This is specific to PayPal. We are thinking about switching payment action from capture to just authorize. My question is if anyone here has made that switch and what was the impact to subscription renewals? Did it cause issues with billing agreements and/or token validation? Other gotchase?
Manuel, the emperor faithful in Christ God, Porphyrogenitus,crowned by the will of heaven, the sublime, potent, exalted, ever Augustus and ruler (moderator — autocrator) of the Romans, Comnenus, to Henry, the most noble king of England, his dearest friend,greeting and every blessing.
Inasmuch as our imperial majesty deems it necessary to notify to you, as being our beloved friend, all things which befall us, we have therefore considered it proper to inform your nobility upon that which has now taken place. Thus, from the beginning (of our reign) our imperial majesty had nourished hatred in the heart against the Persians (the Turks), the enemies of God, when we have beheld them vaunting over the Christians, triumphing over the name of God, and holding sway over the lands of the Christians. Wherefore, on another time, without delay, we made an attack upon them, and, as God granted it, even so we did do. As to that which was frequently performed by us to their humiliation and loss, our imperial majesty hopes that the same has not escaped the notice of your nobility. However, we did more recently determine to lead a most numerous army against them, and to wage war against the whole of Persia, inasmuch as by circustances we were compelled so to do; although much of our preparations were made, not according as we should have wished, nor as appeared best suited to our object, nevertheless, in such way as occasion and circumstances allowed us, we made a powerful attack upon them. Accordingly, our imperial majesty collected around it our resources; but as we took with us wagons carrying vast weights of arms and implements, both mangonels and other engines applicable to the storming of cities, we were consequently far from able to proceed with expedition on the march. Still further, while the army was passing on through our own country, and before any of our barbarian adversaries had engaged us in war, a most intractable disease, namely, a flux of the bowels, attacked us; which, spreading among the troops of our imperial majesty, made its way among them all, and, more dangerous than any warriors could be, slew and destroyed vast numbers. And this malady, growing more and more formidable, greatly weakened us.
As soon as we had entered the territories of the Turks, that instant was heard the din of numerous battles, and the troops of the Turks engaged in combat with the armies of our imperial majesty on every side. However, through the grace of God, the barbarians were entirely put to flight by our men.
But, after this, when we drew near to the narrow passes of an adjacent spot which the Persians call Cybrilcymani(Myriokephalon), so many hordes of foot and horse, most of which had come from the interior of Persia to support their fellow-countrymen, attacked suddenly our army, that they almost exceeded the number of our men. In consequence of the narrowness of the road and the difficulties (of the passage), the army of our imperial majesty was extended in a line ten miles (in length); and, inasmuch as those who went first were unable to support those who came last, and again, on the other hand, those who came last were unable to aid those who went before, it was no common misfortune that this distance lay between them. Indeed, the troops that formed the van were divided by a very considerable interval from the main body of our imperial majesty, having at last forgotten it, and not waiting for its coming up. Thus, as the troops of the Turks, from the battles that had already taken place, knew that it was not for their advantage to attack us in front, finding that the narrowness of the passage was likely to serve them in great stead,they determined upon attacking the rear, which they accordingly did. Now as the passage all along was very narrow, the barbarians rushed upon us from all parts, attacking us on the right hand and on the left, and from other places, and their darts, falling upon us like a shower, slew a vast number of men and horses. Upon this, finding that disaster was enormous, on taking due consideration, our imperial majesty thought proper to await those who were in the rear and to support those who were there; and, in so waiting, we ourself had to support the infinite numbers of the Persians. What exploits we performed while thus hemmed in by them it is not necessary now to speak of; perhaps your highness will learn more on that subject from those who took part in (the battle). While our imperial majesty was in such condition and was bearing the entire brunt of the conflict, the entire rearguard formed of Greeks, Latins, and all other nations, not being able to bear up against the darts thrown by the enemy, being wedged into a mass and being pushed onward with the greatest violence, made all haste to gain an adjoining hill as a fortress; those who advanced carrying on the others whether they would or no. A vast cloud of dust was raised which overpowered the eyesight and allowed no one to see what lay at his feet; so that oneupon another, men and horses, rushing on without restraint, fell down in a nearby precipice that overhung a very deep valley. Thus, they trod each other down and killed not only numbers of the common soldiers, but even some of the most illustrious and most nearly related of our kinsmen. For, who could hold in the insupportable onset of so vast a multitude?
However, as to our imperial majesty, hedged in on every side by such vast bodies of the barbarians, inflicting wounds and receiving wounds (in return), we still used efforts which,in consequence of their surprise at our perseverance, excited in them no small alarm, and which we did not relax until by the benign aid of God we had reached the open country. Nor did we allow the enemy to scale the position from which we carried on the battle with the barbarians, nor yet, through fear of them, did we spur on our horse,for the purpose of effecting a more speedy retreat. But our imperial majesty, rallying all our bodyguard, and rescuing them from death, ranged them around ourself. Thus we reached the vanguard and then,going on in order, came to the main body of our army. Upon that,the sultan seeing that in spite of such great disasters as had befallen our army, our imperial majesty was, as became us, arranging matters for the purpose of again attacking him, sent to beg our imperial majesty suppliantly, employing the language of entreaty, suing for peace,and promising to fulfil every wish of our imperial majesty, to give us his services against all men, to release all the prisoners who were detained in his kingdom, and in every way to conform to our desires.
Therefore, having stayed there for two whole days with all our forces, we became sensible that nothing could be effected against the cityof Iconium, since we had lost our besieging sheds and engines of war,since the oxen which drew them had been slain by the darts hurled upon us like a shower, and since, moreover, all our animals were afflicted by a most intractable malady which had attacked them. Therefore, we accepted the supplications of the sultan, agreed to make a treaty, confirmed by oath beneath our standards, and granted to him our peace. Upon this, departing thence, our imperial-majesty returned to our own country, entertaining no small sorrow for those kinsmenwhom we had lost, but still returning special thanks to God Who, in His kindness, has now honored us. We have felt it a pleasure that it so happened that some of the chief men of your nobility were with us, and they will inform you on all the circumstances in the order in which they happened. However, although we have grieved for those who fell, we have still deemed it advisable to inform you upon all the events that have happened, as being our dearly beloved friend, and as being closely united with our imperial majesty by the ties of blood that exist between our children. Given in the month of November, in the tenth year of the indiction (November, 1176)."
Sources
A. A. Vasiliev: Manuel Comnenus and Henry Plantagenet
I'm narrowing in on my next car purchase. Among a few alternatives looking at a used Atlas. Model year between 2018 - 2023. Less than 85k miles. Leaning towards the V6 as it sounds like the turbo 4s really hit their stride in 2024 model year.
Any words of wisdom on gotcha's to look out for, years to simply avoid, mileage quirks for service, trim lines, etc?
Looking for a book that helps explain how tribes coalesce -> kingdoms begin to form -> kingdoms mature -> proto nations -> to nations as we know them. Or how ever it actually happens....
Doesn't need to be focused exclusively on the process of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms - and some early examples from antiquity would be helpful. Looking for how these groups and leaders would use things like soft-power, exclusivity on violence, politics, culture, religion, etc to ramp up their processes.
I've read a few books like - Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and The Dawn of Everything - that adjacently deal with these questions. But I haven't read anything yet that solely focuses on this process.
Much appreciated!
Does anyone here run their store payment settings as "authorize" (as opposed to immediate capture) and are running subscriptions. Seems like there could be some issues with that combo.