Remembering PRESTAGS

The Silmarils: Moon on wet sand

At the Western Isles waiting for Bilbo to arrive. I have a freshly pressed handkerchief waiting. Vale Sir Ian Holm

Inspired By Thygo - Aussie Chiko Roll

Following in Thygo's footsteps, I have tried the retro Chiko Roll. I'm pretty sure I haven't had one in over 20 years.

PRESTAGS era junk food.

I liked it but better half and #2 daughter were not particularly impressed.

We are spoilt now with lots of alternatives like spring rolls and numerous yum cha offerings I suppose.

More Lockdown Meals

What better way to celebrate Python's birthday than with some more food posts.

Bangers and Mash

Possibly my favourite comfort food.

Prawn Cocktail

Actually made by Yours Truely.

PRESTAGS ERA food!

Christmas Pudding

If Python can have Christmas in July I can have Christmas Pudding in lockdown.

I had a mad craving for Christmas pudding, and found some online that were delivered very quickly.

Tuna Patties

Trying out Thai Chilli sauce and Thousand Island Dressing to see which was better with the patties. Thai Chilli won.

Bubble and Squeak

Another comfort food classic.

Chicken Parma and Baby Potatoes

The clubs might be closed but you can have Chicken Parma at home. Tinned baby potatoes nice and easy.

Moon, supermoon

So I fired off some quick shots tonight before the supermoon was engulfed by cloud ...

here is one as shot (slight touchup for exposure). Hand held, D7500 @ 300mm

50% crop

Evening Sunday 3 May. D7500 @ 300mm, on tripod.

as shot

50% crop

another one, slightly different exposure

50% crop

Wonderful PRESTAGS Era Technology - Sony Earth-Orbiter CRF-5090

I picked up a wonderful old radio last week.

1972, made in Japan. That is almost half a century old.

Genuine PRESTAGS Era Technology. Would have been playing as the SPI classics came off the printing press.

It’s the Sony Earth-Orbiter CRF-5090. It really doesn’t get any cooler than a name like “Earth-Orbiter”. When it was released it must have been some pretty top notch kit.

It is big, heavy, and made of beautiful metal and chrome. Everything is rock solid unlike the junk made today. I bet most of today’s radios won’t be around in 48 years. And more to the point – it still works.

Here it is with the front cover closed, and then with the cover open next to my modern short wave radio, the Tecsun PL-880. I don’t think the modern one will be going strong in 48 years time.

It has a massive long aerial, and 9 bands including air band and marine band. The bands turn in an analogue cylinder with 3 bands showing at one time. Last night I was listening to the local AM and FM bands. I will need to play around with short wave.

I find it remarkable that it works so well. The circuitry must be primitive compared to the advanced circuitry now, and it obviously doesn’t have a PLL receiver or Digital Signal Processing and other features that enhance weak signals.

The sound is rich, crackles slightly until precisely tuned. It has a big shiny metal tuner with a fine tuner inside. Also a tuning meter. A little red light goes on inside the tuning band when a good signal is hit. All works fine. The main light works. The headphone jack works.

One great feature is that the front cover folds down, then slides in half way under the radio revealing a spectacular time zone map of the world, with a slider for calculating times. I love this map.

No power cord came with this radio but it did also originally hold batteries. Someone more technical than I has rigged up a pack inside the battery compartment than uses 10 x current AA batteries. This is the only post 1972 modification that I can see.

Why don’t we make solid beautiful equipment like this anymore instead of plastic junk with built in 3 or so years redundancy.

I found some history on radiomuseum.org.

New toys. Food. Old toy. Birds.

NEW TOY

So I got a poor man's RX100 - a used Canon S120 (for $120 incl post) with the teeny 1/1.7 inch sensor.

I'm pretty impressed. Solid build - metal top and bottom. Lot to learn to drive it though.

Should be good for quick photos.

Dinner last night.

Carl: spring rolls, chicken things, wedges


Thygo - stir fry / satay + kanga bangas

Packet cake made by Carl & Thygo last night, iced today, tastes good.

Lexi enjoying the sun

selfie of Grumpy old Man

 

Another NEW TOY - old binoculars (Gumtree special, $30)- object d'art

image quality good and much more comfortable to hold than the new-bought Olympus.  Both 8x40. Dad had/has a pair like these older ones when I was young.

thi

 

OLD TOY - D7500 + (stellar little) AF-P 70-300 DX VR - Crested pigeons from the clothes line. No cropping.

PRESTAGS Gold Medal

Many thanks to my fine friends who celebrated my birthday with me on Zoom.

Chinese food and Charddy was compulsory.

A PRESTAGS gold medal goes to Python for the best Charddy quaff.

Trouble photographing black creatures - Willy Wagtail & a new jumping spider

Over the last few weeks one or more Willy Wagtails have been visiting the backyard. They flit about quickly and are elusive photographic subjects.

This morning there was one in the yard below the rear window. So rather than try to go out the door, and probably scare him off, I tried shooting through the glass.

There seem to be two challenges getting good focus - the all black around the eye, so little contrast for the AF system, and the rapid and almost never stationary movement of the bird.

but I got a couple of half-decent shots. shown as shot with a crop. Still some motion blur evident I think.

in this pic I think he has just done a little white poo !

The little jumping spider, with a similar body shape to a white tail. But the eye arrangement clearly shows it as a jumper. The lack of different colours made it hard to shoot this one, and he/she wasn't cooperating with being still either. These are all crops. The mortar line between the bricks gives scale.

 

 

Wargame Counters and Food

I did a search of images for wargame counters and food, trying to blend Python's two favourite kinds of posts.

What came up was the Prestags card!

When you think of what the card is used for this was actually a very accurate search result.

Lock Down Meals

Coffee and Cardamom Cake:

Salmon and Noodles:

Salami, Anchovies and Olive Pizza:

Dinosaur Pasta in Lamb Soup:

Raw Honey from Collector on Crumpets:

Editing rights?

I was going to edit my Tent post but doesn't seem possible once published on Prestags ...

IT IS POSSIBLE GRUMPY OLD MAN

was going to add that the Blue tent is advertised as '12 man' - I suppose it would be possible but it would be sardines with just sleeping bags, 4 per cubicle.

I imagine the other one might be rated at '9 man'.

once you start putting stretchers and other gear in it is harder to fit more people in. 

WELL WHAT DO YOU KNOW, IT WORKS

happy old man

More backyard camping, of tents

Carl and I had our third night in the tent in the backyard last night. It was rather cooler last night - a hot water bottle is a good addition to a sleeping bag. I slept 8 hours and kept the CPAP on.

post-Easter dinner (Monday?) - Carl liked having candle, and driving the remote of the camera.

in the tent

Lexi looking on

Of Tents.

The tent we have been sleeping in is a recent(ish) Gumtree acquisition - a fairly large, 3 room one. All seems in good condition. It was a little fiddly to put up (though straight forward as it didn't come with instructions). Unlike some other gumtree purchases, true to her word ALL the poles and pegs and ropes appear to be present! The fly is mostly dark blue so it will be a heat magnet in summer but can open up very well with entry ways on all 4 sides. It has little zip holes for entry of power leads to all 3 compartments.

But, I noticed it has a distinctive smell to me, which I suspect of resulting in mild asthma for me. Not sure what it is coming off and I've had it airing for 4 days now. Some of the floor coating is rubbing off (the lady I bought it off pointed this out at sale, not a functional issue).

so, I thought I would pop up the other older 'big' tent I have had for a few years now. [all tents Gumtree bargains].

We used this tent the last time I went camping with Pat and Carl. It absolutely bucketed down mid-setup that trip which was interesting but this tent proved to be very easy to put up. Unlike many other tent designs, you don't need to thread any of the geodesic fibreglass poles through sleeves but simply clip them onto the main tent. The design of this tent also means it basically stands up properly without needing any guy-ropes to be set out. The blue one above only really stands up properly once the fly is on and at least a couple of guy ropes.

It is slightly smaller in floor area than the blue one. It is older and a bit more worn than the blue one (but in the downpour it didn't seem to leak - some water ingress was run off I think)

It is by default a 2 room tent. The bigger room could be partitioned by a curtain into 2 - there are eyelets in place for that. It does it have windows on the 'back side' of the fly - facing the camera in this orientation - though that whole backside can be lifted up like a verandah [also true for the blue tent too].

The fly is silver in colour though, which has to help with heat in the summer (still gets hot though).

no guy ropes, main tent without fly:

avec fly, pegged down without guy ropes set up

So the question ... [with Thygo there is always a question]

on sell the blue one if it gives me asthma? try washing the floor and see if the smell goes away?

 

Camping in lockdown, kitchen floorball

we put the tent up in the back yard. Lexi joined us as well.

the weather is very mild - 'Indian summer'.

wide angle courtesy of Tokina 11-20, lighting from SB400 flash. However it was evident that in order for the camera to focus pre-shot you still need SOME light ... (a torch helped for this)

amazingly wifi extended to the backyard so thygo was able to provide Spetz his ATGE breakfast [which as of the time of writing he has not touched ...]

CPAP machine run courtesy of heavy duty power cord from the shed [all the mod cons]

Lexi curled up for sleep

roofscape

kitchen floorball [I am so bald now]

 

 

Easter Day dinner Peter & Carl

Peter & Carl had a nice Easter dinner, with Carl driving the camera remote.

BBQ lamb chops (and Kanga Bangas too)

roast vegies

Carl food [sigh]

at the table [note Prestags Grand Tour shirt, and Lexi nuzzling in hope of a hand out ...]

cheers! [Sparkling red & creaming soda]

Carl decided it should be by candlelight

Carl's egg/bunny haul

 

Easter Sunday Under Lockdown

Good Friday 2

Some photographs from Segovia Cathedral, Spain, taken 16 January 2018.

Good Friday

Some photographs from Toledo Cathedral, Spain, taken 13 January 2018.

Good Friday Brunch

Hot Cross Buns under lockdown.

Lockdown Bakery Delivery

Bakery delivery arrived early.

In time to make ham and cheese croissants for breakfast.

An important update relating to COVID-19

Spetz warned me about The Chump. Repeatedly. And yet he has surpassed himself by making the USA the hotbed of COVID-19. I was warned.

We now must find a way to avoid following The Chump's lead towards being a s**thole country. We had the opportunity to sacrifice a 78 year old virgin, but turned it down, so we have to just settle into Social Distancing - no FMW, no visits to Happy's while visiting parents, nor Fortune Village while you are meant to be dignified, no Gold Class or Golden Harbour Pippies, no whining about dignity when it only involves rolling out of bed and stumbling to the dining room table.

We snowflakes have to Man Up! Whatever that means! Probably works better in the original Russian and three shots of vodka with Puti.

(That bastard would have nuked us if ordered to!)

So what to do over the Easter weekend when family is a 30 minutes phone call and friends a 45 minutes Zoom?

Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs don't worry about social distancing! Alas they are extinct!

But a video game can bring them back to life. ATG would be so much better if it had dinosaurs. Some of those hunting dinosaurs from Jurassic World: Lost Kingdom would quickly fix an AI++ in ATG.

Needs must when the devil drives! So I treated myself 10 minutes ago with Dawn of Man. A mammoth is not that far from a dinosaur

While I am waiting for it to download, I am learning what to do. Apparently I have to get these two to make a lot of babies

and eat lots of meat

so that they can take over the world. I'm in!

Interesting new direction from Strategy and Tactics

The latest Strategy and Tactics games has cards. And not just a few cards, but more cards than counters. How interesting!

Note that me map is half size. The cards come in a nice sleeve - US player on one end and Activitista on the other.

The map really does not look like a wargame - almost more like an info graph from a reference book on the period. I like the way it teaches you a bit of history as you play - learn your presidents!

There seems to be an economic module - keep a war profitable and you can fight forever!

Being a period and part of the world where I have almost zero interest - except during the cricket season - I won;t set this one up. However, I welcome the inventiveness and wait from them to apply this to something I like.

food

mine & Carl's

 

Where Are Our Shepherds?

just a few shots

Today - just a small egg

Little visitor

above - checking out my macro lens

photographed with macro lens.

just a few shots

Today - just a small egg

Little visitor

above - checking out my macro lens

photographed with macro lens.

Quiz Answer

What is Python up to

As a hint it has nothing to do with staff under cutting each other to produce a funerary pyramid to honour their bosses' desks.

Clue

A cryptic clue to the last PRESTAGS quiz.

I needed the precise lengths of wood to solve a problem with a piece of furniture caused by:

What Is He Up To

Spetz sawing a broom handle with a hack saw in his office.

Why?

Orroral Valley fire

saw plume while driving. went back to take some photos.

wish that ice age would hurry up and arrive ....

Mystery spider

Thought he/she was a dead insect in a daddy longlegs web in the corner of the ceiling in the loo at Dad's house in Toowoomba.

Then I noticed it had moved position, and then noticed it move ever so slightly and indeed a spider - 8 legs visible. Probably body about 1.5 - 2 cm long so not very big.

Took some pics on the last day there, and upon internet searching it is a rufous net-casting spider - Deinopis subrufa.

These images are only of the top view of the spider so the characteristic 'dual headlights' big front eyes were not visible.

crop of shot above. the very front of the body you can see the 2 curves of the 2 front eyes.

Wonder of the Modern World?

With the heat this week, the sliding fence on my property would not open - a plank had warped so much the gate would no longer slide behind the gate.

My first thought was to sell the house. Unfortunately, I'd still be expected to remove my car from the property - and I needed the car for a jaunt to Canberra for a PWWW in a few days. However, my febrile imagination suggested that I need only knock down the fence, and my car would be free. As I wandered around the back yard trying to decide where to start this enterprise, I say a bit of discarded timber from a repair job I had done a few months back.

"When you find you have wood in the afternoon, look for a screw."
  - Python Imperator

I suddenly had a flash in inspiration - the old juxtaposed with the new, the vertical being tamed by the horizontal, the long finding purpose with the short, the permanent being rescued by the temporary.

Although I had duct tape at hand, I only needed it to align the cross plank. And behold, I thing of beauty comes into existence!

I love the endless possibilities that come from working with wood.
 - Python Imperator

Note the clever use of recessed screws to hide the underlying structure - leaving the timber to hover as if by magic.

Although the year has only just begun, I wonder if there might be a Time News Magazine this year discussing genius and featuring this work.

Boxing Day jumper

Looking for something near the back door with a torch as preparations for the northward trek continued.

Noticed a spot on the wall, and thought 'what insect, or spider, is this?'

Well it was both. Jumping spider with, relative to her size, a big fly, still flapping a bit so I guess capture was only a tens of seconds before. Quick, quick find the camera, macro, flash. A couple of hand held shots, she didn't seem to be going anywhere, so quick get the little tripod.

This is one of the better captures. Together with its final flappings she kept turning it over so the aspect kept changing. I was a bit surprised to see this is in the night, as I thought jumpers were diurnal. 

size as shot, exposure adjusted (+0.5ev), sharpened a little.

cropped

on the radio last night there was an interview about a spider exhibition at the QLD museum - I might have to see if I can go while I am up there. https://spiders.qm.qld.gov.au/

Brunch - A Victory for Sausage Rolls

Thygo knows why I chose this.

Health star rating of 1. What would they know.

 

Advent

One week until Christmas.

Our decorations are up.

Christmas tree, Sir Lance's bird cage and a Christmas wreath on the door.

The world needs Christ more than ever, but there is so much rejection of Christ and hostility to Christ in the world. Our Saviour is betrayed everywhere, even by some in His own Church.

Constantinople - Strategy and Tactics 318

Constantinople arrived in my mail box a couple of months ago in the traditional large Manila envelope with the "Do Not Bend" label that means "YES"! I was busy with dignity at the time so only had time to read the articles. (Good articles on the Thirty Year War and the Judean War of independence - that features at bit in the weekday masses of late.) However, the game is a solitaire game so I just had to give it a go. I mean - who keeps a wargame unpunched?

I like a game that is not just military. In this game, you can build improvements like fortresses and monasteries. These improve your future defence and your income - get those boys away from women and other distractions and they become quite useful.

Interestingly, in this game you can also improve yourself via cost times luck, you can increase the defence of your capital,  you military, popularity and statecraft. You lose it all if the Baliseus dies, it all goes back to the start again. But the era was like that, so fair enough. I really like the map of Constantinople in background.

By the roll of the dice, there are three barbarians active at the start of the scenario: The Lombards, the Syrians and the Mongols.

I have the Lombards covered with a general (Strategos) and a thematic army. (The provinces are replaced by themes in 7AD, and each has its own army that costs a motza if they move outside. Note the arrows - you know where the barbarians are going to go - the rules say "Generally, barbarians in the era kept to certain invasion paths". Makes for a perfect solitaire game - not much thought on how to move the bad guys - and where not to build your monasteries!

On the other side of the map, I have no-one! I'll have to rush the Emperor there! Probably Antioch first and then the Mongols. The fortresses (red hex lines) should buy me enough time!)

The maps and counters have a nice feel - I think this is a good game. I am disturbed by the artists understanding of Greece though - not even close! (Corinth is south of Athens, and far from Themopylea. I suggest the game designer meant Thebes are Argos!)

As different from my youth, technology today allows me now to watch the cricket while playing a board game!

I love the marriage between great board game design and portable cricket screens - they both move at about the same speed!

Pathetic!

What is special about the white Militia Spearmen in SPARTAN?