Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day - A Note On The Military And News Of The Day


Memorial Day - Remember The Fallen And Those Who Remain

First, let me say that I come from a long, long line of warriors. My father and brother are Air Force vets, my adopted father was a Soldier, as was his only biological son and one of his daughters. My mother's father was a soldier as well, and many of my uncles were soldiers. These are the guys and gals that keep us safe. No matter how you feel about the current fucked up state of the world, remember that these folks are doing it for the same reason a guy wants to become a firefighter and the same reason that a guy wants to go to seminary and become a priest: It's a calling. Respect and admire the commitment to their country and its inhabitants, and know that while you may or may not like the commander-in-chief, the congress that sends the soldiers off, remember that the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardsmen of our nation's fighting forces are out there in the mud and sand trying to keep some semblance of peace throughout the world so that your kids can sleep well at night without the spectre of air-raid sirens or the fear of being blown up at a shopping mall.

Today, let's remember those who sacrificed their lives for our country, going back to the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and current wars, police actions, and conflicts. Take a moment to remember that while the person who was killed in action is now resting in peace, their families, children, mothers, and fathers miss them terribly and are the true casualties after the flag has been folded. If you know a military family who has lost a love one, maybe say a prayer for them, give them a call and tell them you love them, or just think about what you can do to help them out in the future.




Black Dog Painting Studio- Incredibly Good And Incredibly Inexpensive Miniatures Painting

I was recently introduced to a guy on the web, Euen, who not only has a cool name, not only is a proud Scot, but is one hell of a good guy and a very talented painter. He posted some services on the web, and I jumped all over it because the price he quoted was ridiculously low. His site is http://blackdogpainting.blogspot.com/, where you can check out his work and see for yourself whether or not it's worth it to you or not.

He painted 16 miniatures, all Fantasy Flight, from Runebound and Fury of Dracula. They are superbly painted and he only took a week to do it. I asked him to basecoat and detail them, but not clearcoat or dip them because I wanted to see them in person before "sealing in the goodness", so to speak. Here's some imagery of my figures that I snatched from his website:









































So, head over to his site, check out his stuff, and do some business with him! He's saving the money for college, I'm sure, not using it for drugs and hookers.  He's a good dude, and I am positive you'll love his work.


PRESS RELEASE:

Gamewright Flips for Knightweaver’s Patchwork Game
Inks exclusive world-wide publishing deal

Newton, MA 5/27/2010 – Gamewright recently signed an exclusive agreement for the world-wide publishing rights for Knightweaver Games’ popular independent card game, Patchwork. While the game play will remain the same, Gamewright will change the title to FlipSide and launch it in late 2010 / early 2011.

“We’re excited to bring this fantastic family game into the Gamewright family”, says Jason Schneider, marketing and product development manager for Gamewright. “It’s a title with the rare combination of a uniquely challenging game play that appeals across the ages. I look forward to building upon its success and introducing it to a wider audience.”

FlipSide is a light family strategy game of pattern matching and never-ending surprises. In the game, players draw cards and rearrange them to get four, five, or six of the same pattern in a row. However, each card has patterns on both sides, and anyone can take, and use, any card they can see. The game has won a variety of distinguished awards from such organizations as The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toy, and Creative Child Magazine, and has been gaining strong sales momentum in specialty toy and game stores throughout the United States.

"I'm honored and thrilled that Gamewright has added my game to their catalog of great games,” says inventor, Daniel Weaver. “Gamewright has a sterling reputation as a producer of high-quality, fun, family-oriented games, which makes them an ideal licensing partner. I look forward to seeing FlipSide grow and flourish in their capable hands over the coming months and years, and working with them to ensure that all the current Patchwork customers and retailers are well supported through this transition."

About Knightweaver Games
Knightweaver Games, LLC is dedicated to designing and publishing “gateway games”: games that are fun and readily accessible for traditional board game players but novel and interesting enough to encourage them to explore the wider world of wonderful games. Dr. Daniel Weaver, the founder and owner, draws upon a lifetime of gaming experience and a decade of exploring game theory and design in introducing the company’s first commercially available games: Patchwork™ and PatchWord™. Knightweaver Games, LLC was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Boulder, CO. The company’s products are available online at www.knightweavergames.com and at independent toy and game retailers throughout the U.S.

About Gamewright
Gamewright, a leading manufacturer of family games, is best known for such household hits as Slamwich®, Rat-a-Tat Cat®, In a Pickle™, and the Scrambled States of America™ Game. Gamewright prides itself on making games that foster laughter, learning, friendship and fun. Kids, parents, grandparents, and educators all agree that Gamewright makes some of the best games on the planet. For more information, please visit www.gamewright.com.

The Final Word

I just returned from 3 days in Mexico, hence the reason for the lack of a new article.  Internet was OK down there, but I was so busy at work that I didn't have a spare moment to format and publish a new article.  This coming week will have A Touch Of Evil, Last Night On Earth, and Ghost Stories reviewed along with a couple of stories and photos from Tijuana and Puerto Nuevo, Mexico.  Good stuff, so stay tuned!

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