Check here for some tasty 8th Ed. Warhammer rumours.
The only way I can stay sane is to just not think about it. I'm super-excited. I can feel that everyone is holding their collective breath for it.
8th Edition Rumors
Made Whole
Today I slept in to 8:30am or so. I spent some time in the front yard. I'm trying to re-condition it into an acceptable condition (to be worthy of the Mike Lee signs I got up). I'm annihilating dandelions as they come up. I also got the sprinkler going again. Our sprinkler system is long since defunct and we have to use one of those wave-over sprinklers.
After church we baked an apple pie, which I like (like most things) with an obscene amount of whipped cream. I spent the afternoon hanging out with the kids here and there. I watched Beetlejuice with K.
For those just joining the program, I have four kids: K (girl 10), J (boy 8), G (boy 5) and W (girl 1). We don't plan on having any more kids. Maybe an adoption if the money is there.
There's a phrase I heard recently, "Made Whole". It's an insurance term meaning to do what is necessary to bring someone to pre-claim status. This popped into my head when I recently came across this little jewel in the New Testament:
Mark 8
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
I had always read this to mean that if someone were doing direct missionary work, or if while being flogged it was a direct cause of professing Christ. I think it is much broader than that. It means while in the line of duty, or while obeying the gospel I am injured or harmed in any way.
Let's flip back to ye ole Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and hpersecute you;
This is part of "the gospel" as in the first line.
In other words, I can't lose. The very creator of the universe is insuring me against harm. It is impossible to take anything away from me. It will be restored, maybe even immediately. The God of Creation will make it rain bread and fish if needed to feed me.
There is no problem with lack of resources in the galaxy. Scarcity is an invention of man.
This does not exempt me from moral effort, by any means. It just means that in the course of duty and faith I will ultimately be protected. And anyone else who takes the Good Lord up on His offer. It seems counter-intuitive to give and be kind to those that are hurtful, but in the economy of the heavens it works out. The best and only totally reliable insurance policy is the one that comes from The Lord. The cost? Do something that goes against human nature.
This is another reason I don't mind paying harmful taxes. But that doesn't mean I won't work peacefully to do away with the system. I'm only one man, but I must do what I can.
It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from you action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.
--Gandhi
--Gandhi
[As usual, I make my disclaimer that I do not find myself to be a righteous person. If anything good happens to me I ascribe it to the mercy of God and my fellowman. And if any young person thought for a moment to take me as a role model, I would have to emphatically redirect him to a more worthy Person]
Last Few Days
We spent some time up at a resort in the mountains above Provo. A resort is like a hotel, but with a better pool, apparently. It was awesome. I really don't like long trips, so something within an hour was just right for me and prevented my transformation into a bear-demon. I just love my family. Every minute with them is a delight.
I don't say when I'm on vacation because I don't want to slow down on the setting up of projects. We're still a little light for June and July is wide open and me no likey.
Went to a gathering at Sarah's tonight. That's up on youtube now.
Eternal Guard Needed
I am in desperate need of some Wood Elf Eternal Guard (ten models, preferably including a command). Anyone?
Trade Program
I'm still running the trade program.
In a nutshell I offer 20-30% of retail value in cash, 30-50% in trade.
I will also trade for painted armies that BTP has done (this is called a trade-back).
My First Army
I think the year is 1996. I am just a few years into my marriage.
I was running a Changeling campaign with a few friends (and my young wife, I think about 26 years old at the time) in Medford, Oregon. My two friends Fitz and Arin showed up one time with a White Dwarf magazine or two. The Tyranids were just being released for the first time.
I was absolutely fascinated. I chose Eldar as my army. I picked up a starter force for $65 from a friend. I was quickly inducted into the local 40K scene, which wasn't much, maybe eight people. The local comic book shop didn't even know what it was. We had to make our own special orders and come down to inventory everything when the order arrived at the shop.
My starter force was all metals which had to be stripped. I had no idea how to assemble or paint. I had to learn everything by trial and error. My first army had Banshees, Dark Reapers, Scorpions and a Heavy Weapons Platform. The plastic falcon grav tank had not yet been published. I tried to convert a Vyper out of a deodorant bottle (an idea I got from a White Dwarf) which failed miserably.
On at least one occasion I tried to prime a unit with black gloss spraypaint. I didn't base my models, I just painted the base black.
Fitz played space marines and Arin played Orks. Arin was the best painter in the group.
My second army was Tyranids. I had forty-eight of those old metal Hormagaunts. That was a terrifying scene. I had my "not enough bullets" strategy going on. The color scheme was purple skin and bone carapace. I tried to assemble the larger creatures with two part epoxy glue which was a nightmare as they had to be propped into position for overnight curing.
My Eldar color scheme: blue and white with red accents/jewels. It was horrific. Craftworld Skittles. I couldn't make up my mind. Of course, this was at a time when the Aspect Warriors were really the thing and each had a different main color.
One day Fitz and Arin showed up with a mischievous glint in their eyes. We were going to dabble in fourth edition Warhammer Fantasy! I chose High Elves (a story some may have heard on the youtube channel- anyone care to give a link?), Arin picked Skaven, and Fitz went with Chaos. That's another story.
My first gaming board was a monstrosity: 8x4 with plywood edges and filled with fine gravel so we could make natural hills. I then found large rocks to plant in there like a Zen garden. It was paint-chip-tastic!
Poor Man's Gold
Canned goods. Start buying flats of canned goods whenever you can. It's a durable commodity that can be liquidated easily (ie you can eat it instead of spending money on food). Canned goods hold their value against inflation in the short term.
Manufacturing, even at cottage level, is always a good place to be. If you can produce some kind of tangible good within the confines of your own home.
Resource for provident living
Foursome
I came across this vid today, thought it was one of the most insightful things I've heard for a while. What do you think?
Response:
Your Blog:
Saw the "Foursome" post. That sounds dirty doesn't it? Anyhow, I was concerned that it would go overboard and talk about dismantling the military, but I watched it and was in agreement with what they are attempting to do. There is plenty of room for major deductions in our overseas presence. We have the Navy & Marines for mobile deployment and our aircraft have global reach as long as we maintain a few bases. While it isn't a black and white issue when it comes to Base Relocation and Closure (BRAC) and there is usually an associated initial cost with doing so, we need to have this as part of the debt reduction discussion. I support major reductions in overseas forces while actively maintaining joint intelligence facilities with our foreign partners. Anyhow, thanks for posting the video.
Testimonial- Battleworn Tau
Hi Shawn and the rest of the gang
Two days ago my the first 20 firewarriors and one devilfish arrived from my dad. You remember?-this order is a gift from my father to me - a bit a complicated, but a lot of fun - for me.
And I have to make a statement:
This is absolutely the best painted and assembled Tau Army from you I have ever seen!!!!
And believe me I have looked every Tau gallery and youtube vid you made with Tau.
I am really really pleased. Who is the painter? Joseph?? Who ever, give him or her a tight hug!!
Also the assembly of the battlesuits is awesome, they are so dynamic. I like the style of the whole projekt.
You hit really what I had in mind when I gave the order.
So, I love the army and I am very satisfied with the job you all have done.
I'm painting minis for myself at least for 20 years now and so I think I'm able to judge the work you have done.
And so I can say, it's worth every single dollar.
So I am pretty sure that I need reeinforcement for my Taus in the future!!!!
Best regards and greetings to all of you,
EBJ
Predator vs Dreadnought
I just came across this very enlightening article discussing the virtues of the "Rifleman" dreadnought (both arms with twin-linked autocannons).
Organisms on the Block
I've got a Tyrannofex Omega and a Swarmlord Ultra both on the block for $195 (each) or $360 for both (they are assembled/converted but unpainted). They can be painted for $95 each.
I am actively looking to set up commissions for late June and all of July.
Check the "candy store" link to the right. All those special are still running. The Death From Above Blood Angels special still has two slots open.
Also, I'm looking for 10x Wood Elf Eternal Guard (preferably with a command section). I need them real soon and I can pay cash/trade/service whatever you want.
"I hope we have time to prepare people for what we have to do"
Pro-sound money.
I'm dreaming of "for lease" signs on the fronts of the banks downtown. Not because I hate the banks, but rather that I love the other businesses and people in my town. It's important to make this distinction. Even bankers who are in on the swindle are worth saving. It will be in their best interest in the long run.
After his defeat in the 2008 Presidential Primary, Ron Paul made a short speech talking about the long haul, the big picture. What I heard was: If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine. Ron Paul became something more powerful than a President. He became a symbol. He taught me that the government does not own me. I have begun straining at my bonds. I hadn't noticed them until now.
And now without further delay, your Ron Paul fix for the day.
That'll keep you going for the show.
Come on it's time to go.
New Daemons
I imagine the Kairos Fateweaver model is metal and the others are plastic. I'd love to see plastic juggernauts. Plastic Horrors? About time!
I think these are due out in June. Please correct me if wrong.
Skaven On Hand
Update: List of Skaven I have (this is all current edition-- things that you can buy)
6x Jezzails
6x Ratling Guns
2x Warpfire Thrower
2x Warp Lightning Cannon
3x Squeel Gnawtooth
7x boxes Rat Ogres (or new on sprue)
6x Warlords (various)
1x Sniktch
2x Assassins (clawn and double sword)
2x Engineer (each different)
1x Queek
50x Plague Monks (on sprue)
these are for sale: 40% off (50% off if you want to take all of them, round down).
Or you can commission them, of course.
My Ad on Bartertown
Wants:
Confrontation Metals, preferably the following:
Devourers
Alchemists (plastics good, too)
Mid Nor
Daikinee
Thermo Dwarves
BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG! I am interested in other faction as well.
Especially looking for a 2005 Sasia Samaris (two model set)
Haves:
I made this vid- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nch5jtXzo4s
I'm starting with that to see if there are any bites.
If you are willing to ship first, and don't mind a bit of a wait, I can get almost any type of common item. I'm keen on trading retail straight across (ie if you have $100 worth of Confrontation figures I can get you $100 worth of almost anything). If you want a faster response or I take too long checking my Bartertown account you can contact me at bluetablepainting@gmail.com
OR I can give you a service credit for assembly/painting again for the full retail value of the figures.
Skaven: heartbreakingly converted and painted For Sale soon
This army has well over 250 models. It's converted out the ears. I'd estimate point total in the 3000-4000 range which is huge for Skaven.
More pics here.
| Plague Furnace | 2 |
| Extreme Vermin Lord | 1 |
| Plague Priests | 2 |
| Skaven Infantry | 135 |
| Censer Bearers (2 models) converted from plastic | 8 |
| Weapon Teams | 3 |
| Plague Wheel | 1 |
| Plagueclaw Catapult | 1 |
| Screaming Bell | 1 |
| Battle Standard Bearer | 1 |
| Skaven Infantry | 105 |
| Storm Vermin | 30 |
| Doom Flayer | 1 |
It comes with full movement trays, magnetized.
Cost is $2300, shipped to most countries.
Still Running Death from Above
Check here for details.
I still have two golden spots open for this special.
Menoth for sale now
Got a Menoth army coming in. This is a good-looking force in traditional colors. It will be for sale. Cost: $850. No shipping charge for most countries. List to follow.
More pics.
Check bluetablepainting@gmail.com for availability.
Did I mention it comes with custom tokens?
| Unit Name | QTY |
| Amon ad Raza | 1 |
| Servath Reznik | 1 |
| Revenger | 1 |
| Redeemer | 1 |
| Dervish | 2 |
| Fire of Salvation | 1 |
| Reckoner | 1 |
| Vanquisher | 1 |
| High Paladin Vilmon | 1 |
| Choir Acolytes (2 models) | 4 |
| Covenant of Menoth | 1 |
| Holy Zealot Monolith Bearer | 1 |
| Holy Zealots (2 models) | 2 |
| Holy Zealots Unit Box (6 models) | 1 |
| Wracks (3 models) | 1 |
| Reclaimer | 1 |
| Rupert Carvolo Piper of Ord | 1 |
| Vassal of Menoth | 1 |
| Bastions (5 models) | 1 |
High as a Kite
What could make this day any better?
Rand Paul winning the Primary in Kentucky.
I think my shout of victory was heard throughout the building.
Early Morning Clarity
Everything is clearer in the early hours. My brain is always humming with ideas in the pre-dawn hours.
Dear reader, you will notice that in all of my criticism of the Federal Government a la taxation, you don't hear me talking about State taxes. That's because I don't mind those. I find Utah taxes to be reasonable and well-managed. And the governor lives close by!
The closer government is to the people, the more responsive it will be. The individual will have more say over how things are run.
As a business owner, I see the tax money going out. I am forced quite literally under threat of life and property to collect taxes from my workers (I am not paid for this) and pass it along. Proportionately, the Feds want $20.00. The State wants $3.00. The County wants $0.20. And the city wants like a nickel.
To my mind the Feds should be doing the job for $4.00 and the State (talking about Utah here) should be running up around $4.00. I would like to pay less to the feds and more to the state.
Even better than that, people should just run their own lives and rely on charity and family in the case of emergency. Yes, this actually works. How much did US citizens give in charity last year? Over 300 billion. How much more would that be if the tax burden were less? How much charity was un-recorded just from handing out cash to strangers? How much was un-recorded as family helping out family? I'll bet all told it exceeds federal entitlements.
I am always surprised at how trusting people are of government. I think that's really neat. Not helpful, but very chipper. I think the average Joe on the street, if he found out that half his life had been sucked out by the banks and the feds would just shrug and get on with his day. Heaven knows I was skipping through the tulips for twenty-five years.
Another thing to consider is that the US is big. Federal solutions are pressed down on fifty individual states. What I mean to say that the United States should really be thought of more as fifty little countries. Denmark has a population of 6.5 million (give or take, work with me here people) and Utah less than 3.0 million. Imposing federal mandate on Utah would be like the EU imposing far-reaching strictures on Lithuania. Imagine a poor Lithuanian sending 95% of his tax burden off to London hoping and wringing his hat that he'll get some back.
Population of California: 26 million
Population of Germany: 82 million
That's why you're seeing a swell of State's Rights movements in the US. That's a hot topic in Utah right now. And in case you missed it: the population of Utah is less than the population of Lithuania.
As a side note, I read on the Federal Reserve website that if you write a letter to an un-elected local chairman you have to address him as "Your Honorable". I would sooner kneel before a decrepit old vampire. It's like taking off my shoes at an airport. Only one other being has demanded such a thing to my knowledge and that is the Almighty GOD. The Feds sure got a lot of balls asking such a thing.
This is really getting scattershot.
Here's another insight that hit me like a thunderbolt about two weeks back: there's no such thing as taxing the wealthy or corporations. You just can't do it. Let's say the feds taxed and regulated the toilet paper factory 10%. Guess what? The cost of toilet paper just went up 10% Or the wages at the TP factory will go down. Or a combination of the two.
The end result is the ratio of wages:prices is adjusted as an invisible headwind against the workers. Unless government gets serious and imposes strict price and wage controls, all taxation and regulation is passed on to the very bottom of the pyramid where the common man groans and shoulders his burden.
Even corporate taxes are wedged into the cost of every loaf of bread. I wonder how much it is.
Yay! I got a tax refund! No you didn't. That was just an illusion.
Now imagine the opposite of this. By abolishing the income tax completely and replacing it with nothing the reverse of this happens. By removing the immense pressure from the top of the pyramid, you will see wages rise and prices go down. I know for an absolute fact that would be the case with my business. My workers have a standing promise that if the income tax is repealed and replaced with nothing that they will see 100% of the benefits from that. I don't want the money for myself. Though I am irritated at all the paperwork Sarah and I have to keep on hand (40-80 man-hours a year) just for the off chance that the Inquisitors might drop by.
In the end, individual freedom is the only way to go. It's efficient. And it's right.
I believe in the goodness of people. If left to their own devices, on the net, they will do the right thing. There should only be a minimum of government to keep it all together. Government is the fence around the house, not the house itself.
On another topic, take a look at this vid.
I am all for grace and kindness, even when someone has made poor choices. I rely every day on the goodness and graciousness of God who gives me breath and has blessed me in spite of my flawed character. And not only that, but humans need to keep hefty reserves of mercy on tap for their fellowman, and put that mercy into money form where needed.
I just think that it should be voluntary. And it should be personal. This young woman should be helped by voluntary donations (through organized charity), and by her family, neighbors and friends. And these would have the resources to do it more effectively if they weren't taxed to oblivion.
Anyone who says that this is not reliable (that people are not to be trusted to be generous and that government force is needed) is overly cynical in my view.
The other thing forgotten here is the small businessman who had to pay for all of this by threat of force.
And the bureaucrat who got his cut along the way.
The other person forgotten here is you. Yes you. The person that helped out of the goodness of his heart. You were robbed of that human connection. Instead, you got to sign your 1040EZ.
And here Pete Schiff talks a lick of sense about income taxes:
I also saw a speech by the President in Buffalo where he said that the government's plan for small business was to make sure that they got loans. Yeah, more debt. That's just what small business like mine need. No thanks. But that's all that government can do. They create nothing. They cannot run your life better than you.
And for the record, I have this same criticism more or less of every administration of the last sixty years. I do not like people who insult the president. It detracts from a more substantive argument that could be made.
Listen to the whole thing and you'll see echoes of what I'm talking about (eg prices went up and wages flatlined-- this is a result of printing money! check 3:30).
Here's an article that argues the other side of income tax. My only beef here is that I think he's vastly under-estimating the effects of real inflation. Inflation (thanks to the Federal Reserve) is going to completely wipe out the curve.
Now it's your turn. Email your response to bluetablepainting@gmail.com Am I wrong? Did I miss some facts? Is there something more to be said?
Here's the first one:
Dear Sean,
I just wanted to say that while I tend to vote Democrat, I can’t help to sometimes agree with your opinions on our government. I live in California and see what kind of mess government mismanagement of money can do to a state.
My sister-in-law used to own her own beauty shop. She had to buy supplies for this shop like nail polish, hair spray, and all those other items that men have little concept of that women use to make themselves look pretty. While buying those things she had to pay a state sales tax and a local city sales tax. At the end of the year, the state required her to inventory her store and estimate a value of stock on hand so she could pay another sales tax on items she didn’t sell!. How crazy is that? I hope that this is not the state level tax control that you propose.
The city that I live in is primarily an agricultural based community. After the housing market collapse a neighboring city is now known as the most unemployed city in the United States and the one I live in isn’t far behind. This happened by giving federal housing loans to people who never should have been given money to buy a house. I can’t blame the current Federal Administration for this, since it happened before the change. Throwing money at the situation is not the solution either. Giving people jobs is.
In an agricultural society, water produces jobs. California moves the bulk of its water to cities that have no water. Sure, people can now water their lawns, but farmers can’t grow their crops. I drive in certain areas of this state and literally see a dust bowl. Miles of dead orchards because of a lack of water that are right next to an aqueduct that is moving that water so people can water their lawns. Those dead trees equal a loss of jobs. All because of a state level mandate.
The biggest point that I don’t agree with you is having family help out a person that is down on their luck. Doesn’t work if that family is dependent on Social Security to begin with. I have seen too many families in my city grow in size beyond the ability to support themselves. These social security families more often than not have a history of substance abuse. For me to get a job, I had to take a drug test. Why can these people use my tax money and not have to do the same? Instead of getting rid of work programs, get rid of food stamps. When people can’t eat it’s a great motivator to get a job.
Thanks for all the wonderful work that you do. I don’t have much faith in my State’s ability to run itself though. Too many actors trying to be politicians.
Yours truly,
A.Y.
__________________
Yay another one!
Shaun,
Here is some rambling. Hope it is coherent. Feel free to post it if
you want. I'd be happy to hear your response as well.
-Michael
--------------
That California came up in your recent post made me want to reply.
California's budgetary problems stem from a combination of factors,
but one huge one and some other big ones. The most fundamental problem
has a lot to do with an issue you discuss a lot, letting people do
things for themselves. California has a very simple process for
introducing ballot measures that basically allows the people to vote
directly on laws instead of relying on those dirty legislators. The
idea is that if we just make everything a directly democratic removing
the politicians, then of course the people will be better served.
However, that is not at all what has happened.
Instead of people wisely deciding actions that would benefit the
citizens of a state that is rich in agricultural, technological,
cultural, educational, and trade industries, people have again and
again voted for ballot measure that make it impossible for the state
to function. In many cases, private groups end up spending massive
amounts of money campaigning on ballot measures that suit them, and
their money ends up speaking much louder than any broad interest.
There are several other factors that contribute to the mess. Districts
have been drawn firmly on party lines which encourages political
extremism. The teacher's union is a political juggernaut that focuses
on the sole issue of protecting senior teachers. A sprawling prison
industrial-complex grows and grows and grows. But the direct democracy
issue--letting Californian's make bad choices for themselves-- is
still the key. The Republican Gov. Schwarzenegger supported a series
of measures aimed at fixing the some of the institutional problems I
just outlined (and me on the left not thinking his ideas were bad),
but again, all of these reforms were defeated by California's direct
democracy.
California serves a really important example of how trusting people to
take care of themselves can be a flawed logic. People do all kinds of
things that hurt themselves. Sure you say, tough cookies for them,
they hurt themselves. However, in actuality they can also hurt others
... me included. California has so much healthy economic industry that
it should be flourishing, but it isn't, and I believe that the
institutional freedom of its voters has a lot to do with that.
(Also ... California's population is pushing 40 million, not 26.)
----------
Separately:
From your blog: "Here's another insight that hit me like a thunderbolt
about two weeks back: there's no such thing as taxing the wealthy or
corporations. You just can't do it. Let's say the feds taxed and
regulated the toilet paper factory 10%. Guess what? The cost of toilet
paper just went up 10% Or the wages at the TP factory will go down. Or
a combination of the two."
Why not a 68% (randomish number) tax on all personal income over
$250,000 a year? Why is that logically impossible?
________________________
Overspending aside the military's budget for 2010 is something like $680 billion that works out to a bit less than $2,300 per man, woman, or child in the US with it's rough population of 300 million. That's where your $20 is going. Yes, we could take a more passive stance in World politics. We've done it before it worked out pretty well, you might remember reading about World War II? Are they doing right by our Nation's citizens by spending $2300 of OUR hard earned money? Probably not, but they could a lot worse.
--JH
_________________________
Shawn sez:
This sounds like the Wolfowitz Doctrine. ie if we had an overpowering global presence, we could have prevented WW2.
My argument is that IF that is the correct approach we need to get realistic about sustaining it. How are you going to pay for it for the next fifty years? It can't be through inflation and borrowing.
___________________________
Prevented? No? But we sat out too long and used half measures like blockading Japan, the reason they attacked Pearl Harbor in fact. They had about a year before the blockade had the desired effect. This is not unlike the UN Sanctions that we use today. In World politics today North/South Korea is reaching a flashpoint and the Korean War might start up again seeing as how it never officially ended iirc. It isn't about preventing wars it is about mitigating damage. We do indeed need to scale back our military spending it is unsustainable at this rate but an 80% cut to taxes, all things being equal, would mean an 80% cut to the military budget. That would pretty much put us at a passive stance and one or more of any of these hotspots would get out of control.
________________________
Hey Shawn.
I read your “Early Morning Clarity” post and generally agree with your major points. If you find it worthwhile to do so, feel free to post my comments on your blog.
Personally, I think that the greatest accomplishment of Statists (who are mostly, though not all, lefties) was to convince otherwise rational grownups that it was possible to get something for nothing.
I really chafe at the absurd notion that the government “pays” for anything. How can any rational grownup actually say such a thing?
If I forced you to give me $100, pocketed $40 of it and spent the rest on a gift for my brother, can we *really* say that I “paid” for that gift in any meaningful sense? It looks to me like I coerced *you* into paying for that gift – and then I coerced you into paying me to (a) pick it out and (b) decide who to give it to.
How does this hypothetical meaningfully differ from how the government “pays” for something? Certainly, the conclusion doesn’t change if a majority of folks in the room voted to give me the power to coerce you. You still paid for the gift. Nor does the conclusion change if you’d agreed previously to abide by the majority vote. In each case, *you* -- not I – really paid for that gift. The supposed morality or “legitimacy” or “fairness” of the coercion does not alter this fact.
Similarly, as a business owner myself (and an attorney who works with business owners), I completely agree with your contention that businesses really pay no taxes. Since a business will die if it is unprofitable long enough, it simply has no choice but to pass the costs imposed by government (through taxes, regulation, tariffs, etc.) on to the consumer. So do its competitors. So like the government, businesses really “pay” for nothing. Consumers ultimately pay for all the costs government imposes on businesses. And worse, since the business tax regime is completely different from (and much more complex than) the individual tax regime, consumers also have to pay for the inefficiency inherent in having two complex tax regimes to collect money from the same people!
The most efficient policy would simply be to eliminate all business taxes…with appropriate safeguards to keep business owners from avoiding taxes by using business assets personally. Such safeguards are already in existence and account for a relatively tiny slice of the Internal Revenue Code. Of course, the howling from lefties and non-lefty statists would be deafening. And as usual, devoid of either facts or logic to support them.
To quote Heinlein, “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” (TANSTAAFL). How purportedly rational adults can believe otherwise is a complete mystery.
I’d add that the only thing the government can really do is pick winners and losers by taking money from some folks and giving some of that money to others the government deems more worthy. Of course, the government has to take its cut to pay for its inefficient and bloated bureaucracies. After all, government workers aren’t *really* communists (despite their liberal posturing). They demand their cut just like everyone else.
I’d also note that having no federal government taxes is not really viable. There are a few activities – but only a very few – that a federal government is best able to handle. In my mind, they are things like: the court system; the military (mercenaries and militia have been historically ineffective, despite being romanticized in fiction); aviation traffic control; regulating trade between (but not within states)*; and suchlike.
Ty Beard, Attorney at Law
_____________
I don't necessarily fall into the same stream of thought as you elaborate in your early morning clarity but what I will say is I'm willing to listen to your thoughts and think about where I might be able to collaborate with your view points to reach a better union. I do not believe the way to govern a community is to impose any one view point on all. I rather think that through a spirited debate where we listened to understand and not to respond people could reach workable solutions that would serve the public good. I believe government is wasted on politicians. The amount of money required to effectively campaign in the United States is obscene. Too many Politicians act in the sole interest of being elected not in the interest of the people. A two party system is also a poor way to represent a broad spectrum of ideals. One thing I will say that gives me faith in the electorate is their always seems to be a good 30% of the people who remain independents and when one party gains sway invariable the spectrum swings the other way to balance out the country. Bush felt this midterm swing and now Obama will as well. That is a pretty reliable trend and a good sign of balance.
I actual think the European style of Parliament and government formation is a more representative style of governance. It is one of the few things I think they do right there although that doesn't mean I necessarily agree with the policies they develop there either. My guess would be the best people to govern would be those who want to govern least. Remember Washington was a reluctant leader. I caution against Absolutism in ideas. Some of the things people spout on either side of the spectrum right and left are these ideas that if we don't follow this one way of doing things we are lost. In the story there was only one pied piper today their are quite a few trying to lead people off into the ocean.
I do believe in the general goodness of men and woman however I have also seen the shocking examples of the wickedness of people. The usual suspects of history Hitler, Pol Pot, and Rwanda, remember dictators are individuals extending their will on all. There is fair amount of cruelty in world, too many children take pleasure in depriving flies of the gift of flight. That said I also agree sprawling governments alienated from the citizens is not likely to produce better results. Small businesses do face a ridiculous amount of unecessary regulations. It shouldn't be this hard to help yourself and build a small business. It is virtually impossible to operate a business without outside help in the form of accountants and lawyers. We over regulate small businesses yet let multinational corporations concoct derivatives that consist of morgages no one should have received and let them turn our economy into a house of cards with these contractual bets no one can decipher especially the rating agencies who are supposed to be the check to balance the equation.
I trust your word in that if you kept more of the cash in your business you would give it to your employees. I can't say why but in just following your blog and seeing your business grow you just seem genuine. However I grew up in New York City and I have seen more then my fair share of crooked small business owners. I respect and appreciate your faith in the everyman. So I am cautious of going down the trust no one route.
We live in a complex world with a long social history and the past can't be forgotten because the present and future is built on that foundation, that's probably my strongest criticism of the libertarian point of view I do not feel it addresses the full reality of our social situation. That said I'm willing to listen to those arguments and discuss my points of views. I'd also be willing to change my mind and try to work to collaborate to some better end. I am not vain enough to think I have all the answers. That's my strongest criticism of politicians and much of the political establishment they seem vain enough to forward that answer to all ills.
Well that's my own clarity. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and in listening to what you have said I feel like a wiser person because I heard something different then what I thought and have broadened my own frame of thinking by listening. I wouldn't say you have all the answers and I wouldn't say you were totally wrong. The truth is somewhere in the middle. It requires us to listen and talk together to reach it. Too bad more people don't do that. Thanks for sharing and thanks for inviting others to share as well. I am an academic by trade (Doctoral student in Education) so rambling comes easy hopefully something in here may give you something to think about. Here's to a better world for all of us
RP
Gauntlet
The gauntlet has been thrown down. Josh wants a piece of me with his Ard Boyz Eldar list. I'm rising to the challenge with my Mesa Nids. 2500 pts. It's on.
Don't know if you know it, but there is something new up on our website gallery about ten times a week.
I am still on the hunt for some Confrontation figures. I'm on the lookout for Mid Nor, Alchemists, and Daikinee mostly. Then other evil races. Then good races on the bottom of the list. I plan on using them for the D&D game.
I'm quite slavering in anticipation of 8th Edition Warhammer.
Also, I got in the Menoth and Khador army books. Privateer Press does such a fabulous job on their books. They really are works of art.
I'm going to be running a couple of expeditionary specials soon. Tentative titles: To the UK with LOVE, and Working Joe. Likely to start in early June.
Josh's Ard Boyz List
2500 Pts - Eldar Roster
HQ: Eldrad Ulthran (1#, 210 pts)
1 Eldrad Ulthran @ 210 pts ((pp.50-51 & 61 Eldar); Independent Character; Psyker; Doom ; Eldritch Storm ; Fortune ; Guide ; Mind War ; Divination; Ghosthelm; Rune Armour; Runes of Warding; Runes of Witnessing; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Pistol; Witchblade; Staff of Ulthamar)
HQ: Farseer (1#, 165 pts)
1 Farseer @ 165 pts ((pp.26, 28 & 60 Eldar); Independent Character; Psyker; Doom ; Fortune ; Mind War ; Fleet; Ghosthelm; Rune Armour; Runes of Warding; Spirit Stones; Shuriken Pistol; Witchblade)
Elite: Howling Banshees (11#, 322 pts)
9 Howling Banshees @ 322 pts ((pp.31 & 63 Eldar); Fleet; Banshee Mask; Power Weapon; Shuriken Pistol)
1 Howling Banshee Exarch (Fleet; Acrobatic; War Shout ; Banshee Mask; Shuriken Pistol; Executioner)
1 Wave Serpent ((pp.45 & 63 Eldar); Unit Type: Vehicle (Skimmer, Tank, Fast); Energy Field; Spirit Stones; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Missile Launchers)
Elite: Fire Dragons (6#, 210 pts)
5 Fire Dragons @ 210 pts ((pp.32 & 62 Eldar); Fleet; Fusion Gun; Melta Bombs)
1 Wave Serpent ((pp.45 & 63 Eldar); Unit Type: Vehicle (Skimmer, Tank, Fast); Energy Field; Spirit Stones; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Missile Launchers)
Elite: Striking Scorpions (11#, 322 pts)
9 Striking Scorpions @ 322 pts ((pp.33 & 62 Eldar); Mandiblaster; Scorpion Chainsword; Shuriken Pistol; Plasma Grenades)
1 Striking Scorpion Exarch ( Stalker ; Mandiblaster; Scorpion Claw; Plasma Grenades)
1 Wave Serpent ((pp.45 & 63 Eldar); Unit Type: Vehicle (Skimmer, Tank, Fast); Energy Field; Spirit Stones; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Missile Launchers)
Troops: Dire Avengers (11#, 282 pts)
9 Dire Avengers @ 282 pts ((pp.30 & 64 Eldar); Fleet; Avenger S-Catapult)
1 Dire Avenger Exarch (Fleet; Bladestorm ; 2 Avenger SC)
1 Wave Serpent ((pp.45 & 63 Eldar); Unit Type: Vehicle (Skimmer, Tank, Fast); Energy Field; Spirit Stones; TL Shuriken Catapults; TL Missile Launchers)
Troops: Guardians (10#, 100 pts)
10 Guardians @ 100 pts ((p.39 & p.64 Eldar); Fleet; Shuriken Catapult x10)
1 Weapon Platform (Missile Launcher)
Troops: Pathfinders (Rangers) (5#, 120 pts)
5 Pathfinders (Rangers) @ 120 pts ((pp.38 & 64 Eldar); Fleet; Infiltrate; Move Through Cover; Stealth; Ignore Difficult Terrain; Pathfinder Stealth; Scouts; Pathfinders; Shuriken Pistol x5; Ranger Long Rifle)
Fast Attack: Swooping Hawks (6#, 158 pts)
5 Swooping Hawks @ 158 pts ((pp.35 & 65 Eldar); Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Fleet; S-Hawk Wings; Lasblaster; Haywire Grenades; Plasma Grenades; S-Hawk Grenade Pack)
1 Swooping Hawk Exarch (Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Fleet; Intercept ; S-Hawk Wings; Sunrifle; Haywire Grenades; Plasma Grenades; S-Hawk Grenade Pack)
Fast Attack: Warp Spiders (5#, 142 pts)
4 Warp Spiders @ 142 pts ((pp.36 & 65 Eldar); Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Warp Jump Generators; Death Spinner)
1 Warp Spider Exarch (Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Withdraw ; Hit & Run; Warp Jump Generators; Death Spinner x2)
Fast Attack: Warp Spiders (5#, 142 pts)
4 Warp Spiders @ 142 pts ((pp.36 & 65 Eldar); Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Warp Jump Generators; Death Spinner)
1 Warp Spider Exarch (Unit Type: Jump Infantry; Withdraw ; Hit & Run; Warp Jump Generators; Death Spinner x2)
Heavy Support: Wraithlord (1#, 100 pts)
1 Wraithlord @ 100 pts ((pp.47 & 66 Eldar); Unit Type: Monstrous Creature; Fearless; Wraithsight; Flamer x2; Wraithsword)
Heavy Support: Wraithlord (1#, 100 pts)
1 Wraithlord @ 100 pts ((pp.47 & 66 Eldar); Unit Type: Monstrous Creature; Fearless; Wraithsight; Flamer x2; Wraithsword)
Heavy Support: Wraithlord (1#, 100 pts)
1 Wraithlord @ 100 pts ((pp.47 & 66 Eldar); Unit Type: Monstrous Creature; Fearless; Wraithsight; Flamer x2; Wraithsword)
Validation Report:
Codex: Eldar Codex 2006; c-1. File Version: 1.07b For Bug Reports/www.ab40k.org; b-1. Roster Options: Special Characters; a-1. Scenario: Normal Mission
Roster satisfies all enforced validation rules
Total Roster Cost: 2473
Created with Army Builder® - Try it for free at http://www.wolflair.com
Confrontation Needed
Got a new feature on my website: Facebook sharing of albums and pics. I would encourage those sympathetic to the cause to use this and help bump BTP up on search engines.
See here for example.
I am also on the hunt for Rackham figures. For the time being we're crediting full retail value (and 50% cash) for them. If interested, send a list of what you have to bluetablepainting@gmail.com
This includes the pre-paint plastics, too.
Thank you
Thank you to all the people who read this blog and also to those that respond. I get a lot of really positive emails that are of such great inspiration.
I'm very thankful for the life I have. I realize that it's a real blessing and I give the credit to God. I think I've gone over this before.
For those that may be interested, follows an account of the last few days, in brief. Yesterday morning I headed to the studio where a visitor from a local air force base hung out for a while. I was at the studio for about five hours and accomplished practically nothing. Tamie came by to pick me up, take me and the kids to the park where I played with them for about a half hour. It's quite an eye-splitting feat of ocular acrobatics to keep track of four kids at a park. There was a mild-mannered little curly-haired dog there and Willow squatted near and softly petted its head.
Then we headed to Costco as a family. It was an outing. The "C" in "Costco" stands for "Crap you don't need". Or more like "Crap I want but can't afford". I have to admit Costco does a good job of finding things I never imagined that I would want. Like a solar-powered attic fan. Racing in with G. on my shoulders (him grinning ear to ear) I lost my bluetooth, but evidently someone saw it drop and put it on the hood of my car.
I bought some cookies and brought them in to Elders Quorum today. A mix of oatmeal and white/brown chocolate.
Sunday afternoon I whiled away my time watching old episodes of Craig Ferguson. I got some Mike Lee signs up in the front yard.
As a final note, I am on a rampage to get rid of the dandelions from the front lawn again. I got some "weed and feed" that supposedly kills weeds but leaves the regular grass alive, so I put some on the areas where I pulled up the dandelions. Well, it turns out that my entire lawn has converted into weeds so the "weed and feed" just killed the whole patch of crab-grass, clover and other cralgg I had growing out there.
I feel like I completely wasted two days. Except putting up the Mike Lee signs.
Story of Rackham and Confrontation
Story of Rackham (company) and Confrontation (game). I found this on the net when I started digging for an answer. The question: what happened to all those gorgeous models? This was of intense interest to me. Apparently, you can't even reliably get the pre-paint plastics anymore. (This was not written by me). Enjoy.
There is a success formula in business: if you don’t have several million dollars to start with and make a pretty big company from the get-go, then you start small and do something you have a real interest in; you do it well, better than anyone else; better still – you do something no one has done yet. This in no way guarantees success. In fact, most businesses that start like this shut down after a couple of years of struggling. But, if there is a chance to become big, quickly and from nothing, this is it. That’s what Rackham attempted to do with Confrontation. Jean Bey, the founder of the company, is not a businessman. As some of his colleagues indicate, he is not even a gamer. But he is crazy about design. And he is damn good at designing beautiful, gorgeous things. So, it seems to me, the original idea behind Confrontation back in late 1990s was simple: create a top-quality miniature game with absolutely gorgeous miniatures. Make them so beautiful, that people will want to buy them even if they’re not sure about playing the game. Make them look like sculptures, not comic book characters. On top of that, create a ruleset that will be notably different and actually innovative – thus, differentiating the system from the land of stagnation that is GW. In terms of business, this means creating a premium product for a very small but potentially loyal market of visual perfectionists and painting junkies; this being the case, you create a product with a high value added, thus, hopefully, ensuring the viability of the business with small sales volumes.
This line of reasoning makes sense and, it seems, it was working out for a while; but Rackham was not really about business. It was about pretty, pretty things. Have you held a Cadwallon rulebook in your hands? If design means anything to you, this book makes you salivate just looking at it. You don’t even have to read it. It’s the design that makes you want to have it. Hold it. Smell it… And that’s a fifty euro book, by the way. Same thing with Cry Havoc. Ok, those weren’t just about design, but also the writing. But the two were closely intertwined: Cry Havoc was a magazine produced for those who wanted to savour their gaming universe. (And those, too, were twenty euro per issue; that’s no print-it-yourself PDF for you; but for the passionate audience, that was perfectly fine; furthermore, I really doubt, even with these prices, Rackham was making much, if any, profit, on publications – it was fan service more than anything else.) I’ll bet you anything that a large portion of the people who bought Confrontation, and Cry Havocs, and Hybrid, and Cadwallon with its supplements, and every other piece of anything visual produced by Rackham did not even play the game – much or at all. The universe was fascinating. And I’m not just talking about the universe of Aarklash. It was the universe of Rackham: the universe of beautiful fantasy design and captivating stories told through books, and magazines, and miniatures, and cards, and maps… It was loyal market built on passion, indeed. Apparently, it didn’t work out all that well financially in the long run. So, things started to change.
By mid-2000s Rackham was already under considerable financial pressure. Early in 2007 Rackham was under bankruptcy proceedings, and soon afterwards – became public. Looks like the latter was the direct implication of the former and was probably one of the things that was planned to get the company back on its feet. Another big move in 2007 relating to bankruptcy was scrapping Confrontation and launching Age o Ragnarok.
Rackham is a small company, so of course, even when public, it is not actually traded in the open market. Going public in such cases means finding an investor who is ready to give some money in exchange for a share in the company’s profits and, more importantly, a degree of control over the company’s business model. The launch of Age o Ragnarok was the result of the influence of the new management. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the shareholder that decided to invest in Rackham in 2007 was the same company that later bought the whole studio in 2008 and now develops AoR. But, whoever it was, Jean Bey was demoted from CEO to Art Director, meaning that the new shareholder put someone they were more comfortable with in charge of Rackham. The launch of AoR, of course, had to be discussed well before the deal was closed: realizing that they can’t survive on their own, Rackham had to come up with a new business plan that the new investor would like. What this means is that, in terms of business and marketing philosophy, the 2007 Rackham was no longer the Rackham that Jean Bey had founded. It was no longer about making pretty miniatures. It was solely about money now. The immediate problem with that change was that pretty much all of the old Confrontation players renounced Rackham right then and there. It was more than just switching to plastic. It was the collapse of the universe that was Rackham (however small it was): no more mind-blowing design, no more books so pretty you want to cry, no more Cry Havoc, no more Legendary range, no more Hybrids, no more Cadwallons… (not all of these things happened right away, but the trend has been clear ever since 2007).
The next step was only reasonable and should have been expected: in 2008 Jean Bey sold the rest of his shares in Rackham to Entrepreneur Ventures, a French venture fund, which, it seems now, is Rackham’s sole owner. Jean Bey himself was fired soon afterwards, and has nothing to do with Rackham any longer. According to some employees of new Rackham Entertainment (renamed by the new owner; re-branding and repositioning is, of course, the name of the game now) who realized that making money is much better than making pretty miniatures, having Jean Bey leave was not such a bad thing: his vision had never been very good for business; the new owners, on the other hand, really “get it” and want to make Rackham profitable while leaving the staff enough creative freedom to make plastic armies and downloadable PDF books.
And now let us imagine for a second the world through the eyes of Entrepreneur Ventures. They acquire an asset, Rackham Entertainment, and they need it to be profitable. Not tomorrow, not next week, but soon. Being a venture fund, they realize, of course, that risky assets sometimes fail to become profitable – that’s why they are risky. In which case they are just liquidated. Nothing personal, just business. But it hasn’t come to that just yet. Yes, AT-43 seems to be selling worse than expected, AoR is somewhat struggling, but nothing is lost yet. Since the model catering to a premium small niche had failed, the attempt is now being made to make AoR more mass-market. In fact, some things indicate that they may now be thinking “Battlelore-mass-market” or even, god forbid, “Catan-mass-market”. Have you seen the new website? You know what AoR is, according to this just-launched website? It’s “a medieval fantasy strategy game with miniatures. It plays like chess, but involves some randomness and bluff as in poker. It is easy to learn and ready to play”. Now, that’s some powerful stuff right here. Apparently, the only table-top gaming references that the new Rackham can reasonably rely on its intended customer to know are chess and poker. That’s some truly awe-inspiring target audience. It’s hard to say how serious the new Rackham is about all this. But it’s definitely something to think about.
What else do we see through the eyes of the new investor? Miniature gaming business is based on intellectual properties. As far as each individual miniature is concerned, the bulk of your investment goes into designing it. So, to maximize your returns, you’ll obviously want to sell the same design as many times as possible. And that’s where the new approach to Confrontation comes in very handy. We gamers consider the lack of diversity in the now-in-PPP-form miniatures a temporary inconvenience. Not necessarily so for the publisher. AoR is not really marketed towards collectors. It is made for gamers who want somewhat pretty soldiers to go with their rulesets. As such, what matters is how your miniatures affect game mechanics. Sure, you’ll still want diversity for that, but in this case it can wait. What you do as a gamer is buy an army box, play it, get into it, decide that you like it. You go out and buy some more minis choosing from those that are available. There aren’t many, but, lucky you, the new rules force you to field swarms of regular infantry before you can deploy any non-standard units. And it’s not like the game became much cheaper having gone to plastic. Boxes, some of them containing as many as one miniature, are officially priced at thirty-odd euro. So, as a semi-casual gamer, you’ll run out of money set out for your next AoR purchase well before you’ve bought every mini available for your faction. And when you decide to buy more, there will be new ones available. And, from the business point of view, you’ve bought many, many copies of the same minis, helping the new Rackham to be profitable by maximizing their returns per mini.
If you are a not-so-casual gamer, then what will keep you coming back to the store is the rules themselves. One of Rackham’s employees confessed that the system is really designed for 5000-point armies. So, diversity or not, you kinda need to have lots of minis just to get everything out of your already made investment. You have 3000 points? Well, how much more is it really going to cost you to bump it up to 4000-5000 to get a really impressive army? Everyone wins. Sort of…
If this looks like your kind of approach, I don’t see any real red flags at this point on the technical side of things. Just some minor alarm bells. For example, have you ever wondered why the Griffin Army Book is called “Temple” and not “Griffin”? That’s because there will be three of them: Temple, Inquisition and The Lodge of Hod. In itself – not a crime, especially if they remain freely downloadable. But, if the three end up being different, even if allied, factions, which you can’t freely deploy in any combination, that would be a very different story. Another potentially worrying thing – overall marketing strategy. I mean, what if they’re really serious about selling the game to chess and poker lovers? Do you really want to be in that crowd? As it stands now, it shouldn’t influence your purchase decisions. But as things develop, the kind of support the game gets from the publisher will largely depend on who primarily buys it. Furthermore, it may be innovative and potentially groundbreaking to try to create a real mass-market miniature game, but if that strategy fails, the new Rackham will end up like the old Rackham. Only this time there won’t be anyone willing to buy it – it will be too screwed up a trademark.
Since making money is now the official motto, there’s a danger that we will get a new GW with a French twist. That’s bad enough on its own, but especially sad when you think what Rackham used to be. There may be a sad lesson taught by the old Rackham to industry newcomers – that you can’t create a really buyer-oriented miniature game, with no army books, no artificial deployment limitations, no miniatures going out of date with rule updates, with tons of diversity in terms of game experience for your investment (there were at least five games – five! – you could play with Confrontation metal miniatures). I hope that’s not really the case. I hope it’s a false lesson, and Rackham shut down because it made a few specific mistakes, not because the market doesn’t allow what it attempted to do at all. Whatever the case, the new Rackham is very different. A buyer is now just that – a buyer; not a fellow artist; not a fellow gamer; not a fellow enthusiast. You bring us money – we bring you entertainment. Then you bring us more money.
At the end of the day, it is, of course, a matter of taste. But there is some profoundly rotten feeling I get when looking at the new product line of AoR. It feels like the buyer is being taken advantage of. Look at the army books. You won’t find almost a single picture of the new plastic figures (in case of the factions I know well, I could count two or three pictures of plastic – out of sixty four goddamn pages!), it’s all metal on new round bases. Is Rackham ashamed to show what you’re actually buying? Or is it simply trying to take you for a ride by showing you pictures of what you could have been buying, but actually can’t because the new management insisted on shutting down the production of the last minis in the metal range? Rackham has never been good at communicating with the public and never really bothered to explain why it does what it does; but now, without such an explanation (and I’m not sure there can even be one that would be good enough), it looks like the new Rackham is downright exploiting what isn’t really theirs. This is where – for me – the “business point of view” goes out the window and “ethics” becomes an issue: Aarklash, the background, the designs, the aesthetics, the approach – were all developed by the old Rackham. They made some mistakes, screwed up and almost went out of business. Granted, being purchased by someone else is better than disappearing altogether. But what do the new owners do? They strip mine the franchise: instead of giving you something to be passionate about, they put you on the money conveyor belt, constrict you by rules, release schedules, packaging, army books and then try to present the few buying choices that you have as a perfectly natural and good thing. I mean, army boxes really seem like a good value. And, once you’ve invested in them, you don’t really want to stop there, right? So go out and buy some more. Sure, the miniature aren’t as pretty as they used to be, sure you can’t build and deploy any army you want, sure you don’t have a lot of units to choose from, but, hey, you’ve already jumped on the bandwagon – so just go with the flow. And, in the meantime, why don’t you appreciate the depth of the gaming universe and its background? Sure, all of it was created by the old Rackham and the new one doesn’t bother investing in it because books and magazines don’t bring any profit and are of little importance to chess lovers anyway, but since what is already there is already there – go ahead and enjoy it.
Then again, I guess if the game is fun, none of this matters anyway. Money for entertainment. That’s all there is to it. That’s all there should be. Right?
Disclaimer: Facts on which this article is based were all found in the public domain and primarily come from statements, official and private, made by Rackham employees on public internet forums and in interviews. The interpretation of these facts and the narrative arranging them are my own. The purpose of this article is to gather as many facts about Rackham that are scattered out there in one place as possible. My hope is that a good deal of these facts will come from contributions by those who are interested in Rackham as a company and are willing to discuss it. The practical purpose – to give those who are planning to invest into Rackham’s products a sense of where the company is coming from and where it is going. I bet, many people who bought GW products back in the day would have had real second thoughts about it if they had known more about GW’s marketing philosophy. But some wouldn’t. Forewarned is forearmed.
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