ASL: Back to the Barricades (Pt. V)

Note to readers: This post won't make a lick of sense to anyone who isn't familiar with the Advanced Squad Leader game system. 

Interested ASL players take note!  Dave Hauth, and I are are engaged in another big battle over the Barricades.  We have come to mutual agreement to each maintain a "blog correspondence" wherein we individually publish our thoughts on our game with the agreement that neither will read his competitor's posts until our campaign game is complete. So, I present to those interested ASL players out there my half of said correspondence.

You can read Dave's half of the correspondence here.  You can read my previous entry here.

Plans for Day 3

Press the attack.  I've got two very explicit goals for the day. 

Right now, there are two tactically important buildings within striking distance of my perimeter.  One of these is Building BB18:  The Red House.  The other is Building J31, the Power Station.  Both of these buildings are level 2 buildings with clear views all the way down the road that runs along the 20 and 21 hex rows, bisecting the board at its equator.  Dave, of course, will recognize the importance of these buildings.  He will have to take measures to protect both or, more likely, burn them.  But he won't know which of the two I will attack.  Plus he has to guard against attacks I might make toward Building 018 or even AA25 from my riverbank salient.  I get the advantage of choosing a target and then setting up for dominance of forces at the point of attack.

So, here's my plan:

1. I'm going to let the Red House alone on Day 3 and I'm going to push hard for the Power Station. This will mean a full-scale assault on the Russian left.  
2. On the Russian right, I want to grab Building GG21 which sits just beyond my current perimeter and hold it. 
3. I'm also going to make a very modest push to clear the area around the Chemist's Shop, but other than that, I will be content merely to dissuade Russian initiatives and hold my ground along the river. 

If I can attain these goals, and keep my forces in those buildings within my perimeter (that is to say, keep them from being Isolated), I'll take an Idle day on Day 4 and be poised for a killing strike on Day 5.

The idea I'm working on is this:  I want to be able to project a lot of firepower onto the "middle area" of the map.  I'm talking about the area around hex P19.  On Day 5, the day after my Idle day, I want to make a combined armored and infantry thrust from the west edge of the board along the road that runs on the 20/21 hex rows.  At the same time, I'll make a smaller thrust from Building GG21 to the west.  If the two attacks can establish contact, I will have isolated all the northern factories.  The Russians in the northern factories will, at the same time, be facing a company of Pioneers who have the job of pest removal.  The Pioneers will enter the factories, from any of three directions (west, north, or east) with their flaming squirt guns and their "welcome baskets."  Any Russians coming from the south to reinforce will have to go through the area around P19, which I hope to have under fire from building J21 and from GG20.  If it all works out... well, like I said:  a killing strike.

Of course, there is that old cliché.  You know?  " No plan survives first contact, yadda, yadda, yadda..."   I'm sure Dave will not be much inclined to oblige me in my efforts.  The Red Army and its wily commander have a way of setting up nasty surprises that ruin everything.  (I refer you to my previous post and the naughty Red machine gun stacks that held up my river advance).

Let's cross that bridge, when and if we get to it...  Whenever I get to planning too far in advance I always remember a button I saw Rodney Kinney, my ASL Sensei, wearing at one of the Wild West Fests.  It's deadpan message?  "Nothing... can possibly... go wrong."

"Master, may I not use my 548 to Prep Fire?" I asked. 
Master smiled.  "A squad may Prep Fire or a squad may move," he said.
"Each of these fruits ripens in its season. 
But the commander whose 548 uses Assault Fire capability is he whose harvest silo is least often empty."

Setup

My retained forces for the day are these: 

548 x 18
468 x 4
467 x 9
447 x 2
9-1 x 3, 8-1 x 3, 8-0 x 2, 7-0 x 3
HMG x 2, MMG x 3, LMG x 5, DC x 2, Atr, Lt. Mtr.

StuG IIIB x 2
10-2 Armor leader
1 x Pzkpfw IIIL (immobilized Z2 in bypass along Y3 hexside)

I was awarded 15 CPP for the day, giving me a total of 16 CPP since I saved one point from the previous day.  My purchases for the day are these:

Rifle Coy = 7 CPP
467 x 12
9-1, 8-1, 8-0
HMG, MMG, LMG, Atr., Lt. Mtr.

PzIIIH Pltn = 3 CPP
PzIIIH x 3

Btln Mtr = 2 CPP
Pre-registered hex Y16 = 1 CPP

A total of 13 CPP spent.  I will save the remaining 3 CPP in anticipation of my post-Idle Day "extravaganza."

 Ready to party!

So, here we go.  As my setup reveals, I will attack southward along hex rows A-I with a full Sturm company, supported by a platoon of PzIIIH tanks and backed up by a machine-gun kill stack.  The objective, again, is building J21, where I note that Dave has two stacks of units.  I imagine that the stack in K22 is a squad and leader who will attempt to kindle the building.  If that happens, c'est la guerre.  There's not much I can do about it.  But I aim to be knocking on the door by the end of the day, flame or no flame.

My reinforcing rifle company will come in on the north edge of the board to probe southward through the 06 factory, but if engaged will be content to merely hold their ground.  I have two platoons of Sturm troops around the Chemist's Shop who are charged with clearing the area in the immediate vicinity.  They are supported by a machine-gun kill stack in CC10, and a radio observer in the first level of FF12 who will call down battalion mortar for smoke and support.  But no real effort for the Commissar's House is in the works.  It looks like Dave has set up to put a torch to the place, so I imagine this is the last game day for it to remain intact.

Lastly, my battle-hardened rifle platoon, supported by the two StuGIIIB tank destroyers will grab building GG21 and hold it.  Under no circumstances do I want to go beyond that building and possibly activate Dave's reserve units.

My biggest fear for the day is that Dave is going to hit my attacking Sturm company with pre-registered artillery.  But, hey, this is Stalingrad, folks.

Our game may or may not occur this coming weekend.  I can't wait!  We've got us a good game here.

To be continued...

Movie review: The Road

Last year, about this time, I read Cormac McCarthy's bleak, post-apocalyptic novel, The Road.  You can read my review of the book here.  Despite its eloquent, lyrical prose, and Mr. McCarthy's formidable talent, I was vaguely offended by the book.  As I stated in my book review, I did not feel that the reward offered by the book was commensurate to the suffering imposed by it.  Folks, that is one grim tale.

Nonetheless, on Saturday, I went to see director John Hilcoat's adaptation for the big screen.  Mr. Hilcoat did a fantastic job.  The casting, the sets, the lighting, and the score (written, appropriately enough, by Nick Cave) are all incorporated into a delicately crafted piece of art.  It's a fine work.

The acting is first rate.  Viggo Mortensen's role, as the "Man," is convincing and powerful.  With this role, Mortensen yet again demonstrates that he is destined to join the new pantheon of "great" actors alongside Daniel Day Lewis, Johnny Depp, and others.  And I was startled by Kodi Smit-McPhee's heart-breaking and human performance as the "Boy."  A nod also to Guy Pearce in his cameo at the end.  And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Charlize Theron and her performance as the "Woman."  But the stand-out performance, for me, was Robert Duvall's cameo as blind Eli.  I've been a Duvall fan for many years, and his portrayal of a half-mad prophet standing amid the wreckage he forewarned against was spectacular.  (I'd say it is "Oscar worthy" if I lent any credence at all to the Academy.  But I don't, so I won't.) 

All in all, the movie, while still bleak, is less oppressing than the book.  Mr. Hilcoat treats some of the most appalling scenes from the book with admirable tact, conveying the ideas, but leaving out the unnecessary details.  And he offers much more hope at the end of the movie.  (There is a dog; there is a living beetle.)

But here's my beef:  Why is it necessary for Cormac McCarthy and John Hilcoat to construct this far-fetched, hellish vision of the end of the world in order to convey some message about a father's love for his son?  Take a look around, people!  There is an AIDS epidemic in Africa; Afghanistan is a war-torn hell on earth; people starve to death in the streets of Calcutta.  The elaborate fable that Mr. McCarthy has created is just an abstract depiction of the suffering that occurs daily on our little blue marble.

There is a scene in the movie, wherein blind Eli and the Man are sitting by a fire, talking about the state of the world.  The Man asks Eli:  "Do you ever wish you were dead?"  Eli replies, "No.  It's foolish to wish for luxuries in times like these."

Well, that is the way I feel about The Road (movie and book).  It's an unnecessary indulgence in the angst common to people who live comfortably.  Instead of the navel-gazing speculation about how human beings would behave in a far-fetched post-Apocalyptic world, why not take a look at the world around you?

Mr. McCarthy, you want to see a depiction of parental love in the face of death?  Try this movie:  Yesterday.  Instead of indulging in your god-damned self-pity and despair, why not try to make a difference?

The way it worked with Dad

Dad and sister Mia, circa 1978

My dad, Ross Cariaga, was born in Fresno, California in 1940.  In the late 50s, he left Fresno to attend college in Corvallis, Oregon, at Oregon State University where he played football as a defensive guard for the Beavers on their 1962 Liberty Bowl team.  (That team included Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker.) 

(Interesting side note:  Dad played on the Oregon State defensive line at 5 feet 9 inches height and weighing 205 lbs.  In that era, he was not under-sized.  The average height of the defensive line for the 2009 Oregon State Beavers is approximately 6 feet 2 inches.  The average weight is 258 pounds.)

After graduating from OSU, he moved with his young family to Klamath Falls, Oregon in 1963, to take the head coaching job at Sacred Heart Academy.  He went on to lead that school to a co-State Championship in 1968.  From there, he went to coach at Oregon Institute of Technology in 1970 where he remained for the rest of his career.  In that roughly 30 years, he went through two marriages before marrying his third and final wife, Tami.  He had a total of 7 children with his wives.

Dad was something of a local celebrity in Klamath Falls.  Anybody who knew Dad (and he knew everybody) has a story about him.  And as his eldest son, I've got plenty myself.  So, on the heels of such an entertaining Civil War game last night, I thought I'd recount a couple stories about Dad in honor of the Beavers.  (I wish the Ducks all the best in their pending Rose Bowl appearance, but I was rooting for Oregon State last night.  Can you blame me?  I was conceived on that campus!)

Drama at Disneyland

Think you've seen macho?  This is macho!

Some of my friends have occasionally used the term "macho" to describe me.  "You're so Type A, Dade," they have said.  Well let me just tell you:  You ain't seen macho unless you've seen my dad and his brother, my Uncle Don, in action.  When the two of them got together, the testosterone was palpable.

One summer (I believe it was 1975), my extended family was at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  There were probably a dozen of the Cariaga clan trooping along through the meandering crowds.  At one point, we were making our way to the end of the queue to ride the Matterhorn roller coaster.  Dad and I were walking together, when a hand holding a squirt gun appeared out of the crowd and squirted water at Dad, hitting him in the chest.  I thought, "Nothing good will come of this."  Dad stopped and turned to see who had done it. I kept walking.  I already knew what was coming.

My Uncle Don was at Dad's side instantly where they confronted two young women (one of whom held the squirt gun) and their boyfriends.  A crowd of on-lookers watched nervously as Dad tore the squirt gun out of the woman's hand and crushed it on the pavement.  Then Dad and Uncle Don browbeat and humiliated the two young men in front of their girlfriends.  Dominance thus established, the Cariaga men continued on their way.  The rest of the family followed behind, somewhat sheepishly.

(There are countless similar episodes I could relate, including the incident in a Bi-mart parking lot, the incident in front of the Klamath Falls City Police Station, or the sledding incident on Maple Street.  But maybe I'll save those for a future date...)

Steve Kerkowski borrows the camera

Dad with Calee and Mia

Most of the time, Dad was exceedingly generous and giving. I don't think anyone ever left his house hungry. But every once in a while, a stingy vein in his persona would show itself.  It became something of a joke.

Once, when my brother Eric and I were in college, Eric had need for a camera and asked Dad if he could borrow the 35mm that Dad had picked up in one of his myriad deals.  (Dad was always working a deal.)  For whatever reason, Dad was disinclined to oblige Eric, but didn't want to come out and just say "no."

"Steve's got the camera," Dad said.

Eric, smelling a rat, asked skeptically, "Steve who?"

"Ker-- uh-- Kerkowski," Dad said.  The stammer gave him away, and we all laughed.  Kerkowski!  Preposterous!  Eric and I both knew that Dad had made the name up on the spot.  And Dad knew we knew it.  But he didn't lend Eric the camera.

After that, the name "Steve Kerkowski" was an inside joke between Eric, Calee, and me.  Steve became the catch-all excuse for any of us when he didn't want to comply with a request from another.  "Can you give me a ride to school?"  "Sorry, Kerkowski borrowed the car."

Paternal pride

Dad and Eric, near the very end

Eric recounted another story to me that revealed how Dad felt about his kids.  Dad was always a reflective, analytical man, but toward the end of his life, as the ravages of Lupus tore him down, he would sometimes mumble his thoughts out loud.

Eric told me that one day he was sitting in the spacious living area of the house Dad had built on upper Klamath Lake.  Dad was laying on the couch napping, his arms folded across his chest. He was unaware that Eric was in the room.  Eric would occasionally hear him mutter something.  At one point, he saw Dad nod his head emphatically, and state with unmistakable pride:  "Seven kids!  And not one of them is a f*ck-up!"

Eric and I laughed about that one later.  We both knew that that was as good as we were going to get.

A life well-lived

Well, Dad's been gone since 2001.  He was only 59 when he passed.  He had some regrets, but on the whole, I know he was satisfied with his life.  He left behind the Tribe of Ross, which is still going strong, and that's a pretty good legacy.

I remember when he called me to tell me that the doctor had just informed him that he had roughly two weeks left to live.  I asked him, "Are you scared?"

"Naw!" he said, dismissing the idea.  Then, after a pause, he said, "I believe in God, son."  And that's about as much as any of us can hope for in the end, ce n'est pas?

Straight talk from President Obama

Last night, President Obama addressed the nation from West Point Academy, outlining his strategy for the conflict in Afghanistan.  I watched the speech and came away with the distinct impression that, in stark contrast to his bungling, dishonest predecessor, the president was giving us some straight talk.  His message?  We're in trouble.

I felt that the president was clear-eyed and sober in his assessment of the situation.  It ain't a pretty picture.  And now, we can all see why this new policy has been so long in the making.  (Beast Cheney, one of the pigs that is most responsible for getting us into this mess, calls it "dithering.")

Some of the passages that stood out most to me are these:

... in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war, in Iraq. The wrenching debate over the Iraq war is well-known and need not be repeated here. It's enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq war drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention -- and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world.

Here, the president is tip-toeing around the Bush administration's most heinous crime.  As adherents to the Project for a New American Century, Bush's neo-conservative puppet-masters came into the White House with an agenda.  They used the 911 attacks as a vehicle to implement that agenda.  That is why they declined to pursue Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora.  They didn't want to create headlines about significant US casualties and possibly dull the American public's appetite for war before they had had a chance to commit their Iraq crime.  They succeeded and now we're left with this mess.

...as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.

I'm a pacifist.  (At least on the macro level.  Heh.)  I hesitate to support any military action.  Nonetheless, I say to my brothers and sisters in the peace movement that I will not be joining your protest marches yet.  I believe President Obama when he says that this surge is necessary.  And the president clearly states that this is not an open-ended commitment.  I believe that we owe it to the Afghan people to try to leave a foundation for them, something that gives them a chance at establishing a stable home with a hopeful future.  I think President Obama's plan is the only alternative that offers even a remote possibility of such.

Critics on the right will no doubt shriek:  "If Bush had proposed this very policy you would have denounced him as a war-monger."  To which, I reply:  True enough!  But Junior had already proved himself to be a liar with the Weapons of Mass Destruction canard and all the dishonesty of the pre-Iraq War debate.  Junior is a fundamentally dishonest, stupid man.  President Obama is made of better stuff and, so far, I believe he has been honest with me.

Also note that the date at which President Obama projects a commencement of troop withdrawals is 18 months from now:  June 2011.  This should be proof positive that the president is making his decision based on the deliberations of his national security team without regard to politics.  If politics were his main concern, he would either begin withdrawal immediately to satisfy the left-wing of his base, or would name a date beyond the 2012 election, to inoculate himself from right-wing criticism.  (And what a contrast from the previous administration, where its chief political operative, Karl Rove, sat in on policy meetings with regularity.)

... This effort [to shore up the Afghan government] must be based on performance. The days of providing a blank check are over. President Karzai's inauguration speech sent the right message about moving in a new direction. And going forward, we will be clear about what we expect from those who receive our assistance. We'll support Afghan ministries, governors, and local leaders that combat corruption and deliver for the people. We expect those who are ineffective or corrupt to be held accountable. And we will also focus our assistance in areas -- such as agriculture -- that can make an immediate impact in the lives of the Afghan people.

This is a message aimed right at Bush lackey Hamid Karzai.  The puppet regime installed by Junior and the gang is notoriously corrupt.  There are reports that Karzai's own brother, Ahmed Karzai, is an opium baron.  President Obama makes clear that this is not acceptable.  Although it will rankle the Zombie King, Hamid Karzai will no longer be able to continue as a glorified corporate warlord courtesy of the US taxpayer.  This is good news.

We're in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That's why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border.

I felt reassured by this statement.  President Obama recognizes the importance of Pakistan.  An unstable Pakistan is a lit fuse that threatens to detonate a full-scale global war.  Anyone who can't see that just isn't paying attention.

...there are those who oppose identifying a time frame for our transition to Afghan responsibility. Indeed, some call for a more dramatic and open-ended escalation of our war effort -- one that would commit us to a nation-building project of up to a decade. I reject this course because it sets goals that are beyond what can be achieved at a reasonable cost, and what we need to achieve to secure our interests. Furthermore, the absence of a time frame for transition would deny us any sense of urgency in working with the Afghan government. It must be clear that Afghans will have to take responsibility for their security, and that America has no interest in fighting an endless war in Afghanistan.

This is a thoughtful rebuttal to the argument put forth by Mad Johnny McCain which asserts that by setting a "date certain" to begin withdrawal, we provide the Taliban with valuable information about the limits of American resolve.  I find the rebuttal to be effective and reasonable.  Nonetheless, the Republicans will continue with McCain's line of attack.  As Air America radio host Ron Reagan said last night, the President has made himself vulnerable with this policy and the GOP will now make it Job One to portray it as a failure.

I refuse to accept the notion that we cannot summon that unity again.  I believe with every fiber of my being that we -- as Americans -- can still come together behind a common purpose. For our values are not simply words written into parchment -- they are a creed that calls us together, and that has carried us through the darkest of storms as one nation, as one people.

A noble sentiment.  And I hope the president can succeed in achieving unity.  But I have grave doubts about the possibilities for his success.  I have great disdain and contempt for the right-wing freaks that make so much noise and cause so much destruction.  If the president can help me to overcome that contempt I will be grateful and glad.

America -- we are passing through a time of great trial. And the message that we send in the midst of these storms must be clear: that our cause is just, our resolve unwavering. We will go forward with the confidence that right makes might, and with the commitment to forge an America that is safer, a world that is more secure, and a future that represents not the deepest of fears but the highest of hopes.

This is not a happy message full of slogans and braggadocio like those we heard ad nauseum from Junior. This is straight talk.

Well, Mr. President, I'm on board for now.  Godspeed.

Here is the speech, in its entirety.

ASL: Back to the Barricades (Pt. IV)

Note to readers: This post won't make a lick of sense to anyone who isn't familiar with the Advanced Squad Leader game system. 

Interested ASL players take note!  Dave Hauth, and I are are engaged in another big battle over the Barricades.  We have come to mutual agreement to each maintain a "blog correspondence" wherein we individually publish our thoughts on our game with the agreement that neither will read his competitor's posts until our campaign game is complete. So, I present to those interested ASL players out there my half of said correspondence.

You can read Dave's half of the correspondence here.  You can read my previous entry here.

Aftermath of Day 2:  October 18, German victory
Grinding it out

This day, the momentous tides of war ebbed and surged, like a slow-motion tsunami, grinding everything in its path to nothing.  Fortunately, there were more Russians than Germans in the breakwater.

My plan had been to execute two distinct attacks:  a full-scale attack along the west side of the factory complexes and another smaller attack in the direction of the Red House on the east side of the factory.  And as the game unfolded, I mostly adhered to the plan.

West side

In the west, my rocket barrage was preregistered in hex G13.  The extent of error dice roll caused it to drift one hex to F13 where it then fell on the platoon of Russians that Dave had set up to defend buildings F11 and F13.  As one might expect, those Russians were mostly destroyed, including a Rubble result that took out Dave's 9-1 leader.  My reinforcing Sturm company rushed on to clean up the remnants in the next couple turns.

Although my plan had specifically excluded building B12 from the list of targets, I was unable to resist the urge to creep my platoon of 2nd line units forward and attempt to capture it.  Lo and behold, my pre-game surmise that Dave might have hidden units therein proved to be accurate.  There were two Russian squads lying in ambush, who punished my probing infantry.  In the end, I had to divert 2 Sturm squads to B12 to restore the situation.  The day ended with B12 in my hands, but the price was steep.

At the end of the game, I had attained my goal for the west side, capturing buildings B12, F11, F13, H14, and K10.  I even managed to step into the factory in hex J13.  I resisted the urge to make a last ditch charge for territory.

Center

Dave surprised me, in the center, by advancing his militia to the north, putting pressure on the thin line of German riflemen guarding my foothold in the O6 factory.  A low density, but vicious fight ensued in that factory.  It went back and forth with both sides getting punished.  In the end, I still held the two northernmost hexes of that factory, but had lost about half a company of 1st line squads.  Dave's losses were about the same, but he lost cheap militia units. 

If there is one resource that the Russians have in abundance, it is cheap infantry units.  Therefore, I judged the stalemate in the center to work to his advantage.

East side

In the east, I had planned a modest advance toward the Red House.  And here is where I got a nasty surprise.

I had thought that Dave's purchases for the day were 2 militia companies and some fortifications.  I was right on that score.  But I knew that there were still some CPP out there for which I couldn't account.  It turns out that he bought a 1st line rifle company and paid the 2CPP penalty to set them up on board.

That caught me flat-footed.

As I attempted to advance south from the Chemist's Shop, Dave opened up with a hidden kill stack in the first level of X15.  The stack consisted of a 10-2 leader, two squads, an HMG and an MMG.  When this stack opened up, they destroyed my east side kill stack of 2 elite rifle squads and a 9-1 leader.

Further, Dave had laid an ambush just south of the Chemist's Shop.  My advancing Sturm troopers ran square into two battle-hardened sub-machinegun squads led by a commissar.  They sent me reeling backward and drove me completely out of the Chemist's Shop.

Meanwhile, along the riverbank, as I attempted to trap the stack of Russians in the FF11 building, Dave opened up with another kill stack.  This stack was a 9-2 leader, 2 squads, and 2 MMGs, located in the first level of building FF12.  They brought my advance along the riverbank to a dead halt.

Things looked rather grim at this point.  But my reinforcing StuG tank destroyers saved the day.  Two of them surrounded his 9-2 stack, and bombarded it into non-existence.  The third StuG malfunctioned its main armament, then drove into the hex with the 10-2 kill stack.  The Russian infantry dispatched that StuG, but the resulting burning wreck enshrouded the position in smoke.  This allowed me to counterattack the Russians in the Chemist's Shop.  In the end, after a bloody fight, I held the two northernmost hexes of that building, while the Russians held the southernmost hex.

On the riverbank, after the 9-2 kill stack was destroyed, I sprinted a half-squad all the way up to JJ22.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, I had created a salient along the riverbank and advanced modestly along the rest of the front (except in the center where Dave's militia had driven me back 3 hexes).

The casualty tally read thusly:

Russians suffered 57 CVP.
Germans suffered 34 CVP.

That's a little better than a 3 to 2 ratio.  Not bad, but not good.  Any German commander should feel slightly uneasy with this ratio, regardless of the gains of the day.  The Germans can't sustain the fight if they don't maintain better than a 3 to 2 ratio.

On the other hand, if I consider only infantry losses, I calculate that Dave has lost 2 and three-quarters companies over the past two days, while I have lost 1 and one-quarter.  That's a ratio I can live with.

My ephemeral squad advantage is now erased, with the Russians retaining 38.5 squads and the Germans retaining 33.  However, troop quality favors the German.  Of the remaining Russians approximately 60% are militia, while the remaining Germans are 55% elite.  

The one development that iced the day as a German victory was the Russian decrease in Experience Level Rating.  The Red Army went from ELR 3 to ELR 2.  Bad news, Ivan!

Our next game is scheduled for December 12th, but Russian resolve is wavering.  Dave was dispirited at the conclusion of the game.  If he agrees to continue, I'll post my pre-game plans sometime between now and then.

Deutschland über alles!

To be continued...

GOP purity test

Who didn't see this coming?  Some deep-thinker in the Republican National Committee has come up with a list of ten sacrosanct policy positions, and has published them in an "RNC Resolution on Financial Support of Candidates."  Kind of a "Ten Commandments" for bewildered tea-baggers.  Here they are, in all their glory:

1. [They] support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama’s “stimulus” bill;
   
   
2. [They] support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run health care;
   
   
3. [They] support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;
   
   
4. [They] support workers’ right to secret ballot by opposing card check;
   
   
5. [They] support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;
   
   
6. [They] support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;
   
   
7. [They] support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;
   
   
8. [They] support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;
   
   
9. [They] support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion;
   
   
10. [They] support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership;

Stirring, eh?  According to the resolution, in order for a Republican candidate to receive the financial support of the RNC, he or she must adhere to at least 8 of these 10 "principles." 

The supreme irony, of course, is that tea-bagger patron saint, Ronnie Reagan, whom they piously name in the resolution, would not even pass that criterion.  Reagan violated item #5 by supporting amnesty for undocumented workers; Reagan blew the deficit out of the water violating item #1; and, as Governor of California, Reagan signed into law the California Environmental Quality Act, violating item #3.

And, of course, this whole concept of "purity" has already cost the GOP a congressional seat in New York's 23rd district.

There is so much wrong with this list of inanities that, aside from its humorous value, it scarcely merits any attention at all. 

Besides, I think I could summarize the list with just six points:

1. The infallible "market" must be free to work its magic unencumbered by the concerns of workers;
   
   
2. Foreigners must be scrutinized and kept under suspicion;
   
   
3. Gays must not be allowed to feel they are tolerated;
   
   
4. The United States needs war and an armed populace to assuage feelings of inadequacy and helplessness;
   
   
5. Health care must be available only to those who can pay for it.
   
   
6. For God's sake, stop that black man from ruining our lives!
   

I wonder if the RNC needs an editor? 

Eid Mubarak! 2009

 Portland Muslims, Eid al Adha, 2009

Once again, it is Eid al-Adha here in Portland, Oregon.  Eid Mubarak, one and all!

Eid al-Adha is the "festival of sacrifice," commemorating the occasion of  the trial of the patriarch of all Muslims, Christians, and Jews, Ibrahim (or Abraham).  Anyone who has lived in the western world knows the story:  God commanded Ibrahim to sacrifice his only son, Ismael, on the altar.  When Satan came to tempt Ibrahim and his family, Ibrahim's wife, Hajar, and Ismael drove the devil away with stones.  Ibrahim prepared to complete the sacrifice, demonstrating his submission to God in all things.  God, at the last moment, revealed a lamb that was to be slaughtered in place of Ismael.

Heavy stuff.  If I follow my own rule and attempt to interpret the story as metaphor, I'd guess that the wisdom this story offers has to do with acknowledgment of the futility of human endeavor.  All will be as God (or whatever you may call It) wishes.  (A proper analysis of the story deserves its own post at a future date.)

At the Convention Center

Maty and our friend Nadiya (from Togo) went to the Portland Convention Center this morning to join the morning call to prayer.  I dropped them off and admired the Muslims in their finery, making their way to the ceremony.

Normally, Maty throws a party to celebrate Eid.  But since we feasted (and how!) yesterday, two consecutive days of feasting seemed a bit much.  So this year, Maty and I (and maybe Nadiya) will eat a simple meal at home.

Portland Muslims, Eid al Adha, 2009

But, as the husband of a Muslim woman, I'm obliged to buy a Halal slaughtered lamb to present to her as a symbol of my love and dedication.  Which I have done.  Maty and I picked up the lamb (which we had to special order a month or two in advance) just this evening.

So, let me say "Eid Mubarak" to all.  No matter your faith.  I always appreciated when someone wished me a Merry Christmas, even in my militant atheist days.

Eid Mubarak!