JoeA64

Every commanding officer worth their salt knows that giving their troops a good hot meal is one of the best and simplest things you can do to keep their spirits up.

...by none other than Admiral William F. Halsey, who was patiently waiting his own turn among the enlisted sailors.

In World War II, the U.S. Navy was famous for providing elaborate facilities for ice cream (sobriquetted "gedunk") on its major combatants. There's an anecdote about how a junior officer on one ship tried to cut the gedunk line, only to be sternly ordered to take his place in line...

Having looked it up, I see that the old saws about how unpalatable English food was were not altogether fantastical.

It's the Napoleonic Wars for me, and the larger Napoleonic/Regency era as well.

If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far. Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen! This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait. Hopefully, it is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Trump is completely flailing. He didn't anticipate the economic blowback and now he's trying to undo the past 10 days and contain the damage.

It's something I've often said. I sometimes call him the latter-day Nicholas II because of that.

Steve Jackson Games is currently running a GM's Day Sale with up to 25% off, ending March 9th.

warehouse23.com/collections/...

I read a pretty mordant - and really very funny - comment elsewhere that given what the current Congress has actually managed to pass when it deigns to do any work, That Man's refusal to sign any new legislation is a Very Good Thing.

Advance copies of Cluster Truck have arrived - now we are just waiting for the main shipment!

If you fancy a rip-roaring take of space truckers in the tail-end of Charted Space, you will not find better...

www.mongoosepublishing.com/products/clu...

#ttrpg #TravellerRPG

Donald Trump’s Presidency Is in Free Fall Republicans typically lead on the economy, national security, and immigration. Trump is squandering the GOP’s traditional strength on all three.

Trump is in serious trouble. His war is deeply unpopular. He's now in the toilet on the economy, immigration, and national security. His public standing is getting close to being broken in an irreparable way, akin to Bush after Iraq and Katrina:
newrepublic.com/article/2074...

We called the game at the beginning of GT 13 as an Entente victory since the CP basically ran out of time to take 2 of the 3 Romanian supply cities. Brave little Romania astonishes the world and sends Entente morale zooming.

The Entente also has two large groupments of forces to the north that could reinforce the Bucharest-Ploesti redoubt to an unassailable degree if not rendered combat-ineffective.

Situation at the end of GT 10

At the end of the first week of November the CP forces are grinding relentlessly into central Romania, pressuring the Entente redoubt around Bucharest and Ploesti. Constanta holds.

As of the end of GT 7 (third week of October), 17 Romanian brigades have been destroyed. The Russians are digging in for a last stand at Constanta, and the bulk of Entente forces are establishing lines around the capital. Romanian forces in the north continue to hold Brasov and delay the enemy.

The local German commanders have to establish a heavy military police presence in the area to prevent randy soldiers from investigating wild tales of astonishingly beautiful and seductive women...and try to track down deserters that appear to have vanished without a trace.

While the government insists on pressing the offensive in Transylvania, some prudent Romanian commanders lay the groundwork for a bastion defense similar to the one that Serbia used to great effect in 1914-15.

The government in Bucharest demands results, so the offensive continues, with two more brigades being wrecked in exchange for clearing the town of Odorhieu Secnisc.

Unpleasant realization; the Romanian army is VERY brittle.

This game is based on a system originally developed by SPI in the 1970's, which is quite simple compared to many modern systems; setup was a bit time-consuming as usual for first play, but actual play is moving along fairly briskly.

The campaign begins with the Romanians thrusting into A-H ruled Transylvania, capturing Brasov, while the Bulgarians move across the border in the south. Romanian losses are already worrisome, especially as it appears neither side receives replacements.

This was extremely controversial in WWI, because it violated the existing rules that applied to surface ships. But by WW2, the distinct nature of submarine warfare had become widely accepted.

NEWS: Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) has dropped out of his primary runoff after admitting to an affair with an aide who later died by suicide and amid a House Ethics probe. His exit makes Brandon Herrera the GOP nominee in Texas’ 23rd District.

Let’s talk about Graham Platner’s Big Lie, finally. In 2009, at the height of the Gulf War, the Marines barred him from active duty. Platner claims it was his forearm tattoos. But his one forbidden tattoo was the Nazi symbol on his chest. He knew - and he left the Marines rather than give it up. 1/

I imagine, though, that if the skipper of the U.S. submarine had chosen to order the Iranian ship to surrender or be sunk, we'd have some people howling about piracy.

...which were carrying no, or limited, armaments (supply ships, repair ships, troop transports, etc.) during World War II, for example.

In other words, if a ship is a commissioned vessel of the navy of a belligerent power, it is a legitimate target for enemy vessels whether or not it is armed. Both Allied and Axis navies sank numerous naval vessels of their enemies...

A key quote: "Under the law of naval warfare, the question may be beside the point. A warship's status as a lawful military target derives from its flag and its function in a conflict, not the state of her magazines at a given moment."

This is not a cut-and-dried question. See this article published yesterday; www.military.com/daily-news/i...

Key point: what is legal isn't always moral, and what is moral isn't always legal. Too many people confuse the two.