the vynsane asylum

Look what I just won!

That Harbor/Boat set usually goes for over $100 and the Truck/Forklift set can go for $50-70 easily. I think the outrageous shipping from Hawaii probably scared people off.

My Harbor set arrived yesterday. Holy Cow, the Ship shell is HUGE. I wasn't prepared for a ship that's over two feet long. I was kinda bummed that the guy had replaced some of the bricks with similar ones of different color. Most of them are parts that from the base of the dock area and can't be seen, but it still rankles me because I'm looking for one piece in the pile and its not there. Only after I was running out of parts I could see that the parts were left were meant to be used in place of the bricks I couldn't find. Also, the stickers were falling off most of the set. I guess the guy had actually been using it in water or something. Part of it makes it look like an old used ship, so thats cool.

Looks like TRU has a sale this week that actually includes Star Wars and Harry Potter, for a change.

I find you really notice a difference with "what's in the box" when you buy a licensed set (SW, HP) for $29.99 vs one of Lego's own lines at that same price. I'd estimate you get about 50 percent more lego in Ninjago or Space Police. Oh, and speaking of Ninjago I got Thomas the chopper today, so he's got a nice chunk of that line sitting around now. I'm not huge on it, but any ninja's a good ninja.

HOLY SHIT! never, EVER woud i have thought we would get BOTH Marvel and DC licenses at the same time. that's just madness.

apparently they distributed 3000 pre-release minifig packs containing batman and green lantern. wish i could've scored one.

Series 5 of minifigures. http://minifigures.lego.com/en-us/Default.aspx

My kids will probably want the zookeeper. I think the gangster is kind of cool.

"Iiiii'm a lumberjack and I'm okay,
I sleep all night and I work all day!
I cut down trees, I eat my lunch, I go to the lavat'ry.
On Wednesdays I go shopping, and have buttered scones for tea.
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay,
I sleep all night and I work all day!
I cut down trees, I skip and jump, I like to press wildflow'rs.
I put on women's clothing and hang around in bars.
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay,
I sleep all night and I work all day!
I cut down trees, I wear high heels, suspenders and a bra
I wish I'd been a girly just like my dear Mama."

Having just recently watched that sketch, I'm pretty sure its "just like me dear Papa." (or "pa-par")

I caught the end of Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, which contained the Lumberjack Song.

What's really weird is that my wife and I went into Borders the day before and they had the script to Monty Python Live for $5 and it was 30% off.

Everyone always tells me that it's Papa, but it sounds like Mama (actually closer to "Marmar") to me. Maybe my ears are broken?

I have the Monty Python Sings cd. I bought it about 18 years ago. It has the lyrics.

The exact words are...

I cut down trees
I wear high heels
Suspendies and a bra
I wish I'd been a girlie
Just like my dear pappa.

And now for something completely different...

I pulled a bunch of the LEGO sets I'd had still in sealed boxes out yesterday and the boy and I are going to build them while he's here all this week.
We built the passenger jet and the fishing boat last night.

I cleared up the confusion by looking it up. It appears the first time it was shown, on TV in 1969, it's "Mama." But for subsequent performances, they decided "Papa" was funnier and changed it.

I bought a Kre-o Jazz for my son yesterday, just to see if they were something I'd like to collect. Gawd, that is some substandard shite. The bricks fall apart if you breathe on them. How does Lego not sue the shit of Hasbro and other companies for copying them? Even their 'special' bricks are blatant design copies.

Also, we put together the TRU bigrig truck that comes with a storefront, the large police helicoptor, and the bank/armored car set.
The bank set is pretty cool, but it makes me wish they'd do a larger set with a more immaculate vault. This is like a bank branch. And the armored car only has one guy working it. C'mon LEGO, everybody knows there's always at least TWO guys in an armored car.

Lastly, we've come to the conclusion that the LEGO design guys in Denmark are voracious coffee drinkers and assume the rest of the world is the same. Every vehicle has a mug in the cabin, and every playset has a coffeemaker somewhere.

I've no experience with KreO directly, but the Starscream in the display case at the local Target has fallen apart. Oh, and they spelled "Sentinel Prime" as "Sentanel Prime." C'mon, Hasbro, can't your marketing team get right the name of a completely proprietary character seen in multiple versions of a franchise since the 80s?