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Black Six

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Blog Entries posted by Black Six

  1. Black Six

    Not-So Weekly Update

    By Black Six,

    So the forums went offline on Friday and they just came back earlier today. There were some issues with our server and database. One of the partitions on our server filled up, which prevented the site from writing properly to the DB. Long story short - we cleared up the partition, restored some files from the backup, and bam, said the lady. It took us a while to troubleshoot all that with our host and Invision, hence the almost four days of downtime.
     
    But we're back now!
     
    In other news, LEGO canceled its Design byME service. I guess it wasn't as profitable as they'd hoped. From what I've heard, it's a very manual process to pick and sort the bricks, which adds to the costs.
     
    And in other LEGO news, the feature film has been greenlit! Look for it to hit theaters in 2014.
     
    Anyway, Halo Anniversary came out today, and I'd like to play that some tonight. The full Weekly Update will be back this Friday!
  2. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 11/4

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    Hooray, a Friday night where I'm not busier than a bee. Maybe I'll take some time to write some words for a change. Thanks for joining me.
     
    Updates
    We upgraded the forums again this week. There seem to be some lingering issues, however, which we are looking into resolving as best we can. Overall, though, the process went smoothly and there was minimal downtime, and for that I am enthused. I hope future upgrades will go as well.
     
    There was a new BZPowercast episode too - we talked about the forums and LEGO superheroes. Who doesn't love superheroes? My favorite is Wolverine; regeneration is pretty much the best power. So go give it a listen!
     
    DeeVee went and reviewed Raw-Jaw. I think someone has been reading webcomics about kids and trolls and... shaving cream? In any case, it's a fun read.
     
    In other, sadder, news, LEGO Universe is closing down. I don't want to say, 'I told you so,' but if you're reading this Jim, I totally did. I wish I was wrong though, because from what I've experienced and heard it's a really fun game. They just didn't have a good market to get a lot of paying customers.
     
    Back to BZPower, we're still working on updating the front page with fixed links and such. Hopefully the fruits of that labor will be seen by the end of the weekend. But don't expect it to be perfect. I really need to work on my SQL-fu. We're also getting the ball rolling on new skins. But it's been difficult so far to overcome the inertia. We'll get there though.
     
    Mailbag
    Man, two weeks in a row with no questions? Black Six is sad.
     
    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'll be around most of this weekend for a change, so I'll be working on things and catching up on some stuff I've been lagging on a little bit. So see you all around - enjoy the weekend!
  3. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 10/28

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    It's unfortunately not going to to be a long entry this week. I think I might need to move these away from Friday so I have more time to write things up. Thoughts?
     
    Updates
    The wikiers (wikiteers?) over at HS01 got some cool Merrick Fortis 3.0 art straight from the original comic artist. It's a very nice piece for a character that never made it to a set.
     
    Bionicle Raptor still has some BrickFair shirts available for purchase. Supplies are running low, but they're really cool shirts that you should definitely consider picking up.
     
    Don't forget that we have a Short Stories Contest kicking off Get those imagination caps on and get writing!
     
    We're looking to update BZPower's software to fix some of the issues people have been having. I had hoped that would happen this week, but no luck so far. When it does happen though, we're going to likely lose some of the customizations we've added (Proto, spinnies, etc). Our goal is to minimize downtime this round, so we'll add them back as we get to them and not keep things offline. It should be pretty easy to get them back in.
     
    Mailbag
    No questions this week.
     
    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
    Alright, I have to hit the road shortly for some weekend fun. Everyone have a good time and a happy Halloween! See you all next week!
  4. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 10/21

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    We've made it a whole week! I was worried no one was going to come back when we turned the forums back online, but I'm glad you guys proved me wrong!
     
    Updates
    Obviously the upgrade process has not been smooth, we wouldn't have been offline for so long if it were. I think the staff and I were able to work out a lot of the kinks before you guys came back, but there's still some issues. We know that there's problems with you avatars/personal photos, and that people are having problems staying logged in (it affects me too). We're looking into these and may be implementing some fixes to try to make the experience go better.
     
    A lot of people have been asking me about BZPower's new look and feel. I know it's a bit bland and plain. We're going to be doing something to help spruce up the place, likely a skin contest of sorts. If you have experience doing skins for Invision Board 3.2 and have any tips to offer in what I need to share with the members to make this work - let me know!
     
    We'd love to keep making BZPower even more awesome by making changes and adding features. If there's something you'd like to see, let me know. I'll probably make a topic about it at some point, but I'm still trying to get back in the swing of things here, so I'm not ready for a ton of feedback at once.
     
    Images of the first wave of the 2012 Hero Factory lineup have emerged! It looks like they're sticking with the new building system, which is great, and the sets themselves don't look too bad.
     
    We also got our first look at the Series 6 & 7 collectible minifigs. There's a lot of variety there, and something to please everyone I hope.
     
    Don't forget to vote in the Hero Factory Recon Building Contest. Lots of great entries, but only a few can win!
     
    As you're hopefully aware, LEGO sponsored the prizes for this contest, and this seems to be a trend they're continuing. We have a couple more contests and other things in the pipe tied to different efforts LEGO is marketing. I'm really glad that we're doing it too - BZPower gets awesome prizes, and you get made aware of fun things LEGO is doing. Sounds win-win to me!
     
    Kohaku checked out New York Comic Con last week, and provided us with an interesting report of the LEGO-related things there. Not too much, but getting to chat with Stuart Sayger is pretty cool!
     
    Mailbag
    This isn't something you guys see, but the new forums have a report center that consolidates all the reports for the forums, blogs, profiles, EVERYTHING, all in one place. The staff can comment on them to discuss what action to take, and mark them as 'Complete' when they're done. This is a huge boon for everyone, since if a Forum Leader, for example, is busy and doesn't have time to take care of a report, a Global or Admin can see it and step in. Before reports were only emailed to the staff members of each particular forum, so even Globals and Admins didn't see them all.
     
    Aside from that, I think the overall functionality is much improved - it takes fewer clicks to do things and go to different places.
     
    1. Too slow in asking that one. Look up.
    2. The combination of the avatar and personal photo is a little annoying, mainly the difficulty in getting it to work right and the inability to use an image on the web. We're looking into a fix for that though.
    3. I answered that one already too. In addition, the moderation functionality in general is greatly improved. Huge kudos to Invision.
    4. Probably - I might even post more often if I didn't have to worry about running things.
    5. Tough one! I think I might have to go with Lefty, but Nelson (or Spike) is the obvious runner up.
    6. I've never played a Valve game all the way through. I've dabbled in HL, CS, and TF. If you went by which I've played the most, it would be Counter Strike.
    7. My feelings toward that particular nut have not changed.
     
    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
    That's all for this week - got lots to do this weekend. Hope you're all liking the new forums - feel free to leave a comment and let me know!
  5. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 10/14

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    The forums are back! Woohoo!
     
    Updates
    The forums are back! Do you need any more updates?
     
    Oh fine, check out our super-prompt BrickFair coverage. Okay, maybe that was a bit of a fib. But it was still a fun time and you should check out all the awesome creations.
     
    You should also answer this survey for LEGO. They want to hear from you and learn about how you interact with the LEGO online community. Your feedback is much appreciated.
     
    Mailbag
    Well, the forums have been offline for almost six months, so no one has been sending in any questions.
     
    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'm just going to let you all enjoy the forums being back. Next week we'll try to get into more depth. Enjoy your weekend on BZPower!
  6. Black Six
    Intro
    Welcome to the weekend everyone. I know I've been waiting for it for a long time. Before it can properly begin, however, I suppose I owe you all an update.
     
    Updates
    This past week DeeVee reviewed Stormer 2.0, the last of the Hero Factory 2.0 sets. We'll probably have some reviews of other sets before the 3.0 reviews, but don't expect to see too many until then.
     
    Work has begun on the next episode of the BZPowercast, and you can help! Go check out the poll I started in the Voting Booth to let us know what themes you want to see duke it out. The selection with the most votes will get covered in the upcoming episode. We have a few other topics we're planning on discussing too, but feel free to make your own suggestions - we'll include them if we happen to like them.
     
    Other than that, you might want to keep your eye on the Reference Desk this weekend for a little update. Uh oh I set a deadline for myself. (I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.)
     
    Finally, we might have some downtime next week. More info on that when we're ready to say something officially.
     
    Mailbag

    1. Initially Dimensioneer and Binkmeister came up with those. A couple years back though, the BZPower staff all worked together to come up with new ones.
    2. Beats me.
    3. I've gotten some really personal questions that I guess could be 'uncommon.'
    4. Hmmm. There's a lot of 'bad-guy' characters in Bionicle and a lot of characters I don't really care about. I think the one I like the least though is Ahkmou.
    5. Not by a long shot. I have most of the 2001 and 2002 ones, but after that my collection quickly tapers off.
    6. Once upon a time.
    7. It was hilarious.
    8. How should I know?
    9. Yes, and then I wouldn't be able to undo it.
     

    1. Sounds delicious.
    2. I'm way too far away to walk, so definitely the latter.
    3. I have not. I may get to it eventually. I have to beat the original first though.
    4. Not a bit.
    5. Nope, there's a lot of games I really should play I hear.
    6. What are you talking about?
    7. Sorry I had to look that up. I played a lot of LucasArts games back in the day, but for some reason Monkey Island was not among them.
    8. I AM SO EXCITED!
    9. My condolences.
    10. Five browsers enter, one browser leaves.
     
    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
    Stay dry, enjoy any holidays you may be celebrating, and have a great weekend everyone! I'm looking forward to recharging my batteries and seeing you all later!
  7. Black Six

    Star Wars

    By Black Six,

    This past week I decided to watch all of the Star Wars movies, starting with the original cuts of the Original Trilogy (OT) and then moving to the Prequel Trilogy (PT), as it should be. I'm not sure if I could handle the 'Special Edition' originals, but I may persevere through them this coming week. We'll see.
     
    As you may have already suspected, I'm firmly in the 'Original Trilogy was best and oh yeah Han shot first' camp. Watching them all in succession though, you notice the inconsistencies so much more. I will admit that parts of the OT are corny and there were some internal continuity mistakes. Also, the action sequences pretty much pale in comparison to the PT, although the action looks more real with models, puppets, etc as opposed to all the CGI. I don't see the OT as about the action though, it's about the story.
     
    That's where the PT is severely lacking. It seems a lot more disjointed with where it's going and then in the last half of Revenge of the Sith they cram in all this stuff to blatantly lead into the OT. I hated how Anakin is all confused and torn between the Jedi and Palpatine and then suddenly he's like, 'I'll serve you and kill the Jedi who are obviously all evil.' They also completely disregard all the Lucas-approved Expanded Universe (EU) that had come before. Boba Fett's origins? Nope, he's a clone. The Maw Installation and all the stories about the Death Star? Nah, they were planning that for decades. Then there's all the technology, vehicles, etc, that ends up looking like purposely dumbed down OT stuff (the shuttle missing the top wing in Revenge is the most obvious to me, but the Star Destroyers and such are also pretty bad). Shoehorning Chewbacca in there seemed unnecessary and also breaks the EU. (And why does he never chime in in the OT when Luke talks about Yoda?)
     
    That last parenthetical reference brings me to my next area of gripes - they did all this work to set up the OT with the PT, but there's still so many things that don't make sense. The one I always come to is how Obi Wan went from a pretty young man to nineteen years later looking all old and grizzled. Yoda too - he was hopping all over the place against Dooku and Palpatine. Why didn't Darth Vader recognize R2-D2 or C-3P0? Why does Obi Wan not recognize them either? Leia says she remembers her mother, but Padme died in childbirth. How is it, that in nineteen years, Jedi go from being the keepers of the peace to a myth? I'm sure if I went over things with a fine-toothed comb I could find more, but those are just the ones that jump out at me.
     
    So that's my ramble for now. I really enjoy the OT thoroughly in every regard. And ignoring the connection between the two, I mostly enjoy the PT. For all the time they spent on them I just wish they could have focused more on the writing and less on the action and special effects.
  8. Black Six
    Intro
    Welcome to Friday. The weekend is upon us. But before that, someone needs to update you. That someone is me.
     
    Updates
    LEGO was kind enough to offer us some gift cards for the Hero Factory Recon hero builder. We got to pick how we wanted to give them away, so I figured, 'what better way than a Hero Factory contest?' If you haven't seen it already, you should go check it out. This is likely going to be a one time thing, so get in on it quick before it's over!
     
    Speaking of Hero Factory things, the box art for the upcoming villain sets has appeared. It's only a matter of time before some of these show up on store shelves - I'd expect middle of May to early June. They're almost here!
     
    ChocolateFrogs did a review of the Ocean Speeder set from the Atlantis line. We should have another review up this weekend or next week, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
     
    Don't you hate it when people post these super-huge images that make pages take forever to load? Yeah, us too. Maybe someone should do something about that sometime...
     
    Mailbag
    No questions this week.
     
    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'm heading out soon to kick off the weekend - it's absolutely gorgeous outside today. I hope you all do the same. Have fun and see you next time!
  9. Black Six
    Intro
    Welcome to a normal Friday in April. The weekend is here, and so - an update. Let's see if I have anything exciting to impart.
     
    Updates
    The new Hero Factory Recon hero creator went mostly live. You can read about it here and here. I think this is a really amazing opportunity to get certain pieces and a pretty sweet package too - you get a nice box and just the parts you want. Of course if you're looking for just some pieces you can get them from Pick a Brick I hear. I really wish they had done something like this back in the day for Bionicle, but they didn't, so at least we have it now.
     
    Aside from that, the organizational process continues. We have a list of about a dozen things and we're starting to try to schedule things and come up with deadlines. Not everything will directly affect you guys, at least right away, but there's plenty of stuff on there that will. I'm really hoping this system works out for us and I wish we had done something like this a long time ago. Wish us luck!
     
    Slow week other than that though, I suppose.
     
    Oh! Planning has begun in earnest for BrickFair. There's also going to be a small contingent at BrickFiesta as well. If you can make it to one, I suggest the former, but I suspect both will be great times. If you can get to any LEGO convention I highly recommend it.
     
    Mailbag

    1. Tahu.
    1a. Lewa.
    2. Duck.
    3. Glass.
    4. Beef.
    5. Nuju.
    6. I am well versed in C++ and Java and have experience in a smattering of others.
    7. Yes.
    8. Nope.
    9. No.
    10. Nah.
    10a. Nuh uh.
    11. Mac all the way.
    12. Yes.
    13. Backwards.
    14. Firefox, primarily.
    15. Warp drive seems faster.
    16. I've never left the United States.
    17. I dunno.
    18. Hopefully nothing inappropriate.
    19. What is the value of 'n'? Unless you were trying to indicate Pi, in which case it's sqrt(2)/2.
    20. Maybe someday, but it's certainly not high on our priority list.
     
    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 hope everyone has a good weekend. It looks like mine might be longer than normal, but not necessarily in a good way. Let's hope things go well for everyone! Remember - all you need is love.
  10. 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. )
  11. Black Six
    Intro
    Something about being a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world? Are you kids old enough to even remember that? Anyway, time for a Barbie weekly update.
     
    Updates
    Bionicle proudly proclaims that it's not dead by posting a new chapter of The Powers that Be. The story keeps going, little by little. Enjoy it while you can!
     
    The BZPowercast keeps chugging along though. We released our twenty-first episode yesterday! And that's no April Fool's Joke. Honest.
     
    We've been organizing some things behind the scenes that will hopefully allow us to better manage our priorities and gets things done in a somewhat-timely manner. Don't get your hopes up too much though, these things still take some time.
     
    Mailbag

    1) I think they're silly for the most part. They're both themes made by LEGO and they're both fun.
    2) Yes.
    2b) Wouldn't be the first time, doubt it will be the last.
     
    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
    Short update, not much to discuss. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go meet up with DJ Ken. Friday's a working night for us bartenders, you know? Have fun everyone!
  12. Black Six
    Intro
    The week really needs to stop going by so fast. How is it Friday already? I guess that means you want a Weekly Update.
     
    Updates
    Let's get some things out of the way first. From BZPower Forum Rules & Guidelines

     
    Additionally, the Administration does not consider two individuals kissing to be sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate. Banners or other images depicting people kissing are not against BZPower's rules.
     
    Great, glad to get that out of the way.
     
    If you haven't already, go check out the results from the previous survey LEGO conducted and go share your thoughts in the new one. It's a great thing for LEGO to be constantly looking for our feedback and input to help improve their company.
     
    In some BZPower-related news, the new staff members finally have forum assignments. But take it easy on them guys and try not to break too many rules, okay? I'm sure they appreciate it.
     
    The entry period for the current RPG Contest ends tonight. Polls will be up shortly after that, so make sure you vote!
     
    Apart from those things, it's really been kind of slow. I've been trying to work on some things behind the scenes, but there hasn't been a huge amount of progress. I hope I have more to share soon, but who knows...
     
    Mailbag

    1. I like some kinds of pie.
    2. They might be told to be more careful, but I definitely wouldn't fire them.
    3. I think I'd go with good old Billy Furno.
    4. I do.
    4a. I like all sorts of different things - pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, broccoli, bacon, ham and pineapple are just a few that I like.
    5. Chocolate or some derivative thereof.
    6. Yes, any admin can ban a member.
    7. I think the last one I bought myself was the TIE Defender. I did get one of the Ninjago spinner sets at Toy Fair though.
    8. Not since Patrick Ewing retired.
    8a. Back then, it was the New York Knickerbockers.
     

    1. A Bionicle one? Probably not.
    2. Sorry, you're out of luck.
    3. I can't say I read too many comics.
    4. Sometimes it can be very stressful, but I wouldn't be here if I didn't 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
    Have a great weekend everybody, and remember - be excellent to each other.
  13. Black Six

    Pax East 2011

    By Black Six,

    I've been meaning to talk about this for over a week now. Real life keeps getting in the way though. I probably should be doing other things even now, but PAX was just too much fun to not talk about!
     
    It started out on Thursday (3/10), which was in general a pretty un-fun day. I had to drive down to the Washington DC area in the morning for some training, then back up to Maryland in the afternoon, and then to New Jersey at night to meet up with my friend Terence. All of this was in the pouring rain. Not fun.
     
    I got there intact though, watched some TV and relaxed after the long day, and then went to bed.
     
    The next morning started off way too early, at four-something in the morning. A couple quick showers later and we were on the road. Thanks to Terence's friend's EZPass, we didn't have to worry about tolls and could take a more direct route. So despite the continuing rain we made good time and were in Newton, MA before ten. We parked the car, hopped on the T, and took the Green Line forever and ever. Then we switched to the Red Line, and finally to the Silver Line, which is a bizarre underground bus. I guess they were too lazy or too cheap to lay down subway tracks? Coincidentally, we stumbled across my other friend AJ and his girlfriend, who we were planning on meeting up with at PAX - very convenient. Anyway, we got to the Boston Convention and Expo Center and saw the endless horde of geeks and nerds and knew we would fit right in.
     
    After that point a lot of things started to blur. We walked around the show floor for a bit, I met up with Nate (Than the Moa), who arrived but couldn't get in since John (Watashi Wa) had his pass and was stuck in Detroit or Washington DC or some ridiculous place (had he come to Washington the night before we could have driven up together). We got in line for the Rage demo and I broke out my Settlers of Catan portable edition. We got a lot of positive comments and had a lot of fun - it made the wait fly by. The demo itself was amazing. I have no idea how they made the game look that good on the Xbox 360. We got free shirts even! We walked around the floor a little more after that, and I randomly met Louis Wu! Then we got on line for The Old Republic. And we waited. And waited. And waited. And the expo floor started closing. And the panel on Xbox Enforcement that I had wanted to see started. But we finally got in! You definitely need a lot of coordination and teamwork for TOR, and the fact that the mics on our headsets didn't work failed to help that. Nor did the fact that AJ and his girlfriend had never played an MMO before. It was still kind of fun though, but it seemed more like Star Wars wrapped around World of Warcraft than Knights of the Old Republic turned into an MMO. We didn't get to finish the demo since the expo closed - but I consider us lucky: we only waited in line for about three hours, later in the show the line could last up to six hours.
     
    We left the show and headed toward our hotel. Along the way we met up with Nate again, who had spent his time at the library and Prudential Center. We received an unpleasant surprise when the two double bed room I reserved only had a single bed. Terence and I had brought Aerobeds though and we were able to get a cot, so things mostly worked out. Somewhere around then John finally got to Boston and after much direction-giving we met up with him and had some dinner. We hung out in the hotel a bit and then after midnight, celebrated what was now John's birthday.
     
    We didn't stay up too late though, since we wanted to get to the show early. Nate, John, Terence, and I got there before the show opened and started a new game of Catan while we waited. AJ and his girlfriend, who live in Boston, didn't show up until much later, the lazy bums. When we got in, we played some Fallen Frontier (a game made by former Bungie and Harmonix employees) and then lined up to see Battlefield 3. Man that game looks amazing too, and I'm not even a fan of the series. We did some other stuff too probably, and then went to watch the Rooster Teeth panel. Those guys are a blast and so funny. After the panel we got some dinner and then went to line up for the Saturday night concerts. We got to watch Pyre Jenga, one of the Omegathon events, and then Video Game Orchestra, Paul and Storm, and Jonathan Coulton. VGO didn't disappoint this year - they gave us Zelda, played a Halo arrangement, and they even had an encore ready! Paul and Storm were a blast, they're two really funny guys. JoCo was great - he's gone electric since last year and has a 'band' now (a bassist and drummer), so even his older stuff was new. Things ended really late though, which when combined with Daylight Savings and a mile and a half walk back meant it was a realllllly long day. Oh, I got to meet e and Stepto during the concert too and got a code for a Cole plushie for my Xbox Avatar!
     
    On Sunday we slept in a bit, and managed to catch the last shuttle to the convention. We started off by signing up for the Halo tournament and then waited for that to kick off. It wasn't very well organized, but we got to talk to bsangel and get some free codes for the Defiant Map Pack. I'm glad we got something, because we were knocked out in the first round by some pros. It was a close match though at least. We hit up the show floor for a little more after that, but John had to leave to catch his flight. The rest of us played some Gears of War 3, which seemed pretty similar to the second one, but with some new weapons. Nate had to leave soon after that, and Terence and I decided we should get going so we didn't get back to New Jersey too late. We made pretty good time again, but we were dead tired and passed out pretty much right away.
     
    Unfortunately I couldn't sleep in too much the next day, but I only had a few hours to drive to get back to Maryland. I got home, exhausted, and then had to deal with unpacking, doing laundry, and getting ready for going back to work. I still haven't quite caught up, but the weekend was so fun it was worth it and I don't really even care.
     
    If you can ever make it to an event like this (if you're a gamer) go for it. We got to talk to some awesome people, play a lot of awesome games, and just had a good time with friends in general.
     
    I'm already looking forward to PAX East 2012!
  14. Black Six
    Intro
    I missed last week - sorry everyone. I was busy at PAX East, which was amazing, and something I'm still trying to recover from. But I'm here to give you guys an update, at least.
     
    Updates
    We've had a couple reviews for you recently - Comrade Gato shared his thoughts on Ice Dragon Attack and xccj took a look at Nitroblast. They're two pretty different sets - we like to give you some variety here at BZP. We don't have any reviews in the pipeline currently, but there's a lot of sets out there that I'm sure we'll take a look at this year.
     
    If you're into stories and games, RPG Contest #21 is going on right now. There's still time to enter your RPG and see how it fares. There hasn't been a lot of entries thus far, which means everyone who enters stands a pretty good chance!
     
    That was the fun stuff. On the other side of the coin, we announced a new LEGO policy that is going into affect. Yes it will have an impact on everyone on BZPower. Yes the Administration is working as best as we can to adapt to it. Everyone is very busy though, so changes take some time to go into effect.
     
    We had some promotions a few weeks ago too. I still need to assign the new Assistants some forums, but I have things mostly mapped out and should have time to do that this weekend I hope. Then someone will have to train them to ensure they don't break the site. If you're lucky, we'll use one of your topics as our guinea pig.
     
    Mailbag

    1. Yep.
    2a. 2003
    2b. 2001
    3. The ability to slow down time - there's not enough hours in a day!
    4. That's a tough one - The Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorites if not the favorite.
    5. A woodchuck would chuck ten pecks of wood, if a woodchuck could chuck wood.
     

    1. There's no actual list, but we do try to notice people who are helping a lot and keep them in mind when someone steps down. There's usually a lot of discussion between me and Tufi to decide on the best candidates.
    2. Not often.
    3. I love that I get to interact with so many LEGO fans on BZPower and other LEGO communities.
    4. Iced tea.
     
    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
    Trying to get back into the swing of things over here; please bear with me. Until then - have a great weekend everyone! Questions and comments are always encouraged.
  15. Black Six
    Intro
    Hey the forums are back! You can all read my Weekly Update on time this week. Hooray!
     
    Updates
    The forums were offline. They're back now. Hopefully they don't go away again. Keep your fingers crossed.
     
    But in happier news, people got promoted! Go congrat WaWa, Mak, Nuju, Nuhrii, Takuma, and HAZMAT!
     
    While we were offline a new Powercast came out! Go listen to it and leave your comments! I think it came together really well.
     
    That's about all I have. It was a pretty unexciting week.
     
    This weekend may hold a set review and another announcement of some type. Keep your eyes peeled for that.
     
    Mailbag
    Mailbag is empty yet again. Sadface.
     
    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
    This was not the update I was hoping to see come together (right now, over me), but it is what it is. To reference another amazing song, life goes on, brah. Peace everyone.
  16. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 2/25

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    Well this is going to be a short update.
     
    Updates
    The forums are offline - how are you even reading this? (Actually the RSS feed might still work, I'm not sure.) We're doing our best to prevent any accounts from being compromised or any damage being done to the site.
     
    In other news, there's going to be some promotions soon, once the site is back online. A bunch, actually. So keep your eyes peeled.
     
    We finished up our Toy Fair coverage last week with our look at Hero Factory. I'm a fan of the new system and thing the beasts coming up this summer look great. I am anticipating their release on store shelves.
     
    Also last weekend, the Maersk Train was revealed. I know most people here aren't big train fans, but it looks pretty cool, I think.
     
    Tonight we had some news about LEGO Universe. I wish LEGO the best of luck on this, but I'm afraid that it might be too little, too late. It's really hard to grow a subscriber base this far along after the initial release. Hopefully the game doesn't abruptly stop.
     
    Mailbag
    Nothing this week - so lonely.
     
    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
    Happy Friday everyone, have a good weekend. Hopefully you'll all be able to read this soon.
  17. Black Six

    Instant Karma

    By Black Six,

    So yesterday was President's Day, and being an employee of the Federal Government it meant I had the day off. Taking advantage of this holiday when most people still have to work, I took my car in for an oil change. They had a TV on in the waiting room blasting some news channel, and before I put my earphones in I heard a report about winter weather in Wisconsin and New Jersey. I chuckled a little at this since a few friends of mine, including Than the Moa, Senjo, and Friar Tuck live in Wisconsin, and my parents and a bunch of other friends live in New Jersey. And here I was with the temperature in the 40s where they were predicting rain.
     
    Fast forward to that night, when I looked out my back door and saw that the grass was starting to get a little white. It wasn't sticking to the concrete of my patio though, so I wasn't too worried. Before going to bed though, I checked again and there was some definite accumulation. 'Darn, not again,' I thought, since last week's warm temperatures (breaking 70 on a couple of days) had finally melted away most of the snow from January.
     
    My alarm went off at far too early this morning and I decided I should check to see how much snow had fallen. There was a decent amount, but I could still see under my car so I wasn't too worried. I checked the status page of the base I worked at though, just in case, and saw they were still open. 'Nuts, so much for a delayed opening,' I muttered to myself, and made my way to the shower and then to have some breakfast.
     
    I finished up my meal and went back upstairs to get ready for work, but decided to check one more time for a delay. I was greeted to a wonderful set of words:
     

    Your base has a delayed opening for Tues 22 Feb. We will open for normal operations at 1200 hours with liberal leave in effect. 
    They must have updated the page pretty shortly after I checked, since some people have long commutes and need to leave early, especially with inclement weather. With six free hours at my disposal I threw on some clothes and made my way out to shovel. About an hour later I was back inside where it was warm and wondering what I should do next with my morning off.
     
    I decided to write this blog entry.
     
    Moral of the story is: don't laugh at people who are getting snowed on when you aren't, but enjoy your half day even if it means there's still a lot of snow to deal with.
  18. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 1/14

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    I'm back again, dear readers, for another weekly update. Next week's update may be iffy, so cherish this one while it's here!
     
    Updates
    The reviews keep on coming! Arpy reviewed Jetbug and xccj took a look at Scarab Attack. What's with all the insects? We should have at least one more review this weekend, so keep your eyes peeled. Here's a hint: it's from a super-popular licensed theme.
     
    If you haven't already, you should take this survey from LEGO. Be sure to leave your comments in the Talkback thread so I can send it back to LEGO so they can improve the experience in the future.
     
    If you like telling stories or playing games, you should read about the BZPRPG reboot. Friar Tuck and the others have been putting a lot of time and effort into this and I'm a fan of the direction it's going. Everyone is welcome to join, so check it out!
     
    Mailbag

    1. I've only really seen the first, ninth, tenth, and eleventh doctors, so I can't make a well-informed decision. Out of those though, David Tennant is my favorite.
    2. Martha Jones or Amy Pond, I would say.
    3. They're all awesome.
    4. I was never a fan of Donna Noble. Her personality always grated on me.
    5. I love mailbag love from everyone.
     

    I'd like to announce that we are introducing the 'widget' as the official currency of BZPower. Whatever makes them happy I guess? Yes, I might suggest that they get some help. Poor planning on the part of the set designers. That's like saying BZPower currently stands for, 'Black Six Zone Power.' Actually, that's not a half-bad idea... Builds with LEGO brick and watches soap operas. To each their own. No, sorry. Orbital bombardments only. It'll be in dry dock. I plan on being at Milliways. Nope, sorry. What's 'beaf'? I'd like to be, under the sea, in an octopus' garden, in the shade. That is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
    The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
    Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
    And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
    No more; and by a sleep to say we end
    The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
    That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
    Devoutly to be wish'd.
    Only the good die young. Because they don't know any better. It was sick of people asking which came first. Because you're bored, probably. 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's enough for this week. I'm tired and have a lot to do. It's okay though, because I'm kind of on vacation right now! Have a good weekend everyone!
  19. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 2/18

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    Is it Friday already? Man this week went fast. Probably a result of looking at so many pictures over and over again. Well, let's get this going.
     
    Updates
    Toy Fair:
    Part the First Part Deux Three's the Part Being the Fourth Part Episode Five Purple in Hero Factory? - We had dinner with Jim Foulds and told him everyone wanted more purple. He seemed skeptical, so we decided to make a poll. Go prove him wrong! Cars Website - LEGO announced new sets for the upcoming Cars 2 movie from Disney. Apparently this involves a designer trying to lose his job. In other Toy Fair news, once our coverage is done, I'll be posting some interesting statistics here from the weekend. It should be fun, because Toy Fair was fun.
     
    Moving on, Sisen reviewed Drilldozer. Only a few more first half sets to get through before we get to start looking forward to the summer sets!
     
    Apparently we don't have to worry about LEGO going out of business anytime soon, seeing as they made over $1 billion in sales this past year. I think it's safe to say they're doing fine.
     
    There may be some stuff going on that I can't talk about, but I can't talk about it, sorry.
     
    Mailbag

    It runs on a version of Linux. I won't get into any details due to security issues.
     
    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
    Man, I'm really tired from sorting and posting all those pictures. Thank goodness for George Washington and three day weekends. Don't have too much fun guys!
  21. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 2/11

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    Toy Fair is nearly upon us, and soon I'll be driving up to New Jersey with McSmeag and meeting up with ToM Dracone and LehvakLah. But I hear it's Friday, and that means a weekly update.
     
    Updates
    Check out these video interviews with the Hero Factory set designers. These are some of the same people that designed Bionicle sets, and their insight is really interesting.
     
    McSmeag finally reviewed Surge 2.0. Only a few more first half 2011 sets to review, and I hear one should be around shortly, although it may get delayed by Toy Fair coverage.
     
    Continuing on the Hero Factory track, the twelfth Hero Factory podcast was released. It looks like they're winding the series down - it was fun while it lasted!
     
    Bionicle's not dead yet though - go read the new chapter of Yesterday Quest. There's never a dull moment in the Bionicle universe, it would seem.
     
    So I may have mentioned Toy Fair once or twice. Go read the press release that Julie Stern was kind enough to provide. Is it Sunday yet?
     
    Mailbag

    1. It can be difficult and time consuming at times.
    2. But yes, it's very rewarding and I like it.
    3. That is a secret.
    4. It used to be RPG, but I don't spend a huge amount of time just posting for fun these days.
    5. Fire.
    6. Hau Olda.
    7. There are some that pop up frequently.
    8. Usually ones asking me about favorite characters/sets/years.
    9. Not the most common, no.
     
    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
    Have a good weekend everyone, I know I sure will. Keep checking back for Toy Fair 2011 news!
  22. 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.
  23. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 2/4

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    It is Friday, or so my calendar claims. That means it's time for a weekly update! Woo hoo! Shall we see what's in store?
     
    Updates
    Last week it was January, but now it's February. That means a new Powercast got posted! These are always so much fun, except for all the editing. While the RPG and How-To BZP were fun, my favorite section was by far the interview with Hapori Tohu. It might even be my favorite segment ever. He's a really cool guy and great to talk to, we actually had a nice conversation before and after, but that sadly wasn't recorded, or else I'd share. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as me.
     
    The perennial reminder here once again, this time with a message from LEGO: don't post leaked images or information. You will be punished. Don't worry guys, Toy Fair starts next weekend. Almost there. (I know I can't wait, and I bet McSmeag and ToM Dracone can't wait either.)
     
    Not everything has been leaked though! There are now some official pictures of the Pirates of the Caribbean sets. There are a lot of awesome new pieces I've spotted in there - it makes me really excited to get a closer look at them next week. We'll be sure to get lots of detail pictures.
     
    Series Four of the Collectible Minifigs have been seen before, but we now have some hi-res images. I think each wave is getting better than the last. I just wish they weren't so difficult to get a hold of. I also can't wait to hopefully see these guys in more detail at Toy Fair.
     
    Oh my goodness guys Toy Fair is a week away! Have I mentioned I'm excited and I can't wait? I took the Monday after off from work, just for you guys, so I can edit and post pictures. It's going to be grand.
     
    Mailbag
    No Mailbag love this week.
     
    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
    That's all for this week. Have a great weekend as always. Questions and comments are appreciated as always too folks. See you later!
  24. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 1/28

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    Hey everyone, it's Friday, I think. It's the last Friday in January, even. That means it's time for the last Weekly Update of the first month of the new year! That should be exciting or something.
     
    Updates
    Man, things have been really slow. Toy Fair is coming up soon though, and that's sure to pick things up around here.
     
    Meanwhile, DeeVee and Sisen reviewed Fire Lord - the biggest 2011 Hero Factory set out currently. Shortly afterward, xccj shared his thoughts on the Skull Motorbike, an entirely different sort of set, but still fun. We'll have more reviews at some point, but it's not looking like any this weekend. I could always we wrong though.
     
    In other news, those of you in Alabama and the rest of the South are in luck! BrickFair is coming to Birmingham in 2012! It's great to see my favorite event expanding, and while I don't know if I'll be attending, I'm sure it'll be fun. The timing is a bit early - I know there's not many winter events, but right after New Years may make it difficult for some to attend. We'll see!
     
    At some point last year I was talking about plans for BZPower, plans that have yet to come to fruition. The holiday season slowed things down a lot, but those are over now. I need to get things rolling again, but really need to find the time and motivation to do so. Any help would be appreciated guys.
     
    Mailbag

    1. Many, many times. They are fun.
    2. Think of it like Brickshelf or Flickr, but on BZPower. It's offline because we're worried about the server being able to handle it.
    3. I think they're both kind of silly, honestly.
     
    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's all I have for this week. I look forward to your comments and questions and whatever else you want to throw at me. Have a great weekend guys - see you next week!
  25. Black Six

    Weekly Update - 1/21

    By Black Six,

    Intro
    Oh man, is it the weekend already? That is a shame. Well, I guess I should update you guys or something.
     
    Updates
    Bfahome reviewed the Mandalorian Battle Pack. More reviews should be forthcoming, so keep your eyes peeled.
     
    You should check out ChocolateFrogs' look at the LEGO Architecture Exhibit. It's a pretty amazing display, and since most of us can't visit you should totally check out the pictures he took.
     
    Along those lines, you should totally take a look at David Bird's thoughts on the process of designing Krika. It's quite the insight and worth a read!
     
    It's been a busy week over here, off of BZP, so I don't have much more to share.
     
    Mailbag

    1: Nothing happens to the blog. Since the member is no longer Premier, they cannot add new entries.
     
    2: That's me, as interpreted as Schizo Kaita.
     
    3: Tahu.
     
    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
    Short update this week, sorry everyone. Send in some Mailbag questions and leave your comments below. Talk to you next week!
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