Hakko Ichiu

Coffee. Joe. Java. You say that's not a food? It is the way I like it. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

I feel the need to bump this fine, vintage thread; Lord knows, the board needs all the refinement it can find. In an earlier post, I mentioned the Scottish custom of drinking whiskey with the malt in one hand and a glass of water in the other -- as opposed to a splash of water in the malt or <shudder> ice. I discovered this only recently whilst reading The General Danced at Dawn by George MacDonald Fraser -- well worth reading as is anything else by Fraser, especially the "Flashman" series -- and tried it the other day with a glass of my beloved Lagavulin: chilled filtered water in one hand; two fingers of the blessed distillate in the other; alternate sips of each. Any afficianado of Scotch should try it this way. For whatever reasons, it highlights a whole new set of flavors within the miraculous spirit. Haven't tried it with any other marks yet, but rest assured I will, as soon as I can get them down my neck. Slainté. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

Reminds me of that great old game, "Cosmic Encounter". I think there's definitely a contingent of Howler Hamsters on this forum, although personally, I'd like to meet the Netiquette Nazi. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Seanachai: She might like Professor Doktor Hamster X, though. He has a rather evil, be-monocled charm to him. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I'm not generally keen on members of the feline persuasion -- have you seen what we did to Ethan's cat? But perhaps in Kitty's case I'll make an exception. Professor Doktor Hamster X Generalissimo and President-for-Life Hamster Liberation Front 1-800-HAMSTER Some People Call Me the Space Cowboy, Some Call Me the Hamster of Love™ [This message has been edited by Hakko Ichiu (edited 09-05-2000).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pzvg: Trust me, I did a stint as Cadre and you just will not believe the depths of stupid some earnest young folks can reach simply by not knowing any better. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> "the depths of stupid". I love it. I may have to use it some day. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Havermeyer: How does one drink a single malt scotch. I've never been one to do so... but I picked up a bottle on the way home (can't recall what kind-- but it was neither great nor blended). In a glass on the rocks?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Germanboy is right (there, I said it): never drink a proper malt on the rocks. Apparently, the true connaisseurs among the Scots have a glass of malt in one hand and a glass of spring water in the other. Alternate sips. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat until assimilated. But if your wife is amorous, what are you doing hanging around the thread. You've a job to do, young man. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

Maybe you should change your screen nick to "Spliffy"? ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Germanboy: Somebody has given him a game? I thought we were all way beyond that sort of stuff... Oh, maybe it was you, in one of your weaker moments. Tsktsktsk. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> He only got a game because he is my Official Combat Mission Sycophant™. Oh, and because he is evidently schizophrenic. Mr. Clark, WRT finding PBEM opponents, there are at least 4 (count em, four) CM Ladders out there, and they are always looking for fresh me... new blood. Go to the CM Web-ring for the full list. Just don't play with Germanboy yet; he'll bleed all over you, which is messy. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe [This message has been edited by Hakko Ichiu (edited 09-01-2000).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Germanboy: Anyone know a good Port? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> They say that Southampton is good, but if you're bringing in large amounts of tonnage, try Ramsgate. On another matter, does anyone have any AARs on Glendronach? I have a bottle which I haven't cracked yet. Meanwhile, I must content myself w/Lagavulin. Of course, at the moment, I am up at my parent's house, where they lack both whiskey and air-conditioning. At least they have a cable modem, so that's some consolation. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

The rear of the pillbox (i.e., the door) should be vulnerable to AP/HE. Not sure which the Sherm would use though. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

Professor Doktor Hamster X -- he's such a nice man, you really all should meet him -- is sending me away to an HLF "re-education camp", whatever that means. Apparently it's run by a bunch of Capybaras, so they should have some great Latin American cuisine. In any event, I'll be away from the computer until Monday. And the Professor Doktor says he's going up to Massachusetts for the holiday weekend. Something to do with seeing a man about a Weasel. Tootles. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

Not normally a searchonaut, but I did start the thread: http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/Forum7/HTML/000041.html ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

Gene Sarazen's albatross at the 15th in the '35 Masters. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Big Time Software: The serious answer, that does not involve hamsters... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Steve, This is a complete and utter oxymoron. Even a capybara strung out on some Castanedian jungle alkaloid knows that there is no true answer that disregards, disrespects, disabuses or otherwise dis'es Hamsterkind. I had thought better of you, and for once in my life I am wrong. Ah, well, corrective measures will soon be taken. Watch out the next time you hop in the Weasel. Professor Doktor Hamster X Generalissimo and President-for-Life Hamster Liberation Front 1-800-HAMSTER Whatever We Do, We Do It For You™

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Juju: For one thing, it's the first time I see a thread where Mr. Peng uses a smiley! THE HORROR, THE HORROR! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> He did say that he was sober, so he had an excuse. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

Success has a thousand fathers (not unlike Joe Shaw...sorry, wrong thread again), but Failure is an orphan. So in this case, Wild Bill, you could be a foster parent. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

Good. I'll just ignore it, and if I lose, I'll blame you, Wild Bill. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

Wild Bill, I was setting up the Paderborn scenario as Axis for a PBEM and I noticed a black setup area on the South edge of the map with no units in it. Are the units missing or is the setup area merely surplus to requirements? Thanks. The scenario looks like it could be a lot of fun. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe [This message has been edited by Hakko Ichiu (edited 08-28-2000).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Elijah Meeks: That's ok, anyone who speaks of themselves in the third person is just a little too freaky to play with. Cheers. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Excellent retort, Elijah. I'm pleased and proud to have you as my official Combat Mission Sycophant™ [This message has been edited by Hakko Ichiu (edited 08-26-2000).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Michael emrys: It would seem to me that another problem faced by third-party building texture designers is lack of readily-at-hand material to work from. I'm sure that the guys designing tank textures have authentic photos and paintings out the wazoo to work from. How many possess good architectural studies of representative European cities of the 1940s? Not many of those on wargamers' bookshelves, I'd wager. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I think you'd be surprised at what one can find with a little looking. Any half-decent illustrated history of the war, and there are a lot of those, will have some space devoted to the pre-war situation, and will usually have peace-time photos of major cities, and sometimes smaller towns and villages. I would imagine that this would also be true of social histories of the war and the inter-war period, although I'm afraid I can't think of any specific titles off the top of my head. Not as easy as finding a picture of Panther D, I grant you, but possible none the less. I also wonder how much the smaller villages in France that were relatively unscathed during the war -- there must have been a few, even in northern France -- have changed over the years. Less than one might think I'd wager, although this is only surmise on my part. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

One other trick when dealing with large forces is to use Shift+V to turn vehicles invisible. That way, if you have infantry and vehicles in close proximity, you can find the infantry more easily. It's also an easy way to click on units that are passengers -- They will be suspended in mid-air. Just remember to turn vehicles back on when you're done or you'll wonder where all that fire is coming from.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by THumpre: Good pic but the tails too long, how 'bout that for grognian pickiness! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Wrong, this is our new secret weapon: the Hamstertruppen MkXII Langschwanz (Ausf. QED). And they have enhanced penetration ability too. Take a good look at it all you FLH shaving-chewers. It may be the last thing you see. Professor Doktor Hamster X Generalissimo and President-for-Life Hamster Liberation Front 1-800-HAMSTER

Slightly off-topic to this off-topic post, but there is an article in a fairly recent issue of Outdoor Life that discusses the effects on hearing of long-term exposure to gun-fire noise. I'd give a more specific reference, but I only read the first part of the article while waiting for my car to come out of the repair shop. The upshot of it is that long-term exposure to small-arms muzzle blast noise (approx. 150-160 db.) w/o ear protection is a surefire prescription for tinnitus and other major-league hearing disorders. I have no idea how that compares with long-term exposure to arty detonations (which carry other hazards as well). Short-term exposure to heavy fire can lead to temporary deafness as well, but the author seemed to imply that the effects are cumulative. I'd love to read the whole thing, but I don't want to put my car in the shop again for a while. Some of the current and former redlegs on the board could no doubt add much more to this than I. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe

The term Übermensch (superman) originated, TTBOMK, with Nietsche's "Beyond Good and Evil" (mid-19th century). The Superman was a superior being evolved from the common mass of humanity and possessing higher levels of intellectual ability and moral reasoning. Nothing comical about it, really. The terms Herrenmensch and Herrenrasse (master race) probably evolved out of the German branch of the eugenics movement in the late-19th century, but I would want corroboration on that. BTW, didn't Superman face a German foe --Überman -- in the war-time editions of the comic. Or was that from the post-war period. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe [This message has been edited by Hakko Ichiu (edited 08-26-2000).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DrD: 1. Yes, read "Forgotten Soldier" and you'll see what I mean. Maybe they didn't run 50 miles but they did everything else. Also, "toughness" had to be judged in terms of the overall toughness of the world at the time. Sure in the 19th century some soldiers may have been tougher but then again so was everyone else. With disease, starvation, no electricity, etc. they had to be.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> "Forgotten Soldier" is a work of fiction and Guy Sajer's actual role in the war is a matter of dispute. Sure, soldiers in war, especially when on the defensive, outgunned, and freezing endure all sorts of hardship. The Wehrmacht did in the East, and so did the Screaming Eagles at Bastogne. I object to the unthinking absolute which, as you point out, is essentially unproveable. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>2. No, but VG divisions aren't the best example of what were talking about. Also, if you include indoctrination since childhood via the Hitler Youth etc. then the answer for the rest of the Army is "yes." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Well, if the Germans in WW2 were the most professional soldiers ever, as The Commissar quite literally said, then why exempt the VG. And how does blind obedience to a de-based racist ideology make one a better or more professional soldier? <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> 3. Yes. They conquered much more territory than the Romans. They also never revolted against the state (other than certain officers the German Army as a whole never abandoned what they perceived as their duty.) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I could just as easily argue that the Romans captured a larger portion of their known world and without the benefit of the internal combustion engine. And perhaps the 3rd Reich collapsed militarily the legions had a chance to revolt. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>4. Well, this one's tough since the IDF never fought the Whermacht, but I think they're very comparable. Germany basically took on the world and came awefully close to winning.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Exactly, so why insist that the Wehrmacht were the best ever. It's untestable and unproveable. And I would argue that, in the long run, Germany never had a chance once it attacked Russia w/o first finishing off Britain, not to mention once it declared war on the US. <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Also, I suggest you keep your debates a touch more civil. That last paragraph was rather impolite especially as this is all a matter of opinion. I mean, how can we compare the toughness and professionalism of armies so widely divergent in time and place? It's meaningless. All we can do is GUESS and render OPINIONS. Please don't disparage other's opinions. I certainly paid attention in my history classes and to the many books I've read in the last 20 years and I find myself disagreeing with you. However, I thank you for making me think and I certainly respect your opinion.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Thank you, but I've lived long enough not to be lectured on civility. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but all opinions are not equally valid. Some opinions deserve to have scorn heaped upon them. "The Germans were the best ever" is one of those. Your point is perfectly correct: we can't compare armies across time in any meaningful way; hence, the statement that "The Germans were the best ever" is meaningless, and your point complements mine exactly. Therefore, I respect it. Even if I did not agree with it (or it with me), I would respect it because it is based on logic and evidence, unlike "the Germans were the best ever". As to my final jibe, as I said elsewhere, it was just a jibe. I don't know the Commissar, and wouldn't presume to guess at his motivations. ------------------ Ethan ----------- Das also war des Pudels Kern! -- Goethe