Things that make me go grrrr!

Some time last year Steve the Wargamer started a series on things that got him annoyed about wargaming.  I remember his well argued rant about people who paint eyes on their figures (like me)!

Well, I am in a generally grumpy mood at present (even grumpier than usual) as I don't have any time to paint at present.  This is mainly down to my wife having got a part time job which seems rather full time at the moment.  As a result I am ending up with much more children ferrying and domestic jobs to do to the extent that if I ever pick up a paintbrush I get told I should be fixing the tiles in the bathroom (or some such) instead.  Also my son has exams next week so we are having to spend a lot of time in the evening revising with him in the vain hope that we can get him up to a "C" grade in his mock GCSEs.

I did get ten minutes done today on my current Ray Harryhausen type figure and it may even get finished this weekend (except Guy now has rowing on Saturday and Sunday), which means I can't have a whole day at home any more at the weekend.

So, in my current grump here are three things about wargaming that have been annoying me this week.

Mr Eardley talking dirigibles again

1 Steve Eardley.  He writes (ad nauseum) for Miniature Wargames.  There is nothing wrong with his writing, which editing 50% of it out wouldn't cure, but what is starting to get me down are his constant schoolboy-level socialist rants.  I don't want to hear it! Stick to wargaming! 

The equally exciting Meeples and Miniatures website...

2 Meeples and Miniatures.  Part of my annoyance with this is the stupid name.  What on earth are meeples, anyway?  These are podcasts; something which I am instantly suspicious of anyway.  Podcasts are like listening to the radio without having a radio.  I hate radio. I can't stand it. Endless blathering from people who love the sound of their own voice.  Podcasts are worse as you don't even have the (however meagre) quality control of a radio station.  Anyone can produce these (like blogs!).  The idea behind this one is quite interesting. In the current one he interviews the boss of the Plastic Soldier Company. I have always wanted to see, in the wargaming magazines, more interviews with the people behind different figure companies.  But the problem with M&M is that the man behind it has one of those flat, monotonous (and dare I say Northern?) voices which sends me to sleep after three minutes.  Argh!  Talk faster!  Put some expression into your voice!  Better still get someone else to do the talking! Then I might be able to listen to what is, actually, a good idea.  If there is anything worse than a bad idea it is a good idea done badly!

Silly! Silly! Silly!

3 Bases on AFV models.  Every time I see this in a magazine I think, "why?"  The purpose of bases on model soldiers is to stop them falling over.  Yes, I know some people say that they are there to represent a certain area or number of troops but very few of the modern rules use ground scale in this way any more.  Model tanks don't fall over so why put them on a base?  It just looks silly!

There.  I feel much better now!  Now I have to take my daughter to a lecture about the Moon at University College London.  More painting time lost!  Grrrr!