Bring In The Cache Buster!

By now, we are all familiar with the issue.  Blogger's Blogroll gadget refuses to reliably pick up and publish the latest post.  I first encountered this issue back in May when I posted a short update at PWJ: Testing.  In May, this was an occasional issue with variable lags but not too long.  There were a few workarounds that seemed to lessen the burden and at least one of these techniques worked, most times, to force a repolling of Blogger's Blogroll gadget.

That situation has changed to a worse case as witnessed by blogs now seeing multi-day delays in the most recent post appearing in Blogroll.  Very frustrating.  None of the temporary "methods" I used in the past to jog the gadget into action seemed to work.  Blogger's Community has seen a growing number of complaints that I first referenced in response to a comment in PWJ: Fourteen Years of Marching Through History.  That reference pointed to New posts not showing on Reading List.  This issue holds for the Blogroll gadget as well.  One respondent laid blame on pasting formatted text into a blog post for this failure to update.  A more likely explanation is that the Reading List or Blogroll displays a cached or stale feed rather than the feed from the most recent post.  The latter explanation seems the most reasonable conclusion since current posts still appear in the daily Feedspot Today email and Feedly Reading List remains current.       

Responses in the community note, above, suggest clearing the cache.  Now, “Clearing the cache” can mean two different things, and it is important not to confuse them.  The response suggests clearing your browser cache.  Clearing the browser cache or viewing the blogsite in a private/incognito window is a good way to make sure you are seeing the current version of your own blog.  This is useful for validating whether a change made to the Blogroll gadget has appeared publicly without cache contamination by your local browser.

In the current state of affairs, Blogger’s feed cache is, again, the more likely culprit.  Blogger keeps its own cached copy of the feeds used by the Blogroll gadget.  Blogroll gadget sometimes holds on to an old copy of a blog’s feed.  Therefore, the gadget does not always notice a new post promptly even though the post was published correctly.  This condition is reinforced by seeing that many Wordpress blogs continue to show recent updates.  What we really need to do is bring out the heavy equipment and bust through the Blogroll cache that is holding back more recent posts.

One workaround is to use Google's own Feedburner's version of the blog’s feed.  Feedburner acts as a middleman.  It takes a fresh copy of the blog’s feed and provides a different feed address for the Blogroll to read.  That is why the Feedburner approach can be useful.  On the Feedburner page, your blog should be listed under "Your feeds."  Clicking on the three dots next your feed brings up a dropdown with "Refresh feed."  This choice forces Feedburner to fetch the current feed again.  If your Blogroll points to the Feedburner URL, it may retrieve the refreshed Feedburner version rather than relying on Blogger’s stale copy of the ordinary blog feed.  Now to be clear, PWJ still references the ordinary blog feed url in Blogroll.  That is, 

http://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

An alternative option that works for some is

http://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.com/?alt=rss

After publishing a new blog post, open Feedburner website and click on "Refresh Feed."  That click ought to set the refresh in motion.  The key to remember is that Blogger’s Blogroll can still have its own cache. Resetting Feedburner cannot force Blogger to clear that cache or trigger Blogroll to poll immediately.

Note Very Well!

Do not rely on Feedburner as though it is a guaranteed repair.  Feedburner does not give you control over Blogger’s internal Blogroll cache.  This technique is best viewed as a practical workaround and not as a definitive solution.  Blogger still needs to resolve this issue.  Good practice to back up before making changes like this and test results.  Of course, YMMV.

If you give this a try, report back with your results.  If I see recent blogs popping up in my Blogroll, I will bet that some of you gave this workaround a try.  This technique worked for allowing PWJ to appear in Blogroll with its current and timely post, but I make no guarantees that this maneuver will work for everyone.  Enter these waters at your own risk!

Biblical Camel Archers

The purpose of this post is twofold.  One to show the latest figures loping out from the painting desk, and two, to see if what I discovered about a working solution to the blogroll delay (or absence altogether) is reproducible.

First up, the latest units off the painting desk are two, three camel groups of mounted archers.  These early, tandem dromedary troopers are additions that I have been eyeing for a long time.  Finally, the first two stands are ready for action.  These fellas will see service in some of the Biblical armies.  

Figures are 28mm Newline Designs.  Nice looking sculpts and something different and fun to paint.  I like 'em!  There are another six of these camelry in The Lead Pile.   

Second, this post is a test to see if the forced, work-around publishing to the blogroll seen in my 14th Anniversary post can be reproduced in a controlled and repeatable fashion.  If it can, then I will write up what I discovered and my solution.  If the forced effort fails, well, then you will not see this post unless you come looking. 

Fourteen Years of Marching Through History

Fourteen years ago, in September 2012, the Palouse Wargaming Journal (PWJ) began as a place to record my wargaming activities and perhaps connect with a few like-minded wargamers.  At the time, I had no clear sense of where the project might lead nor how long this venture might last.  I certainly did not imagine that, fourteen years later, the blog would have accumulated 1,915 posts, 62,241 comments, and 341 followers.

Those numbers are more than statistics.  Much more.  Together they represent fourteen years of games played, figures painted, and ideas exchanged with readers and fellow wargamers.  The Palouse Wargaming Journal began as my hobby notebook, but it has gradually become something more.  The PWJ records my ongoing wargaming activities preserved one post at a time.  Occasionally, a little bit of Real Life is tossed in for good measure.

The blog is also a record of the dynamic nature of the hobby.  Some periods have been filled with games and painting projects.  Others have been slowed by competing demands, a wandering eye, or simply the difficulty of finding time to arrange a game.  Projects have been started, set aside, restarted, and occasionally (but rarely!) completed.  Armies have marched onto the tabletop, disappeared back into their storage boxes, and returned years later under entirely different rules.  Sometimes even appearing with different basing schemes.  The blog preserves all of those stages, including the false starts, mistakes, and second guesses that rarely appear in a photo or a summarized battle account.

The past year has been a period of both activity and reflection.  I have continued to report games, show painted figures, and describe the projects occupying my painting desk and gaming table.  At the same time, I found myself thinking more often about the wider purpose of wargaming blogs.  What makes such a blog worthwhile?  Does blogging still have a future in an age taken over by social media, video, and artificial intelligence?  Why do wargamers devote so much effort to recording painting, researching, designing, and playing of games?

My continuing interest in analyzing the results of WSS' The Great Wargaming Survey offers one way to explore these questions.  The survey provides useful information about the people who participate in the hobby, the periods and rules they prefer, and the reasons they continue to wargame.  Yet these data also raise questions that statistics alone cannot answer.  Numbers may reveal patterns, but they do not always explain the personal experiences behind them.  Two people may report playing the same rules or historical period while finding entirely different rewards in the experience.

That tug-of-war between information and experience has become increasingly important as the internet continues to change.  I repeatedly find myself asking whether blogs still matter.  The question has been particularly difficult to ignore during a year marked by ongoing frustrations with Blogger’s infrastructure.  Those technical problems are compounded by the growing influence of social media which offers quick publication and immediate feedback.  Video, too, has become an increasingly popular way of presentation.   Artificial intelligence adds another layer to the changing landscape by summarizing information and answering questions without necessarily directing readers to the original source.

Can blogging offer something different to these newer forms of communication?

I believe it can, although perhaps not by trying to compete with them on their own terms.  The Palouse Wargaming Journal is not simply a collection of answers about rules, armies, or battles that can be extracted and summarized by an AI agent.  For me, it is a personal record of a hobby in progress.  It shows the figures and units as they emerge from the painting desk, the battlefields as they are laid out, the games as they develop, and the decisions that influence battle outcomes.

That personal element is important because wargaming is not only about information.  It is also about interpretation.  A battle report may explain who won, but it can also describe how the game unfolded, which decisions mattered, and what made the contest memorable.  Similarly, a painting post may show a finished unit but also the way attention moves from one project to another, from one army to another, and from one historical period to the next.

As I wrote in Has AI Killed the Blogger Star?, those details cannot easily be reduced to a generic summary.  These details belong to a particular hobby journey and to the individual experiences of the people involved.  A blog can preserve those experiences in a way that is more personal and more durable than a brief social-media post.

In that sense, the blog remains both an archive and a conversation.  Each post records a small part of the hobby, but it also invites readers to respond, contribute their own experiences, and even disagree with my conclusions or decisions.  The comments, correspondence, and remote games that have grown from the blog are as important as the posts themselves.  They demonstrate that wargaming is not merely a solitary activity carried out among shelves of miniatures.  Wargaming is also a means of building connections across distance and sharing enthusiasm with people who may never otherwise meet.

When I began blogging fourteen years ago as a challenge, I did not know whether anyone would read the Palouse Wargaming Journal, much less whether it would still exist fourteen years later.  The wargaming blogosphere has changed considerably since 2012.  Many blogs have disappeared, social media has altered how wargamers share their work, and AI-assisted search is beginning to reshape how people find information online.  Yet the fundamental appeal of the hobby remains unchanged.

There is still satisfaction in painting a unit, studying a campaign, laying out a battlefield, rolling the dice, and discovering what happens when history is placed in the hands of players. There is also value in recording that experience.  Not of value because every game is historically significant or every painted figure is a masterpiece, but because each one forms part of my continuing journey.

Blogging remains my preferred way of sharing that journey.  It provides the time and space to explain not only what happened, but also why it mattered to me.  The Palouse Wargaming Journal continues not only because the hobby remains rewarding, but also because sharing my thoughts and experiences with others makes the hobby better.

Thank you to everyone who has visited the PWJ, left a comment, joined a remote game, offered encouragement, or simply followed along quietly.  Your interest has helped sustain the blog through fourteen years of painting, gaming, research, reflection, and occasional technical frustration.

For now, marching through history in miniature continues.

Edit 11 September:  Even with no (or long delayed) Blogroll widget updates, seeing readers find this post despite the hurdles to overcome is very encouraging!

Iron & Honor: The Art of Knighthood

The medieval knight in armor is one of the most popular figures in the collective imagination. This exhibition brings these legendary figures to life through an exceptional selection of objects from the collection of European weaponry and armor from the Stibbert Museum in Florence, Italy. From battlefields to royal courts, explore the various aspects of the knights’ life including their code of honor, their equipment, their role in military actions and their role in the societies of the Middle Ages. This exhibition provides a rare opportunity for Spokane to get a closer look at the masterpieces of complete suits of armor, helmets, swords, and shields that highlight the incredible craftsmanship of the era’s artisans.

Exhibition organized by Contemporanea Progetti, Italy in collaboration with the Museo Stibbert, Florence, Italy.

As mentioned briefly in the previous post, Nancy and I visited the Spokane Museum of Art and Culture to take in their exhibit on medieval armor from the Stibbert Museum in Florence entitled, Iron & Honor: The Art of Knighthood.

Following is a brief photo tour of some of the items on exhibit from the Stibbert Museum.  Note the intricate engravings and craftsmanship on the armor and especially the helmets.  Besides suits of armor for mounted knights, the exhibit included two examples of pikemen's armor.  Most of the armor originated in Italy and Germany.

Chris asked in the previous post's comments if seeing this exhibit makes me want to get the Italian Wars collection back out onto the gaming table.  The answer is “Yes”, this does stir emotions of developing a scenario and bringing the Italian Wars collection back to the gaming table.  When will I actually jump into action?  Who knows?  I have a number of battles I want to bring to the table first.

A Few More Moors

As outside temperatures begin to cool, activity at the painting desk is heating up again following my usual mid-summer lull.  Cooler weather means that I return from cycling less fatigued and more ready to concentrate.  The change in weather is only part of the reason for the renewed attention.  With fewer games played in August, just five by my count or an average of one per week, there has been more time and energy to devote to painting.  Recently, I have actually looked forward to meaningful painting sessions.  Although the monthly game totals are a little below par, the break from scenario design and development, as well as game preparation and play, has allowed for a modest rejuvenation at the painting desk.  Several units are now moving through the production line, including some unit types that have never appeared on the blog before.

Next out of the gates are two units for the 28mm Reconquista project.  This time, a twelve-figure body of Arab spearmen is joined by a four-figure stand of Arab crossbowmen.  These Muslims unite with the body of spearmen mustered out back in August (see Back to the Painting Desk).  Figures are from Black Tree Design.  The cupboard is getting quite bare of BTD figures for this period with the exception of miscellaneous command and enough cavalry for several bodies of horsemen.  Nice figures that paint up well.  Too bad I have abandoned acquiring more.

The guns remain silent at Salem Church.  Hopefully, the table will see some action before the game with the Rejects in two weeks.  If no group game can be arranged before then, I may at least play through a few solo turns to see how the rules and scenario work together before they are stress-tested by a bunch of Rejects.

On the art-and-armor front, the Spokane Museum of Art and Culture is hosting an exhibit from the Stibbert Museum in Florence, Italy.  Nancy and I visited the exhibit a few weeks ago and found a fascinating selection of arms and armor.  OK, maybe I found the exhibit more of interest, but she enjoyed it too.  Reenactors were also on hand to demonstrate and explain the craftsmanship and practical functions of these remarkable pieces of art and warfare.

Edit 03 SEP: Besides long delays between posting and appearing in blogroll (this post experienced an 8-hour delay), now attempts at replying to comments are currently failing.  Well, not exactly failing but when submitting a comment, the reply seems stuck in "Publishing" indefinitely.  Do you experience the same?  I have tried different browsers, same result.  Searching Blogger Community Notes, this is a known issue.  Let's hope Google gets this issue worked through satisfactorily soon.  Hold those thoughts until commenting resumes.  Please be patient and try again later.  

Never Hurts To Ask!

I have a weakness for operational wargames of the hex-and-counter type.  While WWII miniatures games do not often get a showing out on my gaming table, my favorite boardgames tend to cluster within the WWII operational genre focusing on a single campaign.  With this apparent vulnerability, I am regularly on the lookout for some of my favorite series.  One such series is Clash of Arms' Winter Storm.  The third volume in this series is the 1989 game, Edelweiss, which provides a study of the third phase of Case Blue in the June 1942 offensive into the Caucasus.

Now, I already have a copy of Edelweiss.  Still, when an unpunched copy popped up on eBay last year with a very low opening bid, my interest was piqued.  Why such a low opening bid?  Well, the game has some damage listed of the slight mildew variety.  The photos illustrated the mildew on one of the counter sheets, but the other counter sheets looked unblemished.  Figuring I could, at least, use most of the parts from the game, I committed to the opening bid.  Besides, there was a chance that I could mitigate the damage to that one counter sheet.  When the auction ended with no other bids, my opening bid turned out to be the winner.

Damaged counter sheet

When the game arrived, sure enough, there was damage to the German counter sheet.  There was no musty smell, though.  That was a good sign.  I tried treating the mildew, but my efforts proved unsuccessful.  Not all of the counters showed damage so this could still provide a player's copy as a spare.  I boxed it up and set in on the shelf.

New, shrinkwrapped counter sheet

On a whim and something of a Hail Mary attempt, I sent an email to Clash of Arms last month stating my situation and wondered if there was any chance that a spare German counter sheet was tucked away somewhere in the warehouse.  Next day, I received an email from the company saying that it was my lucky day as there was, indeed, an extra counter sheet in the warehouse.  The new counter sheet could be on its way for $8 plus nominal shipping.  Hooray!  That was my lucky day!  Although the game is more than 35 years old, it never hurts to ask.

What about last week's scheduled run out of the Salem Church scenario as an introduction to both remote gaming and the rules?  Well, I was forced to cancel Monday's session as I was involved in a minor car crash that afternoon.  I escaped unscathed but the car is somewhat banged up.  We rescheduled our session for Friday evening.  Guess what?  We never managed to play a single turn or even turn the cameras toward the table.  We spent the entire two-and-a-half hours discussing the potential for a new, joint miniatures project.  I know, some are probably laughing at the thought of me tackling yet another project.  Don't I have too many as it is?  Yes, but the sales pitch was convincing.  Could I squeeze in one more?  Almost certainly.  We will see where this goes.

Kiwix and Zimit!

 

Kiwix and Zimit?  What the heck are those?  Well, I have discovered these to be very useful tools first brought to my attention by Martin at The Waving Flag blog back in December 2025.

What are they, really?

Kiwix is the application used to read web content offline while Zimit is a tool used to create offline archives of websites for Kiwix to read.  Together, they provide a package for preserving and accessing useful online information without a need for having a live internet connection.  I use these tools as a way to archive the Palouse Wargaming Journal.

Zimit
Zimit is an automated website scraper and archiving tool.  Given a starting URL, it uses a browser-based crawler to visit pages, capture their HTML, stylesheets, scripts, images, fonts, and other resources, and follow additional links according to specified exploration rules.

After crawling, Zimit converts the captured material into a single ZIM file archive.  That archive can then be opened in Kiwix and browsed offline in a way that attempts to preserve the structure and appearance of the original site.  The process does more than simply save a page.  It preserves the links embedded within the "seed" URL to drill down into the structure of the actual website.  For me, Zimit is especially useful for creating a snapshot of reference sites.  I am likely not alone to discover a useful reference site only later to find that the website and all of its content have vanished.  

Kiwix
Kiwix is free, open-source software for browsing downloaded collections of websites offline.  This is especially associated with offline versions of Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikibooks, Project Gutenberg, TED content, medical references, educational materials, and other resources.  The Kiwix reader opens content packaged in ZIM files created by Zimit.  These archives can then be searched and browsed locally.

How They Work Together

Briefly, Zimit is the archiver or publisher, the ZIM file is the offline package, and Kiwix is the reader.

The basic workflow is:

1. Choose a website.
2. Use Zimit to crawl and package it into a ZIM file.
3. Transfer or download the ZIM file.
4. Open it in Kiwix.
5. Browse the archived content without requiring internet access.

For example, the website illustrating the history of Sardinian/Piedmontese uniforms often cannot be displayed in my desktop browser.  The website can be displayed on tablet or phone but Windows refuses.  To prevent the loss of such an interesting and valuable resource, I created a ZIM file from Zimit to build an offline archive.  Then using Kiwix, that archive can be opened anytime and anywhere.  All of the tabs and hyperlinks work and there is no difference from browsing through the website with an internet connection.  Now, this website will always be available!

Reading ZIM file in Kiwix

I recommend it!

Maybe I will Zimit Kronoskaf's Project Seven Years War just for safe keeping?