Published on 10 Aug 2017
This week Russo-Romanian forces clash with the Central Power´s counteroffensive in the Second Battle of Oltuz. The failure of the Kerensky Offensive disheartens the Russian army and radicalizes the homefront. While the Bolsheviks were calling for “Peace, Bread and Land”, the new commander of the Russian army Lavr Kornilov strives to become a strong authoritarian figure for the political right. And the Battle of Passchendaele reveals a scarred, broken battlefield of mud and destroyed equipment. Despair is everywhere.
August 11, 2017
Despair Everywhere – Battle of Mărășești I THE GREAT WAR Week 159
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Vikings beat Bills 17-10 in (predictably ugly) preseason action
The Vikings broke training camp earlier this week and flew to Buffalo to face the Bills in the first preseason game for both teams on Thursday night. Neither team’s starters were expected to see more than perhaps a quarter of action before yielding to second and third stringers, hoping to solidify their chances at a roster spot after the mandatory cuts at the end of the preseason.
MIN@BUF Vikings football is back!!#SkolVikings pic.twitter.com/xaJnTtVTDv
— Matt Engstrom (@MattEngstrom1) August 11, 2017
The first quarter was filled with vaguely football-like activities, with both teams’ starters knocking off some of the rust in full-contact play. Minnesota’s retooled offensive line didn’t look great: Sam Bradford was sacked twice before Case Keenum came in at quarterback. Disturbingly, each of the offensive tackles gave up a sack. The backups on the offensive line seemed to do better protecting Keenum than the starters had done for Bradford, but Keenum’s faster release (and the play-calling) probably had a lot to do with that. Other than that, it was the Dalvin Cook show, with the rookie running back seeming to be the only Viking player allowed to touch the ball while the starters were on the field. He ended up with five carries for 13 yards and four catches for 30 yards. Neither team set the scoreboard on fire, with the first half ending in a 3-3 tie. The bad news in the first half was starting cornerback Trae Waynes leaving during the first defensive series with a shoulder injury. Joining him early in the second half on the injured list was running back Bishop Sankey, who suffered a non-contact knee injury at the end of a 10-yard run.
Third-string quarterback Taylor Heinicke didn’t look as strong in this game as he did in the 2015 preseason, prompting this jab:
When it comes to Taylor, you just gotta take the Heinickes with the Lownickes
— Eric Thompson (@eric_j_thompson) August 11, 2017
A few other players who stood out during the course of the game were WR Stacy Coley (three receptions for 67 yards), DE Tashawn Bower (a sack, three QB pressures and a batted pass), FB C.J. Ham (a short rushing TD), and LB Eric Wilson (six tackles).
The next Vikings preseason game will be in Seattle on Friday, 18 August.
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World of Warships – Operation Killer Whale
Published on 10 Aug 2017
Or how I survived the great Anthony and Cyclone Plague of 2017. If you’ve played, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
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Penn & Teller on Gun Control
Published on 11 Feb 2013
Penn and teller explain the 2nd amendment in very simple, easy to understand terms. Just the way it was written.
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QotD: The plight of Hindu widows
Some of the most conservative Hindus in India believe that a woman whose husband has died should no longer live because she failed to retain his soul. Rejected by their communities and abandoned by their loved ones, thousands of destitute women make their way to Vrindavan, a pilgrimage city about 100km south of Delhi that is home to more than 20,000 widows.
These women have no choice but to live in a vidhwa ashram (ashrams for widows) run by the government, private enterprises and NGOs. Clad in white, they know they will never return home and that this is where they’ll end their days.
Pascal Mannaerts, “Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide”, BBC Travel, 2016-09-13.
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