COOL STUFF: Talk Like a Pirate Day 2008!

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).

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

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!

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

. 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!

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).

POSITIVE VIBES: Taxis & Happiness (7 May 2008)

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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!

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

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...

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

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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!

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

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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!

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).

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

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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!

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

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

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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!

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: "Away, Lobster-dog, Away!" (21 November 2007)

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TOP: "Hey look! It's a bird, its a plane, it's a..."

"Dog-lobster?"

Hi All,

I've never felt that dressing dogs, or pets for that matter, was worth the effort. After all, pets already come dressed, why mess with nature? And very few pet costumes are really that snazzy anyhoo... And most just annoy the animal or get in the way until ol' Fluffy finds a way to tear the thing off.

Now, my sister's dog, Murphy, is another proposition altogether. The dog was named by her husband's ex-wife, and instead of being trained by the humans, the dog trained the humans! It barks when it wants to go out, it bolts for the door to take a "pleasure stroll" when it feels like, it prowls the kitchen looking for "accidents," is deaf as a doorknob (can't or won't hear the foolish humans), shamelessly begs, drools, and can otherwise be an annoying pest when the cuteness knob gets turned down. So, I got a certain sense of schadenfreude (guilty pleasure) to see Murphy forced to wear a costume this year...

TOP: "The Dog-lobster goes for a biscuit."

TOP: "Murphy, the dog, decides that costumes are OK..."

"...if they come with biscuits."

However, it only took Murphy one biscuit and a little begging to make "her" forget all about the "Lobster-dog" costume. Schadenfreude, indeed!

Viva la Halloween!

Have a great Wednesday!

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: "Groovy Costume, Lady!" (20 November 2007)

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TOP: "Hey Flo! Have you seen the dog?"

Hi All,

I saw alot of Halloween costumes this year, but the one in this post was definitely one of my favorites. I can deal with little, yappy dogs, but it still seems like poetic justice to me...

TOP: "Hmmmm... Where could Sparky be?"

I have to give this woman kudos for wearing this costume... and allowing my friend to photograph her and then send me the photos. Woohoo!

Viva la Halloween!
Have a great Tuesday!

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: "Abducted Pumpkins?" (19 November 2007)

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TOP: "Oh NO, Mr. Bill!"

Hi All,

The best thing about having Halloween as your birthday is that Halloween becomes a year-round event... folks are always sending me cool Halloween-themed photos and web sites. This was probably my favorite pumpkin this year...

TOP: "Beam him up, Grozblorg! Get the probes ready..."

Just in case the photos didn't come through clearly, they are of a little guy getting beamed up by a UFO... Gotta love that!

I think that the quality of pumpkin carving seems to go up every year... more and more folks are buying the pumpkin carving kits now available and really going to town!

Viva la Halloween!

Have a great Monday!

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: "Gourds & Artificial Life" (7 November 2007)

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TOP: "At your leisure, my Lord"

Quoth the Cylon Jack-O-Lantern.

Hi All,

Simple post today because I enjoyed the above graphic so much and took a gander at the Galactica Watercooler web site yesterday...

Thanks for the cool graphic, Miranda!

And a few links:

The Galactica Watercooler can be found here:
http://www.galacticawatercooler.com/

One of my absolute favorite pumpkin carving sites:
http://www.extremepumpkins.com/

And for those of you who didn't know the Cylons have a sense of humour, check out this campy dialogue excerpt from the 1978 film:

Cylon Centurion: Our Raiders are all destroyed.
Imperious Leader,: All destroyed? How? We took them by surprise.
Cylon Centurion,: Apparently it was not as big a surprise as we had hoped for.

Have a great Wednesday!

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: "The Ko-Dan Armada — For Real!" (6 November 2007)

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TOP: The Last Starfighter movie poster from 1984!

Hi All,

Way back in 1984, one of my favorite sci-fi movies ever debutted, The Last Starfighter, a fun little romp of a film that helped to pioneer the use of CG (computer generated) special effects. One of most entertaining details of the movie back in the 1980s was the use of a video arcade game unit in the film as a recruiting tool to find star pilots for a fantastic galactic force of Gunstar starfighters to defend the universe against bad guys everywhere. The idea was that if you could beat the video game, you'd make a good starfighter pilot since you'd have the right eye-hand coordination, reflexes, and all that. It worked in the movie at any rate and after the film came out, young people everywhere scanned video game arcades everywhere for Last Starfighter units hoping to enlist in the galactic force, but... a video game of the movie was never made... until now!

Check out this excerpt from a cool Galactica Watercooler post:

As we discussed at length in DTA Podcast #1, we all ran out of the theater after seeing The Last Starfighter hoping to find a Starfighter game in the arcade — so we could blow our little hometowns home planet forever. Well, now you can have a Starfighter game of your very own — but you’ll have to build it yourself.

Here’s the skinny: the great folks at Rogue Synapse — a resource for movie-aficionados and game cabinet builders — have not only researched the details of the game cabinet from the movie, they’ve also developed a working version of the Starfighter game. This is the game that should’ve hit arcades right after the movie but never did. And it’s a free download!

Post continued at the Galactica Watercooler...

Galactica Watercooler entry for the new Last Starfighter video game:
http://www.galacticawatercooler.com/2007/10/31/fight-the-ko-dan-armada-for-reals/

So, alright already, let's go out and blow up the Ko-Dan Armada!

TOP: A REAL The Last Starfighter video game unit.

And if you've never seen the film, go out and rent it soon. It's a family-friendly film and just good, clean fun. I'm including two links about the film below if you'd like to learn more about it.

IMDb (International Movie Data Base) entry for the The Last Starfighter:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087597/

Wikipedia entry for the The Last Starfighter:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Starfighter

TOP: The awesome CG Gunstar space fighter from The Last Starfighter.

And if you ever wanted to get a miniatures model version of the Gunstar, this is the place:
http://www.minimodelmadness.com/store/

Mini Model Madness has all sorts of fun resin replicas of movie vehicles. I've seen games use MMM models before for miniatures wargaming... They're a bit pricey but they paint up nicely.

Have a great Tuesday!

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: "Temple of Boom!" (30 October 2007)

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TOP: Prop replicas from the Indiana Jones movies...

...are found throughout this home theater.

Hi All,

Some folks really go all out when building a home theatre:

You may have to shield your eyes from the ark, but this theater won’t melt your face—at least not in a bad way.

About two years ago, Larry and Colleen Halliday were looking to add a little excitement to their home theater. They made a deal with installer Doug Charrois, who then called in the doctor—Dr. Indiana Jones.

To many in the audiophile crowd, the Halliday’s equipment list wouldn’t be as coveted as the ark itself. The couple is more than satisfied though. It’s got much better acoustics than the Well of Souls, and hey—it’s all about the ambience.

“Larry saw the torches in a store and came up with the idea it would be cool to have a theme of Indiana Jones in the theater they were going to build in their up-and-coming new home,” says Charrois, who was up for the design challenge.

And challenge it was. Much like Indiana, Charrois worked solo at the time of the installation, going by the company name Jade Security. “I found them,” he says. “Working on my own, I would have to drum up my own business driving around new construction areas. Once I found a good size home going up, then it would be my sparkling personality that would take over.”

Charrois may not be as suave as Indiana, but in six short weeks he did all of the design and construction that would bring this theme theater to life.

Continued...

You've not a real geek until you can pretend you're an imaginary someone cooler than you REALLY are...

Link here:
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/the_temple_of_boom/C91/D1/

Have a great Tuesday!

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).

FUN VIDEOS: "Zombie PSA" (26 October 2007)

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Hi All,

Ever wondered what to do if Zombies attack?

Do you have a low reading comprehension rate?

Do Zombies confuse you?

Ever seen a really bad B-grade zombie flick?

If you answered yes to first three of the above questions (...and no to the last one), the chances are that this Public Service Announcement (PSA) about the imminent threat of zombies was made just for YOU!

ENJOY!

Many thanks to J-Gawne over at TMP who posted here about this cool little video:
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=123595

And the link he posted came from here:
http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2007/librarians-guide-to-zombie-survival/

Have a great Friday!

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: "Slave Girls Rock! Part 1" (22 October 2007)

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TOP: Leia #1 - She can BE my princess / slave girl!

Hi All,

OK. I admit it: Star Wars must have had a formative effect on me growing up. How do I know? ...because the simple site of a woman in a Return of the Jedi brass lingerie outfit still turns a smile on my face! I've always known that I was a "Geek-child" growing up. Who else builds castles out of graph paper, worships Flash Gordon, and had faith that Superman was the runt child from Krypton... because I was obviously the missing Kryptonian super-link, as I kept waiting for my superpowers to come out. The superpowers never developed further than an odd ability to catch thrown M&Ms in my mouth, but I did develop of love of fantasy & science fiction that's stuck with me ever since. At least I got something out of that deal.

And key among those acquired tastes was a deep and abiding appreciation for everything Princess Leia. You see... I was a runt kid growing up; I didn't get my heft and height until much later and being the low man on the totem pole, when we played Star Wars out on the playground, I always got stuck with the most undesirable roles, which were usually Princess Leia or R2D2. Even C3PO was too popular a role for likes of a wretch like I was. And you know what they say: If you're on the bottom, you might as well get to like it. So I did. Still, it felt a heck of a lot better when I finally outgrew the playground pack leaders and could claim a really fun role like Chewbacca. Every now and then, I still make that distinctive Chewie roar in fond memory of that day.

TOP: Leia #2 & #3 - Sometimes you need a little more than the Force...

...to keep you warm on those long hyperspace journeys.

As an adult (...and I sort of lay claim to that title), I've come to enjoy attending the occasional comic book convention, anime convention, sci-fi convention, gaming convention, Renn Faire, etc. And one of my favorite things about such conventions is to bask in the light of pretty ladies dressing up as Princess Leia. And they pop up EVERYWHERE! For the women of my generation and maybe the one after it, they must have all learned & yearned to secretly be the princess / slave girl. And as these photos attest, a few of them are a whole lot less secret about those desires to be the princess / slave girl. And all I can say about them is this:

God bless them!

My life is certainly a little bit richer with a few more Princess Leia's in it!

Have a great Monday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
I'm not sure where these photos came from as they were sent to me by E-mail from a fan so... if they're yours, please drop me a line so I can credit you or remove them as is your wish!

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: "Maksimok Takes On The Argonauts" (19 October 2007)

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Hi All,

The above clip is one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite films of all time: "Jason and the Argonauts" made by one of the all-time great film directors of all time, Ray Harryhausen. "Jason" is a retelling of the classic Greek myth by the same name, a tale of adventure, heroes & monsters with what were at the time, the best special effects ever made. Ray Harryhausen, an amazing special effects guru, made stop-motion model animation famous. Here's a little bit about the technique:

Stop motion (or frame-by-frame) animation is a general term for an animation technique which makes a physically manipulated object appear to move. The object is moved by very small amounts between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. Clay figures are often used in stop motion animations, known as claymation, for their ease of repositioning. Software applications such as Stop Motion Pro, istopmotion and monkeyjam have made the technique popular among young filmmakers.

And if you've never seen a Harryhausen film before, by all means, go out and rent one, or better yet, buy one of the Harryhausen DVD collections now available. From "Jason and the Argonauts," "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad," to "Clash of the Titans," there are some real film gems out there for someone never exposed to the wonders of Harryhausen.

And, by the way, my RPG / Miniatures game alter-ego, Master Necromancer Maksimok, would have done things the same as the necromancer in the above film clip, EXCEPT... Maksimok's skeleton underlings have a real thing for guys who wear skirts, from Greeks to Scots. I can't imagine the heroes doing so well against Maksimok's skeleton hordes. Booyah!

And a few links as is my wont:

Everything you ever wanted to know about the great Ray Harryhausen:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harryhausen

Lots about "Jason and the Argonauts":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_and_the_Argonauts_%28film%29

More about the classic Greek myth of the Argonauts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argonauts

Have a great Friday!

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: "Eject, Luke, Eject! Part 2"

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Hi All,

*** LANGUAGE ALERT *** on the video... if your ears are delicate, please pass on the above video.

Someone caught the unedited footage from the Rebellion why the recent X-wing rocket launch REALLY didn't work. Witness the "truth" for yourself.

Previous post here:
http://6mm-minis.blogspot.com/2007/10/cool-stuff-eject-luke-eject-or-was-that.html

Have a great Saturday!

And a Gut Shabbos to my Jewish readers!

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).