dviddy

I know older versions of IP could do that, and it was possible to delete PMs from an inbox without having to change a member's password and log in as them to do so. IPB Admins have a lot of control over those things, because these are boards run by paying customers. BZP had a problem with phantom PMs back in the day, and Big D had a story where if we had that problem, PM him, and he'd fix our inboxes for us. So I know that it at least used to be easier than what many assume. Knowing Andrew as I do, he doesn't sit there and read PMs, if he has such an ability (and I don't doubt that IPB is set up in such a manner). That's silly, and would take way too much time. Many staff members get these PMs (I did), and there's someone on always, word spreads quick. We don't need to read your PMs to know when something inappropriate is floating around. Remember that messageboards are not run by governments, but by private enterprises, and 'privacy' does not mean the same thing there as it does in the US (where a president can illegally wiretap millions of citizens and not get in trouble...) EDIT: (where a president can illegally wiretap millions of citizens and not get in trouble...) (where a president can illegally wiretap millions of citizens and not get in trouble...) (where a president can illegally wiretap millions of citizens and not get in trouble...) That's a stupid thing too. They're paranoid that a staffer on a website about toys is reading their PMs, but EVERYTHING we do to electronically communicate (and even private, physical mail letters, too!)... can legally be and often are "tapped". I even read somewhere that cellphones that are "off" still transmit sound unless the battery is removed. The crap Batman had at the end of the Dark Knight is what the government does every day. Secrecy? Basic privacy? You now have *zero*. But no, no... these toy site staffers are giggling spawns of hell. >__< -JINZO

This is just silly. Of course it's not 'system,' it started as a subset of Technic. But regardless, both are LEGO. Not only are both produced by LEGO, both are LEGO and are designed for interconnectivity and creativity. System and Technic/Bionicle merge quite nicely, as long as you try. I have seen many the advanced builder integrate Bionicle pieces into their MOCs, and have yet to find a single Bionicle piece that has only the one use it was molded as. It may flabbergast you to hear that, but I would say this to anyone who MOCs. If you can't find a way to use a piece, you aren't trying hard enough. That goes for myself as well. I don't have a 'useless bin' because I don't think any piece is useless. Even those round colored balls with no built in connection location can be connected and integrated into MOCs. And though I like and purchase the theme, you'll find me a very vocal critic of the current sets (and the majority of the storyline), and it is not my favourite line. But I do owe my lack of a 'dark ages' on Bionicle, and the original motif still stokes my imagination. I have no qualms showing you MOCs , I am and have been an active member of the Bionicle MOCing community for the better part of seven years now. However, I do not build exclusively with Bionicle, as I believe LEGO is LEGO, and all themes and pieces, whether they be System, Technic/Bionicle, Fabuland, Clickits, or what have you are free game within the MOCing world (and then I still consider myself a purist who disavows cutting, gluing, or non-LEGO elements, even). Dragon, BZPower's mascot, Were-cat, Chariot WIP, Robot holding pipe-cleaner flower, And a SCUBA MOC. I make no claims that these are better than any MOC you may have done. This is simply a recent sampling of my MOCs, since you asked for them. I merely aim to prove that LEGO is LEGO, and all elements are, and should be accepted as, fair game.

The issues on BZPower with the 'MiB' have been and are being dealt with.

I'm glad you can see that it's a self-evident truth. Whether you like it or not, Bionicle is LEGO, with various connection points, including, but not limited to, classic technic pin/axle holes and connectors, technic ball sockets, studs, yes, studs do exist in Bionicle sets. Etc. Plus, one seems to forget that holes molded for technic pins are the exact size for a stud to fit into, thereby creating yet another system/Bionicle/Technic connection. LEGO is LEGO. If you can't find a way to connect something, you're not trying hard enough, and shame on you for limiting the creativity of a hobby that is near unlimitable. Now, for my list. Best: 1- Creator sets. I love the range of fantastic parts offered in these sets. I can find almost anything I need in these sets, and that makes me happy. Plus, it's TLG acknowledging what LEGO is best for: building lots of different things. 2- Bionicle. The creative ability offered here is astounding, especially as a near-untapped medium in the AFOL community. I promise, see some of the more prominent Bionicle MOCs in person at a convention will instantly cure your belief that the pieces are capable of nothing. Also, the Bionicle community is invading the larger AFOL community. Like it or not, we're here to stay. 3- Star Wars. I'm biased, but since they first announced SW LEGO sets, I've been in love. SW captured my imagination as a kid in a way LEGO has even yet to do, and I've been in love with it for most of my life. SW LEGO sets? Best of both worlds. And while I hate that they keep re-doing the same ships over and over, when a fantastic depth of ships and locations exist in the uncharted EU, I can't deny the sheer playability plus part availability in SW sets. <3 Worst: 1- Town/City. I just think it's boring. I suppose my imagination runs in different directions than just 'build a city'. 2- Pirates. Not interested. Give me the old ninja theme back instead. ;) 3- Sports. If we want to talk lack of imagination and parts... But remember, I am first and foremost a MOCist, and what exists inside the box is most likely bought purely to add to my parts selection. Very rarely does an official set get to stay together very long. Of course, they may last years in near-half-deconstructed states, as I pull single pieces of interest off of them at a time, haha.

ZIP your files next time. Then upload the ZIPped folder. Brickshelf automatically unzips ZIP files, so you'll have uploaded all the images at once. It's how I always upload multiple images on Brickshelf.

So, preface. I'm working on a big wheeled guy. Go to flickr if you want to see the new WIP image. But I got bored/stuck with it, so I threw this together as a fun little MOC break. So, it's kind of a doodle MOC. But I figured, what the hey, let's give this to you guys as proof that I still sometimes do boring MOCs. :D I decided it's Pohatu Nuva with his super sweet, identity-masking adaptive armour all adapted up for being under the waves, man. | | | And yes, I took a back shot. Also, a side shot. Also, a three-quarters shot. Also, a crouching shot. Why do you ask? Rest of gallery when public.

^Just remember that characterization trumps violence. Don't make the story super violent just for the sake of making it more 'gritty and adult'. That's dumb. You don't need eyeballs exploding and other random violent ideas to make this 'cool'.

The lack of dialogue always makes Greg's writing better. Because his dialogue has always been terrible.

Greg has a long history of being a diva. This is no different.

Dear God I love you.

I don't know Ray. I mean, that's what we need for Brickfair '09...

Trust me, if I had been BZP staff when the Mistika reviews were chosen... Well, my Tarix review would sound nice. :)

Can I be in on the love-in too? Because I love you guys too.

It's possible. I didn't pay that much attention, honestly. But it wouldn't surprise me. You wouldn't believe the creative editing Smeag had to do on our Brickfair Vultraz review to keep it somewhat clean. Plus, we recorded an entire Brickfair video segment for BZP, over the span of the few days we were there, but since we were just all being ourselves, it wasn't BZP appropriate. :( Man it was fun.

It's aesthetic. These new hands look goofy, and are too big lengthwise. The wrist joint is also way too far back. The ball sockets were smaller, thinner, and didn't look like they were trying too hard. I'm all for hands. But these new ones are eyesores.

I can tell you this: invest fifty cents in a piece of white posterboard. It will work amazing wonders.

I'm really not sure how a vulgar piece of crappy art is supposed to be on par with the statue of David? One was made for intentional shock purposes, the other is a piece of (epic) artwork. The two aren't even close to being on the same 'decency' page. Really, EB should be doing a better job keeping that crap off of a site with children, or do a better job of enforcing their age restriction rules. And yeah, stuff like that is why BZP is never going to link to other forums. It's supposed to be a safe place for people to discuss BIONICLE. Not creepy under-age menstruation 'artwork'.

I'm super serious, for seriousness. I honestly don't care all that much. Reviews hit different marks on different people, and that's what matters. What bothered me here was the insinuation that the BZP reviews we do as staff members are terrible or useless, or that our format hinders the reviewing process. That's silly. (And, of course, I enjoy writing those BZP reviews to death, so that's part of it. Who likes to have your hard work belittled?) Yeah, there are BZP reviews that suck, and ones that don't. And I refuse to look at reviews in the sets forum on BZP, because the non-creative outlet subforums scare me. I tend to shelter myself in the BBC, and in the blogs. They make me happy. And I like pictures in my reviews as well, and these ones are great. :) (My next BZP review has more pictures than my last ones did. The Gresh and Atakus review photo-shoots were pretty crappy, as I'm home for the break, and for those shoots, it was very difficult setting a proper photo-taking stage up. Thankfully, the new light-box I received for Christmas helped that a lot.)

Oh dear, now you're just embarrassing yourself. ( )

I've worked at a Super Target for the past two years as seasonal help. I work Christmases and summers. It is awesome. I get a yearly raise just like everyone else (and mine have been higher than the full-time employees I work with, as they are merit-based), have technical seniority, and because I work in the Starbucks (the Starbucks' inside Targets are owned and operated by Target Inc as licensed stores. We are therefore fully-Starbucks certified baristas, but we are hired, employed by, are paid by, and work for Target.)

Having written five (and in the middle of writing my sixth) reviews for the BZP front page, I can tell you this: This is why my reviews on BZP go so in-depth, and end up so long. Screw the story, I'm looking at the set the way I do MOCs where the builder had a limited stash of parts. I'm not personally satisfied with what I see here on EB where the reviews are "Here's a bunch of pictures, lol, he's awesome to the maxx, go buy it." I'd much rather know what I'm getting myself into, and hey, if I absolutely hate a set, and get to say so in an official BZP review, and get some kids to buy a different set, instead of the ones that are repetitive and suck, then hooray me. But hey, that's cool. Some people read books, and others watch the film adaptations. I'm sure the people who are too lazy to read aren't missing out on anything. Plus, if you want good pictures, you can't beat my BZP reviews. (And all my review images are also hosted on my Majhost gallery, BTW.)

We're not dumping LEGO, to do so would be stupid, because LEGO sells. Target has not done the big post-Christmas shelving reset yet. We don't restock the shelves as deep or as often prior to a huge reset. It makes everyone's jobs harder, or something. You'll notice that when Target resets, toy locations will have moved, some lines will shift aisles, etcetera, and after that, you won't see the stock get so low until right before the summer reset. It just so happens that TLG releases new sets groups around the same time Target stores nationally reset. You'll notice Wal*Mart shelving almost always does the same thing twice or more a year. I can count on both hands which aisles in my local Wal*Mart where the LEGO sets have been located throughout the past several years. You most likely heard an employee say that because: A- The LEGO aisles are almost all universally empty, as are the Transformers pegs, the SW pegs are very shallow, etc. B- The LEGO aisle has moved recently. LEGO has turned around and has become a very sought-after children's toy. Dumping them altogether would be a very terrible retail move, toy-wise. (It's why Wal*Mart Canada and TLG had such a stand-off. ) (Of course, neither Wal*Mart or Target sells the range of LEGO sets that Toys 'R' Us carries, because we move less LEGO product [because me move less toys in general] than toy stores do.) As much as I love Andrew and Niki, you don't need to watch the video, as it's really just the two of them fawning over one another. It's not like the AWESOME Brickfair video review we made (I was the cameraman!). I didn't have any problems downloading the video.

That's because he is. By a lot. Tarix is, in my opinion, the worst of the new 2009 canister sets. He's so boring, his weapons really blow, and the random blue throw into his Metru blue colourscheme is sort of WTF-inducing.

Know what? BZP reviews run this one into the ground. Make fun of them all you want, but I have yet to see someone on EB review a set as well as BZP staff does. And that's not counting the super-awesome-detailed reviews I've written for the front page, so I'm not just tooting my own horn here. There's a lot of work that goes into one of our reviews, and I don't particularly enjoy the nonsensical BZP bashing. Berix is okay. But I prefer Metus, when it comes to Av-Matoran Agori. Metus' helmet/mask/whatever I think looks cooler than Berix', and the snowflake shield is just kickin'.

I've read the books. I read the comics. When it comes to BIONICLE, Greg has about five distinct characterizations, with small variations within each. And that's boring. It's not an over-generalization. (Also, people seem to forget that there's a reason things become generalization, especially ones that are held popularly. There's a bit of truth in them somewhere.)