Day 4 Giveaway Finale

Hello again, friends! Well we've come to the end of the "Thanks Plus Giving Plus You" contest with just one more 2.5 oz jar of "The Masters" Brush Cleaner and Preserver left to give out. Before doing so however I would like to say thanks one more time to all of you who have visited diceRolla and found something here worth your while. After spending a lot of time reading other folks' blogs I feel that my own can be, putting it nicely, something of an oddball at times. Therefore I am very grateful to have reached as many people as I have and to have sustained so many regular readers over the past two and a half years. This has always been a personally motivated thing that I enjoy doing, but it certainly has made it much more fun getting to interact with such well informed, interesting, and lively people.

Okay, now that I'm done with the blubbering part let's get on to the exciting conclusion and announce the final winner. So who will be joining GopherDave, The Grim Darkness, and nickthewise in the winners' circle? Why it is none other than...

Spacejacker

Congratulations! I encourage everyone so inclined to find out more about Spacejacker's hobby interests by visiting his blogs, Tiny Solitary Soldiers and Nano Solo, as they are chock-full of miniature goodness. I've been a long time fan of painting and gaming with 15mm scale and smaller miniatures, although my experience with them has been mostly in the realm of historical wargaming. Spacejacker however has some of the most incredible small scale sci-fi minis and scenery that I have ever seen. When I first started reading Tiny Solitary Soldiers, I found it so inspiring that I was barely able to restrain myself from buying up as many little spacemen and monsters as I could afford. In fact I still find that quite tempting but have held off from doing so mainly because there are already enough projects clamoring for my attention. Nonetheless I'm sure at some point I'll pick up at least a few 15mm sci-fi minis and... um... just see where it goes from there. ;) When you get a chance, Spacejacker, please email me and let me know where I should mail your jar of Brush Cleaner and Preserver.

Alright, that's about it for this contest so let's wrap it up. Although I was able to give out four prizes this time around, unfortunately that leaves 230 of you going home empty handed so to speak. I'm sorry I couldn't come up with a way to do something nice for each of you. Instead I'll just have to say how grateful I am for all of you who have helped make diceRolla so much more than I ever imagined it would become. THANK YOU!

And until next time, happy painting and gaming!

Day 3 Giveaway Winner

Hey, hey! It's that time again to announce another winner in the always thrilling, "Thanks Plus Giving Plus You" giveaway extravaganza. Okay, that might be overselling it just a bit. :) But I do have another 2.5 oz jar of "The Masters" Brush Cleaner and Preserver to award to one of my faithful readers chosen randomly from The Esoteric Order of Jason. If you haven't seen anything about this before and want to know what's going on, I welcome you to visit the original post in which I explain the rationale behind this contest.

I'm quickly running out of steam this evening and, due to spending the past week with my in-laws, my patience and cognitive functioning is just about used up. Therefore let's move right on to the fun part. Joining our two previous winners, GopherDave and The Grim Darkness, tonight's lucky winner is...

nickthewise

Congratulations, Nick! 40k players may know nickthewise from his Dark Eldar Blog where he is focused on compiling as much information as possible about those most sinister of space elves. If however you're not already familiar with him, I've copied the following little introduction from one of the other blogs he contributes to regularly, The Dice Abide.

Nick aka nickthewise
Started Playing: 1996
Favorite 40k Army: Tactically I’m really drawn to the new Dark Eldar and the versatility the new Codex offers. Fluff-wise, Eldar has always been my favorite – I can’t wait for their new Codex!
Favorite Fantasy Army: I’m a 40k snob, sorry!
Current Armies: Dark Eldar (8,500), Eldar (6,000), Grey Knights (4,500)
Favorite Aspect of Hobby: I really enjoy the tactical aspect of the hobby, and pitting my wits against my opponents. I’m also a big collector and really enjoy seeing Rouge Trader era models and armies.

With more than 14,000 points of Eldar, of both the Dark and Craftworld varieties, that's some serious dedication. I don't think the Eldar are in any danger of dying off so long as nickthewise is in their corner. It looks like he's also got a significant pile of mon-keigh Grey Knights as well, but I'm pretty sure that's just to make his Eldar feel superior in comparison. (Yes it's true, Eldar even look down their noses at the Grey Knights, despite those humans somehow being better psykers than them.) In case there's still something left to be painted from that huge collection of minis, hopefully this brush cleaner will come in handy.

Thanks again to everyone for reading my blog, I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner of the last jar of brush soap for this giveaway. And nickthewise, please email me and let me know where I should send your prize. Happy painting and gaming!

Day 2 Giveaway Winner

Hello and welcome to Day 2 of the "Thanks Plus Giving Plus You" giveaway. In case you've arrived here and don't know what this is about, you can check out yesterday's post for a full explanation. Short version is that, beginning on Thanksgiving and going through this coming Sunday, I'm randomly selecting one person each day from those Following this blog to win a 2.5 oz container of "The Masters" Brush Cleaner and Preserver. It's just meant to be a little way of saying thanks to all you good people who read my blog.

With GopherDave having won the first one, that leaves three more jars left to give out. Therefore today's winner is...

The Grim Darkness

Congratulations! The Grim Darkness is author of the aptly named blog, The Grim Darkness. Well somehow I'd missed out before on signing up for his blog but I took care of that earlier today. I highly recommend for anyone interested to pay him a visit, he's got some fantastic models and scenery that are definitely worth taking a look at. I especially like his Death Guard Chaos Marines and his recent work on an outstanding 28mm Inquisitorial warband. I appreciate his style of painting and am hopeful this brush soap will prove to be helpful with future projects.

Okay, that's it for tonight. The Grim Darkness, if you would please send me an email (you can find the address near the top of my blog's right-hand column) we can work out where you would like me to send your prize. Thanks again for supporting diceRolla! And for everyone else, please check back tomorrow because I'll be choosing another winner. These past several days I've been in New York staying with my in-laws so it will likely once again be later on in the evening before I get a chance to post the next winner.

So until then, happy gaming!

Thanks Plus Giving Plus You

Since today is Thanksgiving for those of us celebrating in the good old U. S. of A, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of you kind people who visit this blog. Thank you! I really appreciate all the support I've received over the past few years and have enjoyed immensely hearing from each you. I've had a blast sharing my hobby life with you and I look forward to continuing to do so for a long time to come.

In the spirit of the holiday I am kicking off a little giveaway for all my blogging buddies as a way of expressing how thankful I am for your readership and your participation in the diceRolla experience. Starting now and going through Sunday, each day one member of The Esoteric Order of Jason will be randomly chosen to win a 2.5 oz tub of "The Masters" Brush Cleaner and Preserver. This brush soap works like a charm and will seriously extend the life of your brushes, not to mention getting out all that left over pigment stuck to your bristles.

And so the first winner in our "Thanks Plus Giving Plus You" drawing is...

GopherDave, aka Dave, aka TheDude

Congratulations Dave! For those of you who don't know him, Dave is one of the co-owners of Armored Gopher Games in Urbana, Illinois. As well as being an entrepreneur, Dave is also a philosopher, artist, devoted husband and father, and one hell of a sharp dresser. It was a great honor for me to meet him and to be able to spend some time talking about our favorite games when I stopped by his store on my way to Adepticon earlier this year. I'm therefore pretty psyched that his number came up first for the contest.

Although Dave has won this round, I've got three more jars of Brush Cleaner to give away. Using the trusty random number generator we'll do this all over again tomorrow to select the next winner. So thanks again to everyone for checking out my blog and offering me so much encouragement along the way. Happy painting and gaming... and of course, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Full of Bluster

Despite my hopes for an active hobby week, I instead have very little progress to report. All I've managed to do so far has been some tinkering with army lists as I still am trying to decide what Fantasy army to collect for the 1000 point tournament at AdeptiCon 2011. Otherwise this week has been something of a wash as my wife and I decided at almost the last minute to pack up and head out of town for Thanksgiving. We've been in western New York visiting her family and will be heading back home on Tuesday.

This time around I decided to leave behind most of my hobby projects, having brought with me just a couple of panels from my Realm of Battle Gameboard for flocking. I'm optimistic that I'll have time to work on them tomorrow and, all things considered, would be satisfied were I to finish them off before heading back home. It's been since the Spring that I last did anything with the gameboard so I'm eager to see some progress. As it stands now two panels are complete, two await flock, and the last two have only been primed. I forgot to grab any of the paints I need to address those last two panels so really all I can aspire to accomplish while in NY would be gluing down some flock and hopefully not making too much of a mess of my in-laws' house.

Meanwhile, following on from my previous post regarding blog networks, this evening I wrote out my application for joining the Int'l House of Paincakes and submitted it for their review. I really appreciate receiving so much input from all of you about your experiences both with the HoP and the numerous other networks with which you are associated. Some of you also warned me that the essay section of the application to join the HoP is perhaps not as crucial to admission as I otherwise might have believed. Nonetheless I thought it would be fun (i.e., self-obsessive) to take a stab at it anyways. Also, since I'm not getting a lot done on the hobby front, I thought I would publish it here to help pad my post-count as I am not above such shameless tactics.

So here then is my essay answering in five hundred words or less why, "[I am] God's gift to the Internet." Of course please feel free to skewer, lampoon, and ridicule to your heart's content. Besides, I suspect that is what is in store for me should any of the head honchos over there bother to read it. Therefore a good ripping might even help prepare me for whatever may come of this. Enjoy!

+++++

Dear Sirs,

Congratulations on the burgeoning success of your blog community. I am happy to report today it reaches the pinnacle of accomplishment as I, God's gift to the internet, seek admission to your network's blogrolls. I believe the inclusion of my blog, diceRolla, will prove to be a great coup for the House of Paincakes, the reasons for which I am prepared to detail for you in a manner completely devoid of pomp or hyperbole.

My innovative painting style puts Golden Daemon winners to shame and has even inspired a series of articles at Laubersheimer Industries. My tactical and list building advice provides a foundation for imitators the world over, including YTTH and 3++ is the new black, prompting their authors to send me daily emails asking for help. My battle reports are more epic than The Iliad. Dethtron even had to coin a new phrase in order to adequately describe my gaming prowess, AAAC, which means, "Awesome At All Costs." In short, I have had more impact on our hobby in a year and a half of blogging than the other JJ has had after decades of designing games.

But diceRolla is so much more than just the most valuable gaming resource on the...

YUCK! Even joking around that's more internet bluster than I can muster. I admit there is nothing groundbreaking about my painting and I've not yet written a single battle report for my website. Further only someone truly desperate would seek my advice on tactics or army lists, and a sense of propriety precludes me from offering any out of consideration for my dismal win-loss records. Even Jervis Johnson has accused me of peddling meritless articles, and that's really something coming from him.

I like writing for my blog and other people seem to be enjoying it as well, but I certainly do not consider myself God's gift to the internet. I nonetheless think I would be a good member for your online community and would strive to my utmost ability to contribute in a positive way. On most days I've got a cheerful disposition which I think is reflected in my approach to blogging and I try to offer support and encouragement to those who share my passion for the hobby. While that may not be a terribly exciting prospect for many in your network, I do very much look forward to engaging with your associate members and having some fun.

It would be an honor for me to be accepted into the House of Paincakes, thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Jason, aka Papa JJ

The Post That Wasn't Meant to Be

It finally happened. I've heard about it before but never quite understood the pain and frustration involved until it just happened to me moments ago. A post I had been working on for the last two and a half days just disappeared into the electronic aether. All that remains of it are a few cute animal photos and the last paragraph of what I assure you was a most eloquent piece of self-reflection and blogging introspection. At this point I no longer have the patience to stoically press on and rewrite the blasted thing, instead I'm going to skip all of that and cut to the chase.

I'm interested in signing up for some blog networks, starting with the Int'l House of Paincakes and then any others for which diceRolla might qualify. There's been quite a little psychodrama unfolding in my head about no longer being on my own as an unaffiliated blogger, the details of which you're probably better off having been spared. Suffice it to say this is something I've been thinking about for a long time but only now feel confident enough in what I'm doing with my blog to actively seek out a wider audience. I appreciate with the utmost sincerity all of you who are already readers of my blog, I certainly do not take you for granted. Truly, it is because of you and the encouragement that you've offered me that I now am ready to take this next step in my silly blogging adventures. So thank you for sticking with me, by pushing myself into new arenas of ideas it is my hope to make this a better experience for all who come here.

Right then, I trust everyone has had a fantastic Thanksgiving with plenty of food, family, and football. Heck, even if you don't celebrate this holiday I'm still wishing you a happy Thanksgiving! (Ha ha, how's that for cultural imperialism?) On the hobby front I am genuinely thankful for all of you who have shown such wonderful support for me, so you are included in my experience of holiday gratitude whether you like it or not. ; ) Thank you.

Alright, that's it everyone... time for me to drift off into a blissful, turkey-induced slumber. Goodnight!

[Note: I've left in place the remains of my original post, either for the sake of posterity or to spite it, but really just as a personal monument to the occasional frustrations of blogging. It might not make a whole lot of sense when read out of its original context, but I don't have the heart to delete it entirely. Oh well, them's the brakes.]

+++ Not Deleted From Imperial Records +++

So I've decided there is to be no more hiding for me like a scared little squirrel. Instead at this point I think I'm ready for diceRolla to spread its wings and soar majestically like the noble titmouse. This weekend I'm going to write the required essay and try to figure out what keywords would appropriately describe all that goes on here, then submit these for review and hopefully admission to the HoP. Besides, with more than 130 loyal readers (again, thank you so much!), the self-delusion of going unnoticed beneath the radar has become untenable even for me. I don't foresee any dramatic changes here because of this, though I'm always open to suggestions about what I could or should be doing better.

Tufted Titmouse, in honor of the House of Paincakes

Further, if anyone knows of any of blog networks for which diceRolla might qualify, I would really appreciate hearing about them. After the HoP, the only other ones I know of are BoLS, FTW, Librarium Online and the Iron Agenda. Would I be able to add my blog to any of those? How strict are they with their requirements? Are there others out there that might be accepting of my wandering ways? I greatly appreciate your help with this, thank you for whatever advice or recommendations you should choose to pass on to me.

Best wishes to you all... take care, friends!