Tyrant

I am not well read on all of the details of the Chernobyl incident. I had heard that there were significant design flaws that were attributed to the designer. As I understood it, the designer was not someone with experience in this field. As for three mile island, most of the people in the US that seem to leap to wild conclusions want to point to Chernobyl. It seems to have the greater shock factor and they usually claim it's almost the worst case scenario. I occasionally see someone claim that a nuclear blast is the worst case scenario which causes me to sit there and shake my head. That could be an interesting set.

I didn't want to quote your whole post. I see what you are saying. For me, the interest (as far as the sets) is for the sake of diversity. The windmill is one of the few (or only) power generating structures that has been made into a set. I would like to see others, such as a nuclear power plant. But I would like to see them because I would like to see power generating stations, not becuase it's green. The green awareness just increases the potential of this happening. Something else would be a recycling plant. I myself live in a very small town (supposedly 3000 people, but I have my doubts on the number being that high) and we have a recycling center so I think it could fit in with your small town preferences (though it is porbably viewed as a more modern ideal). During the 80's when I was a kid one of the things I thought was great about Town was the diversity that you saw. Along with houses they had stores, restaraunts, garages, street sweepers, mail men, etc. You could actually buy almost everything you would find in a town. Now it's mostly emergency services (does LEGO City represent some hybrid of Gotham and the Tokyo of the Godzilla movies to need so many fire and police personel?). The Farm was a nice addition. But even with all the older things, power plants (and lines for that matter) are still missing. So, for me anyway, the topic in general is a reason to get some things we don't already have in the Town/City setting. my main interest is Castle, so if this somehow also gets an era appropriate windmill for that too, I am onboard. If not power plants, then little touches like solar panels, house scale wind turbines, or recycling boxes would be nice. Kind of like when they introdued trash cans, it's the little things that continue to draw me back. I just wish I had the space (and the budget) for a massive City set up. I've still got my 9V train and plenty of track if I ever do. As far as the company itself, given that it is a product I buy a lot of knowing they are doing what they can to not pollute the planet is a nice thought. I am not an idealist who thinks everyone will go green. I am a realist and I know most people (heck, even I won't go green in everything) won't so every little bit helps.

Well I just got back from watching the new Star Trek movie. I thought it was fairly entertaining. Avoid it if you don't like time travel. Otherwise it was an interesting "what if?" kind of look at the earliest days of Kirk and Co. Plenty of room for sequels that won't be tied down to tons of continuity. I wasn't a huge fan of Eric Bana's character. He just seemed poorly written. Or maybe I just expected a better character out of him because I think he is a decent enough actor. The cast did a decent job in their portrayals. Karl Urban was the best as Bones. Some spoilers for those interested. It's all here, so you have been warned.

I knew France was big on nuclear power. Our own plants are getting older as well. The problem here is that a lot of people try to make it sound like every nuclear power plant is another Chernobyl waiting to happen. Mountains of data contradict this, but the science seems to be hard to explain to some people. There are some potential drawbacks (again, the waste) but the plants have virtually no emissions. I hope that the green push here will make some people take another look at nuclear. Solar power plants may not be popular in Europe*, but they are viable in the US. Our southwest is almost entirely sun blasted desert. The central plains are also mostly sunny (and windy). *I have seen a recent show on the History channel about alternative energy that showed a rather unique solar plant in Spain. It is a large central tower with a turbine in the base. Surrounding it is a circular area that would best be described as a green house. The air only has one exit point, the tower. THe sun heats the air and it has to escape out through the tower which drives the turbine. There are virtually no moving parts and virtually no expense in actually operating the plant. They are building a much larger version in Australia. The tower to their version will be over 2000 feet tall, according to the show at least. This design is different from the mirror farm image that most people have when they think solar power plants. There were a couple of other ideas on that show that LEGO could use.

I know in the US there is a general negative stigma associated with nuclear power plants. Hopefully the president's recent comments will convince people to at least look at the facts and not just believe the fear mongering. I thought that Europeans had a generally more accepting view of them? The waste is still an issue though. I doubt LEGO will make one or anything like it anyway. It would be nice though. A fusion power plant on the other hand. That has potential. I think most people view that as the wonder solution (and from what I understand of it, it could be if it can be made to work and kept under control). They would probably have to make up the design as they go though as the real ones are still not in design yet because the process hasn't become workable yet (from what I have read on it anyway).

More "green" sets and ideas would be good. I agree with idea that putting solar cells on houses or in the yard on home sets would be nice. Perhaps smaller wind driven generators as well for some variety. It would be nice if an initiative like this would lead to a Castle era windmill as well. Perhaps even a larger waterwheel like the type that's used to turn a grindstone (although I believe that is the same purpose for the windmill, but diversity is good). Of course I also agree with Batbrick that we need some power plants. Nuclear or otherwise. They would have to be scaled down obviously. Perhaps a small scale hydro electric power plant. I agree with the need for smaller packages. It is nice that they are making them thinner. At least they aren't filled with wasteful cardboard and plastic ties like action figure vehicles usually are.

I have seen the 25th figures and vehicles. I have several of the figures and a couple of the vehicles. I do like that they have remade the older figures while updating the detail and articulation. I have heard of the Target vehicles. I used to have the Python Patrol Conquest. I have seriously considered getting the new one. I hope they plan on releasing the Viper that comes with it seperate because I always liked the Python Patrol figures (even though the colors are somewhat horrid and totally fail at being camofluage) for some reason. Even the Crimson Guard who has virtually no red on him. I am hoping they release the rest of them. My only concern is the movie toys stopping things up (though Hasbro swears they won't).

I saw Wolverine over the weekend. It was better than I expected, but I had no real expectations. Wolverine has never really been close to my favorite XMen character (much less Marvel overall), but that is mainly because of how played out and poorly handled he is most of the time. His movie version has actually been somewhat refreshing and closer to an actual character and not just a walking, indestructible chainsaw with a fuzzy backstory. I don't like that the 3 other XMen movies may as well have been titled Wolverine. Here however, given that that is the title, him being the central focus isn't an issue. I liked the attempt to incorporate bits of the Origins back story into the movie. I wish Marvel would have actually produced this so it could tie in with their other properties. There are two moments in particular where it would have been nice. The first is D-Day. Unless my Marvel history is off, Captain America should have been there. The other was during the African mission. They never name the metal (which should have been Vibranium given the circumstances) and the place they found it should have been Wakanda (also not mentioned). I guess I just got used to the level of connection between Hulk and Iron Man. Oh well. The movie was good dispite that. The change to Deadpool was ... interesting. Kind of a shame since Reynolds was perfect for the role. Sabertooth was a huge improvement over the first movie. Overall a nice action movie that didn't have any huge plot problems lining up with the other three XMen movies that I noticed. Just the usual movie screwing up characters complaints. From an adaptation standpoint, this one is still screwing up the characters ages relative to each other and putting real characters in random background roles (Emma Frost, really?) that shouldn't be anywhere near there. Also, stay until after the credits. The very end of the credits, that scene a minute or so in isn't the last scene. Here's hoping for Star Trek.

I was a big fan of the cartoon and toys back in the 80s. I eventually became a fan of the comic book. The story in the comics was considerably better and closer to something resembling realistic. They actually used bullets and people actually died for good. Eventually Devil's Due restarted the comics as a follow on to the Marvel run. Their run was even grittier. Lots of deaths. The upside was Cobra Commander was finally made into a character to be feared and not an incompotent fool. My personal favorite moment of that run was when he killed Serpentor. Real recently on Cartoon Network they ran GIJoe Resolute. It was an animated movie (I guess it was a movie, there were several deaths but it was open ended) that was a lot more like the DD run of the comic book. The opening bit was Cobra using their new super weapon to nuke Moscow and kill several million people to prove they aren't screwing around. That's the kind of thing I have wanted to see out of GIJoe for a while. Now there's the movie. I have my doubts it will be any of that. I do think it will be a good action movie. I do think some characters will turn out okay. I also think some characters will be unrecognisable. I am particularly worried about Destro and Cobra Commander (and Zartan to a lesser extent). I am assuming they are trying to keep a lid on CC for as long as possible because he hasn't been in the previews. The same goes for Destro with the helmet. The accelerator suits are different. At least now there will be a good reason why 50 guys can fire full auto in an open area at 2 guys and not hit them at all. I'll go watch it but I have no expectations for the storyline or the characters. I'm making Terminator my future potential disappointment by actually hoping it's good.

There is another thing I thought of I would like to see that is related to this. A couple more skeleton animals. Sure it's probably mostly useful for Castle (though I could see some of them being used elsewhere). I don't see it as very viable because they would have to be new molds and have limited use, but I would like to see them.

There are several animals I would like to see. Rhinos, Zebras (even if it's just a repainted horse), and Camels as far as animals that could potentially carry figures/things. Lions and tigers for large predators or fighting in the arena would be good. Some more birds would be nice. Falcons and eagles perhaps? Deer and wolves for woodland/plains areas would be nice as well. On the small side I would like to see squirrels and turtles. I suppose you could also make large sea turtles so the stranded pirates have something to lash together with ropes made out of human hair to escape the deserted island. On the fantasy side, a human sized spider would be nice. They seem to be fairly common in fantasy. Also, I know they already released them, but more elephants would be great. Giant elephants would be great too. They won't make Oliphants due to copyright, but there is nothing stopping them from making generic giant elephants.

I like it. I agree with the "slapped together" appearance. Like it was built with minimal concern for structure or like it had to follow the flow of the tree (which I assume was the idea). I think it really works. I like the ladder too. Is that a commonly used way of making them? It's simple to do but I am not sure I have ever seen one like that before. Then again I don't browse MOCs that often.

I saw a couple of movies this weekend. State of Play. I didn't 100% guess the end before it happened, but I was pretty close by less than a third of the way into the movie. For a movie like this, an ad campaign that makes claims of a twist you won't see coming don't help. Just think of what the movie wants to make you think is going on and what can't possibly be true. That last part is what is inevitably true when you have that kind of ad campaign. That aside, it was well acted and mostly well written. Only one or two things don't ad up going by just what you see. Or rather, they leave questions that make you guess the answers (not always a bad thing). Kind of insightful about modern "journalism" and aspects of the mercenary business. Nothing really groundbreaking but overall a good movie. The other movie I watched was Crank 2. If you liked the first one, you will probably like this one. I would go so far as to say it is even more extreme. THe nudity factor has been turned up to 11 in this one. That was kind of out nowhere. The movie is basically nudity and violence with a paper thin plot thrown in for good measure. Questionable medical science fills this sequel. I am pretty sure anyone could have played David Carradine's role, all 2 minutes of it. If you're looking for mindless, R rated entertainment this is your movie. If your looking for something that has any real depth, avoid this.

This would be a nice alternative to the Legends line. As others have said certain discontinued pieces would be an issue. The same would go for figures. They would also have to have some kind of disclaimer about using newer colors instead of the original colors. Personally though I would like to see the return of the Legends line. Looking at the current prices of the Castle offerings from Legends tells me that there is a market.

Have we heard anything in regard to the "jubilee" set I have seen mentioned a few places? Perhaps that is why we have so few sets coming out? Or it could have to do with the fact that we appear to have a second wave of Power Miners (why this instead of a second Pirate or Castle wave is beyond me) and the licensed sets coming out. Or I suppose they may see Castle and Pirate as somehow competing so one will get the early release and one will get the late release instead of releasing at the same time.

I would like several parts that would make castle building easier and not cost an arm and a leg. Such as: Tall corner slopes in colors such as black, bley, dark bley, red, and blue. These are useful for rooftops and foundations. Inverted corner slopes in basically the same colors. Castle wall panels. It's a complete long shot but along with this the tudor style panel in either yellow or red, corner and wall. More colors for the arched window frame (the one that you put either the grid or the lattace into), and a greater variety of insertables for them. Regular swords. The increased weapons variety is great and a few others will round it out nicely. Helmets. At this poit I agree with any helmet would be an improvement, but I would like to see a few in two or three colors for some variety. Black skeleton bodies and the current heads for both types of skeletons. Bring back the armor. More options for windows and shutters. Tall 1x5 bricks in more colors (personally I would want black, yellow, and red) In the realm of total pipe dreams, torsos for older castle factions. The rest of the parts to complete them are already there so no need to make the whole figure. Those would make me very happy.

It's hard to choose just three moments. I would probably go with these three: 1) Resident Evil Code Veronica. When, as Chris, you confront Wesker. Seeing Chris finding out he is still alive and then seeing that he is no longer human as he super speeds across the room to beat you down. One of the more memorable moments in the RE series for me. 2) KOTOR. Playing Dark Side when you approach the rest of the crew on Rikata Prime just before you go to assault the Star Forge. Their reactions are great. Making the Wookiee kill the Twilek was great. My only regret was that Carth was allowed to escape. I wanted to kill him more than anyone else in the game. I am comforted to know I killed everyoe else on the planet and he would likely get eaten by something or just stay stranded there. In fact, most of the dark side ending was good. 3) Star Wars Rebel Assault II. The end when Rebel technicians are about to examine the TIE Phantom you have spent the entire game trying to aquire, Darth Vader sends the self destruct signal. Your trophy is blown up right in front of you and part of what you accomplished was for nothing. Memorable because it was kind of a let down and it demonstrated how advanced Imperial communication technology must be. Reading through the thread I am suprised so many people were blindsided by the big reveal in KOTOR. I had it figured out just a few hours into the game. Of course I was looking for a twist of some type and I was looking for clues.

I like it. I have a couple of questions. Is that bley or old gray? I can't tell and I figure with the Dragon Masters being the theme it is possible that it's old gray. Also, are those old brown barrels in the basement? They look different from the surrounding brown (not saying that's a bad thing) and unless I miss my guess there is dust on them (also not a bad thing, in this case I think it adds to the look).

Apparently about as much as civility means to you. It's a perfectly valid question. Nearly every sale of this nature in recent memory has excluded Star Wars. I myself had the same question until I checked the actual ad. On topic, I saw a posting on classic-castle stating that this same sale is occuring at Meijer. I have not seen the actual ad or been to the store myself, but that is what is being posted. They have less selection than TRU, but they don't have the markup either.

I agree that vehicles aren't paramount to the line. If they are, there are always chariots, ships, and siege weapons. Also, the other features you mentioned could be used if they go with a mythology centered line. A maze for the Minotaur or some type of ruined lair for the Medusa could be loaded with traps. In the US, at least from what I have seen, people are more familiar with the Roman military and the Greek mythology. As long as historical accuracy isn't the goal, there is no reason they can't combine the two. Roman soldiers and weapons with Greek mythological creatures. I would be fine with either. I prefer the appearance of the Roman military, but the Greek timeframe allows for the greater possibility of Persians.

I just got done seeing the movie. I thought it was at least as good as the other 3. It was somewhat more serious. The criminal element was a lot more center stage in this one. I think that worked though onsidering this comes off like a sequel to the first movie so we already know that some people are cops and others are criminals. It was nice seeing most of the original cast at least for a little while. A cameo towards the begining cements at least part of this movie taking place before Tokyo Drift. Overall I liked the movie.

I just got done watching the new Fast and Furious movie. It was nice seeing most of the original cast back together. It seemed to be somewhat more serious than the other 3. There is a lot more of the criminal element than the other 3 and the plot is mostly revenge driven. Overall I thought it was a good movie. I was suprised seeing at least one character in the movie and his inclusion (and the end) point towards this movie taking place before Tokyo Drift.

I finally got around to watching Apocalypse Now (Redux I believe is the edition name, it looks like a dosier). I bought it a while ago when I saw it on sale somewhere. I had already watched the movie prior to that. It was a movie that I bought and just didn't get around to watching it, until now. If you've never seen the movie, you need to. It shows the chaos of war (Vietnam in this case) and the characters that can populate it. Good acting all around from Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, and Marlon Brando all as men who have clearly been through too much, though each acts differently based on their experiences. It also fetaures a Harrison Ford cameo. This movie is the reason some people associate Ride of the Valkyries with Vietnam (and it's probably the reason they used that song in the Vietnam scene in Watchmen).

Live action or animated?

The other sets seem to be the other non Star Wars $10 sets. Mainly that's the 3 Creator sets (the Pirate, Castle, and Town sets). I did check the Dwarven Mine defender but it wasn't on sale.