Podcasts about Mig

Hexcloak justiciar Caoimhe Wake and her two ad hoc assistant investigators, Antistrophe Landrace and Brontë Adelvys, have their work cut out for them. First and foremost, there's the matter of these strange, flaming creatures attacking a traveling Lobble and his stagecoach full of supplies. And then there's there's the matter of Burzin, the small desert township on the horizon. After generations of simplicity and stability, the town has faced a sudden wave of inexplicable destruction as a phenomenon that can only be described as “invisible fire” has razed much of the town to ash. Will Caoimhe, Antistrophe, and Brontë find who—or what—is behind the blaze? Or will what remains of Burzin soon be burned away? This week on Perpetua: The Flames of Burzin Pt. 2  Perpetua Guide [In Progress v.02] NPCs & Monsters [PNMS] Flarie [NMFLR] Typical Traits: Curious, Fickle, Scornful, Superior  Stats: DEX 8, INS 10, MIG 6, WLP 8 Attacks: Flame Dart Special Abilities: Flying, Crisis: Wildfire In-Game Description: A devious flying flame, vaguely int he shape of a fairy. Flaries are cute, but they're also dangerous, especially early on! They're ranged attackers who hover just out of melee reach, so you'll need to either hit crit them or get them down to half health with ranged or magic attacks, or hit their elemental weakness. And remember, Perpetua doesn't have water magic for some reason, and Fire often Melts Ice! Any guesses on what that leaves as a natural vulnerability? That's right: EARTH. Toss some dirt on these little jerks and you'll bring ‘em down to ground level. Starter Tip: Get ready to heal once you knock them into crisis! Their Wildfire move is devastating! Embear [NMEMB] Typical Traits: Pround, Hungry, Scorching, Territorial Stats: DEX 8, INS 8, MIG 10, WLP 6 Attacks: Flame Claw Special Abilities: Burn Back (Reaction) In-Game Description: A large, ursine figure of fire looking for something to eat. These guys are the brawn to the Flaries'... well, not quite brains, but fla(i)r, I guess? At the start of the game, they really pack a wallop, so try to keep your weaker characters away from their Flame Claw strikes. I wonder what type of bear they're supposed to be? Do any bears really live in the dessert???  Starter Tip: At first blush, their Burn Back reaction attack seems totally broken. But remember, it only hits melee attackers! Aisling Revanj (she/her) [NMAR] Traits: Ambitious, Mean Spirited, Envious, Loyal Stats: ??? Attacks: ??? Spells: ??? In-Game Descriptions: Fiery Hexcloak who oversees Burzin and the surrounding region. When I first saw concept art of her during previous, I thought she'd be one of my favorite characters, but it turns out that she's an ABSOLUTE B**!  She's so superior and “holier-than-thou,” if that's the right phrase. And it's not like she solves ANYTHING, she's just always getting int he way. I cannot WAIT to fight her later on in the game. Starter Tip: You can basically button through all of her dialog, she doesn't say anything important IMO! Hosted by Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social) Featuring Janine Hawkins (@bleatingheart), Sylvi Bullet (@sylvibullet), and Keith J Carberry (@keithjcarberry) Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Art by Ben McEntee (https://linktr.ee/benmce.art) With thanks to Amelia Renee, Arthur B., Aster Maragos, Bill Kaszubski, Cassie Jones, Clark, DB, Daniel Laloggia, Diana Crowley, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, Jake Strang, Katie Diekhaus, Ken George, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mark Conner, Mike & Ruby, Muna A, Nat Knight, Olive Perry, Quinn Pollock, Robert Lasica, Shawn Drape, Shawn Hall, Summer Rose, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, Voi, chocoube, deepFlaw, fen, & weakmint This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.  

According to The Verge, Nintendo is banning some Switch 2 consoles for using a Mig flash cartridge. In this episode, hosts Paul John Spaulding, Kyle Haglund, VP, Audio Engineering at Cybercrime Magazine, and Sam White, Video Producer at Cybercrime Magazine, discuss their thoughts on what this means for gamers, the reasons behind Nintendo's decision, and more. • For more on cybersecurity, visit us at https://cybersecurityventures.com

What really happens when a U.S. Marine fighter pilot faces off with a Russian MiG-29 at 8Gs? In this week's episode of Urban Valor, we sit down with Major Ed Rush, a decorated Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot with nearly 2,000 hours of tactical flight time and over 50 combat missions under his belt.Raised by a legendary basketball coach and an NBA referee, Ed's journey took him from a high-pressure family legacy to the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan. In this episode, he shares how a lie at a bar landed him in the Marines, what it feels like to be shot at during takeoff, and the second-by-second breakdown of an epic simulated dogfight against a Russian MiG-29.Ed didn't just fly F/A-18s—he became the #1 dogfighting instructor in the Marine Corps, helped shape the F-35 training program, and later launched a successful entrepreneurial career by applying fighter pilot tactics to leadership and life.

Navid är tillbaka och den här gången pratar vi mind, tankar och hur många av oss har ett ohälsosamt beroende till dem som vi kanske inte själva riktigt ser. Vi pratar om varför vi utvecklar ett beroende till tankarna, vad de är bra för och hur vi kan ta oss bortom vårt mind och låta det få jobba för oss, inte emot oss. Ett kärt ämne för mig som ni vet och dessutom ett avsnitt inspelat från en sårbar plats i mig själv. Vi pratar förstås med non-duality som lins, som alltid. Din sanning. Du hittar Navid och vad som är på gång hos honom här: https://simranmeditation.com eller på Instagram @simranmeditation Mig hittar du här: https://helenaonneby.comSigna upp dig för mina love letters: https://instagram.com/helenaonneby

Mig is joined by Tom "Snap" Gonnella to chat about their multi-decade friendship, founding Gianni Cycling, and all things cycling. Gianni Cycling: https://www.giannicycling.org/ Miguel Crawford: https://www.instagram.com/grasshopperadventureseries

For millennia, the eastern continent of Perpetua was ruled by a sprawling empire centered on the capital city of Milsource, where a living river sprung from nothing, and flowed to all the edges of the land. The empire's reach followed the running water, stretching north across the territory of the clannish Elevana and south, where the empire put leash to the fractious burroughs. It was a time of Tyranny..  But one day, a thousand years ago, the river was mysteriously pulled away into the sea, leaving the empire as dry and cracked as the riverbeds it left behind. Soon, it passed into dust, and the future opened wide with possibility. In the south, the once-squabbling burroughs found themselves re-aligned towards freedom—a state they guaranteed bywith their impressive magic. And in the north, the once quarrelsome elven clans forged themselves into a powerful coalition of independent city states… By now, you have heard of Salix, the Balming Willow, home to adventurer Arley Bates… but do you know the rest of the Elevana League? Cenn, City of Iron Chains. Lumai, the Gleaming Fortress. Glaishora, Frosted Port Town. Billough, the Floating Isle. Fulmin, Storm-brushed Bay. Marl, Bustling Mountain Pass. Parisolia, Sun Scorched Mine. Shadow-Spired Umbexia. It is here, in the Elevana League, that our second group of heroes takes the stage. A wizard of the boroughs, drained of his magic. A rakish princeling far from home. And an arcane investigator who cares more for justice than peace. Hiking down the hills days south of Parisolia, towards a little town in the brush, where they've heard rumor that an entropic curse called Sourcerot has taken hold. Whether it's empty talk, a mundane threat to people's lives, or a grand premonition of Perpetua's end, they may be the only ones able or willing to confront it. This week on Perpetua:  Perpetua Guide [In Progress v.02] Playable Characters - Eastern Scenario [PPCE] Antistrophe Landrace (he/him) [ALPC] Identity: Troubled, eccentric career pathfinder Theme: Doubt Origin: One of The Hundred Burroughs Classes: Guardian, Loremaster, Tinkerer Stats: DEX 6, INS 8, MIG 10, WLP 8 At the start of the game, Antistrophe is exactly what he looks like: A Huge Walking Fortress. With two shields and a ton of HP, he's going to be the guy you want taking hits for your team. He's ultra resilient and believe it or not, his high Might means that he can really do damage with those shields too! He also has a ton of utility in investigation scenes! Starter Tip: Antistrophe's Potion Rain ability is really random BUT it can give you effects that you cannot get from regular consumables from shops. If there's nothing to do (and no one needs to be defended that round) give it a shot! Brontë Adelvys (he/him) [BAPC] Identity: Dissipated Sixth Scion of the First Line Theme: Scintillation Origin: Terroir, Grande Sonnerie Classes: Sharpshooter, Rogue, Dancer Stats: DEX 10, INS 8, MIG 6, WLP 8 Brontë is a huge horndog, but he's also super powerful in combat. It's not just the ranged damage he does, and it's not even the bonus attacks he can get off, it's also all the negative status effects he can apply! In Perpetua, status effects are really powerful because of how they lower stats directly. Once you get over his quips and flirtations, you'll fall for his combat power. Plus he starts with a TON of extra asta. Starter Tip: Brontë isn't anywhere as tough as Antistrophe, BUT he does have a pair of cute bodyguards who can take hits for him. So he can be your defender in a pinch! Caoimhe Wake (she/her) [CWPC] Identity: Caoimhe Wake Theme: Doubt Origin: Billough, the Floating Isle Classes: Elementalist, Weaponmaster Stats: DEX 10, INS 8, MIG 6, WLP 8 Caoimhe (pronounced KEE-VAH, apparently) definitely feels like THE main character of the Eastern campaign. Not just because she's a badass Justiciar, but also because she's the classic Spellsword archetype that everyone loves. (I'm guilty too!) She's the party's main source of elemental damage, so definitely consider expanding her magical repertoire as you get her leveled up! Starter Tip: Ventus is an incredible spell, not least of all because it can hit flying targets and on a critical hit, ground them (allowing Caoimhe to follow up with melee attacks before they can get flying again!)   Hosted by Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social) Featuring Janine Hawkins (@bleatingheart), Sylvi Bullet (@sylvibullet), and Keith J Carberry (@keithjcarberry) Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Art by Ben McEntee (https://linktr.ee/benmce.art) With thanks to Amelia Renee, Arthur B., Aster Maragos, Bill Kaszubski, Cassie Jones, Clark, DB, Daniel Laloggia, Diana Crowley, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, Jake Strang, Katie Diekhaus, Ken George, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mark Conner, Mike & Ruby, Muna A, Nat Knight, Olive Perry, Quinn Pollock, Robert Lasica, Shawn Drape, Shawn Hall, Summer Rose, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, Voi, chocoube, deepFlaw, fen, & weakmint This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.  

The full crew is finally back on deck this week, including Deano, who conveniently returns fresh off a rare win in the 6'Some Cup. The lads kick things off by celebrating yet another monster performance from KK, before diving into a weekend stacked with CEO points, a flood of doubles, and even a cheeky hat trick. Deano lets rip over Billy Slater's Game 2 selections, while Mig stirs the pot by backing teams outside the top four to make a genuine premiership push, much to Bona's disbelief. The Broncos still haven't won the panel over, and Mig goes rogue with a brand new off-script segment you didn't see coming. Plenty of laughs, plenty of points, and plenty of spice. Don't miss this one! This is NRLCEO HQ..

Lyssnarna berättar om de där fina stunderna från barndomen som etsat sig kvar. En speciell doft, en ostmacka i farmors kök eller fasters underbara gonattsagor. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Är det ögonblicket när du förstod av du verkligen skulle få det som du så hett önskat dig i födelsedagspresent? Din fasters snälla röst som läste sagor med en ängels tålamod? Eller grannen som alltid ordnade fotbollsturneringar för hela gatan när du var tonåring? Eller kanske den där bilresan som började kasst men som slutade på det bästa av sätt? Fina barndomsminnen i Karlavagnen med Sarit MonastyrskiRing oss, mejla på karlavagnen@sverigesradio.se eller skriv till oss på Facebook och Instagram. Slussen öppnar kl 21:00 och programmet börjar efter Sportextra, ca kl 21:40.

Přišel čas na další tierlist - a tentokrát je pořádně tvrďáckej, džjé. V minulosti už jsme řadili ikonické světové rockové kapely, dnes se takzvaně podíváme na zoubek českému bigbítu. Lokální kapely, které všichni znáte a milujete (nebo nenávidíte), jsme seřadili do pěti úhledných kategorií. Silné názory máme na tato abecedně řazená uskupení:V první půlce Argema, Buty, Čechomor, Divokej Bill, Chinaski, Kabát, Kryštof, Lucie, Mig 21 a Mňága a žďorp

Hyllade kocken och krögaren Johan Jureskog bestämde sig för att bli bra något - och det blev matlagning. Han anser att glada kockar lagar bättre mat och berättar varför han bröt Vasaloppet och inte gillar att leka med barnen. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play.

After a week off, the pod is back, but Deano isn't. He's off doing some soul searching after slumping to last place in the 6'Some Cup. That leaves Bona and Mig to hold down the fort and stir the pot. The boys recap Origin I and offer Coach Slater some helpful advice for Game 2, including a few bold selection calls. There's praise (and a little eye-rolling) for the usual double workhorse suspects, and the lads dive into Lachlan Galvin's move to the Bulldogs, with some pointed words for Gus Gould and his sneaky antics. Mig doesn't miss the chance to throw some extra salt on the Broncos' wounds with a few home truths, and we get stuck into how the Origin schedule could be fixed to ease the pain for CEO coaches. All that plus a look ahead to the Round 14 matchups. Plenty to unpack—don't miss it! This is NRLCEO HQ..

In this episode, Jason sits down with Eric and Stacia Mueller, owners of Edge Welding Cups, to discuss how they've built a family-run business that's disrupting the welding consumables industry. From humble beginnings in scientific glassblowing to producing high-performance TIG and MIG accessories used in critical industries, their journey is all about people over profit. Hear how their commitment to customer service, community outreach, and student engagement is creating lasting impact. They also break down their approach to custom cup design, laminar gas flow benefits, and the exciting new frontiers they're tackling in aerospace, nuclear, and even plasma welding. Follow Edge on Instagram Here   Arc Junkies Podcast: Instagram: @Arcjunkiespodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arcjunkiespodcast9253 Email: Show@arcjunkies.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-becker-45407b72?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BKipEwR3uQXCmCjaEfNzo6w%3D%3D Arc Junkies Website: https://arcjunkies.com Arc junkies Merch: https://shop.threadmob.com/arcjunkie/shop/home Underground Metal Works: https://www.underground-metalworks.com/   Friends of the Show: American Welding Society Conferences Weld Summit https://www.aws.org/community-and-events/conferences-and-events/welding-summit/registration#regform Use ARCJUNKIES at Checkout and get a free gift at the event. Outlaw Leather LLC Outlawleather.com Instagram: @outlawleatherusa Use ARCJUNKIES for 15% off all in-stock leather goods   International Welding Bureau Internationalweldingbureau.com   Everlast Welders Instagram: @everlastwelders  YouTube: Everlast Welders         Online: https://bit.ly/37xJstI Use Codeword ARCJUNKIES at checkout to get upgraded to a free Nova Foot Pedal and TIG Torch with the purchase of any machine that comes with a stock foot pedal and TIG Torch. Walter Surface Technologies https://hubs.ly/Q034MdgX0 ISOTUNES: Instagram: @isotunesaudio Online: https://shop.isotunes.com/arcjunkies10.  Use ARCJUNKIES10 at checkout and save $10 on your purchase    

I P4 Extra-gästen berättar MS-sjuka Julia Möller Samuelsson och överläkaren Anders Svenningsson om sjukdomen som är som ett gerillakrig, om skillnaderna mellan att bli diagnostiserad nu och då och om att acceptera det nya normala. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play.

Om att vägra uppleva kultur i grupp, kan Hollywood-tullar göra att alla vill se iransk film? Och äntligen får Salman Rushdie festa utan dåligt samvete. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Nanna Olasdotter Hallberg och Kristofer Andersson om kulturveckan som gått.

I helgen frigavs journalisten Joakim Medin från det turkiska fängelse där han tillbringat 51 dagar i fångenskap, något som präglat medierapporteringen sen dess. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Det har varit idel personporträtt och glädjeskildringar, men utöver det har flera medier försökt skildra spelet bakom frisläppandet. En sak som väckt nyfikenhet är tidssambandet mellan frisläppandet av Joakim Medin och SÄPO:s gripande av en diplomat på UD och en kurdisk politiker i Sverige som misstänks för grov obehörig befattning med hemlig uppgift. De är nu försatta på fri fot, men fortsatt misstänkta. I veckan publicerade sajten Blankspot uppgifter från en hemlig källa som sa att gripandet av de här personerna i själva verket var del av en informell bytesaffär mot Joakim Medin. Vi försöker reda ut om det orsakssamband som Blankspot påstår finns - verkligen finns. Reporter: Lasse TruedsonSVT Västernorrland + Timrå kommun = sant?SVT Nyheter Västernorrland har fått ny redaktionschef och ansvarig utgivare. Hon heter Kristin Hånell och har jobbat där i olika roller i snart 30 år. Så långt, inget konstigt. Men - det finns en pikant detalj här: Hon är gift med Stefan Dalin, kommunstyrelsens ordförande i Timrå och chef för kommunala Torsbodabolaget. Så frågan är - hur står det egentligen till med oberoendet på norrländsk public service?Reporter: Freddi RamelSkandalhistorien om EU-kommissionens gömda SMSVåren 2021. Europa ligger lamslaget och nedstängt av Coronapandemin. Världen väntar på de första vaccindoserna, och trycket på läkemedelsbolagen är skyhögt. Just då lyckas EU-kommissionen sluta ett osannolikt avtal med läkemedelsjätten Pfizer värt 380 miljarder kronor. Ett avtal som sluts på sms. Sms, som när journalister vill få titta på dem, tycks vara... Spårlöst försvunna! Det här har under åren utvecklats till en stor skandal i EU som närskådats av flera instanser och journalister. Den går under namnet Pfizergate. I förra veckan nådde den här historien sin kulmen, när EU-domstolen satte ner foten kring huruvida det var rätt eller fel att inte lämna ut smsen. Reporter: Martina Pierrou

Möt Kazuo Ishiguro i en exklusiv intervju från Cannes Filmfestival där filmatiseringen av hans debutroman A pale view of hills visas. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Kazuo Ishiguro berättar om sin roll i filmatiseringen av hans böcker och om kärleken till filmen. Han berättar också om vad som kan förstöra en filmatiseringen av en bok.Reporter: Björn Jansson.

I denne uges udsendelse går vi ”all in” på dansk popmusik, på en opfordring fra vores lytter Carsten. Han har nemlig henledt vores opmærksomhed på, at Politikken i denne måned har kørt en artikelserie, hvor de en gang for alle, vil finde ud af, hvad der er Danmarks bedste popsang. Det kunne vi selvfølgelig ikke ignorere, og vi har nu taget fat i listen over de 100 sange med et bredt spektrum af genrer og kunstnere, og som er blevet valgt af Politikkens 2 anmeldere Simon Lund og Pernille Jensen. Vi vælger selv vores favoritter fra perioderne 1930-1969, 70'erne, 80'erne, 90'erne. 00'erne, 10'erne og 00'erne, og det betyder, at vi spiller pragtfulde numre fra bl.a. Love Shop, Dodo And The Dodo's, Junior Senior, Gitte Hænning, Shit og Chanel, Povl Dissing, Ulige Numre og Guldimund. Vi diskuterer desuden manglerne på listen (og dem er der et par stykker af), kriterierne for udvælgelsen og om man overhovedet kan rangere popmusik på den måde. Derudover snakker vi Kodabladet (måske med Jacob Gade som idolplakat), vores yndlingsbyggematador Bøje Nielsen, dansk pops guldalder i 80'erne, morgenkåber og sutsko i 90'erne, en forårsdag i november, hyldester til både natten, København og Aarhus, og så stævner vi ud i en skonnert fra havnen i Basnæs. Playliste: Povl Dissing og Beefeaters - Den grimmeste mand i byen Gitte Hænning - Ta' med ud å fisk Kasper Winding & C.V. Jørgensen - Mig og Charly Shit & Chanel - Smuk og dejlig Dodo And The Dodo's - Sømand af verden Gangway - My girl and me Love Shop - En nat bliver det sommer Junior Senior - Move your feet Ulige Numre - København Ganger - Bye bye Tobias Rahim & Andreas Odbjerg - Stor mand Guldimund - Det' kun vigtigt, hvad det er Medley: 25 fantastiske danske popsange vi mangler

Xung đột vũ trang bùng lên đầu tháng 5/2025 giữa Ấn Độ và Pakistan, sau vụ tấn công khủng bố khiến hơn 20 du khách Ấn Độ thiệt mạng tại vùng lãnh thổ tranh chấp ở Kashmir. Ấn Độ tiến hành chiến dịch Sindoor để trả đũa, với cáo buộc Islamabad đồng lõa. Trong đụng độ Ấn Độ - Pakistan vừa qua, có một quốc gia khác được nhắc đến nhiều: Trung Quốc. Câu hỏi mà nhiều người đặt ra là : Có phải Trung Quốc là bên hưởng lợi chính từ xung đột Ấn Độ - Pakistan ? Lần đầu tiên vũ khí tân tiến do Trung Quốc sản xuất đọ sức trên quy mô lớn với vũ khí hiện đại phương Tây. Nhưng các lợi ích mà Bắc Kinh thu được không chỉ là vũ khí.***Trong cuộc xung đột diễn ra từ đêm ngày 06 qua ngày 07/05/2025, theo truyền thông quốc tế, hai bên đã sử dụng tổng cộng 125 phi cơ chiến đấu tham chiến trong vòng hơn một giờ đồng hồ. Đây được coi là một trong những cuộc không chiến lớn nhất trong lịch sử quân sự thế giới từ nhiều thập niên nay, theo đài Mỹ CNN. Không quân Ấn Độ chủ yếu sử dụng các loại máy bay chiến đấu do Pháp sản xuất như Rafale và Mirage và của Nga, như Su-30MKI và Mig-29. Phía Pakistan là các tiêm kích F-16 của Mỹ và các chiến đấu cơ JF-17 và J-10C của Trung Quốc.Chống vũ khí tân tiến phương Tây : Lần đầu tiên vũ khí Trung Quốc thực chiến trên quy mô lớn Trả lời AFP, nhà nghiên cứu Siemon Wezeman, Viện Nghiên cứu Hòa bình Quốc tế Stockholm (Sipri), nhận định đây là « lần đầu tiên kể từ thập niên 1980, một nước sử dụng một số lượng lớn vũ khí Trung Quốc với nhiều chủng loại khác nhau giao chiến với một nước khác ». Theo Islamabad, quân đội Pakistan trong cuộc đọ sức này đã bắn hạ 5 phi cơ đối thủ, trong đó có « ba chiến đấu cơ Rafale » Pháp sản xuất. Phía Ấn Độ xác nhận có tổn thất, nhưng không cho biết cụ thể.Các phương tiện truyền thông thân Bắc Kinh quảng bá rầm rộ cho chiến thắng này. Trang Asia Times có bài « Trung Quốc là bên giành thắng lợi lớn nhất trong trận không chiến Ấn Độ -Pakistan » (ngày 21/05/2025), thuật lại một cách hào hứng không khí chiến thắng với đoạn mở đầu như sau « những tiếng reo hò hân hoan nhất » là dành để « chào mừng các phi công Pakistan, lái máy bay phản lực do Trung Quốc chế tạo, bắn tên lửa PL-15 đầy uy lực, được cho là giúp bắn hạ 6 phi cơ chiến đấu của Ấn Độ, do Pháp và Nga chế tạo. Trung Quốc ăn mừng chiến tích của Pakistan. »Thực đơn Không quân Pakistan : « bánh mỳ nướng Pháp » và « sa lát Nga »Asia Times cho biết, để nhạo báng Ấn Độ và tuyên truyền cho chiến thắng, Không Quân Pakistan (PAF) đưa lên mạng bức ảnh chụp thực đơn « Bữa sáng của sĩ quan phòng không », với hai món « bánh mỳ nướng kiểu Pháp » và « sa lát Nga », ngụ ý các phi cơ của Ấn Độ bị bắn hạ rạng sáng ngày mùng 7 tháng 5.Đài Pháp France 24 có bài mô tả không khí phấn khích trên các mạng xã hội Trung Quốc như Weibo, sau khi Islamabad loan tin. Nhà sản xuất phi cơ Rafale, tập đoàn Dassault Aviation, không trả lời đề nghị bình luận của France 24. Việc các cơ sở liên quan của Pháp im lặng dường như xác nhận độ tin cậy của các tin tức loan tải. Theo một phân tích của Washington Post, do ba chuyên gia về đạn dược thực hiện, những hình ảnh được kiểm chứng tại địa điểm rơi máy bay cho thấy các mảnh vỡ « tương thích với ít nhất hai máy bay chiến đấu do Pháp sản xuất mà Không quân Ấn Độ sử dụng, bao gồm một chiếc Rafale và một chiếc Mirage 2000 ».Trung Quốc : Ít nhất là chiến thắng về hình ảnh trên truyền thôngKhông quân Pakistan chế giễu Ấn Độ đã lãng phí tiền bạc cho « giấc mơ 9 tỉ đô la » mua vũ khí phương Tây mới đây. Pakistan, quốc gia đồng minh của Mỹ, nhưng sử dụng nhiều vũ khí của Trung Quốc trong thời gian gần đây (với hơn 80% lượng nhập khẩu từ 2020 đến 2024, theo Sipri), hoan hỉ với chất lượng vũ khí Trung Quốc. Theo Asia Times, vũ khí Trung Quốc sẽ không những được Pakistan mua nhiều hơn, mà còn thu hút cả Ai Cập, Iran hay Ả Rập Xê Út, sau trận thực chiến vừa qua.Mặc dù vẫn còn quá sớm để « rút ra kết luận », chuyên gia về Trung Quốc Carlotta Rinaudo, thuộc Nhóm nghiên cứu an ninh quốc tế (ITSS) Verona, được France 24 dẫn lại, tin rằng đây quả là « một chiến thắng lớn cho Trung Quốc về mặt hình ảnh, đặc biệt là đối với một quốc gia mà về mặt lý thuyết, chưa từng tiến hành chiến tranh kể từ cuộc chiến tranh với Việt Nam năm 1979 và vũ khí của họ không có danh tiếng như vũ khí của Pháp hay của Mỹ ».Mắt xích chính của « Con đường tơ lụa mới » ở Nam Á: Quân đội Pakistan được lên dây cót tinh thần…  Một lợi thế khác với Trung Quốc qua xung đột này là uy tín của Quân đội Pakistan bất ngờ được phục hồi. Pakistan là đối tác số một của Trung Quốc tại khu vực, và là mắt xích chính của Con đường Tơ lụa mới của Trung Quốc tại Nam Á, nơi Bắc Kinh đã bỏ ra hàng chục tỉ đô la đầu tư xây dựng cơ sở hạ tầng. Uy tín của Quân đội Pakistan khởi sắc, Bắc Kinh ắt hẳn hoan hỉ. Ngày 10/05, ngày chấm dứt chiến sự với Ấn Độ kể từ giờ trở thành một ngày lễ tại Pakistan. Chính quyền Pakistan muốn tranh thủ cơ hội này cổ vũ cho Quân đội, mà uy tín vốn bị sụt giảm mạnh từ nhiều năm nay.Phóng sự của đặc phái viên Sonia Ghezali gửi về từ Islamabad :« Pakistan muôn năm ! Bọn trẻ hét vang khi gặp nhau trên đường phố. Chúng được người lớn xung quanh cổ vũ. Đây là một cảnh tượng thường thấy trong những ngày qua ở đất nước này. Những biểu ngữ mang màu xanh lá cây, màu cờ của Pakistan đã trở thành hình nền của một số ứng dụng trên điện thoại di động, một số chương trình truyền hình và một số tài khoản trên mạng xã hội. Pakistan tự coi mình là bên chiến thắng trong cuộc xung đột vừa qua với Ấn Độ. Quân đội Pakistan - vốn mất đi hào quang trong những năm gần đây, bị chỉ trích và bị cáo buộc liên quan đến những mờ ám về chính trị - nay lại được tôn vinh.Ali, một người đàn ông đứng tuổi, sống ở Islamabad, lưu ý rằng cách nhìn đã thay đổi đối với Quân đội. Ông nói : ‘‘Đã có thời điểm, Quân đội mất đi một số lợi thế trong việc giành được sự ủng hộ từ người dân Pakistan. Nhưng giờ đây, Quân đội được ủng hộ mạnh mẽ. Quân đội đã giành lại được trái tim của người dân Pakistan. Tôi đã bảo các con tôi phải tôn trọng quân đội, tôn trọng những người đang trong quân ngũ, để bảo vệ chúng ta và bảo vệ đất nước''. Lòng yêu nước đang mạnh mẽ hơn bao giờ hết ở Pakistan, nơi mà cho đến gần đây người dân vẫn tỏ ra ngờ vực chính quyền. »… nhưng tình hình có thể sớm đảo chiềuTrong một bài trả lời báo Ấn Độ The New Indian Express, bà Christine Fair, giáo sư Đại học Georgetown (Mỹ), một chuyên gia về chính trị Nam Á, xác nhận việc trước vụ tấn công khủng bố ở Kashmir và chiến dịch trả đũa « Sindoor », tổng tham mưu trưởng Lục quân Asim Munir và Quân đội Pakistan mất uy tín nặng nề đặc biệt do việc đàn áp cựu thủ tướng Imran Khan. Tuy nhiên, chuyên gia Nam Á Christine Fair cũng nhấn mạnh là cho dù xung đột vừa qua có thể lấy lại một phần thiện cảm của dân chúng và lên dây cót tinh thần cho quân đội Pakistan, nhưng tình hình có thể xoay chuyển theo chiều hướng ngược lại trong những tháng tới.Đó là chưa kể xét về tương quan lực lượng, quân đội Ấn Độ vẫn mạnh hơn nhiều, và trong cuộc đụng độ vừa qua, New Delhi đã nâng ngưỡng tấn công trả đũa khủng bố, với việc oanh kích thẳng vào một số cơ quan quân sự đầu não của Pakistan. Theo báo chí Ấn Độ, trong cuộc chiến chớp nhoáng 4 ngày này, quân đội Ấn Độ đã dùng tên lửa Brahmos tấn công 8 căn cứ không quân chính của Pakistan, trong đó có sân bay Nur Khan, cách thủ đô Islamabad chỉ 10 cây số, và dùng drone tấn công Bộ tư lệnh Quân đội Pakistan, Sở Kế hoạch Chiến lược (SPD), phụ trách bảo vệ các cơ sở vũ khí hạt nhân, một căn cứ của cơ quan Tình báo phụ trách Kashmir (trang Hindustan Times, ngày 16/05/2025).Chiến tranh Ấn – Pakistan có thể khiến nhiều « nước dao động » Nam Á ngả về Trung Quốc Về vị thế của Trung Quốc sau cuộc chiến 4 ngày Ấn Độ và Pakistan, một số chuyên gia chú ý đến việc hàng loạt quốc gia « dao động » (swing states) tại khu vực Nam Á, như Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan và Maldives, có thể điều chỉnh chiến lược, và ngả hơn về phía Trung Quốc. Bài « How South Asia's ‘swing states' navigate India-Pakistan tensions » (Các quốc gia ‘dao động' vùng Nam Á lèo lái ra sao trong bối cảnh căng thẳng Ấn Độ - Pakistan), của hai nhà nghiên cứu Rudabeh Shahid và Nazmus Sakib, đăng tải trên Atlantic Council (15/05/2025), nêu một số nhận định tổng quan đáng chú ý về 5 quốc gia nói trên.Bangladesh, đa số dân cư theo đạo Hồi, đang trong quá trình chuyển tiếp chính trị gian nan, sau khi nhà lãnh đạo độc tài thân Ấn Độ Sheikh Hasina bị lật đổ. Lập trường chống Ấn Độ trong dân chúng có nguy cơ gia tăng, khiến chính quyền Dhaka có thể phải khẳng định lập trường độc lập nhiều hơn, và thậm chí đối lập với Ấn Độ. Bangladesh có thể sẽ phải chấp nhận để Trung Quốc đầu tư nhiều hơn vào các cơ sở hạ tầng của nước này.Đảo quốc Sri Lanka cũng đang tiến trình phục hồi sau khủng hoảng kinh tế. Việc chính quyền Ấn Độ của thủ tướng Narendra Modi cổ vũ mạnh cho chủ nghĩa dân tộc Hindu, có thể thổi bùng lên chủ nghĩa dân tộc Phật giáo ở Sri Lanka. Liên minh giữa các lực lượng dân tộc chủ nghĩa Ấn giáo và dân tộc chủ nghĩa Phật giáo Sri Lanka có thể làm gia tăng thế đối đầu chống đạo Hồi tại Sri Lanka, làm tình hình nội bộ đảo quốc này thêm căng thẳng, khiến nỗ lực duy trì thế cân bằng chiến lược giữa Ấn Độ và Trung Quốc của Sri Lanka thêm khó khăn.Bên cạnh các quan hệ quân sự mật thiết với Islamabad, Bắc Kinh cũng có chính sách về đập nước, khẳng định như là sức mạnh chính nghĩa, mang lại đảm bảo về nước cho Pakistan, hành động theo luật pháp quốc tế, chống lại chủ trương của Ấn Độ, dùng nước như một vũ khí trừng phạt đối thủ (theo chuyên gia về chính sách đối ngoại của Trung Quốc với khu vực Ấn Độ - Thái Bình Dương, Sana Hashmi).Tạo bất ổn, khiến Ấn Độ kém thu hút hơn với giới đầu tư nước ngoài ? Nhưng liệu Trung Quốc có thể kích động xung đột Ấn Độ -Pakistan để tiếp tục hưởng lợi ? Trả lời RFI, chuyên gia về Ấn Độ Olivier Da Lage nhấn mạnh, xung đột bùng phát dữ dội cũng gây tổn thất lớn cho Bắc Kinh :« Về mặt địa chính trị, Trung Quốc hậu thuẫn Pakistan và không thể để Pakistan suy yếu quá một mức độ nhất định. Nhưng mặt khác, Trung Quốc cũng có lợi ích ở Ấn Độ, có lợi ích kinh tế rất lớn ở đây. Và cuối cùng, tại vùng biên giới bất ổn giữa Trung Quốc và Ấn Độ, đã có ​​nhiều cuộc đụng độ trong những năm gần đây. Nhưng trong khoảng một năm trở lại đây, đã có một quá trình xích lại gần nhau rất đáng kể mà Trung Quốc không thể bỏ qua vào thời điểm mà một cuộc đối đầu lớn đang được chuẩn bị, có thể là với Mỹ. Trung Quốc sẽ thiệt hại rất nhiều nếu xung đột bùng nổ tại một khu vực sát sườn. »Về vấn đề này, tại Ấn Độ cũng có quan điểm lo ngại là Bắc Kinh có thể hưởng lợi, khi không khí căng thẳng giữa Ấn Độ và Pakistan có thể làm nản lòng giới đầu tư nước ngoài trong bối cảnh dòng đầu tư đang có xu hướng chuyển một phần từ Trung Quốc sang Ấn Độ.***Tranh chấp về lãnh thổ giữa Ấn Độ và Pakistan bắt nguồn từ thời hai nước lập quốc, sau khi Anh Quốc chấm dứt chế độ thuộc địa. Các đối kháng, hận thù giữa người theo Hindu giáo và người Hồi giáo có xu hướng trỗi dậy mạnh mẽ trong bối cảnh đối đầu Mỹ - Trung ngày càng trở nên quyết liệt. Ấn Độ ngả nhiều hơn về phía Mỹ trong lúc Pakistan ngày càng gắn bó với Trung Quốc.Xung đột chưa từng có Ấn Độ - Pakistan từ hơn hai thập niên, đặc biệt với cuộc không chiến lần đầu tiên vũ khí tối tân Trung Quốc đọ sức với vũ khí phương Tây, có thể mang lại một số lợi thế nhất định cho Trung Quốc, nhưng nhìn toàn cục, một xung đột bùng phát dữ dội tại đây sẽ phá vỡ thế cân bằng vốn đã mong manh của khu vực, ắt hẳn cũng không phải là điều có lợi cho Trung Quốc, theo nhiều nhà quan sát.

När Hanna sket ner sig på skoldiscot. Christophers brakare efter att han fick en boll i magen. Maria Bornhöft från P3 Nyheter om nya lagen mot digitala sexköp. Michelle Hallström om Lady Gagas EGOT-jakt. Snälla döm mig inte men... Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Programledare: Christopher Garplind & Hanna Hellquist

Individualiseringen af snart sagt alting truer den europæiske civilisation. De europæiske eliter har så travlt med Mig, Mig og Mig. Det er blevet tid til at vinke farvel til den selvfede tidsånd og trække på tidligere erfaringer. Journalist, forfatter og rådgiver Bo Heimann mener, at normløsheden er gået amok. Han taler med Mikael Jalving om sin nye bog.

Artisten Linnea Henriksson förvandlas när sommaren kommer. I P4 Extra Gästen berättar hon varför hon förlorat känseln i armarna och om att rösta i sametinget för första gången. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play.

Don "Muddy" Watrous discusses his 28 Jan 1991 MiG-23 kill with the 32d TFS, the Wolfhounds. Episode 71 Part 2.Buy merch and books today! https://www.10percenttrue.com/product-page/baotdSupport me with a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/10percenttrue Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh0:00 “Hey Sir, mind if I take your picture?” (Teaser)2:28 Welcome back Muddy3:42 28th Jan 199129:30 diagnosing the unsuccessful Sparrow shots33:35 tanker crew were true to their word! 34:34 dissecting the timeline & engagement39:45 Bogey ID? 40:20 3's story?44:22 a what if?46:20 drop tank jettison envelope? 48:00 temporal distortion? 49:20 feelings on the outcome? 51:20 human aspect?53:55 rest of the war1:00:38 other lessons learned1:06:02 why continual re-learning?1:11:22 who killed the o-club?1:14:55 the returning Mig killer1:19:12 in squadron curiosity 1:20:55 fighting East German Fulcrums (4 ship flight lead qual)1:23:53 lessons learned on the Fulcrum1:29:30 dealing with high off boresight capabilities 1:34:15 any psychological legacy of the kill?1:36:20 part 3!

Stellan Skarsgård är het just nu, han kan ses i Star Wars-serien Andor, och är dubbelt aktuell på Cannes Filmfestival. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Stellan Skarsgård är med i norske regissören Joachim Triers Guldpalmstävlande film ”Sentimental Value”, och presenterar en satsning på en ny svensk barndeckare, ”Dante” i Cannes.Och det är leken i skådespelet som lockar honom:”Jag undviker att bli vuxen i min inställning till skådespelet, för barnets nyfikenhet behöver man ha kvar”, berättar Stellan Skarsgård för P1 Kulturs reporter Björn Jansson.

Likheten med Hollywood-stjärnan gör Konrad till en världssensation. Men ju mer känd han blir desto sämre mår han. Hur ska han hitta tillbaka till sig själv? Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Reporter och ljuddesign: Simon SarneckiProducent: Gustav AsplundSlutmix: Astrid AnkarcronaVerkligheten görs av produktionsbolaget Filt.

We're back, baby! After a 4-week freshen-up, the boys return with a bumper episode—longer than usual, but well worth the wait. Mig is riding high after Papi dragged him out of CEO jail against Bona's Legends, despite Mig all but waving the white flag on Saturday. Bona's putting on a brave face (just), while Deano's Dregs find themselves in a chaotic 3-way battle for 4th, 5th… and the spoon. The lads break down that Latrell field goal and debate whether his late try was against the spirit of the game, or just classic Latrell doing Latrell things. Speaking of controversy, is golden point still needed after the Panthers-Cowboys draw? And don't miss the underground conspiracy theory nobody's talking about… the mysterious wetting of the ball. (Robert Derby knows what we're on about.) From massive comebacks to the Perth Bears announcement, Vegas matchups, Origin selections, and the CEO gods blessing us with 5 double workhorses, this episode has it all. We also go around the grounds in the Legends of League comps and reveal the NRLCEO Dream Team as of Round 10. Strap in, it's good to be back! This is NRLCEO HQ..

Première soirée Planète Rap de Niaks ! Avec Mister You, MIG, Golozer...

Après l'attentat du 22 avril dernier dans le Cachemire Indien, la réponse de New Delhi est intervenue cette semaine avec un raid de représailles mené dans la nuit du 6 au 7 mai par l'Indian Air Force. Le Pakistan affirme avoir abattu cinq avions de combat indiens, puis peut-être un Rafale de fabrication française. Si le sort des appareils indiens est incertain, Pékin observe de très près ces tensions, malgré l'annonce d'un cessez-le-feu : l'industrie chinoise fournie les forces pakistanaises. C'est un test grandeur nature pour l'industrie de défense chinoise, à même de fournir de précieux retours d'expériences. Car le Pakistan, étroitement lié à Pékin, est équipé à plus de 80 % d'équipements militaires chinois, et achète de tout : missiles, avions, drones.Islamabad affirme avoir abattu trois Rafale, un Sukhoi 30 et un Mig 29. L'utilisation possible de missiles air-air chinois PL 15 embarqués sous les ailes d'avion chinois J10C est évoquée. Un Rafale aurait possiblement été détruit, disent les experts sans certitude, mais ce serait la première fois que l'avion français est perdu en situation de combat.C'est donc l'occasion de jauger les systèmes d'armes, mais aussi la préparation opérationnelle des pilotes. Et dans le cadre de l'opération aérienne sindoor (« vermillon », en français), l'Armée de l'air indienne semble avoir été un peu légère pointe l'expert aéronautique Xavier Tytelman : « Les Indiens l'ont très clairement dit, on n'a pas attaqué et on ne s'en est pas pris aux infrastructures militaires pakistanaises. Cela veut dire que, s'il y avait par exemple de la défense sol-air pakistanaise, ils ne l'ont pas détruite. Alors que normalement; c'est un préalable quand on entre dans une situation de guerre et de bombardements. Et à partir du moment où vous êtes dans une zone dans laquelle vous êtes à portée de missile, logiquement, malgré des très bons systèmes d'auto protection, vous n'êtes pas infaillible. » À lire aussiL'Inde et le Pakistan s'accusent mutuellement de violer le cessez-le-feu conclu plus tôt dans la journéeLes faiblesses de l'Indian Air ForceL'Indian Air Force, forte sur le papier de 1 500 appareils, reste essentiellement dotée d'avions russes vieillissants, elle a aussi probablement péché par excès de confiance et manque de maitrise des nouveaux appareils Rafale acquis récemment par New Delhi.L'armée indienne ne semble pas au niveau, souligne Olivier da Lage chercheur associé à l'Iris : « Alors, la réponse officielle des Indiens, c'est "nous ne voulions pas entrer dans une logique d'escalade et donc nous n'avons pas visé les installations militaires pakistanaises". N'empêche que cela révèle aussi une sous-estimation des capacités militaires pakistanaises, qui est préoccupante. Mais clairement, l'armée de l'air indienne n'est pas capable de faire face à un conflit de très grande ampleur, ce qui n'est pourtant pas le cas aujourd'hui, et à fortiori si la Chine devait mobiliser sur sa frontière en immobilisant une partie des armes indiennes, que ce soit l'armée de terre bien entendu, mais aussi l'armée de l'air. »Deux puissances nucléairesDepuis 1947, l'Inde et le Pakistan se disputent la région du Cachemire, les escalades sont fréquentes et toujours potentiellement dangereuses.Ce sont deux puissances dotées de l'arme nucléaire. Le Pakistan est doté de près de 170 armes sol-air, ainsi que d'une composante aérienne, notamment. Les risques sont donc d'autant plus élevés qu'entre les deux nations, les doctrines divergent, rappelle Olivier Da Lage : « L'Inde s'est ralliée à la doctrine quasiment universelle de l'engagement de ne pas utiliser en premier l'arme nucléaire. Ce n'est pas le cas du Pakistan, qui considère qu'une menace conventionnelle d'ampleur de la part d'un ennemi, en l'occurrence l'Inde, qui menacerait l'intégrité du pays et ses institutions, pourrait justifier le recours à la force nucléaire. » Mais le pire n'est jamais certain, d'autant que le troisième acteur régional, la Chine, n'a aucun intérêt à un affrontement à ses frontières. « Géopolitiquement, la Chine est derrière le Pakistan et elle ne peut pas laisser un affaiblissement du Pakistan se produire au-delà d'un certain niveau, indique Olivier Da Lage. Par ailleurs, la Chine a aussi des intérêts en Inde, il y a des intérêts économiques énormes. Et enfin la frontière entre la Chine et l'Inde et instable y a eu des affrontements ces dernières années. Mais depuis à peu près un an, il y a un processus de rapprochement qui est très significatif, que la Chine ne peut pas négliger au moment où se prépare une grande confrontation, peut-être avec les États-Unis. La Chine a beaucoup à perdre dans une conflagration dans son voisinage. »Attaques et ripostes, les opérations militaires se sont intensifiées jusqu'au samedi 10 mai et l'intervention ferme de la Chine. Les deux frères ennemis ont alors accepté un cessez-le-feu avec effet immédiat.

The crew of the Little Snail, traveling food truck and makeshift HQ for this band of equally makeshift adventurers, has agreed to escort a young priestess named Veile to a mysterious destination. Within days, they met their first obstacle: a group of mischievous Fleggs who've vandalized the Little Snail and sabotaged the way forward… This week on Perpetua: The Shadow of the Dragon Tower Pt. 02 Perpetua Guide [In Progress v.01] NPCs & Monsters [PNMS] Flegg [NMFL] Typical Traits: Mischievous, Anxious, Clever, Family Oriented Stats: DEX 8, INS 8, MIG 8, WLP 8 Attacks: Flegg Strike, Infuriate, Flegg Blast Special Abilities: Final Act: Stoneshell In-Game Description: A living egg. It comes up to your shins. It has a beak!? These guys must be a little different than they were in the demo, because they definitely didn't have the ability to turn into a stone when you killed them in Prelude. I wonder if something happened to them between the game or if the designers just rebalanced them? Anyway, they're a basic enemy type, pretty good for grinding, but don't underestimate how they can overwhelm you in a group. Starter Tip: Even though they're “monsters” you can actually try to use Persuasion on them! Vinnor Jekk (he/him) [NMVJ] Traits: Devoted, Optimistic, Pedantic, Arrogant Stats: ??? Attacks: ??? Spells: ??? In-Game Description: Solivigant of the Way of Fearless Truth who seeks to enact a world-saving prophecy. I can't tell what I think about this guy. Either he's going to betray the party and become a mid-game boss or he's just one of those guys you hate to talk to even though he's technically right about everything. No clue about stats/attacks/spells (because let's be real, this guy DEFINITELY has spells). Starter Tip: Depending on your dialog choices you can get a chance to snoop through his stuff to get more lore.  Chelik, Awakened Dragon Watcher (she/her) [NMCH] Traits: Wise, Focused, Out-of-Her-Time, Melancholy Stats: DEX 6, INS 10, MIG 6, WLP 10 Attacks: Elemental Charge  Spells: Ice Beam, Flame Breath In-Game Description: Recently revived scryer of the Dragon Watchers. I can't stress this enough: Chelik is an optional boss. Unless you have done a bunch of grinding, she's probably out of your range when you first meet her. Yes, you can get some really decent gear if you manage to knock her out, but I think it's probably worth trying to avoid the fight all together (or else use the Persuade command to try to escape it). Starter Tip: If she's using Elemental Charge, that means she's low on MP and you can probably push the advantage a little!   Hosted by Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social) FeaturingAli Acampora (ali-online.bsky.social), Art Martinez-Tebbel (amtebbel.bsky.social), Jack de Quidt (notquitereal.bsky.social), and Andrew Lee Swan (swandre3000.bsky.social) Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Art by Ben McEntee (https://linktr.ee/benmce.art) With thanks to Amelia Renee, Arthur B., Aster Maragos, Bill Kaszubski, Cassie Jones, Clark, DB, Daniel Laloggia, Diana Crowley, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, Jake Strang, Katie Diekhaus, Ken George, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mark Conner, Mike & Ruby, Muna A, Nat Knight, Olive Perry, Quinn Pollock, Robert Lasica, Shawn Drape, Shawn Hall, Summer Rose, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, Voi, chocoube, deepFlaw, fen, & weakmint This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.

Don "Muddy" Watrous discusses his route to the F-15 Eagle and the first 10 days of Operation Desert Storm leading up to his MiG-23 kill with the 32d TFS, the Wolfhounds. Buy merch and books today! https://www.10percenttrue.com/product-page/baotdSupport me with a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/10percenttrue Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh0:00 intro teaser thirsty ‘winder1:55 Welcome Muddy and episode background 4:50 Muddy's introduction8:50 did the feeling of flight live up to the expectations?10:40 refining the ambition, looking toward fighters12:05 UPT 17:20 FAIP'd before Eagles19:30 how the instructor gig set up later success?21:32 students providing scares?25:10 any IMC flying (preparing for European Theatre) and curtain take offs?30:45 dealing with not getting Eagles on first assignment 33:10 getting the Eagle assignment 35:20 FTU and walking up to the jet for the first time, adjustment after the Talon?40:40 systems assimilation 43:10 realising the dream/feeling like you've made it? 48:10 fighter culture/Eagle community 51:30 Wolfhounds mission at Soesterberg and a cross country to Germany 58:15 Intercept practice 1:00:37 Flogger threat/knowledge?1:03:48 MSIP?1:04:12 10percenttrue.com/shop 1:04:55 lead up to war, losing jets to Saudi, being sidelined, northern front in Iraq1:15:40 expectations upon arrival with just 4 jets?1:18:10 any study prep on Iraqi AF prior to deployment?1:23:15 arriving in Turkey and getting oriented in the composite wing1:28:00 is Intel from the southern forces and engagements filtering through? 1:32:12 objectives of the northern mission?1:35:35 not so smart/“adding to the war effort1:38:00 initial combat missions and compartmentalisation 1:43:35 NATO AWACS shortcomings 1:45:52 “EAGLEWACS”1:48:42 observed IAF behaviour in the initial 10 days?

Anyone who knows modified cars will have heard of the Ring Brothers, builders of some of the greatest custom machines ever conceived. With huge scope and an equally impressive price tag, these incredible vehicles take every single piece of a build to the next level. This week, we're sitting down with the fabricator responsible for bringing these works of art to life.

Hör inringarnas tankar om mode och stil i Karlavagnen med Susanna Alakoski. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Årets Met-gala på Metropolitan Museum of Art i New York äger rum måndag den 5, maj 2025 med början kl 23.00 svensk tid. Temat i år är ”Tailored For You” och värdar är Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo och A$AP Rocky tillsammans med modeikonen Anna Wintour. Brukar du kolla på kreationerna på röda mattan? Vilka är dina favoritmodetrender just nu? Hur har din stil förändrats över åren? Hur viktigt är det för dig att ha skräddarsydda kläder? Vad tycker du om hållbart mode och vad är det? Vilka accessoarer tycker du är ett måste för att komplettera en outfit? Hur påverkar årstiderna ditt val av kläder? Vilka är dina bästa tips för att hitta kläder som passar perfekt? Eller är mode inte alls viktigt för dig?Har du kanske något annat i livet, förutom kläder, som varit skräddarsytt för dig?Hör av dig och berätta!Skräddarsytt för mig med Susanna AlakoskiRing eller mejla oss, på karlavagnen@sverigesradio.se eller skriv till oss på Facebook och Instagram. Telefonslussen öppnar kl. 21. Programmet startar kl. 21:40 eller ca kl. 22.30.

Bastion Blaque, battle-hardened ranger and erstwhile captain of the Sonnerian royal guard. Canary Shye, Placid Guardian and master of the Cyclic Hand School of Combat. Quarter Tomm, high arcanist of the hundred burroughs and virtuoso conductor of the elements.Powerful alone, together they were the famed adventurers known as the IRON TRIGON. Which is why, Vinnor Jekk, heterodox cleric of the Way of Fearless Truth hired them when he needed protection for his would-be-protege, the girl of prophecy. Setting out from Verus, capital of the Holy Protectorate, they eschewed train and carriage, traveling surreptitiously across the savannah, hidden in mountains' shadow, towards the seaside village of Salann where their wide-eyed charge awaited  And as they learned, with ward in tow, she was not alone in awaiting them. Just halfway to their destination, in moonbright night, AMBUSH. Exhaustion. Blinding light. Confusion. Blades unsheathing. The sound of shouting. Magic unfettered. A poisonous air. The cry of death. Was it simple luck or evidence of the prophecy that the young novice they were sheltering escaped that night? That she stumbled forward, alive, into the warm dark. That her protectors had not failed her, in the end, and that she moved now towards new bodyguards, unlikely bodyguards. Not quite heroes, but fellow travelers, if from worlds so unlike her own.  And with death behind her, and rendezvous with a fated future ahead, she wondered if that wasn't better, maybe? To spend some time not with champions of virtue or mythic figures, but with regular Perpetuans just like her.  This week on Perpetua: The Shadow of the Dragon Tower Pt. 1 Perpetua Guide [In Progress v.01] Hey everyone, we made it to release! Welcome to this new FAQ for Perpetua. Because the site's system is Biased towards walkthroughs that are A) oldest B) most updated, I'm releasing this guide on day 1 even though it's pretty slim right now! And unlike some other FAQ writers, I'm not just copying whatever they say in the “official guide.” So that means you can actually TRUST what's here. Anyway, on to the good stuff! Playable Characters - Western Scenario [PPCW] Elena Millefiori (she/her) [EMPC] Identity: Megadungeon Hostess Theme: Tourism Origin: Passika Megadungeon Rillspur Classes: Chanter, Spiritualist, Elementalist Stats: DEX 6, INS 10, MIG 6, WLP 10 The Prelude did NOT make me think that the Passikan dungeons had "hostesses" but whatever! Elena is the western party's de facto combat mage. Don't be fooled by her looks, she's one of the hardest hitting members in the party for SURE. Yes, she has those bard-like chants, and those are cool, but let me tell you, her elementalism spells pack a punch. Starter Tip: Her BARRIER spell is essential in the early game before you start to get better armor. Always keep it up! Jonathan (he/him) [JNPC] Identity: An elderly Terrapine gear-head Theme: Curiosity Origin: Clay Ridge Classes: Tinkerer, Loremaster Stats: DEX 8, INS 10, MIG 6, WLP 8 Remember this guy from Prelude!? Everyone was debating whether any of the demo characters were gonna show up in the full game, and basically NO ONE thought about the weird turtle man. But here he is! He's a "gear head," which means he can make magical gadgets and devices. Yes that means to use him right, you really have to learn how to craft and how to manage your IP. BUT if you do, it really pays off.  Starter Tip: Jonathan is MORE THAN JUST HIS MAGICANNON. Yes it's powerful. But his Magispheres are great too. Remember to use Acceleration! "Uncle Nicky" Nikolas "Niko Da Shark" Dashiell (he/him) [UNPC] Identity: Redeemed Scoundrel Chef Theme: Anger Origin: Sonnerean Classes: Dark Blade, Gourmet Stats: Dex 10, INS 8, MIG 8, WLP 6 I have to say I did NOT expect this guy's backstory (mobster turned traveling chef? Cool!)! I also really didn't expect how much his unique cooking mechanics change every layer of the game. Unlike in the East scenario, traveling with this group always has a benefit because you're constantly finding new ingredients. He's also definitely the best physical damage dealer this party has. Plus, the way he gets furious in combat is hilarious.  Starter tip: Give him the best armor you can, because even though he isn't a tank, a lot of his abilities are based on getting hit. Veile Lynndel (she/her) [VLPC] Identity: Chosen Priestess Theme: Duty Origin: Pastoral Chapel of Salann Classes: Orator, Entropist Stats: DEX 6, INS 10, MIG 6, WLP 10 I guess I can't say for sure, but this “girl of prophecy” is definitely one of those high potential characters who will get way, way better as you level her up. That doesn't mean her starting skill set is weak, it's just that she's very support focused in the early game. Interestingly: She has the same starting stats as Elena—and I think it's funny that they keep having scenes together where they're sort of compared/contrasted. Starter tip: The ability Lucky 7 is BROKEN. Don't forget that if you have a low number “saved” in your Lucky slot, you can use it on a great roll just to cycle it out and put something better in!   Hosted by Austin Walker (austinwalker.bsky.social) Featuring Janine Hawkins (bleatingheart.bsky.social) Sylvi Bullet (sylvibullet.bsky.social), Ali Acampora (ali-online.bsky.social), Art Martinez-Tebbel (amtebbel.bsky.social), Jack de Quidt (notquitereal.bsky.social), Keith J Carberry (keithjcarberry.contentburger.biz) and Andrew Lee Swan (swandre3000.bsky.social) Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Art by Ben McEntee (https://linktr.ee/benmce.art) With thanks to Amelia Renee, Arthur B., Aster Maragos, Bill Kaszubski, Cassie Jones, Clark, DB, Daniel Laloggia, Diana Crowley, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, Jake Strang, Katie Diekhaus, Ken George, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mark Conner, Mike & Ruby, Muna A, Nat Knight, Olive Perry, Quinn Pollock, Robert Lasica, Shawn Drape, Shawn Hall, Summer Rose, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, Voi, chocoube, deepFlaw, fen, & weakmint This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.  

Kär och galen! Hör samtal där lyssnarna berättar om vad förälskelsen fått dem att göra, och hur det gick sen- i Karlavagnen i P4. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Flög du över halva jorden för att möta din kärlek som du aldrig träffat? Körde du hela natten bara för att få se din älskade en kort stund och sen direkt tillbaka i sju timmar igen?Flyttade du ihop trots att ni bara känt varann i två veckor eller var du så förälskad att du knappt varken kunde äta eller sova? I kvällens tema pratar vi om allt det där tossiga som förälskelsen fått oss att göra.Förälskelseprat i Karlavagnen med Sarit MonastyrskiRing oss, mejla på karlavagnen@sverigesradio.se eller skriv till oss på Facebook och Instagram. Slussen öppnar kl 21:00 och programmet börjar efter Sportextra, ca kl 21:40.

In this weeks episode, we're diving deep into welding consistency as Beau Wigington chats with Alex Seibert, known on social media as @CrapOutWelds. Alex specializes in both MIG and TIG welding in the aerospace industry as well as off-road fabrication. In this episode, he shares valuable insights into dialing in perfect welds, mastering the “stacked dime” technique, and crucial fabrication tips he's learned from years of experience across multiple industries.Key Topics Covered:Alex's Welding JourneyHow Alex got started welding at Palomar Community College.The origin story behind his unique username, “Crap Out Welds.”Achieving Consistent WeldsTips for mastering stacked dime welds with MIG.Why controlling your puddle (wet vs. sluggish) is critical for consistency.Alex's unique MIG technique, resembling “roller coaster” cursive e's, to achieve perfect dimes.The importance of rhythm and how using a metronome or music playlists could help maintain consistent weld patterns.TIG TechniquesManipulating filler rod and torch motion to perfect your TIG welds.Tips on pulsing your foot pedal and filler dips for consistent results.Fabrication EssentialsKey skills every fabricator needs, including accurate layout and precise measuring.Practical clamping tools that every fabricator should have in their workshop.Advice for handling sheet metal and avoiding common pitfalls with thin-gauge welding.The importance of creating a detailed build plan to avoid fabrication mishaps.Strength vs. AestheticsAlex discusses the debated topic of stringers vs. stacked dimes, clarifying when each is appropriate and why being proficient in both techniques is essential.Memorable Quotes:“The best way to master welding consistency is through repetition. Keep practicing, keep asking questions, and absorb as much information as you can.” – Alex SeibertRelated Courses From The American Welding ProgramBasic Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Theory (GTAW/TIG 101) - https://foxly.link/dEyNvQBasic Wire Process Welding (GMAW,FCAW)- https://foxly.link/yGkYhL Alex Seibert's Content & Contact:Instagram: @crapoutwelds https://www.instagram.com/crapoutwelds/ TikTok: @crapoutwelds https://www.tiktok.com/@crapoutwelds?lang=en Connect with Beau WigingtonInstagram: @beaudiditwelding https://www.instagram.com/beaudiditwelding/ Email: BeauW@weld.comWELD App: @beaudidit Download the WELD App:https://foxly.link/b7xDzp

Lyssnarjuryn, som utser Sveriges Radios Romanpris, diskuterar Den första boken av Karolina Ramqvist. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. När juryn sjunker in i ”Den första boken” och förflyttas till en varm dag på Jamaica, väcks minnen av egna smärtande avsked till liv. Delar av juryn går in i ett meditativt tillstånd och tänker på sköna söndagsmorgnar, medan somliga får andnöd av meningar som sträcker sig över fjorton rader.Det är också dags att rösta fram två finalfavoriter.För 32:a gången i ordningen väljer våra lyssnare i lyssnarjuryn vilken bok som ska tilldelas Sveriges Radios Romanpris. Vinnaren av Sveriges Radios Romanpris 2025 tillkännages i P1 Kultur fredagen 11 april.Lyssnarjuryn är: Jan Unga, 69, Östanbäck, Benigna Polonyi, 62, Stockholm, Cristina von Schéele, 58, Jönköping, Teodor Fridén, 30, Stockholm och Alma Martinsson, 25, Kalmar.Årets nominerade romaner: ”Allätaren” av Martin Engberg, ”Helga” av Bengt Ohlsson, ”Den första boken” av Karolina Ramqvist och ”Tänkarens testamente” av Jessica Schiefauer.Samtalsledare: Lina Kalmteg.Producent: Anna Tullberg.

Alla har vi våra gränser och var de går kan variera och det är detta vi ska reda ut i Kvällspasset! Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Ett nyfiket och underhållande aktualitetsprogram med lyssnaren i fokus.Vi pratar bland annat om bingohallsetikett och hur långt man är villig att gå för kärleken när det samtidigt handlar om att utsättas för sin ormskräck! Dessutom ringer vi upp SAS presschef Pia Herrera för att prata om TikTok-trenden ”Airport theory”. I extramaterialet diskuterar vi bland annat vart gränsen går för toaborstar och hur ofta man egentligen borde byta sängkläder.

In this episode of 'Set Lusting Bruce,' host Jesse Jackson reunites with Torsten, a passionate Bruce Springsteen fan from Germany. They discuss Torsten's life changes since their last conversation in 2008, including his career shift and relocation. Torsten shares his experiences attending Springsteen concerts across Europe, meeting fellow fans, and his memorable trip to New York City where he saw Springsteen on Broadway. The conversation dives into Torsten's thoughts on Bruce's recent albums and tours, his personal encounters with the Springsteen team, and even his unique flying adventure in a MIG 15 fighter jet. Join them for an engaging discussion filled with nostalgia, fandom, and heartwarming stories. http://www.torstenmoerke.de/ Support the show here - buymeacoffee.com/setlustingbruce  00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:25 Guest Introduction: Torsten's Background 02:39 Torsten's Career Journey 04:22 Bruce Springsteen Fandom and Blogging 05:56 Reflections on Bruce's 'Letter to You' 07:46 Concert Experiences and Highlights 10:43 Memorable Concerts and Fan Reunions 24:02 Travel Adventures and Broadway Show 26:48 The Most Expensive Ticket Experience 27:07 Broadway Show Adventures 28:03 Seating Struggles at the Show 32:31 Exploring New York and Asbury Park 36:49 A Day in Freehold 41:03 A Dream Fulfilled in Prague 44:58 Concert Statistics and Future Plans 46:02 Memories of Germany and Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can You Segway?Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.So exactly who was going to be sympathetic to their plight, who we cared about?Beyond my fevered dream of making a difference there was a pinch of reality. See, the Cabindans and the people of Zaire were both ethnic Bakongo and the Bakongo of Zaire had also once had their own, independent (until 1914) kingdom which was now part of Angola. The Bakongo were major factions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) -(formerly for a short time known as the nation of Zaire, from here on out to be referred to as the DRC and in the running for the most fucked up place on the planet Earth, more on that later)- and Congo (the nation) yet a minority in Angola. Having an independent nation united along ethnic and linguistic lines made sense and could expect support from their confederates across international boundaries.The Liberation Air ForceThe Earth & Sky operated under one constant dilemma ~ when would Temujin make his return? Since they didn't know and it was their job to be prepared for the eventuality if it happened tomorrow, or a century down the line, they 'stockpiled', and 'stockpiled' and 'stockpiled'.That was why they maintained large horse herds and preserved the ancient arts of Asian bowyers, armoring and weapons-craft. That was why they created secret armories, and sulfur and saltpeter sites when musketry and cannons became the new ways of warfare. They secured sources of phosphates and petroleum when they became the new thing, and so on.All of this boiled over to me being shown yet again I worked with clever, creative and under-handed people. The Khanate came up with a plan for a 'Union' Air Force {Union? More on that later} within 24 hours, and it barely touched any of their existing resources. How did they accomplish this miracle? They had stockpiled and maintained earlier generation aircraft because they didn't know when Temujin would make his re-appearance.They'd also trained pilots and ground crews for those aircraft. As you might imagine, those people grew old just as their equipment did. In time, they went into the Earth & Sky's Inactive Reserves ~ the rank & file over the age of 45. You never were 'too old' to serve in some capacity though most combat-support related work ended at 67.When Temujin made his return and the E&S transformed into the Khanate, those people went to work bringing their lovingly cared for, aging equipment up to combat-alert readiness. If the frontline units were decimated, they would have to serve, despite the grim odds of their survival. It was the terrible acceptance the Chinese would simply possess so much more war-making material than they did.Well, the Khanate kicked the PRC's ass in a titanic ass-whooping no one (else) had seen coming, or would soon forget. Factory production and replacement of worn machines was in stride to have the Khanate's Air Force ready for the next round of warfare when the Cease-fire ended and the Reunification War resumed.Always a lower priority, the Khanate military leadership was considering deactivating dozens of these reserve unit when suddenly the (Mongolian) Ikh khaany khairt akh dáé (me) had this hare-brained scheme about helping rebels in Africa, West Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea coast/Atlantic Ocean, far, far away, and it couldn't look like the Khanate was directly involved.They barely knew where Angola was. They had to look up Cabinda to figure out precisely where that was. They brought in some of their 'reservist' air staff to this briefing and one of them, a woman (roughly a third of the E&S 'fighting'/non-frontline forces were female), knew what was going on. Why?She had studied the combat records and performance of the types of aircraft she'd have to utilize... back in the 1980's and 90's and Angola had been a war zone rife with Soviet (aka Khanate) material back then. Since she was both on the ball, bright and knew the score, the War Council put her in overall command. She knew what was expected of her and off she went, new staff in hand. She was 64 years old, yet as ready and willing to serve as any 20 year old believer in the Cause.Subtlety, scarcity and audacity were the watchwords of the day. The Khanate couldn't afford any of their front-line aircraft for this 'expedition'. They really couldn't afford any of their second-rate stuff either. Fortunately, they had some updated third-rate war-fighting gear still capable of putting up an impressive show in combat ~ providing they weren't going up against a top tier opponents.For the 'volunteers' of the Union Air Force, this could very likely to be a one-way trip. They all needed crash courses (not a word any air force loves, I know) in Portuguese though hastily provided iPhones with 'apps' to act as translators were deemed to be an adequate stop-gap measure. Besides, they were advised to avoid getting captured at all cost. The E&S couldn't afford the exposure. Given the opportunity ~ this assignment really was going above and beyond ~ not one of these forty-six to sixty-seven year olds backed out.No, they rolled out fifty of their antiquated aircraft, designs dating back to the 1950's through the mid-70's, and prepared them for the over 10,000 km journey to where they were 'needed most'. 118 pilots would go (72 active plus 46 replacements) along with 400 ground crew and an equally aged air defense battalion (so their air bases didn't get blown up). Security would be provided by 'outsiders' ~ allies already on the ground and whatever rebels could be scrounged up. After the initial insertion, the Indian Air Force would fly in supplies at night into the Cabinda City and Soyo Airports.The composition,14 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 jet fighters ~ though she entered service in 1959, these planes' electronics were late 20th century and she was a renowned dogfighter. 12 were the Mig-21-97 modernized variant and the other two were Mig-21 UM two-seater trainer variants which could double as reconnaissance fighters if needed.14 Sukhoi Su-22 jet fighter-bombers ~ the original design, called the Su-17, came out in 1970, the first 12 were variants with the 22M4 upgrade were an early-80's package. The other 2 were Su-22U two-seat trainers which, like their Mig-21 comrades, doubled as reconnaissance fighters. The Su-22M4's would be doing the majority of the ground attack missions for the Cabindans, though they could defend themselves in aerial combat if necessary.6 Sukhoi Su-24M2 supersonic attack aircraft ~ the first model rolled off the production lines in the Soviet Union back in 1974. By far the heaviest planes in the Cabindan Air Force, the Su-24M2's would act as their 'bomber force' as well as anti-ship deterrence.8 Mil Mi-24 VM combat helicopters ~ introduced in 1972 was still a lethal combat machine today. Unlike the NATO helicopter force, the Mi-24's did double duty as both attack helicopter and assault transports at the same time.4 Mil Mi-8 utility helicopters, first produced in 1967. Three would act as troop/cargo transports (Mi-8 TP) while the fourth was configured as a mobile hospital (the MI-17 1VA).4 Antonov An-26 turboprop aircraft, two to be used as tactical transports to bring in supplies by day and two specializing in electronic intelligence aka listening to what the enemy was up to. Though it entered production in 1969, many still remained flying today.2 Antonov An-71M AEW&C twin-jet engine aircraft. These were an old, abandoned Soviet design the Earth & Sky had continued working on primarily because the current (1970's) Russian Airborne Early Warning and Control bird had been both huge and rather ineffective ~ it couldn't easily identify low-flying planes in the ground clutter so it was mainly only good at sea. Since the E&S planned to mostly fight over the land,They kept working on the An-71 which was basically 1977's popular An-72 with some pertinent design modifications (placing the engines below the wings instead of above them as on the -72 being a big one). To solve their radar problem, they stole some from the Swedish tech firm Ericsson, which hadn't been foreseen to be a problem before now.See, the Russians in the post-Soviet era created a decent AEW&C craft the E&S gladly stole and copied the shit out of for their front line units and it was working quite nicely ~ the Beriev A-50, and wow, were the boys in the Kremlin pissed off about that these days. Whoops, or was that woot?Now, the Khanate was shipping two An-71's down to Cabinda and somewhere along the line someone just might get a 'feel' for the style of radar and jamming the Cabindans were using aka the Swedish stuff in those An-71's. The Erieye radar system could pick out individual planes at 280 miles. The over-all system could track 60 targets and plot out 10 intercepts simultaneously. NATO, they were not, but in sub-Saharan Africa, there were none better.Anyway, so why was any of this important?Why the old folks with their ancient machines? As revealed, since the Earth & Sky had no idea when Temüjin would return, they were constantly squirreling away equipment. World War 2 gave them unequaled access to Soviet military technology and training.Afterwards, under Josef Stalin's direction, thousands of Russian and German engineers and scientists were exiled to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan who were then snatched up (reportedly died in the gulags/trying to escape) and the E&S began building mirror factories modeled on the 'then current' Soviet production lines.So, by the early 1950's, the E&S was building, flying and maintaining Soviet-style Antonov, Beriev, Ilyushin, Myasishchev, Mikoyan-Gurevich, Sukhoi, Tupolev and Yakovlev airplanes. First in small numbers because their pool of pilots and specialists was so small.The E&S remedied this by creating both their own 'private' flight academies and technical schools. They protected their activities with the judicious use of bribes (they were remarkably successful with their economic endeavors on both side of the Iron Curtain) and murders (including the use of the Ghost Tigers).By 1960, the proto-Khanate had an air force. Through the next two decades they refined and altered their doctrine ~ moving away from the Soviet doctrine to a more pure combined-arms approach (the Soviets divided their air power into four separate arms ~ ADD (Long Range Aviation), FA (Front Aviation), MTA (Military Transport Aviation) and the V-PVO (Soviet Air Defenses ~ which controlled air interceptors).).It wasn't until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of the various former SSR's that the E&S program really began to hit its stride. Still, while Russia faltered, China's PLAAF (Peoples' Liberation Army Air Force) began to take off. Since the Chinese could produce so much more, the E&S felt it had to keep those older planes and crews up to combat readiness. The younger field crews and pilots flew the newer models as they rolled off the secret production lines.Then the Unification War appeared suddenly, the E&S-turned Khanate Air Force skunked their PLAAF rivals due to two factors, a surprise attack on a strategic level and the fatal poisoning of their pilots and ground crews before they even got into the fight. For those Chinese craft not destroyed on the ground, the effects of Anthrax eroded their fighting edge. Comparable technology gave the Khanate their critical victory and Air Supremacy over the most important battlefields.What did this meant for those out-of-date air crews and pilots who had been training to a razor's edge for a month now? Their assignment had been to face down the Russians if they invaded. They would take their planes up into the fight even though this most likely would mean their deaths, but they had to try.When Operation Fun House put Russia in a position where she wasn't likely to jump on the Khanate, this mission's importance faded. The Russian Air Force was far more stretched than the Khanate's between her agitations in the Baltic and her commitments in the Manchurian, Ukrainian, Chechen and Georgian theaters.With more new planes rolling off the production lines, these reservist units began dropping down the fuel priority list, which meant lowering their flight times thus readiness. Only my hare-brained scheme had short-circuited their timely retirement. Had I realized I was getting people's grandparents killed, I would have probably made the same call anyway. We needed them.The KanateThe Khanate's #1 air superiority dogfighter was the Mig-35F. The #2 was the Mig-29. No one was openly discussing the Khanate's super-stealthy "Su-50", if that was what it was, because its existence 'might' suggest the Khanate also stole technology from the Indian defense industry, along with their laundry list of thefts from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the PRC, Russia and half of NATO.Her top multi-role fighters were the Su-47, Su-35S and Su-30SM. The Su-30 'Flanker-C/MK2/MKI were their 2nd team with plenty of 3rd team Su-27M's still flying combat missions as well.Strike fighters? There weren't enough Su-34's to go around yet, so the Su-25MS remained the Khanate's dedicated Close Air Assault model.Medium transport aircraft? The An-32RE and An-38. They had small, large and gargantuan transports as well.Bombers? The rather ancient jet-powered Tu-160M2's and Tu-22M2's as well as the even older yet still worthwhile turboprops ~ from 1956's ~ the Tu-95M S16.Helicopters? While they still flew updated variants of the Mil Mi-8/17 as military transports, the more optimized Kamov Ka-52 and Mil Mi-28 had replaced them in the assault role.Bizarrely, the Khanate had overrun several Chinese production lines of the aircraft frames and components ~ enough to complete fairly modern PLAAF (Peoples Liberation Army Air Force) FC-1 and J-10 (both are small multi-role fighter remarkably similar to the US F-16 with the FC-1 being the more advanced model, using shared Chinese-Pakistani technology and was designed for export,).They did have nearly two dozen to send, but they didn't have the pilots and ground crews trained to work with them, plus the FC-1 cost roughly $32 million which wasn't fundage any legitimate Cabindan rebels could get their hands on, much less $768 million (and that would just be for the planes, not the weeks' worth of fuel, parts and munitions necessary for what was forthcoming).Meanwhile, except for the An-26, which you could get for under $700,000 and the An-71, which were only rendered valuable via 'black market tech', none of the turboprop and jet aircraft the Khanate was sending were what any sane military would normally want. The helicopters were expensive ~ the 'new' models Mi-24's cost $32 million while the Mi-17's set you back $17 million. The one's heading to Cabinda didn't look 'new'.The Opposition:In contrast, the Angolan Air Force appeared far larger and more modern. Appearances can be deceptive, and they were. Sure, the models of Russian and Soviet-made aircraft they had in their inventory had the higher numbers ~ the Su-25, -27 and -30 ~ plus they had Mig-21bis's, Mig-23's and Su-22's, but things like training and up-keep didn't appear to be priorities for the Angolans.When you took into account the rampant corruption infecting all levels of Angolan government, the conscript nature of their military, the weakness of their technical educational system, the complexity of any modern combat aircraft and the reality that poor sods forced into being Air Force ground crewmen hardly made the most inspired technicians, or most diligent care-takers of their 'valuable' stockpiles (which their officers all too often sold on the black market anyway), things didn't just look bleak for the Angolan Air Force, they were a tsunami of cumulative factors heading them for an epic disaster.It wasn't only their enemies who derided their Air Force's lack of readiness. Their allies constantly scolded them about it too. Instead of trying to fix their current inventory, the Angolans kept shopping around for new stuff. Since 'new'-new aircraft was beyond what they wanted to spend (aka put too much of a dent in the money they were siphoning off to their private off-shore accounts), they bought 'used' gear from former Soviet states ~ Belarus, Russia and Ukraine ~ who sold them stuff they had left abandoned in revetments (open to the elements to slowly rot) on the cheap.To add to the insanity, the Angolans failed to keep up their maintenance agreements so their newly fixed high-tech machines often either couldn't fly, or flew without critical systems, like radar, avionics and even radios. Maybe that wasn't for the worst because after spending millions on these occasionally-mobile paperweights, the Angolans bought the least technologically advanced missile, gun and rocket systems they could get to put on these flying misfortunes.On the spread sheets, Angola had 18 Su-30K's, 18 Su-27, 12 Su-25's, 14 Su-22's, 22 Mig-23's, 23 Mig-21bis's and 6 Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano (a turboprop aircraft tailor-made for counter-insurgency operations), 105 helicopters with some combative ability and 21 planes with some airlift capacity. That equated to 81 either air superiority, or multi-role jet fighters versus the 12 Union Air Force (actually the Bakongo Uni o de Cabinda e Zaire, For as Armadas de Liberta  o, For a Area ~ Liberation Armed Forces, Air Force (BUCZ-FAL-FA) Mig-21-97's.It would seem lopsided except for the thousands of hours of flight experience the 'Unionists' enjoyed over their Angolan rivals. You also needed to take into account the long training and fanatic dedication of their ground crews to their pilots and their craft. Then you needed to take into account every Unionist aircraft, while an older airframe design, had updated (usually to the year 2000) technology lovingly cared for, as if the survival of their People demanded it.A second and even more critical factor was the element of surprise. At least the PRC and the PLAAF had contingencies for attacks from their neighbors in the forefront of their strategic planning. The Angolans? The only country with ANY air force in the vicinity was the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and they had ceased being a threat with the end of Apartheid and the rise of majority Black rule in that country nearly two decades earlier.In the pre-dawn hours of 'Union Independence Day', the FAL-FA was going to smash every Angolan Air base and air defense facility within 375 miles of Cabinda (the city). Every three hours after that, they would be hitting another target within their designated 'Exclusion Zone'. Yes, this 'Exclusion Zone' included a 'tiny' bit of DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) territory. The DRC didn't have an air force to challenge them though, so,Inside this 'Exclusion Zone', anything moving by sea, river, road, rail, or air without Unionist governmental approval was subject to attack, which would require neutral parties to acknowledge some semblance of a free and independent B U C Z. Worse for Angola, this 'Zone' included Angola's capital and its largest port, Luanda, plus four more of their ten largest urban centers. This could be an economic, military and humanitarian catastrophe if mishandled.The Angolan Army did not have significant anti-aircraft assets. Why would they? Remember, no one around them had much of an air force to worry about. The FAL-FA in turn could hit military convoys with TV-guided munitions 'beyond line of sight', rendering what they did have useless. It got worse for the Army after dark. The FAL-FA could and would fly at night whereas the average Angolan formation had Zip-Zero-Nadda night fighting capacity.Then geography added its own mountain of woes. As far as Cabinda was concerned, there was no direct land line to their border from Angola. Their coastal road only went as far as the port of Soyo where the Congo River hit the South Atlantic Ocean. Across that massive gap was the DRC where the road was not picked back up. Far up the coast was the DRC town of Muanda (with an airport) and though they did have a road which went north, it did not continue to the Cabindan border.Nope. To get at Cabinda from the south meant a long, torturous travel through northeastern Angola, into the heart of the DRC then entailed hooking west to some point 'close' to the Cabindan frontier before finally hoofing it overland through partially cleared farmland and jungle. Mind you, the DRC didn't have a native air force capable of protecting the Angolans in their territory so,In fact the only 'road' to Cabinda came from the Republic of Congo (Congo) to the north and even that was a twisted route along some really bad, swampy terrain. This had been the pathway of conquest the Angolans took 39 years earlier. The difference being the tiny bands of pro-independence Cabindan guerillas back then couldn't hold a candle to the Amazons fighting to free Cabinda this time around in numbers, zeal, training and up-to-date equipment.Next option ~ to come by sea. They would face a few, stiff problems, such as the FAL-FA having ship-killer missiles, the Angolan Navy not being able to defend them and the Unionists having no compunction to not strike Pointe-Noire in the 'not so neutral' Republic of the Congo if they somehow began unloading Angolan troops. It seemed the Republic of the Congo didn't have much of an Air Force either.Before you think the FAL-FA was biting off more than they could chew, Cabinda, the province, was shaped somewhat like the US State of Delaware, was half the size of Connecticut (Cabinda was 2,810 sq. mi. to Conn.'s 5,543 sq. mi.) and only the western 20% was relatively open countryside where the Angolan Army's only advantage ~ they possessed armed fighting vehicles while the 'Unionists' did not (at this stage of planning) ~ could hopefully come into play.Centered at their capital, Cabinda (City), jets could reach any point along their border within eight minutes. Helicopters could make it in fifteen. To be safe, some of the FAL-FA would base at the town of Belize which was in the northern upcountry and much tougher to get at with the added advantage the Angolans wouldn't be expecting the FAL-FA to be using the abandoned airfield there, at least initially.Where they afraid attacking Angolan troops in the DRC would invite war with the DRC? Sure, but letting the Angolans reach the border unscathed was worse. Besides, the DRC was in such a mess it needed 23,000 UN Peacekeepers within her borders just to keep the country from falling apart. Barring outside, read European, intervention, did "Democratically-elected since 2001" President (for Life) Joseph Kabila want the FAL-FA to start dropping bombs on his capital, Kinshasa, which was well within reach of all their aircraft?Congo (the country), to the north, wasn't being propped up by the UN, or anything else except ill intentions. In reality, it hardly had much of a military at all. Its officer corps was chosen for political reliability, not merit, or capability. Their technology was old Cold War stuff with little effort to update anything and, if you suspected corruption might be a problem across all spectrums of life, you would 'probably' be right about that too.If you suspected the current President had been in charge for a while, you would be correct again (1979-1992 then 2001- and the 'whoops' was when he accidently let his country experiment with democracy which led to two civil wars). If you suspected he was a life-long Communist (along with the Presidents of the DRC and Angola), you'd be right about that as well. Somehow their shared Marxist-Leninist-Communist ideology hadn't quite translated over to alleviating the grinding poverty in any of those countries despite their vast mineral wealth,At this point in the region's history, little Cabinda had everything to gain by striving for independence and the vast majority of 'warriors' who could possibly be sent against her had terribly little to gain fighting and dying trying to stop them from achieving her goal. After all, their lives weren't going to get any better and with the Amazons ability ~ nay willingness ~ to commit battlefield atrocities, those leaders were going to find it hard going to keep sending their men off to die.And then, it got even worse.See, what I had pointed out was there were two oil refineries in Angola, and neither was in Cabinda. Cabinda would need a refinery to start making good on their oil wealth ~ aka economically bribe off the Western economies already shaken over the Khanate's first round of aggressions.But wait! There was an oil refinery just across the Congo River from Cabinda ~ which meant it was attached to mainland Angola. That had to be a passel of impossible news, right?Nope. As I said earlier, it seemed the people of northern Angola were the same racial group as the Cabindans AND majority Catholic while the ruling clique wasn't part of their ethnic confederacy plus the farther south and east into Angola you went, the less Catholic it became.But it got better. This province was historically its own little independent kingdom (called the Kingdom of Kongo) to boot! It had been abolished by Portugal back in 1914.The 'good' news didn't end there. Now, it wasn't as if the leadership of Angola was spreading the wealth around to the People much anyway, but these northerners had been particularly left out of this Marxist version of 'Trickle Down' economics.How bad was this? This northwestern province ~ called Zaire ~ didn't have any railroads, or paved roads, linking it to the rest of the freaking country. The 'coastal road' entered the province, but about a third of the way up ran into this river, which they'd failed to bridge (you had to use a single track bridge farther to the northeast, if you can believe it). It wasn't even a big river. It was still an obstacle though.How did the Angolan government and military planned to get around? Why by air and sea, of course. Well, actually by air. Angola didn't have much of a merchant marine, or Navy, to make sealift a serious consideration. Within hours of the 'Union Declaration of Independence' anything flying anywhere north of the Luanda, the capital of Angola, would essentially be asking to be blown out of the sky.Along the border between Zaire province and the rest of Angola were precisely two chokepoints. By 'chokepoints', I meant places where a squad (10 trained, modernly-equipped troopers) could either see everything for miles & miles over pretty much empty space along a river valley and the only bridge separating Zaire province from the south, or overlook a ravine which the only road had to pass through because of otherwise bad-ass, broken terrain.Two.Zaire Province had roughly the same population as Cabinda ~ 600,000. Unlike Cabinda, which consisted of Cabinda City plus a few tiny towns and rugged jungles, Zaire had two cities ~ Soyo, with her seventy thousand souls plus the refinery at the mouth of the Congo River, and M'banza-Kongo, the historical capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, spiritual center of the Bakongo People (who included the Cabindans) and set up in the highlands strategically very reminiscent of Điện Biàn Phủ.Of Zaire's provincial towns, the only other strategic one was N'Zeto with her crappy Atlantic port facility and 2,230 meter grass airport. The town was the northern terminus of the National Road 100 ~ the Coastal Road. It terminated because of the Mebridege River. There wasn't a bridge at N'Zeto though there was a small one several miles upstream. N'Zeto was also where the road from provinces east of Zaire ended up, so you had to have N'Zeto ~ and that tiny bridge ~ to move troops overland anywhere else in Zaire Province.So you would think it would be easy for the Angolan Army to defend then, except of how the Amazons planned to operate. They would infiltrate the area first then 'rise up in rebellion'. Their problem was the scope of the operation had magnified in risk of exposure, duration and forces necessary for success.The serious issue before Saint Marie and the Host in Africa were the first two. They could actually move Amazons from Brazil and North America to bolster their numbers for the upcoming offensive. Even in the short-short term, equipment wouldn't be a serious problem. What the Amazons dreaded was being left in a protracted slugfest with the Angolan Army which the Condottieri could jump in on. The Amazons exceedingly preferred to strike first then vanish.There was reason to believe a tiny number could have stayed behind in Cabinda to help the locals prepare their military until they could defend themselves. They would need more than a hundred Amazons if Cabinda wanted to incorporate Zaire. The answer was to call back their newfound buddy, the Great Khan. While he didn't have much else he could spare (the Khanate was ramping up for their invasion of the Middle East after all, the Kurds needed the help), he had other allies he could call on.India couldn't help initially since they were supposed to supply the 'Peace-keepers' once a cease-fire had been arranged. That left Temujin with his solid ally, Vietnam, and his far shakier allies, the Republic of China and Japan.First off ~ Japan could not help, which meant they couldn't supply troops who might very well end up dead, or far worse, captured.. What they did have was a surplus of older equipment the ROC troops were familiar with, so while the ROC was gearing up for their own invasion of mainland China in February, they were willing to help the Chinese kill Angolans, off the books, of course.The ROC was sending fifteen hundred troops the Khanate's way to help in this West African adventure with the understanding they'd be coming home by year's end. With Vietnam adding over eight hundred of her own Special Forces, the Amazons had the tiny 'allied' army they could leave shielding Cabinda/Zaire once the first round of blood-letting was over.To be 'fair', the Republic of China and Vietnam asked for 'volunteers'. It wasn't like either country was going to declare war on Angola directly. Nearly a thousand members of Vietnam's elite 126th Regiment of the 5th Brigade (Đặc cáng bộ) took early retirement then misplaced their equipment as they went to update their visas and inoculations before heading out for the DRC (some would be slipping over the DRC/Cabindan border).On Taiwan, it was the men and women of the 602nd Air Cavalry Brigade, 871st Special Operations Group and 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion who felt the sudden desire to 'seek enlightenment elsewhere, preferably on another continent'.They too were off to the Democratic Republic of Congo, man that country was a mess and their border security wasn't worth writing home about, that's for damn sure, via multiple Southeast Asian nations. Besides, they were being issued fraudulently visas which showed them to be from the People's Republic of China, not the ROC/Taiwan. If they were captured, they were to pretend to "be working for a Communist Revolution inside Angola and thus to be setting all of Africa on fire!" aka be Mainland Chinese.There, in the DRC, these Chinese stumbled across, some Japanese. These folks hadn't retired. No. They were on an extended assignment for the UN's mission in, the DRC. OH! And look! They'd brought tons of surplus, outdated Japanese Self Defense Forces' equipment with them, and there just so happened to be some Taiwanese who had experience in using such equipment (both used US-style gear).And here was Colonel Yoshihiro Isami of the Chūō Sokuō Shūdan (Japan's Central Readiness Force) wondering why he and his hastily assembled team had just unloaded,18 Fuji/Bell AH-1S Cobra Attack helicopters,6 Kawasaki OH-6D Loach Scout helicopters,12 Fuji-Bell 204-B-2 Hiyodori Utility helicopters,6 Kawasaki/Boeing CH-47JA Chinook Transport helicopters and4 Mitsubishi M U-2L-1 Photo Reconnaissance Aircraft.Yep! 46 more aircraft for the FAL-FA!Oh, and if this wasn't 'bad enough', the Chinese hadn't come alone. They'd brought some old aircraft from their homes to aid in the upcoming struggle. Once more, these things were relics of the Cold War yet both capable fighting machines and, given the sorry state of the opposition, definitely quite deadly. A dozen F-5E Tiger 2000 configured primarily for air superiority plus two RF-5E Tigergazer for reconnaissance, pilots plus ground crews, of course.Thus, on the eve of battle, the FAL-FA had become a true threat. Sure, all of its planes (and half of its pilots) were pretty old, but they were combat-tested and in numbers and experience no other Sub-Saharan African nation could match.The Liberation Ground Forces:But wait, there was still the niggling little problem of what all those fellas were going to fight with once they were on the ground. Assault/Battle rifles, carbines, rifles, pistols, PDW, SMGs as bullets, grenades and RPG's were all terrifyingly easy to obtain. The coast of West Africa was hardly the Port of London as far as customs security went. They were going to need some bigger toys and their host nations were going to need all their native hardware for their upcoming battles at home.And it wasn't like you could advertise for used IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicles), APCs (armored personnel carriers) and tanks on e-Bay, Amazon.com, or Twitter. If something modern US, or NATO, was captured rolling around the beautiful Angolan countryside, shooting up hostile Angolans, all kinds of head would roll in all kinds of countries, unless the country,A) had an Executive Branch and Judiciary who wouldn't ask (or be answering) too many uncomfortable questions,B) wasn't all that vulnerable to international pressure,C) really needed the money and,D) didn't give a fuck their toys would soon be seen on BBC/CNN/Al Jazeera blowing the ever-living crap out of a ton of Africans aka doing what they were advertised to do and doing it very well in the hands of capable professionals.And politics was kind enough to hand the freedom-loving people of Cabinda & Zaire a winner, and it wasn't even from strangers, or at least people all that strange to their part of the Globe. If you would have no idea who to look for, you wouldn't be alone.That was the magic of the choice. See, the last three decades had seen the entire Globe take a colossal dump on them as a Nation and a People. They were highly unpopular for all sorts of things, such as Crimes Against Humanity and 'no', we were not talking about the Khanate.We would be talking about Република Србија / Republika Srbija aka Serbia aka the former Yugoslavia who had watched all their satellite minions (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia) slip away. Despite being reduced to a tiny fraction of their former selves thus fighting two incredibly brutal and bloody World Wars for nothing, Serbia insisted on maintaining a robust armaments industry.Mind you, they didn't make the very best stuff on the planet. That didn't stop them from trying though. Of equal importance was their geographic location and the above mentioned desire for some hard currency without asking too many questions. The geography was simple, you could move even heavy gear unnoticed from central Serbia to the Montenegrin port of Bar by rail and load them up on freighters and off to the Congo you went.The Serbians produced an APC called the BVP M-80A's which weren't blowing anyone's minds away when they started rolling off the production lines back in 1982, plus some over-eager types on the Serbian Army's payroll sweetened the deal by offering 'the rebels' some BVP M-80 KC's and a KB as well.Then they slathered on the sugary-sweet Maple syrup by upgrading a few of the M-80A's to BVP M-98A's. Why would they be so generous? The KC's and KB were the Command & Control variants, so that made sense (C = company & B = battalion commander). The -98A had never been tested in the field before and they were kind of curious how the new turrets (which was the major difference) would behave. 'Our' procurement agents didn't quibble. We needed the gear.Besides, these Slavic entrepreneurs gave them an inside track on some 'disarmed/mothballed' Czech (introduced in 1963) armored mobile ambulances and Polish BWP-1 (first rolled out in 1966) APC's which were either in, or could be quickly configured into, the support variants those ground-fighters would need. The 'disarmed' part was 'fixable', thanks to both the Serbians and Finland. The 'missing' basic weaponry was something the Serbians could replace with virtually identical equipment.It just kept getting better. Unknown to me at the time, the Finnish firm, Patria Hágglunds, had sold twenty-two of their 'most excellent' AMOS turrets ~ they are a twin 120 mm mortar system ~ then the deal fell through. Whoops! Should have guarded that warehouse better. Those bitches were on a cargo plane bound for Albania inside of six hours.The ammunition for them was rather unique. Thankfully, it was uniquely sold by the Swiss, who had no trouble selling it to Serbia, thank you very much! Twenty-two BWP-1's became mobile artillery for the Unionist freedom fighters, though I understood the ship ride with the Serbian and Chinese technicians was loads of fun as they struggled to figured out how to attach those state-of-the-art death-dealing turrets to those ancient contraptions.To compensate, the Serbians added (aka as long as our money was good) two Nora B-52 155 mm 52-calibre mobile artillery pieces and one battery of Orkan CER MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) for long-range artillery, two batteries of their Oganj 2000 ER MRLS for medium range carnage and six batteries of their M-94 MRLS for 'close support' as well. More field-testing new gear for the "freedom fighters" We also managed to 'purchase' ten M-84AS Main Battle tanks plus an M-84A1 armor recovery vehicle. It should have been twelve tanks, but two had 'loading issues'.Not to be deterred, our busy little procurement-beavers discovered four tanks no one was using, in neighboring Croatia. Why wasn't anyone immediately keen on their placement? They were two sets of prototypes, Croatia's improvements on the M-84; the M-95 Degman which was a 'failed redesign' and the M-84D, which was a vast up-grade for the M-84 line which had been sidelined by the 2008 Global economic collapse, after which the project stagnated.It seemed they were all in working order because late one night 'my people' exited a Croatian Army base with them, never to be seen again, until two weeks later when an intrepid news crew caught the distinctive form of the M-95 sending some sweet 125 mm loving the Angolan Army's way. Whoops yet again! At least they hit what they were aiming at and destroyed what they hit, right?By then, millions of other people would be going 'what the fuck?' right along with them as Cabinda's camouflage- and mask-wearing rebel army was laying the smack-down on the Angolans. That was okay; over a million 'free Cabindan Unionists' were in the same boat. Over a thousand Asians with their mostly-female militant translators were right there to prop up their 'Unionist Allies', but then they were the ones with the tanks, armored vehicles, planes and guns, so they were less worried than most.To pilot these tanks, APC, IFV and man this artillery, they had to go back to the Khanate. Sure enough, they had some old tankers used to crewing the T-72 from which the M-84's and -95 Degman were derived. They'd also need drivers for those BVP M-80A's and Polish BWP-1's and OT-64 SKOT's... who were, again, derived from old Soviet tech (just much better). The Serbian artillery was similar enough to Soviet stuff, but with enough new tech to make it 'more fun' for the reservists to 'figure out' how to use.More volunteers for the Liberation Armed Forces! More Apple sales, great apps and voice modulation software so that the vehicle commanders would be heard communicating in Portuguese if someone was eavesdropping. As a final offering the Turkish Navy spontaneously developed some plans to test their long range capabilities by going to, the South Atlantic.On the final leg they would have six frigates and two submarines, enough to give any navy in the region, which wasn't Brazil, something to think about. This was a show of force, not an actual threat though. If anyone called their bluff, the Khanate-Turkish forces would have to pull back. These were not assets my Brother, the Great Khan, could afford to gamble and lose.If someone didn't call that bluff, he was also sending two smaller, older corvettes and three even smaller, but newer, fast attack boats, a "gift" to the Unionists ASAP. The frigates would then race home, they had 'other' issues to deal with while the submarines would hang around for a bit. The naval gift was necessitated by the reality the Unionists would have to press their claim to their off-shore riches and that required a naval force Angola couldn't hope to counter.As things were developing, it was reckoned since a build-up of such momentous land and air power couldn't be disguised, it had to happen in a matter of days ~ four was decided to be the minimum amount of time. More than that and the government of the Democratic Republic might start asking far too many questions our hefty bribes and dubious paperwork couldn't cover. Less than that would leave the task forces launching operations with too little a chance of success.Our biggest advantage was audacity. The buildup would happen 100 km up the Congo River from Soyo, the primary target of the Southern Invasion, in the DRC's second largest port city, Boma. Though across the river was Angolan territory, there was nothing there. The city of roughly 160,000 would provide adequate cover for the initial stage of the invasion.There they grouped their vehicles & Khanate drivers with Amazon and Vietnamese combat teams. The Japanese were doing the same for their 'Chinese' counterparts for their helicopter-borne forces. Getting all their equipment in working order in the short time left was critical as was creating some level of unit dynamic. Things were chaotic. No one was happy. They were all going in anyway.What had gone wrong?While most children her age were texting their schoolmates, or tackling their homework, Aya Ruger ~ the alias of Nasusara Assiyaiá hamai ~ was getting briefings of her global, secret empire worth hundreds of billions and those of her equally nefarious compatriots. She received a very abbreviated version of what the Regents received, delivered by a member of Shawnee Arinniti's staff.When Aya hopped off her chair unexpectedly, everyone tensed. Her bodyguards' hands went to their sidearms and Lorraine (her sister by blood), also in the room on this occasion, stood and prepared to tackle her 'former' sibling to the ground if the situation escalated into an assassination attempt. No such attack was generated, so the security ratcheted down and the attendant returned her focus to her Queen. Aya paced four steps, turned and retraced her way then repeated the action three more times."How many people live in the combined areas?" she asked."The combined areas? Of Cabinda and Zaire?""Yes.""I," the woman referenced her material, "roughly 1.1 million.""What is the yearly value of the offshore oil and natural gas production?""Forty-nine billion, eighty hundred and sixty-seven million by our best estimates at this time,""How many live in Soyo City proper?""Roughly 70,000.""We take Soyo," she spoke in a small yet deliberate voice. "We take and hold Soyo as an independent city-state within the Cabindan-Zaire Union. From the maps it appears Soyo is a series of islands. It has a port and airport. It has an open border to an ocean with weaker neighbors all around.""What of the, Zairians?""Bakongo. As a people they are called the Bakongo," Aya looked up at the briefer. "We relocate those who need to work in Soyo into a new city, built at our expense, beyond the southernmost water barrier. The rest we pay to relocate elsewhere in Zaire, or Cabinda."By the looks of those around her, Aya realized she needed to further explain her decisions."This is more than some concrete home base for our People," she began patiently. "In the same way it gives our enemies a clearly delineated target to attack us, it is a statement to our allies we won't cut and run if things go truly bad.""In the same way it will provide us with diplomatic recognition beyond what tenuous handouts we are getting from Cáel Wakko Ishara's efforts through JIKIT. Also, it is a reminder we are not like the other Secret Societies in one fundamental way, we are not a business concern, or a religion. We are a People and people deserve some sort of homeland. We have gone for so long without.""But Soyo?" the aide protested. "We have no ties to it, and it backs up to, nothing.""Northern Turkey and southern Slovakia mean nothing to us now as well," Aya debated. "No place on Earth is any more precious than another. As for backing up to nothing, no. You are incorrect. It backs into a promise from our allies in the Earth & Sky that if we need support, they know where to park their planes and ships."Aya was surrounded with unhappy, disbelieving looks."The Great Khan is my mamētu meáeda," she reminded them, "and I have every reason to believe he completely grasps the concept's benefits and obligations."The looks confirmed 'but he's a man' to the tiny Queen."Aya, are you sure about this?" Lorraine was the first to break decorum."Absolutely. Do you know what he sent me when he was informed of my, ascension to the Queendom?""No," Lorraine admitted."We must go horse-riding sometime soon, Daughter of Cáel, Queen of the Amazons."More uncertain and unconvinced looks."He didn't congratulate me, or send any gifts. He could have and you would think he would have, but he didn't. He knew the hearts of me & my Atta and we weren't in the celebratory mood. No. The Great Khan sent one sentence which offered solace and quiet, atop a horse on a windswept bit of steppe."Nothing.Sigh. "I know this sounds Cáel-ish," Aya admitted, "but I strongly believe this is what we should do. We are giving the Cabindans and Bakongo in Zaire independence and the promise of a much better life than what they now face. We will be putting thousands of our sisters' lives on the line to accomplish this feat and well over two hundred million dollars.""What about governance of the city ~ Soyo?" the aide forged ahead."Amazon law," Aya didn't hesitate. "We will make allowances for the security forces of visiting dignitaries and specific allied personnel, but otherwise it will be one massive Amazon urban freehold.""I cannot imagine the Golden Mare, or the Regents, will be pleased," the attendant bowed her head."It is a matter of interconnectivity," Aya walked up and touched the woman's cheek with the back of her small hand. "We could liberate then abandon Cabinda with the hope a small band could help them keep their independence. Except we need the refinery at Soyo so the people of Cabinda can truly support that liberty.""So, we must keep Soyo and to keep Soyo, we must keep Zaire province. There is no other lesser border which makes strategic sense ~ a river, highlands, a massive river, an ocean ~ those are sustainable frontiers. You can't simply keep Soyo and not expect the enemy to strike and destroy that refinery, thus we must take Zaire province.""But the Bakongo of Zaire cannot defend themselves and will not be able to do so for at least a year, if not longer. That means we must do so, and for doing so, they will give us Soyo and we will be honest stewards of their oil wealth. We cannot expect any other power to defend this new Union and if we don't have a land stake we will be portrayed as mercenaries and expelled by hostile international forces.""So, for this project to have any chance of success, we must stay, fight and have an acknowledged presence, and if you can think of an alternative, please let me know," she exhaled."What if the Cabindans and Bakongo resist?""It is 'us', or the Angolans and they know how horrible the Angolans can be. Didn't you say the average person their lives on just $2 a day?""Yes.""We can do better than that," Aya insisted."How?" the aide persisted. "I mean, 'how in a way which will be quickly evident and meaningful?'""Oh," Aya's tiny brow furrowed. Her nose twitched as she rummaged through the vast storehouse of her brain."Get me in touch with William A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. He should be able to help me navigate the pathways toward getting aid and advisors into those two provinces ASAP.""I'll let Katrina know," the attendant made the notation on her pad."No. Contact him directly," Aya intervened. "We established a, rapport when we met. I think he might responded positively to a chance to mentor me in foreign relations.""Really?" Lorraine's brows arched."Yes," Aya chirped."Are you sure, Nasusara?" the attendant stared. She used 'Nasusara' whenever she thought Aya had a 'horrible' idea instead of a merely a 'bad' one."Yes. He owes me. Last time we met I didn't shoot him.""Didn't?" the woman twitched."Yes. I drew down on him with my captured Chinese QSW-06. I didn't want to kill him, but I felt I was about to have to kill Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken and he was the only other person in the room both armed and capable of stopping me.""Why is he still alive?""Cáel Ishara saw through my distraction and then took my gun from me, asked for it actually," she shyly confessed."Would you have shot him?" the aide inquired."What do you think?" Aya smiled.And Then:So, given t

In this episode of 'Set Lusting Bruce,' host Jesse Jackson reunites with Torsten, a passionate Bruce Springsteen fan from Germany. They discuss Torsten's life changes since their last conversation in 2008, including his career shift and relocation. Torsten shares his experiences attending Springsteen concerts across Europe, meeting fellow fans, and his memorable trip to New York City where he saw Springsteen on Broadway. The conversation dives into Torsten's thoughts on Bruce's recent albums and tours, his personal encounters with the Springsteen team, and even his unique flying adventure in a MIG 15 fighter jet. Join them for an engaging discussion filled with nostalgia, fandom, and heartwarming stories. http://www.torstenmoerke.de/ Support the show here - buymeacoffee.com/setlustingbruce  00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:25 Guest Introduction: Torsten's Background 02:39 Torsten's Career Journey 04:22 Bruce Springsteen Fandom and Blogging 05:56 Reflections on Bruce's 'Letter to You' 07:46 Concert Experiences and Highlights 10:43 Memorable Concerts and Fan Reunions 24:02 Travel Adventures and Broadway Show 26:48 The Most Expensive Ticket Experience 27:07 Broadway Show Adventures 28:03 Seating Struggles at the Show 32:31 Exploring New York and Asbury Park 36:49 A Day in Freehold 41:03 A Dream Fulfilled in Prague 44:58 Concert Statistics and Future Plans 46:02 Memories of Germany and Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diplomatic Hell Hole.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels."Are we in the right place?" the stranger worried."I'm afraid so. Anais, you need to leave.""Not until you tell me what is going on here," she sizzled."She's not here to have sex, if that's what you worried about," I retorted. "Wait, are you here to have sex with me?""I barely know you.""That rarely stops me," I muttered."He's a master of bedroom antics," Pamela praised me. "He's pretty much at a loss at doing anything else.""Thanks Grandma," I griped."Your welcome, Grandson.""We, are here to meet someone," the stranger hedged."You came to the right place," Pamela preempted me. "He's definitely someone.""Fine, redo. I'm Cáel Nyilas," (deep breathe), "NOHIO, HCIESI-NDI, U HAUL, Magyarorszag es Erdely Hercege plus a bunch of other honorifics that have yet to be confirmed. I am single-handedly bringing back medievalism to the center of Europe and the Near East. The woman to my left is Pamela Pale, and she really is my bodyguard. The woman to my right is Sgt. Anais Saint-Amour, RCMP, my ex-lover and the person that needs to leave   right now.""I'm not sure I should leave at this moment," Anais shifted possessively. I had to recall earlier this morning, the part where we'd broken up by mutual consent. Yep. That had really happened. I had thought I was whittling down my current list of paramours. Why do the Goddesses hate me so?"Told you, she can't give up that cock," Pamela whispered."As you can see, I have limited control of my life," I told the strange woman. "I know you are here to meet somebody who isn't me. Now you know who I am. Who are you and your companions?""I'm Ms. Quincy.""Sorry; I'm on a first name basis with everyone I meet," I interrupted."What's your rank, Honey?" Pamela added."What makes you think,?""She doesn't think. That's what makes her so dangerous." I explained."Hey now," Pamela faux-complained."Okay. She's a fledgling telepath, or medium," I shrugged."Captain, Zelda Quincy.""In case you are mesmerized by her tits," Pamela tapped me, "she's packing some serious hardware.""One of those personal defense gizmos?" I leaned Pamela's way."Close, but no cigar. She's my kind of girl, big 'bang-bang', back-up at the small of her back and knife in her boot.""What!" Zelda gulped."She's his knife-fighting instructor," Anais answered drolly."Are you Special Forces?" Zelda regarded my mentor."Nah, I got kicked out for a consistent failure to observe even the loosest Rules Of Engagement. I'm a free-spirit.""Oh, you're a sniper," Zelda nodded."I like this one," Pamela smiled."Ah, thank you." Then, over her shoulder, "I think we are in the right place." Zelda entered the room, followed by a Hispanic panther of a man (kind of like a tanned, slightly shorter Chaz without the cool accent) wearing a long coat, and a Subcontinent-cast woman who looked at everyone as if she expected us to sprout fangs, or start quoting the Koran any second now. She obviously was a brain seconded to this mission very much against her will.The fourth person had that cagey 'when my lips move, I'm lying' look while seemingly unhappy with her current assignment. The heavy implication was that the lady was a career diplomat. Considering our current company and who we were talking to, she was State Department. She was in her late 30's or early 40's and giving off the sensation she had devoted so much to her career that she was starting to wonder if that was all that life had to offer.The fifth member was a military man clearly uncomfortable about what he was doing here, thus not a spook. His off-the-rack suit wasn't terrible, so he expected to socialize somewhat while performing his duties. He also looked like a man who expected other people to speak half-truths and obfuscated lies as easily as they breathed. Numbers three, four and five were dressed for the weather and unarmed.All of this meant they were good at what they did, though they probably didn't know the particulars of what was expected of them. They had their marching orders. Those orders were about to be made irrelevant in the company they would be keeping. The latter weren't the 'doing it by rote' kind of people they would normally be dealing with."I bet you she's a doctor," I murmured to Pamela, "she's with State and he's some sort of Foreign Service type.""I bet the first guy is Air Force," she countered."Like one of those Para-rescue guys?""No. More like one of those Battlefield Air Operations guys, I'm guessing," she corrected me."That guy?" I nodded to the final guy. "Pentagon wonk?""More likely he's one of those embassy guys. I'm going to take an educated leap here, Office of Military Cooperation, Mongolia?""That is pretty clever of you. Kazakhstan. Major Justin Colbert.""I bet some people in the White House, Pentagon and Langley are disappointed with you right now," I reasoned. His jaw grew tight."Don't worry, Major," Pamela grinned. "We consider that a good thing. We don't like the people in charge and have a low opinion of their opinion on just about everything, including their habit of blaming the blameless for their government's fuck ups.""Who are these people?" the first man whispered to Quincy."She's a telepath." That was Zelda"She's a psychic-medium." That was Anais."She can see through time." That was me. "Nice to meet you. Who are you?""Chris Diaz. Lieutenant Colonel, USAF.""Dr. Saira Yamin," the second woman introduced herself. "Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies. Are you the man from Johnston Island?""Why yes, yes I am," I beamed."The APCSS is in Waikiki, Hawaii," Pamela educated me. "Your arrival probably cost her some prime surfing time.""I was more interested in the fact that he survived a plane crash in a Category Four Cyclone," she admitted."Mother Nature hates me. No matter how hard I try, she refuses to kill me," I confessed. "My suffering is an endless source of amusement to that bitch.""That, that wasn't the helpful answer I was looking for," she stammered."So, Lt. Colonel Chris Diaz, you must be with JSOC, I have a deep and abiding respect for you guys. If you need something, just ask," I greeted him. "Captain Zelda, you are not with JSOC.""She's with the DCS ~ that is the Defense Clandestine Service," Pamela kept going. "Zelda, you love being in your uniform, you're proud, yet happy with the concept of dying in an unmarked grave for Constitution and Country. You are too old to have been in the first female class at Ranger School, so that means no 'in the field' JSOC for you. You've gotten around that stone wall by joining the US Defense Department's own little pack of killers.""Also, you felt it was necessary to bring a Benelli M4-11707. That's a close-in action shotgun, but a bit over-kill considering the paper-thin walls in this building. That tells me you are used to being in the kinds of places where such a tool is a necessity. Or in other words, since you think you are meeting a band of terrorists, you brought along your favorite toy.""Your personal weapon is a SIG Sauer P229R DAK in .357 which is a new weapon still under trial by the US Army and Air Force. Your boot dagger is ceramic so it will pass a cursory exam, or scan. You hate the idea of being trapped on a public aircraft weaponless. You have also given up killing power for a proper balance for throwing. I like a forward-thinking gal.""Air Force ~ you've recently come back from Asia, most likely Tibet. It shows in your breathing brought about by a close call with Altitude Sickness. The only reason for an Air Force guy to be here is because he's familiar with the Khanate military and you are not US Army, or Marine Corp Special Forces. I know the type.""You went with the MP5K in the standard 9mm, so you are more interested in sending bullets down range than looking into someone's face as you kill them. You may be a 'light' Colonel, which means you are almost somebody. What your higher-ups haven't appreciated is that our guests will respect you because they are like that ~ remembering past friends and comrades in arms. Of greater importance, you have Cáel's gratitude which will count for more than you currently believe."I pledged then and there to be as good as Pamela at determining that kind of stuff before I died. She had assured me it was as much a matter of psychology as eagle-eyed perception. People were often a type that gravitated to various forms of destruction, be they old school, or going for the latest gadget."I told you all that firepower was excessive," State softly chastised her associates (what they really were, not the underlings she saw them as)."So, you appeared to have forgotten to tell us your name," I regarded the State lass."Nisha Desai Biswal. I'm with the government.""Oh, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, I've examined your website," I told her. It clearly pissed her off somewhat that I so swiftly disregarded her crude attempt at subtle manipulation."Hey. I've got some real enemies at State, so it pays to know who might be the next suit trying to cock me over," I explained. I had to prioritize. It would take some serious effort to convince Zelda to have a MFF three-way straight out the gate and she was definitely the hotter number."Major, you came here unarmed," Pamela noted. "That won't do. They expect you to be armed because you are a warrior, damn it. Cáel get him one of your Glock 22's.""Gotcha," I nodded. I went to my room, tipped away the false back to my closet (that Havenstone had installed recently so Odette wouldn't accidently fire off one of my weapons) and retrieved one of my spare Glocks, but not the one with the laser sight. Such over-the-top fancy gear would be inappropriate. I only gave him one mag. If he couldn't get the job done with 15 rounds, he wouldn't have a chance to reload.Mind you, I took two in a twin-rig shoulder holster and four 22 round magazines, because I tend to shoot two-handed which doesn't exactly give you a bullseye every time. I returned to our crowded living room, handed the Major his weaponry, and then directed the US group to the far side of the room (towards Timothy's bedroom. Saira and Nisha took the couch.Because this tiny space wasn't crowded enough, there was a knock at the door. I checked. It was Juanita, oh yeah, my real bodyguard."Listen up everybody," I announced to the room. "This is my other bodyguard, my official one. Her names is Juanita Leya Antonio Garza, she's from the Dominican Republic via Buenos Aires and she is armed, so don't freak out." I opened the door."What is going on?" Juanita hissed."I'm having a private meeting with a few heavily armed friends. The other side to this party hasn't arrived yet. Why don't you come in?" She came in."Why didn't you warn me?" she whispered her complaint."Long night, worse wake-up, needed to do some soul-searching. Pamela was looking after me, then this came up and I forgot. I apologize," I lowered my head in shame. Juanita was only trying to do the job she'd been entrusted with and by not thinking of her, I was making that so much harder.I made the introductions, first names only."Juanita, Anais, Pamela; please slip into the kitchenette," I suggested.Anais "Why?"Juanita "Where are you going to be?"Pamela "Sure. I'm starving. I'm going to raid the fridge.""Anais, because I need my faction in one place. Juanita, I will be refereeing this meeting, so I will have to remain in the living room, roughly six feet from you." It was really a small apartment. "Pamela, if it is edible, it isn't mine and you'll have to replace it."Great Caesar's Ghost! No wonder Big Wigs had their personal assistants handle this pre-meeting crap. I was on my last two fucking nerves and one of those was already stressed and tender. And the real reason for being here hadn't even arrived yet."Why am I in your faction?" Anais mulled over threateningly."Because you haven't walked out that door. There are going to be three sides to this meeting, not three plus Anais. That is the way it is going to be. Now, are you going to behave, or are Juanita and Pamela going to toss you out?""You are threatening me!""Finally catching on to that, aren't you, Sweetie?" Pamela chimed in."I'm only staying because I believe you are in trouble," Anais grumped."Why is she (Anais) here?" Nisha inquired heatedly. "This is supposed to be a very, very private encounter.""I know Anais. I don't know you. I trust Anais with my well-being despite the fact she has numerous reasons to distrust me. She's staying because she is a straight arrow. That's good enough for me.""But is she going to keep her mouth shut about what happens here today?" Nisha pressed."Anais, this is a clandestine meeting that isn't going to be recorded by anybody so, barring a crime being committed, you can never discuss this with anyone who isn't already in the room. Agreed?"Pause."I agree," she nodded. I really was going to have to fuck her again. Not today. Well, maybe not today; I had to keep my options open. Her investigator mind was going into overdrive. Give it a week and she'd be knocking on my door late one night. Inquisitive, truth-hungry dames are like that, trust me. Then it would be 'bask in my genius' sex. It had been a while since I'd experienced that, with Lady Yum-Yum.There was another knock at the door. I checked before Juanita could do the checking for me, in case someone was going to shoot me through the door. Fuck it. I was going to talk to Timothy about moving. Him, me and Odette. I couldn't give those two up. It was Kazak bookends. I opened up and invited them in. It turned out they had names besides Bookends #1 and #2, Nuro and Roman.Nuro (I think) checked out the rooms while Roman (I was pretty sure) kept an eye on my guests. I made introductions, first names only and specifying who was with who. Technically, they could trust my side because I was the Great Khan's brother and thus my servants were his servants. Technically.Iskender came next followed by OT. A woman I didn't know (sadly, not OT's daughter) came in behind him while the other two quintuplets stayed in the hallway. Iskender and I hugged."Ulı Khaan s yikti ağası," he smiled. That was 'Prince-something'. My Kazak was a bit rusty. He then whispered into my ear. "OT bows to you first. His title is Hongtaiji." What?"Ulı Khaan s yikti ağası," OT bowed."Hongtaiji Oyuun T m rbaatar," I bowed back. I remembered I had to rise first. It was an etiquette thing. In retrospect, Iskender had stretched the bounds of tradition by hugging me, his titular superior. "Welcome to my humble abode.""I thank you for your hospitality," he 'grinned'. His face wasn't made for that gesture so that faint gesture came across as rather unnatural.My mind finally finished translating what Iskender and OT had called me. It wasn't 'prince'. It was 'beloved brother of the Great Khan'. Mother fucker!"Wait," Justin, the military attach  guy muttered, "we are here to meet this guy?" indicating me."What do you mean?" Saira questioned."The title Mr. Nyilas was identified with means 'beloved brother of the Great Khaan'," he explained. "The Kazakhs don't go tossing honorifics like that around. This guy," again pointing at me, "is a really important somebody.""Thanks for dropping this grenade in my lap, OT," I joked. "I'll get you for this, and your little yak too.""Odette is going to be so miffed that she missed this," Pamela chuckled."Mr. Nyilas," Zelda began."Please, call me Cáel. It is how I roll.""Cáel, can I ask you a stupid question?""Go right ahead," Pamela snorted. "Cáel does stupid real well. It is a critical part of his skill set. It makes him adorable instead of annoying. Trust me, you'll learn that soon enough."Too much 'trust me' was flying around in a room where nobody trusted anybody."Thanks for that encouragement, Teach," I grumbled. "Ask away, Captain Zelda.""Why are you playing this game with us?""I wasn't. Until thirty seconds ago I was sure I was here totally as a spectator," I gripped. "My buddy," the word dripped with sarcasm, "Temujin likes dumping these kinds of surprises on me.""Did you mean what Ms. Pale said about you feeling you owed me?" Chris asked."Absolutely.""We need help defusing this Thailand crisis before a shooting war begins.""What do you suggest?""We want the Khanate to back down," Chris stated firmly."I thought we had agreed that I would spearhead this delegation," Nisha reminded Chris."I think the situation had evolved and we need a different approach," Chris insisted."You should listen to the Lieutenant Colonel," I advised. "He knows a whole lot more about what is going on than you do.""Why don't you explain it to us?" she began her weevil-ling."You are engaging in linguistic niceties with men who have bled together, Ms. Biswal," I instructed. "Not that Chris and I have bled on the same battlefield, we have shed blood in the same cause; and that cause has been bringing our two nations, the Khanate and the US, together. The Khanate owes Chris for his efforts on our behalf and we pay our debts.""How so?" Nisha asked."National Security stuff," I evaded. "If you don't know, you shouldn't know and you probably don't want to know. Suffice it to say, the Khanate is willing to listen to Lt. Colonel Diaz's request as a friend.""But he doesn't speak for the United States Government," she corrected."Why not?" I riposted. "He's dealt with the Khanate longer than you have. He has a clue about the mindset of their rank and file.""But does he know their leadership?" she persisted."I don't know. Chris, do you think you have a handle on me?""Are you really capable of talking for the Khanate government?" Nisha preempted Chris. What she left unsaid was 'are you culpable in their atrocities?'"Let's find out," I then looked over my shoulder. "Hongtaiji Oyuun T m rbaatar, will my words and wishes reach my brother's ear?""That is why I am here," he replied."Don't you have the authority to speak for your leader?" she grilled OT. Nisha was relentless trying to stay in the limelight. "Aren't you a diplomat?""There is no need to insult the man," Pamela snidely commented."I am one of many voices that provide information to the Great Khan. I am not his brother. Cáel Nyilas is and has already proved his familial affection by proposing Operation Funhouse and brought whole nations as gifts," OT schooled her. "He is gifted with both tactical and strategic insight as well as sharing the Great Khan's love for his people and his hopes for their eventual freedom.""I didn't think you were a soldier," Zelda looked me over."Oh no," I wove off that insinuation. "I've never been a real soldier and am unworthy of that distinction. I know quite a few who have earned that title and they scare the crap out of me. I mean, they go looking for trouble. In my case, trouble comes looking for me. I'm damn lucky to still be alive and that's the damn truth.""Bullshit," Pamela coughed."What was that, Artemisia?" I winked at her."Bitch," she laughed "My men have become women, and my women men. At least you didn't call me Cassandra.""Well, she's Greek (a deadly insult to all Amazons), but you could be her Evil Twin because everyone believes whatever you say.""Can we get down to business?" Chris inquired."Damn," Pamela shook her head. "They haven't been paying attention.""What does that mean?" Zelda griped."Iskender, you know what I'm talking about, don't you?" I asked."Not a clue, Exalted One," he stood there like a stone statue. Note, the Khanate contingent really were standing there like the Altai Mountains, doing nothing. You had to carefully examine them to see that they did indeed breathe and blink."Use small words," Pamela advised."You really are a rude misanthrope," Anais told Pamela."Do you know what's going on?" Pamela volleyed."No.""Then sit back and watch how the madness works," she snickered. "It is all you, Cáel.""Okay. One; how did Artemisia escape the battle of Salamis?" I began. Nothing."Oh," Justin nodded. "She rammed an allied ship to make the pursuing Athenians think she was an ally. What does that have to do with our current predicament?""Achieve your ends by using violence as a distraction," I sighed. "The Khanate will invade Thailand in," I looked to OT, "tomorrow?" He nodded."How does that help us?" Nisha complained."Second example, Cassandra. She saw the truth through all illusions and falsehoods and no one believed her. Now, reverse that."Pause."We are waiting," Saira finally joined the conversation. I could hear those little microprocessors inside her noggin firing electrons at light speed."We fight a phony war. The Khanate and their buddies invade in a lightning campaign that appears to be successful. Shit like attacking the opposition where they ain't. Things that look epic on CNN where some retired colonel, no offense...""None taken," Chris responded."Where some colonel talks about seizing resources, severed supply lines and encirclement. We, the Khanate, bomb shit like bridges and supply dumps, things with no civilians to get killed. On the downside, to make this work the Khanate needs to put some level of force into Bangkok.""That will get civilians killed," Nisha reminded me, unnecessarily."Civilians are getting killed right now by their own government. This time they will get a chance to strike back," I stated firmly. "The Thai protestors aren't cowards. They are just grossly outgunned. We can change that.""How does that help the United States?" Nisha queried."The US gets to come in and save the day," I sighed. "The US can t get there until the day after, so you don't look bad about letting the first 24 hours of brutality happen.""Oh," Zelda blinked."The US gets to end the fighting that the Khanate has no desire to continue. The US brings peace, while whomever takes over owes the Khanate. Both sides look good. Both sides claim victory. The President gets a second Nobel Peace Prize (psychic, aren't I?). The US gathers some regional allies like Malaysia, the ROC and the Philippines along with our Marines to ensure free and fair elections. The Khanate isn't seen to be backing down against the Titan of Western Civilization. They are working with them to bring about a better world.""Win-win," Saira nodded in agreement."The Khanate is still an autocratic tyranny," Nisha commented."As opposed to the People's Republic's oligarchical tyranny?" Chris countered."Agreed," Saira said. "I now think we should work with the Khanate to bring stability to Central Asia which which was impossible while those member nations were being squeezed between Russia, Europe, China and India.""What are you a doctor of?" I asked."I specialize in 'failed states', among other things," Saira grinned."This could still turn into one bloody cluster-fuck," Zelda mused."My peopled don't have the resources to devastate Thailand," OT finally spoke. "If you, the US, agrees to intervene on our timetable, you will have our thanks, off the record, of course.""How do we know this isn't some ruse to allow the Khanate to overthrow Thailand's existing government?" Justin questioned."You have my word," I replied. No one said anything for several heartbeats."Really?" Nisha balked."Mr. Nyilas, Cáel, do you give me the Great Khan's word?" Chris studied me intently."Without reservation," I answered. "For what you have done for us and more, the Great Khan will honor this deal. We and the Thai's will do the bleeding. You will get your accolades. We avoid a pointless clashing of forces, which is why we are all here today.""I will give you my written recommendation in a few hours," Saira told Nisha.Chris stepped forward to shake my hand. He was an alpha-type alright. I gave as good as I got. His eyes bore into mine, looking for a faltering of will."What did you do in Romania?""I got a lot of good men killed.""Okay.""Okay?" Nisha squawked. "A handshake, a pat on the back and the deals done? Since when did our democratic republic do business this way? He admitted he got men killed in Romania. What is to say this won't be Romania writ large?""Ms. Biswal, he told the truth. He got good men killed and he isn't happy about it. I would be worried if he claimed one bit of glory from that episode. He didn't.""Nisha," I took a deep breathe, "When you unleash men with weapons, nothing is assured. Maybe the Thai government will see the hate coming their way and back down. Maybe the people will resist the intrusion. Maybe the Khanate's forces will get slaughtered at the starting line. It isn't like they have enough time to deploy enough forces to win a protracted war.""What happens if the Khanate decides it won't go?" she continued."Then they get destroyed on the ground in a war of attrition," Chris answered for me. "He's right. They can't bring enough in the time allotted to completely overwhelm the roughly 120,000 members of the Royal Thai Army that have remained loyal to the regime.""In three days they will be out of fuel, shells, rockets and bullets. It is logistics, Ms. Biswal," Zelda piled it on. "The Khanate war-fighting systems are not NATO compatible. That means they can't simply capture more material as they penetrate the frontiers. If they overstay their welcome, we can launch missile strikes against their fuel depots. The combat devolves back to World War I and that's a style of war they can't afford to fight.""What about stopping the Khanate from invading in the first place?" Nisha wouldn't give up."Had the US acknowledged the Khanate, none of this would have happened, Ms. Biswal," I became snappish. "Neither superpower talked to the other until other commitments had been made.""If you think you can come in and start dictating Khanate policy, you are dreadfully mistaken. The US doesn't have the power, or the resolve," I glared at her. "Don't try convincing the Khanate that isn't the case. We know better.""You don't know what the US is capable of," she snapped back."Abandoning Iraq with a fractured pseudo-democratic process? Abandoning Afghanistan without destroying the Taliban? The Syrian Civil War? The Donbass Crisis? The collapse of Libya? Boko Haram? Somalia? Yemen? Exactly how has the US's power and resolve solved any of those issues?" I countered."Ms. Biswal," OT spoke again. "We are willing to create a desert and call it 'Peace'. Our enemies know that. Your unwillingness to do so is neither a strength nor a weakness. It is a hallmark of your society in the same way that 'Total War' is a hallmark of ours. We are more than willing to leave you to manage the Peace. Let us manage the War against the forces opposed to civilized discourse.""As ugly and disagreeable as it is, we are willing to keep creating pyramids of skulls on every street corner until either they learn their lesson, or we kill them all. Let us do that and you will have your global stability and reap the economic benefits and accolades of Pax Americana. We are not your enemy. We are precisely the ally you need to keep the peace and we will do that, if you let us.""To allow barbarism is to become barbarians," Saira mused."That is complete fiction," I scoffed. "The United States didn't become communist because it allied with the Soviet Union in World War II. Truman didn't become Stalin. The enemy of my enemy is my friend is older than recorded history.""It is the Carrot and the Stick on a Global basis," Justin agreed. "Listen to the gentle words of the West, or you will end up feeling the wrath of the East.""As long as the Khanate accepts the limitations of is role," Saira added, "this might work. Please understand there will be factions in the Western Democracies who will not accept that status quo. It is not in the nature of our societies to stifle dissent.""Is it possible to get any political concessions from the Khanate's leadership?" Justin requested. "A pledge to hold some level of democratic elections? A Constitution with some strong provisions to protect individual rights and liberties would be nice.""Justin, in case your bosses missed it, the Khanate is still at a state of war with the PRC," I shook my head. "With their limited experience with democratic government throughout most of the Khanate's territories, that would be madness.""With limited concessions to the Imperial State, we have not interfered with the politics of Albania, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey. We are never going to become a Western-style democracy. We have had limited rule by consensus long before White Men arrived in the Western Hemisphere," OT informed them."Discounting the Irish Monks, Vikings and Knights Templar," Pamela interjected."If you say so," OT gave a minuscule bow to Pamela. "Long before your nation was anything more than the scribbled history of a long-faded Greek city-state, we had meritocracies, oligarchies of senior statesmen & warriors, thinkers and religious leaders, and we had codified judicial moral equality into the political arena. We have a far superior record of religious and minority freedom, of genuine multi-culturalism plus a deeper understanding of the arts and crafts as a means of uniting disparate peoples. We find your claims of cultural superiority to be childish.""Oh, snap," I snickered. "You get'em, OT.""I bet the boys in Foggy Bottom felt that pimp-slap," Pamela agreed."I bet the bronzed skull of some Harvard dean just fell off its pedestal.""They are called 'busts'," Anais groaned. "With a name like that, how could you forget it?""So true," I concurred. "All this responsibility must have clouded my normally hedonistic vocabulary.""That doesn't change the fact that you have employed biological warfare and genocide in this current day and age," Justin pointed out."Tell that to our Native Americans," I snorted. "They are easy to find. They live in trailer parks in whatever blasted Hell Hole we stuck them in, or in their casinos where they are buying back their country, one rube at a time. Ask them if they've gotten over it.""We don't claim to be perfect," Justin insisted."No, we merely claim to have the only correct form of government, economic policy and schools of philosophical, political, scientific and educational thought," I pointed out."We definitely should revive ethical utilitarianism," Pamela slapped a fist into her palm. "Oh, and the guillotine. Work houses for orphans and grist mills for the disabled, and A Modest Proposal for those chronically unemployed and terminally homeless, yes, and,""Pamela, what is it with you today?" I snickered."It is nearly sunset,""Ah, and you haven't killed anyone yet.""You know how cranky I get when I don't get my daily dose of homicide.""Are you two done?" Anais frowned. She did that a lot around me."And you don't hand out Mini-Uzi's to your preschoolers," Pamela glowered. "What is wrong with you people?"Pause, waiting for that punch line that was never coming. See, it was more difficult to sense Pamela was an immediate threat to your health if you thought she was completely off her rocker."Hmm, well, on that note, ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have a deal. Chris and Justin, I will leave you with my loyal Iskender to work out the gory details. Who wants to grab dinner?" I inquired."Are you serious?" Nashi gasped."Oh yeah. I had the Russian invasion of Manchuria figured out in this amount of time and Manchuria is way bigger than Thailand." Was it? I didn't know. Geography was not one of those subjects which gets you laid."What do you have in mind?" Zelda inquired."Whatever you want."{1 am, Sunday, August 31st ~ 8 Days to go}"How did I end up in bed with you?" Zelda sighed happily, her body splayed halfway over mine and her head resting on my chest, listening to my heartbeat."You aren't the first girl to ask me that question."On the other side, Anais moaned in her sleep. Yeah, she was over me. Abso-fucking-lutely. If you recall, she'd try anything once. I convinced her the military babes were totally different than that Goth chick we'd blown the mind of back in Montreal.Zelda was with me because I had caught her in a lie. She claimed to be a lesbian when I first hit on her. She was adamant. I destroyed her with incontrovertible evidence.A) She hadn't scoped out Anais when she came in. A glance didn't count and Anais oozed sexy when she was angry, which was most of the time.B) She hadn't scoped out Juanita's figure when said worthy went to the kitchenette. I look for such things and Juanita has thighs to die for.C) When I told her she had a wicked sense of humor, she blushed. Honestly, lesbians rarely care about strange men complimenting their personalities.D) Then I double-downed by asking her if she preferred a shower, or bath. She said shower (because that's the butch thing to say). When I asked her 'when was the last time she'd had a bubble bath', she blushed again. Lesbians don't like it when a man imagines them naked. Straight chicks, unless you are a creepy, stalker guy, like it when men fantasize about them swathed in bubbles, thus semi-clothed, thus not creepy.E) In a final and fatal act of evasion, she asked a grumpy Anais what she liked about me. Anais was blunt."He can fucking hammer you all night, sneak in a romantic quickie in the shower, cook you a delicious breakfast then give you another round of mind-numbing intercourse up against the wall before you have to go to work. And still find the time and energy to fuck your neighbor."Woot!"So, this happens to you often?" she mused, it was a trap. She really wanted to know if I was an egotistical scumbag who took advantage of every woman I came across. At the same time, she wanted to know if I considered her a 'whoe' ~ a woman who gives up the goodies for free."Do you mean 'am I taking advantage of you'?" I replied."That is not what I asked," she persisted. That meant 'yes'."Let me see," I laid back and looked up at the ceiling. "I have a fiancée, six women I am close enough to to spend quality time with, a fuck-buddy who is a sweet girl and trusts me too much and a passel of ex-girlfriends who have found my infidelity to be reprehensible.""Six women?" she frowned."Four co-workers (Rhada, Oneida, Yasmin and Buffy), the girlfriend of a co-worker who dumped her in a very public fashion (Brooke) and that woman's friend (Libra). She was the wing-chick who was stuck with me on a quadruple-date and was underwhelmed with me when we first met."I didn't count my 'hook-ups' and I wasn't sure how to qualify Nicole."Ex's?""'No' is not a word in common usage in my vocabulary. I've dated a best friend's girl, a mother, sister and aunt of the same girlfriend, basically, I'm either highly immoral, incredibly loose, or a letch.""Don't you take responsibility for any of those, relationships?""Hell yeah," I tilted her chin up so that we could make eye-contact. "I've never blamed a woman for taking out her frustrations on my flesh, ran away from a screaming fit (Big Lie!), or blamed them for any failing in our relationship. It is always my fault because I can't stay loyal.""That's depressing," Zelda moped."Don't get me wrong. I don't find fault in any of the women I have spent time with. That is my problem, I find women fascinating; never boring, or bland. Quite frankly, it is a gift that I don't regret having. I may be a fuck-up, but I'm a fuck-up who will give you the very best attention.""Full of yourself, much?" her attitude shifted. I had short-circuited her fears; I was a cheater, I confessed to it without shame because I was inexorably drawn to her beauty, personality and charm. With Anais around, I couldn't claim to be solely enchanted with Zelda, so I had to think quickly on my feet. After all, Zelda was energetic and had great stamina."I promised you pleasure," I countered. "Did I deliver?""Yes, you are full of yourself," she slapped my stomach. I wasn't full of myself. I was a confident sex machine."Thank you.""Huh?""Wonderful sex, taking a chance with me, agreeing to a three-way, being awake after," I looked at the bed-table clock, "six hours.""I run five miles a day," she bragged."I try to have ten hours of sex a day," I teased. Zelda slapped my stomach again. Anais stirred."Do any women like you, for any reason beyond your cock?""I'm considered loyal where sex is not concerned, reliable and brave," I offered."What happened in Romania?""Have you ever been in combat?""I've been in violent confrontations, but not a true firefight," she admitted."Hmm,""Is it something that you can't relate?" she asked."No. You are a soldier so you probably know more about combat than I do. It was, not chaotic at all. I never lost perspective of what was going on despite the bullets flying around. The Romanian Captain in charge knew his stuff, directed his company well and all I had to do was figure out where the terrorist leader was.""What happened?" she perked up."I am here talking with you and he's in a morgue in Bucharest.""Oh," She wanted more."I have to live with the knowledge that I set all of that in motion, Zelda. I convinced the Romanians that they had to confront that terror group before they moved on to their next target, me.""I knew they would come after me and my friends, no matter where we were. Which would have ended up as a blood bath in some urban center. So I felt compelled to strike first. Based on information I provided, the Romanian Army sent two battalions, the 22nd and 24th, of the 6th Mountain Troops Brigade into battle.""It was a massacre," I remembered sadly."But you won," she tried to comfort me."Of the four companies involved in the battle, the Romanians suffered nearly two hundred dead and wounded. I hardly consider it anything other than a massacre. Yes, we won. Only three of the terrorists escaped. Their leader died. I don't think I've ever felt so hollow in my life," I finished."Forty percent losses, that is horrific," she crawled on top of me."The kicker is the Romanians sent some men of the 24th to hunt me down when I was kidnapped. A squad was in the group that rescued me and my companion from Johnston Island. I thought they would never want to deal with me ever again.""Don't be so hard on yourself. If they thought well enough of you to send their men out to rescue you, then you must have done right by them.""Chaz said something like that too," I felt sheepish and sleepy."Chaz? Who is she?"Honest to God, one day I want to find a girl who thinks I'm talking about another girl and asks if we can have a three-way, instead of trying to compare herself to this unknown person. Wait... I already had someone like that. Her name was Odette."Chaz is Color Sergeant Charles 'Chaz' Tomorrow of Her Majesty's SSR," I corrected her assumption."SSR? Those are some tough people. How do you know him?""Black Bag directives from the National Security Council, sworn to secrecy upon penalty of death, pinky-promise kind of stuff," I grinned. Maybe I wasn't all that sleepy after all."You really are a Man of Mystery," Zelda purred. She had truly exceptional stamina. "Maybe I can convince you to talk.""Maybe I can find another use for my tongue," I countered and off we went. Somewhere along the process, Anais woke up and joined in.It wasn't all fun and games. Anais' parting words were "You are a pig," then she sauntered out of my room and out of my life. Had she remembered to take her Serge with her, I would have bought the act. As it was,"Is she always so volatile?" Zelda remarked."Volatile? That's not her being volatile. That's Anais being affectionate. Volatile usually is accompanied by thrown objects and bodily harm," I sighed happily. Meeting her one more time couldn't be all that bad, could it? Zelda looked hungry so I shoved that thought to the back of my mind and got to work.That was the highlight of my Sunday. Zelda had to fly back to Washington D.C. and I had to go to work with JIKIT. It seemed that the Khanate and the US military were heading for a showdown. I unloaded all my Saturday's activities to the team and we got to work, no recriminations. I was the Khan's spiritual brother and sometimes that meant I had to do him favors.I asked Addison when she thought he would return the favor. She laughed, then smiled and told me that wasn't how it worked. He was a world leader now and I was merely his kooky kinsman that he would keep throwing problems at until one day I broke. Then it would be some other poor saps turn.Then she told me she was kidding and clearly the Great Khan thought the world of me. I chose to believe the second lie because it made me feel better, and it was promising to be a long weekend/start of the week.Note: Geopolitical DevelopmentsWhat follows are snippets of the Battle for Thailand that takes place late in the night of September 1stand continued into the early morning of September 3rd. If this does not interest you, you can rejoin Cáel's exploits in four pages)On the eve of battle, the Royal Thai High Command had decided to strip all but one armored unit from the 2nd Army in order to give the First Army's offensive against the rebels more of a punch. It's decision to strip the tank battalions from both their infantry divisions as well as the armored and one of the two mechanized regiments would prove to be disastrous. It was as if the leadership of the Royal Thai military were idiots.The least economically valuable part of the country was the northeast which the 2nd Army warded. They had severely underestimated the airlift capacity of the Khanate as well as the willingness of Laos and Cambodia to both use their armed forces in an invasion as well as their willingness to let Vietnamese troops cross their countries.That thinking had led the Thai military to adopt a 'forward defense' strategy, the desire to fight the enemy at the borders, as opposed to having stronger formations deeper within the country. Considering the relative weakness of the Cambodian and Laotian militaries, that policy had made sense:- The baseline Laotian and Cambodian tank was the T-54/55, a 1950's Soviet relic. The normal anti-tank capabilities in all Thai infantry formations was more than equal to such a threat.-Neither country had an air force worth worrying about.In contrast, the Khanate's primary tanks, the T-90SM and T-95 were resistant to most of what the Thai Army could throw at them, at least from the front. The seven hundred combat aircraft the Khanate and the Vietnamese were able to field was an equal catastrophe for the Thais. It greatly compensated for the relative small numbers of invaders.Finally, there was a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Alliance's goals were. Military logic dictated the destruction of Thailand's mobile force followed by the capture of Bangkok. As long as the Thai regime held the capital, it would remain the legitimate power in the country.Due to the altering political landscape, the Alliance's only option was to make the government 'look bad'. The loss of peripheral provinces, while of negligible immediate strategic value, looked great on the maps the world-wide media would be showing to their audiences. It would appear that the Thai army had failed to defend their country. That would (hopefully) make the Thai Third Army look like the legitimate authority in Thailand.That was the plan anyway, and you know what they say about battle plans and the enemy, right? H-hour was 4 am, September 1st.The commander of the Zuun stood up and waited to be recognized. The staff officer from the Yunnan Command pointed at him."Sir, why are we doing this? I am not afraid to fight for the Great Khan, but this action seems to be suicidal. We will be far behind enemy's lines while our offensive force will be grossly under-equipped.""You will have to rely on our ability to supply you by air.""We only have supplies for two days of operations. What happens then?""We rely on the Americans to come and save us," the senior officer responded bitterly."Allah save us from allies," the young commander muttered. What else could he do?He was part of the 2nd Mountain Sultan Mehmet Tumen which had just arrived in Yunnan to replace the exhausted 1st Mountain Abu al-Ghazi Bahadur Tumen. His men were from Turkey, inexperienced in combat and using new equipment they were not familiar with. They would be working with a unit he had never worked with before, the 1st Airmobile Tauekel Khan Tumen, Kazaks, who would be seizing the small airport his men needed to land in.From there, they were to 'run amok'. That was the technical term for racing south down a highway in Central Thailand, attacking the headquarters of the 3rd Cavalry Division, an armored unit. Once that was accomplished, they were to attack the local police precinct. Provided they were still alive after that, they were to return to the air strip to resupply then they were to 'spread chaos' until they were finally hunted down by the vastly larger Thai division his 100 men would be fighting.Of course, there was the plan for the rebel Royal Thai Third Army to force their way through the larger frontline forces of the loyalist Royal Thai First Army and come to his rescue. How would the Thai troops respond when ordered to fight their fellow Thais? No one was sure. If there was any hope in this mission, it was the knowledge that several other Zuuns had the exact same mission in other areas of Thailand.  It was H-hour minus twenty-two.It was 11 o'clock in the evening when the general in charge of the Royal Thai 9th Infantry Division was woken up. The Marines were leaving. That was correct; the three Royal Thai regiments were heading west to Sattahip Naval Base, because they had been ordered to by the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize why this was going on.Seven hours earlier, the Royal Thai Army had seized all the Air Force bases in the 1st and 2nd Army districts as well as ordering the 4th Army to do the same thing (The Royal Thai Air Force had been trying to remain neutral in the upcoming civil war).Undoubtedly the navy had decided to make their assets less 'hijack-able'. A few phone calls later confirmed that most of the Navy had set sail for parts unknown and the naval air units at Ban Sattahip Air Base (U-Tapao International Airport) had also departed either out to sea, or to ports and bases in the South.He made a personal appeal to the commander of Marine Forces to no avail. They wanted no part of the upcoming struggle and advised the general to do the same. The general had other problems. The Royal Thai Marines were the frontline forces facing the southern border with Cambodia. He quickly reorganized his regiments, sending them to take the old Marine strongpoints to await further orders. Stopping the Marines never entered his mind.That was a bloodletting he wanted no part of. The last thing he did was inform his superiors, thus avoiding any stupid orders to the contrary. Suddenly the nebulous movements along the Cambodian border developed a haunting significance. He wondered how much longer he had before something happened.  It was H-hour minus five.At midnight a loyalist commander of a company of mechanized infantry in the 2nd Cavalry's 11th Battle Group (named after their axis of advance, Highway 11) decided to send a motorized section of his command forward to the advance position his battalion was to occupy come sunrise. Either later in the day, or tomorrow morning, the forces loyal to the regime would launch a coordinated assault against the rebels main supply center at Phitsanulok.He had a cot set up in his communications hut and had just nodded off when the radio squawked to life. His lieutenant in charge of the advance made a hurried report. They had encountered serious opposition in a confusing night action, then he went silent. The captain immediately swung into action. He put the rest of his men on alert, then contacted the neighboring Tank Battalion. He needed some armored support. He made a similar call to the attached artillery component.The Tank Battalions night officer quickly put a platoon of light tanks at his disposal. The artillery were ready for any fire mission he sent their way. Before the armor could arrive, the company commander found himself being called to the carpet by the Duty Officer at the 3rd Cavalry (two regiments of the 2nd Cav. had been attached to the 3rd's command) over his 'offensive' action and the relief mission was called off. What had happened to the patrol of 20 Royal Thai soldiers? He was ordered to wait until sunrise to find out.Little did anyone know, these were the first combat casualties of the upcoming rebel offensive. His patrol had stumbled across a battalion of mechanized troops arriving at their jump off point for the attack that was less than six hours from beginning. Neither the commander of the 11th Battle Group, the 3rd Cavalry Division, or First Army was informed that the enemy had already advanced twenty kilometers south of where they were supposed to be.  

Welcome to the SmokerBuilder Podcast, hosted by Frank Cox, the BBQ Pit Engineer (@smokerbuilder), your go-to guide for mastering smoker design, fabrication, and pit mastery. In this episode, Frank tackles a key question from SmokerBuilderU.com member Alvin: Can you weld carbon steel to stainless steel for smoker projects?  Spoiler alert—yes, you can! Frank breaks down the process, exploring stainless steel grades like 316, MIG welding with shield gas or flux core, and even torch welding with silica bronze filler rods.  Whether you're building a custom BBQ smoker or upgrading your pit, this episode delivers practical welding tips to help you succeed. Discover why welding carbon steel to stainless steel is common in restaurant equipment and how to apply these techniques to your smoker builds without overcomplicating your setup—no tri-mix gas required!  From managing weld contamination to choosing the right wire, Frank's real-world advice makes smoker fabrication accessible for beginners and seasoned builders alike.  Join the SmokerBuilderU.com community to connect with fellow BBQ pit engineers, access exclusive resources, and take your smoker-building game to the next level.  Hit subscribe for more episodes on designing, fabricating, and running smokers of all kinds—because great BBQ starts with a great build!

Večeras emitujemo 150. podcast, a novi gost Jao Mile podcast-a je Zoran Lukić, selektor Rusije

RADM (Ret.) Stan Bryant describes flying the A-6A/B/C Intruder in Vietnam as a Bombardier Navigator (B/N). Part 1 of 2. Buy merch and books today! https://www.10percenttrue.com/product-page/baotd Support me with a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/10percenttrue Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/9vJ3hPYFQh 0:00 Episode Teaser 1:50 welcome Stan (intro & background) 7:00 drawn to naval aviation? With father's blessing? 9:00 NFO flight training pipeline 13:18 platform of choice and latest gouge 17:00 introduction to the A-6 in training 20:04 The A-6 26:30 DIANE/RHAW/TF? tech details 32:30 more radar details 39:12 Why haven't you preordered BAOTD PT1 yet?! 38:55 Vietnam tour - preparation/work up 43:20 psyop detour 45:08 tactics from the strikers perspective 47:40 Alpha Strikes and A-6 utilisation therein 54:45 Mig threat 57:10 “getting out of Dodge” 59:40 Shrike shooters? 1:01:50 air defence Intel 1:05:35 other strike missions 1:07:45 Working with FAC/ground controllers and targeting 1:12:00 fear factor in the Southern missions 1:19:50 political interference in targeting 1:22:00 questioning the tactics based on experience in n theatre? 1:25:38 22 Rockeye? Yes, on SAM sites 1:27:55 SAMs at night 1:29:15 SAM evasion tactics (teaser story) 1:31:25 how many SAMs shots faced? 1:34:05 the ins and outs of flying the night mission (not hitting the ground) 1:39:30 heads down or looking out? 1:43:30 pilots representation of targeting and weapon release 1:46:45 A-6 seating arrangement and crew concept 1:53:10 previewing part 2 1:54:20 standout missions/Reminiscences

Dawn's guest is comedian, Andy Rider, whose hit comedy album The Get Together has topped itunes and earned him increasing acclaim. Together they discuss the history of North Korea, the incredible story of No Kum Sok, and so much more!Learn more about HILF's new podcast family, The Big Comedy Network.Find Andy's podcast Fingering the PageSILF's (Sources I'd Like to F*ck)Book - The Great Leader and The Fighter Pilot by Blaine HardenBook - A MiG-15 to Freedom by No Kum Sok (AKA: Kenneth Rowe)Watch an interview with Blaine Harden and No Kum Sok with Mimi Geerges.Article - Read more about how and why Korea was divided between North and South.Hear more about the devastating battle of Pork Chop Hill during the Korean War. ---LILF's (Link's I'd Like to F*ck) See Dawn on THE HISTORY CHANNEL! Crazy Rich AncientsHistories Greatest Mysteries (multiple seasons)Check out HILF MERCH now available on Redbubble! Stickers, t-shirts, bags and more!HILF is now on Patreon!Buy Me a Coffee---Want to help LA Fire Victims? Project HOPE - Project HOPE is on the ground in Los Angeles, actively distributing hygiene kits to displaced families and children.LA Food Bank - The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and our partner agencies provide food assistance to people throughout LA County in normal times and times of crisis.Pasadena Humane Society - They provide shelter, dedicated care and new beginnings for thousands of the community's most vulnerable animals every year.---WANNA TALK? Find us on Instagram or email us hilfpodcast@gmail.comTheme song: Composed and performed by Kat Perkins.