This is totally off topic, but I've had a ton of people asking me if I live in Michigin, etc... And I just wanted to set the record straight.
(Dull stuff on the flip, ignore unless you want background on the poster.)
I've been a big fan of the Battletech RPG/game for a long time. Not just because it was Giant Fightin Robots, but because it was durn close to hard SF, at least in the original interpretation.
Before Bill Gates got his slimy mitts on the franchise, the storyline was lots of fun, working off the "neo-feudalism" that was present in the universe. The characters were interesting, the science actually possible (and interestingly enough parellels certain developments nowadays, specifically possible myomers, etc...), and it was just a lot of fun because most of the universe was wide open.
Then they started changing the storyline, right about the time that Wizkids and Bill Gates raped, uh I mean made a competitive offer on FASA. The storyline became more modern military, power levels of the stories increased exponentially, and the overall feel became "Hey, blowing up shit is COOL!" Then they dumped another storyline which totally abandoned logic and continuity, because "Hey, a dark age would be cool..."
Where does my handle come in here? Well, Bill et al never really cared about the "periphery" nations of the storyline. As a result their story never got as effed up, IMHO, as the rest of the universe. So out in the middle of nowhere, there was a planet in the story with a Battlemech factory called Detroit.
It was highly advanced, but beholden to no nation. It didn't make the best 'mechs, but the ones it did make were solid and more than a match for most of the stuff in the Periphery. I've always had a fondness for the area, so when I was trying to come up with a handle, DMW, or Detroit Mech Works was one that I thought would be fun.
I mean, it's not as interesting as MHX-1Marshall, but it's one that doesn't sound too military. :)
So there's my rant on my name. Just felt that since I'd never done a "This Is MY FIRST DIARY!" diary, it'd be nice to let everybody know that I'm not in Michigin. Madison, Wisconsin, yes...
Oh, and the boring personal info. Two kids, 3 and 1. Two significant others, both female. I sleep too little, and work too hard, IMHO. I love coffee, my home PC (Which is not hooked to the net, because home time is home time... Work is for posting... :) ) and writing as much as I can. (Not that I can much anymore, somewhere between making breakfast sandwiches and the morning commute I lose my inspiration...)
So, I've kinda dropped a turkey here, but hell with it. Let's see if I can beat my lowball record of 1 comment.