In the year since my first post I have learned...

1. English (in an approximate way but punctuation still eludes me ).

2. I am not a serious wargamer. That is to say I was out of the hobby for nigh on twenty-five years - missed a lot - including most of the references used in forum conversation. Hard to make up experience but remain blithely enthusiastic.

3. Number 2 doesn't prevent others from being polite and encouraging (although often in an eccentric way). In other words, the condescension encountered is at a tolerably low level. This is a complement to the members of the forum and a testament to their uniqueness.

4. The average educational level of posters seems to surpasses my own - often by a good deal. I become defensive and pedantic in the presence of scholarly prowess and much of my posting should be taken with that as a warning label.

5. The forum is fraught with bizarre cultural references, many of them foreign. I often have to look up tons (tonnes?) of stuff on the webthingee to understand what is going on (and understand may not be the right word). This adds a certain charm however - like visiting Walt Disney's version of a Marrakech market with a perplexed Moroccan in tow.

6. There is a huge amount of useful information available on the forum and the search function actually works reasonably well.

7. My idea of what is funny falls well below (or possibly above) the tastes of the mainstream. Based on responses received, or more to the point not received, I conjecture the presence of an "Ignore poster" function I am not yet privy to.
(or is it, "to which I am not yet privy"?) and speaking of privies...

8. The moderators do a fantastic job. Neither autocratic nor indifferent, with a hint of vast knowledge and a certain - oh, I don't know what - ah! - a certain je ne sais quoi. Rare qualities indeed.

9. A working knowledge of British TV programming, past and present (apparently there are more than three channels now), AND some acquaintance with arcane sports (rounders, fives, "football", sort-of-football-but-with-no-visible-protection and so on) is useful.

10. Picturing many of our posters as some well-known character (fictional or otherwise) is often helpful in framing responses to their posts. Just a few of many possible examples:

Kitty as John Cleese (Roman Centurion) and on occasion, Yul Brynner (the King and I).
Westie as Sean Connery (both as the Russian Submarine Captain and as Robin Hood)
Techno as Dr Who (in any and all of his many manifestations).
Ianrs54 as Steve Rackman ("Donk" in the Crocodile Dundee movies).
Leman as Rowan Atkins (Blackadder).
PaulR as Peter O'Toole (L of A)
Cameronian as Alec Guinness (Tunes of Glory)
fsn as John Cleese (Fawlty) or, possibly, Rex Harrison (Henry Higgins),
  although the entire cast of Monty Python (1971-ish) would serve just as well.
     And, shoot, Kieth Richards with a side of Ozzie Osborn - wait - Osborne - no - Osbourne! - dang nonsense!
(Please note - in my world these too are complements!)

Bonus:
Leon is a joy to work with. His reply to most custom order requests is "no worries" AND he delivers on time and within specs! The combination of promise and successful performance is to be cherished.   He apparently is on the job 24/7. I have given him the Shawnee dream quest name, "Owl-Who-Never-Sleeps".

Joyous Noel, Happy Hanukkah, Fabulous Festivus,  Sated(?) Saturnalia, etc.
                     and may the odds always be in your favor (or favour),
d_guy

Looks to me like you have a pretty good handle on the forum

I'd say you are a welcome and useful addition to the zoo forum too.

Picturing you as some well-known character (fictional or otherwise) I'd go for Discworld's Two-Flower.

d Guy,

Oh, I well know about leaving the hobby for a good 25 years, as I too had to do so while I pursued my career, which left ZERO time for anything but work - a normal day being 14 hours long with a 6 to 7 day week, and only 22 hours every last day of the month as I helped close out each month! Now retired I am having to relearn the hobby anew, but it is less a closet hobby these days and there are are some truly wonderful folks out there who are always willing to help. In addition to realizing the old true 25 MM scale is history and there are 10s, 15s and 28s that predominate I had to make an adjustment. So, old eyes being what they are I fell into 15s as my primary scale because 28's just take me waaaaay to long to paint. I do plan to try some 10 MM ACW after the first of the year in preparation for a visit from a dear gaming friend and his lady so we can play the Battle of Murfreesboro on the actual battlefield, which is here where I live. When we visited them in 2012 he took me to Bosworth, Naesby and Edgehill, where at all three we re-fought the battle using HotT. Great and memorable battles!!!

The other big adjustment for me was acrylic paints. Took a little to get used to how touse them, but am now comfortable using them and also with this new thing called washes. I used to have to paint all the shadows and highlights by hand, now I normally use a wash and the go back and paint highlights as I did before.

Bottom line - you are not alone rediscovering this wonderful hobby of ours. And I absolutely second your comments on Leon - a true gentleman, and so delightful to deal with!

Terry

d Guy, as a newish member, you have hit the ground running, being a polite and supportive member of the forum, which very much reflects the overall tone of 'this place', which for me, makes it a pleasure to visit more than once a day ..... though my 'logged on time' (top left of my display) worries me, I am sure some of that should have been painting time :-).

As a loooong  time gamer, I think that I am moving towards (or perhaps I should say backwards) wanting to play the sort of wargames that brought me into the hobby in the first place, they were fun and the rulebook was seldom in my hands. It was the Featherstone / Grant / Quarrie era, when their own books and the rather wonderful Airfix guides graced my teenage shelves. There might just be a touch of nostalgia there, as what we have in 2016 is very good.

As a sort of end of year reflective time, I would just like to thanks all the posters here, for each keeping this a pleasant place and for being good company. Cheers Norm.

Told you, you fit in well!

Yet again, I didn't make the alias list! 

Quote from: mad lemmey on 14 December 2016, 07:35:01 AM
Told you, you fit in well!

Yet again, I didn't make the alias list! 

Lemmey, you have 'mad' in your forum name, you don't need an alias to describe you 

Ah d_Guy, you missed out number 11. "Don't upset FSN just before Xmas".

I might echo many of your sentiments. If I may choose as one does from a box of fine chocolates ... "ooh that round one looks nice, what's in it? Yuk! I don't like that. Is the square one a hard centre? ..."

I will say that I look forward eagerly to a d_Guy post.

Point 2. Indeed. Sometimes this forum uis like watching a porn film then looking at the wife and thinking ... "I'd prefer a nice cup of tea". I am constantly amazed at the output of some chaps (yourself included). I don't think I've had a serious game for over a year - I've been caught up with work, life and painting.  

Point 4: Really? Citation needed.

Point 5. Can't say I've noticed a lot of foreign cultutral references. Occasionally, we have to spell things out for those who had the misfortune not to be born British. There are some references that I don't get. Usually sporting ones.  

Point 7. I think you're possibly being a little hard on yourself. Remember much of your audience is British, and worse that that English. Vulcans have been known to think of some English people as "a bit cold". It doesn't mean they're not laughing inside. Besides which, humour (humor) is as humour does ... and we're back to the chocolates.

Point 8 is well made. I think we possibly underestimate how much gentle nudging the moderators do.

Bouns: (Or number 11. You couldn't think of a 12th to make it festive?) Yup, Leon and all at Pendraken are awfully good chaps and chapesses -jewels beyond compare.  

Point 10: I'll take your comparisons as a compliment. However, I tend to think of myself more as a Noel Coward type with a side order (see we can do American) of the Goons. (Hah! BBC Radio Series from the 1950's and 60's!)  However, FSN World is much better. Im my world, every other forum member is young, female and has an aversion to overdressing. Maid Lemmey is, of course a Rock Chick. Think Cher on the big US Warship singing if "I could Turn Back Time" and you won't go far wrong. Ithorial is a wispily clad warrior elf-maiden archer, who likes nothing more than the feel of a weighty shaft in her hands. Terry 37 is a remarkable match for Teri Hatcher, aged 37, when she was in her Cougar phase, and you look something akin to Daisy Duke.

Isn't that better than Peter O'Toole?

I echo the sentiments of Norm, Ithoriel and Mad Lemmey about you fitting in to the forum.

Quote from: Norm on 14 December 2016, 06:28:46 AM
As a loooong  time gamer, I think that I am moving towards (or perhaps I should say backwards) wanting to play the sort of wargames that brought me into the hobby in the first place, they were fun and the rulebook was seldom in my hands. It was the Featherstone / Grant / Quarrie era, when their own books and the rather wonderful Airfix guides graced my teenage shelves.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Huzzah, huzzah and thrice huzzah, with a cheeky little "huzzah" or top. You, Sir, have just restored my faith in the hobby. I would have a rant, but I feel a tear coming to me eye ...

Oh and point 5 - "Burmah Shave"?

You don't think we had to google that? 

Black Adder? Mr Bean methinks!! 

And I'm WELL flattered to be thought of as any of the Dr Who manifestations. 

'Nobby' thinks of me as a cross between the Borg Queen and Worzel Gummidge. (Just google WG....LOL !)
Ironic, perhaps.....Worzel was played by one of the Dr Whos (Jon Pertwee.)

Like Nobby...I thoroughly enjoy your posts, too, Bill. (You did let that slip the other day !  )
As Will said.....You HAVE fitted in well....Glad you joined.

If you want pics of what some of the members really look like.......Just shout....We can point you at some. 

Cheers - Phil

You picture me as Sean Canary? Why, thank you, d-g (although Dr Jones, Snr., would be nearer the mark). Mrs Westie (and no doubt, Techno) also thank you - for the laugh.

Nobby as John Cleese - yes, I like that (although some maintain its Ricky Tomlinson).
Fiercekitty? Yup, Yul Bryner as the King of Siam works. Or a naked Charles Dance. 

As for the rest, The Muppets spring to mind. Apart from the occasional Sam the Eagle (which we all do from time to time),
Statler and Waldorf - Ithoriel and Jim Duncan
Kermit the Frog - Leon
Rowl the Dog - Fenton - or Gonzo (although, being from N. Ireland, blue might not be his colour)
Dr Link Hogthrob - Nosher
The Swedish Chef - Aksu (ok, so he's from Finland)
Animal (or The Cookie Monster) - Orcs
Fozzie Bear, or Beaker (it's the red hair) - Roy Williamson
The Count (ok, into Sesame Street here) - Mollinary
Toxicpixie, Lemmey, the rest of you? .... don't think you've got away with it ..... still thinking. 

And your good self, d-g. I haven't quite placed you yet. Something theological always springs to mind.  There's the pastor I met at Bull Run/Manassas, (Greg or Craig - can't be sure - it was the accent) a man of Scottish heritage who was dressed as a cigar smoking Confederate Chaplain, Pope Benedict XVI (retired), Father Mulcahey (MASH), Dick Emery's toothy Vicar character* ..... but ...., as you have cast me as someone 'heroic,' it behoves me (I am behoofed?) to reciprocate - so, how about Ward Bond's Rev.Capt. Sam Clayton? 

...... Techno! Mrs Westie! Stoapit! Stoap laughing ....


* The late Dick Emery was a British comedian whose repertoire of characters included one called "The Vicar" -
Interviewer: Excuse me, Vicar.
Vicar: Yes, my son?
Interviewer: As a man of the Church, I am sure you have the interests of the community very much at heart.
Vicar: Oh, yes indeed. For instance, on behalf of my flock I have been keeping a critical eye on some of the scandalous strip clubs in the neighbourhood.
Interviewer: And what are your conclusions?
Vicar: Well. for my money you can't whack Miss Lulu and her trained python at the Girlies Galore.


P.S. Phil - if you post an image of me, make sure it's the Sean Connery one. 

I know everything.

I know nothing.

Well I used to know everything but I then forgot everything so now I know nothing, except when I remember something.

I tried counting the things I had learned since my first post.

I got as far as 1, 2 and 3 then seven, lost count and started again at minus 4 then gave up.

Can someone remind me who I am and am I the same person as I was yesterday.

When was yesterday again?

Quote from: jimduncanuk on 14 December 2016, 11:44:34 AM


When was yesterday again?

After the day that came before it of course, silly you

Can I be Terry Thomas or Sid James please

RMmm, rather, yakyak-yak-yak!

Quote from: jimduncanuk on 14 December 2016, 11:44:34 AM
When was yesterday again?

It was Tuesday.....For some reason, that's the one day of the week I really have problems with......
A Tuesday always feels as though it should be Wednesday.......I mean....Why ??.......Dribble, dribble, dribble.

And if Westie's talking about the Muppets......I'm definitely 'Animal'. 

Cheers - Phil