Fantasy Trek: Summary of Events Stardate 0110.18

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 (HCA) 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 Ab'Qaff battle group arrived in the wej'Hom system. Initial findings
revealed debris similar to that found in the wa'Hom and cha'Hom systems. A
massive asteroid field, stretching across space that could have occupied at
least four planets, is littered with the same hull material as the other
systems, as well as other unidentified material.

Games in Play:

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

Opening moves here. The Feds are making a bee line for the distant prize.
The Klingons are aiming for the Federation infrastructure.

Turn 1)
(0110.17)
Klingon: (c,17) KF1(K1-6) assembles. KSY1 begins construct KF2 turn 1/18
Federation: (c,5) FF1(F1-6) assembles. FSY begins construct FF2 turn 1/18

Turn 2)
(0110.17)
Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 2/18 KF1(K1-6) moves to
(c,16).
Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 2/18 FF1(F1-6) moves to
(d,5).

Turn 3)
(0110.17)
Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 3/18 KF1(K1-6) moves to
(c,15).
Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 3/18 FF1(F1-6) moves to
(e,5).

Turn 4)
(0110.17)
Klingon: (c,17) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 4/18 (F7 complete)
KF1(K1-6) moves to (c,14).
Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 4/18 (K7 complete)
FF1(F1-6) moves to (f,5).

Turn 5)
(0110.17)
Klingon: (c,13) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 5/18 (F7 complete)
KF1(K1-6) moves to (c,13).
Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 5/18 (K7 complete)
FF1(F1-6) moves to (g,5).

Turn 6)
(0110.17)
Klingon: (c,13) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 6/18 (F7 complete)
KF1(K1-6) moves to (c,12).
Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 6/18 (K7 complete)
FF1(F1-6) moves to (h,5).

Turn 7)
(0110.17)
Klingon: (c,13) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 7/18 (F7,8 complete)
KF1(K1-6) moves to (c,11).
Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 7/18 (K7,8 complete)
FF1(F1-6) moves to (i,5).

Turn 8)
(0110.17)
Klingon: (c,13) KSY1 continues construct KF2 turn 8/18 (F7,8 complete)
KF1(K1-6) on station (c,11).
Federation: (c,5) FSY1 continues construct FF2 turn 8/18 (K7,8 complete)
FF1(F1-6) moves to (j,5).

PvP games reported:

(0110.17) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed PVP
(0110.17) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed PVP
(0110.17) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: IKS 'etlh destroyed PVP
(0110.17) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed PVP
(0110.17) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: Both ships destroyed PVP
(0110.17) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: IKS 'etlh destroyed PVP
(0110.17) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed PVP
(0110.17) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: AV Sitka destroyed PVP
(0110.17) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: IKS 'etlh destroyed PVP
(0110.17) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: IKS 'etlh destroyed PVP

(As you might guess, Mrs Kapact and I had a marathon PvP session)

Heavy Combat: KCA IKS Etlh(A) vs KCA IKS Etlh(B) combat simulation in
progress.

Command College:

"What Are Your Orders, Captain?"

(TMP Era) "Enmeshed"

Discovering 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, but is challenged by
two approaching Klingon warships. As the Klingons close, they are revealed
as a K'tinga Class Battlecruiser and a Levek Class Destroyer. Their weapons
are charged, and they are on course to intercept the unknown ship, intent on
either capturing or destroying it. The Klingons ignore Captain Robau's
hails, and seconds later, two Tholian ships arrive, throw a web around the
K'tinga, and open fire.

What are your orders, Captain?

"Common Foe"

Despite the obvious enmity between the Federation and the Klingons, Captain
Robau decides to take his chances with the Klingons rather than the
Tholians, and locks photon torpedos on the lead Tholian cruiser. Then he
sends a hail, ordering them to stand down. The Tholians respond by hitting
the Sparta with a phaser blast. As the second Tholian ship comes around to
engage the Sparta, the Akula Class destroyer responds with a full spread of
torpedoes. As the Tholian turns to engage them, Robau is surprised to see
the Levek join the fight on their side. Disruptors slam into the turning
Tholian, and a phaser barrage bring down the Tholian shields. The
jewel-shaped starship explodes in a dazzling display... and the entire
region of space ripples and shifts, and the stars vanish.

When the brilliant flash subsides, Captain Robau notes that the Tholians are
gone, along with the mysterious Federation ship. The two Klingon ships are
adrift, but still occupy the same positions relative to the Sparta. Scans
show that the warships are still powered, but show extensive damage. At the
same time, the science officer reports a massive intallation extreme range
that shows a distinct Tholian signature. What should Captain Robau do next?

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

"Captain's Log"

"... a threat we weren't prepared for..."

Class N Reducing
Age: 3-10 billion years
Diameter: 10,000-15,000 km
Location: Ecosphere
Surface: High surface temperature due to greenhouse effect; water exists
only as vapor
Atmosphere: Extremely dense, carbon dioxide and sulfides
Life forms: Unknown
Example: Venus

17) A seemingly abandoned device on the planet threatens to destroy the
ship.

(Post-TNG Era)
Captain T'leenvil
RIS D'Shoanna
D'deridex Class Warbird

We responded to a distress signal from the theoretical warp facility on the
third planet in the Tal system. As we came into sensor range, we noted waves
and waves of compressed temporal displacement, originating from the
facility. This phenomenon is rare, but not unheard of. But coming from a
theoretical warp facility that deals in artificial singularities leads to
numerous scenarios, each more frightening than the last. Now, as our Praetor
is using the same technology to meddle in time travel to vanquish enemies
that he cannot defeat through any other means, and facilities like this
sprout up all over the Empire, I fear that these kinds of disasters will
become more and more commonplace.

We assumed standard orbit, and immediately scanned for life readings. None
were apparent, but the facility itself was building to an implosion.
Normally, I would have destroyed the facility with plasma torpedoes, but the
unusual gravimetrics created by the device prevented us from using our
impulse engines to break orbit. Finally, the chief engineer proposed a
solution once employed Captain Kirk, on the USS Enterprise more than a
hundred years ago. The procedure involves jumping directly into warp from
one fixed planetary orbit to another fixed planetary orbit in a different
system. The effect on the originating planet is, unfortunate, but as Tal III
will soon be another casualty of our Praetor's ambition anyway, I ordered
the procedure implemented. We were minutes away from our warp jump when
received another distress signal. Apparently the temporal displacement was
even affecting sensor readings from the surface. A probe launched directly
at the facility showed twenty-seven life signs. Most of the scientists still
lived, even as we prepared to leave. Fortunately our transporter was able to
beam the survivors from the life support domes on the otherwise
uninhabitable world to the safety of the D'Shoanna before we literally
warped out of orbit of the dying planet.

So we celebrate the lives of twenty-seven scientists who might otherwise be
dead, without so much as a corpse to mark their passage. And our Praetor,
who sold herself as a savior to the Romulan people in our darkest hour, may
in fact represent a threat we weren't prepared for.

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

Dev Notes:

I am still pushing through the Etlh's second combat trial. Slow going as RL
is a bit of a pain right now. Also talking myself into working through an
Excel-based map/Simple Combat scenario called "Eyes on the Prize":

The objective is to travel to the far side of unexplored space to recover
the artifact and return it to your home world.

Single Player AI engagement rules: AI will move to engage enemy fleets
within 3 spaces in neutral space. AI will move to engage enemy fleets within
5 spaces in friendly space.

System Conquest: In enemy/unclaimed territory, roll for encounter (2/6
chance). Roll 1d6for size of enemy fleet. 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) or by docking at shipyard
for one turn. System can be held by shipyard, starbase or at least three
ships in-system.

Random enemy convoy(s) may appear in enemy/unclaimed space. All convoys
stopped=at least 3/5 freighters destroyed, escorts (random, 1-2) destroyed
or disabled (10/15 damage) within five volleys deactivates one random enemy
shipyard. Shipyard will require at least three starships onsite for three
turns to reactivate.

Enemy forces may be encountered in all enemy/unclaimed open spaces. Roll for
encounter (2/6 chance), Roll for size of enemy fleet (use same method as
in-system combat).

Shipyard:
Shipyards are recommended. They can be built anywhere. Shipyard can
construct a ship in three turns. Three starships must remain in system or
open space area for three turns to build shipyard. LOS (line of sight) must
be maintained to access shipyard outside of home space. Shipyard outside of
home space is subject to attack every other turn by random number of
enemies.

Two complete fleets (12 ships) can construct an advanced shipyard in six
turns. Advanced shipyards, in turn, can build a ship in one turn.

Fleets are designated by number/race. For example, the Klingon First Fleet
is designated as KF1

Consult the Simple Combat Table for multipliers.

Miss Ginny's Diary Jan 17th 2010

Meow to you. It’s me, Miss Ginny. How are you today? It has been a lazy day for us. HM says we are all slacking off which means we are mostly asleep. I have included a picture of me sleeping that HM took earlier today. I think we slept so much because it was quite a warm winter’s day and the sun was shining and we had lots of food to eat and all was well. HD rang in to see how we are and he is bringing us home some kitty treats – he does this every now and then. I love these – they are crunchy and the name of them is Friskies Natural Sensations. We have the ones made with chicken. HM gets yoghurt which she does not let us eat because she gets one with fruit in it. Today I watched HM pack some china bowls and I supervised her. She calls me her ‘kitchen boss’ because I like to watch what she is doing. My sister and Grandma Carrie were spitting at each other today so they were both sent to the opposite ends of the living room. ShooShoo was just being a pain! Well it is the next day now and the maintenance man came to fix our door. We needed a new key plus lock and as he had to cut into the iron door the noise was awful so HM put us all in the bathroom and then closed the door so the noise was less of a problem for our ears. We all behaved quite well I think. ShooShoo hid behind the toilet and I jumped in the bath and Grandma Carrie sat on top of the toilet and ShooShoo did not annoy her at all. GAD just sat in the middle of the bathroom wondering why we were all there. God Bless her, she lives in her own world. My mum Lapper, jumped on the bench and sat there. It took a while to finish – about 45 minutes. HM gave us a nice supper of turkey and gravy. So now it is early in the evening and we are all settled and HM is working on her writing. Because of the door being fixed we did not get any packing done today. HD got called into work early and I am hoping he might bring home some more treats. He spoils us. HM just said to me that I had treats yesterday so not to expect any today. Well I shall live in hope. HM is shaking her head at me and says I am a spoilt little princess that she really loves and knowing HD there will be something in his jacket pocket for us. ShooShoo has just come to join me and HM wants to know what she is talking about. It’s a big story. I wish she wouldn’t try to wash me. I hate having my ears washed. HM just told me not to fuss because ShooShoo has been doing this since we were very young and just to let it be. I am staring HM out. She just looked at me and shook her head. I like to curl up with HM and I am watching her so I can go and curl up with her when she has finished the column she is working on. Both HM and HD do a lot of writing. HD has already written nearly 5000 words this week and HM told him to take a rest. Well, it is the next day now and HM is not well and so I am keeping an eye on her. She says she is going to bed soon – it is about 6pm and HD will be home later from his work and he will cheer her up. I will cuddle up with her when she gets into bed in a moment – she calls me her little furry best friend. HM is frowning. She is watching the television on CNN (I’m not sure what that is). She was talking earlier to HD about some big problems in another country. HM looks very upset. She is frowning. Well looks like she is getting into bed so I will talk to you later.


Be well and many meows to you from me, Miss Ginny.

Chatter With Kate: THE LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE OF HAITI and SOME INAPPROPRIATE WORDS

Hello there folks. A couple of days ago I sat down to write a few words to you about ‘pesky’ politicians. I set up the laptop and turned on the television to have some background noise. Then along came the breaking news on the CNN network about the dreadful earthquake in Haiti. This is a truly staggering situation. I have been watching the great effort of the United States and other nations to get assistance to Haiti and try and alleviate the suffering of the people there. These things take time and I am amazed that some of the rescue teams got there within 48 hours with all their equipment and personnel etc. The dogs that go into the rubble of collapsed buildings never cease to amaze me. Aren’t they terrific?! When you think about it, the logistics of starting to sort out a devastated city of nearly 2 million people is staggering and yet I hear criticisms beginning to appear. Well I would just like to say to these people; just button it, your mouth/s that is. The logistical challenges are as I just said, staggering. The scale of helping a city of this size needing EVERYTHING is mind boggling. Where do you start? With Haiti having a government that can’t cope and an infrastructure that has basically ceased to exist, the problems that have to be dealt with are compounded by these and a port that is broken up and an airport that has a cracked building and control tower. The challenges are everywhere. I hear that the US military has gotten the airport sorted out but the port is a mess. So give folk time to sort this out to! As I write this, I am thinking that perhaps the United Nations should take perhaps Haiti over and put the country under its protection until they can find a leader for Haiti that is not going to become a dictator and has a brain or two. This might sound harsh but if you look at the history of this beautiful country and its resilient people, they have been placed under some crazy governmental situations in their history. The largest percentage of Haiti’s population is under 18 years of age and there are many orphanages and schools that are trying to cope. Wow! It all sounds overwhelming. But you know, we will all help them. It may be physical help; it may be in our prayers. We may even be able to volunteer in some way. If you can do the latter, then please try. I know that many folk nowadays are struggling financially, but even a dollar or two to a reputable agency like Red Cross or the United Nations would be welcome.


Finally, I would just like to say to the well-known preacher who said on national television, that the people of Haiti (who seem to have a history of different troubles) basically deserve what they are getting because they had made a pact with the Devil to get the French Colonial power out of the country – well you need to button your mouth up too. My goodness me, perhaps you might like to think of finding a different profession. Sure, we live in a democracy with the right of free speech, but dude, this was way over the top. I have a lot of buttons of varying sizes – perhaps I should send you one of the larger ones.

Go safely out there folks and God Bless you.

Kate.

Fantasy Trek: Summary of Events Stardate 0110.13

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 (HCA) 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 the 'AI' Sha'kurian ship had to allocate 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 roll was a 6 (on a 1d6), for 60 points. Considering that there were several other engagements going on at the same time, I decided to play it safe, putting it all on defense. Lucky for the Klingon ship Perseus, because that ship 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 "Legendary" 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



cha'Hom System-

The IKS Ab'Qaff reports that a sample of the ancient Vulcan hull material has been transferred to a 'trusted representative' of the Vulcan High Council. It also transmitted all relevant data of a strong Romulan military presence in the sector. Having now completed its mission in the cha'Hom system, the Ab'Qaff battle group has departed for the wej'Hom system.



Games in Play:





Head to Head Sector Conquest

(Note:The end of the campaign was not a surprise. Klingon forces eventually overpowered withering Federation resistance. At the end, Klingon forces built their second shipyard to attain the required Victory Condition points. Reading over prevous notes, I see where I had allowed for losing fleet commanders to call in reinforcements. I changed my mind on that, because I thought that the law of averages would equalize any balance issue created by the advantage created by winning and losing the coin toss. I'll keep that issue in mind during the next Head to Head Sector Assault.)





Turn 38)

(1209.25)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle. Random attack? Contact: 4 FCA's *won toss. (1209.29) KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary KSY Klinzai vs FCA USS Indomitable FCA USS Alpha Centauri FCA USS Cochrane FCA USS Henry Archer: FCA USS Indomitable FCA USS Alpha Centauri FCA USS Cochrane FCA USS Henry Archer destroyed. Klingons undamaged.

Open Space:

KF3 (FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) arrive in open space. Search for convoy? Turn 1: no contact



Turn 39)

(1209.30)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle.

Open Space:

KF3 (FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) in open space. Search for convoy? Turn 2: no contact



Turn 40)

(1209.30)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle. Random attack? No contact.

Open Space:

KF3 (FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) in open space. Search for convoy? Turn 3: no contact





Turn 41)

(1209.30)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle.

Open Space:

KF3 (FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) in open space. Search for convoy? Turn 4: no contact





Turn 42)

(1209.30)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle. Random attack? No contact.

Open Space:

KF3 (FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) in open space. Search for convoy? Turn 5: no contact





Turn 43)

(1209.30)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle.

Open Space:

KF3 (FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) arrive in open space. Search for convoy? Turn 6: Contact: Fr1-5 w/1 FCA escort. *won toss. (1209.31) FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh vs FCA USS Komack, Fr!-5: FCA USS Komack, Fr!-5 destroyed. No damage to Klingons. Federation random fleet disadvantage= -3. KF3 departs for System 2.



Turn 44)

(0110.01)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle. Random attack? No contact.

System 2:

KF3 (FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) arrive in System 2. Contact: 2 FCA's. *lost toss. (0110.01) FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh vs FCA USS Milliways FCA USS Gilliam: FCA USS Milliways FCA USS Gilliam destroyed. FCA IKS Jamestown damage 20/25. FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh. Fleet remains on station while FCA IKS Jamestown repairs.



Turn 45)

(0110.01)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle.

System 2:

KF3 (FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) remains on station while FCA IKS Jamestown repairs. Turn 1/2 contact? No contact.



Turn 46)

(0110.01)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle. Random attack? No contact

System 2:

KF3 (FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) remains on station while FCA IKS Jamestown repairs. Turn 2/2 contact? No contact. Fleet departs for open space.



Turn 47)

(0110.01)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle.

Open Space:

KF3 (FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) arrive in open space. Search for convoy turn 1? Contact Fr1-5, 2 FCA's. *won toss (0110.01) FCA IKS Jamestown FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh vs FCA USS Alderaan FCA USS Probert, Fr!-5: FCA USS Alderaan FCA USS Probert, Fr!-5 destroyed. FCA IKS Jamestown destroyed. FCA IKS Mayflower damage 14/25. FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh undamaged. Federation random fleet disadvantage= -4. KF3 (FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) remain on station for repair of FCA IKS Mayflower.



Turn 48)

(0110.01)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle. Random attack? No contact.

Open Space:

KF3 (FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) remain on station for repair of FCA IKS Mayflower. Turn 1/2 random attack? No contact.



Turn 49)

(0110.01)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle.

Open Space:

KF3 (FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) remain on station for repair of FCA IKS Mayflower. Turn 2/2 random attack? Contact: 1 FCA *won toss. (0110.01) FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh vs FCA USS Martha Washington: FCA USS Martha Washington destroyed. Klingons undamaged. FCA IKS Mayflower fully repaired. Klingon fleet departs for system 1.



Turn 50)

(0110.01)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle. Random attack? No contact.

System 1:

KF3 (FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) arrive in System 1. Begin construct KSY Kahless. Turn 1/3 Contact: 1 FCA *won toss. (0110.01) FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh vs FCA USS Panama City: FCA USS Panama City destroyed. Klingons undamaged.



Turn 51)

(0110.01)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle.

System 1:

KF3 (FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) in System 1. Construct KSY Kahless. Turn 2/3 Random attack? No contact.





Turn 52)

(0110.01)

System 5:

KCA IKS Poktarl FCA IKS Challenger FCA IKS Calgary on station. KSY Klinzai idle. Random attack? No contact.

System 1:

KF3 (FCA IKS Roanoke FCA IKS Mayflower FCA IKS Boston KCA IKS Chang KCA IKS tIQ'etlh) in System 1. Construct KSY Kahless. Turn 3/3 Random attack? No contact. KSY Kahless complete.



Klingons defeat Federation



Victory Conditions/Points-

Shipyards 2

Fleet size 5

Reinforcement capacity 6 (max)

5 systems conquered.

13 VC points





PvP games reported:

(0110.03) PCA AV Sitka vs KCA IKS 'etlh: Both ships destroyed



Heavy Combat: KCA IKS Etlh(A) vs KCA IKS Etlh(B)



(0110.04) KCA IKS Etlh(A) vs KCA IKS Etlh(B) (Advanced/Prototype Test)



1)

Position

....1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

1___________________________________________________

2___________________________________________________

3___________________________________________________

4_____________A_____________________________________

5___________________________________________________

6___________________________________________________

7___________________________________________________

8___________________________B_______________________

9___________________________________________________

10__________________________________________________

11__________________________________________________

12__________________________________________________

13__________________________________________________

14__________________________________________________

15__________________________________________________

16__________________________________________________

17__________________________________________________

18__________________________________________________

19__________________________________________________

Elevation

.... A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U

A___________________________________________________

B___________________________________________________

C___________________________________________________

D___________________________________________________

E___________________________________________________

F___________________________________________________

G__________________________B________________________

H___________________________________________________

I_________________A_________________________________

J___________________________________________________

K___________________________________________________

L___________________________________________________

M___________________________________________________

N___________________________________________________

O___________________________________________________

P___________________________________________________

Q___________________________________________________

S___________________________________________________

T___________________________________________________





A) Roll [9]

A) Helm: Position/Movement[9x4,JxI /Speed2]/[Course 90x000 ]

A) Countermeasures/Reinforce shields/Cloak/Tractor/Repair: [6ECM/ECCM()+retained] [Reinforce shields()+retained]Cloak[]Tractor[pts] Repair[]

A) Tactical: Target[BFWD] Target Bearing[45x45] Target Range[6] Fire weapons [FWDdisruptors(x) +FWDphotons(4x4)+AFTdisruptors(5x4)+AFTphotons(x)]

A) Auxiliary Craft: Shuttle[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [def disruptors(x)]/(Fighter[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [beam disruptors(x)+photons(x)]





B) Roll [6]

B) Helm: Position/Movement[15x8,NxG /Speed3]/[Course270/000 ]

B) Countermeasures/Reinforce shields/Cloak/Tractor/Repair: [ECM/ECCM(5)+retained] [Reinforce shields()+retained]Cloak[]Tractor[pts] Repair[]

B) Tactical: Target[AFWD] Target Bearing[45x335] Target Range[6] Fire weapons [FWDdisruptors(x) +FWDphotons(4x4)+AFTdisruptors(x)+AFTphotons(x)]

B) Auxiliary Craft: Shuttle[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [def disruptors(x)]/(Fighter[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [beam disruptors(x)+photons(x)]



Results:

A) Damage:16 pts total FWD Shields 16/32

B) Damage:36 pts total FWD Shields 32/32 FWD Armor 4/4



2)

Position

....1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

1___________________________________________________

2___________________________________________________

3___________________________________________________

4_________________A_________________________________

5___________________________________________________

6___________________________________________________

7___________________________________________________

8___________________B_______________________________

9___________________________________________________

10__________________________________________________

11__________________________________________________

12__________________________________________________

13__________________________________________________

14__________________________________________________

15__________________________________________________

16__________________________________________________

17__________________________________________________

18__________________________________________________

19__________________________________________________

Elevation

.... A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U

A___________________________________________________

B___________________________________________________

C___________________________________________________

D___________________________________________________

E___________________________________________________

F___________________________________________________

G______________________B____________________________

H___________________________________________________

I_________________A__________________________________

J___________________________________________________

K___________________________________________________

L___________________________________________________

M___________________________________________________

N___________________________________________________

O___________________________________________________

P___________________________________________________

Q___________________________________________________

S___________________________________________________

T___________________________________________________





A) Roll [6]

A) Helm: Position/Movement[11x4,JxI /Speed2]/[Course 90x000 ]

A) Countermeasures/Reinforce shields/Cloak/Tractor/Repair: [5ECM/ECCM()+retained] [Reinforce shields()+retained]Cloak[]Tractor[pts] Repair[]

A) Tactical: Target[BPort] Target Bearing[90x45] Target Range[4] Fire weapons [FWDdisruptors(4x3) +FWDphotons(x)+AFTdisruptors(x)+AFTphotons(x)]

A) Auxiliary Craft: Shuttle[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [def disruptors(x)]/(Fighter[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [beam disruptors(x)+photons(x)]





B) Roll [10]

B) Helm: Position/Movement[12x8,MxG /Speed3]/[Course270/000 ]

B) Countermeasures/Reinforce shields/Cloak/Tractor/Repair: [4ECM/5ECCM()+retained] [Reinforce shields()+retained]Cloak[]Tractor[pts] Repair[]

B) Tactical: Target[ASTBD] Target Bearing[45x315] Target Range[] Fire weapons [FWDdisruptors(4x6) +FWDphotons(x)+AFTdisruptors(x)+AFTphotons(x)]

B) Auxiliary Craft: Shuttle[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [def disruptors(x)]/(Fighter[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [beam disruptors(x)+photons(x)]



Results:

A) Damage:24 pts total FWD Shields 15/32 STBD Shields 24/30

B) Damage:4 pts total FWD Shields 32/32 FWD Armor 4/4 Port Shields 4/30



3)

Position

....1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

1___________________________________________________

2___________________________________________________

3___________________________________________________

4______________________A____________________________

5___________________________________________________

6___________________________________________________

7____________B______________________________________

8___________________________________________________

9___________________________________________________

10__________________________________________________

11__________________________________________________

12__________________________________________________

13__________________________________________________

14__________________________________________________

15__________________________________________________

16__________________________________________________

17__________________________________________________

18__________________________________________________

19__________________________________________________

Elevation

.... A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U

A___________________________________________________

B___________________________________________________

C___________________________________________________

D___________________________________________________

E___________________________________________________

F___________________________________________________

G_____________B_____________________________________

H___________________________________________________

I____________________A_______________________________

J___________________________________________________

K___________________________________________________

L___________________________________________________

M___________________________________________________

N___________________________________________________

O___________________________________________________

P___________________________________________________

Q___________________________________________________

S___________________________________________________

T___________________________________________________





A) Roll [12]

A) Helm: Position/Movement[13x4,LxI /Speed2]/[Course 90x000 ]

A) Countermeasures/Reinforce shields/Cloak/Tractor/Repair: [3ECM/3ECCM()+retained] [Reinforce shields()+retained]Cloak[]Tractor[pts] Repair[]

A) Tactical: Target[BVENT] Target Bearing[315x45] Target Range[4] Fire weapons [FWDdisruptors(x) +FWDphotons(x)+AFTdisruptors(2x4)+AFTphotons(4x4)MicroTorp(8x2x4)]

A) Auxiliary Craft: Shuttle[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [def disruptors(x)]/(Fighter[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [beam disruptors(x)+photons(x)]





B) Roll [5]

B) Helm: Position/Movement[9x7,HxG /Speed3]/[Course315x225 ]

B) Countermeasures/Reinforce shields/Cloak/Tractor/Repair: [3ECM/ECCM()+retained] [Reinforce shields()+retained]Cloak[]Tractor[pts] Repair[]

B) Tactical: Target[AAFT] Target Bearing[135x315] Target Range[] Fire weapons [FWDdisruptors(x) +FWDphotons(x)+AFTdisruptors(1x4)+AFTphotons(6x4)MicroTorp(xx)]

B) Auxiliary Craft: Shuttle[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [def disruptors(x)]/(Fighter[ , /Speed]/[Course] Target[] Target Bearing[] Target Range[] Fire weapons [beam disruptors(x)+photons(x)]



Results:

A) Damage:25 pts total FWD Shields 15/32 STBD Shields 24/30 AFT Shields 22/22 AFT Shields 3/3

B) Damage:72 pts total FWD Shields 32/32 FWD Armor 4/4 Port Shields 4/30 (VENT Shields 32/32) (VENT Armor 4/4) (VENT Hull 4/4) (VENT Systems 10/10) Tractor 2/2 Batteries 4/4 Warp 4/4, Hanger Bay 2/2 (FWD Systems 5/5) Photon 2/2 Bridge 1/1 Sensor 1/1 Transporter 1/1 (AFT Systems 3/3) Photon 1/1 Sensor 1/1, Impulse 1/1 (STBD Systems 3/3) Docking Port 1/1 Warp Nacelle 1/1 Cloak 1/1 PORT Systems Docking Port 1/1 Warp Nacelle 1/1 Cloak 1/1 (66 total) (DORS Systems 6/20) Bridge 1/1 Computer Core 1/1 Impulse 1/1 Transporter 1/1 Disruptors(FWD) 2/4



Catastrophic Damage: 1 more system (DORS Systems) Disruptors(FWD) 3/4



KCA IKS Etlh(B) completely disabled and adrift. KCA IKS Etlh(A) disengages.



A) KLINGON CA (Etlh Class)



SHIELD GENERATORS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (1 IN 10 NEEDED)

DORSAL SHIELDS: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

VENTRAL SHIELDS: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

PORT SHIELDS: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

STARBOARD SHIELDS: 1 2 3 4 5 6

FORE SHIELDS: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

AFT SHIELDS:



Armor:

Fore 1 2 3 4

Aft

Port 1 2 3 4

Starboard 1 2 3 4

Dorsal 1 2 3 4

Ventral 1 2 3 4



Hull

Fore 1 2 3 4

Aft 1 2

Port 1 2 3 4

Starboard 1 2 3 4

Dorsal 1 2 3 4

Ventral 1 2 3 4



INTERNALS

Control Capable:

CCS/ATC (Command & Control Systems/Auxiliary Tactical Control)

Bridge (DORS, FWD)1

Fire Control (FWD) 1 2

(CR)Computer Core (DORS, FWD) 1*

Engineering (DORS) 1 2 3 4



Photon Torpedoes (FWD) 1 2 (AFT) 1 (DOR) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

(CR) Sensors (FWD) 1 *

Tractors (VENT)1 2

Disruptors (DOR)(FWD) 1 2 3 4 (DOR)(AFT) 1 2 3 4

Hanger Bay (VENT) 1 2

Transporter (FWD) 1

(CR) Batteries (VENT)1 2 3 4*

(CR) Warp (VENT)1 2 3 4*

Warp Nacelles (PORT) 1 2 (STBD) 1 2 (AFT) 1 2

*Control Requisite (CR): Sensors/Computer Core/Power or Aux Power(1 battery per turn)



Internal Damage Chart

Roll 1 dice

If you roll a number for a system that is already destroyed, you roll again.

(Roll) Result

DORS:(1)Bridge 1, (2)Computer Core 1, (3)Impulse 1, (4)Transporter 1 (5)Disruptors(FWD) 1 2 3 4 (5)Disruptors(AFT) 1 2 3 4 (6) Photons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

VENT: (1,2)Tractor 1 2, (3,4)Batteries 1 2 3 4, (5)Warp 1 2 3 4, (6)Hanger Bay 1 2

FWD: (1)Photon 1 2 (2)Bridge 1 (3,4)Sensor 1, (5,6)Transporter 1

AFT: (1,2)Photon 1, (3)Sensor 1, (4,5)Impulse 1

PORT: (1,3,5,6)Docking Port, (2)Warp Nacelle 1, (4)Cloak 1

STBD: (1,3,5,6)Docking Port, (2)Warp Nacelle 1, (4)Cloak 1



Boarding Parties: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Additional Capture Defenses: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10





B) KLINGON CA (Etlh Class)



SHIELD GENERATORS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (1 IN 10 NEEDED)

DORSAL SHIELDS: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

VENTRAL SHIELDS:

PORT SHIELDS: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

STARBOARD SHIELDS: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

FORE SHIELDS:

AFT SHIELDS: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22



Armor:

Fore

Aft 1 2 3

Port 1 2 3 4

Starboard 1 2 3 4

Dorsal 1 2 3 4

Ventral



Hull

Fore 1 2 3 4

Aft 1 2

Port 1 2 3 4

Starboard 1 2 3 4

Dorsal 1 2 3 4

Ventral



INTERNALS

Control Capable:

CCS/ATC (Command & Control Systems/Auxiliary Tactical Control)

Bridge (DORS, FWD)1

Fire Control (FWD) 1 2

(CR)Computer Core (DORS, FWD) 1*

Engineering (DORS) 1 2 3 4



Photon Torpedoes (FWD) 1 2 (AFT) 1 (DOR) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

(CR) Sensors (FWD) 1 *

Tractors (VENT)1 2

Disruptors (DOR)(FWD) 1 2 3 4 (DOR)(AFT) 1 2 3 4

Hanger Bay (VENT) 1 2

Transporter (FWD) 1

(CR) Batteries (VENT)1 2 3 4*

(CR) Warp (VENT)1 2 3 4*

Warp Nacelles (PORT) 1 2 (STBD) 1 2 (AFT) 1 2

*Control Requisite (CR): Sensors/Computer Core/Power or Aux Power(1 battery per turn)



Internal Damage Chart

Roll 1 dice

If you roll a number for a system that is already destroyed, you roll again.

(Roll) Result

DORS: 4 (5)Disruptors(AFT) 1 2 3 4 (6) Photons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

VENT:

FWD:

AFT:

PORT:

STBD:



Boarding Parties: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Additional Capture Defenses: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10





Command College:



"What Are Your Orders, Captain?"



(TMP Era) "Enmeshed"



Discovering 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, but is challenged by two approaching Klingon warships. Despite the fact that the Klingons are approximately ten minutes away and the danger of Tholian activity, Captain Robau has no choice but to attempt a rescue. He decides to extend scans ahead, to gather whatever information he can before arriving on the scene. As the Sparta closes to transporter range, sensors show thousands of microfractures in the hull, allowing for more detailed internal scans. He is relieved to discover no life forms aboard, simplifying the task before him.

A detailed scan of the mysterious ship reveals low-level power emanations, leading from the electro plasma system (EPS) to the tactical systems. Any residual power left in the matter/antimatter reaction assembly would still be available to any functioning tactical systems. That might give them a chance to mount a brief defence against the Klingon attack. Of course, this would require transporting crew to the ship, which is hazardous for a number of obvious reasons. Is it worth the risk?



What are your orders, Captain?



As the Klingons continue to close, they are revealed as a K'tinga Class Battlecruiser and a Levek Class Destroyer. Their weapons are charged, and they are on course to intercept the unknown ship, intent on either capturing or destroying it.

Captain Robau continues to scan the ship as he hails the two Klingon ships, ordering them to withdraw or risk war. He doesn't expect it to deter them, but instead hopes to delay them, even if only for a moment. As it turns out, the Klingons don't slow down or hesitate. In the meantime, Captain Robau transports an engineering team, along with a small tactical. While the disabled Federation ship is in no shape for extended combat operations, it dwarfs all of the other ships in the area. He can only hope that his engineering team can bring the other ship into the fight quickly enough to make a difference.

As lights start to flicker across the massive hull, two other ships appear on the scene. These are instantly recognizable as Tholian heavy cruisers. Before the captain can catch his breath, one of the Tholians has launched a web at the K'tinga. These are weapons he'd heard of but never seen, supposedly brought by extra-galactic Neo-Tholians. They were webs instantly deployable, by a single ship. Unlike the older Tholian webs that required two ships and more than hour to construct, these neo-webs were launched almost like torpedoes, encasing their victim in a globular energy field that completely disabled maneuvering and tactical functions, leaving the ship completely vulnerable for a short time, during which the Tholian could hammer away at them unopposed.

In seconds, the K'tinga was trapped and taking a beating. Captain Robau is now faced with a unique dilemma. Should he defend the Klingon, or attempt to flee the area with the mysterious ship? What are your orders, Captain?



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



"Captain's Log"



"...contrary to what we had believed..."



14) Members of the crew start to act very strangely when you enter orbit.



Class J Gas Giant

Age: 2-10 billion years

Diameter: 50,000-140,000 km

Location: Cold Zone

Surface: Tenuous, comprised of gaseous hydrogen and hydrogen compounds; radiates some heat

Atmosphere: Zones vary in temperature, pressure and composition

Life forms: Hydrocarbon-based

Example: Jupiter, Saturn



(Post-TNG Era)

Captain T'leenvil

RIS D'Shoanna

D'deridex Class Warbird



It was one of those days when you question not just the current aggressive policies of the Empire towards our Vulcan forebears and their human allies, but perhaps the thousands of years that have shaped our culture. From everything we thought we knew about the Federation, we were convinced that they hemmed us in, trapped and constricted us behind our borders because they hated us and wanted us either dead or powerless. From some of the earliest encounters, (distorted now, thanks to the current Praetor's temporal escapades), we assumed that every encounter with an Earth ship was a prelude to invasion, and every encounter with a Vulcan ship an attempt to reassimilate us into their stifling, passionless society. But now, as my crew and I witness the wreckage of a Federation cruiser, we all find ourselves questioning everything that we've ever thought we've known as a culture. The USS Eisenhower, a powerful Federation starship sacrificed itself in an attempt to rescue the Romulan crew of a science ship exploring a Class J planet in the Gamma Hydra system. A system that they claim and we claim. From all indications, the Eisenhower was pulled into the planet's unstable gravitation field and was lost with all hands. All that remains is an artifical ring, composed of sparkling duranium and tritanium debris. There is no sign of our science ship, nor of lifeboats from the Eisenhower. So strangely for us, and never to be reported once we reach home, my crew and I grieve not just for the loyal Romulans on the science ship, but also for the human crew who possessed a certain greatness contrary to what we had believed them capable, and died for that quality.



for next week. write a 100+ word log entry including the phrase "... a threat we weren't prepared for...". Post it in the yahoo group or on the blogsite's "comment" feature for a Command College Point.



Dev Notes:



While I think of creating more involved Simple Combat scenarios, I am also pushing the Etlh Class through a second heavy combat drill. The sticking point is the rack of micro torp launchers along the dorsal spine. There is a danger that they make the ship too powerful. I may adjust the power requirements, so that each micro torpedo costs a full point to launch, but only does half the damage as a normal torpedo. The advantage will hopefully be balanced by the power cost. If it does, it may provide a clue as to how to deal with other heavy and/or exotic weapons. On the subject of Heavy Combat, I am experimenting with simplifying some of the notation. I like having 3D combat, but the paperwork can be a pain. So rather than having to separate maps to track, I'll just note the elevation as a number from 1 to 9. Hopefully it will speed things up. One more note: Mrs Kapact (user Kate) is working hard on designs for the Blalock Class Fast (Penetration) Cruiser, as well as a Romulan dreadnought. Thank you Mrs Kapact!

Harry Reid IS a racist!!!

I don't care what Reid thinks about Obama, or black people. But the fact that he assumes the racism of white voters makes him, by definition, a racist. He is assuming behavior and attitudes about white voters, based upon their skin color. He is assuming that white voters would be more likely to vote for him because he looks white and talks white, and that is stupid and racist. What Trent Lott said years ago was wrong and stupid, and doesn't compare to this. But there is an undeniable double standard here. If a Republican had said this, they would be calling for his or her head, and probably getting it. Reid is a democrat, who is involved in an unconstitutional conspiracy with Pelosi and Obama in order to plunge this great country into the depths of socialism. Reid could put on a white sheet and hood and get away with it. The message here is that the democratic leadership thinks nothing of voters. They are easily manipulated racist fools, and are only valuable for their tax dollars and votes. That is what is revealed by Reid's mouth. Again, I say, don't you dare call me a racist.

Kapact's Rant: Kapact to Mister Obama: "You lie!"

This is, again, a present from Mister Obama, one that I hope any opponents he faces in 2012 will use (and word is, Mister O.(Oh)b.(boy)a.(another)m.(mistake)a.(a$#h&e) may be facing a primary challenge). Newt, I don't expect you to be reading this, but I have to hope you're thinking about it.


"We will have a public, uh, process for forming this plan. It'll be televised on C-SPAN.... It will be transparent and accountable to the American people." --Barack Obama, November 2007


"That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are, because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process." --Barack Obama, January 2008


"[T]hese negotiations will be on C-SPAN..." --Barack Obama, January 2008


"We're gonna do all these negotiations on C-SPAN so the American people will be able to watch these negotiations." --Barack Obama, March 2008


"All this will be done on C-SPAN in front of the public." --Barack Obama, April 2008


"I want the negotiations to be taking place on C-SPAN." --Barack Obama, May 2008


"[W]e'll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who is, who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies." --Barack Obama, August 2008


"We will work on this process publicly. It'll be on C-SPAN. It will be streaming over the Net." --Barack Obama, November 2008

Well, it turns out this administration has as much respect for their own campaign promises as they do for the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence (that archaic bit about 'endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights', as opposed to 'endowed by Obama/Reid/Pelosi with certain rights that they decide you can handle', and some obscure reference to taxation without representation). The legislature has handed down its latest decree, indicating that there would be no typical conference committee on the competing House and Senate versions of the health bill, as "leaders" opted instead for private negotiations with "key" congressmen and senators, none of whom is Republican. Once an agreement is reached, each legislative chamber will vote again and send the unified bill to the president.

Without a conference committee, a rule requiring public access to the conference report for at least 48 hours before a vote would conveniently not apply. This is just the kind of trickery and crooked shenanigans we've come to expect in a very short time from the Obama administration. This is a worse administration than the last one (not an easy thing), more ineffective and damaging internationally and domestically than the Carter Administration (seemingly impossible, but somehow true), and more corrupt than the Nixon administration.

So what does our legislature have to say about it? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) "There has never been a more open process for any legislation in anyone who's served here's experience." Speaks for itself, doesn't it? Ms Pelosi, you won't read this, and you wouldn't care if you did, but you are also a liar. A corrupt liar, and I hope you lose your job very soon.

So why is it they're so worried about hiding this glass of legislative poison? On page 1,020, the Senate bill states: "It shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection."

What's in the subsection in question? The infamous "death panel" -- the Independent Medicare Advisory Board (IMAB), whose objective will be to "reduce the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending" (in other words, to ration health care).

In effect, the bill creates an eternal law by prohibiting future elected Congresses from making changes to this subsection. We must simply pray that Republicans have the courage to take this illegal rag to the Supreme Court, and further pray that the Supreme Court has the integrity to strike it down.


I'll also add this about Harry Reid, soon to be ex-senator from Nevada.... if a Republican had said what you said, they would be called racist. And what is really wrong with what you said is that it assumes that every white voter is racist. Don't you dare call me a racist. Don't you dare.

Miss Ginny's Diary Jan 10th 2010

Meow to you out there, it’s me, Miss Ginny. It is early in the evening in our household. HD is at work and we have had our supper. My sister ShooShoo got into real trouble (again!). Grandma Carrie had just finished eating her supper and my sister chased her out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. Grandma is very old and while she is in good health, she is somewhat fragile and walks as she wants. ShooShoo doesn’t like Grandma Carrie and never really has. So HM did her bun! (as the English folk say) and she and my sister had a very long talk. ShooShoo is lucky HD wasn’t home. He truly loves ShooShoo and gets very upset with her when she is naughty. He would have sent her to her bed for a while. HM told her she is on a warning to behave or she will be sent to bed early. The interesting thing about all this is that ShooShoo seems to understand what HM says and she is behaving and has joined me on the big bed. We have been thinking about all the animals that live in the areas that are so very cold right now. I have told you that we are going to live in a much colder climate than where we are now. Did you see the zoo animals on television who are trying to cope with the cold in the state of Florida (USA) and in Europe? HM said that they used to have a cat in Canada, a long time ago and he used to like to eat the snow. I don’t think I would like that. HM says that we will have to get used to some very different animals and birds in our new home, than what we see at our current home. She said that you get an animal called a squirrel in our new town and they are busy little animals and move quickly and in the fall they gather lots of nuts and bread crusts to store in trees and other places, so that they have food to eat when it is very cold. She said that they used to have a red squirrel in Canada that would always come along the fence when they were having breakfast and sit and wait for the crusts from the breakfast toast. My cat mother, Lapper loves toast crusts and sometimes but not often, HM gives her a little one. Well it is the next day now and again it is early in the evening. It is cold today and HM once again has gotten into bed early and we have all joined her. HD is at work and he calls during his shift and likes to know what we are doing and how we all are. He is a nice person and brings us treats. HM calls him the ‘cat whisperer’. My sister likes to go to the phone when he calls in as she likes to hear his voice. We have heard a lot of sirens in our city today. None of us like to hear them. ShooShoo always cries and HM more often than not has to pick her up and give her a cuddle. She especially hates the fire engines. We are near the corner of a street and the man driving the fire engine often has to put the siren on high volume to get people to move out of the way on the crossing and to get cars to go to the left to let the engine pass. It is this high volume noise that ShooShoo doesn’t care for. HM has gotten up to go and get herself something to eat and I might get up and go with her to see if there will be any treats put out. So, I will talk to you tomorrow and in the meantime keep warm and safe.


Meow to you from me, Ginny and HM says hello.

Chatter With Kate Jan 10th 2010

COLD WINTER NIGHTS

Hello to you all. My goodness – I have been watching the Weather Channel covering the exceptionally cold weather for those folk who live in the American east, their Midwest and their northern plains. There was one place today that was going to have a wind chill of -52 degrees. Wow, you would need every bit of warm clothing you have and lots of layers of clothing to cope with this kind of a temperature. As the good folk on the Weather Channel said, it is too dangerous to be out in this weather for long and not to go if you don’t have to. In Europe it looks just as bad especially in England which looked like a total whiteout. I got caught in a whiteout once while I was driving a visitor to the airport in Colorado Springs (USA). It came on really quickly and was quite scary. Fortunately for us we were close to the turnoff for the airport and coasted quietly behind another car going to the airport. I worry about the folk who live on the streets – it cannot be easy to deal with. I bless the fact that I have a roof over my head, a kind husband and some crazy cats to keep me company on these cold nights. I like to put a big saucepan (kettle) on the stove and have on-going soup available to eat in this weather. I generally start with water of course and from there I put in all sorts of things. It is a nice change from coffee and tea etc. to have a mug or cup of soup broth. I have a small container on the kitchen bench where I try to put little leftover bits so I can throw them out for the little birds who brave the winter winds and snow. When we move to a new state soon (a very snowy one!) right near the Canadian border, I am going to try and get an old card table and put it outside and then get some cheap wild bird seed and suet so the little birds have food. When we lived in Illinois (USA) we used to do this and we got a pair of cardinals coming regularly to feed. I so love the cardinals. The male with his very bright red feathers looks truly wonderful against a snowy background. One thing that bothers me when I look at all this icy, snowy weather is the way that only the minority of drivers seem to take things carefully. Why is it that drivers still tend to go way too fast when the road police and weather folk are all telling them to slow down? One would think that sensibility would set in but judging by all the accidents and videos of cars spinning out etc. that we are seeing on the news, a lot of drivers don’t seem to be learning any lessons. Well that’s it for me for today. Take care and keep safe, well and cosy and warm, wherever you are.

If you would like to chat with me, please feel free to do so. I love to hear from folk around the world. It’s a great planet. Let’s look after it and learn about each other.

Cheers, Kate.

Kate’s Cooking: COFFEE STREUSEL SLICE

Greetings and at the start of today’s column, I would like to say that I am thinking of those of you living in the areas of northern hemisphere where there has been some ferocious winter weather. My goodness, the snow and frosts and very bad wind chills have all combined in some cases, to be just awful. Lots of layers of clothes and cups of broth and masses of toast work wonders in this weather. I feel for the folk who live on the streets and I applaud the efforts of the many charities around the globe who are helping them by finding warm coats, other clothing, shoes and food and handing these things out to the less fortunate amongst us. Well done you.

The column today involves what is probably my favourite thing to eat with coffee or to have amongst other goodies for an afternoon tea with friends. It is not too expensive to make and is truly delicious in flavour. I have given this recipe out a lot over the years and I thought you all might like to try it. The recipe may look like a lot of work at first glance, but this really isn’t so and you will, I am sure, enjoy it. So here then is COFFEE STREUSEL SLICE.

BASE

125gm (4 ounces) butter or margarine
¼ cup sugar
1 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar and stir in the flour and mix to a firm dough. Press evenly into a greased swiss roll tin or an expandable baking dish that gives you a 12x10” base (approx.) Bake in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes then follow this by spreading the base with the filling and then grate the topping over the filling and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the topping feels firm. Stand for at least 15 minutes before cutting into bars and leave to cool on a wire rack.

FILLING

400gm can sweetened condensed milk
30gm (1 ounce) butter or margarine
2 tablespoons maple syrup (golden syrup in British countries is good)
3 teaspoons instant coffee powder
approx. 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Combine the condensed milk, butter or margarine, syrup and coffee in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until mixture begins to show signs of a bubble or two and stir fast until mixture becomes thick and starts to catch on the base. (about 3 minutes) Stir in the walnuts.

TOPPING

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
125gm (4xoz.) butter or margarine

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and rub in the butter or margarine. Mix to a firm dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Take care out there and enjoy this lovely coffee slice and keep well and warm.

A NOTE FOR YOU: did you know that a camel can close its nostrils in a sandstorm. How’s that for a strange ending to a cooking column.

Cheers everyone, Kate.

Chatter With Kate Jan 7th 2010

Hey there and New Year greetings to you. I was pleased to see 2009 come to a finish. It was one of those years that no matter what you tried to do, things were just plain difficult and frustrating. I thank God for my small family – 1 husband and 5 cats. I really enjoy looking after them and in the case of the cats (naturally!) watching their antics. We will all be moving soon after being 4 years in a city we don’t like and living in a suburb that is difficult – the downtown area of a large tourist resort. I look out my 3rd floor window and see too many young people walking around at night – sometimes they are really young and I wonder ‘where are their parents’? Then along will come a family or two who have not found room at one of the local shelters. Being in a tourist city, the panhandlers abound. Our city has a huge amount of foreclosures, an education system that is in the bottom 5 of the USA. The unemployment rate is the highest in any city and on goes the negativity. So 2010 will be for us, a year of new opportunity in a new state. We will be living in a small city in a rural ranching/farming area with a big airbase close by and temperatures in the winter that are in keeping with those in northern Canada, the arctic or Alaska! My husband found his job on the internet – he is returning to a profession in which he has had many years of experience but one which he had left a handful of years ago. Both of us have lost our jobs in the last several years. My husband is a good man and found work at a base salary but as he said, it is a job! It has been very hard at times. We try to keep faith in our planet and while I don’t think you should ignore all the negativity you hear on the news and in the press, try and see past it and look at all possibilities - they are out there. Dolly Parton, God bless her has a great expression – you need to ‘honk your own horn’.


So my advice to you is just keep on truckin’ – do what my husband has done, keep faith in yourself and persevere. We human beings are unique. WE CAN DO ANYTHING!

See you later. Keep warm out there folks.

Kate.

Miss Ginny's Diary Jan 7th 2010

Hello there – meow to you, it’s me Miss Ginny. Its late afternoon here and in the south west we have had nice sun today and HM says enjoy it and have some sympathy for the larger part of our great country that is suffering through a giant deep freeze. My sister and I are nice and warm because we are tucked up in bed with HM as she has gone to bed early and we have sorted out a spot on the big bed and there we will probably stay until the morning alarm clock goes off. Here comes Grandma Carrie doing the same thing. I like to sit and think about things when I get into bed after the day has finished. HM has been putting things in boxes. She said that we can’t travel anywhere at the moment because it is still way to cold for us to travel. She takes great care about these things. She said she is going to make coats for us out of nice fleece. I want a pink coat! We each have our own travel blankets and I always travel in the same cage as my sister because we fit easily into one as we are small cats. Grandma Carrie is up and moving about. ShooShoo got into trouble yesterday for chasing after her. HD was home and he and my sister often argue about things. She hisses at him if she doesn’t like what he says to her and then she will give him one of her ‘stare outs’ that she is known for. HM gets cross with my sister when she does this. She says that she didn’t raise her to have bad manners. HM sometimes calls my sister ‘Miss Botswana’ as she has the face of a lioness – her coloring is about the same as a lioness around her face. Botswana is a country in Africa that has lots of interesting animals living there. HM is frowning as she is looking at the bad weather in the east. Lots and lots of snow and very cold days and nights. HM’s aunty who lives in Indiana has snow up to the second story of her farmhouse. HM checked to see that she is okay and she said she is fine and the oil heaters are working okay and she has plenty of food. HM says that the cars that are out in this bad weather, are driving way too fast on icy roads. HM says that you must eat and drink well in this very cold weather because by doing this you will give your body fuel and energy to cope. HM is making herself some drop egg noodle soup with chicken for her supper and she had put garlic in it. I hate the smell of garlic and she said I didn’t have to sit there twitching my nose as I wasn’t going to get any. (Cats cannot eat garlic as it is quite bad for them like chocolate.) We are all up as Grandma Carrie took a wander into the kitchen to see what she could find. There is still some of our soft food left if we want nibbles of something. When Grandma does a wander round we all do to see if she gets any extra treats. HM says that as she has managed to live to the same amount of years as a 155 year old human she deserves treats from time to time. We usually get the treats to. Golly me! GAD just did a huge sneeze. HM told her she shook the building. She is a big big cat and does giant sneezes. HM has finished making her soup. Thank goodness! I hope she eats the garlic first. She says that garlic is very good for humans in the colder months as it helps them keep good health and puts good vitamins in their systems. Wow – a red car on the TV just skidded in a full circle on an icy road as it was going round a corner. HM said ‘scary’. Well we are all back in bed again and I might go to sleep until HD comes home from his work. He just might come in with treats – yeah!!


Keep warm out there and HM says stay safe. Meow to you from your friend, Miss Ginny (and HM too).

Good night.

Kapact's Rant: Don't Tread on We The People

Now that the hubbub of the holidays is over, we need to get back to the real honest-to-goodness crime and/or incompetence going on in our nation's capitol. This health care bill that nobody has read, and that we can't pay for, is not only a real step towards full-blown socialism that Hugo Chavez admires, (yes, he admires it. He has said that, at the same time that he is laughing at us for falling for it), it is also illegal. Unconstitutional.
There is nothing in the Constitution that specifically gives Congress the power to require that people purchase a good or service. Insurance is a state concern, and therefore doesn't come in under the laws regulating
interstate commerce, nor is it connected to the authority that Congress once exercised to regulate the speed limit. And our liberal congress members seem to think that they can grant themselves this power. They forget that their power does not come from themselves, or any bills that they propose. Their power comes from We The People. If you'd like to see an example of this shocking mix of ignorance and arrogance, consider that at least two (in fact, many more) Congressional leaders cannot or will not explain where in the Constitution they are given the power to require that people purchase insurance. I have here information from CNSNews.com, quoting, amongst other places, the Conservative Action Project. Here is the information, which really speaks for itself:
Aside from constitutional questions about Sen. Ben Nelson's deal with Democrats on behalf of Nebraskans, conservatives are eyeing the bill's individual mandate the requirement that every American citizen must
purchase health insurance."Mandating that individuals must obtain health insurance, and imposing any
penalty, civil or criminal, on any private citizen for not purchasing health insurance is not authorized by any provision of the U.S. Constitution," says The Conservative Action Project, a group of prominent conservative activists. "As such, [the bill] is unconstitutional, and should not survive a court challenge on that issue." Supporters of the Democrats' health care bill have incorrectly contended that the individual mandate is authorized by the Commerce Clause, the General Welfare Clause, or the Taxing and Spending Clause, the Conservative Action Project said. But since the federal government has limited jurisdiction having only
enumerated powers, unless a specific provision of the Constitution empowers a particular law, then that law is unconstitutional. There is no authorization for the individual mandate, the group said. The Commerce Clause, which allows the federal government to regulate interstate commerce, does not apply to the health care bill, "because there is no interstate commerce when private citizens do not purchase health insurance," The Conservative Action Project said. The Commerce Clause covers only those matters where citizens engage in voluntary economic activity. "Government can only regulate economic action; it cannot coerce action on the part of private citizens who do not wish to participate in commerce," the conservative group said. Nor is the bill's individual mandate authorized under the General Welfare Clause, which applies only to congressional spending. "It applies to money going out from the government; it does not confer or concern any government power to take in money, such as would happen with the individual mandate. Therefore the mandate is outside the scope of the General Welfare Clause." And finally, the Conservative Action Project says the individual mandate is not authorized under the Taxing and Spending Clause or Income Tax. The
Constitution only allows certain types of taxation from the federal government, and the health care bill does fall in those categories.
As for the argument that the health care bill's individual mandate can be compared to laws requiring auto insurance an argument President Obama has made such arguments are invalid: "Only state governments can require people to get car insurance," the Conservative Action Project said. "While the federal government is limited to the powers enumerated in the Constitution, the states have a general police power. The police power enables state governments to pass laws for public safety and public health. The federal government has no general police power, and therefore could not require car insurance." Moreover, states require auto insurance only as a condition for those people who voluntarily choose to drive on the public roads. "If a person chooses to use public transportation, or use a bicycle instead of a car, or operate a car only on their own property, they are not required to have car insurance, and cannot be penalized for lacking insurance."

'Where in the Constitution...?"
In recent months, CNSNews.com has asked various members of Congress where specifically the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the authority to enact an individual health insurance mandate. Many had no idea.

(CNSNews.com) Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) would not say what part of the Constitution grants Congress the power to force every American to buy health insurance--as all of the health care overhaul bills currently do. Leahy, whose committee is responsible for vetting Supreme Court nominees, was asked by CNSNews.com where in the Constitution Congress is specifically granted the authority to require that every American purchase health insurance. Leahy answered by saying that "nobody questions" Congress' authority for such an action.

CNSNews.com: "Where, in your opinion, does the Constitution give specific authority for Congress to give an individual mandate for health insurance?"
Sen. Leahy: "We have plenty of authority. Are you saying there is no authority?"
CNSNews.com: "I'm asking--"
Sen. Leahy: "Why would you say there is no authority? I mean, there's no question there's authority. Nobody questions that."
When CNSNews.com again attempted to ask which provision of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to force Americans to purchase health insurance, Leahy compared the mandate to the government's ability to set speed limits on interstate highways--before turning and walking away.
CNSNews.com: "But where, I mean, which"
Sen. Leahy: "Where do we have the authority to set speed limits on an interstate highway?
CNSNews.com: "The states do that."
Sen. Leahy: "No. The federal government does that on federal highways."
Prior to 1995, the federal government mandated a speed limit of 55 miles an hour on all four-lane highways. The limit was repealed in 1995 and the authority to set speed limits reverted back to the states Technically, the law that established the 55 mile-an-hour limit--the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act of 1974--withheld federal highway funds from states that did not comply with it. The law rested on the
Commerce Clause, which gives Congress the authority to regulate interstate commerce, and Congress' authority to dole out federal tax revenue. Someone who does not buy health insurance, critics have argued, is not by that ommission engaged in interstate commerce and thus there is no act of interstate commerce for Congress to regulate in this situation. All versions of the health care bill currently being considered in Congress mandate that individuals buy heatlh insurance. Americans who don't would be subject to a financial penalty.
Attorney David Rivkin Jr., who worked in the Justice Department under both Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, said that Sen. Leahy's response about the constitutional authority to mandate the purchase of health insurance "is wrong."

"None of Congress' enumerated powers support an individual purchase mandate," said Rivkin. "We have made this case in considerable detail in our recent articles in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. Indeed, the Congressional Research Service, an entity that is usually deferential to Congress' prerogatives and prone to take an expansive view of congressional powers, when asked by the Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus about the constitutionality of individual purchase mandates could only say that this is a 'novel question.'"
"This mandate can only be based upon a view that Congress can exercise general police powers, a view profoundly at odds with the Framers' vision of the federal government as one of limited and enumerated powers," he said. "If the federal government can mandate an individual insurance purchase mandate, it can also mandate an unlimited array of other mandates and prescriptions, including the mandate to buy health club memberships or even to purchase a given quantity of fruits and vegetables."
"This state of affairs would completely warp our constitutional fabric, vitiate any autonomous role for the states and eviscerate individual liberty," said Rivkin. "It is profoundly un-American."
This is not the first time Congress has considered forcing Americans to buy health insurance. In 193-94, an individual mandate was a key component of then-President Bill Clinton's health care reform proposal.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said in a 1994 report that for federal government to order Americans to buy health insurance would be "unprecedented," adding that the government had "never required" Americans to purchase anything. "A mandate requiring all individuals to purchase health insurance would be an unprecedented form of federal action," CBO found. "The government has never required people to buy any good or service as a condition of lawful residence in the United States," said the CBO report.
"An individual mandate would have two features that, in combination, would make it unique. First, it would impose a duty on individuals as members of society. Second, it would require people to purchase a specific service that would be heavily regulated by the federal government." Although Sen. Leahy said that "nobody" questions that Congress has the authority to force Americans to buy health insurance, Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee did question whether Congress had that authority when the health-care bill was being debated in their committee. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah) tried to offer an amendment that would expedite judicial review of the bill were it enacted, but Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D.-Mont.) ruled that Hatch's amendment was out of order.

(CNSNews.com) When CNSNews.com asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday where the Constitution authorized Congress to order Americans to buy health insurance--a mandate included in both the House and Senate versions of the health care bill--Pelosi dismissed the question by saying:
"Are you serious? Are you serious?"
Pelosi's press secretary later responded to written follow-up questions from CNSNews.com by emailing CNSNews.com a press release on the "Constitutionality of Health Insurance Reform," that argues that Congress derives the authority to mandate that people purchase health insurance from its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce. The exchange with Speaker Pelosi on Thursday occurred as follows:
CNSNews.com: "Madam Speaker, where specifically does the Constitution grant Congress the authority to enact an individual health insurance mandate?"
Pelosi: "Are you serious? Are you serious?"
CNSNews.com: "Yes, yes I am."
Pelosi then shook her head before taking a question from another reporter. Her press spokesman, Nadeam Elshami, then told CNSNews.com that asking the speaker of the House where the Constitution authorized Congress to mandated that individual Americans buy health insurance as not a "serious question." "You can put this on the record," said Elshami. "That is not a serious question. That is not a serious question."
Later on Thursday, CNSNews.com followed up on the question, e-mailing written queries for the speaker to her Spokesman Elshami."Where specifically does the Constitution authorize Congress to force Americans to purchase a particular good or service such as health insurance?" CNSNews.com asked the speaker's office.

"If it is the Speaker's belief that there is a provision in the Constitution that does give Congress this power, does she believe the Constitution in any way limits the goods and services Congress can force an individual to purchase?" CNSNews.com asked. "If so, what is that limit?"

Elshami responded by sending CNSNews.com a Sept. 16 press release from the Speaker's office entitled, "Health Insurance Reform, Daily Mythbuster: 'Constitutionality of Health Insurance Reform.'" The press release states that Congress has "broad power to regulate activities that have an effect on interstate commerce. Congress has used this authority to regulate many aspects of American life, from labor relations to education to health care to agricultural production." The release further states: "On the shared responsibility requirement in the House health insurance reform bill, which operates like auto insurance in
most states, individuals must either purchase coverage (and non-exempt employers must purchase coverage for their workers)or pay a modest penalty for not doing so. The bill uses the tax code to provide a strong incentive for Americans to have insurance coverage and not pass their emergency health costs onto other Americans but it allows them a way to pay their way out of that obligation. There is no constitutional problem with these provisions."

That is the end of the piece I obtained from CNSNews.com. I didn't write this report myself, but I found it so honestly astounding and frankly terrifying that I felt it needed to be passed along.

While you can buy votes in Congress (something that once would have shocked even the worst of them), you can't buy them from We The People. This arrogance... this hubris demonstrated by what has got to be the most corrupt government this country has ever known, is not only an embarrasment, it's dangerous. Because while they are waving this smelly (and very expensive) bottle of snake oil under our tortured nose, our enemies are working, and very hard. It doesn't pull our president home from vacation (heck, it didn't
warrant a response for three days!), but it is war, and it is real. If you understand that the Cold War was in fact World War Three, then what we have now, that doesn't interrupt Mister Obama's golf game, is World War Four. Sorry to say (because I try to see the best in everybody), but Mister Obama would react quicker to losing his socialist takeover of the government than he did to someone trying to blow up an airliner on Christmas Day.