I just completed reading this little tome, presumably the “final” book by WFB, one which he was working on at the time of his death on February 27, 2008. 

As others have voiced elsewhere, this by no means is intended to be a substantive discussion of, or defense of, Ronald Reagan.  Rather, as its title aptly illustrates, it merely provides insight into the side of Ronald Reagan (actually, the Reagans) which William F. Buckley, Jr. knew to be, perhaps, the “real” Reagan.  This is not to suggest that Reagan’s public “persona” was remarkably different; rather, it suggests that when Reagan the politician/President was behind closed doors, he was an incredibly “down-to-earth” gentleman, possessed with amazing wit and intelligence, as well as a steadfast dedication to the principles of Conservatism and those upon which our nation was founded.

Particularly enjoyable were the years of letters, back and forth, between Ronald Reagan and WFB and Nancy Reagan and WFB.  These letters not only provide insight into the politicking of the varying eras (i.e., from Reagan’s governorship, onwards to his presidency), but also evidence the profound friendship which existed between these individuals, as well as the profound respect each held for the other.  Admittedly, one can find many more letters in the book “Reagan: A Life in Letters.”  That book offers many more letters, also between Reagan and WFB, and contains the complete texts of such letters, as many were condensed for the book presently being reviewed.  Nonetheless, it was still great to (re) read all these letters, compiled together, in one little book.

Equally wonderful to read was the Panama Canal Debate (i.e., on the ratification of the Panama Canal Treaties) between Reagan and Buckley which took place on Buckley’s “Firing Line” television program.  For a glimpse into this debate, see WFB’s closing comments here:

Truly a wonderfully inspiring debate to read (in the book), as well as to watch; reading/witnessing perhaps the most brilliant minds of Conservatism debating, one cannot help but be moved.

For those looking for an in-depth analysis of Reagan the man, Reagan the President, etc., definitely look elsewhere.  For those looking to just obtain a fleeting glimpse into the decades-long friendship which existed between these remarkable men and their families, definitely pick this book up.  As of this posting, the Conservative Book Club is offering this book for the amazing price of $1.00.  Certainly such a price will not last, so if you cannot (or otherwise do not want to) obtain a copy from your local library, by all means, pick up a copy from the fine folks at the CBC.

Converting my 6th ed Beast of Chaos army into a 7th ed army lead me to adding a Battle Standard Bearer.  Wanting something quick and inexpensive, I converted a Chaos Warrior body with Beastman arms, legs and head.  Most of the work was done with side clippers & exacto – with the warrior cape covering up most of the damage to the knees.  A small ball of putty supports the head, together with a few strokes of the sculpting tool to blend in the new neck.  All told, I may have spent more time digging in my bitz box for parts than working on the figure.

Beastman Battle Standard Bearer

I am a restless little git that has a bug for either creating game settings whole cloth or modifying existing ones, and I am also the sort of designer/folder/spindler/mutilator that for some reason likes to have multiple plates spinning at once. Therefore, I’ve decided to add another little thought experiment project to my current Legend of the Archons system creation. If I actually play the thing, I’ll probably use a slightly modified version of LoA’s FATE system.

But what is it that I have decided to create? I’m so glad that you asked, even if you did not.

I have decided to take the world of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and advance it up to a Victorian time period, and therefore a pretty solidly steampunk tech level rather than a realiztic victorian tech level (hey, this is Warhammer, after all – everything always has to be dialed up to 11). It will be specifically a variant on the first-edition WFRP world where my ancient and longrunning WFRP campaign, the Legacy of the Gods, is set, and takes some major historical events (and their speculative future consequences) of that campaign into account. Also, it will feature a fusion of magic and (mad)science a bit like a more advanced and stable cousin to Skaven Warlock Engineering crossed with steam engines. Provisionally I am calling this magitek cousin “Rune Engineering,” though if anybody has a better name for that then I’m certainly game. Note that the campaign world in question was one that we started playing prior to the introduction of things like imperial steam tanks and dwarf ironclads, so the steampunk elements that we do currently see in WFB’s Empire don’t exist in the history of this Warhammer World variant though of course similar things will exist in this more Victorian version where they’re a trifle less anachronistic in feel.

I’m sure that I’ll post a lot more about it to this blog, because that’s how I roll. Given that I’m also planning on posting about the abortive AD&D 3.5 setting I designed a few years back but never posted anywhere online, that will make 3 concurrent design projects being blathered about on my blog. Yay!

Anyhow, on to the point of this post.

I’ve been trying to decide what to call my warhammer steampunk project, and have a number of ideas but I’m not necessarily satisfied with them. Hence, a poll!

Za oknem ucichły już dźwięki imprezy u sąsiadów. Jest tylko 6 stopni na plusie – na całonocne biesiady przyjdzie więc jeszcze poczekać. Nic tak nie pomaga w śnie letnią porą, jak muzyka disco-polo (przeżywająca w Polsce spektakularny come-back) i dźwięk stukających o siebie butelek z piwem. Zwłaszcza, jeśli latem Twój pokój na poddaszu, z zewnątrz kryty blachodachówką, jest tak nagrzany, że po prostu musisz spać przy otwartym oknie.

Ze zrezygnowaniem sączę piwo i patrzę na przepisane dziś wieczór notatki. To dopiero 1/9 materiału, a Word bezlitośnie wyświetla 4 strony przy interlinii 1. Nie ma szans się wyrobić, moją jedyną nadzieją jest trafić w pytania. Współczesne Teorie Socjologiczne – zdaniem mgra B.K., „przedmiot, którego zdanie jest równoznaczne z ukończeniem tych studiów”. Roboczo rozwijamy na naszym roku ten skrót jako Wielką Twardą Stuleję.

Teoretycznie został tydzień, praktycznie – trzeba pozaliczać fakultety, oddać projekt badawczy, odbyć szkolenie dla członków komisji wyborczych (załapałem się, a jak – 160 zł piechotą nie chodzi), a nade wszystko – przygotować turniej. To wymaga przeniesienia blatów w liczbie 50, każdy muszą nieść dwie osoby, rozstawienia ławek, załatwienia nagłośnienia, zrobienia zakupów, wydrukowania mapek i kart graczy, odebrania gości z dworca (szykuje się rekord frekwencji), przenocowania ich, zapewnienia rozrywek, sędziowania, nagród, wyżywienia i tysiąca innych rzeczy. Proceder cudownie męczący, nie niosący żadnych korzyści i satysfakcjonujący jak żaden inny – startowaliśmy od kompletnego zera, bez sprzętu i doświadczenia. Dzięki uporowi mamy całe potrzebne zaplecze, znakomite warunki do gry, renomę i najważniejsze – prawo do organizacji Mastera w sezonie 2009/2010. Ten – już w grudniu. Trzy lata żeśmy się o to starali, walcząc z uprzedzeniami i koalicją Polski zachodniej, wyjątkowo opornie jeżdżącej dalej, niż do Konina („Na wschód od Konina, Azja się zaczyna!”). Zachowując proporcje – dla światka WFB to wydarzenie porównywalne z awansem Jagiellonii do Ekstraklasy, rozpoczęciem budowy Rail Baltici (bo Via… chyba nigdy nie powstanie), czy transmitowaniem lokalnych Juwenaliów na żywo przez ogólnopolską TV (co dotąd nie nastąpiło). Damy radę. Bo kto, jeśli nie my? Wszak „chłopaki z Białego robią najlepsze turnieje w kraju” . Mogliby jeszcze zacząć najlepiej zdawać egzaminy i kolokwia…

Kolejny pomeczowy poniedziałek, kolejny odcinek audycji sportowej o wdzięcznej nazwie „Dogrywka”. W studio Akadery kończymy z Michałem rozmowę z Dariuszem Jareckim – lewym pomocnikiem Jagi. Słuchawki z uszu, uścisk dłoni – i punkt nieprzewidziany. Okazuje się, że Michał ma znajomego 12-latka, który strasznie mocno kibicuje i bardzo, ale to bardzo chciałby dostać autograf. Rozmówca przez chwilę się zastanawia i odmawia. Odmawia, bo po co dzieciakowi podpis na jakiejś wyrwanej kartce z zeszytu? W końcu klub niedawno dał zawodnikom takie fajne widokówki, przecież przyjemniej jest dostać coś takiego. Szkopuł w tym, że nasz gość ma je w domu, ale nie ma sprawy – podpisze i podrzuci nam do studia.

Panie Darku, wiem, że nigdy Pan tego nie przeczyta, ale – szacuneczek. W takich sytuacjach wraca mi wiara w ludzi.

Photo courtesy of lpadgett

For those of you in the Washington DC area, don’t forget about White Ford Bronco tomorrow night at the Tortoise & Hare in Crystal City. Show starts at 9:30pm. WFB calls itself “DC’s premier 90s cover band,” and with a new guitarist and vocalist, they’re bound to be better than ever. (Disclaimer: I am personally biased here, if I do say so myself.)

The picture above was taken at the December 2008 WFB Wonderland Ballroom Show.

Since I’m testing out the new post by email feature, I figured I’d post a picture of my favorite 90s cover band:

White Ford Bronco

They’ll be playing May 23rd, 2009 at the Tortoise and Hare in Crystal City, Virginia from 9:30pm until close!

One year ago William F. Buckley Jr. passed away. For those of you who don’t know who Buckley was this post should give you a glimpse.

Buckley and Reagan

George Will said, “before there was Ronald Reagan there was Barry Goldwater, before there was Goldwater there was National Review, and before there was National Review there was William F. Buckley.” Anyone who ascribes themselves to be conservative in anyway owes a debt of gratitude to Buckley. If not for him America could look like France right now. Buckley is credited for starting the conservative movement. He formed the alliance between social conservatives, fiscal conservatives and foreign policy conservatives and used the alliance to fight the threat of liberalism in America.

He started the bi-weekly magazine called National Review. In it’s first issue he wrote this:

“It is not that, of course; if NATIONAL REVIEW is superfluous, it is so for very different reasons: It stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it.”

“It stands athwart to history, yelling Stop” are famous words and are still used today in conservative circles to embody the movement.

He was a wordsmith and a great debater. He would take on anyone, anywhere. He loved to take on critics:

“Mr. Buckley,” one non-fan wrote in 1967, “you are the mouthpiece of that evil rabble that depends on fraud, perjury, dirty tricks, anything at all that suits their purposes. I would trust a snake before I would trust you or anybody you support.”

Responded Buckley: “What would you do if I supported the snake?”

He was a fighter:

Clip

He had unshakable faith:

PLAYBOY: Don’t most dogmas, theological as well as ideological, crumble sooner or later?

BUCKLEY: Most, but not all.

PLAYBOY: How can you be so sure?

BUCKLEY: I know that my Redeemer liveth.

I encourage you to follow this link to National Review to read some of his articles and learn about his life.

Both authors of this site credit him for being one of the most influential people in their ideas and philosophies. We are truly standing on his shoulders when we defend the noble idea of Conservatism.

Święta idą wielkimi krokami, ale nawet nie mam czasu, żeby je dobrze poczuć. W sobotę po południu będę zrelaksowanym człowiekiem, gdy z poczuciem dobrze spełnionego obowiązku pomacham Robertowi, Irkowi i Sławkowi, idąc z uniwerku na autobus i rozkoszując się perspektywą prawie 3 tygodni laby .

Łódź zaliczona (duże rozczarowanie estetyczne) i bez fałszywej skromności można powiedzieć, że Białystok coraz mocniej zaznacza swoją obecność na mapie polskiego WFB. Dla uczciwości, póki co – nie za moją sprawą , ale trening czyni mistrza. Dobrze pamiętam, jak pół roku temu najlepszy z nas miał duże wątpliwości, czy kiedykolwiek wskoczy do pierwszej dziesiątki. Dziś jest pewniakiem do reprezentacji Polski na najbliższych mistrzostwach Europy, co jest wg mnie wystarczającym komentarzem nt. wartości uporu, determinacji i paru innych trudnych terminów psychologicznych. Front Wschodni przesuwa się w kierunku reszty kraju, zobaczymy w którym miejscu będziemy za dwa lata. Jestem dobrej myśli.

So yesterday I spent the entire day gaming with my oldest son.  We arrived a Talons Hideout when they opened at 10:00 am and stayed until 2:00 am.  I promised my son an entire day of gaming since I will be missing his 13th birthday and heading to Las Vegas for the GT.

We got some Lord of the Rings games in, and then he played some Warmachine with other players there.

While he was playing Warmachine, Ian had swung by and we got a game of Fantasy Battles in.  It was my first Fantasy game in 4 years, and the first with 7th Edition.  I had a great time playing and shaking off the cobwebs.  Ian was playing Orks with no Magic, and I was playing my Dwarves (obviously with no magic).  So with both of us without Magic, it was Move, Shoot, Combat, which I enjoyed.  I was never a fan of the Magic phase.  Well the Dwarves prevailed and like I said had a fun game against Ian.

Later in the evening, another friend of mine Gyan had showed up.  Gyan came by so I can teach how to play LotR and so we can get a game of 40K in.  In LotR he played my Wood Elves and my son played his Gondor force.  For Gyan’s first game he took down Gondor and seemed to enjoy himself.  Afterwards he says he will be building a Rivendell army.

After the LotR game, Gyan and I threw down for some 40K.  This was going to be my first game at 5th Edition.  I needed to get some practice games before 9/20/08 since thats when the next 40k Tourney I’ll be attending.  We played “Capture and Control on a Pitched Battlefield”.  Gyan was playing his Dark Angels Deathwing and I was playing my Dark Angels as Vanilla Marines.  The game ended up being a Draw.  It was fun playing Gyan, but it was an alright game.  Only because now everything gets a 4+ save.  Even tanks.

Well 2:00 am came around and it was a long day and time to get home.

Three champions of chaos converted from various bits and pieces.  The Undivided Champion’s body is a metal chariot rider, with an arm from the mutation sprue and an sword from the Chaos Warrior kit.  The Khorne Champion is built with parts from the old Chaos Warrior plastics and the chaos mutation sprue with a torso and shoulder pad from the Marauders kit.  The Nurgle champion is once again built using the old Chaos Warrior bits plus the head and guts from the zombie kit and what I think is an ork arm.