Pedal faster men!

Found an amusing bug, or oversight, in Civ IV yesterday.

Building units is dependent on having the correct technology and resources. For example, to build Swordsmen you need to both know Iron Working and have built a mine on a source of iron (or have traded for iron, but you get my point.) Late in a game yesterday, I had reached the point where I could build tanks, but lacked access to any oil. I was making a run at either a Space Race or Cultural victory, so I was still researching technologies as fast as possible. When you master Robotics you can build Mechanized Infantry (or convert older infantry units to the new standard.)

It was at this point in the game that the Mongolians attacked me over my refusal to pay tribute. I converted whole stacks of my infantry to mechanized troops, and sent them off to merrily conquer his cities. That's when I realized the oversight. I still couldn't build tanks because i still lacked oil, so what where my mechanized troops using to power their little yellow IFVs?

Obviously, each vehicle came with stationary bicycle stations attached to the drive train.

Double time... pedal!

There's hope!

The first step is admitting you have a proble - wait, I just got a Great Artist. Just One More Turn!

RIP, Mike Huckabee's political career.

http://crooksandliars.com/stella-barkwell/huckabees-commutation-program-apparen

The suspect in the slaying of 4 police officers in Washington state, Maurice Clemmons of Lakewood reaped a dream benefit from former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. He was banged up for decades as a repeat violent offender, and Governor Huckabee commuted his sentence over the protests of prosecutors in the case.

At the age of 18, Clemmons was sentenced to 60 years for theft and burglary charges. He was serving 48 years for other violent crimes. During trials in which he was the defendant, he apparently exhibited some more eyebrow raising behavior, which included reaching for a guard's gun during transport, and threatening the judge.

Because the judge did not recuse himself from that trial and a series of other civil rights violations, several charges against Clemmons were dropped (State of Arkansas v Maurice Clemmons).

Even with all that history, Huckabee, citing Clemmons' youth at the time of the commission of the crimes and incarceration, commuted his sentence after he'd served 11 years on sentences totaling 95 years of jail time. He remained on parole and committed more violent crimes. He was arrested, the paperwork in the cases was bad and the prosecutors did not refile.

Governor Huckabee has a history of questionable and politically motivated pardons and paroles. But with this, any chance he ever had of becoming President died alongside those four officers in Washington. Those of a certain age may well remember the Willie Horton ad. Michael Dukakis did not start the furlough program (that was a Republican by the way) nor did he personally approve of Horton being granted a furlough. But that image was enough to sink his campaign. Make no mistake, Governor Huckabee looked at a man who had been sentenced to 95 years for violent crimes and let him out of jail.

His political hopes are ashes. He's done. Which means the standard bearer for the GOP in 2012 is Mitt Romney; who is unacceptable to the teabaggers for many reasons. Unless GOP chairman Michael Steele somehow manages to heal this rift you're looking at a split GOP with Sarah Palin running on the Constitution Party ticket with massive backing from the right-wing and Romney trying to marshal the center-right and moderates away from Obama.