Dork Tower, Monday, April 21
Today's Dork Tower is up.
Click here, there, or anywhere to see it.
****
Good heavens, it's quiet on teh Intertubes, today. Let's talk about something.
I'm playing Rainbow Six Vegas 2 at the moment. mostly on the theory that, if I can't go to Las Vegas for GTS, I might as well blow it up.
Who else is missing GTS? Who's all there and having a great time?
****
Having just read Harry Pearson's "Achtung, Schweinhund: A Boy's Own Story of Imaginary Combat" however, what I'm really jonesing for is to start painting up some miniatures again.
I literally found "Acthung Schweinhund" just sitting at the Last Square last Saturday, and was hooked as soon as I started thumbing through it. In the great British tradition of Gerald Durrel-esque comic memoirs, this is a sort of "My Family and other AFVs" tale of a boy, his toys (Commando comics, boardgames like "Escape from Colditz", "Action Man" figures and - most importantly - miniature historical wargaming figures), and holding on to them tightly.
Pearson's wit occasionally becomes a bit repetitive (he falls back on a '"Historical Person A" makes "Very Bad Historical Person B" seem like "Soft and Cuddly Historical Person C"' formula a tad often), but really, that's a quibble when a thoroughly enjoyable book essentially tells the story of your life from out of the blue. Born a year earlier than me, much of Pearson's experiences in the 60's and 70's apparently mirrored those of many an English schoolboy, from Airfix 1/72 Desert Rats all the way through attending the miniatures conventions that dot the British landscape seemingly every weekend.
Best of all, the book is insidiously educational, devoting chapter after chapter to the history of such diversions as tin soldiers, plastic models, boardgames and war comics. Although it must be said, stumbling across a howler like calling Gary Gygax a Canadian does make one want to double-check some of the other historical facts presented. So, too, did the author's disdain for fantasy gaming cause the occasional bump in the road for this Geek-Of-All-Trades.
Still, "Achtung Schweinhund!" has been passed from gamer to gamer at the Last Square, to the enjoyment of all. Not for sale, the copy I found belongs to owner Karl Krieger, and he's apparently loaned it to every other gamer who's walked through the store's doors. The verdicts are unanimous thumbs-ups: I might have thought some of the veddy, veddy British references may have been a tad esoteric for those not brought up in England in the 70s, but apparently not so.
An enjoyable, quick read, "Actung Schweinhund!" is well worth seeking out. Easier to come across in Britain and Canada than the US, though, it still may take some finding.
On the other hand, I've been looking for 15 mm Testudo formation Trajanic Romans for more than 20 years now, so finding my own copy of this should be a snap...
****
Anyone know how to remove the "Funwall" application from Facebook?
It seems to be Spam-happy anymore, and I can't figure out how to get rid of it.
EDIT: Thus, removed. Thanks for the tips.
Click here, there, or anywhere to see it.
****
Good heavens, it's quiet on teh Intertubes, today. Let's talk about something.
I'm playing Rainbow Six Vegas 2 at the moment. mostly on the theory that, if I can't go to Las Vegas for GTS, I might as well blow it up.
Who else is missing GTS? Who's all there and having a great time?
****
Having just read Harry Pearson's "Achtung, Schweinhund: A Boy's Own Story of Imaginary Combat" however, what I'm really jonesing for is to start painting up some miniatures again.
I literally found "Acthung Schweinhund" just sitting at the Last Square last Saturday, and was hooked as soon as I started thumbing through it. In the great British tradition of Gerald Durrel-esque comic memoirs, this is a sort of "My Family and other AFVs" tale of a boy, his toys (Commando comics, boardgames like "Escape from Colditz", "Action Man" figures and - most importantly - miniature historical wargaming figures), and holding on to them tightly.
Pearson's wit occasionally becomes a bit repetitive (he falls back on a '"Historical Person A" makes "Very Bad Historical Person B" seem like "Soft and Cuddly Historical Person C"' formula a tad often), but really, that's a quibble when a thoroughly enjoyable book essentially tells the story of your life from out of the blue. Born a year earlier than me, much of Pearson's experiences in the 60's and 70's apparently mirrored those of many an English schoolboy, from Airfix 1/72 Desert Rats all the way through attending the miniatures conventions that dot the British landscape seemingly every weekend.
Best of all, the book is insidiously educational, devoting chapter after chapter to the history of such diversions as tin soldiers, plastic models, boardgames and war comics. Although it must be said, stumbling across a howler like calling Gary Gygax a Canadian does make one want to double-check some of the other historical facts presented. So, too, did the author's disdain for fantasy gaming cause the occasional bump in the road for this Geek-Of-All-Trades.
Still, "Achtung Schweinhund!" has been passed from gamer to gamer at the Last Square, to the enjoyment of all. Not for sale, the copy I found belongs to owner Karl Krieger, and he's apparently loaned it to every other gamer who's walked through the store's doors. The verdicts are unanimous thumbs-ups: I might have thought some of the veddy, veddy British references may have been a tad esoteric for those not brought up in England in the 70s, but apparently not so.
An enjoyable, quick read, "Actung Schweinhund!" is well worth seeking out. Easier to come across in Britain and Canada than the US, though, it still may take some finding.
On the other hand, I've been looking for 15 mm Testudo formation Trajanic Romans for more than 20 years now, so finding my own copy of this should be a snap...
****
Anyone know how to remove the "Funwall" application from Facebook?
It seems to be Spam-happy anymore, and I can't figure out how to get rid of it.
EDIT: Thus, removed. Thanks for the tips.