Created for this seemingly never-ending war, even if some would prefer to forget. The last 2016 September-December thread had 1,196 posts and 39.7k views.
.@SenJohnMcCain speaking in #Mariupol about #Ukraine-#Russia war: "We will send the invaders back to where they came from"
"I am here to argue for a dialogue that merges our futures," said Kissinger in Moscow in February 2016.
17 within the annual "Christmas Ceasefire"
Interestingly, we have slightly differing numbers.
While Poroshenko said 211 KIA, you have 217 and I 225.
Numbers source - ATO HQ reports, including only Ukrainian army regular soldiers, 1 attack could be "Half day non-stop fighting"
Amasingly rare, high standard of journalism.
Russia invades a eastern Ukraine town; sends in Putin's "LPR"/"DPR" terrorists. Ukraine liberates a town; sends in civilian police with only pistols and a smile and a 1-800 local number to call with local problems.
Aeroflot just begs to get into @EU sanctions by opening daily plane route from #Sochi to #Crimea.
Russian troops attacked UAF position 32 times yesterday.
Collating 2016 #OSCE data. Why are Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations trucks crossing border? Carrying bodies?
...Numbers source - ATO HQ reports, including only Ukrainian army regular soldiers, 1 attack could be "Half day non-stop fighting"
Thanks for these and Happy New Year.
I don't find him particularly compelling. Research into nuclear weapons policy indicates that American and Russian/Soviet nuclear doctrine was and is almost wholly dependent upon their conventional power relative to one another.
Even when Kennedy's administration turned away from Eisenhower's New Look/First Offset/Massive Retaliation doctrine, not much changed operationally until the Nixon era, because it took decades (at least 20 years) for the United States to develop a credible Flexible Response.
Only during the late 1970s did it become apparent that technological advancement could allow US conventional forces to "fight outnumbered and win" against quantitatively superior Warsaw Pact, Chinese and North Korean forces.
Despite Reagan's confrontational rhetoric, he was the first US president not dependent upon nuclear weapons when it came to the Soviets.
Look at the nuclear saber-rattling done by Eisenhower (to end the Korean War), Kennedy (to end the Cuban Missile Crisis), Nixon (to deter Soviet forces from entering the Yom Kippur War and to pressure the Soviet Union and China to stop aiding North Vietnam) and Ford (to signal displeasure to North Korea).
Putin's nuclear saber-rattling coincides completely with: (a) official acceptance of the Russian military's weaknesses, and (b) a sense that the West is expanding and needs to be contained.
Irrespective of one's moral views regarding the United States and the Soviet Union/Russia, the fact is that both saber-rattled when they felt on the defensive and unable to challenge the other.
Removed from the context of the Soviet Union being a genocidal and aggressive power, Eisenhower's deployment of nuclear weapons was not only provocative but bordering on lunacy.
Galeotti noted that no Russian general believes that "nuclear de-escalation" is even feasible. It's all part of Putin's show; his brinkmanship that mimics what US presidents did in the 1950s-1970s. Unfortunately, Mlechin serves as an unwitting mouthpiece to convince the West that Putin is a "madman" and therefore cannot be confronted anywhere lest he set off the bomb.
Nixon did nothing but pass information to the Soviets in the form of sat photos...the nuclear threat came directly from the Israeli side...and then vice versa later in Yom Kippur.
This was the IDF calling up their strategic reserves scattered around the world to come home and merge with the IDF...and a number of US Army tank officers suddenly left their US units in Germany......took emergency leave and departed Europe to fight in the IDF tank units.
Confirmed. End of story. Wait for the leak.
Rumour has it #Ukraine hackers have got hold of #Russian army satellite intel database of their presence in Ukraine.
Bloody Ukrainian "hacktivists" who seem to refuse to surrender. That's very unpleasant.
Le Pen's office reacts to possible ban on entry to Ukraine for her comments that the Russian actions in Crimea were legal.
Russia's #RVSN #РВСН added 2,000 contract soldiers in 2016; now has 18,000 contractees in its ranks.
UCA hackers got data on payments to these soldiers. - Russian Ministry of Defense financing terrorism. Not "soldiers on their own"
World renowned @InformNapalm completely obliterates @CrowdStrike Android malware report by fact-checking. Serious credibility concerns.
I am referring specifically to Nixon's decision to go to DEFCON 3, which was about deterring the Soviets from intervening. I am aware that Israel threatened to use nuclear weapons against the Egyptians and Syrians in order to obtain US aid.
I understood that Israel was serious about using nuclear weapons given Dayan's initial shock, and that the satellite reconnaissance only confirmed what Tel Aviv had communicated verbally to Washington.
This was the IDF calling up their strategic reserves scattered around the world to come home and merge with the IDF...and a number of US Army tank officers suddenly left their US units in Germany…took emergency leave and departed Europe to fight in the IDF tank units.
This is a very fun fact. Thanks for this.
Did it materially help the IDF?
Вата losses in 2016 in #Avdiivka promzone was 200 KIA in 100th brigade & 11th regiment of DNR.
Malofeev, #Russian orthodox billionaire, in 2014, bankrolled #Crimea annexation & Eastern #Ukraine campaign.
Sen Sessions (Miller) in 2009-10 built a pro-VVP, racialist, anti-liberal network. Trump contacted in 2011. Malofeev probed faith groups.
Russia is setting up two new divisional #artillery brigades in Southern MD this year. Fully SPG equipped.
How @rianru covers a poll saying Americans fear WWIII, versus how @RT_russian covers the same poll.
2014 #Dmytrivka @askai707 RU artillerymen of 18th motorized-rifle brig.
If so, then why did the Russians rely upon one Spetsnaz brigade to secure Crimea in early 2014, out of 25,000 Russian soldiers in Crimea? Why did it take 40,000 Russian soldiers massed on Ukraine's eastern borders only generate 9,000 men in Battalion Tactical Groups in Donbas? Why are Russian soldiers from the Donbas being sent to Syria?
If you have been following the Ukrainian thread since Crimea....the initial Russia invasion of Donbass was well on the other side of 15,000 troops all taken from their professional contract side of the house...some estimates placed the number closer to 17,000.
Dutch proRussian blogger Spekkers, who was at Donbas illegally. Detained at Schiphol airport with possible human remains ...they were going to try to discredit the Dutch MH17 investigation.....the question remains on just how they were able to get human remains of the passengers????
Russian state propaganda mock Baltic states on getting status of Northern Europe by asking will living standard raise or just taxes.
Russian propaganda screams Ukraine pushing civilians to the front as human shields.
I gather that he was referring specifically to regular professional contract soldiers operating in BTGs, rather than the horde of Russian and local mercenaries of varying skills leavened with SF and intelligence operators (e.g. advisors and trainers).
Overall, I would expect that Russian regulars, irregulars and mercenaries combined total some 15,000 to 17,000, or ~38% of the total insurgent fighting strength.
I also agree that the insurgents are incapable of mounting a successful major offensive (e.g. capturing Mariupol or Kharkiv) without direct and obvious Russian intervention, particularly with airpower and artillery support. Yet the insurgents seem more than capable of blunting a Ukrainian offensive until clandestine Russian reinforcements arrive to shore up the front.
It's just about a short power outage. Someone might be using Ukraine as a testbed to attack other nations.
The power outage in Ukraine last month has now been confirmed as a cyberattack.
After a brief lull, battle continues now at Promka, #Avdiivka.
Once again we are witnessing an alarming escalation in fighting in Ukraine. Is Russia preparing a new offensive?
… they deny mistake, pilots were experienced.
Tu154 crash has made different siloviki clans on war footing by accusing via scapegoats each other in the accident.
Russian Komsomolska Pravda: Sochi Tu-154 could be destroyed cause of "damage inside luggage compartment"
There was a single solitary lone by itself comment that alluded to the fact that a lot of Russian hybrid warfare experience was destroyed with the crash....SO who was exactly on the plane when it went do that is not being reflected on the passenger list....???
Pic:Same area,same party,2 years earlier.
The only thing,the @OSCE_SMM can do is to "monitor" this.
An @OSCE_SMM UAV filmed five Russian-supplied (my info) 2S1 Gvozdika, firing 31 122 mm rounds at #Svitlodarsk salient.
More Russian soldiers during the 2014 offensive inside eastern #Ukraine.
Three MIA Ukrainian servicemen found killed. Bodies kept by militants.
Russian Yuriy Krupnov - #Russia more likely will use nukes against @NATO persistent threats. Russians can't constantly live on their knees.
ATO: Y/day 78 attacks on Ukr pos., w all types of guns from small arms to heavy. Kalinovo-Popasna and Novozvanivka hit by 152-mm artillery.
Russian MoD have coined medals for their covert military deployment in UKR "Participant of humanitarian convoy 2014"
THINK Trump and his staff especially his natsec advisor former General Flynn realize this small fact?????
Russia's 76th Air Assault Division base in Pskov 20km from Estonia houses over 10,000 troops.
Fascinating to track how the #fakenews story about 3,000 extra tanks spread online.
At the beginning of 2017 we were able to identify more than 850 Russian military and mercenaries (citizens of the Russian Federation) fighting in Donbas.
Russian army 136th Motorized Rifle Brigade T-90A tank crew member who got killed in #Luhansk in 2014.
1 Ukrainian soldier reported KIA, 3 WIA.
Russia also shells residential areas in 60 attacks over the last day.
Pro-)#Russian forces attacked an Ukrainian army position near Novoaleksandrovka wit an ATGM causing 1 KIA & 1 WIA among Ukrainians.
52 Ukrainian soldiers got killed or injured during the first half of January 2017.
Oops. Moldova new president, whose campaign was warmly supported by Kremlin as he said Crimea is Russian, now says it's Ukrainian. Oops.
Training tempo of the Russian army is intensifying every year. snap exercises bigger, faster, harder.
In Dec., #OSCE Observer Mission reported high # of ambulances & funerary vehicles, incl. w/ signage that Russian mil casualties on-board.
Moscow continues to arm, train, and fight alongside separatists in eastern Ukraine.
"Priests from #SaintPetersburg" in occupied eastern #Ukraine to "pray for the men of the LNR"
Volunteers: New UAF positions are at just 5km from #Debaltsevo now.
Kremlin operative Vladislav Surkov fired chief of staff Aleksandr Pavlov over #SurkovLeaks, reports @Vedomosti.
Scoop: Kremlin official linked to emails on destroying Ukraine resigns, saying he's tired after 3 years of work.
If you don't follow @nolanwpeterson you should. He keeps the war in #Ukraine from being forgotten.
19 violations of the ceasefire over the past 24 hours.
NOW former Russia troops can no longer trust their own government AND those now fighting in eastern Ukraine...will they be forced to pa back as well????
Yesterday, Russia's MoD Shoigu inspected the #Kadamovskiy training ground where the new 150th division is deployed, 40 km from #Ukraine.
Today is 2nd anniversary of the end of battle of #Donetsk Airport. It was twice as long as battle of Stalingrad.
60 soldiers, 3 BMP-1, and 2 MT-LB.
In this article LNR/DNR Kremlin puppets want Ukraine to sign new deal with Russia, want to attack Kyiv.
We knew this was coming. Putin wants to reinstall Yanukovych during Trump term.
All you need to know about Russian Information Warfare from a @NATO point of view.
The battlefields in Eastern Ukraine represent part of a new era of warfare, or so we are regularly told. Analysts, pundits, and military leaders point to cyber warfare, hybrid warfare, and the gray zone. But look away from these shiny new concepts for a moment, and it becomes clear the Russian–Ukrainian war's conventional character is far from new. In fact, it looks a lot like the last century's World Wars. While the new aspects of this war have generated discussion within the defense industry as to the evolving character of war, an acknowledgement of the conflict's conventional character is largely missing from the discourse.
To be sure, Russia's actions in Ukraine have revealed several innovations, most notably the employment of the semi-autonomous battalion tactical group, and a reconnaissance-strike model that tightly couples drones to strike assets, hastening the speed at which overwhelming firepower is available to support tactical commanders. However, even these innovations are being used within a form of warfare that looks strikingly like that of a century ago.
The July 11, 2014 strike at Zelenopillya is perhaps the most noticeable example to emerge from the war of the combined effects of tactical drones with the battalion tactical group—a task-organized force designed to achieve tactical overmatch against opponents—and its organic fires capabilities. The attack was a preemptive undertaking against Ukrainian brigades, postured in assembly areas, which were preparing to conduct offensive action against Russian and partisan forces. The buzzing of tactical drones and cyber-attacks targeting Ukrainian communications preceded the strike. An onslaught of rockets and artillery fell on the Ukrainian position shortly after the drones arrived, leaving thirty Ukrainian soldiers dead, hundreds more wounded, and over two battalions' worth of combat vehicles destroyed. This strike created anxiety within the US Army, specifically in relation to the sophistication of Russian cyber capabilities and the effectiveness of the new Russian reconnaissance-strike model. This strike also highlights the disparity in artillery and rocket munitions between Russia and the US Army. Russia still possesses and employs a variety of munitions, to include dual-purpose improved conventional munitions and thermobaric munitions, that the US Army elected to eliminate from its arsenal.
The Battle of Ilovaisk followed on the heels of the strike at Zelenopillya. Ilovaisk, a city on a critical highway linking the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) with Russia, was held by DPR partisans and Russian forces. In early August 2014, Ukrainian forces fed approximately eight battalions into the city, attempting to dislodge Russian and partisan forces from Ilovaisk. Their effort achieved moderate success—enough so that by the end of August, Russia dispatched multiple battalion tactical groups from its Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don to regain control of the situation. These Russian forces encircled the town, isolating the Ukrainian forces at Ilovaisk, and began to lay siege to the city. Many Ukrainian soldiers reported hearing the distinctive buzz of Russian drones prior to the deluge of rocket and artillery fire—an indicator of Russia's emerging tactic of using drones, linked directly to battalion tactical groups, to facilitate indirect fire. Ukrainian forces attempted to break out of their beleaguered position several times, but were never successful. By the end of the month, the critical situation forced the Ukrainian government to seek a political solution, which led to the Minsk Protocol on September 5, 2014.
The agreement allowed for a peaceful withdrawal of Ukrainian forces along a corridor back to Ukrainian-held territory. However, Russian forces opened fire on the Ukrainian forces as they withdrew. The carnage from the battle and the shooting gallery along the withdrawal corridor killed over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers, wounded hundreds more, and destroyed scores of combat vehicles. The Battle of Ilovaisk was the bloodiest battle of the war for the Ukrainian army. The Minsk Protocol did little to inhibit combat operations, and Russian siege operations continued.
The next major Russian siege was at the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport—or "Little Stalingrad" to its Ukrainian defenders—which occurred from September 2014 to January 2015. During this battle, Russian forces sought to capitalize on Ukrainian initiative by allowing them to invest a considerable amount of force at the airport, before deploying multiple battalion tactical groups to encircle the facility. Once isolated, Russian forces and partisans began a slow, concentric squeeze on the Ukrainians controlling the airport, much of which consisted of incessant artillery and rocket bombardment. As their grip grew tighter, Russian and partisan forces entered and cleared terminals, hangers, and other facilities in which Ukrainian forces were located. The combined Russian–partisan team employed tanks in an infantry-support role throughout the clearance operation, providing covered movement from objective to objective and using mobile, protected firepower to achieve local overmatch against Ukrainian infantry. The battle ended with the airport destroyed and Ukrainian forces having suffered approximately 200 killed in action, another 500 wounded, and double-digit losses in tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery, and other combat vehicles.
The Battle of Debal'tseve was the last major siege of the Russian–Ukrainian War. Like the Battle of Ilovaisk, the two sides fought for strategically important highway links. The city of Debal'tseve, with 25,000 inhabitants, was the furthest east piece of Ukrainian-controlled territory. The city formed a salient into Russian- and partisan-controlled territory, which offered Russia an enticing opportunity to shore up its front lines. On January 14, 2015, Russian and partisan forces attacked, aiming to collapse the shoulders of the salient and cut off the Ukrainians in the city—a pincer movement reminiscent of the Battle of the Bulge. Once isolated, Russian forces launched massive salvos of rocket and artillery fire at Ukrainian forces and on the city's infrastructure. They also cut power and utilities in the city, creating a humanitarian crisis within Debal'tseve. By the end of January, Russian offensive action, coupled with the harsh Ukrainian winter, led to the death of 6,000 civilians. Another 8,000 fled Debal'tseve. The battle triggered the Minsk II agreement on February 11, but fighting continued until February 20, when the city fell to Russian and partisan forces. All told, the battle saw approximately 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers defeated by over 10,000 Russian and partisan forces. The Ukrainians suffered close to 200 killed in action, over 500 wounded, and hundreds missing or captured.
What explains Russia's evident preference for the siege? Would it not make more sense to quickly annihilate the Ukrainians? Perhaps. However, the siege's benefit is its ability to transfer military power into political progress, while obfuscating the associated costs. A rapid, violent, decisive victory in which hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers are killed in a matter of days is counterproductive to Russia's political goals, whereas the incremental use of violence over time accomplishes the same objectives with less disturbance to the international community. Imagine a formation of tanks driving through the desert. They can quickly get to an objective by driving full-throttle, but in doing so they kick up a large amount of dust, making the formation and its direction of travel observable to any onlooker. However, a formation of tanks moving slowly through the desert produces a much smaller dust signature, making its presence less noticeable and its intentions less discernible. "Dust clouds" on the battlefield are inevitable, but how they are managed in pursuit of political objectives is the essence of good strategy. This is a key consideration in understanding Russia's proclivity for the siege.
As the Russian–Ukrainian War illustrates, the battalion tactical group has proven to be a uniquely responsive and effective tool for conducting siege warfare. The formation's versatility and success led Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, to announce in September 2016 the Russian army would increase the number of battalion tactical groups from sixty-six to 125 by 2018. Additionally, professional soldiers will staff the formation, whereas conscripts will be assigned to rear-echelon formations—which will likely yield more effective battalion tactical groups. As a result, the US Army can expect to find Russian battalion tactical group continuing to emerge in areas in which Russia employs ground forces to achieve political objectives.
Cyborgs knew that it was a lost fight but holding out every single day gave the UAF one more day o the battlefield..
Moscow region tank units readiness exercise. Live fire and loading up to railway cars.
T-72s, T-80s and T-90s involved, so multiple units.
New #MinskMonitor from @DFRLab with a pre-Minsk history of the Donbas War, with some new satellite imagery.
Including with Russian soldiers, as on my screenshot.
SOME of us have questioned who Kaspersky in the end answers to as they reside in Russia and their CEO is close personal friends to the FSB General...Kasperskly CEO fluffed off those worries stating his customer database is secure and protected and has no connections to the FSB.
BUT with events in Russia over the last two years and the tightening of Russian FSB control since Ukraine...that fluff off excuse can no longer hold water..
REMEMBER the ultra secret NSA internet company "The Equation Company" that worked for 15 or so years undetected on the internet was "discovered" by Kaspersky Labs...when even US companies had not discovered them.
Kaspersky confirmed arrest of its cyber-crime chief on charges for treason, He access to state secret due to co's collaboration with FSB.
Maj. Ruslan Stoyanov, Chief of Cyber Crime at Kaspersky, arrested along with FSB Cyber Security Deputy Chief Ser. MIhailov since December.
There is possible tie in back to the top former FSB General who was found also in DEC dead (killed was the first report but a week later changed to heart attack) in the backseat of his car in Moscow.
3. So the story is taking shape. Kaspersky's Stoyanov convinced (bribed) FSB top internet sec officer to share data on RU hacking. With whom?
4. Clearly "Steele" is one poss. answer. But it might be directly to CIA. Remember what Clapper said on FoxNews last week?
SO one floor directly under the Trump main residence and Trump knew absolutely nothing about it?
Russian propaganda footage of Putin's proxy forces in Donetsk, Ukraine shows modernized Russian army BTR-80. Oops!
The view from Moscow: at the Duma, foreign minister Lavrov slams "information war" & EU "Russophobes', says Russia is a "peaceful country".
Russia's militants used rocket-propelled grenades & artillery systems in 55 attacks on Ukrainian positions.
To provoke #Ukraine-#Poland tensions, vandals paint Nazi graffiti at #Polish graves in #Ukraine.
In Dec 2016, #Ukraine lost 22 soldiers on east. front line, deterring Russia-sponsored proxies from more land grabs.
Current Russian exercise Zapad-2017 is #Russian full scale war practising military exercise with it's consecutive results & actions.
Big news is that they are conducting tactical airlifts for regular #infantry, not #VDV. Ie. Preparing for the second wave.
My report from Novoluhanske on the dangers of Ukraine's "creeping offensive" in the gray zone.
Fighting on the night of the 25-26th Jan, near Marinka, Donbas .
Russian media: one of top pro-#Russia #Luhansk separatists Valeriy Bolotov died, alleg. bcs of wounds.
2nd top pro-RU separat-s in occup. areas of #Ukraine's #Donbas dead today. After Bolotov in Luhansk, now ex "minister" Tretiakov in Donetsk.
Russia heavy lift helicopters deploy on NATO front. Claim preparation for Zapad-2017 war games.
Bolotov, separatist leader who recently blew whistle on #Russia shelling residential areas around #Luhansk, suddenly dies in #Moscow.
Mariupol: "Non stop heavy incomings east of the city, long time since it was that heavy"
# group warns north #Donetsk, #Makiivka, #Yasynuvata to be on alert. Annoucement?
Avdiivka 10.30 am - the battle going on. Looks like serious combat.
Read our latest report "The Dynamics of Russia's Information Activities Against Ukraine During the #Syria Campaign"
Putin's and #Trump's phone call is correlated with the number of violent uprising of #Ukrainia`n KIA/WIA:s.
Staunton, January 30 – Valery Solovey, one of the best connected and most thoughtful of Moscow's foreign policy commentators, says that the telephone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was the "first step toward 'a big deal'" between the two not only over bilateral ties but also over a re-division of the world that will leave many countries at Russia's mercy.
The MGIMO professor outlines what he sees as the seven most important aspects of such a deal in a Facebook post that subsequently has been picked up by other outlets.
It is important to remember that Solovey's conclusions, however accurate they may be as a statement about where Putin and Trump are now, may not be what any final "deal" will look like: There are simply too many players in both Russia and the US to be certain of that. But they do point to two disturbing possibilities in the former Soviet space.
On the one hand, if Solovey is right, Trump is prepared to leave the 11 former Soviet republics to face Russian power on their own, something that will represent a betrayal of what has been American policy since 1991.
Moscow apparently is prepared to recognize that the Baltic countries are out of its zone, but any Putin promise to not try to take Ukraine is worthless.
And on the other, in the MGIMO analyst's view, Trump and Putin are prepared to launch a major military campaign against ISIS not because it would really defeat Islamist radicalism – the experience of Syria shows how unlikely that is -- than because it could serve as a means for Trump to marginalize critics in the Congress of his all-too-obvious tilt toward Russia.
Given the gratitude that Trump would likely have for such additional Russian assistance in US domestic politics, it would be most unlikely that the US president would do anything to block Putin's authoritarianism and imperial pretensions in Eurasia, guaranteeing not only more violence there but destroying what is left of US credibility more generally.
And tragically, if Solovey is right, Trump apparently is only concerned about containing Islamic radicalism and China and is prepared to yield to Russia on everything else. Thus his constant promise to "make America great again" will in the first instance contribute to making Russia great again even as it diminishes America's influence and standing in the world.
"8 full loads of MRLS outgoing from Auchan area, two flew towards Zasyadko, four towards #Avdiivka"
04:16 #Donetsk @The_Ukrop "It is already 4th load of Grad going towards #airport direction, f*ckup here"
Ukr Gen Staff: Overnight russian forces made another attempt to storm UAF positions near #Avdiivka, again repelled.
Zhebrivskyi: We have a written guarantee from the Russian side to cease attacks from 10:00 - 17:00 on #Avdiivka. Repair crews start to work.
Fighting barely stopped overnight with multiple launches of GRAD rockets. Fighting east of #Mariupol and #Avdeevka this morning.
Unusually blunt statement from OSCE, almost but not quite directly blaming Russian-backed armed group in Donetsk for flare up in Avdiyivka.
Avdiivka - City Hospital has been evacuated. But totally 400 000 residents in the affected area.
DW journo: Pro-Russian proxies send anonymous war propaganda SMSs to #Ukraine's troops in #Avdiivka to undermine their readiness to fight.
Experts: #Avdiivka cocking plant shut down due to pro-Russia proxies shelling may paralyze #Ukraine's metallurgy.
Transnistria asks Moscow for a 130 Mln $ loan for "economic stabilization"
Artillery duel continued throughout the night in #Donetsk. As of 6AM the battle near #Avdiivka was still ongoing.
UAF is no longer restraining itself and is returning fire with the same intensity as the Russian side..and with the same type of weapons Russians are using....to include GRADS.
THIS is almost double the daily average number of attacks...in a single day..
Russian Hybrid Army tried to storm Ukrainian positions in #Avdeevka tonight and this morning but were repelled. Battle still ongoing.
"No tangible evidence whatsoever has been produced of #Russian army presence in #Ukraine"
Russian invasion forces fire dozens of #Grad missiles from near residential area in #Donetsk.
And another full load (30-40 missiles) from the same Bm-21 system.
Denmark's Foreign Minister wanted to visit the contact line in eastern #Ukraine.
Russian artillery impacts audible behind him.
"Russian-occupation forces ignored this act of humanity despite JCCC agreement."
A Russian hybrid army spokesperson claims, another 15 Ukrainian soldiers got killed & 30 wounded in #Avdeevka this morning.
The "DNR defence minister" #Basurin now claims, he has info on 78 Ukrainian soldiers' bodies in local morgues from fighting on Sund & Mond.
Jan31 #Donetsk @GirkinGirkin "MLRS Putin's way, hiding behind 9-story [residential] building"
There's a war going on in #Europe.
Maybe some journalists could take some Trump time out and cover it and cover Russian hacking against Czech Republic...Germany and Ukraine along with the US which is still ongoing.
A barrage of GRAD's landed in #Avdeevka this morning, 20 homes damaged, one civilian wounded. Fighting continues.
At least 1500 shells fired at Ukrainian positions from separatists territory since Putin-Trump call. That's 1500 freshly imported shells.
Today #Ukraine bids farewell to Oleg Burets, who died in the last days from Russia's onslaught around Avdiivka.
A lot of people right now on the Independence square in Kyiv now... to say last goodbye to the guys from 72nd brigade...killed in Avdyivka..
Russia slowly grinding #Ukranian positions to dust in #Avdiivka.
According to journalist Christopher Miller, former editor at Kyiv Post, the Ukrainian Army has been engaged in a "creeping offensive" since mid-December by advancing into the no-man's land between the Ukrainian and insurgent front lines. The insurgents finally became aware of the situation and have launched massive artillery barrages at Ukrainian lines and have launched at least two failed counter-offensives.
This boldness on the part of Kyiv seems to be due to Ukraine's improving military position as well as frustration with the stalemate, and there are calls for another attempt to liberate or reconquer all of Donbas.
19:03 #Makiivka #Vostochnyi @zusamelena "Armageddon continues. They are firing something big"
Parts of east Ukraine are on the brink of a humanitarian crisis as the worst violence for a year in the conflict between Kiev and Russia-backed separatists has left up to 19 dead and thousands of people without water and heating in freezing temperatures.
The violence is an early test of Donald Trump's stated desire for better US relations with Russia. Kiev has watched nervously as Trump has repeatedly praised Vladimir Putin and floated the idea of lifting sanctions.
The conflict in Ukraine has raged for nearly three years and cost more than 10,000 lives. A ceasefire was agreed in Minsk two years ago, and although little progress has been made since on a political solution, large-scale clashes have been rare over the past year.
However, in the last few days both sides have accused the other of using Grad systems, imprecise weapons that rain down multiple rockets over a wide area.
On Wednesday the Ukrainian military said three soldiers had died overnight, and separatist authorities claimed four civilians had been killed.
In a clear sign that US policy towards Russia could indeed be heading for a sharp change of course under Trump, the state department made no criticism of Russia or the separatist side, in contrast to most of its statements in response to similar spikes in violence in the past.
The acting state department spokesman Mark Toner said the US was "deeply concerned" by the violence and called for "an immediate, sustained ceasefire".
However, the statement stopped short of apportioning blame.
The state department statement was markedly different in tone to comments from the US mission to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which is staffed by career diplomats and may be out of step with the new mood in Washington.
There are several rounds of US and EU sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Crimea and actions in east Ukraine. Trump has suggested it could be time to lift them, and has spoken of the potential for a grand deal with Putin. The two leaders spoke by telephone at the weekend and agreed to meet soon.
In Moscow, officials accused Kiev of provoking the fighting to derail the rapprochement between Putin and Trump. "Kiev is trying to use the fighting it provoked itself as a pretext to refuse to observe the Minsk agreement and blame Russia," the foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday.
Fighting has centred on the town of Avdiivka, which lies a few miles from the separatist capital, Donetsk, but is controlled by Ukrainian authorities. The violence has come during a cold snap, with temperatures falling as low as minus 18C.
Also on Wednesday, Ukraine's defence minister, Stepan Poltorak, claimed a Ukrainian military cargo plane had been shot at from a Russian-held gas rig on the Black Sea. "The shot damaged the plane. The crew were not hurt," he wrote on Facebook.
Reports suggest Russia engages in psychological warfare in Avdiyivka - media In a disturbing echo of the battle for Debaltsevo two years ago, there are reports that SMS text messages are being broadcast to Ukrainian soldiers and residents in Avdiyivka, containing threats and warnings, according to Interpretermag.com.
Examples of such threats have been posted on social networks, Interpretermag.com reported.
Translation: "Soldier of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they will find you when the snow melts." "ATO fighter, this winter will be for you like the one for the Germans outside Stalingrad."
Viktor Kovalenko, an officer in Ukraine's 40th Infantry Battalion at the time, described their use: During daily attacks in January–February, the Russian-sponsored terrorists used portable cell transmitters to deliver fake and provocative text messages to our mobiles, in order to instigate anger or panic among our troops and destabilize order in our units.
For example, on 12 February – on the very day the Minsk-2 peace agreement was signed – many of our servicemen received the same SMS, composed in a Russian criminal-jargon style, declaring that President Poroshenko "betrayed us, thus he should be killed". Another fake message, received at the beginning of February, was addressed to ordinary soldiers, saying that their commander (with no name given) had fled to the city of Kramatorsk, thus "all of us were going to flee tonight as well". Indeed, the terrorists had been taking control of our cell phones for up to 5–10 minutes, in order to deliver their propaganda messages. Sure, the SMS texts were anonymous and false.
And not one of us fled, not one of us left our positions. Many times our unit commanders banned the use of cell phones in the battle zone, but our servicemen's wish to reach relatives was so strong that they often ignored the ban and tried to catch any signal as best they could.
Russian RB-314V Leer-3 electronic warfare systems have been documented in Donetsk and, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, working in conjunction with Orlan-10 drones, are able to jam GSM mobile communications and broadcast SMS messages.
19:51 #Donetsk @AlfaNubovsky "[Direction unclear] sound reflects fr/highrise buildings, but even in #downtown incoming shells are heard..."
Russia engages in high seas piracy: stealing Ukrainian oil rigs in Ukrainian territorial waters & towing them to illegally occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian President Poroshenko's office confirms Russian attack on Ukraine AN26 over the Black Sea.
Russian Defense ministry denied fire on An-26, Black Sea Command(Sevastopol) says "fired to prevent collision with rig mast"
Really all they could think of is "rig mast"....as an excuse?????
Time to remind all what is up for grabs in Ukraine for Russia. Putin has already stole coal, factories dissembled/shipped out and UA kids.
The Ukrainian army is now one of the most battle hardened in the world. Russia cannot expect a walk in the park.
.@CNN distorts info on #Ukraine, saying 3 year-long Russia-led war against this country is "a Trump effect"
Can the UAF withstand the sort of artillery barrages seen over the weekend?
(CNN)Fighting in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian armed forces is escalating, officials have warned.
A higher number of ceasefire violations were reported between Sunday and Monday evenings, compared with the previous 24 hours, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine said Monday.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said eight Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the Donbass region in two days.
"Russian occupation forces carried out massive attacks across the contact line using all available weapons, including (artillery, mortars and tanks) -- all prohibited by the Minsk agreements -- and small arms," the ministry said. At least 26 troops were wounded.
Two Ukrainian troops died in combat yesterday, 14 wounded. One civilian died and six injured.
Today, @realDonaldTrump is Tweeting up a storm, but guess what?
MUST be Trump/Bannon/Flynn tacit approval for Putin.
Endless rumble in northern #Donetsk. Outgoing and incoming fire in #Makeevka all day.
Avdiivka update: Humanitarian situ bad, but stable. But fighting hot & heavy. Grad systems, tanks, howitzers - the disco - in full effect.
LISTEN TO THIS: Five minutes of non stop war sounds in #Donetsk just minutes ago!
Ukraine troops got these mysterious texts today: "You're nothing but meat to your commanders!" "Your body will be found when snow melts."
Battles and shelling pretty much everywheare at #Donetsk northwest-west-southwest. All types of guns, only aviation missing.
Interesting. The thinking seems to be that the UAF may have bitten off more than it can chew, and that while it has improved significantly, particularly in terms of quantity, qualitative reforms have been difficult to enact. Certainly the UAF is now experienced in terms of trench and low-level warfare, but can it withstand another encirclement by regular Russian forces as was the case at Ilovaisk and Debaltsevo? Any sources (English please)?
What are your thoughts on my earlier comment that the UAF has been engaging in a "creeping offensive" since mid-December in order to break the stalemate?
Loud evening in #Donetsk region, lot's of artillery shelling. The only positive thing: No GRAD fire so far.
Pro-#Russian police men in #Donetsk evacuate elderly people from the northern city quarters.
Fresh overnight shelling hit houses in #Avdeevka.
Building is 3km from the front, 300m from next Ukr army position.
#Russian State News claim, an #Ukrainian Buk system shot down an @OSCE_SMM drone over occupied #Makiivka.
Contrary to claims in certain media outlets, none of #OSCE SMM UAVs have been targeted recently.
Alchevsk 20:30 Huge convoy of Gvozdika self-propelled guns on move towards #Stakhanov (#Kadiivka), 36 pieces.
Deep, heavy booms, big guns working!
Donetsk: Live feed from #Donetsk. You can hear nonstop fighting.
Ukr Gen Staff: Today till 6PM two of our servicemen KIA, 9 WIA.
Admittedly these advances were in "gray areas", bringing the frontlines closer together, and Debaltsevo should have been in Ukrainian hands per Minsk II. Having said that, it would be considered an offensive, just as Russia invaded Chechnya in 1994 and 1999, and Georgia invaded South Ossetia in 2008.
Yesterday 4 Ukr serviceman KIA, 17 WIA.
Dokuchajevsk horrible night - GRADs, artillery, incomings, outgoings, destruction in city centre. We returned to 2014-15.
Yet Kiev accepted the loss of Debaltsevo and other deviations from Minsk II for 2 years, before launching an offensive. Moscow has gone to great lengths to convince Kiev that it does not have a military solution.
What happens when Russia takes punitive action? To my mind, this offensive was an attempt to keep the conflict front and center in EU and NATO thinking, but it seems to be a roll of the dice in the manner of Tbilisi.
Moscow can claim an egregious violation of Minsk II and note that the Russian Air Force can pound the UA to death before any Javelins, TOWs or Patriots can be supplied and deployed. Russia may well decide that the loss of Kharkiv or Mariupol would suffice as a lesson. Did the "gray zone" incursion truly result in any strategic gains other than MSM attention?
You do know that Russia is fighting with one hand behind its back, right? What happens when the other one comes out?
Ukrainian tanks very active today in #Avdiivka. All UAF artillery was active. On both sides. More death & destruction. War chewing up lives.
"Avdiyivka is Ukrainian territory. Defending this town ... is not a provocation"
"Kremlin says it hopes pro-Russian Ukrainian rebels have enough ammunition"
Since last week, 3 #NATO members (#Denmark, #Norway & Czech R.) report evidence of #cyber attacks from #Russia.
Video report from #Avdiivka. Recorded yesterday.
Tanks have entered Bulavin village between Vuhlehirsk and Yenakiieve, DNR held territory.
Polk Kyiv commander Deydey in Avdeevka tells @ChristopherJM: "Our tanks are preparing for battle"
Massive cyber attacks against Norway's state and political institutions. Pattern as previous by Russia.
Cleaning up in #DNR/LNR goes on. And another top brass bows up.
A car blast in #Luhansk killed #Anashchenko, local militia commander.
According to some locals, thursday's big explosion in Donetsk was an ammo depot, while others say it was a rocket salvo.
No confirmation as of yet from the locals.
Humanitarian situation in #Avdiivka has stabilized but fighting continues. Medics told us there were no casualties overnight.
Dutch intelligence service: hundreds of #Russian #cyber attacks on Dutch ministries.
More evidence of #Putin's henchmen, shelling the population in occupied #Donetsk city to blame #Ukraine.
I checked it myself once again.
With these impact angles, it is impossible, Ukrainian artillery fire was responsible for the impacts.
13931kHz - Another E06, '305', start 0930z. Repeat of 0830z 10308kHz. Unusually busy morning in Russia.
Russian soldiers from Far East stealing beer from a warehouse in Donbas. Bragging about being marauders in #Ukraine.


text:
Q: Symfony2 Data Fixtures with FOSUserBundle I want to create som fixtures to my project for testing. I do this in a command line script now, but I discovered the DataFixtures bundle from Doctrine and wanted to test it out.
I have the following code:
<?php
// src/Pan100/MoodLogBundle/DataFixtures/ORM/LoadUserData.php

namespace Acme\HelloBundle\DataFixtures\ORM;

use Doctrine\Common\DataFixtures\FixtureInterface;
use Doctrine\Common\Persistence\ObjectManager;
use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerAware;

use Pan100\MoodLogBundle\Entity\Day;
use Pan100\MoodLogBundle\Entity\Medication;
use Pan100\MoodLogBundle\Entity\Trigger;

use FOS\UserBundle\Doctrine\UserManager;

class MockDataMaker extends ContainerAware
{
    /**
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */
    public function load(ObjectManager $manager)
    {
        $userManager = $container->get('fos_user.user_manager');
        //make some users
        $user = $userManager->createUser();
        $user->setUsername('John');
        $user->setEmail('john.doe@example.com');
        $user->setPlainPassword('passord');
        $userManager->updateUser($user);
    }

}

And I get this:
  [InvalidArgumentException]
  Could not find any fixtures to load in:

  - /var/www/path/vendor/symfony/symfony/src/Symfony/Bundle/FrameworkBundle/D
  ataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/symfony/symfony/src/Symfony/Bundle/SecurityBundle/Da
  taFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/symfony/symfony/src/Symfony/Bundle/TwigBundle/DataFi
  xtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/symfony/monolog-bundle/Symfony/Bundle/MonologBundle/
  DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/symfony/swiftmailer-bundle/Symfony/Bundle/Swiftmaile
  rBundle/DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/symfony/assetic-bundle/Symfony/Bundle/AsseticBundle/
  DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/doctrine/doctrine-bundle/Doctrine/Bundle/DoctrineBun
  dle/DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/sensio/framework-extra-bundle/Sensio/Bundle/Framewor
  kExtraBundle/DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/jms/aop-bundle/JMS/AopBundle/DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/jms/di-extra-bundle/JMS/DiExtraBundle/DataFixtures/O
  RM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/jms/security-extra-bundle/JMS/SecurityExtraBundle/Da
  taFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/friendsofsymfony/user-bundle/FOS/UserBundle/DataFixt
  ures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/src/Pan100/MoodLogBundle/DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/sonata-project/intl-bundle/Sonata/IntlBundle/DataFix
  tures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/ob/highcharts-bundle/Ob/HighchartsBundle/DataFixture
  s/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/doctrine/doctrine-fixtures-bundle/Doctrine/Bundle/Fi
  xturesBundle/DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/src/Acme/DemoBundle/DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/symfony/symfony/src/Symfony/Bundle/WebProfilerBundle
  /DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/sensio/distribution-bundle/Sensio/Bundle/Distributio
  nBundle/DataFixtures/ORM
  - /var/www/path/vendor/sensio/generator-bundle/Sensio/Bundle/GeneratorBundl
  e/DataFixtures/ORM

My question is: how to create users in the fixtures using FOSUserBundle?

A: your class must extends "AbstractFixture" AND implements "ContainerAwareInterface" for access usermanager service !
if your class do not extends "AbstractFixture", is not a fixture ;-)
look for different fixtures interfaces and différent containeraware Interfaces in fosub and symfony for more ways.
Verify the namespace if it is a copy and paste
Sadden for my really not terrible English !
ex : for ordered fixtures
use Doctrine\Common\DataFixtures\AbstractFixture;
use Doctrine\Common\DataFixtures\OrderedFixtureInterface;
use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerAwareInterface;
use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerInterface;
use Doctrine\Common\Persistence\ObjectManager;
class LoadArticleFixture extends AbstractFixture implements OrderedFixtureInterface, ContainerAwareInterface
{
/**
 * @var ContainerInterface
 */
private $container;

/**
 * {@inheritDoc}
 */
public function setContainer(ContainerInterface $container = null)
{
    $this->container = $container;
}
public function load(ObjectManager $manager)
{
    $auteurs = $this->container->get('fos_user.user_manager')->findUsers();
    etc...
}

A: Your source file location doesn't match your namespace:
src/Pan100/MoodLogBundle/DataFixtures/ORM/LoadUserData.php vs namespace Acme\HelloBundle\DataFixtures\ORM;
Try setting your namespace to Pan100\MoodLogBundle\DataFixtures\ORM.
As MolecularMan points out you should also be implementing FixtureInterface

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text:
Archive for category: Sports
You are here: Home / Blog / Sports
Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Sports
Physical Activities That Give You The Best Burn For Your Buck
The brilliant folks at Misfit Wearables have created a fun…
https://caroltorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Picture2.jpg 541 782 Carol Torgan, Ph.D. http://caroltorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/torgan-logo2-300x137.png Carol Torgan, Ph.D.2012-08-11 18:10:572014-08-23 21:57:40Physical Activities That Give You The Best Burn For Your Buck
Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Sports, Technology
3 Simple Tricks From Top Sports Nutritionists
When it comes to nutrition and sports performance, it can…
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Track, Share and Compare: The Hot Trend of Self-Tracking
Self-tracking is rapidly moving mainstream. As if to underscore…
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Self-Tracking Meets Ready-To-Wear: Make Room in Your Closet for Smart Clothes
Your LBD (little black dress) is about to be joined in your…
https://caroltorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/iStock_000012403076Small.jpg 558 860 Carol Torgan, Ph.D. http://caroltorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/torgan-logo2-300x137.png Carol Torgan, Ph.D.2011-11-06 20:18:262014-08-28 21:00:36Self-Tracking Meets Ready-To-Wear: Make Room in Your Closet for Smart Clothes
Boosting Athletic Performance With Beetroot Juice, Nitrate and Spit
"Research reveals new secret weapon for Le Tour," read the…
https://caroltorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/19721136_1ccc84524a1.jpg 375 500 Carol Torgan, Ph.D. http://caroltorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/torgan-logo2-300x137.png Carol Torgan, Ph.D.2011-08-21 14:15:362017-09-02 16:13:19Boosting Athletic Performance With Beetroot Juice, Nitrate and Spit
Cell, Diet, Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Science, Sports, Technology
Self-tracking, Sensors, and mHealth: Trends and Opportunities
mHealth offers the perfect platform to merge self-tracking and biosensors. Toss in social networking and you have the trifecta of 'track, share and compare' at people's fingertips.
https://caroltorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Self-tracking-and-sensors.jpg 283 444 Carol Torgan, Ph.D. http://caroltorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/torgan-logo2-300x137.png Carol Torgan, Ph.D.2011-04-03 15:15:072017-09-02 16:06:44Self-tracking, Sensors, and mHealth: Trends and Opportunities
Art, Cell, Diet, Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Science, Sports, Technology
Self-tracking: Checking under the hood
Our bodies are exquisite self-tracking machines. We're artfully…
https://caroltorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IV-A-01crop.jpg 574 640 Carol Torgan, Ph.D. http://caroltorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/torgan-logo2-300x137.png Carol Torgan, Ph.D.2010-12-19 19:09:462014-08-29 21:38:59Self-tracking: Checking under the hood
Art, Cell, Health, Nature, Play, Science, Sports, Technology
TEDx MidAtlantic 2010: What if?
This year's stellar TEDx MidAtlantic was about our choices…
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Business as Usual at Starbucks, 237 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Note the Trash and Garbage Area on the Left.
Business as usual apparently includes a casual attitude toward trash and garbage disposal now undergoing scrutiny on Barracks Row. Starbuck's evidently has not picked up on clues dropped by residents across the street who recently appeared before ANC6b's ABC Committee to express their concern about rodent problems associated with restaurants in the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, the former Thai Roma apparently being the source of much of the problem. To their credit, the Mendelsohn family – currently operating three of the restaurants on the block, including the recently opened Bearnaise in the space formerly occupied by Thai Roma, have gone the extra mile in installing new equipment and contracting with pest control businesses to address concerns of neighbors. The extra measures were encouraged by ANC6b's ABC Committee when the issue came before them last month when Bearnaise sought renewal of it's liquor license, which the Committee made contingent upon signing of a Settlement Agreement with the neighbors.
Unlike the Starbucks you reported on yesterday, this one does not seem to have pulled in the outside cafe for winter. As we all know, with climate change winter gets to eighth street before it gets to third.
Truth be told. The garbage you show (shot through a door marked Employees Only) is not visible from the sidewalk as it is behind the gate you can see at the top of the picture.


text:
Q: Bluetooth buffer read/write speed impact on scanning beacons Does Bluetooth buffer reading and writing speed has any impact on scanning beacons to find the nearest beacon.

A: It is unclear what buffers you are referring to, either at the Bluetooth chip level, the native Bluedroid level, within the Bluetooth API level in the Android OS, or within the Android Beacon Library or application code.
In a more general sense, mobile device processing speed can affect the ability to detect beacons in extreme situatioins.  In cases where large numbers of Bluetooth beacons are in the vicinity (e.g. hundreds within a 40-50 meter range) an Android phone can become unable to parse all packets, especially for beacons teansmitting at 10 Hz or more.  When this happens, some packets get ignored.
The consequence of this is fewer statistical samples of RSSI to be used to do distance estimates, yielding a somewhat higher error noise on the distance estimate.


text:
Lancing our nation's wounds
At the South Gauteng High Court on Thursday
(Above) Brett Murray in New Beginnings
The strategy has also worked since the ANC first launched a legal and political attack on Brett Murray's pop-art provocation, The Spear.
"Naked or not, a second term for Zuma" read one poster held aloft by a protester outside the court.
The man who won a ticket to the Union Buildings by trading on being seen a victim of Thabo Mbeki is now seeking, with some success, to portray himself as a victim of white elitists whose disparagement of African cultural norms injured his dignity and repeated the humiliations of apartheid.
Threatened by growing discontent within the ANC and the tripartite alliance over his leadership failures, his sexual mores and his handling of the Richard Mdluli saga, Zuma needed a standard to rally the faithful around. The painting, with its pendulous penis, was a gift from a most unlikely quarter, wrapped up in the pages of City Press.
ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu was first into the hustings, quickly followed by ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande and a not inconsiderable slice of public opinion.
Genuinely discomfited
It is important to recognise that this strategy only works because so many people are genuinely discomfited and offended when a white artist uses a sexual image to criticise a black leader. Murray has repeatedly deployed penises of various colours in his work over the years to examine power and its abuse, but, for the vast majority of people now responding to The Spear, that is irrelevant – for many, the painting reactivates a history of pain and humiliation that cannot be wished away by art historical analysis.
This gets us to the nub of Zuma's approach over the past week. It is his particular political genius to amplify the resonances between his own pain and that of others – that is how he made himself the spearhead of the pre-Polokwane coalition of those wounded by Thabo Mbeki. And there can be little doubt that many of Zuma's critics within the ANC feel even angrier about the persistence of white privilege than they do about his many failings. If the choice is between a besieged black leader and a white artist's freedom to paint penises, the choice is clear.
There is nothing wrong with Zuma and the ANC reacting to the painting in these terms. Murray is capable of defending himself, and his history as an artist bears out both his rejection of racism and his willingness to interrogate racial identity in uncomfortable ways. And many people, black and white, have weighed in to point out that the satire is broad, obvious and clearly political, motivated by Zuma's public and private conduct. How we can best speak to each other about power and its abuse in a racially divided society is important, it is a debate worth having.
Zuma wants something different. He wants the painting declared illegal, banned from pubic exhibition and expunged from the internet. In the process he wants to erect a new legal standard for the protection of "dignity" that would dramatically curtail freedom of speech and of artistic expression.
Whether you are offended by the painting or not, you ought to be very disturbed by these moves.
Intrusive commentary
Fortunately the court gave short shrift to Zuma's contention that the offices of the president of the ANC and the country had constitutional rights to dignity and privacy. Such rights belong only to individuals, judges forced Zuma's counsel, Gcina Malindi, to concede. Indeed, the holding of high public office, far from shielding an individual from awkward scrutiny, justifies much tougher and more intrusive commentary. Not for us the bans on lese-majesty that are still used to protect monarchs and dictators as close to home as Swaziland and as far away as Thailand.
Zuma's argument relies heavily on the contention that formed the heart of his political reaction to the painting: from an "African cultural perspective" it represents an unjustifiable attack on his human dignity. Opposing views, including those of prominent black artists, were "the most liberal and elitist interpretation of freedom of expression based on their own worldview … informed by their culture and class perspectives", Malindi said in argument.
In short, Zuma suggests that the legal limit to freedom of speech ought to be set not as broadly as possible, which is clearly what the Constitution demands, but as narrowly as necessary to meet the president's own, largely unexplained, definition of "African culture". If this sounds rather similar to the censorship demands made by white Christian conservatives under apartheid, during the United States' 1980s culture wars and in innumerable battles over artistic freedom for hundreds of years, that is because it is. There is nothing particularly African about cultural conservatism, or about presidential prickliness. Nor is the constitutional right to human dignity a right to protection from embarrassment, whatever your cultural perspective on penises is.
Human dignity is the fundamental right of personhood to equality and to freedom. It is intimately bound up, too, with the right to form opinions and communicate them – that is, it does not exist without freedom of speech.
Dignity in the constitutional sense then is not the same as reputation in the common law sense. It is deeper, more resilient and more important than that. Our law on these questions is largely settled, and it leaves wide scope for artistic expression in general and political satire in particular. Zuma may well want to change that – he should not be allowed to. Only in the space of free, robust and sometimes hurtful exchange can we have the conversations that we so urgently need about race, governance and how best to build a better society than the one we left behind.
Anc Leaders


This post offers the Agatha Award Nominees in Best Comtemporary, Best Historical, Best First, and Best Short Story Titles with links to the copies of the books that we have here at the Lisle Library & PDFs of the short stories, and links under the Authors' Names to their web sites, where available.
Any books we may not have yet, can be interlibrary loans (ILL) if we are not getting them. If we have them "On Order" you can put a hold on the on order copy.
Best Short Story - these links take you to the full short stories!


text:
Intuit Quickbooks
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Waze Denies Blame For Directions That Led Israeli Soldiers To Palestinian Refugee Camp
[Photo: Flickr user David French]
By Pavithra Mohan 1 minute Read
Waze, the traffic app Google bought in 2013, dismissed the notion that it was to blame for a deadly firefight that began after two Israeli soldiers entered a Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank after being directed there by the Waze app. The misstep resulted in a clash that killed a Palestinian and left at least 15 people injured.
The soldiers had relied on Waze—which was founded in Israel—for directions; the app has a setting that warns users about areas that may be dangerous to traverse. In this particular case, the soldiers supposedly took the route that Waze claimed was the shortest, which ended up taking them directly into the refugee camp.
In a statement, Waze was quick to absolve itself of responsibility, noting that the soldiers had turned off a default feature that alerts users to regions deemed unsafe. From the statement:
[Waze] includes a specific default setting that prevents routes through areas which are marked as dangerous or prohibited for Israelis to drive through. In this case, the setting was disabled. In addition, the driver deviated from the suggested route and as a result, entered the prohibited area. There are also red signs on the road in question that prohibit access to Palestinian-controlled territories [for Israelis]. It is the responsibility of every driver to adhere to road and traffic signs and obey local laws.
According to comments made by Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon, the soldiers were unfamiliar with the area, which may explain the confusion.
"Waze has and is continuing to work directly with the relevant authorities to decrease such mishaps from occurring, but unfortunately there is no ability to prevent them altogether as ultimately some prudence is in the driver's hands," the company continued.
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For slide gates up to 32 ft in travel distance and 650 lbs. Includes receiver and two transmitters.


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Defensive Coordinator DeMeco Ryans Press Conference
Defensive Coordinator DeMeco Ryans
Press Conference – December 1, 2022
Listen to Audio I Media Center
DL Nick Bosa, player of the month. I'm sure you're not surprised, but aside from the numbers, what does he bring to the defense?
"I think Nick, most of all, he brings a confidence and a true playmaker that every defense needs. Every defense, if you're going to be a great defense, you need that guy on the edge who can rush the passer, who can get at the quarterback at very critical moments, at all times throughout the game. And that's what Nick provides for us, he can go close out games like he did in our last game versus the Saints and that's what Nick provides. He's a big-time playmaker in his league, no matter who he goes against, he always has a chance to win, so that's what he brings to our team."
The sacks are noticeable and all that, but how about the run defense? You guys have the top run defense in the league and how much a part does he play in that?
"Yeah, for all of our defensive lineman, like you can't rush a passer unless you stop the run, so the run game is always our first priority and Nick is one of our better guys at setting the edge, resetting the line of scrimmage and being able to make plays as well. Nick is your all-around player, when it comes to the run game, pass game, he can do it all and that's what makes him a special player."
I'm sure you've seen all the some of the mic'd up things that are done with Nick and some of the things that he says out there. Has he ever said anything during the course of the game that made you smile or laugh or are you too intense for that?
"No, we always keep it light, keep it fun. Nick is the same person. That's what's cool about him. Like the game, the moment is not too big and he doesn't have to try to be someone that he's not. So he's himself just like he is at practice. He's the same, has a little humor about himself and he keeps it fun. I think that allows him to play the way he plays because he's just loose. He understands his opponent, understands who he's going against and he knows how to beat that guy. And he has fun winning, so it's always fun to see Nick making plays because I'm always trying to put him in positions to make even more plays. I'm always talking to him about, Hey, what can we do now? Change things up to get him in a different position to be able to make plays."
The Dolphins seem to have an ability to not only push the ball down the field, but get the ball out quick, which would seem to kind of run counter on each other. I realize a lot of that's intermediate stuff, but how are they able to kind of walk that line?
"I think the Dolphins, their offense is very efficient because of the quarterback. [Miami Dolphins QB] Tua [Tagovailoa] is very efficient at not only getting the ball out quick, but the accuracy and the way he delivers the ball that allows the offense to be as efficient as they are. And you add the playmakers in that he has with 10 [Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill], 17 [Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle], 31 [Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert], those guys all have elite speed and big-time playmaking ability where they can take an intermediate throw and they can make a guy miss and go to the house. Not all offenses have that, I think that's where this offense really lights it up because each throw, it doesn't have to be a 50-yard bomb down the field, it can be a screen behind the line of scrimmage, and these guys have the speed and the playmaking ability to make guys miss and go to the house."
When you watch their offense on film, do you say that's our offensive scheme or does it look different?
"Yeah, I mean it is. It's our offensive scheme and [Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike] McDaniel does a really good job of mixing things up. Not too many plays are the same. He finds a way to get different players in different positions, a lot of different looks, a lot of different motions to get defenses confused and looking at all these things that are going on, so he does a good job of creating space. By moving guys around, making guys have to communicate and he hits you with any type of play, whether it's run game, pass game, he makes the play action marry up with the run game, which makes it even more difficult, so just shout out to McDaniel. He's doing a really good job there."
What's the challenge there in knowing that as you prepare your guys, the stuff that they put on film could be stuff that they're using to set up something completely different?
"Yeah, there's a lot of things that he probably can do that we haven't seen, so a lot of things you can't worry about. For us, it always goes back, you probably hear me say this every week, but it goes back to us and just playing our fundamentals, our technique and being exactly where we're supposed to be. Like that doesn't change for us each week and I want to keep it consistent with our guys to make sure we're playing as fast as we can play, so really, it doesn't matter what they do or what they present. It doesn't matter, it's about us and how we handle those things."
I know he's the fastest receiver in the league, but what is it about Tyreek and his speed that just makes him such a threat?
"His speed is just different from anybody you've seen in the NFL. There are fast guys in the NFL, but then there's Tyreek's speed and it's just on another level. Nobody runs as fast as him. The routes that he's able to run, like he's behind the line of scrimmage and he's able to run deep routes from there and it's impressive. It's impressive and it's a special talent that he has. No one else in the league has that ability that Tyreek has, his ability to separate and not only is it just his speed, but he is very strong. When he gets the ball in his hands, he is a very strong runner and he can bounce off of tackles and make guys miss."
You've had DL Arik Armstead back for three practices now. How does he look, first of all, and how important can it be to have him for the stretch run?
"It's good to have Armstead back out at practice. It's just good to see him, what he's battled through to get back. It's been a long road for him, so it's just good to have him back out there and if we can have him on Sunday, of course that's a plus for us. If we get an all-pro player who can help our defense that would be a huge lift for us, so I'm excited for Armstead and just him working his way back in."
The only criticism of your defense recently will be that when you played the Chiefs, one of the best offenses in the NFL, they scored 44. This is another high-powered offense, what did you guys learn or take away from that Chiefs experience that you can apply on Sunday?
"From the Chiefs game, guys just have to do their job and tackle. I'd give you more detail, but it's simple as that. In the Chiefs game, what we didn't do, we didn't get off the field on third down because we didn't make plays, we busted coverages. We weren't where we supposed to be. We didn't do our job and when you don't do your job consistently, you'll get embarrassed as we did in that Chiefs game. And it's nothing that they did that surprised us, it's guys just being on it each and every snap."
The way you've played since then though, would indicate that that game, I don't if it had a positive effect, but you guys took the right things out of it.
"Yeah, each week is different for me. Each week is different. We had a bad week. It happens in the NFL. It happens, you have bad weeks and that's what I look at the Chiefs game was it was a bad week and we did not play up to our standard, so it's about our guys holding up our standard each and every week. And if we do that, we make it tough on offenses to go against us because we're just doing what we're supposed to do, not anybody playing hero ball or doing anything special, it's just guys just being where they're supposed to be. Playing together, playing for each other, when we do that, we're a special unit."
What's the key on those intermediate crossers? Is it LB Fred Warner and LB Dre Greenlaw getting back deep enough to kind of disrupt things in the middle there?
"I think with those, it's not only the linebackers, it's safeties, it's corners, it's all the back seven guys being exactly where they're supposed to be. Playing with the proper depth, and just being exactly where they're supposed to be, whichever coverage we play, just being detailed and being where you're supposed to be in coverage and nobody has to do more than they're asked to do and I think that's how you handle all the intermediate stuff."
Getting all the practice you get against that in training camp, do you kind of feel that your defense is well versed in that sort of attack?
"When you look at our defense, I think we're ready for whatever may come our way. I know the Dolphins are a really good offense, but it's things that we've seen before. And the way they're being effective, I said they are being efficient with timing, with placement of the ball, with accuracy. They are on it. As well as they're on it, defensively, we have to be on it 10 times better as they are on it and if we do that we'll like the results of the game."
Does your familiarity with the players and the scheme make it easier to prepare or make it even more challenging?
"It doesn't really cross my mind. Once we step out there, it's not about those guys, it doesn't matter. Guys got on Dolphins jerseys and we have to be what we're supposed to be. Play physical, play fast, play together and relentless. Everything else will take care of itself. It really doesn't matter who's under the helmet across from us. We're just excited to play another football game. We're excited to go out here in front of our fans and put out a good performance for them."


text:
What's up with… Iliad, Apple & the metaverse, Open RAN growth
By TelecomTV Staff
Iliad still up for an Italian acquisition
Apple can't ignore the metaverse
Open RAN revenues could hit $2 billion this year
Iliad's ongoing appetite for expansion, Apple's reality check, and encouragement for the Open RAN tech community lead the way in today's industry news roundup.
Aggressive European altnet Iliad would still be interested in growth through M&A in Italy, the operator's CEO Thomas Reynaud stated today while commenting on the company's impressive first quarter financials. Iliad teamed up with Apax Partners earlier this year to make an audacious €11.25 billion offer for Vodafone Italia, which was summarily rejected. Iliad, which has operations in France, Italy and Poland, reported a 4.8% year-on-year increase in first quarter revenues to €1.93 billion and a 6.1% increase in earnings before taxes, depreciation and other costs. It ended March with 13.7 million mobile and almost 7 million fixed broadband customers in France, just over 8.8 million mobile users in Italy, and almost 12.5 million mobile and 293,000 fixed broadband customers in Poland. Read more.
Apple is believed to have made significant progress in developing its mixed reality augmented/virtual reality headset product and associated software and the latest prototypes have been presented to the board, according to a Bloomberg report. As this essentially represents Apple's approach to what is generally being called the metaverse, this development is interesting in itself, of course, but just as interesting is the analysis on Apple's metaverse position by investment and technology sector analyst Richard Windsor, who equates Apple's position to that of Nokia about 15 years ago when it had to decide where to focus its R&D investments – check out Windsor's analysis here.
The Open RAN technology market could be worth as much as $2 billion this year if sales reach the upper end of a new market projection from analyst house Dell'Oro. The company noted in a new press release that sales of Open RAN technology (radio and baseband elements) "surged" during the first quarter of this year and that the market could be worth between 3% and 5% of the total radio access network (RAN) equipment market in 2022. That market, based on previous announcements and numbers shared by Dell'Oro, is set to be worth more than $40 billion this year, which puts the projected size of the Open RAN tech market at between $1.2 billion and $2 billion. That's good news for the likes of Mavenir, Parallel Wireless, Rakuten Symphony and the growing number of Open RAN tech specialists that are entering the market.
About 66% of homes (19.3 million) in the UK now have access to a Gigabit broadband connection, up from just 37% a year ago, according to regulator Ofcom. "This progress comes as a number of competing companies continue to roll out faster networks across the UK. This includes in hard-to-reach areas, with the number of premises unable to get a decent connection – classed as offering download speeds of at least 10 Mbit/s and upload speeds of 1 Mbit/s – now falling to just under 100,000," noted Ofcom in this announcement. It also noted that a 4G signal is now available across 92% of the UK's land mass. The statistics come from the Connected Nations update report, which can be accessed here.
Google's subsidiary in Russia is tipped to file for bankruptcy after local authorities froze its bank account, therefore leaving the company incapable of continuing its operations and unable to pay staff and suppliers. Reuters cited a company representative as saying that the move by the Russian officials made it "untenable" to run its office in the country and that it has already published a notice of its intention to go bankrupt. The company has been targeted by the government for months after it was found not to comply with orders to take down certain content deemed by authorities as illegal, and for restricting access to some local media on video platform YouTube. Access to free services, such as Google's search engine, Gmail, Maps and YouTube, will not be stopped despite the bankruptcy move, according to the report. The company was previously hit with fines totalling more than RUB7.7 billion (approximately $122 million) since the end of 2021 for failing to delete content considered as unlawful. As per estimations by Google's parent company, Alphabet, the Russian market represente 1% of its revenue in 2021. The bankruptcy move comes at a time when the Russian government continues a military conflict with its neighbouring country Ukraine.
- The staff, TelecomTV
Analysis & Opinion,
Asia-Pacific,
Iliad,
Metaverse,
Ofcom,
Open RAN,
Radio Access Network,


One of the biggest fundraisers that we host is our annual Evening of International Food and Wine event at Chiara Bistro. The event is always a sell-out, and we are especially grateful to the good people at both Chiara Bistro for hosting, and Roche Bros. for sponsoring the night!
Westwood Community Chest just celebrated its 6 th annual fundraising event, which was held at Chiara Bistro on January 29 th , 2018. A generous local family hosted the first event 6 yrs ago and it's become an important community event, which quickly evolved into a collaborative effort between Roche Bros, our sponsor, and Chef LaCount, our host. We offer a big shout out to Kevin O'Brien who coordinates all the wine and represents Roche Brothers so well and of course to Chef LaCount for his generosity and good will. The food and the wine pairings are always terrific. Thank you to Chef LaCount and Roche Bros for your continuing support! It was a wonderful evening to meet and greet old friends and make some new ones.
THANK YOU to the businesses who sponsored auction items at our 2018 "Chiara" fundraiser.
Thank you to Girl Scout Troop # 74100 for volunteering to run the coat check. A vital job on a cold wintry night! And thank you to the Westwood Community Chest board members for your caring, commitment and hard work, which contributed to a successful event but more importantly, another meaningful year with Westwood Community Chest.


These symbolic starships from Star Wars have been shrunken to fit in your showcase. Cool? Let's go on for the handmade Star Wars laser cut models.
This is a pretty cool and well-designed laser cut model series themed by Star Wars, and handcrafted by LazerModels, a small handicraft studio in Anaheim. The series contains four different designs, each is molded after an iconic starship from the universe of Star Wars including Millennium Falcon, X-wing Starfighter, TIE Fighter and TIE Advanced X1.
Each Star Wars laser cut model shows off accurate lines and exquisite detailing from its original appearance. Each piece of the models is made from 100% baltic birch plywood for a durable construction and charming rustic look. Of course, you need to assemble them together by yourself with wood glue or regular craft glue. An included base lets decently you show off these laser cut models in your showcase or on a wall shelf.
The Star Wars laser cut models start from $19.95 USD. If you're interested, jump to Etsy for its more details.


Founded in 1997 and located just north of the Houston Metropolitan Area in the city of Shenadoah, Texas; PCS Software is a leading developer of hosted software solutions designed specifically for the grount transportation industry. Our software is designed to create an effective workflow environment that improves accountability and performance. We create revenue opportunities for our customers by improving their communications with their customers while reducing labor and process costs.


Subject to a recent and complete refurbishment, every inch of this lovely property has been given the luxury treatment, without detracting from the inherent character. Step in to find a large elegant entrance hall with a traditional stone flagged floor, just the place to leave boots and coats after a hike across the North York Moors.
This leads you to the huge living room, a comfortable and welcoming space for the whole family with its warm oak flooring, exposed beams and wood burning stove. There's a SMART TV with Freesat and DVD player in here and Wi-Fi is provided too. Light up the fire, grab some nibbles and settle down to a family movie. If the kids want their own space, there's a separate snug room with another large TV and pool table to keep them entertained.
Take a left from the entrance hall to discover a generous attractive kitchen boasting stone floors, elegant blue units, a Belfast sink and a solid granite worktop. A large range cooked sits comfortably in an alcove just waiting for you to rustle a hearty family meal. The cupboards are well stocked with all of your essentials and there's a large American style fridge-freezer to store all your goodies. The dining room sits next door, another light filled room with oak flooring and patio doors leading out into the garden. A very pleasant space to dine in with room to seat everyone comfortably.
All of the bedrooms in Low Burn Cottage are upstairs. The first is set on same side as the snug and boasts its own private staircase. This lovely room features a super-king size zip & link bed which can be configured as two full size singles if preferred. It also has an en suite shower room, so you're perfectly contained in your own little private apartment within the house!
The remaining bedrooms are accessed via another staircase from the living room. Here you'll find the master bedroom, with a comfy king-size bed and en suite shower room. The third bedroom is a cosy double room which shares the gorgeous family bathroom with the final bedroom. The last bedroom is found at the end of the landing, another spacious character-filled room with exposed oak beams and a Super king-size bed.
And if you love the interiors of this large luxury Yorkshire cottage, you'll be delighted to discover the gardens are also pretty special. Step outside into a large and enclosed rear garden, complete with lots of comfortable outdoor furniture and of course that wood-fired hot tub. What better way to end each day than a dip in the tub followed by a night-cap as the sun sets over the garden.
Little ones will love the fact they have a large lawned area to run around on and you even have your own mini orchard to enjoy.
The cottage is located around 30 minutes North of York in Leavening, a sleepy little village just a few miles from Castle Howard. This quiet little spot is well placed if you want to nip into York for some sightseeing or shopping and be close to the North York Moors for bracing country walks. And if you fancy a pint or dinner out one night there's a lovely pub in the village which serves excellent pub grub, with lots of fantastic gastro pubs in the area too. If you're a fan of real ale you might also want to try The Bay Horse at Burythorpe; its walkable from the cottage just over a mile away.


A person wanting to enter a locked treasure-house must have the right key to unlock the door of the treasure-house of enlightenment. in this case the key has been given various names, however it is really the wisdom of Great Understanding. Always the real key comes back to the Great Understanding of all phenomena. The reason we use the term 'Great' is because it involves not merely an undersatnding of phenomena but the greater understanding of the nature of phenomena; and this is enlightenment.
The mere understanding of phenomena is simply an intellectual wisdom. Whether or not this type of wisdom can really help one proceed on the path to enlightenment is uncertain. To progressively develop a thorough intellectual knowledge before one gets onto the experiential path is practical, useful and important, but only as long as one remains sharp enough to not 'get off the track' and this, of course, depends on the strength of one's mind. By using this analogy of 'getting of the track' I am meaning to indicate that one can lose Great Understanding through the smaller intellectual understanding.
Actually we all know a great deal about phenomena and this has not helped us find the right way to enlightenment. On the contrary, it has obstructed our true understanding and we therefore have deceived ourselves. Things that many of us do which we assume are highly meaningful, are in fact not meaningful at all, and we act rather stupidly all because we do not possess this key of Great Understanding.
There are two kinds of stupidity - spiritual and worldly. Spiritual stupidity is simply an attachment to life and especially an attachment to ritual without any real insight into its meaning. This kind of stupidity will dissolve when you develop a true and Great Understanding of what you are committing yourself to in the practice; with the deity, the ritual, meditation, prayer and so on.
This commitment can also be called devotion or faith however it has nothing to do with blind faith. As a practitioner on the true path one should have a true and logical understanding. Wouldn't it be astonishing if a person could step onto the true path with blind faith? Although nothing in this world is impossible, this is almost impossible.
With regard to devotion a practitioner must know how to differentiate between devotion and common desire or attachment. Common desire is practices by most beings spontaneously without any Great Understanding. If this is all that was required by those on the path of enlightenment then why are we not all enlightened by now? As already mentioned devotion is a deep and unconditional understanding. For example, if one has a thorough understanding of bamboo as always being hollow then no matter how much someone else tries to convince you that that particular piece of bamboo is solid, you will not be convinced.
One must therefore really understand the difference between devotion and attachment. To do this, as mentioned previously, one must acquire the appropriate wisdom. This wisdom is known in Tibetan as sherab and it literally means 'great understanding'. It excels all other understanding and is 'great' because it is beyond the knowledge of ordinary people, because it bestows births in higher realms and ultimately it bestows liberation. Furthermore it is 'great' because it temporarily grants all the possible goodness of samsara and nirvana.
If one practices the path gradually, either by using this excellent wisdom as the foundation, or by viewing it as the inseparable and intrinsic nature of devotion, one will cultivate the correct devotion which is based on firm conviction. Through the power of cultivating such devotion, one will naturally evoke both a yearning to be free of the machinations of cyclic existence and a desire to attain the excellent and sublime peace that transcends this cyclic existence. The boundless view of reality will dawn in one's mind by cultivating such devotion. One will clearly realize one's Guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, the law of cause and effect, the meaning of former and future rebirths as well as perceive all appearances as enlightened bodies. One will hear all audible sounds as the speech of the enlightened and know all thoughts as their mind. Inspired by a definite conviction that there is this hidden knowledge that any ordinary person can perceive, then one's desire to attain realization will be consolidated. This is called devotion of aspiration.
Attachment is the exact opposite of this devotion of aspiration. One should contemplate on the importance on not getting them confused.
One should also investigate one's purpose for embarking on the path. Striving on the path for the purpose of happiness in this life and for the attainment of a higher rebirth is referred to as inferior devotion. Some modern disciples however may consider this to be a good devotion as devotion within one's heart can appear idealistic and superficial.
If one embarks on the path with the intention of freeing oneself alone from samsara, it is called devotion of medium intelligence.
If one embarks on the path not for the sake of one's own liberation but with the sincere intention to free all sentient beings from samsara and to establish them into perfect liberation, this is called superior devotion. This must be practiced for it is mainly based on compassion. it is rather difficult to cultivate this superior faith without the assistance of loving-kindness and compassion, even if it may have had the foundation of the much emphasized wisdom.
When referring to devotion, I for one, strongly feel the inadequacy of 'raising of one's eye brows' and the shedding of emotional tears when one has been inspired by the teachings, for they are mere emotional reactions of superficial renunciation. This reaction is like flowers that wither at the end of the autumn season. Great Devotion rather refers to a noble intelligence which is comprised of devotion, diligence, wisdom and renunciation.
Especially in regard to the teacher-student relationship, unless it is inspired by the strong renunciation of this noble intelligence, I cannot see any purpose in it. People pursue it earnestly but it is really like the sand castles of a child's play. Such teachers or students make me laugh. Their relationship with one another is mainly held together by a powerful clinging disguised as devotion but it has no sense of renunciation.
A practitioner must at least have the inferior faith mentioned before. It seems that modern students who neither have cultivated the inferior faith or have any significant reasons for engaging in the teacher-student relationship other than to entangle themselves with strong clinging and craving are just like hungry dogs devouring a piece of liver, and they will only bring themselves personal misery and deceive the other.
Generally, a sense of clear joy is instantaneously generated when one has learnt the fundamental reasons for the path and then hears, sees and remembers the enlightened qualities. This is called devotion of clarity.
I, the yogi carry devotion in my heart.
The yogi's devotion will remain unshakable in the face of even the most adverse circumstances. It is not dependent on familiar or favorable surroundings. Thus I suppose one could distinguish this way.
Ha! Ha! Please examine whether this is relevant or not!
not accept it merely out of respect.
Thus one has the right to examine.
The teacher has to be at least someone who is enriched with the experience of practice, and who can emulate the complete and unmistaken qualities such as devotion and the rest which I have discussed as requirements for the students. it is certainly not the case that the teacher does not have to abide by the rules and the students made to experience difficulties. The function and the role of the teacher must be to emphasize the importance of adhering to the path of Dharma (not the personality of the teacher). While properly adhering to the path for the sake of others, the teacher should also look after the welfare of his students who have embarked on the path. Guiding students on the path and benefiting others is the main purpose of training on the path. if benefiting others is not carried out, the whole exercise has lot its purpose.
It is a contradiction for someone to lead others out of the ocean of samsara when they have not yet reached the dry land of liberation themselves. This is similar to a drowning person trying to save themselves by holding onto another drowning person.
In this way all efforts will undoubtedly go astray. The purpose of both this and future lives will be wasted and misery will be brought to oneself and others.
I, the Twelfth Drukpa, who is merely imputed and known as 'Padma' was unable to refuse the sincere request of others and wrote this with an insignificant motivation to benefit others.


text:
Montana State knocks off top-ranked Sam Houston
PHOTO COURTESY OF MSU SPORTS SERVICE
Tommy Mellott leads the Cats to victory
MSU SPORTS INFORMATION
HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Tommy Mellott scored three touchdowns and Montana State's defense limited Sam Houston to a season scoring low in a 42-19 quarterfinals victory in Huntsville, Texas, on Saturday night.
Mellott scored two rushing touchdowns and caught a scoring strike in addition to his two touchdown runs. He gained 76 yards on the ground and 165 through the air. The Cats rushed for 190 yards, holding Sam Houston to 79.
"We knew we needed to run the ball," said Bobcat coach Brent Vigen, "and stop the run. We did both of those things, and I think had more explosive plays than them. That's a good formula for us."
Senior receiver Lance McCutcheon caught two passes for 98 yards, becoming the sixth Bobcat to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in a season. Isaiah Ifanse became MSU's single-season rushing record-holder by gaining 105 yards.
Tre Webb, Simeon Woodard and Jeffrey Manning Jr. each picked off passes for MSU. Troy Andersen led the Cats with 11 tackles, while Callahan O'Reilly registered 10. Daniel Hardy had two sacks, while Brody Grebe and Ben Seymour each logged one.
The Bobcats exploded out of the gates, marching 75 yards for a touchdown on the game-opening drive. After a 3-yard rush by Willie Patterson, Mellott found McCutcheon for a 31-yard gain. After a five-yard gain by Patterson and a defensive pass interference, Mellott rushed for two yards and then Willie Patterson threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Mellott on a play that resembled the Eagles' Philly Special in the Super Bowl.
The game tilted in MSU's favor on the ensuing possession. On third-and-5, Tre Webb intercepted a pass at the 24, and on the next play Mellott found Patterson for a touchdown.
The teams traded punts, then after the Bobcat defense stopped Sam Houston on fourth down, the Cats marched 55 yards for a touchdown. Mellott capped the first half trifecta, scoring from 1 yard out. That gave MSU a 21-0 lead with 14:24 to play in the first half.
Five minutes later, the Bobcat defense set up another offensive score. Jeffrey Manning Jr. intercepted a pass at the Sam Houston 31 and returned it to the 3. Two plays later, Mellott scored from 2 yards out to push MSU's lead to 28-0. The Bearkats used a 75-yard drive late in the second quarter to draw to within 28-6 at halftime.
Sam Houston's rally continued on the other side of the intermission. The Bearkats scored on the third play of the second half, a 61 yard pass from Eric Schmid to Ifey Adeyl to draw the Bearkats within 28-12. But MSU restored order after an exchange of punts. Taking over at their own one, the Bobcats scored on the fifth play of the drive. First, Mellott converted a third down with a 22-yard run, then he threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to McCutcheon to extend the lead to 35-12.
The Bearkats used a trick play and scored on a 61-yard touchdown pass from Eric Schmid to Ife Adeyi to cut the MSU lead 35-19. The Bobcats would have to go on defense again but they halted Sam Houston as Daniel Hardy completed a fourth down sack. Ifanse ran for a 42-yard rushing touchdown late to seal the win.
Montana State now returns home on Saturday, Dec. 18, to host South Dakota State at Bobcat Stadium. The semifinal game kicks off at 12 p.m. MT and airs on ESPN2.
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