Liebster Award: The worthwhile chain letter

Admiral Drax has very kindly nominated me for a Liebster Award. You're a scholar and gentleman sir!

So what is a Liebster Award? It's essentially a chain letter (but one that's actually worthwhile, I think) where you nominate some blogs you like to get people to go read them. Here are the guidelines:

1: Copy and paste the award on your blog linking it to the blogger who has given it you.
2. Pass the award to your top 11 blogs with less than 200 followers by leaving a comment on one of their posts to notify them that they have won the award and listing them on your own blog.
3. Sit back and bask in the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with knowing you have made someone's day!
4. There is no obligation to pass this onto someone else but its nice if you take the time to do so.
 
The format has changed slightly since Chris at Sippin' on Paint Water very generously nominated me in 2012. I like that, it's organic. So feel free to alter or ignore any of the sections when re-posting, except the nominations of course, or add your own.



10 Truths about Me

1. I'm a terrible swimmer.
2. The height of my acting career was when 'Eric Pollard' once praised my on-stage performance as John Virgo (I was about 9 or 10...)
3. I went to the same school as Major Gonville Bromhead.
4. To echo Drax, my educational background is Forensics and History. My specialist subject (for want of a better term), is French-Canadian history and more specifically the Catholic Church in 19th-century Quebec. If you ever suffer from insomnia...
5. The shortest job I ever had was one week in a cheese factory.
6. I'm a terrible name-dropper
7. I have met Bill Oddie on more than one occasion. See, that was terrible.
8. My childhood home was a windmill. The advantage to a kid being that there was no naughty corner.
9. I always try to look for the positive in every situation. 
10. This blog was almost called Cake or Wargames? (a not so good Eddie Izzard reference, and an awful name)

My 11 Liebster Awardees 

In no particular order, and I wish I could add plenty more, and there are those with more than 200 followers that I would love to add (I think I'll be doing a separate post soon) - but please look to my blog roll on the right to see all of the wonderful blogs that I like and read.

• The Lost and the Damned and the Stunted
• Frothing Muppet's Land of Miniatures
• Sippin' on Paint Water
• The Thunder Guard
• Devos IV
• PanzerKaput's Painted Review
• Mad Padre's Wargames Page
• Hitting on a Double 1
• The Gamer's Table  
• SF Modelling and Rambling (2000AD Modelling)
• Palladian Guard (whilst Scipio may be a good friend and comrade, this has little to do with the award, as I always thoroughly enjoy reading whatever Scipio posts)

And of course... 

Admiral Drax (yes I know that's 12, and regardless of Drax nominating me, his blog would definitely be on the list).

Drax's 11 Questions 

1. Why did you start blogging?
Mostly as a way of getting back into this mad hobby of ours again, and having an outlet to waffle. I never expected anybody to really be interested in what I was on about, never mind to feel like a part a great community of people - many of whom I hope to get some proper games and a beer or two with one day - especially after a great game with Scipio, Karitas and Zzzzzz with wonderful hospitality provided by Mr Zzzzzz. 

2. If you could change one thing about the wargaming hobby, what would it be?
I have to pretty much repeat Drax's original answer, to get GW to stop being daft with pricing and shutting themselves off in Lenton Towers rather than engaging more with the community. I'm not saying they should implement everything the hordes demands, just at least make a sincere effort to listen.

3. What is best in life? Knowing that you've at least made someone's day a little better.

4. Do you want to live forever? Definitely not. I still probably wouldn't get all of my painting finished or models built.
 
5. Fame or fortune? Fortune, fame would be insufferable, but then I don't really want fortune. I'm pretty happy now.

6. What miniature are you most proud of having painted? Probably my most recent Mordheim Freelancer - as I've never really enjoyed painting in the past (shameless plug of old post), this was a watershed where I genuinely started enjoying painting.

7. How do you deal with burn out?
Accept that it's there for a reason, and it's temporary. Do other things, during my recent mini-burnout I did a lot of Curling across the country - chucking rocks down ice isn't for everyone though. Anything creative is good, as it starts bleeding back into wanted to build and paint miniatures again. Or even get some new miniatures from a completely different period, game, setting. 

8. Why is a raven like a writing desk?
Because "quoth the table nevermore"? 

9. Star Wars or Star Trek?
I'm going to say Star Trek here, as much as I love Star Wars and the Expanded Universe. Although there are plenty more series that I would rate over both. If I went into those now, it would warrant a separate post.   

10. If you could only buy from one miniature company from now on, which one would it be?
Probably Gripping Beast. Or Perry. But that's a bloody difficult one.  

11. What is your favourite take away?
Food from a local Chinese restaurant that no longer exists.

I'm going to be lazy and pose the same questions to my nominees. Thanks again Admiral!