New Mars Forums
You are not logged in.
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
Announcement
#104 Re: Martian Politics and Economy » A Politically Correct Development Plan - Communism & Socialism & Capitalism » 2004-06-09 14:22:19
#107 Re: Human missions » Probability of Collison of Starship and stuff - stuff twixt earth and near star » 2004-06-09 01:11:36
#108 Re: Martian Politics and Economy » A Politically Correct Development Plan - Communism & Socialism & Capitalism » 2004-06-08 23:48:21
#111 Re: Civilization and Culture » A ProtoMartian Curriculum - Lessons from Cobb Hill » 2004-06-07 14:58:12
#115 Re: Not So Free Chat » You're a 1st Marsian Settler » 2004-06-07 00:43:18
Journal entry -- today. Whatever.
I'm in real trouble. I got some of our red corn from the storage shed to make some tortillas and some of our non-mutated bunnies got in and seemed interested in the meal, so I offered a taste to one of them. Dana came in and stopped me as fast as she could.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Its full of ergot." she replied.
"Ergot? In our corn?"
That's when she said the words that have shaken my morning: "Oh, sorry, I thought that was the rye."
"The rye?"
"Yeah" she said, "the rye is full of ergot. You didn't eat any did you?"
"No, but I did take it into town to trade for rabbits . . ."
#117 Re: Not So Free Chat » You're a 1st Marsian Settler » 2004-06-06 20:24:34
CQ: M1ME bunker one to M7CV bunker two . . .
CQ: M1ME bunker one to M7CV bunker two, come in bunker two. Please relay message to all colonists, plan effective, Mad Grad Student has left the planet, return to hab now safe. Repeat, plan effective, return to hab now safe, UN and mutation costumes no longer needed, hab now safe, over . . .
#118 Re: Not So Free Chat » Open Debate: Military Spending vs Space Exploratio - Is our military spending worth it? » 2004-06-06 20:03:24
I'm not sure I agree the T-72 in this case was a superior tank to the M-60
Well, the last military training I did was during the Reagon era, and back then it was assumed that the T-72 was a match for the M-1 (which has since been proven patently false.) For all all I know you could be spot on, I'll go do some research and find out.
There is another example of the US getting into artillery slug fests with the Iraqis, who were using Argentinian artillery -- which is far superior to the US's -- and techno quick fixes only made the situation worse. What saved the US artillery crews was training *and* experience, not technology (in fact they reverted to WWI techniques to win the day.) Air power did not play a role in this case.
You're kidding.
Can't compare weapon at weapon that way. I'm quite sure the Russians didn't sold to Iraqis the latest hitech equiped tanks, such as having laser drive guns with ability to fire shells when tanks are in fast motion, as the french light wheeled tanks had.
Don't know how to break this to you, but French tanks and equipment are damn good -- and your Marines are better. The tanks used by the French in Desert Storm, along with the British Churchill, are *roughly* in the same generation and class as the M-1 (I realize that class is very loosly defined, but we are talking about weapons systems designed two decades after the M-60 was designed, and by modern societies.) The M-60 had been upgraded time and time again, but it was not up to French standards -- even our National Guard no longer uses it.
What level was the US close airsupport at the time? Very crucial, especially in Iraqi terrain.
Both you and DonPanic made this point and I'm surprized I didn't take it into consideration -- I'll blame my girlfriend and her excellant backrubs for that one (hey, I can't be right all the time!) 
Seriously, combined air and ground forces are a powerful combination -- but again, useless without coordination, and that means training: lots and lots and lots, and it won't be safe either. Good copy for congressmen with an axe to grind and military budgets to divert to their own pet projects. 
EDIT: I think we might be diverting the thread here -- how can we apply all of this to the origional question?
#120 Re: Not So Free Chat » Open Debate: Military Spending vs Space Exploratio - Is our military spending worth it? » 2004-06-06 16:11:55
#121 Re: Martian Politics and Economy » Moral Communities to Mars - Send "Civil Body Politics" to Mars » 2004-06-06 06:22:16
#122 Re: Martian Politics and Economy » A Politically Correct Development Plan - Communism & Socialism & Capitalism » 2004-06-06 06:01:17
#123 Re: Not So Free Chat » You're a 1st Marsian Settler » 2004-06-06 04:47:26
W1AW-4>M1ME: Mundaka has new mail, please kill after reading:
W1AW-4>M1ME: mSG# TR Size To From @BBS Date
W1AW-4>M1ME: 5892 N 2400 M1ME K1CE W1AW 090408
W1AW-4>M1ME: M1ME de W1AW: at 2107z on 090408
W1AW-4>M1ME: 14 active msgs, last msg #5946
W1AW-4>M1ME: (A, B, D, H, I, J, K, L, R, S, T, U, W, X)>
Dear Chris (or Mundaka or whatever it is you are calling yourself these days),
Oh, NOW you write me -- me and your poor father of course. Finally you get around to writing the decrepid peasants back here on Earth? Your own family? And all we do is worry. We hear all these terrible things about Mars but do you ever write your poor parents who sacrificed everything for you? Your grandmother would turn in her grave if she knew what an ungrateful son I raised. I could die but would you send a postcard? Oh I'm sure you would say its too expensive. Too expensive? For your own mother?! No, I'm stuck with this Godawful email thing. Its not even real email this ungrateful son of mine sticks me with, its some kind of shortwave business. More like shortchanged, you cheapskate, ungrateful, miserable son. So go ahead, go to Mars and go crazy with all those lunatics up there and leave your poor mother all alone -- except for your poor father, God bless his soul, left behind by an ungrateful son who now calls us with some sob story about crazy people on Mars! What did you expect, you lunatic?! To run off into outer space with people who are stable?! You leave your own family for some outer space hippy commune with that girlfriend of yours? Why aren't you married? When will I have some grandchildren? And what's this about some man in leather chasing you around!?!? And Cobra snakes?! I can't take it anymore, how do I shut this thing off?
cmd: C
cmd: A
cmd: X
cmd: D
***DISCONNECTED