#windjammers 2

[make-a-fighting-game-player]

Windjammers 2 player whose idea of training is playing normal, IRL Ultimate Frisbee.

[bobowhips-blog]

Hilltop TH

[thefreecheese]

The Free Cheese Episode 511: Return to the Dungeon

This week on The Free Cheese, how many eggs? As we close out the month of June, we discuss our Game of the Year so far and share updates on what we’re looking most forward to playing in the remaining months. We return to some segments from Season 10 with a theme that keeps everything tied to our games for this month.

[nerdybookahs]

Windjammers 2 - Humble Choice Game May 2023

Windjammers 2 - Humble Choice Game May 2023 #Windjammers2 #HumbleChoice

Windjammers 2 is part of May’s Humble Choice. “The best flying disc game of all time is back! With amazing hand-drawn graphics, crazy new moves, gameplay mechanics and awesome new characters and stages, Windjammers 2 is the sequel you’ve been dreaming of.” When it came to “who will write about which game”, I was apparently the only one with Windjammers 2 on my list. My husband was surprised…

[keycomicbooks]

Valeria the She-Bat (1995) Windjammer Comics

#ValeriatheSheBat #2 (1995) #NealAdams Cover, Story & Art, #BillSienkiewicz, #JohnNyberg #PeterStone "Valeria the She-Bat Part 2" Valeria pursues and faces the demon-bat who almost snatched away her innocence. Website Link In Bio Page If Applicable. SAVE ON SHIPPING COST - NOW AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL PICK UP IN DELTONA, FLORIDA https://rarecomicbooks.fashionablewebs.com/Valeria%20the%20She-Bat.html  #WindjammerComics #KeyComicBooks #RareComicBooks #VintageComicBooks

[archliches]

hmm visiting my grandparents and i always like to go on some kind of boat tour while i'm here. and i'm trying to decide between 2: one takes you out to a lighthouse and you get to go check it out - have done this one many times but it's always fun. The other is on a Windjammer and I've never done it! looks really fun but also I've never been on a sailboat like that and i don't want to hurl or something. But it looks coooool. what do u think

[6ad6ro]

my review of each game in UFO 50: BARBUTA - intentionally "hard and obtuse to reflect the era", but imo it works. haven't gotten far but i really appreciate it. BUG HUNTER - kinda hated it at first, but wound up really liking it once i understood the basics. NINPEK - controls great. appreciate the mr goemon inspiration. but sadly way too hard. PAINT CHASE - a fine game. sorta like pacman. MAGIC GARDEN - a really cool take on snake. took a minute to warm up to it tho. give it a chance. MORTOL - what a cool idea! lemmings combined with a platformer. gets hard fast but fine. VELGRESS - inverted downwell? it's neat. super hard but i'm just bad at it lol. PLANET ZOLDATH - an awesome bitesized roguelike. this game is sick, don't skip it. ATTACTICS - i'm too stupid to play this. but also i don't really want to learn. just okay. DEVILITION - seems more interesting than attactics, but i want to play it even less. KICK CLUB - bubble bobble clone, seems amazing at first. but all too quickly turns into tedious bullethell drop puzzles. after world 2 you'll wanna stop playing. too bad. AVIANOS - hard but kickass strategy game. has game customization and difficulty settings! MOONCAT - a big reason to buy ufo 50. weird and great! BUSHIDO BALL - do you like windjammers? this game kicks ass. gets real hard tho. BLOCK KOALA - i've never liked sokoban and i never will. seems fine if you do. CAMOUFLAGE - didn't wanna give it a chance at first, but it seems alright. lil stealth game. CAMPANELLA - it's probably a fine game but i hate playing it. maybe if it had a healthbar? GOLFARIA - amazing idea executed poorly. i wish i liked this more, but it's annoying to play. THE BIG BELL RACE - campanella combined with super off road (or sprint). better than campanella, but that "touch the walls and die" shit makes it way worse than it's inspirations. WARPTANK - seems cool. i def need to spend more time with it. WALDORF'S JOURNEY - good, cute game. hard but small scale, making it very fun. PORGY - an even bigger reason to buy ufo 50. small scale metroidvania. cherried it. ONION DELIVERY - god, what were they thinking? has so much potential but wayyy too hard. CARAMEL CARAMEL - such a good game ruined by a two-hit gameover. booooooo. PARTY HOUSE - this game is just really really good. hard to explain, just try it. HOT FOOT - imagine if super dodgeball had shit controls. why does my player autoswitch? i may never give it another chance… DIVERS - weird swimming rpg. i need to give it more time, but seems ok so far. (skipped over next 5) FIST HELL - a final fight clone? hell yes! but then i realized it was more like playing final fight on hardest setting with a single credit. aka "not fun". another example of a good game mossmouth ruined by making it too hard. (skipped over next 10) PILOT QUEST - tied with porgy for being my fav so far. zelda 1 combined with crafting. but you gain resources even when playing other games. kicks ass, PLAY THIS FIRST. cherried. (skipped mini and max) COMBATANTS - tbh i heard it sucked so i jumped ahead to it. they were right… (yet to play final 4) ??? - awesome but can't talk about it.

i'll update with the rest of the games once i try em.

[ranchstoryblog]

Let the Funtimes Poll!

Oh, I guess I've been slacking on thinking of ideas for the monthly poll. Uh, well, I guess EVO Japan is coming up, and they announced a really unexpected collaboration with Sesame Street, and there's been this weird push to get Waffle House as a stage in Tekken 8 so... Besides the obvious choice of "Pete/Claire/Sara in Smash Bros",

[l1ft-l1ft1ng-l1ft3d]

What I l1ft3d 5/1/2023 - 5/31/2023

B@rn3s & N0bl3:

- 6 books (5/1/2023)

- PaperSource Mountain tote bag

- 5 books (5/6/2023)

- B&N canvas tote bag (teal)

- ShedRain Windjammer umbrella

- 6 books (5/11/2023)

- 3 books (5/16/2023)

- 8 books (5/18/2023)

- Out of Print Eric Carle Hungry Caterpillar tote bag

- 4 books (5/19/2023)

- Moomin tote bag

- Keep Calm and Read On bookmark

- 3 books (5/22/2023)

- Fjallraven backpack

- 8 books (5/26/2023)

- B&N canvas tote (gray)

- 4 books (5/30/2023)

¢V$:

- CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser

- Billie Whipped Shave Cream

- Kitsch The Satin Pillowcase (Ivory)

- CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

- Cottonelle Flushable Wipes

D1ck'$ $p0rt1ng G00d$:

- Nike sportswear crewneck pullover sweatshirt (yellow)

- Nike Sportswear embroidered logo t-shirt (black)

- Nike Sportswear athletic shorts w/large elastic band (chartreuse)

- Nike Sportswear athletic shorts (blue)

- 2 Nike Sportswear embroidered logo t-shirt (guava, gray)

- Nike Sportswear athletic shorts (burnt orange)

- Nike Sportswear cotton shorts (gray)

- Hydroflask 24 oz. bottle w/sip lid (pastel aqua)

- Nike Sportswear crewneck pullover sweatshirt (black)

- Nike athletic shorts w/large elastic band (gray)

- 49 brand Giants pullover hoodie sweatshirt (dark gray)

- Nike Sportswear crewneck pullover sweatshirt (gray)

- Nike athletic shorts (mauve)

- Nike Sportswear graphic logo oversized t-shirt (olive)

- Adidas crewneck pullover sweatshirt w/elastic bottom hem detail (charcoal)

- Calia polo neck pullover sweatshirt (blue)

- Calia short sleeve t-shirt (gray)

- Calia sleeveless t-shirt (white) 71

- 2 pairs Calia athletic shorts (tomato bisque, goldenrod)

- Nike Sportswear crewneck graphic logo pullover sweatshirt (ivory + aqua)

- Nike DriFit athletic shorts (black)

- Calia polo neck pullover sweatshirt (olive)

- Stanley 40 oz The Flowstate Quencher H2.0 Tumbler (Tigerlily)

- 47 Giants long sleeve baseball shirt

- Calia polo neck pullover sweatshirt (florescent yellow)

- Calia straight leg crop sweatpants (gray)

- Stanley 30 oz Ice Flow Tumbler with Flip Straw (lime + forest green)

- Nike Sportswear crewneck sweatshirt (yellow)

- Nike bike shorts (black)

H0bby L0bby:

- 2 X-Acto knives (regular + small)

H0m3 G00ds:

- Yeti Rambler Colster Can Insulator

J.C. P3nn3y:

- Levi's Shaping Capri jeans

- Wrangler graphic logo t-shirt (light blue)

- Adidas Cloudfoam tennis shoes (rainbow)

- Levi's 501 Cut-Off Short (dark denim)

- Levi's crewneck embroidered logo pullover sweatshirt (pastel pink)

- ANA sleeveless sundress (olive + white tropical flowers)

- ANA button-down polo neck sundress (olive)

- ANA spaghetti strap dress (olive floral)

- ANA shift dress (black)

- Levi's denim button down shirt (med. blue)

- Levi's 501 cut off shorts

- 2 Levi's graphic t-shirts (black, white)

M@cy's:

- Kipling mini crossbody bag (cherry red)

- Kipling backpack (med., gray)

- Kipling mini backpack (black w/raindrops)

- Calvin Klein Performance full zip hoodie (electric green)

- Kipling medium over the shoulder purse (gray)

- Kipling minimalist wallet (army green pattern)

- Levi's 501 shorts (med. length/med. blue denim)

- Calvin Klein Performance full-zip hoodie sweatshirt (stone gray)

- Kipling backpack (cherry red)

- 2 Guess wallets (black - large + small)

- Levi's 501 cut off shorts (black)

- And Now This ruched peasant blouse (black)

- Levi's Shaping Skinny Jeans

- Levi's denim overall dress

- Levi's cropped peasant blouse (blue + green plaid)

- Calvin Klein Performance full-zip sweatshirt (black)

- 2 Calvin Klein Performance cropped straight leg sweat pants (black, heather gray)

- 2 And Now This tank tops (white, cocoa)

Levi's button down denim shirt (light, distressed)

- Levi's spaghetti strap sundress (checkers)

- Ralph Lauren short pajama set (white w/floral)

- Calvin Klein Performance full-zip hoodie (ivory)

- Wacoal convertible bra (black)

- Calvin Klein Performance full zip hoodie (dark heather gray)

- Calvin Klein Performance full-zip hoodie (sky blue)

- Levi's graphic logo t-shirt (black)

- Levi's button-down short sleeve shirt (green + white stripes)

- Levi's High-Waisted Mom Jeans (med. denim)

- Calvin Klein Performance logo hoodie (heather gray)

- And Now This short sleeve bodysuit (pastel blue)

M@r1n@ M@rk3tpl@ce:

- Burt's Bees Aloe & Coconut Oil After Sun Soother

0ff1c3 D3p0t:

- Pilot Dr. Grip Frosted Ball Point Pen

- Pilot Dr. Grip Ball Point Pen Refills (2-ct)

$pr0ut$:

- Badger Organic Cuticle Care

- Pacifica Silver Moon Parfum

- Hello Antiplaque + Whitening Toothpaste Tablets

- 3 Pacifica Parfums (Island Vanilla, Tuscan Blood Orange, Persian Rose)

- Zum Mist Aromatherapy Room + Body Spray (Frankincense & Myrrh)

- Olika refillable spray moisturizing hand sanitizer

- Olika hand sanitizer refill

- Pacifica perfume (French Lilac)

- Zum Mist Aromatherapy Room + Body Spray (Patchouli)

- Humble Natural Deodorant (Palo Santo & Frankincense)

$t@rbuck$:

- Sign language art Starbucks mug

- Yosemite Pin Drop Collection Starbucks Mug

T@rg3t:

- Vornado Whole Room Air Circulator (w/interchangeable base plate discs)

- Vornado Whole Room Air Circulator

- Owala Free Sip water bottle (24 oz - tangerine)

- Reusable silicone menstrual disc

- Fine'ry Sun-Phoria body mist

- Olive & June The Poppy mani tool

- Owala Free Sip water bottle (24 oz - plum)

- Fine'ry I'm A Musk Eau de Parfum

- Fine'ry Magnetic Candy body mist

- Differin Dark Spot Correcting Serum

- 2 Casaluna sateen standard pillowcases

- EOS tropical summer lip balm (set of 4)

- Being Frenshe Awaken & Uplift Citrus Amber Glow On Perfume Oil

- American Tourister hard side checkered carry-on rolling suitcase

Ült@:

- The Body Shop Moringa Body Butter (6.75 oz)

- Lanolips 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm

- Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil

- Byoma Brightening Serum

- Briogeo B. Well Organic + Australian 100% Tea Tree Oil

- Dr. PawPaw Lip Scrub & Lip Balm Duo

- Essie On a Roll Apricot Cuticle Oil

- O.P.I. Nail Lacquer (Yank My Doodle)

- L'Occitane En Provence Ultra Rich Body Cream

- Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream

- Origins Ginzing Refreshing Eye Cream (Original)

- Hero Force Shield Superfuel Serum Stick

- Lanolips Lip Water (Watermelon)

- Lanolips 101 Ointment Fruities Trio

- Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream

- Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

- Briogeo Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioning Spray

- Briogeo Farewell Frizz Smoothing Conditioner

- Kenra Platinum Blow Dry Spray (6 fl. oz.)

- Bumble and Bumble BB Hairdresser's Invisible Oil

- Mario Badescu Skin Care Drying Lotion

- Soap & Glory Hand Food Intensive Hand Balm (Original Pink)

W@lm@rt:

- 2 Prep Solutions Silicone Grease Keeper & Strainer

- Cottonelle Flushable Wipes (2-pk)

Total: 197 items

[unofskylanderspages]

Listed below are the hats in Skylanders: Giants, along with their stat bonuses and their locations in both versions:

Anvil Hat (+5 Armor): Autogyro Adventure (C) Head Hunting (3DS)

Archer Hat (+10 Critical Hit): Secret Vault of Secrets (C) Area Stuck in the Mud (3DS)

Atom Hat (+25 Critical Hit): Lost City of Arkus (C) Westernland (3DS)

Balloon Hat (+2 Critical Hit +2 Armor): The Dread-Yacht (C)

Battle Helmet (+7 Critical Hit +7 Armor): Molekin Mountain (C) Phantom Tide Rising (3DS)

Beret (+15 Critical Hit): Drill-X's Big Rig (C) Head Hunting (3DS)

Birthday Hat (+2 Critical Hit +1 Speed): Rumbletown (C) Head Hunting (3DS)

Biter Hat (+5 Critical Hit): Junkyard Isles (C) Through the Ruins (3DS)

Bone Head (+3 Speed +7 Elemental Power): The Dread-Yacht (C) Head Hunting (3DS)

Bottle Cap Hat (+15 Armor): Autogyro Adventure (C) Daring Rescue (3DS)

Bowler Hat (+2 Critical Hit +2 Armor): The Dread-Yacht (C)

Bowling Pin Hat (+10 Critical Hit +10 Armor): The Oracle (C) Westernland (3DS)

Bronze Top Hat (+5 Critical Hit +2 Speed +5 Armor): Reach Quest Rank 1 (C)

Caesar Hat (+20 Elemental Power): Bringing Order to Kaos! (C) Cannon Fodder (3DS)

Carrot Hat (+15 Armor): Rumbletown (C) Head Hunting (3DS)

Chef Hat (+10 Critical Hit +10 Elemental Power): Darklight Crypt (C) Lost and Found (3DS)

Combat Hat (+15 Elemental Power): Drill-X's Big Rig (C) The Wingwarrens (3DS)

Coonskin Cap (+10 Critical Hit): The Dread-Yacht (C) Winterwatch Keep (3DS)

Cossack Hat (+10 Elemental Power): Empire of Ice (C) A Walk in the Park (3DS)

Cowboy Hat (+2 Critical Hit +2 Armor): Junkyard Isles (C) A Walk in the Park (3DS)

Crown of Light (+15 Armor): The Oracle (C),Sand Trap (3DS)

Dancer Hat (+6 Speed): Kaos' Kastle (C) Phantom Tide Rising (3DS)

Dangling Carrot Hat (+4 Speed +10 Elemental Power): Molekin Mountain (C) Phantom Tide Rising (3DS)

Elf Hat (+2 Speed +5 Elemental Power): Rumbletown (C) Sand Trap (3DS)

Eye Hat (+5 Critical Hit +5 Elemental Power): Wilikin Village (C) Through the Ruins (3DS)

Fancy Hat (+1 Speed +2 Armor): Rumbletown (C) Ships Ahoy (3DS)

Fez (+5 Elemental Power): Cutthroat Carnival (C) Through the Ruins (3DS)

Firefighter Helmet (+20 Critical Hit): Glacier Gully (C) Westernland (3DS)

Fishing Hat (+5 Elemental power +5 Armor): Wilikin Village (C) The Windy Dunes (3DS)

Flower Fairy Hat (+2 Speed): Time of the Giants (C) Cannon Fodder (3DS)

Flower Hat (+2 Critical Hit +2 Armor): The Dread-Yacht (C)

Funnel Hat (+7 Elemental Power +7 Armor): Lost City of Arkus (C) Cannon Fodder (3DS)

Future Hat (+10 Speed): Autogyro Adventure (C) A Walk in the Park (3DS)

General's Hat (+7 Critical hit +7 Elemental Power): Aerial Attack! (C) Windjammer Bay (3DS)

Gold Top Hat (+10 Critical Hit +4 Speed, +10 Armor): Reach Quest Rank 3 (C)

Graduation Hat (+15 Elemental Power): Kaos' Kastle (C) Tunnel of Love (3DS)

Happy Birthday! (+2 Critical Hit +2 Armor): The Dread-Yacht (C)

Jester Hat (+1 Speed +2 Elemental Power): The Dread-Yacht (C) Sand Trap (3DS)

Knight Helm (+15 Critical hit +6 Speed +15 elemental Power +15 Armor): Defeat Kaos in Nightmare Mode (C)

Kufi Hat (+2 Critical Hit +2 Elemental Power): Junkyard Isles (C) Overgrowth (3DS)

Lampshade Hat (+5 Elemental Power): Cutthroat Carnival (C) Tunnel of Love (3DS)

Lil Devil (+9 Speed): The Dread-Yacht (C) Through the Ruins (3DS)

Mariachi Hat (+10 Defense): Cutthroat Carnival (C) Murky Waters (3DS)

Miner Hat (+7 Armor +7 Elemental Power): The Dread-Yacht (C) Wighthaunt (3DS)

Moose Hat (+2 Speed +5 Armor): Troll Home Security (C) Sand Trap (3DS)

Napoleon Hat (+5 Armor +5 Elemental Power): Lost City of Arkus (C) The Wingwarrens (3DS)

Nefertiti Hat (+10 Critical Hit +10 Elemental Power): Aerial Attack! (C) Tunnel of Love (3DS)

Officer Cap (+3 Speed +7 Armor): Secret Vault of Secrets (C) Tunnel of Love (3DS)

Pan Hat (+2 Armor +2 Elemental Power): The Dread-Yacht (C) The Tar Pits (3DS)

Pants Hat (+15 Critical Hit +6 Speed): Troll Home Security (C) Overgrowth (3DS)

Paper Fast Food Hat (+2 Critical Hit +2 Armor): Time of the Giants (C) Murky Waters (3DS)

Pilgrim Hat (+2 Armor): Rumbletown (C) Murky Waters (3DS)

Pirate Doo Rag (+4 Speed): Pirate Seas (C) A Walk in the Park (3DS)

Pirate Hat (+20 Critical Hit): Pirate Seas (C) Windjammer Bay (3DS)

Plunger Head (+2 Elemental Power): Junkyard Isles (C) The Tar Pits (3DS)

Police Siren Hat (+4 Speed): Junkyard Isles (C) Stuck in the Mud (3DS)

Princess Hat (+3 Speed +7 Elemental Power): Kaos' Kastle (C) Daring Rescue (3DS)

Propeller Cap (+3 Speed): Glacier Gully (C) Winterwatch Keep (3DS)

Pumpkin Hat (+10 Armor): Darklight Crypt (C) A Walk in the Park (3DS)

Purple Fedora (+1 Speed +2 Armor): Glacier Gully (C) Stuck in the Mud (3DS)

Rasta Hat (+7 Critical Hit +7 Elemental Power): Bringing Order to Kaos! (C) Stuck in the Mud (3DS)

Rocker Hair (+7 Critical Hit +3 Elemental Power): Wilikin Village (C) Lost and Found (3DS)

Rocket Hat (+6 Speed): Molekin Mountain (C) The Tar Pits (3DS)

Royal Crown (+10 Critical Hit): Dragon's Peak (C) Through the Ruins (3DS)

Safari Hat (+2 Speed +5 Armor): Drill-X's Big Rig (C) Overgrowth (3DS)

Sailor Hat (+4 Speed +10 Armor): Aerial Attack! (C) Overgrowth (3DS)

Santa Hat (+20 Armor): Empire of Ice (C) The Tar Pits (3DS)

Scrumshanks Hat (+10 Critical Hit +4 Speed): Bringing Order to Kaos! (C) Ships Ahoy (3DS)

Showtime Hat (+25 Elemental Power): The Dread-Yacht (C) Cannon Fodder (3DS)

Silver Top Hat (+7 Critical Hit +3 Speed +7 Armor): Reach Quest Rank 2 (C)

Sombrero (+5 Critical Hit +5 Armor): Troll Home Security (C) Murky Waters (3DS)

Spiked Hat (+7 Critical Hit +7 Armor): Aerial Attack! (C) Ships Ahoy (3DS)

Spy Gear (+2 Speed +5 Critical Hit): Secret Vault of Secrets (C) Wighthaunt (3DS)

Straw Hat (+2 Critical Hit +2 Armor): The Dread-Yacht (C)

Tiki Hat (+10 Elemental Power): The Oracle (C) The Windy Dunes (3DS)

Top Hat (+5 Armor +5 Critical Hit): Glacier Gully (C) Ships Ahoy (3DS)

Toy Soldier Hat (+5 Critical Hit +2 Speed): Wilikin Village (C) Daring Rescue (3DS)

Traffic Cone Hat (+15 Critical Hit): Drill-X's Big Rig (C) Phantom Tide Rising (3DS)

Trojan Helmet (+10 Armor): Troll Home Security (C) The Windy Dunes (3DS)

Tropical Turban (+2 Speed +5 Elemental Power): Secret Vault of Secrets (C) Lost and Found (3DS)

Trucker Hat (+25 Armor): Molekin Mountain (C) Daring Rescue (3DS)

Turban (+5 Armor): Time of the Giants (C) Phantom Tide Rising (3DS)

Umbrella Hat (+20 Armor): The Oracle (C) Daring Rescue (3DS)

Unicorn Hat (+12 Armor +12 Critical Hit): Bringing Order to Kaos! (C) The Windy Dunes (3DS)

Viking Helmet (+5 Critical Hit): Cutthroat Carnival (C) Ships Ahoy (3DS)

Vintage Baseball Cap (+8 Speed): The Dread-Yacht (C) Westernland (3DS)

Wabbit Ears (+5 Speed +12 Armor): Lost City of Arkus (C) Lost and Found (3DS)

Winged Hat (+12 Speed): Dragon's Peak (C) Sand Trap (3DS)

Wizard Hat (+25 Elemental Power): Bringing Order to Kaos! (C) The Windy Dunes (3DS)

[mrbexwrites]

OC 15 Questions

Tagged by @duckingwriting to answer some questions about my OCs.

Gently passing the tag onto: @queen-tashie @kaiafosterwrites @deanwax @writingamongther0ses @tate-lin and anyone else who would like to take up the mantle of the open tag!

(Sorry, this has been sitting my drafts for so long, and then in queue purgatory before it's even seen the light of day!)

I've done a couple of these for characters in Memento Mori, so figured it's time for a shift in focus to Blood Harmony.

Answering for Arnauld Beaufort, Mave's nemesis.

Are you named after anyone?

No

2. When was the last time you cried?

I haven't cried in a while. The last time would probably have been shedding a single tear over the rubble where I thought Mavis had died. A good opponent is hard to find.

3. Do you have kids?

I have over a thousand demons at my beck and call. They're hard enough to handle; I wouldn't add children to my workload. Unless you count Connor? He's not my biological son, but I look out for him nonetheless. He'd walk into traffic otherwise.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Moi? No. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, after all.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

How short their lives are. When you live for several centuries, people come and go in the blink of an eye. Although, there are several mortals who have piqued my interest in them over the years. They leave lasting marks...mementos...

6. What’s your eye color?

Blue, like my mother's.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

I don't find movies to be particularly scary, being a demon.Happy endings are too contrived. I prefer psychological thrillers myself.

8. Any special talents?

I'm difficult to kill. Just ask Mavis; Hell knows she's tried hard enough.

9. Where were you born?

The province of Alsace in the Holy Roman Empire. Where I was born has been many countries over the years, and it's currently near Strasbourg, France.

10. What are your hobbies?

I've been many things over the centuries; a sell-sword, mercenary, politician, musician, smuggler, pirate...

I enjoy model ship making. I particularly revel in building windjammers and clippers for display in my library.

11. Have you any pets?

Would Mavis count if I compare her to a feral cat who continually tries to hunt me?

12.What sports do you play/have played?

Sword-fighting, jousting for a brief period, general marksmanship... I've tried my hand at badminton, but it's not for me. Any sport that involves a ball, apart from basketball; too undignified. I'm excellent at billiards.

13.How tall are you?

5'11" or thereabouts

13. Favorite subject in school?

I never went to school; my mother paid for private tutors for me. I enjoyed History the most. I've found, that over the centuries, it often repeats itself. Mortals often fail to learn from their mistakes, but I've lived long enough to see the patterns, know what is coming, and can then avoid the worst of the fallout. You just have to look at my portfolio to know just how good I am as a student of history.

14.Dream job?

Benevolent Dictator, which I suppose I already am, as the head of a law firm. I'd just like to expand my reach from the moral realm, in the infernal!

[ryttu3k]

Not a clue how many vegan followers who enjoy cruises I have, but I want to stick the pictures I took of the main dining room vegan options somewhere, and it may as well be here! We ate at the main dining room five of the seven nights. Will include the night, the official description, my image, and a brief thought.

This was for a seven-day Australian domestic cruise on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas. The nights we skipped were days 4 (British night, vegan options were garden salad, butternut squash curry that was available in the buffet anyway, and a vegan berry sundae), and days 6 (Royal Night, the other formal night - vegan options were a citrus/avocado/melon salad, stuffed red bell pepper, and a chilled banana-cocoa custard). Our sailing did not include Mexican Night (disappointingly, some interesting stuff on there!) or Mediterranean Night (exact same items as Bon Voyage).

Day 1: Welcome Aboard

Starter: Roasted Tomato Soup. A blend of seasoned vine-ripened Roma tomatoes topped with crunchy garlic ciabatta croutons and basil pesto.

A very tasty small serve of soup.

Main: Herb-Crusted Stuffed Portobello. With vegan creamed spinach and fluffy vegetable couscous, baked until golden in marinara sauce and herb oil.

Whoops, I started on this one before I took a photo. It was very round! The couscous was good.

Dessert: Peanut-Caramel Bar. Crispy peanut butter rice square with a touch of maple syrup over a sweet mixed berry compote.

No compote, actual fresh berries. I do love peanut butter and caramel, although it did feel fairly simple.

Day 2: Italian Night

Starter: Golden Polenta Fries with Spicy Dip. Crispy baked corn polenta served with a chilled creamy hazelnut-red pepper spread.

Delish, the sauce was fantastic. Kind of wanted seconds.

Main: Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese. Al dente pasta in a rich marinara sauce with hearty mushrooms and a tofu crumble.

It was... edible! Bizarrely, the tofu crumble seemed to be silken tofu? I got the impression it'd be more parmesan-like. This one was just okay.

Dessert: Crumbly Oat and Berry Bar. Layers of jam and brown-sugar-crusted oats baked fresh and topped with berries and mint.

Very tasty, although again, it felt a bit basic (and there was no mint at all).

Day 3: French Night (formal)

Starter: Creamy Butternut Squash Soup. Roasted harvest squash blended with coconut milk topped with crisp toasted pumpkin seeds.

Only a small serve, but an excellent pumpkin soup.

Main: Spring Pea and Asparagus Risotto. Creamy short-grained rice in simmering pea and mint sauce with jumbo tender asparagus.

Felt... sparse. These are not jumbo asparagus, RC! The peas were either frozen or freeze-dried? Not great. Pretty disappointing for formal night.

Dessert: Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies. Homestyle favorite served with fresh raspberries.

These, at least, were delish. Raspberry, single, lmao. Odd choice for formal night, though.

Day 5: Caribbean Night

Starter: Green Lentil Soup. Hearty lentils simmered in a San Marzano tomato base with fragrant rosemary. AND Maple-Soy Tofu and Avocado Salad. Chilled marinated tofu tossed with plump grape tomatoes, ripe avocado, and toasted white sesame seeds.

Two, two vegan starters! Got both, for Science. The soup was delish, and the tofu was beautifully done, although avocado lovers would be deeply disappointed by only two little cubes.

Main: Stuffed Grilled Eggplant. Whole wheat couscous with pomegranate seeds and bell peppers layered inside grilled eggplant, with minted cucumber and a spring onion dressing.

No pomegranate to be found, but otherwise extremely tasty.

Dessert: Vegan Fudge Brownie. Rich chocolate brownie with sweet whipped cream and caramel sauce.

The 'cream' felt odd, but the giant scoop of ganache more than made up for it. Delish brownie, very fudgy and much better than the cakey brownies they had up at Windjammer.

Day 7: Bon Voyage

Starter: Pan-Seared Asparagus. Jumbo green asparagus with creamy white bean hummus and a hazelnut-basil pesto drizzle.

Again! These are not jumbo asparagus! Tasted great, especially the hazelnut pesto, and Mum and I both got seconds of it, just... not much to it.

Main: Vegetable Greek Moussaka. Layers of grilled eggplant, Roma tomatoes and tender potatoes and onion, topped with panko breadcrumbs and served with oregano-tomato salsa.

My favourite of the mains, really filling and tasty.

Dessert: Chocolate Cherry Tart. Vanilla tart shell with rich dark chocolate ganache and cherry filling, sweet whipped cream and lemon zest.

No lemon zest, but there was a maraschino cherry! Very tasty, albeit quite hard to eat! (The ganache would slide around on top of the cherry filling.) The whipped cream was a bit overly sweet.

Overall thoughts

Not bad, and there has at least been an attempt! Some items were... weirdly sparse, like the formal night risotto, and the starter serves were sometimes tiny. Also, they do not know the meaning of 'jumbo asparagus', apparently. Some pretty decent desserts, albeit some quite simple. On the plus side, it's not just a scoop of lemon sorbet or some fruit!

Vegans won't go hungry, although you may want a protein shake or bar or something too.

[charlesandmartine]

Monday 30th January 2023

We awoke once again to cloudy skies but today it was Picton in the south island. The pattern tends to be like this but during the morning any rain disappears, the clouds part and the strong sun breaks through. Picton, named after Sir Thomas Picton, is at the very top end of the South Island and is most famous for the Marlborough wine region and the Marlborough Sounds.

Our day initially took us on a small boat trip in Queen Charlotte Sound. So we disembarked a very big ship and boarded a very small boat for one of those trips around the Sound that is very beautiful but frankly you could be in the Lake District. Our skipper was Maori and proud of it. He informed us that his DNA confirmed he came from the same stock as from some old bones they dug up somewhere that were dated to the 1200s. He went on to inform us of an awful lot of other stuff; most disconcerting was that he turned to face us whilst the boat appeared to be on its own in the steering department. His concerns were manifest about local ecology issues. So much so it's hard to know how he sleeps at night. Well meaning Europeans have introduced rats, rabbits, stoats and ferrets over the years to control this and that, but of course now the whole thing has got out of control and the time has come to eradicate the lot of them and restore it back to the way it was and return at least the eight islands to predator free by 2050.

His next concern regards the conditions of the forest and commercial timber operations which he believes kills fish in the Sound. Apparently what he worries about most is the wilding pine tree which is not native and has a canopy far higher than it's surrounding mates. And it spreads. So they are doing their best to eradicate it by poison and restore the native fauna to where it belongs.

He returned us to port in Picton and after a short walk along the harbour side to Bob's Bay we repaired to a hostelry for a large tankard of the local Marlborough fine wine, Vicarage Road. Very nice to drink the stuff from whence it comes.

The big worry about shore trips is ensuring you don't miss the boat's departure especially after a few Sauvignon Blanc's.

Back on ship we made our way to deck 14 and the Windjammer for a nonalcoholic preparation before dinner. Marlborough harbour at Picton is home also to huge stocks of cut timber prepared ready for export mainly to China. Piles and piles of the stuff, emitting that soft pine perfume detectable even from this high deck. One can only imagine the use it will be put to at it's destination. Does IKEA make things in China?

Ovation is the largest ship to enter Picton. The harbour had to be dredged to allow a ship of this size safe passage. I suspect it is an ecological double edged sword for the locals to have ships of this displacement into their precious Sound; principle versus local economy. Population of Picton 2500, ships guest population 4600. Initially the concern was that there were 2 public toilets and one bakery. This has since been rectified and there are now 5 public toilets and 2 bakeries. Phew.

Ovation caught the evening tide bang on the dot of 5pm and pulled slowly out of the enormous dock. We are now leaving South Island for good and heading to North Island and Napier. We have visited this Art Deco town before and liked it very much. It was another place rebuilt after a major earthquake in 1931 destroyed most of the town and Art Deco was simply the style of the day.

ps No sign of a small dog at the dock.

[thefreecheese]

The Free Cheese Episode 509: Windjammers 2

This week on The Free Cheese, is this a boat? Dotemu revives a classic with new characters and a new look for a new generation. We learn the art of windjamming and spend some time this week reminiscing on air hockey as we rank another game on The List. Reviews Joe Windjammers 2 successfully reimagines its predecessor with Dotemu’s modern visual design and creates a package worth owning. The…

[telodogratis]

L’editore Dotemu ha lanciato i suoi saldi su Steam con sconti su Street of Rage 4, Windjammers 2 e altri

L’editore Dotemu ha lanciato i suoi saldi su Steam con sconti su Street of Rage 4, Windjammers 2 e altri L’editore Dotemu, specializzato nella ripresa di serie classiche, ha lanciato una tornata di saldi su Steam, con tanti sconti su tutto il suo catalogo. Powered by WPeMatico L’editore Dotemu, specializzato nella ripresa di serie classiche, ha lanciato una tornata di saldi su Steam, con tanti…

[peakwealth]

The Beloved Wreck

FROM AVEIRO, Portugal

In the long haul fishing harbour of Gafanha da Nazaré (Aveiro), Portugal (July 2024)

Your lips move as you try to decipher the name, barely visible on the stern. And when you've figured it out, it doesn't make sense. P o l y n e s i a it says, but the ship hardly looks as if it ever belonged in the luxuriant south seas. As for the IMO number above the name, it is even harder to make out. According to the register it is 5023564. No flag is to be seen.

Maritime sadness doesn't come any sadder than this. No rust bucket is rustier than the Polynesia. The wreck is part of the history and the long decline of the North Atlantic cod fishery, on display along a stretch of wharves known in Aveiro as the Cais dos Bacalhoeiros.

The very idea of setting off aboard a four-masted bacalhoeiro - a sailboat! - to catch cod at the far end of the world seems strange today. Yet so it was until well after World War II. The last tall ship was withdrawn from the Portuguese fishing fleet in 1973.

To some extent the harbour of Aveiro is still home to tha seafaring heritage, to the mythology of bacalhau, something that runs deep in Portuguese identity. Ocean-going trawlers still leave from these docks while the old ones are left to rust, rather than be sent for recycling at some distant Bangladeshi shore.

But the Polynesia is something else. For more than a decade it has been tied up here, across from the same armador, the shipping company that used to send it off for months at a time, looking for fish in the waters off Newfoundland, Greenland and in the Barents sea.

The ship was called the Argus back then, purpose-built in Holland in 1939 and used in the long-haul fishing campaigns until 1970, when Atlantic cod was already in decline.

The Argus was 64 meters long and its masts rose nearly 40 meters above the waves. It was one of three almost identical schooners, the pride of Portugal's white-hulled Frota Branca. (1)

Two other ships of the white fleet have survived. One was converted into a luxury cruise yacht, operating mostly out of Lisbon. The other is used by the Portuguese navy for training at sea. The Argus too was reincarnated as a cruise ship - or love boat as some Portuguese disparagingly called it - hence its name. But it didn't last. Reflagged a number of times (British Virgin Islands, Honduras, Equatorial Guinea, Grenada), it was reportedly abandoned by her previous owner, Florida-based Windjammer Barefoot Cruises. Finally purchased at auction in Aruba in 2009 it was towed back to Aveiro. One can only imagine that the Portuguese rescuers, Pascoal & Filhos, a company with deep roots in the local codfish business, took pity on her, preferring to have her tied up across the street from the company office, so they could at least see her.

Plans to restore the ship to its former self have come to nothing. Now owned by the municipality, it agonizes in public view, somehow still afloat, but its fate more inevitable with every passing, rusting day.

++++++++++

The Santo-André, permanently moored and turned into a floating museum. (Aveiro, July 2024)

A few kilometers downstream lies another memento of Portuguese cod fishing, the more modern trawler Santo-André, also Dutch built and used between 1949 and 1997 for a total of 90 voyages.

The beauty of the Santo-André is that it has been largely preserved as it was. Although a museum, it is strikingly evocative of the no-frills life at sea and the great hardships that came with it. Only the captain's quarters came with their own bathroom. (2)

The cod was gutted on deck, then salted (by the salgadores) and stored in the holds. In later years, most of the fish was frozen, not salted.

By 1992 the North Atlantic had very nearly been emptied of cod when the Canadian government decreed an immediate moratorium in the waters it controlled. Fishing communities on either side of the Atlantic suffered. Unemployment in Newfoundland and Labrador was devastating. Meant to last only two years, the ban was fully lifted only a few weeks ago, 32 years later, on June 26, 2024, though with minimal quotas.

Radar and old fish-finding electronics on the bridge of the Santo-André, frozen in time.

_______________________________________________

(1) See "The Quest of the Schooner Argus" by Alan Villiers (Melbourne 1903 - Oxford 1982), published in 1951 by Scribner's, NY, USA.

(2) Remarkable footage of the rough and dangerous lives aboard one of the four-masted white ships can be seen online in a 1966 documentary by the National Film Board of Canada: https://www.nfb.ca/film/white_ship/