I made a snowflake!

Darth would be proud.

The Phantom Menace, the Kyle Cut

What Is Wrong with Just Over Half of You?

We exactly deserve what we get.

Battlefront

If no one hears from me for several weeks it is because Battlefront is out.

Helped Move Geek Household

So many misfit toys! I retrieved some lengths of perfectly good rope and a CD holder. And another CD rack, two gallons of laundry soap, a computer (mostly working), a vinyl covered wire hanger — always useful — and I could have had three (!) Weber grills but I ran out of room in my swag-wagon.

Styrofoam Makes For Good Display / Play

The bad guys are at the very tippy-top AND at the bottom. The heroes are trapped in the middle. I fully expect that this construct will collapse in the middle of the night. It has fallen once already, resulting in grievous bodily harm to one of the Vahki (bad guys). Both arms popped right off.

The Toa Maiden Escapes

When last we saw the Toa Maiden, she had been taken prisoner by Rahkshi.

Her fate at their hands is revealed in this slide show.

If You Say So, Greg.

"Metru Nui is inside the hollow center of the island of Mata Nui, and Matoran lived there for thousands of years before they ever went to Mata Nui, so they had time to build a great city."

But, but, but! Someone's got some 'splainin' to do. Is Mata Nui bigger on the inside than on the outside so that an entire ocean can surround an entire city?

Photo Funnies!

Not quite OK for 10 and under. Rated PG for implied violence and excessive movie references.
The dialog was going to be along the lines of

Bishop to King 7. Checkmate, I think.

but it quickly veered into Bionicle 2 territory.

Nasty, wormy, bitey

"Zhakustoa captured this brief glimpse of a deep-sea thing . Here is an image compiled from the video. Zhakustoa is unharmed, but he was suprised by the beast."

Photography for Liberty at the Ballard Locks

The unsupportable events chronicled here have hit far too close to home. We have created, in the fuzzy-headed state of mind following 9/11, a class of thuggish cop who not only misunderstands his mission but is also apparently deaf to reason. We have a long period of work ahead to rebuild from the damage that we have done to ourselves.

I'll be attending this event tomorrow: Ballard Locks Photo Workshop

I'll be wearing this badge:

Wretched Excess vs. Charming Solicitude

Yahoo! News - Squirrel fears over Rooney ring If this had happened in a US park, the squirrels would have been blamed for the ring not being found, and turned into a coat. And several drunken yokels would manage to get themselves killed. Possibly by squirrels, but more likely by accidental shooting.

Boycott the Aladdin!

E! Online News - Ronstadt Tossed from Vegas Casino OK, I wasn't going there anyway but now I really am not going to the Aladdin.

When a Rahkshi Plays at Being a Vahki

Not so much a MOC as a re-arrangement of parts. The Rahkshi and the Vahki are clearly related somehow. I wanted to see what would happen if a Rahkshi tries to transform the same way a Vahki. It turns out that everything needs to be backwards. The Matoran torso is rotated around the x axis, the shoulders are rotated around the y axis, the arms and legs are swapped (but not the feet and hands!) Also, the legs are connected backwards and upside-down. The result is recorded here:
slideshow in a new window

I have attempted a morph of the two models with limited success (opens in new window):
first morph


Another go but still flawed. How to do alpha channel in animation file? (opens in new window):
Another morph

Bionicle Explains the Department of Home Security

It's just a movie, it's just a movie, it's just a movie!

Bush's Last Campaign! Hallelujah!

ABCNEWS.com : Bush Daughters Embark on Campaign Trail: "The president told the magazine: 'The thing I'm most excited about is that I get to spend the last campaign of my life with two girls I love. It's an experience we'll be able to talk about for years to come.'"

Wee Bionicle Frog

Bush administration slouches toward martial law

CNN.com - Officials discuss how to delay Election Day - Jul 11, 2004

I almost wish Halliburton would just declare Dubya "caesar" so that the armed rebellion can get started in earnest.

New Bionicle movie teaser

See the teaser.

Missed the Blog Anniversary!

June 24 of 2001. See the archives. There was no particular anniversary celebration.

Redesigned

This page has been redesigned. THe Atomz search is disabled. It was never very effective anyway. I suggest that you use Google in "site" mode. Format your search so:

site:appleogue.net search terms

Cool!

George W. Bush is an idiot.

Yahoo news
Ring, you ignoramus! Ring! Let freedom ring. As in "from every mountainside," "pilgrim's
pride," and "fathers died," as in 'America'? Get it right!
There is also this movie. Maybe pretty pictures will help:
Nelson Eddy musical.
"Let freedom reign" appears to be a skinhead anthem, so maybe he did say what he meant to say.

Zoomed in 

A Matoran near the protodermis vats 

Afternoon Rainbow in North Seattle 

This is a test 

The Toa Maiden Dreams

I'd appreciate it if someone would look up the dream-meanings of a bow and arrow and wings.

The Toa Maiden Battles Vahki

New beings in the Toa Maiden's world.

better panoramic view

.mov format.

Wacky Parallax-ridden image of Office / Den

Behold!

Test of Comments feature

Does it work?

A Panorama of Kirkland Starbuck's

The fun with Photoshop version:

A Panorama of Cranium's Street Project

Panorama of fresh sidewalk.

More amusing searches

Amusing to me, anyway.

  - 1 for "change my yahoo password"

  - 1 for "crafty weasels"

  - 1 for "dances with wolves"

  - 1 for "death star of weasels"

  - 1 for "dragon heart"

  - 1 for "ice weasels"

  - 1 for "more weasels"

  - 1 for "roboriders"

Adventures Without the Toa Maiden

A few small vignettes. Includes a movie.

2.85¢ per piece!

They've paved over the parking lot!

The men on this concrete pour all looked like Willie Nelson and the women all looked like Karen Allen. It was odd.

via web

Dr. Strangelove on laser disc

Don't Bother the Monster

A little collection of pictures of the previously-mentioned Toa Metru combiner.

Left Over Crab

Cute. Pitiful. Pucutipul. Toa Metru were 33% off at Fred Meyers, so I put together the combiner model of a fearsome scorpion / centaur. (I'll post that later - entirely canonocal except I substituted Whenua for Onewa.) The leftover pieces made a charming crabby - lobstery - wormy thing. Devonian? Pennsylvanian?

LEGO "Life of Pi" set

A boy. A boat. A tiger.

"Good luck, program"

This time waster is a great realization of a light cycle game. Except for the music and sound effects which are notably lame.

Working hard or ... never mind

via visor

Jirkland

These people! Two parking spaces to make a phone call during the busy lunch hour.



via visor

May'st Hear the Merry Din

Someone is looking for pictures from a party I think.

Here are the top phrases searched:



  - 2 for "pictures"

  - 1 for "birthday party"

  - 1 for "butcher boy"

  - 1 for "dreamkeeper"

  - 1 for "march 20 2004"

  - 1 for "michelle"

  - 1 for "party"

  - 1 for "photos"

  - 1 for "scream"

  - 1 for "silly string"

Not everything in Kirkland reeks of vile excess

These sleeping ducks are perfectly quaint, if overfed.

This, however, is not:

via visor

Watching a Movie

I was going to attempt to post a blog entry while watching 2001 but it just feels wrong not to pay full attention.

via visor

Throa at Cranium

Where will the Throa appear next?

via visor

Throa

aka Throwbot

via visor

New Blog

There's an additional blog at this domain here. The notion is to post entries through a mobile set up. Details, fascinating details, to follow.

Mama Lucia's

The coffee was better than expected and was delivered with its own spoon.

via visor

Nightstand

Mundane, sure, but unique!

via visor

Hackey

Spring arrives to the lads of Wireless Data Services (Americas)

via visor

Desk

Is this a TPS cover sheet I see before me?

via visor

Wall of remembrance

Sunday morning at Cranium

via visor

St. Paddy's Fountain

A fountain in the courtyard of the building where I work was dyed green. The two blobs are a pair of ducks.

via web

St. Patrick's Day Fountain

A fountain in the courtyard of the building where I work was dyed green. The two blobs are a pair of ducks.

Great Lego Builder's Site

True Dimensions

More new gadgetry

It's real rubber!


Looks like a one-eyed hedgehog!


But not so much from the side.


The back.

eyemodule

Slideshow of first test images, i.e. my desk. Is it an iModule if I use it with my ibook?
Next entry: Walkies!

Eating the Rich

"Homer, are you eating the rich?"
"But Marge, they're so sweet and tasty!"
Pulls dead Mr. Burns out of barrel labeled 'Upper Crust®'.
"Ewwww!"
Eats him anyway.

Story about nails that has a happy ending with an Australian who isn't Mel Gibson

and a carpenter who isn't Jesus.

Han Shot First. Period.

If you heard otherwise, then explain how this Lego set that I just bought includes a hidden gun under the table! Explain if you can!
A slideshow.

Fun with Photoshop

Simulated depth of field in a UT screenshot. Do not write home about this.

A Great Reason to Turn the Internet Off

"Subject: FW: Smile! This is great!"

My so-called friend Vince sent this to me although he did provide a warning:
Do not view if nauseous. CONTAINS ANIMATED .GIFs
but he neglected to mention the MIDI of Rockin' Robin. Grrr.

Word.

CNN.com - Study: Very few bloggers on Net - Mar. 1, 2004

Whitney found it first.

Online animation: It's weird, it's edgy and it's spreading like a virus

Lego Exiled to Office

It's all for the better, of course. The toys would rather be with their own kind. And now the knick-knacks don't have to worry about seeing the Lego unless they want to.

Funny, Funny Typing

From the search tool report:

  - 1 for "anaconda"

  - 1 for "cutthroat island"

  - 1 for "spartacus"

  - 1 for "the reivers"

  - 1 for "the reveiers"

  - 1 for "the reveirs"

Concerning America On-line Instant Messenger

... and then burn that laptop, gather the ashes and mix it with acid and then mix the slime into concrete and then row out into the middle of the ocen and drop the concrete into the sea. Then stave in the rowboat and swim to a desert island and live there blasted and alone until the memory of AIM is bleached from your mind.

p.s. I am not a crank, sir!

mzsvapo: http://www.thelobstercam.com/
Kyle Beatty: I love that since July 1, 1999 there have been two pictures worth archiving. Plus one described as 'not exciting.'
Kyle Beatty: Ad copy suitable for the commercial break of any daytime game show: "Sealure is a natural hide bait specially treated with a highly potent, scientifically developed chemoreceptor scent. Sealure Lobster & Crab Bait is available from a variety of distributors."
Kyle Beatty: Lord of the Rings has a 1:1 ratio of "Thanks to" credits to frames of film. Lobstercam has Bruce Leiter.
Kyle Beatty: atwoodlobster.com sells something they call a Jumbo Lobster yet there is no link to a memorial page bringing to mind those brave lobstermen who died in hand-to-hand combat with the Jumbo Lobster. (You know, I can actually hear the whistle of my karma being sucked away by the ghosts of fishermen who have perished lobstering, just not those who went garra y mano with Moby Langosta.)
Kyle Beatty: How jumbo can anything be that fits on a plate!
Kyle Beatty: Oh, I see! A giant among LOBSTERS. Pfft!
Kyle Beatty: I've played a few chapters of Half-Life and I think I know a thing or two about fighting Jumbo Lobsters.

USB Fob in Lego Mk 2

I made a better USB dongle / fob / keychain.

How I did It

I made a Lego USB dongle.

Toa Turaga Arrive

I have the whole kit and kaboodle. No need to go into detail, but they are generally superior to the earlier toys. They have a more unified style which combines, none too gracefully, Art Deco and Steampunk. The legs are vastly more posable beating even the Rahkshi in this regard but the shoulders have been rendered a little stiffly. This is a side effect of a swell gearbox that serves as their torso. Their new skull design is even scarier than the first! (Scary new skull on the right.)

Ebay Description Beggars Description

"Prince Wolfram is the betrothed of mad Queen Regina V of Kronberg. Supreme ruler, her word is law and he is a playboy. On maneuvers as punishment for partying with other women, he sees Kelly walking the other students of a convent. He is intrigued by her beauty and wants her. He kidnaps her that night from the convent and takes her to his room and professes his love for her. When the Queen finds them together the next morning , she whips Kelly and throws her out of the castle. Regina then puts Wolfram into prison for not wanting to marry the Queen. Kelly goes to German East Africa to visit her dying Aunt and is forced to marry the disgusting Jan. The Aunt dies after the wedding and Kelly refuses to live with Jan and becomes the head of Aunties Brothel. Her extravagances and style earn her the name 'Queen Kelly' and Prince Wolfram does not marry Queen Regina V. Corner of jacket has a small punch hole."

Whee! Snow! More!

Dead tree with woodpecker holes:


Snowy street:


Snowy rock:


Paw prints in snow leading to snowy rock:


House from the usual angle:


Abandoned snow sculpture. Too powdery:


FOLLOWUP: The dead tree fell over some time in the early fall. The shrubs near it have either died or been cut back. I have been dumping espresso grounds all around and I have yet to rake 2004's leaves.