maybe the market is changing... steam wants to embrace the linux community with its steam-for-linux move. maybe they are betting on the OGL-trail for future games, and the more rapid development through the demand from linux users and hopefully OGL developers to make this the standard and forget about further developing directx for games and grafic cards altogether... maybe steam knows things about the directx development we're only becoming aware of.

Your Egyptian friends are correct: the army has ties to almost every family in Egypt thanks to conscription. It would be unthinkable that a tank gunner would shoot in the crowd of protesters, no matter what order would be given from the generals. The lower tiers of the army are tightly knit into the society and are therefore more keen on joining the protesters. But the problem might lie at the top of the army, appointed by Mubarak. Could be the army faces a dilemma now. The people of Egypt know very well that the top of the army loyally followed Mubarak's policy until now. Only in the last weeks they chose to stand aside and not intervene, keeping order in the streets. It may well be that the people of Egypt will agree to the army acting as a transformation government towards democratic elections, but they may demand that the army's top posts be replaced and purified of Mubarak's 'pawns'. Honestly I think this 'revolution' will also have consequences for the relationships with the US and Israel as well, though I don't expect things will radically turn out for the worse. The drive of the protests was against corruption, against the institutional barriers for the Egyptians to have a career, and towards a democracy. Only thing is, this democracy has yet to take form. Political parties have to take form. So it's a good thing the army is there to avoid chaos in the country until democratic elections can be organized.

be it in stone or the internet. good luck in finding out the liar and the truthsayer.