Build Date: Tue Sep 15 08:06:17 2026 UTC
There's nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal.
-- Captain Kirk
Lego-Man off the Block Comments
1999-01-07 00:07:00
An open letter the Lego Company from Mr. Lego-Man himself.
Howdy,
After spotting the Throwbots in the catalogue, and then coming across a post here that they were on sale at Target, I went and bought 8500 TORCH for $5.99. ( They were not in the computer here yet, but they had someone check the shelf price, so no cut rate deals here ).
Some good...some bad observations:
GOOD: I like the new housing for worm to 40 spur gears lots. I will probably buy some of the other models to have several of these pieces ( used in the giant Throwbot ). I like the half 24 spur element allowing it to be rotated, and can see some neato applications for it. I like gears coming in other colors than grey. I like the ball socket combinations ( more on this next ). It has been awhile...the old supercar had a unique piece for the independent suspension...I am glad these may become widely available. The packaging is kinda cool and I like the art ( three cheers for the graphic artists ).
BAD: I dislike the direction of the theme. Didn't we see this kind of thing before as TRANSFORMERS? Not very creative. I do not like the bent of "THROWBOTS SHOOT DISCS TO COMPETE FOR ULTIMATE CONTROL WHO WILL WIN?" printed on the box. ( Combine this with ruins in the background of the poster ) This is part of my long running complaint that the LEGO GROUP is leaving their core competency behind ( creative constructive uses ) for the glam of violent play. Cut it out guys! I do not like the discs being collectable with two different ones randomly inserted into each package. Does the LEGO GROUP aspire to follow in the wake of POGS? The discs themselves are somewhat flimsy when compared to good old solid Lego ABS. The carrying case is also a departure from LEGO as a well made product. It is thin and tended to fall apart on me. Finally, while I liked the new ball socket combinations, the balls have a neat axle extending from them into a half decorative/beam section. One ball is attatched at about 180 degrees and a second ball is attatched on the other end of the decorative/beam element at slightly more than 90 degrees. I am probably going to carefully cut the ball off to have a unique technic element that is not woefully attached to a decorative element at a fixed angle. Again, is LEGO following in the footsteps of countless Asian toy knockoffs? Finally, I found it to be a pricey kit. 31 pieces for $5.99 ( about 19 cents a piece...many of which are *very* small ones! S@H price is higher ).
I liked Gary Istok's comment to someone about "quit whining and enjoy the variety of pieces that Lego is producing." I do like very much some of the elements in the THROWBOT kits...but I would like to think that LEGO could do a better job!
T O P S T O R I E S
John Dvorak has passed. I’m of mixed emotions. First off I’m more positive about his contribution to the overall technology journalism of the early PC days through the 90s, despite how many things he got wrong. He was a firebrand and commanded attention. (More...)
America's National Recording Registry Inducts Culturally Significant Artist - Weezer!
America's Library of Congress calls them "defining sounds of history and culture" and "audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage." Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Weezer! (More...)
The Crossroads are real and The Blues is a place; The enduring myth of Robert Johnson (More...)
California Glory Hole attracts huge crowds
A glory hole at Napa's Lake Berryessa is drawing huge crowds. According to Chris Lee, the general manager for the Solano County Water Agency, the glory hole hasn't been active since 2019, and only restarted operations on Feb 4. (More...)
Republican State Senator busted after soliciting a teenage girl
Republican State Senator Justin Eichorn of Minnesota was arrested for soliciting a teen girl on Monday just hours after he introduced a bill proposing "Trump derangement syndrome" (TDS) as a form of mental illness. (More...)
Parents claim measles is not that bad after having only one child die
The parents of a Texas girl who died from the measles are defending their decision not to vaccinate their daughter. "She says they would still say 'Don't do the shots,'" an unidentified translator for the parents said. "They think it’s not as bad as the media is making it out to be." (More...)
C L A S S I C P I G D O G
This week: another fine spocktail from the beverage researchers at SMRL! Drink it in peace, because WE DID THE RESEARCH! (More...)
Spock Went, Spock Wrote, Spock Kicked Ass
Every Labor Day weekend a large portion of the PDJ staff joins 30,000 other freaks at one of the biggest and strangest art festivals in the world - Burning Man - somewhere on the edge of the Black Rock Desert. Our base of operations is always the ultra swank Spock Mountain Research Labs - the World Leaders in Beverage Science and Leisure Technology. This year, we hauled up our computers, printers and a massive digital duplicator, determined to become Black Rock City's third daily newspaper. Even Spock was surprised by our success - news will never be viewed the same on the playa. Read all seven issues of the 2002 Spock Science Monitor for yourself and see why. (More...)
Our team of crack journalists went insane, and made the drive from Concord, California to Concord, New Hasmpshire on Interstate 80. Read the insightful observations of our intrepid travelers made on their journey into the heartland. (More...)
A Blast from the Past! Pao Tzu goes over and under the crucial variables in the production and consumption of Salvia Divinorum. A must read for psychonauts of all stripes. (More...)
One of our star reporters was sent to Comdex by his employer. El Destino reports live from the biggest, geekiest trade show in the world. (More...)
About 14 years ago when I was on a road trip and stopped in Seattle, I was invited to a party. At this party there were these little tiny glasses sitting in a flat-bottomed bowl of ice. Thin cylinders about an inch in diameter and 4 inches tall, with thick glass at the bottom. Into these were poured frozen AKVAVIT... also known as the water of life. (More...)
