Out with the old, in with the old

TL;DR posts are simple rants. Please ignore this if you are not into hearing my anger. Honestly, why WOULD you? But this post is an extension of one I made in May.

Happy thoughts....happy thoughts.....

I haven't had such mixed feelings about something since Keurig cups made my love of convenience clash with my love for the environment. This could be even more whiny (or whingey) than my normal ranting, so you've been warned.

TL;DR Whine and Cheese in the 41st Millenium

Apologies to Wayne England.

WARNING: THERE IS A BIG BUT AT THE END OF THIS VERY LONG POST

Hello, Hive Zero fans (as if there are any)! I'm back from yet another hiatus caused by work and quickly growing teenage girls who need rides to every activity known to (wo)man. Telling a varsity tennis player that her practices are cutting into painting and gaming time is met with a strong reaction in the Hive Zero household. But I have a moment, sooo...

Let's talk about all of the craziness happening right now with Games Workshop. And by craziness, I mean 180-degree-change-from-previous-behavior insanity. I know I will be leaving out

TL;DR I surrender

So. Tired. Can't. Even.

I was going to title this post "I give up", but that has really negative connotations, and this is not necessarily a negative communication. But I have finally, without a doubt, surrendered to the torrent of ever-changing rules from GW this year.

TL;DR: 40k in a Non 40k World

Neither of these people are James.

James Hildebrand has written a very funny short essay about being a closeted Eldar player in high school. He's a student at Amherst, and I believe he has stopped playing, at least as of this writing. It's lighthearted and leads into a lovely overall message about doing things just for the sake of doing them. But there was something else in the article that got me thinking.
[Read On]

Ramifications of GW's New Dealer Policy

Back in 2011, I wrote an inexcusably long article about GW's business practices (opens in new window). This was actually written for another site, but I moved it here because it died.

At the time, GW was doing its semiannual price hike, and I was really sick of the Internet grousing. I was accused of setting up strawman arguments, but all of my points were culled from the meta. I was fairly defensive of GW's business practices (to a point).

But this week, they did something that I think may actually hurt them. Not in an Internet public relations sort of way, but an actual economic misstep. [read more]

TL;DR: Is there coffee provided at the meeting?

This is the third in a series of posts by yours truly with the tag “TL;DR”. As you may have surmised by suffering through my blog these past few years, I write. A lot. And I am quite wordy, so when I write a blog post, I spew forth my ramblings onto the keyboard, and then I edit roughly 60-80 percent of it out. But once in a while, I will write something that cannot be edited down. 

And sometimes, it’s a tedious bit of writing that may hold some value for beginning 40k enthusiasts. So begins my tale that many of you may recognize...

The quiet buzz of people who are merely acquaintances dies down as people find their spots in the small circle of folding chairs, and few folks hustle in shaking off coats that smell of cigarettes and cold outdoor air.

The small, unassuming guy with a receding hairline and math teacher glasses approaches the worn podium, the heavy thud of his boots echoing in this Catholic school gymnasium. It's 7:30pm, and the meeting is about to start. The group is small enough that no PA system is needed, so there is no stereotypical whistle of feedback before he begins, just a gentle throat clearing. [read on...]

Interweb Fatigue

The Internet is surprisingly immature for its age, and I think that says a lot about human nature. Everyone blames 4Chan and Something Awful for lowering the floor of acceptability, but trolling and really bad arguments have been around since before the Web (anyone reading this still use Usenet?).

I haven't posted lately. It's mostly due to work; there are a lot of transitions occurring, and I'm still trying to get my footing in the New World Order. And I've had an incredible flu that is still lurking around...if it's just sheer muscle pain and fever, would it be Nurgle or Slaanesh?). But the main reason is a bit deeper-seeded: I'm getting really tired of the lazy discourse that makes up the 40k blogosphere. There is almost nothing that ends up positive. Exciting teaser rumors start a shit storm of complaints from "GW is stupid" to "The OP is an idiot". Any posted list becomes an ad hominem attack-laden tirade.

But the worst is the unsubstantiated assumptions, "facts" and faulty argument that infest the comment sections of blog posts like this:

 BoLS Article

Did you make it through the comments? I couldn't do it. Now, I want you to do me a huge favor. Take a look at this infographic.

Seriously, really read this.

Now try looking at each comment posted and see how many of these fallacies fit. Just in the first 30 or so comments, I think I hit a bunch of them (definitely all of the categories). And I don't mean to pick on BoLS; they have a job to do (generate revenue through website traffic), and like them or not, they do it better than anyone in the hobby. This lack of well-researched conclusions and strawman arguments can be found in a lot of places and not always in the comments. In a few posts that I've made both here and at MWC, I've attempted to question the actual claims about GW's practices and ethics, and they've been met with apathy, in my opinion. So my perception is that people like to argue, and the content or logic of the argument is tertiary, behind both volume and frequency.

And yes, I have been guilty of the same thing. It's easy to slide by with just about anything when everyone else seems to be deaf to all but their own voice. But I don't want to be like that anymore. Don't get me wrong, I don't want Stelek or Kirby or Brent or MBG or Dakka or Warseer to change anything about their tone. Being confrontational is its own flavor, I guess. But I've grown tired of it.

So instead of jumping into comment about the ridiculousness of someone claiming that GW is raising prices to "fuck over Australia" or that mathhammer always/never works, I'm going to chill out and just post my painting progress and share what I can in a hobby I love.

I hope you readers, and there's quite a few now if Google Analytics can be believed, will stick with me, but if you don't, I understand. I just appreciate the fact that you took the time to read some of my posts.

I'm going to Adepticon on Friday and Saturday. If you want to stop me and say hello, I'd certainly appreciate it. I'm the old Asian guy with a small red and black camera backpack, and it's most likely I will ask you if I can photograph your army. It's one of my favorite things to do, and I really love all of your skills and creativity.

Thanks for reading!

TL;DR: My love of 40k Fluff (and 1 thing I hate)

When it comes to 40k lore, I am extremely judgemental, especially in terms of the Black Library (the publisher, not the Webway Dewey Decimal System). Let's face it: many authors of 40k books would get laughed out of most legitimate publishing houses. Whether it's the inability to find one's groove within 40k constraints or just poor writing skills, many BL authors have penned some real stinkers. Of course, there are some notable exceptions that are quite good and a few that are even compelling enough to read a second or third time, and to be fair, even some really accomplished writers of other genres and milieux have a hard time conveying the breadth of the 40k universe. I took a stab at it recently, writing a few one pagers for the recent Mechanicus  fandex, and it was hard - really hard - to get the flavor just right.

So I wanted to convey to you why I love 40k fluff despite the fact that it might be derivative, illogical, and sometimes silly.

More after this jump!

TL;DR: The thing about Bartertown…

This is the first in a new series of posts by yours truly with the tag “TL;DR”. As you may have surmised by suffering through my blog these past few years, I write. A lot. And I am quite wordy (again, surprise, surprise). So when I write a blog post, I spew forth my ramblings onto the keyboard, and then I edit roughly 60-80 percent of it out. That’s right, horrified readers, you are only getting about a third of my drivel.

But once in a while, I will write something that cannot be edited down. Sometimes it’s an intricate philosophical point; sometimes it’s a post with some emotional content (although after I write that kind of post, I usually do the old “select-all, delete”).

And sometimes, it’s a detailed anecdote that may hold some value for beginning 40k enthusiasts. So begins my tale of commerce, deceit, intrigue, and ultimately, salvation for all parties involved.

Click to read about the pain!

TL;DR: You are not going to like this.

I wasn’t sure that I even wanted to write this, but with the basic tenor of the discussions over GW’s recent business decisions getting so strident, I think it’s important for someone, for better or worse, to chime in with a different perspective. I’m pretty sure this may become both my most popular (infamous?) post and the one that makes me a pariah in the 40k metaverse.