Operation Dice Drop for Zigggurat Con in Iraq 45
LandGator wrote with some information about the upcoming Ziggurat Con. Their catch phrase: "Where RPG isn't just a Rocket Propelled Grenade." This very special tabletop gaming event will be held on June 9th of this year ... at Camp Adder /Talil Airbase in Iraq. For nine hours on that day, gamers currently deployed to Iraq will be able to forget about the conflict by rolling dice and playing games. The con organizers are looking for willing folks to donate games and dice to the soldiers, as well as a little recognition for the d20-rolleres in harms way this year. "The Con's historical landmark 'mascot' -- the Ziggurat -- can be found on the post, and hails from the ancient city of Ur. Nearby is the house where it is believed that Abraham (a large figure in the Bible, the Koran and the Torah) was born. Cool digs for a Con -- if not for the fact that there's a war going on. [Convention organizer David] Amberson, however, emphasized the need for soldiers to relax and kick back with enjoyable activities from time to time."
...and the winner... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:...and the winner... (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:1)
More details from the front (Score:1)
has the list of games they want, a link to a postal cost calculator , deadlines for timely arrival of parcels, and the e-mail address for the Con Chair.
New Blog for Operation Dice Drop (Score:1)
A game store, Rainy Day Games, discounts purchases for donation and accepts donations to be held for shipment.
My wife's Girrll Gamers group sewed their little fingers to the bone making dice bags and packaging sets of dice, as well as donating several pounds of dice, many, many miniatrues, and many books and games.
Details at the blog for Operation Dice Drop [blogspot.com].
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
hmm.. bad idea? (Score:2)
Still hope the guys have fun and don't get blown up.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=tALLIL,+Ir aq&layer=&sll=45.412759,-122.615635&sspn=0.214018, 0.431213&ie=UTF8&z=18&ll=30.951859,46.13959&spn=0. 004085,0.006738&t=k&om=1&iwloc=addr [google.com]
b) Maskirova will undoubtedly be used; how do they know WHICH tent the gamers are in?
c) Besides, the gun bunnies will be playing the "Counter Battery Fire" game, for double XP.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
The best thing we could have done for our boys and girls—and not just the ones fighting the war—would have been NOT TO SEND THEM THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
If we were not busy draining the blood out of terrorism in Iraq we would be doing it here . . . which strikes me as being VERY BAD for our kids.
And where do you think the now massively enlarged, better funded, better organized, battle hardened terrorists will attack once the US leaves Iraq? You're an idiot if you think they haven't been spending all this time finding (and not sending to their deaths) all the terrorists intelligent enough for a mission to the US. Thats not even talking about what will happen in 10 years when all the anti-US fervor and hatred that we've sowed in youths will finally be reaped. Or that we've turned Iraq over to the sa
Re: (Score:2)
Given the alternatives, Iranian control of Iraq could be the best thing that could happen. It would bring order to the region, and the internal religious battles would become Iran's problem, not the US. Iran can claim victory, while at the same time being saddled with reconstruction costs. For the US, a single enemy you know is better than many enemies you don't know.
The US still hasn't recognized the post-Cold War, new world order
Re: (Score:1)
And where do you think the now massively enlarged, better funded, better organized, battle hardened terrorists will attack once the US leaves Iraq? You're an idiot if you think they haven't been spending all this time finding (and not sending to their deaths) all the terrorists intelligent enough for a mission to the US. Thats not even talking about what will happen in 10 years when all the anti-US fervor and hatred that we've sowed in youths will finally be reaped. Or that we've turned Iraq over to the same religious group than runs Iran.
There are not lots of people getting out. Their best and brightest go to Iraq and we KILL them. Dead is dead. The ones who live . . . are those providing the funding and direction (notice that Osama did not himself volunteer to fly one of those planes). Guess what? If it comes that they still want to come here ten years from now we will still slaughter them. But their funding will be less, not more. Ten years from now there will be less reliance (with some luck since the Democratic hypocrites don't want to cut back on oil use) on oil and foreign oil in particular. The one step that the Left in our country will not take in defeating terrorism . . . siding with the Right to do it. They succeeded in turning our victory in Vietnam into defeat and will continue push defeat out of the jaws of victory here.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
There are not lots of people getting out. Their best and brightest go to Iraq and we KILL them. Dead is dead.
You actually think an organization the size of some terrorist groups isn't keeping the best out of combat? You do realize that the best for fighting in Iraq and the best for fighting in the US are two very different types of people, right?
The ones who live . . . are those providing the funding and direction (notice that Osama did not himself volunteer to fly one of those planes). Guess what?
Of course the ones in charge don't sacrifice their lives, Bush isn't there fighting either last I checked.
If it comes that they still want to come here ten years from now we will still slaughter them.
You mean like we slaughtered the hijackers on 9/11... last I checked we didn't so so well on stopping that one. I mean how do you think they'll attack is in the fut
Re: (Score:1)
I choose to think the 'terrorist organizations' aren't really that well or wisely organized. It's hard when your 'foot soldiers' are frothing religious zealots. It really wasn't that big of an organized feat to use the planes for the 9/11 attack, esp. not in the 'security environment' or lack therof, of the time.
Somehow I don't buy into the notion that some Dr. Evil hidden in a volcano somewhere is d
Re: (Score:2)
I choose to think the 'terrorist organizations' aren't really that well or wisely organized.
You don't need great organization, you need half decent organization and marginally intelligent leaders.
It's hard when your 'foot soldiers' are frothing religious zealots.
Why? Most armies are made of such people after all. Replace zealot with nationalistic or political and you have some of the most devastating armies of the last century. All you need to do is direct them after all and not even mass death will cause them to waver. Grunts can be canon fodder as long as the people higher up aren't as suicidal which they usually aren't in these organizations.
It really wasn't that big of an organized feat to use the planes for the 9/11 attack, esp. not in the 'security environment' or lack therof, of the time.
But they did it
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:1)
Could not have said it better.
However, let the troops know who likes them, and you will have several hundred thousand heavily armed friends some day.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Was that a joke? (Score:3, Insightful)
10x more people die yearly from car fatalities caused by illegal immigrants in USA than of 911.
Is maths that hard to comprehend?
Those countries at war, never threatened usa, and never cared what you did at home, but your USA govt did, it cares, so much that it regulates it, checks it, makes sure you
obey the law. Unless you make millions, you have no freedoms really.
lemme be the first... (Score:1, Interesting)
The guy was in a combat group that had lost a good number of soldiers while being deployed in some heavy fighting. This guy carried a gun and shot at baddies and all the rest.
But under it all he was just a geek who had needed money and a way out of his tiny dead
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Not everyone makes it out ok mentally.
Unlike what some would have you believe, the casualties are not anywhere near as bad as Vietnam or Korea or WW2 or WW1.
I know a guy who was in vietnam, he lost 70 some odd percent of the guys in his platoon on the second day there. Then they promote him to just under the leader, cause everyone was pretty much dead. There goes the innocent 17 year old farm kid trying to get off the farm.
Go insult people who deserve it.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
http://www.jerrypournelle.com/view/currentview.htm l [jerrypournelle.com]
I was opposed to Shrub's Folly.
But, I'm also a Red Crosser, and don't want GI Joes and Janes to have a maximally frackked experience.
A little bit of humanity protects dogfaces from PTSD. It sucketh massively to grow another crop of PTSD'd zombie combat vets like so many of buds who went to 'Nam and left their souls there. I want to protect them, for if they don't turn into stone-faced killers, and stay human, they'll
LAN parties (Score:1)
I was on a transient camp in Kuwait that funneled Soldiers from all countries into Iraq, so there wasn't much of an infrastructure for these guys to get together for some gaming. We basically just told everyo