The collected works of ScottyB

It’s not often I’ll buy a board game. These days I don’t have much time for them and - sadly - they have PC-based counterparts, so I usually end up buying the equivalent if I want to play, or downloading free versions. However, this evening, I found an undeniably, unable-to-walk-past-without-grabbing board game.

Most of you know I already own Monopoly. It was a focus of an earlier post right here and the game has caused all sorts of wars and chaos and mayhem between those who play it. Some say entire Worlds have been born and collapsed thanks to the influences of Monopoly. It’s a powerful force, not to be taken lightly, demanding respect and responsibility.

The majority of us own Monopoly, but any who have experienced its taint have only played it once. Those that escaped its grasp with their lives intact have shelved it, high in the top of a cupboard, or low - buried, under a myriad of other games and blankets… and lock-boxes.

So you probably think I’m crazy for purchasing a second edition. One that obviously demands play - and does so with perhaps one of my favourite themes. Marvel’s Spider-Man.

The board is eye-candy at its finest.

All the classic properties have been replaced by relevant Spider-Man movie detail… Dr. Octavius’ Lab.. the Oscorp Penthouse.. Green Goblin’s Lair..

Basic income taxes are replaced by Bad Press penalties.. or losing your mask.

And the Community Chest and Chance themes have been replaced by the Spider-Man and Dark/Black Spider-Man icons on the board, and relevant cards.

Spider-Man now has his own money. All bills personalised with the web-slinging Spider-Man.

Property detail, ownership cards and Utilities all have been adapted to Spider-Man movie relevance. Now you can purchase the Daily Bugle (though I imagine J. Jonah Jameson would be none too pleased - or compliant!), Oscorp and Spidey attire; Web Slingers.. or your foes; Green Goblin’s Glider.

The traditional plain, ’square’ icons of houses and hotels have been replaced with the far more exciting and different designs of ‘Apartments’ and ‘Skyscrapers’.

But the pièce de résistance in this Spider-Man edition of Monopoly are the new pieces.

6 players can choose from Venom, New Goblin, Sandman or 3 different variants of Spider-Man - posed atop a building, vaulting over a brick wall, or swinging from a lamp-post. All metal pieces forged with great attention to detail. They look absolutely fantastic.

My favourite:

The whole thing is like something you pack away as a collectors item, never use, never open type stuff; It’s so impressive.

Now I just have to find someone willing to give it a whirl

Undoubtedly the coolest reptile around has to be the Chameleon.

Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are squamates that belong to one of the best-known lizard families. The name “chameleon” means “Earth lion” and is derived from the Greek words chamai (on the ground, on the earth) and leon (lion).

Unfortunately, they are illegal in Australia. So as much as I’d love to be sitting at the PC, posting on M2, or watching TV with a Chameleon sitting atop my shoulder, its just not going to happen.

That is, unless I open my own Zoo.

I’ve looked into this and there are a number of negatives. Firstly, there’s all the red tape involved. Policies, restrictions, licenses, tariffs, endless mountains of paperwork - and for someone like me with no prior experience in any of that stuff, I’m facing a difficult task. I’d need experience in corporate accounting, or I’d need someone to do it for me. I’d need to know all the laws regarding importing of exotic animals and requirements when doing so. I’d need to do this all pretty quickly too. Sure, I could buy a couple of degrees online - I mean I’ve received those ‘Purchase Cheap Degrees and Diplomas’ emails before - but in reality, I’d probably need the associated skills that you actually learn when you earn these said Degrees and Diplomas.

Secondly, there is the added downside of my unfamiliarity with zoology and zoo-like trades. I have no diplomas or degrees in anything with a ‘zoo’ prefix, so this sort of venture would require a complete retooling of my life and educational avenue.

Thirdly, I would require a large plot of land, preferably in an area with easy access for visitors with relative location to major forms of transportation (i.e. roads, trains etc) which means my backyard is probably out. It would require substantial area for parking as well. Amenities and public facilities would also need to be located on-site and I’m sure there’s also lots more red-tape involved when you start talking about people’s safety and food/drink licensing etc. I’m going to need teams of Lawyers for when someone trips over the gutter out front.

Finally, money. I’m told you need a substantial amount of it to start a Zoo. This is perhaps the most defining factor in this whole idea. This is perhaps my greatest downfall. With my limited experience regarding running a Zoo and despite what Microsoft’s hit game, Zoo Tycoon 2 will tell me, its apparently not easy to start a Zoo, not easy to start with $40,000 in the bank (and apparently, 40K won’t get me very far in the real World either) and there’s no such thing as free land - and I most certainly can’t enter cheats to get more wads of easy cash. Which poses a significant problem for the ongoing profitability and sustainability of said Zoo.

There is the option of armed robbery and extortion, but its really not me. Printing your own money is difficult in Australia because its all plastic, and Monopoly money isn’t usable currency. Meaning I’m really up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

I’m sure there are more issues involved in starting up a Zoo, but at the current point in time, it all seems a little too much of a drama just for the sake of owning a pet Chameleon. I guess for the time being at least, I best put that one to the back of my mind, filed under the ‘Great idea, but unlikely to happen’ category.

Source: Wikipedia: The Chameleon

I’ve always considered Motosport to be all about going fast.

Driving around a track as hard as one can, as fast as one can, while engineers and technical persons make the said vehicle as fast and reliable as possible.

Over the years, this idea has led to some amazing cars - and some equally as impressive race categories.

Amazing cars such as the Porsche 917. Race successes from such cars as the LeMans winning McLaren F1 GTR, the Ford GT40 and most recently, the Audi R8 and its successor, the Audi R10 TDi.

Motorsport is about excitement. To the driver and to the viewer.

Most race categories have enjoyed success, but F1 has (in more recent years) been a subject of much discrimination and disdain from viewers - mainly due to a lack of ‘bumper-to-bumper’ racing, overtaking and exciting racing. True, most races are won in procession and the majority of overtaking manoeuvres are performed during opponent pit stops, but the nature of changing regulations has seen this occur.

The departure from slicks to grooved tyres, the allowances of modern aerodynamic devices, such as winglets and fins. These and more have all added to the modern face of Formula One racing.

They have the audacity to say F1 is too expensive, that development costs too much, yet happily change the rules and regulations every few years, forcing teams and participants to completely redevelop cars and engines to comply with the new regs, costing millions more in R & D.

Leave it the hell alone for a few more years and allow backmarkers and teams with smaller budgets to catch up to the development. If anything needs focus, its bringing back mechanical grip and reducing the reliance on aerodynamic grip. Ban winglets, bring back full slicks.

However, this is apparently too simple a concept to even trial, so we are presented with the (radical) 2011 proposed rules:

Regulations

The best estimates of what these measures will mean in terms of regulations are currently as follows:
• 1.3-1.5 litre, 4-cylinder engine;
• no RPM or boost limit;
• energy flow rate to generate 300kW, including energy recovery from the exhaust;
• 200kW brake energy recovery, front and rear axle;
• 400-600kJ energy return per straight;
• pump-legal bio-fuel;
• FIA specified and supplied undertray and possibly other aerodynamic components;
• 50% 2007 downforce;
• adjustable, regulated wings and cooling;
• automatic downforce adjustment when following another car;
• lap times and top speeds maintained at 2009 levels;
• over 50% reduction in fuel consumed.

I really wonder at the direction they are taking sometimes…

Source: autosport.com