Today I learned that LEGO has a program where you can send them your old LEGO (bricks, pieces, mini-figs, etc). LEGO will then take them in, wash / sterilize them, and donate them to children in need!
I think I have posted this before but today for #tbt for #fiberartcamp I’m posting it as one of my favorite knitting projects. It’s a topsy-turvy toy that turns inside out from an egg to a penguin! So fun. Made it as a gift for my cousin who loves penguins. #fiberarts#knitting#handmade#toys
These Lego sets from the 1970s were part of my 2023 Christmas present haul. I'm struck by the timeless design of these toys; despite being 50 years old, these were just as fun to put together as any modern set that I'm more used to seeing. They may be more simplistic in design, but the joy of building still shines through!
Beloved #toys: a pair of #Roman ivory #dolls with articulated arms and legs found in a tomb of a little #girl from a wealthy family in Emona, Ljubljana/#Slovenia. The majority of the dolls in Roman times were made of less valuable materials such as clay, wood or linen.
The two dolls that could be dressed with clothes must have been very precious to the girl who died far too young.
Dating 2nd half of the 3rd c. AD.
Since I have not really posted up about them in a while, here are some of my anime figures I have at work. Don't mind the Parks and Rec poster behind it.
I have three Q-Posket figures of Sailor Mars, Sailor Moon, and Nami from One Piece.
I also have the three cosplaying figures. My favorite are Pikachu as Nezuko and Nezuko as Pikachu. I just find them funny.
Which is your favorite? Do you have some figures on display at your desk / office?
In 2023, McDonald's in China released a special Tetris LCD handheld that is shaped like a chicken nugget. For some reason, this was the tie-in for the 40th anniversary of the Chicken McNugget.
I wanted it immediately.
But, as I did not live in China and knew no one who could import such things for me at the time, I could not. So, I waited.
At Magfest, earlier this year, I saw this prize sitting on a shelf, mocking me. At nearly 50 bucks, I was tempted, but unwilling to buy it.
I forgot about it for a while when 7-Eleven announced their own new Tetris tie-in handheld, this time on a Slurpee cup. It reminded me of my long wanted chicken nugget handheld.
I went to eBay and found someone with a relatively high rating, selling them for less than 15 USD including shipping. So, I bought one. That was early April.
It arrived this week.
It's as beautiful as I expected.
No, but seriously, it's a functional LCD handheld that you can play Tetris on. It's adorable. It is literally easier to play Tetris on this, than on my phone.
Also, it's classic mode so if there is not space for the Tetromino block to do spin - it won't spin.
Anyway - short version: I imported for myself the Chicken McNugget Tetris game and it's silly fun.
I didn't grow up with Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z. I stopped having cable at home in the early 90s. So, my first real experience with Dragon Ball Z was in college. I had a roommate who would watch subtitled episodes late at night really loud, which annoyed me. I avoided the franchise for that reason for a long while.
In 2019, I picked up a copy of Dragon Ball FighterZ because of how highly it was rated. I fell in love with it immediately. Such an amazing fighting game. In December, Viz's Shonen Jump service dropped and allowed you access to their full archive of manga for certain series. Dragon Ball was among them. I decided to read the manga to get the backstory of these characters. I became enthralled and within three months had read all of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super.
Since then, I have plowed through so much manga from Akira Toriyama. From Cowa to Sandland to a ton of stuff in between. His influence on the anime and manga industry will be felt for generations to come.
Here's a picture of a few of the Bandai model kits I have of Goku and Vegeta in their Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan forms.
Rest in Peace, Toriyama. Thank you for all you have given us over the years. May your family and fans be comforted following your passing.
So, we're going back to organic chemistry everyone!
After my first post with my molecular model kit showing an environmental contaminant, I decided to post up another.
This one is a semi-volatile organic environmental contaminant that is commonly found in coal tar, mothballs, and mixed into creosote for rail ties. That distinct "mothball odor" is this compound! Fun fact - a human nose can detect the mothball odor before most standard electronic detectors of organic odors / vapors.
Can you guess the compound? Let me know in the comments!
Welcome back to another round of organic chemistry with MDMRN.
Once again, I've taken my molecular model kit to craft a new molecule. This one, frankly, I was able to craft using the pieces of the previous ones I presented before. While I didn't say it last time, the green represents a halogen, in this case specifically chlorine.
A hint is that the production of these types of compounds has been banned in numerous countries, including the United States. It was, historically, found in electrical transformers.
Can you guess what type of compound this is? Let me know in the comments!