Ok enough!!!.... Im old enough to decide for my self

I was noticing, since we are in the midst of award season, that the TVs and internets seem to be buzzing with women and not so macho guys trying to tell me who is attractive and who isnt and why.

First... I am old enough to decide for my self and I certainly don’t need all the Mr Blackwell wannabes telling me why they look ridicules. I find it odd thats its usually women telling me that such and such has gained weight, or so and so looks horrible in the blue floral print or better yet.... a guy who obviously looks like he isnt troll’n for a hawt starlet to date.

Second.... Im sorry, all the men I know like women to have curves, this obsession with emaciated starlets is not my fault. I much prefer curvy “Career Opportunities” Jennifer Connely over thinner blood diamond ( or god forbid... the forgotten hulk) Jen. I find it crazy when stalker photographers follow starlets to the beach and snap some photo’s then print then on Yahoo or Comcast home pages with captions “ Jennifer Love Hewitt puts on weight” or something like that.... the whole time I look at the picture and think “She looks good”

I remember reading that its mens ideal of a woman that drives young women to anorexia or bulemia.... they want to conform to that ideal so bad. I honestly don’t think its us, Men don’t (for the most part) produce and edit the great woman’s fashion magazines... and we sure as hell don’t read them.We don’t watch Extreme Makeover or top model... at least I dont. Must of the guys I know like the 40’s pin-up look over the Vogue cover look any day.

It just drives me crazy, every year Im being told why these people are ugly or fat like I don’t have the sense to figure it out my self.

Geek Chic.... Gaming tables we dream of.

When I was at Historicon last year, there was a company called "Geek Chic" there selling purpose built gaming furniture. It was amazing, everything true geeks had dreamed of for years ( with maybe the exception of a Tavern in their basement :o).

I have to say, If I ever got around to finishing the basement... one of these tables might end up in it.

http://www.geekchichq.com/Co_Store/Co_Store.html

A Day at the Beach??...

for the shore for a week”. My own family loves it, My mother lives down there, my Aunt owns a house down the shore and everyone dreams of their time on the sandy shores... everyone but me.

I will start with a disclaimer.... We met my Brother and law and his family down there last year and I had a blast watching the kids frolic but in general... I loathe the beach and I think I have since I was in High School.

To me, Mountains and forest have always been the places I wanted to escape to. I remember as a kid laying on the ground in the middle of a pine forest, on a bed of needles listening to a near by stream thinking how grand it was.

When I was at a moment in my life when I had few friends I remember ranging the woods and hills around Pike Creek, even in the snow and enjoying it. When I lived in Newkirk estates we practically lived down in the woods along the creek. During the Autumn and early Fall, you could find a spot out of the wind, and all though in the open it was cold, in your secluded spot the sun would warm ya to the point you almost wanted to fall asleep.

People would always squawk about going to the beach, I can honestly say I probably spent more time in the antique shops in and around Lewes then on the beach. I do go, my wife loves it and thats reason enough, the kids are enjoying it more and more. I don’t ever see me selling the kids on going to the Shanandoah for a week... Though I did kidnap Kevin to Harper’s Ferry and enjoyed it immensely ( though Kevin only liked it).

Do I have a Screw lose? undoubtedly, but The beach just doesnt hold the same appeal for me as others... I may not be the only one but sometimes I feel as though I am.

Thoughts while shoveling snow...

Not so much thoughts as they are Day Dreams, ways to occupy my mind while shoveling.

I usually start off with the one where I am a American Folk hero, sort of like John Henry, but white and fat.... and its up to me to clean up after the Great Fluff-n-nutter train derailment of 09. The vaccine can’t get through unless I... The Clockwinder... clear the tracks of the gooey goodness of Fluff-n-nutter. Generally there is usually a song that goes with this... with Pete Seeger leading the town folk.

When that runs its course, and ya still have half a driveway to clear, I reach deep. Tonight it was one where I am a Barbarian... allot like Conan... if Conan looked like me. You know the story, parents killed by a evil guy, im sold into slavery, but where as Conan had his giant wheel to push to make him strong... I have snow shoveling. Of course there are super hawt babes that dig me for my shoveling prowess and there is a epic battle ( or shovel off) against the Evil lord who killed my parents and his army of snow men ( winning involved a snow ball as a distraction). I have a great line before I kill him with my shovel... “Dig This!”.

Shoveling is a Boredom and monotony sandwich with a serving suck on the side... ya have to do what ya can to enjoy it :o)

Ok... the more I see about this movie the more its like they stepped inside my brain and made a movie called "Brian Kendall's freakn Awesome Movie"

http://suckerpunchmovie.warnerbros.com/#

Ok, women, you may not be into SciFi babes blasting through a super-cool dreamscape, but I think it looks great... you can always dream up a sequel to "Dirty Dancing" or something... Wait... Never mind.

I hope this movie is half as good as it looks.

Masks we wear....

noticed today, as I was at a appointment talking to a young lady, that there are masks we wear. For me, it was the mask of a corporate Douche bag, sounding like someone concerned about how his quarterly review was going to turn out.

It was probably one of the few times in my life that being “Brian” would have been a advantage... but though you may not believe it, I am shy and have confidence issues and when I am nervous I “hide” behind a mask... this one being the mask I wore for 17 years “Professional Brian” the banking tool.

I think I even used buzz words, I mean everything I said was true, it answered the questions, it was just like hearing it out of the mouth of someone else. I’m surprised I didn't bring up metrics and things that I had accomplished the last quarter.

Im sure everyone else does it, we have it drilled into us “This is what we expect” that the real “us” gets taken out to decompress when we get home for a few hours before bed. At work you could tell who I was talking to by the way I sounded, If I knew the person on the phone, I’d crack jokes, make fun, ask about family... what ever, but if I didnt know the person It was all formal this and that.

I remember I started eating lunch with some of the Technical folks at work (Greatest Gang ever) and how surprised they were how different I acted once I got to know them, they thought I was just a PMO tool.... I was just keystrokes and phone calls I never “dropped down” to talk.

Oh well, we learn, I cant say I won’t put the mask on again, it is one that Im used to and has it uses in the right place... I just wish I could be me when Im in the Nervous moments.

Over 4000 Views?? ...We almost slept through it.

Good friend Aravan pointed out that the old Jalopy has puttered past the 4000 views mark...WOOT!!! Thanks friends for viewing my meaningless drivel... Here's to my Drivel production gland and more Drivel producing!

What Character am I... How about 9th level Awesome!

I Am A: Neutral Good Human Ranger (6th Level) Ability Scores: Strength-18 Dexterity-19 Constitution-19 Intelligence-19 Wisdom-17 Charisma-19 Alignment: Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable. Race: Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like. Class: Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast. Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Surprise Surprise!!!... ‘Wolfhound” Review

My eldest son today woke up with a fever and a sore throat so The Clockwinder ran him in to the doctor... long story short, Strep Throat. This required us to pick up some antibiotics and as we waited for the prescription to be filled I stopped at the local Blockbuster. They had a couple movies that I wanted and when I went to pay, the girl said “You know its 4 for 20.00?” so I went to look for a couple more... I choose one simply because it looked like it would fit nicely into my Bad Fantasy Film collection. Noting earlier posts on the jalopy, I wasn't expecting much more then a good laugh when I slid “Wolfhound” into the DVD player... boy I was wrong.

“Wolfhound” is a russian film and on the back cover it had a quote from a “critic” claiming it was “Lord of the Rings meets Conan”. As the movie began... I was “This is exactly like “Conan” you know the drill, blacksmith family, marauders boy becomes slave thing, but you know after 8 minutes I wasn’t minding it.

The boy grows up into the typical vengeance seeking warrior, sporting impressive scars and traveling with a Bat as a companion ( I hate bats... but I loved this one). He tracks down the guys responsible for his parents death all the time doing the right thing, helping the down trodden and saving princesses (ok... one princess). The movie ends in a fight against the not so human big baddy and becomes a epic Wagner like battle between the hero and a woken god.

This movie actually works, the production value is fantastic and it being Eastern european, isnt like allot of films we have seen. Sure, this film isnt Hamlet, but its a good solid Fantasy film, about 173 times better then most schlock we have to digest. The city they go to, almost entirely log construction...was amazing.

There were no Hollywood “plastic” babes in this movie ( for better or worse) but they had some really good female roles. There was one scene, where they save a “witch” and a baby that ended up not having much of a impact or reason story wise, but that could have been editing, she did provide some back story.

I was just surprised as heck with this movie, I had never heard of it, was ready to Riff on it and ended up being a fan. Check this out if your a genre fan and get a chance.

( I have a copy I can pass around )

Computer games... How I miss thee.

I like to play games on the PC... it makes me happy. MMORPG, regular RPGs and strategy games have filled many joy filled hours of my life... but not recently.

I did enjoy Mass Effect 2, I had never played 1 but 2 was outstanding... but thats really it. Nothing new has really come out recently, nothing really grabs me. I still every once in a while replay Fallout 1 and 2, Starcraft but nothing new.

I have played MMORPGs for years, Star Wars Galaxies, WOW, EQII, LOTROL, WHOL and DDO and loved them. I reinstated my WOW account late last year, but it just wasn’t the same ( I did however get to see the Cataclysm changes). DDO and LOTR both are free now and I have thought about going back, but They just dont have the same appeal for me.

“Maybe your growing up” you say “No frickn way!” I snap back, I desperately want to play something... its just not there. Friends say to wait for the new Star Wars MMORPG but that could be years and require a new machine... I want my medicine now!

I have a tendency to get motion sick with 1st person games... but I have been messing with Brothers in arms and have been doing ok but its like a bandage over a deeper wound... more treatment is needed.

I can see the end of PC gaming coming, I watch as stores carry less and less PC games... how more and more games are made for the consoles, but I still I want one last hurrah... one last great PC game that will blow my socks off, so great that they’ll make it into a movie. Come on game companies don’t let me down.

A Dredd-full post...

Ok... as I said I was a Comic fan, during that golden time I attended A collectables show at the Christiana mall ( This was in the early 80’s) while my mother shopped I mindlessly went through the booths of antiques, collectables and knick-knacks. One fellow was selling old newspapers and magazines, I went through his bargain bin and found a armful of what appeared to be a sunday morning comics section... they were “2000 AD” a english publication that ran some serialized US comics and there own... one of those was a comic called “Judge Dredd”

I loved it, in fact at of all the “2000 AD” comics it is the only one I really remember, especially Judge Dredds battle against Judge Death. Citadel... that was what Games Workshop was called in the olde days published a game set in the world of Judge Dredd and I think I was the only person in the US to buy it.

Judge Dredd was the law in every sense of the word, the Judges had the power to not only apprehend criminals but to charge and pass sentence on the spot. They did this in the massive Megacity 1 ( which covered most of the US NE) with its rebelling robots and rioting citizens.

Then came the year 1995... and they made a movie staring Sylvester Stalone... ok, it wasn't that good, to level set, it also starred Rob Schneider... the true herald of a piece of S movie. I just subjected myself to watching this movie... twice, truth is I think they did alright with some of the design elements, it was truly the story and acting that sunk that movie ( and Diane Lane could arrest me anyday dressed like that).

One of the things that really bugged me about the movie, was Dredd’s face, in the comic, his face had been disfigured in a fight against a “Perp”... I mean horribly disfigured... One time he was fighting some carjackers and they squirted something on his helmet and he had to take it off ( a censored bar appeared over Dredds face in the next panel) all the Criminals freaked he was so ugly... but they dropped that. Dredd in the comic was not a hulking mass of muscle... but he was in the movie.

The movie I believe is another case of hollywood not taking a comic “Seriously”, this was the standard issue in 90’s comics movies... in fact I would say that the only movies to buck the trend are some of the recent Dark Knight movies, “Sin City”, “The Watchmen” and “The 300 hundred”.

I was posting Dredd movie quotes on FB and a friend... whom we’ll call Matt Uaneray... mentioned they maybe doing a new Dredd movie with Karl Urban as Dredd... I looked it up and sure enough they are... I honestly wish them luck and have high hopes... if not.. I shall judge them.

The Cheesecake Factory.... TEMPLE OF EVIL!!!!

The MLK holiday has traditionally been a “Date” day for my wife and I. We go out to lunch do some shopping... just a relaxing kind of day. This year we decided to make a trip to The Cheesecake Factory at the Christiana mall, both of us had never been so we looked forward to our lunch.

For lunch itself, we started out with the corn fritters... they were kind of “Meh” neither outstanding nor sucking. Kathy ordered the Quesadilla which she considered kind of middle of the road. I on the other hand, had ordered the Blackened Chicken Sandwich off the cuff when the pasta I was going to order didnt sound quite so good when the waitress described it, I was not disappointed, it was a tasty sandwich, one I would get again.

For desert I had my first piece of Cheesecake. There was some tense moments when it seemed like every desert they had was festooned ( DING!!! first time I used that word in a sentence) with nuts and I prepared to skip Desert. Kathy ordered her Cheese cake and the waitress began to panic and name off deserts that may or may not have had nuts. I have never been a cheesecake fan... in fact one could say I hate cheesecake but I ordered some sort of Banana Cheesecake on a “What the Hey!” kind of whim, figuring if I didn't eat it, we could take it home for Kathy. I have to say I enjoyed it, I thought the Bannanas could have been riper but it was good... and thats saying allot from me.

The service was good, even though the restaurant was crowded our waiters made every effort to make sure we were taken care of. We werent delayed in any way when we were ready to pay, the restaurant was clean.... And Seemingly pleasant.... Seemingly.

My eyes started to drift around, taking in the decor of the place, at first I was ”awe thats nice” but slowly the icy hand of terror started to grip my soul. First their were these pillars... some sort of sacrificial pillars to a ancient egyptian god of evil confectionaries... I swear, look at those things, you can see the evil gaze of egyptian faces glaring out at you. I figure they probably don’t sacrifice there everyday... but I’m not going to be near that place on a equinox.

Then there were the mini eyes of Sauron Everywhere I am not making this up... look at the pictures... Its a shame because if there is one group of people that would probably love them some cheesecake its hobbits but I don’t see one stepping within 300 feet of this place and its all seeing eyes of evil.

So by all means... eat at the Cheesecake Factory... but be very very careful.

Super Heroes & Comics.... A Geeks Shakespeare

Harry Potter and other teen lit are devoured by young teens now a days like a Shark feeding frenzy. Book stores have midnight releases that people line up for days in advance . In my day I think young teens had the Tired Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series ( That I believe the last book was written in the early 60’s) and nothing more. But we did manage to find a outlet for our literary void in the story’s of Marvel and D.C. Comics.

I hated DC comics ( with the exception of their War titles)... I never liked their heroes... my first introduction to marvel was Sgt Fury, My Friend up the street gave me two hard bound small books that were compilations of the Fantastic Four, my Super Hero eyes were at last opened.

Captain America (Spoiler Alert: AKA Steve Rogers) was my early favorite and still holds a warm place in my heart. As I got older I turned to the Uncanny Xmen, though not the originals ( I.E. The Beast etc). I am still amazed at some of the story arcs they had, The graphic novel “God Saves, Man Kills” and the Phoenix Saga were but a few. I also was a follower of the “New Mutants” books from issue 1, allot of angst filled stories. I read some less popular titles, Vietnam, G.I. Joe and the Micronauts and I actually thought G.I. Joe had some good stories as well.

I remember the Secret Wars, The Beyonder and all the Franklin Richards jokes all the Comic Geeks used to toss around with nerdy abandon. The thrill of my first Comic convention up in the Radision in Wilmington... then a larger one in Philadelphia.

Comics were my geeky crack for a while... always stopping by Captain Blue hens (when it was in the house on main street) to see if they had the latest version of this or that. I still remember my favorite Comic female... That would be Rogue from the Xmen... and my favorite sound effect... When Thunderchief hit Wolverine square in the jaw “SPANG!”.

Sadly I also remember the day I stopped being a diehard comic fan, when I stopped going to the Comic Store every week. I picked up my latest issue of the Xmen... and there emblazoned on the cover, was the title “Phoenix lives”...”WTF” I thought, hadn’t I just lived through the original Phoenix saga... were they that desperate for stories that they were digging up Jean Gray that fast? I havnt picked up a Mutant book since.

I began to move from the DC/ Marvel world, Direct Comics ( Man...The Rocketeer is still one of my fav’s) and the new world of Manga. In High school I started to read Fantasy but I’ll still picked up a book now and then. I don’t think the Kids these days eat them up like we did, I could be wrong. I wonder if they still have that excitement...the anticipation... getting that book and cracking it open for the first time and getting to one of those “No Flaking way!!!” moments that twenty years latter you still talk about (“Watchmen” or the “Dark Night Returns”for example). For some of my generation the Graphic novel and comic were the finest literary works of the age.

People... Sometimes... BAM! ZOOM!! TO THE MOON!

So... I was out this Morning to mail some packages, UPS went fine, then I headed to the Post office. Two people were working, one guy was doing a passport which apparently requires 2 or 3 hours of his time... as soon as I walk in woman walks up to the non-doing the passport Postal worker with... you guest it... A Passport. So nobody is moving for like 15 minutes ( I was second person in line) till a manager comes out and decides that the line, now out the door, may be a issue.

Well after I leave the post office I head home, the main roads werent bad at all and Delaware can be kinda pretty in the snow. I pull into our development and just as I approach the park I see a Black Pickup truck... on purpose... turn and drive onto the grass... where he then commences to do doughnuts, tossing up grass and dirt as he does it, at our park. As he drives back to the road he is just laughing his but off, the guy is in his 30’s not some kid... Man I was Peeved.

Then... with only yards to go to my house, I stop at a stop sign ( we old people do that ya know) and here comes Mr Tokyo Drift, he doesn't have a stop sign so I wait... he begins to turn my direction ( no turn signal BTW... in the snow they are optional) and he is heading straight for me... barely missing my truck. As he goes by he is looking at me with a “F U man Im cool” look as his girl friend looks terrified.... that isnt what gets me... what makes me think that there is no hope for us as a race, as his car nearly crashes into mine, on snow covered roads, he was driving with one hand and texting with the other.

UG!!!!

Ebidiot... A Ebay Idiot

I have recently taken to selling some things on Ebay, now I am not without some experience on ebay... but usually as a buyer but I have come across a new species of man recently. This being, though they could pass as a normal human in most instances, has in fact a built in handicap.... they are the Ebidiot.

These are the people who send you message after message asking you the same thing... that is usually clearly spelled out in the description. “can I get a refund on this item if I am not pleased ?” then “But I can return it for a refund right?” then “ Can I just mail it back to you and you’ll give me my money back?” till finally you have to send him a message saying that you think he’d be happier bidding on another item... one not yours.

Then there are the people with the weird expectations. On a Item you have marked Used, then mention that it is used in the description, how it was used and that it is in used condition send you questions and comments like “ Is it “As New”” and my favorite “ Can you make a video of it in operation and send it to me”. One guy expected me to purchase a chronograph and measure the FPS on a item and was quite put out when I informed him I wouldn’t

There was one guy, who, even though it was clearly stated how much I would charge for shipping, Decided that once he had won, time for negotiation had opened, he sent me a complex set of instructions on how to ship it to him and that he would only pay for exact shipping and not handling. So I took the item to the Post office to have it weighed and estimated I had the pleasure of informing him that I underestimated the shipping by 10 cents.

and I am sorry... What part of “Will only ship within the United States” is the hardest to understand. On multiple occasions...with above statement bolded in the description... I have noticed people from other far away lands bidding.

With all these hassles I still think Ebay is a great way to get rid of unwanted stuff. Some Items have floored me on how much they go for. The Ebidiot may be a Minority, they are just the people you have to deal with as a seller.... So Seller be ware... be very ware.

Nazi’s.... “it is better to look good, then to be good”

Recent history has rarely given such evil enemies as the Nazi’s of WWII. The started the whole kit and kaboodle ( alright, I just wanted to use that in a sentence) and then there was the Holocaust. These guys didnt kill people on a whim...no... they made a science of it. They were goose step’n bastards... but few baddies ever looked so good being bastards.

I once read that they redesigned the Weimar uniform as to atract new recruits, and boy did they succeed. There look was always German, the jack boots, the Stahlhelm, that coat with the litzen on the collar. Hell the germans (in fact the SS) were the first people to use a patented Camouflage pattern. Even as the war went on and the uniforms were changed for economy ( YEAH!!! ALLIED AIRFORCE) the bastards still managed to look cool.

Even there weapons were distictly German, sure , other countries used the mauser but few used a SMG that looked like the MP40 and none had a MG as effective and stylish as the MG34 and it economized yet no less stylish offspring the MG42. One of the supreme examples of weaponry cool has to be the MP44/STG44... no other weapon in the world looked like it. The Luger, The Walther p38, both were pistols that said “gott in himmel”.

As re-enactors, my friends and I used to get angry, there we stood in our drab boring US uniforms with our effective but “Meh” stylish weapons and there were the evil nazi’s Stylin with their cool stuff... It just wasnt fair. Germans didnt have a field jacket that made them look like a wayward golfer nor did they have the sublime idiocy of the Legging or the M1928 Haversack ( my head still spins trying to understand why we used that thing) and though practical I guess, field gray was a better more pleasant to the eye then the tans and browns of the early US uniform. (For the record, I do love the Pattern 43 uniform that was green)

Even their tanks,Vechicles and planes were distinctly German. The angular plates of the half tracks and early recon cars and Tanks to the dreaded Tiger and ME109, all had a distinct “Made by Nazis” look.

Our stuff was probably better built, more reliable, no body can argue that our Jeep was the finest small military vehicle ever produced but come on... style wise, was it as cool as the Kubelwagon or the Kittenkrad? not to mention the BMW w/sidecar.

Even when it came to personal gear there was a since of German style, the built in slant of the SMG pouches, the Pistol holsters and even the Gas mask can all helped to make the Nazi a styling bastard. The German Paratrooper was so styling that the British tried to copy there uniforms off of theirs and the USMC produced a Paratrooper smock almost identical.

It just seems wrong somehow... that these bastards got all the cool stuff and were such complete and total Douche bags.

Asking Girls out... in the age of Dinosaurs

I often think that females do not truly appreciate the torture that they put young men through. The sleepless nights, the nervous stomach aches that all lead to that first phone call, I still remember that pain to this day. Women think, we saunter over to the phone, pick it up and call them all as cool as cucumbers, well I got some news, at least for me, It was never that simple.

By the time I had talked to a girl on the phone I had probably tried calling her about 2 dozen times. I would hang up part way through dialing or, if I was feeling brave, as the first ring began. With each number I dialed, my heart would beat faster, breath would be harder to take, I swear I could see the end of the world rapidly approaching. When I think of how difficult it was just to ask a girl to a movie, its a wonder I ever got married.

I sure times have changed, with Cell phones and texting and the like and I am sure that a majority of it was my deep seated insecurities, but the shear trauma I suffered merely asking a girl out has probably scarred me for life... PTSD for the social inept if you will.

Then there was what to do on a first date...OMG!!! all I can do is laugh now, I remember once shaking a girls hand good night...no lie.. shook her hand. What was I suppose to do?? I was a hopeless case... how some guys just Kissed a girl goodnight on the first date was beyond me.

Girls need to realize how hard it is to ask one of THEIR kind out. The pacing, the mental inventories of the top 10 reasons why she would never go out with you, the fear that if she rejected you, you would somehow become a outcast... all this and a infinity of equally dark and depressing thoughts would flood my mind as I tries to summon up the courage to dial that phone.

There was of course a sort of teenage love recon you could do, by sounding out the girls friend you could attempt to gauge her interest in you. How awkward must that have been “Hey X..I was wondering, If I asked Y out, do you think she will say yes?”. I guess If you phrase it as a theoretical question rejection didnt count.

I always had these issues, even when I first asked my wife out but thank god I over came them. I thank the lord everyday that I met my wife. To anyone who has these issues I can only say... I understand, but you’ll never know unless you ask her.

(BTW: Pretty in Pink was my wife and mine's first date :o)

Holy Cow!!!

I have missed posting for a couple days, no excuses.... My Bad. I am trying to maintain regular updates to prevent me from getting to rusty in regards to the electronic arts. Maybe I should through together some spread sheets, tablulate and compare some columns just for giggles.

My Apologies clockwatchers, I'll try to post something at least sort of meaningful soon.

Loving History....

If you know me, slightly know me or maybe bumped into me once while evacuating Saigon, then you know I love History. I have since I was a boy, I used to sit in the history section of the library at our elementary school paging through every book. I remember when Time-life came out with there US history ( which still sits on my book shelf) and WWII series (“It started out as a twisted dream”) and I have not stopped gathering books since.

I love reading about so many periods that it sometimes makes my head spin, however I care nothing for Greek or eastern european history ( until the world wars). I am a odd bird... a example would be, I don’t care anything for aboriginal African (or American for that matter) history except where it intertwines with Western European/ American history. Ancient Egypt..MEH! Ancient Egypt meets Romans? read read read.

I like history to be at the ground floor, a individual perspective. This is hard to find for earlier periods but a example would be... “Army group North” puts me to sleep but “Forgotten Soldier” I can’t put down. I love to imagine past history through the eyes of a person not staring down at a map with broad red and blue arrows on it. “Quartered Safe out here” is one of my Favorite books because it not only takes you into WWII Burma, but attempts to replicate the accents and character of each member of the section.

I think this is why I like Living History so much, it enables me to get some idea of what it was like. I will never know what it was truly like in the civil war, but I do know what it is like to see 10s of thousands of men on the field, I learned that at first “Right Shoulder shift” fells as awkward as heck... but when you learn to do it right, its the most comfortable way to carry a long heavy musket. I know what its like to circle in a landing craft for a hour while guys get sea sick, then land on a beach, I have followed a tank through knee deep snow and crouched nervously in no-mans land while the enemies wire is being cut. Though it is the combat portion I can not ever understand, I can appreciate what it was like to be “thus arrayed for war”... what it is like to be burdened by the gear and uniforms.

I love talking to a Living Historian who loves their period and has truly researched it and puts their heart into it. On the other hand, I can no longer watch a many movies anymore because of wardrobe or historical inaccuracies. Non history loving friends poke fun at me because I can get hung up in the details... but come on, would it have hurt just to have done a little research.

I hate seeing a movie that feels it has to dramatize a event that the truth, if told correctly is already so much more dramatic. I hate it when Hollywood has to rewrite history for the sake of diversity. A example would be the dropping of the Atomic Bomb... we need to see the world through the eyes of 1945 to truly understand how that moment came to pass.

There is a joy to go to a event (Wargaming or Living History) and sit around with a bunch of people and talk and learn about battles and history... Heck I have enjoyed listening to a guy who does colonial wigs and people who have researched clothing of a period to a mind boggling extent.

Reading history, my imagination uses my experiences and other readings to build my “mind image”. I see the characters more vividly as I imagine the Victorian characters of a novel or a battle scarred soldier in the mountains of Italy in 1944. Though no description maybe given for a guard... he stands out in detail to me from the books I have read.

My love of history never dies, certain periods fade from favor ( only to resurface latter) and other rise in interest but there is always a want to view the world past through the eyes of those who have lived it. I hope one day one of my children shares my love but I will not force them... they should come into it as I did... through a true love of the subject.

Micronauts....

For some reason, today I was thinking about another toy that I enjoyed in my Childhood. They were called the “Micronauts”, small metallic colored figures from a alternate dimension.

The first I ever got, and by far my Favorite was “Space Glider” He had a helmet and a spring loaded “flight pack” that the wings sprang up when you pressed a little button. Then there was Acroyear, The evil alien who was always battling Space Glider. I only ever remember having those two of the normal guys but I had “Force Commander” and “Baron Karza” (who was the Black overlord of the bad guys) who were larger figures that had magnetically connected parts that you could swap around.

As much as I loved the Toys, I have to say I was a nut for the Marvel Comic tie in. I remember buying the first issue at the 7-11 off the revolving Comic rack and would go there every visit looking for the next issue. The story was, The Micronauts came from another Dimension and crossed over into ours (fleeing Baron Karza) the problem was, they were only action figure size here in our world. I ate it up, I loved that book.

I am amazed at times, when I watch my (or other) children play, and a simple block becomes so much more, a car or a space ship, A knight or a astronaut. It always has me thinking of when I was a kid. I wonder sometimes if Children are losing that “Imaginary spark”, with toys like the Micronauts, when they first came out, there was no manual of “how to play with” or “press f1 to” things... besides maybe a 2 sentence blurb, it was your imagination that built their world and fought their battles. I’d like to think that Imagination isnt just the “property” of the young and besides the obvious (films, art and books) Imagination is the fuel of progress.... to loss that spark would be awful.

SyFy .... From hells heart I stab at Thee!!!

I found out Yesterday that Syfy has canceled Stargate Universe... one of the only shows left worth watching on the channel.

A few months back they Canceled Caprica, now this... this makes me despise the channel more then a human should hate anything. WHY?? It did so well in its Friday time slot, then you had to change the day and you wonder why ratings drop... guess what, it isn't the show.

RAT SOUP!!! if they put on more “Ghost Hunters” or Wrestling I’m going to hurl.

SyFy used to be one of my favorite channels, back before the dark times.... before the empire. Now it is a depository for every bad movie made for 3.07 cents in Eastern Europe or Canada. I only rarely watch the channel now... Saddly SGU was the one show I did watch.

I admit SGU wasnt “Firefly”, but hells bells! it was alright, better then most stuff they had on there, now with Warehouse 13, Sanctuary and what ever else, they have successfully taken the “Space” out of the Science Fiction Genre. Come on people... I live on earth, do I really need all my Sci-Fi shows based there... and in modern day!!

I hate you SyFy channel !

2011 Clockwork Adventure #1

The Ruins of Gobo Blobbitter... Last Goblin King of Vort

News Years day found the Famed Clockwork adventurers exploring the banks of the White Clay Creek for the famed ruins of the last Goblin King of Vort ( Latter Newark Delaware)

After many a muddy mile, we soon came to the legendary “Whipping Wall” where we were beset by several WereSquirrels. A brief by hectic fight ensued and after the expenditure of a good deal of Deathray voltage, we found our selves standing before the legendary Ruin.

Here’s a shot looking down the “Goblin gate”, several traps were still in operation and it took thirty minutes to clear the way... Horace Twindlethumb, our elite illumination engineer, took a dart to the face and spent the remainder of the quest seeing gnome like shadows playing banjo’s... Goblin poisons are powerful things.

This is the base of the “Tower of Gobo Blobbitter”, of course it had a trap door burried under some debris and of course we descended down into the corridors below. Adventure was had, treasure was recovered and tales told that night by the fire of a nearby tavern.

While the World Partied ...

Clockwork Jalopy eased past 3000 views shortly before midnight last night, before 2010 had been shot and the head and buried in a shallow grave next to 2009 other just like it, The counter click past 3k.

Well now its 2011, lets see if we can keep it up.