Sunday, August 30, 2009

Writing Projects.

Communication is going to be intermittent as I switch gears and start working on some new contract work with Reaper Miniatures.

My posting schedule will remain unchanged, as it is currently dictated by whether or not I remember to wake up in the morning, followed promptly by me remembering that I have a blog.

So, that being said, everyone go out and learn to play Warlord so that you can buy the new book I am working on when it comes out.

Yes, you will be graded, and no there is no extra credit.

Monday, August 10, 2009

The SSA trip.

I so wish I could have gone on the SSA trip to the Creation "Museum", but alas life kept me here in Texas. BUT! But there have been some fantastic descriptions and insightful commentary on the things witnessed.

My favorites so far:

http://blaghag.blogspot.com/2009/08/creation-museum-part-1.html
http://blaghag.blogspot.com/2009/08/creation-museum-part-2.html

and
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/08/the_creation_museum_1.php

The pictures alone are to die for.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Reaper's Charity Piece!

Huzzah! Reaper miniatures has posted their charity miniature: The Echidnox!

Also, they are donating the proceeds to Child's Play, a wonderful charity that deserves more attention than it gets.

Keep up the great work guys, and everyone go support both parties if you can.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Read until your Irony Meter detonates.

I remember back when I was not a boy scout. It was the whole of my twenty four years of life from the outside looking in and being vaguely envious of those jerks and their camping trips. But the thing that almost made me take the plunge was the idea of merit badges.

The whole concept appeals to me to this day. Reward and recognition for learning a new skill? Hot damn.

Their compliment, the Girl Scouts, do basically the same thing except for chicks since both groups have genital based discrimination policies. (There are some skills I am sure they do not want to issue merit badges for.)

So I was surprised when I read this article about a girl being given the highest honor available for teaching children about creationism, acquiring a creationist library for her church, and building a model of Noah's ark.
Now, on the surface these seem nice. Working with kids and helping your church are community service, building a model of some sort is some great arts and crafts, and talking about creationism is creative story telling. (Which if they offer a badge for story telling I am so kicking myself for not joining the scouts way back when.)

The part that had me laughing was the name of her project. Alternate Reality. I shit you not. I can only imagine this statement being delivered with a straight face, followed by beaming pride and possibly a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Which brings to light, if that is what she believes her teachings and statements are, then WHY IS SHE TEACHING THEM TO CHILDREN.
According to dictionary.com:
Alternate ( awl-ter-neyt)
1. to interchange repeatedly and regularly with one another in time or place; rotate (usually fol. by with): Day alternates with night.
2. to change back and forth between conditions, states, actions, etc.: He alternates between hope and despair.
3. to take turns: My sister and I alternated in doing the dishes.
4. Electricity. to reverse direction or sign periodically.
5. Linguistics. to occur as a variant in alternation with another form.

Reality (ree-al-i-tee)
1. the state or quality of being real.
2. resemblance to what is real.
3. a real thing or fact.
4. real things, facts, or events taken as a whole; state of affairs: the reality of the business world; vacationing to escape reality.
5. Philosophy.
a. something that exists independently of ideas concerning it.
b. something that exists independently of all other things and from which all other things derive.
6. something that is real.
7. something that constitutes a real or actual thing, as distinguished from something that is merely apparent.

This alone should bring to light that she is deriving something other than the reality we all live in and teaching it to small children. That is so many levels of not right that I don't know why it could, or would be honored in the slightest.

Then again, maybe I am being a bit harsh. I don't have all the details, so it may be a different situation all together (if so let me know). But based on what is here, I think my envy for the scouts has waned just a tad.