Meaty Goodness!

Meat Recipe #13 – Roasted Duck in Crabmeat Sauce

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Now that we are devouring our own Muscovy ducks every couple of months, I have to keep finding new recipes to keep it interesting, as well as delicious enough it gets my wife and kids to stop complaining that ‘the ducks were so cute’.

I raised the ducks. I raised the ducks parents. I fed them, watered them, looked after them… so I say we damn well eat them!

Ahem, anyways.  The latest recipe I used came out pretty damn good.  And even tasted better as leftovers the next day! So without further ado let’s look at Shredded Roast Duck in Crabmeat Sauce on a bed of steamed Bok Choy.

 

Ingredients:

1 Can of flaked crabmeat

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

3 Shallots, thinly sliced

1 bunch of Parsley, chopped

6 Bok Choy

1 2kg Duck

2 Oranges, quartered.

 

Method

The Duck

*Preheat the oven to 180 degrees 

*Quarter the two oranges

*Pat the duck dry with paper towel.  Season with pepper, salt & paprika

*Stuff anal cavity with oranges

*Place duck on roasting rack, turning every half hour

*Remove from oven and let sit for 20 minutes

*Shred all meat from carcass and set aside

 

 

Crabmeat Sauce

*Melt butter in a pan.  Add shallots and sauté.

*Slowly stir in the flour to thicken and add the crab meat and mix.

*Add the shredded duck meat, mix and simmer on a very low heat for 5 minutes

 

Bok Choy

*Break into individual stems and steam for five minutes

 

Serving

Lay the Bok Choy lengthways on the plate and ladle the duck & crab meat over the top. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

 

Related Articles:

Meat Recipe #12 – Roasting your own Duck

Meat Recipe #8 – Roasted Lamb with Seasoned Vegetables

 

 

Random Reviews, Transformatorium

Album Review – Respect The Prime 1986 Revisited

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Several weeks ago I reviewed the new Cybertronic Spree Album, which was a cover album of music from the 1986 animated classic Transformers: The Movie.

 

Not long after this, embarrassingly fanatic blog fans Trent (instigator of the latest hot sauce challenge) and Dallas informed me that there was another tribute album floating around out there from back in 2016.  One I had not even heard of!

 

So after a bit of net searching, and eschewing the ludicrously priced ones on eBay, I was able to track down for a reasonable cost Respect The Prime 1986 Revisited.

 

Cybertronic Spree did not disappoint, I wish I could say the same here.

Sorry to say but most of the covers range from tolerable to complete shite!   Whereas Cybertronic Spree tried to stay faithful to way the songs were intended whilst putting their own stamp on it, these no-name bands all seem to be trying to make the songs completely their own with a mixture of grunge and hard rock that just doesn’t suit the music at all.  The only thing that could put it above the Spree version is that you get 17 different groups of artists instead of one, but love for the source material is not evident from even one of them.

 

Instruments of Destruction is done by Deathproof featuring the singer from Red Lokust and he can’t seem to decide if he is growly grunge or rock, he could have pulled it off if only he had put a bit more testosterone into it.  At least the band that did the Transformers Theme Song put some grunt in, makes it sound like a cartoon theme song intended for a moshpit.  Ghostfeeder’s version of Nothin’s Gonna Stand In Our Way starts off pretty crap, however redeems itself by the end, making the tune at least bearably catchy.  Most other songs on the CD could be described as fitting into one description or the other of these two.  However there are two songs that stand out from the rest:

 

I always thought that certain Star Wars fans that talked about the prequel movies raping their childhoods were idiots.  Funnily enough those idiots are now all in their 40’s and seem to now love the prequels and hate the latest flicks.  And likewise many numbnuts shouted the same idiotic ‘childhood raped’ phrases when the Live-Action Transformers movies came out.  I never understood the mentality…

…until I heard The Dark Clan do Dare.

Man they fucking butchered it!  It was heartbreaking!  A song that have I associated nothing but wonderful thoughts and memories with over the last 30 years was bent over and given a non-consensual reaming! It was pure poison to the ears and soul and I hope the singer lies awake at night remembering the abominable thing he did.  You are a bad, bad man by doing such an awful thing to an innocent tune, especially the way you yodel ‘believe’ like a tone-deaf caterwauling hack. Shame I say, shame!

 

On the other hand, the rendition of Dare To Be Stupid by Caustic finally made this try-hard song hilarious!  I adore Weird Al but this was not one of his funnier songs, even if it does have a catchy beat.  But to hear it done in a sort of hardcore British Punk accent for some reason made the song work.  And the way the singer roared in this huge angry voice“MASHED POTATOS CAN BE YOUR FRIEND” was fucking piss-funny!  If this CD has one redeeming feature, this track is it.

 

So should you hunt down this CD?  Nope, no you shouldn’t.  Not worth it.  Either go buy the original soundtrack or the Cybertronic Spree album or both.  This one you can easily skip for it does not respect The Prime.

 

Related Articles:

Music Review: Cybertronic Spree

Music Review: Transformers Roll Out

Videos

Video: Bushfire S.E of Rylstone & Kandos

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A fire has been burning South-East of Rylstone, about 45km away from our family farm, in the Wollemi National Park.

Photo of our back paddock this morning

  As a local I’ve done a short video talking about it.  Stay safe everyone.  And don’t forget to have your emergency bags packed just in case.

 

Related Article:

Bushfire Danger: Packing Emergency Bags

 

Random Rants

Bushfire Danger: Packing Emergency Bags

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Here in NSW we are facing an unprecedented level of Bushfire danger.  A Total Fire Ban has been instituted for the entire state, a State of Emergency has been declared and some parts of the state have a danger rating of ‘catastrophic’ – a rating that has never needed to be used before!

 

Living on a fairly remote farm that backs onto a huge state forest, our family has been very concerned.  So much so that we have instituted our own emergency fire plan should worst come to worst.  

 

There are plenty of official sites that can guide you through how to come up with your own emergency plans, and I heartily encourage every reader to visit the sites relevant to their state as well as download the relevant apps.  What I’m going to share here is some of the evacuation precautions I and my family have taken, in the hopes it may provide you with some ideas of your own.  In particular – our emergency bags.

We have several emergency bags packed.  The whole idea of these is that they are pre-made and ready to go, saving valuable minutes if you need to get out fast.  Our emergency bags are packed with such items that can stay in them forever – not items that we will have to remove a few days later because we need them.  Hopefully these bags will hang on hooks for the rest of their lives unused, but better safe than sorry.

 

Clothing for the day

Despite the heat, long clothing is essential.  Should you end up in an area with sparks flying through the air, you don’t want those sparks touching your bare skin.  So long sleeved tops and long pants are the order of the day and they should be natural fibres like cotton, not synthetics that have the potential to melt onto your skin.

Leather boots are also the most preferable footwear to have.  In our case my wife and I own heavy duty leather boots but our children don’t, so we would put them in their most suitable footwear and carry them if required.

We have a bag packed specifically with clothing to change into at a moment’s notice.  Again, every minute you can save counts.

 

Evac Clothing Bag

Chances are you might not be able to return to your home for a couple of days until the fire has passed.  So you will need a few changes of clothes, but taking into account you should not over pack as space in your vehicle will be at a premium.

For each member of our family we packed the following:

*2 T-shirts

*1 Jumper

*1 pair of Long Pants

*1 pair of Shorts

*2 pairs of Socks

*2 pairs of Underwear

*1 pair of Pyjamas

 

Equipment Bag

There will be specific equipment that you may need when fleeing from a bushfire.  All this should be kept together and easy to access if needed.

In ours we have:

*One torch with fresh battery

*One small fire blanket

*One first aid kit

*One tube of burn cream

*One pack of face masks

*One pair of fire resistant gloves

*One battery powered radio

 

Pet Bag

If you have pets you naturally are going to want to take them with you.  In our case because we have two pet goats this would entail hooking up the trailer.  But for most people your pets may consist of a dog and cat (which we also have).  So when packing make sure you have enough pet food for a couple of days and leads for every animal – you don’t want to escape the fire just for your cat to run away or your dog to go hungry.  A dish to put water in is also advisable.  

 

Food & Water

Chances are wherever you evacuate to will have food and water available.  But again that motto – better safe than sorry.  Have a bag packed full of food that does not need to be refrigerated and can keep you all going for a day or two.  Pre-packaged food like muesli bars and biscuits will serve you well, as well as bags of nuts.  Also tinned food such as ham, salmon, tuna and so on.  Take as much water as you can reasonably fit.  Because we would be taking a ute we can afford to take a 25 litre container in the back.

 

Misc Items

These are items that you don’t need to survive but will be incredibly hard to replace should you lose your home.  This includes forms such as birth certificates and passports, as well as more personal items such as jewellery and family photos.  What you pack in this bag is up to you, but one of the bags you may need to give the most thought too.  Also, because these are items that you can’t store in an evac kit permanently, make sure you know the location of these items in your house so they can be collected up quickly.

 

 

So these are just a few different suggestions for what to take if you need to evacuate and a possible way to have them prepared.  Again, I encourage everyone to check out the official sites in order to get even more guidance and information about the best way to go about this, but hopefully this blog will give you a good starting point on advisable things to pack.

 

Got any other tips on what to pack in case of Bushfire?  Pop it in the comments section below.

 

 

 

 

 

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews, Uncategorised

Toy Review – Siege Mirage

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Mirage is one of those middle-of-the-road Autobot Car characters in terms of popularity, and this is reflected in the amount of toys based on him over the years.  Whilst not super-rare like say Grapple, not super popular like Sideswipe or Prowl either.

Mirage has cropped up in such Transformer toy sub-lines such as Kre-O, Alternators and Bot Shots, but has only had two significantly G1-themed toys released over the last 13 years.  First was the Classics version in 2006, whom had a magnificent alt-mode but an overly-lanky body.  The second was in 2015 in the Combiner Wars, but as a minor retool of the Stunticon Drag Strip didn’t look overly impressive in either mode.

So in 2019 Mirage has finally gotten another G1-based figure, albeit with a Cybertronian alt-mode.  So let’s have a look at Siege Mirage.

 

Robot Mode

‘Well I’ll be damned, I actually look like me again!’

The most G1-faithful looking Mirage figure we’ve had since, well, G1 really.  The proportions of his body are spot on and it’s been far too long since Mirage sported a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher.  No spring action firing but the rocket can at least be removed from its launcher.  His blaster is quite nice too.  With decent articulation and a great colour scheme it’s very hard to find fault with this figure.  If I had one minor quibble, it’s that he has a lot of faux parts, for instance the F1-racer waist piece doesn’t actually make up the nose of the car mode.

Fuck stealth!

Mirage, even more than the likes of Impactor, really lends himself to the Weaponizer gimmick, and with multiple ports all over his body you can really pimp him out for battle!

 

Cybertronian Racer

I’m translucent – that makes me Cybertronian.

Like many of the other Siege toys, this looks more like an Earth vehicle with a few Cybertronian elements pasted on top.  But it’s still a nice looking race car and the first offworld version of the character we have had.  I really like how part of the car’s body is translucent as an homage to the fact that the character has invisibility powers – much more attractive than the battle-damage paint most Siege figures come with.

Unlike the robot mode, you can’t really Weaponize Mirage’s vehicle mode.  There are only two spots which are on his tailfin, and these are taken up by his rocket launcher and rifle.  However the weapons look pretty cool there and make his alt-mode look distinctly more Cybertronian, differentiating the figure nicely from the very good Classics version.

 

Worth Getting?

For those that are happy with the Mirage toys they already have, there is a completely translucent version of this toy too which could be worth tracking down online as it looks pretty boss, though it means purchasing the Decepticon version of Impactor and the third Powerdasher figure with it.  But I wanted this version as the robot mode holds so much appeal for me, especially since Mirage was the first Autobot I ever got as a kid.  But whichever way you wanna go, this is a very solid toy  with a fun and intuitive transformation and is very faithful to the characters roots – he will fit nicely into anyone’s collection.

 

Got anything to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

Related Articles:

Toy Review – Siege Omega Supereme

Toy Review – Siege Greenlight

Toy Review – Autobot Alphastrike Counterforce

Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toys Review – Selects: Nightbird, Cromar and Zetar

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The Generations Selects line is one that divides people.  On the one hand it provides opportunities for figures to get made that might otherwise not due to a lack of popularity.  On the other, it means these figures are often only available either online, at specific stores and/or limited to a few select countries, meaning higher prices with a dollop of international postage for good measure.

The War for Cybertron Siege toyline has had a whopping nine Selects figures released this year.  Some such as Redwing have been virtually impossible for overseas collectors to get their hands on at a reasonable price.  But some have been released through multiple US online stores making things a bit easier, and today we are looking at the latest wave of them, consisting of the Powerdashers Cromar and Zetar, and the always mysterious Nightbird.

Note: As all three characters are minor retools of other Siege figures that have been out for quite some time, we will be focusing more on their aesthetics rather than their articulation, transformation and Weaponizer potential.

 

Powerdasher Cromar

Robot Mode

‘We all float down here…’

Whilst it seems his main weapon would be to hang about in Cybertronian Sewers eating Decepticon Protoforms, as a retool of Six-Gun his body is bristling with weapons.  Two long guns on the lower arms and four cannons on the shoulders and back.  Not bad since the original toy didn’t even have a gun.

‘Everybody loves a clown, so why can’t you?’

Cromar gets his distinctive face from the 1984 Mail-away figure he is based on (and the only TF I had and lost as a kid that I have yet to replace as an adult).  It’s… not flattering and makes this a figure you really don’t want to give to a coulrophobia sufferer as a gift.

Alt-Mode

If you think this looks weird, you should have seen my original toy

Pretty much Siege Six-Gun with new colours.  However it works for the character quite well, with perhaps only Cybertron Sideways being a more appropriate recolour.  I likes it!

 

 

Powerdasher Zetar

Robot Mode

I’m smiling because I can kill you with a headbutt

No fingers, no neck, but one helluva hat!  The silly thing is the drill on his head can be spun fairly easily in robot mode but not in vehicle mode. A retool of Siege Brunt, he lacks a certain appeal that Brunt possessed, but is certainly faithful to the original toy & character.  The bonus being he gets a gun this time around which (due to the no fingers thing) can be attached to his forearms.

The creepy circus motif continues

The look of his head really makes me want to get the third Powerdasher – Aragon – just to see if he has some clownish attributes too.

Alt-Mode

‘I..I just don’t know what the hell I am supposed to be’

Once again we are looking at Siege Brunt, but with a drill on the front.  The ironic thing is that the cannon on top, if you attach the blaster, sticks out further than the drill does.  But hey, with the drill that close to the ground Zetar can definitely get a job drilling holes for oversized cybermice or mowing really thin strips of lawn.  Unite Warriors Nosecone or even Combiner Wars Drillhorn make far more practical looking drill tanks.

 

Nightbird

Robot Mode

‘I’m quite frolicsome for a Ninja’

A retool of Siege Chromia, Nighbird boasts a totally new headsculpt which is very indicative of how she looked back in the G1 cartoon, though severely limits how much she can turn her head.  She comes with the same weaponry that can be either a pistol and grenades, a gun or a sniper rifle.  It would have been nice if she had come with some sai’s like the Legends version of her did to show her Ninja origins.

‘Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!’

What is very disappointing for a Selects figure is that Nightbird comes apart quite easily.  Her legs, arms and crotchplate all come off way to easily, though at least are not too hard to reattach.

Alt-Mode

‘Wonder if I can get a date with Kit from Knightrider?’

I had no idea she would be this black!  Her backpack makes up the majority of the car body and it’s as black as black can be with a dark purple canopy.  I would have liked to see the backpack/car body remain grey with the black limited to her fenders.  However at least this car mode is more generally Cybertronian, rather than the Legends version which was quite Arcee indicative.

 

Worth Getting?

Only if, like me, you are a fan of obscure G1 characters.  All these moulds have been done before and none of these characters are popular enough that any kid is going to be screaming for them this Xmas.  It’s nice to see the Powerdashers get new figures after all this time, though the lack of a dash component kinda irks me.  Nightbird isn’t bad but I find the Legends version to be far superior in both modes.  So yeah, they are all nice in their way and I’m glad to have them, but none have any wow factor that is going to keep you awake at night wishing that you owned them.

Got anything to add to this review?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

Related Articles:

Toy Review: Siege Greenlight

Toy Review: Siege Impactor

Toy Review: Autobot Alphastrike Counterforce

Fan Interviews & Art

Interview with Shitbox Rally drivers

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Much to my jealousy, I have a couple of mates who are involved in a wonderful and really fun event that takes place a few times a year to raise money for charity.  So instead of just slinging them a few bucks as I usually do, I wanted them to give them a chance to give an account of what they do and how you all can donate too!

So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to my oldest friend (all the way back from grade 3!) Clint:

And my coworker and good mate Laurie:

And they are going to tell you all about the Shitbox Rally.

 

*So it’s pretty well known that The Shitbox Rally happens to raise money for cancer.  But how do you actually go about raising the funds?

Laurie: We do fundraising events throughout the year and also get sponsorships from businesses and people donate funds to us.

Clint: Well it’s been a struggle to be honest. The 2020 will be my 3rd year doing the rally, 2018 being our first year was the easiest to raise money. Friends and family that are the “donation type” gave money. And not to make light of the situation by any means – my teammate Tom’s father-in-law was going through terminal cancer and actually passed away during the fundraising. Chloe’s family and friends raised a fair amount for the cause. We ended up raising $17,485. This year was a struggle, the “donation type” friends had done their donation the year before and Paul had to put in around $1,000 each to make the targets. In the end we only raised $5,410. One thing that i had been doing for all rally’s is i sell Honey from my bee hives for $15 per k/g which is a good steady income. Penny does some photography for a local bike clubs etc for donations. A new thing been doing is pimping myself out!!! I have a Dingo (mini digger) that i do work for people in the neighbourhood for nothing – just want a $100 per hr donation that has been working well. Have found that it’s been easier to raise money from people that actually get something from their donation. The 2020 really we have been very lucky so far Tom’s work started a fundraising in 2018 that only just made it thru the system this year, so he put it toward my team as he can’t do it this year. So big thanks Tom!!

 

*What kind of timeframes and distances are usually involved in the rally?

Laurie: The rallies are usually over 7 days and cover a distance of 3000 to 3500 klms. The spring rally that we participated in was the 10th year of Shitbox Rallies so it was extended to ten days and covered a distance of 5150 ks.

Clint: So typically the Shitbox Rally is 500-600km per day. So over the 7 days of rally it’s around 3,800km. The 2019 rally was over 10 days (being the 10 year anniversary) and was about 5,200km. But that is not normal and will probably not happen again. Their is also the Mysterybox Rally that is smaller and starts and finishes in the same town over 5 days. I have not done one of these yet and has different rules.

 

*What are the rules regarding car specifications?

Laurie: Cars must cost less than $1,000 and cannot be AWD or 4wd.

Clint: The car and any repairs to make it road worthy is to cost less than $1,000. So if you buy a car for $800, then you have $200 to spend on “repairs”. But decorations etc is open and is highly promoted! It’s awesome some if the things that people come up for their cars and the costumes that come out. Some that should never been seen again!

 

*Apparently even though there are up to 250 participating cars all driving to the same places on the same days, you actually drive in small teams.  How do these teams work?

Laurie: Teams are split into Buddy Groups consisting  6 to 7 cars who travel together for the rally. Groups leave at different time each morning, it takes about an hour for all teams to head out each morning. Groups must travel together and if one car stops or breaks down all of the Buddy Group must stop.

Clint: So every car is in a Buddy Group of 7 cars that is allocated a number from 1 to 36. This Buddy Group stays together through thick and thin. Each group has minimum of 2 “mechanical type” of people that know more than which end of a hammer to use and 1 First Aid. So if any car has to stop for any reason (flat tyre, overhearing, “code yellow”) – all cars in the Buddy Group stop until either all cars can drive off or car is loaded onto a support trailer and all gear and people from that car is put into other cars for the remainder of that day.

 

*Take us through an average day (if there is such a thing) on the Shitbox Rally.

Laurie: Every day is different after breakfast groups start leaving at 8-30 for the next stage, lunch is usually supplied and you eat whilst driving.

Clint: Well my normal day is – wake up early. Really early and go – lets say “loose some weight” before breakfast. The breakfast line get’s really, really long when the major crowds get to breakfast. So 250 cars, around 25 support vehicles. That’s 550 people (most hungover) that want breakfast. That’s why I “loose some weight” before breakfast as being hungover and well, you get the idea… One of the town’s that we stopped at in 2018 had 9 residence living there… so some towns have very little amenities so big lines for stinky toilets! After breakfast we collect lunch and snacks (provided) have a drivers briefing then we get let out buddy group by buddy group. It does take a while to get out in the morning – especially on dirt roads, generally the last buddy group coming into camp is the first to leave. But 250 cars, with 3-400m between each car (so your not driving in dust) that’s 75-100km of cars! During the day there is usually a town with fuel that we all have to stop at and wait in a line to fill up.  Doing the rally you learn to be patient – so it’s good to have a good buddy group that get along as there is always pranks going on. On day 3 the Shitbox cars really start to show their real colours with suspension problems, flat tyres, rock damage to fuel tanks, exhausts being lost. A lot of things can be butchered on the side of the road, big problems and the car goes on a trailer and fixed at night – if it can not be fixed it’s pronounced dead and the drivers are given a medal at the drivers briefing the next morning – they then become passengers within the buddy group for the duration of the rally. After the days driving it’s filling up with fuel in the town and then head into the camp, clean the dust off your bags and set-up. Go get some dinner and maybe a beer, maybe 2…. Then it all starts again tomorrow!

 

*Tell us about some of the funny things that happen on the drive.

Laurie: During the rally you have dress up days on our rally they were Village people, Smurf Day and Princess Day. All teams dress up in costume for these days.

Clint: Wow, where to start. The first day of the rally is always the best day! All the cars gathered in their “best condition” and the costumes that come out. The 2018 rally started on Megan and Harry’s wedding day – so I wore a wedding dress & wig and Tom had a suit with a rangga wig. At nights in the “triage” where the broken down cars are – i’d like to say fixed but more so mended… That’s where you see some awesome bush mechanics being done. Turning a car on it’s side to work safe on the suspension. Using tennis balls to repair shock absorbers. This year most of the rally was really dry – but recently there was some rain so their was some bog holes. They had tracks around them but you didn’t have to use them – but you need to hit them with some speed. Anyway one of the cars in our buddy group got stuck. It was a dress up day (that’s a story in itself!!) so the driver wallowing around in the mud all dressed up with a bunch of others all putting their 2 cents worth in taking video and being towed out! That was some funny shit! Ok, the dress up days. During the rally they have generally 2 dress up days. This year was Village People and Smurfs. You have no idea how many men want to wear assless chaps.

Ok, now the not so funny side of the rally and the reason we do this. On on our way to Perth, driving along the freeway before the Great Australian Bite and saw another Shitbox parked in what looked like an old fuel station (no buildings left just big open area) with the driver sitting on the front of the car on the phone. I was driving and said to Paul, “lets see what’s going on” went back and she was actually on the phone to Royal Flying Doctors (RFD). Her passenger was having problems, my diagnosis was she was having a stroke (had not long ago done my first aid). I spoke with the RFD and discussed my thoughts with what i could see and used my Emergency+ application on my phone to get GPS coordinates. He advised that there was a Aboriginal town 3km down the road that also has a RFD airport. Was given the number of the head nurse and organised to meet art the clinic. So we all drive down there and went to the clinic. We still had a few days of driving to get to Perth so had to leave them their. Long story short, she was flown to Adelaide that night, had a brain scan the next day and has inoperable brain cancer. So the driver had no phone service where we were, passenger could not remember her pin for her phone due to her condition. If we had not turned around she would have probably died on the side of the road – that’s what the Rally Family does.

 

*Where can people go in order to support your team?

Laurie: To donate go to Shitbox Rally website, click donate select team Pole Support and donate.

Clint: Our team this year is called “It Really Hurts” as every part of cancer really hurts. We are driving from Brisbane to Alice Springs (where the rally starts) to drive back to the Gold Coast in a 2001 Suzuki Baleno. The car kind of resembles (but is nothing like) the Wayne’s World car, so that is going to the the theme and we will dress up like them daily. That’s my plan anyway!

If your followers would like to make a donation that can be done here https://autumn2020.shitboxrally.com.au/it-really-hurts

If they want to find out more about the rally – this is the 7 day version and a few cool short videos that are worth a watch. Our 2018 car made it in a few times i white Nissan with a mannequin torso on the roof and big yellow flag  https://www.shitboxrally.com.au/

This is the smaller rally – the 5 day version https://www.mysteryboxrally.com.au/

 

Thank you to both Clint and Laurie for taking the time to answer my questions, as well as the wonderful work they do for charity.  I swear one day I’ll convince one of them to take me on as a co-driver.

 

Related Articles:

Interview with Greens Member Natalie Joan

 

Random Reviews, Transformatorium

Album Review – Cybertronic Spree: Transformers 1986

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Ok, c’mon Trev, be objective here…

Do not come across like a teenage girl at a ‘One Direction’ reunion concert screaming ‘Oh they are so dreamy!  I want to have their babies!’ 

Be harsh mate, be scathing, pull apart song by song to find any fault so that you can give a frank assessment of this CD….

 

… fuck it, I can’t! Its just too good!

 

Ahem.  I got my Cybertronic Spree CD this week.  I kinda like it.

 

About the Band

For those that don’t know, Cybertronic Spree is a true fan success story.  A bunch of singers and musicians came together about six or so years ago, dressed in awesome looking self-made Transformers costumes and sang songs from the Transformers 1986 movie.

It proved popular.  Amongst us TF fans it proved really popular.  So much so that they started getting gigs, appearing at various conventions and even earlier this year got their own IDW Comic Cover variant.

 

 

And so a Crowdfund Project is born!

So riding on the wave of that popularity they decided to Crowdfund a CD where they played 10 of the songs from the 86 movie. CD title appropriately ‘Transformers 1986‘.

The reaction was better than they could have hoped.  It all sold out fast.  I mean, really fast!  So then they reopened the Crowdfund and then that all sold out.  

So they now had the money and went to work recording their album.  Digital copies to those who contributed to their Crowdfunding went out about a month ago.

As much as I would have loved getting a signed poster, my funds at the time meant I was only able to order the CD.  And when it came to writing a review I wanted to review the CD, as I knew the digital copy I received would not do the music justice played over the shitty little speakers on my computer.  

So having received the CD this week, I set up my sound system in the disused outdoor carport on the farm, where the acoustics are puzzingly good and I could crank the volume to max, pulled out a deck chair, cracked a beer and sit back to listen to the music.

 

It did not disappoint.

 

The Music

This is a fucking awesome CD!  Damn they did a good job.  Whilst this CD is primarily a Crowdfunded fan project, you can tell that these are all singers and musicians who know what they are doing and have a genuine love for the material.

As someone who has the soundtrack to the 86 movie and knows every song by heart, it was so cool to hear these songs faithfully redone but with the twist of having new musicians and, most importantly to differentiate them from the originals, new vocalists.

Damn Arcee has a set of pipes on her!  Don’t get me wrong, Spike is a good backup vocalist and Hot Rod can sing his arse off, but Arcee has a voice that can pick you up and pound you flat with its power!  I’ve always loved female vocalists who sound like they could kick my arse.  I shudder to think of the poor singer inside the costume – how many TF Fanboys must there be out there she is currently starring in the fantasies of (my own efforts to get my good wife to dress as a Transformer have always met failure, as public record will testify).  As all the original songs were sung by men, to have Arcee singing half the songs and providing backup vocals on many others gives the songs a new and unique twist, breathing new life to tunes you’ve been listening to for the past 33 years.

Full credit to the musicians too, The guitarists (Unicron & Hot Rod) provide those tasty big 80’s riffs big time and Rumble the Drummer pounds those skins like a true professional.  

 

This CD hits all the right notes for me.  The Touch gave me goosebumps, Dare gave me a nostalgic lump in my throat.  I didn’t understand why they chose to have Hunger as the last track on the album until I heard the end.  That massive instrumental finale right at the end of the song kicks so much arse you wanna put your fist through a wall, headbutt a tank and yell to the world that every other sci-fi genre sucks Quintesson Balls compared to ours!

 

So yes, I liked this CD.

 

 

Cybertronic Spree, all I can say to you is (cue eye-rolling song lyric references):

 

You’ve indeed got both the touch and the power

You’ve got the passion and the pride.  It can’t be denied.

When it came to getting this CD made you let nothing stand in your way and us fans count ourselves among the fortunate ones.

 

And if you ever decide to tour internationally, I can guarantee you a sold out show in Sydney.  The tendrils of Big Angry Trev will twist throughout the Aussie Fandom to hound TF geeks out of parents basements, comic stores and online chatrooms across the land to fill a venue in your honour (with extra security to keep the fanboys off Arcee).

All I ask in return is that you let me get on stage and do the ‘AAAAAAAA-AAAAA’ at the end of Instruments of Destruction 😉 

 

 

 

Extra Merchandise

As I mentioned, I was only able to afford at the time the CD.  However fellow Transformer Enthusiast and Skydiving Superstar Brendan was able to get some more of the merch. 

 

 

Got something to add to this review?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review: Siege Omega Supreme

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Omega Supreme – the first BIG bot of the Transformers franchise.  

Sure Devastator showed a season earlier but he was made up of 6 smaller bots whereas Omega was simply massive in his own right.  I still remember the first episode I saw him in – out of nowhere this big battle base character showed up, flew to the moon as a rocket and then turned into this giant robot that was able to pick up Megatron in one hand and tell him what for! The first time he showed up in the comics he promptly killed half the Decepticons on earth in a single battle!

In other words – Omega is huge and Omega is SUPREME!

Being one of my very favourite characters I was extremely chuffed to hear we would be getting a Titan class Omega Supreme toy.  Whilst I really liked my YOTS Omega, his alt-mode had nothing to do with the G1 character.  Likewise I loved Omega in the Animated cartoon, but he never got a toy at all.  So when it was announced that Omega Supreme would be getting a huge new toy which was based, in both modes, on his G1 incarnation, I gave a little squeal of geeky delight!

So without further ado, lets look at Titan-Class War for Cybertron Siege Omega Supreme.

 

 

Robot Mode

Size: Impressive

Oh be still my beating fuel pump!  He is friggin awesome!  And unlike Metroplex and Fort Max, Omega Supreme gives a real sense of bulk.  Good thick lower legs and arms and a massive torso, just like one would hope for.  Add to this the two cannon arms, track-wings, translucent visor and faithfulcolour scheme and there is no mistaking who this big boy is supposed to be.  Something I think is an excellent addition is the fact that they have made his claw arm prehensile, as in the claws can bend in the middle in order better grab things.  In fact, whilst not as good as some other toys, this Omega has the best articulation of any toy of his namesake, with shoulders, elbows, knees and neck all moveable to put him in a variety of poses.

 

 

FIREPOWER!

Guns: Blazing!

Omega is packing a ton of firepower in robot mode.  As well as having a huge blaster on the end of each arm, he has his signature tank cannon in the back of his head which can be swivelled around.  On his upper chest he has two cannons, these can be folded upwards to reveal further missile racks underneath.  So if Omega doesn’t simply squash ya, he can blast you into oblivion.  

 

 

PARTSFORMER PRECEDENCE

Omega Supreme figures have always been partsformers.  Though some purists contend that a partsformer isn’t really a proper transformer, given Omega’s alt-mode/s it’s actually a necessity.  Both the original and the Siege versions consist of three separate machines (tank, rocket, base) and even the Energon version needed to come apart to form various trains and cranes.  So while there was no way that Siege Omega was not going to be a partsformer, the separate parts have been kept to a minimum (Tank/Torso, Arms/Rocket, Body/Base, Wings/Tracks x 2) and there is still a lot of transformation going on.  

 

The Base

The outer body and legs of Omega become the base whilst his wings, like the original toy, become the tracks.  It’s really a nice looking base and I love the fact that it comes with two little inner ramps that Micromaster figures can drive up and down.  The missile racks are displayed here so that the base can defend itself and one thing I really like is how the track is both elevated as well as being wide enough to accommodate the tank.  The feet of the robot can fold out to show little caverns for Micromasters to hide in, though personally I prefer to keep them folded up to keep that oval shape.

 

 

The Tank

The torso and head become the tank.  The tank cannon that is on the back of Omega’s head is actually not the same tank cannon here, this one is way larger.  It’s a great looking tank, though not motorized like the original.  The tank can open up to reveal a space for Micromasters, though I would have preferred they make the ramp smoother so that the little guys can actually roll out of him properly, rather than bump their way down.

 

 

The Rocket

Rocket Mode: Phallic. Cosmos: Jealous.

Wow – this is a big rocket!  Like, really big!  Made up primarily of the arms and a thin panel along the back, it’s amazing just the length this rocket reaches, making it as tall as Omega is in his robot mode!  The transformation is very clever, wrapping around circular parts and the top of the rocket opens up to show a small cockpit for Micromasterfigures.  If I had a complaint, it’s that the prehensile claw that serves as the landing struts tend to slowly slip outwards, so unless you have them flat down Omega’s rocket mode will eventually tilt as one of them gives way.

 

 

The Finished Article

All three of Omega’s modules on their own are pretty cool, but add them all together and it looks wicked!  Seriously, I don’t think there is much I can say here about how great it is that the photo’s don’t convey on their own.

Rocket Base Mode: Awesome. Fan Boys: Jizzing themselves right now.

 

Countdown

In the G1 toyline and Dreamwave comics Countdown was a Micromaster lunar rover that came with his own rocket base.  Making him a partner to Omega Supreme who himself turns into a rocket base was a good call.  Countdown looks good in both modes and if nothing else really highlights how much interactivity there is between figures his size and the Omega toy.

 

 

Worth Getting?

At around $260(AU) he isn’t cheap but isn’t any more expensive than Trypticon was two years ago.  If you are a G1 lover or a fan of huge Transformers this figure could be considered a must have.  The interactivity with Micromaster figures, the robot mode, the rocket base mode – it all works.  Whilst not the absolute perfect figure, he is a genuinely excellent toy which by far is the best Omega Supreme we’ve ever had, and perhaps ever will have.  What can I say?  This toy is truly SUPREME!

 

 

Got something to say about this figure? Pop it in the comments section below!

 

 

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Transformatorium, Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Siege Impactor

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The Wreckers – the biggest bot badasses this side of the Dinobots.  The team the Autobots go to when they don’t give a shit about collateral damage, they just want some Cons dead!

‘The Wreckers: Class of 1986’ (Absent: Rack’n’Ruin)

The Wreckers have been around since the old Marvel comics and since have become ingrained within Transformers lore.  And before the mighty Springer became leader of the team, their leader was the hardened, the ruthless, the one and only – Impactor.

Impactor did not get an official toy for many years.  In fact it wasn’t until the Generations FOC toyline in 2013 he got his first one, a kinda weird redo of FOC Onslaught.  Then a few years later in 2016 Impactor got a Timelines toy that was infinitely cooler, yet as a redo of CW Rook still didn’t tick all the boxes that fans of the G1 Comics Impactor required.

Well here we are in 2019 and Impactor has finally gotten a figure designed specifically for him.  And damn it’s a beauty!  So let’s have a look at Siege Deluxe Class Impactor.

 

Robot Mode

‘Face the front perp, prepare for your mugshot’

Beautiful colours here, really does justice to him.  The timelines version was pretty good with an awesome head, but that huge grey peg in his chest was a definite drawback.  This Impactor looks buff, tough and has the right stuff!  His shoulder cannon looks particularly faithful and impressive.

‘Where is that green prick who stole my job?’

Articulation on this figure is very good, with multiple points all over his upper and lower body, allowing you to put him in a myriad of battle poses.  The right (or left if you prefer) hand folds in to attach his signature harpoon.  The tank barrel from his tank mode serves as a rifle.  Really, its hard to find fault here, everything from the head sculpt to the colour scheme are spot on.

‘Orange was never my colour’

 

Cybertronian Tank Mode

Finally, I have treads instead of wheels!

To be honest, he looks even cooler than he did in any comic.  Weaponry wise he sports a giant tank cannon at the front, his shoulder cannon becomes a roof mounted  laser cannon, there are twin scatter blasters on either side and his harpoon becomes a rotating laser gun on top.  Add to that four huge spikes at the front and he don’t need no stinkin Battle Masters to kick butt, he’s a one-tank arsenal!  There are however multiple ports to add Battle Master and Weaponizer guns should you wish.

Overkill? Na…

Once again the colour scheme is top notch, and as the leader of The Wreckers the battle damage suits him more than most .  This really is the Impactor you’ve been waiting for.

 

Transformation

Quite straight forward.  Not stupidly simple but no real challenge to be had.

 

Worth Getting?

Oh hells yes!  I’ve been pretty damn happy with my Timelines Impactor for the past three years, and while I was looking forward to an update I wasn’t yearning for it.  But now I have this guy my other two Impactors won’t be getting a look in any time soon.  Everything about this figure is really spot on and just screams Wreck’n’Rule!  Whether you want this guy or the upcoming one which is Decepticon aligned, either way go and grab one and continue to pray there is a Rack’n’Ruin toy in the works soon.

 

Got something to say about this figure?  Pop it in the comments section below!

 

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