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--- hazards:achilles-heel [2024/07/05 08:22] – [Offensive Front] Humphrey Boa-Gart
+++ hazards:achilles-heel [2024/08/06 05:47] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-====== Achilles' Heel ======
+====== Achilles Heel ======
-An **Achilles' Heel** is an [[wp>Idiom|idiomatic phrase]] which means something's **biggest weakness**. It is named for the legendary Greek hero **Achilles**, whose biggest weakness was his heel, and indeed was the source of his fabled demise during the **Trojan War**.
+An **Achilles Heel** is an [[wp>Idiom|idiomatic phrase]] which means something's **biggest weakness**. It is named for the legendary Greek hero **Achilles**, whose biggest weakness was his heel, and indeed was the source of his fabled demise during the **Trojan War**.
-When involved in [[:op|operations]], knowing the Achilles' Heel of not only your enemy, but yourself as well, is one of the keys to success on the field.
+When involved in [[:op|operations]], knowing the Achilles Heel of not only your enemy, but yourself as well, is one of the keys to success on the field.
 ===== The Tragedy of Achilles =====
+[{{ :hazards:deathofachilles.jpg?250|//The Death of Achilles//, Alexander Rothaug}}]
 The story of the life and death of Achilles varies from account to account //(as things from Ancient Greece do)// but the core of the story is this:
@@ Line 14: / Line 16: @@
   - Achilles dies, and his kill streak ends.
-The **historical Achilles** was likely a skilled Aeolian Greek warrior. This man was likely not supernaturally invulnerable at all, but nevertheless he succeeded in combat for a long time with normal human limitations. Achilles clearly had a reputation, which became the fuel for this legend. The tragedy here is that a violent state-sponsored mystery cult erased this man's already-epic story in favor of a conspiracy involving a haunted river, depriving us of valuable historical field data.
+The **historical Achilles** was likely a skilled Aeolian Greek warrior. This man was likely not supernaturally invulnerable at all, but nevertheless he succeeded in combat for a long time with normal human limitations. Achilles clearly had a reputation, which became the fuel for this legend. The tragedy here is that a violent state-sponsored mystery cult erased this man's already-epic story in favor of a conspiracy involving a haunted river, //depriving us of valuable historical field data that could have been used to save lives//.
 ===== Modern Combat Implications =====
-The most important thing to know about warfare, is that everything has an Achilles' Heel, and everyone is looking for everyone else's Achilles' Heel.
+One of the most important things to know about warfare, is that everything has an Achilles Heel, and everyone is always looking for everyone else's Achilles Heel.
 This means you will need to keep track of a myriad of Heels for both **defensive //AND// offensive** operations.
@@ Line 36: / Line 38: @@
 === Question Those Around You ===
-Do the people around you introduce **weird, obnoxious or draining liabilities** into your life? This is one of the trickiest ones to keep in mind, but one of the most important. Your inner circle has the keys to your physical surroundings and your soul. If you get real deep into certain operations, it is possible that your **friends, family & co-workers** will be targeted by [[hazards:wingnuts]] or [[tactics:suicide trolling|suicide trollers]].
+Do the people around you introduce **weird, obnoxious or draining liabilities** into your life? This is one of the trickiest ones to keep in mind, but one of the most important. Your inner circle has the keys to your physical surroundings and your soul. If you get real deep into certain operations, it is possible that your **friends, family & co-workers** will be targeted by [[hazards:wingnuts]] or [[tactics:suicide trolling|suicide trollers]], and it helps to have an idea of what those people might try to exploit in order to Destroy you.
-**This does not mean obsessively spy on your friends, however, because it is not only creepy and illegal, but creates an even wider security liability than the one they may already present.** If you feel you may have to do something like say, lie in court to protect them, then it is better off for both of you if do not dig into that aspect of their life any further. But be honest with yourself about who you let into your life, **especially if they are regularly pushing you into conflicts with other people, have serious dependency issues, or are constantly making you feel negative.**
+**This does not mean you should obsessively spy on your friends, however, because it is not only creepy and illegal, but creates an even wider security liability than the one they may already present.** If you feel you may have to do something like say, lie in court to protect them, then it is better off for both of you if do not dig into that aspect of their life any further. But be honest with yourself about who you let into your life, **especially if they are regularly pushing you into conflicts with other people, have serious dependency issues, or are constantly making you feel negative.**
-> You become the company you keep.
+{{wst>dean|Watch out, because you become the company you keep!}}
-Some of you may even be blessed enough to have **real friends** - genuinely decent people with no weird ulterior motives - who should not ever be dragged into internet drama. These types of friends introduce a whole different type of Achilles' Heel. If you have those types of friends, you might want to consider advanced [[diy:staying-anonymous|anonymity magick]].
+Some of you may even be blessed enough to have **real friends** - genuinely decent people with no weird ulterior motives - who should not ever be dragged into internet drama. These types of friends introduce a whole different type of Achilles Heel. If you have those types of friends, you might want to consider advanced [[diy:staying-anonymous|anonymity magick]].
 ==== Offensive Front ====
-Many of the great battles in history have involved someone's Achilles' Heel being exploited to great effect. Some examples of this are:
+Many of the great battles & turning points in history have involved someone's Achilles Heel being exploited to great effect. Some examples of this are:
+  * **Vulnerability to arrows** also ended up being the Achilles Heel of the French in **1415** when they lost to the English at the **Battle of Agincourt**. The French Cavalry could not breach the English perimeter, leaving them to mill around aimlessly while they were picked off by endless flurries of arrows.
+  * In **627** at the **Battle of Nineveh**, the Achilles Heel of the Sasanian Persians was **their reliance on arrows & archers**. The Byzantine Greeks, approaching under the cover of fog, were able to rout the archers. The Byzantine victory would set off a chain of events that would eventually result in the complete collapse of the Sasanian Empire.
+  * The fragile **Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact of 1941** was the Achilles Heel of Imperial Japanese forces in **World War 2**. The Soviets would later on, quite predictably, enter the war against Japan on the side of China and the US //anyways//. This breakdown of the pact was the final nail in the coffin for the Empire of Japan.
+  * The Achilles Heel of former President of the United States **Richard Nixon** was **the deteriorating health of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover**. Hoover was Nixon's ace in the hole for monitoring and silencing his political enemies, and to keep [[hazards:law enforcement]] at bay. When Hoover croaked, it created an opening in Nixon's flank, and that was the beginning of the end for his administration.
-  * **Arrows** also ended up being the Achilles' Heel of the French in **1415** when they lost to the English at the **Battle of Agincourt**. The French Cavalry could not breach the English perimeter, leaving them to being picked off by endless flurries of arrows.
-  * The fragile **Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact of 1941** was the Achilles' Heel of Imperial Japanese forces in **World War 2**, when the Soviets would later enter the war against Japan on the side of China and the United States. This breakdown of the pact was the final nail in the coffin for the Empire of Japan.
+===== Achilles Tendon =====
-===== Achilles' Tendon =====
+The large and prominent tendon of the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles of the calf is called the //Tendo Achilleus// or **Achilles Tendon**, because is commonly associated with the site of Achilles' death wound.
-The large and prominent tendon of the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles of the calf is called the //Tendo Achilleus// or **Achilles' Tendon**, because is commonly associated with the site of Achilles' death wound.
+The oldest-known written record of the **Achilles Tendon** being named after Achilles is in 1693 by the Flemish/Dutch anatomist **Philip Verheyen**. In his widely used text //Corporis Humani Anatomia// he described the tendon's location and said that it was commonly called //"the cord of Achilles."//
-The oldest-known written record of the **Achilles' Tendon** being named after Achilles is in 1693 by the Flemish/Dutch anatomist **Philip Verheyen**. In his widely used text //Corporis Humani Anatomia// he described the tendon's location and said that it was commonly called //"the cord of Achilles."//
+True to its name, a serious injury to this tendon is all it might take to turn a pleasant hike through enemy territory into a harrowing gauntlet for survival.
 {{tag>Hazards History}}

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