Homer Hits The Bricks

 When I was 9 years old I went to the toy department at one of the local stores.   There I saw for the first time a toy version of the Ernie puppet from Sesame Street. My heart skipped a beat. I HAD to have one. It became my life quest. I received Ernie for Christmas that same year. 

Nearly 45 years later I still have full memory of that moment in that store. Every once in a while I still find a "dream" toy or item that I know was made just for me. This past week I discovered yet another such toy. 

The Simpsons is, the most successful TV sit-com ever. This fall, the show will celebrate it's 25th year on the air. 

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie are America's most popular TV family. Their likenesses have been used on almost every type of merchandise imaginable. 

But plans for a new Simpsons based product has, in my opinion, launched this franchise into the highest level of popularity possible. 

I recently found out that in February the Lego brick company will release a Simpsons house set. It will consist of more than 2500 bricks and specialty pieces.

It includes a model of their iconic car in the garage, rooms full of detailed furniture and accessories. Also there is a set of  6 mini-figures, the whole family plus Ned Flanders, their neighbor.

The reported cost for this set it $200. My first reaction to that price point was that it is too expensive.  But as I look at the pictures and videos online...maybe not.  

I have to distance myself from the initial awe of the news and look of the set. If by the time my birthday comes I still want it as badly as I do now, It will be part of my extensive collection. 

The other aspect of this Simpsons/Lego partnership is even more exciting to me than the house set. In addition to the 6 that come with the house, Lego has announced that their Series 13 mini-figures is going to be Simpson based. 

This won't happen until May but I'm so excited about this. As with all of their min-figs sets, there will be 16 characters in the series. 

I am already wondering which of the nearly 200 characters that have appeared on the show over it's 2 1/2 decades will be chosen for the set. I'll bet that was a "hot button topic" in the R&D and marketing departments at the Lego company. 

So it looks like the course of my Lego collection habits for this year has been set for me. With the new Creator sets, Series 12 mini-figures, both already available in stores, and the Lego Simpsons arriving very soon; I will be very busy with Legos in 2014. 

Embracing Your Inner Geek

Do you consider yourself a Geek? I'm not talking about being a "nerd" or some kind of carnival act. 

The definition of "geek"I'm referring to is the one most relevant in our culture today. A person who has excessive enthusiasm for and some expertise about a specialized subject or activity. 

I believe that almost everyone has at least one thing they can "geek out" about. I am a geek about several things. 

Walt Disney World, Disney animated movies; Ventriloquism, music (60's and 70's pop, comedy/novelty and Christmas songs to be specific); and Legos are all sections of my personal geek kingdom. I am passionate and obsessed with each of them on a rotating basis. 

One of the ways you can tell something you're a geek about is that others around you do not understand the extreme degree of your enjoyment and knowledge about that hobby or activity. 

But let me assure you if you wear you passion on your sleeve and continue to share it with them; eventually you'll find that fellow geek who is just as enthusiastic as you. 

But if you don't find someone to connect with remember this. Because of the current social acceptance of and economic power that comes with being a geek;  finding other geeks-of-a-feather to "flock" with has become rather easy.  

With Facebook and Twitter leading the way, social media and the internet has become the means of finding others like you. For me, the main way of connecting with my fellow geeks is through podcasts. 

There are groups who meet on a weekly or monthly basis made up of others like you. Specialized conventions with tens of thousands of devoted geeks are held all over the country. Comic Con in San Diego each year being the biggest of all. 

My point being that while it used to be looked down on, the world now caters to geeks. We are a significant source of income for those commercially attached to our passions. 

So if your answer to my question "Are you a geek" is "yes, yes I am." Then I encourage you to embrace your inner geek, don't deny it.

Enjoy the object of your passion and go out and find your kind and share your common bond. Embrace your inner geek. You will be a lot happier.  

Beware The Blitz

Attention: This post is a warning like the one on the side of a pack of cigarettes. Well, maybe not that serious. But it's something I have to think about at this time of year; so I'm sure there are some of you who need to be warned.

Let's start out with a "Jeopardy" type quiz. The category is: The Calendar. 

The Answer is: After Martin Luther King day in January millions of Americans celebrate this "unofficial" holiday on the first Sunday in February. 

Do you know the question? It's "What is Superbowl Sunday".  

That's right although it's not recognized by the government, the day that two NFL teams play for the Vince Lombardi trophy has all the elements of a national holiday. 

The hoopla surrounding this annual extravaganza is already beginning. The contests for a chance to win tickets to "the big game" are everywhere. Even Buddy the Cake Boss is having a sweepstakes to send viewers to the Superbowl. 

With the start of the NFL playoffs the networks are starting to run commercials that will eventually run during the big game.  


Like everyone else I too get caught up in Superbowlmania. But I am a bit apprehensive because I know what every Superbowl brings with it. 

Accompanying the biggest "non-sanctioned" holiday of the year comes something that sabotages the efforts of those who have resolved to lose weight and get healthy. 

It's a consorted effort by beer brewers and pizza franchises, snack food makers, and hot wing restaurants to blitz your New Year's resolution and sack your success. I'm talking about the ubiquitous Superbowl party. 

No matter how much you've adhered to your food plan and worked out at the gym; the onslaught of foods that are part of the Superbowl party are there to trip you up. 

You could try not going to a Superbowl party but what's the fun in that? You can't spend a "holiday" alone it's pathetic.  

When it comes to sticking to your New Year's resolution the NFL stands for "Not For Long."

Of course it's not the NFL's fault that people hold parties with enough food to feed a small country. But if the game wasn't so popular it wouldn't spark such devotion. 

But you know how it is with people's devotion to sports. Play it and they will watch; especially when it comes to pro football. 

Now I know not everyone who is getting healthy in the new year will be irreparably thrown off course by attending a Superbowl party. 

But I've been derailed from my resolve enough times that I see the upcoming occasion as a dangerous pitfall. Like I said before I'm sure I'm not the only one.

So please take heed to this advanced scouting report and pick up those rushing linebackers aka: hot wings, pizza, queso cheese dip, and tortilla chips, connect with your receiver and continue down the field to your weight loss goal. Your end zone will thank you for it.  

Last Laughs For Leno

I've written about Jay Leno and NBC's Tonight Show on this blog before. The tumultuous recent history and behind-the-scenes issues of this #1 rated late night TV talk show has at times gotten more publicity than the actual show itself. 

The most recent chapter in the life of the Tonight Show will come to an end in about 4 weeks. Jay Leno will end his 2nd run as host of the program just before NBC begins it's coverage of the Winter Olympics. 

Once again, Leno is not stepping down voluntarily. NBC is not renewing his contract. The popular host of the network's "Late Night", Jimmy Fallon, is taking over when the regular late night network schedule resumes. 

Unlike Leno's last replacement, Conan O'Brien, Fallon is not relocating to Los Angeles to assume his "Tonight" hosting duties. Instead the show's production is moving to New York where it originated back in the mid 50's. 

I am one of the millions of late night viewers who are loyal to Leno. I watch or record the Tonight Show every night it's on. 

After Leno goes off the air I don't know what my 10:35 program of choice will be. I like Jimmy Fallon but can only enjoy him over short periods of time. So my DVR may not be recording when he takes over the show. 

And although I occasionally watch them, I'm not a real fan of either Jimmy Kimmel or David Letterman.  

I still like Conan O'brien but I don't like a lot his guests. So my late night TV viewing future remains undecided. 

In the meantime I will continue to watch and enjoy Jay Leno's monologues, his interviews and his guests. 

Unfortunate January is the month for the last laughs for Leno on the Tonight Show. But given his "workaholic" reputation, I'm sure he'll return to late night TV in some capacity in the near future. When he does I'll be watching.  

New Start

This week is the beginning of my personal "restart" for the new year. 

The three biggest things I want to change have to do with: diet, exercise, my search for a job. 

I have a new assistant in monitoring and improving my diet. Its an app on my new phone called "My Fitness Pal". It's a very good app. 

You enter information such as your current weight, how much you want to lose, how fast you want to lose it, and the amount of activity and exercise you do. The program then it gives you the calorie intake that will help you get to your goal.  

My wife and I have teamed up with our friends, Mark and Patty, in an effort to exercise on a regular basis. We are meeting at our church gym mornings@ 5:30AM. We exercise for 30 minutes. 

Although I listed it last, finding a job is the top priority for me. This may take a little perseverance and a lot prayer. I'm trying to change job types for the 4rd time in my life. 

I may have to start at the bottom in this new type of job I'm looking for but I've changed directions, vocationally,before. Please pray for me. I need all the support I can get.  

So there you have a trio of the things I want to change and or improve in 2014. What are you pressing the "restart" button on this year?

Technology Upgrade

Last Friday I got my Christmas gift from my wife: a new cell phone. It's a smart phone and I'm very excited about it. 

After reading about all the latest and greatest phones available I decided on this one. 

It's a Nokia Lumia 1020 Windows phone. The deciding factor was the camera. It is very advanced and takes the highest quality pictures of any smartphone on the market today. 

Countless times in the past few years I've been in a situation where I wanted to take a picture and didn't have my digital camera. The camera on the cell phone I had was very low quality. 

Being vaguely familiar with Windows 8 (I have some basic knowledge gained from working for the Best Buy Geek Squad call center) I decided that the Microsoft platform would be a little easier to learn than that of an Android or I-Phone. 

It's only been 4 days and I've learned enough about the phone on my own to make phone calls, send texts, set up email, download apps, and take pictures (although I'm really flying blind when it comes to that). 

Already this phone has opened a world of convenience for me. I can now use Skype and search the internet for anything I may need. 

I can finally start using Twitter the way I think it was meant to be used; on the go. 

I also see things like "Vine" or "Snap Chat" in my future. I definitely plan becoming more connected with social media. 

I've yet to watch any of the tutorials  that are available on the Nokia, AT&T and You Tube websites. But I will take the time to learn as much as I can about this phone over the next couple of weeks. 

If any of you have this phone or are familiar with using a Windows phone please feel free to email me with your comments or tips. I'd appreciate any help I can get. 

  

Lego Update: Part 2

Back in September I posted about the start of my mission to assemble the VW Van Lego kit I got for my birthday. 

Throughout the last 3 months of 2013 on Monday and Thursday nights, while watching NFL football on TV, I got out my card table and worked on my VW Van. 

I did not get finished with it but I am on the last 1/3 of it. Here's a picture of what I've completed. Notice the details including the lava lamp in the back and curtains on the windows. 

I should be finished with the van by the end of January. I'll post a pic when its complete. 

In the meantime, I've finished my first Lego model kit of the year. It's Lego set # 42002; the Propel Plane. 

Because it's part of the "Technics" brand of Legos; when the propeller spins the yellow pistons in the engine move up and down. Of all the models I've built so far this is among my least favorites. It was kind of confusing to assemble and I don't really like the way it looks. 

Finally, after my trip to the Lego store in Nashville last week I have started collecting the new series of Mini-Figures. Series 12 are all characters from the soon to be released Lego Movie. 

I purchased 6 blind packs and got 5 different figures. 

They are: (left to right from front to back) President Business, Abraham Lincoln, Scribble-Face Bad Cop, Taco Tuesday Man, and Wiley Fusebot. 

I've got 11 more to get and will wait until I can find some secrets online for detecting which figure is in a pack from the outside. 

But there you have an update on my most recent Lego activity.