Shark Week

I don't really have a story to go with this picture...  but I keep seeing these funny Discovery Channel commercials promoting "Shark Wee" (which I assume must be very soon).  I ran across this fellow in town when we were shooting the race track video.

I guess it's a bad day to be scuba diving near Tyler Beach.

We're all back from our various trips AND our last house guests left this morning, so we'll get back in the Lego groove later this week.  In the meantime, there's no shortage of stuff you can catch up on at the links below.  

Swim safe!

Thanks for visiting us here at www.bricksburgh.com and check out the videos on our YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/MSIMMONS.

Grand Prix of Bricksburgh

Growing up I used to watch Formula 1 races every chance I got.  Senna, Prost, Mansell...  those were the big names of the day.  I also had a rudimentary simulator on the computer that featured all of the race tracks on the F1 schedule.  My favorite-- by far--  was Monaco.  Something about the tightness of the circuit combined with the dense scenery to heighten the virtual sensation of speed.  Naturally, I would act out those races in my Legotown too (this was about 1986).  I'd transform all the sedans in town into "stock cars" and use the police car as a pace car.  A couple times I even stripped them down to chassis pieces with roof slope noses to look like F1 race cars!  Eventually Lego filled that void and began making ACTUAL race track/related sets.  Of all those, one is CLEARLY the best.... and we have two of them.

What to do....? what to do...?    Let me tell you.

Crash Test

Tyler is off this week, but we'll be posting a complete video tour and accompanying blog post that we prepared before he left.  It'll be ready in a couple days.  In the meantime, here's a crash test animation that Tyler made at the Victory Raceway Complex shortly before we shot the video tour.

He did this test animation of a crash on the front straight.   As this was only a test, we haven't added any sound or done anything in the way of backdrop or lighting...  Still, it gives you an idea of some of the possibilities.   I was going to just keep it to ourselves but since uploads to YouTube are free (yay!) I figured there was no harm in sharing it.

Wipe That Smile Off Your Face

There was recently a study that said Lego faces are getting angrier.  We've noticed similar changes in the faces of Bricksburgh's citizens.  What could be causing our normally smiling people to experience such anger, fear and disdain?  Well, it turns out, the same thing that makes real people more bitter...  a crime wave.

Well, it turns out, the same thing that makes real people more bitter...  a crime wave.

Harbor Offices Collapse

Here's a look back at our 2nd Harbor (we are now building version 4 on the new tables).

It had some very interesting features and a VERY disastrous end!

Daylight Comes

Good morning!  We're just back from vacation and gearing up to resume our posting "schedule" this week.  Tyler will be taking over more of the blog entries, especially the "historical" posts that will feature pictures from years past.  In addition to the "historical" posts, we'll be keeping you updated with new photography and videos on our YouTube Channel.  It's morning again, in Bricksburgh!

  This picture was taken using our new Ikea light-- which we bought specially for Bricksburgh.  Looks like the janitor is cleaning up the office at the beginning of the work day.  In case you don't recognize it, that's the upper level of the new police headquarters.  Looks pretty realistic, right?