Blog Transition

So it is a new year. I am going to take a new approach with this blog. It will no longer be agricultural related, instead it will only reflect a few nuggets of my personal interest. In the coming days and weeks I will sift out the ag related content and delete it. My new home for ag related material will be at Tumblr which will frequently be a photo blog with picture messaging while out and away from a computer. I am going to take the gloves off my Twitter feed this year as well. No more pretending, every topic is fair game; politics, music, sports, current events etc. and I plan to lay on the sarcasm. I never get reaction when I am serious so I just as well be an ass like so many others on there.

So who actually just read this post? Just say "I did" in the comments under anonymous.

This blog has been a complete failure.

Excerpts of Stalingrad [ 2 ]

These excerpts are mainly from the part of the book over Operation Blue, the German offensive in the spring and summer of 1942 in the Ukraine and southern Russia.

"Several German panzer divisions also encountered a new form of unconventional weapon during this [outside of Moscow] fighting. They found Russian dogs running towards them with a curious-looking saddle holding a load on top with a short upright stick. At first the panzer troops thought that they must be first-aid dogs, but then they realized that the animals had explosives or anti-tank mines strapped to them. These "mine-dogs", trained on Pavlovian principles, had been taught to run under large vehicles to obtain their food. The stick, catching against the underside, would detonate the charge. Most of the dogs were shot before they reached their target, but this macabre tactic had an unnerving effect" page 35

"Field Marshal von Reichenau's notorious order to the Sixth Army of 10 October 1941, which was supported by Field Marshal von Rundstedt, quite clearly makes the Wehrmacht chain of command jointly responsible for the atrocities against the Jews and civilians in the Ukraine. "In the eastern theatre of war, the soldier is not only a man fighting in accordance with the rules of war, but also the ruthless standard-bearer of a national ideal and the avenger of all the bestialities perpetrated of the German peoples. For this reason the soldier must fully appreciate the necessity for the severe but just retribution that must be meted out to the subhuman species of Jewry." Their duty was to "free the German people forever from the Jewish-Asiatic threat"..." page 56

"For those who reached prisoner-of-war camps alive, the chance of survival turned out to be not much better than one in three. Altogether, over three million Red Army soldiers out of 5.7 million died in German camps from disease, exposure, starvation and ill-treatment. The German Army itself, not the SS nor any other Nazi organization was responsible for prisoners of war. Its attitude was reminiscent of Kaiser Wilhelm II's remark in 1914 that the 90,000 Russian prisoners captured at Tannenberg "should be left to starve"..." page 59

"[General Walther von] Seydlitz had arrived that afternoon by air from Konigsberg, where he had snatched a few days' leave with his wife, before taking over command of LI Corps under Paulus. When he and his wife had said goodbye at the airfield, they never imagined, "that is was a farewell for almost fourteen years"..." page 63

"The fighting which resulted, a gradual compression of over a quarter million Soviet troops, led to unusual situations. According to a senior NCO in the 389th Infantry Division, his grenadier regiment found itself in a merciless battle with what he described as a "bandit battalion" of women soldiers, commanded by a redhead. "The fighting methods of these female beasts showed itself in treacherous and dangerous ways. They lie concealed in heaps of straw, and shoot us in the back when we pass by"..." page 66

Beevor, Antony. Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943. Penguin Books: New York, New York, 1998.

Excerpts of Stalingrad [ 1 ]

Stalingrad - The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943, is one of the most compelling books I have ever read. Years ago I had to read, for school and college, most of the time is was fairly dull reading. After college I lived alone for a while, with no dish TV and no Internet. I played some computer games and read two books by Antony Beever. The Fall of Berlin was the other.

A few weeks ago we lost power for about 20 hours so I started reading Stalingrad again at a pace of about 5-10 pages a night. I could make better progress if I just sat for a full evening or two, it is not easy to sit and read like a novel, there is much information to absorb. I have been taking time noting certain information that I am going to share on here. Some of it I find fascinating and some of it disturbing, in the end I think it is all important.

*"During that night of 21 June [1941], the diplomats in Berlin and Moscow could only guess what was happening along the frontier that separated them. Never had foreign ministries been so redundant. Some 3,050,000 German troops, with other pro-Axis armies bringing the total to four million men, awaited the invasion of the Soviet Union from Finland to the Black Sea. "The world will hold its breath!" Hitler had declared at a planning session several months before...

In the 24th Panzer Division, for example, Captain von Rosenback-Lepinski is said to have told his motorcycle recon battalion: "The war with Russia will last only four weeks." Such confidence was, in many ways, understandable. Even foreign Intel services expected the Red Army to collapse. The Wehrmacht had assembled the largest invasion force ever seen, with 3,350 tanks, around 7,000 field guns and over 2,000 aircraft...the Wehrmacht famed for its Blitzkrieg, also depended on over 600,000 horses to tow guns and ration wagons...

Hitler's plans of subjugation and exploitation could only strengthen the "rotten structure" [Hitler believed Russian was a rotten structure, which if you crash in the front door the whole thing will crumble down] by forcing even those who loathed the Stalinist regime to support it. Stalin and the apparatus of the Communist Party quickly recognized the need to shift their rhetoric away from Marxist-Leninist cliches. The phrase "The Great Patriotic War" appeared in a headline in the first issue of Pravda to appear after the invasion, and Stalin himself soon took up this deliberate evocation of the Patriotic War against Napoleon...

The infantry divisions, which composed the bulk of the army, were marching up to forty miles a day, their jackboots roasting in the summer heat. The Landser, or infantryman, carried about fifty-five pounds of equipment, including steel helmet, rifle, ammunition and entrenching tool. His canvas and leather pack contained a mess tin, canteen, an Esbit field stove, a combined spoon and fork in aluminium, rifle cleaning kit, spare clothes, tent pegs and poles, field dressing, sewing kit, razor, soap and Vulkan Sanex condoms, even though carnal relations with civilians were officially forbidden..."

*Beevor, Antony. Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943. Penguin Books: New York, New York, 1998.

Apocalypse Man

A terrific show with lots of potential is "Apocalypse Man" from the History Channel. So far there is only one episode that aired this month. I hope for more but even if it only comes to the pilot it has risen my awareness several notches.

Rudy Reyes is a former Recon Marine who in the past decade has spent 3 tour of duties over seas. On this show he demonstrates several ways to survive and make the most out of resources in the event of a world apocalyptic disaster.

Reyes makes a fire with steel wool, shows how to syphon gas with a bike pump, and how to make on the fly field brewed bio-diesel. He also gives ideas on how to obtain information in a powerless world and how to open communication with others. For me I find it important how he indicates that if martial law happens, you need to know how to deal with people on your terms.

Try it out, check your listings. I have the DVR set to record any episodes, I can only hope for a few more, it really is the most interesting show I have seen in a while.

Impartial Mediation

For several weeks now I have wanted to write about many topics. From football to the non-existent fall harvest to politics and music and porcelain tile. It is one thing to sit around and have many ideas going on in my head it is another thing to type out exactly what I want to express. Rarely, if ever, can that be done to get my view across.

Sometimes I question the overall "Validity" of my site. It could be used in a manner to bring about awareness of issues that affect agriculture. It could be entirely a ridiculous site full of made up news, I did that years ago with a homepage at geocities. I could just blog about overall immature computer gaming that I do in the evenings. I could make it a combination of many things. In the end I wonder if anyone who might be reading this cares. Maybe whether or not "they" or "you" care it should only matter if I care. Ultimately I do. I then run into the same problem that my wife has with her blog. Judgement.

With a basic audience of a few, and I really mean few friends and even fewer family, what can I write about or post that would spark a morsel of interest. I have 2 listed followers. I can post all types of shit that I feel is interesting but do any of the readers here actually care? What if I write all crazy about ethics, religion, politics...would the views I share distance some of the few readers I have? Or perhaps the views I have might be equally shared among some readers.

The bottom line is that the feeling of being "judged" does influence what I post. Some topics I really don't care how people feel about. Like my babe and cougar of the month feature. It is mostly done for entertainment and it also forces me to update my site. The same is true for use-less babble like Fallout 3 character playthroughts. My wife reads them. That's about it. I assume others role their eyes. Some topics I have been reluctant to touch. Those pesky sensitive issues like gay-marriage and health care and foreign wars. I usually figure that people get enough of that from the news, or that my opinion maybe disliked or perhaps just surprising. I also run the risk of self arraignment on a very small degree, but people can change views over time. For example, a decade ago I was full fever in favor of the death penalty, today I feel the system has serious flaws and do no agree to it.

I have found a possible solution to this dilemma. Impartial Mediation. Which is defined as:
Impartiality is a principle that decisions should be based on objective criteria, rather than on the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring the benefit to one person over another for improper reasons. While Mediation, in a broad sense, consists of a cognitive process of reconciling mutually interdependent, opposed terms as what one could loosely call "an interpretation" or "an understanding of".

With this, I can post whatever I feel like and not have to worry about being judged. Well of course I will still be judged but that lies more in the individual reader than the audience as a whole. If I present my views and feelings using impartial mediation then a vast number of readers will at least respect my opinions, with this their judgement becomes null.

Basically, if I want to post the Husker offense sucks I can. I just need objective criteria, independent of bias, with controlled understanding and explanation of why they suck. If I want to post why Barack Obama is a communist, I just need objective criteria, independent of bias, with controlled understanding and explanation of why I think he is a communist. If I want to post why George Bush is a complete idiot, I just need objective criteria, independent of bias, with controlled understanding and explanation of why he is a complete idiot.

The only problem is...I have already know how to solve this, I just need to implement it.

World In Conflict

As I had mentioned months ago, World In Conflict is a fictional game based on a Cold War that turns hot in the late 1980's. The story of it was written by Tom Clancy, but the most enjoyment offered is through online cooperative play. You join a side, either as Russia or as NATO/USA.

You battle on a variety of detailed maps for command points and domination. You play as a team, up to 8 v 8 games. There are 4 different combat roles to play, so each team must balance the roles and adapt. The roles include Infantry, Armor, Air, and Support. I can play all fairly well except Air. You also earn tactical aid points which you spend on a variety of aids. If you are pestered by infantry troops in an urban region you can call in a chemical strike, or have an A-10 rip tanks apart with cannon shot. Napalm a forest to clear the way for tanks, or call in the most expensive aid-the tactical nuke.

Age 3: part 4

Spain- Have good hand infantry and cavalry available, and are flexible early in the game due to their faster Home City shipments. The Spanish explorer can train War Dogs since the Discovery Age, when soldiers are not trainable. Their unique units are the Rodelero, Lancer and Missionary.

British- Build Manors, which are 35% more expensive than normal houses, but spawn one free settler each upon construction, instead of the usual houses; this speeds up early game construction and gathering. Their military is more focused on the later game, with a stronger economy in the early game. Their unique units are the Longbowman, which boast the longest range in the game, and Rocket.

French- Train Coureurs des bois, stronger villagers which may eventually double as infantry. This civilization can have many shipments related to Natives, and so it is the strongest at forging native alliances. The French train the strongest cavalry unit of the game, the Cuirassier. Their unique units are the Cuirassier and the Coureur des Bois.

Portuguese- Receive a free covered wagon on each age advancement, which can build a free town center. This civilization has extra exploring facilities, such as the option of shipping additional explorers and the "spyglass" ability which can reveal unexplored territory. They have a balanced military, which is supplemented by a strong navy. Their unique units are the Cassador and Organ gun.

Dutch- Settlers cost coin instead of food, making them dependent on this resource from the very start of the game; this disadvantage is, however, countered with the revenue produced by Banks, coin-generating buildings unique to the Dutch. Their unique units are the Envoy, Ruyter and Fluyt.

Russians- Train numerous units in groups, speeding up production—especially early in the game. This gives them the capacity to overwhelm other players with their large armies, which are supplemented by the low cost of their military and, for the most basic units, a weaker army unless strenght in numbers. Their unique units are the Strelet, Cossack and Oprichnik.

Germans- Represent all of the Central European kingdoms of the time and start out with settler wagons instead of the normal European settlers. The German Home City ships settler wagons which are equivalent to two regular settlers. Their military develops steadily because Uhlan cavalry are given as a bonus along with most shipments. Also, the Germans can ship mercenaries sooner than any other civilization. Their unique units are the Doppelsoldner, Uhlan, War Wagon and Settler Wagon.

Ottoman- Economy is slow but constant, due to the fact that settlers are continually produced automatically at no cost but have the disadvantage of having limited settler production. The Ottoman military makes heavy use of artillery units, many of them unique, such as the Great Bombard, the most powerful artillery unit in the game. The Ottomans lack light infantry: the only infantry they can train is the Janissary, a more powerful type of musketeer. Their unique units are the Janissary, Abus Gun, Spahi, Great Bombard, Galley and Imam. The Ottomans specialize in early game combat because of their quick gain in economy.

Iroquois- War Chief boosts hitpoints of nearby units, have Travois, which can build most buildings for free. They start with one Travois. They also have a unique Founder Dance in the fire pit which spawns Travois. They also receive a Travois or two on each age advancement. Entire army is unique, most ranks are filled with Tomahawks and Forest Prowler infantry.

Sioux- War Chief boosts speed of nearby units, starts with 200 population slots automatically, but cannot build walls. Have unique Teepees, to provide a little health bonus and damage bonus to nearby, friendly units. Very nomadic civ that can move very freely with very few structures. Horse heavy units include Axe Riders and Rifle Riders. Dog Soldiers are powerful cavarly trained at a firepit ceremony.

Aztecs- War Chief bonus doubles experience gained in combat by nearby units, have warrior priests that can heal or firepit dance. They start with one Warrior Priest. Very good at farming and fishing. War canoes can control water very well and with priests available early they can thrive economically. They only train infantry units, but have several warriors and knights filling specific combat roles.

India- This civilization has no villager cards at the Home City, but they receive one villager with almost every shipment. All villagers that are not shipped from the Home City cost wood instead of food. Villagers are also not allowed to harvest livestock for food, but instead can build a structure called a Sacred Field which will generate experience points whenever livestock are tasked to it. Sepoys, Gurkha and Rajputs are the primary infantry units, and India has several types of camel and elephant cavalry. Both of India's monks ride atop elephants and can heal other units from the start of the game.

China- The Chinese get only one monk along with a disciple at the start of the game, the monk is the only 'explorer unit' who can train military units (trains disciples) during the "discovery age" and has the largest attack points compared to any other monk or explorer. The Chinese have a higher population limit than all the other civilizations; up to 220 population points, rather than the usual 200. Additionally, their military units are trained in blocks, much like the Russians, except that each block trains two different unit types in Banner Armies.

Japan- This civilization has the Daimyo and Shogun units. Japanese villagers cannot gather food via herding or hunting, but can build shrines near huntable and herdable animals to gain a slow trickle of food, wood, or coin. The shrines also act as houses, supporting 10 population units. They have the unique ability to ship most cards twice. They can field a very strong army consisting of Yumi archers, Ashigaru musketeers and flaming arrow siege units, and of course Samurai.

Age 3: part 3

In Age of Empires 3 you gather resources in your virtual world. There are dozens of possible locations that a random game can be played on. The most popular is The Great Plains, due to the large open spaces for building, good natives to ally with and hoards of buffalo to hunt. The detailed geography of each map was well done. You can play anywhere in the New World and Orient from Indochina to New England to California to the Patagonia to the Yukon. Each map has certain characteristics that might help or hinder your preferred strategy. You really have to adapt to be successful.

At the beginning of each game you start with a Town Center, a New World Explorer and some colonists who collect resources. You also start with a small amount of supplies in crates. The amount of stuff you have and number of villagers varies for each civilization. Usually it is around 5-7 villagers and maybe 500-1000 in total resources.

Food: Gathered by hunting, foraging for berries, fishing and farming. Livestock such as cattle and sheep can also provide food. Food is needed to train most units and is essential to your colonies survial.

Wood: Gathered slower than other resources, is need to build structures and upgrade units. It is also important for training units like Crossbowmen and Pikemen. It is collected by chopping trees.

Coin: Gathered from mines and from plantations. The more wealth you have the more improved your army and colony grows. It is also integral for bribing foreign mercenaries to fight in your battles.

XP: Experience is gathered through building and fighting. The more XP you get the more influence your Home City- the base of which your settlement receives aid- can provide to your new colony. They might be able to send additional villagers, shipments of resources or military troops and improvements. Sometimes a well timed home city shipment could mean the survival of your colony.

All resources and XP can be gained at Trade Posts. Trade posts are sturctures that you must build at pre-determined locations on a map. Some maps have several posts, others have very few or none. Trade posts are also built at native villages to provide military aid or other helpful aids. All resources can be generated at Factories later in the game. Factories are available from a home city shipment once your colony advances to the Industrial Age.