Archive for the ‘hobbies’ Category

You have likely never heard of Charles Roberts who just died

Posted: August 30, 2010 by datechguy in gaming, hobbies
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But if you like me are a boardgamer who still have a shelf full of Avalon Hill games on your shelf, from Wooden Ships & Iron Men, to Civilization, to UpFront, to 1830 and the still published Diplomacy et/al he is the father of the hobby that you have enjoyed for decades.

As the founder of Avalon Hill his realistic wargames broke the mold and gave an outlet for all of us history buffs who didn’t follow the anti-military trend in society during the 60’s and 70.

His games rewarded strategic and creative thinking, From 1776, to War and Peace, from Tobruk to Third Reich. My gaming group still plays these type of games on a weekly basis 30+ years after we were first introduced to them. A full list of games are here.

Although since Hasbro took them over the “official” avalon hill line is decimated, you can still enjoy many of these games thanks to Curt Schilling’s MMP who hold the rights to many of these games and publish them and other new games so you can enjoy the hobby.

I’ll wager a lot of conservative bloggers like myself have the flags of a hundred different flags of history at half mast this morning.

In appreciation of William Hartnell: the first Doctor.

Posted: August 21, 2010 by datechguy in doctor who, hobbies
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When you see polls of the most popular doctors William Hartnell seem to be often forgotten, very few of his episodes survive as a whole and although we have seen glimpses of him in the current series he remains largely ignored as the generation that watched his episodes are in their late 50’s or above.

As I discovered the series with Tom Baker I had not seen him period, my first glimpse was an image in The Brain of Morbius, the Five Doctors featured a different actor in the role. It wasn’t until I saw the three doctors on WENH 11 that I actually saw him perform in a limited role.

Every other actor who has been on the show has had the burden of living up to an iconic role, but each one of them also had the advantage of an established franchise. An actor who is cast as a companion of the Doctor has a ready source of income for their entire life, the actors who play the doctor even more so. Doctor Who is a multi million dollar worldwide industry that supports and entertains millions upon millions of people.

None of that would be true without the performance of Hartnell. He had none of the history to carry him nor the existing fan base. Like any actor with a new series it was up to him as the primary star to carry the show. A show totally unique in the history of Television. He needed to carry off the role of an almost all knowing and commanding presence while still being appealing to young children. And all of this is done without the special effects and CGI of the modern days.

The combination of knowledge and courage combined with a fatherly figure made him iconic. It is very true that excellent writing and the creation of the Daleks made a huge difference, but if Hartnell failed this would be at best just another set of $1 DVD in a bin if the episodes were saved at all.

Get your hands on an episode or two if you can. Ignore the limited special effects and lack of CGI look at the performances, and let yourself appreciate the grand bequest given first to the British people and then the world

Tuesday Night poetry: The touch of the Master’s Hand 

Posted: August 10, 2010 by datechguy in hobbies
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I often read from the 1936 Volume The Best loved Poems of the American People. It’s amazing how much quality poetry has likely been forgotten by my generation.

So in that spirit I’d like over the next month or two share a few poems for the next few Tuesdays.  Let’s start with  Myra Brooks Welch

The Touch of the Masters Hand

Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
thought it scarcely worth his while to waste much time on the old violin,
but held it up with a smile;

“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?” “A dollar, a dollar”; then two!” “Only
two? Two dollars, and who’ll make it three? Three dollars, once; three
dollars twice; going for three..”

But no, from the room, far back, a
gray-haired man came forward and picked up the bow; Then, wiping the dust
from the old violin, and tightening the loose strings, he played a melody
pure and sweet as caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with a voice that was quiet and low,
said; “What am I bid for the old violin?” And he held it up with the bow.

A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two? Two thousand! And who’ll make
it three? Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice, and going and
gone,” said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried, “We do not
quite understnad what changed its worth.” Swift came the reply: “The touch
of a master’s hand.”

And many a man with life out of tune, and battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin

, A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine; a game – and he travels on. “He is
going” once, and “going twice, He’s going and almost gone.” But the Master
comes, and the foolish crowd never can quite understand the worth of a soul
and the change that’s wrought by the touch of the Master’s hand.

Christopher Eccleston’s interview leads to some interesting questions…

Posted: June 15, 2010 by datechguy in doctor who, hobbies, internet/free speech
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…about what it was exactly it was that made the 9th Doctor decide to leave the series after only one season:

“I was open-minded but I decided after my experience on the first series that I didn’t want to do any more,” he said.

“I didn’t enjoy the environment and the culture that we, the cast and crew, had to work in.

“I thought if I stay in this job, I’m going to have to blind myself to certain things that I thought were wrong.”

Now that is a VERY interesting statement since it directly contradicts Russel Davies interview of last year:

Was Christopher Eccleston always only going to do it for a year?

That was always the plan, and then the plan got fumbled because the newspapers found out about it. Can you imagine what a shock that regeneration would have been if they hadn’t known? We got better at that over the years, found ways to keep other secrets. Nonetheless, Chris Eccleston is just a blazing comet of talent, and we are lucky to have had him for even a short time. I’m so grateful to have had him.

Someone is not telling the truth. And fans would like something a more definite answer:

I’m a tad frustrated by this. A bit like the Katy Perry storm in a bra-cup yesterday, this is only half a story. The whole story would be exposing exactly what Eccleston had a problem with that caused him to quit – and why does this conflict with the reports that he only intended to do one season anyway? Somebody needs to pin him down and get a straight answer.

I think not, I suspect a more definite answer will get him blacklisted.

Via Sparky mark at the Doctor Who Livejournal forum

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