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Crusade 2019 - Penarth & District Wargames Club
Another year and another Crusade, this being my fourth show but the twenty-fourth since the Penarth club set things up back in 1995.
I travelled up from Exeter in the company of Bob, and Steve M, later picking up Mr Steve in Cardiff on our way over to St Cyres School in Penarth, the venue for the show since 2017.
Crusade 2016
The day looked almost perfect for a wargames show, overcast and cold, making you look forward to being indoors and playing or looking at toy soldiers and the local Napoleonic reenactment team from the 41st Foot were going through their warm up drills as we queued to get in.
They managed to get outside in between the rain on the day to to do some live firing drills which rather livened up things for those of us in the classrooms behind listening to the guest speakers, to find ourselves occasionally and loudly disturbed by the sound of exploding pyrotechnics and black powder discharges whilst enjoying the pleasures of listening to some very good presentations on Napoleonic Medical Services, WWI and the Welsh at Mametz Wood and Medieval Infantry Tactics.
What appears to be a squad from the Grenadier Platoon were well turned out as how many of the units would have appeared in 1808 in the Peninsula clad in the early war black gaiters that with the removal of the need to wear queued hair gave way to the loose trousers over an ankle gaiter.
The origins of the 41st were in 1719 when they were first raised as an Invalids Battalion from Chelsea out-pensioners, that is previously wounded, older or slightly disabled soldiers, still able to serve. It retained the 'Invalids' title in 1782 when other regiments were taking on County titles and in 1788 a certain Sir Arthur Wellesley joined the regiment as a young lieutenant.
From 1800 the regiment was posted to North America and served throughout the War of 1812 seeing action at the Siege of Detroit, August 1812 under General Isaac Brock, The Battle of Queenston Heights, October 1812, Battle of Frenchtown, January 1813, The Siege of Fort Meigs, April 1813, Battle of the Thames, October 1813 and the capture of Fort Niagara in December 1813. Nearly all these actions were recorded in the battle memoirs of Private Shadrack Byfield who served with the regiment and lost an arm at Conjocta Creek in 1814
Shadrack Byfield
In 1881 the 41st Foot was combined with the 69th South Lincolnshire Regiment to form the new Welch Regiment later amalgamated with the 24th Foot or South Wales Borderers of Zulu Wars fame to form the modern day Royal Regiment of Wales.
I often see questions asked about the colour of officers and NCO's jackets to that of the ordinary ranks and this picture really captures the difference in the scarlet, better quality coats, worn by them.
As mentioned above, I spent the best part of the morning sat in one of the classrooms listening to the guest speakers organised for the show.
I really must congratulate the organising team at Penarth for running this part of the show as I and, I think, many others who I have seen regularly attend these classroom presentations really get a lot out from the sessions the guest speakers put together; and, for historical wargamers, really help inform that aspect of our hobby.
Crusade 2019 - Guest Speakers
As before, I recorded the presentations so that I could sit down at my leisure and re-listen and hopefully capture some of the key points from them to post here.
Gareth Glover - Campaigning the Napoleonic Wars
First up was Gareth Glover (GG), well established author of several Napoleonic themed titles, a couple of which I have covered from previous Crusade shows and can be found in the links above.
Gareth has a new title due to be published in April, 'Waterloo - After the Glory' which takes a detailed look at the treatment of the wounded after the Battle of Waterloo and the medical facilities created by all the respective forces taking part in the 100 Days Campaign.
Gareth Glove Collection - Waterloo After the Glory
GG ranged far and wide over the state of provision of medical services provided to the troops of the four principle combatants in the Waterloo Campaign, British, French, Dutch-Belgian and Prussians.
He began by looking at the establishment of these services led by the French in 1793, creating four training hospitals in Metz, Lille, Strasbourg and Toulon tasked with turning out 4,000 trained medical officers per year for the army and navy.
The French Service de Sante led the way in medical service provision for troops during the Napoleonic period
The French aspiration was to eventually train up enough surgeons to provide one for every twenty-five soldiers but the high rates of attrition among medical officers held this aspiration back seeing 4,000 trained in 1792-93 but 1,600 lost in that year to disease and other issues. Thus from 1805 to 1812 the French medical services grew from 2,000 surgeons to 5,000 by 1812.
Other nations soon saw the value of medical service provision for their own soldiers and the French system was soon followed by other major combatants with Austria and Prussia in 1795, Russia in 1798 and the British in 1800.
GG then looked at how the French in particular organised their system with a typical French regiment of four battalions expected to have on list one senior regimental surgeon and two per battalion supported by a number of trainees attached out through the battalions.
Above this was an 'ambulance' system the name given to the whole provision of medical services from surgeons, ambulance drivers and stretcher bearers with this being organised at divisional level and consisting of a corps of about 340 personnel.
The allies in the 100 Days Campaign benefited from French systems in that by then many of them had modelled their systems along French lines with the Dutch-Belgians inheriting a network of hospitals established across Belgium and Holland by the Service de Sante and with 82 of the 90 French trained surgeons joining the new Dutch-Belgian army.
The Dutch Belgian medical authorities had also reorganised those hospitals into a system designed to treat badly wounded soldiers in forward areas nearer to France leaving the more lightly wounded to recover in hospitals further back from the front and thus more likely to be able to rejoin the army later should that be required.
The campaign of Waterloo would see about 300,000 combatants involved of which about 89,000 would be wounded of which about 23,000 were killed, thus leaving the medical services to deal with about 65,000 wounded after the battles of Ligny, Quatre Bras, Wavre and Waterloo.
Baron Dominique Jean Larrey - Chief Surgeon of the French army under Napoleon was very complimentary
to the standards of care provided by the Dutch-Belgian medical teams
With, it seems the majority of French medical personnel deserting their wounded after Waterloo and Baron Larry captured in the retreat but contributing to the treating of the wounded, the aftermath of Waterloo left the allies with just 300 surgeons to treat the wounded from the campaign as a whole with 600 of their colleagues accompanying the allied armies as they advanced into France. This required a call out to civilian and other medical services for volunteer medics to come to Belgium and support the medical work, which was answered, with two of King George III's private surgeons joining the efforts.
Despite their reduced coverage a system of over a hundred wagons including 48 British sprung wagons ordered up by Wellington himself and the rest made up from carts and carriages ordered to Waterloo by the Belgian governor of Brussels set out on four to five trips a day, policed by the British army to recover the wounded from the battlefield and bring them to the hospitals.
Some interesting mortality statistics were quoted suggesting that the death rate among soldiers reaching an allied hospital was just 9% comparing very favourably with rates for WWI and II of around 6-7% but my reservations about those numbers would be around what type of wounded soldier made it to a hospital in 1815 given the lack of battlefield triage at that time.
That said the Dutch-Belgians are reported in one hospital to have performed 300 amputations with just 25 fatalities and in another treating 100 compound fractures from Prussian casualties at Ligny only having ten fatalities and putting great claims on a honey and mustard dressing used to cover amputation stumps.
After considering the efforts made to recover the wounded and the provisions they could expect once taken to hospital or to homes of civilians near the battlefield where surgeons were tasked with making house visits to oversee their patients recovery, GG then looked at some of the wounds depicted by the surgical teams together with a description of their treatments and outcomes.
I learnt something I had not known in that musket rounds hitting the body leave a small entry wound and if they exit cleanly an equally small exit wound, with one KGL soldier having two small holes at the front and back of his shoulder from such a hit but making a good recovery from it.
Other less lucky victims received some horrible wounds, with sword back slashes to the back of the head a very common wound indicating a swipe with the sword as the bearer passed the intended target.
Tom Plunkett's famous shot that killed General Colbert in the Corunna campaign and might have inspired the Waterloo injury depicted during Gareth Glover's fascinating presentation.
One unfortunate 95th Rifleman took a musket ball behind his scrotum which passed out via one of his buttocks prompting thoughts that this man must have been aiming his rifle rather in the fashion of Tom Plunkett when he himself was hit.
Jonathan Hicks - Voices from Mametz Wood
After Gareth Glover and a quick break we regathered to listen to Dr Jonathan Hicks (JH) who as well as being headmaster at St Cyres School writes extensively about the First and Second World Wars and who I heard present last year about Welsh WWI Air Aces; and with this year's presentation focused on the Battle of Mametz Wood between the 7th and 12th July 1916 at the Battle of the Somme which saw the initiation to battle of the 38th Welsh Division
JH wrote his book about the battle, The Welsh at Mametz Wood back in 2016 during the centenary of the Battle of the Somme and his presentation looked at the material he gathered for that book and his own personal reasons for writing it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Welsh-Mametz-Wood-Somme-1916/dp/1784612383
He described a very moving family visit to the area of the battle and to Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium where just short of 12,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers lie buried and where about 8,000 of them are unknown.
In addition the wall around the cemetery carries the names of the 35,000 men still missing and who could not be included, through lack of space, on the Menin Gate.
He then talked about his own family members who had experienced the horrors of WWI and the Battle of Passchendaele and his grandfather being gassed in 1918 and likely dying early from it in the 1930's.
I couldn't help thinking about my own family who served in the Great War with both my maternal grand father and great-grand father serving with the Royal Artillery on the Western Front.
The presentation then looked at the raising of the 38th Welsh Division, one of two such divisions, the other being the 53rd Division.
Company Sergeant Major Ivor Rees VC one of the faces of the first soldiers to join the 38th Division
as a recruit to the 11th South Wales Borderers and who served at Mametz Wood,
won his VC at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, surviving the war to pass away in 1967.
The 38th were raised in 1914 following a plea by the Welsh MP and future Prime Minister Lloyd-George for the raising of a Welsh army, conveniently forgetting that many Welshmen were already serving in a British army throughout its various regiments and corps.
That said thousands of men answered the call by volunteering to join the 38th Division in autumn 1914 and spent the following year training at home before being sent to France in November-December 1915 and would see their first action at the Battle of the Somme and Mametz Wood in particular in July 1916.
Mametz Wood was the largest wood on the Somme front and presented a particular problem in that it separated the two front lines at that time with the concern that unless it was taken and occupied it could provide excellent cover to German troops interdicting the approach of the British on the German front line just behind it.
Fighting in woods is a particularly difficult form of infantry fighting because of the cover offered to defenders, overhead attacks from shells exploding in the tree canopy and in this case, ground covered in large pieces of flint that only added to the carnage caused by it being hit by exploding shells that sent deadly splinters to mix in with that of the steel shell.
Which rather begs the question who came up with the idea of giving this particularly difficult attack to an untried division in its first battle! Just as frustrating was the recorded fact that the wood was discovered to have been undefended by the Germans following a patrol into it, taking a few German prisoners three days before the eventual attack; this despite a request for the division to move into it immediately following this discovery. This lack of initiative was punished when the Germans, having discovered the loss of men to this patrol, immediately moved troops into it and fortified the wood and other nearby positions overlooking approaches to it.
In summary the battle breaks down into two distinct phases with the first attack directed to take place early on the 7th of July 1916 towards the 'Hammerhead', a particularly hammer shaped part of the wood shown on the map above, with an attack that was delayed because the artillery barrage which included the laying of smoke to protect the flank and front of it failed to materialise and the attack was disastrously ordered to go ahead anyway later that morning, with the cutting to pieces of the brigade involved from frontal and enfilade machine-gun fire from the hammerhead and the German held copses nearby.
Following better sense and cooler heads prevailing plus a divisional commander getting sacked, the attack was re-planned to commence three days later, at night, over less open ground, behind a massive artillery barrage that blasted the division on to the position.
The attack worked only to place the division into the nightmare scenario depicted below of close in personal combat amid the trees as the dawn came up on the 11th of July and heralding a battle of carnage and attrition within the wood that leaves it today as a cemetery for the many body pieces buried there afterwards, not to mention the pieces of unexploded ordnance that make the wood a death trap to this day.
http://www.acenturyback.com/2016/07/10/mametz-wood-in-parenthesis-david-joness-masterpiece-and-the-martyrdom-of-the-welsh/
JH then went on to describe some of the personalities involved in the fighting for the wood and the descriptions they have left which include the famous and less famous members of the division who obviously were traumatised by the carnage they witnessed and experienced.
Robert Graves, author of 'I Claudius', a young second lieutenant with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Mametz wood
described his revulsion at seeing the German corpses during the battle
WWI is not a period of history I find particularly instructive or revealing in terms of military thinking and leadership displayed by the majority of senior commanders from all sides; as they struggled to grapple with the realities of waging war with modern industrial weapons that could slaughter men in the open in their thousands, that had been unheard of in the centuries before.
It is only when you descend below the level of senior command and experience the war from the level of the Poor Bloody Infantryman that you start to discover the moving courage and compassion that existed in spite of the carnage and destruction and Jonathan Hick's presentation was particularly moving and thought provoking in terms of how we should remember the efforts of the ordinary soldiers in WWI and the reasons why it was important that they fought and died and eventually won.
Rob Jones - Medieval Infantry Tactics
The final presentation that I sat in on was by a regular presenter at Crusade, Robert Jones (RJ), a part-time lecturer from Cardiff University in Medieval History and an author of several books and papers in academic journals on medieval military history with his look at Medieval Infantry Tactics and looking at how we might incorporate what is known into our wargaming.
A 15th c. illuminated manuscript depicting foot soldiers at Crecy with the bear minimum of kit in the form of a helmet, the odd mail coif and either a shooting or pointy weapon - probably typical for this period.
RJ started his talk by stating the difficulty of putting together information looking at the so called medieval period, anything between 600 to 400 years depending on when you choose to start and finish and with a range of different cultures from the Anglo-Saxons, Normans, Flemish, German and French that could impact on how the various armies might be organised.
So his talk in such a short time with such a large subject was designed to pull out some commonalities and with a strong focus on the English systems for which there is a wealth of records covering the raising and maintaining of armies primarily to prevent the central government from being defrauded by paying for troops that didn't exist.
In addition he was really looking to continue where he left off with his talk last year looking at chivalry by considering how what we know can be best reflected on the wargames table and specifically how our armies should look and how they would likely have been commanded and structured.
RJ started by looking at what has come down to us mainly from 19th and early 20th century historians who were mainly ex-military men looking at medieval organisation and battlefield tactics through a modern eye relying heavily on what military tactics from their time would have impacted on these armies and trying to retrofit what actually happened into that paradigm.
These he said was a wrong way to approach the medieval mind set and that the social and psychological drivers were a more revealing way to look at how these armies conducted themselves.
For example the term infantry or light cavalry as a form of specialist does not figure in the medieval lexicon in that everyone was simply a soldier who might appear on the battlefield mounted or on foot.
This disconnect in the way soldiers are described is only compounded by the lack of sources or sources that don't tell us what we would dearly love to know. Things such as the type and number of specific troops. RJ then recommended that whenever reading the number of troops quoted for a particular battle in a chronicle source to generally 'knock of a zero'.
When is a hobilar not a hobilar? When he's a fully plated Man at Arms but paid at hobilar rates
The difficulty in identifying the presence of different troop types was exemplified by a case where a commander of the garrison of Berwick recorded a minor noble turning up in the town accompanied by a retinue, described as hobilars, supposedly light cavalry, only these so called hobilars were wearing full plate as mounted men at arms and the garrison commander explained to their commander that his town was only indentured to pay for hobilars and so his retinue would only be paid at that rate. Thus the record states these troops to be hobilars when in fact, because of this recorded conversation, we know them to be fully kitted out men at arms with this noble's retinue.
Similarly by 1360 in England there are only two types of soldier recorded either as a man at arms in full plate or an archer, or likely everyone else whether he was carrying a bow or spear. Everyone was also mounted be they men at arms or archers.
The question of training was considered across the various types of raised soldiers, retinues, professional mercenaries and commissions of array raised levies with RJ doubting that knights and their retinues trained that much and that skill at arms would have been very likely variable.
It is retinues or household troops that form the corps of medieval armies with better equipment and more likely skill at arms compared with other types. It is these troops that would be on call by their Lord or King that form the backbone of a larger army and indeed in campaigns during for example the Wars of the Roses, there was so little time to muster other troop types such as the array that the battles were almost solely fought between the nobles and their retinues of men at arms and archers. Only at Towton, which being a longer campaign, do we see enough time to allow the county arrays to join the two forces and then see the greater numbers of soldiers that that system could produce.
With the ending of the old Fyrd system in England and the establishment of the Assize of Arms first issued in 1181 a system was established where the number of men and how they should be equipped in a time of need was laid down at a county level with equipment maintained in county town armouries or in homes.
RJ stated that there were no 'straw chewing, hay-rake carrying' peasant armies, certainly not in England, and that the so called 'Peasants Revolt' and Watt Tyler's Rebellion consisted of likely veteran soldiers from periods between the campaigns of the Hundred Years War, well equipped and led by men with military experience hailing from Kent and the South East of England where many of these veterans settled between the wars.
The only really professional full time soldiers of this period appear to be the mercenary bands available for hire and even here the record of how these men trained or were organised is sketchy.
The other specific raised group of soldiers considered were the urban militias, less common in England and more typical in places such as Flanders and Italy where towns and cities very often had a strong sense of political independence. In England we see something similar in London and certain other towns such as York producing troops with a town livery.
RJ then looked at the organisation of medieval units and even here with the lists of soldiers on the payroll on any particular group or garrison it is difficult to determine any precise organised system for battle.
Interestingly a lot of the precise muster rolls are found in forces in Wales which in the later medieval period are starting to be mustered along English methods.
Bulk standard infantry or foot soldiers of the period, little armour, the odd helmet or coif, pointy sticks, moving around in a close knit group.
Although we think we understand Vintenars and Centenars, men appointed in charge of around twenty and one hundred men, and paid more than the ordinary soldier, indicative of their position, except medieval armies don't seem to conform to those neat numbers when looking at the muster rolls and even hint at the structure you would expect to see.
So from this haze of uncertainty and inconsistency coupled with references that don't tell us what we want to know and our necessary mind shift to try and think like a medieval commander rather than a twenty-first century one what conclusions can we draw?
Medieval armies are a mess to quote RJ. Men turn up knowing the men that mustered with them and their specific leader. The likely organisation was no more defined that the arrangements of wards or battles, terms consistently used in the sources. The leader or King likely met before the likely engagement and discussed who would lead the specific wards and agree any ideas of ambush and then set off for the meeting in battle.
The soldiers were unlikely to have been separated off from the comrades that they knew and had joined up with and thus archers and men at arms likely served together in close proximity with their associated vintenars and centenars, with the only separation occurring when the two types changed position within their ward, i.e. archers to the front replaced by men at arms as the lines closed for close combat.
Medieval armies were unwieldy and so flank marches were rare because of the difficulty of moving these large bodies about the countryside and really the main examples of groups turning up on flanks are usually late arrivals to the battle very often causing the other army to rout due to the impossibility of presenting a new front to these new troops.
With these notes taken I am starting to think about how my Wars of the Roses armies will look on the table with the rules I intend to use, namely 'A Coat of Steel' which ticked the box with Rob in terms of rule sets that capture the peculiarities of commanding an army from this period of history.
Many thanks to Gareth Glover, Jonathan Hicks and Rob Jones for giving up their Saturday morning to so generously entertain us with their knowledge and I hope this summary captures the gist of their presentations.
After listening to the presentations I set of to the traders hall to pick up some pre-orders I had booked before coming up and to have a general look around all the traders stands to see if there was anything else I might need.
As you can see, the main traders hall is really spacious and well lit providing a very pleasant airy space to wonder around and check out the wares on show.
With a new wooden log bridge for my 28mm Ancients picked up from Ironclad Miniatures and some more terrain and figure bases from Products for Wargamers, I headed off to check out the games that grabbed my eye this year.
My new bridge acquired from Ironclad Miniatures
https://www.ironcladminiatures.co.uk/ourshop/prod_4439649-FIW21.html
So in no particular order:
Wessex Wargame Society, Southampton - Battle of Omdurman in 15mm
The chaps from the Wessex Wargame Society based down in Southampton had a very nice 15mm game depicting the Battle of Omdurman.
The battle fought on the 2nd September 1898 saw a British army commanded by Sir Herbert Kitchener defeat the Mahdist army of Abdullah al-Taashi with a display of modern rifles, machine-guns and artillery wielded by a highly disciplined army against a much larger force armed with older weapons gaining revenge for the death of General Gordon at Khartoum in 1885 and sealed the success of British efforts to reconquer the Sudan.
The battle is also famous for the participation of a certain young officer in the 21st Lancers who participated in a charge by the regiment, by the name of Winston Churchill and memorably portrayed in the film 'Young Winston'.
Young Winston - Charge of the 21st Lancers
As mentioned in the film clip this charge was also destined to be the last made by a British cavalry regiment in battle.
I mention the details about this battle, not only because of the visual appeal of this particular game but also to my amused surprise that a certain Podcast published just before this show and talking about it had the Battle of Omdurman come up in discussion; which was seemingly an action that had passed all the contributors by and the only famous person that could be linked to the battle was a certain 'Corporal Jones' a fictitious character from a British TV comedy show 'Dad's Army' who had fought the Fuzzy Wuzzies and who probably knew 'they didn't like it up em!'
Come on chaps, you need to cut back on the Fantasy and Sci-Fi and gen up a bit more on the historical, especially when two of your presenters hail from this part of the country, where the streets are festooned with the names of generals and battles from this particular campaign.
Well done to the Wessex chaps and nice to see this period captured in 15mm for a change from 28mm.
Skirmish Wargames Group 54mm WWII - Bolt Action
I saw the Skirmish Wargames Group large tank game last year and there is something rather awe inspiring seeing these big models out on the table despite the compromises made to weapon ranges.
The game captured some great cameo shots particularly with the barrel of a knocked out Pak anti-tank gun protruding from a heavily camouflaged bunker and with burning British tanks dotted around the table.
Too Fat Lardies - What a Tanker Participation Game
Nick and Richard were busy when I stopped by at the Lardies table with a hurriedly replaced game for the show due to a person or persons unknown at some home improvement work at Lard Island having stepped on the bridge model destined for the planned game 'Smoke on the Water - Holland 1940' for Chain of Command.
Un-phased by this minor disaster the chaps pulled together a 'What a Tanker' set to, which was cracking along when I took these pictures in the afternoon.
I particularly liked the slogan daubed on the Sherman 76 creeping along the hedgerows below - 'Lard Buster'.
Major Brothers Demonstration Game - Destruction of Mobile Group 100, June 1954, French Indo-China War
Another game that featured in my review last year was from the chaps behind 'Major Brothers' Demonstration Game who had another massive French-Indo China scenario set up which is a monument to the passion for a particular period and something I love to see.
Bill Cainan who organised this amazing model collection and terrain took some pictures before the show opened and with time to spend got pictures much better than I could have hoped to with other people keen to browse at the same time.
Bill also sent me a summary of the events and the scenario seen on the table which I have shamelessly included for your pleasure in enjoying the pictures.
The game was played on a 25ft by 6ft table and represented the initial stages of the destruction of the French Mobile Group 100. The Group has driven into an ambush. The leading French company of the 1st Korea Battalion has just dismounted from its trucks and is trying to clear a route through to the Bailey Bridge.
The French advance guard, a troop of the 5th Cuirassiers, is trying to get back and link up with the infantry at the bridge. The French tanks take a pounding from the VietMinh recoilless rifles and can only get two vehicles through to the bridge. The VietMinh prematurely launch a company size attack across the rice fields which meets heavy French fire.
The French call on the support of a Hellcat ground attack fighter and managed to re-open the road.
The Mobile Group (some 3,000 men and 400 vehicles) moves on – only to be ambushed again a few kilometres down the road.
For me, this table captures perfectly the difficulty organised forces had operating in this type of terrain captured by the sheer quantity of terrain pieces and buildings which help display that against some very nice models of the forces for the period - thanks Bill.
Finally I thought, this year, I would take more time at shows I visit to check out the Competition Game circuit as I was very surprised at the Warfare show last year at the high standard of table produced by some of the competitions happening at that show with some very nice tables from the Flames of War and their modern spin off groups, all be it with wall to wall tanks, but also the Fantasy games run by the Lord of the Rings groups with some amazing painting and modelling on show, not to mention some extraordinary terrain to be seen.
As regular followers of the blog will know, I have and am never likely to have any interest in competitive wargaming but am quite happy to 'live and let live', for those that do, taking the view that I don't mind how people enjoy the hobby just so long as more of them do so and get involved, because that makes the hobby better for all of us.
I do believe that wargaming has had to do a lot of catching up in recent years with the model railway modellers and particularly the fantasy gamers who have more in common with historical gaming and tabletop wargaming in general in that we both have to model with the intention that our stuff will be handled regularly and thus be tough but still look good.
Better looking tables and figures are becoming more and more attainable with better ranges of paints and terrain making items, together with modelling and painting tutorials just about everywhere in print format and on the net.
Obviously this is not an area that captures everyone's imagination or passion to put the time into doing, but I can't help thinking that the small extra effort in producing a great looking table and figures to match, as seen in the games above, can't but add to the fun of playing, competitively or otherwise, and the effort I saw put in at Warfare last year shows that it is possible to do both.
Thank you to the chaps, Steve M, Mr Steve and Bob for adding to the fun of the day and to Bob for driving.
Finally thank you the the organising team of the Penarth and District Wargames Club for pulling together another Crusade show and keep up the good work and keep on striving to find ways of making the show even better.
Next up, I take a look at historic Taunton and the history of the County and Regiments of Somerset.
Battle of Pinhoe 1001 AD - Dux Bellorum
Terrain Build Update - Breached Walls, Finished
O'er the Hills is Published!
Sarmatian Cataphracts
Terrain Build Update - Breached Fortress Walls
Terrain Build Update - Modular Sloped Hills, Finished
First play of Over Malvern Hill, new ACW rules by ...
Terrain Build Update - Modular Sloped Hills


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Like father Kimbo Slice, Kevin Ferguson Jr. moves from MMA to boxing
Phil Jay
@babyslice242
Son of world-famous brawler Kimbo Slice, Kevin' Baby Slice' Ferguson Jr. has signed to crossover from Bellator MMA to boxing.
Ferguson will embark on a contract with Celebrity Boxing moving forward and has already begun training for the transition.
Like his legendary father before him, Ferguson will move from MMA to pugilism to enhance his name in combat sports.
Before his untimely death in 2016, Kimbo Slice was in regular contact with World Boxing News after enjoying two years as a pro boxer himself. The run came on the back of a successful spell in the UFC.
Slice won seven heavyweight bouts between 2011 and 2013, six via knockout. The last of those came against Shane Tillyard in Australia.
He had every intention of boxing again but became demoralized with the sport before moving back to MMA with Bellator. Slice passed away after being hospitalized with heart failure and seeing his final bout changed to a no contest.
KIMBO SLICE BOXING
In interviews with WBN back in 2011, Slice revealed his love for the sport.
"I've been training hard for my next fight," Slice told World Boxing News.
"You know, as far as titles are concerned, I'm really not sure. I guess that would be up to my promoter and trainer.
"All I know is that I have a lot of work to do until I reach that level, but I'm loving boxing, and I'm loving the work.
"I leave all the logistics of my career up to my promoters.
"I just wanna fight and continue to do what I do. I am looking forward to my fights in December and February. I can't wait to get back in the ring."
His son will continue the boxing legacy after going 3-3 in Mixed Martial Arts. WBN will update on Slice Jr. once a fight is official.
Phil Jay – Editor of World Boxing News since 2010 with over one billion views. Follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The 1989 Brown Bears football team was an American football team that represented Brown University during the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Brown tied for second-to-last in the Ivy League.

In their sixth and final season under head coach John Rosenberg, the Bears compiled a 2–8 record and were outscored 264 to 168. J. Burke and D. Clark were the team captains.

The Bears' 2–5 conference record earned a three-way tie for fifth in the Ivy League standings. They were outscored 156 to 137 by Ivy opponents.

Brown played its home games at Brown Stadium in Providence, Rhode Island.

Schedule

References

Brown
Brown Bears football seasons
Brown Bears football

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Elaphropus iaspideus is een keversoort uit de familie van de loopkevers (Carabidae). De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1896 door Sloane.

iaspideus


text:
Let's talk manufacturing
Leeds City Region has the highest concentration of high-value manufacturers in the UK, combining academic and research centres of manufacturing excellence with a worldwide reputation for technical and scientific capabilities.
Manufacturing SMEs
Leeds City Region has 7,300 manufacturing and engineering businesses, two-thirds of which are specialists in advanced processes, R&D and product development.
These businesses employ 144,000 people, representing the largest manufacturing base in the UK and generating £7 billion a year, or 12% of Leeds City Region's economic output.
The LEP Growth Service provides advice and support to manufacturing SMEs to help identify opportunities, create plans for growth and enhance support with grant opportunities.
Leeds City Region is best placed to address the challenges for the future of manufacturing and provides the perfect location for companies looking to grow, innovate and improve efficiency.
The EY Attractiveness Survey 2018 confirmed Leeds City Region's strength in attracting international investment, with the wider Yorkshire and the Humber area recording the highest number of manufacturing projects in the UK.
The UK is seeing a resurgence of high-value manufacturing, and Leeds City Region has a worldwide reputation for its technical and scientific capabilities in metrology, robotics, materials and the digitalisation of manufacturing. Leeds City Region's strength in manufacturing builds on the region's industrial heritage and the strong links between academic research and production.
Training the next generation of engineers
The region's nine universities produce over 15,000 STEM graduates each year, while the LEP has also supported nearly 540 apprentices to begin their career in manufacturing.
There has also been significant investment in facilities to train the next generation of engineers, such as the £5 million Kirklees College New Process Engineering Centre and the £11 million University Technical College in Leeds that specialises in engineering.
Our FutureGoals careers campaign provides inspiration and support to help career starters or career changers to make better informed decisions about their career paths, give them the right skills and experience to start work or change career and provide vital links between education and employers.
Find manufacturing and engineering inspiration, case studies, top jobs, employers and FREE courses tailored for both Career Starters and Career Changers at futuregoals.co.uk.
Our event planning team can work with leading industry figures and venues which harbour innovation across the sector to build an event proposition for you which capitalises on the scale and diversity of the manufacturing sector which exists in the city region.
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Manufacturing case studies
VIDEO: Business Growth for Semperfli
New equipment allowed Semperfli in Selby to quadruple their manufacturing capacity overnight.
Read more about VIDEO: Business Growth for Semperfli
VIDEO: Business Growth for DJ Assembly
York-based electronic manufacturer produces quality products and remains ahead of the competition with new machinery.
Read more about VIDEO: Business Growth for DJ Assembly
VIDEO: Business Growth for Deluxe Beds
Family-run bed manufacturer based in Kirklees achieves a 100% increase in productivity.
Read more about VIDEO: Business Growth for Deluxe Beds
Business-led campaign to encourage SMEs to access support launched
Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has launched a new campaign to showcase the support available to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) through the LEP's Growth Service.
Read more about Business-led campaign to encourage SMEs to access support launched
£9m manufacturing facility opens in Bradford
A family-run manufacturer has invested £9 million in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility which will future-proof its operation and enable the production of Springbond, a new eco-engineered carpet underlay made from upcycled plastic bottles.
Read more about £9m manufacturing facility opens in Bradford
Blog: The heritage brand with designs on Hong Kong
We talk to Melanie Allan, from Skipton-based premium nursery brand Silver Cross, about the company's approach to design and how brand is a key differentiator in a competitive marketplace.
Read more about Blog: The heritage brand with designs on Hong Kong


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September Shortlist: Bigger, Truer, and Picked by You
By Jeff Howe
(If you're just tuning in, please check out our 1book140 primer here.)
Summer may be winding down, but 1book140 is just winding up. In September we agreed to tackle our first work of non-fiction, and that's not the only change to our usual routine. In the interest of creating the most democratic book club possible, we've both expanded our shortlist to eight titles, and asked a volunteer to choose the books this time. We're happy with both innovations here at 1book140 HQ. Liz Iversen, a journalism professor and 1book140 member from San Francisco, culled through the nominations to come up with the following list. As usual, I'm going to be happy reading (or re-reading) any one of them.
Voting goes until Friday at noon, and we'll begin discussing the winner right after Labor Day.
1.) The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Written by a physician and award-winning science writer, this book traces the history of cancer from its first appearances centuries ago to its current state. Far from a dry medical text, the book reads more like a thriller than the meticulously researched book it is.
2.) Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand
This book focuses on Louis Zamperini, a young, brash Army Air Force lieutenant in World War II who survived a plane crash in the middle of the Pacific and then made the thousands-of-miles journey home. This is Hillenbrand's second book, after Seabiscuit: An American Legend.
3.) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
This book, which took ten years to write, is about a woman who died of cancer in the 1950s but whose cells have been used to create the polio vaccine, help with AIDS and cancer research, test toxic substances, and more. Though her cells have caused medical breakthroughs and made several people very rich, Henrietta Lacks' family remains poor and, until recently, unaware of their relative's contribution to science.
4.) 1493: Uncovering the New World Christopher Columbus Created, by Charles Mann
The "sequel" of sorts to Mann's 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, 1493 examines the aftermath of Columbus's "discovery" of the Americas. It runs over 40 pages, but it's a riveting page-turner nonetheless.
5.) Longitude: The True Story of the Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time, by Dava Sobel
Dava Sobel is one of today's most popular and acclaimed science writers, and Longitude is the book that put her on the map. Winner of 1997's British Book of the Year, the book tells the story of the man who made the first clock to successfully measure longitude at sea, which revolutionized navigation in the 18th century.
6.) In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin, by Erik Larson
The latest book by the author of The Devil in the White City, In the Garden of Beasts tells the story of William E. Dodd, the United States' ambassador to Hitler's Germany, and his daughter, Martha. Arriving in Berlin in 1933, they are at first enamored of the country and its government, and only recognize its brutality and horror when it's too late.
7.) Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach
This book does pretty much exactly what the title promises: It explores what happens to our bodies after we die. Roach describes the role cadavers have played in world history, from testing guillotines in France to uncovering the mystery of TWA's Flight 800.
8.) The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester
Two men were instrumental in putting together the first edition of the OED: Scottish professor James Murray, and American Civil War Veteran W.C. Minor, who also happened to be in a mental institution. The Professor and the Madman is a compelling tale about the power of language and the complexities of the human mind.
1book140 September Shortlist


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Q: How to use execv for commands whose location is not known? Say I want to spawn a process and run execv to execute a command like ls then this is how i do it:
char * const parm[] = { "/usr/bin/ls","-l" , NULL };
if ((pid = vfork()) == -1)
    perror("fork error");
else if (pid == 0)
{
    execv("/usr/bin/ls", parm);
}

Now the question is that here I have hard coded where the ls command is present (/usr/bin/ls). Now suppose I do not know where a particular command is present and want to execute it then how do I go about it? I know in a regular shell the PATH variable is looked up to achieve the same, but in case of a C program using execv how do I achieve it?

A: Use execvp(3) instead of execv(3).  execvp and execlp work exactly like execv and execl respectively, except they search the $PATH environment variable for an executable (see the man page for full details).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


15 AprInfographic – Why Should You Care About Employee Engagement?
08 AprIs your workplace millennial-ready? 6 key traits to look out for.
12 MarConfused over communication apps? We help you choose the best for your business.
26 FebThe amazing potential of introverted employees: How to unlock it?


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COMETS ANNOUNCE THREE MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS
KANSAS CITY (October 26, 2021) – The Kansas City Comets announced today that the team has partnered with local media outlets Sports Radio 810 WHB-AM, the Kansas City Star and 38 The Spot (KMCI-TV) to provide coverage and content throughout the 2021-22 season.
The three-tiered media partnership is a first for the team since the Comets returned to action in 2010. All three media partners will promote the Comets brand and games through their various outlets.
Sports Radio 810 WHB: The Comets' partnership with America's largest all-sports radio station includes a season-long advertising campaign to promote Comets' home matches at Cable Dahmer Arena and the team's special match at T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City in January. Also, a majority of the Comets home games will be broadcast live on Sports Radio 810 or their sister station, ESPN Kansas City as part of the partnership. The radio station will also devote airtime to a weekly Comets feature, as well sharing digital Comets content on its social media platforms.
38 The Spot: The E.W. Scripps-owned, independent television station will broadcast at least five of the Comets thirteen home games this coming season. The sister station to KSHB 41, Kansas City's NBC affiliate, will carry the Comets' broadcasts with play-by-play announcer Nick Vaso and color man, Erik Bergrud. 38 The Spot will promote each broadcast home game with promotional announcements and commercials.
Kansas City Star: The Comets will have a dedicated update or story each week in Kanas City's 141-year-old newspaper. The weekly update will feature brief highlights from the past week and a look ahead to any Comets matches during the upcoming weekend. The feature is set to appear in the newspaper on Wednesdays throughout the season.
"We're going to provide our fans with unprecedented coverage this season," said Comets Vice President of Business Operations, Scott Levinson. "We feel like for the first time, that we finally have the coverage our fans have been craving with games and commercials on Sports Radio 810 and ESPN Kansas City, games on TV with 38 The Spot, and a feature every Wednesday in the Star."
The Kansas City Comets 2021-22 campaign kicks off Friday, November 12th at Cable Dahmer Arena. Season tickets, group tickets and single game tickets are on sale now through ticketmaster.com, plus t-mobilecenter.com (for the Jan. 22nd game) and 888-9-COMETS. For the latest news and information, visit KCComets.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
For tickets and information call 888-9-COMETS (266387)


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HomeFootball2016 FootballSpring preview: Tide rebuilding its defense again, but talent is there
Football2016 FootballPreviews
Spring preview: Tide rebuilding its defense again, but talent is there
by Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief
By Jess Nicholas
TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief
Prior to the point at which Jonathan Allen and Tim Williams announced their intent to return to Alabama for their senior seasons, the defensive line was Alabama's most significant problem spot heading into spring practice.
With Allen and Williams back, however, attention turns to the other open positions for 2016 and Alabama's options for filling them. Here's a look at the job openings, who's in play for those openings and what to look for as spring practice starts.
Right Tackle
Out: Dominick Jackson
Competing: Brandon Greene, Lester Cotton, Charles Baldwin, Jonah Williams, Matt Womack, Korren Kirven
Favorite: Charles Baldwin
Dark horse: Korren Kirven
Analysis: Dominick Jackson struggled at times with pass blocking – particularly in the national championship game against Clemson – but he was an effective blocker in the running game and had the attitude for the assignment. There is no shortage of options to replace Jackson, but experience is at a premium. Brandon Greene has by far the most snaps of anyone in Tuscaloosa, but most of them have come as a specialty tight end in blocking situations. With Mario Cristobal changing coaching assignments, Greene might have an edge. Cristobal will now coach offensive tackles and tight ends, meaning he'll see Greene all day, every day and theoretically, it will be easier for Greene to find a role. The runaway favorite for the job heading into the spring, though, is Charles Baldwin, who was the nation's No. 1 JUCO prospect at right tackle. He entered school early, and it would be a surprise if he doesn't win a starting job given he'll have the extra spring practice time with the team. But the same could have been said for Jackson prior to the 2014 season, and then injuries relegated him to a backup role. Lester Cotton was the top reserve tackle on both sides for much of 2015, but he might be a better fit at guard, competing with incumbent starter Alphonse Taylor. Matt Womack turned heads in fall practices while redshirting, and is also an option at guard. Jonah Williams is a five-star signee but with the amount of experience ahead of him at the moment, it's hard to see him starting as a true freshman. That leaves converted defensive tackle Korren Kirven, who has quick feet and got a lot better from the start of 2015 to the end, his first year on the offensive side of the ball. Kirven looks the part but he's a senior; if he's going to make an impact, it has to be now.
Out: Ryan Kelly
Competing: J.C. Hassenauer, Brandon Kennedy, Josh Casher, Ross Pierschbacher, Bradley Bozeman
Favorite: J.C. Hassenauer
Dark horse: Ross Pierschbacher
Analysis: J.C. Hassenauer served as Ryan Kelly's backup for all of 2015, but the drop-off from Kelly to Hassenauer was evident during the times Hassenauer was pressed into service. He's still the most highly regarded, as a prospect, of any of the players fighting for the job, and he's enough of a favorite that someone will have to knock him off. That someone could be Ross Pierschbacher, the starter at left guard for every game on the 2015 season. Pierschbacher has worked at center extensively in the past, and this battle could come down to whether the coaches feel better about Hassenauer at center or Lester Cotton at left guard. If Cotton's a better LG option than Hassenauer is an option at center, the reshuffle could be on. Assuming Pierschbacher stays at guard and Hassenauer doesn't improve, the fight could be wide-open between Brandon Kennedy, Josh Casher and Bradley Bozeman. Bozeman was Kelly's backup in 2014 and can play any position on the line, but he's probably best as a strongside guard, meaning his spring could be taken up with trying to unseat Alphonse Taylor. Josh Casher, physically, is the biggest underdog, reminding many of Franchione-era guard Marico Portis. He also has the least experience outside of Kennedy, who redshirted in 2015.
Out: Jake Coker, Alec Morris
Competing: Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell, Blake Barnett, Jalen Hurts
Favorite: Blake Barnett
Dark horse: David Cornwell
Analysis: For the first time since Nick Saban has been at Alabama, it would seem unlikely the backup quarterback will be elevated to the starting job now that the previous year's starter has graduated. Cooper Bateman's performance in his lone 2015 start did more than anything to affect confidence in his abilities going into 2016. Bateman already has the disadvantage of having the weakest throwing arm of the four players competing for the job, but he also misread several zone-read opportunities against Ole Miss and eventually got pulled from the game. Unless Bateman has improved dramatically since that game, he might not even finish the spring as the backup. Blake Barnett is the most buzz-worthy prospect Alabama has had at the position since Brodie Croyle, and perhaps even back to Richard Todd. He has capable arm strength, is mobile and already seems to have the confidence of his teammates. What he also has, however, is some mechanical issues with his windup and release, and last spring took too many chances at times in scrimmages. From a pure passing standpoint, David Cornwell is the clear leader. His lightning-quick release is perhaps the quickest of any Alabama quarterback in the last 30 years, and his raw arm strength is substantial. Cornwell looked like the presumptive leader for the position heading into fall camp last year, too, but had a rough August and then reportedly crossed wires with his position coach. If Cornwell loses out to Barnett this spring, it would not be a surprise to see him transfer in the interest of finding playing time. Jalen Hurts is a true freshman who reported in January, and while he has all the tools to be an effective passer both inside and outside the pocket, he's well behind the other three at the moment.
Slot Receiver
Out: Richard Mullaney, Chris Black, Parker Barrineau
Competing: Gehrig Dieter, Daylon Charlot, ArDarius Stewart, Derek Kief
Favorite: Gehrig Dieter
Dark horse: Daylon Charlot
Analysis: Alabama didn't get eye-popping production out of Richard Mullaney, but the intangibles he brought to the position couldn't be measured. Alabama asks that its slot receivers block, execute rubs and screens and sometimes line up in the backfield. Having said that, no one looks like an exact match for Mullaney's skills. Bowling Green transfer Gehrig Dieter is the closest, but he is more dynamic than Mullaney was and could find himself working outside instead. If that happens, Daylon Charlot, whose bid for heavy playing time in 2015 was hampered by a couple of minor injuries, could end up being the man. Charlot has impressive speed and is more dynamic than the player who ended up being Mullaney's backup last year, Derek Kief. Kief took over the backup roll full-time after Chris Black and Charlot fell with injuries. An intriguing option is ArDarius Stewart, the starting flanker last year, who'll be in a fight for his job with Robert Foster, who himself is coming back from a major shoulder injury.
Fullback/H-Back
Out: Michael Nysewander, David D'Amico, Ty Flournoy-Smith
Competing: Ronnie Clark, Dakota Ball, Hunter Bryant, Jacob Parker, Derek Kief, Miller Forristall, Gussie Busch (?), Walker Jones (?)
Favorite: Ronnie Clark
Dark horse: Derek Kief
Analysis: The problem with analyzing this position is that Alabama really doesn't have anyone on the roster like the departed Michael Nysewander. Nysewander had a true fullback's body but could also play near the line. No one else is in the same area code. Ronnie Clark came to Alabama as a safety/linebacker combo player, but was moved to offense early on and spent all of 2015 at running back. He isn't considered a threat to compete for the starting job there, but he might end up a combo back in the same way Jalston Fowler served the team in 2014. Clark would be one of the fastest H-backs in recent memory, but he would need to add more weight for the role unless Alabama is going to treat the position as a second de facto tight end. At that point, O.J. Howard – who played H in 2015 when Alabama went with a two-tight-end look – is the hands-down favorite. If Alabama continues to treat this position as a lead blocker, Dakota Ball, who began last year as the starting tight end, would figure to be the best option if he can keep his weight in check. Walk-on tight ends Hunter Bryant and Jacob Parker appeared to have the physique to play the position last year, but as with any walk-on, Alabama fans will have to wait until practices begin to make sure they're even still on the squad. Derek Kief played here when relieving Richard Mullaney and when Alabama was using the slot in the backfield. If Alabama transitions the H position to a receiver position, Kief could handle it, but he weighs less than 200 pounds and would not be a lead blocker. Miller Forristall will start out at tight end, but if he keeps his weight down he could make an impact here. Two possibilities coming from defense would be Walker Jones and Gussie Busch. Jones played a decent amount during high-margin victories in 2015; he would only move if he wants his total snap count to go up. Busch is almost a dead ringer for Nysewander in terms of body type, but it's unclear how much experience he has on offense. It's worth noting Nysewander played defensive tackle in high school.
Running Back
Out: Derrick Henry, Kenyan Drake
Competing: Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough, Derrick Gore, Ronnie Clark, Xavian Marks
Favorite: Bo Scarbrough
Dark horse: Damien Harris
Analysis: This will be a two-man fight between Bo Scarbrough, the Derrick Henry clone, and Damien Harris, who was supposed to be the next Mark Ingram before his freshman season ended with somewhat of a whimper. Harris was billed as a shifty, powerful back with good speed who could both create and find holes. Instead, he looked indecisive and easy to bring down. Once Bo Scarbrough came back late in the year from a knee injury, it was clear who was the better fit in Alabama's offense. The one concern hanging over Scarbrough is that he has already been injured multiple times in his football career, whereas Henry will enter the NFL pretty much unscathed. Harris has a speed advantage in this battle, but if the durability is there, Scarbrough looks like the better bet to start. There is a big gap back to Derrick Gore in third place on the depth chart. He's a walk-on from a JUCO program who played well enough in the fall to get himself onto special teams by the end of the year, a feat in itself for a Nick Saban team. He arguably looked more effective than Harris toward the end. Ronnie Clark may move to H-back, while Xavian Marks is a pure scatback who will probably make his mark on kick returns and perhaps as a slot receiver or specialty player.
Out: Jarran Reed, D.J. Pettway
Competing: Dalvin Tomlinson, Da'Shawn Hand, Johnny Dwight, O.J. Smith, Anfernee Jennings, Josh Frazier
Favorite: Dalvin Tomlinson
Dark horse: Josh Frazier
Analysis: Alabama has two premier players competing for the job in Dalvin Tomlinson and Da'Shawn Hand. With the way Alabama rotates its defensive front, both players will be on the field at the same time for significant portions of the game. Tomlinson is probably Alabama's best tackle against spread offenses thanks to his quickness and guile. Hand is more of an edge player and will probably end up backing up Jonathan Allen at Alabama's tackle/end combo position. Assuming Alabama wants to stay "big" at this position – departed starter Jarran Reed was capable of playing nosetackle when needed – Josh Frazier would seem to be the favored candidate. He started his career out in the middle, but he has shown enough agility to get into the conversation at tackle. Johnny Dwight, who spent 2015 at tight end, moved back toward the end of the year but could go over to offense again. O.J. Smith had a strong showing in the spring of 2015 but didn't quite break into the rotation, and then got hurt. Anfernee Jennings is a smaller player, similar to what D.J. Pettway looked like when he first reported to Alabama as a true freshman. Like Hand, he's probably a better option on the other side. Alabama probably won't make quite as many plays up front in 2016 as it did a year ago, but the cupboard isn't bare.
Nosetackle
Out: A'Shawn Robinson, Darren Lake
Competing: Daron Payne, Josh Frazier, O.J. Smith
Favorite: Daron Payne
Dark horse: O.J. Smith
Analysis: Alabama stayed in nickel and dime sets so often in 2015 that it rarely used a three-man front with a true nose. When it did, Darren Lake was usually the one called upon. By the end of the year, he was basically being used only on the goal line. A'Shawn Robinson played both in and out, and Alabama would like his replacement to be able to do the same. It will almost certainly be Daron Payne, who was more than just a situational player as a true freshman. Both Josh Frazier and O.J. Smith can handle the job – and perhaps Johnny Dwight as well – but if anyone but Payne wins this job, it will be a shocker.
Jack Linebacker
Out: Denzel Devall
Competing: Tim Williams, Ryan Anderson, Christian Miller, Mekhi Brown, Anfernee Jennings, Christian Bell
Favorite: Ryan Anderson
Dark horse: Christian Miller
Analysis: Despite the emergence of Tim Williams as something more than just a third-down pass rusher, Ryan Anderson's ability to shut down the run as well as pressure the quarterback makes him the most likely candidate to take over for Denzel Devall. Devall closed out his college career by becoming a master at setting the edge against the running game. While he never developed into an elite pass rusher, his value was off the charts in 2015. Anderson is capable of doing the same things. Williams leans far to the other side, an elite first-step rusher with the strength necessary to battle against long-armed offensive tackles. He's gotten better against the running game, but he needs to continue to improve in that regard. Christian Miller came on last year; along with RB Derrick Gore, he was one of two players who got more playing time on special teams as the season went along. He even started to get on the field as a situational rusher from the strongside position; he'll continue to be in the mix for that job in 2016. Mekhi Brown is another quick rusher off the edge, while Jennings is another Duvall type. Christian Bell, who grayshirted in 2015 and joined the team this spring, will also be in the mix.
Weakside Linebacker
Out (as MLB): Reggie Ragland
Competing: Shaun Dion Hamilton, Keith Holcombe, Keaton Anderson, Walker Jones, Adonis Thomas, Jamey Mosley, Josh McMillon, Rashaan Evans
Favorite: Shaun Dion Hamilton
Dark horse: Rashaan Evans
Analysis: Reuben Foster actually held this job last year but is expected to move to middle linebacker, where Reggie Ragland played. That leaves the weakside position option, and Shaun Dion Hamilton has virtually all the returning experience at that slot. Keith Holcombe and Walker Jones both got in a few snaps last year, but Hamilton was the only one other than Foster called on when the game was on the line. Hamilton is one of Alabama's smartest players and is tough against running games, but his coverage skills are lacking relative to some of the other players. Holcombe, a special teams stalwart, should get more playing time in 2016. He's currently playing on the baseball team. Keaton Anderson seems more of a situational player right now, a coverage linebacker against spread teams. Adonis Thomas is probably the most talented of the newer players. Josh McMillon, outside of Hamilton, is the most prototypical in regards to size; he'll likely be in the mix to replace Foster in the middle in 2017. That leaves walk-on Jamey Mosley, the brother of C.J. Mosley, and Rashaan Evans, who together with Jack linebacker Tim Williams made up the most feared pass-rushing twosome in the SEC last year. Evans will be underutilized if he stays at strongside linebacker, which is where Mosley also plays. Evans will get a long look at weakside linebacker in the spring to see if he can take the pounding. If he can, Alabama will have probably the most dynamic set of starting linebackers it's had since the days when both Cornelius Bennett and Derrick Thomas played on the same team. And in the fall, heralded true freshman Ben Davis is set to arrive and potentially upset the apple cart.
Strongside Linebacker
Out: Dillon Lee
Competing: Rashaan Evans, Christian Miller, Jamey Mosley, Mekhi Brown, Walker Jones, Keaton Anderson
Favorite: Rashaan Evans
Dark horse: Keaton Anderson
Analysis: If not for the expected experiment of moving Rashaan Evans inside this spring, this job would barely classify as "open." If Evans does move, Christian Miller becomes the obvious choice to start, with Mekhi Brown likely the next option. Both players are good pass rushers off the corner. What's missing at first blush is a player like the departed Dillon Lee, who was big enough to cause significant issues for opponents in the running game, especially in short-yardage situations. Walker Jones and Keaton Anderson might be options to play that role, particularly Jones. Jamey Mosley will also compete. The strongside position doesn't get on the field much for Alabama these days, but when it is needed, it's one of the most important on the team.
Right Cornerback
Out: Cyrus Jones, Bradley Sylve
Competing: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Tony Brown, Kendall Sheffield, Anthony Averett, Maurice Smith, Cedric Powell
Favorite: Minkah Fitzpatrick
Dark horse: Kendall Sheffield
Analysis: The loss of Jones stings not only because he was a key defender, but he also became one of the most effective punt returners in school history. Bradley Sylve was just born a year too early; if he had one more year of eligibility, he'd be the starter here. Instead, the big decision becomes how Alabama manages Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was a star at the Star safety position in 2015. If Fitzpatrick doesn't outright move back to corner, he'll play corner in base and then Star in nickel and dime, with Kendall Sheffield the most likely option to move then to cornerback. Fitzpatrick is a true corner/safety hybrid, with great ball skills and smarts. He isn't as quick in transition as Jones was, but it's more than good enough to get the job done. Sheffield drew raves while redshirting and looks like the next great, pure CB in Tuscaloosa. Of the others, both Tony Brown and Maurice Smith have all but moved now to safety, leaving Anthony Averett and walk-on Cedric Powell as the other options. Averett has the ability but has been trapped behind better players up to now. It will be critical for him to make a move forward this spring and not get lost in the shuffle.
Out: Geno Matias-Smith, Jabriel Washington
Competing: Ronnie Harrison, Maurice Smith, Shawn Burgess-Becker, Deionte Thompson, Laurence Jones, Tony Brown, Shawn Jennings
Favorite: Ronnie Harrison
Dark horse: Deionte Thompson
Analysis: Other than right tackle, there probably isn't this degree of depth anywhere else on the team, in terms of fighting for an open position. Any name on the above list, save for perhaps true freshman Shawn Jennings, could walk onto the field first this fall and no one would be surprised. Ronnie Harrison had a breakout freshman season and proved to be a hard hitter with ball skills. Maurice Smith is the most experienced of the bunch, able to play anything from field corner to strong safety. Shawn Burgess-Becker was a special teams standout and a hard hitter, and should find his way into the playing rotation. Tony Brown moved here from corner late in the year and showed promise. Deionte Thompson started out as a receiver last spring, somewhat surprisingly, before redshirting during the regular season. He has impressive height and speed and was mentioned prominently by his teammates as a possibility to have a breakout season in 2016. Laurence Jones needs to make a move forward and do it quickly; he was bypassed by several players in the fall and his window is closing fast. Jennings figures to be an important piece of the puzzle in future years but just has too many names in front of his at the moment.
Follow Jess Nicholas on Twitter at @TideFansJessN
Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chiefhttps://news.tidefans.com/jess-nicholas-tweets-tidefansjessn/
A'Shawn robinson
Blake Barnett
Bo Scarbrough
Cyrus Jones
Daron Payne
Gehrig Dieter
Jarran Reed
Minkah Fitzpatrick
Rashaan Evans
Ronnie Harrison
Tim Williams
Crimson Tide rolls into Georgia with an eye on the future
Georgia 70, Alabama 63: Tide in a tailspin to end regular season
Projected Depth Chart for Alabama vs. Kansas State
Early Signing Day Recap and Roster Analysis: 2023 Alabama Crimson Tide
TideFans.com/NARCAS: Alabama's 2022-2023 Signing Class (Early Signing Period)


Once Saltillo tiles are installed and grouted, they are very attractive. When properly sealed, they are easy to maintain and they will literally last forever. We hope that you enjoy them as much as we do!
Saltillo tiles are handmade tiles from Mexico. They are rustic and have a lot of personality. Saltillo tiles have the following characteristics.
Saltillos are not all flat.
Saltillos are not all square.
Saltillos are not all the same size.
Saltillos are not all the same thickness.
Saltillos have lime pops (little craters).
Saltillos occasionally have cracks on the surface.
Saltillos occasionally have animal prints. These are considered lucky!
Saltillos have shade variations (even within the same tile).
Saltillos are prone to alkali in the clay. To minimize problems they must be properly sealed and kept sealed.
Saltillos have sandy backs (caused by dumping the wet tile from the mold onto the ground to be sun dried before before baking).
THESE ARE NOT DEFECTS. They are what make Saltillo tiles so attractive.


text:
Over 300 million people living with depression, says WHO
More than 300 million people are now living with depression, which is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide, according to the latest estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The UN agency released the estimates ahead of World Health Day on April 7.
"These new figures are a wake-up call for all countries to re-think their approaches to mental health and to treat it with the urgency that it deserves," Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, said in a news release.
With the number of people with depression increasing more than 18 percent from 2005 to 2015, WHO is carrying out a year-long campaign, 'Depression: Let's Talk, the focus of April 7's World Health Day', with the aim of encouraging more people with depression to get help.
Lack of support for people with mental disorders, coupled with a fear of stigma, prevent many from accessing the treatment they need to live healthy, productive lives.
Depression is an important risk factor for suicide, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year, says the report.
One of the first steps is to address issues around prejudice and discrimination.
"The continuing stigma associated with mental illness was the reason why we decided to name our campaign Depression: let's talk," said Shekhar Saxena, director of the department of mental health and substance abuse at WHO.
"For someone living with depression, talking to a person they trust is often the first step towards treatment and recovery."
Increased investment is also needed. In many countries, there is very little or no support available for people with mental health disorders. Even in high-income countries, nearly 50 percent of people with depression do not get treatment.
On average, just three percent of government health budgets is invested in mental health, varying from less than one percent in low-income countries to five percent in high-income countries, says the report.
ASUU says no to 'planned hike' of registration fees in Kano varsity
PHOTOS: Amosun, Akeredolu, Alake of Egbaland celebrate Solanke @ 85
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Biblical Archaeology confirms that the words of Yehovah through Moses are true! When I saw the Red Sea Crossing, the Elijah Cave, the charred top of Mount Sinai, the rock at Horeb, the altar of the golden calf and so much more I was moved to a new level of conviction. I pray these videos will do the same for you.
This map has the correct Red Sea crossing site and the true location of Mount Sinai; you can find them for yourselves on your Google Earth maps at these locations.
Mount Sinai (Jabal al-lawz) is a mountain of volcanic origin in northwest Saudi Arabia, 28 degrees 39'13.49″ north, 35 degrees 18'17.74″ east, 8222 feet tall.
In-depth search and discovery by Ron Wyatt and family for the Exodus route, the Red Sea crossing, Mt. Sinai, the Rock at Horeb, the Elijah Cave, Alter of the Golden Calf, the Mountain of Yehovah burnt with fire and much more!
More from Ron Wyatt about true history from the Bible! This one is a related to, but different from "The Exodus and the Red Sea Crossing." The story of Israel from the flood to Mount Sinai.


As an avid sea angler and lover of the Yorkshire Coast there aren't many places along the coastline from Teesside to Flamborugh that I don't know well.
Whilst out walking or fishing around the shores, either from the rocks or from my kayak we have seen a lot of fantastic wildlife. We have for some years been very much aware of the presence of Peregrine Falcons In The Whitby Area.
I had seen a pair over several years in the area of Sandsend and up to Kettleness. One evening, a few years ago, on my kayak, I had sat and watched a pair of Peregrines Hunting and at times almost being in Sandsend Village Itself.
A great sight to see of course, but I never gave it any more thought until I recently became interested in photography. Just this year myself and my good friend Mike Marshall of Yorkshire Coast Fossils decided to go look for the Peregrines with our cameras.
To date we have had some success in locating several breeding pairs in the Whitby Area. Our most fruitful vist being the latest where we discovered the birds nest.
You can read more about our adventures with The Peregrine Falcons Of Whitby by clicking here.


text:
Главная|Журнал|Зима 2014|Winter 2014
Summary winter issue 2014
Interview with the Head Architect of Moscow p. 6
The City of Moscow – the heart of Russia – is a huge metropolis that is constantly changing its image: developing and expanding. Year and a half ago Sergey Kuznetsov took the office of the Head Architect of Moscow. In this interview you will learn how Moscow has changed since the appointment of this young, talented and proactive architect.
Zaryadye Park – Embodiment of Natural Urbanism p. 12
Zaryadye – a huge open space at the very center of the capital, has been waiting for development for many years. Since 2006 the territory around demolished hotel Rossiya has been abandoned. The idea to create a park in a historical place was embodied in the project from architectural bureau Diller Scofidio + Renfro that won the international contest for the best architectural and landscape concept.The contest was held from 19 April until 12 November 2013 on the initiative of the City Planning and Architecture Committee of Moscow and with the support of the Government of Moscow.
Rossiya Park – Green Project in the Moscow Region p. 16
The international contest for development of a concept and financial model for theme park Rossiya finished in December of 2013.The first award was given to the project by international consortium headed by Cushman & Wakefield.The project covers city development, planning, spatial, landscape, architectural and economic aspects. An efficient solution of environmental problems is the most important link of the winning concept.
Gardens by the Bay – an Example of Environmentally Sustainable Development of the Territories p. 24
Singapore continues to boggle the imagination of the rest of the world, more and more turning into a garden city. The official opening of the first stage of Gardens by the Bay complex on the shore of Singapore strait took place in June of 2012.
Energy Efficient Settlements and Residential Districts p. 30
Yury Andreevich Tabunschikov, Professor, Corresponding member of RAASN(Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Science), President of NP «ABOK».
The idea of development of demonstration energy efficient districts or settlements was born and developed practically simultaneously with the idea of construction of separate demonstration energy efficient buildings, and first energy efficient communities appeared in the end of the 1970-s – b eginning of the 1980-s – Kerava in Finland, youth communities near the city of Sacramento in USA.
Compared to construction of individual demonstration energy efficient buildings construction of energy efficient districts or settlements allows for deeper analysis of the energy saving technologies in realistic conditions, as well as their relation to the environmental and social aspects.
Viikki – Experimental Residential Neighborhood p. 40
Marianna Brodach, Professor, Vice-President ABOK
Viikki neighborhood, located in Helsinki suburbs (Finland), is a «green» settlement created under the guidance of Helsinki University of Technology specially for scientific and experimental purposes. The demonstration energy efficient neighborhood became one of the nine European experimental projects under EuropeanCommunity's Thermie program that tackles the green construction problems.Various innovative technologies are studied here in realistic conditions along with their relation to the environmental and social aspects.
The First Energy Efficient Building in the Rostov Region p. 48
The geography of energy efficient construction in Russia expands every year. The first in the Rostov region energy efficient low-rise residential building was commissioned and is successfully functioning under the government program for relocation of residents from slum and worn out housing.The third year of the building's operation draws us to certain conclusions on the cost efficiency of the implemented engineering systems.
Minergie© Standard: Theory and Practice p. 54
Martin Bismark
An office and production-warehouse building was commissioned in Basel (Switzerland) at the end of 2010 with energy consumption below 40 kWh/m2 per year.This value meets the strictest norms of Swiss Minergie© standard for non-residential buildings. Professor Dr. Hirshberg from Aachen University conducted monitoring and audit in 2011 and noticed high energy efficiency of the building and its engineering systems. This is also confirmed by the Environmental management System (EMS) used at the enterprise: even now the implemented technical concepts provide the energy consumption level that exceeds the most optimistic forecasts.
Renaissance Pravda Business Center. St. Petersburg, Russian Federation pp. 60, 96
The Pravda project building, located near the St. Petersburg city center, is one of the first instances of green building design and construction approaches in Russia and is the first LEED certified commercial office building in the country.
Green «Diamond» of Malaysia p. 66
The bright green façade of the head office of the Ministry of Energy of Malaysia distinguishes the building against the background of the surrounding buildings of the government block. The «Diamond» is unique not only in its appearance: thanks to implementation of the boldest ideas of environmentally sustainable construction the annual specific energy consumption is four times lower than the typical energy consumption of a typical office building in Malaysia. The «Diamond» became an excellent example of practical realization of energy saving technologies. At the same time the microclimate quality inside rooms is maintained at the highest level.
Revolution in the Climate Control: CFC-free ClimateControl Systems p. 78
Destruction of the Earth's ozone layer and the global warming required development of the new generation of climate control plants that use safe natural cooling agents, such as air. Air climate control system is a multifunctional unit developed by engineering center of air turbo technologies «UPEK».In the summer it operates as air conditioner, and in the winter as a heat pump. If needed, the system can operate in the ventilation mode. Use of air as a source of energy makes the plant maximally environment friendly and cost effective.
Energy Efficient Engineering Systems.Vnukovo International Airport p. 82
Unique energy efficient solutions were applied during design of Vnukovo International Airport. All systems of air terminal A are based on the equipment from the leading global manufacturers. The complex approach to development of the terminal's engineering and information systems allowed to start the passengers service and flight support processes before the end of construction.
Tower 185: Hybrid Cooler Systems p. 88
Office complex Tower 185 designed by architect Christoph Mackler is the fourth highest building in Germany. Construction of the tower began in August 2008 in the vicinity of Gallus district of Frankfurt on the Main, the so called «Europe» block. In December of 2011 the project was completed. The decisive factor for planning of the building became reduction of the energy consumption by at least 25 % compared to the similar buildings. Achievement of this result became possible thanks to the systems of hybrid coolers installed here.
Question for the Expert p. 90
NP AVOK master class «Designing smoke ventilation systems. Clarification of current regulatory requirements» took place in Moscow on 19 December 2013. Boris Kolchev answered the questions related to relevant changes in the regulatory fire safety requirements.
Interview with the Expert p. 92
Interview with Victor Germanovich Semyonov, President of Noncommercial Partnership «Rossiyskoye teplosnabzheniye» (Russian heat supply), General Director of OJSC «VNIPIenergoprom.»
Book Review p. 94
«Water Heating Systems of Multistory Buildings» is a monograph dedicated to design of water heating systems of residential and public buildings with heating devices equipped with thermostats. The book is written by V. N. Karpov – one of the most experienced employees at OJSC «Mosproject». «A Practical Guide to Noise and Vibration Control for HVAC Systems» – book by American acoustics specialist Mark E. Schaffer is a real practical guide for design of HVAC systems the meet the strictest noise and vibration requirements for achievement of conformable microclimate inside rooms.


Sun-Drenched top floor unit in the desirable Crown Colony complex. Gorgeous unit that features: wood flooring, large balcony, new quartz counters, updated bathrooms, and updated kitchen. Complex features landscape grounds, tennis courts, club house and multiple pools. Current club house, gym and large club house pool is being renovated and will be done next year. Complex features 24 hour security. Free shuttle bus to/from BART during commute hours and access to 280 Frwy less than a block from the complex.
I'd like some more information about 391 MANDARIN DRIVE 307, DALY CITY CA. Thank you.
I'd like to request a showing for 391 MANDARIN DRIVE 307, DALY CITY CA. Thank you.


text:
Q: !DOCTYPE of type java.lang.String cannot be converted to JSONObject I'm creating a user login and registration application with Android Studio but I'm a beginner and getting a JSONException.
I used this tutorial to put together my code.
Here's the error information:
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ org.json.JSONException: Value <!DOCTYPE of type java.lang.String cannot be converted to JSONObject
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at org.json.JSON.typeMismatch(JSON.java:111)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at org.json.JSONObject.<init>(JSONObject.java:159)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at org.json.JSONObject.<init>(JSONObject.java:172)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at com.example.dev5.registration.app.RegisterActivity$3.onResponse(RegisterActivity.java:119)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at com.example.dev5.registration.app.RegisterActivity$3.onResponse(RegisterActivity.java:110)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at com.android.volley.toolbox.StringRequest.deliverResponse(StringRequest.java:60)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at com.android.volley.toolbox.StringRequest.deliverResponse(StringRequest.java:30)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at com.android.volley.ExecutorDelivery$ResponseDeliveryRunnable.run(ExecutorDelivery.java:99)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:733)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:95)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:136)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5001)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:785)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:601)
06-12 05:17:31.052    8831-8831/com.example.dev5.registration W/System.err﹕ at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

And here's my code:
package com.example.dev5.registration.app;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.app.ProgressDialog;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.Toast;

import com.android.volley.Request.Method;
import com.android.volley.Response;
import com.android.volley.VolleyError;
import com.android.volley.toolbox.StringRequest;
import com.example.dev5.registration.app.helper.SQLiteHandler;
import com.example.dev5.registration.app.helper.SessionManager;

import org.json.JSONException;
import org.json.JSONObject;

import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

public class RegisterActivity extends Activity {
    private static final String TAG = RegisterActivity.class.getSimpleName();
    private Button btnRegister;
    private Button btnLinkToLogin;
    private EditText inputFullName;
    private EditText inputEmail;
    private EditText inputPassword;
    private ProgressDialog pDialog;
    private SessionManager session;
    private SQLiteHandler db;

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_register);

        inputFullName = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.name);
        inputEmail = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.email);
        inputPassword = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.password);
        btnRegister = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnRegister);
    btnLinkToLogin = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnLinkToLoginScreen);

    // Progress dialog
    pDialog = new ProgressDialog(this);
    pDialog.setCancelable(false);

    // Session manager
    session = new SessionManager(getApplicationContext());

    // SQLite database handler
    db = new SQLiteHandler(getApplicationContext());

    // Check if user is already logged in or not
    if (session.isLoggedIn()) {
        // User is already logged in. Take him to main activity
        Intent intent = new Intent(RegisterActivity.this,
                MainActivity.class);
        startActivity(intent);
        finish();
    }

    // Register Button Click event
    btnRegister.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        public void onClick(View view) {
            String name = inputFullName.getText().toString();
            String email = inputEmail.getText().toString();
            String password = inputPassword.getText().toString();

            if (!name.isEmpty() && !email.isEmpty() && !password.isEmpty()) {
                registerUser(name, email, password);
            } else {
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),
                        "Please enter your details!", Toast.LENGTH_LONG)
                        .show();
            }
        }
    });

    // Link to Login Screen
    btnLinkToLogin.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {

        public void onClick(View view) {
            Intent i = new Intent(getApplicationContext(),
                    LoginActivity.class);
            startActivity(i);
            finish();
        }
    });

}

/**
 * Function to store user in MySQL database will post params(tag, name,
 * email, password) to register url
 * */
private void registerUser(final String name, final String email,
                          final String password) {
    // Tag used to cancel the request
    String tag_string_req = "req_register";

    pDialog.setMessage("Registering ...");
    showDialog();

    StringRequest strReq = new StringRequest(Method.POST,
            AppConfig.URL_REGISTER, new Response.Listener<String>() {

        @Override
        public void onResponse(String response) {

            Log.d(TAG, "Register Response: " + response);
            hideDialog();

            try {
                JSONObject jObj = new JSONObject(response);
                boolean error = jObj.getBoolean("error");
                if (!error) {
                    // User successfully stored in MySQL
                    // Now store the user in sqlite
                    String uid = jObj.getString("uid");

                    JSONObject user = jObj.getJSONObject("user");
                    String name = user.getString("name");
                    String email = user.getString("email");
                    String created_at = user
                            .getString("created_at");

                    // Inserting row in users table
                    db.addUser(name, email, uid, created_at);

                    // Launch login activity
                    Intent intent = new Intent(
                            RegisterActivity.this,
                            LoginActivity.class);
                    startActivity(intent);
                    finish();
                } else {

                    // Error occurred in registration. Get the error
                    // message
                    String errorMsg = jObj.getString("error_msg");
                    Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),
                            errorMsg, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                }
            } catch (JSONException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }

        }
    }, new Response.ErrorListener() {

        @Override
        public void onErrorResponse(VolleyError error) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Registration Error: " + error.getMessage());
            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),
                    error.getMessage(), Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            hideDialog();
        }
    }) {

        @Override
        protected Map<String, String> getParams() {
            // Posting params to register url
            Map<String, String> params = new HashMap<String, String>();
            params.put("tag", "register");
            params.put("name", name);
            params.put("email", email);
            params.put("password", password);

            return params;
        }

    };

    // Adding request to request queue
    AppController.getInstance().addToRequestQueue(strReq, tag_string_req);
}

private void showDialog() {
    if (!pDialog.isShowing())
        pDialog.show();
}

private void hideDialog() {
    if (pDialog.isShowing())
        pDialog.dismiss();
}
}

Can anyone help explain it?

A: "<!DOCTYPE of type java.lang.String cannot be converted to JSONObject"

This error happens for multiple reasons. One example is here.
 If suppose the server returns the error Page not found - 404. Then there is a HTML page. So your json not able to parse it.
The solution is you need to check your response returns from the server.
Edit 1:
You need to check your response before you parse your json there is one tool called POSTMAN try this.


text:
Home Sport Mo Farah clear to continue with current coach
Mo Farah clear to continue with current coach
Mo Farrah and Usain Bolt swapping trademark stances
WHEN a BBC Panorama programme suggested that Mo Farrah´s coach Alberto Salazar had been involved with performance enhancing drugs with other athletes – which he vehemently denies – the UK Athletics organisation launched their own enquiry.
They have announced that the enquiry found 'no reason to be concerned' about the coach and his training regime at the US-based Nike Oregon Project.
With regards to Mo Farah himself, there was no suggestion that he had been involved in doping and there is 'no evidence of any impropriety' from Britain's double Olympic champion or any reason to 'lack confidence' in his training programme.
Salazar will continue to work as a consultant for British Athletics, a position that he has held since 2013.
No further comments are expected from UKA until formal investigations by the US Anti-Doping Agency and UK Anti-Doping organisations are complete, but it would be surprising, given the circumstances of this announcement, if anything untoward was to emerge from those two bodies.
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"I am a fully qualified, experienced and professional massage therapist. Aroma Massage was established in 2002 and is a successful massage therapy practice"
2 Rainier St, Monaco, Nelson. A quiet and peaceful location by the sea.
I provide high quality and affordable massage treatments in a relaxing environment. I am passionate about massage therapy and get a lot of satisfaction from helping to relieve stress and muscular tension. A variety of techniques are combined to provide you with the best possible treatment.