MurdocK's MarauderS

 Did some explorations of the viewpoints near where I live.

high up above the semi-official 'viewpoint' (look closely at the dark speck on the road - that's our van!)

I've had a number of different projects pulling my attention away from any games activity.

Summertime also brings the lawn care and repairs issues into focus.

This Friday, the 14th I have also decided to run for council in a by-election.

Gonna be a busy summer!

So I get a regular update on the monthly games that the Trumpeter Society of British Columbia does.

This time there was a note to check out the new website:

http://trumpetersociety.com/

I poked around and I must say that they have improved the web presence greatly.  Look at the gallery of featured games and the 2012 bicentennial SHAKO 2 game of Borodino was most impressive ... I wish I knew it was being staged.

I am not a fan of Yahoo groups and shall not be partaking in that end of the discussion, however I did want to share the website with all of you.

The traveler returns!

I have been on a month long trip to camping in British Columbia then on to Minnesota for family connection then Nevada for business networking.

While in Minnesota, we visited a museum that was exhibiting Minnesota based US Civil war items.

the marketing had this drummer boy in it quite often

There was a whole section devoted to the 1st Minnesota Light Artillery Battery:

the battle flag of the battery - along with the honors from the Carolina campaign

old warriors, re-united 40 years later ...

There was even a gun, the only original part was the barrel and the historical interpreter left much to be considered when describing a gun crew and what functional parts they each played in the loading and firing of the piece ... my sons asked me who did what and I described the action in detail, after which the interpreter asked what I did for a living ... oooops.

replica carriage with an original barrel

There were some great uniform pieces, that I now share for the ACW fans:

overcoat

breastplate?!  yes, the battery had them for siege works

Colonels epaulettes - MASSIVE is just not the right word

Colonel's service uniform

gunner's uniform

There were bullets:

that is my thumb to show the size of the lead slugs fired from the muskets

And a captured flag from Gettysburg:

28th Virginia Infantry

even 50 years later the sentiments had not changed

it was a time of sacrifices ...

I had at one time, plans for a 15mm Civil War armies. 

They were shelved when I discovered how many other players I could convince to get into a game.  For a while there was a re-surfacing of that plan, while I was in New Westminster and did some gaming with the Trumpeter Club. 

Sadly that was also the final nail in the coffin for that 15mm plan.  It was at the games tables that I discovered how fickle some other game players could be and thus decided that the rather bland colors of the US Civil War were just not what I wanted to partake in on the tabletop. 

The Zouaves and some others that took action at 1st Bull Run were colorful enough, though by Gettysburg the blue and grey were well established and tend to make the battlefield take on a dull appearance.  Moreover the skills that were gained by the Napoleonic commanders could not be exploited in the war between the states as the weapons had undergone a shift, something that the South could never have overcome, they did not have the manpower nor the technical production capability of the North.

family fun visit

yours truly with some neon and a classic car

Vintage Wargaming has put out a most interesting article about Norman Bel Geddes.

Norman Bel Geddes

In the article I noted that Geddes is described as being more pacifistic in outlook and thought that by playing at war a real war would appear less appealing...

I certainly agree with this sentiment.

Futurama

His model building skills were put to the test in the 1939 worlds fair.

Are you a proper wargamer?

I have not been active in the Role Playing arena for about three years now, my time is more taken up by my business needs and keeping my family happy.

My oldest son is becoming more interested in RPG's and I have recently gifted him my hardback AD&D set (the ones from 1979-82) DMG, PH, MM, FF, MMII, Manual of the Planes, along with a whole bunch of my AD&D adventure notes and NPCs.  My wife has asked if I could consider game mastering with him and a couple of his friends, I have answered maybe; yet the problem is one of desire to tell a story and do so with active players.  While my son is keen to start, his 'finish' is sometimes non-existent. That coupled with the time commitment and a 'lack' of story telling desire on my part would make for a poor experience, in my view.

Today I have been sent an interesting article about this very subject, most certainly I agree with the appraisal that these are the attributes that belong to a good Game Master:

The Good GMs that I've played with have a number of things going for them:
- Fascinating Worlds
- Command of their Rules
- Fast Math Skills
- Natural Improvisational Acting Ability
- Passion for the Game
- Zest for Adventure (in and out of the game)
- Some inkling of what players mean by "Hero"
- A sense of Story
- The ability to Play Wicked on behalf of Evil NPCs
- At least a basic understanding of Combat Tactics
- Graciousness when confronting disagreement
- Sturdiness when confronting disagreeableness
- Descriptive Narration Skills
- Organizational Skills
- Tons of Imagination

That's a lot. And all of them help to make for the Good GM.

I would say that, today - right now - my "Zest for Adventure" is more out of the game world and IN the REAL WORLD - which is why I resist putting time into the RPGs.

One other cool link was shared, one filled with fantasy fonts for printing out stuff:

33 Fantasy True Type Fonts

At least one of these fonts may find its way into my activities in the coming months.

Tradition continues



We have made a gingerbread TRAIN for this year's confection concoction.

So far that makes 5 years in a row for making a gingerbread house ... how long does it take to make a tradition?

Expanding the removal of fantasy minis

check out this Ral Partha Dragon on eBay here



or enter:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/300623140420?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
in your browser

I am doing a blowout on eBay of many of the non-historical and some of the historical periods that I do not game any more ... basically if I have not used these in games in the past 10 years I am selling it off.

Must make space for what is to come.

Nothing Small



While not as impressive an article as may have been printed of Featherstone et al. I have my own moment in the press of my day.

This image, and others from the recent Trumpeter Salute 2011 convention are on the Burnaby Now website.

STAR TREK CREWERS

Did some eBay listings today for these Trek guys.

Probably do some more in the coming week.

Battle of Neu-Isenburg AAR

The after action report or the Battle of Neu-Isenburg has been unavoidably delayed.

My work has reared its head just enough to fill all the days in the field and nights are crammed with escorting children into bed.

The AAR will come, likely on the 13th or 14th.

YOUR PRINTER IS A BRAT!

Computer Problems solved?

I have had a few weeks of connectivity challenges, brought on by a worm that kept on shutting down my system.

Yesterday I had to purge the whole system and clean it all off. ~sigh~


Unfortunately this also means that much of the work I had done towards the 1809 game has been wiped clean also. ~sigh~

Time for work and other higher priorities has come on and I cannot see a hole big enough for running the whole game -alone-.

I am still seeking helper players and keen tabletop gamers for the project, control systems will be more humble (in the end that may be a good thing).

It also means that many of my email addresses are lost, so if you have communicated with me in the past and have not heard from me in a while please do send me a new message (so that I can recover all those missing email contacts).

I am also still going to do the Kingdom of St. Maurice and Frankszonia battle ~ going into next week. I need the OOB for BOTH sides sooner rather than later though!

Understanding the bailout:

Once upon a time a man appeared in a village and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.
The villagers, knowing there were many monkeys, went to the forest and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort.
He then announced that he would buy monkeys at $20 each. This renewed the villager's efforts and they started catching monkeys again.
Soon the supply diminished and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so scarce it was an effort to even find a monkey, let alone catch it!
The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50 each! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would buy on his behalf.
The assistant told the villagers, "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that my boss has already collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when my boss returns, you can sell them to him for $50."
The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys for 700 billion dollars.
They never saw the man or his assistant again, only lots and lots of monkeys!

Now you have a better understanding of how the Wall Street Bailout Plan works.

Courtesy of Joel Wissing!

Ca Ira!

Definately a different interpretation of the Versailles moment...




Ahh the distance of history takes us so far away from the passion and reality of what a mob can do!

Reality Check:

I have been rather busy with business and learning about business opportunities recently and have not posted here much.

Nor have I finished many painted minis, the need to have funds outweighs the need to move a brush right now.

Along the way in my learning I have come across a significant observation and feel that I must share it with anyone willing to listen.

"The financial tide is moving. It will not float any boats."

Please view the following two videos and take the information in...see where it might apply in your life.

I share it only because I understand that not knowing will be the greatest mistake.

Thanks all.

Some more musical inspiration.

Alan Parsons Project became a bit of a 10 minute focus after a successful business call today.

So I am celebrating by sharing the music an images in this little sampler:

A Literary bicentennial.

Edgar Alan Poe was born in 1809, I have always been amazed with his writings and Rafa of Project Leipzig has found a great video of the poem the raven, set to the music of Alan Parsons Project.

Stay well everyone.

Words of Wisdom

I have been rather busy learning and expanding my horizons recently.

I also came across these very sage words written by George Carlin, I repeat them here with the intent to spread the wisdom.



A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have

taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower

viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less

time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less

judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less

wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly,

laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up to o late, get

up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our

values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.



We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to

the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new

neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done

larger things, but not better things.


We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve

conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn

less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learne d to rush, but not

to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce

more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.



These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion,

big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but

broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,

throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that

do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is

much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when

technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose

either to share this insight, or to just hit delete…



Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because

they are not going to be around forever.

And please say a kind word to someone who looks up to you

in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you,

because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it

doesn’t cost a cent.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for

someday that person will not be there again.



Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to

share the precious thoughts in your mind.



AND DEFINITELY REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,

but by the moments that take our breath away.