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Black Six

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Blog Entries posted by Black Six

  1. Black Six

    BrickFair Alabama 2013

    By Black Six,

    SEND STUFF!

    Please?
     
    We need all the help we can get to make these events fantastic. We appreciate all your support and look forward to getting bunches and bunches of MOCs to display. If anything is unclear, please ask and we will do our best to clarify.
     
    Less than a month to go!
  2. Black Six

    Camera Adventures

    By Black Six,

    I really wasn't satisfied with my recent set review pictures, they were way too dark despite me having tons of lights on and using my flash (indirectly). So I did some research and pulled out my camera's manual and learned how to adjust the shutter speed. A bit of experimentation later, and brighter pictures appeared.
     
    The only problem is that now I have to make sure to be very still so that I don't shake the camera when I hit the shutter button. I'm doing a 0.5 second exposure so that can have a lot of impact.
     
    So I thought to myself, 'I wonder if I can get a remote to trigger the shutter so I don't have to touch the camera?'
     
    The short answer is no.
     
    The long answer is, if I put some open-source, aftermarket firmware on my camera, it can support a remote shutter release, but I have to make the remote myself.
     
    Needless to say, I'll be installing the firmware this week and making a trip to RadioShack on Friday.
     
    I get to play with my soldering iron!
  4. 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.
  5. Black Six
    Recently with the new Tracker, I made some blog entries about some of the tickets that were resolved, to help get the word out. Now I know not everyone reads my blog and it seems clear that not everyone has quite gotten the hang of the Tracker or is aware of it yet, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to make people aware of tickets that have been closed.
     
    I don't want to keep posting blog entries, because I feel like I have better things to post here, plus not everyone reads it. (But they should!)
     
    I'm considering a topic in GD that would keep a running tally of things that are fixed and added. Maybe pinned, maybe not, but as tickets get closed, I'd make a post so people are aware and can comment or discuss it.
     
    What do you guys think? Any better ideas?
  7. Black Six

    Indenting Paragraphs

    By Black Six,

    Apparently people like to indent the first line of paragraphs. I was totally unaware of this, and had gotten out of that habit in middle school sometime, and just included an extra break between paragraphs, or in Word used the 'space after' setting, or whatever it is. But once I was made aware of the issue, it was a pretty easy fix. I just added a new BBCode to 'tab'. It just adds five spaces wherever you put the tag. You can put it       in the middle of a sentence if you want.
     

    [tab]Put your paragraph here.
     
    I also added your Proto bar to your profile. Which was actually harder to do than the above.
     
    Keep the tickets coming guys!
  8. 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.
  9. Black Six

    Which Hobbit?

    By Black Six,

    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey comes out in theaters next month, based on one of my favorite books of all time. I am super pumped.
     
    So of course I want to reread the book before the movie to have it fresh in my mind. The question is - which version should I read?
     
    I have a copy of the mass market paperback (not that exact version) that I got in sixth grade. I've read it countless times and it's definitely seen better days, but it certainly has some sentimental value.
     
    I've also got a nice hardcover illustrated edition that looks just amazing. I love the Old English runes (which I can read, or could at one point).
     
    No? Well how about The Annotated Hobbit? I got this back in high school when I was writing a research paper on The Hobbit. It has a lot of interesting details about Tolkien's inspirations, the references he makes, and the time period during which it was written that had an impact on the book.
     
    Most recently, I received a copy of The Pocket Hobbit as a gift in July. It's so adorable, and packs in a lot of detail on the jacket design.
     
    So many choices! Help me decide!
     
    Also, I may have a problem...
  10. Black Six

    Back in a Bit

    By Black Six,

    So the military base I work at is closing tomorrow because of the hurricane. If it's that bad, then at the very least I'm expecting to lose power at some point over the next few days. So my presence here may be a little scarce. As it is, here's my plan:
     

    Go to bed tonight.
    Wake up tomorrow, work from home for as long as I have power.
    Edit the Powercast while I have time.
    In the event of a power failure, break out the dead tree books for some reading.
    Hope I don't lose power for too long.
    Repeat.

     
    Depending on if/for how long I lose power, the next episode of the podcast may be delayed. I've got everything recorded, I just need to edit it all together, master it, and upload it, which is probably about three hours worth of work at least. Between battery backups and my wireless hotspot, I should be able to stay connected for a while even if I do lose power, so I'll do everything I can to get it up on time.
     
    I hope everyone stays safe during the storm and that damage is minimal.
  11. Black Six

    Reading Rainbow Road

    By Black Six,

    I'm a bit behind on making this entry, I suppose. I finished The Thursday War last Friday night/early Saturday morning, completing my mission to reread all of the Halo novels before Halo 4. Woohoo! It was good, but not as good as Glasslands. It did have some nice twists and revelations, and a lot of stuff that seems like it will tie in to Halo 4. I'd definitely recommend it.
     
    Now I feel like I have nothing to do though, after having spent all this time reading. To start though, I'm going to go through The Art of Halo followed by the Halo graphic novels. I'm not going to blog about all of those though, because I feel it would get too boring. These entries have already seen to have lost everyone's interest.
     
    So what should I read next? I have to reread The Hobbit before December, and am considering re-reading the Lord of the Rings too. But I'd be open to some recommendations too.
  12. Black Six
    A little late on my update this week, thanks to yesterday's federal holiday. I finished Cryptum last Thursday, which was great I thought. A lot of interesting insight into the Forerunners. It was really a piece of hard science fiction that just happened to be set in the Halo universe. There were some connections to the games and other lore for people who really dig into things (like the Librarian, the Didact, and Mendicant Bias). The story itself really kept me turning pages, and when it ended I wanted to tear right into Primordium.
     
    But I'm reading them in release order, so I went over to Glasslands next. It picks up about where Ghosts of Onyx left off. It's a big adjustment going from Cryptum to Glasslands - the former only really had one story thread and one main protagonist while the latter thus far has four story lines going on (at different time periods no less). I don't mind this, and some of my favorite stories have done this, but sometimes it's frustrating when they end a chapter on a cliffhanger and you have to wait three more chapters before you get back to those characters. I'm enjoying it so far, I just didn't get as much time to read this weekend because I had some friends visiting.
     
    A little under a month to go, and about 2.75 books left. I think I can, I think I can...
  13. Black Six

    Tablet Research

    By Black Six,

    I've been toying with the idea of buying a tablet. Almost definitely Android. I'd like a 9"-10" one, but those seem like they're still a bit too expensive for my tastes. In the 7" space the Nexus 7 seems like the clear winner. I'll probably wait until the holiday shopping season to see if I can grab any good deals.
     
    Does anyone out there have a tablet and want to offer suggestions or advice?
     
    Thank you kindly!
  14. Black Six
    As anticipated, Halo Evolutions took me the majority of last week to get through. That's okay though, it's a great collection. I love the twist at the end of Palace Hotel - it may be my favorite just for that. Human Weakness and The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole are also good reads. But so are the other stories, so give the whole thing a try.
     
    I started Cryptum last night, which is very different so far. I only got through a chapter, so I'll reserve my judgment for now. It's much shorter than Evolutions, so I'm hoping to have it done by the middle of the week or so and then move on to Glasslands. This is also the first book of this project that I haven't read before, so it's all new and exciting. I enjoying rereading books I read in the past, but experiencing new stories should not be avoided.
     
    Which reminds me that my copy of The Thursday War should be arriving today.
     
    Lots and lots and lots to read!
  15. 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

  16. Black Six
    So I finished Ghosts of Onyx last night and First Strike a couple days before that. It makes me sad that Eric Nylund hasn't written any more full-length novels since then, I really loved his take on the Halo universe. He's great at creating characters you actually care about and seems to have a good grasp of military lingo and tactics (not that I know from experience, but what he says seems plausible and doesn't completely conflict with the many former and active servicemen I've interacted with). Nylund is also able to go into the full-on scifi aspect too, when it comes to the Forerunners and what they left behind.
     
    Tonight I'll be starting Contact Harvest. I recall enjoying it and the deeper look into Sergeant Johnson it provides, but honestly I'm looking past that and The Cole Protocol and onto Evolutions and then the newer books I haven't read yet. But there's lots of pages between me and those.
     
    I really hope I can keep up this pace of two books per week, but I'm sure something is going to come up that will keep me from that. Still lots of time until November 6th though.
  17. Black Six
    Against all odds, and at the expense of some sleep last week, I finished both Contact Harvest and The Cole Protocol. Six books in three weeks! Halo Evolutions is up now though, and it's almost as long as both of those books combined, so I'm expecting it to take up this entire week.
     
    Contact Harvest is interesting among the Halo books as it's the first where there are no Spartans involved. They don't even get mentioned at all. It makes sense, since the book takes place before they received their augmentations and went on any actual missions. There's lots of Sergeant Johnson though, and some other characters from Halo 2 and 3 as well. The books really give a lot of insight into the Covenant, especially the relationships between the Prophets, Elites, and Brutes.
     
    The Cole Protocol does have some Spartans in it - the mysterious Gray Team who is mentioned in The Fall of Reach as being too far away to contact/recall. It also features Lieutenant Jacob Keyes and helps fill in the gaps of his life between helping Halsey collect the Spartan candidates and the inception of the 'Keyes Loop' maneuver. There's a lot of different factions in this one, all working together and stabbing each other in the back at different times. It makes for some interesting twists.
     
    Looking at my calendar, I've got six weeks to go until release and five books to read, so I'm feeling pretty confident about making this. Setting goals FTW!
  18. Black Six
    I realized yesterday that Halo 4 comes out in just over two months! How crazy is that? I still need to preorder my copy and make sure I take off from work. On the plus side though, the footage that came out of PAX this weekend helped me decide that I should go to the midnight opening for it.
     
    But what I really thought of when I had this epiphany was that I'm still three books out of date in the Halo series. I haven't read Cryptum, Primordium, or Glasslands.
     
    I've decided to rectify this by reading through all of the Halo novels in the next two months. I'm already over halfway through The Fall of Reach. I had forgotten how much I had enjoyed it.
     
    I'm looking forward to rereading some favorites and experiencing the works of the newest Halo authors.
  19. Black Six
    Just so everyone is aware, the colors for some of the groups have changed. Now that the Reference Team is no more, the Reporters have adopted the old RK yellow. Retired Staff, meanwhile, have taken the Reporter orange. This makes them look similar to OBZPCs but still stand out (as opposed to the ugly-ish gray from before).
     
    Yep, so that happened.
  20. Black Six
    If you had the opportunity to ask LEGO a question, what would you ask?
     
    Similarly, is there anything you'd like to ask TLG's very own Kevin Hinkle? I hear he's a pretty big deal.
     
    Post in the comments or send me a PM with your question. No guarantees that you'll get and answer (or one you'll like) but I'll try.
  21. Black Six

    Milestones

    By Black Six,

    Tomorrow is August 2, 2012. That will be the eleventh anniversary of my joining BZPower.
     
    It is also the first day of BrickFair 2012 Virginia, the fifth such event held. (Congrats Todd!)
     
    BrickFair 2012 Viriginia will be the tenth AFOL fan convention that I've attended.
     
    Sunday, August 5 is my twenty-fifth birthday. A quarter-century!
     
    Monday, August 6, will mark my eleventh year as a member of the BZPower Staff.
     
    All this right after BZPower celebrated its eleventh anniversary.
     
    It's crazy to think about all that - I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it all.
     
    But I know one thing - I couldn't ask for a better group of people to celebrate it with than my friends from BZPower. I just wish more of you all could be there!
  22. Black Six
    Story time!
     
    Back in the shrouded mists of the past, there was a Bionicle fan named Carl. Carl really loved Bionicle, so much that he began creating his own card game. He contacted LEGO to tell them about his game and to offer it to them to use.
     
    Then LEGO cancelled Bionicle, and everyone was sad.
     
    But wait! The people at LEGO thought, 'Wow, this guy is really dedicated, we should get him in touch with our ace Community Coordinator for North America, Kevin Hinkle.'
     
    And then Kevin Hinkle was all like, 'Wow, that's a really impressive game, have you heard of this thing called BrickFair? There are tons of other fans like you out there and you should go share it with them. Here, talk to this crazy guy from this site called BZPower.'
     
    Carl talked to this Black Six character, and he was impressed with the lad's dedication and enthusiasm. He agreed to spread word of the game and encourage others to learn its rules at BrickFair and play against each other, until only the strongest remained alive. (Okay, maybe not that last part (Two men enter, one man leaves!).)
     
    ----
     
    So yeah, if you're coming to BrickFair, and you like games, make sure you talk to Carl and learn to play his Bionicle card game. I hear it will be a lot if fun.
  23. Black Six
    I can't believe how long our little corner of the Internet has been chugging along. I'm kind of proud that we've continued on despite downtime, attacks, and all the changes in our audience and the Internet as a whole.
     
    It made me think about how long I've actually been on the Internet (it's a long time) and the things I've taken part of and the people I've interacted with. Here's a quick list of some of the communities I have been or am still a part of:

    Super Soakers
    Nerf
    Warcraft II
    Star Trek TBRPGs
    Turn-based online role-playing games
    MUSHes (look that one up, kiddos )
    Console portablization
    Red vs Blue
    Halo
    Bionicle communities before BZPower

     
    I look at that list and it's like, 'wow, what have I wasted my time on?' But really, the experiences I had and people I talked to on each of those definitely helped shape me over the years.
     
    Since August of 2001 though, BZPower has been my home-on-the-Internet.
     
    How about you all, have you been a part of other places out there, or has BZPower been your only foray into the wilds of the Internet?
  24. Black Six

    Audiophilia

    By Black Six,

    A week or so ago I brought my car into the dealership for service and was sitting in the waiting area listening to some music when I realized someone was trying to talk to me and I couldn't even hear them. That reminded me how much I enjoy a good pair of noise-isolating earphones, which in turn reminded me how awesome it is to listen to music on quality equipment.
     
    The phones in question were Etymotic hf2s, and I could not recommend them any more highly. Before these I owned a pair of Etymotic ER 6is, which have been sadly discontinued. What makes these so good? They create a seal with your ear that virtually cuts out all background noise, meaning you don't have to crank the volume up nearly as loud and can hear a lot more detail. If you've been using a pair of Apple earbuds or other cheapies and then switch to these, you'll be entering a whole new world of music. If you're looking at any of their other offerings (or those from another manufacturer), make you you look at ones with a balanced armature versus a dynamic driver, they perform much better. I don't recommend them on planes though, as the pressure changes combined with the seal they create can mess with your ears.
     
    For home use (and planes) I use a pair of Sennheiser HD 380 Pros. They're closed back, over-ear cans. Compared to open-back ones, they're better for listening if you have other people around or are recording (like the Powercast) so you don't have any echo. They have a pretty good seal over my ears and help cut out a lot of noise. They're fairly low impedance too which means my iPod has no problem driving them.
     
    Okay, I lied, also at home, I have an Astro A40 Audio System for gaming. They're open-back, over-ear cans. They have some more bass to them, which is good for gaming, and since it's a headset I can use it for in-game chat and such too. Astro makes some quality products and I suggest them if you want surround sound but don't have the space or if you don't want to bother roommates, siblings, or parents while gaming.
     
    Finally, at work, I have a Sennheiser PC166 USB headset (apparently it's been discontinued). They're closed-back, on-ear cans, so they don't block out as much noise as the others, but they also don't bleed sound. Those are good things, because I need to hear phones ringing and people talking to me and don't want to bother co-workers with my music. I originally used the headset to record the BZPowercast, but have since moved on to a more advanced setup (detailed elsewhere in my blog).
     
    So yeah, I think I might have a headphone problem, especially since I've had my eye on a pair of Sennheisers from their 5xx series for a while...
  25. Black Six

    Mailbag

    By Black Six,

    Man, it's been a while since I made an entry here, hasn't it? I remembered I had this PM waiting for a reply, so it's as good a reason as any for a blog entry:
     
     
    Without question, my favorite team is the New York Football Giants. Football is really to only pro sport I follow. I like it because there's only sixteen games (plus playoffs) so there's a fairly limited commitment compared to other sports. Plus it give me something to talk about with my coworkers.
     
    I used to follow basketball pretty closely, but not so much anymore. My team was always the New York Knickerbockers, and I fondly remember the days when Patrick Ewing was the big man in charge.
     
    I've never been a huge hockey fan, but I did follow it a bit in the 90s. Back then my favorite team was the New Jersey Devils, so I'll go with them.
     
    Baseball is probably my least favorite professional sport. And my least favorite team is by far the New York Yankees. So if I had to pick a favorite it would be the Boston Red Sox or the New York Mets, just to spite all the Yankees fans. I could also say the Baltimore Orioles since they're the local team for me nowadays and I don't really have any loyalty to another team.
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