Bill

Save a cookie for me too. That thread had me biting my lip. 

Haha!

KP was right unintentionally. That's funny!

I wish I had half his passion and all my wits about me.

Ken...

is probably the best ambassador this hobby has going, likable accomplished and always enthusiastic.

He hit on the nature of ops, without really acknowledging it, that it is work but simulated work that gives us little kids a chance to blow the whistle, be the conductor or engineer, and have fun working out the day to day problems a railroad faces. 

Rick, once in awhile I get a little too steamed and blow it off, I'll gladly share a cookie!!

Peace Bill

I seem to be lucky in that I

I seem to be lucky in that I don't see many of the anger posts. I only see the contrition follow-ons.

It does make me feel like I'm hearing only half the conversation, though...

@dwilliam

Don't get me wrong, I love KP. I watch his program every month the first day it comes out. I just can't wrap my head around his reckless abandon for the hobby. Half the time he looks like he rolled out of bed and put on a sport coat to do the show. And his wife must go crazy trying to find all of her reading glasses!

There are two jobs in this world that would not feel like work to me: Myth Busters and whatever it is that Ken does. 

Myth Busters....

Yeah, Ken is like the kid in school that had the cool parties, never knew what was happening but was always fun!

KP does draw a great number of viewers and never seems to have a bad thing to say, but he has some incredible photo work and his layout is intriguing...bucket list guy to hang out with!

Peace, Bill

Mark

No worries I suffer from chronic foot-in-mouth disease, so I always seem to post things I regret later!

@dwilliam1963

About Ken Patterson

Ken and I talk a lot and one thing we agree on is the need to focus on the positive and stay upbeat.

One rule I have when it comes to negative comments about products — never just trash a vendor or their products. Be honest, if a product or vendor has a flaw, help them save face if you choose to bring up a flaw. Also talk to the vendor about the problem first — they may have a replacement policy or an after market solution.

For example, let’s say some unique new passenger car models turn out to have warped body shells. Talk to the vendor first about it. Then when you review the model for our readers, describe the issue and discuss ways to correct the issue. After all, the passenger cars are not available anywhere else, so it helps the hobby to show modelers who really want these cars how to get them anyway and correct them.

Also, some negative views of vendors or products are just opinion ... the old Chevy vs Ford kind of opinion. Ken and I prefer to stay out of those squabbles.

One thing I’ll say about Ken, he’s a doer. Many people talk about what should be done ... but it’s mostly talk. Ken gets out and does it. We will talk about some wild idea I have, Ken and I, and the next thing I know, Ken calls me with plans to do it in a future Whats Neat.

How many other modelers have over 400 covers to their name?

One reason Ken does is he proactively calls up publishers and offers to do a cover piece for them — and then he’s like a house afire building the models and diorama and delivers many great images to pick from. Ken really delivers, that’s why.

Ken will try most anything ... any setting, any era. I love Ken’s can-do attitude. Ken’s anything but an armchair guy — he’s the exact opposite, and I like that.

KP

I hope no one took my remarks as disparaging. When I said "whatever Ken does" I was really referring to the incredible amount of endeavors he's involved in, not that he doesn't do anything! He's kind of a hero of mine because he does get stuff done. Sometimes I'm stymied on my layout, felling like some task is just too much to deal with, and then I watch him install track and scenic 15 feet of layout in what seems like a day and a half. And excited the whole way through. More than once that has inspired me to take on something I've been putting off.

If I had my druthers, I'd forego combing my hair and make model train videos at 2am as well. The energy, the enthusiasm, is apparently boundless. Long live KP!

Warped....

Joe, did I miss something recent, or are folks still talking about a certain model that came out about 20 years ago and was complained about on rec.models.railroad Usenet group? 

Back on topic........

Regardless of the topic being discussed, it's important to remember - but sometimes difficult to remember in the moment - that it's okay to disagree with someone's ideas or position or whatever, but you need to respect their right to hold to that, especially if you want them to hear your counterpoint. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And, yes, if you misspeak, an apology is always the right thing to do. It's the "mature and adult" thing to do, as my mom would put it.

~AJK

I missed the original dust

I missed the original dust up, but one comment about Ops being a game.

Not all games have winners and losers. Ops isn't a strategy game which usually does have a winner or a loser. It's a Roleplaying game where you are trying to tell a story through the game mechanism. The way you win is by telling an interesting story. So a winning ops session is one where all had a fun memorable time. 

It's no different from rolling some dice and delving into a dungeon for treasure.

 "Ops isn't a strategy game

I tend to view ops as a re-creation of pleasing or interesting scenes I've seen. The moves are not made for fun but made to better capture  the feel/ mood  of the original experience.....DaveB

Idiosynchrocys in forum names and siggies

When ever I see the forum name azbaja, my brain translates it to azerbaijan.  Wierd huh?  Then I have to correct myself that it's a mash-up of Arizona and Baja California.  The sigi does come across as a bit tired but I'll try to keep a stiff upper lip as my British wife would say and do as the song says:

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum

Everyone has different

Everyone has different opinions. I personally think about “why am I watching this’? “ “what modeling knowledge am I gaining?” Am I hoping that might see something that I might enjoy or learn?

Then I see all the larger scales getting the attention, I am an N Scale modeler. It drives me nuts when N scale gets ignored. There are modelers who can do amazing work, they make HO scale look like little toys.

For those of you saying” write and article and submit it” forget it!!!  Not wasting my time on writing on article on N scale and having it fall on deaf ears. Plus I have no skills at writing.

Plus I do not feel waiting months.

Wow gee thanks for making an oval of snap track,,,,( it is not snap track, is Kato Unitrack) I would love to see what KP can do with his skills on a real N scale project,,not some simple loop. But I know that WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

Am I having a bad day? Who knows? With that and other issues going on, maybe I need to redirect my focus. 

I have seriously thought about canceling my subscriptions to TMTV, and to running extra to help me with accomplishing layout construction tasks..

Maybe take a step back

after proof reading,,,I am leaning towards re-directing the monies spent reading and watching, to my layout. And staying at a forum that I enjoy participating in, which is not here.

i am done!

G