There are several hundred species of ladybugs (commonly called ladybirds outside the US), which comprise the family Coccinellidae in the order of Coleoptera--that is, beetles. Ladybugs are generally identified by their very VW Beetle like shape and their yellow, red, or orange, spotted elytra. However, colour and patterns vary greatly even among members of the same species, and spotless bugs as well as black bugs with orange or red spots are not uncommon. In Australia, where everything is…

Introduction

This node is not about metal implements of death, but about a board game. Specifically, it is about a board game in the Milton Bradley Gamemaster series, that was published in 1986 under the name Shogun. It is a game for 2 to 5 players, although it should really be played by 4 or 5. The game was later renamed to Samurai Swords because there is another game that is also called Shogun. It was designed by Michael Gray.

Brief summary

Samurai…

A friend posted a query on a popular social networking type site, asking what we thought she should get her kids for Christmas. After the typical suggestions, I told her to give them a hug, a board game, and a day of her full attention.

She didn't take me seriously. She is opting for a super expensive fad toy that will likely break in a week, and trust me the child will lose interest in it about 4 days before that.

What's so wrong with us, that in many ways we have decided to let technology…

The whistle stop (or whistle-stop) is originally a railroad term for a listed station or stopping place where trains do not stop unless signaled to do so by passengers or stationmasters. The purpose of this is to save time on the route at stations which have low and/or infrequent traffic. There are two possible origins for the term - the first is that the train would usually signal its approach to the station by sounding the train whistle, so that passengers could move out into view on the…