???

NCLUGers - is this model by anyone we know? Are there photos online of my 4504-based convention center?

I find it very bizarre that we'd see somebody else build something this way so soon after I brought my WIP model to an NCLUG meeting. As far as I know, no photos from that meeting are "in the wild" yet - am I mistaken there?

In any case, I bought another partial 4504 on the cheap last weekend (the person selling it had already cherry-picked the rare bits for the SW collectors, and wanted to pass along a bargain on the other parts). I'm thinking I'll try to grow the WIP version into more of a behemoth.

Sorry I'm falling behind on the other blog too - I'm thinking of doing some shorter-than-usual cheap catch-up posts to make up the difference.

Brief, Scattershot Update

My laptop finally came back today - with a new motherboard. With any luck, this means that I'll get back to life as we know it.

A few more unfulfilling follow-ups:

Regarding flickr - I'm now planning on rotating photos to BrickShelf periodically. This way people can take advantage of the notes and commenting features for a limited time, and then the photos will be archived in a less useable but still accessible format. OK, I'll use flickr more often if someone offers to buy a "pro account" there for me.

Regarding gas - We continue to have shortages here, although it's relatively easy to find petrol in Raleigh. It's still the most expensive gas in the continental United States, but it'll do for now. My Dad volunteered to be the family gas scout shortly after my hysteric post here (and I would like to follow up on the politics of that properly soon, but I don't have time to do so properly at the moment). Since we had to settle for getting gas whenever we could, Dad rushed to places with limited supplies a few times this past month, and no useful MPG data could be recorded. I was able to fill my tank this past Thursday in Raleigh, and that will be the new starting point for MPG data. From now on, I'll be trying to protect myself from disastrous shortages by trying to refuel at the half-way point (instead of near empty), and I'll be finding the MPG based on the displacement instead of based on the mileage for a full tank. I don't know if this has been suggested elsewhere, but it seems to me like a more accurate and safe way to go.

Regarding the last NCLUG meeting - a proper wrap-up should be done sometime this month, if I can. My little printout (a short list of what I brought and a copy of an e-mail I sent about Collector's Guides) went missing at some point - anyone know where that is?

I have a few half-written posts here and elsewhere that I plan on cleaning up and posting soon, but I also still have quite a bit of "real work" to do - I'm afraid that that still has to be the priority.

Futuron Labs - A Town / Space Model

I just rushed up a flickr set ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/dp3/sets/72157607275256729/ ) of my Futuron Labs model. It has been substantially expanded since a work-in-progress (WIP) version of it was shown at DGXPO - it's also possible that this is the last time I'll open it up to show the things inside.

Normally, I know better than to goof around with Town or Space ideas while I have so many other things to do, but this really only needed some tiles and a few more clever vignettes to brush it up for the Brick Science contest at Reasonably Clever.

This is my first "real" MOC to be presented thoroughly online. I really thought I'd do that here, but I like the idea of making things available to fellow LEGO fans who might like to try the "note" feature. I don't know if I'll ever go pro (I'm out of sets already) but I'm thinking flickr's interface has some definite advantages. I also tried out their new flash uploader here and was satisfied with it.

I might put up some other photos this weekend if I get the chance as well, although the extra time I found myself with in the previous post has since been used up.

Attacked by Corrupt Politicians - For A Different Reason Now

So if you're here in the states, you've probably been hearing BS for weeks about how safe off-shore drilling is and how we've supposedly never lost a drop of oil. Now I can't leave the house because of a gas scare...and we're not even sure if it's real or manufactured. Apparently the gas companies are saying right now that they're losing oil and shutting down operations because of a hurricane. Now there are 45-minute lines to get petrol - blocking off highways in parts of the state.

...and people really keep electing these morons, and continuing to enable this garbage? This is not a political blog, but when your idiotic political ideas ruin my ability to pursue my projects, I'm not going to let you off the hook.

SUPPORT GAS MILEAGE REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT GIVING OIL COMPANIES CORPORATE WELFARE. FORCE ACCOUNTABILITY INSTEAD OF VOTING FOR PEOPLE BASED ON PROMISES TO OIL COMPANIES. ACTUAL terrorist attacks do less to screw up the economy and people's lives - if we don't tolerate those, why should we tolerate this?

Seriously, how can anyone consider voting for McCain / Palin when they're openly lying to us and forcing us into situations like this? Their policies and lies are now DIRECTLY ruining the lives of ordinary people, and we're still seeing nearly half of the country take them seriously. I have other gripes with these fools, but now it's become even more personal. What the hell is wrong with this country?

Just a quick edit: I will allow sensible discussion in the comments here, but not trolls. The McCain campaign has infamously encouraged supporters to engage in internet trolling, and I will tolerate none of that. Any despicable or dishonest comments left here will never be shown on this site, so don't bother trying. You're welcome to try to defend the McCain campaign or the oil companies involved in this snafu, but I suspect it'd be too difficult to be worth your time.

A second edit: Don't insult me by pretending Bush hasn't done any damage. I have no interest in maintaining contact with anyone that morally bankrupt. It's unlikely that the damage done to our country's reputation and budget or our citizens' rights, beliefs, and property will be fixed in my lifetime, and it's fundamentally dishonest for anyone to pretend that we don't need to reverse the disgusting damage done these past few years. I will certainly not post any comments featuring a distorted view of Iraq here either, and I will never take seriously any complaints about verbal gaffes made by someone who has trouble with spelling and grammar (computers have spelling and grammar checkers - at least be decent enough to use such a check before being unfairly harsh on others).

Busy Day

Nothing tops off a busy day of studying, working, mailing, driving, and otherwise ignoring your blog duties quite like getting back at the end of the day and realizing you've just been plugged by the Brothers Brick (and not just a "via" link, I mean a real link where they mention you by name). Should I get a screen cap and frame it? Some people get really excited about these things.

Of course, it's not for anything I built, and it forced me to rush up a few posts so that first-time visitors wouldn't see my "new format" announcement at the top of the page, but it's still exciting.

...since I know people are going to ask, I am planning on properly doing that LAML radio post on the NCLUG site sometime tomorrow - and that's when I'll figure out what's going on with those Collector's Guides as well (not sure how people will feel about me not having time to send an e-mail properly but finding time to talk about it...but oh well - it's all get done soon enough).

I hear we have a hurricane coming up this way - not sure if that means I'll be taking Saturday off of yard saling or not yet. There aren't that many people having sales, anyway. Of course, it looks like I'll be stuck on campus at least part of the weekend, working on a Java server project (then again, I like JSP - they're fun and remind me of those thrilling days working with ASP as a kid).

As for building projects - as of yesterday the final parts for the...rockin' blockin' robot I'm planning on bringing to the September NCLUG meeting are now in the mail. I'm also planning on putting finishing touches on something and entering it in Reasonably Clever's Brick Science contest. I'll probably bring both of those to the next meeting (work permitting), along with my newly-replenished bley tile bin (still 10 cents each, any size). There's also a slight chance that I'll explain that NXT idea I've uploaded to my flickr account sometime in the near future too - I mostly just photographed it to make the parts available again for...that Bionicle thing.

OK, it's after midnight here now and I've just rambled on for several paragraphs about how I don't have time to type up several paragraphs because I have better things to do. Time for some sleep so I can go back at it full-throttle tomorrow.