Skyviper

That is too funny

Stepped outsite this morning to take the trash to curb. The cold wasn't that bad then that negative two wind chill factor shit blew and worked its way in that little flap held close by a button on my lounger pants. Thawing your balls off is a very ... interesting and delicate experience. All is well. No frostbite.

The report mentioned that several states would be implementing sales tax for transactions on Amazon. I have lots of things to say about this ... but I'll be professional and just give you the link. Link to the Story

Full Story

I'm all over this guys. Thank you Dogzero for the lead.

I thought some of you would interested in a report I did on the subject ... You can check it out here if you wish I'm curious as to what many of you have to say about the subject.

Sorry about that fixed Yeah and I think pretty soon it will be going down all over. I'm okay with this; however if anyone should benefit from the tax it should be the state where the product was sold i.e if someone buys a HOTAS on Amazon from a Vendor in New York and the customer lives in Texas, New York should get the tax and not Texas. But here is something that I think about. I understand paying taxes gets roads fixed and keeps emergency personnel employed. But transactions on the Wild Wild Web shouldn't be taxed as there is no law and order on here (for the most part) we are all responsible for own security of our online communities and personal property. You can't hit ALT 911 and get a cyber cop to show up and take care of a virus up loader so why the hell should a physical city town or state benefit from the Wild Wild Web. States don't provide free high speed internet and if they did I really wouldn't give a damn about paying taxes for online sales. If they got rid of virus and malware all together I'd donate money on a regular bases to them. That's what bothers me. If any state should tax an online sale it should be the state where that particular vendor is located. Or not at all. I'm going to hush up now.

Johnny Orr Story dies at 86 James Avery dies at 68

So very true my friend... about everything ... I'm not putting my hand up to a pit bull anytime soon and chows are on the top ten list of most dangerous breeds.

I'm wondering if any of you happen to know something about these things. Could their information be easily hacked when people jack a WAP code? Would all the data be swipped if that code is too be taken? Just wondering. All in all its looks like a pretty cool thing to have in the wallet.

A Canadian Entrepenuer wants to start a VR arcade and have all the VR tech under one roof including VR Roller Coasters ... Read more if you like. I'm interested in how this will turn out ... he did mention they were going to have flight simulators in there ...

COMBATACE Spotlight: Interview with Russouk2004 “The community here is so talented, I’m surprised we ain’t got together and made our own sim yet…” -Russouk2004 This week CombatACE got the chance to catch up with Russouk2004. He hails from Cardiff, South Wales, in the United Kingdom and has been a member here at CombatACE since 2004. Over the years he’s a released a number of mods but his most downloaded mod is the BF109E. A download link will be inlcuded at the bottom of this interview for those interested in trying it out. Thank for you taking the time to do an interview with us, Russouk2004. Please, tell us a little about yourself. Well im,52..yikes,did I own up to that? Live in Cardiff ,South Wales UK. I work full time for a well know UK supermarket, owned by Wal Mart. I love flight sims, play call of duty in a clan and love beer, my missus and our 2 cats in that order I love to mod and am grateful to people who like what I make. What interest you about aviation? Well it all started when I was a kid, granddad and dad were both flyers. My gramp in WW2 flew Hurricanes and Typhoons. And my dad flew hunter and phantoms and a few others... I’ve always loved aircraft and built hundreds of kits, mostly a\c . It’s the magic of all that metal hurtling through the air, god knows how lol.(I know...wings create lift etc etc he he)..a\c just amaze me...the speed, sounds and smells, it’s just brilliant, makes the hairs on your neck rise, when a Tornado in Afterburners speeds past you...or the sound of a merlin prop of the spitfire...awesome. What is your favorite aircraft and why? My favourite aircraft hard question...hmmm I would say, Ive really 2,one a prop and other a jet. For prop, it would be the hawker hurricane, such a rugged fighter and unsung hero really, sounds and looks the business. Jet will have to be the Flanker...it’s just a beast, looks perfect for its assigned tasks... and is. It’s a huuuuge aircraft but so agile etc, and looks just what it is...deadly. What got you interested in flight simulation? Can’t fly for real so 2nd best thing is flying a simulated aircraft. Perfect! You get to fly anything you like, and from your chair, and it’s safe. Do you remember the first flight sim you ever played? Yes indeed, chuck yeagers...advanced flight sim ...seems so long ago compared o today’s standards. What motivated you to arrive at CombatAce and stay over the years? Good content not found elsewhere, great people to visit here ,lots of info ,and downloads galore..basically it’s a magnet! When did you start modding? Blimey, can’t really remember...I think it was for USAF,making skins. What does modding do for you? Is it something that is relaxing and neat hobby etc? It’s a buzz...realizing, stuff you make is available for people to use worldwide...and you see it on google lol..its addictive (as any 3d modder for example, will tell you)...also, you get to fly stuff you never see anywhere else..my Hawker P1211 for example, I’ve never seen it in a sim. If cant find jet in a sim you would like to fly..?...make it lol.. I see that your most downloaded file is the BF109E. What inspired you to create that mod? Ahhh yes, lovely little fighter,2nd favorite prop by the way...just looks the biz and a real gem of a plane, just had to make one. How much time and research did you put into making that mod? Well actually I spend ages on google etc looking for plans and pictures, thing is, there`s so much out there, you get carried away looking...I suppose a few months actually getting info etc and building the thing. The actual 3d stuff is the easy bit, time consuming work is the mapping and skin. I usually make the template first ,panel lines rivets, parts etc then paint layered colour schemes, wear n tear etc etc..that takes your time up. When you see the end result. And its popular, well worth the time. What modding tools do you use and why? 3ds max Paint shop pro 7.04 Photoshop. 3ds max...obviously,for the actual model. I use ps7 as its tools are so easy and effective, basically for the templates, lines rivets etc, and paintjobs. ps I use primarily for decals, some paintjobs and the effects are outstanding for weathering models, etc. Also its good for making the bumpmaps that give models that 3d looking skin. What is your favorite mod you have created? hmmm,good question. I would say undoubtedly, the P47N-15. That was just right I think. with hawk 2nd place. What is your favorite mod that you did not create? You like tough questions eh?...lol. easy, anything by stary, for terrains like his Green hell mods...outstanding stuff he does. Provided that you have the time and resources what would be your dream mod that you would like to make? BAE HARRIER T4 most definite, in shiny Black it looks wicked aircraft. Who is a Modder, or group of Modders, you admire or inspired you to start modding? Basically, people here, after seeing stuff here I decided to try it, gmax was free so decided to get some tutorials, and have a go. Do you have any favorite quotes or thoughts about being here at CombatACE you’d like to share? No quote comes to mind. I would say this, any time you need help, there’s always someone here willing to offer help etc, everyone who loves to fly sims here who can’t mod or unable to, still offer help, thats rare on a lot of other sites I’ve been to. The community here is so talented, I’m surprised we ain’t got together and made our own sim yet, I’m sure we could, lol. No matter who you are, where you live, we share a common hobby (addiction ?...lol) and regarding strike fighters for example, it would be an ok sim, but guys here have made it far better, I know it’s not graphically as good as say Lock On ,but it’s easier to use, and easier to mod. Actually saying that, the gfx are good. I digress, I thank all at CombatACE, for putting up with me lol... Staff members are awesome. Let’s keep it up. That’s it, all I shall say is now, Merry Christmas everyone. Cheers! Thank you Russouk2004 for the interview and you too enjoy your holidays. Here is the link to the BF109E mod created by Russouk2004. Please read all associated readmes and download instructions to fully enjoy the mod. Thank you for stopping by and checking out today's CombatACE spotlight.

This one never gets old.

lol that good day to start the morning ... and now for the rest of my coffee.

China lands unmanned rover on moon. Link

CombatACE Spotlight: Interview with Wargaming 15 years ago a group of friends got together and created a small company that quickly grew over the years. They would focus on strategy based games and put many players to the test. Wargaming is a Russian based company that has developed popular titles such as World of Tanks and World of War Planes. Mr. Sergey Burkatovskiy, the Vice President of Development, has agreed to do an interview and share with us the story of Wargaming. In 1998 Wargaming was founded by military strategy enthusiasts. What events inspired this small group to found Wargaming? Wargaming was created by Victor Kislyi and his friends who had a passion for computer games.The idea was to switch from playing games into making their own projectsand implement their own vision and desires. During college years,Victor and his brother visited the United States where they learned about the tabletop strategy ruleset De Bellis Antiquitatis. After becoming instant fans of the game they decided to create its PC version. Back in Belarus and out of university, Victor and his brother founded a development studio with a few close friends who shared their passion for games. What were some of the challenges the group faced and have they overcome those challenges? The transition from a development team into an international company has been a vigorous challenge for us. Talent acquisition and management are much more complex in an international environment. So much time has been devoted to re-structuring the company to create strongleadership in key regions and offices. We’ve also worked diligently to ensure our corporate policies and operations standards are consistent across the globe, while still respecting regional business customs. Another challenge we have encountered was our expansion into new markets.You can't go into China with the same game client you have prepared for the European audience, and the marketing strategy that works perfectly in the US may be a complete failure if used in Singapore. You can’t address different regions with the same approach; it just doesn't work that way. That’s why we had to tweak ourglobal marketing strategy each time we entered a new region. How did the company survive and manage to release Operation “Bagration” during the economic crises in 2008 that wiped out many of Russia’s game development companies? No matter how harsh the economic situation is, a really good game will always find its audience. Operation “Bagration offered a state-of-the-art experience for its time. What inspired the creation of the very successful 2010 release World of Tanks? Our development team is composed of military history enthusiasts. Most of us are from Belarus or Russia and were raised in post-World War II era, giving this topic significant meaning for us. By the time we dreamed up World of Tanks, the company had already shipped several titles set in the mid-20th century. Using our favorite topic for a new game seemed to be a perfect choice. When Wargaming was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records for having 90,311 players simultaneously playing on the same server, how did that impact the company? It inspired us to improve and grow the game even further, and allowed us to consider the idea of evolving the World of Tanks core concept into a series of WWII-set free-to-play MMO games. Was the release of World of Warplanes something the fans demanded or was it something that had to be done? We first discussed developing a flight combat MMO game when World of Tanks was still in Closed Beta. Many devs on the team are passionate about flight sims, and making a game about warplanes was a longstanding dream of ours. World of Tanks players shared that passion with us, which pushed us to begin work on World of Warplanes. How will World of Warplanes differ from other, similar MMOs? World of Warplanes is one of those “easy-to-enter and hard-to-master experiences”, that will keep players engaged for a long time. The game is user-friendly and accessible for beginners without removing a challenge for experts,creating a gratifying experience for everyone. Intuitive UI, multiple control schemes, and a full-blown Tutorial Mode assist rookies in grasping the flight combat basics, while experienced players are offered a deep system of manual control settings, versatile upgrades, customization options, and a realistic flight model to master their tactical and piloting skills. World of Warplanes is a free-to-play title integrated with World of Tanks through a single user account and Unified Premium Service. Players need to register only once to get access to all of Wargaming’s projects, websites, and premium account. According to the FAQ page you are looking to have 100 aircraft from each nation you will add to the game which is impressive. What kind of work goes into making an aircraft? How much time is spent and how much research goes into the development of your aircraft? Before introducing any aircraft, a team of historical consultants run a detailed study of that model. They collaborate with numerous military museums, archives, and libraries around the world, learning as much information about vehicles, nations, and technical characteristics as possible. Once the plane description is ready, artists design 3D models of the aircraft reproducing historically accurate tech specifications. Then, historical consultants check the model's authenticity. If they find any discrepancies, the plane returns to those artists to correct them. Oncea model is approved by historians, the game balance team begins tweaking its combat characteristics to fit it into the ten-tier system. Initial specs are continuously readjusted based on the feedback from super testers before the warplanes are released. The team continues to fine tune them several months post-launch, gathering and analyzing combat stats. What kind of flight simulation enthusiasts is World of Warplanes seeking to target? Casual flight simmers or hardcore flight simmers or something to appeal to both of those groups? A variety of aircraft classes, a wide range of combat objectives, and realistic flight model will appeal to flight stimulator fans. Detailed vehicle and crew upgrade systems will attract strategy gamers. Accessible controls, dynamics, and short session PvP gameplay format will attract first-person shooter fans. What are some of the things, for those in the flight simulation community, that can be expected from World of Warplanes now and in the future? We’ll continue to introduce new combat scenarios, including the Squadron Battles requested by our player community.The number of battle arenas will increase with special focus on winter maps. We will start growing the existing tech trees to include all the three featured warplane classes. Then, we’ll introduce new nations into the game. It appears that Wargaming has everything covered from tanks to planes, and now even warships. What inspired the creation of World of Warships? With tanks on the ground and warplanes in the skies, introducing naval warfare seemed to be the most logical next step. What are your goals for this MMO? World of Warships will appeal to military enthusiasts keen on naval warfare, and gamers who prefer the strategy genre; drawing anew audience to the Wargaming.net universe. What can players expect to see in World of Warships? How many nations will there be initially and how many ships for each nation? We’ll start with American and Japanese naval forces. Soviet, German, British and French ships will be added later on. As for ship types, World of Warships will feature battleships, aircraft carriers, light and heavy cruisers, and destroyers. Will Wargaming combine World of Tanks with World of Warplanes and World of Warships to come up with a dynamic game that will let players use land, sea, and air tactics to conquer their opponents? Merging tanks, naval, and air forces within a single battleground will cripple the game balance of the three titles. The three projects differ from each other in terms of gameplay as theyhave a different combat pace and battle arena size. Each warfare type has its own targetability—tanks are vulnerable to attack from sea and from air and planes don’t stand a chance against heavily-armored military vessels. The integration of World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, and World of Warships will occur on two levels—on the Global Map and in terms of the unified economic system. In terms of Clan Wars, players will support each other through special consumables. The latter will allow them to transfer Gold and Free Experience between the projects. With the Unified Premium Account, players will have access to the premium status benefits in all Wargaming’s titles. Will Wargaming have modern versions of World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, and World of Warships? Our titles focus on vehicles of 1930–1950 with no plans to introduce modern warfare. Warplanes, tanks, and ships of the chosen era used minimum automatic technologies, and the combat outcome depended on players’ experience and teamwork, leaving computers and homing missiles out of account and providing for a deep skill-based gameplay. What is the future for strategy MMOs and how do you see Wargaming shaping that future. The two prevalent trends are free-to-play and multiplatform, and Wargaming is among the companies actively involved in the both. The company’s line-up embraces PCs, consoles, smartphones and tablets, offering a variety of free-to-play multiplayer online experiences so everyone can pick the platform they prefer, or enjoy Wargaming’s trademark gameplay on several devices. Another perspective global trend that we are happy to witness is crowdfunding. A few years ago many exciting games had no chance of getting published because software giants are only interested in mega hits. We are seeing that change—developers can go outside the traditional studio model and find support for their product through existent fan bases.This has created great opportunities for small to medium sized companies to work with non-traditional methods to reach their fan base and provide products that these people will support. Do you have any final thoughts for your fans? We are grateful for your feedback and have even more fun games in store for you. Thank you, Mr. Burkatovskiy, for taking the time to chat with us. Below are some links that will direct you to their associated game if you’re interested in checking any of the titles out. Thank you for stopping by and checking out today’s CombatACE Spotlight.

He flew the SR-71? Darn I dropped the ball on that one. Thank you Jug for taking the time to give us lead. I really appreciate that.

To hell with super bowl nothing like the Army Navy game. But seriously Navy had Marines helping them out .. right?

I've recently decided to try my hand at the flying the E2-c Hawkeye in SF:NA its very challenging to land I find (compaired to the fighters) its also more challenging doing the missions. When there are now ECMS or flairs or chaff to use and support is never available. So I'm wondering how can I have armed wingmen when flying recon in the E2? I've tried starting the mission with aricraft i.e the F-14 flying a recon mission type though other planes are there for me to pick from the E2 is not. If I can't get the E2 to have armed wingmen then how can I set it foir support to be there when I call for it? Oh, one more quesiton, is there a way for me to replace the default F-14 with better modded ones so I can use the modded ones in the default campagins? I'm sorry if this as been answered elsewhere. If has please just give me the link and I'll be glad toread it. Thank you for your time.

Figured it out. I had to change service years and mission profile types. E2-C was properly labeled as an Early Warning as both primary and secondary roles and added in Recon to it. I also randomly selected an F-14 its service year start and end was 2006 I changed the start year to 1972. Took up one E-2C with 15 F-14s 8 were set strictly for aerial combat the others were set primarily for ground assault. In the end some enemy planes went missing as did a number of ground installions .... I lost one F-14. In other words I got to pull a Tyhpoid