Tumgik
#Iron Marines Strategy Tips
lord-jaeden · 11 months
Video
Iron Marines: Mission 4 - UNTO THE BREACH | Epic Defense and Plasma Cann...
Dive into the intense action of Iron Marines: Mission 4 - UNTO THE BREACH, where the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Join me as I embark on a mission to defend our outer defenses and restore the Plasma Cannon's batteries to repel the relentless enemy attack. Witness strategic maneuvers, tactical deployments, and the skillful use of specialized units as we battle against overwhelming odds. In this 18-minute gameplay walkthrough, you'll experience the thrill of real-time strategy as we navigate treacherous terrain, manage resources, and command a diverse range of units, each with unique abilities and strengths. Witness the heart-pounding clashes between our forces and the relentless enemy hordes, as we utilize tactical prowess and strategic decision-making to secure victory. Prepare to be captivated by the stunning visuals and immersive soundscapes that bring the battlefield to life. Iron Marines: Mission 4 - UNTO THE BREACH is a testament to the power of mobile gaming, showcasing its ability to deliver exhilarating gameplay and captivating storytelling. If you enjoyed this video, don't forget to subscribe to my channel for more exciting Iron Marines content and other thrilling gaming adventures. Stay tuned for more epic battles, strategic maneuvers, and the ultimate fight for humanity's survival.
0 notes
thiswasinevitableid · 4 years
Note
Could you do #28 indruck? Or maybe OT4?
#28 was: Mermified. I went with Indruck. Hope you like it!
The rocks on the window start the night he moves in.
He writes it off as an anomaly, or perhaps kids from the town deciding to toy with the new resident.
After three nights in a row, he’s beginning to understand why this house was such a bargain. Yes, it’s a lovely houseboat for one on the Pacific coast, offset from much of the neighborhood for privacy. But every night, small rocks and shells will hit your window, disrupting your already tenuous sleep schedule.
It can’t be a human, because his bedroom faces the ocean, and he’d hear or see a boat or paddleboard or whatever else they used to get there. For awhile he assumes it might be a ghost; his last apartment was actually haunted by a miner who died from the Spanish Flu. They got along rather well, as he didn’t manifest often and Indrid was always careful to leave him offerings or tokens of respect on days like his deathaversary. 
But after scoping the house top to bottom, using a Oujia Board, and just politely asking if there was anyone there who needed to talk to him, he’s disregarded that possibility. 
And tonight, he’s made the mistake of sleeping with the window open, meaning the chunk of bull kelp hit’s him square in the face.
“Oh for goodness sake.” He sits up, sticking his head out the window to glare at the waves.
The waves glare back.  Or, more accurately, a face sticking out of the waves does. 
“Do you mind?”
“Yeah, I mind a whole fuckin’ lot.” The man swims right to the side of the house, locomotion too smooth for there to be legs beneath the water, “I mind because this whole area is under my protection, and this big fuckin house is gonna fuck up this cove.”
He knew there were merpeople along this coast, he just wasn’t expecting to see one up close. Or for it to be so grumpy.
“I’ll have you know I asked for multiple modifications to this house before I moved in. It is designed to have almost zero impact on the marine environment.”
“Uh huh, sure.”  The merman crosses his arms, “you ain’t just sayin’ that to get rid of me.” A flash of yellow light under the water. 
“Well, technically, I am. I would prefer to not have you hurling things at my window every night because you think my leaving is the only way for your patch of ocean to be safe. A strategy, I take it, that worked on my predecessors.”
“Yep. Most left after a couple of days.”
“Most probably had more places they could go. I do not.”
“Ain’t my problem. Never shoulda let them start buildin’ here in the first place; wrecks havoc on the forest.” He glances towards open water, tips of giant kelp just visible in the moonlight. He sounds tired. 
“How about this: you keep an eye on this cove, and if you notice any issues directly caused by my home, I will leave. But if not, you stop throwing things at my window.”
“Fine.” The merman turns, makes to dive under the water, then spins around, “but if I catch you tryin’ anythin’ funny, next time I’m throwin’ a shark through the window.”
The next night brings welcome silence at his window. The day after, however….
“What are you doin’ here, anyway?”
“Good afternoon to you as well.” Indrid doesn’t look up from his drawing; a benefit of being born with odd, future seeing abilities is that he isn’t startled by the merman’s appearance (said abilities don’t function well when he’s sleep deprived, which is why he didn’t see the merman’s initial appearance coming). 
“I mean, y’all can build houses wherever you want up on land. Why live on the water?”
“Because I find it peaceful. I have limited luck living in cities, and have grown used to isolation.”
“Don’t humans have to have jobs? You ain’t left here except once to get food.”
“Spying is impolite.”
“So is livin’ on someone else's turf without askin!” The merman raises out of the water, and Indrid finally gets a good look at him. He has dark hair, mismatched eyes and, just visible, a row of fins like those of a leafy sea dragon dotting his lower back. Ironically, his build is one Indrid finds attractive, a mix of muscle and fat that undoubtedly would feel nice to hold. Were it not for the complication of the tail.
“I am an artist. I draw for a living, hence my ability to live out here. And nobody told me there was a merman living around here, so I did not have the option of speaking to you ahead of time.”
There’s a huff of annoyance, and he barely moves his drawing out of the way of the splash as the merman disappears. 
Three days later, he’s once again sitting on the back deck when he hears, “You ain’t seen an injured seal around, have you?”
“No.” He looks up, finds the merman looking thoughtful as he scans the waves and shoreline, “ah, what does it look like? What color is it?”
“Smallish, speckled grey. Got caught in a net and all torn up gettin loose, but I can’t find it.”
“I will keep an eye out. Should I signal you if I see it?”
“Hmmm….yeah, that should work. Maybe hang somethin’ bright' on that line?” He points to the clothes line. 
Indrid closes his eyes, focuses on the futures.
The merman sniffs, intrigued, “somethin smells good.”
“It’s my lunch. It ended up not quite being what I wanted, you are welcome to try some.” 
The merman grabs the take-out bowl of soup, sipping from it gingerly. His face lights up, and then he gulps the remainder down.
“Damn, that was good.”
“It’s french onion soup. I can bring you more in the future if you’d like. Also, odds are good you’ll find the seal you seek on the beach about a mile that way.”
The merman blinks, “Shit, really? Thanks man.”
“You are welcome.”
The merman hesitates, a flash of white, barely visible in the daylight, zips under water, “Uh, name’s Duck by the way.”
Indrid smiles, “Indrid. Good luck with your search, Duck.”
Duck smiles, bright and friendly as the beach on a hot day, “Thanks.”
--------------------------------------------
Indrid awakens with a cry of alarm. It’s only a nightmare, not even a bad vision, and yet he’s so rattled sleep becomes an unreachable goal. Hoping the night air and lapping waves might help, he drags a blanket onto the back deck, laying down with his back to the water. The nightmare pursues him still, setting off a dozen related memories and fears in his mind until he’s shuddering, trying not to cry. 
A cool hand touches his hair and he freezes for a moment before another gasp pushes from his chest, the images flooding his system too much to ignore. The hand continues down his back a ways, then starts at his head once again. 
“Why?” He says, not even sure who he’s asking it of.
“Helps the seal and otter pups when they get upset. Thought it might help you too.” Duck replies, “I was doin’ a night round and heard you yell. Came to make sure you were okay.”
He wants to say thank you, but the words are weighed down by the realization of how long it’s been since anyone did such a thing. 
“You...pet the pups? Doesn’t, doesn’t that make it difficult if they are eaten by something?”
“A little. Sharks got as much right to live as they do, but still, sometimes they need comfortin if their parents are out huntin. Not my job to protect ‘em from predators. I’m just the keeper of the forest. Means I look out for the animals, the plants. Nature does most of the work for me; lot of my job boils down to makin sure humans don’t fuck everything up.”
“It is a habit we seem to have.”
A pause, Duck’s fingers playing gently with his hair, “Not all of you.”
Indrid rolls over and Duck rests his arms on the deck, soft blue flashes coming off his tail. 
“Will you tell me more about what you do?”
“Sure.”
Duck talks and Indrid listens until finally his eyes droop closed. He wakes up hours later, a bit chilly but with the blanket drawn around him. He wonders how he avoided falling into the water in his sleep. Until there’s a soft splash as his nighttime gaurdian slips back into the waves.
---------------------------------------------------
“Ta dah! No, wait, stay over here. That’s a good boy.” Duck proudly circles the large ray he’s herded near Indrid’s boat as Indrid sits down to draw. Over the last few weeks, he’s brought the human more and more items to include in his illustrations, after Indrid mentioned he was working on a pictures for a book about marine life. 
It started with brightly colored shells or seaglass left on his deck, then Duck would ask for mason jars or bowls to help place a fish safely where Indrid could sketch it. Lately, he’s taken to shepherding larger sea life where Indrid can see it; seals, otters, rays, even a shark. It’s almost as if he’s showing off, and Indrid notices that his tail flickers bright green whenever Indrid flaps his hands with excitement or thanks him for his help. 
Duck visits him every day, even on days when there is no drawing to be done. They talk, or eat together, and Indrid has even hung a hammock out so they can talk well into the night without him accidentally rolling off the deck or Duck having to watch over him until he wakes. Duck can only be out of the water a short time, but he’ll join Indrid on the deck to sun himself, tail bright green and leafy at the “V” that marks the tip of it. When Indrid asks about the lights, Duck explains that they’re tied to his emotions, something to help merpeople signal to each other even in the darkness or murkiness of the ocean. 
Indrid buys a kayak, paddles out into open ocean with Duck as his guide, the merman eagerly showing him his favorite places, introducing him to wildlife, and generally mooning over him whenever he thinks Indrid isn’t looking. 
The mooning is mutual, of course. Duck is funny and kind, easy going now that he knows Indrid is not a threat to his beloved kelp forest. He’s also painfully handsome in Indrid’s eyes, but the futures show scant chances for Indrid to admit this fact without torpedoing the relationship. 
Their laying side by side on the deck tonight, dusk creeping across the sky. In the fading light, he notices Duck’s fins flashing between white and green.
“Are you alright, Duck? You’ve been rather quiet tonight.”
“Uh, um, yeah? Fuck. Uh, you remember me tellin’ you about my friend Aubrey?”
“The one dating the human surfer girl?”
“Yep. They, uh, Aubrey said they finally worked up to kissin. I never heard of mer kissin’ a human and likin’ it before, usually we do it on dares when we’re young and foolish.”
“You seem to be going somewhere with this.” Indrid rolls over, smirking at the future he sees. 
“No, uh, fuch, uh, I mean, would, would you ever wanna try it?”
“With any merperson, or just you?”
“Me.” Duck says softly.
Indrid leans in, cups the back of his head to draw him into a kiss, salt and sun mingling on his lips as Duck moans. Sun-warmed skin caresses his back as Duck pulls him closer, and a cool, smooth tail hooks over his ankles. 
“Indrid, I, I really, really like you.” Duck whispers, kissing a line along his cheek.
“I really, really like you as well, Duck.” Indrid runs a hand along his side, watches his tail light up bright blue at the touch.
“Can, can we try bein’ together? Like Dani and Aubrey are?”
“Of course.” Indrid grins, then gives a muffled laugh as Duck kisses him once more, rolling atop him, wiggling happily as the kiss deepens, Indrid teasing his fingers along his fins to make him whine. 
Then the mer gasps, dropping into the water and coming back up panting.
“Shit, that was close.”
“You were out too long?” Indrid shifts to his stomach
“Yep. Can’t blame me for gettin’ distracted, and honestly I’d fuckin pass out if that’s what it took to kiss you again.”
Indrid bends down, kissing him softly, “no need for such drastic measures yet. But I agree it would be nice to have, ah, dalliances that can last a bit longer. I’m sure we can think of something.”
They try filling the bathtub with seawater, but can’t get Duck to it. Indrid opts to swim, but he’s not a strong swimmer, and any beaches where they could be half in and half out of the water are either too well-traveled or made out of sharp rocks that hurt them both. 
They have some success when Indrid lays on his side, facing the water, to touch himself, moaning Ducks name and telling him just what he’ll do to him once he’s able as Duck frantically kisses him, tail flashing blue and purple. 
But after night after night of longing looks, too-short embraces, and kisses at odd angles, he decides enough is enough. 
------------------------------------
“Why have you come, young man?”
“I wish to make a deal. There’s something I need you to enchant.”
The man grins, cat-like and hungry, “Very well. But it is going to cost you.”
--------------------------------------
Duck circles the patch of kelp he’s checking for the tenth time. He can’t focus, should just go home and rest, but he needs to keep occupied so he stops worrying about the note he found on the deck two days ago.
Duck, 
Have a problem that needs solving. May be gone several days. Don’t worry, it will be alright.
Love, Indrid.
In spite of the reassurance in the letter, he’s terrified that Indrid might be hurt. Might have left him entirely. 
An unfamiliar shape flits in the corner of his vision, and he turns.
“Holy fuck.”
“Good afternoon to you too.” Indrid grins, swimming to him a bit gracelessly with mottled black and red tail. The red and black fan of fin on his lower back flashes bright green for a moment. 
“Indrid.” Duck says with awe, not quite believing his eyes even as his tail curls around Indrid’s own.
“Indeed. I, ah, found someone who would help me. Help us.”
“Are you, uh, stuck like this?”
He shakes his head, “No, I have a charm” he holds up his wrist to reveal a small cord, “I can go back to being human as needed. But I, ah, I can no longer see the future. I...that was the trade for this.”
“You gave that up just for me?” Duck cups his cheeks, brushes their noses together.
Indrid grins, “Yes. After all, whatever the futures may hold, whatever I can no longer see coming, does not matter half as much as the future I’m holding right now.”
38 notes · View notes
overlygrilledcheese · 4 years
Text
Find out about Barbeques
Tumblr media
Barbeques are all the more frequently used to parties the gatherings that have barbeque food on offer. Barbeque foods are those which are cooked with the assistance of a unique contraption by going smoke through sheep which has been marinated or scoured with flavor or sauce. The contraption is essentially known as a barbeque. It is normally spelled as BBQ.
 There are numerous organizations offering these equipment. One of them is Buy a Barbeque which is essentially an online organization where you can submit your request on the net and get it home delivered totally complementary
 There are numerous sorts of barbeques accessible in the market like wood, charcoal, sunlight based force, smoking and gas BBQ. The most ideal sort of barbeque is made on wood as it adds a unique flavor to the meat which is just regular to the ones cooked on wood.
 The fundamental strategy for cooking along these lines is that smoke is delivered by the fire which is illuminated with the assistance of one of the previously mentioned sources. The gas barbeque is the most helpful strategy for cooking BBQ as they have handles fitted to the burners which can be utilized to control the temperature.
 There are numerous sorts of gas BBQ offered by different organizations. There are ones which are extraordinarily made to cook barbeques at gatherings and capacities. These accompany two burners and handles to control the temperature and legs which can be collapsed for simple stockpiling.
 At that point there are ones with four burners that can cook four of every a column all the while. These likewise have wheels appended for simple development. It additionally has a bin for capacity and side rack for show. They by and large come in smooth structures and contemporary hues.
 At that point there are some barbeque burner which accompany hooded windows. All burners have jet flares. The cupboards accompany sliding entryways and are powder covered. The grillers are comprised of cast iron. If your necessities are more you can go for the one with six burners. Every one of them accompany temperature measure. Some of them even have washbasins on their sides.
 There's another which accompanies more highlights and is sold under the name of open air kitchen. They have two cupboards and the entire base on which the stove is set is made of rock which is anything but difficult to clean and looks very sleek. With every one of these alternatives accessible now you won't need to stress over setting up a barbeque which is a very tedious process and can turn out badly whenever and ruin your gathering. The outcomes are entirely unsurprising and certain when you are utilizing the gas barbeque. So feel free to make your gatherings a hit with every one of your companions.
Tumblr media
Barbeque Pits - The Ultimate BBQ Experience
 There is nothing that says you pay attention to your grilling very like a barbeque pit. If you need to take care of a little armed force with a storing aiding of barbeque then a barbeque pit is for you. Anybody can utilize one, from your grill insane neighbor down the road to people who cook barbeque professionally. You can get one in any shape, size or value go; it just relies upon your necessities. There is nothing you can't barbeque on them, aside from maybe an entire cow, however there is most likely one out there that can deal with that too.
 Not every person comprehends what a barbeque pit is. A charcoal filled pit moderate cooking a pig throughout the day is the thing that a great many people imagine. Presently while that is as yet a grilling strategy that works today, the cutting edge barbeque pit, as the vast majority from barbeque upbeat pieces of the nation know, is an advanced wonder of grilling enchantment. In the possession of a gifted griller a barbeque pit will deliver mouth-watering dinners over and over.
 The barbeque pits available today are manufactured well and can take thousand degree temperatures easily. You can keep your barbeque pit fit as a fiddle for a long time if you follow these couple of tips. Before you fire up your barbeque pit just because it is a smart thought to cover within with cooking oil. If you look you can discover oil made only for barbeque pits. When you have a decent layer of oil within your pit make a little fire in its middle and let it heat the pit and the oil until it has worn out. After around two hours your barbeque pit will be appropriately prepared and you can begin grilling.
1 note · View note
ask-jaghatai-khan · 5 years
Text
On the use of Space Marines
// A lot of my choices of favorite Astartes chapters/legions are as much influenced by their tactics as they are their aesthetic and culture. People have obviously criticized aspects of 40k’s ludicrous battles, but this isn’t so much about that as it is about my thoughts on getting the absolute most out of these genetically-engineered super-soldiers. A lot of times it seems as though the Astartes go to waste, and I wanted to compare their strengths to their best uses on the battlefield. This is a bit of a brick, so read or don’t at your leisure. Also do not take this as some kind of indictment against your favorite chapter.
Tumblr media
First would be addressing their great strength. Astartes possess incredible strength along with the constitution and speed (which I’ll get to later) to properly put it to use. And yet this is often not even a factor when putting them into the theater of war. Of course, many chapters make use of melee-centered tactics, but some actively eschew them. Others even do away with heavy weapons as well as melee. I would label this a bad tactical decision. While super-strength might have applications outside of melee (lugging heavy weapons or being able to properly use their power armor, for instance), not letting the astartes make use of it is a waste. Vehicle and shooting-centric chapters who put their focus on technology that should assist the strengths of their soldiers rather than ignore them are guilty of this kind of wastefulness. Even taking into account that the heightened reflexes of astartes are useful in all circumstances, it is likely the computer suites that are doing most of the work aboard more advanced vehicles.
Second comes to their endurance. This deals with both their physical and mental endurance, as well as the durability offered to them by their armor. Space marines are able to fight in warzones that even very well trained and outfitted armies would have trouble in. The astartes have three shields: their body, their mind, and their armor. Their body allows them to operate for long periods of time without fatigue like mortal troops, as well as their strength, reflexes, and some poison resistance. Their mind lets them resist psychic attack better than most, which is a major boon. Finally, their sealed and reinforced power armor grants them great resistance to chemical and other environmental attacks. Yet many space marines utilize tactics focused at not just long range, but extreme long range. While preserving assets as valuable as space marines is good, to not factor in that space marines can perform hard-hitting yet precise work in warzones impenetrable to their allies is, again, a bit of a waste.
Tumblr media
Next, we have their speed. Both land speed and reflexes. The reflexes are most important, as they have greater utility for a wide array of specialties. Even if a chapter does its best to make maximum use of the strengths of space marines as listed above, they will need to be supplemented by transports, artillery support, and other tools that are not unique to the astartes warriors but are a must when winning a war on 40k’s scale. Vehicles, especially smaller one with less advanced machine spirits (bikes, speeders, jump packs), benefit massively from all the traits of astartes, especially their reflexes. Likewise, firearms are still of great benefit to the marines, who can wield heavier grade weapons with greater accuracy and ease. However, forgoing these kinds of tools in favor of letting the technology do the bulk of the work simply negates the infantry’s strengths again.
And lastly, it shouldn’t be understated the material value of each space marines. While the tactics laid out above encourage daring operations to get the most out of each individual line-troop, resorting to things like massive melee infantry charges or reckless suicide tactics is just throwing away all the arduous time and resources that go into making a space marine. For this reason, I would laud strategies that encourage a kill-team type organization of elite astartes vanguard who are able to make full use of their strengths, both supported by and clearing a path for the larger armored and aerial divisions.
Tumblr media
This is why I’ve always liked chapters like the White Scars or Raven Guard. While not perfect examples, their tactics are well-rounded while still allowing each individual warrior to shine. Aspects that look good on paper, like the huge armories of the Ultramarines and Iron Hands, or the precision of the Raptors, are somewhat lost when you consider that many of those drivers, artillery crews, and snipers are not necessarily making full use of their benefits as space marines. The Black Templars, while not exactly paragons of tactical subtlety, make a good decision by heavily fortifying their army with serfs and neophytes, giving their full-blooded marines the space and support they need to really shine.
Small, elite squads making full use of their strength, speed, and durability exactly where needed - light cavalry, infiltrators, drop shock troops, etc - to act as the tip of the spear for the more rounded-out war machine of the battlegroup, That is, I think, the best use of space marines.
Tumblr media
53 notes · View notes
pbwsports · 4 years
Text
How the coronavirus is forever changing the way MLB connects to fans
IT BEGAN WITH the hype video that was supposed to introduce the 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers on Opening Day. Organist Dieter Ruehle followed by playing the national anthem and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" from his home piano. Third baseman Justin Turner, closer Kenley Jansen and manager Dave Roberts shared updates on their suddenly monotonous lives. Comedian George Lopez cracked jokes at the Houston Astros' expense and country musician Brad Paisley wore a Dodgers sweatshirt that described the team as "2017 World Series Champs."
Along the way, the Dodgers' first live Zoom event provided its fair share of predictable glitches -- ringing cellphones, awkward silences and buffering videos, one of which distorted an uplifting message from Vin Scully. Joe Davis, the Dodgers' play-by-play voice pressed into virtual hosting duty, cringed through some of the technical difficulties. He thought social media would be as unforgiving as usual. He was wrong.
Major League Gamers
How video games are bringing MLB players and fans together. Joon Lee »
"The people appreciated whatever we were able to do, even if the video was skipping a little bit, or there were audio issues, or somebody dropped out at some point," Davis said. "The general sense was that it was like, 'So what?' There was an appreciation, it seems like, from the fans that there was something baseball-related to be able to cling onto and distract them for a night."
The Dodgers initially planned to host 1,000 fans at their first "Zoom Party" on April 27. They ultimately opened it up to 11,000 people. Over the next couple of weeks, the guest list increased to 12,000 and then 15,000, proving two key points about this unimaginable period: Teams are trying anything and everything to fill a massive void amid the coronavirus pandemic, and their fans are here for it -- a dynamic that could change the fan-engagement experience forever.
There have been re-airings of old postseason games, broadcaster calls of home movies, training tips from coaches, bedtime stories from players and bracket-style tournaments for items such as jerseys and bobbleheads, all in an effort to create content in a time when baseball's main content pipeline -- live games -- is shut off.
Ryan Zimmerman interviewed Dr. Anthony Fauci, a diehard fan of the Washington Nationals. Miami Marlins catcher Francisco Cervelli taught viewers how to make focaccia. Kansas City Royals director of behavioral science Ryan Maid hosted "Mindfulness Mondays" to provide tips on living in the moment. The Cleveland Indians offered instructions for creating games out of items in one's sock drawer. And former Astros infielder Geoff Blum hosted a series called "Feel Good Stories For The Heart" in hopes of providing some much-needed positivity.
Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association also teamed up to create an MLB The Show Players League, where big leaguers went head-to-head in video game matchups that were livestreamed on Twitch and broadcast on television during the virtual playoffs, culminating in a final showdown between Tampa Bay Rays ace Blake Snell and Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito that aired on ESPN.
From making pancakes to playing baseball with Charley, follow @ClaytonKersh22 and his family in this episode of A Day in the Life with the Kershaws.
177 people are talking about this
"We want to give everybody sort of a relief from what's going on, and if we can help them and we can entertain them, we've succeeded," Dodgers chief marketing officer Lon Rosen said of his own team's strategy. "We're in a really difficult time right now. We all feel like we're gonna come out the other end and life will come back to some normalcy, but until then, we wanna make sure that we're connected to our fans and our fans are connected to us. And that's our mission."
In pursuit of that, the Dodgers arranged for their director of player performance, Brandon McDaniel, to guide fans through in-home workoutstwice a week. They handed a smartphone to Ellen Kershaw so that she could record her husband, Clayton, flipping pancakes and playing Pop-A-Shot. And they utilized Ross Stripling, their agreeable right-handed pitcher, for an interview series with some of his teammates. Davis himself has hosted his own cooking show and also started a podcast with his broadcast partner, Orel Hershiser. The response floored him.
"We've had multiple people tell us that it brought them to tears to hear us, multiple people tell us that it's the best part of their week when that comes out, and their favorite thing during the quarantine," Davis said of the podcast, called "Off Air." "Man, we're just trying to have a fun conversation. We started it realizing the void that everybody was feeling with no baseball, but I don't think we fully appreciated how big that void was."
MARCO GONZALES LEFT Arizona shortly after MLB effectively closed spring training complexes on March 15. He hopped in the car with his wife and their dog and drove 1,400 miles to his home near T-Mobile Park, returning to Seattle -- the country's first coronavirus epicenter -- for the first time in more than a month.
Gonzales, the left-hander announced as the Seattle Mariners' Opening Day starter less than a week earlier, was struck by how a bustling city could feel so desolate. Parks were empty, traffic was nonexistent, stores had shuttered, and the few people he saw, usually at the local supermarket, dressed as if they were "going into surgery." The anxiety was palpable, omnipresent, and it helped spur Gonzales into action. He donated blood, partnered with a local hunger-relief agency and stepped outside of his comfort zone to help entertain a populace desperate for levity.
The best of MLB social media
Here are just 10 of our favorite recent social media plays from around MLB.
Just for fun:
A's: Broadcaster calls home movies Cubs: "Parks and Rec" crossover Dodgers: Zoom parties Marlins: Cervelli makes focaccia Phillies: Story time with Bryce & Fanatic
Quarantine-inspired:
Astros: Feel Good Stories For The Heart Indians: Sock-drawer sports at home Nats: Zimmerman interviews Dr. Fauci Orioles: Phone Call Fridays Rockies: Out-of-context quarantine tips
The latter morphed into a weekly interview podcast called "Inside Corner," which Gonzales co-hosts alongside Mariners broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith through the team's YouTube channel. Catcher Tom Murphy and fellow starters Taijuan Walker and Justin Dunn have made up the first three guests. Murphy spoke from his dining room, which features a 400-pound black bear he snagged on a hunting trip. Dunn, now 6-foot-2, revealed he was shorter than his 4-foot-11 grandmother when he entered high school. Walker estimated owning 400 pairs of sneakers.
"I miss baseball, I miss that interaction with my teammates," Gonzales said. "And I think the goal of this, ultimately, is for fans to get to know us a little bit better away from the field, and to feel like they're a little more connected to us."
It's part of an ironic twist in all this -- a time that is keeping fans from baseball is also allowing them, in some respects, to feel more connected to those who play it. During the season, their time is precious. During the offseason, their time is sacred. But now athletes are stuck at home waiting this out, with unkempt hair and a dwindling supply of toilet paper, just like the rest of us. To pass the time, many have offered rare glimpses into their personal lives and have seemingly become more willing to reveal their true personalities. Gonzales has acted as a willing tour guide.
"The guys that I've dealt with, they want people to get to know them as people," Gonzales said. "Because a lot of times when we're on the field, we're in a mindset, we're in a mentality, that is rare to us as a person. We're in a competitive, testosterone-driven mindset, whereas right now, when we're stuck at home, and we have a chance to talk to each other, it's a lot different communication. And I think that people will hopefully see that."
Our video editor has been itching to make a hype video. Behold...
103 people are talking about this
Kevin Martinez has been overseeing the Mariners' marketing efforts for the past quarter-century. Four days after MLB suspended its season, Martinez led a meeting that served as a brainstorming session for how the team could pivot in its content strategy and fill an unprecedented void in a reeling city. Martinez saw it as "an opportunity to innovate and think differently."
It led to a hype video of home movies, a series of tutorials from Mariners coaches, an MLB The Show tournament pitting fans against players, and Gonzales' podcast.
"Seattle has been one of the most affected by this, and one of the first for sure," Gonzales said. "We're trying to get behind the notion that we'll be one of the first to overcome it and really show the rest of the country what it looks like. Right now, all we can do is try to fill everybody up with some optimism, put some good content out there, and try to just give people that hope that we're gonna get back to normal as soon as we can."
#NewSociallyDistantProfilePic
2,818 people are talking about this
BY NATURE OF their status in local communities, sports teams can often serve as information hubs for regions. The Boston Red Sox, for example, represent the baseball team for all six states in the New England region, making Twitter -- where the team has more than 6.1 million followers -- an ideal platform to distribute factually verified information regarding the pandemic. Kelsey Doherty, senior manager of digital media for the Red Sox, says the team has kept in touch with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the State House to stay up to date on the best official safety measures.
"It's a little nerve-wracking every time I put out any of that messaging, because especially early on, things were changing so rapidly about what was or wasn't good for you or how you're supposed to go about things," Doherty said. "We were linking a lot to the Mass Department of Public Health, but we're also trying to put the Red Sox spin on it. This weekend we put out, 'How far is 6 feet really?' And it's like, 'It's one Rafael Devers away.'"
The Red Sox are far from the only team to use its social media accounts to pitch in. Zimmerman's interview with Fauci, via the Nats' Facebook page, delved into plans for slowly and safely restarting the economy. The Colorado Rockies are one club that sponsored a mask-making project, reaching out online to distribute free team-branded masks to front-line workers. New York Yankeesfirst baseman Luke Voit connected with medical staff at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. The Baltimore Orioles have been holding Phone Call Fridays, when members of the team check in on fans and first responders.
EDITOR'S PICKS
When baseball cards become pop art: Inside the Topps 2020 Project
How the internet helped crack the Astros' sign-stealing case
If only Twitter had existed: The most meme-worthy moments ever for all 30 MLB teams
There have been other notable effects. With no games on the calendar for the near future, each team's social media account now represents the primary connection clubs have with fans on a daily basis. Typically at this point in the regular season, an internationally iconic team like the Yankees is focused on building hype around the club, selling individual game tickets and targeting tourists who might be coming into New York. Stephi Blank, senior manager of digital and social strategy for the Yankees, says the pandemic has flipped the team's social focus upside down.
"Especially when thinking about targeting individual game ticket buyers, tourism in New York City is something that is a massive industry, and talking with our colleagues at Broadway and others, you see that so much of the individual game, the individual ticket buyers, come from people who are outside of New York who don't live there," Blank said. "That had been a big focus of ours prior to this, but New York has been the epicenter, and we've been focusing a lot more on our local fans."
With no team to root for or games to play, teams are reframing their social media presence to think about fandom as a lifestyle.
"It's new territory," Doherty said. "I always joke that I am so grateful that I work in sports because our content can change day to day based on a win or a loss or who had a big night, and now suddenly I'm in this uncharted territory and everyone in sports is, where it's like suddenly we aren't dependent on that and we're dependent on our history, the lifestyle, the fan base and the culture around the team."
Luke Voit recently surprised frontline medical heroes from our partner @nyphospital to show his appreciation for their strength and hard work. @LLVIII40
241 people are talking about this
THE LACK OF day-to-day, game-centric content leaves more room to experiment. The Yankees have dabbled in more player personality-driven content, posting intentionally lo-fi workout videos from the likes of Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Severino, shot in vertical video on an iPhone. Yankees head of communications Jason Zillo says the lack of wins and losses allowed baseball's most traditional brand to let loose and have some fun.
"[Player-personality content] is not only a neat concept, but I think this has legs to live long beyond the pandemic," Zillo said. "The thing that constantly is a push and a pull during a baseball season is that games matter so much. And you have to temper 'fun' things up against the fact that every day, there's a game that you're trying to win at all costs. There has to be a measure of caution. If you've lost six of eight games, my first mindset isn't, 'Let's do something fun.' It's like, 'Let's kind of scale back and then when we've won six of eight, then maybe we can push more of the fun stuff.'"
Social media follows for shutdown
From Twitter to Twitch, these 10 players are providing a window -- often silly, sometimes serious -- in an unprecedented time in baseball history. Joon Lee »
Baseball is unique among sports in its challenge of creating inclusive, compelling social media content. The schedule is arduous -- nearly every single day, often for about 10 hours, from the middle of February until at least the end of September -- and the culture can often feel repressive. Marketers have mostly found players to be less motivated to promote themselves, both because of the volume of their workload and the guaranteed nature of their contracts. Teams, in some respects, have taken a relatively conservative approach on their digital platforms.
But maybe that'll be different now.
"It has been a challenging time," Martinez, the Mariners' senior VP of marketing, said, "but it's been a time for innovation, and a great opportunity to create fans with our players in ways we haven't explored before."
While baseball has been slow to adapt to the new age of social media, the pandemic plopped a mirror in front of many teams. Many took that as an opportunity to try something new -- and have seen it bear fruit.
"You hear a lot of people from a lot of different walks of life saying, 'Use this time to get better at something,'" Zillo said. "I think baseball, as a whole, has, when it comes to looking under different rocks, now is really using social media and all of its tentacles to reach as many fans as possible."
Source - ESPN
1 note · View note
chefruhi · 3 years
Text
Vegetarian Diet
Tumblr media
The vegetarian diet involves abstaining from eating meat, fish, and poultry. People often adopt a vegetarian diet for religious or personal reasons, as well as ethical issues, such as animal rights. Others decide to become vegetarian for environmental reasons, as livestock production increases greenhouse gas emissions, contributes to climate change, and requires large amounts of water, energy and natural resources.
The most common types of a vegetarian diet include:
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet: Eliminates meat, fish, and poultry but allows eggs and dairy products.
Lacto-vegetarian diet: Eliminates meat, fish, poultry, and eggs but allows dairy products.
Ovo-vegetarian diet: Eliminates meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products but allows eggs.
Pescatarian diet: Eliminates meat and poultry but allows fish and sometimes eggs and dairy products.
Vegan diet: Eliminates meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, as well as other animal-derived products, such as honey.
Flexitarian diet: A mostly vegetarian diet that incorporates occasional meat, fish, or poultry.
Health Benefits
Vegetarian diets are associated with several health benefits.
Studies show that vegetarians tend to have better diet quality than meat-eaters and a higher intake of important nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E, and magnesium.
 May Enhance Weight Loss
 Switching to a vegetarian diet can be an effective strategy if you’re looking to lose weight. One review of 12 studies noted that vegetarians, on average, experienced 4.5 more pounds (2 kg) of weight loss over 18 weeks than non-vegetarians. Similarly, a six-month study in 74 people with type 2 diabetes demonstrated that vegetarian diets were nearly twice as effective at reducing body weight as low-calorie diets. Plus, a study in nearly 61,000 adults showed that vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than omnivores — BMI being a measurement of body fat based on height and weight.
 May Reduce Cancer Risk
 Some research suggests that a vegetarian diet may be linked to a lower risk of cancer including those of the breast, colon, rectum, and stomach. However, current research is limited to observational studies, which cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Keep in mind that some studies have turned up inconsistent findings. Therefore, more research is needed to understand how vegetarianism may impact cancer risk.
 May Stabilize Blood Sugar
Several studies indicate that vegetarian diets may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. For instance, one review of six studies linked vegetarianism to improved blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. Vegetarian diets may also prevent diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar levels in the long term. According to one study in 2,918 people, switching from a non-vegetarian to a vegetarian diet was associated with a 53% reduced risk of diabetes over an average of five years.
 Promotes Heart Health
Vegetarian diets reduce several heart disease risk factors to help keep your heart healthy and strong. In a recent study, 118 people found that a low-calorie vegetarian diet was more effective at reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol than a Mediterranean diet. Other research indicates that vegetarianism may be associated with lower blood pressure levels. High blood pressure is another key risk factor for heart disease .
Foods to Eat
A vegetarian diet should include a diverse mix of fruits, vegetables, grains, healthy fats, and proteins. To replace the protein provided by meat in your diet, include a variety of protein-rich plant foods like nuts, seeds, legumes, tempeh, tofu, and seitan. If you follow a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, eggs and dairy can also boost your protein intake. Eating nutrient-dense whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will supply a range of important vitamins and minerals to fill in any nutritional gaps in your diet.
A few healthy foods to eat on a vegetarian diet are:
Fruits: Apples, bananas, berries, oranges, melons, pears, peaches
Vegetables: Leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots
Grains: Quinoa, barley, buckwheat, rice, oats
Legumes: Lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas.
Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, chestnuts
Seeds: Flaxseeds, chia, and hemp seeds
Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocados
Proteins: Tempeh, tofu, seitan, natto, nutritional yeast, spirulina, eggs, dairy products
Foods to Avoid
Lacto-Ovo vegetarianism, the most common type of vegetarian diet, involves eliminating all meat, poultry, and fish. Other types of vegetarians may also avoid foods like eggs and dairy. A vegan diet is the most restrictive form of vegetarianism because it bars meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, and any other animal products.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you may have to avoid the following foods on a vegetarian diet:
Meat: Beef, veal, and pork
Poultry: Chicken and turkey
Fish and shellfish: This restriction does not apply to pescatarians.
Meat-based ingredients: Gelatin, lard, carmine, isinglass, oleic acid, and suet
Eggs: This restriction applies to vegans and lacto-vegetarians.
Dairy products: This restriction on milk, yogurt, and cheese applies to vegans and ovo-vegetarians.
Other animal products: Vegans may choose to avoid honey, beeswax, and pollen.
Meal plan for a week:
Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit and flaxseeds
Lunch: Grilled veggie and hummus wrap with sweet potato fries
Dinner: Tofu sandwich with cabbage slaw
Tuesday
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, garlic and mushrooms
Lunch: Zucchini with other veggies and  tomato soup
Dinner: Chickpea curry with basmati rice
Wednesday
Breakfast: Greek yogurt with chia seeds and berries
Lunch: Salad of tomatoes, cucumber, and feta with spiced lentil soup
Dinner: Eggplant parmesan with a side salad
Thursday
Breakfast: Tofu scramble with sautéed peppers, onions, and spinach
Lunch: Burrito bowl with brown rice, beans, avocado,     salsa, and veggies
Dinner: Vegetable paella with a side salad
Friday
Breakfast: Whole-wheat toast with avocado
Lunch: Marinated tofu pita pocket with Greek salad
Dinner: Quinoa-black-bean with zucchini noodles
Saturday
Breakfast: Smoothie of kale, berries, bananas, peanut butter, and almond milk
Lunch: Red lentil veggie burger with avocado salad
Dinner: Lentil Soup
Sunday
Breakfast: Kale and sweet potato 
Lunch: Bell peppers stuffed with zucchini fritters
Dinner: Black bean tacos with  cauliflower rice
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Summarizing:
A balanced vegetarian diet with nutritious foods like produce, grains, healthy fats and plant-based protein may offer several benefits, but it may increase your risk of nutritional deficiencies if poorly planned.
I tried to put all the basic nutrition needed for a body like vitamins, carbohydrates, protein, fats, iron, and others in my diet plan. My regular diet is very irregular and unhealthy mostly junk and eating at one time sometimes make you happen to eat more which causes weight gain. My usual meals were from outside only like McDonalds, Tim Hortons, Osmos, Wendy’s, Pizza Pizza. So basically all the junk and anytime, meals were never scheduled. Well after following this diet for a week, it was refreshing! I was more energetic at work, also more attentive. I felt good about my body like what I am eating. It was a sufficient meal for a day and there was no overheating. I was not even hungry in between and in each meal I was full. I would for sure continue it and maybe can change after a month or so. It was a great experience.
References:
·       Health hq: Becoming a vegetarian. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2021, from http://healthhq.world/issue-sections/fitness-wellbeing/healthy-diet-vegetarianism/becoming-a-vegetarian/
·       Vegetarian diet: How to get the best nutrition. (2020, August 20). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/vegetarian-diet/art-20046446?reDate=16042021
·       Vegetarian diet: Benefits, risks, and tips. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2021, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8749
1 note · View note
martina-watts-bcu · 4 years
Text
Sustainability
Compassionate fashion
The fashion industry has an impact on animal life through its effect on biodiversity. The industry causes loss of animal habitats and species by using land for agriculture and industrial pollution.
Something that is not talked about often enough is the effects fast fashion has on marine life. When clothes are washed in the washing machine, synthetic microfibers are released and the debris eventually ends up in the sea. This directly affects the fish and marine life who end up swallowing those microfibers and therefore disrupting their food chain. The lower the quality of the materials, the more microfibers it shreds while being washed. Pesticides from cotton farming and the dyes used from textile processing also find a way into our rivers and as a result pollute our waters and the entire food chains, causing large amounts of fish to die every year.
It is no secret that fast fashion workers are exploited, however it was quite a shock to a lot of people to find out that factory workers for ‘BooHoo’ in Leicester were being paid as little as £3.50 an hour in the factory, when the minimum wage in Britain for those aged 25 and over is £8.72. it was also discovered that staff were not wearing protective masks to stop the spread of Covid-19. Although the online fashion retailer had more than £1bn wiped off its value, sales still rose by 45% during the coronavirus pandemic.
Unacceptable wages, endless working hours, intolerable health and safety conditions, child labour, forced labour and prohibition of workers union, these are all things that fast fashion workers are forced to deal with.
•            14-16 hours per day is the average working day in most manafacturing                countries
•            7 days a week is the normal schedule for garment workers
•            96 hours per week is the normal working week for garment workers
Tumblr media
During my lecture I watched a video where christopher raeburn was interviewed, who created his own sustainable brand. He was talking about how he bought life rafts and based his collection around that and ideas naturally generated from the fabric which I think is a really interesting was to think about sustainable design by starting with the fabric. He also talked about sourcing materials and manafacturers locally to reduce their carbon footprint which I think is very important to consider as it may not be something that a lot of people think about but it can make a big difference.
Fashion on demand
A recent survey shows that more than half of consumers in the UK and US want the fashion industry to become more sustainable, and some are willing to pay more for the same items that are sustainably produced. However, it is difficult to know which brands are truly sustainable as many claim to be and create campaigns to raise awareness but don’t do as much as they appear to. An example of this is vivienne westwood who set up ‘climate change revolution’ but she cannot guarantee her designs are not manufactured in sweatshops and don’t contain toxic dyes. Rank-a-Brand even gives her the lowest possible score for environmental friendliness.
 Circular fashion
“Circular fashion can be defined as clothes, shoes or accessories that are designed, sourced, produced and provided with the intention to be used and circulate responsibly and effectively in society for as long as possible in their most valuable form, and hereafter return safely to the biosphere when no longer of human use.” - Anna Brismar, Green Strategy, 2017
Fashion products should be designed with high longevity, resource efficiency, non-toxicity, biodegradability, recyclability and good ethics in mind. The concept ‘circular fashion’ is based on the main principles of circular economy and sustainable development, meaning if the products can’t be recycled, they should be composted to become nutrients for plants and other living organisms in the ecosystem.
Tumblr media
‘Clevercare’ by stella mccartney has given tips on how to be more environmentally friendly with the clothes you already have.
·       Don’t wash your clothes as often and spot clean
·       Wash your clothes at a lower temperature which saves energy and extends the life of your clothing
·       Hang your clothes out to dry rather than using a tumble dryer to avoid using energy
·       Only iron when necessary
·       If you use a dry cleaner make sure its an eco or green dry cleaners
·       When you don’t want an item of clothing anymore recycle it
0 notes
vipkeyz · 4 years
Text
we buy houses in Baltimore -We Buy Houses
youtube
Selling in the real estate market can be difficult if you do not understand all the secrets of the real estate trade. If you do know these tricks, you are going to be able to sell your home for much more money. These tips are designed to help you get the most out of your sale.
Bathrooms and kitchens are the two main areas of your home that will have the highest return on investment when it comes to selling your real estate. For best results, focus on these areas when you are doing any remodeling or updating to get the biggest bang for your buck.
If you are a seller that is about to put your home up on the market you should get your own home inspection done ahead of time. You wouldn't want to have a problem when a buyer has it inspected and they decide to look elsewhere. Save yourself the headache and get it checked beforehand so that you can get repairs made.
Offering a warranty when selling a house will give you an edge and make your home more attractive to buyers. People want to buy with confidence and are always less hesitant to commit to a purchase when a warranty is offered. This also means the next owner will be calling the warranty company and not you, should any problem arise.
If a neighbor suffers foreclosure, this will damage the value of your property, unless you intervene. Foreclosed properties often deteriorate over time, and this ramshackle look deflates your own property value. Talk to your neighbors and work out a schedule for maintaining and cleaning up foreclosed properties. This will at least contribute to the look and function of the property and will help the neighborhood values remain high.
Make sure to create the proper atmosphere for a showing. Turn on all the lights, have some relaxing music playing in the background, and light a few candles to make the home smell nice. You might also want to include a thank you note at one of the last rooms that they would look at. This will help the potential buyer enjoy looking at your home and make the buyer just feel more relaxed.
The real estate market isn't what it used to be. It's hard to sell a home in this day and age if you're uninformed. Use information like this to guide you, when you're attempting to sell. When you act as an informed seller, you get more value for your home and move it quicker, so always remember to stay informed.
Tumblr media
Homes.com - Homes for Sale, Homes for Rent and Real Estate ...
55+ Community, close to mass transit shopping and east end activities.
Amazing homesite to build your very own Soundfront private beach cottage or invest in additional
site clearing to accomodate a larger beach home. Bulkheaded site high on the Bluff, providing
endless views across to Connecticut! A wonderful opportunity to build your dream home overlooking
the beautiful Long Island Sound! Must see...
PRIME LOCATION! TRIPLEX IN MAIM ST /LAKE FRONT /CAN BE USED AS RES/COM THIS PROPERTY HAVE : # 3
UNITES , 16 ROOMS , 07 BEDROOMS , 3 KITCHENS, BAST,SOLD AS- IS NEED TOTAL RENOVATION .BRING ALL
OFFERS ! DO NOT ENTER THE PROPERTY ! CALL FOR INFORMATION .
Strike While The Iron Is HOT! Great Investment Opportunity! Make This Your Year Round Home or Rental
Investment Property. This LARGE 2 Story Home Has Been Renovated & Upgraded. This Home Offers:7
bedrooms,3 baths,Central Air/Heating,Energy Saving Apls,Finished Basement/Sep Entrance. Just Minutes
To: Transportation,Shopping,Restaurants,Downtown,Tanger Outlets,Wineries,Hamptons.Beaches & The List
Goes On... NOW is The Time To BUY!
Classic older cape home.3 bedroom , 1 bath , Den, Living Room. Hardwood floors brand new electric
service .
Long, narrow, Riverfront Corridor zoned (RFC) parcel with pre-existing billboard in place. Suitable
for river related uses and Nonmotorized open space recreation uses. Call for details. Not sold
subject to. Creative uses include marine construction, marine plant sales, kayak rental, and other
uses related to river.
Rare DC-4 (Office/Residential Transition) parcel situated in path of progress. Permitted uses
include (townhouses, offices, single family). Survey available. Call for details.
Lovely New England Style, Center Hall Exp Cape of 2,2229 sq ft. with large rooms includes hardwood
floors throughout; FLR, Lg. FDR w/hutch, EIK opens to Family rm w/wood burning fireplace & full
brick wall & half Bath. 2nd flr boasts Master BR ensuite full bath w/Radiant Heated floors
w/WICloset & access to attic. 2nd Lg. Master w/possible expansion into walk-in attic with views of
the "Sound". 2 more BR's with Full Bath. Cement front porch and large wood deck & semi-in-ground
pool on shy 1/2 acre w/L.I. Sound views from windows, deck and yard including stairs to 800' of
deeded beachfront on the "Sound". Paradise of a True Gem on private Court awaits! Will not last!!
Totally Renovated Home in Clean and Lovely Glenwood Village. 55 years and older comm. New Roof new
vinyl siding new windows. Inside was gut renovated 1/2' Sheetrock for maximum efficiency JSI
cabinets with grey Quartz tops brand new SS appliances. LVP flooring throughout with new carpet in
bedrooms. Everything you see in the pictures are brand new never lived in!
Fantastic North Fork Vail Corwin Circa 1910 Cedar Farmhouse located in the heart of wine country on
country lane with preserved farm views. Completely renovated and updated move in ready! Grand Living
Room, Formal Dining Room, Family size Eat in Country Kitchen, Family Room, 4 Bedrooms and 2 baths.
New natural gas heating system. Rocking chair front porch. Fenced yard with large rear deck and room
for a pool!
https://www.homes.com/
Tumblr media
Are you wanting to invest in real estate? Perhaps you just want to learn more about the market. Whether you are a novice or already have experience, this article can help. Here are some great tips to help you get started. After reading it, you should be more comfortable with real estate.
Careful not to overextend in terms of buying property. Real estate investing is very exciting, and sometimes it can get the better of you. You may bite off more than you can fiscally chew. Know your numbers and your budgets and stick with them. Even if it seems like an easy flip, don't go past your budget!
You should take the time to learn as much as you can before you begin a career as a real estate investor. You are going to learn many techniques and strategies that can help you when investing in real estate. Purchase some DVDs or read a couple of real estate books in order to get settled into the business.
When deciding to buy a property or not, consider how appealing it will or will not be to prospective tenants. No property is worth your money if you won't be able to sell or rent it, so consider the purchaser's perspective. How soon can you sell? How high will your profits be? These are all things to consider from the buyer's point of view before you buy.
If you are looking to buy a rental property from a seller, ask to see his Schedule E tax form. That particular document will honestly tell you what kind of cash flow you can expect from the property in question. Crunching the numbers tells you all you need to know about whether or not to buy.
You should never make the assumption that all real estate rises in property values. This assumption is risky in the real estate market and for any one piece of property. Instead, you should look for property that offers quick cash flow boosts. When your property appreciates, this will be added income.
If you are looking to buy a rental property from a seller, ask to see his Schedule E tax form. That particular document will honestly tell you what kind of cash flow you can expect from the property in question. Crunching the numbers tells you all you need to know about whether or not to buy.
Be selective in what properties you target. Look for low cost properties that hold wide potential or appeal. Avoid high-maintenance homes with extravagant gardens or swimming pools. Look for commercial properties that could house a number of different businesses with minimal remodeling. Funky floorplans are also something to stay away from.
Real estate investing is no kid's game. It is imperative to know what you are getting into and what you can expect. This article has given you some critical advice that can help you make some good decisions. The key is gain as much information as possible to ensure your success.
we buy houses in Baltimore -We Buy Houses we buy houses Baltimore buy houses Baltimore we buy houses in Baltimore we buy houses fast Baltimore we buy houses for cash Baltimore buy house Baltimore
0 notes
hollyhicksposts · 6 years
Text
4.4.1 Mastery
Target Audience Profiles
For this project, I used a lot of research from Felton to develop two profiles of the ideal target audience. I chose two people in different stages of life to show the versatility of the campaign. One, Lauren, is a young career-women trying to figure out the world on her own. The other, Michelle, is a mother and wife trying to navigate life after her children have moved out. Both have similarities in that they are looking to help and make a difference in the world. Felton explains that figuring out the target consumer is the best way to focus the approach of the creative brief. Going through this process made visualizing the consumer much easier and inspired me to really dive into the project.
Six Sketches
Below are the six types of testimonials I chose to represent The Marine Mammal Center. I read through all of the types of testimonials Felton mentioned, but I feel like I could fully see campaigns based on these.  
§ President/CEO, founding mother or father, employee
§ Just plain folks
§ Extreme User
§ Expert
§ The Wrong Person
§ Not the person, but something associated with the person
I rejected the ideas that seemed to come across as too snobby, such as celebrities, and ironic testimonials because they didn’t match the tone I was going for. I ultimately decided on the types of testimonials that could be made to seem relatable.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Three Initial Comps
Moving from the six sketches to the three initial comps was an interesting process. I felt like my sketches were strong, but I ultimately decided to choose the three that connected most to the mission of TMMC and the three that made me want to spend time working on them. I used my personas to help to evaluate how strongly they connected to the mission by asking myself, “Would Lauren/Melissa look at this ad?”
For the headlines, I tried my best to stay on strategy, as Felton recommends. After submission of my initial designs, I realized I needed to spend more time working on the headlines and body copy.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Three Revised Comps
In order to revise my comps, I had to really take some time to understand the feedback provided to me. I took that feedback and realized that I needed to go back to Felton and a few other resources to better understand where I could improve. I think that with the combination of those things I was able to create three cohesive ads. I believe that I can keep workshopping them to make them even better, but I can clearly see a difference from the beginnings of the concepts to now.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Three Takeaways
Read! – Reading the textbook, articles, and other resources proved to be so important for this class. I think that reading definitely makes you a better writer and I am excited to keep working on this skill to grow my writing abilities.
Edit – Scheduling time to proof-read is key to learning from mistakes. Although the assignments I have submitted this month haven’t been perfect, I can definitely see the value in taking time to do it.
Time Management – I think I really got into the swing of things with this class. Maybe it was because I love writing so much or maybe because Professor Rogalle gave us some really good tips for managing our time. Whichever it is I’m excited to take these tricks into my next class!
Resources Felton, G. (2013). Advertising. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
0 notes
mcinnisparkgolf · 6 years
Text
Hang in there: Here are 11 reasons why you aren’t getting any better at golf (but should still have hope)
By: JOSH SENS
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Golf is like sex. Some people do it for years and never improve. But why? With input from GOLF Magazine Top 100 instructor Jon Tattersall, we’ve drawn up a list of the 11 reasons why you may not be getting better at life’s (second) most enjoyable pursuit.
1. You never practice
You know that whole 10 thousand hours thing? How it takes at least that long to master a skill? Do the math. Ten minutes once a month isn’t going to get you there.
2. You practice unproductively
Smacking drivers on the range until you’re blue in the face might give you a backache. But it’s not going to get you where you want to go. What you need to do is practice with a purpose. “Go to the range to get better at one thing, posture for example,” Tattersall says.  “Once you’ve spent 30 minutes working on that and incorporating into your swing, leave the range.”
3. Your equipment isn’t optimized
“That includes your golf ball,” says Tattersall, who recommends getting your entire arsenal checked at least once a year.
4. You’ve got the wrong mix of clubs
News flash. You’ve got no business carrying a two-iron. You’re also probably not good enough to have more wedges than hybrids in your bag.
5. You don’t track your stats
You think you’re a great putter, and a middling driver. But are you really? Without knowing for sure, you can’t maximize your practice time, much less devise an optimal on-course strategy.
6. You’re not as good as you think you are
Two-twenty over water is not in your wheelhouse, but you always try it, because, well, your weakness is your fondness for the hero shot.
7. You’re too hard on yourself
On approach shots from 150 yards, the average Tour pro leave is 23 feet from the pin. But you somehow believe you should be knocking down the flagstick, so you berate yourself every time you don’t.
8. You ride a cart
You think you’re saving energy. What you’re really doing is losing touch with the natural rhythms of the game.
9. You think there’s a quick-fix
In a world filled with swing tips, you believe there’s a magic one that will solve all your problems. So you search, and search. You might as well be trying to track down Sasquatch, Tattersall says. “The tough news is it comes down to working on good principles long enough for them to become habits.”
10. You’re don’t hit it far enough
Sorry, but size matters. A good way to get better is to swing the club the faster to hit the ball longer. “Any good coach can correct crooked,” Tattersall says. “Getting the ball to go farther is a tougher task.”
11. You focus more on words than feel
You’ve gotten a lot of verbal instruction. But, Tattersall says, “Words don’t translate as well to performance.” Pay more attention to images and feels. It will free up your mind. And your swing.
Source: www.golf.com
The post Hang in there: Here are 11 reasons why you aren’t getting any better at golf (but should still have hope) appeared first on Marin County Golf.
0 notes
asktheadeptus · 8 years
Text
Perturabo
Tumblr media
"Tell them ruin has come to their world, Death, despair and red war... Tell them their hopes and pride have come to nothing, Tell them their empty whispers fall upon deaf ears their gods are dead, human reason has killed them, Tell them the Angels of Death have come, Tell them nothing can save them now."— Attr. Perturabo, Primarch of the Iron Warriors
Perturabo, sometimes called the Lord of Iron (known also as The Breaker and The Hammer of Olympia) is the Primarch of the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion, one of the original twenty Space Marine Legions. Weaned on war and intrigue in the strife-ridden courts of his homeworld of Olympia, Perturabo was a grim warrior and master of technological arcana who wielded logic and the mathematics of warfare as keenly as he did a blade and Bolter. The Lord of Iron was taciturn to the point of insult, preferring to harbour his thoughts against the threat of treachery, even amongst his kin. Few would call him friend, but none could fault his ability to wage a campaign and plot the most direct course to victory regardless of the cost and despite the strain put on him and his IVth Legion during the long years of the Great Crusade. His word was as unbreakable as iron. Unlike his brothers, many of whom embraced the Emperor's Great Crusade with near fanatical devotion, Perturabo thought of it simply as a task that his sworn duty to the Emperor compelled him to pursue. His conquests were innumerable, but unremarked and unthanked, as his Iron Warriors brought many worlds into the Imperium of Man, but he left behind him shattered worlds on the brink of extinction by his brutal, if effective, strategies.
So it was that, rotting from within with loathing and bitter spite, the iron facade the Legion presented to the Imperium obfuscated the extent of how rapidly and how deeply it had descended into homicidal madness, until at last it was called on to help in the punishment of the rebellious Warmaster Horus at Istvaan V, and the dark truth was revealed. Perturabo arrived at Istvaan V in the wake of the bloody pacification of his home world of Olympia, a campaign that wiped out the entire population, and some claim tipped Perturabo and his Legion over the edge of madness and fully into the abyss of betrayal during the subsequent Drop Site Massacre, an infamous action that will echo forever in the history of the Imperium. In the wake of the Drop Site Massacre, Perturabo left the blasted carcass of Istvaan V, carrying his fallen brother's hammer Forgebreaker as a token of his new allegiance to the Warmaster Horus' cause. Following the tragic events of the Horus Heresy and his Legion's subsequent flight into the Eye of Terror, he has since ascended to Daemon Prince status and currently resides within the Eye of Terror on the Daemon World of Medrengard.
History
Origins
When the Primarchs were scattered across the galaxy from the Emperor's gene-laboratory beneath the Himalazian (Himalayan) Mountains on Terra by the Chaos Gods, Perturabo landed on a Civilized World named Olympia. The full details of this early period in Perturabo's life remain somewhat mysterious, with the only extant accounts give to Imperial Iterators years later, and ever distrusted even then as colored by Olympia's endemic intrigues. the most reliable information points to Perturabo as having been recovered from the rocky wilds outside the city-states by the Tyrant's guards. they had been pursuing tales of a strange and wondrous boy wandering between outlying minor settlements and outcast communities -- the boy plying his way both as a fighter for hire and as an artisan of phenomenal talent despite his great youth, staying in no one place for any length of time before moving on. Tales of the boy had reached the court of Lochos and Dammekos, a shrewd and cunning ruler, and he had been intrigued enough to dispatch his retainers to find if any truth was in them and if so, how indeed they could be turned to his advantage. Perturabo was discovered climbing the mountains below the walls of Lochos. The city guards, having realized this was no ordinary child, brought him before Dammekos, the ruling Tyrant of Lochos. On seeing the strange boy in the flesh, Dammekos put him to the test, witnessing his ability to defeat warriors twice his size and many times his age in combat on the one hand, and the boy's ability to solve any puzzle put to him by the Tyrant's own scholars on the other. Dammekos was intrigued enough to offer the boy a place in his court. Between the boy and the Tyrant a bargain was struck; fealty, loyalty and service on the boy's part and on that of the Tyrant, patronage and protection, and access to the finest military training and scholarship the Tyrant's resources could confer upon him.
Later accounts differ of what came after. Many paint the boy as a prodigy of staggering and indeed inhuman ability, who spent his life in an unending regime of solitary training, and devouring whatever learning and lore was set before him, or he could dig out himself to study. Others make veiled references to a child who was both cold and devious, the rapidly growing boy never fully accepted his lot, never truly trusted the Olympians and refused to return any affection given him by his adopted father. Dammekos spent plenty of time with his new son, but never received any affection in return.
There was a mysterious explanation for Perturabo's inherent mistrust, unknown to anyone but himself. Upon reaching the summit after climbing the rain-slick cliff, the exhausted youth had peered towards the heavens and gazed upon a strange, nebulous stellar maelstrom erupting across a corner of the heavens. When he inquired of the Tyrant's guards whether they could see the strange phenomenon, the bewildered guards replied that they could not. For the rest of Perturabo’s life, this maelstrom would continue to look down upon the Primarch; making him feel as if it judged and measured his worth and spied on his every movement. A life lived beneath its cold scrutiny made him brooding and loath to offer his trust, ever-watchful and aware of its baleful glare. It would be over two standard centuries later before he found a reason to venture into this strange star maelstrom’s mercurial depths, a galactic phenomena whose name he would coin, a name that would one day strike fear into the hearts of all those that heard it. This stellar maelstrom, in truth a giant rift between realspace and the Immaterium, would one day be known as the Eye of Terror.
Many Olympians saw the boy as a particularly cold and brooding child, though the fact that he was a genetically engineered superhuman who had been mysteriously thrown onto a far-off world with no idea of his origins or purpose was certainly not conducive to the development of a trusting nature. Despite his aloof demeanor, the adopted boy learned from the culture in which he found himself the arts of the siege, for Olympia's myriad warring city-states afforded plenty of opportunity to study both the theory and the practice of this highly specialized branch of warfare.
Upon his age of majoring, the foundling took a name for himself to be known all his adult life, but against custom he chose not to honour the family into which he had been taken by assuming one of the names of its venerated history as was expected. Instead he chose an ancient name that he had long favored, a name that some claimed had been found in a forgotten text from before the fall of humanity -- a text written in a language only the boy in his precocious ability had succeeded in translating: Perturabo. What true meaning it held, he did not divulge. To war the young Perturabo now set himself, and in this he had much to work on. Dammekos was a powerful Tyrant, but he and his realm were beset by rivals and bitter vendettas on all sides, and having given an oath unbreakable, Dammekos' enemies were now Perturabo's. Granted first minor commands, the young Primarch ascended the ranks of his adopted house's armies at a frightening rate.
Victory after victory followed under his command and his legend grew, as did the mercenaries and war-artisans, flocking to the banner of Dammekos in their lust for success and plunder. But more than mere success in battle did Perturabo bring to Lochos, and even from the beginning was his genius noted not simply for war, but also invention. Having absorbed with superhuman clarity the breadth and depth of Olympia's science and artisanship, he soon surpassed it on every level and from his chambers a constant stream of blueprints and discoveries sprung, encompassing everything from revolutionary new machines, to treatises on architecture and production methods, and even ground-breaking works on medicine and astronomy. But it was first and foremost by his advances in warfare that Perturabo's dark fame was bred and his legend as the "Hammer of Olympia" was born. New weapons, munitions and hitherto unimagined siege engines were all birthed at Perturabo's hand and, in a brief span of years, it was they and Perturabo's own generalship, now as Warlord to the Tyrant Dammekos, that made Lochos the most powerful and feared domain on Olympia, with a hundred others underneath its heel, and countless more cowed into defacto submission to its rulers.
Perturabo's score upon score of military victories brought no peace to Lochos however, only dominance, and the growing threat of an enemy within, the assassin's blade and the poisoner's kiss. It is believed that a great many attempts were carried out upon the life of Lochos' "Lord of Iron" during this time, both by subjugated Tyrants reasoning -- and rightly -- that without Perturabo, Lochos' supremacy would crumble, and by those who to Perturabo's face called him family and friend, but who secretly held him in terror or jealous hatred. The Primarch, now full grown, towered over them all both in stature and intellect, but cared little for the baubles and trappings of power, and nothing at all for the falsehood of court. Aloof, prideful and justly wary of friend and enemy alike, Perturabo is depicted in the evidence of the time increasingly as a particularly bloody-handed warlord even by the standards of his world, to whom mercy was an alien concept, and who would meet any insult with murderous violence. The steel executioner's mask and the ancient Kaveathos heraldry warning death to the transgressor were Perturabo's signs and seals, and promised savage punishment in repayment of failure by those beneath him, just as it promised death to his enemies.
It is of note that despite the fact that should he have wished it, Perturabo could have overthrown his "master" Dammekos and displaced him as Tyrant, he did not do so. The Primarch it seems, would not break his word or his bargain willingly, and Dammekos, for all his vainglory and corruption was careful never to give him cause or excuse to do so. It is thought perhaps that true to his oath, Perturabo would have let the aging Dammekos die a natural death as he remained unprovoked, hastened by the Tyrant's own licentious excesses, before taking Lochos and then all of Olympia as his own in time. What he would have made of his world then can only be guessed at, for it was not to be, as a new star had been seen in the heavens -- the Emperor had come for his lost son.
The Emperor Comes
In time, the Emperor of Mankind arrived on Olympia as part of the Great Crusade and informed Perturabo of his true place in the wider galaxy. Such evidence that remains of the recovery of Perturabo and his installation in the forces of the Great Crusade indicates that the process occurred swiftly, and with immediate acceptance on Perturabo's part, in marked contrast to several other Primarchs, it is likely that the tyrant Dammekos was more than willing to bring Olympia into the Imperium's fold, as its Satrap, and the price of voluntarily releasing Perturabo from his service was but a small due to pay. Perturabo for his part, it is believed, had already reasoned out his true nature, at least in abstract, as an artificial post-human being, and indeed expected his creator to one day be revealed to him, even though the particulars no doubt remained a mystery until the Emperor himself appeared in orbit with his fleet.
After his rediscovery by the Imperium, the young Primarch was brought to Terra to learn from his father about his chosen destiny and to meet some of his brother Primarchs. During his studies, Perturabo learned of the ancient people known as the Firenzii. Captivated by the history of the past, Perturabo and his brother Magnus of the Thousand Sons Legion spent many months together in search of the buried secrets of Mankind's past glories that had been swept away in the chaos of the Age of Strife, known by Terrans as Old Night. It was the esoteric writings of the world's former masters that most interested him. He cared more for the ancient philosophies of the lost civilizations of Terra than their mechanical wonders, but it was a heady time of exploration for both Primarchs. Perturabo got along well with his brother Magnus, for both Primarchs shared a love of learning, and a hunger to know new things. Perturabo was not a Primarch to whom the natural ebb and flow of friendship came easily. His friendship was not easily achieved, but his loyalty, once won, was as unbreakable as the hardest iron. Or so he had thought, until time would show him that even the hardest iron could break if worn thin enough.
It was remarked upon at the time of his early reception in a number of sources, just what a ravenous mind the new-found Primarch possessed. While all of the Emperor's post-human sons displayed an intellect and capacity to absorb and adapt to new knowledge that surpassed that of an unmodified human, Perturabo's capacity for learning was truly incredible, and it swiftly came to be said that of all of the Emperor's sons, he was the most gifted in terms of raw scientific and technical intelligence. Much of this sagacity was turned inwards however, and Perturabo was from the outset a distant, calculating mastermind who cared little for the society of others, nor readily deigned to explain his actions or intentions to those around him, even to his fellow Primarchs upon meeting them, who he was cold and guarded against to the point of bristling indifference. To the Emperor such foibles mattered little, and in Perturabo he found a new weapon for the arsenal of the Great Crusade, a warlord and general whose savage might was only eclipsed by his razor-keen intellect. To Perturabo each battle and each campaign was no more than a problem to be objectified, deconstructed and overcome, and it would not be long before the first of Mandkind's fores would feel the terrible power of this murderous mind at world.
Oath of Moment
In time the Emperor was ready to send his son back out into the galaxy to help with the galactic conquest known as the Great Crusade, the effort to reunite all of Mankind beneath the rule of the newborn Imperium of Man. Perturabo, like his fellow Primarchs before him, ascended to the crenelated peak of the Astartes Tower to swear his Oath of Moment. He made the long ascent upwards to the polished marble spire, the night before leaving Terra for a life of war. Each step required a superhuman effort of will, determination and courage. It was not simply a physical ascent, but a challenge to the heart and intellect, a psychic communion with the Emperor himself that tested the very boundaries of a warrior’s endurance.
Perturabo pledged his devotion to the fledgling Imperium, and assumed the mantle of Primarch and commander of the IVth Space Marine Legion, whom he renamed the Iron Warriors. According to established practice, the Primarch was declared lord of the world on which he had been raised, effectively deposing his adoptive father, the Tyrant of Lochus, as the most powerful ruler on the world. Given command of the IVthLegion which had been created from his own genome, Perturabo ordered the Iron Warriors to begin the process of inducting new recruits from the most able candidates amongst the peoples of Olympia. Dammekos is said to have spent his remaining few years gathering forces to attempt to retake his power and overthrow Perturabo and the Imperium's rule of Olympia. Dammekos failed in these efforts at rebellion, but created a current of anti-Imperial political unrest among the people of Olympia which would come to haunt Perturabo and his Iron Warriors later.
Iron Within, Iron Without
After a brief period in the Emperor's company fighting alongside Him and consuming knowledge of the Great Crusade, its history, war machinery and operations, Perturabo was handed the command of the IVth Legion which bore his gene-seed, and the transition of authority to him was swift and absolute. At the time, around 35,000 Astartes of the IVth Legion had been mustered to create his independent command, with perhaps half that number again scattered across the conquered domains of the Imperium in smaller independent garrisons and detachments bound to their watches and their duties. Having instituted a full review of the IV Legion's war record, doctrines and practices and having compared those with the other Legions, Perturabo found his sons wanting and acted accordingly. His punishment was decimation. For the Legion's failing all would suffer, all were guilty. As the edict of decimation would state, "War is unequivocal, uncaring, unforgiving and blind. Blind also will be the selection of those who will pay the blood price for the greater failure of your record." One in ten of the Legion, determined by lottery, was put to death without honour, a deed carried out by each Legionary's own comrades with their bare hands. At this bloody edict some within the Imperial Court protested, believing that the Emperor had given absolute power of a Space Marine Legion to a madman, while others, more guarded in their criticism, opined only that command had been given too soon to the Primarch -- unused as he was to the ways of the Imperium. Loudest of these critics was Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines, who bridled at the ignominy of the deaths to which valiant Astartes -- warriors alongside which his own Legion had often fought -- had been thus consigned. It was a spur of discord between the two Primarchs that, though later eclipsed by other rancorous and feuds among the Emperor's sons, would be one that neither would ever forget. All such criticism the Emperor silenced.
To those who survived the IVth Legion's self-decimation, the lesson was plain: such was to be the rule of Perturabo, ruthless and unforgiving, and without favor or preference. Death would be the price of failure in Perturabo's service and war was to him a binary equation. Their sin was not that they had failed in the Great Crusade's service -- for by no measure had this been the case, but instead that they had not reached their full potential. It was not enough for Perturabo that they were merely superior, their fault lay in that among the Legions they were not already supreme. Perturabo demanded that his Legion would be a peerless engine of war, and he immediately set about fashioning it into the weapon he desired it to be, a weapon whose edge he would first test against the rest of the Meratara Cluster at whose edge the Olympia Majoris star system sat. There he first overthrew the vaunted "Black Judges" and claimed their once-held domain for the Imperium, before purging the xenos Ecto-Saurids of Verikhonia and subjugating the Renegade Knight-fiefdom of Lyxos, completing his conquest of the cluster. In this last conflict, Perturabo's Legion ended by force a schism that had lasted for millennia back into the Age of Strife between the fragmented empire and its former masters in the Mechanicum, winning the Legion much favor with the Lords of Mars. This period was for the IVth Legion a winnowing; a time of trials and testing at their Primarch's hand. With calculated forethought and savage experiment Perturabo remade the Legion to his own image -- an image not echoing the Olympian or Terran ideal -- but one fashioned purely from his own bleak and unflinchingly ruthless psyche. At the end of the Meratara Custer campaign, the IVth Legion of old was no more, and the Iron Warriors had been forged from blood and fire in their place.
By the time Perturabo returned again to Olympia with his renamed force, the machinery of his plans was well into effect. In alliance with the Mechanicum, new orbital shipyards and foundries burned with frenetic activity, many had been torn from dead orbits around conquered stars, dragged to Olympia and refitted and expanded to his Legion's purpose. The worlds of the Meratara Cluster too now paid their tribute of flesh and blood to the Lord of Iron to feed his Legion's hunger for fresh warriors, weapons and munitions. All was by Perturabo's hand and design. In the crucible of war, the Iron Warriors had undergone its reshaping, with the changes that had occurred seen in many ways to have amplified what was already present in the IVth Legion rather than changing it beyond recognition; where once the Legion had been ruthless in its willingness to accept losses in return for victory, now it was utterly driven to the point where such considerations were as beneath it as mortal fear. War had become a deadly equation which the Iron Warriors were supremely suited to solve; a relentlessly unyielding engine of war, a beast of steel and fire which swept worlds clean and devoured whole armies.
At the head of a newly constituted force, the 125th Expeditionary Fleet, into which Perturabo drew the bulk of his Legion's strength, the Primarch had command of a force which quickly became the battering ram of the Great Crusade. As they fought alongside each of their fellow Legions in turn, they gained an unmatched reputation for brutal efficiency in battle, mastery of armoured warfare and as artillerists without peer among the Legions. It was said of the Iron Warriors that there was no fortress built by the hand of humanity or that of the xenos they could not smash down, no stronghold they could not storm and no army they could not drown in its own blood through shot and shell.
Bitter Resentments
The wedge that had been hammered between the Iron Warriors and the other Space Marine Legions, however, was only driven home further as time passed, and resentment, pride and paranoia gathered in the hearts of many within the IVth Legion. By his grim methods and savage example, Perturabo had awoke in his warriors a reflection of his own dark soul, and within them his own suspicions, malevolent distrust and callous indifference to life grew alongside the ruthless determination, cold intellect and strength he wished to unlock there. It is then not perhaps unsurprising, given the IVthLegion's predilection for open battle, its employment in siege assault -- the most dangerous and unpredictable of all forms of line warfare -- and its willingness at every level from its Primarch downwards to accept attrition as the price of victory, that the Iron Warriors are estimated in many sources to have suffered the highest overall number of casualties taken over time of any of the Legions in the Great Crusade. It is also similarly a testament to them and the cold and cruel genius of their Primarch, that such losses were routinely absorbed by the Legion without serous lasting depreciation of the Iron Warriors' strategic fighting power and that high casualties rarely resulted in defeat for the IVth Legion. However, despite their genetically enhanced resilience to mental trauma and psycho-indoctrination, it is believed that such a continuous exposure to loss and destruction worked a slow and bitter corrosion on the Legion's psyche.
Perturabo and his Legion sought no friends or allies amongst those they served with, save perhaps the agents of the Mechanicum who aided them in the pursuit of ever more powerful and efficient means of waging war. In their fellow Legions they saw weaknesses bred by self-deceit, lack of discipline, false mysticism and vanity, and they also saw insults and slights by them, both real and imagined. Even many factions of the Mechanicum, to whom Perturabo's technological intellect was a wonder, did not trust him or his Legion fully, dangerously self-sufficient and adept as they were, and ignorant of the Omnissiah's faith. To the forces of the Excertus Imperialis -- the hosts of the Imperial Army and its auxiliaries -- the Iron Warriors' repute was a dark one indeed. More than any other Legion, the Iron Warriors were seen as not only willing to use the lives of human auxiliaries as a strategic resource, but as deliberate expenditure, as cannon fodder to deplete an enemy's fire power, in sacrificial waves by the thousand to bring out a foe from their defenses, or simply to gauge an enemy's strengths by observing how fast they could annihilate them.
Such repeated incidents only served to further taint the hated epithet the "Corpse Grinders" among the common soldiers of the Great Crusade. Open mutiny, put down with predictably thorough slaughter, grew increasingly frequent in war zones where Excertus Auxillia were under the Iron Warriors' command and until, by the Warmaster Horus' edict, a standing order was effected to ensure that the bulk of such troops given to the Iron Warriors command were to be either indentured criminals or enslaved non-Compliants to ameliorate the corrosive effect on wider morale. By the last decades of the Great Crusade, rivalries as well as often mutual simmering disdain, such as the antipathy between the Iron Warriors and Raven Guard Legion brought on by friction during the Icessunder War, and an increasingly bitter rivalry between the Iron Warriors and the Imperial Fists, characterized the Iron Warriors' relationship with its fellow Legions. Indeed, even where the Iron Warriors and their Primarch fought successfully alongside their fellow Legions, such as in the critical war agains WAAAGH! Mashogg, their part was often treated with indifference or guarded disdain by the IVthLegion's contemporaries.
In this latter incident for example, although before Perturabo and the Iron Warriors' arrival in the war zone, Overdog Mashogg's vast orbital fortifications had previously repulsed attack after attack from both the Space Wolves and the White Scars Legions. Perturabo, whose plan succeeded at last in breaking the line and allowing for the Orks slaughter is recorded in the contemporary chronicles of his brother-Legions only as a nameless "comrade-in-arms." This growing schism, perhaps more obvious in hindsight than it would have appeared at the time, was further exacerbated after the appointment of Horus as the Imperial Warmaster. This major re-alignment in the deployment of the Great Crusade saw the renewal and issuing of a string of directives and disposition orders, some from Terra and others from the Warmaster. These orders continued to bleed the Iron Warriors Legion and scatter a good part of its strength across a myriad of splinter Expeditionary Fleets, thankless sieges and garrison postings in the most dangerous, forlorn and isolated corners of the ever-widening Imperium.
Meanwhile, Perturabo's own 125th Expeditionary Fleet was driven into the teeth of deadly foe after deadly foe, neither asking for, nor being sent reinforcements or additional resources, save for those it could itself generate and acquire. Perturabo, bitter but iron in his word, complied. Such events in retrospect only served to foment and amplify the resentment and discord within the IVth Legion and split it from the Imperium it served, and increasingly to derange its warriors in the face of some of the worst horrors the Great Crusade would ever face. Indeed, such may have very well been Horus' plan.
As the Great Crusade moved forward, many Iron Warrior citadels were established on liberated worlds, guaranteeing a safe line of communications and an Imperial occupational force for the planet. Small units of Iron Warriors were garrisoned in these new fortifications, sometimes in ridiculously small numbers. One often-cited example was the Iron Keep on Delgas II, where a single Tactical Squad of ten Iron Warriors was stationed, despite the world having a disgruntled population of almost 130 million people. Where other Primarchs like Leman Russ, Vulkan and Magnus the Red refused to split their forces, Perturabo obeyed his orders with increasing bitterness. The Iron Warriors were being turned into a garrison Legion, with tiny deployments all over the Imperium. The Iron Warriors' indisputable success in siege warfare led to them being "typecast" so that they became the automatic choice for any siege or garrison mission, ignoring the basic needs of all the Legion's Astartes for rest and reorganization. Resentment against the Emperor's relentless demands began to build up throughout the IVth Legion, and particularly within Perturabo himself.
The Hollow Crown
More so than many of those who would eventually turn Traitor and side with Horus, the motivations and path of damnation pursued by the Iron Warriors remains perhaps the most unknown and uncertain, save perhaps that of the history of the Alpha Legion around who little but lies circle. Once faultlessly loyal, they did not bend but seemed to outsiders instead to suddenly and inexplicably shatter in their allegiance. Many who view the matter with enough dispassion see, rightly or wrongly, a Legion eroded by too much horror, too much attrition and death in the service of a cause to which they went unheralded and unthanked. They see a Primarch and his sons who were slowly laid low with suspicion, malcontent and a growing madness. But here remains scant evidence of wholesale corruption of the body or the insidious hand of the Ruinous Powers at work among them, let alone any actual traffic with dark forces before the cataclysm of galactic civil war engulfed the Imperium. For others the answer is more simply that there grew in the IVth Legion a savage, jealous arrogance born of nothing more than base bloodlust and malcontent which led the Iron Warriors down the path to their ruin. There have been some who have contended that the Iron Warriors' fatal flaw was instead a lack of faith at a fundamental level, that they did not truly believe in the cause of the Great Crusade or the Emperor that they served, or that they themselves were anything more than machines built to kill. It might then be viewed that ultimately they were undone by the very pragmatism and logic that had made them such ruthless and effective soldiers, but left them ill-equipped to fight an enemy as existential as doubt and mortal terror. If this is true then for Perturabo, his Primarch's mantle became nothing but a license for slaughter without a higher purpose, his conquests empty and victories hollow. It has been further contended that this was what ultimately deranged and destroyed them from within, leaving nothing but empty vessels to be filled with the uncaring savagery and the mirror of the horrors they had borne.
Iron and Stone
Similarity encourages understanding, or at least some would claim so. In the case of Perturabo and Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the Imperial Fists Legion, this sentiment not only falls but shatters under the weight of reality. For rarely could there be said to be two being on the surface who more resembled each other, yet were separated by a greater chasm. Both reserved to the point of taciturn, both unyielding, both sublime artisans of war who prized indomitability and endurance, there was much that would suggest that they should see the world with one set of eyes, that perhaps they should be closer than any others. That bitterest loathing could arise between two such closely matched kin seems incredible, but it was a reality, some say from the first moment of their meeting.
The exact roots and cause of their enmity cannot be known to any save Rogal Dorn and Perturabo, but if one looks closely there appears a pattern both of behavior and incidents which may offer a clue. Often it seems as though the pair's similarities were the cause of discord rather than understanding. Both were stubborn and more so when challenged, both spoke rarely, and brooded much behind their stone and iron masks. So it was that the silence of one would aggravate the other, the blunt honesty of one roused the other to anger, and the intractability of both ensured that once a dispute was begun neither would yield.
That there were differences between the two cannot be denied, and often these differences may have been the cause of disputes even if they were not the underlying cause. While both Rogal Dorn and Perturabo often favoured siege craft in war, they often differed in its execution. While both were pragmatic, Perturabo often displayed a brutal directness in waging war, applying overwhelming force or sustaining horrific casualties. While Dorn would never baulk or paying such a price for victory, he rarely accepted large numbers of casualties except through necessity. Dorn was an undoubted idealist above all else, Perturabo a pragmatist first and foremost. On such cracked foundations the decades of the Great Crusade heaped pleasures, honours, disparities and mischance, and from the result history reaped an enmity which would take both Primarchs and their Legions to the brink of destruction.
Horus Heresy
As the tragic outbreak of the Horus Heresy grew closer, it appears that Perturabo was put under ever increasing pressure, and as a result the fires of his bitterness were stoked to a raging inferno. Some have postulated that it was the WarmasterHorus who, time after time, engineered events and adjusted deployments to the Primarch's detriment. For the Iron Warriors Legion the Horus Heresy came as the culmination and a series of reversals and fell tragedies that had occurred in the latter years of the Great Crusade, stalked the Legion and by their effect both deranged and twisted is Legionaries. Foremost of these had been the rebellion of Olympia, the seat of the Legion's domain in the Meratara Cluster and foundling home world of their Primarch Perturabo. With the death of the long-lived Tyrant of Lochos and Satrap of Olympia finally dead, the duplicitous and viperous politics of Olympia had severely developed into infighting and insurrection. The violence and division flared up worse than ever before because of the changes the Imperium had wrought onto Olympia, and the discontent grew, due to generations of the planet's finest youth having been tithed for the Legion, never to return. The shocking start of the rebellion struck at the heart of the Legion and its master, and could have come at a worse time, but over a year, the Iron Warriors Legion had been engaged in the almost single handed suppression of a major infiltration of the infamous xenoform known as the Hrud. All such actions in the history of the Great Crusade have proved costly both in terms of lives and the sanity of those who must fight such nightmares, and this was to prove the exception.
Perturabo and the IVth Legion returned to their home world and brutally purged Olympia of its rebels city by city, overrunning the fortresses he had built and sparing no one who stood against him. By the time the massacre was over, five million Olympians had been killed and the rest put into vicious slavery to the Iron Warriors. Perturabo looked on at the remains of his home world in cold silence. Only once the great pyres were burning to cleanse the world of the heaps of corpses created by the IVth Legion's assault did Perturabo fully realise what he had done. The Iron Warriors were no longer the saviours of the Imperium; they had been destroying the alien Hrud one moment and yet, in the next, they were committing genocide against their own people. With the cooling of Olympia's mass funeral pyres had come the realization that nothing the Lord of Iron could ever do from that moment could ever atone for a worldwide genocide. His father would never forgive him so grievous a sin, but Horus had not only forgiven it, he had lauded his brother's thoroughness and dedication. Horus had sworn Perturabo never to feel guilt over what he had done to Olympia, but that was an oath easier to make than to live by.
It was at this time that disturbing news of the outbreak of the Horus Heresy on the world of Istvaan III reached Olympia and new orders for the Iron Warriors came from Terra. Leman Russ and the Space Wolves had attacked Magnus the Red and his Thousand Sons Legion on their home world of Prospero at the direction of the Emperor and as a result of the deceit of Horus. Horus had turned Traitor with his XVIth Legion, the Sons of Horus, alongside some other allied Legions such as the Death Guard, Emperor's Children and the World Eaters. The whole of the Imperium was on the brink of an outright civil war. The new orders from the Emperor ordered the Iron Warriors to join with six other Loyalist Space Marine Legions to face Horus and his Traitor Legions on the world of Istvaan V. During the battle that followed the Iron Warriors, Night Lords, Word Bearers and Alpha Legion all went over to the side of Horus and almost completely destroyed the three remaining Loyalist Legions of the Imperial assault force -- the Iron Hands, the Salamanders and the Raven Guard -- at the infamous Drop Site Massacre on that world. In truth, Perturabo and the other Primarchs who turned Traitor on Istvaan V had already been seduced by the Warmaster and made their decision to stand with him against the Emperor, guaranteeing that the Traitors would field nine Space Marine Legions against the Loyalists.
In the wake of the Drop Site Massacre, to celebrate Perturabo's decision to join his side in the conflict, Horus presented Perturabo with a Power Hammer called Forgebreaker that had been the personal weapon of the fallen Primarch Ferrus Manus of the Iron Hands, who the Traitor Primarch Fulgrim had beheaded during the Drop Site Massacre. The granting of this boon was the embodiment of a new pact between the Warmaster and the Iron Warriors' Primarch, a gift from Horus to Perturabo intended to symbolise Perturabo and the Iron Warriors' newfound allegiance to the Warmaster rather than the Emperor. Fools claimed that Forgebreaker had sealed the pact between Horus and the Iron Warriors, but only Perturabo knew it was forgiveness that truly bound the Iron Warriors to Horus Lupercal.
Hydra Cordatus
As Horus’ rebellion ground on, the Iron Warriors took the time to humble their great enemies, the Imperial Fists, upon the isolated world of Hydra Cordatus that the Sons of Dorn had recently brought into Imperial Compliance. The Iron Warriors made planetfall in the wake of a saturation bombardment that reduced the valley where the planet's lone formidable fortress, known as the Cadmean Citadel, was situated and the agri-settlements filling its fertile deltas to ash. Magma bombs and mass drivers boiled away the rivers and reduced fecund earth to arid dust. The Cadmean Citadel was left untouched, and the small garrison of Imperial Fists Legionaries that Rogal Dorn had left behind still found it difficult to believe that such a precise bombardment was possible. But the Iron Warriors had purposely done this in order to show the Imperial Fists that they were superior to them in every way. The technological cunning of the ancient fortress builders, married to the artfully wrought geography and the courage of the defenders, proceeded to keep the Iron Warriors at bay for almost three months. Every day the Loyalist warriors stayed alive, it kept the enemy from redeploying and bringing their strength to bear elsewhere against the forces of the Imperium. Yet, when the Iron Warriors finally overcame the citadel’s ancient defenses and broke open its walls they ran amok. They slaughtered the remaining Imperial Fists Legionaries, the heroic men and women of Hyrdra Cordatus that had chosen to stand with them, and the refugees from the devastated fields below the fortress. Fifty-two Imperial Fists and thirteen thousand men, women and children were crammed within the citadel’s walls. When the final assault came, the Lord of Iron himself spearheaded the audacious attack upon the citadel's defenders, and slaughtered over thirty Imperial Fists Astartes in a span of only a few minutes. The rest of the Cadmean Citadel's defenders were slaughtered to a man and the surviving mortal refugees were enslaved by the Iron Warriors before they moved on to their next objective. Hydra Cordatus was reduced to a barren desert world by the Traitor Legion's assault.
Angel Exterminatus
Following their victory on Hydra Cordatus, word reached the Lord of Iron that Fulgrim, Primarch of the Emperor's Children Legion, wished to rendezvous with him to discuss something of great import. Though the Phoenecian had yet to reveal the true purpose of his visit, he had promised Perturabo that it was "wondrous." Perturabo knew that his brother had a flair for the melodramatic, which only seemed to have gotten worse since the IIIrd Legion threw their lot in with the Warmaster. The Lord of Iron counted none of his fellow Primarchs as close, but the Phoenician’s adherence to perfection in all things had once provided common ground between the two superhuman warriors and allowed them to talk as trusted comrades-in-arms if not beloved brothers. What the Emperor’s Children had sought with constant movement towards the attainment of perfection, the Iron Warriors earned with rigid discipline and methodical planning; two divergent paths to the same ultimate goal.
Perturabo believed Fulgrim's visit had something to do with Mars. The Warmaster needed the Martian theater fully secured before they moved against Terra, and he believed that Fulgrim was there to seek the Iron Warriors' aid in breaking open the forge-cities of the Mechanicum. If he was right, Perturabo wanted his Legion to have a plan in place to achieve that objective. Until the Iron Warriors received further orders, Perturabo would humour his brother and listen to what Fulgrim had to say. While making plans for the upcoming campaign, Perturabo received word that the Emperor's Children had arrived, unannounced, on the surface of Hydra Cordatus. Over three hundred drop-craft had landed beyond the mouth of the valley where the Iron Warriors had made their encampment.
The IVth Legion quickly gathered in formation to honour the IIIrd Legion with a vanguard to receive them. Battalions of Thorakitai Imperial Army troops stood ranked in their tens of thousands. Before them stood two hundred Grand Battalions of Iron Warriors, fifty thousand warriors in amberdust-burnished warplate. Such a display of might and magnificence had not been seen since the slaughter unleashed upon the black sands of Istvaan V. Yet Perturabo and his senior officers looked on in awe at the gaudy cavalcade of noise, colour and spectacle that emerged from the IIIrd Legion's drop site into the valley. Fulgrim and his Emperor’s Children were now completely unrecognizable from the honourable warriors that had once formed the IIIrd Legion. Perturabo knew something fundamental had changed within the Emperor’s Children, but could not imagine what purpose the disfigurements and degradations its warriors now sported could possibly serve.
Fulgrim met with his brother Primarch in the private inner sanctum of his command bunker with an enticing offer that Perturabo could not refuse; the means to make it so that the Lord of Iron's every desire could be made real and would never disappoint, never fail to live up to his fondest expectations, and never, ever be eclipsed. Fulgrim came with an offer to unite their mutual forces in battle on a glorious quest. One that might tip the balance of the Warmaster’s rebellion. Though Perturabo was suspicious of his brother's intentions, perhaps this joint venture would grant understanding through common cause. Fulgrim revealed his purpose; they were to venture to the Warp Storm that had plagued Perturabo's dreams all of his life. Within it was hidden an ancient and forbidden xenos weapon known as the Angel Exterminatus. It had been hidden in the grave of its doom, a weapon of such power that the stars themselves turned upon it rather than allow it to escape its prison.
Into the Eye of Terror
For as long as he remembered, no matter how many thousands of light years separated him from this particular Warp Storm, Perturabo was always aware of the Eye of Terror's presence and could perceive an echo of it on every world where he had looked to the heavens. He did not know whether this Warp sight had been engineered into his perceptive apparatus deliberately, like Sanguinius’s wings or Corax’s eyes, or was simply a quirk of his genetic code, but it had been a blessing and a curse since his earliest memories. The anomaly haunted his dreams, threaded his nightmares and colored his every thought since he had learned something of its nature. He had once asked the Iron Hands Primarch Ferrus Manus whether his silver eyes allowed similar insight, but his brother had just shaken his head and given him a look of faint scorn, as though he had just admitted to some secret weakness or vice. He had never mentioned it again.
When the joint fleet of the IIIrd and IVth Legions arrived at the outskirts of the stellar maelstrom, for once in his life, Perturabo looked upon it and knew that others could see it too. They did not see it quite as he saw it, but they could at least acknowledge its existence. He saw beyond its dark light to the engulfed worlds within: phantom images that ghosted in and out of perception and fleeting moments of solidity in a realm where such things were anathema. He saw planets where all reason and Euclidian certainty had been abandoned, where the physical laws that underpinned the galaxy were playthings of lunatic forces beyond mortal comprehension. And now he was to venture into its depths, following the guidance of an alien seer.
Before entering the Warp Rift, Perturabo called up the astrogation charts of this region of space, reading the flickering labels of the charts' keys for those few stellar objects in this region worthy of a name. At the heart of the hologram, a vertical black label bisected the fiery orange heart of the Warp Storm. Imposed upon the bar was the name Cygnus X-1. Perturabo knew the Warp Storm was not the first spatial anomaly to bear that name, and whichever lowly scribe had scribed it again was a fool. Something this powerful and terrible deserved a name to strike fear into the hearts of all who saw it, a name that would resonate down the millennia until the end of time, when the stars went out and the only light in the universe was the nightmare glow of the maelstrom’s ever-devouring borders. Perturabo’s fingers danced over the slate from which the charts had been brought forth, and the name in the vertical black bar changed. It would change throughout the Traitor Legions' fleets, spreading to any data engine that called up maps of the galactic northwest. It was a name to lodge in the hearts of all who heard it and would eventually be adopted by the forces of the Imperium as well -- The Eye of Terror.
Sisypheum
Unknown to both the Iron Warriors and the Emperor's Children, they were being pursued by a ragtag group of Loyalist Astartes who were survivors of the Drop Site Massacre of Istvaan V and were determined to stop the Traitors at all costs. These Loyalist Space Marines were gathered from survivors that had fought their way out of the killing ground of the Urgall Depression on Istvaan V. They had managed to escape the Istvaan System aboard an Iron Hands Strike Cruiser known as the Sisypheum. Iron Hands Astartes and their mortal serfs formed the bulk of the warship's crew, but surviving warriors of the Salamanders and a single Raven Guard Astartes were also counted among their number. In the wake of the slaughter, escape from the Istvaan System had been a nerve shredding series of mad dashes under fire and silent runs through the Traitors' orbital blockade, culminating in a final sprint to the gravipause, the minimum safe distance between a star’s mass and a vessel’s ability to survive a Warp Jump. The Sisypheum had escaped the trap, but not without great cost.
The months that followed saw the Sisypheum embark on a series of hit-and-run attacks on Traitor forces on the northern frontiers of the galaxy, wreaking harm like a lone predator swimming in a dark ocean. Traitor forces seeking flanking routes through the Segmentum Obscurus were their prey; scout craft, cartographae ships, slow-moving supply hulks heavily laden with mortal troops, ammunition and weapons. Disruption and harassment were the Sisypheum's main objective until contact had been established with disparate groups of Loyalist forces that had also escaped the massacre, and a stratagem of sorts agreed upon. With the Xth Legion too scattered to function in a traditional battlefield role, its surviving commanders found their own way to fight back: as the thorns in the flanks of the leviathan that distract it from the sword thrust to the vitals.
At Cavor Sarta, an Iron Hand known as Sabak Wayland and the lone Raven Guard survivor Nykona Sharrowkyn had captured an Unlingual Cipher Host -- one of the so-called "Kryptos" -- a hybrid abomination creature of the Dark Mechanicum that had previously made the Traitors' code network a cryptographic impossibility to break. With the Kryptos, Loyalist commanders were able to finally access the Traitors’ coded communications. And with this knowledge, the Sisypheum's Captain, the Iron Hand Ulrach Branthan, had ordered the Sisypheum to make the circuitous journey to Hydra Cordatus and the meeting of the Traitor Primarchs that had been indicated by the cracked communications. After learning of Fulgrim's intentions to enter the Eye of Terror and recover the Angel Exterminatus, the crew of the Sisypheum made their way towards the Warp Rift, aided by a mysterious Eldar guide with the intention of thwarting the Traitors' plan to acquire the unknown xenos weapon.
Crone World
The destination of the joint fleet of Iron Warriors and Emperor's Children vessels was the lost Eldar world of Iydris, a world said to have been favored by the goddess Lileath. Iydris was one of the legendary Crone Worlds, which once formed the heart of the lost Eldar empire before they were consumed by the creation of the vast Warp Rift that was the Eye of Terror following the birth of the Chaos God Slaanesh. The lost world was located at the heart of the Eye of Terror, somehow remaining in a fixed position keeping it from destruction in the gravitational hellstorm of a super massive black hole that lay at the center of the eternal Warp Storm. It was from this epicentre that the galaxy vomited unnatural matter into the void, a dark doorway to an unknowable destination and an unimaginably powerful singularity whose gravity was so strong that it consumed light, matter, space and time in its destructive core.
Their ultimate goal was within the Primarchs' grasp; the Sepulchre of Isha's Doom, which sat at the center of the citadel of Amon ny-shak Kaelis. The citadel stood astride the entrance to the prison tomb of the Angel Exterminatus. Before launching a full planetary assault, the Iron Warriors launched a preliminary orbital bombardment around the citadel, a standard practise when preparing to assault a potentially hostile environment. A cone of fire gouged the surface of Iydris, burning, pounding and flattening in the blink of an eye structures that had stood inviolate for tens of thousands of Terran years. A barren ring of pulverized earth encircled the citadel of Amon ny-shak Kaelis, leaving its walls, towers and temples an isolated island cut off from the rest of the planet’s structures by a billowing firestorm of planet-cracking force. In the wake of this orbital bombardment flocks of Thunderhawks, Stormbirds, Warhawks and heavy planetary landers launched from crammed embarkation decks. Bulk tenders descended to low orbit and disgorged thousands of troop carriers, armour lifters and supply barques. Titanic, gravity-cushioned mass-landers moved with majestic slowness as two Titans of the Legio Mortis took to the field, and this was but the first wave of the invasion. Another eight would follow before the martial power of two entire Space Marine Legions and their auxiliary Imperial Army forces had made planetfall.
Amon ny-shak Kaelis
Perturabo and his Iron Warriors fight for their lives against an army of Eldar revenants within the Sepulchre of Isha's Doom at the heart of the citadel of Amon ny-shak Kaelis
The Traitors' assault began five hours later, despite the full circuit of fortifications still being incomplete. The landing zone was almost surrounded, but the encircling walls had yet to meet one another. Layered rings of minefields and acres of razor wire spread from the outer faces of the walls, making the approach next to impossible for anyone without detailed maps and temporary dormancy codes. Leaving Warsmith Toramino and five thousand Iron Warriors to oversee the completion of the siege works and establish battery positions for the guns of the IVth Legion's Stor-bezashk, Perturabo climbed to the cupola of his converted Shadowsword super-heavy tank, the Tormentor. The Iron Warriors had come in force and the Emperor's Children no less so. Like Perturabo, Fulgrim rode at the head of his army, a warrior god in impossibly bright armour. His brother might have ceded control of this mission to him, but Fulgrim was making sure he was still its figurehead.
For all intents and purposes, the route into the citadel of Amon ny-shak Kaelis was undefended and their route unopposed. Ever mistrustful of the lack of defenses, Perturabo had his Iron Warriors dug in, assuming a perfect formation outside the walls in a layered barbican that protected the Traitor Legions' line of retreat. Fulgrim’s host broke apart into individual warbands, ranging in size from around a hundred warriors to groups of nearly a thousand. Each of these autonomous groups appeared to be led by a captain, though such was the bizarre ornamentation and embellishment on each warrior’s armour, it was often impossible to discern specific rankings. Leaving the fortified bridgehead behind, Perturabo led his Iron Warriors and the Emperor’s Children contingent into the heart of Amon ny-shak Kaelis. The Sepulcher of Isha’s Doom was a monumental palace, sprawling and richly ornamented with bulbous mourn-towers and sweeping, ivory-roofed domes. As the column of Traitors pressed onwards towards the sepulchre, they were being silently and unknowingly observed by the Loyalist Astartes of the Sisypheum. Despite being outnumbered a thousand to one, the small force of Loyalist Legionaries devised a means to find another way into the massive sepulchre.
As the two Primarchs neared their ultimate goal, Fulgrim kept pressing his stern brother with curt impatience to not linger. Perturabo took the time to study Fulgrim and his assembled host. His brother was sheened in sweat, but it was not perspiration that beaded his brow, Fulgrim was sweating light. Though it was faint, it was visible to Perturabo's gene-enhanced sight that saw beyond what even Astartes eyes were capable of detecting. He wondered if Fulgrim was aware of the radiance bleeding from him and decided he must be. His brother’s armour strained against his body and his features were drawn and tired, as though only by an effort of will was he still standing. His captains looked no better, like hounds straining at the leash. A number of Fulgrim's Lord Commanders' flesh was also suffused with a light similar to that enveloping Fulgrim, a deathly radiance that had no place within a living being. Perturabo did not trust Fulgrim one bit, knowing that inevitably he would be betrayed by his brother. The Lord of Iron pressed on, intent on bringing their quest to completion. As they neared their final destination at the heart of the sepulcher, the power at the heart of Iydris spasmed in hateful recognition of the followers of Slaanesh, known to the Eldar as She Who Thirsts, and awoke its guardians from their slumber.
Thousands of crystalline statues threw off their previous immobility. They moved stiffly, like sleepers awoken from an aeons-long slumber, and the gems at the heart of their bulbous heads bled vibrant color into glassy bodies that suddenly seemed significantly less fragile. This army of wraiths were the Eldar dead of Iydris. Soon both the Traitor forces outside the citadel as well as those inside were attacked from all sides by the revenant army. Like automata, but with a hideously organic feel to their movements, the Eldar constructs emerged in their thousands with every passing second. As Perturabo was busy fighting for his life, Fulgrim slipped away in the midst of the fighting. Realizing where he had gone, the Lord of Iron stepped into the green glow emanating from the center of the massive chamber. Perturabo understood that this was no elemental energy or mechanically generated motive force, but the distilled essence of all those who had died there.
Perturabo descended downwards on an unending spiral towards a point of light that grew no brighter no matter how far he descended. The journey downwards was never-ending, or so it seemed until it ended. Fulgrim stood at the origin of a slender bridge that arched out to the center of a spherical chamber of incredible, sanity-defying proportions. The footings of the bridge were anchored on the equator, and a score of other bridges reached out to where a seething ball of numinous jade light blazed like a miniature sun. Iydris, it transpired, was a hollow world, its core this colossal void with the impossibly bright sun at its heart. Perturabo confronted his brother, realizing that there was never an Angel Exterminatus. Fulgrim confirmed for Perturabo that there was no such weapon yet, for he was to be the Angel Exterminatus. Perturabo responded that his brother always did have an appetite for rampant narcissism, but this was the grandest delusion yet. Unamused at Fulgrim's explanation, Perturabo took a step towards his brother, Forgebreaker in his hand, intent on killing him. Fulgrim spoke a single word, its nightmare syllables tore at Perturabo's brain, causing him to stumble and drop to one knee. Fulgrim revealed the reason for his brother being drained of energy.
When Fulgrim had arrived on Hydra Cordatus he had presented the Lord of Iron with a gift; a folded cloak of softest ermine, trimmed with foxbat fur and embroidered with an endlessly repeating pattern of spirals in the golden proportion. A flattened skull of chromed steel acted as the fastener. Set in the skull’s forehead was a gemstone the size of a fist, black and veined with hair-fine threads of gold. As they had made their way towards the heart of the Eye of Terror, the large gemstone at the center of the skull-carved cloak pin had changed from black to a solid gold colour and pulsed with its own internal heartbeat. This was the maugetar stone, known as the harvester, which had slowly been draining Perturabo's strength and life force. With the Lord of Iron's sacrifice, Fulgrim would finally be able to achieve apotheosis. The two Primarchs ascended upwards within the shaft of light, emerging into the chaos that was happening within the heart of the sepulcher.
Apotheosis of Fulgrim
The Primarch of the Emperor’s Children hurled his brother aside, and Perturabo fell in a languid arc to land with a crunch of metal and crystal at the edge of the shaft. Blood trailed the air in a streaming red arc from Perturabo’s chest. The Lord of Iron lay unmoving, his body broken and lifeless. The attention of every Astartes within the chamber was irrevocably drawn towards the Primarch, for they recognised that an event of great moment was in the offing. The Phoenician was no longer the same being as had descended into the planet. He floated in the air above the shaft, which no longer poured its green torrent up to the restless darkness above, but simply radiated a fading glow of dying light. Fulgrim’s armour was shimmering with vitality, as though the light of a thousand suns were contained within him and strained to break free. The Primarch’s dark, doll-like eyes were twin black holes, doorways to heights of experience and sensation the likes of which could only be dreamed by madmen and those willing to go to any lengths to taste them.
Just as Fulgrim was about to achieve his ultimate desire, Perturabo had regained enough of his former strength and rose to his feet, the maugetar stone in his hand. Perturabo walked towards Fulgrim, keeping the hand holding the maugetar stone extended over the shaft in the center of the chamber. Perturabo looked his brother in the eye for some hint of remorse, a sign that he regretted that things had come to this, something to show he felt even a moment of shame at plotting to murder his brother. He saw nothing, and his heart broke to know that the Fulgrim he had known long ago was gone, never to return. He had not thought it possible that anyone could plunge so far as to be beyond redemption. Perturabo knew that Fulgrim no longer wanted to be an angel, he wanted to be a god. He informed the Phoenician that Mankind had outgrown such beings a long time ago. Disgusted by Fulgrim's desires, Perturabo hurled the maugetar stone into the deep shaft.
Suddenly, a barrage of Bolter fire erupted and a handful of Emperor's Children Astartes were pitched from their feet. Black-armoured Space Marines bearing a mailed fist upon their shoulder guards charged towards the Traitors. It was the Astartes of the Xth Legion -- the Iron Hands. Soon the battle was joined, as Loyalist fought Traitor within the expansive chamber. The noose of battle was closing on the two Primarchs at its center -- Perturabo locked on his knees, and Fulgrim hovering in the air as though bound to his brother by ties not even the call of war could break. The Iron Hands were mired in battle with the Emperor’s Children and Iron Warriors, zipping streams of fire blasting back and forth between them. During the battle, one of the Loyalist Astartes, the Raven Guard named Sharrowkyn, had acquired the fallen maugetar stone. He instinctively knew that if this stone was desired by Fulgrim, then it had to be destroyed. Taking a Bolter from a fallen Emperor's Children Astartes, he aimed the muzzle at the strange gold and black stone and pulled the trigger.
The weakened Perturabo was renewed with the sudden release of his lifeforce from the Chaotic relic. Fulgrim’s body arched in sympathetic resonance, for the maugetar stone contained more than just the strength stolen from Perturabo by Fulgrim. It contained their mingled essences, a power greater than the sum of its parts, a power to fuel an ascent so brutal that only the combined life-force of two Primarchs could achieve it. Armour burned from Fulgrim’s body, flaking away like golden dust in a hurricane, leaving his monstrously swollen body naked and his flesh blazing with furnace heat. Spectral flames of shimmering pink and purple licked around his body, a hungry fire waiting to consume him the moment his focus slipped. As the Lord of Iron finally pushed himself upright and stood fully erect, he lifted Forgebreaker onto his shoulder. Fulgrim saw his death in Perturabo's eyes and grinned, knowing that his brother had to do it. Perturabo hefted Forgebreaker like a headsman at an execution and swung the mighty hammer in a wide arc, splitting the Phoenician's body wide open. It was done.
Fulgrim’s body exploded under the impact of Perturabo’s warhammer, and the cry of release was a shrieking birth scream. An explosion of pure force ripped from the Phoenician’s destroyed flesh, filling the chamber of towers with a blinding light that was too bright to look upon, too radiant to ignore. Like a newborn sun, the wondrous incandescence was the center of all things, a rebirth in fire, new flesh crafted from the ashes of the old. Every eye in the chamber was turned to the light, though it would surely blind them or drive them to madness. Through slitted fingers and shimmering reflections, the survivors of the fighting bore witness to something magnificent and terrible, an agonising death and violent birth combined. A figure floated in the midst of the light, and it took a moment for Perturabo to recognize the impossibility of what he was seeing. It was Fulgrim, naked and pristine, his body unsullied by any of the mawkish ornamentations with which he had defaced his flesh, as perfect as the day the Emperor had first conceived him. Fulgrim’s back arched and his bones split with gunshot cracks. His flesh, once so perfect, now ran fluid and malleable, his form moulding and remoulding as though an invisible sculptor pressed and worked him like clay upon a wheel. Fulgrim’s legs, extended like the man of Vitruvius, ran and lengthened, fusing together in a writhing serpent’s tail, the skin thickening and sheening with reptilian scales and segmented plates of chitinous armour. Perturabo took a step towards this thing being born from the death of his brother, all the while despairing that this was his brother.
Perturabo had destroyed Fulgrim’s mortal shell. This was an immaterial avatar of light and energy, of soul and desire. What was being done here was an act of will, a creature birthing itself through its own desire to exist. Fulgrim’s face was a mask of agonised rapture, a pain endured for the pleasure it promised. Two obsidian horns erupted from Fulgrim’s brow, curling back over his skull, leaving his perfect face as unsullied as the most innocent child. Fulgrim ascended into Chaos, a prince of the Neverborn, a lord of the Ruinous Powers, the chosen and beloved Champion of Slaanesh. As the newborn Daemon Prince departed, the first of the Traitor Primarchs to achieve daemonic apotheosis, he left his brother with a cryptic message that they would one day meet again, and both brothers would yet renew their bonds. Lifting his hands into the air, a curtain of light rose up from the ground and Fulgrim and all of his Emperor's Children Chaos Space Marines disappeared in a flare of arcane teleportation energy.
With the disappearance of the Emperor's Children, the Crone World of Iydris began to tear itself apart. The force at the heart of the world was no more. The strength of the life forces of the dead Eldar that had kept it safe was failing, and soon this planet would be swallowed by the unimaginable force of the super massive black hole that lay at the heart of the Eye of Terror. Across the chasm, the remaining Iron Hands gathered up their wounded and fell back from the spreading fissures and heaving ruptures opening in the floor. They looked upon Perturabo with hatred, but decided to make their way off-world from the doomed planet. They knew that they could not fight the Lord of Iron and live through the encounter. Perturabo let the Iron Hands depart. Then he led his warriors out of the crumbling citadel. Once aboard his flagship the Iron Blood, Perturabo watched the final death throes of the Eldar Crone World.
The Iron Blood strained to break orbit, but the force at the heart of the Eye of Terror was reasserting its grip on reality with a vengeance. Many of the smaller vessels of the Iron Warriors survivor fleet that had followed the Sisypheum had already been dragged within its embrace, swallowed by the black hole’s powerful energies. Only the capital ships had engines large enough to resist the inexorable pull, but even they were only delaying the inevitable. Perturabo's Triarchs stood patiently around their lord, awaiting his orders. The Lord of Iron informed them that he always moved forward, never backwards. They would go into the black hole. Though his senior commanders believed that it was suicide, the Lord of Iron informed them that Fulgrim had promised that the two brothers would meet again. The Iron Warriors were not meant to die within the Eye, and there was only one way onwards. His men moved to carry out his order, and the Iron Warriors fleet plunged deep into the heart of Terror.
Battle of Terra
Following the terrible events within the Eye of Terror, the Iron Warriors were let loose on the Imperium as full devotees of Chaos and Perturabo relished the opportunity to fight in a way that did not rely on massive sieges and grinding trench warfare. Because of their widespread deployment throughout the galaxy, dozens of Iron Warriors Warsmiths (Grand Battalion commanders) conquered Imperial planets and demanded tithes to support the Heresy. While one part of the IVth Legion turned Olympia and its surrounding star systems into an Empire of Iron, a large contingent of the Iron Warriors accompanied Perturabo to Terra alongside the rest of the Traitor Legions in the climactic Battle of Terra where he supervised the bombardment and siege of the Emperor's Imperial Palace by the Forces of Chaos. Perturabo took a perverse pleasure in tearing down the defenses set up by Rogal Dorn and his hated Imperial Fists. It cannot be known whether Dorn’s masterfully constructed defenses would have proved the undoing of the Iron Warriors, for Horus was slain by the Emperor before the matter could be fully determined.
Post-Heresy
Battle of the Iron Cage
After fleeing Terra along with the other Traitor Legions following Horus' death, Perturabo took the opportunity to take vengeance on the Imperial Fists with a specially-designed trap on the world of Sebastus IV. The trap was known as the Eternal Fortress, a massive keep centered within twenty square miles of bunkers, towers, minefields, trenches, tank traps and redoubts that were intentionally shaped to look like an 8-pointed Star of Chaos. Upon hearing of the existence of this supposedly impregnable redoubt maintained by his Legion's hated rivals, Rogal Dorn publicly declared that he "would dig Perturabo out of his hole and bring him back to Terra in an iron cage."
Rogal Dorn expected an honourable battle, but this was not to be. Beginning by isolating the four companies of the Imperial Fists that arrived to do battle from their orbital support, Perturabo began to carefully divide his enemy and destroy them piecemeal. Some Imperial Fists managed to penetrate the defenses and reach the center of the Eternal Fortress, only to find there was no central keep - simply an open space watched by yet more defenses. The fortress was a decoy of no real value, surrounded by twenty miles of killing ground. By the sixth day of the siege, Imperial Fists Space Marines were fighting individually, without support, using the bodies of their own battle brothers for cover.
The siege of the Eternal Fortress, later referred to in Imperial histories simply as the Battle of the Iron Cage, lasted for a further three weeks. Relief came in the form of Roboute Guilliman and his Ultramarines, who drove off the Iron Warriors, but the siege left Rogal Dorn a broken man and rendered the Imperial Fists Chapter unable to fight for nineteen standard years while they rebuilt their forces. The gene-seed of over 400 Imperial Fists was captured by the Iron Warriors in the Iron Cage and later sacrificed to the nefarious purposes of the Dark Gods, an accomplishment for which Perturabo was also finally elevated to the rank of Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided by the rare acclamation of the Ruinous Powers.
Following this victory, the Iron Warriors fled to the Eye of Terror alongside their fellow Traitor Marines and secured a new Daemon World named Medrengard, crafting a terrible daemonic Fortress World where his sons ruled a miserable slave population from vast citadels of iron and stone. Today, the Iron Warriors give their greatest loyalty to Perturabo for saving them from what they believe was an unwarranted sacrifice in the name of the False Emperor of Mankind.
Source: http://warhammer40k.wikia.com
258 notes · View notes
arkus-rhapsode · 8 years
Text
Fights I would’ve wanted in the Alvarez Arc
Erza, Bisca, and Max vs Ajeel
I was okay with the canon fight but if we had Erza along with a character who can specialize in sand magic to tip the scales in their favor it would’ve been more smart. Erza saw Ajeel’s magic before the war and if Erza is smart she and Makarov (who also knows about ajeel’s power) would’ve made a strategy to combat him. Erza using the wind and sea swords would work for damaging Ajeel and have Max repel and reflect the incoming sand storms. Then when Bisca uses jupiter to weaken Ajeel instead of Ajeel still having strength to move and still use magic and Erza taking him down from there, have the weakened Ajeel try to use a sand magic attack but due to his weakened state have Max absorb in that sand attack giving Erza an unobstructed shot at a weaken Ajeel. Also if you wanted set up for this, on the calm before the storm night have Max think about for just a little bit he was able to stand up to Natsu and how great it felt.
Lucy vs Brandish
Instead of waiting till the universe one crap have this fight off the bat. Lucy really should not be going to her apartment during a freakin war and having a bath with a villain. Maybe have Brandish sneak in using her reduction to turn small and get to fairy heart in the basement but then Lucy intercepts her. Brandish see’s who Lucy is uses Marin (who she still had on her at the time) to teleport the two of them to another location where they can fight weave the reasons for Brandish’s anger during the fight. Then have Aquarius come and try to explain things. This also takes Lucy away from Natsu or Gray and she has to make it back to the guild on her own.
Thunder God Tribe and Jenny vs (Fake) Wahl
I think the thunder god tribe was used fine in this fight in canon but remove ichiya and replace him with Jenny. Why? Because Jenny was the one who introduced Machinas into the series before Wahl. Jenny can then explain how Ichiya rallied the guilds and when all seemed that himself is a machinas have Jenny try to take it over fail but then reveal she was buying Freed some time to whip out Absolute Shadow.
Natsu, Sting, Jura, and Hyberion vs God Serena
Okay we’ve never had a one on one with Natsu and Sting so they can actually bond and show how they help each other grow. Also, Sting and Natsu are 2 of the strongest attack based dragon slayers. But also have Jura so we can gauge the strength of Serena. But also have Hyberion because he is the second wizard saint meaning he is the closest in rank to match Serena. Give Serena his back story and then use that arrogance to their advantage and beat him.
Wendy, Chelia, and Orga vs Dimaria
First put a limit on the the time stop then have wendy and chelia’s team work be the big thing that pushes it but also allow Orga, who is probably the most powerful god slayer to face off with Dimaria and help give them and edge. Ultear doesn’t need to show off and have instead of third origin have Orga seeing as how he’s the oldest reveal a secret of god slaying magic that could’ve competed with dragon force but it comes at the cost of scraifing your magic. Have Orga volunteer but then because injury have chelia do it.
Laxus vs Wahl
You can pretty much keep this similar to cannon just maybe have a text box or something explain what mercury fulminate is.
Elfman and Lisanna vs Jacob
First change Jacob from a master assassin to a master melee specialist (Jason statham has been both) Just have a simple knuckle buster brawl between Jacob and Elfman then when Jacob uses stealth have lisanna use take oveer: rabbit to hear where jacob is and Elfman is able to continue the fight. Also Elfman finally sees this as a chance to protect Lisanna for almost killing her.
Gajeel, Levy, and Rogue vs Bradman
As much as I like Rogue have him and Levy play support but since Gajeel has the iron lungs have him be the big fighter against Bradman. Then you can keep the big dramatic dragon force. Now instead of Bradman pulling Gajeel into the underworld have it be due to digesting all those anti magic barrier particles that Gajeel has greatly shortened his lifespan but even if he only has 5 or 10 years left just have him vow he wants to spend them with Levy.
Minerva and Yukino vs Heine and Juliet
If they are members of the Irene squad then they should be very strong but not Spriggan level that way two characters can actually land some hits on them. Great way to show us Minerva and Yukino’s advancement as well as being a battle between teams of black and white dichotomy.
Mirajane vs Irene
Do not put Irene on Acnologia’s level, with Mirajane we have a better established scale of Irene’s power. Have her only use enchantments to fight Mira but then if it looks tough make it look like Irene is about to prepare for a roar attack but stops when she sees acnologia coming then use universe one. This way better foreshadowing with Irene and Mira doesn’t get shafted this arc.
Crime Sorciere vs Neinhart
Olympia comes out of the water near Hargeon and then they find Neinhart who brings back Simon and Zancrow to deal with Jellal and Meredy but bring back Brain for the oracion seis. We have conflict of how Brain was basically a father to them but Cobra points out he was just using them but then Brain poses the question is Jellal just doing the same. That way all of them can make the choice to stand up to Brain/Zero. While Jellal and Meredy take the other historia’s. Also keep in the Gray and Lyon vs Historia Ur, and Wendy vs Historia Ezel, as for Erza just bring back Kyouka. Then Jellal knocks down Neinhart but refers to them, crime sorciere, as the seven stars.
Warrod and Wolfheim vs August
Great way to introduce August’s power without Mest being a dumbass
Everyone vs Invel
Okay have universe one cause all guilds to regroup then have the minor characters like Hibiki, Ren, Yuka, Millianna, Bacchus, Rocker, Rufus, Reedus, romeo etc. Fight against the giant force of soilders that Invel has used Ice Slave on to manipulate them easier (And maybe surviving Spriggans like Ajeel and Jacob as well as cutting out historia wahl, bradman, and serena). As well as having Irene add Enchantments to try and turn this to their favor. But let every minor character contribute. Now not like pages of character moments but maybe 3-4 panels of each character contributing. Then have a big entrance with Gildarts and Natsu who met because universe one and have that signal the second wind.
Gray vs Invel
Having an Ice user and not letting Gray fight him is like having sword user and not letting zoro fight him. Gray goes after Invel and they have a straight up bloody knuckle fight but when Gray uses demon slaying magic and Invel mentions giving into madness have it be in his head while Gray more aggressively beats Invel that way we believe Gray is actually falling to darkness more than just “my not girlfriend died”.
Kagura and Sting vs Larcade
First make Larcade’s magic look like it should then have Kagura get a longer fight with Larcade then have Rogue come in to give Sting the white shadow dragon powers.
Team Natsu vs Irene
All of team natsu finally regroups after being separated for so long take Irene. If the meteor must be included cut out the erza breaks her bones and have it be a group effort to take it down. Irene can reveal the dragon seed to Wendy and Natsu. Then Erza using a multitude of armors to fight against Irene can get the finishing blow using that dragon slaying enchanted Katanna.
Gildarts vs August
Stay the course
Natsu vs Zeref
Have them fight but have it all be interupted by Acnologia.
Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, Laxus, Cobra, Sting, and Rogue vs Acnologia
Have this huge fight with each DS showing their skills and how their development changed them. Finishing Blow can be because of END.
END vs Gray
The last fight of the arc should be these to simultaneously trying to reach each other and in the end let it be Natsu who admits to his own selfish wishes wants to die for everyones sake. Gray says he can’t kill a friend but Natsu mentions home many will die if END is released and if he can live with knowing that everyone he loves will die because of Zeref’s demon.
30 notes · View notes
buzztify · 3 years
Text
How To Increase Density of Hair Naturally
Tumblr media
Every girl’s dream is to have thick and voluminous hair. To make this possible you must invest your time money in various hair care products from essential oil to shampoos, hair masks to serums. Before jumping on to treat your hair, know the science behind your hair, and how you can increase density of your hair naturally.
What do you Mean by Thick Hair?
Hair density and the number of hair follicles are referred to as thick hair. However, some of us always get confused with coarse hair, coarse hair is naturally textured hair that some ethnic group has. Dermatologist says that these coarse hair looks like it has thickened circumference, but they are not rough. The average thickness of hair is around 0.0762mm to 0.127mm, anything less than this level is considered thin hair, while anything more than this standard is considered thick hair.
What are the Causes of Hair Thinning?
Thinning hair causes can be considered as below. - Strong hair products - Genetic - Medical conditions - Chemicals - No or poor diet - Aging
Why are You Losing Thickness of Your Hair?
Tumblr media
If your androgens and DHT become weak they shrink your hair follicles resulting in follicle miniaturization. You will lose your hair thickness if you are having a hormonal imbalance. Aging gradually damages your stem cells, therefore turning your hair follicles into the skin. Although this process takes a long time, in the meantime your hair follicles are being thinned. Inheritance is not something that can be blamed, but it can be dealt with. The hair that the miniature follicle produces loses its density. If most of your hair follicles are miniaturizing, you'll notice your hair isn't as thick as it used to be. To answer most of your question can thin hair becomes thicker? Find out below procedures to make your hair thick and strong.
How To Increase Density of Hair
You can increase the density of hair by opening miniaturizing hair follicles. There are certain ways to do this, you need to reduce the number of your stem cells, with operational stem cells, follicle shrinking can be reverted. Blood vessels provide nutrients to hair follicles. They also have complex relationships with your hormones. The key to opening your hair follicles is to stimulate blood flow in your scalp. Hormonal balance supports stem cell renewal by regulating metabolism. So far, we have seen the causes of hair thinning, let us see what makes your hair thicker?
Hair Care Routine for Thicker and Fuller Hair
If you follow this routine it will make your hair grow faster and fuller. - If you are having dry hair, then you can apply organic coconut oil daily and wash once a week. For those who are having oily hair, you can apply it 1 hour before when you are going to take a bath from your head. - You need to comb your hair in the morning and before going to sleep with a wide teeth comb. - Do not forget to massage your scalp with essential oil and carrier oil. - Eat food that gives you protein and nutrients. - Do not leave your hair loose, always remember to tie it up. - you use herbal shampoo to wash your hair. - Use a good herbal hair mask once a week to strengthen your hair. - To relieve tension and absorb vitamin D for hair follicle regeneration, practice yoga in an open space for fresh air that is exposed to the sun. Read More - Homemade Tips for Silky, Shiny & Smooth Hair
Use of Essential Oil to Grow Thicker Hair
Essentials oils are extracted from the medicinal plants with a unique process, and these are highly concentrated oil. Expert Tip: Do you know peppermint oil was proven to be more effective than minoxidil at activating hair follicles. (source)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
View on Amazon
Tumblr media Tumblr media
View on Amazon Here I have listed down all the essential oils that are good for growing strong and thick hair. There are good essential oils for thickening hair that includes lavender oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, tea tree oil, cedarwood oil, lemongrass oil, clary sage oil, ylang ylang oil, and thyme oil.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Procedure to Use Essential Oil to Grow Hair Thicker
Get your regular carrier oil like coconut, almond, sesame seed, or olive oil and mix 2-5 drops of essential oil in it. Apply the solution to your scalp with your fingertips and massage well. Massage your scalp with your fingertips to relieve tension. After applying to your head relax for an hour. Wash your hair with herbal shampoo to get the effect of essential oil on your scalp. You can try doing it with other essential oil when washing your hair. Note: Do not consume essential oil directly. Always remember you should do a small patch test on your skin (like on your hand) before applying it to your scalp.
How Hair Mask Helps Make Your Hair Thicker
An herbal hair mask should be used as it penetrates deeper into your scalp and nourishes the hair follicles also hydrate your hair strands from bottom to top. The herbal mask is good for your hair as it helps your hair to last longer and makes them stronger and lustrous. Let us see how to make the hair mask for hair.
Hair Mask with Fenugreek, Amla & Shikkakai
Ingredients: Amla, Skikkakai, Lemon, Fenugreek seeds, Curd How to Make - Take 2-3 tablespoons of amla paste and marinate it in the fridge overnight. - Add 1 tablespoon of shikkaki powder to the marination. - Add 1 tablespoon of soaked ground fenugreek seeds. - Add a whole lemon juice to it. - Add Curd to make it a thick paste like structure and mix them well. - Now you are ready to apply the hair mask like you apply your henna. - Keep it for an hour and then rinse it with normal water.
Benefits of using Fenugreek, Amla & Shikkaki
- Fenugreek contains lecithin and nicotine, which aid in the development of follicles. - Shikakai is rich in a multivitamin that boosts your hair growth. - Amla contains vitamin C that helps in developing your hair follicles. - Lemon juice helps to keep off antioxidants.
How to Make Brahmi & Ashwagandha Hair Mask
Ingredients: Ashwagandha powder, Brahmi powder, Milk How to Make - Take 1 tablespoon of ashwagandha powder & add 1 tablespoon of brahmi powder. - Take some amount of milk to make a paste like structure. - Make sure to apply the mask fully from top to bottom to your hair. - After an hour wash it with lukewarm water.
Egg Mask for Healthy Hair
How to Make - The egg is blessed with a lot of proteins, and proteins are essential for our hair. If you want to make your hair stronger you apply the hair mask to your hair. - Take 1-2 eggs whisk it for a while make it thick. - Dampen your hair and apply the past and keep it for 30 min. - Wash your hair with lukewarm water and a regular shampoo or herbal shampoo.
Banana Mask for Voluminous Hair
Bananas include nutrients that aid in collagen formation, making your hair thicker and stronger. How to Make - Take 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add one mash ripe banana. - You need to mix it well till it becomes thick like a paste. - Then take the Mask and apply it on your hair & scalp. - Wash it after 30 min with regular water that you take for a bath, you can apply conditioner too.
Following Rich Diet
Hair thinning can be prevented by eating a well-balanced diet rich in healthy fats and proteins. Foods like fish, eggs, walnuts, almonds, yogurt, legumes, and green leafy vegetables are all good for strengthening hair. Also, these foods are good to increase the density of your hair fenugreek seeds, amla, and curry leaves, as well as eggs, peanuts, peanut butter, spinach, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, almonds, sweet potatoes, fenugreek seeds, and flax seeds. You can consume supplements in your diet. Supplements like B5, B12, Biotin, zinc, iron make your hair strong and thick.
How To Wash Hair Properly?
If your hair consists of dyes from hair products and chemicals build up on your hair using hair products, then you can remove them by following a proper method to wash your hair. - Make your hair wet with warm water. - (Mix your shampoo in water) Massage the shampoo into your scalp and hair carefully. - Follow the same process twice, after you wash your hair with cold water. - Use conditioner later. - Wash your hair to remove the conditioner. - Use a soft cloth to dry your hair, and then use a gentle serum.
My Thin Hair Become Thick Again?
If your hair is thin genetically then there is no way that you can get thicker hair with those methods. But if it has happened due to some chemical used on hair, harsh hair products, or poor diet then all the above mentioned methods can get you dense hair. Conclusion While your hair follicles cannot instantly change, you can surely make your hair look thicker and healthier by using the strategies listed above. Avoid using any of the components listed above if you have an allergy to them. An underlying issue could be to blame if you experience unexpected hair loss or thinning. In such cases consult your hair specialist. Read More - Dominican Blowout vs Silk Press Hair Straightening Read the full article
0 notes
lovelyfantasticfart · 4 years
Text
20 DIY Kitchen Storage Ideas
For those who truly want to be glad in a palm-tree seashore house in Costa Rica or a retirement flat in Dublin, you will discover a strategy to make that happen. With open shelves the kitchen feels extra open and airy and objects are easier to find. Over the past 12 months I have spent numerous hours adding information and links which might be particular to your neighborhood within the Kerrisdale, Shaughnessy, South West Marine, Dunbar, Level Gray, Kitsilano, UBC, South Granville areas. In the third quarter of last yr, home prices rose 6.6 p.c year on the 12 months, in accordance with Knight Frank. There are however these overpriced items I've referenced over the previous couple of months and the market right here in greater Vancouver is now not supporting egregious overpricing. How many models had been going to go unsold on Saturday however had been abruptly "spoken" for? Are prices going up? They're some lovely creatures.
The lack of excessive speculation suggests that we're unlikely to see a speculation-induced bust in pricing. Affordability has been restored in lots of locations so it's sensible to suggest that we could see some stabalization. I see the options but once i attempt, nothing occurs. Sadly, despite report low interest charges, Canada's banks are making it more and harder for first-time patrons, seasonal workers, current immigrants and others to get a bit of the housing pie. The Fairmont Condos in downtown Vancouver signify more then just a 5 star estate residence . One hundred billion from internet price in Metro Vancouver. 2.7 Billion dollar fortune to a charitable basis he based to educated the blind, present secure drinking water in Africa and supply housing for the mentally retarded. Answer: Sure to regulation and the dollar. Fourthly, the subprime mortgage market in Canada barely existed and he mentions the truth that in Canada individuals can not merely stroll away from their mortgage identical to in United States. However we鈥檙e not seeing it鈥娾€斺€妕he newest financial studies show progression in direction of full employment but weak wage growth鈥娾€斺€奲ecause the hyperlink between getting stuff carried out and using additional individuals has been damaged.
Paul B. has inventory reported at over 15,000, and Rob Chipman stories over 14,000. Chipman has additionally been reporting a gross sales/listing within the low 40% vary a good bit recently (by my restricted studying). 1.17 million, went up on a sliding scale in late 2014, rising to a 12% tax on the portion of a sale over 拢1.5 million. Over 1/three acre with RV parking. Collingwood Pioneers: Memories of a Vancouver District cites a 1905 newspaper article as noting that, three years beforehand, Collingwood had consisted of a small store, a barn, and a few homes. Very informative article. To the point with no bs on the aspect. Our try with this market replace is to provde the details about what has been occurring within the Vancouver market specializing in the Vancouver West Side and Vancouver East Side. The market continues with confidence and optimism overpowering persistent negativity the politicians keep pushing out. Dear Bev: You need to commonly clear each the inside and the soleplate of your steam iron to maintain it in tip-top condition.
VREB president Kyle Kerr cited new mortgage regulations as an element as properly, but also steered that B.C.'s impending hypothesis tax might already be having an effect. Though the Johnny come currently are nonetheless itemizing houses to money in on the capital beneficial properties, the patrons have dried up, thanks partly to the 15% tax the B.C. This issues, because if we lose confidence in our country鈥檚 institutions鈥?integrity to do what they're alleged to be doing we can have bigger issues than what Matt Barrie outlined in his authentic write-up. We still put money into Vancouver and actually, have just bought a home in North Vancouver the place we take possession next week. Without that regular stream of income, the leased automotive gets towed away, the over-mortgaged home is foreclosed upon, and the minimal payments on the maxed-out credit playing cards aren鈥檛 made. After consuming, attempt to remain sitting upright for round two to a few hours before lying down.
This demand has had a direct influence on the surge in each quantity and gross sales costs. For the previous 20 years, passive savings have dominated in Canada. Hi Nicole, I have heard that too concerning the recent baked cookies! You additionally won't be restricted to the time constraints of a rented venue. Meet Brad Lamb. Faithful readers will recognize Lamb as Toronto's model of the Rainforest's Bob Rennie - aka 'the Condo King' of their respective cities. With regards to the 2nd undertaking, roof retrieval will be your sole which includes to be close to best of one鈥檚 guidelines to protected a number of components. There still are a whole lot of issues with Home windows 7 64-bit and Google Chrome. Social media promotions are a beautiful technique to unfold the phrase about what you are promoting. Tour packages in Auckland are featured with self-guided tours. Thanks so much for the type works and the encouragment, Novo. Many individuals wish to share the views, suggestions and opinions regarding many matters. Due to this fact he ailing get Rs X-RsY.
from Blogger https://ift.tt/32XeHdz
0 notes
ladystylestores · 4 years
Text
U.K. Sanctions, Facebook, Jair Bolsonaro: Your Tuesday Briefing
(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)
Good morning.
We’re covering Britain’s new sanctions on human rights abuses, discrimination against Europe’s Roma and a revival of Italy’s pawnshops.
They are the first sanctions that Britain has imposed since leaving the European Union in January — a move officials hope will cast the country as a human rights defender.
Among the 47 people who face travel bans and frozen assets in Britain: Russians accused of having involvement in the death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, and Saudis accused of assassinating the Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The list did not include any Chinese officials.
What it means: Being blacklisted will probably not change the lives of those named and many are already blacklisted by the U.S. But sanctions are a weapon that Britain could use in the future on Chinese officials who are involved in Uighur internment or the crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
Officials cite medical risks. But for many Roma, the lockdown exemplifies a centuries-old bigotry that has deepened in parts of Europe during the pandemic. Other places with similar caseloads in Bulgaria, they say, have not had such restrictions.
Quote of note: “It’s pure prejudice,” said Angel Iliev who tried to collect water at a spring beyond a checkpoint but was turned away by the police. “The discrimination was already bad, but now it’s even worse because of the pandemic.”
In other coronavirus news:
The U.S. is still in the pandemic’s first wave, its top infectious disease expert warned on Monday, with more than 250,000 new cases announced nationwide in the first five days of July alone. Deaths have surpassed 130,000.
Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president and noted coronavirus skeptic, said Monday that he would take a new test for the virus after developing symptoms of Covid-19.
Israel closed bars, gyms and pools and curtailed gatherings as positive test results reached new heights.
New up-and-coming coronavirus tests, like the gene-editing tool Crispr, can spot the virus in less than an hour. But it will most likely be months before these tests hit clinics.
For millions of low-paid workers from Asia and Africa running Arab households, the pandemic has exacerbated the dangers of conditions that rights groups say can lead to exploitation and abuse.
The coronavirus is accelerating the shift to cashless transactions, with governments in India, Kenya, Sweden and other countries promoting digital payment for public health reasons.
Here are the latest coronavirus updates and maps of the outbreaks.
Facebook won’t turn over Hong Kong user data
Facebook and its messaging service WhatsApp will temporarily stop processing Hong Kong government requests for user data while it reviews the national security law imposed by China.
The company said it would consult human rights experts to assess the law. The decision is a rare questioning of Chinese policy by an American internet company, and targets the question of how the security law will apply online.
Telegram, another popular messaging app, said on Sunday that it would refuse requests from the Hong Kong authorities for user data until an international consensus was reached on the new law.
What’s next: Facebook’s move puts pressure on other tech giants, like Apple, Google and Twitter, to clarify how they will deal with the Hong Kong security law.
Related: Xu Zhangrun, a Chinese professor at the prestigious Tsinghua University, was arrested on Monday in Beijing — one of the few academics in China who have harshly criticized the ruling Communist Party.
Russia: A Russian military court on Monday convicted a freelance journalist on charges of “justifying terrorism” in a 2018 text critical of the security services. It tightened the screws on free speech, and even the Kremlin’s human rights council denounced the charges.
If you have 8 minutes, this is worth it
A pawnshop revival in Italy
Italians are turning to a safety net they have relied on for centuries through plagues, sieges, wars and downturns: putting up their valuables as collateral for loans. Pawnshops, above, an official part of the Italian banking system, saw activity increase from 20 to 30 percent immediately after the country’s lockdown because of the coronavirus.
“When things are going well, you can buy your stuff back,” said Claudio Lorenzo, who had pawned his and his wife’s wedding rings. “When things are going bad, you can’t.”
Snapshot: Above, a conductor on the Tshiuetin line, the first railroad in North America owned and operated by First Nations people, that runs through rural Quebec. Named after the Innu word for “wind of the north,” it is a symbol of reclamation.
Gentrification fight: When a developer tried to evict Nour Cash & Carry, a beloved grocer in south London, customers organized to save the store, saying its fate symbolized broader changes in the lower-income neighborhood.
What we’re listening to: The “Floodlines” podcast from The Atlantic about Hurricane Katrina. It “traces the racism-driven response to the Big One with the clarity of 15 years of hindsight,” writes Shaila Dewan, a national reporter and editor covering criminal justice issues.
Now, a break from the news
Cook: This mayo-marinated chicken with chimichurri is perfect for cooking on the grill or in a cast-iron skillet indoors.
Watch: “Grand Designs” is a bit like “The Great British Baking Show,” but in this series, the goal is to build dream homes, not frangipani and iced buns. It’s also deeply human.
Read: “Too Much and Never Enough,” an exposé about President Trump written by his niece, and a memoir from the poet Natasha Trethewey are among the 16 books to watch for in July.
Staying safe at home is easier when you have plenty of things to read, cook, watch and do. At Home has our full collection of ideas.
And now for the Back Story on …
Teaching about racism
Jane Elliott, now 87, came up with a lesson in 1968 to force children to experience prejudice firsthand. She split up her class into two groups based on an arbitrary characteristic: eye color. Those with blue eyes were superior to those with brown eyes, and were entitled to perks, like more recess time and access to the water fountain. Quickly, the children turned on one another. She reversed the roles and saw the same thing.
The anti-racism educator spoke with our In Her Words newsletter about how things have and have not evolved since 1968.
For the past few decades, you’ve been giving anti-racism lectures and workshops around the country. Have you noticed a shift in how they have been received?
I’ve been doing the exercise with adults for about 35 years. But in the last few years, I’ve only been doing speeches about it because we now live in a situation where people turn off immediately if they think they’re going to learn something counter to their beliefs, and I don’t want to be threatened with death anymore. I’m tired of receiving death threats.
Where did you grow up, and when did you come to truly understand the problem of racism in this country?
I was raised on a farm in northeast Iowa. When I went to school, I started to learn the standard elementary curriculum, which is that white men did all the inventing and discovering and civilizing.
Then I went to college, and in my first social studies education class, the white professor stood up in front of that group of students and said, “When you get into the classroom, you must not teach in opposition to local mores.”
A lot of white people are trying to reassess their own biases. Based on the work you’ve done, what can white people do to actually help in this moment?
First of all, you have to realize what I do isn’t hard work. What Black people do is hard work. I get paid for the work that I do.
And second, white people need to stop referring to themselves as “allies” — as if we can make it all right. They need to educate away the ignorance that was poured into them when they were in school and realize that they are the reason everyone is so angry.
That’s it for this briefing. Tips I needed for keeping good habits post-lockdown. See you tomorrow.
— Isabella
Thank you Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh provided the break from the news. You can reach the team at [email protected].
P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about new insights on how the virus takes hold in the body. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Guacamole ingredient (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Kim Perry, who has worked on major digital initiatives in the Times newsroom, has been named director for international strategy and operations.
Source link
قالب وردپرس
from World Wide News https://ift.tt/38AwAla
0 notes
courtneytincher · 5 years
Text
It’s Time the Pentagon Finds an Alternative to Djibouti
BERBERA, SOMALILAND—Djibouti’s role in U.S. national security has for decades been inversely proportional to its size. The tiny East African country has long been a logistical hub for the U.S. military. Its airfield helped supply U.S. forces in Somalia in the early 1990s, and U.S. Navy vessels visited its port frequently. Because Djibouti—a French colony or territory for nearly a century before its 1977 independence—hosted French forces, the U.S. military could utilize the French infrastructure when necessary.The real import of Djibouti to U.S. security calculations, however, came after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when the George W. Bush administration formed Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) first to coordinate and conduct regional stability operations and then to oversee counterterrorism operations in both Yemen and across the broader region. The Obama administration’s growing reliance on drone strikes—many of which it launched from Djibouti—only increased the country’s importance. Since formally arriving, the Pentagon has invested several billion dollars in Camp Lemonnier, today the largest U.S. military base in Africa and the keystone of U.S. Africa Command operations, hosting four thousand soldiers, sailors, and Marines spread over five hundred acres.The United States, of course, has not been alone in recognizing Djibouti’s strategic position. The French initially carved what now is Djibouti out from greater Somalia because of its position and harbor. The British had established a coaling station in Aden to support the United Kingdom’s military and commercial interests in East Africa and the Indian Ocean. Djibouti—with a natural harbor just 150 miles away from Aden—served much the same purpose as the French sought to keep Madagascar, Mauritius, and other regional interests secure. The Suez Canal, of course, made the Bab-el-Mandab chokepoint adjacent to the country even more important. Over the decades, technology may have changed by Djibouti’s strategic position did not. Today, in addition to the United States, France maintains a presence and hosts German and Spanish troops at its base. Italy and Japan also have facilities, and both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also rent space. China, meanwhile, has built a major new base in the country as it expands its interests in the Indian Ocean basin and Africa. Iran has, in the past, also sought to make inroads but was forced out because of U.S. and Western pressure.What goes around comes around, however. To date, China has tolerated the presence of its geopolitical competitors in Djibouti, and the Djiboutian government has been happy to leverage its location to collect rents from as many outside powers as possible. But, not every investor in Djibouti is equal. China has financed a water pipeline for Djibouti, as well as a railroad to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. While U.S. aid to Djibouti peaked at $31 million in 2017, a Chinese company signed a preliminary $4 billion natural gas deal with Djibouti that same year.That aid disparity might be enough to tip the scales toward deference to Beijing’s interests, but Djibouti’s corruption makes a tilt toward China—should Chinese authorities demand it—more likely. Djibouti has had only two leaders since its independence—Hassan Gouled Aptidon ruled the country with an iron fist for the first 22 years after its independence. Upon his death, his nephew and handpicked successor Ismaïl Omar Guelleh took over, and has run the country ever since. Corruption remains a major problem in the country, with few deals able to proceeds without Guelleh or his relatives personally benefiting, if not in bribes then in business contracts which any Western country would consider a conflict of interest.It seems, however, the Trump administration like the Obama administration before it remains in a state of denial. The Pentagon has invested so much money into its Djibouti facilities that it is hard to imagine let alone justify to Congress that those funds were in effect wasted. Inertia also remains a problem. For more than a decade, diplomats and the Defense Department turned a blind eye to the reality of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for fear that to acknowledge reality would mean recognizing the vulnerability of the U.S. presence at Incirlik Air Base. The Pentagon likewise continues to treat its facilities at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as a get-out-of-jail-free card for Qatari terror sponsorship for fear that holding Doha to account would risk U.S. access.With time, however, U.S. military planners expanded U.S. access to facilities in Romania and Bulgaria, as well as northern Jordan in order to offset reliance on an increasingly erratic Erdoğan. While the Pentagon continues to double down on Qatar, nearby Bahrain could provide an alternative. Not only does it host the U.S. Fifth Fleet but, during Operation Desert Storm, Bahrain’s Isa Air Base hosted four times more American planes that Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base does now.With China able to out leverage the United States in Djibouti at any time, it behooves the Trump administration to find an alternative to Djibouti now. Ethiopia is no recourse, both because it has no port and because Chinese investment and trade likewise ties it far more to Asia than to the West. Eritrea hosts a United Arab Emirates port and may cooperate with Israel as well, but an uncertain political transition, poor facilities, and a horrendous human rights situation make a U.S. presence untenable. Somaliland, however, could be an alternative. Its main port, Berbera, hosts one of the longest airstrips in Africa. During the Cold War, the United States maintained a military presence and, as one official in Berbera quipped during a recent trip, NASA’s contract for facilities on the airfield technically remains valid and so they could return “tomorrow.” While the United Arab Emirates is building a base, Somaliland authorities remain frustrated at the opacity of the UAE contract (signed with a previous government) which, regardless, is not exclusive. Berbera is a deep-water port able to accommodate most U.S. ships.Most importantly, Somaliland authorities want the United States there. As China and Russia both make approaches to Somaliland, the democratically elected, Western-leaning Somaliland government has been holding out for the United States, although it cannot do so indefinitely. The problem to date has been the State Department. Somaliland has been functionally independent since 1991, when it revoked its union with Somaliland and reclaimed its 1960 independence. While the United States recognized Somaliland then, the State Department now pursues a bizarre and expensive one-Somalia policy, effectively cutting off direct dealings with Somaliland for fear that interaction with Somaliland might anger Mogadishu, whose government cannot even control its own capital city. This deference is ridiculous on many levels, both because the Somali government in Mogadishu is more theoretical than real in its ability to control and govern, has recently deferred to China itself, has flirted with terrorism and, last but not least, is neither equal to Washington nor should it defer its national interests to Mogadishu.Rather than risk American security and interests, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Assistant Secretary of State Tibor P. Nagy, Jr., and U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Donald Yamamoto should recognize that military ties have never equated to formal diplomatic recognition: Just ask Syrian Kurds, Iraqi Kurds, or Taiwan. In both the Middle East and East Asia, however, a generation of officials recognized that they should prioritize American security and defense above more mundane and tendentious concerns.Putting all America’s eggs in one basket—and an increasingly shaky one at that—is not a strategy to protect America’s interests in the fight against terrorism, Iranian proxy groups, Al Qaeda affiliates and the Islamic State. The United States need not leave Djibouti, but it is time to consider a Plan B for otherwise a single whisper from Beijing to Djibouti’s president could cripple America’s ability to defend itself and its allies.Michael Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.Image: Reuters
from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines
BERBERA, SOMALILAND—Djibouti’s role in U.S. national security has for decades been inversely proportional to its size. The tiny East African country has long been a logistical hub for the U.S. military. Its airfield helped supply U.S. forces in Somalia in the early 1990s, and U.S. Navy vessels visited its port frequently. Because Djibouti—a French colony or territory for nearly a century before its 1977 independence—hosted French forces, the U.S. military could utilize the French infrastructure when necessary.The real import of Djibouti to U.S. security calculations, however, came after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when the George W. Bush administration formed Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) first to coordinate and conduct regional stability operations and then to oversee counterterrorism operations in both Yemen and across the broader region. The Obama administration’s growing reliance on drone strikes—many of which it launched from Djibouti—only increased the country’s importance. Since formally arriving, the Pentagon has invested several billion dollars in Camp Lemonnier, today the largest U.S. military base in Africa and the keystone of U.S. Africa Command operations, hosting four thousand soldiers, sailors, and Marines spread over five hundred acres.The United States, of course, has not been alone in recognizing Djibouti’s strategic position. The French initially carved what now is Djibouti out from greater Somalia because of its position and harbor. The British had established a coaling station in Aden to support the United Kingdom’s military and commercial interests in East Africa and the Indian Ocean. Djibouti—with a natural harbor just 150 miles away from Aden—served much the same purpose as the French sought to keep Madagascar, Mauritius, and other regional interests secure. The Suez Canal, of course, made the Bab-el-Mandab chokepoint adjacent to the country even more important. Over the decades, technology may have changed by Djibouti’s strategic position did not. Today, in addition to the United States, France maintains a presence and hosts German and Spanish troops at its base. Italy and Japan also have facilities, and both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also rent space. China, meanwhile, has built a major new base in the country as it expands its interests in the Indian Ocean basin and Africa. Iran has, in the past, also sought to make inroads but was forced out because of U.S. and Western pressure.What goes around comes around, however. To date, China has tolerated the presence of its geopolitical competitors in Djibouti, and the Djiboutian government has been happy to leverage its location to collect rents from as many outside powers as possible. But, not every investor in Djibouti is equal. China has financed a water pipeline for Djibouti, as well as a railroad to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. While U.S. aid to Djibouti peaked at $31 million in 2017, a Chinese company signed a preliminary $4 billion natural gas deal with Djibouti that same year.That aid disparity might be enough to tip the scales toward deference to Beijing’s interests, but Djibouti’s corruption makes a tilt toward China—should Chinese authorities demand it—more likely. Djibouti has had only two leaders since its independence—Hassan Gouled Aptidon ruled the country with an iron fist for the first 22 years after its independence. Upon his death, his nephew and handpicked successor Ismaïl Omar Guelleh took over, and has run the country ever since. Corruption remains a major problem in the country, with few deals able to proceeds without Guelleh or his relatives personally benefiting, if not in bribes then in business contracts which any Western country would consider a conflict of interest.It seems, however, the Trump administration like the Obama administration before it remains in a state of denial. The Pentagon has invested so much money into its Djibouti facilities that it is hard to imagine let alone justify to Congress that those funds were in effect wasted. Inertia also remains a problem. For more than a decade, diplomats and the Defense Department turned a blind eye to the reality of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for fear that to acknowledge reality would mean recognizing the vulnerability of the U.S. presence at Incirlik Air Base. The Pentagon likewise continues to treat its facilities at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as a get-out-of-jail-free card for Qatari terror sponsorship for fear that holding Doha to account would risk U.S. access.With time, however, U.S. military planners expanded U.S. access to facilities in Romania and Bulgaria, as well as northern Jordan in order to offset reliance on an increasingly erratic Erdoğan. While the Pentagon continues to double down on Qatar, nearby Bahrain could provide an alternative. Not only does it host the U.S. Fifth Fleet but, during Operation Desert Storm, Bahrain’s Isa Air Base hosted four times more American planes that Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base does now.With China able to out leverage the United States in Djibouti at any time, it behooves the Trump administration to find an alternative to Djibouti now. Ethiopia is no recourse, both because it has no port and because Chinese investment and trade likewise ties it far more to Asia than to the West. Eritrea hosts a United Arab Emirates port and may cooperate with Israel as well, but an uncertain political transition, poor facilities, and a horrendous human rights situation make a U.S. presence untenable. Somaliland, however, could be an alternative. Its main port, Berbera, hosts one of the longest airstrips in Africa. During the Cold War, the United States maintained a military presence and, as one official in Berbera quipped during a recent trip, NASA’s contract for facilities on the airfield technically remains valid and so they could return “tomorrow.” While the United Arab Emirates is building a base, Somaliland authorities remain frustrated at the opacity of the UAE contract (signed with a previous government) which, regardless, is not exclusive. Berbera is a deep-water port able to accommodate most U.S. ships.Most importantly, Somaliland authorities want the United States there. As China and Russia both make approaches to Somaliland, the democratically elected, Western-leaning Somaliland government has been holding out for the United States, although it cannot do so indefinitely. The problem to date has been the State Department. Somaliland has been functionally independent since 1991, when it revoked its union with Somaliland and reclaimed its 1960 independence. While the United States recognized Somaliland then, the State Department now pursues a bizarre and expensive one-Somalia policy, effectively cutting off direct dealings with Somaliland for fear that interaction with Somaliland might anger Mogadishu, whose government cannot even control its own capital city. This deference is ridiculous on many levels, both because the Somali government in Mogadishu is more theoretical than real in its ability to control and govern, has recently deferred to China itself, has flirted with terrorism and, last but not least, is neither equal to Washington nor should it defer its national interests to Mogadishu.Rather than risk American security and interests, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Assistant Secretary of State Tibor P. Nagy, Jr., and U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Donald Yamamoto should recognize that military ties have never equated to formal diplomatic recognition: Just ask Syrian Kurds, Iraqi Kurds, or Taiwan. In both the Middle East and East Asia, however, a generation of officials recognized that they should prioritize American security and defense above more mundane and tendentious concerns.Putting all America’s eggs in one basket—and an increasingly shaky one at that—is not a strategy to protect America’s interests in the fight against terrorism, Iranian proxy groups, Al Qaeda affiliates and the Islamic State. The United States need not leave Djibouti, but it is time to consider a Plan B for otherwise a single whisper from Beijing to Djibouti’s president could cripple America’s ability to defend itself and its allies.Michael Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.Image: Reuters
August 25, 2019 at 08:16PM via IFTTT
0 notes