Help fund the corruption of youth!

As both my readers (Dean and whoever the other person is) are aware I build catapults.  I do other stuff as well but the catapults are what defines my crazy according to Steven Den Beste As well as the building and the sharing of plans (to those who are polite when they ask) I also run events, attend other peoples events and other general “stuff”. Some times I get paid to do it, sometimes I pay to do it and on occasion I’m told I will get paid and I don’t.

My most recent effort did resulted in a couple of things, some nice video, an offer of an exhibition, an offer of land for WMD III, some more fame, a commitment to not do that event again and a $900 bath which being a student on $50/week I cannot afford. In fact that event ate my entire budget for building for the next 12 months, not to mention my text book money.

I actually had planned to not have a WMD event this year because of the poor turnout last year, but I was inundated with people asking about it and wanting to attend as well as being offered a really big property to run it on. I was also expecting the museum to give me a three machine display this year after last years was so popular, however they are in fact looking at hosting a full exhibition from August to October.So there’s years WMD could look a bit like the first one.

For me this means an enormous amount of work in writing all the display information, preparing the talks I’ll be giving and designing the exhibition as well as building two new large scale machines and 23 12th scale models. As an aside I also disscused my academic future with the powers that be and was given a tentative thumbs up for the concept of pre-gunpowder artillery for my Masters thesis.

Consequently the opportunity is obvious. As is the honking big $900 hole in my budget. If I am going to proceed with the exhibition I need to be able to purchase the materials for the new machines by April 3rd. Along side the exhibition a fair ammount of the cost of running the WMD will be coming out of my pocket. In theory it might happen that I make that money back if enough reenactors and/or schools attend. Experience leads me to be less than entirely optimistic about this. I mention schools because this year with the extra space I’ve opened the event up to include a schools catapult challenge. Schools in the area are being invited to enter five man teams and build a small trebuchet with a thowing arm no longer than 6′ and present their machine with its research material at the event and operate it against other schools. The winning machine will be going into the museum with my exhibition – asuming it takes place.

Hopefully they’ll end up with something a bit like this:

So if you see some value in allowing kids to learn about Weapons of Medieval Destruction and the culteral and historical value of such an exhibition please feel free to donate to the funding of these events. I’ll be publishing the names of all those who help out with the funding (unless otherwise requested) at the exhibition and on the main website (which will be getting updated shortly). If you get really excited and find a more substantial ammount down the back of the sofa then I’ll even add your company/site logo to the advertising and display material. Castle Argghhh! did and they got this:

They sponsored the building of Katie, my largest and most destructive machine (bing slightly more accurate and less likely to roll down the hill than Sir Isaac). Take advantage our the weak NZ$ get yourself a logo for the bargin basement price of $60! Build and entire machine for $300!

If you want to go nuts and sponsor the entire thing then there’s naming rights on offer and branding etc. We’ll talk. Meantime here’s a button to donate with and by all means go nuts on linking and/or hosting it yourself.

Thanks M.

Blacking out is actually kind of tricky with WP so this will have to do.

The legacy of anti-deomocratic labour is with us still.

Another revisionist historian talks shit.

The Jacobites were defeated at Culloden, Pittock says, because they were outnumbered, did not have their heavy cannons and tried to cross boggy ground.

Yes very nice, just the one small issue with your finding… it’s BOLLOCKS! The British won because the Jacobite army was exhausted after an all night blundering around in the scrub and not finding the enemy against the advice of my ancestor Lord George Murray, they were ifghting on unfavorable ground which required them to charge over open ground while exposed to prolonged fire whereas they performed much better in close country where they could get to grips quickly, they were deomoralised and divided with the McDonalds (my step-mothers family) refusing to charge after having their place on the right of the line taken by Murray (aformentioned ancestor), they were organised in clans groupings and their units were poorly disciplined leading to them breaking quickly when their leaders were killed which was often because they fought in the front rank, both these factors leading to a disorganised and fragmentary attack and finally because the British infantry (including the 1st Royal Scots the oldest regiment in the British army reffered to as Pontious Pilots Bodyguard) had been retrained to not attempt the bayonet the man in front of them but rather to go for the man to their right and get behind his shield. That would be the shield that you claim they didn’t have by the way. This seems to conflict with the physical evidence of shuch shields being well documented and every home having one.

If numbers were the key then why did only one Britsih regiment (the Argyle Militia, my fathers family) advance that day? Mainly against the Murrays (my mothers family – and you thought your family had issues!)

If there is one thing I really hate its bloody academics who thing history is their personal slinky to direct and manipulate at their leisure!

Murray Pittiock change your name!

Where do I send a cheque?

England’s biggest St George’s Day parade is facing the axe after councillors said many of those attending it were racist. (I don’t notice them doing DICK about the violent racist thugs I see walking the streets of England with signs demanding the beheading of those they don’t like – evidently everyone – and attacking police while they’re at it)

For the last decade up to 15,000 have assembled in the town of West Bromwich under the slogan ‘Forever England, For Everyone’.

Children and parents from all over the country parade through the Black Country town waving St George flags and marching to rousing anthems such as Jerusalem.

Organisers say one of the aims is to reclaim the Saint George Cross from Right-wingers and make it a source of pride for all.

But last night the local council, Labour-controlled Sandwell, voted to withdraw its support for the parade. Funds will go to support a Party in the Park instead.

It leaves parade organisers with what they say is the impossible task of raising £10,000 to cover their costs with only a few weeks to go.

I don’t think so Tim. These people are trying to amputate YOUR CULTRE! Find the money and make it happen. And wear one of these daily;

And heres some hardcore English “racism” for you.

Please think before you pick a name for your terrorist group.

We have enough trouble taking you dickheads serously but when you call yourself Moro Islamic Liberation Front you’re doomed to lifelong ridicule.

Tribute

It is part of nature that we all die. It is better that fathers die befoe their sons and there can be great satisfaction in a life fully lived as well as the relief from of physical pain. It still remains however one of the most painful experiences to lose the person who has always been there for you regardless of how much of a pain the ass you have been to them.

Andrew Ian Dodge pays tribute to his father.

Spare a thought.

The death toll is now confirmed to be 108. This will rise.

And keep in mind that a number of these fires were deliberately lit. I’m not interested in the pathology of bed wetting firestarters, Australia now has some of the worlds worst mass murderers on the loose.

Then why did they prosecute?

Its the job of the police to contrive charges now?

Arms Act charges against Christchurch Symphony Orchestra horn player Bernard David Shapiro have been described as “a raft of technical strategems” by the judge hearing the case.

“There’s no real crime here,” said Judge John Cadenhead after hearing another day of evidence and legal submissions in the case, which now dates back 22 months since Shapiro’s arrest.

If Mr Shapiros lawyer has any nouse he’ll be going the cops I’m thinking. I’m also thinking it’s fairly safe to assume he’s not an Islamic terrorist hmm? A radical group of separatist brass instrument musicians perhaps?

And thats how we do that.

Ok heres the high res  stills:

Heres the video.

The range is 300′. I can design and build the machines, I can hit the damn target repeatedly and guess what this does attract the crowds attention. So somebody sponsor me please. Thank you, that is all.

Images and video are property of Imaginos Films, don’t nick em or I’ll come for you and if I can see your house I can hit it.

Dude! Where’s my trebuchet?

So anyway a lot of stuff happened of the weekend, some of it will be the subject of a review board I’m sure. However there was at least one amsuing moment in it. “Artillery Hill” is so named because its on a slight rise. We had enough flat space for both the large trebuchet and although Sir Isaac rolls we tested several times and the machine stayed on the flat.

However during the final display of the afternoon we were shooting away as normal when Sir Isaac decided to roll forward just enough to begin to roll down the hill. As the crew are trained to watch the ball so that they can get out of the way in the event of a sling failure they were hawkishly peering down range at where their shot had gone while Sir Isaac was begining his own road trip to go visit the impact zone.

The expression on the faces of the crew when they looked back and saw an empty space where their machine been was pricelss and the sight of them running after the machine and dragging it back kept the audience ammused.

Photo Errol Cavit Imaginos Films

Note for future events: Put the stop blocks down BEFORE the public arrive.