T-Hybrid

I got lucky that most of them could be tracked down used. Had I been buying new books the ticket would've been twice as much. Though I can't compete with that kind of price tag for one semester. I sometimes question the need to charge so much. It's one of those expenses that just seems like they do it just for the sake of doing it. The worst part of textbooks...I bet you didn't even get half that if you tried to sell them back. It's a scam really.

When I got my job offer, the first thing I went to (aside from the salary) was the 401k. There really is no limit to how much one needs to know how important having a nest-egg built up. The sooner you can start, the better.

I was looking at the poster that was put up in the News the other day, and it seemed kinda funny. What was that a poster for? I mean, there wasn't anything except for a chunk of blue foot armor and what's most likely a projectile. I'm all for teasers...but that really wasn't even hinting at anything. It'd be like running a promo for a movie in which the only thing you see is the main character saying "The" over an explosion. I find it kinda funny. I sorta expected inside to see it unfolded or something. That is, if I didn't miss something. As it is I don't know if I'm curious or just confused.

T-Hybrid is busy working his tail off this week to make up for textbook costs. He has once again turned to his guest writer to fill in. First things first, you may notice a few changes in the appearance. Mostly Kouki's new button and my own upgrade. Things are changing at the Haven and us two are sure signs of it. After about a month of toying around with various elements, T's been able to come up with a way to give us both upgrades to our Ultimate stage so that we better fit the theme around here. Kouki's now paired with BioDarkdramon, which is pretty awesome looking. But nobody got it better than me. Notice the flaming swords? How about the shiny new wings? Yep, I'm ViceGreymon Code Blue and I'm lovin' it! It was fun having a revolver strapped to my arm for the last half a year or so, but now I actually have a hand over there. And that makes things like typing so much easier! It's also made guarding the place a breeze. Nobody really wants to challenge a oversize lizard with blue-flames where his wings should be. It was draining for T to actually get the work done, but I think his efforts payed off. The place actually looks good with all us Ultimate's running around. Not much else to report, except that the Boss has his financial affairs all in order this month. Much faster than he usually does. Book charges were a bit rough. He said something like $200 for three classes. But that's the breaks for his major. The upside is its the last time he'll ever have to buy books. Ever. Well, I'm off to get back to my post. Gotta show off the new guns to the ladies. Adios!

When I'm bored, I generally start writing or play a video game. Bugging your fellow man simply because you have nothing better to do is really just...well...dumb.

You could do both and invent Conlaughulation.

Over Christmas Break, Nintendo made five classic games available for the Wii's Virtual Console. One of those was the legendary Super Mario Bros for the NES. I had some extra points left over from my purchase of Mario 64, so I decided to pick up SMB for the reasonable price of $5. The last time I played this was probably back in 96 or so, shortly before my family made the uneducated decision to sell our NES. Whatever the case, I never beat it. Not really for any lack of trying, but because I was just uneducated. This was before the days of the internet, before I could click a few links and learn a few tricks here and there. So I was blissfully, or "frustratingly" if you actually watched me play, unaware of the ability to Continue a game by pressing A + Start on the title screen. So when I learned of this yesterday suddenly the game became considerably less impossible. I uttered a few curses here and there in the course of a few of the trickier jumps, and I managed to squeak through that a-maze-ing 8-4 with a very slim about of time left. But I did it. I finally beat the original Mario. 20 years after its original release. It was really a triumph of the spirit though, and I wish I hadn't been alone in the house when it happened. Mostly because I doubted the dog would understand why his master was jumping up and down with glee. And then I saw this: Why do the fates torture me so?

I'd hope that by this point the AFOL community would have come to accept Bionicle (since a lot of the earlier Bionicle fans have started becoming AFOLs themselves) And thanks to the work our users produce in the BBC...it shows there's a LOT of potential for the pieces they supposedly loathe.

Thanks, I was looking more at sets so didn't think to stop into S&T for info. Do you know where to find more of those prototype shots? The one that somebody uses in their reference to a potential prototype Keetongu/Sidorak? There were also the ugly pics of supposed prototype Inika with bizarre pieces floating around. This was not only a thought on that, but a request for some help finding those pics.

I was looking at the shadowy figures on the back of Nocturn's box today, the ones that people have thought to be this year's Toa. Pardon me if I'm a bit behind, but has anybody else noticed they look surprisingly like some images we saw late last year that people thought were prototype Inika? I'm talking about pics such as this: Though there are others which are actually live pics of sets (not book covers or other things such as that). Considering we saw the Barraki prototypes back during late 05 early 06 (remember those grey figures everybody was talking about?) isn't it possible that we've already seen these guys? After all, this guy has those breathing tubes, similar to one of the shadowed out figures. Unfortunately the search function doesn't work, so I can't really track these images down as quickly as I would like. But if anybody else knows what I'm talking about maybe you could lend me a hand. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills right now.

*refuses to get sucked into yet another Epic idea he doesn't have time to work on* Maybe a series of short stories...after Rebirth.

Finicle? I like the idea of FF based LEGO sets. And maybe a clever MOCer (of which there are many on this forum) could come up with some Bionicle based Summons. And Omi, I may need to reread the Clan Primer...but isn't Mateus described as using a "Goddess of Ice" as a shield? Some have discussed if this is actually Shiva.

That's the theme for 2007, at least for me. With my final semester of coursework beginning in a few weeks, this year marks the beginning of the rest of my life (quite officially this time). I've found myself finally working more in the field I've been learning about thanks to landing a posistion at a local software consulting firm. And just last week I put into motion events which will start me off in the work force. Remember my entry regarding my new suit? Well, since then the outfit has done it's work. I was offered, and accepted, a posistion with Thomson West out of Eagan. It's a combination software/printing company that focuses on legal material. I'm so excited that it took almost everything I had to not blurt it out until I surprised my family on Christmas with the news. So that's essentially put me on course for this year, which will find me looking for a longterm place of residence as well as new transportation and wardrobe. To make it simple, Christmas shopping for me this year will be incredibly easy. My stomach's a bit knotted up in a mixture of excitement and nervousness, as I'll be making the transistion to being completely on my own as far as supporting myself. But that won't stop me from fulfilling one of my New Year's Resolutions, which is to finish Rebirth before I graduate in May. So to all the readers who stop by the Haven now and then, Happy New Year! May you too find success and good fortune in 2007!

Well, he has similiar build elements to a Barraki. So in that sense he's a good intro. Plus he poses really well.

I had gone out shopping with the plans of picking up Barakki (which spelling is it?). But when I was unable to find either Carapar or Mantax I "settled" for the next best thing and picked up Nocturn. I have to say that as an introduction to the new baddies, Nocturn is pretty impressive. Their design is fairly original, including some nice use of spikes and color. He definately looks like an aquatic fiend, and with his quadruple armaments he's pretty fierce. Haven't had a chance to make it glow in the dark yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Looking back on the years and all different villian sets, it's easy to say that the Barraki are the best canister villians LEGO has ever come up with. When I get to a point where I can barely decide who I want because each one offers something different, that's a good problem. Villians up until this point have always been clone sets...the Barrakki set a nice precedent. One downside of Nocturn would be the reuse of some peices (I think they're mostly Inika stuff). The new pieces (armor, head, spines) look really cool, and from what I've seen of the Barrakki makes me think that this is a problem exclusive to him. The overall set is quite poseable, and does really fit the theme of "Warlord" that LEGO was going for. I had been in a few Wal-Mart stores over the last few weeks and hadn't seen any on shelves before today. But today there was a whole mess of them. I've seen prices for Nocturn climb as high as $30. He's not worth that. Give it time and they'll be more readily available. I don't know the whole story with this set, but I still see a few store exclusives floating around at various other stores from time to time.

I'll probably do a run down of what I got...but it'll hardly be a "haul" as some people have posted. I am surprised these days just how much stuff people can get (entire sets of Barakki?). Back when I was their age I got a few big ones and some smaller stuff. Then a stocking. I like the sound of what your family does. I wouldn't mind doing something similiar, though for us the gifts thing has turned more into an exchange while we visit with each other. There's hardly the "tearing into boxes and not talking" that I've heard about some families.

I picked up three Piraka (mostly because I wanted the Irnakk set). I wasn't too pleased. The Barakki though appear to be the second coming of the Rahkshi (w/ more uniqueness)...and I'm kinda interested. I went to a different Target today and they had the blue and red ones (I'll learn their names someday). A trip to a nearby TRU presented me with the black, white, and "brown" ones (Mantax, Pridak, Kalmah?) I'm started to get very interested in picking up a few of these (if not eventually all of them). Anybody have suggestions as to where to start? I read the Pridak review and liked what I saw, but then spotted the brown guy in the background and was interested moreso with him. I've got to pick up a few spare Inika in the meantime, but I can put that off until they start to go down in price (with the Barakki out that may come sooner than I thought). But before I put any more pieces of this blog between parenthesis (or start using commas) I'll open the floor to suggestions and step away from the keyboard.

X-2 didn't suck. It's story was a bit...festive...but there were some cool moments. Class sytem was sweet.

Stock-tips are your major source of spam? You're lucky.

Festivus? How about the Feast of Alvis.

That one made me nearly fall out of my chair!

I'm up late...or early depending on your view. Mostly because I'm pumped for the holidays. My mom and sister are flying in for a few weeks, and I'll be making two trips to my grandparents place (which means two X-Mas dinners, not too shabby when your a broke college kid). A Christmas Story has started it's 24-hour loop on TNT, and my dog is sitting patiently waiting for me to go to bed. But there's a gift for me across the room and I have a good feeling that I know what it is. I've also put up my X-Mas gift to all of you guys in a new chapter for Rebirth. Hopefully there will be more to follow. Also, I've got some great news that I'm going to surprise my mom with. If you go back to some earlier blogs you may have some idea as to what it is. I can't wait to tell them, as I've been putting a lot of work into it for the last few months. I probably won't be around today to add anything new to the Fic or to my site (actually that'll probably have to wait until after I get back to my home PC), but I'll be sure to report back with the excitement of the day (as well as the haul) as soon as I can. So everybody out there, have a great day...regardless of what you celebrate! Take some time to see the family, eat a good meal, and spread the happiness that tends to float around this time of year.

What did you pass on this run that would be "incomplete." As in, how many summons, weapons, level of your characters? I'm going on Lvl 50 today and will probably try the final boss again when I'm around 55. I'm missing three summons and don't have a single "legend" weapon at the moment.

Made an emergency trip into Target today in a futile attempt to complete my Christmas shopping. After giving up on finding that one last gift, I decided to take a side trip and check out whatever toys hadn't been completely ravaged by fellow shoppers. To my surprise, sitting on the shelf beside the hordese of Inika and few remaining Piraka were two Barakki (the red one...Mantak?) I have to say I was tempted to grab him, but there was no price tag and I've been a bit short on cash recently with bills and other apartment expenses. Not to mention I really wasn't there to buy anything for myself. So I let the opportunity pass in hopes of finding them more readily next year. But I have to say I was impressed with what I saw, having finally seen one in person. The box is bizarre (for lack of anything better to say). It's titled at an odd angle which will make stoarge a pain, but I will admit it's the most unique packaging I've seen in something like that for a while. Unfortunately there wasn't a display for the Barakki yet, so I didn't get a chance to actually see one assembled. But I like what I've seen. The pics on the one's box made them appear to be more unique than previous "canister" sets (does that word even work anymore?). I can't decided if I want the Barakki, or if I should save my money for when we get a look at the '07 Toa.

Suddenly I feel like a minority... *puts on horns*