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

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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!

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: Traitorous "Tzeentsh" Titans From L-4!

. TOP: One of the Titans from L-4's awesome "Tzeentsh" legions.

Hi All,

My buddy L-4 is always working on something or another... ever since he retired from the Army, he spends part of his time at the gym, whether working or working out, and practically the rest of the time modelling and/or playing games. I've known him for something like over a decade now and seen him develop from a basic painter and customizer (...like me!) to a master in his own rights (...unlike me!). Today I'm going o showcase two of this latest creations, both Epic Titans, giant robots, made for the traitorous "Tzeentsh" legions of L-4's home-brew 6mm sci-fi gaming background.

The first Titan to be featured is one I call "Sorcerer's Bird of Prey," a four-winged walker with limited jump capability, medium to heavy armament and a bad attitude!

TOP: A front view of the "Sorcerer's Bird of Prey."TOP: A side view of the "Sorcerer's Bird of Prey."

TOP: The "Sorcerer's Bird of Prey" as it might appear to an enemy.

And the second Titan to be featured is one I call "The Master's Eerie Mount," a two-legged, two-armed walker with little to no jump capability, very heavy armament and an equally bad attitude!

TOP: A left side view of the "The Master's Eerie Mount."

TOP: A right side view of the "The Master's Eerie Mount."

TOP: A rear view of the "The Master's Eerie Mount"...

...accentuating it's rear defense turret.

TOP: A top view of the "The Master's Eerie Mount."

These basic chassis of these Titans were both made by the now out of print Seventh Street Games, which later turned into Flagship Games. L-4 mined his near-endless bitz box for pieces and decals, which he used to transform these cool models. Believe it or not, the mecha were originally AZTEC mecha in the Spirit Warrior background! While Seventh Street Games is out of business, Flagship Games is still alive and well although the miniatures themselves are most likely still out of print. If you wanted a couple, I'd recommend first making an inquiry with Flagship and then going to Noble Knight Games if Flagship doesn't have any.

You can find the Flagship Games site here:
http://www.flagshipgames.com/

You can find the Noble Knight Games site here:
http://www.nobleknight.com/default.asp

You can find all of the photos of L-4's "Tzeentsh" Titans here:
http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/Legion4/Tzeentch%20Titans/

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).

SHORT STORIES: "Ground Zero, An Immortal Psychopath & Several Centuries of Extensive Genetic Engineering"

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TOP: 23SKDU's awesome custom Raven Wing!

Hi All,

The other day ago I was reminiscing about all the great Stargrunt and Dirtside II games I used to enjoy with my friends in the 1990's and it reminded me of the old Star Grunt listserv and one of the best pieces of short fiction of I've ever read. I scoured the Internet looking for it, E-mailed some friends, and then, in a sudden moment of recall, remembered that my friend Andreas AKA Javelin-98 kept a copy on his site. So, without further ado, enjoy!

"40K vs. Stargrunt!"

"Ground Zero, an Immortal Psychopath and..

Several Centuries of Extensive Genetic Engineering"

By: Tom Sullivan.

Fair warning: The following short story contains some cursing AKA foul language, and lots of it! Under the circumstances, such language use seems not so much inappropriate as it does mandatory.

"Christ," whispered Pugh, "It looks like someone slapped a set of treads onto a dumpster!"

Kemmerman snorted his agreement. "And check out Buck Rogers there! Sticking his big, ugly ol' head outta the hatch, and not even bothering to stick a helmet on it! Think he's got a 'Shoot Me' sign on his back, too?"

"Cut it," snapped the sergeant, "We've got work to do here. Sorenson, have you got a lock yet?"

"Yessir," he replied, his gaze remaining fixed on the Scorpion's display. "Ready when you are, sir."

Nodding, the sergeant tapped at his com unit. "Jessup? You ready?" He nodded again at the reply. "All right then, on my mark...NOW!!"

There was a sudden sharp crack, and the enemy officer’s head vanished, replaced by a rapidly dispersing red mist. This sound was followed a heartbeat later with a loud "Crump!" as the Scorpion rocket penetrated the side of the APC. The vehicle skewed sideways, smoke and flame billowing from the hole in its side, as the second rocket hit, this time impacting at the rear.

TOP: All of 23SKDU's Raven Wing are mounted on...
...custom motor bikes!

The APC exploded with a satisfying roar, scattering pieces of men and metal across the field. "That," Pugh said with feeling, "was abso-fuckin-lutely beautiful. You know that? That's a goddamn piece of art right there, Billy! You should get down there and sign it, you know?"

Sorenson shrugged as he repositioned himself, targeting the second APC. "It's eighty percent inspiration, ten percent perspiration, and one hundred and ten percent detonation, my man."

The APC shuddered, and obligingly lost a tread, as the rocket hit it.

"It's a damned good thing that you can shoot, buddy," Pugh said, "...cause you sure as shit can't add." He shook his head, waving at the men spilling out of the crippled vehicle. "Now look at that! Bright red armor? What are they, color-blind? Or just stupid?"

TOP: Even the regular grunts have custom rides.

"Neither," interrupted the sergeant, "they're arrogant and VERY well armored. Now, shut up and shoot."

"Yessir," Pugh muttered, shouldering his rifle. "Shooting away, sir. Doesn't seem to be doing much good, sir."

"When I want your opinion, Pugh, I'll be sure to tell you what it is, understand? Just keep firing. And Sorenson, wait for my command, dammit!"

The armored men seemed largely indifferent to the rifle fire, only a few even bothering to return it.

Miller shook his head as he sprayed bullets down the hill.

TOP: 23SKDU's Raven Wing Master is an amazing conversion!

"Jesus, what the fuck are they firing? Howitzers? Those are the biggest goddamn rifles I've ever seen!"

Pugh snorted. "Yeah, but do think they can actually hit anything with 'em? Might as well just throw the damned things at us for all the good they're doing!" He yelped, jerking back as a crater was blasted into the ground a foot away from his head.

"Yeah, yeah...fuck you too, Murphy!"

"You know," Pugh noted after a moment, "they really don't seem very happy, sir. In fact," he added, as he changed clips, "they seem downright pissed. Sir."

The sergant ignored him. "Jessup? There's a guy down there with a very big gun. Yeah, the one painted yellow. Eliminate him for me, would you?"

There was a flash, a bang, and one of the men at the bottom of the hill collapsed, a neat little hole visible in the side of his helmet. Pugh made an approving noise. "Very nice, Jessup! You and Sorenson, you're like the... the... Boticellis of the battlefield, you know? Fuckin' artistes, I tell ya!"

“‘Boticellis of the battlefield’, Pugh? What are you on, anyway?”

“It’s called culture, buddy. Give it a try sometime. You’ll like eating with a fork, I just know it!”

"Um, sir?" Miller said, abruptly, "Sir? They appear to be charging, sir. Up the hill, sir."

"Yeah," the sergeant replied with satisfaction, "Yeah, they certainly are, aren't they? The big bastards are nothing if not predictable. Just keep firing, private. Williams, Cook? Be ready."

"My God," Pugh marveled, "the guy in front has a sword! A goddamn sword! What’s in his other pocket, a flint fucking spear?"

They did, he had to admit to himself, certainly LOOK impressive. Each stood at least seven feel tall, and their brilliant red armor made them look even bigger. "Kind of a shame they're such morons," he muttered.

TOP: Great poise on the Raven Wing Master!

Two of the charging men fell, neither making it even halfway up the hill, but the remaining seven kept coming, firing, apparently at random, as they did.

"Now!" the sergeant shouted. "Now, dammit!"

The man in the lead, the one waving the sword, was cut almost in half by the incoming plasma bolt. Those behind him stopped sort, caught in the crossfire as William's and Cook's squads opened fire. Sorenson fired the Scorpion, catching one man squarely in the center of his chest. The result was, while interesting, far from pretty.

The concentrated fire of fifteen men proved sufficient. Almost. Only one man made it to the top of the hill, his armor cracked and pitted with innumerable bullet holes. Moving with remarkable speed for such a large man, he surged forward, grabbing the sergeant by the throat before the rest of the squad could react.

"Now," the man rasped, his voice distorted by his helmet, "you shall die, in the Emperor's...."

*BLAM*

He stopped.

Looked down.

Saw the smoke rising from the barrel of the pistol pressed firmly against his stomach.

And fell, gently, to the ground.

The sergeant stepped back, rubbing gingerly at his throat. "He was a tough bastard, I'll give him that much," he said, hoarsely. He prodded at the corpse with his toe, dislodging the man's helmet with a sudden fierce kick.

"Jesus, what did they do?" asked Pugh, "Shave an ape?" The man's features were grotesquely exaggerated, almost to the point of caricature.

"That," said the sergeant, "is what happens when you combine several centuries of extensive genetic and bionic engineering with being raised from birth to worship an immortal psychopath. Makes you understand the Promixa Covenant, doesn't it?" He sighed. "Stupid goddamned fanatics. They think the entire universe should play by their rules. Well, fuck that. We're gonna show 'em how a war is SUPPOSED to be fought. Space Marines, my ass!" He kicked the corpse again, not gently.

"How do you like life at ground zero, asshole?"

FINIS!
Praise "Bob!"

And, before I forget, here's where you can find the site of Andreas AKA Javelin-98:
http://home.comcast.net/~kudby/

And the photos came from my buddy L-4's buddy: 23SKDU! You can check out a cool photo album of his work here:
http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a53/23skdu/Ravenwing/

The figures in the photos are all 28mm GW Space Marines on heavily customized bikes.

Have a great Thursday!

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: Psychedelic Armor!

.TOP: This WWII-era ex-Soviet T-34 can be found in London, UK...

...if I recall correctly.

Hi All,

One of my good buddies, L-4, has a real aversion to anything but battlefield-ready camouflage on his miniatures... and this post is a sort of weird homage to EXACTLY what he doesn't like!

TOP: This is that same U.K. tank before the pink'ish torture.

These are photos of WACKILY-painted tanks that I found around the Internet one day when I needed to chase away the loneliness birds.

TOP: And if you are going to disfigure a tank...
Why not throw in a few gratuitous babes?

And as an aside, I had a great weekend, got all around... I visited the Gilroy Garlic Festival, The Pacific Grove Feast of Lanterns, beautiful Monterrey including the world-famous Aquarium and much, much more. All in all, a great weekend, even if I am a bit beat. I had meant to stop by the Castle Air Force Base Aviation Museum but time was lacking so I'll save that for a future trip. I'll try to write more about the trip, share a few links, and include some photos soon.

Have a great Monday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.

I remember some captured ex-Arab tank destroyers painted garishly on a playground in Israel (They made better "jungle gyms" then fighting vehicles...), but haven't been able to find any photos of them yet.

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: Mad Maks 6mm Auto Emporium!

.Some of L-4's amazing 6mm Car Wars collection...

...all guaranteed to run for at least TEN towed miles or more!

Great deals, my friend!

Howdy howdy, Y'all,

Welcome down to Mad Maks Auto Emporium, home of Smelchak Motors and L-4 Automotive Enterprises!

Maksim's 6mm Car Wars collection is a bit more diverse:

Irregular, Reviresco, Khalsa Brain Games, Grenadier, Dark Horse and MORE!

We got lots of fine cars for the discerning autodueler today. Come on down and take a gander!

Now we got all types of cars from the original x1 scale made by Steve Jackson Games to x3 Hot Wheelz scale made by Matchbox, but today we'll be mostly showing Maksim's favorites, the x1 scale 6mm beauties! Enjoy, y'all!

L-4's collection is mostly Grenadier and the larger (8mm to 10mm) Citadel Battle Cars.

Don't yuh love the sexy stripes?

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You can learn more about Autoduel AKA Car Wars here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/2795

And here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Wars

Rumour had it that once a miniature Adam West made good in that car...

C'mon, you know which one I mean!

Here's a very comprehensive and cool listing of Car Wars products:
http://homepage.mac.com/guyf/CarWars/products.html

And SWAT HQ is the best for Car Wars links:
http://www.serv.net/~owenmp/swathome.html

And a fantastic miniatures index:
http://www.serv.net/~owenmp/metal/index.html

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I highly recommend interested gamers take a look at Formula De Mini when you get a chance, great racing game and adaptations for Car Wars exist. A BGG link to Formula De Mini here:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/6539

A link to a Car Wars adaptation for Formula De Mini here:
http://www.fluency.paintedtarget.org/fd/index.html

"Matilda" has been hauling Vegamite across Oz for years!

Ask my good friend, Tas! He'll tell yuh!

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A link to L-4's Car Wars album here:
http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/Legion4/Car%20Wars%20_%20Asian%20Boats_%20Nec%20Tomb/

Maksim's collection has Formula De racers, city buses, & ugly compacts that...

...are well known to be stomped by the occasional Battlemech or Epic Warlord Titan!

A link to my Car Wars album here:
http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/6mm%20Autoduel%20Minis/

A link to Thomas Pope's amazing site "The Stuff of Legends" here:
(He has a great Car Wars collections page!)
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/sol/carwars.html

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Y'all have a great Thursday!

And I couldn't let you go without referring you to that "Mother of All Gaming Companies," Steve Jackson Games, here:
http://www.sjgames.com/car-wars/

And don't forget The Alamo!

See y'all at The Thunderdome!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

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

MINI WARGAMING: New 6mm Sci-fi Terrain by L-4 (1 April 2007)

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An Overview of Ralph's fantastic Nieuw Friesland 6mm sci-fi scenery!

Hi Everyone,

Still working on battle report (...or two ...or three) in between the fun stuff and I just received an E-mail the other day ago from my old friend Ralph AKA Legion-4 AKA L-4. Ralph is a retired US Army trooper who lives in Youngstown, Ohio, USA. Ralph and I have known each other for ages and he does much for the 6mm sci-fi community, BUT... he is best known for his prodigious miniatures work and conversions.

Area 95, a former piece of Star Wars watch packaging, now a feature of Nieuw Friesland!

His latest creations are entitled Nieuw Friesland, inspired by the Hammers Slammers novels by David Drake. He has taken a number of commercially produced scenery pieces and combined them with some scratch-built and readily found items to create some really neat scenery for miniatures game usage. Take a gander and enjoy!

A view of some well-painted New Hope Design structures in Nieuw Friesland.

Ralph writes this about his creations:

Nieuw Friesland is from Hammer's Slammers!

Many of the pieces came from lines that GEO-Hex carried. Some are resin and some hydrostone.

Guard Post 1-0, with the UN flag, I might add, like our GPs flew on the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the Republic of Korea (ROK)! It is an OOP F/W Bunker on top of a plastic cylinder with bitz added.

And Area 95, is a Star Wars piece, it opened up and there was a S/Wars watch inside. I gave the watch to my buddie's kid. And then bitz'd it out, covering the hinges, etc., with plastic strips, etc.

My War Room is just a spare bed room with gaming table, shelves, etc. ...I'm rapidly running out of space! But I'm 50 so I have to complete all my 6mm Sci-fi...

Next up - 6mm Lizardmen (Kraytonians) Temple and ruins!

You can meet Ralph, myself, and other members of the 6mm sci-fi miniatures gaming community in a number of on-line spots including at the EpiComms AKA Tactical Command Forums (Link on the right sidebar) or at the Yahoo 6mm Sci-fi Discussion Group (Link also on the right sidebar).

6mm sci-fi structures by New Hope Design (NHD) in Niew Friesland.

Some more NHD buildings in Nieuw Friesland.

Guard Post 1-0, a bunker / observation point in Nieuw Friesland.
(Scratch-built piece with a FW bunker on top.)

City statue of "Frazetta, the Deathdealer" in Nieuw Friesland.
(Building on left by NHD, center buildings by LMS, and the statue is a 28mm fantasy mini.)

For those of you interested in purchasing some of these terrain pieces, many of them are still available:

New Hope Design (NHD) in the UK
(web site temporarily down)
E-mail: Newhope design@hotmail.com
- This line was sold in the USA by GEO-Hex as "The Drum" while it was better known in the UK as Mayhem Miniatures. This UK company was later sold to Kennington Miniatures, which was, in turn, sold to New Hope Design. All of the sci-fi line are still being manufactured and sold in the UK.

GEO-Hex AKA Monday Knight Productions (MKP) in the USA
http://mondayknight.com/
- While GEO-Hex went out of business a number of years ago, most of their stock and lines are now carried by Monday Knight Productions, run by one of the nicest gentlemen in the business. I highly recommend their product and they STILL carry the same line of resin 6mm Battletech buildings that GEO-Hex did way back when!

Forgeworld (FW) in the UK
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/
- Forgeworld is very well known throughout the business and still carry a line of 6mm sci-fi miniatures and terrain for their Epic-Armageddon game (I worked and that game and am credited in the rulebook!). Some of their pieces including the bunkers that Ralph used are now, unfortunately out-of-print (OOP).

Little Minis Shops (LMS) in the USA
OUT OF BUSINESS
- LMS disappeared a number of years ago, which is a distinct pity since their hydrostone buildings were a lot of fun and painted up quite well. The gentleman who ran LMS in the American Northwest disappeared from distributors and retailers a number of years ago. They are unfortunately OOP.

And if you're interested in the 6mm lizardmen that Ralph mentioned as forthcoming, please check out the link for Dark Realm Miniatures (Link on right sidebar), a company run by a mutual friend of Ralph and I.

Have a great Monday!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.

You can check out all of Ralph's photos here:

http://s48.photobucket.com/albums/f248/Legion4/

PERSONAL NEWS: Quick Maksim Update #1...

Hi Guys,

I'm still around... sister got married yesterday... it was nice.

Working on and off on hobby projects...

Received a "Hammers Slammers" package yesterday from Ralph... Thanks, L-4!

Oh yeah, and I got to flirt with a good-looking woman I've had my eye on at the gym who I had thought hadn't noticed me... nice to be corrected.

And, I'm receiving "job announcements / invitations to apply" from various State jobs so that's nice as well.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

NOVELS: "The Winter War" & "Guns, Germs and Steel"

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Hi Everyone,

Yesterday, my friend Ralph AKA L-4 forwarded me a post from our mutual friend Mojarn Piett AKA Jyrki Sarni in Finland. Mojarn is a huge historical buff and one of his prime historical interests is the little-known Winter War between Finland and the USSR. He found an interesting site about The Winter War and shared it with us the other day ago.

Check it out an enjoy:
http://www.wfyi.org/fireandice/index.htm

For those of you who haven't heard of The Winter War, I'm providing a link to the Wikipedia entry on The Winter War should you want to learn more about it.

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

In a nutshell, while Hitler was taking his first bites of Europe, The Winter War was Stalin's first attempt at serious land acquisition in WWII. In 1939, Stalin attempted to conquer Finland, a tiny nation with not much of s atnding army that proved that numbers aren't everything. The Russians swarmed the Finns in large numbers, but superior knowledge of the land allowed the Finns to triumph although with considerable losses, but nothing like what the Russians endured. By 1940, an armistance was achieved, but several later border skirmishes occurred.

From a wargamer's stance, the war was very interesting because it featured so many of the early war Russian tanks that gradually disappeared from the later battlefields of WWII. In addition, the Finns made extensive use of Molotov cocktails and used tactics similar to what several Allied forces used later in the war against fascist Germany. The Winter War is definitely an interesting piece of textbook history, worthy of study.

I also found that Jared Diamond's runaway bestseller novel, "Guns, Germs and Steel" has been made into a PBS television special.

Check it out and enjoy:
http://www.pbs.org/gunsgermssteel/

If you haven't heard of "Guns, Germs and Steel," I highly recommend you check it out. I first heard of the book from an unlikely source... from the Apolyton computer game discussion group, associated with the popular hit computer game "Civilization" from Sid Meier. They wanted to design a computer game along the lines of "Guns, Germs and Steel." And what would those lines be?

Well, essentially the primary question that Diamond brings up in his book is: "Why did European countries come to the forefront of history and not some other ethnic or cultural group?" And the title of his book neatly answers his question:

GUNS: Groups crowded together had the constant impetus to develop more sophisticated weapons.

GERMS: The use of domesticated animals "innoculated" populations with them against diseases that groups without them were highy susceptible to.

STEEL: Access to natural resources was vital to the development of better materials such as steel.

At first I was worried that Diamond's book would be pseudoscience forwarding a revisionist "politically correct" view of the world, but after speaking to a number of my friends who are scientists, I decided to give it a chance. And while I'm not sure I agree with everything Dr. Diamond hypothesizes, I do find his arguments and evidence very compelling. And aside from that, "Guns, Germs and Steel" is a great read although an academic one.

One of the books I read back around the time I became interested in "Guns, Germs and Steel" was Orson Scott Card's "Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus." It's an interesting novel of time travel and alternate histories, one well worth checking out. Imagine if the "New World" met the "Old One" in strength instead of at the end of conquistador guns and swords:
http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/card.html

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).

HUMOUR: Subject Knowledge Joke!

Good morning, Everyone!

It's kind of a sad morning over hear as April showers have taken an early lead here and it's raining cats and dogs... really pretty gloomy if you think about it. That is until Ralph sent me a new joke. Read and enjoy:

Guy gets on a plane and finds himself seated next to a cute blonde. He immediately turns to her and makes his move. "You know," he says, "I've heard that flights will go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger. So let's talk."

The blonde, who had just opened her book, closes it slowly and says to the guy, "What would you like to discuss?"

"Oh, I don't know," says the guy, smiling. "How about nuclear power?"

"OK," says the blonde. "That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff -- grass. Yet the deer excretes little pellets, the cow turns out a flat patty, and the horse produces muffins of dried poop. Why do you suppose that is?"

The guy is dumbfounded.

Finally he replies, "I haven't the slightest idea."

"So tell me," says the blonde, "How is it that you feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don't know sh*t?"

Have a great day!

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

HUMOUR: Life From An Engineer's Vantage Point!

Hi Everyone,

My friend Ralph sent me a pile of engineering jokes that I thought were worthy of sharing...

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Understanding Engineers - Take One:

Two engineering students were walking across a university campus when One said, "Where did you get such a great bike?"

The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business, when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike, threw it on the ground, took off all her clothes and said, 'Take what you want.'"

The second engineer nodded approvingly and said, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit you anyway."

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Understanding Engineers - Take Two:

To the optimist, the glass is half full.

To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.

To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

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Understanding Engineers - Take Three:

A priest, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers.

The engineer fumed, "What's with those blokes? We must have been waiting for fifteen minutes!"

The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such inept golf!"

The priest said, "Here comes the greenskeeper. Let's have a word with him."

He said, "Hello, George! What's wrong with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow, aren't they?"

The greenskeeper replied, "Oh, yes. That's a group of blind firefighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime."

The group fell silent for a moment.

The priest said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight."

The doctor said, "Good idea. I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there's anything he can do for them."

The engineer said, "Why can't they play at night?"

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Understanding Engineers - Take Four:

What is the difference between mechanical engineers and civil engineers?

Mechanical engineers build weapons and civil engineers build targets.

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Understanding Engineers - Take Five:

The graduate with a science degree asks, "Why does it work?"

The graduate with an engineering degree asks,"How does it work?"

The graduate with an accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?"

The graduate with an arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?"

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Understanding Engineers - Take Six:

Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.

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Understanding Engineers - Take Seven:

An engineer was crossing the road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me,I'll turn into a beautiful princess." He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.

The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week." The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to his pocket.

The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you for one week and do ANYTHING you want." Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.

Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you, I'm a beautiful princess, and that I'll stay with you for one week and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?"

The engineer said, "Look, I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that's cool!"

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I hope that you enjoyed the jokes as much as I did.

Have a great weekend!

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

MINI WARGAMING: 6mm GZG Infantry Miniatures.

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TOP: 6mm Japanese Corporate Mercenary troops (front view) from GZG.

Photo by Cuban Commissar.

Hi Everyone,

My friend Luis (Cuban Commissar) recently asked anyone if they'd seen or owned any of GZG's 6mm science fiction infantry so this is a post written for him.

TOP: 6mm ESU troops (front view - close-up) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

TOP: 6mm ESU troops (back view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

First off: Yes, I own many of GZG's 6mm sci-fi infantry figures and I love them! Many other Epicomms members own them too including Cybershadow (Iain), L-4 (Ralph) and several others whose names are escaping me at the moment.

TOP: 6mm FSE troops (front view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

TOP: 6mm NAC troops (front view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

Both of GZG's 6mm sci-fi lines had infantry packets although the majority of the best ones came from their Dirtside II line. I probably have a few of all of the packets by now and have posted photos of my Arab figures before. I'll see about putting them up again.

TOP: 6mm New Israeli troops (front view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

TOP: 6mm New Israeli troops (front view - panorama shot) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

The figures themselves tend to size well with GW's Epic-Armageddon figures, but allowing for the medium (...cast metal instead of plastic), are more compact and squat than GW's 6mm plastic figures.

They come in packs of about twenty to twenty-four figures and come with little metal bases that fit 2, 3 or 4 figures per base.

TOP: 6mm NSL troops (front view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

They are expensive for how many you get in a pack. Both Scotia and Irregular's 6mm sci-fi infantry are a better deal for your money.

TOP: 6mm UN troops (front view - close-up) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

TOP: 6mm UN troops (front view) from GZG.
Photo by Cuban Commissar.

I do like the figures alot and will buy more in the future when the opportunity presents itself.

Good luck, Luis, and let us know whether you decide to get any!

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

UPDATE (August 2007):

CC later did buy some sample packs and was kind enough to share some photos he took of them.

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: How to Know if You're a Redneck Jedi!

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How to Know if You're a Redneck Jedi!

Hi All,

Ralph passed this on to me awhile back and it's worth sharing.

How to Know if You're a Redneck Jedi:

1. Your Jedi robe is a camouflage color.

2. You have used your light saber to open and cook a can of pork and beans.

3. You think the best use of your light saber is picking your teeth.

4. At least one wing of your X-Wing fighter is primer-colored.

5. There is a blaster rack in the back of your landspeeder.

6. You have bantha horns on the front of your landspeeder.

7. You can easily describe the taste of Ewok.

8. You can find no grammatical errors in the way Yoda talks.

9. You think that the Stormtrooper Elite Guards are just KKK members with really good sheets.

10. A peaceful meditation session is one without gas.

11. You can levitate yourself using a force from within, but not The Force.

12. Your master has said, ''My finger you will pull..hmmm?''

13. You have had an X-wing up on blocks in your yard.

14. You have lost a hand during a light-saber fight because you had to spit.

15. The worst part of spending time on Dagoba is the dad-gum skeeters.

16. Wookies are offended by your B.O.

17. You have used The Force to get yourself another beer so you didn't have to wait for a commercial.

18. You have used The Force in conjunction with fishing/bowling.

19. You have used a light saber to clean fish or open a non-twist-off bottle of beer.

20. You've had your R-2 unit use its self-defense electro-shock thingy to light a bar-b-que.

21. Your father told you, ''Shoot, son come on over t' the dark side... it'll be a hoot.''

A Star Wars E-group worth checking out is:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/SSSW/

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Have a great day!

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).