Bring me the head of Diego Garcia...and the Mayor of Addu Atoll too!

[Cap Mandrake]

Oz: This was kind of "in your face" with the shock attack.[:)] Oh well, a successful cavalry charge is good for morale. A few fewer walking dead on walkabout in the Outback.

Ground combat at 70,128 (near Wyndham)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 1844 troops, 12 guns, 43 vehicles, Assault Value = 128

Defending force 112 troops, 0 guns, 30 vehicles, Assault Value = 7

Allied adjusted assault: 57

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 57 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), leaders(-), disruption(-)
supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 34 (34 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
3rd Army Tank Brigade

Defending units:
7th Ind.Tank Brigade

[Cap Mandrake]

Sorong: This ersatz rescue mission near Sorong gets high points for enthusiasm if not pranning. They bore in.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Misool at 81,108

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 4
TBF-1 Avenger x 18

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
xAKL Meiko Maru, Bomb hits 3, heavy fires, heavy damage
PB Ayaha Maru
PB Tatibana Maru

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x SBD-3 Dauntless releasing from 4000'
Naval Attack: 1 x 1000 lb SAP Bomb
18 x TBF-1 Avenger bombing from 15000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

[Cap Mandrake]

Port Blair: Ut'oh. 2:1 There was a small WJD SCTF there last turn to prohibit the unloading of our suppry convoy. Not sure how they got to 2:1 after they were smacked down very hard at the last attack. Probably the supply thing.

Ground combat at Port Blair (46,58)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 12093 troops, 125 guns, 19 vehicles, Assault Value = 271

Defending force 5967 troops, 64 guns, 82 vehicles, Assault Value = 189

Japanese adjusted assault: 140

Allied adjusted defense: 53

Japanese assault odds: 2 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), fatigue(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-)

Japanese ground losses:
814 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 38 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 5 (1 destroyed, 4 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
228 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 34 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled

Assaulting units:
10th Garrison Unit
55th Infantry Regiment
56th Infantry Regiment
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Provisional Base Force

Defending units:
44th Indian Brigade
45th Indian Brigade
13th Indian Light AA Regiment
173 Wing
120th RAF Base Force

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[Cap Mandrake]

Just took SG out to a fancy steak dinner for our anniversary the other night, although I did make her get the Anchor Steam on tap instead of the wine (because I perceived greater value..it cost less [:)]).

Little hole-in-the-wall place that Nixon used to take Bebe Rebozo to. Bebe was kinda hot in a butch sort of way. Here they are with color-coordinated leisure shirts (not that there is anything wrong with that).




Anyway, I got distracted. The steaks were sublime. Mesquite charcoal grilled. But here is my question. How come the guy is expected to pay?

Seems to me women get waaaay more out of marriage than men do. [:)] They ought to be thanking US for not going out with a Bebe Rebozo type or a twenty something perky breastesses type like my neighbor did before he was forced to pay $15K a month in alms.

[witpqs]

If you would just give in and install that built-in 10,000 BBQ grill then you too could get off as easy as your neighbor! [:D]

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

..

You know the powers to be took on Napalm as a cruel weapon with no redeeming value .. which was soon replaced with aerial bomblets ... not sure which one is more cruel ... but one does not have to deal with odor of burning flesh with the latter [just rotting flesh], which is very hard on local home values ..

[Cap Mandrake]

************FOB San Juan, Panay, May 3, 1943(c)**************


FAM: Isn't King an Admiral not a General?

Moana: Yes sir, he is.

FAM: And he wants us to APOLOGIZE for setting Manira on fire? Manira? He really said "Manira"?

Moana: Yes sir. It's the Japs sir. Some of them have trouble with the "L" sound.

FAM: Well, I dont remember ordering anyone to set Manira on fire?

Mr. Dewey, Esq: With permission, sir, you might still have exposure under the "Yamashita Standard".

FAM: "Yamashita Standard"? Do you mean that Jap general? What, is he a lawyer or something?

Mr. Dewey, Esq: No sir, it is the notion that commander might have culpability for war crimes even if he did not order or even have knowledge of or perhaps even have command authority over the perpetrators of the crime. We have a client who has retained us to develop this legal theory in order to solve some issues of oversubscribed property ownership.

FAM: Sounds like bull shit to me.

Mr. Dewey, Esq: Yes, but it is likely to work if the target is a class A asshole.

FAM: So wait, you are implying it might work in my case too?

Mr. Dewey, Esq: No sir, not in as many words but it might be prudent to issue a formal order banning such actions in the future.

FAM: You know, WE did not start this thing. We couldnt even issue orders on turn 1. <grows pensive> Crap! OK, Moana, take a dictation.

Moana: On your lap, sir?

FAM: <turns red> Errrr...no...just regular....

[Cap Mandrake]

I realize this may be hard to believe but the federal Family Medical Leave Act form is actually more confusing and filled with more worthless buraucratic doubletalk than the Alterantive Minimum Tax form.

Even DOD forms like the Military Dependent Overseas Travel form read like a Shakespeare sonnet compared to the FMLA. It's as if the committee that drew it up were on LSD and then they threw it into a shredder and had Farsi speakers glue it all back together.

[zuluhour]

I believe the Bar Association is ultimately responsible.

[poodlebrain]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I realize this may be hard to believe but the federal Family Medical Leave Act form is actually more confusing and filled with more worthless buraucratic doubletalk than the Alterantive Minimum Tax form.

Californians shouldn't complain about the Alternative Minimum Tax since it is largely a self-inflicted wound due to the high state and local taxes you voluntarily pay for the privilege of living in California. Californians love the Alternative Minimum Tax so much you have your own version. Of course Jerry Brown needs the money so he can keep paying all those prison guards.

[BBfanboy]

Prison guards? You mean the tax money isn't going to pay off Ahnold's patrimony liabilities?

[CaptDave]

That's saying something, given that the AMT form (and required recordkeeping -- the real bugaboo!) is so complex that my tax organization will be devoting 4 of 6 seminar hours to it in November.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: CaptDave

That's saying something, given that the AMT form (and required recordkeeping -- the real bugaboo!) is so complex that my tax organization will be devoting 4 of 6 seminar hours to it in November.

Oh, don't get me wrong. The AMT is a 5 gallon bucket of fetid afterbirth but the FMLA form is like waterboarding for the Engrish language. Even worse, the potential penalties associated with ******* law itself are so bad that HR people now use the FMLA form every time an employee fakes a sore throat to take Friday off to go water skiing at the River.

The questions are recursive and some refer to sections 3 pages ahead that haven't been filled out yet. A newborn is a "serious disease". There are nested conditionality questions that would make a FORTRAN programmer grow faint. You can't say what the problem is (because of confidentiality) but you have to say what treatments will be required and how often in 8 different spots.

I am so tired of the ******* things I now write things like "drop dead" or "ask Svengali" or "beats me". Sometimes an HR functionary will fax back something that says, "Please complete section 8b on frequency of ancillary care for family member of employee". I write back, "Yes" or "2^^4/3 per month". It's probably some poor lady just trying to do what her boss told her but it's like arguing with the ref in the NBA. You do it so they leave you alone the NEXT time.



I was filling one out yesterday for the father of a newborn. He wanted to take a few weeks off and didn't understand the form (go figure) but had to answer what care he would give for the "serious medical condition of the family member".

I wrote in for him "change shitty diapers". He thought it the funniest damn thing he ever saw. He couldn't wait to turn it in to HR. The mom spoke zero Engrish and thought we were both crazy.

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: poodlebrain

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I realize this may be hard to believe but the federal Family Medical Leave Act form is actually more confusing and filled with more worthless buraucratic doubletalk than the Alterantive Minimum Tax form.

Californians shouldn't complain about the Alternative Minimum Tax since it is largely a self-inflicted wound due to the high state and local taxes you voluntarily pay for the privilege of living in California. Californians love the Alternative Minimum Tax so much you have your own version. Of course Jerry Brown needs the money so he can keep paying all those prison guards.

My recollection is nobody asked for my permission on the AMT or on the 10% marginal tax rate in California.

I tried to fight the Franchise Tax Board once. I even had my own "ombudswoman". Unfortunately for me, the ombudswoman sounded just like my "case specialist" on the phone. They kicked my ass, the *******. [:)]

You are completely correct about the prison guards union. They and the teacher's unions literally run California government now.

[Crackaces]

Back to the war ..

You have an interesting situation in which you will cut off supplies to the IJ .. it should not be long for the IJ to run out of supplies given the pace of engagement .... PI should fall from starvation in a couple of months ...

Where is next Cap?

[Disco Duck]

Hey Cap'n. Has California discovered the impervious cover tax yet?
My sister in Ohio is paying $15 per month right now. It is base on how much of your property prevents the water from soaking into the ground.[X(]

[witpqs]

A newborn is a "serious disease".

Due to tuition rates, a newborn is a serious disease.[:'(]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

Back to the war ..

You have an interesting situation in which you will cut off supplies to the IJ .. it should not be long for the IJ to run out of supplies given the pace of engagement .... PI should fall from starvation in a couple of months ...

Where is next Cap?

The next target is Okinawa (Naha) with potential simultaneous landing at Kume-Jima and Daito Shato. These are the first places with Japanese-sounding names so there will probably be some Japs there. At least that is what they say in Washington.