Yearly Archives: 2017

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Unite Warriors Megatronia

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Earth, fire, wind, water, heart – go planet!  By your powers combined I am cap…. er… Megatronia!

Yes, the Planeteer’s are all either in prison or selling their bodies on the street and Captain Planet himself is dead from taking a swim in the Yarra River, but a new team wielding all their powers has come along, and when they combine they don’t become a blue guy with green hair and red undies – they become a gigantic female robot bent on her enemies destruction!

 

Monstructor in drag

With the Combiner Wars over to make way for Titans Return, the Unite Warriors line is also coming to a close with only two figures left.  Today we will be looking at the second last one, a reimagining of the fan-created female Autobot team – the Torchbearers.  While this new team has yet to be given a name, they have a pretty nifty back story and are made up of some great looking figures! So let’s take a look at Unite Warriors Megatronia!

Note: Due to each of these toy molds having been used and reviewed a copious amount of times already, I will be focusing more on the new colour schemes and the characters themselves.

 

Trickdiamond  

Weapon: Quake Shield

Robot Mode

Earth…

A little blocky for a Femmebot but considering the mold used not too bad.  I like that she has little scars on her face, very befitting a character who has spent time in jail and now even has dealings with the Chaos Bringer.  The shape of her head is interesting too, almost like an American football.

 

Vehicle Mode

Knightrider for the ladies

Too much black.  But then according to the comic on the back of the instructions Trickdiamond is worried about her weight and since black is slimming maybe that’s why she chose it. Despite this terribly stereotypical paranoia, I think some yellow highlights on the bonnet would have spruced up the look of her sports car mode that bit more.  Otherwise good.

 

Lunaclub

Weapon: Flame Sword

Robot Mode

Fire…

Quite a nice robot mode and the red goggles work surprisingly well on her.  The pink peg does not stand out as much as the blue one on her sister and her weapon suits her more than any of the other limb figures.

 

Vehicle Mode

Combat Barbie’s Dream Chopper

Once again quite nice.  I’m trying to figure out if we’ve ever had a Transformer this shade of pink before.  It’s not the generic ‘girlie’ pink of Arcee or the eye-searing pink you find on say the G1 Seacons.  Whatever shade it is it works and makes her my favorite vehicle from the team after Flowspade. Speaking of which…

 

Flowspade

Weapon: Tornado Cutter

Robot Mode

Wind…

Probably my least favorite robot out of the five, simply as she looks too much like Nightbird from the Legends line.  Certainly could have used a new head.  Like Trickdiamond I feel the mold is a little too blocky for a Femmebot, especially after we have had toys like Windblade and Black Arachnia in recent years. According to her character bio she was swayed by Megaempress’ charisma.  This must be true considering the artwork on the instruction manual shows her soaping up her leader in the shower!

 

Vehicle Mode

Dontcha wish your sports car was hot like me

Conversely, whilst Flowspade is my least favorite robot out of the five she is also my very favorite vehicle.   They really got the colours spot on, it’s a very sexy sports car and I think the best use of this overused mold to date!  Really looks like an evil Con Femmebot in alt-mode should look.  The purple is also possibly a shout out to the fact she used to be an agent of Shockwave.

 

Moonheart

Weapon: Blizzard Blade

Robot Mode

Water…. (er, I mean ice. Bah, same thing!)

Not bad, is very lithe which suits the character.  The colour scheme is a bit too Chromia for my liking, though she has more black then Chromia does.  I think bottom half of the connector peg could have been coloured black so it did not stand out so much, as it is being in blue cast against the black on either side it is very obvious.  Her weapon also does not suit her, neither matching her colour scheme or the fact that it is supposed to create blizzards.

 

Vehicle Mode

Sisters are doing it for themselves

A nice chopper and the silver, blue and black all work well together.  The colour scheme could be indicative of that she used to work for Soundwave as a trainee medic.

 

Megaempress

Weapons – Rail Fusion Cannon and Judge Pickel (funniest TF weapon name ever!)

Robot Mode

Heart…

I’m conflicted about this character.  On the one hand I think it’s a bit lazy for them to just do her as a female version of Megatron, colour scheme and all.  On the other it makes for an interesting back story; she was created out of Megatron’s spare parts and now rules the Female Decepticons.  She also has the power to seduce any Transformer, the naughty minx! The silver on her is stunning and I particularly like her face, imperious yet feminine.  Definitely could steal your heart and then cut it out.

All shall love me and despair

 

Vehicle Mode

Made out of Megatron’s spare parts. When the hell was Megatron toting an extension ladder?!

The paintwork on her is great and the silver is flawless.   Considering her ladder is supposed to be a rail cannon I would have liked to see some modification to it to seem more weapon like.  Otherwise very good.

 

Megatronia

By your powers combined…

Again, I’m conflicted.  Megaempress makes up the torso and is the female version of Megatron so the name makes sense, but it feels lazy to me.  However this is a really great looking combiner, all the colours work together despite the fact they should clash, thanks to each characters paintjob containing a healthy dose of black.  The chest works too, the striking purple providing a counterpoint to the more subtle colours.  There is no sixth character here like with the Protectobots and Torchbearers so no motorcycle on the chest which helps differentiate her a little from the competition.  I would have liked to see a new head too, I was never a fan of Victorion’s even if I did have to concede it was novel.  I do like Megatronia’s blue goggles but to me overall her head still looks like  parody of a Native American Feathered War Bonnet.

 

Destopia Sword

Suck on this every other edged weapon ever!

What a friggin kick arse sword!  Looks awesome!  The fact it can split into five separate weapons for each of the 5 characters makes it even more impressive.  I think it is the coolest looking weapon I’ve ever seen a Transformer toy wield, certainly in my collection anyway.

 

Comparison between Victorion and Megatronia

There is always an evil twin, just one of those laws of the universe

There are pros and cons here.  Victorion has one of the most consistent colour schemes of any Transformer combiner toy ever, but they are pretty ugly colours.  She also is made up of six characters instead of five.  Megatronia’s colour scheme clashes but looks pretty cool despite she is one character down.  Victorion also was way cheaper and came with a poster and trading card.  Combine that with having six bots and she certainly seems better value for money.

Yew stole ma man! I kill you you bitch!

But I believe Megatronia is undeniably cooler.  I like the individual bots a lot better – both as toys and as characters and her sword kicks Victorions swords arse!  I also found that all figures had nicely tight joints and it’s always telling just how much better the Tak/Tom paintjobs are than Hasbro’s.  It’s just a shame about the price tag – this is a damn expensive Unite Warriors toy compared with most of the rest of the line due to it being an exclusive.  If it wasn’t the last Unite Warriors/Combiner Wars gestalt I am buying I may have skipped it.  As it is I’ll be keeping Victorion in her combined mode and using Megatronia for her individual bots.  Either way, it’s been great to finally get some female combiners in the overall Transformers toyline and if you are a big TF nut you will probably want both these hefty gals in your collection.

Oh those wacky Japanese artists, bless’em all!

 

Got something you would like to add to this review?  Would love to read it in the comments section below!

 

Transformer Toy Reviews

Legends ‘LG35 Super Ginrai’ vs Titans Return ‘Powermaster Optimus Prime’

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Super Ginrai.  Not just the Japanese version of Powermaster Optimus Prime but a character unto his own right.  Finding himself to be not just an ordinary human but to be an actual Autobot Godmaster (how’s that for a bitchin subgroup name!) who could bond with a Transector in order to don the visage of legendary Autobot leader Optimus Prime and fight the evil Destrons…

… or so the story goes.  It may be a different character technically but in reality it’s pretty much the same damn toy.  The G1 Super Ginrai and Powermaster Optimus had very few differences, even if one was a little Japanese dude obsessed with his big hair in a mech suit and the other was Optimus Prime on steroids.

Here we are 30 years later and we have a similar thing happening.  The (US) Titans Return toy is ‘Powermaster Optimus Prime’ whilst the retooled (JP) Legends version is ‘LG35 Super Ginrai’.  Both toys have their pro’s and cons.  Six months ago I reviewed the Optimus toy (which can be read HERE); today I’m going to give a quick overview of the Legends Super Ginrai version and then most importantly engage in a comparison.  This way you, my loyal readers, will know which to shell out your hard-earned money on.

 

First off – Super Ginrai!

I’m not Optimus Prime, I swear!

Truck Mode

No, I’m not Optimus I said!

Very nice and solid.  Unbeknown to most there is a small screw between the cab wheels you can loosen so that the cab does not have to sit flush with the trailer.  The trailer is very reminiscent of the original toy and the trailer has all the armament that the G1 version did.  The end result is a Mad Max’esque tractor trailer in a world gone mad – nice!

 

Robot Mode

Look, I’m not f*cking Optimus Prime OK!?!

Instead of Ginrai turning into the engine of his Optimus (but not Optimus) mech he now turns into the head. While still a cool concept I liked the engine gimmick better simply as it was that bit rarer.  Very nice proportions, decently articulated and a nice paintjob.  Good overall.

 

Base Mode

And no, I’m not ‘Optimus who got stuck in a particularly challenging yoga pose’ either you f*cking smartass!

Really does not stand up to the original G1 toys base mode.  There are some gun turrets that Ginrai can sit in and all the guns from the other two modes are useable here.  But it looks sparse and everything looks a bit flimsy – like he got stuck in mid-transformation.

 

Comparison between Legends LG-35 Super Ginrai and Titans Return Powermaster Optimus Prime

Vehicle Mode

Ginrai looks a lot more similar to the original toy whereas Optimus looks like an updated version, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  The black guns on the top of trailer work a lot better on Ginrai and his robot feet sit a lot more flush at the back.  I have to give points to Optimus for a new style and Ginrai for a more balanced look.

Base Mode

6 of 1, a half dozen of the other.  Both don’t look flash to me.  There are a few differences with the different chest pieces that come up to be the central seat for the Headmaster. The towers on Ginrai work being put higher due to you being able to place the black guns half way up, something you cant do with Optimus due to his robots hands not rotating.

 

Robot Mode

‘One of these bots is not like the other…’

One of the most significant differences are the ankles.  Ginrai’s have been extensively retooled in order that they pivot better and provide more height.  This makes Ginrai slightly taller than Optimus overall.  Optimus’ hand guns look that bit more impressive but Ginrai is able to hold his better due to maneuverable wrists.  The chest armor is slightly different as well.  Overall I think Ginrai does look that bit better than Optimus here.

 

Apex vs Ginrai

Two heads are…. no, wait, too obvious a joke. I’ll come back.

Apex is the name of Optimus’ Titan Master partner whereas Ginrai is, well, Ginrai but as stated turns into a head instead of an engine.  When comparing the two, Apex transforms into a head which looks a lot like Orion Pax, with the Optimus helmet going over the top.  Ginrai turns into an Optimus head with… er… an Optimus helmet going over the top (the definition of redundant).  So Apex wins the alt-mode race but the robot/human mode race is no race at all.  Ginrai has lots of detail and (even though you probably cant tell with my bad camera) even has a little human face. Apex by comparison has bland colours and a featureless head.

Ones a robot, ones a human in a mech suit. Both have absolutely screwed torsos

 

So who to choose?

Look, I got both because of the displays I wanted to create.  One display is of Optimus Prime figures which turn into trucks and have a trailer so Powermaster Optimus Prime goes there.  The other is robot modes of all the different Generations (and Generations subsets) characters and while I have plenty of Generations Optimus figures I didn’t have a Ginrai one so he goes there.  That said, I still feel like I wasted my money a bit by getting both.  They are just too similar to warrant the expenditure on two Leader-class figures.

If I was to pick one I’d pick Ginrai.  The robot mode is better and the Headmaster partner is a lot better.  Ginrai wins.  But then I guess, if you get both, you can at least join them up in to one super base like I have below!

 

Got something you would like to add to this ‘comparison of toys’ review?  Would love to read it in the comments section below!

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – LG39 Brainstorm

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Brainstorm, a character that has gone from relative obscurity to a fan favorite in recent years, thanks mainly to the More than Meets the Eye comic series.  Now gone from being a bit player in the short lived season 4 of the US he is everyone’s favorite amoral weapons designer.  However the version we are looking at today is an homage to his much larger television outing in the Japanese Headmasters series.  So without further ado, from the Legends series let’s have a look at LG39 Brainstorm.

Japanese TF boxes, so plain but with such great artwork!

Vehicle Mode

It wasn’t until I took the gun out of the box and realized that it was a match for Titans Return Blurr’s (for a review of TR Blurr see HERE) that I had a better look at Brainstorms Cybertronian jetfighter mode and realized the whole figure is a retooled Blurr.  And once you can imagine the wings being gone it becomes quite obvious.  That said, it’s a very nice looking version of Brainstorms alt-mode with the twin guns at the front, sleek nose and slim wings.  The orange cockpit makes a nice counterpoint to the rest of the colour scheme and Brainstorms Headmaster partner Cana fits nicely inside.

 

Robot Mode

A bit small for my liking but it means that he scales well with the rest of the Legends/Titans Return figures.  You can remove the nosecone and add it to the arm for extra firepower or leave it attached to his back where it is only noticeable when looking through the legs.  The figure has good articulation and once again that lovely Tak/Tom paintjob.

Somebody messed with the wrong Wang today!

 

Cana and Synapse.

Pimp Daddy Cana’s a bit spoiled for choice!

Synapse is actually the name of the drone vehicle that comes with Brainstorm.  This can either be in a jeep mode for Cana to drive or turn into a double-barelled blaster for Brainstorm to weild.  Given the colour scheme one could almost mistake it for a mini-Kup.

Cana has been based on Brainstorms JP Headmaster appearance with the removal of the faceplate.  He is nicely detailed in both his modes.  When compared with Arcana from the Thrilling 30 version of Brainstorm you can see the difference in size between the two figures, its just a shame you cant swap them over from one body to the other (trust me, I tried).  Given the differences in size and facial structure, it makes Legends Brainstorm look like Generations Brainstorm’s younger brother.

 

Overall

To be honest, I actually still kinda like Generations Brainstorm better.  He is bigger, bulkier and his removable vehicle weapons to use as pistols is very G1-toy accurate.  However Legends Brainstorm scales well with the current series of toys, has a great colour scheme and comes with not only a Headmaster partner but a drone as well.  Depends if you are a fan of the HM cartoon or MTMTE as to which one you may decide to get – or if you are an obsessive fan like me you can just get both!

 

“I’m Brainstorm”
“No, I’m Brainstorm”
Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – LG40 Astrotrain

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Astrotrain – truly a mainstay of the Decepticons in fiction since he first turned up in the G1 cartoon waaay back in 1985.  And why not – he is a Giant Robot that turns into a Space Shuttle and a Train!  I’m sorry but things don’t get much cooler than that!  Despite being immensely popular in the cartoon and there rarely having been a G1 comic in the last decade that hasn’t featured him extensively (always the troop transport aren’t ya, ya poor bugger!  To think back in the cartoon you became god of a moon!) Astrotrain has received very few toys over the years.  I suppose it’s not the easiest to design, a train and shuttle in one.  But now we have one again and he is a Headmaster no less!  So let’s get on with the review of the Legends series LG40 Astrotrain!

Gotta love Japanese box artwork

Please note: Legends Astrotrain is a tweaking of Titans Return Sentinel Prime so I will be making several references.  For my review of TR Sentinel Prime please read HERE.

 

Space Shuttle Mode

You can finally see the windows!

Quite flat but certainly a nicely shaped shuttle.  There are several options as to where you can place the guns, either on the sides or on the top (I go for the sides personally).  Astrotrain’s Headmaster can sit in either the little cockpit at the back between the tailfins or can sit in one of the gun turrets on the side.  Despite the great Tak/Tom colour scheme designed to make him look a lot like the G1 cartoon, he still looks a little bland in this mode.  However they have at least coloured the windows of the cockpit, something that the Sentinel Prime figure was sorely lacking and from photos I’ve seen the TR version of Astrotrain suffers from this as well.

Surely one of them will make it to Cybertron

 

Train Mode

Realism – 2%, Utter Coolness – 98%

It’s a damn weird train!  Looks like a Cybertronian train of some kind because I don’t think we have trains like this on earth, even in Japan.  Like the shuttle version, the train’s windows have added colour here in order to highlight them and the gun ports on the top of the train have been coloured differently to the section (Astrotrains robot arms) that they protrude from.  That and the overall colour scheme make this a far superior looking train to Sentinel Prime who looked like a bright red and orange stick.    Given you can now make out the train wheels and the trains cabin, it really gives a sense of scale to the toy, that this is a big-arse Cybertronian transport!

A JNR Class D51 Steam Locomotive from 1936. A Tsubame 800 Bullet Train from 2004. Does that mean we will see the new Astrotrain on the tracks in Japan around the year 2090?

 

Robot Mode

Space Beefcake!

What a butch looking Astrotrain!  In fact I think probably the best looking official Astrotrain toy we have ever had!  No chest boobs and static arms like the G1 toy, no giant back fins like the Timelines version and he certainly stands quite literally head and shoulders above the Classics version.  Good articulation on all extremities, nicely poseable and a good paint job.  I like how both his hand guns can join together to become one long rifle much like the G1 toy was sporting.  He is of course a Headmaster and his Headmaster partner (whose name is actually Head Master – no points for originality there) can come off and be replaced with any other Headmaster.  A great gimmick for little kids and my son loves it, but for myself as a grown up fan I just want Astrotrain himself.

Sentinel is a reminder to Astrotrain to always wear sunscreen

 

Overall

This is a great Astrotrain!  Yes the shuttle mode is a tiny bit flat and bland and the train mode is a bit alien in appearance but taken as a whole all three modes work and work well.  We needed a Voyager-sized Astrotrain for the Generations lineup and he makes a great buddy for Blitzwing.  The Tak/Tom version with the cartoon-homaging paintjob puts this toy far beyond the Titans Return version in my opinion and I heartily recommend this figure to all fans of great characters who get stuck carrying their mates around all day.  This guy will definitely make it to Cybertron!

I gotta catch a train. I gotta catch’em all!
Hobby Farming

Raising Goats as Pets

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Goats.  Sheep with brains.  Reputations for being grumpy, smelly, eating tin cans and destroying any plants they get near.  Why would anyone want a goat as a pet?

Because, if raised correctly, they are intelligent, loving, playful and can become wonderful members of your family, that’s why!

We have two female Boer Goats – Milly and Molly – twin sisters.  And they are the nicest animals you could ever hope to meet!  They follow us around like dogs, eat from our hand, give little kisses and licks and love to climb trees with the kids.  In fact they are wonderful with the children as whenever we go for a walk they tend to pick a child each and shadow them, walking three or four feet behind, just like they are their hairy protectors.

Of course, goats can be a lot of work and you need to have the right space set up for them.  So here  are some excellent tips for keeping goats as pets.

 

What Goats to Pick

The definition of cute!

*Hand-raised goats are a must.  We’ve had friends who had goats as pets which were part of tamed flocks and while mostly docile were not above giving the odd butt or bite if in a bad mood.  You want goats that have been bottle fed and have spent lots of time around children.

*If you have not raised the goats yourself, make sure you take ownership of them at around 6 months of age.  Any later and they will not imprint on you to the extent that you want.

 

Habitat

Lots of space is a must

*Have a tall fence.  We have a 5 foot tall fence running around our little goat paddock.  And even then twice Milly has decided she is going to jump it!  Thankfully she seems to have forgotten she has that ability and has not done it since.  A 6-foot fence is to be preferred but make sure it is at the least not lower than 5.

*Have adequate shelter.  People laughed at me when I built my goats a little house.  But here in the Mallee we get 45 degree days in the middle of summer and during the winter we even get the odd hail storm.  And goats are smart, they are not going to stay out in horrible weather if they don’t have to.  I made my goat house out of wood and painted it with a solar-reflecting paint in order to minimize the heat inside.  Build it with corrugated iron and all you have done is make an oven for them.

 

Food and Drink

Goats are also not camera shy

*Have adequate water.  We have a big dam in our goat paddock so ours are fine but you may want a trough at the least and keep it topped up.

*Goats will not eat just anything.  They will eat most things, and not all those things are good for them.  We feed our goats the following (ration down when still young):

-Lamb pellets.  Calf pellets will work as well.  2 cups per goat every second day.

-Lucerne.  A small butt every second day (alternate with the pellets).

-Weeds.  This is where your goats are useful!  Anything you don’t wanna throw on the compost heap throw to your goats and the majority of the time they will love it!  They love roses and rose trimmings in particular.  They won’t eat all plants and if fed enough will happily shun what their instincts tell them is no good for them.

*Provide a salt lick.  Not a major necessity if they have a good diet but I find having one in there gives me piece of mind, knowing the goats can go have some if anything in their diet is lacking.

 

Exercise

Not what is usually meant by ‘kids playground’

*Have materials for the goats to climb on and to wear their hooves down.  Goats are smart and smart creatures need stuff to do.  I propped up a fallen tree as well as built a tower out of old wooden palettes.  These serve several functions.  One is that goats love to jump and climb and it gives them exercises and lets them indulge their climbing instincts.  The other is that if goats do not have hard surfaces to wear their hooves down on the hooves keep growing.  This means they can in-grow and you need to clip them yourself which can be a real hassle.

*Take your goats for walks.  As mentioned, our goats will follow us around like dogs and taking them for a walk means it breaks up their routine and you get some extra bonding time with them.

 

Other Tips & Troubleshooting

Car theft by Goat: One of the lesser known crimes

*Goats will ruin trees and plants.  I had a few low trees around my dam, they are well and truly gone now. If the goats get into your garden they will try and eat everything.

*These goats will be your pets. This means you need to pat them and talk to them daily just like you would any other pet.

*Do not overfeed your goats.  They will graze and you then supplement that with things like lucerne and pellets. If you give them a ton of pellets every day they will develop stomach issues.

*Be careful with little (human) kids.  Be careful with your own eyes too.  Unless you dehorn your goats it means they have two long big prongs sticking out of their forehead.  If your goats are affectionate they will like to rub up against you.  This means if your kids are small or you are bending over, there is a danger of a horn in the eye – not a pleasant experience.

*Be careful with other animals.  Once goats are a certain size, unless it’s a pack of wild dogs nothing is going to bother them.  Goats are more than capable of seeing off a fox or solitary dog.  Sadly this can mean that your pet dog (we have a Shetland Sheepdog who is very submissive by nature) might end up on the wrong end a butting goat if it gets too close and is perceived as a threat.

*Goats really love to climb.  Combine this with being naturally inquisitive and I’ve had to shoo them off the bonnet of my ute more times than I can count and even had them all over my kids play equipment and our patio table!

 

And that’s pretty much it.  Goats can make beautiful, loving, well-natured pets and can be lots of fun!  Just make sure you have enough space for them and know what you are getting in to before you bring those cute little kids home – they sure do grow!

Love between man and goat – a lot more innocent than it sounds

 

Got any comments or extra tips to add to the above?  Would love to read them in the comments section below!

Transformatorium

Ozformer Member of the Year – Acceptance Speech

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(For those not familiar with the Ozformers website, some of the guys on there and I had been running a joke campaign, parodying the US election, for me to become Member of the Year.  Well I actually won!  So to continue the parody here is my acceptance speech, very reminiscent of one spoken by a certain new world leader)

Looks like General Patton, sounds like Donald Trump

Thank you. Thank you very much, everyone.

I’ve just received a call from Site-Administrator Griffin.

He congratulated us — it’s about us — on our victory, and I congratulated him on a very, very hard-fought campaign. I mean, Griffin has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time, and we owe him a major debt of gratitude for his service to our website. I mean that very sincerely.

Now it’s time for Ozformers to bind the wounds of division; have to get together. To all Trevolutionaries and Griffincrats and Paulbotents across this fanbase, I say it is time for us to come together as one united people. It’s time. I pledge to every user of our land that I will be Member-of-the-year for all Ozformerians, and this is so important to me.

For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people (Trent) I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great website.

As I’ve said from the beginning, ours was not a campaign, but rather an incredible and great movement made up of several hard-working men (Sinnertwin, Starscream77, Jetfire_in_the_Sky and Mythirax) who love their website and want a better, brighter future for themselves and for their families.

It’s a movement comprised of Ozformerians from all gestalt-groups, generations and allegiances who want and expect our website to serve the people, and serve the people it will.

We are going to fix our inner sections and rebuild our threads, reviews, discussions and news stories. We’re going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none. And we will put several of our people to work as we rebuild it.

We have a great fansite plan. We will double our growth and have the strongest user-base anywhere in the world. At the same time, we will get along with all other fanbases willing to get along with us. We expect to have great, great relationships. No dream is too big, no challenge is too great.

Nothing we want for our future is beyond our reach. Ozformers will no longer settle for anything less than the best.

We must reclaim our fansites destiny and dream big and bold and daring. We have to do that. We’re going to dream of things for our website and beautiful things and successful things once again.

I want to tell the world community that while we will always put Ozformers interests first, we will deal fairly with everyone, with everyone — all people and all other fansites. We will seek common ground, not hostility; partnership, not conflict.

And I can only say that while the campaign is over, our work on this movement is now really just beginning.

We’re going to get to work immediately for the Ozformer users. It’s been an amazing year-long period. And I love this fanbase.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

 

(You can read my first bid for the title HERE) 

Random Rants

Remember when Australia Day was a relaxed event?

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Australia Day.  A day to, in essence, celebrate Australia and being Australian.  Seems pretty straight forward and for many years it has been.  Get a day off work, have a BBQ and a beer.  Catch up with a few mates – all very uncomplicated.

But now we have the internet.

Every year Australia Day seems to become more and more ‘obsessive, angry fragger on social media shitstorm day’.  Don’t dare log on to Facebook or Twitter or anything else because this is what you will see:

The Far Left: “It’s Invasion Day!  It shouldn’t be held on January 26th!  It’s a racist day!  We should all feel shame for something we have 3rd hand knowledge of!”

The Far Right: “If you don’t like Australia then f*ck off.  If you don’t like our customs then f*ck off.  If you don’t conform to our norms then f*ck off back to where you came from!”

Muted in the Middle

 

Well guess what – I’ll bet a lot of you who are not indigenous or listened to mainstream media talking about asylum seekers didn’t give a crap about all this 15 years ago!  We have yuppies who have never stepped foot outside a capital city thinking that ranting on Twitter will make a difference to Aboriginal communities, instead of maybe actually jumping on a train to go visit one and lend a hand.  Conversely we have yobbos yelling on Facebook that if you don’t like Australia Day and were not born here then piss off back to your own country, trying to somehow pass off blatant racism as patriotism.  Seems like for the most part its Caucasians with too much free time and no real multicultural experience that are the actual problem.  And most of these folk seem to be on social media trolling for someone to disagree with them so they can fly off into self-righteous tirades – oh yes, very Australian indeed.

 

For the record, if Aboriginal people have a problem with Australia Day and the date it’s held on, I reckon it’s probably valid.  Most of the actual Indigenous commentators I’ve heard on the subject tend to be articulate and well spoken rather than simply screaming “INVASION AND MURDER!” on the streets.  Let them have their say because at least they are saying it in an intelligent way.  And for those who are not of indigenous heritage but are trying to highlight their issues and the inequalities inherent in society without trying to slam it down my throat I will happily listen to you as well.  If the arguments are cogent I may well end up agreeing.  For those that feel pride for being an Australian and want show it by hoisting the Aussie Flag on their front lawn and singing the national anthem on Australia Day, I don’t have a real problem with them either.  If you aren’t bothering anyone or engaging in a ‘my country is better than yours’ mentality, go for ya life!  I may even sing along with ya.

 

But for the Far Lefties screaming “Invasion Day” and the Far Righties screaming “Love Australia or get out!” all I can say is “Why don’t both sides shut the hell up!”  Stop ruining the day for the rest of us!  Many of the people that are yelling the loudest are screaming about issues that they have never been involved in and have never directly impacted on their own lives.  It’s just a damn excuse for the right and left of politics to slam into each other in a big bitch-fest yet again.  People that have never said two words to an Indigenous person in real life screaming about what happened to them centuries ago and conversely people who have never been personally inconvenienced by an immigrant or asylum seeker yelling that this is our day and our country and they should all piss off home.  Here is an idea, why don’t both sides go out to a big paddock somewhere armed with padded bats and beat the crap out of each other for the day, preferably causing at least enough damage to render all their hands too swollen to type and their throats too sore to rant.

 

You wanna know what I’ll be doing on Australia Day?

 

I’ll be happy I have the day off work.  I’ll be happy that I live in a country that, even though it has a splotchy history and is by no means perfect today, is still pretty damn good.  I’ll cook up some Aussie-style burgers with fried eggs from my chookies and some tomatoes from my vege patch along with some beef and beetroot.  I’ll enjoy these with my family and maybe have a few beers from one of the smaller Aussie brewing companies.  Might even chuck on JJJ’s Hottest 100 on the radio while I do some farm work.  I won’t bother anyone, I won’t scream at anyone, I won’t get angry on the internet at anyone who doesn’t agree with me.  In short I’ll relax, chill the hell out and enjoy that I live in a country where I have enough to eat and no one is shooting at me. Because a f*ckload of people on the planet – far too many – don’t get to enjoy those two simple luxuries. 

 

I suggest you all do the same and maybe give the self-righteousness a rest eh?  Happy Australia Day!

 

Do you agree or have a different opinion?  As long as you can state it without a bullhorn I’d love to read it in the comments below.

Transformer Toy Reviews

Toy Review – Rescue Bots Quickshadow

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Femmebots, the slang term for female Transformers, are becoming more commonplace but are still for the most part a rarity  – you can count how many get released each year without taking off your socks.  Rescue Bots has been the longest running single Transformers cartoon show in history and they have finally introduced a female Autobot into their admittedly rather small ensemble.  Quickshadow is a very cool character, coming across as a highly competent, British-sounding spy.  Being a sportscar that turns into a female robot makes Quickshadow sound like a James Bond wet dream come to life and for those of us that like to collect female Transformers sounded like a new toy to look forward to collecting.

Unfortunately what we got is perhaps one of the worst quality Transformer toys we’ve had in years.

 

Don’t open me up – I’ll just break your heart

However let’s start with a few positives.

Vehicle mode

 

A very sexy little sportscar.  There is some nice detailing in the grill with the little Autobot symbol and the blue highlights on the hood, doors and hubcaps certainly pep up what would otherwise be a bland colour scheme of white and grey.  Smaller than the other Rescuebots, even Blurr looks bigger.

 

Robot Mode

Not bad, but quite blocky.  Of course this is to be expected since it is a Rescue Bots toy.  However on the TV show all the other characters look quite blocky but Quickshadow is very lithe and agile looking so it is a shame they did not go to at least some effort to represent that here.  Also a little more detail in the face would have been nice as well, perhaps a more defined mouth or something to show she has optics behind the big eye mask.  Scale-wise she is comparable to Blurr however is smaller than all the older Rescuebots such as Energize Heatwave.

“Why is it on the show I look like you Arcee, but in real life I look like Margaret Thatcher’s even more butch cousin?”

 

Transformation.

Here is where it being a Rescue Bot is supposed to be the big seller for young TF fans but in Quickshadows case it’s the main reason not to buy this toy.  There is only one thing you need to do to transform her, that being pull the front wheels out sideways – then everything is supposed to pop into place.  But she jams.  In fact she jams nearly every single time!  And you can’t just push the wheels back in and try again.  At first I thought my son was using her wrong.  Then I thought we just must have gotten a dud.  But a subsequent look at various ratings of the toy on Amazon and eBay has shown that this seems to be an endemic fault with the figure.  There is a little spring at the top of the car’s hood which is supposed to facilitate this transformation but the spring constantly jams and to un-jam it you have to pull the hood down so hard you are certain it is going to snap.  In fact I’m afraid to transform her again in case it does!  This is a shameful flaw – only one moving part and they f*ck it up!? Poor form Playskool & Hasbro – poor form indeed.

Your Quickshadow toy is going to spend more time looking like this than a robot or car

 

Worth Getting?

No.  She costs the same as the older Rescue Bot figures despite being nearly half the size and the jamming spring means that the toy is almost unusable from the get-go.  I’m glad to have another Femmebot in my collection but I would say this is a contender for the worst quality Transformer I have ever come across.

 

Have you got this figure?  Will you still get this figure after reading this review?  Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

Random Reviews

Art Book review: Deadpool – Drawing the Merc with a Mouth

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When backpacking around Europe I visited many of the world’s great art galleries.  I went to The National Gallery in London and saw Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.  I went to the Louvre in Paris and saw the Mona Lisa.  I went to the the Museo del Prado in Madrid and had my mind turned inside out by the works of Dali.  Hell, I even went to a museum in Amsterdam which seemed to house all the concrete willy’s that had been knocked off all the Italian statues during the rise of Puritism.   From great galleries to the gaudy, from museums to mausoleums I’ve seen it all.  So who better to take you through the latest collection of artwork to be released for the public’s perusal –Deadpool: Drawing the Merc with a Mouth

This book showcases over 20 years of Marvel Comics Art centered around everyone’s favorite degenerate assassin.  When I first purchased it I thought it would be nothing but pictures but the book is actually broken up into 7 main chapters (along with an opening and a conclusion) which details the creation of Deadpool and his evolution as a character both plot-wise and artistically.  There are various interviews with the people who have written Deadpool over the last 20+ years and there were some nice insights into how he was created, his surge in popularity and the very odd direction that the character was taken in.

 

But of course this is primarily an art book so we are treated to lots of eye candy throughout.  This in itself shows the evolution of Deadpool, from a guest-starring bad guy on the front cover of early 90’s comics to the present day where he has had more ongoing titles, spin-offs and team ups than one can count.

I think what I enjoyed best here was the way that the artists could use such a ridiculous and self-lampooning character such as Deadpool to in turn lampoon other genres.  From famous works of art to album covers to movie posters to even the comic covers of other super heroes (including those of DC) Deadpool brings his smart-arse style.

 

There is not much more I can say here as, since it is an art book, you really need to view the art rather than read someones opinion of it.  But what I can do is advise you whether it is worth getting.  I picked this up in a bookstore for $65(AU) and the cheapest I’ve seen it online is $56(AU) including postage.  It’s a pretty hefty price tag.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I got it and I really enjoy it, but I did have a pang of buyer’s remorse walking out of the store until I had a chance to get to grips with it at home.  To justify such an expense one needs to really be a fan of the Merc with a Mouth.  Luckily for me I am one and if you love him too (and have the cash to spare) you will really enjoy this artistic look at a few decades of Deadpool.

Meaty Goodness!

Meat Review – Cactus Jam in Warrnambool

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When it comes to cooking, various cultures seem to have the patents on different styles.  The French have their light-on-the-stomach-yet-sinfully-rich cusine.  The Germans are masters of wrapping up huge hunks of quadruped in cabbage and roasting the hell out of it.  The Mexicans… well…. what you can usually say about Mexican food is that it’s fun to eat!

I like Mexican food, having an almost Deadpool’esque love of the food.  I’ve never actually been to Mexico so I’ve always had to deal with other countries interpretations of their food.  All the Mexican restaurants I tried in Melbourne were distinctly average.  In fact the only really good Mexican restaurant I’ve been to was in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Since that was over a decade ago I’ve been really hankering to have good Mexican again, so was eager to try the food at Cactus Jam in Warrnambool.

 

What’s the best way to sum up the food at Cactus Jam?  Oh yeah – you could cook it better at home!  I’m a decent cook so I expect when I go to a restaurant that, since they are professionals, they should cook better than I.  I’m always disappointed when I walk away from a meal thinking ‘I could have cooked that’ or even worse ‘I could have cooked that much better!’. 

In Australia we get a glut of American television and it seems to be a recurring joke on sitcoms that most restaurants, be they Italian, French or whatever that they actually have a bunch of Mexicans working in the kitchen.  Well, Cactus Jam could have used a few actual Mexicans in their kitchen cooking the actual Mexican food.  Like the German Hofbrauhaus in Melbourne, I don’t think anyone of that nationality has ever stepped foot in the place (for my review of that restaurant – see HERE).

 

I tried the Carne Con Chile Colarado.  I love Chili Con Carne but never get to cook it at home anymore as the rest of the family isn’t keen on it, so was looking forward to bowl of restaurant quality tucker.  What I got tasted exactly like those Stagg Chili cans you buy for 3 bucks at Coles.  And I mean exactly!  Which means either you are getting brilliant value at Coles or else Cactus Jam did a shit job.  Because it was Colarado-style (which meant essentially a US-bastardized version of Mexican food) there were no beans in it at all, and though the beef was supposed to be slow-cooked, it didn’t taste anything special.  I’ve made better, and I’m sure with minimal effort you could too.

Believe it or not – this is the meal, not the diarrhea of the previous customer though the taste equates to the same.

 

My wife got the Chicken and Beef Fajitas.  At least these came with two types of meat and lots of different side foods and sauces to apply so they were fun to make.  That’s about it for all the positives you can say about it.  Much like the their Chili tasting like a can of Stagg, these tasted like the chefs just grabbed a bunch of Old El Paso packs from the supermarket and took their cues from there.    You could make these at home no sweat and probably better than Cactus Jam did.

Mexican Flag equals authentic Mexican Food… apparently.

 

Mexican Beers

At least the restaurant seemed to have a few authentic Mexican beers on the drinks list, even if they seemed to pick the shittiest ones.  Mexican beer is like Mexican food, it doesn’t have a stellar reputation but it is possible to get good stuff.  I tried the Cave Creek Chili Beer.  I’ve had Chili Beer before (to see me drinking it along with 15 different Hot Sauces see my video HERE) and know it’s not the tastiest but decided to give this a go as it had an actual chili floating in it which I thought was very cool!

Worst.  Beer.  Ever!  I mean it – it was quite literally worst beer I have ever drunk in my life!  It was filthy!  It made the Dos Equis Larger I had next (a decidedly average beer) taste like manna from heaven in comparison.

 

So worth going to Cactus Jam?

No.  No its not.  The food is crap, you could cook better at home or at the very least make food its equal out of a can or pack.  They have Mexican beers but seemed to stock up on all the shittiest ones.  The only thing you could say about the place is that you don’t have to do the dishes – but I don’t think that warrants the expensive price tag.  Mexican?  More like Mexican’t!  Heh – I wonder if I’m the first person to think of that pun? Probably not but I’m proud of it!

 

Eaten there and have a different opinion?  Tell us in the comments below.