Capitaine Vengeur

A proposal already rejected in the Mexican Congress, by 380 noisy relaxing bellies to 120 offended held noses.

One of the first models I made besides 1/72 scale planes was a British Vosper motor torpedo boat. Very nice greyhound, too. I wonder if these boats would be that fun to sim? Has somebody here ever played UbiSoft's PT Boats Knights of the Sea?

Lazare Ponticelli, the last poilu, died in March 2008, accidentally at 110 too, and had national burial. I wonder how many countries still have veterans from this holocaust? Perhaps the legendary long-lived Greeks, Bulgarians or Caucasians? Anyway, I wish some more rich years to Mr Buckles, may he let the flame of memory not extinguish yet.

Splendid living pics. Serving on a Trafalgar-class sub must be an experience, as well as an honor.

Such a nuanceless balance sheet is the healthiest basis for a whole new start. Not every people is able of such honest, unindulgent awareness of oneself. Even less to confess it all. Sure, the chemical addiction to alcohol is probably one of the hardiest things to conquer in the world: strong will usually proves unsufficient, help from others is often necessary. You can find it. Most of the people you have well known must have appreciated the man you were before. This man is surely not dead. An alcoholic is not a werewolf, completely losing the richest part of his personality. This part you still own. Somewhere. Here, you are acknowledged as a gifted and appreciated artist. Share one evening completely devoted to pals, and another one completely devoted to alcohol. Never both in the same time, never try to meet anybody on those dark wet nights. Select the most understanding and patient people to confess and ask for support. Admit you probably won't get out of it alone.

Few interest. Mask the tank, mask the thermal signature, and sensors will be developped to find something else. Vibrations tracking or magnetic mass signature, for examples. But agree, decoys could be easily developped for these two last paths.

Twenty years ago, January 17, 1991, was the outbreak of Operation Desert Storm and the aerial hammering of Iraq. Many things have changed since in that poor country. But it seems to me that military aviation has made less progress since that time than during the preceding twenty years. USS America and some other ships have been retired, as well as many of the planes who flew over the Gulf at that time (Jaguars, Mirage F-1, F-4G, various MiGs...), but we still find the same Apaches, Tomcats, Hornets, Eagles, Stratofortresses and AWACS enforcing "Pax Americana" over the World.

It reminds me of the story of the little Dutch boy who prevented a flood by putting a sextoy into the leak of a sea wall. Er... Well, it was a sextoy, wasn't it?

"Well, okay, perhaps I tend to overcompensate for something much smaller I have... And so what, now, you Freudian moron?"

"I bet that Santa Claus will at last stop here this year. And for long."

Only knew him through the series, which displayed a very brave officer and a born leader. The Brécourt Manor Assault he brilliantly led has also been reproduced in a mission of "Call of Duty". RIP, Major

Well, I would have surely bet on Barker, Bishop and Nungesser. Didn't think of Coppens at first, but he surely deserves the place. More surprising to see The Red Baron on place #1 as a "balls" pilot: he was rather a cold-blooded tactician, sure. The German place would have been better occupied by rampant head-hunters like Voss, Wolff, or even brother Lothar von. Frank Luke would have deserved a place as the American daredevil: many more balls and guts than brains. Russia too would have deserved a place for Piotr Nesterov, first to "loop the loop" before the War and first to perform a voluntary air ramming: "balls" enough. For the French daredevils, I also think of Jean Navarre: first to paint a whole scout aircraft in the bright red color, he used to attack most of his victims (confirmed and unconfirmed) in inverted flight to disorient them. It usually worked. In brief, a Top Ten would have been more balanced. And never forget the hundreds fallen whose unwitnessed feats at the time of their deaths will remain forever unknown.

Manuel J. Fernandez, third highest-ranking American ace of the Korean War and unquestionable hero, also died infamously in crash while carrying a full load of Colombian marijuana. But in his case, he highly seems to have operated as a DEA covert operative.

A familiar face never to be seen again. Sad.

The question may have been asked already. In case, excuse me. From a mission to another, the emblem displayed on the sides of your Albatross or Fokker fighter seems to change randomly. No number or other reference can be selected in the Loadout panel to make a choice. Is there a way to choose an emblem and keep it from mission to mission during a whole campaign? Can the same thing be done for your AI comrades in the Jasta, for you to recognize them during the flight? (the intended goal of these paintings, after all) Thank you for answering.

But perhaps Atlee could have, Freiwilige. Well, I can just imagine the RAF cap with the red star in place of the golden crown. Brrr... Gunny, as a child, you may have spent some time to determinate if the bleached-face military drunkards at the local pubs, with a weird language putting a strong accent on the "r", were actually either Scottish soldiers or Russian advisors...

There was this story set in 1914 or 1915, when a German two-seater, flown by a Gefreiter with an officer observer, could escape an aerial attack through his pilot's skill, and force land behind his own lines with his crew safe. The officer then felt authorized to beat his chauffeur with his stick, for incompetence.

Merry Christmas ! Enjoy the turkey ! Et bonne santé à tous !

There are many intermediate NCO ranks I had never heard of. Just for my very own militaria culture, has some German member a link to propose to an illustrated site about how these ranks insignias were displayed? I knew that before the 3rd Reich, the NCOs used a system with discs and stripes on the collar, without epaulette, which can be seen on many aces pictures. But seeing now how many ranks there actually were, it must be more complex than I thought.

Well, let's see the bright side of the thing. A royal wedding is still much more fun than a royal burial (I'm especially thinking of one 85-year-old Queen who will probably soon have to pass the Crown to someone younger). So, enjoy the present moment. Having a Royal Family can have some advantages. Your Head of State is an apolitical and generally respected prince, standing above all of the parties, ruling in continuity as the heir of several generations of rulers themselves ruled by ancient noble principles (surely not thinking of the British Royal Family on that point, rather of the discreet Scandinavian monarchies). Your Head of State is not an illiterate crooked lawyer or real estate broker, professional liar and half-Gipsy poseur, who once elected by mistake, considers himself as the king, compartmentalizes everything for the sole interest of his clan, and doesn't care about the mess he will leave to the next generation of rulers (yes of course, I think of my own president). Besides, seeing the news, it seems that the only thing that still holds Belgium in one single piece is the Belgian Royal Family.

A well-known painting about this feat (H. Septimus Power, 1924)

When Chuck Norris says he has never done anything oral with Monica in the Oval Office, you would never ask him to swear. Never. Even if Monica now looks like a pelican.

Gentlemen, I think we have discovered the heir of Champollion, Chadwick and Ventris. Eraser, when will you edit a dictionnary "Stupid-lazy-kids-typing-worthless-messages-all-day-long / Intelligent-grown-up-old-fossils-complaining-about-the-youth-all-day-long"?

I have seen things better written, and sounding more intelligent too, in anonymous insulting letters, on toilets' walls, and even in conservative newspapers!