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Weapons and Warfare
History and Hardware of Warfare
AK-47: History of creation
British Army 1820-45
Hundred Years' War (1337–1453)
Seven Years' War (1756–1763)
Barbarossa to 'Berlog' – Soviet Air Force
RAF VC Aircraft and Crews/Pilots
The Tank 1917-45
B-52s – The Last Argument of Presidents
The U-Boats of World War Two
Gliders of the Soviet Union
Italian MTM Boats of 10th MAS
Diadochi Wars
URBAN WARFARE IN BERLIN
British Aerial Ordnance Exotica
Japanese Armor (Other Armored Vehicles)
Japanese Armor In World War II
JAPANESE SMALL ARMS
Postscript -The Dambuster Raid
Rome at War
Rome Military mid-fourth century to the mid-third century BC
Rommel Recaptures Cyrenaica, January 1942
Russian Weapons, that are currently in service…
Saxon Army 1806
Soviet Aircraft of Operation Barbarossa
The Bourbon Restoration Armies
The Imperial Roman Principate Army
15 cm Flak 50, 55, 60 & 60F
A Lesson of History: The Luftwaffe and Barbarossa
Aircraft Ordnance
Nebelwerfers
Pericles' Funeral Oration
The Destruction of Army Group Center, 1944.
Transportstaffel 40
The Suomen Ilmavoimat (Finnish Air Force)
What if Eisenhower Had Driven On to Berlin?
JAPANESE PILOTED BOMBS
The Quest for Greater Protection
THE WAR OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION – FRANCE
War on the Eastern Front
Ancient Military Capacities
Italian Human Torpedoes
Italian Submarines of World War II
French Submarines of World War II
THE THIRTY YEARS WAR 1618-48
Cannae 216 BC
Prokhorovka – the unknown clash of the Great Patriotic War
History and War
WARFARE — Prehistoric Eras to 600 C. E.
WARFARE – 600 C. E. to 1450
WARFARE – 1450 to 1750
NOVOROSSIYA REBELLION I
Posted on September 27, 2019 by MSW
Just as the Crimean crisis began to ebb, attention shifted to Ukraine's south-east. The Crimean events provoked what is sometimes called the 'Russian spring', an outburst of Russian self-expression in Ukraine, but just like the 'Arab Spring', it soon turned into the deepest midwinter. On 1 March a 7,000-strong crowd gathered in the central square in Donetsk carrying Russian flags and the flag of a hitherto unknown organisation known as the 'Donetsk Republic'. There were further demonstrations across cities in eastern Ukraine, warning against attack by radical nationalists from Kiev but more immediately fearing that their language and other rights would be abrogated. The movement was fired by alarmist reports in the Russian and regional media, which for weeks had been condemning the radicalisation of the Maidan. The protests, with justification, were suspected of being sponsored in part by Yanukovych, especially since his network of mayors and officialdom remained in place, yet it also had deep local roots. While the degree of separatist feeling in the region is contested, the rebellion gradually turned into a full-scale war. Ukraine's domestic contradictions have been internationalised, with Russia supporting the insurgents on the one side, while the Western powers have lined up in support of the Ukrainian authorities. Instead of snatching Crimea and withdrawing to allow the storm to pass, Russia has been sucked into a new and far more intense conflict, drawing upon it the wrath of the West.
THE DONBAS RISES
The 'other' Ukraine sought to be part of the dialogue about what it means to be Ukrainian. A poll by the Pew Research Center in May 2014 found that 70 per cent of eastern Ukrainians wanted to keep the country intact, including 58 per cent of Russian-speakers, although they expressed plenty of grievances against Kiev, including the over-centralised state that took all tax revenues before redistributing them to the regions. Both Donetsk and Lugansk were heavily subsidised by Kiev, receiving far more from the budget than they contributed, to keep the loss-making mines and mills working. Nevertheless, the Donbas represented the country's economic powerhouse, accounting for 16 per cent of GDP and 27 per cent of industrial production.
Above all, some 60 per cent of Donetsk residents feared 'Banderovtsy' and 50 per cent dreaded the Kiev authorities, while 71 per cent of Donetsk and 60 per cent of Lugansk residents believed that the Maidan events represented an armed coup organised by the opposition and the West. Majorities in other regions in the south-east agreed that the protests were an uprising 'against the corruption and tyranny of the Yanukovych dictatorship'. Gessen describes how one future rebel in the east was shocked to see how
young men in masks and the insignia of old Ukrainian fascist movements attacked riot police [in the Maidan] – some of them from the Donetsk area – with Molotov cocktails. He saw governors in the western provinces pulled out of their offices and roughed up by furious crowds. It seemed that the country was descending into chaos. When he heard a rumour that some of the young men from Maidan were headed for Donetsk, he believed it.
Any simplistic division of the country into a nationalistic west, a 'pro-Russian' east and a patriotic centre does not begin to capture the complex pattern of responses to the breakdown of Ukrainian statehood. What is clear is that a new relationship was required with the Donbas, but it was not forthcoming. The Ukrainian parliament's attempt to remove Russian as a second regional language was blocked, but the damage was done. As one respondent noted: 'Is there any other country on earth where a language understood by 100% of the population is not a language of state?'
A grass-roots protest movement welled up throughout March 2014, clearly enjoying popular support. Whereas the Maidan protesters were 'middle class and nationalistic', the anti-Maidan movement in the Donbas was 'lower class and anti-oligarchic (and Russian nationalist)'. When the acting minister of the interior, Avakov, visited Donetsk in mid-March, 'he met with civic leaders, but most of all he met with the football ultras, and demanded that they arm themselves and prepare for battle against the pro-Russian forces in the city'. The ultras are hard-core football fans whose far-right views and violent hooliganism were now turned in support of the Kiev regime, as was seen in Odessa on 2 May, and their terrace chant of 'Putin khuilo!' ('Putin is a dickhead!') was repeated on 14 June by the acting foreign minister, Andriy Deshchytsia, when the Russian embassy in Kiev was besieged by an angry mob. Fighter jets flew low over the pro-Donbas protests, and it appeared that 'from the very start, Kiev had been prepared to use force'. On 10 March the former governor of Kharkov, Mikhail Dobkin, was arrested on charges of leading a separatist movement. From 6 April insurgents occupied government buildings in Donetsk, Gorlovka and Kramatorsk. In Kharkov on 8 April some 70 anti-Maidan protesters were arrested and faced politically charged trials, and this was enough to pre-empt further action in Ukraine's second city. In the Donbas, however, the insurgency continued to spread. These were not the professional 'little green men' seen earlier in Crimea, but ramshackle forces made up overwhelmingly in the first instance by local volunteers. However, on 12 April the administration, police and other buildings in Slavyansk were occupied by what appeared to be highly trained professional armed forces without insignia. As Gessen puts it: 'At that moment, what had been a people's uprising turned into an armed revolt, and some would say a covert invasion.'
One of the first acts of the insurgents was to take over regional television stations to restore the broadcast of Russian television, cut by order of the central authorities in many regions on 11 March. The insurgents set up checkpoints and established an armed presence in the major towns. Supporters of federalisation refused to recognise the legitimacy of the new Ukrainian authorities and called on the government to allow referendums similar to the one in Crimea. In Donetsk protesters occupied the regional administration buildings and on 7 April proclaimed the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), and next door a Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) was formed on 27 April. The 'people's governor' of Lugansk, Valery Bolotov, announced the formation of the Donetsk People's Army, whose leader soon became Igor Girkin, whose nom de guerre is Strelkov ('the shooter'). A former colonel in the Russian army (some accounts say he served in the main intelligence directorate, the GRU, of the General Staff), he fought in Chechnya, in Transnistria and with the Serbs in Bosnia, and was one of the leaders of the takeover in Crimea. He came to the Donbas in May with around two dozen men but soon built up one of the most formidable rebel units of some 2,000 men. He later claimed to have been 'the one who pulled the trigger on this war'. The Donbas was in revolt, and on 24 May the two entities established a de jure union known as the 'Novorossiya Republic'. They sought to capitalise on the emotional power of the concept.
Avakov accused Moscow and the ousted president Yanukovych of 'ordering and paying for another wave of separatist turmoil in the country's east'. Using his characteristic form of communication, his Facebook page, he insisted that 'a firm approach will be used against all who attack government buildings, law enforcement officers and other citizens'. The storming of government offices in the west of the country in the final months of Yanukovych's rule was considered something entirely different – part of the revolutionary surge in support of monist nationalism – whereas now the 'anti-Maidan' insurgency using the same tactics in support of pluralism was called a terrorist movement. In mid-April the Ukrainian security service (SBU) took control of what was called the 'anti-terrorist operation' (ATO) – the constitution allows only this designation for an internal counter-insurgency operation, although that does not render the designation any less forbidding. Government forces re-established control over several major towns, including Mariupol, Kirovsk and Yampol, and the insurgency in the end was limited to parts of the Donbas.
The leadership of the insurgency was a motley crew. They included Denys Pushilin, one of the organisers of the MMM pyramid scheme in Donetsk in the 1990s, while Nikolai Solntsev, a technologist at a meat-processing plant, became the DPR's ideology minister. Most leaders were blue-collar workers with limited outside experience. They drew on the experience of Crimea to plan their actions and were deeply imbued with Soviet values, looking to Russia to provide support for their alternative to Maidan-style Europeanism. This applied in particular to Girkin, who soon became one of the most effective rebel commanders in the Donbas. In mid-May he assumed command of all insurgent forces and called on Russia to intervene. It is far from clear how much direct control Moscow could exert over a man who described himself as a monarchist and condemned the USSR and the post-Communist Kremlin authorities. His hobby was dressing up in costume to re-enact historical battles, part of the Russian paramilitary subculture, and he now donned a real uniform and proved himself a ruthless and capable guerrilla leader until he 'disappeared' in August.
The OSCE had created a 'special monitoring mission' to the region in March, but on 25 April a group of seven foreign military monitors from the OSCE and five Ukrainian military observers were detained in Slavyansk. The 'people's mayor' of the city offered to swap the observers in exchange for the release of his supporters detained by the Kiev authorities. Russia, as an OSCE member, condemned the capture, and soon after the observers were released. On 28 April the shooting of Gennady Kernes, the pro-Kiev mayor of Kharkov, Ukraine's second city, demonstrated how far events in the east were spiralling out of control. Kernes had opposed the Maidan, but he reversed his position following Yanukovych's ouster, and he was wounded shortly afterwards.
The conflict became a struggle between west and east Ukraine, with endless shades between. The physical and rhetorical violence of the Maidan was generalised to the rest of the country. The language of the Kiev forces is quite shocking in its brutality. Already in March, in a conversation about Putin, probably recorded by Russian intelligence, Tymoshenko declared: 'I'm willing to take a Kalashnikov and shoot the bastard in the head.' The Orangist demonisation of Putin soon entered the bloodstream of discourse in the Western world, poisoning sensible discussion. Tymoshenko was equally bloodthirsty in her condemnation of the insurgency in the east and no less extreme in her evaluation of the larger geopolitical situation: 'Putin is attempting to uproot the world's security system, established as a result of
[the]
Second World War, and turn the global[…] order into chaos. Redrawing world maps by wars, mass murders and blood is becoming his Mein Kampf.' The new Kiev authorities were fighting for their survival, but their 'Orange' vision of Ukraine was rejected by the insurgents in the Donbas and, in part, by Moscow. Anger and resentment would be laid down for generations.
The ferocity of the ATO can in part be explained by the view of many in western Ukraine that the people of the Donbas were not 'real Ukrainians', but Russians who had come to replace those who had died in the Holodomor and to staff the industrialisation of the region from the 1930s. They were often denigrated by monists as lacking intellect and 'national identity', and could thus be considered a Russian incubus that needed to be cut out to ensure the healthy development of the Ukrainian nation. When asked in a famous YouTube interview 'What should we do now with the 8 million Russians that stayed in Ukraine? They are outcasts?' Tymoshenko responded: 'They must be killed with nuclear weapons.' To which the man answered: 'I won't argue with you here because what happened is absolutely unacceptable.' This reflected the restitutive model of Ukrainian statehood with a vengeance, the idea that there was some Platonic ideal statehood to which the country should return. Where the actual population differed from the ideal, it was to be subject to special measures to bring it into conformity with the ideologically appropriate format.
When Putin in his Direct Line session of 17 April brought up the notion of Novorossiya, it was not clear what he had in mind. His assessment of the situation was vivid and clear:
Regarding the question of what should come first: a constitutional referendum followed by elections, or elections first to stabilise the situation and then a referendum. The essential issue is how to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers in the south-east of Ukraine. I would like to remind you that what was called Novorossiya [New Russia] back in the tsarist days – Kharkov, Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Nikolaev and Odessa – were not part of Ukraine back then. These territories were given to Ukraine in the 1920s by the Soviet government. Why? Who knows. They were won by Potemkin and Catherine the Great in a series of well-known wars. The centre of that territory was Novorossiisk, so the region is called Novorossiya. Russia lost these territories for various reasons, but the people remained. Today, they live in Ukraine, and they should be full citizens of their country. That's what this is all about.
Was this a reference to his comment to US President George W. Bush in Bucharest in 2008 that 'Ukraine is not really a state', and thus a call for the dismemberment of the country? Novorossiya was a special tsarist administrative arrangement for a broad swath of territory running along the Black Sea as far as Moldova, and its incorporation into the new Ukrainian SSR in 1922 was as controversial then as it has once again become now. Or was it simply an attempt to stress that Ukraine was made up of many traditions, and thus a call to give institutional form to pluralism, diversity and different identities? Either way, it galvanised those who sought to exploit Ukrainian state weakness for their own ends.
The extent of Moscow's materiel and personnel support is far from clear. A welter of volunteers spilled across the border, drawn from the old opposition that had fought against Yeltsin in 1993, Cossack groups, Chechen militants, and a range of Russian nationalist and neo-Soviet imperialists. The danger, as with volunteer militants in Syria, is that these battle-hardened and radicalised fighters would gain experience and then 'blow back' into Russia, and potentially pose a threat to Putin himself if he failed to meet their expectations about supporting the rebellion in Ukraine. In his 17 April Direct Line programme he noted:
Refusing to see that something was badly wrong in the Ukrainian state and to start a dialogue, the government threatened to use military force and even sent tanks and aircraft against civilians. It was one more serious crime committed by the current Kiev rulers.
In this broadcast Putin acknowledged that the 'green men' in Crimea were in fact Russian forces.
Separatist aspirations were not supported by the majority of the population, and the insurgents rejected the 'separatist' label, while the mainstream Western view that the insurgency consisted of 'terrorists' backed by Moscow is equally false. A well-known survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) from 29 April to 11 May 2014 revealed that only 20–30 per cent of the population of the Donbas supported outright separatism, slightly fewer supported Kiev, while about half were in the middle. Various types of autonomy were supported by 54 per cent, but in the Donbas only 8 per cent favoured independence, 23 per cent supported joining Russia, while a further 23 per cent favoured greater autonomy within Ukraine. The majority of the insurgent leadership came from the Donbas, with some from other regions of Ukraine, including Crimea. This demonstrates that there was no overwhelming desire to leave Ukraine, but it also shows a high level of alienation. Serhiy Kudelia's study confirms this finding, arguing that despite Western accusations that the insurgency was provoked and sponsored by Russia, it was in fact 'primarily a homegrown phenomenon': 'political factors – state fragmentation, violent regime change, and the government's low coercive capacity – combined with popular emotions specific to the region – resentment and fear – played a crucial role in launching the armed secessionist movement there'. It would take skilful political management to bring these people back into the fold of Ukrainian state-building. Instead, aspirations for federalism were considered tantamount to separatism, provoking military action and a devastating civil war.
The insurgents announced a referendum on the self-determination of the Donbas for 11 May. On 7 May Putin urged the referendums to be postponed, but they went ahead anyway with a very simple wording: 'Do you support the creation of the Donetsk People's Republic?' and a similar question in Lugansk. Turnout in both regions was reported to be 75 per cent, with 89 and 96 per cent, respectively, voting for independence. Neither Kiev nor the West recognised the ballot as legitimate, with Poroshenko resolutely condemning the vote, although Firtash on 12 May argued that federalisation was the only acceptable option and that Ukraine should be a neutral state, and he personally was ready to step in to act as an intermediary between Russia and Ukraine. The vote can at best be taken as indicative of widespread 'separatist' sentiment at that time and should be tempered by the results of opinion surveys which, as noted, show a strong commitment to Ukrainian integrity. Nevertheless, the high level of dissatisfaction among the Blues is hardly surprising since for the second time in a decade a leadership that reflected their concerns was removed in contentious circumstances. On this occasion the interim administration formed after 22 February lacked representation from the Donbas and propounded a virulently monist ideology. This certainly does not justify armed rebellion, but helps explain the logic of developments.
The agreement between the DPR and the LPR establishing Novorossiya on 24 May was a propaganda move designed to rally support within Ukraine and volunteers from Russia proper. This was accompanied by accusations that Russia was massing a 40,000-strong army on its western border, ready for a possible invasion, and that Russian undercover operatives were fomenting the occupations and blockade. The troops were ordered back and forth to follow the various diplomatic contortions, while NATO and Western leaders repeatedly claimed that Russia had invaded or was on the verge of doing so, a crying of wolf that in the end rather discredited them. Instead, Russia trained and filtered in some genuine volunteers, as well as regular forces as 'advisors', a category well known from the early stages of US interventions, and only in August did Russian 'volunteer' paratroopers apparently take part in regular battles. The insurgents came to be dubbed 'pro-Russian separatists', and while this may be accurate for some of them, the rebellion reflected broader concern about the lack of constitutional and political defence for their way of life and historical economic and cultural links with Russia.
The pluralists in the Donbas and other Russophone regions seized the opportunity to institutionalise their long-term aspirations for Russian to be made a second state language and for genuine power-sharing of the regions in a more federal state. This was a quite legitimate democratic aspiration, and could have transformed the agenda of the Maidan into a genuinely national movement. The interim government in Kiev was resistant to such a broadening, given its deep roots in the monist tradition. At the same time, the pluralists in the Donbas and more widely in 'Novorossiya' lacked democratic and civil-society organisational capacity. The years of polarisation and corruption had deeply eroded the bases of civic activism. The PoR had become little more than a claque of the Yanukovych regime, and was deeply factionalised between the various oligarchs. It was discredited and in disarray following Yanukovych's ouster. The CPU remained a bastion of neo-Soviet sentiment, winning some 13 per cent of the vote in the 2012 parliamentary election, but was largely discredited because of its failure to condemn Yanukovych's excesses. All that was left were a few individual politicians who could give voice to pluralist sentiments, while oligarchs like Akhmetov hedged their bets. Firtash added his voice in support of the pluralists, but, isolated in Vienna, he was unable to bolster the cause of compromise.
Although it became axiomatic in much of the West that the insurgency was financed and sponsored by Russia, evidence of this before August is far from conclusive. The provenance of the insurgents who emerged in April 2014 to take over administrative buildings in Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Donetsk is unclear, but they were certainly not the 'little green men' who had operated so effectively and clinically in taking over Crimea. The story of Artur Gasparyan, an Armenian from Spitak, is a moving tale of how he volunteered to fight for the resistance in Ukraine and was given assistance and training in Russia by shadowy organisations and then transferred to the Donbas. He was part of the chaotic attempt to take over Prokofiev International Airport in Donetsk on 26 May. The fighters simply did not believe that the Ukrainian military would bomb the gleaming new terminal, built for the Euro 2012 football championship, and hence left their anti-aircraft missiles back at base. In their chaotic flight one of the trucks was destroyed by 'friendly fire'. After several weeks Gasparyan was transferred back to Russia and home. Asked why he, an Armenian, volunteered, he stated: 'I don't consider Russia a foreign country. I have the mentality of a Soviet person. My grandfathers fought for the Soviet Union and I am fighting for it.'
There is no more controversial issue than the extent to which Russia was implicated in inciting and supporting the insurgency. What is incontrovertible is that two elements developed in parallel: a genuine regional revolt adopting the tactics of the Maidan against the 'Ukrainising' and anti-Russian policies pursued by the Kiev authorities; and the strategic political considerations of Moscow, which exploited the insurgency to exercise leverage against the Kiev government to achieve defined goals – above all a degree of regional devolution, initially called federalisation – as well as to ensure that the strategic neutrality of the country was maintained. These goals, as well as the establishment of Russian as a second state language, may well have been in the best interests of Ukraine itself, but the method was catastrophic for the region and the country. Russia may well have stirred the pot at the beginning, and thereafter held regular consultations with resistance leaders, but the scale of its initial materiel support was greatly exaggerated by the Kiev government and its Western supporters. Moscow did allow a stream of volunteers to join the resistance, and some military equipment found its way across the border. But a constant refrain of the resistance movement was the lack of supplies and support; they repeatedly called on Russia to be more assertive in its backing, including direct military intervention, although this would only ever be a desperate measure. Moscow had learned the lessons of Afghanistan and the West's own ill-advised interventions in that country, Iraq and Libya. Nevertheless, already in April NATO foreign ministers announced that they would suspend practical cooperation and military ties with Russia because of its actions in Ukraine, while once again (as in August 2008) the NATO–Russia Council proved itself to be useless.
PEACE AND WAR
A meeting in Geneva between Ukraine, Russia, the US and the EU on 17 April sought to start a process of 'de-escalation', the term used in this crisis to try to create an 'off-ramp' from the internationalised civil conflict. The brief joint statement by the countries involved called for 'initial concrete steps to de-escalate tensions and restore security for all citizens', and stipulated a number of measures:
All sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions. The participants strongly condemned and rejected all expressions of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-semitism.
All illegal armed groups must be disarmed; all illegally seized buildings must be returned to legitimate owners; all illegally occupied streets, squares and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated.
Amnesty will be granted to protestors and to those who have left buildings and other public places and surrendered weapons, with the exception of those found guilty of capital crimes.
It was agreed that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission should play a leading role in assisting Ukrainian authorities and local communities in the immediate implementation of these de-escalation measures wherever they are needed most, beginning in the coming days. The U.S., E.U. and Russia commit to support this mission, including by providing monitors.
The announced constitutional process will be inclusive, transparent and accountable. It will include the immediate establishment of a broad national dialogue, with outreach to all of Ukraine's regions and political constituencies, and allow for the consideration of public comments and proposed amendments.
The participants underlined the importance of economic and financial stability in Ukraine and would be ready to discuss additional support as the above steps are implemented.
The onus was placed on the Ukrainians to take the initiative, with the international community to assist in the implementation of the de-escalation measures. The signatories agreed that that all armed formations should be disbanded, but it was not clear who would be able to do this, or the scope of the provision – would it include the armed battalions spawned by the Maidan? While the Western powers held Russia responsible for controlling the insurgents in the east and getting them to leave occupied buildings and installations, as we have seen they were mostly not under the direct control of a single authority. The situation was exacerbated by the lack of eastern representation at Geneva. Moscow's attempts to get the supporters for regional autonomy invited had been blocked by Kiev, but now the eastern insurgents were held responsible for fulfilling decisions in whose adoption they were not involved.
The Geneva deal was ignored by both sides, although its principles were to be at the core of all subsequent ceasefires. On 5 May, government forces attacked checkpoints around Slavyansk, with the two sides exchanging mortar fire, and the insurgents were able to down a helicopter using a hand-held air-defence system. On 9 May government forces using tanks and heavy weaponry retook the interior ministry building in Mariupol, in which at least seven 'separatists' were killed and 40 wounded. In another action in Mariupol on 16 May insurgents attacked a local military base. The insurgents had taken over Prokofiev International Airport in Donetsk on 26 May, but in a ferocious counter-attack it was retaken by government forces, at great cost in lives and damage. On 28 May insurgents in Slavyansk shot down a military helicopter, killing all 14 servicemen on board, and on 14 June in Lugansk insurgents shot down a Ukrainian military aircraft, killing all 49 servicemen on board (of whom nine were crew). And so the fighting went on. Both sides were subject to international humanitarian law (the laws of war), and both sides egregiously disregarded them, above all in targeting civilian populations, using disproportionate force, not respecting the rights of journalists and abusing the rights of prisoners. Neither Ukraine nor Russia is a signatory party to the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court, with the mandate to try people suspected of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, so it would take a UN Security Council referral to activate an investigation.
This entry was posted in Russia, Ukraine, Wars by MSW. Bookmark the permalink.


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CardinalsFarm's Top 20 Prospects for June
by CardinalsFarm on June 11, 2013
1. Oscar Taveras (1) – .311, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 5 SB
Even thought Taveras was out a significant amount of time, there is no need to drop him. He is still, by far, the best Cardinals prospect. For me, there is some injury concern. I don't think it was ineptitude that cause the Cards to not DL him for 3 weeks. I think they were sending him a message that he needed to get out there and fight through it. I believe Taveras has a lot of maturing to do, but he is still only 20.
2. Carlos Martinez (2) – 1-0, 1.57 ERA, 21 K, 23 IP
Martinez made 8 appearances for the big club before being sent down to be stretched out to start. I hope the Cardinals don't regret not having him in the bullpen down the road as I think the rotation will stabilize. Why not keep Martinez in the pen for the remainder of this year and stretch him out next spring?
3. Michael Wacha (3) – 4-0, 2.05 ERA, 34 K. 52 IP
Wacha's MLB debut was nothing short of spectacular, albeit against the Royals. I do believe the hype surrounding Wacha is out of control and probably needs to be brought down some. I believe at Wacha's peak he will be a #2 or #3 starter. I think he fits in great behind Wainwright and Miller.
4. Kolten Wong (4) – .319, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 9 SB
So how does one win Minor League Player of the Month in May but move farther away from the major leagues? I believe that has happened to Wong with the all-star play of Matt Carpenter and the turn-around from David Freese. What happens to Wong? This is a very interesting situation for me.
5. Tyrell Jenkins (6) – 4-4, 4.74 ERA, 34 K, 49 IP
Jenkins appeared to have turned a corner in 2013 as he had a low 2 ERA for May. Jenkins has been up and down this year and needed some consistency. I think he found it in May, where he pitched a shutout and a 7 inning complete game. Jenkins is up a spot. June has not been as kind for Jenkins. On 6/11 he was placed on the disabled list with shoulder soreness.
6. Carson Kelly (5) – .219, 2 HR, 13 RBI
Kelly falls a spot mostly because of the play of Tyrell Jenkins. Kelly, just 19, is one of the youngest players in the Midwest League. The power that we saw last year from Kelly has not arrived and that is OK. The competition is a lot harder this year. I expect things to start turning in his favor. Kelly was sent to State College on 6/11 to get regular playing time. This demotion does not affect his ranking.
7. Stephen Piscotty (7) – .269, 7 HR, 26 RBI
Piscotty got out of the gates quickly by hitting .348 and hitting 5 home runs in April. In May, he came back to earth hitting just .245. I believe Piscotty is ready for the next level even though his stats aren't there as of late.
8. James Ramsey (8) – .275, 3 HR, 11 RBI
A successful move to Double-A kept Ramsey within the top 10. Ramsey is now playing in a more age appropriate league and has had success. Double-A is typically the hardest jump for a minor leaguer, and Ramsey has made a adjustment. Ramsey's role in the future is a question.
9. Seth Maness (9) 2-2, 4.32, 18 K, 25 IP
Maness is a couple of days away from losing his prospect status but with the uncertainty of what will happen when Jake Westbrook returns, we will keep him on this list. Maness has been effective out of the major league bullpen, but I would like to see him go back to Triple-A and start again.
10. Patrick Wisdom (11) .210, 9 HR, 35 RBI
Like Piscotty, I think Wisdom is close to a level change. A concern I have with Wisdom is his strikeout rate. Wisdom has struck out 66 times in 60 innings. On the other side, the power is up. He only had 6 HR last year in 65 games, and already has 9 this year in 60 games.
11. Breyvic Valera (15) .326, 0 HR, 26 RBI, .374 RBI
Valera has continued to hit at the next level. Like Piscotty and Wisdom, I think Valera's days in Peoria are limited. I would like him to get that on base percent higher if he is going to hit at the top of the order.
12. Anthony Garcia (10) .211, 9 HR, 31 RBI
Talk about a down and then up season. Garcia struggled for most of April and May. Since June 3rd, Garcia is hitting .393 with 5 HR, 10 RBI. Garcia was named Florida State League Player of the Week last week. This is great news for the Cardinals. Garcia has been the one prospect that has been struggling the most.
13. Charlie Tilson (13) .294, 2 HR, 17 RBI, .337 OBP
Tilson has turned things around as well. While he wasn't struggling as much as Garcia, Tilson was just mediocre. Tilson hit .343 in May and has established himself as a top 20 prospect.
14. Ryan Jackson (14) .319, 3 HR, 20 RBI
While Jackson has cooled off a little, he still remains a top prospect. Jackson has the same issue as Wong, there is not a spot for him. While Pete Kozma hasn't excelled as much as Matt Carpenter, I don't see the Cardinals replacing him. Jackson is stuck for now.
15. Tim Cooney (16) 6-6 3.02 ERA, 60 K, 71 IP
Cooney has come on the top 20 map this year with his fast start at High-A Palm Beach. After 6 starts, Cooney was promoted to Double-A where he continued his solid pitching. Being a lefty does not hurt either, also the fact that he has walked 10 in 71 innings.
16. Lee Stoppelman (17) 2-1, 1.38 ERA, 38 K, 32 IP
Stoppelman has been on the exact same path as Tim Cooney. Stoppelman, also a lefty, is not the hardest thrower but can get guys out. I was high on Stoppelman last year when his ERA was miniscule at Batavia. He is someone to watch, no doubt.
17. Starlin Rodriguez (18) .239, 5 HR, 22 RBI
Rodriguez has had somewhat of a tough time transitioning to the Double-A level. Rodriguez hit .300 at Palm Beach last year and is down to .239 at Double-A. The strikeouts haven't been a problem as he has struck out 38 times in 43 innings.
18. Jacob Wilson (NR) .278, 8 HR, 49 RBI
Wilson has been a pleasant surprise for the Cardinals in 2013. a 10th round pick in 2012 out of the University of Memphis, Wilson is close to getting a promotion to Palm Beach. The move to second base hasn't hurt either.
19. Colin Walsh (20) .253, 3 HR, 26 RBI
Since being inserted into the lead-off spot, Walsh has started hitting again. Walsh is a little old for High-A and needs a promotion to Double-A soon to stay on the top 20.
20a. Tyler Lyons (NR) 2-2, 3.51 ERA, 14 K, 25 IP
Depending on the Westbrook move, Lyons will not be on this list in July due to pitching too many innings. I think expectations are a little high for Lyons right now and could see a rough patch soon
20b. Kevin Siegrist (NR) 3 IP, 8 K, 0.00 ERA
I could copy and paste the Lyons description under Siegrist. I like what I have seen from Siegrist out of the pen, and I believe he has staying power.
I did not include any 2013 draft picks in the top 20 yet. If I had to, I think the only one that would appear would be Marco Gonzales, and he could appear in the top 10. If Oscar Mercado shows he can hit, he could appear in the top 20.
In July, we could see some big changes as Wacha, Lyons, Maness, and possibly Siegrist could lose their eligibility and graduate from the top 20 list.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A simplified version of ForwardingServerCallListener where subclasses can pass in a ServerCall.Listener as the delegate.
The call is considered complete and ServerCall.Listener.onCancel() is guaranteed not to be called.
The call is considered complete and ServerCall.Listener.onCancel() is guaranteed not to be called. However, the client is not guaranteed to have received all messages.


Reacting to her remark, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra termed it as Congress' "appeasement politics". "Rahul Gandhi says that if Congress comes to power, it will scrap triple talaq law. It is nothing but appeasement politics," he said.
The Citizenship Bill, passed by Lok Sabha on January 8 amid a walkout by the Congress, seeks to remove hurdles for migrants belonging to minority groups from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan in getting Indian citizenship.


Share your snow photos with us from around the Northwest.
As you enjoy the snow blanketing the Seattle area this weekend, we hope you'll feel inspired to share images with us.
Use the form below to submit your winter wonderland photos. Our favorite will be featured in our weekly Reader's Lens column next week and in the newspaper. We will also consider the photo when we judge the year's best Reader's Lens submissions, with one winner receiving a prize in December.
For inspiration, check out the 2018's winning image and read the story of how the photographer got the shot.
Read our rules for entering here.


Thankful for the healing power of music.
Music has been scientifically proven to heal "time after time." (If you get my 80s music reference please post in the comments!) It can be a great treatment for trichotillomania, especially if combined with other tactics.
Today, Keen family member, Katie Lee shares how her passion for music – both creating it and consuming it – have helped her heal on her journey with trichotillomania.
As you read her story, please let us know in the comments what you are grateful for that has had healing power in your life – is it art?! Is it writing?! Is it playing basketball?! Is it video games?!
You may help someone else find their way to healing.
Hi! I'm Katie Lee. I'm a singer/songwriter, a teacher, a faith driven person, a lover of people and I also have Trich. It's something I've dealt almost my entire life. There have been waves where it's been really bad (almost no hair on the top of my head) and a few times when it wasn't so bad, but through it all I've tried really hard to not let it define who I am. I am more than my hair.
Up until this last few months, I didn't feel like I was ever going to overcome my hair pulling and it was hard to talk about. I knew that I had the ability to change it, but nothing I ever tried made any difference. Luckily, I felt prompted to do some online research (bfrb.org is a great source) and found the Keen bracelet and thought I would give it a try. It was just the jumpstart that I needed and that coupled with some online therapy, I've gone 37 days without pulling (which is seriously a miracle and I don't use that word lightly).
I wrote a song a few years ago called Addicted to You. Trich felt so much like an addiction and I wanted so bad to be rid of it, but I also had a hard time letting go. Its something only someone with Trich can understand.
Then, last year I wrote a song, Fearlessly, Honestly Me, about how I sometimes let these insecurities about myself diminish who I am, especially in social settings. This song was like a pep talk to myself. I really do love who I am and I want to be fearlessly, honestly me in every situation. I'm pretty darn great and I want people to see that, regardless of how much hair is on my head.
Wonderful Ride came out of reflecting on many aspects of my life. I feel like we all try so hard to make our lives fit an imaginary standard that the world sets up and life rarely works out that way. But through all of that, I'm very grateful that my life has turned out the way it has. The struggles have given me strength and a much stronger sense of self that I would not have had otherwise.
If you need more music recommendations or want to connect with me on social media, you can find me on Instagram @ ktleeitsme.


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CEMBUREAU release statement on Sandbag study
Published by Joseph Green, Editor
World Cement, Thursday, 17 March 2016 10:30
CEMBUREAU has released an official reaction to the Sandbag study on ETS and the cement sector:
"CEMBUREAU has taken note of the report published by Sandbag, focusing on cement and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETSii). In this regard, we partly share the views of Sandbag such as the need for innovation funding to stimulate breakthrough technologies, a closer alignment between allocation and production in the form of a dynamic allocation and a stronger recognition of the role of alternative fuel and raw material use in emission reductions, with the inclusion of a landfill ban on recoverable and recyclable raw materials."
"CEMBUREAU deplores, however, that despite interaction with the Association, the Sandbag report still contains a number of factual errors and wrong numbers but will be happy to engage with Sandbag on this point. The allegations that the ETS has incentivised overproduction are based on thin air and do not acknowledge the strides the cement sector has made through investments in the reduction of its CO2 emissions. The ever recurring mantra on overallocation ignores that the cement industry has always called for an allocation closer to production and will continue to do so. Moreover, the cement industry in Europe has been one of the hardest hit by the economic crisis with returns on capital below the cost of capital and suffering from a severe slowdown in the construction market."
"On some of the other substantive issues raised in the Sandbag report, CEMBUREAU is keen to point out that the cement industry has an established track record in reducing the clinker content of cement, whereby it constantly seeks to balance environmental benefits with care for the technical and durability performance requirements of our products, also taking into account the local availability of raw materials that can substitute clinker. The cement industry is further engaged in the research and development of novel cements but is indeed more realistic than Sandbag as to significant market uptake of these developments which needs to be factored in when designing climate change policies."
"CEMBUREAU also draws attention to the fact that cement is at the start of a supply chain that provides a durable, energy-efficient and low carbon product, concrete, that is essential for building the houses, schools, hospitals and infrastructure of tomorrow. Current concrete technology allows energy consumption in houses to be reduced by 75% and life cycle context thinking is essential to bring these benefits to the front stage."
"As to the ETS reform, CEMBUREAU disagrees with the concept of a tiered approach as suggested by Sandbag. As a cement sector, we have always called for a revision of the auctioning/free allowance shares so as to allow the best performers to receive full free allocation, in line with the European Council Conclusions of 23 October 2014. A tiered approach risks introducing unclear and unverifiable criteria to distinguish between sectors, and may therefore be discriminatory and open to legal challenge."
Adapted from press release by Joseph Green
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/17032016/cembureau-release-statement-714/
CEMBUREAU Quarterly Economic Report for 3Q15
CEMBUREAU has released its Quarterly Economic Report for 3Q15 indicating continued lows across Europe.
CEMBUREAU Quarterly Economic Report: Part four – Germany and Spain
CEMBUREAU reports on economic development in Europe for 2Q15.
Cembureau highlights key arguments for circular economy proposal
The European Cement Association has responded to the European Parliament's report on moving towards a circular economy.
CEMBUREAU elects new President
Daniel Gauthier was elected as President of CEMBUREAU for a two-year term.


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Rudolf Kühnel (25 February 1896 – 28 January 1950) was an Austrian racewalker. He competed in the men's 10 kilometres walk at the 1924 Summer Olympics.

References

External links

1896 births
1950 deaths
Athletes (track and field) at the 1924 Summer Olympics
Austrian male racewalkers
Olympic athletes of Austria
Place of birth missing

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Beyond the Réserve faunique La Vérendrye, an urban town surrounded by nature welcomes you. Val-d'Or is the logical link between the northern and southern parts of the province. Its position is all the more strategic since it is the main entrance to Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Its dynamic, hospitable and friendly population also has a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Val-d'Or pools every winning condition to ensure the success of your events.
Au-delà de la Réserve faunique La Vérendrye, une ville urbaine en pleine nature vous attend. Val-d'Or est le lien logique entre le nord et le sud de la province. Sa position est d'autant plus stratégique qu'elle est la porte d'entrée principale de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Avec une population dynamique, hospitalière et chaleureuse avec un fort esprit d'entreprise, Val-d'Or regroupe les conditions gagnantes pour le succès de vos événements.
Val-d'Or is the main crossroad between northern communities and southern Quebec. Relying on several municipal infrastructures remodelled recently, the town holds the assets that will ensure efficient coordination of your conferences, meetings and events. Either its fully equipped Congress center or its many rooms offered in the different hotels will surely fill your needs and meet your expectations. Many other rooms are also available for any type of event.
Val-d'Or is without a doubt the only place where you can play golf with your guests in the morning and end the day with a gourmet reception 300 feet underground! Indeed, in less time than it takes to change shoes, we will transport your guests from one of our golf courses to the underground auditorium at the Cité de l'Or, historical site of former Lamaque mine which led to the creation of our town. Your guests will be charmed by the uniqueness of this activity.
L'Office du tourisme et des congrès de Val-d'Or will be more than happy to help you prepare your activity. Contact us and we will assess your needs.
Where should you organise your event in Val-d'Or?
Start the day on a green and finish it underground. Val-d'Or is certainly the only place where you can play golf with your guests in the morning and finish off the day with a fine-food reception 300 feet underground!


INGED is proud to announce that there will be three Drama Festivals! One in Ankara and two in Izmir!
The 15th INGED Drama Festival was hosted by MEV Private Schools in Ankara on Saturday, 18 May 2013. Here are the results.
The 14 th INGED Drama Festival was hosted by the METU Development Foundation Schools on 27 May 2012. Here are the results.
The 12th INGED Drama Festival in Ankara was held on 29 May 2010 at Baskent University, Ayse Abla Elementary School. Here are the results and some photos.
The 11th INGED Drama Festival in Ankara was held on 31 May 2009 at ATEK Private Primary School. Here are the results!
The 10th INGED Drama Festival in Ankara was held on 25 May 2008 at the Ankara Maya Private Primary School. Click here for photos.
The 9th INGED Drama Festival in Ankara was held on 9 June 2007 at Private Yuce Schools.
The 15th INGED Istanbul Drama Festival was hosted by Marmara Schools in Istanbul on Thursday, 30 May 2013. Here are the results.
The 14th INGED Drama Festival in Istanbul was hosted by Marmara Schools on 27 April 2012. Here are the results.
The 12th INGED Istanbul Drama Festival was held on 2 April 2010 at Marmara Egitim Koyu. Here are the results and some photos.
The INGED Istanbul Drama Festival was held on 30 May 2008. Here are some photos.
Have you selected a play yet?


The good news is that there's a number of ways you can do this.
The easiest is if you are going to keep both drives in the system. In this case, you can leave the system stuff on the original drive and move some of the larger space users (typically /var and /home) to the new drive, and you're done.
But let's assume you have other plans for the old hard drive. Moving the files from the old drive to the new is straightforward. You can do this using 'cp -a -v', which preserves timestamps on files, FIFOs, and otherwise correctly handles other system files. The -v means verbose, so it'll give you some progress info as it copies.
If you are manually partitioning the new drive, make sure that your /boot partition is marked bootable.
Also, doublecheck that the partitions on the old drive are Linux type 83 (or swap, type 82). If they're some other type, a different approach may be needed.
Next, go ahead and copy over the data for each partition, using cp -av.
Now, one thing you'll need to doublecheck is the drive name. If the old drive and the new drive are either both IDE or both SCSI or both SATA, then you don't need to do this. However, if the old drive is IDE and the new one is SCSI or SATA (or vice versa), then you'll need to switch /dev/hda to /dev/sda in the file /etc/fstab.
Finally, you'll need to install grub onto the new harddrive. You can find information about this online. This may require some study and experimentation to get right.
To test the drive, what I would suggest is to unplug the old drive and try booting up the computer. If it doesn't boot, then reconnect the old drive, reboot, and troubleshoot.
Good luck, and report back if you get stuck.
Also, HDB for an "Archive" disk.
WinXp.... The Main concern is this Hog!
This is on an eighty Gig HD and will be replaced by a two hundred Gigger.
real estate like there is no end!
> The good news is that there's a number of ways you can do this.
> drive, and you're done.
> so it'll give you some progress info as it copies.
? Is the option -R not also required for the CP command?
> /boot partition is marked bootable.
> Next, go ahead and copy over the data for each partition, using cp -av.
> /dev/hda to /dev/sda in the file /etc/fstab.
Another easy one... Both are Seagate IDE.
> experimentation to get right.
> drive, reboot, and troubleshoot.
> Good luck, and report back if you get stuck.
Sounds good, and what I described should do the trick for the Linux partitions.
I'm not sure that cp -a would work properly on the Windows XP partition; I haven't done Windows in years. Could be worth a shot, but I bet you'd want to dd (or maybe cpio) that one.
Thank you for the input to my needs.
I have solved my problem by "Cloning" my 80 GB HD to a 200 GB HD using Acronis,Com's programs, "migrate Easy", to copy the partitions and "Disk Director" to do a resizing and and further cleanup.
I now have partitions of; 1 GB DR-DOS, ~ 150 GB WinXP, 40 GB of Linux and a Swap partition on the 200 GB drive and the 80 GB drive put away for insurance!
The mentioned programs are for windows. But, they are the best I have seen and certainly got my problem of exchanging drive sizes.


Performers include: Debra Messing, Judy Davis, Hart Bochner, Chris Diamantopoulos, David Alan Basche, Danielle Nicolet, Reggie Austin, Brielle Barbusca, Daniel Gerroll, James Black, Ronny Cox, Krista Allen, Suzanne Cryer, Bar Paly, James Urbaniak, Rhea Seehorn, Bonita Friedericy, David Shatraw, Jonathan Goldstein, James Sie, Howard Mann, and Vincent Ward.
Molly Kagan (Debra Messing) was just where she wanted to be in life. She and her Hollywood movie executive husband, Kenny (David Alan Basche), lived in a gorgeous mansion with their beautiful six-year-old daughter Jaden (Brielle Barbusca). The Kagans' luxurious lifestyle in Brentwood is what Hollywood scripts are made of.
But life for Molly suddenly became a nightmare when Kenny tells her that, after 10 years of marriage and just before their pre-nuptial agreement expires, he's leaving her for a 21-year-old pop star. Life as Molly Kagan knew it was over. When friends got wind of their breakup, Molly became a social outcast to almost all of them. Both her closest friend, recovering alcoholic Joan McCallister (Judy Davis), and gay decorator Rodney (Chris Diamantopoulou) make sure this starter wife re-starts her life.
Picking up where the mini-series left off, this drama finds Molly divorced, without a cushy settlement, her children's book selling poorly, and struggling to find her voice as a writer and a source of income. She takes a writing class and makes a connection with the instructor, Zach McNeal, a single father. She also becomes friends with Liz Marsh (Danielle Nicolet), a wife whose jealousy threatens her marriage to a major league baseball player.
Originally based on a novel by Gigi Levangie Grazer, this series details Molly's life post-divorce as she discovers those who truly love her for who she is instead of what she has.
BRING BACK "THE STARTER WIFE"!!!!!!!!!!
I also have been waiting to watch the next season as well, I did not realize that they had canceled the show. Bring it back!!
I have been watching and waiting for the next season of the Starter Wife, and there won't be one!!! You have got to be joking. There are so few things that I really enjoy on TV and there has got to be something we can do to bring it back!
I thought this show was spectacular; lots of heart and a down to earth look at personalities that everyone experiences in their everyday lives. Tremendous acting and wonderful comedy. Please come back to us!
I love this show. I can not wait for the next season and I just found out there will not be a next season! WTF now I won't know what is going on with all of the cast! I am so mad it's cancelled.


Use this tool to check a passport photo is suitable for upload onto the Online Passport Service.
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WE'RE GETTING TO KNOW OUR GANG OF MAKERS A LITTLE MORE BY SHARING YOUR STORIES AND GENERAL AWESOMENESS IN OUR MEET THE MAKER SERIES. FOR MAY, WE CHAT WITH LEAH HARAKAWA, SHE LIVES IN SAN FRAN AND SPENDS AS MUCH TIME OUTSIDE AS POSSIBLE. CHECK OUT HER INSTAGRAM HERE: @knit_slow.
I am originally from Brooklyn, NY, but am currently living in San Francisco, CA. I work as an analyst at a startup, and spend my time outside of work knitting, eating and being outside. Right now a lot of my energy is spent looking for ways to make my life more creative! Also, I am an INFJ and my love language is quality time.
What are three random facts about yourself that most people wouldn't know?
1. I'm in a long distance twin relationship! She and my other sister live across the country and I love to knit for them.
2. I'm an avid dog lover/enthusiast.I have never owned a dog, but I do have an impressive dog stuffed animal collection, and I like to think that counts for something!
3. Spam is one of my favorite foods. My mom's side of the family is from Hawaii and I look forward to trips there so I can eat spam musubis every day.
Who taught you how to knit?
How does knitting help you?
I love to make things. I never thought of myself as creative before I started to knit, but being able to make garments with my own two hands has been incredibly empowering. This is especially true as I improve as a knitter and change patterns to my own preferences and even start designing pieces myself.
Do you remember what your first finished knit was? If not, what project have you been most proud of?
The project I am most proud of is definitely my version of Cocoknit's Emma sweater using WATG Feeling Good Yarn in Hot Punk Pink. This was my first top down sweater which I had be wanting to do for a long time, but was definitely intimidated. I changed the shaping and added seed stitch to the bottom of the sweater. The sweater came out just how I envisioned it (although maybe a little bit large), especially considering I knit the whole thing while recovering from getting my wisdom teeth removed.
What's on your knitting wishlist?
TOO MANY THINGS! Now that we are changing seasons there are so many things I want to knit for summer. I am particularly excited about Pom Pom Quarterly's new summer issue and can't wait to make Deauville by Tina Tse using WATG Shiny Happy Cotton as well as literally everything else in there.
What's your favourite stitch and why?
I would like to think that I am more of an exciting person, but in general I tend to like simpler knits. Therefore I am typically always drawn to pieces that use Stockinette Stitch. But every so often I do love a good Bobble Stitch.
If you're not knitting, what are you doing instead?
If I am not knitting, that means I am either outside, sleeping but mostly eating. One of my favourite things about San Francisco is the easy access to the outdoors, whether that is hanging in the park playing croquet, walking on the beach or going on a hike. My favourite activity is to sit in the park and try to get dogs to come play with me! I would say I have a 5% success rate, so some room for improvement.
What's your top knitting tip?
If you are knitting on the go (airplanes, buses, back of a motorcycle etc) I love using circular needles instead of straight. I never worry about my stitches falling off my needles and they are shorter and easier to manoeuvre which means you don't have to worry about poking your neighbour.
What's your favourite place to knit?
Anywhere where I can get a hot cup of tea. So typically my couch, bed or one of the many cafes in SF.
What's your favourite WATG piece?
I'm so close to finishing the Rising Sun Cardigan in WATG Feeling Good Yarn, and I am in love! It has the feel of a classic cardigan, but with an interesting twist that makes it very unique. It is definitely a longer knit, but will be well worth it.
What's your favourite yarn to work with and why?
Cotton! I find cotton to be super soft and easy to work with. I believe there is nothing better than a hand knit cotton tank top (mostly because there is less sewing involved and no sleeves to knit ).


text:
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Nejat NewsLetter
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Home>The cult of Rajavi>Traumatic stories of torture in the MKO during the 1990s—Part two
Traumatic stories of torture in the MKO during the 1990s—Part two
Nejat Bloggers December 24, 2018
In the first part of theses series of articles, traumatic experience of Gholam Reza Shokri was covered as one of the numerous cases of human rights violations that has taken place in the Mujahedin Khalq Organization ( The MKO/ MEK/ PMOI/ Cult of Rajavi).
According to the Human Rights Watch report "No Exit", in the early 1990s, dissent was on the rise Camp Ashraf. Former MKO members interviewed for this report cite the following reasons for their decision to leave the organization: military failure of the MKO to dislodge the Iranian government during the July 1988 military operation, forced mass divorces instituted as part of the "ideological revolution" and their persecution and torture by the MKO operatives during "security clearances" in 1994-1995.
According to the HRW report, "human rights abuses carried out by MKO leaders against dissident members ranged from prolonged incommunicado and solitary confinement to beatings, verbal and psychological abuse, coerced confessions, threats of execution, and torture that in two cases led to death".
1994-1995 marks the most horrible stories of torture and human rights abuse in the MKO's Camp Ashraf, Iraq. Jamal Azimi (Known in the MKO as Majid Kaviani) wrote his tremendous memoirs of witnessing verbal and physical abuse in Camp Ashraf in 1994 (1373 Persian calendar).
Azimi is one of those reportedly 700 members of the MKO who were imprisoned and tortured in the project of "security clearance" during the 1994 to 1995. "The suppressive project was so huge that Rajavi could not launch it without preplanning; torturers and murderers should have been indoctrinated to operate Rajavi's scenario," Azimi writes.
He recalls that one of the female commandants named Sister Zarin called on all members to the eating place and spoke of the organization's decisions for some cross border operations. "Everyone was nervous looking at each other in wonder and anxiety," he writes.
The process of taking the rank and file to an unknown place was started the same night. "Assadollah Mosana came over and took one of the comrades," Azimi recalls. "Two people took his locker to the other place. The process went on. Every night one or two people were removed from our unit. The unit became almost empty."
Finally, it was his own turn. Assadollah called on Azimi and told him that Sister Zarin wanted to see him. In the new place he had to take map reading lessons. "The class was so boring. I had passed such courses several times… After some time the class was not as crowded as the first days. No one knew about the fate of the absentees."
Azimi had no idea that those members had been taken for interrogation and torture in groups until the night that Sister Mehri called on him and his friend (nicknamed Ali) and told them that they had to go to the internal unit. "Hadi picked us up in his jeep and took us to the Street No. 100 [of Camp Ashraf]. We were thrown in a room of an abandoned building. They treated us so harshly…nothing was normal… we trusted the leader and our commandants so much that we guessed that they wanted to examine our devotion to the group," Azimi recounts.
Finally Jamal was taken to the interrogation room where a superior member called Fazel started shouting at him: "You are a spy of the regime!".
This was the accusation for all those 700 people. Azimi was shocked because he had joined the MKO on his own will. He had devoted his whole life to the group's cause. "I could not believe that I was labeled as a spy after those many years of devotion to the Mujahedin," he writes.
Azimi and Ali were then transferred to jail. "At midnight we heard loud screams. Someone was being beaten by others." He recalls his memoir of the first night at the MKO prison. "It lasted for half an hour. We were listening to the sounds of scream and beating in fear and worry looking at each other. No one dared to speak. The screams ended. Ten minutes later, Mokhtar and Aadel [the two torturers that Jamal Azimi had seen as comrades before getting imprisoned] hurled a man in the cell and closed the door. He was unconscious. His nose and mouth were bleeding. His face was swollen and bruised."
Jamal Azimi suffered the most terrible conditions of food, sleep and health in the MKO prison together with his six co-prisoners. All night long they heard prisoners whining from other cells. The prison guards –their former friends—treated them so terribly that no one could dare to ask why such a treatment.
After a dozen of days, once more, with tied hands and closed eyes, they were transferred to a place in Camp Ashraf called Castle No. 200. They were settled in a big room that housed 20 people. "The room was very dirty, full of garbage, dust and human's stool. It smelled very bad," Jamal writes.
"In the entire days I spend in Rajavi's jail, I saw tortured people whose face was not recognizable because of too much beating," he says. "I couldn't believe my eyes. I could not realize such atrocities against my friends."
One of the tortured ones had been in the same unit that Azimi was. Azimi got close to him and asked him what the problem was. He was so terrified that he could not open up. Finally he said, "They wanted to force me to admit that I am the spy of regime but I did not admit such a false accusation."
"What did they beat you with?" Azimi asked the bleeding man. "With wooden sticks, cables and Brother Hekmat beat me with a sleeper," he replied.
This was a technic to intimidate other prisoners. Everyone in the cell was worried waiting for his turn to get tortured. Jamal Azimi was not tortured personally but he witnessed his comrade's pains and sufferings after they were physically tortured by the MKO authorities. "I think if the group had the possibilities, they would have involved all members in their "security clearance" project," Azimi suggests. "I do not know the exact number of members who were imprisoned and tortured in this project. After it was finished comrades would estimate different numbers, but most of them agreed on 700."
In his opinion, Security Clearance was Rajavi's tactic to silence any voice of dissent in the group. Rajavi seemed to be planning for an establishment in which no one would be allowed to express his/her criticism or opposition against the group's leadership and strategies.
Mazda Parsi
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Turning Ashraf to Terorrists Township
Media invited to witness MKO transfer from Camp Ashraf next Tuesday
Hassan Dai: Unrepentant Fraud
EU knows MKO is not democratic says Director of Human Rights
Nejat Society Letter to Iraqi Ambassador
© 2020, All Rights Reserved. NejatNGO.org


text:
Partners in Crime (Sócios no Crime, no Brasil / O Homem que Era o nº 16 ou Unidos pelo Crime, em Portugal) é um livro de Agatha Christie composto por quinze contos divididos em 23 capítulos, publicado em 1929. Todos os contos apareceram primeiramente em revistas, entre 1923 and 1928, principalmente na The Sketch.

Os protagonistas dos contos são os detetives amadores Tommy e Tuppence Beresford.

Sinopse
Tommy e Tuppence estão casados, e Albert se tornou empregado deles. Tommy tem trabalhado para o Serviço Secreto, mas executa apenas trabalho burocrático, enquanto Tuppence lida com a saudade dos tempos de aventura. O tédio chega ao fim com a visita do Sr. Carter, o chefe de Tommy, que os convoca para cuidar de um falso escritório de detetives, como iscas para ajudá-lo a solucionar um caso de espionagem. Assim, Tommy assume a identidade de Theodore Blunt, e Tuppence de sua secretária Srta. Robinson, enquanto esperam a chegada de um espião conhecido como "nº 16", comparsa do real Sr. Blunt, que foi preso por Carter.

Enquanto o nº 16 não aparece, Tommy, Tuppence e Albert, "Os Brilhantes Detetives de Blunt", fingem ser detetives reais e resolvem casos reais de assassinatos, desaparecimentos, roubos e falsificações. À medida que os casos surgem, Tommy decide aplicar seu conhecimento de literatura policial, adotando a persona e os métodos de detetives fictícios para solucioná-los, com a ajuda de Tuppence. O jovem casal correrá grandes perigos, mas sem perder o bom humor.

Contos que compõem a obra
A Fairy in the Flat (Uma Fada no Apartamento)
A Pot of Tea (Um Bule de Chá)
The Affair of the Pink Pearl (O Caso da Pérola Rosa)
The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger (A Aventura do Desconhecido Sinistro)
Finessing the King (Fazendo uma Finesse de Rei) - história dividida em duas partes
The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper (O Cavalheiro Vestido de Jornal) - história dividida em duas partes
The Case of the Missing Lady (O Caso da Dama Desaparecida)
Blindman's Buff (Cabra-cega)
The Man in the Mist (O Homem Coberto de Névoa)
The Crackler (O Estalador)
The Sunningdale Mystery (O Mistério de Sunningdale)
The House of Lurking Death (A Casa da Morte à Espreita)
The Unbreakable Alibi (O Álibi Perfeito)
The Clergyman's Daughter (A Filha do Clérigo) - história dividia em duas partes
The Red House (A Casa Vermelha) - história dividia em duas partes
The Ambassador's Boots (As Botas do Embaixador)
The Man Who Was No. 16 (O Homem que Era o Número 16)

Livros de 1923
Livros de Agatha Christie
Livros de contos
Romances policiais


text:
10 Nigerian celebrities who are Masters Degree holders (With Pictures)
By Petros D.	 On May 12, 2016
4. L.A.X
Born Damilola Afolabi, L.A.X was born in Lagos in 1993 and is the son of Taiwo Afolabi, the billionaire boss of Sifax Group which boasts a number of companies in diverse areas of the Nigerian economy. He attended the Turkish International School, Lagos.
Seyi Shay leaves many in speechless as she goes completely…
Actress Peace Onuoha Builds Her First House, Dedicates It To…
L.A.X holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Salford University, Manchester as well as a master's degree from same institution.
TY Bello pens down lovely birthday message to her self as she clocks 43
'He is Ageless' – Nkechi Blessing gushes over actor, Ramsey…
Mixed reactions as Iyabo Ojo shares photo of her late father
Every young person should emulate Simi and Adekunle's love – Lady advises
"I thought I would be happily married by now" – Actress Ibinabo Fiberesima says…
Nigerian billionaire, Bolu Akin-Olugbade dies of COVID-19
'I love you both & don't want to lose any of you' –…
See what 81 yr old Yakubu Gowon was caught doing with his wife in public (+Photo)
LADIES: 3 things you should NEVER give up in a relationship..


About: SSSD provides a set of daemons to manage access to remote directories and authentication mechanisms such as LDAP, Kerberos or FreeIPA. It provides also an NSS and PAM interface toward the system.
This page is just a small Fossies Dox inserted inofficial placeholder since within the "sssd" archive file no according appropriate Doxygen mainpage was found (so otherwise this page would be nearly empty).
Doxygen doesn't incorporate all member files but just a definable subset (basically the main project source code files that are written in a supported language). So to search and browse all member files you may visit the Fossies sssd-2.1.0.tar.gz contents page and use the Fossies standard member browsing feature (also with source code highlighting and additionally with optional code folding).


i bake for you :): Waffle on!
Working in a shopping centre is hard when you're trying to stop spending money.
Whisk eggs, add sugar. Whisk.
Add butter and flour. Whisk.
Brush a heated pan with some extra butter.
Apply one tablespoon of mixture.
Cook for 50secs on low-med heat on each side.
If they aren't completely crisp, bake them in an oven at 120-150C for 30mins or so until they are crisp.
They taste great! But they don't look as pretty because of the grid lines. But that doesn't matter, right? Haha. I'm gonna make some more for Lunar/Chinese New Years this year.


text:
Deaths in Tipperary - Sunday, May 5, 2019
The late Bridget Mullins
The death has occurred of Bridget Mullins, Bianconi Drive and River Street, Clonmel, 4th May 2019, peacefully at South Tipperary General Hospital. Deeply regretted by her loving daughter Jacinta, sons Paul, Seamus, Desmond and Vincent, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, daughters-in-law, son-in-law, sisters-in-law Teresa Hanrahan and Biddy McGrath, nephews, nieces, relatives and her many friends. Reposing at O'Donoghue's Funeral Home on Monday evening from 5pm with removal at 6.30pm to St Oliver's Church. Requiem Mass on Tuesday at 11.30am followed by burial in St. Patrick's Cemetery.
The late Joseph (Joe) O'Sullivan
The death has occurred of Joseph (Joe) O'Sullivan, Bank Place, Tipperary Town, 4th May 2019. peacefully in the tender care of all at Deerpark Nursing Home. Joseph (Joe) - Pre-deceased by his daughter Catherine, deeply regretted by his loving wife Maureen, son Stephen, daughters Marie & Christine, sons-in-law John, Shane & Bill, daughter-in-law Deirdre, grand-children Shane, Emma, Rosemary, Alison & Ava, great grandchildren Shannon, Andrea & Helen, extended family, relatives, neighbours and a wide circle of friends. Reposing at Fogarty's Funeral Home, Bank Place, Tipperary Town Monday (May 6th) from 6.00pm; removal at 7.30pm to St. Michael's Church, Tipperary Town. Funeral Mass Tuesday at 10.30am. Burial immediately afterwards in St. Michael's Cemetery, Tipperary.
The late Rev Fr. William (Willie) Cusack
The death has occurred of Rev. Fr. William (Willie) Cusack, Society of African Missions (late of Carrick-on-Suir and Dublin) - On 4th May 2019, peacefully, at the Society of African Missions, Blackrock Road, Cork; Rev. Fr. William (Willie), predeceased by his parents Richard and Mary Cusack, and by his sister Gemma and brothers Frank and Eamon. Much loved brother of Nuala O'Hagan, Esther O'Hara and Richard. Deeply regretted by his sisters, brother, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, relatives, friends, SMA Confreres and the peoples of Nigeria and Zambia. Removal on Sunday evening at 7pm from the Society of African Missions, Blackrock Road to St. Joseph's SMA Parish Church, Wilton. Requiem Mass at 12 noon on Monday followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.
The death has occurred of Thomas Hickey, Logg Dolla, Nenagh. Peacefully at home. Deeply regretted by his loving wife Theresa and cherished family William, Mary, Paula, Hilary and Fiona, sister Sr. Maureen Hickey (Osf), brother in law Dinny, nephews Liam, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, cousins, relatives, neighbours and friends.Reposing at Ryan's Funeral Home, Nenagh this Sunday from 4 o'c to 6.30 o'c. Remains arriving to Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Silvermines on Monday for Requiem Mass at 11 o'c followed by burial in Dolla Graveyard. Family flowers only. House private please.


Natures Elements Maitake Mushroom tablets contain 30% polysaccharides and uses only the highest quality fruitingbody parts of the mushroom which are rich in complex polysaccharides; including the heavy and complex 1,3; 1,4; and 1,6 beta-d-glucans.
Maitake Mushrooms Have Been Consumed For Over 3000 Years!
Maitake Mushrooms are known in Japan as "the dancing mushroom" and have a long history of traditional use. Maitake is also known as the "hen of the woods," "sheep's head" and "king of mushrooms" due to the fact that they can grow to more than 100 lbs. Maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) is made up of polysaccharides called beta-glucans, which have shown to be very effective in stimulating the immune system. A polysaccharide is a complex carbohydrate containing small sugar molecules which balance blood sugar, blood pressure, and can effect free radicals. Maitake is one of the most encouraging medicinal mushrooms studied around the world and is known for supporting normal cell growth. Maitake is one of the healthiest foods around and is rich in minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium. Some vitamins found in Maitake are Niacin, B2, D2 and amino acids. Maitake also contains L-glutamate which provides a pleasant flavor and taste.
Try with some vitamin C. Research shows that vitamin C increases the absorption of polysaccharides in the body. Try taking with orange juice or add vitamin C to your maitake routine!
One way you can gauge the potency of your Maitake Mushroom is by finding out if it is an Extract. Extracts can be 10, 20 or even 100 times the concentration of a powder. For Example If you compared a Maitake Mushroom powder tablet to a Maitake Mushroom 10:1 extract tablet you would find it would take ten tablets of the powder to equal one tablet of 10:1 extract. Which one do you think offers the best results? The irony is that powders are often marked up very high, and while extracts cost vitamin companies much more it might not cost you more. Here's one way to look at it. We know that ten powder tablets equal one 10:1 extract tablet. Lets say the extract version costs 3 times more; however you get close to 7 times more Maitake so the value clearly lies with the extract!
How Long Should I Take Maitake Mushroom?
Maitake Mushroom is taken daily with one small easy to swallow tablet. Each bottle of Maitake Extract Tablets contain a 1-month supply. Although Maitake Extract may work quicker from one individual to the next, we recommend you use it on a daily basis for the recommended period of time. After consistent use for at least 3 months, you should begin to see and feel results. You may achieve continued results the longer you are on the product. Be sure to order an ample supply. Natural medicine is designed to create a holistic balance within the body and can take time to propagate through your system. Be patient stick with it...you'll be glad you did!
You can choose monthly or bi-monthly auto-ship by choosing Auto-Ship from the drop down menu above and choosing your shipment interval. In your first shipment you will receive a letter that states your next auto-ship date. After your receive 3 bottles you can do nothing and continue receiving regular shipments or you can cancel by calling us at 1-877-223-2626 or emailing at info@natureselements.net. There is no fee for canceling.
Should not be used during a severe illness such as cold and/or flu, or during an infection. Those with Spleen deficiency and/or those who commonly experience loose stools, diarrhea, poor appetite or chronic digestive weakness should use with caution. Anyone with illness, liver/ kidney problems, frequent use of alcohol or taking any medications as well as pregnant or lactating women should consult your doctor before use. Discontinue use and consult your doctor if any adverse reactions occur. Not intended for use by persons under the age of 18. Keep out of reach of children.
The products and the claims made about specific products on or through this site have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.
Great service fast delivery. Very satisfied.


As an employment benefit, leave provides a means for employees to take approved time off from work for various reasons. Leave packages may vary slightly depending on your employee classification. If you have questions about your leave benefits, contact VCU Human Resources Leave Administration office. See also paydays and holidays.


text:
HISS Drivers
4a Intellect
4d *
* HISS Drivers using the Arctic HISS are often trained in survival techniques, which gives them a 'c' code in this ability score.
Unlike most of the other minions utilized in 1983 by the Cobra Command, the HISS drivers were exceptionally effective operatives, highly skilled in the use of their assigned weapon. They aren't as numerous as their infantry counterparts, of course, but they nonetheless make up an important part of the Cobra army, since they control the heavy hardware on missions.
Helmet (s): all Cobra HISS drivers wear a helmet to increase relative safety on the field, and to protect from the ever-deadly head shot. Made from strength 9 metals, this helmet offers its wearer intensity 8 (+2) protection from any non-frontal head attacks. This may not be enough to deflect all damage in a given instance, but it nonetheless helps to save lives.
HISS Tank (i): their claim to fame, every HISS driver is assigned to his very own High Speed Sentry. This curious vehicle is essentially a tank, though it is built with irregular tank treads and a larger vertical profile than its horizontal one. Nonetheless, this vehicle is highly deadly in combat situations, and is easily a match for the GI Joe MOBAT. See its entry for more information.
Kevlar Vest (s): all HISS drivers' uniforms come equipped with a bullet proof vest, one that prominenty displays the Cobra sigil in the middle. It offers the wearer intensity 12 (or +3) protection from assault, whether it be physical or energy based (in other words, it's the same versus either bullets, baseball bats, flame throwers, or laser beams). It is important to note, however, that this protection only covers a HISS driver's torso.
Pistol (a): in the event that one's HISS tank is disabled, its driver always has a spare firearm handy, stored somewhere on their person for quick access. These guns can be used to fire a single shot which inflicts damage per a +4 weapon, or a short burst which drains the entire magazine, but inflicts damage per a +5 weapon. The magazine can presumably hold 8 rounds before it needs to be reloaded.
Boxing (s): all HISS drivers are trained in at least one form of unarmed combat once they hook up with the group, if they don't already have one under their belt. Regardless of the specific fighting form, it allows all HISS drivers to divide their pre-card play action score between two unarmed melee attacks, the last of which will occur as a contingent action - handy, no?
Guns (a): a given prerequisite, all Cobra operatives must have the ability to use a gun in combat; if they don't have it upon joining Cobra, they are trained - and quickly. Any HISS driver can use a regular, semi-automatic, or fully automatic gun or rifle with proficiency, doing so at one difficulty level lower than is usually required.
Military (w): a quasi-military organization, Cobra encourages an easily recognizable (to those within, at least) command structure. As such, those not bringing experience in such matters tend to pick it up quickly, to rise through the ranks; those who don't never get this far. This skill allows HISS drivers to make actions based on a working knowledge of military dogma at a reduced difficulty level.
Piloting (a): curiously, all HISS drivers are also cross-trained in the proper operation of the F.A.N.G. helicopter, and as such, each and every one of them knows the basics of flying an aircraft, whether it be a helicopter or airplane. They can make aerial maneuvers with such vehicles at one difficulty level lower than is normally required, no matter how impossible they may seem.
Repair / Tinkering (a): since they are supposed to be experts concerning their own vehicles, all HISS drivers are given extensive training in the maintenance and repair of their assigned weapon, a skill that they can apply to most any other device. After all, if you can repair a broken tank tread out in the field, you can pretty much fix any mechanical equipment.
Vehicular Combat (a): well trained in this aspect of warfare, all HISS drivers are given a several month long course in how to most effectively fight vehicle to vehicle, or to use their vehicle to advantage against infantry troops. This skill allows a HISS driver to attempt combat actions while operating a vehicle at a reduced difficulty, and they can use Agility instead of Intellect to determine their action declaration order.
Various Callings: the vast, vast majority of Cobra operatives have joined up for their own, evil purposes, so choose a villainous calling and go with it! Nominally, HISS drivers are motivated by Greed or aspirations of World Domination, but anything else can really apply. For instance, Storm Shadow hooked up with Cobra to gain Vengeance, and so on and so forth.
All HISS drivers theoretically have the entire organization of Cobra as their contact, in that they are members of the group and supposedly have the same goals. However, if it is more convenient to let a HISS driver get captured or otherwise take a fall, the Cobra Command is more than happy to let this happen. All this despite the fact that they are highly efficient and dependable operatives.
The uniforms of the HISS tank drivers are very different from those worn by standard Cobra operatives. Essentially, it consists of primarily red trousers, a red belt, a red, long-sleeved shirt, and a red helmet. This was coupled with black, thigh high leather boots, black wrist braces, a black mask over their faces, a silver visor, and a blue Kevlar vest with a silver Cobra sigil painted on its center.
Those recruits chosen to be HISS drivers are those who show unswerving dedication to Cobra's cause, have exceptional physical and mental ability, and are seemingly destined to be more than mere cannon fodder. Instead of going through the espionage training that ordinary officers experience, these operatives receive extensive vehicular combat and maintenance training - and it shows!
The second HISS Driver uniforms are very close in composition to their original. Essentially, it consists of primarily red trousers, a red belt, a red, long-sleeved shirt, and a red helmet. This was coupled with black, thigh high leather boots, black wrist braces, a black mask over their faces, a silver visor, and a silvered Kevlar vest with a red Cobra sigil painted on its center.
Arctic HISS (i): their claim to fame, every HISS driver is assigned his or her very own High Speed Sentry. This curious vehicle is essentially a tank, though it is built with irregular tank treads and a larger vertical profile than its horizontal one. The Arctic HISS in particular is especially outfitted to function under Arctic or Antarctic conditions, and is expanded upon in its own vehicular entry.
M16A3 Machine Gun (a): in addition to their usual sidearm, HISS Drivers operating the Arctic variation on their classic ride make use of a machine gun in the execution of their various duties. These are select-fire rifles, inflicting their Agility +4 damage with a single shot, their Agility +5 damage in semi-automatic fire, or their Agility +6 damage when fired fully automatic.
Survival Gear (s): Drivers working in cold weather climates as operators of the Arctic HISS are typically equipped with cold weather survival gear on top of their firearms and the actual Arctic HISS itself. This heavy duty apparel provides them intensity 8 (+2) resistance to cold damage, which comes in handy when your ride throws a track and it's twenty degrees below zero.
Survival (w): HISS Drivers plying their trade in the Arctic are often given survival training from the Snow Serpents, who also provide their cold weather gear - and they don't mind, because HISS Drivers make for great distractions while the Serpents going about their business. A HISS Driver who has received this training can normally scrounge up enough food, water, and shelter to persist in the Arctic indefinitely.
The third HISS Driver uniforms are far cry from their original - but then, they were altered for use under cold weather conditions. It consists of a padded, fur-lined, white and gray camouflage patterned coat, a similarly padded and hued pair of trousers, black leather, fur-lined boots, black belts and web gear, an off-white helmet, a blue mask over their faces, and a bronze visor.
Gonfalon (s): often the figurative standard-bearers of Cobra's military action, HISS Drivers making use of the Mark 5 take this function quite literally. Carrying this long pole with Cobra adornments attached at the top, HISS Drivers readily lead the rest of the organization into battle - or can bludgeon pesky Joes in the head with this m.s. 13 blunt implement.
HISS Tank, Mark 5 (i): their claim to fame, every HISS driver is assigned his or her very own High Speed Sentry. This curious vehicle is essentially a tank, though it is built with irregular tank treads and a larger vertical profile than its horizontal one. The Mark 5 is similar to the Mark 4 in that its driver area and weapons can elevate to acheive fire superiority, and is described in its own vehicular entry.
The fourth uniforms of the HISS tank drivers are somewhat similar to their first in appearance. Essentially, it consists of primarily maroon trousers, navy blue belts and web gear, a maroon, long-sleeved shirt, and a maroon helmet. This was coupled with black, thigh high leather boots, black gloves, a black mask over their faces, a silver visor, and a blue Kevlar vest with a silver Cobra sigil painted on its center.
HISS Attack Scout (i): their claim to fame, every HISS driver is assigned his or her very own High Speed Sentry. This curious vehicle is essentially a tank, though it is built with irregular tank treads and a larger vertical profile than its horizontal one. The HISS Attack Scout is a pared down version of the general HISS style of vehicle, namely for scouting missions, and is described in its own vehicle entry.
Save for its coloration, the fifth HISS Driver uniforms are the same as to their originals. Essentially, it consists of black trousers, a black belt, a black, long-sleeved shirt, and a black helmet. This was coupled with black, thigh high leather boots, black wrist braces, a black mask over their faces, a black visor, and a black Kevlar vest with a silver Cobra sigil painted on its center.
HISS Rail Sentry (i): their claim to fame, every HISS driver is assigned his or her very own High Speed Sentry. This curious vehicle is essentially a tank, though it is built with irregular tank treads and a larger vertical profile than its horizontal one. The HISS Rail Sentry is quite like the original, save for the advanced rail guns mounted on its turret, and is expanded upon in its own vehicle description.
Machine Gun (a): in addition to their usual sidearm, HISS Drivers operating the neon variation on their classic ride make use of a machine gun in the execution of their various duties. These are select-fire rifles, inflicting their Agility +4 damage with a single shot, their Agility +5 damage in semi-automatic fire, or their Agility +6 damage when fired fully automatic.
The sixth HISS tank driver uniform is similar in composition to their fourth, if not in coloration. Essentially, it consists of orange trousers, silvered belts and web gear, an orange, long-sleeved shirt, and an orange helmet. This is coupled with black, thigh high leather boots, black gloves, a black mask over their faces, a silver visor, and a silver Kevlar vest with a gold Cobra sigil painted on its center.
HISS Drivers Saga System 13 Text File Download
Cobra directories featuring a version of the HISS Driver:


Best Dog Boarders in Fredericksburg, VA | Wag!
Located south of Washington, D.C. on the shore of the Rappahannock River, Fredericksburg, Virginia is known for a charming historic area, battlefields of the Civil War and home of George Washington's mother.
The Old Dominion Humane Society rescues dogs from across Virginia and other states from kill shelters. This non-profit organization offers bi-weekly adoption Sundays, making ap-paw-tunities for pets to find fur-ever homes. They rely on a foster dog program in which they match the dogs to the owner's lifestyle. The organization provides a crate, medical care, and food. In return, the dog has a safe home, receives socialization in a home environment, and is still available for adoption.
Committed to making bonds that last, the adoption process includes time for family and future Fido to have a meet-and-greet and become acquainted. All of the dogs are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, heartworm tested, and microchipped for a fresh start with the new family. Adoptions are held on Saturday afternoons.
Volunteers are critical to the success of this organization. They mobilize for days like Cha-Cha Chihuahua Sunday in which they received chihuahuas in need of immediate care and placement. Volunteers are regularly needed for dog walking of the animals being held at the shelter. Volunteers help at the adoption events. They also take the dogs in their own cars to veterinarian visits. Donations of money are needed as well, but they post the exact articles they need on their website if you'd like to give that way instead.
The Fredericksburg Fair has been a tradition since 1629 but it has gone to the dogs since 2012 when it became the Fredericksburg Dog Fair & Masquerade Dog Parade! It's a "fetching affair" with games, races, a canine casino, ask a vet, demonstrations, a dog show, lure coursing, live bands, food, and a beer garden. The parade is not to be topped - this parade is "top dog" as they are going for the world record of having the most costumed canines in a parade!
The Potomac Point Vineyard and Winery is located along the "Grapes and Grains Trail" and welcomes dogs to its establishment. Areas that are allowed by law include the grounds, courtyard, and on the patio – simply not inside any of their buildings. The beautiful rolling hills of the grounds are on a parcel of the 1040 historic farm called Richland. They sponsor a number of charitable events for the community including food banks, cancer walks and The Children's Miracle Network! You and your dog will a-pup-ciate the ambiance of this special vineyard.
History hounds will enjoy the charm of historic downtown Frederikcsburgs Hurkamp "Bark" as the site of the Fredericksburg Farmer's Market! The roads are blocked off on Saturdays so patrons can stroll the market, taking in the craft vendors and community events. It's a tail-wagging treat to explore the local antique shops and boutiques that often welcome dogs while owners browse their wares. Water bowls are available throughout the town. Most restaurants will also offer outdoor seating, making it possible to dine with your dog!
It's time for frisky romping at the Duff Dog Park! This fenced park has 3 fenced areas for off-leash play - an area for small dogs, large dogs, and 5 acres of space for all dogs. The play areas are shaded, which is a real treat in the summer when pooches are running and playing fetch! There are agility toys, water, and bag dispensaries. Frisbee anyone? An added treat is a tail-wagging walk along the adjoining Rappahannock River that borders the park.
In 1698, a Dog Mart was formed between the Pamunkey Indians and the settlers to promote trade. The settlers need the produce and fur for English hunting dogs. The event continued until the Revolutionary War. It was reinstated in 1926 to coincide with the hunting season. The event was again suspended during World War II and revitalized again in the 1970s. The Dog Mart has vendors, demonstrations, and activities that are all about dogs! It's a day to celebrate the place that our smart, canine companions have had in making fur-ends across cultures and time!