What's on your mind today?

[jumbojak]

Well, the blower for my forge burned up on Friday which means that I won't be able to do any work with actual steel. In a way that's a good thing though, as I've been practicing with modeling clay and can bang out a tong blank in just a few minutes. Drawing out reigns (basically handles) is tricky with clay, but I think I have it just about figured out at this point.

So once I have a better blower - looking into getting a squirrel cage if I can find an old HVAC system to scrounge off of - I'll be fairly well set to start making a pair of tongs a day for the next month or so. Once I have that down I'll be working towards making a rounding hammer and a better cutoff tool and then I can start making some more general use tools like punches and chisels.

Actually, that hammer might have to wait. I really want one but I'm probably getting ahead of myself. By the way, anybody interested in coat hooks or pot hangers?

[xSilverPhinx]

Rancid yogurt might work. A rather standard device for public speakers with stage fright is to imagine the people you are addressing are wearing no clothes. The mental image of some fat guy, with his belly fat  flopping around, is easy to dismiss as a judgmental sort. For a more severe mental image, imagine that the audience members all have diarrhea caused by a bad batch of sushi.

Keep your confidence and do believe that you are as competent as any of them and more competent than some of them.  In some cases a modicum of arrogance is useful.

Thanks for the tips, Icarus

My presentation went fine, I was able to say everything I wanted to say without major problems. I just spoke a little too fast but the audience and judges understood me fine.  I was told by one person that he had never understood the subject matter before I explained it in my PowerPoint  slides, which made me feel even happier. 

I feel great, I love these post-presentation highs! 

[Magdalena]

My presentation went fine, I was able to say everything I wanted to say without major problems. I just spoke a little too fast but the audience and judges understood me fine.  I was told by one person that he had never understood the subject matter before I explained it in my PowerPoint  slides, which made me feel even happier. 

I feel great, I love these post-presentation highs! 

[Essie Mae]

 Congratuations Silver Phinx. I'm guessing you were nervous because you care so much. 

[Magdalena]

Is anybody else gonna get a Halloween costume this year?
Bruno de la Pole is wearing his already, so I went and got mine. 

[Tank]

Is anybody else gonna get a Halloween costume this year?
Bruno de la Pole is wearing his already, so I went and got mine. 

YOU CALLED?

[Sandra Craft]

I feel great, I love these post-presentation highs! 

Excellent!  Did you have to picture anybody naked?

[Pasta Chick]

I got my dog an Elsa costume from Frozen because it was $6 and the neighborhood kids adore her - they bike next to use sometimes when I run her down the street. But the XL is still too small!! Wtf - she only weighs like 42 lb at the very most!

[Essie Mae]

I know we're nearly all unbelievers here, but maybe we should have someone to confess to when we act fall from grace. Asmo ould fit the bill,but he can be rather intimidating. When I was staying with my baby granddaughter recently, she often gave me books to read with her, and a favourite was a children's version of Noah's Ark. (She's only 17 months, but enjoys picture books). Another was a truly dreadful book of Christian versions of nursery rhymes which she liked to listen to because of the rhyming sounds. I succeeded in avoiding them mostly, but sometimes my daughter-in-law would suggest I read them. I was her 30 years ago and would have been incandescent if anyone had undermined Christianity to my kids, so there it is, mea culpa, I confess.

[Guardian85]

Is anybody else gonna get a Halloween costume this year?
Bruno de la Pole is wearing his already, so I went and got mine. 

I'm in. 

[Icarus]

You are surely a very nice lady Essie Mae. Good on you for reading to the little one, even if it was of a Christian bent.

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(goddamned spelling corrector refuses to let me spell Christian with a lower case C.  My freakin' computer is narrow minded and bigoted. That must be a republican ploy to make me a believer.  Aha!  I notice that the speller thingy let me use a forbidden profanity without upper case. )

[Magdalena]

(goddamned spelling corrector refuses to let me spell Christian with a lower case C.  My freakin' computer is narrow minded and bigoted. That must be a republican ploy to make me a believer.  Aha!  I notice that the speller thingy let me use a forbidden profanity without upper case. )

I tend to notice those little things when I've had mucho vino. 

[Siz]

goddamned spelling corrector refuses to let me spell Christian with a lower case C.

Why would it? It's still a proper noun. You americans and your funny double standards...

[xSilverPhinx]

Congratuations Silver Phinx. I'm guessing you were nervous because you care so much. 

Yes. Also because I take care not to make a total fool out of myself when all eyes are on me, I do that often enough when no one's paying attention.   

Excellent!  Did you have to picture anybody naked?

LOL no, there was no need for that. To be honest I totally forgot that tactic! 

[Buddy]

Is anybody else gonna get a Halloween costume this year?
Bruno de la Pole is wearing his already, so I went and got mine. 

My uni puts on a Halloween party every year  and my family and I are going to see Crimson Peak on Halloween night so I thought I would bust out the liquid latex and scar wax and go as something gory.