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Atari 2600 Game Reviews: Confrontation through Cosmic Corridor
November 11, 2016 June 11, 2018 / woodgrainwonderland
Confrontation (Answer Software, 1983)
Unfortunately, I was unable to play Confrontation due to it being a two player game and being limited to playing it on emu. It sounds awfully interesting, though. According to AtariProtos.com, Confrontation was never commercially released but was available directly from Answer Software for a short time. It's a chess-style game in which the goal is to move your four pawns horizontally to the other side of the board and remove them. Once the pawns are removed, you move your captain to the other side of the board. The first player to remove all of their pieces wins the game. The aforementioned link has a better outline of the gameplay, so I recommend giving it a look if you're interested. Given the fact that the game is fully dependent on a two player experience I was unable to engage in, I've decided not to give Confrontation a grade. Hope to actually play it someday though.
More Info: Confrontation on Atari Age. For current listings of Confrontation for sale on eBay, click here
Congo Bongo (Sega, 1983)
To hell with this game. Shame on Sega for releasing Congo Bongo as a commercially-available game in its existing state. I've played prototypes that were more ready for commercial release than this craptasm. In its arcade version, Congo Bongo was a platform game similar to Donkey Kong that became known for its innovative isometric gameplay and charming, cartoony graphics. The Atari 2600 port offers none of that. You could literally spend hours just figuring out the points where you're supposed to jump or the areas you need to avoid falling into. It literally feels like you're playing blind. I frequently use YouTube to help get me out of jams in modern AAA games but this is one of only a few times I've ever had to consult it for an Atari 2600 game. Unfortunately, it still didn't help. I'm experiencing election disappointment today (if you're reading this in the future – if there is a future that doesn't resemble a Mad Max style dystopia – guess which election I'm referring to) so I'm gonna go ahead and be uncharacteristically mean: Sega, if you couldn't even get your Atari 2600 cartridges right, there's no wonder you lost the console wars to Nintendo and Sony. F
More Info: Congo Bongo on Atari Age. For current listings of Congo Bongo for sale on eBay, click here
Conquest of Mars (Homebrew, 2006)
(Review added June 11, 2018) I'm pretty sure John W. Champeau's main purpose in programming Conquest of Mars was to make the hardest Atari 2600 game ever, and if he didn't succeed he came pretty damn close. Based on an Atari 8-bit game, Conquest of Mars will try your patience, but it's so well-designed you will likely relish the challenge.
If I had to describe the game in a sentence or two, I would compare Conquest of Mars to other cavern-crawling shooters like Vanguard, Scramble and Super Cobra – albeit a little less shooty-wooty (although there's plenty of that too) and a little more dodgey-wodgey. Throw in a sprinkle of River Raid and hot dog, you've got a wiener. There are up to six stages in COM depending on which difficulty you're playing on; "novice" (the only one I've even come close to beating) features three, with every successive difficulty up to "commander" adding another.
The goal of the game is to traverse a series of treacherous caverns on the way to arming a bomb, which upon successful completion you are given a (very) limited amount of time to escape the caverns. Stuff you need to avoid or shoot include rockets (because they're rockets), fuel (to replenish fuel) and some objects that I keep seeing as the Bitcoin symbol. The hardest level I've played so far has got to be the rocket level, an extremely fast affair that sends your ship hurtling down a tunnel at breakneck speed as you futilely try to avoid or shoot patterns of obstacles.
If I have one knock against the game, it's that it sends you right back to the beginning of the level once you die. Homebrew developers and video game developers in general: please don't do that. The controls and collision detection are almost too responsive, with the slightest twitch in the wrong direction sending you to certain doom. However, it's that very difficulty which makes the game such a worthy investment for long-term play. Conquest of Mars is among the best homebrews for the 2600, and is available in cartridge form at the AtariAge store. B+
More Info: Conquest of Mars on AtariAge. For current listings of Conquest of Mars for sale on eBay, click here
Cookie Monster Munch (Atari, 1983)
Like I said in my Alpha Beam With Ernie review, it's pretty difficult as a young man turning 25 for the (redacted)th time to review an educational game intended for preschoolers. Luckily for me, I've always been a fan of Sesame Street and have been known to look up clips of the show from my youth on YouTube. What I can tell you is that Cookie Monster Munch is as bright and colourful as its source material, with a variety of music that puts many "grown up" Atari 2600 games to shame. Your goal is to guide the titular sweet-toothed monster around a maze collecting cookies which you then put back in a cookie jar. You are then treated to a delightfully-animated sequence in which Cookie Monster eats the cookies as the cookie counter counts them down. The game has a surprising number of gameplay options, including one in which you play the Cookie Kid collecting cookies for Cookie Monster's birthday party before the Muppet eats them prematurely. That variation offers a mild challenge even for adult players. My only quibble regards the controls. Like all of the Atari/Sesame Street collaborations, Cookie Monster Munch requires the use of a special kids' keypad controller. I don't know if Children's Television Workshop had some kind of educational objective in mind with these controllers, but I think the standard joystick would have been more intuitive. Then again, 2600 joysticks did have a tendency to break easily in hands lacking the coordination to handle them delicately. That aside, Cookie Monster Munch is a quality educational game with just as much ability to charm youngsters today as it did in 1983. B+
More Info: Cookie Monster Munch on Atari Age. For current listings of Cookie Monster Munch for sale on eBay, click here
Cosmic Ark (Imagic, 1982)
Why yes, I do have to admit I'm a little biased towards the games I had in my collection as a kid. Mind you, I was lucky and was able to steer clear of most of the crud I've been exposed to since I started this blog. Cosmic Ark was a part of my collection, one-third of a particularly bountiful Christmas morning that also included Popeye and Super Breakout with paddle controllers. Good times. Anyway, Cosmic Ark is a very good game with brilliant graphics and deeper gameplay than initially meets the eye. An unofficial sequel to Atlantis (the little ship that escapes the underwater city at the end of that game serves as your rescue pod here), your goal is to first survive a meteor shower and then descend upon a planet to rescue some hapless creatures with your pod's tractor beam. Rinse, wash, repeat. The first couple of rounds are fairly easy, but before long the meteors start coming at you faster, the creatures get squirrelier and harder to capture and the planets start utilizing their own laser defenses. As practice, I recommend playing the variations featuring only the meteor shower in order to develop the twitch reflexes necessary to succeed at Cosmic Ark. If it shares one fault with Atlantis it's that it gets a little too frenetic a little too quickly. But hey, the challenge gives you your money's worth. A-
More Info: Cosmic Ark on Atari Age. For current listings of Cosmic Ark for sale on eBay, click here
Cosmic Corridor aka Space Tunnel (ZiMag, Puzzy, 1984)
I was fully prepared to hate Cosmic Corridor, but it's really not bad. It's not good by any stretch of the imagination either, but unlike so many games from obscure third party producers it's not a disaster. With its tunnel setting and multi-directional shooting, Cosmic Corridor is a pretty flagrant ripoff of Vanguard but lacks that game's directional turns and boss battle. That's ultimately what prevents the game from reaching a higher status: there's no sense of completion aside from screen colour changes (a common early video game trick designed to make it seem like you've progressed). Even a single-objective game like Asteroids offers the satisfaction of finishing a screen. However, Cosmic Corridor just becomes tedious. On the positive side, it does offer a variety of (very blocky – was this really released in 1984?) foes to shoot down and wall-bouncing missiles to avoid. The game features four levels of difficulty and six ships, which seems a little excessive in the easier variations. It's an okay game and a rarity (it rates a six on Atari Age's rarity scale) but if you want a Vanguard-style game you might as well just pick up Vanguard – it's a better game and much easier to find. C-
More Info: Cosmic Corridor on Atari Age. For current listings of Cosmic Corridor for sale on eBay, click here
Olds, AB T4H, Canada
1982 video games, 1983 video games, 1984 Atari games, 2006 homebrews for Atari 2600, Atari 2600 game reviews, Atari 2600 homebrews, Childrens' games Atari 2600, Confrontation Atari 2600 Game, Congo Bongo Atari 2600 Sega, Conquest of Mars Atari 2600 homebrew, Cookie Monster Munch Atari 2600, Cosmic Ark Atari 2600 Imagic, Cosmic Corridor Atari 2600 ZiMag, Early Sega games, Rare Atari 2600 Games, Sesame Street Video Games, Unique Atari Games, Vanguard style games
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War of the Rebellion: Serial 018 Page 0162 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., AND MD. Chapter XXIV.
is now guarding 30 miles of this road, performing duties so arduous that the health of them men is threatened. I would ask that, in consideration of the Twenty-eight Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers having guarded 26 miles of The Potomac for seven months under trying circumstances and borne in confidence of more active duties in the field upon the company assuming its present form, we may be permitted to throw ourselves upon your kindness and be relived from this class of duty, of which we have had a goodly share. The command is excellently drilled and tried and are well caparisoned to do active service in the field, to which they look forward with all confidence that a consideration of their performance of arduous duties have been taken cognizance of. Any order or effort on your part, general, to relieve the present position of the command will be greatly prized by all my officers and men as well as myself.
NEW MARKER, May 10, 1862.
General Shields defers his march to Monday, and desires me to remain. Unless otherwise directed, I will delay the march of my command until Sunday (to-morrow) evening. I have been ready to march at an hour's notice since my orders were received. General Shields desired that we should move together if possible. I will reach Strasburg Tuesday morning, or immediately if required.
No important change in affairs. Ewell is still this side of the Blue Ridge, apparently tending southward. One brigade is reported by deserters who left his camp yesterday to have fallen back to the Rapidan near Gordonsville. Jackson is believed to be near Stauton by our scouts and the country people. A reconnaissance in force was made to-day to the town (Harrisonburg), of which no report is yet received.
FRANKLIN, May 10, 1862-2 p. m.
Am here where the wire was broken, determining who of the neighborhood shall be held responsible. Arrived this morning, and am in camp with both brigades 2 miles south of Franklin, leaving our former ground at the village for Blenker's division as it shall arrive.


On behalf of Lawless & Lawless posted in sexual harassment on Friday, January 11, 2019.
When you talk to other people about the sexual harassment you're experiencing about work, many people will want to give you their opinions on what you should do. This is understandable because they want to help you overcome the situation, heal your career and also heal your psychological and emotional state. It's all well and good to take advice and perspectives from friends, but don't' let these well-intentioned individuals distract you from the truth behind sexual harassment.
Why should I file a sexual harassment lawsuit?
On behalf of Lawless & Lawless posted in sexual harassment on Thursday, December 13, 2018.
If you've had the demoralizing experience at work of being sexually harassed by a co-worker or superior, the damage is already done. You may have already left the job and are working in a more respectful environment. Alternatively, you could still be dealing with this abuse. Whatever your situation, as a victim of sexual harassment, you could be weighing your options and asking the all-important question: Is it worth it to pursue a lawsuit?
On behalf of Lawless & Lawless posted in sexual harassment on Thursday, October 18, 2018.
Being demoted can in some ways be more emotionally straining than a firing. This is because, at the end of the day, you will likely have to continue to interact and work with the people who demoted you. This can be upsetting and demoralizing, especially if you believe that you were wrongfully demoted.
On behalf of Lawless & Lawless posted in sexual harassment on Friday, September 21, 2018.
If you believe that you have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, it is very important that you acknowledge and address it before it has the power to negatively impact your career. Unfortunately, many sexual harassment victims in the state of California face retaliation as a result of reporting a sexual harassment incident. It is, therefore, vital that you understand the ways in which the law is in place to help you and protect you.


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Intoxication suspected cause in fatal accident in Texas
On Behalf of B. L. Jensen, L.P. | Jan 28, 2015 | Wrongful Death
It is presumed that most drivers understand the serious responsibilities which come with operating a motor vehicle. Though each state has laws meant to keep the roadways as safe as possible, it is ultimately up to each driver to conduct him or herself in a way that ensures his or her personal safety, as well as the safety of those with whom he or she shares the road. A Texas highway became the scene of a tragedy recently when a fatal accident occurred due to the alleged irresponsible actions of a driver.
Baytown police received repeated calls early Sunday morning reporting a vehicle which was apparently heading west in an eastbound lane of Interstate 10. By the time officers were able to reach the scene, it was too late. They came upon a car that was engulfed in flames and saw other motorists attempting to put out the fire. The wrong-way driver had allegedly crashed into the vehicle causing it to catch fire as a result of the impact. A passenger in that automobile was pronounced dead on site.
Both the driver of the wrong-way vehicle and the one that was hit were flown to area hospitals for immediate care. Reports list both in critical condition. A responding police officer reported that intoxicated driving is suspected to have been a central cause of the accident.
The name of the deceased was withheld pending notification of his or her family. Family members who suffer the untimely death of a loved one due to the alleged negligence or reckless driving of another are able, under Texas law, to file a civil claim in court. Doing so can sometimes lead to monetary compensation, which, while paling in comparison to the grave losses endured, might help to ease the financial burdens that can sometimes result from a fatal accident.
Source: Houston Chronicle, "One dead, two critically injured in wrong-way car crash", Cindy Horswell, Jan. 18, 2015

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Ithaca nightlife returns amid continuing COVID concerns
Downtown bars reopen this summer, serving a smaller crowd.
by Madeline Rosenberg August 16, 2021 August 17, 2021
The Chanticleer's Rich the Rooster glows at the corner of West State Street in early August. Bars and other late-night venues have slowly reopened this summer, but the weekend crowds have yet to fully spring back. (Photo by Madeline Rosenberg)
ITHACA, N.Y. — The iconic Rich the Rooster once again glows at the corner of West State Street on Saturday nights, as patrons filter in and out of The Chanticleer –– signaling a return to nightlife after months of COVID restrictions and curfews.
"We're all very happy to be back," Jeff Mazer, the bar's manager, said in July just days after reopening. "It's tiring, because none of us are used to it. We've been happy to see the people we haven't been able to see for the last year. So far, everyone's been great, buying drinks, tipping well."
Even as bars and entertainment venues from Moonies to Lot 10 have restocked their drink selections, welcomed back regulars and flicked on their neon lights, it's also been a summer of shortened hours and staffing shortages, of fleeting moments without pandemic anxiety and of new waves of caution over the Delta variant.
Downtown nightlife is still a far cry from its pre-pandemic existence. Bars are serving a smaller crowd, and no 24-hour spots remain. But 18 months after bars and clubs went dark, will late-night venues fully spring to life again?
"There is no nightlife," Sam Chafee, owner of Sammy's Pizzeria on the Commons, said in early August. The pizzeria used to serve a regular hum of customers until 2 a.m. after bars let out — now, the eatery has been closing at 8 p.m.
Chafee said he hopes after-hours business will return as college students flock back in the coming weeks — even as he worries some venues will shut down again as cases climb in Tompkins County.
According to Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, daytime foot traffic has increased this summer compared to 2020, with visitors returning to the city. But nighttime traffic has been slower to return.
Ferguson said in early August that the strongest downtown foot traffic occurs between noon and 8 p.m., with some traffic present afterward.
"Nighttime establishments closed, and once that happened, that sort of foot traffic just evaporated," Ferguson said. "That's one of the sectors that has struggled the most. Some of these businesses in the night economy remain closed even today. That's probably one of the hardest-hit sectors, the night economy businesses."
'Everyone's kind of getting their feet under them'
For some Ithaca bars and entertainment venues, state-issued curfews and capacity limits made reopening impossible until this summer — forcing a hard reset after New York lifted restrictions in June.
After about 17 months, the paper came down from the Lot 10 windows and the bar welcomed back patrons to the upstairs lounge for the first time since March 2020. For owner Caleb Scott, reopening felt like starting from scratch, from hiring new staff to replenishing stock while running on limited resources.
Scott said the venue's reopening comes after Lot 10 wrestled with business plans throughout the pandemic, only to realize that the bar would lose money if it opened with physical distancing and capacity restrictions.
"You can't headline a band and book an event when you can only put three people in a room. Most of the business plans that we tried to flesh out over the last year and a half, all of them would've cost us money," Scott said. "We wouldn't have been able to have the patrons we would've needed to pay the costs."
The Lot 10 sign glows in August. The venue had been closed since March 2020. (Photo by Madeline Rosenberg)
Thank You Public Safety Section Sponsors
As Lot 10 gets its feet on the ground again, other bars are also bouncing back after months without customers. Just down the block, The Chanticleer reopened in October 2020 for about five weeks, but after the state announced a 10 p.m. bar curfew in November, Mazer said staying open wasn't worth it.
When the bar opened its doors again in July, Mazer said The Chanticleer was limiting utilities, payroll and inventory, buying just enough drinks to operate until business returns to normal.
"For now, if things run out, they run out," Mazer said. "Got to get money in the bank before we can pay for things."
Mazer added that stimulus programs helped the bar stay afloat when the patrons went away, and Ashley Cake, owner of The Watershed, said relief programs have allowed the bar to navigate COVID safety at her own pace — slowly peeling away and reimplementing public health measures as cases fluctuate.
As cases ebbed in July, The Watershed welcomed back regulars as the bar ran at half capacity, Cake said. They lifted the mask mandate and were turning away customers at the door, sticking to capacity limits. Things felt "a little bit less anxious," Cake said.
But now, the mask mandate is back and business has slid again, halting reopening plans as the virus spreads in the county. Just as some venues reopened, new caution sounded over gathering indoors as the Delta variant spreads nationally.
Through shifting restrictions, Cake said in July that she thinks it won't be until the fall that The Watershed gets back to healthy financial business. Still, hustling for relief from the city, state and the Small Business Administration allowed her to keep paying her staff through it all.
"Everyone's kind of getting their feet under them right now. Service is still different," Cake said in July. "We still have to be wary of not packing the place out, and all of this muscle memory is coming back for everybody, about how to people, how to bar."
As bars crawl back, late-night food options are slower to return
On the first Saturday of August, music blasted from Moonies Bar and Nightclub at midnight as handfuls of bar-goers floated in and out of the club. About a dozen people leaned up against the bar at Pete's on South Cayuga Street. Some patrons puffed swirls of smoke that glowed in the light of the newly lit Lot 10 sign.
But when the music stops and the signs go dark, where do patrons go?
The place for downtown late-night eats this summer has narrowed to one spot: Casablanca Pizzeria. Staffing limitations and pandemic financial constraints have meant early closings for other eateries that have long served customers through the early morning.
According to Cake, who chairs the DIA nighttime economy committee, having fewer places for patrons to gather through the night is a public safety issue — one that existed before the pandemic and has worsened as businesses are strapped for resources.
"You have the bars reopening and then you don't have places to support people — amenities, but also necessary infrastructure," Cake said. "The bars spill out at 1:30 a.m., you have hundreds of people on the Commons without anywhere to go. They end up getting in fights in the pizza line, because that's where everybody's congregated."
A sign outside Shortstop Deli reads that the eatery is open 24/7. While the deli has returned to service seven days a week, it closes by 10 p.m. most days. (Photo by Madeline Rosenberg)
Shortstop Deli, which was open 24 hours for 42 years, closes at 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closes at 9 p.m. on Sundays, after pandemic losses first forced owner Chuck Dong to pause 24/7 business in March 2020. The downtown 7-Eleven has closed at 11 p.m. this summer as franchises face worker shortages that make operating 24 hours impossible.
After Moonies reopened in June, Umar Muhammad, owner of Casablanca, said he extended the pizzeria's hours until 2 a.m. on busier nights, serving customers after the bar lets out across the Commons.
Muhammad said in July that there had been a few fights, but called them "regular stuff." He added that customers have thanked him and his staff for dishing out slices into the morning, without other eateries open on the Commons alongside Casablanca.
But expanding the number of late-night options is more than a matter of encouraging eateries to stay open later.
Ferguson said while the DIA has previously nudged businesses to extend their hours, he's holding off on insisting they stay open, even as late-night gathering spots remain limited.
"We are particularly concerned that many businesses are still struggling with actually finding employees," Ferguson said. "You really want people to eat while they're drinking as well. But we know that it's just not as simple as asking somebody to do it, because they don't have the personnel to work those shifts. Somebody can't work a 12-hour day and then turn around and work another eight hours until 2 a.m. You can't do that. It's just physically impossible."
As for Shortstop, which used to serve up Hot Truck subs at any hour of the day, Cake said the eatery has been doing "an essential service for decades," but added that Dong needs to be supported as a small business owner to have the resources to staff back up.
"Chuck loves his staff and he treats them very well, but it's a hard job," Cake said.
As Ithaca emerges from the pandemic and as nightlife cautiously returns, Cake said the community needs to invest in downtown infrastructure to keep people safe at night — saying she believes this investment shouldn't come through more policing, but rather through funding more resources, from eateries to transportation. The Ithaca Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.
"It's not just like when the professional offices close, the Commons goes away," Cake said. "There's been a long process of divestment of the city and civic organizations in nightlife. We just need to take care of our things and our community, because the communities that are safest have the most resources. All that boring mundane stuff like eating and drinking and getting home safely is what we really need to invest in."
'We'll be able to open up with some sense of normalcy'
As bar owners look to the future, reopening has come with both waves of excitement and heaviness.
For Scott, welcoming customers to Lot 10 again means hoping to at least break even as he operates with limited hours. It also means opening while knowing that some downtown venues didn't make it through the pandemic — just down the Commons, Silky Jones remains permanently closed.
"I'm gonna be able to open. Other people are not so fortunate," Scott said in July. "Dear friends of mine lost their businesses in Ithaca, gone forever. We'll be able to open up with some sense of normalcy."
Scott said he felt obligated and excited to get up and running again as a gathering place for the Ithaca community to enjoy live music. The Lot 10 inbox was "flooded with love" as the paper came off the bar windows, he said, and last Saturday, bar-goers hopped from Moonies to Lot 10, exclaiming that the lounge was finally open.
As late-night entertainment spots emerge while they navigate the shaky ground of rebuilding finances and business, Ferguson said he's confident these venues will prove busy again as people feel more comfortable going out — adding that nightlife remains a vital part of Ithaca.
"We need a night scene for young adults or the young at heart. We need to attract and promote more family entertainment as well, and to provide entertainment options for youth and teens," Ferguson wrote in an email. "We want people who live here to feel they can access live entertainment options — it is part of a healthy and dynamic community."
Some bar owners say they've returned stronger than ever, even as crowds are just trickling back. Scott said patrons will finally be able to enjoy the renovations the bar completed in 2019. For Cake, the pandemic has allowed her to change the way the bar operates behind the scenes and to better compensate her staff.
"I can attribute that to the extremely hard reset that was extremely hard to navigate," Cake said. "I'm really excited about our future. I just worked really hard at making sure we had the resources we needed to recover at our own pace. And I think that's really made all the difference."
Tagged: chanticleer, downtown ithaca alliance, late-night, nightlife, nighttime economy, Shortstop Deli
Madeline Rosenberg
Madeline Rosenberg is a reporter from The Cornell Daily Sun working The Sun's inaugural summer fellowship at The Ithaca Voice. She can be reached at mrosenberg@cornellsun.com. More by Madeline Rosenberg


Product code: 1493 Categories: Sold Items, Sold Watches.
A.Lange & Sohne are without a doubt one of the finest watchmaking firms today, and this solid gold gents Cabaret wrist watch is a testament to the high quality watches that they produce.
This one here is the solid 18ct yellow gold Cabaret model, with the 18ct gold band.
The case measures 25.5mm x 36.3mm (plus the lugs) and sits so perfectly on the wrist.
Inside is a magnificent 30 jewelled manual wind movement with quickset date, and a power reserve of 42 hours and adjusted to 5 positions.
Finding a A.Lange & Sohne watch in Australia is a real find, and to find this model with the solid gold band is a real treasure, and complete with box and papers, this is one elegant and stylish watch for any watch connoisseur.


Here are a few things to consider before taking a cash advance in Roebling New Jersey.
Not sufficient funds charges and even bounced check fees will build up rapidly and might be rather high, so be wary not to over extend your budget plan when ever taking out a payday advance.
Other than if you use payday advances and cash advance loan lenders really occassionaly, we passionately propose getting credit counselling to discover effective ways to skillfully save and budget.
In the event that you feel that you've been addressed incorrectly or dishonestly by any particular payday advance or cash advance lender, you can easily submit a grievance with your state department.
As agonizing as it may be to ask a close friend or family member for resources , it can end up better than securing a payday loan . If that is not an alternative, try taking out a credit card or any personal credit line before a short term loan , frequently times the rates on these are much less than what you will pay on a cash advance.
To avoid needing to seek cash advances down the road, get under way saving a reserve of approximately $500.
Make sure to be aware clearly the second your payday advance or cash loan is due to be paid and know the vital measures to pay off that loan without delay.
Make certain that you obtain accessibility to your more recent work pay-check stubs as well as your current account info.
Pay day loans oftentimes have a bunch of small print at the bottom of the agreement. Make certain you go through and comprehend everything written prior to signing.
Conduct a credibility check on the organization you are looking at working with for the cash advance assistance. Anyone can do this by checking the The Better Business Bureau or other Rating bureaus.
Never fail to make an effort and settle up your payday advance or cash loan completely when it is due without going past the due date.


Roberto Milletti began his journey into the world of Yoga, martial arts and Zen at age 13 and for more than 20 years has been a leader in Yoga teaching aimed at reforming yoga with his "contemporary vision".
His search for the essence of Yoga has brought him to the East countless times as he has studied the deeper meaning of his chosen path.
Being ahead of the times led him to teach the 1st Marines Security Guard Detachment at the U.S. Embassy in Italy. His influence in Yoga and martial arts has given new meaning to the guards' training.
His belief in the stillness of the mind and readiness for action are his trademark of unity of body and mind, both on-and-off the mat.
Roberto is the founder and director of "Odaka Yoga Contemporaneo" schools in Europe, and the United States.
He has been involved with leading Institutes at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, the Pre-natal Clinic of Mater Dei and Paideia in Rome, the Yoga Festival in Europe, the FIS Italian Fencing Federation, and the CONI – CSEN Italian Sports Organization.
Roberto delivers his contemporary message and methodology through retreats and teacher trainings, conferences and festivals all around the world.
Roberto is an official Ambassador of the World Yoga and Ayurveda Movement and he regularly writes commentary for the Italian Yoga Journal.
Roberto Milletti's vision is reflected in his openness to multiple Yoga realities and his aim of helping to build a common ground and sharing place for Yoga exchange and networking.


Wyrd Miniatures is a leading company in the gaming industry creating table-top gaming miniatures, board games and RPG's. Fantastic artwork, creative miniatures, and a strong narrative help set us apart from the competition.
Creators of Malifaux, Through the Breach, The Other Side, Darkness Comes Rattling, Puppet Wars, Jetpack Unicorn, Evil Baby Orphanage and many other exciting titles.
Always working on new and exciting projects and we're looking for self-start creative individuals to join our team!


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Foreword by: Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.
In My Other Self Clarence Enzler—author of the multi-million copy seller Everyone's Way of the Cross—guides readers in prayerful conversation with Christ wherein the reader is personally addressed as "my other self" and is urged to embody Christ's love and compassion to others.
Modeled on the fifteenth-century classic The Imitation of Christ, this new edition of a little-known Enzler masterwork has now been reissued for modern Christians after being out of print for many years. This new edition includes an introduction from the author's son, Msgr. John Enzler, pastor of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C.
In this intimate guide to the spiritual life, Christ speaks directly to the reader, whom Christ admonishes to be his presence of love and service in the world. Through this creative mode of dialogue, Enzler leads the reader through the journey of the Christian life, beginning with the call to live in friendship with Christ and fulfill Christ's desire. He then examines the means of the Christian life: detachment, virtue, prayer, avoidance of sin, and the Eucharist. Finally he explores the goal of the journey: a life of union with Christ as his disciple and complete joy with him in eternity. Each chapter of My Other Self is divided into short, eloquent sections based on scripture and with beautiful prayers for meditation. These convenient divisions make the book ideal for use as a daily devotional, or a guide to prayer.
"Ave Maria Press has done all of us a great service by bringing back into print Clarence Enzler's My Other Self. It is a rich vein of lived spirituality that reflects a life of growing into Christ. Each page, whether reflecting on the call to oneness with Christ, the means by which we achieve this end or the final goal itself, offers the reader penetrating insight, uncompromising challenge, and gentle encouragement. Written from the heart, it has the power to touch the heart. I enthusiastically recommend My Other Self as a companion on life's journey with Christ."
"Clarence Enzler's classic speaks a language of devotion and faith that is ever new. Read it and live a change of heart—an entry into the life of Christ and the fulfillment of the life you most hunger to live."
"Modeled on the fifteenth century classic, The Imitation of Christ, My Other Self presents Christ speaking intimately to the heart of his disciple. Deeply biblical and rooted in the tradition of the Church, the book is a practical guide for Christian living in the contemporary world. Like the original, it would make a wonderful companion for prayer."
Foreword by Father Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.


text:
Why Sky's The Fear Index is doubling Hungary for Geneva
Left Bank Pictures' Sharon Hughff, executive producer of the series, explains to KFTV the appeal of filming the four-part thriller, starring Josh Hartnett, in Hungary
Author: Chris Evans
Sky Studios and UK Outfit Left Bank Pictures are currently shooting a four-part thriller TV series called The Fear Index, starring Josh Hartnett, in Hungary from April for 10 weeks.
Based on the best-selling novel by Robert Harris and directed by David Caffrey (Peaky Blinders), it tells the story of a computer scientist, Dr Alex Hoffman (Hartnett) who with his business partner launches an AI driven system that exploits fear in the financial markets and could earn them billions, but everything turns sour over a 24 hour period when Alex is attacked in his home.
Here Left Bank Pictures' Sharon Hughff, executive producer of the series, explains why Hungary was chosen as the filming location....
How and why did you get involved in The Fear Index?
Left Bank founder Andy Harries optioned Robert Harris's book 10 years ago and we took our time to get the right adaptation – but here we are with this excellent adaptation by Paul Andrew Williams and Caroline Bartleet.
Why did you choose to shoot in Hungary?
We were looking for somewhere to double for Geneva and in the end Budapest felt like a great option because a lot of the architecture was a pretty good match and we have also worked in Budapest in the past many times and felt it would give us great comfort to be somewhere we know well during COVID.
Did you consider other locations? If so where and why were they rejected?
No, it was pretty much Hungary from the get go!
Whereabouts in Hungary will you be shooting and for how long? Will you be doubling locations for other places? Where?
We will be shooting in Budapest mainly and pretending it's Geneva. The shoot is 10 weeks. we'll be at various places in the city centre and at two private houses in the suburbs.
Will you be doing location and studio shooting?
The Fear Index is a location shoot. Budapest has a great variety of locations - so much so that we're doubling it for Geneva.
Will you be using a mix of Hungarian and international crew?
Yes, it's a mix of both. The Hungarian crew are fantastic. They are very adaptable and experienced and they are used to being very busy with international productions and so they are versatile and never phased by our wants and needs!
Will you be accessing the local 30% cash rebate? How easy is the application process?
Yes, we will. It's a fairly straight forward process, particularly when you have a great service company like Pioneer to guide you through it.
We always use Pioneer when filming in Hungary. They're great - team players, transparent and our sort of people. We've done The Crown and Strike Back with them previously.
Sharon Hughff, Executive Producer, Left Bank Pictures
Netflix's Shadow and Bone S2 to shoot in Budapest
Casey Affleck sci-fi thriller set to film in Hungary
Cinematographer Greig Fraser: "You don't want to be the guy that screws up Dune"


text:
WND's Kupelian Demonizes Dems To Try And Scare Voters Into Supporting Republicans
The September issue of WorldNetDaily's sparsely read Whistleblower magazine is called "Stopping the Madness: A Midterm Election Guide for Voters who Love America." As expected, the magazine is short on actual guidance and very long on fearmongering about anyone who's not as far-right as they are. This is further enforced by managing editor David Kupelian's introductory essay, which starts out by adding another freakout to the ones WND has already published about President Biden's speech calling out the extremism of MAGA Republicans:
Horrified by what has been called the Sovietization of the Biden administration – including the shocking criminalization of dissent and the weaponization of the FBI, whose agents daily arrest, intimidate and persecute the regime's political opponents – tens of millions of Americans anxiously wonder whether November's midterm elections will bring any positive change of direction for a once-great nation now careening toward total destruction.
Although many voices are weighing in on "what's at stake" in the midterms, ironically no one has expressed it more clearly or forcefully than Joe Biden himself, in his astonishingly dark Sept. 1 "Soul of the Nation" speech, delivered while bathed in ominous red lights and flanked by Marine guards.
Of course, the key to de-coding Biden's dire warnings about the "greatest threats to America" is to understand that he was engaging in a mirror-perfect case of political projection: Every single evil that Biden ascribed to "MAGA Republicans" – the Left's new name for America's vast center-right middle class, literally the nation's backbone – is actually true of today's Democratic Party and its unhinged supporters.
Again, by just substituting "Radical Democrats" for "MAGA Republicans," one gains a vivid and stunningly accurate description of the ever-growing neo-communist threat to America.
We're not aware of anyone who has referred to "the Sovietization of the Biden administration" other than Kupelian himself, so it's weird that he's trying to make it a thing. But Kupelian was nowhere near done ranting:
But delving deeper still, all of this is rooted in the fact that today's Democratic Party is, in a very real sense, "possessed" – that is, its political and thought leaders have been completely taken over by the kind of dark psychological and spiritual forces that readily capture the minds of corrupted human beings who have turned their backs on God and His laws of life. These exact same forces have animated history's most destructive, cult-like political movements, most obviously communism/Marxism/socialism, which has been metastasizing around the world for the past century – and now has its sights set on America.
et even such controversial ideological labels are, themselves, essentially lies intended to create a moral façade that either covers up or justifies deeply inhuman and criminal behavior. That is, the ideological labels are just an attempt to sell the notion that, whether or not one agrees with their ideology, "communists," "socialists" and "Marxists" – and "Antifa" (short for "anti-fascist"), "Black Lives Matter" and today's "Democratic Party" – still somehow have the interests of others at heart.
It's a lie. We're talking about sociopaths, people without a functioning conscience. Deeply corrupt people like Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff and their ilk do not possess the capacity to actually care about anyone else, any more than a drug addict has the capacity to unselfishly care about others. And these ruling elites are addicted to the most powerful and addictive drug of all: POWER.
What's being described here is a deeply compromised and corrupt class of people, possessed and controlled by dark spiritual "powers and principalities" about which they know nothing, and care less. Whatever their professed religion, they are mockers of God, the same sort of people who self-righteously expanded communism over so much of the world and made the 20th century the bloodiest and deadliest in all of human history. Today, they're laser-focused on the biggest prize of all: The United States of America.
That's what's at stake.
Of course, one could just as easily say that Kupelian, Joseph Farah and other WND employees are addicted to the alleged power that comes with being an unquestioning simp for Donald Trump. Indeed, by his own definition, Kupelian cold be described as a sociopath for selling out the Christian principles he claims to have to throw his support behind a profounding immoral, hate-filled man in pursuit of power in the form of having said immoral man reshape the country to his own far-right liking -- and then, four years later, publish lie after lie about how the election was purported "stolen" from the immoral man. That behavior in and of itself shows what a profoundly hypocritial Christian Kupelian is.
Kupelian then moved to invoke another profoundly imm oral man -- and a criminal toboot -- to scare his fellow right-wing Christians into voting:
But good Americans, as former Trump adviser Steve Bannon passionately argues, simply must outvote whatever fraud occurs.
Therefore, one final word to Christians, who still constitute the vast majority of Americans and potential voters:
Every election cycle, tens of millions of American Christians do not vote!
How is that even possible, one wonders, considering that so much of what Democrats are pushing right now – from congressionally "codifying Roe" so that throughout America abortion will again be legal up to the moment of birth – i.e., straight-up infanticide – to expanding the satanic craze of amputating body parts of multitudes of children tricked into believing they're "transgender" – amounts to a grotesque frontal attack on everything Christians, indeed all decent people, consider sacred?
If Kupelian was the "decent person" he claims to be, he would stop publishing lies and profoundly apologize for the lies he is responsible for spreading (which would be all of them, given that he's the managing editor of WND).
Finally, if Kupelian was the genuine Christian he wants us to be, he would not be spreading lies, hate and misinformation in the name of Chrstianity to get people to vote, and he would give both sides a reasonable opportunity to argue their views. But Kupelian is not that man -- which is just one reason why WND continues to teeter on the brink of extinction.
Posted by Terry K. at 6:08 PM EDT
Updated: Monday, October 31, 2022 7:02 PM EDT
« October 2022 »


text:
A mezőkeresztesi csatát 1596. október 22-26-án vívták meg. Ez a csata volt tizenöt éves háború legnagyobb összecsapása. A keresztény oldalon Miksa főherceg vezetése alatt álló császári, magyarországi, birodalmi, cseh, szász, spanyol és a Báthory Zsigmond vezette erdélyi hadak (50– ember) hadak csaptak össze III. Mehmed szultán hadseregével (130– ember). A kezdeti keresztény sikerek után végül az oszmán seregek arattak győzelmet.

A csatát megelőző nemzetközi összefogás felvillantotta annak a lehetőségét, hogy a törököt – Mohács után hetven évvel – kiűzhetik Magyarország és Erdély területéről, de ez nem történt meg.

Az első nap úgy tűnt, a keresztények győznek, maga a szultán is megfutamodott a harctérről. A keresztények minden elővigyázatosságot félredobva elkezdtek zsákmányolni a harctéren, mire ezt a törökök kihasználták: a janicsárok helyreállították harci alakzatukat és rácsaptak a győzőkre, akiket csúfosan megszalasztottak.

A csatát ábrázoló egyetlen fennmaradt kép, egy török miniatúra, nagyobb felbontásban, két részletben:

Jegyzetek

Források

Újkori csaták
Ausztria csatái
Az Oszmán Birodalom csatái
A tizenöt éves háború csatái
A Német-római Birodalom csatái

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Here you'll find various reviews of Dio's previous tour, titled Strange Highways Tour, written by various Ronnie James Dio fans on Internet. If you have seen a concert not mentioned here and would like to review it, please contact me by e-mail.
URL: http://www.dio.net/tour/reviews/strange_highways.html, the front page http://www.dio.net/.


Ever wish you had a crystal ball to prognosticate about culinary trends for the coming year?
Some restaurant professionals opt to bypass the occult and hire marketing consultants to provide the latest data about changing market trends. Consumer research firms, such as NPD Group, offer analytics on everything from apparel to watches, including food. According to NPD, Americans today purchase more almond milk, Greek yogurt, quinoa and sea salt than in 2011. And consumers' fancy for fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, eggs, and poultry grew over twenty percent between 2003 and 2013.
"Both alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks will be more sour by using vinegar and natural fermentation without using honey or processed sugar. Wines will gain its popularity again after five years of crafted cocktails frenzy.
Customers will continue to support establishments with better and locally sourced proteins and vegetables. In fact, restaurant guests will eat smaller meat portions but better quality and no antibiotics added to meat. In turn, more balanced meals by larger vegetables consumption.
Quality lunch and dinner meals delivery services will increase its popularity due to busy lives among young office professionals. [We will] continue to see more new restaurants with casual atmospheres and affordable price points.
Dumplings, in-house made fresh noodles and pastas will continue to be strong in 2016. Heirloom grains and organic vegetables will continue to have high demand. In fact, they are here to stay. Especially fire-burned and charcoal-roasted vegetables.
"Restaurants going to tip-less service. More self-serve restaurant models. Casual dining is going to be more popular.
Cider will be crazy popular. German food will be big.
More casual restaurants will have pre-fixe menus. Menus will start getting smaller and more focused.
"Moving into the new year, we will continue to see restaurateurs grapple with the their answer to the Seattle minimum wage increase, along with the rising cost of goods, rent and overall operating costs. Restaurant owners/operators will be monitoring diners receptivity on any movements effecting the price of the final bill. But really, who want's to talk business when we could talk about tasty stuff?
You will continue to see chefs focus on a specific region and/or dish from other countries. For example, Kraken Congee focuses on perfectly crafted bowls of rice porridge (congee) or Kedai Makan getting their inspiration from a set of food stalls in a Malaysian market, both of which are delivering on a exceptionally focused level. Eateries like this give diners a unique cultural experience and it opens doors to new food stuffs.
Some of the changes Lee notes over the past five years he's been Slow Food board member include a movement from food and wine-centric events towards education and institutional food programs.
For example, in 2015, Governor Jay Inslee designated September as Food Literacy Month, thanks in part to efforts by Slow Food Seattle, in conjunction with state officials. And Slow Food Seattle's successful, ongoing School Garden Program teaches children to grow and cook fresh food, helping educate them about making healthier food choices in a practical, hand-on manner.
Looks like 2016 promises a year of innovation, experimentation. education- and humor, in Seattle's always entertaining culinary industry...hold on for the ride!


Stainless steel case with a stainless steel bracelet. Blue ion-plated bezel. Blue dial with luminous hands and index hour markers. Minute markers. world time cities. Navigation calculator markings around the outer rim. Dial Type: Analog. Luminescent hands and markers. Date display at the 3 o'clock position. Day of the week display. Chronograph – three sub-dials displaying: 60 second, 60 minute and 1/10th of a second. power reserve indicator. Eco-Drive H800 quartz movement. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal. Screw down crown. Solid case back. Case size: 43 mm. Case thickness: 12 mm. Round case shape. Band width: 22 mm. Band length: 8.5 inches. Fold over clasp with a double push button release. Water resistant at 200 meters / 660 feet. Functions: worltime, perpetual calendar, atomic timekeeping, chronograph, date, hour, minute, second. Sport watch style. Watch label: Japan Movt. Citizen Eco Drive Blue Angels Chronograph Mens Watch AT8020-54L.
KY series Вlue Аngels model АT8020-54L Мens and also the products of the very most famous brand names (the acknowledged leader marketplace leaders as well as lesser known manufacturers) encouraging absolutely free themes with not really less qualitative products in a reasonable cost.
KY series Вlue Аngels model АT8020-54L Мens on the internet!


St Keyne was born at Brecknock in Wales. She was one of twelve daughters to the King of Brychan Brycheiniog (Brecon) who is said to have had twenty-four children from three marriages.
St Keyne travelled throughout Wales and, Somerset and Cornwall in England, establishing Churches including, Llangeinor in mid-Glamorgan, Llangunnor and Llangain in Dyfed, and Rockfield (Llangennon) in Runston, Gwent.
St Keyne became a hermitess and lived for several years along the banks of the Severn in Somerset.
"The legend of Saint Keyne Well.
St Keyne, influenced by her nephew, St Cadoc, returned to Wales around 490 where she died, possibly at Llangeinor in Glamorgan.
St Keyne's Feast Day is the 8th October. She is the Patron Saint of St Martin-by-Looe (Penndrumm).
Pray that we will celebrate the teachings of our great faith with our family and our wider community.


text:
De ereboog van Mettius Modestus in Patara was een monumentaal Romeins bouwwerk, in 48-49 gebouwd door de stadsbewoners ter ere van Mettius Modestus en zijn familie, naar aanleiding van de Romeinse annexatie van Lycië, waarvan Patara de hoofdstad was.

Deze monumentale ereboog c.q. nymphaeum is een icoon van de stad en Lycië en het is uniek om zijn dubbelfunctie: het diende namelijk niet alleen als de noordelijke stadspoort, maar was tevens het laatste deel van het Delikkemer-aquaduct, via welke het water de stad in vloeide.

Geschiedenis

Patara was een belangrijke stad in de antieke oudheid: het was hoofdstad van de Lycische liga en van Licië toen het geannexeerd was door de Romeinen.

De poort was vermoedelijk gepland tijdens de heerschappij van Claudius, die van Lycië een Romeinse provincie maakte, en werd het bouwwerk  voltooid tijdens de heerschappij van de keizers Nero en Vespasianus. Later werd het opschrift op de consoles van de poort  toegevoegd ter ere van de Lycische gouverneur Mettius Modestus en zijn familieleden uit de periode van keizer Trajanus, alsook de standbeelden van keizer Trajanus en zijn vrouw Plotina, die op de top van de poort weren geplaatst.

Vroeg in de 19e eeuw werd de ruïne onder meer door Charles Texier opgetekend. De ruïne was door de eeuwen heen onder meer door aardbevingen enigszins vervallen. Het gebouw werd in 2020 gerestaureerd waarbij uitsluitend gebruikgemaakt werd van zijn originele stenen die in de omgeving teruggevonden waren.

Beschrijving

Locatie
De ereboog bevindt zich aan de oostflank van de Tepecik heuvel aan de noordzijde van de stad. Het scheidde daarmee de stad van het noordelijker gelegen necropolis. Vanaf de ereboog liep een hoofdweg met gekolloneerde gangpaden naar het zuiden, richting het theater.

Bouwwerk
De ereboog is 19 meter breed en 10 meter hoog en bevat drie poorten. Aan de noordzijde bevindt zich de inscriptie  "Gebouwd door de stadsbewoners van de Lycische metropolis Patara." Daarbovenop bevonden zich de standbeelden van keizer Trajanus en zijn vrouw Plotina.

De leiding van het aquaduct liep bovenin het monumentale bouwwerk dat in feite een nymphaeum was: hoog in het midden bevindt zich een vierkante opening waarin deel van het aangevoerde water vloeide, om als watergordijn naar beneden te vallen. Het door het aquaduct aangevoerde water stroomde via de poort de tegen de westzijde van de poort leunende dividiculum in. Van daaruit werd het water verdeeld de stad in geleid, met als eerste recipiënt het havenbadhuis. Vijftig meter ten zuiden van de poort stond een octogonale siervijver, die vermoedelijk  een monumentale fontein bevatte dat werkte op de sifonwerking van het aquaduct.

Externe links

 Diverse foto's op Patara Kent Kapısı van de Turkse Ministerie van Kultuur en Toerisme.
 De ereboog in het overzicht culturele Inventarisatie van de monumenten in Patara.

Romeins bouwwerk in Turkije
Bouwwerk in de Middellandse Zee-regio
Antalya


text:
About Rugilė
Rugutė
Island of Children
About the Children
Wishes and Dreams
Children's Drawings
The route of kindness – Sweden-Lithuania-Spain
None of us would like to feel the pain, suffered by parents after being told their child is suffering from oncological illness. Regular trips to the hospital, countless numbers of medical procedures, endless waiting and sometimes – a painful loss. But this time, let's talk about acts of kindness that allow to forget these heavy feelings at least for a while.
Wanted to help children exhausted from illness
Some years ago, Fredrik Götlund from Sweden started a charity project, which main goal was to help children, suffering from oncological illnesses. However, the benefactor did not want to limit himself with his homeland, he was eager to help those who really needed such kind of support.
Advised by his Lithuanian wife, he started to develop communication in Lithuania and got acquainted with Childhood Cancer Fund "Rugute". "This seemed to be so right from the very first moment", - says F. Götlund. Before taking any actions, he consulted with friends, doctors and even psychologists.
You may be wondering, what is this mysterious project about. The main idea is to provide an unforgettable vacation in sunny Mallorca for children who are exhausted from oncological illnesses. For the past several years, F. Götlund and his wife open their villa "Can Fanals" for groups of little patients to visit in a foreign country, so they could recover their strength and forget the hospital at least for a while.
"I believe that not only children but also their parents deserve some rest from the illness. It is always useful to spend some time with people of the same destiny, who have the same daily experiences and experience same emotions.
From the very beginning, our idea was to arrange a family project, because oncological illnesses affect not the child but also his parents. I hope that this project was successful and I will continue developing it. It is very important for me to share what I have. There is a Swedish saying that the sorrows you share split into two, the joy you share doubles, "– says the kind-hearted Swede.
According to the founder of the project, he always tries to spend as much time with the children and their parents as he can, in order to know them better or just to talk to them: "I always try to find some time to the things that are important to me, and these kids are very important to me."
Fund "Rugute" always takes care of children's stay in Mallorca, not only by assuring children's rest, but also by arranging various trips and interesting activities that help children have amazing time and get acquainted with the native culture of Mallorca Island.
The rest is a must for children who overcame the illness
The founder and director of fund "Rugute" says that the treatment of children suffering from oncological illnesses takes a lot of time, is very complicated and intensive. Children experience controversial emotions – various medical procedures evoke fear, anxiety and anger. Children who reach remission are often suffering from various complications of the treatment and cannot forget the hospital because of the trips back... For a long time, I had the idea that our aim is not only to take care of our little patients, but also to not leave behind children who are in remission.
To recover one's body and soul, which are exhausted from the illness, active and passive rest, new positive experiences and emotions are a must. Positive emotions unlock feelings, establish confidence in oneself and stimulate to enjoy the moment. From all of my heart I thank Jurga and Fredrik, who brought the joy to children's hearts and gave a huge impulse for emotional recovery."
Even the smallest details matter
"It was the biggest and the most pleasant adventure of my life." "Positive emotions, experienced during the visit, were like natural vitamins for children and a spiritual rehabilitation for parents after the stress they have experienced." "The offer to go to Mallorca was like a dream, and for my daughter it was the biggest award for winning the fight with oncological illness."
These are the raw emotions of little patients and their parents after a week spent far away from everyday worries and thoughts about effects of the illness. These words exactly describe the value of F. Götlund's and "Rugute" project.
Lukrecija's mother Fausta Sabaliauskiene confirms that this visit was not an ordinary vacation, it was a certain rehabilitation: "News about the diagnosis heavily affected Lukrecija and her relatives. It was very hard to be far away from home, family and friends. I had to learn a lot of various medical terms, there was plenty of tests performed, and also I felt fear, stress, uncertainty, guilt and many other shocking emotions.
In situation like this it is not only the disease you face, there are lots of physical and psychological consequences after it. The child suffering from oncological illness needs a strong support from the environment. So vacations like this help to overcome various psychological obstacles, anxiety and even fear."
Gerda's mother Ala Vilbrantiene says that in trips like this children are gladdened even by the smallest details that allow to forget previous experiences.
"During her treatment in hospital Gerda dreamed about finding new friends, traveling and swimming in the sea. I was very glad to see my child smiling and having a lot of new experiences: she climbed to the mountain for the first time, swam in an outdoor pool and ate the orange she picked from the tree herself, visited the sea museum and spent nice evenings with her friends in a real paradise, not in the hospital. These kids enjoyed every little moment and detail and told about their invaluable experiences to everybody the next day", - says A. Vilbrantiene.
"Liepa was in a long term remission during the trip. We were worried about potential injuries, because she had to be very careful after her head and spine surgeries. However, knowing that nobody is protected against random injuries and that all of the experienced emotions are unforgettable made fear disappear immediately!
During the stay children understood each other completely, reacted naturally to each other's scars, there was no bullying because they all of them had something in common. Children sincerely communicated with each other and had lots of fun together. And mothers enjoyed seeing active, energetic, curious and smiling children. What else could we wish for?", - says Ruta Dabravolskiene.
The project "Rehabilitation camp in Mallorca for children who suffered from oncological illnesses" does not have any intentions to stop. In spring 2018, F. Götlund will open his villa "Can Fanals" for the tenth group of children and will help them not to think about severe illnesses, but enjoy life.
The Bridge of Friendship Sweden-Lithuania
We are happy about the warm relationship with Mr. Bengt Nilsson that budded in 2007. He cheered our Captains up by Christmas gifts, organized the trip to The Feast of Joy in Sweden for Lithuanian children...
International Week of Children with Leukemia in Turkey
It was in 2006 that the Fund Rugutė was invited to delegate one child and his/her mother to take part in The International Week of Children with Leukemia event in Turkey.


text:
Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 1: Aa
Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century A.D., with an Account of the Principal Sects and Heresies.
New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. I: Aachen - Basilians
Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1: Aachen-Assize
New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge [Dictionary edition]
« Arni Thorlaksson Arnobius Arnold »
Arnobius
A Christian apologist, flourished during the reign of Diocletian (284-305). St. Jerome says, in his Chronicle, that before his conversion Arnobius was a distinguished rhetorician at Sicca in Proconsular Africa, and owed the gift of Christian faith to a dream. To overcome the doubts of the local bishop as to the earnestness of his Christian belief he wrote (about 305) an apologetic work in seven books that St. Jerome calls (De Vir. Ill., lxxix) "Adversus Gentes" but is entitled "Adversus Nationes" in the only (ninth-century) manuscript that has reached us. Arnobius is a vigorous apologist for the Christian Faith, defends and expounds its noble monotheism ( deus princeps, deus summus), the Divinity of Christ and of the Christian religion, proved by its rapid diffusion, its incredible influence over uncivilized peoples, and its agreement with the views of the best philosophers. Apropos of the Christian tendencies of Plato, he has left us a very remarkable treatise on the nature of the soul (II, 14-62). Heathen idolatry he refutes as filled with contradictions and openly immoral. His work, especially Books III-IV, abounds with curious information gathered from reliable sources (e.g. Cornelius Labeo) concerning the forms of idolatrous worship, temples, idols, and the Graeco-Roman mythology of his time, for which reason it is much esteemed by Latin philologists and antiquarians. Arnobius is more earnest in his defence of Christianity than correct in his tenets. Thus, he holds the heathen gods to be real beings, but subordinate to the supreme Christian God; the human soul is not the work of God, but of an intermediate being, and is not immortal by nature, but capable of putting on immortality as a grace.
F. SABAEUS (Rome, 1543) is the editio princeps. It is found in P.L., V. The best edition is that of A. REIFFERSCHEID, Corpus script. eccl. Lat., IV (Vienna, 1875). See BARDENHEWER, Gesch. d. altchr. Litt. (Freiburg, 1903), II, 464-72, and his Patrologie (ibid., 1901), 175-77; MOULE in Dict. of Christ. Biogr., 167-69; EBERT, Allg. Gesch. d. lat. Litt. des Mittelalters (2d ed., Leipzig, 1889), I, 64-72.
THOMAS J. SHAHAN


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Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News
Cairns goal seals Town's first win of the season
2021-08-12 -
With both the first team and second teams games cancelled due to the weather, attention is turned towards Oulton Park, who are this week's visitors to Beaconsfield Road.
First-team captain, Tom Evans is looking forward to the clash which sees Oulton Park in fifth place, but just one point and one place above Widnes in the table.
Evans recognised that his team's win at Pinfold Lane earlier in the season, kick started the teams climb up the table and is determined to see his team do the double.
However, Evans knows the game will not be easy as Oulton are a side brim-full of talent.
Previewing the game, Evans recognised the key players, who are likely to have an influence on the match.
Opening batsman, Michael Robinson, has been in fine form, scoring 377 runs at an average of 37.
The veteran, Danny Leech has scored vital runs on a regular basis, averaging 21, and keeper, Robert Sehmi is also averaging more than 37 with the bat. The Oulton bowling attack is headed by leading wicket-taker, Ben Gibbons, whose 50 victims have come at an average of just 11, supported by the ever reliable, Martyn East, who has claimed 22 wickets at just 18 a piece.
Evans will be relying heavily on his opening batsman, Ali Chughtai, who has been a model of consistency. With over 580 runs at an average of 41, Chughtai has been the foundation stone upon which many of the Widnes innings have been built on.
The McCoy brothers, James and
Luke, have scored 638 runs between themselves with older brother James just outscoring his brother by two runs.
All rounder, Majid Majeed has been the man of the match in recent weeks and his 415 runs and 25 wickets have been integral to his team's climb up the table.
Of the bowlers Qamar Hafiz has recently found his best form with 31 wickets at just over 20 per wicket and Evans has been impressed with the development of young bowler, Aaron Soni, who has opened the bowling and taken 28 wickets at just over 20 per wicket.
With home advantage, Widnes may be slight favourites, in what promises to the tie of the round, and hopefully, the weather will be kind and ensure a full days play.
The second XI will be hoping that captain Steve Dean can return for the away fixture against Neston on Saturday.
The team remains on track for promotion and a win at ninth-placed Neston will go a long way towards the goal of promotion.
LITHERLAND REMYCA ...... 0 RUNCORN TOWN ................. 1
RUNCORN Town picked up their first points of the season with a 1-0 win against Litherland REMYCA.
There was one change for the trip to Litherland Sports Park with Callum Richards coming in at centre-back in place of John Shaw.
Town started well and could have opened the scoring inside five minutes. Liam Turner's long throw was helped on by Kevin Exell and Craig Cairns shot just wide.
On 19 minutes Litherland created an opening down the left and Charles Ball's low cross was cleared in the sixyard box by Owen Dursley.
Two minutes later Town took the lead.
A poor back pass couldn't be controlled by Ciaran O'Loughlin in the Litherland goal and Cairns was well positioned to fire the loose ball into the net.
The game opened up after the goal.
Ball was causing problems for the Town defence and after dancing past a couple of tackles his shot was blocked by Callum Richards.
Francois Antoine had a shot from 20 yards that stung the hands of the keeper before James Murphy was allowed too much space in the Town box, but fortunately he shot wide.
Cairns had a great chance to make it 2-0 but his header from Dursley's cross was brilliantly saved by O'Loughlin.
Town had the better of the first half hour, but it was Litherland who finished stronger. James Hammill cut in from the left and fired a shot against the far post.
Then Neil Monoghan was put through on goal but shot wide. Just before half time Hammill forced his way into the box and his shot was pushed over the bar by Adam Reid.
The second half took a while to get going but chances came eventually. Kevin Exell's ball across goal was just in front of the strikers.
Then Marcus James' ball found Exell who played in Turner and his shot was saved.
Town then struck the woodwork three times in an incredible couple of minutes.
Kieran Holsgrove's corner found James and his header was touched onto the post, then Holsgrove crossed to Cairns who headed against the other post. From another corner the ball eventually fell to Dale Jennings who cracked a shot against the bar to complete the full set!
Chances for Litherland were rare but there was a nervous moment following a bit of penalty box pinball, but the ball was scrambled away.
Cairns could have doubled the lead on 77 minutes when Cox got free and squared the ball to him, but the keeper was out quickly to smother the shot.
There was one final chance for Litherland when Anthony Cato played in James Murphy and Reid made a vital save.
Town saw out the five minutes of injury time to claim a welcome three points.
Newspapers from United Kingdom


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La Guerra de Kosovo o conflicte de Kosovo és freqüentment utilitzat per descriure dos conflictes que van tenir lloc un seguit de l'altre amb un cert solapament (una guerra civil seguida d'una guerra internacional), al sud de la província sèrbia anomenada Kosovo (oficialment Kosovo i Metohija), part de l'antiga Iugoslàvia. Els dos conflictes van ser:

 1996-99: Conflicte de guerrilla entre els separatistes albanesos i les forces de seguretat sèrbies i iugoslaves, on els albanesos s'autodenominaven moviment separatista mentre que les forces sèrbies els deien terroristes.
 1999: Guerra entre Iugoslàvia i les forces de l'OTAN entre el 24 de març i el 10 de juny de 1999, període durant el qual les forces de l'OTAN van realitzar bombardeigs continus contra objectius iugoslaus. Els combatents albanesos van continuar atacant les forces sèrbies i els civils serbis de Kosovo, mentre que les forces sèrbies i iugoslaves van continuar atacant els rebels i produint desplaçaments massius de població, en mires a millorar la seva situació a l'hora d'un cessament del foc.

Orígens del conflicte
 Vegeu també: Guerres de Iugoslàvia

Kosovo a la Iugoslàvia de Tito (1945-1986)
Tant els serbis com els albanesos han considerat a Kosovo com a espai històricament propi. Per als serbis, va ser el centre cultural, així com el lloc de la batalla de Kosovo, perduda contra els invasors otomans en 1389 (es recorda com el tribut serbi a la defensa del cristianisme).

Les tensions entre les dues comunitats han estat presents durant tot el  i han produït freqüents fets de violència, particularment durant la primera guerra balcànica, la primera i la Segona Guerra Mundial. El govern comunista de Josip Broz Tito va respondre amb repressió a totes les manifestacions nacionalistes a tot Iugoslàvia, això per tal de mantenir un balanç entre les diferents repúbliques i més particularment, evitar la predominança de Sèrbia sobre les altres. El 1945 la població de Kosovo era majoritàriament d'origen albanès, però ja a final de segle, els assentaments serbis havien passat a ser majoria a la regió. Des de la darreria dels anys 1960, el nacionalisme albanès havia començat ja a prendre forma, malgrat el caràcter repressiu del règim.

El 1974, es va establir un nou estatut per a Kosovo, donant-li major autonomia, un lloc en el consell de la presidència i la seva pròpia Assemblea, força policial i banca, sempre sota el control del partit comunista de la regió.

Després de la mort de Tito el 1980 van créixer les demandes dels albanesos per constituir-se en la setena república iugoslava, fet inacceptable per a serbis i macedonis. Alguns veien això com un preludi a la creació d'una gran república dominant dins de la federació. La resposta a aquestes demandes va ser la repressió i la purga de simpatitzants amb el nacionalisme dins del partit comunista de Kosovo.

Els conflictes entre la població van augmentar i amb ells el sentiment en les comunitats que l'objectiu de cada una d'elles era el fer desaparèixer la presència de l'altra comunitat de Kosovo. Mentre que la població sèrbia es va mantenir numèricament a Kosovo durant el govern de Tito, la població albanesa va créixer a un ritme accelerat, arribant a ser més del 80% el 1991. L'altre factor de pressió a la regió va ser l'empitjorament de la situació econòmica i l'absència de treball.

Arribada al poder de Slobodan Milošević (1986-1990)
El retrocés polític ocorregut a Iugoslàvia després de la mort de Tito va tenir diferents orígens. A més dels conflictes ètnics hi va haver divisions polítiques, d'ordre constitucional i fins i tot personals entre els líders del país. A Kosovo, tanmateix, tots aquests problemes es van traduir en creixents nivells de tensió entre serbis i albanesos, el que va crear un clima en el qual qualsevol incident era exacerbat.

El Memoràndum de l'Acadèmia Sèrbia de les Ciències i les Arts (conegut com a informe SANU), parlava, el 1986, de l'existència d'un genocidi físic, polític, legal i cultural sofert pels serbis a Kosovo, comparant l'estatut de Kosovo a la derrota contra l'Imperi Otomà o l'ocupació nazi. En la conclusió de l'informe sol·licitava l'aplicació de remeis per recuperar la presència sèrbia a Kosovo. L'informe va produir rebuig en la població albanesa de Kosovo (de fet, en la majoria de població no-sèrbia de Iugoslàvia, incloent-hi croats, bosníacs o eslovens) i en alguns medis intel·lectuals de Sèrbia.

L'abril de 1987 Slobodan Milošević, que ja en aquell moment presidia el comitè central de la lliga comunista de Sèrbia, va viatjar a Kosovo i va declarar el seu suport a les reivindicacions de la població sèrbia, obtenint instantàniament el suport de la població sèrbia de tot Iugoslàvia, aplanant el camí cap a la presidència de Sèrbia. Però per accedir a la presidència de Iugoslàvia, Milošević necessitava el suport de la representació de Kosovo. El 1988, els líders albanesos del partit comunista de Kosovo van ser arrestats i es va llançar l'anomenada revolució antiburocràtica  eliminant la poca autonomia de Kosovo i imposant l'estat d'emergència. Els canvis a la constitució van ser justificats com l'única solució que permetia protegir la minoria sèrbia dels abusos de la majoria albanesa de Kosovo.

Kosovo sota el govern serbi (1990-1996)
En abolir l'estatut autònom de Kosovo (igual com el de la província de Voivodina), no es van eliminar els seus llocs en el Consell de la presidència federada i Sèrbia va rebre tres de vuit vots (més el suport gairebé permanent de Montenegro, propera a Sèrbia). L'única manera d'establir un contrapès era amb una fràgil aliança entre Eslovènia, Croàcia, Bòsnia i Hercegovina i Macedònia.

Els canvis introduïts van ser ratificats en una votació on van participar sol els habitants de Sèrbia (majoria) i Kosovo i van significar el canvi de 115.000 llocs de treball d'albanesos a serbis a Kosovo, l'eliminació de diaris, radio i televisió de parla albanesa i l'expulsió de 800 professors i 22.500 dels 23.000 estudiants de la Universitat de Pristina, segons fonts albaneses.

Sota la direcció d'Ibrahim Rugova, de la Lliga democràtica per Kosovo es va organitzar la resistència pacifista, es va cridar a la desobediència civil i tributària, al boicot de la presència sèrbia i iugoslava a la província i a la no participació en eleccions, la creació d'escoles, clíniques i hospitals paral·lels. El govern en l'ombra  així format, va organitzar un referèndum sobre la independència de Kosovo, que segons els organitzadors va reunir prop d'un milió de vots aprovant la creació de la República independent de Kosovo i més endavant elegint Rugova com a president. El govern va declarar il·legals ambdós referèndums i nuls els seus resultats.

El camí cap a la guerra (1996-1998)
La política de resistència pacífica de Rugova va tenir per efecte de mantenir Kosovo en pau durant les cruentes guerres en Eslovènia, Croàcia i Bòsnia i Hercegovina al principi de la dècada de 1990. Però aquesta política va fer créixer el sentiment de frustració en la població de Kosovo. Als Acords de Dayton del 1996 no es va tractar específicament el cas de Kosovo, i les sol·licituds de Rugova de la tramesa d'una força de l'ONU per al manteniment de la pau a Kosovo no van ser escoltades. Milošević, en aquell moment, ja era president del que quedava de Iugoslàvia: Sèrbia i Montenegro.

Els canvis de política introduïts a Kosovo van produir la radicalització de molts albanesos que van adoptar com a solució la lluita armada. El 22 d'abril del 1996, quatre atacs simultanis contra objectius civils en diferents parts de Kosovo van marcar l'inici de les hostilitats. L'Exèrcit d'Alliberament de Kosovo (ELK) organització fins a aquell moment desconeguda, es va atribuir la responsabilitat. L'estratègia d'aquest grup es va mantenir constant des del principi: provocar a les forces sèrbies de manera que la resposta, cada vegada més desproporcionada, produís rebuig i, amb això, major suport a la causa albanesa.

L'ELK va ser vist com una força legítima de resistència davant de l'opressor pels albanesos de Kosovo, i com una organització terrorista pels serbis. Internacionalment, la posició sobre aquesta organització va ser ambigua. Se la va anomenar organització terrorista, però no es va imposar ni bloqueig de fons ni d'armes.

El 1997, la crisi de poder a Albània va ocasionar un caos que va permetre que grans quantitats de material bèl·lic de l'exèrcit albanès acabessin a les mans de l'ELK a la província de Kosovo. El conflicte va prendre les característiques d'una guerra de guerrilles entre les forces del govern central més algunes unitats secretes en contra de l'ELK.

Cap a la fi de l'any 1998, es comptaven centenars de morts i prop de 300.000 desplaçats, segons fonts albaneses, i 25.000 segons les fonts consultades per la BBC. Els refugiats albanokosovars es van desplaçar majoritàriament cap a l'Antiga República Iugoslava de Macedònia, amenaçant la fràgil unitat establerta en aquest país. Una guerra civil a l'Antiga República Iugoslava de Macedònia posaria sobre el tapet les reclamacions territorials dels seus veïns Sèrbia, Albània, Grècia i Bulgària, amb grans possibilitats de desestabilització a tota la regió. És en aquest context quan l'OTAN i la Unió Europea decideixen actuar.

El pla de pau per a Kosovo incloïa un alto el foc, la renúncia a les aspiracions d'independència de l'ELK i el desplegament de forces de pau a Kosovo. Tanmateix, la treva va durar molt poc temps, entre octubre i desembre del 1998.

Racak i la Conferència de Rambouillet (gener-març de 1999)
Els atacs de l'ELK i les respostes sèrbies van continuar i van tenir el seu punt culminant amb l'atac conjunt de la policia sèrbia i l'exèrcit iugoslau al poble de Racak on van morir 45 albanesos. L'incident va ser considerat com una matança a occident i pel Consell de Seguretat de les Nacions Unides, convertint-se en la base d'un dels càrrecs per crims de guerra contra Milošević i els seus alts oficials. Segons fonts sèrbies els albanesos van morir en combat, tanmateix, el Tribunal Penal Internacional per a l'antiga Iugoslàvia va documentar diversos casos d'assassinats a Racak (el judici a Milošević no ha pogut concloure a causa de la mort d'aquest l'11 de març de 2006).

El 30 de gener de 1999, l'OTAN va decidir introduir a Kosovo una força d'interposició. Al seu anunci addicionalment va agregar:

 L'OTAN informa estar preparada per llançar atacs aeris a objectius iugoslaus a fi de forçar un arranjament polític del conflicte. Clarament s'anunciaven bombardeigs si el govern de Milošević no arribava a un acord de pau amb l'ELK, però també estava l'amenaça velada a l'ELK de deixar-los sols, en cas de no arribar a un acord.
 El grup de Contacte format va proposar una sèrie de principis no negociables, que incloïen la tornada a l'estatut d'autonomia de Kosovo anterior a 1990 i la introducció d'institucions democràtiques transparents amb supervisió internacional. Igualment es va convocar a una conferència de pau que es va dur a terme en el Castell de Rambouillet, als afores de París.

La conferència de pau de Rambouillet va tenir lloc entre febrer i març de 1999. A l'informe final, les parts es comprometien en els punts següents:

 Establir un estatut d'autonomia per a Kosovo que inclogués eleccions lliures i transparents, protecció als drets humans i un règim judicial independent.
 Les regles per a la presència internacional a la regió serien establertes en una conferència immediatament posterior a la primera.
 L'establiment d'una cessació al foc, evitant les parts provocar i respondre a provocacions que poguessin posar en perill l'acord obtingut.

Al final, l'acord no va ser firmat per sèrbia, la delegació de la qual va proposar més endavant una versió corregida que eliminava principalment l'accés a les forces de l'OTAN al territori de Iugoslàvia.

Després del fracàs de la Conferència de pau de Rambouillet es van retirar els observadors internacionals. El 22 de març, l'assemblea sèrbia, davant de la imminència dels bombardeigs de l'OTAN, va acceptar el principi d'autonomia de Kosovo, però va condemnar els resultats de la conferència desautoritzant a la seva delegació per haver negociat amb terroristes . Això no va ser suficient per frenar la intervenció militar de l'OTAN que es va iniciar el 24 de març.

Campanya de bombardeigs de l'OTAN

Els bombardeigs de l'OTAN van durar des del 24 de març fins al 10 de juny de 1999. Es van usar 1.000 aeronaus operant des de bases situades a Itàlia i portaavions en el Mar Adriàtic. Els míssils més usats van ser els Tomahawk (míssil de creuer), els quals eren llançats des d'aeronaus, vaixells i submarins. Encara que tots els membres de l'OTAN van arribar a involucrar-se en grau major o menor, els Estats Units van ser el membre dominant de la coalició contra Sèrbia. També va destacar Grècia, que va exercir un paper crucial malgrat la seva oposició pública a la guerra. Durant les deu setmanes que va durar el conflicte bèl·lic els avions de l'OTAN van realitzar 38.000 missions de combat.

El portaveu de l'OTAN breument va expressar l'objectiu d'aquesta operació com a: "Expulsió dels serbis, permanència de les forces de pau, retorn de refugiats." És a dir, que les tropes sèrbies haurien de marxar de Kosovo per ser reemplaçades per forces de pau internacionals i així assegurar que els refugiats albanesos poguessin tornar a les seves cases. Tanmateix, aquest lema tenia un nefast doble significat, causant a l'OTAN un considerable conflicte després de la guerra quan uns 200.000 Serbis i altres minories no albaneses van fugir o es van expulsar de la província. Una raó no oficial per a la guerra va ser implícitament donada per Madeleine Albright (Secretària d'Estat dels Estats Units): " Per a què ens serveix tenir el millor exèrcit si no podem usar-lo? "; una observació que, suposadament, va causar que el cap d'estat Major de l'exèrcit dels Estats Units qüestionés el seu seny. També s'ha suggerit que una victòria en una petita guerra ajudaria a donar a l'OTAN una nova funció.

El començament de la campanya es va idear per destruir les defenses aèries sèrbies i objectius d'alt valor militar. Els resultats inicials no van ser bons, el mal temps va obstaculitzar algunes intervencions prematures. L'OTAN havia subestimat seriosament la voluntat de resistir de Milošević: pocs a Brussel·les van pensar que la campanya duraria una mica més que alguns dies. Encara que els bombardeigs inicials van ser notables no van ser, ni per indici, com els que es van veure en Bagdad en 1991 i més endavant en 2003. Sobre el terreny el combat empitjorava, després d'una setmana, des que va començar la guerra, al voltant de 300.000 albanesos de Kosovo havien fugit a les veïnes Albània i Macedònia i uns quants milers més es van desplaçar per l'interior de Kosovo. L'abril, les Nacions Unides van informar que havien fugit de les seves cases 850.000 persones, la gran majoria albanesos.

L'èxode dels refugiats, la causa dels quals és objecte d'una gran controvèrsia, forma la base dels càrrecs per crims de guerra que Nacions Unides imputa a Slobodan Milošević i altres oficials responsables de dirigir el conflicte de Kosovo. La part sèrbia i els seus suports occidentals afirmen que les emigracions van ser causades per un pànic massiu en la població albanesa de Kosovo, i que l'èxode va ser generat principalment per por dels bombardeigs de l'OTAN. També es va al·legar que l'èxode va ser encoratjat per les guerrilles de l'ELK, que fins i tot en alguns casos van donar ordres directes de fugir als albanesos. Alguns informes de testimonis, tant serbis com albanesos, van identificar com els culpables a les forces de seguretat i grups paramilitars serbis, responsables de buidar sistemàticament d'habitants albanesos ciutats petites i pobles. De fet hi havia alguns casos ben documentats d'expulsions massives, com va succeir en Pristina a la fi de març, quan desenes de milers de persones van ser reunides a punta de pistola i carregada en trens per ser abandonades a la frontera macedònia. Altres ciutats, com Pec, van ser cremades enterament.

El ministre alemany d'assumptes exteriors Joschka Fischer va afirmar que la crisi de refugiats havia estat produïda per un pla serbi denominat " Operació Ferradura ". Encara que l'existència d'un pla amb aquest nom és encara assumpte de contínua discussió, les Nacions Unides i les organitzacions internacionals per a la defensa dels drets humans estaven convençuts que la crisi dels refugiats era el resultat d'una política deliberada de neteja ètnica. Una anàlisi estadística posterior a la guerra sobre els patrons de desplaçament, dirigit per Patrick Ball de lAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (Associació americana per a l'avenç de la ciència) va trobar una correlació directa entre les operacions de les forces de seguretat sèrbies i els fluxos cap a l'exterior de refugiats, tenint molt poc efecte en aquests últims les operacions de l'OTAN. Hi va haver una altra evidència que la crisi dels refugiats havia estat fabricada artificialment: alguns refugiats van informar que les seves targetes d'identitat havien estat confiscades per forces de seguretat, fent més difícil per a ells provar de forma indiscutible que eren ciutadans iugoslaus. Una vegada que el conflicte va acabar, les fonts sèrbies van informar que alguns dels quals es van unir en el retorn dels refugiats eren de fet albanesos procedents de fora de Kosovo. Una part d'aquest grup podrien ser els indocumentats.

No queda clar què buscava Milošević expulsant els habitants albanesos de Kosovo. Una possibilitat és que desitgés reemplaçar la població albanesa amb refugiats serbis de Bòsnia i Croàcia, aconseguint per tant una "serbianització" de la província. El que si que és molt clar és que l'OTAN, ho desitgés o no, va aconseguir un considerable avantatge propagandístic de la fugida de Kosovo. Si era el que pretenien, va ser un gran èxit, ja que va acabar convencent la població dels països membres de l'OTAN que havien de vèncer en aquest conflicte. Europa ja estava tenint inconvenients per fer-li front, va tenir onades prèvies de refugiats i cercadors d'asil polític procedents dels Balcans, de manera que una altra nova onada de refugiats hauria desestabilitzat seriosament el sud-est d'Europa. Es poden donar arguments que recolzen que la guerra a Kosovo no era, inicialment, de gran interès per als estats pertanyents a l'OTAN, però la crisi dels refugiats va fer que sí que ho fos.

Es va produir un canvi en les operacions militars de l'OTAN en incrementar-se l'atac a objectius serbis situats sobre el terreny (fent blanc en objectius tan petits com tancs individuals i unitats d'artilleria). Alhora es continuava amb el bombardeig estratègic, tanmateix aquesta activitat estava fortament limitada pels polítics, de manera que cada objectiu havia de ser aprovat per cada un dels 19 estats membres. Montenegro va anar bombardejat en diverses ocasions però amb el temps l'OTAN va desistir per donar suport a la posició inestable del seu líder anti-Milošević Milo Djukanovic. Es va atacar els anomenats objectius d'ús dual usats alhora per civils i militars. Aquests inclouen ponts sobre el Danubi; fàbriques, centrals elèctriques, instal·lacions de telecomunicacions; i aquells que van resultar particularment discutits, la seu dels esquerrans iugoslaus (un partit polític dirigit per l'esposa de Milošević) i la torre de radiodifusió de la televisió estatal sèrbia. Alguns van veure aquestes accions com a violacions de les lleis internacionals i en particular de la convenció de Ginebra. L'OTAN tanmateix va argumentar que aquestes instal·lacions eren potencialment útils per als militars serbis i per tant el seu bombardeig estava justificat. L'aliança també va mantenir que es va esforçar a evitar víctimes civils durant la campanya de bombardeigs.

A començament de maig una aeronau de l'OTAN va atacar un comboi de refugiats albanesos, al·legant-se que es va creure que era un comboi militar serbi, van morir al voltant de 50 persones. A l'OTAN li va prendre cinc dies admetre la seva responsabilitat, admetent-lo com un error, tanmateix els serbis van acusar l'OTAN d'atacar deliberadament els refugiats. El 7 de maig, bombes de l'OTAN van impactar en l'ambaixada Xina de Belgrad, matant diversos diplomàtics xinesos i indignant a l'opinió pública xinesa. Els Estats Units i més tard l'OTAN van demanar disculpes pel bombardeig, aclarint que el succeït va ser a causa d'un mapa obsolet de la regió proporcionat per la CIA. Aquest argument va ser contradit conjuntament pels diaris 'The Observer' (El Regne Unit) i 'Politiken' (Dinamarca),¨ que van informar que l'OTAN va bombardejar de forma deliberada l'ambaixada perquè funcionava com a repetidor per als senyals de ràdio de l'exèrcit iugoslau. El bombardeig va tensar les relacions entre la Xina i els països de l'OTAN i va provocar que en l'exterior de les ambaixades occidentals a Beijing es donessin mostres d'enuig.

A començaments de juny, la resolució del conflicte semblava propera i els països de l'OTAN van començar a pensar seriosament en una operació terrestre, una invasió de Kosovo. Això havia de ser organitzat ràpidament, ja que quedava poc temps perquè arribés l'hivern i calia treballar molt per millorar les vies des dels ports grecs i albanesos fins a les rutes planejades per dur a terme la invasió, a través de Macedònia i el nord-est d'Albània. Tanmateix, alhora, negociadors finlandesos i russos continuaven intentant persuadir Milošević que cedís. Finalment aquest va reconèixer que l'OTAN estava resolta a posar fi al conflicte d'una manera o una altra i que Rússia no intervindria en suport de Sèrbia. Amb tan poques alternatives a la vista, Milošević va acceptar les condicions ofertes per l'equip mediador de Finlàndia-Rússia i va permetre la presència militar dins de Kosovo, tropes de l'OTAN, però liderades per l'ONU.

Conseqüències de la guerra
En finalitzar la guerra, el 10 de juny, tant Kosovo com Iugoslàvia es van enfrontar a un futur incert.

El primer problema, el dels refugiats albanesos, va ser resolt en gran part de forma molt ràpida: En tres setmanes, prop de 500.000 refugiats albanesos van tornar a casa. Cap a la darreria de novembre de 1999, segons xifres de l'ACNUR, més de 800.000 dels 850.000 desplaçats ja havien tornat a casa seva. Tanmateix, gran part de la població sèrbia de Kosovo va ser desplaçada de la província a causa dels atacs de revenja, junt amb les poblacions d'altres orígens. La Creu Roja iugoslava va donar xifres de prop de 250.000 refugiats, la majoria d'origen serbi. En poc temps, la població d'origen serbi a Kosovo es va reduir a menys d'un quart de la que hi havia abans de la guerra.

Les baixes civils produïdes durant els atacs de l'OTAN s'estimen que van ser entre 1.200 i 5.700 civils, segons les autoritats sèrbies i en 500 segons Human Rights Watch. Respecte a les forces militars iugoslaves, l'OTAN estima que un màxim de 5.000 baixes van ocórrer durant el conflicte, mentre que els serbis van donar la xifra de 1.000 efectius morts. Després de finalitzada la guerra, es van desenterrar prop de 4.500 cossos d'albanesos majoritàriament. S'estima que el total de baixes albaneses s'apropa als 10.000 morts. Aquesta xifra és discutida encara en l'actualitat. Però dista molt de la xifra de 500.000 homes suposadament desapareguts anunciada abans de finalitzat el conflicte.

Ja que no hi va haver combats en els quals participessin les forces de l'OTAN, les seves baixes van ser molt reduïdes. La majoria d'elles lligades a operacions aèries i a accidents ocorreguts durant els combats. La destrucció produïda en les forces iugoslaves tampoc va ser molt gran. Van ser destruïts 50 aparells de les força aèria iugoslava, però la majoria dels tancs atacats a terra van ser cimbells. Les bateries antiaèries no van ser utilitzades i per tant no van ser descobertes, el que va obligar a l'aviació de l'OTAN a volar a gran altura per evitar-les durant tot el temps que van durar els bombardeigs.

Un estudi realitzat per Spiegel i Salama, estima en 12.000 el total de baixes ocorregudes durant la guerra de Kosovo.

Referències

Enllaços externs

 Acord de Rambuillet  (no signat)
 Article "Què deien els acords de Rambouillet" , sobre el contingut dels acords *Exposició fotogràfica sobre Sèrbia i Montenegro tres anys després de l'atac de la O.T.A.N.