Matt Miller

[quote name='Lord Gobb' date='18 June 2010 - 12:58 PM' timestamp='1276880301' post='2342008'] Most fortunate, IRON! With the addition of TECUMSEH, will you finally be destroying Grämlins? I can't believe in only a few days' time this will all be over! So exciting! [/quote] Your sarcasm is duly noted. You are a fool if you think that the Gramlins will just roll over and die upon an assault on their top tier should it come. I know you want full scale reps to begin, but that's just not going to happen at this time; no matter how hard you wish for it to be so.

[quote name='SynthFG' date='10 June 2010 - 01:34 PM' timestamp='1276191272' post='2331778'] He should have done so weeks ago However in typical IRON style he has hit completely the wrong targets [/quote] I'd like to revisit your judgment on my choices now that my round of wars has expired. Below is the status of my two opponents after I completed my last attacks the other night. Those stats are from a week of war in which it was only me vs. those two. [quote]Top 7 Day Smallest Nation Gains 1) -27,864 Strength Change - Toranaga of Slaughterhouse - Aqua Team 2) -27,128 Strength Change - CFolkmann of Folkminister - Aqua Team[/quote] So they lost a combined 55k NS over the week. Now as for my status after a week of war with them, I gained a total of 20 NS while eating nukes and losing 4810 NS from my own loss of nukes. I largely neutralized my "poorly chosen targets" as they are now well into the meat grinder, burned through 2.9% of my remaining warchest, ended with the same tech level I started with, am completely unaffected as to my ability to declare on the next rung of the ladder, managed to collect out of nuclear anarchy today, and thoroughly enjoyed making them burn under the current circumstances. Additionally, I had another in a long line of great chuckles after watching Ertyy choose not to declare on me after whining openly about not having any IRON members in range to declare upon. Admittedly, he only had 8 days to notice me, so perhaps he missed it. Had I chosen to declare on Gramlins that would have actually proven challenging, I may not be in the position to continue forward unaffected by the last week of war. Under these stated facts, I contend that not only did I not chose the "completely wrong targets" but also that I chose the absolutely perfect targets. Wouldn't you agree, SynthFG?

[quote name='Sandwich Controversy' date='11 June 2010 - 08:15 PM' timestamp='1276301697' post='2334064'] Pffft white peace. You could easily force terms. [/quote] And your reasoning as to why we should is what exactly?

[quote name='Clash' date='11 June 2010 - 02:18 PM' timestamp='1276280313' post='2333443'] First. Whyyyyy should IRON surrender to you? For what possible reason? Especially under such silly conditions. Since IRON is winning this war - perhaps you should consider surrendering to them? Seeing as how you're losing? [/quote] The current backroom spin from the Gre camp is that IRON's surrender, should it happen, would be more meaningful and sincere since Gre is no longer in a position to force it. At least that's the current line last I heard. To be fair to Gre, it's the only position they can take that doesn't make them look silly at this point.

[quote name='Aeternos Astramora' date='11 June 2010 - 11:48 AM' timestamp='1276271309' post='2333305'] Who was [i]that[/i]? [/quote] Toranaga of Slaughterhouse bought from ~3500 to ~4000 tech twice in the last month. Question, what's worse, that or Marc Aurel and other Gramlins failing literally 40+ spy attempts to destroy my HNMS protected nukes during Karma and the war that ended with the signing of the ESA? I got quite the chuckle out of both. [quote name='Zoomzoomzoom' date='11 June 2010 - 11:57 AM' timestamp='1276271821' post='2333310'] Is any GRE nation going to attack Matt Miller? [/quote] One of the four that can is reading this thread right now. I'm sure he'll wait for my nuke stockpile and tech level to drop a bit before joining the fun.

The two I hit at least have a sporting chance as you'll notice I have nobody with me against them. [quote name='amad123' date='11 June 2010 - 10:33 AM' timestamp='1276266786' post='2333239'] I was hoping Matt Miller would hit him and fill his third slot but I suppose Ram will get special attention.[/quote] The words mano a mano come to mind.

[quote name='Penkala' date='09 June 2010 - 04:53 PM' timestamp='1276116800' post='2330572'] I was so confused for a while. You had me here counting the months to ensure the 6/9/10 on my computer really meant June 9th '10 and wondering what the hell was going on... [/quote] Sorry about that, Yak, Q, and I were just having a little fun with everyone.

[quote name='Timeline' date='10 June 2010 - 10:25 AM' timestamp='1276179911' post='2331623'] Matt Miller has been in to many wars, he will not have the technology or the money to stand with anyone from the upper ranks of Gre, the thing that won this war for IRON is Gre allies leaving her to stand alone. [/quote] I can do this for months on end. [quote name='SynthFG' date='10 June 2010 - 01:34 PM' timestamp='1276191272' post='2331778'] He should have done so weeks ago However in typical IRON style he has hit completely the wrong targets [/quote] You act as if the two I'm currently fighting will actually drop me out of range of the others. This is about patience.

[quote name='Lord Levistus' date='06 June 2010 - 07:54 PM' timestamp='1275868445' post='2326957'] at least they didn't review Natural Ice. >_> [/quote] Oh lord, this was the poor college guy staple where I was. I haven't a clue how much of this died in my belly, but it was a lot.

[quote name='Jim Bob the Glorious' date='06 June 2010 - 02:28 PM' timestamp='1275848875' post='2326509'] A beer review so nice, they used it twice? http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?showtopic=65212&st=0&p=1742357&hl=+carlsberg%20+elephant%20+beer&fromsearch=1&#entry1742357 [/quote] I would like to award you the sleuth of the year award. I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those meddling... well you know the rest.

[quote name='Arcturus Jefferson' date='06 June 2010 - 03:55 PM' timestamp='1275854108' post='2326639'] Of course it's a nice review, they didn't write it. [/quote] I beg your pardon, I wrote every word of the OP. Not my best work, but it's mine.

[quote name='NorthernLights' date='06 June 2010 - 01:13 PM' timestamp='1275844387' post='2326440'] Smithwicks the best beer in the world! I'm interested in the Boddington [/quote] Smithwicks just missed the cut, it's very good as well. When I was writing this last night, I had to choose between it and the Amstel Light; you know who won.

[center][u][b]Hot off the presses in Bubbler Nation (after a prolonged hangover)[/b][/u][/center] [center][u][b]Carlsberg Elephant Beer[/b][/u][/center] [center][img]http://luekensliquors.com/store/zen-cart-v1.3.8a-full-fileset-12112007/images/Carlsberg_Elephant_Large.jpg[/img][/center] [center]I had this beer on a day near 100 degrees Fahrenheit when traveling in Europe on break from college and found it to be incredibly refreshing. There’s nothing quite like the Elephant beer on a hot day. I just wish I could find it back home.[/center] [center][u][b]Boddington’s Pub Ale[/b][/u][/center] [center][img]http://fistfightatthearthouse.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/boddingtons-pub-ale1.jpg[/img][/center] [center]This is one of those beers that really provides a full bodied experience with some nice froth on the top. I actually prefer it to Guinness; it’s just too bad I can only find it locally at one bar where I live.[/center] [center][u][b]Blue Moon Belgian White[/b][/u][/center] [center][img]http://maunderingme.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/blue-moon-pale-ale.jpg[/img][/center] [center]I first found this beer when in college and to this day it’s the only one that I’ll allow citrus fruit to get near. I don’t even use a lime in Corona, just a slice of orange in the Blue Moon. It’s lighter than some of the other beers I drink, but can still stand up to a discerning palate.[/center] [center][center][u][b]Dinkel Acker[/b][/u][/center][/center] [center][img]http://www.gotbeer.com/content/user_1/lDinkelAckerSixPack.jpg[/img][/center] [center]This is German beer at its finest. I discovered this during college as well (I’m beginning to see a pattern emerge here) on a night out with some of my teammates, one of whom was from southern Germany. This was his favorite and quickly became one of mine as well. Until then I had no idea what a good German beer tasted like. I must say I found this one nice and crisp, which makes it perfect for consumption in larger quantities than some of the others I enjoy.[/center] [center][center][u][b]Amstel Light[/b][/u][/center][/center] [center][img]http://www.adrants.com/images/amstel-dam-good-bier.jpg[/img][/center] [center]I think I remember something about no light beers, but this one is such a personal favorite of mine, that I can’t leave it out. I can’t go through this set of reviews without a tribute to the Dutch so here it is. This is so nice and crisp when it’s chilled properly, that it almost makes up for the quite low alcohol content. This is the sort of beer you keep stocked if you plan on having a lot of people over, good enough for a party, not quite good enough to accompany a good steak. It’s at the bottom of my list of 5 for a reason, but still makes the cut as it beats out all other light beers I’ve found.[/center]

[quote name='flak attack' date='31 May 2010 - 09:37 PM' timestamp='1275356219' post='2318401'] Quite the review. I'm glad you wrote this. I'll have to give it a try. [/quote] It's worth it.

[center][img]http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8302/ironflagmediumlk9.png[/img][/center] [size="4"][u][b]Purpose[/b][/u][/size] As many of you may know, as part of the signing of the Easter Sunday Accords, IRON agreed to several forms of reparations that have nothing to do with the mechanics of our nations but have everything to do with a fun, adult Saturday night. One of those items was a bourbon review, and today it is my pleasure to offer a review of my favorite bourbon: Maker’s Mark. [size="4"][u][b]Disclaimer[/b][/u][/size] [list=1] [*]This portion of our reparations has nothing to do with any other portions and does not signal the beginning of any other payments due per the Easter Sunday Accords. [*]Please make sure you are of legal drinking age if you choose to sample this product after reading my review. I wouldn’t want to endorse anything else, regardless of those photos of me during my college years that Shan likes to circulate! [/list] [size="4"][u][b]Introduction[/b][/u][/size] [center][img]http://www.whisky.com/brands/images/makers_mark/makers_mark1.jpg[/img][/center] Now first of all, I feel as though I must define what bourbon actually is since to many it’s just Whiskey. The following list of what makes bourbon, well bourbon, has been taken from the Wikipedia article on bourbon and verified from independent sources: [list] [*]Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn. [*]Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume). [*]Neither coloring nor flavoring may be added. [*]Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. [*]Bourbon must be entered into the barrel at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume). [*]Bourbon, like other whiskeys, may not be bottled at less than 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume.) [*]Bourbon which meets the above requirements and has been aged for a minimum of two years, may (but is not required to) be called Straight Bourbon. [*]Straight Bourbon aged for a period less than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging. [*]If an age is stated on the label, it must be the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle. [/list] Now that you know what bourbon actually is, it’s time to turn our attention to the focus of my review. I was first introduced to Maker’s Mark approximately 8 years ago and have not since found bourbon that I prefer over it. The first thing to notice about the bottle is the distinctive red wax in which the end is dipped to provide a seal after bottling. It’s the type of small thing that really catches the eye and sets Maker’s Mark apart from other bourbons before the bottle is even opened. As for the product itself, one must cover the following items in order to fully explore the quality of the bourbon: [list=1] [*]Color [*]Bouquet [*]Flavor [*]Finish [/list] [size="4"][u][b]Why does color matter?[/b][/u][/size] [center][img]http://www.privatemdmarketing.com/phpages/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/colors-of-paint.jpg[/img][/center] From the tasting notes of the Maker’s Mark official website, the ideal color is, “Rich and brilliant – see-through amber, but with a flame orange glint that tells of the warmth to come.” Now I know marketing people are paid a lot of money to come up with flowery language to describe the product and if you are like me, I read that and think, “Uhhhhh, ok.” I’ll try to come up with something a little more our speed. As long as the bourbon doesn’t look pale, and my bottle surely did not, everything should be good. To be honest, the color is important, but it was the least of my concerns. [size="4"][u][b]Flowers anyone?[/b][/u][/size] [center][img]http://share.triangle.com/sites/share-uda.triangle.com/files/images/Cone%20Flowers.preview.jpg[/img][/center] First impressions are important and although the color comes first, the bouquet is more important. I liken it to seeing a picture of a beautiful woman, she may look great, but a picture is outweighed by that first face to face meeting with her. Nothing can mean more than the true first impression where you get to not only see her in person, but also catch that first scent of perfume. If it’s meant to be, you may already know at this point. To me, the first scent received from a bourbon functions in much the same (but hopefully not romantic, if so seek help) way. Once I break the seal and open the bottle, I can’t help but notice the aroma that hints at good things to come. It’s the type of smell that would cause most children to turn away in search of something else (which is a good thing) but to a more mature nose it screams, come on in! From the tasting notes, the ideal aroma is, “Full, yet delicate; well-rounded; possessing a distinctive caramel aroma of the charred oak with a hint of vanilla; pleasant and inviting.” That’s a bit hoity-toity for me, but I suppose I can see it. [size="4"][u][b]Not that Flavor Flav![/b][/u][/size] [center][img]https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/download/attachments/59639610/flav.jpg[/img][/center] Honestly, is there anything more important than this? I certainly don’t think so. The tasting notes have a lot to say on the matter. They state, “It would be presumptuous on our part to suggest what the ideal flavor should be, even though you can be sure we at Maker’s Mark have a rather strongly held opinion on the subject. On the other hand, we all agree that truly great bourbon must be: [list] [*]Rich in flavor, yet soft on the palate. [*]Distinctive and complex, yet possess the refinement and balance found in a finely crafted malt or cognac. [*]Refreshing and pleasant. [*]And the enjoyment is always an experience of the total. [/list] Am I the only one that finds that description too vague? It feels a bit too much like a wine tasting party for my style. Anyway, the first sip of Maker’s Mark (which MUST be served alone or at the most on-the-rocks) has the sharp bite that makes the mouth water a bit and leaves you wanting more. This is an important feature of bourbon for me. It can’t be watered down or overpowering; it must be somewhere delightfully in the middle. Maker’s Mark always seems to get better as you go, I just don’t suggest going too far toward the bottom of the bottle in one night; let that to the 21 year olds trying to prove something. [size="4"][u][b]The Finish Line[/b][/u][/size] [center][img]http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-07/08/xin_1007020607590422858812.jpg[/img][/center] Now that we’ve reached the last characteristic upon which bourbons are evaluated, I must mention that Maker’s Mark doesn’t leave me with that “mouth-rot” feeling that other whiskey products so often do. Sure your breath may not be as fresh as a summer’s day, but I don’t think that’s on the list of objectives when breaking that trademark red wax seal. [size="4"][u][b]Conclusion[/b][/u][/size] Though there may be more expensive or more popular bourbons on the market, I’ve never been a frontrunner chasing the cool kids as can be evidenced by my 4+ years in one and only one alliance. Loyalty to one’s brothers and sisters is not something that changes on a whim so why should one’s allegiance to his favorite bourbon be any different? I may one day find something else that suits me better, but for now, a great Saturday night starts with a Maker’s Mark on the rocks. Thank you.

[quote name='Haflinger' date='23 May 2010 - 11:32 PM' timestamp='1274671958' post='2309859'] I would just like to congratulate JimKongIl on his impeccably tidy warscreen. Hmmm. I wonder if the other large IRON nations followed suit if they'd get the same result? Doubtful, none of them have 14.5K tech. Well maybe [b]Bubbler[/b] might. What a strange war. [/quote] The name's Matt, nice to meet you. It's a curious little thing about Gramlins not attacking JimKongIl huh? He's a very formidable opponent to be sure.

[quote name='JimKongIl' date='22 May 2010 - 03:37 PM' timestamp='1274557034' post='2308267'] Does it even matter? You have the power to stop the bleeding but you refuse to when your membership and even those you are supposedly defending no longer support your actions. IRON refuses to surrender unconditionally and your [b]strength in relation to them only diminishes[/b]. If you haven't made IRON surrender unconditionally yet you won't in the future. So how much damage are you willing to do to your own alliance? Drop this ridiculous demand for unconditional surrender while you still have an alliance with respectable numbers. [/quote] I love that Ramirus is using that very item behind closed doors to try to prove some sort of point about IRON not being sorry for attacking CnG. He is almost solely responsible for the rotting joke that is now Gramlins and seems to think that might makes right is what makes us tick. He's so far off base it's all the more funny to see.

[quote name='Voytek' date='18 May 2010 - 02:42 AM' timestamp='1274164953' post='2302017'] Gremlins are cute You can believe in what you're doing as much as you like but you're kidding yourselves if you think you're going to achieve anything more than slowly wasting away into nothingness. Do you honestly believe that you still stand a chance of forcing IRON to do [i]anything[/i] in your current condition? [/quote] You'll just get the "IRON believes in might makes right" response from MatthewPK. This is their new line since we won't play their game. The fact is we rejected this farce when Gramlins were still in a dominant position compared to us (and were told it was due to our fear), we reject it now (and are told its due to might makes right), and we'll reject it no matter what (at some point we'll be told we're trying to destroy the Gramlins entirely). This is absolutely not about might makes right, to us it's right makes right and therefore we're taking a stand based upon our belief that no alliance should surrender unconditionally; period. The other underlying theme of theirs is that we don't believe what we did was wrong since we won't play their game. It's not about that either, we reject the Gramlins self-appointed position of judge and jury. They may say they are trying to do right here, but I think most of us are smart enough to see through this.

[quote name='shahenshah' date='17 May 2010 - 03:17 PM' timestamp='1274123815' post='2301390'] Chit chatting with an FH member, it appears to them that IRON has DOW'd Gramlins! The evidence is that FH nations keep getting DOWed by IRON! Ram has complete support of the [obligatory spell error] meatshileds! And FH shall push for Reps on IRON ;/ Note: That was by chatting with one member who appeared as if he spoke for FH. [/quote] I had a similar experience with one of the bigger former FH members. I let him know that fighting IRON would only lead to his destruction and not to blindly follow Ramirus off the plank. He told me he didn't know much of Ramirus and he was just defending his FH brothers against IRON's DoW on them. I wonder if they really see themselves as Gramlins much at all. I was also told by a former Gramlins that only 1 Zealot voted in their elections. To pretend like they aren't an alliance with 20 or less truly active members seems silly at this point.

[quote name='wickedj' date='15 May 2010 - 06:52 PM' timestamp='1273963923' post='2299122'] is this STILL going? Didnt someone on like page 3 say "shut up or do something about it" ? good grief..way to feed Ram's ego [/quote] The Gramlins are doing something about it... much like a 90 year old lifelong smoker/alcoholic that thinks running a marathon while holding his breath is a good idea, but they are doing something nonetheless.

Another day another 2 Gramlins (70k NS total) deleted.

[quote name='Matthew PK' date='14 May 2010 - 03:09 PM' timestamp='1273864178' post='2297915'] I don't beleive that Shamshir's disappearance was caused by this policy. He was never afraid of going to zero and rebuilding; he was here for the friends, the community and the joy of the process. [OOC]I really hope he's ok; haven't heard from him in a while[/OOC] [/quote] The last we heard from him he asked us what steps he would have to take to surrender to IRON and how long after that he would be released. After that, he stopped defending and checking his nation altogether. Perhaps they are unrelated but I personally think they are not.

[quote name='Owned-You' date='11 May 2010 - 06:25 PM' timestamp='1273616683' post='2295254'] Now, did you know that back in the No CB War; when IRON attacked NV with a preemptive strike among MHA, RoK, and others Gramlins also attacked NV nations without a formal DoW. There was no valid reason for that either, other then our tie to NpO or more specifically Electron Sponge; who often threatened you all with death. Hence, I cannot in any reasonable fashion see how you could claim IRON to be in the wrong when your very alliance participated in Hegemony actions, Citadel actions, and attacked without a valid reason my own alliance during the No CB War. So, with those notions in mind. Where was your sense of right and wrong in those times? [/quote] I'm glad someone finally pointed out the hypocrisy in the Gramlins current PR line here. Not surprisingly it was followed by the standard deflection by Matthew. I wonder if Gramlins will now require the unconditional surrender of the Gramlin leadership from back in the summer of '08.

[quote name='Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz' date='09 May 2010 - 09:57 PM' timestamp='1273456616' post='2293033'] However, on the other hand, as per my questions to you that have gone unanswered (twice now), you haven't really explained the rationale for why you think you're doing the right thing or the reasoning for why you won't compromise. In doing so, I think that you do considerable harm to your cause. You've spent an enormous amount of time and effort in this thread but haven't bothered to address the key to your position, which could easily give rise to doubt about how honest you're being, I'm sorry to say. [/quote] He's not going to answer you, not openly and honestly anyway. This is ego-stroking dressed up as some sort of repentant trust fall. Ramirus is the egomaniac, Matthew is the under informed mouthpiece, and IRON is worst of all terrorists. Clearly we must be cowardly, or evil, or something yet to be invented by the Gramlin PR machine since we won't submit to people that have absolutely zero business passing moral judgment on us.

[quote name='Broncos98' date='09 May 2010 - 10:16 AM' timestamp='1273414566' post='2292443'] For the first time in my CN history I actually want to see an alliance totally disbanded...godspeed Gramlins. [/quote] Careful, you'll give MatthewPK his next sound byte. After he's done with it, it will look like IRON set this whole thing up and planted the lunatics within Gramlins just so we could disband them.