Anachronista

Henry 8.0

2009-12-30T12:10:00.001-07:00

If Henry the Eighth were alive today, he'd likely be an internet addict. The BBC has produced a few comedy clips (starring Brian Blessed as Henry 8.0) that show how he might get upset with things like getting blocked on Facebook, his rivals' Twitter updates, and of course, online dating. His current wife, Catherine Parr, has to deal with his constant requests for food and his bickering at the internet.

I really hope they continue this series, just because Brain Blessed is such a perfect, funny monarch. Check out his Twitter account and Facebook Fan Page, too!

Watch all 6 Henry 8.0 episodes here on BBC Comedy!!

...and Happy New Year to all!

Solstice Bells, an animated 1976 song by Jethro Tull

2009-12-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

It's been almost two long months since I've posted, and this becomes my 500th blog post. Funny it would be on the shortest day of the year.

I never even knew that there was a cartoon version of Solstice Bells until today. Of course in 1976 I was busy going crazy for Star Wars, and the only cartoons I watched were Johnny Quest, Tom & Jerry and Scooby Doo. Good thing my tastes have changed! Well, except for the Star Wars part.

Happy Solstice everyone, here's hoping 2010 is a much better year for us all!

Happy St. Crispin's Day

2009-10-25T14:56:00.002-06:00

Once again, it's time for one of the best 'rouse the troops' speeches ever. Or, just an excuse to watch Kenneth Branagh. Happy St. Crispin's Day!

Voice Of America reports on Pennsic

2009-09-22T10:28:00.002-06:00

As told from their info on YouTube; For two weeks every summer, a campground in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania is transformed into a medieval village where people dress and act as if they were living back in the middle ages. There are tournaments, musical performances and, perhaps most importantly, battles in nearby fields just for the honor and glory of it all. Our correspondent, Zorislav Baydyuk, reports on the Pennsic War -- a blend of the words Pennsylvania and Punic. Here is his report, as narrated by Julia Taboh.

If you cannot view this video due to your feed settings, please click here to watch it.

The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello

2009-09-16T15:35:00.006-06:00

Occasionally I'll deviate from medieval interests and find some cool steampunk thing like a costume or gadget to show you. One thing I like about steampunk is there are zero rules, as there are no authentic relics, customs or clothing to try and recreate. Plus, it blends well with science fiction, space travel and horror.

Check out this amazing steampunk/horror story. It's one of the most brilliant expressions of this genre I've yet seen. You might want to get a cup of tea...

Operation Roman Shield

2009-08-31T16:50:00.005-06:00

Seems like only I could find a way to connect the modern custom motorcycle paint industry with Roman shield construction. I think I want to call this method "Backwards Anachronistic Compatibility".

I've never gotten to help make a heavy fighter's shield before, so when my guy said he wanted to fight in a Celtic/Roman kit I knew there might be a possibility for some hot Gladiator action...uh, ... I mean a chance to use some of the motorcycle painting skills I learned in the real world to help create a replica Roman Shield worthy of the rigors of SCA heavy fighting.

The shield itself is T6 aluminum, which of course needed to be cut to shape and drilled for the leather edge it will need. That was his job, but mine was the design itself. Of course there was much referencing of many photos and various Roman reenactor websites. I adapted most of the design from a stylized image of a shield (or scuta) on a bronze Roman dagger sheath.

In recalling my brief time working for a custom motorcycle paint shop, I knew taping, paint spraying and pin-striping were the big three skills I'd need. Thankfully he did the actual paint spraying because the smell of most paint gives me a headache for a day now... which is one of the reasons why I don't paint motorcycles anymore.

The first thing to do, after the surface had been primed, was to create a posterboard template so that I could trace it on all four corners of the scuta. It helped to have the center boss in place.

Here you can see the templates with the details drawn in. I actually used the reverse piece of posterboard that these were cut out of to trace the outline in pencil over the whole scuta. Then he sprayed the yellow color all over it, making sure to cover the areas of the traced designs.

Then I re-traced the template, over the yellow paint. Then I cut 1/2" blue painter's tape into thinner strips and taped all those little curves by hand. After filling the larger areas with full size pieces of tape, I burnished it all down to avoid "spray-under", just like I was taught by the old school cycle painters.

Then he hit the whole thing with red paint. It took a few coats, even with the primer, to get it looking evenly red...and then we pulled off the tape. It was starting to look Roman! Another tape session needed to be done for the moons to make them white. More taping around curves and sheets of newspaper were used to cover most of the shield.

It took two sessions to outline and detail the lightning bolts, wings, horns, moons and stars, using paint pens instead of pinstriping brushes. Pinstriping was never my strong suit anyway.

You can't really see the white details well in this last photo, and it still needs a leather edge, but the whole thing sure looks nice. Too nice, in fact. I can't wait to see it scratched and dented up from fighting.

I probably wouldn't have been able to paint this nearly as well had I not taken that job painting bikes. I have no idea how they must have done this in the Roman period, but I know they didn't have spray paint, posterboard, painter's tape or paint pens. Or T6 aluminum. So this is probably significantly lighter weight than a true Roman scuta.

It is being clear-coated as I type this (cough, cough), and it should be fun to go to fighter practice this Tuesday to see who lines up to hit it. And for the record, no, I'm not taking orders. That's why I posted the process, so you can learn to make one of your own.

Because I'm a big geek for The Guild...

2009-08-25T13:11:00.000-06:00

Season 3 starts soon! Recognize the rival Guild leader? Why that's none other than Wil Wheaton!

<a href="http://videoguide.msn.com/play/?g=7d9ab599-724c-413d-8afe-5999b05caec1" target="_new" title="The Guild Season 3 - Trailer">Video: The Guild Season 3 - Trailer</a>

Experience Pennsic vicariously through Twitter

2009-08-03T16:02:00.005-06:00

Missing Pennsic this year? I am, as no money translates into no events. Just a few short years ago, those of us left behind had to make do with stories told to us AFTER everyone returned home.

Enter social networking. People are texting, surfing the internet and Tweeting right from the battlegrounds, giving all of us stay-at-homes precious news from the biggest SCA event in the world.

Don't believe me? Search Twitter for Pennsic and you can keep up with all of the photos and tidbits of fun. And see who simply cannot put down their modern gadgets! There USED to be a cure for too much modern living, and that was the SCA. But now that everyone has a Blackberry, or an iPhone, it's easy to get your anachronisms mixed up.

I hope someone livestreams some battle footage from a helmet cam soon. If there were only a way for me to experience the HUGE merchants row...or the amazing chocolate milk...or the parties in the swamps. On second thought, the swamp parties should not get 'tweeted'. Those are usually the photos that blackmail is made of. And you know, once it's on the internet, it never goes away!

And you know me. I'll be looking for them to link to later. Best wear a disguise if you'll be up to no good at Pennsic - you never know when someone will catch you on a cell phone camera!

I know, it's not really like being there in person. Sigh... But it's better than waiting for three weeks to hear tales of glory and debauchery!

FestivalSpeak for Prospective Vendors

2009-08-02T00:04:00.003-06:00

OK, I admit I'm taking a great deal of this from Behind the Burlap, but I'm altering those that fit my experience best. And reorganizing them into sections, because I'm OCD like that.

Most of you know I've vended at festivals doing henna body art. I always asked the promoters about the conditions of the site, so I could bring the right equipment. If I had only done this list years ago, I might have saved myself from various disasters.

This is not to say that EVERY festival I've attended had problems. Many went off without a hitch, and a good time was had by all. However, things are not always 'as advertised' by the vendor organizer, merchant coordinator, or poor intern who got saddled with the job of setting up a festival on short notice.

So, this is a customary "What they SAY vs. What they MEAN" list of amenities that may occur at any festival site:

FLORA, FAUNA & WEATHER
There are some trees in the park. = One of them is right in front of your 10x10 space.
There is shade. = One tree every 100 feet.
There may be wildlife. = Don't leave your cooler in your tent overnight, the bears will eat it.
There's always a breeze. = Bring rope, stakes, and God help you if you are selling anything made of paper.
It almost never rains. = Bring and/or sell tarps.
It can get cold at night. = Bring a snow shovel to dig out your tent in the morning.

PLACEMENT
It's a great spot! = No one else would take it.
There should be enough room for your tent. = We overbooked the vendor area.
There's LOTS of room for your tent! = At least 6 extra inches on one side.
You're right next to the stage. = Bring earplugs and learn to read lips.
You're near the bathrooms/porta-johns. = Bring fly paper. And a strong stomach.
You're right next to the beer garden. = You get to sell directly to a loud, rude and possibly vomiting customer base.
You're next to the food court. = Some guy selling Cokes and candy bars out of a cooler.
I have a perfect spot for you. - Behind the stage.
Easy drive in. = Your tent faces the main road.
It's level. = Except for the gopher holes.
It's got a little slope. = Bring pallets and blocks to level your entire display.
It's in a beautiful lush green park. = And ALL the sprinklers will turn on at 6 pm.
Camping on site. = But only right behind your booth.
We've upgraded the site from last year. = We added flower beds.
We added flower beds. = Right next to your spot, so expect lots and lots of bees.

STAFF/ORGANIZATION
We are short on volunteers. = Trash cans never get emptied, so bring your own trash bags.
We give discounts for demos. = They spent the WHOLE entertainment budget on one celebrity speaker.
Yeah, sure we advertised the event. = One classified ad in the Thrifty Nickel.
We are taking new vendors. = None came back from last year.
We have a juried list of vendors. = You'll only have 4 other booths selling exactly the same thing you are.
We got 5000 people last year. = Because there happened to be a carnival across the street.
We are trying something new. = Everything else failed last year.
We hired a new fair director. = And your good location goes to her friend, so you get to move. Which you won't find out about until you arrive to set up.
We wont have anyone but you next year. = Please don't bail on us.
We are looking for sponsors. = Last year bombed.
Vendor applications are due on the 15th. = No, wait the 20th...no, wait...just pay at the gate.
It's a new fair. = We have no idea what we're doing.

In which Wal Mart is challenged to a duel...

2009-07-24T11:05:00.003-06:00

Verily, it has been long since I blogged. The summer, being busy time, full of events, henna and gardening leaves me not much time for collecting my thoughts and arranging them in a readable, much less funny way.

Being on Facebook also drags down my ability to blog, since I'm kind of micro-blogging there anyway. Seems like 'Facebooking' is the new way to share info, at least with the 200 friends or so who still think I'm funny.

One of my friends there linked to this Livejournal post about Walmart ripping off an SCA scribe. In the photos, it appears like they scanned an award scroll and incorporated it into medievalish design. Theories abound as to how WalMart may have acquired the scroll, and tempers are starting to flare, but many of the commenters have basically boiled it down to "challenge them to a duel."

Which would be FABULOUS marketing for the SCA. Wouldn't it be great to storm all the WalMarts of the country simultaneously? Let's do a costumed hostile takeover until this is resolved!

Just think...

We could replace the aging WalMart greeters with the customary Troll booth. Instead of "Nice to see you today" it would be, "Are you pre-registered? Not an SCA member? Would you mind signing this waiver?"

Hospitallers could help direct the confused public towards the newly medievalised departments. Squires could help the little old ladies get their heavy carts unloaded into thier cars. We could hold fighter practices there, and cries of "Have at thee, m'lord!" would echo throughout the parking lots. And let's not forget the shopping cart jousting!!

All those tacky sweatshop clothes could be replaced by garb from throughout history, and ladies-in-waiting could help shoppers into the new corsets, ruffs and dresses. There should be a whole section for "Joe T-tunic", after all, it's STILL WalMart. I would dearly, DEARLY love to see a codpiece aisle, though.

The sporting goods section would need a complete overhaul to include armor, rattan and fencing equipment. A complete line of colored duct tape, too. If there are still 1-hour photo developing services, we could re-purpose them into "1-hour Armor Repair." The whole camping section would need to be replaced with period alternatives, and a better selection of tiki torches.

You can bet the crafts section would get 100% better, as we could throw a couple of rabid Laurels in there to get rid of all the synthetic fabrics, buttons and accessories and replace them with proper silk, linens, wool, natural dyes and handmade fasteners. Heraldic displays, coming right up! But keep a couple of those "BeDazzlers" around, because they are fun!

Most of the toy section would be gone, replaced by nice wooden toys and castle building kits. Electronics? Wiped out. In fact, that would be a great location for a period arts display and heraldic consultations. The Health and Beauty section would of course turn into an apothecary/alchemist. I'm sure the aging beauty queen customers will find that sheep's dung mixed with buttermilk is JUST as effective as their $30 a bottle wrinkle cream.

The larger Walmarts might have a fast-food corner, which will of course need to be remade into a Tavern. Better watch out for those tavern brawls the fencers are so fond of stirring up. Speaking of food, 90% of the food section would have to go. Way too much processed, packaged, plastic 'food' will be replaced with more fresh vegetables, grains and fruits. And saffron! Maybe there should be a subtlety aisle for the marzipan-inclined? I'll leave that mess up to the Cooks Guild!

Oh, what fun we could have at WalMart! And, once the CEO's of WalMart get sick of this, they'd have to come down and duel us in person to get their stores back. Actually, I'm thinking larger scale war might have to be readied for, just in case we have to siege. Let's park a few catapults in the back of the parking lot too.

Opening day of the Colorado Renaissance Festival

2009-06-17T11:53:00.003-06:00

So a few days ago I went to the Colorado Renaissance Festival for the first time in a few years. It was two for one pricing, making it $9 to get in, rather than the usual $17.95 (and that is highway robbery!)

We had perfect timing, got close parking, and no wait in line at all. THAT's what leaving at 8 am will get you. Thankfully our designated driver picked up hot caffeinated drinks for us, or the cranky-ness might have been too much to bear. Of course by the time we arrived, the hour and a half drive + coffee had taken a toll on our bladders. And then I remembered how much fun portapotties are in difficult garb.

We dressed ourselves in mostly cavalier clothing, with the exception of one of us who wore a flowy middle eastern ensemble. From this, a few merchants were able to come up with catchy phrases like "Three pirates and a mermaid walk into a bar....and gave us all their gold!!" "Nice boots! Wanna ffffffind out how much you love our nuts?" "Ladies wearing PANTS! For shame on you wanton wenches! Come try on my skirts!" And so on.

I noticed something new about the merchants: many, many of them had "no photography" signs in thier booths. Probably sick of us crafty SCAer's making our own versions of their wares. Don't get me started about the prices of things, I know they have a high booth fee to cover but come ON. One henna booth wanted $17 for a teeny-tiny OM symbol. I mean, that's just bending you over.

But, of course, we shopped (and haggled) anyway. Between all four of us, two fine wooden mugs were purchased, a lovely leather hat, a cast iron teakettle and a copper coin bra, for bellydancing. Oh, and copious amounts of alcohol and food. We stood in the world's slowest mead line, as the Pirate's Pub was both understaffed and under equipped. The ladies...ahem, I mean wenches, that were serving were practically falling out of their tops keeping up with the rush. By noon, they were serving their last bottle of mead, of which we were lucky to get a couple of servings. Huzzah!

We also saw a few shows. The clarion machine bell-player down by the joust was dramatic, and I think my ears are still ringing because we sat too close. Ded Bob was funny as usual, and conveniently located near the main food court, where we were able to purchase the completely NOT medieval delicacy of deep fried macaroni & cheese on a stick. OK, maybe the stick is medieval. Yummy! We tried to see Puke & Snot (there's a new Snot since the original one died last year) but thier act was cut short due to a rainshower. By the way, to the ladies with white chemise tops, rain makes it see-through!! Wear a BRA! My GOD some of these girls have no shame at all. But I digress...

For those not familiar with the high altitude terrain of the site, only about 20% of it is flat. The rest is a hill. I was thirsty often. And you know what? There are NO DRINKING FOUNTAINS anymore. They were dismantled in the last couple of years. Something to do with the huge water bill the festival gets every year. So now you have to BUY expensive bottled water if you don't want to get dehydrated. Or, find the one or two 'flushy' bathrooms with sinks to refill your mug at, because they don't let you bring in water either. Honestly, that's just crap. Water should be free and abundant at hot, high altitude festivals, or there are going to be a ton of medical emergencies. If you don't provide it, people should be able to bring it themselves. Grrrr...cranky, maybe I need another beer instead. It's mostly water anyway...

Now, one of my favorite things to do is people watching. This is doubly fun at a renfair. There were many more people dressed up than I was expecting, but it may have simply been because it was opening day...

For those of you who went in beautiful, authentic garb and patiently posed for photo after photo, thank you. Your dedication to the theme is inspiring. But some of you must have waaay too much free time, or money.

For those of you who went in modern clothes and proceeded to try and 'blend in' with your viking helmet, cutoffs and wife-beater tank top, thank you. Your 6 unruly children are obviously well trained in the art of berserking, too.

For those of you (ladies) that stuffed yourself into a corset five sizes too small, thank you. I never knew you could make a muffin top out of back flesh. I think corsets are like spandex: a privilege, not a right.

For the MANY barbarians, goreans and cavemen, thank you. How any of these costumes fit into a renaissance, I don't know, but your grunting, rawrring and quoting of "what is best in life" never really gets old. And Conan the Librarian, you are too funny. The big glasses really complete your look. I think some of you need to wash your leathers though. I could smell some of you from a great distance. Or maybe I was just downwind of the stables.

For all the pirates, rogues and cavaliers that spent most of thier time around the Pirate's Pub, thank you. This last bastion of bawdiness is made much more fun by the constant AAARRRRRRing and jokes about your pegleg. And sooo many Jack Sparrows. I probably couldn't have thrown a belaying pin in there without hitting at least two.

For the two or three guys dressed as video game characters, you made me feel like MUCH less of a geek, thank you. Especially Link. You should really get some real tights and not wear your mother's pantyhose though.

All in all, a great day of seeing old friends, drinking and eating things you KNOW are horrible for you, and having all this material for mockery. Kind of makes me want to go back. Except for that hefty entrance fee...

xkcd does the Voynich Manuscript

2009-06-04T22:48:00.003-06:00

The Renfair approacheth, just in time for a sanity check.

2009-06-03T15:40:00.004-06:00

What the...it's JUNE already??!! Where did the spring go?

Oh, right. I've been busy gardening, weeding, planting and other dirty yard work. And getting medieval on the gopher colony in my yard. How does one get medieval on a gopher? I'm glad you asked.

Their mounds, as they appear, are opened and flooded with my trusty +3 (to gopher slaying) garden hose. I wish I could use boiling oil, but that stuff's not cheap. I've poured out buckets of the foul-smelling pepper powder barrier, to no avail. The traps (as much as they look like medieval torture devices) have failed to trap even one gopher. Lately, I've been wandering around the backyard at night like a village idiot, trampling their tunnels and stomping the earth to drive them out. There must be an entire underground city under my house, and they just keep sending up reinforcements...or maybe they're zombie gophers and just can't be killed...

Thankfully, a close friend called yesterday and broke me from my reverie.

Her: "Want to go to the Renaissance Fair? Opening weekend? It's two for one..."
Me: "RenFair already? What month is it?"
Her: "June."
Me: "Wow, somehow I'm still in May."
Her: "Do you have fresh dirt under your fingernails?"
Me: "What? Uh....yeah...why?"
Her: "You need an intervention, you know."
Me: " WHAT?"
Her: "Remember your other life? The one with the costumes? The fencing? How long has it been since you've even BEEN to the Renfair?"
Me: "Uhh, three or four years?"
Her: "And you call yourself an anachronist? Pah."
Me: "Touché."
Her: "We're going in costume. You ARE wearing one. And I'll drive. You have no excuse."
Me: "But-"
Her: "Your garden will be FINE without you for a whole eight hours."

Today I can write about this and laugh. Yesterday I was stressed at how much I think I still have to do outside with more planting, building trellises, cages, and supports, setting up row covers and of course keeping the zombie gophers at bay, and then I realized I really REALLY need this excursion as a sanity check. I never knew I could catch obsessive compulsive disorder from gardening.

Rocking the Outlands, Darbuka style

2009-05-25T17:36:00.003-06:00

So this is what I did for Memorial Day weekend. Finally got to camp again at an SCA event (Crossroads in the Barony of Caerthe) and hang out with my musical friends. Sorry about the shaky camera...I'm not too good at walking in the dark and filming at the same time.

And that's why I play in the SCA. Where else in the USA can you camp out and bellydance to live sitar, saz, qanun and drums?

Twitter meme: #MedievalMovies

2009-05-18T13:43:00.004-06:00

So Twitter is a really addictive social sharing tool if you haven't tried it. A feature called "trending topics" shows you what tons of people are talking about ALL AT ONCE. It's like an RSS feed on crack.

One of today's trending topics is called #medievalmovies, and is hilarious. You have to *medievalify the names of non-medieval movies. Since not all of you have Twitter, I'm copying some of my favorites here. Man, it's like somebody started this JUST FOR ME! Some of these ideas are ripe for parody.

Julian Calendar Girls

Feudal Attraction

You've Got Chainmail

Weekend At Constantinople's

Serf's Up

Apocalypse Whence

This Is Spinal Tapestry

National Lampoon's Monastic Pilgrimage Vacation

Grand Theft Cart: Market Town Edition

Last Castle on the Left

Ace Ventura: Parapet Detective

Marketplace Royale

Crouching Knight, Hidden Flagon

Father Of the Wench

My Big Fat Byzantine Wedding

Under Siege Engines

Up Close and Percival

The Italian Renaissance Job

I Know What You Ploughed Last Summer

Gawain My Way

Legally Blondel

Sex in the Citadel

Charlemagne's Angels

Sisterhood of the Traveling Corset

A Moat Runs Round It

Buffy the Viking Slayer

The Hazard of Dukes

Mr & Mrs Blacksmith

Thatch Me if you Can

Its a Flat, Flat, Flat, Flat world

A Feudal Good Men

Annie Get Your Crossbow

Sir Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Trebuchet

Runneth, Lola, Runneth

Some Like It Motte and Bailey

Jerry Mcsquire

Milord, Where is my Mount?

Snakes On An Ox-Cart

The Man With The Golden Trebuchet

Carriagespotting

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Catapults

16 Tallows (or) Sixteen Candelabras

Prithee in Pink

The Star Wars of the Roses

Single White Damsel

Monks in Black

White Men Can't Joust

Die Bard

Die Hard: With a Crossbow

Reservoir Dragons

Next of Bodkin

Robert The Bruce Almighty

* I'm like Shakespeare, yo! I can make up words and stuff.

The "Hunt for Gollum" LoTR Fan Film

2009-05-11T13:15:00.002-06:00

At nearly 40 minutes, this amazing Lord of the Rings fan film cost only $5,000 to make. It's 100 times better than I was expecting. The titles, music and cinematography are quite similar to the original series. The effects and makeup are top quality - and Aragorn gets to slice through loads of orcs! The clever use of CGI and an 'Elven sack of holding' means your imagination does most of the work filling in the Gollum details. Tricksy filmmakers!

The Hunt For Gollum (HD version)

If you can't see the video in this post, you can watch it at the Hunt for Gollum Movie website. And keep up with more Middle Earth news at theOneRing.net - The Hobbit is still yet to come!

Reclaiming the Blade giveaway

2009-05-08T23:00:00.006-06:00

The makers of independent film Reclaiming the Blade are giving away prizes including Hasbro Force FX Lightsabers, practical swords and the grand prize, a Trainer for a Day:

Apparently I'm eligible for something, being a 'friend of RTB', and having their banner on my blog for a while now. You can enter to win swords by signing up for their mailing list. I'm all for supporting independent film, especially when there is booty involved! I figure a high percentage of my readers like swords, and might like to help support this film by buying the DVD or downloading it on iTunes.

Also from their site... NEW: Friends of RTB will be listed in the final film credits. Oh, that makes me squee a little!

Summer's coming, that means Renaissance Faires!

2009-05-02T15:03:00.003-06:00

Yeah, I know, for those of you who live in Southern California or Arizona, you've already had your fill of jugglers, gypsies and pickle-sellers, but those of us in colder climes are just getting warmed up for our yearly dose of frivolous fun from the renaissance ages.

If you've got the time, why not sit a spell and watch this hour long documentary: "Renny - A Festival Way of Life." You'll learn stories behind the stories, how performers got their start, and what really goes on behind the curtains, after the crowds leave...and you may even see a few familiar faces, because many of these Rennies travel from Fair to Fair, all over the country.

Our local Colorado Renaissance Festival doesn't start til mid-June, so there's still time to get a good costume together if you are lacking in that department. Or, just show up in modern clothes and buy something beautiful from the merchants. Every dime you spend at the RenFair supports the lifestyle of these crazy rennies!

To think, when I was a teen, going to King Richard's Faire, I could have gone down this road so easily...I think I told my mom in a fit of teenage angst that I was going to run away and join the RenFair.

She said, "Honey, you're a walking RenFair already. No need to go chasing it when it's inside you." Smart mom.

Bishop Castle Documentary

2009-04-30T20:29:00.002-06:00

I've long been a fan of the wacky, amazing and FREE Bishop's Castle in southern Colorado. I had always hoped someone would come along and film a documentary of the castle builder, Jim Bishop, as he's quite the character.

The Craftsman is 30ish minutes of stunning views, back story and of course, political intrigue...

Why not take a trip into the Colorado mountains this year and see it yourself?

Another Great SCA video from Atlantia

2009-04-15T12:41:00.003-06:00

The Kingdom of Atlantia, Barony of Pontealto, holds the Tournament of Love and Beauty every year. This year they were visited by modern video cameras and interviewers...

Huzzah to the much higher production values than I'm used to seeing on most SCA videos! This was produced by "Push-Pause," a Verizon original production in collaboration with Michael Rosenblum's HyperLocal News Productions. Push-Pause features high-impact hyper-local news and community stories shot by trained citizen video journalists.

Dark Tower Reborn!

2009-03-31T12:31:00.005-06:00

Anyone who grew up in the early 80's might remember that sinister electronic board game called "Dark Tower." If you don't remember the game, maybe Orson Wells can jog your memory.

This was one of the first games that contains what I call *The Insidious Theme Song. It was the subtle looping music behind all the other beeps and bips that would still be running in your head hours after you'd quit the game. I played this at a friends house any time he would invite me over for it. It was a fun way to kill an afternoon, but it was frustrating getting the plague all the time. I think he rigged it to do that to me though. He was a smart kid with one of the first personal computers I ever saw. Incidentally, this was the same kid who got me into D&D. I hold him personally responsible for my medievalist outcome.

Finding an actual working complete copy of the game is nigh on impossible now. If you do manage to find one for sale, you'll shell out over $300 for it. In these low economic times who can afford that?

So how can YOU experience the awesomeness of Dark Tower? Once again, the internet saves the day with the online flash Dark Tower! It's only 1 player, instead of multi, and while not 'quite' as cool as the real thing, it does have all the sound effects and theme song. Now you can lay siege to the Dark Tower whenever you want! Good luck, adventurer! Try not to get the plague.

*Yes, there is an acronym for that phrase. Think about it...

Bringing back the Celtic Art

2009-03-24T00:21:00.006-06:00

A few people have known me long enough to know I used to draw all kinds of Celtic stuff, all the time. This was way back in the early 90's, when if you wanted something with Celtic art on it, you had to make it yourself. There were only a handful of good printed resources about the Celts and their varied art forms then.

Not so anymore, in these modern internet times. Right now, in five minutes, I can gather nearly as much imagery as it took me ten years to amass, prior to the digital sharing of data. You kids today, with your celtic vinyl stickers, celtic stick-on tattoos, knotwork jewelry and t-shirts have it soooo easy. I used to have to paint my own jackets and draw on myself with sharpies and order expensive art books from Europe to make good celtic art. I even went to celtic art classes, which helped me to understand the mathematics behind the designs, so that I could create new ones that no one had ever seen.

I took my new knowledge and volunteered many designs for the Institute for Celtic Studies in New England, created and showed paper celtic sculptures in an art gallery, designed many tattoos, a line of pewter jewelry, many scrolls in the SCA, and even some embossing stamps for a Renfair leather merchant. And none of them were copies of existing historical designs.

I had stopped drawing celtic art years ago, because it took oodles of brainpower to mathematically construct some of these designs, and frankly, I got lazy and found drawing work that paid the bills and was much easier to do.

Recently, the siren song of the spiral called me once again... but it was so hard to get my brain to to process the designs I wanted to draw! I may have eventually lost the ability to do this, if I hadn't been inspired by my man, who needed a set of armor in order to fight upon Outlands fields this summer. He'd gotten some blank leather bracers from a friend and wanted me to help design them. I looked around online for something cool to copy, but all of it was either the same stuff I've been seeing for 20 years, or tribalish modern celtic art. None were nice enough, so I got charged with creating a new design. So of course they had to look awesome. And you certainly can't buy awesome like this in a store.

He requested it include ravens and horses. After days of research into early period British pre-Roman Celtic Art, I had a plan for a design that was not too complicated, but dynamic, as I also had his very beginner knowledge of leatherworking to consider. So I drew it, he tooled it, and I antiqued the lines. They still need to be cuirboiled, and I have no idea what color they will turn...

If you want some thing done right, you really do have to just do it yourself. I guess I'll be exercising my celtic brain muscles a bunch more soon. There's a lot more armor to make.

Something Green

2009-03-17T11:07:00.003-06:00

If you haven't heard, I'm quite fond of Muppets. Especially when they are singing sad Irish songs...

It's not ALL about green beer and leprechauns today. Saint Patrick was a real person, credited with 'driving the snakes from Ireland.' So I guess if you have a snake problem, you can invoke St. Patrick for help!

Exploring the Social Media Swamp

2009-03-11T17:07:00.006-06:00

For those of you who don't keep track of all the little bells, whistles and widgets going on about my blog, or never even visit if you *subscribe to my RSS feed, prepare yourself. I'm about to give you... the links of despair... don't even think about trying to escape...

I have fallen victim to two of the biggest timesucks on the whole internet ever. Facebook and Twitter. I know, I know. I didn't HAVE to make profiles there. But I do pride myself on keeping up with modern internet gadgetry, however fickle the winds of the web blow. Seriously though, these are almost as bad as my **Warcraft addiction.

Excuses aside, now that you know I have a profile on FaceBook and a few updates on my Twitter feed, you can follow me into the dark, spirally depths of the intertubes. Better take some torches so you don't get lost.

*Subscribers to my RSS feed and widget readers should know that publishing a blog through subsites like Facebook or sometimes strips out images and videos. So if you are reading along and things just don't seem to make sense, visit the actual post.

**I was a Warcraft addict up until November 2008. The Lich King made me go cold turkey. That doesn't mean I'm done mocking it though.

A Feast of Epic Proportions

2009-03-11T11:08:00.004-06:00

One of my friends pointed out that if I have Gatorade "G" medieval pop culture on my blog, I would be remiss not to also include the Snickers "Feast" marketing ploy. Even though it's ancient history in internet time, as it aired in 2007. But hey, I'm all about the time travel. Just let me set the wayback machine...

So, what do a Pilgrim, a Viking, an English King, a Roman and a Polynesian Fire Dancer have in common? They all feast upon the gooey, chocolaty goodness of Snickers. Maybe they should meet up with the Gatorade Knights so they have something to drink.

It occurs to me that I have taken several road trips in costume to SCA events, Renaissance Fairs and conventions. And I know I'm not the only one who drives to events in costume. Is it possible that the marketing genius behind this may have seen some SCAer's or Rennies all piled up in a car together, and thought, "Reenactors! Now there's a good idea!" I would have loved to have seen the boardroom pitch on this one.

Links for 2008-07-17 [del.icio.us]

2008-07-18T00:00:00-07:00

64 Beautiful And Free Nature Brush Sets And Vectors - Giant Design Pack

Links for 2008-06-13 [del.icio.us]

2008-06-14T00:00:00-07:00

Vector Magic | Precision Bitmap to Vector Conversion Online
Vector Magic - precision auto-tracing online

Links for 2008-06-11 [del.icio.us]

2008-06-12T00:00:00-07:00

Browncoat Wiki - Browncoats - a Wikia wiki
Browncoats is a database that anyone can edit.

Links for 2008-05-14 [del.icio.us]

2008-05-15T00:00:00-07:00

Slideoo.com - The horizontal Flickr slideshow
Slideoo.com - The horizontal horizontal photo slideshow for flickr

Links for 2008-05-08 [del.icio.us]

2008-05-09T00:00:00-07:00

Medieval and Renaissance Food: Sources, Recipes, and Articles

Links for 2008-05-03 [del.icio.us]

2008-05-04T00:00:00-07:00

Oldtimey photo conversion
This site is not in english, - the tab containing URL is meant for images off the web. The other tab is for using images from your computer. Click the blue button below the image name and it is instantly transported back in time!

Links for 2008-04-18 [del.icio.us]

2008-04-19T00:00:00-07:00

Gypsy Wagons Online
Roma encampments are becoming more commonplace at SCA gatherings. Although the vardo is not period for the SCA, more and more people have either made one, or are in the process.