Let’s get back on track, shall we?
To this webcomic as an escape.
I know, Friday was my fault.
Please, no politics, climate, etc unless the discussion is the
politics within the webcomic. After all, it is a fictional
webcomic world. Thank you.
Cats acquire critical intelligence.
But that is why the wolf empire must have a seat on the council
so the mutual protection treaty does apply to them and they will
(hopefully) have the time to build up their war fleet.
That will leave the core no legal option except a trade war and with the
economy of the wolf empire gravity tech they will not be able to compete.
The core will introduce piracy for two reasons, to test the capabilities of
the cat/terran fleet and properly crew and man their (mothballed?) war fleet.
So initially both sides will be buying time.
Seems like a bit of boasting there but he doesn’t know the advantages the wolf/dragon empire has
and the abilities and drive they have. it’ll be an ugly fight for sure but I don’t see either side backing
down any time soon. There is going to be some dirty dealings too I’m sure.
Consider this.
Ronald Reagan announced the Starwars program.
Allegedly to build a Space Based Arms platform and Terrestrial Launch system to put Platoons of Military in Orbit on “Hi Tech” Space Platforms.
Anybody with half a brain should have realized that it was a logistical and financial improbability.
What he did do was funnel the money into existing Space Based maintenance and related programs, as Congress was withholding money for those projects.
The end result was the satellites and stuff was fixed and maintained.
Starwars, you see that on DVD.
Unfortunately, everybody took him seriously, and the Russians immediately attempted to compete with him.
The gold rule of Militarily Strategy is to Never attempt to attack an undefined or poorly understood target, much less, throw serious money and resources at it.
Thanks to Ronald Reagan, the rest, as they say, is history.
As for the Goblins, yes, remember that your best heralds of your might is your military, and your political class.
The best way to make them “true believers” is the Potemkin village.
A naval facility with a Platoon or two of “true believers” , whose sole job it is to take one of the “Spare” Naval vessels, or a few of them, out on a “Battleship Diplomacy” tour, would present a truly awesome Amanda.
One would assume that they are part of a Naval fleet, not a few Mothballed vessels being kept running for political purposes, by “Hard Core” Political Hacks with some Basic Naval skills.
This we know was a favorite tactic of the former Soviet Empire. It worked, until, suddenly, it didn’t.
So while the Goblin is speaking truthfully, as he understands it, as per my previous opinion, in previous comments, the logistical issues involved in “projecting power” via Naval force are awesome.
Ask any Naval guys that lurk herein.
With Planetary based defenses, and in your own Galactic Backyard, where your close to enormous resources, and you don’t have the tyranny of distance of the logistical supply train tail, you rule.
The only mistake the Empire could make with the Core Worlds is taking a large fleet, head on.
However, as already noted, with Guerilla warfare, and with local Home Worlds to back them up, the Core World is no match.
The Cats are Ambush Preditors, that is their Tactical strength.
Both the USA and the former Soviet Empire both lost, BIGGLY, taking on a smaller, more powerful tactical force that hit, then ran.
This is not a new Tactic, it predates Ancient Rome and it’s Barbarian problems.
The other Elephant in the room is the Goblins seem to be accepting the status quo by force and fear, not by choice.
So, as I previously noted, the story that has yet too be explored, is just how many of the “Core World” partners would be ambivalent at best, or even leak intelligence to the Empire, should the status quo be seriously challenged?
Gee, thanks.
Because of what you’ve just said, I’ve got to go and re-write the future
story line.
I mean it, thank you. This isn’t the first time you and other commenters have made
the story better by planting an idea in my head.
And to think, there are people who believe nothing can grow there.
My apologies, the Ex. Regimental NCO is just trying to remember his Promotional subjects and the Militarily History that went with them.
Sadly, being a good student at the time, and having to do a lot of Due Diligence over the years, has made my interest in History and how War and Politics, good and bad, shaped Civilizations or destroyed them.
We also all remember that David slew Goliath.
Goliath wasn’t worried about the Leather Sling, or the skinny little unkempt guy standing in front of him.
What Goliath didn’t see coming was the Rock.
I guess with “Planetary based defenses” you mean orbital forts of some kind? Because firing off a planet with missiles would need a massive waste of fuel (resulting overly large and slow projectiles) and firing beam weapons through your own atmosphere doesn’t sound like a smart idea either.
Thinking of it … you’re own home world’s gravity is somewhat always working against you – you’re literally fighting the worst of uphill battle.
it’s atmosphere on the other hand might be serving as an extra layer of shielding …
“firing off a planet with missiles would need a massive waste of fuel”
Not if your “missile” is a big rock.(or even a chunk of concrete) with a grav emitter pulling it up to the target at several hundred Gs acceleration. Do the calculation on the kinetic energy of a 100 lb rock moving at several miles per second.
Yeah. But I thought we’re talking about the core worlds here. And they’re not supposed to have grav tech yet.
Using conventional means of acceleration the ones on the planet are at disadvantage. It’s a bit like ambushing medieval marksmen from the top of a canyon. Even if you just had rocks to drop on them, they’d be in big trouble.
The “Planetary based defenses” is referring to the Catian and the Wolf Empire.
As an example, It’s not about firing Nuclear weapons from Earth to Pluto at moving targets.
Consider this.
An invading force of 100 vessels is sighted past Pluto. You already have “Planetary based defenses” in place on earths Moon, Mar’s, and any suitable Planetary moon or ExoMoon on the local solar system.
What you haven’t spent is excessive resources making Hi. Tech. and static weapons platforms and trying to disguise them, much less, try and defend them.
What you have is deeply embedded forward bases, with small crews of less than (100) manning these sites.
By deeply embedded, I mean you have them buried in heavily fortified Rock with separate embedded living quarters.
Shielding the Tactical Militarily stuff doesn’t require air, just a lack of it.
Although I’ve yet to try it, you could probably use recycled plastic or something similar to spray the inside of the natural and man made caverns air tight.
However, anything that behaves like concrete, or melts, sticks and seals to rock would suffice. Maintenance? Spray more on.
This is the Willys Jeep approach. Very ugly, but brutally efficient.
The weapons launch areas and Tactical quarters would need to be separate, but that’s no big deal.
In fact, this local “Planetary based defenses” option provides so much deterrent, it’s not funny.
The obvious outcome is your not trying to fight the Gravity well of a Planet like earth. In fact, the reverse is true.
Also, there’s a lot more that you can have hidden in nearby “Dead” Moons and the likes of low Atmosphere Planets like Mars. Like a squadron or Two of Fighters and Tactical Bombers.
Lastly, the core of the “Planetary based defenses” for defenders is they have no real supply tail issues.
They also have all of their personal, food, weapon, tooling and other manufacturing and supply capacity local.
This would include the use of Planetary based Battleships, which unlike Space Platforms, are maneuverable and designed for war, not to be static targets.
So, in summary, “Planetary based defenses” refers to your entire local Solar System, and all of it’s resources, not just sitting on the big Green Rock close to the local star, waiting to get hammered.
I suspect they could be referring to energy weapons too although I’d hate to be a bird anywhere near those
they’d burn a hole in the atmosphere and super-heat any moisture in the air even with fine aperture adjustment.
Any small body in space could house several grav emitter weapons or be a weapon in itself even with shields
a 250m rock if it didn’t break down the shield would knock the crew around pretty badly and drain the shield.
Clearly the dreadnoughts would be the main target even if they just sit back and look scary it’s the command
ship which would leave the mercs without the leader.
Don’t forget that you’ll lose a lot of energy. Any Joule your beam is using to super-heat the atmosphere or scare a bird is one Joule that won’t hurt your target.
Also the beam is bound to spread much more than it would when fired from space.
President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neanderthal B Woodman Domestic Violent Extremist SuperStraight
They seemed to genuinely have bonded with their new cat friends. And to not care about all that much about their own masters.
And it’s plausible.
The whole system seems to have been in place for quite some time. So the core world rulers should have had ample time and resources to build massive fleets.
Question is, if they felt the need to do so.
Another question is: Suppose they felt save enough to neglect their military … what will happen now that they’re beginning to learn of a new competitor who might pose an actual threat?
How long will take them to go from lethargic hubris to mass production of warships?
I do not think the core need the ships; from what was said they already (believe) they have them.
The indications are what they do not have is the trained crews to man more than a small percentage of them.
Another question is what condition are the ships in?
Have they been mothballed and allowed to deteriorate to point they need major overhaul?
Or have they been maintained so they are more or less ready for action as soon as a crew is aboard?
The other question is how do the core ships stack up against the grav tech of the wolf empire?
And the real mystery is how do the Dragons fit into the picture?
Spaceships are rather easy to mothball. Put them in a stable orbit or Lagrange point, shut them down and let the air out.
The more interesting questions are elsewhere,
1. How out-of-date are those ships?
2. Where are they going to get the crews on short notice?
3. Will they give those crews time to train?
4. How different are the doctrines of the Core Worlds to the Wolf Empire. Logic dictates that the Wolf Empire has studied the Core’s doctrines and has developed one to counter it.
Especially the fourth point is important. You can have the best ships and the best crews, but if you don’t have the right strategies and tactics, can loose anyway.
as i sed in the header,, Klingon mentality!
they (goblins) will fight just for the sake of it..
and as said in the comic, most of the forces are a “show of force.”
almost none have the man-power.
or,, they are worried about a take over,.
and have forces hidden (on the moon).
finally with any “mercenary”,, make it NOT cost effective to do business..
IE: “just sit an drop rods.” have stealth ‘ed fighters grab the rods an
drop em else where.. like on gobbie allies.!!
Suppose the outer worlds just decided to not do business with core worlds traders. Do the core worlds merchants have enough pull with their governments to get them to use force majeure to reopen those markets? If so, how would the Empire respond? The empire does not have enough men and ships to garrison all the outer worlds. To me it looks very much like the the Goblins are sufficiently mercenary to “just sit in orbit, drop a few rods, collect the money and go home.” I can also see where they might have reason to expect/fear massive reprisal raids from the core worlds if they refused to drop rods when ordered. If they dont follow orders the goblins might well end up between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Am I reading the situation correctly?
OT: Question for our medical types. Aside from some form of cancer can you think of anything that could cause 1) greatly reduced appetite, 2) significant, rapid weight loss (I officially dropped below 200 lbs today), and 3) abdominal pain? I am almost at the weight I was when I graduated high school. I could use some ideas from medics and I know we have a couple in the group. And do you know of any tests (blood, imaging, etc.) that I could ask my primary care folks to order?
I’m really not an expert, and I don’t want to impose, but you real should see a doctor about this. Abdominal pain can be any number of things – some of them can be fatal with in hours. And a loss of weight as you described sounds serious too.
Bill, I am not a medic but last year had a gull bladder problem and removal. Any problem with the digestive system could cause
some combination of those problems. (gull bladder, pancreas, kidney stones, ?) Those could be very serious signs and symptoms.
Go see your Doctor and if he or she does not have any ideas of what tests to run find another Doctor. Your job is to accurately
and honestly report what you have observed about your body. It is the Doctor’s job to know what to do with that information.
Again I say go see your Doctor. Call the office tomorrow.
Hi Bill, while no medic do have (among other things) a significant
Thyroid deficiency which initially had similar symptoms but also caused
loss of energy and tiredness.
If that sounds like you I would suggest getting a thyroid function test.
That. Other blood tests (including for cancer and infections). And abdominal scans for stuff like apendicitis, ulcera and dislocated or obstructed intestinals.
Stripe and Me,
Hadn’t thought about thyroid. Will suggest it tomorrow (Wed) when I go see my primary care. Hadn’t considered ulcers just because I don’t seemnto be having the sorts of pain I’ve heard about although with all the gut distress I’ve been having (Saturday I could hardly get out of bed to take a leak and had to bail on our weekly shopping run, slept most of the day. I’ve found that sleep – if you can achieve it – is a marvelous anodyne.) out of my gut I plan to suggest that possibility. I for sure want them to feel around my belly. I think I can feel a mass below my ribs and to the left of midline. Appendix is not.possible. That ship sailed in December of 1979. Had major complications and spent 3 weeks in hospital. I’m shitting okay – if not often due to just how little I feel like eating these days – so I figure that part of my gut seems to be working okay. I just do not get a sense of urgency on their part. Anyhow my medicare provider sent me one of those fancy modern stool sample kits. I plan to.use it first time I have something to sample. Which is about once a week. Oops! Sorry. I know. TMI 😉
Another possibility might be some kind of (accidental) poisoning. Anything from Vitamin overdose to accidental contact to rat poison without even knowing.
(Both things do happen, even if they’re rare)
No chance of poisoning. This has been going on for over half a year. It took me from early November until the latter part of March to get in to see anybody. “If you are feeling bad either go to the emergency room (at Audie Murphy VA Med Cnter) to be evaluated. You also have the option of going to certain select minor emergency clinics to be evaluated.” I hate using an ER as a walk-in sick call clinic. My situation is not emergent. It’s damned well chronic.
Left side below the ribs? Isn’t that where the liver sits? And the gallbladder? My Mother had stones when I was a very little kid. I don’t remember much about it, but her pain was extreme.
I guess it’s time for someone who was a Medic to step in.
I will give you the best medical advice you can find on the internet.
Ready for it? Tell your Doctor! And if he won’t address your symptoms, find another!
Well, as for the first part, I’m already doing that. Problem being I’m not that sure he’s (she, actually) listening. As to the 2nd part it’s through the VA so I don’t think I can. BTW, I told my wife this morning that if I die and it turns out that I might could’ve been saved if they had moved their candy asses I want her and my kids to sue the living f**k outta the corporation who operates the outpatient clinic to which I was assigned.
I’m sorry Bill but what you describe is exactly the symptoms I had last year when they discovered my kidney cancer
I went from 210 to 178 and had constant right flank pain, an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion, and loss of appetite
I suggest a full CT scan with contrast ASAP. And again I am so sorry…
I will ask about a abdominal CT and further tests to confirm or rule out kidney, stomach and other cancers. I have a pacemaker so an MRI is out of th question. Yeah, I know. I’m just falling apart all around.
Don’t feel bad about that Bill between a near-fatal car accident in ’83 and 4 surgeries from ’03 to ’06
and now this last one I’m held together with “string and glue” lol that’s where I got my user name from:
Dale is another name for town or village so I’m the city of scars LOL!
Don’t give up or give in it’s why I can walk and I’m alive 🙂
No MRI due to plate in neck.
Hmmm That hadn’t even occurred to me. I had the bottom.3 vertebrae in my neck fused in 00. I still have $20K in titanium steel in my neck. It’s well secured with screws so I am not all that worried about it pulling out. Its the wires going straight into my right ventricle that worries me. MRI uses powerful magnetic pulses. Pulses like that would almost certainly generate volage spikes which would go straight to my heart. Can you spell “Bye, bye, Billy” boys and girls?
Bill –
My take – Become a seriously squeaky wheel – only thing the VA understands.
Visit your VA PCP and INSIST on total GU and GI and Endocrine and Oncology referrals and Consults ASAP.
Camp on his/her bloody desk if you have to . . .
Stomach and Spleen on the left – Liver, Gallbladder, Pancreas on the right
Ischemic issues in the intestinal tract can cause a myriad of symptoms .
The Cancer screening should already have been accomplished IMHO.
(My Dad also survived (L) Kidney cancer)
May The Lord guide your thoughts and steps – and those of your caregivers . . . and light a fire under them.
I’ve had kidney cancer twice now (lost the left one 17 yrs ago and 2/3 of the right one last Dec.) and a run in with
prostrate surgery to remove a tumor I’m still in cancer watch which means if i so much as have an ear ache they
do a CT scan, hang in there Bill there’s a new treatment they did with me it worked pretty well or I’d be on dialysis
until a replacement could be found.
Got an appt with my PCP at 10 hundred this morning. Gonna bring that up. Sometime the pain does center on the left below my rib cage. Mostly, though, the worst discomfort centers in my gut. Gonna do my best to build a fire under those folks.
Let’s get back on track, shall we?
To this webcomic as an escape.
I know, Friday was my fault.
Please, no politics, climate, etc unless the discussion is the
politics within the webcomic. After all, it is a fictional
webcomic world. Thank you.
Good idea.
Tenshi expands even further;
Cats acquire critical intelligence.
But that is why the wolf empire must have a seat on the council
so the mutual protection treaty does apply to them and they will
(hopefully) have the time to build up their war fleet.
That will leave the core no legal option except a trade war and with the
economy of the wolf empire gravity tech they will not be able to compete.
The core will introduce piracy for two reasons, to test the capabilities of
the cat/terran fleet and properly crew and man their (mothballed?) war fleet.
So initially both sides will be buying time.
Seems like a bit of boasting there but he doesn’t know the advantages the wolf/dragon empire has
and the abilities and drive they have. it’ll be an ugly fight for sure but I don’t see either side backing
down any time soon. There is going to be some dirty dealings too I’m sure.
Sorry PC my dander gets the best of me sometimes.
Scarsdale,
Consider this.
Ronald Reagan announced the Starwars program.
Allegedly to build a Space Based Arms platform and Terrestrial Launch system to put Platoons of Military in Orbit on “Hi Tech” Space Platforms.
Anybody with half a brain should have realized that it was a logistical and financial improbability.
What he did do was funnel the money into existing Space Based maintenance and related programs, as Congress was withholding money for those projects.
The end result was the satellites and stuff was fixed and maintained.
Starwars, you see that on DVD.
Unfortunately, everybody took him seriously, and the Russians immediately attempted to compete with him.
The gold rule of Militarily Strategy is to Never attempt to attack an undefined or poorly understood target, much less, throw serious money and resources at it.
Thanks to Ronald Reagan, the rest, as they say, is history.
As for the Goblins, yes, remember that your best heralds of your might is your military, and your political class.
The best way to make them “true believers” is the Potemkin village.
A naval facility with a Platoon or two of “true believers” , whose sole job it is to take one of the “Spare” Naval vessels, or a few of them, out on a “Battleship Diplomacy” tour, would present a truly awesome Amanda.
One would assume that they are part of a Naval fleet, not a few Mothballed vessels being kept running for political purposes, by “Hard Core” Political Hacks with some Basic Naval skills.
This we know was a favorite tactic of the former Soviet Empire. It worked, until, suddenly, it didn’t.
So while the Goblin is speaking truthfully, as he understands it, as per my previous opinion, in previous comments, the logistical issues involved in “projecting power” via Naval force are awesome.
Ask any Naval guys that lurk herein.
With Planetary based defenses, and in your own Galactic Backyard, where your close to enormous resources, and you don’t have the tyranny of distance of the logistical supply train tail, you rule.
The only mistake the Empire could make with the Core Worlds is taking a large fleet, head on.
However, as already noted, with Guerilla warfare, and with local Home Worlds to back them up, the Core World is no match.
The Cats are Ambush Preditors, that is their Tactical strength.
Both the USA and the former Soviet Empire both lost, BIGGLY, taking on a smaller, more powerful tactical force that hit, then ran.
This is not a new Tactic, it predates Ancient Rome and it’s Barbarian problems.
The other Elephant in the room is the Goblins seem to be accepting the status quo by force and fear, not by choice.
So, as I previously noted, the story that has yet too be explored, is just how many of the “Core World” partners would be ambivalent at best, or even leak intelligence to the Empire, should the status quo be seriously challenged?
Gee, thanks.
Because of what you’ve just said, I’ve got to go and re-write the future
story line.
I mean it, thank you. This isn’t the first time you and other commenters have made
the story better by planting an idea in my head.
And to think, there are people who believe nothing can grow there.
Petercat,
My apologies, the Ex. Regimental NCO is just trying to remember his Promotional subjects and the Militarily History that went with them.
Sadly, being a good student at the time, and having to do a lot of Due Diligence over the years, has made my interest in History and how War and Politics, good and bad, shaped Civilizations or destroyed them.
We also all remember that David slew Goliath.
Goliath wasn’t worried about the Leather Sling, or the skinny little unkempt guy standing in front of him.
What Goliath didn’t see coming was the Rock.
The rest, as they always say, is history.
No need to apologize, you gave me a better idea than the one I had without your input.
I guess with “Planetary based defenses” you mean orbital forts of some kind? Because firing off a planet with missiles would need a massive waste of fuel (resulting overly large and slow projectiles) and firing beam weapons through your own atmosphere doesn’t sound like a smart idea either.
Thinking of it … you’re own home world’s gravity is somewhat always working against you – you’re literally fighting the worst of uphill battle.
it’s atmosphere on the other hand might be serving as an extra layer of shielding …
“firing off a planet with missiles would need a massive waste of fuel”
Not if your “missile” is a big rock.(or even a chunk of concrete) with a grav emitter pulling it up to the target at several hundred Gs acceleration. Do the calculation on the kinetic energy of a 100 lb rock moving at several miles per second.
Yeah. But I thought we’re talking about the core worlds here. And they’re not supposed to have grav tech yet.
Using conventional means of acceleration the ones on the planet are at disadvantage. It’s a bit like ambushing medieval marksmen from the top of a canyon. Even if you just had rocks to drop on them, they’d be in big trouble.
Me,
The “Planetary based defenses” is referring to the Catian and the Wolf Empire.
As an example, It’s not about firing Nuclear weapons from Earth to Pluto at moving targets.
Consider this.
An invading force of 100 vessels is sighted past Pluto. You already have “Planetary based defenses” in place on earths Moon, Mar’s, and any suitable Planetary moon or ExoMoon on the local solar system.
What you haven’t spent is excessive resources making Hi. Tech. and static weapons platforms and trying to disguise them, much less, try and defend them.
What you have is deeply embedded forward bases, with small crews of less than (100) manning these sites.
By deeply embedded, I mean you have them buried in heavily fortified Rock with separate embedded living quarters.
Shielding the Tactical Militarily stuff doesn’t require air, just a lack of it.
Although I’ve yet to try it, you could probably use recycled plastic or something similar to spray the inside of the natural and man made caverns air tight.
However, anything that behaves like concrete, or melts, sticks and seals to rock would suffice. Maintenance? Spray more on.
This is the Willys Jeep approach. Very ugly, but brutally efficient.
The weapons launch areas and Tactical quarters would need to be separate, but that’s no big deal.
In fact, this local “Planetary based defenses” option provides so much deterrent, it’s not funny.
The obvious outcome is your not trying to fight the Gravity well of a Planet like earth. In fact, the reverse is true.
Also, there’s a lot more that you can have hidden in nearby “Dead” Moons and the likes of low Atmosphere Planets like Mars. Like a squadron or Two of Fighters and Tactical Bombers.
Lastly, the core of the “Planetary based defenses” for defenders is they have no real supply tail issues.
They also have all of their personal, food, weapon, tooling and other manufacturing and supply capacity local.
This would include the use of Planetary based Battleships, which unlike Space Platforms, are maneuverable and designed for war, not to be static targets.
So, in summary, “Planetary based defenses” refers to your entire local Solar System, and all of it’s resources, not just sitting on the big Green Rock close to the local star, waiting to get hammered.
I suspect they could be referring to energy weapons too although I’d hate to be a bird anywhere near those
they’d burn a hole in the atmosphere and super-heat any moisture in the air even with fine aperture adjustment.
Any small body in space could house several grav emitter weapons or be a weapon in itself even with shields
a 250m rock if it didn’t break down the shield would knock the crew around pretty badly and drain the shield.
Clearly the dreadnoughts would be the main target even if they just sit back and look scary it’s the command
ship which would leave the mercs without the leader.
Don’t forget that you’ll lose a lot of energy. Any Joule your beam is using to super-heat the atmosphere or scare a bird is one Joule that won’t hurt your target.
Also the beam is bound to spread much more than it would when fired from space.
“You will lose. And badly.”
Truth? Or bluff?
They seemed to genuinely have bonded with their new cat friends. And to not care about all that much about their own masters.
And it’s plausible.
The whole system seems to have been in place for quite some time. So the core world rulers should have had ample time and resources to build massive fleets.
Question is, if they felt the need to do so.
Another question is: Suppose they felt save enough to neglect their military … what will happen now that they’re beginning to learn of a new competitor who might pose an actual threat?
How long will take them to go from lethargic hubris to mass production of warships?
I do not think the core need the ships; from what was said they already (believe) they have them.
The indications are what they do not have is the trained crews to man more than a small percentage of them.
Another question is what condition are the ships in?
Have they been mothballed and allowed to deteriorate to point they need major overhaul?
Or have they been maintained so they are more or less ready for action as soon as a crew is aboard?
The other question is how do the core ships stack up against the grav tech of the wolf empire?
And the real mystery is how do the Dragons fit into the picture?
Spaceships are rather easy to mothball. Put them in a stable orbit or Lagrange point, shut them down and let the air out.
The more interesting questions are elsewhere,
1. How out-of-date are those ships?
2. Where are they going to get the crews on short notice?
3. Will they give those crews time to train?
4. How different are the doctrines of the Core Worlds to the Wolf Empire. Logic dictates that the Wolf Empire has studied the Core’s doctrines and has developed one to counter it.
Especially the fourth point is important. You can have the best ships and the best crews, but if you don’t have the right strategies and tactics, can loose anyway.
as i sed in the header,, Klingon mentality!
they (goblins) will fight just for the sake of it..
and as said in the comic, most of the forces are a “show of force.”
almost none have the man-power.
or,, they are worried about a take over,.
and have forces hidden (on the moon).
finally with any “mercenary”,, make it NOT cost effective to do business..
IE: “just sit an drop rods.” have stealth ‘ed fighters grab the rods an
drop em else where.. like on gobbie allies.!!
Suppose the outer worlds just decided to not do business with core worlds traders. Do the core worlds merchants have enough pull with their governments to get them to use force majeure to reopen those markets? If so, how would the Empire respond? The empire does not have enough men and ships to garrison all the outer worlds. To me it looks very much like the the Goblins are sufficiently mercenary to “just sit in orbit, drop a few rods, collect the money and go home.” I can also see where they might have reason to expect/fear massive reprisal raids from the core worlds if they refused to drop rods when ordered. If they dont follow orders the goblins might well end up between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Am I reading the situation correctly?
OT: Question for our medical types. Aside from some form of cancer can you think of anything that could cause 1) greatly reduced appetite, 2) significant, rapid weight loss (I officially dropped below 200 lbs today), and 3) abdominal pain? I am almost at the weight I was when I graduated high school. I could use some ideas from medics and I know we have a couple in the group. And do you know of any tests (blood, imaging, etc.) that I could ask my primary care folks to order?
I’m really not an expert, and I don’t want to impose, but you real should see a doctor about this. Abdominal pain can be any number of things – some of them can be fatal with in hours. And a loss of weight as you described sounds serious too.
Bill, I am not a medic but last year had a gull bladder problem and removal. Any problem with the digestive system could cause
some combination of those problems. (gull bladder, pancreas, kidney stones, ?) Those could be very serious signs and symptoms.
Go see your Doctor and if he or she does not have any ideas of what tests to run find another Doctor. Your job is to accurately
and honestly report what you have observed about your body. It is the Doctor’s job to know what to do with that information.
Again I say go see your Doctor. Call the office tomorrow.
Hi Bill, while no medic do have (among other things) a significant
Thyroid deficiency which initially had similar symptoms but also caused
loss of energy and tiredness.
If that sounds like you I would suggest getting a thyroid function test.
That. Other blood tests (including for cancer and infections). And abdominal scans for stuff like apendicitis, ulcera and dislocated or obstructed intestinals.
Stripe and Me,
Hadn’t thought about thyroid. Will suggest it tomorrow (Wed) when I go see my primary care. Hadn’t considered ulcers just because I don’t seemnto be having the sorts of pain I’ve heard about although with all the gut distress I’ve been having (Saturday I could hardly get out of bed to take a leak and had to bail on our weekly shopping run, slept most of the day. I’ve found that sleep – if you can achieve it – is a marvelous anodyne.) out of my gut I plan to suggest that possibility. I for sure want them to feel around my belly. I think I can feel a mass below my ribs and to the left of midline. Appendix is not.possible. That ship sailed in December of 1979. Had major complications and spent 3 weeks in hospital. I’m shitting okay – if not often due to just how little I feel like eating these days – so I figure that part of my gut seems to be working okay. I just do not get a sense of urgency on their part. Anyhow my medicare provider sent me one of those fancy modern stool sample kits. I plan to.use it first time I have something to sample. Which is about once a week. Oops! Sorry. I know. TMI 😉
Another possibility might be some kind of (accidental) poisoning. Anything from Vitamin overdose to accidental contact to rat poison without even knowing.
(Both things do happen, even if they’re rare)
No chance of poisoning. This has been going on for over half a year. It took me from early November until the latter part of March to get in to see anybody. “If you are feeling bad either go to the emergency room (at Audie Murphy VA Med Cnter) to be evaluated. You also have the option of going to certain select minor emergency clinics to be evaluated.” I hate using an ER as a walk-in sick call clinic. My situation is not emergent. It’s damned well chronic.
Left side below the ribs? Isn’t that where the liver sits? And the gallbladder? My Mother had stones when I was a very little kid. I don’t remember much about it, but her pain was extreme.
I guess it’s time for someone who was a Medic to step in.
I will give you the best medical advice you can find on the internet.
Ready for it?
Tell your Doctor! And if he won’t address your symptoms, find another!
Well, as for the first part, I’m already doing that. Problem being I’m not that sure he’s (she, actually) listening. As to the 2nd part it’s through the VA so I don’t think I can. BTW, I told my wife this morning that if I die and it turns out that I might could’ve been saved if they had moved their candy asses I want her and my kids to sue the living f**k outta the corporation who operates the outpatient clinic to which I was assigned.
I’m sorry Bill but what you describe is exactly the symptoms I had last year when they discovered my kidney cancer
I went from 210 to 178 and had constant right flank pain, an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion, and loss of appetite
I suggest a full CT scan with contrast ASAP. And again I am so sorry…
I will ask about a abdominal CT and further tests to confirm or rule out kidney, stomach and other cancers. I have a pacemaker so an MRI is out of th question. Yeah, I know. I’m just falling apart all around.
Don’t feel bad about that Bill between a near-fatal car accident in ’83 and 4 surgeries from ’03 to ’06
and now this last one I’m held together with “string and glue” lol that’s where I got my user name from:
Dale is another name for town or village so I’m the city of scars LOL!
Don’t give up or give in it’s why I can walk and I’m alive 🙂
Or a MRI I have a plate in my neck so I couldn’t have one
No MRI due to plate in neck.
Hmmm That hadn’t even occurred to me. I had the bottom.3 vertebrae in my neck fused in 00. I still have $20K in titanium steel in my neck. It’s well secured with screws so I am not all that worried about it pulling out. Its the wires going straight into my right ventricle that worries me. MRI uses powerful magnetic pulses. Pulses like that would almost certainly generate volage spikes which would go straight to my heart. Can you spell “Bye, bye, Billy” boys and girls?
Bill –
My take – Become a seriously squeaky wheel – only thing the VA understands.
Visit your VA PCP and INSIST on total GU and GI and Endocrine and Oncology referrals and Consults ASAP.
Camp on his/her bloody desk if you have to . . .
Stomach and Spleen on the left – Liver, Gallbladder, Pancreas on the right
Ischemic issues in the intestinal tract can cause a myriad of symptoms .
The Cancer screening should already have been accomplished IMHO.
(My Dad also survived (L) Kidney cancer)
May The Lord guide your thoughts and steps – and those of your caregivers . . . and light a fire under them.
Thnx,
CH Ned Moore, RN
I hear that they just wanted to take it out right off the bat I insisted to talk to a oncologist first, glad I did!
I’ve had kidney cancer twice now (lost the left one 17 yrs ago and 2/3 of the right one last Dec.) and a run in with
prostrate surgery to remove a tumor I’m still in cancer watch which means if i so much as have an ear ache they
do a CT scan, hang in there Bill there’s a new treatment they did with me it worked pretty well or I’d be on dialysis
until a replacement could be found.
Got an appt with my PCP at 10 hundred this morning. Gonna bring that up. Sometime the pain does center on the left below my rib cage. Mostly, though, the worst discomfort centers in my gut. Gonna do my best to build a fire under those folks.