The Gulf Cartel is one of the oldest and most powerful of Mexico’s criminal groups but has lost territory and influence in recent years to its rivals, including its former enforcer wing, the Zetas.
The Gulf Cartel is one of Mexico’s most storied, wealthy and established operations. Working with Colombian suppliers, this group moves drugs north from its stronghold in Tamaulipas, and is known to outsource other activities, especially those related to human trafficking, to local “enforcer” gangs. Its one-time boss, Osiel Cárdenas Guillén, was considered the country’s most powerful underworld leader at one point, and its enforcers, the Zetas, Mexico’s most feared gang.
by Dancing with Fire July 09, 2011
The Viet Minh, or League for the independence of Vietnam, was a nationalist organization that was created during World War II. It was an underground army established by Ho Chi Minh fighting against foreign occupation by using guerrilla warfare. The Viet Minh de-emphasized the communist social revolution to attract broadest possible coalitions. After Germany had conquered France, German's ally, the Japanese, moved into Vietnam. Japan did not have enough resources to rule over Vietnam as France had. The lack of control over the Vietnamese led to the formation of many nationalist organizations. The most effective being the Viet Minh.
In 1960, the National Liberation Front (NLF) was founded by the main members of the Viet Minh. The NLF operated in South Vietnam and swore to overthrow the South Vietnamese government in order to reunify Vietnam. The Viet Minh began to fade as their members began to join the NLF. During the French Indochina War (1946–1954), the VPA (Vietnam People's Army) was often referred to as the Viet Minh. In the context of the Vietnam War (1959–1975), the army was referred to as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) or the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). This allowed the U.S. Military, and the general public, to distinguish northern communists from the southern communists, or Viet Cong. However, northerners and southerners were always under the same command structure.
by Dancing with Fire June 20, 2011
Those funny times in middle school when you would say half of a curse word and then your friend would say the other half. This would usually occur during class while the teacher was trying to teach the class his or her lesson.
Halfway Cursing:
Student 1: Fu...
Student 2: ck!
Student 1: Shi...
Student 2: t!
Student 1: Cu..
Student 2: nt!!
Student 1: Fu...
Student 2: ck!
Student 1: Shi...
Student 2: t!
Student 1: Cu..
Student 2: nt!!
by Dancing with Fire December 07, 2010
Getting off scot-free refers to someone getting away without payment, either monetary or otherwise. In fact in modern usage, it often refers to suspects who are not convicted of a crime. If a person feels that the suspect should have been convicted, he might say, “That guy is getting off scot-free.” Often the term is confused with the frugality that is occasionally attributed to the Scottish. Actually, the term scot predates old Gaelic that would have been spoken by the Scots. In fact the word has its origins in Scandinavian language and probably descends to the English language via Anglo-Saxon.
To get off scot-free implies evasion, purposeful or otherwise of the dues one is supposed to pay. It is frequently an annoyance to others if people duck out of paying what everyone else must pay. This is especially the case if the scot of a bar tab is avoided, since everyone else will have to pay extra to make up for the person getting off scot-free.
by Dancing with Fire December 19, 2010
Muay Thai is usually regarded as a very hard, external style. However, especially because of its roots in heavily Buddhist Thailand, some consider it to have a spiritual aspect as well. Thai boxers typically perform some Buddhist rituals before beginning a match. Practicing Muay Thai is a vigorous workout and produces tremendous cardiovascular endurance.
Muay Thai involves boxing techniques, hard kicking, and knee and elbow strikes. Low kicks to the thighs are a very distinguishing technique used frequently in Muay Thai. Stand up grappling is also used and allowed in the ring. Muay Thai practitioners develop a very high level of physical conditioning developed by its practitioners.
by Dancing with Fire December 30, 2010
The pentagonal building serving as the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, near Washington, DC. The Pentagon's unique shape makes it a highly efficient office building. Although the Pentagon has 3,705,793 square feet (1,129,526 meters) of office space, it is possible to reach most points in the building within 10 minutes, a remarkable architectural achievement. In a building which coordinates the armed forces of the United States along with organizations responsible for intelligence and security, workers often need to be able to access each other quickly.
The idea of the Pentagon was conceived in 1941, when Brigadier General Brehon Sommervell was trying to solve the problem of limited space for the Department of Defense, a serious issue in the Second World War. It was agreed that a new building was needed, and a groundbreaking ceremony took place on 11 September, 1941. It took just two years to complete the building on former marshlands along the outskirts of Washington, and the Pentagon was quickly filled with communications equipment and staff to coordinate the Department of Defense.
by Dancing with Fire September 06, 2012
Shinobu Sensui also known as Black Angel, was the main antagonist of the Chapter Black Saga in the anime Yu Yu Hakusho, as well as a former Spirit Detective in his youth, having been recruited by Koenma for his prodigious talents and his unequaled sense of right and wrong. Unlike his predecessor Younger Toguro, he has intelligence and strength, whereas Toguro's knowledge was only useful for fighting. He is generally polite (sarcastic politeness in his Minoru state), kind and honorable as he respects Yusuke's friend's wishes to avenge his supposed death. Shinobu also has guilt over killing others as he looks sullen after killing Yusuke and is irritated when he is forced to kill demons once again. He does regret the path he took as he blindly slew demons in the name of humanity, to which he discovered were just as cruel if not more so.
Shinobu Sensui also has multiple personalities. He developed six other personalities to carry his various burdens. He is also a master of Resshuken and he also knows how to use sacred energy which is a special type of energy that is said to be the purest and most-powerful kind, which Koenma calls the highest echelon of power. He also said that achieving the use of this type of power takes at least forty years of discipline and grueling training. But Sensui managed to cheat by dividing the forty year-training requirement amongst his other personalities, effectively managing to achieve this pinnacle in just six years. He then added that an extra requirement was that people had to be receptive to this power and possess a desire to correct the world around them, operating on a higher plane and transcending the physical realm, all of which were qualities that even Genkai did not have.
One of the most badass characters from Yu Yu Hakusho imo.
One of the most badass characters from Yu Yu Hakusho imo.
by Dancing with Fire June 21, 2011