Profile for X

Field	Value
Displayed name	X
Member number	496
Title	Shaper
Postcount	2333
Homepage
Registered	Monday, January 7 2002 08:00

---

Recent posts

Pages

Author	Recent posts
Philosophies in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Sunday, July 13 2003 02:41 Profile #24 I do not believe there is a law of moral balance (perhaps karma) at work in the universe. The wicked will prosper unless we--as opposed to abstract universal forces--do something about it. Why not be wicked and prosper? Why not indeed, though I also feel I have to live up to my own personal standards or I will lose any sense of meaning or identity. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
United States Conflict Avatars (Cont.) in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Sunday, July 13 2003 02:36 Profile #62 :D Elizabeth was judged illegitimate for most of her childhood, for dynastic reasons. Agreed, 'golden ages' are designated by rulers, not the ruled - as any inhabitant of 'darkest London's rookeries or Indian peasant under the Raj would say of Britain's Age of Empire. The jingoism of the era (esp. the Edwardians, when they were starting to lose it) contaminates even the music of the period. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Happy Fourth of July! in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Sunday, July 13 2003 02:30 Profile #61 14th July makes William of Orange's victory at the battle of the Boyne and Protestant ascendancy in Ireland. Well, only Ulster for the last eighty-odd years. It's quite a big thing over here. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
United States Conflict Avatars (Cont.) in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Friday, July 11 2003 16:43 Profile #60 ^ :D . LoE, it's 'Mali' and 'Songhai' (and 'Britain', with one 't', BTW). And where would Elizabeth I have been without daddy Henry VIII, and his reformation? Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Run for your life, it's a poll! in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Friday, July 11 2003 16:38 Profile #9 Something's wrong with this pol! The question 'what do you think of LF?' has been left off. But of course we all LOVE you, LF! Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Happy Fourth of July! in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Friday, July 11 2003 16:35 Profile #55 I'm polishing my bowler hat and sash for 14th July. I hope everyone will congratulate me on my national day.... Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
I am back... in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Thursday, July 10 2003 09:06 Profile #1 Hi. Yes, check out the other 'I'm back' topic and you'll see that the political squabbles have bbeen getting a bit out of hand, temporary bans being assigned quite liberally. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Give Peace a Chance in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Thursday, July 10 2003 08:51 Profile #38 I'm a little alarmed that the original idea of this thread is going astray. Like the movie that inspired it, the compliments are getting more general ("everybody") or being given only to those we would ordinarily compliment anyway, rather than specifically to those we wouldn't or who we generally disagree with, with the aim of depolarising things a bit. To this end, I'd say that I have generally found Sir Motrax witty and intelligent (+ impressed by his spook-spotting on that one occassion), and can understand how provocative he found the US Conflict Avatars topic, if not his response to it. My 'Max Ernst portrait' comment on that thread was unnecessary duplication of more plain-stated disapproval already made by other contributors. Sir David should change his name to 'Daniel' (as in 'lion's den' - check out 'Book of..' in the King James version), but is a ward against liberal complacency, at least forcing people to review their assumptions. Until recently, I didn't appreciate he was a Mormon, which explains both his generally ill-recieved views on intoxicants and his feelings of persecution. Check out the early history of the LDS. Ironically, if the Civil War hadn't happened instead, Utah / Deseret would have been on the US Conflict Avatars list! EDIT: I won't be PMing anyone to change my name to 'Hawaii' either, as I considered a few days ago. People wouldn't understand - and it's not as if I've ever been there. [ Thursday, July 10, 2003 09:09: Message edited by: X ] Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
The Blades of Avernum Graphics Database in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Thursday, July 10 2003 08:38 Profile #1 I expect this will be moved to the BoA forum. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
United States Conflict Avatars (Cont.) in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Thursday, July 10 2003 08:33 Profile #54 I'm not sure it's very helpful weighing atrocities, but would say that whilst Mengele's experiments were repugnant for their motives--affirming Nazi racial ideology--they yielded results on the effects of pressure and temperature on the human body that are still generally used today. You don't hear much about 731 in comparison to this for reasons already stated - the scientists were amnestied in exchange for their BW research, which was classified. (Similarly, von Braun and the Nazi rocket scientists were amnestied under Paperclip to build nuke delivery systems for the US, despite slave labour being employed at Pina Munda.) Given the idea of a BW 'balance of terror' is absurd, 731's research added less to the world than even Mengele's sorry contribution. I must add I disagree with Gen. Custer that the research was gratuitous cruelty. However crude their methods, the Japanese wanted viable BW weapons as they felt the Chinese greatly outnumbered them and later that 'novel weapons' might counter similarly huge numbers of well-armed and well-supplied US forces. Given the weapons were for use on people, how better to test them first? As I understand it, most PoWs used were first captured from the Philippines (US) and Singapore (UK / Oz) - even the journey to Manchuria (which began in the so-called "hell ships") was killed many, and elsewhere would have merited war crimes prosecution. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Happy Fourth of July! in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Wednesday, July 9 2003 08:41 Profile #43 As we should all love each other (see shamefaced topis elsewhere), I will not respond to JF's post by quoting real Black Power propaganda. Elijah Mohammed, anyone? Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
United States Conflict Avatars (Cont.) in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Wednesday, July 9 2003 08:22 Profile #45 I've been following Hatake's comments with interest. I agree with him that the Japanese militarists firmly belonged with the Axis in their appalling treatment of the Koreans and Chinese, though did exaggerate the death toll caused by gen. Ishii's Unit 731. That he and others are still celebrated in Japan--there is a monument to them, not their victims--is as disgraceful as their rehibilitation by the US to learn their BW secrets. I would disagree about Japanese resilience at the end of WW2. The USAF were destroying a city a night, having complete air superiority and firestorm tactics learned over Europe, where cities were generally not built of wood and paper. The Bomb was only significant inasmuch as it was a new way to destroy a city in one raid and I think there was only enough uranium left for one or two more such attacks after Nagasaki, if I remember correctly. It's generally held that Japan couldn't have withstood more than 50 days more air raids anyway - with every major city ashes, they'd have been 'bombed back into the Stone Age', as said in a later war. The Emporer pretty much decided to throw in the towel after Hiroshima, something the US knew as they'd cracked Purple, the Japanese diplomatic code, at the start of the war. Nagasaki was nuked purely to intimidate the Russians, who seized the whole of Manchuria in mere days and were already squabbling with the Western powers over the fate of Greece and the Balkans. I'd question the electoral consequences of US occupation though, with the same centre-right party holding power for nearly half a century, as in Italy and for the same reason of US-backed Cold War electoral racketeering. Assuming they get round to appointing a government at all, expect the same story in Iraq. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Happy Fourth of July! in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Sunday, July 6 2003 08:51 Profile #29 Britain doesn't, though there are national (saints) days for the four component nations. England's is St. George's Day where traditionally lots of lager-fuelled footie fans gather in large groups to wear Union Jacks as skirts and then sing delightful patriotic airs to other Britons fresh from the Indian subcontinent on their way back from the pub. BTW, if he existed at all, St. George was a Turk and so Moslem, but for some reason the lager lads don't want to know that.... We used to have an Empire Day too, but a lot of people worldwide tired of it (the Empire, that is) after World War 2 and those that thought most of it also thought a replacement Commonwealth Day was a bit of a slap in the face. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
United States Conflict Avatars in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Sunday, July 6 2003 08:36 Profile #72 I think Max Ernst painted a pic of one Weimer German waving a flag and another raising the top of his head to it, revealing nothing inside. No one realised at the time this was a portrait of Sir Motrax. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Drakey? in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Saturday, July 5 2003 11:05 Profile #10 Quick!!! Only days to post a dozen flame pits in General, complete with the usual soap opera of long-standing personal / political abuse and oddly mocking graphix! Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Umm...Hi in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Saturday, July 5 2003 11:02 Profile #3 OM is a good kid, but started his life at SW by spamming a good deal. Some of the oldies here freak out about youngsters posting here almost on principle (at least until they prove themselves) because some have proved a lot worse of a problem in the past. This is somewhat unfair, but at least you have some sort of an explanation now. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY ALL!!!!!!! in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Saturday, July 5 2003 10:58 Profile #23 The flag cult is a bit disturbing, especially given what it is legal to do with a Union Jack over here. I think it came out of military practice in the Civil War but wasn't really pushed until the early 20th century as an integration symbol for all the refugees / cheap labour flooding in through Ellis Island. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
United States Conflict Avatars in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Saturday, July 5 2003 10:50 Profile #19 Can I be Hawaii? Well, the annexation was pretty restrained by US standards, but it's such a lovely, sunny place. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Happy Fourth of July! in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Saturday, July 5 2003 10:47 Profile #18 Many British people celebrate 4th July too. Can't think why... Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Ha ha ha ha, Omega's Return in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Friday, July 4 2003 05:09 Profile #26 Don't laugh, Omlette, but the Nazis were vey keen on their electoral politics. Every time they lost the vote in an area (e.g. 'Red' Berlin), they'd review their platform and run a new one next time - 'tell 'em anything to win power, then do what you like with it'. Nothing like the focus group/spin-orientated politicians today, of course. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Drakey? in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Friday, July 4 2003 05:04 Profile #2 No! No! He must be permenantly wired into the SW Matrix! Though he is our mod, he is also our slave!!! (Seriously, OM - my suggestions re. your question to Drakey about a 2nd Alien Blade are in the Exile forum). Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Exile3 problem in Tech Support
X Shaper Member # 496	written Friday, July 4 2003 04:42 Profile #1 Could a Mod shift this to Tech Support, please? Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Random Questions in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Thursday, July 3 2003 06:15 Profile #24 I've heard of the RL Port Townsend. It's where Loompanics publish, innit? Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
killing rentar in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Thursday, July 3 2003 06:02 Profile #6 In E3, you put her in an antimagic cloud and keep summoning quickghast simulcra until she dies or you use up your 1000th energy potion. BTW, I know this topic applies to both A3 and E3, but can't we move it to either--preferably whichever sobbuster is asking about--rather than having it in General? Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00
Ha ha ha ha, Omega's Return in General
X Shaper Member # 496	written Wednesday, July 2 2003 07:05 Profile #21 They even made a song about it in the war: "Hitler has only got one ball". I doubt he was pleased. Hitler was a bit of a basket case when it came to medical matters, obsessed with his posterior but refusing to let doctors near it, having injections of bull's blood to revive his flagging potency, all the 1920s faddish vegetarianism and teetotalism. Might be worth checking out that new movie 'Max' for more insights into what a sad case he was - there isn't space enough on this board and some of it deals with his rather strange and sordid sexual predilictions, which would probably breach CoC to describe.... Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00

Pages