Imaginarium ~ The Murk

Word of the Day -- Plane (tool)

A hand plane is a tool for shaping wood. When powered by electricity, the tool may be called a planer. Planes are used to flatten, reduce the thickness of, and impart a smooth surface to a rough piece of lumber or timber. Planing is used to produce horizontal, vertical, or inclined flat surfaces on workpieces usually too large for shaping. Special types of planes are designed to cut joints or decorative mouldings.

Hand planes are generally the combination of a cutting edge, such as a sharpened metal plate, attached to a firm body, that when moved over a wood surface, take up relatively uniform shavings, by nature of the body riding on the 'high spots' in the wood, and also by providing a relatively constant angle to the cutting edge, render the planed surface very smooth. A cutter which extends below the bottom surface, or sole, of the plane slices off shavings of wood. A large, flat sole on a plane guides the cutter to remove only the highest parts of an imperfect surface, until, after several passes, the surface is flat and smooth. When used for flattening, bench planes with longer soles are preferred for boards with longer longitudinal dimensions. A longer sole registers against a greater portion of the board's face or edge surface which leads to a more consistently flat surface or straighter edge. Conversely, using a smaller plane allows for more localized low or high spots to remain.

Though most planes are pushed across a piece of wood, holding it with one or both hands, Japanese planes are pulled toward the body, not pushed away.

Woodworking machinery that perform the same function as hand planes include the jointer and the thickness planer, also called a thicknesser. When rough lumber is reduced to dimensional lumber, a large electric motor or internal combustion engine will drive a thickness planer that removes excess wood to create a uniform, smooth surface on all four sides of the lumber and may also plane the edges.

Grizzled Warrior

Ten years of grinding dungeon crawls, looting treasure troves, fighting monsters in the deep places of the earth.

Your youth is spent . . . .

 

Lego Star Wars!

Essays in Pop Culture

 Try Not to Think About It

Its best if you don't spend too much time trying to figure out the whys and wherefores of fantasy and science fiction worlds. They are what they are for a reason.

When you watch a western, you can look for realism. That makes sense. The movie is grounded in a genre that is real. The cowboys rode horses. The Cheyenne had large war bonnets. The trains belched smoke. But no one had giant mechanical spiders that they used to terrorize a community with (we're looking at you Wild Wild West). A little research in any number of books on dress and society can yield a vibrant field of exciting genre fiction.

Its different on the other side of the tracks.

In movies like Star Wars, or shows like the Walking Dead, the authors don't have to ground anything in realism. A little is good, but too much spoils the fun. Midi-chlorians were used to explain the force in the prequels. People were not thrilled with it (well the vocal ones were not). It took the mystical away form the Force and made it scientific...it explained the magic trick. And the magic trick was a little less magic after that. But none of it was necessary, no one really questioned what the force was. It was the Force.

Subtle explanation is better. When you watch the Walking Dead the characters don't seem to understand the world of the zombie...shoot them in the head you say! But from what I understand there are no zombies in pre-walker culture. There is no concept of the undead. So no one would know what to do. But this is never explained in the show. It doesn't matter. It doesn't need to be. Just leave it alone. Try not to think about it.

And that's really the rub here. Jaws was a horror movie. It wasn't a nature documentary. Sharks don't have the capacity to recognize people and hunt them individually (its more random, like in Sharknado). They have very limited emotional responses if at all. Jaws is a horror movie. Try not to think about it.

In short, whether creating or watching, try not to think too much about it. Just slip into the moment and run with Rick and crew from the walkers, or life the X-wing fighter out of the swap or swim like a mothers-son-of-a-bitch to get away from that shark!

Daily Cosplay

Kickstarter for 5th Edition Gamers!

All those who tread the paths of the wild, who crawl through the lost dark, plunder treasures of the ancients, must surely find themselves alone and bereft of friends. It is in those moments, when the cold creeps up your spine, and the hair rises, that you most need a stalwart companion at your side; a wolf to bare fangs, a named sword of cold steel and magic, an owl to see into the darkness, a muse to whisper songs of the ancients, a shadow... these are the companions you truly need.

5th Edition Familiars & Companions is the ultimate resource for all your familiars and companions. In a well balanced approach we bring the classic animal companion back to life. We restore the wizard's familiar to its prominent place. But there is so much more....

Trailer ~ Walking Dead

Imaginarium ~ Dying Light

Word of the Day -- Cloak

A cloak is a type of loose garment that is worn over indoor clothing and serves the same purpose as an overcoat; it protects the wearer from the cold, rain or wind for example, or it may form part of a fashionable outfit or uniform. Cloaks have been used by myriad historic societies; many climates favor wearing a full-body garment which is easily removed and does not constrain the wearer with sleeves. Over time cloak designs have been changed to match fashion and available textiles.

Cloaks generally fasten at the neck or over the shoulder, vary in length, from hip all the way down to the ankle, mid-calf being the normal length. They may have an attached hood, and may cover and fasten down the front, in which case they have holes or slits for the hands to pass through. However, cloaks are almost always sleeveless.

Movie Trailer ~ Forsaken

I love westerns! And with Keifer and Donald and Demi Moore! Heck yeah! And two observations...

1) I say this guy, that guy, looks good in the old west. I've come to the conclusion that everyone would look good in the old west. The clothing was awesome.

2) Demi Moore is just beautiful in this trailer.