More progress means less modesty

Return of the group shot.

First a little bit of blog business.  June has seen the highest traffic by far, and I can put that down to one thing: blogrolls.  From the Warp provided a noticeable bump when they came on line about a month ago, and BoLS bumped it up even further.  When I get off my duff about the Internation House of Paincakes, whose tongue-in-cheek 500 word essay has held me up for more than a month now, I imagine I'll see another bump.  Clawing my way to the top of the heap isn't something I'm interested in, but I spend enough time on this blog that I want people to reap the "rewards" of my labor.  If you're in a similar boat then hitch yourself to these fine trailers.  You won't be disappointed.

Where did my highlights go?

In painting news, more progress has occurred.  I got the rest of the armor done yesterday and basecoated the helmets.  Today I finished the helmets and started blocking in the black and metal areas.  I took a pass, for now at least, on highlighting the armor, but I did do highlights on the helmets.  These pictures show why I'm hesitant to do the armor: I am inevitably too subtle in my highlighting, so much so that it doesn't really show up.  Since this is a known issue I should be able to correct it, yet history shows otherwise.  I can always add a sharper highlight if I want.  With any luck I'll get the rest of the black done tonight and perhaps either the greens or bones.  The chest eagles are going to be a pain to do with the bolters in the way, but there's not much I can do about it now.  Short of ripping the arms off of course, but that's not going to happen.  This batch has certainly gone quicker than the previous assault squad, thanks to the lack of detail on the armor.  While I haven't painted any detail yet, not having to paint around it or figure out how to shade a gem socket has made things simpler.  With any luck I'll be on pace to get these marines done this week, though with most of my prime painting time behind me it's not looking as good as I would like.

We Wouldn't Be Mommies if We Didn't Have Guilt

Did you happen to read this article from Peaceful Parenting that Mama Christa posted? I have a few things to blog about on this post, but today I want to talk about the guilt topic. 

I have a lot of friends who formula feed. I don't think formula is poison, or that women who formula feed are bad mothers. Of course you know our mission here at The Good Letdown ISN'T about making moms feel bad for formula feeding, afterall...feeding your baby can never be "wrong," no matter how you choose to do it. However, the relationship between breastfeeding mothers and formula feeding mothers is strained, either openly or secretly, usually there is some tension. 

Take for instance this new mom I met who lives down the street from me. Her husband works and goes to school with my husband and they have the most beautiful little baby girl you have ever seen (other than any baby girl who may have come out of YOUR body, of course). She's got the thickest, darkest hair you've ever seen and the most gorgeous eyes. Her mother is smart and kind, her father, well educated and fun. We really like them both. However, both times we have hung out with them, the mother has brought up breastfeeding/formula feeding. She mostly formula feeds her baby (who is about 5 months old), but does nurse "a little," as she puts it. I don't know why the feeding issue comes up, but I do know that when it comes up she seems nervous and strained. I get the impression that she feels bad that she is not breastfeeding her baby completely. From what she has said it sounds like pumping did not go well for her, and when she returned to work when the baby was 3 months old her supply tanked. I don't know the details, and I've casually mentioned that I know a lot about pumping and breastfeeding, tried to casually discuss it when she brings it up so that she knows she can ask me without judgement. This last time we hung out she went out of her way to tell me what a relief it was when she started formula feeding because she wasn't so stressed about getting the baby enough breastmilk. She mentioned that her pediatrician told her "any amount of breastmilk baby gets is good, don't feel bad about her getting formula!" OK, yea, sure it's true that some is better than none...and I don't know the whole story here...but what the hell is wrong with this pediatrician that she isn't telling mom to seek help and support if she herself can not give it to her?! 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t want moms who have some struggles to feel guilty about formula feeding their babies. They are doing the best they know how to do in their circumstances, and if there is one thing I understand, it’s doinig what you can with the knowledge and resources you have at the time. What gets me is…

1. This mom is going around telling people she didn’t have enough milk, that her baby was starving at 9 weeks so she gave her formula because there wasn’t enough milk, that she was stressed out about breastfeeding and she’s happier now that she isn’t really breastfeeding anymore.  Really? Because the fact of the matter is you didn’t seek support, and I get that. This community has a La Leche League group AND a breastfeeding commission, but the stories I’m hearing coming out of the hospital are abysmal, and the doctors I have encountered thus far are subpar. I get that this is a rural, southern Indiana farm community and that, by and large, breastfeeding here is so far from the norm that it makes it hard to advocate for yourself. But please, can we stop with the horror stories? I hate the “I wanted to breastfeed, but I just couldn’t” excuse from formula feeders. I admit it. I think it’s BS 90% of the time. Why? Because the VAST (and by vast I mean, over 95% of women) have  NO medical reason not to be able to breastfeed their babies. They have low supplies because they are given BAD advice and don’t seek out the proper information. It’s NOT really that hard to find. What I want to hear is “I chose to bottle feed my baby, it’s just what works for me,” and stop at that. Really. I have a friend who is like this and I love her to pieces because she isn’t off telling stories and blaming her body or breastfeeding for her formula choice.
2. This stupid pediatrician didn’t refer this mom to LLL or the breastfeeding coalition, or a lactation consultant…SERIOUSLY?! If mom needed to supplement with formula because she had exhausted all breastfeeding routes, OK, that’s one thing. Then that IS what is best for that mom and baby. What should have happened is this pediatrician should have encouraged mom, educated her about cluster-feeding and growth spurts, and if she didn’t have the knowledge to do this, she should have referred her patient to the experts…La Leche League, Lactation Consultants, and the Breastfeeding Coalition.
3. Every time I’m around this woman I feel guilty and self-conscious about breastfeeding my baby because she “couldn’t” and she seems to feel so badly about it! Now here I am, doing what I do and I worry that the very act of breastfeeding my baby is making her feel bad and that’s NOT what I want to do. In fact, I feel this way frequently when I’m around formula feeding moms. That even if I say or do nothing, that they will feel I am attacking or judging them simply by nursing my baby! I want all moms to breastfeed, I won’t lie. Breastfeeding is BEST for babies AND mommies. On the same hand I really respect a mother’s right to freely choose how she raises her child, and this includes her feeding choices. I want to be able to talk with a formula feeding mom openly about her decision, without feeling like she’s being attacked…I want to do this, to be able to offer advice and perspective on struggles (I could probably help this mom save her supply and get baby back to 100% breastfeeding) without that mom feeling like I’m second guessing her when all I’m doing is trying to educate so that either now, or in the future, she can be more successful. It’s not out of malice or judgement, simply out of a place of caring for her well-being, her baby’s well-being, and the well-being of the community at large…because each myth I dispel with one mom gets passed on to another mom, and maybe I can save a breastfeeding relationship or two in the process.

I took Chase to see a pediatrician last week and the pediatrician was totally befuddled about “on-demand” nursing…that I didn’t know how many minutes per side my baby nursed, that I allow him to nurse at will during the day and night. The pediatricians are clearly just NOT informed…how can we improve health outcomes for our babies and mothers if the care providers aren’t even up to date on the research?! Many people I know just said “I just give the pediatrician a number I know will satisfy them and go about my business.” This isn’t what I want to do…because that doesn’t change anything. I should tell that pediatrician, “I nurse my baby on demand, he nurses as little or as much as he likes because that’s how it should be. I do it because my baby knows when he is hungry or thirsty and when he is not and I want to foster positive eating habits by following his lead.” Why shouldn’t I go on about my business? Because this kind of crap SHOULD bother mothers…the fact that their pediatricians aren’t educated about breastfeeding should PISS US OFF. If I educate the pediatrician by providing information about normal breastfeeding behavior it won’t benefit me…but it WILL benefit mothers like the mom down the road who’s pediatrician OBVIOUSLY is not saavy about breastfeeding…and mothers like her. There’s no reason to NOT tell any nurse or doctor who works with mothers and babies that there is NEW and BETTER information out there…they are on the front lines, like Dr. Newman states in his article…no matter how much or how little a provider knows about breastfeeding, they have a very strong influence on the success or failure of breastfeeding mothers’!

I guess my point is that I wish all women breastfed, that they had the support they needed to succeed, to overcome, and to feel strongly about their choice…(but then, we here at The Good Letdown wouldn’t have anything to talk about because we would finally be in the majority…and wouldn’t that be wonderful?) but also that I don’t want any mother to feel guilty about her choices, no matter what they are, and I don’t know how to reach out to women like this mother down the street without them feeling guilty. I wish physicians all were educated and up to date on supporting breastfeeding mothers and educating them. I wish all hospitals were baby friendly, wonderful places to learn breastfeeding in those first days. I wish as mothers we could be guilt free…that I didn’t feel guilty breastfeeding my baby in front of a formula feeding mom and that she didn’t feel guilty giving her baby a bottle in front of me. Sadly, I don’t know how to reach this place, because the fact remains:

Breast IS Best…and next to that…formula REALLY isn’t just as good or even close. 

Modest progress is still progress

This is a really bad photo.

While I didn't get a whole lot done yesterday, I did get something done, and we all know that something > nothing.  Devlan Mud washed across the batch in a deluge of shading goodness.  When it had dried I got started on the final coat of Blood Red.  I only managed to get two done before painting time was over, but I hope to get the others done tonight.  Doing the armor takes a while, but when it's done most of the mini is painted.  My current method of a coat of Blood Red over the primer, then a wash, then another coat of Blood Red is time consuming, even if I am happy with the results.  For the next batch I think I'll try a solid coat of Blood Red before the wash, instead of leaving the primer exposed in cracks and crevices.  I'm not sure that leaving the primer showing does much considering the wash that follows, and if I can do a more thorough first coat it should save a lot of time.  We'll see what it looks like at some point.  If I can get the armor done on the rest of the batch tonight then I'd just (just...) have details left, which will hopefully be doable on Thursday, so with any luck I'll hit my goal of finishing something this week.

Much Ado about a Boob

So a few weeks back I was upstairs nursing the baby in the middle of the night. I usually cruise facebook from my phone to keep from falling asleep if I am not done doing things around the house and I love to take pictures of him nursing at night because he's simply delicious when he's still and soft the way he is at night. Well I thought I had figured out how to post to a private group on facebook from my phone and posted this darling picture of Chase (and my boob, of course) to that group...or so I thought!

Turns out I posted it to my wall and friends were quick to laugh their butts off at my mistake. This picture is not obscene or even very revealing, but none the less, it's more boob than I generally share on my facebook wall. I couldn't figure out how to take the picture down from my phone...and I was stuck attached to this sweet baby so I was like "meh, WHATEVER!"

Then my husband marched in the room with his laptop in hand. ::sigh:: You can guess the conversation that followed once I was done with Chase. I *sort of* took the picture down, it is now hiding, cropped, in a folder, and not on my wall.

I did this out of respect for my husband who was very concerned about his coworkers and classmates who were on HIS facebook page seeing it. Though I reassured him that they were unable to see it as he was not tagged in the picture, he was very uncomfortable with it. But overall, my husband gets very antsy when I nurse the baby in public, and when I post any kind of nursing photos. Fortunately he doesn't really follow this blog...hahaha!

I'm curious if anyone else's partners are as leery of these things as mine is! Do you see eye to eye with your partner and family about what is OK to post on your wall or where it is OK to nurse?

Totally nursing next to the enterprise shuttle!!!

Then there was this picture, which HE took (much to his dismay) while we were in Northern Virginia...he was so bent out of shape about this!!!

Guide to NIP Harassment Survival Guide

Let me start this post off by saying that 99% of the time you are going to get no negativity when you are nursing in public. You might get the occasional backwards glance, but having someone truly confront you is most likely not going to happen to you. But, on the off chance that it does... it is good to be prepared. Practice with your friends just like a fire drill!

• Know your state laws and/or have the information on a card on your person at all times. You can show the offender the information and hopefully they will just go away. There are a few states that do not have laws protecting mothers, but regardless all of us are covered under federal law. Maybe even have your lawyer contact information on the card to really drive the point home. Some WIC offices have such cards, otherwise you can easily make/order your own.
• Remain calm, keep smiling, and act peaceful (which is hard to do when your rights are being violated). If you get upset and start shouting, they will use it against you. I see it over and over again in news story that come out. Establishments say they were not kicking the mother out because she was breastfeeding, they are kicking her out because she was loud, disruptive, and argumentative. Well... duh... her rights were being violated so of course she got upset. Who wouldn't?? But in any event, the more calm you remain the more credibility you keep and stronger you appear.
• Obtain independent witness information. That way, if the establishment tries to change their story you have backup.
• Have a video recorder on your phone? They can't take back what is digitally recorded. Make a contingency plan with your friends to use their phones should they see you in a situation. Hopefully someone will remember to turn it on!
• Call headquarters afterwards and ask to speak with management. Perhaps there will be an apology? We wouldn't want to fault the establishment just because of the bad attitude of one employee. If management apologizes sincerely, maybe talk to them about the importance of educating their staff appropriately. 
• Nurse-in/Nurse-out/Protest We cannot let these harassments go without a stand. It is difficult to be the mother to stand up and shout out. You are going to get some hate and flack from mean spirited people. But just know that you are doing the right thing for your baby and for all future breastfeeding mothers. Your strength will help the next mom to be a little more brave. We need you to do this. Lean on your friends and breastfeeding community. You'll make a whole bunch of new friends in the process too.
• If you see someone being harassed - video tape it and/or calmly step in and help protect their rights (OUR rights). Sit down and start nursing your child too.
• If you go public, make sure that your Facebook profile and other contact information is set on private. Unfortunately there are hateful trolls in this world who just might spew their ugly words in your direction. Best not to give them an invite by having your profile open!
• Sue their pants off and make an example of them. I'm all for accepting an apology from someone who learns their lesson. But every once in a while there is a true hater of the worlds most natural thing and they just won't back down. You KNOW every nursing mother that comes in contact with this person is going to be attacked. So, make an example of them. People will call you more bad names, but you are a hero and we support you. "Well behaved women rarely make history." ~ Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Please continue nursing in public. Covered, uncovered, baggy shirts, showing the whole she-bang -- HOWEVER you and your baby like it. The more women seen nursing the easier this is all going to get. Join us on Facebook at the Normalizing Nursing in Public League (The NNIPL). We're just taking care of our babies, and changing the world at the same time.

What tips do you have for NIP harassment situation reaction?

The Underwhelming Moment No One Has Been Waiting For

Spectacular, eh?

Considering how long I've had this picture without posting it, let's get right to it.  On the left is the current state of the BA Devastators, batch one, after a first pass of Blood Red.  Not a whole lot of sexy here. but it's a start.  I'd love to say that I've been hip-deep in hobby progress while my computer, now reborn betterfasterstronger, but then I'd be stretching the truth.  I got some minor things done, like finishing Flight of the Eisenstein and receiving the Trollblood package from PP (which shall receive a fuller post in the near future), but the majority of this past week was filled with researching computer parts.  This next week has a bit more promise though, so hopefully I get some stuff done.  What kind of stuff you wonder?  This afternoon I wondered along a similar path, and what I came up with looks a lot like this:

• Track down a copy of Wrath.  The FLGS has had it back-ordered since before it released, so I may try the less-local, not-as-friendly FLGS.  There's also an even less local store that I've been meaning to get out to, but it's a bit of a drive.
• Finish painting something.  Not to nest bulleted lists, but I have a bunch of projects going just now.

1. Blood Angels, especially Devastators
2. Orks, especially Slugga Boys
3. Trollbloods ready for some TLC
4. Khador is always neglected
5. The Iron Dwarves make Khador look spoiled by comparison 

• There's no good reason I can't finish something from that list in the coming week, so that's my plan. The Devs are already stuck to the painting caps, so they're the obvious choice, but I'm not ruling out doing something else.  I may mount multiple models just to be ready.
• Finish reading some source books.  I've had EV's copy of Escalation for at least a year by now, and while I doubt he's dying to have it back I would like to finish reading it and send it home at some point.  There's also the CSM codex that I'm partially through, plus the Hordes book.
• Get a game in.  EV has a break sometime around now, though I'm not sure when.  Making our schedules mesh is an attainable goal.

That's all for now.  I'm glad I have a computer up and running again, so perhaps I can get some more paint onto tiny things now that I don't have to worry about how I'm going to update my selection of podcasts.

Minnesota Breastfeeding Photo Contest

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) WIC Program is holding a breastfeeding photography contest Three categories of winners with 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd place in each category will be selected. Winners will receive a framed photo of their entry and a few additional surprises. The WIC Agency will also receive a copy of the winning entries that are affiliated with their WIC agency.

A picture is worth a thousand words. We are seeking photos to help convey the messages about the importance and normalcy of breastfeeding. We hope to create a photo gallery that could be used for WIC outreach, training materials and in many other ways.

Please use Rebecca Fahning from Pine County WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator for your WIC contact information.

UPDATE: Please print and sign the contest entry forms and fax or mail them to:

Linda Dech, MPH, IBCLC MDH WIC Peer Coordinator

P.O. Box 64882

St. Paul, MN 55164-0882

651-215-8951 fax

What they’re looking for….

The theme for the photos is Breastfeeding: Anytime, Anywhere. A hungry baby needs to eat, anytime, anywhere. More visuals are needed to show that breastfeeding (anytime, anywhere) is the norm. We’re looking for images that involve multiple people, generations, ethnicities, places, etc. We encourage creativity and fun in your photos. Here are some ideas:

In what positions do babies feed best? (e.g. laid-back, football, cross-cradle, etc.)

Where do babies breastfeed? (e.g. breastfeeding in restaurants, by MN landmarks, parks, stores, etc.)

What do breastfed babies and toddlers do for fun? (e.g. babies and toddlers enjoying life)

What are the important roles dads, grandmas, family and others have in the life of the baby and supporting breastfeeding? (What are dad’s important roles in the life of his breastfed baby? Giving baby a bath? Telling a story? What are Grandma’s or others important roles?) Include captions or comments with the photo.

How are employers supportive of breastfeeding?

How do you hold baby skin-to-skin in your family?

Rules & Regulations

1. This contest is open to all WIC participants, WIC staff and their friends and family except for the manufacturers or retail distributors of breastmilk substitutes, related equipment such as feeding bottles and teats, commercial foods for breastfeeding mothers, and commercial complementary foods, including employees and associates of such companies.

2. Participating in the photo contest will not impact eligibility for WIC benefits or WIC services.

3. Any costs incurred related to the photo shall be borne by the person submitting the photo.

4. Contest participants may submit up to 5 entries in each category in digital format. You will not receive acknowledgement of receipt.

1. All submissions are non-returnable and shall remain the sole property of MDH MN WIC; MN WIC reserves all rights to reproduce, publicize or to exhibit the submissions in any form of media or medium whether locally or internationally without any prior notification or payment made to participants. Images submitted must not be published in any media or medium prior to entry in this contest.

2. All entries must be of participants’ original works. Usage of third party/parties creative works is prohibited.

3. Entries will be judged on the following criteria: subject matter, composition, creativity and technique.

4. First, second and third place in each of the categories will be awarded. Judges’ decision is final.

5. Minor photo touch-up is allowed i.e. adjustment of brightness of color, softening or sharpening of the image.

6. The following techniques will not be accepted: digital super imposition, composite photographs, photo montage, trick photographs, digital imaging and image manipulations.

7. All entries must be submitted by August 31, 2011 to: https://apps.health.state.mn.us/mdh_upload/

Use Health.WICPhotos@state.mn.us as the email address to submit entry form and photo.

12. Winners shall be notified via email and by November 1, 2011.

Visit their website for more information!

Off Topic Tuesday: Pillowtote Daily Fun

So, I'm a stay-at-home-mom of two children (2.75 years and 8 months old). I'll admit it. I'm bored. Lately we have been in a rutt in the world if being entertaining. Our Minnesota weather has been rainy or hot, couple that with how often my baby is napping, and we're stuck in the house most of the time. Often I let Chicken Little pick out what we do... but let's face it... once you've stepped on legos he left laying around and read the same book five times you're about ready to cry. Sometimes my favorite part of the day is when my son gets into independent playing so then I can sneak off online and have my own independent fun. But really we are lacking in the together time, just because he's off alone doesn't mean he wouldn't enjoy me joining in.

On Mondays we have a teacher who comes to our house because my son qualified for an assistance program. It has really helped him to catch up with peers, but it also gave me some ideas about how to structurally ... yet with lots of freedom... give us stuff to do during the day.

I picked out all the pillowcases that do not match sheets (i.e. all the husbands bachelor day mismatched stuff) and purchased 22 inch zippers. I sewed the zippers onto the open end of the pillowcase and made a whole bunch of totes.

In each of the pillowtotes I filled them with random toys, some with educational purposes, some that are above his age range, stuff with lots of parts, and some that just need supervision. During Chicklett's morning nap on days when I'm feeling uninspired I break out a pillowtote and we have about 60-90 minutes worth of fun to do together. No TV.... No mama sneaking off texting or on the computer... just me and the boy together.

Ideas for Pillowtote Items:

Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head

Finger Paint

Playdough

Magnets and a cookie sheet

Paper and crayon/marker/colored pencils

Legos

Lincoln Logs

Blocks

Large Beads & a string

Puzzles

Books

Games

Bubbles (and a sheet to protect your carpet)

Farm sets

Crafts

Train & tracks

Pretty much anything that I usually have hidden because he will throw the pieces at the baby, leave them around for me to trip on, or they could destroy part of my house if used unsupervised.

Things that have a lot of pieces (like an entire set of Legos or blocks) could be broken up so you only have 10 pieces or so. Another fun thing the teacher does with Legos is she has 4 blue and 4 red blocks and then a blue cup and a red cup. Chicken Little is "supposed" to put the right color block into the matching cup. If he doesn't, it's no big deal. But most of the time he really gets into matching them. So, there is no right or wrong way to play with the items in the pillowtote, it's just fun and gets your typically hidden toys some good use.

What would you put in a pillowtote? Share your ideas!

We are experiencing technical difficulties

All I see is blonde, brunette, redhead.

My computer is somewhere between ill and terminal, so posting will be a bit of an issue.  You'll just have to patiently wait for a painting update, disappointing as it is, until I get things back up and functional.  With the prospect of a significant outlay of funds looming, hobby expenditures have been put on hold.  On the plus side, my Trollblood package is supposed to be here tomorrow (though a check of the shipping tracker tells me it might be waiting for me right now) so I'll have something new to work on.  On the minus, time working on models is time not getting my computer fixed.  The arrival is also too early if I want to do something like get nice bases for the new army (perhaps the Broken Wasteland set from Dragon Forge), though I could always let the models sit for a minute while the bases came.  Of course the aforementioned computer issues put a stop to contemplating scenic bases real quick.

In news from a happier time, I got the Trollblood book and read it over the weekend.  Plenty of nifty stuff in there that I'm sure I'll get into later, but in short I like the fluff and the crunchy bits are intriguing as well.  It seems like Trollbloods can crank melee stats through the roof compared to Khador, but perhaps that's more of a Hordes vs. Warmachine thing.  Speaking of the boys in red, over at Lost Hemisphere they have this picture from Lock & Load that looks suspiciously like plastic Bombardiers.  While it is compelling evidence of the existence of both plastic Men-O-War in general, and Bombardiers in particular, I remain skeptical until I have them in hand.  I've also been poking around the PP Khador forums a bit and have seen lots of interesting news coming out of Wrath, though I'll have to wait to find out myself as the FLGS found their distributor on backorder before the thing even came out.  Considering the amount of time I'll likely be investing in getting my computer back up and working again, a little delay might be a good thing.

New 2 player Warmachine starter box

Look at that!

First off, this is not the promised hobby progress post.  I have actually made hobby progress since the last post, but that will be chronicled in the next post.  This post is about the new Warmachine starter box.  This little guy jumped out at me when I hit the PP site just now and I think it's notable for a few reasons, which I will bullet point.

• It's a Warmachine starter box, which "CONTAINS EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A TWO-PLAYER GAME" (blame PP for the caps).  This is a departure from the a la carte approach they've been taking for years.
• The two factions are Khador and Cygnar.  No wait, Protectorate and Cygnar.  What?  Khador and Protectorate?  Really?  While my grasp on Warmachine fluff is not like iron, I'm fairly sure everyone hates the swans.  Especially Khador and Protectorate, who seem to only passionately dislike each other.  The chart from the PP Insider a few days back supports me here.  What gives with the match up?
• $100 for a starter box?  That price point is familiar.  Looks like PP is pressing their PR advantage in the wake of the annual GW price hikes.  There was also something about screwing Oceania, but PP hasn't taken a direct shot there that I know of.  Yet.
• This is a really good deal, even by starter box standards.  Rule book, two battleboxes, gaming paraphenalia, all for $100.  What the models look like remains to be seen, but I'm willing to bet they're the same plastic battlebox models on shelves now.
• You get some infantry too.  Cinerators for Protectorate and...what?  Plastic Men-O-War?  Is it April already?  Surely this is some sort of cruel joke.
• Why is there no internet coverage of this at the usual places?

Obviously the real news here is plastic Men-O-War.  I love the idea of the MoW, but I hate the idea of assembling them enough to not have a unit.  If there are indeed plastic MoW, then surely there will also be Bombardiers.  Can the end of the world be far behind?

It's Not a Club!

Most of my friends are breast-feeders, it's true, and with the recent relocation to south-central Indiana, I'm seeking out women who breastfeed to try to make new friends here. Why? 

Well, it's not because I don't like women who formula feed. This isn't some kind of exclusive club by any means, but it's much easier to be a part of a group of women where your choice to breastfeed is just what's normal. It's easier to be myself with other women who have breastfed or are breastfeeding their kids. I don't face any questions, I don't face any judgement, I don't face unspoken guilt from a mom who failed at breastfeeding and now feels threatened by my breastfeeding relationship. I can even gripe about my nursling's latest annoying nursing habit with women who won't cringe if I say "nipple." I like feeling normal in a society where breastfeeding simply isn't normal (much as we are all trying to change that). It's a starting point for friendships, a way to find common ground and like-minded mothers to spend time with.

I also seek out doulas and other birth-workers because we share a common interest. Not all of them are breast-feeders, but we still build relationships on the basis of a common interest. If you don't share that interest, you wouldn't want to come and have coffee with me and a doula girlfriend because we are probably going to talk about birthy stuff in details you may find grotesque! I'll admit to having a hard time socializing with people who don't have kids...it's not because I don't like them, but as a stay at home mom, the things I have to talk about have to do with kids, my home, and my husband. A woman who works and has no children would probably grow bored of my babble quickly and we would struggle to find something to talk about. This is just how society works, we seek out like-minded people, people who share some interests with us, and we go from there. It's not because others are not perfectly nice people, it's just that we don't have a good common interest to keep a friendship together.

So don't think we are being exclusionary by seeking out other breastfeeding mothers. Formula feeders are the majority in this society, they always feel normal (except, of course if they are are hanging out with a room full of me and my breastfeeding buddies right?!) but breastfeeding mothers need to actively seek out others for their support network and community.

We're not haters. I promise. 

Off Topic Tuesday: Play by Play on Facebook

Do you have those friends (or 'friends' as they case may be sometimes) that constantly update Facebook with a play by play of their entire day? Every mundane detail about what they are doing, did do, and what the plan on doing?

I can't speak for everyone... but for myself as a stay-at-home-mom I am using Facebook as a social outlet. My only physical co-workers wear diapers and the conversations are hardly stimulating. So yeah, I update Facebook a handful of times a day. But let me ask you working folks a question... do you ever have/over hear conversations at work like "What did you do last weekend?" "What are your lunch plans?" "Did you see that movie?" "Did you see that outfit Cindy is wearing today?" Well, guess what... my co-workers are mostly virtual and our frequent updates are the same darn thing y'all are talking about at work. Sure, it appears to be an answer to a question that wasn't asked... but it is just the new way of doing things. Facebook IS a SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE. So... it's a chance to be social.

A few months ago I found out that someone I was once close with had my wall blocked, and her reason was that my posts were annoying. Ouch. I'd say I used to post 3-4 times a day and maybe 1 or 2 links shared. Since that incident I'm lucky if I update three times a week. Every time I go to say something I end up stopping and figuring no one cares to know what I'm doing. It's left me more lonely and isolated, but I just can't seem to get over it.

So, next time you find yourself annoyed by someone's "ordinary useless" status update... maybe realize instead that this person is just lonely... and instead of ignoring them and further isolating them, throw them a bone. Comment with a "that meal sounds yummy" "what a wonderful and dedicated mommy you are" or "I miss you, when can we play?"

What happened this weekend

Google's version of "But I did watch some movies."  I approve.

This is going to be a shocker: I didn't make any hobby progress this weekend.  In my defense I was still embroiled in making a house over.  It's hard to hold a brush while you're also carrying a couch.  While I didn't get any actual hobbying done, I watched a few movies that have some relevance to the interest of gamers.  Thus I offer to you, the reading public, these few movie reviews instead of anything with minis or paints or dice.  Next time, for really reals, some pictures of miniatures I have built and/or painted, along with words about said miniatures.  Or at least some army lists.  For now I don my reviewer hat and give you the inside skinny on some movies that may peak your interest.  I'll see what I can do in the way of fancy formatting to obscure spoilers for those inclined to remain untainted.

Vin Diesel in an action movie?  Shocker.

First up was a Vin Diesel flick, Babylon AD.  This has been out a couple years and I just got around to it because I wasn't that interested in it to begin with.  Short plot summary: Vin Diesel is hired by a Russian to escort a girl from Russia, or a former Russian country, to the US.  Vin Diesel has a well-documented gaming streak, so there's a  gamer connection, plus the movie itself has a cyberpunk sort of flavor.  On the surface, this sounds like a movie I'd really enjoy.  I like post-apocalyptic/dystopian stories and it looks like it would explore the faith vs. reason conflict that I so enjoy.  It's a nice looking film from a strictly visual angle, and for the most part the story is good.  I'm not a Vin Diesel fan, but he didn't detract from the movie and I never thought of stopping the film because of him (which I can't say about some other actors).  The whole movie is a bit excessive, especially the action sequences, but it holds together well.  At least until the end.  Spoilers:  Turns out the girl being escorted is actually a sort of cyborg, engineered from birth to be part human and part machine.  This manifests suddenly in the last 15-20 minutes and the formerly helpless girl is now a Phoenix-esque unstoppable being, complete with force fields.  The end is abrupt, with Vin Diesel shifting from lone wolf mercenary to father.  It's not a bad ending on its own, but it doesn't really fit with the rest of the film.  Overall this isn't a bad movie, but it does hobble itself in some regrettable ways.  It was both better and worse than I expected.  3/5 stars, losing one for the ending, but gaining one for overall quality.

Emma Stone doesn't hurt the movie.

Next up is Easy A.  I dismissed this movie after seeing some trailers, figuring it was a standard high school movie where a student does something ill-considered, then learns their lesson and mends their ways.  What changed my mind about the movie was the Netflix summary, which pointed to a connection with Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter.  Hawthorne emerged as a favorite author over a few courses where I read some of his short stories.  He has a style reminiscent of fables and all of his works has many layers of meaning to sink your teeth into.  I had never read The Scarlett Letter, but I remedied that a few months ago, and so the story is still relatively fresh in my mind.  The movie is a loose adaptation of the book and part of the plot involves the students reading The Scarlett Letter, so there are a lot of meta elements.  The writing is tight in the same way that movies from the 40s are with quips and repartee flying fast and thick.  Short summary: Emma Stone lets guys tell their friends they've had some manner of naughty congress with her in exchange for money (in the form of gift cards) while enjoying her new notoriety, until she stops enjoying it.  My initial impressions about the movie were largely correct, but the film was good enough to overcome the trite subject matter.  There isn't much of a gaming connection here, unless you're a literature nerd like I am.  Considering most gamers are also voracious readers, there's a good chance that you are.  Don't try too hard to figure out who connects to who between the book and the movie though as this isn't a direct adaptation, more a movie inspired by the book.  The cast is very pretty, which is always nice, and the performances are solid.  4/5 stars and worth your time.  Minor spoiler:  there's a treasure of a scene where Lisa Kudrow is flipping out and cursing, repeating "goddamn shit" over and over in a clear effort to cram as much profanity in to the scene while still maintaining a PG-13 rating.  Very amusing if you enjoy the finer points of the movie rating system.

I wish I had seen this before the movie.

I followed Easy A up with Gentlemen Broncos.  The summary drew me in again, though I had no foreknowledge of the movie.  Short summary: an aspiring young SF author submits his work for a writing camp competition only the have it stolen by the author he idolizes.  Having writing aspirations of my own, plus a love of SF, I turned this one on to see how it was.  This isn't something I normally do, just turning on a movie on TV at random, but I wanted something to put on in the background that I didn't really have to pay attention to, and this fit the bill well.  This is a quirky movie full of oddball characters and a heavy dose of maudlin wistfulness.  Part of the plot involves an amateur adaptation of the protagonist's story, and it was these parts that finally made me understand the movie's intentions.  These interludes are ridiculous.  One features a cyborg deer with rocket pods that flies.  The intention is that the ridiculousness translates into hilarity at a 1:1 ratio, if not greater.  The result is less than that, far less, and the wacky collection of characters comes across as strange for the sake of being strange.  While collecting links for this very post, I saw the poster on the right and the header on said poster: from the director of Napoleon Dynamite.  This was the final piece of the puzzle for me.  Gentleman Broncos is very much Napoleon Dynamite with a SF flavor.  I didn't like Napoleon Dynamite and I didn't like Gentleman Broncos either.  2/5 stars because it was just bad, not insulting-waste-of-my-time bad.  If you liked Napoleon Dynamite give it a shot, maybe its brand of humor will appeal to you.  The SF parodies hit close to the mark, so there's that at least.

Mmmm, Ellen Page.

The last movie I watched over the weekend was Whip It.  That's not an entirely accurate statement though.  I should say I watched part of Whip It and had to force myself to stop so I could catch it from the beginning later.  Very short summary: small town beauty queen decides to break the mold and become a roller derbyist.  Derbyer.  Whatever.  I turned this one on figuring there might be some rollergirl eye candy. which there is, and I found a decent movie by happenstance.  It also doubles as a rolley derby primer, so if you're like me and don't know anything about the sport/game/show then the movie will educate you as it unfolds.  I can only assume that the information is accurate.  While this is a stereotypical coming of age movie, it's a good one.  I kept telling myself that I should stop watching it and go to bed, yet I kept going and finally shut it off before what I figured was the climax of the movie where spoiler: there's a conflict between the roller derby championship and the big beauty pageant.  Oh no!  Will Ellen Page go to the beauty pageant or the match?  What tension!  I've heard of the connection between roller derby ladies and gaming guys before, though I have yet to see it in action here.  Perhaps it's a regional thing, though the appeal of ladies in fishnets and hotpants combined with hip checks and campy violence must be universal.  Drew Barrymore is in the movie, which is a negative for me, and some of the rest of the cast is unfortunate, but this movie was entertaining enough to keep me watching when I wanted to stop.  4/5 stars on an educated guess.

Classic chess with a side of crazy.

While I didn't watch this movie over the weekend, I did watch it about a week ago and it will bring this post back around to gaming.  What I watched was Bobby Fischer Against the World, a documentary on HBO.  Apparently they do a new one every Monday over the summer.  This will come as a shock considering this is a wargaming blog, but I really like chess.  On the verge of love, but not quite fanatical enough to take that plunge.  I enjoy Searching For Bobby Fischer, so when I saw this new documentary I gave it a shot.  What I expected was the tale of Fischer's chess accomplishments, and I got that.  What I didn't expect was the tale of Fischer's post-chess life.  Going into the movie, I knew he was a recluse who appeared rarely after he won the World Chess Championship.  I learned a few new things from the documentary, which I will spoilerize for those who want to find them out on their own.

• Bobby Fischer is dead.
• Bobby Fischer was a lunatic, and not just in a crazy chess guy way.
• Bobby Fischer never defended his World Championship, so the following champion "won" by default.
• Bobby Fischer was an outspoken critic of the US, to the point that he was effectively exiled after 9/11.
• Bobby Fischer was an international nomad and was nearly extradited back to the US before Iceland came to his rescue and made him a citizen.
• Bobby Fischer crapped all over everyone in Iceland after they pulled his butt out of the fire.
• Bobby Fischer was a brilliant chess player, but threw himself into the deep end and found new levels of crazy.
• There is little to be admired in Bobby Fischer outside of his chess accomplishments.

While the film was a rude education about a figure I thought I knew something about, it was entertaining.  Having illusions shattered is never pleasant, but this film accomplished it in a relatively gentle manner.  I expected more chess than I got, but that bit of coverage was well done.  4/5 stars, if only because it was uncomfortable to see what kind of person Fischer turned into.  This probably isn't news for people who follow chess closer than I do, so your mileage will vary.

So how does that movie tie into gaming?  Other than chess being the foundation, and arguably perfection, of wargaming, this movie made me think about how I'd make a mini-based chess set.  Space Marines are so plentiful and iconic that they're my starting point, though I think fantasy armies would work just as well and be more accessible to non-gamers.  I settled on (pre-Heresy) Death Guard for the white side, but I'm on the fence for black.  Raven Guard feel like the best fit, since they're all black, but I'm not satisfied with them.  Ideally the white side would be more aggressive than Death Guard, perhaps White Scars, and the black side would be defensive, like Imperial Fists or Iron Warriors, but those color schemes don't work out so well.  Making the pieces themselves easily identifiable is also a bit of a challenge.  Pawns would be bolter marines, that much is easy.  For rooks I like THSS Terminators, jump troops for Knights, perhaps a Librarian for the Queen and some sort of commander for the King.  Bishops should be Chaplains from a fluff stand point, but they have so much character as models I think they'd draw attention away from the King and Queen, so perhaps Devastators for Bishops.  This would almost require a swap from THSS to Cyclone or Asscan Terminators to keep long-range weapons aligned with the ability to move many squares.  The King and Queen are the biggest hurdles.  The Librarian is powerful enough as a 40k piece to work as the Queen, while something like a Blood Angels Captain is irrelevant enough as a 40k piece to work as the King, though Terminator armor is probably a good idea for thematic purposes.  The problem is making them stand out.  Without the iconic chess shapes, making all those power armored marines look different will take some doing.  Putting those chess shapes on the squad shoulder pad is one solution, and a fairly elegant one, but it doesn't really help with silhouettes.  This is an appealing project for me, but one that will take some noodling to figure out.  Fortunately I have plenty of time to ponder.