Randomness, The Sequel

[Defender_16]

Some local news. This is about a five minute drive from where I live.

[Eagle]

Z T's forces are in training!

 

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j34/akira9949/99-100-kitteh-pushupz-maikz-kitteh-.jpg

Oh yeah! They really do.

http://www.z0r.de/?id=790

[Defender_16]

CAD's take on the New Civilization game.

[Mad78]

@J and Tex: And once they will all have finished those new ships they can start working on this.

 

Seriously I find the destroyers, carriers and frigates used during WW2 had more "charm" than those used now.

[DarthTex]

@J and Tex: And once they will all have finished those new ships they can start working on this.

But Mad, these are "ships of deterrence" not war. It follows the old adage "Peace through superior firepower". For example, if you know a guy who has trained in martial arts and participates in contests & such, you're NOT going to pick a fight with him because you know he won't hesitate to kick your arse (or at least try). Same thing applies to nations. It's the groups or organizations of people NOT affiliated with a country (Al-queda) that care less about innocent civilians, and are willing to start conflicts.

 

Seriously I find the destroyers, carriers and frigates used during WW2 had more "charm" than those used now.

Different ships for a different era. Yes they look cool and fascinating, but mostly because of the technology (or lack thereof) at the time. In a conflict today, their survivability would be quite limited.

[Eagle]

Hm, just came home from the funeral of my former neighbour. She had a really hard life, especially the last years were horrible. Her daugther, who was my friend back in the days, was near to a nervous breakdown. But all in all it was a nice funeral to which more people attended than I´ve expected.

[Darth_Rob]

Bureau of Sasquatch Affairs

I would have put it in the Sasquatch thread, but I didn't want to triple post...

[kaja]

Bureau of Sasquatch Affairs

I would have put it in the Sasquatch thread, but I didn't want to triple post...

 

That's what the edit buttorn is for.

 

On a side note:

 

Warning: Extreme stick figure violence (Just stick figures and red lines. But implied violence.) And profane (as in F-word x1) background music. You've been warned.

 

 

[Jahled]

@J and Tex: And once they will all have finished those new ships they can start working on this.

 

Bear in mind that the military presence of the United States, United Kingdom, and a post-war France have safe-guarded your civil liberties since the end of the Second World War, M-fella! The communists rolled into Eastern Europe and failed to roll back at the end of hostilities, and imposed their dictatorships, under which entire populations were bullied for forty years. The rest of Europe owes it's freedom to our powerful navies, as does the world today.

 

It was our military and economic strength that finally broke the Soviet system, given it couldn't compete with us economically, and wouldn't be able to defeat us given the existence of our fleets. Given the current state of the world I for one welcome my own country having a powerful navy for our defense. We are a maritime nation remember.

 

There is a difference in the democratic west having the right to a powerful military force as a deterrent, and tyrant' such as the communists feeling they had to. Remember, before Hitler invaded the USSR, Stalin and his communists had already made themselves busy murdering millions of people and invading other countries such as Poland, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, etc, and imposing their filth.

 

Following Pearl Harbour, a Democratic United States had every right to deside that the unprovoked attack on it's soil should never happen again, and build the fleet it has today.

 

Seriously I find the destroyers, carriers and frigates used during WW2 had more "charm" than those used now.

 

One thing I find fascinating reading about Second World War combat ships is how they evolved during the course of the Second World War, mainly due to the new reality and effect of aircraft. Off the top of my head one of the Japanese Battleships began the war with eighteen or so anti-aircraft guns, and at the time of it's demise had about a hundred. By 1945, the purpose of the Battleship was all but obsolete, given their newly acquired vulnerability to aircraft. Aircraft Carriers, and their payload of planes, were the new core of fleets. As Aircraft evolved and had increasingly longer ranges and more destructive ammunition, they replaced the purpose of the Battleship.

 

Modern armies on the ground need air-support. Given we and the United States are taking the lead in action against radical regimes such as the Taliban, and in the recent past a bunch of African muppets in Sierra Leone, that air cover needs to be able to travel with the army. HMS Ocean went to Africa, and with the marines restored democracy, order, and peace to that small nation. It was one of the few places Tony Blair could go in his final days of power to a guaranteed scene of cheering, grateful crowds (after the fiasco of Iraq.) Same goes for Bosnia. Look at the reaction George Bush got when he visited a Muslim Albania (who have felt very threatened by Serbian nationalism before we exerted our military might) given his present poll-ratings. Cheering crowds or what. They even pinched his watch!

 

Hence I welcome two new 65,000 ton aircraft carriers, a new class of nuclear submarine that is so advanced it generates it's own air and on paper could circle the planet a couple of times without ever surfacing, and a new class of Destroyer that in all probability will be the most advanced and combat effective ship of it's class in the world. I feel safer.

[Mad78]

You got a point there J.

 

 

The dull life of a PS3

 

What is a Black Hole

 

Simpson facts

[Darth_Rob]

The dull life of a PS3

 

I saw that and laughed!

[DarthTofu]

Hm, just came home from the funeral of my former neighbour. She had a really hard life, especially the last years were horrible. Her daugther, who was my friend back in the days, was near to a nervous breakdown. But all in all it was a nice funeral to which more people attended than I´ve expected.

 

Funerals are always hard to attend, but there's nothing quite more uplifting at one than to see more people than you ever expected to show up. My best wishes go out to her daughter, with my fervent hope that she can make a full recovery.

 

Now for something funny: The Darwin Awards on DVD

[Mad78]

I have to see that film!!!

 

Kings of Chaos but in Star Wars style

 

For the Simpsons fans

 

Short and simple

[Darth_Rob]

For the Simpsons fans

 

I got 1000!

[DarthTofu]

I joined your army, Mad, but I've no clue how you play!

 

I like those problems and solutions, though!

[kaja]

I have to see that film!!!

 

Kings of Chaos but in Star Wars style

 

For the Simpsons fans

 

Short and simple

 

Jeez, you think you have a large enough army? I'm not going to get sucked into playing one of those again....

[Eagle]

Hm, just came home from the funeral of my former neighbour. She had a really hard life, especially the last years were horrible. Her daugther, who was my friend back in the days, was near to a nervous breakdown. But all in all it was a nice funeral to which more people attended than I´ve expected.

 

Funerals are always hard to attend, but there's nothing quite more uplifting at one than to see more people than you ever expected to show up. My best wishes go out to her daughter, with my fervent hope that she can make a full recovery.

Thank you, Tofu! That´s very kind.

[Jahled]

Hm, just came home from the funeral of my former neighbour. She had a really hard life, especially the last years were horrible. Her daugther, who was my friend back in the days, was near to a nervous breakdown. But all in all it was a nice funeral to which more people attended than I´ve expected.

 

Funerals are always hard to attend, but there's nothing quite more uplifting at one than to see more people than you ever expected to show up. My best wishes go out to her daughter, with my fervent hope that she can make a full recovery.

 

Bad luck Eagle. As Tofu says, funerals are always emotional occasions to attend. Chin up fella!

 

What Tofu said in reply to you did remind me of a funeral I went to which ended rather oddly. My mother was very good friends with a Buddhist monk, in robes, living in a Tibetan-style monastery over here, who died a couple of years ago. Frank was very well respected and loved and died as a result of a brain condition. The turn out at his service was huge, and the service very moving. Afterwards we all paid our respects in the memorial garden with a Scottish piper playing the bag pipes (Frank was Scottish) when completely out of the blue (literally, it was a clear day), there was a roll of thunder, and a sudden hail storm!! I have never experienced anything like it. Buddhist tradition is full of miraculous events like this happening at the passing of revered sages and monks, but to behold something like it myself was mind numbing.

 

I turned to my mum who for the first time that day had a smile on her face, who told me it was simply Frank having one last laugh.

[DarthTofu]

That's so moving... It goes hand in hand with an epiphany I had one day in a creative writing class. I had a list of quotes, and was told to encourporate at least one of them into a piece of prose writing. One I'd never heard of was "After all, it can't rain all the time," by someone named "Crow" whom I had and still have not heard of.

 

The quote initially sounds as though it should lift one up, reminding them that the rain must pass, but then I thought, what if it isn't? It got me thinking, why would someone want it to rain? That led to "What places and events do we associate with rain?" The first event to come to mind was a funeral, which I innitially dismissed. I kept brainstorming, but ultimately a funeral was the most prominant place for it to rain.

 

Then I started to think of why you would want it to rain at a funeral; ultimately the rain is symbolic. As soon as it forms and starts to fall, it's going to smash to the ground and bleed off into rivers and streams and oceans and thirsty mouths. It has a very short amount of time before it's gone, but ultimately it's a beautiful thing. It's an enlongated sphere that catches the light that comes through it and leaves a rainbow behind in the air sometimes. Each drop is like a glittering diamond, as beautiful as the soul of the one who is gone.

 

And even when the drop strikes the ground, it isn't really gone. It's still there, in the form of the flower it helps to bloom, the person it helps to quench the thirst of, the ocean it flows into to sparkle just as brightly, just as those who are gone.

 

Their influence will live on in us, and so long as we can remember that person and how they helped, they will never truly be gone. It's probably the most profound piece I've ever written, and while others may say that Ive written better stuff since, I still say that it's the only good thing I've ever written.

 

I think Rain is somewhere in the "Random Creative Writings" thread if anyone feels a need to read it, though I can't imagine why...

 

Er, right, on to randomness again.

 

Edit: Oh, my... What kind of wings does your sould have? Honestly, that is the weirdest thing ever!

 

 

 

 

... I have two for dragon wings, two for gargoyle wings, and two for fairy wings. The fairy wings are the prettiest!

[Darth_Rob]

One I'd never heard of was "After all, it can't rain all the time," by someone named "Crow" whom I had and still have not heard of.

 

Its from the movie, The Crow. Its a very, very good movie. I insist that you run to a video store and rent it!!!

 

As for randomness...

 

Riddle me this. How do you ruin the mood with your girl friend?

Tell her that her smile looks like a TIE Interceptor...(I found this out first-hand tonight...)

[Krytos]

Riddle me this. How do you ruin the mood with your girl friend?

Tell her that her smile looks like a TIE Interceptor...(I found this out first-hand tonight...)

You didn't! Haha, I'll have to try something equally lame next time someone gets "clingy"

 

@Tofu: I got Demon Wings with gargoyle and dragon close... seriously, they have something against heavy metal

One man band

[Mad78]

I got one dragon, one gargoyle and 4 fairy! What the hell is this quiz!

 

Impressive vid Kryt!

 

A guy from the french Pop Idol

 

Come closer...

 

In case you write a book

[Eagle]

That´s a very nice thought, Tofu.

 

BTW: I also got Gargoyle-Wings.

 

A guy from the french Pop Idol

Wow! But I guess that jury was happy that they just sat further away from that guy or they would have been spit by that guy.

 

Edit: This site was suposed to be down today. I was in fear of another great crash. What happened?

[DarthTex]

Edit: This site was suposed to be down today. I was in fear of another great crash. What happened?

Where did you hear that?

[Krytos]

Curious, am I too.

 

I'd suggest using this site: http://www.archive.org/index.php

Except that it doesn't seem to have any of SWR.com in 2007

 

And on randomness: You try finding a parking spot these days!