The strange case of the Boxwinder Staircase...

During my friends move, he had decided that he wanted a boxspring on the 3rd floor, the issue is there is only a box winder staircase going up

Try as we might, the boxspring wouldn't go ( 2nd picture)

our answer was to saw the supports and ram it up the boxwinder

A Day in Historic New Castle

My friends moved into a great new home in New castle...

Christmas 2007…..

“Presents as far as the eye can see!!” is how my 7 year old said it as he came running back up stairs to report on what awaited downstairs. He and his brother made out like bandits. We spent the morning at the house, just us, my wife and two children, and that was fun. I was a little peeved at the amount of toys that didn’t work, but hey….it was Christmas. Kevin really got into his new games for gameboy and Owen was just into it.
We went up to Uncle Dave’s for Christmas Lunch and I had a Great time!!! Cookies, Christmas sandwichs ( which are always better then normal sandwich’s cause they are made with….love” and Kathy had her Christmas soup. The kids got more gifts and we had a chance to joke around with friends.
We went up to Kathy’s parents for Christmas dinner….Which was Awesome!!! And the kids got even more gifts. Through it all the children were well behaved, Owen was fussy here and there but for the most part he was all crawling and smiles. Kevin was a good boy to, he played well with Camo’s kids and was in general well behaved and seemed to have a blast.
We all struggled back to the house around 8:30 – 9:00 and Owen went off to bed. Now on Christmas eve Owen had a rough night, he woke up every 45 minutes absolutely having a fit, I finally had to walk him around on my shoulder to get him back to sleep, he would not be rocked or lay flat ….it was the same Christmas night, and it wasn’t till 2:30 that he finally slept till morning.
Kevin relaxed a bit, we opened some of his new toys and I put together a Bioncle for him. He watched some tv then we went up to read some “Hobbit” as he drifted off ( Bilbo got caught by some trolls…Eh Ghad!!).
Im back to work in the morning but Kathy has off.

New Blog....

I started a new blog this weekend to track all the different Living History impressions I do. I was sort of a blast to see some of the old pictures. I have a ton of me doing CW, that’s because Kathy took them, I never take photos and when I do they are always of other people. I was able to put out a call to some Friends who happen to have some shots with me in them. It was great to see the ECW picture with Kent, tom and I. Take a look at the site at….


http://clockworktm.blogspot.com/

Weekend….

Well one of 2007 last few weekends has past, I attended a work Christmas party on Saturday night and on Sunday we lost power for a while. The Kids and Kathy went up to her parents as we had no heat or power. When the electric came back on it was on in off for about a hour till finally it was stable. I cleaned up the book shelf from Granny’s house and moved it to the basement to hold more Miniatures.
I got a few things to get done today so the fun just keeps going on and on. Hopefully Kevin will be good at school, today is report card day.

Magic

More M&M stuff

Magic Armor:
Would take the form of…
Gorgets: imbued by Smiths, Alchemists and Mages and worn by all officers, Some may also have special properties. The Average Gorget grants 1 armor to the wearer.

Medicine Bags: Medicine bags can be imbued by a shaman to do many things, one of those is protection. The strength of the Spirit magic depends on many factors but it is safe to assume that a Medicine bag will grant at least 2 Armor. However the effect is not permanent and uslay dissipates over time

Rings and Bracelets: Always of Silver, are the way that Wichians and Wizerians grant protections. These Natural magic’s are permanent, however they are uselay not as encompassing as Spirit or Arcane protections, protecting only a portion of the body.

Devices

With the introduction of Regimental Magicians into the army by the Duke of Marlborough at the turn of the century, ways had to be found to counter the magical effects of these powerful wielders. It was the Alchemists of Frederick the great that first produced the “Null Bomb”, A small bag of ingredients then when burst, creates a momentary, localized interruption to magical forces. The effect last a brief time, but often gives enough time for a marksmen to end the Mages life. Wichian’s and Wizerians were soon able to duplicate this effects using natural herbs and these played a decisive roll in the French and Indian War.

Magic Weapons/ Magic Ammo
Smiths of Europe have long been able to craft magic weapons, Swords, Halberds and Spontons are often prize possession of the wealthy officers. The gunsmiths of Pennsylvania are renowned for their Rifles, each one a work of art and tailored to its owner, their art is rumored to surpass even that of the German Smiths. Alchemists make a good trade with Musket balls that fly truer or further or powder that increases the hitting ability of the ball.

Healing
Arcane users, Mages, Smiths and Alchemists can not use the Healing energies, this is the Realm of Holy, Spirit or Natural Magic’s. Devine magic is often considered the greatest of healing magic. Shamans have been known to heal some diseases that Devine wielders could not but is not a powerful as divine. Natural wielders are known for the ability to heal light injuries or illnesses but can only temporarily forestall the effects of major wounds and illness.

Snow…

Lat night we had a snow fall, maybe 3 to 4 inches, no big deal, the first of the year. I have loved snow all my life, I don’t know why, I used to hate it when we would have to go to school while the snow melted or I bore a grudge against salt and sand trucks for making the beautiful white landscape look like a grungy mess. I still remember going out into the snow at night time and staying out for ever, it never snowed to hard for us to be outside.
Once, when I was probably 15 or 16, I remember, at the height of a blizzard, me and my friends trudging up frozen Whiteclay creek at night all the way to Possum park shopping center. Our scarves froze like masks on our faces. It was great.
Snow at night I remember to, the sound it made on the tree branches, how invisible it was until it was caught by light. It seems crazy for young kids to be out in the snow like we were but truth is I never remember being cold.We use to build huge snow forts, Snow men and other frozen field works, only to have them melt in the days that follow I don’t know If I have that same love for snow now that Im a adult ( age wise at least) but I still do like to see it snow

Busy Weekend…

Well I was able to get up to Reenactor fest III in G-burg this weekend. I got up there early and cruised around the battlefield as it has been a while since I had been there. Things have changed up there, allot of tree clearing, its allot easier to get to the Bliss Farm now for Long Ave and Devils den is cleared. In my opinion, there is no better time to be at a historical site then at Dawn or shortly after, and Saturday was a brilliant fall morning. The Fest itself was a fun time, I helped Matt at his table, I did 1882 Blackwatch, he did Boer War. I saw allot of old faces and ended up chatting for awhile. It always amazes me the level of knowledge that some reenactors achieve in their area of expertise…I.E. there was this guy up there with a table set up, his impression is that of a Paruker ( A guy who styles wigs) and the amount of knowledge he had and the way he presented himself was amazing. There were a group of kids ( about 18-22 years old) doing Pirates…I have to say I was impressed by them as they seemed to have gone out of their way to dress the part, no store bought Ren-faire crap. We had a good dinner and spent some time talking about old times, then I cruised home.

I also went up to my Grandparents on Sunday to see if there was anything I wanted. It was sad in a way, as A boy I had loved that house, Allot of memories are there. The fire place, the floor where I had played with antique soldiers for hours on end, the bed were I had slept when we went over, That place holds a heck of allot of great memories. I am going to grab some stuff tonight, So I will go back up.

M&M Idea's

( Just a Parking lot for some Ideas I am having)


A brief Description of the Towne of Tinkerton along the banks of the Chicopee River in the Colony of Massachusetts, in the year of our lord 1775.


History:
Founded in 1650, it was the site of a mill and cider press built by William Tinkerton. A small village grew once Tinkerton bridge was constructed, the served the local farming communities. Raided several times by Indians during the early 1700’s A small Block house was constructed for its protection.

The Village:

The Village itself, is nestled around the common, one’s attention is first drawn to the Stone church that sits to the north of the Common, A sturdy stone church whose steeple contains a fine bell brought all the way from England. It is between the Church and the lush grass of the Common that the West Road run’s, to the East, the bridge and the Farms beyond, to the West The Connecticut River and the settlements there.

Along the Eastern edge of the green reside several businesses, First, nearest the bridge, is the Smithy of John Fullerton, Next to that is the Shoppe of Messer Charles Atwater, dealing in Cloth and other clothing related sundries.
Next to Atwater’s shoppe is by far one of the largest structures in town, Jessop’s Tavern, founded in 1702 this large structure acts not only as a public house and Inn, but also contains a Dry Goods and trading post. Run now by Henry Jessop and his extensive family, the Inn produces some of its own drink and is known for its fine meals





Basic Careers

Hunter.
Apprentice
Smith
Witchian
Wizarian
Layman
Musician
Farmhand
Watchman
Postrider
Bandit
Student
Medical
Law
Woodsman
Seaman
Midsipman
Dockhand

Advanced Career’s
Soulshot
Soldier
Minute man
Continental
Officer
Minute man
Continental
Naval
Highway man
Robber
Lawyer
Doctor
Witchian
Wizarian
Pastor
Master Smith
Master musician
Farmer
Gentleman Farmer
Road Warden
Dragoon
Indian Fighter
Minute man
Continental
Gambler
Privateer
Engineer
Scout

The Arrival of the Raven.

(This is sort a "mood" story for something I have been thinking about called " Muskets and Magic" Basicly colonial America with a twist.)

The fog hung thick over Boston Harbor as the carriage carrying Sir Thomas Gage, the British Military Governor of His Majesties North American Colonies came to a halt. The gray mist cast the entire area with a sense of doom, A eerie silence that was caused and amplified by it added to Gage’s increasing feeling of unease.
He pulled his finally tailored cloak tightly around himself as he step onto the cobbled road leading a short way to the pier…the specific pier he was told to be at, at the exact time. A young Captain, Seconded from the 17th Light Dragoons to act as his aide, followed closely behind him as he walked slowly towards it.
Even the lap of the water against the Dock pilings radiated foreboding. Boston was one of the Colonies largest cities, but here, on this pier, you would have thought that he and his aide were the only people on earth. The hollow foot falls of their well made boots sounded like a coffin maker’s hammer nailing the final Pin into the lid of their coffin.
The two men reached the end of the dock and cast their eyes into the hazy gloom. After a moment, as if to relieve his own tension, The captain spoke. “ Really sir…” He stated “ You are a General of His Majesties army…and Military Governor to boot, This sort of thing seems wholly beneath you” he could barely conceal the apprehension in his voice. Gage paused a moment, looking towards the harbor but seeing nothing “Oh I quite agree Mappleton…but his Majesty demands our obedience in such subjects and we are obliged to obey…” and as if a after thought “ and so we shall”. Mapleton in his Dragoon helmet, its red haired plume standing in contrast to the Smokey gray surroundings, glanced about, The General, in his Gold Trimmed Tricorn from one of London’s finest tailors strained his neck peering into the impenetrable blanket that had descended over the harbor.
It was Mappleton’s surprised gasp, precisely as the church bells rang out Six AM that drew the General’s attention. He to was shocked, but comported himself better then the young captain, as the prow of a ship sliced through the fog like a knife through warm butter. With out so much as a sound the ship seemed to slip into being as it floated silently to the dock. On its deck, Its sailors stood as if working under the gaze of the Devil himself.
It was a 20 gun Frigate called HMS Raven, a old but serviceable vessel, that had until 4 days ago, been tied to a dock in the Thames. Normally a journey over the Atlantic to Boston could take three months…HMS Raven had made it in 4 days and the crew, including the officers gathered on the bridge looked terrified.
Gage took a step back involuntarily as he watched ropes from the raven, alive like snakes, slither from their neat coils, descend the side of the ship, a cross the water and up to the mooring cleats. So strong were these things that together the pulled the considerable vessel towards the dock.
“ Saints preserve us” Mappleton muttered from behind Gage “ Steady on Mappleton…” Gage said finding his resolve “ This is the Kings High Magic”. He did not turn to see the pale expression on the Captains face as he muttered “ indeed”.
Like a great beast unrolling its tongue, a gangway descended from the Raven without so much a sound. The Tars on deck seemed to drift away from it, finding tasks to do at the furthest points from it or the main hold cover, several crossed themselves.
It was at that moment the air seemed to go perfectly still, the fog seemed to clear between Gage and the vessel as if by command as three men slowly rose up through the hatch. It was as if they were floating, carried by a wind as their long leather coach coats ( embroidered with the Royal coat of arms) fluttered around them. Each man wore a Tricornered hat (of a fashion popular 30 years ago) that cast their face in shadow. These figures, like aberrations, floated across the deck and down the gangway towards the Governor and his aide. Gage, A man who had see war at its worst, found himself unconsciously giving ground to these men as they settled on the dock before them.
“General Gage?” hissed the figure in the middle, his accent that of the English north and barely concealing a common up bringing. “ At your service sir” Gage answered surveying the three men. As if he was stepping into a light, the shadow slid from the mans face revealing his visage. His nose was thin and had obviously been broken in his youth, his skin was pale and bore the marks of smallpoxs, his teeth, that showed from his mouth that seemed to naturally hang half open, were chiped and lacked any uniformity and the mans eyes, those soulless orbs, were the color of the void.
“ I am Inquisitor Linus Cravel of the Royal Arcanium…” there was a sneer in a voice, a subconscious gloating of a man who enjoyed lording over Lords “ I trust the preparations requested in my message have been seen to”. “ Yes Inquisitor…All is in order. I believe…” he started but Cravel’s hand shot up seemingly producing a gilded Envelope from Thin Air “ I have your instructions ?” Cravel finished Gage’s sentence as he handed him the envelope.
Merrily by examining the exterior Gage was taken aback by the Authority behind it. Transfixed on it’s fine parchment were the seals of King George III, The Prime Minister, Lord North and The amazing seal of Lord Escher, the Grand Magi of the British Isles and head of Royal Arcanum. It was Eschers seal that amazed gage, light seemed to flow through it raised lines, St George and Dragon, located over a Pentagram, seemed to engage in combat before his eyes.
“ I trust you’ll find everything in order….” Cravel spat with disdain “My Lord”. All Gage could do was nod as minutes later he was following the men to his coach, still cognizant that he had not been introduced, nor even new the description of the Inquisitor’s two companions.
As the Coach made its way through boston, heading towards the Massachusetts countryside and the home Gage had confiscated for the Arcanum’s use, The General broke open the seals and read the orders there in, a deep feeling of dread growing inside.

Dr Tong’s House of 3d Vomitt Part II

Well, after being thrown up on several times the odds finally caught up with me. On Sunday night I caught the Stomach Thingy. I was up every 15 minutes, The good news is I manage to loss 6 pounds, the bad new is, it sucked.

We thought Owen might be ready for Milk based formula again on Sunday…he wasn’t. Kevin on the other hand managed to recover kind of quickly from the whole affair and is back to his normal diet now.

I listened to the Unabridged version of “1776” while I was sick, wow it rocked. Its hard to believe just how tough things were for us back then and just how much George Washington deserves a huge Monument.

Dr. Tong’s House of 3D Vomit…

It all started Tuesday, when my 7 month old Owen decided that he was going to shower his daddy in baby barf. He had caught a stomach bug and was a little fountain of throw up ever since. Last night, my oldest, Kevin decided to get in on the action as not to be out done by his brother and has been a one man Vomitorium ever since.
Oh the joys of parenting. Owen hasn’t thrown up in a wild since we started the Soy formula and clear liquids, however he was up and crying every time his brother got sick..YIKES!!!

This just add’s to are already spectacular fall, truth be known, it could be allot worse, but it also could be allot better.

My Son...

We were driving through Newark on Sunday, my son and I and we happened to see a group of about 30 college kids walking down Main street together. Some were carrying garbage bags so I assumed they may have been cleaning the along a road some place as a Frat project or something. I told my son “ Hey look…it could be a Parade” there was a pause, then he answered “ Or a Angry Mob”

Gosh!...

I have really fallen asleep behind the ol blog wheel here. Im forcing myself to put something in this so pardon me if it rambles. I am apparently speaking to no one so…Tough’n up cream puff!!! You’ll read what I type and you’ll like it!!!


My TV viewing is about the same, Monday, It’s Chuck, Heroes and Journeyman ( I try to go to bed…but this show just traps me). Tuesday’s it House, Thursday’s Earl, The Office and Scrubs. The rest of the time its just surfn I guess

My eldest soon has had a time at school, the last two weeks he has been acting up and getting unsatisfactory reports. I think he may be coming around though…I hope he is. He has his physical evaluation today to see if he needs any help with finer motor skills.

My youngest is doing fine, he has had a bit of a cough since the beginning of September but we have been to the Doctors and she says its nothing. He is still bald ( IMHO) and still doesn’t have eyebrows ( People try to tell me that he does but they are light).

I attended my first reenactment in a year 2 weeks ago, it was fun to get out again, I had issues with the event but all and all I had a good time.

A mid week update…..

First thing, last weekend I attended the GWA fall event in Newville. It was my second event as Company Commander and was a so so time. I really enjoyed seeing how far the BEF/ Commonwealth company has come, they looked great and for the most part had a terrific time. My Group, the Buffs, didn’t have a good time during the day and that seriously bummed me out, but once we cleared up communications I think everything turned around. I didn’t enjoy it as much due to the fact that I spent so much time filling out paper work and managing things….I do that at work.

My oldest son hasn’t been behaving well at school, we have been trying to get him back into line, the last two nights he has been sent to his room. Don’t know why all the sudden he is acting up but hopefully we can get him back to his normal good boy self.

Happy Halloween???

I woke my 6 year old today, and he practically sprang out of bed, from being asleep to wide awake and smiling in 0.23 seconds ( I’m on the phone with Guinness now to see if it’s a new record) as I handed him his socks he turned to me and said “ Happy Halloween Daddy” with all the wide eyed wonder and excitement one would expect from Christmas. He then ran to the bathroom, stopping to tell his mother the same thing, and leaving precise instructions that mother pass on this greeting to his still slumbering brother when he wakes up.
The lad couldn’t wait to climb into his Darth Vader costume to go to school, I think If I had let him, he would have worn the mask while eating his breakfast. Mom had decided that he would not take his Gloves and cape to school but he would don the full Sith regalia this evening during Trick or Treat, he took it ok.
It was nice to see him so excited for a holiday….but it got me wondering.

WIKIPEDIA says…


“The modern holiday of Halloween has its origins in the ancient Gaelic festival known as Samhain (pronounced /ˈsˠaunʲ/ from the Old Irish samain). The Festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is erroneously[3] regarded as 'The Celtic New Year'.[2] Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The Ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, where the bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.[4][5] When the Romans occupied Celtic territory, several Roman traditions were also incorporated into the festivals. Feralia, a day celebrated in late October by the Romans for the passing of the dead as well as a festival which celebrated the Roman Goddess Pomona, the goddess of fruit were incorporated into the celebrations. The symbol of Pomona was an apple, which is a proposed origin for the tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween”

So I thought about this, and again we see the early church adopting Pagan rituals to pull them into the ever loving embrace of The Church.

To Clarify….The scene is a early Gael and a early Christian priest talking

Gael: This is our festival of Samhain, it celbrates the end of the harvest etc etc.

Priest: Um…Wow!! We have one of those to, and it happens to be today as well, Imagine that, all of this under one roof.

Gael: Really?
Priest: Why yes…we are practically the same religion….say why don’t we trim the fat, stream line operations and downsize abit and bring it all under one roof brother?

Gael: um…

Priest: Sure, bring your decorated fur tree’s and Sam…whats ya call its and bring it in house. Now pass the collection plate my friend.


Pretty clever huh? These early fellas put bank mergers to shame, they merged religions.

Two's day

Well they released my father yesterday, not really sure if they resolved anything but they sent him home. My eldest son Kevin got a referral to be evaluated for his fine motor skills, I think we’ll try to take him to Christiana, I wish we had gotten a referral for A.I. but oh well. My wife is on big old antibiotics for her throat and cold and today is the Halloween parade at my youngest’s school.

I still have allot of packing to do for the weekend. I have to get some stuff to John at the store to take to NOLA, boy I hope to get it all done.

A Weekend Update…….

Its been a so-so weekend, my father is in the Hospital, apparently he is anemic and they had to give him blood, they are good to look for a Ulcer today and see if that is causing it. My wife is under the weather, Sure throat, fever, she is going to try to get to the Doctor. And Owen is still coughing and Dax’s is Still Limping…I know things could be a lot worse.

Our Furniture we ordered a few months ago is in, We have to make arrangements to have it delivered but at least we know its here.

I got a chance to see Eragon this weekend, it didn’t suck, to tell you the truth I sort of had the same feeling I used to have when I watched my old Fantasy films like Fugitive from the Empire or the Magna Opus “ Death Stalker” series, not to mention “The Sword and the Sorcerer”. It was a fun film, not to badly done, I was pretty darn impressed by the Talent they had in it.

Back in the olde Day’s

Back in the olde Day’s

On the way to soccer yesterday my eldest son and I were talking about buying lunch from the school cafeteria.
When I was a kid, I bought lunch everyday, my parents would give me money to go to the office to purchase my “Lunch Card” that had the numbers 1 thru 5 on it and each day the lunch lady would punch out a number as I got my lunch.
I went to Medill Elementary school and our cafeteria not only was the auditorium but also could have doubled for a gym. I remember the milk machines and the plastic cups we had to use. The conversation turned to things I liked from the Cafeteria, I loved the Rice ( served with a ice cream scooper) with gravy and also the Hamburgers. In Middle school the rave was Friday Pizza burger, a pizza made on a hamburger bun.
We also talked about how we in school used to barter or lunches with one another. I would always trade my Jello to my friend whose mom made him Lebanon Bologna sandwiches…which he couldn’t stand and I happened to love. Lunch became like a arab market, kids bartering away eatables to each other in a heated exchange.
One thing I loved in school, that I never loved at any other time, was the tomato soup. I hate tomato soup, but for some reason I loved the schools…maybe it was the mind control drugs they were slipping in.
Things change as school progressed, in high school, after the riots of my Sophomore year, we lost the rights to plastic trays and silverware and had to get our lunches in flimsy Styrofoam trays and plastic silverware. The had Hamburgers everyday as a Alternative ( in Elementary school it was PBnJ as a Alternative) and the lunches seemed to loss there taste.
Milk would no longer be retrieved from the stainless steel milk machine, but purchased in the now familiar carton ( Which, when punctured by a fork and squeezed, shot milk like 100 feet). I remember a friend getting two days detention because he dared to pioneer that theory.
As for my son, The school happened to chose the two things that he loves to be served on two consecutive days, chicken nuggets and hot dogs…he was in heaven…but now he is back to the old staple, the Jelly sandwich.

No One reads my blog….

I remember once….a long time ago, someone wrote me a comment about one of my posts. “Wow!” I thought “ I viewer ship of 1!!!” that’s like…1 more then I expected. Well, sadly it seems my one reader apparently has left for someone else’s boring blog…Oh those Fickle Readers, A pox upon you all.

To say that no one reads my blog would probably be wrong, after all my Wife reads my blog ( Hiya ), so I’ll have to stop writing about all my hot dates with Jennifer Connelly or writing about my Week long Poker games in Vegas ( we who are in the know simply call it “Vegas”).

Monday Morning….

Nothing hurts so sublimely as Monday morning, the thought that 5 full days of work lay before you Everest before the mountain climber.

We had a OK weekend, Owen has a new routine, wakes up around Midnight, then wakes up between 4:30 and 5:30. I thank the gods that be that he went back to sleep after I gave him his Pacifier at 4:30….That is the suckest time in the world to be woken up.

Kevin had his Soccer game on Saturday morning….At 9:00 frick’n AM!!!! ( who picks these times!!) and was mostly a good boy all weekend. He and I cleaned the floors down stairs while Mommy was out and Owen was asleep ( Or supervising from his swing) so we accomplished something though it was hurried to get it done before the young Master got grumpy.

WWI is only a couple weeks away, spoke to a few people this weekend and I am really looking forward to it. Now if I fit into my Uniform is a different question.

UPDATE: The Operation for our dog, to repair her knee is going to be allot more expensive the originally thought.

QUESTION: Does anyone besides my Wife and I read this blog???

And now the Dog….

Well I took the dog into the Vet yesterday, she had been favoring her back left leg and we thought, since she is a Lab/ Shepard mix that it was Her hip. Well the good news is it isn’t, the bad news is she has a torn ligament.
I had heard a click when she ran and the DR felt it in her knee so we were given some options. A, go home with some anti inflamatories and hope it gets better, the minus’s against her being that she is a big dog and that she would be putting all weight on her other leg Or B she can have a operation to repair the knee.
The Operation isn’t cheap…its very expensive…but I think I would rather have her Pass on the operating table in a attempt to relieve her pain then watch her limp around for the remainder of her life.
So here we are…Its been a eventful last couple of months.

More then meets the eye!!

I scored some daddy points yesterday by remembering to pick up Transformers on the way home. Kevin was very excited, but we couldn’t watch it until after Soccer and and his shower. When that was done he watched about 40 minutes of the movie then went up to bed.


Halo 3 Clix

I picked up my brick of Halo 3 clix, all and all I have to say the WIZ Kids does allot better job with their miniatures then Wizards of the Coast does…my only real issue is that they are a little to big to use with 28mm. The animation of some of the pieces is great…and lets face it, you can never have to many Master Chiefs.

Postal Strike in UK

I picked up some pre-painted miniatures off of ebay, really nice paint jobs, good price, only to be told that the UK is currently under a Postal Strike so I will have to wait to receive them. That’s ok though, not like Im going to be using them tomorrow.

Oh My!!

Sorry ya’ll, no posts in a while, been a little busy/lazy. Owen is not having a good month…Still…I think he may be teething now and that may be giving ear trouble…poor little guy. Kevin is in school and playing soccer, He is a super big help with his brother and is a good sport most of the time. I felt bad yesterday because I got into a bad mood because of Owen’s fussiness that I think I may have taken out on him a little. I try not to but sometimes I am a bit short with him…I’ll do better.
The GWA event is around the corner, Im looking forward to that, Seeing the guys ought to be a blast.
I left DDO, Im officially MMORPGless, sad but DDO isn’t really solo friendly and I don’t have the Time to put into it ( A least large block of time) that I once did. I have been looking for a new game to play….I bought MOH Airborne but have had all sorts of issues with it so Im not playing

HALO 3

Now I played Halo, liked it, but as with all 1st person shooters I cant hang that long without feeling sick. I loved the world and love Red Vs Blue…a couple of weeks ago I stumbled into the the live action stuff they have been doing for Halo 3 and have to say OMFG!!! Wow!!! I could watch that all day. I watched some of the other stuff the director did “Live from Joberg” and some others and he is awesome. Even the the one they did about the Vet in the Museum was great. Well done guys…well Done indeed!

Kids…

Well…Today Kevin had to wear his new School uniform, Grey pants, Maroon school shirt and black, laced shoes…He doesn’t know how to tie them yet and if I can remember right, I had a issue learning to tie Shoes. He has managed to scrape his knee or bang up his legs near about everyday this week.

Now Owen….has had Croup which turned into a Lower respiratory infection which has now become a Ear infection and he had his shots yesterday. It hasn’t seemed to dampened the little guys spirits at all. Last night he pass out around 6:00 which is early for him, and we knew the night was going to be tough…but the little guy woke up at 12:00 I fedd him, he tossed and turned for a few minutes then slept till morning.

Kevin has Soccer tonight, but no game on Saturday.

The End of the Week….

Well here it is, Friday and it looks like Saturday is going to be very busy. Soccer Pictures, Soccer, Birthday party, Im sure my head will explode trying to keep it all straight. I can’t contemplate what it is going to be like when two boys are doing stuff.

Three friends stopped over Wednesday to pick up and borrow some re-enacting gear. It was great to see them. They are doing Marietta manor this weekend, ( a great place ) and kept asking me to go. My WWII unit will be there as well and ol Jim Marcum was telling me I should go, but I can’t…just to busy.

Went to the Doctors again yesterday and he gave me the green light and said I should eventually be able to bend it all the way ( can’t make a fist….so I have had to use Judo Chops when Combating Evil Ninjas and Sinister Frogmen ).

The Weekend…..

Well, we may actually be returning to some level of Normal. We had Soccer on Saturday, Kevin and I went in to Bilbo’s Birthday party ( BTW Kevin won a door prize :o) and I went out and saw a movie with Kyle.

We went and saw Resident Evil: Extinction. First off, if your looking for frick’n hamlet you obviously need your head examined for going to this film…However…If your looking for a fun Zombie film, then this one fits the bill. At one point, when Milla discovered all the Milla clones, I couldn’t help but think… “my god this could be the perfect movie…Milla kissing Milla” but Alias it didn’t happen…That’s what sequels are for. See this film and have a fun time.

On Sunday I drove around and took a couple of shots of my Truck, Owen was over Mom-Mom S’s and Kevin and Kathy were at the Children’s mass so I treated my self tp breakfast and a drive. I thought my CD player and Stereo were messed up ( and they were) when I went to put my first CD in, It reset all my stations and I kept getting “Mech Error” but it corrected itself ( still had to reset my stations) latter when I got home…it ejected the disk and pulled it back in and everything seems to be OK now.

Also…Found out that the “Flames of War” main warehouse is just around the corner from me literlly…wow! “FOW” is a WWII rules set for 15mm Miniatures.

A New Car!!!!....

As they used to say on “the Price is Right”. Last night I bought a 2007 Honda Ridgeline. It has everything I want….except the gas mileage, Oh well. At least I now have a car that isn’t a Rental ( Yeach!!!). Going to try to set my radio stations and the likes during lunch. Its sort of like having a robotic version of my wife, as the doors automatically Lock when it starts to move.

Forgotten? ….

Heck no, I have been really busy trying to buy a new Vehicle since they Totaled my Jeep. The sooner the better, I am driving a car for the first time in forever. I am looking at Honda products, truth be known I would have preferred a VW but the damn Tourag is just to damn expensive. I am leaning towards the Honda Ridgline, that’s what I want, however I feel guilty about the gas mileage and may test ride the new CRV. I sat in one and it seemed pretty tight for big guys but I’ll give it a go.

Heaven on Earth…

You may know it as Cabella’s…it rest on a Hilltop outside Hamburg PA and draws the tired traveler like flys to molasses. It is huge, inside are Mountains…and bears….and mountain bears and guns…and tents and everything.

The Hospital……

If there is one thing I understand in the world and truly sympathize with, that’s a Hospitals ER. You could say I’ve been raised in them…because I have…My mother has been a Emergency room nurse all her life so I do understand.

I got into the ER around 5:30, I felt bad about having to have guys push me in on a stretcher, but hey…they said it makes them look good. They took down some basic info then they sent me on the Fast Track room. I waited in the hallway outside the fast track room a couple of hours, then I was allowed to enter.
The first question was “ Have you been X-rayed?” my response was “ Why no I haven’t” then that fellow disappeared. About a hour latter a girl popped in and ask “ Have you been to X-ray??” I replied “Why no I haven’t” and she vanished. 15 minutes latter a different woman appeared….attempting to anticipate the question I asked “ Are you going to ask me if I have been to X-ray?”, the Woman’s face went blank as she answered “ No…I am going to take you to X-ray” So off we went.
X-ray was fun, I got to stand in a room full of super huge radiation machines and chat with the X-ray staff, who upon hearing what had happened to my finger, exclaimed “ Shut Up!!!” I thought that was hysterical. After my time there I was sent back to my little curtained room.
The very first fellow I had meet came back in….Announced a bunch of nothing conclusive and said he sew up my finger ( Keep in mind my left arm had been totally forgotten about). The suturing went alright and when complete he vanished….apparently nurses would handle the bandaging. I waited forever but then the two nurses came in. I became a complex puzzle for them as they tried to figure out what splint to use but finally I was splinted and ready to go.
At this point I was no longer concerned about my left arm and the objects that could be in it so I took the given chance to escape. After I filled out my paperwork….I wonder out into the night air….and freedom.

My Trip to the ER

Well....It all started like this, I was on my way home, I usaly go through a park on my way to pick up my youngest son ( I like the chance to relax)...well the one park roads was closed so I turned down a road that I know rather well. I was going about 35 mph through a S turn when my cars rear went out, when I recovered I was heading into the left lane at a on coming car, I pulled hard Right and Flipped my Jeep right up on its side. I did manage ( to my great relief) to miss the other car. My driver side window shattered and that where I got the left arm cuts, I had put down my arm to stop my head from going down. My finger was injured getting out of the Jeep ( By far the funniest story...I'll have to tell in person).

Avatar : The Last Air Bender…

Avatar : The Last Air Bender…

Ok Ok Ok, it a cartoon, its on Nick and its American made I know, I know… But trust me, its good stuff. My older son and I watch it, I think I liked it more at first, but now he likes it to. Good action, Great Story, Super animation with some humor, it’s a winner all around.

I think my son and I both think “ That Lemur is a Earth Bender” to be one of the funniest lines in the show…that and when Sakka was trying to name the group “ Boomerang….Its got Ang in it”. I think Toph has some of the greatest lines in the show. She is a Earth bender ( the World’s greatest…according to her) but she is blind. Once, when the group plunges underground to get beneath a giant drilling machine, in the darkness, Saka proclaims to the effect “ Its so dark I cant see anything” and Toph retorts sarcastically “ Oh no! how terrible”.
The show is going into its third season starting in a couple of weeks, I hope it stays as good as it has been.

The Weekend…

We headed out to Kevin’s first game of the season. He did great, as did the other kids. I was asked to coach, it was pretty humid and hot but it was fun. We watched the end of the Avatar season, and that Rocked. I dropped off some Miniatures to be painted and stopped off at Shorty to pick up some stuff for this weekend. Its as humid as it can be with us being submerged. We have a busy week, Kathy has a school meeting tonight, Soccer tomorrow and this that and the other thing. Well off we go, sound the bugle and let us advance on the week ahead….Tallyho

Friday!!!!..... Freyja’s day

Friday, named after Freyja, the goddess of beauty… now that’s appropriate because Friday is a beautiful thing. We have a soccer game planned for tomorrow but besides that I think we are clear. I am trying to get things together for Threads, Ordered my new Aug a1 in hopes of getting it by the game, I have my M-4 but my other rifles ( although good) don’t allow me a ease of operation and I need a "badguy" weapon.

Well that’s it I guess

Thor’s Day….

Yep, it’s the day before Friday, the one named after the god of Lightning, That means one more day until the weekend. Thread’s is next weekend so I had better get on the ball and make my Hotel reservation. FFG is releasing Ragnorak, a new alternate WWII ( In reality WWI never ended) game, I can’t wait to take a look. FFG is also got plans for a Dust Game, Dust is a alternate WWII world designed by Palo Parente. Oh well…back to work.

Wednesday….

Ok, last night was not the best night, My youngest decided that he and the baby gnomes would strike up a conversation at about 4:00 AM. It was crying, It was him just yammering away…with the Baby Gnomes. I go in and he is side ways in the crib, bumper laying across his body and wearing his blanket like a turban. He looks up at me with a smile like he is saying “ Woooo Pops!! I didn’t know the gnomes invited you!!! Welcome to the party!”

Needless to say I’m a little tired.

My Oldest had soccer last night, he did great, although I worry that he has my balance issues. Anyway…back to the grind.

The Labor Day Weekend….

Well, I guess the obvious thing is that Tuesday is Monday this week…or it remains Tuesday but acts as a defacto Monday…sort of a sad little excuse for a Monday but on this and several other occasions it must sit in as Monday. Sort of like Chaney when Bush goes in to get a Colonoscopy.
Over the Weekend I help out my friend with his Larp, Doc Savage, which is cool because I love the Pulp Genre. I had a good time, there were some things that needed some work, but it didn’t inhibit my fun at all, and my fun is what matters ( Me, me, me, me).
It was a relaxing weekend with great weather, We went up to the park and I rode bikes with my son…Kathy and Owen came along as well. All in all in was a good weekend.

Friday….

Woot!!! Wootie woot woot!!! ::::runs in circles::::: ( The guy from the old 7-up commercials pops up and says…) “IT’s A THREE DAY WEEKEND HAHAHAHA”

(Sound track…Burning Bridges … Song by the Mike Curb Congregation)

Labor day proves there is a god.

Fixing a Mailbox….

Now to most people, installing a new Mailbow would not be a chore…but they aren’t me. It is first important to understand the reason why I must replace this Mailbox…for the third time…Kids drive by our house and use it as batting practice. Yes it does warm my heart to think that one day a great homerun hitter will owe his success to my Mailbox…but it is aggravating. So I set out to purchase a Mailbox, ours was a nice deep hunter green, well apparently ( according to Lowes) People only use white and black now…so I chose the black.

On removing the old box…..

Well I went down to the old box with Drill in hand….Zip Zip Zip the screws began to come out “could it be this easy” I thought as I got to the last screw. No…it wasn’t gone to be that easy as for some unknown reason the last screw refused to come out. I grabbed a hand screw driver, nothing…I grabbed the famous Gerber Multi-tool that has never seen defeat ( do you know that the plier head of the Gerber multi-tool is a perfect fit in a M1 gas plug…its true) but then again…it had never meet this Screw. Finally I had to pry the screw from the wood block and at last….the old box was free to be put to rest.

On Installing the New Box…..

Again it would seem a simple matter…But then its me we are talking about. First screws go in fine but then I notice what I have been dreading…My drill runs out of power. Not to fear, I have a spare power pack….that is also found to be without power. So I try to use the Hand screwdriver and realize. where as it looks like wood, it is obviously rock. So I plug in the charger and wait. So, in the dark now, I manage to finally secure my new mailbox and join the great hero’s of Yore in conquering the un conquerable…Hail Me.

Tuesday…..

Here I am, Its Tuesday….woot! ( Said without enthusiasm). I am still can’t believe Wizards is putting out D&D 4.0…in my mind that means they have messed up 4 times. Ugg I know they have to keep selling books but my good!!! Didn’t they release 3.5 last week….oh wait, Im old, that’s right.

I am still looking to pick up the new WHFRP, we had a huge game of it back in the day, one of those legendary campaigns that most gamers sit with old friends and talk for hours about. I loved the system, It has to be good for me to pick it up…nice and simple.

Geeks of the world unite.

The Weekend

One word….HOT…I mean super hot. On Saturday my Son and I went up to Brandywine State park to see a Revolutionary War re-enactment ( The Battle of Cooche’s Bridge) We got there around 10:00 and it was burning hot and left a little after noon. He had fun and we got a chance to talk to a friend who was participating. It sure reminded me of the days we spent in VA in August reenacting Bull-run. Watching the battle sure made me miss reenacting.
Ran into DOKs on Sunday looking for a book, they had it, but when I picked it up the Spine was damaged so I’ll have to wait. School starts for Kevin next week, he’ll be a big 1st grader…WOOT!

Flight of the Conchords…Question

I have become a fan of this show, I love the way they have the Australia and New Zealand rivalry. Murray’s office with the fake paneling and all just crack me up.

It got me wondering, Why “New” Zealand? Was there a Old Zealand? So I went to the source of all knowledge…that’s right…Wikipedia, and found out that there is in fact a Zealand. Zealand is one of the largest islands in Denmark…so how about that!! Now if one has anything to do with other…I can only assume so. Oh and yes….New Zealand is where they filmed Lord of the Rings ( get your posters at the Consulate)

Things my Children will never know…..

How to stack LP’s on a stereo turntable
The joys of the Rotary Phone
Knobs on TV’s
VHF and UHF
AM Radio
unedited Bugs Bunny cartoons
The wonder of the 8-track system
Pong


That’s all I can really think of right now.

Das Basement

Ok, now keep in mind I love my basement, its where I keep 600 years of reenactment stuff and 25 years of gaming stuff, but since we have moved in it has also become the worlds foremost U-boat simulator.
First there was the Sump pump, after a plumber put a fixture that delivered to much back pressure…The coupling on the sump pump would blow apart. A fountain of water would reach all the way to the ceiling as yours truly sprang into action. At first I would be in the middle of the column of water with a screw driver trying to repair the pipe, drenched to the skin and going down by the bow. Then I figured out If I cut the power to the pump the water stopped, so yanking the cord became my course of action….UG.
Then there are the leaks in the walls…only when we get drenched, but they are there none the less.
Now with the new child, I haven’t been down in the basement that much, so yesterday I go down and there is a puddle radiating out from my Central Air unit…UG!!!. I figure it must be the drain line, I pull the cap off and run a clothes hanger down it….I can here it draining after that…that issue is solved, now for the puddle.
I end up tossing boxes and other junk that is soaked, I brush must of the water into the French drain…it’s a mess. I set up a fan to try to help it dry and checked it this morning, things seem to be drying out…I think It helps that the AC has been off for about 4 days with the cool rainy weather we have been having. Ug I keep thinking “am I going to have to send somebody down into the Battery compartment!!!”
Things could really be worse, and I thank the powers that be that they are not…but man I would just appreciate a dry basement.

More shots

Sorry...our camera stinks...I think my phone takes better shots.

Catch Up

I was looking over the old blogs and realized that I had neglected to mention something. On March 13th my second son “Owen” was born. The birth went fantastic though we had a issue or two once we got to recovery involving my wife…But all are well now ( Touch wood). My eldest son is now 6 and is a good big brother so far.
Transformers has taken up a lot of my son’s interest but I should note that he spent a heck of a lot of time playing Star Wars Lego’s this weekend.
We have been to some places since the 13th, Brandywine River Museum, Camden Aquarium and Hagley Powder mills ( Birthplace of Dupont). Most of my Movie watching has been On-Demand lately and I haven’t done any Re-enactments since January…but my Wife has allowed me to go away two weekends for a LARP and I am thankful for that.
I missed both Cold Wars and Historicon this year but hopefully next time I go my eldest son can come along for the ride.

Well I think that’s about it

Old Photo Repost

Im putting this up because I think the old one was lost to the switch over.

WOW!!!

Boy I havent been here in a while. I have been posting alot of stuff on my threads blog but have Neglected the old Jalopy....well I guess I had better dust her off and check under the hood.

The SCI FI Chanel…Modern Slavery?

Ok I just need to know one thing….does the Sci Fi channel practice slavery? In the past I have ranted about their really really bad movies, the ones they make in eastern Europe for 20 dollars but now I am wondering if they are more evil then I thought.

Case in point…Claudia Black…First off and for the record, she’s not hard to look at, But I now believe that at some point SFC bought her…she appears in everything they do.
First there was Farscape, loved her in that, then she pops up in Stargate SG1. I stopped and thought “what the ….” But I let it go. Now this week she was in the Dresden Files!! Sweet Potato Pie! People she is being held against her will!! What next, a lead in the latest bad Nazi Gargoyle movie? Or is she doomed to be eaten by a Giant Mutant Vole. Hear me Sci Fi Channel!!! Let her go!!! Free Her!!!!
So the question is, how much did SFC pay for her and How much would they sell her for?

Surviving in the Battlestar Galactica Universe

First off…Everyone is a Cylon, they may not be, but to play it safe just treat them like they are. Your wife, boyhood friend Twin Brother… All Cylons. If you prepare your self, we won’t have to waist time with the “Oh My Gods..” and “I don’t Fracking believe it” scenes…EVERYONE IS A CYLON.

Learn to fly…Apparently anyone can walk onto the flight deck and climb into a Viper ( See Civilian Apollo in season Finally ) so it wont hurt having that avenue of escape open to you.
STAY AWAY FROM CALI!!! If something bad is going to happen its going to happen to or around her. Don’t even be on the same ship…flee, leap into space without a space suit to get away from her…you stand a better chance of surviving.

Padme!!! What are you thinking?

Ok, in the past I have spoken about my 5 year olds love of star wars and how he loves the Lego star wars game. Well to celebrate the birth of his little brother we bought him the other game that deals with the first three movies ( PM, AOTC, ROTS). Now the game has a bright spot, you can watch Jar- Jar die over and over again…and that makes me happy, but like the other game, for my son to get into the spirit of things he has to watch the movie dealing with the chapter he is playing.

So one night we find our selves watching “Attack of the Clones”, not my favorite so I am watching with sarcastic colored glasses on…that’s when it hits me, WHAT THE HECK IS PADME THINKING!!!.

So she’s all “ we cant do this” and “its not right” while she shows up for dinner wearing a leather corset and collar around her neck ??? Then there is my favorite dress, the one she wears on Tatooine when Anakin returns from killing the Tusken Raiders… You know, the scene in the garage. Now watch that scene and look at that dress and ask your self…does the neck line form a arrow pointing down…TO A TARGET?????
I am not even going to go into her choice of clothing for Anakin’s mom’s funereal, maybe it was the only clean thing she had left.

“ There will be no Ewoks in my house!!!!”

This weekend, as I lay sleeping late on Saturday, my Son came bounding into the room. He had drawn a picture he wished to show me. My blood ran cold as I looked down at the sheet of paper and its masterful illustrations for he had drawn… Ewoks!!
First there was a Ewok in a red shirt carrying a spear, which he made sure I understood was him, then there was wicket ( he made me guess what one was wicket) with his little sling about to wrap around his head and finally a little guy with a bow.
My initial thought was to rip up the picture in front of his 5 year old eyes and send him off to his room until he was 12, but this seemed to harsh, so I let the whole thing slide. Over the period of the day the picture grew in its grandeur, a ATST was soon being crushed by logs, a Scout trooper flew his speeder bike and a Storm trooper tried to defend himself ( A legion of his best troops…yeah right).
I was considering institution that I could send him to, to help de-program him, to help him over come this Ewoktosis that he was suffering….but that’s when it occurred to me. My son was probably the exact audience that those furry little terrorist were designed to appeal to…so after simmering down I resigned myself to wait patently for this phase to pass.
….But if I start seeing pictures of Jar-Jar, all bets are off!!! Were going to the wood-shed!!!

How not to be “father of the year”…

Ok, yesterday I blogged about my son and the Star Wars Lego’s game…at the time I did not know the near tragedy that I had unleashed.

Flashback….March 6th, 0630 hours
I set out to leave for work, the wind was blowing hard as I pulled on my coat. I was surprised by the wait of the garment when I remembered I had placed my son’s game boy that contained his Game boy Star wars lego game ( though not as loved as the PC version, he like to play it while on the way to school) in my pocket the day before when I had picked him up. My thoughts soon turned to the garbage can that I had to take out and how it would fair in the strong wind, so I set the game boy down on the roof of my jeep and set off to secure the the garbage can. When I felt that task had been accomplished sufficiently I hoped in my Jeep and drove off to work…already late.

Flashback….March 6th, 1400 hours
My wife phoned me at work to say she was home and that everything was fine with her. Then she mentioned that she had told my son he could play his game boy on the way home since it was still in my jacket. My head began to swim, like in a bad movie, I saw myself placing the game boy atop my Jeep over and over again, in slow motion, in bizarre angles, from the perspective of the poor game boy followed by the Mental scream shot that pulls back from my tortured face. I had forgotten my sons game boy on the roof of my Jeep when I pulled out that morning.


All Attempts to located the poor device were fruitless and at 4:00 I had to face my child and tell him of the unforgivable act his father was guilty of. You got to love 5 year olds, he took it in stride, asked my a million and one “why didn’t you…” and “ you could have…” questions without anger or sadness. In fact it was he who simply said “ I guess we can order one on line” but so guilt ridden was I that I had to stop at Best Buy and get him a new one on the way home. We couldn’t find his Star Wars lego game at the stores we stopped at, and we’ll have to order that on line but he is ok with that.
When we got home he hoped onto the PC and got enough points to buy Boba Fett ( all before bath time) so he was as pleased as punch. I felt so bad for losing his game, I was convinced he would be upset, but he wasn’t, he took the whole thing better then I did, you got to love him.

Heroes Theory

It all goes back to 1938, and a little known project called “Neue Dämmerung” under the leadership of Dr Vanso Faust. Faust was investigating Accelerated Evolutionary Development (AED) under the Reich’s Ministry of science. Though most files on Faust’s work were destroyed, what is known at this time is that he was supplied 500 “Subjects” from the Mauthausen Concentration Camp ( the camps records record the transportation and return receipt’s are signed by Faust himself…CIA Archives) and that none of these subjects were ever seen again.
Some insight was gained via a interview with a Hauptstrumfuhrer Johan Strump, conducted in 1946 at a POW camp in Austria. Strump was in charge of a guard detail assigned to Faust. He claims to have observed subjects being injected with large doses of what the doctor informed him was a “evolutionary accelerant”. The effect caused the subjects to Scream in pain and physical effects were varied per batch, anywhere from rapid mortification to the liquefaction of the soft tissue. Strump also notes that the screams had such a effect on staff that Faust took the precaution of destroying the subjects voice box before experimentation.
Strump states that by 1942 the Doctor had apparently made significant headway, Party officials’ began to visit the lab ( Located in the Black Forest outside of Stauffen, Germany) climaxing in a visit from the Fuhrer and Himmler in late January of 1943. Strump was not privy to what transpired but does report that they seemed to have left well pleased.
It was reported shortly after that Faust visited OFLAG XVII – A outside Edelsbach Austria. There, according to the camps records, Flu vaccine was administered to 20 Patents. All 20 were from different nationalities. The camps records record the deaths of 11 of the 20 shortly afterward.
Strump then stated that he escorted the doctor to a Wehrmacht Hospital outside Munich. He states that he injected 10 wounded officers with a “Vaccine”. A search of the facilities records showed no such work. Strump stated he believed that ones name was “Luhrmann”, a search of this name turned up nothing however it is intresting to note that a Hauptmann Hans Lindermann was recovering from wounds received on the eastern front in the hospital at this time…He was a Knights cross winner and Father to Fredrich Lindermann, known today to the intelligence services as Frederick Linderman of Las Vegas Nevada.
Strump was murdered in the POW camp before any additional information could be obtained. Allied bombing of the “Neue Dammerung” facility in late 43 was believed to have Killed Faust and his assistants, However it is important to note, U-543 has listed on its manifest “Experimental Materials, Stauffen, Germany” before it embarks on its trip to Japan in early 1945.
After the capitulation of Japan, allied intelligence services search for the material transported, the only evidence of its existence that could be found was a signed naval manifest, the signature was of a Captain Isoroku Nakamura. A interrogation of this officer revealed only that he supervised loading the box onto a truck, and knew nothing more. It most be noted that the service records of this officer were never found and a rumor exists that he was a member of “Unit 731”.
After the war, CIA records show some activity around the name Faust within the Odessa organization and it is believed he may have survived the bombing and fled to South America. Certain documents shared by MI6 and revealed latter in KGB archives indicate the possibility of a small network of scientist based in South America and Japan continuing work that they considered to be linked to Neue Dammerung. Our own government sponsored a project called “New Dawn” ( a literal translation) in the 50’s reportedly utilizing some of the same research as Faust, however no documentation on this can be found, rumor suggests that aerial delivery testing took place at some point but again it most be stressed that no evidence of this exists. The names of the Allied officers that survived the injections remains classified however it is believed they returned to their respective countries with out any long term effects. As per the request of the head office, research reveals no Petrelli imprisoned in OFLAG XVII at the time of the experiment, however, a search of French military records reveals a Captain Jacques Du Fountaine, who is the father of Angela Du Fountaine who married Thomas Petrelli. No records of Concentration camp survivors can be found, though it was noted that after the 1943 bombing, a extensive search of the near by Black Forest was conducted.

What The…..

Ok…as stated before, I am a big Sci-fi geek, as such, I happen to watch Battlestar Galactica on Sci Fi. I think the show is great...but that may change.

I thought last nights episode was pretty good, Starbuck has dreams that leads to her suiciding her viper into a storm on a gas giant. If that’s the case I am OK, or if she is magically teleported somewhere because of her special destiny etc…Im ok with that. I will not be OK with her waking up on a Cylon Resurrection ship as one of the unseen models of the Cylons. That will bug me.

This is a Test

They just moved me to Google...I think, so this is testing to see if everything works.

Clockmaker

Huzzah for Heroes…

OK, it’s the best show on Network television. It also seems as though they read my blog from last week and cut down on some of the commercials, however there still seems to be a lot of them ( Ok ok I know they don’t read this blog, no one does, but hey a guy can dream).
Future Hiro delivers his message to the Mymic who returns to the Artists studio. Hiro and Ando are dropped off in the desert and have a argument, Ando leaves. While he waits to order waffles, Hiro sees The Eagle land outside, The Eagle has escaped Skyler ( in a really cool flight scene), and ends up giving him a ride to Las Vegas. Miror Image’s husband escapes the police and is back in town, he has powers to. Miracle Girls father brain wipes the quarterback and she tells dad some of what has been going on. The cop returns home, everything seems to be going well as he uses his powers to please his wife however, maybe because he is tired, the thoughts of others overwhelm him while he is in a store. The Mimic uses his powers to finish a painting by the artist that shows the dead cheerleader. Hiro, the artist and Daniel now know they must save her. GREAT SHOW!!!

Heroes….

Heroes….

First, I loved the episode, but first… Commercials!!!!!! I am now of the opinion that each episode is 20 minutes long and that there is at least as much commercial content as show. I know I may be exaggerating, but there appears to be a excruciating amount of ad’s. In the immortal words of America’s for most folk poet, Mr. Charles Brown “ARRRRRRRRRGGGG!”.

Now… The episode progressed the story line further, The Policeman woke up in Skyler’s lab with Scary bald guy, they apparently are experimenting on our poor friend. The Cheerleader… Or “Miracle girl” …wakes up in the morgue, escapes and latter takes her revenge on the serial rapist Quarterback by crashing a car into a wall. Las Vegas mom, or maybe “Mirror Image” or “Darkside” intertwines with the politician “the Eagle” when it appears as though he is set up by Skyler. We actually get to see “Darkside” emerge when the mom is threatened. The Eagle is captures (let this be a lesson to all would be super heroes… Don’t cheat on your wives). I had previously stated that I thought that the Eagles brother could only fly when he was around his brother, partially correct, he seems to be able to absorb the powers or “mimic” those of someone he is around. Hiro…Oh my god! By far my favorite Character, the one that is so desperately trying to embrace his gift and the one who is oddly learning to control his power the best. He and Ando are in Vegas where Ando talks Hiro into using his power to help them gamble against Hiro’s best judgment, they win but are thrown out ( I loved the Rain Man scene on the escalator) and Hiro ends up taking a fist to the jaw. The end scene we get a glimpse of Hiro from the future, all cooled up, dressed in black, Samurai sword on his back, no glasses, hair slicked back and no trace of a accent, he comes and delivers a message from the future to Daniel ( whom he drops the line about not being used to seeing Daniel without his scar…Cool). We see a cool scene with artist guy as he gets whacked out on goof balls and paints the future, I loved the dream/painting effect. The show is very comic booky and that’s what I love about it.

Update

Well I didn’t get a chance to watch Jericho so no update this week. We found out on Monday that we are having a boy, everything looked fine. We have started talking about names, My son suggested Peanut Butter and oddly, the good NASCAR name of Jimmy Brian, My wife didn’t like the name Tucker although Collin was liked by all. We’ll go at it a little more and see what we come up with.
Last Weekend I attended a WWI event, The Somme, It was a emersion event, that means we lived in the trenches for 24 hours straight. Heck it even rained for us and was cold as heck. They really went out of there way for the full experience, they feed us in the line, had a mail call and a Rum ration. Doing a event like this every now and then helps you realize what they went through, If its hard for us after 24 hours imagine what it was like for them doing it for real.

This Week on Heroes…

Wow, the show is still delivering the goods. Ok The Cheerleader, her creepy dad dropped her off for a prep rally, the Local football hero tries to have his way with her and she falls on a branch that impales her head… we think she is dead… until the cornier removes the branch ( can you say EWWWWWWW). The Cop who hears voices, proves he is innocent and is asked to help the FBI investigate, while on the way down to talk to the little girl he saved last week they discover the villain has dropped by, they thwart his kidnapping attempt, the cop saves the female detective by triple tapping the bad guy… not to worry, the guy pops back up and disappears. The flying brothers, the younger brother desperately wants to embrace his gift but can not, the older denies it and tries to hide it, my feeling is they can only fly when they are together but we will see. HIRO, by far my favorite plot line, the Japanese man who can control time ( sort of ) convinces his friend of his powers and they set off to the U.S. to save us all. I love the way this character has whole heartily embraced his gift, the humor of the situation and the seriousness of their quest. Artist Guy, poor artist guy, whats he have to do to be believed, for the love of Mike this guy has painted buses exploding and all matter of events that come to happen and his girl friend is all “ It’s the dope” Would someone PLEASE believe the poor artist guy!! Indian guy found the apartment of the chap he thinks killed his father ( also the psycho-super-killer the FBI is hunting and the cheerleaders pop) The apartment has the tell tale hidden room with interior by “Psycho’s –R- Us” but is swept clean by the time he can bring the police. Las Vegas Mom with the real dark ( talking real real dark) side, she buries the bodies and at the end of the episode is taken by a cop to meet the guy who sent the killers from episode one… me thinks the desert will soon have more holes. The bad guy may have a friend… super villain II… A bald guy who I think knocked out the cop-mind-reader.

Good stuff

Jericho…Ep.3

Strange tidings last night on Jericho. First Jake didn’t kill anyone, surely a sign of the Apocalypse…oh wait, maybe that was the mushroom clouds, anyway… Secondly, Mr. Hawkins apparently is more then he seems, he climbs into a Rad Suit and goes to a storage bin to grab a mysterious oil drum that he entombs in his basement, He also has crates of weapons in his Storage Bin. The Clockwork theory, one of them at least, He was in on the Nuke plot, he was supposed to plant a Nuke some where and decided against it. The other issue, Jakes friend spends 20 minutes in the rain and is ok, Jakes brother’s Geiger counter barely clicks as they emerge from the shelter. The TV in the Bar picks up a broadcast from China showing a map of the United States, the mayors mysterious illness, Tanks seen on the way to Denver, Downed planes 50 miles outside of the town on the road.
The mystery that is Jake… OK, here we go, he can give a little girl a Tracheotomy, Position and blow explosives, shoot and kill without guilt and oddest of all, he knows how to locate the flight recorder on a airliner and also knows what is needed to listen to it. He did say he had to be back to San Diego in the first episode and there is a Navy Base there…Perhaps he is a SEAL, we will see.

The Post Apocalypse, Tonight on TV….

Well its Wednesday and time for the next episode of Jericho, Time to find out what happens on Day 3 of the Post Apocalypse. By the way….when exactly is the switch over, when does it officially go from being the apocalypse to being the Post Apocalypse?? Is there a scientific formula to figure this out? I have other questions about the Post Apocalypse….

1. How many days off from work do I get for the Apocalypse, is it sick time or does it count as a Holiday? What is the code I have to use in Time tracker?
2. how many days into the P-poc (< my hip new term for the Post apocalypse) do I have to wait before I can get a Mohawk and weld spikes to my car?
3. Do I automatically begin stories with “ In the days before the great flame…”
4. Do I have to register to elect the local Warlord? How does that work? Are we still going to adhere to the electoral college thing?
5. Can I pick my own cool P-poc handle….if so “Cap’um Killah” is so taken baby!!
6. Is there a building code for Thunderdomes? Can I use PVC piping or does it have to be metal? “Two men enter….One man leaves”!!!
7. how long before we can use the expression “ picking the bones of the ancient’s” to describe scavenging.
8. On scavenging… That’s Tax free right?? I don’t have to declare that at the end of the year do I?
9. Does adding spikes, roll bars and slave chains to my Jeep Cherokee mean I have to pay less or more for insurance?
10. How long are those “ The End times Cometh” guys allowed to play the “I told you so” card before I can take legal recourse? ( If said recourse is the utilization of my made to code thunderdome…SO BE IT!!)

And Finally, probably the question that will be asked most by superficial society, Can I pick my own mutation? Will my HMO cover any of that?

WOW!…

Somebody actually responded to my post yesterday about heroes ( with a great link to a Heroes Fan site…Thanks) My first comment, I wish I had a Clockwork handshake to send out. I thought my wife and a few friends were the only ones who even saw this. I had better clean up the streamers and confetti and get back to blogging.

Heroes….

Heroes is a new show on NBC, basically I goes it boils down to the birth of “Super powers". The show has a number of story lines all connected in one way or another. There is the Cheerleader who is indestructible, The Japanese man who can travel through Time, a mother who apparently has a killer dark side, A artist who paints the future, Brothers who can fly and a Indian man who carry’s out the work and research his father started. Lieing under all of this is a hint to a nuclear blast in New York in 3 weeks and the story of a serial killer who appears to be after peoples brains. I like the show so far, It’s a Clockmaker kinda show, that and Jericho. Now me liking it can only mean one thing, Cancellation, lets hope that last long enough to build a audience.

The News…

In the days of yore, we used to read the newspaper, or switch on a radio or TV to catch the news, now we read the news on the internet. Normally I wouldn’t mind, but I have railed about “Online News” before and now I am going to do it again. All last week I had to look and a picture of a guy popping his eyes out on my home page, now Its some freak with long fingernails ( No offense to freaks out there). For the love of Pete, it confirms all my beliefs that the news is a circus, complete with freak show to draw ya in. Forgive me if I care more about our underreported deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan…Yes we still have troops there. Its like every news agency is trying to be a slightly more legitimate National inquirer. Here’s a Idea Yahoo, instead of Long Finger nail lady on your front page, how about the face of the latest soldier to die in the war. I guess Comcast is slightly better as it flashes through a series of eye catching trash….but not to worry, Anna Nicole smith seems to have herself a permanent update box. YARRRRR!

Jericho…

We learned a lot last night, first, Death loves Jake. This guy killed two people in a crash on day 1 of the Post apocalypse and on day two he was shooting for PAR however his old sweet heart downed one of the convicts robbing him of his score (Drat). Then there is the strange case of Mr Hawkins, the “ex-cop from St Louis”, Is he simply a Plotontic device ( he seems to know everything) or something else. I can buy that a cop may know all the facts about Nuclear explosions ( training after 9/11) but Morse Code?? I kept half expecting him to leap up a perform surgery. So a lot of the town is now buried in the Salt Mine, some in Town Hall and the rest in there basements. I am liking this show so far, Yes I am partial to the Post Holocaust genre, but its been good TV so far. The big thing came at the end of the episode, when the mysterious Mr Hawkins keeps pushing pins into the Map of the United states, each pin, we assume, represents a nuclear blast…Poor Phili.

Powered Armor….

Many many years ago, I picked up and read a novel called “StarShip Troopers”, And ever since then I have had a love for powered armor. Now “Starship Troopers” was nothing like the movie of the same name, yes some of the character’s names were the same, but after that the similarity ends. In the novel, The troopers were encased in suits of heavy armor with jump jets and a staggering array of weapons (including the famed Mini Nuke). The Japanese have been the masters of Powered armor since, including it in many Anime and Manga. I need to make sure that it is understood for the record, I don’t like the towering Huge suits, no I prefer the suits under 10 feet tall, like “appleseed” and the works of Masamune Shirow and the superlative work of Kow Yokoyama on his legendary SF3D line. In fact, the Japanese so rule this line of Sci-Fi that most western entries into genera these days is a copy of the look and feel of the Japanese ( I.E. Heavy Gear), I do not fault the authors for this as I believe they are merely paying homage to these fantastic visual.

Poseidon…

Yep…that’s right, I watched the movie on demand last night….and I have been regretting it ever since. Man oh man I think it was 10 minutes into the movie I started thinking “ This damn boat can’t sink fast enough for my liking” I hated everybody. First, besides the people in the ball room and 4 people in the disco, the entire population of this huge ship seems to have been wiped out. Ug then there was the cast, Kurt Russell ( who normally gets a pass because of BtiLC) obviously collecting a pay check, then the Hard guy, who guys from a card playing tough guy to crying his eyes out Pansy (no offense to pansies) in a period of minutes. Then there is the daughter and the her fiancé stinking up the screen like a lump of rotten cheese. The woman and her son, I would like to tell you there story, break your heart with the reason why she was on the boat, or even why she was at the captains table…but I can’t….I DON’T KNOW, we were never told, Just POP! “Here are to new characters, bon appetite!”. Then there was Richard Dryfus ( Heck lets call him Sir Richard Dryfus, if he was English he would be one of those underpaid ultra actors knighted by the queen) well, I think he was Gay, I think he invited some guys on the boat or something, I think he may have been upset…But then again I can’t tell you for sure because we weren’t told. There were some neat death scenes, but besides that it was a stinker. They should have had the Sci Fi channel make it, they would have spiced it up with Giant Mutant Bunnies or something, or giant Mutant Bunnies and a Volcano.

Post Weekend

Thomas the Tank Engine, that right folks, we went to see Thomas again, although this time there seemed to be more of a “Evacuation of Saigon” Feel to the whole thing. When Kevin chose to go through the little maze I started to realize that all I was hearing was the screams of children, the yelling of Parents and (oddly enough) Dixie land jazz. Parents were physically pulling their children here and there, Children were kicking and screaming, it was near about as close to the apocalypse as you can get without a mushroom cloud. Then there was the pushing to get on the Train…not Thomas mind you, but the longer train. We did get a chance to meet Cousins Robin and Mike and their son Daniel and Daniel and Kevin were very good all day so that was a bonus.

I picked up the new Star Wars Limited edition, I watched some of the original release and I stand by my earlier comments that George really cluttered things up to much with what he added. Some of the scenes are, IMHO, allot better without the Flying Driods, huge Lizards and horribly rendered CGI Stormtroopers.

Uh....and I got a Shoofly Pie :o)

The Weekend…..

At last, At last! The weekend has arrived. Looks like we may be taking young master Kevin up to see Thomas the Tank Engine so that should be fun ( Maybe we’ll come home with a Shoofly Pie!). Besides that I thought I would try to work on my Ptolus campaign and try to forget about work for a couple of days. I have bought a number of non-armored figures for use in the game, now lets see if I can paint them ( I have painted one).


Star Wars
I built a Millennium Falcon kit to use with my miniatures, its just shy of 25mm but look good when you place some figures around it. I am hoping to put together a scenario where the Rebels have to hold off a Imperial attack while the Freighter takes on vital cargo and passengers ( I am not painting it to be the Falcon, just a YT1300). The fellow I have contacted in regards to “Operation ST” has received my package so I should know the results in 30 to 60 days. Miniature Building Authority had some SCI FI proto types that would look cool but they aren’t even scheduled for release. The new WOC SW miniatures expansion is due out in a week, that would be Bounty Hunter, I have seen the poster of what it contains and it has some good models, Yes I prefer Metal to soft plastic, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Speaking of Miniature Building Authority…

The Castle that we pre ordered is scheduled to come out sometime this month, I saw it at Historicon and it looked great

Jericho…

I watched the first episode of the new CBS show Jericho on Yahoo last night. First off, the Post Apocalypse and Zombie Films are a favorite genre so they had me hooked to begin with. The Show is set in the Mythical town of Jericho Kansas, Jake Green, The son of the mayor returns to town to try to collect his inheritance. He meets old friends, fights with his family and the whole time Im thinking “oh sweet lord let the bombs fall”. It isn’t to long before my wish is granted as ( what they believe to be) Denver goes up in a mushroom cloud ( they latter find out there may have been a second bomb in Atlanta). Now the post Apocalypse gets to roll’n, Fights at the gas pump, escape convicts, yokels with guns, the pieces begin to fall into place. I know they cant go right to Green Mohawks and super chopped cars with spikes everywhere so I will give it some time.

The “Unaltered” Star Wars DVD’s are out…

Of course Ill buy them, I just wish I could mix and match to make the “Clockwork Mix”.I would ( of course ) have the Han firing first scene, I would also get rid of some of the Stupid Mos Eisley CGI stuff like the giant creature that walks across the screen during the road block. I don’t like the CGI crowd stuff, they don’t look real to me, the CGI Stormtroopers stink on Ice. On the Other hand I do like some of the improvements to the final space battle and I like the overhead shot of the Falcon blasting out of Mos Eisley. It would be cool to be able to pick and chose what you wanted.

Questions about God….

The G man, the big man, He who knows all and lead singer of the Trio, My son started Catholic school a week and a half ago and he had some questions for my wife about God and Jesus. In retrospect its better that he asked her….


How did Jesus Die? Well, HE WAS PERSECUTED BY THE MAN!!!

Can God Touch the Sun? Hell Yeah!! If God wanted to, he could set up a lawn chair and catch some rays….If he wanted.

Does God have gun’s? If God wanted gun’s he have really cool ones with scopes and laser sights.

So you see its best that I allow the professional catholic in the house to answer these questions. I don’t want to confuse the kid.

My Mind is at ease….

I finally got some sleep the other night, I attribute this feat to the fact that Princess Kiko has given birth to a Little Boy. Can you imagine my relief, A male shall ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. WOW! I just have to say “ good for you Prince Akishino”. But what about Dads mustache? Im not sure he is pulling it off, it sort of looks cheesy. Now Tashiro Mufune could pull off a mustache but his Highness needs to be told he looks like a villain from a bad episode of Miami Vice.

Labor Day Weekend

It was a alright weekend, I saw two movies, The illusionist and V for Vendetta. I thought both films were really good though the Illusionist had the benefits of being a ell costumed period piece.
My wife had her second ultrasound on Friday and Our little one was there swimming away. Kevin seems to be doing well so far in his Kindergarten, he has had Two half-days and seems to be making the change fairly well.
We went to the reine- faire on Monday and Kevin got his first bee sting, not once but twice. The First aide guy was really nice and took care of our little guy, since it was his first sting they kept him around for a few minutes to make sure he didn’t have a allergic reaction and that made me feel a lot better.
Sunday night I didn’t sleep a wink, well actually I think I may have slept from around 4:30 to 7:00 but it was aggravating, fortunately I slept well Monday night.

The Campaigns of Yore.

When we started playing D&D way back in 79, I remember the weekends we spent. We would gather around a kitchen table as Eddie White ran his brother and I in a dungeon. I played Zimbad, its amazing I still remember my first characters name, He was a Half Elf Fighter/Magic User. The dungeon was our game, it was a huge affair, oddly all its room’s conformed with the squares of the graph paper it was written on. We would push hard into the maze of rooms and corridors, occasionally we would reach a area that wasn’t designed yet and run into a wall of gray fog until it was designed ( then the fog would lift).
I remember these games being immensely fun, lasting for hours. Before hand we would travel up to the Arco station and buy Soda and chips to last us through our adventures. I remember having so much equipment that my inventory sheets far surpassed that of the vital Character data, Folding boots, Ladders, Countless feet of rope, for some reason we could carry it all.
As time went on, say the Mid 80’s, It was all about the published modules, I was at this time playing with a larger and different group of friends. We would descend into the wood paneled basement and utilize the train table as our gaming area. I seem to remember these games taking up entire weekends. These games were epic, we got to the point where we were maintaining Holds and had armies of hirelings.
A Game store opened in our area, The Days Of Knights and I began to play at there, That’s where we learned more about role-playing and less about gathering the most gold and items. It was there, in a room we jokingly referred to as a “ smelly, Fly Infested, Sauna” that we would play campaigns that would last years.
Ahh when I think of those grand Campaigns, what fun we had.

Starting School

Yeah I know, Its only Kindergarten, but in some ways it is still kind of sad. The Little guy who it seemed like a few months ago was laying on the changing table is going to School. I get sad when I think he is leaving his friends behind, and the Teachers at his day care that have been part of his life for so long. Part of it is, I guess I know how scared I would be, Big new school, new friends, new teachers It all most seem a lot to a 5 year old. I’m sure he’s probably not even thinking that much about it. His mother went to the same school he is going to, as did her brothers and sisters, Her uncle is there, and her cousin is a teacher so I guess its ok. I guess I just don’t want my little guy to grow to fast.

Having a cold

That’s right…I have a cold, in the middle of August in Delaware, In the immortal worlds of Winston Pooh “Oh Bother!”. I makes me grumpy, I haven’t slept much and Im down right out of sorts. Hopefully It will break soon and I can get back to being my normally grumpy self.

Star Wars Stuff

Many many years ago in a time called the 80’s, Game companies were bidding for the gaming rights for the Star Wars Franchise. The original trilogy had ended and it look like it was the end. West End Games won the rights to the RPG, and the rest was history…but what might have been.

Grenadier was chosen by WEG to do the Miniatures for the game. There was a mixed result, some passable mini’s and some not so good. Well it seems that Citadel/ Games Workshop was interested in doing a line of Star Wars Mini’s. I first stumbled on this rumor a few years back on ebay when I came across a superb Stormtrooper figure, The seller stated that it was from a unreleased GW Star Wars run, produced when they were trying for the license. My head spins when I think about what Miniatures they could have produced. I may be able to get a hold of one of those rare pieces this week. I am crossing my fingers.

Olde Tyme Days

That’s right, the Days of yor, when I was a thoughtless teen. We had Nextels, we called them Walkie Talkies and could reach about 30 feet before you descended into a fog of static. When I was a Teenager, phones were anchored to walls and believe it or not you had to walk over to the phone to answer it. We had remote controls, they were called “ the youngest child” who proceed to turn the knobs ( with resounding clicks) of the TV ( after it had warmed up) to his fathers verbal direction. Yes we may have cable today, but we had UHF and VHF. We also had text messaging, it was taking your Stylus (back then we called them Pens, pencils, Crayons etc.) and wrote down a message on a sheet paper, then you slapped it on a bulletin board or Refrigerator via a large Magnet. Our CD’s were large black affairs, and our players had a multi disk function to, in the center of the record player was a large silver pin you could stack your records up on, when one record was done, the next record ( with a loud thwap) would drop on the turn table. Life was simpler back then, we weren’t in constant contact with friends, when you left the house ( we did that back then) and a friend called, you simply called them back when you got the message when you returned home. We actually would walk next door to talk to our friend…its true….I kid you not. Oh well, welcome to the future.

Ptolus

I picked up Monte Cooks new Ptolus game supplement, or should I say Mondo Deluxe game supplement for it is huge. It is nearly 700 pages on and about the city of Ptolus ( btw we have decided to pronounce it Tolus…the P being silent as in Pneumonia).

First things first, The extra folder included in the book has a lot of neat stuff, Citzenship papers, calendars and a copy of the local paper as well as some extras to make Gming in the big city little easier ( encounter tables, cheat sheet etc). Two things I didn’t like were the big map of the city, it’s the same graphic we have seen X times before enlarged. The other was the CD ROM, yes it does give you Mondo material in fact it gives you whole supplements in Adobe format including color cover, but I was expecting a little better on the format of the CD maybe with a Ptolus interface. I also was bummed they didn’t give me the template for the paper so I could make my own additions.

The book itself is very very cool, the artwork ranges from good to great. I love the illustrations of the streets and areas in the city. Every person referenced in the tome appears to have stats or a reference on where the stats can be found. There is just a ton of information in this book. In some ways I am reminded of Middenheim, the GW book that came out during the Hey Day of Warhammer FRP ( that I loved BTW), but this book is about 6 times the size. The Chaos angle is played up in the book ( And there is a source book on the DVD in regards) and truthfully I haven’t read enough to form a opinion. The flavor of the town and its many aspects is a joy for a GM. A CON, I was a little disappointed on the dungeons, for some reason I was expecting vast mazes on the scale of Waterdeep, there are numerous dungeons included and certainly a GM can insert his own, But I was expecting something a party could spend months trying to conquer.

All in All I am still giving this product an A despite the CONs listed. For sheer reference and completeness it is a work well done. My big sadness is I will probably run this world and never get to take a character into Delvers Square myself…oh well.

Started back up my Friday night game a month ago, its going ok, I may move it from my setting to the new Ptolus setting just released from Monte Cook. The old Eagle Cove campaign was primarily a urban campaign and the players seemed to enjoy it, and truthfully so did I. Some of the best Campaigns I played in were Urban Campaigns. The Middenheim Campaign that Dave ran was a absolute blast ( though the mob killed my horse.) so I’m thinking it could be cool.
We are still playing DDO regularly, we all have Drow now and are bringing them up one slow level after another. We are trying to do some of the high level content with our High Level guys but its kinda tough, for the 10th level stuff you really need everyone on and that’s tough.

Man oh Man, I have realy let this page go for a while! Allot has happened, lets see…

My Wife is pregnant (Yeah!), we hope for a happy healthy addition to the family in the February, March time frame.

My Son is now a strapping 5 year old.

My Friend Justin Hoover passed away recently, he was 25 and I had known him for some time via re-enacting. He died of yet unknown causes. I had been with him the week before for our display in Lancaster for Historicon and we had a good time, well now he is gone. Matt read a great quote from TR that really hit close to home at his memorial. Justin wasn’t religious and had stated that he wished to be cremated, in keeping with his wishes and the essence that was Justin his memorial was held at a sports bar and a number of friends showed up.

My brother Is out of the Army, Two tours in Iraq is enough for anyone.