So I have been busy as I usually am -
went with Abner Finley and Mike Harrod to O'Hare Airport to pick up Fradel Gonzales and Magnus Lauglo - and almsot got stuck at a toll booth because we didn't have enough change....
Came back and met Steve Witt, Richard Stollery, and Jan Beyer and ate with them for lunch...talked about some BrickJournal stuff!
And it's not even 4 pm yet!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
I'm at Brickworld!!!
and it's kinda empty.
Nothing is happening yet, as setup begins tonight, but people are starting to meet and gather...this is one of the fun parts of a convention - catching up with everyone.
The ballroom is ready for people, and it looks really BIG. But it won't be - it'll fill up with models and builders....
Already met Simon Kent from the LEGO Group - he's a designer from the Creator group, and he's looks like a young skater dude. Really.
Also met the coordinators and Abner Finley, Mike Harrod, John Brost, and others. I drove up with Tommy Armstrong from North Carolina and took 14 hours straight to get to Chicago.
More coming, including pics!
Nothing is happening yet, as setup begins tonight, but people are starting to meet and gather...this is one of the fun parts of a convention - catching up with everyone.
The ballroom is ready for people, and it looks really BIG. But it won't be - it'll fill up with models and builders....
Already met Simon Kent from the LEGO Group - he's a designer from the Creator group, and he's looks like a young skater dude. Really.
Also met the coordinators and Abner Finley, Mike Harrod, John Brost, and others. I drove up with Tommy Armstrong from North Carolina and took 14 hours straight to get to Chicago.
More coming, including pics!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Really important things....
I had the privilege to a really neat person Monday.
His name is Marvin Hall, and he's a person attending Stanford.
What makes him so special?
He teaches MINDSTORMS to inner-city children in Jamaica.
Marvin is a person that has the Jamaican accent and dialect, and on the phone, he comes across as a really laid-back guy. But he's driven by a passion to give to his community.
In the past 5 years, he has taught at a school, then left to pursue his mission to bring robotics to Jamaica...and he has used his own resources to buy MINDSTORMS sets and teach.
People in Jamaica have noticed...and have given him funding to take kids to FIRST LEGO League tournaments in the US. And while things can get tight for him, things work out.
He doesn't back down from a challenge to his dream, and it's inspirational to talk to him. And BrickJournal will have a story on him - because one of BrickJournal's missions is to show people the power of the LEGO hobby.
For Marvin, it can change lives.
His name is Marvin Hall, and he's a person attending Stanford.
What makes him so special?
He teaches MINDSTORMS to inner-city children in Jamaica.
Marvin is a person that has the Jamaican accent and dialect, and on the phone, he comes across as a really laid-back guy. But he's driven by a passion to give to his community.
In the past 5 years, he has taught at a school, then left to pursue his mission to bring robotics to Jamaica...and he has used his own resources to buy MINDSTORMS sets and teach.
People in Jamaica have noticed...and have given him funding to take kids to FIRST LEGO League tournaments in the US. And while things can get tight for him, things work out.
He doesn't back down from a challenge to his dream, and it's inspirational to talk to him. And BrickJournal will have a story on him - because one of BrickJournal's missions is to show people the power of the LEGO hobby.
For Marvin, it can change lives.
BrickJournal.com?
Yes, the website is presently a joke. And it has been that way for a while.
You see, I have been trying to think of what I really want for the site - I have the domain and just have to figure what I want. And now things have gotten more interesting for me.
I have been working on an event calendar (that needs updating right now, but I have been so busy that I haven't been able to work on it like I would like) on a web service called Near-Time. They have been a good service, and I used them for planning BrickFest 2006 - it was a really neat service that allowed everyone to share files and have a webspace where messages could be tracked relatively easily.
They have been paying attention to me since then, and have offered to help set things up and get a website..and they are serious enough to offer design services and drop a fee to get the site launched.
So the thing is that I can get a professional website done, which is a nice possibility!
I get to talk to the developers the week after Brickworld...and then we'll see what happens.
You see, I have been trying to think of what I really want for the site - I have the domain and just have to figure what I want. And now things have gotten more interesting for me.
I have been working on an event calendar (that needs updating right now, but I have been so busy that I haven't been able to work on it like I would like) on a web service called Near-Time. They have been a good service, and I used them for planning BrickFest 2006 - it was a really neat service that allowed everyone to share files and have a webspace where messages could be tracked relatively easily.
They have been paying attention to me since then, and have offered to help set things up and get a website..and they are serious enough to offer design services and drop a fee to get the site launched.
So the thing is that I can get a professional website done, which is a nice possibility!
I get to talk to the developers the week after Brickworld...and then we'll see what happens.
Getting ready for Brickworld....
Yes, I have a lot left to do, and I am up to my ears in stuff, but I am more than a little excited about going.
I'm starting to get e-mails and phone calls from people that I will be meeting - it's pretty exciting and nice to that happen:-)
What's really cool is that the European Bureau Chief for the Journal will at the con, so we can do a Editor's summit - otherwise known as rounding up BrickJournal Staff and planning what will be in the mag for the next year!
I'm starting to get e-mails and phone calls from people that I will be meeting - it's pretty exciting and nice to that happen:-)
What's really cool is that the European Bureau Chief for the Journal will at the con, so we can do a Editor's summit - otherwise known as rounding up BrickJournal Staff and planning what will be in the mag for the next year!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Eric Brok...
I was informed of his passing earlier this week, and am greatly saddened.
I also met him a couple of years ago at BrickFest - he was one of the first to offer support - even before BrickJournal was named! And from there, he has written articles including his last one.
He wrote an article in the Journal in Issue 6 and mentioned his illness. I hoped that he would be able to see his set produced, and he did. And I got a review set and was able to build and see what he did. I sent him a note about how nice the set is, not expecting an answer. I knew that his health had declined, so it wasn't important to get a reply. It was important to tell him. Surprisingly, he replied with a thank you note. It was about a month ago.
He will be missed and my thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family.
And I thank him for all the things he has done for the community and the hobby.
I also met him a couple of years ago at BrickFest - he was one of the first to offer support - even before BrickJournal was named! And from there, he has written articles including his last one.
He wrote an article in the Journal in Issue 6 and mentioned his illness. I hoped that he would be able to see his set produced, and he did. And I got a review set and was able to build and see what he did. I sent him a note about how nice the set is, not expecting an answer. I knew that his health had declined, so it wasn't important to get a reply. It was important to tell him. Surprisingly, he replied with a thank you note. It was about a month ago.
He will be missed and my thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family.
And I thank him for all the things he has done for the community and the hobby.
BrickJournal 8 is out!
You can get it here.
It's a 120 page book this time. Could have been much more, but I had to push articles to the next issue.
There's been a lot that has happened with this issue. There's a lot of people to thank, including the budding layout staff.
It shouldn't be a secret that BrickJournal is working toward print - in fact everyone who reads this is well aware of it. Things have been falling into place slowly, and some final pieces are coming into play. The last hurdle is funding, and the wheels are starting to turn on that.
Having BrickJournal switch from a community (volunteer) magazine to one that generates revenue has been heavy on my mind since day one of this wild adventure. There are those in the community who firmly beleive that the community deserves everything for nothing. And they constantly create noise on things when they involve money. They believe that money equals control, so if they pay in, they expect to have a voice in how things are done.
I tend to believe the opposite. No one deserves a handout. We all earn our keep. That means we have to work to reach our goals and be ready to sacrifice if need be. BrickJournal is a great example of what can happen when people work together to a common goal. And yes, I am concerned about the possible consequences of going to print.
But I am also excited. BrickJournal will be able to do so much more once it becomes a printed publication - I hope that it will be a start to many other things for the community. And I hope to make something that benefits all of us, from the staff to the readers.
It's a 120 page book this time. Could have been much more, but I had to push articles to the next issue.
There's been a lot that has happened with this issue. There's a lot of people to thank, including the budding layout staff.
It shouldn't be a secret that BrickJournal is working toward print - in fact everyone who reads this is well aware of it. Things have been falling into place slowly, and some final pieces are coming into play. The last hurdle is funding, and the wheels are starting to turn on that.
Having BrickJournal switch from a community (volunteer) magazine to one that generates revenue has been heavy on my mind since day one of this wild adventure. There are those in the community who firmly beleive that the community deserves everything for nothing. And they constantly create noise on things when they involve money. They believe that money equals control, so if they pay in, they expect to have a voice in how things are done.
I tend to believe the opposite. No one deserves a handout. We all earn our keep. That means we have to work to reach our goals and be ready to sacrifice if need be. BrickJournal is a great example of what can happen when people work together to a common goal. And yes, I am concerned about the possible consequences of going to print.
But I am also excited. BrickJournal will be able to do so much more once it becomes a printed publication - I hope that it will be a start to many other things for the community. And I hope to make something that benefits all of us, from the staff to the readers.
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