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xccj

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Blog Entries posted by xccj

  1. xccj

    6100 Posts

    By xccj,

    And a new rank, yay! I don't get much of those anymore.
     
    Fun fact, for my first couple of years here, I was able to get roughly 1,000 posts a year.
     
    It's taken me about 7 months to get 100.
     
    ...
     
    I need to get out of the blogs more. (We should really have blog comments add up to our post count)
     
    And it doesn't help that all the forums I post it don't count for post count.
     
    Now onto Six thousand and TWO hundred posts!
     

  2. xccj
    There was an article on MSN today. Go there to read all the actual mumble jumble about consumer choices and belt tightening and overall statistics about economic stuff that is probably mostly made up. Or not, its just those econ things really annoy me.
     
    Anyway, it was a list of seven things that are getting pricier, and seven things that are getting cheaper.
     
    Houses cheaper.
    Food more expensive.
    Electronics cheaper.
    College tuition more expensive.
    Green alternative energy sources cheaper.
    Gasoline (and oil) more expensive.
     
    Toys cheaper...
     
    WAIT!
     
    No, no, Lego has been getting progressively more expensive, for various reasons that have been backed up on BZP before in various argument topics. But I guess if Lego wants to join the bandwagon and lower their prices, they've got to change their ways. Cheaper plastic (even cheaper than lime green) toxic parts, viral bugs in their software that drains your bank account. Those things will undoubtedly decrease Lego's shelf prices.
     
    :annoyed2:
     
    Well, I'm going to ignore reality for a little longer and go back to my studies...
     

  3. xccj

    7 Years

    By xccj,

    I have now been on BZPower for 7 Years now. I now have a spinning gold Ignika under my name. Let me look back on my many achievements...
     
    Well, in my first few years, I averaged around 1,000 posts per year, but now I only have around 5500 that count in 7 years, so my average has dropped. Sadface.
     
    My stories... well, I hadn't updated any of them for a year until last month, and the story updates recieved minimal reader interest. I need to retrap my audience.
     
    And something else happened this past year that seems to be significant on the BZPower community...
     
    Oh yeah, I attended BrickCon and met a ton of cool people.
     
    (Oh, and I became a reporter, yeah)
     
    Here's to more years of BZP... because we may only have a few left if the Bionicle theme really does die out in 2011...
     

  4. xccj

    71026 DC Super Heroes CMFs

    By xccj,

    So we are now on the third wave of Collectible Minifigures featuring DC characters, only this time it's not branded as coming from The LEGO Batman movie.  I'm personally a bigger fan of the generic CMFs so the increase in licensed themes isn't always to my tastes, but I'm a sucker for good figs so I wanted to collect some.  Granted, I haven't had the most luck so far with these... LEGO Online order gave me two Green Lanterns and Joker (the latter who I did not want.)  When I visited the LEGO Store, I mistook Mr. Miracle for Cyborg (stupid chain) and ended up getting two of him.  I also traded with another AFOL who claimed he was handing me a Bumblebee, but he mis-felt the bag and it was actually Bat Mite (who I also don't care for).  So I've had a pretty high miss rate on these so far; it doesn't help that the new stand element and jumper plates just add to the confusion while feeling.  But I did open a few of them that I wanted so here's a little mini review

    More Photos on Instagram
    First off, the new stand elements are pretty great.  They do a good job at proving a new angle for fig displays, and they can connect together to form a fun chain or circle eight together to make a full octagon.  Better yet, most figs come with two of them!  I say most... but not those with capes.  For whatever reason, the figs with capes have their parts double bagged, and the double bags do away with spare parts, so no extra stand element.  I dunno if this applies to all batches, but so far it was that way for the caped figs I opened.  Modestly disappointing.
    Stargirl: Very nice fig with lots of great printed details.  The end of her staff is also a new sparkly trans orange element, one of the few new molds in this series.  (Which kinda sucks, a price increase but few new molds... although I'm sure licensing costs contribute.)  I've read some arguments that the hair piece is not fitting for the character.  I guess it kind of works, but honestly it's not my favorite mold in general and I think it's overused.  When feeling for her, she's the only one with a 4L bar.
    Metamorpho: I like the distinct coloring they've given to his various limbs made of different elements; I'm particularly a fan of the trans clear leg.  The magenta fist is a cool element, and also the one to feel for, although it's a bit of an unusual shape to recognize.
    Green Lantern: Honestly, I'm not familiar with the Simon Baz version (I've been told he's missing his revolver), but another Green Lantern variant isn't so bad.    The printed green ring tile attaches well to the hand clip piece, which is a better representation of the rings than with previous figures where they just held the tile flat.  (Plus, you get two of em!)  The new lantern element isn't bad either, with a few useful connection points.  The big lantern, the 1x1 round tile, or the hand clip pieces are the ones to feel for... unfortunately SInestro has those exact same pieces too, and the only difference between the two is that Sinestro has the extra hair piece, making it challenging to tell them apart.
    Aquaman: This is apparently true to one of the comic versions of Aquaman, so props there.  I particularly like the new mold they created for his hook hand, and a new fish in pale green's not so bad.  (Although the hairpiece is new to me, apparently it was used on the Aquaman fig from the sets last year... whoops.)  The fish is the piece to feel for, although the hair piece could get confused for Wonder Woman's or Huntress's.
    Mr. Miracle: Honestly I don't know anything about this character, but when I showed my co-workers the lineup of the series, they were all like "Mr. Miracle is in there?  Awesome."  He comes with lots of fancy printing and a cape... which means his parts are double bagged and you get no extra fig stand thing.  He comes with a long chain and handcuffs (okay, he came with two handcuffs but not two stand elements... boo).  Now, getting the chain wrapped around him like in the images is a bit challenging, but doable.  When feeling, the chain is the piece to feel for, but since he has the cape he'll also have the bag within a bag, so that kinda helps narrow him down.  (As I mentioned earlier, I mistook him for Cyborg, who also has a shorter chain but presumably no secondary bag.)
    Huntress: Honestly, of the figs I've gotten so far, she's my favorite.  I really like the detailing with the cape, utility belt, and printing.  Hair mold is a reuse but new in black.  She also has the cape problem so no extra pieces, so feel for the crossbow in the bag within the bag.  Yeah, not the easiest to figure out, and she's among the rarer ones too.
    Cheetah: I guess I'm not super big into the old comics, because I'm used to the CHeetah from the animated shows and now this version.  She has a great cat costume with excellent cheetah patterns printed on her torso, legs, arms, tail, and hat.  The bag is just a recolor, but the dollar sign print on it will make it useful for some displays.  (Personally, I've never been a fan of this cumbersome bag piece, but whatevs.)  I guess technically the hat with cat ears is a new piece, although it's very reminiscent of other CMF costume helmets.  IMO Cheetah could easily pass off as a generic costume character, but I guess this works for her comic book variant too.  The piece to feel for is probably that bulky bag element, but the tail is also a unique if tricky to identify piece.  And maybe the hat if you can figure out the rounded ears.
    I'm still on the hunt for Bumblebee and Jay Gordon, and maybe on Batman and Cyborg.  So far most stores in my area don't have this figs yet; they're still trying to sell off their S19 and Disney S2 figs.  At the Lego store, I know I felt through nearly a whole box and didn't once come across Batman or Bumblebee, so they might be tricky ones to figure out.  I don't want to collect the likes of Superman, Wonder Woman, or Sinestro; I also don't want Joker or Bat Mite but I already have copies of them, so I'll keep their bags unopened for possible trades in the future.  Overall, this is a good wave of figs but I'm still not motivated to get them all, so I guess I get to save a little bit of money, heh.
  5. xccj

    8 Years

    By xccj,

    Oh, cool. I have been on BZPower for 8 years. Now I have Ackar's decapitated head spinning under my profile. Cool.
     

  6. xccj

    9 Years

    By xccj,

    Yay now I have a spinny Hau under my name!
     
    Letsee... I jointed 9 years ago on Janurary 17th. The Bohrok Kal were big, the Rahkshi were in our future, and BZP was celebrating it's 3,000th member. Since that day I have matured very little, and failed at lots of things. LOTS OF THINGS. But cool stuff has happened too.
     
    Also, the second half of the White Collar season starts up tonight. Woot!
     
    Also, new gif in my sig. Since the sig doesn't show up here, I'll post the gif.
     



     
    WOO!
     

  7. xccj

    9/11

    By xccj,

    I don't really have any big stories from that day, but here's something.
     
    I was rereading an Animorphs novel the other day that was set in NYC. Very specifically, the sight of the Twin Towers gave away that it was set in NYC. I've seen older movies where they do a flyby of the city of whatever before focusing on the characters, and the Twin Towers always stood it. It's weird... and horrible... that such a symbol had been taken down. My thoughts go out to the people whose lives were changed that day... and I count myself lucky that mine wasn't, and that there haven't been any other attacks like that in the places I live, although I know other places have had trouble and such. I wish ill tidings to those who were behind the attacks. (In fact, it I made fanfiction back in the day where super heroes sought them out and brought justice and all... if only life was fanfiction)
     
    And, as I said last year, and what I'll say next year too,
     
    I'll always remember.
     

  9. xccj

    A 10 Question Fad?

    By xccj,

    First, Laughin'Man posted an interesting 10 Question entry. Shortly afterwards, Bundalings the Surprise posted his own follow-up entry. If I post one next, will this thing turn into a fad?
     
    Let's test it out.
     

    10 Questions 
    1. What’s better: a husky, a cougar, a pack of huskies, a pack of cougars, or a pachyderm?
    2. Would you like to discuss Einstein’s theory of relativity and how it applies to modern day physics and the string theory?
    3. Do you support Jonism?
    4. Do you know what Jonism is?
    5. What’s better: apples, oranges, bananas, or tomatoes?
    6. Why are you ignorant of the Yeerk invasion?
    7. If you could fly, would you order pepperoni or Canadian bacon pizza?
    8. What is your favorite reference to Monty Python?
    9. How many monkeys does it take to start a BZP fad?
    10. Will you write up your own 10 question blog entry after this?
     

  10. xccj

    A Bionicle Christmas

    By xccj,

    The season demands it. I must advertise this epic again. For every classic has to return year after year... now I just need to turn this epic into a classic...
     

     
    Bio: Christmas Time has fallen on the Matoran of Mata-Nui, and for once the holiday can be celebrated in peace, as the Toa Nuva have defeated all foes. The Toa Santa arrives as legends said, and he planned to bring each Matoran a special present. However, his journey is cut short when an evil Rahi known as the Grinch shows up and steals his essence.
     
    With no Toa Santa, the Matoran's unity is on the brink of destruction. Even worst, the Grinch runs loose, stealing the essence of all who feel the touch of its blade. Even the Toa Nuva cannot stand against it for long. Now, Kapura and his two Po-Matoran friends, Tunaka and Huaju, can save the day. They must find three stones and summon the Toa Santa before Christmas Day, or else the Matoran's unity shall shatter!
     
    Any further reading may lead to spoilers, so beware, all ye who have not yet read it.
     
    Thoughts: Well, for starters, this is a classic cliche'. Ever watched TV shows with "So-And-So saves Christmas". This was my version of "Kapura Saves Christmas". I tried to use many of the traditions of the season in this epic. Mind you... marketing traditions. This has very little to do with the whole religious meaning of the holiday, and focuses more on the family/friends aspect. But I've includes such details as Christmas trees, flying Mahi (yes, Mahi) and a chubby Toa that goes "Ho ho ho." Plus, at one point, Kapura wears a Santa hat. Hey, it looked good in the cover pict I made.
     
    This story is fairly well written. It surely is better than my first few epics, but the grammar may not be up to scratch (just reread it this year, and I caught numerous spelling mistakes). Plus, some of the descriptions are repetitive and sometimes wacky. Ahg, it turns out I actually have learning some things in AP English... who knew?
     
    The Grinch was an interesting character. First of all, he was based of this swamp MOC I made when I first got a Toa... the MOC sucked, but it had a claw and a chainsaw blade. The name has nothing to do with Dr. Seuse's (sp?) character, besides that it wants to get rid of Christmas (or the Toa Santa). The Grinch was just this massive Rahi, with unimaginable powers. I always have fun writing battles against things that just don't die, and the Grinch was one of them. On the bright side, and following traditional Bionicle methods, the Grinch did not die from brutal strikes from it's foes (Kopaka wishes) but in a unique, "he so deserved that!", way. On the bad side, it's constant revivals got lame and repetitive. That was before I even knew what the Rule of Three meant, so I'm sure the Grinch got frozen like 7 times. :annoyed2:
     
    Not to say that I didn't have some ingenious plans interwoven in the story. The Grinch's demise was rather ingenious, if I do say so myself. Plus, Kapura's last "trick" came from something I placed in the story near the beginning... following the techniques in the "Harry Potter" series. And I spent the last chapter tying up the loose ends of the stories... mostly questions I had from the review topic.
     
    The characterizations were numerous too. The Toa Nuva were fun to write about, and I think this is my best epic depicting them (after all, TD mostly involved the Toa Mata). Strangely enough, the heroic Toa was Kopaka... and I'm not big fan of Kopaka, but he was the likely one to avoid death until the very end. The other Toa (Tahu, Gali, Pohatu) had only a short time to show their characters, with Lewa and Onua lasting a bit longer. I liked some of Lewa's treespeech, which was rapid and consistent, but understandable. But, yeah, Lewa only lasted like 3 chapters, so...
     
    The Matoran were fun too. This was the epic where I took Kapura for all he was worth. I was worried at first for choosing him- after all, his aloofness was something new for me to write about. I thought I did rather well at applying Kapura's odd logic to his adventuring. I also included my two famous Po-Matoran characters: Tunaka, who I borrowed from Time Disruption; and Huaju, who I reused for Kulagi's Kanoka. They provided most of the comic relief for the story, as well as a reality check at times. They represented the majority of the Matoran, who were too timid to take up the challenge, but still tried their best.
     
    All in all, this isn't my best story. The plot is very amazing and all, but the descriptions are sometimes bland and the grammar is often off. The worst part of it, though, was the alternate ending I added a year after I finished writing it. It was supposed to make a point at how important the victory was, as it depicted what would happen if Kapura lost in the end. But, in all truth, it was a marketing gimmick to try and get some new reviewers to read the story.
     
    And, in the end, that's what this is too.
     
    Anyway, I highly advice you to read it (or any of my other work... don't worry, I'm very biased. ). I think it's actually an interesting holiday story, and it'll bring you back to the good old days of Mata-Nui. Plus, it exibits enough of the Bionicle morals that it certainly fits in this forum. Plus, it's only 12 chapters long... easily read in a hour or two... and take some good breaks, to add up the suspense.
     
    Review A Bionicle Christmas. And happy holidays, whatever you celebrate.
     

  11. xccj

    A Chance To Brag

    By xccj,

    I Have Bionicle Legends 10! Swamp of Secrets! Yeah!
     
    I was checking B&N online, as I was surprised to see that it now have the option to check the availability of Bionicle Legends 10. Well, I did, and pretty much every store around me had it... except the one that was just a short walk away. Nope, it was out of stock.
     
    So I walked there, just to be sure.
     
    And walked out with the book. Ha.
     
    Anyway, the story is good... the characters are just as good as they ever were, and this time they don't have any personality problems to deal with. Onua rockz. And the Makuta are good too... I actually like Bitil the most now, but Krika owns. To my disappointment, the conflict between the Toa Mistika and Makuta Mistika wasn't nearly as good as the Phantoka book... probably because it was cut short by the flashbacks. I actually greatly enjoyed the flashbacks, sometimes even more than the current story. And, of course, Takanuva's portion was good too.
     
    Probably one of the coolest things about this were the connections to past years that have been neglected in the past... I'd list them, but I think I'll wait until spoilers are allowed. And then the Kingdom story is veeery fun to read... I will go into a more in depth review of that too once spoilers from it are allowed. But I think it is an excellent idea for Greg to expand the story and bring back a multitude of characters we want to see more off.
     
    And now I just need to get the summer sets, which will come out approximately when summer is starting for me, give or take a month or two. (Last year, I think the Mahri came out right when I went back to school) I'd totally get all the Mistika (except Gorast) if money wasn't an issue... but I most certainly will get Tahu. And I greatly desire Bionicle Legends 11 now... and I have just enough money left over on my B&N gift card to purchase it when the time comes.
     
    Night.
     

  12. xccj

    A Change Of Pace...

    By xccj,

    I'm starting my next quarter tomorrow... exciting as always at this three semester school where everything moves way too fast. I was going to start out my day with a solid dose of Chem 2 (152 if you want the exact name). But upon reviewing my grades, I don't have a snowflake's chance in Karzahni of making it into the engineering curriculum anytime soon. Worst, I haven't really taken any real engineering classes yet... the prerequisites were pretty much two solid years of math and science. You start taking actual engineering classes once you get in... and with a minimal of 3.5 cum GPA, that's not happening for me.
     
    Let me defend my "not absolutely great" grades. In high school, I was totally above a 3.5, but I wasn't competing against too much. And I'm sure everybody who got into this school had a high school GPA of 3.7 or higher. And I'm now competing against those people (and all the class GPAs are competitive... that means if everybody fails but you're still a bit better, you get a 4.0, and also if everybody aces the class but more people get a slightly higher percentage than you, you fail).
     
    Anyway, I haven't been having much luck "competing" in this math / science classes, and I'm not too much enjoying the subject matter either, so after much deliberation, I'm looking at a new major, which is less strenuous but also a bit more unknown (I'd never heard of it before, I can say) And to move onto this new major, I need to work on some classes in some new fields...
     
    So my classes this semester are Archeology, Geology, and Web Programming. Who knows, maybe I can ace these classes... I have been able to prove myself against liberal arts students...
     

  13. xccj

    A Day of Cascade

    By xccj,

    So I registered for Bricks Cascade. Only instead of going for the full convention, I'm only going to make it on Saturday. All day Saturday, so any cool stuff going on I can be a part of... but nothing Friday or Sunday.
     
    See, even though I've lived near Portland for years, I'm currently working in Dallas. So my plans are to fly to Portland Friday night, hang out on Saturday, and head back Sunday morning and be ready for work the following Monday.
     
    I'm lucky in one aspect that I can fly non-rev (basically, I don't pay) which means I can fly as far as I want. The downside is... non-rev means I fill in any empty seats, and if none exist... well then I don't fly. Or if the flight gets canceled like it did to New York last weekend, there's not much I can do. (I know a lot of interns who's travel plans were messed up by that storm, so I wasn't the only one.) In short, there's a chance that I might not be able to make the flight to Portland. But so far it seems empty enough, so I'm holding out hope.
     
    And I'll bring some of my MOCs! Sadly, nothing that hasn't already been seen at BrickCon or even Bricks Cascade last year. But if Cascade is anything like last year, there'll be plenty of room for some random MOCs that I can fill up... for a day anyway.
     

  14. xccj
    For a while I’ve been wanting to make an entry refuting both sides of the LEGO Friends issue, since arguments on both ends could use some tweaking IMO. (And as I wrote this, I realized that I tended to refute one side more than the other… oh well.) Ideally, this entry will open eyes on both sides of the issue and find ways to make compromises. In actuality, I’ll probably end up insulting one or both sides. But I’m trying to present this in a non-aggressive manner, which I think is lacking in most conversations on this topic that I’ve seen. And in the end, this isn’t some extensive study on gender issues, but rather my thought-out-longer-than-usual opinion on the subject. Take it for what you’d like.
     
    (Also if it’s too long… which it very well might be… scroll to the bottom for a bulleted list. But don’t go refuting me unless you read the full body of text... or at least the part you were refuting.)
     
    LEGO Friends
     
    So, in case you’re not a big Lego fan and haven’t been keeping up on the latest toy news (or haven’t wandered down the toy aisles lately)… Lego has started a new theme for girls. Named Lego Friends, it’s a reminder of the old Lego PC game that was also entitled Friends and was about girls… Anyway, this is not Lego’s first attempt at appealing to a female audience. Lego Clickits come to mind, which were some buildable jewelry type of thing, and is probably most famous here because the heart piece fits perfectly into Nokama Metru’s Kanohi. (I seriously wonder how intentional that was.) Also, there is this Lego theme called Belville, which involved using large, specialized bricks to build settings for actual doll characters. (And this theme has been around far longer than I expected… since 1994.) The argument that Lego Friends is the first time the company has aimed at girls is ridicules, although granted most of the other girl themes haven’t been very popular and the majority of the Lego themes out there are clearly targeting boys. Still, Lego Friends is something new; it doesn’t have giant doll figures and comes in fairly cheap and widespread sets. Yes the idea has sparked controversy, and that’s what I’m going to touch on.
     
    (Wow, with an opening paragraph like that, this seems more like an essay! Consider it background info for the random users… cause I’m sure my blog gets tons of them.)
     
    So first off, the colors. Lego Friends uses more pastel colors, and a bunch of the shades are brand new for Lego, including various pinks, purples, and some new blues and greens. From an AFOL builder’s perspective, this could be a dream come true. The more artistic of us know there’s a use for any types of colors, and most Lego sets severely lack in the pastel colors. (Heck, for a while we were fearful that the color purple was going to disappear from Lego forever… but that’s a whole other blog.) As Joe Meno said, “Oh, we’re going to buy Lego Friends, but we’re going to buy it for all the wrong reasons.” AFOL builders want the colors, but we’re not interested in the female aspects of the sets. (I’ll get to that later.)
     
    But other problems arise for the casual builders. There are lots of new colors introduced, but the sets don’t contain enormous amounts of them. And the various shades made it hard to incorporate these new colors into the general collection. This argument could be said for the introduction of any new color (and I’m still having trouble with the switch in the shades of grays back in 2004.) Hopefully, future sets will include greater numbers of these new colors in other sets and themes, so it’s really a mute point, but it’s still something that came to my mind. (And while it is hard to incorporate the few pieces in the new colors with the traditional mix, it’s still possible; the Brothers Brick blog has highlighted a couple of really cool space ships MOCs that uses these new colors.)
     
    The other major issue with these colors doesn’t involve the squabbling of AFOL MOCists at all (or for the most part… I’m sure some of them will complain about this.) Yes, the pastel colors that come with the Friends sets are… GIRLY. OMG. I guess this argument can go two ways. 1: These colors are only for girls and thus no boys will buy the sets and Lego will lose money on them. Or 2: This reinforces a stereotype that girls can only like light, pastel colors and can’t be interested in more traditional colors. Well, I can’t really argue much against the first point; while I’m sure some boys would like the new colors, my time in the toy aisles hasn’t proven that they generally have a strong interest in those sets. But there is an argument for point two: Lego did a lot of research for this line, and they concluded that girls tend to like lighter, pastel colors as opposed to darker shades. (I for one disliked the shift into darker colors for Bionicle in 2004, so I wouldn’t say that all boys have to have dark colors in their sets. Hey, I was still within the target age back in 04!)
     
    And just because girls are more likely to go after the more pastel colored sets doesn’t mean they also can’t be interested in the City sets… or Ninjago, Alien Conquest, Dino, or Hero Factory. Just because most girls will like Friends better doesn’t mean that they can’t get into other themes too. Yes, Lego Friends will probably appeal more to a female audience, but it could just be the gateway theme that introduces them to the wondrous world the Lego system has to offer! (Anyway, I’ve seen females… both younger and older… fawn over the Collectible Minifig sets, so it’s clear that there are other themes that appeal to both genders, even if they are more aimed towards boys than girls.) The argument that girls can only ever be into Lego Friends is kind of lame… and inversely, it shouldn’t be expected that girls will move out of the theme and into general Lego either. For example, Bionicle fans did not all move over into Hero Factory even though the building styles are related; there were other factors to consider too. And the same can be said for Lego Friends. Regardless, sales have shown that at least somebody is buying up these Friends sets, and I’m sure it’s not just AFOLs interested in the new colors. I’ve seen people pick up Friends sets in store, and I’ve seen the Lego Friends displays looking rather empty and picked over. So somebody is buying them. Whether it’ll turn into Lego’s biggest selling line is still up in the air, but it’s clear that it’s not the complete failure that some of the more pessimistic predicted.
     
    Onto another complaint about Lego Friends; the building style is too simple. This is extremely evident in some of the smaller sets; the various models are very simple and easy to build, and don’t demonstrate super creative building techniques. Some of the buildings are more complex, but the focus is not so much on the construction. This stems away from Lego’s basic premise of using your imagination to build anything. Or so the argument goes.
     
    I’ll admit that some of the builds are basic, but other themes suffer from this too. Lego City sets in general also have relatively simplistic builds, and it’s not like Lego Friends is without anything well designed; I especially like the car set’s design. Another factor that might be ignored here is age; the sets are designed for younger girls, not advanced pre-teen builders who want something as complex as the Matoran Boxer set to build. (Seriously, has there been a Lego set that was more awesomely designed than Nuparu’s Boxer back in 02?) Sets for younger children are bound to be simpler, and I don’t think there’s much difference between the City set designs and those in Lego Friends… and that’s for better or worst.
     
    Additionally, Lego actually has some reasoning behind moving the focus away from construction. Apparently younger girls are more keen on role playing with their characters. (Although I’m sure it’s different than the violent role playing we see in the BZPRPG and the like. ) So the sets are designed so that they can get built faster to allow for maximum role playing AND that the girls can begin the role playing in mid construction. Some of the smaller sets, for example, have multiple small pieces to build. So the girls can first build the stage, pause for a bit to allow their fig to sing, and then build the piano, where their fig can then play up a tune. Construction is there, but role playing is prominent too. And for those of you who may think role playing is just silly… well, people say they liked Bionicle better because of the story, and the kids would likely build the characters quickly so they could reenact the story. Lego is thus not new to the idea of role playing, but they strategically designed their Friends sets to maximize the potential of role playing.
     
    So what other problems could there be with Lego Friends besides the set design and pastel colors? Why, of course, Lego Friends is extremely sexist and is brainwashing young girls into thinking they have to act like pop stars. The main argument here is that the sets are all extremely girly, and generally lack the Lego feel that is seen in other sets. Color and set design are involved here, but hey I covered those up above, so why repeat? Another aspect is that the settings are all too girly. And then, of course, it’s the mini-dolls themselves, which are a departure from the traditional Lego minifigure. These sets will clearly send girls down the wrong direction, and Lego should be ashamed for even thinking about launching this product because now all young girls are doomed to be skinny and dumb pop stars. (Or so the argument goes. )
     
    First, a quick bit on the settings, and this time I’m slandering the pro-Friends side. That side LOVES to bring up the fact that Lego Friends presents its female characters in various career paths, and the PRIME EXAMPLE is the engineering set where the character can practice science and build robots. (I actually did buy this set.) Okay, fine, score one for female engineers and encouraging girls to go for careers that are not usually female jobs. But there is only one set that takes this approach. ONE SET. Other sets involve being a fashion designer, a pop singer, a cook, and an animal lover (or veterinarian, I suppose.) I’m not saying these jobs are bad (I especially admire the veterinarian, because she’s gonna have to go through a lot of school to get that degree) but these are all jobs that are predominantly female oriented. Sure, they’re better than sets where the girls are pampered princesses or trophy wives, but I don’t think the various positions are a great factor for determining how sexist (or lack thereof) the theme is. Maybe if there were some more engineering based sets (or other positions that could show a gal working in a predominantly male job) it would be better. But perhaps younger girls don’t want a play set where their character sits around crunching numbers… maybe younger girls like the idea of their character interacting with animals or cooking. Perhaps Lego even researched this point too, and that’s why they made their decisions! But either way, I think this is a weak argument.
     
    So now a lengthy part about the new figs. The mini-dolls (or whatever their official name is, I forget) are a completely new design that is almost entirely incompatible with Lego minifigures. The only parts that really transfer over are the headpieces, but the heads, torsos, and legs are all incompatible. However, the mini-dolls are much better than the larger dolls from Belville. The mini-dolls are at about the same scale as minifigs (give or take a few millimeters) so the sets don’t have to be extra-large like the ones for the large dolls in Belville. The mini-dolls also have the same claw-like hands as the minifigs, and have the same basic arm and leg movements. (Notable differences; there is no wrist movement on the mini-dolls, and their two legs are fused together, so they have to move both at once, ext.) There are multiple characters who are shown using different skin tones, different hair styles, and different outfits.
     
    Why the abrupt change in the mini-dolls? Why couldn’t girls just stick with the minifigs? Well, apparently, Lego’s studies showed that girls don’t like the ‘fat’ minifigs… and let’s be honest, they are kind of blocky. (Just in a way that we’ve all grown to know and love.) But younger girls don’t share that feeling, and apparently want something more realistically shaped. Thus the new mini-doll design. I don’t know why they had to be completely incompatible… it would’ve been nice if the heads had been interchangeable too. But apparently the new mini-dolls are more appealing to girls.
     
    Part of the methods for making the girls more realistic is by giving them thinner limbs and bodies. Plus, I guess technically, the mini-doll torso molds have breasts. Some people are up in arms about the more realistic curves. (May I also point out the head pieces have chins and noses… something most standard minifigs are lacking, but I have yet to hear complaints about those features.) Anyway, people claim that the thinner waists and presence of breasts promote unnaturally slim bodies to younger girls, who will thus be influenced for the rest of their lives and turn into skinny, dumb pop stars. In some ways, I can see where they are coming from. It does seem like the mini-dolls have unnaturally thin legs and arms, and I’m sure human-to-mini-doll comparisons would show that they aren’t realistically proportioned either. BUT the mini-dolls aren’t over the top either. Their thinnerness and curves help differentiate them from the standard, chubby minifigs. And let’s face it, all other girl dolls (even ones from Belville) have the same issues, and usually to a greater degree. So why should Lego get all the hate when the entire girl toy industry seems to use the same technique? (I’ll touch on this more below.)
     
    I also want to mention the traditional female minifigs, since I’m a big collector of them in my attempts to create custom figs. In general, female minifigs are lacking in most of Lego’s themes. Some themes, like Power Miners and AquaZone, are entirely male. Other themes, like Atlantis, Adventurers, and Space Police, have one or two female figs out of many male figs, and the females are only available in the more expensive sets. In short, they were very underrepresented. As of late, Lego has been better about including more various female figs in its themes, and they’re especially numerous in City sets. (Seriously, there’s a female garbage collector this year! How cool is that?) One issue that I do know has come up before involves female torso pieces. In the past, female torsos tended to be rather… busty. Sure, they were just printed on, but it gave the impression that every female fig in the Castle and City sets had big breasts. This has also improved over time, as more modest female torsos have been created. I am happy with the changes Lego is making in regards to its female minifig populations, especially with the increasing female presence in the Collectible Minifigures. I’m still waiting to see a female head in darker skin tones… after all, I want to make a Zoe fig from Firefly, a Leena fig from Warehouse 13, and a Cassie fig from Animorphs. (Idea… if they keep doing Marvel sets, they could do an X-Man one that involves Storm… with a dark female head. Perfect for customizers!) But the point is… there’s been enough controversy with Lego over their portrayal of females in their chubby minifigure style… so of course there’s bound to be some lash back about a new style of girl figs.
     
    Anyway, so yes, the mini-dolls are thinner than the minifigs, which makes them more realistic but still look too thin for a standard human female. Thus Lego is really abusing the stereotype that all girls have to be unnaturally thin and such. This is the main argument for why Lego Friends is sexist. And frankly, it seems a little narrow minded. Have you walked down the girl toy aisle lately? (I haven’t, but I’ve glanced down it once or twice… when I’m sure nobody is watching… ) Basically, all girl doll toys seem to be based on the same stereotypical idea. And the basis of that idea is that girls generally would rather play with a thin and pretty figure than a fat and chubby one. Yes, maybe the girl toy industry is sending the wrong message, but they’re only sending it because it sells. Lego, like other toy companies, is a business out to make a profit. If skinny mini-dolls sell better than fat, chubby minfigs to girls, then Lego will make a change to try to sell more products aimed towards younger girls. Is Lego wrong for analyzing the situation and making that choice? Or is it just an example of a major problem in our culture. Maybe it’s the fact that mass media tends to glorify the sexy, skinny, super star women, and that this leads to girls getting the idea that they need to be more like them to get by in the world. Or maybe it’s their parent’s decision. Maybe the current adult parent generation is the one that’s screwed up for forcing this standard of beauty onto younger girls.
     
    In short, I do agree that there is a sexist problem with the portrayal of women in the media, and I agree that Lego does tend to market towards that portrayal in its Friends line. But Lego is not glorifying it either; while the mini-dolls do have some issues to them, the focus is not on their slim bodies, but rather on the role playing aspect and building the scenes for them. And if the sexist part is still sticking, I think that we can’t blame Lego for it. Lego isn’t responsible for directing the next generation of girls away from becoming super skinny pop stars; they just want to sell some fun toys to an untapped audience and make a profit from it. If we’re looking for someone to blame about the sexist problem, we should blame society as a whole.
     
    So, to summarize in a bulleted list…

    Lego Friends introduced new pastel colors
    Great for MOCists who want new, lighter colors
    Bad for boys who don’t want girly colors in their collection
    [*]Just because Friends is targeted at girls doesn’t mean girls can’t go into other themes

    Friends could be a gateway theme to introduce girls to other themes like City
    But it shouldn’t be expected that girls will move on from Friends into other themes.
    [*]The building style of Lego Friends is too simple

    It’s targeted for a younger audience, and isn’t too dissimilar to City sets construction-wise
    Lego actually designed the sets to maximize role play while constructing
    [*]Is Lego Friends sexist?
    [*]The jobs the girls all have are too girly.

    But there’s an engineering girl set!
    There’s only one engineering focused set, the rest are far more girl-oriented
    But they could be worst, like spoiled princesses or trophy wives
    Either way, using the job argument feels weak to me
    “To equate judgment and wisdom with occupation is at best... insulting.” Benedict Valda, Warehouse 13 Regent
    [*]Mini-dolls promote unnaturally slim bodies for girls

    Lego styled the mini-dolls to be more realistic, compared to the ‘chubby’ minifigs
    Mini-dolls have thin arms, legs, waist, and have curves to represent breasts (and they have noses!)
    Mini-dolls are more realistic in design to appeal to girls
    But they also provide an unhealthy image to girls that skinny is good
    (And standard female minifigures aren’t without similar controversy either)
    [*]Lots of toys for girls show slim-bodied female characters

    Lego also does this because it sells
    But Lego isn’t nearly as bad as other girl doll toys
    Are the toys really the source of this, or is the general media stereotype of women to blame?
    [*]Don’t blame Lego, blame our society.


    So, in conclusion, is Lego Friends really the worst move the company could make? Are they forcing girls to stay skinny and pretty for a society that is all about glamour, despite the mental issues that stem off from it? Seriously, are we trying to blame the way women are portrayed on a new Lego product? Lego isn’t trying to revolutionize the girl toy industry; they just want to get their foot in the door, and they took lots of steps in developing the Friends theme to appeal to girls. And, all things considered, the sexist parts of Lego Friends are minor, especially when compared to other girl doll toys out there, or even the old Lego Belville theme. And, despite all the complaints, these sets appear to be selling, so Lego must have found an audience somewhere. Will this develop into a new subtheme for Lego that’s as popular as City or Castle? Will this draw new young girls into the world of Lego, where they can learn to enjoy the other themes as well? Sure, there is still time to determine if Lego Friends is an astounding success, but many of the complaints seem unfounded.
     
    So that’s it for now. I tried to keep a neutral tone here, although it’s pretty clear that I lean more towards one side than the other. Yet I tried to keep both sides in mind, and I hope that I provided a sound argument to which, at least, we can begin a civil discussion about the theme.
     
    Comments appreciated. Thanks for reading this far done… if you did indeed make it.
     

  15. xccj
    I think I'll fill up an entry all about my feelings on the Piraka...
     
    They were some of the oddest Bionicle characters yet, in my opinion (in case you need a warning, all of the following is my opinion). They have odd light up eyes, glow in the dark teeth, and spines. I really didn't need any of that... but I'm a sucker and I was determined to buy some anyway. I bought based off the weapons, and I only planned to get two or three. After I got Thok, Reidak, and Zaktan, there was a sale (buy 2, get 1 free) that I couldn't pass up, so I grabbed the rest of the Piraka I needed. There were some things I liked about them, and things I didn't. Since nobody's reading this anyway, I'll humor myself by reviewing them all...
     
    Thok: He's probably my favorite one. I got him for the weapon. Excellent ice peg. The gun part is awesome, and while the pick section is a bit odd, it was still nice. It makes a nice, thick, sturdy weapon. Plus, it fits incredibly well in Thok's arm. Then Thok's face is rather good. Not too big, but still large enough to cover up the white head. He looks almost like he has a beard... The white colouring is a new shade that I don't mind, and the aqua blue (although I was expecting teal like on Kongu) goes well with him. I got him first, and I still like him the best.
     
    Reidak: Note 1: the clawed feet. They don't seem as stable as Thok's large feet, but they look really cool. Reidak's head is larger than most, and I was disappointed that he really has no "third eye". Oh well, but it makes him feel more like a brute. I thought his saw thing was way too long, and his drill bit seems a little short. It makes a nice weapon, but the proportions are off. His spines were also slightly odd... didn't quite bend right for me, but neither did Thoks. Not my favorite, but he's good.
     
    Zaktan: The secondary colour for the leader is sand green, and while I don't love it, its not too bad. Don't see where I'll use it in a MOC, but whatever... His spines are wacky, his face is kinda long, but they're okay. His weapon is like Reidak's... the blades are too long and the hook is too short, plus it doesn't fit well with the arm (when the blades are out, atleast). Plus, the blades are too thin and flimsy. Can't see them taking a solid blow... Anyway, he’s okay for the Piraka leader.
     
    Hakan: Major disappointment on my part. I wanted him for his cool lava launcher. The weapon looks cool, and works well with the arm, but it is way too small. Not nearly as big and thick as Thok’s, and a major disappointment. The head, likewise, is too small for my liking. Not really big and thick, but just long up and down. Plus, no new colours. Also, his eyes didn't light up very well. Since he's the cool red hero, I'm sure all the little kids used his "light up" features and wasted the batteries before I even got him. He was one of the Piraka I originally wanted to get, but he was a disappointment to me.
     
    Avak: I was not planning on getting him. I heard once that the Lego Team has been debating releasing brown figures (not sure how accurate that is) and I was thinking I should just buy the brown Piraka to show I support the Po-People. And Avak does have his upsides. His head is pretty nifty, although it doesn't exactly fit on the skull. And when his eyes light up in the dark, he looks really cool. The colours are okay... a new shade of tan plus a chocolate-like brown (that I approve of more than the Metru-brown). But his weapon... lousy in the story and lousy as a set. The thing not only looks bad, but it doesn't fit with his arm at all! I think Lego mis-designed the weapon... if the stud had gone in one other place, then the weapon would've fit nicely on Avak's arm. But the stud is somewhere else, and... ehg. On the bright side, Avak's spines were the easiest to mold around on his back. Yay for that.
     
    Vezok: I really didn't want to get Vezok, and technically, I didn't pay for him either. But I got him in the sale, so he's mine. The colours are nice... can never have enough dark blue, and the sand blue is a nice addition. The spines and head are okay, but could be better. The weapon looks interesting, but again, I believe it is too small for this animal-like Piraka. Reidak had his huge saw, so why shouldn't Vezok get a large harpoon? It works well by fitting in his arm, but it's still just short!
     
    Anyway, most of the Piraka have their faults. Out of all of them, I liked Thok for his good weapon, head, and general colouring. And that concludes my Piraka review. I now have nothing better to do to waste my time. So you can go on your way no. Thanks for reading. (will not say "sucker" in case you want to read further. )
     

  16. xccj

    A Downfall Of Snow...

    By xccj,

    Yay, we just got the first snowfall of the season. Mind you, it's a Saturday, so no classes were canceled. Unfortunately, I bet classes wouldn't be cancelled anyways, so I'd have to walk to them in the cold if it were a weekday... hmm. I tried to take some good pictures, but my camera's battery was dead. So I had to go buy some more AAs to charge it up. We got some pretty big flakes coming down at one point, and for a while we had a nice layer on the sidewalks and everything. I walked down to the local Barns n Nobles during the main stream of it, and while it was cold, it was kinda cool too. What I don't know is how I kept getting snowflakes in my eyes when I'm wearing glasses! But it's died down now, so we're getting more of a cold rain and strong winds... not nearly as much fun to walk through. Hope it dies down by Monday, 'cause I do not want to walk through that to class.
     
    On another note, while I was at the bookstore, I happened to see that they had Downfall in stock. So, now I have it, read it through once and a few parts twice. It's much better than the comics for sure... if you thought the last comic was emotional, this book tops it. I would love to write a strong review of it, but I'm unsure about the spoilers necessary for it, so I'll keep it to myself for now. (But as a note, Maxillos has a bunch of good lines this time 'round.) I'm not sure I'd rate it as one of the greatest Bionicle books ever, but it certainly tops out this year's selection.
     
    Now I have that cursed free-time parasite known as homework. Must have an operation done to remove it.
     

  17. xccj

    A Dream About Water Hill

    By xccj,

    I had this really strange dream just now. And I just have to blog about it. (You'll understand why in a moment.)
     
    So there's this giant hill in my neighborhood. Well, in my dream, somehow I looked up this hill on Wikipedia, and it's been renamed "Water Hill" and it says that there's a surprise for anybody who reaches the top. So I go there and walk to the top of the hill, and there's a giant crystal water filter there. You know those water filter jugs you can buy and put in your fridge? (I have one, anyway) Well, it was something like that, but sparkly and sea through and stuff. And it's connected to a well, and there's a faucet so anybody who gets to the top of the hill can drink from it.
     
    And then I look to the side and there's a massive condo/hotel built on the edge of the hill next to it. And I try to look around at it, but then somebody steals a key from the front desk and tells me to go take a closer look. I think this is wrong because he stole the key... and the dream shifts on from there.
     
    And at some later point, I must've realized its a dream, or partially woke up and then went back to sleep. But then I dream that's I'm writing a blog entry up about it (strangely, in XML, which is like not something I would do) So, yeah, I couldn't deny my subconscious, so I'm writing a blog entry up about it.
     
    (It's also a good thing my subconscious knows about BZP rules. If it had told me to post a dream topic... I dunno what I'd do. Especially since it wasn't Bionicle related at all, so it would have to go in COT. Oh well, dream blogs are allowed, so we're cool.)
     

  18. xccj
    So BrickCon is over. The weekend really went by way too fast… it seems like a blur of fun and friends. At some point (maybe next weekend) I'll write a more detailed review. But it was a lot of fun and there were some amazing creations and fun times had by all.
     
    But there's a cool story I have to tell about our trip back. Pat and Maddison (AKA DV and Nukaya) came up for the Sunday public hours and checked some stuff out. I guess afterwards they chilled out in Seattle for a while, and the rest of us packed up. Later, after the events, Velox and I started driving back to Portland, but partway down we got caught up in traffic. There had been an accident of some kind, and we were being redirected to the off ramps to go around the affected area. I don't know exactly what happened, but I think a car might have driven off the overpass and crashed onto the freeway below. Like, seriously, driving over the edge of the overpass. We didn't see a wreckage or anything because they had already cleaned it up a bit, but for the cops to direct up to the off ramp, it had to be something unusual.
     
    But anyway, Andrew and I were stuck in the far right lanes, so we started to merge left with everybody else. We were almost in the last one, and I glanced over to see if the car beside us would let us in. And then I thought "Hey, that woman in the passenger seat looks kind of like Maddison. And that guy looks like Pat. Holy cow, is that Pat and Maddison!" Apparently I shouted out like "What the!" in a way that made Andrew think a car was about to hit us. But then he looked over and recognized them too.
     
    Suffice to say, they did not let us merge in.
     
    But then we got in behind them and followed them up the off ramp around the accident. We took my phone and texted them, saying we were right behind them. It took a few texts to let them know that, yes, we were in the car right behind them. But yeah, totally crazy coincidence on the drive back from BrickCon.
     
    More pictures, stories, animated gifs to come. Until next year / convention.
     
     

  20. xccj

    A Good Ol' Meeting...

    By xccj,

    Just got back from one of my scout meetings. It's my second to last (or third, I'm not quite sure) meeting as the Senor Patrol Leader, and I am soooo glad to be stepping down. Being SPL is A LOT of work (planning for meetings, keeping people organized, ext). I've learned that I prefer to lead by example, which does not always work when I'm trying to get a whole room of roudy scouts to SHUT UP!! But the meeting went fairly well tonight. They paid attention, got stuff done, and prepared to elect the next SPL. Sucker.
     
    So I'm proud of my position, even if I didn't enjoy all of it. It was much more fun abusing the athority than being the athority. And it gives me something good to say for my Eagle Board... My project went relitivly well too. The work was pretty rough, but I got plenty of boys to volunteer, and most of the hard physical is done. So now all that's left is paperwork. Oh, the joy. :annoyed2:
     
    And, BTW, I finally got six ratings. Wow, a 4.7. That's a pretty high rating on this board. I suppose it'll go down once I get some more votes. But maybe it stands out a little more.
     
    Anyway, I'm back to working for all the evil school stuff. I have a cool MOC to post, a few interesting ideas for story updates, and a nifty collection of custom Matoran (which will get its own blog entry soon enough). But I also have Calculus homework, a Senor Project, and a drama audition, so I'm thinking my Lego obsession may have to take a break.
     
    Anyway, have a good night, on Tuesday the Twelth.
     

  21. xccj

    A High School Musical

    By xccj,

    But not that stupid Disney one… a real one.
     
    Pretty much the only reason I went home for the weekend was to see my high school’s musical “A Funny Thing happened on the Way to the Forum.” It’s set in Rome, with lots of crazy antics going around. The singing by a few people could’ve been improved, but the hilarious acting was great. Plus, I got to see a ton of old friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. And to add to that, I would go back to high school just to act in a few of these plays again. Arg, college life does not allow time for that, and anyway the people who do drama in my university are serious about it and offer strong competition. Plus they aren’t taking practical courses like math, physics, and other mathy-sciency-type stuff.
     
    Although I do hope to see the plays my high school puts on next year, the first being “And Then There Were None: A Murder Mystery.” Speaking of which, have you seen Epic Contest 7? Such an awesome theme! I am most certainly going to try and enter, although I still have two weeks that I have to use to study for finals, so I may not find the time to finish it before the deadline. But I most certainly would like to see what other people come up with. 
     

     
  22. xccj

    A Hike

    By xccj,

    I could probably go on and on about the hike in the North Cascades I went on last weekend. About all the trouble packing it, the drive there and back, the crazy-hot weather, the various animals that were in no way very exciting, or the injuries I sustained and pain I endured. Instead, I'll just post some statistics.
     
    40 pound backpack
    3 days hiking, two nights backpack camping
    Overall roughly 17 miles transversed
    We climbed at least 2,000 feet in elevation each day, sometimes more
    Highest we got was 7,000 feet on this one mountain
    Saw 5-10 shooting stars each night, in addition to other star gazing
     
    Not the longest or even the most rigorous backpacking trip I've ever been on, but man did we do a ton of climbing. And besides, this is the first time I've backpacked in like 6 years, and I am really out of shape, so this one was exhausting for me. Still, got to see pretty amazing mountains and such.
     

  24. xccj

    A Loss

    By xccj,

    Last Friday was a pretty terrible day. I watched the Saturday evening news, and the first ten minutes reported about five deaths that had occurred on Friday. One of them was a friend of mine who had died in a car accident. It’s really sad, because she was such a great person. And it kind of reminds me a lot about car accidents. When people drive irresponsibly or just aren’t as cautious as they should be, then things can happen. I’ve heard stories of how a fatality from a car accident effected a whole community. Now it’s my turn to mourn.
     
    So for all of you who can driver or are learning to drive… remember, drive safely.
     
    Xccj
     
  25. xccj

    A March Conundrum

    By xccj,

    They're doing a local showing of the new Sword Art Online movie in Portland, and I'm interested. But it also happens to be on the first day of BricksCascade.
     
    Decisions decisions...
     

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