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Still Raindrop

Eurobricks Knights
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Everything posted by Still Raindrop

  1. Still Raindrop
    I realize that 60210 has to give much of its piece count to the plane. Even with that in mind...wow. That air base looks really bad. I think that 6332 Command Post Central from 1998 has more complexity! 60210 looks barely more than two-dimensional, with lots of big parts. I don’t use the “j-word” lightly, because it quickly became overused to mean anything that someone disliked, especially sets that were well-designed but still more kid-oriented. But I think the original meaning applies for the building. I’m not a fan of the Sky Police theme overall. To me, City should be fun, stylized versions of things that could be found in real life. Sky Police could have been a fun action theme, but as it is, it’s a weird fusion of a fantastical idea and the standard Police and robbers aesthetic that had been constant over the past five years or so. I’m not a fan of the result. The fire sets, on the other hand, are fantastic—perhaps the best we’ve had yet, in my opinion. I might have to pick some of those up!
  2. Still Raindrop
    We kind of had that already with the DO, but with cookies instead of booze. I don’t think they’d do such a close repeat.
  3. Still Raindrop
    Well, I guess I might as well weigh in! I've been a member for a decade (plus a few months), and it's hard to believe that it's gone so fast. While I love the forum (and like forums in general), I've never been super active. There are three main reasons why my visiting and posting has tapered off lately, to an even lower amount than I had been posting previously. Two of them are personal reasons, and one has to do with how I see Eurobricks. 1. I have three kids now. This means that I don't have a ton of time to spare with building or crafting longer replies to MOCs (though I do still love seeing them!). In fact, I have a couple MOCs that I built a while ago, but haven't gotten around to photographing yet. 2. I sometimes feel like a thread-killer. This isn't just on EB, but I often feel that, when I post something, it will either be overlooked entirely, or it will be the last post. It's harder to engage thoughtfully when I feel like it won't go anywhere. But again, that's more of a personal issue than an issue with this forum. 3. It seems like reviews have been less frequent here--or at least, they've been emphasized less. The reviews that used to be common here were my absolute favorites (especially the Reviewer's Academy ones). I'm not a fan of video reviews, and I don't particularly care for the reviews that many other places do (I've found that almost all of the pictures that are posted in the reviews on a certain database website--I'm not sure if I'm allowed to mention names--are simply photos of the set and minifigures taken from the angles that are already on the box. There's usually no focus on cool/unique/new pieces, interesting building techniques, angles that we might not officially see, etc.). So, the fact that I don't see nearly as many reviews is also a bummer.
  4. Still Raindrop
    I kind of doubt that a green cross would be included in a Lego set. It may be a symbol for a pharmacy in much of the world, but in certain parts of the United States, it always signifies a medical cannabis dispensary. Lego employs enough American designers that I imagine someone would catch that.
  5. Still Raindrop
    Yeah, as far as I can remember, Lego has tended to prefer a team of heroes to a singular hero. Even Johnny Thunder wouldn't have been nearly as cool without his fellow adventurers. In fact, the only time I can recall a focus on one singular hero was Jack Stone.
  6. Still Raindrop
    I'd like that, too. Jake Raines and his crew definitely fit the bill, as did the Monster Fighters. I think this is actually one of the downsides of Ninjago's success: the protagonists are consistent, even when we get cool and varied antagonists. That means that a Johnny Thunder or other dime novel/pulp fiction/radio serial type character is much less likely.
  7. Still Raindrop
    I'd call him more of an homage to explorers from dime novels, pulp fiction, and radio serials. Indiana Jones was an homage to those characters, as were the characters in movies like The Mummy, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, etc. While Johnny certainly took from Indiana Jones, he also clearly borrowed from other sources, as well.
  8. Still Raindrop
    In addition: the computer game LEGO Island includes a song that uses the word "Legos".
  9. Still Raindrop
    Glad to hear it! While we do disagree on whether the method by which proper names are made generic and plural can be described as technically correct or not, you do make good points. I do have a question for you: would you find the sentence "I built a castle out of Lego" to be just as incorrect as "I built a castle out of Legos"? I know that a lot of people get tripped up about using "Legos" as the plural, but then use "Lego" as a plural noun instead of as an adjective. It seems to me that, for those who are concerned about "correct" usage, both sentences would be equally incorrect. Do you see it this way?
  10. Still Raindrop
    But that's just the point--common usage does dictate what's correct, on a large scale. Otherwise one might say that the entirety of the English language is technically incorrect, because it's very different than it was when Chaucer used it. But that's just the thing: languages change, and those changes are driven by usage. English, at least, doesn't have a central authority dictating what the rules are (as French does--but even its power is contested). Look at the grammatical differences between, say, the MLA style and the APA style. In a way, there's no such thing as "technically correct" in English, because there's no one authority that everyone agrees to. There I am a little confused by your statement that "I vacuumed the floor" is incorrect. Every dictionary I can find lists "vacuum" as a verb meaning "to clean with a vacuum cleaner." What indication do you have that it's an incorrect usage? You seem to be using a prescriptivist view of linguistics (always tough with a living language), but I'm not sure exactly where you'd draw the line. Would you argue that using "you were" instead of "thou wert" when referring to one person is technically incorrect? I'm not trying to be rude, by the way--I really am interested in figuring out where you're coming from.
  11. Still Raindrop
    Precisely. Language is dictated by people, not by companies. I'm sure the Hoover people weren't pleased that people in the UK "hoover" their floors with a Dyson or a Kirby, but it's an accepted word in the UK--as a verb, even! One can try to argue that it's not "technically correct" to use it . . . but one could also argue that it's not "technically correct" to say "I vacuumed the floor" instead of "I hoovered the floor." After all, "vacuum" was only a noun before the introduction of the vacuum cleaner. And yet, nobody says "I cleaned the floor with a vacuum cleaner." So the two verbs "to hoover" and "to vacuum" are found in most dictionaries. I think that, if people want to get prescriptivist, they should stop focusing on using "Lego" instead of "Legos" (though, as has been noted, the Lego Group doesn't even want people to say "I built something with Lego"--instead, they recommend saying "I built something with LEGO® elements"). Instead, they should work towards getting "thou" and "thee" back as singular forms of address, with "you" being reserved only for the plural. That's something that could actually be useful.
  12. Still Raindrop
    You mean you don't take the sticks from your Popsicle brand ice pops and the empty cups from your Jell-O brand gelatin desserts and put them in a Dumpster brand large trash container? I agree, though. "Legos" sounds like a more natural plural to me. I used it when I was a kid, and I still use it (despite going through a time where I tried not to say it). When it's the common term, as it is where I live, it's a bit pedantic to insist on not using it.
  13. Still Raindrop
    Nice! I was thinking of downsizing my modulars, as well--I'm glad to see that they can still look so great!
  14. Still Raindrop
    Heck, even an official Lego video game used the term "Legos." (It's in the song "The Brickster" in the Lego Island jukebox)
  15. Still Raindrop
    The discontinuation (and subsequent expensive/hard-to-find nature) of Sand Red is a huge bummer to me. However, this is largely because it almost perfectly captures the look of Pikes Peak granite--a local type of stone that I really love. I'd like to be able to use it in MOCs, but I don't have the funds necessary. It would be nice to see that come back--or, as mentioned, a reddish-orange.
  16. Still Raindrop
    This is great! It reminds me of the background cities that Lego would put in their advertisements (I'm not sure if they still do this--I haven't paid as much attention--but when my Dark Age ended a decade ago, I was always impressed with those backgrounds). I like the clean look that you've given the buildings; it makes them all fit together very well.
  17. Still Raindrop
    I love it! I always enjoy seeing cities (or sections thereof) that feel like they fit together, and this certainly looks like it was all very well planned out. I really like the two more modern buildings, as well. Your use of minimalism has really captured what makes buildings like that so special.
  18. Still Raindrop
    I love that we finally get Mulan--and that she's not in a huge set. What's the deal with that katana, though? The gladius piece would have been much better, I think (fortunately I have one, so I can swap it out).
  19. Still Raindrop
    Nice to see the pictures! Once again, Friends has some of the most fun, creative, and innovative designs. I've admired Friends since it came out, but only really started getting sets this year (my daughter is old enough for regular Lego now, and she adores Friends); looks like next year is going to be another great one!
  20. Still Raindrop
    It’s true that it’s easy to change; however, it may also mark the end of an era. The modulars were the last place one could reliably get the classic Lego face. This may mean that they will no longer print the face that’s been around since 1978.
  21. Still Raindrop
    Very nice! I was just thinking recently about how much I like the old 4-wide cars. Sure, they might not be nearly as detailed as the new 6-wide ones, or even the sort-of-4-wide ones (4-wide with the sticking-out mudguards and wheels), but they have a real charm. Plus, it's easier to make and modify them, I find, than to do so with the newer ones (perhaps because fewer specialized pieces are needed to capture the look?). Anyway, you've done a great job here! Everything looks fantastic! I'm particularly fond of the Land Rover (I can just see Sir David Attenborough standing next to it and narrating) and the Trabant. And KITT, of course--amazing shaping for that scale. Very nicely done!
  22. Still Raindrop
    You’ve never heard of police using net launchers? Well, I live in Colorado, and the police in the mountains up here... don’t use them either.
  23. Still Raindrop
    This looks wonderful! I had just started putting together some old Lego Island Xtreme Stunts minifigures (and creating "updated" versions of other classic minifigures) around the time you posted it, not even knowing that it was the 20th anniversary. This is just splendid!
  24. Still Raindrop
    Oh hey, another tiki bar builder! Very nice—your execution is flawless (I have to say I’m a little jealous of how perfectly you captured the feel of it!)! The A-frame looks great, and I love the interior decor. Looks like a pretty classy joint! Edit: oh, and the use of the sideways 1x2 log bricks as tiki mouths is inspired! It perfectly captures the distinct shape.
  25. Still Raindrop
    This is beautiful--I love Asian MOCs, and this one is perfect. In addition, the photography really makes me feel like I'm in the scene, not just looking at a model. I've saved this so I can continue to look at all the details in the coming days. Well done!
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