New Pay it Forward Contest

The evil benevolent genius behind Miniature Wargame Conversion is at it again and has managed to scrounge together a fantastic list of prizes for his newest "Pay it Forward" contest.  Through the generous donations of his supporters, a few vendors, and even himself, Mr. Conversion is bringing to you such fantastic prizes as Warhammer and 40K Battleforce boxes and a set of 8 signed Black Library Novels in addition to some 10 or more other prizes. 

Entrance to the contest is completely free, as always, and has no stipulations other than to remember to "pay it forward" when you are able and help out other gamers in need.  The community outpouring for this series of events has been absolutely jaw dropping as more and more people continue to donate product for what is quickly becoming a recurring contest.

Check out the full contest details here and good luck.

This contest makes me feel almost as happy as this Orangutan

A Delicious Contest from Tastytaste

Tastytaste is running another sweet-ass contest over at Blood of Kittens.  It involves art and a chance at fame and money. The contest is also a chance to put all those years of surfing the internet to use.  So maybe all those times you were looking at the Cheezburger Network while pretending to work will finally be worth something.  Only registered BoK members can win, but it's hella easy to register.

Just whip up some meme art and you're in for a chance to win 50 bucks worth of GW and maybe a mini-gallery showing of your genius.

Click here for details.

User Content Friday - Take Your Hobbies to Work Day

Here's a bit of my own work from Laubersheimer Industries from about a year and a half ago.  I was stressed out at work and 'behind' on some projects at the time.  My solution was to set up a hobby travel kit and went about trying to kill one or more birds with my new stone.  What follows below is my original post from about a year and a half ago with some added commentary to reflect some thoughts I've had in the meantime as well as make me feel better about some rough spots in the writing.

Recently, I've begun experimenting with painting at work during my lunch hour.

So far, its been GREAT!!1!! Blagrhwwertght! Flrppt.

No, seriously, its been a really good experience. Not only does it help with my stress levels, but it also has helped speed up Project Future Boys (the code name for my long standing Eldar project). I recommend it for anyone who has a lunch hour and works at a place where this will fly (that last bit is super important - not every job is gonna be cool with your potential mess). Here are my reasons:

Gaming on a Budget: Making Rubble

Big ass pile of sprues from project Vendetta

Today's waste/cost reduction technique has long been a favorite of mine, because I'm going to be breaking shit.  It should be readily apparent by know that in my own Howard Hughes kind of way, I excel at trying not to throw away anything related to my gaming purchases.  Everything from the miniatures to the packaging has a use (yes even shrink wrap, but that's a topic for another day....).  As you can clearly see in this picture, plastic sprues do not escape my pack rat ways.  There are a number of ways to use these, but today I'll be talking about running them through the meat grinder- literally!

The Weekly Top X - War: What Is it Good For?

... For OUR purposes, war is actually quite useful.  It's the whole point of the game, a useful learning tool and just plain fun.  I'm feeling feisty and today's Top X is mostly about battle reports (and a super sneaky secondary theme).  And crushing your enemies and, possibly, hearing the lamentations of the women.  If there are any around (re: unicrons unicorns).  In the spirit of pushing our little plastic mans around to simulate violence, here's a semi-related video:




All right. Enough seriousness. Let's get this show on the road!

It's easy to blame the dice.....

I have on several occasions put forward the theory that the dice are intelligent creatures whose only goal is to roll 1's when I need to pass a Terminator saving throw or double 6 when I'm rolling for a crucial Leadership test.....Of course that may just be because I remember when they screw me over but don't notice at all when they roll average.....

This picture may have little or nothing to do with the following article. I just happen to like it.

New Member Monday - Happy Valentimes Day!

What better way to celebrate the torture and martyrdom of an early Christian saint then by reading blogs and watching a clip from 30 Rock?






You see, love is in the air.

[Weekly Whimsy] Romance

[Welcome to Weekly Whimsy!] 

[Welcome to Weekly Whimsy! Accentuating ardor, amour, admiration and affairs; regaling relevant rules for relations.]

“O for the gentleness of old Romance, the simple planning of a minstrel's song!”   John Keats

Got a special someone? Lady Friend? Dr. Girlfriend? She Who Must Be Obeyed? Wife? Man? Sexy Thing? Dude? Husband? 

If so, no doubt you've noticed that Valentine's Day is quickly arriving. I've heard countless times from many of my male gaming friends that Valentine's Day gives them something of a complex- they simply have no idea “what to do”. I thought I'd toss you guys a bone and help you out. 

Yes, I know I'm a little late on the scene. I probably should have followed my own, best advice when it comes to wooing;

1- Do a little planning. 

For us gamers, being prepared is either second nature, or a terrible burden. I know countless guys that come to game ill-prepared (no dice, paper, pencils, nothing). For them, thinking ahead is an actual chore. Then there's those of us who are just a little crazy about being ready for anything. I'm personally guilty of having no less than 3 pens at any time and I usually have a pad of paper, too. For me, being prepared is second nature to who I am. 

Regardless, when it comes to romance, planning ahead is essential. Don't wait until the last minute- or you'll end up giving wilted, terrible flowers from a gas station, bad lingerie from Kmart, or Little Debbie's Valentine Cakes. (Sometimes those terrible gifts can turn into a goofy tradition- but be aware at least some frustration will come of it before your Sweetie thinks it's “sweet”.)

What kinds of planning has a LOT to do with your special friend, and almost nothing to do with “what the media says”. Here's an example:

If your Significant Other adores Motocross, getting her a hearts & flowers gram is not going to be as effective as getting tickets to the nearest dirt track show. If he likes SCA and RenFaire stuff, he'll most likely be far more tickled with a trip to Medieval Times than going to see the latest Jet Li movie.

Having tickets to these sorts of things takes thinking weeks (if not MONTHS) in advance. Many of these sorts of adventures involve travel. That can include hotel stays, dinner out, and distractions other than the intended event. Coordinating all of the said itinerary ahead of schedule with consideration to your partner's tastes can turn you into a hero overnight. But all of those ideas need at least an element of