Online At Last!

[Solomon Zorn]

I'm not new here, but I just bought a computer, which means I can carry on a running conversation for a change. So it's going to be a new experience for me on the site.

As long as I'm in the Intro section, for the sake of newcomers, I might as well do a brief bio (as is traditional for a new guy).

I'm a huge science-fiction fan. I really enjoy building sci-fi related model kits and painting them. I've been doing it for 46 of my 49 years.

Grew up with a low-key Christian mother, and an "agnostic" father. Took ater my Dad as a sci-fi fan and agnostic. Never felt any pressure to accept Christ, nevertheless, I did at the age of 16. Got into the Bible much more so than the church. I pretty much developed a truly Bible-based theology, and decided on a Bible college that claimed to "speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent." Sounded right to me. They were actually pretty open minded compared to the evangelicals I deal with these days. 

I took classes there in creative writing and logic, in addition to various Bible studies (I at one point actually memorized the first 17 chapters of the New Testament book, Acts of the Apostles, which chronicles the early church.) My logic professor burst my little bubble about proving god exists through reason. So, for a while,I adopted the position that the knowledge of God is innate.

But I digress, this was supposed to be brief. In 1995 I became schizo. I saw myself come back to me through time. I started hearing voices that seem to be coming from invisible people in the room, complete with stereo perfection. It went from wonderful to scary to aggravating to miserable to suicidal to medicated to mundane.

In the process, I had to learn to try to distinguish illusion from delusion. One is a perception. The other is a belief about that perception. I had to question pretty much everything I believed. I slowly came to the realization that the God of the Bible does not exist, and that my delusions began long before schizophrenia. Worrying at every turn whether I was doing or thinking what God wanted, praying for guidance and intervention, brainwashing myself with the infallible scriptures, and so on.

When I finally gave up on that supernatural nonsense, I felt like a burden was gone from my mind. My whole life has come into better perspective. My future isn't nearly as bleak. I've become closer to some of my family, and I think it's because I'm a better person now. I probably live by the precepts of Jesus' Sermon On the Mount more than most people I know, especially Christians, now that I see the world as human.

Lately I've been writing poetry.

Here's one of my favorite resin model kits. It's about 18 inches long.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

[kilodelta]

Good job on the highlighting. You did it without making it look like it's been highlighted. I haven't done any ship models in a while. The last one I did was a Runabout 14 years ago before I knew how to do washes.  I've been doing Warhammer miniatures with amateurish skill. The last set of dwarves I did came out great. The beards, candle flames, and weapons really looked awesome... then I put a dull coat on it as protection and ended up with a cloudy coat instead of clear. I blame myself for not shaking up the can enough or leaving the can out in the cold garage... not 100% sure on that.

[PickelledEggs]

I was wondering why you were missing. Good to have you back!

Sent from your mom.

[dtq123]

Nice to meet you, nice model you got there

[Solomon Zorn]

Good job on the highlighting. You did it without making it look like it's been highlighted. I haven't done any ship models in a while. The last one I did was a Runabout 14 years ago before I knew how to do washes.  I've been doing Warhammer miniatures with amateurish skill. The last set of dwarves I did came out great. The beards, candle flames, and weapons really looked awesome... then I put a dull coat on it as protection and ended up with a cloudy coat instead of clear. I blame myself for not shaking up the can enough or leaving the can out in the cold garage... not 100% sure on that.

Thanks for the kind critique. I primered it medium gray, then drybrushed light gray on the entire model with a 1/2" flat brush. Several months later I drybrushed over that with white. Gives it a nice depth.

If you'd like to see more go here: http://atheistforums.com/index.php?topic=5235.msg1058023#new  I just posted a new photo on it.

And I've done that with a dullcoat before. Feel for ya.

[Solomon Zorn]

I was wondering why you were missing. Good to have you back!

Sent from your mom.

Thanks.

[Solomon Zorn]

Nice to meet you, nice model you got there

Nice to meet you too.

It's one of my favorites. I don't think they make that kit anymore. It' a very accurate (and very expensive) resin model from Timeslip.

[aitm]

welcome back Zorn I was worried about you. You forgot to send your rent….er……I mean….gee I was worried about you.

[Sal1981]

wb