Golden Bricks

" One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. "


From LEGO.com:

Warner Bros. Consumer Products and The LEGO Group announced today a partnership that awards the world’s leading construction toy brand exclusive rights to develop build-and-play construction sets based on THE LORD OF THE RINGS™ trilogy and the two films based on THE HOBBIT™. The multi-year licensing agreement grants access to the library of characters, settings, and stories for THE LORD OF THE RINGS property, as well as films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

LEGO® THE LORD OF THE RINGS construction sets are slated for a rolling global launch beginning in June 2012 in the United States, with LEGO THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY scheduled for later in the year.

.., and my resolve to stick to basic bricks faces a new, and tremendous, challenge.

Let Them Go

From the toy loving people of the Die-cast Car Collectors of the Philippines:


Fellow collectors,

One of the annual highlights of the 6th Christmas Toy Fair is the donation of toys to the less-fortunate children of our society. The beneficiaries for this year are Kythe Foundation for cancer-stricken children of the National Children's Hospital and ABS-CBN's Larunungan Kalinga Kapamilya Toy Drive for kindergarten students.

Unknown to some, DCPH is a regular contributor to this cause thru some of our kind-hearted members and it will be more special to participate now because we are staging our 1st Philippine Diecast and Custom Car Show during the Toy Fair event. Years ago, on our own, we also gave contributions to BATA Foundation, a charitable institution looking after abandoned street children, and to National Children's Hospital as well.

On behalf of the DCPH Execomm and 1st Philippine Diecast and Custom Car Show organizers, I'd like to ask for your humble contribution to this cause by donating your unused or extra toys to these children. Let's give our share in bringing smiles to these children's faces and make them forget even for a few moments their unfortunate condition. Toys may not necessarily be diecast cars. You may also donate other kinds or cash directly to Kythe Foundation.

For the toy donation, you may bring your items during the swapmeet day, Dec. 18 (Sun) and look for any DCPH Execomm member. The official turnover to them will be in the afternoon.

Thank you in advance for your generous contribution and may it reciprocate happiness to you as well. God bless you all and Merry Christmas, DCPH!

Crooks and Planes

Two new LEGO activity books with minifigures from Ladybird. Set to come out on March 2012.


LEGO CITY: Busy Airport

An activity book that lets you join the LEGO CITY minifigures at the bustling LEGO airport; build your very own LEGO CITY minifigure; and, read the stories and complete the puzzles.

ISBN: 9781409312833

LEGO CITY: Crooks on the Loose!

An activity book that lets you join the LEGO City police as they hunt down crooks; build your very own LEGO CITY minifigure; and, read the stories and complete the puzzles.

ISBN: 9781409312840

I Am Up!

I have been sick. I have been busy. I have been really sick. I have been really busy. This is a cycle that I have been trapped in for the last few months. Hopefully, it is broken now.

The new work term has begun, and I think it will take a couple more weeks before I am fully adjusted to it. My alarm clock is still in full time duty. I long for the time when I can wake up without its help.

The Trees Keep on Dying

2 new LEGO books with minifigures are now available for preorder from various online bookshops.

LEGO City: Fire Team Adventure! Storybook with LEGO Minifigures and Accessories

Lets you join LEGO City minifigures on their action-packed adventures. This storybook comes with interchangeable minifigure parts and lots of accessories, that helps you build 3 different LEGO characters.

ISBN: 9781409309321


LEGO City: Police on Alert! Storybook with LEGO Minifigures and Accessories

It's Thomas' first day as a LEGO CITY police officer and he's already on a case! This title lets you join the LEGO CITY police, as they try to figure out who stole blankets, a horse... and robbed the bank.
Full description

ISBN: 9781409309314

Going hungry..

And they have done it. The one thing to hook a toy VW Kombi and LEGO hobbyist.

This is the yet to be released LEGO VW Van - 10220.

No lunch breaks for me now!

* Picture scanned by Captain Eugene from Flickr.

Pour Sugar On Me

For summer, aside from Kiddie Crew, Little P. also attended an art workshop. Here are some of her work, a couple of them done at home.

Covering Your World

Here are the covers for the other upcoming LEGO Activity Books with minifigures that I mentioned in this previous post.

LEGO CITY: All Aboard! Activity Book with LEGO minifigure

LEGO CITY: Space Mission Activity Book with LEGO minifigure

No Flame Too High

Little P. helped make a giant LEGO Fireman.

You want fries with that?

Summer vacation will not be complete without a fun summer activity.

I Am Stealth.

The preliminary cover images of the two Ninjago Activity Books with Minifigures to be released on August that I mentioned here are out. Normally I would not put anything with the "confidential" tag here but seeing how they are already in some book sites, here they are:

LEGO Ninjago: The Chosen Four Activity Book with LEGO minifigure

LEGO Ninjago: Spinning Power Activity Book with LEGO minifigure

Also, the two other LEGO City Activity Books with Minifgures have finally gotten their full titles:

LEGO CITY: All Aboard! Activity Book with LEGO minifigure
(October 2011 • Age: 5+ • £5.99 • 9781409310358)

LEGO CITY: Space Mission Activity Book with LEGO minifigure
(October 2011 • Age: 5+ • £5.99 • 9781409310365)

We love these books!! We have all the previous releases, including the now out-of-print Atlantis sets. Right now, I am thinking if the Annuals are worth getting (they do not come with minifigs!).

* Images from Penguin/Ladybird.

Swat This Bug.

Here is a another menacing LEGO MOC made by Peer Kreuger (the same guy who made that really cool Metal Grudge). Looking like a mean robotic insect, it is actually an all-terrain camera quadpod with adjustable limbs. It also has a facility for having the camera face upwards or downwards.

Not made of basic bricks but I would take it.

Bricks and Films

Cary Norton combined two things that I like, LEGO and photography, into one. Amazing stuff.

Though, I still would take this beauty over that giant.

2012 Is Over.

The cover image for the LEGO: The Official Annual 2012, which is talked about briefly here, has finally surfaced.

" This awesome annual is bursting with brilliant comics, games and activities about all your favourite LEGO® ranges, including LEGO® CITY, LEGO® Kingdoms and the awesome new ninja theme, LEGO® Ninjago! With LEGO® bricks to build and play with too, this is the perfect Christmas gift for LEGO® fans! "

Making A Difference

Andrew Carol has made a working LEGO version of Charles Babbage's Difference Engine. The machine that is made up of about 2000 LEGO parts can evaluate polynomials having the form of Ax^2 + Bx + C for x=0, 1, 2, …

Now, this is a MOC.

Build Me A City

I am having second thoughts about acquiring The LEGO Ideas Book that is set to come out on August. A couple of sample inside pages have hit the net and they are plain "meh" material. For those who are feeling like me, LEGO Certified Professional Sean Kenney's latest might be a better purchase. I passed on both Cool Cars and Trucks and Cool Robots because they required special pieces, and we only have basic bricks, but I am really keen on getting Cool City. The cover alone convinced me (such yummy buildings), I do not need any sample pages.

Available on hardback and having 32 pages, it comes out on October 11, 2011, although most popular online bookshops have it on preorder now. If the description is true, there will be a guide for a mini metropolis. Think Micro Building Set (Dacta 9324). Now, that is cool.

Pandamonium

We do not like pandas here.

Die Trees, Die!

Just like real Ninjas they have crept up unnoticed. (Or, like me, nobody is paying attention.) The same guys responsible for putting out the LEGO Atlantis and LEGO City series of activity books, Penguin, are at it again. On August two new activity books with minifigures based on the new LEGO Ninjago theme will be released. Also on August, expected to come out are two LEGO City storybooks with minifigures and accessories and the LEGO: The Official Annual 2012. Then another LEGO City activioty book with minifigure comes out on October.

LEGO Ninjago Spinning Power Activity Book with LEGO minifigure
5+; Paperback; 290 x 205 mm; 24pp £5.99; 9781409309369

LEGO Ninjago The Chosen Four Activity Book with LEGO minifigure
5+; Paperback; 290 x 205 mm; 24pp; £5.99; 9781409309352

LEGO City Storybook with LEGO minifigures and accessories
5+; Paperback; 240 x 200 mm; 34pp; £6.99; 9781409309321

LEGO City: Police on Alert! Storybook with LEGO minifigures and accessories
5+; Paperback; 240 x 200 mm; 34pp; £6.99; 9781409309314

LEGO: The Official Annual 2012
5+; Hardback; 285 x 215 mm • 64pp; £7.99; 9781409309345

LEGO City Activity Book with LEGO minifigure 2
5+; Activity Book; 290 x 205 mm; 24pp; £5.99; 9781409310365


Now, I do not know how popular the Ninjago theme is among AFOLs (It sure is a hit with the kids, especially in Australia as this news article would show), but I am getting these activity books when they become available. We have both the Atlantis and two of the City, with the other two expected to get here in a couple of weeks. Bang for your buck, these books are. Definetly worth adding to The LEGO Ideas Book and the Brickmasters. Little P. loves the activities, and it is always good when the minifigure population count grows. All that for a tiny fraction of what you would spend on a Collectible Minifgure.

None of these book are availble for preorder as of now. No cover images too. Keep your eyes peeled.

There Is No Switch.

I feel like it is quite late now. Deep inside I know that we already blew it. All the happenings around is doing little to change my feelings. Still...

Yup, the video is nice. Looks like a moving LEGO mosaic, with 1x1 bricks. And yeah, go beyond Earth Hour.

Book It!

That image of the LEGO Ideas Book that I stumbled upon actually came with images of 2 other upcoming LEGO books from DK Publishing- Brickmaster City and Brickmaster Ninjago. I did not put up the images of those 2 since they were marked "confidential", and I did not want to go against The Lego Group's policy on confidential images.

A couple of days ago I found what might be the final product images, different from the confidential images. Here they are:

The books, which will both have 2 minifigures included, aside from the bricks, will come out on July. SRP is $29.99. I am definitely picking up the City. Am not into Ninjas.

Table of Plenty

"Jesus said... the Kingdom of God is inside you, and all around you, not in mansions of wood and stone. Split a piece of wood... and I am there, lift a stone... and you will find me."

Forget Paris

So, it looks like I really do not have any intention of going to Paris any time soon as I totally forgot that the wifey mentioned it last week. Haha. But, Malaysia is definitely in my travel plans for the next couple of years. I have never been to Malaysia, despite its proximity to Singapore (which a favorite of ours), Little P. too. Big P have been there, I know, but that was ages ago.

Aside from the Legoland which is on schedule to open on 2012. I need some more Malaysia "stuff" to justify to the wifey that a trip is in order. Bags, would definitely be an attraction to her. Of course, there must be something for the little one, but the Legoland already has that covered. (Wink, wink) Pipe in with your recommendations, I would greatly appreciate that. Themeparks are shooins, we love themeparks. Museums, not so much.

Located across Universal Studios Singapore, with just a waterway in between, Legoland Malaysia will offer 40 rides to go along with shows and displays. The display, of course, will feature famous structures in Asia, and require around 30 million bricks to build. Legoland Malayasia will only be the 6th of its kind in the whole world, and will be the 1st in Asia.

(Don't you just love their ties?)

Photos from AFP via The Straits Times.

Get A Brick, We'll Travel

We have never been to Paris, and, even though the wifey would love it, it has never been in my list of places to visit. Serious or otherwise, we have never had any discussions about going there. The closest I have been to the Eiffel Tower, aside from a 3-inch souvenir someone gave the wifey, is at a large-scale display in Hong Kong a couple of Christmases ago. It was quite a surprise coming home to a LEGO "Paris Tower" made by Little P. Colorful, the litlle thing is, just the way I like it. Plus, it doubles as a spaceship, according to my 6-year old who just go introduced to LEGO last December. (Most architects will never think of that!)

(Photo from Tour-Eiffel.com)

LEGO come out with an Eiffel Tower (10181) set in 2007. Built to 1:300 scale and stands 42.5 inches high, the realistic tower retailed for $199.99. Of course, today it goes for 5 times the original price.

The Perfect Way To Raise Little Pervs

At the recent 2011 Toy Fair and at the CES, Mattel unveiled its latest creation, the Perv Video Racer. A video camera housed in a 1/64 scale car. It has an LCD screen on the chassis and carn record 12 minutes of video at 30fps. The budle has an SRP of $59.99 and comes a case that makes it possible to attach the car to helmets, bikes, skateboards, shampoo bottles, laundry hampers, and maybe even to the pet cat. Also included is a Video Racers software and a USB cord for uploading and editing on a computer so that your little Hayden can make movies with music, effects and transitions.

Photos from Chipchicklets.com.

I Will Blog For Bricks

It is now official, Guinness World Records recently confirmed that DK Publishing - The LEGO Group have broken the world records for the largest image made with interlocking bricks. The mosaic, which is that of a Star Wars poster to celebrate the LEGO Brickmaster book, required 384,000 Lego bricks and 1500 baseplates, took 3 days to complete (23-25 October, 2010) and measured 97.5 square meters.

That is a lot of money to burn. Good thing this was backed by TLG. Me? I am, for the last couple of months, thinking (dreaming) of ways to raise money for my own mosaic project. I made some calculations, and based on S@H prices I need around 10,000 pesos to create a simple mosaic on a 48x48 baseplate.

While you're contemplating on how much to donate to my mosaic fund, head over to DK Canada for videos and more pictures. Maybe those will inspire you to shell out some dough. I promise, I will not employ children to work on my mosaics.

Lomokev Misses A Shot

Kevin Meredith's new book, "Toy Cameras: Creative Photos", came in the mail a few days ago. I also have his first one, a personal favorite, "Hot Shots". The second, "Photo Op", the only one that was locally available I did check out but did not pick up. And unlike the previous ones, this new book features a lot more contributors' shots rather than just Kevin's. 40 "toy" cameras are featured, their quirks and "effects" discussed quite briefly and sample images shown. While I am quite satisfied with the coverage, I feel the best digital toy cameras had been left out. The VQ and the FD did not make the cut.

The Vistaquest Keychain Camera variants VQ1005 and VQ1015 Entry are tagged as the digial LC-A, producing images with almost the same feel as those produced by that not so "toy priced" Lomography camera, vignetted and with saturated colors.

The Fun Digital Camera FDC01, also known as SQ28m in Japan, is another little keychain camera that has a big following among artistic photographers. It captures square images and can produce b/w, vivid, and cross-procossed shots.

The LEGO Digital Camera made it into the book. Which is a surprise because it is not really that popular among toy camera enthusiasts and it is quite new compared to the VQ. Little P thinks it is a blast having her camera in there, I am okay with it too.

A side note, ndroo aka Fuzzyeyeballs, a Singaporean who loves toy camera photography and whose blog I follow has a couple of pictures in the book.

LEGO Goes Vrooooom!

High resoltuion pictures of the upcoming Disney/Pixar Cars 2 LEGO sets have been unveiled for us by Grogall of Birckshelf. Just click on the thumbnails below to view them.


Flo's V8 Cafe - 8487

Mack's Team Truck - 8486

Spy Jet Escape - 8638

Tokyo International Circuit - 8486
This set will be a Toys R' Us Exclusive, but most likely will be available via Lego S@H as well.

World Grand Prix Racing Rivalry - 8423

The Fillmore just does not jump at me. I think it is even looking away from me!!