In today’s rant I’m going to offer an opinion that will fly in the face of what most people are saying on social media.
The Pamela Anderson/Scott Morrison thing has been blown WAY out of proportion.
For those that don’t know, Pamela Anderson has been vocal about supporting Julian Assange and saying that the Australian Government should take action to save him from political persecution by the US. So that’s fine, no problemo. Personally I don’t really give a stuff when overseas celebrities have something to say about our politics, but then I’ve commented on social media about stuff Trump does so it’s not like I’m any better.
When asked about Anderson’s comments on commercial radio, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said:
Quote:
“I’ve had plenty of mates have asked me if they can be my special envoy to sort the issue out… um, with Pamela Anderson”
Now not the most PC thing to say I admit. In fact it was dismissive and pretty stupid. But lets look at it in context shall we?
Pamela Anderson has made and sometimes still makes a living from being a sex symbol. In the past she appeared naked plenty of times in magazines. Did a video Playboy special (back in the VHS days) where she was not only naked but had a prolonged simulated sex-scene with some muscular bloke – so we are talking softcore pornography here. Did a few movies where she either wore tight black leather or nothing at all and plenty of sex scenes there too. She even did the voice of ‘Striperalla‘, a cartoon which was mainly based on huge breast jokes.
Nothing wrong with any of this. Nothing. If that’s how you make your living and you are happy doing it and it hurts no one then more power to ya. I know I had Pam’s poster up on my wall when I was 18.
These days, at age 51, she tries to portray herself as an activist and, when it suits her agenda, pretend the last 30 years didn’t exist. But she spent decades purposely portraying and marketing herself as a sex symbol, it’s how she made her fortune. And she was more than happy to do so and be known for it when it meant the millions and movie roles kept rolling in. And she is still happy to, again – when it suits her agenda, use her sex-symbol status as can be seen in the (heavily airbrushed) posters she did for PETA just last year where she is posing in a tiny bikini.
She obviously still cares deeply about her sex-symbol status as is evidenced by all the plastic surgery she has had done on her face alone in the past few years. Though to be honest whenever I see a picture of her I can’t help but think of what comedian Bill Burr had to say ‘There is nothing wrong with looking your age! Wouldn’t you rather look like a 53 year old human instead of a 35 year old leather sofa?’ And I hate to say it Pam but perhaps it would have been better just to do what most of us do and simply let nature take its course rather than try in vain to fight it with so many chemicals and surgeries. Just a thought.
So considering what Pam has done and still does for a living, is someone saying their mates asked to be a special envoy to talk to you really so bad?
Pamela went on after the PM’s comment, long and loud and on every possible media outlet imaginable, calling the comments smuttyand lewd.
Really? Really Pamela? I’ve watched you simulate ******* a guy senseless. You were happy for a sex tape of you and your hubby to be spread all over the net when it got you back in the spotlight. Some might say those things are smutty and lewd. All this guy said his mates would love to talk to you. Stupid but hardly the worst you’ve ever heard I’m sure.
Pamela has stated that yes, she used to do highly sexualized roles but doesn’t give people the right to make sexual comments. That’s fair enough and I agree with her. Fully. But really, this was a stupid but very mild thing to say. It was a comment in the context of addressing the statements of a celebrity who still actively promotes herself as a sex symbol. If it had been a male sex-symbol he may have said his female friends were lining up to be a special envoy. And if it was someone of either sex who was a librarian or a scientist or political analyst he may not have made such a flippant joke at all, or at least one that related to that persons chosen field as he did here. But then who know’s, maybe he would have said something worse. I certainly aint a fan of the man by any means.
In fact there is one main reason the Prime Minister should not have said what he said:
You are the Prime Minister of our country Mr Morrison and should hold yourself to a higher standard of discourse! You represent us on the world stage. Don’t stoop to the level of a crowd pleaser, even if it is in a less formal context like commercial radio. You should have ignored it or said she was entitled to her opinion, not make a comment that makes you look dismissive of women and like a sexist dickhead!
And Pam?
Get off your hypocritical high horse would ya! You are completely entitled to your point of view and to state it to whomever you choose. But don’t pose in bikini’s for PETA to further one agenda and then pretend that it was incredibly offensive for a man to say his mates would love to meet you in order to further another. Decide if you want the world to see you as a sex-symbol or want to leave that world behind. You can’t have it both ways. You just cant.
I think I’ll be actively turning off my TV or radio next time one of them comes on – I don’t want to hear anything either of them have to say.
Got a different opinion on all of this (I’m sure there are many that do). Feel free to write it in the comments section below.
Well that cheeky Monitor is at it again! This time up a different tree near our chook pens and, since the chookiesare inaccessible, he was after a Magpies nest of eggs.
In the short upcoming video, you will see how the Magpies defense differs from that of the Cockatoo. While both squawk as loudly as they can, the Magpie goes for a different attack and constantly swoops the Monitor at speed, trying to hit it with its pointy beak. Of course this is a dangerous game; whereas the Cockatoo attacked the tail, the Magpie attacks the head and you can hear the audible snapping of the Monitors jaw as it tries to bite the Magpie on each one of its strafing runs.
So watch and enjoy the second video of ‘Battle of the Natives’: Magpie vs Goanna:
Sadly the Magpie was not as successful as the Cockatoo. Later on in the afternoon my kids found two regurgitated eggs at the base of the tree – after all that fighting the Monitor couldn’t even keep the eggs down.
Living on a farm can be fun in a scary kind of way sometimes. Not all our native creatures are always friendly, and sometimes they really don’t get along with each other, seeing each other as rivals or, more often, dinner.
Two years ago on my old farm I witnessed a Redback Spider killing a Blind Snake(I was later informed by several leading Australian reptile experts it was in fact a Lerista Skinkthat the spider was chowing down on). That was quite the sight to see!
Yesterday on our new farm I saw two other native Australian creatures in conflict that I never expected to be enemies. These were in fact a Sulphur-CrestedCockatoo and a LaceMonitor.
The Monitor, a solid 2 meters in length, had been sniffing around our duck and chook pens looking for some eggy snacks, but when I approached quickly scaled a nearby tree, where he camped for a while.
But his belly must still have been rumbling because soon he caught the scent of the nest of eggs the Cockatoo had several branches above and decided to slowly sneak his way up for a snack.
This short video shows the Cockatoo taking issue with this. Whilst not silly enough to attack the Monitor head on, the Cockatoo did its best to ward this raider off. It did this by shrieking loudly, flaring its wings and crest and attempting to bite the Monitors tail with his beak. He eventually does a quick fly-by and gives it his best shot.
So enjoy this ‘Battle of the Natives’ in this video: Cockatoo vs Goanna.
Usually fan interviews on this blog consist of people who are fans of Transformers and/or yours truly. However today we are interviewing someone who I am a fan of. As the big sis of long time blog reader Maddy, this is a person whom I have had the honor of meeting once or twice, as well as conversing with online when I’ve had a few too many and want to vent about the current political issues plaguing this country. She is The Greens Councillor for Moreland, North-East Ward, Natalie Abboud.
Given it can sometimes mean a life where you are working hard for a populace where the fashion is to openly distrust and dislike politicians, what lead you personally to enter a life of politics?
I get a $28k taxable allowance at Moreland (the Moyoralty is more but it’s full time) so it’s certainly a job you do for love or challenges. I’ve always been engaged in politics and ran in a couple of elections I couldn’t win so when I was tapped on the shoulder for council I was up for it. I also work hard and answer calls in an effort to break the stigma. People don’t always need to agree but we all want to be heard. I had some great conversations about Australia Day.
For those of us that are ignorant of what politicians actually do, what are some of your primary responsibilities? How does a usual day at work play out for the Councillor for Moreland?
Monday’s and Wednesday’s are blocked out for emails and meetings but I often do stuff most other days too.
I’m the Cr responsible for Youth, status of women, and Social Diversity, multiculturalism and Reconciliation. I sit on the Oxygen Committee, audit and risk committee, chair the Human rights committee and I’m the council rep for the Disability working group and the reconciliation working group.
This means I attend up to 4 night meetings a week and occasionally(once a week) I go to other conferences and events.
As a Member for The Greens, what do you believe are the three main issues (among the many) that need immediate and significant action in our country today?
-Renewables (why do the Gubs keep resisting them?)
-Transport (why can’t we have trains like Japan?)
-Addressing the Climate emergency
Where do you see The Greens in ten years time?
Holding balance of power in Vic which will lead to more action in State Parliament. Not sure about Aus. I’d like to see two more in the Federal lower house and maybe a few more senators.
As a young man I didn’t care much about voting, I just liked the requisite sausage sizzle. My first election I voted for The Democrats as I had a crush on Natasha Stott Despoja. My second I voted for The Shooters Party as I thought it would be funny if they won and would give me material for my stand-up comedy routines. My third I voted for The Sex Party because a big fat bearded guy in a bright yellow T-shirt gave me a flyer while I was waiting in line to vote. Now that I am (somewhat) more mature, as well as a parent, I vote for The Greens because I care about the state of the planet my kids will grow up on, as well as many of The Greens policies aligning with my personal moral compass. Do you find young people are more ‘switched on’ to voting and politics now than in decades past? Or does one need to get a few years under their belt in order to understand the depth of the issues and the importance of ones vote?
Young people are more engaged than ever. Young people understand the risks we face. Politics is very conservative in Aus which has alerted people. (This could be wishful thinking but the Greens have many young active members so I exist in a bubble)
I’ve never understood those that treat Political Parties like football teams, as in they will ‘barrack’ (vote) for that Party no matter what they do or what their current policies are. What methods does one take to sway voters of that mindset?
Vote compass is effective. Get people to talk about policy not personality. Having a crush won’t get the results you want from your government 😉
Show people where government is active, any action is about getting votes. Ie the schools money and Scott (Hillsong) Morrison or trying to throw Barnaby Joyce at the drought. In Vic it’s all about marginal seats. Moreland council has been asking for a really dangerous intersection to be fixed for years, now that Pascoe Vale has gone marginal we were just promised $11m to fix it. Meanwhile in Frank McGuire’s electorate of Broady (next door) the Windows of the schools are literally rotted shut and the carpets are rotted or threadbare.
There is a growing movement in rural areas by farmers for the government to take action on climate change. Yet a large amount of country people remain voters for The Nationals, even though as part of the Coalition they have taken no real action on this issue and have within their ranks a significant number of climate-change deniers. Do you think this may signify a possible shift in rural voting habits for the future and what can The Greens do to bolster their presence in these regions?
I sure hope so. We are running a guy called Serge Simic who is a farmer for the seat of Ripon. He came here escaping the breakup of the Former Yugoslavia as a child with his family. Water will be the real issue. The cockies are already involved in “hay battles” South Aus is unhappy that NSW is getting their hay, grain is being freighted from WA. That kind of thing is completely unsustainable.
Sad thing is, Serge is getting trolled by hunters who don’t wanna be locked out of the national parks so we have a way to go.
On our farm we subsist on rainwater (not easy in a drought) and if we want our rubbish taken away we have to drive it ourselves to the tip. This contributes towards our mindset of conserving water as much as possible as well as trying to create minimal waste. How do you encourage people in a large city to be ‘waste conscious?’
We are heavily focused on getting food waste out of landfill at the moment. The container deposit scheme was voted down again by the old parties which is disappointing.
No matter, it took gun control ten failed bills to parliament by the Greens before a massacre at Port Arthur finally got it over the line.
Now for a few personal questions if I may:
*Living in the second most populated city in Australia, what do you in your own life to ‘stay green’?
Try not to use a lot of plastic, compost everything we can, grow veggies, ride my bike when I don’t have the kids, shower in a bucket and use the water for plants, we are about to have solar installed on our new house and I don’t do stuff like get acrylic fingernails or consume a bunch of unnecessary crap. I still regularly feel like I can do more though.
Your sister has been raising some lovely chookies over the last few years. Where you live do you have a yard big enough to have any animals? Or perhaps a couple of fruit trees and a veggie patch?
We have had chook but they got eaten by foxes, bit by snakes and other fatal things. My FIL has 4 so we get eggs from him. We live on 1500sq m so we are very lucky. We have a big veggie garden and this year we will grow tomatoes, peas, Lebo cucumber, pumpkin, beans, lettuce, beetroot, sorrel, corn and I’m trying Okra for the first time. We have heaps of herbs and rocket. We also have apple, olive, orange, tangelo, lemons, peach, nectarine, plums, apricot, avocado and a passion fruit vine and a walnut. (Most of those trees are established and bear fruit but some are still young). I want to add cherry and almond.
And of course I have to ask, with three strapping young lads of your own, who are their favorite Transformers?
A few years ago we had a golden age for Australian collectors of… er… collectibles.
Ebay was growing exponentially, the Aussie Dollar was worth more than the US one, and not only were all the physical stores stocking a plethora of toys, but fledgling Aussie Toy Importers were opening businesses on the net, making it even easier to get those rare collectible toys from places such as Japan and America.
Sadly it’s all now changed.
In the last couple of years many of the Aussie online toy importers have shut down or are under investigation. The introduction of GST on all overseas purchases under a thousand dollars has made importing many toys too expensive – especially since you have to pay an extra 10% on the postage as well. Any overseas companies such as the US branch of Amazon who don’t comply with the new GST laws are simply refusing to ship to Australia from this point on. And now the biggest toy stores to find in this land – Toys’R’Us – are shutting their doors forever.
So whether it be in real life or online, avenue after avenue that was once available to your Aussie toy collector are disappearing. The Golden Age is Over.
To see how this is affecting your average collectibles buff, we talk to three toy collectors and find out their take on the current situation – Dallas, Darryland Jason.
Question 1: What effect do you believe the application of GST by the Australian Government to all overseas purchases will have on your collecting?
Dallas
A lot of what I buy overseas is not readily available here. There are one or two importers who sometimes stock it but otherwise I will continue to buy from overseas. the only difference may be that I buy less stuff, but it will probably just mean I spend 10% more than I used to.
The secondary effect of this being places like Amazon.com no longer being available to me. I will be surprised if the exclusive items or super deals I used to occasionally find on there will be available through the Amazon Australia site.
To be ‘real’ my international purchasing really slowed down when the dollar dropped from 1.05US to 0.75 US. that’s a 30% price increase, another 10% hurts but it’s not the end of the world for something that I possibly can’t find anywhere else.
Darryl
Aside from having to pay a little more, I doubt it will deter me much. I find myself having to import later waves of a line due to distribution rarely making it up my way so if I want a figure, I just have to lump it.
Jason
The only impact that the application of GST is going to have will be to increase the cost for obtaining any of the Transformers that I am currently collecting. Most of my spending on current collecting is purchased through Australian retailers so I am already paying GST and that cost is factored into my collecting. It is the items that do not receive an Australian release that are going to cost more.
Given that sites such as Amazon.com are no longer allowing sales to Australia for such items, it is going to cost a lot more to source these harder to find items from other overseas stores or pay significant amounts on postage to freight forwarding companies as well as the GST on top.
I understand that the point of the GST is to charge end users a flat tax across the board and that the purpose of applying it to low value goods is to create equality in trade between Australian retailers and overseas retailers, however the issue is that the Government has created for itself is a situation where they have reduced the possible supply/variety of goods into the country whilst relying wholly upon foreign entities to voluntarily remit GST. The compliance costs will be astounding and it will be interesting to see if any actual profit is generated for the economy from this or if there is simply more funds moving offshore.
Question 2: What effect (if any) has the behaviour and subsequent closure of Australian-based online collecting stores such as PC Collectibles, TFI Downunder and MaynStream Merch had on the availability of collectible figures on a local level for you?
Dallas
I have a lot of money tied up with PC. They used to be great, I have received a lot of excellently priced product from them, until they fell off the wagon, it must be nearly 2 years ago now. I hope to get my money back, but that’s up to the judge I guess. I never shopped at the other two stores. I never minded waiting for my stuff a bit longer as I often pre-order in batches and I nearly always collect faster than I open toys so I never ‘suffered’ the indignity of not having anything new to open because PC was taking longer than everyone else.
Lately I have been making lot of purchases at TLTC and TBI. Both are reliable and both have excellent prices on different product. I’ve actually been buying a lot of stuff from these two stores that I used to import, long before the GST was introduced. I guess it’s a sign of a good competitive business that has moved with the times.
Darryl
I was fortunate in that while I had issues with PC, I didn’t lose any money to them (nor did I get the stuff I ordered). That being said, it left a bad taste in my mouth and I’m reluctant to deal with any Australian based online retailers unless they are a well established business.
Jason
I was a huge fan of PC when I stumbled across the online store in mid-2015. There was a solid 1 ½ years where I was a very happy customer and I moved a lot of my purchases from overseas retailers to PC. However, it all started to unravel in 2017 and it has left myself, and a lot of others, out of pocket.
PC’s demise and the way in which PC conducted itself no doubt put a dampening on my collecting enthusiasm. All of a sudden, I went from using my spare time to research what Transformers I was wanting to buy to using my time to attempt to correspond with PC, reading forums such as Ozformers for guidance on dealing with PC/Banks and corresponding with the Banks and attempting to do chargebacks.
My hobby went from something enjoyable to something more akin to my job. However, there have also been some other stores pop up recently (or that have just come to my attention) such as Toybot Importz and The Little Toy Company and I am willing to give them a chance. Neither have disappointed me so far and I hope that neither will. Both have shown exceptional communication and competitive pricing. Whilst the range (and pricing, but we now know why PC’s pricing was so good) may not be the same as PC, I am able to source most of the Transformers that I want from these two online stores.
Question 3: What effect will the closure of various brick’n’mortar toy stores (such as TRU) have on your collecting? Especially since so many online avenues have been closed off?
Dallas
The closure of TRU is a bit sad. I have purchased a lot of exclusive items from them over the years and I’ve often made use of their 20% off sales or price matching policy. It’s likely that I’ll have to resort to more expensive avenues to find those special items that they would have otherwise stocked. Even TRU US supplied me with the recent Titans return Grotusque and Arcee. I would like to think Hasbro Australia will find another avenue for this product but only time will tell and I imagine if prices through alternate channels are too high I may end up skipping a lot of stuff.
Darryl
Probably won’t affect me much. My nearest TRU is over an hour away so I didn’t get there very often, in fact, with my local K-Mart as the only close source for TF’s (Target, Big W are also an hour away) I’ve accepted that I’m going to have to go online more to get the figures I want. As much as I want to support local stores (even if they aren’t owned locally) they haven’t been very supportive of me. So sadly, it looks like any money I will be spending on my collection will be heading off-shore.
Jason
I don’t think that so many online avenues have been closed. There are now quite a few Australian online retailers and a lot of the overseas retailers still appear to be selling to Australia.
I was never really one for buying Transformers for my collection from brick’n’mortar stores. The convenience of online shopping and having the items delivered straight to me is to irresistible to pass up. Not to mention, I often found the prices online (even from Australian online retailers) were far more competitive than in store prices.
Whilst it will not impact upon my collecting, it may impact a little on my younger son. He is really getting into Transformers at the moment and we enjoy going to stores like TRU together and picking ones out for his collection. Whilst we have a great time doing this, it seems as though stores such as Big W now have such a large selection of toys that they have effectively replaced the need for speciality toy stores such as TRU.
Many thanks to these three fine lads for sharing their thoughts with us. How have all the recent changes effected you? Let us know in the comments section below.
Rumor’s continue to fly thick and fast regarding both the robot and human cast of the upcoming Bumblebee Movie, a prequel to the successful last 5 live-action Transformer movies. However unsubstantiated reports suggest a new entry that no one saw coming.
Inside sources from Hollywood have reported that apparently Australian Singer/Actress/Model Sophie Monk has been slated to play the classic Decepticon character Octopunch.
“When casting for Octopunch, a character covered with gripping tentacles, we decided we wanted someone who was adept at really clutching at anything. Thus the first place we looked was at any celebrity who had appeared as a contestant on reality television. No one shows the skills of grasping at straws as strongly as a celebrity determined to stay in the public eye better than those people” says one unnamed source.
“We had many celebrities in mind for the role, but once we saw the 2017 version of The Bachellorette Australia staring Sophie Monk, we knew our search was at an end”
For those that do not know, Sophie Monk played the Bachelorette on Australia’s version of the well-known reality TV show, ‘pashing on’ with multiple men before she made her decision on the ‘man she truly loved’. To the surprise of few, this ‘true love’ was short lived and ended as soon as the hype about the show did, briefly getting Monk’s name back on peoples lips.
Eternal and never ending love…. for a few months.
Sophie Monk has a long history of Reality Television. She has appeared as a contestant on The Celebrity Apprentice Australia and even on Popstarsall the way back in 2000. She has posed for many men’s magazines, including FHM, Maxim and Playboy.
When asked if being associated with such a clingy character could be detrimental to an icons reputation, one studio executive said ‘Possibly, but we believe Octopunch will get over it’.
‘I’m being played by WHO?!’
Apparently Monk however was not the first choice for this role. Another Australian singer, Nikki Webster was also considered for the role.
“Webster would have been perfect for the role” stated one Hollywood insider “She shows a level of grasping desperately at chances to revive her all-but-deceased celebrity status that puts Sophie to shame”.
Nikki Webster captured Australia’s heart when she sang at the 2000 Olympics and went on to have some moderate success as a singer. However when she got older she, like Monk, started posing for men’s magazines. Instead of engendering lust in the readers, it caused a distinct uneasiness as the public still primarily saw her as that cute child who sang for the nation.
“Na” says Mick from the local RSL “Ya felt like a bloody pedo staring at the tits of that kid from the Olympics. It was creepy as!”
At least she wasn’t on a wrecking ball.
In 2001 Websters song ‘Strawberry Kisses’ did extremely well in the charts. In 2017 she re-released the song via a breakfast television show almost unnoticed, except for mild derision in some music circles for the poor attempt to add a rap element into the song.
“We thought Webster would be great to play Octopunch when she re-released that song of hers” says the unnamed source “But at least people beyond Gen X know who Monk actually is. Besides, Monk seems like she can take a joke, we were afraid that if someone said the wrong thing Webster would start ringing radio stations and abusing people”.
So is there any truth to the rumors that Sophie Monk will play Octopunch in this upcoming multi-million dollar movie? Only time will tell, but fans seem to believe given her ability to fake being in love, Monk will be perfect to play a Pretender on the big screen.
Neither Sophie Monk nor Nikki Webster have been approached for comment.
*Editors Note: Like pretty much all Pop-Goss stories online, the above article is completely fictional (the difference being we admit it!). It is written for satirical purposes only with no malice intended. Bigangrytrev.com wishes both Ms Monk and Ms Webster continuing success in their respective careers.
In this latest interview with Aussie TF collectors we are talking to Dallas, a great bloke I was privileged to meet at the Collectormania Toy Fair last year (he even bought me a beer!). So lets chat to this fine fellow and avid collector of all things Cybertronian.
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU Real name or what friends call you?
Dallas, D, big D. some of the guys on my baseball team have droppd a D-rod, or D-Train here and there. None of it really sticks.
State you live in?
NSW.
Your occupation?
Would you believe, Trained as an Aerospace Engineer, employed as a Mechanical engineer working on Boats and Submarines and trucks posing as radar targets…
Your dream job?
Drummer in a band, an internationally massive band.
Your age?
Why do you ask, is this some sort of scam?
Single/married/kids?
We’ve just been blessed with twins this last year. They are now the centre of our universe. And we’re married, just gone 9 years! We met nearly 18 years ago.
What other (non-toy) interests do you have?
Baseball.
Star Trek
Star Wars,
The Phantom
General Science fiction, some fantasy, squash, I dabble in lego from time to time.
Do you collect anything besides Transformers?
I’ve selectively picked some of the Star Trek Starships collection.
I’ve been collecting the Phantom Comic regularly since I was about 13, (with the exception of a few years while I was at uni and couldn’t afford it)
I have a hand full of Keaton Era and Batman Animated Batmobiles.
Apparently I collect drum kits as well. I have the one my parents bought me when I was 10 (it was 20 years old then), the good acoustic kit I bought in 1995 and the Electronic kit I bought after I finished uni and had a full time job.
How would you rate yourself on a C scale? With C1 being ‘Junker not worth it even for parts’ to C10 being ‘Perfection’.
C6, fairly good condition, some loose joints. Nothing a bit of spit and polish * wouldn’t fix.
Editors Note: I’ve told you about 20 times now – I’m not giving you a ‘spit polish’ no matter how many times you approach me about it!
How would you rate how sexually attracted you are to Trev? With 1 being ‘Extremely’ to 10 being ‘I dress up as Chrissy Amphlett and sing ‘I Touch Myself’ by the Divinyls into a hairbrush as I stare at the poster I have of Trev on my wall’.
It involves a Mankini *, where does that fit on the scale? Editors Note: I’m hoping it was just an educated guess on your part that I actually do have one of those!
TRANSFORMER QUESTIONS Transformers Allegiance, if you had one?
Autobot –Engineering Corps
Your Techspec motto if you had one?
Wait, What?
What existing, official Transformers character best describes you?
Is there someone that’s a cross between Jazz and Wheeljack?
Which special ability of any Transformers character would you want to have for yourself?
Skywarps teleportation, we love to travel and that would take so much of the shitty bits out of it.
Fan/Collector since (year)?
1984-85 I’m pretty sure it was that Christmas that I got my first two transformers. There have been periods when I wasn’t an avid collector or even aware that there was a series on tv.
What drew you to Transformers, making you become a fan/collector?
I can’t remember, it’s so long ago. Probably the excitement of giant robots and the Robots in Disguise element, still the best gimmick of the line.
I slowly lost interest towards the end of G1 and G2. I remember seeing all the G2 stuff with these huge stickers on them that ruined the ‘robots in disguise’ concept. Like the G2 Optimus that had the massive sticker down its side with his name emblazoned in big bright lettering on an otherwise black truck. The G2 show disappointed me as well, I was looking for new shows/stories not just the original show re-edited. I remember how excited I was when I saw the CG intro, and then how devastated I was when I saw that it was just the old cartoon. For years I lost touch with the brand, not through lack of interest but through lack of knowing anything existed. I kind of missed beast wars, when it was on TV, I didn’t like that they had moved away from vehicles and that they were re-using the names of characters without them being the same characters. I couldn’t figure out why they didn’t just give them a new name? I’d visit toy sections every once in a while through late high school and Uni but never felt any attraction to the toys for these reasons. Names of G1 characters being applied to toys that bore no resemblance to the character as I knew it, and mostly vehicles that could not be considered ‘normal enough to be in disguise’ anywhere. I don’t think I even realised that RID 1.0 or the Unicron Trilogy were actual shows. My collecting started again in 2005 when I was out of Uni, had a full time job and found out about these things called Alternators. I bought some from eBay and Casefresh. They were incredible, then I saw the Masterpiece line. As an Aero Engineer, the MP starscream was the most stunning transformers toy I’d ever seen. A colleague saw him on my desk once and thought it was a legit model aircraft. I got back in to mainline toys when the ‘generations’ line started creating new moulds reimagining G1 characters. I’ve been collecting steadily ever since.
Do you think you will collect Transformers until you die?
It’s quite likely that I will in some capacity, though there has to be limits. I can’t imagine the space needed to store and display transformers collected over a 120 year period. Editors Note: You are gonna live 120 years?! You must eat a frag of a lot of kale!
Were your family/parents supportive of collecting toys or did you have to hide your passion from them and friends?
My first transformers came to me from my parents (Mum did all the Christmas purchasing) and Santa Claus. So in that respect yes, supported. Over time my Dad hasn’t quite understood the long running interest. He’s generally not said much but once in a while he’s dropped a comment indicating what a waste of money he thinks it is.
In Primary school Transformers were the business so there was no hiding, the only frustration I had was someone stealing Thundercrackers rocket launchers from my bag after lunch once.
The rest of my family, even married into family seem to accept it if not support it. My sister just went to Japan and asked for a shopping list before she went.
My friends and colleagues vary in their acceptance. Some get it and are as bad as me with other types of collections, others just don’t understand. My wife was a bit misled as when we met I wasn’t actively collecting, it was only after we’d been going out for several years when my interest in collecting was reignited that she saw that side of me. Long before we tied the knot though.
I don’t believe in hiding my passions and interests it defines who I am. I do filter them a bit from time to time though.
Have you attended any fan-meets, Fairs, Conventions?
Have I ever! I’ve been to Botcon 2011 and 2014. I had a great time at both, probably the biggest highlights of my experiences as a collector.
I used to go regularly to the Parramatta collector fair and the post-fair breakfast at the Westfield. I now mainly go to the Penrith fair, it’s a bit of a hike but there are a few good stalls and a lot of others generally turn up so some good chats are had.
Any creative endeavours with Transformers (drawing, writing, customising, etc)?
I have always liked creativity. I dabble a bit in drawing, though I realise I’m pretty bad at it.
I have done some designs that I’ve had made on shapeways, they didn’t pass the prototype stage but I thought they were solid concepts and if the CAD package I’d been using hadn’t had a 30 day trial limit on it, I might have continued dabbling in that. I have a whole lot more ideas in my head and on paper. Keep an ear to the ground for a company called ******* toys, if it ever happens, chances are it will be me and my buddy, Myself.
Customising class – Botcon
I participated in the Custom class at Botcon both times I went. I really enjoyed it and it gave me a good understanding of the structure of transformers. That gave me the confidence to pull apart a few here and there and fix internal damage or change something.
I have a lot of plans for creative stuff. I have a couple spare deluxe Airachnids from TF-Prime, I plan on modding one up to have the right number of legs. I have a couple Revoltech Starscreams, I need a third so I can repaint two into the other two seekers. It’s not something I want to spend a lot of money on though and those things are expensive.
I have a big thing for creative/dynamic displays, shoulder to shoulder displays are great for saving space but they are often over crowded and very static. It feels like a waste to have all these awesome figures that are so articulated and not have them posed doing something. (Saying that, Sinnertwin has a very well organised display with bots standing in columns and rows and his collection room is almost breathtaking.). My display is often spread out, with many bots in alt mode and others facing off across the shelf. I try to augment my displays with interesting risers and backgrounds. The DOTM leader box internal sleeve was good for this. I have one as a background in my display cabinet at the moment. This last week I finally went to throw out the stock cooler for my CPU that I bought in 2009, I realised that under all the crappy fan cowling plastic there was a nice solid flat heat sink. I’ve kept that bit and plan on using it in a display in the future. I have manufactured some risers out of left over polycarbonate from work and some stand-offs from eBay. I also have some aluminium structures left over from prototypes that I have or plan to modify into risers and stands for my display. It will need some paint, sometimes there is a fine line between looking interesting and other worldly and looking like you’ve been picking through someone else’s rubbish. I have purchased a number of display panels (the machine robo nests and the recent Zeta EX display stands that ToyBotImportz were stocking. I haven’t incorporated them yet but I’ve started touching them up with gundam markers to add some colour and they’ll be getting added to the display at some point.
Favourite series/era/year, and why?
I’m always going to be a G1 fan, that’s where it all started for me and it’s the baseline for my expectations of modern interpretations of characters.
But, the series I’ve enjoyed the most was Transformers Prime, outstanding design, excellent show from so many perspectives and an outstanding toy line. Imagine being a 10 year old and having that as your G1!
Least favourite series/era/year, and why?
That would have to be the Unicron Trilogy, I didn’t even realise it was on TV at the time. Probably because I was at Uni and for a few years didn’t even have a TV. But at the same time, I was perusing the toy isles at the time and the toys just didn’t appeal. I’ve always felt, if you’re going to make a new character, in a new show that has a different personality, different strengths/weaknesses and abilities you should give that character a new name, not re-use the name of a character from an earlier interpretation of the franchise *. I get the whole different universe’ thing and generally accept it, a lot more now than I used to.
Editors Note: I agree with this 100%!
Collect any comics (which ones)?
YES.
In the G1 era I didn’t even know they made transformers comics. My interest in comics started when I was a young fella delivering papers for the local newsagent. They’d let me read them in the shop after I’d finished my round. I became a collector of the Phantom comics, still am. I saw my first transformers comic at Comic Kingdom in Sydney in the late 90’s. I was very excited but at the same time confused, it was a G2 comic and didn’t seem to have any relationship to the re-hash tv show. I bought it anyway.
I then was super excited when I saw a digest style transformers comic at the supermarket. I bought that and then chased down all the Dreamwave Trades and the singles that never made it into trade. I have since never stopped. I collect trades, it’s more affordable, I prefer reading the stories in larger chunks and with less advertising. They also look better on the shelf. I’ve picked up all the TFCC comics and even went out of my way to get hold of the TFcon TF Animated comic that was released last year.
Favourite Comic issue/story, and why?
Probably the first issue of the Dreamwave G1 comics, seeing those characters in vibrant artwork with a story after all those years was a joyful moment. I missed Dreamwave when they fell apart. I had no idea at the time and hate Pat Lee for the way he treated his employees but I enjoyed the art, it was vibrant and colourful and while the style was unrealistic I felt it was very polished and clean. I’ve never been a fan of scratchy looking artwork in comics, I thought the early IDW work felt unfinished.
Favourite Cartoon episode/story, and why?
The G1 episode where Jazz in car mode cranks out a super funky tune that disrupts the Decepticons. It was a type of music I’d never heard before, I thought, if this is Jazz, I need to find more Jazz. Turns out it was more of a funk/rock. But I have grown to love many different types of music from the drive to discover more music that this episode ignited.
Favourite Video/Board game and why?
Probably the Fall of Cybertron game. Great fun from start to finish and a more polished gameplay than the War for Cybertron.
Favourite Character, and why?
I’ve always liked Jazz, the attitude, the stylings of his alt mode, the G1 toy was a standout for me, being a fairly different transformation to so many of the other early autobots.
Sexiest Transformers (robot) Character?
I honestly find sexifying transformers, or other franchises, kind of weird and uncomfortable. I’d never turn up in the Boudoir wearing a transformers Mankini and expect the missus to get excited. Editors Note: Make the Mankini metallic with gun-ports – that might rev her engine!
Which Transformers character would you want to exist for real?
Most definitely Jazz, then we could Jam!
Approx TFs toy collection count (or give a range like 200s, 300s, etc)?
I honestly have no idea. When I was a kid I counted my G1 collection as some number around 120. Since then I’ve collected a bunch more G1 toys/reissues. I’ve collected every mould and some remoulds/repaints of the Masterpiece line and the Alternators/Binaltech line. I’ve been collecting Generations toys since the time they stopped just repainting Unicron trilogy toys and started actually making dedicated new moulds for classic characters. I tend to have at least one of every mould type. I have two complete sets and 2 mostly complete sets of Botcon toys and I’ve collected a lot of Movie toys since 2007, again generally having one of most mould types of the main line of scout/Deluxe/Voyager and Leader toys. I have the entire cast of animated, Prime and RID. I’m going to have a ballpark guess and say somewhere around the 1500 mark. It’s literally over 25 years since I did a collection count.
Sealed collector or out-of-packaging collector?
My general intent is to be an out of package collector, there are caveats though. I collect faster than I seem to open transformers. Part of the driver for this is that I have limited display space so generally when something is opened it replaces something else on display. So I have a lot of sealed stuff that is patiently waiting for its time in the sun/artificial light.
Some things, like the TF Prime New York Comic Con exclusive pack with Bumblebee and Arcee have stayed in package since they look so good like that and I have both moulds otherwise.
How much do you think you’ve spent on your collecting habit?
I honestly don’t want to think about it. I could probably buy a very nice car with the money that I’ve collectively spent on transformers over the last 20 -30 years.
Any rare/expensive figures in your collection?
Probably the rarest would be Botcon 2011 Custom Class Minerva. The most expensive would be the Mega Action Series Optimus Prime, actually no a G1 Skorponok that I bought several years ago, in excellent condition, I think I paid about $280 for that.
The Chevy Aveo Swerve that was released years ago, I picked one up at Botcon 2011.
What interesting Licensed Merchandise items do you have?
Mega Action Series Optimus, soon to be joined by Mega action series Megatron. One day they will be the centrepiece of my display space.
I still have my metal food tray from when I was a youngster that has the stunning box art of Metroplex on it. I have a stunning Beanie that I bought from BBTS that has the Decepticon Logo on it, it’s exceptionally good quality being a New Era product. The Transformers Legacy book has my name in it, I sent the Author a bunch of High res scans of some of my original toy boxes that he was having trouble procuring original art for.
First Transformers toy?
As mentioned above, I received Thundercracker and Skids at the same Christmas, I can’t tell you which one I opened first.
One toy you most want?
This is a tricky one, I’ve done a good job of buying some representation (Either reissue or good condition 2nd hand) of a lot of the big ticket G1 toys, especially the western characters. I had no knowledge of the existence of a lot of the Japanese characters until more recently (In the last 10 -15 years). So unless it was in a G1 show or toy catalogue here in Australia, my drive to collect other toys is a little lower than others. I’d like a G1 Overlord. Some of the bigger MicroMaster base toys.
If this was a hypothetical question, I’d want a Masterpiece Jazz. Now.
The centrepiece/favourite toy in your collection at the moment (and why)?
It’s not even on display at the moment but I really do love the MP-04 Optimus prime. I really like the recent Masterpiece Inferno and other recent G1 masterpiece toys. They all look so good and are a lot of fun, many of the ones from the teens have had articulated hands added to them making them a fair bit more expressive.
Favourite toy in your early years of collecting (if it was more than 10 years ago)?
Thundercracker and Skids hold a special place in my heart, and always will but again, G1 Jazz was unique amongst his peers and was a favourite. However, now that I think about it, Skids must have been a favourite as my original is so worn out it won’t hold together at the waist any more.
Worst toy(s) ever in your opinion?
I think the Dark of the moon Ravage variants are definitely in the top 5. They are flimsy, the plastic feels cheap, especially when compared to other movie toys at the time and it transforms into a lump of robot cat. It’s representation of the screen character is OK detail wise but it’s not fun in the slightest. I do feel that it’s a victim of the movie script however. The 2007 movie Scorponok is a close second, at least it has markings that look like it could be part of a helicopter.
Toy(s) that were most disappointing when you got them?
The Ravage above, I expected it to be shit and even though I bought it on special I was still disappointed with it.
Thoughts on gimmick and non-convertible Transformers toys?
I’ve always felt that Transformation is the best Gimmick of the transformers toy line. I get so much enjoyment out of a transformer that has two clean modes and an elegant transformation.
Having said that, I really like light piping when it’s done well, but I also really like well-defined eyes that aren’t light piped (Generations Deluxe Warpath is an excellent example).Gimmicks that inhibit the transformation or muddy the appearance of one mode or other of the toy irritate me. I much prefer a leader/Ultra/Voyager toy that doesn’t have a huge box at its core full of electronics because I feel that sort of thing greatly inhibits the freedom of the transformation design. The same often applies to deluxes that are forced to keep a space available for a cockpit. I feel that that’s one of the greatest pitfalls of the headmaster concept. Having a removable head allows for the transformation to not need to accommodate it, but instead it has to accommodate a cockpit space that is often bigger than the head. I think that was best handled by the Fans project Smart Robin (Brainstorm), an inspired but simple transformation design.
Non-convertible transformers are something that I used to not really like/understand. Especially statues. I picked up some statues from BBTS years ago on clearance and I have to say I really like them. I have a hard time justifying spending much on them because, ‘they don’t transform’. But, statues and action figures can achieve appearances that traditional transforming toys cannot. They can look a lot more like the on screen/page appearance. They don’t feature much in my collection but I definitely have some and will be getting more.
Thoughts on unlicensed fan-project figures/accessories?
I was initially very cold on the idea of complete ‘indie’ transformers inspired figures. All the usual arguments about IP applied but I also felt that there were problems with essentially non-professional designers making engineering decision on products that require very detailed rigorous engineering. This was highlighted for me on one of the very early Megatron figures that used clear plastic in the ratchets for its knees. I was able to handle someone’s brand new figure at a meetup and just picking it up I could see small flecks of clear red plastic around the knees, I quickly put it down without moving the legs. Design work like that, clearly not taking into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of mating materials is pretty bad, especially on product that costs more than $100. Other things that irritated me about ‘Indie’ transformers for a long time and often still does is the lack of finish on a figure. If you pick up an official toy, and have a very close look at the corners and edges, you’ll see that nearly every single one has a small chamfer or radius on it (unless it mates with another part to create a smooth surface), it’s not a sharp edge. This is a sign of good finished design. It takes a lot of time to apply that sort of finish to a complex CAD model but the completed appearance is much less harsh looking and also has other benefits of being easier to manufacture the moulds and allowing for easier part release, less opportunity for plastic deformation as a result of different areas of a part cooling down at different rates. It also feels smoother in hand and allows for better tolerance in the motion between parts that swing past each other, though this is minor it also reduces the opportunity for edges to burr when they do contact. Very many early Indie toy designs didn’t have this and many still don’t.
That all being said, I have the original city commander armour that Fans Project released and I like it a lot, it definitely has issues, some born of the above discussion. Is it ‘redundant’ now that I have the more recent Takara IDW inspired Magnus, I’m not sure. It’s certainly going to keep a place in my collection at the moment.
I really like Indie additions to existing HasTak product, they often flesh out the figure in a way that may not have been realistic for the original product, even if it’s as simple as a bigger sword or the inclusion of a gun. I do find that a lot of the more recent add on kits, especially for the combiners are way overpriced to the point of lunacy. If you compare some of the recent add on kits, for part count and complexity against entire masterpiece ‘scale’ or style Indi transformers and then compare the price the ratio isn’t close to equivalent. Plastic makes up a very small amount of the cost of a toy, just look up the cost of a few kilos of raw plastic pellets and you’ll see what I mean. These kits often have a lot of unnecessary parts that I personally wouldn’t want, to essentially ‘value add’ and justify a higher price tag.
I also really like that there is a lot of choice because of the Indie companies, and product available that would otherwise never be made by Hasbro. I’m talking about the DJD that MMC have developed, I can’t see HasTak releasing a transformer that turns into an electric/torture chair. I also have caved and bought the Fans toys Dinobots and a few other third party figures that I didn’t think HasTak would ever be able to justify. Some of those I was wrong, but at the same time I can’t seem to bring myself to pick a favourite and get rid of the other. I’ve been very selective with my Indie purchases because they are expensive and its money that I could be spending on official product. As a result most of the Indie product I have is fairly well designed and manufactured and most of it is unique, at least for the moment.
Thoughts on the Transformers Brand over the last five years?
The transformers brand has gone from strength to strength over the last 15 years. Over the last 5 it may have waned a little with the loss of popularity in the movies and associated toys. I have been frustrated by the lack of broad cast product from the movies, especially the last knight. So many Decepticons that should have had a toy representation, especially when compared against the random non-existent characters and repaints from the first two movies in the series.
I’m still dirty that we didn’t get a three pack of dreads with an identical alt mode and three different transformations and bot modes. I hope they find a production house to make another game as good as the War for and Fall of Cybertron series. The amount of choice that still exists between main line toy show, kids show product and collector oriented lines is astounding. I only hope it continues. I would like to see more of the ‘modern update’ designs for G1 and later characters rather than the ‘original toy with articulation ‘approach.
Which single TFs toy should every fan own?
yes
That really depends on the person doesn’t it? Where their interests lay. Car, Truck, Gorilla, Dinosaur, Jet, biplane, futuristic other worldly race car. All of these things are very different and that’s part of what’s so awesome about the transformers brand. I could probably recommend a favourite of each but I’ve already waffled on enough. Generations Warpath.
Which Transformers toy/product would you give as a wedding present?
That’s a tricky one, some of the previous answers to this question have been quite romantic and I wouldn’t have thought of them. Perhaps a version of Hound or Jazz, characters who even though they are good at war, their main drive is appreciation of the beauty around them be it physical in terms of flora and fauna or more spiritual in the form of music and companionship/mateship.
FAN Questions
BigAngryTrev Question: I really enjoyed meeting you at both Collectormania and the Hasbro Sneak Peak last year. Do you find a lot of your toys and figures at these kinds of meets? Or do you usually do your TF shopping in stores and/or online?
Well thank you, I too enjoyed the company of the Enigmatic Trev.
I have a habit of wanting to buy something when I go to an event like Collectormania. The old Parramatta fair was particularly ‘bad’ for this because I’d want to have something with me for the get together in the food court afterwards. I ended up bringing a new toy from home that I hadn’t opened yet, in case nothing piqued my interest at the fair proper. When I was at Botcon those two times, I bought a whole lot of Transformers, luckily when the customs officials ask what’s in the box and you say toys, they dismiss them as not having much value…
Normally my collecting is mixed between bricks and mortar and Online. Primarily these days, I buy online between a couple local companies and overseas for Japanese and some “Indie” product. I would buy more at shops but online is often cheaper, than even the sales.
Seraphim Question:How do balance collecting and being a new dad?
I don’t. I try to but, invariably a lot of my personal time has disappeared. Most of my online shopping happens at lunch times at work, I get less shopping time and when I do I feel like I’m letting the team down by not doing something for the kids or my wife. I have a stash of unopened toys and unread comics in the ‘office/study/music room’ and also in the corner next to the couch in the lounge. This gives me the opportunity to open something up and play with it while we’re watching an hour of TV in the evening between our chores and trying to get some sleep.
Mayza Question – As the twins are now 1, when do you plan on introducing them to Transformers and which series?
They have already been exposeexposed. I have watched most of Transformers RID in the lounge, where they play most of the time. Often early on the weekend when I have taken the kids out of their cots after waking up so they don’t disturb their mum. Once fed and changed we have a play in the lounge and I’ll put on something that my wife doesn’t like to watch, Transformers, Star Trek, Agents of Shield, the Orville. It sometimes takes an hour and a half to watch an episode if the kids are cranky or need extra attention but I get there. They generally don’t ‘pay much heed to what’s on the TV yet but they do perk up from time to time, especially with the younger target audience animated stuff.
Once they are a bit older, I’ll be making the G1 Series available to them, I have all of the available Rescue bots on DVD, and by the time they are old enough I’ll have all the recent RID as well, as its released in season box sets.
Trent Question: As nerds, we already face ridicule and mockery from general society by essentially being grown men who collect/play with toys.*How do you then face the “double whammy” that also comes from being a drummer? I mean, as a toy collecting skin beater you must be the butt of every joke that you hear! Editors Note:What’s this ‘we’ you speak of paleface?
They’re called heads, you Musical Luddite. Drum heads, only people that don’t know what they’re talking about call them skins.
Question: Also, I have garnered that space is a significant issue for you and as such a majority of your collection is in storage. Do you think that most of your collection will remain in plastic tubs for the rest of your life or do you have a plan? A vision? A goal? And do you see that goal as realistically being achieved before you grow sick of the hobby?
I don’t understand ‘grow sick of the hobby’ can you re-phrase the question?
Well, yes, at the moment we are in a 3 bedroom apartment with a lot of stuff. I admit a lot of it is mine, between collecting transformers and having 2 drum kits. And two kids worth of stuff. We have a lot of stuff.
I would love a ‘collection room’ but have come to realise from seeing the struggle of others, and how much space a collection like Griffins takes up, that even a small bedroom converted into a collection room probably isn’t a big enough space.
I would one day like a decent size mancave space to put my collection in and display it but it would have to be a space where I had some sort of central volume/area that I could use for a more dynamic display, something I could pose the figures on rather than just having them all in cabinets. I think I will probably always have some element of my collection in storage, I just hope that in the long run, we move into a place that has room for the majority of it to be on display rather than in storage. I will probably have to do a cull eventually but it will be a struggle. (Not pictured, 6 large plastic bins and 3 epic BBTS boxes full of opened and unopened transformers respectively.)
Carlo Question: Is Botcon (though gone now) something that every Aussie TF fan should go to/experience once? Equivalent of TF Mecca or is buying the toys enough?
I would say that it’s something that most dedicated fans should try to attend. It’s a very expensive venture and to make it worth the trouble of international travel you really need to do the full ticket that the show has to offer and try to experience as much of the event as you can. The closest thing now would be Hascon or TF con, one being official and the other more dedicated specifically to Transformers with a strong bent towards the Indie scene. If I was overseas around the time of a TF Con, or even Hascon I would try to fit it into my trip.
The script reading panel. Actors from G1, and Rescue bots. As for buying toys, when the Aussie dollar was close to parity the dealer room was a veritable Transformers Mecca. Many lines available at US prices, so cheap compared to here and a lot of ‘antique’ older line transformers available from some sellers. I didn’t do the numbers but Griffin has commented in the past that the dollar value he saved on all the toys he purchased while on a Botcon trip pretty much met the cost of his flight. Probably the best purchase I made at a Botcon was the Hard Hero Devastator bust for $15. MISB. I haven’t opened it yet so I hope it’s not full of bricks.
Question: If your kids aren’t interested in TF , what will you do with your toys in the future?
I don’t have any plans to stop collecting, and while it will be a bit saddening that I can’t share my biggest hobby with them, I will enjoy it like I do now and probably one day sell a lot so it’s easier to get rid of when I eventually move on to be one with the Allspark.
Michael Question: Dallas, you seem like such an amiable, friendly and positive guy online. Let us see a little bit more of your “dark side” – What are your pet peeves? (TF related or otherwise). What really burns your biscuits? What makes you see red? Editors Note: Squirrels! He stomps squirrels to death – I’ve seen it!
The term Lazy Design. This is one of the most bullshit descriptions I see in comments or reviews on toys. People don’t get into toy design to make money, they get into toy design, because they love designing, or they love toys or both. It’s a rude thoughtless label. I can guarantee you that the reason there is an apparent design flaw in a toy is because of budgetary or time constraints most likely enforced by someone who has no idea of the effort required to design something properly from scratch.
Litterers: I don’t care how busy you are, or how far it is to a bin, there’s no reason to leave your garbage behind, be it food wrappers, cigarette butts, gum. You’re selfish laziness is just creating work for others, or it’s getting into the environment causing problems. So much of our rubbish doesn’t break down.
People parking in visitor spaces: Our apartment complex has 98 apartments and 25 visitor spots. Nearly always all taken up by residents who all have at least one and many have either a double length garage or two garages. I have family visit from all over the country and they often can’t get a park. I feel that guests should be given priority, mine or someone else’s.
Pro tip, I’m a pretty friendly guy, but don’t get on my bad side. It’s a short list but once you’re on there, getting back over the fence is extremely hard.
Just Chillin’ Question: You and your partner have been together for a long period of time now (congrats ), so my questions is: How did she react when she found out you collect these little plastic toys? and as a follow up: how does she react now when you bring a new one home?
Wife/Girlfriend, she hates the term Partner, we don’t run a business together. 😉
We met in late 2000. She had a pretty good idea I was a nerd from the get go. We both worked at the Coles not far from the university campus and one night, while I was working she bought up her flatmate to check me out. Her flatmate popped her head around the end of the isle and turned around and burst out laughing!! ‘That’s the president of Spocksoc” I was at the time the president of the Campus Science Fiction, Fantasy and Animation club. Her flatmate knew because she had been to our Buffy the Vampire Slayer screenings. I wasn’t collecting at the time but as mentioned above I started again when I was not long out of uni and Alternators were hitting the market.
These days we keep 10% of our incomes to ourselves to do with as we please (it also helps hide how much we spend on each other for gifts). So there’s never any complaining about spending ‘our money’ as it’s only ever used for the household. However given the aforementioned space issues, when I come home with a large order from somewhere or if a few parcels turn up in the space of a week, I occasionally get comments like’ where is that going to go’ and to be fair they are warranted. I’m starting to think I am going to have to do a big cull of boxes because they are taking up too much garage.
Thank you all for the questions, I’ve really enjoyed answering them!
Got any more questions for Dallas? Pop them in the comments section below and I’m sure he will do his best to answer them!
There are not many institutions, let alone individuals, who are held up on seemingly unshakable pedestals. Pop stars are not – we just wait for the next drug scandal or bad album. Scientists are not, even though they should be. Politicians? Forget about it – the amount of credibility to be found in Canberra would not fill a metaphorical teaspoon.
So who does that leave? Well for us Aussies it’s usually our sporting heroes. But even those are not universally revered. If you live in certain states then chances are you don’t give a stuff about AFL and likewise with Rugby. Basketball still has the stigma of being an American sport and Soccer is considered too European too be a true Aussie pursuit.
So we have the cricket.
To wear the Baggy Green is a dream that even the most sporting inept of young men dream of. Even I did. I was on the school team in Primary School, though my lack of coordination combined with an inherent fear that a speeding ball was going to remove my head guaranteed I was perpetually the worst on the team. But even I dreamed of playing for Australia, smacking 6’s out of the park all over the world for the glory of my team and my country. We hold our test cricketers in esteem with a level that no other sport receives in our great brown land. We pin on them so many of our hopes, our dreams and our national pride.
Yesterday that all came crashing down.
For those that don’t know, our team was caught cheating. So what, all teams cheat now and then, everyone does it etc etc etc.
No, not the Australian Cricket Team. Not before. Not until now.
The greenest member of our Test Side, a young man named Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera ball tampering. By the application of yellow tape to make the ball pick up grit, he hoped to change the way the ball flew in order to frustrate the opposing batsmen – a well known and much despised way to cheat.
Attempting to hide the evidence in front of television cameras – not bright
But we cannot lay the blame simply at the feet of this young man, because it was the leadership members of his team that put him up to it, headed by the team skipper Steve Smith. After being caught in this flagrant act of cheating a press conference was called and Smith admitted that it was a premeditated action, multiple members of the team conspiring to purposely cheat. He even had the audacity to go on in his interview that he felt he should still remain captain.
Well he won’t be captain any longer if the public has anything to say about it. The public are pissed off!
Why are we so pissed off? Well as said before, we hold our cricketers up to a level that perhaps only the biggest of our Olympic heroes also reach. They represent us on the world stage in a sport that we have so often ruled. They go out into the world, armed with a green hat and a piece of willow and shine for us. To be captain of the Australian Test Cricket Team is perhaps the highest position a player of sport could ever hope to achieve in our nation. Beneau, Border, Lawry, Ponting – they are names that every person knows. As for Bradman, he is a true legend in our society (and didn’t have to put on a metal helmet and rob people to become it). Our cricketing captains are the closest we have to home-grown royalty and someone that little boys see as tangible heroes. Oh they go may through slumps in ability or difficulty with the ACB, but for the most part they are unimpeachable. Unlike so many other countries teams, our team and our captains have always been the squeakiest of squeaky clean and beyond reproach.
Smith’s actions took that away from us. He stole that from us. He ruined that for us!
How dare he.
HOW DARE HE!?
You bastard!
How dare you Steve Smith! How dare you sir! You were given the top job in Aussie sport and you sullied it, you dragged it through the mud! Do you really believe Australians will forgive you? You might as well forget about the massive amount of sledging that our team will have to endure from other counties on the field for years to come, you need to worry about what you will cop from the home crowds when you next play in Australia, if you ever get that chance. The Captain of the Australian Cricket Team is a sacred position, a sacred trust. You have betrayed that trust. You have betrayed us. My 5 year old son is really getting into cricket, shows no interest in other sports but is always eager for us to head down to the local nets and smack a few balls around. I won’t be buying him a poster of you anymore, I won’t be holding you up as a figure to emulate. In fact I’ll go out of my way to make sure he never learns your name. Because I don’t want him to feel disenfranchised with a sport in which his interest is just beginning to grow. You have gone from a source of national pride to a source of national shame. Aussies are very fair minded and the fact that you put your youngest, most inexperienced team member up to such an act, putting him in such an awkward position that he either betrays his captain or his sport, just compounds the nature of your crime. If you had any decency at all, you would quit right now and do your best to become a ghost because you will not be welcome in many social circles on your home turf anymore. We can forgive losses, but we cant forgive this.
So can Australian cricket ever recover from this. The answer is yes, but perhaps not entirely. As the years progress it will become a matter of history but Australia can never get back the ‘Well, we have never cheated’ mantle – its gone forever. It has been stolen from us and the nation mourns.
My love of the sport remains, but my love of our team and especially its captain, does not.
Got something to add? Would love to read it in the comments section below!
Welcome to the latest in a series of interviews with Aussie Transformer Fans. Last time we talked to Michael, an absolutely brilliant customizer! Today we talk to someone who has also had a crack at the customization game – as well in his spare time brushing up on his Metallikato skills – today we talk to Chris.
“Do not scorn the weak cub. It may grow to become the brutal Tiger.”
What existing, official Transformers character best describes you?
Bludgeon. He’s a Decepticon warlord bound by a strict code of honour.
Which special ability of any Transformers character would you want to have for yourself?
Bludgeon’s mastery of Metallikato. His supernatural skill with the blade makes him a match for even the most powerful Transformers.
How would you rate yourself on a C scale, C10 being MISB Mint perfection to the lowest C1 ‘junker not worth it even for parts’?
C7 – Out of the box but in good nick.
Fan/Collector since (year)?
I’d like to say 1984, but that was the year I was born so my interest didn’t truly develop until about ’86-’87.
What drew you to Transformers, making you become a fan/collector?
I used to watch the G1 cartoon and I was always drawn to the Decepticons. I always thought characters like Soundwave and Starscream were so cool. I also had a lot of hand-me-down G1 toys that belonged to my older brother and my Uncle.
Do you think you will collect Transformers until you die?
Without a shadow of a doubt!
Were your family/parents supportive of collecting toys or did you have to hide your passion from them and friends?
No one among my family or friends really shared my passion for Transformers but I never hid it nor was I ashamed of it. I have made friends in the TCCA now so I have a lot of fellow collectors in my life. My fiancè is very supportive of my hobby. She’s bought me several Transformers as gifts and lets me display my collection in our living room. My stepmother once remarked that our house looks like a “museum for Transformers”.
Have you attended any fan-meets, Fairs, Conventions?
I was lucky enough to meet Peter Cullen at Supanova a few years ago. He’s a really great guy and it was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I hope to meet Frank Welker one day so my life can be truly complete. As the current QLD Rep for the TCCA I have hosted a couple of meet-ups for local members.
Any creative endeavours with Transformers (drawing, writing, customising, etc)?
I recently collaborated with the very talented John Ryan to customize a G2 coloured FoC Bruticus. Our next joint project is going to be a Decepticon throne.
Favourite series/era/year, and why?
I will always have a soft spot for G1 but I actually like most TF series out there, including the obscure Japanese ones. And yes, I even like the Bay movies and the Machinima cartoons. Transformers Prime is probably my favourite of the most recent series.
Least favourite series/era/year, and why?
I could never get into Transformers Animated. The childish humour, simplistic style, and general “wackyness” didn’t appeal to me.
Collect any comics (which ones)?
I have a fair few of the Marvel G1 comics, and a couple of IDW releases.
Favourite Comic issue/story, and why?
It’s a three way tie between Dreamwave’s War Within: Dark Ages (still the best version of The Fallen to date), IDW’s All Hail Megatron (a fantastic re-telling of G1’s origins), and IDW’s Stormbringer (Bludgeon and Thunderwing… ’nuff said).
Favourite Cartoon episode/story, and why?
Does the G1 movie count? I love everything about that story.
Favourite Board/Video game?
War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron were amazing games. Best Transformers games of all time in my opinion.
Favourite Character, and why?
Bludgeon. He’s a skeleton samurai that turns into a tank. I don’t know what else you need to make him any more badass. Though he’s never appeared on screen, in the Marvel, Dreamwave, and IDW comics he’s an absolute beast. Has to be one of the greatest villains in Transformers history.
Sexiest Transformers (robot) Character?
I don’t really get how some people can find robots sexy. I guess I like Airachnid in the sense that the woman who voices her in Transformers Prime (Gina Torres) is really hot.
Which Transformers character would you want to exist for real?
Optimus Prime. I’d like to say a Decepticon but let’s face it, the reality is an actual ‘con would probably just kill me.
Approx TFs toy collection count (or give a range like 200s, 300s, etc)?
Around 200 or so.
Sealed collector or out-of-packaging collector?
Out of box all the way. I like to display my bots.
How much do you think you’ve spent on your collecting habit?
It has to be in the thousands.
Any rare/expensive figures in your collection?
I have quite a few but the ones that spring to mind are my TFCC Barricade, Titans Return Trypticon, Universe Unicron, most of my Unicronian figures (Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge etc) are Takara Henkei, CW Devastator, Jinbao OS Predaking and Bruticus, Micron Arms Galvatron… that’s the tip of the iceberg.
What interesting Licensed Merchandise items do you have?
I have the Takara Soundwave that transforms into a fully-functional Mp3 player. I also have a G1 print signed by Peter Cullen.
First Transformers toy?
G1 Duocon Battletrap.
One toy you most want?
At the moment I’m keen to get my hands on Power of the Primes Rodimus Unicronus.
The centrepiece/favourite toy in your collection at the moment (and why)?
It’s a tie between my MMC Kultur (3P Tarn) and my DNA Susanoo (3P Bludgeon). Both fantastic Decepticon figures that look amazing on display.
Favourite toy in your early years of collecting (if it was more than 10 years ago)?
Probably G1 Soundwave + tapes.
Worst toy(s) ever in your opinion?
Probably the little crab dude from RID. What even is that? What were you thinking Hasbro?
Toy(s) that were most disappointing when you got them?
I hated CW Menasor. Sold him pretty quick. His individual bots were quite nice but in Combiner form he was a dumpster fire. No amount of upgrade kits could make that eyesore look good.
Thoughts on gimmick and non-convertable Transformers toys?
I think certain gimmicks really detract from toys. Sometimes they go to so much trouble to get a figure to launch a projectile or do something flashy that it just ends up ruining it.
Thoughts on unlicensed fan-project figures/accessories?
It’s great to have those options as a collector. Especially when official avenues leave gaps in the market. The fact they exist at all is proof of a thriving hobby.
Thoughts on the Transformers Brand over the last five years?
I think Hasbro needs to pick a direction and stick with it. They seem to change their minds so rapidly about where they want to take the franchise. Constant cancellations and re-boots are antagonizing the fanbase. On a positive note, I think Titans Return has been the best line yet for CHUG collectors.
Which single TFs toy should every fan own?
Any of the CHUG Deluxe Seekers. HasTak nailed it with that mold.
Which Transformers toy/product would you give as a wedding present?
Maybe some Decepticon cufflinks.
Got any extra questions for Chris? Pop them in the comments section below and I’m sure he will do his best to answer them.
In the wake of the public scandal where former Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce lost his position due to having an extra-marital affair with a member of his staff whom fell pregnant, new rules have been introduced into parliament to prevent further indiscretions between Members of Parliament and their employees.
However it appears Mr Joyce has already found a way to circumvent these new rules with the hiring of his new primary aide. Whilst this aide, named Alice, may appear to be a very attractive woman on the outside, she is actually an extra-terrestrial robotic assassin who starred in the 2009 Transformers film Revenge of the Fallen.
Apparently since she is not human but a Decepticon, Alice will not fall under the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct.
“Since she is technically a robot, we are classifying her as a fax machine” said a spokesman in Barnaby’s office.
Nude photo’s already surfacing
Given Alice’s less than human nature, will this make it easier for Mr. Joyce resist temptation?
“Well it doesn’t matter if he resists or not, it doesn’t break the new Parliamentary Code of Conduct”. said another member of Barnaby’s staff “However I noticed a difference in his breath. It smelt like diesel – like a diesel-y tinge to it”
Many on Barnaby’s staff seem to think Alice should acclimatize well to her new role. The Decepticon in question is a type of Transformer classified as a ‘Pretender’, due to being disguised as a humanoid rather than a car or truck. Given Mr Joyce is an accomplished pretender himself, as demonstrated from his consistent preaching about the sanctity of marriage during the gay marriage debate, it is believed they will be a good fit for each other.
However despite this effort from the former Deputy PM to avoid further scandal, rumours have begun to circulate that Barnaby and his ‘fax machine’ could already be expecting an alien-hybrid offspring.
“The protoform might not even be mine but I’ll be sticking by her. Anyway, it’s nobody’s business, it’s a private matter and that’s an end to it” said Mr Joyce.
“I’ll be holding a press conference to discuss it in full detail tomorrow”
When approached for comment, Alice attempted to lick reporters from across the room before converting her arm into a plasma cannon and blowing a hole in the wall, escaping into the night.
