MUSIC: Start the Day Right

Long time, I know. Sorry loyal reader. Life has been busy. Today's topic is simple: Some music recommendations to kick the morning off better than some coffee.

Texas Football: Re-alignment

Read this... yes it's long, but it is the best history of the current conference re-alignment mess I've read.

http://longhornnetworkanddelusion.tumblr.com/

Desk Ideas: A Standing Work Space?

Quick One... Read this

With all the desk fixes I've been doing (article coming soon BTW) this made me want to rethink all of it.

Longhorn Football: And so it begins...

"We need to keep our mouth shut and get back into the game" - Mack Brown, Monday Aug 29 2011

Longhorn Sports: Aggie to the SEC

Yeah... I think it is foolish for Aggie to take their ball and go try to be relevant with the popular kids... and every time I think/talk/hear about it, all I can think of is Gob Bluth.

Wargaming: Organizing My Office

This is where the magic happened... oh the destruction left in the wake of creativity.

Wargaming: Burn-Out

I rushed to get three armies done for Adepticon and WarGames Con since the year started... and it wore me down more than I thought it would.

Le Tour De France 2011: Final Stage

Soon enough, Andy will have his spot at the top. But not this year. 2011 was finally Cadel's year to put it all together.

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 19 & 20

Auzzie Auzzie Auzzie OY OY OY!!!

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 17 & 18

And just like that, the race got even more complicated...

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 16

Another day in the rain, another break away dominated by The God of Thunder.

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 14 & 15

Wait... he's still wearing it? Who saw this coming?

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 13

On a day covered in mist, The God Of Thunder asserted his power.

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 12

Joy is a beautiful thing... Sammy Sanchez wins the first dance in the mountains, and Contador shows weakness.

Le Tour De France 2011 - Stage 11

Yep, they are upping their game, and yep, they are getting closer to him... but he's still the best.

Warhammer 40k: WarGames Con Narrative Recap

There are my Orks... ready to rumble!

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 10

A win by inches redeems years of effort and belief of a team.

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 9

So I went to War Games Con and Le Tour turned into Nascar or something...

Programming Note

Quick note... I'm preparing and participating in WarGames Con here in Austin and won't have a stage commentary up until Sunday night.

To all my BoLS readers, see you guys there! Be sure to come by the Narrative and say hello!

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 5

Carnage... raw carnage... wrecks galore dominated Stage 5 of Le Tour, and then a missle fired.

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 4

So it seems Cadel Evans is here to play and here to win.

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 3

With an American triumphant, I say Happy 4th of July!

Warhammer 40k: Cybork Boyz

Snagged these beautiful resin kits off of eBay from Kromlech.

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 2

One of the more unique events in sport... the cycling Team Time Trial.

Le Tour De France 2011: Stage 1

Back went the tide, and out burst the riders to begin Le Tour De France 2011.

Le Tour De France 2011: Mountains full of Hate

Suffering. Pain unlike anything you can imagine. For days and days. That's what it takes to win in the mountains, and ultimately take home the Yellow Jersey and stand triumphant in Paris.

Le Tour De France 2011: The Sprint

Speed... raw unbridled speed on a two wheel machine unleashed in a bunch of riders, pushing their bodies as far as possible to pull inches ahead of one another and ultimately find the glory of a stage win.

That is what the Flat Stage Sprint is all about in cycling.

Warhammer 40k: WGC Narrative Army is Complete

The Mad Mek has finished his masterpiece...

Le Tour De France 2011: Rooting Interest

 

If you don't know already, The Tour De France starts Saturday. It will be aired in the states on Versus, whose coverage is excellent every year. I've been watching since the halcyon days of Lance Armstrong, and because they work to educate the viewer, I actually know what the heck is going on and enjoy the sport.

This year, the first without Lance in a couple of years, I'm faced with a unique question: who do I root for?

Warhammer 40k: WGC Narrative Progress

And just like that, Mazkrank Gutskill is alive...

Today's Progress: Converting the Iron Clad

The Mad Mek continues...

Wargaming: The Narrative Army Paint Scheme

By now you've all seen my Deff Skull army, and for many, I've been questioned about why my models continue to look the way they do. I figure I should speak to why I made the army color choices I did.

Today's Progress: Kill Krusha #1

The first of my two Kill Krusha tanks is complete and painted. More on the army after the jump...

52 Card Pick Up: DC #1 to the what now?

DC is apparently rebooting all of its comics to #1. This means 52 number ones will come out in September.

I'm sorry... what?

This Weekend's Progress: Mekboy Junka is Complete

One part Deff Rolla, one part Shokk Attack Gun, one part looted Rhino... out comes the MekBoy Junka.

Today's Updates: Seriously... hornets

So I pretty much can't prime on my porch... after ridding it of two different nests, 3 more new ones have shown up.

This is seriously frustrating.

Getting a crate of Raid on the way home tonight... it's times like this I wish I wasn't allergic.

Today's Progress: The Soundtrack

As I tweak and add little things, I wanted to share what I've been listening to while I work...

Here's some albums you should be rocking...

Weekend Progress: Junka and a Hornet's Nest

Here's the start up pics for the Mek Boy Junka:

From Mad Mek

From Mad Mek

Using a more rough shod approach here, using a bit of i-beam as the "turrent" for the shokk attack gun. Should be fun once I get the Deff Rolla in and even more so when I can finally paint.

I couldn't prime this weekend because it was a bit humid and more importantly, because of the TWO hornet's nests right above the table I normally use. I'm allergic, so needless to say, I didn't venture out there. MrsRabbit tells me the exterminators from the apartment complex came out and killed them all... and I'm so glad I didn't. Apparently, the 3 we saw were just the tip of the hornet ice berg.

Hopefully I can get back tp priming and paining tonight.

RIP Macho Man

Rest well Randy, you were always my favorite when I was a kid.

Today's Progress: Sorting the Bits

So after finishing the Battle Fortress, I've got bits strewn all over my office. My desk is barely visible under the debris and pots of paint are everywhere.

Now I'm going to start organizing the remaining bits to make the process of completing the army easier. I keep finding random sprues here and there and they pile up fast. I have a dresser in my office that has been empty, so I'm going to transfer everything into there. Thank goodness MrsRabbit is great with organization... we are going to separate everything by type and put it into different labeled drawers.

Tasks left for Narrative:

• Paint Kill Krusha #1 - it's primed and needs the Mechrite Orange/Boltgun Metal/Devil Mud rust treatment and then the Enchanted Blue/Skull White/Blazing Orange detailing
• Assemble and Paint Kill Krusha #2 - it is still in the bag... I had already started the Battle Fortress when the amazing customer service of Forge World delivered the "replacement" bits that were missing from the first box I got at Adepticon ... and by replacement bits I mean they sent me a whole second kit
• Paint Battle Wagon #3 - I may as well, 2 is nice, but 3 is even better
• Convert and Paint MekBoy Junka - One of the glorious joys from IA8, the MekBoy Junka is a converter's dream: basically... make any tank you want... For pure sillyness I'm going to do a turret mounted Shokk Attack Gun and a Deff Rolla, then fill it with Tank Bustas 
• Paint Tank Bustas - if they are going to get fielded, they gotta be painted
• Finish Painting Grots - going to use Grots for Objectives and they need the detail paints as they are all based up
• Convert My Warboss - going for a mad pirate... still in the planning here
• Paint my Gaz Gul Thraka - it's Armageddon... I need to at least have one ready in case I get him as a strategic asset or something
• Paint as many boys as I can before July - Once all the vehicles are done, I need to get as many boys ready for whatever madness BigRed has planned

Lots to do, but I have 48 days and a plan.

Today's Progress: Uhm...

No work done in the last few days... Mass Effect has cast a spell on me yet again.

That and the idea of making an Ork Bommer from scratch is so appealing it is worrying me...

This Weekend's Progress: Meka Dread is Painted

Here you are kids:

From Mad Mek

Please... share your thoughts...

Today's Progress: It's ALIVE

It is done kids. In all it's Deff Skull Glory:

From Mad Mek

Please... share your thoughts...

Today's Progress: Badab Black is Cheating

So I have the MKBF all based. It is Boltgun Metal under a full blow cheater layer of Badab Black.

Blue is coming... will post pictures of the full transformation once it is done.

Remaining tasks:
Support struts for the rocket mount
Paint Grots and Ork pilots
Re-Black the treads
Blue highlights on MKBF and Meka Dread
Finish putting together the Kill Krushas
Buy more Devlin Mud/Boltgun Metal
Paint as many Orks as I can before July...

Today's Progress: Battle Wagons

Finished up the Battle Wagons last night:

From Mad Mek

And also got the Grot Bombs painted... I need to glue on and paint up their intrepid pilots:

From Mad Mek

And if it seems like I'm documenting the crap out of this process, that's totally true. I'm trying to make sure each day I have a record of what I'm doing. I want to be able to write up an article for BoLS or something at the end, and want to make sure each step is cataloged. That, and it is helping to keep me on track, even if the progress is slight each day, I'm getting something done.

Today's Progress: 'Rollin

So now that the MKBF is done and primed, I'm in paint mode. I still have to finish the build on the two Kill Krusha tanks, but I'm working what is in front of me. I've got both Battle Wagons up past wash and I'm in the process of adding detail and blue/white spots. The Meka Dread is awaiting the same treatment.

Man, I'm going to need a lot of Enchanted Blue, Boltgun Metal, Devlin Mud and Badab Black...

Today's Progress: The Battle Fortress

Ready for Paint:

From Mad Mek

From Mad Mek

From Mad Mek

From Mad Mek

Notes:
Added the Grots for fun, felt like they fit right there.
Will be adding support struts under the rocket mount.
The Grabbin Claw replaced the Reckin Ball because of how much more epic it looks.
The smoke stack is totally a result of Ms Rabbit's xmas gift... the Dremel Stylus.


I can't wait to see this painted and detailed out.

Today's Progress: Putting Things Together

As promised, pics of the Devlin Mud Layer...

From Mad Mek

And then... putting it together before I add the detail paint:

From Mad Mek

From Mad Mek

As BigRed said... very Mad Max. Can't wait to put the blue on.

Oh, and a preview of the Mega Battle Fortress:

From Mad Mek

Today's Progress: Wash

I am a leaf on the wind...

Oh wait... wrong Wash.

I applied the Devlin Mud to the Meka Dread last night and it looks perfect. Next step will be to apply all the little details and random-ish blue patches.

No pictures today because I forgot to take them. Will have extra tomorrow.

Today's Progress: Painting Rust

While I haven't had a chance to work further on the KBF, I have gotten some basic painting done on the Meka Dread:

From Mad Mek

From Mad Mek

Primed black, then a coat of orange, then a coat of Boltgun Metal. This is a trick I picked up from GentleBen to simulate rusty parts. The next step will be to do a wash of Devlin Mud. Once that is set in, on comes the detailing and blue highlights for all the Deff Skull goodness.