The Off Topic Topic

[Josquius]

Ranma is a bit dated and the anime is rather meh, the comic is better.

[jimmy olsen]

Ranma is a bit dated and the anime is rather meh, the comic is better.

I agree the anime is quite mediocre, but I really love the manga.

[Syt]

The United Nations initiated a poll  with the request, "Please tell us your honest opinion about the lack of food in the rest of the world." The poll was a total failure.

The Russians did not understand "Please".

The Italians did not know the word "honest".

The Chinese did not know what an "opinion" was.

The Europeans did not know "lack", while the Africans did not know "food".

Finally, the Americans didn't know anything about the "rest of the world".

[Grey Fox]

I b ought a 8gb SDHC card & I'm having tons of problem making it work.

[Syt]

Having bought a 26" (fine for my little apartment) full HD tv yesterday from part of my bonus I shopped online for a suitable blu ray player. Found one that got good reviews for 120 EUR: LG BD350. Trying it out now - 1080p looks good, so does upscaling normal DVDs. Additionally, I can connect my external drive and it plays just about any video file I throw at it.

Movies I bought:
- Casino
- Blazing Saddles
- The White Ribbon
- 2001
- Firefly

I considered picking up Band of Brothers; maybe next month.

[Neil]

Unfortunately, on the subject of your recommendations, "Naruto" and "Ranma" are two of my least favourite animes/mangas. The only Naruto story I've really enjoyed was by 'DaveD' (who used to write a lot of good Full Metal Panic fanfiction but has virtually stopped writing now.)

How can you not like Ranma 1/2!?

Very easily. Very, very easily.

In the olden days, long before Evangelion, Ranma was almost all there was.  It dominated the fandom and became everything to everyone.

[jimmy olsen]

 I really liked the scenario put forth in the Worldwar series but like many of
his projects I don't like how Turtledove wrapped it up, and the map in the
Colonization books was beyond atrocious and a lot of the borders in Eastern
Europe didn't make sense, a lot of them are OTL post WWII. The 4th book
had too much flinging around nukes at targets of questionable strategic
worth and undervaluing the massive insurgency in the occupied territories.
Also,Hitler give up Poland and East Prussia? No fucking way. The Race
wouldn't just leave the Jews there though. They'd evacuate those they could
and cover the rest long enough for them to get behind the Soviet side of the
line.

Also, I don't like how Britain fell into Germany's orbit. It's much more likely
that Churchill and the rest of the British political class would mount a drive
for ever increasing military, economic and political ties between Britain and
the US, perhaps leading eventually to the formation of some sort of Anglo-
American confederation. With the rest of the world completely divided
between hostile Empires, the pressure on the remaining Democracies to
hang together would be incredibly strong. Pink and Green lead to an icky
brownish color, so I just used green for the Anglo-Americans. Dotted line
borders remain to indicate there hasn't yet been complete integration.

As for Germany, they didn't nuke Rome in this time line and didn't go nuts
annexing all of Western Europe. Here they settle for the annexing the low
countries, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Bohemia, Slovakia and western
Poland.They also keep Istanbul and surrounding territories in order to keep
control of the Black Sea. Here German paranoia and irredentism is directed
more towards the Soviets than the Lizards.

Japan loses Indochina but keeps Korea. New Zealand is conquered, it's
independence never made any sense.

[Neil]

New Zealand is conquered, it's independence never made any sense.

Sure it does.  It's a seperate island group from Australia.

[Eddie Teach]

What happened to all the American/ANZAC forces in the Pacific? I think independent New Zealand and perhaps a coastal strip of eastern Australia makes plenty of sense.

Also, what's up with Cuba?

[jimmy olsen]

What happened to all the American/ANZAC forces in the Pacific? I think independent New Zealand and perhaps a coastal strip of eastern Australia makes plenty of sense.

Also, what's up with Cuba?

I meant in the books Neil.

Peter, the Race are a desert species so they plan on landing tens of millions of colonists in the interior of Australia, so that's one of their main goals. Overwhelming force was used. And I'm sure the US called all those troops back to fight in the US.

Cuba, the Dominican and Hati are Anglo-American client states.

[Neil]

I meant in the books Neil.

So?

Peter, the Race are a desert species so they plan on landing tens of millions of colonists in the interior of Australia, so that's one of their main goals. Overwhelming force was used. And I'm sure the US called all those troops back to fight in the US.

Unrealistic.

[jimmy olsen]

I meant in the books Neil.

So?

Peter, the Race are a desert species so they plan on landing tens of millions of colonists in the interior of Australia, so that's one of their main goals. Overwhelming force was used. And I'm sure the US called all those troops back to fight in the US.

Unrealistic.

Which part?

[Syt]

Fuck, people actually make money with this retarded crap.

Well, here's a few future bestsellers, courtesy of http://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=whatif

What if ...

...genetic engineering had been invented a thousand years later?

...the War of the Roses had never happened?

...the fall of the Aztec Empire had never happened?

...the rise of Communism involved interdimensional travel?

...King Arthur had access to robots?

...Socrates was an advertising executive?

...Winston Churchill was the reincarnation of Leif Ericson?

...the Mexican Revolution involved witch-hunters?

...the fall of the Maya Empire happened after the invention of soft drinks?

...the Boer War involved sorcery?

[Ed Anger]

..the fall of the Aztec Empire had never happened?

Already done. I think there are some Meso-Americans in teh future novels. I'd have to look them up.

[Grey Fox]

I did 1.

It's the coolest : What if Newton fought St-Paul?