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Tufi Piyufi

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Blog Entries posted by Tufi Piyufi

  1. Tufi Piyufi

    A Communique

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    To my dearest Brickfair-attending minions:
     
    Even now, a comrade of yours goes without a figure of Our Patron Saint that he is owed. I should not have to tell you what a frightful state this is. Fortunately, he who owes your comrade Our Patron Saint will also be attending Brickfair. Serendipitous!
     
    I will not tell you what to do, but I will simply let your senses of justice guide you. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, but do everything I would.
     
    Kittyhugs,
     
    Tufi
  2. Tufi Piyufi
    You know how in a play, you only ever see the action from one side of the stage (barring any weird performances, of course)? Film and TV work the same way. At least, in theory. When you have a scene, all the shots should be taken from the same side of the action. For example, if the scene is focusing on two people on a couch, you wouldn't suddenly have a shot from behind the couch (or, if you simply must, then at least don't confuse things further by adding in shots from the sides and so on). The imaginary line that marks the boundaries of where the camera can be placed is called the axis, and you do not ever cross it.

    It is especially important because it is related to the grand force of continuity. If you've got a guy hanging around on one side of the screen, it's just bad form to suddenly have him on the other side, though he hasn't physically moved at all. It's disorienting, especially if you don't have anything that could establish a need for the camera to move (seriously, you can forgive almost anything if you have some footage that allows for establishment).

    This I have learned from the film people I know and love.
  3. Tufi Piyufi

    A Good Day For Math

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    Oh, it's always a good day for math.
     
    I love it when people go on about how neglected they are because nobody's posting in their topic, often with the nose-eye-viewed addition of 'look at this topic with its horrible horrible art?MOC/basketweaving and how many posts it's getting insert implication that the forum is filled with malicious tasteless hounds here'. Just love it. To pieces. Well, actually, no I don't. At all. I lie horribly here. It's a horrid attitude. For one thing, there's nothing I love more than a good ol' entitlement complex. Lying horribly again: it's a rather harmful attitude for one to have, expecially when you're talking about the world of creative works. Nobody owes you posts. Nobody. Don't care how good you think your piece is: nobody owes you posts.
     
    But this entry is not me whining about entitlement complexes! No. It is about the other component I could go on and on about. It is about math, you see. Simple math. You see, there's a lot of people who feel they're neglected. I've seen like a gazillion blog entries and opening posts and replies about it. A gazillion is only a slight exaggeration. These then attract more people to commiserate about their perceived neglect. People love getting together to talk about these things. It's amazing.
     
    This is where the most remarkable element comes in. You see, people are more than happy tp spend their time and energy telling their stories of how they got, like, no posts at all. Absolutely eager to do it. And people are just as eager to reply to that. It's a tragic misdirection of time, energy, and words, though. You see, if folks took half of the effort they'd normally spend talking about their neglect and instead invested that in some nice reviews for other folks? Happier times for everyone, ahoy.
     
    You gotta give, too. Standing with your hands out and coughing 'ahem' won't do you a whole lot of good. It's not going to get you a lot of posts and it won't get you the best reputation. And, yes, reputation factors in. Not in the 'oh no popularityyyyy' way: in the 'y'know, I hear this guy really isn't all that nice' way. The way that matters worlds more than you might think. I've said it before and I won't stop saying it: the BZP populace is way smarter than it's given credit for. They're not inclined to give attention to those who insult them. There's folks who could stand a quick check in their own rear-view mirrors before asking why they never seem to get replies.
     
    And don't post solely in 'the topics of people who look like they could take building/art (way) too seriously', for crying out loud. You really don't want to get me started on that approach. Review whatever you like (obligatory revival rules reference). Everyone likes a nice, helpful post. Just remember that you need to actually plant something before anything's gonna grow for you.
  4. Tufi Piyufi
    There's a word people love to throw around when it comes to MOCs, artwork, and sets. But not just any examples, oh no. It only really pops up when the subjects are female.
     
    You don't get to be surprised that's what this blog entry in this blog is about.
     
    I've seen some great female MOCs get posted in BBC. Streamlined yet well-armoured, minus the woefully out-of-place ponytail, and in footwear you can actually fight in. I often regret not publically recognizing them as they come up for just plain getting it. Something always comes up and before I know it, I've lost the chance. And believe me, it is regret. It is a deep regret that I never manage to post in these topics and applaud the builders. I can't tell you how much I regret not offering a voice counter to what's heard instead.
     
    These MOCs are great, you see. Maybe some general technical and/or aesthetic qualms, but you'd be hard-pressed to find any MOC without them. But that's rarely the problem. Instead, I see people talk about how these MOCs are 'great, but not very feminine'. These MOCs, with silhouettes and lines of movement that have captured je ne sais quoi in a jar and put it on a shelf. These MOCs, already a step ahead of the general crowd. These MOCs, that for once, are actually feminine.
     
    And then it dawns on me like a smoggy sunrise.
     
    These MOCs also tend to avoid the trend of putting two things on her chest just 'cause girls have two things on their chests. And believe me, they're things. They're not breasts. They bear no resemblance. Sometimes they're round? But that and the numbers are the only resemblances. They stick out terribly. Did I ever mention in this or any other entry that they always stick out? There is no room for anything less than a D-cup in Bionicle, it seems. Even that's on the small end of things.
     
    And then, the MOCs with spine-shattering chest tumours are the ones deemed 'feminine'. Really. Never mind that they could have shoulders that'd be out of place on Onua. Never mind that they could have the hips of an especially elfin 10-year-old Matoran boy. Never mind they could have all the grace of a herd of half-tranquilized gorillas. I guarantee you, the vast majority of posts in topics like these will praise the 'femininity' of the featured MOC.
     
    So near as I can tell, according to the Bionicle fandom at large, 'femininity' isn't a set of subtle qualities that work together to convey a general aesthetic sense. To be 'feminine', all you need is huge round things on your chest. That is the definition I have determined from countless posts and topics. That's the definition that seems to be on the books.
     
    That is an absolutely terrible definition.
  5. Tufi Piyufi

    A Map At Last

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    The scanner lives, the card reader lives, the tablet lives. It is a glorious occasion.
     
    And, to celebrate, I bring you pictures. You know, to prove I'm not all talk and no action about this. Which has happened far too many times in the past, I will readily admit. But not this time. Oh no. I have you guys to hold me to things.
     
    Exhibit one: some manner of preliminary map. For starters, I wouldn't hold me to anything but the most basic outline of the palace, and maybe not even that. No clue what I was doing there. I know there's a big open garden-type place fenced in by those walls you see there, though. The rectangular-looking part. That much is for certain. Also, minifig feet/legs. Those aren't actually there. And the road to the pollish area should prolly be southward. Otherwise, I present The General Idea.
     
    And exhibit two, for the heck of it: in relation to the rest of the Creative Outlet. Come to think of it, I should prolly figure out where all the other forum-type places are. I can't imagine all the action staying in BBC. Oh no. Those other people are plenty crazy too.
     
    So? Convinced I'm not just bluffing yet?
  6. Tufi Piyufi

    A Note On Dates

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    Three years ago to this day, a young girl was brought onto the staff(the ST, to be precise) shortly after being hit with a prank.
     
    Three years later...
     
    'S'all I'm saying.
  7. Tufi Piyufi
    I actually got a very very rough BBC Empire map done today! Yay! Very basic, though. Just general placement of palace, docks, big open-air/not-too-sure MOC display place, some commercial (including best pizza place in all the forums) and some residential. And a random forest near the palace. Why not?
     
    So then I think to myself that I should prolly get that thing scanned in while the thing's still in the front of my mind. I'll have to figure out what I can unplug from the powerbar and replug the scanner, but okie. I've known that for a while now, I've done it before, no big deal. I hop downstairs and figure out what cord belongs to what. I eventually unplug that wave machine that's older than I am and we haven't had on since that one guy came over months ago. No clue why we dug it out. It's unlikely anyone would notice it's disconnected, anyhow.
     
    Alright, that lovely green light is on at the front of the scanner. That's a good sign. Slide the book under, open up that Smart Panel thing. Save to File, yes. Something about how the scanner is not connected or already in use or something like that. What? Unplug. Replug. Save to File? No, same thing.
     
    Then it hits me. It's the exact same reason the card reader's been dead for over a week: neither are actually plugged into the computer. The reason for this, of course, being that the big box itself was unplugged over a week ago to get some serious internal dusting done. Cripes, was it ugly in there. Kept overheating and restarting because of it. A note, folks: keep your computer clean. Make sure the fans have good air flow, and maybe even have it cracked open at least once a year or so for a good cleaning. It's how dad saved the Calgary relation's computer last Materialist Festivus. It's amazing how much difference it can make. Take that away with you tonight.
     
    Um... yeah. And now that I have no way to get anything onto the computer, I know I'll come up with a gazillion things for the whole BBC thing. Hooray for progress!
  8. Tufi Piyufi

    A Primal Scream

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    Because there's no way I can hold it in any longer.
     
    I have never hosted a Bionicle-Based Contest in my life.
     
    I have, however, hosted over a dozen of the 45 Bionicle-Based Creations Contests!
     
    You'll find nothing in official contest topics that calls them 'BBCs'. Nothing. You can stop telling others that that's what they're called. That that's what the acronym means. All that stuff.
     
    And gods help me if I see any of my minions, real or otherwise, keep this up... disownage will be the least of your worries.
  9. Tufi Piyufi
    Exhibit four: random tablettings. Mostly formal wear-type things, some architecture. Also a random ninja puffin, for the heck of it. Haven't drawn a ninja puffin in a long time. Now I have, so it's all swell.
     
    So yeah. Clearly this isn't the normal day-to-day wear. I can't imagine any of the stuff up there being suitable for work in the field. Still, sometimes the situation arises where you gotta look nice, and then it's time to somehow get the princes into their suits (back/front shown, for clarity). Threats of princesses tend to work well.
     
    Also random building. Mostly for heck of it, I'll admit. Then again, can it really hurt to toss something like that in there? Oh, and it's not (part of) the palace. Oh no. I still need to tackle that thing once and for all.
     
    And yes, ninja puffin. Why not?
  10. Tufi Piyufi
    First of all, if you post spoilers for book #13 of A Series of Unfortunate Events, you will face full modly wrath. Seriously. Not even in tags; you know people can't resist temptation. Every single part of that book is something that one should be first exposed to as they read it. I'd have killed if anyone told me any of the big things that went on.
     
    So, that said, I'd just like to announce this:
     
    I so called Beatrice's history.
     
    For years, at that. Since the Unauthorized Autobiography first came out, though it was lacking a great deal of support at that time, I'll admit. But now... oh yeah.
     
    If you've read it, you should know what I mean. If you haven't read it, go and read it. I'm not gonna tell you anything. I just needed to get this out there.
     
    But oh, I called it.
  11. Tufi Piyufi
    So, as it turns out, yes this conceptual gun does have a bullet or two in it, punk. I have the means, I have the drive, but... I'll admit something. The actual writing part... I'm kinda falling flat on. I've got two or three complete story ideas, but that's about it. That just plain doesn't feel like enough. I know there should be more.
     
    Why isn't that more coming to me and smacking me upside the head?!?
     
    Which is why I turn to you people, once more. I'm looking for scenarios. I'm looking for sparks of plots. Interesting interactions. We've got tons of tinder here: spam, contests, a pirate and a ninja in the same forum, building crazes, and Kex and his crossdressing habits. It just feels like it's been left out in the rain, is all.
     
    So c'mooooooooon... help a puffin out?
  12. Tufi Piyufi
    So, about #47's state and it being cancelled and all that.
     
    #47 was, and there is no nicer word for it, a mess. There were many critical questions that almost nobody could answer, not even the assistants. They know that it's not their call to decide such crucial aspects of a theme like that. The only one who could answer them was the host, Roa. Roa, however, was nowhere to be found. There was nothing that the contest staff who were here could do. So, the entry period ticked on by, many people not even knowing the things they needed to know to start building.
     
    Ending it like this was far from my first choice. I haven't exactly been raised to throw in the towel easily. Make no mistake: it manifests itself as a fault more often than not. It very nearly did here. My first plan was to wait for a week or so, then cancel the current version and start up a new version with myself as host. After discussion with others, this plan changed. First, the waiting period grew shorter. Then, it became clear: the original was just too much of a mess. The confusion of the previous version would carry over to the repost, no doubt. Distance between the two is not a question, it is a necessity. It was then that I could say to myself 'if it really comes down to it, no, there won't be polls labelled for a contest #47'.
     
    Here we are now. No, there won't ever be polls labelled for a BBC contest #47.
     
    So for those of you blaming this on all BBC contest staff having less-than-perfect attendance, hey: you may as well keep thinking that. Doesn't make you right.
  13. Tufi Piyufi

    Ah, Ninja Puffins

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    What a fantastic concept indeed. And they're all mine, too. Get yer hands away from my ninja puffins.
     
    And here's some now. Well, just three ninja puffin doodles, really. There's also a guy with a hat, a ninja puffin sword, random shark-thing, and a bit of Orthano going 'huh'. Still, there are ninja puffins in there, and that is what is important.
     
    That is all.
     
    (man, Othie looks baffled)
  14. Tufi Piyufi
    A brief one, too, since the longer I go on, the more likely it is I'll spoil something.
     
    So I saw 'Snakes on a Plane' yesterday. It's a fantastic movie, provided that you're old enough (no encouragement to fly in the face of the ratings system here... sorry, folks). Don't go in expecting high cinema, and you're gold.
     
    Anyhow. So I'd heard some things about how it was filmed here in Vancouver. Okie. Lots of things are filmed here. Lots of funky things. Wouldn't be too surprising. Thing is, though, I hadn't heard a thing from anyone around here about working on or knowing anybody who worked on it. That's a bit weirder. You'd think someone I/my mother knows would be willing to mention their experiences on 'this new movie with Samuel L. Jackson'.
     
    Then we saw the movie. I'll tell you right now, in a lot of the non-plane scenes, it's pretty darn obvious this was filmed in Vancouver. Sure, there aren't any of the immediately-betraying skyline shots, but the scenery... And I swear I've been in that neighborhood before. Or, if not that exact place, then a few others like it.
     
    Yep. Totally filmed here. No wonder it's such a pure grade of awesome.
     
    So I guess the point of this entry is 'yay Vancouver'. So... yay Vancouver.
     
    Because I could, changed enouigh to enough.
    ~Makaru~
  15. Tufi Piyufi

    Anticipation

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    I await the events of a week from now. Oh yes.
     
    On another note, people who prebuild MOCs for the contests before they even get the theme are in for quite the shocker this time around. You're not gonna be able to just slap a relevant name on it this time, folks. Oh no.
     
    Are these two things related? Maybe. Maybe not. I just needed to blog.
  16. Tufi Piyufi
    The contest #42 prelims are up now. All 32 of them, from A to Foxtrot. They end on Sunday, so you better get in there if you haven't already.
     
    The original 'live date' for the prelims was the 16th. This was before I knew that there would be 313 pollable entries. This would take a solid day's work, provided that I had absolutely nothing else to worry about. However, this was not the case at all.
     
    Life did not put itself on hold long enough for me to get the polls up by the 16th, nor did it do so for the other suggested date of the 17th. Face it, folks: I had more important stuff to do. Family birthdays, schoolwork, and all that other stuff kinda takes precedence over polls for an Internet Lego forum.
     
    I will now throw some numbers at you.
     
    I recieved seven PMs, noted at least three topics, and saw at least one blog entry all devoted to asking 'jeez, where are the polls?'. I recieved one PM from a member offering help with the polls.
     
    Does this seem a bit out-of-balance to you?
     
    I got the polls up, yeah. I got them up on my birthday of all days. I got them up even as the complaining got louder. Lemme tell you something: having to ward off all those people with the same, unchanging answer didn't exactly make the polls get done any faster.
     
    One PM against at least eleven instances, folks. I've got over thirteen years of math experience, and yet I'm still having trouble with that one.
  17. Tufi Piyufi

    Art Of The Cold Read

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    I ran into someone who I know on the bus today. Well, that isn't exactly right. To be exact, someone who I apparently know recognized me and struck up a conversation. I then proceeded to feel absolutely awful in the back of my head whilst continuing a conversation up front. Eventually, I got off the bus, and all was well.
     
    This isn't the first time this has happened, either. I have been stopped by people who knew me in kindergarten - kindergarten - and recognized me. I then manage to keep from totally embarassing myself long enough for them to eventually head off to their business elsewhere. The remaining time is spent trying to figure out who remembers people from kindergarten.
     
    But my same inability to recall this earliest of years also keeps me from initiating these conversations. As such, the freak-memoried participant goes first. Greetings are exchanged, "I remember you from ___" is uttered. "Oh, really?" "Yeah! So..." And then, the dialogue following that 'so...' is my saving grace. I can then haul discussion off to a completely unrelated subject (hurrah school), I can bluff my way through a memory the other recalled, or once in a blue moon will I actually remember some bit of what they're talking about. Sometimes, such as today, I can go without even mentioning their name. All of this is seamless. As far as I can tell, they suspect nothing.
     
    I realize that these same skills could also land me a gig as one of those John Edward-type 'psychics.' Oh yes. The cold read is not that much of a stretch from what I do now. I can milk the most useful information out of people without them ever knowing. At the very least, I could totally clean up at parties. I wonder if I could even add seances to my repertoire...
     
    This will have to go under 'careers-plan-B', I suppose.
  19. Tufi Piyufi

    Assorted School Bits

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    The computer I'm currently using is making some rather strange sounds. Not exactly healthy sounds, either. I'm hearing some raspiness and some fast-paced waspish humming and this thing is about two feet away from both torso and head. Monitor is aimed directly at my face, and I have my doubts about that component as well. Should either part blow, it's goodbye Jennifer. It'd freak out some Grade Eights, though, so it wouldn't be entirely pointless.
     
    They marched us to the 'mainland' earlier this week for some assembly. We don't have such things down here. They have 'em up there. I haven't been to one in years. In any case, off I go to sit on a rather uncomfy wooden board. For an hour. An hour of 'you're Grade Twelves now, if you go to anything that doesn't have 'university' somewhere in the name you're scum and a failure (mostly implied, based on certain comments made), and Porfolio is dead but do it anyway because you're insane like that'. And a rather ironic choice of song in the band's mini-performance.
     
    I've listened to 'One', right. Grade Seven, project on Broadway musicals, done simply because I could. I've read about it. I'll tell you something: that is not a song with which you promote individuality and a strong group identity all at once. That is a song sung by people who have worked their feet off (and worse) in audition and rehearsal and all that, only to wind up simply glorifying the lead actress and playing background to her in the musical the characters were auditioning for. It's actually a rather depressing song, if you listen to the lyrics. The performance itself was fine (just instrumentals), but when he tried to tack that on at the end... horrific.
     
    And yeah, being made to try and recall assemblies I've never been to was awkward, too.
     
    It was worth it when he made the most unfortunate comment ever, though. His intentions were all well and good: no tolerance for drugs, alcohol, all that stuff. Simply no fault to be found there. Delivery, however...
     
    Oh, how lucky he was that we were no longer Grade Eights.
  20. Tufi Piyufi
    So, some of you might pass through BBC on your journeys through the forums. Even if you don't, you should make a pass through there right now. There might be something interesting. Those of you who kick around in GD a lot might want to take a look. It's like a sweet blend of both my lands, this thing I'm hinting at.
     
    One request, though: if you want to discuss the thing it's based off of, please take it to the very well-established topics for such subjects in GD. The nameless topic in BBC tends to get big enough as it is. Please, for my sanity?
     
    Now to prime The Red Sharpie. And as for you guys... get looking already!
     
    Ah, it's been all too long...
  21. Tufi Piyufi
    Did the Geek Test yesterday. Got 16.somethingforgottosaveit%. Female geek for the win.
     
    Also did more BBC Empire story thing contemplating. Definitely gonna need to mash out a map for the thing. That should be fun and continuitytastic. Maybe dig out those sprites I was working on. Prolly unplug the printer and replug the scanner. Mayhaps a few raids on the sunshine and fresh air with a notebook and writing utensils. You know, little option-providing things like that.
     
    As for the various things that could be portrayed... That's still the big question. The whole 'Princess Peach' bit deserves a treatment, definitely. So does some contest-y goodness. Oh yes. I must admit, though, that's about all I've come up with at this point. I know, I know. I really should be able to think of more. And I'm sure I will. But it doesn't hurt to get some inspiration from the people, hn?
  22. Tufi Piyufi

    Creative Blink

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    I think I've got something here.
     
    So there's this forum, you see. BBC. Bionicle-Based Creations. With these people who staff it. It's affectionataly known as the BBC Empire. We're a crazy lot, too... well, you gotta be to deal with contests and all that other stuff. I daresay, one may even be tempted to call some of our activities 'hijinks.' They certainly ensue, that's for sure.
     
    And I've become increasingly more tempted to write some manner of comedic story based on all this. Namely, the hijinks in the more fictional Empire, with palaces and everything. Something could be done there, I'm sure. Except I'm not sure about what that something is. I know it's there, but...
     
    So then I had the idea to blog about it. Ideas, folks?
  23. Tufi Piyufi

    Curiosity

    By Tufi Piyufi,

    I moderate GD. As such, I often wind up reading the topics contained within that forum. Funny how that works out.
     
    While reading that topic in particular, I noticed something. The phrase 'haven't entered any (since) because there's no theme that interests me (yet)' or a variation thereof comes up a fair bit. I can't help it: as BBC Contest host, I tend to be interested in these sorts of things.
     
    So tell me, folks, off the record: what would be an interesting theme?
  24. Tufi Piyufi
    Status: Performance #1
    Current Location: Beginning of Act III
     
    Cripes, these loafers are killing my heels. I think they're actually cutting into the flesh. Well, I don't think they actually are, since I don't see any blood, but still, it's that general sensation. And I gotta keep these babies on for at least another hour. Oh joy.
     
    But man, I feel like... a man. Servant. Manservant. Straight outta the 20's. Hair and everything. Oh yeah.
     
    First two acts went well. Long unnecessary speeches were 'forgotten'. Hurrah. Still went for about an hour and a half. People laughed: very good. All fifteen or so of them laughed. Not a very full house, I gotta say. Oh well. No complaints. Music cues were brilliant. Tons of cheesiness thus added to 'serious, dramatic' scenes. A chair fell by accident during big spat scene. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.
     
    Yanno, maybe this won't turn out so bad after all.
  25. Tufi Piyufi
    Everywhere I go, I see shenanigans.
     
    A mention of 'that blue site' here.
     
    A bragging of of 'elsewhere' there.
     
    A mention of 'something you'd only know if you were a member of that site' here and there and everywhere.
     
    Well, guess what, guys: I know the place you're speaking of and the ego doesn't impress me. Not only are these not-so-veiled references violating our rules against mentioning sites with forums, they're downright lame. The lamest. Every time, yes. I'd advise you all to knock it off.
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