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Roa McToa

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Blog Entries posted by Roa McToa

  1. Roa McToa

    Blog Of The Week!

    By Roa McToa,

    Woweee! I got blog of the week! How awesome! I certainly wasn't expecting it. I'm going to take some more pictures around Seward to add to my Seward Life entry. I have a lot of interesting pictures and things for all to see.
     
    Also, as a side note...
     
    I am going to make an RC Super Venom Striker out of my manas and 2 striking venom sets. It'll be the ultimate exo-force mobile base!
     
    Stay tuned for some awesome stuffz!
     
     
  2. Roa McToa
    Ahh yes, I have had the most wonderful 4th of July weekend ever! I was fortunate enough to be the sole pit crew member for my friend who built a custom drag bike from parts of practically every motorcycle make you can possibly think of. There are parts from harley davidson, suzuki, yamaha, kawasaki and more. The bikes powerhouse is a 570cc snowmachine engine, driving the wheel with a belt drive, eliminating the need to shift gears. The bike is insanely fast, and can run a quarter mile in the 12-13 second range. There are only some minor bugs to work out of it, as there were a few problems he had racing the strip. Being its only the second time he has raced the bike since it was finished, it performs Really well!
    Heres a picture of the bike and its owner

     
    There were some crazy cars there with massive horsepower! I will feature the big boys, and my track favorites right here in the blog! To see the rest of the pics, refer to the link to my maj gallery at the bottom of the entry.
     
    BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE GALLERY AND VIDEOS!
     
    CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS TO SEE BIGGER PICTURES!
     
    I especially liked this car, and by the smile on its owners face, I'd say he likes it too! It ran some crazy fast runs!

     
    Here is a car that should belong to BZP member Darth Vader........ And OH YES, is it ever so FAST!

     
    The Grim Reaper is a track favorite. This car has raced for many years. It's pretty fast too

     
    This teal Chevy Malibu ran fast runs, and is a real eye catcher!

     
    Not to mention that the car it was racing did a Madd wheelie off the starting line!

     
    This lady runs very consistent times on her snowmachine, and can be rather hard to beat. And yes, people really do drag race their snowmachines!

     
    The infamous Alaskan Grizzly Nitro powered funnycar doing his pre-run burnout. They do their burnouts powered on alchohol, but when they do the run itself, they kick in the nitro fuel, and Oh buddy...... It shakes the very earth you walk upon when it runs, and it shoots fire out of the exhaust pipes! These cars travel about 300 miles per hour up to the quarter mile, and it is crazy insane! You just can't plug your ears hard enough when these cars run!

     
    Arctic Thunder was a fast dragster! It ripped down the raceway

     
    The Grim Reaper and the DooDah Coupe taking off of the starting line. Oh the wheelies!

     
    And don't forget, that Mighty Mouse RULEZ! Not to mention the car was mass fast!

     
    These are kids like you that drive these mini rail dragsters. The engines are about the size of a "ride-on lawnmower" engine, but they are massively sooped up!

     
    Click Here to See the Full Bore MAJ Gallery To see more INSANE horsepower pictures!
     
    Google Videos!!!!
     
    Alky's Burnout,Alky's run This car has so much crazy horsepower! A little too much...... The blower belt blew off the first time, and on the second run the car wheelied halfway down the track and hit the guardrail. It was Intense!
     
    Black T-Bird Funnycar
     
    Dart Vader's Run I told ya it was fast!
     
    Corvette Funnycar
     
    Nitro Alters, Nitro Alters 2
    All these nitro cars were insidiously Powerful!
    Nitro Funnycars, Nitro Funnycars 2
     
    MORE GOOGLE VIDEOS SOON! Stay Tuned!
  4. Roa McToa
    Ah yes, I have been drooling at the lego shelves every time I go to look for bionicle sales and new merchandise. In my honest opinion, these two sets are some of the best sets available! I want to get striking venom as well, but I don't want to pay $50+ for it.
     
    I present the Golden Guardian

     
    This set is VERY WELL worth the retail price of about $25. The set has wonderful durability, and it has a very nice appeal to how it looks. The huge mechapants are 100% win, and overall it looks very "anime". If you are going to buy one of this years sets, I highly recommend this one. I just can't get enough of it!
     
    Another great set is the Mobile Defense Tank

     
    I got this set for $23 on sale. I wouldn't pay the full $35 price tag for this one, but at $23 I couldn't pass it up. I really like the disk shooter, except for when you fire the first disks, the extra ammo usually flies out of the top of the ammo holster. The tracks dont roll as easily as I would like, but the set lends itself to looking totally awesome!
     
    I hope to attain Striking Venom next, as that set is just the BOMB!
     
    Those who have these sets, please comment on what you like/dislike about them!
  5. Roa McToa

    Ouchies....

    By Roa McToa,

    Yeah, I went skateboarding for the first time ever. I was finally starting to get the hang of it, then, I got going a bit too fast and started to get speed wobbles. By the time I bailed I was going too fast to run out of it, and got some Naaaasty road rash on my left knee and palms.
     
    Kinda smarts, but its not too bad. My knee got it the worst, as the lacerations were deep enough to sufficiently make plenty of blood run down my leg....
     
    Funny thing though, it didnt rip my pants...........
  6. Roa McToa
    This is an engine part from my Oldsmobile. If you can guess correctly what its function is, you get a special banner that denotes your mechanical genius! Have a go at it!
     
    << Clicky for big pic!
     
    Here is a video of how it works when its in the engine, operated with my hands......
     
    Click for Google Video
     
    A hint, Your engine may stop running if this part is broken. This one has rough edges and doesn't run smooth enough anymore to function perfectly. Hence, the reason for its replacement
     
    Omi Guessed it! Its an Oil Pump!
     
    He gets this fun banner!
  7. Roa McToa
    I Hereby announce the winners of the Name the Reikia Contest!
     
    They are all still WIP, as the final models will be even better as newer peices come out.....
     
    Each winner shall receive a custom shrinky dink keychain of the reikia that they successfully named!
     
    Morkron, Reikia of Fire
    Named by V.K. Seeker of Legends
     
    Gakagu, Reikia of Water
    Named by Broken R
     
    Arakho, Reikia of Air
    Named by Bundalings the Bunny
     
    Kalvok, Reikia of Stone
    Named by Makaru
     
    Ocodu, Reikia of Earth
    Named by Letagi
     
    Izidak, Reikia of Ice
    Named by Bio-logi-Kal
     
    Congratulations to all the winners! Thanks to everyone for submitting such great names! It was a really tough choice on many of these!
  8. Roa McToa

    Progress...

    By Roa McToa,

    I have been brainstorming what I want my movie trailer to be like. I am thinking about 5 minutes long or so. It will show the "current time" story, and take glimpses of the characters and scenery. The trailer is narrated by Turaga Ohma, and when the time comes, I will need a deep voice for the character.
     
    All the giant rahi will be featured with tidbits of their animated awesomeness. I just re-assembled them after having them apart for their brickfest adventure. I'm going to build a new model of Kukorahk, and save the old one for brickfest demos and such. I am thinking of modifying it a bit so it looks more full, and I'm going to build new functions into the legs and tail. The new Kukorahk model will have the same face as the old one, and the other features will remain the same, but it's going to get a massive color treatment!
     
    I am going to also add on to Vakatu's lava urchin Yukizahk, as I feel it is only halfway done..... Pakuudo is going to get some stability treatment in his body and hips, and I may add some little arms too. Seems like everything needs a little tweaking....
     
    Storyline progress goes slowly at this current time, as I really haven't had a ton of time to sit down and concentrate my movie sequence. All in good time. Maybe next time I get to spend quality time at home, I will bust out some epic Trials of Terror!
     
    One month left to name the Reikia folks, so feel free to enter my contest! The Reikia are fearsome creatures of darkness, that are mysterious beyond all imagination. They were even thought to not exist. They hold immense powers within themselves, and were banished to Kuna-Kava for good reason...........
  9. Roa McToa
    Oi oi oi, it took me the entire entry period to build this beast........
     
    I hated it at first with a massive passion, because it didn't look like Anything. After working with it, I now love it, and may very well save it for NW Brick Con!
     
    Anyhoo, heres the Topic
     
    And a pic for ones enjoyment
     

     
     
  10. Roa McToa
    My right thumb was rendered useless today. I was assembling the biggest weber BBQ that you can buy at Home Depot, and in the process of unpacking it, the lid managed to fall full force onto my thumb. If my thumb had been at any other angle, I think it would have broke. It bit REALLY hard. I think the lid on that thing weighs about 8-10 lbs.............
     
    I feel fortunate that I only got a heavy bruise on top, and a rapidly filling blood blister inside my first knuckle. Keeping that thing drained is painful enough in itself. I have no good grip with my right hand unless I don't use my thumb. So looks like if I want to make anything new, I'll have to lefty it........
     
     
    Ouch...........
  11. Roa McToa

    Going To Seward

    By Roa McToa,

    I am off to Seward for a week! YAY!
     
    I plan on securing a job, and finding that cute boy I've been looking for............
     
     
    Not to mention finally posting that Seward Life entry I've been blabbing about..................
     
     
    Wheeeee I love going home!!!!!!!!!!!!
  12. Roa McToa
    Ok guys and gals! I promised it to you, now its time to run it!
     
    The Reikia are pretty much finished, but the Le, Ko, and Ga Reikia are WIP, and going to eventually get the same head treatments as the others. Its all a matter of getting the right Knights Kingdom armor. Heres how the contest will work.
     
    You can choose to name all 6 reikia, or just choose names for whichever ones you want to name. You may enter once, but you can edit your entry if you are not satisfied. The contest will run from today, April 3rd, until midnight May 31. That gives everyone plenty of time to think of names for these vicious creatures of darkness.
     
    The entry format for the contest goes like this:
     
    Ta= XXXX
    Ga= XXXX
    Le= XXXX
    Po= XXXX
    Onu= XXXX
    Ko= XXXX
     
     
    The X's indicate where you type the name. BE SURE TO WRITE THE TA GA LE PO ONU OR KO, OR I WON'T KNOW WHAT REIKIA YOU ARE NAMING! Please only enter once, as you are allowed to edit the names in your post. I will choose on June 1st from the names that I like best from everyones entries. If I see double entries, your newest entry will be deleted, and you will be sent a pm to edit your post. I like names that dont look impossible to pronounce, and I generally like 3 syllables or less, although I am open to all names!
     
    The rewward you will get if you win, will be recognition for winning, and also a special peice of Trials of Terror art that you can either accept as an online image, or have mailed to you. Your Choice!
     
    Here are links to pictures of the Reikia for reference. Just a reminder that the Ga Le and Ko Reikia WILL be changing as far as their heads, and I will improve on their body details. They were kind of "rushed together" right before my trip. Enjoy the contest, and good luck to all!
     
    Ta-Reikia
     
    Ga-Reikia
     
    Le-Reikia
     
    Po-Reikia
     
    Onu-Reikia
     
    Ko-Reikia
  13. Roa McToa

    Carving Skills

    By Roa McToa,

    Hey everyone, I thought I would share a small tidbit of my work with y'all. After posting that silly looking Nokama, I felt I had to post something really awesome.
     
    Click on the thumbnails to see better pictures.
     
    These are pictures of a violin that I have already finished. These pics were taken during the building process when I glued the top on.
     
    A picture of the Violins body being glued and clamped

     
    Detail of the F-Hole wing. I fluted them, and thats kinda hard to do....

     
    The back of the violin

     
    The dragon scroll I carved

     
    Here is the finished Violin.

     
    Here is a link to my Maj Gallery if you want to see more pictures
  14. Roa McToa

    I Build...

    By Roa McToa,

    And build and build and build and build and build and build and BUILD................
     
    Quite frankly I am getting tired of it.......
     
    If you are thinking that I am tired of building bionicle, have no fear! I could never give up this great building system we all know and love as Bionicle!
     
    I have been stuck in Anchorage too much.... WAAYYYyyy too much! I am seriously wanting to cut back on my assembly job. I can already feel strange twinges in my hands,wrists and arms that weren't there before. Working there for about a year and a half, I have had enough of building every day. I don't want to end up with carpal tunnel syndrome...........
     
    My goal is to attain a job at home in Seward, and still be able to come back to anchorage to work at my violinmaking/repair job. I am still thinking of doing assembly work, but only for the two weeks at a time that I'm in anchorage. A two and two week schedule would really work out great for me, and I am hoping to find an employer who will make room for my trade. If I earn enough money to put my shop together, I will be able to bring my work home with me, and have to travel to anchorage less. I'll have to save save save for that to happen!
     
    On another note, I got to process some fresh fish the other day. T'was 1 1/2 halibut worth of fillets, it is was SO GOOD! I cooked a half a fillet the other night, and it was perfect and flaky juicy nummyness! I also cleaned up some salmon, and had that a few nights before halibut. It was So Good, that it tasted like candy! I hope to get more fish soon, I love the stuff!
     
    Another reason I really want to spend time in Seward, is to find love. I met someone a while back that I'd like to run into again, and if he doesn't make the cut, I will look around. There are plenty of nice men to go looking for in "Poor Womanless Seward"............ I am crossing my fingers, 'cause being lonely just stinks. I hope I find a guy who likes the fact that I love bionicle and lego..... Its always the pitts when a guy thinks you are wierd for liking toys.......
     
    Anyways, I'll bring this entry to a close. I will have more to talk about soon, as I have been seeing the moose browsing lately....... Lots of them!
     
    See you next entry!
     
    -Roa-
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  15. Roa McToa
    In the Form of carpet......
     
    Click on the thumbnails to enlarge....
     

     
    This was the old carpet that was in my bedroom at my house in Seward. Notice the vomity yellowness..........
    Well, anyway, I got a bit overzealous and ripped it all out. This revealed varnished pine floors underneath!
     



     
    I love my wooden floors! Although, I sometimes stumble upon the random carpet staple....... ouchies....
     
    The bathroom is the next to be finished, as it needs new vinyl floors.
     
  16. Roa McToa

    It's Official!

    By Roa McToa,

    I am officially a violinmaker as of today! I sold my violin that I posted in this blog for $4,000! I am so stoked, as it is my first ever sale of one of my own instruments! I can now pay off my bills! HOORAH!!! This, on top of meeting a interesting guy back at home, things just seem to be turning my way lately!
     
    Click Here for the blog entry about the violin
  17. Roa McToa

    Building And Me

    By Roa McToa,

    I am going to start working on my PBZP. Its been long neglected, and needs some TLC. I plan on building my first O entry, and finish my B and K entries first, being that I already have one of two for each finished.
     
    I plan on using some great new building techniques and building some really nice mocs. I'm also going to start working on some new creations for NW BrickCon in October.
     
    I'm going to start putting together my Trials of Terror movie trailer soon, and will do voicecasting once my scripts are written for this trailer. I'll keep y'all informed as things proceed.
     
    Don't Forget to Name the Reikia! You have until the end of May to do so!
  18. Roa McToa

    All The Happenings

    By Roa McToa,

    Well, It seems like things are going rather well for me lately. I got my taxes filed and paid on time, and I still have plenty of cash to get me by, and pay my other bills. Things just seem to flow this time of year....
     
    My promotion to staff was a bit of a suprise. I certainly wasn't expecting it at all, let alone so soon. I like helping out around the site, and doing my part to help keep BZP a great forum!
     
    Work has been crazy busy lately, and income is good! I'm also taking care of my friends dog. A big white german shepherd named Coda. Hes a really nice dog!
     
    I'll get around to my pbzp, really.....
     
    Don't Forget to Name the Reikia!
  19. Roa McToa
    Spring is upon us here in Alaska. All the Home Depot stores I assemble for are screaming for help right now. They need all of the wheelbarrows that are left over from last year built (were talking hundreds here). So work has been rolling along. There is lots of money to be made...
     
     
    I am working like crazy on getting my taxes all done on time. Oooiii I am sweating bullets over here! Its so close to the deadline. I really gotta start doing them up earlier LOL
     
    I have a bbc42 entry built, I just need to find a few minutes to finalize it. I think they are adorable little critters, and they dont have tuggle eyes! Yayyy!
     
    It's looking like I can take out my old bikes pretty soon! I am stoked about that! I got to do some riding while I was in Oregon, and got the bicycle fever! I love my schwinns!
     
    Anyways, I have to get back on my taxes, so I'll catch y'all on the flip side!
     
    Roa out......
  20. Roa McToa
    Brickfest was the biggest, most AWESOMEST thing EVER! Click Here to See My Pictures!
     
    My display was a HUGE hit, not only to the public, but tio all the Adult Lego fans that were attending the convention as well! They had all taken the time to approach me and tell me how awesome my bionicle display was, and that my creations had a very organic feel to them. Something they say they have never seen in a "Pure Bionicle" creation. They were suprised at the complexity of mocs on my table, and were dually impressed by the techniques that I used to build my giant rahi. I even got many comments on color coordination. They said that the colors were very pleasing to the eye.
     
    I got proppz from all kinds of folks, from train and town, to technic and mindstorms, and even the lego higher ups, a legoland CA master builder, and the head man on the MMO lego game. In all sense, they want to see more! Pakuudo brought a lot of love to the table, and constant demonstrations of how Kukorahk worked Wowed the audience. They love his functionality.
     
    I also got to experience the MOST INTENSE lego purchasing session ever too! There was a great sale on bashed up scratched up lego and bionicle sets at the local lego outlet store, and it was like a massive free for all. I was able to get Axonn Brutaka and Vezon and Ferakk all for half price, including the Race for the Mask of Life playset!. KIE bought a pridak for half price for me too, how nice of him to help me out, not to mention that it was he who grabbed the race playset for me off the mound of damaged boxes. Thanks KIE, I owe you a big one Buddy!!!! The store was crammed shoulder to shoulder with lego fanatics trying for the best deals on pick a brick, and the scratch and dent pile. It was a blast indeed!
     
    I got to meet many bzp members, and was very happy to answer their questions about my creations. It is my goal to inspire kids and adults alike to be better builders. I am happy to share building techniques with others, and expand their minds.
     
    The fact that these are all animation models also captured the attention of the AFOL's, and the public alike. News of my movie started to spread like wildfire around the convention, and I soon had people coming up to me, asking about the story, and also with general questions about the movie. I revealed some new information, and will update the movie thread shortly with new story information!
     
    Another rather extremely exciting bit of news I recieved, is that I have been invited to attend Northwest BrickCon, held in Seattle in October. I am to represent Bionicle there, giving a couple big speeches on Bionicle, and what I like about it, as well as the building techniques that I have learned in my time as a builder. I am getting the attention of the higher ups in the lego community, and may be inadvertently stepping into a whole new world of "lego abassadordom". The possibilities are endless, and I truly hope that Bionicle takes me somewhere in the future! Cheers for Bionicle, and the amazing building system that it is!
     
    I am going to make some new giant rahi animations soon, so stay tuned on the movie thread!
     
    The name the Reikia contest is coming up soon too, so keep your eyes open on my blog!
     
    As for now, Roa McToa out...... because I am totally beat after 4 days on nonstop LEGO!!! WAHOOOOOO
  21. Roa McToa
    Well, my vacation officially ends tomorrow night. I have heard that there is SO MUCH WORK for me when I get home. I'll need it for sure. I guess my motto for the weeks to come will be "Woooorrrk Till Your Body Buuurrnnsss!!!"
     
    Me and my two work partners have to build a minimum of 150 BBQ grills at each of 3 Home Depot stores in town, and the huge one out in the valley. Not to mention all the yard equipment they will need like wheelbarrows, lawnmowers, carts, trailers, chippers, shredders, log splitters... The list just keeps going on and on. Its hard to keep up with the quota, because customers often come up and buy the stuff as soon as you finish assembling it. Money is money in my book....
     
    I should be hearing back about NW Brick Con pretty soon, and I hope that its really good news! I also submitted a Builders Profile to The Brothers Brick. They were really interested in my Bionicle creations, and wanted to put up their very first builder spotlight on their site, and have it be about me and my Bionicle creations! I was nominated and gladly accepted the invitation! They told me thats the first time they had seen bionicle models that were built the way I build em. Makes me happy to know I was accepted so nicely at brickfest!
     
    I think BrickfestPDX 07 was an important step that I needed to take into the next level of building. I saw creations that blew my mind, like the operating Cuckoo clock that was staring at the bionicle table. I loved that thing, and I want to build one!!! I absorbed as much as I could by looking at other peoples creations, and learned so many great things about system that I would like to try myself! That Lego building book I won as a door prize is like candy too! I will gobble up all those spiffy building techniques......
     
    I still have to file my taxes when I get home.......
     
     
    One word.....
     
     
    Nightmare
     
    See you all on the flip side.......
     
    Roa out.....
  22. Roa McToa

    Day 1 Adventures?

    By Roa McToa,

    Well, Brickfest is turning out to be rather interesting. I got all my mocs here ok, and set them all up, but funny thing, is I almost didn't make it! Turns out I had scheduled my flight to leave on the wrong day, and I missed it O.O I couldn't believe it, and was having a horrendous panic attack until I got everything sorted out. The lady on the phone was so nice.
     
    I went on a short shopping trip with KIE to get some necessities, and on the way back, the tram was stopped, and we weren't sure why. Turns out there was a Mounted Officer talking to the driver of the tram, Then another officer donned some rubber gloves and entered the tram. They quickly arrested the guy who was sitting across from us!!! ZOMG! Who knows why, but it was funny after they got out, cause everyone applauded! Yay to the police officers of Portland! Keeping us all safe!
     
    I am getting a ton of good comments on my Bionicle display, as most of the AFOLs who are attending haven't seen bionicle models like this in such a quantity, and to think it was all built by a girl.... Needless to say, they were impressed. It will be interesting to see how they are received as the fest continues. There will be pictures coming soon! Stay tuned folks!
     
    Kool thing too, they want to have my bionicle display in a TV spot for brickfest..... How exciting indeed! YAYA!
  23. Roa McToa

    It's Almost Here!

    By Roa McToa,

    Brickfest tiptoes ever so close, as I bust my hump to finish my displays! Oi oi oi, I know I am cutting it close! I have 3 Reikia to finish. The blue one is almost done, and then I have to brainstorm on the green one, then the white one! The Onu-Reikia is absolutely massive and fearsome! I certainly wouldnt want to run into him on a bad day in Kaiva-Nui!
     
    I have tonight to finish up, as I leave at 1:00 am tomorrow morning (late tonight)
     
    Wish me luck! I am gonna need it!
     
    After brickfest, I will post up the Name the Reikia Contest right here, exclusively in my blog! There will be links to the contest in my moc and movie topics, so keep an eye out!
     
    Until next time!!!!
     
    Roa out.........
     
     
  24. Roa McToa

    Ahh Yes!

    By Roa McToa,

    Finally, my Giant Rahi are all built! Just some minor touchup work left on them and their riders.
     
    I can now concentrate on transforming the reikia fom their old dull selves into new, more menacing beasts. The elimination of Baksilvah means the addition of a Gold Reikia!!!! There will be more info as to why at a later time.
     
    I may post some sneak peek pics as they are being built.... Stay tuned for great things! I'm gonna take pics of EVERYTHING at brickfest, and make a nice brickshelf folder out of it. Pictures of my display will be posted in The Inhabitants of Kaiva-Nui.
     
     
  25. Roa McToa
    I've really been busting bum on my my display for brickfest. Vakatu's rahi is complete, and Very creepy looking! They might even want it for the space category if they need a monster.
     
    Paruvaks rahi is 75% completed. All thats left to build are his feet and hip connection. The color scheme is rockin! I really think that this rahi will be my favorite of the bunch.
     
    I may post pics of paruvaks rahi before brickfest, but might also wait it out. I worked on Mukaia a bunch more, and it looks a lot different. Brickfest will be great! I can't wait!
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