Before my current lead addiction I spend my days following my local hardcore punk community. This is true especially for the years 1988-1995. Before them I was a metal-head but of black and thrash fringe. As my most relevant activities of that period, I realised a couple of fanzines, was a regular writer for a magazine, and helped with a record label. Nowadays I still hear a lot of music: hardcore punk, oi!, black metal and power electronics. I was very involved with hardcore music. Well, it is more than music, it was my life, because hardcore is not a form of music but an aptitude. A young movement, but a strong one. You cannot understand it if you are used to mainstream music, it is a matter of live in a unconventional way hearing unconventional music. And “music” is not the right word, “noise” is better, because it is the sound of rage.

A couple of years ago, a young veteran of my local community (when I was around he was just an adolescent) thought to film a documentary on that world, realising various interviews with crucial people from Roma hardcore community of that years, with a focus on the 1989-1999 period. After a lot of time he edited the material and now it is a film.

I went to a modern art museum (!!!) to see this documentary, screened for two months during an art exhibition. It is weird to go to a museum to see a piece of your life! And it is an institutional art museum, as if my life and that of my mates were involved in some art project. I wasn’t interviewed but I hoped that some part of me or my work was present in the pit (the name of the place below the stage) among other faces. Nothing, I wasn’t there. Pity! I saw only some group photos that I took: I was the “official photographer” of the community, so I was always behind the objective! Those photos were in the official catalogue of the show too, obviously without my name. This is the sad way of the photographer…

This documentary is not for commerce. I didn’t repeat this nostalgia moment with another screening session. But I wish to buy a copy to search better my face among the crowd…

More informations about the film on the website www.rmhc-film.com.

Then a photographic book was edited about these years in the left fringe of the Roman skinhead community. This time I can find myself in the pit. But only by shoulder and a little of my face. However maybe it was the last live gig that I saw, a couple of years ago. Time flies.

Some days ago I was thinking about a way to storage my new 28mm miniatures. Now they are hidden in a lot of spare boxes without order and disciple. I need a new solution. So I visited IKEA catalogue to find ideas. Then I wrote to TMP board to start a brainstorming. This the dialogue:

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mass mosc – 15 Feb 2013 2:48 a.m. PST

I’m looking for something small to storage some 28mm miniatures. Something to put inside a closet. I find this one from IKEA:
ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/70198031

Calculating an occupied area of about 2cmx2cm per each miniature, with this storage form I could found space for almost 825 miniatures. Not the definitive solution, but almost something…

It is in metal, but can it stand my heavy miniatures? What do you think?

In meantime I found this blog where a girl utilise it for inks:
itsascrappylifeforme.blogspot.it/2012/04/kvissle-bless-you.html

Your opinions, please…

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The Editor of TMP – 15 Feb 2013 3:17 a.m. PST

Won’t keep out the dust, will it?

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Chrixter2 – 15 Feb 2013 3:28 a.m. PST

To temporarily store stuff while working on them it may work. However, as a more permanent solution you want to keep dust away so any open solution is a no-no. Furthermore, if you fill it with miniatures and then want to move it somewhere, well, that will not have a happy ending!

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johnpreece – 15 Feb 2013 4:37 a.m. PST

I have used these and like them.
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00107874/
they take the weight of cavalry and are deep enough for standards etc. they are fairly sturdy and incredibly cheap.

It is a more bulky option where space is at a premium and the paint does flake a little when the sides of the drawer are bent into shape so not for a damp envionment where rust could be a problem.

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Mick in Switzerland – 15 Feb 2013 5:33 a.m. PST

I also use the Ikea HELMER metal drawer unit on castors as John Preece recommends. I have six of them.

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DColtman – 15 Feb 2013 5:39 a.m. PST

Another vote for the Helmer, I have one and would like to have more. Bonus if your bases are magnetized.

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Extra Crispy – 15 Feb 2013 7:39 a.m. PST

I buy nice cardboard boxes in bulk then apply nice labels. Attractive, cheap, easy to replace, lightweight.

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TMPWargamerabbit – 15 Feb 2013 7:58 a.m. PST

I use Apple boxes cut down and painted a common green shade with nice pictures on box lid ends. The boxes come from the local store by asking the produce manager. Some of them are now almost 40 years old and stack nicely since they are the same size. The excess cardboard material is use to double line the bottom and create “separation walls” grid in each box for the units.

WR

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mass mosc – 15 Feb 2013 12:21 p.m. PST

I’m waiting the spring to reorganise all my little boys… I’m still confuse about where to put them… A big space problem for little things.

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religon – 15 Feb 2013 12:43 p.m. PST

I too use Apple boxes, but mine are the ones laptop computers ship it. They are deep enough without being overly so. They also have a tough plastic veneer making them very strong.

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Brandlin – 15 Feb 2013 5:42 p.m. PST

825 minis is over 12kg of weight. Those shelves will certainly bend, but I doubt they will fail.

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bsrlee – 16 Feb 2013 2:07 a.m. PST

It would actually make a good core for a transport case for magnetically based figures if they weren’t going too far. Airline baggage handlers would destroy just about anything – DAMHIK.

If you are worried about the shelves bending it would not be too difficult to glue thin ply or hardboard (masonite) to the shelves – even underneath works it you want the magnetic effect to remain. Just use a rubbery glue like contact cement not PVA or a wood-to-wood glue.

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Rogzombie – 16 Feb 2013 8:37 a.m. PST

The Helmer looks nice. I am very limited on space now and this might be a great solution. I think several of these would even fit in my gaming closet. I live 2 miles from Ikea, I should go have a look.

Thanks for the ideas. I have come into a very tight living condition and forgot how Ikea specializes in this. A shopping trip is in order…the only problem, no money!!!!

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Rogzombie – 16 Feb 2013 8:40 a.m. PST

Uh, just for the record, dont buy Ikea stuff else where such as amazon they hiked an extra $30.00 USD on the damn thing plus a bunch of shipping 🙁

I looked because amazon often has free shipping and lower prices. Not on Ikea stuff apparently…

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Gokiburi – 16 Feb 2013 11:50 a.m. PST

I just picked up a Helmer a few days ago, I really like it so far. (I’m hoping that the flaking paint issue that johnpreece mentioned doesn’t become a problem)
Those long drawers hold a suprising amount of figures, and they’re also very attracted to magnets: my Yu Ching are hard to remove without damaging them. (I may have to figure out a way to swap out some of their magnets for weaker ones)

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Rwphillipsstl – 16 Feb 2013 11:53 a.m. PST

Really Useful Boxes have various sized boxes that are strong and are stackable, and come in various colors. Perfect, though can get more pricey if you have a large collection.

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johnpreece – 17 Feb 2013 5:28 a.m. PST

Goiburu

I have had 5 for about 18 months, as I live 500 yds from the sea and every thing rusts I was worried about the bare metal.

I gave the corners and runners a light spray of silicon lubricant and they are still absolutely mint conditon. The drawers also glide perfectly with heavy figures inside. In fact there is so litle resistance you have to be careful not to give it a tug ad send the contents over the floor. Fantastic stuff and about £3.00 GBP-4 a can.

Young women protested against Silvio B., but maybe they could obtain only a Minister position from him. Almost 1 person on 3 people voted for Silvio. It is sad, it is Italy. 20 years of regime and still going…

Today is Giovedì Grasso, one of the two major Carnevale days. So I want to propose this extravaganza about half naked gladiatrices! We are speaking about a comic by JulianApostate. Fighting women are a classic kinky topic and this comic about gladiatrices is setted in the Roman world. You can find the comic here.

From the paper to the screens. If the Avengers and superheroes have got their films so even Ultimate Gladiatrix have got a flick! This one is a 18 minutes production by Amazon Warriors, a photographer and film maker web based and specialised on fighting girls. This time his models staff fight and kill in the arena. You can buy it here. Below some screenshots to admire the technical fighting skills of these young girls.

Only a brief note to communicate the creation of a new blog dedicated to the Flashing Steel rules published by Ganesha Games. If you like pirates, musketeers, sword and gun action, these rules are for you. So go to: https://flashingsteel.wordpress.com/

After two years Pabogel is in Rome again! Two pavilions in the nowhere land of the Fair of Rome. The entry was restricted only to professional food operators, but I have got a special card to get to every fair. The main food typologies were pizza, fried, croissants, ice creams, coffee. It is all very interesting…

This fair is the opportunity to eat great food for free. A competition about pizza was held in the fair, so you could eat pizzas from master chefs. Or you eat it or we throw it away. I sacrifice myself and eat as pizza as possible to my stomach.

Traditional pizza is cooked in wood stove. So this company is selling electric ovens disguised as wood stoves. Tree stumps are furnished to camouflage the truth! With the wood stove the taste is different, more bitter, and the consistency is harder, but pizza made with electric oven is good the same. The real difference are ingredients and leavening with natural rising agents. Often these are the weak part in a pizza, not the oven!

Various fresh croissants and strudels, ready for the oven. They were selling machines to industrially produce them. So the frozen product is sold to vendors that cook it as their homemade product.

The great revelation: the crisps machine! So we can understand as they are made! They were even selling an automatic crisps machine for movable vending stands. From the potato to the hot crisps in your hands.

We know this Kanon coffee from Naples only because they are present in the fair. Every time they promote themselves with the use of gorgeous South-Americans stand assistants. Another reason to go to fairs is to watch female stand assistants. The only remark is that for a food fair you expect rubicund female cooks, a sign of good appetite, while here you could see only slim girl with bare thighs. I appreciate them for sure, but they are a sign of anorexia indeed.

I still have got some posts about 2012 events like this one. So I’m late about my things but I want to show all to you. After these kind of posts more arenas and little soldiers.

In this moment of the year we count the passed years and think to future years. This is also the moment to set our projects for the new year. Here I only speak on things related to this hobby even if there are other (and sometimes more important) things in my mind…

Let’s start with the projects of the past year:

-Ferrum et Gloria:
to complete the rules.
Undone!
It is a four year old project now! I have got the arena, I have got the miniatures, I have got the rules. Now I have to write them on paper and publish them in 2013!!!

-Flyton:
building of the city and playing with it.
Undone!
Flyton is empty. The viaduct is still missing. I hope I build the city this year. In MDF I suppose. I write exactly these words the last year.

-Big battle with ancients:
rules for a large skirmish with ancients
Undone!
We work a lot on Song of Spear and Shield but we transformed it in something with a littler scale.

-Street demonstration:
cops against angry people, with my rules.
Undone!
Too much to do. Another time, maybe another life.

-Temple:
an Etruscan temple as scene for Song of Spear and Shield.
Undone!
It is only a matter of space. Where can I put a temple inside my little house? I don’t know, but I want it.

-Song of Void and Stars:
the naval game set among stars.
Undone!
Still in playtest. Maybe an aborted project.

It seems as a defeat but this is only part of my dreams. In the meantime I have got lots of new painted miniatures, I fought at tournaments (one cup and half this year), I visited military museums, I participated to conventions as vendor and demonstration staff, I helped so much Ludica Roma to see the light, I developed Ferrum et Gloria, I realised a beautiful war-board-game called Zen Garden, I ran lots of playtesting for Ganesha Games so much that some games are now even my games, I had fun with this hobby.

New projects for the future from my sick mind to add to the old projects:

-Mercoledì delle Ceneri:
I like the Carnevale game but I want to create something different using Song engine. Late in 2013.

-Blog:
I have to stop to do all this work on the blog. Less posts, more play, more writing, more life.

See you here along all this new year! Happy new year!

It is Christmas time and in Rome there was the annual fair about handicraft and regional foods. More than ten years ago I participated with one game stand a couple of times. It was called “Natale Oggi” (Christmas Today) when we were in the old fair structures inside the city, while now it is called “Arti & Mestieri” (Arts and Crafts) in the new fair along the Tiber valley.

My first beer after some time. It was my first exit after my allergic reaction that lasted two weeks due to stress: I run three different jobs. In the morning I visited the Happymodel fair about railway modelling and 54mm soldiers for collectors. Sorry, I took some stuff but I didn’t take photos because I was late. Then I was in this other fair. I bought some gifts for my family. There was a lot of good traditional food: cheese, jam, beer, oil, sausages,…

This was the place where a Guinness record was established: the biggest pizza. And it was edible to coeliac people too. This pizza was cooked a couple of days before so nothing remains. They ate it all! Pity!

Another event was inside the fair, an international beer exposition. A good idea ruined by the policy of high prices, among other idiocies as sloppiness and the distant place where they put it. These the rules to drink: 20cl of beer for 12 euro; 3 euro more for each additional 20cl. But they gave to you a glass and a book. Well, this is not the snob wine market, this is beer, another way to drink! Moreover the nearest snack or other kind of food was 10 minutes walk far. How you can drink without nothing to eat? And the fair is reachable by car at most, so after all that alcohol you cannot drive.

The result: 420 kinds of beers, 40 cash registers and 40 paying people.