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Top 100 GameBoy games #90-81
In 1989, Nintendo released the GameBoy Compact Portable Videogame system – a monochrome, non backlit interchangeable cartridge-based handheld with a low resolution screen and a less powerful processor than even their aging NES.
Thanks to brilliant marketing and the importance of the pack-in game Tetris, GameBoy would prove to be a massive success almost overnight. In the early 1990’s, everyone and their mother or father (often literally) needed to own a GameBoy.
As grand as the initial success of the platform was though, the real legacy of the GameBoy is it’s longevity. As Nintendo would prove to the world, flashy visuals and powerful hardware were not required to turn the so-called “inferior” GameBoy hardware into a roaring success when developers solely focused on simplicity and raw fun rather than expensive hardware.
The Lynx, GameGear, Game.com, Wonderswan, Neo-Geo Pocket – the GameBoy would endure and outlast all of them for over a decade until 1998 when the original design was replaced by a slightly upgraded model called the GameBoy Color, with a full color LCD and a slightly faster CPU.
Like the original monochrome model, the GameBoy Color would face competition from superior hardware such as the WonderSwan Crystal and Neo-Geo Pocket Color and outsell and outlast them both before it was finally retired in 2002 with the release of the 32-Bit GameBoy Advance – ending well over a decade of 8-bit portable titles from Nintendo.
This list is dedicated to the top 100 GameBoy and GameBoy Color games released between 1989 to 2002. It contains both original black-and-white and color titles. Placement was deemed after several hundred candidates had been evaluated in a number of ways including how well each holds up today in terms of playability and enjoyment.
Since many classic 8-bit games can be a real test of player’s patience and skill, I am ranking every game on its overall difficulty using a simple scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is brain dead easy and 10 is…well, Battletoads. A 5 on this scale means the game is average difficulty with perhaps some challenging elements, but nothing the average gamer should get stuck on for too long.
I’m also including many links to videos and other online information sources. Links are indicated by orange words. Please open these links in a new tab or window so you don’t have to navigate away from this article.
So without further ado, enjoy my picks for the top 100 GameBoy and GameBoy Color games that still matter!
Check out part 1, #100-91 if you missed it.
Between battling Donkey Kong, saving the Mushroom Kingdom, and playing a variety of sports, Mario somehow still found time to become a doctor, legitimately or otherwise. As a doctor, Mario’s goal is to kill viruses Tetris style by dropping differently colored pills into a virus filled bottle until they line up four or more of the same color and dissolve.
Based on the success of Tetris, Dr. Mario is one of the only Nintendo developed puzzle games out there. Offering all the challenge of Tetris with multiple difficulties and speeds as well as as a time trial mode and two player competitive play over a link cable, Dr. Mario is an undeniable GameBoy classic every retro gamer should have in their collection. Composed by Hirokazu “Hip” Tanaka, Dr. Mario’s music is as iconic, classic, and forever memorable as his Super Mario Bros. compositions.
Even grayscale, it is very easy to tell which pills are which color by their shade. Overall, Dr. Mario perfectly suits the GameBoy’s portable nature and is a great compliment to any road trip or train ride, as well as lunch breaks. A perfect pick-up-and play puzzler that’ll appeal to just about anyone.
On Feburary 25, 2008, the incredibly talented Japanese indie musician Hyadain posted a lyrical remix of the Fever theme from Dr. Mario. His remix, sung in the style of a female voice through digital pitch manipulation, is about a young boy and his first best friend, his loyal dog. If you’ve ever owned any pet – and even if you haven’t – Hyadain’s remix of Hip Tanaka’s Fever will leave you crying manly tears, even if you’re a woman, guaranteed. Watch the English subtitled version by clicking here. Oh, and check out Brentlefloss’s remix too.
The peaceful people of the beautiful planet Wai Wai World are in dire state. The evil evil Space Penguin Empire has invaded Konami space and has their sights on disorienting the Konami universe itself. Assume command of the Vic-Viper, Pentarou, Twinbee or an Octopus attack at the heart of the Space Penguin menace. All hope rests with you! Good luck!
Konami has always been the king of self-parody, and nowhere is that more evident than in their Parodious series. Based on Gradius, Parodius is a light hearted shooter filled with non-sense characters, environments, bosses, and power ups. Absolutely everything, including the music itself, is charmingly wacky.
Like Gradius, you progress through various horizontal scrolling stages with enemies that when destroyed, yield weapon capsules which can be cashed in at any time for upgrades such as lasers, missiles or the famous indestructible drones called Options.
Parodius also borrows the bell power-up system from Konami’s lesser known Twinbee series. When destroyed, some enemies turn into bells, which if shot repeatedly, turn into various single-use power ups, allowing you to destroy every enemy on screen, fire massive beams of energy, become huge and indestructible for a brief period, or simply shout nonsense at your enemies. Paroidus is that kind of game.
What makes Parodius so damn fun to play is the sheer variety in the wacky things you encounter. Everything from space cat pirate ships or fifty foot scantily clad women to upsidedown volcanoes with faces impede your journey. Each of the four playable characters, have different attack patterns and play differently from each other, encouraging further replay.
Just like Nemesis before it, you can choose from the options menu to start at any stage, allowing you to quickly replay your favorite parts any time you wish. Unfortunately, Parodius never made it to North America, so you will have it import from either japan or Europe. If you are a Konami fan, you can’t go wrong with Parodius.
Parodius is heavily based on the Famicom version of Parodius Da!, which itself was an 8-bit port of the original arcade game. Even on GameBoy, very little is lost in translation from the full arcade cabinet build despite the massive hardware differences.
A limited colorized version of Parodius was re-released in Europe in 1999 as part of Konami’s obscure GB Collection. These carts are exceedingly rare and fetch vastly inflated prices on the secondary market.
Pac-Man Special Color Edition (パックマン+パックパニック)
System support: All, with GBC support
Year of release: 1999
Price range: $8-15
Meet Pac-Man – a little yellow dot-muncher who works his way around to clear a maze of the various dots and fruit which inhabit the board. But watch out! Pac-Man’s goal is continually challenged by four ghosts: The shy blue ghost Bashful Inky, the trailing red ghost Shadow Blinky, the fast pink ghost Speedy Pinky, and the forgetful orange ghost Pokey Clyde. One touch from any of these ghosts means a loss of life for Pac-Man.
Survive a few rounds of gameplay, and be treated to humorous intermissions between Pac-Man and the ghosts.
This is Pac-Man, – one of the early pioneers responsible for popularizing gaming – for the GameBoy Color. You should need no more explanation than that as to why you should play it. Nevertheless, I’ll bite. Pac-Man is an incredibly replayable experience that is best enjoyed in short bursts, something the GameBoy obviously excels at.
You control the iconic yellow circle around a maze to gobble up small pellets, avoid the ghosts, collect the large power pills and then eat the ghosts too.
As you play, the ghosts become faster, the time the ghosts turn blue and Pac-Man can eat them for bonus points grows shorter, and the amount of time the ghost’s eyes float back to their center box and regenerate shortens as well. It’s an excellent portable challenge.
In addition, this special twentieth anniversary release also contains Pac-Attack, a Pac-Man themed puzzle game in the vein of Tetris that has you managing falling rows of solid bricks and ghosts, which following Pac-Man blocks consume upon contact.
Pac-Attack has two modes – Normal Mode and Puzzle Mode. Normal Mode has you eat up ghosts while avoiding assembling to the top of the screen. In Puzzle Mode challenges you to eat all of the ghosts in a limited time with as few moves as possible. The game isn’t as good as other puzzle games, but it is still worth a look, and as a bonus to the incredible and timeless Pac-Man, it’s hard to find fault with Pac-Man Special Color Edition.
Pac-Man is one of the most popular arcade games ever, spawning sequel games, toys, a cartoon, and even a hit song. Over the years there have been many attempts to pit the yellow dot muncher in other genres with mixed results. For example, some retro gamers absolutely love Pac-Man 2 The New Adventures, while others strongly hate it. Only the classic formula Pac-Man games, such as Pac-Man Championship Edition receive universal praise.
Gameplay Video [both games]
To do so, the world’s scientists and technicians have developed an ultra-performance fighter ship – the SolarStriker. As the pilot, it is your mission to attack and destroy each of the Reticulon guardians and storm their underground base before humanity is wiped from existence.
Nevertheless, the game’s simplicity is also it’s greatest asset. It isn’t bogged down by anything – Enemies have clear and distinct attack patterns, the high contrast visuals allow projectiles to be easily seen, and your craft moves with enough speed to offer a decent challenge that never becomes unforgiving nor too easy.
The game also employs an impressive soundtrack with memorable stereo tunes that gave early adopters of the GameBoy a reason to use headphones. Most of the tracks are extremely well produced. My personal favorite is the stage 1 and 2 theme, which has an excellent rock remix. No mater how many times I replay SolarStriker, that initial tune gets me pumped to play through the whole game.
Careful observation of the game’s stages reveals something pretty cool – Since the story involves you seeking and destroying an underground base, the first stage has you approach the planet from space, then you fight in the upper atmosphere, then on the surface and then in caves before you finally reach the underground base.
It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic
Empire. During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire’s ultimate weapon, the Death Star, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.
Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her
people and restore freedom to the galaxy…
Based on Star Wars: A New Hope, control young Luke Skywalker as he searches caves, aimlessly wanders his desert planet Tatooine aboard his landspeeder, then assemble his crew including R2-D2, ObiWan, Han Solo and Princess Leia.
To see the game’s proper ending, you must explore and find everything before reaching, exploring, and ultimately destroying the Death Star.
Star Wars is a simplistic platformer that affords a lot of enjoyment from it’s nonlinear design. It’s possible to play through half of the game without ever getting Luke’s Lightsaber or even switching to another character. Therefore, many of the game’s finer points are only discovered through experimentation.
For example, Luke wields the lightsaber as well as a drunken sailor, but it’s an extremely powerful weapon that is well worth tracking down as soon as possible. Han Solo has a powerful blaster, but takes more damage than Luke does. In this respect, how much you get from the game depends on how much you put into it.
The game can be utterly unforgiving as jumps from heights causes damage, spikes are common, and some enemies can kill you in seconds. On the other hand, Star Wars has decent visuals and excellent music, mostly taken from the original film’s score and rearranged in stereo 8-bit chiptunes.
Overall, Star Wars is a great game to try out and more importantly is an example of a movie game that actually works on 8-bit hardware.
In Europe, Star Wars was published by of all companies, Capcom.
There were other ports of this game to the GameGear and NES. Of the three, the Gameboy version looks the worst, but plays the best. Go figure.
As Aladdin, you’ve got yourself a scimitar and a pocketful of apples to hock at the thieves and guards that inhabit the streets and deserts of Agrabah. Using Aladdin’s acrobatics, you’ll have to get from the streets and rooftops of Agrabah to the Cave of Wonders and Sultan’s dungeon to the final confrontation in Grand Vizier Jafar’s palace.
Along your way, you’ll need to defend yourself by slicing enemies and avoiding obstacles like pots and fire pits. Some of the levels have classic but clever old-school designs like disappearing/reappearing platforms and rope networks to leap and hang from. As a platform game, Aladdin’s got plenty of variety and challenge to keep you going to the end.
While most retro games based on movies are terrible, there are a few notable exceptions, and Aladdin is definitely one of them. Originally developed by Virgin Interactive for the Sega Genesis, Aladdin is widely considered to be one of the best Genesis games ever made. In 2000, the same development team decided to try to port the entire 16-bit game to the less powerful GameBoy Color while preserving everything in the translation.
It’s safe to say they largely succeeded. This is one pretty looking game with lush colors, fluid animated sprites and plenty variety. The attention to detail is almost unmatched on the GameBoy Color. It’s filled with cartoony visual gags that makes the game feel more alive than many other games you’d find, and the fourth wall breaks are equally amusing.
While the GameBoy Color isn’t usually known for amazing music, the score here is an excellent translation of the movie’s soundtrack. These are some of my favorite classic tunes, and to hear them pumped out with stereo squarewaves is a treat to the ears.
Aladdin is an extremely fluid game that makes it’s transition to the GameBoy Color remarkably well. Based on a console game, levels are massive and often take several minutes to traverse. There is a newly added difficulty setting plus a simple password feature. If you like the movie or the Genesis game, make sure you don’t pass this one up if you come across it.
There was an original GameBoy version of Aladdin released with Super GameBoy support before the GBC port. The GBC version looks, plays and generally is superior to it’s previous version, but is it worth mentioning should you come across it rather than the GBC build.
The King of Fighters ’96 (ザ・キング・オブ・ファイターズ’96)
System support: All with SGB support
Year of release: 1997
Price range: $8-15
Region: Japan and Europe Only
Announcing the 3rd Annual King of Fighters Tournament! After a full year since the total destruction of Regal, invitations began to come in. Who can be hosting this year’s tournament? A mysterious person by the name of Chizuru appears at the bottom of the letter. Who can this person be? Will she go nuts like Regal did? Speaking of Regal, will the psychotic dead guy show up this year again? Welcome to the King of Fighters ‘96!
With low processing power, sprite size restrictions and and limited buttons, fighting games aren’t often attempted on 8-bit hardware. Most attempts to bring arcade style fighters to beloved 8-bit machines turn out second rate at best.
As a result, it is with a certain defiance that SNK and their close partner Takara ported King of Fighters ’96 – one of their flagship Neo-Geo titles – to the lowly GameBoy and promised the handheld port would deliver almost everything fans loved about the big-boy version.
True to their word, King of Fighters ’96 doesn’t disappoint – this is a masterfully crafted game on the GameBoy. Having first honed their skill with a portable version of King of Fighters ’95, the second attempt improves character sprites and animations, enhances the already fantastic gameplay, and delivers more excellent tunes while you duke it out.
What is really surprising about the game is the speed – unlike even Capcom’s Street Fighter II port for the GameBoy, KoF ’96 is almost completely without the slowdown common to 8-bit fighting games. On the downside, the AI here is no where near as challenging as it is on the Neo-Geo version, allowing players to beat on the computer controlled opponents with ease.
Likely due to memory constraints, The GameBoy build of KoF ’96 includes only 17 of the 29 original fighters. However, to make up for this, there are several exclusive fighters including Orochi Iori and Orochi Leona from The King of Fighters ’97, and stronger versions of Chizuru, Goenitz, and Mr. Karate. The sheer variety on offer here isn’t something to complain about.
Lacking a North American release, the game was released in Japan as Nettō: The King of Fighters ’96, and later in Europe as The King of Fighters: The Heat of Battle. Either way, this is a game worth importing for long time SNK fans or anyone who enjoys solid fighting games.
Exclusive to the GameBoy version, a secret mode called “Carnage” mode allows the player’s (including CPU) Power Gauge to be filled automatically without charging. This feature also enables the player to use powerful versions of their Super Special Moves and normal versions of Super Special Moves without having the player’s health at a low rate. It’s great for quick-play.
#83Castlevania Legends (悪魔城ドラキュラ 漆黒たる前奏曲)
System support: All with Super GameBoy support
Year of release: 1997
Genre: Action Platformer
Price range: $40-60
In the year 1450, a mysterious man named Vlad Tapes Dracula made a pact with a demon for immortality in exchange for his soul. Consumed with darkness, Dracula used his new dark power to control the undead and other demonic forces, intent to take over Europe.
After quickly assembling an army of the undead, Dracula constructed his dark home he named Castlevania in the Transylvanian countryside.
When Dracula’s forces attacked and mortally wounded the elder of noble house of the Belmont family, he intrusted his granddaughter Sonia with his holy whip Vampire Killer and told Sonia to avenge him by defeating the evil vampire and freeing the land. Now, her fate lies in your hands.
Released shortly after Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Castlevania Legends is often overlooked and forgotten by gamers, which is a real shame as this is one of the best Castlevania games in the pre-Metroidvania style.
Consisting of six huge stages, Legends adds some unique twists to the classic Castlevania forumla. There are branching paths and multiple endings.
When powered up, the Vampire Killer fires a flaming projectile that can strike distant enemies, and the effect is amplified if it fireball also strikes a target already hit by the whip itself. In addition, Sonia can crawl – something no other Belmont was able to do before her (or should that be after her?)
Iinstead of sub-weapons, Sonia can unlock powerful Soul Weapon abilities from defeated boss creatures. Soul Weapons consume hearts and are chosen from a menu by pressing the Select button during gameplay. The effects of these abilities include freezing enemies for a short time (Wind), refilling Sonia’s health bar (Ice), killing or damaging all enemies onscreen (Fire), fire out a wave of energy that shoots through anyone in its path (Saint), or destroying an enemy and nullifying its projectile attack (Magic).
A new ability called “Burning Mode” can be initiated by pressing the A and B buttons at the same time; this makes Sonia invincible for a limited amount of time, increases her walking speed and makes her whip attacks stronger. Because of this feature Legends is considered easier than any other original style Castlevania game.
The visuals are very suited for portable play. The locales, while not dripping in detail, offer enough variety to keep things interesting, and the signature fantastic music the series is known for makes a return in force. Some tracks are remixed versions of old favorites like Bloody Tears, while others are unique to this game and are well worth listening to. Among the more noteworthy tracks is of course, Sonia’s theme itself.
If you can track down a copy of Castlevania Legends, don’t pass it up. This late Super GameBoy title is an excellent forgotten entry in the Castlevania saga.
In Legends, it is heavily implied Sonia and Alucard are lovers, and that Alucard is the secret father of Sonia’s unborn child, who also is heavily implied to be Trevor Belmont of Castlevania 3. As this plot point went nowhere in connection to other Castlevania titles, Legends was removed from Konami’s 2007 official canon timeline. As a result of Konami ignoring the game’s existence and it’s relative rarity, Legends typically sells for a lot of money on the secondary market. The cancelled Sega Dreamcast Castlevania Resurrection was to star Sonia Belmont as one of the two lead characters. Ressurection’s demise may have contibuted to the decision to denounce Legends from the canon.
The evil Dr. Wily has stolen the world’s first prototype Time Machine. After realizing it cannot travel into the past but only the future, Wily travels to a future time when the world is peaceful and Megaman has returned from being a fighting robot to an ordinary helper robot at Dr. Light’s lab.
From this future, Wily abducts Megaman and returns him to the present, where he modifies and reprograms Megaman into the fighting machine he calls “Quint”.
With Quint as his secret weapon, Wily rebuilds eight of his previous robot masters to lure Megaman into a trap where he can finally destroy him.
It seems that Dr. Wily is (literally) up to his old tricks again. After traveling through time, Wily has rebuilt eight of his older designs – Metalman, Airman, Crashman, Woodman, Needleman, Magnetman, Hardman and Topman. Each are back and need destroyin’.
Gear up, and explore newly remixed stages of two classic Megaman games. Use the Megaman 2 Robot Master Weapons on Megaman 3 enemies and bosses! Use Rush or slide about in Megaman 2-inspired stages, and engage in combat with the mysterious Quint.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge Megaman fan, but even I have to be somewhat critical of this one.
In theory, a combination of Megaman 2 and Megaman 3 – two of the best Megaman games ever made – would be incredible on GameBoy, but there are many small flaws that add up to this being the worst Megaman game on the handheld.
The game looks and plays like the classic NES games, but it lacks one of the key aspects – the incredible soundtracks. The music here is downright awful for Megaman standards. For whatever reason, Megaman II features brand new compositions that don’t make very good use of the GameBoy sound hardware, commonly using harsh and high pitched sounds that leave even the most generous chiptune fan turning down the volume.
While not completely unlistenable, the songs used are nowhere near the quality of the source material. That being said, a few tunes manage to stand out and are quite enjoyable, such as the newly composed Airman’s theme. There’s even a phenomenal remix of this tune.
Nothing is really wrong with the stages, the but they mostly lack the overall polish that the NES versions are absolutely drenched with. This is also the easiest Megaman game on GameBoy. You don’t even get knocked back very much. E-Tanks are more plentiful than you’ll ever need them to be, and the game is very short without any Wily stage guardians.
The bulk of what I’ve had to say is mostly negative, but I am still placing Megaman II on the overall best 100 list. Megaman II for GameBoy may be the weakest of the blue bomber’s portable outings, but even a bad Megaman game is still better most other action platformers, and the series only gets better from here. Despite the issues I’ve mentioned, Megaman II is still an enjoyable portable experience overall. Pick it up if you come across it cheap.
To differentiate the handheld games from the Famicom versions, Each of the GameBoy Rockman titles were given the subtitle World in Japan. Overseas, they were simply called the same as their NES counterparts, which is confusing, as Megaman II for GameBoy isn’t the same game as Megaman 2 for NES.
To reinforce the plot of time-travel, in the final Wily’s stage, there are melting clocks in the background that resemble the famous Salvadore Dali’s painting The Persistence of Memory. This small element adds greatly to the otherwise bland final stage of the game.
Megaman II translates the drill-bomb robot Crashman as Clashman – yet another example of the common confusion with L’s and R’s in Japanese.
As with the other Megaman titles on GameBoy, Megaman II was slated to be re-released on the GameBoy Advance in a special colorized format in the cancelled Megaman Mania. Unfortunately, Capcom had “lost the source code” for the games, and the project was ultimately cancelled – a real shame as color versions of these classic games would have kicked ass.
#81Resident Evil [prototype] (バイオハザード)
System support; GBC only
Year of release: n/a, but would have been 2000
Developer: HotGen Studios & Capcom
Genre: Survival Horror
Price range: N/A
Region: North America only
1998. A team of S.T.A.R.S (Special Tactics And Rescue Squad) members are called to investigate a series of bizarre and gruesome murders in the forest outskirts of Raccoon City, USA. While searching the area, the team is attacked by what appear to be undead dogs and retreat to a nearby mansion to escape the dogs.
It is there the S.T.A.R.S team uncovers the dark secrets of Umbrella, and the true horror that lies in wait for them.
Although this list chronicles the top 100 GameBoy games ever released, I’m going to cheat a little and mention a game I feel is worth playing, but wasn’t ever actually released. Hey, it’s my list. I can do what I want. Don’t like it? Deal with it.
A few months back, the nearly finished GameBoy Color prototype build of Resident Evil was finally released on the internet. GameBoy Color fans can at last experience the game they were robbed of twelve years ago.
Resident Evil pits Jill Valentine or Chris Redfield on a mission to explore the mysterious mansion filled with untold horrors. By solving puzzles, collecting keys, assembling items and and shooting monsters, the player has to unravel the mystery behind this mansion and, if possible, get out alive.
As you can tell from the screenshots, Resident Evil is without a doubt one of the prettiest GameBoy game that never was. The digitized backgrounds and sprites are extremely eye-catching and immediately stand out from other GameBoy Color games.
For such a low-resolution handheld, the game is amazingly vivid with some awesome setpieces. To simulate the polygonal character models from the 32-bit original, sprites of various scales are used and are remarkably effective, just like #100 on this list, Alone in the Dark.
Part of the wide spread appeal of the original Resident Evil is the voice acting. While obviously missing from this 8-bit port, all of the dialogue is represented in text, and it’s just as hilariously cheesy as ever. You can hear most of the best clips from the original game over at Audio Atrocities.
Resident Evil has always been criticized for it’s “tank” controls, and the GameBoy Color version is no exception. The controls are just something you have to get used to, but once you do, they are no longer an issue. Due to the GameBoy Color’s limited buttons, to run you must already be walking in a direction and then press B. To draw your weapon, stand still and hold B. A fires and confirms menu options or opens doors.
The prototype build isn’t entirely finished. there is only a single audio track that endlessly loops. The song is pretty spooky, but like all the other elements, one can only wonder what could have been accomplished had the game been actually completed.
Overall, Resident Evil GBC contains about 75-85% of the total game without any programmed end sequence. Zombies are the only working enemies in the game, you never run out of ammo, and the hexadecimal data at the bottom of the screen was yet to be replaced by a more attractive HUD.
I can only wonder how the game would have turned out if completely bug fixed and more importantly, completed. The team that dumped the prototype claims it sits around 90% finished, so I have a sliver of hope that someday, a team of homebrew developers will finish the remaining 10% of this abandoned project. Here’s hoping.
Even as an unfinished game, Resident Evil for GameBoy Color is still worth playing through for fans of the original game. It might not be scary, but the GBC version sure is beautiful. Grab your emulator of choice or better yet, a GameBoy Flashcart and go to town hunting zombies and solving puzzles.
In 1999, a UK based development team called HotGen Studios was tasked by Capcom to bring the Playstation and Saturn megahit Resident Evil to the GameBoy Color. HotGen planned several new additions for the portable release including a greater variety in enemies, the ability to disarm traps, and a new quick-save feature which would replace Ink Ribbons and finding save points.
However, after sending the finished product to Capcom for evaluation, Capcom turned it down, evidently citing they were unhappy with the [lack of] quality and felt the game didn’t measure up to their standards, and not confident the release would have pleased consumers. To this I strongly disagree – even in it’s unfinished state, this is one of the most technically impressive 8-bit ports ever and is a blast to play. History can be so cruel.
Luckily, in early 2012, not one but two prototype cartridges of Resident Evil were discovered and a $2000 goal fundraiser was established to get the two prototypes dumped and released online. You can read about it and download the ROMs over at Assembler Games.
This concludes part 2 of my look back at the overall top 100 games for the original GameBoy and GameBoy Color. Stay tuned for further installments as I count down the best-of-the-best 8-bit portable Nintendo games out there. Feel free to drop a comment below regarding your thoughts and memories regarding these ten picks.
Check out part 1, #100-91 if you missed it.


For a while now, we have been working on the development of a pandemic plan for our company. Information Technology supports this plan in many ways. Through the use of technology we can increase the number of employees who can “work at home” and use Virtual Private Networking (VPN) software to remotely connect into our systems to perform their work. Getting employees out of the office but still having them be productive is a form of “Social Distancing” that can reduce the risk of exposure to disease.
A component of any pandemic plan needs to be communication on what can and can’t be done from an Information Security perspective, even in a pandemic situation. For example, we only allow company configured machines to connect to our network, even over a VPN connection. However, not all of our employees have laptops so many, therefore, cannot work at home. It must be reinforced that information security policy is still policy even in a pandemic, and employees who do not have company laptops must not use email to send documents or data to themselves to work on using their home (or any non-company owned) computer. This is the same for taking work home on portable USB drives or other media. Even if you have the best intentions and only want to help your company, you are putting your company at risk of your data being intercepted, copied or lost resulting in a privacy breach.
Why be so paranoid? Our employees are only trying to be more efficient and effective in a time where 20%-30% of the company might be out sick. It can't be that bad, right? Wrong. A big reason why is “endpoint protection”. Your company’s endpoints (workstations and laptops) have known, approved and licensed software on them, they have anti-virus software running on them, they are regularly patched for security vulnerabilities and they are free of peer-to-peer sharing software. Some of your employees' home machines MAY be up to your company’s standards, but what if even one is not? When your employee is done with their work, are you sure that no backup or temporary files will linger behind? How many of your employees have children that use the home computer to share music or files? How about viruses or malware infecting your corporate network once this work is brought back into your production environment? What if the employee actually loses the USB drive? Not to mention the risk of a shared or compromised gmail or yahoo mail account.
All of these scenarios can cause data leakage or data loss that can lead to a privacy breach. According to the most recent Ponemon study that reports on the costs and causes of privacy breaches, “Over 88% of all cases this year involved incidents resulting from negligence.” This leaves only 12% as a result of malicious activity. This 88% is composed of employees who think that they are doing the right thing, are trying to help and believe that nothing bad can happen.
So, please reinforce to your employees and peers that it is not safe to trust public networks, infrastructure or non-company owned equipment to store or work on company confidential materials. Even in a pandemic situation were your workforce may be diminished and people are looking for innovative ways to “keep the lights on”, information security policy is still in effect and information security risks, and their consequences, outweigh lost productivity.


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A day after a Yarmouth police officer was shot to death while executing a search warrant at a Marstons Mills home, the accused killer was arraigned in Barnstable District Court.
A silent procession of uniformed state and local law enforcement officers walked single-file into the court, filling one side of the courtroom.
Led by Deputy Chief Matthew Sonnabend, Lt. John Murphy, Lt. Jean Challies, and dozens of Barnstable officers, other first-responders from Yarmouth, Dennis, Sandwich, and State Police stood side-by-side, hats in hand, as Judge Kathryn Hand entered the courtroom at 11:45 a.m.
Flanked by two court officers, 29-year-old Thomas Latanowich kept his head down as he stood handcuffed alongside his defense attorney, James Powderly, and pleaded not-guilty to one count of murder and one count of mistreating a police dog.
Hand ruled that, because Latanowich is facing a prior offense, he may be held without bail for up to 90 days for allegedly shooting and killing Yarmouth K-9 Officer Sean Gannon, 32, on April 12. She set a probable cause hearing for June 26.
By 11:50 a.m., the arraignment was over, and the officers filed out of the courtroom, through the building lobby, and out onto the front steps of the courthouse.
There, surrounded by reporters, Yarmouth Police Chief Frank Frederickson called his fellow officers’ show of support “powerful.”
“We know our community does support us,” Frederickson said. “We comfort each other and support each other. K-9, that’s another family within a family.”
Calling the caliber of Gannon’s qualities as a police officer “presidential,” Frederickson said Gannon died doing what he loved to do.
“A remarkable young man is gone,” the chief said. “He is sorely missed.”
Saying that he, himself, still is grappling with disbelief, Frederickson added, “I just can’t believe it happened. It’s always something you read about, but it’s somewhere else. But (now) it’s here.
“As chief, they are my children,” Frederickson said. “My son is a Barnstable Police officer. They are all my kids.”
The procession wasn’t solely for Gannon, Frederickson said. “It’s for us. They needed to see it.”
Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe then addressed reporters.
“Our function is to prosecute this individual that is presumed innocent,” O’Keefe said.
When Latanowich violated his probation, Middlesex Superior Court issued an arrest warrant, O’Keefe explained. “He, like many criminals, had guns. How did he get firearms? He’s a criminal.”
Repeatedly calling Gannon’s death a tragedy, O’Keefe said, “Our hearts break with the Yarmouth Police Department and his (Gannon’s) family. He was full of promise. It’s terrible. It’s terrible.”
“We have to distinguish between the evil people” versus those who commit a crime out of desperation, O’Keefe advised. “Many cases with drugs also have firearms, home invasion, and other crimes like that.”
Asked whether he would seek the death penalty in the case, O’Keefe answered, “Today is not the day that I’m going to talk about that.”
The case continues to be investigated by Barnstable and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s office, as well as lab techs and crime scene services of the Massachusetts State Police.
A community in mourning
Outside the Yarmouth police headquarters on the day following Gannon's death, people gathered to mourn.
Among those who came to the station was Jim Matthews of West Yarmouth, who recently completed the Citizens Police Academy at which Gannon made a presentation.
"Sean did a demonstration for us just a few weeks ago," said Matthews, a retired federal agent. "He was such an impressive individual."
Cara Burke of West Yarmouth knew Gannon and his dog Nero from the dog park on Buck Island Road.
"He was one of the most kind and respectful community-centered people you would want protecting the community," Burke said. "My heart just stopped when I heard what happened."
Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., of the Fall River Diocese, expressed condolences for the officer who was raised in New Bedford.
“I ask members of the Catholic community across the Fall River Diocese to pray with me for the peaceful repose of Officer Gannon and for strength and comfort for his family in their heartbreaking loss. I extend my personal condolences to them. Officer Gannon’s mother and father, Denise and Patrick Gannon, are known to many throughout the Diocese from their longtime service as pastoral musicians. I hope that they find some solace in knowing that their many friends among our priests and lay faithful share their sorrow and embrace them in thought and prayer."
Massachusetts maritime Academy, Gannon's alma mater, issued a statement praising him as an excellent student.
"As a graduate of MMA's Emergency Management Master's program, Sean distinguished himself.... both in the classroom, and among his fellow classmates. We are proud to call Officer Gannon one of our own, and our thoughts are with his family, fellow officers, and MMA classmates," said Adm. Francis X. Mc Donald, President of MMA in a prepared statement.
Yarmouth Police Chief Frank Frederickson praised Gannon at a news conference.
“Sean was a wonderful young man, and I’m not just saying that. The sky was the limit,” Frederickson said.
Gannon was involved in the community, working with Big Brothers Big Sisters as a volunteer.
The shooting occurred as Gannon, accompanied by his dog Nero, was helping to serve a warrant. Nero survived the shooting.

domain: law


text:
JUDGES in Zambia have bemoaned the anomaly of being tried by advocates at the Judicial Complaints Commission. This was contained in a statement by Judge Chitabo as he gave a speech at the opening ceremony of the High Court Criminal session in Lusaka the capital yesterday graced by the Chief Justice Irene Mambilima and her deputy Marvin Mwanamwambwa.
In his speech, Judge Chitabo recommended that judges should only be tried by their peers or any one higher. “How can those on the bench be tried by those from the bar, they are too junior,” he said. The government was also urged to increase the number of judges and court rooms to help expedite case turn around.
“Another aspect that should be taken seriously in pursuit of justice is judiciary training, Chief Justice Judge Irene Mambilima said. I finally believe that judicial training is vital to the effective administration of justice, she said.
Deputy Chief Justice Judge Marvin Mwanamwambwa highlighted that judges are not to be blamed for delayed judgement’s but urged all stakeholders in the process to do their part in speeding up the process.
More articles on Judicial matters


An initiative by the Canterbury Bulldogs NRL club to promote social inclusion through the distribution of memberships for refugee families and others from disadvantaged backgrounds is set to be the subject of a groundbreaking study by Western Sydney University.
Omar and Hanadi Sabouni and their children Reanna, 4, and Mohamed, 2, are among the first recipients of 500 family memberships for the 2016 NRL season, which are being provided by the club's membership sponsor Brydens Lawyers, after research by the Bulldogs identified social inclusion as one of the most critical issues in the area.
With a high percentage of fans from Arabic, or other non-English speaking backgrounds, Canterbury officials were told that many felt isolated but being a member of the club gave them a sense of belonging. The club believes that attending matches will help refugee families to fit more comfortably into the community.
"When families start to go to football matches they sit in the same spot and they meet other people because they are united in their support for a team," Bulldogs general manager of community Fayssal Sari said. "It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, or from Sudan or Syria, sport unifies people."
Western Sydney University lecturer Keith Parry also believes the concept will have a positive impact for the membership recipients and he plans to chart the difference that being a Bulldogs fan makes to their lives through interviews, focus groups and video diaries.
"I am not aware of anything like this being done before," Mr Parry said. "There has been some stuff about the power participation but there has been nothing on using sport fandom to facilitate integration so it is going to be interesting to see what the impact of that is and how it does help people to settle in.
"With the 10th anniversary of the Cronulla riots, it is very timely and this is an example of how the society is going to be multi-cultural and it is going to welcome people."
The membership program is part of a three-pronged approach by the Bulldogs to help tackle key issues in their area – social inclusion, domestic violence and health and wellness.
Canterbury players recently took part in the White Ribbon Day march at Lakemba and the club is working to help promote sports participation in schools, especially among girls from non-English speaking backgrounds.
"One of the things that new migrants find really difficult is to find a connection and to be part of that wider community, and we think the Bulldogs can help to provide that," Canterbury chief executive Raelene Castle said.
Lebanese Muslim Association youth worker Taha Marabani said the membership packages, which are being handed to families selected by Auburn, Bankstown, Canterbury and Liverpool councils, would also assist children to fit in at school and give them a sense of pride in the area they live.
"A lot of newly arrived migrants who come here come from very different backgrounds don't have very much in common with other school students so football is a really good way to unite them, to get them talking and that itself leads to finding more common interests so it is very powerful," he said.
With the 10th anniversary of the Cronulla riots, it is very timely and this is an example of how the society is going to be multi-cultural and it is going to welcome peopleWestern Sydney University lecturer Keith Parry
Brydens Lawyers principal Lee Hagipantelis, who attended Belmore South Primary School and understands the social needs of the area, said the membership packages could also bring families closer together.
"I think traditionally you find that a family will follow the same team so if you give these people the opportunity to enjoy NRL club membership it has got to be a win for the club, the community and the family," he said.


text:
Forty months after the process of transferring to Biess began, of the administration of unemployment and retirement funds, the Teacher Unemployment Fund is the only one that faces various problems and there is still discontent due to its management in part of the participants.
In the last two weeks, the 84,000 participants of the largest fund of the 54 that between May 2015 and December 2016 passed under the control of the Bank of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (Biess), saw on the one hand the dismissal of a group of workers and on the other the dismissal of manager Robert Andrade.
It was he who, last May, said that an audit conducted in 2017 had shown that there were more than 80 million dollars from the institution that did not fit; all this, he said, occurred in the previous administration that ended in May 2015. The case is in the hands of Justice.
But not only the Prosecutor’s Office investigates, but the General Comptroller of the State and the Superintendency of Banks are doing special examinations to the Teachers’ Fund that has assets over 400 million dollars, but also to the other 53, smaller, that are under the administration of the Biess, which since this week also has a new manager: Eva García Fabre.
This newspaper spoke with managers of a part of the provisional funds and almost all reported profits in recent years, ranging from the increase of participants, profit and, assets
The Workers Fund of the Central South Electric Company is one of the few that, after moving to the IESS, have not grown. On the one hand because the contribution of 3% per participant per month was lowered to one dollar and, therefore, to lower income, the same investments cannot be made to obtain resources.
But what they have lowered are the administrative expenses in many of them because they were grouped and, therefore, there are managers for two and three funds at the same time, except for the Magisterium that does not share a manager.
The external legal advisor of three of these funds, Miguel Cordero Palacios, told EXPRESO that the great success of the Security Law Reform, which forced the change of administration, is that it prevented them from mixing so that each fund has its resources separately and its participants. “Nothing can be mixed,” he says.
Alexandra Neira, in addition to South Center, administers Provida and the Workers’ Fund of the Ministry of the Interior, of Morona Santiago.
David Zambrano, for his part, administers the two Workers and Teachers Funds of the Central University of Ecuador. In both cases, he says, there has been growth, so much that last year they distributed profits, in a fund of $ 850,000 and in the other of $ 1,200,000.
Attention. Last week, he attended clients and partners normally.
The same applies to the Workers’ Funds of the Municipality of Quito, the civil employees of the Armed Forces, Petroecuador, Petrocomercial, Petroamazonas.
Although not all, a large part have websites, in which each participant can consult their individual accounts.
All funds also make quarterly financial reports.
Although in some cases there were initial gaps, as in the workers of the University of Chimborazo, the accounts were clarified.
Johana Latorre, one of the managers, assures that the change of administration has been good, mainly because the administrative structure of each fund was maintained. In some cases, good administration has led to more growth in sharers than they expected and, therefore, also increased investments in the face of more resources.
All funds at this time are under audit by the Superintendency of Banks. According to their managers, all are required to provide periodic information to the entity. The results will be presented soon. In addition, each fund performs an internal audit and pays an external audit.
The Comptroller General of the State has not yet begun the audit examinations that it announced last month to the retirement and unemployment funds. According to their managers, they have not yet asked for information. On the one hand, it would audit if the transfer was legal and on the other, the financial management of the resources. (I)

domain: news


text:
David Luiz spent six-and-a-half-years as a Chelsea player over two stints, winning the Champions League, Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup during that time.
However, his eventual move to Chelsea rivals Arsenal, didn’t go down well with the Chelsea faithful, as the Brazilian was a fans’ favourite at the club.
Chelsea fans have never forgiven him since his move to Arsenal, and he has further risked the wrath of the Chelsea fans with his Instagram post after Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over North London rivals Tottenham.
Luiz shared a post on his Instagram story, as he captioned it ‘London is Red’.
Meanwhile, the win took Arsenal from 10th to 10th, as it places them below three London clubs in the Premier League this season. So much for a pride of London.


text:
If you have devices connected with unbalanced audio cables that also have ground pins on their power cables, then you have a ground loop (audio ground and power ground, which are ultimately connected.) Two ground paths between devices is all it takes. Balanced connections are the ultimate solution, but if that isn't practical, then isolating transformers are the next best solution that can promise hum free performance.
The problem can be better or worse depending on a bunch of factors, but balacing, or short of that, transformer isolation are the only guaranteed solutions.
You can still have problems with balanced systems if you have the shield connected at both ends depending on exactly how your gear works internally (as the shield connects the chassis ground of each box together which is often connected to the audio ground in each box, plus your power grounds for each box = ground loop). This wouldn't happen if all gear was designed properly, but reality is as it is.
I have the same problem, this is my second one now the first developed a hardware problem and wouldn't connect after one use, this is the replacement and it has what seems like a ground loop, don't waste your time just get a replacement,it's not your gear or set up, my set up is the same as with the 2i2 I used to have, worked fine, and the old 2i4 worked fine until it broke, I will be sending it back on Monday, phone focusrite and they will tell you to send it back through the supplier.
This is not necessarily true. Depends on exactly what is causing the problem.
Sigh.. ground loops, something I know a lot more about since becoming a technician for a radio station.
Sound System Interconnection: http://www.rane.com/note110.html
Grounding a Shielding Audio Devices: http://www.rane.com/note151.html
Thanks to Rane for their excellent resources on this issue.
"If you are unable to do things correctly (i.e. use fully balanced wiring with shields tied to the chassis at the point of entry, or transformer isolate all unbalanced signals from balanced signals) then there is no guarantee that a hum free interconnect can be achieved, nor is there a definite scheme that will assure noise free operation in all configurations."
"Winning the Wiring Wars
Use balanced connections whenever possible, with the shield bonded to the metal chassis at both ends.
Transformer isolate all unbalanced connections from balanced connections.
Use special cable assemblies when unbalanced lines cannot be transformer isolated.
Any unbalanced cable must be kept under ten feet (three meters) in length. Lengths longer than this will amplify all the nasty side effects of unbalanced circuitry's ground loops.
When all else fails, digitize everything, use fiber optic cable and enter a whole new realm of problems."

domain: design


It took a while for defensive lineman Shelby Harris to find his way in the NFL.
Harris was a 2014 seventh-round pick in Oakland, but played eight games while yo-yoing on and off the roster in his first two seasons. He was waived six times overall before landing in Denver on future contract in January 2017 and coming to the Broncos proved to be a step in the right direction.
Harris has recorded 73 tackles, seven sacks and an interception while appearing in every game as part of the defensive line rotation the last two years. The Broncos valued him enough to tender him at the second round level as a restricted free agent and that bumped his salary up to $3.095 million for this season. Now he’d like an even longer deal in Denver.
“That’s every man’s dream,” Harris said, via the Denver Post. “I would love a multi-year deal here, but the way that works, you have to focus on this year, go out and play.”
Another year like the last two should serve Harris well on the contract front in Denver or elsewhere.


Tyre residents file suit over casino process
Opponents of the proposed Lago Resort & Casino in Tyre, Seneca County, are taking their fight to court — again.
Ten Tyre residents filed an Article 78 petition in state Supreme Court on Friday. Among their requests, the residents are asking the court to annul and vacate six resolutions adopted by the Tyre Town Board at its June 12 meeting.
The litigation was filed against Whitetail 414, LLC, Wilmorite Inc., the Tyre Town Board and James and Jeanne Leonard, the listed owners of the approximately 83-acre parcel of land where the casino would be built.
"This is an expected action by a small minority citizens group and is just a continuation of the action on which they already lost," Steven Greenberg, spokesman for the Lago Resort & Casino, said in a statement. "We look forward to helping increase tourism to revive the economy of the Finger Lakes region."
H. Todd Bullard, an attorney from Harris Beach PLLC representing Whitetail 414, LLC, and Wilmorite, and Tyre Town Board members James Rogers, Thomas Thomson and Joseph Delpapa declined to comment.
Town Board Member Reginald Aceto, Town Supervisor Ronald McGreevy and James and Jeanne Leonard did not return calls seeking comment.
For Casino Free Tyre, a coalition fighting casino development and working to preserve the agricultural feel of Tyre, this is its second legal attempt at stopping the development of Lago Resort & Casino, a planned $425 million facility with 85 table games and 2,000 slot machines.
On March 20, a lawsuit was filed against the Town of Tyre, the Tyre Town Board, Town Supervisor Ronald McGreevy, Tyre Planning Board Chairman Robert Seem and Wilmorite on behalf of 61 residents who oppose bringing a casino to Tyre.
But in a May 8 decision, Acting State Supreme Court Judge W. Patrick Falvey granted the motion of Whitetail 414, LLC, to dismiss the lawsuit against it.
An appeal of that decision was filed June 6 at the Seneca County Clerk's Office. Mario Fratto, a Geneva attorney representing the Tyre residents in that case, said the appeal is pending as they are waiting to get it on the calendar in the Fourth Department Appellate Division in Rochester.
In the new petition, Douglas Zamelis is listed as the residents' attorney. He could not be reached to comment.
The petition seeks to annul and vacate six resolutions adopted by the Tyre Town Board at its four-hour meeting on June 12.
At the meeting, the Town Board adopted a resolution that found the casino project would not result in any significant adverse environmental impacts pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
The board also approved the project's development plan, site plan, a zoning amendment in connection with the casino proposal and the host community agreement between the town and the developer.
The casino project also picked up a resolution from the Town Board supporting the proposal, a required endorsement the developer sent to the state Gaming Facility Location Board.
Casino Free Tyre spokesman Jim Dawley said he is frustrated over how quickly all six resolutions were approved without sufficient public involvement.
"We have to hold them accountable," Dawley said.
Dawley said he's also troubled over how Rochester-based Wilmorite updated its plans after getting the necessary approvals from the Tyre Town Board. On June 25, Wilmorite announced a new project name, partner, casino operator and price tag.
In the Eastern Southern Tier region, Lago Resort & Casino is competing against Tioga Downs, an existing racino in Nichols, and Traditions at the Glen in the Town of Union.
The state can issue up to four casino licenses upstate, with at least one facility each in the Capital region, the Catskills/Hudson Valley and the Eastern Southern Tier. The Catskills is the favorite to land two of the licenses because of its proximity to New York City.
The state is expected to select the winners early this fall, making its decision based on the following criteria: 70 percent on economic activity, 20 percent on local impact factors, and 10 percent on workforce enhancement factors.


text:
Thursday, December 12, 2013
OMAK There will be a Jingle Bell Jog at 11 a.m. Saturday at East Side Park in Omak.
Registration is 10-10:45 a.m.
You walk or jog a half mile or two-mile course.
Entry fee is food for the Food Bank.
Sponsors are Fit for Life Community Coalition, Omak School District’s Xtreme Challenge and Gene’s Harvest Foods, said spokeswoman Racie McKee.
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- 810 (2017-099 April 19) SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE NO. 889 of the City of Brewster, Washington


Welcome back to our continuing coverage of the 2013 Seagate SSD launch event here at TweakTown. We have two more products to cover today. The first is largest mainstream capacity drives, the 600 SSD 480GB. After this, we'll take an enthusiast look at the new 600 Pro 400GB.
480GB capacity size SSD's are perfect for mobile users. Notebooks rarely offer two or more drive trays so mobile users need to pack all their data in one drive. For years, Team Flash had to put up with Team Spinner bragging about a capacity advantage, but with 7mm and new 5mm designs, multiple platters in the mechanical products aren't possible. With SSD's breaking the 1TB marker now, the tables are turning, and quickly at that.
There is still a price difference between 1TB of flash-based storage and 1GB of mechanical storage. At the time of writing we don't know where the Seagate 600 SSD price will fall, but we can guarantee it will cost more than a 1TB 2.5" HDD.
Last updated: Nov 15, 2019 at 01:16 pm CST
PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.
United States: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com
United Kingdom: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.co.uk
Australia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com.au
Canada: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.ca
Deutschland: Finde andere Technik- und Computerprodukte wie dieses auf Amazon.de
- Page 1 [Introduction]
- Page 2 [Specifications, Pricing and Availability]
- Page 3 [Seagate 600 SSD 480GB]
- Page 4 [Benchmarks - Test System Setup and ATTO Baseline Performance]
- Page 5 [Benchmarks - Sequential Performance]
- Page 6 [Benchmarks - AIDA64 Random Access Time]
- Page 7 [Benchmarks - Anvil Storage Utilities]
- Page 8 [Benchmarks - CrystalDiskMark]
- Page 9 [Benchmarks - PCMark Vantage Hard Disk Tests]
- Page 10 [Benchmarks - PCMark Vantage - Drives with Data Testing]
- Page 11 [Benchmarks - BootRacer]
- Page 12 [Benchmarks - DiskBench]
- Page 13 [Benchmarks - Power Testing]
- Page 14 [Final Thoughts]


With NATO and the US in a 'proxy war' with Russia, ex-CIA boss Leon Panetta says Joe Biden's next move is crucial
Coming face to face with European allies, almost exactly one month since Russia's invasion began, US President Joe Biden was determined to send a message of unity.
Meetings of NATO, the European Council and the G7 which would normally be planned well in advance were hastily arranged in Brussels to discuss one of Europe's most serious security crises since World War II.
"[Vladimir] Putin was banking on NATO being split," Mr Biden told reporters at a press conference in between meetings.
"Putin is getting exactly the opposite of what he intended to have as a consequence of going into Ukraine."
NATO has agreed to again ramp up the military presence along its eastern flank, sending in four new battle groups to Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary.
But with no clear picture of how the war will unfold from here, and amid warnings of the potential use of chemical or even nuclear weapons, experts warn the world is facing a "pivotal and dangerous moment".
"The reality is that NATO and the United States, are now, without question, in a proxy war with Russia," former CIA director and US defense secretary Leon Panetta told the ABC.
"Maybe it's not a direct war, but it certainly is a proxy war, in terms of their efforts to make Putin pay a price.
"And as a result of that, it is critical that they continue to have these meetings, urgent meetings, to make sure everybody's on the same page.
"Because Russia, and Putin, will look for any break in that unity, any weakness in that unity."
US preparing for possible chemical attacks as Biden warns 'we would respond'
The US President has repeatedly warned Russia could be planning the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, describing it as a "real threat" as he departed Washington for Europe.
The White House has reportedly begun assembling a group of experts, known internally as a Tiger Team, to prepare for the possibility of chemical, biological or nuclear attacks.
But what is still not known publicly is what the US would do in the event that Russia crosses that line.
"We would respond if he uses it," Mr Biden said when asked whether a chemical attack would trigger military action from the US and NATO.
"The nature of the response would depend on the nature of the use."
Mr Panetta said a range of options were likely being considered.
"But the bottom line is, if Russia resorts to these kinds of weapons, they're the ones that have escalated that conflict," he said.
"And both the United States and our allies have a responsibility to respond."
More sanctions and aid but not the support Ukraine is looking for
Mr Biden went into the Brussels meetings with a series of announcements, pledging $US1 billion in humanitarian aid along with a promise to re-settle up to 100,000 Ukrainians.
The US has also imposed sanctions against another 400 Russians, including members of the Duma, while the European Union and the G7 have vowed to crack down on sanctions being evaded.
But in a virtual address to the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared frustrated as he again appealed to the alliance for more military support.
"Ukraine turned to you for planes, so that we do not lose so many people. And you have thousands of fighter jets, but we haven't been given one yet," he said.
"You have at least 20,000 tanks. Ukraine asked for 1 per cent of all your tanks.
"The worst thing during the war is not having clear answers to requests for help."Loading...
Tentative plans to send Soviet-era fighter jets into Ukraine stalled after a disagreement between the US and Poland on how to make it happen.
Ukrainian pilots are only trained to fly the older style planes, but Poland’s offer to send its fleet via an American airbase in Germany took the US by surprise.
The US quickly rejected the proposal, fearing it could be viewed by Russia as a significant provocation at a time when Mr Biden keeps warning of the need to avoid "World War III".
And while the US is sending billions of dollars' worth of military equipment to support the Ukrainian army, requests for a no-fly zone have been repeatedly refused out of fear it would bring the West into direct conflict with Russia and risk a broader war.
Mr Zelenskyy did not even raise it in his address to NATO members.
Four weeks into the war, the response by Western nations has taken even Russia by surprise and Mr Biden's challenge now is to maintain that sense of coordination.
Just how far Russia is prepared to go though, and how many Ukrainians will suffer as a result, is still frighteningly unclear.


She might be an Oscar-winning actress, and the star of the most popular musical since Chicago, but Simon Cowell seems to think Jennifer Hudson is far from being above his pop music talent show.
Cowell was offended she didn’t mention American Idol in her Oscar acceptance speech – honestly, we’re not making this up. “Jennifer Hudson said American Idol was a ‘stepping stone’ for her. Stepping stone? It was her big opportunity to become noticed and she got noticed and she got Dreamgirls,” he said. “Singers like her deliberately turn against the show that made them successful. The reason (people) come on the show is because all the doors had been slammed in their face.”
And, of course, natural talent has nothing to do with it. Not to mention the fact that Hudson was voted off the show by viewers before the final...
Expect to see more American Idol contestants taking home the golden boy over the next few years. Or, indeed, not.


TSI welcomes end to uncertainty on LBRO’s future
Ron Gainsford, chief executive of TSI, has welcomed the announcement on LBRO’s future. The announcement was made today (4/2/11) by Business Minister Mark Prisk MP. It has been decided that LBRO’s work will be carried forward by a streamlined body within the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
'This is a long awaited and important announcement. We are pleased the Minister is confirming Government’s policy by way of a successor body for the LBRO. It gives the certainty required to plan how trading standards and environmental health, as well as other regulatory services, can be supported to continue to help business succeed and grow in our recovering economy.'
The Minister said that the new body will work with the Better Regulation Executive (BRE), the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) and national regulators to ensure there is a more joined-up approach on regulation and enforcement from across the government.


Implementation of the ROGEAP Project: ECREEE, the ECOWAS Renewable Energy Center hosts the ECOWAS Technical Management Committee (TMC) Meeting on “Standards on Pico Solar and SHS”
As part of the implementation of the Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP), the ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) in collaboration with the Directorate of Industry of the ECOWAS Commission is hosting from 7 and 8 December in Praia, Cape Verde, an important meeting of the ECOWAS Technical Management Committee (TMC) on “Standards on pico solar and SHS and test methods”, ” minimum requirements for installation, inspection and inverters for photovoltaic mini-grids” and “revised ECOSHAM document”.
The opening ceremony of this meeting, which took place this Wednesday, December 07, 2022 in Praia, was punctuated by the interventions of the President of the Institute of Quality Management and Intellectual Property of Cape Verde, Representatives of Chairman of the TMC, the World Bank, ECREEE and the ECOWAS Commission represented by the Director of Industry. The work of this technical meeting was officially launched by the Representative of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Energy of Cape Verde.
The technical session in Praia, which brings together the Directors of National Bodies in charge of Standardization of ECOWAS Member States, will focus on the examination and adoption of the following documents: (i) Standards on Pico Solar and Solar Home System and Test Methods, (ii) Minimum Requirements for Installation, Inspection of Inverters for Photovoltaic Mini-Grids, (iii) Revised ECOSHAM Document. This meeting follows that of the ECOWAS Technical Harmonization Committee on norms and standards for electrotechnical products (THC5) which took place from 15 to 17 November 2022 in Dakar, Senegal.
As a reminder, ROGEAP is financed by the World Bank, with co-financing from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the Directorate General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Government of the Netherlands. One of the components of this Project is focused on promoting quality assurance standards in the countries covered by the Project to help them develop a quality assurance (QA) framework for off-grid solar electricity systems for institutional applications such as clinics, schools and other public administrations to ensure the long-term performance of these energy infrastructures.


Does anyone know how to accomplish this?
A pivot table counts the values as stored in the database (multiple values concatenated, separated by commas), I want to count them individually.
In this example, the counts should be as follows:
Value 1 = 3
Value 2 = 2
Value 3 = 3
Best answer by lauraj46View original


text:
The Washington University campus community is making headlines every day. Members of the School of Medicine are regularly featured in local, national and international news stories. Department of Surgery faculty, staff and medical students are leaders in their specialties, and share their expertise when called upon. Campus Catch-Up collects some of these stories and celebrates members of the community who are receiving recognition.
Tag: David Perlmutter
Andriole and Mackinnon Receive 2020 Distinguished Faculty Awards
Two Department of Surgery faculty members were recognized in the 2020 Washington University School of Medicine Distinguished Faculty Awards. Please join us in congratulating Gerald L. Andriole, MD, from the Division of Urologic Surgery, and Susan E. Mackinnon, MD, from the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, on their awards.


In this video, What is the noise level in hospital OPD and large office complexes? Dr. M.P George, Scientist D, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, will talk about the noise level in hospital and large offices. According to the noise regulations, the level of noise is generally measured outside the premises. But in closed environment, the noise emitted is very high. The normal level of noise is generally 60 dB. The telephone ring has a nose level of almost 70 dB. When sound amplifier is used, the noise values are very high. Hence, in large offices, conference halls, hospital OPDs, etc. the noise levels exceeds the limit of 60 to 65 dB.


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Institute of Technology Tralee-based Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centure (ABC) is to lead a €4m EU-backed project to increase the competitiveness of agri-food SMEs.
The project known as TRADEIT (Traditional Food, Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Transfer) meets the current needs of traditional food SMEs incorporating key elements of European policy recommendations and providing valuable resources to drive innovation.
“Small and traditional food businesses find it difficult to access research and know how to support innovation and to promote their products,” explained Marian Byrne, head of the Food Industry Development Division at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
“TRADEIT aims to kick start knowledge exchange in an accessible and practical way, connecting up small and traditional food businesses in a shared space.”
TRADEIT will support a pan-European network of food producers, research organisations and stakeholders in the traditional agri-food sector. Nine regional TRADEIT hubs are set to deliver an ambitious programme of events and supports, facilitating a collaborative approach to grow the sector.
The food and drink industry is home to Europe’s largest manufacturing sector. Food-producing SMEs, crucially, support economic growth both in production and employment.
The sector is made up of 99.1pc SMEs, 79pc of which are micro-SMEs. In Ireland, there is a greater regional spread than with any other manufacturing sector, with some 1,100 food companies, more than 90pc of which are SMEs.
Traditional food produce represents a significant element of the cultural heritage of each EU member state and critical economic input to many regions, as a growing segment within the EU food market.
Farming image via Shutterstock

domain: food


Thread: Best RxpX prop
10-09-2008, 08:53 AM #1
Best RxpX prop
Hi i need some knowledge about prop...
One says to me that for rxpx is usefull to put another prop for the stock ski.
Maybe i will put a front 4 air intake and a worx intake grate and everything else stock.
What is a good prop for me?
10-09-2008, 09:03 AM #2
If you are going to run the air intake then have a look at the 15/22R prop for the X models. This prop works best with the adjustable venturi nozzle using the 82 mm ring.
10-09-2008, 09:18 AM #3
when i installed the impellor and smaller nozzle I jumped a solid 2.5 mph.
this was after my intake grate was installed. IMO it a really good mod.
10-09-2008, 09:20 AM #4
10-09-2008, 10:48 AM #5
Multiple guys have said there is a 1mph difference between the 82mm abd 83mm rings on our X set up... a bit of difference in the acceleration as well
10-09-2008, 01:16 PM #6
Would the 15/22R be effective with the stock X nozzle, worx grate, and 4 inch air intake? I'd like to keep the acceleration of the stock nozzle.
10-09-2008, 04:42 PM #7
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10-10-2008, 06:28 AM #8
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Biden canceled less than 1% of the student debt crisis
- So far, Biden has written off $9.5 billion on the $1.7 trillion student debt crisis, or less than 1%.
- If he continues at this rate, Biden could cancel just under 5% of total student debt by 2024.
- He has yet to cancel student debt broadly – something many Democrats are calling for.
Over the past two weeks, President Joe Biden has made headlines for canceling student debt for defrauded borrowers and borrowers with disabilities, bringing total debt cancellation since taking office to 9.5 billions of dollars. That’s about 0.6% of the $1.7 trillion student debt crisis.
If this continues unabated, Biden will be on track to cancel about 4.8% of total student debt by the end of his term.
When campaigning for president, Biden promised to reform the student loan system. This included fixing flawed forgiveness programs, like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF), as well as canceling $10,000 of student debt per borrower. While the Department of Education is rolling out reforms to the PSLF and other rebate programs, as Insider reported, the president has yet to follow through on his promises to cancel school. the debt.
Dan Zibel, chief attorney and co-founder of Student Defence, which works to advance student rights, told Insider that there are “many outstanding issues,” such as PSLF reform and student accountability. old schools that defrauded students.
“I think there’s a lot to come,” Zibel said. “And I think there are still unanswered questions from the administration about whether they will take broader action.”
Biden only carried out targeted student debt cancellation
The $9.5 billion that has been canceled for borrowers so far has only gone to those who were already eligible for relief. To date, borrowers defrauded by for-profit schools have gotten $2.6 billion in aid because Education Secretary Miguel Cardona overturned a Trump-era methodology that denied the cancellation of debt to eligible borrowers.
Disabled borrowers also received nearly $7 billion in student debt relief. Before Cardona, borrowers with disabilities who wanted loan forgiveness had to go through administrative hurdles to qualify, including submitting documentation proving their income and going through a three-year monitoring period.
Cardona waived the paperwork requirement “indefinitely” on August 19 to make the process “as easy as possible for borrowers who need help.”
The debt cancellation that has occurred so far has been important in helping borrowers who previously qualified for relief, but it still leaves 45 million Americans in debt, fearing they will never repay.
“I’ve paid off almost all of my loans, but I still owe the full amount,” a borrower previously told Insider. “It’s an endless cycle.”
What’s Next for Student Debt Cancellation and Reform
The Departments of Education and Justice have for months been reviewing Biden’s legal authority to cancel student debt of $50,000 per borrower — something many Democrats are calling for — but there’s no betting update on the status of these reviews.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Education has received feedback on what reforms it should make to the student loan system and is taking steps to implement new rules in the system, which could take years. Advocacy organizations, such as the Center for the Protection of Student Borrowersare pushing for reforms to the PSLF, which Biden has yet to act on, while Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats are leading the campaign for a full-scale cancellation debt.
“The president has the power to forgive $50,000 in student loan debt right now,” Massachusetts Warren previously told Insider. “Senator Schumer and I will continue to push for this, but Biden doesn’t need any authorization from Congress. He needs to pick up the pen and do it himself.”
The pandemic freeze on student loan repayments lifts in February, and with many borrowers worried about their ability to restart payments, some see debt forgiveness as the only viable form of relief.
Do you have a story to share about student debt or concerns about paying off your loans? Email Ayelet Sheffey at [email protected].


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domain: medical


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Appropriate pet nutrition is essential to your pet’s health and wellness. Appropriate dog nutrition is much more vital if you have a breed of canine that is vulnerable to particular kinds of pet dog diseases. It is likewise important due to the high price of dog foods. On top of that, many individuals in some cases have a tendency to just make use of tinned and completely dry dog food for cost as well as convenience. But, for pet dog proprietors who are more open minded about the proper diet of their canine, there are various other alternatives to dry and also even canned pet dog foods that may offer far better nutritional equilibrium for your canine. At North Elm Pet Hospital we have actually invested years enlightening pet owners concerning proper pet dog nourishment and also what is ideal for their pet’s wellness.
Even though canned as well as dry pet dog foods are convenient and fairly low-cost, they do not offer the proper nutrition necessary for proper dog nourishment. Numerous foods have a lot of chemicals, salt and also fillers which are not good for your canine’s wellness at all. Due to the fact that pet dogs need a healthy mix of nutrients such as protein, vitamins, minerals, it is necessary to see to it that your dog gets the correct amount of each food kind.
Vitamins, minerals and also nutrients are the three most important parts of correct canine nutrition. Each type of nutrient has particular duties and also results when properly made use of. For instance, you would never ever feed your pet table scraps as the nutrients in the scraps are not effectively absorbed as well as utilized. Rather, you ought to offer your pet supplements of the correct amount of vitamins, minerals and also nutrients. When you do this you are supplying your pet with the right amount of minerals and vitamins for a healthy and balanced immune system. Likewise, it will aid to maintain your pet dog much healthier total since a healthy and balanced immune system is needed for the maintenance of a typical life. Dinovite Side Effects
The first thing you wish to take into consideration is whether your dog requires a diet regimen of kibble or raw food. If your pooch is young and healthy, after that it is possibly best to start them on a raw diet plan. Young pets have smaller digestive tract systems so they need a higher portion of their body weight in protein to maintain correct digestion and absorption of nutrients. Nevertheless, older dogs can gain from the same diet plan if they are ready correctly.
On the topic of canine nourishment overall, appropriate dog nutrition inevitably plays a large role in for how long your pet dog lives. Numerous veterinarians think that older dogs struggle with bad longevity largely because of bad diet regimen and workout. Nonetheless, more youthful pets can gain from an appropriate diet including meat, fat, vegetables and also fruits. Correct amounts of fiber, minerals and vitamins additionally add to the longevity of your animal and also play a fundamental part in their quality of life.
Another aspect of appropriate pet nourishment is getting your dog on a normal, different and adequate workout regimen. Not all pets prosper on walks, however a lot of canines enjoy being outdoors as well as succeed with everyday strolls if offered with the appropriate tools and also training. Workout likewise assists to keep your furry relative physically fit and also psychologically healthy.
The problem is that lots of tinned food business are not supplying appropriate pet nutrition. A lot of junk food firms include chemicals, chemicals, synthetic flavors as well as artificial shades to fill their kibble products. Some also use meat byproducts and other filler products to quicken the procedure of production. These ingredients are unnecessary and also are usually harmful. Many junk food business likewise utilize affordable grain fillers like corn and wheat, which are ineffective as active ingredients because pets reside in these grains and also eat them.
This is why numerous canine owners have turned to making their very own pet foods at home. Making your very own pet food permits you to make sure that your pet is getting the most effective ingredients possible. Lots of dog owners who make their very own canine food also make use of an excellent quality veterinarians diet regimen for advice and support. Veterinarians know all about proper canine nutrition, so using their competence as well as recommendations will assist you make the very best food for your animal. Dinovite Side Effects

domain: health


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Located in the heart of Sendai, this hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Mitakisanfudoin, Sunmall Ichibancho, and Zuihoden Mausoleum. Kotodai Park and Asaichi ...
This hotel is very reasonable and good location from Sendai Station.
Situated in Sendai, this hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Mitakisanfudoin, Sendai City Tourist Information Center, and Sunmall Ichibancho. Zuihoden Mausoleum ...
Located in the heart of Sendai, this hotel is within a 5-minute walk of Sunmall Ichibancho, Mitakisanfudoin, and Kotodai Park. Miyagikencho Outlook Hall and ...
My room is a little noisy facing the street but everything else is great.
Situated in Sendai, this hotel is within a 10-minute walk of Sendai City War Reconstruction Memorial Hall, Sendai Mediatheque, and Kotodai Park. Sunmall Ichibancho ...
Nice cap hotel, looks like you are inside the fifth element movie!!! futuristic decoration nice staff, they stored our heavy bags while we went on a trip. having to wear their special clothes is akward but........hey!! part of the experience (although they are not the most comfortable clothes). they ...
Orbitz makes it easy to find the best Miyagi hotel deals for your trip. With an outstanding selection, easy-to-use search tools and descriptive hotel profiles, you'll find Miyagi hotel deals in a wink..
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Thanks to photos and virtual tours, you can look before you book your Miyagi hotel reservation. Check out Miyagi hotel properties using interactive tools which allow you view hotel rooms, common areas and key features. On Orbitz, you can also learn more about hotels in Miyagi with unbiased reviews from verified Miyagi hotel guests. We ask guests to offer candid feedback on services, comfort, location, value and amenities.
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* Prices reflect the lowest "base rate" found over the next 30 days. Rates are subject to change and may not include taxes and fees, hotel service charges, extra person charges, or incidentals, such as room service. All rates are displayed in USD unless otherwise noted. Converted rates are provided for your convenience. They are based on today's exchange rate, but the hotel will charge you in the local currency.

domain: travel


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No conscience exemption of COVID vaccine in SD after house vote
PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - South Dakotans will not be able to claim a conscience exemption from taking an employer-mandatory COVID-19 shot.
The House defeated the bill, HB 1235, 30 to 39 after about 40 minutes of debate.
Proponents of the bill said that the COVID-19 vaccines were still experimental.
Several said they, loved ones, or friends were made sick by their COVID-19 vaccinations.
“We need the ability to object to this particular vaccine,” said Republican Rep. John Mills from Brookings.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Jon Hansen from Dell Rapids, said there was a “false choice” of requiring mandatory employee vaccinations.
He and other legislators said employers could do testing, require masks, or segregate employees instead of requiring an inoculation.
Opponents said the bill violated employers’ rights to set their own work rules in a right-to-work state.
Republican Rep. Neal Pinnow (pen-now) from Lemmon said he was reluctant to oppose the bill, but as a business person, he felt he had to.
“If you’re a business owner, you should have a problem with this bill,” he said. “This will affect small-town businesses. This denies your opportunity to set your own rules if you want to.”
Other opponents said it could put medical and nursing programs at risk as the hospitals and the universities they contract with would face liability if they required students to get the vaccination.
The bill provided for triple damages, costs, and attorney’s fees if a court found the employer required an employee to vaccinate, and they refused.
Copyright 2023 KSFY. All rights reserved.


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Yosemite National Park Concludes Search for Missing Person
Yosemite National Park's search for 69 year old Gene R. Hall concluded at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, September 3, when Hall was found dead in his tent. The cause of death has not yet been determined, but appears to be from natural causes. Searchers located the tent off-trail near Fletcher Lake, which is in the vicinity of Vogelsang. Hall had been hiking alone in the Vogelsang area and had been missing since Thursday, September 1, when he failed to show up for a previously scheduled engagement.


By Mia Speier,
Max Kampelman Fellow
On December 11, 1994, Russian forces advanced into Chechnya, a republic in the North Caucasus near Georgia and Azerbaijan, to stop an attempt at secession. A Chechen separatist movement started to gain momentum following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Russians refused to allow any chance at separation. This marked the start of the First Chechen War, a conflict that erupted after decades of hostilities between the former Soviet government and the Chechen forces. The war dragged on for nearly two years, destroying the capital city of Grozny and killing tens of thousands of people—mostly civilians.
The conflict, which started as an internal national movement, was complicated by flows of foreign money and foreign fighters. Militant Islamists joined the fight against Russia during the latter half of the war as part of a declared global jihad. Officials in Russia feared a repetition of the violence that occurred during the Soviet war in Afghanistan nearly a decade prior.
Though Russia withdrew from Chechnya for a short time after the first war, the Second Chechen War broke out in 1999. This second war began after Putin blamed Chechen secessionists for bombings that killed Russian civilians, although there was no evidence of Chechen involvement in the bombings. Russian forces were sent into the republic again, and the Russian government succeeded in putting Chechnya under its control. Since then, the region has been a republic of Russia and is governed by Putin-appointed president Ramzan Kadyrov.
Amid the conflict, however, the international community took steps to confront Russian aggression and violence in the region. On March 13, 1997, the U.S. Helsinki Commission convened a hearing called “The Future of Chechnya,” to discuss the efforts of Chechen citizens to free themselves from Russia’s painful yoke and fight back against Moscow’s defiance of international principles and the rule of law.
The Helsinki Commission hearing focused on the 1994 Organization for Security and Cooperation Budapest Document that requires all participating States, including Russia, to ensure that their armed forces are commanded in a way that is consistent with international law. At the time of the hearing, an estimated 30,000 to 80,000 people had died in the territory, and tens of thousands of citizens had been displaced. The violence against and displacement of citizens in Chechnya was a clear violation of the Budapest Document.
Then-Chairman Rep. Alfonse M. D’Amato chaired the hearing and noted that though many people were paying attention to the ongoing conflict in Bosnia at the time, it was important to also pay attention to the conflict in Chechnya and, more specifically, to think about the role of the OSCE in the region.
“The world watched, horrified, as the Russian military used massive firepower against the Chechen guerrillas,” D’Amato said. “While the international community recognizes the principles of territorial integrity, there can be no doubt that in its effort to keep the Chechens in the Russian Federation, the Russian Government violated recognized international principles.”
Since 1997, the Helsinki Commission has held several other public events related to human rights abuses, arbitrary arrests, abductions, and disappearances and the plight of Chechen refugees. In 2003, the commission penned a letter to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell urging the U.S. delegation at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva to express concern over reported rights violations in Chechnya.
Though it has been nearly 30 years since the First Chechen War, the situation in Chechnya remains bleak. In 2017, Congress passed a bipartisan resolution condemning widespread anti-LGBT persecution and violence in Chechnya after it was revealed that state law enforcement officials beat, imprisoned, and murdered hundreds of men perceived to be gay or bisexual.
In June 2018, then-Chairman (and current Co-Chairman) Sen. Roger Wicker and Sen. Benjamin Cardin penned a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging the United State to invoke the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism in response to escalating human rights abuses in Chechnya. The Moscow Mechanism allows for the establishment of a short-term fact-finding mission to address a specific human rights concern in the OSCE region.
In November 2018, the 16 of the 57 OSCE participating States invoked the Moscow Mechanism to investigate the alleged disappearances, killings, and torture taking place in Chechnya—all of which were concerns raised at a Helsinki Commission hearing just months prior. Though Russia failed to cooperate with the fact-finding mission, the resulting report concluded that the evidence clearly confirmed the allegations of very serious human rights violations and abuses in the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation.
Today, multiple reports of journalists and bloggers in Chechnya being beaten or murdered calls for even more concern for individual freedom and civil liberties in the region. In early February, Yelena Milashina, a prominent Russian journalist and lawyer who exposed the cruelty against gay Chechen men, was beaten in Grozny. Imran Aliev, an outspoken Chechen blogger who criticized President Ramzan Kadyrov, was found murdered in France earlier this year.
Aliev’s death is one of many deaths and disappearances in recent years of Chechen dissidents throughout Europe, sparking heightened fears of Chechen death squads hunting down those seeking asylum outside of the republic.