How do you say thanks to everyone you've ever known?

  It's the truth, it's Veteran's Day (observed) and I am trying to figure out how to say thank you to everyone I have ever known...

  Most of my friends are Vets themselves, so I have to thank them for serving with me and making my career an awesome experience.  We have, in part or in whole, all served together in peace and in war, and we came through unscathed.  We have lost some friends along the way, on the field and off duty, but we continue on.  I cannot thank you all enough for making my life what it is, and what it shall be.  We are all shaped by our environment, they say, and if that is the case, I am well shaped :)  (Even after losing 70 pounds..  25 more to go :)

  My friends that were not in the military all put up with me being in the military all those years, so I owe them a thanks as well.  It is sometimes not easy to hang around military folks.  We can break long-made plans at a moments notice if the phone rings and we "have to go".  And then there is our way of talking.  The military has acronyms for everything, and even a book to clarify what acronym means what in a certain context.  Listening to a conversation about work between military guys can be like listening to a foreign language.  So thanks everyone who put up with all that!!

  My co-workers.  Well, most of them are military or civil service, or prior military or guard or reserve… you get the picture.  I have to Thank them because they are active duty or in the same boat as me.  So, thanks all you AD guys who are still "hackin' the Mish".  You're doing yourselves proud!

  My family, well, you were screwed all those years ago.  You had to deal with it… :)  But I do thank you for blazing the trail for me :)

  So there you go, I have to go out there and thank everyone I know for serving or putting up with my serving.

  This is gonna cost a fortune in Thank You cards… I'm buying stock in Hallmark!

lol, Thanks everybody, and stay frosty!

Winsor-Newton Series 7 vs. Rafael 8404 Brushes - A non golden demon winner's Review

Winsor-Newton series 7 and Rafael 8404 series Brushes

Just like I started my airbrush review, let me tell you that I am not a great painter.  At best, I am an average to decent painter.  I can usually make my armies look decent, but they will not see the final table of any judging.  I think that is what is going to make my review of these brushes appealing.  I have no mad skillz.  I'm just an average painter.

A while back, I was painting my Necrons with the brushes I got from citadel in the various Paint sets and the 'eavy metal set I had.  I have to say, I thought I was doing ok, until I started listening to the podcasts.  All of them, Screaming Heretic, Independent Characters you name it, I listen.  Whenever they talked about painting, they all stressed getting good brushes and taking care of them.  Well, I thought I had good brushes but then I heard and read an article on the Winsor-Newton Series 7 (WNS7) brushes.  I went to Dick Blick's and ordered a set of 4.  I have to say, there was an immediate improvement in my painting.  I also learned from the podcasts and articles not to paint with the tips, but the sides of the brushes.  Nifty trick there.

Badger Renegade Krome - The airbrush that makes me look good.

Yeah, that's it.  That's my new Airbrush.  The Badger Renegade Krome.  After listening to Joe from the Screaming Heretics (pre-Accident) and other podcasters, I decided to take the plunge.  Now listen, I'm not airbrush expert, not even that good really, but I am easily swayed to try things.  In the model railroad world, some podcasters convinced me to try the Iwata line of brushes, and I did.  I popped for an Iwata Revolution CR.  I like that brush, it's really nice, but I have to give the big nod to the Krome… WOW.  I got mine from MrJustin over at Secret Weapon Miniatures for a pretty decent price.

Mine came just like you see, a nice black box that housed the brush, plus an adaptor to go from the badger connector to the normal sized air connector, a spare needle, spare tip and a nozzle cover that was nub-less.  I shouldn't say spare needle and nozzle, since they are actually .33mm whereas the one installed is .21mm.  All told, you get quite a bit of awesome with this thing.  I ended up pulling out the fitted foam in favor of being able to store both the Iwata and the Krome in the same box.

The first thing I did with it was take it apart.  Remember, you don't really own it until you can take it apart and understand it enough to put it back together :).  Glad I did to, as advanced and great as this thing is, it needed lube.  After putting it back together, it worked a good bit smoother.