From Michael Ramirez.
10 December 2009
04 December 2009
Adventures in IT Tech Support
So, Tuesday morning I was browsing through my daily webcomics, when I discovered that I couldn't get to QuestionableContent.net. Hmm, seems the internet connection was lost. Oh well, I'll just try to reload . . . to no avail.
Crap.
So, heading off to work, I imagined all the horrendous possibilities. Did I download a virus? Not that I've been to any sites that might expose me to such a thing, heavens forbid. Did my router die? Surely, I just needed to power everything down and reboot . . . .
Nope. Tuesday night was spent fiddling around to no avail. But, I figured I'd bring my work computer home Wednesday night and log on to the internet, just to check and see if the router worked. Yep, no problems there.
The router said it could see the computer, but the computer said it couldn't see the router. I ruled out a bad ethernet cord, and I ruled out the router. That meant either some weird frakking virus, or . . .? Can an ethernet port go bad?
Yes, it can. Specifically, the ethernet card can go bad. So, I wandered into our favorite big blue box store with the big yellow sign and looked for an ethernet card. $18.99 later I'm outta there. Thank you, Dynex.
Now, I'm not a computer person. I barely remember to clean the dust off the intake filter on my poor computer. The thought of performing surgery was a bit daunting. But, I took a stab at it.
Turns out, my ethernet port is mounted on the motherboard (I think). The PCI slot I popped the new network card into used to house the dial-up modem connection-thingy. Propably won't need that in the future . . . .
But, now I have a connection to the outside world! WooHoo! Mrs. Workshop is happy, too, since she can keep up on Facebook with all the people that she doesn't get a chance to see anymore since we moved out to the boonies.
Special thanks to Fred for the advice, and the offer to help should I get elbows-deep into the surgery only to discovery I don't have a clue what the hell I'm doing.
Whaddya know? I done learned something!
15 November 2009
One of These Things is Not Like The Other
So, you're a world leader meeting the Emporer of Japan.
Do you greet him like Ehud Olmert?
Or do you greet him like the King of Morocco?
Maybe you're the prime minister of Khazakstan . . .
or a dignitary from India . . .
or maybe you're VP Dick Cheney.
Perhaps you're a dignitary from Slovenia . . .
Or maybe South Korea . . .
Or maybe you're Vladimir Putin.
Okay, so maybe you're none of those people. Maybe you're an unqualified nincompoop who can't find his way out of a shoebox. Great job, Barak! By the way, you look like an ass. I can only think that Emporer Akihito is thinking "WTF??!!!"
Congratulations, America. You elected an unqualified boob to the White House.
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Do you greet him like Ehud Olmert?
Or do you greet him like the King of Morocco?
Maybe you're the prime minister of Khazakstan . . .
or a dignitary from India . . .
or maybe you're VP Dick Cheney.
Perhaps you're a dignitary from Slovenia . . .
Or maybe South Korea . . .
Or maybe you're Vladimir Putin.
Okay, so maybe you're none of those people. Maybe you're an unqualified nincompoop who can't find his way out of a shoebox. Great job, Barak! By the way, you look like an ass. I can only think that Emporer Akihito is thinking "WTF??!!!"
Congratulations, America. You elected an unqualified boob to the White House.
.
08 November 2009
How High's Unemployment, Momma?
10.2% and climbing . . . .
How high's unemployment, Papa?
10.2% and climbing . . . .
We're outta money and GM's broke
President Obama is blowin' smoke
Congress is nothin' but a big ole joke
10.2% and rising.
With apologies to Johnny Cash.
h/t and all that . . . .
Put another way . . . . (thanks to Powerline Blog)
I wonder if I can get a bumper sticker of this:
I'm so glad that Hope and Change is working out so well . . . .
How high's unemployment, Papa?
10.2% and climbing . . . .
We're outta money and GM's broke
President Obama is blowin' smoke
Congress is nothin' but a big ole joke
10.2% and rising.
With apologies to Johnny Cash.
h/t and all that . . . .Put another way . . . . (thanks to Powerline Blog)
I wonder if I can get a bumper sticker of this:
I'm so glad that Hope and Change is working out so well . . . .
01 November 2009
A Memo to the FTC
With everything blowing up around the Workshop, I missed this story.
In short, the FTC wants to regulate bloggers because said bloggers might receive ad money, or product, or who the hell knows what else, and the FTC can't have unregulated bloggers out there mucking up the works.
They seem to have forgotten the First Amendment, of course.
Therefore, as a pubic service, here's my response to the Federal Trade Commission:
Fuck. You.
I can take whatever freebie, money, renumeration, compensation, or gift I want. I don't even have to tell people about it. Because you know what? I can.
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20 October 2009
Security and Me
So, I try to be good with passwords. I don't make them particularly easy to guess, and even try to use special characters (#$&%^ and the like) when I can. While I'm not the best when it comes to computer security, I want to make it difficult enough for hackers to force-hack my stuff.
You might expect that your employer, who has a vested interest in strong passwords, would ensure that such nontraditional passwords were supported. You'd be half right.
I changed a password recently, one that links to other functions on my employer's intranet site. Let's say for fun that that password is "doug'spassword". That apostrophe is a special character, and the computer accepted that password. My intranet password then became "doug'spassword."
The only problem with that is that there was an application that wasn't updated with the latest and greatest security options, and when I tried to type in "username" and "doug'spassword" I was informed that the ' was an invalid character.
Calling our help desk, I explained the situation, which was met with some mirth. "Yeah, we've seen that problem a couple times. You have to go and change your intranet password in order to get to that application. Sorry, but we haven't updated all our systems yet."
I made sure that he understood my joy at creating a password too complicated for our multi-million dollar security system to handle, and then went and changed my password to something simpler.
Hey, at least I tried to take security seriously.
You might expect that your employer, who has a vested interest in strong passwords, would ensure that such nontraditional passwords were supported. You'd be half right.
I changed a password recently, one that links to other functions on my employer's intranet site. Let's say for fun that that password is "doug'spassword". That apostrophe is a special character, and the computer accepted that password. My intranet password then became "doug'spassword."
The only problem with that is that there was an application that wasn't updated with the latest and greatest security options, and when I tried to type in "username" and "doug'spassword" I was informed that the ' was an invalid character.
Calling our help desk, I explained the situation, which was met with some mirth. "Yeah, we've seen that problem a couple times. You have to go and change your intranet password in order to get to that application. Sorry, but we haven't updated all our systems yet."
I made sure that he understood my joy at creating a password too complicated for our multi-million dollar security system to handle, and then went and changed my password to something simpler.
Hey, at least I tried to take security seriously.
02 October 2009
Unemployment . . . Again . . .
So, the last time unemployment numbers came out, I described how I was shocked, shocked to see that unemployment was up again after the Great Obamomessiah's Grand Stimulus that put the US in hock for somewhere upwards of a trillion dollars.
Well, unemployment numbers were released today.
Yes, when government increases spending, and everyone with half a brain knows that government gets their money from taxing people, the end result is that businesses are not really looking to expand their operations and grow revenue.
Why should they? It's just going to be taken away from them by the parasites who demand health care, or retirement, or any number of other entitlements we Americans have been suckered into demanding.
Guess what? It's only going to get worse. We have a childish president who demands others sacrifice while he attends cocktail parties serving wagyu beef (at $150/lb) and flies off to Copenhagen to try to get the Olympics to select Chicago as the site of the 2016 games (despite that several of his associates stand to make millions on real estate deals should that happen). Thank goodness the Olympic Committee saw through at least some of the BS being hurled their way and told Obama to stuff it. Guess Obama's Chicago cronies got out-cronied by the IOC cronies.
Well, unemployment numbers were released today.
Yes, when government increases spending, and everyone with half a brain knows that government gets their money from taxing people, the end result is that businesses are not really looking to expand their operations and grow revenue.
Why should they? It's just going to be taken away from them by the parasites who demand health care, or retirement, or any number of other entitlements we Americans have been suckered into demanding.
Guess what? It's only going to get worse. We have a childish president who demands others sacrifice while he attends cocktail parties serving wagyu beef (at $150/lb) and flies off to Copenhagen to try to get the Olympics to select Chicago as the site of the 2016 games (despite that several of his associates stand to make millions on real estate deals should that happen). Thank goodness the Olympic Committee saw through at least some of the BS being hurled their way and told Obama to stuff it. Guess Obama's Chicago cronies got out-cronied by the IOC cronies.
30 September 2009
The Cartoon Controversy
Four years ago, the Jyllands-Postern, a Danish newspaper, published several cartoons that were deemed offensive to Muslims. The paper said this was an attempt bring light to the issue of criticism of Islam and self-censorship by various parties. Muslims believe that it is forbidden to draw Muhammad, for such base action only weakens the prophet.
In fact, Islamic art is characterized by wonderful abstracts that leave current, "modern" abstract artists in the dust. Nothing is as perfect as that which God creates, so the thinking goes, so for us to try to replicate it is an affront to God.
Now, couple the belief that depicting Muhammad is an act of blasphemy with the cry-baby nature of modern Islamists, and you end up with Muslims crying out for the death of those who insult Islam.
Me, being a firm believer that the freedom of speech, believe that we should out shine the light of truth upon them.
If you want to play in the sandbox of the civilized world, you don't get to go around demanding I censor myself. You don't get to go around whining about your hurt feelings. And you certainly don't have the right to demand my head be cut off because your delicate sensibilities are hurt.
To that end, I am reposting the Muhammed cartoons. I will not submit, not now, not when you hold a sword to my throat. Some things are worth fighting for, and freedom is one of them.
In fact, Islamic art is characterized by wonderful abstracts that leave current, "modern" abstract artists in the dust. Nothing is as perfect as that which God creates, so the thinking goes, so for us to try to replicate it is an affront to God.
Now, couple the belief that depicting Muhammad is an act of blasphemy with the cry-baby nature of modern Islamists, and you end up with Muslims crying out for the death of those who insult Islam.
Me, being a firm believer that the freedom of speech, believe that we should out shine the light of truth upon them.
If you want to play in the sandbox of the civilized world, you don't get to go around demanding I censor myself. You don't get to go around whining about your hurt feelings. And you certainly don't have the right to demand my head be cut off because your delicate sensibilities are hurt.
To that end, I am reposting the Muhammed cartoons. I will not submit, not now, not when you hold a sword to my throat. Some things are worth fighting for, and freedom is one of them.
28 September 2009
27 September 2009
20 September 2009
File this under: Why Didn't I Think Of That?
What will they think of next?
Many times, I find it better not to surf around the Interwebs, because you invariably end up stumbling on stuff that makes your brain hurt.
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Many times, I find it better not to surf around the Interwebs, because you invariably end up stumbling on stuff that makes your brain hurt.
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11 September 2009
Insurance Companies and Stupidity
Dear Anthem,
Yesterday, I attempted to fill a prescription that my wife requires. The medicine, which had a cost of $41.99 for 30 tablets, keeps her blood pressure under control. This is important because she had some pre-term labor. Lower blood pressure means no early child.
Now, I understand you are in the middle of a huge debate, and the future of the insurance industry pretty much hinges on ObamaCare going down in flames like it should.
But you don't help matters when you refuse to pay for a prescription that will prevent a neo-natal ICU visit. If she has the child now, you will get a bill much higher to cover the cost of NICU, and the round-the-clock care that premature babies get.
Or, you could just decide that covering the medicine is a FREAKING COST SAVING MEASURE TO PREVENT YOU FROM SHELLING OUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN MEDICAL COSTS.
Now, to be fair, the pharmacist did a little fudging to say "yeah, we'll put you on half a dose so insurance will cover the cost. Just take the dose like your doctor prescribed."
$11 later, we had our medicine, we learned that the pharmacist is smart, and that Anthem Insurance is stupid.
In closing, I really support the medical industry. It is filled with amazingly smart, dedicated people. The insurance industry is filled with weasels, and if you guys don't get your act together, no one will cry when you are nationalized.
.
06 September 2009
Unemployment is up again. Color me shocked.
I forgot to update the blog when July unemployment numbers came up. Not to worry, though. Unemployment is higher than it was then. Although you wouldn't know it from the news stories circulating. Granted, this article comes from the AP, but still . . . really guys? If it was GW Bush, you'd be all over it saying we're headed for a death spiral. Like this. And this. And this.
So, how's that "job saving stimulus bill that we need to pass RIGHT NOW or we're all going to die" working out? Not that you could have cut everyone's federal taxes to NOTHING and had an immediate positive response. I'm kinda glad the Glorious Leader didn't do that. Cutting Federal Income Taxes to 0% would have meant the recovery happened immediately, and he'd likely be looked on as a having solved the problem. Instead, the problem got worse. Thank you, Oh Glorious Leader Obama!
31 August 2009
The Political Scale.
I've known about this site for some time. It's a great site. You answer dozens of questions, and it places you on a grid, Communism vs "neo-liberalism" and authoritarian vs fascist.
Note that pretty much all of our political leaders fall in the "authoritarian/neoliberalism" quadrant. Which says a lot about our political leaders. One might also note that there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference between our political leaders. I chalk that up to the bias of the codewriters. Of course, there is a world of difference between our current world leaders and people like Hitler and Stalin (as well as such cuddley figures as Robert Mugabe).
Where am I? Well, Milton Friedman is a pretty close neighbor . . . .
On a side note, I would caution against thinking there is a "best quadrant." The quadrant with Ghandi, for instance, would seem popular until you realize that Ghandi thought the Jews should willingly enter the gas chambers the Nazis had prepared for them. Crazy talk about "moral high ground." Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI is pretty close to Mamoud Abbas, but I don't recall the Pope suggesting that suicide bombing is the way to go.
Note that pretty much all of our political leaders fall in the "authoritarian/neoliberalism" quadrant. Which says a lot about our political leaders. One might also note that there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference between our political leaders. I chalk that up to the bias of the codewriters. Of course, there is a world of difference between our current world leaders and people like Hitler and Stalin (as well as such cuddley figures as Robert Mugabe).Where am I? Well, Milton Friedman is a pretty close neighbor . . . .
On a side note, I would caution against thinking there is a "best quadrant." The quadrant with Ghandi, for instance, would seem popular until you realize that Ghandi thought the Jews should willingly enter the gas chambers the Nazis had prepared for them. Crazy talk about "moral high ground." Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI is pretty close to Mamoud Abbas, but I don't recall the Pope suggesting that suicide bombing is the way to go.
30 August 2009
29 August 2009
Self Hatred
I've been posting elsewhere recently, and I've come to a startling conclusion.
Those on the Left (leftists, socialists, communists, Democrats) hate themselves.
It's very bold to say such a thing, but after watching the way leftists think, it's the only logical conclusion I can make.
Examine what a leftist espouses. Every time, they wish to drag those who achieve down. Higher taxes, universal health care, social security, government programs. The answer, to a leftist, is never something that raises people up.
Why? It is because they are so low in their self esteem, so deep in their unhappiness, that those who are genuinely cheerful cause the leftist pain. A leftist, so convinced of his own inadequacy, cannot fathom that someone else may not share that inadequacy. A leftist, certain he will never amount to anything, is pained by those who do reach the next level of success. And the leftist truly hates those who do not wallow in their own self pity. Only by standing over those unfortunates does a leftist achieve any semblance of moral victory. "At least I care" is their guiding moral beacon. But they never stop to wonder what it is they care about. Their caring is selfish, centered only on their own miserable lives.
Those of us who espouse freedom and liberty know that people can only be free when they are lifted up. Victims cannot be free. The pitiful cannot be free. Those shackled by guilt at their success cannot be free. Man was not meant to wallow in base emotions. We were given the gifts of reason and free will so that we could use our abilities to rise up, to achieve.
It's a strange world when we who achieve are condemned by those still in chains of mediocrity. Even sadder are those unfortunates who poison the minds of those who desire achievement. Because I encourage effort, I have been called unChristian. Because I understand that not everyone will reach the same levels of success, I have been called racist. Because I force people to confront their own shortcomings, I have been called fascist (despite that Fascism is more strongly associated with leftists than libertarians). Because I refuse to let others steal from me, I have been called greedy.
All these insults are reflections of the leftist mind. They hate themselves, and can only project their self-hatred against others. It is the leftists who twist the words of religion to suit their own ends. Leftists are the racists, for they assume skin color is indicative of a lack of skill. Leftists, who want to control the successful, are the fascists. Leftists, who demand that others pay health care, retirement, housing . . . they are the greedy ones. These contradictions result in strong self hate, expressed by the actions the leftist displays.
Watch this when a leftist makes proclamations. You will find the evidence of self-hate. The best you can do is pity those poor unfortunates.
Those on the Left (leftists, socialists, communists, Democrats) hate themselves.
It's very bold to say such a thing, but after watching the way leftists think, it's the only logical conclusion I can make.
Examine what a leftist espouses. Every time, they wish to drag those who achieve down. Higher taxes, universal health care, social security, government programs. The answer, to a leftist, is never something that raises people up.
Why? It is because they are so low in their self esteem, so deep in their unhappiness, that those who are genuinely cheerful cause the leftist pain. A leftist, so convinced of his own inadequacy, cannot fathom that someone else may not share that inadequacy. A leftist, certain he will never amount to anything, is pained by those who do reach the next level of success. And the leftist truly hates those who do not wallow in their own self pity. Only by standing over those unfortunates does a leftist achieve any semblance of moral victory. "At least I care" is their guiding moral beacon. But they never stop to wonder what it is they care about. Their caring is selfish, centered only on their own miserable lives.
Those of us who espouse freedom and liberty know that people can only be free when they are lifted up. Victims cannot be free. The pitiful cannot be free. Those shackled by guilt at their success cannot be free. Man was not meant to wallow in base emotions. We were given the gifts of reason and free will so that we could use our abilities to rise up, to achieve.
It's a strange world when we who achieve are condemned by those still in chains of mediocrity. Even sadder are those unfortunates who poison the minds of those who desire achievement. Because I encourage effort, I have been called unChristian. Because I understand that not everyone will reach the same levels of success, I have been called racist. Because I force people to confront their own shortcomings, I have been called fascist (despite that Fascism is more strongly associated with leftists than libertarians). Because I refuse to let others steal from me, I have been called greedy.
All these insults are reflections of the leftist mind. They hate themselves, and can only project their self-hatred against others. It is the leftists who twist the words of religion to suit their own ends. Leftists are the racists, for they assume skin color is indicative of a lack of skill. Leftists, who want to control the successful, are the fascists. Leftists, who demand that others pay health care, retirement, housing . . . they are the greedy ones. These contradictions result in strong self hate, expressed by the actions the leftist displays.
Watch this when a leftist makes proclamations. You will find the evidence of self-hate. The best you can do is pity those poor unfortunates.
27 August 2009
Dragon!
My total thus far for 2009: 20 miniatures painted. As it is now August, that would mean I've been painting for 8 months. But moving the Workshop took up about 4, so let's call it 4 months of painting. That works out to about one miniature a week.
As for the miniatures I purchased at GenCon . . . at one a week, it'll take me a couple years to finish them. Of course, there's also all the minis from GenCon 08, 07, 06 . . . hell, I still have unpainted figures from when I started painting in 1988.
26 August 2009
25 August 2009
The spin continues . . .
About the fascist health care plan currently proposed by our Glorious Leader and the Democrats.
Yahoo News, in a story highlighting the spin, says "the majority of Americans believe the myths." That would be because the "myths" that logic and common sense tell us are true.
So, what "myths" do Americans believe?
-Health care coverage will be provided for illegal immigrants. Crazy, right? Especially since all those paragraphs about how illegal immigrants won't be covered . . . oh, you mean there isn't language about that? And our government keeps trying to prevent immigration laws from being enforced? 1+1 = 2, kids.
-Wait times will increase for medical care. Crazy, right? I mean, it's not like wait times increased in Canada, the UK, or France . . . oh, wait, they did? But just because it happens in every other country with government controlled health care doesn't mean it will happen here . . . . 2+2 = 4, kids.
-The Federal Government will become involved in making personal health care decisions. Crazy, right? I mean, it's not like our president said "If there's a blue pill and a red pill, and the blue pill is half the price of the red pill and works just as well, why not pay half price for the thing that's going to make you well?" and "you just get into some very difficult moral issues” when considering whether “to give my grandmother, or everybody else’s aging grandparents or parents, a hip replacement when they’re terminally ill." And those effectiveness panels that will determine if certain medical procedures will be allowed or not? Those couldn't possibly interfere with personal health care decisions, could they? 4+4 = 8, kids.
-Insurance premiums will increase. Crazy, right? Just because the government will force insurance companies to cover all sorts of things that they may not cover now, and because insurance won't be able to be denied to anyone for preexisting conditions, there's no way our premiums would increase, could they? 8+8 = 16, kids.
Keep it up. They know the plan is flawed, and only through dedicated effort did the people of this country stand up to be bullies in Washington. We kept them from cramming fascist health care down our throats. We can win, and then we can vote these bastards out of office.
h/t to PowerLine
Yahoo News, in a story highlighting the spin, says "the majority of Americans believe the myths." That would be because the "myths" that logic and common sense tell us are true.
So, what "myths" do Americans believe?
-Health care coverage will be provided for illegal immigrants. Crazy, right? Especially since all those paragraphs about how illegal immigrants won't be covered . . . oh, you mean there isn't language about that? And our government keeps trying to prevent immigration laws from being enforced? 1+1 = 2, kids.
-Wait times will increase for medical care. Crazy, right? I mean, it's not like wait times increased in Canada, the UK, or France . . . oh, wait, they did? But just because it happens in every other country with government controlled health care doesn't mean it will happen here . . . . 2+2 = 4, kids.
-The Federal Government will become involved in making personal health care decisions. Crazy, right? I mean, it's not like our president said "If there's a blue pill and a red pill, and the blue pill is half the price of the red pill and works just as well, why not pay half price for the thing that's going to make you well?" and "you just get into some very difficult moral issues” when considering whether “to give my grandmother, or everybody else’s aging grandparents or parents, a hip replacement when they’re terminally ill." And those effectiveness panels that will determine if certain medical procedures will be allowed or not? Those couldn't possibly interfere with personal health care decisions, could they? 4+4 = 8, kids.
-Insurance premiums will increase. Crazy, right? Just because the government will force insurance companies to cover all sorts of things that they may not cover now, and because insurance won't be able to be denied to anyone for preexisting conditions, there's no way our premiums would increase, could they? 8+8 = 16, kids.
Keep it up. They know the plan is flawed, and only through dedicated effort did the people of this country stand up to be bullies in Washington. We kept them from cramming fascist health care down our throats. We can win, and then we can vote these bastards out of office.
h/t to PowerLine
16 August 2009
GenCon - Day 4: It's Over
Whew! That was a fun weekend.
Minus the drunk hilljack who tried to pick a fight with me.
Total budget spent: 89%
The total was modified thanks in part to the items I had in the auction. Who knew that old D&D modules were so collectible?
I am the proud owner of several medieval buildings now. The Miniature Building Authority received a bunch of cash from me in return for several buildings. Time to start wargaming!
Darksword Miniatures continued to put out some great things, and sponsored some speedpainting competions. The miniature for the final round was Cersei, from George R.R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones." Good stuff, even if I didn't win the final round!
I managed to get in a game of Warlord, "Night of the Solstice." Very fun, with 6 players vying to complete their objectives while the townsfolk either cower or drink enough to start fighting back. The highlight was the Reven player. One of his goals was to raid the brothel for breedstock, and in order to capture the women, he had to roll anything other than mediocre. He rolled mediocre every time save one. The women fought back! And hard! I think they managed to kill 2 of this 3 orcs doing the raid. Don't mess with those women.
I also managed to pick up a dioramma - Bridge of Sorrows. This dioramma has been on my list for about 15 years, and finally I saw it and snapped it up. I have been thinking about using the new Pathfinder minis from Reaper to replace the older centaur and wizard. We'll see how that goes.
One more day off. I gotta cut the grass, get some groceries, and take care of errands that have fallen by the wayside during my time at the Convention Center.
Is it too late to start planning for next year?
Minus the drunk hilljack who tried to pick a fight with me.
Total budget spent: 89%
The total was modified thanks in part to the items I had in the auction. Who knew that old D&D modules were so collectible?
I am the proud owner of several medieval buildings now. The Miniature Building Authority received a bunch of cash from me in return for several buildings. Time to start wargaming!
Darksword Miniatures continued to put out some great things, and sponsored some speedpainting competions. The miniature for the final round was Cersei, from George R.R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones." Good stuff, even if I didn't win the final round!
I managed to get in a game of Warlord, "Night of the Solstice." Very fun, with 6 players vying to complete their objectives while the townsfolk either cower or drink enough to start fighting back. The highlight was the Reven player. One of his goals was to raid the brothel for breedstock, and in order to capture the women, he had to roll anything other than mediocre. He rolled mediocre every time save one. The women fought back! And hard! I think they managed to kill 2 of this 3 orcs doing the raid. Don't mess with those women.
I also managed to pick up a dioramma - Bridge of Sorrows. This dioramma has been on my list for about 15 years, and finally I saw it and snapped it up. I have been thinking about using the new Pathfinder minis from Reaper to replace the older centaur and wizard. We'll see how that goes.
One more day off. I gotta cut the grass, get some groceries, and take care of errands that have fallen by the wayside during my time at the Convention Center.
Is it too late to start planning for next year?
15 August 2009
13 August 2009
GenCon - Day 1
Some notes from today. Hopefully I'll remember to add details later . . . .
Lots of people, which is good. Seemed to be a good number of people buying stuff, which is good. Swag seems light this year, which is bad. I got to meet a couple new acquaintences, which is good. Fun people, especially since I really want to hang out with mini painters more than gamers sometimes. Paizo's Pathfinder game was a hit; there was a line as soon as people could get there. I'm glad, since I don't particularly want to make most of the game books I own suddenly incompatible with the new edition of D&D. Considering I've subscribed to their Adventure Path, I hope they continue in 3.x for a while. I also managed to chat with some folks at the IU school of infomatics. My only knowledge about informatics was in regards to databases. Turns out there's computer animation/modelling, games, interactivity . . . and I mentioned an idea that could likely be used as part of a master's program. Crap, this could be bad . . . .
Green Ronin's True20 Freeport adventure The Lost Island should be there tomorrow. Dangit, now I have to go back. Picked up the Warrior's Handbook and Buccaneers of Freeport.
Caught up with a couple back-issues of Knights of the Dinner Table.
Gamescience dice. Expensive, but worth it. I hope.
CMON is here, and brought the Avatars of War line. And a bunch of Enigma minis. That's gonna hurt the budget . . . .
Jen Haley's class was pretty good. I took it last year, but the topics change based on who asks questions on what to see. Gotta see about getting a pillow to support my elbows while I paint. Also got a review of a painted mini. Still have to work on bringing up highlights. I apparently forgot to highlight a part of the mini's thing (d'oh!). Need to highlight/shade gold. This probably means I need to set the "completed" mini aside for a couple days and then go back and really finish it. That was mentioned to me once before. But, "skin is good" and "hair is good" is a pretty good compliment.
Ninja Magic minis. Yay for space ships!
Reaper Minis is gonna be producing Pathfinder minis. And I got a sneak peak at the new Valeros. Awesome! Where the old mini (by Croc Games) was flat, the new one captures Paizo's iconic fighter in an action pose. I can't wait to see what they do with the other iconics.
I got to show my wife around the mini paint-and-take area, and talked with Bobby Jackson about the sculpting process. Now Mrs. Workshop is an expert . . . or at least understands where these minis come from. I told her I don't have the hard job, the sculptors do. I just slap some paint on and call it good.
Mmmm . . . fish tacos at Houlihans.
Paizo got some more money: Cheliax handbook and the Ezran mini. Yeah, Reaper will redo it, but I like the current version. I skipped over Merisiel. I like her in artwork, but the mini just doesn't scream "Paint me!"
Note to Out of the Box Games: If you run a game at GenCon, you may want to consider bringing that game so that we can buy it. Gavett's Stock Exchange is a fun, fast game, but I can't buy it from you if you leave all the copies at your warehouse. Which sucks, because I'll probably end up spending the money I would have spent on your game at Reaper or Darksword. Or Wyrd.
The WarStore is here, and has MicroArt resin bases. Pretty cool, and supposedly they'll have some more out tomorrow.
Items crossed off list: Cthulhu stuff. I'll check and see if they have Pulp Cthulhu, but the other books I was considering didn't really make the cut. Hirst Arts molds: Boy, do I want them. But, with life the way it is and will be in the near future, I won't have time to use the molds . . . so I'll have to drop them off the list this year. Kraken Editions didn't have any plinths with them, and I wasn't impressed with those available at Armorcast. Infinity minis, although nice, are too expensive. Maybe if I played more scifi games, but at $11 each (or $20 each for the cool motorcycle soldiers) I can't justify it. Carcassone (by RioGrande Games) may be off the list. I can pick up the game here in Indy for the same price as they're offering it at the convention, so I think I'll be supporting a local store instead of buying it here. They didn't have Medici or Medici vs Strozzi. Privateer Press . . . I don't think you'll be getting much money from me anytime soon. I love the steampunk stuff you've put out, but the new stuff is damned expensive, and I don't play Warmachine. Please put out more RPG stuff. But I know you won't since there' s not a good market for it.
New items: Gotta think about the game "Run Candyman, Run!" Imagine Candyland, only with bazookas . . . . Talisman is a classic, and pretty easy to play . . . . Maybe check out the "scratch and dent" games.
Spent: 16% of my GenCon budget.
Lots of people, which is good. Seemed to be a good number of people buying stuff, which is good. Swag seems light this year, which is bad. I got to meet a couple new acquaintences, which is good. Fun people, especially since I really want to hang out with mini painters more than gamers sometimes. Paizo's Pathfinder game was a hit; there was a line as soon as people could get there. I'm glad, since I don't particularly want to make most of the game books I own suddenly incompatible with the new edition of D&D. Considering I've subscribed to their Adventure Path, I hope they continue in 3.x for a while. I also managed to chat with some folks at the IU school of infomatics. My only knowledge about informatics was in regards to databases. Turns out there's computer animation/modelling, games, interactivity . . . and I mentioned an idea that could likely be used as part of a master's program. Crap, this could be bad . . . .
Green Ronin's True20 Freeport adventure The Lost Island should be there tomorrow. Dangit, now I have to go back. Picked up the Warrior's Handbook and Buccaneers of Freeport.
Caught up with a couple back-issues of Knights of the Dinner Table.
Gamescience dice. Expensive, but worth it. I hope.
CMON is here, and brought the Avatars of War line. And a bunch of Enigma minis. That's gonna hurt the budget . . . .
Jen Haley's class was pretty good. I took it last year, but the topics change based on who asks questions on what to see. Gotta see about getting a pillow to support my elbows while I paint. Also got a review of a painted mini. Still have to work on bringing up highlights. I apparently forgot to highlight a part of the mini's thing (d'oh!). Need to highlight/shade gold. This probably means I need to set the "completed" mini aside for a couple days and then go back and really finish it. That was mentioned to me once before. But, "skin is good" and "hair is good" is a pretty good compliment.
Ninja Magic minis. Yay for space ships!
Reaper Minis is gonna be producing Pathfinder minis. And I got a sneak peak at the new Valeros. Awesome! Where the old mini (by Croc Games) was flat, the new one captures Paizo's iconic fighter in an action pose. I can't wait to see what they do with the other iconics.
I got to show my wife around the mini paint-and-take area, and talked with Bobby Jackson about the sculpting process. Now Mrs. Workshop is an expert . . . or at least understands where these minis come from. I told her I don't have the hard job, the sculptors do. I just slap some paint on and call it good.
Mmmm . . . fish tacos at Houlihans.
Paizo got some more money: Cheliax handbook and the Ezran mini. Yeah, Reaper will redo it, but I like the current version. I skipped over Merisiel. I like her in artwork, but the mini just doesn't scream "Paint me!"
Note to Out of the Box Games: If you run a game at GenCon, you may want to consider bringing that game so that we can buy it. Gavett's Stock Exchange is a fun, fast game, but I can't buy it from you if you leave all the copies at your warehouse. Which sucks, because I'll probably end up spending the money I would have spent on your game at Reaper or Darksword. Or Wyrd.
The WarStore is here, and has MicroArt resin bases. Pretty cool, and supposedly they'll have some more out tomorrow.
Items crossed off list: Cthulhu stuff. I'll check and see if they have Pulp Cthulhu, but the other books I was considering didn't really make the cut. Hirst Arts molds: Boy, do I want them. But, with life the way it is and will be in the near future, I won't have time to use the molds . . . so I'll have to drop them off the list this year. Kraken Editions didn't have any plinths with them, and I wasn't impressed with those available at Armorcast. Infinity minis, although nice, are too expensive. Maybe if I played more scifi games, but at $11 each (or $20 each for the cool motorcycle soldiers) I can't justify it. Carcassone (by RioGrande Games) may be off the list. I can pick up the game here in Indy for the same price as they're offering it at the convention, so I think I'll be supporting a local store instead of buying it here. They didn't have Medici or Medici vs Strozzi. Privateer Press . . . I don't think you'll be getting much money from me anytime soon. I love the steampunk stuff you've put out, but the new stuff is damned expensive, and I don't play Warmachine. Please put out more RPG stuff. But I know you won't since there' s not a good market for it.
New items: Gotta think about the game "Run Candyman, Run!" Imagine Candyland, only with bazookas . . . . Talisman is a classic, and pretty easy to play . . . . Maybe check out the "scratch and dent" games.
Spent: 16% of my GenCon budget.
12 August 2009
Gen Con - Day 0
I spent a very small amount of time today helping the mini-paint group set up. Plus, I went to pick up a few people who were flying into Indy.
I managed to get my stuff delivered to the auction ( = $30).
Parking = $3.50
If I'm lucky, I'll be able to keep track of my spending here on this blog . . . but don't count on it!
Update: I suck at Texas Hold-Em. Buy-in was in miniatures. I lost 33% of my original stake. Not horrible, but pretty bad. On the plus side, there was talk of the loser being named the Miniature Hobby Event organizer for next year's GenCon, so at least I didn't get that role!
I managed to get my stuff delivered to the auction ( = $30).
Parking = $3.50
If I'm lucky, I'll be able to keep track of my spending here on this blog . . . but don't count on it!
Update: I suck at Texas Hold-Em. Buy-in was in miniatures. I lost 33% of my original stake. Not horrible, but pretty bad. On the plus side, there was talk of the loser being named the Miniature Hobby Event organizer for next year's GenCon, so at least I didn't get that role!
11 August 2009
An Old Joke
I once saw a bumper sticker that said:
Cheap
Fast
Food
Choose two
The current options for government-controlled health care can be summed up in this manner:
Choose two:
__Comprehensive Universal Coverage
__Quality and Choice
__Reduced Cost
Certainly, universal coverage and quality/choice will mean astronomical costs (and we don't have any money).
Quality/Choice and reduced cost means not everyone is covered.
And universal coverage plus reduced cost means we must sacrifice quality and choice (this is the current option proposed by P-BO and the Democrats).
If anyone tells you anything different, they're lying to you.
Cheap
Fast
Food
Choose two
The current options for government-controlled health care can be summed up in this manner:
Choose two:
__Comprehensive Universal Coverage
__Quality and Choice
__Reduced Cost
Certainly, universal coverage and quality/choice will mean astronomical costs (and we don't have any money).
Quality/Choice and reduced cost means not everyone is covered.
And universal coverage plus reduced cost means we must sacrifice quality and choice (this is the current option proposed by P-BO and the Democrats).
If anyone tells you anything different, they're lying to you.
10 August 2009
Dissent is No Longer Patriotic
First, let's go to the Way-Back Machine. 2003, when Hillary Clinton screeched . . .
Remember that? Not that those on the Right ever called those people unpatriotic. We questioned their judgement, certainly. Still do.
More here . . . .
Bumper stickers . . . .
Editorials, moral declarations, music and video.
But no longer.
Now, we have our president asking for citizens to tattle on one another.
Quote: " If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."
Dissent must now be crushed, because having the Federal Government control health care is touted as the end-all be-all for our survival as a nation. Never mind that this is the same Federal Government that brought us Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Craptacular Stimulus Bill That We Really Needed But Didn't Actually Do Anything for The Economy.
Those who stand up against our government? Unamerican. Exercise your First Amendment rights? Be booted from the room. Dare stand up to union thugs? Be beaten:
All this just because over half the population has realized that the government option will lead to a single-payer option, which will have no choice but to ration health care. Especially to the older citizens. The new responsibility that our elderly will be burdened with is a duty to die, because otherwise costs will be out of control.
As for the claim that the current plan being offered won't lead to a single-payer plan, their own words can speak volumes:
Dissent. Dissent loudly. Dissent often. And keep dissenting.
.
Remember that? Not that those on the Right ever called those people unpatriotic. We questioned their judgement, certainly. Still do.
More here . . . .
Bumper stickers . . . .
Editorials, moral declarations, music and video.
But no longer.
Now, we have our president asking for citizens to tattle on one another.
Quote: " If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."
Dissent must now be crushed, because having the Federal Government control health care is touted as the end-all be-all for our survival as a nation. Never mind that this is the same Federal Government that brought us Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Craptacular Stimulus Bill That We Really Needed But Didn't Actually Do Anything for The Economy.
Those who stand up against our government? Unamerican. Exercise your First Amendment rights? Be booted from the room. Dare stand up to union thugs? Be beaten:
All this just because over half the population has realized that the government option will lead to a single-payer option, which will have no choice but to ration health care. Especially to the older citizens. The new responsibility that our elderly will be burdened with is a duty to die, because otherwise costs will be out of control.
As for the claim that the current plan being offered won't lead to a single-payer plan, their own words can speak volumes:
Dissent. Dissent loudly. Dissent often. And keep dissenting.
.
04 August 2009
My Letter to the Editor in the Indy Star
Full text:
During the debate about health-care reform, one particularly troubling aspect is never mentioned. Every country that has adopted single-payer systems has had to cut back on services offered. In other words, every country that has government-controlled health care has rationed care.
During the debate about health-care reform, one particularly troubling aspect is never mentioned. Every country that has adopted single-payer systems has had to cut back on services offered. In other words, every country that has government-controlled health care has rationed care.
While some may say that our system now rations care, individuals may pay for any service they wish if their insurance doesn't pay for it. But under a government system, the government may outlaw such private payments. In England, it is illegal to pay for your own health care. Canada had a black-market health-care system for those who could afford it. If Canadians were caught going outside the public system, they could be prosecuted. Patients had to go to the Supreme Court to get the ability to pay for their own care.
The ultimate question for those who support government control our health-care system is this: Why should anyone have to go to get an MRI?
03 August 2009
Do Not Hire Trina Thompson.
Because she has already demonstrated she cannot accept responsibility for her actions.
Suing your school because they didn't get a job for you?
Yeah, you'll have employers lined up for blocks.
Today's college graduates: "Dumber than a bag of hammers."
.
Suing your school because they didn't get a job for you?
Yeah, you'll have employers lined up for blocks.
Today's college graduates: "Dumber than a bag of hammers."
.
26 July 2009
Finally, a new miniature!
To take a break from the political rants, here's the first miniature I painted since taking a break due to the move . . . .
From Reaper, 3405 Black Orc Hero.
I'll call him "tabletop plus" quality. Definitely not by best, but still fun to paint.
I'm really enjoying sculpts by Tre Manor. Over-muscled, brutal-looking figures. Lots of muscle detail. He's selling his own minis over at Red Box Games.
On another gaming front, GenCon looms! I'm excited, since I've got a bunch of money burning a hole in my pocket. Dozens of miniatures will likely be purchased, as well as RPG supplements and board games (like Carcassone and Cold War).
All told, about 34,000 games will descend upon Indianapolis in a fit of geekiness, nerdiness, and downright dorkitude. The Colts are still going to try to have a pre-season game against the Vikings that weekend. Hopefully, they've learned that booking hotel rooms in advance is a good plan. On the other hand, I'll laugh myself silly if they goof it up again ( like when the Jets came here several years ago), and the Vikings need to stay at a Super-8 up in Lafayette.
.
From Reaper, 3405 Black Orc Hero.
I'll call him "tabletop plus" quality. Definitely not by best, but still fun to paint.
I'm really enjoying sculpts by Tre Manor. Over-muscled, brutal-looking figures. Lots of muscle detail. He's selling his own minis over at Red Box Games.
On another gaming front, GenCon looms! I'm excited, since I've got a bunch of money burning a hole in my pocket. Dozens of miniatures will likely be purchased, as well as RPG supplements and board games (like Carcassone and Cold War).
All told, about 34,000 games will descend upon Indianapolis in a fit of geekiness, nerdiness, and downright dorkitude. The Colts are still going to try to have a pre-season game against the Vikings that weekend. Hopefully, they've learned that booking hotel rooms in advance is a good plan. On the other hand, I'll laugh myself silly if they goof it up again ( like when the Jets came here several years ago), and the Vikings need to stay at a Super-8 up in Lafayette.
.
18 July 2009
For Fred
I found some pre-production sketches of Voyager.
Check out ScienceFictionModels.com for more pictures.
Check out ScienceFictionModels.com for more pictures.
Even More Adventures in Irony.
So, I am pretty peeved off about the Federal Government spending money that doesn't even exist like drunken sailors on shore leave.
I even contacted my two senators about it. I haven't heard anything from Senator Richard Lugar, but I did get two very nice messages back from Senator Evan Bayh.
The first one contained this paragraph:
It disturbs me that the Federal Government borrows billions each year from foreign creditors, such as the Chinese and Japanese central banks. The growing indebtedness of our country to our competitors raises troubling questions about America's independence and the ability of foreign countries to influence our economic and trade policies in ways that might not be in our national interest.
and this:
For these reasons, it is imperative that we spend every taxpayer dollar wisely. In January, I supported a resolution of disapproval regarding the release of the second half of the funds for the Troubled Asset Relief Program from the Treasury. It concerns me that these funds may have been used improperly, rather than to stabilize our banking system as intended. It is now more important than ever that our government demonstrate the accountability that we taxpayers deserve.
Oh yeah, there's this, too:
I was also one of two Democrats to vote against the Fiscal Year 2010 congressional budget resolution due to its lack of fiscal restraint. At a time when so many American families are tightening their belts to make ends meet, Congress should be equally committed to living within its means. The budget I opposed projected an unsustainable level of deficits spending. The national debt today stands at over $11 trillion and is projected to reach $17 trillion by 2014 under this budget. We cannot pass that burden on to our children and grandchildren.
Got all that? Sure sounds like Senator Bayh is very concerned about all that money we're spending . . . .
So, here's how the second message starts off:
I strongly supported President Obama's $789 billon economic recovery plan, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which was enacted on February 17, 2009. While this legislation is not perfect, it does make job creation and tax relief for the middle class top priorities. It is critical that the government play an active role in stimulating the economy to keep thousands of businesses from failing and millions of people from losing their jobs.
What? I thought you just said . . . .
The economic recovery plan provides more than $17 billion in funding for biomedical research, public health, and other health-related programs within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is an important contribution to Indiana's premier life sciences sector. Specifically, ARRA provides $10 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for biomedical research and extramural research facilities; $2 billion for the modernization of health records and health information technology (HIT); $500 million for health center grants and HIT acquisition; more than $1 billion for comparative effectiveness research; $1.5 billion for health center renovation and repair; $500 million for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and other health workforce programs; and $1 billion for disease prevention.
Wait a minute, I coulda swore your first message was all about fiscal responsibility . . . .
I have confidence that the economic recovery plan will continue to save and create jobs in Indiana and around our country, improve our transportation system and existing infrastructure, and eventually improve the quality of health care for Americans. Please rest assured that I will keep your views regarding health care funding in mind as Congress debates these important issues.
Seriously, Senator. W. T. F?
Sounds like someone's fixin' to get a phone call from me soon.
I even contacted my two senators about it. I haven't heard anything from Senator Richard Lugar, but I did get two very nice messages back from Senator Evan Bayh.
The first one contained this paragraph:
It disturbs me that the Federal Government borrows billions each year from foreign creditors, such as the Chinese and Japanese central banks. The growing indebtedness of our country to our competitors raises troubling questions about America's independence and the ability of foreign countries to influence our economic and trade policies in ways that might not be in our national interest.
and this:
For these reasons, it is imperative that we spend every taxpayer dollar wisely. In January, I supported a resolution of disapproval regarding the release of the second half of the funds for the Troubled Asset Relief Program from the Treasury. It concerns me that these funds may have been used improperly, rather than to stabilize our banking system as intended. It is now more important than ever that our government demonstrate the accountability that we taxpayers deserve.
Oh yeah, there's this, too:
I was also one of two Democrats to vote against the Fiscal Year 2010 congressional budget resolution due to its lack of fiscal restraint. At a time when so many American families are tightening their belts to make ends meet, Congress should be equally committed to living within its means. The budget I opposed projected an unsustainable level of deficits spending. The national debt today stands at over $11 trillion and is projected to reach $17 trillion by 2014 under this budget. We cannot pass that burden on to our children and grandchildren.
Got all that? Sure sounds like Senator Bayh is very concerned about all that money we're spending . . . .
So, here's how the second message starts off:
I strongly supported President Obama's $789 billon economic recovery plan, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which was enacted on February 17, 2009. While this legislation is not perfect, it does make job creation and tax relief for the middle class top priorities. It is critical that the government play an active role in stimulating the economy to keep thousands of businesses from failing and millions of people from losing their jobs.
What? I thought you just said . . . .
The economic recovery plan provides more than $17 billion in funding for biomedical research, public health, and other health-related programs within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is an important contribution to Indiana's premier life sciences sector. Specifically, ARRA provides $10 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for biomedical research and extramural research facilities; $2 billion for the modernization of health records and health information technology (HIT); $500 million for health center grants and HIT acquisition; more than $1 billion for comparative effectiveness research; $1.5 billion for health center renovation and repair; $500 million for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and other health workforce programs; and $1 billion for disease prevention.
Wait a minute, I coulda swore your first message was all about fiscal responsibility . . . .
I have confidence that the economic recovery plan will continue to save and create jobs in Indiana and around our country, improve our transportation system and existing infrastructure, and eventually improve the quality of health care for Americans. Please rest assured that I will keep your views regarding health care funding in mind as Congress debates these important issues.
Seriously, Senator. W. T. F?
Sounds like someone's fixin' to get a phone call from me soon.
More Adventures in Irony.
The Kindle is supposed to be the "next big thing" in books. An electronic book, capable of storing your entire library, allowing you to read great classics anywhere.
Until a publisher decides he doesn't really want electronic copies out there, and convinces Amazon.com to yank them back.
The best part? Amazon yanked freaking Animal Farm and 1984, both by George Orwell.
Now, not that I'm a smart-ass or anything, but if someone were to go to another site in another country where Orwell's works have passed into the public domain, who am I to stop them? Naturally, I would never, ever link to such a site. That would be wrong. But as they say, some wrongs are more equal than others. :)
http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/o/orwell/george/
Until a publisher decides he doesn't really want electronic copies out there, and convinces Amazon.com to yank them back.
The best part? Amazon yanked freaking Animal Farm and 1984, both by George Orwell.
Now, not that I'm a smart-ass or anything, but if someone were to go to another site in another country where Orwell's works have passed into the public domain, who am I to stop them? Naturally, I would never, ever link to such a site. That would be wrong. But as they say, some wrongs are more equal than others. :)
http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/o/orwell/george/
16 July 2009
Vacations are good things
No, that's not me. That's Jeff. But I was taking the picture, if that makes you feel better.
I went up to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Very nice and peaceful (minus the niece and nephew). I didn't get as much fishing in as I had wanted. The mornings just didn't lend themselves to getting up at the buttcrack of dawn. We did manage to get out to a river once, where we found thousands of crayfish, but only about 3 fish. None of which we caught. The river (part of the Rainbow Flowage) was beautiful, with lots of boulders providing a picturesque landscape. But, the river flowed too slowly to crave out deep ruts and holes that could have provided shelter for smallmouth. Oh well, guess I'll just have to keep trying here in Indy!
But, I did get a few shots of eagles. There was a hunting perch where these two eagles sat, keeping an eye out for food.
That's about as good as my camera can do. Beautiful, and fun to watch. I managed to see them pluck a couple fish out of the lake. They did better than we did.
More miniature pictures coming someday. As soon as I can figure out how to work my camera again. I hid the setting notes somewhere . . . .
.
02 July 2009
Obama's Recovery Plan - Even Higher Unemployment!
Continued from here . . . .
Now, this is the projected number, not the actual number (the guys over at Innocent Bystanders are on it, though).
Unemployment increased AGAIN!!! Despite the Glorious Leader Obama's plan to Bankrupt Us All.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
And these numbers don't include what will happen when the Cap and Tax carbon emission debacle . . . er . . . plan goes through. Or Universal Health Care That Will Mean You Die Sooner. Or the necessary tax increases to pay for all our wonderful government services that the Glorious Leader Obama will provide for us.
For the record, what do you think the media would be saying if these unemployment numbers occurred under George W. Bush? Instead of "Unemployment lower than expected" we'd be seeing "Economy worsens to historic proportions."
If the economy keeps getting worse at a slower rate, we'll soon be up to 10% unemployment. No doubt our ruling class will proclaim that it would have been so much worse if we were fiscally responsible.
Bastards.
Now, this is the projected number, not the actual number (the guys over at Innocent Bystanders are on it, though).Unemployment increased AGAIN!!! Despite the Glorious Leader Obama's plan to Bankrupt Us All.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
And these numbers don't include what will happen when the Cap and Tax carbon emission debacle . . . er . . . plan goes through. Or Universal Health Care That Will Mean You Die Sooner. Or the necessary tax increases to pay for all our wonderful government services that the Glorious Leader Obama will provide for us.
For the record, what do you think the media would be saying if these unemployment numbers occurred under George W. Bush? Instead of "Unemployment lower than expected" we'd be seeing "Economy worsens to historic proportions."
If the economy keeps getting worse at a slower rate, we'll soon be up to 10% unemployment. No doubt our ruling class will proclaim that it would have been so much worse if we were fiscally responsible.
Bastards.
30 June 2009
The New Workshop
It's about time I got these pictures up.
First, the Old Workshop. Taken back just be
fore we started moving. Notice the fact that my computer screen is sitting right in front of my painting area. Notice my keyboard pushed aside to make room for my latest projects.
I painted this way for 2 years.
And this is the New Workshop. My drawing table, lovingly toted from Michigan to Colorado to Texas to Indiana, with plenty of room to put paints and half-painted miniatures. Heck, I probably have enough to set up my camera if I cleared the minis off the work area!
.
My computer now sits off in another corner of my room, allowing me to focus my attention on the miniatures in front of me.
My Workshop also holds most of my reading material and all of my game books. The closet is filled with unpainted metal and other totes I have yet to unpack.
I did manage to buy one of those plastic hang-from-the-door shoe racks. My basing supplies, primers, and finishing sprays go there.
I've still got a little ways to go before the room is up to my high standards . . . but it's good enough that I can start painting. It feels good to get a brush back in my hands. Now, of course, I have to relearn all the stuff I forgot over the intervening three months.
About 6 weeks to GenCon! I gotta get practicing.
.
First, the Old Workshop. Taken back just be
fore we started moving. Notice the fact that my computer screen is sitting right in front of my painting area. Notice my keyboard pushed aside to make room for my latest projects.I painted this way for 2 years.
And this is the New Workshop. My drawing table, lovingly toted from Michigan to Colorado to Texas to Indiana, with plenty of room to put paints and half-painted miniatures. Heck, I probably have enough to set up my camera if I cleared the minis off the work area!
.
My computer now sits off in another corner of my room, allowing me to focus my attention on the miniatures in front of me.
My Workshop also holds most of my reading material and all of my game books. The closet is filled with unpainted metal and other totes I have yet to unpack.
I did manage to buy one of those plastic hang-from-the-door shoe racks. My basing supplies, primers, and finishing sprays go there.
I've still got a little ways to go before the room is up to my high standards . . . but it's good enough that I can start painting. It feels good to get a brush back in my hands. Now, of course, I have to relearn all the stuff I forgot over the intervening three months.
About 6 weeks to GenCon! I gotta get practicing.
.
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