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Black Six

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Blog Entries posted by Black Six

  1. Black Six

    Better Know An Admin

    By Black Six,

    It's time.
     
    So, here's how it goes: You ask questions, I answer them. Anything BZPower-friendly is fine, though I reserve the right to not answer any given question. Questions of inappropriate nature will be deleted.
     
    So tell your friends and let's get this started!
  2. Black Six
    So tonight I finally sorted through all the pieces Kelly (Binkmeister) gave me at BrickFest this year. These are all for contest prizes and other giveaways we'll be doing in the future.
     
    Sorting is not something I do much of these days, especially with so many pieces, so it was a pretty interesting time.
     

    Click for larger versions.










     
    The pieces mainly fell into two categories: old 2001 masks and 2008 and 2009 color test molds. Lots of them are just variations of the same two colors on the same piece, but there are a few that seem pretty much one-of-a-kind. There were some Zamor prototypes in there too - according to Bink some of them change colors when you hold them, but I've yet to try it out.
     
    When I pick out the pieces to give to Arpy for his contest prize I'll probably take some close up shots of the pieces, but you'll have to wait until then.
  3. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 8/20

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    Yay, the weekend is here once again. That means so much more when you're a working stiff. I think I'm going to try something different this week.
     
    Updates
    So, I have a story for you all, hope you like.
     
    Many years ago, almost a decade, in fact, a pretty cool guy who used to really love LEGO discovered Bionicle, and thought it was cool enough that he should make a community site for it. A year later, it merged with a big Bionicle news site, and BZPower was born. During that first year, we hopped servers and changed domains and even changed our forum software. Custom addons and tweaks were made, such as Proto, spinnies, spoilers, and a plethora of other things. Even after that, there were many changes as the site grew.
     
    And then we grew.
     
    And grew.
     
    And grew.
     
    So now here's where things get interesting.
     
    Every member, post, topic, PM, blog entry, etc, on BZP was put into a database. For the uninformed, think of it as a huge Excel spreadsheet, but way more advanced than that, and way bigger too. Imagine putting forty-five thousand members (and all their information), two hundred and seventy thousand topics, almost six million posts, and sixteen hundred blogs with over eighty thousand entries and four hundred thousand comments in an Excel spreadsheet. Now imagine trying to open it.
     
    It would probably take a while.
     
    Every time you try to load the forums or the blogs, BZPower's server has to access this database to find what you're looking for. Now, thanks to the wonders of Computer Science, it doesn't have to search linearly (one at a time) through those millions of entries, but it can still take a while. At peak usage, when lots of people are trying to access it, this can cause things to slow down.
     
    What can also happen is that when lots of posts are made, the server isn't able to put them in a way that makes them easy to access, or that while it's doing so, something interrupts the process. This can cause corruption and potentially loss of data, though not usually. Corruption can prevent portions of the database from being accessed though, which can cause the forums to not load.
     
    But I digress.
     
    So all that stuff was put into a database and it got really really big as the site got really really popular. The site's popularity became its curse, and caused it to get slow and cranky. This made the members cranky too.
     
    That guy who originally made the site hang around, and made some friends who helped him keep it going. Unfortunately, they practically lived in three different corners of the country and all had lives that they wanted to live in addition to running the site. This meant that when they wanted to change things, they all had to find time to discuss it, come to and agreement, and then move forward and actually do it. For some things, it wasn't too bad, but for other things, like a very big database, there were a lot of options to discuss and a lot of things to take into account. And the server wasn't even the biggest problem on their radar.
     
    Despite this, they thought and brainstormed and had an idea for making things better. It was possibly the most ambitious change to the site since the merger that created BZPower. It took a long time plan out, and even longer to implement. So long that it's still going on.
     
    But the plan is there, and it is very sound.
     
    I warn you though, there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth. There always is.
     
    Sometimes change is bad, but most times I think, change is for the best. That's what evolution is all about - if we don't change we don't survive. BZPower is no different.
     
    I hope you all enjoyed that.
     
    Mailbag

    1. To the forum? No.
    2. In so many ways. In our size, our membership, our coverage. I think perhaps our overall philosophy is about the only thing that's changed.
    3. Not sure what you really mean by that.
    4. I built some parts for the BrickFair Mosaic project, but aside from that I haven't built any original creations in a few years.
    5. Maryland.
    6. Depends if I'm on the giving or receiving side.
    7. I look forward to it, as long as it's not empty.
    8. Of course!
    9. It's a great show - I love it.
     
    Want to see your questions answered? PM them to me and put 'Mailbag' in the subject line. I'll pick the few I like the best and answer them in the next update.
     
    Conclusion
    Comments, thoughts, questions, etc - leave them down below. Have a great weekend everyone, I think I shall.
  4. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 8/7

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    BrickFair!
     
    Updates
    Come talk to me at BrickFair.
     
    Mailbag
    Questions are lacking.
     
    Want to see your questions answered? PM them to me and put 'Mailbag' in the subject line. I'll pick the few I like the best and answer them in the next update.
     
    Conclusion
    G'nite.
  5. Black Six
    I feel like I'm in a minority of people who still buy music on CD. I invariably rip them to my computer, but I like that physical package, the sense of permanence. I'm also a sucker for box sets and special editions because I love all the extras that always come along with them.
     
    Anyway, I feel like it's about time to further expand my collection, and am looking for input from you guys. Below are some of the things I'm considering, but feel free to make your own recommendations.

    Band On The Run [Deluxe Edition - 3CD+1DVD Combo] Lennon - Signature Box Radiohead Led Zeppelin Definitive Collection I look forward to what you all have to say.
     
    (Just don't let Michael see this entry - he'll say I'm silly. )
  7. Black Six

    New Feature Incoming

    By Black Six,

    We're currently entering the final phases of prepping a new feature for BZPower. It's something I've had in mind for a while and finally found a tool we could use to accomplish it. I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys think and hope it will help in determining how we can continue to improve BZPower.
     
    I need you guys to help me out though. The feature will only help if you actually use it and use it as intended, so you all have to promise not to be silly.
     
    Think you can do that?
     
    Didn't think so.
     
    But I'll keep my fingers crossed.
  8. Black Six

    Macadamia Nuts

    By Black Six,

    So I don't like macadamia nuts - what are you gonna do about it, fight me?
     
    Yeah, I said it. I dare ya. We'll see whose ban hammer is bigger.
     
    Geez, a person can't say they dislike a food without it becoming a blog fad.
  9. Black Six
    To get things out of the way, if you're one of the frightening large number of people I've encountered who have never seen Star Wars, this entry is not for you. Instead, go find someone who has and tell them to read this, and then they will help you watch Star Wars.
     
    Since Episode I made its way into our lives in 1999, a new issue has been raised in the land of Star Wars fandom - what is the right way to watch the movies? And furthermore, how would you show them to your kids/someone who has never seen them?
     
    I have thus far been a staunch supporter of IV, V, VI, I, II, III. This is the way the movies were released. If you watch the prequels first, it ruins the surprise of just about everything in the original trilogy. You know Darth Vader is Luke's father, you know who that crazy-sounding Muppet is, you know all about Palpatine. So better to watch the originals first, be surprised by that, and then learn more about how things got to where they were through the prequels.
     
    Others out there champion an order of I, II, III, IV, V, VI, since matches the movies' internal chronology. I can see some additional reasons behind that. If you watch the original trilogy first, you know where everything in the prequels is leading up to. You know Anakin will become Darth Vader, that Padme will die, and that Obi Wan will end up in Tatooine and Yoda on Dagobah. I argue, however, that from a cinematic perspective, the storytelling in the originals is much better and the revelations you see there are more startling than those in the prequels, which tend to be pretty heavily foreshadowed. (I mean, who didn't see that Palpatine was Darth Sidious?) Maybe my perspective is skewed though since I had seen the originals and read a lot of the books before the prequels were even announced.
     
    I was contemplating these two points of view recently, and came upon a possible compromise. Perhaps it would be too confusing for someone who has never seen the movies, but if they were able to stick with it I think it could have a lot of potential: I, IV, II, V, III, VI.
     
    Think about it.
     
    You watch The Phantom Menace; you're introduced to this little boy and Obi Wan, silly adventures occur and then there's an amazing lightsaber duel.
     
    You watch A New Hope - hey how did Obi Wan get so old all of the sudden, who is this Darth Vader character? Oh my goodness he kills that little boy from the first movie (obviously not while he's a boy, but still)?
     
    You watch Attack of the Clones. Oh hey there's that Clone War Obi Wan was just talking about. Another crazy lightsaber duel.
     
    You watch The Empire Strikes Back - WAIT! Anakin is Darth Vader? But he was just taking on the insurrectionists!?
     
    You watch Revenge of the Sith; oh, so that's what happened. Man that was a ridiculously quick fall to the dark side (sorry, it was!). Palpatine is Sidious (okay so you probably already figured that one out). Ah, so that's how all those things from IV got set into motion.
     
    Finally, you watch Return of the Jedi. Anakin redeems himself! Good wins! Teddy bears taking out trained military forces!
     
    I think it could work.
     
    Does anyone know someone we could test it on?
  10. Black Six
    I have a lot of stuff to send to people, now that BrickFair is over. I hope to get things sent out as soon as possible, but as you'll see below, there's really a LOT. If you don't see your name on the list below, add a comment or PM me to make sure I'm not missing you. Right now I'm not adding any names (except for a couple exceptions) because I don't have all the MOCs and prizes in front of me. As I have time, they'll all be added to the list.
     
    Convention MOCs
    All the people who sent MOCs that were displayed at BrickFair Alabama, Bricks Cascade, BrickFair New England, and BrickFair Virginia and have not gotten them back yet.
    Tomaku
    Wasp - Shipped 8/19/13
    Obsessionist - Shipped 8/12/13
    Takua Dragonstar7 - Shipped 8/12/13
    Klatix the Fire Agori - Shipped 8/12/13
    Atamai - Shipped 8/12/13
    Bfahome - Shipped 8/12/13
    Imatron - Shipped 8/12/13
    Great being Velika - Shipped 8/12/13
    Soldier 1st class Voxumo - Shipped 8/12/13
    Malignus - Shipped 8/12/13
    DeeVee and Nukaya - Shipped 8/12/13
    I have a box full of stuff for them that wouldn't fit in their luggage.
     
    BBCC 65 Finalists
    I'm keeping them separate from the convention MOCs because I can.
    Ballom - Shipped 8/15/13
    Mushy the Mushroom - Shipped 8/14/13
    Force_UnBleached - Shipped 8/14/13
    Arpy - Shipped 8/14/13
    Bundalings - Shipped 8/14/13
    ghidora131 - Shipped 8/14/13
    Set Reviewers
    I have no idea what you're talking about.
    ChocolateFrogs - Shipped 8/17/13
    Nuju Metru - Shipped 8/16/13
    xccj - Shipped 8/16/13
    Sisen - Shipped 8/16/13
    Bfahome - Shipped 8/12/13
    DeeVee - Shipped 8/12/13
    BioniLUG Members
    Some members still need stuff.
    Jedi Master J. - Shipped 8/21/13
    EmperorWhenua - Shipped 8/21/13
    Trydeltix - Shipped 8/21/13
    Klatix the fire Agori - Shipped 8/12/13
    Brickthing - Shipped 8/12/13
    GBV - Shipped 8/12/13
    Bfahome - Shipped 8/12/13
    Raffle Winners
    Free sets and videogames.
    Bionicle Raptor
    LockmanCapulet
    Javi
    Cratak
    Zrel - Shipped 8/19/13
    Meiko - Shipped 8/19/13
    SmoothJazz - Shipped 8/14/13
    DeeVee - Shipped 8/12/13

  11. Black Six

    New Feature?

    By Black Six,

    Shhh, this is a secret. You guys are the first to hear about this, because I trust you for some honest feedback.
     
    Before the upgrade there was a 'Gallery' link that people always asked us questions about. The feature was never turned on, mainly because we were worried that hosting images on BZPower would adversely affect the performance of the site (even more). Things have changed, and now we have a new server and fewer active members.
     
    What would you think if BZPower had a gallery where you could post pictures of your MOCs, artwork, and other LEGO-related things? And what would you think if normal Members could post a certain number of images and Premier Members could post more? Would you use it? Would you keep using Brickshelf/Maj/Flickr? Would you upgrade to a Premier Membership for more pictures?
     
    I'm really interested to hear what you all think...
  12. Black Six

    Up

    By Black Six,

    So I finally saw Up tonight. I laughed. I cried. It was an amazing movie. Highly recommended for all.
     
    It just happens to be the only movie nominated for best picture at this year's Oscars that I've seen. But, based on what I've heard, if Avatar wins over it I'm going to lose all faith in those awards. Oh wait, that already happened in the 1994 Oscars, nevermind...
     
    But yeah, it was an excellent movie and may make its way into my top ten favorites of all time.
     
  13. Black Six

    Name my Bricks

    By Black Six,

    BrickFair VA 2012 was the tenth LEGO fan event I've attended. As a result, I'm accumulated a lot of engraved bricks, most of which have my name, Black Six, and the places I've lived. I need to start mixing things up, and I need your help.
     
    Suggest some fun nicknames, phrases, and other things I could put on a badge.
     
    Bricks I already have include:

    Black Six
    Sixboss
    Mandrew
    DON'T PANIC

     
    Let's see what you can come up with!
     
    Edit: Alright, nice! Here's the current frontrunners:

    KEEP IT CLEAN
    Prince Andrew
    Bossman

     
    Some other ideas I've had:

    Thread closed
    Bodyguard of the King

  14. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 1/15

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    I could have watched Doctor Who all night, but I figured you guys were probably looking forward to a Weekly Update. Or if you weren't looking forward to it, you were at least expecting it to appear so you could laugh at it behind my back.
     
    Updates
    I wish something exciting had happened this week. Oh well.
     
    BZPower received exclusive permission to host Glatorian Arena 3 on our site. Big thanks to Kelly (Binkmeister) for hooking us up, even though we all know he hates us Mac users. I kid. (But a working Mac version would be nice.) It's interesting that LEGO would pay to have this made but then never use it on Bionicle.com - I'm guessing the whole cancellation-thing threw a monkey wrench into their plans.
     
    On the general LEGO front, everyone's favorite company launched their Click Campaign, which seems like a rather silly marketing strategy. The video on their site is pretty impressive though.
     
    Speaking of online presences, the new Bionicle.com launched this week too. I really like the design (good job Kelly!) and look forward to hearing Worf Mata Nui regale us with some ancient history and current events.
     
    Of course the biggest news this week was the first official Hero Factory information and pictures. I think the react to the sets has been pretty positive, whereas the names and the story have received a much more mixed bag of responses. I'll reserve my judgment until ToyFair, seeing as it's less than a month away! I'm pretty sure there's gonna be some more Hero Factory sets revealed then too. So keep your eyes peeled for that!
     
    In BZPower news, it looks like there's going to be some staff shakeups coming up. Details are still in the works, but you may find yourself randomly contacted with an offer to get on the staff. (Because that's how we pick the staff - randomly.)
     
    Mailbag
    No questions? No problem!
     
    Want to see your questions answered? PM them to me and put 'Mailbag' in the subject line. I'll pick the few I like the best and answer them in the next update.
     
    Conclusion
    I think that was plenty for this week. Feedback and questions are always welcome. Have a great weekend everyone!
  15. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 12/5

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    Welcome back, faithful readers, for another issue of the Weekly Update. Don't you have anything better to do?
     
    Updates
    So, we still have no new rank images. We're working on them, and I saw a few new ones this morning that made me shiver with glee (that may or may not have been an exaggeration). While you're waiting though, you can check out our new Gallery Avatars showcasing many of the sets from the past few years. They're made with 100% awesome.
     
    In other news, we had some new staff promotions last week. Congrats again to Watashi Wa and Zeddy. I'm sure they'll do a great job. In other news, we'll be having even more promotions coming up soon. Crazy, I know.
     
    Seeing how it's December once again, it means it's time for our quarterly RPG Contest. This is our 12th contest, so be sure to go check out the entries and write an RPG and enter if you're feeling up to it.
     
    We don't really have anything else planned right now. It's getting to be a pretty busy time of year, so I think it's better to focus on a couple of things rather than spreading ourselves too thin.
     
    Mailbag

    I ask this myself sometimes. It requires a lot of prioritizing and time management. But I've been an admin for over three years now and you just get used to it after a while.
     

    1. I wake up in the morning, get ready and go to work. Work all day. Come home, eat dinner, catch up on what's happened in the land of the Internet and BZPower. Go to sleep. Sometimes I'll play some videogames or watch TV or a movie.
    2. I try not to ask weird questions because I'm afraid of what the reply may be.
    3. We don't talk about banned members.
    4. The decision to prune the forums was pretty big, but it wasn't made by just me.
     

    1. Nope.
    2. Yep, and still do.
    3. Empire Strikes Back, without a doubt.
     
    Want to see your questions answered? PM them to me and put 'Mailbag' in the subject line. I'll pick the few I like the best and answer them in the next update.
     
    Conclusion
    And that would be it for this week. Please leave feedback and comments. Talk to you all next time.
  16. Black Six
    Intro
    Enter Sandman by Metallica. Oh wait, this isn't the 'What Are You Listening To At This Very Moment?' topic, it's the Weekly Update!
     
    Updates
    I wouldn't be doing my Ambassadorial (that's such a great word) duty if I didn't remind you to check out the survey that LEGO is asking TFOLs and AFOLs to participate in. This feedback will be extremely valuable for the company and will help out us, the consumers, in the long run - it's well worth it.
     
    The fourth chapter of Riddles of the Great Beings has been released. I haven't checked the Talkback topic recently, but does anyone have an answer to my riddle? Bonus points if you do.
     
    So, a question for you guys tonight: what are your thoughts when the names of the staff members suddenly change to some random theme? Is it funny? Is it cool? Is it confusing? Is it stupid? Not like it's going to happen any time soon or anything, because that would just be silly. But I figured I'd ask.
     
    Mailbag

    1. Yes, they're aware of my involvement. At one point, in between being the appropriate age for Bionicle (in their opinion) and where I am now, they thought I was too old for it. But they've come to accept that that's not going to change. They also have realized that the people I know are legitimate and that I've made some good connections, both on BZPower and, for example, with LEGO.
    2. I don't really have a set routine. I generally try to check the forums thoroughly twice a day. Throughout the day though I'll log into the Admin Control Panel and approve accounts or just go to the main site to check PMs and other activity. Then sometimes someone will send me a link of something that needs to be addressed and that will get drawn out into doing a bunch of things.
    3. In my opinion baseball is a thoroughly boring sport, both to watch and to play.
     
    Want to see your questions answered? PM them to me and put 'Mailbag' in the subject line. I'll pick the few I like the best and answer them in the next update.
     
    Conclusion
    Hopefully things will pick up in the next couple of weeks. Until then, thanks for bearing with me and our boring updates. (Civil War by Guns N' Roses now if you were curious.)
  17. Black Six

    Graduation

    By Black Six,

    So today was a big day - I finished that school thing called college. It's been a long, hard road, but it's finally done. I got all gussied up in a cap and gown and stoles so I could march in a procession, cross a stage, and receive several pieces of paper that are all I have to show for the large amount of money that was spent on my education.
     
    I had been really worried about the weather, first they were saying it was going to be 90°, then there was a chance of thunderstorms, but in the end it was overcast and in the mid 70s with a slight breeze - that is to say, perfect. The ceremony still took a while with its pomp and circumstance, but I suppose I should be fortunate that there were only four hundred-something people in my graduating class and not four thousand or more.
     
    But it's done now, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much. And they even pronounced my last name right, so there's a plus.
     
    What now, you ask? Now I wait for paperwork and security clearances to be processed so that I can hopefully start working for the U.S. Army doing some fun and secret R&D stuff. I look forward to it immensely.
     
    For those interested, here's a list of the pieces of paper that I got:
    Bachelor of Engineering - Computer Engineering (with High Honors) Minor in Electrical Engineering Graduate Certificate - Secure Network Systems Design Graduate Certificate - Networked Information Systems Master of Engineering - Computer Engineering (concentration in Image Processing and Multimedia)
  18. Black Six

    Mass Effect 2

    By Black Six,

    I beat Mass Effect 2 tonight (yay, less than a month!). I thoroughly enjoyed the game and will definitely be playing through it again in the future. While at first I wasn't sure how I liked the toned-down RPG nature of it, it definitely grew on me. There are still some things I would have liked to see back, but oh well.
     
    My two biggest gripes are scanning planets (soooo tedious) and the difficulty in getting money. In the original game you could easily but every weapon from every vendor, which may not be realistic, but at least you know you can if you want to. In the sequel, I wasn't even able to scrounge up enough cash to buy all the upgrades that I wanted, and that just doesn't seem right if you ask me.
     
    As far as the ending goes, I really like the 'big reveal,' and the final mission, but it kind of felt like it was lacking compared to the first. There was a much lesser sense of urgency and importance without the council and the huge fleets involved. Shepard was just like, 'it's ok, I got this,' and then we went home. I did like the resolution with the Illusive man though, it sets the stage up well for the third game. In fact, I think that's where my dissatisfaction comes from. The first can definitely be a standalone experience, but the second seems like it requires the first and third to hold it up. I'm sure I'll love the final game too, but I wouldn't have minded if it was a bit more independent. I guess it was a lot like Halo 2 that way (except without playing as the Arbiter).
     
    Anyway, next up is finishing up Dragon Age: Origins, and then on to Bioshock 2!
  19. Black Six
    Every now and then in conversation someone will mention a movie they love that I haven't seen. There's also a bunch of films from the past few years that I wanted to see but never got around to. So I've decided to finally make a list of all these films to keep track of and help motivate myself to actually watch them.
     
    Below is the list I have so far, but I'm sure it's not complete. That's where you guys come in. What are some of your all-time favorite movies, or movies that you think are worth seeing for their artistic or storytelling merits?
     
    Please make your suggestions in the comments. If there are movies people suggest multiple times that I've already seen, I'll make a separate list of those to help with duplicates.
     
    To Watch:
    The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
    Terminator Salvation
    The Hurt Locker
    The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
    X-Men: First Class
    BZP Lovers 3
    The Dark Knight Rises
    Argo
    Wreck-It Ralph
    Skyfall
    A Good Day to Die Hard
    Monsters University
    The Wolverine
    The Wolf of Wall Street
    The Amazing Spider-Man 2
    X-Men: Days of Future Past
    Boyhood
    Birdman
    Interstellar
    The Imitation Game
    Kingsman: The Secret Service
     
    Thanks everyone!
  20. Black Six
    So, yesterday was the Lego Collector's Party for Toy Fair in New York City. Being that I live nearby I headed over into Manhattan to attend, accompanied eventually by that other Andrew, Smeagol4, and later, by LehvakLah. It was a fun and dangerous trip, one that shall be made into songs and epics, and perhaps even a full-length motion picture.
     
    It begins... at the beginning...
     
    (Note: I apologize for the darkness of some of the pictures. Some of the settings on my camera got messed up and I didn't realize it at first. But hey, better with these photos than inside Toy Fair, right?)
     
    I started out by taking the PATH train to 34th Street and Broadway, which I was able to follow all the way to my first destination up on 50th Street. I'm a fast walker so it didn't take much time, I was only slowed down by the need to document my travails. There are always many interesting things to see in NYC, from famous landmarks to street performers to public disturbances to hobos, but I tended on focusing on the former on this occasion.
     

    This store is named after the famous parade that takes place on Thanksgiving.
     
    Talk to someone from NYC and ask them about Starbucks, and they'll tell you there are a lot of them. To you that may mean three or four, but in truth it's a whole lot more.
     

    Could it be?
     
    What are the chances I would come across another one? After all I was only walking a few blocks.
     

    Pretty darn good...
     
    Since there's been a lot of discussion about economies and the values of money and the prices of goods with the WalMart story recently, this seemed like an apt picture to take.
     

    Trivia Fact: Andrew's Dad has appeared on that screen.
     
    The NASDAQ sign marks the beginning of the Times Square area, which is neither a square nor does it have a time piece readily visible. There are many places to have food there, from the hardcore...
     

    An omen of things to come.
     
    ...To the pop-culturey...
     

    That's no planet, it's a restaurant!
     
    ...To the artery-clogging.
     

    The brightest McDonalds you'll ever seen, and those lights run 24/7.
     
    If eating's not your thing, there are plenty of other places to go. Like this little toy store, for instance.
     

    By 'little' I mean it only has a ferris wheel, not a roller coaster.
     
    Oh, and could it be..?
     

    What a surprise!
     
    There's no way there could be another, right? Right, but close...
     

    Ziggy played guitar...
     
    Finally, after rendezvousing with Smeag, we headed back downtown towards where Lego was having the event.
     

    The lovely (yet blurry) Westin Hotel.
     
    At this point Toy Fair happened. You can see all of our pics from that over the next couple of days on the front page. It was a good time and as always we appreciate The Lego Company's hospitality and thank them for inviting us.
     
    After the Collector's Party, we headed back towards Times Square (only a block away) and got on line for the incredibly crowded Hard Rock Cafe, since you know, someone is a huge Rock N' Roll fan. An hour and a half later, and after much oohing and ahhing (and bowing in the majesty of The Beatles) we were finally seated, with LehvakLah in tow. Thank you so much St. Edmunds and your party of 47 people for making the wait take forever...
     
    Dinner was quite tasty, and afterwards we went wandering about Times Square, since this was Smeag's first time in NYC. Of course we had to go to Toys 'R' Us and look at the Lego and laugh at the Mega Bloks. Unfortunately our visit was cut short by the store closing. Party poopers.
     
    It's just as well though, because soon we were in for the run of our lives. Almost as soon as we left TRU, we were attacked!
     

    If you don't move, he still sees you, so you had better run.
     
    It was a mad dash for our lives. Things got even more dangerous when a brawl broke out in the streets in front of us. You wouldn't believe it unless you saw it, so I took a picture.
     

    Shark vs Pegasus
     
    Fortunately these beasts turned out to be a more attractive meal to the T-Rex, allowing us to escape for the time being. Soon after Smeag jumped into a passing cab and LehvakLah into the subway, leaving me to fend for myself back to the PATH station.
     

    As I rushed for the train, fearing for my life, I accidentally took a picture.
     
    Once I was back on the other side of the Hudson River, I finally felt safe. There was no way that thing was fitting into the Holland or Lincoln Tunnels, and I sure hope it can't swim...
     
    Back in the comfort of New Jersey, I was able to spot the T-Rex as it scaled a famous landmark.
     

    If you squint and tilt your head, you can just make out its silhouette.
     
    And that is the end of our tale. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you enjoy all the rest of our Toy Fair coverage.
     
    Until next time...
  21. Black Six

    Matt Smith...

    By Black Six,

    ...gets two thumbs up!
     
    Sure, he's no David Tennant, but he is definitely The Doctor.
     
    And Steven Moffat is awesome beyond compare - I can't wait to see the weeping angels come back.
  22. Black Six
    Today is an exciting day. Although there was an omission on the initial release on LUGNET, I was indeed accepted into the Lego Ambassador program. Hopefully this will help give BZPower some more pull in the Lego community and I hope to have some input on changes that are going on. You can be sure I will look to you guys for input and will be posting discussion topics and polls to see what you guys think (if I'm allowed to discuss it, at least).
     
    Thanks to everyone for your support and votes in the nomination process, and thanks especially to Binkmeister, Bionicle Rex, GregF, Swert, and Arpy for their support and/or testimonials during the process. I couldn't have done it without you!
  23. Black Six
    Intro
    Today is the first full day of Spring, and with the return of warmer weather in the Northern hemisphere I was greeted this morning to a reading of 29° F on my thermometer this morning. Spring may be a wash so far, but today's Weekly Update isn't. Read on to see what we have in store.
     
    Updates
    Currently there are two contests going on here at BZPower that hopefully most of you are aware of. Voting has begun in the BBC Contest #48: A Slice of Life. Semifinal voting ends tonight and the final round will begin soon after. Be sure to cast your votes! And, of course, the Ninth RPG Contest is underway as well. The entry period ends tomorrow at 11:59 PM, so there's still a little time to get your RPGs entered. After that voting will begin! This RPG contest is looking to be much bigger than some of our recent ones. I'm glad interest has been rekindled.
     
    In other news, not much happened. There's been a steady stream of content from Bionicle.com and BionicleStory.com, thanks to our good friend Kelly (aka Binkmeister) that has been keeping all the story buffs busy. Aside from that, however, there has been relatively little news to discuss. That's ok though, quiet periods happen. It just means that sometime in the near future there's going to be a flood of new stuff happening!
     
    One thing someone suggested to me is interviewing different members and posting the interviews on the front page. It would sort of be like the Member Spotlight, except go into more detail and be an active member, not just someone randomly pulled from the database. Personally I don't think the front page is the best place for it, but would anyone be interested in seeing this happen either on the forums or here in my blog? Let me know in the comments section!
     
    Mailbag

    1. The staff have to pay for Premier Memberships as well. The only exceptions I'm aware of are the Administrators.
    2. What's so special about April 1st?
    3. Yes there would be a possibility.
     
    Want to see your questions answered? PM them to me and put 'Mailbag' in the subject line. I'll pick the few I like the best and answer them in the next update.
     
    Conclusion
    So that's it for this week; I hope you all enjoyed reading the update. Please leave comments, especially about the idea of member interviews. Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated. Until next week!
  24. Black Six

    Motivation

    By Black Six,

    I've been lacking motivation lately, the ever-growing pile of work (including BrickFest coverage) is quite disheartening. It makes me want to procrastinate even more. It's not a good cycle to be caught in.
     
    To quote Freddie, "I want to break free!"
     
    So yeah, if someone asks you some day if you want to be an Admin at a large website, say no (unless it'll be a full time paid job).
  25. Black Six

    2013 Fan Conventions

    By Black Six,

    So what conventions is everyone going to next year?
     
    My current plans include BrickFair Alabama, BrickFair New England, and BrickFair Virginia. I think there's a pattern there... I'm actually going to be the Bionicle Coordinator at New England, so expect me to bug you guys about sending in MOCs.
     
    Anyway, I'm considering seeing if I can squeeze in a fourth event, because I'm crazy and stupid like that. Bricks Cascade is unfortunately out, because they moved it to right around the time that PAX East is, and two vacations that close just isn't feasible. Bricks by the Bay is out too, since that's the week after Brick Fair Virginia. Apparently Brick Magic isn't happening next year, so I guess I can't go there either.
     
    The top two I was considering then were BrickWorld Chicago and Brick Fiesta. They haven't released any details for the latter yet, but I recall hearing it was going to be in San Antonio or Dallas next year. Neither is really high on my list of places to visit, and I've never been to Chicago, so I'm kind of leaning towards BrickWorld.
     
    I'd like to see where other LEGO fans will be though, since that could help my decision.
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