ˈɛˌseɪ ɪz ən əˈkaʊnt əv hɪz trænˈsɛndəns əv hɪz ˈɔrəʤɪnz ɪn ˌpəŋksəˈtaʊˌni, ˌpɛnsəlˈveɪnjə, meɪd ˈpɑsəbəl baɪ hɪz ˈoʊldər ˈsækrəˌfaɪs əv hər oʊn ˌæspərˈeɪʃənz. ə ˌfɪləˈsɑfɪkəl ˈkɑrənt rənz θru ðə pis, ə ˈtrɪkəl æt fərst, ˈleɪtər ə ˈtɔrənt. raɪt frəm ðə stɑrt, steɪts əˈsumz ə ˈʧæti ˈɪntəməsi wɪθ ðə ˈridər ðət riˈlivz ɪm əv ˈprɛʃər tɪ kət tɪ ˈɛni ʧeɪs. streɪd, ɔn ðə ˈəðər hænd, weɪsts ˈlɪtəl taɪm: dɪd nɑt dɪˈnaɪ. aɪ dɪd nɑt gɪt ˈæŋgri. aɪ ˈbɑrgɪn, bɪˈkəm dɪˈprɛst, ər əkˈsɛpt. aɪ fəkt. aɪ sucked.”*.” æt ˈrəfli ðə seɪm pɔɪnt ɪn hɪz oʊn ˈɛˌseɪ, steɪts ɪz goʊɪŋ ɔn, ɛz hi həz bɪn fər ə ˈkəpəl əv ˈpeɪʤɪz, əˈbaʊt ðə ɑd koʊˈɪnsɪdəns ðət hi ənd hɪz ˈoʊldər ˈsɪstər wər bɔrn 10 jɪrz əˈpɑrt tɪ ðə deɪ: soʊ ðɛr wɑz ˈɔlˌweɪz ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈmɪstɪkəl əˈbaʊt ““our”*” ˈbərθˌdeɪ, ənd aɪ ˌriˈkaʊnt ðə ˈnəmbər əv taɪmz wɪn ə smaɪl əv ˌdɪsbɪˈlif keɪm ˈoʊvər ðə ˈfeɪsɪz əv ˈpipəl ɔn fərst ˈhirɪŋ əˈbaʊt ɪt: ɪt wɑz ɛz ɪf bɪn toʊld ðət ðə ˈsɪnəmə prɑˈʤɛktər wɑz ˌɪnˈvɛntɪd, əv ɔl ˈpipəl, baɪ ðə ˈbrəðərz (wɪʧ ɪt wɑz). du aɪ nid tɪ ˈmɛnʃən ðət maɪ ˈstudənts tɛnd tɪ ləv ləv əv maɪ life”*” ənd tɪ faɪnd slaɪt stoop”*” ɪgˈzæspərˌeɪtɪŋ, ənd ðət ə ˈpɑrtəzən əv ðə ˈlætər ənd hæv mɪkst ˈfilɪŋz əˈbaʊt ðə ˈfɔrmər? aɪ wɑz ˈdæzəld baɪ ləv əv maɪ life”*” wɪn aɪ fərst rɛd ɪt 10 jɪrz əˈgoʊ, bət sɪns ðɛn dɪˈvɛləpt daʊts. wəns ðə ʃɑk ənd ˈglæmər əv ðə pis wɔr ɔf, aɪ faʊnd ˌmaɪˈsɛlf ˈpoʊkɪŋ æt ɪt səˈspɪʃəsli. ɪt ˈbɑðərd mi ðət streɪd ˈnɛvər əˈtɛmpts ən ɪkˈsplænəˌtɔri kəˈnɛkʃən bɪtˈwin hər bərˈivmənt ənd ðə ˈsɛkʃuəl bɪnʤ ðət ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli dɪˈstrɔɪd hər ˈmɛrɪʤ. ʃi dɪz rɪˈpɔrt ðət ɪn hər grif ʃi əˈvɔɪdɪd sɛks wɪθ hər ˈhəzbənd, hum ʃi əˈdɔrd, bɪˈkəz ˈmærətəl ˈɪntəməsi fɛlt ˈɑdli laɪk dɪsˈlɔɪəlti tɪ hər ˈməðər. ðɪs dip, ɪf dɪˈstɔrtɪd, nid tɪ steɪ tru tɪ hər ləv əv hər ˈmuvɪŋli ˈplɔzəbəl: aɪ bɔt ɪt ɪnˈtaɪərli. bət waɪ ðə əˈnɑnəməs ˈkəplɪŋz wɪθ ˈstreɪnʤərz? waɪ dɪd hər grif teɪk ðɪs fɔrm? ɪt ðət aɪ rikˈwaɪərd ən ˈænsər; wət strək mi ɛz ˌənsətɪsˈfæktəri wɑz ðət streɪd ˈnɛvər æsks ðə kˈwɛʃən. streɪd ˈrɛrli ˈspɛkjəˌleɪts ɔn ðə peɪʤ. hər toʊn ɪz ˈflætli ˌrɛpərˈtɔriəl. wət seɪvz hər əˈkaʊnt frəm ˈrɛdɪŋ laɪk ðə ˈtrænˌskrɪpt əv ə ˌsaɪkiˈætrɪk ˈɪntərvˌju ər ˈmoʊmənts əv ˈhɪpstər mordancy*. ʃi gɪvz hər əˈnɑnəməs ˈsɛkʃuəl ˈpɑrtnərz ˈkæpɪtəˌlaɪzd ˌpriməˈʧʊrli greɪɪŋ ˈwɪldərnəs gaɪd, ðə ˈfɔrmərli geɪ ɔrˈgænɪk ˈfɑrmər. ðiz əˈsaɪdz, wɪʧ ər ˈtaɪni ˈkɑnfəˌdɛnsɪz, ˌriəˈʃʊr ðə ˈridər ðət streɪd ɪz seɪn. bət ðeɪ ər ˈoʊnli greɪs noʊts; ðeɪ ˈnɛvər æd ˈifɛkt ɪz tɪ θroʊ ðə ˈɪntu haɪ rɪˈlif. ðə ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃənz ɪn ləv əv maɪ life”*” ər ˌɪnˈtɛnsli ˈpərsɪnəl, bət ðɛr ɪz ˈnəθɪŋ ˈɪnɪmət əˈbaʊt ðə weɪ streɪd dɪˈskloʊzɪz ðɛm. ʃi ɪz ə ˈkæni ˈraɪtər, ənd ðoʊ hər ˈnɛrətɪv kəmz aʊt ˈəndər haɪ ˈprɛʃər, ʃi kənˈtroʊlz ɪt ˈtaɪtli. ʃi kips hər ˈdɪstəns frəm ðə ˈridər. tɪ du ˈəðərˌwaɪz wʊd ˈkɑmprəˌmaɪz ðə θiˈætrɪkəl ˈifɛkt. ɪn ðə ˈklæsˌrum, aɪ glɔs ləv əv maɪ life”*” ˈlaɪtli ənd ðɛn tərn tɪ ðə tæsk əv ˈsɛlɪŋ maɪ ˈstudənts ɔn slaɪt stoop.”*.” ðɪs ɪz nɑt ˈizi: ðeɪ tɛnd tɪ bɔk æt ɪts ənd chattiness*. waɪ hi gɪt tɪ ðə pɔɪnt, ðeɪ æsk. aɪ tɛl ðɛm tɪ hoʊld ɔn, hi sun wɪl. bət hɪz pɔɪnt ɪz kwaɪt ˈdɪfərənt frəm. ɪn hər keɪs tɪ dɪˈlɪvər hər kənˈfɛʃən, ənd ðə mɔr hər ˈnɛrətɪv, ðə truər ɪts eɪm təˈwɔrd ðət ɛnd. ɪt ˈmætər, ˈrɪli, hu ʃi ʃi ˈdɛftli hərˈsɛlf wɪθ ə fju aɪˈrɑnɪkli ˌɪnˈflɛktəd ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃənz əˈbaʊt ðə ˈpɔrtlənd, ˈɔrəˌgɑn, mɪˈljʊ ɪn wɪʧ hər ˈdrɑmə pleɪd aʊt. hər roʊl ɪz tɪ ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt ðə kənˈstɪʧuənsi əv ðə bərˈivd, bət ˈoʊnli ðə ˈsɪriəsli bərˈivd, ʃi ˌɪnˈsɪsts, nɑt ðə ˈkæʒəwəl, kaɪnd. (aɪ goʊ ˈɪntu ðɪs wɪθ maɪ ˈstudənts, bət kəm tɪ bɪˈliv ðət məʧ əv ðə paʊər əv ləv əv maɪ life”*” dɪˈpɛndz ɔn ðə rɪˈlɪʤəs ˈɛkoʊz əv ˈproʊmɪskwəs bɪˈheɪvjər: ˌwəˈtɛvər ɪts ˌsaɪkəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˌmoʊtəˈveɪʃən, hər kəmˈpəlʃən ˈdɪmli ˈriˌkɔlz ðə əv ðə ˈərli seɪnts. ənd ˌənɪkˈspleɪnd, ðɪs ˌɪnˈvərtɪd ˈrɛzənəns wərks səˈblɪmɪnəli tɪ ɪˈstæblɪʃ hər əˈθɔrəti ɛz ə haɪ ˈpristəs əv kənˈtɛmpərˌɛri ˈgrivɪŋ.) bərt steɪts, ɔn ðə ˈəðər hænd, ˌɪnˈvaɪts ðə ˈridər tɪ noʊ ɪm ɪn ðə ˈfʊlnəs əv hɪz pərˌtɪkjəˈlærəti. tɪ ðɪs ɛnd, hi tɛlz ˈstɔriz, ˈmɛni əv ðɛm ˈkɑmɪk, səm əv ðɛm ˈpɔɪnjənt, əˈbaʊt hɪz ˌpɛnsəlˈveɪnjə ˈʧaɪlˌdhʊd ɪn ðə ’40s*. ɪn lu əv ˈdrɑmə, hi ˈɔfərz ə ˈləvɪŋli dɪˈteɪld ˈpɔrtrət əv ə lɔst wərld, əˈsɛmbəld frəm ˈhoʊmli ˈditeɪlz laɪk ðə koʊld ˈʧɪkən ræpt ɪn stɪf braʊn ˈpeɪpər hi ˈkɛrid tɪ hɪz ˈfɑðər fər lənʧ æt hɪz ˈreɪˌlroʊd ʤɑb, ər ðə ˈpæmflət hɪz ɔnt sɛnt ɪm ɪn ðə meɪl. hi ˌɪntrəˈdusɪz hɪz ˈməðər, hu lɔŋd fər ðə wɔl lavaboes”*” ənd ˈgɪni hens”*” ʃi sɔ ˈfoʊtəˌgræft ɪn ˈglɔsi ˈmægəˌzinz, ənd hɪz bɪˈləvəd ˈsɪstər, hu wʊd groʊ tɪ bi mɔr ənd mɔr ˈpaʊərfəl ən ˈɪnfluəns ɪn hɪz laɪf. ðiz tu ðə family,”*,” waɪl ðə ˈtrævəlz fər hɪz ˈreɪˌlroʊd ʤɑb kɛpt ɪm ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ɪt, ən ɔˈkeɪʒənəl ˈvɪzɪtər wɪθ ˈlɪtəl pərˈɛntəl əˈθɔrəti. æt wən pɔɪnt, steɪts ˈmɛnʃənz, pərɛnˈθɛtɪkəli bət ˈtɛlɪŋli, ðət ðɛr wər ɪn ðə marriage.”*.” that,”*,” hi goʊz ɔn, ə ˈmætər aɪ kɛr tɪ gɪt ˈɪntu here.”*.” baɪ ˈflægɪŋ ðiz ˈmærətəl ˈtrəbəlz, hi ˈlɛvəlz wɪθ ðə ˈridər. æt ðə seɪm taɪm, hi pʊts ˈjuˈɛs ɔn ˈnoʊtɪs: ðɪs wɪl nɑt bi ə kənˈfɛʃən. ˈfɑðər, hu keɪm əv fɑrm stock,”*,” ˈwɔntɪd hɪz sən tɪ ˈfɑloʊ ɪm ɪn hɪz kərɪr wɪθ ðə ˈreɪˌlroʊd. bət ðɪs sən wɑz ənd rɪˈflɛktɪv; ɪn ˌædəˈlɛsəns hi bɪˈgæn tɪ bɪˈtreɪ saɪnz əv ˌɪnˈsɪpiənt ˈræmbəlɪŋ ənd ə ˈdrimi, ˈmudi ˈtɛndənsi. ən ˈərli ˈsɪmptəm wɑz hɪz əˈvərʒən tɪ ˈsənˌdiz, wɪʧ simd wɪθ ˈɛmtinəs ə ˈhɑloʊ pərˈɛnθəsɪs ɪn ðə week.”*.” æt hɪz ˌɪnˈsɪstəns, ənd æt ðə kɔst əv hər oʊn ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən, hi bɪˈkeɪm ðə fərst ɪn hɪz ˈfæməli tɪ goʊ tɪ ˈkɑlɪʤ. frəm ðɛr hi wɛnt tɪ ˈgræʤəˌweɪt skul, ənd ɔn tɪ ə kərɪr ɛz ən ˌækəˈdɛmɪk ənd ə ˈraɪtər. ðə fərst ˌtuˈθərdz əv slaɪt stoop”*” ɪz ˌstreɪtˈfɔrwərdli, ˈnɛrətɪv. noʊ ˌɪntɪˈmeɪʃən ðət ˈɛni ˌsaɪkəˈlɑʤɪkəl ʃu wɪl drɔp, noʊ hɪnt əv ˌɪmˈpɛndɪŋ ˈkraɪsəs. səʧ ə teɪl əv ˌnɔrˈmæləti ðət ɪf ɪt wər toʊld lɛs beguilingly*, ðə ˈridər, laɪk maɪ ˈstudənts, wʊd stɑrt tɪ ˈwəndər wət ðə pɔɪnt wɑz. bət ðɛn ə tərn kəmz, ə ˈstɑrtlɪŋ wən. ɛz ɪf ðə ˈnɛrətɪv pɑrt əv slaɪt stoop”*” hæd bɪn dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ drɔp əˈweɪ laɪk ə ˈbustər ˈrɑkət, əˈlaʊɪŋ ə ˈkæpsəl tɪ ʃut streɪt ˈɪntu ðə haɪər ˈriʧɪz əv ˌfɪləˈsɑfɪkəl ˈɪnˌsaɪt. steɪts ʤəmps əˈhɛd tɪ ðə ˈkɑrənt deɪ. naʊ ɪn hɪz 60s*. hi ˈoʊpənz, ɪn ðə ˈprɛzəns, ðə ˈərliəst əv 40 jɪrz əv hɪz oʊn ˈlɛtərz, rɪˈtərnd tɪ ɪm baɪ ðə ˈoʊldər ˈsɪstər hərd soʊ məʧ əˈbaʊt, hu seɪvd ənd ˈtrɛʒərd ðɛm ənˈtɪl ˈblaɪndnəs ˈrɛndərd hər əˈneɪbəl tɪ rɛd ðɛm. ðiz ˈlɛtərz, kɛpt ɪn ˈkɛrfəl ˌkrɑnəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˈɔrdər, əˈnərv ɪm proʊˈfaʊndli. du ðeɪ kənˈteɪn ˈɛvədəns əv səm ˈɪnsədənt riˈprɛst, ə ˈmɛməri əv səm ˈtrɔmə? noʊ. dɪˈstərbɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðɛm ɪz ðət ðeɪ smɛl əv mɔrˈtæləti, laɪk hænd. ɪt ɪz wən θɪŋ tɪ traɪ tɪ ˌəndərˈstænd laɪf, ˈivɪn baɪ goʊɪŋ bæk ˈoʊvər ɪt ɪn jʊr ˈmɛməri. ɪt ɪz əˈnəðər θɪŋ tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ ðə ˈɑrtəˌfækts ju kæst aʊt waɪl ju wər ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪt, tɪ si ðət wət ju tʊk ɛz jʊr oʊn ˌspɑntəˈniəti wɑz ən ˈɪnfənət ˈsɪriz əv kənˈvɛnʃənəl ˈʧɔɪsɪz ər ˌənˈkɑnʃəs ˌædəpˈteɪʃənz əv ˈætəˌtudz, fɪrz, ənd ðət ər ʃɛrd baɪ ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈɛvriˌwən. ðə ˈərliəst ˈlɛtər ɪz fʊl əv priˈtɛnʃəs ““quites”*” ənd ““indeeds,”*,” ʤɪst wət ɪkˈspɛkt frəm ə braɪt, ˌsɛlfˈkɑnʃəs haɪ skul ˈstudənt. ˌæbsəˈlutli ˈnɔrməl ənd ˈɔrdəˌnɛri, bət pɔɪnt ɪz ðət hɪz ˈlɛtər. ˈrɛdɪŋ ɪt naʊ, hi ˈsəfərz ə əv self-allergy.”*.” ðɪs ənd ðə ˈlɛtərz ðət ˈfɑloʊ ɪt wər ɔl ˈrɪtən frəm ðə ˈstændˌpɔɪnt əv ˈɪgnərəns ənd in-betweenness*. ðəs ðɛr ɪz ə ril ˌɪˌnɛvɪtəˈbɪlɪti əˈbaʊt ˈlɛtərz ðət ər re-read*: ðeɪ hæv ðə mɑrk əv ˈfɑsəlz træpt ɪn ðə tri gəm əv ðɛr oʊn nearsightedness.”*.” nɑt ʤɪst ɪmˈbɛrəsmənt æt hɪz ˈjuθfəl ðət ˈbɑðərz steɪts. ðə ˈrɛkərd ðət hɪz ˈlɛtərz æd əp tɪ, ənd wət ðət ˈrɛkərd bɪˈtreɪz. ˈɛni wərk, ˈteɪkən ɛz ə hoʊl, kənˈteɪnz əv freɪz, ˈfrikwɛntli rɪˈpitɪd wərdz, ˌkɛrɪktərˈɪstɪk ˈfɪgjərz əv spiʧ ənd sərv ən ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˌdaɪəgˈnɑstɪk ˈpərpəs. ðeɪ rɪˈvil, hi raɪts, ‘‘genetic’*’ stæmp θru wɪʧ ə ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr maɪnd ənˈθɪŋkɪŋli spiks ˌɪtˈsɛlf, sɪns staɪl, gʊd ər bæd, ɪz ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət ɪkˈsprɛsɪz ˌɪtˈsɛlf ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəntli əv ˈkɑnʃəs will.”*.” hir ˈfɑloʊz ən ʤɛm: ““style,”*,” steɪts raɪts, wət ju noʊ əˈbaʊt yourself.”*.” ənd wət ju noʊ əˈbaʊt ˈjɔrsɛlf ɪz wət ju ˈɛvər ju du lərn leɪt. faɪnd aʊt əˈbaʊt ɪt ɔl afterwards,”*,” steɪts raɪts, ə ˈsədən kənˈvəlʃən əv ˈriləˈzeɪʃən. pɑp, ðɛr ɪt ɪz. ənd əv kɔrs ɔl over.”*.” tɪ rɛd jʊr oʊn ˈlɛtərz ɪz tɪ vju ˈjɔrsɛlf frəm ðə ˈaʊtˈsaɪd, ɛz ɪf ˈpɑsʧʊməsli. steɪts əˈludz tɪ ðə sin ɪn ˈtɑməs ðə ˈmæʤɪk ˈmaʊntən ɪn wɪʧ hɑns kənˈsɪdərz ən ˈɛksˌreɪ əv hɪz oʊn hænd, ənd ˌəndərˈstændz ðət hi wɪl daɪ. ə stunner!”*!” raɪts steɪts. ðə læst fju ˈpeɪʤɪz əv slaɪt stoop”*” ər ˈgɪvɪn ˈoʊvər tɪ ən ɪkˈstɛndɪd ˌmɛdəˈteɪʃən ɔn taɪm ənd ðə weɪ wi ɪkˈspɪriəns ɪt. nɑt ðə ˈæbˌstrækt kənˈkluʒən wi maɪt ɪkˈspɛkt; ˌɪnˈstɛd ə ˈpleɪfəl əˈkaʊnt əv hɪz əˈtɛmpt, ɪn ðə kɔrs əv ˈdraɪvɪŋ frəm ˈsænə ˈbɑrbərə tɪ ˌmɑntəˈreɪ tɪ ˈvɪzɪt hɪz ˈsɪstər (ðət ˈsɪstər! ʃi bɪˈkəmz ə ˈmɪθɪk ˈfɪgjər, ən atropos*) tɪ ˈmɛnəli mərʤ ðə dɪˈpɑrʧər ənd ərˈaɪvəl taɪmz, ɪˈlɪməˌneɪtɪŋ ðə ˈɪntərvəl bɪtˈwin ðɛm. səʧ ə fəˈmɪljər ˈʤərni tɪ steɪts ðət ðɪs ˈɔlˌmoʊst simz ˈpɑsəbəl, ðoʊ əv kɔrs ɪt. ðə ˈprɑbləm ɪz ðət hi rɪˈteɪn hɪz ˈɪmɪʤ əv ðə prɑˈʤɛktəd ərˈaɪvəl ɪn ðə kənˈdɪʃən ˈnɛsəˌsɛri fər ðə match.”*.” ðə ˈmoʊmənt əv ˈɪmɪʤ fɔrˈmeɪʃən slɪps əˈweɪ, ˌɪˈnɛvətəbli ““eaten”*” baɪ ɪts ˈprɑʤəni, ðə ˈmoʊmənts ðət ˈfɑloʊ: ɪn ʃɔrt, ðɪs ˈmoʊmənt, ˈɛni ˈmoʊmənt, ɪz meɪd əv ˈɛvəri ˈəðər ˈmoʊmənt soʊ kloʊz ər ðeɪ ɛz ðeɪ ənˈfoʊld θru iʧ ˈəðər ðət ju ʃʊd bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ wɔk ˈbækwərd ɪn taɪm ɔn ə pæθ əv ˈmoʊmənts tɪ ðə bɪˈgɪnɪŋ, ɪf ju kʊd ˈoʊnli ˈkɑnvərt taɪm ˈɪntu ˈlɪtəl əˈbaʊt ðə saɪz əv jʊr fit. mɔr tɪ ˈfɑloʊ əˈbaʊt ˈwənˈweɪ directionality*, bət liv steɪts hir, wɪθ ðɪs ˈmɑrvələsli ˌkɛrɪktərˈɪstɪk əˈnæləʤi. ɪn ðə ɛnd, hɪz ˈɛˌseɪ ɪz ˌɪmˈpɑsəbəl tɪ ˈsəmərˌaɪz wɪˈθaʊt dɪˈstɔrʃən. nɑt ˈtrævəlɪŋ dɪˈrɛkli frəm ˈprɛmɪs tɪ kənˈkluʒən. ˌɪnˈstɛd, ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ðə kɔrs əv hɪz θɔt ɛz ɪt ɪz ˌɪntərˈəptɪd ənd ˌridərˈɛktɪd baɪ hɪz ˈmɛməriz, ʤɪst ɛz ə ˈmaʊntən strim pɑrts ənd ˈkloʊzɪz əraʊnd ðə rɑks ðət ˈlɪtər ɪts bɛd. ənd ðɪs, aɪ seɪ tɪ maɪ ˈstudənts, ɪz ðə ˈrizən hi toʊld ˈjuˈɛs ðət lɔŋ, ˈkəmfərtəbəl ˈstɔri əˈbaʊt hɪz pæst. hi wɑz ˈjuˈɛs wɪθ hɪz ˈmɛməriz, ˈtiʧɪŋ ðɛm tɪ ˈjuˈɛs soʊ ðət wi maɪt ˈleɪtər ˈfɑloʊ ɪm ɛz hi muvz ˈfrili θru ˌfɪləˈsɑfɪkəl speɪs. ɪn ðə ˈæbsəns əv ə kənˈfɛʃənəl ˈpərpəs, haʊ dɪd hi ˈmoʊtəˌveɪt hɪz ˈnɛrətɪv? baɪ kənˈfaɪdɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈridər. bət ˈrɪli, ləv əv maɪ life”*” ənd slaɪt stoop”*” ər incommensurable*. ðɛr ˈnɛrətɪv ʃeɪps ər soʊ ˈdɪfərənt ðət hɑrd tɪ bɪˈliv ðeɪ bɪˈlɔŋ tɪ ðə seɪm ˈʒɑnrə. slaɪt stoop”*” ɪz laɪk ə haʊ aɪ ɛnˈvɪʒən θɪk stɔk əv ˌrɛməˈnɪsəns ˈflɛrɪŋ aʊt ˈɪntu ə ˌfɪləˈsɑfɪkəl kæp. ləv əv maɪ life”*” həz ə mɔr kənˈvɛnʃənəl dɪˈzaɪn; ə wɪl ˈleɪtər bɪˈkəm ðə ˈmɛmˌwɑr waɪld, ənd ðɛn ə ˈmuvi əv ðə seɪm ə ˌɪnˈvərtɪd ˈnɛrətɪv ɑrk. ɪt kənˈteɪnz ˈvɛri ˈlɪtəl æˈnælɪsɪs, ˈoʊnli kəmˈpleɪnt ðət ɪn ɑr soʊˈsaɪɪti ðə peɪn əv bərˈivmənt goʊz. (ə fɛr pɔɪnt, bət ɪz ɪt ɪkˈsplænəˌtɔri? dɪz ʃi min tɪ səˈʤɛst ðət ɪf ˈoʊnli fɛlt fri tɪ weɪl ənd hər ˈkloʊðɪŋ, hæv rɪˈfreɪnd frəm ðə ˈtɛrəbli lɑrʤ ˈtɛksəs bʊl ˈraɪdər?) æt ˈɛni reɪt, ˈæftər streɪd kənˈfɛsɪz hər ˈməltəpəl ˌɪnfɪˈdɛlɪtiz tɪ hər ˈhəzbənd, ʃi dɪˈvɛləps ə ˈhɛroʊən ˈhæbət ənd ˈəndərˌgoʊz ən ˈpɪriəd ˈɑbviəsli ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnts ðə ˌɪˈnɛvətəbəl ðɛn, ˈhævɪŋ meɪd ə dɪˈsɪʒən tɪ wɔk ðə pəˈsɪfɪk krɛst treɪl, bɪˈgɪnz tɪ klaɪm təˈwɔrd ə fəˈmɪljər kaɪnd əv rɪˈdɛmʃən. ʃi ɪz tu səˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtəd nɑt tɪ ˈaɪərˌnaɪz ðɪs dɪˈvɛləpmənt. ðə ˈridər gɪt tɪ ˈwɪtnəs ə ˈhilɪŋ, ʃi ˈkɔʃənz. ɪz ə smɔl ənd ˈɔrdəˌnɛri ənd ˈvɛri bərnt thing.”*.” (maɪ ˈstudənts ər ˈɔlˌweɪz ˌɪmˈprɛst baɪ ðət ““burnt.”*.”) ˈhilɪŋ minz ˈpɪkɪŋ əp ˈbərdən ənd ˈtrəʤɪŋ ɔn. bət ðɪs ɪz ə dɪˈstɪŋkʃən wɪˈθaʊt ə ˈdɪfərəns: ðə ˈridər dɪz gɪt tɪ ˈwɪtnəs ə ˈhilɪŋ, ənd ɔl ðə mɔr ˈgrætəˌfaɪɪŋ fər ˈhævɪŋ bɪn baɪ ˈaɪrəni. ləv əv maɪ life”*” ˈɔfərz ðə ˌsætəsˈfækʃənz əv ə kənˈfɛʃənəl dɪˈvɛləpmənt, ðə ˈəˌplɪftɪŋ ðə ˈæftərˌteɪst. lɛt mi rɪˈtərn tɪ ðə ˈstɔri əˈbaʊt ðə dəˈbeɪt ɔn ˈtrɔmə ˈnɛrətɪvz ɪn wɪʧ maɪ əˈpoʊnənt soʊ ˈθəroʊli ˈbɛstɪd mi (ənd spaɪkt ðə bɔl ˌaʊˈtreɪʤəsli æt ə ˈpɑrti ˈleɪtər ðət ˈivnɪŋ, aɪ maɪt æd). ˈnəθɪŋ ɪz ˈweɪstɪd. maɪ dəˈbeɪt wən ðət stəmpt mi ənd θru mi ɔf maɪ ðət ðɛr nid bi noʊ ˈkɑnflɪkt bɪtˈwin ðə ˌθɛrəˈpjutɪk ənd ɛsˈθɛtɪk goʊlz əv ˌɔtəˌbaɪəˈgræfɪkəl ˈraɪtɪŋ. ju kən gɪt ðə ˈpeɪnfəl ˈstɔri aʊt ənd meɪk ɪt ˈbjutəfəl, wɪʧ ɪz ɔl ðə ˈbɛtər fər jʊr self-esteem*. sɪns ðət ˈivnɪŋ, hæd ə ˈɪnˌsaɪt. ˈriəˌlaɪzd ðət ɪn spaɪt əv ɑr ˈdɪfərənsɪz, maɪ dəˈbeɪt ˈpɑrtnər ənd aɪ boʊθ ʃɛrd ə əˈbaʊt ðə ˈneɪʧər əv ˌɔtəˌbaɪəˈgræfɪkəl ˈraɪtɪŋ. ɪt wɑz ðət ˈnoʊʃən əv ɪt out.”*.” ðə ˈmɛtəfɔr əv ˈteɪkɪŋ ˈsəmθɪŋ frəm ˌɪnˈsaɪd ðə sɛlf ənd ““removing”*” ɪt tɪ ðə ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ɪz ˈkɑmənli juzd tɪ dɪˈskraɪb ðə goʊl əv ɑrt ˈʤɛnərəli, bət ɪn ˌɔtəˌbaɪəˈgræfɪkəl ˈraɪtɪŋ ɪt ˈkɛriz ə ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ˈhɛvi ˈbərdən əv literal-mindedness*. ɪt wʊd sim ðət ju kənˈteɪn jʊr laɪf ˈhɪstəri ɪn ə mɔr ˈɑbviəs weɪ ðən ju kənˈteɪn ə ˈlænˌskeɪp ˈplænɪŋ tɪ peɪnt ər ə ˈnɑvəl ˈplænɪŋ tɪ raɪt. ɔn ˈsɛkənd θɔt, ˈmeɪbi ɪt sim ðət weɪ. ə ˈnɑvələst maɪt teɪk ən aɪˈdiə fər ə ˈnɑvəl, wɪʧ æt list filz laɪk ə θɪŋ hi ˈhɑrbərz ˌɪnˈsaɪd hɪmˈsɛlf, du ðə wərk əv ˈʃeɪpɪŋ ənd dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ɪt, ənd ðɛn riˈmuv ɪt tɪ ðə ˈaʊtˈsaɪd. naʊ ðə ərˈɪʤənəl kənˈsɛpʃən həz bɪn ˌriˈpleɪst, ðə weɪ ə ˈbluˌprɪnt ɪz ˌsupərˈsidəd wəns ðə haʊs ɪz bɪlt. bət ˈæftər ə kəmˈplits ə ˈmɛmˌwɑr, ðə pæst rɪˈmeɪnz. ˈivɪn ɪf hi ˈsəmˌhaʊ ˈmænɪʤd tɪ ɪkˈstrud ən ɪgˈzækt ˈrɛplɪkə əv hɪz pæst (ənd haʊ kʊd ðət bi pʊt ˈɪntu wərdz, ənd hu wʊd wɔnt tɪ rɛd ɪt?), ðə ərˈɪʤənəl wʊd stɪl bi ðɛr ˌɪnˈsaɪd ɪm. ˈæˌkʧuəli, ðə freɪz ˌɪnˈsaɪd him”*” kənˈsidz tu məʧ: hɪz pæst ˈkɑnstəˌtuts ɪm. ɪt ɪz ɪm. hi, ˈstrɪktli ˈspikɪŋ, gɪt ɪt aʊt, ər ɪf hi dɪz, ɪt kən ˈoʊnli bi ə ðə θɪŋ hi ˈwɔntɪd tɪ gɪt aʊt. hi riˈmuv ˈivɪn ə pis əv ɪt wɪˈθaʊt θˈrɛtənɪŋ ðə ˌɪnˈtɛgrəti əv ðə hoʊl, bɪˈkəz ðə ˈɛləmənts əv ˈpərsɪnəl ˈhɪstəri ər kəˈnɛktɪd tɪ wən əˈnəðər. noʊ weɪ tɪ lɪft ə ˈpɔrʃən aʊt ˈklinli; ɪt kən ˈoʊnli bi tɔrn lus, ʃrɛdz əv ˈkɑntɛkst stɪl əˈtæʧt. ə kənˈfaɪdɪŋ ˈraɪtər ɪz lɛs ˈlaɪkli tɪ ˈvaɪəleɪt ðə truθ əv hɪz oʊn ˈhɪstəri ðən ə kənˈfɛʃənəl ˈraɪtər, ɪf ˈoʊnli bɪˈkəz hɪz kleɪm ɔn ɪt tɛndz tɪ bi mɔr ˈmɑdəst. ˈɔfən, hi ɪz ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪd nɑt soʊ məʧ ɪn ˈgɪtɪŋ ɪt aʊt ɛz ɪn dɪˈspleɪɪŋ ɪt tɪ ˈɪləˌstreɪt səm ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃən ðət ðə ˈridər ɪz ˌɪnˈvaɪtɪd tɪ kənˈsɪdər ɪn ðə laɪt əv hɪz oʊn ɪkˈspɪriəns. soʊ wət ɪz ðə kərˈɛkt ˈlɪtərˌɛri juz əv ðə mæs əv ˌɪˈneɪljənəbəl məˈtɪriəl ðət ɪz ə səˈbʤɛktɪv ˈhɪstəri? ðɛr ɪz noʊ ˈsɪŋgəl raɪt juz, əv kɔrs, bət ˈmɛni, nɑt ɪkˈskludɪŋ kənˈfɛʃənz, ˈivɪn ɪf ˈnɛvər kwaɪt tru (bɪˈkəz ə səˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtəd ˈridər noʊz tɪ meɪk əˈlaʊənsɪz). bət ðə ril ˌlaɪəˈbɪlɪti əv kənˈfɛʃənəl ˈmɛmˌwɑr ɪz ðət, laɪk ˈfɪkʃən, ɪt ˈfənəlz ɪkˈspɪriəns ˈɪntu wən ər əˈnəðər əv ðə ˈvɛri fju ˈbeɪsɪk ˈnɛrətɪvz tɪ wɪʧ ˈɛni ˈstɔri kən bi rɪˈdust. ðə ˈfeɪməs ˈʤoʊzəf ˈkæmbəl əˈbaʊt ðə ˈhɪroʊ hu ˈvɛnʧərz əˈweɪ frəm hoʊm, sərˈvaɪvz greɪt ˈdeɪnʤərz, ənd rɪˈtərnz, ˈbrɪŋɪŋ bæk wɪθ ɪm səm paʊər ðət ˈbɛnəfɪts hɪz ˈpipəl. ˈkɑnvərsli, ðə teɪl əv ðə ˈstreɪnʤər hu kəmz tɪ taʊn. bət ðə ˈstɔri ðət moʊst kənˈfɛʃənəl ˈmɛmˌwɑrz kən bi rɪˈdust tɪ ɪz ðə ˈsɪmpləst əv ɔl. ɪt ˌɪnˈvɑlvz ə proʊˈtægənəst (ˈɔfən ə ˈwʊmən) hu gɪts hərt ər fɔlz ɪl, ənd hu sərˈvaɪvz θru ˈhilɪŋ. ə ˈʃɑkɪŋli ˌrudəˈmɛntəri plɑt, bət ˈhaɪli ˈvərsətəl. ðɛr ər soʊ ˈmɛni weɪz tɪ gɪt sɪk ər hərt, səm ˈbɑdəli, səm ˌsaɪkəˈlɑʤɪkəl, səm boʊθ; ðɛr ər soʊ ˈmɛni ˌɪmˈpɛdəmənts tɪ ˈhilɪŋ, səm bɪlt ˈɪntu ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs ˌɪtˈsɛlf (ɛz ɪn ðə ““recovery”*” ˈnɛrətɪv), səm əˈtrɪbjətəbəl tɪ ðə sɪnz əv ˈəðərz. ənd wət kʊd bi mɔr ˌjunəˈvərsəl? ˈɛvriˌwən gɪts sɪk ər hərt, ənd tɪ wən dɪˈgri ər əˈnəðər, ˈɛvriˌwən hilz. ðə ˈtrɔmə ˈnɛrətɪv ɪz əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd wɪθ ɔl kaɪnz əv gʊd ˈfilɪŋz fər ðə reader—schadenfreude*, əv kɔrs, ənd ˈɔlsoʊ ðə ˈkəmfərtɪŋ sɛnˈseɪʃən əv ˌɪnˈkluʒən ɪn ə kəmˈjunɪti əv ˈpipəl hu hərt ʤɪst ðə weɪ ju hərt. ˈlɪsənɪŋ tɪ ə ˈstɔri əv peɪn ənd ˈhilɪŋ kən rɪˈvaɪv ə sɛns əv ɔ, bɪˈkəz ˈhilɪŋ ˈrɪli dɪz sim mərˈækjələs. ˈplɛzənt tɪ fil noʊ ˈkeɪpəbəl əv ˌriəˈʃʊrɪŋ tɪ ˌɪˈmæʤən ˈəðərz ˈfilɪŋ ɪt təˈwɔrd ju. noʊ ˈwəndər ðə ˈtrɔmə ˈnɛrətɪv ɪz soʊ ˈpaʊərfəl. noʊ ˈwəndər maɪ ˈstudənts, laɪk ˈsəbʤɪkts ɪn səm ˈɑpərənt kənˈdɪʃənɪŋ ɪkˈspɛrəmənt gɔn əraɪ, rɪˈspɑndɪd tɪ ɪt ˌpriməˈʧʊrli. ɪf ju noʊ ðə ˈstɔri ɪn ədˈvæns, waɪ dɪˈleɪ ðə dɪˈlɪvəri əv ðə ˈfilɪŋz ju noʊ ɪt wɪl meɪk ju fil? ə kənˈfɛʃən ˈɔlˌweɪz həz tɪ du wɪθ paʊər. ˈiðər ðə kənˈfɛsɪŋ ˈraɪtər ɪz əˈpilɪŋ tɪ səm paʊər ðət hi ˌɪnˈvɛsts ɪn ðə ˈridər ər ˈwərkɪŋ hɪz oʊn θiˈætrɪkəl paʊər ɔn hɪz ˈridər. hi kən ˈivɪn du boʊθ ðiz θɪŋz ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli, bət ðə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp ɪz ˈnɛvər fər ə ˈmoʊmənt rɪˈsɪprəkəl, ˈnɛvər ˈikwəl. ɛz aɪ əbˈzərvd ˈərliər, hɪz aɪz ər ˈiðər reɪzd ər loʊərd, ˈnɛvər ˈlɛvəl wɪθ ðə. ðə kənˈfaɪdɪŋ riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp, ɔn ðə ˈəðər hænd, ɪz ˌɪnˈhɛrəntli ˈikwəl, rɪˈsɪprəkəl, ənd fri əv ðə teɪnt əv paʊər. laɪk ˌrɛsɪˈprɑsɪti mɔr ˈʤɛnərəli, ˈmɔrəli suˈpɪriər tɪ ðə ˈɛksərˌsaɪz əv ril laɪf, æt list. bət wət əˈbaʊt ɔn ðə peɪʤ? haʊ kən ðə ˈraɪtər ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ ə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp əv ɪkˈwɑləti ənd ˌrɛsɪˈprɑsɪti wɪθ ə ˈridər hi ˈæˌkʧuəli noʊ? ðɪs ɪz ˌɪmˈpɑsəbəl; səm trɪk məst bi ˌɪnˈvɑlvd. ənd soʊ ɪt ɪz. haʊ aɪ θɪŋk ɪt wərks: ðə ˈraɪtər ˌɪnˈvɛnts ə kaɪnd əv fər ðə ˈridər, ən ˌɪˈmæʤənd ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv hu æsks ðə ˈraɪtər ðə kaɪnz əv kˈwɛsʧənz ə ril ˈridər wʊd æsk. ˈminˌwaɪl, ðə ˈækʧəwəl ˈridər, hu əv kɔrs kən ˈnɛvər bi əˈdrɛst dɪˈrɛkli, ˈlɪsənz ɪn. ə ərˈeɪnʤmənt. ðɪs ˌɪnˈtərnəˌlaɪzd ˈəðər, ðɪs ˈmɪnɪˌʧʊr u.n*. observer-figure*, nid nɑt bi ˈkɛrɪktərˌaɪzd, ər ˈivɪn pərˈsɑnəˌfaɪd. hi kən ʃrɪŋk tɪ ðə saɪz əv ən pɔɪnt. hɪz ˈfəŋkʃən, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, ɪz ʤɪst laɪk ðət əv ˈɛni ˈriˌllaɪf ˈkɑnfəˌdɑnt. ɪnˈtaɪər ˈkætəˌgɔriz əv θɪŋz əˈbaʊt staɪl, ɛz bərt steɪts əbˈzərvz, ɪz wən əv bi sin frəm ðə ˌɪnˈsaɪd. wɪn wi kənˈfaɪd ɪn ə frɛnd, wi ər, əˈməŋ ˈəðər θɪŋz, səˈlɪsətɪŋ ən ˈaʊtˈsaɪd vju, ə kərˈɛktɪv tɪ self-blindness*. soʊ tu ðə ˈraɪtər dɪˈpɛndz ɔn ðə ˌɪnˈtərnəˌlaɪzd ˈridər ɛz ə ʧɛk əˈgɛnst ðə noʊˈtɔriəs tɛmˈteɪʃənz əv ən ˌɪnˈtɛnsli səˈbʤɛktɪv genre—self-mythification*, self-dramatization*, self-justification*, self-pity*. ɪn ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs əv əˈkɑməˌdeɪtɪŋ ðə kˈwɛsʧənz ðət hi ˌɪˈmæʤənz ə ˈridər maɪt æsk, ə ˈraɪtər meɪ ˈɔlsoʊ ɪgˈzæmɪn hɪz oʊn ˈmoʊtɪvz, reɪz ˈmɔrəl ˈɪʃuz, ɪkˈsplɔr ˌfɪləˈsɑfɪkəl ˌɪmpləˈkeɪʃənz, meɪk ˌsoʊsiəˈlɑʤɪkəl ˌɑbzərˈveɪʃənz. bɪˈkəz ðə kənˈfaɪdɪŋ moʊd ɪz nɑt goʊl dɪˈrɛktɪd ɪn ðə weɪ kənˈfɛʃən ɪz, ɪt əˈlaʊz greɪt speɪs ənd ˈlɛʒər fər ˌspɛkjəˈleɪʃən. bət ɪt nid nɑt ˈoʊpən aʊt ðɪs weɪ; ðə kənˈfaɪdɪŋ ˈraɪtər kən steɪ kloʊz tɪ hoʊm. ðɪs ɪz ðə greɪt dɪˈstɪŋkʃən əv ðə kənˈfaɪdɪŋ ɪn hɪz wərk hi ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzɪz hɪmˈsɛlf ɛz ðə ˈsteɪbəl ˈɑkjəpənt əv ðə hoʊm əv ðə sɛlf. ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈɛniˌθɪŋ aʊt, hi ˌɪnˈvaɪts ðə ˈridər ɪn. ər ˈrəðər, θru ðə bɪˈnaɪn ˌmidiˈeɪʃən əv ðə ˌɪˈmæʤəˌnɛri ˈridər hi həz ˌɪnˈvɛntɪd fər ðə ˈpərpəs, hi gɪvz ðə ˈækʧəwəl ˈridər ə ˈvərʧuəl tʊr. ɪf ðə ˌɪˈmæʤəˌnɛri ˈridər æsks ðə raɪt kˈwɛsʧənz, ənd ɪf ðə ˈækʧəwəl ˈridər ɪz əˈtund ɪˈnəf tɪ ðɛm, ðɛn ðə ˈækʧəwəl ˈridər ˈfɑloʊz wən əv ðə ðət hi maɪt ˈfɑloʊ ɪf hi wər ən ˈækʧəwəl ˈkɑnfəˌdɑnt. ən ““as-if”*” ˈdaɪəˌlɔg. ðə kənˈfaɪdɪŋ moʊd ɪn ˌɔtəˌbaɪəˈgræfɪkəl ˈraɪtɪŋ ˈɔfərz boʊθ ðə ˈraɪtər ənd ðə ˈridər (ðə ril ˈridər, ðət ɪz) rɪˈlif frəm ðə ˈloʊnlinəs əv pəˈθɑləʤi, bət ðə ˌɪnˈtrɪnsɪk ˈloʊnlinəs əv ðə ˈjumən kənˈdɪʃən. ðɪs ɪz haʊ ɪt ɪz ɪn hir, ðə ˈraɪtər ɪz seɪɪŋ ɛz hi flɪŋz ˈoʊpən ðə dɔrz tɪ hɪz səˈbʤɛktɪv hoʊm, ənd ðə ˈridər ɪz rɪˈlivd tɪ si ðət ˈvɛri məʧ laɪk hɪz oʊn sɛt əv rumz. frəm ðə ˈækʧəwəl pərˈspɛktɪv, ðə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp bɪtˈwin ˈraɪtər ənd ˈridər kən sim ənˈkænəli trænˈspɛrənt ənd artless*, əˈspɛʃəli wɪn ðə ˈraɪtər həz ˈmæstərd ðət skɪl soʊ spɪˈsɪfɪk tɪ ðə kənˈfaɪdɪŋ tækt. ə ˈrɪli gʊd ˈraɪtər kən ˈmænɪʤ ðə θˈriˌweɪ riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp soʊ ɛz tɪ brɪŋ ðə ˈridər ˈvɛri kloʊz. aɪ θɪŋk əv ðə ˈmoʊmənt ɪn nəˈtɑljə ənd i”*” ɪn wɪʧ ʃi kənˈfaɪdz ðət wɪn ʃi wips ˈdʊrɪŋ faɪts wɪθ hər ˈhəzbənd, ʃi ˈɔlˌweɪz rɪˈmeɪnz kwaɪt kɑm bɪˈniθ hər tɪrz. ˈrɛdɪŋ ðɪs, aɪ θɔt, jɛs, ɪgˈzæktli, ənd ðət smɔl ʃɑk əv ˌrɛkɪgˈnɪʃən woʊk mi tɪ ðə ˌriˈæləˌti ðət bɪn ˈrɛdɪŋ ənd nɑt ˈtɔkɪŋ wɪθ ə frɛnd. ɪt hæd simd soʊ ril. fərˈgɑtən fər ə ˈmoʊmənt ðət ɪt, ðət ɪt bi, ðət ɪt wɑz ən ˌɪˈluʒən, ənd ðət ðɪs ˌɪˈluʒən meɪd ɪt ɑrt.
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in the course of teaching a personal essay workshop a few years ago, a watchword popped into my mind: “don’t confess: confide!” i tried it out on my students and found that it seemed to hit some target. at any rate, several produced notebooks and jotted it down.
later, i directed the group to write about a single situation in two ways, first as a confession and then as a confidence. in discussion, i asked them to draw out the distinction between the two notions by analyzing what they’d written. as socratic pedagogy the experiment failed; if anything, the distinction was muddied. i was disappointed, because i’d been hoping the students would confirm or clarify my own developing views, about the abstract difference between confessing and confiding as well as its relevance to the practice of autobiographical writing. but the exercise did seem to intrigue the class, and it yielded some promising writing. the mere juxtaposition of confessing and confiding had set internal chords humming.
i hadn’t yet figured out the exact relationship between these two idea-cousins, but i knew that i wanted to offer my students an alternative to the purely confessional mode. i wanted them to write about themselves without falling into a paralyzingly portentous tone. i wanted more humor in their work, more complexity, more detail, more balance—more good writing. i wanted fewer italicized passages, less use of the breathless present tense. i wanted no more tears in the workshop, no more embarrassing scenes.
i’d been teaching these classes for many years, and had suffered through several such episodes. the worst one happened in the late ’90s. on this occasion, in a quavering voice, a woman in her 30s read a short opening to an autobiographical piece, something like this: it is night. i am seven. he stands in the dark at the foot of my bed. only 15 words, more or less, but enough to make all hell break loose. not only did it cause a general outbreak of tears and hugs, it sparked an insurrection. instead of letting the student continue reading her work, others burst forth with their own memories of abuse. these were fragmentary recollections, or hypotheses based on flimsy psychological evidence—“i get anxious every time someone comes up behind me,” said one student. “my therapist told me i’ve got all the hallmarks,” said another—but they came out under high emotional pressure, like testimony in a pentecostal temple. at one point three huggers were working the room.
meanwhile, i sat stiffly at the head of the seminar table, deeply embarrassed and a little panicky that i’d so completely lost control of the class. my provisional sympathy was doing battle with my native skepticism. was it really possible that five of the 12 in this group had been sexually abused?
but that was beside the point. what really bothered me about this communal outburst was that it was so unliterary. the sexual abuse narrative had been contracted to a cue, a signal. how could anything new ever be written about it? i was reminded of the old joke about the jailbirds who had been telling the same set of jokes for so many years that they needed only to call out a number—97!—to make everybody laugh.
the tale my student never got to tell would be classified in the creative nonfiction world as a trauma narrative. some teachers actively encourage their students to read and write these. i know one who taught an mfa memoir workshop using jaycee dugard’s memoir, a stolen life, as her central text, supplemented by other accounts of captivity and sexual exploitation. i tried to conceal my horror when she told me this, and also my envy—students would be eager to get into this class, and it would, as they say, teach itself.
i know another teacher, a writer and now-retired professor of creative nonfiction, who not only solicited stories of abuse from her students but also made it her business to unearth them. when she suspected that a student was concealing a secret—her evidence threshold was low: weight problems, heavy makeup, dull prose style; all these were flagged as symptoms—this professor called the student into private conference in her office. once the underlying trauma had been excavated, and the student persuaded to retire the boring cover story she’d initially turned in and to recognize the trauma as her true subject, her writing improved. the student herself improved, according to the professor. she dropped 20 pounds, left off the thick foundation, was spotted dancing in a local nightspot. much as i disapproved of this substitution of therapy without a license for writing instruction, i must say i was disarmed by the teacher’s candor. she’d been teaching in a lackluster mfa program for many years and confided to me—we are, or were, friendly acquaintances—that she found the unmasking exercise much more interesting than scrawling “show, don’t tell!” in the margins of one dull theme after another.
as it happened, i was paired with this professor in a debate about writing as therapy at the meetings of a national writing association. she defended the proposition that writing can and should be taught as a purely therapeutic exercise. i held that it should be taught as art. i readily conceded that autobiographical writing often does have a therapeutic effect on the writer, and sometimes on the reader too, but insisted that therapy should be secondary to the central aim of creating art. my opponent’s rebuttal was impressively subtle. aha! she said—she’d obviously been waiting for this—the better the writing, the more effectively it serves as therapy. to write about the trauma is to get the trauma out, to remove it from the self. to write something good is to make what’s been removed beautiful, a well-wrought literary object that stands free of the self and compensates the writer for the shame of self-exposure.
she had me there, or at least she made me stop and think, and that threw me off my rhetorical stride. she won the debate, hands down, but once the discussion period got started, i realized i’d been sunk from the start. all the questions and comments were addressed to my opponent, and everyone who spoke up seemed to represent some organization or interest group. victims of birth defects, sufferers from chronic fatigue or ptsd, prescription pill abusers, alcoholics, adult children of alcoholics. this was not a literary audience. it was a gathering of constituencies.
the trauma narrative mode had long been in the ascendant, of course, both in the literary world and in the culture, long enough to have weathered decades of satirical assaults and earnest opinion pieces calling into question the narcissism at its core. like many a long-lived cultural phenomenon, it has waxed and waned and changed adaptively. starting around 2005, my students began to diversify their narratives. some continued to write about childhood sexual abuse, but their accounts tended to be tinged with irony. you’ve heard this one before, they’d acknowledge. others opened up adjacent territories—depression, eating disorders, procrastination, shoplifting, sexual promiscuity. in recent years, bullying has taken the spotlight.
the confessional impulse: who better to understand it than i, the author of two memoirs, both roughly classifiable under the trauma narrative heading? as a workshop teacher encouraging students to write about their lives, i was hardly in a position to deplore it. and yet i did. i brooded about it, accused myself of bad faith. it was when i was suffering most acutely from cognitive dissonance that the “don’t confess, confide” maxim sprang into my mind.
“don’t confess, confide.” what does this catchy exhortation mean, and what is the difference between the two modes?
confessing and confiding are overlapping concepts, like envy and jealousy, often used interchangeably, but distinct at their cores. the fundamental difference between them is that a confession, in the word’s historical, nonliterary sense, is addressed to some entity—god, the court, the public, a person one has wronged. that entity or person holds the power to condemn, punish, absolve, or forgive. the receiver of a confidence, on the other hand, can comfort or chide or laugh or weep in sympathy with the confider, but has no true authority over him. confidences are offered to equals, or at least the offering and acceptance of a confidence places the two parties involved on equal terms.
confessions can be coerced; confidences are intrinsically voluntary. confessions tend to be tonally serious and emotionally charged. this can be true of confidences as well, but they can just as easily be light, comic, trivial. (hard to imagine a languid, low-energy confession, except perhaps from a debilitated patient on his deathbed, or a character in a russian novel.)
a confession can be addressed to a single person, a group, or to the world generally, but except in the case of the catholic confessional, the person receiving a confession does not implicitly promise to keep it secret. a confidence—interesting that the noun form has become nearly obsolete—is by definition private, generally offered to only one person, though sometimes a small group can receive a confidence, as in a late-night session in a college dorm. a confidence is shared with the understanding that it should not be repeated, though of course it often is.
confidences can be self-deluded (“don’t laugh, but i think that young man’s interested in me”), but the confider must believe in the truth of what’s being confided. a knowingly false confession remains a confession, but if a person offers a confidence in the consciousness that it’s untrue, it’s no longer a confidence. it’s a calculated manipulation, a confidence trick.
what’s always most important about a confession is its content; what’s often most important about a confidence is the relationship it creates or furthers. confidences are the currency of friendship, and are meant to be exchanged. they have a pedagogical function: through sharing them, we teach others about ourselves and signal our readiness to learn about them. in established friendships and marriages, much of this teaching has already been done, but the viability of these relationships often depends on keeping the stream of confidences flowing—or trickling, at least. if it dries up, a confession may be in order.
of course people do, famously, confide in strangers. who hasn’t been privy to a confidence told by a seatmate on a plane, or read a novel or short story that uses such a scene as its premise? the confider places his trust (confidence) in the common humanity that he and his stranger-confidant share, and also in the anonymity of the situation—his secret is safe with someone he’ll never see again.
a confidence will often contain a confession at its heart, but in this context the confession loses its charge, like a deactivated bomb. what remains is poignancy. confessions are by nature intense, sometimes disruptive of social order. confidences are gentler, and tend to reinforce it. even gossip, it’s often said, serves as a bonding agent.
when i think of a confession, i visualize the confessor gazing at an angle—up or down—into the confessee’s eyes. when i picture a person confiding in another person, i see the pair regarding one another face to face, eyes level. when i think of confessions, the word “honesty” comes to mind, and i envision a torrential waterfall. when i think of confidences, i see a still pool, and the associated word is “candor.”
on the page, however, confessing and confiding operate very differently from their real-life counterparts. in the case of literary confessions, there is no god, jury, priest, or injured spouse to render judgment or offer expiation. there’s only the reader, whom the confessional writer addresses like an actor who has mastered the trick of gazing across the footlights, creating in each audience member the illusion that his eyes, in particular, are being engaged. even so, the author isn’t granting the reader a private audience. just as one feels the breathing mass of people around one in a darkened theater, so the memoir reader feels the supportive presence of fellow readers, and also feels, i’d venture, the echo of a communal power to grant forgiveness, to welcome the prodigal back into the fold. this is one of the atavistic comforts of memoir, this feeling of being part of an imagined community that receives the writer’s confession. in contemporary memoir, that’s nearly always injury or infirmity, not sin, and the reader, surrounded by a ghostly company of fellow witnesses, understands the nature of the confession from its very beginning. it’s almost a matter—as it was with my workshop tears-and-hugs outbreak—of instantaneous response to a cue.
of course these two modes are almost inevitably woven together in any piece of autobiographical narrative, long or short, though memoirists tend to do more confessing and personal essayists more confiding. sometimes a confession and a confidence are present in the same paragraph, or even in the same sentence. (a parenthetical phrase, inside brackets or not, is nearly always classifiable as a confidence, and personal essays tend to be loaded with them.) to help my students see the distinction, i assign bert o. states’s “my slight stoop,” which is the most purely “confiding” essay i know, paired with “the love of my life,” cheryl strayed’s intensely confessional narrative about her plunge from intractable grief into wild promiscuity after her mother’s death.
states’s essay is an account of his transcendence of his blue-collar origins in punxsutawney, pennsylvania, made possible by his older sister’s sacrifice of her own aspirations. a philosophical current runs through the piece, a trickle at first, later a torrent. right from the start, states assumes a chatty intimacy with the reader that relieves him of pressure to cut to any chase.
strayed, on the other hand, wastes little time: “i did not deny. i did not get angry. i didn’t bargain, become depressed, or accept. i fucked. i sucked.”
at roughly the same point in his own essay, states is going on, as he has been for a couple of pages, about the odd coincidence that he and his older sister were born 10 years apart to the day:
so there was always something distantly mystical about “our” birthday, and i can’t recount the number of times when a smile of disbelief came over the faces of people on first hearing about it: it was as if they’d been told that the cinema projector was invented, of all people, by the lumière brothers (which it was).
do i need to mention that my students tend to love “the love of my life” and to find “my slight stoop” exasperating, and that i’m a partisan of the latter and have mixed feelings about the former? i was dazzled by “the love of my life” when i first read it 10 years ago, but since then i’ve developed doubts. once the shock and glamour of the piece wore off, i found myself poking at it suspiciously. it bothered me that strayed never attempts an explanatory connection between her bereavement and the two-year sexual binge that eventually destroyed her marriage. she does report that in her grief she avoided sex with her husband, whom she adored, because marital intimacy felt oddly like disloyalty to her mother. this deep, if distorted, need to stay true to her mother—the love of her life—seemed movingly plausible: i bought it entirely. but why the anonymous couplings with strangers? why did her grief take this form? it wasn’t that i required an answer; what struck me as unsatisfactory was that strayed never asks the question.
strayed rarely speculates on the page. her tone is flatly reportorial. what saves her account from reading like the transcript of a psychiatric interview are moments of hipster mordancy. she gives her anonymous sexual partners capitalized titles—the prematurely graying wilderness guide, the formerly gay organic farmer. these asides, which are tiny confidences, reassure the reader that strayed is sane. but they are only grace notes; they never add up—their effect is to throw the essay’s confessionalism into high relief. the revelations in “the love of my life” are intensely personal, but there is nothing intimate about the way strayed discloses them. she is a canny writer, and though her narrative comes out under high pressure, she controls it tightly. she keeps her distance from the reader. to do otherwise would compromise the essay’s theatrical effect.
in the classroom, i gloss “the love of my life” lightly and then turn to the task of selling my students on “my slight stoop.” this is not easy: they tend to balk at its prolixity and chattiness. why doesn’t he get to the point, they ask. i tell them to hold on, he soon will.
but his point is quite different from strayed’s. in her case it’s to deliver her confession, and the more stripped-down her narrative, the truer its aim toward that end. it doesn’t matter, really, who she is—though she deftly situates herself with a few ironically inflected observations about the portland, oregon, milieu in which her drama played out. her role is to represent the constituency of the bereaved, but only the seriously bereaved, she insists, not the casual, once-removed kind. (i don’t go into this with my students, but i’ve come to believe that much of the power of “the love of my life” depends on the religious echoes of strayed’s promiscuous behavior: whatever its psychological motivation, her sucking-and-fucking compulsion dimly recalls the fleshly self-mortifications of the early saints. unacknowledged and unexplained, this inverted resonance works subliminally to establish her authority as a high priestess of contemporary grieving.)
bert states, on the other hand, invites the reader to know him in the fullness of his particularity. to this end, he tells stories, many of them comic, some of them poignant, about his lower-middle-class pennsylvania childhood in the ’40s. in lieu of drama, he offers a lovingly detailed portrait of a lost world, assembled from homely details like the cold chicken wrapped in stiff brown paper he carried to his father for lunch at his railroad job, or the two-staple anti-masturbation pamphlet his aunt sent him in the mail. he introduces his mother, who longed for the “copper wall lavaboes” and “pewter guinea hens” she saw photographed in glossy magazines, and his beloved sister, who would grow to be more and more powerful an influence in his life. these two “ran the family,” while the father’s travels for his railroad job kept him outside it, an occasional visitor with little parental authority. at one point, states mentions, parenthetically but tellingly, that there were “problems in the marriage.” “but that,” he goes on, “is a matter i don’t care to get into here.” by flagging these marital troubles, he levels with the reader. at the same time, he puts us on notice: this will not be a confession.
states’s father, who came of “solid farm stock,” wanted his son to follow him in his career with the railroad. but this son was inward-turned and reflective; in adolescence he began to betray signs of incipient literary-mindedness—solitary rambling and a dreamy, moody tendency. an early symptom was his aversion to sundays, which seemed “saturated with emptiness … a hollow parenthesis in the week.” at his sister’s insistence, and at the cost of her own education, he became the first in his family to go to college. from there he went to graduate school, and on to a career as an academic and a writer.
the first two-thirds of “my slight stoop” is straightforwardly, nostalgically narrative. there’s no intimation that any psychological shoe will drop, no hint of impending crisis. it’s such a tale of normality that if it were told less beguilingly, the reader, like my students, would start to wonder what the point was. but then a turn comes, a startling one. it’s as if the narrative part of “my slight stoop” had been designed to drop away like a booster rocket, allowing a payload-carrying capsule to shoot straight into the higher reaches of philosophical insight.
states jumps ahead to the current day. now he’s in his 60s. he opens, in the reader’s presence, the earliest of 40 years of his own letters, returned to him by the older sister we’ve heard so much about, who saved and treasured them until blindness rendered her unable to read them. these letters, kept in careful chronological order, unnerve him profoundly. do they contain evidence of some incident he’d repressed, a memory of some trauma? no. what’s disturbing about them is that they smell of mortality, like lear’s hand.
it is one thing to try to understand life, even by going back over it in your memory. … it is another thing to return to the artifacts you cast out while you were living it, to see that what you took as your own spontaneity was an infinites of conventional choices or unconscious adaptations of attitudes, fears, and intolerances that are shared by almost everyone.
the earliest letter is full of pretentious “quites” and “indeeds,” just what you’d expect from a bright, self-conscious high school student. absolutely normal and ordinary, but states’s point is that it’s his letter. reading it now, he suffers a “spasm of self-allergy.” this and the letters that follow it were all “necessarily written from the standpoint of ignorance and in-betweenness. … thus there is a real inevitability about letters that are re-read: they have the mark of fossils trapped in the tree gum of their own nearsightedness.”
it’s not just embarrassment at his youthful affectations that bothers states. it’s the record that his letters add up to, and what that record betrays. any author’s work, taken as a whole, contains patterns—turns of phrase, frequently repeated words, characteristic figures of speech and metaphors—that serve an almost diagnostic purpose. they reveal, he writes, “the ‘genetic’ stamp through which a particular mind unthinkingly speaks itself, since style, good or bad, is something that expresses itself independently of conscious will.”
here follows an aphoristic gem: “style,” states writes, “is what you don’t know about yourself.” and what you don’t know about yourself is what you learn—if ever you do learn it—too late. “you find out about it all afterwards,” states writes, “in a sudden convulsion of realization. pop, there it is. and of course it’s all over.”
to read your own letters is to view yourself from the outside, as if posthumously. states alludes to the scene in thomas mann’s the magic mountain in which hans castorp considers an x-ray of his own hand, and understands that he will die. “what a stunner!” writes states.
the last few pages of “my slight stoop” are given over to an extended meditation on time and the way we experience it. it’s not the abstract conclusion we might expect; instead it’s a playful account of his attempt, in the course of driving from santa barbara to monterey to visit his sister (that sister! she becomes a mythic figure, an atropos) to mentally merge the departure and arrival times, eliminating the interval between them. it’s such a familiar journey to states that this almost seems possible, though of course it isn’t. the problem is that he can’t retain his image of the projected arrival in the “mint condition necessary for the match.” the moment of image formation slips away, inevitably “eaten” by its progeny, the moments that follow:
in short, this moment, any moment, is made of every other moment … so close are they as they unfold through each other that you should be able to walk backward in time on a path of moments to the beginning, if you could only convert time into little steppingstones about the size of your mind’s feet.
there’s more to follow about time’s one-way directionality, but i’ll leave states here, with this marvelously characteristic analogy. in the end, his essay is impossible to summarize without distortion. he’s not traveling directly from premise to conclusion. instead, he’s following the course of his thought as it is interrupted and redirected by his memories, just as a mountain stream parts and closes around the rocks that litter its bed.
and this, i say to my students, is the reason he told us that long, comfortable story about his past. he was acquainting us with his memories, teaching them to us so that we might later follow him as he moves freely through philosophical space. in the absence of a confessional purpose, how did he motivate his narrative? by confiding in the reader.
but really, “the love of my life” and “my slight stoop” are incommensurable. their narrative shapes are so different that it’s hard to believe they belong to the same genre. “my slight stoop” is like a mushroom—that’s how i envision it—a thick stalk of reminiscence flaring out into a philosophical cap. “the love of my life” has a more conventional design; it’s a scale-model memoir—it will later become the memoir wild, and then a movie of the same name—with a memoir’s inverted narrative arc. it contains very little analysis, only strayed’s complaint that in our deritualized society the pain of bereavement goes unacknowledged. (a fair point, but is it explanatory? does she mean to suggest that if only she’d felt free to wail and rend her clothing, she’d have refrained from fellating the terribly large texas bull rider?)
at any rate, after strayed confesses her multiple infidelities to her husband, she develops a heroin habit and undergoes an abortion—this period obviously represents the inevitable bottoming-out—and then, having made a decision to walk the pacific crest trail, begins to climb toward a familiar kind of redemption. she is too sophisticated not to ironize this development. the reader won’t get to witness a healing, she cautions. “healing is a small and ordinary and very burnt thing.” (my students are always impressed by that “burnt.”) healing means picking up one’s burden and trudging on.
but this is a distinction without a difference: the reader does get to witness a healing, and it’s all the more gratifying for having been disinfected by irony. “the love of my life” offers the ready-made satisfactions of a confessional narrative—the pilgrim’s-progress development, the uplifting ending—without the cornball aftertaste.
let me return to the story about the debate on trauma narratives in which my opponent so thoroughly bested me (and spiked the ball outrageously at a party later that evening, i might add).
nothing is wasted. my debate partner’s riposte—the one that stumped me and threw me off my timing—was that there need be no conflict between the therapeutic and aesthetic goals of autobiographical writing. you can get the painful story out and make it beautiful, which is all the better for your self-esteem. since that evening, i’ve had a wisdom-of-the-stairs insight. i’ve realized that in spite of our differences, my debate partner and i both shared a fundamental—and wrong—assumption about the nature of autobiographical writing. it was that notion of “getting it out.”
the metaphor of taking something from inside the self and “removing” it to the outside is commonly used to describe the goal of art generally, but in autobiographical writing it carries a particularly heavy burden of literal-mindedness. it would seem that you contain your life history in a more obvious way than you contain a landscape you’re planning to paint or a novel you’re planning to write.
on second thought, maybe it doesn’t seem that way. a novelist might take an idea for a novel, which at least feels like a thing he harbors inside himself, do the writer’s work of shaping and developing it, and then remove it to the outside. now the original conception has been replaced, the way a blueprint is superseded once the house is built. but after a memoirist completes a memoir, the past remains. even if he somehow managed to extrude an exact replica of his past (and how could that be put into words, and who would want to read it?), the original would still be there inside him. actually, the phrase “there inside him” concedes too much: his past constitutes him. it is him. he can’t, strictly speaking, get it out, or if he does, it can only be a version—a distortion—of the thing he wanted to get out. he can’t remove even a piece of it without threatening the integrity of the whole, because the elements of personal history are connected to one another. there’s no way to lift a portion out cleanly; it can only be torn loose, shreds of context still attached. a confiding writer is less likely to violate the truth of his own history than a confessional writer, if only because his claim on it tends to be more modest. often, he is interested not so much in getting it out as in displaying it to illustrate some observation that the reader is invited to consider in the light of his own experience.
so what is the correct literary use of the mass of inalienable material that is a writer’s subjective history? there is no single right use, of course, but many, not excluding confessions, even if they’re never quite true (because a sophisticated reader knows to make allowances). but the real liability of confessional memoir is that, like fiction, it funnels experience into one or another of the very few basic narratives to which any story can be reduced. there’s the famous joseph campbell ur-plot about the hero who ventures away from home, survives great dangers, and returns, bringing back with him some power that benefits his people. conversely, there’s the tale of the stranger who comes to town. but the story that most confessional memoirs can be reduced to is the simplest of all. it involves a protagonist (often a woman) who gets hurt or falls ill, and who survives through healing. a shockingly rudimentary plot, but highly versatile. there are so many ways to get sick or hurt, some bodily, some psychological, some both; there are so many impediments to healing, some built into the process itself (as in the “recovery” narrative), some attributable to the sins of others.
and what could be more universal? everyone gets sick or hurt, and to one degree or another, everyone heals. the trauma narrative is associated with all kinds of good feelings for the reader—schadenfreude, of course, and also the comforting sensation of inclusion in a community of people who hurt just the way you hurt. listening to a story of pain and healing can revive a demi-religious sense of awe, because healing really does seem miraculous. it’s pleasant to feel empathy—to know you’re capable of it—and reassuring to imagine others feeling it toward you. no wonder the trauma narrative is so powerful. no wonder my students, like subjects in some operant conditioning experiment gone awry, responded to it prematurely. if you know the story in advance, why delay the delivery of the feelings you know it will make you feel?
a confession always has to do with power. either the confessing writer is appealing to some power that he invests in the reader or working his own theatrical power on his reader. he can even do both these things simultaneously, but the relationship is never for a moment reciprocal, never equal. as i observed earlier, his eyes are either raised or lowered, never level with the reader’s.
the confiding relationship, on the other hand, is inherently equal, reciprocal, and free of the taint of power. like reciprocity more generally, it’s morally superior to the exercise of power—in real life, at least. but what about on the page? how can the writer enjoy a relationship of equality and reciprocity with a reader he can’t actually know? this is impossible; some trick must be involved.
and so it is. here’s how i think it works: the writer invents a kind of stand-in for the reader, an imagined representative who asks the writer the kinds of questions a real reader would ask. meanwhile, the actual reader, who of course can never be addressed directly, listens in. it’s a three-cornered arrangement.
this internalized other, this miniature u.n. observer-figure, need not be characterized, or even personified. he can shrink to the size of an archimedean point. his function, however, is just like that of any real-life confidant. entire categories of things about us—our style, as bert states observes, is one of them—can’t be seen from the inside. when we confide in a friend, we are, among other things, soliciting an outside view, a corrective to self-blindness. so too the writer depends on the internalized reader as a check against the notorious temptations of an intensely subjective genre—self-mythification, self-dramatization, self-justification, self-pity. in the process of accommodating the questions that he imagines a reader might ask, a writer may also examine his own motives, raise moral issues, explore philosophical implications, make sociological observations. because the confiding mode is not goal directed in the way confession is, it allows great space and leisure for speculation. but it need not open out this way; the confiding writer can stay close to home.
this is the great distinction of the confiding writer—that in his work he recognizes himself as the stable occupant of the home of the self. instead of getting anything out, he invites the reader in. or rather, through the benign mediation of the imaginary reader he has invented for the purpose, he gives the actual reader a virtual tour. if the imaginary reader asks the right questions, and if the actual reader is attuned enough to them, then the actual reader follows one of the thought-paths that he might follow if he were an actual confidant. it’s an “as-if” dialogue.
the confiding mode in autobiographical writing offers both the writer and the reader (the real reader, that is) relief from loneliness—not the loneliness of pathology, but the intrinsic loneliness of the human condition. this is how it is in here, the writer is saying as he flings open the doors to his subjective home, and the reader is relieved to see that it’s very much like his own set of rooms.
from the actual reader’s perspective, the relationship between writer and reader can seem uncannily transparent and artless, especially when the writer has mastered that skill so specific to the confiding form—writerly tact. a really good writer can manage the three-way relationship so as to bring the reader very close. i think of the moment in natalia ginzburg’s “he and i” in which she confides that when she weeps during fights with her husband, she always remains quite calm beneath her tears. reading this, i thought, yes, exactly, and that small shock of recognition woke me to the reality that i’d been reading and not talking with a friend. it had seemed so real. i’d forgotten for a moment that it wasn’t, that it couldn’t be, that it was an illusion, and that this illusion made it art.
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11:28am*: ˌdaɪəˈnɪsiˌoʊ əv ðət əˈbru ɪz ˈkərəntli ɪn ˈheɪti ˈæftər dɪˈfɛktɪŋ frəm ðə ˈkjubən ˈnæʃənəl tim. ˈmənˌdeɪ, 8:27am*: ˈbeɪsˈbɔl əˈmɛrɪkəz bɛn ˈkɔʃənz ðət ɪt kʊd bi mənθs ˌbiˈfɔr əˈbru ɪz ˈɛlɪʤəbəl tɪ saɪn wɪθ ə ˈmeɪʤər lig tim. ɛz ɪz ðə keɪs wɪθ ɔl ˈkjubən dɪˈfɛktərz, əˈbru wɪl nid tɪ ɪˈstæblɪʃ ˈrɛzɪdənsi ɪn ə nu ˈkəntri ənd ðɛn bi klɪrd baɪ ðə juz. ˈɔfəs əv ˈfɔrən ˈæˌsɛts kənˈtroʊl (ofac*) ˌbiˈfɔr bɪˈkəmɪŋ ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzd ɛz ə fri ˈeɪʤənt baɪ. ædz ðət səm ˈmeɪʤər lig skaʊts ər splɪt ɔn ˈwɛðər ər nɑt paʊər wɪl trænzˈleɪt tɪ. səm kənˈsɪdər hɪz bæt spid tɪ bi ˈmɪrli "fɛr," ənd hi ˈɔlsoʊ həz əˈnɔrθəˌdɑks ˈsɛˌtəp ənd ˈdəbəl toʊ tæp ɪn hɪz əˈproʊʧ æt ðə pleɪt. ˈsənˌdi: sˈləgɪŋ fərst ˈbeɪsmən ˌhoʊˈzeɪ əˈbru həz ɪˈskeɪpt frəm ˈkjubə ənd ɪz ˈɛlsˌwɛr ɪn ðə ˌkɛrɪˈbiən, ˈhɔrheɪ ˈiˌbroʊ əv ɛl nˈweɪvoʊ ˈhɛrəld rɪˈpɔrts. ɪt ɪz ənˈklɪr wɛr əˈbru ɪz naʊ (ˈiˌbroʊ noʊts ðət ˈvɛriəs rɪˈpɔrts hæv pleɪst əˈbru ɪn ðə dəˈmɪnəkən riˈpəblɪk ənd ɪn ˈheɪti), bət wən ˈeɪʤənt wɪθ hum əˈbru həz hæd ˈkɑnˌtækt kənˈfərmz ðət hi ɪz nɑt ɪn ˈkjubə. ɪf ɪn fækt əˈbru kən meɪk hɪz weɪ ˈɪntu ðə fri ˈeɪʤənt ˈmɑrkɪt, hid hæv ən ɪˈnɔrmɪs ˌɪmˈpækt, ˈlaɪkli ˈərnɪŋ ðə ˈlɑrʤəst ˈkɑnˌtrækt ˈɛvər ˈgɪvɪn tɪ ə ˈkjubən pleɪər. ðə hɪt ɪn ˈkjubəz ˌneɪˈsiənəl ɪn ˌbiˈfɔr ˈhɪtɪŋ ɪn ənd ɪn ˈɔlsoʊ ɪn 2013 hi hɪt ɪn sɪks geɪmz fər ˈkjubə ɪn ðə wərld ˈbeɪsˈbɔl ˈklæsɪk. ðoʊz ər, əv kɔrs, ˈstənɪŋ ˈnəmbərz, ənd' ˈhɔrheɪ ˈmɔrɪʤɑn noʊts ðət əˈbru wɪl ˈlaɪkli ˈɔlsoʊ ˈbɛnəfɪt frəm ə ˈraɪzɪŋ taɪd əv gʊd pleɪ baɪ ˈkjubən dɪˈfɛktərz laɪk pug ənd seɪˈspeɪdɛs. ˈʤoʊnə roʊt ɪn 2012 ðət əˈbru "ʤɪst maɪt bi ðə bɛst ˈhɪtər ɪn ðə wərld," ənd ˈɛntri ˈɪntu ðə fri ˈeɪʤənt ˈmɑrkɪt wʊd ˈʃʊrli bi əˈkəmpənid baɪ ə ˈtaɪdəl weɪv əv haɪp. ˈmeɪʤər lig timz meɪ nɑt θɪŋk kwaɪt ðə seɪm weɪ noʊts ðət əˈbru ˈɪzənt ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli æθˈlɛtɪk, wɪʧ maɪt ˈdæmpən timz' ɪnˈθuziˌæzəm ˈsəmˈwət. bət hi kwoʊts æθˈlɛtɪks əˈsɪstənt ˈdeɪvɪd fɔrst kəmˈpɛrɪŋ əˈbru tɪ raɪən haʊərd, wɪʧ wʊd stɪl meɪk əˈbru ə ˈvɛri ˈvæljəbəl kəˈmɑdəti. sɪns əˈbru ɪz ˈoʊvər 23 ənd həz pleɪd ˈkjubən prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈbeɪsˈbɔl fər mɔr ðən θri jɪrz, hi wʊd ˈɛnər ðə ˈmɑrkɪt ɛz ən ˌənriˈstrɪktɪd fri ˈeɪʤənt. hi wʊd əˈpɪr tɪ bi ɪn ˈɛksələnt pəˈzɪʃən tɪ rɪˈsiv mɔr ðən pug, hu gɑt ˈsɛvən jɪrz ənd frəm ðə ˈdɑʤərz læst ʤun.
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11:28am: dionisio soldevila of espn deportes tweets that abreu is currently in haiti after defecting from the cuban national team.
monday, 8:27am: baseball america's ben badler cautions that it could be months before abreu is eligible to sign with a major league team. as is the case with all cuban defectors, abreu will need to establish residency in a new country and then be cleared by the u.s. office of foreign assets control (ofac) before becoming recognized as a free agent by mlb.
badler adds that some major league scouts are split on whether or not abreu's power will translate to mlb. some consider his bat speed to be merely "fair," and he also has unorthodox setup and double toe tap in his approach at the plate.
sunday: slugging first baseman jose dariel abreu has escaped from cuba and is elsewhere in the caribbean, jorge ebro of el nuevo herald reports. it is unclear where abreu is now (ebro notes that various reports have placed abreu in the dominican republic and in haiti), but one agent with whom abreu has had contact confirms that he is not in cuba.
if in fact abreu can make his way into the mlb free agent market, he'd have an enormous impact, likely earning the largest contract ever given to a cuban player. the 26-year-old hit .453/.597/.986 in cuba's serie nacional in 2010-2011 before hitting .394/.542/.837 in 2011-2012 and .382/.535/.735 in 2012-2013. also in 2013, he hit .360/.385/.760 in six games for cuba in the world baseball classic.
those are, of course, stunning numbers, and espn deportes' jorge morejon notes that abreu will likely also benefit from a rising tide of good play by cuban defectors like yasiel puig and yoenis cespedes. grantland's jonah keri wrote in 2012 that abreu "just might be the best hitter in the world," and abreu's entry into the free agent market would surely be accompanied by a tidal wave of hype. major league teams may not think quite the same way — keri notes that abreu isn't particularly athletic, which might dampen teams' enthusiasm somewhat. but he quotes athletics assistant gm david forst comparing abreu to ryan howard, which would still make abreu a very valuable commodity.
since abreu is over 23 and has played cuban professional baseball for more than three years, he would enter the market as an unrestricted free agent. he would appear to be in excellent position to receive more than puig, who got seven years and $42mm from the dodgers last june.
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ˈmənˌdeɪ mɑrʧ 21 2016 ðə apache®*® ˈsɔfˌwɛr faʊnˈdeɪʃən əˈnaʊnsɪz əˈpæʧi pdfbox™*™ ˈmaɪlˌstoʊn riˈlis əv ˈoʊpən sɔrs ˈʤɑvə tul fər ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ ˈdɑkjəmənts ˈfiʧərz ˈdəzənz əv ˌɪmˈpruvmənts ənd ɛnˈhænsmənts ˈfɔrɪst hɪl, mɑrʧ ðə əˈpæʧi ˈsɔfˌwɛr faʊnˈdeɪʃən (asf*), ðə dɪˈvɛləpərz, stuərdz, ənd ˈɪŋkjuˌbeɪtərz əv mɔr ðən 350 ˈoʊpən sɔrs ˈprɑʤɛkts ənd ˌɪˈnɪʃətɪvz, əˈnaʊnst təˈdeɪ ðə əˌveɪləˈbɪlɪti əv apache®*® pdfbox™*™ ðə ˈoʊpən sɔrs ˈʤɑvə tul fər ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ ˈpɔrtəbəl ˈdɑkjəmɛnt ˈfɔrˌmæt (pdf*) ˈdɑkjəmənts. wɑz fərst riˈlist baɪ əˈdoʊbi ˈsɪstəmz ɪn 1993 ənd bɪˈkeɪm ən ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˈstændərd ɪn 2008 əˈpæʧi əˈlaʊz fər ðə kriˈeɪʃən əv nu ˈdɑkjəmənts, məˌnɪpjəˈleɪʃən, ˈrɛndərɪŋ, ˈsaɪnɪŋ əv ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ ˈdɑkjəmənts ənd ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ ˈɛkˌstrækt ˈkɑntɛnt frəm ˈdɑkjəmənts. ɪn əˈdɪʃən, ˌɪnˈkludz ˈsɛvərəl kəˈmænd laɪn juˈtɪlətiz. ɪn ˈfɛbruˌɛri 2015 ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt bɪˈkeɪm ðə fərst ˈoʊpən sɔrs ˈpɑrtnər ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən əv ðə əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən. ɪz ə ˈvɛri ˈpɑpjələr ənd ˈizi tɪ juz ˈfɔrˌmæt fər ˈdɑkjəmɛnt ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ. ɪt ɪz juzd baɪ ˈmɪljənz əv ˈpipəl ˈɛvəri deɪ, ˌhaʊˈɛvər ðə ˈfɔrˌmæt ˌɪtˈsɛlf ɪz kwaɪt ˈkɑmpləˌkeɪtəd ənd ə ril ˈʧælənʤ tɪ raɪt ə pis əv ˈsɔfˌwɛr tɪ wərk wɪθ ɪt," sɛd ɑnˈdreɪəs lehmkühler*, vaɪs ˈprɛzɪdənt əv əˈpæʧi. "ðɪs nu ˈmeɪʤər riˈlis əv ˌɪnˈkludz ə lɔt əv ˌɪmˈpruvmənts, ˈfɪksɪz ənd nu ˈfiʧərz wɪʧ ʃʊd meɪk ðə laɪf ˈiziər fər ɑr ˈjuzərz." ˈəndər ðə hʊd ðə əˈpæʧi ˈlaɪbrɛˌri ɪˈneɪbəlz ˈjuzərz tɪ kriˈeɪt nu ˈdɑkjəmənts, məˈnɪpjəˌleɪt ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ ˈdɑkjəmənts, ˈɛkˌstrækt ˈkɑntɛnt, ˈdɪʤətəli saɪn, prɪnt, ənd ˈvælədeɪt faɪlz əˈgɛnst ðə ˈstændərd. ɪts kəˈmænd laɪn juˈtɪlətiz ˌɪnˈklud ɪnˈkrɪpt, decrypt*, ˈoʊvərˌleɪ, debugger*, ˈmərʤər, pdftoimage*, ənd texttopdf*. rɪˈflɛkts sɑlvd ˈɪʃuz, 418 əv wɪʧ wər tɪ ɛz wɛl ɛz ˈdəzənz əv ˌɪmˈpruvmənts ənd ɛnˈhænsmənts. ˈhaɪˌlaɪts ˌɪnˈklud: ˌɪmˈpruvd ˈrɛndərɪŋ ənd tɛkst ɛkˈstrækʃən səˈpɔrt fər kriˈeɪʃən ˈoʊvərˌhɔld ˌɪnərˈæktɪv fɔrmz səˈpɔrt ɪkˈstɛndɪd ˈsaɪnɪŋ ənd ɛnˈkrɪpʃən səˈpɔrt ˈoʊvərˌhɔld ˈpɑrsər ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ə ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəm fər ˌmælˈfɔrmd ər kərˈəptɪd rɪˈdust ˈfʊtˌprɪnt ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ faɪn greɪnd kənˈtroʊl əv ˈmɛməri ˈjusɪʤ ɛnˈhænst ˈmɑʤul fər kənˈfɔrməns ˈʧɛkɪŋ riəreɪnʤd ˈpækɪʤ ˈstrəkʧər tɪ əˈlaʊ sˈmɔlər ɪnˈvaɪrənmənts ə gaɪd tɪ ˈmaɪˌgreɪtɪŋ tɪ ɪz əˈveɪləbəl æt wɪθ kəmˈjunɪti səˈpɔrt æt "wi θæŋk ɔl ðə ˈpipəl frəm ɑr smɔl bət faɪn kəmˈjunɪti fər ðɛr səˈpɔrt," ɪkˈspleɪnd lehmkühler*. "ˈspɛʃəl θæŋks ˈɔlsoʊ goʊz tɪ ɑr ˈfɛloʊ ˈkɑligz frəm ðə əˈpæʧi ˈprɑʤɛkt fər ðɛr kˌwɔpərˈeɪʃən ɪn wɪθ ə ˈkɔrpəs əv faɪlz." "wi ər ˈgreɪtfəl fər ðə ˈgugəl ˈsəmər əv koʊd ˈproʊˌgræm," sɛd ˈtɪlmən hausherr*. "ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt əˈlaʊd ˈjuˈɛs tɪ haɪər ˈstudənts tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv ˈrɛndərɪŋ ənd ðə ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən, wɪʧ ˈɔlsoʊ spɛd əp ɑr oʊn bəg ˈfaɪndɪŋ." "əˈpæʧi ɪz ə sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt ˈmaɪlˌstoʊn ɛz ɪt tʊk ˈjuˈɛs ˈsɛvərəl jɪrz tɪ kəmˈplit," ˈædɪd lehmkühler*. "ðɪs riˈlis ɪz ðə kəˈlɛktɪv əˈʧivmənt əv mɔr ðən 150 ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəlz hu hæv kənˈtrɪbjutɪd koʊd tɪ deɪt. wɪˈθaʊt ðɛr ˈfrikˌwɛnt ˌkɑntrəˈbjuʃənz ɪt ˈwʊdənt bi ˈpɑsəbəl tɪ draɪv ə ˈprɑʤɛkt laɪk." əˌveɪləˈbɪlɪti ənd ˈoʊvərˌsaɪt əˈpæʧi ˈsɔfˌwɛr ɪz riˈlist ˈəndər ðə əˈpæʧi ˈlaɪsəns ənd ɪz ˈoʊvərˌsin baɪ ə tim əv ˈæktɪv kənˈtrɪbjətərz tɪ ðə ˈprɑʤɛkt. ə ˈprɑʤɛkt ˈmænɪʤmənt kəˈmɪti (pmc*) gaɪdz ðə ˈprɑʤɛkts ˈdeɪtuˌdeɪ ˌɑpərˈeɪʃənz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ kəmˈjunɪti dɪˈvɛləpmənt ənd ˈprɑdəkt rɪˈlisɪz. fər ˈdaʊnˌloʊdz, ˌdɑkjəmɛnˈteɪʃən, ənd weɪz tɪ bɪˈkəm ˌɪnˈvɑlvd wɪθ əˈpæʧi, ˈvɪzɪt http://pdfbox.apache.org*/ əˈbaʊt ðə əˈpæʧi ˈsɔfˌwɛr faʊnˈdeɪʃən (asf*) ɪˈstæblɪʃt ɪn 1999 ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən ˈoʊvərˌsiz mɔr ðən 350 ˈlidɪŋ ˈoʊpən sɔrs ˈprɑʤɛkts, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ əˈpæʧi ˈsərvər --ðə wərldz moʊst ˈpɑpjələr wɛb ˈsərvər ˈsɔfˌwɛr. θru ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs noʊn ɛz "ðə əˈpæʧi weɪ," mɔr ðən 550 ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl ˈmɛmbərz ənd səkˈsɛsfəli kəˈlæbərˌeɪt tɪ dɪˈvɛləp ˈfrili əˈveɪləbəl ˈsɔfˌwɛr, ˈbɛnəfɪtɪŋ ˈmɪljənz əv ˈjuzərz ˈwərldˈwaɪd: ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈsɔfˌwɛr səˈluʃənz ər dɪˈstrɪbjətəd ˈəndər ðə əˈpæʧi ˈlaɪsəns; ənd ðə kəmˈjunɪti ˈæktɪvli pɑrˈtɪsəˌpeɪts ɪn ˈmeɪlɪŋ lɪsts, ˈmɛntərɪŋ ˌɪˈnɪʃətɪvz, ənd apachecon*, ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃənz əˈfɪʃəl ˈjuzər ˈkɑnfərəns, trainings*, ənd ˈɛkspoʊ. ðə ɪz ə ˈjuˈɛs ˈʧɛrətəbəl ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃən, ˈfəndɪd baɪ ˌɪndəˈvɪʤəwəl doʊˈneɪʃənz ənd ˈkɔrpərət ˈspɑnsərz ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ klaʊd kəmˈpjutɪŋ, ɑrm, ˈblumbərg, ˈbəʤɪt dɪˈrɛkt, cerner*, cloudera*, ˈkɑmˌkæst, kɑnˈfluənt, ˈfeɪsˌbʊk, ˈgugəl, hortonworks*, hp*, huawei*, ibm*, ˈhoʊstɪŋ, isigma*, leaseweb*, ˈmaɪˌkroʊˈsɔft, phoenixnap*, ˈpɪvətəl, ˈpraɪvət ˈɪntərˌnɛt ˈækˌsɛs, produban*, rɛd hæt, flaʊərz, wandisco*, ənd ˈjɑˌhu. fər mɔr ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən, ˈvɪzɪt http://www.apache.org*/ ənd ðə əˈpæʧi ˈsɔfˌwɛr faʊnˈdeɪʃən. "əˈpæʧi", "əˈpæʧi", "pdfbox*", "apachecon*", ənd ðɛr ˈloʊˌgoʊz ər ˈrɛʤɪstərd ˈtreɪdˌmɑrks ər ˈtreɪdˌmɑrks əv ðə əˈpæʧi ˈsɔfˌwɛr faʊnˈdeɪʃən ɪn ðə juz. ˈəðər ˈkəntriz. ɔl ˈəðər brændz ənd ˈtreɪdˌmɑrks ər ðə ˈprɑpərti əv ðɛr rɪˈspɛktɪv ˈoʊnərz. ˈpoʊstɪd æt mɑr 21 2016 baɪ ˈsæli ɪn ˈʤɛnərəl
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monday march 21, 2016
the apache® software foundation announces apache pdfbox™ v2.0
milestoneease of open source java tool for working with pdf documents features dozens of improvements and enhancements
forest hill, md —21 march 2016— the apache software foundation (asf), the all-volunteer developers, stewards, and incubators of more than 350 open source projects and initiatives, announced today the availability of apache® pdfbox™ v2.0, the open source java tool for working with portable document format (pdf) documents.
pdf was firsteased by adobe systems in 1993, and became an iso international standard - iso 32000-1 in 2008. apache pdfbox allows for the creation of new pdf documents, manipulation, rendering, signing of existing documents and the ability to extract content from documents. in addition, pdfbox includes several command line utilities. in february 2015, the project became the first open source partner organization of the pdf association.
"pdf is a very popular and easy to use format for document exchange. it is used by millions of people every day, however the format itself is quite complicated and a real challenge to write a piece of software to work with it," said andreas lehmkühler, vice president of apache pdfbox. "this new majorease of pdfbox includes a lot of improvements, fixes and new features which should make the life easier for our users."
under the hood
the apache pdfbox library enables users to create new pdf documents, manipulate existing documents, extract content, digitally sign, print, and validate files against the pdf/a-1b standard. its command line utilities include encrypt, decrypt, overlay, debugger, merger, pdftoimage, and texttopdf.
pdfbox v2.0 reflects 1,167 solved issues, 418 of which were back-ported to v1.8, as well as dozens of improvements and enhancements. highlights include:
improved rendering and text extraction
unicode support for pdf creation
overhauled interactive forms support
extended signing and encryption support
overhauled parser including a self-healing mechanism for malformed or corrupted pdfs
reduced memory/resources footprint including fine grained control of memory usage
enhanced preflight module for pdf/a-1b conformance checking
rearranged package structure to allow smaller runtime environments
a guide to migrating to v2.0 is available at http://pdfbox.apache.org/2.0/migration.html , with community support at http://pdfbox.apache.org/mailinglists.html
"we thank all the people from our small but fine community for their support," explained lehmkühler. "special thanks also goes to our fellow colleagues from the apache tika project for their cooperation in stress-testing with a corpus of 250,000 pdf files."
"we are grateful for the google summer of code program," said pdfbox committer tilman hausherr. "the project allowed us to hire students to improve 3d rendering and the pdfdebugger stand-alone application, which also sped up our own bug finding."
"apache pdfbox v2.0 is a significant milestone as it took us several years to complete," added lehmkühler. "this long-awaitedease is the collective achievement of more than 150 individuals who have contributed code to date. without their frequent contributions it wouldn't be possible to drive a project like pdfbox."
availability and oversight
apache pdfbox software iseased under the apache license v2.0 and is overseen by a self-selected team of active contributors to the project. a project management committee (pmc) guides the project's day-to-day operations, including community development and producteases. for downloads, documentation, and ways to become involved with apache pdfbox, visit http://pdfbox.apache.org/
about the apache software foundation (asf)
established in 1999, the all-volunteer foundation oversees more than 350 leading open source projects, including apache http server --the world's most popular web server software. through the asf's meritocratic process known as "the apache way," more than 550 individual members and 5,300 committers successfully collaborate to develop freely available enterprise-grade software, benefiting millions of users worldwide: thousands of software solutions are distributed under the apache license; and the community actively participates in asf mailing lists, mentoring initiatives, and apachecon, the foundation's official user conference, trainings, and expo. the asf is a us 501(c)(3) charitable organization, funded by individual donations and corporate sponsors including alibaba cloud computing, arm, bloomberg, budget direct, cerner, cloudera, comcast, confluent, facebook, google, hortonworks, hp, huawei, ibm, inmotion hosting, isigma, leaseweb, microsoft, phoenixnap, pivotal, private internet access, produban, red hat, serenata flowers, wandisco, and yahoo. for more information, visit http://www.apache.org/ and https://twitter.com/theasf
© the apache software foundation. "apache", "apache pdfbox", "pdfbox", "apachecon", and their logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of the apache software foundation in the u.s. other countries. all other brands and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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posted at 12:00pm mar 21, 2016 by sally in general | |
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wɪθ ˈoʊnli wən deɪ lɛft ənˈtɪl ðə treɪd ˈdɛˌdlaɪn, ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə flaɪərz ˈʤɛnərəl ˈmænɪʤər rɑn meɪd ə ˈfaɪnəl dɪˈsɪʒən ɔn ðə fˈjuʧər əv ˈfɔrwərd ˈmaɪkəl. ðə oʊld wɑz ɪn ðə læst jɪr əv ə two-year*, ˈmɪljən ˈkɑnˌtrækt, ˈmeɪkɪŋ ɪm ə ˈnæʧərəl ˈkænədɪt fər treɪd ɪf ðə flaɪərz hæd noʊ ˈɪntəˌrɛst ɪn ðə ˈfɔrwərd. ə ˈnəmbər əv kənˈtɛndərz ɪkˈsprɛst ˈɪntəˌrɛst ɪn, wɪθ ðə moʊst əˈgrɛsɪv əˈpɛrəntli biɪŋ ðə ˈflɔrɪdə ˈpænθərz. bət ənd ðə flaɪərz hæd noʊ ˌɪnˈtɛnʧən əv ˈtreɪdɪŋ ɪm ɔn ðə ʧip. ˈtrævɪs joʊst ˌriˈpɔrtəd ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ ðət ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə wɑz kloʊz ɔn ən ɪkˈstɛnʃən wɪθ, bət wər ˈkipɪŋ ɪm ɔn ðə ˈmɑrkɪt ʤɪst ɪn keɪs ə ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ɛnˈtaɪsɪŋ ˈɔfər məˈtɪriəˌlaɪzd. təˈdeɪ, ðə flaɪərz ənd ˈfaɪnəli pʊt pɛn tɪ ˈpeɪpər, kˈwɔʃɪŋ ɔl treɪd tɔk ənd ɪnˈʃʊrɪŋ ðət ðə ˈfɔrwərd wʊd bi ə pɑrt əv ðə timz fˈjuʧər. ɪn ðə ɛnd, rɪˈsivd ə θˈriˌjɪr, ˈmɪljən ˈkɑnˌtrækt ɪkˈstɛnʃən, wɪθ ə ˈjɪrli ˈsæləri kæp hɪt əv ˈmɪljən. pər ˈʤɛnərəl fanager*, ðə dil dɪd nɑt kəm wɪθ ə klɔz. ɪn hɪz θri ˈsizənz wɪθ ðə flaɪərz, həz pleɪd əp ənd daʊn ðə ˈlaɪˌnəp, ˈstɑrtɪŋ aʊt ɛz ə ˈfɔrwərd ˌbiˈfɔr ˈsɛtəlɪŋ ɪn ɛz ə ˈwɪŋər læst ˈsizən. ðɪs jɪr, koʊʧ deɪv həz ˈʃəfəld hɪz laɪnz ˈfrikwɛntli, bət stɪl ˈjuʒəwəli faɪndz hɪmˈsɛlf pleɪɪŋ ɔn ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiəz tɔp θri laɪnz. bət ɪz ðɪs ɪkˈstɛnʃən ðə raɪt muv fər ðə flaɪərz? fərst, wɪl ˈænəˌlaɪz pərˈfɔrməns ˈrɛlətɪv tɪ ɔl ˈfɔrwərdz, tɪ ˈbɛtər ˌəndərˈstænd wɛr hi ræŋks əˈməŋ hɪz pɪrz. ðɛn, wɪl kəmˈpɛr hɪz nu ˈkɑnˌtrækt tɪ pleɪərz rɪˈsivɪŋ ˈsɪmələr tərm ənd ˈməni. ənd ˈfaɪnəli, wɪl si ɪf ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə wʊd hæv bɪn ˈbɛtər ɔf traɪɪŋ tɪ ˌriˈpleɪs ɪn fri ˈeɪʤənsi ˈrəðər ðən ˈlɑkɪŋ ɪm əp naʊ. haʊ gʊd ɪz ˈmaɪkəl? ˈmaɪkəl həz hɪz fænz ənd hɪz dɪˈtræktərz. ðə fænz pɔɪnt tɪ hɪz əˈbɪləˌti tɪ draɪv pleɪ æt ˈivɪn strɛŋθ ənd hɪz ˌvərsəˈtɪləti ɪn biɪŋ ˈkeɪpəbəl əv pleɪɪŋ ˈɛvəri ˈfɔrwərd pəˈzɪʃən ɔn iʧ laɪn. ðə dɪˈtræktərz saɪt hɪz rɑ ˈskɔrɪŋ ˈtoʊtəlz ənd ˈlɪmɪtɪd əˈbɪləˌti. ɪz ˈsərtənli ˈhævɪŋ ə daʊn jɪr frəm ə ˈskɔrɪŋ ˈstændˌpɔɪnt ɪn ˈæftər 21 goʊlz ɪn 67 geɪmz ɪn hi ˈoʊnli həz eɪt goʊlz ɪn 61 geɪmz ðɪs ˈsizən, ˈtoʊtəlz mɔr ɪn laɪn wɪθ ðoʊz əv hɪz ˈrʊki ˈsizən. bət ər kərɪr ˈskɔrɪŋ stəˈtɪstɪks ˈrɪli ðət? hi ˈhæzənt ɪˈstæblɪʃt hɪmˈsɛlf ɛz ə paʊər pleɪ ˈfɔrwərd, soʊ ɪts bɛst tɪ ʤəʤ ɪm beɪst ɔn hɪz ˈivɪn strɛŋθ ˈskɔrɪŋ. tɪ ðət ɛnd, ɪt hɛlps tɪ juz pɔɪnts pər 60 tɪ ɪˈvæljuˌeɪt ə pleɪərz ɪˈfɪʃənsi æt ˈivɪn strɛŋθ. ðɪs əˈlaʊz ˈjuˈɛs tɪ əˈkaʊnt fər ðə əˈmaʊnt əv aɪs taɪm ə pleɪər rɪˈsivz wɪn ˈʤəʤɪŋ hɪz ˈskɔrɪŋ ˈtælənt. ˈoʊvər hɪz θri ˈsizənz, həz ˈpoʊstɪd ə əv ˈræŋkɪŋ ɪm naɪnθ əˈməŋ flaɪərz' ˈfɔrwərdz ˈoʊvər ðət timespan*. bət waɪl ðə ˈɔstriən ˈfɔrwərd həz skɔrd ə reɪt ˈwərði əv ˈmɪnəts wɪθ ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə, ðət dɪz nɑt ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli min hɪz stəˈtɪstɪks ər ˈtruli ˈwərði æt ðə ˈlɛvəl. ˈæftər ɔl, ðə flaɪərz hæv bɪn fɑr frəm ən ɪˈlit tim ˈoʊvər ðə pæst θri ˈsizənz ˈmeɪbi ˈhævɪŋ pleɪərz laɪk pleɪɪŋ ɔn wən əv ðə timz tɔp θri laɪnz həz kənˈtrɪbjutɪd tɪ ðɛr ˌmidiˈɑkrəti. tɪ ˈænsər ðət kˈwɛʃən, lɛts lʊk æt ðə ˈoʊvərˌɔl pɔɪnts pər 60 ˈræŋkɪŋz fər ˈfɔrwərdz ˈoʊvər ðə pæst θri ˈsizənz taɪm ɪn ðə), ənd ˈlɪmət ðə ˈdeɪtəˌsɛt tɪ ðoʊz hu hæv pleɪd æt list 1000 ˈmɪnəts. sɪns ðɛr ər 30 timz, ðə tɔp 90 ˈfɔrwərdz wʊd ɛˈsɛnʃəli hæv skɔrd ə ˈlɛvəl, ðoʊz bɪtˈwin 91 ənd 180 wʊd bi ˈsɛkənd ˈlaɪnərz, ənd 181 θru 270 wʊd bi ˈvaɪəbəl θərd laɪn ˈtælənts. roʊl haɪɛnd fərst laɪn ˈsɛkənd laɪn θərd laɪn ðɪs ˈpleɪsɪz ɛz ə ˈsɑləd ˈskɔrər. ðə aɪ tɛst bæks əp ðə stəˈtɪstɪks ɪn ðɪs keɪs fju wʊd goʊ soʊ fɑr ɛz tɪ kɔl ðə oʊld ə daɪˈnæmɪk əˈfɛnsɪv pleɪər, bət hi ˈrɛrli lʊks aʊt əv pleɪs wɪn pleɪst əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd ˈfɔrwərdz. naʊ, lɛts du ðə seɪm ˈɛksərˌsaɪz tɪ ɪˈvæljuˌeɪt əˈbɪləˌti. baɪ ˈlʊkɪŋ æt ə pleɪərz ˈrɛlətɪv ʃɑt əˈtɛmpt ˌdɪfərˈɛnʃəlz (ər ˈkɔrsi), wi kən ɪˈvæljuˌeɪt ɪf hɪz tim ɪz ˈʤɛnərˌeɪtɪŋ mɔr əˈfɛns wɪθ ɪm ɔn ðə aɪs ˈvərsəz wɪn hiz ˈsɪtɪŋ ɔn ðə bɛnʧ. ɪn ðɪs ˈkætəˌgɔri, həz ˈpoʊstɪd ə ˈhɛlθi ˈkɔrsi ˈrɛlətɪv tɪ hɪz ˈtimˌmeɪts. wɛr dɪz ðət fɔl ɪn ðə æt lɑrʤ? roʊl haɪɛnd ˈkɔrsi ˈkɔrsi fərst ˈlaɪnər ˈsɛkənd ˈlaɪnər θərd ˈlaɪnər hɪrz wɛr ˈrɪli θraɪvz. frəm ə pək pəˈzɛʃən ˈstændˌpɔɪnt, hiz dɪˈlɪvərd rɪˈzəlts æt ðə ˈlɛvəl əv ə haɪɛnd fərst laɪn ˈfɔrwərd. hi meɪ nɑt bi ˈgɪtɪŋ ðə goʊlz, bət ðə aɪs ɪz ˈtɪltɪd ɪn ðə raɪt dɪˈrɛkʃɪn wɪn hi pleɪz. ɪn ðə ɛnd, ˈmaɪkəl ɪz bɛst ˈkætəgərˌaɪzd ɛz ə ˈskɔrər bət pleɪ ˈdraɪvər. hiz ə səˈpɔrt pəˈzɛʃən pleɪər, ˈkeɪpəbəl əv ˈhɛlpɪŋ tɪ kriˈeɪt əˈfɛns fər hɪz bət nɑt əˈspɛʃəli fænˈtæstɪk æt ˈfɪnɪʃɪŋ pleɪz ɔf. ðæts waɪ hi kən pleɪ əˈlɔŋˈsaɪd stɑrz laɪk klɔd ʒɪˈru ənd ənd nɑt lʊk aʊt əv pleɪs, bət ɪz stɪl ˈprɑbəˌbli ə ɔn ən ɪˈlit skwɑd. stɪl, ɪz ˈsərtənli ə ˈjusfəl pleɪər wərθ ˈkipɪŋ. ənd ˈkɑmprəbəl ˈkɑnˌtrækts ʤɪst bɪˈkəz ɪz ə ˈjusfəl pleɪər dɪz nɑt ˌnɛsəˈsɛrəli min ðət ðə flaɪərz saɪnd ɪm tɪ ə əkˈsɛptəbəl ˈkɑnˌtrækt. ðɛr ər ˈmɛni ˈoʊvərˈpeɪd pleɪərz, ənd moʊst ər ˈkeɪpəbəl əv pərˈfɔrmɪŋ æt ə ˈsɑləd ˈlɛvəl. ðɛr ˌkɑmpənˈseɪʃən ɪz ˈsɪmpli aʊt əv laɪn wɪθ ðɛr pərˈdəkʃən. ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ si ɪf fɔlz ˈɪntu ðə ˈkætəˌgɔri əv "stil" ər "ˈoʊvərˌpeɪ," ɪt hɛlps tɪ faɪnd ˈəðər pleɪərz ðət hæv ˈrisəntli saɪnd dilz ɪn ðə ˈbɔlˌpɑrk əv ɪkˈstɛnʃən. wɪl ˈlɪmət ðə sərʧ tɪ ˈkɑnˌtrækts ˈgɪvɪn tɪ ˈfɔrwərdz bɪtˈwin ðə ˈeɪʤɪz əv 26 ənd 30 (leɪt praɪm jɪrz) wɪθ ə kæp hɪt ɪn ðə tɪ ˈmɪljən reɪnʤ ˈoʊvər ðə pæst θri ˈsizənz. wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ ˈoʊnli lʊk æt ˈkɑnˌtrækts ðət dɪd nɑt baɪ aʊt ˈɛni ˈsizənz, soʊ ðət wɪr ˈmeɪkɪŋ kəmˈpɛrəsənz. nɑt ɪgˈzæktli ə ˈmərdərərz roʊ əv ˈtælənt hir æt fərst glæns. bət lɛts breɪk daʊn ðə stəˈtɪstɪks, ˈlʊkɪŋ æt iʧ pleɪərz ˈivɪn strɛŋθ pərˈfɔrməns ɪn ðə θri jɪrz ˈlidɪŋ əp tɪ ðɛr rɪˈspɛktɪv ɪkˈstɛnʃənz. pleɪər θˈriˌjɪr θˈriˌjɪr ˈkɔrsi ˈrɛlətɪv ˈhænsən krɪs ˈhɪgɪnz ˈlɔri ʃɔn məˈθaɪəs ˈmaɪkəl ˈɛrɪk ˈnaɪstrəm bleɪk kəˈmoʊ fɔlz raɪt ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl ɪn tərmz əv ˈivɪn strɛŋθ ˈskɔrɪŋ, bət ˌæbsəˈlutli bloʊz əˈweɪ ðə pæk wɪn ˈʤəʤɪŋ əˈbɪləˌti. wɪn ˈlʊkɪŋ æt ðiz comparables*, ɪts fɛr tɪ seɪ ðət ðə flaɪərz peɪd əˈbaʊt ˈmɑrkɪt ˈvælju fər pɔɪnt pərˈdəkʃən waɪl ˈgɪtɪŋ ə ˈbɑrgɪn ɔn hɪz pək pəˈzɛʃən ˌkeɪpəˈbɪlətiz. ɔn ðə hoʊl, lʊks laɪk ə ˈprɪti dɑrn gʊd baɪ. ɪf nɑt, ðɛn hu ɛls? soʊ fɑr, wiv dɪˈtərmənd ðət ˈmaɪkəl ɪz ə ˈskɔrɪŋ ˈtælənt ənd ə ˈkɔrsi pleɪər. wiv ˈɔlsoʊ sin ðət hɪz θˈriˌjɪr, ˈmɪljən ˈkɑnˌtrækt ɪz fɑr frəm ən ˈoʊvərˌpeɪ, ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈfɑlɪŋ ɪn laɪn wɪθ ˈsɪmələr ˈivɪn strɛŋθ reɪt ˈskɔrərz ənd bɪˈloʊ ðə ˈmɑrkɪt ˈvælju fər ˈkɑmprəbəl pək pəˈzɛʃən ˈfɔrwərdz. bət ðə flaɪərz dɪd hæv əˈnəðər ˈɔpʃən. wɪθ sɛt tɪ hɪt fri ˈeɪʤənsi ˈæbsənt ə ˈkɑnˌtrækt ɪkˈstɛnʃən, rɑn kʊd hæv ˈʧoʊzən tɪ pərˈsu ən ˈəpˈgreɪd tɪ ðə oʊld ˈfɔrwərd ɪn fri ˈeɪʤənsi. ə tru ˌɪmˈpruvmənt ˈoʊvər wʊd ˈlaɪkli bi ə pleɪər wɪθ mɔr ˈskɔrɪŋ əˈbɪləˌti hu stɪl həz ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ draɪv pəˈzɛʃən. ənd kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ðə rɪsk ɪn ˈsaɪnɪŋ ˈeɪʤɪŋ ˈtælənt, rɑn wʊd ˈprɑbəˌbli wɔnt tɪ ˈtərgət ˈsəmˌwən əraʊnd eɪʤ, ˈrəðər ðən ˌriˈpleɪs ɪm wɪθ ə pleɪər ɔn ðə ˈdaʊnwərd sloʊp əv hɪz kərɪr. ðə ˈprɑbləm? ðɛr ˈɑrənt ˈmɛni ˈpɛndɪŋ ðət fɪt ðə bɪl, ənd ˈivɪn fjuər ðət kʊd bi saɪnd fər ˈɛniˌwɛr nɪr ðə ðət ʤɪst geɪv. okposo*, læd ənd ˈɛrɪksən wɪl ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈsərtənli kəˈmænd tɔp ˈdɔlər ɔn ðə fri ˈeɪʤənt ˈmɑrkɪt θɪŋk faɪv jɪrz ər mɔr wɪθ ə kæp hɪt ˈoʊvər 6 ˈmɪljən. ðə flaɪərz ˈklɪrli ˈhævənt bɪn ˌɪmˈprɛst wɪθ sæm ˈgægnər, kənˈsɪdərɪŋ hɪz ˈrɛgjələr ənd steɪ ɪn ˈliˌhaɪ ˈvæli. ðət livz faɪv ˈvaɪəbəl ˈɔpʃənz ˈpɛrən, ˈvərstig, hɛlm, pərˈsɛl, ənd ɛz pəˈtɛnʃəl riˈpleɪsmənts. ɪn maɪ əˈpɪnjən, ðə ˈoʊnli pleɪər hu simz tɪ bi ə ˌɪmˈpruvmənt wʊd bi ˈpɛrən. hiz ə kənˈsɪstənt 40 pɔɪnt ˈskɔrər hu ɪz jəŋ ɪˈnəf tɪ bi ə ˈvaɪəbəl pis əv ðə flaɪərz' kɔr fər jɪrz tɪ kəm. bət wʊd ˈlɛtɪŋ liv tɪ ʧeɪs ˈpɛrən ˈrɪli bi ə ˈprudənt weɪ tɪ du ˈbɪznɪs? ˈæftər ɔl, hiz bɪn ˈvɛri ˌɪmˈprɛsɪv ɪn ˈænəˌhaɪm ˈɛvər sɪns biɪŋ ˈtreɪdɪd ɪn ˈʤænjuˌɛri ˈmeɪbi ðə dəks wɪl ˈsɪmpli kip ɪm. ˈmeɪbi hi ʤɪst woʊnt wɔnt tɪ kəm tɪ ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə. ɪn ðət keɪs, həz θri ˈɔpʃənz: breɪk aʊt ðə ˈʧɛkˌbʊk fər wən əv okposo*, læd ər ˈɛrɪksən, ʧeɪs ə pleɪər laɪk hɛlm, pərˈsɛl ər (ɔl əv hum wʊd ˈprɑbəˌbli bi ˈdaʊnˈgreɪdz æt ˈivɪn strɛŋθ), ər nɑt ˌriˈpleɪs æt ɔl, ˈwikənɪŋ ðə timz ˈfɔrwərd kɔrz. ˌɪnˈstɛd, ʧoʊz ðə seɪf rut, rɪˈteɪnɪŋ ən ˈfɔrwərd hu ˈklɪrli fɪts deɪv ˈsɪstəm ənd wɔnts tɪ bi ɪn ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə. ɪts təf tɪ ˈɑrgju wɪθ ðə dɪˈsɪʒən wɪn weɪɪŋ ðə rɪsks ənd rɪˈwɔrdz ˌɪnˈvɑlvd wɪθ ˈlɛtɪŋ ɪm liv. kənˈkluʒən rɑn dɪˈsɪʒən tɪ saɪn ˈmaɪkəl tɪ ən ɪkˈstɛnʃən meɪks ɔl ðə sɛns ɪn ðə wərld. skɔrz laɪk ə ənd draɪvz pleɪ laɪk ə first-liner*, ənd ɪz ˈkeɪpəbəl əv pleɪɪŋ boʊθ wɪŋz ənd ˈivɪn ˈsɛnər ɪn ə pɪnʧ. hiz nɑt ə ˌsupərˈstɑr baɪ ˈɛni minz, bət ə ˈjusfəl roʊl pleɪər hu kʊd fɪt ɔn ˈɛni timz tɔp θri laɪnz. ðə tərmz əv ðə ɪkˈstɛnʃən lʊk gʊd fər ðə flaɪərz ɛz wɛl. ɪz raɪt ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl əv ðə pæk frəm ə ˈskɔrɪŋ ˈstændˌpɔɪnt wɪn ˈlʊkɪŋ æt pleɪərz hu hæv saɪnd ˈkɑmprəbəl dilz ˈoʊvər ðə pæst θri jɪrz, bət ðə ˈɔstriən ˈfɔrwərd draɪvz pleɪ ˈbɛtər ðən ˈɛni əv ðɛm. peɪd fɛr ˈvælju fər ˈskɔrɪŋ, ənd gɑt ən ɪˈlit pək pəˈzɛʃən pleɪər ɛz ə ˈboʊnəs. ˈfaɪnəli, ɪt wʊd hæv bɪn ˈvɛri ˈrɪski tɪ lɛt tɛst fri ˈeɪʤənsi, kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ðə dərθ əv ˈfɔrwərd ˈɔpʃənz ɔn ðə ˈmɑrkɪt ˈkeɪpəbəl əv ˈskɔrɪŋ æt ə ˈlɛvəl waɪl ˈɔlsoʊ ˈdraɪvɪŋ pleɪ. ɪf hi ˌɪnˈtɛndɪd tɪ ˌriˈpleɪs ɔn ðə ˈmɑrkɪt, wʊd hæv bɪn fɔrst tɪ dɪʃ aʊt ə lɑrʤ ˈkɑnˌtrækt tɪ wən əv ðə fju ɪˈlit ˈɔpʃənz ər ʧeɪs pleɪərz ˈsɪmələr tɪ ɪn ˈivɪn strɛŋθ pərˈfɔrməns. ˈæftər weɪɪŋ hɪz ˈɔpʃənz, ʃˈrudli ʧoʊz tɪ rɪˈteɪn ˈmaɪkəl æt ə ˈrizənəbəl praɪs. ɪts ə muv ðət ʃʊd peɪ ˈdɪvɪˌdɛndz fər ðə flaɪərz ɪn ðə ˈkəmɪŋ ˈsizənz. ɔl stəˈtɪstɪks ɪn ðɪs pis ˈviə stats.hockeyanalysis.com*.
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with only one day left until the nhl trade deadline, philadelphia flyers general manager ron hextall made a final decision on the future of forward michael raffl. the 27-year old was in the last year of a two-year, $2.2 million contract, making him a natural candidate for trade if the flyers had no interest in re-signing the forward.
a number of contenders expressed interest in raffl, with the most aggressive apparently being the florida panthers. but hextall and the flyers had no intention of trading him on the cheap. tsn's travis yost reported yesterday that philadelphia was close on an extension with raffl, but were keeping him on the market just in case a particularly enticing offer materialized.
today, the flyers and raffl finally put pen to paper, quashing all trade talk and ensuring that the forward would be a part of the team's future. in the end, raffl received a three-year, $7.05 million contract extension, with a yearly salary cap hit of $2.35 million. per general fanager, the deal did not come with a no-trade clause.
in his three seasons with the flyers, raffl has played up and down the lineup, starting out as a fourth-line forward before settling in as a top-line winger last season. this year, first-year coach dave hakstol has shuffled his lines frequently, but raffl still usually finds himself playing on philadelphia's top three lines.
but is this extension the right move for the flyers? first, we'll analyze raffl's performance relative to all nhl forwards, to better understand where he ranks among his peers. then, we'll compare his new contract to players receiving similar term and money. and finally, we'll see if philadelphia would have been better off trying to replace raffl in free agency rather than locking him up now.
how good is michael raffl?
michael raffl has his fans and his detractors. the fans point to his ability to drive play at even strength and his versatility in being capable of playing every forward position on each line. the detractors cite his underwhelming raw scoring totals and limited playmaking ability.
raffl is certainly having a down year from a scoring standpoint in 2015-16. after potting 21 goals in 67 games in 2014-15, he only has eight goals in 61 games this season, totals more in line with those of his rookie season.
but are raffl's career nhl scoring statistics really that underwhelming? he hasn't established himself as a power play forward, so it's best to judge him based on his even strength scoring. to that end, it helps to use 5-on-5 points per 60 to evaluate a player's efficiency at even strength. this allows us to account for the amount of ice time a player receives when judging his scoring talent.
over his three nhl seasons, raffl has posted a points/60 of 1.41, ranking him ninth among flyers' forwards over that timespan. but while the austrian forward has scored a rate worthy of top-nine minutes with philadelphia, that does not necessarily mean his statistics are truly top-nine worthy at the nhl level. after all, the flyers have been far from an elite team over the past three seasons - maybe having players like raffl playing on one of the team's top three lines has contributed to their mediocrity.
to answer that question, let's look at the overall points per 60 rankings for forwards over the past three seasons (raffl's time in the nhl), and limit the dataset to those who have played at least 1000 5-on-5 minutes. since there are 30 nhl teams, the top 90 forwards would essentially have scored a first-line level, those between 91 and 180 would be second liners, and 181 through 270 would be viable third line talents.
role high-end points/60 low-end points/60 first line 2.79 1.82 second line 1.81 1.53 third line 1.53 1.24
this places raffl as a solid third-line scorer. the eye test backs up the statistics in this case - few would go so far as to call the 27-year old a dynamic offensive player, but he rarely looks out of place when placed alongside highly-skilled forwards.
now, let's do the same exercise to evaluate play-driving ability. by looking at a player's relative on-ice shot attempt differentials (or corsi), we can evaluate if his team is generating more offense with him on the ice versus when he's sitting on the bench. in this category, raffl has posted a healthy +5.10% corsi relative to his teammates. where does that fall in the nhl at large?
role high-end corsi rel low-end corsi rel first liner +9.04% +2.43% second liner +2.43% +0.57% third liner +0.56% -1.23%
here's where raffl really thrives. from a puck possession standpoint, he's delivered on-ice results at the level of a high-end first line forward. he may not be getting the goals, but the ice is tilted in the right direction when he plays.
in the end, michael raffl is best categorized as a third-line scorer but top-line play driver. he's a support possession player, capable of helping to create offense for his linemates but not especially fantastic at finishing plays off. that's why he can play alongside stars like claude giroux and jakub voracek and not look out of place, but is still probably a second/third-line tweener on an elite squad.
still, raffl is certainly a useful player worth keeping.
raffl and comparable contracts
just because raffl is a useful player does not necessarily mean that the flyers signed him to a acceptable contract. there are many overpaid nhl players, and most are capable of performing at a solid level. their compensation is simply out of line with their on-ice production.
in order to see if raffl falls into the category of "steal" or "overpay," it helps to find other players that have recently signed deals in the ballpark of raffl's extension. we'll limit the search to contracts given to forwards between the ages of 26 and 30 (late prime years) with a cap hit in the $2.3 to $2.5 million range over the past three seasons. we'll also only look at contracts that did not buy out any rfa seasons, so that we're making apples-to-apples comparisons.
not exactly a murderer's row of talent here at first glance. but let's break down the statistics, looking at each player's even strength performance in the three years leading up to their respective extensions.
player three-year 5v5 points/60 three-year corsi relative jannik hansen 1.82 -1.37% chris higgins 1.70 +0.81% lauri korpikoski 1.61 -5.74% shawn matthias 1.53 -3.48% michael raffl 1.41 +5.10% eric nystrom 1.01 -4.70% blake comeau 0.85 +2.74%
raffl falls right in the middle in terms of even strength scoring, but absolutely blows away the pack when judging play-driving ability. when looking at these comparables, it's fair to say that the flyers paid about market value for raffl's point production while getting a bargain on his puck possession capabilities.
on the whole, raffl looks like a pretty darn good buy.
if not raffl, then who else?
so far, we've determined that michael raffl is a third-line scoring talent and a top-line corsi player. we've also seen that his three-year, $7.05 million contract is far from an overpay, actually falling in line with similar even strength rate scorers and below the market value for comparable puck possession forwards.
but the flyers did have another option. with raffl set to hit free agency absent a contract extension, ron hextall could have chosen to pursue an upgrade to the 27-year old forward in free agency. a true improvement over raffl would likely be a player with more scoring ability who still has the ability to drive possession. and considering the risk in signing aging talent, ron hextall would probably want to target someone around raffl's age, rather than replace him with a player on the downward slope of his career.
the problem? there aren't many pending ufas that fit the bill, and even fewer that could be signed for anywhere near the aav that hextall just gave raffl.
okposo, ladd and eriksson will almost certainly command top dollar on the free agent market - think five years or more with a cap hit over $6 million. the flyers clearly haven't been impressed with sam gagner, considering his regular scratchings and stay in lehigh valley.
that leaves five viable options - perron, versteeg, helm, purcell, and tlusty - as potential raffl replacements. in my opinion, the only player who seems to be a no-doubt improvement would be perron. he's a consistent 40+ point scorer who is young enough to be a viable piece of the flyers' core for years to come.
but would letting raffl leave to chase perron really be a prudent way to do business? after all, he's been very impressive in anaheim ever since being traded in january - maybe the ducks will simply keep him. maybe he just won't want to come to philadelphia.
in that case, hextall has three options: break out the checkbook for one of okposo, ladd or eriksson, chase a player like helm, purcell or tlusty (all of whom would probably be downgrades at even strength), or not replace raffl at all, weakening the team's forward corps.
instead, hextall chose the safe route, retaining an above-average forward who clearly fits dave hakstol's system and wants to be in philadelphia. it's tough to argue with the decision when weighing the risks and rewards involved with letting him leave.
conclusion
ron hextall's decision to sign michael raffl to an extension makes all the sense in the world. raffl scores like a third-liner and drives play like a first-liner, and is capable of playing both wings and even center in a pinch. he's not a superstar by any means, but a useful role player who could fit on any nhl team's top three lines.
the terms of the extension look good for the flyers as well. raffl is right in the middle of the pack from a scoring standpoint when looking at players who have signed comparable deals over the past three years, but the austrian forward drives play better than any of them. hextall paid fair value for raffl's scoring, and got an elite puck possession player as a bonus.
finally, it would have been very risky to let raffl test free agency, considering the dearth of reasonably-priced forward options on the market capable of scoring at a top-nine level while also driving play. if he intended to replace raffl on the ufa market, hextall would have been forced to dish out a large contract to one of the few elite options or chase players similar to raffl in even strength performance.
after weighing his options, hextall shrewdly chose to retain michael raffl at a reasonable price. it's a move that should pay dividends for the flyers in the coming seasons.
all statistics in this piece via war-on-ice.com and/or stats.hockeyanalysis.com.
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fiˈoʊnə məˈklɛrən, 59 hæd kɛpt ən oʊld ˈpeɪnɪŋ ɪn hər ˈskɑtɪʃ ˈfɑrmˌhaʊs fər ˈdɛkeɪdz. ʃi rɪˈpɔrtədli ˈdɪdənt θɪŋk məʧ əv ðə ˈpeɪnɪŋ, wɪʧ hæd bɪn ˈgɪvɪn tɪ hər ɛz ə gɪft baɪ hər ˈfɑðər. bət ˈæftər ʃi ˈfaɪnəli ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ hæv ðə ˈpeɪnɪŋ əˈpreɪzd, səm ˈɛkspərts ər ˈspɛkjəˌleɪtɪŋ ðət ɪt meɪ ɪn fækt bi ə ˈpeɪnɪŋ baɪ ˌliəˈnɑrdoʊ ˈdiˈeɪ ˈvɪnʧi ənd pəˈtɛnʃəli wərθ mɔr ðən 150 ˈmɪljən. "aɪ ʃoʊd ɪt tɪ ɪm [ˌɑkʃəˈnɪr ˈhɛri ˈrɑbərtsən] ənd hi wɑz ˈstægərd, ˈspiʧləs seɪv fər ə saɪ əv ˌɛkskləˈmeɪʃən," sɛd mɪz. məˈklɛrən, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈpipəl. ðə ˈdeɪli meɪl sɪz ðə ˈpeɪnɪŋ meɪ bi əv ˈmɛri ˈmægdəˌlin ˈhoʊldɪŋ ə jəŋ ʧaɪld. ðə ˈpeɪnɪŋ ɪz naʊ ˌəndərˈgoʊɪŋ ˈfərðər æˈnælɪsɪs baɪ ˈɛkspərts æt ðə ˈkeɪmbrɪʤ ˌjunəˈvərsəti ənd ðə ˈhæməltən kər ˈɪnstɪˌtut, hu wɪl əˈtɛmpt tɪ ənˈkəvər ɪts ɪgˈzækt eɪʤ ənd ˈɔrəʤɪnz. ˈivɪn ɪf ðə ˈpeɪnɪŋ ɪz nɑt ə ˈdiˈeɪ ˈvɪnʧi ərˈɪʤənəl, ɪt ɪz bɪˈlivd tɪ æt list bi frəm ðə ˈdiˈeɪ ˈvɪnʧi skul, kriˈeɪtɪd baɪ wən əv ðə ˈmæstərz ˈpjupəlz ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈsɛnʧəri. ə ˈpeɪpəl bʊl wɑz faʊnd əˈtæʧt tɪ ðə bæk əv ðə ˈpeɪnɪŋ ənd ɪz bɪˈlivd tɪ hæv ərˈɪʤəˌneɪtəd frəm ðə ˈɪrə əv poʊp pɔl vi, hɛd əv ðə ˈkæθlɪk ʧərʧ ɪn ðə ˈərli ˈsɛnʧəri. məˈklɛrən sɪz ðə wərd "ˈmægdəˌlin," ɪz ˈvɪzəbəl ɔn ðə ˈfeɪdɪd ˈpeɪpər. məˈklɛrən sɪz ʃi hoʊps ðə ˈpeɪnɪŋ ɪz soʊld tɪ ə mˈjuziəm, ənd ʃi plænz tɪ ˈdoʊˌneɪt ə pərˈsɛnɪʤ əv ðə seɪl ˈvælju ˈæftər ɪt ɪz ˈɔkʃənd. faɪnd aʊt mɔr əˈbaʊt ˈdiˈeɪ ˈvɪnʧi:
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fiona mclaren, 59, had kept an old painting in her scottish farmhouse for decades. she reportedly didn't think much of the painting, which had been given to her as a gift by her father. but after she finally decided to have the painting appraised, some experts are speculating that it may in fact be a 500-year-old painting by leonardo da vinci and potentially worth more than $150 million.
"i showed it to him [auctioneer harry robertson] and he was staggered, speechless save for a sigh of exclamation," said ms. mclaren, according to the people.
the daily mail says the painting may be of mary magdalene holding a young child. the painting is now undergoing further analysis by experts at the cambridge university and the hamilton kerr institute, who will attempt to uncover its exact age and origins.
even if the painting is not a da vinci original, it is believed to at least be from the da vinci school, created by one of the master's pupils during the 16th century.
a papal bull was found attached to the back of the painting and is believed to have originated from the era of pope paul v, head of the catholic church in the early 17th century. mclaren says the word "magdalene," is visible on the faded paper.
mclaren says she hopes the painting is sold to a museum, and she plans to donate a percentage of the painting's sale value after it is auctioned.
find out more about da vinci:
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ðə raɪz əv ðə fɑr raɪt ɪz ə ˈdeɪli ˌriˈæləˌti ɪn ˈjʊrəp. ɪts ˈifɛkts ər mɔr ˈprɑmənənt ɪn ˈkəntriz laɪk gris ənd ˈsaɪprəs, wɛr ðə ˌɪmˈpækt əv ðə ˈkraɪsəs həz bɪn moʊst səˈvɪr. ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ, ɪn gris, ə ˈmɛmbər əv ðə ˈpɑrti ˈgoʊldən dɔn əˈlɛʤədli kɪld ˈlɛftˌwɪŋ ˈæktɪvɪst ənd ˈsɪŋər fyssas*. ðɪs ɪz nɑt ðə fərst taɪm ðət ˈmɛmbərz əv ˈgoʊldən dɔn hæv bɪn ɪn ðə nuz fər ˈvaɪələns ðeɪ ruˈtinli əˈtæk ˈɪməgrənts, ˈænərˌkɪsts ənd ˈkɑmjənəsts, bət ðeɪ ər ˈrɛrli ˈprɑsɪˌkjutɪd fər duɪŋ soʊ. ðɛr raɪz həz bɪn spɛkˈtækjələr. ˈkɑntrɛri tɪ ˈpɑpjələr bɪˈlif, ˈgoʊldən dɔn həz bɪn əraʊnd fər ə lɔŋ taɪm. ɪt wɑz kriˈeɪtɪd ɪn ðə 1980s*, bɪˈkeɪm ˈrɛʤɪstərd ɛz ə pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈpɑrti ɪn 1993 ənd ɪˈlɛktɪd 18 ɪn 2012 wɪθ əv ðə voʊt. worryingly*, ðə pəˈlɪtɪkəl ɪˈstæblɪʃmənt ɪn gris simz ˈwɪlɪŋ tɪ ˈtɑlərˌeɪt ˈgoʊldən dɔn. ðə ˈvɛtərən nu dɪˈmɑkrəsi mp*, polydoras*, həz sɛd ðət ðə ˈtrɔɪkə ˈpoʊzɪz ə ˈgreɪtər θrɛt tɪ gris ðən ˈgoʊldən dɔn. naʊ ðət ðə kɔr ˈmɛmbərz əv ˈgoʊldən dɔn ər ɪˈlɛktɪd, ðeɪ ˌɛnˈʤɔɪ ˌpɑrləˈmɛntəri ˌɪmˈjunɪtiz, wɪʧ ðɛr ˈfɛloʊ, laɪk ðoʊz əv ðə ˈrulɪŋ nu dɪˈmɑkrəsi ənd ˈsoʊʃəlɪst ˈmuvmənt, sim rɪˈləktənt tɪ riˈmuv. ðɪs rɪˈləktəns həz mɛnt ðət ðə ˈlidərz əv ˈgoʊldən dɔn kən ˈfrili goʊ əˈbaʊt sˈlæpɪŋ ˈfiˌmeɪl ɔn ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən wɪˈθaʊt ˈfeɪsɪŋ ˈɛni ˈkɑnsəkˌwɛnsəz fər ðɛr ˈækʃənz. wət ɪkˈspleɪnz ðə raɪz əv ˈgoʊldən dɔn? ðə ʃɔrt ˈænsər ɪz ˈkrɑnɪk kərˈəpʃən, ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˌɔˈstɛrɪti ənd ðə pərˌpɛʧəˈweɪʃən əv ˈpɑpjələst laɪz əˈbaʊt ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən. ˈgoʊldən dɔn həz ˈmænɪʤd tɪ ˈʧænəl ðə ˈɛnsuɪŋ ˈpəblɪk ˈæŋgər tɪ ɪts ˈfeɪvər. ɪt ɔn ðə fækt ðət ɪts ˈmɛmbərz wər nɑt ɪn ˈpriviəs ˈgəvərnmənts, wɪʧ kənˈtrɪbjutɪd tɪ gris biɪŋ kənˈsɪdərd wən əv ðə moʊst kərəpt ˈkəntriz ɪn ðə eu*. ðə ðət rulz pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈkɑndəkt ɪn gris həz ˈlɑrʤli bɪn wən əv ðə ˈrizənz bɪˈhaɪnd ðə dɪskənˈtɛnt əv ðə grik ˈvoʊtərz ɪt wɑz fən waɪl ðə ˈərbən ˈmɪdəl ˈklæsɪz kʊd gɪt səm ˈpisɪz əv ðə paɪ, bət wɪn ðə paɪ bɪˈkeɪm sˈmɔlər ɪn ðə eɪʤ əv ˌɔˈstɛrɪti, ðoʊz lɛft aʊt ˌɪˈnɛvətəbli riˈæktɪd. æt ðə seɪm taɪm ˈgoʊldən dɔn ˈɛkˌsplɔɪtəd ðə fɪr əv ˌɪməˈgreɪʃən ðət həz bɪn ˈmæstərfəli kənˈstrəktɪd ɪn grik soʊˈsaɪɪti. ðə ˈpɑrti ˈlidərz hæv dɪˈpɪktɪd ðɛmˈsɛlvz ɛz ðə problem-solvers*: ˈɑnəst ˈpipəl hu hæv ˈnɛvər ˈteɪkən ə braɪb, huz meɪn ˈɪntəˌrɛst ɪz ðə ˈwɛlˌfɛr əv grik ˈpipəl. ðeɪ pɔrˈtreɪ ðɛmˈsɛlvz ɛz "mɛn əv ˈækʃən", ðət doʊnt meɪk ˈprɑməsəz ðət ðeɪ ˈkænɑt kip. ðiz ˈækʃənz kənˈsɪst əv əˈtæks ɔn ˈɪməgrənts, ˈænərˌkɪsts ənd ˈkɑmjənəsts, ɔl ɪn ðə laɪt əv ˈhɛlpɪŋ ðə grik ˈpipəl, səm əv hu, tɪ ðɛr ʃeɪm, æsk fər ðɛr hɛlp "tɪ klin ðə ˈɛriə". ə ˈhɔrəbəl ˈjufəˌmɪzəm fər "pliz kəm hir, bit ðə ˈɪməgrənts ənd meɪk ðɛm liv ɑr ˈneɪbərˌhʊd". wɛr wɪl ðɪs ɛnd? haʊ fɑr wɪl ə ˈraɪzɪŋ ˈgoʊldən dɔn wɪθ taɪz wɪθ ðə pəˈlis ənd ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri goʊ ˌbiˈfɔr gris bɪˈkəmz ə ˌtoʊˌtælɪˈtɛriən ˈmɪlɪˌtɛri steɪt? ðɛr ɪz noʊ ˈizi ˈænsər tɪ ðɪs aɪ doʊnt θɪŋk ðɪs ˈdaʊnwərd ˈspaɪrəl kən bi stɑpt wɪˈθaʊt ən ɪkˈstərnəl ˌɪntərˈvɛnʃən. ðə ˈkɑrənt steɪt əv ðə grik pəˈlɪtɪkəl sin ɪz səʧ ðət ɪt rikˈwaɪərz ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃənz. sɪns ˈlɛftɪst ənd ˈkɑmjənəst ˈrɛfˌjuz tɪ fɔrm ə ˈgəvərnmənt wɪθ ˈiðər əv ðə tu ˈrulɪŋ ˈpɑrtiz huz paʊər həz bɪn sɪgˈnɪfɪkəntli rɪˈdust, ðə ˈoʊnli səˈluʃən fər ðə tu ˈmeɪnˌstrim ˈpɑrtiz ɪz tɪ lʊk tɪ ðə ɪkˈstrim raɪt. ɛz ðə tu ˈgəvərnɪŋ ˈpɑrtiz kənˈtɪnju ˈɪmpləˌmɛnɪŋ ðə ˌɔˈstɛrɪti ˈpɑləsiz, ðeɪ wɪl kip ˈgɪtɪŋ ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli ˌənˈpɑpjələr. ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli, ðeɪ wɪl hæv noʊ ˈɔpʃən ðən tɪ fɔrm ə ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən ðət ˌɪnˈvɑlvz ˈgoʊldən dɔn, wɪʧ həz skɔrd ˈhaɪli ɪn əˈpɪnjən poʊlz, ˈraɪzɪŋ frəm tɪ ˈæftər ɪt ˈɛnərd ˈpɑrləmɛnt. ðɪs ɪz wɛr ɪkˈstərnəl ˈfæktərz meɪ kəm ɪn. ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈpɑrtnərz wɪl nɑt bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ ˌɪgˈnɔr ðə ˈsoʊʃəl ˌɪmˈpækt əv ðɛr ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈpɑləsiz fər lɔŋ. ðə ˈfæʃɪsts ər ˈwɪnɪŋ sits, ər ˌmæskərˈeɪdɪŋ ðɛr ˌɪkˈstrɛmɪzəm ənd ˈʤɔɪnɪŋ ðə ˈmeɪnˌstrim ˈpɑrtiz, wɛr ðeɪ hæv ˈivɪn ˈbɪgər ˈplætˌfɔrmz tɪ sprɛd ðɛr ˈreɪsɪst vjuz. ðə nɛkst stɛp ɪz ˈgoʊldən dɔnz ɪkˈspænʧən bɪɔnd gris. ɪts əˈfɪʃəlz ˈɔfən ˈvɪzɪt ˈsaɪprəs ənd gɪv tɔks tɪ ɪts ˈsɪstər ˈpɑrti, ðə ˈɛləm, wɪʧ, ˈθæŋkfəli, ɪz ˈnoʊˌwɛr nɪr ɛz ˈpɑpjələr ɛz ˈgoʊldən dɔn. laɪk gris, ˈreɪsɪst ˈvaɪələns ɪz ˈtɑlərˌeɪtəd boʊθ baɪ ðə əˈθɔrətiz ənd baɪ ðə ˈmeɪnˌstrim pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈpɑrtiz. ðə ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪti əv boʊθ ðə grik ənd ˈsɪpriˌɑt steɪts tɪ kərˈteɪl ðə ˈreɪʃəli ˈmoʊtəˌveɪtəd ˈvaɪələnt ˈækʃənz əv ðiz grups, ɛz wɛl ɛz ðə ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪti əv ðə ˈmeɪnˌstrim pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈpɑrtiz tɪ stænd əp tɪ ðɛm, ɪz ə kɔl tɪ ˈækʃən fər ɑr ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈpɑrtnərz, hu kən noʊ ˈlɔŋgər əˈfɔrd tɪ sɪt bæk ɪn ðɛr ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪkli rɪˈkəvərɪŋ ˈkəntriz ɛz ɪf ˈnəθɪŋ ɪz ˈhæpənɪŋ ˈɛlsˌwɛr. wət ɪz nɑˈivli kənˈsɪdərd ə grik ˈprɑbləm ɪz məʧ mɔr ðən ðət ɪt ɪz noʊ ˈæksədənt ðət mərˈi lə pɛnz frənt ˈnæʃənəl ənd ˈnaɪʤəl hæv ˌɪnˈkrist ɪn ˌpɑpjəˈlɛrəti ˈrisəntli. ðə fɑr raɪt ɪz ɔn ðə raɪz ənd kəˈlɛktɪv ˈækʃən æt ə ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈlɛvəl ɪz ˈnidɪd. wɪn ˈpɑrtiz laɪk ðə grik lɑoʊs ər ðə frɛnʧ bɪˈkəm pɑrt əv ðə ˈmeɪnˌstrim raɪt, wət ɪz kənˈsɪdərd ɪkˈstrim bɪˈkəmz ˈivɪn mɔr soʊ. ðə rɪˈzəlt ɪz wət ju si ˈhæpənɪŋ ɪn gris ˈvaɪələns, ˌvɪʤəˈlæntɪzəm ənd ˈmərdər. ðɪs ˈɑrtɪkəl wɑz kəˈmɪʃənd ˈæftər ə səˈʤɛsʧən frəm kizbot*.
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the rise of the far right is a daily reality in austerity-striken europe. its effects are more prominent in countries like greece and cyprus, where the impact of the crisis has been most severe. yesterday, in greece, a self-confessed member of the far-right party golden dawn allegedly killed leftwing activist and singer pavlos fyssas. this is not the first time that members of golden dawn have been in the news for violence – they routinely attack immigrants, anarchists and communists, but they are rarely prosecuted for doing so.
their rise has been spectacular. contrary to popular belief, golden dawn has been around for a long time. it was created in the 1980s, became registered as a political party in 1993 and elected 18 mps in 2012 with 6.9% of the vote.
worryingly, the political establishment in greece seems willing to tolerate golden dawn. the veteran new democracy mp, vyronas polydoras, has said that the troika poses a greater threat to greece than golden dawn. now that the core members of golden dawn are elected mps, they enjoy parliamentary immunities, which their fellow mps, like those of the ruling new democracy and panhellenic socialist movement, seem reluctant to remove. this reluctance has meant that the leaders of golden dawn can freely go about slapping female mps on tv without facing any consequences for their actions.
what explains the rise of golden dawn? the short answer is chronic corruption, economic austerity and the perpetuation of populist lies about immigration. golden dawn has managed to channel the ensuing public anger to its favour. it capitalises on the fact that its members were not in previous governments, which contributed to greece being considered one of the most corrupt countries in the eu.
the clientelism that rules political conduct in greece has largely been one of the reasons behind the discontent of the greek voters – it was fun while the urban middle classes could get some pieces of the pie, but when the pie became smaller in the age of austerity, those left out inevitably reacted.
at the same time golden dawn exploited the fear of immigration that has been masterfully constructed in greek society. the party leaders have depicted themselves as the problem-solvers: honest people who have never taken a bribe, whose main interest is the welfare of greek people. they portray themselves as "men of action", that don't make promises that they cannot keep. these actions consist of attacks on immigrants, anarchists and communists, all in the light of helping the greek people, some of who, to their shame, ask for their help – "to clean the area". a horrible euphemism for "please come here, beat the immigrants and make them leave our neighbourhood".
where will this end? how far will a rising golden dawn with ties with the police and military go before greece becomes a totalitarian military state? there is no easy answer to this – i don't think this downward spiral can be stopped without an external intervention. the current state of the greek political scene is such that it requires coalitions. since leftist syriza and communist kke refuse to form a government with either of the two ruling parties whose power has been significantly reduced, the only solution for the two mainstream parties is to look to the extreme right. as the two governing parties continue implementing the troika-prescribed austerity policies, they will keep getting increasingly unpopular. eventually, they will have no option than to form a coalition that involves golden dawn, which has scored highly in opinion polls, rising from 6.9% to 11.5% after it entered parliament.
this is where external factors may come in. european partners will not be able to ignore the social impact of their economic policies for long. the fascists are winning seats, or masquerading their extremism and joining the mainstream parties, where they have even bigger platforms to spread their racist views. the next step is golden dawn's expansion beyond greece. its officials often visit cyprus and give talks to its sister party, the far-right elam, which, thankfully, is nowhere near as popular as golden dawn. like greece, racist violence is tolerated both by the authorities and by the mainstream political parties.
the inability of both the greek and cypriot states to curtail the racially motivated violent actions of these groups, as well as the inability of the mainstream political parties to stand up to them, is a call to action for our european partners, who can no longer afford to sit back in their economically recovering countries as if nothing is happening elsewhere. what is naively considered a greek problem is much more than that – it is no accident that marie le pen's front national and nigel farage's ukip have increased in popularity recently. the far right is on the rise and collective action at a european level is needed. when parties like the greek laos or the french fn become part of the mainstream right, what is considered extreme becomes even more so. the result is what you see happening in greece – violence, vigilantism and murder.
this article was commissioned after a suggestion from kizbot.
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ˈoʊklənd ə kru ˈfɪlmɪŋ ə kəˈmərʃəl læst wik fər ɪn ist ˈoʊklənd wɑz rɑbd æt ˈgənˌpɔɪnt əv tɛnz əv ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈdɔlərz wərθ əv ˈvɪdioʊ ɪkˈwɪpmənt, əˈθɔrətiz sɛd ˈmənˌdeɪ. nən əv ðə mɔr ðən ˈhæfˌdəzən fɪlm kru ˈmɛmbərz ənd ɪmˈplɔɪiz wɪθ ðɛm wər rɑbd əv ˈpərsɪnəl ˈaɪtəmz ənd ðɛr wər noʊ ˈɪnʤəriz. ðə ˈrɑbəri ˈhæpənd ʤɪst ˌbiˈfɔr 10 a.m*. ˈfraɪˌdeɪ ɪn ðə 3600 blɑk əv brus strit, ə hæf blɑk frəm ˈɛdnə bruər ˈmɪdəl skul wɛr ə ˈbərkli ˈkæmərə kru wɑz ˈfɪlmɪŋ ə kəˈmərʃəl fər ðə juˈtɪləti ˈkəmpəˌni ðət hæd ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪvz ˈprɛzənt. pəˈlis sɛd tu mɛn, wən ˈpɔɪntɪŋ ə ˈpɪstəl, əˈproʊʧt ðə grup ənd dɪˈmændɪd ðɛr ɪkˈwɪpmənt. ðə ˈrɑbərz ðɛn tʊk səm ˈkæmərəz, ˈlɛnzɪz ənd ˈəðər ɪkˈwɪpmənt; pʊt ðɛm ɪn ə kɑr pɑrkt nɪr ist strit; ənd droʊv ɔf. dɪˈteɪld dɪˈskrɪpʃənz əv ðə ˈrɑbərz wər nɑt riˈlist. ˈspoʊksˌwʊmən sɑrˈkɪsʒɪn sɛd ðə juˈtɪləti wɑz koʊˈɑpərˌeɪtɪŋ wɪθ pəˈlis. ˈseɪfti ənd sɪˈkjʊrəti əv ɑr ˈkəstəmərz, kəmˈjunɪtiz, ɪmˈplɔɪiz ənd ˈkɑnˌtræktərz ɪz ɑr tɔp praɪˈɔrəti. ðɛr wɑz ən ˈɪnsədənt ˌɪnˈvɑlvɪŋ səbˈkɑntræktərz ənd employees,”*,” sɑrˈkɪsʒɪn sɛd. ““thankfully*, noʊ wən wɑz injured.”*.” ðə ˈrɑbəri wɑz ðə ˈleɪtəst ɪz ə ˈsɪriz əv mɔr ðən ə ˈdəzən ˈdeɪtɪŋ bæk tɪ 2012 ɪn wɪʧ fəˈtɑgrəfərz ənd ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən ənd ˈəðər ˈvɪdioʊ kruz hæv bɪn ˈtɑrgətɪd. ðə moʊst ˈrisənt wɑz meɪ 1 wɪn ə ˈfriˌlæns fəˈtɑgrəfər əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd wɪθ ðə beɪ ˈɛriə nuz grup wɑz rɑbd æt ˈgənˌpɔɪnt əv hɪz ɪkˈwɪpmənt ɪn ðə 800 blɑk əv ˈklivlənd strit ʤɪst ɔf pɑrk ˈbʊləˌvɑrd nɪr ˈoʊklənd haɪ skul ˈæftər kəmˈplitɪŋ ən əˈsaɪnmənt. pəˈlis ənd kraɪm ˈstɑpərz əv ˈoʊklənd ər ˈɔfərɪŋ əp tɪ ɪn rɪˈwɔrd ˈməni fər ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ˈlidɪŋ tɪ ðə ərˈɛst əv ðə ˈrɑbərz frəm læst wik. ˈɛniˌwən wɪθ ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən meɪ kɔl pəˈlis æt ər kraɪm ˈstɑpərz æt
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OAKLAND — A crew filming a commercial last week for PG&E in East Oakland was robbed at gunpoint of tens of thousands of dollars worth of video equipment, authorities said Monday.
None of the more than half-dozen film crew members and PG&E employees with them were robbed of personal items and there were no injuries.
The robbery happened just before 10 a.m. Friday in the 3600 block of Bruce Street, a half block from Edna Brewer Middle School where a Berkeley camera crew was filming a commercial for the utility company that had representatives present.
Police said two men, one pointing a pistol, approached the group and demanded their equipment.
The robbers then took some cameras, lenses and other equipment; put them in a car parked near East 36th Street; and drove off.
Detailed descriptions of the robbers were not released.
PG&E spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian said the utility was cooperating with police.
“The safety and security of our customers, communities, employees and contractors is our top priority. There was an incident involving subcontractors and PG&E employees,” Sarkissian said. “Thankfully, no one was injured.”
The robbery was the latest is a series of more than a dozen dating back to 2012 in which photographers and television and other video crews have been targeted.
The most recent was May 1 when a freelance photographer associated with the Bay Area News Group was robbed at gunpoint of his equipment in the 800 block of Cleveland Street just off Park Boulevard near Oakland High School after completing an assignment.
Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering up to $15,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the robbers from last week.
Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3326 or Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.
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gɑd ɪz ɪn maɪ ˈfɪŋgərz gɑd ɪz ɪn maɪ hɛd gɑd ɪz ɪn ðə ˈtrɪgər gɑd ɪz ɪn ðə lɛd gɑd ɪz ˈfridəm, gɑd ɪz truθ gɑd ɪz paʊər ənd gɑd ɪz pruf gɑd ɪz ˈfæʃən, gɑd ɪz feɪm gɑd gɪvz ˈminɪŋ, gɑd gɪvz peɪn ju kən bi raɪt laɪk mi wɪθ gɑd ɪn ðə hoʊl jʊr ə ˈraɪʧəs soʊl aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi, aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi əm nɑt ðə seɪm ɛz ju 'kɔz aɪv sin ðə laɪt ənd əm ˈgeɪnɪŋ ɪn haɪt naʊ aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi, aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd maɪ hɛd gɑd ɪz ɔn ðə ˈsɛlfoʊn gɑd ɪz ɔn ðə nɛt gɑd ɪz ɪn ðə ˈwɔrnɪŋ gɑd ɪz ɪn ðə θrɛt gɑd ɪz ˈfridəm, gɑd ɪz truθ fər gɑd ɪz paʊər, gɑd ɪz pruf gɑd ɪz ˈfæʃən, gɑd ɪz feɪm gɑd gɪvz ˈminɪŋ, gɑd gɪvz peɪn ju kən bi raɪt laɪk mi wɪθ gɑd ɪn ðə hoʊl jʊr ə ˈraɪʧəs soʊl aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi, aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi əm nɑt ðə seɪm ɛz ju 'kɔz aɪv sin ðə laɪt ənd əm ˈgeɪnɪŋ ɪn haɪt naʊ aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi, aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi ('kɔz aɪv gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd maɪ hɛd) aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd maɪ hɛd ˈfoʊˌtoʊz ju kən bi laɪk mi wɪθ gɑd ɪn ðə hoʊl jʊr ə ˈraɪʧəs soʊl aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi, aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi əm nɑt ðə seɪm ɛz ju 'kɔz aɪv sin ðə laɪt ənd əm ˈgeɪnɪŋ ɪn haɪt naʊ aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi, aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd mi aɪ gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd maɪ hɛd 'kɔz aɪv gɑt ə ˈheɪloʊ 'raʊnd maɪ hɛd
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god is in my fingers
god is in my head
god is in the trigger
god is in the lead
god is freedom, god is truth
god is power and god is proof
god is fashion, god is fame
god gives meaning, god gives pain
you can be right like me
with god in the hole you're a righteous soul
i got a halo 'round me, i got a halo 'round me
i'm not the same as you
'cause i've seen the light and i'm gaining in height now
i got a halo 'round me, i got a halo 'round me
i got a halo 'round my head
god is on the cellphone
god is on the net
god is in the warning
god is in the threat
god is freedom, god is truth
for god is power, god is proof
god is fashion, god is fame
god gives meaning, god gives pain
you can be right like me
with god in the hole you're a righteous soul
i got a halo 'round me, i got a halo 'round me
i'm not the same as you
'cause i've seen the light and i'm gaining in height now
i got a halo 'round me, i got a halo 'round me
('cause i've got a halo 'round my head)
i got a halo 'round my head
photos
you can be like me
with god in the hole you're a righteous soul
i got a halo 'round me, i got a halo 'round me
i'm not the same as you
'cause i've seen the light and i'm gaining in height now
i got a halo 'round me, i got a halo 'round me
i got a halo 'round my head
'cause i've got a halo 'round my head
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ə ɪz ɪn ə ˈmɛmpfɪs ˈhɑˌspɪtəl ɪn ɪkˈstrim ˈkrɪtɪkəl kənˈdɪʃən ˈæftər hi wɑz pʊld aʊt əv ə ˈbərnɪŋ haʊs ɪn ˈmɛmpfɪs ˈərliər təˈdeɪ. ðə ˈbrəðər wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ pʊld frəm ðə ˈbərnɪŋ haʊs bət, ˈleɪtər daɪd frəm smoʊk ˌɪnhəˈleɪʃən. ðə ˈʧɪldrən wər lɛft əˈloʊn baɪ ðɛr ˈməðər ənd ɔnt hu lɛft tɪ drɔp ɔf ə frɛnd. ðə ˈʧɪldrənz ɔnt, ˈmɛrəlɪn ˈwɪlsən, sɛd ʃi hæd noʊ rɪˈgrɛts əˈbaʊt ˈlivɪŋ ðə ˈʧɪldrən hoʊm əˈloʊn. "aɪ ˈrɪli nid tɪ gɪt ɪn ðɛr tɪ si ɪf maɪ pərs bərnd əp. aɪ hæd maɪ fud stæmp kɑrd ənd ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ ɪn there.”*.” noʊ ˈʧɑrʤɪz hæv bɪn faɪld əˈgɛnst ðə ˈməðər jɛt. ðɪs ɪz mɔr ˈɛvədəns ðət bərθ kənˈtroʊl ər fɔrst əˈbɔrʃənz ʃʊd bi ˈmændəˌtɔri ɪn ðə hʊd. hu læk ðə ˈkɑmən sɛns əv ə ər kænt əˈfɔrd tɪ pʊt fud ɔn ðə ˈteɪbəl, ʃʊd nɑt gɪv bərθ tɪ ˈʧɪldrən. θæŋks tɪ lɔɪəl ˈridərz ˈtɛri bi. ənd fər ðə tɪps! sɔrs
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a 2-year-old is in a memphis hospital in extreme critical condition after he was pulled out of a burning house in memphis earlier today. the toddler's 3-year-old brother was also pulled from the burning house but, later died from smoke inhalation. the children were left alone by their mother and aunt who left to drop off a friend.
the children's aunt, marilyn wilson, said she had no regrets about leaving the children home alone. "i really need to get in there to see if my purse burned up. i had my food stamp card and everything in there.”
no charges have been filed against the mother yet.
this is more evidence that birth control or forced abortions should be mandatory in the hood. hoodrats who lack the common sense of a housefly or can't afford to put food on the table, should not give birth to children.
thanks to loyal readers terri b. and cs for the tips!
source
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ɪn ðə ənd 60s*, pəbz ɪn ˈləndən ˈfrikwɛntli rɪfˈjuzd tɪ sərv blæk ˈkəstəmərz, ənd ðəs bɪˈkeɪm ðə ˈfoʊkɪs fər ˈproʊˌtɛsts. stennett*, hu keɪm tɪ ˈbrɪtən frəm ʤəˈmeɪkə ɪn 1947 tʊk pɑrt ɪn ˈproʊˌtɛsts əraʊnd, ənd peckham*. əˈbaʊt ɪt ɪn 2010 ðə jɪr ˌbiˈfɔr hi daɪd, hi rɪˈkɔld ɪn tɪ ðɛr ˈreɪˌsɪzəm baɪ ɪn ə waɪt companion*, hu wʊd gɪt sərvd, ənd ðɛn tɪ baɪ ə drɪŋk himself*, ˈoʊnli tɪ bi tərnd daʊn. æt ðɪs pɔɪnt, wʊd commence*. ɪn 1963 ə grup əv (tɛn waɪt ənd wən blæk) wər ʧɑrʤd wɪθ ˈjuzɪŋ wərdz æt ə ˈproʊˌtɛst ðə ʤɔrʤ ɪn ɪn. nɑt ˈoʊnli wər ðeɪ wər klɪrd bət ðə dɪˈskraɪbd ðə bar’*’ ɪn ɛz ənd repulsive’*’. wɔnts tɪ kəm ənd lɪv daʊn hir fər ə fju wiks ˌbiˈfɔr criticising,’*,’ sɛd ðə landlord*. ə ˈkələr bɑr, bət aɪ æm ʃʊr ðə blæks teɪk ˈoʊvər maɪ pəb laɪk ðeɪ hæv səm ɪn ðə area.’*.’ ɪkˈsprɛs, 7 1963 ðɛr ɪz ə dɪˈteɪld əˈkaʊnt əv 1965 ˈproʊˌtɛsts əˈgɛnst ə ˈkələr bɑr æt ðə ɑrmz, hɪl,, ɔn ðɪs blɔg. ɔn ðət occasion*, ðə əv ʤɔɪnd ðə ənd wɔkt aʊt əv ðə pəb ɪn ˈproʊˌtɛst wɪn ðeɪ rɪfˈjuzd tɪ sərv ɪm bɪˈkəz hi wɑz baɪ gʊd, hu wɑz blæk. ðə landlord*, ˈhɛrəld hɔz, wɑz defiant*: θɪŋ ɪz ðət aɪ æm nɑt əˈgɛnst ˈkələrd. aɪ hæv ə əv əv ðə ðət juz ðə səˈlun ənd ðeɪ wɔnt tɪ hæv ˈjuzɪŋ it…*… aɪ fil ðət maɪ treɪd həz ˌɪnˈkrist bɪˈkəz noʊ ðət ðeɪ faɪnd ˈkələrd ɪn maɪ səˈlun bar.’*.’ ɪn 1965 ɪt bɪˈkeɪm tɪ ˈrɛfˌjuz tɪ sərv bɪˈkəz əv ðɛr ˈkələr, bət ðət stɑp duɪŋ soʊ ənd ðɛn, fər, ə bɪg ʃoʊ əv frəm wɪʧ blæk hæd drəŋk. ðə əˈtlæntɪk ɪn, however*, ɪz ən əv wɛr ˈproʊˌtɛsts peɪd ɔf: æt səm pɔɪnt ˌbiˈfɔr 1963 (ðoʊ wi faɪnd deɪts ər ə əˈkaʊnt əv wət happened*) əˈpild tɪ ðə ˈoʊvər ðə ˈreɪˌsɪzəm ənd hi wɑz kɪkt aʊt. hɪz wɑz frəm ðə wɛst ˈɪndiz. baɪ 1974 grin ənd ˈtoʊni waɪt wər ðə əˈtlæntɪk ɪn ðɛr ˈivnɪŋ gaɪd tɪ pəbz: ɪts ˈrisənt, ˈfeɪsˌlɪft ənd lɪv, ʤæz, ðə əˈtlæntɪk ɪz ə wɛst pəb, wɪθ ɪts ˈspɪlɪŋ aʊt əv ðə bɑrz ənd ɔn tɪ ðə pavement*. ðə θɪŋ ɪn tɪ ə nu ˌɔˈrlinz bar.’*.’ ʤɛf sɪz ðət, ˈæftər ðət, ɪt keɪm tɪ bi noʊn ɛz moʊst blæk pub’*’, ənˈtɪl ðə əv gɑt ɪn ðə ˈnaɪntiz wɪn ɪt wɪθ ðə hɛlp əv ə grænt ənd riˈneɪmd dogstar*. ðə wɑz, ɪn wərdz, waɪt clientele’*’, waɪl hir pʊt ɪt mɔr bluntly*: ɪt wɑz ən oʊld blæk pəb ˈɪntu ə waɪt kids’*’ hangout’*’. ɪt bərnd daʊn ɪn raɪəts ɪn 1995 ənd, ˈæftər jɛt refurbishment*, ɪz naʊ pɑrt əv ðə ˈæntɪk ʧeɪn. əv dogstar*, ˈɑkə ðə əˈtlæntɪk,, baɪ juən.
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in the 1950s and 60s, pubs in london frequently refused to serve black customers, and thus became the focus for protests.
enrico stennett, who came to britain from jamaica in 1947, took part in several organised protests around brixton, camberwell and peckham. writing about it in 2010, the year before he died, he recalled provoking landlords in to revealing their racism by sending in a white companion, who would get served, and then trying to buy a drink himself, only to be turned down. at this point, picketing would commence.
in 1963, a group of protesters (ten white and one black) were charged with using threatening words at a protest outside the george inn in brixton. not only were they were cleared but the magistrate described the ‘colour bar’ in operation as ‘revolting and repulsive’. ‘the magistrate wants to come and live down here for a few weeks before criticising,’ said the landlord. ‘i don’t operate a colour bar, but i am making sure the blacks don’t take over my pub like they have some in the area.’ (daily express, 7 december 1963.)
there is a detailed account of 1965 protests against a colour bar at the dartmouth arms, forest hill, lewisham, on this blog. on that occasion, the mayor of lewisham joined the protesters and walked out of the pub in protest when they refused to serve him because he was accompanied by melbourne goode, who was black. the landlord, harold hawes, was defiant: ‘the funny thing is that i am not against coloured people. i have taken a consensus of opinion of the people that use the saloon and they don’t want to have coloureds using it… i feel that my trade has increased because people know that they won’t find coloured people in my saloon bar.’
in 1965, it became illegal to refuse to serve someone because of their colour, but that didn’t stop landlords doing so grudgingly and then, for example, making a big show of destroying glasses from which black customers had drunk.
the atlantic in brixton, however, is an example of where protests paid off: at some point before 1963 (though we can’t find precise dates or a reliable account of what happened) protesters appealed to the brewery over the landlord’s racism and he was kicked out. his replacement was from the west indies. by 1974, martin green and tony white were recommending the atlantic in their evening standard guide to london pubs: ‘with its recent, much-needed facelift and live, spontaneous jazz, the atlantic is a predominantly west indian pub, with its customers spilling out of the bars and on to the pavement. the nearest thing in london to a new orleans bar.’
geoff parker says that, after that, it came to be known as ‘brixton’s most visible black pub’, until the gentrification/regeneration of brixton got underway in the nineties when it refurbished with the help of a government grant and renamed dogstar. the intention was, in parker’s words, ‘a white clientele’, while commenters here put it more bluntly: it was transformed ‘from an old black geezer’s pub into a fashionable white kids’ hangout’.
it burned down in riots in 1995 and, after yet another refurbishment, is now part of the antic chain.
picture of dogstar, aka the atlantic, brixton, by ewan.
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naʊ ðət wiv mɛt ɑr ˌɪˈnɪʃəl goʊl, wi hæv ə fju greɪt strɛʧ goʊlz plænd ðət wɪl ɪkˈspænd ðə geɪm ənd æd mɔr ˈɑrtˌwərk. (əˈʧivd!) park”*” wərld baɪ ˈkrɪstɪn fərθ ənd ˈɛrɪk (əˈʧivd!) ðə ɪˈʤɪpʃən river”*” wərld baɪ rəˈneɪ naɪp (əˈʧivd!) nu ˌɪləˈstreɪʃən baɪ ˈtoʊni ˈdaʊlər (əˈʧivd!) desert”*” baɪ mɑˈrɪsə ˈkɛli (əˈʧivd!) ˈvɪlɪʤ" baɪ ˈwɪtni ʤɔrʤ (əˈʧivd!) "ˈpɑlɪˌgɑn wʊd" baɪ ˈʤeɪsən ˈmɔrnɪŋˌstɑr (əˈʧivd!) "ˈflaʊəri drim" baɪ ˈʤeɪsən ˈmɔrnɪŋˌstɑr (əˈʧivd!) "ˌbɔriˈæləs wʊd" baɪ ˈædəm dru (si ðə ˈəpˌdeɪts fər kəmˈplit ˈditeɪlz əˈbaʊt ðiz ˌsəpləˈmɛnts) ðə ˈwɔrən ɪz ə ˈteɪbəlˌtɑp geɪm əˈbaʊt ˌɪnˈtɛləʤənt ˈræbəts traɪɪŋ tɪ meɪk ðə bɛst əv ə wərld fɪld wɪθ ˈhæzərdz, ˈprɛdətərz ənd, wərst əv ɔl, ˈəðər ˈræbəts. ɪt ɪz ə geɪm əˈbaʊt sərˈvaɪvəl ənd kəmˈjunɪti. ðɛr ər ˈmɛni ˈkriʧərz, ˈjumənz ˌɪnˈkludɪd, ðət ər ˈbɪgər, ˈstrɔŋgər, ˈminər, ər mɔr ˈnumərəs ðən ˈræbəts. ðə ˈsizənz ənd ðə ˈɛləmənts du nɑt kɛr ðət ˈræbəts ər ˈoʊnli ˈlɪtəl θɪŋz. ˈræbəts ˈkænɑt hoʊp tɪ mit ðiz θrɛts hɛd ɔn. ˈoʊnli θru spid, wɪts, ənd ˈkipɪŋ ə kul hɛd kən ˈræbəts ˈbaɪˌpæs ðə ˈdeɪnʤərz əv ðə ˈaʊtˈsaɪd wərld. ðə ˈwɔrən ɪz dɪˈzaɪnd fər pleɪərz ənd kən bi pleɪd ɪn ə ˈsɪŋgəl ˈsɛʃən ər ˈoʊvər ˈməltəpəl ˈsɛʃənz. kæmˈpeɪn pleɪ ˈfɑloʊz ðə ˈpæsɪŋ ˈsizənz ənd ˈfoʊkɪsɪz ɔn ˈʧeɪnʤɪŋ ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃənz əv nu ˈræbəts iʧ wɪθ ðɛr oʊn ˈstɔriz. ðɪs geɪm teɪks ˌɪnspərˈeɪʃən frəm ˈklæsɪk ˈræbɪt teɪlz səʧ ɛz daʊn, ˈfɪfˈtin ˈræbəts, ənd ˈpitər ˈræbɪt. ɪt ˈjuzɪz ə ˈvərʒən əv ðə geɪm məˈkænɪks frəm ˈvɪnsɪnt əˈpɑkəˌlɪps wərld. wən əv ðə ˈmeɪʤər məˈkænɪkəl ˈdɪfərənsɪz ɪz ðə juz əv ə ʃɛrd pul əv ˈkɛrɪktər muvz, ˈmeɪkɪŋ ˈkɛrɪktər kriˈeɪʃən kwɪk ənd ˈizi. ðɪs ˌriɪnˈfɔrsɪz ðə ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃənəl ˈæˌspɛkt əv pleɪ, ɛz ˈræbəts ər bɔrn ənd ˈleɪtər lɔst ər rɪˈtaɪrd frəm pleɪ. ðə ˈsɪstəm ɪz ɔn ə sɛt əv kɔr muvz ðət rɪˈflɛkt ðə ˌriˈæləˌtiz əv ˈræbɪt laɪf doʊnt faɪt, bət ðeɪ ər fæst ənd ˈklɛvər. ðə rulz əˈlaʊ fər ˈkəstəm muvz, ˈlɛtɪŋ ðɛm faɪnd nu, ˌɪnˈvɛntɪv səˈluʃənz tɪ ˈprɑbləmz. ðɪs geɪm həz bɪn ɪn dɪˈvɛləpmənt fər mɔr ðən tu jɪrz, ənd həz bɪn ˈhɛvəli playtested*. ɔl əv ðə kɔr ˈɑrtˌwərk ɪz ˈfɪnɪʃt ənd ðə bʊk ɪz biɪŋ leɪd aʊt naʊ. daʊn tɪ ðə ˈfɪnɪʃɪŋ ˈtəʧɪz, ənd soʊ ɑr ˈfoʊkɪs fər ðɪs kæmˈpeɪn ɪz ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ ju tɪ meɪk ɪt ˈivɪn ˈbɛtər baɪ ˌɪnˈkɔrpərˌeɪtɪŋ jʊr aɪˈdiəz, kərˈɛkʃənz, ənd ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz wɪθ ðə geɪm, ɛz wɛl ɛz ˈædɪŋ strɛʧ goʊlz fər nu ˈsɛtɪŋz ənd mɔr ˈɛksələnt ˈɑrtˌwərk! wɪn kəmˈplitɪd, ðə geɪm wɪl bi əˈveɪləbəl ɛz ə, bʊk ənd ə vərˈaɪəti əv ˈdɪʤɪtəl ˈfɔrˌmæts, wɪθ ˈrəfli 144 ˈpeɪʤɪz əv rulz, ɪgˈzæmpəlz, ənd ˈɛksələnt ˈɑrtˌwərk. breɪv nu wərldz! ðə ˈsɛtɪŋz fər ðə ˈwɔrən ər kɔld wərldz, ənd ðə geɪm ˌɪnˈkludz rulz fər kˈwɪkli ˈsɛtɪŋ wən əp æt ðə stɑrt əv pleɪ. ɪn əˈdɪʃən, ðə bʊk wɪl ˌɪnˈklud tu aʊt wərld ˈsɛtɪŋz, fʊl əv ɪˈvɑkətɪv hʊks ənd ˈɪntəˌrɛstɪŋ ˈkɛrɪktərz. ˈæbɪŋdən ˈmɛˌdoʊ wɑz wəns ˈplænɪd wɪθ ˈbɑrli, bət ɪt həz lɔŋ sɪns gɔn tɪ sid. bɪtˈwin ðə hedgerows*, mɛn kəm tɪ hənt fər ˈræbəts ənd ðə seɪm ˈprɛdətərz ˈwəri ðə ˈwɔrən ðət dɪd ə ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən əˈgoʊ. baɪu ˈdəpreɪ ɪz beɪst ɔn luˌiziˈænə swɔmp ˈkəntri, wɛr ˈɛvriˌbɑdi ɪz ˈhəŋgri fər ə nis pis əv ˈræbɪt. ðɪs ˈsɛtɪŋ ɪz fʊl əv ˈskimɪŋ ˈpɑsəmz, ˈtɛrəˌfaɪɪŋ ˈbɑbˌkætz, ənd ˈæŋgri swɔmp ˈræbəts hu kən swɪm. ˈərli ˈækˌsɛs! ˈɛvəri ˈbækər wɪl hæv ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ðə dræft əv ðə geɪm, soʊ ju kən dɪg ɪn raɪt əˈweɪ ənd faɪnd aʊt waɪ wɪr soʊ ɪkˈsaɪtɪd tɪ pleɪ ə bənʧ əv ˈræbəts! ðə geɪm ɪz ənd ðə rulz ər kəmˈplit, bət wi hoʊp ðət jul traɪ ɪt aʊt ənd wi ˈwɛlkəm jʊr ˈfidˌbæk ɛz wi pʊt ðə ˈfaɪnəl ˈtəʧɪz təˈgɛðər. ˈprɛdətər kɑrdz! ɛz wɪθ ɑr ˈpriviəs kæmˈpeɪnz, wɪl bi prəˈdusɪŋ ə dɛk əv haɪ kˈwɑləti kɑrdz ɛz ə ˌsəpləˈmɛnt fər ðə geɪm. iʧ dɛk ˌɪnˈkludz 20 kɑrdz wɪθ ˈprɛdətərz, θrɛts, ənd ˈəðər ˈkɛrɪktərz fər ðə tɪ juz ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə geɪm. ðiz kɑrdz wɪl ˌɪnˈklud ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz baɪ ˈklɔdiə, ðə ˈɑrtɪst hu kriˈeɪtɪd ɑr ˈɛksələnt naɪt ˈwɪʧɪz ˈpɔrtrəts. ɪn əˈdɪʃən, ðə ˈprɛdətər kɑrdz wɪl ˌɪnˈklud mɔr ðən 30 kɑrdz ˈfiʧərɪŋ ðə ˈkɛrɪktər muvz, soʊ ðət wɪn pleɪərz ʧuz ðɛm ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə geɪm, ðeɪ kən hæv ðə dɪˈskrɪpʃənz ˈizəli ɪn hænd. ðə dɛk wɪl bi ə sɛt əv ˈprimiəm, kɑrdz wɪθ ˈraʊndɪd ˈkɔrnərz ənd ə ˈglɔsi ˈfɪnɪʃ, ənd wɪl lʊk greɪt ɔn ðə ˈteɪbəl ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə geɪm. ˈhɑrdˌbæk ɪˈdɪʃən! ðə ˈwɔrən wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ bi əˈveɪləbəl ɪn ə ˈhɑrdˌkəvər ˈvərʒən. ðiz ˈkəvərz wɪl hæv ə mæt ˈfɪnɪʃ ənd wɪl lʊk ˈgɔrʤəs wɪθ ˈbrɛnən ˈkəvər dɪˈzaɪn. ðə ˈwɔrən wɑz dɪˈzaɪnd ənd ˈrɪtən baɪ ˈmɑrʃəl ˈmɪlər. hi həz ˈpriviəsli ˈrɪtən ə ˈnəmbər əv ˌsəpləˈmɛnts fər ˈdənʤən wərld ɛz wɛl ɛz ˈəðər smɔl geɪmz. ju kən rɛd mɔr əˈbaʊt ɪm æt hɪz faɪn mɛs geɪmz ˈwɛbˌsaɪt. ˈʤeɪsən ˈmɔrnɪŋˌstɑr ənd stiv hæv bɪn juʤ fænz əv ðə ˈwɔrən fər ðə læst tu jɪrz, ənd ɛz ə rɪˈzəlt hæv bɪn ənd dɪˈvɛləpɪŋ ðə geɪm ɪn kəˌlæbərˈeɪʃən wɪθ ˈmɑrʃəl tɪ hɛlp ɪm brɪŋ ɪt tɪ ðə wərld. ˈʤeɪsən ənd stiv rən ˈbʊli ˈpʊlpɪt geɪmz, ənd wiv bɪn kriˈeɪtɪŋ ənd ˈpəblɪʃɪŋ geɪmz səʧ ɛz ðə naɪt ˈwɪʧɪz,, ənd fiˈæskoʊ sɪns 2006 ˈreɪʧəl kɑn kriˈeɪtɪd ðə ˈɛksələnt ˌɪnˈtɪriər ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz fər ðə ˈwɔrən. ʃi ɪz noʊn fər hər wərk ɪn ðə, ðə wərldz wɪˈθaʊt ˈmæstər ˈmægəˌzin, ənd ɪn hər oʊn baɪ krɑm! ˈkɑmɪk. si mɔr əv hər wərk æt portablecity.net*. ˈklɔdiə wɪl bi prəˈvaɪdɪŋ əˈdɪʃənəl ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz fər ðə ˈwɔrənz ˈprɛdətər kɑrdz. ˈklɔdiə ˈpriviəsli wərkt wɪθ ˈbʊli ˈpʊlpɪt ɔn naɪt ˈwɪʧɪz, kriˈeɪtɪŋ ðə ˌaʊtˈstændɪŋ ˈpɔrtrəts. ʃi ˈɔlsoʊ dɪz ˈfriˌlæns ˌɪləˈstreɪʃən fər klaɪənts laɪk ˈivəl hæt pərˈdəkʃənz. ju kən si hər pɔrtˈfoʊliˌoʊ wərk æt claudiacangini.deviantart.com*. ˈbrɛnən ris kriˈeɪtɪd ðə leɪaʊt ənd ˈvɪʒəwəl dɪˈzaɪn fər ðə ˈwɔrən. ˈbrɛnən həz wərkt wɪθ ˈmɛni taɪmz ɪn ðə pæst- moʊst ˈrisəntli fər naɪt ˈwɪʧɪz. hiz ˈɔlsoʊ wərkt wɪθ ˈjuˈɛs ˌbiˈfɔr ɔn leɪaʊt fər ˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə dɛθ krɔl ənd ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz fər ðə geɪmz ənd ðə klaɪm. hɪz leɪaʊt tɪps ənd fəˈtɑgrəfi kən bi faʊnd æt brennenreece.com*. ʤɑn ˈdəbəlju. ˈʃɛldən dɪˈvɛləpt ðə ˈvɪdioʊ, wɪʧ ˌɪnˈkludɪd vɔɪs ˈæktɪŋ baɪ tɪm rɑˈdrigɛz, ɛz wɛl ɛz kriˈeɪtɪv ˈkɑmənz mˈjuzɪk ənd ˈɪmɪʤɪz tɪ ˌsəpləˈmɛnt ˈreɪʧəlz ˈɑrtˌwərk. ˈkɛrən wɪl bi duɪŋ ðə ˈfaɪnəl ˈɛdɪtɪŋ wərk fər ðə bʊk. hər ˈɛdɪtɪŋ wərk kən ˈɔlsoʊ bi sin ɪn ðə ˈəpˌkəmɪŋ ˈivəl hæt, wɔr əv ˈæʃɪz. ˈhɔrər həz ˈɛvər ˌɪnˈstɪld ɪn mi kwaɪt ɛz məʧ ˈtɛrər ɛz ðə ˈwɔrən dɪd wɪθ ðə mɪr ˌpɑsəˈbɪləˌti əv ə cat.”*.” "ðə moʊst ˌɪnˈʤinjəs, jɛt fəˈmɪljər, ˌɪmpləmɛnˈteɪʃən əv ðə paʊərd baɪ ðə əˈpɑkəˌlɪps ˈsɪstəm aɪv sin". ˈændərsən "ðə ˈwɔrən prəˈvaɪdɪd ðə ˈpərˌfɪkt mɪks əv bjuˈkɑlɪk ˈfrɑlɪkɪŋ ənd ˈtræʤɪk ˈhɔrər ðət aɪ ləv ɪn geɪmz." ˈpaɪtər "pleɪ wɑz ˈfræntɪk, ˌɪnˈtɛns, ənd səˈpraɪzɪŋ. aɪ pleɪd ə sir ˈbəni hu wɛnt frəm ˈrɪdəˌkjuld ˈaʊtˌkæst tɪ kɛrɪzˈmætɪk kəlt ˈlidər aɪv ˈnɛvər bɪn soʊ praʊd tɪ kriˈeɪt ə ˈbrutəl lɑˈpini θiˈɑkrəsi!" ˈrɑbərts "ˈstrimˌlaɪnd ənd ˈbrɪljəntli ɪˈvɑkətɪv əv ɪts ˈfɪkʃənəl ˌɪnspərˈeɪʃənz... aɪ reɪt ɪt ə ˈθaʊzənd aʊt əv ə ˈθaʊzənd!" lidz "maɪ ˈpiˈsi geɪv bərθ tɪ 12 kɪts ˈdʊrɪŋ ə tɛns ˈstænˌdɔf. ɪt wɑz ˈɔsəm." ˈspæŋənbərg "ðə ˈwɔrən ...wɑz ˈizi tɪ lərn waɪlst ˈɔlsoʊ biɪŋ fən, ɪnˈgeɪʤɪŋ, ənd ˈdipli ˈpɔɪnjənt." '...pleɪɪŋ ðə ˈwɔrən wɑz laɪk ˈnəθɪŋ aɪv ˈɛvər ɪnˈkaʊnərd. aɪ doʊnt noʊ ɪf aɪ ʃʊd haɪ faɪv ju, slæp ju, ər kɪs ðə bæk əv jʊr hænd ɪn ˈrɛvərəns ənd ʃeɪm." pɔn "kaɪnd əv laɪk ðə ˈwɔkɪŋ dɛd. bət wɪθ ˈræbəts. ənd noʊ ˈzɑmbiz." "ðə ˈwɔrən ɪz ðə ˈhɑrʃəst, ˈdɑrkəst ˌɪnˌtərprɪˈteɪʃən əv əˈpɑkəˌlɪps wərld aɪ hæv ˈɛvər sin." ˈmɔrnɪŋˌstɑr θæŋk ju fər ˈrɛdɪŋ ðɪs fɑr ənd fər kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ˈʤɔɪnɪŋ ˈjuˈɛs ɔn ðɪs ədˈvɛnʧər! wiv bɪn ɪkˈsaɪtɪd fər ə lɔŋ taɪm əˈbaʊt biɪŋ ˈeɪbəl tɪ brɪŋ ðɪs geɪm tɪ ðə wərld, ənd jʊr səˈpɔrt wɪl hɛlp ˈjuˈɛs meɪk ðət ˈhæpən. ɪf ju hæv ˈɛni kˈwɛsʧənz fər ˈjuˈɛs, pliz lɛt ˈjuˈɛs noʊ!
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now that we've met our initial goal, we have a few great stretch goals planned that will expand the game and add more artwork.
$10,000 (achieved!) — “city park” world playset by kristin firth and eric mersmann
$15,000 (achieved!) — the egyptian “sobat river” world playset by renee knipe
$20,000 (achieved!) — new full-color illustration by tony dowler
$25,000 (achieved!) — “painted desert” by marissa kelly
$27,500 (achieved!) — "baliganapalli village" by whitney beltrain & ajit george
$30,000 (achieved!) — "polygon wood" by jason morningstar
$35,000 (achieved!) — "flowery dream" by jason morningstar
$38,500 (achieved!) — "borealis wood" by adam drew
(see the updates for complete details about these supplements)
the warren is a tabletop role-playing game about intelligent rabbits trying to make the best of a world filled with hazards, predators and, worst of all, other rabbits. it is a game about survival and community.
there are many creatures, humans included, that are bigger, stronger, meaner, or more numerous than rabbits. the seasons and the elements do not care that rabbits are only little things. rabbits cannot hope to meet these threats head on. only through speed, wits, and keeping a cool head can rabbits bypass the dangers of the outside world.
the warren is designed for 3-5 players and can be played in a single 2-hour session or over multiple sessions. campaign play follows the passing seasons and focuses on changing generations of new rabbits each with their own stories.
this game takes inspiration from classic rabbit tales such as watership down, fifteen rabbits, and peter rabbit. it uses a heavily-modified version of the game mechanics from vincent baker’s apocalypse world.
one of the major mechanical differences is the use of a shared pool of character moves, making character creation quick and easy. this reinforces the generational aspect of play, as rabbits are born and later lost or retired from play.
the system is tightly-focused on a set of core moves that reflect the realities of rabbit liferabbits don't fight, but they are fast and clever. the rules allow for player-created custom moves, letting them find new, inventive solutions to problems.
this game has been in development for more than two years, and has been heavily playtested. all of the core artwork is finished and the book is being laid out now.
we’re down to the finishing touches, and so our focus for this campaign is working with you to make it even better by incorporating your ideas, corrections, and experiences with the game, as well as adding stretch goals for new settings and more excellent artwork!
when completed, the game will be available as a full-color, 6x9 perfect-bound book and a variety of digital formats, with roughly 144 pages of rules, examples, and excellent artwork.
brave new worlds!
the settings for the warren are called worlds, and the game includes rules for quickly setting one up at the start of play. in addition, the book will include two fully-fleshed out world settings, full of evocative hooks and interesting characters.
abingdon meadow was once planted with barley, but it has long since gone to seed. between the hedgerows, men come to hunt for rabbits and the same predators worry the warren that did a generation ago.
bayou dupre is based on louisiana swamp country, where everybody is hungry for a nice piece of rabbit. this setting is full of scheming possums, terrifying bobcats, and angry swamp rabbits who can swim.
early access!
every backer will have access to the pre-release draft of the game, so you can dig in right away and find out why we're so excited to play a bunch of rabbits! the game is well-tested and the rules are complete, but we hope that you'll try it out and we welcome your feedback as we put the final touches together.
predator cards!
as with our previous campaigns, we'll be producing a deck of high quality cards as a supplement for the game. each deck includes 20 cards with predators, threats, and other characters for the gm to use during the game. these cards will include illustrations by claudia cangini, the artist who created our excellent night witches portraits.
in addition, the predator cards will include more than 30 cards featuring the character moves, so that when players choose them during the game, they can have the descriptions easily in hand.
the deck will be a set of premium, full-color cards with rounded corners and a glossy finish, and will look great on the table during the game.
hardback edition!
the warren will also be available in a limited-edition hardcover version. these covers will have a matte finish and will look gorgeous with brennen reece's cover design.
the warren was designed and written by marshall miller. he has previously written a number of supplements for dungeon world as well as other small games. you can read more about him at his fine mess games website.
jason morningstar and steve segedy have been huge fans of the warren for the last two years, and as a result have been playtesting and developing the game in collaboration with marshall to help him bring it to the world.
jason and steve run bully pulpit games, and we've been creating and publishing games such as the night witches, durance, and fiasco since 2006.
rachel kahn created the excellent interior illustrations for the warren. she is known for her work in the hillfolk rpg, the worlds without master magazine, and in her own by crom! comic. see more of her work at portablecity.net.
claudia cangini will be providing additional illustrations for the warren's predator cards. claudia previously worked with bully pulpit on night witches, creating the outstanding airwoman portraits. she also does freelance illustration for clients like evil hat productions. you can see her portfolio work at claudiacangini.deviantart.com.
brennen reece created the layout and visual design for the warren. brennen has worked with bpg many times in the past- most recently for night witches. he's also worked with us before on layout for carolina death crawl and illustrations for the games durance and the climb. his layout tips and photography can be found at brennenreece.com.
john w. sheldon developed the video, which included voice acting by tim rodriguez, as well as creative commons music and images to supplement rachel's artwork.
karen twelves will be doing the final editing work for the book. her editing work can also be seen in the upcoming evil hat rpg, war of ashes.
“no horror rpg has ever instilled in me quite as much terror as the warren did with the mere possibility of a cat.”tom mcgrenery
"the most ingenious, yet familiar, implementation of the powered by the apocalypse system i've seen".mikael andersson
"the warren provided the perfect mix of bucolic frolicking and tragic horror that i love in games."jason pitre
"play was frantic, intense, and surprising. i played a seer bunny who went from ridiculed outcast to charismatic cult leader - i've never been so proud to create a brutal lapine theocracy!"alex roberts
"streamlined and brilliantly evocative of its fictional inspirations... i rate it a thousand out of a thousand!"jennifer leeds
"my pc gave birth to 12 kits during a tense rat-rabbit standoff. it was awesome."melissa spangenberg
"the warren ...was easy to learn whilst also being fun, engaging, and deeply poignant."dana kubilus
'...playing the warren was like nothing i've ever encountered. i don't know if i should high five you, slap you, or kiss the back of your hand in reverence and shame."gray pawn
"kind of like the walking dead. but with rabbits. and no zombies."stras acimovic
"the warren is the harshest, darkest interpretation of apocalypse world i have ever seen."jason morningstar
thank you for reading this far and for considering joining us on this adventure! we've been excited for a long time about being able to bring this game to the world, and your support will help us make that happen. if you have any questions for us, please let us know!
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““it's* ˈvɛri rɪˈmɑrkəbəl ðət hi ɪkˈsklusɪvli ˈpəblɪʃt faɪlz əˈbaʊt ðə wərk əv ðə wɪθ ðə [ˈʤərməniz ˈfɔrən ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˈsərvɪs] ər ðə ˈbrɪtɪʃ ˈsikrɪt ˈsərvɪs gchq,”*,” hɛd ˈgərˌhɑrd ˈʃɪndlər toʊld ˈfoʊkɪs ˈmægəˌzin. ðə ˈsikrɪt ˈsərvɪs faɪlz ɪz ən əˈtɛmpt tɪ draɪv ə wɛʤ bɪtˈwin ˈwɛstərn ˈjʊrəp ənd ðə ˈjuˈɛˈseɪ ðə ˈbɪgəst sɪns ðə ˈsɛkənd wərld war,”*,”, hɛd əv ˈʤərməniz dəˈmɛstɪk ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˈeɪʤənsi (verfassungsschutz*), toʊld ˈfoʊkɪs ɪn ðə ˈdəbəl ˈɪntərvˌju. ˈʤərmən ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns həz kəm ˈəndər ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ˈskrutəni ɪn ðə weɪk əv liks əˈbaʊt sərˈveɪləns baɪ ˈwɛstərn ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˈeɪʤənsiz, ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli hɪz ˈfɔrmər ɪmˈplɔɪərz æt ðə ˈnæʃənəl sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈeɪʤənsi (nsa*) ənd ðɛr ˈælaɪz ɪn ˈfrɛndli ˈneɪʃənz. ə ˌpɑrləˈmɛntəri kəˈmɪti əv ˌɪnkˈwaɪˌri wɑz sɛt əp tɪ proʊb ækˈtɪvɪtiz ɪn ˈʤərməni, wɪʧ həz ɔˈrɛdi hərd ˈɛvədəns frəm ˈʃɪndlər əˈbaʊt ðə wɪθ ˈjuˈɛs spaɪz. si ˈɔlsoʊ: tu jɪrz ˈæftər sˈnoʊdən, ɛŋˈgoʊz pʊʃ fər ˈpraɪvəsi ɪt ˈimərʤd ɪn 2015 ðət ðə hæd spaɪd ɔn ˈkəmpəˌniz, ˈbɪznəˈspipəl, ənd pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈfɪgjərz ɪn ˈʤərməni ənd ˈæˌlaɪd ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈneɪʃənz ɔn bɪˈhæf əv ðə əˈmɛrɪkən ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˈeɪʤənsi. ənd ðə ˌpɑrləˈmɛntəri ˌɪnkˈwaɪˌri ˌɪtˈsɛlf həz nɑt bɪn ˌɪmˈjun frəm spaɪɪŋ, wɪθ ɪts hɛd rɪˈpɔrtɪŋ ˈhækɪŋ əˈtæks əˈgɛnst hɪz foʊn wɪʧ wɑz ðɛn ˈtæmpərd wɪθ ɪn ðə poʊst ɔn ðə weɪ tɪ ɪt sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈɛkspərts. ˌnɛvərðəˈlɛs, ðə spaɪ ʧifs seɪ ðət sˈnoʊdən pərˈzɛnəd ə ˌwənˈsaɪdəd ˈpɪkʧər əv sərˈveɪləns wɪʧ ðeɪ kleɪm spɛrd ðə ˈbləʃɪz əv ðə ˈkrɛmlɪn ənd ˈəðər lɛs ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈneɪʃənz. rɪˈmɑrkəbəl ðət ðɛr wər noʊ ˌpəblɪˈkeɪʃənz əˈbaʊt ˈkəntriz laɪk ˈʧaɪnə ər ˈrəʃə, wɪʧ ər meɪn ˈtɑrgəts fər ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns wərk baɪ ðə nsa,”*,” sɛd. ðɛr ɪz ðət ðə ˈkrɛmlɪn ˈjuzɪz ˈɛvəri ˌɑpərˈtunəti tɪ dɪˈskrɛdət ˈʤərməni. dɪˌzɪnfərˈmeɪʃən, ˌɪnfɪlˈtreɪʃən, ˈsikɪŋ ˈɪnfluəns, ˌprɑpəˈgændə ənd degradation,”*,” ðə dəˈmɛstɪk spaɪ ʧif wɛnt ɔn. si ˈɔlsoʊ: ˈkrɛmlɪn ˌprɑpəˈgændə ˈtɑrgəts ˈʤərməniz ˈrɛfjuʤi wik spɑt ˈrəʃən spaɪɪŋ, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ əˈtɛmpts tɪ rɪˈkrut mps*' eɪdz ər pəˈlɪtɪkəl faʊnˈdeɪʃənz, hæd ˈpɛnəˌtreɪtɪd ɛz fɑr ɛz ðə ˈbəndəˌstæg (ˈʤərmən ˈpɑrləmɛnt), hi wɛnt ɔn. ə ˈhækɪŋ əˈtæk huz sɔrs ɪz nɑt jɛt ˈpəblɪkli noʊn ˈɔlsoʊ tʊk daʊn ðə ˈbəndəˌstæg kəmˈpjutər ˈnɛtˌwərk læst jɪr, ˈfɔrsɪŋ ðə ˈgəvərnmənt tɪ spɛnd ˈmɪljənz riˈbɪldɪŋ ðə ˈsɪstəm. ˈfərðər kleɪmd tɪ ˈfoʊkɪs ðət hi naʊ həz mɔr ˈpipəl ˈwərkɪŋ ɔn kəmˈpaɪlɪŋ ˈdɑkjəmənts fər ˌpɑrləˈmɛntəri ˌɪnkˈwaɪəriz ɪn ðə ˈɛriə əv ˈɪsləmɪst terrorism”*”. ˈwɪsəlˌbloʊər sˈnoʊdən həz bɪn ɪn ˈhaɪdɪŋ ɪn ˈrəʃə sɪns 2013 seɪɪŋ ðət hi ɪz rɪˈləktənt tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ ðə ˈjuˈɛˈseɪ fər fɪr əv ˌprɑsəˈkjuʃən ənd ˈlaɪˈflɔŋ ˌɪmˈprɪzənmənt ˈəndər ˈɛspiənɑʤ lɔz. ˈkrɪtɪks ɪn ðə ˈjuˈɛˈseɪ ənd əˈbrɔd seɪ ðət hɪz ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃənz hæv ˈwikənd ˈwɛstərn əˈgɛnst ˈtɛrəˌrɪzəm ənd ˈfɔrən spaɪɪŋ baɪ rɪˈvilɪŋ ðə ɪkˈstɛnt əv kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz sərˈveɪləns ənd ðə tɛkˈniks juzd baɪ ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈkəntriz' ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˈeɪʤənsiz. bət sˈnoʊdən səˈpɔrtərz əˈkjuz spaɪz ənd ðɛr pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈmæstərz əv ˈəndərˌmaɪnɪŋ ˈbeɪsɪk ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈfridəmz ɪn ˈsikrɪt wɪθ mæs sərˈveɪləns ðət ðə ˈpəblɪk wʊd ˈnɛvər hæv əˈgrid tɪ ɪn ən ˈoʊpən dəˈbeɪt.
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“it's very remarkable that he exclusively published files about the work of the nsa with the bnd [germany's foreign intelligence service] or the british secret service gchq,” bnd head gerhard schindler told focus magazine.
“leaking the secret service files is an attempt to drive a wedge between western europe and the usa – the biggest since the second world war,” hans-georg maaßen, head of germany's domestic intelligence agency (verfassungsschutz), told focus in the double interview.
german intelligence has come under particular scrutiny in the wake of snowden's leaks about surveillance by western intelligence agencies, particularly his former employers at the national security agency (nsa) and their allies in friendly nations.
a parliamentary committee of inquiry was set up to probe nsa activities in germany, which has already heard evidence from schindler about the bnd's co-operation with us spies.
see also: two years after snowden, ngos push for privacy
it emerged in 2015 that the bnd had spied on companies, businesspeople, and political figures in germany and allied european nations on behalf of the american intelligence agency.
and the parliamentary inquiry itself has not been immune from spying, with its head reporting hacking attacks against his phone – which was then tampered with in the post on the way to it security experts.
nevertheless, the spy chiefs say that snowden presented a one-sided picture of surveillance which they claim spared the blushes of the kremlin and other less democratic nations.
“it's remarkable that there were no publications about countries like china or russia, which are main targets for intelligence work by the nsa,” said maaßen.
there is “evidence that the kremlin uses every opportunity to discredit germany. disinformation, infiltration, seeking influence, propaganda and degradation,” the domestic spy chief went on.
see also: kremlin propaganda targets germany's refugee weak spot
russian spying, including attempts to recruit mps' aides or political foundations, had penetrated as far as the bundestag (german parliament), he went on.
a hacking attack whose source is not yet publicly known also took down the bundestag computer network last year, forcing the government to spend millions rebuilding the system.
maaßen further claimed to focus that he now has more people working on compiling documents for parliamentary inquiries “than in the area of islamist terrorism”.
whistleblower snowden has been in hiding in russia since 2013, saying that he is reluctant to return to the usa for fear of prosecution and lifelong imprisonment under espionage laws.
critics in the usa and abroad say that his revelations have weakened western defences against terrorism and foreign spying by revealing the extent of communications surveillance and the techniques used by democratic countries' intelligence agencies.
but snowden supporters accuse spies and their political masters of undermining basic democratic freedoms in secret with mass surveillance programmes that the public would never have agreed to in an open debate.
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læst wik aɪ ˈoʊpənd tˈwɪtər ənd sɔ ə twit frəm gaɪz ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ bɪr (wən əv ðə gaɪz, kɑrl klockars*, raɪts fər toc*) əˈbaʊt ðə ˈleɪtəst bɪr ˈleɪbəlz tɪ hɪt ðə ˈmɑrkɪt. ðə bɪr, meɪd baɪ pɪg maɪndz bruɪŋ ɪn pɑrk, ɪz kɔld ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə staɪl eɪl ənd ˈfiʧərz ən ˈɪmɪʤ əv ə lɛgz wɪθ ˈəndərˌwɛr əraʊnd hər ˈæŋkəlz. ʃɑkt? ju ʃʊd bi, bət ˈleɪbəlz laɪk ðɪs ər bɪˈkəmɪŋ mɔr ənd mɔr ˈkɑmənˌpleɪs ɔn bɪrz meɪd əraʊnd ðə ˈkəntri, ənd ˈmɛni ˈbruəriz sim tɪ bi ʤɪst faɪn wɪθ ˈjuzɪŋ ˈɪmɪʤɪz laɪk ðɪs tɪ sɛl bɪr. æt skepchick*, maɪ əkˈweɪntəns ˈʤuljə bərk roʊt əˈbaʊt ðə ˈtɑpɪk (ənd ˈmɛnʃənd ˈreɪsɪst bɪr neɪmz ənd ˈmɪzəʤɪni ɔn ðə pɑrt əv buz ˈraɪtərz, tu ˈəðər bɪg ˈɪʃuz ɪn ðə ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ wərld). ənd ðɛrz əˈnəðər gʊd teɪk hir. ðiz poʊsts təʧ ɔn bɪr ˈleɪbəlz ənd neɪmz əraʊnd ðə ˈkəntri, bət ðə ˌmɪdˈwɛst ˈsərtənli ˌɪmˈjun tɪ ðə ˈprɑbləm. ˈplɛnti əv bɪrz brud ɪn ɑr ˈbæˌkjɑrd hæv ˈsɛksɪst neɪmz ər ˈfiʧər ˈleɪbəlz dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ əˈpil tɪ wən ˈtərgət ˌdɛməˈgræfɪk: mɛn. pɪg maɪndz ˈkɔɪli hɪnts æt ðə neɪm əv ðə bɪr ɔn ðə ˈleɪbəl: naʊ ˈprɛzənt ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə staɪl ale.’*.’ pəˈlis dɪˈpɑrtmənt? ˈpərpəl ˈdaɪnəˌsɔr? ˈpɑzətɪv ˈdɪsəplən? wi wɪl lɛt jʊr pɪg ˈhɛdɪd maɪndz ˌdɪˈsaɪd fər themselves.”*.” pliz. ˈbruəri, ɪn ˈblumɪŋtən, ɪz ˈmeɪkɪŋ ˈstrɔˌbɛri blɑnd eɪl ənd ðə ˈleɪbəl həz ə drɔɪŋ əv ə ˈstrɔˌbɛri wɪθ lɔŋ blɑnd hɛr, bubz ənd haɪ hilz. ˈheɪlˌstɔrm bruɪŋ koʊ., frəm ˈtɪnli pɑrk, ɪz ˈmeɪkɪŋ ˈdəbəl ipa*, ənd ðə ˈwɛbˌsaɪt ˈprɑməsəz: ðə, ʃi wɪl ril ju ɪn wɪθ hər swit ˈbjuti ðɛn wɪp ju ˈɪntu ə ˈhɔpi submission!”*!” ˈklæsi. ðə ˈbruəri ˈɔlsoʊ meɪks ˈhəni pɑt blɑnd eɪl ənd bbw*, ər bɪg ˈbjutəfəl wit, boʊθ əv wɪʧ ˈfiʧər ə ˈwʊmən ˈspɪlɪŋ aʊt əv ə dirndl*. ˈsɪmələrli, leɪk waɪld ˈənjən ˈbruəri ɪz ˈmeɪkɪŋ hefty-weiss*, wɪʧ ˈɔlsoʊ ˈfiʧərz ə ˈwʊmən ɪn ə dirndl*, bloʊɪŋ bubblegum*. ənd ðiz ər ʤɪst nu ˈleɪbəlz ðət wər riˈlist ɪn ˌʤuˈlaɪ. goʊɪŋ ɔn hir? ɪt, ˈsɛlɪŋ ɪt, ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ ˈɔlˌweɪz bɪn, ənd kənˈtɪnjuz tɪ bi, ə boys’*’ kləb, ˈivɪn ðoʊ mɔr ˈwɪmən ər ˈwərkɪŋ æt ɔl ˈlɛvəlz əv ðə bruɪŋ ˈɪndəstri. ˈloʊkəli, ðə hɛd bruər æt ˈtɛmpərəns bɪr ˈkəmpəˌni ɪz ˈklɔdiə jendron*, waɪl ˈheɪli ʃaɪn ɪz ðə æt rɑk ˈbɑtəm ˈbruəri ɪn ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ. ənd æt ðə ˈrisəntli ˈoʊpənd ˈaʊtˌpoʊst əv bruɪŋ ˈkəmpəˌni, ˈmɛri baʊər ɪz ðə hɛd bruər. mɔr ənd mɔr ˈwɪmən ər ˈɔlsoʊ ɪkˈsplɔrɪŋ kræft bɪr ɛz drinkers—locally*, ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ bɪr gælz kəˈlɛktɪv ənd ˈeɪnʤəlz hoʊst bɪr ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən ənd əˌpriʃiˈeɪʃən ɪˈvɛnts fər ˈwɪmən. ðət ˌɪnˈklud ɔl ðə ˈwɪmən hu wərk ɪn ðə bɪr ˈɪndəstri ənd ʤɪst əˈpriʃiˌeɪt ə gʊd bɪr æt ðə ɛnd əv ðə deɪ. bət fər səm ˈrizən, ðiz ˈbruəriz ər ˈʧuzɪŋ tɪ ˈeɪljəˌneɪt ə hoʊl grup əv ˈdrɪŋkərz hu wʊd pəˈtɛnʃəli baɪ ðɛr bɪr. du ðeɪ əˈsum ðət ˈwɪmən ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ ðɛr ˈprɑdəkts ənd ʤɪst wɔnt tɪ əˈpil tɪ meɪl ˈdrɪŋkərz? ər ðeɪ nɑt ˈivɪn kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ðə ˌpɑsəˈbɪləˌti ðət ˈwɪmən maɪt drɪŋk bɪr? ər, ər ðeɪ nɑt ˈivɪn ˈθɪŋkɪŋ ənd ʤɪst θɪŋk ðiz ˈleɪbəlz ənd neɪmz ər ˈfəni? aɪ ˈkɑnˌtæktɪd pɪg maɪndz,, waɪld ˈənjən ənd ˈheɪlˌstɔrm tɪ æsk ðɛm waɪ ðeɪ geɪv ðɛr bɪrz ðiz neɪmz ənd ˈleɪbəlz, bət nən əv ðɛm hæv rɪˈspɑndɪd. aɪ laɪk bɪr ə lɔt, ənd wɛˈnɛvər aʊt æt ə bɑr ər ˈpɪkɪŋ əp ə ˈsɪkˌspæk æt binny’s*, aɪ lʊk fər ˈloʊkəli meɪd bɪrz ənd traɪ tɪ gɪt ˈsəmθɪŋ ˈnɛvər hæd ˌbiˈfɔr. aɪ kən tɛl ju wən θɪŋ, ðoʊ: ˈnɛvər goʊɪŋ tɪ baɪ ˈɛni əv ðiz bɪrz. aɪ kɛr ɪf ðiz ər ðə ˈgreɪtəst bɪrz ðə ˈbruəriz ˈməni fər ðɛm ɪz ən ækˈnɑlɪʤmənt ðət ðɪs ˌɪməˈtjʊr, ˈsɛksɪst ˈmaɪndˌsɛt ɪz ˌoʊˈkeɪ. taɪm ˈbruəriz ˈstɑrtɪd ˈriəˌlaɪzɪŋ ðɛr ər ˈwɪmən peɪɪŋ əˈtɛnʃən tɪ ðə bɪrz ˈmeɪkɪŋ ənd haɪ taɪm ðiz ˈbruəriz gru əp.
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last week i opened twitter and saw a tweet from guys drinking beer (one of the guys, karl klockars, writes for toc) about the latest beer labels to hit the market.
the beer, made by pig minds brewing in machesney park, is called pd california style ale and features an image of a woman’s legs with underwear around her ankles.
shocked?
you should be, but labels like this are becoming more and more commonplace on beers made around the country, and many breweries seem to be just fine with using images like this to sell beer. at skepchick, my acquaintance julia burke wrote about the topic (and mentioned racist beer names and misogyny on the part of booze writers, two other big issues in the drinking world). and there's another good take here.
these posts touch on beer labels and names around the country, but the midwest certainly isn’t immune to the problem. plenty of beers brewed in our backyard have sexist names or feature labels designed to appeal to one target demographic: men.
pig minds coyly hints at the name of the beer on the label: “we now present ‘pd california style ale.’ police department? purple dinosaur? positive discipline? we will let your pig headed minds decide for themselves.” please. destihl brewery, in bloomington, is making strawberry blonde ale and the label has a drawing of a strawberry with long blonde hair, boobs and high heels. hailstorm brewing co., from tinley park, is making dominatrix double ipa, and the website promises: “like the dominatrix, she will reel you in with her sweet beauty then whip you into a hoppy submission!” classy. the brewery also makes honey pot blonde ale and bbw, or big beautiful wheat, both of which feature a woman spilling out of a dirndl. similarly, lake barrington’s wild onion brewery is making hefty-weiss, which also features a pigtailed woman in a dirndl, blowing bubblegum. and these are just new labels that were released in july.
what’s going on here?
beer—making it, selling it, drinking it—has always been, and continues to be, a boys’ club, even though more women are working at all levels of the brewing industry. locally, the head brewer at evanston’s temperance beer company is claudia jendron, while hayley shine is the brewmaster at rock bottom brewery in chicago. and at the recently opened outpost of lagunitas brewing company, mary bauer is the head brewer. more and more women are also exploring craft beer as drinkers—locally, chicago beer gals collective and barley’s angels host beer education and appreciation events for women. that doesn’t include all the women who work in the beer industry and just appreciate a good beer at the end of the day.
but for some reason, these breweries are choosing to alienate a whole group of drinkers who would potentially buy their beer. do they assume that women aren’t drinking their products and just want to appeal to male drinkers? are they not even considering the possibility that women might drink beer? or, are they not even thinking and just think these labels and names are funny? i contacted pig minds, destihl, wild onion and hailstorm to ask them why they gave their beers these names and labels, but none of them have responded.
i like beer a lot, and whenever i’m out at a bar or picking up a six-pack at binny’s, i look for locally made beers and try to get something i’ve never had before. i can tell you one thing, though: i’m never going to buy any of these beers. i care if these are the greatest beers ever—giving the breweries money for them is an acknowledgement that this immature, sexist mindset is okay. time breweries started realizing there are women paying attention to the beers they’re making and high time these breweries grew up.
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eu* ˈlɔˌmeɪkərz ərʤd ˈʤərməni ɔn ˈθərzˌdeɪ tɪ grænt ˈbrɔdər ˈækˌsɛs fər ˈəðər ˌjʊrəˈpiənz tɪ ɪts fənd fər ˈvɪktɪmz əv ðə drəg θəˈlɪdəˌmaɪd, wɪʧ kɔzd bərθ ˈdifɛkts ɪn ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈbeɪbiz ɪn ðə leɪt ənd ˈərli 1960s*. ˈædvərˌtaɪzɪŋ ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈpɑrləmɛnt ˈvoʊtɪd ˌoʊvərˈwɛlmɪŋli ɪn ˈfeɪvər əv ə ˈnɑnˈbaɪndɪŋ ˈmoʊʃən səˈpɔrtɪŋ ˈvɪktɪmz hu hæv nɑt bɪn ˈkɑmpənˌseɪtəd mɔr ðən 50 jɪrz ˈæftər ðɛr ˈməðərz tʊk ðə drəg tɪ ˈkɑmbæt ˈmɔrnɪŋ ˈsɪknəs, wɪθ ˈdɛvəˌsteɪtɪŋ rɪˈzəlts. θəˈlɪdəˌmaɪd, dɪˈvɛləpt baɪ ðə ˈʤərmən fərm, wɑz soʊld ˈəndər ðə neɪm ɪn ˈʤərməni, ənd ˈɛlsˌwɛr ɛz distaval*. ˈmɛni ˈvɪktɪmz wər bɔrn wɪθ ˈmɪsɪŋ ɑrmz ər lɛgz, dɪˈfɔrmd lɪmz ər səˈvɪr nərv ˈdæmɪʤ. wɔʧ wət ɛls ɪz ɪn ðə nuz ðə ˈpɑrləmɛnt ˈmoʊʃən ˈərʤɪz ðə ˌmænjəˈfækʧərər tɪ prəˈvaɪd ˈprɑpər ˌkɑmpənˈseɪʃən ənd kɛr tɪ ˈvɪktɪmz nɑt jɛt ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪzd. ɪt rɪˈfərz tɪ səm ˈʤərmən θəˈlɪdəˌmaɪd ˈsəfərərz, 500 ɪn ˈbrɪtən ənd ɪn ˈɪtəli, 200 ɪn speɪn ənd 100 ɪn sˈwidən. nɪk əv θəˈlɪdəˌmaɪd ˈnæʃənəl ædˈvaɪzəri trəst sɛd ðə voʊt tʊk ðə faɪt fər ˌkɑmpənˈseɪʃən frəm ˈʤərməni ə stɛp closer”*”, seɪɪŋ ən ˈænjuəl ˈpeɪmənt əv 12 ˈmɪljən ˈjuˌroʊz ˈmɪljən) wʊd hɛlp ˈkəvər ˈraɪzɪŋ kɔsts fər sərˈvaɪvərz ɪn ˈbrɪtən, ˈɪtəli, speɪn ənd sˈwidən. ə ˈnəmbər əv ˈspænɪʃ ˈlɔˌmeɪkərz spoʊk ɪn ə dəˈbeɪt ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ, kəmˈpleɪnɪŋ ðət ˈvɪktɪmz ðɛr hæd nɑt rɪˈsivd ˌkɑmpənˈseɪʃən frəm ðə fənd sɛt əp baɪ ˈʤərməni ɪn 1972 wɪʧ ˌɪnˈkludz ˈpəblɪk ˈməni. ər ɔˈrɛdi fəndz. wi nid mɔr ˈrisɔrsɪz. wət wi ər dɪˈmændɪŋ təˈdeɪ ɪz ðət wi rɪˈdus rɛd teɪp ənd ðət wi meɪk ðə rɪkˈwaɪrmənts lɛs ˈhɛvi soʊ ðət ˈpipəl kən hæv ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ðɪs ˈspɛʃəl fənd. ðə hɛlθ əv ðə ˈvɪktɪmz ɪz dɪˈtɪriərˌeɪtɪŋ ˈɛvəri day,”*,” sɛd kənˈsərvətɪv ˈɛstəbɑn gɑnˈzɑləz pɑnz. bɛˈʧɛrɑ basterrechea*, ə ˈlɪˌbərəl, sɛd ʤɪst tu ˈspænjərdz hæd rɪˈsivd fəndz: faʊnˈdeɪʃən həz prəˈvaɪdɪd proʊˈhɪbətɪv rɪkˈwaɪrmənts frəm ðɛm laɪk prɪˈzɛntɪŋ ðə ərˈɪʤənəl bɑks ðə ˈməðərz bought,”*,” ʃi sɛd. ʤɪl ˈɛvənz, ə wɛlʧ ˈnæʃənəlɪst, ərʤd ðə ˈʤərmən ˈgəvərnmənt tɪ əˈlaʊ ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ðə hɛlθ skim tɪ əˈlaʊ sərˈvaɪvɪŋ θəˈlɪdəˌmaɪd ˈvɪktɪmz tɪ dil wɪθ ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ hɛlθ kɔsts. bɪn ˈoʊvər 50 jɪrz, bɪn fɑr tu long,”*,” ʃi sɛd. ðə ˈmoʊʃən rɪˈfərd tɪ ˈɛvədəns ðət ðə ˈʤərmən ˈgəvərnmənt ˌɪnərˈfɪrd wɪθ ðə ˈkrɪmənəl prəˈsidɪŋz əˈgɛnst drəg ˈmeɪkər ˈʧɛmi ɪn 1970 rɪˈzəltɪŋ ɪn noʊ ˈprɑpər dɪˌtərməˈneɪʃən əv gɪlt əv ðə ˌmænjəˈfækʧərər, ənd ðət stɛps wər ˈteɪkən tɪ prɪˈvɛnt ˈsɪvəl prəˈsidɪŋz. ˈædvərˌtaɪzɪŋ ðə ˈʤərmən ˈfæməli ˈmɪnɪstri sɛd ɪt wɑz ˈwɑʧɪŋ ðə dəˈbeɪt ˈkloʊsli. ə ˈspoʊksmən sɛd ðə faʊnˈdeɪʃən wɑz ɔˈrɛdi ˈgɪvɪŋ ˈməni tɪ əˈfɛktɪd ˈpipəl əraʊnd ðə wərld prəˈvaɪdɪd ðɛr kənˈdɪʃən wɑz lɪŋkt tɪ ðɛr mothers’*’ ˈteɪkɪŋ θəˈlɪdəˌmaɪd frəm ˈdʊrɪŋ ˈprɛgnənsi. 1 ˈjuˌroʊz)
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eu lawmakers urged germany on thursday to grant broader access for other europeans to its fund for victims of the drug thalidomide, which caused birth defects in thousands of babies in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
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the european parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of a non-binding motion supporting victims who have not been compensated more than 50 years after their mothers took the drug to combat morning sickness, with devastating results. thalidomide, developed by the german firm gruenenthal, was sold under the name contergan in germany, and elsewhere as distaval. many victims were born with missing arms or legs, deformed limbs or severe nerve damage.
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the parliament motion urges the manufacturer to provide proper compensation and care to victims not yet recognised. it refers to some 2,700 german thalidomide sufferers, 500 in britain and in italy, 200 in spain and 100 in sweden.
nick dobrik of britain’s thalidomide national advisory trust said the vote took the fight for compensation from germany a “massive step closer”, saying an annual payment of 12 million euros ($12.5 million) would help cover rising costs for survivors in britain, italy, spain and sweden.
a number of spanish lawmakers spoke in a debate on wednesday, complaining that victims there had not received compensation from the fund set up by germany in 1972, which includes public money.
“there are already funds. we don’t need more resources. what we are demanding today is that we reduce red tape and that we make the requirements less heavy so that people can have access to this special fund. the health of the victims is deteriorating every day,” said conservative esteban gonzalez pons.
beatriz becerra basterrechea, a liberal, said just two spaniards had received funds: “the contergan foundation has provided prohibitive requirements from them … like presenting the original box the mothers bought,” she said.
jill evans, a welsh nationalist, urged the german government to allow access to the health scheme to allow surviving thalidomide victims to deal with increasing health costs.
“it’s been over 50 years, it’s been far too long,” she said. the motion referred to evidence that the german government interfered with the criminal proceedings against drug maker chemie gruenenthal in 1970, resulting in no proper determination of guilt of the manufacturer, and that steps were taken to prevent civil proceedings.
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the german family ministry said it was watching the debate closely. a spokesman said the contergan foundation was already giving money to affected people around the world provided their condition was linked to their mothers’ taking thalidomide from gruenenthal during pregnancy. ($1 = 0.9619 euros)
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attorney-general* stɛps əp faɪt wɪθ ˈgeɪmərz ˈəpˌdeɪtɪd saʊθ ɔˈstreɪljən ˈmaɪkəl ˈætkɪnsən həz stɛpt əp hɪz ˈpərsɪnəl əˈtæk ɔn ˈvɪdioʊ geɪm kæmˈpeɪnərz, ˈlaɪkənɪŋ ðɛm tɪ gæŋz. ðə grup ɪz ˈrənɪŋ ə ˈkænədɪt fər nɛkst mənθs sɑ ɪˈlɛkʃən, dɪˈmændɪŋ ðɛr bi ə ˌklæsəfəˈkeɪʃən fər ˈvɪdioʊ geɪmz. ˈmɪstər ˈætkɪnsən rɪˈmeɪnz əˈpoʊzd ənd həz toʊld ðə ˈeɪˌbiˌsiz gʊd geɪm ˈproʊˌgræm əv θrɛts meɪd tɪ ɪm. "əˈbaʊt tu əˈklɑk ɪn ðə ˈmɔrnɪŋ aɪ hæd ə θˈrɛtənɪŋ noʊt frəm ə ˈgeɪmər ʃəvd ˈəndər maɪ dɔr," hi sɛd. "aɪ fil ðət maɪ ˈfæməli ənd aɪ ər mɔr æt rɪsk frəm ˈgeɪmərz ðən wi ər frəm ðə ˈaʊˌtlɔ ˈmoʊtərˌsaɪkəl gæŋz hu ˈɔlsoʊ heɪt mi ənd ər ˈrənɪŋ ə ˈkænədɪt əˈgɛnst mi. "ðə ˈaʊˌtlɔ ˈmoʊtərˌsaɪkəl gæŋz ˈhævənt bɪn ˈhæŋɪŋ əraʊnd maɪ ˈdɔrˌstɛp æt æm, ə ˈgeɪmər həz." ˈmɪstər ˈætkɪnsən hoʊldz ə ˈviˌtoʊ paʊər ɔn rivˈjuɪŋ ˈnæʃənəl ˌklæsəfəˈkeɪʃən lɔz ənd rɪˈmeɪnz əˈpoʊzd tɪ rɪˈlæksɪŋ ə bæn ɔn kəmˈpjutər geɪmz. "ðə ˈrizən ðət aɪ θɪŋk ˌɪnərˈæktɪv geɪmz ər ˈdɪfərənt ɪz ðət ɪn ˌɪnərˈæktɪv geɪmz ðə ˈpərsən pleɪɪŋ ɪz duɪŋ ðə ˈækʃənz ənd aɪ ˈðɛrˌfɔr θɪŋk ɪt həz ə haɪər ˌɪmˈpækt ˌɪmˈpækt həz ˈɔlˌweɪz bɪn ə kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən ɪn ˈsɛnsərˌʃɪp ər ˌklæsəfəˈkeɪʃən, kɔl ɪt wət ju wɪl," hi toʊld gʊd geɪm. "əm ʃʊr moʊst ˈpipəl kən dɪˈstɪŋgwɪʃ ðə ˈfænəsi əv ə kəmˈpjutər geɪm frəm ðə ˌriˈæləˌti, bət ɪt ɪz ðə smɔl ˈnəmbər wi noʊ kænt ðət lidz tɪ mæs ˈmərdər ɪn əˈmɛrɪkən haɪ skulz ənd ɪn ˈtaɪˌlænd lɛd tɪ ə ˈgeɪmər pleɪɪŋ aʊt ðə ˈfænəsi əv ˈhaɪˌʤækɪŋ ə ˈtæksi kæb ənd ˈmərdərɪŋ ðə ˈdraɪvər. ɪt ˈhæpənd," ðə ˈmɪnɪstər ˈɔlsoʊ toʊld ˈeɪˌbiˌsi ɪn ən ˈɪntərvˌju bæk ɪn 2008 ˈmɪstər ˈætkɪnsən ədˈmɪtəd hɪz θri sənz dɪsəˈgrid wɪθ hɪz vju ɔn geɪmz ˌklæsəfəˈkeɪʃənz. dɪˈskəʃən ˈivɪn ðoʊ ə dɪˈskəʃən ˈpeɪpər ɔn ðə ˌklæsəfəˈkeɪʃən ˈɪʃu həz naʊ bɪn riˈlist, ˈmɪstər ˈætkɪnsən θɪŋks ɪt həz ˈʃɔrtˌkəmɪŋz. "ɪt wʊd hæv bɪn ə ˈfɛrər ənd mɔr ækˈsɛsəbəl ˈpeɪpər tɪ ðə væst məˈʤɔrəti əv soʊˈsaɪɪti ɪf ɪt hæd ˌɪnˈkludɪd stɪl ˈɪmɪʤɪz əv ðə geɪmz əˈbaʊt wɪʧ ðɛrz ən ˈɑrgjəmənt," hi sɛd. "aɪ θɪŋk ɪts ˈvɛri hɑrd fər ðoʊz ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə ˈpəblɪk hu doʊnt pleɪ geɪmz tɪ rɪˈleɪt tɪ ðə dəˈbeɪt." kæt ˈnɪkəlsən ɪz ˈstændɪŋ əˈgɛnst ˈmɪstər ˈætkɪnsən ɪn hɪz ˈædəˌleɪd sit əv æt ðə mɑrʧ 20 poʊl. "aɪ ˈrɪli θɪŋk ɔˈstreɪljə nidz ən ˌklæsəfəˈkeɪʃən. aɪ bɪˈliv ɪts ˈbɛtər fər ˈpɛrənts, ɪts ˈbɛtər fər ˈʧɪldrən bɪˈkəz ˈpɛrənts kən ˈbɛtər ˈmɑnətər ðə ˈkɑntɛnt ðət ðɛr ˈʧɪldrən ər ˈækˌsɛsɪŋ," ʃi sɛd. "ə lɔt əv ˈpɛrənts fər ɪgˈzæmpəl doʊnt ˈriəˌlaɪz ðət geɪmz ðət ʃʊd bi ər biɪŋ hir ənd ðɪs ɪz ˈɛʤəˌkeɪtɪŋ ðɛm, ðɪs ɪz ˈmeɪkɪŋ ðɛm ˈriəˌlaɪz ɪt nidz tɪ bi ʧeɪnʤd. "aɪ bɪˈliv ˈædəlts hæv ðə raɪt tɪ meɪk ˈædəlt ˈʧɔɪsɪz rɪˈgɑrdɪŋ ðɪs ˈmætər." ˈtɑpɪks: geɪmz, playstation-psp*, xbox*, ɪˈlɛkʃənz, states-and-territories*, lɔz, sɑ, ɔˈstreɪljə, fərst ˈpoʊstɪd
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attorney-general steps up fight with gamers
updated
south australian attorney-general michael atkinson has stepped up his personal attack on video game campaigners, likening them to bikie gangs.
the gamers4croydon group is running a candidate for next month's sa election, demanding there be a r-18 classification for video games.
mr atkinson remains opposed and has told the abc's good game program of threats made to him.
"about two o'clock in the morning i had a threatening note from a gamer shoved under my door," he said.
"i feel that my family and i are more at risk from gamers than we are from the outlaw motorcycle gangs who also hate me and are running a candidate against me.
"the outlaw motorcycle gangs haven't been hanging around my doorstep at 2:00 am, a gamer has."
mr atkinson holds a veto power on reviewing national classification laws and remains opposed to relaxing a ban on r-rated computer games.
"the reason that i think interactive games are different is that in interactive games the person playing is doing the actions and i therefore think it has a higher impact - impact has always been a consideration in censorship or classification, call it what you will," he told good game.
"i'm sure most people can distinguish the fantasy of a computer game from the reality, but it is the small number we know can't that leads to mass murder in american high schools and in thailand ... led to a gamer playing out the fantasy of hijacking a taxi cab and murdering the driver. it happened," the minister also told abc stateline in an interview back in 2008.
mr atkinson admitted his three sons disagreed with his view on games classifications.
discussion
even though a discussion paper on the classification issue has now been released, mr atkinson thinks it has shortcomings.
"it would have been a fairer and more accessible paper to the vast majority of society if it had included still images of the games about which there's an argument," he said.
"i think it's very hard for those members of the public who don't play games to relate to the debate."
kat nicholson is standing against mr atkinson in his adelaide seat of croydon at the march 20 poll.
"i really think australia needs an r-18 classification. i believe it's better for parents, it's better for children because parents can better monitor the content that their children are accessing," she said.
"a lot of parents for example don't realise that games that should be r-rated are being ma-rated here and this is educating them, this is making them realise it needs to be changed.
"i believe adults have the right to make adult choices regarding this matter."
topics: games, playstation-3, playstation-psp, xbox, xbox360, elections, states-and-territories, laws, sa, australia, adelaide-5000
first posted
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əˈpɛrəntli ɪt wɑz ɔn fʊl dɪˈspleɪ ɪn ˌpɛnsəlˈveɪnjə læst naɪt, bət æt list hi lip daʊn frəm ðə steɪʤ ənd baɪt ˈsəmˌwən. wɪn trəmp ˈfaɪnəli tʊk ðə steɪʤ, ɪt wɑz klɪr ðət hi wɑz wərkt əp əˈbaʊt ˈsəmθɪŋ ɛz hi kˈwɪkli rəʃt θru hɪz ˈjuʒəwəl ˈtɔkɪŋ pɔɪnts. hi rɛd ðə fərst ˈsɛntəns əv ðə priˈpɛrd ˈsteɪtmənt: nu ˈɑdiˌoʊ teɪp ðət həz ˈsərfɪst ʤɪst ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ frəm əˈnəðər wən əv ˈfənˌdreɪzərz ʃoʊz hər dɪˈminɪŋ ənd ˈmɑkɪŋ ˈbərni ˈsændərz ənd ɔl əv hɪz supporters.”*.” ˈrəðər ðən kənˈtɪnjuɪŋ, trəmp dɪˈmind ənd mɑkt ˈsændərz hɪmˈsɛlf, seɪɪŋ ðət hi həz məʧ ˈbɪgər ˈmuvmənt ðən ˈbərni ˈsændərz ˈɛvər had”*” ənd ðət hi həz ˈbɪgər kraʊdz ðən ˈbərni ˈsændərz ˈɛvər had.”*.” trəmp əˈkjuzd ˈsændərz əv ˈtɑrnɪʃɪŋ hɪz ˈlɛgəsi baɪ ˈmeɪkɪŋ ə wɪθ ðə devil”*” ənd səˈpɔrtɪŋ ˈklɪntən. əˈgɛn wɪθ ðə saɪz θɪŋ. hi toʊld ðə kraʊd tɪ gɪt ə grup əv frɛndz təˈgɛðər ɔn ɪˈlɛkʃən deɪ, voʊt ənd ðɛn goʊ tɪ areas”*” ənd ““watch”*” ðə ˈvoʊtərz ðɛr. hir tu ˈmɛni bæd ˈstɔriz, ənd wi luz ən ɪˈlɛkʃən bɪˈkəz əv ju noʊ wət ˈtɔkɪŋ about,”*,” trəmp sɛd. ““so*, goʊ ənd voʊt ənd ðɛn goʊ ʧɛk aʊt ˈɛriəz bɪˈkəz ə lɔt əv bæd θɪŋz ˈhæpən, ənd wi wɔnt tɪ luz fər ðət reason.”*.” ˌvɛriˈeɪʃən ɔn ðə ðə n-clangs*! ər goʊɪŋ voʊt ˈsɛvən ər eɪt taɪmz laɪk ðeɪ ˈjuʒəwəli du, skɔrd fər treɪn hɔrnz, fɔg hɔrnz ənd ðə ˈsaɪrənz əv faɪər ˈɛnʤənz ɔn ðə weɪ tɪ ə ˈdəmpstər faɪər. unsuspecting,”*,” trəmp sɛd. naʊ, ju seɪ tɪ jʊr waɪf: goʊ tɪ ə ˈmuvi ˈæftər trump.’*.’ bət ju du ðət bɪˈkəz bi soʊ haɪ ənd soʊ ɪkˈsaɪtɪd ðət noʊ ˈmuvi ɪz goʊɪŋ tɪ ˈsætɪsˌfaɪ ju. ˌoʊˈkeɪ? noʊ ˈmuvi. ju noʊ waɪ? ˈɑnəstli? bɪˈkəz ðeɪ meɪk ˈmuviz laɪk ðeɪ juzd tɪ ɪz ðət right?”*?” ɪkˈsaɪtmənt. ˈmuviz. ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən. θæŋk kraɪst ðət treɪn əv θɔt dɪˈreɪld. ˈoʊnli ˈlɔɪəlti ɪz tɪ hər ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl kənˈtrɪbjətərz ənd tɪ herself,”*,” trəmp sɛd. ˈivɪn θɪŋk lɔɪəl tɪ bɪl, ɪf ju wɔnt tɪ noʊ ðə truth.”*.” ðə kraʊd gæspt ənd ˈmɛni ˈʃaʊtɪd: ““ohhhhh!”*!” trəmp ʃrəgd. ˈrɪli, folks,”*,” trəmp kənˈtɪnjud, ““really*, waɪ ʃʊd ʃi bi? raɪt? waɪ ʃʊd ʃi be?”*?” ɔl ðə ˈseɪʤɪz hu hæv ˈɛvər lɪvd kʊd nɑt ənˈrævəl ðə ˈmɪstəri əv ðɪs ˈoʊvərˌfloʊɪŋ bɑrf ˌnɑməˈneɪʃən.
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apparently it was on full display in pennsylvania last night, but at least he didn’t leap down from the stage and bite someone.
when trump finally took the stage, it was clear that he was worked up about something as he quickly rushed through his usual talking points. he read the first sentence of the prepared statement: “a new audio tape that has surfaced — just yesterday — from another one of hillary’s high-roller fundraisers shows her demeaning and mocking bernie sanders and all of his supporters.” rather than continuing, trump demeaned and mocked sanders himself, saying that he has “a much bigger movement than bernie sanders ever had” and that he has “much bigger crowds than bernie sanders ever had.” trump accused sanders of tarnishing his legacy by making a “deal with the devil” and supporting clinton.
again with the size thing.
he told the crowd to get a group of friends together on election day, vote and then go to “certain areas” and “watch” the voters there. “i hear too many bad stories, and we lose an election because of you know what i’m talking about,” trump said. “so, go and vote and then go check out areas because a lot of bad things happen, and we don’t want to lose for that reason.”
trump’s variation on the gop’s the n-clangs! are going vote seven or eight times like they usually do, scored for train horns, fog horns and the sirens of fire engines on the way to a 2-alarm dumpster fire.
“you’re unsuspecting,” trump said. “right now, you say to your wife: ‘let’s go to a movie after trump.’ but you won’t do that because you’ll be so high and so excited that no movie is going to satisfy you. okay? no movie. you know why? honestly? because they don’t make movies like they used to — is that right?”
???
excitement. movies. satisfaction.
thank christ that train of thought derailed.
“hillary clinton’s only loyalty is to her financial contributors and to herself,” trump said. “i don’t even think she’s loyal to bill, if you want to know the truth.” the crowd gasped and many shouted: “ohhhhh!” trump shrugged. “and really, folks,” trump continued, “really, why should she be? right? why should she be?”
all the sages who have ever lived could not unravel the mystery of this overflowing barf bowl’s nomination.
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kərˈɑkəs (ˈrɔɪtərz) ˈsoʊʃəlɪst ˈgəvərnmənt ˈgɪftɪd ˈʧɔkləts tɪ ˈkrɛdɪtərz ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ, bət ˈɔfərd noʊ fərm prəˈpoʊzəlz æt ə brif ˈmitɪŋ ɪn kərˈɑkəs ðət lɛft ˌɪnˈvɛstərz wɪˈθaʊt ə klɪr ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ əv ðə ˈstrætəʤi tɪ ˌrinɪˈgoʊʃiˌeɪt 60 ˈbɪljən ɪn dɛt. ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈnɪkɔləs kənfˈjuzd ˌɪnˈvɛstərz ðɪs mənθ wɪθ ə vaʊ tɪ kənˈtɪnju peɪɪŋ ˈkrɪpəlɪŋ dɛt, waɪl ˈɔlsoʊ ˈsikɪŋ tɪ riˈstrəkʧər ənd ˌrifəˈnæns ɪt. boʊθ riˈstrəkʧərɪŋ ənd ˌrifəˈnænsɪŋ əˈpɪr aʊt əv ðə kˈwɛʃən, ˌhaʊˈɛvər, du tɪ juz. ˈsæŋkʃənz əˈgɛnst ðə ˈneɪʃən. ə dɪˈfɔlt wʊd ˈkɑmpaʊnd daɪər ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈkraɪsəs. ʃɔrt ənd kənfˈjuzd ˈmitɪŋ, əˈtɛndəd baɪ ˈsinjər ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlən əˈfɪʃəlz ˈblæˌklɪstɪd baɪ ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts, geɪv noʊ ˈklɛrɪti ɔn haʊ wʊd ˈkɛri aʊt hɪz plæn, ˈbɑnˌdhoʊldərz ənd ðɛr ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪvz hu pɑrˈtɪsəˌpeɪtɪd sɛd ˈæftərwərdz. ðət minz ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlə rɪˈmeɪnz wɪθ ðə dɪˈlɛmə əv ˈwɛðər tɪ kənˈtɪnjuɪŋ peɪɪŋ dɛt æt ðə ɪkˈspɛns əv ən ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli ˈhəŋgri ənd sɪk ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃən, ər dɪˈfɔltɪŋ ɔn ˈkrɛdɪtərz ənd ˈbərnɪŋ ɪts ˈbrɪʤɪz tɪ ðə ˈgloʊbəl ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈsɪstəm. wɑz noʊ ˈɔfər, noʊ tərmz, noʊ ˈstrætəʤi, nothing,”*,” sɛd wən ˈbɑnˌdhoʊldər, ˈlivɪŋ ðə ˈmitɪŋ ðət ˈlæstɪd ə ˈlɪtəl ˈoʊvər hæf ən aʊər æt ðə palace’*’, dɪˈpɑrtɪŋ wɪθ ə ˈkələrfəl kənˈteɪnɪŋ ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlən ˈʧɔkləts ənd ˈkɔfi. bət bɑnd ˈpraɪsɪz meɪnˈteɪnd læst ˈræli, wɪθ wən ˌɪnˈvɛstər seɪɪŋ ðɛr wɑz rɪˈlif ðə ˈmitɪŋ dɪd nɑt ˌɪnˈklud ə dɪˈfɔlt əˈnaʊnsmɛnt. ˈnɪrli 300 ˈmɪljən ɪn leɪt ˈɪntəˌrɛst ˈpeɪmənts ɔn θri bɑndz 2027 ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlə 2019 ənd ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlə 2024 wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ du ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ ˈæftər greɪs ˈpɪriədz ˈɛndɪd. bət ˈbɑnˌdhoʊldərz əˈpɪrd ˌənkənˈsərnd æt ðə dɪˈleɪ, wɪʧ wɑz du ɪn pɑrt tɪ ˌɪnˈkrist bæŋk ˈvɪʤələns əv ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlə trænˈzækʃənz. ˌɛkspɛkˈteɪʃən ɪz ðət ðə ˈkuˌpɔn ˈpeɪmənts wɪl kəm θru ɛz well,”*,” sɛd ʤæn dɛn, hɛd əv ˈrisərʧ æt ˈæʃmɔr ˌɪnˈvɛstmənt ˈmænɪʤmənt. noʊ ðət ðiz dɪˈleɪz ɪgˈzɪst ənd waɪ ðeɪ exist.”*.” əˈbaʊt 100 ˌɪnˈvɛstərz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ səm ˈbɑnˌdhoʊldərz frəm nu jɔrk ənd ˈlɔjərz ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnɪŋ ˈkrɛdɪtərz, ˈɛnərd ðə palace’*’ ˈviə ə rɛd ˈkɑrpət ənd wər ˈgritɪd baɪ ə ˈpoʊstər əv ˈprɛdəˌsɛsər ˈjugoʊ ˈʧæˌvɛz æt ðə ˈɛntrəns əv ðə ˈmitɪŋ rum ˌɪnˈsaɪd. ˈsæŋkʃənz ˈoʊvərˈʃædoʊ ˈmitɪŋ ʧif dɛt nɪˈgoʊʃiˌeɪtərz vaɪs ˈprɛzɪdənt ɛl ənd ɪˈkɑnəmi ˈmɪnɪstər ˈsaɪmən ɔn juz. ˈsæŋkʃənz lɪsts fər drəg ənd kərˈəpʃən ˈʧɑrʤɪz rɪˈspɛktɪvli əˈtɛndəd ðə ˈmitɪŋ fər hæf ən aʊər. ə ˈwʊmən kaʊnts ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlən ˈbɑləvər noʊts æt ə ˈvɛʤtəbəl strit ˈmɑrkɪt ɪn kərˈɑkəs, ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlə noʊˈvɛmbər 13 2017 ˈbɛloʊ ðeɪ mɛt wɪθ səm ˈbɑnˌdhoʊldərz, waɪl ˈəðərz steɪd aʊt əv ðə rum ɔn kənˈsərnz əˈbaʊt ˈpɛnəltiz fər ˈdilɪŋ wɪθ əˈfɪʃəlz ˈsæŋkʃənd baɪ ˈwɔʃɪŋtən. ɛl toʊld ˈkrɛdɪtərz ðət dɔɪʧ bæŋk meɪ sun kət ɔf səm ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˈsərvɪsɪz tɪ ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlə, pɑrˈtɪsəpənts sɛd. dɔɪʧ dɪˈklaɪnd tɪ ˈkɑmɛnt. hi rɛd ə ˈsteɪtmənt ˈproʊˌtɛstɪŋ ˌɔnˈfɛr ˈtritmənt baɪ ˈgloʊbəl ˌfaɪˈnænʃəl ˌɪnstɪˈtuʃənz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ juz. ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈdɑnəld ˈsæŋkʃənz eɪmd æt prɪˈvɛnɪŋ ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlə frəm ˈɪʃuɪŋ nu dɛt. kən seɪ: ʃoʊd ˈgʊdˈwɪl, ðə ˈbɑnˌdhoʊldərz ʃoʊd ˈgʊdˈwɪl bət ənˈfɔrʧənətli bɪˈkəz ˈəŋkəl sæm ɪz nɑt pleɪɪŋ bɔl wi (refinance)’,”*)’,” sɛd dɛn, hu dɪd nɑt əˈtɛnd ðə ˈmitɪŋ. nɑt ˈhjuʤli səˈpraɪzd kəm aʊt əv ðət meeting.”*.” ˈsɛpərətli, ðə ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈjunjən əˈpruvd ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈsæŋkʃənz ənd ən ɑrmz ɛmˈbɑrgoʊ ɔn ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlə ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ, ˌɔlˈðoʊ ɪt həz jɛt tɪ neɪm hu wɪl bi ˈsəbʤɪkt tɪ ðə ˈsæŋkʃənz. ˈmɑrkɪts kənˈtɪnju tɪ rɪˈmeɪn ˌɑptɪˈmɪstɪk ðət ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlə wɪl ˈsərvɪs ɪts dɛts, ˈnoʊtɪŋ ɪt həz meɪd kloʊz tɪ 2 ˈbɪljən ɪn ˈpeɪmənts ɪn ðə pæst tu wiks, ɔlˈbiɪt dɪˈleɪd. bɑnd ˈpraɪsɪz wər əp əˈkrɔs ðə bɔrd ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ, wɪθ ðə ˈbɛnʧˌmɑrk 2022 noʊts ˈɪʃud baɪ steɪt ɔɪl fərm [pdvsa.ul*] ˈraɪzɪŋ pərˈsɛnɪʤ pɔɪnts. ðə ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˌɪmˈploʊʒən həz ɔˈrɛdi ˈteɪkən ə ˈbrutəl toʊl ɔn ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlənz. ˈsɪtɪzənz ər ˈsəfərɪŋ frəm ˌmælnuˈtrɪʃən ənd prɪˈvɛntəbəl dɪˈzizɪz bɪˈkəz ðeɪ ˈkænɑt faɪnd fud ənd ˈmɛdəsən ər ˈkænɑt əˈfɔrd ðɛm bɪˈkəz əv ˌɪnˈfleɪʃən. ðə saɪt əv pur ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪlənz ˈitɪŋ frəm ˈgɑrbɪʤ bægz həz bɪˈkəm ə ˈpaʊərfəl ˈsɪmbəl əv dɪˈkeɪ. ɪt ˈkɑntræsts ˈʃɑrpli wɪθ ðə ˈɪrə əv ˈʧæˌvɛz, wɪn haɪ ɔɪl ˈpraɪsɪz hɛlpt fjuəl steɪt ˈspɛndɪŋ. ˈhɔltɪŋ dɛt ˈsərvɪs wʊd fri əp ən əˈdɪʃənəl ˈbɪljən ɪn hɑrd ˈkərənsi baɪ ðə ɛnd əv ðə jɪr. ðoʊz ˈrisɔrsɪz kʊd bi juzd tɪ ˌɪmˈpruv səˈplaɪz əv ˈsteɪpəl gʊdz ɛz hɛdz ˈɪntu ə ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən ɪkˈspɛktɪd fər 2018 9 ˈɪmɪʤɪz) bət ðə ˈstrætəʤi kʊd ˈbækˌfaɪr ɪf mɛt wɪθ əˈgrɛsɪv ˈlɔˌsuts. ə dɪˈfɔlt baɪ, wɪʧ ˈɪʃud əˈbaʊt hæf əv ðə ˌaʊtˈstændɪŋ bɑndz, kʊd ɪnsˈnɛr ðə ˈfɔrən ˈæˌsɛts səʧ ɛz rɪˈfaɪnəriz ɪn ˈligəl ˈbætəlz pəˈtɛnʃəli ˈkrɪmpɪŋ ˈɛkspɔrt ˈrɛvəˌnu. (fər ə ˈgræfɪk ɔn 'ˌvɛnɪzˈweɪləz ɪˈkɑnəmi' klɪk tmsnrt.rs/2ppjdrb*)
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caracas (reuters) - venezuela’s socialist government gifted chocolates to creditors on monday, but offered no firm proposals at a brief meeting in caracas that left investors without a clear understanding of the government’s strategy to renegotiate $60 billion in debt.
president nicolas maduro confused investors this month with a vow to continue paying venezuela’s crippling debt, while also seeking to restructure and refinance it.
both restructuring and refinancing appear out of the question, however, due to u.s. sanctions against the crisis-stricken nation. a default would compound venezuela’s dire economic crisis.
monday’s short and confused meeting, attended by senior venezuelan officials blacklisted by the united states, gave no clarity on how maduro would carry out his plan, bondholders and their representatives who participated said afterwards.
that means venezuela remains with the dilemma of whether to continuing paying debt at the expense of an increasingly hungry and sick population, or defaulting on creditors and burning its bridges to the global financial system.
“there was no offer, no terms, no strategy, nothing,” said one bondholder, leaving the meeting that lasted a little over half an hour at the ‘white palace’, departing with a colorful gift-bag containing venezuelan chocolates and coffee.
but bond prices maintained last week’s rally, with one investor saying there was relief the meeting did not include a default announcement.
nearly $300 million in late interest payments on three bonds - pdvsa 2027, venezuela 2019 and venezuela 2024 - was also due on monday after 30-day grace periods ended. but bondholders appeared unconcerned at the delay, which was due in part to increased bank vigilance of venezuela transactions.
“my expectation is that the coupon payments will come through as well,” said jan dehn, head of research at ashmore investment management. “we know that these delays exist and why they exist.”
about 100 investors, including some bondholders from new york and lawyers representing creditors, entered the ‘white palace’ via a red carpet and were greeted by a poster of maduro’s predecessor hugo chavez at the entrance of the meeting room inside.
sanctions overshadow meeting
chief debt negotiators vice president tareck el aissami and economy minister simon zerpa - on u.s. sanctions lists for drug and corruption charges respectively - attended the meeting for half an hour.
a woman counts venezuelan bolivar notes at a vegetable street market in caracas, venezuela november 13, 2017. reuters/marco bello
they met with some bondholders, while others stayed out of the room on concerns about penalties for dealing with officials sanctioned by washington.
el aissami told creditors that deutsche bank may soon cut off some financial services to venezuela, participants said.
deutsche declined to comment.
he read a statement protesting unfair treatment by global financial institutions, including u.s. president donald trump’s sanctions aimed at preventing venezuela from issuing new debt.
“now maduro can say: ‘i showed goodwill, the bondholders showed goodwill ... but unfortunately because uncle sam is not playing ball we can’t (refinance)’,” said dehn, who did not attend the meeting.
“i’m not hugely surprised nothing’s come out of that meeting.”
separately, the european union approved economic sanctions and an arms embargo on venezuela on monday, although it has yet to name who will be subject to the sanctions.
markets continue to remain optimistic that venezuela will service its debts, noting it has made close to $2 billion in payments in the past two weeks, albeit delayed.
bond prices were up across the board on monday, with the benchmark 2022 notes issued by state oil firm pdvsa [pdvsa.ul] rising 3.3 percentage points.
the economic implosion has already taken a brutal toll on venezuelans. citizens are suffering from malnutrition and preventable diseases because they cannot find food and medicine or cannot afford them because of triple-digit inflation.
the sight of poor venezuelans eating from garbage bags has become a powerful symbol of decay. it contrasts sharply with the era of chavez, when high oil prices helped fuel state spending.
halting debt service would free up an additional $1.6 billion in hard currency by the end of the year. those resources could be used to improve supplies of staple goods as maduro heads into a presidential election expected for 2018.
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but the strategy could backfire if met with aggressive lawsuits. a default by pdvsa, which issued about half of the country’s outstanding bonds, could ensnare the company’s foreign assets such as refineries in legal battles - potentially crimping export revenue.
(for a graphic on 'venezuela's economy' click tmsnrt.rs/2ppjdrb)
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ɪt ˈprɑbəˌbli kəm ɛz ə səˈpraɪz ðət sˈmoʊkɪŋ ə ʤɔɪnt naʊ ənd ðɛn wɪl liv ju ˈfilɪŋ ˈprɪti gʊd, mæn. bət sˈmoʊkɪŋ ə lɔt əv ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə ˈoʊvər ə lɔŋ taɪm maɪt du ʤɪst ðə ˈɑpəzɪt. ˈsaɪəntɪsts hæv faʊnd ðət ðə breɪnz əv pɑt əˈbjuzərz riækt lɛs ˈstrɔŋli tɪ ðə ˈkɛmɪkəl ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn, wɪʧ ɪz riˈspɑnsəbəl fər kriˈeɪtɪŋ ˈfilɪŋz əv ˈplɛʒər ənd rɪˈwɔrd. ðɛr ˈbləntɪd ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn rɪˈspɑnsɪz kʊd liv ˈhɛvi ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə ˈjuzərz ˈlɪvɪŋ ɪn ə nɑt ðə gʊd kaɪnd. ˈæftər ˌhaɪˈproʊfaɪl ɪn ˌkɑlərˈɑdoʊ, ˈwɔʃɪŋtən, ənd ˈjərəgˌweɪ, ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə ɪz bɪˈkəmɪŋ mɔr ənd mɔr əˈveɪləbəl ɪn ˈmɛni pɑrts əv ðə wərld. stɪl, ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ˈrisərʧ ɔn ðə drəg həz lægd. pɑt kənˈteɪnz lɑts əv ˈdɪfərənt ˈkɛmɪkəlz, ənd ˈsaɪəntɪsts ˈfʊli ˌəndərˈstænd haʊ ðoʊz kəmˈpoʊnənts ˌɪnərˈækt tɪ ˈproʊdus ðə juˈnik ˈifɛkts əv ˈdɪfərənt streɪnz. ɪts ˌɪˈlɪsət ˈstætəs ɪn moʊst əv ðə wərld həz ˈɔlsoʊ θroʊn əp ˈbɛriərz tɪ ˈrisərʧ. ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ˈɛni ˈstədi ˌɪnˈvɑlvɪŋ ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə rikˈwaɪərz əˈpruvəl frəm fɔr ˈdɪfərənt ˈfɛdərəl ˈeɪʤənsiz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ðə drəg ɛnˈfɔrsmənt ædˌmɪnɪˈstreɪʃən. ˈpɑləˌtɪks ˈɔlsoʊ pleɪz ə roʊl ɪn ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə ˈrisərʧ. wən əv ðə ˌəˈnænsərd kˈwɛsʧənz əˈbaʊt ðə drəg ɪz wət, ɪgˈzæktli, ɪt dɪz tɪ ɑr breɪnz, boʊθ ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə haɪ ənd ˈæftərwərd. əv ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ˈɪntəˌrɛst tɪ ˈsaɪəntɪsts ɪz ˈifɛkt ɔn ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn, ə meɪn ˌɪnˈgridiənt ɪn ðə rɪˈwɔrd ˈsɪstəm. ˈplɛʒərəbəl ækˈtɪvɪtiz səʧ ɛz ˈitɪŋ, sɛks, ənd səm drəgz ɔl ˈtrɪgər bərsts əv ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn, ɛˈsɛnʃəli ˈtɛlɪŋ ðə breɪn, ““hey*, ðət wɑz du ɪt əˈgɛn soon.”*.” ˈsaɪəntɪsts noʊ ðət drəg əˈbjuz kən rik ˈhævək ɔn ðə ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn ˈsɪstəm. koʊˈkeɪn ənd ˈælkəˌhɑl əˈbjuzərz, fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ər noʊn tɪ ˈproʊdus fɑr lɛs ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn ɪn ðɛr breɪnz ðən ˈpipəl hu əˈdɪktɪd tɪ ðoʊz drəgz. bət pæst ˈstədiz hæd ˈhɪnɪd ðət ðə seɪm maɪt nɑt bi tru fər ðoʊz hu əˈbjuz ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə. ˈnɔrə, ðə dɪˈrɛktər əv ðə ˈnæʃənəl ˈɪnstɪˌtut ɔn drəg əˈbjuz ɪn bəˈθɛzdə, ˈmɛrələnd, ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tɪ teɪk ə ˈkloʊzər lʊk æt ðə breɪnz əv ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə əˈbjuzərz. fər hɛlp, ʃi ənd hər tim tərnd tɪ əˈnəðər drəg: (ˈɑkə ˈrɪtəlɪn), ə ˈstɪmjələnt noʊn tɪ ˌɪnˈkris ðə əˈmaʊnt əv ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn ɪn ðə breɪn. ðə ˈrisərʧərz geɪv tɪ 24 ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə əˈbjuzərz (hu hæd smoʊkt ə ˈmidiən əv əˈbaʊt faɪv ʤɔɪnts ə deɪ, 5 deɪz ə wik, fər 10 jɪrz) ənd 24 kənˈtroʊlz. breɪn ˈɪmɪʤɪŋ rɪˈvild ðət boʊθ grups prəˈdust ʤɪst ɛz məʧ ˈɛkstrə ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn ˈæftər ˈteɪkɪŋ ðə drəg. bət wɛˈræz ðə kənˈtroʊlz ɪkˈspɪriənst ˌɪnˈkrist hɑrt reɪts ənd bləd ˈprɛʃər ˈridɪŋz ənd ˌriˈpɔrtəd ˈfilɪŋ ˈrɛstləs ənd haɪ, ðə ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə əˈbjuzərz didn’t*. ðɛr rɪˈspɑnsɪz wər soʊ wik ðət hæd tɪ ˈdəbəˌlʧɛk ðət ðə ʃi wɑz ˈgɪvɪŋ ðɛm pæst ɪts ˌɛkspərˈeɪʃən deɪt. ðɪs læk əv ə ˈfɪzɪkəl rɪˈspɑns səˈʤɛsts ðət ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə əˈbjuzərz maɪt hæv ˈdæmɪʤd rɪˈwɔrd ˈsərkətri ɪn ðɛr breɪnz, ənd hər tim rɪˈpɔrt ˈɔnˌlaɪn təˈdeɪ ɪn ðə prəˈsidɪŋz əv ðə ˈnæʃənəl əˈkædəmi əv ˈsaɪənsɪz. ənˈlaɪk koʊˈkeɪn ənd ˈælkəˌhɑl əˈbjuzərz, ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə əˈbjuzərz əˈpɪr tɪ ˈproʊdus ðə seɪm əˈmaʊnt əv ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn ɛz ˈpipəl hu əˈbjuz ðə drəg. bət ðɛr breɪnz noʊ wət tɪ du wɪθ ɪt. ðɪs dɪskəˈnɛkt kʊd bi ki ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəm ˌəndərˈlaɪɪŋ ˈkænəbəs addiction,”*,” sɪz rɔl gɑnˈzɑləz, ə æt ˈflɔrɪdə ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˌjunəˈvərsəti ɪn maɪˈæmi hu wɑz nɑt ˌɪnˈvɑlvd wɪθ ðə ˈrisərʧ. ðə ˈstədi ðət ˈkænəbəs ˈjuzərz meɪ ɪkˈspɪriəns lɛs rɪˈwɔrd frəm θɪŋz ˈəðərz ˈʤɛnərəli faɪnd ˈplɛʒərəbəl ənd, ˈkɑntrɛri tɪ ˈpɑpjələr ˈstɛrioʊˌtaɪps, ðət ðeɪ ˈʤɛnərəli fil mɔr ˈɪrətəbəl, strɛst, ənd ʤɪst pleɪn ˈkrəmi. ðɪs meɪ kənˈtrɪbjut tɪ ˈɔnˌgoʊɪŋ ənd ˈɛskəˌleɪtɪŋ ˈkænəbəs juz əˈməŋ səʧ individuals.”*.” bət du ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə əˈbjuzərz smoʊk ə lɔt bɪˈkəz ðeɪ fil ˈkrəmi, ər du ðeɪ fil ˈkrəmi bɪˈkəz ðeɪ smoʊk ə lɔt? noʊ. nɑt biɪŋ ˈeɪbəl tɪ tiz aʊt kɔz ənd ˈifɛkt ə ˌlɪmɪˈteɪʃən ɪn ə ˈstədi laɪk ðɪs one,”*,” ʃi sɪz. pərˈhæps ðə əˈbjuzərz ɔˈrɛdi hæd lɛs riˈæktɪv ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn ˈsɪstəmz ənd ˈstɑrtɪd sˈmoʊkɪŋ ə tən əv pɑt tɪ koʊp wɪθ ðɛr ˈʤɛnərəl mæˈleɪz. ər ˈmeɪbi prəˈlɔŋd ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə əˈbjuz ɪz ˈæˌkʧuəli ˈdæmɪʤɪŋ ðɛr brains’*’ rɪˈwɔrd ˈsərkətri, ˈlidɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈæpəθi ənd ˈsoʊʃəl wɪθˈdrɔəl ðət ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə əˈbjuzərz ˈɔfən ɪkˈspɪriəns. ðə ˈlɛsənz fər ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃənəl ˈjuzərz əv ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə, ɪf ˈɛni, ər ənˈklɪr. ðɪs ˈstədi juzd volunteer[s]”*]” hu wər kwaɪt ə lɔt əv cannabis,”*,” sɪz pɔl stoʊks, ə səˈkaɪətrəst æt ˌɪmˈpɪriəl ˈkɑlɪʤ ˈləndən hu ˌɪnˈvɑlvd ɪn ðə ˈrisərʧ. ɛz səʧ, ˈprɑbəˌbli tɛlz ju mɔr əˈbaʊt ˈkænəbəs dɪˈpɛndəns ðən əˈbaʊt ˌrɛkriˈeɪʃənəl use.”*.” bət wɪn hi dɪd ə ˈsɪmələr breɪn ˈɪmɪʤɪŋ ˈstədi əv ˈpipəl hu smoʊkt ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə noʊ mɔr ðən wəns ə wik, hi əbˈzərvd themes”*” wɪn ɪt keɪm tɪ ˈdɑpəˌmaɪn. ɔl əv ðiz ər ˌɪmˈpɔrtənt kˈwɛsʧənz tɪ ˈænsər, sɪz. ɛz əˌveɪləˈbɪlɪti əv ðə drəg ˌɪnˈkrisɪz, ʃi sɪz, ˈsəmθɪŋ ɔl nid tɪ know.”*.”
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it probably won’t come as a surprise that smoking a joint now and then will leave you feeling … pretty good, man. but smoking a lot of marijuana over a long time might do just the opposite. scientists have found that the brains of pot abusers react less strongly to the chemical dopamine, which is responsible for creating feelings of pleasure and reward. their blunted dopamine responses could leave heavy marijuana users living in a fog—and not the good kind.
after high-profile legalizations in colorado, washington, and uruguay, marijuana is becoming more and more available in many parts of the world. still, scientific research on the drug has lagged. pot contains lots of different chemicals, and scientists don’t fully understand how those components interact to produce the unique effects of different strains. its illicit status in most of the world has also thrown up barriers to research. in the united states, for example, any study involving marijuana requires approval from four different federal agencies, including the drug enforcement administration. politics also plays a role in marijuana research.
one of the unanswered questions about the drug is what, exactly, it does to our brains, both during the high and afterward. of particular interest to scientists is marijuana’s effect on dopamine, a main ingredient in the brain’s reward system. pleasurable activities such as eating, sex, and some drugs all trigger bursts of dopamine, essentially telling the brain, “hey, that was great—let’s do it again soon.”
scientists know that drug abuse can wreak havoc on the dopamine system. cocaine and alcohol abusers, for example, are known to produce far less dopamine in their brains than people who aren’t addicted to those drugs. but past studies had hinted that the same might not be true for those who abuse marijuana.
nora volkow, the director of the national institute on drug abuse in bethesda, maryland, decided to take a closer look at the brains of marijuana abusers. for help, she and her team turned to another drug: methylphenidate (aka ritalin), a stimulant known to increase the amount of dopamine in the brain. the researchers gave methylphenidate to 24 marijuana abusers (who had smoked a median of about five joints a day, 5 days a week, for 10 years) and 24 controls.
brain imaging revealed that both groups produced just as much extra dopamine after taking the drug. but whereas the controls experienced increased heart rates and blood pressure readings and reported feeling restless and high, the marijuana abusers didn’t. their responses were so weak that volkow had to double-check that the methylphenidate she was giving them hadn’t passed its expiration date.
this lack of a physical response suggests that marijuana abusers might have damaged reward circuitry in their brains, volkow and her team report online today in the proceedings of the national academy of sciences. unlike cocaine and alcohol abusers, marijuana abusers appear to produce the same amount of dopamine as people who don’t abuse the drug. but their brains don’t know what to do with it. this disconnect could be “a key mechanism underlying cannabis addiction,” says raul gonzalez, a neuropsychologist at florida international university in miami who was not involved with the research. the study “suggests that cannabis users may experience less reward from things others generally find pleasurable and, contrary to popular stereotypes, that they generally feel more irritable, stressed, and just plain crummy. this may contribute to ongoing and escalating cannabis use among such individuals.”
but do marijuana abusers smoke a lot because they feel crummy, or do they feel crummy because they smoke a lot? volkow doesn’t know. not being able to tease out cause and effect “is a limitation in a study like this one,” she says. perhaps the abusers already had less reactive dopamine systems and started smoking a ton of pot to cope with their general malaise. or maybe prolonged marijuana abuse is actually damaging their brains’ reward circuitry, leading to the apathy and social withdrawal that marijuana abusers often experience.
the lessons for recreational users of marijuana, if any, are unclear. this study used “hardcore volunteer[s]” who were “using quite a lot of cannabis,” says paul stokes, a psychiatrist at imperial college london who wasn’t involved in the research. as such, “it probably tells you more about cannabis dependence than about recreational use.” but when he did a similar brain imaging study of people who smoked marijuana no more than once a week, he observed “similar themes” when it came to dopamine.
all of these are important questions to answer, volkow says. as availability of the drug increases, she says, it’s something “we all need to know.”
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ˈprɑməsəz, ˈprɑməsəz, ˈprɑməsəz. ðə ˌɪˌlɛkˈtrɑnɪks ˈɪndəstri ɪz traɪɪŋ tɪ kənˈvɪns ˈjuˈɛs ðət wi ər ˈfeɪsɪŋ nu ˈwəndərz ɪn ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən. faɪnd aʊt ðə truθ ɪn ðɪs hɑrd ˈhɪtɪŋ exposé*é fɪlm rɪˈstɔrər ˈrɑbərt ə. ˈhɛrɪs dɪˈskəsɪz ˌrɛstərˈeɪʃən ənd ˌprɛzərˈveɪʃən ɛz ðeɪ ər ənd ðeɪ ɔt tɪ bi. stɪl ˈrɛləvənt ə ˈdəzən jɪrz ˈæftər pərˈzɛnəd tɪ ə sɪmˈpoʊziəm. ɪf ju doʊnt oʊn wən naʊ, ju wɪl oʊn ə ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən səm taɪm ɪn ðə nɪr fˈjuʧər. ju nid tɪ bi əˈwɛr əv səm fækts naʊ ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ əˈvɔɪd səm dɪsəˈpɔɪntmənts ɪn ðə fˈjuʧər. wɪr nɑt ʃʊr waɪ, bət wiv rɪˈsivd ˈnumərəs rɪkˈwɛsts tɪ meɪk ðɪs ˌrivˈju əˈveɪləbəl əˈgɛn. soʊ hir ɪt ɪz. kɑp aʊts ənd ˈligəl stəf ˈkjʊrətərz noʊt: ˈɛvəri əˈtɛmpt həz bɪn meɪd tɪ ɪnˈʃʊr ðə ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən hir ɪz kərˈɛkt. sɪns ə lɔt əv ˈbləstəri ˈrɛtərɪk wɑz ˈɪʃud ɪn ðə pərˈmoʊʃən əv ˈmɛni əv ðiz ˈprɑsɛsəz, ɪt ɪz ɪnˈtaɪərli ˈpɑsəbəl ðət ˈfækʧuəl ˈɛrərz du ɪgˈzɪst. wi ər nɑt ˌhaɪpərˈsɛnsɪtɪv tɪ kərˈɛkʃənz soʊ fil fri tɪ ˈiˌmeɪl ðə ˈɔθər wɪθ ˈɛni ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən ðət ju hæv.
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promises, promises, promises. the electronics industry is trying to convince us that we are facing new wonders in television. find out the truth in this hard hitting exposé
film restorer robert a. harris discusses restoration and preservation as they are and they ought to be. still relevant a dozen years after presented to a symposium.
if you don't own one now, you will own a widescreen tv some time in the near future. you need to be aware of some facts now in order to avoid some disappointments in the future.
we're not sure why, but we've received numerous requests to make this review available again. so here it is.
cop outs and legal stuff
curator's note: every attempt has been made to ensure the information here is correct. since a lot of blustery rhetoric was issued in the promotion of many of these processes, it is entirely possible that factual errors do exist. we are not hypersensitive to corrections so feel free to e-mail the author with any information that you have.
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wɛr kən ju ˈligəli smoʊk ˈkænəbəs? moʊst ˈɔfən, ðə ˈænsər ɪz wɪˈθɪn ə ˈpraɪvət ˈrɛzɪdəns wɛr aʊt əv vju əv ðə ˈʤɛnərəl ˈpəblɪk. bət wət ɪf ə ˈrɛntər əv jʊr residence?”*?” ðɪs kriˈeɪts ə kənfˈjuzɪŋ dɪˈlɛmə fər ðoʊz hu ər traɪɪŋ tɪ əˈbaɪd baɪ ðə ˌrɛgjəˈleɪʃənz əv ðə steɪt bət wɔnt tɪ rɪsk ɪˈvɪkʃən frəm ðɛr ˈrɛzɪdəns. ɪf ju rɛnt jʊr hoʊm ər əˈpɑrtmənt ənd ər ˈwəndərɪŋ ɪf ju kən ˈligəli smoʊk ɪn ɪt, ðə ˈænsər ˈsɪmpəl ər ˈstreɪtˈfɔrwərd. wɪn ɪt kəmz daʊn tɪ raɪts, ˌɑbləˈgeɪʃənz, ənd ˌɪnˈʃʊrəns ˈpɑləsiz, lɛs əˈbaʊt jʊr ˈfilɪŋz ɔn ðə ˈtɑpɪk ənd ə lɔt mɔr əˈbaʊt ðə ˈligəl ˈkɑnˌtrækt ju saɪn wɪn ju muv ˈɪntu ə nu ˈrɛntəl. riʧt aʊt tɪ ˌrɑˈbin, ə ˈkrɪmənəl dɪˈfɛns əˈtərni wɪθ ˈsəmɪt dɪˈfɛns beɪst aʊt əv ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə, tɪ gɪt ðə fʊl ˈligəl skup ɔn ðə ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr ˈaɪˈɛˈnɛs, aʊts, ənd ˈligəl raɪts pərˈteɪnɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈkɑmplɛks ˈneɪʧər əv kənˈsumɪŋ ˈkænəbəs waɪl ˈrɛntɪŋ ər ˈlisɪŋ ə ˈprɑpərti. lis əˈgrimənts ənd ˈbaɪndɪŋ ˈligəl ˈkɑnˌtrækts begin,”*,” ɪkˈspleɪnd, ɪz ə ˌfəndəˈmɛnəl ˈligəl ˈprɪnsəpəl æt pleɪ hir ðət wɪl ʃɛd səm laɪt ɔn ðiz ˈɪʃuz: ˈkɑnˌtrækts kən ənd ˈɔfən du proʊˈhɪbət ˈligəl ækts. ə vaɪəˈleɪʃən wʊd nɑt bi ˈkrɪmənəl, bət wɪl bi ə briʧ əv ˈkɑnˌtrækt ənd wɪl lɛd tɪ ˈrɛmədiz ɪn ˈsɪvəl court.”*.” ðɛr ər ˈsərtən ˈsərkəmˌstænsɪz ˈəndər wɪʧ kɔrts meɪ nɑt ɛnˈfɔrs kənˈtrækʧuəl tərmz: ɪf ðə tərmz ər ˌɪˈligəl (ˈjuzɪŋ ˈreɪʃəli baɪəst tərmz, ˌɛtˈsɛtərə.) ɪf ðə tərmz ər ˌənɪnˈtɛləʤəbəl ər veɪg ɪf ðə tərmz ər ənˈkɑnʃənəbəl ˌrɑˈbin, ˈkrɪmənəl dɪˈfɛns əˈtərni ɪn ˌkæləˈfɔrnjə ˈlisɪz wɪl proʊˈhɪbət sˈmoʊkɪŋ ɪn ˈʤɛnərəl, ənd ðət wɪl ˈlaɪkli ɛnˈkəmpəs ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə smoke.”*.” ˈwɛðər ər nɑt ˈkænəbəs ɪz ˈligəl, decriminalized*, ər ˈligəˌlaɪzd fər ˈmɛdɪkəl juz ɪn ðə steɪt wɛr ðə lis əˈgrimənt ɪz saɪnd kən meɪk ə ˈdɪfərəns, bət ɪt ɔl kəmz daʊn tɪ ðət wən, ˈbaɪndɪŋ ˈligəl ˈdɑkjəmɛnt. ˈlaɪkənd ðə ˈligəl juz əv ˈkænəbəs ɪn kənˈtrækʧuəl tərmz tɪ ðə juz əv ə ˈligəl ˈsəbstəns, bət proʊˈhɪbətəd ɪn səm ˈlisɪz. ˈfoʊkɪs ˈkrɪmənəl ˈstæʧuts, ər ˈivɪn law,”*,” hi sɛd. lis ɪz ðə kənˈtroʊlɪŋ ˈligəl ˈdɑkjəmɛnt. ˈmɛni ˈlisɪz wɪl proʊˈhɪbət sˈmoʊkɪŋ ɪn ˈʤɛnərəl, ənd ðət wɪl ˈlaɪkli ɛnˈkəmpəs ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə smoʊk. ɪt ɪz ənˈklɪr ˈwɛðər ðət wʊd ˌɪnˈklud ˈəðər taɪps əv juz səʧ ɛz vaping.”*.” wət əˈbaʊt ˈmɛdɪkəl ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə? ˈklɛrəˌfaɪd ðə ˈligəl pərˈspɛktɪv ɔn ˈmɛdɪkəl ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə. ˈʤɛnərəli vju ˈmɛdɪkəl ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə [ˌrɛkəmənˈdeɪʃənz] ɛz ˈvælɪd, dɪˈspaɪt ðə klɪr ˈlɛʤəsˌleɪtɪv ˌɪnˈtɛnt. stɪl, ðɛr ɪz ə kˈwɛʃən əv ˈwɛðər kənˈtrækʧuəl tərmz ˈbɑrɪŋ [ðə] juz əv ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə dɪˈspaɪt ˈmɛdɪkəl nid ɪz kənˈsɪdərd unconscionable,”*,” hi ˈpɑndərd. ˈðɛrˌfɔr, ə ˈpeɪʃənt wɪθ ə ˈrɪtən ˌrɛkəmənˈdeɪʃən beɪst ɔn steɪt lɔ ənd ə ləˈʤɪtəmət ˈmɛdɪkəl nid meɪ bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ meɪk ə keɪs ɪn kɔrt ðət ðə rɪsk poʊzd baɪ ˈkænəbəs juz ɪz soʊ ˈmɪnət ðət ɪt wʊd bi ənˈkɑnʃənəbəl tɪ dɪˈnaɪ juz fər ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈtritmənt, əˈspɛʃəli fər səˈvɪr kˈwɑləˌfaɪɪŋ kənˈdɪʃənz. ɪf ə ˈrɛzɪdənt həz ə ˌdɪsəˈbɪlɪti ɛz dɪˈfaɪnd baɪ ðə fɛr ˈhaʊzɪŋ ækt, ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli wən ðət ɪz kənˈsɪdərd ə kˈwɑləˌfaɪɪŋ kənˈdɪʃən ɪn ə ˈmɛdɪkəl ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə steɪt, ðeɪ kʊd traɪ tɪ meɪk ðə kleɪm ðət ðə juz ər ˌkəltɪˈveɪʃən əv ˈkænəbəs ɪn ðɛr ˈrɛzɪdəns ʃʊd bi kənˈsɪdərd ə accommodation.”*.” ˌhaʊˈɛvər, sɪns ðə fɛr ˈhaʊzɪŋ ækt ɪz ə ˈfɛdərəl lɔ ənd ˈkænəbəs ɪz stɪl ˌɪˈligəl ˈəndər ðə ˈfɛdərəl ˈgəvərnmənt, wɪˈθaʊt ən əˈfɪʃəl prəˈskrɪpʃən frəm ə fəˈzɪʃən (wɪʧ ˈdɑktərz ər ˈkərəntli proʊˈhɪbətəd frəm duɪŋ; ˌɪnˈstɛd, ðeɪ ˈɔθərˌaɪz ““recommendations”*”), ˈhaʊzɪŋ prəˈvaɪdərz wʊd bi ˈəndər noʊ ˌɑbləˈgeɪʃən tɪ əˈlaʊ ɪt. wʊd anticipate,”*,” toʊld ˈjuˈɛs, ɪn steɪts wɛr ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə ɪz ˈligəl, ˈkɑmənli juzd ˈlisɪz wɪl bɪˈgɪn ˈædɪŋ ə spɪˈsɪfɪk klɔz fər ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə use.”*.” wət kən jʊr ˈlænˌdlɔrd du? ˈlænˌdlɔrdz ər rikˈwaɪərd tɪ əˈphoʊld ðə kənˈtrækʧuəl ˌɑbləˈgeɪʃənz sɛt fɔrθ ɪn ðə lis boʊθ ˈpɑrtiz hæv saɪnd. ɪf ju hæv ˈvaɪəleɪtɪd ðə tərmz əv jʊr lis baɪ sˈmoʊkɪŋ ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə ənd ɪt ˈɛskəˌleɪts tɪ ðə pɔɪnt ðət jʊr ˈlænˌdlɔrd həz bɪn ˈnoʊtəˌfaɪd, ju wɪl nɑt ˌɪˈmiˌdiətli feɪs ɪˈvɪkʃən. əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ, ˈɛni ənˈlɔfəl ər ɪˈvɪkʃən ˈnoʊtɪs, ðə ˈlænˌdlɔrd wɪl hæv tɪ teɪk ˈsərtən ˈvɛri ˈrɪʤɪd stɛps ˈæftər ðə ˌɪˈnɪʃəl ɪˈvɪkʃən ˈnoʊtɪs. əˈsumɪŋ ðə ˈpɑrtiz ər əˈneɪbəl tɪ riˈzɑlv ðə ˈɪʃu, ðə ˈlænˌdlɔrd wʊd bi fɔrst tɪ faɪl ˈækʃən ɪn kɔrt ənd pruv ðə vaɪəˈleɪʃən tɪ ə court.”*.” ɛz ə ˈtɛnənt, wət kən ju du? kɔrs, ˈtɛnənts hæv rights,”*,” sɛd. ə ˈnoʊtɪs əv ɪˈvɪkʃən, [ˈtɛnənts] kən ˈɑrgju ðɛr keɪs ɪn kɔrt. ðə ˈlænˌdlɔrd wʊd bi tæskt wɪθ ˈpruvɪŋ ə briʧ əv ðə lis tərmz, wɪʧ meɪ ˈdɪfəkəlt ɪn ðiz ˈkeɪsɪz kəmˈpɛrd tɪ əˈnɔθərˌaɪzd təˈbæˌkoʊ juz sɪns ðɛr wɪl ˈlaɪkli bi fɑr lɛs ˈɛvədəns əv juz, əˈspɛʃəli ɪn ðə keɪs əv sˈmoʊkləs [ˈkænəbəs] use.”*.” wərθ ˈnoʊtɪŋ ɛz wɛl: ˈlænˌdlɔrd kən ˈpərˌmɪt ˌmɛrəˈwɑnə juz, soʊ lɔŋ ɛz ɪt ɪz ˈligəl ɪn ðə state.”*.”
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where can you legally smoke cannabis? most often, the answer is within a private residence where you’re out of view of the general public. but what if you’re a renter of your “private residence?” this creates a confusing dilemma for those who are trying to abide by the regulations of the state but want to risk eviction from their residence.
if you rent your home or apartment and are wondering if you can legally smoke in it, the answer simple or straightforward. when it comes down to landlord-tenant rights, obligations, and insurance policies, less about your landlord’s feelings on the topic and a lot more about the legal contract you sign when you move into a new rental.
leafly reached out to rabin nabizadeh, a criminal defense attorney with summit defense based out of california, to get the full legal scoop on the particular ins, outs, and legal rights pertaining to the complex nature of consuming cannabis while renting or leasing a property.
lease agreements and binding legal contracts
“to begin,” nabizadeh explained, “there is a fundamental legal principle at play here that will shed some light on these issues: contracts can and often do prohibit legal acts. a violation would not be criminal, but will be a breach of contract and will lead to remedies in civil court.”
there are certain circumstances under which courts may not enforce contractual terms:
if the terms are illegal (using racially biased terms, etc.)
if the terms are unintelligible or vague
if the terms are unconscionable
rabin nabizadeh, criminal defense attorney in california “many leases will prohibit smoking in general, and that will likely encompass marijuana smoke.”
whether or not cannabis is legal, decriminalized, or legalized for medical use in the state where the lease agreement is signed can make a difference, but it all comes down to that one, binding legal document. nabizadeh likened the legal use of cannabis in contractual terms to the use of tobacco—also a legal substance, but prohibited in some leases.
“the focus criminal statutes, or even landlord-tenant law,” he said. “the lease is the controlling legal document. many leases will prohibit smoking in general, and that will likely encompass marijuana smoke. it is unclear whether that would include other types of use such as vaping.”
what about medical marijuana?
nabizadeh clarified the legal perspective on medical marijuana. “judges generally view medical marijuana [recommendations] as valid, despite the clear legislative intent. still, there is a question of whether contractual terms barring [the] use of marijuana despite medical need is considered unconscionable,” he pondered.
therefore, a patient with a written recommendation based on state law and a legitimate medical need may be able to make a case in court that the risk posed by cannabis use is so minute that it would be unconscionable to deny use for medical treatment, especially for severe qualifying conditions.
if a resident has a disability as defined by the fair housing act, particularly one that is considered a qualifying condition in a medical marijuana state, they could try to make the claim that the use or cultivation of cannabis in their residence should be considered a “reasonable accommodation.” however, since the fair housing act is a federal law and cannabis is still illegal under the federal government, without an official prescription from a physician (which doctors are currently prohibited from doing; instead, they authorize “recommendations”), housing providers would be under no obligation to allow it.
“i would anticipate,” nabizadeh told us, “that in states where marijuana is legal, commonly used leases will begin adding a specific clause for marijuana use.”
what can your landlord do?
landlords are required to uphold the contractual obligations set forth in the lease both parties have signed. if you have violated the terms of your lease by smoking marijuana and it escalates to the point that your landlord has been notified, you will not immediately face eviction.
according to nabizadeh, “like any unlawful detainer or eviction notice, the landlord will have to take certain very rigid steps after the initial eviction notice. assuming the parties are unable to resolve the issue, the landlord would be forced to file action in court and prove the violation to a court.”
as a tenant, what can you do? “of course, tenants have rights,” nabizadeh said. “upon a notice of eviction, [tenants] can argue their case in court. the landlord would be tasked with proving a breach of the lease terms, which may difficult in these cases compared to unauthorized tobacco use since there will likely be far less evidence of use, especially in the case of smokeless [cannabis] use.”
worth noting as well: “the landlord can permit marijuana use, so long as it is legal in the state.”
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ɪn 2015 nu jɔrk ˈmægəˌzin roʊt əˈbaʊt ðə ˈtɛrəbəl ˈsɛksɪst ˈstɛrioʊˌtaɪps ðət əˈtɛnd ˈhɑliˌwʊd pɔrˈtreɪəlz əv ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ðɛr ˈtɛndənsiz tɪ ˈʤɛtɪsən prəˈfɛʃənəˌlɪzəm ənd ˈɛθɪkəl ˈstændərdz æt wɪm ɪn ˈɔrdər tɪ slip wɪθ ˈsɔrsəz. ɪt kɪl ˈhɑliˌwʊd tɪ gɪv ˈjuˈɛs wən ˈgroʊˌnəp ˈrɔri gilmore?”*?” æst ˈraɪtər ˈmɛrɪn ˈkoʊgən. bət ɛz ðə ˈrisənt ˈgɪlmɔr gərlz: ə jɪr ɪn ðə laɪf rɪˈvaɪvəl həz ʃoʊn ˈjuˈɛs, ɪt tərnz aʊt ðət ə ˈgroʊˌnəp ˈrɔri ˈgɪlmɔr səbˈvərt ðiz ˈstɛrioʊˌtaɪps ʃi ɛmˈbɑdiz ðɛm, əˈlɔŋ wɪθ ə hoʊst əv əˈdɪʃənəl prəˈfɛʃənəl noʊ wən sɔ ˈkəmɪŋ. æt list səm əv ˌʤərnəˈlɪstɪk ˈprɑbləmz ər ˌɪnˈtərnəl pərˈdəkʃən ˈɪʃuz. ˈeɪmi sherman-palladino*, hu ˈʃɛpərdɪd sɪks ˈsizənz əv ðə bɪˈləvəd ˈsɪriz bət lɛft ˌbiˈfɔr ɪts ˈfaɪnəl jɪr, həz ˈsteɪtɪd ðət ʃi ˈnɛvər ˈivɪn sɔ ðə ˈfaɪnəl ˈsizən. ðə ˈsɪriz fəˈnæli hæd ˈrɔri wɛl ɔn hər weɪ tɪ prəˈfɛʃənəl səkˈsɛs, ənd ðəs lɛft rum fər kənˈsɪdərəbəl kənfˈjuʒən əˈbaʊt wɛr ðət ˈpləki gərl ˈʤərnəlɪst hæd gɔn ɪn ðə rɪˈvaɪvəl. jɛt ˈhæpləs ˌʤərnəˈlɪstɪk kərɪr ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ pɑrt əv ə pərˈsɪstənt ˈprɑbləm wɪθ ðə ˈʒɑnrə tɪ wɪʧ ʃi bɪˈlɔŋz, ɛz wɛl ɛz ə ˈlɑrʤər ˈprɑbləm wɪθ ðə weɪ ˈhɑliˌwʊd kənˈtɪnjuəli feɪlz tɪ əˈlaʊ ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts nuɑnst ənd ˌriəˈlɪstɪk plɑts. roʊˈmæntɪk ˈkɑmədi ˈɔfən peɪnts ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə ˈmidiə ɛz prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈmɪsˌfɪts ðə ˈʒɑnrə ənd ɪts ˈlɪtərˌɛri ˈkaʊntərˌpɑrt (ðə ˈglɔsi lit”*” əv ðə leɪt ənd aughts*, naʊ ˈlɑrʤli feɪzd aʊt ɪn ˈfeɪvər əv ˈstimiər nu ˈædəlt) boʊθ laɪk tɪ juz prəˈfɛʃənz fər ðɛr ˈhɛˌroʊənz. ˈlidɪŋ ˈleɪdiz ˈrɛrli wərk ɪn əˈkaʊnɪŋ ənd ˈɔlˌmoʊst ˈnɛvər ɪn ʤɑbz, ənˈlɛs ə ˌsɪndərˈɛlə ˈstɔri. fɑr mɔr ˈlaɪkli tɪ wərk ɪn ˈʤərnəˌlɪzəm, ˈpəblɪʃɪŋ, ˈtɛləˌvɪʒən, ˈɑrkəˌtɛkʧər, ənd ˈəðər ˈɑrtˈsi pərˈsuts. ɔn ðə wən hænd, ðət meɪks sɛns, sɪns ðiz ʤɑbz ˈɔfən rɪˈflɛkt ðə ril ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz əv ðə ˈwɪmən hu raɪt ðə; fər ɪgˈzæmpəl, ˈnɔrə ˈɛfrən wɑz ə ˈʤərnəlɪst (hər kərɪr ɪz dɪˈpɪktɪd ɪn ðə ˈsɪriz gʊd gərlz rɪˈvoʊlt) ˌbiˈfɔr bɪˈkəmɪŋ ə ˈskrinˌraɪtər. bət ɪn ə ˈlɑrʤər ˈkəlʧərəl ˈkɑntɛkst, ˈpʊtɪŋ ˈhɛˌroʊənz ɪn ðiz kaɪnz əv ʤɑbz tɛndz tɪ kriˈeɪt ə streɪnʤ dɪskəˈnɛkt frəm ˌriˈæləˌti. laɪk tɪ ɪgˈzæsərˌbeɪt ˈkɑnflɪkt baɪ ˈpʊtɪŋ ɑr ˈhɛroʊən æt dɪˈrɛkt ɑdz wɪθ hər ˈwərkɪŋ ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt ˈiðər bɪˈkəz tu kˈwərki ənd ɑd tɪ fɪt ɪn ər bɪˈkəz ˌɪnɛkˈspɪriənst ənd həz noʊ aɪˈdiə haʊ θɪŋz wərk. wət ðət minz ɪz ðət ɪn ðə ˌɑnˈskrin wərld əv ə, wɛr pɔrˈtreɪəlz əv ˈʤərnəˌlɪzəm ənd ðə ˈmidiə ər ˈprɛvələnt, wi ˈjuʒəwəli gɪt ə bənʧ əv ““professional”*” ˈwɪmən hu sim tɪ hæv noʊ aɪˈdiə wət duɪŋ. ɪn ðə ðət kɪkt ɔf ðə kreɪz, ˈbrɪʤɪt ˈdaɪəri, ðə ˈtaɪtəl ˈkɛrɪktər (pleɪd baɪ zellweger*) kwɪts hər ʤɑb æt ə ˈpəblɪʃɪŋ haʊs (ˈæftər ˈhævɪŋ ən əˈfɛr wɪθ hər bɔs) ənd ləks ˈɪntu ə ʤɑb ɛz ə rɪˈpɔrtər, wɛr hər prəˈdusər hjuˈmɪliˌeɪts hər ɔn ˈnæʃənəl ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən baɪ ˈʃoʊkeɪsɪŋ hər ˈnæʧərəl ˈkləmzinəs. ɪn əˈnəðər ˈmuvi beɪst ɔn ə ˈnɑvəl, ðə ˈdɛvəl wɛrz ˈprɑdə, ˈændi sɑks (æn ˈhæθəˌweɪ) ɪz ə ˈʤərnəlɪst, ə ˈrɔri nərd frəm ə smɔl taʊn. bət ʃi ˌɪˈnɪʃəli trits hər fərst bɪg ˌɑpərˈtunəti, ˈlændɪŋ ə drim ʤɑb æt ðə prɛˈmɪr ˈfæʃən ˈmægəˌzin, ɛz ə ʤoʊk. ˈkluləs əˈbaʊt ðə ˈbeɪsɪks əv ðə ˈfæʃən ˈɪndəstri ənd sim tɪ hæv riˈsərʧt ˈɛniˌθɪŋ əˈbaʊt ɪt nɑt ˈivɪn haʊ tɪ spɛl ðə neɪmz əv ðə tɔp dɪˈzaɪnərz bi ˈwərkɪŋ wɪθ. ʃi ˈɔlsoʊ boʊθ slips wɪθ ə sɔrs ənd ˈjuzɪz ɪm tɪ hɛlp hər fɪl wən əv hər prəˈfɛʃənəl goʊlz. ˌʤərnəˈlɪstɪk ˈfəmbəlz ˌɪnˈklud ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ frəm ˈkipɪŋ ə kənfˈjuzɪŋ ˈnəmbər əv foʊnz tɪ biɪŋ ˈətərli ˌənpriˈpɛrd ˈdʊrɪŋ hər ˈoʊnli ʤɑb ˈɪntərvˌju kwərks ðət sim tɪ meɪk noʊ sɛns ɪn ðə ˈkɑntɛkst əv hər laɪf ənd ˈhɪstəri əp tɪ naʊ. ˈrəðər, ðeɪ pəˈzɪʃən hər wɪˈθɪn ə ˈlɑrʤər ˈpætərn əv ðə ˈhɛroʊən ˈstrəgəlɪŋ tɪ faɪnd hərˈsɛlf ɪn ə prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈkɑntɛkst, ənd ˈɔfən ˈkəmɪŋ əˈkrɔs ɛz ˈtoʊtəli ˌɪnˈkɑmpətənt ɪn ðə ˈprɔˌsɛs. ˈʤərnəˌlɪzəm ɪz ə ʤaɪənt mɛs əv ˈpərsɪnəl ənd prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈkɑnflɪkt ˌənprəˈfɛʃənəl bɪˈheɪvjər ɛz ə ˈʤərnəlɪst ˈɔlsoʊ fɪts hər wɪˈθɪn ðə ˈɔnˌgoʊɪŋ ˈtɛndənsi tɪ fjuz roʊˈmæntɪk ənd prəˈfɛʃənəl riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪps. ðə θraɪvz ɔn dɪˈpɪktɪŋ wət ɪt siz baɪ dɪˈfɔlt ɛz ə kɔr ˈkɑnflɪkt əv ə laɪf: ðə ˈbæləns bɪtˈwin ðə ˈpərsɪnəl ənd prəˈfɛʃənəl. blər ðiz laɪnz soʊ ˈfrikwɛntli hɑrd tɪ faɪnd ə ðət juz ðɪs θim ɛz ə plɑt pɔɪnt. ənd əˈgɛn, bɪˈkəz soʊ ˈmɛni juz ðə ˈmidiə ɛz ðɛr prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈsɛtɪŋz, ðeɪ hæv ə ˈtɛndənsi tɪ dɪˈpɪkt ˈʤərnəlɪsts, ˌpɑrˈtɪkjələrli ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts, ɛz biɪŋ proʊn tɪ ˈpərsɪnəl riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪps ðət krɔs ɔl kaɪnz əv ˈɛθɪkəl ənd prəˈfɛʃənəl laɪnz. ɪf ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts ɪn ˈgɪtɪŋ roʊˈmæntɪkəli ˌɪnˈvɑlvd wɪθ ðɛr ˈsɔrsəz ər meɪl ˈkɑligz (sˈlipləs ɪn siˈætəl, ðə ˈdɛvəl wɛrz ˈprɑdə, ˈnɛvər bɪn kɪst, ʤɪst nɑt ðət ˈɪntu ju, trainwreck*, tɔp faɪv, ðə lɪst goʊz ɔn), biɪŋ məˈnɪpjəˌleɪtɪd baɪ ˈpipəl hu wɔnt tɪ meɪk ðɛr ləv lɪvz ðə ˈsɛnər əv ðə ˈstɔri. ðiz tɛnd tɪ meɪk ““journalism”*” ə fər ˈwərkˌpleɪs shenanigans”*” (wɪʧ ɪz ˈɔfən koʊd fər harassment”*”). wɪn ðə ˌbibiˈsi meɪd ə ˈmɑdərn ˈvərʒən əv məʧ əˈdu əˈbaʊt ˈnəθɪŋ ɪn 2005 ɪt riˈkæst ˈbɪkərɪŋ ˈɑrkɪˌtaɪps ˈbiətrɪs ənd ˈbɛnədɪk ɛz skˈwɑbəlɪŋ ˈnuzˌrum ˈæŋkərz huz ˈsɛkʃuəl ˈtɛnʃən gɪvz ðə ʃoʊ ə ˈreɪtɪŋz bust. ɪn ðə ˈəgli truθ, ˈkæθərɪn prəˈdusər ɪz ˌəndərˈmaɪnd əˈgɛn ənd əˈgɛn baɪ ə sˈwægərɪŋ ʤərɑrd ˈbətlər, hu ʤɔɪnz ðə ʃoʊ ɛz ə hoʊst ənd məˈnɪpjəˌleɪts hər ˈɪntu ə riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp, dɪˈspaɪt hər ˌɪˈnɪʃəl ˈloʊθɪŋ ənd ðə ˈɑbviəs ˈɛθɪkəl ˈkɑnflɪkt. ðɛn haʊ tɪ luz ə gaɪ ɪn 10 deɪz, ɪn wɪʧ keɪt ˈhədsən ɪz ə ˈlaɪfˌstaɪl ˈkɑləmnəst fər ə ˈmægəˌzin hu ˌdɪˈsaɪdz tɪ beɪs ə ˈstɔri əraʊnd ə ˈkælkjəˌleɪtɪd əˈtɛmpt tɪ deɪt ənd breɪk əp wɪθ ə ˈrændəm gaɪ. hər oʊn ˈfɔrmər ˈkɑligz tu ˈwɪmən, bɪˈkəz əv kɔrs ˈwɪmən hæv non-catty*, mˈjuʧuəli səˈpɔrtɪv riˈleɪʃənˌʃɪps ɪn məˈnɪpjəˌleɪt hər ˈɪntu ˈdeɪtɪŋ ə gaɪ ˈɔlsoʊ traɪɪŋ tɪ ˈlɛvərɪʤ ə ˈdeɪtɪŋ plɑt tɪ juz ɪn hɪz prəˈfɛʃənəl kərɪr. ənd ˈkɛri ɪnˈtaɪər kərɪr ɪn sɛks ɪn ðə ˈsɪti ɪz bɪlt əraʊnd ˈmaɪnɪŋ hər sɛks laɪf fər ˈkɑləmz. ˈgɪlmɔr gərlz: ə jɪr ɪn ðə laɪf ɪz noʊ ɪkˈsɛpʃən tɪ ðɪs ˈmɪksɪŋ əv ðə ˈpərsɪnəl ənd prəˈfɛʃənəl. ɪn fækt, θruaʊt ðə rɪˈvaɪvəl, prəˈfɛʃənəl laɪf ɪz freɪmd ˈmeɪnli ɪn tərmz əv haʊ ɪt ˈkɑmplɪˌkeɪts hər roʊˈmæntɪk laɪf. æt wən pɔɪnt, ʃi slips wɪθ ə ˈgiki sɔrs (fər ən ˈɑrtɪkəl ʃi ˈnɛvər faɪlz ər ˈivɪn ˈrɪli stɑrts), ðɛn traɪz tɪ pɪʧ ən ˈɛdɪtər ɔn ðə ɪkˈspɪriəns ɛz ə teɪk ɔn gik gərlz. (ðə ˈɛdɪtər ɪz ˈʤəstəˌfaɪəbli ˌənɪmˈprɛst.) ʃi gɪts hər ˈoʊnli ˈəðər ˈɔdiəns wɪθ ən ˈɛdɪtər baɪ ˈbɛgɪŋ hər dæd tɪ juz hɪz ˈɪnfluəns tɪ sɛt əp ðə ˈɪntərvˌju. wɪn ʃi ˈfaɪnəli tərnz təˈwɔrd ðə nɛkst feɪz əv hər laɪf, ʃi bɪˈgɪnz ˈraɪtɪŋ ə ˈmɛmˌwɑr əˈbaʊt hərˈsɛlf ənd hər ˈməðər. bət ʃi gɪt ðə aɪˈdiə ɔn hər oʊn: hər oʊld ˈbɔɪˌfrɛnd ʤɛs gɪvz ɪt tɪ hər, ɪn ə sin ðət ˈrɪli əˈbaʊt kərɪr æt ɔl, bət əˈbaʊt kəmˌpætəˈbɪləˌti wɪθ hər, hɪz ˌəndərˈstændɪŋ əv hər hoʊps ənd drimz. nən əv ðiz ˈstrəkʧərəl ˈɛləmənts ɪnˈtaɪərli ɪkˈspleɪn bɪˈheɪvjər bət ðeɪ du ˈgɪlmɔr girls’*’ ˈɛləmənts. ˈaʊtˈsaɪd əv ðə, ˈhɑliˌwʊd wɔnts ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts tɪ bi ʃeɪmd ənd ˈpənɪʃt ɪf ðə ɪz wɛr ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts goʊ tɪ bi ˌɪnˈkɑmpətənt ənd ˈsɛkʃuəli həræst, ɔl ðə ˈəðər ˈʒɑnrəz ər wɛr ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts goʊ tɪ bi pʊt ɪn ðɛr pleɪs. ˈfɪkʃənəl ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts ˈɔfən tɛnd tɪ bi ˈruθləs, eɪˈmɔrəl du ˈɛniˌθɪŋ fər ə ˈstɔri, ər ˈsɛkʃuəli əˈveɪləbəl tɪ ðɛr ˈsɔrsəz. (ɪt ʃʊd goʊ wɪˈθaʊt seɪɪŋ ðət ˈʤərnəlɪsts meɪk ə ˈhæbət əv sˈlipɪŋ wɪθ ðɛr ˈsəbʤɪkts, bət ənˈfɔrʧənətli, ðɪs ə ˈfɔrˈgɔn kənˈkluʒən; ʤɪst æsk ðə ˈmɛni ˈriˌllaɪf rɪˈpɔrtərz bɪn ˈsɛkʃuəli həræst waɪl traɪɪŋ tɪ du ðɛr ʤɑbz.) ˈstɔriz laɪk haʊs əv kɑrdz,, ənd ˈnɛtˌwərk ɔl pɔrˈtreɪ ˈbreɪzən rɪˈpɔrtərz ər ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən ˈmidiə prəˈdusərz huz ˈjərnɪŋ fər səkˈsɛs meɪks ðɛm əˈbændən ðɛr ˈɛθɪks. əˈgɛn ənd əˈgɛn, ðiz ˈwɪmən ər dɪˈpɪktɪd ɛz ˈʃæloʊ, ˈgridi, ənd ˌənprəˈfɛʃənəl ənd ðɛn ðə ˈnɛrətɪv ʃeɪmz ðɛm fər ɪt, ˈɔfən ˈsərvɪŋ ðɛm ə dɪˈsaɪsɪv ˈmoʊmənt əv ˌkəˈməpəns. ˈæftər ˈhævɪŋ ən əˈfɛr wɪθ ðə meɪn ˈkɛrɪktər, ðə ˈpləki rɪˈpɔrtər ɪn haʊs əv kɑrdz ɪz ˈəltəmətli dɪˈspæʧt ˈhɔrəbli. rəˈneɪ ˈkɛrɪktər ɪn ˈəltəmətli gɪts sərvd baɪ ðə seɪm əˈnɛθɪkəl ˈkətθˌroʊt bɪˈheɪvjər ɛnˈʤɛndərd ɪn hər ˈwərkˌpleɪs. ə ˈsɪmələrli ˈvɪlənəs ˈkɛrɪktər, daɪˈænə ɪn ˈnɛtˌwərk ɪz ɛˈsɛnʃəli pɔrˈtreɪd ɛz ˈhævɪŋ lɔst hər juˈmænɪti ɪn hər kwɛst fər ˈreɪtɪŋz; dɪˈskraɪbd æt wən pɔɪnt ɛz ˌɪnˈkɑrˌneɪt, ˌɪnˈdɪfərənt tɪ ˈsəfərɪŋ, ˌɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv tɪ joy.”*.” ɪn θæŋk ju fər sˈmoʊkɪŋ, ˈkeɪti ˈkɛrɪktər slips wɪθ hər ˈsəbʤɪkt fər ə ˈstɔri bət ðɛn ɪz ˈpəblɪkli hjuˈmɪliˌeɪtɪd ənd faɪərd ˈæftər hi goʊz ˈpəblɪk əˈbaʊt ðɛr əˈfɛr. ðə ˈfeɪməsli eɪˈmɔrəl ˈritə ˈskitər əv ˈhɛri ˈpɑtər ɪz nɑt ˈoʊnli ˈpənɪʃt fər hər məˈnɪpjəˌleɪtɪv əˈtɛmpts æt ˈgɪtɪŋ ˈstɔriz tərnd ˈɪntu ə ˈbitəl ənd kɛpt ɪn ə ʤɑr fər jɪrz. jɪrz! krɪˈstin ˈɛvərˌhɑrt (ˈlɛsli bɪb), ðə ʃrud rɪˈpɔrtər ɪn ðə aɪərn mæn ˈtrɪləʤi, ɪz ənd tɪ frəm ðə ˈmoʊmənt ʃi ʃoʊz əp; ðoʊ ʃi slips wɪθ hər sɔrs (hu ˈoʊnli əˈgriz tɪ tɔk tɪ hər bɪˈkəz ““cute”*”), ʃi kənˈtɪnjuz tɪ krɪˈtik ɪm ənd pərˈsu hər ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən ˈɪntu hɪz ˈbɪznɪs ˈdilɪŋz dɪˈspaɪt ðə ˈɑbviəs nu ˈkɑnflɪkt əv ˈɪntəˌrɛst. pɔrˈtreɪd ɛz ə ˈfʊli ˌɪnˈtɛləʤənt ənd ˈkeɪpəbəl ˈʤərnəlɪst, jɛt ðə ˈmɑrvəl ˈjunəˌvərs ʃeɪmz hər əˈgɛn ənd əˈgɛn. aɪərn mæn 2 brɪŋz hər bæk ˈsoʊəli tɪ hər fər ðə sin ʃi wɑz ɔˈrɛdi ʃeɪmd fər ɪn aɪərn mæn. ðə wɛb ˈsɪriz gɪvz krɪˈstin ə ʤɑb ɛz ən ˈæŋkər, bət ɪt meɪks hər ə ˈkɔrpərət ʃɪl ənd kənˈtɪnjuəli həz hər ˈkrɪtɪˌsaɪzɪŋ ðə ɪn ˈɛvəri dəˈbeɪt, ˈsətəli pəˈzɪʃənɪŋ hər ɪn ˌɑpəˈzɪʃən tɪ ɔl ˌsupərˈhiroʊ fænz. ənd ðɛn ðə ˈfeɪməs aʊt ðə trash”*” ʤoʊk. ˈivɪn ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts wi ləv gɪt ˈʃæftɪd. ˈkətθˌroʊt geɪl ˈwɛðərz (ˈkɔrtni kɑks) ɪz ðə ˌstɛrioʊˈtɪpɪkəl ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪst ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə fərst tu fɪlmz ɪn ðə ˈfrænˌʧaɪz; nɑt ənˈtɪl ʃi fɔlz ɪn ləv wɪθ wən əv hər ˈsɔrsəz ðət ʃi aʊt ənd rɪˈmɛmbərz haʊ tɪ bi ə ril ˈjumən əˈgɛn, ˌɪnˈstɛd əv ən ˌɪnˈseɪʃəbəl pɛst əv ə rɪˈpɔrtər. ˈpɑpjələr ˈkɑmɪks rɪˈpɔrtərz laɪk loʊəs leɪn ənd ˈvɪki veɪl meɪ bi gʊd æt ðɛr ʤɑbz, bət ðeɪ stɪl fɔl ˈɪntu ðə əv ðə hɑt rɪˈpɔrtər hu fɔrmz roʊˈmæntɪk əˈtæʧmənts wɪθ hər ˌsupərˈhiroʊ əv ʧɔɪs. ˈivɪn wɪn ˈʤərnəlɪsts du ðɛr ʤɑbz, ˈɔfən ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəbli θˈwɔrtɪd baɪ ðə ˈnɛrətɪv. ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts ˈɔfən tərn aʊt tɪ hæv bɪn məˈnɪpjəˌleɪtɪd baɪ ðɛr ˈsɔrsəz ɔl əˈlɔŋ (haʊs əv kɑrdz, ðə laɪf əv ˈdeɪvɪd geɪl). ɪn fækt, ˈprɪti məʧ ðə ˈoʊnli taɪm ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts ɪn ˈhɑliˌwʊd ər əˈlaʊd tɪ bi ˈkɑmpətɪnt, səkˈsɛsfəl, ənd prəˈfɛʃənəl wɪˈθaʊt ˈvaɪəleɪtɪŋ ˈɛni ˈɛθɪkəl ˈstændərdz ɪz wɪn ðə ˈʤərnəlɪsts ər beɪst ɔn ril ˈpipəl (ˈspɑˌtlaɪt, gʊd gərlz rɪˈvoʊlt). ðə ˈfɪkʃənəl ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪst həz ˈoʊnli bɪn əˈlaʊd tɪ bi ˌənikˈwɪvəkəli ˈɛksələnt æt hər ʤɑb ɔn ə fju ɔˈkeɪʒənz. ðə ˈvɪntɪʤ ˈklæsɪk hɪz gərl ˈfraɪˌdeɪ geɪv ˈjuˈɛs ˈhɪldi ˈʤɑnsən, ən ˌaɪˈkɑnɪk roʊl fər ˈrɑzəlɪnd ˈrəsəl ðət kənˈteɪnd ɔl ðə ˈklæsɪk əv ˈpərsɪnəl ənd prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈkɑnflɪkts, jɛt ˈnɛvər wəns sɔ ɪts ˈkɛrɪktər ˈkrɔsɪŋ ˈɛθɪkəl laɪnz. ɪn ˈwʊmən əv ðə jɪr, ˈkæθrɪn ˈhɛpbərn wɑz ə ˈfɛmənɪst rɪˈpɔrtər huz səkˈsɛs hər husband’s*. ˈmɛri ˈtaɪlər ˌtɛləˈvɪʒən nuz prəˈdusər ɔn ðə ˈmɛri ˈtaɪlər mʊr ʃoʊ ˈnoʊtəbli ʧoʊz tɪ feɪs ʤeɪl taɪm ˈrəðər ðən gɪv əp hər ˈsɔrsəz; ðɛn ðɛr wɑz ðə ˈsɪriz ˈmərfi braʊn (ənd ˈivɪn ˈkɑmpətɪns wɑz ˈkaʊnərd baɪ ˈkɔrki ˈʃərˌwʊd). moʊst əv ðiz ɪgˈzæmpəlz əv ““good”*” ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts wɪˈθaʊt ˈɪʃu, bət ðeɪ æt list ʃoʊ ˈjuˈɛs ðət ˈhɑliˌwʊd ɪz ˈkeɪpəbəl əv dɪˈlɪvərɪŋ ˈkɑmplɛks, prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈwɪmən ɪn ðə wərld əv ˈʤərnəˌlɪzəm hu ər kəˈmɪtɪd tɪ ðɛr ʤɑbz ənd ˈkeɪpəbəl əv meɪnˈteɪnɪŋ ˈbeɪsɪk ˈɛθɪkəl ˈstændərdz. ˈmɛni ˈgɪlmɔr gərlz fænz hæd hoʊpt ðət ˈrɔri wʊd teɪk hər pleɪs əˈməŋ ðiz ˈfɪkʃənəl ɪgˈzæmpəlz ɛz ə praʊd prəˈfɛʃənəl ˈʤərnəlɪst, ɛz wən mɔr riˈmaɪndər ðət ˈfiˌmeɪl ˈʤərnəlɪsts kən bi boʊθ ˈkɑmpətɪnt ənd ˈkeɪpəbəl əv ˈgɪtɪŋ ə ˈstɔri wɪˈθaʊt ˈkrɔsɪŋ ˈɛθɪkəl laɪnz. əˈlæs, ɪt simz ˈhɑliˌwʊd ʤɪst ˈrɛdi fər ðə ˈrɔri ˈgɪlmɔr əv ɑr drimz.
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in 2015, new york magazine wrote about the terrible sexist stereotypes that attend hollywood portrayals of female journalists — particularly their tendencies to jettison professionalism and ethical standards at whim in order to sleep with sources. “would it kill hollywood to give us one grown-up rory gilmore?” asked writer marin cogan.
but as the recent gilmore girls: a year in the life revival has shown us, it turns out that a grown-up rory gilmore doesn’t subvert these stereotypes — she embodies them, along with a host of additional professional incompetencies no one saw coming.
at least some of rory’s journalistic problems are internal production issues. showrunner amy sherman-palladino, who shepherded six seasons of the beloved cw series but left before its final year, has stated that she never even saw the final season. the series finale had rory well on her way to professional success, and thus left room for considerable confusion about where that plucky girl journalist had gone in the revival.
yet rory’s hapless journalistic career is also part of a persistent problem with the rom-com genre to which she belongs, as well as a larger problem with the way hollywood continually fails to allow female journalists nuanced and realistic plots.
romantic comedy often paints female members of the media as professional misfits
the rom-com genre and its literary counterpart (the glossy “chick lit” of the late ’90s and aughts, now largely phased out in favor of steamier new adult) both like to use semi-artsy professions for their heroines. rom-com leading ladies rarely work in accounting and almost never in blue-collar jobs, unless a rag-to-riches cinderella story. they’re far more likely to work in journalism, publishing, television, architecture, and other artsy pursuits.
on the one hand, that makes sense, since these jobs often reflect the real experiences of the women who write the rom-coms; for example, nora ephron was a journalist (her career is depicted in the series good girls revolt) before becoming a screenwriter. but in a larger cultural context, putting rom-com heroines in these kinds of jobs tends to create a strange disconnect from reality. rom-coms like to exacerbate conflict by putting our heroine at direct odds with her working environment — either because she’s too quirky and odd to fit in or because she’s inexperienced and has no idea how things work.
what that means is that in the onscreen world of a rom-com, where portrayals of journalism and the media are prevalent, we usually get a bunch of “professional” women who seem to have no idea what they’re doing. in the rom-com that kicked off the chick-lit craze, bridget jones’s diary, the title character (played by renée zellweger) quits her job at a publishing house (after having an affair with her boss) and lucks into a job as a reporter, where her producer humiliates her on national tv by showcasing her natural clumsiness.
in another movie based on a best-selling chick-lit novel, the devil wears prada, andy sachs (anne hathaway) is a would-be hardboiled journalist, a rory gilmore–esque nerd from a small town. but she initially treats her first big opportunity, landing a dream job at the world’s premier fashion magazine, as a joke. she’s laughably clueless about the basics of the fashion industry and doesn’t seem to have researched anything about it — not even how to spell the names of the top designers she’ll be working with. she also both sleeps with a source and uses him to help her fill one of her professional goals.
rory’s journalistic fumbles include everything from keeping a confusing number of phones to being utterly unprepared during her only job interview — quirks that seem to make no sense in the context of her life and history up to now. rather, they position her within a larger pattern of the rom-com heroine struggling to find herself in a professional context, and often coming across as totally incompetent in the process.
rom-com journalism is a giant mess of personal and professional conflict
rory’s unprofessional behavior as a journalist also fits her within the genre’s ongoing tendency to fuse romantic and professional relationships. the rom-com thrives on depicting what it sees by default as a core conflict of a woman’s life: the balance between the personal and professional. rom-coms blur these lines so frequently hard to find a rom-com that doesn’t use this theme as a plot point.
and again, because so many rom-coms use the media as their professional settings, they have a tendency to depict journalists, particularly female journalists, as being prone to personal relationships that cross all kinds of ethical and professional lines. if female journalists in rom-coms aren’t getting romantically involved with their sources or male colleagues (sleepless in seattle, the devil wears prada, never been kissed, he’s just not that into you, trainwreck, top five, the list goes on), they’re being preposterously manipulated by people who want to make their love lives the center of the story.
these tropes tend to make “journalism” a stand-in for “romantic workplace shenanigans” (which is often code for “sexual harassment”). when the bbc made a modern version of much ado about nothing in 2005, it recast bickering love-struck archetypes beatrice and benedick as squabbling newsroom anchors whose sexual tension gives the show a ratings boost. in the ugly truth, katherine heigl’s morning-show producer is undermined again and again by a swaggering gerard butler, who joins the show as a host and manipulates her into a relationship, despite her initial loathing and the obvious ethical conflict.
then there’s how to lose a guy in 10 days, in which kate hudson is a lifestyle columnist for a women’s magazine who decides to base a story around a calculated attempt to date and break up with a random guy. her own former colleagues — two women, because of course women can’t have non-catty, mutually supportive relationships in rom-coms — manipulate her into dating a guy who’s also trying to leverage a dating plot to use in his professional career. and carrie bradshaw’s entire career in sex in the city is built around mining her sex life for columns.
gilmore girls: a year in the life is no exception to this mixing of the personal and professional. in fact, throughout the revival, rory’s professional life is framed mainly in terms of how it complicates her romantic life. at one point, she sleeps with a geeky source (for an article she never files or even really starts), then apathetically tries to pitch an editor on the experience as a self-loathing take on geek girls. (the editor is justifiably unimpressed.) she gets her only other audience with an editor by begging her boyfriend’s dad to use his influence to set up the interview. when she finally turns toward the next phase of her life, she begins writing a memoir about herself and her mother. but she doesn’t get the idea on her own: her old boyfriend jess gives it to her, in a scene that really about rory’s career at all, but about jess’s compatibility with her, his understanding of her hopes and dreams.
none of these structural elements entirely explain rory’s behavior — but they do contextualize gilmore girls’ rom-com elements.
outside of the rom-com, hollywood wants female journalists to be shamed and punished
if the rom-com is where female journalists go to be incompetent and sexually harassed, all the other genres are where female journalists go to be put in their place.
hollywood’s fictional female journalists often tend to be ruthless, amoral cutthroats who’ll do anything for a story, and/or are sexually available to their sources. (it should go without saying that journalists make a habit of sleeping with their subjects, but unfortunately, this a foregone conclusion; just ask the many real-life reporters who’ve been sexually harassed while trying to do their jobs.) stories like house of cards, nightcrawler, and network all portray brazen reporters or tv media producers whose yearning for success makes them abandon their ethics.
again and again, these women are depicted as shallow, greedy, and unprofessional — and then the narrative shames them for it, often serving them a decisive moment of comeuppance. after having an affair with the main character, the plucky reporter in house of cards is ultimately dispatched horribly. rene russo’s character in nightcrawler ultimately gets served by the same unethical cutthroat behavior she’s engendered in her workplace. a similarly villainous character, diana in network is essentially portrayed as having lost her humanity in her quest for ratings; she’s described at one point as “television incarnate, indifferent to suffering, insensitive to joy.” in thank you for smoking, katie holmes’s character sleeps with her subject for a story but then is publicly humiliated and fired after he goes public about their affair. the famously amoral rita skeeter of harry potter is not only punished for her manipulative attempts at getting stories — she’s turned into a beetle and kept in a jar for years. years!
christine everhart (leslie bibb), the shrewd brown-alumni reporter in the iron man trilogy, is slut-shamed and condescended to from the moment she shows up; though she sleeps with her source (who only agrees to talk to her because she’s “cute”), she continues to critique him and pursue her investigation into his business dealings despite the obvious new conflict of interest. she’s portrayed as a fully intelligent and capable journalist, yet the marvel universe shames her again and again. iron man 2 brings her back solely to re-slut-shame her for the scene she was already shamed for in iron man. the avengers tie-in web series whih newsfront gives christine a job as an anchor, but it makes her a corporate shill and continually has her criticizing the avengers in every debate, subtly positioning her in opposition to all right-thinking superhero fans. and then there’s the famous “take out the trash” joke.
even female journalists we love get shafted. scream’s cutthroat gale weathers (courtney cox) is the stereotypical ratings-hungry female journalist during the first two films in the franchise; not until she falls in love with one of her sources that she mellows out and remembers how to be a real human again, instead of an insatiable pest of a reporter. popular comics reporters like lois lane and vicki vale may be good at their jobs, but they still fall into the trope of the hot reporter who forms romantic attachments with her superhero of choice.
even when journalists do their jobs, they’re often inexplicably thwarted by the narrative. female journalists often turn out to have been manipulated by their sources all along (house of cards, the life of david gale). in fact, pretty much the only time female journalists in hollywood are allowed to be competent, successful, and professional without violating any ethical standards is when the journalists are based on real people (spotlight, good girls revolt).
the fictional female journalist has only been allowed to be unequivocally excellent at her job on a few occasions. the vintage classic his girl friday gave us hildy johnson, an iconic role for rosalind russell that contained all the classic rom-com tropes of personal and professional conflicts, yet never once saw its character crossing ethical lines. in woman of the year, katharine hepburn was a hardboiled feminist reporter whose success upstages her husband’s. mary tyler moore’s tv news producer on the mary tyler moore show notably chose to face jail time rather than give up her sources; then there was the long-running ’90s series murphy brown (and even murphy’s hard-hitting competence was countered by ditzy corky sherwood).
most of these examples of “good” female journalists aren’t without issue, but they at least show us that hollywood is capable of delivering complex, professional women in the world of journalism who are committed to their jobs and capable of maintaining basic ethical standards.
many gilmore girls fans had hoped that rory would take her place among these fictional examples as a proud professional journalist, as one more much-needed reminder that female journalists can be both competent and capable of getting a story without crossing ethical lines.
alas, it seems hollywood just ready for the rory gilmore of our dreams.
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ðə ˌɪmˈpruvmənts ækt əv 2013 siks tɪ ɪkˈstɛnd sərˈveɪləns. nɑt ɪn ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts? klɪk hir. ðə ˌɪmˈpruvmənts ækt əv 2013 ɪz ə nu bɪl prəˈmoʊtəd baɪ ˈsɛnətər daɪæn ˈfaɪnˌstin, ʧɛr əv ðə ˈsɛnɪt ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns kəˈmɪti, dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ ˈboʊlstər səm əv ðə wərst sərˈveɪləns ˈproʊˌgræmz ənd grænt nu əˈθɔrəti tɪ ðə tɪ ɪnˈgeɪʤ ɪn sərˈveɪləns. ˈsɛnətər ˈfaɪnˌstin ɪz ˈtaʊtɪŋ ðɪs prəˈpoʊzəl ɛz ə weɪ tɪ ˈæˌdrɛs ðə ˈprɑbləmz wɪθ ˌənkənˈtroʊld spaɪɪŋ, bət bi fuld: ə feɪk fɪks. ðə feɪk fɪks ɪz dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ: ˈɔθərˌaɪz ðə ˈpræktɪs əv kəˈlɛktɪŋ foʊn ˈrɛkərdz əv ˈhənərdz əv ˈmɪljənz əv ˈɪnəsənt əˈmɛrɪkənz. ˈɔθərˌaɪz ðə tɪ ɪnˈgeɪʤ ɪn bəlk kəˈlɛkʃən əv ˈɪntərˌnɛt kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃən ɪkˈstrimli ˌɪnˈveɪsɪv ˈproʊˌgræm ðə ˈgəvərnmənt traɪd ɪn ðə pæst, bət ʃət daʊn bɪˈkəz ɪt wɑz ˈjusləs. ðɪs bɪl dɪˈzaɪnd tɪ reɪn ɪn ðə spaɪɪŋ ˈproʊˌgræmz. ɪt ɛnd bəlk ˈdætə kəˈlɛkʃən baɪ ðə, ənd ɪt stɑp ˌənˌkɑnstəˈtuʃənəl sərˈveɪləns ɔn ɑr kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz. ɪt ˈɔfərz trænˈspɛrənsi ənd ˈoʊvərˌsaɪt prəˈvɪʒənz waɪl ɛmˈbreɪsɪŋ sərˈveɪləns. ðə feɪk fɪks ɪz ɔˈrɛdi aʊt əv kəˈmɪti ənd ðə ˈsɛnɪt kʊd bɪˈgɪn ˈvoʊtɪŋ ɔn ɪt sun. pliz ækt kˈwɪkli tɪ hɛlp ˈjuˈɛs dɪˈfit ðɪs ˈtɛrəbəl bɪl. sɛnd ə ˈlɛtər tɪ jʊr ˈmɛmbərz əv ˈkɑŋgrəs ənd tɛl ðɛm tɪ əˈpoʊz ˈsɛnətər feɪk fɪks ənd səˈpɔrt ril rɪˈfɔrm tɪ ɛnd mæs sərˈveɪləns.
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the fisa improvements act of 2013 seeks to extend nsa surveillance.
not in the united states? click here.
the fisa improvements act of 2013 is a new bill promoted by senator dianne feinstein, chair of the senate intelligence committee, designed to bolster some of the worst nsa surveillance programs and grant new authority to the nsa to engage in surveillance.
senator feinstein is touting this proposal as a way to address the problems with uncontrolled nsa spying, but don’t be fooled: it’s a fake fix.
the fake fix is designed to:
authorize the nsa’s practice of collecting phone records of hundreds of millions of innocent americans. authorize the nsa to engage in bulk collection of internet communication records—an extremely invasive program the government tried in the past, but shut down because it was useless.
this bill isn’t designed to rein in the nsa spying programs.
it won’t end bulk data collection by the nsa, and it won’t stop unconstitutional surveillance on our communications. it offers fig-leaf transparency and oversight provisions while embracing nsa surveillance.
the fake fix is already out of committee and the senate could begin voting on it soon. please act quickly to help us defeat this terrible bill. send a letter to your members of congress and tell them to oppose senator feinstein’s fake fix and support real reform to end mass surveillance.
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mˈjɑnˈmɑr ənd ˈbæŋləˌdɛʃ hæv saɪnd ən əˈgrimənt ˈkəvərɪŋ ðə rɪˈtərn əv ˈməzlɪmz hu flɛd əˈkrɔs ðɛr mˈjuʧuəl ˈbɔrdər tɪ ɪˈskeɪp ˈvaɪələns ɪn steɪt. ðə dil wɑz əˈnaʊnst ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ, bət noʊ ˈditeɪlz wər prəˈvaɪdɪd ɔn haʊ ˈmɛni ˈrɛfˌjuʤiz wʊd bi əˈlaʊd tɪ rɪˈtərn hoʊm. ˈbæŋləˌdɛʃ sɛd ðə wɪl stɑrt wɪˈθɪn tu mənθs. mɔr ðən hæv flɛd frəm mˈjɑnˈmɑr ˈɪntu ˈbæŋləˌdɛʃ sɪns ˈɔgəst 25 wɪn ðə ˈɑrmi ˈstɑrtɪd operations”*” ˈfɑloʊɪŋ ən əˈtæk ɔn pəˈlis poʊsts baɪ ə grup əv ˌɪnˈsərʤənts. ˈrɛfˌjuʤiz ərˈaɪvɪŋ ɪn ˈbæŋləˌdɛʃ sɛd ðɛr hoʊmz wər sɛt ɔn faɪər baɪ ˈsoʊlʤərz ənd ˈbudəst mɑbz. səm ˌriˈpɔrtəd biɪŋ ʃɑt æt baɪ sɪˈkjʊrəti ˈfɔrsɪz. ðə ˈɔfəs əv mˈjɑnˈmɑr səˈvɪljən ˈlidər ɔŋ sæn ˈɛsˈjuˈju ˈkeɪˈwaɪˈaɪ sɛd ðə əˈgrimənt ðə rɪˈtərn əv dɪˈspleɪst ˈpərsənz frəm state”*” wɑz saɪnd baɪ ˈkæbənət əˈfɪʃəlz ɪn ˈkæpɪtəl naypyitaw*. ə ˈsteɪtmənt sɛd ðə pækt ˈfɑloʊd ə ˈfɔrmjələ sɛt ɪn ə 1992 riˌpeɪtriˈeɪʃən əˈgrimənt saɪnd baɪ ðə tu ˈneɪʃənz ˈæftər ən ˈərliər ˈspæzəm əv ˈvaɪələns. ˈəndər ðət əˈgrimənt, wər rikˈwaɪərd tɪ ˈprɛzənt ˈrɛzɪdənsi ˈdɑkjəmənts, wɪʧ fju hæv, ˌbiˈfɔr biɪŋ əˈlaʊd tɪ rɪˈtərn tɪ mˈjɑnˈmɑr. kənˈtɪnjuɪŋ ɑr baɪˈlætərəl tɔks wɪθ mˈjɑnˈmɑr soʊ ðət ðiz mˈjɑnˈmɑr ˈnæʃənəlz [rohingya*] kʊd rɪˈtərn tɪ ðɛr country,”*,” ˈbæŋləˌdɛʃ praɪm ˈmɪnɪstər ʃik wɑz kˈwoʊtɪd ɛz seɪɪŋ baɪ ðə juˈnaɪtɪd nuz əv ˈbæŋləˌdɛʃ. maɪ kɔl tɪ mˈjɑnˈmɑr tɪ stɑrt ˈteɪkɪŋ bæk sun ðɛr ˈnæʃənəlz frəm bangladesh.”*.” æt ə ˈrɛfjuʤi kæmp ɪn ˈbæŋləˌdɛʃ ɪkˈsprɛst dip daʊts əˈbaʊt ðə əˈgrimənt. bərnd ɑr ˈhaʊsɪz, ðeɪ tʊk ɑr lænd ənd kaʊz wɪl ðeɪ gɪv ˈjuˈɛs ðiz θɪŋz back?”*?” æbˈdul həˈmid, frəm hoyakong*, sɛd. ˈməzlɪmz hæv feɪst dɪˌskrɪməˈneɪʃən ɪn ˌprɪˈdɑmənənˌtli ˈbudəst mˈjɑnˈmɑr fər ˈdɛkeɪdz. ðoʊ ˈmɛmbərz əv ðə ˈɛθnɪk məˈnɔrəti fərst əraɪvd ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃənz əˈgoʊ, wər strɪpt əv ðɛr ˈsɪtɪzənˌʃɪp ɪn 1982 dɪˈnaɪɪŋ ðɛm ˈɔlˌmoʊst ɔl raɪts ənd ˈrɛndərɪŋ ðɛm ˈsteɪtlɪs. ðeɪ ˈkænɑt ˈtrævəl ˈfrili, ˈpræktɪs ðɛr rɪˈlɪʤən, ər wərk ɛz ˈtiʧərz ər ˈdɑktərz ənd ðeɪ hæv ˈlɪtəl ˈækˌsɛs tɪ ˈmɛdɪkəl kɛr, fud ər ˌɛʤəˈkeɪʃən. ðə mˈjɑnˈmɑr ˈgəvərnmənt həz rɪfˈjuzd tɪ əkˈsɛpt ðɛm ɛz ə məˈnɔrəti grup. ðə ˈsteɪtmənt ˈɪʃud ˈjɛstərˌdeɪ baɪ mɪz ˈɛsˈjuˈju ˈɔfəs dɪd nɑt juz ðə tərm ““rohingya”*”.
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myanmar and bangladesh have signed an agreement covering the return of rohingya muslims who fled across their mutual border to escape violence in myanmar’s rakhine state.
the deal was announced yesterday, but no details were provided on how many rohingya refugees would be allowed to return home.
bangladesh said the repatriations will start within two months.
more than 620,000 rohingya have fled from myanmar into bangladesh since august 25 when the army started “clearance operations” following an attack on police posts by a group of rohingya insurgents.
refugees arriving in bangladesh said their homes were set on fire by soldiers and buddhist mobs. some reported being shot at by security forces.
the office of myanmar civilian leader aung san suu kyi said the agreement “on the return of displaced persons from rakhine state” was signed by cabinet officials in myanmar’s capital naypyitaw.
a statement said the pact followed a formula set in a 1992 repatriation agreement signed by the two nations after an earlier spasm of violence. under that agreement, rohingya were required to present residency documents, which few have, before being allowed to return to myanmar.
“we’re continuing our bilateral talks with myanmar so that these myanmar nationals [rohingya] could return to their country,” bangladesh prime minister sheikh hasina was quoted as saying by the united news of bangladesh.
“it’s my call to myanmar to start taking back soon their nationals from bangladesh.”
rohingya at a refugee camp in bangladesh expressed deep doubts about the agreement.
“they burned our houses, they took our land and cows – will they give us these things back?” abdul hamid, from hoyakong, said.
rohingya muslims have faced state-supported discrimination in predominantly buddhist myanmar for decades.
though members of the ethnic minority first arrived generations ago, rohingya were stripped of their citizenship in 1982, denying them almost all rights and rendering them stateless. they cannot travel freely, practice their religion, or work as teachers or doctors and they have little access to medical care, food or education.
the myanmar government has refused to accept them as a minority group. the statement issued yesterday by ms suu kyi’s office did not use the term “rohingya”.
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ʃɛr. ɪˈvɛnt tɪ bi livestreamed*. ɪˈvɛnt tɪ bi livestreamed*. æt wi gɑt ə brif glɪmps əv kɔl əv ˈduti: goʊsts' kæmˈpeɪn, bət naʊ ˈæktɪˌvɪʒən ɪz pərˈpɛrɪŋ tɪ rɪˈvil ðə geɪmz ˈməltiˌpleɪər swit. ɔn ˈɔgəst æt ɛt, ðə ˈkəmpəˌni wɪl bi ˈbrɔdˌkæstɪŋ lɪv frəm ə ˈspɛʃəl ɪˈvɛnt ɪn lɔs ˈænʤəlɪs. ðə wɪl "goʊ ɔn ɔl θɪŋz ˈməltiˌpleɪər" ənd ˌɪnˈklud ˈməltəpəl "wərld prɛˈmɪr əˈnaʊnsmɛnts." ðəs fɑr, ˌɪnˈfɪnɪti wɔrd həz ˈoʊnli drɑpt ʧɔɪs ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən əˈbaʊt ðə geɪmz ˈməltiˌpleɪər ˈkɑntɛnt. æt ˈmaɪˌkroʊˈsɔfts wən rɪˈvil ɪn meɪ, ðə ˈkəmpəˌni rɪˈvild ðət ðə geɪm wʊd səˈpɔrt ˈkɛrɪktər customization*, əˈlaʊɪŋ pleɪərz tɪ ˈpərsənəˌlaɪz ðɛr ˈməltiˌpleɪər ˈkɛrɪktərz hɛd, ˈbɑdiz, ənd ɪkˈwɪpmənt. ə pərˈmoʊʃən əˈnaʊnst ˈərliər ðɪs mənθ rɪˈvild wən əv ðə geɪmz ˈəpˌkəmɪŋ mæps, fri fɔl ə mæp sɛt ɪn ə ˈskaɪˌskreɪpər "ɔn ðə brɪŋk əv kəˈlæps" wɪθ daɪˈnæmɪk ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛnəl ˈifɛkts, wɪʧ ˈɔltər əˈveɪləbəl ˈpæθˌweɪz, dɪsˈrəpt ɛz ˈmæʧɪz ˈprɑˌgrɛs. tɪ wɔʧ ðə, ʧɛk bæk tɪ ɔn ðə ˈmɔrnɪŋ əv ˈɔgəst. ˈɛksət ˈθiətər moʊd kɔl əv ˈduti: goʊsts wɪl hɪt stɔrz ɔn noʊˈvɛmbər ənd ɪz əˈveɪləbəl fər naʊ. fər məʧ mɔr ɔn wət goʊsts həz tɪ ˈɔfər, rɛd ɑr ˌɪmˈprɛʃənz frəm skɑt loʊ ɪz ˈrɛzɪdənt tɛk ˈɛkspərt ənd ˈʃutər fəˈnætɪk. ju kən ˈfɑloʊ ɪm ɔn tˈwɪtər æt ənd ɔn æt scott-ign*.
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share. event to be livestreamed. event to be livestreamed.
at e3, we got a brief glimpse of call of duty: ghosts' singleplayer campaign, but now activision is preparing to reveal the game's much-anticipated multiplayer suite. on august 14th at 10:30am pt/1:30pm et, the company will be broadcasting live from a special event in los angeles. the hour-long livestream will "go in-depth on all things multiplayer" and include multiple "world premiere announcements."
thus far, infinity ward has only dropped choice information about the game's multiplayer content. at microsoft's xbox one reveal in may, the company revealed that the game would support character customization, allowing players to personalize their multiplayer character's head, bodies, and equipment. a pre-order promotion announced earlier this month revealed one of the game's upcoming maps, free fall — a map set in a skyscraper "on the brink of collapse" with dynamic environmental effects, which alter available pathways, disrupt sightlines as matches progress.
to watch the livestream, check back to ign on the morning of august 14th.
exit theatre mode
call of duty: ghosts will hit stores on november 5th and is available for pre-order now.
for much more on what ghosts has to offer, read our impressions from e3.
scott lowe is ign's resident tech expert and first-person shooter fanatic. you can follow him on twitter at @scottlowe and on myign at scott-ign.
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ˈfaɪnəli! ðɛrz ˈsəmθɪŋ ðət əˈpɛrəntli ˈvərʧuəli ɔl ˈgəvərnmənts əraʊnd ðə wərld kən ˈæˌkʧuəli əˈgri əˈpɑn. ənˈfɔrʧənətli, ɪts ɔn pɑr kənˈsɛpʧuəli wɪθ ˈhændɪŋ aʊt ˈhaɪdrəʤən bɑmz ɛz ˈlɑtəri ˈpraɪzɪz. ɪf ðə ˈdrəmˌbit ˈɪzənt ˈæˌkʧuəli koʊˈɔrdəneɪtɪd, ɪt maɪt ɛz wɛl bi. əraʊnd ðə wərld, ɪn ˈtɛstɪˌmoʊni ˌbiˈfɔr ˈnæʃənəl ˈlɛʤɪsˌleɪʧərz ənd ɪn ˈkaʊntləs ˈɪntərvˌjuz wɪθ ˈmidiə, ˈgəvərnmənt əˈfɪʃəlz ənd ðɛr ˈsərəˌgeɪts ər proʊˈkleɪmɪŋ ðə ˌɪˈmiˌdiət nid tɪ "du ˈsəmθɪŋ" əˈbaʊt ɛnˈkrɪpʃən ðət lɔ ɛnˈfɔrsmənt ənd ˈəðər ˈgəvərnmənt ˈeɪʤənsiz kænt rɛd ɔn dɪˈmænd. hir ɪn ðə juz., ɪts ə ˈnɪrli ˈkɑnstənt həræŋ ˈoʊvər ɔn fɑks nuz (nightmarishly*, wɛr moʊst əˈmɛrɪkənz əˈpɛrəntli gɪt ðɛr "nuz" ðiz deɪz). ɔn ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn, ɪts ˈɔlˌmoʊst ɛz pərˈveɪsɪv (ðoʊ taɪˈreɪdz ɔn ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn məst ʃɛr speɪs wɪθ ˈpraɪmˌtaɪm ˈriˈrənz əv ə səˈlɛbrɪti ʃɛf ənd kraɪm "ˌriˈæləˌti" ʃoʊz). ɪts məʧ ðə seɪm ɪf ju ˈsərˌveɪ ˈmidiə əraʊnd ðə wərld. ðə neɪmz ənd əˈfɪʃəlz ˈvɛri, bət ðə ˈmɛsɪʤ ɪz ðə seɪm ɪts nɑt ʤɪst ˈtɛrəˌrɪzəm ðæts ðə ˈɛnəmi, ɪts ɛnˈkrɪpʃən ˌɪtˈsɛlf. ðət ˈɑrgjəmənt ɪz ə dɪˈrɛkt ˈkɔrəˌlɛri tɪ ˈgəvərnmənts' ˌdɪˈsaɪdədli mɪkst ˈfilɪŋz əˈbaʊt ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə ɔn ðə ˈɪntərˌnɛt. ɔn wən hænd, ðɛr ɛkˈstætɪk ˈoʊvər ðə əˈbɪləˌti tɪ ˈmɑnətər ðə ˈpəblɪk ˈpoʊstɪŋz əv ˈkrɪmənəl ˌɔrgənəˈzeɪʃənz laɪk (ər ˈaɪsəs, ər ˌɪzˈlɑmɪk steɪt, ər ʤɪst ˈdɪfərənt ˈleɪbəlz fər ðə seɪm fəˈnætɪkəl ˈlunəˌtɪks) ðət sprəŋ fɔrθ frəm ðə dɪˈzæstrəsli mɪsˈgaɪdɪd ˈpɑləsiz əv bʊʃ 1 ənd bʊʃ 2 ˈɪrə hu nɑt ˈoʊnli sɛt ðə steɪʤ fər ðə ˌrɛzərˈɛkʃən əv rɪˈlɪʤəs ˈraɪvəlriz, bət ˈəltəmətli prəˈvaɪdɪd ðɛm wɪθ ˈbɪljənz əv ˈdɔlərz wərθ əv juz. ˈwɛpənri ɛz wɛl. greɪt ʤɑb ðɛr, gaɪz. sɪns ɪts ˈɔlsoʊ ðə ˈtɪpɪkəl roʊl əv ˈgəvərnmənts tɪ kənˈfleɪt ənd kənfˈjuz ˈɪʃuz wɛˈnɛvər ˈpɑsəbəl fər pəˈlɪtɪkəl ædˈvæntɪʤ, wɪn wi dɪg ˈdipər ˈɪntu ðɛr vjuz ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə ənd ɛnˈkrɪpʃən wi ˈrɪli goʊ daʊn ðə ˈræbɪt hoʊl. waɪl ˈgəvərnmənts ləv ðɛr ˌθiərˈɛtɪkəl əˈbɪləˌti tɪ træk ˈprɪti məʧ ˈɛvəri ˈluni hu poʊsts ˈpəblɪkli ɔn tˈwɪtər ər ˈfeɪsˌbʊk ər ˈgugəl+, ˈgəvərnmənts ˌsaɪməlˈteɪniəsli bɪˈmoʊn ðə fækt ðət ɪts ˈpɑsəbəl fər ˌənkənˈtroʊld kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz əˈspɛʃəli ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz tɪ teɪk pleɪs æt ɔl ɪn ðiz ˈkɑnˌtɛksts. ɪn ˌpɑˈtɪkjələr, ɪts ðə əˈbɪləˌti əv ˈrædɪkəl ˈoʊvərˈsiz tɪ rɪˈkrut ˈɪgnərənt (əˈspɛʃəli ˈsoʊˈkɔld "loʊn wʊlf") ɪn ˈəðər ˈkəntriz ðət ɪz sɛd tɪ bi əv əˈspɛʃəl kənˈsərn, ˈnoʊtəbli wɪn ðiz kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz ˈsədənli "goʊ dɑrk" ɔf ðə ˈpəblɪk θrɛdz ənd ˈɪntu ˈpraɪvət, sɪˈkjʊrli ɪnˈkrɪptɪd ˈʧænəlz. "goʊ dɑrk" baɪ ðə weɪ ɪz naʊ ðə ˈgəvərnmənt koʊd freɪz fər ˈkrɪptoʊ ðeɪ kænt rɛd ɔn dɪˈmænd. dɑrk θrɛdz, dɑrk saɪts, dɑrk lɪŋks. ju gɪt ðə aɪˈdiə. wən wʊd bi riˈmɪs tɪ nɑt ədˈmɪt ðət ðiz ˈrædɪkəl rɪˈkrutɪŋ ˈɛfərts ər əv sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt kənˈsərn. bət wɛr ˈgəvərnmənts' æˈnælɪsɪs breɪks daʊn ˈmæsɪvli ɪz wɪθ ðə dɪˈrɛkʃɪn əv ðɛr prəˈpoʊzd səˈluʃənz, wɪʧ ˈɑrənt eɪmd æt æˈdrɛsɪŋ ðə rut ˈkɔzɪz əv fəˈnætɪkəl rɪˈlɪʤəs ˈtɛrəˌrɪzəm, bət ˈrəðər əˈpɪr ˈɔlˌmoʊst ɪnˈtaɪərli beɪst ɔn prɪˈvɛnɪŋ sɪˈkjʊr kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz fər ˈɛnibədi! ɪn ðə fərst pleɪs. ˈnæʧərəli ðeɪ doʊnt freɪz ðɪs goʊl ɪn kwaɪt ðoʊz wərdz. ˈrəðər, ðeɪ kənˈtɪnju tɪ pʊʃ (tɪ ˈblæŋkli ˈnɑdɪŋ ˌpɑləˈtɪʃənz, ˈʤərnəlɪsts, ənd ˈkeɪbəl ˈæŋkərz) ðə taɪərd ənd ˈətərli dɪˈskrɛdɪtɪd ˈkɑnsɛpt əv "ki ˈɛskroʊ" cryptography*, wɛr ˈgəvərnmənts wʊd hæv "ˈbækˌdɔr" kiz tɪ ənˈlɑk ɪnˈkrɪptɪd kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz, səˈpoʊzədli ˈoʊnli wɪn ˌæbsəˈlutli ˈnɛsəˌsɛri ənd wɪθ du ˈligəl ˈprɔˌsɛs. ˈriwaɪnd 20 jɪrz ər soʊ ənd ɪts laɪk "ˈgraʊnˌdhɑg deɪ" ɔl ˈoʊvər əˈgɛn, bæk ɪn ðə ˈərli tɪ mɪd wɪn wɑz ˈpʊʃɪŋ ðɛr "ˈklɪpər ʧɪp" ˈhɑrdˌwɛr ˈkɑnsɛpt fər ki ˈɛskroʊd ɛnˈkrɪpʃən, ən aɪˈdiə ðət wɑz ˈmərsələsli ˈbɛrid ɪn ˈrɛlətɪvli ʃɔrt ˈɔrdər. bət laɪk ə ˈvæmpaɪr ɛnˈtumd wɪˈθaʊt əˈproʊpriˌeɪt ˈrɪʧuəlz, ðə oʊld ki ˈɛskroʊ ˈkɑnsɛpts hæv rɪˈtərnd tɪ ðə lænd əv ðə ˈlɪvɪŋ, ɔl ðə ˈəgliər ənd mɔr ˈdeɪnʤərəs ˈæftər ðɛr ˈdɛkeɪdz ˈfɛstərɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈbæˌkrumz əv ˈgəvərnmənts. ðə ˈhɑrdˌwɛr ˈklɪpər ˈkɑnsɛpt deɪts tɪ ə taɪm wɛl ˌbiˈfɔr ðə ˈfaʊndɪŋ əv tˈwɪtər ər ˈfeɪsˌbʊk, ənd ə fju jɪrz ˌbiˈfɔr ərˈaɪvəl. ˈæpəl ɪgˈzɪstəd bæk ðɛn, bət ˈsɛntrəˌlaɪzd ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə ɛz wi noʊ ɪt təˈdeɪ ˈwəzənt jɛt ˈivɪn ˈrɪli ə ˈglɪmər ɪn ˈɛniˌwənz aɪ. waɪl ˈgəvərnmənts ˈʤɛnərəli sim tɪ ˈriəˌlaɪz ðət ˈstɑpɪŋ ɔl ˈkrɪptoʊ ðət ðeɪ kænt ˈækˌsɛs ɔn dɪˈmænd ɪz nɑt ˈpræktɪkəl, ðeɪ ˈɔlsoʊ ˈriəˌlaɪz ðət ðə bɪg ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə ˈplætˌfɔrmz (əv wɪʧ aɪv neɪmd ˈoʊnli ə fju) wɛr moʊst ˈjuzərz du moʊst əv ðɛr ˈsoʊʃəl kəmˈjunəˌkeɪtɪŋ ər ðə ˈɑbviəs ˈtɑrgəts fər ˈlɛʤəsˌleɪtɪv, pəˈlɪtɪkəl, ənd ˈəðər ˈprɛʃərz. ənd ðɪs ɪz waɪ wi si ˈgəvərnmənts ˈsətəli (ənd ˈɔfən, nɑt soʊ ˈsətəli) ˈdiməˌnaɪzɪŋ ðiz fərmz ɛz biɪŋ ənkoʊˈɑpərətɪv ər ˈsəmˌhaʊ ənˈkɛrɪŋ əˈbaʊt ˈfaɪtɪŋ ˈivəl, əˈbaʊt ˈfaɪtɪŋ kraɪm, əˈbaʊt ˈfaɪtɪŋ ˈtɛrəˌrɪzəm. haʊ dɛr ðeɪ əˈθɔrətiz rɪˈpit ɛz ə ˈmæntrə ˈɪmpləmənt ɛnˈkrɪpʃən ˈsɪstəmz ðət ˈgəvərnmənts ˈkænɑt ˈækˌsɛs æt ðə klɪk əv ə maʊs, ər ˈsəmˌtaɪmz ˈækˌsɛs æt ɔl ˈəndər ˈɛni kənˈdɪʃənz. wɛl, ˈwɛlkəm tɪ ðə ˈsɛnʧəri, bɪˈkəz ðə ɛnˈkrɪpʃən ˈʤini ˈɪzənt goʊɪŋ bæk ˈɪntu hɪz ˈbɑtəl, noʊ ˈmætər haʊ hɑrd ju pʊʃ. strɔŋ ˈkrɪptoʊ ɪz ˈkrɪtɪkəl tɪ ɑr kəmˌjunəˈkeɪʃənz, tɪ ɑr ˌɪnfrəˈstrəkʧərz, tɪ ɑr ɪˈkɑnəmiz, ənd ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋgli tɪ ˈmɛni ˈəðər ˈæˌspɛkts əv ɑr lɪvz. strɔŋ ˈkrɪptoʊ ɪz ˈsɪmpli nɑt ˈpɑsəbəl lɛts seɪ ðət wəns mɔr wɪθ ˈfilɪŋ nɑt ˈpɑsəbəl, ˈgɪvɪn ki ˈɛskroʊ ər ˈəðər ˈgəvərnmənt ˈbækˌdɔrz dɪˈzaɪnd ˈɪntu ðiz ˈsɪstəmz. ðɛr ɪz noʊ ˈpræktɪkəl ər ˈivɪn ˌθiərˈɛtɪkəli ækˈsɛptɪd minz fər ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ səʧ ˈmɛkəˌnɪzəmz wɪˈθaʊt ˈfeɪtəli ˈwikənɪŋ ðə ɪnˈtaɪər əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd ɛnˈkrɪpʃən ˈikoʊˌsɪstəm, ənd ˈoʊpənɪŋ ɪt əp tɪ ɔl ˈmænər əv əˈnɔθərˌaɪzd ˈækˌsɛs ˈviə ˈhækɪŋ ənd ˈvɛriəs əv ðə ki ˈɛskroʊ ˈprɔˌsɛs. bət ˈgəvərnmənts ʤɪst doʊnt sim ˈwɪlɪŋ tɪ əkˈsɛpt ðə saɪəns ənd ˌriˈæləˌti əv ðɪs, ənd kip ˈpʊʃɪŋ ðə ki ˈɛskroʊ mim. ɪts laɪk ðə oʊld ʤoʊk əˈbaʊt ðə ˈæstrəˌnɑt hu ˈwɔntɪd tɪ ˈtrævəl tɪ ðə sən, ənd wɪn riˈmaɪndɪd ðət hid bərn əp, rɪˈplaɪd ðət ɪt ˈwəzənt ə ˈprɑbləm, bɪˈkəz hid goʊ æt naɪt. raɪt. ˈnoʊtəbli, ʤɪst ɛz wi hæd ˈgəvərnmənts hu ˌɪgˈnɔrd ˌriəˈlɪstɪk ədˈvaɪs ənd ənˈliʃt ðə ˈmɑnstərz əv rɪˈlɪʤəs fəˈnætɪkəl ˈtɛrəˌrɪzəm, wi naʊ hæv ˈmɛni əv ðə seɪm ˈgəvərnmənts ɔn ðə kəsp əv traɪɪŋ tɪ ˈhɑbəl, ˈəndərˌmaɪn, ənd ˈdɛsəˌmeɪt ðə strɔŋ ɛnˈkrɪpʃən ˈsɪstəmz ðət ər soʊ ˈvɛri ˈvaɪtəl. ðɛrz ˈɛvəri ˈrizən tɪ bɪˈliv ðət wid ɪkˈspɪriəns ə ˈsɪmələrli dɪˈzæstrəs ˈaʊtˌkəm ɪn ðə ɛnˈkrɪpʃən ˈkɑntɛkst ɛz wɛl, əˈspɛʃəli ɪf ˈsoʊʃəl ˈmidiə fərmz wər rikˈwaɪərd tɪ dɪˈplɔɪ ˈoʊnli wik ˈkrɪptoʊ ˈpʊtɪŋ ðə væst ˌpɑpjəˈleɪʃənz əv ˈɪnəsənt ˈjuzərz æt rɪsk waɪl ˈdraɪvɪŋ ðə bæd gaɪz ˈivɪn ˈfərðər ˈəndərˌgraʊnd ənd aʊt əv vju. ɪf wi doʊnt ˈvɪgərəsli faɪt bæk əˈgɛnst ˈgəvərnmənt ˈɛfərts tɪ ˈwikən ɛnˈkrɪpʃən, wɪr ɔl goʊɪŋ tɪ bi ˈbædli bərnd. --ˈlɔrən--
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finally! there's something that apparently virtually all governments around the world can actually agree upon. unfortunately, it's on par conceptually with handing out hydrogen bombs as lottery prizes. if the drumbeat isn't actually coordinated, it might as well be. around the world, in testimony before national legislatures and in countless interviews with media, government officials and their surrogates are proclaiming the immediate need to "do something" about encryption that law enforcement and other government agencies can't read on demand. here in the u.s., it's a nearly constant harangue over on fox news (nightmarishly, where most americans apparently get their "news" these days). on cnn, it's almost as pervasive (though anti-crypto tirades on cnn must share space with primetime reruns of a globetrotting celebrity chef and crime "reality" shows). it's much the same if you survey media around the world. the names and officials vary, but the message is the same -- it's not just terrorism that's the enemy, it's encryption itself. that argument is a direct corollary to governments' decidedly mixed feelings about social media on the internet. on one hand, they're ecstatic over the ability to monitor the public postings of criminal organizations like isil (or isis, or islamic state, or daesh -- just different labels for the same fanatical lunatics) that sprung forth from the disastrously misguided policies of bush 1 and bush 2 era neocons -- who not only set the stage for the resurrection of long-suppressed religious rivalries, but ultimately provided them with billions of dollars worth of u.s. weaponry as well. great job there, guys. since it's also the typical role of governments to conflate and confuse issues whenever possible for political advantage, when we dig deeper into their views on social media and encryption we really go down the rabbit hole. while governments love their theoretical ability to track pretty much every looney who posts publicly on twitter or facebook or google+, governments simultaneously bemoan the fact that it's possible for uncontrolled communications -- especially international communications -- to take place at all in these contexts. in particular, it's the ability of radical nutcases overseas to recruit ignorant (especially so-called "lone wolf") nutcases in other countries that is said to be of especial concern, notably when these communications suddenly "go dark" off the public threads and into private, securely encrypted channels. "go dark" -- by the way -- is now the government code phrase for crypto they can't read on demand. dark threads, dark sites, dark links. you get the idea. one would be remiss to not admit that these radical recruiting efforts are of significant concern. but where governments' analysis breaks down massively is with the direction of their proposed solutions, which aren't aimed at addressing the root causes of fanatical religious terrorism, but rather appear almost entirely based on preventing secure communications -- for anybody! -- in the first place. naturally they don't phrase this goal in quite those words. rather, they continue to push (to blankly nodding politicians, journalists, and cable anchors) the tired and utterly discredited concept of "key escrow" cryptography, where governments would have "backdoor" keys to unlock encrypted communications, supposedly only when absolutely necessary and with due legal process. rewind 20 years or so and it's like "groundhog day" all over again, back in the early to mid 90s when nsa was pushing their "clipper chip" hardware concept for key escrowed encryption, an idea that was mercilessly buried in relatively short order. but like a vampire entombed without appropriate rituals, the old key escrow concepts have returned to the land of the living, all the uglier and more dangerous after their decades festering in the backrooms of governments. the hardware clipper concept dates to a time well before the founding of twitter or facebook, and a few years before google's arrival. apple existed back then, but centralized social media as we know it today wasn't yet even really a glimmer in anyone's eye. while governments generally seem to realize that stopping all crypto that they can't access on demand is not practical, they also realize that the big social media platforms (of which i've named only a few) -- where most users do most of their social communicating -- are the obvious targets for legislative, political, and other pressures. and this is why we see governments subtly (and often, not so subtly) demonizing these firms as being uncooperative or somehow uncaring about fighting evil, about fighting crime, about fighting terrorism. how dare they -- authorities repeat as a mantra -- implement encryption systems that governments cannot access at the click of a mouse, or sometimes access at all under any conditions. well, welcome to the 21st century, because the encryption genie isn't going back into his bottle, no matter how hard you push. strong crypto is critical to our communications, to our infrastructures, to our economies, and increasingly to many other aspects of our lives. strong crypto is simply not possible -- let's say that once more with feeling -- not possible, given key escrow or other government backdoors designed into these systems. there is no practical or even theoretically accepted means for including such mechanisms without fatally weakening the entire associated encryption ecosystem, and opening it up to all manner of unauthorized access via hacking and various subversions of the key escrow process. but governments just don't seem willing to accept the science and reality of this, and keep pushing the key escrow meme. it's like the old joke about the would-be astronaut who wanted to travel to the sun, and when reminded that he'd burn up, replied that it wasn't a problem, because he'd go at night. right. notably, just as we had governments who ignored realistic advice and unleashed the monsters of religious fanatical terrorism, we now have many of the same governments on the cusp of trying to hobble, undermine, and decimate the strong encryption systems that are so very vital. there's every reason to believe that we'd experience a similarly disastrous outcome in the encryption context as well, especially if social media firms were required to deploy only weak crypto -- putting the vast populations of innocent users at risk -- while driving the bad guys even further underground and out of view. if we don't vigorously fight back against government efforts to weaken encryption, we're all going to be badly burned. --lauren--
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mərˈin lə pɛn, huz ˈgrænˌfɑðər ˈfaʊndɪd ˈpɑrti frənt ˈnæʃənəl, sɛd ɪt wɑz legitimate”*” tɪ brɪŋ ɪn ə ˈsɪmələr bæn tɪ ðət əv ˈprɛzɪdənt wɪʧ wɑz blɑkt æt ðə ˈwiˌkɪnd. ʃi spoʊk ɛz ˈkænədɪt frɑnsˈwɑ ˌpɑpjəˈlɛrəti dˈwɪndəlz, wɪθ ə ˈleɪtəst poʊl ʃoʊɪŋ tu θərdz əv ðoʊz æst wɔnt ɪm tɪ kwɪt ðə reɪs. ʃi toʊld frɛnʧ ˈreɪdiˌoʊ ˈsteɪʃən ˈjʊrəp 1 nɑt (ˌɪmˈpoʊz ə ˈməzlɪm bæn)? ˈpərfəktli ləˈʤɪtəmət. ðə ˈtɛrər θrɛt ɪz haɪər ðən ˈɛvər ˌbiˈfɔr; wi nid tɪ prəˈtɛkt ɑr ˈbɔrdərz ənd ˌɪmˈpruv ˈbɔrdər sɪˈkjʊrəti. ˈmɪstər ˈtrævəl bæn ɪz ˈpjʊrli ə prɪˈkɔʃənɛri ˈmɛʒər. ˈməzlɪm bæn ɪz nɑt pɑrt əv ðə frənt ˈprɑʤɛkt, bət ɪt ɪz wərθ dəˈbeɪtɪŋ ənd ʃʊd nɑt bi dɪsˈmɪst. ðɛr ɪz ˈnəθɪŋ ˈskændələs əˈbaʊt it.”*.” ˈdɑnəld trəmp ˈɪʃud ən ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv ˈɔrdər ˌɪmˈpoʊzɪŋ ə bæn əˈfɛktɪŋ ˈsɪtɪzənz frəm ˌɪˈrɑn, ˌɪˈrɑk, ˈlɪˌbiə, səˈmɑljə, suˈdæn, ˈsɪriə ənd ˈjɛmən ənd ə bɑr ɔn ɔl ˈrɛfˌjuʤiz, ɔn ˈʤænjuˌɛri 27 bət ˈæftər juʤ ˈəˌprɔr, ˈʤəʤɪz blɑkt ðə bæn. mɪz lə pɛn kleɪmd ðə bæn wɑz æt all”*” aʊˈtreɪʤəs. ˈgɛti ðə frɛnʧ bɪˈlivz ə ˈmaɪgrənt bæn wʊd bi əkˈsɛptəbəl ʃi ˈædɪd: ɪz ʃɑkt tɪ si ðət ˈmɪstər trəmp ɪz ˈmeɪkɪŋ gʊd ɔn hɪz kæmˈpeɪn ˈprɑməsəz. kɔld dɪˈmɑkrəsi. hi ɪz ən ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk ˈnæʃənəlɪst, ənd wi plæn tɪ ˈfɑloʊ hɪz lɛd ənd pʊt fræns first.”*.” ðə ˈɔlsoʊ ˈkɑmɛntəd ɔn ˈskændəl sərˈaʊndɪŋ ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ˈkænədɪt frɑnsˈwɑ, hu həz bɪn əˈkjuzd əv peɪɪŋ hɪz ˈbrɪtɪʃ waɪf pəˈnɛləpi ˈhənərdz əv ˈθaʊzənz əv ˈjuˌroʊz fər ə feɪk ˌpɑrləˈmɛntəri ʤɑb. ˈsoʊˈkɔld gate’*’ həz sin ˈmɪstər əˈpruvəl ˈreɪtɪŋz dˈwɪndəl. ə ˈməzlɪm bæn ɪz nɑt pɑrt əv ðə frənt ˈprɑʤɛkt, bət ɪt ɪz wərθ dəˈbeɪtɪŋ ənd ʃʊd nɑt bi dɪsˈmɪst ˈmɛriən lə pɛn, frənt ˈnæʃənəl ən poʊl ˈpəblɪʃt ɔn ˈsənˌdi ɪn lə ˈʤərnəl də dimanche*, faʊnd 68 pər sɛnt əv ðoʊz æst wɔnt ˈmɪstər tɪ drɔp aʊt əv ðə ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl reɪs. mɪz lə pɛn sɛd ɛmˈbɪtərd ˈmɪstər ˈfɪljən səˈpɔrtərz ʃʊd ʃɪft ðɛr səˈpɔrt tɪ mərˈin lə pɛn. ʃi sɛd: stɛps ˈɪntu ˈmɪstər ʃuz wɪl nɑt hæv wən ðə ˈpɑpjələr voʊt. ðə rɪˈpəblɪkənz hæv noʊ plæn bi. ˈgɛti ðə jəŋ ˌpɑləˈtɪʃən dɪz nɑt θɪŋk ðə bæn wɑz aʊˈtreɪʤəs
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marine le pen, whose grandfather jean-marie founded right-wing party front national, said it was “perfectly legitimate” to bring in a similar ban to that of president – which was blocked at the weekend. she spoke as right-wing candidate francois fillon’s popularity dwindles, with a latest poll showing two thirds of those asked want him to quit the race. she told french radio station europe 1: “why not (impose a muslim ban)? perfectly legitimate. the terror threat is higher than ever before; we need to protect our borders and improve border security. mr travel ban is purely a precautionary measure.
“a muslim ban is not part of the front national’s project, but it is worth debating and should not be dismissed. there is nothing scandalous about it.” donald trump issued an executive order imposing a 90-day ban affecting citizens from iran, iraq, libya, somalia, sudan, syria and yemen and a 120-day bar on all refugees, on january 27. but after huge uproar, judges blocked the ban. ms le pen claimed the ban was “not at all” outrageous.
getty the french far-righter believes a migrant ban would be acceptable
she added: “everyone is shocked to see that mr trump is making good on his campaign promises. called democracy. he is an economic nationalist, and we plan to follow his lead and put france first.” the ultra-conservative mp also commented on scandal surrounding right-wing presidential candidate francois fillon, who has been accused of paying his british wife penelope hundreds of thousands of euros for a fake parliamentary job. so-called ‘penelope gate’ has seen mr fillon’s approval ratings dwindle.
a muslim ban is not part of the front national’s project, but it is worth debating and should not be dismissed marion le pen, front national
an ifop poll published on sunday in le journal du dimanche, found 68 per cent of those asked want mr fillon to drop out of the presidential race. ms le pen said embittered mr fillion supporters should shift their support to marine le pen. she said: “whoever steps into mr fillon’s shoes will not have won the popular vote. the republicans have no plan b.
getty the young politician does not think the ban was outrageous
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ɛz fər ðoʊz ˈgɪtɪŋ aʊt ɪn 2018 loʊ əˈpruvəl ˈreɪtɪŋ ənd ˈmigər ˈlɛʤəsˌleɪtɪv ˈaʊtˌpʊt meɪ bi kənˈtrɪbjutɪŋ tɪ ðə dɪˈsɪʒənz əv səm rɪˈpəblɪkənz tɪ ˌriˈtaɪər, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈmɑdərˌeɪt ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪvz ˌɪliˈænə əv ˈflɔrɪdə, ˈʧɑrli dɛnt əv ˌpɛnsəlˈveɪnjə, ˈrɑdni ənd fræŋk əv nu ˈʤərzi, ənd deɪv ˈraɪkərt əv ˈwɔʃɪŋtən steɪt. bət ðɛr ər ˈəðər ˈfæktərz æt pleɪ. ənˈlaɪk ˈdɛməˌkræts, rɪˈpəblɪkənz hæv rulz ˈlɪmətɪŋ ðə tərmz əv ðɛr kəˈmɪti ˈʧɛrmɪn tɪ ɪnˈʃʊr ˈtərˌnoʊvər ənd gɪv ˈjəŋgər ˈmɛmbərz ə ʧæns tɪ ədˈvæns ɪn ðə haʊs. ˈkɑŋgrəs ɛz fən wɪθ lɛs paʊər, ənd sɪks əv ðə dɪˈpɑrtɪŋ kəˈmɪti ˈlidərz wʊd bi fɔrst aʊt əv ðɛr roʊlz ənd tɪ ðə bæk bɛnʧ ɪn 2019 səm rɪˈpəblɪkənz ənˈteɪntɪd baɪ ˈskændəl ˈivɪn ˈfɪnɪʃɪŋ aʊt ðɛr tərmz. ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnətɪv pæt tiˈbɛri əv oʊˈhaɪoʊ lɛft ˈɔfəs ɪn ˈʤænjuˌɛri tɪ teɪk ə ʤɑb wɪθ ðə oʊˈhaɪoʊ ˈbɪznɪs ˈraʊndˌteɪbəl, ənd dɛnt əˈnaʊnst ɪn ˈeɪprəl ðət hi wʊd rɪˈzaɪn wɪˈθɪn ə fju wiks, ˈhævɪŋ əˈpɛrəntli dɪˈtərmənd ðət wɪθ ðə kæmˈpeɪn ˈsizən əˈproʊʧɪŋ, ˈkɑŋgrəs ˈlaɪkli tɪ gɪt məʧ mɔr dən ðɪs jɪr. ˈmiən rɪˈzaɪnd ɔn ˈeɪprəl 27 ˈæftər ˈərliər əˈnaʊnsɪŋ plænz tɪ ˌriˈtaɪər æt ðə ɛnd əv hɪz tərm. ˈmiən ˈwɔntɪd tɪ ən ˌɪnˌvɛstəˈgeɪʃən baɪ ðə haʊs ˈɛθɪks kəˈmɪti ˈɪntu ˌæləˈgeɪʃənz əv ˌɪnəˈproʊpriɪt bɪˈheɪvjər təˈwɔrdz ə stæf ˈmɛmbər, ənd hi sɛd hi wɑz riˈpeɪɪŋ ðə ˈgəvərnmənt fər ˈməni juzd tɪ ˈsɛtəl ðə hərˈæsmənt keɪs. ðə trɛnd tɪ ðɪs pɔɪnt gɪvz ə dɪˈstɪŋkt ɛʤ tɪ ðə ˈdɛməˌkræts. waɪl ˈrəfli ðə seɪm ˈnəmbər əv ˈlɔˌmeɪkərz ɪn boʊθ ˈpɑrtiz ər ˈlivɪŋ ðɛr sits tɪ rən fər haɪər ˈɔfəs, ʤɪst 11 haʊs ˈdɛməˌkræts ər rɪˈtaɪrɪŋ ˈaʊˈtraɪt ər hæv ɔˈrɛdi rɪˈzaɪnd, kəmˈpɛrd wɪθ 28 rɪˈpəblɪkənz. (haʊs ˈmɛmbərz ˈrənɪŋ fər ˈəðər ˈɔfəsɪz ˈɔfən kaʊnt ɛz rɪˈtaɪrmənts, bɪˈkəz ˈjuʒəwəli ˌɪmˈpræktɪkəl ər ˌɪˈligəl tɪ rən fər ˈməltəpəl pəˈzɪʃənz æt ðə seɪm taɪm.) ənd ˌɔlˈðoʊ ˈdɛməˌkræts məst dɪˈfɛnd fɑr mɔr ˈsɛnɪt sits ðən rɪˈpəblɪkənz ɪn ˈsɛvərəl ɪn steɪts ðət trəmp əv ðə ˌɪnˈkəmbənts ər ˈkərəntli ˈrənɪŋ fər riɪˈlɛkʃən. ðə rɪˈtaɪrmənts əv ˈkɔrkər ənd fleɪk, əˈlɔŋ wɪθ ə ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk ˈvɪktəri ɪn ˈspɛʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən ɪn ˌæləˈbæmə, gɪv ˈdɛməˌkræts ən ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ʧæns æt riˈteɪkɪŋ ðə ˈsɛnɪt məˈʤɔrəti. ɪn ðə haʊs, nid tɪ pɪk əp ə nɛt 23 sits. ˈdætə ˈsɔrsəz: iʧ rɪˈzəlts ər frəm ðə ˈdeɪli kɑs. haʊs ənd ˈsɛnɪt ɪˈlɛkʃən rɪˈzəlts ər frəm ðə əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtəd prɛs. ˈsɛnɪt rɪˈpəblɪkənz rɪˈtaɪrɪŋ ˈaʊˈtraɪt bɑb ˈkɔrkər, ˌtɛnəˈsi 2016 ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən: trəmp 2012 ˈsɛnɪt ɪˈlɛkʃən: ˈkɔrkər ðə ˈʧɛrmən əv ðə ˈsɛnɪt ˈfɔrən riˈleɪʃənz kəˈmɪti ˈɑptɪd əˈgɛnst ˈrənɪŋ fər ə θərd tərm ənd ˈprɑmptli ˌɪnˈtɛnsɪˌfaɪd hɪz ˈkrɪtɪˌsɪzəm əv ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt, hum hi hæd preɪzd ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ɪˈlɛkʃən. trəmp əˈlɛʤd ðət ˈkɔrkər ““begged”*” fər hɪz ɛnˈdɔrsmənt, waɪl ˈkɔrkər sɛd ɪt wɑz trəmp hu ərʤd ɪm tɪ rən əˈgɛn.
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as for those getting out in 2018, trump’s low approval rating and congress’s meager legislative output may be contributing to the decisions of some republicans to retire, including moderate representatives ileana ros-lehtinen of florida, charlie dent of pennsylvania, rodney frelinghuysen and frank lobiondo of new jersey, and dave reichert of washington state. but there are other factors at play. unlike democrats, republicans have rules limiting the terms of their committee chairmen to ensure turnover and give younger members a chance to advance in the house. congress isn’t as fun with less power, and six of the departing gop committee leaders would be forced out of their roles and to the back bench in 2019.
some republicans untainted by scandal aren’t even finishing out their terms. representative pat tiberi of ohio left office in january to take a job with the ohio business roundtable, and dent announced in april that he would resign within a few weeks, having apparently determined that with the campaign season approaching, congress wasn’t likely to get much more done this year. meehan resigned on april 27 after earlier announcing plans to retire at the end of his term. meehan wanted to short-circuit an investigation by the house ethics committee into allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a staff member, and he said he was repaying the government $39,000 for money used to settle the harassment case.
the trend to this point gives a distinct edge to the democrats. while roughly the same number of lawmakers in both parties are leaving their seats to run for higher office, just 11 house democrats are retiring outright or have already resigned, compared with 28 republicans. (house members running for other offices often count as retirements, because it’s usually impractical or illegal to run for multiple positions at the same time.)
and although democrats must defend far more senate seats than republicans in 2018—including several in states that trump won—all of the party’s incumbents are currently running for reelection. the retirements of corker and flake, along with a democratic victory in december’s special election in alabama, give democrats an outside chance at retaking the senate majority. in the house, they’ll need to pick up a net 23 seats.
data sources: each district’s presidential-election results are from the daily kos. house and senate election results are from the associated press.
senate republicans retiring outright
bob corker, tennessee
2016 presidential election: +26.15 trump
2012 senate election: +34.6 corker
the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee opted against running for a third term and promptly intensified his criticism of the president, whom he had praised during the election. trump alleged that corker “begged” for his endorsement, while corker said it was trump who urged him to run again.
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frəm ðə ˈfaɪnəl ˈfænəsi ʃi dɪˈvɛləpmənt tim nu ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk ˈfiʧər tɪ ʧeɪnʤ ðə weɪ ju ˈpɑrti! ðə dɪˈvɛləpmənt tim ɪz praʊd tɪ əˈnaʊns ðə "ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk" ˈsɪstəm, ə ˌrɛvəˈluʃəˌnɛri nu ˈfiʧər ɪn ðə ˈəpˌkəmɪŋ ˈvərʒən ˈəpˌdeɪt ðət wɪl əˈlaʊ ɔl ˈvɛtərənz ənd ˈnɑvəsɪz ədˈvɛnʧər ənd geɪn ɪkˈspɪriəns təˈgɛðər rəˈgɑrdləs əv ˈlɛvəl ˈdɪfərənsɪz! ðə ˈkɑnsɛpt ðə dɪˈvɛləpmənt tim həz bɪn ˈlɪsənɪŋ ˌɪnˈtɛntli tɪ ˈfidˌbæk frəm pleɪərz, ənd ˈwərkɪŋ hɑrd tɪ ˈæˌdrɛs kənˈsərnz səʧ ɛz ðə ˈfɑloʊɪŋ: "aɪ kænt ˈpɑrti ˈifɛktɪvli wɪθ maɪ frɛndz ər ˈmɛmbərz bɪˈkəz ɑr ˈlɛvəlz ər tu fɑr əˈpɑrt!" "aɪ ˌɪnˈvaɪtɪd wən əv maɪ frɛndz tɪ pleɪ wɪθ mi, bət wi kænt ˈpɑrti təˈgɛðər bɪˈkəz wi doʊnt hæv ˈɛni ʤɑbz æt ˈsɪmələr ˈlɛvəlz!" "aɪ kænt faɪnd ˈɛniˌwən kloʊz ɪˈnəf tɪ maɪ ˈlɛvəl tɪ ˈpɑrti wɪθ!" ðə nu ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk ˈsɪstəm ɪz ðə rɪˈzəlt əv ɪkˈstɛnsɪv dɪˈskəʃənz ɔn haʊ tɪ riˈzɑlv ðiz kənˈsərnz, waɪl prɪˈzərvɪŋ geɪm ˈbæləns ənd əˈvɔɪdɪŋ əˈbjuz ənd baɪ grups. ɪt ˈæˈdrɛsɪz ðə ˈɪʃuz ðət hæv rɪˈzəltɪd frəm ə ˈstɛdi strim əv nu, ˌloʊˈlɛvəl pleɪərz ˈʤɔɪnɪŋ ən ɪgˈzɪstɪŋ geɪm wərld ˈpɑpjəˌleɪtəd baɪ skɔrz əv ˌhaɪˈlɛvəl ˈvɛtərənz, ənd ɪz pɑrt əv ðə ˈɔnˌgoʊɪŋ ˈɛfərt tɪ klin əp ðə kəmˈjunɪti ənd riˈmuv pleɪərz ɪn vaɪəˈleɪʃən əv ðə ˈjuzərz' əˈgrimənt. æt ðə hɑrt əv ðə ˈfiʧər ɪz ðə nu əˈbɪləˌti fər ˈmɛmbərz əv ə ˈpɑrti tɪ "paʊər daʊn" tɪ ðə ˈlɛvəl əv ə ˈdɛzɪgˌneɪtɪd ˈtərgət pleɪər. naʊ frɛndz wɪl bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ ədˈvɛnʧər təˈgɛðər ənd geɪn ɪkˈspɪriəns ɛz ɪf ðeɪ wər ɔl ðə seɪm ˈlɛvəl! wɪθ ðə ˌɪntrəˈdəkʃən əv ðɪs ˈsɪstəm, ðɛr wɪl ˈɔlsoʊ bi ˈmeɪʤər ˈʧeɪnʤɪz tɪ ðə weɪ ɪkˈwɪpmənt ɪz ˈhændəld ɪn rɪˈgɑrd tɪ ˈlɛvəl riˈstrɪkʃənz. ˈrəðər ðən ˌɔtəˈmætɪkli ˈaɪtəmz ɪf ə pleɪərz ˈlɛvəl ɪz rɪˈdust bɪˈloʊ ðə ˈmɪnəməm ˈlɛvəl, ðə əˈtrɪˌbjuts əv ˌhaɪˈlɛvəl ɪkˈwɪpmənt wɪl bi skeɪld daʊn prəˈpɔrʃənəli tɪ ðə rɪˈdust ˈlɛvəl. ðɪs wɪl əˈplaɪ nɑt ˈoʊnli tɪ ðə ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk ˈsɪstəm, bət tɪ ɔl ˈɛriəz ənd ˈmɪʃənz. ðɪs minz ðət pleɪərz wɪl naʊ bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ pɑrˈtɪsəˌpeɪt ɪn ˈvɛriəs ˈbætəlˌfildz, əˈsɔlt ˈmɪʃənz, ənd ballista*, ənd ˈɔlsoʊ tɪ ədˈvɛnʧər ɪn ˈɛriəz səʧ ɛz wɪˈθaʊt ðə ˈhæsəl əv ˈhævɪŋ tɪ swɪʧ ɪkˈwɪpmənt! rɛd ɔn fər mɔr ˈditeɪlz əˈbaʊt haʊ ðə ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk ˈsɪstəm wɪl wərk, ənd ɪgˈzæmpəlz əv haʊ ɪkˈwɪpmənt ənd wɪl bi əˈfɛktɪd. haʊ ɪt wərks wɪn ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk ɪz ˈæktɪˌveɪtɪd, ðə ˈlɛvəl əv ɔl ˈpɑrti ˈmɛmbərz wɪl bi ˌtɛmpərˈɛrəli rɪˈdust tɪ ðət əv ə ˈtərgət pleɪər ˈdɛzɪgˌneɪtɪd baɪ ðə ˈpɑrti ˈlidər. fər ɛz lɔŋ ɛz ðə ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk rɪˈmeɪnz ɪn ˈifɛkt, ɔl ˈpɑrti ˈmɛmbərz rəˈgɑrdləs əv ðɛr ərˈɪʤənəl ˈlɛvəl wɪl bi ˈeɪbəl tɪ geɪn ɪkˈspɪriəns ɛz ɪf ðeɪ wər ˈæˌkʧuəli ðə loʊər, riˈstrɪktɪd ˈlɛvəl. e.g*. wɪθ ə ˈpɑrti kənˈteɪnɪŋ ˈkɛrɪktərz əv ˈlɛvəlz 75 48 46 30 12 ənd 11 ɪf ðə ˈtərgət ˈkɛrɪktər ɪz lv*. 11 ˈɛvriˌwən wɪl bɪˈkəm lv*. 11 ɪf ðə ˈtərgət ˈkɛrɪktər ɪz lv*. 12 ðə lv*. ˈpɑrti ˈmɛmbərz wɪl bɪˈkəm lv*. 12 (ðə lv*. 11 ˈkɛrɪktər wɪl rɪˈmeɪn lv*. 11 ɪf ðə ˈtərgət ˈkɛrɪktər geɪnz ə ˈlɛvəl waɪl ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk ɪz ɪn ˈifɛkt, ðə ˈəðər ˈkɛrɪktərz' ˈlɛvəlz wɪl ˌɔtəˈmætɪkli əˈʤəst tɪ rɪˈflɛkt ðə nu ˈtərgət ˈlɛvəl. ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk ˈkænɑt bi juzd ɪn ˈɛriəz ər ɪˈvɛnts wɛr ə ˈsɛpərˌeɪt ˈlɛvəl riˈstrɪkʃən ɔˈrɛdi əˈplaɪz. ðə ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk ˈsɛtɪŋz ər ˈizəli ækˈsɛsəbəl frəm ðə meɪn ˈmɛnju. θri ˈsɪmpəl riˈstrɪkʃənz wɪl bi ˈɪmpləˌmɛnəd tɪ ɪnˈʃʊr ðət ðə ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk ˈfiʧər ɪz nɑt əˈbjuzd ənd dɪz nɑt prəˈvaɪd ən ɪkˈsɛsɪv ædˈvæntɪʤ ˈoʊvər trəˈdɪʃənəl ˈlɛvəlɪŋ. ˈmɪnəməm ˈtərgət ˈlɛvəl ðət kən bi ˈsɪŋkrəˌnaɪzd tɪ ɪz ˈlɛvəl 10 ˈpɑrti ˈlidər ənd ˈtərgət pleɪər məst bi ˈloʊˌkeɪtəd ɪn ðə seɪm ˈɛriə. wɪl bi ə ˈbəfər ˈpɪriəd əv ˈθərˌdi ˈsɛkəndz wɪn ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk. ˈgeɪnɪŋ ɪkˈspɪriəns wɪn ˈlɛvəl sɪŋk ɪz ɪn ˈifɛkt, pleɪərz wɪl geɪn 100 əv ðə ɪkˈspɪriəns ənd ˈlɪmət pɔɪnts ˈpɑsəbəl tɪ geɪn æt ðɛr rɪˈdust ˈlɛvəl. bi əˈwɛr, ðoʊ, ðət noʊ wɪl bi geɪnd ɪf ðə ˈtərgət pleɪər ɪz ˌənˈkɑnʃəs, riˈmuvd frəm ðə ˈpɑrti, tu fɑr əˈweɪ frəm ðə ˈbætəl loʊˈkeɪʃən, ər ˈəðərˌwaɪz əˈneɪbəl tɪ rɪˈsiv æt ðə taɪm ðə ˈmɑnstər ɪz dɪˈfitɪd. ɪn əˈdɪʃən, ðə əˈmaʊnt əv lɔst wɪn ˈrɛndərd ˌənˈkɑnʃəs wɪl bi ˈkælkjəˌleɪtɪd beɪst əˈpɑn ðə pleɪərz rɪˈdust ˈlɛvəl. ɪkˈwɪpmənt
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from the final fantasy xi development team
new level sync feature to change the way you party! (08/25/2008)
the ffxi development team is proud to announce the "level sync" system, a revolutionary new feature in the upcoming version update that will allow all players—grizzled veterans and novices alike—to adventure and gain experience together regardless of level differences!
the concept
the development team has been listening intently to feedback from players, and working hard to address concerns such as the following:
"i can't party effectively with my friends or linkshell members because our levels are too far apart!"
"i invited one of my friends to play ffxi with me, but we can't party together because we don't have any jobs at similar levels!"
"i can't find anyone close enough to my level to party with!"
the new level sync system is the result of extensive discussions on how to resolve these concerns, while preserving game balance and avoiding abuse and power-leveling by rmt groups. it addresses the issues that have resulted from a steady stream of new, low-level players joining an existing game world populated by scores of high-level veterans, and is part of the ongoing effort to clean up the ffxi community and remove players in violation of the users' agreement.
at the heart of the feature is the new ability for members of a party to "power down" to the level of a designated target player. now friends will be able to adventure together and gain experience as if they were all the same level!
with the introduction of this system, there will also be major changes to the way equipment is handled in regard to level restrictions. rather than automatically unequipping items if a player's level is reduced below the item's minimum level, the attributes of high-level equipment will be scaled down proportionally to the reduced level.
this will apply not only to the level sync system, but to all level-restricted areas and missions. this means that players will now be able to participate in various battlefields, assault missions, and ballista, and also to adventure in level-capped areas such as riverne without the hassle of having to switch equipment!
read on for more details about how the level sync system will work, and examples of how equipment and experience-gaining will be affected.
how it works
when level sync is activated, the level of all party members will be temporarily reduced to that of a target player designated by the party leader. for as long as the level sync remains in effect, all party members – regardless of their original level – will be able to gain experience as if they were actually the lower, restricted level.
e.g. with a party containing characters of levels 75, 48, 46, 30, 12, and 11:
if the target character is lv. 11, everyone will become lv. 11.
if the target character is lv. 12, the lv. 30-75 party members will become lv. 12.
(the lv. 11 character will remain lv. 11)
* if the target character gains a level while level sync is in effect, the other characters' levels will automatically adjust to reflect the new target level.
* level sync cannot be used in areas or events where a separate level restriction already applies.
* the level sync settings are easily accessible from the main menu.
three simple restrictions will be implemented to ensure that the level sync feature is not abused and does not provide an excessive advantage over traditional leveling.
1)the minimum target level that can be synchronized to is level 10.
2)the party leader and target player must be located in the same area.
3)there will be a buffer period of thirty seconds when deactivating level sync.
gaining experience
when level sync is in effect, players will gain 100% of the experience and limit points possible to gain at their reduced level. be aware, though, that no exp will be gained if the target player is unconscious, removed from the party, too far away from the battle location, or otherwise unable to receive exp at the time the monster is defeated.
in addition, the amount of exp lost when rendered unconscious will be calculated based upon the player's reduced level.
equipment
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2008 oʊˈlɪmpɪk ˈʤɪmnæsts ˈeɪmɪŋ fər spɑt ɪn ˈləndən st*. pɔl wɪθ ən aɪ ɔn ðə 2012 oʊˈlɪmpɪks, ˈʤɪmnæsts ʃɔn ˈʤɑnsən, əˈlɪʃə ənd ər əˈtɛmptɪŋ tɪ rɪˈgeɪn fɔrm ðət wən ðɛm tim ˈsɪlvər ˈmɛdəlz ɪn ˌbeɪˈʒɪŋ θri jɪrz əˈgoʊ. ðeɪ wɪl kənˈtɛnd wɪθ ðɛr spɔrts nu ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən ðɪs wik ɪn ðə ˈvizə ˈnæʃənəl ˈʧæmpiənˌʃɪps æt ðə ˈɛnərʤi ˈsɛnər. mɛnz prɪˈlɪməˌnɛriz ər təˈnaɪt æt p.m*. ɛt; ˈwɪmənz prɪˈlɪməˌnɛriz ər ˈθərzˌdeɪ. əˈməŋ ðə 2008 oʊˈlɪmpiənz,, 23 ɪz ˈkloʊsəst tɪ pik fɔrm ɛz dɪˈfɛndɪŋ wərld ˈʧæmpiən ɪn vɔlt. "ðæts ˈkreɪzi," ʃi sɛd. "ɪt wɑz ˈsəmθɪŋ aɪ wɑz traɪɪŋ tɪ du fər soʊ lɔŋ." ənd hæd ə rəf taɪm æt ðə oʊˈlɪmpɪks. wɑz ˈæftər ˈfɑlɪŋ frəm bim ənd ɪn flɔr ˈɛksərˌsaɪz ɪn tim ˌkɑmpəˈtɪʃən; ə ˈbroʊkən ˈæŋkəl ˈlɪmɪtɪd tɪ əˈnivən bɑrz. "wɪn ju θɪŋk əˈbaʊt jʊr drimz ˈkəmɪŋ tru, ju doʊnt ɛnˈvɪʒən ə mɪˈsteɪk," sɛd ˈtuzˌdeɪ. "ðoʊz mɪˈsteɪks wər ˌənˌkɛrɪktərˈɪstɪk əv mi." simz tɪ hæv riˈgeɪnd ðə trəst əv ˈwɪmənz tim koʊˈɔrdəˌneɪtər ˈmɑrθə kərˈoʊlji. "ʃi dɪd ə trɪˈmɛndəs ʤɑb æt wərldz (læst jɪr)," kərˈoʊlji sɛd. "ˈɛvriˌθɪŋ ɪz goʊɪŋ ɪn ə gʊd dɪˈrɛkʃɪn." læst mənθ,, 23 ˈfɪnɪʃt ˈsɛkənd ɪn ðə ˈkəvər gərl ˈklæsɪk ənd kərˈoʊlji sɛd ʃi kʊd meɪk ðə wərld tim ðət wɪl kəmˈpit ɪn ˈtoʊkiˌoʊ ɪn ɑkˈtoʊbər. ˈʤɑnsən, ðə 2008 ˈsɪlvər ˈmɛdəlɪst ənd goʊld ˈmɛdəlɪst ɔn ˈbæləns bim, ˈɔlsoʊ kəmˈpitɪd ɪn ðə ˈkəvər gərl mit, hər fərst sɪns ni ˈsərʤəri ɪn ˈfɛbruˌɛri 2010 hər ruˈtinz wər flɔd, ˈprɑmptɪŋ hər tɪ seɪ ʃi wɑz aʊt fər rɪˈdɛmʃən. "aɪ noʊ wət aɪ du ˈɛvəri deɪ ɪn ðə ʤɪm," ʃi sɛd. "aɪ soʊ wɔnt tɪ ʃoʊ ˈɛvriˌwən wət aɪv bɪn ˈwərkɪŋ ɔn." kərˈoʊlji sɛd ʃi ɪkˈspɛkts ˈʤɑnsən, 19 tɪ bi ɪn ðə mɪks fər 2012 ɪf nɑt ðə ˈəpˌkəmɪŋ wərld mit. ˈbrɪʤɪt sloʊn, ə 2008 oʊˈlɪmpiən ənd 2009 wərld ʧæmp, wɪl nɑt kəmˈpit ðɪs wik ɛz ʃi rɪˈkəvərz frəm ə lɛft ˈbaɪˌsɛps ˈɪnʤəri. ˈjuˈɛˈseɪ təˈdeɪ spɔrts ɔn tˈwɪtər! tɪ gɪt ðə ˈleɪtəst spɔrts nuz frəm ˈjuˈɛˈseɪ təˈdeɪ, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ geɪm rɪˈzəlts, ˈkɑləmz ənd ˈfiʧərz, ˈfɑloʊ ˈjuˈɛs ɔn tˈwɪtər æt @usatodaysports*. ðə ˈjəŋgər grup ɪz lɛd baɪ ˈwibər, 16 ənd rəˈbɛkə brɔs, 18 ðə dɪˈfɛndɪŋ juz. ˈʧæmpiən hu wən brɑnz ɪn æt ðə 2010 wərld ˈʧæmpiənˌʃɪps. brɔs ɪz treɪnd baɪ vɑˈlɛri, hu koʊʧt ˈdɔtər tɪ ðə 2008 oʊˈlɪmpɪk ˈtaɪtəl. ɪz ˌəndɪˈsaɪdɪd əˈbaʊt traɪɪŋ fər ðə 2012 geɪmz. vɑˈlɛri kləb ɪn ˈpleɪnoʊ, ˈtɛksəs, wərld oʊˈlɪmpɪk ʤɪmˈnæstɪks əˈkædəmi, həz prəˈdust ðə læst tu oʊˈlɪmpɪk ˈʧæmpiənz ɪn hɪz ˈdɔtər ənd ˈkɑrli ˈpætərsən ɪn 2004 hi bɪˈlivz brɔs kʊd bi ðə θərd kənˈsɛkjətɪv goʊld ˈmɛdəlɪst. "ðæts ðə plæn, ˈbeɪsɪkli," hi sɛd. "ˈəðərˌwaɪz ɪts nɑt fən fər hər tɪ wərk ðət hɑrd. ənd ʃiz ə ˈwərkəˈhɑlɪk." ðə ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃən əv juθ ənd ˈvɛtərənz əˈpilz tɪ kərˈoʊlji. "ˈvɛtərənz gɪv ju ɪkˈspɪriəns. ðə nu ˌʤɛnərˈeɪʃən gɪvz ju ɪnˈθuziˌæzəm ənd ˈɛnərʤi. ɪts ˈjuʒəwəli ə gʊd ˌkɑmbəˈneɪʃən." ðə mɛn hæv wən rɪˈtərnɪŋ oʊˈlɪmpiən ɪn ˈʤɑnəθən ˈhɔrtən bət kʊd æd əˈnəðər ɪf pɔl hæm, ðə 2004 oʊˈlɪmpɪk ʧæmp, meɪks ɪt bæk frəm ə raɪt ˈʃoʊldər ˈɪnʤəri ðət rikˈwaɪərd ˈsərʤəri ɪn ˈʤænjuˌɛri. hæm sɛd hi plænz tɪ kəmˈpit ɪn ˈfɛbruˌɛri. brɛnt ʤoʊnz. fər ˌpəblɪˈkeɪʃən kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən ɪn ðə ˈnuzˌpeɪpər, sɛnd ˈkɑmɛnts tɪ fər mɔr ˌɪnˌfɔrˈmeɪʃən əˈbaʊt riˈprɪnts pərˈmɪʃənz ˈvɪzɪt ɑr faq's*. tɪ rɪˈpɔrt kərˈɛkʃənz ənd ˌklɛrɪfɪˈkeɪʃənz, ˈkɑnˌtækt ˈstændərdz ˈɛdɪtər. fər ˌpəblɪˈkeɪʃən kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃən ɪn ðə ˈnuzˌpeɪpər, sɛnd ˈkɑmɛnts tɪ ˌɪnˈklud neɪm, foʊn ˈnəmbər, ˈsɪti ənd steɪt fər ˌvɛrəfəˈkeɪʃən. tɪ vju ɑr kərˈɛkʃənz, goʊ tɪ
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2008 olympic gymnasts aiming for spot in london
st. paul with an eye on the 2012 olympics, gymnasts shawn johnson, alicia sacramone and chellsie memmel are attempting to regain form that won them team silver medals in beijing three years ago.
they will contend with their sport's new generation this week in the visa national championships at the xcel energy center. men's preliminaries are tonight at 7:30 p.m. et; women's preliminaries are thursday.
among the 2008 olympians, sacramone, 23, is closest to peak form as defending world champion in vault. "that's crazy," she said. "it was something i was trying to do for so long."
sacramone and memmel had a rough time at the olympics. sacramone was inconsolable after falling from beam and in floor exercise in team competition; a broken ankle limited memmel to uneven bars.
"when you think about your dreams coming true, you don't envision a mistake," sacramone said tuesday. "those mistakes were uncharacteristic of me."
sacramone seems to have regained the trust of women's team coordinator martha karolyi. "she did a tremendous job at worlds (last year)," karolyi said. "everything is going in a good direction."
last month, memmel, 23, finished second in the cover girl classic and karolyi said she could make the five-member world team that will compete in tokyo in october.
johnson, the 2008 all-around silver medalist and gold medalist on balance beam, also competed in the cover girl meet, her first since knee surgery in february 2010. her routines were flawed, prompting her to say she was out for redemption. "i know what i do every day in the gym," she said. "i so want to show everyone what i've been working on."
karolyi said she expects johnson, 19, to be in the mix for 2012 if not the upcoming world meet.
bridget sloan, a 2008 olympian and 2009 world all-around champ, will not compete this week as she recovers from a left biceps injury.
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the younger group is led by jordyn wieber, 16, and rebecca bross, 18, the defending u.s. all-around champion who won bronze in all-around at the 2010 world championships. bross is trained by valeri liukin, who coached daughter nastia to the 2008 olympic all-around title. nastia liukin is undecided about trying for the 2012 games.
valeri liukin's club in plano, texas, world olympic gymnastics academy, has produced the last two olympic all-around champions in his daughter and carly patterson in 2004. he believes bross could be the third consecutive gold medalist.
"that's the plan, basically," he said. "otherwise it's not fun for her to work that hard. and she's a workaholic."
the combination of youth and veterans appeals to karolyi. "veterans give you experience. the new generation gives you enthusiasm and energy. it's usually a good combination."
the men have one returning olympian in jonathan horton but could add another if paul hamm, the 2004 olympic all-around champ, makes it back from a right shoulder injury that required surgery in january. hamm said he plans to compete in february.
brent jones. for publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to for more information about reprints & permissions , visit our faq's. to report corrections and clarifications, contact standards editor. for publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com . include name, phone number, city and state for verification. to view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com
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ˈʤæksənˌvɪl ˈʤægˌwɑrz kˈwɔrtərˌbæk bleɪk həz sɛt ðə nu ˈpæsɪŋ ˈrɛkərd, ˈpæsɪŋ mɑrk jɑrdz sɛt ɪn 1996 ðə ˈrɛkərd wɑz ərˈɪʤənəli sɛt baɪ ˈbrənəl ɪn ðə ˈsɛkənd ˈsizən fər ðə jəŋ ˈʤægˌwɑrz ˈfrænˌʧaɪz wɪn hi wɛnt fər jɑrdz ənd 19 ˈtəʧˌdaʊnz ˈkəpəld wɪθ 20 ˌɪnərˈsɛpʃənz. ɪts səˈpraɪzɪŋ ðət ɛz ðə lig həz ˈgɔtən mɔr ðə ˈrɛkərd ˈwəzənt ˈbroʊkən ˈsunər. həz hɪz ˈtɛndənsi fər geɪmz tɪ θæŋk fər ˈbreɪkɪŋ ðə ˈrɛkərd. hi həz 275 ər mɔr jɑrdz ɪn ˈsɛvən geɪmz ðɪs jɪr ənd ɪt wɪl ˈlaɪkli bi eɪt əˈgɛnst ðə ˈtɛksənz təˈdeɪ. hi ˈnidɪd ən ˈævərɪʤ əv 273 jɑrdz pər geɪm tɪ bit ðə ˈrɛkərd. keɪm ˈɪntu ðə geɪm sɪksθ ɪn ðə lig wɪθ jɑrdz. hɪz 574 pæs əˈtɛmpts ɪz ˈɔlsoʊ sɪksθ ɪn ðə lig. hiz ˈsɛkənd ɪn ðə lig bɪˈhaɪnd tɑm ˈbreɪdi wɪθ 35 ˈtəʧˌdaʊnz.
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jacksonville jaguars quarterback blake bortles has set the new single-season passing record, passing mark brunell's 4,367 yards set in 1996.
the record was originally set by brunell in the second season for the young jaguars franchise when he went 353-for-557 for 4,367 yards and 19 touchdowns coupled with 20 interceptions. it's surprising that as the league has gotten more pass-heavy the record wasn't broken sooner.
bortles has his tendency for big-yardage games to thank for breaking the record. he has 275 or more yards in seven games this year and it will likely be eight against the texans today. he needed an average of 273 yards per game to beat the record.
bortles came into the game sixth in the league with 4,189 yards. his 574 pass attempts is also sixth in the league. he's second in the league behind tom brady with 35 touchdowns.
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ˈflɔrɪdə ˈwʊmən suz ˈɛˌrlaɪn ˈæftər ˈdrɑpɪŋ ˈləgɪʤ ɔn hərˈsɛlf klɪk θru ðə tɪ si wət ðə bɛst ˈɛˌrlaɪnz tɪ flaɪ ɔn soʊ fɑr ðɪs jɪr. lɛs ˈflɔrɪdə ˈrɛzɪdənt ˈaɪˌjæʃ ɪz suɪŋ əˈmɛrɪkən ˈɛˌrlaɪnz fər ˈnɛglɪʤəns ˈæftər ʃi hɪt hərˈsɛlf ɪn ðə feɪs ɛz ʃi græbd hər ˈləgɪʤ frəm ðə ˈoʊvərˈhɛd kəmˈpɑrtmənt. klɪk θru ðə tɪ si wət ðə bɛst mɔr ˈflɔrɪdə ˈrɛzɪdənt ˈaɪˌjæʃ ɪz suɪŋ əˈmɛrɪkən ˈɛˌrlaɪnz fər ˈnɛglɪʤəns ˈæftər ʃi hɪt hərˈsɛlf ɪn ðə feɪs ɛz ʃi græbd hər ˈləgɪʤ frəm ðə ˈoʊvərˈhɛd kəmˈpɑrtmənt. ˈfoʊˌtoʊ: bɪl mɑntˈgəmri ˈfoʊˌtoʊ: bɪl mɑntˈgəmri ˈɪmɪʤ 1 əv 18 ˈkæpʃən kloʊz ˈflɔrɪdə ˈwʊmən suz ˈɛˌrlaɪn ˈæftər ˈdrɑpɪŋ ˈləgɪʤ ɔn hərˈsɛlf 1 18 bæk tɪ ˈgæləri ə ˈflɔrɪdə ˈwʊmən hu drɑpt hər ˈləgɪʤ ɔn hərˈsɛlf æt ðə ɛnd əv ən ˈɔgəst 2014 flaɪt ɪz suɪŋ əˈmɛrɪkən ˈɛˌrlaɪnz fər ˈnɛglɪʤəns. ˈaɪˌjæʃ æst ə flaɪt əˈtɛndənt tɪ pæk hər ˈləgɪʤ ˈɪntu ðə ˈoʊvərˈhɛd kəmˈpɑrtmənt wɪn ʃi ˈkʊdənt gɪt ɪt tɪ fɪt hərˈsɛlf ɔn ə flaɪt frəm ʃəˈkɑˌgoʊ tɪ maɪˈæmi, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə maɪˈæmi nu taɪmz. rɛd mɔr: gəlf ɛr flaɪt lændz ˈseɪfli ɪn məˈnɪlə ˈæftər ˈɪnʤən ˈfeɪljər wɪn ɪt keɪm taɪm tɪ riˈmuv ðə bæg, ˈaɪˌjæʃ hæd tɪ juz soʊ məʧ fɔrs ðət ðə bæg flu aʊt əv ðə kəmˈpɑrtmənt ənd hɪt hər feɪs, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə ˈnuzˌpeɪpər. ðət ˈprɑmptɪd hər tɪ faɪl ə ˈlɔˌsut ɪn ˈkaʊnti kɔrt fər ˈnɛglɪʤəns, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə nu taɪmz. ˈaɪˌjæʃ əˈlɛʤd ɪn kɔrt ˈdɑkjəmənts ðət ʃi hæd tɪ bi trænˈspɔrtəd tɪ ðə ˈimərʤənsi rum fər ə kənˈtuʒən ɔn hər ʧɛst wɔl, bæk peɪn ənd nɛk peɪn, ðə ˈnuzˌpeɪpər rɪˈpɔrts. rɛd mɔr: ˈɔdɪtər suz skul ˈdɪstrɪkt, əˈlɛʤɪŋ riˌtæliˈeɪʃən ˈaɪˌjæʃ ˈɔlsoʊ sɛd ʃi hæd tɪ ˌəndərˈgoʊ ˈfɪzɪkəl ˈθɛrəpi ənd ˈsərʤəri bɪˈkəz əv ðə ˈɪnʤəriz, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ ðə nu taɪmz. haʊ məʧ ˈməni ˈaɪˌjæʃ ɪz suɪŋ fər ˈwəzənt ˌriˈpɔrtəd baɪ ðə nu taɪmz. ðə keɪs həz bɪn muvd aʊt əv ˈkaʊnti ənd tɪ ˈfɛdərəl kɔrt ɪn saʊθ ˈflɔrɪdə, əˈkɔrdɪŋ tɪ kɔrt ˈrɛkərdz.
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florida woman sues airline after dropping luggage on herself
click through the slideshow to see what the best airlines to fly on so far this year. less florida resident nima ayyash is suing american airlines for negligence after she hit herself in the face as she grabbed her luggage from the overhead compartment.
click through the slideshow to see what the best ... more florida resident nima ayyash is suing american airlines for negligence after she hit herself in the face as she grabbed her luggage from the overhead compartment. photo: bill montgomery photo: bill montgomery image 1 of / 18 caption close florida woman sues airline after dropping luggage on herself 1 / 18 back to gallery
a florida woman who dropped her luggage on herself at the end of an august 2014 flight is suing american airlines for negligence.
nima ayyash asked a flight attendant to pack her carry-on luggage into the overhead compartment when she couldn't get it to fit herself on a flight from chicago to miami, according to the miami new times.
read more: gulf air flight lands safely in manila after engine failure
when it came time to remove the bag, ayyash had to use so much force that the bag flew out of the compartment and hit her face, according to the newspaper.
that prompted her to file a lawsuit in miami-dade county court for negligence, according to the new times. ayyash alleged in court documents that she had to be transported to the emergency room for a contusion on her chest wall, back pain and neck pain, the newspaper reports.
read more: hisd auditor sues school district, alleging retaliation
ayyash also said she had to undergo physical therapy and surgery because of the injuries, according to the new times.
how much money ayyash is suing for wasn't reported by the new times.
the case has been moved out of miami-dade county and to federal court in south florida, according to court records.
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diyarbakır-based* dəʧ ˈʤərnəlɪst ˈfeɪsɪz ʤeɪl tərm fər ˌprɑpəˈgændə' ˈeɪʤənsi ˈfoʊˌtoʊ ə ˈlɔˌsut həz bɪn ˈoʊpənd əˈgɛnst, ə dəʧ ˈʤərnəlɪst, ɔn ˈʧɑrʤɪz əv ˈmeɪkɪŋ ˌprɑpəˈgændə ɔn bɪˈhæf əv ðə ˈaʊˌtlɔd ˈkərdɪˌstæn workers’*’ ˈpɑrti (pkk*), wɪθ ðə ˈprɑsɪˌkjutər dɪˈmændɪŋ bɪtˈwin wən ənd faɪv jɪrz ɪn wɑz ˈbrifli dɪˈteɪnd ɔn ʤæn. 6 ɛz ə pɑrt əv ən ˌɑpərˈeɪʃən lɔnʧt baɪ ðə ˈɔfəs ˈæftər θri ˈdɪfərənt kəmˈpleɪnts wər meɪd tɪ ðə ˈæŋkərə haɪ ˈkrɪmənəl kɔrt həz ækˈsɛptɪd ən ˌɪnˈdaɪtmənt ɪn wɪʧ ðə ˈɔfəs sɛd ɪt wɑz dɪˈtərmənd ðət ðə ˈʤərnəlɪst meɪd ˌprɑpəˈgændə baɪ ˈʃɛrɪŋ ðə flægz ənd ækˈtɪvɪtiz ɔn ˈsoʊʃəl hər ˈtɛstɪˌmoʊni, plɛd nɑt ˈgɪlti ənd rɪfˈjuzd ðət ʃi ʃɛrd poʊsts ˈiðər ˈpreɪzɪŋ ðə ər əˈgɛnst ðə steɪt, ðə ˌɪnˈdaɪtmənt ˈɔlsoʊ dɪˈtɛnʃən keɪm aʊərz ˈæftər ˈprɛzɪdənt hæd dɪˈklɛrd æt ə ˈmitɪŋ əv æmˈbæsədərz ɪn ˈæŋkərə ðət ɪz noʊ friər prɛs, ɪn ˈjʊrəp ər ˈɛlsˌwɛr ɪn ðə wərld, ðən ɪn ˈfɔrən ˈmɪnɪstər bərt wɑz ˈɔlsoʊ əˈtɛndɪŋ ðə ˈmitɪŋ wɪn ðə ˈʤərnəlɪst wɑz reɪzd hɪz kənˈsərnz ˈdʊrɪŋ hɪz ˈmitɪŋz wɪθ ˈtərkɪʃ ˈkɑligz, ˌɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈfɔrən ˈmɪnɪstər ççavuşoğlu*, ɔn ʤæn. 6 ðə ˈtərkɪʃ saɪd dɪˈfɛndɪd ðə ˌɪmˌpɑrʃiˈælɪti əv ðə ˈɔnˌgoʊɪŋ ʤuˈdɪʃəl ˈɪnsədənt kɔzd ˈəˌprɔr bɪˈkəz əv ˌɔnˈfɛr record,”*,” ˈtərkɪʃ ˈʤəstɪs ˈmɪnɪstər bozdağ*ğ sɛd ʤæn. 7 ˈæskɪŋ ˈwɛðər ˌjʊrəˈpiən ˈkəntriz wʊd nɑt dɪˈmænd ðə ˈtɛstɪˌmoʊni əv ə tərk ðeɪ meɪd ˌprɑpəˈgændə əv ə ˈtɛrərɪst ɪz ˈfeɪsɪŋ ˌɔnˈfɛr ˈkrɪtɪˌsɪzəm ˈoʊvər ðə dɪˈteɪnd journalist,”*,” hi ˈædɪd.
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diyarbakır-based dutch journalist faces jail term for 'pkk propaganda'
di̇yarbakir – anadolu agency
dha photo
a lawsuit has been opened against frederike geerdink, a diyarbakır-based dutch journalist, on charges of making propaganda on behalf of the outlawed kurdistan workers’ party (pkk), with the prosecutor demanding between one and five years in prison.geerdink was briefly detained on jan. 6 as a part of an operation launched by the diyarbakır prosecutor’s office after three different complaints were made to the ankara police.the 6th high criminal court has accepted an indictment in which the prosecutor’s office said it was determined that the journalist made pkk propaganda by sharing the organization’s flags and member’s activities on social media.in her testimony, geerdink pled not guilty and refused that she shared posts either praising the pkk or against the state, the indictment also said.geerdink’s detention came hours after president recep tayyip erdoğan had declared at a meeting of ambassadors in ankara that “there is no freer press, in europe or elsewhere in the world, than in turkey.”dutch foreign minister bert koenders was also attending the meeting when the journalist was detained.while koenders raised his concerns during his meetings with turkish colleagues, including foreign minister mevlüt çavuşoğlu, on jan. 6, the turkish side defended the impartiality of the ongoing judicial process.“the incident caused uproar because of turkey’s unfair record,” turkish justice minister bekir bozdağ said jan. 7, asking whether european countries would not demand the testimony of a turk “if they made propaganda of a terrorist organization.”“turkey is facing unfair criticism over the detained journalist,” he added.
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ˈstɔri ˈhaɪˌlaɪts sɛd ˈjuˈɛs ˌækjəˈzeɪʃənz əv ˈhækɪŋ "lʊk ənˈsimli" wɪˈθaʊt pruf ˈjuˈɛs ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˈeɪʤənsiz hæv pɪnd bleɪm ɔn ˈrəʃə fər ˈhækɪŋ (ˈsiˈɛˈnɛn) ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts məst ˈiðər stɑp əˈkjuzɪŋ ˈrəʃə əv ˈmɛdəlɪŋ ɪn ɪts ɪˈlɛkʃənz ər pruv ɪt, ə ˈspoʊksmən fər ˈrəʃən ˈprɛzɪdənt vˈlædəmɪr ˈputɪn sɛd ˈfraɪˌdeɪ. ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ˈspoʊksmən sɛd ɪt wɑz "ˌɪnˈdisənt" əv ðə juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts tɪ "groundlessly*" əˈkjuz ˈrəʃə əv ˌɪntərˈvɛnʃən ɪn ɪts ɪˈlɛkʃənz, ˈrəʃən steɪt nuz ˈeɪʤənsi tæs ˌriˈpɔrtəd. "ðeɪ ʃʊd ˈiðər stɑp ˈtɔkɪŋ əˈbaʊt ðət ər ˈproʊdus səm pruf æt læst. ˈəðərˌwaɪz ɪt ɔl bɪˈgɪnz tɪ lʊk ənˈsimli," rɪˈpɔrtədli sɛd əˈbaʊt ðə ˈleɪtəst ˌækjəˈzeɪʃənz ðət ˈrəʃə wɑz riˈspɑnsəbəl fər ˈhækər əˈtæks. ʤɪst wɔʧt ɪz ðɪs ðə nu koʊld wɔr? riˈpleɪ mɔr ˈvɪdioʊz məst wɔʧ rɪˈleɪtɪd ˈvɪdioʊ: ɪz ðɪs ðə nu koʊld wɔr? ˈprɛzɪdənt ˈbɑrək ˌoʊˈbɑmə ɔn ˈθərzˌdeɪ vaʊd riˈtæljəˌtɔri ˈækʃən əˈgɛnst ˈrəʃə fər ɪts ˈmɛdəlɪŋ ɪn ðə ˈjuˈɛs ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl ɪˈlɛkʃən læst mənθ. ˈjuˈɛs ˌɪnˈtɛləʤəns ˈeɪʤənsiz ɪn ɑkˈtoʊbər pɪnd bleɪm ɔn ˈrəʃə fər ˈhækɪŋ. æt ðə taɪm, ðə waɪt haʊs vaʊd ə "prəˈpɔrʃənəl rɪˈspɑns" tɪ ðə cyberactivity*, ðoʊ dɪˈklaɪnd tɪ ˈprivˌju wət ðət rɪˈspɑns maɪt ɛnˈteɪl. rɛd mɔr ˈsiˈɛˈnɛnz ˈlɪndzi ˈaɪzɪk kənˈtrɪbjutɪd tɪ ðɪs rɪˈpɔrt.
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story highlights dmitry peskov said us accusations of hacking "look unseemly" without proof
us intelligence agencies have pinned blame on russia for election-related hacking
(cnn) — the united states must either stop accusing russia of meddling in its elections or prove it, a spokesman for russian president vladimir putin said friday.
presidential spokesman dmitry peskov said it was "indecent" of the united states to "groundlessly" accuse russia of intervention in its elections, russian state news agency tass reported.
"they should either stop talking about that or produce some proof at last. otherwise it all begins to look unseemly," peskov reportedly said about the latest accusations that russia was responsible for hacker attacks.
just watched is this the new cold war? replay more videos ... must watch related video: is this the new cold war? 02:21
president barack obama on thursday vowed retaliatory action against russia for its meddling in the us presidential election last month.
us intelligence agencies in october pinned blame on russia for election-related hacking. at the time, the white house vowed a "proportional response" to the cyberactivity, though declined to preview what that response might entail.
read more
cnn's lindsay isaac contributed to this report.
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ˈoʊˌpɛk ˈprɛzɪdənt ərˈaɪvɪŋ fər ðə ˈmitɪŋ ɪn viˈɛnə ðə hɛd əv ˈoʊˌpɛk, ðə kɑrˈtɛl əv ˈneɪʃənz, həz sɛd ɪt ɪz ənˈlaɪkli tɪ ˌɪnˈkris pərˈdəkʃən æt ðɪs wiks ˈmitɪŋ. ɪt hæd bɪn hoʊpt ˈmɛmbərz wʊd bust ðə səˈplaɪ əv ɔɪl tɪ hɛlp ˈpraɪsɪz fɔl frəm ðɛr ˈlɛvəlz. krud ɔɪl hɪt ə nu ˈrɛkərd əv ˈɔlˌmoʊst 104 ə ˈbɛrəl æt ðə stɑrt əv ðə wik bət ˈsɛtəld æt leɪt ɔn ˈtuzˌdeɪ. ɔɪl ˈmɪnɪstərz frəm ˈoʊˌpɛk ˈmɛmbər ˈneɪʃənz ər ˈgæðərɪŋ ɪn viˈɛnə əˈhɛd əv ðɛr ˈmitɪŋ wɪʧ stɑrts ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ. "aɪ doʊnt θɪŋk ˈoʊˌpɛk wʊd kənˈsɪdər ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ pərˈdəkʃən bɪˈkəz ðɛn wi wʊd bi ˌɪnˈkrisɪŋ tɪ mit ə dɪˈmænd ðət ˈdəzənt ɪgˈzɪst," ˈoʊˌpɛk ˈprɛzɪdənt sɛd. ˈjuˈɛs ˈgəvərnmənt ˈdætə, du ɔn ˈwɛnzˌdeɪ, ɪz ɪkˈspɛktɪd tɪ ʃoʊ ɪt həz ə gʊd səˈplaɪ əv krud ɔɪl ənd dəˈmɛstɪk fjuəl. ˈjuˈɛs ˈprɛzɪdənt ʤɔrʤ ˈdəbəlju bʊʃ sɛd ɪt wʊd bi ən ˈɛrər ɪf ˈoʊˌpɛk ˈmɛmbərz ˈdɪdənt ˈrɛkəgˌnaɪz ðə ˌɪmˈpækt haɪ ˈpraɪsɪz wər ˈhævɪŋ ɔn ðə ˈjuˈɛs. "aɪ θɪŋk ɪt ɪz ə mɪˈsteɪk tɪ hæv jʊr ˈbɪgəst ˈkəstəmərz ɪˈkɑnəmi tɪ sloʊ ə rɪˈzəlt əv haɪ ˈɛnərʤi ˈpraɪsɪz," hi sɛd. ˈərliər ðə ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl ˈɛnərʤi ˈeɪʤənsi hæd sɛd ɪt ˈaʊtˌpʊt tɪ rɪˈmeɪn æt ˈkɑrənt ˈlɛvəlz, ˈivɪn ɛz səˈplaɪz wər taɪt. ɔɪl ˈpraɪsɪz hæv ˈrɪzən tɪ ˈrɛkərd haɪz du tɪ haɪ dɪˈmænd fər ðə kəˈmɑdəti ənd ðə ˈwikənɪŋ ˈdɔlər, wɪʧ həz ˈprɑmptɪd ˌɪnˈvɛstərz tɪ swɪʧ tɪ ɔɪl ənd ˈəðər rɪˈpjutɪd seɪf ˈheɪvənz səʧ ɛz goʊld.
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opec president chakib khelil arriving for the meeting in vienna
the head of opec, the cartel of oil-producing nations, has said it is unlikely to increase production at this week's meeting.
it had been hoped members would boost the supply of oil to help prices fall from their historically-high levels.
crude oil hit a new record of almost $104 a barrel at theart of the week but settled at $99.52 late on tuesday.
oil ministers from opec member nations are gathering in vienna ahead of their meeting whicharts on wednesday.
"i don't think opec would consider increasing production because then we would be increasing to meet a demand that doesn't exist," opec president chakib khelil said.
us government data, due on wednesday, is expected to show it has a good supply of crude oil and domestic fuel.
us president george w bush said it would be an error if opec members didn't recognise the impact high prices were having on the us.
"i think it is a mistake to have your biggest customer's economy to slow down....as a result of high energy prices," he said.
earlier the international energy agency had said it favoured output to remain at current levels, even as supplies were tight.
oil prices have risen to record highs due to high demand for the commodity and the weakening dollar, which has prompted investors to switch to oil and other reputed safe havens such as gold.
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xherdan*: həz əˈtræktəd ˈɪntəˌrɛst frəm sɪz ˈlɪvərˌpul sɔ ən ˈɔfər fər hɪz ˈsərvɪsɪz nɑkt bæk baɪ mˈjunɪk praɪər tɪ ðə wərld kəp. ðə sˈwɪtsərlənd ˌɪnərˈnæʃənɑl həz lɔŋ bɪn lɪŋkt wɪθ ə muv tɪ, wɪθ ðə rɛdz sɛd tɪ hæv bɪn kin ˌbiˈfɔr hi lɛft ˈbɑzəl fər ðə ˈæliənz ərˈinə ɪn 2012 həz bɪn ə ˈrɛgjələr pɑrt əv ə səkˈsɛsfəl saɪd æt ɪn ðə læst tu jɪrz, bət stɑrts hæv bɪn hɑrd tɪ kəm baɪ æt taɪmz. ˈlɪvərˌpul meɪd ə bɪd fər mi ˌbiˈfɔr ðə wərld kəp bət pʊt ðɛr fʊt daʊn ənd toʊld mi, nɑt goʊɪŋ tɪ sɛl you’*’. ðət həz spɑrkt ˈrɛgjələr raʊnz əv ˌspɛkjəˈleɪʃən səˈʤɛstɪŋ ðət hi meɪ bi əˈlaʊd tɪ muv ɔn., ðoʊ, hæv rɪˈzɪstɪd ɔl əˈproʊʧɪz soʊ fɑr, wɪθ naʊ priˈpɛrd tɪ əˈsɛs hɪz ˈɔpʃənz ɪn ðə nu jɪr wɪn əˈnəðər ˈwɪndoʊ əv ˌɑpərˈtunəti ˈprɛzənts ˌɪtˈsɛlf. ðə sɛd: meɪd ə bɪd fər mi ˌbiˈfɔr ðə wərld kəp bət pʊt ðɛr fʊt daʊn ənd toʊld mi, nɑt goʊɪŋ tɪ sɛl you’*’. ˈkɑnˌtrækt rənz ənˈtɪl 2016 ənd aɪ kʊd ˈpɑsəbli ɪkˈstɛnd ɪt. wɪl kənˈsɪdər maɪ dɪˈsɪʒən ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈwɪntər break.”*.” fər naʊ, ˈfoʊkɪs ɪz lɑkt ɔn ə ˌjʊrəˈpiən kˈwɑləˌfaɪər wɪθ ˈɪŋglənd, wɪθ rɔɪ ˈhɑʤsən sɛt tɪ brɪŋ ə saɪd tɪ ðə ˈʤækəb ˈsteɪdiəm ɔn ˈmənˌdeɪ. hi ˈædɪd: ɪkˈspɛkt ˈɪŋglənd tɪ kəm ˈoʊvər wɪθ ə lɔt əv jəŋ pleɪərz hu jɛt soʊ wɛl noʊn. ðeɪ wɪl wɔnt tɪ rɪˈpɛr ðə ˈdæmɪʤ ˈæftər nɑt duɪŋ wɛl æt ðə wərld kəp ˈfaɪnəlz. wɪl kəm ˈoʊvər tɪ sˈwɪtsərlənd ˈlʊkɪŋ tɪ wɪn. bət wi wɪl pleɪ ɑr ˈnɔrməl geɪm ənd bi goʊɪŋ fər ˈvɪktəri tu. ər fəˈmɪljər wɪθ ɑr fɔrˈmeɪʃən ɛz ə tim ənd wi noʊ wət wi hæv tɪ du. koʊʧ vˈlædəmɪr həz toʊld ˈjuˈɛs hi nid tɪ meɪk bɪg ˈʧeɪnʤɪz fər ðə ˈɪŋglənd game.”*.”
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