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Board Issues

Apr 23 2007 6:04pm

We have been having some glitches with the Board over the last week or so. Please be patient. The tech gurus are working on it...
Sorry for the trouble. We should have things back to normal before too long. These BBS things can be a bit glitchy from time to time as many of you know...
It should work fine most of the time. Every now and then though it decides to get temperamental. As I said, we are working on it.






Bumping the Chessboard

Mar 29 2007 4:43pm

One of the best lessons anyone can get from wargaming out a situation is the perspective of your opponent. I can't count the times when my table-top opponent and I would decide to switch sides after a battle and refight it after adopting each other's armies. You can really develop a good sense of how others operate this way.
But if I put myself in the place of President Bush (and try to think the way his Administration does about the world...as you might in a wargame) I find myself contemplating all sorts of rather desperate scenarios to upset the political and foreign policy chessboard.
I mean, from the perspective of the White House, why not hit Iran soon? The Russians say we are massing troops there right now anyway, and we have a naval battle group in the area, so why not?
It would take the air right out of this federal prosecutor thing, turn the tables on Pelosi and company ("The Democrats want to strip troops of funding while they are fighting and dying in Iran!") and continue the headlong battle he seems to be wanting with the Congress over the rights of the Chief Executive to unfettered war powers under the C-in-C clause of the Constitution.
This would be especially enticing, if I were the guy in the wargame playing the part of the President, because we are nearing perhaps a "tip over the chessboard" moment for the Administration. That's what happens when one person knows they are about to lose, and decides to upend the chessboard to nullify the game ("I guess we have to start over with a brand new game!").
The more Republicans that begin to desert the President the more that chessboard seems ripe for a serious bump. "Shock and Awe Part Two" might shake things up nicely. Hey, if you are already going to lose, why not?






A sort-of correction

Mar 16 2007 8:31pm

In the upcoming (current by now?) Common Sense show I refer to a poll done by CBS News and the New York Times.
In the show I say that the poll in question doesn't ask Americans what trade-offs they would be willing to make to afford health care. This is not entirely true.
There WAS a question about "If you could give all Americans coverage for life for an extra $500 a year would you be willing to pay it?" and another "Is it more important to keep the Bush tax cuts in place or have universal health care?"
The point of that segment of the show still holds true...but I did not represent the poll totally accurately. I caught the error myself. It was the result of rushing the current show. I used a story ABOUT the poll when I should have been using the poll itself as a guide. I was just being lazy, and told myself I would double-check it before the show was posted.
Well I DID double-check it...and found myself to be less than 100% right. The poll STILL does a terrible job helping us to understand what Americans would be willing to give up to get universal Health Care...but it is not as totally bare of questions about trade-offs as I led on in the show.
My apologies. It did not seem worth a four or five day delay in releasing an already overdue show to re-record the whole segment.





Back At The Helm

Mar 13 2007 3:57pm

Just wanted to let you all know I am back at the helm and Ben and I should have a new history show for you ASAP. Be on the lookout for it.
I'll start recording a new Common Sense show tomorrow morning (Wednesday). We will get that out as soon as possible.
Thanks for all your support!





The Promised Slowdown

Mar 05 2007 1:59pm

As I said at the end of the last Common Sense show, there will be a delay of about a week before we can get you any new stuff.
I am leaving town and won't be around to work with Ben. I HAVE left Ben some history show audio to work with so that by the time I get back it should almost be ready for release. But it will probably be March 15th or 16th before you see a new Common Sense show.
I will have Internet on the road though, and still plan to play a (reduced) role on the discussion board. I will be email-able...but may take a bit longer than normal to get back to you.
I appreciate your patience and hope all you "regulars" will just step it up while I'm otherwise occupied and keep things lively around here!
Thanks everyone. Don't forget to vote for us!

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