6mm-Minis

MINI WARGAMING: "Samurai on the Bench" (19 August 2009)

2009-08-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe that it's been nearly a year since I last posted... Life really has a way f happening when it does. Wjat have I been up to? ...mostly buying a house, taking care of a home, having my heart broken, dating again, and all of the rigors of life... That and my camera has been on the fritz...

I continued gaming, mostly board games, and I've discovered Facebook, which is much easier than blogging. The local miniatures club, MWSS, continues to host monthly games, my monthly D&D group is still going strong in Eberron, and Mark Steinberg's Friday meets are still great...

Unfortunately, my friend Tony Mark, recently passed away... May he rest in peace. He was a great guy, had equal disdain for all gaming clubs, which I always enjoyed back in the great gaming club schism of the past. He will be missed. Gary, at Great Escape Games, one of our local brick and mortar gaming shops hosted a big gaming get together a few weekends back for him...

And, it was only yesterday that I got my work bench fully reestablished and started working on 28mm samurai again... I had been previously working on a variety of mini projects at my buddy George's house. Thanks, George, for lending me your space! With any luck, I'll get a digital camera going again and share some photos... Until then...

Have a great Wednesday!

And good gaming to you!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos 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).

NEWS: Life-size New Castle In the Works (22 November 2008)

2008-11-22T07:42:00.000-08:00

.Top: Maksim acquires new real estate...

Hi Reader,

I’ve come along to an important decision for the future of this blog that has been a long time in the making: I’m going to switch the content of this blog over entirely to hobby-related or soft content. When I originally became a blogger, I wanted to write a blog that encompassed the entirety of who I was, but over time, I’ve come to realize that my key enjoyment of writing 6mm-Minis has been related to the hobby-related or soft content: pictures of minis, reports of gaming sessions, light-hearted jokes, etc. While I enjoyed the journal-like aspects of the blog and found them useful (I’ve actually kept the vast majority of my hobby-related New Years Resolutions for a number of years running now), I think that a healthy separation of the two is a good idea.

So, in that light, I plan to split the blog into two pieces:
1. 6mm-Minis will become a blog entirely devoted to hobby-related and soft content.
2. A separate blog will be created in the future to discuss everything else.

And in personal news, I’m just about to achieve one of my big life goals: to become a home-owner. I wanted to become a home-owner many years ago in the 1990s but circumstances conspired against me and my life goal never became feasible. Now it has. It took a lot of hard work, but soon I will have a pad of my own. With any luck, I will be moving into a home within the next two weeks and be fully settled in before the end of December.

And that means that my long-term goal of being the guy to host the big games will soon come to fruition. For years, I’ve always been the guy who faithfully attended the games that other folks hosted. I tried hosting games at my tiny apartment for a period of about 10 months in 2006 and 2007, but always found the lack of space confining. And at one point, I hosted at a local library in a community room but again found the limitations… well, too limiting. Well, for years I’ve been admiring all of those gentlemen gamers out there who could have a dedicated gaming room, a place to regularly set up and host games. And soon that will be me!

The new place I’m about to close on has a large well-lit garage with plenty of work space for projects and a large two-car garage worth of open area in which to set up tables and host games. It also has built-in shelves along one wall and extensive additional lighting overhead. I’m planning on turning it into a dedicated project area / gaming room. For a first step, I plan to paint the area and populate it with a few fold up tables over a carpet. I try to keep my initial goals modest.

And I’m planning to have a housewarming event for as many of my local gaming friends as possible sometime in January or February 2009. So, here’s hoping to great success!

A brief break down of the local November gaming meet:

Sunday November 16th
MWS Meeting

1. Game Rules: AK47
Genre: Modern 20th Century Conflict - Fiction
Mini Scale: 15mm
# of Players: 6 players, 1 referee
Opponents: 3 African dictators
Brief Game synopsis: Looked like fun. Seeing all the 60s
Soviet kit running around a shanty town was a blast.

2. Game Rules: FWC (Future War Commander)
Genre: Science Fiction
Mini Scale: 6mm
# of Players: 5 players, 1 referee
Opponents: 3 Space Marine sides, 1 Eldar side, 1 Tyranid side
Game synopsis: This was the lcub's first playtest of FWC and we liked it. Some of us had played one of the rule set's predecessors BKC so we had an inkling of what was going to happen. The game, despite having five sides broke down into two fights nd went well. We all learned something about the game and had a good time. It also gave me the excuse to pull out my massive Epic collection and get the lead moving. Good fun for all.

Have a great Saturday!

Good gaming to all of you out there!

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos 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).

MINI WARGAMING: "Barbarians on the Bench" (14 October 2008)

2008-10-14T05:49:00.001-07:00

.
Top: Conan says "Bring those Barbarians on!"

Hi Everyone,

I've missed posting, but my camera has been on the fritz and the Jewish holidays hit so I've been rather occupied. I haven't given up on gaming and attended a 1920s Bootlegger Gangster game last week as well as the September MWS meet in which I played a zombie game.

Dick wrote this about the September 2008 MWS meet:

Maks and Joe R. killed my zombie horde. Mostly with a flare gun, pistol, and a chainsaw. Maks's farm girl was the Lara Croft of the cornfield and Joe's Sheriff was unusually accurate for a small town lawman. Nice change of pace game.

And Mark wrote this about last week's Bootlegger Gangster game:

The Gangster game was well attended. We had the kids (Dave and Pete), George, Mike McGraw, Mike O., Roger M., Maksim, and John all play. Not bad for a first time out. The gangsters rules will need a little more work and the scenario as well. Still, it was fun and got a lot of attention as being unique.

And he wrote us this snippet beforehand:

So I will run the Gangster game this Friday. I have the trucks, figures, some buildings and 6 cobblestone sheets to be the streets. This is more a trial run of a game to be done again later.

I actually have figures for 7 gangs if we get that many players. Two gangs will be made up of former cowboy figures that work, i.e., my Pinkertons, and the figures in long coats that hide their holsters, or that are only armed with a shotgun. The actual gangster figures are the Sepia gang, the Dorians (Primarily Grey), the Cat Litter gang, (Base flocking material), My Cops (Boys in Blue), and "Fat Guys and Dolls" (6 armed women with 4 fat guys, painted by my daughter Carly).

Be there about 6 to start. Rules are a simple modification of Legends of the Old West, with Tommy guns added, melee simplified, movement and shooting order randomized and hopefully lots of prohibition gun play.

The game turned out well for a playtest session and there was plenty of rumbl'in on the streets of our berg.

My workbench has a couple of projects on it right now:

1. 28mm Samurai
(…Jones'ing to do some Oriental Adventures again, played a game early this year and loved it. Might want to try a Clan Wars themed game…)

2. 28mm Crusaders
(Also Jones'ing to do a Crusades game or a medieval siege with my Saracens. Hattin might be fun…)

3. 28mm Pirates
(Been enjoying these guys for some time now… have played several historical games and am ready for fantasy pirates games next… building up undead and orc pirate crews)

4. 28mm Barbarians AKA Picts AKA Celts AKA Gauls Etc.
(Bought a nice second-hand Minifigs army that needs to be re-based. I'd like to play WAB with it.)

I've been mostly working on the Barbarians. I think I've watched Gladiator too many times now.

Top: Barbarians; They don't look like much...
...until a zillion of 'em swarm you!

And, of course, like every gamer out there, I have half a dozen other projects, but they are all in storage waiting for attention. I can't wait to do some more 6mm or 10mm sci-fi and AIW microarmor. Amazingly, I've kept some project discipline and have been cranking out minis this year. Monsterpocalypse also makes me want to break out the kaiju… LOL ;o)

Have a great Tuesday!
And good gaming to you!

HOLIDAYS: Shana Tova! Happy 5769 New Year!

2008-09-30T04:26:00.000-07:00

. TOP: It's customary to blow the Shofar on Rosh Hoshanah.

Hi Everyone,

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone and especially my Jewish readers a: happy, safe and prosperous New Year!

The Jewish New Year began at sundown yesterday, Monday, 29 September 2008.

The Jewish year is 5769 ...(Counting the years since the creation of Adam and Eve).

The proper greeting in Hebrew for the Jewish New Year is Shana Tova: Shana means "year" and Tova means "good."

May we all have a Shana Tova!

My friend Yehuda always has a a great way of expressing the right thoughts for the holiday:
http://jergames.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-new-year.html

Let's all have a happy and healthy new year. This year, let's make peace with those with whom we've been meaning to make peace. This year, let's forgive those who don't deserve it, but against whom holding a grudge is doing more harm to us than to them. This year, let's start and finish at least one of those things we've been meaning to: a game, a story, a trip, a proposal, a business, a move, a routine.
This year make the world better. Start with yourself. Then your family. Then your block. Then your community. Then your country. Then your planet.

And my friend Treppenwitz AKA David puts it even shorter, but just as sweet:
http://bogieworks.blogs.com/treppenwitz/2008/09/a-simple-wish.html

... that this year should be a sweet one filled with health, happiness and prosperity.

Here’s a little Rosh Hashanah primer for all of my non-Jewish friends and readers who don’t know the difference between Rosh Hashanah and Riki Tiki Tavi, but would like to...
— (from Wikipedia):

“The traditional greeting on Rosh Hashanah is “Shana Tova,” Hebrew for “A Good Year,” or “Shana Tova Umetukah” for “A Good and Sweet Year.” Because Jews are being judged by God for the coming year, a longer greeting translates as “May You Be Written and Sealed for a Good Year” (ketiva ve-chatima tovah).
During the afternoon of the first day occurs the practice of tashlikh, in which prayers are recited near natural flowing water, and one’s sins are symbolically cast into the water.

Many also have the custom to throw bread or pebbles into the water, to symbolize the “casting off” of sins. The traditional service for tashlikh is recited individually and includes the prayer “Who is like unto you, O God…And You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea”, and Biblical passages including Isaiah 11:9 (”They will not injure nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”) and Psalms 118:5-9, 121 and 130, as well as personal prayers.
Rosh Hashanah meals often include apples and honey, to symbolize a “sweet new year”. Various other foods with a symbolic meaning may be served, depending on local minhag (custom), such as tongue or other meat from the head (to symbolise the “head” of the year). Other symbolic foods are dates, black-eyed beans, leek, spinach and gourd, all of which are mentioned in the Talmud. Pomegranates are used in many traditions: the use of apples and honey is a late medieval Ashkenazi addition, though it is now almost universally accepted. Typically, round challah bread is served, to symbolize the cycle of the year.”

And lastly, I want wish a special Shana Tova to two local gamers, Hal L. and George G., who are both incredibly positive people, and have been bringing joy to my life every time we get a chance to game together.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos 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).

COOL STUFF: Talk Like a Pirate Day 2008!

2008-09-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

Top: Cap'n Rackham's colurs...

Ahoy Mateys,

Avast me hearties...

Ye best be rememberin that 19 September is thee annual Talk Like a Pirate Day!

So's wherever ye are--at port, or out ta sea, or in the dungeon, don't ferget ta use yer best pirate voice at all times, or ye may end up tied to the yard arm, or in Davie Jone's locker at the bottum of da briney sea.

Aaarrrrr... ye scurvy dogs, ye best folla da Pirate's code, or suffer yer fate.

Avast scum!!!

Here be the link to the Talk Like a Pirate Web Site:
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/

TOP: And it wouldn't be a proper Pirate Day without......a gratuitous wench or two! Yaarrggghhh!

Aaargh...Remember, those that go there during ye work time will have to waaaalk the plaaaank!!!

Yo ho ho...

Shalom,
Cap'n Maksim "Peg-leg" Smelchak.

P.S.
A hearty greet'ins to me mate, the right honurable Commander "Tas" of da Ozzie Navy!

P.S.S.
One more hearty greet'ins to me mate, Cap'n Stephan "Poopdeck" LeFeb... whatever! Ahoy, mate!

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos 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).

HUMOUR: "Best Comeback Evah!" (26 August 2008)

2008-08-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

.Top: Clever cop doesn't put up with criminal lawyer guff...

Hi All,

I've always had an odd sense of humour as anyone who knows me or follows my blog can tell you. My buddy Leopold sent me this one and I thought it well worth sharing. I stood jury duty earlier this year and wish we had a cop on the stand like this one.

If you ever testify in court, you might wish you could have been as sharp as this policeman. He was being cross-examined by a defense attorney during a felony trial. The lawyer was trying to undermine the policeman's credibility...
Q: 'Officer -- did you see my client fleeing the scene?'
A: 'No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away.'

Q: 'Officer -- who provided this description?'
A: 'The officer who responded to the scene.'

Q: 'A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?'
A: 'Yes, sir. With my life.'

Q: 'With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?'
A: 'Yes sir, we do!'

Q: 'And do you have a locker in the room?'
A: 'Yes sir, I do.'

Q: 'And do you have a lock on your locker?'
A: 'Yes sir.'

Q: 'Now why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?'
A: 'You see, sir -- we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.'

The courtroom EXPLODED with laughter, and a prompt recess was called. The officer on the stand has been nominated for this year's 'Best Comeback' line -- and we think he'll win.

I hope to post some mini photos soon as well. I've played quite a few mini games lately:

- 28mm Pig Wars (Hungarians vs. Irish vs. French)

- 28mm Legend of the High Seas (pirates)

- 28mm Warhammer Fantasy Battles (undead vs. orcs)

- 10mm Alien Squad Leader (Bugs vs. Imperials)

- And several more...

Just have to haul my lazy tush out to process the photos and write the gaming sessions up... LOL ;o)

Have a great Tuesday!
And good gaming to you!

HUMOUR: "My Kingdom All But For a Cheeto..." (10 August 2008)

2008-08-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

TOP: Cheetos, they can really trip you up...

Hi All,

I've always had an odd sense of humour as anyone who knows me or follows my blog can tell you. And one of my humour quirks is that I absolutely adore "stupid criminal" stories. There's something universally appealing about knowing that someone else out there puts your very own, worst personal gaffs to rest ...in very spectacular ways.

One of my very favorite "stupid criminal" stories came from back East during the snow season quite a few years back... apparently several "really stupid" criminals got caught because they robbed a bank and then... walked back in the snow (...leaving foot prints - Doh!) back to their apartments. And you can guess that they were summarily caught and arrested. I get a warm feeling in my gut just thinking about that story. Call it schadenfreude, but I still enjoy it.

Definition of schadenfreude:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude

But this story puts my favorite "stupid criminal" snow story to rest:

Cops follow Cheetos trail to nail burglar suspects
August 7, 2008
ST. PAUL—St. Paul police followed a trail of Cheetos in order to nab three teenagers suspected of burglarizing a vending machine. Officers were called to the Arlington Recreation Center on July 29, where they found a vending machine's glass had been broken with a chair.
Most of the candy and chips were missing, according to a criminal complaint in Ramsey County District Court.
The officers followed the orange, dusty trail from the rec center, around the side of the building and to a nearby home. Inside, they found numerous vending-sized bags of Cheetos and other snacks.
Police arrested three males aged 17, 18 and 19 who soon arrived at the home by car...
...All three denied being involved, the complaint says.
Please follow the link below for the full article and not just an excerpt.

Link to full story here:
http://ncane.com/b8uq

I'll be out at the August MWSS meeting today playing Pig Wars in 28mm...

Have a great Sunday!
And good gaming to you!

MINI WARGAMING: "Battle of Basrah" (24 July 2008)

2008-07-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

TOP: Turn 1: An aerial view of the Battle of Basrah 1914-15...

...with Allies on the left and the Ottomans on the right.

Hi All,

Last Friday on 18 July 2008, a number of gentleman got together to play a colonial game, although a late colonial game from World War I. Mark Steinberg and Mike McGraw hosted. The game was loosely based on the actual Battle of Basrah from 1914-15 although the results (an allied defeat) much more resembled the Siege of Kut, the battle that followed Basrah in 1915-16. For those readers still gaining proficiency in geography, Basrah is located in modern-day Iraq.

It was a great game with lots of beautiful terrain, a host of 28mm figures, a British armored car, several light artillery pieces, two massive river boats, the French Foreign Legion, plenty of Brits, plenty of Scots, Indian troops, Arabs, Askaris, Boers, and everything a colonial-minded gamer could adore. I had a fabulous time and it was a great way to spend a lazy evening.

Mark's notes:

Here are some photos of the BASRAH 1915 game. Players were Maksim, Tim, Mike McGraw, Mike O., Hal L., and Nils. I took the photos. Observers included Carl O., Jim C. and Mark Cuomo, Mikos, Mike S., Marcus, and George G.

And the photos:

TOP: By turn 3, the Allies (left) had taken considerable casualties.

TOP: One of the mighty riverboats, that arrived too late!

TOP: The other mighty riverboat!

TOP: The two boats heading upriver to Basrah.

TOP: The mighty river itself!
Ottoman lines on the right.

TOP: The Ottomans had the advantage of holding the town...

And the Germans had vowed "...to fight to the last Arab."

TOP: Maksim's Arabs set up in a strong town building...
The fellows out of cover were quickly routed.

TOP: The British forces were bolstered by an armored car (left).
It's machine gun tore up Ottoman lines.

TOP: The brave Scots troops charged Basrah with valor in their hearts...
...to no avail!
TOP: A set of ruins in the foreground saved the Allies from a worse defeat.
TOP: By turn 2, the Allied ranks had been decimated by rifle fire.

TOP: But the Allies still held the rocky outcrops outside Basrah.

TOP: Part of the motley crew of Colonial heroes!

The game itself went well and all had a good time, but the scenario was, perhaps tilted a little in favor of the Ottoman side since by turn two, the allied lines had been considerably thinned. In fact, the game was an absolute bloodbath with both sides taking roughly 40% to 70% casualties within just three turns! Next time, the Allies will receive more troops and the Ottomans less and we can see how it turns out!

Link to Battle of Basrah (1914-15):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Basra_%281914%29

First Link to Siege of Kut (1915-16):

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

Second Link to Siege of Kut (1915-16):

http://www.1914-1918.net/meso_bat3.htm

Have a great Thursday!

And good gaming to you!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos 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).

COOL STUFF: "An Outsider's View of Star Wars" (6 July 2008)

2008-07-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

TOP: Star Wars, still a classic...

Hi All,

I can't imagine a world without Star Wars. While I was born before it came out, I was young (...and impressionable) when it came out. I remember collected Star Wars figures of which my sister summarily beheaded as one of those sibling rivalry pranks we all do... I also remember playing Star Wars on the playground with other grade schoolers SO...

When perusing my friend Yehuda's blog the other day ago, I was SHOCKED to discover that Yehuda had apparently NEVER seen the Star Wars film before! Yehuda's review is written as an outsider, someone not completely taken in by the Star Wars cult... which made it rather novel in my eyes. Here we live in a world where many UK citizens publicly declare their religion to be "THE FORCE" and Yehuda had still never seen the films, while living in the Western world... To gosh and beyond...

Please enjoy this short excerpt from Yehuda's review and then find the link below to the entire shebang.

First movie (The Phantom Menace)
This was a neat movie. The good guys and their light swords are ubercool. Obi-Wan, Qui Jon, Yoda, and Palpatine are all played well enough, although they don't exhibit much more than one-dimensional personalities. Padme is a feisty heroine, but she really doesn't have much to do or say in the movie. She just wanders around.
It culminates in a battle to recapture the Naboo palace, and a wicked fight scene with light sabers.
Unfortunately, the actors who play Anakin and his mother are pretty bad, as are some of the hokey lines of dialog. Some of the dialog is inconsistent. For instance, the mother lets Anakin go off with Qui Gon Jinn to be a Jedi, and then two seconds later Anakin asks if he can go. Du-uh.
The Trade Federation's droids are supposed to be menacing, but they're fairly ineffective and say a lot of things that don't make sense for a droid, such as "Uh oh". And there's a race of annoying aquatic people on Naboo who talk with Jamaican accents and blubber a lot, added as comic relief. They were dispensable.

I think Yehuda about summed up the Star Wars Episode I film in those few sentences. Jar-Jar Binks is pretty universally despised and "dispensable" seems just about right for him... maybe too kind. Uggh.

The rest of his comments were fun too... it's just hard to know if Yehuda was being sarcastic or if his review is as sincere as it appears. It seems so hard to imagine that an adult male could have missed Star Wars altogether unless they were cloistered in a monastery, prison, or some other sort of similar explanation. Of course, Yehuda is also a dedicated family man and that's as good an excuse as any. But still... LOL

Read Yehuda's review with all six Star Wars films here:

http://jergames.blogspot.com/2008/07/review-star-wars.html

Have a great Sunday!
And good gaming to you!

MINI WARGAMING: "Barbary Pirates Are Back!" (23 June 2008)

2008-06-23T04:16:00.000-07:00

TOP: The workbench is cluttered as usual!

Hi All,

Well, any weekend I get to work on the hobby is a good one and I was able to spend a good amount of this past weekend working on miniatures projects.

The above photo is of a 1'x1' project board loaded up with models. On the far right is a Flagship Games resin ship loaded up with some of my 28mm undead pirate crew. To the upper left of the photo are some armored orcs that I picked up cheaply awhile back. And most of the rest of that project board is covered with orcs that I am converting to become a 28mm fantasy pirate crew.

As a side note, I picked up the "project board" practice from an old gamer buddy of mine named Kris. He would buy a cheap sheet of chipboard and have it cut up into rough 1'x1' sheets. The typical 2' x4' sheet yields eight "project boards" They're sort of like building puzzles on a flat piece of card board. By working on the "project boards" I save my tabletops and they make it easy to move projects around. At any rate, I found it a good idea years ago and am still using them to the present day. Thanks, Kris!

I've also been saving spare plastic 20mmx20mm mini bases for my fellow blogger and gamer, Drunken Samurai. If you've never checked out his blog, I highly recommend you do so. He does some pretty neat work.

Drunken Samurai URL located here:

http://dspaintingblog.blogspot.com/

Please excuse the low quality of the photos. I was having some difficulty with my digital camera and decided to go with low-quality shots rather than have none to share.

TOP: 25mm Barbary Pirate crew - mostly RAFM Ottomans and pirates.

Well, I'm up to almost 30 Barbary pirate figures at this point divided into two crews of fifteen men each. The above unit is mostly equipped with firearms. I got a deal on some old RAFM Turk and Ottoman figures so the latest acquisition really plumped out my tiraleurs (riflemen). The last batch proved difficult to work with, but this batch was a breeze. I'll update this post later with product numbers.

I haven't found a good ship for these fellows yet, but I have an extra galley or two that might do the trick.

TOP: 28mm Barbary pirate crew: mostly old RAFM.

The above lot is mostly a close-combat crew armed with cutlasses and various small arms. The two gorilla-like corsairs had their weapon swaps repositioned to stick straight up so that they'll rank better. The RAFM figures are definitely older 25mm ones and they are puny compared to "heroic sculpts" of 28mmm or larger scale.

TOP: 28mm armored orcs ... in need of headgear!

And the last batch if figures that I worked on have been orcs for my nephew Vincent's upcoming 28mm fantasy orc army. I picked up this batch of armored orcs used somewhere... I think that they are Harlequin / Black Tree although they might also be RAFM. I have a bunch of GW Bretonnian heads with nice medieval helms in my bitz box so I'm planning to add headgear to these fellows in the near future.

Have a great Monday!

And good gaming to you!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

HUMOUR: "Pilots & Mechanics: A Love Affair" (19 June 2008)

2008-06-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

.
TOP: UPS delivers anywhere, anyhow!

Hi All,

My good friend Stephane Aramande sent me this one:

Just in case you need a laugh: Remember it takes a college degree to fly a plane, but only a high school diploma to fix one; let that be a relief to those of us who fly routinely in our jobs. After every flight, UPS pilots fill out a form, called a 'gripe sheet,' which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor.
TOP: Those wacky men and their flying machines.
Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by UPS pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.
By the way, UPS is the only major airline that has never had an accident.
P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

*P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

*P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

*P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

*P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

*P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

*P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

*P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what friction locks are for.

*P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

*P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

*P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

*P: Aircraft handles funny. ...
(I love this one!)
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right and be serious.

*P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

*P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.*
And the best one for last:
*P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

I always enjoy a good laugh... LOL

Have a great Thursday!

FUN VIDEOS: "Dance Off With the Star Wars Stars 2008" (18 June 2008)

2008-06-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

First of all, I'm sharing the above video, which I thought was really amusing. If the first two dance numbers are a tad annoying, please hold out for the third, Lord Vader comes out to do one of my all-time favorite Michael Jackson numbers (Forward to about the 3:00 minute mark if you want to skip the first two dance numbers). It worth it for no other reason than to see Lord Vader's head bobble in that characteristic Michael Jackson way...

I've also been keeping busy lately... but haven't forgotten gaming. The June MWS meet went really well with almost twenty attendees AGAIN!

We had three games:

Starmada
(...in "starship scale" or some ridiculously puny number such as 1/3,000)
[Vince had set up a scenario between Chinese and German future fleets.]
Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) for Miniatures
(...in 6mm or 1/285 scale)
[Eric set up a WWII Western Front scenario with Americans confronting dug-in Germans.]
Hordes of The Things (HOTT)
(...in 15mm scale)
[Joe set up a cool little series of games with Orcs battling Dwarf Kings laden with treasure.]

And despite not playing in any of the games, I had a great time. Gaming, for me, has always really been about friends, camaraderie, and having a good time. And the MWSS (Miniatures Wargaming Society of Sacramento) has really been delivering lately.

We have a new schedule too:

The new schedule for the Miniature Wargaming Society of Sacramento is:
Day / Date /Time:
Sunday = 7/13/8 = 10am-6pm
Sunday = 8/10/8 = 11am-7pm
Saturday = 9/27/8 = 11am-7pm
Saturday = 10/18/8 = 12am-8pm
Sunday = 11/16/8 = 11am-7pm
Saturday = 12-20-8 = 12am-7pm
All meetings at the Carmichael Library located at 5605 Marconi Ave in Sacramento

I'm looking forward to gaming much more this year with MWS AKA MWSS. I hope to host a few more 28mm pirate games, maybe a few 28mm WAB games, and possibly a 6mm Kaiju / Godzilla game soon among my other wishes and long shots!

I'm also excited to be going on a vacation trip to New York in the first week of July. I'll be visiting my uncle, some old friends, and even, perhaps, getting a choice game or two in. Here's hoping...

And one other quick news tidbit:

My buddy Tas in the land of Oz has re-started his old OGRE web site as a blog... find it here:
http://ogrerecognitionmanual.blogspot.com/

So, good gaming to you!
And have a great Wednesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

MINI WARGAMING: "May MWS Meeting & Life" (4 June 2008)

2008-06-04T04:57:00.000-07:00

TOP: A Babylon-5 Centauri starship, the Primus battlecruiser.

Hi All,

It's been a busy past few weeks... I have so much on my plate and gaming has been lower priority for the most part... NOT that I haven't been getting some in! I still have some priorities! May was a good month. The MWS meeting was pleasant and we had about sixteen attendees. Two games were run.

TOP: An ASL game... Without miniatures.

The first game was a 6mm ASL (Advanced Squad Leader) miniatures adaptation game run by Eric, our local microamror houd (...other than myself, of course). He had an interesting WWII Eastern Front battle with Russians advancing across a river bridge against determined German defenders. The game went well and I was sorry I missed it. I did, however, get to help set up the board... nothing like placing some six-odd zillion littles trees down... LOL ;o) Thanks, Eric!

TOP: A Babylon-5 starship, a White Star destroyer.

The second big game was run by Russel, a local Babylon-5 Starship Maniac, and was alot of fun. Russel is well-known by my friend Chern ,who recently had a birthday (Happy Belated Birthday, Chern!), and they often see each other at local gamign conventions playing B-5. I haven't played B-5 in ages (...probably at least two to three years ago with Chern) so it was alot of fun. Russel set up two sides, an Earth Federation side with lots of fancy hardware and a League of Unaligned Planets with Brakiri and Vree ships. I, of course, took a Vree battlewagon or two nd my side was... of course, slaughtered. The Earth ships have a great mix of defensive systems (interceptors) and offensive sytems (long-range missiles and powerful beams). Of course, it didn't help that my side lost nearly every initiative round. It was a great game and I really enjoyed seeing my friends and rolling the old "knucklebones" (dice).

On the miniatures front, I've been slowly and steadly pumping out 28mm orcs & pirates. This past weekend, I built some RAFM 28mm armored orcs as well as the beginnings of a 28mm orc & gobbo pirate crew. I will hopefully have some time to put out some photos soon...

In other news, Israel Independence Day or Yom Ha-Atzma'ut just passed and I enjoyed celebrating that.

To learn more about the holiday, please check out this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Ha-Atzmaut

And to keep this post from becoming just a boring news spread, I'm sharing an amusing article I read on the Modern Crossfire Yahoo Discussion group:

TOP: The venerable Moisin Nagant rifle.
AK-47: It works though you have never cleaned it. Ever.
AR-15: You have $9 per ounce special non-detergent synthetic Teflon infused oil for cleaning.
Mosin-Nagant: It was last cleaned in Berlin in 1945.
AK-47: You are able to hit the broad side of a barn from inside.
AR-15: You are able to hit the broad side of a barn from 600 meters.
Mosin-Nagant: You can hit the barn from two miles away.

AK-47: Cheap mags are fun to buy.
AR-15: Cheap mags melt.
Mosin-Nagant: What's a mag?

AK-47: Your safety can be heard from 300 meters away.
AR-15 You can silently flip off the safety with your finger on the trigger.
Mosin-Nagant: What's a safety?

AK-47: Your rifle comes with a cheap nylon sling.
AR-15: Your rifle has a 9-point stealth tactical suspension system.
Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle has a dog collar.

AK: Your bayonet makes a good wire cutter.
AR-15: Your bayonet is actually a pretty good steak knife.
Mosin-Nagant: Your bayonet is longer than your leg.

AK-47: You can put a .30" hole through 12" of oak.
AR-15: You can put one hole in a paper target at 100 meters with 10 rounds.
Mosin-Nagant: You knock down everyone else's target with the shockwave of your bullet going downrange.

AK-47: When out of ammo, your rifle will nominally pass as a club.
AR-15: When out of ammo, your rifle makes a great wiffle bat.
Mosin-Nagant: When out of ammo, your rifle makes a supreme war club, pike, boat oar, tent pole, or firewood.

AK-47: Recoil is manageable, even fun.
AR-15: What's a recoil?
Mosin-Nagant: Recoil is often used to fix shoulders dislocated by the previous shot.

AK-47: Your sight adjustment goes to 10, and you've never bothered moving it.
AR-15: Your sight adjustment is incremented in fractions of minute of angle.
Mosin-Nagant: Your sight adjustment goes to 2000 meters, and you've actually tried it.
TOP: The modern AK-47 automatic assault rifle.

AK-47: Your rifle can be used by any two-bit nation's most illiterate conscripts to fight elite forces worldwide.
AR-15: Your rifle is used by elite forces worldwide to fight two-bit nations' most illiterate conscripts.
Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle has fought against itself - and won everytime.

AK-47: Your rifle won some revolutions.
AR-15: Your rifle drove Saddam out of Kuwait.
Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle won a pole vault event.

AK-47: You paid $330.
AR-15: You paid $900.
Mosin-Nagant: You paid $59.95.

AK-47: You buy cheap ammo by the case.
AR-15: You lovingly reload precision crafted rounds one by one.
Mosin-Nagant: You dig your ammo out of a farmer's field in Ukraine and it works just fine.

AK-47: You can intimidate your foe with the bayonet mounted.
AR-15: Your foes laugh when you mount your bayonet.
Mosin-Nagant: You can bayonet your foe on the other side of the stream without leaving the comfort of your hole.

AK-47: Any fool can be taught to field strip it.
AR-15: Anyone with an IQ over 160 can be taught to field strip it.
Mosin-Nagant: What's field stripping?

AK-47: Service life, 50 years.
AR-15: Service life, 40 years.
Mosin-Nagant: Service life, 101 years, and counting.

AK-47: It's easier to buy a new rifle when you want to change cartridge sizes.
AR-15: You can change cartridge sizes with the push of a couple of pins and a new upper.
Mosin-Nagant: You believe no real man would dare risk the ridicule ofhis friends by suggesting there is anything but 7.62x54 R.

AK-47: You can repair your rifle with a big hammer and a swift kick.
AR-15: You can repair your rifle by taking it to a certified gunsmith, if it's under
warranty!
Mosin-Nagant: If your rifle breaks, you pick up another one.

AK-47: You consider it a badge of honor when you get your handguards burst into
flames.
AR-15: You consider it a badge of honor when you shoot a sub-MOA 5 shot group.
Mosin-Nagant: You consider it a badge of honor when you cycle 5 rounds without the aid of a 2x4.

AK-47: You can accessorize you rifle with a new muzzle brake or a nice stock set.
AR-15: Your rifle's accessories are eight times more valuable than your rifle.
Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle's accessory is a small tin can with a funny lid, but it's buried under an apartment building somewhere in Budapest.

AK-47: Your rifle's finish is varnish and paint.
AR-15: Your rifle's finish is Teflon and high-tech polymers.
Mosin-Nagant: Your rifle's finish is low-grade shellac, cosmoline, and Olga's toe nail polish.

AK-47: After cleaning your rifle you have a strong urge for a stiff shot of vodka.
AR-15: After cleaning your rifle you have a strong urge for hot dogs and apple pie.
Mosin-Nagant: After cleaning your rifle you have a strong urge for shishkabob.

AK-47: After a long day the range, you relax by watching Red Dawn.
AR-15: After a long day at the range, you relax by watching Black Hawk Down.
Mosin-Nagant: After a long day at the range, you relax by visiting the chiropractor.
TOP: The Stoner rifle, which later became the M-16 AKA M-4 series.

AK-47: Late at night you sometimes have to fight the urge to hold yourrifle over your head and shout "Wolverines!"
AR-15: Late at night you sometimes have to fight the urge to clear your house, slicing the pie from room to room.
Mosin-Nagant: Late at night, you sometimes have to fight the urge to dig a fighting trench in the yard to sleep in.

AK-47: Your wife tolerates your autographed framed picture of Mikhail Kalashnikov.
AR-15: Your wife tolerates your autographed framed picture of Eugene Stoner.
Mosin-Nagant: Are there even photographs of Sergi Ivanovich Mosin
and Leon Nagant?

A link to the Modern Crossfire Yahoo Discussion group:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/moderncrossfire/

And one more link to an interesting set of miniatures photos from the recent Enfilade gaming convention:

http://max.velocity.home.comcast.net/~max.velocity/enfilade08/

Have a great Wednesday!

Good gaming to you!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

COOL STUFF: "Star Wars in France!" (14 May 2008)

2008-05-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

. TOP: Darth Vader clearly knows how to...

Dominate French apartment blocks.

Hi All,

I had a busy weekend with Mothers Day and all, and barely got to touch my models. My mother and sister both love drinking tea and collecting tea cups and that's what we did... head off to a British tea house and have a tea party, from appetizers to horsdoeuvres and multiple courses of tea, of course, we did it all.

In gaming news, my 28mm Barbary Pirates crew is nearly done and I've started putting together a 28mm Orc-Gobbo pirate crew. Thanks to the awesome folks at Black Cat Miniatures, I have a few new goblins, some excellent sculpts of some Gobbo natives and a few more piratey greenskins in tricornes with cutlasses and flintlocks. I hope to share pictures when available.

I haven't written about Star Wars in some time although I have plenty of material to farm out when I have more time to blog again. There are some rumors that a new Star Wars television series will soon be coming out. I've heard conflicting rumors that the new series might be animated or live action. I have no idea as to the veracity of the rumors.

The below link is very clever insertion of Star Wars characters and images into still life photos taken in France. I thought they were very clever and would invite you to take a look. I enjoyed them. I always knew that France always had a bit of "evil empire" lurking under its "wine & snails" exterior... LOL ;o)

Link below:
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1738796,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

============

This year, 2008, has also a tremendous year for history, between folks like Arthur C. Clarke, Gary Gyax, and so many others, we've really lost some major history makers. May they all rest in peace. One of the most recent deaths I heard of was of a woman named Irena Sendler, an amazing Polish-Catholic woman who represents what I find good in the world. You see, she rescued upwards of 2,500 Jewish children from the Nazi Holocaust. The Nazis later captured her and tortured her, but she was able to escape and has always taken pride in her actions to save those children. Her story is an amazing one and well worth reading.

Link here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler

May Irena Sendler rest in peace.

Have a great Wednesday!

Good gaming to you!

POSITIVE VIBES: Taxis & Happiness (7 May 2008)

2008-05-07T06:03:00.001-07:00

TOP: One taxi ride away from happiness...

Hi All,

We've all had many challenges in life and been down at times. I have, you have, it's part of the human condition... at some point, you have to be unhappy. However, that unhappiness is always relative. Your worst day may seem like a wonderful day to a soldier returning from Iraq. He or she is simply happy to be out of danger, with their family again, and enjoying the many blessings of living in the United States. I have a friend, Deborah, who is one of those positive people who always seems to be able to find the "sunny side" even on cruddy days when she's cranky and unhappy. I suspect that one of her "pep-me-ups" is to find positive stories and share them with her friends on the Internet.

The story I'm about to share with you is one such "pep-you-up" that Deborah sent me...

Subject: Taxi's, Happiness & Compassion
Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.

So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said.
I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."

"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a Hospice."

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter..

"What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered.
"There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and
gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said.

"Thank you."

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT 'YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~ THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

I have no idea if the story is real or simply an anecdote. Truthfully said, I'm not sure if it matters.

And if I didn't mention it, Deborah is legally blind... yet she "sees" far more than I ever seem to... LOL ;o)

Have a great Wednesday!

MINI WARGAMING: Simple Trees (3 May 2008)

2008-05-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

.
TOP: A few 28mm Arabs with some cheap plastic trees in the background.

Hi All,

I actually made these trees awhile back, but I took a few photos during my last shoot...

One of my favorite kinds of terrain is cheap, simple, quick-to-assemble terrain... Plastic trees, cactus, bushes and the like aren't so hard to find...

They often come with cheap toy packets, cake decorations, party favors, and many other sources.

I found this tree in a bin packaged with cactus and a few other pieces of foliage and it cried out to be mounted on washers with some pebbles and sand to give it a good foundation. The tree looked a bit funky before so I nipped off a spare branch and made it into a new tree.

I've found all kinds of trees over the years: evergreens, palms, oaks, those tall, skinny ones (forgot the name), and many more.

TOP: The main tree on a 1&1/2" washer.

TOP: The "nipped" branch on a 1" washer.

May your gaming be good and...

Have a great Saturday!

And Gut Shabbos to my Jewish readers!

MINI WARGAMING: 28mm Barbary Pirates (27 April 2008)

2008-04-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

TOP: My work bench is as cluttered as ever!

Hi All,

Sorry for not having updated recently... as I might have previously mentioned, I've put most of my efforts into finding a new job and pay dirt finally hit. After going to what seemed like about a million interviews, I finally got picked up and started a new job just this past week. It's a good job and came with much better pay, a shorter commute, and a great, new boss. In other words, I'm very happy and that means I can start putting my "job search" energy back into my blog! Huzzah!

Gaming has been good and the April MWS meeting was nothing short of fantastic. We had something like six games, which I'll have to write about later. Several of the local guys have taken a keen interest in FOG (Field of Glory), Osprey's new ancients rule set. That excites me since I've put alot of energy in to building some ancients armies this year, specifically a Samurai army, a barbarian army, and an Arab army. I'm looking forward to getting those minis into action!

Among my gaming musing lately has been the 28mm pirate project I've been working on. I now have a goodly-sized 28mm undead pirate crew built to complement my historical crews. I have also got an Orc / Goblin crew planned, but only a few fellows built so far. And the latest idea to captivate me has been the idea to build a 28mm Barbary Pirates / Corsairs crew and ship. I still have now firm idea what to use for a ship since the Xebec is so distinctive and noone makes a perfect match in 28mm that I'm aware of yet; I might just have to scratch-build one...

I posted in several forums soliciting advice:

Here:

http://forum.backofbeyond.de/viewtopic.php?t=5148

And here among others:

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=140000

But enough of my writing, please allow me share some minis photos with you:

TOP: Three RAFM Corsairs...

My find of three packs of the above minis are what inspired me to start a Barbary Pirates / Corsairs project. The package was labelled RAFM JT-10 CORSAIRS and came with three crewmen. The kneeling, be-turban'ed fellow on the left is armed with a musket. The center fellow is a truly gruesome sculpt with an oddly proportioned body (huge head, Popeye-like arms, etc.), but nevertheless I like 'im! His left hand comes with a pistol while his right has an oddly positioned knife. I think I'll be modifying him. The fellow on the right looks more properly Colonial Egyptian with a fez, baggy clothes, and a cutlass. Again, I think I'll play with some weapon swaps with this guy and perhaps reposition his head.

With the exception of the middle guy, the other two figures are decidedly old-school 25mm and wouldn't fit in perfectly the the overgrown scale-creep 28mm pirate figures made by most manufacturers these days. However, I'm not so picky so they'll do fine by me... even if some of their crew mates will have been obviously eating their Wheaties and genetically modified "Frankenfood."

TOP: A mix of motley old North-African & Arab sailors...

The above three figures have come from used bins and off trades for some time. The fellow holding a small chest of loot on the left is unidentified although he looks like an old 25mm Hinchcliff to me. The fellow in the middle is Ral Partha and he needs a new spear tip, of which I have a few waiting in my bitz box for him. And the fellow on the right who looks suspiciously like Sinbad came from a 1980's Grenadier line if I'm not mistaken.

TOP: 28mm Sudanese Spearmen...

My Arab WAB army is all but done with nearly 95% of the figures painted. I'm re-basing some off of fender washers onto some Litko 20mmx20mm's that I ordered. These 28mm Sudanese Spearmen are probably Artisan and Gripping Beast, but I'm not sure which are which. While they are meant for 28mm WAB El Cid, I'll have them double up for Crusades Saracens as well... And who knows, a few might even join the Barbary Pirates...

TOP: Another batch of old Arab warriors...

The above based lot have come from a variety of trades and flea markets. I have no idea who manufactured them except for the un-primed fellow leading the unit. He is Gripping Beast and out of a command pack if I'm not mistaken. Behind the Arab warriors, are some cheap plastic plants I based on fender washers.

TOP: The un-washed (...and un-primed) masses of undead pirate crew...

And lastly, the last photo is of some undead pirate crew along with Flagship Games ships in progress. The crew come from a variety of sources including Reaper, Black Cat Minis, Moonlight Minis and others.

May your gaming be good and...

Have a great Sunday!

MINI WARGAMING: "28mm Undead Pirate Crew Work" (23 March 2008)

2008-03-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

Top: Two Black Cat Minis skeleton captains.

One is customized with a GW militia pistol.

Hi All,

It's been awhile since I last posted... I've had alot going on. Prime among those obligations has been a job search. I feel like I've been to a thousand interviews, when in reality it's only been a few more than a dozen. With any luck, I'll hear back from one of the better options later this week and may be moving to a new position soon. My references have been checked and I've submitted work portfolios so here's hoping. Please wish me luck.

Top: Two Reaper Razig characters.

One is customized with a GW militia cutlass.

On the gaming front, I've been keeping busy with the local MWS gaming club... But the majority of my effort has gone into 28mm pirates. I volunteered to host a 28mm pirate game this month at MWS and DID! I wanted to give LOTHS a whirl, but I didn't have enough time to learn the system so we went with a very simplified fast version of Pirates! from Flagship Games. The game went really well and there were six players plus myself game-mastering. I ran it as a very simple beer & pretzels historical pirate bash. And true to form for Pirates!, the fellows on the smaller ships all ganged up to try and work Greg M, in the hulk. Greg was a great sport about it and I want to give my thanks to Don, Greg, Mike O., Harry, Joe and Mike W. I also owe a hearty thanks to Nils who lent me his Asian pirate ship.

Top: Another shot of the Black Cat Minis skellie captains.

Mike O. wrote this about the game:

Maksim ran his Pirates! game using a very simplified version to try out the game at theclub. Several of us had a rousing good time shooting up Greg M.'s ship!

This weekend I've been working on my 28mm fantasy undead pirates since my game finally passed. During the weeks leading up to the Pirates! game I hosted, I exclusively worked on my historical pirate crews and let the fantasy ones sit neglected. So, this weekend I pulled out the 28mm undead pirates and went to town. About a year or two ago, I first became interested in doing a 28mm undead fantasy army and at the time, one of our local gaming shops had a huge clear out sale on Reaper's 28mm Razig undead pirate faction so I bought out the lot. While I got a great deal, I also got alot of doubles and even triples of the rank & file and character minis. That's not such a problem for rank & file, but having three of the same character running about the board always looks odd so I planned to build one stock version of each character and customize any extras. I primarily used some odd metal bitz from my collection and alot of GW plastic sprue bitz from the Vampire Counts skeleton, zombie and Empire militia sprues. A last note is that all of the undead pirates are based on resin deck basing from Black Cat Miniatures.

Top: Two Reaper Razig characters.

Top: Two more Reaper Razig characters.

Top: A back view of two Reaper Razig characters.

I also bought at least two packs of Razig's Chain Gang, which I didn't care much for, but I figured would mod up well. And they did.

Top: Two originally identical mod'ed Razig Chain Gangers.

Top: A view with a watch lantern in full view.

Top: Another two Razig Chain Gangers.

Top: The last two Razig Chain Gangers.

Good gaming to you, reader!

Have a great Sunday!

GAMING NEWS: "Gygax Gone" (6 March 2008)

2008-03-06T05:34:00.000-08:00

TOP: Gary Gygax Passes Away. RIP. (4 March 2008).

Hi All,

Like alot of folks out there, I was a big Geek growing up in the 70s and 80s. Games and particularly fantasy RPGs (Role Playing Games) were huge. I studied Mythology and D&D side by side... I figured the 1rst Edition Monster Manual was at least as good as Edith Hamilton, D'Aulaires, or Bullfinch (...big mythology names).

And just the other day ago, we lost one of the big names who helped put fantasy RPGs on the map, Gary Gygax. It's pretty hard for us early D&D maniacs to imagine a D&D without Gygax... he wrote so many early novels, rule books, and left the mark of his distinctive prose across so many fun fantasy products. He could be controversial too... and he wasn't always known for being kind to his partners. I've had a chance to meet Dave Arneson, one of those legendary early partners, and it's hard to imagine D&D without those early Titans of the RPG industry. I also got to meet Gygax at a gaming convention way back when and I'm glad I had the chance to thank him. My childhood friend Ian Hess and I used to think of him as a missing entry from the 1rst Edition Deities & Demigods book...

Rather than wax on, I'm going to leave you with a few words and two links, one from TMP, and the other from Jeff Rients, who has some excellent advice how to celebrate Gygax's life.

So first my words and then the links.

For good and bad, thank you, Gary Gygax!

May you keep rolling 20's in a a better place!

Rest in Peace.

TMP link here:
http://theminiaturespage.com/news/347221/

Mighty Jeff's link here:
http://jrients.blogspot.com/2008/03/dont-mourn-death-celebrate-life.html

Have a great Thursday!

GAMING NEWS: "LOTHS Is Here!" (27 February 2008)

2008-02-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

TOP: LOTHS is a mighty fine tome!

Hi All,

Well, my copy of Warhammer Historical Legends of the High Seas (LOTHS) came in today and I'm very impressed with it. The production value is very high and after a few glances, I still have yet to find a typo. Another bonus is that the language is understandable and lavishly illustrated with diagrams. And for us miniature mavens, the most important detail of all is there... it is richly filled with photos of well-painted 28mm miniature pirates, pirate ships, and terrain.

After a cursory reading of it, I'm also impressed with the rules. They aren't quite as fast-play as Pirates! from Flagship Games, but they are about as quick-play as I think anyone could make a game using the Warhammer engine. The color text and character rules for heroes and the like are well-done... I can't wait to give them a good run-down at my local club. The campaign rules also look to be very entertaining. However, like most Warhammer games, LOTHS is a D6 based game. I've never liked the probability range on a D6 or even 2D6, but that's small price to pay for such a well written and produced rule set.

I ordered my copy from Black Scorpion Miniatures:

http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/

And took advantage of a deal to not only get LOTHS, but also two FREE minis as a promotional deal: a cabin boy and a captain! I would like to commend Black Scorpion Miniatures for excellent service.

LOTHS has its own Yahoo E-group here:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/LotHighSeas/

And I couldn't write about 28mm pirates without mentioning two of my other favorite pirate manufacturers:

http://www.flagshipgames.com/

http://www.blackcatbases.com/

I have received excellent service for many years from Flagship Games and over the last year from Black Cat Bases. Most of my ships are Flagship Games beauties and most of my newer crew will be based on resin bases from Black Cat Bases. Long live the Pirates!

Have a great Wednesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
I also wanted to mention the awesome new 28mm pirate ship that my fellow 6mm miniatures fan, Kieran made. Link here:
http://6mm.wargaming.info/page1010.shtml

FUN VIDEOS: "Star Wars According To a 3-year-old" (26 February 2008)

2008-02-26T06:47:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

I've really fallen behind on blog updates... still trying to find a new job. The search is really chewing up my free time.

And now I'm on Jury Duty for a week or two...

I've been mostly working on 28mm pirates and ships, but this past Sunday, I got to play in a CoC (Call of Cthulhu) RPG game and really enjoyed it.

Several of my friends sent me the above video "Star Wars according to a 3 year old," which I though was pretty classic. Enjoy!

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

GAMING NEWS: "February MWS Meeting AAR" (10 February 2008)

2008-02-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

TOP: Maksim-Smelchak (me!) brought some 28mm pirate ships & crews to show off.

Hi All,

I've really fallen behind on blog updates... still trying to find a new job. The search is really chewing up my free time.

However, I'm still getting in some gaming, modeling, and other good stuff... just cut out most of the time I spent on blog writing to put towards other pursuits for the time being. I hope that when I find the new job, I'll start putting more time back into the 'ol blog.

Here's a battle report from this past weekend's MWS meet...

=================

MWS Meeting / Game Day Event
Date: Sunday, 10 February 2008
Time: 11:00am to 7:00pm or so…
Location: Marconi Public Library - Community Room
Link: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/M_W_S/

Attendees:
1. Joe B.
2. Bernie
3. Mark Carper
4. Chris
5. Alex F.
6. Greg
7. Keith
8. Keith TM.
9. Kurt L.
10. Richard “Dick” M.
11. Mark from Viking Hobby
12. Mike O.
13. Barto R.
14. David R.
15. Bob S.
16. Maksim-Smelchak (me!)
17. Mike W.
18. Harry W.
19. Lots of interested library spectators…

=================

TOP: McLovins, a pre-war bombed-out department store...

...that the outlaw gang took over as their HQ.

Game #1:
Title: Junktown Episode V “A Menace in the Wastelands”
Rules: No Limits (free download)
Genre: Post-apocalyptic Sci-fi
Opponents: Junktown’s 1rst Army Division vs. the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs
Scale: 28mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/34130

Participants:
- Mark Carper – Gamemaster.
- Mike O. – General of Junktown’s 1rst Army Division.
- Maksim-Smelchak - Captain of Junktown’s 1rst Army Division.
- Richard M. – The Big Kahuna of the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs.
- Joe B. – Chief Enforcer of the Mekaniak Wasteland Outlaw Gangs.

TOP: "Air Zed," Junktown's secret weapon!

Outcome:
- The game was a draw with the early game clearly belonged to the forces of Junktown and the later game devolving into a draw as the outlaw gangs managed to hold their ground after Pyrrhic losses. However, as always the real fun in Junktown is more about abysmally bad die rolling, incredible exploits of bravery & stupidity, bad puns, good jokes, and a great feeling of camaraderie.

More photos from this game can be found here:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/28mm-Junktown_2-10-2008-/

=================

TOP: A swirling WWI dog fight over the Continent...

Game #2:
Title: “Continental Balloon Buster”
Rules: Wings of War miniatures / card game
Genre: Great War (W.W.I.) aircraft dogfights
Opponents: German balloon and fighters vs. British fighters
Scale: 1/144 or 10mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/31552

Participants:
- Mike W. – Gamemaster / German Krauts
- Barto R. – British Limeys
- Harry W. – British Limeys

TOP: British fighters successfully shot down the German Zeppelin...

...by running into it!

Outcome:
- The British managed to shoot down the German balloon although they lost two aircraft to the same balloon when they couldn’t avoid running into it. So, overall the British achieved their mission objectives.

More photos from this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/10mm-WOW_2-10-2008-/

=================

TOP: An Egyptian T-62 tank battallion advances across the Sinai...

Game #3:
Title: “Duel in the Dessert, 1973”
Rules: Cold War Commander
Genre: AIW Modern warfare during the 1973 Yom Kippur War
Opponents: Egyptian forces vs. Israeli forces in the Sinai
Scale: 1/285 or 6mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/26474

Participants:
- Bob S. - Gamemaster
- Greg: Israelis
- Keith TM: Egyptians

TOP: Israeli Ben Gurions (Centurions) counter the Egyptian attack...

Outcome:
- In a bloody battle, the Egyptians were defeated by the Israelis, although with unacceptable loss ratios.

More photos from this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/6mm-AIW-1973_2-10-2008-/

=================

TOP: 28mm Napoleonic fun was had by many...

Game #4:
Title: “Ney vs. Wellington, 16 June 1815”
Rules: Age of Eagles
Genre: Napoleonics
Opponents: British vs. French
Scale: 28mm
Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/31025

Participants:
- Alex F. - Gamemaster
- Bernie - French
- David R. - French
- Chris - British
- Keith - British

TOP: Ney's French storm through a village...

Outcome:
- The British had a terrible time of it and were defeated by the French.

More photos from this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/28mm-Napoleonics_2-10-2008-/

=================

There was also a mini-trade / swap meet that went on.

TOP: 28mm Normans, Vikings, Fantasy Dwarves & WWI were up for trade...

A beautifully painted 15mm WWII British Army was also on the block...

More general photos from the meet can be found here:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/MWS_2-10-2008_/

Have a great Tuesday!

FILMS: "Fracture = Good Flick!" (30 January 2008)

2008-01-30T04:03:00.001-08:00

Hi All,

I had the opportunity this past weekend to rent a DVD and viewed Fracture, a spank'in good murder-mystery with the impeccable Anthony Hopkins leading the cast in an antagonist / bad guy role. I really enjoyed the film and can recommend it highly. I can also say that despite Anthony Hopkins being the murderer, I was rooting for him the whole film; he played a very charismatic and likable character.

Plot summary:

Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins), a methodical structural engineer, plans a systematic way to kill his younger wife, Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz), when he discovers that she is having an affair with a police negotiator. Crawford has logically figured a way to kill his wife and involve hostage negotiator Detective Rob Nunally (Billy Burke) into his plan. After Crawford shoots his wife, the police arrive and he allows only the negotiator, Detective Nunally, to enter the house. Crawford admits to shooting his wife and that she is lying on the floor in the other room. Detective Nunally checks Jennifer out to see if she is still alive, and then he recognizes that she is his lover. Jennifer was shot in the head, but she is not dead. Detective Nunally is able to overpower Crawford and put him under arrest. Crawford is arraigned and wants an immediate trial, acting as his own lawyer.
With a signed confession and the gun, the Assistant District Attorney Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) believes he has a slam-dunk case and agrees to go to trial. What Beachum thought was a perfectly simple case ends up being a battle of wits and a psychological fight that takes him to his breaking point.
By: Douglas Young (The-Movie-Guy)

TOP: Fracture, a good murder-mystery film.

Here's a little "linkety-link" about the film:

IMDB entry for Fracture:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0488120/

Wikipedia entry for Fracture:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fracture_%28film%29

Have a great Wednesday!

MINI WARGAMING: "Added Lanterns & Doors to The 28mm Ship" (22 January 2008)

2008-01-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

TOP: The Fore Castle & Front Mast Socket of my 28mm pirate ship.

Hi All,

I've still been toiling away on my 28mm pirate ship project... and have finished the following:

- Added three pairs of conventional lanterns custom-made from card and beads.
- Finished two of the three sockets with railings for the eventual masts.
- Added two "skull lanterns" to the aft castle.
- Added three pairs of doors to the fore and aft castle cabins:
(A pair to rear aft castle cabin wall, and a pair each to the front and back of the fore castle cabin bulkhead)
- Almost finished drilling out the ship's grates.
- Added balsa wood trim across various parts of the ship.

TOP: The Aft Castle Deck with new "skull lanterns"...

...placed to the sides of the central lantern.

TOP: The Fore Castle cabin with new doors...

...and conventional lanterns added.

The project is coming along, but there's still plenty to do.

Among those chores are:

- Adding ladders between the central deck and the raised fore and aft decks.
- Adding the railing to the central deck mast socket.
- Building the three masts along with crow's nests.
- Creating three sails.
- Building the rigging.
- Adding balsa trim to much of the rest of the ship.
- Adding magnetic stripping to the aft and fore castle cabins.
- Adding steel paper to the bottoms of the aft and fore castle decks.
- Detailing.
- Basing the entire waterline ship on a piece of plasticard.
- Priming.
- Painting.

And being that real sailing ships required far more labor and skilled construction hands than my simple resin miniature, I can only imagine how much labor went into their construction. The rigging alone is tough to imagine putting together. I'm gaining new respect for the sailors of yesteryear.

A link to all of the photos I took here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/28mm_Pirates/28mm-Pirate-Ship_1-12-2008/

Good gaming to all and...

Have a great Tuesday!

MINI WARGAMING: "Epic-Armageddon Returns!" (20 January 2008)

2008-01-20T09:15:00.000-08:00

TOP: Epic-Armageddon, being played locally AGAIN!

Hi All,

Yesterday I was cruising around town with some rare free time and I stopped by A-1 Comics, a local gaming shop, to visit with my buddies and get in a board game or two when I saw a rare and very welcome sight:

Epic-Armageddon was being played AGAIN!

TOP: A 6mm sci-fi Eldar army masses for an assault.

I was pretty happy about that being that Epic-Armageddon (E-A) is one of my favorite games and both players are friends of mine, another welcome sight.

TOP: Eric "Chern" Royer, Space Marine Chapter Master.

TOP: Aaron Morneau, Master Eldar Tactician.

Aaron is talking about creating a local E-A league and he and Eric were giving E-A a spin to re-evaluate it ...after all this time. Aaron is also interested in playing Battlefleet Gothic again... Both of which are fine by me since I have un-loved painted miniatures for both games that would love to see action again!

TOP: A fourteen-year-old Space Marine bunker!

Eric made it while in the U.S. Navy.

Eric is still maintaining his wonderful web site for those interested in a variety of cool materials for Epic-Armageddon and the Babylon-5 space games.

Link here:
http://home.comcast.net/~epicarmycard/Main%20Page/Main.htm

A link to all of the photos I took of the game:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming-2008/Epic-Armaggeddon_1-19-2008_/

Good news for the 6mm sci-fi scene!

Have a great Sunday!

And if you're a Yank, enjoy the three-day MLK Day weekend!

MINI WARGAMING: "CH Has New Goodies!" (17 January 2008)

2008-01-17T05:18:00.000-08:00

TOP: 6mm sci-fi Command Horizon fighters with new 6mm ordinance.

Hi All,

Still very busy, but I took a breather moment to share the latest and greatest in 6mm sci-fi with you... Command Horizon (CH) has all kinds of new goodies coming!

Time for a quick update of what will be happening with the Command Horizon ranges this year!

Firstly, there is a new release. The first of the accessory packs for the Human Skim and Aerospace fighters is now available, enabling you to add extra armament to your models. Igor's already equipped a couple of units with them.

TOP: New 6mm sci-fi Command Horizon fighter ordinance.
CHH23 - Aerospace Weapons Twelve (12) sprues per pack.

Upgrade your Skim Fighters and Aerospace Fighters with a range of aerospace Ordinance. These extra weapons can be attached to hard points on the undersides of the wings of the models. Each sprue contains:

Light Launcher Pack (LLP)
Light Anti-Aerospace Missile (LAAM)
Medium Anti-Aerospace Missile (MAAM)
Medium Aerospace-Surface Missile (MASM)

£3.30 including VAT
£2.80 ex-Vat

The New Year seems to have kicked in several dormant circuits in Igor's brain as he has been tied to his keyboard feverishly working away on updating the Command Horizon rules, and a new version is not far away now. This year, we will continue to expand both the Human and the Centaur ranges. Both will get more infantry variants, combat engineers and aerospace craft. There are also some very nice larger models for both races on the design bench, so be prepared for some spectacular additions later in the year.

2008 will also see us add the third race to the range. For all you fans of things that slither, the Worms are coming.

We'll be attending both the Vapnartak show in York on February 3rd and the Hammerhead SF and Fantasy show in Newark on February 10th. If you want to place any pre-orders, please do get in touch. If you want to ask any more questions about what we've got planned, come and have a chat.

Cheers!

A little "linkety-link":

TMP link:
http://theminiaturespage.com/news/507051/

TGN link:
http://www.tabletopgamingnews.com/2008/01/15/12014

CH link:
https://www.commandhorizon.com/?p=127

CH 6mm Sci-fi Ordinance Link:
https://www.commandhorizon.com/?p=126

TOP: 6mm sci-fi Command Horizon fighters with new 6mm ordinance.

Good news for the 6mm sci-fi scene!

Have a great Thursday!

MINI WARGAMING: "RIF & Zombietown Are Back!" (15 January 2008)

2008-01-15T04:46:00.000-08:00

TOP: Bill Johnson, Zombie Abatement Technician IV, Specialist:

“On a Friday night, no less!

Why can’t these things eat people at nine in the morning?

Dammit, I’m claiming overtime for this.”

Hi All,

I'm still in job search mode which explains the low level of posts, but I have some more good news:

Recon In Force (RIF) is Back!

http://www.recon-in-force.com/index.html

My buddy, Vynnie, had some hosting problems but RIF is back and hopefully with its former problems solved.

TOP: A car sits on blocks at the corner of Elm street.

The night is quiet.

Vynnie also has some new material up at RIF, a wargaming source text that he calls:

"Humanity At War: 2100 AD"

Link here:

http://www.recon-in-force.com/Orbit/2100.html

We all gamed together this past weekend, another mob of about twenty guys, at the local MWSS meeting. Vynnie hosted a 28mm Star Grunt "Space Pirates" game, Manny G. hosted a 20mm W.W.II Vitebsk game, and Alex F. hosted a 28mm Samurai game "The 47 Ronin." It was great fun. I took alot of photos, which now means I have two MWSS battle reports to post along with their photos...

How wicked are the lazy like me! I need to find some spare time... What will my Blog readers do? OH, the shame! LOL

Have a great Tuesday!

MINI WARGAMING: "Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi is Back!" (10 January 2008)

2008-01-10T04:04:00.000-08:00

TOP: Classic Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi industrial building...

Or pressure dome, or...

Hi All,

First of all, I want to apologize to my readers for not having updated the blog as often as I have in the past. My formerly ideal job went down the drain in a recent change of upper management so I've been dedicating near 100% of my spare time to job searches so I can move to a better place. I've had a constant barrage of job interviews so I'm spending far too much time preparing for interviews, ironing clothing (Yech! Feel like I'm in the military again...), and rediscovering where I last hid my ties AKA neck nooses hoping this day would never come again. I'd much rather be gaming... LOL ;o)

The good news is that I'm still investing time into my gaming for sanity's sake if nothing else. I have a whole new batch of 28mm pirate ship photos and will soon have a 28mm Arab / Saracen / Moor / Andalusian WAB (Warhammer Ancients Battles) army done as well. I've been additionally adding to my 28mm WHFB (WarHammer Fantasy battles) undead army here and there. And this weekend is the big MWSS (Miniatures Wargaming Society of Sacramento) meeting with three great games planned! BUT...

THE EVEN BETTER NEWS IS:

Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi is BACK!

http://www.moondragons.com/

I'm very excited to share this news! These are the same buildings that were so prominently featured in the 1990's Dirtside II rule book, the later edition Battletech Miniatures Rules, and the tables of many a 6mm sci-fi player! Yeah! Joy and good tidings!

TOP: Classic Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi industrial building...

Maybe a techno-garage?

Perhaps robo-harvesters are stored here?

TOP: Classic Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi industrial building...

A storage tank ripe for a fireball of destruction...

TOP: Classic Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi military structure...

Any alien overlord would be happy to bunker up here...

I bet ol' Ming even left graffiti on the wall.

TOP: Classic Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi military structure...

Everyone needs a watch tower, right?

Never know what kind of bandits may be on the horizon...

And here's some "linkety-link" for you:

Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi - Industrial Structures:
http://www.moondragons.com/html/1_300_buildings.html

Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi - Military Structures (Bunkers):
http://www.moondragons.com/html/1_300_sci_fi_1.html

Snapdragon 6mm Sci-fi - Field Fortifications:
http://www.moondragons.com/html/1_300_field_fort.html

Snapdragon 6mm Fantasy:
http://www.moondragons.com/html/1_300_scale1.html

All I can add is that I hope that they are back for good and also plan to throw some currency their way soon as a show of support.

Have a great Thursday!

HOLIDAYS: "Happy New Years 2008!" (1 January 2008)

2008-01-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

TOP: Happy New Years 2008!

Hi All,

I've had a busy last couple of days and been away from computers, E-mail, and blogging. It's been fun and full of a little fright as well... one of my friend's daughters had a recent very serious asthma attack, as in the kind where you go to the emergency room, so that's caused me to lose a bit of sleep although it's always good to help out a friend in need.

I'm very much looking forward to the new years. Last year was great... I got so much done hobbying, miniatures and game-wise. I hope to make this year as successful with an impending 28mm pirate ship project coming to fruition, 28mm WAB armies on the horizon, 28mm WHFB armies for my nephews and I, a 6mm kaiju project, and much more. I hope that you, my reader, get as much as or more than I have from our shared hobby of gaming and miniatures!

I'm also up for a new job promotion which should be very good for me if I can get it. Constant job interview panels, application writing, and work projects have kept me very busy... wish me luck!

Although I haven't forgotten about the focus of this blog being board games & miniatures so I have much in store to share soon: more 28mm pirate ship photos, a Battle Report from the December MWS gaming club meeting with lots of photos, more 28mm undead, some 6mm sci-fi, and much more. I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up my posting goal of four to five times a week in the next few weeks, but I'll try and what I do get posted should promise do be very good.

Thanks for being my reader! I wish you all the best in 2008!

Have a great Tuesday!
And Happy New Years 2008!

PERSONAL NEWS: "Mazel Tov, Ronnie & Brigid!" (27 December 2007)

2007-12-27T05:04:00.000-08:00

TOP: Welcome, Olivia!

Hi All,

I have good news to share from a gamer friend of many in the San Francisco Bay Area! Ronnie & Brigid F. just had their baby:

Hello All,
Olivia was born on the 20th (8 pounds, 5 ounces) happy, healthy and hungry.
Brigid is doing well and Lilly is being a very good big sister.
Wishing you all a happy new year....
- Ronnie.

Mazel Tov AKA congratulations, Ronnie & Brigid!

Have a great Thursday!
And happy holidays!

MINI WARGAMING: "28mm Pirate Ship Coming Together" (26 December 2007)

2007-12-26T04:57:00.000-08:00

TOP: Master Necromancer Maksimok's shipyards.

Hi Everyone,

One of the projects I have been enjoying the most lately has been a 28mm pirate ship.

I was browsing E-bay one day and found it for considerably under a C-spot ($100.00 USD) and decided to lowball the bid and miraculously I WON! So, the next thing I know, the pirate ship arrives and my work bench is covered in the undead, which effectively meant that the pirate ship project was forced to wait.

TOP: A dark PIRATE SHIP appears out of the foggy night!

So then a work colleague and friend, Cheri, calls me and, knowing I speak Spanish, asks me to tutor her daughter, Keri, in Spanish language studies so I came and started working with her. After a tutoring lesson one day, Keri chats me up a bit and asks how I liked the most recent "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. I mentioned that I enjoyed it and was even building a pirate ship model. This intrigued them and Cheri offered to lend me her corner table so I could build it with them... so I did. The next thing I know I started assembling a pirate ship at my friend's apartment with a teenage assistant who wanted to learn the craft. I started learning the parts of the ship, teaching my assistant nautical terminology, and, at the same time, teaching hobby skills.

And it's slowly coming together...

TOP: The aft castle has adornment made out of cheap jewelry charms.
TOP: Shaping the fore castle railing took some work...

The white tubes sticking up are mountings for masts.

The ship itself is an out-of-production 28mm model from Merrimack Miniatures / Old Glory called the adventure galley. I have slowly been cleaning it up and customizing it. I plan to use it with the excellent Pirates! rule set from my friends at Flagship Games, so I've built the masts to be removable. The masts are made from 3/8" dowels that fit snugly into 7/16" hollow plastic tubing.

TOP: The ship is coming together as seen from the side.
Both the fore and aft castles are removable...
With cabins accessible underneath them.
TOP: From this angle, you can see...
The cabin under the fore castle...
Has a custom bulkhead installed.

There is also custom railing, a hand-made front bulkhead and more.

I haven't decided what sort of crew to populate her from yet... I have three in mind:

1. A traditional, historical human pirate crew.
2. A demi-human, mostly Orc pirate crew.
3. A skeleton & zombie undead pirate crew.

Keri likes the undead crew best. I'm of a mind to keep the ship flexible and allow all three crews on board... just not at the same time!

Here are some 28mm pirate links for you:

Flagship Games link:

http://www.flagshipgames.com/

Old Glory Miniatures link:

http://www.oldgloryminiatures.com/

Pirate Wargames Yahoo discussion E-group:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/PirateWargames/

The rest of my 28mm pirate ship photos at my Photobucket image gallery:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/28mm_Pirates/

Have a root'in toot'in great Wednesday!
And happy holidays!

HOLIDAYS: "Happy Holidays, Troops!" (25 December 2007)

2007-12-25T05:47:00.000-08:00

TOP: Thank you, Mark Daily.

Rest in peace.

Hi All,

*** WARNING: Today's post involves current events. Read at your own peril. ***

Usually, I try to keep my blog overwhelmingly light-hearted despite the great number of very serious events happening in the world everyday that affect all of us, whether directly or indirectly, but today is different. Today I'm going to be serious.

The event I'm about to share with you is one that really affected me back around the time when it happened on January 15th, 2007. It's about a solider who knew exactly what he was doing and why he was fighting when an IED (...a bomb) attack killed him. His last words really explain why so many of us should be grateful that there are brave soldiers from many nations willing to fight to destroy the terrorists who would destroy our societies and us if they could. Here's what he wrote:

Sunday, October 29, 2006
WHY I JOINED
Current mood: optimistic
This question has been asked of me so many times in so many different contexts that I thought it would be best if I wrote my reasons for joining the Army on my page for all to see. First, the more accurate question is why I volunteered to go to Iraq. After all, I joined the Army a week after we declared war on Saddam’s government with the intention of going to Iraq. Now, after years of training and preparation, I am finally here.
Much has changed in the last three years. The criminal Ba’ath regime has been replaced by an insurgency fueled by Iraq’s neighbors who hope to partition Iraq for their own ends. This is coupled with the ever present transnational militant Islam'ist movement which has seized upon Iraq as the greatest way to kill Americans, along with anyone else they happen to be standing near. What was once a paralyzed state of fear is now the staging ground for one of the largest transformations of power and ideology the Middle East has experienced since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Thanks to Iran, Syria, and other enlightened local actors, this transformation will be plagued by interregional hatred and genocide. And I am now in the center of this.
Is this why I joined?
Yes. Much has been said about America’s intentions in overthrowing Saddam Hussein and seeking to establish a new state based upon political representation and individual rights. Many have framed the paradigm through which they view the conflict around one-word explanations such as “oil” or “terrorism,” favoring the one which best serves their political persuasion. I did the same thing, and anyone who knew me before I joined knows that I am quite aware and at times sympathetic to the arguments against the war in Iraq. If you think the only way a person could bring themselves to volunteer for this war is through sheer desperation or blind obedience then consider me the exception (...though there are countless like me).
I joined the fight because it occurred to me that many modern day “humanists” who claim to possess a genuine concern for human beings throughout the world are in fact quite content to allow their fellow “global citizens” to suffer under the most hideous state apparatuses and conditions. Their excuses used to be my excuses. When asked why we shouldn’t confront the Ba’ath party, the Taliban or the various other tyrannies throughout this world, my answers would allude to vague notions of cultural tolerance (...forcing women to wear a veil and stay indoors is such a quaint cultural tradition), the sanctity of national sovereignty (...how eager we "internationalists" are to throw up borders to defend dictatorships!) or even a creeping suspicion of America’s intentions. When all else failed, I would retreat to my fragile moral ecosystem that years of living in peace and liberty had provided me. I would write off war because civilian casualties were guaranteed, or temporary alliances with illiberal forces would be made, or tank fuel was toxic for the environment. My fellow “humanists” and I would relish contently in our self righteous declaration of opposition against all military campaigns against dictatorships, congratulating one another for refusing to taint that aforementioned fragile moral ecosystem that many still cradle with all the revolutionary tenacity of the members of Rage Against the Machine and Green Day. Others would point to America’s historical support of Saddam Hussein, sighting it as hypocritical that we would now vilify him as a thug and a tyrant. Upon explaining that we did so to ward off the fiercely Islam'ist Iran, which was correctly identified as the greater threat at the time, eyes are rolled and hypocrisy is declared. Forgetting that America sided with Stalin to defeat Hitler, who was promptly confronted once the Nazis were destroyed, America’s initial engagement with Saddam and other regional actors is identified as the ultimate argument against America’s moral crusade.
And maybe it is. Maybe the reality of politics makes all political action inherently crude and immoral. Or maybe it is these adventures in philosophical masturbation that prevent people from ever taking any kind of effective action against men like Saddam Hussein. One thing is for certain, as disagreeable or as confusing as my decision to enter the fray may be, consider what peace vigils against genocide have accomplished lately. Consider that there are 19 year old soldiers from the Midwest who have never touched a college campus or a protest who have done more to uphold the universal legitimacy of representative government and individual rights by placing themselves between Iraqi voting lines and homicidal religious fanatics. Often times it is less about how clean your actions are and more about how pure your intentions are.
So that is why I joined. In the time it took for you to read this explanation, innocent people your age have suffered under the crushing misery of tyranny. Every tool of philosophical advancement and communication that we use to develop our opinions about this war are denied to countless human beings on this planet, many of whom live under the regimes that have, in my opinion, been legitimately targeted for destruction. Some have allowed their resentment of the President to stir silent applause for setbacks in Iraq. Others have ironically decried the war because it has tied up our forces and prevented them from confronting criminal regimes in Sudan, Uganda, and elsewhere.
I simply decided that the time for candid discussions of the oppressed was over, and I joined.
In digesting this posting, please remember that America’s commitment to overthrow Saddam Hussein and his sons existed before the current administration and would exist into our future children’s lives had we not acted. Please remember that the problems that plague Iraq today were set in motion centuries ago and were up until now held back by the most cruel of cages. Don’t forget that human beings have a responsibility to one another and that Americans will always have a responsibility to the oppressed. Don’t overlook the obvious reasons to disagree with the war but don’t cheapen the moral aspects either. Assisting a formerly oppressed population in converting their torn society into a plural, democratic one is dangerous and difficult business, especially when being attacked and sabotaged from literally every direction. So if you have anything to say to me at the end of this reading, let it at least include “Good Luck.”
Mark Daily.

Such understanding is profound.

Two more links about Mark Daily:

The Orange Country Register:
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/homepage/article_1547859.php

M. Malkin, a journalist:
http://michellemalkin.com/2007/01/19/the-immortal-words-of-2lt-mark-daily/

I'm going to leave you with a few more words from Mark Daily, a proverb he had posted on his web page:

“Patience demolishes mountains.”
-Arab proverb

If you'd like to send a note of thanks and holiday wishes to the troops, this is a great place to start:
http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americasupportsyou/Message.aspx?SectionID=5

I wish I knew of other sites to thank the brave soldiers from other nations who are also deployed, but I didn't find any. If you know of similar sites to thank the brave troops from the UK, Canada, Australia and other nations, please share them with me.

I wrote one yesterday. It took me just a few minutes.

Merry X-mas and happy holidays!

COOL STUFF: "Have a Merry, Scary Cthulhu X-mas!" (24 December 2007)

2007-12-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

TOP: "Carol Of the Olde Ones"

Hi Everyone,

It's X-mas Eve and I wanted to post something special when I was browsing through TMP and came upon one of my favorite TMP'ers posts... that of the deservedly well-regarded Chick In Chainmail. She felt fit to share a Cthulhu caroling medley...

What a wonderful woman!

So, here goes:

BOTTOM: "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Fishmen"

BOTTOM: From the musical A Shoggoth On the Roof: "Tentacles!"

Merry X-mas and happy holidays!

I know my buddy Nils will love these carols...

MINI WARGAMING: "Car Wars Correspondence: Part-1" (20 December 2007)

2007-12-20T04:55:00.000-08:00

TOP: Maksim's (mine) 6mm Car Wars collection is quite diverse:
Irregular, Reviresco, Khalsa Brain Games, Grenadier, Dark Horse and MORE!

Hi Everyone,

The best part about having a blog is when other folks E-mail you to correspond, share tips, give advice, and just gab...

Hi Greg,

Thanks for writing.

I always appreciate a tip, advice, or to just hear from another gamer and miniatures hobby enthusiast.

=======
[[[Greg: Hello Sir, I've been enjoying your blog and Yahoo sites - especially recently as I've also been on the hunt for 1/285 modern civilian vehicles. ]]]

Thank you very much. A positive word or constructive criticism is always welcome.

Ever since I posted my 6mm Car Wars AKA Autoduel posts, I’ve received a lot of letters about them and seen interest rise in playing x1 scale or 6mm Car Wars. Being the original scale, one can use all of the original maps, templates and counters with no modification.
And one can get a used copy of the Car Wars pocket game very reasonably these days. I often see them go on E-bay for $5.00 USD or less.

[[[Greg: I also appreciate the links and information you've provided - a great help when I did the Golan Heights last summer. ]]]

You’re very welcome!

I’d love to hear more about your Golan Heights game. The Arab-Israeli Wars (AIW) are my favorite period for microarmour and have long been a gaming focus of mine. Please write me more about this if you have the time.
TOP: L-4's collection is mostly Grenadier...
...and the larger (8mm to 10mm) Citadel Battle Cars.
Don't yuh love the sexy stripes?
[[[Greg: A little bit ago I found this seller on E-bay:
Everydaygoodz ]]]

I had heard of this seller before, but I haven’t purchased from him yet… so your feedback is particularly valuable. Thanks!

Not only have I seen people purchase Z-scale cars from him for microarmour or x1 scale Car Wars, but I’ve also seen people buy 28mm scale civilians for use in zombie or superhero games.

[[[Greg: …and thought you might be interested. They seem to have an E-bay store dealing in z-scale (1/220) train stuff, including great bunches of plastic civilian vehicles, for pretty reasonable rates. ]]]

They also sell textured plasticard, plastic fencing, lamp posts, and a variety of other railroading hobby products at a price much less than I’ve seen elsewhere… even when you factor in the shipping.

[[[Greg: No big rigs or delivery, but lots of sedans, minivans, and such in a variety of makes and colors. ]]]

For big rigs and/or freight trucks, you have a few choices:

- GHQ (convert military trucks to civilian ones)
- Irregular…
- Evergreen or Plastruct…
- Other RR makers including Kibri…

There were other 1/285 manufacturers, but I think that all of the other makers are now out of business or have discontinued their 6mm freight trucks.
TOP: "Matilda" has been hauling Vegamite across Oz for years!
Ask my good friend, Tas! He'll tell yuh!
[[[Greg: They stand up pretty well, size-wise, with my GHQ/C-in-C stuff - perhaps similar or slightly smaller than the Irregular civvies. ]]]

Good to hear.

[[[Greg: The only slight detractors are that they come from Hong Kong, so there's a bit of a wait and… ]]]

I always worry about ordering outside of mainstream Europe, the UK & Commonwealth nations, and the continental United States.

Thanks for the info that this seller is legitimate.

[[[Greg: …they smell a bit odd. Hopefully airing them out will deal with it. A good find for me – ]]]
Hmmm…I hope the airing out works.

[[[Greg: I'm looking to do a full-on Fulda Gap this coming summer - and thought I'd pass it along. ]]]

Awesome. I miss the great Warsaw Pact / NATO games of the 1980s. They were a lot of fun. It’s sort of odd to think now that there have been abundance of signs that NATO forces might have been even more substantially superior to Warsaw Pact ones than previously imagined.
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about the Soviet experience in Afghanistan.

[[[Greg: Thanks again and I hope the interview went well, Greg. ]]]

You’re very welcome!

The job interview went great. I’m hoping that they’ll make an offer to me before the end of the week. They were definitely interested. My job interview went almost an hour and a half… much longer than one usually expects, which is usually a good sign of keen interest.

Thanks again for writing, Greg C., and giving me permission to re-post some of this E-mail!

Have a great Thursday!
And happy holidays!

COOL STUFF: "Flirting Robots Are Here!" (19 December 2007)

2007-12-19T05:04:00.000-08:00

TOP: Bring it on, Rosie the Robot...

The Jetsons are bored!

Hi Everyone,

Quick post today: I read this article about the advances that robots have been achieving lately the other day ago...

BEWARE OF FLIRTING ROBOTS:
"A program that can mimic online flirtation and then extract personal information from its unsuspecting conversation partners is making the rounds in Russian chat forums, according to security software firm PC Tools. The artificial intelligence of CyberLover's automated chats is good enough that victims have a tough time distinguishing the 'bot' from a real potential suitor, PC Tools said. The software can work quickly too, establishing up to 10 relationships in 30 minutes, PC Tools said. It compiles a report on every person it meets complete with name, contact information, and photos." More and more, we're living in a William Gibson world.

UPDATE:
Reader John Baker emails: "Professor: as much as I enjoy Gibson, ever heard of the Turing Test?"

Yeah, and it sounds like these robots are passing it in the real world on a regular basis. Though to be fair, I doubt Alan Turing envisioned administering the test with an audience of drunk, horny Russian guys.

I hate SPAM-bots!

They should written those into the Terminator movies... the audience would have cheered more when they were destroyed.

Link here:
http://instapundit.com/archives2/012697.php

And here:
http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9831133-56.html

The Turing Test:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test

William Gibson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_gibson

Have a great Wednesday!

And happy holidays!

MINI WARGAMING: "Thinking About Your 2008 Hobby Plans?" (18 December 1007)

2007-12-18T04:47:00.000-08:00

TOP: The Heroes of Beni Hana Pass make a stand...

...from a game of 28mm Oriental Adventures earlier this year...

Hi All,

Lately I've been thinking about what sort of hobby resolution I'm going to make for 2008...

- 28mm WAB Saracen / Moor / Arab Army
- 28mm WAB Celt / Gaul / Arthurian Army
- Planning to learn WAB in 2008 and play in the local leagues...

- 28mm WHFB Undead army for me...
- Split part of undead army from Gothic Vampire Counts theme to Tomb Kings Egyptian theme...
- 28mm WHFB Empire army for my nephew Quinn
- 28mm WHFB Orc / Gobbo army for my other nephew Vincent
- Planning to play more WHFB this year and possibly participate in the local leagues...

TOP: 28mm Orc Shamans work a power totem...

- 28mm Pirate Ship
- 28mm Historical pirate crew
- 28mm Undead pirate crew
- 28mm Orc pirate crew

- 28mm fantasy scenery
- 28mm graveyard
- 28mm village buildings

- 10mm sci-fi armies
- Want to play ASQL in 2008.

- 10mm modern missile boats
- This project is nearing fruition... must get to it!

- 6mm sci-fi armies
- Command Horizon?
- Epic-Armageddon?
- Dirtside III?

- 6mm town for Kaiju Stomp'in
- I want to build a new mat for the city and lay out city zoning blocks.

TOP: Orc & Goblin Wolfriders were torn apart...

By katana and exotic magic...

And every year, I only make one hobby resolution and finish off that project. Sometimes I get more done, but I only hold myself to completing one project... After all, life is busy and we all have families, jobs, etc. that take us away from the fun stuff.

This year in 2007, I resolved to work on my 6mm kaiju set, but I switched streams early in the year and built my 28mm Vampire Counts army for Warhammer Fantasy Battles (WHFB) instead.

*** What are your 2008 hobby plans? ***

Ah, decisions!

Have a great Tuesday!

GAMING NEWS: "T-5 Almost Here!" (17 December 2007)

2007-12-17T04:42:00.000-08:00

TOP: T-5 is almost here!

Hi Everyone,

Good new for the Traveller fan straight from Marc Miller's mouth:

Traveller5 is nearly complete.
It's full of material: Character Generation, Androids, Robots, Clones, Worlds, Starships, Small Craft, Adventures, and more.

Come see more at our web page:
http://www.farfuture.net/

We are in the last stages of completing an extensive initial CD-ROM version of T5 by Jan 31 totaling about 1000 electronic pages. Order now, and we'll send you our special offer now and the CD-ROM as soon as it rolls of the press.

We have a special offer on the web site. Come see what we have.
BONUS!
We'll ship on or about Jan 31, 2008. Pre-order now and we'll send you the printed black DVD Traveller5 Case Wrap (the same one that will be on your Traveller5 CD-ROM package when we ship it), plus four bonuses:
1. Our Mini-Map of the Spinward Marches,
2. The Traders' Guild Guide to Starships,
3. The Mini-Traders' Guild Guide to Starships, and...
4. The Wilderness Traveller (800-ton Speculative Trader) 4-view.
www.farfuture.net

And here's a half dozen or so more helpful Traveller links:

Freelance Traveller link:
http://www.freelancetraveller.com/index.html
(Probably the best link for anything Traveller)

Citizens of the Imperium forum link:
http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/
(Probably the best Traveller forum around)

Far Future Enterprises link:
http://www.farfuture.net/
(Marc Miller's site, one of the creators of Traveller...)
(Find reprints of older Traveller materials here and...)
(it's also the home of Traveller 5)

Ad Astra Games link:
http://www.adastragames.com/
(Find Traveller starship minis here)

Loren Wiseman's home page link:
http://www.cgi101.com/~lkw/

(A creator of Classic Traveller & the genius behind GURPS Traveller )

CT Striker Yahoo E-group link:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/ct-striker/
(One of the best discussion groups for Striker III)

Classic Traveller Yahoo E-group link:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Classic-Traveller/
(One of my favorite discussion groups for Traveller)

6SFWG (6mm Science Fiction War Games) Yahoo E-group link:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/6mmScienceFictionWarGames/
(Striker III and anything & everything related to 6mm sci-fi can be found here)

Have a great Monday!

COOL STUFF: "X-mas Carolling With STYLE!" (15 December 2007)

2007-12-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

.
.
Hi Everyone,

Starting with this post, I'm going to change the timing of when I post updates from early mornings to the night before in the evening. Posting in the mornings has been proving difficult lately.

And what I've been saving for today is one of the best Christmas Carols I've ever heard...

From a group called: "Straight, No Chasers" ...which is a men's A Capella musical group from Indiana University.

You can buy a CD of the music here:
http://www.a-cappella.com/product/646/video-performance-pop

Many thanks to Bryan!

Have a great Saturday!

HUMOUR: "The Chili That Bit Back!" (14 December 2007)

2007-12-14T04:27:00.000-08:00

TOP: The Great Chili Cook-Off!

Hi Everyone,

Quick post today: A great joke that, if you've ever been to a Chili Cook-Off, you may be able to relate to...

*** LANGUAGE ALERT: Some potentially adult language in this joke. Read at your own peril. ***

The Great Chili Cook-Off!
NOTE: If you pay attention to the first two judges, the reaction of the third is even better.

For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-Off about the time the rodeo comes to town. It takes up a major portion of the parking lot at the Astrodome. These notes are from an inexperienced chili taster named Frank, who was visiting Texas from the East Coast:

"Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment, and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking directions to the Budweiser truck, when the call came in.

I was assured by the other two judges (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted."

Here are the scorecards from the event:

TOP: "Mmm, mmm... looks good!"
Chili #1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili
Judge #1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.

Judge #2 -- Nice, smooth, tomato flavor. Very mild.

Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy crikey, what the heck is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.
TOP: "Mild magic... not bad!"
Chili #2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili
Judge #1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.

Judge #2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children! I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.
TOP: "Bit of a kick."
Chili #3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
Judge #1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick. Needs more beans.

Judge #2 -- A bean less chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers

Judge #3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now, Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting drunk as a skunk from all of the beer.
TOP: "That one bites..."
Chili #4: Bubba's Black Magic
Judge #1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.

Judge #2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.

Judge #3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-lb. woman is starting to look HOT (...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating...). Is it chili or an aphrodisiac?
TOP: "I take that back. This ONE really bites!"
Chili #5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover
Judge #1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

Judge #2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.

Judge #3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really farks me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw those rednecks!
TOP: "Oh, the pain, the woe..."
Chili #6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety
Judge #1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.

Judge #2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.

Judge #3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I shat myself when I farted and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that skank Sally. She must be kinkier than I thought. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my arse with a snow cone.
TOP: "Oh my lord, I can't breath..."
Chili #7: Sandy's Screaming Sensation Chili
Judge #1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

Judge #2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in can of chili peppers at the last moment. I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.

Judge #3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slides unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of a lava-like slurry to match my shirt. At least after the autopsy they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing, its too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the four-inch hole in my stomach.
TOP: "Where are the frick'in BEANS ?!$?&$?!"
Chili #8: Tommy's Toenail Curling Chili
Judge #1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.

Judge #2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor dude, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?

Many thanks to my friend Stephane Armande at work.

Also, please wish me luck today! I have a big job interview, which if I can get the job, will mean a major pay raise.

Have a great Friday!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

MINI WARGAMING: "New 28mm Vampire Counts Minis!" (13 December 2007)

2007-12-13T04:53:00.001-08:00

TOP: Awesome new Corpse Cart!

Hi All,

Quick post today: The other day ago or so some new teasrer shots of possibly new 28mm WHFB Vampire Counts figures. I'm impressed, for the most part, the sculpts are outstanding. All of the photos are reported to be from US White Dwarf 336.

TOP: Vlad has a new look...
TOP: So does Isabella!
TOP: A new skeletal standardbearer.
TOP: A new skeletal musician.
TOP: A new skeletal hero?
TOP: The whole shebang:

A new skeletal regiment.

I really like these skeleton sculpts. The skull sculpts are outstanding.

Warseer forum link:
http://warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117429

Have a great Thursday!

MINI WARGAMING: "New Monsterpocalypse Kaiju" (12 December 2007)

2007-12-12T04:52:00.000-08:00

TOP: "Elder Gods, anyone?"

"Is H.P. Lovecraft available for tea?"

Hi All,

Privateer Press just came out with a new preview picture of one of their new kaiju sculpts for their impending Monsterpocalypse game...

Looks positively Cthulhu-loid, doesn't he?

Privateer Press announcement link here:

http://www.privateerpress.com/monsterpocalypse/default.html

My first post about Monsterpocalypse can be found here:

http://6mm-minis.blogspot.com/2007/11/mini-wargaming-monsterpocalypse-is.html

Have a great Wednesday!

And a final Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

FUN VIDEOS: "Trunk Monkey - Part 6" (12 December 2007)

2007-12-12T04:45:00.000-08:00

.

.
Hi All,

Quick post today: the sixth installment of Trunk Monkey for all those fathers in need of a chaperone.

Have a great Wednesday!
And Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

HUMOUR: "Fun & Games: Losing a Wiener" (11 December 2007)

2007-12-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

TOP: Losing a wiener?
The Gaul / Celt said...

Hi All,

The world's a mighty strange place...

AND T-shirt manufactureres have caught onto this.

The other day ago, I was speaking with a friend and mentioned that I was working on an 28mm miniatures ancients army, Gauls / Celts that is... And anyone who knows how the Gauls / Celts used to fight - knows that it was considered extremely MACHO by some Gauls / Celts, to go into battle with nothing more than a sword, blue body paint, spiked hair, and a really bad atittude, BUT... no clothes! So my friend finally gets to see these figures at a later date and confirms that they have:

Nothing more than a sword, blue body paint, spiked hair, and a really bad atittude, BUT... no clothes!

She thought that was pretty funny (Good for her!) and sent me this graphic from a T-shirt line a few days later. When my Gauls / Celts are finally ready for battle, I might just have to buy one of these T-shirts (link to a store selling them included below). The T-shirt seems strangely appropriate for an Ancient Gaul / Celt Army player...

T-shirt link here:
http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/browse.cfm/4,5973.htm

Thanks, Cheri!

Have a great Tuesday!
And Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

MINI WARGAMING: "New 6mm Sci-fi From GZG" (10 December 2007)

2007-12-10T11:22:00.002-08:00

TOP: Floating grav tanks rock!

Hi All,

GZG just came out with some new 6mm sci-fi miniatures sculpted by some great industry personalities: Thomas Pope and John Lerchey.

TMP news blurb here:

New GZG 6mm Items:
DF-X02 CGI (Contra-Gravitic Induction) Tanks
(sculpted by Tom Pope) x3 for £2.50
GBPDF-X03 Light Scout Cycles
(sculpted by Tom Pope) x6 for £2.50
GBPDF-X04 6-wheel Armoured Gun Trucks
(sculpted by John Lerchey) x3 for £2.50 GBP

TMP news link here:
http://theminiaturespage.com/news/779115/

Link to GZG here:
http://www.groundzerogames.net/

TOP: Feel like racing on circuit boards?

Thomas Pope is a great guy... he trades actively and shares a number of my miniatures interests: 6mm or x1 scale Car Wars, 6mm sci-fi, 28mm fantasy, and many, many more. Thomas and a good friend created one of the greatest miniatures archive galleries on the Internet: The Stuff Of Legends (TSOL). Chances are, if you're looking for something, you can learn more about it at TSOL. I didn't know he has a TRON fetish... LOL

Thomas Pope's Mini gallery here:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/miniatures/

Thomas Pope's great miniatures archive project, The Stuff Of Legends (TSOL):
http://www.solegends.com/

TOP: Mercenary gun trucks of the future!

John Lerchey is another one of the great characters of the industry... We've worked on a number of 6mm sci-fi projects together and I've always appreciated his forthright nature and great sense of humour. Like Thomas, he also maintains an active web presence with several sites. It's good to see him sculpting and it's thanks to a great company like GZG that some of the biggest fans of 6mm sci-fi can turns their projects into a share-able reality.

John Lerchey's Gaming site here:

http://okapi.andrew.cmu.edu/lerchey/www/gaming.html

John Lerchey's Miniatures Gallery site here:

http://okapi.andrew.cmu.edu/lerchey/www/Minis/

Some of John's cool, quirky humour on display:

http://okapi.andrew.cmu.edu/lerchey/www/SnowDemon/index.html

Have a great Monday!
And Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

MINI WARGAMING: "Stephane's MOW Empire Fleet" (9 December 2007)

2007-12-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

TOP: Stephane's Imperial Navy.

Hi All,

One of the great blessings I've experienced over the years as a gamer active in the community worldwide is that I've met some great people over the years, and one of my favorite gamers and now a friend that I've met over the years has been Stephane in France. Stephane and I met while working on the Epic-Armageddon design teams for Specialist Games / Games Workshop and discovered that we both shared a love of the miniatures hobby. He's been a supporter of me and my blog and a constant source of information and inspiration over the years for which I am very grateful.

Apart from Epic, Stephane loves a "Oldie, But A Goldie" cult classic fantasy naval game called "Man O'War" (MOW), that Games Workshop put out in the 1990s. And even though GW has all but abandoned the game, Stephane continues to enjoy it and expand his collection. He runs a great web site to which I've included a link below.

He recently sent me the below short note:

For Karl-Franz!

Hello Maksim,

The Man O'War section grows a bit with a new article dedicated to the navy of the greatest human nation of the Old World - you already understood it from the subject line.

It's for the Empire and it's here:
http://www.stephane.info/show.php?code=empire_fleet

Best regards,
Stephane.

You can see the rest of Stephane's MOW photos and his accompanying article here:
http://www.stephane.info/show.php?code=empire_fleet

Have a great Sunday!

And Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

FILMS: "Beowulf = Pro-Wrestling + Fantasy" (7 December 2007)

2007-12-07T05:07:00.000-08:00

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Hi All,

My buddies and I went to see Beowulf on an IMAX screen yesterday and... it was pretty bad. It was great to hang out with my buddies, but the film was marginal... at best. If I had to give it a percentage grade, it would get about a 76% or 76 / 100. A little gratuitous violence and a few zinger lines don't make a film.

TOP: Even "mostly-naked" Angelina couldn't save it...
Although one of my buddies might disagree...

If you're literary fan of Beowulf then just don't bother. PERIOD. I wouldn't take children to it either...

However, in an informal poll of my buddies, we all agreed that The 300 was more over-the-top than Beowulf... and that's not really saying much...

TOP: Is having CGI sensors attached to your face acting?
Surely it counts as voice acting?

However, if you're the type that enjoys Pro Wrestling, the kind with chairs and molls, or you like Mexican Wrestling then it might be up your alley... it did have alot of gratuitous violence... IT DID!

Wiki Beowulf Literary Work background link here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf

Wiki 2007 film Beowulf entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_%282007_film%29

So, in summation, if you have very low expectations, they'll probably be met... otherwise, wait for Beowulf to hit cheap rental video before bothering.

Have a great Friday!
And Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

FUN VIDEOS: "Garbagemen Just Wanna Have Fun!" (6 December 2007)

2007-12-06T05:01:00.000-08:00

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Hi All,

With my recent post about garbage men, I recalled this video, which I wanted to share. Enjoy!

My previous post with "The Law Of The Garbage Truck":
http://6mm-minis.blogspot.com/2007/12/cool-stuff-law-of-garbage-truck-1.html

I've got the edges of a flu so I may take a day or two off. If I'm feeling well enough, I plan to join my buddies in a viewing of the new film "Beowulf" on an IMAX screen tonight.

And a special thanks to my Mother for sending me this video.

Thanks, Mom!

And the title of this post comes from that old Cyndi Lauper song...

Have a great Thursday!
And Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

GAMING NEWS: "October MWS Meeting AAR" (5 December 2007)

2007-12-05T04:23:00.000-08:00

TOP: Wargaming is it SHOULD be...
Good friends having a good time together.

Hi All,

October's MWSS (Miniatures Wargaming Society of Sacramento - usually just called MWS) meeting was a good one: great attendance (16 guests! + more visitors!), several games, and, best of all...

Lots of good company, royal socializing, and outstanding camaraderie!

And the attendance was:
- Chris
- George G.
- Hal
- Joe B.
- Joe R.
- Keith E.
- The Keith (Keith S.)
- Maksim-Smelchak (me!)

TOP: Watch out for the Gorn!
Ornery Space Dinos that they are!

- Mark C.
- Mike O'Brien
- Mikos
- Richard M.
- Terry
- Vynnie
- Mystery Guest #1
- Mystery guest #2
- Lots of passersby who came in to see the action!

========

TOP: "Spiney Norman" is everyone's favorite, evil SUPER-MUTANT!
Some speculate that he was once just an angry, little prairie dog...
...before the Fall.

1. “Junkworld Episode III – Glittering Treasure in Norman’s Backyard”
HOST: Mark Carper
RULE SET: Savage Worlds (Customized by an “Act of Mark”)
GENRE: Post-Apocalyptic Sci-fi
SCALE: 28mm

PLAYERS:
- Joe B. as: “Grizzly Pete Gang”
- Joe R. as: “The Zombie Master”
- Keith E. as: “Spiney Norman”
- Maksim-Smelchak as: “Sven Glikker & The Sai Wing Gang”
- Mark C. as: “Gamemaster One”
- Mike O'Brien as: “The Unhygienic Ratmen”
- Richard M. as: “Plughead Murphy’s Gang”

SYNOPSIS:
- Rumors that great treasure have been spotted in the zombie-contaminated zone are reported as an adventurer stumble into the bar, tells his tale, and conveniently dies. Half a dozen gangs or so gather their members, bundle into transport, and set out for “The Zone,” a contaminated area jokingly called “The Zombie Preserve (TZP).” TZP is an awful place with high rad counts, leftover bio-contaminants, preserved old Twinkie stashes, wandering gangs of mutated rat men, the “Moby Dick” of mutants, a giant intelligent mutated MONSTER known only as “Spiney Norman,” …and, most importantly, vast amounts of TREASURE! (Or so they say…)

More photos of this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/28mm-Junktown-Ep-3_10-20-07-/

========

TOP: Noone likes those "Goodie Two-Shoes" in the Federation!

2. “Pirates of the Asteroid-al Penzance”
HOST: Vynnie of RIF
RULE SET: Federation Commander
GENRE: Star Fleet Battles (Star Trek spin-off)
SCALE: Starship Scale

PLAYERS:
- Chris as: “The Pirates”
- George G. as: “The Freighter & Escort”
- Mikos as: “The Gorn – Pirates?”
- Vynnie as: “The Gamemaster”

SYNOPSIS:
- Starbase 4571-Q #3a reports strange pirate activity. As the Federation sends a transport to re-supply the base, a fantastic space-bourne melee breaks out that is still leaving Intelligence men wondering what happened.

More photos of this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/Starship-Fed-Cmdr_10-20-07-/

========

TOP: It was a WWII "Motor-rama" in the Des(s)ert!

3. “Sour Kraut – Bitter Limey Des(s)ert!”
HOST: Keith The Man
RULE SET: Blitzkrieg Commander
GENRE: WWII – North Africa
SCALE: 20mm (HO RR scale)

PLAYERS:
- Hal as: “The Sour Germans”
- The Keith as: “The Sour Brits”

SYNOPSIS:
- North African WWII Brits & Germans meet in the desert near El Alamein for a rumble in an evaluation of the Blitzkrieg Commander (BC) rule set. BC evaluated well!

More photos of this game can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/20mm-WWII-Africa_10-20-07-/

========

Some more photos of the session can be found here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Gaming%202007/MWS_10-20-2007/

Have a great Wednesday!

And Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish readers!

HOLIDAYS: "Happy Chanukkah 2007! - Part 2" (5 December 2007)

2007-12-05T04:06:00.000-08:00

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Hi All,

I loved the above Chanukkah video made with best wishes from NBA & Hollywood stars... quirky!

And a special thanks to my friend, Benji, for posting the above video...

To learn more about Chanukkah, please check out this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanukkah

Benji runs a blog here that I've been known to rather enjoy:
http://www.whatwarzone.com/

Have a great Wednesday!
And Happy Chanukkah!

HOLIDAYS: "Happy Chanukkah 2007! - Part 1" (4 December 2007)

2007-12-04T04:30:00.000-08:00

TOP: Chanukkah ham, anyone? LOL

Hi All,

Well, the holiday season is officially here: Christmas is around the corner and Channukah is already here. Chanukkah has always been the holiday that starts the season to me... it's true that Thanksgiving comes first and the abominable, yet lovable, flood of Christmas tunes that flood the radio start sometime around Thanksgiving (...early this year in my neck of the woods), but Chanukkah has a more festive spirit... After all, how can you NOT like a holiday where jelly donuts (Sufiganyot) and potato pancakes (Latkes) take front and center?

The above graphic is of one of those special moments when cultures collide and multiculturalism takes its true meaning, that of a good chuckle or two. I especially like the juxtaposition of "Boneless Spiral Ham - Delicious For Chanukah!" If ham was just a wee bit more kosher, it would almost be tempting... LOL

And a special thanks to my friend Stacy for sending the cool graphic above.

To learn more about Chanukkah, please check out this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanukkah

Have a great Tuesday!
And Happy Chanukkah!

FUN VIDEOS: "Trunk Monkey - Part 5" (4 December 2007)

2007-12-04T04:21:00.000-08:00

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Hi All,

Quick post today... may get in another later today. I'm still enjoying Trunk Monkey. You'd think that the Trunk Monkey could do anything... At any rate, whoever wrote the Trunk Monkey pieces, they're very clever.

I wonder if, hypothetically, the wee tyke in the Trunk Monkey #5 episode was born, what he would think of later knowing that he had been delivered by a monkey? Do you think that the fact of being delivered by a monkey could be a status symbol among pirates? How about circus workers?

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

MINI WARGAMING: "Sci-fi Rules Preview Draft Up" (3 December 2007)

2007-12-03T04:59:00.000-08:00

TOP: Laser Tank, an oldie but a goodie from 1980!

Hi All,

Well, I posted a draft on my small scale rules review over at the 6mm Science Fiction War Games Yahoo Discussion E-group. So, you can take a gander at it and hopefully let me know what you think.

I added in a few new blocks due to suggestions such as:

Mini type: Metal, resin, plastic or other.
Ground scale: What the ground scale is supposed to represent.
Time scale: How much time each turn represents.

And here's a new sample entry:

Name: Laser Tank
Genre: Sci-fi ground combat
Future level: Far future (space opera)
Org. level: Company skirmish
Universe: Traveller RPG
Rules Data:
Game Type: Board game
Complexity: 2 to 3
Unit Types:
Infantry: YES
Vehicles: YES
Mecha: NO
Flyers: YES
Miniatures Data:
Mini line: NO
Mini type: N/A
Mini scale: N/A
Ground scale: 1cm=1m (skirmish play), 1mm=1m (maneuver play)
Time scale: 30 seconds / turn
Status: N/A

Minis Internet Link:
N/A
Publishing Data:
Manufacturer: Judges Guild
Date: 1980
Status: (Out Of Production)
Rarity: Rare

Brief Description:
None.

Rules Internet Link:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/7776

One of the reasons I posted this was to look for constructive feedback...

*** Do you have any suggestions or advice of details you'd like to see in each rule set's entry? Any other ideas? ***

If you do have advice or suggestions, please post them at the my blog in the comments section or at the 6mm Science Fiction War Games Yahoo Discussion E-group.

Link here:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/6mmScienceFictionWarGames/

Have a great Monday!

COOL VIDEO: "RIP: Evel Knievel Rides His Last Bike To Heaven" (2 December 2007)

2007-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

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TOP: Evel Knievel doing his STUFF!

Hi All,

Evel Knievel was more than an icon, he was a household name in 1970's, which was a noteworthy decade in my life. We all knew who he was and admired the cahones he had to do the death-defying stunts he did. And as you have probably already heard, Evel passed away just the other day ago... may he rest in peace. I'll never forget him and all the good memories I have of him.

This post is my tribute to him as well as a "carnival" (link collection) for those who are interested.

Here are some Evel videos:

BOTTOM: Here he is jumping 11 Mack trucks, with Howard Cossell and Don Meredith providing the play by play, February 17, 1974 in North Richland Hills, TX.
BOTTOM: Another appearance on Wide World of Sports that didn’t go so well. May 31, 1975 in Wembley Stadium in London, attempting to jump 13 double-decker buses.
BOTTOM: Here’s the Snake River Canyon stunt, September 8, 1974.
BOTTOM: Some biographical video through the years and the jump at King’s Island.

And here are some Evel links:

Evel Knievel Official Site link:
http://www.evelknievel.com/index2.html

A special thanks to Bryan who collected all of the videos I shared:
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/12/01/videos-the-end-of-the-run-for-evel-knievel/

Answers Dot Com bio for Evel:

http://www.answers.com/main/ntq-method-4-dsid-1648-dekey-evelknievel-gwp-8-curtab-1648_1

Wikipedia link for Evel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evel

TOP: There's a little EVEL in all of us!

ABC Sports article here:
http://espn.go.com/abcsports/wwos/knievel/QandA.html

USA Today article here:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2007-01-02-knievel-cover_x.htm

Time article here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20071130/us_time/evelknieveldiesat69

Yahoo Reuters article here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071201/ts_nm/knievel_dc

Yahoo AP article here:

http://tinyurl.com/2rjhwk

Rest in peace, Evel Knievel!

Have a great Sunday!

COOL STUFF: "The Law Of The Garbage Truck" (1 December 2007)

2007-12-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

TOP: Ever notice how many Garbage Men seem...

...remarkably well-adjusted?

Hi All,

A good friend, Ann, sent me this awhile back and I've been waiting for the right day to share it.

Beware of Garbage Trucks!
By: David J. Pollay
How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly one can get back their focus on what's important.
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened:
I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'
And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.''
Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you.
When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.
TOP: The Garbage Man life is an idealic ride...
...from vista to vista.
So this was it: 'The Law Of The Garbage Truck.' I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, 'I'm not going to do it anymore.'
I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie 'The Sixth Sense,' the little boy said, 'I see Dead People.'
Well, now 'I see Garbage Trucks.' I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.
One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best.
Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks takeover their day.
What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?
Here's my bet. You'll be happier.
Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...
Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, TAKE IT!
If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy...
They just promised it would be worth it!

Thanks, Ann!

TOP: Are Garbage Men in China as happy as those in the US?

Of course, you might be a garbage man in China... I wonder if "The Law Of The Garbage Truck" is different there?

Have a great Saturday!

And a Gut Shabbos to my Jewish readers!

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
Update on 15 December 2007 (...around 6:00pm PST):
A writer sent in these two links to the author of the above story if you'd like to read more:
http://www.northstarwriters.com/davidpollay.htm
http://www.happynews.com/columns/pollay-momentum.htm

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos 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).

COOL STUFF: "Imagining The Undead" (30 November 2007)

2007-11-30T08:05:00.001-08:00

TOP: The undead hordes cover the land in darkness...

Hi All,

All gamers have quirks, and among the gaming masses, two groups have particularly fertile, perhaps over-fertile, imaginations: RPG gamers & miniatures wargamers. We get caught up on a theme and just go bonkers with it. My buddy Nils does. My Junkworld buddy Mark does. Cacique Caribe from TMP does. And I certainly do! I've been stuck on the undead for some time now...

TOP: "Liber Necris: The Book Of Death In the Old World"

And I finally got ahold of a copy of the Black Library Publication "Liber Necris: The Book Of Death In the Old World," which has been a fun read. Essentially the Liber Necris, is a compilation of all the wonderful background on the undead from the Warhammer Fantasy Battles setting. And the story after almost two decades of short stories and fiction is a rich one... from the rise of the first Necromancer Nagash to the the depredations of the Von Carstein Vampire lineage... However, what really got my imagination going was a discussion of the components of the undead as discussed from a quasi-alchemical, wizardly perspective:

The Seven Prime
Physio-aethyric Components of the Undead:

Kha
The physical or mortal shell. The body. Corpse.

Ka
Ego, reason, and abstract thought.

Ba
The subconscious self and emotion.

Ab
The conscious or ethical awareness.
Also thought to be the freedom of choice.

Sekhem
Life force itself; soul-fire or aethyric energy.

Ren
One’s true name.
The notion or idea of a particular individual.

Khaibit
The shadow. Proof of mortality.

And that prompted me to create a table of the undead components, which I haven't figured out how to port over to Blogger yet.

And that got me to start thinking of all the types of undead I could recall... from fairy tales, legends, miniatures games, board games, novels, short stories, RPGs, etc. ...which led me to the below list:

CHARACTERS:
- Demiliche (wizard)
- Dracoliche (dragon + wizard)
- Liche (wizard)
- Liche Master (wizard)
- Master Necromancer (wizard)
- Mummy Lord (warrior + wizard)
- Necromancer (wizard)
- Vampire: Blood Dragon (Traditional Eastern European Drakul Warrior Type)
- Vampire: Eastern Cathay (Mastermind / Sorcerer / Scholar Type)
- Vampire: Lahmian (Seductress Type)
- Vampire: Necrarch (Necromancer Type)
- Vampire: Southern (Earth Beast Vampire Type)
- Vampire: Strigoi (Wild Beast Vampire Type)
- Vampire: Von Carstein (Traditional Gothic Horror Dracula Type)
- Vampire Count (warrior)
- Vampire Lord (warrior)
- Vampire Thrall (warrior)
- Werewolf (beast + warrior)
- Wight Lord (warrior)
- Wraith Lord (warrior)
CORE-UNDEAD:
- Baneguard
- Carrion Flyer
- Corpseguard
- Deadites
- Direguard
- Grave Guard
- Leiberian Skeleton
- Skeletal or Zombie Beasts
- Skeletal or Zombie Wolves
- Skeletons
- Wights
- Zombies
CORE-MUNDANE:
- Bats (beast)
- Ghast (beast + man)
- Ghoul (beast + man)
- Gypsies (man)
- Peasants (man)
- Rats (beast)
- Villagers (man)
- Vultures (beast)
- Wolves (beast)
SPECIAL-CORPOREAL:
- Black Knights
- Chupacabra
- Corpse Gatherer (Animated Graveyard)
- Death knights
- Frankenstein
- Golem
- Grim Reaper
- Horseman Of the Apocalypse
- Mummies
- Nephilim
- Nightshade
- Revenant
- Skeletal Centaurs
- Skeletal Ogre, Troll, etc.
- Undead Chariot
- Undead Elite
- Zombie Ogre, Troll, etc.
SPECIAL-INCORPOREAL:
- Banshee
- Barrow Wight
- Ghost
- Nightmare
- Phantom
- Poltergeist
- Ringwraith
- Shade
- Shadow
- Spectre
- Spirit Host
- Will O' the Wisp
- Wraith
RARE:
- The Black Coach
- Bog or Fen Beast
- Skeletal Dragon or Wyrme
- Zombie Dragon or Wyrme

Hope you enjoyed my convoluted thought patterns!

Have a great Friday!

FUN VIDEOS: "Trunk Monkey - Part 4" (30 November 2007)

2007-11-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

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Hi All,

Quick post today... may get in another later today. I'm still enjoying Trunk Monkey. The allure of seeing punks like car thieves, obnoxious kids, vandals, etc. ...get their come-up-ance from the Trunk Monkey is near undeniable.

I'm starting to think that if the local superhero RPG / minis game guys get another campaign going that I'll have to invent a superhero called the Trunk Monkey. I wonder which superpowers would be most appropriate to the theme...

Have a great Friday!

FUN VIDEOS: "Trunk Monkey - Part 3" (29 November 2007)

2007-11-29T05:48:00.000-08:00

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Hi All,

Quick secondary post today... I'm still really enjoying Trunk Monkey. Who could have known the Trunk Monkey had such financial acuity or such a vast repertoire of breakfast snacks knowledge? Maybe the Trunk Monkey is really Homer Simpson in a costume?

Have a great Thursday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

FILMS: "Vertical Limit" (29 November 2007)

2007-11-29T05:10:00.000-08:00

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Hi All,

I saw a great movie the other day ago... a real cliffhanger called "Vertical Limit." Great flick, I highly recommend it... go out and rent it. Don't expect witty dialogue or a particularly good storyline, but the special effects, good-looking "faces," great soundtrack, and amazing special effects are worth enjoying for their own sake separate of the cruddy plot line and dialogue.

Here are a few of my favorite review snippets:

Unwind, eat popcorn, watch people fall off mountains. That's entertainment.
- Liz Braun of Jam! Movies

And...

When the characters just shut up and dangle, Vertical Limit becomes one heck of a wild time.
- David Germain of the Associated Press

Thanks, Cheri and Keri!

IMDB link for "Vertical Limit" here:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190865/

Wikipedia link for "Vertical Limit" here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_Limit

Rotten Tomatoes entry for "Vertical Limit" here:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/vertical_limit/

Have a great Thursday!

COOL STUFF: "Smile In The Sky" (28 November 2007)

2007-11-28T06:56:00.000-08:00

TOP: A smile in the sky!

Hi All,

I love the stuff I get sent in the mail... I'm away at training so I don't have time for a longer post today, but I am working extensively on the 6mm to 10mm sci-fi rule sets preview for the mini game fans who read this blog.

Thanks, Valerie!

Have a great Wednesday!

MINI WARGAMING: "6mm - 10mm Sci-fi Rules Preview" (27 November 2007)

2007-11-27T06:11:00.000-08:00

TOP: Striker II, one of the classic Traveller mini rulesets.

Hi All,

Gamers are funny breed... they tend to get very obsessed with their particular gaming interest whether it be board games, miniatures games, RPGs or otherwise. They'll obsessively learn everything they can about their gaming niche interest and "collect"everything they can. And I wish I could say that I was different, but I'm NOT. I love my niches and collect everything I can related to them whether it be 6mm sci-fi, 10mm sci-fi, AIW, modern missile boats, my 28mm undead collection, or anything else that interests me.

And 6mm sci-fi rulesets are one of my niches!

TOP: Dirtside II, one of the classic 6mm sci-fi rulesets...

...that first laid claws into me.

Just a few weeks ago, another gamer, Edmund Proctor, came out with a rules review that prompted me to work on my own overview of small scale (6mm to 10mm) sci-fi rulsesets from the 1970s onward. So I pulled out my notes and began to work on rules reviews again...

You can see my link back to Edmund's site here:
http://6mm-minis.blogspot.com/2007/11/mini-wargaming-cool-6mm-sci-fi-intro-15.html

TOP: A lesser known 6mm sci-fi ruleset, Micro Sci-Fi.

And as I worked on my rules reviews, I came to the realization that there are far more than had previously ocurred to me... I'm still not done and I've already come up with SEVENTY-SIX (76) entries! When I'm done with the document, I'll be posting it at the 6mm Science Fiction War Games Yahoo Discussion E-group, of which I'll post a link below. Until then, I'll post a preview of my work here. Here's a sample entry:

Name: Command Horizon
Genre: Sci-fi ground combat
Future level: Far future (space opera)
Org. level: Battalion battle
Universe: Command Horizon (Space Worms)
Rules Data:
Game Type: Miniatures game
Complexity: 2 to 3 (Streamlined to average complexity)
Unit Types:
Infantry: YES
Vehicles: YES
Mecha: YES
Flyers: YES
Miniatures Data:
Mini line: YES
Mini scale: 6mm
Status: (In production – for sale)
Minis Internet Link:
http://commandhorizon.com/
Publishing Data:
Manufacturer: Baccus (...formerly Gladiator Games)
Date: 2007
Status: (In Print – For Sale)
Rarity: N/A
Brief Description:
Gladiator Games came out with a great 6mm sci-fi miniatures line in the early 2000;s, but could never get out a rule set to accompany the line. In 2007, Gladiator Games sold the line to Baccus who developed a rule set for the game, which has since been available. Command Horizon (CH) is a battalion level sci-fi ground battle game designed to be quick-playing.
Rules Internet Link:
http://commandhorizon.com/

And here's a working list of game rules:

AD2222
The AD Wars
Adeptus Titanicus (1rst edition)
Adeptus Titanicus II (2nd edition)
Aeronautica Imperialis
Aerotech
ALA Firefight - Urban Conflict in the Ion Age
Alien Squadleader (ASQL)
The Battle For Armageddon
Battledroids
Battletech
Bommas Over Da Sulpha River
CAV
CAV II
Centurion (Renegade Legion)
Cold War Commander (sci-fi)
Combat Commander
Combots
Command Horizon
Dark Realm
Miniatures Rules
Days of Empire (DOE)
Dirtside I
Dirtside II
The Doom of the Eldar
Epic-40k
Epic-Armageddon
Exodus Wars
FFT Sci-fi
Flagship Games Sci-fi Microarmor Rules
GEV
Giant Monster Rampage (GMR)
Grav Tanks
GROPOS
Hammer’s Slammers
Heavy Gear Blitz!
Heavy Gear Tactical
Hellfire
Helltank
Helltank Destroyer
Horus Heresy
HOTT
Industrial Gothic
Iron Cow 2103
Iron Hawk
Laser Tank
MAATAC
Macross Minis
Mecha!
Mecha! Spirit Warrior Empire
Mechwarrior: The Dark Age (MWDA)
Meck Wars
The Mek Wars: Destroid Wars
Mekton
Micro Sci-Fi
Monster Island: The Game of Giant Monster Combat
Moon Dragon
Net-Epic
OGRE
Outpost Gamma
Princess Ryan’s Space Marines
Prophecy Of War
Renegade Legion
RIVETs
Ronin
Ronin Wars
Silent Death: The Next Millenium
Space Marine (1rst edition)
Space Marine (2nd edition)
Starship Troopers
Star Siege: Rebellion
Steel Crush
Steel Rain
Striker I
Striker II
Striker III
Titan Legions
Universal War
Warbots & Death Machines

And one of the reasons I posted this was to look for constructive feedback...

*** Do you have any suggestions or advice of details you'd like to see in each ruleset's entry? Any other ideas? ***

If you do have advice or suggestions, please post them at the my blog in the comments section or at the 6mm Science Fiction War Games Yahoo Discussion E-group.

Link here:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/6mmScienceFictionWarGames/

Have a great Tuesday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

Update (2 December 2007 at roughly 3:00pm):
I corrected a few typos and added a title or two to the list.

Notes regarding photos / pictures / videos: These are not all my images and videos. I am using various images and videos from around the web, mostly from public sources and/or private sources used with permission. I have tried to include only images and videos 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).

FUN VIDEOS: "Trunk Monkey - Part 2" (26 November 2007)

2007-11-26T06:34:00.000-08:00

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Hi All,

Quick post today... I've been really enjoying the whole Trunk Monkey concept, which got me thinking:

As much as I don't like Ewoks & Smurfs much, I'd sort of like to see Trunk Ewok and Trunk Smurf just to really humiliate those people who mess with you… I can imagine:

"You got whooped by a giant Smurf, Dweezil!"

I LOOOOVVVVEEE the Trunk Monkey!

Have a great Monday!

MINI WARGAMING: "Maksim's Workbench: Undead Today!" (25 November 2007)

2007-11-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

TOP: Some of the vast undead hordes of Maksimok the Mirthless!

Hi All,

Well, I needed to prove that I'm still working on models so these two photos are getting some blog time. The both came from the 20 October 2007 MWS meet, and only one of from me, but they still show how much progress I've made on my 28mm undead army, the undead hordes of Master Necromancer Maksimok the Mirthless. I now have at least 2,000 points painted by WHFB standards, of undead that I can field as a Vampire Counts army. That's been my big project this year... and I've really been enjoying the heck out of it.

You can see more of the minis from my collection here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/

TOP: Joe painted this 10mm Warmaster Tomb Kings army.

If you've never seen my buddy, Joe Riddle AKA Sukhmet's work, then you're really missing out. He's an incredibly talented miniatures artist. I'm a painter... he's an ARTISTE! At any rate, one of Joe's latest triumphs has been this 10mm Warmaster Tomb Kings army that he's painted on commission. Joe's also a great guy to game with, except if you put him in charge of the zombies... he lets out a "Bwwwaaaaiiinnns" that's downright spooky... maybe creepy is a better word.

Joe's Photobucket account:
http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa136/Sukhmet/WM%20Tomb%20Kings/

Have a great Sunday!

FUN VIDEOS: "Trunk Monkey - Part 1" (24 November 2007)

2007-11-24T12:09:00.000-08:00

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Hi All,

I've really been enjoying the You-Tube phenomenon, especially that of viral videos... What's a viral video you ask... well, I'll tell you:

The term viral video refers to video clip content which gains widespread popularity through the process of Internet sharing, typically through email or IM messages, blogs and other media sharing websites.

To read more, see the Wikipedia definition of a viral video here:

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

In other words, viral videos are the chain letters of the computer generation... kind of like a video version of all those jokes we used to pass around by word of mouth.

That being said, I LOOOOVVVVEEE the Trunk Monkey!

Have a great Saturday!
And a Gut Shabbos to my Jewish readers!