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A TFOL's Response to Greenpeace's LEGO Petition By Brigs Generally, I don’t waste my valuable time on petitions senseless as this one. Nevertheless, this fallacious pile of KRE-O has gained considerable circulation in the LEGO Community, and thus merits a well-articulated response. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhbliUq0_r4 http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/ Let’s break this down piece by piece, starting with the video itself. When the video begins, you will notice the title and background music references the LEGO Movie and its incessant song, “Everything is Awesome.” This is an ironic choice for Greenpeace’s assertions, since the benevolent Octan Corporation, LEGO Town’s fictitious “Big Oil” company is portrayed in an antagonistic light in the film, and has certainly received more publicity than any Shell promotional polybag. As the video proceeds, you see the inviting Arctic animals, a fisherman, hockey players, and… Halo’s Master Chief. Following a panoramic view of the new wave of LEGO City Arctic sets, the video changes tone as the viewer first notices a Shell chemist, tanker, and finally, a menacing oil platform, recycled from a Cars 2 set, which notably had a rather preachy message about “Big Oil.” But the most infuriating and stereotypical elements of the film are yet to come. The “executive” Minifigure can be seen smoking a cigar (with a “no smoking” sticker visible behind him, no less.) At the bottom of the oil rig oozes a depressing black liquid. This “oil spill” slowly consumes the LEGO world and its inhabitants, including the distinguished Emmett and Wyldstyle, until only the Shell flag unscathed. Any objective AFOL will notice Greenpeace’s clear appeals to emotion, specifically fear for the vibrant LEGO world and anger directed at Shell and the LEGO Group’s “association.” We’re just getting started. The description contends to surpass the ludicrosity of the video itself. “We love LEGO. You love LEGO. Everyone loves LEGO. But when LEGO's halo effect is being used to sell propaganda to children, especially by an unethical corporation who are busy destroying the natural world our children will inherit, we have to do something.” Greenpeace apparently needs to check their definitions. Of course colorful plastic bricks and smiling Minifigures have a welcoming aesthetic. But these allegations of the LEGO Group propagandizing on behalf of Royal Dutch Shell plc are not only extreme, but absurd. Children playing with an oil tanker or gas station are not being brainwashed that “Big Oil” or environmental pollution is good. They are merely delivering the LEGO citizens with gas to power their trucks, spaceships, and racecars. These loaded accusations of propaganda are so laughably ironic one could easily mistake this as a work of satire; especially for a claim that can easily be thrust upon Greenpeace itself. “Children's imaginations are an unspoilt wilderness. Help us stop Shell polluting them by telling LEGO to stop selling Shell-branded bricks and kits today.” So what is the objective here? By the LEGO Group from discontinuing Shell gas stations and race cars, converting LEGO City into eco-utopia, will the Minifigures suddenly become enlightened and band together against a tyrannical CEO plotting to destroy their way of life? To quote Lord Business, “that’s just a bunch of hippy dippy baloney.” I am not here blatantly supporting Shell, or “Big Oil.” There are risks involved in any drilling operation, which can potentially be catastrophic on the ecosystem. LEGO Bricks themselves, composed of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, are partially derived from oil. The LEGO Group is renowned for its environmental awareness and responsibility, and by next decade will be completely sustained by renewable energy. The issue is not the LEGO Group, nor necessarily Shell, but Greenpeace’s exploitation of a responsible corporation and its politicization of a legitimate concern. Humans must be thoughtful stewards of the world, and potential threats to the environment merit the discussion. Of course businesses will try to make money, and in doing so may jeopardize the environment. Royal Dutch Shell has been endeavoring to create a drilling operation off of Alaska for a few years now, but has postponed until the safety of the operation is elucidated. This issue of drilling in the Arctic should be resolved between Shell and those concerned about environmental safety, but they should leave the LEGO Group out of this. If Greenpeace wants to preserve the “unspoilt” imaginations of children and leave a positive impact on our world, it can start by repudiating this political gobbledygook and withdrawing this petition on the front page of the Greenpeace website.

Alright, I finally dug out all the Adventures mags I could find stashed away in this house. No doubt there are a few I haven't found but here are the ones I have in a nice pile right now: Issue 10 (Jan 00) Issue 12 (Mar 00) Issue 15 (Jun 00) Issue 18 (Sep 00) Issue 21 (Dec 00) Issue 22 (Jan 01) - first one styled as "LEGO Adventures! Magazine" with the new cover title, although the old look is still used inside Issue 26 (May 01) - by now this "new look" is complete, the old dungarees guy is gone and everything is Pepper Issue 28 (Jul 01) Issue 29 (Aug 01) - Bionicle collector's edition with multiple covers, the one I have is Kopaka Issue 30 (Sep 01) Issue 34 (Jan 02 - incorrectly dated as Jan 01 on the cover) - special "last ever issue" edition. The "Constructors" page featured the best MOCs from 2001 rather than showing any new ones Let me know if you'd like any of these scanned and I'll see what I can do. None of them are in the best condition but they are from the turn of the century I'll see if I can find any others and check which of the club magazines I have in case anyone wants to see those too.

Bad Translator and I are on good terms once more: Original text: "For some unfathomable reason, Bad Translator now refuses to yield me a terribly interesting (bad) translation. I hope it mends its ways." ...35 translations later, Bing gives us: "This tradition is an abridged version of this UNITED STATES Administration (not good), how can you tell? I hope to travel or not." And here's the path: And Bad Translator takes part of a nursery rhyme and gives us what seems like a strange attempt at poetry: " This is the maiden all forlorn, that milked the cow with the crumpled horn, that tossed the dog that worried the cat, that chased the rat that ate the cheese,that lay in the house that Jack built. " ...6 translations later, SDL gives us: "This is the unique woman all hopeless one, that the cow pressed the horn blow with the full of one, that the dog shot down, that the interested cats become are, that more went the mouse, than a cheese ate, that regulated to the house, that constructed jacket. "

I took an overhead screenshot of Adventurer's Island several years back, and PeabodySam made this map-y thing out of it. It's the model used when you fly over the island(s) in the helicopter. The in-game map on the wall does actually match the real model reasonably well (it's the upper left corner), but I don't remember anything interesting where the X is. I'll check in-game later. Edit: Just checked now, the only thing in the area is the airport. Still, I'm impressed that it does actually match up.

Hello and welcome.

Is this BIONICLE pin obscure? It's squarish and rather large, from 2001, and has this image (the first one) on it. They were given out freely at a local LEGO event at Creative Kidstuff in Saint Paul when I was younger. I can take a picture if that would be helpful.

https://ore.rockraidersunited.org/legacy/LR2_Martian_Faces_211133.zip

Remember the removed temple area in LI2? '?do=embed' frameborder='0' data-embedContent>> Well, I was poking around today and noticed a model called temple_arch.msh... It's the original entrance to the removed temple area. But it doesn't match its counterpart in land.msh - looks like they stretched and squished it around a bit at some point.

After some crashes and errors I managed to create this: This overwrites eskimo helmet, eskimo girl(?), arctic torso and blue legs. BLUEST HEAD_HOLE.MIP goes to: game data/common/textures. PLAYER EIGHT FACEs goes to: game data/characters/heads/textures. PLAYER EIGHT TORSO.MIP AND PLAYER EIGHT LEGS.MIP goes to: game data/characters/bodies/textures. PLAYER8.MD2 goes to: game data/characters/heads/models. Remember to backup your files! Download LR1 Version Download LR2 version

Sorry to copy half of your stuff, Xiron, but I think the same as you about tracks. Easiest: Smash 'N' Bash. Sorry to copy you, but this is definitely the easiest track of all. Along with its unoriginal design, all you have to do here is dodging the enemies' weapons. Also, at the first turn, you end up in last position without no reason (actually I know the reason but I don't know how to explain it in few words), giving you almost a 100% chance of getting the Shockwave powerup, thus making the enemies slow down so much that you are first all the time. Hardest: The Berg's Royal Rumble. As a kid, I struggled for some months before I finally beat this freaking boss. The fact that he drops stalagmites at you and is unaffected by powerups makes him the hardest boss ever, if you didn't know about that first shortcut, which I obvously didn't when trying to beat him some years ago. In arcade mode it's definitely Beyond The Dome, because you get slowed down so easily that the opponents can surpass you quite easily. Also, the huge ramp, it's not only cool but if you take it the wrong way you fall down and lose the race. Favourite: I like nearly all races, except for a few, but the one with the most interesting and fun design to me is Red Run. Least favourite: All the ones that I don't like are probably my least favourite. I'd say Smash 'N' Bash, though, for its unoriginality. I mean, instead of putting that lame loop in, they could have made a whole new track! That upsets me a bit.

Great thanks for all your welcomes! Your French is understandable aidenpons but can you understand if I say for example:"J'aime les patates et les melons." ? Also thanks for the Timhead . (Aurevoir is more correct than Adieu: Adieu is used when you say goodbye to someone you'll never see again, but it doesn't really matter). Oh I didn't understand the "Infomaniac" thing but now I can say that his name is "Prof" in French so "Instructor" in English.

Hey there nice to meet ya glad to see ya how you doing? I'm Drill Master. I'm sure McJ's mentioned me several times. (Right? Right? No? Ok...) Anyway welcome to the forums. Enjoy your stay here in the land of Paradise and little brick people with faces of yellow.

Despite what everyone tends to say this is a relatively normal site that is no more or less sane than any other community, like that friend who goes around shouting how quirky and random they are while being neither. Welcome.

Heya, this is a new music! And it's surprisingly very epic! And I should really stop using exclamation marks, because they are really annoying!. As usual, I made a commentary for the video. This time I tried to make it more interesting, and I made the text show for longer, because people told me that the text scrolled too quickly. You're welcome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDmMBkkdBL8 Listen on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/c24dubstep/c24-icicles For your information, that "someone" I mention in the video is my brother. :P

I've noticed a severe lack of coke in that list....

Man, you get a spongebob voice everytime you go crazy

The fighter I used is one of my Explorien designs.

Please forgive me, but now that the topic has been revived, and I JUST discovered this topic, I MUST say something... Nice spread there, Doc. I can see some Adventurers, a bunch of Alpha Team, some old Harry Potter, an Exo-Force set or two... And I REALLY like that black Ogel base-thing that I didn't even know existed before now. I thought it was a MOC until I got a better look at it. Needless to say, I WANT. And look at all the dust! it's worse than a Chris Doyle webcomic! Still, that is some great semi-old bricks you've got there. OK, Cire, you can punish me now.

BUMP: Can somone Post here to tell me what they think please?