A friend in need.

So I got an e-mail today from a good friend of mine Nick (I'm sure most of my other friends got the same e-mail). Nick joined the army over a year ago, and was consequently shipped out to Iraq as a medic. I've written him a couple of times but never actually gotten a response back, so I was hoping for some good news when I opened the e-mail. Unfortunatly that isn't the case. Seems Nick is having a pretty hard time over there in addition to dealing with some pretty heavy emotional issues.

I really feel for Nick, it has got to be hard enough to be half a world away from everyone he knows and loves, but its got to be even worse to pile on a load of depression. My feelings and prayers go out to him, and I hope he's able to work through all this stuff going on over there, as well as in his own life. I know I'm not alone in these feelings either, and I'd like to get together with everyone to send him a care package of some sort, though to be truthful, I'm not exactly sure how that would work with going to Iraq and all. Still I'd like to give it a shot, so anyone interested in lending a hand, or wanting to send something over give me a shout.

A Rash of Tiny Updates

A Recent Purchase:

So I was meandering around online at work the other day when I stumbled on the website for Hasslefree Miniatures. Now I've found a whole host of independent miniature companies on the web over the last couple of weeks, but I'm pretty impressed with Hasslefree's sculpts (All done by the same guy) and so decided to order a couple (Mary, Kjarn, Sola, Gayle, Suzi, and Torsten if you were curious). Some where bought just for fun (like the Japanese school girl), but most I bought to try to improve my skin tones which have always kind of sucked. Dwarf Flesh, washed over with Flesh Wash, then dry brushed Dwarf Flesh again doesn't really make a dynamic figure.

I know Val was very interested in the figures, and after my current batch arrives, I'll probably order another round, so if anyone wanted to give me some money to order something for them, now is the time. Oh, and Neal, just in case you're reading this. Space Dwarves ;)

Movie Deal:

So Todd and I started kicking around the idea for a Cassablanca spoof film last week Friday. After a couple of hours of talking however, the film had turned from spoof into a sort of Romantic Comedy roughly based on Cassablanca. I think we got a lot of great ideas down on paper, and I'm actually excited to see how we can work these things all out. We pretty much only have two blank spots in our outline of the film, one near the end, and an 'emotional/getting to know the character' scene near the beginning.

I'm not much of a writer, but I'd really like to start work on a first draft of the script as soon as we figure out those two rough spots, and hell maybe if we get lucky film it this summer.

Friends:

I'm really grateful for all the people around me that I can call friends, yesterday especially. I haven't had such a great couple of weeks recently, and it seems that things aren't going to improve anytime soon, still thanks to all of you, I've managed to keep on plugging through. Not just continue on though, but also manage to enjoy myself, so for that thanks. Thanks Val and Sarah, even if all we did was sit around G.O.'s parking lot and bitch, its nice to talk sometimes.

Work:

Works not going so hot, lets just leave it at that. It seems I can't make it through a month here without some kind of crisis happening, and its that time of the month again.

First Revolution Screen Shots

Joystiq has posted the first screens for Nintendo's Revolution, and quite frankly you may color me impressed. Just based on graphics alone the game looks better then anything on the Xbox 360 presently, and at least comprable to the PS3 (though some of the developers have admitted a lot of the PS3 stuff is pre-rendered). Even if the graphics weren't better looking initially, however, its the gameplay that has me really floored. Movement is handled by the little nunchuk device, while the gun and turning is handled by the remote. So instead of just sitting on your couch not really actually doing anything like Halo, you're actually more fully immersed.

On top of this though, is something that has me completly geeked. Sword play. Now I'm not so impressed because this game has sword fighting in it, I'm geeked because of what this could mean, and I won't say it to loudly because Nicky may burst. *whispers* Jedi Lightsaber battles *end whisper*