New Desperation Morale Blog Post

[The Magnus]

Ah, I did not realize that the Swedes use glasses...

Touche - my bad.

Skål.

 

[Jacometti]

joking aside, I am absolutely confident ASLOK will be held in Cleveland this year.

I expect attendance to be down as some folks might consider attending a risk or are worried about the troubles of international travel, but I cannot imagine that gatherings of 50-100 folks would not be possible by this time of the year.

My tickets and hotel room are booked and I am going, pretty much regardless (EXC: if the event is cancelled).

 

[Gunner Scott]

If you go to any large gatherings before the vaccine is created, you are basically on a suicide mission.

 

[The Magnus]

If you go to any large gatherings before the vaccine is created, you are basically on a suicide mission.

Well, it depends on who you are. In ASL terms (remember - all postings on Gamesquad have to be relevant to ASL):

• My son, a 6+1 directed Russian conscript halfsquad shooting on a British 10-2 with an Elite squad in a Stone House (he is fine).
• A young man like Jacometti, a 8-0 directed German conscript squad against a Dutch Elite squad in a Wooden House (he can take the risk).
• Me, an 8-1 directed Russian First Liner squad against a Swedish volunteer in a woods hex (debatable how smart it is to go to ASLOK).
• Those who definitely should not attend ASLOK in 2020, a 9-2 directed American Marine squad against a 300 lb Italian first-liner running in open terrain.

 

[Robin Reeve]

If you go to any large gatherings before the vaccine is created, you are basically on a suicide mission.

Or on a murder one, as many asymptomatic carriers of the virus will contaminate other people.

 

[TopT]

If you go to any large gatherings before the vaccine is created, you are basically on a suicide mission.

I do not know if I would say it that strongly but you really need to ask yourself, is it worth it? 5 days to play ASL and you 'might' come home with Covid-19. If you are unfortunate and catch it, none of us are spring chickens!

 

[TopT]

Well, it depends on who you are. In ASL terms (remember - all postings on Gamesquad have to be relevant to ASL):

• Those who definitely should not attend ASLOK in 2020, a 9-2 directed American Marine squad against a 300 lb Italian first-liner running in open terrain.

So, which one should not attend?

 

[The Magnus]

So, which one should not attend?

Asks an "Elder member" (no offence) .

Given that you are 6 years younger than me, rather you than me attending .

Besides, I have to take a total of 2 train rides and 4 plane rides, you can sit in your car/SUV/Pickup for a couple of hours .

On the other hand, I could go to a tournament in Eastern Sweden. Risk is minimal on so many levels. I travel by SUV. 8-10 Attendees. I might be the only over 60 (I am not sure how that helps me, but there you are). Many participants will be from Stockholm, and they soon all have herd immunity. There is enough alcohol to kill any virus .

 

[Jacometti]

Or on a murder one, as many asymptomatic carriers of the virus will contaminate other people.

By your viewpoint, you were on murder mission one year ago if you left your home when you had a flue. Seriously.

 

[The Magnus]

By your viewpoint, you were on murder mission one year ago if you left your home when you had a flue. Seriously.

I am not a doctor, and I respect your view, but it could be that Covid19 is somewhat more "selective" in who to give serious respiratory problems. Time will tell, but "7 out of 10 doctors" tell my elderly parents-in-law to stay totally isolated in their house. No discussion. Whatsoever.

(7 out of 10 near relatives of mine are MD's or will be so within 9 months, it is hell to be one of the non-MD's the Christmas table ).

Or to put it in ASL terms, as is required in this forum. It is one thing to be a Finnish Fanatic squad running into long-range -2 fire, and a totally different thing if you are an Italian wounded 6+1 leader.

 

[Ric of The LBC]

By your viewpoint, you were on murder mission one year ago if you left your home when you had a flue. Seriously.

Unless you get the yearly flu shot. But that is always a partial crapshoot too.

 

[Jacometti]

I am not a doctor, and I respect your view, but it could be that Covid19 is somewhat more "selective" in who to give serious respiratory problems. Time will tell, but "7 out of 10 doctors" tell my elderly parents-in-law to stay totally isolated in their house. No discussion. Whatsoever.

(7 out of 10 near relatives of mine are MD's or will be so within 9 months, it is hell to be one of the non-MD's the Christmas table ).

Or to put it in ASL terms, as is required in this forum. It is one thing to be a Finnish Fanatic squad running into long-range -2 fire, and a totally different thing if you are an Italian wounded 6+1 leader.

Five years ago, I was deployed to lead my organisation's response to Ebola in Sierra Leone. Before I left home and my family, my employer asked me to sign a consent form that basically stated that "I accepted that, in the event of my death in this mission, they may not be able to repatriate a body". I signed that without any hesitation, while all of you were reading about it in the newspapers as some faraway African problem. I then spent five months in the Sierra Leone Ebola response and learned a good deal about real life epidemics. I would go again immediately if asked tomorrow.

As a result of my humanitarian life, it is possible I have a different sense of risk from most people in the comfortable Western world. But I have studied the pandimic of COVID-19 and government's responses around the world. The disease itself does not scare me personally at all. If I were 90 and of ill health, I would certainly see it differently, but so would I consider the risk of driving on the road, getting a bad flue or falling down the stairs. I am sure your parents-in-law are doing the right thing.

I will follow all the outrageous and non-scientific rules and restrictions that are imposed on me (closure of national parks - is that where you get a disease like this honestly), but I will not voluntarily go beyond these. For the coming months: I am certain most governments have no clue at all what their intermediate goals are or how they will relax the rules they imposed, before they wreck their economies. So all of them are going to graciously manipulate public opinion and information over the coming months to explain their rationale and "science". It will be mostly cock-and-bull, but most people will swallow it whole.

What I will not do is let other people put fear into me based on what they heard on the 24-hour news maffia or make me feel guilty for using my own best judgement.

I hope to see you at ASLOK. I never did share dice, so will continue in this way. I will touch my counters, you touch yours. For Melee.....that will become tricky. But I guess if it is hand-to-hand it can only last a Turn or two.

 

[dlazov]

To put it in ASL terms I am a Stealthy, Heroic, Berserk 10-3 Russian/American, I do not Pin and I do not Cower and am immune to all SAN attacks, never take a PAATC and always Ambush, repair all support weapons on dr 1-5 [EXC: On a dr 6, roll again.], my IPC is 3, I am immune to all KIA results and all units Morale is increase by 1 with my command range which is <= 6 hexes.

 

[Gunner Scott]

Sorry, I am a coward, so I am going to hunker down and wait for a vaccine next year. Good luck to you brave souls that go to these tourneys this summer and fall.

 

[hongkongwargamer]

I don't want to catch it as the last place you wanna be at the moment is the hospital.

However I will never be able to live with myself if I get it and spread to my wife, my kid or my parents. The last thing I want to see is them suffering/dying all alone in a hospital.

.. and all that not as a sacrifice for some noble cause like humanitarian work on the Ebola, but for some boardgame tournament?

 

[Pitman]

joking aside, I am absolutely confident ASLOK will be held in Cleveland this year.

I expect attendance to be down as some folks might consider attending a risk or are worried about the troubles of international travel, but I cannot imagine that gatherings of 50-100 folks would not be possible by this time of the year.

My tickets and hotel room are booked and I am going, pretty much regardless (EXC: if the event is cancelled).

There is POSSIBLE, in the sense that they are permitted, and then there is DESIRABLE, in the sense that the question people should be asking is, even if it is permissible, should it still be held, given the risks. Lots of things are permitted but are nevertheless foolish or irresponsible.

 

[Pitman]

As a result of my humanitarian life, it is possible I have a different sense of risk from most people in the comfortable Western world. But I have studied the pandimic of COVID-19 and government's responses around the world. The disease itself does not scare me personally at all. If I were 90 and of ill health, I would certainly see it differently, but so would I consider the risk of driving on the road, getting a bad flue or falling down the stairs. I am sure your parents-in-law are doing the right thing.

As of a few weeks ago, about 40% of people hospitalized in the US for the coronavirus were between 20 and 54 years of age. This is not something that is just a problem for people who are "90 and of ill health." You are sounding like certain people here who minimize the virus for ideological reasons. And YOU are not the person you should be worrying about, frankly. You should be worrying about all the people YOU might infect, and what it might do to THEM.

I will follow all the outrageous and non-scientific rules and restrictions that are imposed on me (closure of national parks - is that where you get a disease like this honestly), but I will not voluntarily go beyond these. For the coming months: I am certain most governments have no clue at all what their intermediate goals are or how they will relax the rules they imposed, before they wreck their economies. So all of them are going to graciously manipulate public opinion and information over the coming months to explain their rationale and "science". It will be mostly cock-and-bull, but most people will swallow it whole.

I'm really disappointed at this reaction. You sound just like one of the uninformed people who decide to dismiss the opinions of public health experts all over the world, simply because it doesn't suit you. What's next? Climate change denial? Moreover, when you post garbage like this, you might actually influence someone else to ignore public health restrictions because they are all "cock and bull", and someone will end up hospitalized or worse.

 

[MAS01]

To put it in ASL terms I am a Heroic, Berserk 10-3 Russian/American, I do not Pin and I do not Cower and am immune to all SAN attacks, never take a PAATC and always Ambush, repair all support weapons on dr 1-5 [EXC: On a dr 6, roll again.], my IPC is 3, I am immune to all KIA results and all units Morale is increase by 1 with my command range which is <= 6 hexes.

Did you forget stealthy?

 

[dlazov]

Did you forget stealthy?

Nope, check again. I told you...

 

[MAS01]

Nope, check again. I told you...

Forgot the hero part; my guys usually just surrender.