This is one of the models (not painted by BTP-- this is the product image) used as Mages in the Heru/HE army, below...
Today I had a day off, effectively.
I just swung by the grocery store and picked up snacks for Paint Fest then painted my heart out all afternoon. I finished up my Heru Sky Raiders army (using the High Elf list but Heru models from Crocodile Games). It's about 1200 points.
Though it has a lot of wonderful conversions, and I love the look AND feel of the army, it is time to sell it off (like the Tau Drones). It's about 1500 points. Cost is $350. I don't need to tell you this is a good deal. I will be taking pictures and documenting it early next week. The money is financing the next army, whatever that may be.
Tonight I came home to three kids who are on summer break; dirty feet, dried ice cream on their faces, and their hair matted with twigs and grass.
I let the rabbits out in the back yard, but as of nightfall tonight one of them is still missing.
We're eager to do more Vampire Counts armies and I'm ready to make a deal on a Tyranid army, if anyone wants to give creative license.
Saturday May 31 2008
Can't Get No Satisfaction
"In a wide range of studies, people have been shown to be poor predictors of their own enjoyment and happiness," they said.
Terrain Fest Impending
I usually charge $15, $30, $45, or $60 per piece depending on complexity. That's for the standard wargame table stuff that is modular, you know, terrain for a regular game. It costs $200-400 for a full table (can be spread out to two tables in most cases).
You set a budget and I get to work.
I ask for broad artistic license; that produces the best result. So, you might say "Make me a table of desert world terrain for $200". If you don't think it's worth it when I show you the finished product I will refund your half-down deposit and gladly absorb my masterpieces into my private collection.
B)
Thursday May 29 2008 Pulling a Homer
Picture: an Empire Wizard plastic kit re-imagined as a Heirophant for an Inquisitor and Retinue.
[At the time of this writing it is 3am and I'm watching the Simpsons. "Who would have thought a Nuclear Reactor would have been so complicated."]
My day began, unwillingly, at 2am this morning. I started clearing ye ole inbox until I fell asleep to an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise at around 4am. Episode was "The Observer Effect". It's a good one, mentally stimulating.
I got up again around 8am, went out and fed the two rabbits and the guinea pig. Those rodents got it good with a daily dose of greens and veggies. I re-filled their water bottles. As usual everyone was sleeping in. Funny, once you get rid of the alarm clocks, everything sort of falls into a natural schedule. We go to sleep when we're tired and get up when we're not tired any more.
Tamara is having a rough pregnancy: heightened sense of smell and nausea and overpowering lethargy. Yet she still managed to make me breakfast this morning: eggs, bacon and toast. We ate that over a book catalogue at the dining room table.
Reading for the day:
http://www.ronpaulforcongress.com/html/notyours.html
I would absolutely love to hear what you think.
Most of the big news has to do with new crew down at the studio. However, I am in the habit of waiting 3-6 months before face time. Not an iron-clad rule. Let's just say that shaping up very, very nicely. Each time I "cast the net" there are more and better applicants.
Of course, my objective is to get the crew set in place and have no turnover. But things are proceeding apace; a solid core of old-timers with a natural progression of new recruits. As it stands now, we're set. My goal is to form an elite cadre of professionals; a phalanx of trust-worthy artists who will grow along with Blue Table Painting.
I was hoping to have a game with Renn, but we were both toooo busy. We made a Forge World order today. I picked up a Chaos Hell Talon for a client. Renn is getting a Bloodthirster for his "Yellow Devils" army. We're playing a game tomorrow for sure. I plan on doing final documentation on the studio Tau Verdaan army.
I managed to get a few projects through digital photography and get home by about 9pm where I found my loving family watching Ben 10. I actually really like that show. It's like Scooby Doo but with science fiction, and doesn't suck. Ooooooh! I went there, girl-friend.
I wonder how my life will go. I wonder how I will die in the end. I hope I die in my sleep at a reasonable age. I'd like to write my memoirs. I want to bless my children and grand-children. I don't want to grow like really, really old. I do plan on working until the bitter end. No retirement for me. Maybe lighter hours would be nice.
Warm Words for an Ice Cold Army!
Tuesday May 27 2008 Busy Bee
The following projects are due for completion in the next few days OR are already done
Witch Hunters 01 KO
Witch Hunters 04 DM
Lord of the Rings 01 SG
High Elves 02 CM display
Tyranids 01 JB
Nordland 02 EL
The following are under the brush but not exactly sure when they’ll be done, check in with me in a few days I’ll have an update.
Tyranids 02 JM
Mordheim 05 DF
Mordheim 06 DF
Dark Angels 01 JM
Chaos 01 GS
Inquisition 01 PC
Heroes 01 BR
The following projects are due to go under the brush this coming cycle, to be completed in the next 6-11 days:
Wood Elves 01 SB
High Elves 03 PF
Orks 01 JM
Ultramarines 01 AH
Emperors Children 07 EB
Eldar 02 LD
Dark Angels 02 JL
Eldar 02 GS night spinners
Vampire Counts 01 LG (now back on track should be done in 3-5 days)
Vampire Counts 01 LE
Inquisition 01 RT (will take 2-3 weeks)
RPG Heroes 01 CS
Tzeentch 02 JS
Legion of the Damned 01 MN
The following projects, among others, are in Assembly getting ready to be painted in early June.
Winter Eldar 01 PP
Chaos Daemons 01 TT
Ghost Warriors 04 AS
Eldar Inspiration
If this doesn't inspire you to create an Eldar army then I don't think you're human.
I got a really good idea from this: I've always wanted to do a themed Banshee or Scorpion army. Use the Chaos Daemon list as if the Eldar were warping in through Gates. Something like that.
Sunday May 25 2008 Dungeon Master
Quotes/Thoughts from "Leave Us Alone"
It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.
--Samuel Adams
First, I suspect that I will eventually suffer some kind of persecution for speaking out on this matter. I think it will come from my own government. The "Looters" don't like it when you stand up to them.
My own comments appear in green.
"That is the problem with government these days. They want to do things all the time; they are always busy thinking of what things they can do next. This is not what people want. People want to be left along to look after their cattle." --Obed Ramotwse
Now some quotes from an excellent book:
The center-right movement... is a coalition of groups and individuals that have one thing in common. They do not want the government to give them something. Or take something from others. On the key issue that motivates their vote, they want one simple thing from the gonvernment: They just want to be left alone. p3
I, Shawn Gately, want my money to be left alone. I don't want to pay into Social Security. I want to manage my own retirement. I can handle it. Social Security is a mega-rip-off. As it stands now, I have to take care of myself, plus carry a government worker on my back, PLUS flush my Social Security payments down the toilet. On top of that, I am forced through threat of fine and imprisonment to be the government's little tax-collecting collaborator and see the same thing happen to all the people that work for my company. I'm super-ultra-pissed about it.
Jobs are, of course, not created by the government. The government can take the money out of the real economy (defunding a job in the private sector) and drag the money into the government coffers and spend it to "create" a new job. This is the economic equivalent of taking a pail of water out of one side of the lake, walking around the lake (spilling some water) then holding a press conference surrounded by cameras to be filmed pouring what is left into he bucket into the lake. "Vote for Fred, he is filling up the lake with water." Government cannot create. It can only take and relocate. It cannot give you anything, including jobs, which it didn't take by force in the first place. -p7
Did you know that if you have a job that pays you $10 an hour, that your employer has to pay another $1 per hour (that otherwise would go to you) for "employer paid" taxes/rig-marole? "But Shawn, the employer pays that otherwise he would pocket that money". Really? Just think that through a bit. Why doesn't every job pay minimum wage? In fact, hardly any jobs pay that. They pay higher based on the demand of the free market. I can guarantee you, get rid of the hideous taxation and that money will flow right into the pockets of skilled workers.
When a hundred workers are laid off by General Motors to pay the taxes for some new environmental fad or government spending program, who makes the connection? The politicians would claim the money was free, came from nowhere, had no cost... - p9
The Leave Us Alone Coalition is not antigovernment. It simply wants properly limited government. -p17
Inflation was caused by the federal government printing too much money. -p25
Gas prices aren't going up. There are more dollars in circulation after the mass printing of paper money in 2007. When there is an "emergency supplemental appropriations bill" they just fire up the presses, print the money and make ALL YOUR MONEY worth less. The printing of money is a huge problem. But why don't you hear about it? Because BOTH parties want to keep doing it. It's only a fight about who is going to run the presses.
I found out that my Congressman, Chris Cannon, voted for these things almost without exception. He stood by while they fired up the money presses and made all my money worth less. He did not protect my interests. And I'll bet that your congressman is pulling shenanigans up there, too.
I keep seeing things on TV where gas station owners are "gouging". Are you kidding me? If anyone deserves a profit, it's the station owner! The congress has robbed you! Every last one of you!
Gas prices aren't up 20%. There are 20% more dollars in circulation. Or at the very least, that's a big part of it.
He [Bill Clinton] ran promising change. America did want to change the government that under George H. W. Bush was raising taxes to spend more money and exploding the regulatory state. But Clinton did not want to change the government. He wanted to use the state to change America. -p27
Everyone is free to believe and argue for what they believe-- on their own time and their own dime... If you want everyone to be like you, approve of you, or believe as you do-- advocate for free love, believing Baptist or Cubs fan-- you are free to go be a missionary for your views, spending your own money. The line is drawn at using the state and its power to force others to subsidize your views or demand that they agree with you. -p33
The relationship between rich trial lawyers and the Democrat party is symbiotic. Billionaire trial lawyers have been created and protected by those politicians. They have been given "letters of marque" and operate as privateers despoiling the real economy, killing the jobs, and looting the retirement nest eggs of millions of Americans. They are ... give[n] laws that make it easy to sue, and pliant judges, who shower them with other people's money. -p45?
The future envisioned by the American left can be glimpsed in Europe today. Near-guaranteed job security and unemployment payments almost as high as the after-tax pay for work. This is in return for a lower standard of living: only 74 percent of America's per-capita GDP. More security and less innovation. Everyone will be more equal. Poorer all, but but more equally poor. Little chance to create tremendous wealth, but also little chance that your neighbor will make you feel bad by creating the next Microsoft while you were in the pub. -p115
The left has a good head start in trying to make a functioning majority of Americans see themselves as dependent on the government. The construction of this Venus flytrap for once-independent men and women, this enticing lazychair covered with superglue, this Faustian bargain where one trades one's independence for security and barters with the state for one's vote rather than competing in the market with one's work and talents, has taken a great deal of time and effort. -p117
When I was a teacher (yes, I confess shamefully that I was a government worker) I was "given" health insurance. I paid part of it. It was $850 a month, but the district "paid" half of it. Thank goodness! Because there's no way that I could have paid that by myself. I was so grateful that the almighty State gave me something I couldn't hope to get for myself. When I quit to start BTP I found out that a comparable private plan only cost $350 a month. I could have ditched the government plan and still had thousands in my pocket at the end of four years.
Oh, they "took care of me" all right. Just like a farmer takes care of its cattle. I'm a wild Mustang now, baby. Live free or die.
And now a quote from good ole Samuel Adams:
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.
If the business community increased its political activism to the point where it simply invested in politics rationally-- as it invests in normal business activity [eg to stop shoplifting]-- it would dwarf all other political spending and sweep all political opponents before it. -175
Shoplifting might take 1% of your revue. The government will loot you for over 20%. It's my opinion that government should be able to perform ALL PROPER functions with less than 5%. I think that's actually very high.
Our worthy ancestors dumped tea in the harbor and started a war for what percentage? Any guesses? I challenge you to find it on-line. The information is suspiciously missing. It's about ONE PERCENT!
In the Book of Mormon, enslavement ("bondage") is defined as 50%. Oppression is marked at 20%.
The power to tax is, quite simply, the Power. The goal of Americans who love liberty is not to wield that power but to reduce it. To control it. To bind it down with the chains of the Constitution and popular will. To destroy much of that power lest it fall back into the same old hands. The goal is not to try and use the ring of power for good, but to hurl it into the first of the pits of Mordor...
The British tax burden on Americans was about 1 percent of income. This was completely unacceptable, and Americans fought from April 19, 1775, in Lexington and Concord until victory at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781, to put an end to this. Since then there has been some backsliding. -p228
Congress never holds a vote on whether or not to spend too much money... The Bush administration has perfected the strategy of pretending to send up a budget and then showing up later with "emergency" spending requests to pay for such "unexpected" costs as pay and equipment for the hundred thousand American troops in Iraq that have been there for years, but somehow... forgot this when they wrote their budget. -p295
Likewise, the damage done to the economy is not done by the deficit, but by the total size of government spending. -p299
In an America where every young person looks to the stock market and the business community to create his personal retirement wealth the part and movement run by and for trial lawyers, labor unions and government workers is a dead man walking... Every trial lawyer is a potential parasite damaging your personal retirement accounts... Union bosses siphon off $500 per worker... Government workers living off high property taxes, sales taxes and corporate income taxes are looting your personal savings account every day.. The first thing every American will want left alone is his retirement wealth. -311
Imagine a future where every check written by your school and every contract signed... is public information available at all hours on the Web... The understandable fears that sweetheart contracts would be let at the expense of the public good are best protected by the disinfectant of public scrutiny. -p331
This book was very thorough and covered all bases. I read a lot of political type books. Most of them reek of one-sided-ness. This one was pretty even handed, explains things clearly with good thought-experiments and at the end actually lays out a reasonable plan for tax reform.
It has to happen a step at a time.
I am sick about the presidential race. Both candidates are huge statists. Do you want to have an enormous State Power that oversteps its bounds by maintaining an enormous Welfare State or an enormous Warfare State?
What sort of chains would you like? Iron or steel?
I don't pretend to understand it all. But I'm working on it.
I despise McCain. He's going to expand the state and go WAY outside constitutional bounds with a huge American Empire abroad and undeclared Wars. Then again, I'm loving where he's going with the reduction of taxes, Social Security, and health care. Ugh.
For me the question is, which one will do less damage?
In my dream universe I get to vote for Ron Paul again. I've got my Ron Paul sign outside. People ask me when I'll take it down. I say NEVER! There's a Ron Paul lawn sign in my soul.
PS- for the record, I do NOT recommend tax evasion. As a Mormon I believe in up-holding the law. I will let the chains chafe me.
Friday May 23 2008 As if in a Dream
Picture: a Bone Ooze by Reaper. It's some of BTP's earlier work.
Blue Table Painting now has a solid core of artists. Two of them, both veterans, are a bit camera-shy, and I respect that, so you won't see much (OK anything) of them. Then there's Renn, Heather, Angela and Mike. Each one is extremely talented just beyond belief. Both personally and professionally I have tremendous respect for them.
There are also three new artists, each on part time. I am very careful and picky when it comes to new staff. I don't let just anyone touch client projects. They have to really show their stuff first. I am quick to give new talent a shot, but slow to bring them into the fold. I always tell the veterans "be friendly, be helpful, but don't get emotionally attached for the first few months."
I have a saying: "you can't hold crazy in for thirty days." And boy that is the truth. Pressure really brings out the real person. We call it "implosion". Like a submarine that has cracks in the hull. The first six months are the hardest.
That's not to say that I'm not optimistic. I'm terrible at HR and hiring because I can only see the positive in other humans. I have high hopes and I believe that with hard work and sticking to it anyone can succeed.
My goal is to form an elite cadre of professionals who will grow with the company. I'm eager to see what will happen when eight people each have five plus years at this full time are all pulling in the same direction. I mean, we do well as it is with a relatively green staff.
I'm really looking forward to Paint Fest this month. It's going to be like a Superbowl party, but for painting. That's the last Saturday in May. Not sure yet what I'm going to paint because I just finished my Tau. Oh, wait, there's the Daemonhunters studio army. Time to get those going. I got the models in today. I'm thinking golden armor.
Picture: check out this photographer.
And now the personal stuff. Today was like a dream. Like I didn't really wake up. It's raining softly and the world is deep green, lime, moss... the trees look like a cloudscape of malachite and jade.
I got an inexplicable headache and left the studio early for home. I pushed Griffin on the swing for the longest time. I did some reading in bed where I fell unconscious for almost two hours, awakening refreshed.
I am reading a book called "Leave Us Alone" by Grover Norquist. One of the best political type books I've ever read. Summary and review forthcoming. I am 97% done with it. It really covered the bases.
There were like ten kids over today, just the neighborhood gang playing with nerf and watching TV.
Thursday May 22 2008 Royal Beast
Kind Words from a Fan
I just wanted to recognize not only you, but all the artists in the BTP family. You guys seem like a really tight group of not only workers, but friends as well. I really like seeing that the whole studio gets the job done, and the people doing the job, really love it. You've brought not only fully painted armies to people, but happiness and maybe even a little bit of whimsy. I'd like to thank you, and everyone else at Blue Table Painting, and I wish you well!
-- -Kyle
Tuesday May 20 2008 Sweet Spot
Picture: an Eldar Revenant Titan by Forge World. See the other pictures here. PS- the oddball models in there are incidental to the project (same client).
First off, the BTP website it loading slowly or not at all because of work being done on the server. I'm not happy about it, but it should clear up soon.
Second off, if you're not following the youtube stuff, you are really missing out.
I woke up at about 7:15 this morning. I let the kids sleep in. I mowed the front and back yards. My wife was out there watching me, admiring my manliness as I pushed around our old WW1 Tank of a lawn mower. Or maybe just in astonishment that I was actually doing any sort of yard work.
Then Jonah came out and we fed the rabbits. I decided to let them out of their cage and to run around. That was fun until they figured out that they are faster than me. I did manage to catch one, but it clawed at me with its filth-encrusted talons (drawing blood) and I dropped the fiendish rodent. I had to get to the studio by 10am so I just left the rabbits running around. "We'll see how fast they are when the neighborhood cats show up." I thought. My wife and daughter managed to run them down later in the afternoon (one ended up in the garage and the other in a neighbor's yard).
Rest assured that everything is proceeding apace. I haven't had time to really give a rundown of the schedule lately.
I put up numerous new videos today.
I have a single, sweet opening on the staff, full time. It will be roughly thirds: assembly, painting, and being my right-hand-man. If you're the right person for the job I can get you out here right away, setting you up with housing and other details. Here's what I'm looking for:
- Work ethic
- Teachability
- Skill (usually, if you've assembled and painted three armies that's usually enough to start with)
- Cheerful attitude
If you're interested, please email me at bluetablepainting@gmail.com with the subject line "Artist Needed- Your Name" and I'll get things started with you.
We got in a bunch of resin McFarlane dragons which will be set aside in order to cull their wings. I also got in a huge undead dragon which I am hoping someone will turn into a centerpiece for their Vampire Counts army.I got home late, like 9pm, and I still had to leave some stuff undone. I really don't like falling behind at all. But right now it's only about a day for my own personal work. We are booked out about a week more than usual, BUT the pace of project completion is nice and stiff. I'll get up early tomorrow and hit it!
I was greeted with the smell of Thai food. My wife has learned how to cook a few dishes, and well. There was a huge pan of pad thai, an enormous crock of tonkagai soup, and pot stickers. It was beyond belief. I went downstairs (in Utah most housed have finished basements, like a second house) with the steaming lime-spritzed plate, along with a huge glass raspberry-vanilla italian soda, to find my wife on the couch, my youngest son cradled sleeping in her arms. Then the other two kids came in and sat with me, bringing in pillows and blankets.
Now that's paradise.
There's a formula for it. Just like a recipe.
PS- I highly recommend the arrangement of having a stay-at-home mom. It's the ideal situation. I would say it's worth curtailing expenses and living humbly to get it. I have a saying "It's the man who makes the living, but the woman who makes life *worth* living". For a time, I thought that it was Tamie who was the sort of assistant while I went out and did the important work; you know "get my shirts ironed for work." BUT the deep truth is that what I do outside the home makes possible the REAL work that goes on inside the home. We truly are partners in the great work of raising a family.
Monday May 19 2008 Dynamo
Today, the studio was a flurry of activity. It's too much to write. I mean it was insane. But rest assured, all projects are accounted for and underway.
I have a few treats for you tomorrow, namely a few Forge World pieces, including an Eldar Titan. We were going to give up on the magnetization, but Renn and I stayed late and made it happen. It looks really nice.
Ok, the other one is a Tau Barracuda, but you knew that.
Right now it's 11pm and my wife and I are watching Cloverfield. Take your motion-sickness pills. But so far a good flick.
Oh, and I got a new book in the mail, "Leave Us Alone" by Grover Norquist. I'll give a review of that in a while. All I have to say that if it doesn't mention the maintenance of a massive foreign empire by the rampant printing of new money (debasement of currency), I won't be able to put much stock in it.
Sunday May 18 2008 The Long Run
Over the weekend, I managed to meet my goals for my Tau army:
1x Barracuda
2x Forge World Battlesuit Commanders (the Shas’o R’myr suit and this other one)
2x Forge World Broadside
2x Forge World TX-42 Piranha (I had to partially repaint one—I decided to be adventurous and do a camo scheme, but it was a disaster)
2x Remote Sensor Towers
NO MORE game-related material today. Warning! Preachments ahead!
Today I slept in until about 8am. Sweet.
Then I got up and had a giant bowl of Captain Crunch (generic brand). Again, sweet.
As a service to my beautiful wife, I cleaned the garage and took care of the rodents (two rabbits and a guinea pig). I enlisted the kids for this. The garage was no small feat. It was really disgusting. I am on a crusade to reduce the mass of “stuff” in the house by 50%.
It was hot today, hitting ninety degrees. We turned the A/C on. It’s nice and cool in the basement.
My pregnant wife is having a rough time, and on top of that she has a sore throat so she stayed home. I got the kids ready and headed out to church.
I gave my wife a new affectionate nickname: “my little pork pie”. I am secretly hoping to fatten her up good this time. I’ve been waiting on her hand and foot. (OK, for the record, for those that can’t tell, this is tongue and cheek; I am very kind to my wife, I only include these things for humorous effect).
The lesson in Sunday School today was about Abinadai (Mosiah 11-18). Was his mission a success or failure? What do you think?
The end of the lesson was this following quote. I shed a tear because I often wonder if my life has been worthwhile. Looking at it another way, I AM that little boy. Read on noble reader:
“You don’t know how much good you can do; you can’t foresee the results of the effort you put in. Years ago, President Charles A. Callis, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, but who previously was president of the Southern States Mission for twenty-five years, told me this story. He said that he had a missionary in the southern [United States] who came in to get his release at the conclusion of his mission. His mission president said to him, ‘Have you had a good mission?’
“He said, ‘No.’
“ ‘How is that?’
“ ‘Well, I haven’t had any results from my work. I have wasted my time and my father’s money. It’s been a waste of time.’
“Brother Callis said, ‘Haven’t you baptized anyone?’
“He said, ‘I baptized only one person during the two years that I have been here. That was a twelve-year-old boy up in the back hollows of Tennessee.’
“He went home with a sense of failure. Brother Callis said, ‘I decided to follow that boy who had been baptized. I wanted to know what became of him. …
“… ‘I followed him through the years. He became the Sunday School Superintendent, and he eventually became the branch president. He married. He moved off the little tenant farm on which he and his parents before him had lived and got a piece of ground of his own and made it fruitful. He became the district president. He sold that piece of ground in Tennessee and moved to Idaho and bought a farm along the Snake River and prospered there. His children grew. They went on missions. They came home. They had children of their own who went on missions.’
“Brother Callis continued, ‘I’ve just spent a week up in Idaho looking up every member of that family that I could find and talking to them about their missionary service. I discovered that, as the result of the baptism of that one little boy in the back hollows of Tennessee by a missionary who thought he had failed, more than 1,100 people have come into the Church.’
“You never can foretell the consequences of your work, my beloved brethren and sisters, when you serve as missionaries”
I am impressed today that someone reading today is thinking that life is not worth living. I say to you that your worth is great. Your life is worthwhile. The sum of your life will be filled with joy. Better times are ahead.
Your Heavenly Father would rather annihilate a thousand stars than to lose you. But why is life so hard? Why are the heavens silent? Give it time. It’s all part of the grand plan of life and eternity. Even the super crap-tastic parts. There is no way around it.
When I got home from church, I found that “my little pork pie” had made a delicious pasta dish with shrimp and peas and pasta. It was really something and we were picking away at that all afternoon.
In the afternoon I took a walk with the boys and pushed them for quite a while on the swing. Griffin actually started to nod off. He was so tired.
Tamie makes this simple dish that is so amazing: it’s a slab of cream cheese with Harry and David brand “Sweet Red and Ancho Chili Pepper” spread. Then just dip in with ritz crackers. It tastes so good.
Then some Indian Jones movies (heavily edited for the kids) and we’re off to bed.
PS- during this coming week, a good friend of mine is helping me with some of the Kroot. Here’s what’s coming:
2x shield drones
10x Fire Warriors with Pulse Rifles
17x Kroot Warriors
1x Kroot Shaper
3x Great Knarloc Riders (I am thinking of magnetizing on some Kroot guns, possibly looted stuff from the new Ork kits to make them into Krootox)
And that makes 3,000 points. Not too shabby. Future additions? Maybe just maybe a fast attack choice.
Saturday May 17 2008 Clucking Cluckers
Last night I was in charge of the boys, which of course means Lord of the Flies. Griffin tore off all his clothes and fell asleep on the couch under a huge green blanket with his hands behind his head like some slumbering pygmy king. I was painting until 11pm when Tamie came home, found the house in complete disarray, and commanded everyone to bed.
"Yes, but honey, look at all the painting I got done!
I was awoken at 4am by Griffin who wanted to watch Chowder. Thank goodness I managed to get both him and myself back to sleep.
We headed up to Salt Lake to drop the kids off with Tamie's sister. We headed off to a lecture-type thing with Dave Ramsey that was quite enlightening. Life doesn't take Visa-- life takes paying with cash.
Afterwards we went back to a miniature family reunion with fried chicken. Tamie's mother is in town (surprise) and the three women convened in the kitchen fretting and clucking over spices, recipes and the best way to bread the birds!
I take supreme delight in my children. They are a source of constant joy. They are so polite and kind.
Check below for the finalized army list in the post just below this... for the studio Tau Verdaan. With models actually in the studio it turned out to be an Apocalypse-worthy 3000 points! Everything will be done in the next few days except the Kroot Knarloc Rider Herd and a unit of Kroot, which should be about nine days.
Oh, I'm excited to fight a rematch against that scheming Azrael and his Dark "Angels" so called.
This army is for sale: $2200, which is standard pricing.
I have found that a painted army, everything included, magically appearing at your doorstep, costs from $0.60 to $1.20 per point. That's usually how it works out. It all depends on quality and type of army.
3000 Pts - Tau Empire Roster - Studio Tau Army Verdaan Sept
HQ: Shas'o R'myr (3#, 190 Pts)
1 Shas'o R'myr @ 190 Pts
Double Barrelled Plasma Rifle; Ejection System; Flechette Discharger; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Hard-wired Target Lock; Shield Generator; Shield Drone; Shield Drone
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
HQ: Commander Shas'o (1#, 135 Pts)
1 Commander Shas'o @ 135 Pts
Cyclic Ion Blaster; Hard-wired Multi-tracker; Stimulant Injector; Plasma Rifle; Vectored Retro-thrusters
Elite: Crisis Battlesuit (3#, 186 Pts)
3 Crisis Battlesuit @ 186 Pts
Missile Pod; Plasma Rifle; Multi-Tracker
Elite: Crisis Battlesuit (3#, 159 Pts)
3 Crisis Battlesuit @ 159 Pts
Twin Linked Missile Pod; Targeting Array
Elite: Stealthsuits (6#, 180 Pts)
6 Stealthsuits @ 180 Pts
Burst Cannon (x6)
Troops: Fire Warrior (13#, 210 Pts)
9 Fire Warrior @ 210 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Pulse Carbine (x9)
1 Devilfish @ [95] Pts
Burst Cannon; Gun Drones; Decoy Launchers; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker
2 Gun Drones @ [0] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Shas'ui @ [25] Pts
Bonding Knife; Pulse Carbine
Troops: Fire Warrior (13#, 210 Pts)
9 Fire Warrior @ 210 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Pulse Rifle (x9)
1 Devilfish @ [95] Pts
Burst Cannon; Gun Drones; Decoy Launchers; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker
2 Gun Drones @ [0] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Shas'ui @ [25] Pts
Bonding Knife; Pulse Rifle
Troops: Fire Warrior (10#, 115 Pts)
9 Fire Warrior @ 115 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Pulse Rifle (x9)
1 Shas'ui @ [25] Pts
Bonding Knife; Pulse Rifle
Troops: Fire Warrior (10#, 115 Pts)
9 Fire Warrior @ 115 Pts
Add Shas'ui; Pulse Rifle (x9)
1 Shas'ui @ [25] Pts
Bonding Knife; Pulse Rifle
Troops: Remote Sensor Tower Team (2#, 80 Pts)
2 Remote Sensor Tower Team @ 80 Pts
Markerlight (x2); Target Lock (x2)
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (20#, 159 Pts)
17 Kroot Carnivore Squad @ 159 Pts
Add Kroot Shaper; Add Kroot Hounds; Kroot Rifle (x17)
1 Kroot Shaper @ [28] Pts
Kroot Rifle
2 Kroot Hounds @ [12] Pts
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (20#, 159 Pts)
17 Kroot Carnivore Squad @ 159 Pts
Add Kroot Shaper; Add Kroot Hounds; Kroot Rifle (x17)
1 Kroot Shaper @ [28] Pts
Kroot Rifle
2 Kroot Hounds @ [12] Pts
Fast Attack: Pirhana TX-42 (IA) (2#, 180 Pts)
2 Pirhana TX-42 (IA) @ 180 Pts
Twin Linked Rail Rifle (x2); Targeting Array
Fast Attack: Knarloc Rider Herd (3#, 120 Pts)
3 Knarloc Rider Herd @ 120 Pts
Kroot Rifle (x3)
Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship (1#, 185 Pts)
1 Hammerhead Gunship @ 185 Pts
Railgun; Smart Missile System; Decoy Launchers; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker; Target Lock; Targeting Array
Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship (1#, 190 Pts)
1 Hammerhead Gunship @ 190 Pts
Railgun; Smart Missile System; Blacksun Filter; Decoy Launchers; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker; Target Lock; Targeting Array
Heavy Support: Broadside Battlesuit (6#, 200 Pts)
1 Broadside Battlesuit @ 200 Pts
Twin linked Railgun; Broadside Battlesuit; Smart Missile System; Shield Drone; Shield Drone; Drone Controller
1 Broadside Battlesuit @ [100] Pts
Twin linked Railgun; Smart Missile System; Shield Drone; Shield Drone; Drone Controller
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
Heavy Support: Barracuda (1#, 230 Pts)
1 Barracuda @ 230 Pts
Ion Cannon; Twin Linked Missile Pod; Two Burst Cannons; Decoy Launchers; Disruption Pod
Total Roster Cost: 3003
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Tau Sept World Verdaan reinforcements
Tau Sept World Verdaan. What I've got so far.
At long last the Forge World models for the studio Tau army are all put together and ready to paint. And I've been a busy little painter!
Here's what I have to paint over the weekend:
- 1x Shas'o Myr (where can I find rules for this model?) done!
- 2x FW Broadsides done!
- 1x Barracuda done!
- 1x FW Battlesuit Commander (which I had just threw in there for kicks but is now by far my favorite model)
- 2x Sensor Towers (people diss them but I think they're cool. It's on.)
- 2x Pirahnas (not sure I like the FW ones now that I see them put together. I think I like the normal ones, just need to get railguns on there)
I'm using a few colors I don't normally employ this time around; all Vallejo.
- Cavalry Brown with Hot Orange blended on.
- Hot Orange with Lemon Yellow dots (for lenses)
- Foul Green with White blended highlights
- Black Grey with grey highlights
I should also point out that they are painted using only traditional method. That wasn't intentional, but they didn't turn out too bad.
Daemonic Daydreams
I have splendid ideas and army themes for each of the four chaos gods. Here are a few:
Wyches of Thoth
(based on the fluff story on p83 of the 40K codex for daemons)
2 Heralds of Tzeentch on Chariots (Dark Elf Wych Elves converted with egyptian-type staves on large scratch converted armored flying discs. If one is not averse to models outside the range I think this one would be good.)
9x Flamers of Tzeentch (standard models)
36x Horrors of Tzeentch (standard models, four units of nine)
9x Screamers of Tzeentch (standard models)
1x Changer of Ways (played as Daemon Prince or Greater Daemon of Tzeentch)
Bell of Nurgle
(The entirety of the troops in this army are based on the Skaven Plague Monk kit-- rat tails removed, rat faces removed-- only these strange empty-hooded beings with scrolls, bells, parchments, etc. The whole army draws a lot on Empire Flagellant, Black Templar skull-stuff, and Vampire Counts bitz)
1x Epidemius (based on Skaven giant bell thing, or maybe a scratch build palanquin on a many-legged monstrosity with an enormous bell and huge banners. This model will likely need to go on a 100mm round and will easily be the massive centerpiece of the army)
3x Herald of Nurgle (on Palanquin, a beasty of some kind, rotted boards, banners, nailed on parchments, shrines to pestilence)
7x Beasts of Nurgle (various models, with the theme of parchments and proclamations woven in there, using the new kit plus chaos spawn kits)
28x Plaguebearers (using plague monk kits as a base)
30x Furies (using plastic forest goblin spiders, pose adjusted, with blades, and paraphernalia and fly wings out of clear plastic; these are critical to the army since they are a fast moving element that can tie up enemies while the plaguebearers get to grips) OR forego the wings and have them as "Hounds of Nurgle" (ie played as Hounds of Khorne-- which would work better since they can Fleet the turn they arrive).
2x Soul Grinders (hellcannons with no wheels but rather spider like legs to carry them along, tentacles and what not spewing/dripping from the maw, and "goads" to prod it along)
Take a look at the price spreadsheets.
Wednesday May 14 2008
Today I went to see Iron Man with a couple of friends. Plenty good the second time around.
I also picked up an enormous custom bike army, just over fifty bikes, about half of them very well converted with chopper-type front prongs. Very nice, more to come about that. I don't have any personal interest in the army-- I just picked it up to sell it.
Battle Brother Specials
Strike Force Alpha
2x Rhino
30x Tactical Marines (options: missile launcher, heavy bolter, meltagun, flamer, sergeant, as you will)
10x Assault Marines (with jump packs, full regular options)
Cost is $449 ($60 for models, $260 for painting L3, $120 for assembly, $9 for shipping)
Special: if you set it up before Friday evening, May 16 2008, you get these models at no charge.
Upgrades
- $30 for a fully painted Commander (options: bolt pistol/power axe, 2xlightning claws, or bolt pistol/power fist)
- $75 per Tactical Squad of ten marines (options: missile launcher, flamer, sergeant)
- $20 to upgrade Rhino to Razorback (we have option to convert a turret)
- Other options or additional models available at regular prices.
- This special is running through May 19 2008.
- Limited Supply.
- You must pick one of the following chapters: Black Templars, Dark Angels, Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Crimson Fists OR Artistic License. Inquire if another chapter can be included here.
If you want one of these specials, contact Shawn at bluetablepainting@gmail.com or 801 372 8545 to see if they are still available, then send a deposit (half down) and an Instructions sheet.
a. Pay by phone with major Credit Card 801 372 8545
b. Pay via Paypal to bluetablepainting@gmail.com
Strike Force Beta
2x Rhino
30x Tactical Marines (options: missile launcher, heavy bolter, meltagun, flamer, sergeant, as you will)
10x Assault Marines (with jump packs, full regular options)
Cost is $449 ($60 for models, $260 for painting L3, $120 for assembly, $9 for shipping)
Same options and restrictions as for Strike Force Alpha, above.
Basilisk Battery
This one is simple: three Basilisks for $150.
- This special is running through May 19 2008.
- Limited Supply.
- Painting Options: black/grey, urban camo, desert camo, forest camo, or military green
Three Raiders for $150.
- This special is running through May 19 2008.
- Limited Supply.
Talon of Chaos
2x Chaos Rhino
30x Chaos Marines (standard options from kit)
10x Possessed
Cost is $529 ($60 for models, $330 for painting L3, $130 for assembly, $9 for shipping)
- This special is running through May 19 2008.
- Limited Supply. One available.
- Deposit in by May 16 and models are no charge.
- Add a Chaos Lord in power armor for $30 (standard options).
- Painting Options:
Tuesday May 13 2008 Red Eye
Gratitude
Saturday May 10 2008 The Zoo
Since there's no game-related material today, I'll just give the short version.To someone who worries about having children: don't worry. Nothing can really prepare you for it. Kids are more resilient than you think, and you'll be a better parent than you think. You really do live again through your children. They're experiencing everything for the first time.
Friday May 9 2008 Spoiled Rotten
Picture: part of a set of terrain made for a client-- a bombed out desert imperial outpost. See the video and stills.
Another full night of sleep. I could get used to this.
There's a local shop that makes t-shirts and I need some done up with the company logo, but whenever I stop by there in the morning they aren't open. I got to the office early today, swinging by the accounting firm upstairs to wrap up some Payroll stuff.
I had a new painter in today. He's doing some studio work. I don't usually start people off on client's work until I am sure they will do a good job. So, I'm eager to see what he comes up with. They day flew by with the usual, getting packages packed, unpacked, and setting up projects.
I was going to play a game with Renn, but that didn't materialize.
I stayed up late with the missus watching "The Golden Compass". And by that I mean, I fell asleep after five minutes. I was so wiped out. My wrists hurt with so much typing. I plan on taking a break tomorrow.
Hollow World
Deck and outdoor living for Valhalla at Park City. These are pictures that looked good to me.
Our private island is waiting...
How to buy an island- practical stuff
We pick up our guests on the mainland in a yacht. Wargame tables are on the yacht. The valkyries waiting on the island are ocean-themed with aqua and smooth crytalline gear, brilliant and parrot feathers in their headdresses.
http://www.caribbeanislandbrokers.com/blog/island-budget/
http://www.caribbeanislandbrokers.com/blog/timing-an-island-purchase/
Coco Plum Caye
Coco Plum Caye 2.75M
Yes, that's right, this island has Mayan ruins and caves.
Guana Island
I think our end result should look like Guana Island in the British Virgin Islands. This one is not for sale, but would be wonderful in four years when we are ready.
Note that the island didn't have a name I just named it that. Also... 57 acres.
Emerald Cay
This is Emerald Cay- small but impressive
