2010 Gaming Goals (Final?)

Ok, I’ve given the resolutions from my last post a lot of thought (that’s a lie I haven’t thought about it much, but I want to finalise them). I’ve decided there more goals than resolutions, that’s the first tweak. I’ve also added a couple of more goals for next year. I won’t really comment on these if the goal hasn’t changed from my last post. These are in no particular order.

1. Expand my dwarf army to a complete, stand alone, army of 2000 points.
2. Finish painting the Lord of the Rings miniatures I already have before getting any new ones.
3. Build a playable Harad army (LotR), including a War Mumak. This is after goal #2.
4. Play
   It’s nice having completed miniatures, but the whole point is to play.
5. Complete at least one non-Games Workshop miniature.
   I’m starting to enjoy painting for the end result and I’ve started to discover some great figures out there.
6. Build at least one complete set of scenery.
7. Create a display miniature
   Not for playing but on a scene base.
8. Really work to learn to paint better.
   My painting skill is still very basic. I depend too much (IMHO) on colour guides in the source books, White Dwarf or on line. I need to understand what I want and how to achieve it more.

All in all I think I’m trying to be realistic while still trying to have a productive year. Fingers crossed.

2010 Gaming Resolutions

Just stumbled across this blog post where John reviews his 2009 gaming resolutions and he judges how successful he was (in his case a wide mix of epic successes and failures). It got me to thinking of what I want to get out of my gaming in 2010. What projects do I want to start, finish or avoid? So here is my first stab a a set of gaming resolutions for 2010. This is the first time I’ve tried something like this, so I may just crash & burn. I’m unashamedly inspired by John’s resolutions from last year. These are in no particular order (and may change be tweaked over the next 2 weeks).

1. Expand my dwarf army to a complete, stand alone army.
   When I originally played Warhammer (about 5-6 years ago) I collected a Dwarf/Kislev army. I loved some of the Kislev miniatures, so built my army based on that. This time around (got pulled back in <grin> in May this year) I’ve been collecting/painting Lord of the Rings. I don’t have a full Dwarf army and the Kislev figures aren’t ‘current’ so wasn’t in a position to enter a local tourney.
2. Finish painting the LotR figures I already have.
   I have a pile of Harad warriors, Rowan warriors, hobbits & Gandalf the White base coated ready for painting. I hate constantly seeing black or white figures.
3. Build a playable Harad army, including a War Mumak.
   My son got a set of Harad raiders to initially learn to paint, ruined most of them and then lost interest (he’s only 9, so this still time to corrupt educate him). I love the look of the Harad and just got to have a Mumak.
4. Play
   It’s fun painting, but got to start playing again and show off my completed figures.
5. Complete at least one non-GW miniature
   I’ve started watching the videos put out by Beasts of War  on YouTube. One of their regular features is On the Table where they look at some of the new miniatures being released. Seeing some of the non Games Workshop stuff out there I really want to get my hands (my brushes)  on some of them.
6. Build at least one full set of scenery
   I love to play or watch a game with a full set of scenery (i.e. not just random hills, trees or buildings, but a set of scenery that goes together to set a scene or mood). I have lots of ideas, just actually haven’t built even one piece yet.

At a glance, this looks like a good initial stab. I’ll look at it more next week I think. Don’t want to go overboard, but don’t want it to be too easy either.

No time to paint

The week before last I was on holidays; just from work, we didn’t actually go anywhere. My plan was to finish painting a set of goblin figures. I enjoy painting Games Workshop figures. Primarily fantasy, but my son’s gotten me into Lord of the Rings and Warhammer 40K (sci-fi). Even when off, I still didn’t get much accomplished.

Here are a couple of my finished figures…

I’m not a great painter, don’t spend enough time practicing. I think one of my challenges is my eyes. At 47 yrs my eyes aren’t great, I wear glasses and am in desperate need of new ones. These means I strain to do detail work. I often joke that I’ve come to this hobby late in life, but I will get better.

I’m really starting to get excited about different techniques and non-Games Workshop figures and tools, so watch this space as they say. I will finish my Mines of Moria goblins and I will get better.

Oh yea, I also plan to play more; which is the whole idea of painting the figures…:-) I’ll be sharing some photos and articles on the hobby in my Google Reader (see the sidebar).

Ready for another week of leisure

I’m home from work over the next week, but with the kids still in school and with Christmas shopping (and the cost to go with it) still to be done I’m basically staying home.  A chance to catch up on some TV (have lots recorded) and to get some figures painted. Will I get to do this or will I put it off until “tomorrow”? I’ll keep you posted. 

Kevin

Catch the Wave

I received my invite to Google Wave this week. When Google first previewed Wave earlier this year I was excited, it seemed it was something new and different. Now that I have it a question has come up; If I don’t know anyone on it yet, what can I do? It’ll just be a matter of learning the power of the technology, it’s new and needs to find it’s feet.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still excited to explore it and find uses for it. Time, that’s all it needs (IMHO).

Six Months......?

It's amazing sometimes, you start to get momentum then....nothing. I've been guilty of that, I was getting into a real momentum of posting to this blog in April then nothing since (how not to attract & keep readers). Twitter and Google Reader's shared items are constantly being update, but no actual entries.

I'm going to try and pick up a new run talking about computers, tv, warhammer and what ever takes my fancy at the time. That's 'try', not 'promise'; I'm just a busy little beaver.

10 of My Favourite Celebrity Glamour Photos

Most celebrity photos on the web are either publicity shots from films or candid paparazzi photos (many of questionable quality or decency). However it seems to be more common for some of, IMO, great looking actresses are doing sexier photos that are more glamour or FHM. In a past life I was a photographer and was attracted to portraits or people photography. As such I still subscribe to allot of photography RSS feeds. Here are some of my favourites that I've shared in my Google Reader in recent months.

1. Christina Ricci

Christina started as a child actress in films like Airplane. I'll never forget her answer to the question on how she liked her coffee.

Young Boy: Cream?
Little Girl (played by Ricci): No, thank you, I take it black, like my men.

She's grown into a beautiful woman since those early days

2. Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder made her mark in films like Beetle Juice, Heathers and Great Balls of Fire. She had a very rough period personally for a few years, but is back on track these days and can be seen in the new Star Trek film.

3. Kirsten Dunst

I first saw Kirsten as Claudia in Interview With a Vampire. Now she's best known, at least by me, as Mary Jane Watson in the Spiderman films 1, 2 3 & 4 (2011).

4. Emma Watson

Hermoine Granger from the Harry Potter films. In the first film she was portrayed as bossy and a know-it-all. Now, I think the director is going to have to work if he wants to hide that she is now a beautiful woman and not a 15 year old school girl.

5. Emma Burton

"Baby Spice" in my mind was the most talented and prettiest member of The Spice Girls.

6. Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore has always seem comfortable doing glamour work. I think the first shoot she did was for Playboy. When she was on the David Letterman Show a couple of years after the magazine appeared, she said Steven Spielberg had sent her a customised edition of the magazine. He had asked his art department to dress her in all of her photos. Drew got her start in Spielberg's E.T. when she was 7 and obviously couldn't face that she was all grown up :-).

7. Katie Holmes

Whether you think of her from Dawson's Creek or as Mrs. Tom Cruise. She has a sophisticated beauty that is rare today.

8. Natalie Portman

Natalie first came to our attention at 13 as Mathilda in Léon (aka Leon: The Professional), but then shot to fame in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

9. Sarah Michelle Geller

Best know as Buffy The Vampire Slayer. She also made a great Daphne in the Scooby-Doo films.

10. Marilyn Monroe

How can you talk about celebrity glamour and not mention Marilyn. What more can you say.

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There are many more photos of these beautiful and sexy actresses. I've just tried to give you a taste of what can be found. Keep a watch on my shared items and FriendFeed (both on the right) to see what new photos I've found.

Until next time TTFN,

Kevin

FBI Elevator Pitch

The other week I stumbled across ProBlogger, a blog on blogging. At the begining of the month (April) Darren started a series of entries 31 Days to Build a Better Blog Challenge. The aim is to give you a new task each day to improve your blog. Write an Elevator Pitch for Your Blog is the first task, so here it is.

Elevator Pitch for FBI

FBI for me is For Brew Information, like FYI but just for me. Whether it's interesting, thought provoking, funny or just a pleasure it may make it on FBI. As an IT Manager, programmer, IT geek, photographer and gamer (just to name a few) my posts are an ecletic mix at the very least. It's not without its focus, but that focus is on the thought of the moment, it may change tomorrow. FBI is meant to be a dialog, whether it's on the blog, via Twitter or FriendFeed FBI is everywhere. Do you surf the internet for the moment? Then maybe you to should join FBI.

What do you think?

TTFN
Kevin

Facebook & Life

I know, strange combination.  These days I'm posting alot on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and sharing alot on my Google Reader (just to name a few).  On Facebook I can add all these feeds (Twitter via Friend Feed) to my wall, so I don't have to post in more than one place.

I'm hoping that the wider exposue will encourage me to keep in touch better. Here's keeping my fingers crossed.

Kevin

What's with all the pictures??

If you dip into my items I've shared in my Google Reader (it's there on the right....go ahead....you know you want to) you will see a lot of celebrity glamour photos.  Before I became an IT Manager I was a photographer. I preferred people photography and whenever I got the chance, glamour/nude photography. I still enjoy viewing lots of genres of photos and one of the RSS feeds that I read has had a lot of celebrity pictures, so I've been sharing my favourites.

I promise they aren't porn, I wouldn't share them if they were.  Have a look and tell me what you think.  Good photography is all about the eye....

TTFN,

Kevin

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Update: 1 May 2009

My latest post, 10 of My Favourite Celebrity Glamour Photos, is a collection of some of my favourite photos I've shared over the past few months. Check it out and leave a comment to tell me what you think.

It's Been Too Long

Once again, it's been far too long since I last posted. I'm posting more on Twitter an Flickr, I can do that from my new Blackberry.  I've also been sharing allot of photos in Google Reader (there has been a run of great glamour and celeb glamour that I thought wa great)., but no pure blog posts.

I endeavor, again, to break that trend.

 Watch for more serious posts and tweets. I will be making an effort to be worth following...:-)

 Talk soon...

A New Year, A New Start

I can't remember how many times I've said this, likely too many, but I aim to raise my profile online.  In the past that was simply stated as "blog more".  Now however, it is more generic (raise profile).  There's Twitter, FriendFeed and more.....and then the blog.  In the end it means the same thing, be followed more. My situation has changed, so I may be able to do it this time  :-).