Kate’s Cooking: fun with vegetables and an interesting salad

Hello everyone and my apologies for a week’s delay in this column. I have had a very rare bad cold which I don’t think was the flu. Although I must say that I went to have an H1N1 flu shot and within a week had gone down with this ghastly cold. I have not had a serious cold since 1998 – I rarely get them. However all is well now and onward and upward with the columns I write. I must say it is gratifying to have my cats all curl up with me in bed although I get the short end of the stick as far as bed space is concerned.


Today I have given you two yummy recipes – both use great vegetables and fruit and the salad is an interesting mix. For those of you who like aubergines (eggplant) then you will just love the stuffed aubergine recipe. I like to encourage the growing of vegetables and all vegetables used in these recipes can be grown in a normal garden or large garden pots.

STUFFED AUBERGINES (eggplant)

4 medium-sized eggplants
2 peppers (any color – mixed colors look nice)
2 small onions
¼ cup butter or margarine (approx.)
1 to 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (preferably grain bread)
1 cup grated cheese of choice
ground black pepper

**remove the stalks from the eggplants and cook in boiling water for about 15 minutes – drain and put in cool water until they can be handled easily. In the meantime, remove the stalks and seeds from the peppers. Reserve about ½ a pepper and chop the rest into fairly small pieces. Peel and chop the onions into fairly small pieces. Melt the butter or margarine in a pan and add the peppers and onions and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and cheese and pepper and set aside for the moment. Halve the eggplants and scoop out the flesh and chop and add to the onion/pepper mix. Fill the eggplant shells with the vegetable mix and arrange on a greased ovenproof dish or tray and cook in a moderately hot oven for about ½ an hour. Slice the reserved pepper in long thinnish slices and place across the eggplants before you put them in the oven. This is a delicious dish - enjoy.

PPP SALAD

This is an interesting salad which I like. Instead of using traditional mayonnaise you might like to use a dressing of choice. I particularly like a dressing called Light Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette which is made by a company called Wishbone. It is not expensive and very useful for a myriad of cooking recipes especially for a rice flavoring. All amounts of ingredients used in this salad are approximate and can be changed by personal choice. This salad is nice served in individual lettuce leaves as an accompaniment to white meat. Chill for a while before serving.

1 generous cup of diced, cooked potatoes
½ cup smaller pineapple pieces
½ cup green peas (cooked or not)
½ cup diced cucumber (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (of choice)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of chopped Italian parsley
Mayonnaise or vinaigrette
Parsley or watercress for garnish (optional)

**mix together the first six ingredients. Mix a little mayonnaise or vinaigrette and serve adding garnish - if desired.

NOTE: this salad can be served hot – it is really quite nice but don’t over cook it. Enjoy.

Well, that’s it for today. Keep well and happy and safe out there.

Happy cooking – Kate.

Chatter With Kate: A STRANGE RESPITE FROM THE PESKY POLITICIANS

I am spending this Saturday catching up with my columns. For the last 10 days or so I have been coping with a bad cold (I don’t think it was the flu!) which for me is a very rare thing. The last time I can recall having a cold that sent me to my bed was in 1998. In a somewhat mysteriously quirky way I got this cold within a week of having my H1N1 shot. I need a holiday and some serious RandR. My poor husband had a week’s vacation time last week and spent it looking after me. Bless his heart – he makes a great nurse! We are supposed to be getting ready to move to a new town and we seem to be having a series of setbacks, namely the bad cold, a tax return which we were hoping would give us some traveling money and it turned out to be the grand total of $9.46 wow!! – however, we will persevere and march onwards. I looked at the pesky politicians on CNN pretending to be civilized (at times) and thought I just can’t be bothered with them and dealing with a cold. Don’t get me wrong here, I think CNN do an excellent job with their news and I particularly like their Situation Room. So I turned on to the Create Channel and my favourite chefs and I even took a look at the ‘Price is Right’ which I hadn’t looked at for a very long time and was truly fascinated at the interesting human behaviour I witnessed. I suppose though, in these difficult economic times, to win a car or a bedroom of furniture or a trip is enough to make one leap around the stage and clean everyone’s ears out with loud screams. My husband said ‘I wonder if they are thinking about the tax on their winnings?’ Why is it that when you find yourself having to go to bed if you are unwell that all the cats manage to find a space on the bed and snore their heads off and only wake up when you get up to use the bathroom or get a drink and then they all follow you and supervise and return to the bed and juggle themselves around so that they!!! fit in and you are left with the least space. I truly love our cats – a bunch of previously abandoned beauties that have been with us for a long time (the eldest is coming up 18 years). Our 18 year old is the big boss lady in our family. Her right paw makes Rocky Balboa look like an amateur. I periodically threaten to get a dog and am just met with several pairs of eyes with blank looks. I swear that our ShooShoo understands English – whenever I say something she always answers and the others look at her and look at me and think ‘oh yeah, whatever’. So now that I’m well and truly on the mend, I may take a look at those pesky politicians next week and see if they have learnt to work together – my husband (also a writer) just said ‘you’ve got to be kidding’.

I bow to his deference. Take care out there and keep well and safe

Until next time, cheers from Kate.

Kapact's Rant: FAIR The Free American Independent Rant

This column is called the Free American Independent Rant for a reason, and I'd like to talk about that. First off, leftist love-fest "Air America" RIP and good riddance. You failed not because conservative talk radio is too powerful. You failed because you were boring, and you were wrong. You were more like "Err America".


Freedom is not a sarcastic bumpersticker catch phrase, it's an idea. It's salvation for the country and the world. It's a shining city on a hill. It's the right and the responsibility to speak out against corrupt, incompetent power-mongers determined to rob us of our sovereignty, ride roughshod over the hard work of our Founding Fathers, and shove illegal experiments down our throats. Freedom is what helps us to survive arrogant socialist bank-owned community organizers and entrenched gangs of thugs. Freedom is our life's blood.

America needs no explanation. It will survive two consecutive weak presidents. It will survive the worst Congress it has ever seen, because WE THE PEOPLE are smart and hard-working and honest. We aren't perfect. We make mistakes. We get fooled sometimes, and we buy into crazy schemes. But we don't stay fooled forever. We all even essentially agree on most of the challenges and issues facing our country. And we don't tolerate people who treat us like ignorant, gullible children.

Independent means we don't allow ourselves to be pushed around by political parties. Joe Lieberman, once the Democratic's choice for vice president, is one of the most courageous and principled Americans representing us. Because he's independent. And because he's independent, his party tried to push him out. Joe is still in Congress, still serving this great country. And why? Because he's independent. And so are we. I'm a conservative. Always have been, always will be. But I support the rights of gays to marry. Whatever my opinion of it, it doesn't hurt me, nor will it hurt this country. What will hurt the country is hanging signs on our doors saying who need not apply. And that includes allowing gays to step up to the altar and proclaim their love for each other. On another subject, while I don't want my tax dollars to pay for elective abortions, I also don't want the Federal government putting its clumsy, intrusive hands into the abortion issue. Abortion is a moral issue, and our government is not qualified to teach morals. Let it be decided by the people and the states. So how can I be for gay marriage rights and abortion rights and call myself conservative? Because I'm independent. I don't let my party tell me what to believe. This country wasn't founded on the principle of restricting people, nor was it founded on the principle of marching in lockstep with a distant tyrant. Or party chairman.

The rant is something that many would like to silence. Our secretary of state once cautioned that there were no 'gate-keepers' on the internet. That is a pretty simple concept. She thinks that there should be a controlling authority to verify everything put online. That is called censorship, and it is, quite frankly, chilling.

Here are some of her words, while we can still put them online:

On the subject of Health Care:

"We just can't trust the American people to make these types of decisions. .Government has to make these choices for people." -Hillary Clinton circa 1993, speaking to Rep. Dennis Hastert on the issue of who should control the allocation of money in her health care reform plan

The Free Market:

"The unfettered free market has been the most radically disruptive force in American life in the last generation." -Hillary Clinton

Freedom of the Press:

"We're all going to have to rethink how we deal with the Internet. As exciting as these new developments are, there are a number of serious issues without any kind of editing function or gate-keeping function." -First Lady Hillary Clinton, in 1998, days after the Monica Lewinsky story was reported on the Drudge Report

Taxes:

"We're saying that for American to get back on track, we're going to cut [the Bush tax cuts] short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." -Hillary Clinton, in a 2004 fundraising speech to wealthy liberals in San Francisco

Big Government:

"We can't afford to have that money go to the private sector. The money has to go to the federal government because the federal government will spend that money better than the private sector will spend it." -First Lady Hillary Clinton, in 1993, regarding health care reform

Religion:

"I have to confess that it's crossed my mind that you could not be a Republican and a Christian from time to time." -First Lady Hillary Clinton, "joking" in a speech with religious leaders in 1997

(These quotes were compiled by Thomas Kuiper, who is the author of "I've Always Been a Yankees Fan: Hillary Clinton In Her Own Words.")

The point of all this is to point out, to shout from the rooftops, to rant against this. And these horrible things came from one of the least frightening people in the administration.

The Free American Independent Rant is all about refusing to bend. Refusing to be silent. Refusing to be catagorized or edited or pushed around by a corrupt incompetent government or party system.

Fantasy Trek: Summary of Events Stardate 0210.17

Quick Start Play:




If you'd like to be able to jump right in to see if you like this game, you might want to try a few rounds of Simple Combat. The Simple Combat Game is a way for you to quickly resolve combat between vessels, or fleets of vessels. This is useful if you are playing a scenario or campaign that involves more than a few ships. Otherwise a simple scenario could take weeks to play through.



It is useful to keep a copy of the Simple Combat Template. This makes it possible to copy and paste the basics of your bit of 'paperwork', add however many ships you may need to, and change or insert ship names. Here is a very basic template (there are more in the files):



IKS rolls: o/d

USS rolls: o/d

Result:

IKS damage /15

USS damage /15



The first section is for points rolled (1d6 result times the appropriate multiplier), and how the points are allocated (offense/defense). The second "Result" section shows the calculated damage. In the case of basic AI ships, the damage potential is 15.. so you would indicate 5 points damage with 5/15. Pretty simple.



If you are playing a single player game, roll a 1d6 to see who 'wins the toss'. If you roll a 1-3, you do. Then you roll the 1d6 for your opponent first. Allocate available points according to this multiplier chart:



2 (DS) Defense Sat/(FR)Freighter X1

3 (FF) Frigate X4

4 (DD) DestroyerX6

5 (CL) Light Cruiser X8

6 (CA) Heavy Cruiser X10

7 (CC) Command Cruiser X12

8 (BCH) Heavy Battlecruiser X15

9 (DN) Dreadnought X20

10 (BB) Battleship X22

11 (CV)Carrier X25

12 (STB ) Starbase/ (BS)Base Station X50/75 (reroll, 50/50)



Here is an example of simple combat between the Klingon heavy cruiser Perseus and the Sha'kurian heavy cruiser Count: In this case, I won the toss, playing as the Perseus. That meant that I had to roll and allocate for the Sha'kurian first. (The point of all this 'coin tossing' is to add randomness to the gameplay in the single player game. It puts the luxury of being able to react to your opponent's first move on a totally random footing. And of course, whoever rolled second first time rolls first the next. Compare it to the coin toss to determine who receives the kickoff in a football game ) That first roll was a 6 (on a 1d6), for 60 points. Acting for the Shakurian, I decided to play it safe, putting it all on defense. As it turned out, the caution was unnecesary. The Klingon only rolled a 1.



IKS Perseus rolls:10 0o/10d

SRS Count rolls:60 0o/60d

Result:

IKS Perseus damage 0/25

SRS Count damage 0/15



For the next volley, the Klingon ship took its turn rolling first. It rolled a "3", for 30 points, and put them all on defense. It didn't save him, because the Count rolled a 6.



IKS Perseus rolls:30 0o/30d

SRS Count rolls:60 60o/d

Result:

IKS Perseus destroyed

SRS Count damage 0/15



You'll note that the Perseus is able to take 25 points of damage. That is because all of my play has given me a "Elite" rating. The increased available points is one of the benefits of that. For details, see "Experience Points: How to Get Them and What They Get You". If you want to take it a step further, you can capture ships using Simple Combat. You have to cause 10 points of damage to lower the enemy shields, then transport over. Ah, but to so that you have to lower your own shields. Do that by giving yourself (just for the 'transport' volley) 10 points damage. A bit tricky, with careful timing involved, but a great tactic. And of course, as new races are added to Fantasy Trek, there will be a few necessary variations to these rules (i.e. Tholian Webs).



So what to do with all of this? As I said, the Simple Combat Game is ideal for extended scenarios involving many ships in combat. For example, Head to Head Sector Assault was written with Simple Combat in mind:



Rules

The goal is to conquer and hold all 5 systems.



In order to do this, you must conquer (in order, 1 through 5), and sufficiently defend all systems while denying your enemy access to those same systems. Reduce the enemy fleet sufficiently to prevent them from building a shipyard, and stop/destroy enough enemy convoys to deny random reinforcements sufficient to threaten your shipyards. You must also attain a minimum of 13 points (see 'Victory Conditions' below)



System Conquest:

Regardless of whether a system has been taken by enemy forces, you will face a random-sized enemy fleet upon first arrival in a new system. Roll 1d6 for size of enemy fleet, then subtract any applicable random fleet disadvantage (see below). If the size of the enemy fleet is less than the random fleet disadvantage, then there is no contact. Then use appropriate simple combat template. All surviving ships retain damage but can move and fight until destroyed. They can only be repaired by remaining in place for two turns (subject to random enemy attack each turn-50% chance of random attack. 1d6:1-3=no contact. 4-6=attacked) or by docking at shipyard for one turn (subject to random enemy attack, same odds as above). The system remains yours once you've defeated the initial fleet, but if left undefended, any attempt to conquer it will only be countered by a randomly generated fleet. You can (and should) choose to leave any combination of ships and/or a shipyard to defend it.



Open Space:

Enemy convoys will only be encountered in open spaces. Roll for encounter (1d6:1-3=contact). Then roll 1d6 for enemy escorts. 1-3= 1 CA escort. 4-6= 2 CA escorts. The random fleet disadvantage does not affect this. Random enemy convoy(s) must be stopped=at least 3/5 freighters destroyed or captured (5/15 damage and successful boarding party action), escorts destroyed or disabled (10/15 damage) in 5 volleys or less. Every convoy that is stopped decreases random enemy fleet size by one. This is the random fleet disadvantage. For every three freighters captured, your random fleet disadvantage is reduced by one. You will not encounter convoys in open spaces when you have conquered both adjacent systems



Shipyard:

Shipyards are recommended. They can only be built in systems that you hold (by destroying an initial assault fleet). Three starships must remain in system or open space area for three turns to build shipyard. During each turn 50% chance of random attack. (1d6:1d6:1-3=no contact. 4-6=attack, then roll 1d6 for size of enemy fleet. If the size of the enemy fleet is less than the random fleet disadvantage, then there is no contact.) LOS (line of sight) must be maintained to use or attack shipyard. Shipyard has X75 multiplier. Shipyard can construct replacement ships in 3 turns. While your fleet can not exceed 6 ships, additional ships built at shipyards do not count against this total. They cannot fight with full-sized fleets, but can supplement diminished fleets. The same rule applies to surviving random reinforcements. Since you must have a minimum of three ships to build a shipyard, it is recommended that you build at least one shipyard and at least two reserve ships just in case of unforseen losses. A fleet reduced to two ships and no shipyard to fall back would have little chance of victory.



If you want to register as a player, notify me through a comment on the

blogsite. I recommend keeping a record of your games played, as they add up to experience points that enrich your gaming experience.



Victory Conditions/Points-

Shipyards 5 (max)

Fleet size 6 (max)

Reinforcement capacity 6 (max)



You must conquer 5 systems and attain 13+ VC points



Templates (it is recommended that you keep a master copy of these, making working copies to modify suit your needs):



Klingon fleet vs Federation Fleet

KCA IKS Kandido rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Kurry rolls: o/d

KCA IKS DuranQo rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Ok'ran rolls: o/d

KCA IKS D'Han rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Glommer rolls: o/d

FCA USS Washington rolls: o/d

FCA USS Roosevelt rolls: o/d

FCA USS Cleveland rolls: o/d

FCA USS Detroit rolls: o/d

FCA USS Abraham Lincoln rolls: o/d

FCA USS Guadalcanal rolls: o/d

results

KCA IKS Kandido damage: /15

KCA IKS Kurry damage: /15

KCA IKS DuranQo damage: /15

KCA IKS Ok'ran damage: /15

KCA IKS D'Han damage: /15

KCA IKS Glommer damage: /15

FCA USS Washington damage: /15

FCA USS Roosevelt damage: /15

FCA USS Cleveland damage: /15

FCA USS Detroit damage: /15

FCA USS Abraham damage: /15

FCA USS Guadalcanal damage: /15



Klingon fleet versus Federation convoy with two escorts



KCA IKS Etlh rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Dk'tagh rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Bertaa rolls: o/d

KCA IKS BortaS rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Chang rolls: o/d

KCA IKS tIQ'etlh rolls: o/d

FCA USS Komack rolls: o/d

FCA USS Nogura rolls: o/d

Fr rolls: o/d

Fr2 rolls: o/d

Fr3 rolls: o/d

Fr4 rolls: o/d

Fr5 rolls: o/d

results

KCA IKS Etlh damage: /15

KCA IKS Dk'tagh damage: /15

KCA IKS Bertaa damage: /15

KCA IKS BortaS damage: /15

KCA IKS Chang damage: /15

KCA IKS tIQ'etlh damage: /15

FCA USS Komack damage: /15

FCA USS Nogura damage: /15

Fr1 damage: /15

Fr2 damage: /15

Fr3 damage: /15

Fr4 damage: /15

Fr5 damage: /15



Sample First Turn:



Turn 1)

(1209.13)

System 1: FCA USS Essex FCA USS Challenger FCA USS Tahir FCA USS Robau FCA USS Abrahms FCA USS Orci form Fed 1st Fleet (FF1). Contact: 4 KCA's *won toss. (1209.13) FCA USS Essex FCA USS Challenger FCA USS Tahir FCA USS Robau FCA USS Abrahms FCA USS Orci vs KCA IKS D'Qu KCA IKS NaQjej KCA IKS Ej'QuD KCA IKS Qaw'lu: Klingons destroyed. No damage to FF1.

System 5: KCA IKS Kandido KCA IKS Kurry KCA IKS DuranQo KCA IKS Ok'ran KCA IKS D'Han KCA IKS Glommer form Klingon 1st Fleet (KF1). Contact: 4 FCA's *won toss. (1209.13) KCA IKS Kandido KCA IKS Kurry KCA IKS DuranQo KCA IKS Ok'ran KCA IKS D'Han KCA IKS Glommer vs FCA USS Washington FCA USS Roosevelt FCA USS Cleveland FCA USS Detroit: Feds destroyed. No damage to KF1.





Games in Play:



"Eyes on the Prize" (see Dev notes for rules)

Turns 44 through 51.



The outcome was pretty much decided. Victorious Klingon forces smashed through Federation defenses and moved in to catch the Fed First Fleet as it returned home. The Feds built a second shipyard, but twelve Klingon ships destroyed the shipyard and smashed the Fed sheilds and captured the whole fleet, and the alien artifact with it. Honestly, though, the Feds' straight forward approach doomed them from the start. When and if I play this through again, the Feds will make things more difficult for the Klingons. Here are the final turn logs.



Turn 45)

(0210.05)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 9/18 (K23,24 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (c,10). KSY2 continues construct KF4 16/18 (K23,25 on station) (c,9). KSY3 continues construct KF5 16/18 (K24,26 on station) (c,10) IKF1 (IK1-15) moves to (c,7) IK1-15 vs FSY1, F13-18: FSY1, F13-18 destroyed. K1,9-15 destroyed. IK2-8 on station.

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF4 turn 3/18 FF3 (F13,14,15,16,17,18) remains on station (c,5) FF1(F1-6) moves to (f,10).



Turn 46)

(0210.05)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 10/18 (K23,24,25 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (c,11). KSY2 continues construct KF4 16/18 (K23,25 on station) (c,9). KSY3 continues construct KF5 16/18 (K24,26 on station) (c,10) IKF1 (IK2-8) moves to (c,6)

Federation: FF1(F1-6) remains on station, begins construct FSY2 turn 1/3 (f,10)



Turn 47)

(0210.06)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 11/18 (K23,24,25 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (d,10). KSY2 continues construct KF4 17/18 (K23,25 on station) (c,9). KSY3 continues construct KF5 17/18 (K24,26 on station) (c,10) IKF1 (IK2-8) moves to (d,7)

Federation: FF1(F1-6) remains on station, begins construct FSY2 turn 2/3 (f,10)



Turn 48)

(0210.06)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 12/18 (K23,24,25 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (d,10). KSY2 continues construct KF4 18/18 (K23,25 on station) (c,9). KSY3 continues construct KF5 18/18 (K24,26 on station) (c,10) IKF1 (IK2-8) moves to (e,8)

Federation: FF1(F1-6) remains on station, begins construct FSY2 turn 3/3 (f,10)



Turn 49)

(0210.06)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 13/18 (K23,24,25,26 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (e,9). KSY2 stops construction KF4 (K23,25,27) on station (c,9). KSY3 stops construction construct KF5 (K24,26,28) remains on station (c,10) IKF1 (IK2-8) moves to (e,9)

Federation: FF1(F1-6) remains on station, begins construct FSY2 turn 3/3 (f,10)



Turn 50)

(0210.06)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 14/18 (K23,24,25,26 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) joins IKF1 (e,9). KSY2 stops construction KF4 (K23,25,27) on station (c,9). KSY3 stops construction construct KF5 (K24,26,28) remains on station (c,10) IKF1 (IK2-8) combines with KF3: All ships now designated IK1-12 (e,9)

Federation: FF1(F1-6) remains on station, FSY2 begins construct FF2 1/18 (f,10)



Turn 51)

(0210.07)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 15/18 (K23,24,25,26 on station) KSY2 stops construction KF4 (K23,25,27) on station (c,9). KSY3 stops construction construct KF5 (K24,26,28) remains on station (c,10) IKF1 (IK1-12) moves to (f,10) IKF1(IK1-12) vs FSY2, F1-6 FSY2 destroyed. F1-6 captured. Alien artifact recovered.

Federation: FF1(F1-6) remains on station, FSY2 begins construct FF2 2/18 IKF1(IK1-12) vs FSY2, F1-6 (f,10).



Klingons destroy/capture all Federation forces, recover artifact, win game.









"What Are Your Orders, Captain?"



(TMP Era) "The Devil You Know, Or...?"



Investigating a mysterious and unidentified Federation starship trapped in what appears to be a Tholian interspatial gravity well, Captain Robau of the Akula Class destroyer USS Sparta moves to investigate, and encounters two Klingon warships, a K'tinga Class Battlecruiser and a Levek Class Destroyer. After defending the Klingons from a Tholian attack, the USS Sparta finds itself in what seems to a starless zone. In the distance is an installation showing a Tholian power signature. Scans of the Klingon ships show nominal power readings but extensive damage.



A further scan of the Klingon ships indicate that they are not in immediate danger, but still refusing to acknowledge hails. After commenting about the unique nature of Klingon gratitude, Captain Robau orders a course set to approach the installation. His idea is to approach to just within sensor range, and try to learn more before choosing his next course of action.



"The Greater Good"



Sensors show that the installation is an interspace generator, as well as the presence of the mysterious Federation starship that disappeared following the battle with the Tholians. Despite his hesitation to abandon the damaged Klingons, Captain Robau must attempt to recover the mysterious ship and find a way home. He sets course for the Tholian installation.



For next time...



"Troubled Waters"



(TNG Era)

Captain Ritchie of the Galaxy Class USS Andromeda discovers a refugee Suliban community living inside of an abandoned colony ship of unknown origin. Standard orders regarding Suliban refugees dictate that they be protected but kept hands-off. No starfleet officer has met a Suliban face to face in more than a hundred years because of a catastrophe involving the crew of the USS April. The problem is that the colony ship is approaching a region of space heavily populated by space-borne life forms that are attracted by impulse emissions.





Post your solution here for a Command College Point. Feel free to discuss this with the 'comment' feature



"Captain's Log"



"... extreme conditions..."



Comet



11) You meet a society or conditions on a planet that causes you to question your mission...



(Pre TMP Era)

Captain Ab'Qaff

IKS MiPong



Klingon ships are not like other ships. Klingon crews are not like other crews. But more than anything else, Klingon orders are not like other orders. I have spent time working alongside our Romulan allies, and there are frequent circumstances when the Romulan commander will find a reason to violate his or her orders, explain themselves to their superiors, and survive. Klingons do not. There have been instances when an ambitious Klingon captain captured an enemy starship instead of destroying it as ordered. And while the intelligence gathered was valuable, the ambitious captain was executed. Because he disobeyed orders. We would rather lose an unexpected advantage than lose discipline, because once a Klingon can justify violating orders, he can no longer be controlled. And without control over our warship commanders, the Empire is doomed.



When I was ordered to destroy a rogue comet that was passing through the ToQ'wa system, I didn't think I would be put in the position of questioning my orders, The comet had been attracted by the gravitational force of ToQ'wa's massive sun, and it was determined that the comet posed a danger to a dilithium refinery in the system that is vital to our operations against the Tholians. We approached the comet two days out of ToQ'wa, and immediately calculated a firing solution. It posed little challenge to our armament. That was when we were informed that the subject races manning the refinery were in full revolt, and the military governor had been assassinated. My first inclination was to allow the comet to strike the refinery, but I can imagine the High Council informing my wife Valkris that I failed a simple mission and was executed without honor. The Empire does not recognize command perogative. In the end, I ordered a team of warriors to transport to the icy surface of the comet. They braved the extreme conditions of the rogue body to plant a string of thermal detonators, along with radiolitic warheads. We were successful. The comet was deflected, coming within 5,000 kellicams before it was destroyed by the radiolitic warheads. As a result, the refinery was bathed in neutron radiation which killed the rebels but left the refinery undamaged. Then it was a simple matter of destroying the remains of the comet with a photon torpedo.



For next week. write a 100+ word log entry including the phrase "...out of character...". Post it in the yahoo group or on the blogsite's "comment" feature for a Command College Point.



Dev Notes:

The biggest thing going on right now is preparation for a long term campaign called "Fifty Points". It is a multilevel campaign taking place on an Excel-based map. While I've stayed away from anything more tech-heavy than a text document, the excel worksheet lends itself wonderfully to a map. Excel worksheets can be created and modified on Google Docs and Open Office, as well as many handheld devices. And with the range of play in "Fifty Points", modifying a text-based map for each move would have made the game almost unplayable. If anyone wants a text-based map for reference purposes, I can provide one. Take into account that the rules will probably change and adapt as the campaign goes on. They always do, even in simple campaigns. This one is very complex. Here is the overview and rules for "Fifty Points":



Objectives:



Diplomatic agreement to settle unclaimed zone. Fifty-one planets in three sectors. Seventeen systems each. Each sector= 10x25 spaces.



Three powers must establish economic/material support locally.



After initial battle group (One dreadnought, three heavy cruisers, two destroyers), all ships must be built locally.



Each power must successfully transport twelve convoys to unclaimed zone and then back to friendly space.



Winning power must unite at least two sectors in order to win.



Winning power must achieve 17 experience points.



Winning power must win at least 5 heavy combat engagements



Sector Victory Conditions:



Military: 2/3 (12/17) systems conquered

Diplomatic/Subterfuge/Economic: 2/3 (12/17) systems cleared of pirate threat



At least ten 100+ word logs required from each power.



Rules



Shipyards:

Three heavy cruisers take three turns to build a shipyard (subject to random pirate attack in systems where pirates are active).



Shipyards require one freighter shipment of duranium and one freighter shipment of duranium and one freighter shipment of dilithium to build two carriers, six heavy cruisers or twelve destroyers.



Shipyards build at this rate:

1 carrier= 6 turns

1 heavy cruiser=3 turns

1 destroyer= 1 turn



Convoys:



Aside from the twelve convoys that must be transported from friendly space to unclaimed zone and then back to friendly space, convoys are required to transport refined dilithium and duranium from refineries to shipyards in order to build/maintain fleets. Powers can hijack enemy convoys, but after each such incident, the odds of it being sibject to pirate attack increase. (see ROE)



ROE (Rules of Engagement)



Three powers must turn local populations to their sides. Each power will have advantages:

Federation: Diplomacy/Economic strength

Klingons: Military

Romulans: Subterfuge



Three powers can use any means, but will face disadvantages when going against their strength. (i e: Federation using military strength will weaken diplomatic standing. Klingon using diplomacy will embolden local military resistance. Romulans using diplomacy will have less chance of success)



During every turn, there is a 1/6 chance of random calamity (convoy lost, contact lost with colony)

Use the following table:

1d6 roll=result

1= convoy closest to destination lost

2= contact with random colony lost

3= power lost to all shipyards for one turn

4= pirate appears from warp and attacks random colony

5= population stages violent revolt on random colony

6= defsats malfunction, destroy random orbiting ship in random system



Every system has 1/10 chance of being dominated by pirate activity upon first contact. Each time a power hijacks convoy, there is a 1/6 (1d6) chance that one of its systems will fall under pirate attack.



Despite ROE, each power will have to use disadvantage to gain access to system at least twice



Pirate Attack:

Pirate attacks consist of attacks on planets, installations and starships. Use simple combat tables to determine number and types of craft.

Default pirate craft will be determined by 1d6 roll:



Klingons:

1-2= Klingon ship

3-4= Romulan ship

5-6= Federation ship



Federation:

1-2= Federation ship

3-4= Klingon ship

5-6= Romulan ship



Romulans

1-2= Romulan ship

3-4= Federation ship

5-6= Klingon ship



Klingons and Romulans can employ sanctioned privateers that can be customized.



System Conquest:

To conquer a system, you must conquer one controlling planet, including any defense.



System Defense:

Systems have defense ratings of 1 through 10.



1= No installations

No ships permanently assigned

2= No installations

Less than six ships (Destroyer class) permanently assigned

3= Less than six defsats in orbit

Less than six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

4= Six defsats in orbit

Less than six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

5= Six defsats in orbit

Six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

6= Eight defsats in orbit

Six ships (Destroyer class), or one to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

7= Eight defsats in orbit

One to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

8= Nine or ten defsats in orbit

One to three ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

9= Shipyard assigned

Four to six ships (heavy cruiser class) permanently assigned

10= Starbase assigned

Four to six ships (heavy cruiser class), or any number of carriers permanently assigned



Planets have natural simple combat multiplier of x100 without any added defense, as well as 100 defenders. To conquer a planet, you must defeat it in simple combat and boarding party action.

Kate’s Cooking: Working With Oranges

Hello there and greetings to you. Today we will look at two recipes that involve one of the best fruits you can eat – the wonderful ORANGE. What a gift this fruit is. From the inner to the outer skin – orange zest (grated rind) is terrific for flavors and of course the fruit is super-beneficial for its quantity of vitamin C, juice and great taste. Oranges are easy to grow nowadays. Apart from growing them outside in your garden that maybe in the sunnier climates around our great planet, they can be grown in large garden containers on a patio or porch or by your backdoor. I have seen some wonderful examples of oranges grown like this. So here are two interesting and useful recipes using oranges. They are simple and the first one is a fish dish which is nice for lunch with an accompanying salad of choice. The other is great for dessert and is nice with vanilla icecream or used by itself with flavored whipped cream or simply by itself.


BAKED FISH and ORANGES

4 fish fillets
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 oranges – juiced and the rind grated
a sprinkle of black pepper
1 small onion – grated or chopped finely
½ cup grated cheese
1 cup fresh (preferably brown) breadcrumbs
2 to 3 tablespoons margarine

Rinse the fish and place in a greased ovenproof dish. Combine cinnamon, grated orange rind, black pepper, onion, cheese and breadcrumbs and sprinkle over fish. Pour orange juice over fish and dot margarine. Bake in a moderate oven until fish is done. Serve hot although this fish dish (without the breadcrumbs) makes a nice fish sandwich.
BAKED ORANGES

6 good sized oranges
½ to 1 cup soft brown sugar
5 or 6 cloves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon liqueur (own choice)

Peel the oranges, removing as much pith as you can. Divide them into segments, removing any pips. Place the segments into an ovenproof dish (a round dish looks good), placing the sugar and cloves between layers (here and there around the dish). Cover and set aside for about an hour. Cook in a moderately hot oven about 90C or Gas 5 for about 40 minutes, until oranges are nice and soft. When done, leave to cool with the lid on. Finally, sprinkle oranges with the lemon juice and liqueur.

The dessert dish is especially yummy. It is so simple and great to serve if you have visitors in for a meal. I really like the fish dish too. We should eat more fish. I know that in some areas fish can be expensive but do try and eat 2 fish meals a week if you can, certainly one. The benefits of eating fish are widely known especially when it comes to heart health. Of course, as mentioned earlier, oranges are a magnificent fruit and if you can do try and grow your own orange tree.

Well that’s it for this week. Take care out there, wherever you are on our great planet. Be well, safe and happy.

Happy cooking. Cheers, Kate.

Chatter With Kate: SNOWSTORMS, POLITICS and POLITICAL PERCEPTION

Well hello everyone and you certainly have to have sympathy for the folks in the eastern United States and all the snowstorms that are frequently occurring. The jokes on the American late night talk shows about politicians and the snow are really pulsating. When the government shut down because of the snowstorm that has been hounding Washington DC there were cheers around our neighborhood. It is a sad thing that you hear these cheers and it is also a sad thing that because the federal government has lost the basic respect of the citizens by their partisan antics and failure to listen to the populace they are subject to these barbs and statements or the words ‘oh good, we can all take a rest off them’ (those folk in the Capitol and White House). I don’t think that I have ever heard such bickering and seen such posturing before the press (the latter four words are a quote from President Obama) from our politicians as there has been lately. Of course, you have to remember that 2010 is an election year for a lot of folk. Posturing in an election year is a natural occurrence. You know, politics is perception and I wonder if some of our representatives ever watch themselves on television. I would love to just pick up a few of them and shake them and say ‘come on mate, you can’t have the stance you do, on television – its doesn’t work’. Oh they won’t listen to me anyway but over the years and having studied political science at university and having worked in the background of political offices you watch the antics and posturing and just shake your head. Perhaps I should go in for political PR. I think my husband would have a fit or maybe not. Our politicians have GOT TO REMEMBER that we, their public, remember everything when it comes to our voting and our perception of them on television. I think that perhaps this is a problem with our President. I think he is a clever man, means well but right now he needs to have a less arrogant stance. The general perception of him could be better. Stabbing in the back is rife in Washington DC – it is an art form in politics and he needs to rearrange his staff as they are not always perceived well. He needs to be very strong and if his VP does say that the President has ‘both feet on the ground and he knows each day what he is going to do’ then if he is going to get another 4 years in office come 2012 then I would say to the President, ‘walk firmly, very firmly indeed’. Politics isn’t nice and people like to keep their little piece of power and right now, I have a feeling that he will be challenged in a primary. This election year will see some huge changes and some of our more well known politicians will find themselves back in their homes looking at the television like the rest of us.

So, when the snow melts and the streets become safe to walk on and to drive on in Washington DC let us hope that posturing takes a backstance, the folks in the Capitol et al. get their heads together on jobs and to quote our Vice President ‘get the quality jobs back on the market’.

Get to work politicians, from the President downwards and get the political perception back on track because it surely isn’t on track right now.

Cheers folks, keep warm and well and don’t forget to have your H1N1 shots.

Kate.

Miss Ginny's Diary Feb 11th 2010

Meow - it’s me, Miss Ginny. Well it has been quite a day here. I got into it with HD. I was cleaning myself and I had my back right leg stuck up in the air and he and HM said I looked a little odd and I didn’t like it. So, when HD was going off to work, he came over and gave me a smooch before he went, I objected and I hissed him and they both laughed. HM said she had never seen me do that before and she is right. The only hiss I give out is to my sister ShooShoo when she gets ‘up my nose’ because I think she is silly sometimes. HM said she was quite surprised at me and she also said that she thought I was being a bit prissy on the one hand but on the other hand I had the right to be upset if I chose. I really like HM and HD and we don’t have disagreements as a rule. He often lets me sit on his chest at night while he is reading. So all is well and the afternoon is quiet. HM did a little packing of clothes today – in readiness for our move to the northern prairies. She has not been very well lately with allergies and none of us have been getting a lot of sleep because the sirens have been noisy at night. I get allergies and so does Grandma Carrie. I have included a picture of GC – it was taken when she was having her afternoon sleep. HM says that GC is now 157.5 human years and that is about 17 ½ years in cat time. When she gets the sneezes she almost falls over. We all keep a close eye on her. ShooShoo gets me mad because she teases GC and HM tells GC to turn and give her a hiss or two but I guess GC is getting too old to be bothered. We have had a lot of rain lately which is quite unusual in the desert south west where we are. I like to sit in the window and watch it. Today is nice as the afternoon sun is coming in the window and warming the apartment in a nice way. I don’t like thunderstorms and my sister and I rush under the big bed when they come. HM doesn’t care very much for the thunder either. She told me that we will have to get used to a lot of snow where we are moving to. I haven’t seen a lot of snow. Where I was born rarely got snow and where we live now is a place that also, rarely gets snow. HM said she will get me a window bed so I can lay in it and watch the snow from a warm house. These beds are great because you hook them on to a window ledge and they are like a hammock that people use. This will be great. I have just eaten an early supper – it was nice meat. I don’t know why HM bothers to straighten the carpet covers because GAD is going to come along and roll on them and she always ends up causing a big untidy mess. She does this when she wakes up from her afternoon sleep. She and ShooShoo often roll in them. HM chases them and it ends up being noisy and a little crazy. I am sitting next to HM and she is working away on her columns. She is getting better I think and she just said to me that she will be glad when we move because the waiting is both boring and there is always a lot to do and she likes to get going. HD doesn’t care much for moving but he said that we will be better off and we will have a bigger place to live in and we will be able to have our own sofa. I like sofa’s in the same way I like window beds. We are lucky because we have lots of blankets and toys to put on the sofa and besides, they are nice to curl up and sleep on. Well I might go and have a sleep (another one!) – what a cool life.

I will talk to you again soon. Meow to you my friends from Miss Ginny.

(here I am on one of my blankies)

Fantasy Trek Summary of Events Stardate 0210.05

Quick Start Play:




If you'd like to be able to jump right in to see if you like this game, you might want to try a few rounds of Simple Combat. The Simple Combat Game is a way for you to quickly resolve combat between vessels, or fleets of vessels. This is useful if you are playing a scenario or campaign that involves more than a few ships. Otherwise a simple scenario could take weeks to play through.



It is useful to keep a copy of the Simple Combat Template. This makes it possible to copy and paste the basics of your bit of 'paperwork', add however many ships you may need to, and change or insert ship names. Here is a very basic template (there are more in the files):



IKS rolls: o/d

USS rolls: o/d

Result:

IKS damage /15

USS damage /15



The first section is for points rolled (1d6 result times the appropriate multiplier), and how the points are allocated (offense/defense). The second "Result" section shows the calculated damage. In the case of basic AI ships, the damage potential is 15.. so you would indicate 5 points damage with 5/15. Pretty simple.



If you are playing a single player game, roll a 1d6 to see who 'wins the toss'. If you roll a 1-3, you do. Then you roll the 1d6 for your opponent first. Allocate available points according to this multiplier chart:



2 (DS) Defense Sat/(FR)Freighter X1

3 (FF) Frigate X4

4 (DD) DestroyerX6

5 (CL) Light Cruiser X8

6 (CA) Heavy Cruiser X10

7 (CC) Command Cruiser X12

8 (BCH) Heavy Battlecruiser X15

9 (DN) Dreadnought X20

10 (BB) Battleship X22

11 (CV)Carrier X25

12 (STB ) Starbase/ (BS)Base Station X50/75 (reroll, 50/50)



Here is an example of simple combat between the Klingon heavy cruiser Perseus and the Sha'kurian heavy cruiser Count: In this case, I won the toss, playing as the Perseus. That meant that I had to roll and allocate for the Sha'kurian first. (The point of all this 'coin tossing' is to add randomness to the gameplay in the single player game. It puts the luxury of being able to react to your opponent's first move on a totally random footing. And of course, whoever rolled second first time rolls first the next. Compare it to the coin toss to determine who receives the kickoff in a football game ) That first roll was a 6 (on a 1d6), for 60 points. Acting for the Shakurian, I decided to play it safe, putting it all on defense. As it turned out, the caution was unnecesary. The Klingon only rolled a 1.



IKS Perseus rolls:10 0o/10d

SRS Count rolls:60 0o/60d

Result:

IKS Perseus damage 0/25

SRS Count damage 0/15



For the next volley, the Klingon ship took its turn rolling first. It rolled a "3", for 30 points, and put them all on defense. It didn't save him, because the Count rolled a 6.



IKS Perseus rolls:30 0o/30d

SRS Count rolls:60 60o/d

Result:

IKS Perseus destroyed

SRS Count damage 0/15



You'll note that the Perseus is able to take 25 points of damage. That is because all of my play has given me a "Elite" rating. The increased available points is one of the benefits of that. For details, see "Experience Points: How to Get Them and What They Get You". If you want to take it a step further, you can capture ships using Simple Combat. You have to cause 10 points of damage to lower the enemy shields, then transport over. Ah, but to so that you have to lower your own shields. Do that by giving yourself (just for the 'transport' volley) 10 points damage. A bit tricky, with careful timing involved, but a great tactic. And of course, as new races are added to Fantasy Trek, there will be a few necessary variations to these rules (i.e. Tholian Webs).



So what to do with all of this? As I said, the Simple Combat Game is ideal for extended scenarios involving many ships in combat. For example, Head to Head Sector Assault was written with Simple Combat in mind:



Rules

The goal is to conquer and hold all 5 systems.



In order to do this, you must conquer (in order, 1 through 5), and sufficiently defend all systems while denying your enemy access to those same systems. Reduce the enemy fleet sufficiently to prevent them from building a shipyard, and stop/destroy enough enemy convoys to deny random reinforcements sufficient to threaten your shipyards. You must also attain a minimum of 13 points (see 'Victory Conditions' below)



System Conquest:

Regardless of whether a system has been taken by enemy forces, you will face a random-sized enemy fleet upon first arrival in a new system. Roll 1d6 for size of enemy fleet, then subtract any applicable random fleet disadvantage (see below). If the size of the enemy fleet is less than the random fleet disadvantage, then there is no contact. Then use appropriate simple combat template. All surviving ships retain damage but can move and fight until destroyed. They can only be repaired by remaining in place for two turns (subject to random enemy attack each turn-50% chance of random attack. 1d6:1-3=no contact. 4-6=attacked) or by docking at shipyard for one turn (subject to random enemy attack, same odds as above). The system remains yours once you've defeated the initial fleet, but if left undefended, any attempt to conquer it will only be countered by a randomly generated fleet. You can (and should) choose to leave any combination of ships and/or a shipyard to defend it.



Open Space:

Enemy convoys will only be encountered in open spaces. Roll for encounter (1d6:1-3=contact). Then roll 1d6 for enemy escorts. 1-3= 1 CA escort. 4-6= 2 CA escorts. The random fleet disadvantage does not affect this. Random enemy convoy(s) must be stopped=at least 3/5 freighters destroyed or captured (5/15 damage and successful boarding party action), escorts destroyed or disabled (10/15 damage) in 5 volleys or less. Every convoy that is stopped decreases random enemy fleet size by one. This is the random fleet disadvantage. For every three freighters captured, your random fleet disadvantage is reduced by one. You will not encounter convoys in open spaces when you have conquered both adjacent systems



Shipyard:

Shipyards are recommended. They can only be built in systems that you hold (by destroying an initial assault fleet). Three starships must remain in system or open space area for three turns to build shipyard. During each turn 50% chance of random attack. (1d6:1d6:1-3=no contact. 4-6=attack, then roll 1d6 for size of enemy fleet. If the size of the enemy fleet is less than the random fleet disadvantage, then there is no contact.) LOS (line of sight) must be maintained to use or attack shipyard. Shipyard has X75 multiplier. Shipyard can construct replacement ships in 3 turns. While your fleet can not exceed 6 ships, additional ships built at shipyards do not count against this total. They cannot fight with full-sized fleets, but can supplement diminished fleets. The same rule applies to surviving random reinforcements. Since you must have a minimum of three ships to build a shipyard, it is recommended that you build at least one shipyard and at least two reserve ships just in case of unforseen losses. A fleet reduced to two ships and no shipyard to fall back would have little chance of victory.



If you want to register as a player, notify me through a comment on the

blogsite. I recommend keeping a record of your games played, as they add up to experience points that enrich your gaming experience.



Victory Conditions/Points-

Shipyards 5 (max)

Fleet size 6 (max)

Reinforcement capacity 6 (max)



You must conquer 5 systems and attain 13+ VC points



Templates (it is recommended that you keep a master copy of these, making working copies to modify suit your needs):



Klingon fleet vs Federation Fleet

KCA IKS Kandido rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Kurry rolls: o/d

KCA IKS DuranQo rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Ok'ran rolls: o/d

KCA IKS D'Han rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Glommer rolls: o/d

FCA USS Washington rolls: o/d

FCA USS Roosevelt rolls: o/d

FCA USS Cleveland rolls: o/d

FCA USS Detroit rolls: o/d

FCA USS Abraham Lincoln rolls: o/d

FCA USS Guadalcanal rolls: o/d

results

KCA IKS Kandido damage: /15

KCA IKS Kurry damage: /15

KCA IKS DuranQo damage: /15

KCA IKS Ok'ran damage: /15

KCA IKS D'Han damage: /15

KCA IKS Glommer damage: /15

FCA USS Washington damage: /15

FCA USS Roosevelt damage: /15

FCA USS Cleveland damage: /15

FCA USS Detroit damage: /15

FCA USS Abraham damage: /15

FCA USS Guadalcanal damage: /15



Klingon fleet versus Federation convoy with two escorts



KCA IKS Etlh rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Dk'tagh rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Bertaa rolls: o/d

KCA IKS BortaS rolls: o/d

KCA IKS Chang rolls: o/d

KCA IKS tIQ'etlh rolls: o/d

FCA USS Komack rolls: o/d

FCA USS Nogura rolls: o/d

Fr rolls: o/d

Fr2 rolls: o/d

Fr3 rolls: o/d

Fr4 rolls: o/d

Fr5 rolls: o/d

results

KCA IKS Etlh damage: /15

KCA IKS Dk'tagh damage: /15

KCA IKS Bertaa damage: /15

KCA IKS BortaS damage: /15

KCA IKS Chang damage: /15

KCA IKS tIQ'etlh damage: /15

FCA USS Komack damage: /15

FCA USS Nogura damage: /15

Fr1 damage: /15

Fr2 damage: /15

Fr3 damage: /15

Fr4 damage: /15

Fr5 damage: /15



Sample First Turn:



Turn 1)

(1209.13)

System 1: FCA USS Essex FCA USS Challenger FCA USS Tahir FCA USS Robau FCA USS Abrahms FCA USS Orci form Fed 1st Fleet (FF1). Contact: 4 KCA's *won toss. (1209.13) FCA USS Essex FCA USS Challenger FCA USS Tahir FCA USS Robau FCA USS Abrahms FCA USS Orci vs KCA IKS D'Qu KCA IKS NaQjej KCA IKS Ej'QuD KCA IKS Qaw'lu: Klingons destroyed. No damage to FF1.

System 5: KCA IKS Kandido KCA IKS Kurry KCA IKS DuranQo KCA IKS Ok'ran KCA IKS D'Han KCA IKS Glommer form Klingon 1st Fleet (KF1). Contact: 4 FCA's *won toss. (1209.13) KCA IKS Kandido KCA IKS Kurry KCA IKS DuranQo KCA IKS Ok'ran KCA IKS D'Han KCA IKS Glommer vs FCA USS Washington FCA USS Roosevelt FCA USS Cleveland FCA USS Detroit: Feds destroyed. No damage to KF1.



TNG Era:



Kri'staK Sector

Ab'Qaff Battle Group

Ab'Qaff Class Klingon Heavy Command Cruiser (KCVC) IKS Ab'Qaff

General Kapact Commanding



wej'Hom System-

The IKS Ab'Qaff discovered ancient underground caverns on the fourth planet in the system. They contained indications of a sizable underground population that died off in a short period of time, around the time of the battle that took place two thousand years ago.



Games in Play:



"Eyes on the Prize" (see Dev notes for rules)

Turns 21 through 44.



The Klingons assault on the Federation shipyard has been the deciding factor. The Federation fleets protecting their shipyard should have been building reinforcing shipyards. The Klingons moved within striking distance of FSY1 (Federation Shipyard One) and built two more shipyards. By that time, the defending ships couldn't leave the shipyard unprotected to launch a counter offensive, and the Klingons used their two shipyards to combine shipbuilding efforts. They therefore managed to field a fleet twice as fast. In the end, 19 Klingon ships combined to form the First Imperial Klingon Fleet. As of turn 44, the First IKF had smashed through the Federation's initial line of defenses without losing a ship. As the First Federation Fleet returns to friendly space, it faces danger.Of course, the goal is to return the alien artifact to the team's homeworld. That means that the Klingons will have to locate and capture the Federation ship carrying the artifact and capture it before it returns to Earth. That's the objective.



Turn 21)

(0110.26)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 3/18. KF1 (K1-8) remains on station (c,9) No contact. KF2 (K10,11,12) moves to (c,15).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 16/18 (F7,8,9,10,11 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (u,11).



Turn 22)

(0110.26)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 4/18 (K13 on station). KF1 (K1-8) remains on station (c,9) No contact. KF2 (K10,11,12) moves to (c,14).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 16/18 (F7,8,9,10,11 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (v,11).



Turn 23)

(0110.27)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 5/18 (K13 on station). KF1 (K1-8) remains on station (c,9) No contact. KF2 (K10,11,12) moves to (c,13).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 17/18 (F7,8,9,10,11 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (w,11).



Turn 24)

(0110.27)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 6/18 (K13 on station). KF1 (K1-8) remains on station (c,9) Contact: Fed convoy w/2 FCA escorts. K1-8 vs Fr1-5, F1,2. K7,8 destroyed. K1-6 undamaged. Convoy destroyed. KF2 (K10,11,12) moves to (c,12).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 18/18 (F7,8,9,10,11 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (x,11).



Turn 25)

(0110.28)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 7/18 (K13,14 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) moves to (c,11).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 1/18 (F7,8,9,10,11,12 on station). FF1(F1-6) moves to (y,11).



Turn 26)

(0110.28)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 8/18 (K13,14 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station. Begins construct KSY2 turn 1/3: no contact (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) moves to (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 2/18 FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station. FF1(F1-6) moves to (z,11): Pick up Alien Artifact.



Turn 27)

(0110.28)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 9/18 (K13,14 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station. continues construct KSY2 turn 2/3: Contact: 2 FCA's K1-6 vs FCA 1,2 (c,9). F1,2 destroyed. K6 damage 2/25. K1-5 undamaged. KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station, Begins construct KSY3. Turn 1/3: no contact. (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 3/18 FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station. FF1(F1-6) moves to (y,11).



Turn 28)

(0110.31)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 10/18 (K13,14,15 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station. continues construct KSY2 turn 3/3: No Contact: KSY2 Complete. KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station, continues construct KSY3. Turn 2/3: no contact. (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 4/18 (F13) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station. FF1(F1-6) moves to (x,11).



Turn 29)

(0110.31)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 11/18 (K13,14,15 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station. (c,9) KSY2 turn 3/3: No Contact: KSY2 Complete. KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station, continues construct KSY3. Turn 3/3: no contact. KSY3 complete (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 5/18 (F13) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) moves to (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (w,11).



Turn 30)

(0110.31)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 12/18 (K13,14,15 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KSY2 begins construct KF4 1/18 (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) moves to (c,9) KSY3 begins construct KF5 1/18 (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 6/18 (F13) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (v,11).



Turn 31)

(0210.01)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 13/18 (K13,14,15,16 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KSY2 continues construct KF4 2/18 (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station (c,9) KSY3 continues construct KF5 2/18 (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 7/18 (F13,14 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (u,11).



Turn 32)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 14/18 (K13,14,15,16 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KSY2 continues construct KF4 3/18 (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station (c,9) KSY3 continues construct KF5 3/18 (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 8/18 (F13,14 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (t,11).



Turn 33)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 15/18 (K13,14,15,16 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KSY2 continues construct KF4 4/18 (K17 on station) (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station (c,9) KSY3 continues construct KF5 4/18 (K18 on station) (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 9/18 (F13,14 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (s,11).



Turn 34)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 16/18 (K13,14,15,16,17 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KSY2 continues construct KF4 5/18 (K17 on station) (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station (c,9) KSY3 continues construct KF5 5/18 (K18 on station) (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 10/18 (F13,14,15 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (r,11).



Turn 35)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 17/18 (K13,14,15,16,17 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KSY2 continues construct KF4 6/18 (K17 on station) (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station (c,9) KSY3 continues construct KF5 6/18 (K18 on station) (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 11/18 (F13,14,15 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (q,11).



Turn 36)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF3 turn 18/18 (K13,14,15,16,17 on station). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KSY2 continues construct KF4 7/18 (K17,19 on station) (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station (c,9) KSY3 continues construct KF5 7/18 (K18,20 on station) (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 12/18 (F13,14,15 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (p,11).



Turn 37)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 begins construct KF6 1/18 KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) remains on station (c,17). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KSY2 continues construct KF4 8/18 (K17,19 on station) (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station (c,9) KSY3 continues construct KF5 8/18 (K18,20 on station) (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 13/18 (F13,14,15,16 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (o,11).



Turn 38)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 begins construct KF6 2/18 KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves t0 (c,16). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KSY2 continues construct KF4 9/18 (K17,19 on station) (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station (c,9) KSY3 continues construct KF5 9/18 (K18,20 on station) (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 14/18 (F13,14,15,16 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (n,11).



Turn 39)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 begins construct KF6 3/18 KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (c,16). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,9) KSY2 continues construct KF4 10/18 (K17,19,21 on station) (c,9) KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station (c,9) KSY3 continues construct KF5 10/18 (K18,20,22 on station) (c,10).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 15/18 (F13,14,15,16 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (m,11).



Turn 40)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 begins construct KF6 4/18 (K23 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (c,15). KF1 (K1-6) moves to (c,8) KSY2 continues construct KF4 11/18 (c,9) K17,19,21 move to (c,8) KF2 (K10,11,12) moves to (c,8) KSY3 continues construct KF5 11/18 (c,10) K18,20,22 move to (c,9).

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 16/18 (F13,14,15,16,17 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (l,11).



Turn 41)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 5/18 (K23 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (c,14). KF1 (K1-6) remains on station (c,8) KSY2 continues construct KF4 12/18 (c,9) K17-22 form KF7 (c,8) KF2 (K10,11,12) remains on station (c,8) KSY3 continues construct KF5 12/18 (c,10)

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 17/18 (F13,14,15,16,17 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (k,11).



Turn 42)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 6/18 (K23 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (c,13). KSY2 continues construct KF4 13/18 (K23 on station) (c,9). KSY3 continues construct KF5 13/18 (K24 on station) (c,10) KF1 (K1-6), KF2 (K10-12), KF7 (K17-22) form IKF1(Imperial Klingon Fleet 1) redisgnated (IK1-15) (c,8)

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF3 turn 18/18 (F13,14,15,16,17 on station) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (j,11).



Turn 43)

(0210.02)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 7/18 (K23,24 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (c,12). KSY2 continues construct KF4 14/18 (K23 on station) (c,9). KSY3 continues construct KF5 14/18 (K24 on station) (c,10) IKF1 (IK1-15) moves to (c,7)

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF4 turn 1/18 FF3 (F13,14,15,16,17,18) remains on station (c,5) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (h,11).



Turn 44)

(0210.03)

Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF6 8/18 (K23,24 on station) KF3 (K13,14,15,16,17) moves to (c,11). KSY2 continues construct KF4 15/18 (K23 on station) (c,9). KSY3 continues construct KF5 15/18 (K24 on station) (c,10) IKF1 (IK1-15) moves to (c,6) IK1-15 vs F7-12 F7-12 destroyed. No damage to Klingons

Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF4 turn 2/18 FF3 (F13,14,15,16,17,18) remains on station (c,5) FF2 (F7,8,9,10,11,12) remains on station (c,6). FF1(F1-6) moves to (g,11).

PvP games reported:

(All games, players Kapact vs Kate)

#282/(0210.01) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed PVP!

#283/(0210.01) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed PVP!

#284/(0210.01) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: IKS 'etlh destroyed PVP!

#285/(0210.01) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed PVP!

#286/(0210.01) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: Both ships destroyed PVP!

These games put player Kate past her first hurdle. She now has an "Experienced" rating. Player Kapact finally made "Legendary", as noted below.

Heavy Combat: KCA IKS Etlh(A) vs FCA USS Constitution(B) complete, See Dev notes for details.

Command College will return next week.

Dev Notes:

The Constitution Phase Two is up, a bit late. RL and all that. Again, nothing fancy, no graphics program, but all creativity, all mine. The USS Constitution has launched, under command of Captain Mike Murphy, formerly of the USS Guadalcanal. On an administrative note, the first planetary mission of the Constitution gave me my 50th experience point, giving me Legendary status. Took me almost 3 1/2 years, and the following stats;

Heavy Combat engagements (5=1 exp point) 14

Simple Combat engagements (including PvP) (10=1 exp point) 281

PvP (Player vs Player) Simple Combat engagements (5=1 exp point) 26

Post length (100+ words each) log entries (5=1 exp point) 55

"What Are Your Orders, Captain?" Command College Exercises (10=1 exp point)21

100+ word "Captain's Log" Command College entries (10=1 exp point) 21

As "Eyes on the Prize" runs its course, I'm thinking about a longer, more involved campaign, involving Klingons, Feds and Romulans and maybe pirates as a wild card element. The three major powers will have a single big objective. Each race will have a strength which can win the war. Convoys that actually have to be defended in order to keep bases running and ships repaired. That's partly to add another level to the game, but also because I've never had a convoy survive an attack (in Simple Combat, anyway). Now I'll be in the position of having to learn to defend a convoy.This is kind of taking a bit of what I like about the "Star Trek: Armada" games, without the monotonous technology tree nonsense.

The second heavy combat test of the KCA Etlh was finally completed this past week, versus the newly minted FCA USS Constitution. The Etlh was a bit slow to bring its heavy weapons to bear (the 8 micro-torpedoes), and the Constitution put on a burst of speed and used a hero point for a high energy turn (HET) to line up on the Etlh's vulnerable aft quarter. One good phaser blast at range 5 tore vital components out of the Etlh (impulse and sensors). The Etlh was completely disabled. It occurred to me to use a mess of hero points to repair the Etlh and try a counterpunch, but the Constitution still had strong shields, and would have had another phaser volley at close range. There was no point.

From a gameplay point of view, the Klingon ship (as always) is not easy to fly. The aft quarter is way vulnerable, and the Etlh's micro-torps are power hungry buggers. The secret, I think, is for the Klingon to maintain the initiative. As for the state of Advanced Heavy Combat, I've eliminated the second 'elevation' map and added a simple elevation notation, from 1 to 10, in the position marker. And the Etlh pulled a nifty 45 degree STBD roll to put its micro-torps in firing arc. (Next time, we'll try that earlier to protect the Aft quarter.) The entire combat played out in three volleys, which on one hand seems quick, but it makes it a bit more player-friendly. I do think, upon reflection, that the hull and shields need to be further bumped up. Range 5 is medium range, and one 9 point phaser volley shouldn't be a game ender, as it was in this case. I think that probably I need to add, say 10 points to shields, double the hull numbers and reduce the dice roll to 1d6. In the last volley of that test, the Connie was at range 5, lined up on the Etlh's aft quarter, and rolled a 9. The multiplier for phasers at that range is X5. The Connie put all 9 points in a phaser blast, which had this effect (-8 pts ECM that the Etlh put up):

A) Damage: 37 pts AFT: AFT Shields 22/22 AFT Armor 3/3 AFT Hull 2/2 Impulse 3/3 Sensor 1/1 AFT Photon 2/2 DORS Shield 4/32

At that same range, with 32 Aft shields, 4 Aft hull points, and a max of 30 pts (1d6 X5 multiplier), the shields would be mostly wiped out, but the Klingon would still have a chance to HET and move off. I will say that heavy combat is fun, and basically works, and the advanced STD's have improved the game, it is still a bit paperwork intensive. The three rounds in this game actually didn't take long to play through, but the notation is a teensy bit of work. Can it be simplified? Maybe. More testing is certainly indicated.

Kapact's Rant: Never Let a Crisis Go to Waste"

Mister Obama's thoughtless and hypocritical comments this past week were but a single example of how this excuse for an administration makes me nostalgic for the clever and razor-sharp moves of the Carter administration, while his continuous efforts to hide his most nefarious deeds makes us all dream of an open and transparent government on the order of, say, the Nixon administration.




We all know (and are reminded every day) that you shouldn't go spending money you don't have. I mean, if my check is a bit short (which it frequently is), I don't pick out a new Blackberry, or buy tickets for Avatar. I'm also not going to plan a big vacation. Even so, I'm glad that Mister Obama is good enough to remind us of this. Every day, every trillion dollars. But what he doesn't get, even after having done it a year ago, is that you don't single out a place, by name, and tell people not to go there. Especially if that place is entirely dependent upon tourist dollars. Most of us know that you meant to say something sensible, if hypocritical, but please, sir, stick to your teleprompter. You can't talk without it, and we'd all be better off if you stopped trying. Until the next presidential election, that is.

Mister Obama's strange mix of incompetence and arrogance highlight the problem facing our country. As I mentioned last time, big money influence and (virtual) lifetime appointments for members of Congress have made it almost impossible for any fresh blood to make it into the dusty halls of power. In fact, it discourages our so-called representatives from actually fixing anything or making a real, substantive difference. If they did actually resolve one of the myriad problems facing our great nation, then WE THE PEOPLE might actually have a chance to catch a breath of fresh air, and discover that we don't need them nearly as much as they want us to think. Imagine for a moment that the massive spending orgy that Obama/Reid/Pelosi are engaged in actually created enough jobs to tame unemployment and bring wages back up enough to bolster the economy and increase the Federal tax receipts (is that the way that works? Wow). Do you think they'd start holding meetings in public again, or stop meddling in the business affairs of companies with no ties or bills due to the government? No. Imagine that insurance companies decided to voluntarily accept all of the provisions of that unconstitutional mess. Imagine that they bowed to pressure and started accepting patients with pre-existing conditions, or handing out free insurance to everyone who couldn't or refused to pay for it. Do you think they'd stop the attempted Federal/Socialist takeover of 1/6th of the economy? Nope. Because they have an agenda. They have a goal. And that goal isn't simply to 'fundamentally change the United States of America". It's to maintain power as long as they live. If they solve a problem, they lose a problem. And their mantra is 'never let a crisis go to waste'. Taking that to the next logical step, we see that a problem or a crisis is the villain that they need, because they have no other way to justify their position or distract us from their multitude shortcomings and blunders. We must solve this problem by prohibiting any money but Federal funding being used for campaign advertising of any form, as well as pushing through a Constitutional amendment requiring term limits for any member of Congress. There is no other way to push the corrupt and entrenched from government.

On another note...

I was enjoying a pleasant ride to work on the bus the other day, even as we were packed in like sardines, when it finally got the better of a fellow traveler. I'll describe the gentleman so you can get the picture. He was an African-American, impeccably dressed in a nice, expensive suit, with a very nice overcoat. I wasn't surprised to see that he was carrying a bible...

until...

he started dropping F bombs. Big, loud, angry F bombs. All about picking up too many F-ing people, packing us in like F-ing cattle. Carrying a bible. Forgive me sir, I thought, are you kidding? Do you not get that God is watching and listening? I mean, we're all imperfect. We all make mistakes, and do and say things we regret. We are all His children, and He loves us and forgives us. But please. Try to leave the F-bombs at home when you go out, especially with your bible. Think about the fact that God is listening. He knows the bus is overfull and late, and that the person next to you smells bad. Then think about the fact that God knows that you are dropping F-bombs on your spiritual brothers and sisters. Would you talk to God with that mouth? Because you are. Every F-bomb dropped on a stranger is also dropped on our Father. Think about that before you start lobbing F-bombs next time, okay?

Ahh, but our story doesn't end there. As I discreetly watched this gentleman, I noticed that his bible had a long bookmark in it. Half said something about God. Fair enough. The other end said "Farrakhan". There you go. While I hesitate to judge a religion (if you can call it that) that maybe I'm not familiar with, I suspect that the Nation of Islam doesn't object strongly to F-bombs being dropped on buses.

Kate’s Cooking: Fun With Apples

Hello out there. If you are like me and like to collect up interesting cooking books and put your nose into them to ferret out interesting cooking ideas, then you might like the two recipes we have today. One hails from Ireland and the other I found in an old Jewish cookbook. Both use apples and are tasty and relatively inexpensive to make. I like to experiment and change spices and seasonings from time to time but I have given you the base recipes. Enjoy.

MEAT & APPLE MACARONI

1 cup cooked meat – ground or chopped finely or ground
2 to 2 ½ cups cooked macaroni – you might like to adjust this
1 ½ to 2 cups thick gravy – adjust to suit taste
Black pepper
4 apples – preferably green and tart
1 tablespoon sugar
Fresh brown bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter or margarine (approx.)

**Mix together the meat, macaroni and gravy and season with the black pepper. Turn into a buttered casserole dish. Core the apples and finely chop them and place on top of the macaroni mix. Sprinkle with the sugar and breadcrumbs and dot with the butter or margarine. Bake in a moderate oven at 180C (350F or Gas 4) until heated through – approx. 30 minutes.

IRISH APPLE DESSERT

6 slices bread
¼ cup butter or margarine
4 or 5 apples
Cinnamon
¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
approx. 1 cup heated milk

**Butter bread with half the butter/margarine and cut into 2-inch squares. Core and slice the apples. Heat remaining butter/margarine and soften apples in it. Grease pie dish and arrange a layer of bread in the bottom then a layer of apples and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Continue in layers ending with a bread layer. Beat the eggs and pour the heated milk onto them. Continue to beat this mix well and pour over the bread and apples. Bake in a moderate oven for approx. 40 minutes. This is nice served with fresh cream or whipped cream that has a little vanilla essence added.

Well, happy cooking to all of you. Keep well and safe.

Cheers, Kate.

Miss Ginny's Diary Feb 4th 2010

Hello there and meow to you from me, Miss Ginny. Well it has been a funny day today. I have decided that HM and HD are quite mad. My sister ShooShoo is also mad. These three have been playing silly faces. ShooShoo likes to talk and when she wakes up and HM always talks to her and makes a return face – in other words if ShooShoo yawns then HM yawns and HD often does to. Then usually my sister gets down and comes over to them and starts a ruckus and a rumble and a mad game is on. Right now I am the only one up and about and everyone else is sleeping. HD is at work and HM is writing. The other thing HM does, is that she pulls kissy faces at me and I just love her but she is crazy sometimes. She says we wake her up to much at night but this is not always my fault. It is usually ShooShoo – she is our burglar alarm and if she hears something at night or if she goes to the bathroom to use our kitty litter box, then she just has to tell us all about it and how good she is because she has been to use the litter box or she wants to tell us that the street cleaning machine has gone past. I have told you before that she hates the street cleaner – poor man. I love my sister but she is also crazy. I do feel sorry for HM because ShooShoo just keeps on and on until HM responds. HM can do this without opening her eyes always, she just tells my sister ‘I hear you ShooShoo – good girl’. HM asked us the other day why we always follow her to the bathroom when she needs to use it. I don’t know why. It’s just that we have always done this wherever we have lived, since we were tiny kittens. I guess we always will. HM says we are both nuts. So everyone in this happy family of ours is nuts and crazy. Fun isn’t it?! Oh here comes Grandma Carrie on the bed. She has been looking to see what is left from our soft food. We get soft food at night and we have plenty of cat biscuits to eat during the day if we want to. We have about 7 weeks left before we move. HM will be pleased. She doesn’t like it where we are and feels that we will all keep better health in the clear cool air of the northern prairies. We have had lots of talks about all the different animals that will be in our new place. At least it will not be so hot in the summer. We live inside and in air conditioning but we may not need air-conditioning where we are going. HM likes the fresh breezes of spring and summer. Where we lived before we all came to America was nice and fresh and not too hot.

Hi there – this is HM. Ginny just curled herself up and went to sleep here on the bed. You can see that she thinks we are all nuts and crazy. Well, we do have those days when everyone feels like having a little fun. Miss Ginny is such a dear little cat. She cares a lot about us and she is quite bossy. She doesn’t like a lot of noise and for some reason she always comes across and stares at us when we laugh. I don’t know why this is but when people laugh she gets quite talkative. Maybe the noise affects her ears. What do you think? I don’t think Miss Ginny and ShooShoo will ever stop following me into the bathroom. You know, even if I go to the bathroom when they are both asleep, then you can bet your life, that they will be their in a flash, scratching at the door to come in. Oh well, it is harmless I guess.

I will say goodbye on behalf of Ginny – she looks so cute.

She will talk to you again soon, bye from her and me, HM.

Oh yes, here is a picture of ShooShoo asleep.