Vapymid

Given that Valve is not producing any more HL content, what they do or not consider to be the canon does no longer matter. So, for me - all of these are canon, as well as the Civil Protection and the best of various HL machinimas too, Gaben's opinion be damned... Regards

Procolesque-Harumesque... c64cXCI66dE Regards

I watched all 13 episodes of the Last Resort over the holidays... Wow. Especially the first half or so cuts pretty deeply into the hypocrisy of politicians and the behind-the-scene machinations within the political and military establishment. The second half is a bit tangled up but it still conveys well the feeling of growing desperation among the stranded crew and the finale is actually final, unlike many other series which get cancelled mid-run. Some liberties have been taken with the way how technology (especially the comms) works on submarines but that just gives it a bit of a sci-fi flavour, IMHO. Overall - highly recommended. Regards

Well, and that's usually before you count in the shotgun, a couple of hand guns, a sack of hand grenades and Claymore mines, an RPG tube with reloads, a crossbow, a couple of classified directed energy weapons and a crowbar... Regards

Excuse my ignorance here, please, but why would that be a factor? Regards

Somebody close to the family has died this morning... k1-TrAvp_xs Worked with Korolev back in the days of "Vostok" and Gagarin, been a key figure in the Russian space industry ever since... RIP. Regards

Well, that's comforting to know. I hope, for everyone's sake, that their agents are reading this board and their report will not be suppressed by a militant fundamentalist faction in their Exalted Supreme Imperial Senate. Regards

Unless the locals decide to visit and conquer us first Regards

Things are getting more interesting... Our world is not unique 'Alien Earth' is among eight new far-off planets I think it's a matter of years now before the first ET life signature is detected. Regards

The original FM was a great and a novel idea at the time when it started. Now, it has been copied and copycat'ed up the wazoo by just about anyone on the internets. Just to clone it to another silent game character would not do justice to Ross' talent, IMHO. Regards

Oh, that may be a good news. I'll have a roasted head-crab for dinner then! Regards

Feels a bit like a mix of Half-Life with the Falling Skies to me... Regards

I would say - yes and no and it depends. I base my opinion on Russia's experiences in various types of wars - colonial and limited v "patriotic" Where the war in question was initiated by Russia and fought on a foreign soil - the civil liberties would usually be further curtailed and the regime would take the opportunity to crack down on any internal opposition/dissent. Where there was an existential threat - such as in the Napoleonic invasion of 1812 or the WWII, the incumbent regime would indeed try to buy popular support with democratic concessions, promises of civil liberties etc. For example, when Germans invaded, Stalin promptly made a deal with the Orthodox Church as he feared that the Communist ideology alone will not be enough to motivate the population sufficiently. In addition, of course, it is difficult to exert the same amount of control over people who think they are likely going to die anyway during such conflicts and the government has to accept that it must allow people to vent their steam. However, as soon as the threat is neutralised the government usually had no problem with cracking down again, on the strength of the victorious mood, renewed popular support and enthusiasm for rebuilding and reconstruction. Having said that, even with the crack-downs and renewed repressions there was a long-term and irreversible effect driving social transformations and reforms but it was evolutionary and it took decades to materialise. As far as the US is concerned - I don't know. Firstly, I don't think that either Canada or Mexico would be willing to invade and no other nation in the world can technically do it. Secondly, there isn't enough clear polarisation in the society around any specific idea to generate a civil war similar to the one of the XIXth century. Is there a sufficient ethnic division to spark a racially-driven internal conflict? I doubt it. Regards

OzbDUbu1lMM Regards

Yep. Just thought I might lighten up the mood here a bit Regards

For me, Gabriel-era Genesis is that un-yet-supassed pinnacle of music. Then everything revolves around it. Jethro Tull, King Crimson, VdGG, Yes, ELP then Canterbury scene, Arthur Brown, Traffic and we go into more psychedelic lands... A couple of months ago I went to see the Musical Box, as they performed the "Selling England By The Pound" setlist - that was wonderful! This is exactly how I feel about the modern stuff as well. Some, like Beardfish, Kaipa, I can get into, probably because I know they are not native English speakers, but take the Tangent - the vocals just break it for me, no matter how I try to get used to them. Then there are the likes of Haken and Ayreon etc and they begin to sound interesting but then - oops, the bass shredding comes in and it's like, "c'mon, guys, are you taking the piss?" for me... I liked the last few works from Big Big Train, though (starting from the Undefall Yard (the song) and on to the English Electric, with a couple of EPs in the middle). Regards

Happy New Year everyone! Regards

Aha, another prog soul. I thought I was pretty much alone here... "Rejoice, forward out this feeling!" Regards

Something like this... kr_gROZmTtA Usually, it's not so much the instruments but the pentatonic scale they use, which gives the "oriental" flavour to music. Can't think of a lot of examples off the top of my head but prog rock in general uses a lot of these influences - people like VdGG, Camel, Caravan, Genesis, Yes, King Crimson and their (ex)members. Newer names would be the likes of Ayreon, The Flower Kings, Beardfish, The Tangent etc... - King Crimson - Peter Hammill - Steve Hacket Regards

Mmm, lesbians. I like. Seriously, I'm surprised that depiction of female homosexuality provokes this kind of reaction. In my experience, most people are far more tolerant of lesbians than of male homosexuals. I actually think that most women are at least latently bisexual, whereas only a small fraction of men are bi- or homosexual... Well, if it were legal there would have been no need to fight for it (whatever it is they are fighting for over there...), right? Regards

I disagree. I happen to think that me living is of more use to my country(ies) than me as a sack of cold meat, decomposing in a foreign field on the other side of the Earth. Add that that the fact that very few wars are started for the real benefit of the nation - most are caused by incompetence or out of self-serving interests of certain people I have very little respect for. I don't think there is much honour in dying so that some fat-arse moron in Kremlin or at No.10 Downing Street or in the bloody White House could better stuff his own pockets or ensure a lucrative lecture circuit for himself for when he gets kicked out by the next bunch of morons... That is the main reason I decided against pursuing a career in the army. Regards

I know. But I was serious when I said "I hope". To my mind - if a civilised European nation could descend to the depths of madness like Germany did, that means no nation or people in the world is completely immune to that. Regards

Ah, a fellow anti-air missileer... Mine was the SA-8 Regards

Any war is crap if you're in the infantry. The war you are dreaming about is, basically, living in shit, slugging through cold mud or caking dust with a heavy load on your shoulders, for no apparent reason, being constantly cold/wet or hot/thirsty and permanently hungry. No medicine, so any cut or bruise can turn septic and kill you. You get started by your sergeant for being slow on the march, shouted at by your officer for forgetting to buff your buttons. And then, you stand in the line and after having been spattered with your mate's brains and blood you realise that somebody has driven a bayonet through your guts. Good bye, Charley... I fail to see - where's the glory in that? Regards

The God of Hellfire. As delightfully crazy as ever. yXYgLPBfF_w Regards