Another bunch of interesting blog posts

Another batch of blog posts you might not have seen otherwise



Let´s start with digital cryptologist and security expert Bruce Schneier. I am very impressed by his sensible attitudes towards terrorist threats and his insight into cyber war. And I loved his book Liars & Outliers.

On hig blog he gives interesting pointers to research on (digital) security such as the cost of terrorism in Pakistan

the Japanese response to terrorism

US offensive cyber war strategy

and on the psychology of conspiracy theories


And a few more by those dastardly people at the Guardian 

A map showing all events in the Syrian civil war.

The Global Peace Index 2013, including the cost of war.

Arms exports from the EU

followed by an infographic on the world´s armies

and the refugee statistics from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

What do you think of an analysis of comic book sales and movies?

Image by Sean McLachlan

And a few posts by lesser knowns

Sean McLachlan on castles in Spain and Slovakia

A short movie showing the strategic positions around Damascus of the Syrian government and rebels.

Wow!

It seems I've come under the radar of Dr. Raùl Alberto de la Cruz, aka Tango01 at The Miniatures Page. He has linked through to my posts on the Guardian military-historical databases, The Reconquista in Al-Andalus and the review of Prussian Napoleonic Tactics. There was some interesting comment on the latter.

I hadn't put up a picture of the new Saxon cavalry
from Musketeer miniatures that René painted for me

 My hit count has spiked as a result. Thanks mr De la Cruz! These hits are much better than the spam referals. Good thing I picked up blogging again after a small hiatus. In three weeks I'll be at it for a year.

And here's the new Saxon skirmishers also courtesy of René

I've also picked up three new regular followers, so welcome Michael Awdry, Hankesslinger and Schrumpfkopf! I know my blog doesn´t have the eye candy or a dedicated subject, but  I hope some of the visitors come back and become regulars as well.

Links for the weekend

Some of the stuff I've been reading online in late January

Board games

• There is Zombicide revised rules v3, and the changes are considerable
• The four AEG boardgames in the Tempest setting, reviewed by Michael Barnes. Love Letters comes out on top
• Article 27, a negotiation game: "bribe, cajole, threaten, bully, intimidate [...] You know, just like at the actual UN." says Jeff Luce
• Legend of Heroes, a classic ´dungeon crawler´ by TSR from 1987
• Nate Owens reviews Clash of Cultures, the new civilisation dudes on a map game by Z-Man
• Nate Owens wonders whether expansions have become an easy way to wrench money from customers
  

Miniatures

• Now Blackball Games is also making Weird War WWII miniatures. eg the German starter set
• First impressions of Maurice, 18th century miniature rules by Sam Mustafa. Including campaign system. JW van der Pijl is excited
• Fantasy Flight released one of the best Living Card Games with Star Wars, but using a salestrick that sucks
• A great series of blog posts about a scratch built Steam Punk machine. Wish I could do that
• Lee Hadley explains why Tank Battles in Miniature: Western Desert is still a great wargame book
• The material used for Shapeways3D printing does have its peculiarities in painting. Some tips
• In the spirit of this winter: miniaturen of French troops in the Retreat from Moscow, by several manufacturers 
• Extensive review of the new Dropzone Commander rules
• On 23 and 24 March the Tin Soldiers of Antwerp will organise a miniature megagame aboout the 2nd day of the Battle of Gettysburg. It´s their sixth American Civil War Campaign, using Johnny Reb III rules

History

• The BBC interviewed survivors from the Battle of Stalingrad, including civilians that remained in the city as fighting went on
• Great pictures of English Civil War reenactors at a parade commemorating the execution of King Charles I in 1649

Some interesting links

Some links I picked up the last two weeks:

Documentary about reenactors in England, with the hopefull title of 'Weekend Nazis' (part 1) 

Mike Whitaker poses an interesting problem of probability rolling 3 dice. Do you charge in? 

Interview with Sandy Petersen, designer of Call of Cthulhu and Runequest RPGs. By the Gentleman Gamer 

Michael Barnes ponders mass murder in (video) games: a quest for 'realism' gone wrong? 

These French WWI images were found in a second hand camera. Check out the rest of the blog as well for others 

New Osprey titles for first half of 2013. Anything you fancy? 

Master of Europe, 200th anniversary megagame of the Leipzig campaign. Saturday June 22nd 2013 in Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Be warned: the worst 10 boardgames of 2012

Great blog post by Pijlie about how the goal of participation games (ie attracting new players to games) leads the design choices

Movie of a replica A7V German WWI tank at Bovington Tank Museum

Brilliant visualisation of all the zombies killed in The Walking Dead. Type of weapon used and by whom

Example of a game of Angels 20, the dog fight system from Axis & Allies. By David Crook

What I've Been Reading Online