Twenty five years have now gone by since the major accident at the Cheronbyl nuclear power station.
The thing that I have found most striking is the scenes in the evacuated zones around the power plant where nature has been able to start reclaiming the built up areas. Pictures from the BBC and the Kid of speed website really show how striking an empty city can look. The area has now been opened up to controlled tourism as many of the radioactive materials released are reaching their half-life meaning that the radiation levels are declining. Although the plutonium released means that there will be a very prolonged legacy of radiation in the area.
These scenes really remind me of Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker, even though that film was made seven years before the accident at Chernobyl.
One of the most important things is to learn from the mistakes made in clearing up after the accident as well as the flaws in the design of the power station. Particularly as nuclear energy seems set to have a major role in future electricity generation as fossil fuels become more expensive and renewable sources still need more effective ways of collecting and converting energy.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Fifty Years in Space!
Fifty years since Yuri Gagarin's first spaceflight, though manned spaceflight has stagnated a bit since the 1970s and the end of the Apollo programme in my opinion though the ISS is being used for plenty of scientific programmes.
It is always a question of whether manned missions are the most appropriate given the cost and difficulty of supporting life in such a hostile enviroment, particularly when unmanned missions like Cassini-Huygens have been so successful. But to the romantic in me the appeal of mankind travelling to the stars still appeals.
It is always a question of whether manned missions are the most appropriate given the cost and difficulty of supporting life in such a hostile enviroment, particularly when unmanned missions like Cassini-Huygens have been so successful. But to the romantic in me the appeal of mankind travelling to the stars still appeals.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Miniatures Review 7: - 10mm Pendraken Zulu War
I've recently bought some of the Pendraken Zulu War range for a project this year and am going to post a review before I get into painting them.
I bought the Zulu War army pack which contains 1 pack each of ZC1 British Infantry, ZC2 Natal/Durban Cavalry, ZC4 Royal Artillery 9lb RML guns and for the Zulus a mixture of figures from the ZC5 Zulus without headdress and ZC8 Zulu command packs. In total there are 120 Zulus included along with 30 British Infantry, 15 Cavalry and 2 guns with 6 crew so the army pack is a decent saving as it contains the equivalent of 7 packs of figures.
British
Infantry figures are sold in packs of 30 with 1 officer and 29 other ranks in two poses. The officer is in field uniform with a sun helmet holding a pair of binoculars, he has a holster at his belt but no scabbard though officers did still carry swords in this period. The two poses for the infantrymen are standing firing and at high porte with fixed bayonet. These have the regulation equipment and are decent poses for making up units with.
The cavalry figures are actually more suitable for British regular cavalry as they are depicted with sabres which were not carried by many of the irregular units such as the Newcastle Mounted Rifles or Natal Mounted Police. What I intend to do is modify the figure with the carbine in hand removing the scabbard to depict these and using the figures with sword in hand to depict regulars.
Zulus
The majority of the Zulu figures are modelled without the full headdresses that their uniforms could include, it is reasonable to think that in combat many would have not worn the full ceremonial array so just the headband or ring worn by the figures is acceptable. The detailing is good on the figures with the shields having the correct appearance and the weapons reasonably close to scale.
General Comments
These were well cast though a few figures had some pitting present and occasionally some flash, there were slight mould lines to be removed but on the whole they figures were produced to a good standard. The height of the foot figures is 10mm foot to eye, so the base of figure to top of head for a standing figure is nearer 12-13mm.
My main reference for the review has been The Zulu War (Men at Arms Series, 57)
by Angus McBride, but I have also looked at a range of magazine articles and contemporary photographs in other books.
I bought the Zulu War army pack which contains 1 pack each of ZC1 British Infantry, ZC2 Natal/Durban Cavalry, ZC4 Royal Artillery 9lb RML guns and for the Zulus a mixture of figures from the ZC5 Zulus without headdress and ZC8 Zulu command packs. In total there are 120 Zulus included along with 30 British Infantry, 15 Cavalry and 2 guns with 6 crew so the army pack is a decent saving as it contains the equivalent of 7 packs of figures.
British
Infantry figures are sold in packs of 30 with 1 officer and 29 other ranks in two poses. The officer is in field uniform with a sun helmet holding a pair of binoculars, he has a holster at his belt but no scabbard though officers did still carry swords in this period. The two poses for the infantrymen are standing firing and at high porte with fixed bayonet. These have the regulation equipment and are decent poses for making up units with.
The cavalry figures are actually more suitable for British regular cavalry as they are depicted with sabres which were not carried by many of the irregular units such as the Newcastle Mounted Rifles or Natal Mounted Police. What I intend to do is modify the figure with the carbine in hand removing the scabbard to depict these and using the figures with sword in hand to depict regulars.
Zulus
The majority of the Zulu figures are modelled without the full headdresses that their uniforms could include, it is reasonable to think that in combat many would have not worn the full ceremonial array so just the headband or ring worn by the figures is acceptable. The detailing is good on the figures with the shields having the correct appearance and the weapons reasonably close to scale.
General Comments
These were well cast though a few figures had some pitting present and occasionally some flash, there were slight mould lines to be removed but on the whole they figures were produced to a good standard. The height of the foot figures is 10mm foot to eye, so the base of figure to top of head for a standing figure is nearer 12-13mm.
My main reference for the review has been The Zulu War (Men at Arms Series, 57)
by Angus McBride, but I have also looked at a range of magazine articles and contemporary photographs in other books.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Wargamers ADD - it can be conquered!
Like many miniatures wargamers I have a tendency to a form of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) when it comes to new periods and scales, maybe something that should be called PFD - Project Finishing Disorder, but I have found this can be conquered.
My method is simply to refuse to purchase new miniatures until I have completed a specified number of the existing lead pile, the only exception being the odds and ends to finish existing forces for a project. So I have made a vow this year to paint a minimum of 50. Though as I need quite a lot of terrain that is not included in the spending ban.
As I have enough figures for most of my projects this year maybe it isn't so hard, but I still think the main thing is to select one project and work on that till completion before getting involved in a new one.
My current projects are:
My method is simply to refuse to purchase new miniatures until I have completed a specified number of the existing lead pile, the only exception being the odds and ends to finish existing forces for a project. So I have made a vow this year to paint a minimum of 50. Though as I need quite a lot of terrain that is not included in the spending ban.
As I have enough figures for most of my projects this year maybe it isn't so hard, but I still think the main thing is to select one project and work on that till completion before getting involved in a new one.
My current projects are:
- 25mm Fantasy and Medieval Skirmish with Song of Blades and Heroes,
- 10mm Zulu War with The Sword and the Flame,
- WWII with Fast and Dirty(FAD) and Troops, Weapons & Tactics,
- 15mm American Civil War with Fire and Fury
- 15mm SF with FAD
- 15mm Fantasy with Hordes of the Things
Most of which I already have fair numbers of painted figures for already, so just sorting out terrain is the priority.
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