Search found 366 matches

by A-Wing_Slash
2020-06-04 04:45am
Forum: Pure Star Wars
Topic: Cost and Economics of the TIE Fighter and Hyperdrives
Replies: 57
Views: 54635

Re: Cost and Economics of the TIE Fighter and Hyperdrives

Another rationale would be the economic stimulus effects. I forget which comics I saw this in, but the post-Clone War Imperial military build up wasn't just to enforce military stability, but also had the carrot of jobs for compliant sectors and people who didn't want to join the Imperial military d...
by A-Wing_Slash
2020-06-04 04:05am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: NASA launches astronauts on Space X rocket.
Replies: 12
Views: 16873

Re: NASA launches astronauts on Space X rocket.

A manned flight ending in loss of life likely means a multi-year freeze in launches while the causes are investigated and improvements are made, and that will cost them enormously. Judging by Musk's performance on Twitter, there's a good chance that risk is not being as heavily weighted in SpaceX's...
by A-Wing_Slash
2019-05-09 04:00am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Amazon expands the panopticon to your front door
Replies: 7
Views: 5753

Amazon expands the panopticon to your front door

TLDR: Amazon owns a company, Ring, that not only wants to put cameras on your doorbell, but also have they upload videos to both the police and a publicly-accessible crime news service. https://www.axios.com/amazons-neighborhood-watch-app-raises-discrimination-privacy-fears-ce765490-748a-4759-8627-4...
by A-Wing_Slash
2019-05-09 03:48am
Forum: History
Topic: How effective was the New Deal?
Replies: 69
Views: 88439

Re: How effective was the New Deal?

The argument could be made that without the revitalization of the American economy provided by the New Deal though, the US would not have responded as effectively and competently to WWII as they did. I don't have any statistics to back this up, but it always seemed telling that the two main product...
by A-Wing_Slash
2019-01-28 02:47am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Kamala Harris joins the fray (Democratic Primary).
Replies: 29
Views: 13234

Re: Kamala Harris joins the fray (Democratic Primary).

Reg. allegations against Harris: If true, that is deeply concerning- though I will point out that Alyrium's source, Jacobin magazine, is considered to be overtly hostile to the Democratic Party and supports the creation of a Left-wing third party. Therefore, I take their critiques of Democratic can...
by A-Wing_Slash
2018-11-03 04:42am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: The Emperor's Poopships
Replies: 28
Views: 22416

Re: The Emperor's Poopships

Pretty sure Imperial poop-ships were mentioned in Ravenor, though I don't have a copy handy to check.
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-09-06 12:01am
Forum: History
Topic: When did WW2 start? 1939 or 1937?
Replies: 17
Views: 8500

Re: When did WW2 start? 1939 or 1937?

The events in China had no direct link to the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939. Japan was only able to enter the world war after Hitler smashed one of Japan's main enemies and crippled two others. Japan never expected nor intended for this at any point. Indeed all Japanese planning before mid 1940...
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-09-05 05:45pm
Forum: History
Topic: When did WW2 start? 1939 or 1937?
Replies: 17
Views: 8500

When did WW2 start? 1939 or 1937?

In light of the recent 75th anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Poland I began wondering if 9/1/1939 was in fact the most accurate place from which to date the Second World War, or if the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on July 7 1937 would be better. World War Two was in many ways a collectio...
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-07-14 02:09am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Could the US go Carbon Neutral?
Replies: 41
Views: 5715

Could the US go Carbon Neutral?

Would it be technically feasible for the United States to go carbon neutral, or at least within shouting distance of that goal? Obviously, it is not a politically viable idea, but I'd like to take at least a brief break from climate cynicism. There is precedent for massive public works programs in t...
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-06-13 12:42am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Another shooting - Catholic priest murdered.
Replies: 8
Views: 1564

Re: Another shooting - Catholic priest murdered.

The last time I looked into the numbers, I remember seeing something along the lines of the traditionally cited high levels of gun homocide in urban areas, but counterbalanced by disproportionately higher rates of accidental gun deaths in rural areas. Wasn't enough to equalize the numbers, but addin...
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-06-13 12:27am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: NASA's design for a warp ship
Replies: 25
Views: 4499

Re: NASA's design for a warp ship

Anti-matter wouldn't have a negative mass, right? Thats what my basic google-fu suggests, but its not something anyone's been able to really test outside of very mico/particular circumstances it seems like.
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-06-13 12:25am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Another shooting - Catholic priest murdered.
Replies: 8
Views: 1564

Re: Another shooting - Catholic priest murdered.

Relatedly, anyone know a good source that tracks numbers of gun deaths as they are reported, perhaps on a day to day basis? I saw some stuff like that, aggregating all us gun deaths, after Newtown, but that's long enough ago now that all that stuff is now sliding off into the history books.
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-05-23 05:22pm
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Progressive/Libertarian 2016 Hail Mary Idea
Replies: 21
Views: 2779

Re: Progressive/Libertarian 2016 Hail Mary Idea

Apparently you are unaware that by “the poor” you mean approximately 1/6 of the current population (possibly more, depending on how you count things). I find people that are willing to throw one person in six under the bus to be morally suspect if not downright unethical. Yeah, I know, it's just un...
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-05-23 10:19am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Progressive/Libertarian 2016 Hail Mary Idea
Replies: 21
Views: 2779

Re: Progressive/Libertarian 2016 Hail Mary Idea

Well, seems there's more than enough specifics to get in the way of this idea, just seems that both parties being in the room is the most politically viable way to demand an accounting for the mistakes of the Bush and Obama years. I guess my brainstorming led to more focus on the libertarian angle m...
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-05-23 08:46am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Russia-China gas mega-deal signed
Replies: 36
Views: 3065

Re: Russia-China gas mega-deal signed

Can North America provide Europe with enough natural gas to cut of Russia there entirely? I don't like frakking, but it at least give us enough that if the infrastructure exists that might be what Obama's endgame is. Also would help to delineate a maritime Atlantic alliance vs an east Eurasian land ...
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-05-23 08:16am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Progressive/Libertarian 2016 Hail Mary Idea
Replies: 21
Views: 2779

Re: Progressive/Libertarian 2016 Hail Mary Idea

This seems ridiculous. Could you elaborate on E? Ridiculous sure, but when was the last time a major party American platform wasn't even a little idiotic? E is basically my idea for a federal truce on social issues that everyone can live with. Short of a huge liberal wave, we need a certain amount ...
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-05-23 07:42am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Progressive/Libertarian 2016 Hail Mary Idea
Replies: 21
Views: 2779

Re: Progressive/Libertarian 2016 Hail Mary Idea

There's enough time left to get a good small donor list, and enough rich people and "let's just fix this" moderate super pacs that should get onboard, but yeah finance is always a struggle. With cost of living stuff, ideally this ticket could prevent the cuts the right wants for a few year...
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-05-23 07:14am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Progressive/Libertarian 2016 Hail Mary Idea
Replies: 21
Views: 2779

Progressive/Libertarian 2016 Hail Mary Idea

So with the caveat that I generally hate 2016 speculation, heresy pipe dream Hail Mary ticket idea: Elizabeth Warren/Rand Paul 2016 Run it as an explicit progressive/libertarian (Bull Moose!) coalition to just get basic consensus stuff done. The platform they put out'd be something like this: A) Rep...
by A-Wing_Slash
2014-05-16 03:49am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Is it better to live in a Democratic or Republican state?
Replies: 20
Views: 2573

Re: Is it better to live in a Democratic or Republican state

Newark's dangerous and poor overall, but its got a lot of good stuff going on as well. Generally though I'd say blue states are more likely to have things like labor rights, less problematic access to federal benefits (though Oregon might have fucked up its Obamacare stuff), and things like that whi...
by A-Wing_Slash
2012-09-08 12:42am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Emmett C Burns: doesn't get how the first amendment works
Replies: 18
Views: 2568

Re: Emmett C Burns: doesn't get how the first amendment work

I can't believe a Democrat is so against gay marriage that he'd demand a person's boss censure and punish a man just for expressing support for gay marriage. Some democrats are dixiecrats. Yeah Western Maryland especially still has strong racist roots. I think there's still a Klan compound in Frede...
by A-Wing_Slash
2010-08-10 04:50pm
Forum: STGOD role-playing games
Topic: SDN Worlds 4 Military Expansion Listing - 3400
Replies: 31
Views: 49572

Re: SDN Worlds 4 Military Expansion Listing - 3400

Empire Star Republic Military Construction Budget - FY 3400 GDP: $61,000 5% Expansion: $3,050 Empire Star Navy Niagra -Class Strike Carrier - $100 16 units laid down, completed late 3400, commissioned early 3401 Total Cost: $1600 Knickerbocker -Class Destroyer - $40 16 units constructed Total Cost:...
by A-Wing_Slash
2010-08-02 06:08pm
Forum: STGOD role-playing games
Topic: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread II
Replies: 1226
Views: 153945

Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread II

Sorry for my absence and my delay on this, but I just put my Gothamite task force onto the Pendleton coalition page. I put them in the invasion fleet, though if that's not what you had in mind Steve that can be easily changed. Or they can just get their shit rocked by the Collector's first volley.
by A-Wing_Slash
2010-07-16 12:28am
Forum: STGOD role-playing games
Topic: SDNW4 Diplomatic Communications Thread
Replies: 398
Views: 261099

Re: SDNW4 Diplomatic Communications Thread

From: The Right Honorable Jun Smith, Prime Minister of the Nova Atlantean Commonwealth of Worlds To: All nations save the Byzantine Imperium, Bragulan Star Empire, Karlack Swarm, Orks and the Pfhor Empire In the name of helping to promote the noble cause of Intersteller Peace, the Nova Atlantean Co...
by A-Wing_Slash
2010-07-16 12:21am
Forum: STGOD role-playing games
Topic: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread I
Replies: 1226
Views: 155002

Re: SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread I

Sorry its been a while between posts, its been a busy last few days for me, but I should be more regular going forward. Just to clarify my last post, the ESR's expeditionary forces are assembling, and fixing up their hyperdrives to run the Gap without trouble, at their own naval base a little ways s...
by A-Wing_Slash
2010-07-16 12:11am
Forum: STGOD role-playing games
Topic: SDNW4 Story Thread 1
Replies: 1226
Views: 1063277

Re: SDNW4 Story Thread 1

Republic Naval Stardock Burlywood Sector X-19, The Outback This star system had its own name once, it must have, but no one in the ESN had ever bothered to find out what it was. An explorer in centuries past had named the sole moon of the system's sole planet (an uninhabitable gas ball) after the m...