Saturday- Burning the Midnight Oil
I’m down at the studio for a late shift tonight. I am wrapping up all loose ends.
If you’d like to call me or contact me for any reason, please do so. I will respond promptly.
801 372 8545
Also, a little-known fact is that you can almost always get an immediate response through gmail chat.
I’m down here all by my lonesomes listening to Pete Schiff:
December Specials
Here’s the special for December. I’m still booking projects for the last half of the month.
These are really good deals. Artistic License tends to give a good result because the artist will use techniques that he or she is really good at. Artists are always excited to get an Artistic License project.
Give Artistic License* for one of the following armies and get 25% off on Painting:
• Warriors of Chaos
• Vampire Counts
• Tomb Kings
• Tyranids
• Cryx
• Skorne
• Orboros
• Chaos Nurgle (40K or Fantasy)
• Necrons
• Tau
• Space Marines
• Wood Elves
If the order is at least 1000 points you get 30% off the cost of materials.
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Minimum order $200.
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You should request the special by name.
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You can contact me for a quote at bluetablepainting@gmail.com I can send an a la carte pricing guide.
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*Artistic License means we get to pick how it is painted and based. It needs to be within the genre (ie no pink marines!). You get to pick armament and army list.
In other news. I am in the process of updating the various pricing spreadsheets (eg they will now include auto-calculation for various specials like L2), so you may need to request some of them. They might not be on the website.
Fantastic Friday
I played TWO games today and it was awesome. Completely irresponsible. I have a very plump inbox.
Tomorrow I’ll be paying in spades: I’m going down to the studio for a fat working day. Among other things I’ll be editing and posting the juicy 90 minutes or so of footage I shot today and yesterday.
Good stuff.
For my part, I am a happy man. I got it all. Keeping it simple.
OK, here’s more. I played a game of Warhammer Fantasy with Mike. We played at 1500 pts. It was really out of sight. All I want to do is play again. It was a very close draw at the end. Every turn was a nailbiter.
This game, then, was 500 points more than the last one.
I fielded my Cold One Knights this time. And another sorceress. And a third unit of Dark Riders.
This game helped me figure out my army’s razone d’etre a little more. How does it win? How is it supposed to play? It’s really a hammer and anvil type of army– a big tarbaby unit (the Black Guard) and then a ton of very maneuverable units that harass and harry, picking apart the enemy’s cohesion, getting to where they are needed. I think that sometimes if a unit is close combat only there’s an enormous temptation to get it “stuck in” sooner than is prudent. I’m definitely like that. I like to do things and I get into trouble.
Anyway, the Cold One Knights (COK) really screwed up during this game, presenting a huge number of problems on account of Stupidity. We call this a “COK block”. So, I’m tempted to “fire” them from the roster, but I’ve decided to leave them in, and just play them better and smarter and choose magic items that will keep them on track (eg the cold-blooded banner that allows for one turn of enhanced LD).
I also need to consider that I won’t always be playing against Orcs! Renn is coming along nicely with his Vampire Counts which will be a tremendous challenge. Returning to the Cold One Knights– they have Fear which will help.
Thanksgiving Day 2008
Well, I think that I’ve been maintaining the blog for two years now.
Here’s the day in a nutshell:
- Sleep in.
- Studio to pick up metal plates, glue and wrap up some loose ends.
- Watch episode of Star Trek: Enterprise while painting up a few Dark Riders.
- Get nagged by wife for not helping clean up for Thanksgiving dinner guests.
- Whip the kids into shape– making them clean up while I continue painting.
- Get nagged by wife again for not cooking the dishes I was supposed to cook and now it’s ten minutes until guests arrive.
- Finally go upstairs and appease wife, who finds me dead-sexxy in my chef outfit.
- My cranberry relish is to die for.
OK, so Joseph and his wife show up with their little cherubs and we really get a spectacular meal underway. What else? The kids were having a blast watching the muppet show and playing out in the frosty back yard.
After dinner, Joseph and I made flush movement trays for our Warhammer Fantasy armies. It’s official now, I have 2000 points of Dark Elves all painted up, with movement trays, everything ready to go. OK, well, maybe one thing missing: the hydra I have was painted by If all goes according to plan I’ll be playing a game with Mike tomorrow and will have some vids up.
Then we headed out to Blockbuster to rent a few movies: Get Smart and Hellboy II. We watched the former all four of us as the kids dropped off to sleep one by one. Get Smart was good for a few belly laughs.
Tamie put her swollen calves on my lap during the movie and I worked them into shape. Poor darling, she’s a vision of misery. Imagine hauling around a twenty pound bowling ball in your abdomen for three months. The turkey timer is almost entirely extroverted (ie her belly button, in case the metaphor isn’t clear).
So, what am I grateful for? That’s a pretty long list. I really have it all, everything important, healthy family, great wife, community, church, dream co-workers, and dream job… and clients which really, in a way, make it all possible.
Project Update
As usual, we are working diligently and methodically on various projects. I don’t give updates every week because the schedule is so fluid, so changing, that it’s hard to pin down. This is natural. All sorts of things can delay (or set ahead!) a project. But I probably should do updates more often. Clients seem to like it.
The following projects are finished, awaiting documentation (digital photography), or will be done very soon (2-5 days):
Big Daddy 02 CL
Tyranids 01 BH B
Gritty Orks 02 BC
Tau 10 TO
Space Marines 01 JR red/yellow
Decapitator 01 JD
Alien Terrain FLDLV
Wyches of Thoth 02 BV
AI 02 MN bombers
Crimson Fists 01 RB
Blood Bowl Dark Elves 01 AA
Khador 03 MW
Tyranids 01 ED by nov 22
Big Daddy 02 CL
Tyranids 01 BH B
Gritty Orks 02 BC
Tau 10 TO
Space Marines 01 JR red/yellow
Decapitator 01 JD
Alien Terrain FLDLV
Wyches of Thoth 02 BV
AI 02 MN bombers
Crimson Fists 01 RB
Blood Bowl Dark Elves 01 AA
Khador 03 MW
Tyranids 01 ED by nov 22
The following are under the brush (or soon will be) and have an expected completion time of 5-10 days:
Old West Buildings 01 CC
Gritty Orks 03 BC
Heroes 01 ML
Black Templars 01 RH
Mortifactors 01 ST
Imperial Guard 01 JF
Iyanden 03 BH
Salamanders 01 DD
BFG 01 PM
Cygnar 01 RC
Eldar 01 DD
Assassin 01 AK
Alien Terrain
War Machine 13 BF
Deathwing 03 CG er
Khorne 04 JB
Gritty Orks 03 BC
Heroes 01 ML
Black Templars 01 RH
Mortifactors 01 ST
Imperial Guard 01 JF
Iyanden 03 BH
Salamanders 01 DD
BFG 01 PM
Cygnar 01 RC
Eldar 01 DD
Assassin 01 AK
Alien Terrain
War Machine 13 BF
Deathwing 03 CG er
Khorne 04 JB
The following projects are in Assembly or are just exiting Assembly:
Dark Elves 01 TB
War Machine 14 JL
Heroes 01 ML
Black Templars 01 RH
War Machine 12 JL
Salamanders 01 DD
Cygnar 01 GV
Tau 03 SL
Imperial Fleet 02 EB
War Machine 14 JL
Heroes 01 ML
Black Templars 01 RH
War Machine 12 JL
Salamanders 01 DD
Cygnar 01 GV
Tau 03 SL
Imperial Fleet 02 EB
The following projects are in a holding pattern– waiting for materials, instructions or something else:
AI 02 MN
Chaos 04 JC Deathguard 02 HT
Tomb Kings 01 RY
Chaos 04 JC Deathguard 02 HT
Tomb Kings 01 RY
Tzeentch Lord 02 AC
Warmaster 02 GQ
Dark Elves 01 RC
Assassin 01 AK
Warmaster 02 GQ
Dark Elves 01 RC
Assassin 01 AK
Sisters of Battle 02 CS
Khorne Daemon Princes 01 MS
Wood Elves 01 JL
Ultramarines 02 SA
Vampire Counts 04 LG
Ultramarines 02 DS
Khorne Daemon Princes 01 MS
Wood Elves 01 JL
Ultramarines 02 SA
Vampire Counts 04 LG
Ultramarines 02 DS
The following projects are coming up in the next few weeks:
Warmaster 02 GQ
Wood Elves 01 JL bf
Tzeentch Lord 02 AC
Tau 03 SL
Ultramarines 02 MN
Deathguard 02 HT
Dark Elves 01 RC
Dark Elves 01 TB
Imperial Fleet 02 EB
Cygnar 01 GV
Sisters of Battle 02 CS
Tomb Kings 01 RY bf and er
Chaos 04 JC termies
Khorne Daemon Princes 01 MS
Wood Elves 01 JL bf
Tzeentch Lord 02 AC
Tau 03 SL
Ultramarines 02 MN
Deathguard 02 HT
Dark Elves 01 RC
Dark Elves 01 TB
Imperial Fleet 02 EB
Cygnar 01 GV
Sisters of Battle 02 CS
Tomb Kings 01 RY bf and er
Chaos 04 JC termies
Khorne Daemon Princes 01 MS
See how time-consuming that is? And in 48 hours it will all be switched around as packages go flying in and out. We are careful, we keep good track of everything.
Now, if you didn’t see your project, or you have ANY questions at all, I am completely at your disposal.
Turkey Humor
A young man named John received a parrot as an early Christmas gift. Theparrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word outof the bird’s mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. Johntried and tried to change the bird’s attitude by consistently sayingonly polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could thinkof to ‘clean up’ the bird’s vocabulary.
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Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelledback. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder.
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John, in desperation, threw up his hands, grabbed the bird and shovedhim in the freezer.
For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Thensuddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.
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Fearing that he’d hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the d oor to thefreezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John’s outstretched arms andsaid ‘I believe I may have offended you with my rude language andactions. I’m sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressionsand I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude andunforgivable behavior.’
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John was stunned at the change in the bird’s attitude. As he was aboutto ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior,the bird continued….
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……..’May I enquire as to what the turkey did?’
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Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I LOVE the Money Fire!
Here’s an interesting article snippet:
“… So why weren’t these structured debt-instruments “stress tested” before the markets were reworked and the financial system became so dependent on them?
“Greed. Because the real purpose of these exotic investments is not to provide true value to the buyer, but to maximize profits for the seller by increasing leverage. That is the real purpose of MBS, CDOs and all the other bizarre-sounding derivatives; higher profits with less capital. It’s a scam. Here’s how it works: A mortgage applicant buys a house for $400,000 and puts 10 percent down. His mortgage is sold to Wall Street, chopped into pieces, and stitched together in a pool of similar loans. Now the brokerage can use the debt as if it were an asset, borrowing at ratios of 20 or 30 to 1 to fatten the bottom line. When Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken into conservatorship by the government, they were leveraged at an eye-popping 100 to 1. This shows that nearly an infinite amount of debt can be precariously balanced atop a paltry amount of capital. This explains why the $4 trillion aggregate value of the 5 big investment banks and the $1.7 trillion value of the hedge funds is now vanishing more quickly than it was created. Once the mighty gears of structured finance shift into reverse, deleveraging begins with a vengeance pulling trillions into a credit vacuum.”
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Dump your money in a giant hole
(humor- warning some foul language)
PS- I’m not saying this is right or it’s what I think personally. Just some information.
Also, some game-related stuff and fluffy Thanksgiving fare is forthcoming.
Designed to do Good and Right
Shawn,
I find myself with a few free moments this holiday morning and I wanted to respond to one of your blog posts.
“Remember: Government can’t do anything. It is contrary to the laws of physics. They can only move existing resources around. Only personal industriousness can create. Taxation is the power only to destroy.”
I respect what I think you’re trying to say here, that government, deriving its funding and authority as it does from the populous, cannot help but be viewed as a parasite from a certain perspective. I don’t think however that your comment above does our government complete justice. For example, our government protects our boarders from enemies, (both foreign and domestic), provides for roads and utilities which vastly increase our quality of life, provides (in theory) a neutral system by which to arbitrate disputes, and many other benefits that add up to peace and freedom. I suppose you can argue that peace and freedom come from the people and a lack of government, but I believe that it is the government as intended who maintains this status.
Where I can’t fault your logic is what our government has become in these troubled times. Where once we claimed to have a “free market” economy, now when a business falls to the pressure of supply and demand, we don’t let it fall, we prop it up, hoping to overt the inevitable demise of the institution. One of my friends said something lately in regard to the noises about baling out the auto industry that I found particularly appropriate.
“I wouldn’t buy their cars, why then should I pay to have them make more cars?”
At best we are supposed to have a symbiotic relationship with our government, benefitting from its existence, but not having it draw so heavily upon our resources that it significantly impairs our ability to generate goods, services, and wealth.
I think, say 100 years ago, we had this level of freedom. Now though, companies and special interests have grown so large and our political system has grown so polarized between conservative republicanism and liberal democrats, that we no longer elect people to represent us who act in service to their constituents. In point of fact our current system makes it very difficult for a person to get re-elected who truly acts in the best interest of the people and the country as a single unified entity.
This is because most campaigns are funded by special interests, special action groups, and companies who want to be remembered favorably when a law maker takes office. To get laws past, the law maker then has to make deals with other law makers (who were elected under the same circumstances and who are beholden to other groups and companies.) (For the record, I view our political parties as esentially special interest groups, much like unions or lobiest groups.) The law, designed to do something good and right, gets bundled with other laws such that the end product is that while the one law gets past, a bunch of other laws do as well which may not be representative of the elected officials and his constituents’ beliefs. The representative of the people should be free to vote as his people and his conscience dictate, not such that a few privileged companies and interest groups will fund him again or so that a different law he will propose later has a chance of passing muster.
If you haven’t done so already, I recommend reading a book by Michael Z. Williamson called Freehold.
The book depicts a free society in which government is but a shadow of our current system, where self-reliance is the standard, and where there are no social safety nets to speak of. It is a work of fiction, but depicts with disturbing clarity the difference between what we could become and what true freedo really means.
Best wishes to you and yours.
MN
Thank you so much. Just a few responses like this showing up in my Inbox make it all worthwhile.
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I am entertaining the idea that some “moving around of resources” by Government might be within the proper role. I am not rejecting any ideas outright at this stage, though things are shaping up.
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Now some random, unrelated thoughts.
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The reader also needs to remember that I am a fanatic… a zealot… a religious nut. I believe that there is a radiant and complex and eternal spirit body fused to my physical form. Current earthly conflict is rooted in, and an extension of, a conflict that began before the earth was formed. It was a fight between coercion and freedom, voluntary vs. involuntary obedience, blindness vs. seeing, the concentration of power by force and the dispersion of power to the individual.
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It is the Mighty Eternal Father who laid his hand on your head countless millenia ago and gave you your Freedom. It cannot truly be taken away. There is no power that can take it. God Himself will not take it from you. The decree has gone forth in the Heavens.
The Creator gave you your Rights.
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I will go on… All matter obeys God on a sub-atomic level. The universe gives obedience voluntarily and recognizes and honors him because he is Just. He walks the razor’s edge of Celestial Law. There is no turning aside from it. There is an exception: Man. To us it is given to choose for ourselves, to learn for ourselves, and to decide whether we will rebel or obey. And if we rebel, to decide in this life to repent, or not.
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There is an illusion in this life, a forgetfulness, but we are fitful and turning in our slumber. I know others who can feel it too. Perhaps as you read this, your eyes will well up, and a spark will flare inside your mind…
Dreams of Slaanesh…
As usual, I’m thinking of the next army. This one might be-a ways off, but if you want to steal the idea, I can give you a quote…
The dual release of Daemons of Chaos and Chaos Daemons for 40K raises the interesting prospect of a dual-use army, that can be for 40K or Fantasy.
Mount the models on rounds. If these are magnetized (round magnets on the underside of the base). Then, a bordered movement tray is mounted with metal plates and the gaps where the circular bases don’t cover are filled and then based to match– disguising the gaps. Voila!
Now on to the list. This is a very quick and deadly army. In WHF you have spells to manipulate the board and give firepower, but you don’t really need that. With movement TEN, your units are effectively ranged… a charge of 20″. That’s what daddy is talking about.
2x Heralds of Slaanesh on Seekers
1x Greater Daemon of Slaanesh (FW version is awesome)
36x Daemonettes (six units of six– the sacred number of Slaanesh)
12x Seekers of Slaanesh (Daemonettes on steeds of slaanesh)
6x Fiends of Slaanesh
One possible conversion for the Seekers I was thinking of: give them snake-like bodies (the lower part). This is a classic slaanesh archetype hailing back to Dechala. Of course, the regular Seeker models are really slick.
Dark Elves Complete List
Here is my finalized list for my Ice Elves, so called. The only models I don’t have so far are the harpies (need a box of Daemonettes) and the Shades. If you have either and would like to trade materials or service, let me know. Other than that I just need to convert up the Highborn on dark steed and I’m set.
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If anyone has suggestions about my list, of any kind, I am wide open. My regular email is bluetablepainting@gmail.com
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As for the studio Warhammer Fantasy rumblings, excitement is high. Evidently Mike and Renn played a game of Vampire Counts v Orcs yesterday. Amazingly, we scrounged up 1250 pts of Bretonnians just from miscellaneous parts (does include 200 pts of Empire Greatswords, though!) and so that’s rolling. Can’t wait to see what Josephus does with those.
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2250 Pts – Dark Elves Roster – Ice Elves 2000 plus
Highborn (1#, 230 Pts)
1 Dreadlord @ 230 Pts
General; Hand Weapon; Repeater Crossbow; Heavy Armour; Sea Dragon Cloak; Eternal Hatred
1 Dark Steed @ [0] Pts
1 Chillblade @ [50] Pts
Noble (1#, 118 Pts)
1 Master @ 118 Pts
Hand Weapon; Heavy Armour; Sea Dragon Cloak; Eternal Hatred
1 Lifetaker @ [30] Pts
Sorceress (1#, 172 Pts)
1 Sorceress @ 172 Pts
Druchii Sorcery; Level 2 Upgrade; Hand Weapon; Eternal Hatred
1 Dark Steed @ [0] Pts
1 Dispel Scroll @ [25] Pts
1 0. Power of Darkness @ [0] Pts
1 1. Chillwind @ [0] Pts
1 2. Doombolt @ [0] Pts
1 3. Word of Pain @ [0] Pts
1 4. Blade Wind @ [0] Pts
1 5. Soul Stealer @ [0] Pts
1 6. Black Horror @ [0] Pts
Sorceress (1#, 172 Pts)
1 Sorceress @ 172 Pts
Druchii Sorcery; Level 2 Upgrade; Hand Weapon; Eternal Hatred
1 Dark Steed @ [0] Pts
1 Dispel Scroll @ [25] Pts
1 0. Power of Darkness @ [0] Pts
1 1. Chillwind @ [0] Pts
1 2. Doombolt @ [0] Pts
1 3. Word of Pain @ [0] Pts
1 4. Blade Wind @ [0] Pts
1 5. Soul Stealer @ [0] Pts
1 6. Black Horror @ [0] Pts
Cold One Knights (6#, 217 Pts)
5 Cold One Knights @ 217 Pts
Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield; Eternal Hatred
1 Dread Knight @ [43] Pts
Hand Weapon; Heavy Armour; Eternal Hatred
1 Banner of Cold Blood @ [15] Pts
6 Cold One @ [0] Pts
Thick-skinned; Causes Fear; Stupid
Dark Riders (5#, 117 Pts)
5 Dark Riders @ 117 Pts
Musician Mus; Hand Weapon; Repeater Crossbow; Spear; Light Armour; Eternal Hatred; Fast Cavalry
5 Dark Steed @ [0] Pts
Dark Riders (5#, 117 Pts)
5 Dark Riders @ 117 Pts
Musician Mus; Hand Weapon; Repeater Crossbow; Spear; Light Armour; Eternal Hatred; Fast Cavalry
5 Dark Steed @ [0] Pts
Dark Riders (5#, 117 Pts)
5 Dark Riders @ 117 Pts
Musician Mus; Hand Weapon; Repeater Crossbow; Spear; Light Armour; Eternal Hatred; Fast Cavalry
5 Dark Steed @ [0] Pts
Black Guard (19#, 307 Pts)
18 Black Guard @ 307 Pts
Warrior Elite; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Halberd; Heavy Armour; Eternal Hatred; Immune to Psychology; Stubborn
1 Tower Master @ [27] Pts
Warrior Elite; Heavy Armour; Eternal Hatred; Immune to Psychology
1 War Banner @ [25] Pts
Reaper (3#, 100 Pts)
1 Reaper Bolt Thrower @ 100 Pts
War Machine; Eternal Hatred; Repeater Bolt Thrower
2 Crew @ [0] Pts
Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Eternal Hatred
Reaper (3#, 100 Pts)
1 Reaper Bolt Thrower @ 100 Pts
War Machine; Eternal Hatred; Repeater Bolt Thrower
2 Crew @ [0] Pts
Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Eternal Hatred
War Hydra (3#, 175 Pts)
1 War Hydra @ 175 Pts
Fiery Breath; Monsters and Handlers; Causes Terror; Eternal Hatred; Large Target; Regenerate; Scaly Skin
2 Beastmaster @ [0] Pts
Hand Weapon; Eternal Hatred
2 Beastmasters Scourge @ [0] Pts
Harpy Coven (9#, 99 Pts)
9 Harpies @ 99 Pts
Beasts; Flyer
Shades (6#, 200 Pts)
5 Shades @ 200 Pts
Hand Weapon; Repeater Crossbow; Eternal Hatred; Scouts; Skirmishers
1 Assassin @ [120] Pts
A Killer Not a Leader; Always Strike First; Hidden; Khainite; Hand Weapon; Eternal Hatred; Poisoned Attacks; Scouts
1 Touch of Death @ [30] Pts
Total Roster Cost: 2241
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