Micronauts!

Also, here is some news about J.J. Abrams maybe possibly producing a Micronauts movie (presumably based on the Marvel comic, and not the toy line), which I find both awesome and ridiculous, for some reason. I was a big fan of the comic, and the series took so many weird twists and turns away from the main story (the rebellion against Baron Karza (I think)) that I have a hard time seeing it as a coherent movie story. Also, I could never really get a grip on Commander Rann's character. What was his deal? He used his parent's names as a swear word, and got woozy with the Enigma Force a lot.

Here is a picture I drew of Commander Rann and Marionette. They are yelling. As usual, Rann is yelling "Dallan and Sepsis!" Princess Mari is probably yelling "By the Body Banks" or something.



P.S. I do not hate the Micronauts.

via @butler, @kondef, and @chorn

Disney Princesses, Packs One and Two

Saw this on a recent trip to the Magic Kingdom. I might have have been experiencing that thing that happens to you at Disneyland, where you try really hard to be all jaded and skeptical of the wonder of the Disney Experience™ so you don't become a true believer or anything. See, I did it there again, by adding that little trademark to "Disney Experience". But I saw this, and got kind of pissed off.

I hardly need to spell it out; basically someone had the bright idea to make two separate sets of princesses, the first with all the white princesses, and the second with the Asian, Native American, and NON-HUMAN princesses. I think the point of this is not segregation per se, but so that they can make 25,000 sets of white princesses, and sixteen sets of the ethnic/non-human princesses, and have it come out even in the end. In theory. No idea how this plays out.

This doesn't actually bum me out that much anymore. I think it just looks bad, is all. Doesn't send the best possible message to racist little girls everywhere. I'm probably just mad because they didn't sell them in singly, and I didn't want to deal with stupid Jasmine and stupid Aurora and stupid Cinderella just to get Snow White (with Travel Cloak!) and Mulan.

Vote for Barbie's Next Career

Mattel's doing a thing where you can vote for Barbie's next career. You can choose from Environmentalist, Surgeon, Architect, News Anchor, Computer Engineer, or Southeast Asian Dictator. I'm kidding about that last one.

Much has been said about Barbie's inhuman physical proportions, and their (probably) negative impact on the self-images and expectations of children. Although Mattel has tried in the past to change the focus from Barbie's wardrobe to less shallow aspects of Barbie's wardrobe, and focus more on confounding gender stereotypes (going so far as to make her a doctor instead of a nurse!!) it seems that whenever they try to do something positive with the Barbie brand, they kind of step in it.

Does it make sense for Mattel to keep trying this approach, even though most basic flaws in the Barbie product make these attempts seem disingenuous to many? Every time they make a politically correct move like this, it's like they're standing up and yelling, "We're SORRY!"

Or should they give up altogether, embracing what they are (or is that space already taken)?

In the '90s, there was the Happy to be Me Doll, but it still had to hew close enough to the Barbie shape in order to be taken seriously, and quickly disappeared. Also, I'm guessing she couldn't fit into Barbie's clothes, so I bet that was kind of a bummer for people trying to switch. Mattel did widen Barbie's waist (warning: NSFW) in 2000. Are they standing on firmer ground now?

Or do I have it all wrong? Has Mattel successfully expanded the scope of this toy, which was intended to be idealized from the start, to include idealized disabilities, causes, and careers? I mean, the career you can vote on is "news anchor", and not, for example, "journalist".

Interested in what all of you think, especially the ladies. (And the parents of future ladies.)

Also, don't forget to vote! (Thanks to @20tauri for the link.)

Bear muscles

Hey, my friend just gave me yet another animal toy whose guts you can see!



She did this without knowledge of these: [1] [2].

Can any Chinese speakers translate? [UPDATE: Oh, it's Japanese! Odori?]

Jedi Force Trainer

via galspanic

Puppy Squeezer

Mr. Pony's last post made me think of this photo I took a few months ago in the former Woolworth's on Balham High Street, now called simply '99p.'

It's kind of less disgusting than the pig, but also less educational. Not sure how clear the photo is, but it's full of little cartoon doggie bones. It says 'watch my bones float around my body!' on it.

Rubber Water-Filled Piggy Toy with Organs and Bones

Galspanic and I saw this at our last outing to Toys-R-Us. Its is a toy rubber piggy, with rubber organs and bones, filled with water. For some reason, Animal Planet has put its brand on this toy. It was marked down to almost nothing. So I bought it. It smells funny. I do not like it.

I would say that it walks the line between disgusting and educational, but the object itself makes a pretty good case that there is no such line. One completely defeats the other, and the piggy simply makes me uncomfortable.

One more thing. I left the pig in my office, on my two-week trip to NYC. You know who does like the piggy? The ants like the piggy. Goodbye, my Piggy.

Buildman is neat!

I honestly don't know how I found these. I think I was searching out Micronauts toys, but they look really groovy. I love modular construction toys! Someone quick buy thirty or forty of them and post pics! From the look of the site and the blog, these guys have been around for a while now. How is it that they've gone under my radar? Support Buildman! bring back modular toys!

Cobralalalalalalala

What's the verdict?

Galactic Empire Cloning Stormtroopers in Lego Factory

Via Gizmodo. Link.

Lego Death Star!

Stephen: Marooned

Times Square LEGO Bar

Speaking of Protohuman Scarcity Mentality Theory, my mind was blown when I went to the giant Toys-R-Us in Times Square, in Manhattan; because they had this amazing LEGO buffet, something I had only dreamed of as a child. When I say I dreamed of it as a child, I'm not speaking figuratively. This very display, where a fella can fill a bag with all the parts needed to finish whatever said fella is working on, without compromises, figured prominently in my own personal dreamscape (and, I'd imagine, the dreamscape of anyone who's ever spent any serious time building with LEGO).

Sure, the parts are a bit limited, as the bins of bricks are meant to be parts for the dumb New Yorkey keepsake models in the center of the display, beneath the clock. I don't have a better photo of them, because I was too embarrassed to take the shot. LEGO Statue of Liberty, LEGO Apple, LEGO I <3 NY, LEGO guy-who-stands-motionless-and-demands-money-when-you-look-at-him, etc. I ignored the models and went straight for the parts, filling up a small plastic bag that turned out to cost about $20. Not a bad deal, actually, considering the number of parts I was able to cram in there; compared with the number of parts in your average $20 lego set.

I'm just now noticing the vaguely Socialist frieze at the very top of the display. Pretty sweet. Call me boring, but I think my hands were shaking when I grabbed a fistful of these:

A Present From Across the Seas

My friend Annabelle has sent me this present via mail. It is called a HOMIE. It seems like a toy, but maybe it is a weapon, or something. I climbed down into my yard, told the LOST cast members to screw off, and photographed him. I have named him Stephen after Stephen K. Chan. Annabelle has a blong, a real one, and it is really really funny, and always picks me up when I am down. This is because Annabelle is always having a worse day than me. Annabelle's blong can be found here. Thank you, Annabelle!