GAMING NEWS: Two PATs, Tamales, Pearl Harbor & Silly String, the Secret Weapon (7 December 2006)…

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Hi Everyone,

Welcome back to another installment of “6mm-Minis!” The past week has seen me keep busy, but enough of that and on to the content…

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PEARL HARBOR DAY!

Today is Pearl Harbor Day, that “Day of Infamy” on which a secret attack by the Japanese Empire on December 7, 1941 that sunk nine American ships, damaged another seven, destroyed or damaged over three-hundred aircraft and thus brought the United States into World War Two.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor

This may be the last time that the Pearl Harbor veterans meet too. It’s a sad day. Their generation was a great one that didn’t shirk their duties and their sacrifices paved the way for the prosperity of later generations. I’m grateful to them.

Check out this article about their possibly last reunion if you get a chance:

“Pearl Harbor survivors gather, maybe for last time”

http://tinyurl.com/ykun77

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YOU DO WHAT?

In other news more personal to me, my work is having a “team-building day” next week… when I heard that, I almost groaned out loud. I had terrible visions of sappy exercises where you have to fall down backwards and hope that your teammate will catch you… sort of like I had to do when I became a public educator. Without too much dithering, I hated those exercises… with a passion!

So, to my surprise, I asked my co-worker what we’d be doing and found out that… we’ll be making tamales for team-building… TAMALES? Yes, tamales. I guess that’s what happens when you work in a shop full of Latinos. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining and my family does make tamales, but I never imagined being paid to do it.

What a pleasant surprise!

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TWO PATs:

In gaming related news, I have to tip my hat to the Two Pats! The two Pats I’m talking about are Patrick Smyrl of the Patrick's Hobby Shed blog and Patrick Sweeney of Firefly Games. Patrick Smyrl writes one of my favorite blogs, Patrick Smyrl's Gaming Blog, and recently volunteered to help create material for another friend, Tas, an Australian Naval officer who is unfortunately deployed and unable to tend his blog, another favorite of mine, Yours in a White Wine Sauce!.

You can find both Patrick’s and Tas’ blogs here:

http://pshobbyshed.blogspot.com/

http://pauljamesog.blogspot.com/

The other Patrick I’m talking about is Patrick Sweeney, the head honcho over at Firefly Games, maker of the ever popular Monster Island tabletop game. Patrick launched a new game earlier this year called The Faery’s Tale, which is simply an outstanding game, a sort of simply roleplaying game for children. Patrick specializes in simple, easy-to-play games suitable for children or adults. In an industry that tends to focus on adults, Firefly Games, is remarkable for producing games to introduce your favorite young people to.

Check out Firefly Games here:

http://www.firefly-games.com/index.php

And unlike this Pat:

These two Pats are assuredly male!

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SILLY STRING, THE SECRET WEAPON!

STRATFORD, N.J. — In an age of multimillion-dollar high-tech weapons systems, sometimes it's the simplest ideas that can save lives. Which is why a New Jersey mother is organizing a drive to send cans of Silly String to Iraq.

American troops use the stuff to detect trip wires around bombs, as Marcelle Shriver learned from her son, a soldier in Iraq. Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can shoot strands about 10 to 12 feet, across the room. If it falls to the ground, no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, they know they have a problem. The wires are otherwise nearly invisible.

Now, 1,000 cans of the neon-colored plastic goop are packed into Shriver's one-car garage in this town outside Philadelphia, ready to be shipped to the Middle East thanks to two churches and a pilot who heard about the drive.

"If I turn on the TV and see a soldier with a can of this on his vest, that would make this all worth it," said Shriver, 57, an office manager.

Check out the full article here:
http://tinyurl.com/saby6

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Have a great Thursday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures: These are not all my images. I am using various images from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images under public domain, creative commons, or fair use. If I have inadvertently violated any copyrights, please inform me and I will remove your image/s (if it is indeed an infringement).