DigitalSloth

These are the before and after shots of a new miniature I finished painting this morning.  It's for a bugbear rogue I'm playing in my current D&D 4E game, and it turned out even better than I had hoped.  I did make a couple of modifications to the stock model by removing the default shield and mace and adding a weapon to each hand.

 

 

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Categories: Gaming

I'm a big fan of metal.  Hardcore, grindcore, progressive, death, black, industrial - you name it.  While I truly love the music, what really sets metal apart for me is how hard these guys/gals work to personify evil.  No one else comes close.  The lyrics are evil.  The album artwork is evil.  The stage clothing is evil.  From every percussive lick to pavement churning growl these performers work sundown to sunrise to paint the world with enough gore, violence, and hatred to cause involuntary retinal spasms.  It is awesome.

These people love what they do too.  I defy you to find many top 40 performers who put as much passion into their work as the lowliest of metal bands.  Every riff, lyric, and beat is written and recorded by the actual band members.  There aren't a team of writers churning out drek to be performed by studio musicians and mass produced for the nation's passive consumption over broadcast airways.  No, these men and women work their collective asses off to give you the best of what they have inside of them on every album and live performance.  Metal bands travel a highway paved with intestinal fluids and caustic bile - not platinum album sales.

This is why Metal > All.

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Much to my amazement I still get requests for this application.  So here's a link to anyone interested in trying it out.  Please note that it's designed for D&D 3.5e and Windows Mobile 5.0.  Install at your own risk!

DSForgeworks 

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Categories: Gaming

Thanks to Da Burn @ DaemonStorm.com for this!  I think this is a great sheet with separate pages for keeping track of implants, spells, adept powers, spirits, sprites, etc.  Just edit and print the pages you need.  This sheet will really help with bookkeeping.

Editable Shadowrun 4E Character Sheet

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Categories: Gaming

I’ve been formally accepted to film school at UNCSA.

I’ll be getting my house sold over the next few months, moving to Winston-Salem, closing the book on the first part of my life, and begin writing the second part.

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Categories: UNCSA

I had my interview with UNCSA this weekend.

The day started off with a financial aid presentation followed by a Q&A session. The information provided was important to incoming true freshmen and their parents but not particularly valuable to me. It was still a good opportunity for me to evaluate the school's admissions department and staff.

Following the logistics info dump, we were taken on a tour of the facilities by some of the current students. There was a set prepared for shooting a classroom scene which was nice to see, and the students were able to provide good answers to the questions being asked.

After the tour they presented a couple of fifteen minute films, and then separated the prospective students for a brief writing assignment.

Next were the interviews.

According to the letter I received from the school I should be prepared to talk about my inspirations, films or directors that had influenced me and why, and share any artwork or previous film experience. Well they didn't talk to me about any of that. They didn't even request to see the writing assignment we had just worked on. The only thing they were even remotely interested in discussing with me was whether or not I understood what I was getting into and if I would be able to relate with the much younger students. At 32 I'm much older than the traditional freshmen, so I understand their concern, but I want to do this. I want to be around young people who have dreams and are willing to work hard to achieve them. I want to immerse myself in an environment full of optimism and possibilities. I want to be around people who are alive.

At the conclusion of the interview, it appeared to me I was able to address their concerns, but now my brain just won't shut down; it's run amok with ruminating thoughts. I can't stop thinking about all the things I wish I could go back and say, or re-say, or emphasize, or elaborate on, or – or –or – or.

There's nothing else I can do. I gave the best of myself I could give in 20 minutes. The only thing I can do is release my hopes to the world, be at peace with myself and god, and if I could just tell them I really, really want this, and if I could…

find that damn 'off' switch!

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Categories: Life

I’ve been working on the color scheme for my space marine army.  These are a couple of pics from the prototype model I’ve been using.  I’ve been playing around with some different hi-lighting colors.

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Categories: Warhammer 40k | Gaming

Here’s a picture of the model I painted for my cleric in the D&D game I’m playing in.

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Categories: Gaming

Late this summer I decided to try out Warhammer 40k. With the release of 5^th edition and a new Space Marine Codex, it seemed like a good time to get involved.

It's been about 6 weeks since I started compiling my army which currently consists of a Space Marine Battleforce, a Land Raider Redeemer, Captain Cato Sicarius, a Devastator Squad, a Dreadnought, and a Combat Squad. So far I've completed modeling and priming 20 tactical marines including sergeant, 10 assault marines including sergeant, and the Dreadnought. The Rhino is mocked up and prepped for some custom work on the doors so they actually open and close, but isn't yet in a condition to be primed for painting. The Redeemer has been clipped from the sprues, along with Sicarius, but I'm waiting on a pin vise and additional magnets to arrive this week before continuing work on them.

I have 100 1/8^th in. rare earth magnets which will be used to magnetize the Rhino and Redeemer doors. In addition, the Redeemer will have its weapons magnetized so I can swap out the twin-linked heavy flamers for storm bolters if I choose. I have some 1/16^th magnets on the way so in the future I can magnetize weapon options on some of my space marines.

I know it's probably cliché, but I've decided to create 2^nd Company Ultramarines. The color scheme and lore appeals to me, and I'm not particularly fond of the other chapters.

I would like to photographically document my progress, but I don't have access to a decent camera. If I can get my hands on one, I'll make sure to get some pictures posted.

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Categories: Warhammer 40k | Gaming

Seems almost cliche that the first entry under the category 'Life' would be titled 'Death', but the reason for this posting is in regards to the passing of my grandfather on my dad's side of the family.

I never really knew the man, as my father's side of the family is not particularly close.  I haven't seen my cousins or uncles in decades, and only recently saw my grandparents within the last couple of years after being out of contact for ages.

What does it mean, really?  His life and death.  I would guess for a lot of people losing a grandparent is a rather significant event.  They've been there for holidays, birthdays, reunions, graduations, etc.  This particular grandfather has been little more than a name attached to a rough memory tucked away in a dusty closet somewhere in my mind.  Yet still I feel loss, and that's why I'm filing this post under 'Life'.  I believe, despite the lack of direct personal interaction with him, my grandfather's life is significantly impactful on my own.  Obviously there's an indirect impact through my relationship with my own father, but I'm talking about something more significant.  Whether it's spiritual, purely biological, or some combination of the two, his life has profound implications not just on myself but others as well.  I feel it more than I know or understand it.

Perhaps I'm more moved not by the passing of a relationship, but for the passing of one that never was.

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Categories: Life