A little piece of history.

This is the 2023 Britannia Silver Coin, which features the change of Monarch.

These are a little more expensive to buy than the Australian Kangaroo coins, coming in at around AU$50.

These silver coins were purchased at Bullion Money – Level 1, 9 Phillip Street, Parramatta.

Here is a link to their website – https://bullionmoney.com.au/

Our first look at this planet in the Star Wars Universe.

Spoiler-free, of course.

Mysterious beasts so large they block out the sun.

A small town appearing like something out of the ‘Wild West’.

Strange looking townsfolk who like to sit in front of their doors.

An ancient gateway to a mystical forest beyond.

Long-abandoned mining colonies.

A little bit of Old Republic technology.

There was a lot happening on Koboh, and it played as a very large open world that I will go back and explore later in the game.

Next stop Jedha – as seen in Rogue One. (Hopefully we get to see the city, as it should still be standing.)

A great outdoor adventure hidden right under our noses.

We started our trek at the bottom left hand corner of the map (see above), at Whitbread Place off North Rocks Road.

The first section of the track is quite rugged and hilly at times, and follows Darling Mills Creek all the way to the giant wall between Northmead and North Rocks.

From the wall, the track heads north and passes under the M2 Motorway and Renown Road, before cutting into thicker bushland.

The Bidjigal Reserve walking tracks are worth the time checking out.

There are a number of entry points, from any of the surrounding suburbs:- Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills, Northmead, West Pennant Hills and North Parramatta.

We found that there was no access to, nor exit from the tracks at North Rocks (around the shopping centre) where the M2 Motorway passes through. Most of the reserve is fenced off there, as we discovered the hard way.

I am slowly making my way through this exciting new game.

The opening scenes on Coruscant were an incredible sight to behold.

This is set in the murky undercity, hence the ceiling and no sky lanes full of traffic as seen in the movies.

It’s never a good sign seeing your face on a wanted poster, especially one this size.

Once you depart Coruscant and land on another planet named Koboh, the game becomes more of an open world situation.

I will post more screenshots and offer some spoiler-free commentary after I’ve progressed a little further, but here’s a sneak peek…

(All captures courtesy of Lucasfilm Games)

Made famous in the Star Wars Universe by being mentioned in the original 1977 film, this mysterious planet has only made a handful of appearances in the forty years that have passed since.

The greatest representation came from the video game ‘Knights of the Old Republic’ in 2003. Other than that, I believe it was the setting for an episode in the original ‘Clone Wars’ series.

Below are some screenshots from ‘Knights of the Old Republic’. In the game, Dantooine is home to a remote Jedi Temple and is probably the safest planet to visit; once you clear the sweeping plains of all the Mandalorian Raiders and deadly wildlife.

Here are those Mandalorians I mentioned. You can see them lurking in the distance, waiting to ambush anyone who comes along.

But it didn’t work out well for them.

And of course, here’s the Jedi Temple.

Here are some stills of Dantooine from the ‘Clone Wars’ animated series.

Hopefully we get to see this planet in one of the many live action shows coming out on Disney Plus, such as ‘Ahsoka’.

If not, it may be because Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration.

(Star Wars joke!)

(All images courtesy of Lucasfilm)

What a Multi! A $1 bet returned almost $240.

This is a bit of a rarity, I must admit – but the logic behind it is sound.

This bet was placed on the J2 League in Japan, where a number of matches kick off every Saturday or Sunday at the same time.

Usually I would pick five or six of these fixtures, leaving out a handful of matches that I believe are long shots.

The type of bet is ‘Both Teams to Score’ – and when spread across eight matches means that all sixteen teams must hit the back of the net. Aside from combinations of multies, I then place larger single bets on individual games where I believe the chances of both teams scoring is high.

Of course, if there’s a red card in any of the games then your bet is as good as over.

If you have a betting account, it’s well worth putting a small amount on the J2 League. It’s a high standard of football, but not as strong defensively as the J-League, which is the tier above. When there are a number of games on at the same time, it is very common to see a lot of goals scored.

The same goes for MLS in the United States, but it is a more popular league and the odds tend to be a lot lower.

Perhaps I should write a weekly preview of the J2 League and offer some tips?

‘Miami Connection’ is an independent martial arts film that was released in 1987.

For many years, it has been universally panned for being one of the worst movies ever made.

Quite simply, the story is about ‘Dragon Sound’ – a college band who have somehow managed to upset every gang in Orlando.

The Dragon Sound crew is led by Mark (Y.K Kim) who just so happens to be a Taekwondo expert, with the rest of his friends also proficient in this discipline, but at varying levels.

Their music is fantastic 80’s synth/guitar pop. ‘Against The Ninja’ and ‘Friends Forever’ are two tracks that will keep bopping away in your head for days. We get to see them do their stuff on stage a few times during the movie.

The plot is ridiculous; ninjas on motorcycles, bikies and drug dealers obsessing over a teenage rock band, and propped up with arguably the laziest dialogue and worst acting ever filmed.

But here’s the thing…I absolutely loved it!

The people behind ‘Miami Connection’ were clearly lacking the skills and know how required to make a movie. Yet, amidst their failings that led to such laughable results, they have somehow created a film with a lot of heart and soul.

The central characters all come across as likeable and kind hearted, despite none of the cast being able to act. The fight scenes were badly shot and made little sense, but turned out to be incredibly entertaining. The dialogue was so outrageous that I laughed my way through most of the movie, which I can’t say the same for a lot of ‘comedy’ shows released these days.

There is indeed a positive vibe running through this film that is impossible to ignore. As badly made as ‘Miami Connection’ was, there is never a dull moment throughout its runtime.

But don’t take my word for it! Check out the trailer below…

Movie poster and screenshots courtesy of Drafthouse Films and PJK Group.

Should this man be reading people’s personal information over their shoulder?

I watched the guy do this to three customers, so I decided to change seats in order to take a clear photo.

He was standing much closer when a female was there filling out forms.

Personally, I think he should be stationed a couple of metres back and only approach the counter if the person working there asks him to.

What do you think?

These photos were taken yesterday morning, when a thick trail of who-knows-what was dispersed across our sky.

I’m not saying it’s bad or harmful, but wouldn’t it be nice if we were told what was being sprayed and for what reason?

Or if this is just a conspiracy theory, can anyone prove this is normal procedure for a passenger jet?

‘Terrifier’ is an independent film released in 2016 that I’ve heard a lot about and have been meaning to watch for some time. So, a few days ago I finally managed to sit down and take in this brutal spectacle.

First things first: – the film is extremely violent, with some scenes making me feel very uncomfortable. I suppose that translates as a success for those who made the movie. I must admit, for a low budget film this is particularly well done.

There is no doubt that the antagonist ‘Art The Clown’ is the real star of the show. This would have to be one of the most unnerving performances I have seen from a villain, and done so without speaking a single word.

There is a ‘Terrifier 2’ that came out in 2022, but I’m going to take a break before attempting to watch it.

My understanding is that Art The Clown features in a third film called ‘All Hallows’ Eve’ that was released in 2013.

I would say that if you are a fan of horror and gore, then this is the film for you…but you really have to be a big fan.

All screenshots courtesy of Epic Pictures Group.