Fishing and Texas Hold 'Em...

Well, missed a day, for I was out all day yesterday at Seneca Niagara Casino. Broke even on the slots (literally -- spent $40 and cashed in a voucher for $40 when I left), and lost about $60 playing poker for about 6 hours. I lost one hand to quad 7s (I had a full house, dammit, and lost a huge bet) and another to a straight where the guy had been betting a 5/6 off-suit. Frankly, I couldn't believe anyone would be that stupid, praying for a 4 on the river, but he was, and beat my pair of Kings. Oh well, as I lost >$100 in those 2 pots, I can consider myself a bit unlucky, eh? A $40+ win otherwise.

All in good fun, and there was an older gent at my table who I learned a few tricks from, worth the price of admission. My friend Bill, who I met there, seemed to be up a couple hundred when I left, so it wasn't a total losing day for Brighton teachers.

On Saturday, I did something I haven't done in quite some time -- I got my fishing gear together and drove down to Hemlock and Canadice Lakes in the late afternoon/early evening. Decided to see if I could hook a few nice smallmouths. In the end, no real luck -- I had 3 nice hits, and I also had a small (8", maybe) bass spit the hook out just as I was getting him into shore -- but it was a beautiful time.

Canadice is the smaller one -- you'll notice NO development on the lake shores.

Solitude. No other people save for a couple kayakers who were soon gone. I realized then how much I miss communing with nature. I need to get my life back on track, as I don't get out of town enough. And I live in an area that is a nature lover's dream.

Oh well, gotta work (at school) Tuesday and Wednesday, then do more house work, then some Cheyenne training, but I gotta fit in some nature time, too. If only Cheyenne listened better, I could take her too -- which is an ultimate goal.

Morning errands...

After I showered and shaved this morning, I remembered that I had thrown out my old toothbrush yesterday and not replaced it. So, add "buy new toothbrush" to the list of errands.

I told Cheyenne we were going for a ride, so she happily hopped in the car, and off we went. As I was pulling out of the driveway, thinking of all the quick stops I'd have to make here and there, I suddenly realized that today and tomorrow a local game store, Millennium, was having a clearance sale in their annex (the empty storefront a couple doors down that our group meets in). So, after a quick stop at Starbucks, off we went.

There was a lot of "stuff" there. Unfortunately, it was either junk (4 copies of Alpha Omega?), or I already had a copy (2 Struggle of Empires or 1 Clash of Titans, among others). There were a ton of old euros there, too, including some goodies I already have, such as Mississippi Queen. The majority of the annex, however, was taken up by Collectible Card Games (CCGs), figures, and role-playing supplements. Amazing how much of that stuff is out there...

In the end, I picked up a mint, unpunched copy of Legends of Robin Hood for $5. Figured I could use it in class next year (maybe) when we do the Middle Ages. A few other games were tempting, but I boldly held off...

Now, back to packing up books and games, with the carrot of Poker at Seneca Niagara keeping me moving forward.

And, oh yeah, I still have to brush my teeth...

Freedom (well, kinda)...

Sleeping in on a weekday. Woo-hoo!

Depositing the summer's check's (5 check's worth up front, since I take the 26 equal pay period option, added to Bush's tax rebate). Woo-hoo!

Having Cheyenne jump on the bed at 9:30 and stare at us, saying, "Why the Hell aren't you up yet?" Bad dog!

Deanna's parents are here, and they're helping with the house -- doing work in and painting the basement. They are good, nice folk, and I'm feeling guilty that Deanna is "making" them work! I, of course, just want to kick back and relax for a few days, but it looks like I'll have to start working today...

Packing books and games seems to be the first order, and I also have to power wash the house and the deck. We have to paint the deck, too, but that shouldn't be too bad. A colleague's daughter is interested in looking at the house, and that would be cool if it worked out, though I think we're pretty much out of her price range. So that being the case, we'll probably shoot for mid-July to officially get it on the market (but I can hope things work out!).

All this will curtail gaming for a while, though I'll have my "favorites" box and my "WBC" box handy (much cross-over between the 2, obviously). Maybe I'll do another Israeli Independence and post an AAR as that doesn't take too much time.

On Sunday I plan to go with a couple friends to Seneca Niagara Casino and play a bit of poker. About 90% sure I'm going, as this may be my last "play date" for a while. Other than a little online, I haven't played as much Texas Hold 'Em as I'd like to as of late...

OK, off to packing!

Woo-hoo!

This is it...

Last day of school.

Kids are gone for the summer.

Some morning meetings for me, then room clean-up, then summer.

Woo-hoo!

I actually have much to do today -- I am a horrible "filer," so I have stacks of paper everywhere.  I know what they're for, and I can easily place my hands on what I need, but since my room is used for other things over the summer, I need to file stuff away or it will disappear.  Gack...

I also have to clean up my crappy old Mac computer.  I'll (finally!) be getting a real computer for next year (hopefully soon), and it can't happen soon enough.  Depending on my set-up at the new place, I might even be able to use the new guy as my "main" computer.  Never could do that with the kid's toy they call "Macintosh."  Ugh...

Anyway, the end of a school year is always a little bittersweet.  No, don't get me wrong -- I need the summer for fun and rejuvenation -- but it's a little sad seeing the good kids (which, frankly, are most of them) move on.  Some remember you fondly through the years and visit, others seem to forget about the time they spent in your classroom.  I had a slew of good kids this year, and I hope they ones that made me cards promising they'll visit me every school day will at least visit a little.

But enough of that.

I really, really need summer!

Old Memories Flooding In...

Bill and I played Thirty Years War last evening.  I conceded in Early War, during Turn 6.  I remember now why this hasn't always been on my list of favorites...

This game is very, very fragile.  A couple good rolls on one side, coupled with poor rolls on another side can devastate one of the players.  We went into Turn 6 on fairly equal footing.  Bill moved his Bavarians west to smack a smaller stack of protestant units.  I then moved my "killer stack" with Mansfield to relieve the smaller force.  We got a roll of 0 (me - bad)/9 (Bill - good), and I had to retreat.  During the retreat I lost 2 generals (20% chance on each), so that force was stuck (didn't have enough command to move it).  Bill moved the Spaniards in to finish off the smaller stack (no retreat -- all units and both leaders died).  Now, since my larger stack couldn't move (well, I could move 2 of the 7 units off, which would only allow the Catholics to whack them separately), I had to stay and face a joint Spanish/Bavarian army.  They moved in, and I won the battle (10 losses to 9, I believe), but my now decimated units were completely leaderless.  At that point, we decided to call the game, as Bill's Catholics had 3 large stacks and I had a little leaderless stack and a stack of 3 militia in the south.

It was ugly.

Now, I realize that extreme results can skew any game, but we just had one extreme result.  The other battles were close (and I even won some).  But the attrition and the leader losses (including losing King Christian earlier which meant all 4 Danish veterans left the game) worked together to make the Protestants impotent.  I believe this was a big problem when I played 6 or 7 years ago.  The inability of armies to avoid battle means that once losses start spiraling, the other side can just catch whoever they want and attrit them to death.

So, this second game was not really satisfying at all.  I'm certainly glad we broke the game out to play, and I'll probably hang onto it, but I think it's too fragile of an engine to keep putting in my "to play" pile.  Once in a great while, perhaps, when I forget why I'm not constantly playing.

The Solstice has come and gone...

Alice Cooper -- "School's Out:"

Well, technically, we seem to have had our longest day a few days back, so it's all downhill from here, eh?  The dark days of winter approach.

Wait a second, not quite yet...

Wrapping things up at school -- end of term grades can be a real bear, and now is when parents begin harassing you about "placement for next year."  Then off to have a spot of fun.

Sent my Aunt off last night with a nice party.  Greek food and a lot of wine made everyone happy.  Man, I just love baba ghanoush!

Bill is coming by today to play Thirty Years War.  I think I need to be hyper-aggressive with the Protestants early on and see what happens.

I'm still at a loggerheads, trying to decide what games to pack away and what games to have available.  Of course, I want them all available, but that ain't gonna work, so I do need to decide.

Moving sucks, but at least life with Deanna should get better, as it'll just be her and me, for the most part.

Praise Allah for that...

The Final Countdown...

Dang, missed posting yesterday.  Oh well, as the summer winds on, and I get away from the house, I'm sure there will be more of that...

Very busy day yesterday, with my Aunt, with grading and with getting the house ready for selling.  At least Cheyenne got in a great early afternoon "play date" with Sally, my Mother's English Setter.  She slept for the rest of the afternoon, very "un" Cheyenne-like!

We are winding down at school.  Classes today and Tuesday, then all 6th graders go to Sea Breeze Amusement Park on Wednesday.  I have 3 groups to monitor -- just have to have them check in with me every 90 minutes or so, to be sure everyone's still alive and kicking.  I get to hang out in the sun, trying to get some pasty white skin not so pasty and white.

Gaming-wise, Bill and I will be starting up Thirty Years War again this week, with me as the Protestants.  Not sure if Mike and I will be getting together.  A new pbem game of Here I Stand is also just starting, and I'm the Pope.  Time to go burn some Protestant Heretics (I can have it both ways, LOL!).  

I also just ordered Espana 1936 from Boulder Games (arrival date end of June, projected).  I am very excited about this one, as the Spanish Civil War is high on my list of "cool" game subjects, and has been ever since I read Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls.  Of course, that prompted me to read real histories on the war, and the nastiness of this conflict, along with the cornucopia of different units, makes it an interesting game situation.  Besides, Charles Vasey gave Espana 1936 two thumbs up, and we have similar likes/dislikes when it comes to games.  I'll be getting the English edition...

So, I'll have to get my final grading done for report cards, then it's summer, sweet, beautiful summer!  I hope we get the house sold quickly, so I can enjoy it.

Monthly Meet at Millennium...

Had a great day playing games. I hate to be lazy (again), but it was another long day, so I think more detailed reporting will have to wait.

I bought the Ticket to Ride card game, but never played -- it looks interesting, so I hope to get to play it soon. I understand some folks are disappointed in it because it isn't Ticket to Ride, the board game, but I shan't be making any comparisons.

I first played We the People with Frank Mestrve. Frank bid 3 and took the Americans. He beat me, 9 colonies to 4 in 1780. I could whine about cards and battles, but I won't...

Frank and I then moved to Hannibal. Frank took Carthage and resigned right before Scipio Africanus was a bout to come in. He hadn't penetrated Italy, and Varro had taken most of Africa for the Romans.

Switched over to a 5-player Santa Fe Rails. I thought I had the game won, so I refused to buy a branch line and the game ended early, with everything dead-ended. Unfortunatley, Mark Gartland put down an L.A. worth 14 points while I put down a Portland worth 7 points. Mark won with 84 points, I was second with 82. Miscalculation!

Agreed to play Struggle of Empires even though I hadn't read the rules (I always like to read rules first!). Ending up being in a dominant position in Europe (the Hell with the rest of the world!), and pulled off the victory by 5 or 6 VPs. A really nice game I will be hoping to play more.

Ah, now time to relax...

Long Day...

Trying to get the daily post in before I hit the sack.

Since I was last here I've:

1. Seen Boz Scaggs -- a most excellent show at Rochester's Jazzfest. I'll write more one of these days when I'm not exhausted.

2. Had Medieval Day today at school -- the Medieval Science experiments went off well, and the kids seemed to enjoy themselves. I dressed up as a monk -- the pic here isn't me, but it's actually fairly close to what I looked like today! Where the Hell did they find such a funny-looking fella?

3. Saw my Aunt Joyce come into town to wrap up my Grandmother's estate. Stayed over at my Mother's house this evening reminiscing and drinking too much wine.

Now I've got to get to bed, since the Rochester Gamer's monthly meet happens tomorrow. The fun never stops, I tell ya!

Jazzfest and Key Limes...

Just a Zyzzyva quickie today, as all indications portend this to be a very busy day!

First off, Deanna and I will be going to the beautiful Eastman Theater tonight to see Boz Scaggs, as part of Rochester's Jazzfest. I look forward to nice evening with Boz and the boyz.

Here's a little Lowdown for y'all...

Before that, however, I have a "Math" meeting at a teacher's house after school. Everybody's bringing food, I was tasked with dessert for 8. So I made a Key Lime Pie last night, drizzled with chocolate.

Basic recipe is quite easy (I use a pre-made Oreo pie crust instead of graham cracker -- more chocolate!):

3 Egg Yolks
14 oz. can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 Cup Key Lime Juice

Mix together well, pour into pie shell. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top as it's cooling. Refrigerate overnight, serve the next day.

Yum!

Not exactly mine, but close (and the filling looks just like mine):


And Medieval Day tomorrow -- wish this "Mad Scientist Monk" luck!

If I only had room for 10 games in my life...

This talk of hexes vs. point-to-point and areas got me thinking about the games I really enjoy. As I'm packing up "stuff" right now, I'm getting to the point where I have to keep a box of "favorites" that will be available to play whenever I want -- not locked up in storage somewhere.

I don't play solitaire games anymore, so my list assumes I'll always have opponents. I'm generating this, thinking about what I've been playing over the past few years and looking at my BGG ratings. In alphabetical order, today's "Top Ten" list would be:

1. Atlantic Storm

A fun card game for 4-6 players. I have always enjoyed this one, and although luck can kill you (or help you), skill will more often than not win the day. Very unforgiving, and a real "Oh Crap!" type of game.

I've actually won a "wood" with this one at WBC, and also have a 2nd and a 4th place finish.

See, it is a game of skill!

2. Blue vs. Gray

One of the most innovative games I've ever played -- the game is played out with cards for everything:

Map

Units

Events

Generals

Combat is extra vicious, and quite random, though better generals and larger forces will have better odds going into battle.

The flow of the game is amazing, and is the only ACW game in which the war actually unfolds fairly historically. I enjoy playing either side in this one, and two experienced players can fight the entire war in a few hours. I have extra card decks, for when the ones that came with the game wear out...

3. Combat Commander

OK. I'll cheat a little here and say I want all the Combat Commander games, so, technically, this will put more than 10 games on my list (and I have 2 other "series" games coming too!).

Anyway, I was never much on tactical WWII games, though I always loved UpFront (cards only, that game was screaming my name!). So I resisted getting this one.

Mistake...

Even with its hexes, this game is driven by cards and is a hoot to play. There is a lot of chaos, and many guys can't handle that, but to me, this represents the WWII battlefield quite well. Command and control is modeled here very well, and that, to me, is the essence of WWII small unit combat.

The fun I have had playing this lately has never waned.

4. Command & Colors: Ancients

Another series "cheat," as I'll want to have all expansions for this one!

Again, hexes, but the battles are driven by cards, and you can only fight with the cards you have. The featureless boards can be covered with terrain tiles to simulate any environment. A very elegant system that shows the differences between units.

Here, one can fight Romans vs. Carthaginians, Greeks vs. Persians, Romans vs. Romans, and all other combinations of belligerents from the time of the Greek City States up through the time of Imperial Rome. In addition to the enclosed scenarios (and there are a ton of 'em), fan sites devoted to this game provide limitless new scenarios for us to try.

I understand some folks find the game "too simple" for their tastes, but, for me, the game gives a much more realistic look at ancient combat than does its more complex competitor, from the same company. Line up your forces and hope for the best -- and fun every step along the way.

5. Deck of Cards

While this may not be a "game" in the sense we think of games, a deck of cards can be a thousand games in one, and more.

I grew up playing cards, and I still love a good game. Favorites are:

Poker (especially Hold 'em, but I like 'em all)

Euchere

Hearts

Gin Rummy

Oh Pshaw (alternate name!)

Solitaire (in many versions)

Casino

With a deck of cards, the fun is limitless, and I'm always on the lookout for new, fun games. Just no Bridge, please.

6. Great Campaigns of the American Civil War series

Another series game -- I think we're up to 7 games now, covering the Eastern Theater from northern North Carolina up to east/central Pennsylvania and west to the Appalachians. I started playing this when I lived in Virginia, and it was fun finding the hex my house was in.

Whoops, did I say hexes again? Yes, the games have hexes, but the activation system is so much fun, one tends not to notice. Also, this is one of those rare games where sticking to the main thoroughfares actually makes sense -- not until units of both sides get into battle do we see "map creep," and here it is definitely historical, as formations fan out for battle.

These games can take awhile, but they're well worth it -- one of the few series of games that I have spare copies of each, stored in a safe place, just in case...

7. Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage

A fun, CDG on the 2nd Punic War. Will Hannibal cross the Alps, or will he try yo win in Spain, Sicily, and Africa? At least he gets to move realistically, point to strategic point.

So many choices here.

I like the game because, between experienced players (who aren't dunderheads), it plays quickly. Some people don't like the battle cards, but I find they add flavor. This is a game of political control, and the Romans need to hang on until Scipio Africanus enters the game, for he is Hannibal's equal.

A new edition has been printed, but either edition works just fine.

8. Scrabble

Everyone knows this one, eh?

I love words, and I love Scrabble, plain and simple.

There were times in my life when I played very competitively with a friend, and we would push each other so we were regularly scoring >400. Today, I'm happy to score >330, Hell, make that >300!

This is a game one can play with a spouse for fun, with a friend for bragging rights, or even competitively. As my mind gets older, I'll be less and less "good" at this game, but I'll always enjoy it.

9. We the People

The CDG that started it all.

Battle cards.

Event cards that are worthless for the other side.

Pro-American bias.

I love it! Bid 3-4 for the Americans and it's perfectly balanced. Besides, the British can always capture Washington for an auto victory. This one can play in 60-90 minutes, easily, so we have time for 6+ games each day!

It really shows the low-level conflict through political control rules, that play out as a mini game, in and of themselves. A real winner, and something I give a huge thanks to Mark Herman for.

10. Wilderness War

OK, OK, I hear the jeers from the crowd now, but I truly love this game.

Yes, there was a time, shortly after publication when I wished I would never see it again -- call it "Developer Burn-out." But today, I'll play it any day, any scenario (I love the campaign scenarios, as I never get to play them enough).

One of the nicest compliments I ever heard on this one came from Nels Thompson when he said (and I paraphrase), "For a game with limited avenues of advance, i can't believe how much happens across the board."

So you see, we can channel advances using points and still make the game fun -- not to mention give the players choices.

--------------------------------------

I've left a lot of great games out, but I couldn't go on forever. I'd be interested in hearing what others would list!

To Hex or not to Hex...

Most board wargames have a hex grid laid over them, regulating movement (and ranged combat). Almost all of the wargames I played for the first 5 or so years of my wargaming life were hex-based. Of course, there were notable exceptions, such as Diplomacy, Civilization, and Machiavelli, but, for the most part, hexes ruled the roost -- not to mention that many folks would debate whether these three games are actually "wargames."

But something inside me always disliked hexes.

I know, I know...  A hex grid allows all hexes on the map to be an equal distance away from the six hexes surrounding them, and those six an equal distance away, and so on.  One can't do that with squares, for moving horizontally or vertically from a square is not the same as moving diagonally.  Interestingly enough, some early wargames used offset squares which are, in essence, hexes!

But all spaces on a board shouldn't be as easy (or fast) to move to as all other spaces -- for instance, sitting here in my study (we'll pretend it's a big hex), the "hex" containing the garage is directly to my east.  Yet the garage hex is harder to reach than the living room hex (which is a couple hexes away), for it's separated from my study by a solid wall.  So, with hexes, wargame designers had to come up with "terrain effect charts," to regulate movement (and combat, but that's a story for a different day).  Some hexes would cost more to enter, and some hexsides (such as between my study and garage) would be impassable.  

But, something inside me has always said, "This doesn't feel right."

So, what's a wargame designer to do?  The answers have been to move to areas or "points."  Both have advantages over hexes, imo, at least in battle or strategic level games (not sure about tactical level, as hexes actually seem to work at low levels).  

Breaking the game board up into areas allows the designer to show some areas as larger (easier to move through, clear terrain, etc.) and others as smaller (harder to move through, denser terrain, etc.),  allowing more accurate movement without chart look-up for "terrain effects."  Boundaries are more easily highlighted as "impassable," or "harder to move through," than would be tiny little hex sides (and as the years progress and my eyes get older, I welcome anything that makes playing games easier!).  Finally, combat effects can be printed right on the board, in the area.  Here, movement is "channeled" in a more realistic way as players will be figuring out which approaches offer the best cover and will let one get there the "firstest with the mostest" -- players will not spend time counting hexes and movement points, they'll actually be thinking (more) like a general and less like a problem solver.  

A big step in area games came when Storm Over Arnhem (SOA) hit the shelves (and come to think of it, this is fairly tactical, though it is a mix of tactical and operational, I think).  Finally, a game where city blocks, bridges, fields, and rivers weren't made to slavishly conform to a hex grid.  One felt like they were playing the situation, not counting hexes.  In the years since SOA, many more games with areas as the movement/combat overlay have come into being, and I generally enjoy playing them.

Like areas, points connected by transportation lines have been another way to overcome "Hex Grid Hell."  In point-to-point games, strategic areas are connected to one another and military units can only travel along designated routes (so the designer gets to, in effect, design his own "terrain effects" right into the map).  Because the movement routes are often restrictive, point-to-point games generally work best for strategic level games where main routes of advance can be shown -- for these are what armies use, on a strategic level -- the roads and waterways that played a part in the campaign or war being simulated.  Some roads can be made easier to travel upon (pikes vs. dirt tracks), and some rivers may be better than others (or one side may be better able to utilize river movement, an example being the Union in the Civil War game For the People).  A designer can elegantly add "movement rules" that conform to the movement of troops -- no more veering off the transportation network for months at a time, as we often see in hex-based games.

One of my first encounters with a point-to-point game was with War of 1812 (1812).  I have always enjoyed this game.  Strategic points in Upper Canada, New York, and along Lakes Erie, Ontario, and Champlain are where units move to and from.  Battles happen in places they historically did, for not every inch on the map is accessible.  1812 channels the action nicely, giving a very good feel to this theater of the war.  As with areas, I get the feeling I'm leading a military campaign, not solving a hex-based puzzle.

So, for me, areas, or point-to-point are the ways to go.  While there are several hex-based games I really enjoy, such as Combat Commander, Command & Colors:Ancients, and Totensonntag, they all have other attributes that make their hexes more palatable, such as cards and/or random impulses for movement (which are subjects for another day!).

I understand this hasn't been an exhaustive thesis on "terrain overlay projections for wargames," but it wasn't meant to be.  Instead, just a way of telling y'all what I like, and (quickly) why.  I know that if I ever get some of my design ideas off the ground, you'll be seeing point-to-point or areas, not a steenkin' hex anywhere.

Except maybe in a beehive...

What, no gaming?

This looks to be a tough week -- between getting work done in the house and getting ready for Medieval Day at school, where I will be, along with another teacher, putting on a "Medieval Science" workshop. Looks like I probably won't have any time for FTF gaming, though I'm sure I'll have several moves this week in my Cyberboard and ACTS pbem HIS game.

On the home front, I have the following to do:

1.  Rip down "grass" paper from 2 walls so they can be painted.

2.  Power wash the deck and the back of the house.

3.  Box all my games and turn the dining room back into the dining room (not my 2nd game room).

4.  Go through my "stuff," box up what I can, mark other things for a garage sale (Deanna wants to have one, should be "interesting").

5.  Begin cleaning out the basement.

Man, my head (and back) hurt just thinking of this!

On the Medieval Science front, I still have to:

1.  Make a Powerpoint presentation for the classes we'll see.

2.  Get a costume (I think I'll be a monk).

3.  Finish buying materials we'll need.

4.  Test all our "experiments" to be sure they work.

5.  Go through a "dry run" with the teacher I'll be working with.

On top of all this, I need to give (and correct) a final Math test for 62 students and grade Social Studies projects on Medieval English Manors for 36 students.  My head's hurting again!

So, no FTF gaming this week, unfortunately.  I might take a break and head to Mike's for an hour or so when he and Bill start playing Third World War by GDW.  That will have to be enough to scratch my FTF gaming itch this week.

Of course, I have next Saturday, the 21st, to look forward to, as this will be the Rochester Gamers monthly meet.  I'm hoping for many games of Combat Commander and Command & Colors: Ancients!

And, last but certainly not least, I've gotta make time for my girls, Deanna and Cheyenne.  Wish me luck...

Boring...

I feel like Neil from the "Young Ones," in the Boring episode.

Just a lot of work around the house today. Did my moves for the online Here I Stand game, that was about it. Also getting ready for Medieval Day that's coming up at school this Friday.

Just wanted to check in and see how my buds are doing, now back to work.

Grrr...

(Don't worry, I don't plan to make boring posts like this a habit!)

INFP...

I have a lot of work to do today around the house, so I'll make this quick.

I'm a big believer in the Myers-Briggs Personality Tests. I always come up an "INFP." (Click the link to read about the 1% of the population I fall into.)

Basically, I have this internal value set of right and wrong, and when the threshold of "wrong" has been crossed, it's hard for me to ever want to have any dealings with the person who "wronged" me, individually, or society, as a whole. On the other hand, folks that do right by me are always respected and held in high regard.

So, I am writing this as a way to "vent" about some idiocy on the MMP folder at CSW yesterday. Certain folks are asses, plain and simple. Not nice people, not people I'd ever want to deal with.

So, to make myself adhere to my moral compass, I canceled the one preorder I had with them, a preorder for a remake of the game Angola. As much as I like some folks at MMP, there are others who I wish to have no dealings with. So if their hands are in some game designs, I wish to have nothing to do with those games.

Will this change the world?

No.

But it lets my conscience rest easy.

Most people don't understand INFPs, and I can't say I blame them.

Thirty Years War finishes and MMP flares up...

Bill and I finished our game of 30YW on Wednesday.  Today, on CSW, a few of the regular jerks showed their jerky sides again, making me happier than ever that my time spent there is less and less.

First, the good, then the bad (and the ugly)...

Bill and I left our last game off after Turn 10 completed.  I posted an AAR of the first 10 turns last week.  This week, we started on Turn 11, Bill as the Protestants, me as the Catholics:

Turn 11: 30 VPs.  The Catholics were in decent position, though the big stack of Swedes was looking troublesome.  The Swedes, under Adolphus, moved on the Independent city (and Electorate) of Koln, besieging the fortress there.  Cardinal Infante then moved his large, but fragile, Spanish army to Koln to relieve the siege.  The battle was a big one -- both armies were on the 20+ tables (the most potent).  Losses were horrendous, with both sides taking 14 losses (the most one can lose in a single battle!).  Then leader losses were rolled, and...  Adolphus and Infante both die!  The Swedes, even though technically the "victor" at Koln, fall back to Hesse-Kassel, taking the area, while the Spanish lick their wounds outside a still Catholic Koln.

Turn 12: 30 VPs.  The Treaty of Heilbronn is signed and the German Protestants recognize the Swedish leadership (now without Adolphus).  This is a 3 VP swing for the bad guys!  Wallenstein takes a small army and heads north, taking Dresden.  The Swedes regroup and head south, taking Donauworth.  The Bavarians, under Tilly, kick the Swedes out and kill some veterans in the deal, leaving the Swedish army quite fragile.  Additionally, Adolphus' replacement, Bernard of Sweden, dies of wounds suffered in the Donauworth battle.

Turn 13: 26 VPs.  The turn begins with Wallenstein at 19 "Wallenstein Points."  If he hits 20, the Catholics automatically lose (he gets too powerful), so he's dismissed (his points go down by 1/2, rounded down to 9, but he's out of the game for the entire turn).  Bad turn to be out of the game, as the French enter, giving 6 VPs to the Protestant cause (not to mention more Protestant armies to deal with -- damn Catholic France!).  The Spanish take Sedan, but it falls right back into French hands.  Tilly looks to destroy the Swedes at Nurnburg, and while he cripples them, he is killed in the battle.  A large Protestant army ends the turn besieging Ingolstodt.

Turn 14: 17 VPs.  This is it, the end game, the last turn.  Turn 13 was a "biggie" for the Protestants, as they gained 9 VPs.  19 VPs is a Protestant win, 20 is a draw, and 21 is a Catholic win.  Things are looking grim for the Pope's "Armies of God."  Starting the turn, Wallenstein is recalled, and he promptly takes back Saxony.  A large battle takes place in Torgau, and Wallenstein is killed as his force is wiped out by Mansfield's Protestants.  Piccolomini moves the remaining Austrians to Dresden, holding it against Mansfield's army and thus preserving Saxony as a Catholic stronghold.  On the last move of the game, a reduced strength Imperial Mercenary moves into Brandenburg, taking the area (2 VPs) and the final Electorate (5 VPs) for the Catholic side.

Game End:  25 VPs, Catholic Victory!

The game was back and forth, and a lot of fun.  I smiled writing this, remembering the game.  Bill and I plan to switch sides and try again in a week or two.  And on this good note, I'll leave the "bad and the ugly" for another time.

Yellowjackets and lack of sleep...

Yes, Bill and I finished up our Thirty Years War game last evening -- it came down to the final card play.  I will write up the AAR tomorrow or this weekend, it was an exciting finish (and Central Europe lay in ruins, literally).  We'll be trying it again, in a week or two, I believe.

I haven't been sleeping well lately.  Partly my fault for going to bed too late, partly just the fact that I'm a very light sleeper and the neighborhood's been noisy these past few nights (horns honking at 3:00 AM, dogs barking -- which sets Cheyenne off, cats fighting, etc.).  The evenings have been cooling down, so the windows have been open.  Ah, well, I think I'm gonna catch a nap this afternoon and try to get a little more energy.  I need it...

And this morning, as I get in my vehicle, a mad yellowjacket was buzzing around.  I'd left the windows open an inch or so and the thing got in but couldn't figure out how to get out.  After a night away from the hive, it was tired (I imagine) and hungry.  I opened all the windows and began driving.  It wouldn't leave,  By the time I got to school, I had to wait in the parking lot open 2 doors, and chase it out with an umbrella.  It finally left me, and I didn't get stung.

So I guess it could have been worse.

I hate yellowjackets, especially when I'm tired...

More Gaming...

While waiting for the VASSAL HIS game to start up, I took over the English position in an ongoing ACTS game after a slow player dropped out. The game is "HIS Bible and Sword" for anyone interested in checking it out. The moves are being done using Cyberboard, while it's being tracked (and cards are dealt) using ACTS. England seems to be in a decent position, we'll see how it plays out.  Since it's been a couple months since I've played, I figured this was a good opportunity to refresh myself with the rules.

Tonight, Bill will be coming by to finish up our 30YW game.  I'll take notes and finish up the AAR in the next few days.  I have a feeling this one is coming down to the end -- I'll need to fend off both the Swedes and the French.  Time to go to the Pope and pray a little (or a lot!).

With summer coming and the impending move, I've gotta figure out how to pack my games into boxes (mostly big ol' plastic recycling boxes).  I want to sell/trade many of them, so I have to keep track of where each game is.  Also, I'll need to have handy the games I'll be playing/hoping to be playing this summer, with my groups and at WBC.  As someone who isn't the most organized person in the world, this is causing me a bit of consternation -- and paralyzing me from doing anything, at the moment...

Oh yeah, as far as the move goes, a house in our neighborhood just sold for $50,000 more than we paid for ours -- and ours is bigger and on more land.  I had heard that the housing market around these parts was pretty good (bucking the national trend), but I'm shocked at some of the high prices I'm seeing.  We need to jump on that bandwagon!

Medieval Science...

Over the next few days, I need to put together a Powerpoint presentation on Medieval Science.  I've gotten a lot of good ideas from my buds online, and it looks like we're going with:

Biology -- no knowledge of germs, typical life expectancy, "Humours," and the Church's stand against human dissection.

Chemistry -- alchemy and ink-making.

Engineering -- arch (yes, I know this is Roman, but we'll be taking it to Cathedrals along with flying buttresses) and corbelled bridges.

Need to make an interesting presentation, then the kids will go to centers and experiment.  I haven't used Powerpoint all year, as all my "good stuff" has gone directly to the Smartboard.  I've been really spoiled, here!  Now it'll be like taking a step backwards going to a Powerpoint presentation.  Alas, we'll be setting up in Science classroom without a Smartboard, so I don't have a choice...

On Wednesday, Bill will be coming over to finish up our Thirty Years War game.  Looking forward to that.

Otherwise, just gotta get through this hot, hot day, as I'm pretty beat.  Wish I had the time and energy to write more, but I don't, so this entry will need to be short.

VASSAL Training...

Yesterday afternoon, Dirk Heinz kindly ran me through VASSAL, as I've signed up to play a pbem Here I Stand (HIS) game via that engine.  The set for HIS looks real nice, and, once I started getting up to speed, it seems fairly intuitive -- though each set designer seems to put their personal touches on the product, making some sets better than others, not to mention easier to use.  For instance, the HIS set doesn't have automatic logging of moves, meaning that each player will need to "Begin Log" and "End Log" as they do their move.  My bet is that there will be an impulse played where logging has been overlooked.  Also, for a pbem game, I think we'll be taking a long time.  Things would go much quicker if we could play live, but with 6 players from the UK to California, finding a good time for all would be tough.  We'll see how it goes.

On the other hand, Dirk then showed me how great VASSAL is for playing live.  We were both hooked up to talk with each other via Skype, so it was like a face to face (FTF) match between Rochester, NY and Salt Lake City, UT.  We chose to play the Cannae scenario from Command & Colors: Ancients.  Now, I love this system, as it uses blocks and cards (and even I can deal with the big hexes here!) to give a fair representation of ancient warfare.  I drew the Romans, who historically got slaughtered here, while Dirk got Hannibal and his boys.  The game began pro-Carthaginian, as Dirk's warrior units made short work of several of my light units.  He had me on the ropes for most of the game, but then his dice went cold and mine got hot, especially in counter-attacks.  Carthage made a cavalry charge around the Roman rear -- success would win the day for Hannibal, failure would lose it.  Dirk's dice stayed cold, so the Romans changed history, at least for a day!

Playing live was a lot of fun.  Dirk is a good teacher (he was very patient with my dumb questions and slow computer) and fun to chat with.  Last evening I downloaded the module for Combat Commander, so I hope to get in some live VASSAL playing of that in the near future.

Gaming life be good --FTF, live online, and pbem.  Once we get into the new place I plan to upgrade my computer and find even more time for online game.  Can't wait!

UB and sushi...

Made it out to UB for the Buffalo Area Consim Simulation Gamers (BACSIM) meet. Yes, the head of the group, Grant LaDue, knows that's a mouthful! Drove out in 90F degree weather, and my a/c stopped working (I drive a 12 year old RAV4, and it's been "touch and go" with the a/c for a few years now. Luckily, with all the windows open, there was enough of a breeze to keep me alive. Started off with a 6-player Pacific Typhoon, the card game of Pacific Battles. I believe I finished in last place. It was just one of those games... For the last 6 or 7 hands I had Admiral Halsey, which would have let me play two American ship cards instead of just one. In all those hands, I had Japanese cards exclusively, save for one hand where I had a wimpy American sub. Just the way the game goes, sometimes.

After that, I played two games of Combat Commander with Bob Titran. We played Scenario 23 from the Mediterranean set, which is an Italian vs. British fight in the Western Desert. No terrain, save for a road running diagonally down the middle of the board. Both sides start in trenches, and a British leader with a heavy machine gun has infiltrated "no man's land" during the night to set up a sniper's nest behind an abandoned truck. 6 squads for the Italians, 3 for the British, a medium mortar for the Italians, a light for the British, and both sides have 2 light machine guns. The British also have some off-board artillery, but special scenario rules make it difficult to use (as fire was sporadic, at best).

The first go round saw me as the Brits. Bob quickly pounded my sniper with mortar and machine gun fire, and he ended up running back to his friendly trench line, under a cover of smoke, heavy machine gun in tow. There after, the game became a medium/long range slug fest, and the heavy machine gun did quick work of any Italians leaving the trenches. A British squad was able to grab a couple objectives on the road, under a smoke screen, and this provided the margin for victory.

We then went out to lunch, it being mid-afternoon. We were going to just grab a burger at Red Robin, but we drove past a new Japanese place called Kyoto Grill, so we stopped there, instead. Bob had a shrimp/chicken hibachi dish, while I had a bento (sp?) box that had a beef/scallion dish, dumplings, salad, and a California Roll. We also had a few draft beers -- Killian's for me, Blue Moon for Bob. After the meal, as I came out of the bathroom, Bob had already picked up the check -- and it weren't a tiny one. Next time he's in Rochester I've gotta take him to a nice place...

After returning to UB, we switched sides, and the scenario played out very differently! I was able to kill his sniper right away, and then deny the Brits from using artillery for the rest of the scenario. Over time, the Italian squads moved out under smoke cover, capturing objectives, and even infiltrating the British trench line. By the time it was over, the Italians were in control of the board. It's a great game, and interesting how each scenario can play so differently each game -- goes to the strength of the system, and its inherent "chaos," something I both like and find quite realistic. In a tactical game, I don't want perfect control over my troops. I realize that's anathema to some, though it truly is much more realistic than knowing exactly what everyone can do every turn...

But we have games for 'em all, we do!

After the 2nd Combat Commander game, Bob hit the road, and I watched the 2 train games in progress. Nels Thompson and I talked about playing another game, but I was having trouble staying awake by then (beer, early morning, and old age, I guess!), so I decided to hit the road back to town. Nels lives in Buffalo and works in Rochester, so we'll have to get together one of these evenings, as it's been too long.

And, of course, it's always a pleasure to come home to my waggy-tailed friend who missed me!

Clubbing and VASSAL...

No, I'm not 22 anymore, so "clubbing" has a different definition to me now...

I think that, after all, I may be able to head to the University of Buffalo (UB) for the Buffalo Gamer's monthly meet. It looked bleak yesterday, as we're having work done on our house in order to get ready to put it on the market. It looked like our friend Doug was coming in the morning to get started, and Deanna had plans, so I was stuck here. But Doug has said he can't get here before mid/late afternoon, by which time Deanna will be back. So if the plan holds, a day of gaming at UB is on my plate!

Besides, Deanna's the persnickety one when it comes to painting, drywall, wallpaper removal, etc., so better she's in charge than I. None of this, "Why didn't you have Doug do _________" stuff, if I'm not around. Hehe!

Yesterday I signed up to play a Here I Stand (HIS) game with some friends from CSW. HIS is a game on the Protestant Reformation, wars during that time, and the exploration of the New World. We're talking a time frame of the early-mid 1500s. It's a game for 6 players -- Hapsburgs, Ottomans, France, England, Protestans, and the Papacy. The game is a lot of fun, and we'll be playing on VASSAL, a real-time, or play by electronic mail (pbem) site. Alas, VASSAL is something I've always had trouble with, so I'm hoping a training session tomorrow will open my eyes a little. And, of course, I'll be reporting on the game here.

Finally, Khyber Pass Games put out a solitaire game, B-29, which lets one fly missions to bomb Japan in WWII. I signed up for a game on CSW -- I don't have to do anything, just see what happens to my character as javelina trader Shannon Cooke flies the missions. I'm the bombardier, so let's hope I'm on target!

D-Day...

Don't really have much to say today, just a lot to do around the house this weekend. However, I wanted to take a minute to remember the men who went ashore at Normandy on this date, 64 years ago. Fewer and fewer of them left every year.

We have a family friend whose brother died in Normandy (not in the initial wave, about a week or so in, I believe). This friend has traveled to Normandy several times, always bringing a little Rochester dirt to lay on his brother's grave. Being too young to serve (I think he was around 10 in '44), it's his way of paying homage to both his brother and all the brave men who died for their countries. While he didn't get into WWII, his life has touched many, through several generations, as an enthusiastic history teacher who strived to bring history alive for his high school, and later, college students.

Now the youngest brother is facing several debilitating problems/illnesses that are limiting the time he has left here. It's sad to see good men leave us, either in 1944 or today.

Just a thought.

The Reichstag Stands...

Mike and I finished our our game of Red Storm Over the Reich last night, and the Reichstag was not taken over by Soviet soldiers, so the picture here is a little misleading! After playing out 7 of the 8 turns, we determined that it would be impossible for Mike's Soviets to clear the hex in Berlin containing the bunker, so that being the case, we cleaned up and decided to start something new next week. Perhaps Red Dragon Rising, the latest Strategy & Tactics (S&T) game about a hypothetical Chinese invasion of Taiwan and/or Korea, Japan, The Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The game uses a variant of the War at Sea system, so it should be easy and fun. Other possibilites abound, though, so we'll have to see. We even talked about playing Richard Berg's game of Japanese Balloon warfare on the West Coast of the U.S. in WWII. Mike subscribes to Against the Odds (ATO), I don't.

Both S&T and ATO have been huge disappointments to me over the years. The games are often half-baked, full of errata, and not fun to play -- and the graphics for the latter have included some of the most mind-numbing, ridiculous pieces of "art gone bad" I've ever witnessed in this hobby. So I'll go into either not expecting much, though Red Dragon Rising is designed by Bruce Costello, an online friend from CSW who often comes up with interesting takes on how to design games.

Jumping all over the place today, I'd like to get back to Red Storm Over the Reich. We had fun playing, but after several games (including one Soviet auto victory when Mike and I were just learning the system and he pulled his Germans back too quickly) we have come to the conclusion that it's near impossible for the Soviets to win. The Germans just have too many good defensive lines, and with only 8 combat phases in the entire game (plus 8 phases with overruns possible, though much of the terrain the Germans will be defending on prohibits these), there just isn't enough time. The Germans can win the game by having a reduced strength Berlin garrison unit (representing "The Bunker") remaining and nothing else -- so in the "endgame," the Germans can sacrifice units as need be, not worry about making mandated offensives, and build up a "defense in depth" around Berlin. This will, inevitably, run out the clock.

Now, the game was decent enough fun (of course, playing with a friend makes the game itself less important), though it was conceded that we'd, most likely, never play again. In the end, it was a lot of effort for a game that seems awfully tough for one side to win.

The Bunker

Thirty Years War (quick ) AAR

Bill came over to play Thirty Years War this evening, and I wanted to post a quick AAR before I hit the sack -- for tomorrow I'll be very busy and don't know if I'll have time to get to it, between school (my busy day) and gaming Red Storm Over the Reich with Mike.

Once again, into the breach, Bill was the evil Protestants, while I was the evil Catholics -- are there no good guys here?!?!

Turn 1: 21 VPs (start): Not much going on -- the Protestants entered Saxony and whipped the Saxons in battle. They then took Leipzig, eliminating all Saxon units. Not a good start for the Pope's valiant armies...

Turn 2: 16 VPs: Hungary falls to the Austrians -- the revolt is put down! Christian of Brunswick entered for Protestants and was converting areas in Northern Germany. The Bavarians help their Austrian allies by taking Bohemia, and a Spanish army under Spinola enters the United Provinces, in an attempt to, for once and for all, make tha damn place Catholic!

Turn 3: 18 VPs: The Danes enter on the Protestant side, with King Christian running around Northern Germany. Fighting in the United Provinces begins, as Spinola's Spanish army takes Breda. The Bavarians move north and take Bohemia, consolidating Catholic gains for the turn.

Turn 4: 18 VPs: Baden enters on the Protestant side, putting more of the map into play. Cordoba brings a new Spanish army into Antwerp, as hostilities continue. A regiment of English veterans shows up at Mannheim, joining the Protestant cause. At the end of the turn, Prague falls to a Protestant army after a back and forth fight with the Austrians.

Turn 5: 19 VPs: Spanish troops head south and take the Lower Palatinate and Lorraine for the Catholic side. The Protestant army in the United Provinces leaves and lands, courtesy of the Dutch navy, in Mecklenburg.

Turn 6: 23 VP: The Catholic-allied Bavarians move west, taking Wurtenberg and marching on Baden. The Danes counter this move by bringing Munster under Protestant control. The Spanish besiege Metz, and the fortress holds...

Turn 7: 31 VPs: The Intervention cards are added to the deck, opening more possibilities for each side. The English go home, to deal with the impending Civil War, leaving their Protestant allies to face the Bavarians alone.Ferdinand II dies, throwing the Holy Roman Empire into chaos as Ferdinand III ascends to the throne -- much bickering amongst unpaid troops.The Dutch launch two counter-offensives in the United Provinces, taking back territory from the Catholics. Europe sees a huge, monumental battle at Prague between Mansfield's Protestants and Wallenstein's Imperial troops. Wallenstein begins earning a name for himself by winning decisively.

Turn 8: 32 VPs: The Danes, under the enigmatic Christian, advance into Munster and besiege the Electorate at Koln. Spanish units retreat back into the Spanish Netherlands, avoiding battle with the Danes. Wallenstein's grand army FINALLY takes Prague, after a prolonged siege.

Turn 9: 32 VPs: A large force of Spanish veterans enters the board, via the Alps, under Cardinal Infante and heads into Upper Palatinate. The Protestant armies regroup, and all Catholic sieges this turn fail.

Turn 10: 27 VPs: The Swedes, under G. Adolphus (sp?), enter the fray with a kick-ass army. Fortunately for the Catholics, the Swedes also land an army in Denmark, causing King Christian and his force to head home (and out of the game). The Spanish take back Munster, and both side build up for the "endgame."

Turn 11 will start with 30 VPs. The Catholics need 21 for victory, the Protestants need 19. This game is most certainly up in the air. I can't wait to play again, and I look forward to Round 2, as the Protestants, win or lose this time around.

A lot of fun was had tonight, that's for sure.

Cool Jazz...

The older I get, the more I appreciate Jazz. Happily, Rochester, of all places, has one of the nation's better Jazz Festivals -- The Rochester International Jazz Festival. There are always many fun "little" activities to go to, and several bigger headliners. This year, we'll be going to see Boz Scaggs, who, if you haven't listened to him in 2 decades, has a "jazzy twist" to all his music.

Here's a YouTube video of Lido Shuffle:



We might go to Frank Sinatra, Jr., not sure yet. Al Green is an outside possibility, though my line to tickets there most likely won't pan out. Regardless, it's a great time and something I always look forward to.

Not being a kid anymore, I feel out of place at many nightclubs. I have a couple of friends who are in bands, and we go to see them every once in a while. But man, do I feel old around all those 20-somethings! I much prefer a more mellow setting where I can sit back, sip a drink, and listen to jazz. If that's a sign of getting old, I don't rightly care, for this is one of the finer points of aging, better music.

Tonight Bill's coming over for another go-round with Thirty Years War. I think we have the rules down pretty well, it should be fun. Maybe I'll play some jazz tonight in the dungeon to inspire me.

Gaming Conventions...

One of the fun aspects of the gaming hobby is heading out to conventions -- basically big gaming get-togethers -- and renewing old acquaintances while playing games, games, and more games. This summer, in early August, I'll head off to 5 days of gaming at the "World Boardgaming Championships" (WBC) in Lancaster, PA. I've been doing this since the late '90s, when the event was held in Hunt Valley, MD.

The other get-together I go to is the "Niagara Boardgaming Weekend" (NBW) in Niagara Falls, ON in early February. Had a great time this year, and am looking forward to 2009.

At WBC, I have 100+ friends who I see and game with each year. There are competitive tournaments and open gaming galore -- each year I cut back on the competitive stuff and do more friendly gaming. It's a fun time, and, coming in the middle of summer, it's easy for this teacher to make plans! Niagara is much more laid back, with perhaps 75 attendees. No tourneys, just a ton of open gaming. For the most part, different friends attend NBW, and between the two "cons," I see almost all my gaming buds and get in more than my fill of games. Remember, we have a very active group here in the Rochester area, so I'm never lacking for opponents.

So, why post about this? I guess because another get-together just ended, "Consimworld Expo" (CSW Expo) in Tempe, AZ. I have fun joking about this with the few friends of mine that go, as all the "rah-rah, we're the best" stuff is something I find very funny -- old men counting down days and all that... CSW Expo is one place I have no interest in going to, for several reasons.

1. Very few of my friends attend -- I could count them all on both hands and have a few fingers left over.

2. The "con" is dedicated to monster-gaming (big games that teams play and that take days to complete) -- not the kind of games I enjoy.

3. The "con" now boasts people (and even a dedicated room!) playing shorter games -- like I need to fly to Arizona for what I can do at my house any night of the week? And with friends, not strangers in the Arizona desert, no less...

4. I'm an east coast guy for this kind of stuff -- spending money to fly across the country doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me (see: "I can do this from the comfort of my own home, with friends, not strangers").

5. The "con" is always at the end of May/beginning of June -- I'm a teacher, we don't get a week's vacation then!

So, I'm truly happy for the (few) friends I have that go to Tempe for this. Having a good time is what it's all about. But I don't need (nor even want) a fancy hotel, seminars to cut into my gaming time, or a bunch of strangers around to have fun. In fact, I go for the opposite, and am much happier for it. So, I really don't need to be persuaded what a great time this is -- I know it ain't for me. Your mileage may vary...

Until next year at this time.

Moving and gaming...

Deanna and I went to visit her new school yesterday, and its location will certainly influence where we live. It's a good half hour from where we currently live, so we'll have to head toward her school, as that's too long (I'm less than 5 minutes from my school).

If gas prices weren't so damn high, I'd have no problem with a 30 minute commute for me -- I love listening to books on tape, and a 3 minute commute isn't good for that. However, I don't want to be paying an extra $100/month on commuting. Of course, we can get a lot more house for the money (or the same house for considerably cheaper) out her way so all this will have to be taken into consideration.

As I'm thinking about what's important for me, and what I can give up to get something else, I suddenly think, "How will this affect Bill and Mike, my regular gaming buds?" Shows where my priorities lie, eh?

Clicking on above image shows where our schools are.