stephendutton's Blog

Do any episodes of that show not include an assault rifle that could replace the M16/M4? And how many turn out just to be an armalite type that shoots a different round, or a different design shooting the same light 5.56mm NATO bullet?

Did any of those survive long enough for the users to need to reload?

I didn't quite get the Seven of Nine thing either, and the padding was just plain ridiculous. It's not confined to Voyager either, Enterprise also went down the route of sticking a woman in the tightest catsuit available. That actress looked far better as the Jaffa priestess in Stargate SG-1.

I kept watching Star Trek, though I always found any talk of how wonderful Federation society was irritating. It was after all a society that would leave entire civilisations to die because they weren't deemed advanced enough, and a disappointing amount of episodes were just plain awful. A least one a season.
B5 on the other hand stands out as one of the best sci-fi shows even ten years later, aside from the Lost Tales which was more of Star Trek: The Next Generation quality. When some gives an order to shoot at the big alien space ship, I like to see an effects sequence of the big alien space ship getting shot rather than just seeing someone with odd lumps on his forehead telling everyone that it has been done.

I have to be picky here. Its Orks for 40k, orcs are fantasy, and Chapters are for Adeptus Astartes only.
I don't know which chapter I'd put you in Ogre, but you'd be a Chaplain easy (though I did consider Master of the Forge, or Master of Recruits).
If we're looking outside of the Astartes then I have identified myself to others as a tech priest. I have the huge tank collection and work in engineering, so I'm about as near to a disciple of the Omnissiah as you'll find.

Stephen knows his Warhammer... What Chapter are you? I?

-madogre

No, but I do have fangs and I'll go crazy after a while and have to be put in a berserker squad.

-khorne

Ah, a Space Wolf then.

I look like a space marine with a pea-shooter. Look how freaking tiny that gun looks! I've also come to the conclusion that I don't like 3-point slings that much. Too bulky and always gets in the way. I prefer a one-point sling. I know this is a fantasy topic because the Army and the Government just aren't that cool anymore.

-khorne

If it's just an M4 or similar a soldier shouldn't have to buy it when he finishes his army career, he should be given it. Unless he's thrown out of course. If you make them pay to keep their rifles some politician will decide its a good way to raise revenue and jack up the price.
Perhaps those who have served longer could be given more choice in what they can keep. For example, serve five years and get an M4, serve ten and get a SAW.

It's sickening to know that our Allies in WWII take America for granted. What must happen before this changes?.... Will it be too late?

-b-hoff

A large scale attack by the terrorists and nations that most of the EU insists don't deserve the way America stands up to them against a European target will change some minds. Not all, some hate freedom enough to turn a blind eye to any number of innocent civilian deaths. They will blame America, the UK and Israel regardless.
As to whether it is too late depends on whether the US maintains its military capability, or if some leftist politician decides to copy the UK and slash defence spending while threats increase.

Bears?

-madogre

Re Knock Knock:
If the building turned out to be empty, would the soldiers leave a 'while you were out, we called to kick your ass' card? Maybe with a phone number to ring to arrange another visit.

If the owner of that site dislikes the people of Alaska so much why do they stay there?
And how can someone complain about teaching creationism when they support the teaching of the new religion of man-made global warming?

Actually I was referring to not having seen any other replicas of the gun.
I don't have much information on the actual gun itself, or the similar master key. But Greenhill's Counter Terrorism Equipment manual indicates that the master key did come slightly later, and indicates that both are made in Florida.

As far as I know the shotgun used on the original prop M41A pulse rifles was an 870, but SPAS parts were fitted around it to make it look more futuristic. If you do this won't the barrel length of the shotgun be a problem?

Another project I've done has sprung to mind too. I took a cheap replica M16A1 and an even cheaper replica shotgun and stuck them together to make the over/under combination seen in the first Predator film carried by the scout. I've never seen any others of this type.

Originally he planned to make the pulse rifle from an electric BB gun so it would actually fire full auto and caseless, I don't know if that's still his plan. Though I admit that's not quite the same as 10mm explosive tipped armour piercing. Cheaper probably, not as illegal definitely, but still not the same.

I think the only sterling parts he used were grips and stock, but even they were costly. He's even been trying to find the fore end of a SPAS 12 to use to make a pulse rifle from aliens, and that makes the sterling parts look easy to find.
So far the only sci fi gun I've tried is the laser from Space 1999. Made from balsa wood and plastic its not bad, but could be better.

I know someone else who's tried to build one of these, but he was using some genuine sterling parts so it was pretty expensive. But I'm tempted to have a go at this, and I can take measurements from my deactivated sterling. Though I think I may substitute plasticard as much as possible since I've more experience in working with it.

The V22 looks impressive, but that seems to be it's only redeeming feature and looks don't count for anything.
What concerns me most is the safety. If a plane suffers engine failure it can glide for a while, a helicopter can auto-gyrate. A tilt rotor aircraft will drop out of the sky. Until someone comes up with a solution to this the concept is just too dangerous.
As for upgrading the M113, I believe that a few nations have produced versions with better armour and weapons that the original battle taxi configuration proving there is still life in the design.

This could have some interesting effects on the 2012 election too. If McCain decides not to run for a second term then Sarah Palin could go for the Republican nomination, and that would cause trouble for Hilary Clinton who may try again but won't be able to ask people to vote for her in the presidential election itself just because she's a woman. Sarah Palin could be America's Margaret Thatcher.

Got the film on DVD when I saw it amongst the bargin section. Figured it was worth a look given that it was being sold for less than the price of renting it, and was not disappointed.

So under an Obama presidency Russia, China and Iran will be left to do all of the developing of new weapons, while US forces will keep on using the same stuff. Does he know what happened to Poland's military and its obsolete weapons when two of its neighbours turned up in Septemeber 1939 with their newly developed kit?
I see people spouting this sort of rubbish almost every week in Manchester, they have a flag on their stall with Che Guevara and display posters calling George Bush the world's number one terrorist (same poster for seven years now) or inviting people meet one of the original black panthers (perhaps Bin Laden and Bob Mugabe were too busy to attend their meeting). They are sad little losers, and Obama deserves to join them being ignored by passers by.

I always figured he was something to do with military intelligence or planning and that he played a major role in the Alliance's war effort, possibly including the bombing of the colony of Shadow, Mal's homeworld. That would definitely be something he wouldn't want discussed around Mal.

So Obama who wants 'change we can believe in', has not only picked a member of the Democrats political old guard. But one who copied a speech by the Welsh windbag Neil Kinnock, let's hope Obama/Biden also copy Kinnock's habit of losing elections.

Even small rebellions have caused the Russians trouble, if they can't flatten something from a distance they get stuck. Russian conscript soldiers don't have the same level of initative as professional western troops.

Yeah. I think Musarif and his administration hated her because she kept exposing the deep butt love shared between Musarif and the Taleban.I just love the two-faced double-standard of the Islamists. It's perfectly fine to make a Cleaveland Steamer with your buddy's nephew, but if two consenting adults get into it, they gotta be beheaded.

From what I can tell, the worst crime to a muslim is for a non-muslim to fight back.
I recently saw a stall handing out free leaflets and DVDs explaining Islam. I have a friend at work who has been studying all manner of religions (I'd never heard of Hawaiian Huna (not sure of spelling) until he told me it existed) so I took some for him. He said the speakers left him thinking this:

Every administration needs assholes who can get the job done.Like Alfred said "You can make the right choice because you can be the outcast."I'd rather have a RIGHT (as in correct) asshole than a WRONG-headed nice guy running the show.

Here, here.
Unfortunately too many of the assholes are wrong too.

How come they are called 'liberal' anyway?
What freedoms are they in favour of exactly? Aside from protecting the freedom of criminals and terrorists of course. Oh, and sticking up for the bone idle workshy who just want unemployment benefit rather than working to pay their own way.

Standard socialist practice: If the you may lose the debate, don't let the debate take place.

I'm more worried about manpower available to US and allied forces. I have seen countless news articles over the years proclaiming how new weapons give one soldier the power of two, five or ten of his predecessors. But governments seem to be paying for this by cutting the amount of troops they have, and no matter how well equipped he is a soldier can only be in one place.
I know the US still has forces in Europe, and the Far East but would they have to fight alone because other nations have reduced their own defence capabilities because they assume the US will protect them?