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Black Six

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Blog Entries posted by Black Six

  1. Black Six

    Delivery Services

    By Black Six,

    Ever since I've moved to Maryland I seem to be having problems with packages and those who deliver them. It's really super frustrating.
     
    Let's start with some background. Growing up, I lived in a house on about a half acre of land. Very friendly neighborhood, no crime or anything. My parents and I were very content to let USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc leave packages at our front door. Then I went to college and had a mailbox there. If I ordered something the package would go to the school and I could pick it up. Then I got an apartment off campus but I kept using my school mailbox or just delivering them to my parents' house since my apartment's foyer didn't lock and anyone could just walk in and grab a package that might be there.
     
    Now I live in a townhouse. I don't really know my neighbors well so I'm not a big fan of having stuff delivered and left by my front door. But that's no big deal, I can just put a little note asking them to leave it on the back step, since tracking info usually lets me know when the package will arrive. Plus, I have Amazon Prime which means free 2-day shipping, so I can really plan and try to be home when my packages arrive. Well, let's take a look:
     
    USPS - Their tracking information is horrible. I've shipped things Express Mail, and even with that they don't give you an estimate of when the package will arrive. Also, they have blatantly ignored notes left on my door and left some pretty valuable things sitting out in plain sight.
     
    FedEx - Also ignores notes on the door, but at least their tracking information is accurate.
     
    UPS - They will leave packages on the back step, and after a few times with a note, I've found I don't even need to put one up. It's like Pavlov's dog or something! Of course this was after a rather large fiasco. I live on 423 Elm St. (Not really, but let's pretend I do.) If you go to the end of the street and make a left you'll be on Lincoln Ave. (Again, not really, but go with it.) Follow Lincoln Ave. and it will curve around and get pretty close to the back of my house. Apparently there's a 423 Lincoln Ave. too, and apparently the GPS units UPS uses have a hard time telling their drivers which street they're on. On three occasions UPS delivered packages to 423 Lincoln Ave. instead of 423 Elm St. After a long and angry call to UPS, it hasn't happened since. I hope it stays that way.
     
    Some random courier service - I ordered a package from Amazon on a Sunday. That Monday was MLK Jr. Day. I figured I wouldn't get the package until Thursday, maybe Wednesday. That Tuesday, after we had a bunch of snow and ice, I'm shoveling out my car and this guy pulls up in a car next to me and was like, 'hey, is this Elm St?' I told him it was and then he asked where 423 was. I told him that was my house and we were right in front of it. He hand delivered me my package and went on his way. Pretty amazing service.
     
    But now let's get back to Amazon, for they're the reason I felt compelled to vent about this. I ordered a couple things from them Tuesday night, after their shipping deadline. Free two day shipping meant they would arrive on Friday, when I didn't have to work and could be at home. I get my notices from Amazon saying my packages have been shipped and they would be here Thursday. Yeah sure, being fast is great Amazon, but maybe there was a reason I placed my order when I did.
     
    So I get home today, and there's only one package waiting for me. I go online to check the tracking information, and apparently there was no street address on the package, so when they tried to deliver it today they couldn't. Hopefully it'll get here tomorrow. But still, this leaves several questions:
    Amazon, how come when I gave you my full address (that's saved on my account) you could put it on one package (that shipped FedEx) but not another (that shipped UPS). UPS, why would you accept a package with an incomplete address? And why would you not say anything about it until the day you tried to deliver it? And why couldn't you just look in your computer, see that you've delivered a whole bunch of packages to a person with the same name and in the same town and on one street, and figure out that's where you have to go? So, so frustrating sometimes... 
    And that's my rant.
  2. Black Six
    Hey everyone, I hope those who celebrate all had a Merry Christmas. Mine was fairly uneventful. As some of you may recall, I got my main present back in November, so there weren't many presents under the tree for me. I got a book, some of the Star Wars DVDs, and some other little stuff. The book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, we quickly read, and thoroughly enjoyed, so I figured I'd share my thoughts on it here.
     
    The book is the basis for the movie Blade Runner by Ridley Scott and featuring Harrison Ford. I watched the movie many years ago, but it was on network TV, so it was edited. Plus, it's a long movie to begin with, so with the commercials, it was, let's see... Well, let's just say I fell asleep and never saw the end.
     
    Philip K. Dick also wrote the novel A Scanner Darkly and short story Minority Report, and since I enjoyed both of those movies, I figured I'd give the books a try.
     
    I wasn't disappointed in the least. The book is full of twists and turns, and is almost impossible to predict what's going to happen next. Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter employed by the San Francisco Police Department to track down and 'retire' renegade androids. I don't want to give too much away, but he sees a lot of action in the single day the book takes place during. If you enjoy Science Fiction, and like stories that delve into the psyche of man, then this is for you. In many regards, the action plays second string to the mental journey Deckard undergoes as he ends up reevaluating his morals and beliefs. His interaction with the androids he kills is the vehicle that causes this change, and nearly costs him his life in a few instances.
     
    I can't really compare it to the movie, since I remember so little, but some things in the book immediately strike me as unfamiliar, meaning they're not in the movie at all. The changes I remember simplify the story on the big screen version, but the overall idea remains the same, which is more than can be said of many other adaptations.
     
    The book is meant for adults, so I don't recommend it for younger children, but if anything I've said interests you, go and give it a read, you won't regret it.
  3. Black Six
    Check out this Tracker ticket.
     
    I know a lot of people have asked for this feature over the years. We've found an addon to do it, but it's not free.
     
    We've set up a donation goal to gain the funds necessary to buy the addon. If you are interested in making this happen, please consider donating. Every dollar counts!
     
    If fifteen people donate one dollar, we'll have enough. That's not much, so please help out!
     
    UPDATE: Thanks to some generous donations, we've already exceeded our goal. Our payment processing system seems to have backed up though, so it's not reflected on the page yet. Thank you so much everyone who donated - we'll be sure to put it all to good use!
  4. Black Six

    Eight Years...

    By Black Six,

    So, a few minutes ago was my exact eight year anniversary of joining BZPower. Back then it was The Bionicle Zone and there were only 21 members that joined before me.
     
    How those years have flown by...
     
    Did I ever think, eight years ago, that I'd be here now, running the site? Heck no. Yet here I sit, typing this.
     
    Man.
     
    It'll be interesting to see where life takes me in another eight years...
  5. Black Six

    Finals

    By Black Six,

    Well, there we go, I knew it wouldn't last.
    Anyway, tomorrow begins finals, so this is going to be a short entry. Well, actually, finals have already begun, since one of them is a take-home exam I received on Tuesday; but that's ok, it just gets it done faster. The take home and the exam tomorrow should be pretty easy, it's the one next week that's going to take a lot of studying. It makes me glad I have a week to prepare.
    Looking back, the summer semester went by really fast. It feels like I've barely missed any summer, and I still have two months left before the fall semester begins, so that works out pretty nicely. To anyone ever considering taking summer classes, here's what I have to say: They go by quickly, they're generally easier, but there's a lot of work, since you have to compress what's normally two weeks worth of work into one. It's a compromise and one that pays off in the end, as far as I'm concerned. In a few days time, I'll be 9 credits or so ahead of most of my peers, and a little closer to that coveted degree.
    Now, back to studying, wish me luck!
  7. Black Six
    I'm looking to make some space on my movie shelves, so these lovely collections have to depart. Make me an offer - I'm more interested in getting them out of my house than making a lot of money.
     
     
     
     

    Torchwood Season 1 on DVD

     
    Star Trek 'Complete' Motion Picture Collection on DVD - includes Star Trek I-VI, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis
    SOLD!
     
    Stargate Atlantis Complete Series on DVD
    SOLD!


  8. Black Six
    Somehow over the past few years I've accumulated a bunch of Nerf guns that have been taking up a lot of space. I'm looking to remedy that issue by getting rid of some. Most of the below were bought used, but they all work and I've cleaned them all up to the best of my ability (in some cases that includes taking them apart and running the plastic pieces through the dishwasher). I've removed the air restrictors from several of the spring guns. No ammo is included.
     
    UPDATE: The Titan, Hornet, and orange Hyperfire have been sold. All the rest are still available.
     
    Make an offer, I'm really open to anything. Just note that you'll also be paying for shipping on top of whatever you offer.
     
    Thanks!
     

  9. Black Six

    Forty-five Days Later

    By Black Six,

    Well, it's been about a month and a half since my last entry, I guess that tells you a little bit about how the last while has been. So, quick run through, for those of you who care:
    Second summer session of classes at college: They went well, finals were last week and now they're over.
    My birthday: It was back at the beginning of August. I had a small party with some friends and we had a good time.
    Other stuff: Shilo (Omicron) came down from Massachusetts and we hung out for a couple of days. We saw Rush Hour 3 with Janus and LehvakLah.
    BZPower: I've had to come to terms with my new responsibilities as a full administrator. It's been an interesting transition, although you guys haven't really seen too much of it.
     
    Aside from that, there's been a lot of little things that have been going on, hanging out with friends, enjoying my summer, earning some money, all that fun stuff.
     
    On Tuesday I start an internship working for the Army. Nothing too amazing, I'll just be working on some software development. I'm looking forward to it much more than my last internship, which was mainly IT/help desk work.
     
    I hope to try to update this more in the future, but I've said that before and it hasn't come to anything yet, but we'll see.
     
    So that's about it, hope you enjoyed.
  10. Black Six
    So I mentioned over here about some hiccups during the upgrade. Nothing major, but it was all your fault. Yes you, the blogging populace of BZPower.
     
    Here's a quote from the IPS rep we worked with:
     
    Geez guys, you got a little carried away over here, you think?
     
    Anyway, they got through all the tags in the end, and hopefully it won't cause any problems in the future.
     
    As a result of this, however, I have changed some settings for tags:
    Maximum length per tag: 20 characters
    Maximum tags per item: 5 tags
     
    I think this should still be plenty for all your tagging needs.
     
    We're not going to implement any new rules other than the above, but please try to take it easy with the tags.
     
    Thanks!
  19. Black Six

    Fun in RPG Land

    By Black Six,

    The Bionicle RPG forum has some of our most active topics and the BZPRPG is a pretty popular game.
     
    The LEGO RPG forum, not so much.
     
    I've been thinking a little bit about what we can do about that. I'm open to suggestions. I have considered merging the two, but then we'd have to figure out what to do with Bionicle RPGs selected via contests and LEGO RPGs selected via judging. Certainly not an insurmountable problem, but something to consider.
     
    I'd like to hear what you guys have to think about the state of the RPG forums and how to run things moving forward.
  20. Black Six

    Fun In The Sun

    By Black Six,

    So, as I mentioned in my previous Weekly Update, I went away last weekend; this was the first vacation-type thing I've had in a while, even though it was only for two days. A friend of mine has a cabin on a lake in Western Connecticut, nice and secluded, not too busy. He invited me and a bunch of our friends up there for the weekend, so we drove up Saturday morning and came back Sunday night.
     
    It was a real fun time. He has a boat with a tube for tubing, a couple kayaks, and even a little sail boat. Of course being a lake there was swimming to be done too. Saturday night some of his neighbors came by and joined us and we had a barbecue, just hamburgers and hot dogs, but a good time nonetheless. It's always cool to meet new people.
     
    The worst part of the trip by far was the drive back, stuck in traffic for a little bit with everyone else coming back from their weekend getaways. Perhaps had we planned a little better we could have all managed to take off work on Monday and make it a three-day weekend, but it was not to be. Maybe next time.
     
    Oh yeah, and I got some sunburn, that wasn't fun either. But it's to be expected since I have fairly light skin. I should be good in a week or so.
     
    So yeah, that was my weekend, and the reason why there was no Anniversary story until late Sunday night. I hope you can forgive me.
  21. Black Six

    Furlough Fundays

    By Black Six,

    For better or worse starting July 8th I'm going to be off every Monday for eleven weeks. As those of you who have spent time with me on days off know, they're usually spent on the phone or replying to emails for various work-related things. For the government furloughs, however, we are expressly forbidden from doing any work-related activities. What am I going to do with my extra day off then? I know, maybe finally play some of the many videogames I have acquired over the years but never finished or in some cases even played.
     
    And you're going to help.
     
    Below is a list of games and series that I need to play to some varying degree, with descriptions. You tell me what I should play.
    Halo - I never did beat Halo Wars, and there's plenty more achievements to get in the others. I never got all the way through Anniversary either, come to think of it...
    Mass Effect - I need one more achievement in the first game, then I need to bring my character through the second game again, and I haven't even played the third game yet.
    Dragon Age - I played the first one all the way through but never got through all the DLC. Only played the demo of the second one.
    Bioshock - I played the first one, would probably play it again to harvest instead of save. Haven't played the second one or Infinite.
    Gears of War - I've played the first game multiple times and used to LAN it. Only played Horde Mode on the second. Never played the third or Judgement.
    Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - I have the Ultimate Sith Edition but never played it. Don't have the sequel though.
    Batman Arkham Asylum - Own it but haven't played it.
    Fable - Beat the first one, own the second and the third (it's free on Games on Demand!) but never played them.
    Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay - Heard this was pretty good, picked it up cheap but never played.
    Ghostbusters - Same as above.
    Watchmen: The End is Nigh - Ditto.
    Dead Rising - Fourpeat.
    Guitar Hero/Rock Band - There's always more songs to play and more achievements to get.
    Have at it!
  22. Black Six
    This is a permanent offer for you guys to join us on the BZPowercast. If you have any questions about BZPower or Bionicle that you'd like to hear answered, send an audio file with your question to Powercast@bzpower.com. We'll pick the best few to include in the next episode. Send your questions in - I can't wait to hear from you!
  23. 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

  25. Black Six

    Go Vote!

    By Black Six,

    The presidential election is right around... oh right, missed that.
     
    No, the reason I'm posting here today is to get the word out about this poll. We want your feedback to know how best we can improve BZP. So please go let us know what you think.
     
    Thanks!
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