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

.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: 28mm Barbary Pirates (27 April 2008)

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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!

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).

HISTORY: Happy Halloween, Ozzie Light Horse! (31 October 2007)

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TOP: An Australian Slouch Hat as worn...

...by the Australian Light Horse at Beersheba in 1917.

Hi All,

Today is a special day to me... for alot of reasons. For one, it's my birthday and this post signifies that I've survived another year on this Earth of ours. A second is that this day is the holiday of Halloween, a benign holiday with it's roots in Druidic tradition, but used today as a day of good cheer and the sharing of sweets around much of the world. On Halloween, we celebrate the macabre: ghosts, spooks, skeletons, vampires, and the whole lot of elements that make for a good scary story... LOL ;o) And I'm ALL about that!

But, a third more profound reason is that today is the day that far back in 1917, the Australian Light Horse overcame the Turkish guns at Beersheba in an act that opened up the Holy Land from Oriental despotism to the many joys and Freedoms of the West that so often get taken for granted except by those forced to go without: little things like the freedom to travel, gather, protest, speak (media), build a home, have as many children as one wants, etc.. Without those brave Ozzies, perhaps the Ottoman Empire and its brutal oppression of people throughout the Middle East might still persist today. And maybe the reach of the Ottoman Empire that always thirsted for Europe and beyond would have expanded? Instead those brave Australian Horsemen sealed the fate of the "sick old man of Europe."

Much of the Middle East still suffers under the cruel yoke of tyranny, but there is hope and the example of Israel stands LARGE to those around the Middle East who suffer. They can watch as little Israel succeeds against all odds, stays decent under cruel, inhuman pressures, and how her people cherish & enjoy the many freedoms of that little decidedly imperfect & democratic bastion of light.

But enough of my hyperbole, if you've ever met an Ozzie, you know that one of their most annoying and outstanding traits is a little something called Larrikinism. That's a fancy word for the very healthy lack of respect that Ozzies have for authority. The word also captures the very consistent sense of self-deprecating humor that so many Ozzies exhibit. It's one of the things I love best about the Ozzie comedy-band Tripod, whose videos I seem to feature more and more often here at my blog. That is a quite distinct sense of humor that Australians and Jews seem to share. And Australian Jews... seem to have it in droves. Here's a snippet of what Wiki has to say about it:

Larrikinism is the name given to the Australian folk tradition of irreverence, mockery of authority and disregard for rigid norms of propriety. Larrikinism can also be associated with self-deprecating humour.

And here's a link to the full Wiki entry on Larrikinism:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larrikinism

I only wish I had a better facility with words to properly frame the truly magnificent accomplishment of the Australian Light Horse at Beersheba in 1917, but while I don't, my friend Treppenwitz does. Here is a passage from a book called '800 Horsemen' by Col. Stringer which Treppenwitz quoted in a great post about the subject:

"The key to the battle were the Gaza-Beersheba fortifications. Beersheba, meaning "well of the oath", so named by Abraham in the book of Genesis... Any army approaching its life-giving wells has to march for days through the waterless desert. All the Turks had to do was hold off an attack for one day and the merciless desert sun would do the rest. Despite constant assaults by the combined forces of the British and Australian armies, the place could not be taken. Then came the fateful day of October 31 1917. The generals were desperate, 50,000 British infantry with tank support had been driven back into the desert. With the sun about to set and with no water for many miles, disaster stared them squarely in the face. The Australian Light Horse Commander [General] Chauvel's orders were to storm Beersheba, it had to be won before nightfall at all costs. The situation was becoming grave as they were in urgent need of 400,000 gallons of water for men and horses.

Chauvel concocted a crazy plan. Why not let his 800 horsemen charge the Turkish artillery? A cavalry charge across 6000 yards of open terrain straight into the face of the massed Turkish guns. It sounded like a recipe for disaster. No wonder the German Officer commanding the Turkish defences described the Aussie Light Horsemen as "madmen!" For a start the Light Horse were not cavalry, they were mounted infantry. They had no swords or lancers but were equipped with rifles and bayonets designed for infantry warfare. But left with virtually no
alternative the desperate General gave the order for the last great cavalry charge in history! The 800 young men mounted their magnificent Walers (horses) and lined up to face the Turkish guns, their young faces bronzed and tanned from the desert sun, their emu plumes swaying in the breeze from their famous slouch hats, rifles swung across their backs and bayonets in hand. History was about to be written. These 800 young men were about to open the doorway to the liberation of Jerusalem!

The Light Horsemen charged magnificently across the dusty plains, so fast that the Turkish artillery could not keep pace with them and the "mad" horsemen were able to slip under their guns. As they leapt the trenches laced with machine gun bullets, a magnificent cheer went up from the British ranks, even some of the Turks stood and applauded, such was the magnificence of the feat. Although hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned they charged on. Beersheba - the gateway to Jerusalem, fell that day, not to the Crusaders, not to the British, German or US Armies - but to the Australian Light Horsemen!

Let me quote from the book "True Australian War Tales" by Alec Hepburn. "...the British swept towards Gaza. They stormed the city on 26 March but were thrown back by determined enemy resistance. A second attempt on 17 April also ended in failure. The Turks, with German and Austrians of the crack Asia Corps, stood firm along a fortified line from Gaza on the coast, to Beersheba, near the Judean Hills. The key to victory was Beersheba. Many nations claim to have mounted the last cavalry charge in history, but most of these actions were minor skirmishes of no real significance towards the outcome of the war in which they fought. The Australian Light Horse attack on Beersheba was the last important cavalry charge in history and the last to win a resounding victory that altered the course of a war." (And the course of a nation - Israel)."

The late afternoon sunlight flashing from their bayonets, Australian troopers of the 4th Light Horse Brigade made a proud sight as they spread in a khaki flood over the stony Palestine plain. The thundering hoof beats of their mounts rolled over the arid land ahead like some macabre overture . ...Wearing their distinctive feather-plumed slouch hats at a variety of jaunty angles the troopers seemed nonchalant in the face of death.... Topping the last rise Beersheba suddenly came into sight, the graceful minaret on its Mosque pointing the way to glory, in what was to be the last important cavalry charge in history. Almost as one the big, brown warhorses surged forward in a mad gallop, their hoofs striking thunder from the hard sun-baked earth."

"Then from somewhere within the barbed-wire-encircled town, heavy artillery began firing. The first shells roared overhead, exploding in fiery geysers amid the charging ranks. Yelling men and bellowing horses went down in tangled heaps, their screams filling the choking smoke clouds that swirled everywhere, But not even shrapnel could halt their fierce onslaught. Leaping their mounts over fallen comrades, the horsemen swept towards the Turkish line. Soon the shells were falling harmlessly behind the advancing ranks. With the first gauntlet behind them the Australian horsemen raced into the next. From the flanks Turkish machine-guns took over the defence. Many more men and horses went down, but still they came on. The tough Turkish infantry had been unnerved by the seemingly invincible horde bearing down on them. Wild with fear, for they knew their foe by reputation, the Turks put up a formidable rifle barrage in a frantic effort to stop the mounted madmen. Troopers pitched from the saddle; others had their mounts shot from under them: and yet the suicidal charge swept on. As the Light Horse galloped nearer the excited Turks forgot to lower their sights and found themselves firing high. With bullets now buzzing harmlessly overhead the leading squadrons thundered in line across the last kilometre then jumped their mighty Walers over the trenches."

The rest is history. "Beersheba - well of the oath, was in Australian hands by the time the last rays of fading daylight had gone from the desert sky. This deed would live on as the proudest achievement in the colourful story of the legendary Light Horse, the force that was probably the most uniquely Australian fighting unit ever raised. The Light Horseman was the best mounted soldier in history, finer even than the Cossack or the American Plains Indian."

In fact the British General Allenby rated the Cavalry charge as one of, if not the most magnificent in history. Eight hundred Aussie Light horsemen had achieved what 50,000 British troops with tanks could not do, what even the Crusaders or Napoleon could not do! They had opened the doorway to Jerusalem against seemingly insurmountable odds.

I am in no way attempting to glorify war, it is terrible. But I believe we need "to give honour where honour is due." Many of the Light Horsemen were visibly moved when they realised they had opened the gateway to the Holy Land, a doorway which had been firmly shut for centuries. One writer put it this way "Without the ANZAC involvement the modern state of Israel would not have come into existence!" On December 11th 1917 the Australian Light Horsemen rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, so far from their homes, their emu feathers proudly fluttering in the breeze, to be greeted with a hysterical welcome by Jews and Christians. A far cry from the scenario when Godfrey of Bouillon and his bloodthirsty Crusaders had entered the city in 1099. Centuries of Moslem rule was over. As the triumphant British General Allenby entered the city through the Jaffa gate, his honour guard was made up of slouch hatted Aussies. Opposite him as he stood on the steps of the Citadel of David he was encircled by another honour guard of proud ANZAC Light Horsemen! Their magnificent effort was being honoured by the world!"

Here's a link here to Treppenwitz's full post:
http://bogieworks.blogs.com/treppenwitz/2007/10/the-return-of-t.html

I can't recommend his blog enough. He is not only a great guy, but his blog makes for a fine read.

Have a great Wednesday!

And Happy Halloween!

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).

PERSONAL NEWS: Going To the Jerusalem of Aviation! (26 March 2007)

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The Air & Space Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC.

Hi Everyone!

Things have been VERY busy lately… have had a number of demanding cases at work presently.

I’ve gotten in a good amount of gaming lately… MWS meeting, gaming adventures with Vynnie of RIF and his posse, boardgaming with my sister’s family, enjoyed “The 300” at a IMAX theatre, and much more! I have links to the MWS gaming club, Vynnie's site Recon In Force (RIF), and many other links on the right side bar.

I thought that this photo was not only a clever Photoshop job, BUT hilarious!

To my knowledge, Hello Kitty, does not manufacture firearms, BUT...

If they did, I'd bet that they'd be this damn CUTE!

I’ve felt guilty about not posting lately, but Life TM is life! I have at least two battle reports with photos coming, a few movie reviews, some book reviews, as well as the rough drafts of several other posts.

The Air & Space Smithsonian Magazine... I subscribed for YEARS!

I also unfortunately missed this past Saturday’s gaming with the guys… something came up. Sorry, Gang!

The Sacramento Rivercats baseball team logo.

I’m also excited that my office is arranging to attend a Rivercats game in April… I hesitate to admit that I have never been to a professional baseball game, majors or minors, and I’m really looking forward to attending a game on Thursdays… apparently they have $1.00 USD hot dog and ice cream specials… Woo Hoo!

For more information about the Rivercats, please see this link:

http://www.rivercats.com/home/

A view from The Air & Space Smithsonian Museum Annex at a Washington DC airport.

On top of that, I’m super excited to have the opportunity to visit The Air & Space Smithstonian Museum next month… really looking forward to that, seeing DC, and visiting a good friend.

For more information about The Air & Space Smithsonian Museum, please see this link:

http://www.nasm.si.edu/

Have a great Monday!

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).

PERSONAL NEWS: Pinewood Derby Day (4 March 2007)

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My Bro-in-law showing off his awesome Master Pinewood Crafter skills.

Hi Everyone and especially my Sister and her Kids,

Busy weekend and a busy past week or two... sickness has kept me down, but I'm on the recovery path now and got a couple of shots of my newphews' and niece's pinewood derby cars.

Austin's "Leafwood Racer" before the wheels have been attached.

For those not in the know, Pinewood Derby Car Racing is a time-honored tradition in the scouting youth programs and every year, children across the United States buy blocks of pine dood and carve themselves out cars, attaching wheels in the process. Then the cars are taken to big ramps and raced in different heats to see who has the fastest pinewood derby racer of them all. Winners tend to weigh around five pounds and have well-lubricated wheels (wheels are usually lubricated with graphite). So, enough with the words and onto the rest of the photos:

Tori's "Slugbug Special" being weighed. Love the pyschedelic stickers!

All of the rest of the boys wanted more standard racers.

These are Vincent's, Quinn's, and Ryan's racers.

This is my Bro-in-law's classic racer... probably carved sometime in the 1970s. It has cool US Navy stickers on it, carefully borrowed from plastic model kits from the day!

Here's one more shot of a boy's racer along with my sister's car: "The Cheesewood Racer."

Have a great Sunday!

Shalom,

Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.

The rest of the shots can be found here:

http://s44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/Personal_2007/Pinewood-Derby_3-4-2007/

PERSONAL NEWS: Happy Birthday, Mom!

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Happy birthday, Mom!

Happy birthday to the lady who taught me how to read, paint, draw, write, eat, swim, be gracious, use good manners, eat peas, and all of the the other good things that went into making me - me!

Thanks, Mom! Being the quintessential English teacher she is, she always like to point out that her birthday is the only command of the year: March forth!

I'm still glad it was you and I hope your day is a wonderful one!

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).

PERSONAL NEWS: Cro Magnon Softball Hitters (22 September 2006)!

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Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share a few photos from the company picnic we had at my new job on the 22nd of September (last month). We all got together and had a fine meal (BBQ galore) and then played a friendly softball game (the office split up into two teams, more or less).

First we sat down to a big meal (the above photo).

And then the game started... the above photo is of my friend Scott whacking the ball...

And then there's me getting a solid hit in my best Cro Magnon batting poise...

It was a good time... and I don't even like baseball much.

Have a great day!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

PERSONAL NEWS: Birthdays Left & Right!

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Hi Everyone!

Wow! It seems like everytime I turn around this month, I have more birthdays to worry about whether Peter "Primarch" Ramos, local gamer Charlie, or my two nephews Quinn and Ryan!

And it was those two, my two lovable nephews that had a birthday bash this weekend (Saturday evening, 19 August 2006)... put a real crimp in my gaming plans! It was great though... we all met up at Red Robin, a burger joint, and enjoyed each other's company.

Quinn and Ryan came out like bandits too... their grandmothers went in together and got them some kind of fancy hand-held Nintendo devices... DS or something like that and their favorite uncle got them...

Godzilla toys!

Quinn received Mecha-Godzilla...

And Ryan is now the proud owner of King Ghidora...

That kid always hams it up for the camera!

You see we always play a Godzilla game on their SuperNintendo together and all of the kids invariably gang up on their uncle and give me a good drubbing. The Godzilla toys were a big hit.

And my sister made good use of my artistic and gaming skills. I was put in charge of decorating the cakes. She gave me two designs to transplant onto the cakes.

Quinn got a dinosaur that had to be mean-looking (that required a few alterations to the harmless dino I was given)...

And Ryan had to have Yu-Gi-Oh! What a design it was!

As usual, I have shared my photos here:

http://briefurl.com/Bdays_8-19-2006

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And, lo and behold, I was double-blessed with good company this weekend! My friend Joe called and came by today (Sunday, 20 August 2006) for a visit. He recently traded a number of board games for a 15mm ancients miniatures haul... full of Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians and who knows what else. I lent him a number of Ospreys (History books with color illustration plates) and other references to get him started. We chatted a good part of afternoon away and enjoyed some tasty libations. Joe, also brought some of his latest miniature painting artistry... I'll have to drum up some photos of his miniatures painting talents at some date in the future.

And I should always have such good company! Omayn!

All in all, a good weekend... even if I didn't get much gaming in!

I wish the best to all!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
And one last shot of my niece...

Cute as a button, isn't she?

PERSONAL NEWS: Quick Maksim Update #2 (11 July 2006)...

Hi Guys,

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I'm still around... working on several new posts:

- Yehuda game meme post.
- Sister's wedding photos post.
- Microarmor ruleset review for Tas.
- A few new joke posts.
- ConQuest SF post.
- Possible movie review of "Munich"... or maybe not.
- Post about new Lebanese Armor "Blue Steel" book...
- Announcement of new local 28mm Westerns miniatures company...
- Announcement of new Firefly Games product "A Faery's Tale"...
- A few book reviews...

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I'm really looking froward to this week's "Wednesday Gamer's Night Out" at A-1 Comics on Sunrise. It will be Dick Mitchell's first night back ina while and I've missed him... can't get enough good friends like him. And it sounds like some of the rest of the "local posse" are getting jazzed as well... hope to see Kimbo and Dave Story among others...

Dick put up a new site for a local gaming club he runs:

http://www.freewebs.com/mwssacto/

Which also has a free Yahoo E-group:

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

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And the good-looking redhead, who I met this past Saturday, and I are getting along just fine.... ran into her again yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed the company. It's wonderful when a good-looking woman takes a visible interest in you.

And, I'm getting close to a new State job so that's nice as well.

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Have a great day!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

PERSONAL NEWS: Not this time, Charlie (2 June 2006).

Hi Guys,

I, first of all, wanted to thank everyone who sent me positive vibes, but...

I didn't get the job this time and that's how the cookie crumbles. Bummer.

So, I'll be looking for the next opportunity.

And in the classic words of Arnold Schwartzenegger from "Commando":

"Stick around, Sucka!"

(After knifing said bad guy to the wall.)

Have a great week/end!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

PERSONAL NEWS: I'm Tho Thick! Uuugghh!

Hi and good morning, Everyone,

I'm really sick... I think I have some sort of flu. I have a high temperature, sore all over, having trouble sleeping, clammy skin and am generally miserable.

So please don't be surprised if I don't update the blog for a few days either.

And I know I'm seriously sick because there is gaming today and I don't think I'll be going unless I feel much better later today.

I hope that everyone out there is better than I am at the moment.

Shabbat Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

PERSONAL NEWS: Look, Mom, I'm Famous!

Hi Everyone,

You all know a celebrity now! I'm famous!

For those of you not in the know, a local reporter from an arts/culture newspaper was interested in doing a short piece on the gaming community and I somehow ended up as the interviewee. It's a pretty short piece, a sort of fifteen-minute Q & A format, but it's still cool!

Here's a link to the article:

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=oid%3A48163

Sacramento News & Review, as previously mentioned, is primarily an arts / culture rag, but when they do do news, it tends to lean to the left, which is a bit odd since the majority of the gaming community, at least the wargaming community, tends to swing to the right (...and that makes sense since many gamers/wargamers are ex-military). However, if you want someone else to understand who you are, you have to speak and listen to them, so I took a chance on SN&R and hoped that my little interview wasn't going to turn out to be some sort of "ambush journalism," a "smear campaign," or some other kind of effort to paint people who play games with little cardboard chits and army miniatures as "evil warmongers" or "fascist-pig warhawks." I'm very pleased that while my words were heavily paraphrased and awkwardly arranged for space, the reporter, Sarah Sol, didn't put my words out of context! Yeah!

In fact, the experience I had with the reporter, Sarah Sol, and the photographer, Larry Dalton, was VERY POSITIVE! They were both very personable and polite folks. I'd do it again if asked.

And, for the curious, the game about the French Revolution I taught and played with the reporter was "Guillotine," a simple, fun and irreverant look at the French Revolution. And for the even more curious, I won!

And here's a quick link to "Guillotine" before I end this post:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/116

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

P.S.
The game in the photographs is "Ticket To Ride: Europe" for those who are curious.

P.S.S.
I was surprised to see that the news reached TMP. I'm guessing that Bill, the TMP Editor, posted it. We've been friendly for ages. Here are links to the TMP article and discussion of the article:

http://theminiaturespage.com/news/609754/

http://theminiaturespage.com/news/talk/msg.mv?id=609754

PERSONAL NEWS: My Own Photobucket Miniatures Gallery!

Hi Guys,

I started my own Photobucket gallery today.

Check it out here:

http://photobucket.com/albums/f23/Maksim-Smelchak/

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

PERSONAL NEWS: I got a new computer!

Hi Tas and Gang,

I almost forgot to tell you that I received a new computer for my birthday and that has great implications...

I'm final entering the 21rst century in terms of computing power!

For one, my new computer has multiple USB ports, something my old one did not have.

So what's important about a USB port you ask?

Here's one thing...

Digital cameras feed into USB ports...

I'm sure you make the connections from there...

Imagine that? Ralph AKA L-4 and I both making a splash in the world of digital photographs at the SAME time!

I have a number of Space Wolves, Blood Angels, and Ultramarines just waiting to go under the lense and become a part of your Horus Heresy project!

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

PERSONAL NEWS: Our Gaming Histories!

Hi Guys,

I'll join in! It's always interesting to hear about the gaming histories of others and to share your own.

Primarch: It's been the other way around for me. In the beginning of my stint as a wargamer, I played everything and anything. I played Kyromek (...which has resurfaced), Leviathan (...from the defunct Grendel company), Warzone 1st edition, second and the latest (...probably the ONLY skirmish game I have ever cared for), Battletech, Silent Death, Heroquest, Space Hulk and Blood Bowl.
As time went by I have narrowed my focus to one dimension 6mm, mainly Epic with only 6mm WWII gaming squeezing itself in. I have virtually lost interest in skirmish 28mm games. They bore me to tears. I like feeling like a general when I game, skirmish games dont do it for me.
It is also a question of time. I have little of it. I no longer have the drive of attention span to get into a multitude of games and remain with just one.
Of course, outside wargaming I play D&D and DM a game for my old gaming group. So with these two things I pretty much satisfy my gaming needs.

This thread can be found here:
EpiComms » Extra Boards » General Discussion » Gandalf the Grey's Gaming blog

http://www.epic40k.co.uk/epicomms/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=10;t=4990;st=0

My Gaming History:

The 1970s - My Beginning in Gaming:
- I started out wide-eyed and ready to play anything. I didn't have much money at that time so any miniatures I could get my hands on were cool by me. I mostly took hand-outs or bargain bin specials in the 1970s.
- I really got into fantasy when Chainmail came out and wanted to play all the great battles of Tolkien's hobbit. The Ralph Bakshi movie really inspired me and is still a favorite despite its shortcomings.
- Starfleet Battles was another big interest and I was determined to build a viable Hydran fleet (Never happened...).
- I was also lucky enough to discover OGRE around the time it came out and still think it's an amazing game!
- I also got in at ground floor with Traveller and acquired a number of the famous LBBs!

The 1980s - A Time of Microarmor:
- I went wild in the 1980s and built up a sizeable 25mm fantasy collection, started a microarmor collection and started building up a sci-fi collection as well. I probably painted well over 300 25mm fantasy figures during this decade... mostly Grenadiers.
- Around the mid 1980's, I realized that I probably had at least four or five different scales of miniatures in my collections and came to a decsion that making five different sets of terrain was not a good idea so... I wrote some pros and cons and I decided to settle on one MAIN scale and minimize all other scales in my collection. I ended up deciding on 6mm AKA 5mm AKA 1/300 AKA 1/285. My favorite pieces were in this scale and it made the most sense. In retrospect, I'm glad I did this.
- I played a lot of microarmor games in the 1980s and probably tried almost every rule set that came out at the time.
- I concentrated my modern collections around the Arab-Israeli Conflict and built up some WWII collections as well... mostly for the early Blitzkrieg scenarios and Eastern Front.
- I also wrote a modern microarmor ruleset that became quite popular. I still see gamers playing it at cons and have even seen it sold at flea markets despite it not being much more than a set of fancy Xerox photocopies.
- Car Wars was one of the big games of the 1980s and I practically played it to death along with all of the later expansions for it. It is still one of my favorite games. I started building a x1 or 6mm car collection during this time.
- Some of the big sci-fi games came out too and I loved them all. I remember Battledroids, Battletech, Silent Death, Renegade Legion, Centurion and so many others. I'm not sure which of those games came out in the 1990s, but I liked them all. My 6mm sci-fi collection began to grow and quickly became my largest and most favorite collection. The early Martian Metals OGRE minis were amazing!

The 1990s - The Epic Generation:
- The 1990s were a golden time for me. I finally had enough disposable income to buy games & minis and I did!
- Adeptus Mechanicus, Space Marine 1rst edition, and Epic Space Marine 2nd Edition / Titan Legions dominated this time for me. I built up large Epic collections and this is still one of my favorite collections and by far the largest part of my treasured 6mm sci-fi collection.
- Dirtside II also came out at this time and is still a game I love. I bought a lot from GeoHEX and GZG and was sad to later see GeoHEX go out of business.
- FASA also sadly went out of business and Battletech and Centurion went with them.
- I also decided to take some chances and joined the service enlisting in the USAF.
- Oddly enough, I found a Traveller group while in the USAF and we played a campaign game for a several years.
- I later went overseas and primarily worked in esatern Europe and Russia. I also spent a little time in Israel.
- When I got back to the USA, Epic had been gutted and E-40k had both come and gone leaving E-40k miniatures in the bargain bins of gaming shops everywhere. It was sad to see yet another Epic game get superceded or otherwise poo-poo'ed. I picked up as many E-40k blisters as I could.
- I spent most of the late 1990s working full-time jobs and taking heavy course loads at university eventually ending up with several degrees. This really killed my gaming time in the late 1990s.

The 2000s - "Planetfall" & Enjoing Gaming Again! :
- I decided to get a teaching credential and started teaching in the early 2000s. I spent a lot of time either at work (hospital pharmacy) while I was earning my teaching credential or in classes.
- The best thing about the 2000s was that I let myself go and began gaming again.
- I found a local game store called Hobby Workshop and spent a lot of time there. I made a lot of friends and walking into Hobby Workshop felt like going into Cheers... we all knew each other and we all loved playing games... whether miniatures or board games. Sometimes we brought movies and watched them together.
- I played in a BFG campaign during this time.- I also played a ton of Epic games.
- The owner, Bill, is a great guy and I have very fond memories of his business. Games Workshop later drove him out of business when they decided to form a monopoly on Internet sales, which was most of Bill's business. It was a sad day the day that Hobby Workshop closed its' doors.
- I later earned my teaching credential and went on to teach in the classroom, starting with highschool science & mathematics and later moving to general elementary education.
- This was a wonderful time and I dedicated a lot of my time to helping others, but the whole education system frustrated me. It wasn't other teachers, but the infernal school district administration and the terrible CTA, one of the worst, most corrupt unions in existence. I left the teaching career behind in early 2005 and decided to move on.
- I moved on to a variety of side jobs in 2005 and decided to pursue a dream of mine... to publish my own game and do a good job of it.- I had been collecting notes and discussing ideas with small publishers for ages. I had researched small printers and acquired skills with desktop publishing. After speaking with Patrick Sweeney of Firefly Games, I decided to finally do it.
- "Planetfall - The Generic Universal Science Fiction Miniatures Wargame Engine" was born.
- It had started back in the 1980s as a set of house rules and scribbled ideas in a notebook and had evolved over the past two decades or so. It became a microarmor ruleset in the 1980s and a set of house rules for Epic in the 1990s. Now it is ready to become its' own game and I've put it into playtesting and development. I should be able to publish it in early 2006 or maybe even in late 2005.
- I now game at a local shop called Hobby Monkey and play whatever my friends do.
- Eric "Chern" Royer is one of my closet friends and we started playing Epic together in the early 2000s at the now defunct Hobby Workshop. He is well-known for his "Epic Army Card" website and we playtested much of the early Epic-Armageddon materials with each other.
- We formed a local Epic gamer's group and I started an e-group called CA-EA-Gamers to support us. The Epic fervor has died down, but the same Epic folks are still around.
- Eric unfortunately has burned out on Epic with all of the damned changes and indecision at Games Workshop and doesn't want to play it again for along time.
- He is a big Babylon-5 fan so we play the B-5 space game pretty often. We're currently in a campaign. I'm playing the Shadows and Eric is playing Earth Force. There are also Centauri and Drazi players.
- Eric also runs a Warhammer Fantasy cmapign so I'm actually playing RPGs again as well.
- Hobby Monkey also started a Formula De league and I decided to play in that as well.
- One of the highlights of 2005 was that I played a "Star Wars: Battle of Hoth" game using my "Planetfall" rules. It was blast and made my feel good because I'd made a New Year's resolution to do it. It always feels good to meet a vow and keep a promise. I spent a good part of Summer 2005 working on the Hoth minis set and am very pleased with it.

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.