Agiel

Snazzy commercials from Northrop Grumman, hinting at their entry for the LRSB bid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J41D0kfkZKY Which is just as well, considering that if they don't win the contract, they will likely bow out of the (manned) combat aircraft business.

Jesus, Kevin Van Ord's review for The Witcher 3 on Gamespot is going on 6600 comments.

Moore's Law in action:

Last month's volcanic eruption in Chile.

Unfortunately I think it likely the most we'll get from Torment is a half-page in PCGamer issue of July. Seemed like that was the kind of media attention PoE got at E3 last year. Though one can dream InXile will do a Quick Look EX for Giant Bomb like Obsidian did for PoE.

Third year of The Division at E3? Hoping to see stuff on Torment and Deus Ex: MD.

What is it that's so hard to understand? China spends almost twice as much as Russia does on defense while barely lifting a finger in terms of expenditures as a percentage of GDP. With one percent of the U.S. economy the Air Force could purchase a thousand F-22s whereas one percent of the Russian economy gets the PVO 150 of the cheaper PAK-FA, and that was according to estimates prior to 2014. Russian R&D is also not immune to Murphy's Law and cost overruns as the much maligned Bulava program that was to be the centerpiece of the Russian strategic forces goes to show (to say nothing of teething problems the program can undergo, as the T-14 and the T-15 stalling in the rehearsal can attest to).

My guess is that that's where the gunner's sight is. Leopard 2A4 has a similar segment that's cut-out for that purpose: Or, at least where the gunner's primary sight is supposed to be. It's rather doubtful that the turret we're seeing now will be on the production version (if it comes), so what we're seeing now remains a mock-up, as the common belief is that the turret in its current form barely stands up to 30mm autocannon fire (if that). Supposedly a Russian general expressed some concern that a not insignificant percentage (to the tune of 80%) of the electronics is of western European make, and with the current geopolitical situation further technology transfers will be put into limbo (for instance, the Russian Army currently uses simulators built by, of all people, Rheinmetall, and the 2nd generation TIS for the T-90 is a license built version of the CATHERINE made by Thales).

Who do you think the "Arctic Challenge" exercises, the 900,000 reservists who got sent letters reminding them of their obligations to the Finnish Defence Force, and the navy's depth charging of a submerged contact off their coast was meant to send a message to? Sweden? Finland's worst kept military secret is that the agreement to join NATO had already already signed, it's just sitting in some Finnish general's drawer somewhere in a glass box with a hammer that says "In case of Russian incursion into the Lapland, break glass and fax to SACEUR". @Walsingham Archive of the segment is now up for the next 30 days: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007nf6t

Given that the Russian Army now considers ERA to be an integral part of the armour array, it's probably there. It's just that it doesn't look as haphazardly "pasted on" as Kontakt-1 would look on an older tank. Compare how much sleeker a T-90AM with Kontakt-5: looks compared to a T-80BV with Kontakt-1:

Blame standards and practices: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wqnNURx3Y6Q

There are some countries which have an existential and contiguous threat (South Korea), have a huge expanse of territory to cover (Russia), or both (Finland) which necessitates national service/conscription, problems and all. The United States isn't one of them: source

Fantastic series and surprisingly spot on with some technical details (for instance, yes, it was possible, if not optimal, for an F-8 Crusader to take off with the wings still folded in. Unfolding them in flight? Different story). Well there was the one mission in TIE Fighter where you had to fly the TIE Fighter that was "specially modified" with concussion missile launchers to stand a chance against the A-Wings.

The lady TIE Bomber pilot in this vid (at 4:10) did make me feel kinda funny in my chair:

Filled it out. And our polling moment of zen:

I would like to remind people that some would feel that this exhibition is tantamount to those squalid bigots of the Westboro Baptist Church holding anti-gay demonstrations by the funerals of soldiers who have died overseas. Last I checked, no one has pulled up to them with an Uzi to dispense 9mm "justice". In a free society, everyone has freedom of speech and equal protection under the law. If you observe a certain religion then good for you, but so long as you inhabit this mortal coil the laws of men, not the laws of your god take precedent (no honour killings, stoning of apostates, or defending the name of the Prophet by violent means). We were all endowed with free will, and it's up to us how we use it, consequences and all. https://youtu.be/7oCmhZ-1gGc?t=41m5s

Submarine recognition guide: The Vanguard SSBN is probably the most beautiful of the megadeath machines.

Probably because it all came back to people how terrible they were:

Quite difficult for us to hear anything about the elections over the media losing its collective s*** over the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.

Did he not see the trailer for Human Revolution? Last time I checked, in spite of that everyone loved how relatively bloodless you could play that (to the point you were actually rewarded more for it).

Every time I try and divine how in the hell that system works, I think back to that episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" when they come up with "Paddy Bucks".

Because I couldn't be (to borrow a British phrase) arsed to find and resurrect the NHL thread Two American symbols enter, only one leaves.