Bohrok MOC

This re-assembly of parts is not a huge departure from the basic Bohrok idea: press the lever, head moves. The lever comes off more as a tail; the whole construction has bird-like aspect. Sort of a cross between a dodo and a raptor dinosaur. The head bob action is mildly comical. I was able to include almost all the pieces.

Kitty No Not Lost After All Thank Heavens

I'd like to say that Kitty No found her way to the outside through her own cleverness and not my own carelessness. But I did leave the window open. I was prepared to canvas the neighborhood and put up posters but happily that was not necessary. She behaved in the usual cat manner and came to her feedbowl on the porch. Thus I was denied the opportunity to display my no doubt formidable and still-latent prowess at hunting small animals. Beware errant cat, beware!

Birthday Present for Whitney

The placard I made up myself but the toys themselves are as they were found on the shelf at Target. Last year's present was amusing, too

New Car Has Arrived: the Obligatory Photos

Whiteboard Blog Although It Is Actually a Brushed Silver Board.

Sure, I could have just written that I went to see Bill Bryson give a reading, but <mannerism="bookclub">this is so much more in the moment.</mannerism> And I could have gone have snacks and drinks with him, but I have to be at work so I can:

Lego Oddities

Allegra and Goozle. She is a character from a Saturday morning adventure, Galidor, and Goozle is ... Goozle was meant for young children. If your kids are growing up around the Hellmouth that is! Look at it!

Geo Died Today

Cough, sputter, wheeze. Too bad. New used car will make its appearance soon.
Geo's fate: the Crusher.

Appleogue© Model Completed

Walking sticks are brown. Appleogue© is yellow through and through. Ridiculously articulated: neck pivots; shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips and ankles all rotate 360°.

Why Are There Crazy People With Guns?

Another bad news aggregator result:

Appleogue© on Appleogue© on appleogue.net

(The following was scrawled on a crumpled scrap of grocery bag found in my front yard. The tone is certainly evocative of my old friend and the barely legible scrawl is what one would expect of a homunculus with only three fingers, none having more than two joints.)

I'm sure you find it very amusing to MOCK ME by building a little manikin in my image. Although I am content even pleased if not in fact actually happy to be ignored by you as I have been for quite some time now this affront to my dignity cannot stand. Lego? Lego!? Lego!?! The little dolly doesn't even have a beard I have a beard. And bristles! Where are the bristles? If S.M. were here he'd tell you what to do with your action FIGURE. How I loathe you all! What have you done with Hurdrahan! Damn you!

A Guest From the Ancient Past Beyond Ancient In the Way Before Time. In ... the Day.

No Bionicle has ever seen this being - its tale predates all Toa, the Throa, and even Technic itself. Wrought in a distant dimension of entirely different stuff, its presence here can only mean imminent genre crossover. Should it be stopped? Can it be stopped?

Nui Rama's Eye View

click already! (466k)

Expedition Discovers an Ancient Monument

The rescue expedition discovers an archeological oddity on its journey. What can it mean?

Matoran and new toy: the expected result

To avoid the sharp matter & point

A Subway cum convenience store near work sells this delightful toy:









Banned in New York!
This one lights up!
Banned in the UK!
Tweens speak out!
YOU can sell them!
Learn more (than you need to)!

The best part is the caution:
“To avoid the sharp matter & point”

Is a Crab 2

Alf, upon consideration of my too-numerous Bohrok, commented, "It looks like a dress party for crabs." Bless Alf. See this post from 2001.

draft of Memo

Let's say our client, B-Motile, has contracted to forward calls to us about Crawlerbots. For reasons of their own, B-Motile starts forwarding calls about Roverwheels also. This will affect our work. We can be polite about it, but it is going to affect our work because we will be handling two classes of calls instead of one.Because we are nice about it, we handle the Roverwheels calls as best we can.

This encourages B-Motile's other vendor, ColicTingle, to continue to forward Roverwheel calls. Diplomacy has availed us very little tangible result so far. The immediate benefit that every ColicTingle worker realizes when they get away with a bad transfer outweighs the effect of the proposed feedback mechanism. If they are getting spanked for calls over two minutes, feedback from that website, buffered by time, distance, logistics and politics as it is, will have little impact.

The Rescue Expedition Continues to Prepare

The Toa Maiden encounters the Rescue Expedition as they prepare their supply caravan.

Fortuitous Afternoon Light

Speaking of light, the wee little webcam managed to capture an interesting effect of some late afternoon sun:

click already! (466k)

Krana Za

The model in the Nokia ad is actually kinda scary with all the cheek sucking and heroine addiction and all. I've cobbled together a brief animation featuring her in the context of — Surprise! — Bionicle.

click already! (70k)

Hey! Someone Loves Me!

I did not hack the Nokia site.

Buhtrok Invasion!

Mad props to true believer Jordan for capturing Onua rawkin' out! Awesome!

Matoran Celebration Turns Rowdy

♥ "Watch out for the beer!"
♠ "I'll tell you when I've had enough, mister!"
♥ "The beer! The beer!"
♠ "You're not the boss of me! And another thing ..."

click already! (768k)

Robot Roll Call!

The villagers of Wiwadatasawa Koro have assembled and then trundled away off camera for some Koronan fun. Ping pong? Foosball? Pool? Air hockey? Darts? Climbing wall? Barbecue? Or has some deeper purpose brought them together. Mm hm, deeper purpose. They'll be debating the finer points of Spinoza late into the night, I expect.

click already! (464k)

Wiwadatasawa Koro

There will be an adventure in the village of Wiwadatasawa Koro. It even has villagers - Alfotopo, Jordoro, Aleksua, Damo*, Huti, Iano, Gibgib, Jefi, Josiaru†, Kenua, Kylu, Peraga, Rojoro, and Susu. I have no idea how the village fits into the ecology/economy of Mata Nui.

UPDATE: This village was built on or near the ruins of Abanota Koro. Vinii, Manjit, Lizu, Natu, and Rayo cannot be too far off. Kylu knew the old village, perhaps he knows. Perhaps.


* soon to be parted out except in memory
† parted out compleat

Nuhvok Kal Has a Bit of Fun with Onua

"Will the humans please just step off the planet?"

It's not the most heinous thing I have ever read, but it is certainly in contention:
"Heimann's invalid mother, who witnessed the crime*, was found abandoned in the house, eating newspapers."

* her son beaten to death with baseball bats.

I AM in a Good Mood!

Man, what a grumpy-puss!

I was actually in a good mood when the cam caught this image. I'm not sure why I look like I am about ready to answer the question, "What is the Law?"* Alternatively, I may be asking the question, "Why does a muskrat guard his musk?"** The Lego in the foreground is the formidable Tarakava.

* not to walk on all fours, natch
** courage, of course!

On the March

In the pris-on cell I sit think-ing moth-er dear, of you,
and our bright and hap-py home so far a-way.
And the tears they fill my eyes, spite of all that I can do,
though I try to cheer my com-rades and be gay.

Tramp, tramp, tramp! the boys are march - ing.
Cheer up, com-rades, they will come.
And be-neath the Koro flag we shall breathe the air again
of the free land in our own be-lov-ed home.

In the bat-tle front we stand when their fierc-est
charge they made and they swept us off a hun-dred men or more.
But be-fore we reached the lines they were beat-en back dis-mayed,
and we heard the cry of vic - t'ry o'er and o'er.

Tramp, tramp, tramp! the boys are march - ing.
Cheer up, com-rades, they will come.
And be-neath the Koro flag we shall breathe the air again
of the free land in our own be-lov-ed home.

So with-in the pri-son cell we are wait-ing for the day
that shall come to o-pen wide the i - ron door.
And the hol-low eye grows bright, and the poor heart al-most gay
as we think of see-ing home and friends once more.

Tramp, tramp, tramp! the boys are march - ing.
Cheer up, com-rades, they will come.
And be-neath the Koro flag we shall breathe the air again
of the free land in our own be-lov-ed home.

Bohrok Respond to Barbarity with Barbarity — the Predictable Response to Lewa's Unilateral Aggression

Nuparu, Whenua and Kopaka have been overwhelmed by Onua Nuva (Krana-controlled), Lewa (also Krana-controlled), Tahnok Kal, Nuhvok Kal and Pahrak. What horrors await the rescue mission when they finally arrive? Nuparu may be able to sneak away from the wreckage of the Boxor vehicle.