Jim's Den

Specialization is for insects.
Woodrow Wilson Smith, AKA. Lazarus Long, AKA Methuselah.
*Adapted from a Lazarus Long quote, by Robert A Heinlein

I am Scottish, a member of the Thomson Clan. I'm also a novice bagpiper. Sandi says I am a good enough piper to keep the cat out of the bird feeder. She loves my playing so much she won't let me practice in the house when she is home. In her defense Scottish bagpipes are loud. That's one of the reasons I have taken up the Shuttle Pipes. Shuttle Pipes are much quieter pipes of Irish origin. The drones of the shuttle pipes use small reeds and are not as loud as the long drones of the Highland Great Pipes. Check out our Scottish Page with links to Florida Highland Games.

I am also a Harley rider. I ride a 1988 custom Heritage Softail FLSTC. I have rebuilt my scooter several times. It looks like the old bike I wanted when I was a kid. Sandi also rides, she has a 2000 red Sportster. Check out our Scooter Page.

Both Sandi and I, Olympic style sport fence, as a hobby. I'm not as good as she is but I like fencing, it's fun. I have also studied sword fighting and stage combat at the Ring of Steel in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Both involve the use of swords but are very different activities. Fencing is very formal and controlled, and generally fencing students are not set on fire and don't jump out of a 3 story building. It's fun, exciting and in spite of the way it sounds very safe. Check out our Sword Page for more on fencing and stage combat.

Both Sandi and I collect swords. (According to Sandi I collect everything!) I collect mostly Scottish blades. I have a number of Scottish basket hilt broad swords, a claymore, several dirks and sgian dubh's. Most of our swords are reproductions but I do have several historic pieces. My

oldest piece dates to around 1790. I also have several European style swords and 4 katana's. Sandi and I have the Connor and Duncan swords from Highlander TV/movie series. The Connor sword is mine, The Duncan sword is hers. Add to this our Stage Combat swords and fencing swords, (saber, foil & epee) and it becomes quite a collection. Take a look at our Sword Page for pics of our sword collection.

Sandi and I are new to Steampunk, but we are getting into the flow. I just finished making our goggles and we are putting together outfits for local get together's and cons. Check out our new Steampunk page.

I wouldn't call Sandi or I Ren Faire Junkie's but we try to hit our fair share of events. This is in addition to the events I have worked at as a stuntman or doing fencing demonstrations. If you haven't dresses up in 16th century garb and walked around with a sword on your hip you haven't lived. The world of Renaissance Faire's is one of fun and fantasy. There are many types of ren fairs. Some are purely fantasy fairs and others attempt to portray specific eras, such as the Shakespearean or Elizabethan periods. Over the years we have collected quite a collection of period costumes and paraphernalia . Check out our Ren Faire page.

A personal hobby of mine is making Mead. Mead is a wine made from honey. It was popular as far back as the 12 century. Check out my Mead Page.

We are big Harry Potter Fans. I like the movies but the books are my favorite. Along with the books, movies and computer games, Sandi and I have collected all sorts of Harry Potter stuff, including costumes, wands and fan collectable's. Check out our Harry Potter Page.

We have seasons passes to Universal Orlando so that we can visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's the best theme park in the world.

I'm a wood turner. One of the things I make are wooden Harry Potter style wands and other things, from exotic woods from around the world. See below for an example. This is my version of the Elder Wand from Harry Potter.

Another hobby Sandi and I have is Steampunk.The term "Steampunk" was coined in 1987 by American science fiction author K.W. Jeter. He used the word to describe the style of nostalgic, retro-science fiction. Steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used, usually the 19th century and Victorian era Britain.

I have set up a special Florida Page for friends & family that plan to visit us in sunny Florida. Check it out. It's got lots of Florida attractions and events information.

For more information on my professional video credentials and experience please take a look at my Resume. Also, check out my Professional Pages to see examples of some of the work I have done.

This page was getting so big I decided to cut it up into smaller chunks. Other Pages to check out include:

About Me

Who Am I	Who is Jim Sawyer and why the hell should you care. Answer - You should not, unless we have similar interests.
What I Do	What are my hobbies, interests and work. We may share interests.
Friends and Lovers	These are the people I care about.

Professional Pages, Video Production, Web Design, Podcasting

Professional Pages	My professional freelance work and resume.
Resume	My current professional Resume.
Commercial Demo	Some of my work making TV commercials.
Photojournalist	The gear I use as a professional photojournalist and videographer and my current rates.
Editor	The gear I use as a professional non-linear editor, AVID, FCP and Vegas Pro and my current rates.
Medical Production	Some of the work I have done on professional medical training video production.
Management Profile	A look at the way I manage others.
Banners & Web Design	Web banner work, available for your site.
Podcasting	Armature podcaster, it's fun.
Professional Actor (SAG)	SAG Member with dozens of on camera credits and hundreds of voice acting and narration credits. Stunt work too.
Video Tips Pages	My Video Tips Pages for the New Videographer's and Editors, paying forward to those that helped me.

Fun Videos, Odds and Ends, Links,

TV News	Some funny and not so funny TV News clips.
TV Commercials	Old, Funny, Banned and Fake TV commercials.
Odds Ends and Extras	Things I find and want to share.
Goth	Goths are good people too.
Mead	The drink of the Gods.
Interests In TV & Film	If you like old science fiction movies of TV shows, this page may interest you. There are clips from many works I enjoy.
Fun Stuff and Links	Links and other stuff.
USN Orlando Training Ctr.	Graduate of the Orlando Naval Training Center, Company 4.
Commando Cody	"Commando Cody, Sky Marshall of the Universe". My hero as a kid.
Lazarus Long	Lazarus Long is a fictional character featured in a number of science fiction novels by Robert A. Heinlein.
Scottish Fun Videos	Some funny and very interesting videos dealing with the Scottish experience.

Hobbies, Interests and Fun Things We Do

Scotland	Scottish and proud. If it's no Scottish it's crap.
Harley Bikers	We ride and love it.
Steampunk	I Both Sandi and I enjoy the Steampunk movement.
Harry Potter	Harry Potter fans.
Renaissance Faire	Ren Fair junkies all the way.
Swords & Fencing	Olympic Fencing and Theatrical Stage Combat.
Halloween	My favorite holiday, Samhain, All Hallows Eve.
Haunted Central Florida	Haunted places in Central Florida, Ghost Hunting and *Paranormal Research.*
Lazarus Long	Robert Heinlein's character Woodrow Wilson Smith, A.K.A. Lazarus Long. My Favorite Author.
Faux Photos	Photo shopped photo work. Want a pic done, I can do it.

Our Main Pages

Florida Page	For our friends coming to florida and those that want to know what's cool.
Sandi's Pages	Sandi's main page.
Jims Main Page	Back to the beginning.
Index Page	Main Index Page Home

NOTICE: The material, clips, photos, information and ideas on these pages are NOT intended for children. This site is listed in the meta tags as ADULT. You will NOT find any porn (at least in my opinion) on any of my pages, however there is material and images that some may find offensive. If you are one of these people please leave. The Internet should be a place that people can post their opinions and ideas without fear of a replay of the Spanish Inquisition or the witch burnings. If you visit my Web site, you're legally obligated to the terms and conditions listed in Legal Information and Disclaimer.

If any of this has interested or angered you send me an E-Mail, we will talk about it.

Welcome to Jim's Den