Gay Pride, White Entitlement

I hate pride parades. They're big gay minstrel shows, only serving to reinforce the worst stereotypes of gay people among the greater public. And given that the civil rights of us gays are put up to popular vote in the US, it just seems like bad strategy as well.

Why do gays put it on year after year? Because it's a big party with lots of shirtless men, or because it's a big "fuck you" to the "breeders", or because they've always done it? I'm not sure. Though since minority gays tend to be less willing to come out of the closet, become a double minority (or triple, given that being a woman is unfortunately still a minority status), and risk losing their family and friends in addition to dealing with racism, the LGBT community has always been predominantly white.

And white people, of course, have the overwhelming sense that they deserve things and don't have to work for them. To compare: the black civil rights movement of the 60's was a long, hard, bitter struggle, and today the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign only seems to exist to throw cocktail parties. White gays, perhaps imagining they still enjoy white privilege, seem to think that equal rights are just going to fall in their laps, whether it's when Barney Frank scores them in Congress or when the balance of public opinion finally tips in favor of equality. Less partying, more marching, gays.

Oh yeah, I was blogging about legos. Uh. Lino's thing looks like a moonbase module; i.e. "let's grab all the parts we never use and make a crappy throwaway MOC with them, so we can score points for 'participating' in a group build, even though it will make the display look like crap". Good job bro.

And let's read some of the flickr comments:

"gay monkey? Well, he is rather fond of bananas!"

Crumbs and Carrots, 4 days!!

If you feel like an inmate 4 days away from execution, you must be experiencing the pre-con rush; Brickcon is next weekend, and so many dreams are being crushed by the twin terrors of Time and Running-Out-of-Pieces. Who will finish? What will be abandoned? The stress is unbearable.

Meanwhile, look at this thing Alex Eyler made:

Now get off the computer and get back to building like mad! The toiling must never cease!

Size queen

I like 8 stud wide trains because they look so much more realistic than 6 wide trains, you guys.

"I Can Make You Ice Cream", or "La-La La La-Lah My Milkshake & etc"

I don't normally like cafe corner standard buildings; in fact, I tend to make jokes like "if i see that fucking cafe corner one more time..." (like "that fucking cat", see) but in fact, there are a few that do not deserve such guilt by association.

Brickshelf guy "TijgerSan", who appears to be a European (because he has De Bouwsteen pics in his folder, that sounds Euro-ish, right?) has been tweaking this little number on brickshelf for a couple weeks now, and I figured it was time to blog it.

First of all, I like this MOC for what it isn't: it isn't dull and gray, it isn't just a partially modified stock set , and it isn't hastily constructed just to fill a slot in a public display. That about covers all the pitfalls of this type of thing.

Now onto what recommends it: the curved slope lintels are nice, the flowerboxes are great, and the technic axles as wall detail actually might have some promising uses. Also using the steampunk smoke element as ice creams deserves an "NPU". I appreciate that he bothered to put the tile floor at an angle on the first floor, but I wish he had taken the bricklink money he spent frivolously on those printed dishes from the first Hogwarts set and used it to get some umbrellas for the tables instead. The big ice cream cone statue from a Batman set looks a little odd there as well, but I suppose it's more legos-purist than printing a sticker for a shop sign.

Very decent work though. Zombie apoc builders, sit up and take note.

uhhh

Correct the author if he is wrong, dear readers, but do trains not ride on the inside rails and not the ties?

The Reddish Knight at the Old waterbowl

The Lego Community








































is such a boys' club sometimes.

At last the world was quiet.

Parum-pum, dear readers. A dull past few days. Brickcon is approaching, fast but cumbersome; an 8wide train in our collective path, and we are Lesley Nielsen, desperately trying to stay ahead. Road trips are being planned, google maps consulted, flight times checked, hotel accommodations confirmed, alternative sleeping arrangements for the one night hotel-mates decided not to reserve a room, because they weren't going to be in town yet, without asking if, you know, yours truly was flying in on Thursday or Friday...

Meanwhile, new models trickle in, with silence from Brickcon attendees. They've either 1. blown their loads early, 2. held in their amazing new models like that guy on Glee thinking about the time when he was learning how to drive, or 3. just realized that they should probably get going on that project they promised, aka are just now unzipping their pants, to continue the analogy. On to one of those non-Brickcon delights:

An observatory by Kevin Fedde. Enjoy the details; a new discovery with every look. Now, dear readers, if you've ever paid attention to me, now is also a good time. A "Kevin" in training, mayhaps? A fellow traveler of the dark and hoary catacombs, of the super-saturated and airy heights, of the unspoken world a half-turn widdershins away that is never brown but always adorable?


But AAAGGHH! Holy balls! What criminal abomination is this? The viewer almost ignites in vomit. V&A Steamworks says its a WIP, but we can only hope he failed to mention that it was built by some neighborhood kid, 8 years old and piggish. Windows are sloppily stacked, without eye for composition, craft, or common decency. And crime compounding crime, V&A is self-publishing his awful abortions in a book! A book, dear readers! His own copy was insufficient; he must spread his filth, like the snot of a boy on the plate-glass window of a candy shop.

Shaking away the hellish reverie, we recognize that surely this is a book that will only be bought by V&A's mother and subscribers to the print Brickjournal.

We all make choices, but in the end, our choices make us.

Nick Dean just built a Bioshock model. It is straight out of the game Bioshock. It is the Hotel Imperial, from Bioshock.

The hotel includes many Bioshock-authentic details like urinals and ice sculptures.



Especially nice is the lower level street, with bellhops and a luggage cart, just like in Bioshock.


Also of note, Nick's lighting and photography, which replicated the atmosphere and mood of Bioshock.

Bioshock.

creativity is.

Warning: This post is insightful/deep/eloquent/excellent/should be saved in a word document for later reference. It is a thoughtful and profound consideration of the incredible insights of nnenn. Fire up your Adobe Creative Suite, yall, its about to get creative.

Being "creative" is how you set yourself apart from other LEGO builders. But what "is" creativity? How does one do it?

creativity is bizarre colors
creativity is history/science/technology
creativity is that movie you just saw
creativity is axonometric photo-montages
creativity is wearing tight pants
creativity is gay/bi/curious/accepting
creativity is rubber bands
creativity is "the SNOT technique"
creativity brings yellows and fleshies together
creativity gets lots of "faves"
creativity pushes the limits
creativity experiments with "form"
creativity is accurate 6wide trains
creativity has a positive attitude
creativity is photographed on a white background
creativity doesn't make sense to 1960s astronauts
creativity uses beads and stickers
creativity is you
creativity is me
creativity is dots.

What is more creative? What theme/subtheme/"creative combination of 1 or more theme" should you build? Space is more creative than train or castle or town. Space has more space for dots. Dippin' Dots is the icecream of Space/Future/Tomorrow.

creativity. it is in your freezer.

Unsung Heroes

This is the story of the models that get passed over. The stoic models, that silently sit there as the zeitgeist passes by, busily buzzing about elitist forums/"d-bag" blogs/bad models/castles/old news. These are the models less blogged.



On the left, a traditional Danish house from the 1910s, by Esbenkolind. Note the fascia at the eaves, and by golly, it even has an interior! On the right, Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, by ie10421. A proper discussion of the architectural complexities, let alone their corresponding LEGO ones, would be tiring and inscrutable to all but a select few, so dear readers, you are spared.



Over in the elitist snobby exclusive age-restricted LEGO 16+ flickr group (composed of those too impatient to deal with the youngsters in LEGO proper, and those that simply wish to bitch about the kiddies) a mundane challenge is taking place. Ley Ward has made a sheet of paper and a pencil. Meanwhile, construction continues on the Burj Dubai, by Srezkall.

Finally, Reticence on flickr has finished an Eva. Impressive techniques abound; those car fender things on the arms, the bizarro visor things on the ankles, and everywhere delightful combinations of curves and angles.

Those were the models less blogged, and hopefully, it made all the difference.

Shameless Self Promotion!

Frightening news, dear readers! Unforeseen circumstances, dire and dangerous, have arisen! And only YOU can save the day!

twee affect's own, dashing reporter, intrepid journalist, yours truly, Kevoh, intends to go to Brickcon 2009 and has indeed already paid his registration fee, but the aforementioned dire straights have cast into doubt the entire endeavor!


And so, he is pleased to announce the opening of PLASTIC HEARTS, a Bricklink store. If he sells his entire inventory, he's sure to attend Brickcon, and pass on valuable insights, incredible scoops, and eye-raising sneak-peaks to YOU, the dear reader!

So BUY BUY BUY! Check out the amazing savings on Star Wars and Batman minifigures! The deals on dark red bricks and slopes! And MORE!

And what's this? Yes! A Grand Opening / Pre-Brickcon 10% Off Everything Sale!!!

Self-promotion this shameless only comes around once a year! Get in on it while supplies last!

Be careful when someone loves you.

Dear readers, fame and glory has been denied. Just this once, the third-person narrative will not be used, because this is personal.

Last week, New York Times European economics correspondent Nelson D Schwartz called me wanting to talk LEGO. I happily obliged. He wanted to know how I thought the company was doing, my opinion on the licensed lines, on the video games, et cetera. I said things like "if LEGO is making money, then I'm fine with it" and "as long as the video games enhance the physical brick experience, I'm all for it" and "I think Prince of Persia was a video game before it was a movie..."

I could kind of sense that I wasn't saying the soundbites he wanted, but he perked back up when I mentioned I was a grad student studying architecture. Naturally, the Architecture series of sets came up, but I can just picture his disappointed face when I said that they didn't interest me, that they were marketed for museum gift shops and non-fans, that any adult fan could build the sets for a quarter the price.

Anyway, the article was published today, without a mention of me. Frowny face. You can read it here, although since I'm not in it, I can't imagine anyone would be interested.

Bonus, I was quoted in a news article about LEGO 5 years ago.

Readers, can you believe reporter Nelson D Schwartz's gall? The entire news story should have been about your dashing author, not some drivel about economics and set designers and the ability to avoid lead poison scandals!

The Studs and the Studless: A Hot-or-Not Guide

Presentation is everything. But it doesn't stop at the model, dear readers. The turnips, the needleteeth, the Wretched Harmonies; they may be skilled builders, but they'll never make it without an extreme makeover. How you look is just as important as how the model looks. When Ry "Gossip Whore" Wood was auditioning for LEGO Master Model Buildership, the LEGO staff positioned him right in front of the cameras, trusting that his skill and bear cub looks would combine to make a winning newsreel. We all have our own lists of the best builders, but what about the hottest?

There aren't many Ladies of LEGO, so we'll get them out of the way first.

2. Heather LEGOgirl (on the left, former Ambassador Zhang on the right) is best known for going to conventions and taking cam-pics with every guy she can. The men folk, surprised to see a woman in their midst, nervously oblige (ref: Nannan's flop sweat). On flickr, she has tons of testimonials with choice quotes such as "sweeter than sugar, and pretty as a picture," "one helluva woman," and "Heatherlicious!" Bonus, it appears she can build.

1. Lindsay Joy is a self-described "Jane Friday," so here are the facts: She once made a Wall-E. She takes pictures of sets. LEGO once produced a Miniland figure of her; the second and third times Lowell Spheres were used by LEGOLAND.

On to the main event, which is also more difficult to judge. The lady-folk are "cam happy" to put it charitably (4channers can replace "happy" to their liking), but it's hard to find the necessary glamour-shots for the men (Kyle Vrieze would most certainly be on the list, dear readers, if only a suitable photo could be found). Nonetheless, the Top 10 Hottest Guys are...

photo by Joe Meno
10. Fradel Gonzales makes the list primarily for rocking the wife-beater consistently. Most folks only break it out when looking to emulate the Galactica crew, but Fradel is proud to show off his flabby arms, growing belly, and bling any chance he gets.

9. Soren the Seattle LEGO Store Employee has been spotted at the last two Brickcons. With tight jeans and shaggy hair, any lady (or gent) would be glad to be his "coworker." Bonus: discounts!

photo by Joe Meno
8. Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen is seen here surveying his vast kingdom. The years have been kind to the heir of the LEGO dynasty; his hip designer glasses and even tan from the sunny Danish summers combine with his neat button-down to create casual elegance; comfortable corporate.

7. Ley Ward is the oldest wizard in the books. He is a powerful beast, and is known to tell jokes about death that most of us just don't get. His wise authority dignifies everything and everyone he encounters. Alas, dear readers, he's spoken for, but do ask him to perform a "beard trick" when you meet him.

photo by Joe Meno
6. Random Guy at Brickcon might not even be an Adult Hobbyist (A-HOL), but his hipster plaid, hipster specs, ghost hands, and long lustrous bangs make our hearts flutter like hummingbirds trapped in rib cages.


5. Tim Deering, a guy so nice we photo'd him twice. Some may argue that Tim is barely a LEGO builder anymore, but those people should just shut the hell up. For years it was doubted that Tim was a real person. Perhaps he was an AI construct, like the Pinlac. However, one soul has seen him in person, the equally mythical Roy. If they both turn out to be purely digital, readers I assure you, that would would be quite a shame.

4. Linus Bohman may have fallen off the radar lately, but one look at that face is sure to get your radar pointed in the right direction. Coming from beautiful Malmö, Sweden, he's currently spoken for, but ladies pining for more can check out his self-pic flickr set. Fun fact, it's pronounced "Lee - Noose."

3. Firas Abu-Jaber is relatively new on the scene, but he's been ripping up the tarmac with his quickly growing collection of sports cars. Admittedly, the pose here is particularly flattering towards the upper arms, and we hope the hair is a result of chlorinated water, not a tub of hair gel, but doesn't he just rev your engine?

2. Derek Schin is a world-traveling Renaissance man; a poet. All that traveling leaves little time for building, but when he does, it's magnificent. Derek has been known to take shirtless pictures "to document his work out regiment," but they are set to Friends-Only. Out of respect for his privacy, a tantalizing thumbnail view. Who wouldn't want to go for a ride?

1. Gary McIntire, the keeper of our hearts, the true magician who has bewitched us all, is the clear choice for hottest builder. Humble, skilled, handsome, Gary walks gracefully upon rose petals. If LEGO had rock stars, he'd be on the cover of every issue of Rolling Stone. Mere words cannot express his beauty, and so we leave you with more choice pics.


You are in a great position, use yourself wisely.

Tim Gould is adding to his Ol' Brittania portfolio, while Andrey Kudinov is supplementing the new set, 10197 Fire Brigade, and both have tuned their time-dials to the 1930s.


Gould makes the best use he can of his limited medium blue parts palette in the lorry, with subtle offsets and a shiny hood ornament. He needs to work on the photography, though. Each picture is nice, but they are all almost the exact same angle. Show us some tail, Timothy!


Kudinov (k100m on flickr) uses the old school firemen figs to lend some authenticity to his fire truck. This would be a delightful set.

Moving on, there are some pairings that are eternal. Abbott and Costello, lamb and mint jelly, Batman and Robin, and of course, antique cars and enormous fictional birds.


Lukas treats us to a sort of mini-Chocobo, what he calls a Wraclaw. Like its larger brethren, the bird's head is cleverly constructed around a sword, and Lukas has come up with some impressively spindly legs.


Erik Eti Smit has made a Donald Duck to scale with the short-lived Mickey Mouse line. Nice part usage on his little ruffly neck thing. The main purpose of blogging this, however, is to preempt our new addition, who is known for his outspoken hatred of all things Disney: Jonesy. Yes, the team behind the 3-years-defunct Golden Shpleem is united again. Dear readers, now triumvirate in power, twee affect is ready to take on anything. A gorilla or a bear, whatever.

Jonesy Presents: Jonesy's Blog-naugural Blog Post, by Jonesy

























Sometimes the simplest techniques are the best.

And so shines a good deed in a weary world.

Harrison has just uploaded a bevy of photographs. Among them, these two notable notables.


On the left, the Batmobile screeches through the streets of Gotham. To quote the kiddies, "NPU" on the armor cowl. It's a bit too bad that the wheels don't actually touch the ground, but the rocket flame makes up for it; the Goddamn Batman would be pleased.

On the right, a scene from Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (or I suppose the ending of 'the Chocalate Factory? It's been years). A good moment of action to capture, and the shingles are particularly nice. The use of rubber bands as the main structural/connective element is dubious, but the result is so clean it seems justified, just this once.

For Those Keeping Score

Nannan writes, on the secret Builder's Lounge site, "enjoy the latest post on twee affect. I find it laughable how much these people try to have a voice when they can't achieve it through building."

Firstly, thanks for keeping with the lowercase on the ole' blog name. You are a poet, after all, so perhaps you are a fan of e. e. cummings... (the irony of a builder who resorts to poetry and storytelling when he cannot have a voice achieved solely through building accusing others of same is hopefully not lost on readers)

On topic, yet again people seem to forget how criticism works in the outside world. There is nothing out of the ordinary about people who do not make/create/direct/act in X critiquing the making/creating/directing/acting of X. Anyone who still clings to the "oh yeah? let's see you do better!" defense is, frankly, ignorant.

Now for the scorecard. twee affect has thus far blogged 48 models. 24 received predominantly positive reviews. 18 received predominantly negative reviews. 6 received neutral reviews or were not reviewed at all. So half are positive reviews, and the other half ranges from neutral to negative. Hardly an "in your face" and "distasteful" blog, as Nannan claims.

Lest we be accused of "unacceptably insulting individuals [in this case Nannan], unprovoked," we shall move on to Carter Baldwin, who writes that twee affect is "hypocritical" on account of the writers' lack of new models. The once nuclear level of production has admittedly slowed; unlike Nadroj, who writes that "LEGO is the only real joy a 17 year old has," the scribes have been distracted by college, girlfriends, boyfriends, travel, and the like. (No babies yet, sorry Peter!) Nonetheless, here is what they have built, in the last 6 months:





Nannan and the esteemed authors can find some common ground, however. Also on the secret Builder's Lounge forum, he writes that Turk's copycat new blog is "worse than twee affect." Agreed.

In any case, this whole discussion is tiring. Perhaps the whines and revelations of Builder's Lounge are best kept there. Back to the regularly scheduled half praising/half bashing of models!

Editor's note: All content in quotation marks in this article appears on the secret Builder's Lounge forum. Neither author is a member there; many FBTBers died to bring us this information.