Jackal

"That looks like the Batmobile," Sean said when he saw this photo. That wasn't my intent, but I can see what he means. This paint job still has flaws, but I think I'm getting some of my mojo back. 
 

Batmobile in Miniature

Should I be lucky to live long enough to enjoy a post-scarcity society, I'll definitely replicate a 1960s Batmobile to tool around in. Sylvia says she would refuse to ride with me, though. 

From Cairo to Cape

Ever since I first heard about the concept, I've been fascinated by the never-completed Cape to Cairo railway project. Today, on a whim, I decided to see if it's theoretically possible to drive from Cairo to Cape Town, and to my surprise Google Maps claims the feat is indeed possible, though it would take a staggering 165 hours to complete the nearly 11,000 km journey.

Of course that assumes you can get all the travel visas you need and have an incredibly durable vehicle that can make it through the many unpaved sections, not to mention river crossings. I think I'd probably only want to do this in a custom iteration of the Batmobile. I imagine it would be a spectacular trip, though.

A Trio of Batmobiles

Long, long ago my parents bought me a Batmobile. Sometime in 1975 or 1976 I became the excited owner of a die-cast Corgi crime-fighting hot rod, complete with tiny Batman and Robin figures. I don't remember exactly why I have three in my possession, but I'm pretty sure it went something like this: my parents bought me one set with a Batboat, one set with a Batcopter, and the other probably really belongs to my brother. Boat, copter and three Robins and two Batmen are long missing, probably lost in the sand pits of Leaf Rapids out behind the Acklands store managed by my dad; it was my favourite spot to play with toy cars and action figures.

This Batmobile is in fairly good condition, with its Bat-decals still intact, Bat-battering ram still functional and Bat-antenna present, if bent. Even the Bat-missile  launcher is in good shape, though missing its missiles.

However the trademark Bat-siren is missing, and both canopies have been shattered, presumably by villainous gunfire. Or perhaps Batman slammed into a wall and Robin went flying through the windshield, explaining his absence.

These toys brought me and my friends hours and hours of imaginative entertainment. I'm glad that I rescued them from Mom and Dad's garage last spring. Given their battered condition they're worth nothing on the collector's market, but the memories they spark are priceless to me.