Thankyou Asslessman! Or how to get a Head in the Blogosphere.


Yesterday The wonderful Asslessman from leadplague blog nominated me for a Liebster award. After a bit of faffing it turns out this is a kind of blogging chain-letter that is passed between Bloggers in an attempt to get other peoples blogs noticed and to give lots of backslapping and good vibes to each other.





If you've never visited the Leadplague blog might I suggest you spend some spare time reading through his site. A lot of the bits and bobs that he gets up to have influenced me and he's the kind of oldahmmerer that I'd love to meet and game with but as we live in different countries this may be something that may only happen occasionally (oldhammer day?) if ever.

So the Liebster award basically comes down to a couple of tasks followed by a pass it on kind of thing.

I need to
1. Give 11 truths about myself
2. Answer the 11 questions Asslessman posted on his blog
3. Pass on the award to 11 other bloggers and tag them in this post

Seeing as I'm a contrary bugger I'm going to start by doing things in the wrong order. So I'm gonna answer his questions first.

1) How did you end up spending a lot of time/energy/money on such a hobby ?
I think I got my first figures from an older cousin who no longer wanted them and around the same time I got into the Fighting Fantasy books. I made friends at highschool with a group of guys who were into similar things and we hung around and played. Teenage years meant that I dropped the hobby in favour of music, booze and maybe girls. Years later one of the school mates who had gone on to work at GW suggested that I set up a club at the school where I worked. I got sucked back in.
 
2) What or Who had been your major influence(s) over the years ?

I've always liked Brian Eno's approach to work and problem solving. If you make a mistake take advantage of it and accept it like that's what was meant to happen.
 
3) What part of your hobby would you want to explore further on ?

I'd love to be able to sculpt and I'd also like to explore casting mainly cos I'm fascinated by the process of both and would love to know how they both worked in detail.

4) What does this hobby bring you, what makes you keep it?

Escapism probably. I just like to concentrate on something creative but the gaming and blogging allows me to meet new people and share an interest. 
 
5) What part of your personality would you change if you were forced to?

Laziness and shyness. I reckon for the most part I've dealt with the Shyness but still occasionally rears it's head and often really surprise's people when I mention it as it doesn't come across at all in my job. The laziness I've learned to accept and work round as best I can, it's part of who I am but it doesn't need to change ruin my life!
 
6) What animal would you be?

A dog. What a great life!
 
7) Is your glass half empty, half full or twice too big?

Half Full. Unless you are offering a refill?
 
8) What would the 10 years old you would say of the present you ?

Enjoy being a kid. Don't worry about women, you're better looking than you think! Lol!
 
9) What makes you really laugh ?

All kinds of stuff. Home video fails at the moment. Father Ted, In the thick of it, My kids, old pissed scots boys chattin up young women in pubs.
 
10) What is your top 5 songs or musics?

I hate this question, I've never got an answer. I went through a stage of being a right snob about music but I think I've calmed down in my old age. I'll list 5 albums that you should probably listen to if you ever get the chance.
Roxy Music - Roxy Music
Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
Trouble man - Marvin Gaye
Hit to death in the Future Head - The Flaming Lips
Landing on a Hundred - Cody ChesnuTT
 
11) What are your top 5 reads?
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Slaughter House 5
The Great Gatsby
The Prince
Homage to Catalonia

Next thing I need to do is tell 11 truths about myself. Truths? This could be taken several ways but i'll just assume that you want to know 11 things about me that may or not be embarrassing. 

1. Although I do like Whisky, my nom de plume doesn't actually relate to this but comes from an episode of 'Yes Prime Minister' from 1982. The extra 'e' just means I'm bad at spelling!

2. I'm a teacher at a secondary school and I'm in fact 'the scary one' that other teachers get to shout at their kids. I'm also a Head of Year which means I'm in charge of 186 kids for four years and I'm currently on my 4th cohort.

3. I'm Scots. But I live in England. All three of my children cannot roll their r's which makes me sad.

4. I got kicked out of University when I was 19. I had a girlfriend and spent more time with her than at Uni and didn't do enough work. Simple. Best thing that ever happened to me.

5. I trained as an Industrial designer. I did go back and finish my degree after a fashion and, almost subconsciously, mentally deconstruct stuff as I like to know how they work and how they are put together.

6. Between getting kicked out and going back to Uni I worked in a record shop for 5 years. I sold a lot of spice girls records.

7. I really, and I mean really, enjoyed doing technical drawing when I was at school.

8. I've been married and divorced and I'm now married again and am now very happy. I have 2 daughters from my first marriage and I have a son from my new marriage. I look after my girls just under 50% of the time but it's not easy. They adore their little brother. It's really important to me that they are all close.

9. I miss my mates from home more than I miss my parents and brother!

10. My wife is my best friend and she's really cool. It was her idea to have vikings for our wedding Favours. I thank god (who I don't believe in!) every morning that I met her. (I've been told to add that she is pretty and not a geek)

11. If Snicket hadn't found my blog last october I probably wouldn't have ever posted gain so I have him to thank for all the posts I've put on since then. Cheers bud!



So now I have to reccomend 11 blogs for you lot to check out. I've no idea if these guys will know that I'm nominating them for a Liebster but if you decide to go and visit drop them a note while you are there and let them know.

Army Royal - Stuart (if that is his real name!) is producing a gorgeous early renaissance army covering Henry IV invasion of France. I'd love to remain this focused on a project, a true thing of beauty.

dalauppror - I see battle report from this blog on LAF all the time. The tables always look brilliant and the scenarios well thought and historically accurate. I lovely blog.

harness-and-array - Another long term labour of love project. This time burgundians. Showing off the Perry figures and some perfect conversions.

lajourney - Another medieval blog but this time from the hundred years war. well researched and brilliantly presented. I've played games of WAB against the blogger in the past but he probably won't remember!

project auldearn - A really well researched and executed English Civil War army but scots. Another blog that shows that I am a flip flop wargamer.

warhammer40000roguetrader
This is Orlygg 40K blog and I was actually aware of this long before I was a aware of the Realm of chaos one and is responsible for dragging me into the oldhammer movement. I'm posting it here in the hope that he pays more attention to it and starts posting more Rogue Trader stuff!

snickitstail 
This is Snickit's blog who is brother to Erny and he was the one who basically encouraged me into blogging regularly so I'm suggesting him to return the favour.


olicanalad 
This guy shows how to get a project done. Industrial scale painting, planned to perfection resulting in fabulous, huge games.

spikyratpack
Amazing blog full of wonderful conversions and stunning paint jobs. Small projects but beautifully detailed.
  sho3box
Amazing scenery. Brilliant games. Fantastic paint jobs. A whole load of fun. Another guy that I'd love to playing games with but another sea is getting in the way.


wheretheseapoursout A fellow member of OGRE who's blog posts are well worth more people finding and appreciating. Lovely bloke as well.


So the 11 questions that I'd like these people to answer (should they ever realise they've been nominated)
1. Where would you rather be right now.
2. What would your last meal on earth be?
3. What is the best meal you cook?
4. Do you lie to your other half about how much you spend on your hobby?
5. What would you have written on your grave stone?
6. Which place on earth do you want to visit the most?
7. Which invention do you wish you were responsible for?
8. When did you realise that you were old?
9. Who would you leave all your miniatures to?
10. If you could commision a range of figures what would they be?
11. Top 5 Sci-fi films

Thats me done!
Normal service will be resumed soon!

Comments

  1. Ah nice ! Thanks for the nice words.
    I know th etop songs and reads is an annoying question it's why I said 5 and I should have precised there's no ranking (stupid concept of ranking things) I like the answers. I'd share your love of "Hommage to catalonia, splendid book.
    I also share truths #4 and #7 with you.

    Anyway, Definitely planning on having a game and glass with you and the lot on a oldhammer day at some point. ;)

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  2. Really cool - and honest - answers. Really appreciated. And biggin' up Brian Eno, Roxy and George Orwell. Double ace.

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  3. Dude! Thank you muchly! I feel honoured to have been mentioned twice and to have been accredited with showing you the encouragement. Odd that it's now me starting to question the continued existence of my blog. I need to post more interesting stuff on it and thereby stimulate the readership!

    I’ll get around to doing a blog posting on the Liebster award over the weekend as I’m presently busy painting up some very odd and very short Dark Elves. In the meantime answers to your questions are as follows:

    1. Where would you rather be right now.
    Ummmmmmm, I’m guessing this is a spatial question and not a time and space one so I’ll stick to nowish times and I have to be honest I’m actually quite content with where I am.
    2. What would your last meal on earth be?
    Probably roast beef and all the trimmings followed up by treacle sponge with lashings of custard and all washed down a few pints of Doombar slurp slurp BUUUURRRRRP…………………
    3. What is the best meal you cook?
    My Missus says it’s either my Lamb Hotpot (Hairy Dieters recipe) or my own recipe Cottage Pie. What can I say? I’m a simple man of simple pleasures and I like my simple meals.
    4. Do you lie to your other half about how much you spend on your hobby?
    Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, what am I supposed to say to this one??????????
    5. What would you have written on your grave stone?
    “He did no Harm” or “”Not finishing last”.
    6. Which place on earth do you want to visit the most?
    It was Canada, but did that, now it would be New Zealand except that LOTR has kind of made that cliché now so dunno, I’ll have a think and get back to you.
    7. Which invention do you wish you were responsible for?
    Dice. Can you imagine how grateful all of us gamers would be to the chap who created them? His pint glass would never be empty!
    8. When did you realise that you were old?
    Probably when the other half said I did Dad dancing……………………………………….
    9. Who would you leave all your miniatures to?
    At the moment they’d get split between my older Brother (Erny) and my eldest Nephew (mainly to wind my Sister up who won’t let me get him into the hobby).
    10. If you could commission a range of figures what would they be?
    Oooooooooooooooo…………………………………………. Ummmmmmmmmmmm……………………………………
    I need to have a think about this one too, sorry, I’m useless…………………………………
    11. Top 5 Sci-fi films
    1. The Empire Strikes Back
    2. Transformers the Movie (original 1985 one)
    3. Blade Runner
    4. Flash Gordon (because it reminds me of my Dad)
    5. Starship Troopers (because it reminds me of my Mates when we were growing up)

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    Replies
    1. Thats a good start. I look forward to the whole post and then all the baby post it makes afterwards!

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  4. Thanks for the nomination, very kind. I dont think that I will post the answers to this stuff on my blog - I try to keep it is pretty focused on finished miniatures and occasional batreps - but I am happy to give some answers here:

    1. A warmer version of where I currently live (rural Ireland)
    2. Streaky bacon on fresh white bread.
    3. Omelettes. Barely a meal I know, but I can reliably churn them out. Like 28mm orks.
    4. I dont lie, but we do choose not to unnecessarily discuss certain things that agitate one or other of us. She has always been very supportive of my hobby, but as neither of us really want to talk about the bottom line, we dont. She is happy that it makes me happy.
    5. I used to half jokingly say that I wanted "And another thing..." on my gravestone, but then I found out that thats also what Jeremy Clarkson wants on his... so I have had to reconsider. No substitute found as yet.
    6. Japan. The countryside for sure, but mainly the big cities,
    7. The camera
    8. When I realised that girls winning Wimbledon were the same age as me, about 15 or so. I identified that I wasnt getting any younger and that time was of the essence at that point.
    9. Friends who want them can have any that they might want, but selling them to give some cash to relatives/the dogs and cats home would be my preference for whatever is left.
    10. Hmm. Miniature Transformers with a proper game to play with them have always been on my "to-do" list. A smaller and far more achievable goal is to get a set of the main characters from the old Ulysses 31 TV show. Thats a rocking Sensei warband right there...
    11. In no particular order probably these: Starship Troopers, The Empire Strikes Back, Robocop, The Matrix, Aliens. Of note here is that they are not just my favourite sci-fi movies, but my favourite movies too.

    Lastly, regarding the Irish Sea getting in the way of a gaming meet, I am planning to attend the Oldhammer thing in Foundry in August. Hopefully we will get to meet up then and possibly even get a small skirmishy thing played perhaps :)

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    Replies
    1. I completely understand about the sanctity of your blog content. The liebster is a bit more like homework but thanks for answering the questions so honestly. I'm planning on going to oldhammer day as well. Maybe we should organise something?

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    2. I would definitely be up for getting a handful of my toy soldiers on the table alongside yours: a photo of some of my guys alongside one of the only 40k Sensei warbands in existence is too good to miss :)

      Something small and skirmishy and reasonably quick to play would be great: a <10 models per side sort of thing that wouldnt take all day but was still likely to give us a few laughs is very appealing to me.

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    3. That's exactly the sort of thing I was thinking. I'll bring my Sensei (I might even bring back Gerson!) and you can bring along some suitable aggressors (which, lets face it, with Sensei, could be anybody!) and we throw some dice and take the piss (while having a drink!) Do we need to book a table? Have they even started doing that yet?

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  5. I think that we are on the same page WP :) I dont know about the ins and outs of booking a table, but I am sure that we can find out via the OH forum or similar.

    As I will be flying over, I am limited regarding what I can bring with me, but if we hammer out a vague outline between now and then I can get a couple of fun dedicated objective markers or similar made. Im unsure what sci-fi miniature project will be turning my crank by the time August comes around, but it will definitely be compatible with a throwdown against a Sensei band :)

    Pirates have been threatening to jump the painting queue for a while now, so maybe those... too early to say.

    Its a good plan though. Im looking forward to it :)

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    1. See, now you've mentioned pirates and made me think about the 'Abdul Goldberg' scenarios in the RT book. Two space chancers and their gangs out to pull a fast one for the big score!

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    2. Expect a blog post about it soon!

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