Liebster Award - aka a list of blogs and some random questions with answers.

Chris over at Sippin' On Paint Water informed me that I have been awarded with a Liebster. My first thought was "wow cool... I haven't won anything since that trip to Space Camp when I was 9". My second thought was "what the hell is a Liebster!?" but before I get into that... look at this cool award! Thanks Chris!! I'd nominate your blog but I suppose that defeats the purpose a little...

Not a lot of verified/authentic info out there on this award as near as I can tell but here is the gist of it:

1. The award is given to bloggers by bloggers. 
2. Liebster is German or maybe the award has German origins?!
3. Kinda like a chain letter so it only works if you feel like participating.
4. The "rules" seem to change as people see fit to change them. 

With all that in mind I have decided to go with the "rules" as outlined by Chris on his Sippin' On Paint Water blog. 

• Copy and paste the award on your blog linking the blogger who has given it to you.
• Pass the award to your top 11 blogs with less than 200 followers by leaving a comment on one of their posts to notify them that they have won the award and listing them on your own blog.
• Sit back and bask in the warm fuzzy feeling that you have made someones day.
• There is no obligation to pass the award on to someone else but it is nice if you take the time to do so.

The format doesn't have to be the same as what I've made so long as the spirit of the award is maintained. It's meant to showcase blogs and authors and increase readership and community. Whatever method is used is irrelevant so long as that goal is achieved.

Alright sounds doable and noble and good! First up I'll say that I won't be adhering to the "less than 200 followers" rule as the goal here is to expose folks to sites they might otherwise look over or not come across and to me the number of followers does not always correlate to how well known something is or isn't. With that out of the way here are 11 blogs I think you should check out (in no particular order of course).

• Playing D&D With Porn Stars - I love the content here and the vast imagination on display. Zak has a great sense of humor and a real "human" quality about him that comes through in the writing and posts. The porn stars part is really secondary.
• The Man Cave - I wish I had a dad like Paul. Cool minis, cool games, and a cool guy to boot! 
• Hack & Slash - For all things RPG design related you can't go wrong with this blog. Tons of information for practical application as well as interesting theory and discussion topics on game design. Love it! 
• Horror Movies and Beer! - Eerie Erik is like my brother from another mother. While his blog doesn't have any gaming focus it does have monsters, horror, blood, boobs, and beer so you'll probably find something you'll like. 
• Furry's Painting Blog - Furry is my local miniature painting buddy and in this blog he has been capturing his work as a budding miniature painter. Cool stuff by a cool guy.
• Belched from the Depths - Awesome collection of RPG minis from then til now. Always inspirational to me.
• New Brew Thursday - Nerds nerding out over new beers. You'll probably see the connection.
• The Magnificent Bastards - Magnificent bastards writing about magnificent minis. A lot of GW stuff but they have great stuff in here for all sorts of miniature bastards.
• Painting Mum - Life, love, minis, and plenty of painting to boot.
• Monster Brains - The mighty Monster Brains is a regular source of fascination and excitement for me. Monsters forever!!
• Amateur Hour - Mattias is a cool guy I met at Chaos Cup last year. While I kicked the crap out of his elves (yuck elves!) we had a fun time and it was most exciting to discover he was blogging his work too! Oh yeah and he likes beer too.

Highly recommend any and all of these blogs and people. While I know some more than others (and some not at all) I can say without reservation that they all provide something unique and exciting to my blog traveling world. 

Now we're on to this Q&A bit where I ramble on about things that most people probably don't care about or maybe already know about me. Here we go!!

1. Why did you start blogging? - Well it certainly wasn't the word "blog" or "blogging" or "bloggin" or "bloggo" or any of that which got me started. In fact I would say that word is probably the biggest barrier of entry for me into this thing. I spent a bunch of time writing things for myself, kept an online journal for awhile (still do sometimes), and was posting on forums somewhat obsessively before I started Drinkin' and Modelin'. My original goal was simple: motivation. I figured if I was able to share what I was doing and experiencing in the world of miniature and tabletop gaming (and gaming in general) I would feel more motivated to get cool stuff done (and maybe also motivate others in the process). The beer reviews were just a thing I was doing on the side anyway and I figured it was a good a place as any to collect that information for future use (and for anyone else who might be interested).


2. If you could change one thing about the wargaming hobby, what would it be? - Honestly I am not all that into the "wargaming hobby" any longer. I haven't played a game of WHFB (which is what started this blog) in well over a year. I do play Blood Bowl sometimes and I would love to get other skirmish/tactics type games into my routine, but most of my gaming now comes from boardgames and rpg groups with friends. Of course there are minis in all of that too and I still get to paint stuff and make models which is something I enjoy too. If I could change one thing I think it would be the idea of "balanced" competitive games and what that mindset generally does to games and gaming culture. I wish people used their imagination more often and remembered that games are for fun. While I used to be far more competitive I have certainly mellowed with age and now I just try to enjoy every gaming opportunity for what it is - a time with friends playing games and having fun.


3. What is best in life? - This seems like a leading question... I'll answer this with my favorite R.E.H. Conan story which is a two way tie between "Red Nails" and "The Tower of the Elephant". Also pizza is pretty rad...


4. Do you want to live forever? - Alright. I'll answer your Conan quote and question with another Conan quote. "My child, you have come to me my son. For who now is your father if it is not me? I am the well spring, from which you flow. When I am gone, you will have never been. What would your world be, without me? My son."


5. Fame or fortune? - Well I suppose that depends on what I am famous for! Money is not something I strive for though I do appreciate the security of having enough so that I don't have to worry about where the next meal is coming from. I also unintentionally break things a lot so that costs money. I am bad at these kinds of questions. What if my fortune was in boardgames? Yeah! That I could get behind.


6. What miniature are you most proud of having painted? - I love all the minis I have painted but I find that I am often most proud of the ones I have gifted to friends. Something about giving away my time and effort and love in miniature form makes me feel good. Something to be proud of? Maybe...


7. How do you deal with burn out? - I assume this question is in relation to painting and gaming? I don't get burnt out on games. I have a crazy high tolerance for gaming. I am often the one who wants to keep playing in the RPG session after 5 or 6 hours have gone by. I am often the one looking for those long drawn out tabletop or boardgame sessions that last all day. So in gaming it is not something I have experienced yet. In painting and modeling I try to have multiple projects going on that I can bounce around between as inspiration strikes. Sometimes I get stuck in one project and work on it without anything else taking up my time but that is rare. Also knowing when to stop is a crucial skill. Its not good to push through something if you are not enjoying the process. Live in the moment and enjoy the time you have to paint and be creative or find something else to do that doesn't add anxiety or stress to your life.


8. Why is a raven like a writing desk? - Who knows!? Ask the raven...


9. Star Wars or Star Trek? - Neither. I am much more of a comic book nerd. When Star Wars was a big thing (as a child of the 80's) it brought me nothing but shame. I was too poor to see the movies, too poor to have the toys, and too poor to have the clothes. I read the books before I saw the original trilogy because I could get them from the public library. I never really got into Star Wars and the direction it has taken just makes me even less interested. I did see plenty of Star Trek reruns on tv when I was young, and Star Trek TNG was of course a part of my 90's youth, but overall it never captured my imagination the way old kaiju movies or comics did. Now GODZILLA on the other hand....


10. If you could only buy from one miniature company from now on, which one would it be? - One run by my friends who have the skill and talent to make amazing custom pieces for me for anything I am looking for. They are extremely talented and affordable and their minis are of superior quality in every aspect.
    
    
11. What is your favorite take out? - I cook a lot. There is a thai place here in my town called Bangkok Flavor which has some pretty tasty noodles and they make their stuff nice and hot which I always appreciate. 

There you have it! If you found yourself in my list of 11 blogs to receive a Liebster please answer these same questions (or something similar that you want to answer) in a blog post of your own. Of course participation is voluntary but it would be cool to see what you come up with and its nice to build community our here in the wilds of the internet... so... get to it!