Broken Arrow, OK Weather

For starters, I've just released a song called "Ant Farm Melee" to my Bandcamp account. You can read all about it on my latest blog post. Please grab a copy of the song today!

It's been...almost two years since the last thread died, so...yeah.

So, since the last thread post, I got a Nintendo Switch and a few games for it: "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate", "Tears of the Kingdom", the "Mega Man Battle Network Collection Volume 1" and "...Volume 2", "Little Kitty, Big City", "Echoes of Wisdom", and "Splatoon 3" and its DLC. My brother also got "Pokemon Violet" and its DLC, so that's a bundle of fun as well.

Smash Ultimate, I've unlocked all the fighters and spirits, beat story mode, and occasionally come back to it to make a new stage or play against my brother.

Tears of the Kingdom is fun. Being able to build all sorts of fun contraptions to zip around the map, like a car or a hoverbike, is just...it's so fun. If I had any criticisms, it's minor things with writing, and that's it.

Echoes of Wisdom was another fun Zelda game. Playing as Princess Zelda for a change and being able to copy several overworld objects and enemies to basically treat the overworld as a puzzle unto itself. Meanwhile it has the most insane lore drops.

Mega Man Battle Network 2 was the first Mega Man game I ever played, and 6 was even more fun, so getting the full collection means I can enjoy both plus everything I missed for the other four games in the series. Currently still working on the first game.

I...haven't opened Little Kitty, Big City yet. I don't know why. It's an adorable game where you play as a cat. Why haven't I started it up yet? What's wrong with me?

Pokemon proves to be just as fun as expected. I'm not sticking with the planned team I had in mind, though, but rather rotating out who I'm using for the next badge. I did manage to get a Zorua for the first time, so that makes me happy.

Splatoon is my current obsession, though. I've picked out two weapons to stick with, beat the DLC and keep going back to it for funsies, having a blast in Salmon Run, and even dabbled in Tableturf because why not.

Overall, I'm having fun. I'll put up more specifics about one thing or another later.

Now, back to the topic at hand.

I picked up my second filling of Brintellix yesterday—all $141 of it, for a month's supply. I find it odd that it is an antidepressant, yet the price is so high that it is depressing just to purchase it.

As for its effects, I'm still getting used to them. I haven't been able to sleep for more than three hours at a time for a couple of weeks now. When I do wake up in the middle of the night, I'm not groggy. In fact, I feel for at least a short time that I've had a decent night's sleep. That sensation only lasts a few hours, though. I don't crash out—I just sort of fade to the point where I need to sleep again. Very weird.

I've also lost weight. Not a lot, but every pound counts, and it's been a slow and steady drop. Some of this might be related to the small dose of metformin that I'm on (my A1C hit 6.5 again, causing my primary doctor to freak out). I seriously don't know. Whatever the reason, it made my cardiologist happy at my appointment yesterday.

Speaking of cardiologists, mine determined that I am status quo as far as my PVCs are concerned. He hasn't seen them in the short 30-second EKGs he runs at every appointment, but the memory of my Holter monitor results from several years ago is enough to keep him on his toes. Still, he saw no reason to increase my lisinopril or to add a beta blocker to my shoebox full of medicines.

I hope this thread will be as useful as the last one was. Thanks for any support you can provide.

No, what's annoying is that his cell phone went off, playing just the first eight notes of Bach's Minuet in G.  Anyone who has ever taken piano lessons will know this piece.  And I had it stuck in my head for at least an hour, with periodic relapses since.

Aren't cell phones bad enough without people putting earworms on them???

Took antihistamines with my normal morning drugs and no current headache.  Going to finish breakfast and my cat photo stuff, then may dive in.

I am currently ingesting Crystal Light tea. Just had some hummus & pita chips beforehand. I'm considering getting a glass of Bulgarian buttermilk (I was shocked that my local Albertson's actually had the Bulgarian style! Nom.).

One of my favorite review quotes ever came from a Verity! episode, describing Clara's influence on the Doctor.  Something along the lines of, "Donna showed how sometimes, the Doctor needs someone to tell him when to stop.  Clara has taken the brakes off and is going WHEEEEE!!!!"

Once again, however, I must stress that it will be very strictly monitored. Adherence to the forum courtesy rules will be enforced with especial care here. This is a particularly contentious topic and no flames, personal attacks, scandalmongering nor slurs of any kind will be permitted. People have a great range of opinions and while it is hard to remain calm and civil at times we should nevertheless strive for that to the best of our ability. Use of particularly offensive terms about other posters (including but not limited to 'RWNJ', 'SJW', 'Nazi' and others) will result in immediate warning points.

We had some good and beneficial discussions on the old thread and largely managed to remain civil and respectful. I hope we can accomplish the same here. Remember: do not post here in the heat of anger and always keep in mind that your fellow posters are people, too.

Last point: as in the old thread, when I do post here it will be in my capacity as moderator only. It will be easier for me to moderate here if I do not allow myself to become personally involved. While I do have a political bias, I will do my best to not let it affect me. And remember that as always, you have a right of appeal to the admins if I make a decision you disagree so much with that you find it unacceptable.

The Old Hack

Not a whole lot of TOS cast left, William Shatner, George Takei, and Walter Koenig.

Twelve minutes long video. Worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aBaTkSAJRM

Recently I started to think about the use of conscripted troops versus volunteers, training and equipment (or absence thereof), and situations they are deployed in. (Disclaimer: I myself was a volunteer and I personally find the use of conscripts highly problematic. Still, I can see that there are times where grim necessity may compel their use.) All else being equal, volunteers tend to be superior to conscripts. But there are situations where conscripts may function quite serviceably. This happens if:

1. They are well motivated, for example if deployed in defence of their homeland.
2. They receive a decent amount of training.
3. They receive equipment and munitions that are if not necessarily modern at least capable of keeping up.
4. They are not used beyond what may be reasonably expected of them. (Holding a pre-prepared defensive line is good. Frontal assaults, not so much.)

This is all of course subject to change. Conscripts may also battle harden, for example, and as time passes, they may gain in capabilities and receive better training. And taking time to build their morale is never a bad idea.

Unfortunately not all leaders have the foresight to use conscripts in such a way. In a certain war I do not think I need to name one side has found itself being driven out from areas it seized in the opening months of the conflict. It has suffered painful losses in equipment and experienced troops and the morale of its troops is... not good. The Great Leader of this side has determined that the correct response is to engage in, shall we say, a leveé en masse, in which a large number of civilians is conscripted into fighting. Few of these have had any active military experience for years, some of them have never been trained. They are being shipped to the front line in a haphazard way, their organization is poor, they have a desperate shortage of NCOs and what equipment they do have available is old if not obsolescent. (I must point out that 'obsolescent' is not quite the same as 'obsolete.' An aging bolt rifle might fairly be considered obsolescent. A muzzle-loading smoothbore musket? Probably obsolete.)

The scenario they are headed for is not a happy one. They are facing a smaller but much better motivated and trained army largely consisting of volunteers, one with half a year of battle hardening to bolster it. Its leadership is superior and they are riding high on a wave of recent victories. They are pushing their opposition back and have momentum on their side. I am having trouble seeing any scenario in which the conscript forces, large numbers notwithstanding, is headed for anything but disaster. If their leaders do have the foresight to have them prepare a defensive line and attempt to hold it, that might help. Some.

I can see only two hopes for these hapless conscripts. One, the weather might provide it with some cover; autumn rains might turn the fighting zone into a morass of mud and temporarily slow or halt fighting. This might buy them time to train and get at least some improved weaponry. Two, there could be agreement on an armistice or a peace. The latter is hard to see happening but I do not wish to rule it out.

I'm interested in hearing the opinions of other posters, if you can either spot any mistakes I have made or if you can add anything. Discussion of different scenarios in which conscripts are employed would be very welcome.

Lastly, this is a general thread for discussion of matters military, be they real life, speculative fiction, wargames and computer games. Go nuts. Humor is also welcome.

Thank you all for your attention.

~tOH.

Go here: https://dleejackson.lbjackson.com/2026/04/original-novel-posted-for-download-tapper/

Let me know if it's any good or not. Thanks.

Spoiler

What TV Tropes would refer to as Babies Ever After!  Quite satisfying, especially for Lady Edith. Now, we just need to find a nice boyfriend for Barrow....

I could more easily see just dialog and no cartoon, the drawings look like they are shipped in from an overseas sweat shop.

Kind of clever, maybe 4 stars out of five.