Old Gamers Never Die: Bootcamp Mode in ‘Second Front’


As you know, last week I bought a turn-based, set-in-WWII game called Second Front. It was created by Hexdraw and published by MicroProse. I got it on Steam last Tuesday because it was 15% off during the first week of release. I’ve wanted to get it since I saw the teaser for it in 2020,Continue reading “Old Gamers Never Die: Bootcamp Mode in ‘Second Front’”

Old Gamers Never Die: A Quick Look at MicroProse’s ‘Second Front’


I am, as you know, a World War II buff. I’ve been one since I was a boy of six living in Bogota, Colombia, and in those 54 years, my interest in the topic has not diminished. I still buy an occasional book or documentary about the war, and I’m always learning new things aboutContinue reading “Old Gamers Never Die: A Quick Look at MicroProse’s ‘Second Front’”

Book Review: ‘Code-Name Downfall: The Secret Plan to Invade Japan-And Why Truman Dropped the Bomb’


Code-Name Downfall: The Secret Plan to Invade Japan-And Why Truman Dropped the Bomb (1995) By: Thomas B. Allen and Norman Polmar Publisher: Simon & Schuster The Invasion That Never Was In 1995, the Golden Anniversary of the Allied victories in Europe and the Asia-Pacific theaters of World War II, Simon & Schuster published Code-Name Downfall: TheContinue reading “Book Review: ‘Code-Name Downfall: The Secret Plan to Invade Japan-And Why Truman Dropped the Bomb’”

Musings & Thoughts for Saturday, January 14, 2023, or: Low Temperatures, Cold Symptoms Put the Kibosh on a Planned Book Review


A cold front passed through Central Florida between yesterday afternoon and early this morning, so the temperature in Lithia (as I write this) is 47°F/8°C under mostly cloudy skies on Saturday, January 14, 2023. The house is warmer than that, thank the Force, but I still have that nagging cold, and the combination of lowContinue reading “Musings & Thoughts for Saturday, January 14, 2023, or: Low Temperatures, Cold Symptoms Put the Kibosh on a Planned Book Review”

Music Album Review: ‘I’ll Remember You: The D-Day Darlings: VE Day Celebration Edition’ (2020)


I’ll Remember You: The D-Day Darlings VE Day Celebration Edition Release Date: March 26, 2020 (Original version released on November 9, 2018) Record Label: Sony Music UK On Friday, November 9, 2018, Sony Records released I’ll Remember You: The D-Day Darlings, the recording debut of The D-Day Darlings, a British “wartime choir” of nine womenContinue reading “Music Album Review: ‘I’ll Remember You: The D-Day Darlings: VE Day Celebration Edition’ (2020)”

On Books & Reading: ‘Hell to Pay’ Gets Added to My TBR Stack


As I reported yesterday on my blog post Musings & Thoughts for Thursday, November 3, 2022, or: Movies, Moods, and Aspirations, Amazon Prime delivered my copy of D.M. Giangreco’s Hell to Pay: Operation DOWNFALL and the Invasion of Japan, 1945-1947, a non-fiction book about the plans, projections, and preparations for the U.S.-led Allied invasion ofContinue reading “On Books & Reading: ‘Hell to Pay’ Gets Added to My TBR Stack”

On History & World War II: Commemorating the 77th ‘Non-Anniversary’ of ‘X-Day’


As you – probably – know if you’re a frequent visitor to this space, I have been a World War II buff since I was a young boy (of six!) living in Bogota, Colombia. Because the war was massively global in scale – far more so than the First World War, in fact – andContinue reading “On History & World War II: Commemorating the 77th ‘Non-Anniversary’ of ‘X-Day’”

Reflections on America and Its History: Takeaways from the First Part of ‘The U.S. and the Holocaust’


Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,With conquering limbs astride from land to land;Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall standA mighty woman with a torch, whose flameIs the imprisoned lightning, and her nameMother of Exiles. From her beacon-handGlows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes commandThe air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands,Continue reading “Reflections on America and Its History: Takeaways from the First Part of ‘The U.S. and the Holocaust’”

About Blu-rays: First Looks at ‘Star Trek: Picard’ and ‘The U.S. and the Holocaust’


Last night I finished my three-night “binge watch” of Star Trek: Picard’s second season, which was released on Blu-ray by Paramount on Tuesday. The series, which was created as a three-season-long story for the streaming service Paramount+, is a sequel to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) and the four feature films that followed it.Continue reading “About Blu-rays: First Looks at ‘Star Trek: Picard’ and ‘The U.S. and the Holocaust’”

Old Gamers Never Die: Confessions of a Digital Armchair General


Childhood Dreams vs. Cold, Hard Reality When I was nine years old and my mom allowed me to dream about careers that were realistically out of my reach because I have cerebral palsy, one of my “I want to be X when I grow up” roles that I wanted most was “professional military officer.” EvenContinue reading “Old Gamers Never Die: Confessions of a Digital Armchair General”