Bricks Cascade 2018

Bricks Cascade, Portland's LEGO convention, returned for its 7th year in March of 2018.

This was the first year in a long time that I was NOT a theme coordinator of some sort, and it felt nice to not have any real responsibilities other than setting up my MOCs and watching over them on occasion.

Speaking of MOCs, I had a few new ones this year, including three 16x16 "quilt squares" for the collaborative quilt in the Art section. This year's collaborative theme was "Not LEGO," the idea being to depict a childhood game or toy that was anything but the favored Brick.

My contributions are all in the second row (from the bottom): Strawberry Shortcake, Doll House, and over the right, a depiction of one of my favorite Commodore 64 games of yore, Donald Duck's Playground. And lo and behold, Doll House won a trophy!

I also built the Friendly Town Playground: 

Not surprisingly, it was a hit with girls, especially!

I also made this "march" scene, since the Saturday of the convention happened to fall on the same day as March For Our Lives (March 24th).

Props to my friends Laura & Arwyn for donating some of their Minifigs Of Color, so the scene could be diverse.

The buildings on either side are mine, as is the backdrop and the small (forced perspective) buildings in the background.

I brought this Western Town (below), modified from one I did 3 years ago. Some of the buildings had survived the past 3 years, some needed some repairs, and others had to be completely rebuilt. The display seemed to garner a fair amount of excitement from other builders, and there is interest in expanding the Western "theme" next year.

I brought my 2 buildings from the previous year for the Streets Of Brass collaboration again. Nothing new to see here, but it's a fun theme to be a part of. Maybe I'll do something new next year....

I also brought my American Kitchens again. They've appeared a few times, but the 70's kitchen had not been to Bricks Cascade before. I was pleased to win an award for Interiors in Architecture! Someday -- more, perhaps?

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Of Make-Believe made its second appearance at this convention.

But this one was new: a Brickheadz-style Scrooge McDuck....

Lastly, I made a couple of contributions to the theme park Ben's Funland, including a hippo for Ben's double-decker carousel, and the purple/yellow carousel, which he was gracious enough to let me tack on. (It's basically the carousel LEGO sells, but with modified colors throughout.)

Some highlights from this year....

I participated in just one game, the Master Build, also known as the Freestyle Build.

We got 2 sets and had 1 hour to build something:

I built a lady pushing an older lady in a wheelchair, past a fountain. 

I've been a semi-finalist a few times in this game at BrickCon but have never won in all my times playing it. This time I actually won! :) On Saturday evening I got a trophy and a big bag of brick as a prize. :)

On Saturday night there was an "After Dark" event that included LEGO-related games and adult-minded hi-jinks.... 

Er, um, so I have heard.

A group of WAFOLS (Lady LEGO fans) walked to Cafe Yum together one evening for supper.

The group meetings involved lots of great prizes being given out, as usual. This year I came home with a new Elves set!

I attended one panel, Boone Builds, which was put on by a guy from our Lego Users Group. It was fun to hear him talk about his journey of creating his Youtube channel and brand. (For those of you who don't know, I used to do the whole Youtube thing. He's way more successful than I ever was, though!)

All in all, it was a nice weekend, with lots to see, plenty of people to talk to, and much fun to be had.

 BTTF3 Time Train by Winona Furgison

The Jungle Cruise by Jon Furman

Retro Video Game TVs by Kathryn Harris

Jungle Book by Brett Hooper

^Cancer-kicking MOCs by Lisa Armstrong. 

Owl by Shawn Snyder

Various life-sized space weapons by Boone Langston

And also this:

Mount Rushmore by David Guedes

If any of the above MOCs are yours and you'd like credit, please leave a comment!

Up next: I leave the country to do more LEGO Con-ing! 

Crazy, eh?

If you like, you can check out my Bricks Cascade vlogs & blogs from the past: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017.

Lion Decides I Look Tasty (Video!)

Over & Over Again

Every time there's a mass shooting it's the same thing, again and again.

Common Sense Folks: "We need gun control -- now!"

Gun Owners & Fans: "Guns aren't the problem! The problems are, in no particular order: Mental illness, chronic bullying, toxic masculinity, violent video games, the lack of MORE guns, and the fact that they banned prayer in our schools!"

Common Sense Folks: "But other countries have those same issues -- yet they've TRIED gun control, and as a result, there have been fewer mass shootings! Look at Australia!"

Gun Owners & Fans: "F--- the kangaroos! This is America! The second amendment is on our side! And look at me -- I take guns very seriously!! I'm responsible with them, unlike some people!! They're fun to shoot and collect and own and HELL NO ARE YOU GONNA TAKE THEM AWAY."

Common Sense Folks: "We don't want to take away your guns. We just want to make it harder for people to--"

Gun Owners & Fans: "NRA!?!?! DO YOU HEAR THIS?!?!?! THEY'RE TRYING TO TAKE OUR GUNS AWAY!! SAVE US FROM BEING SITTING DUCKS!!!"

NRA: *bribes the right people*

Everyone: *Shuts up for a few weeks.*

Two weeks later: *37 concertgoers get pumped full of bullets & die.*

Common Sense Folks: "UM, HELLO!?!?!"

Gun Owners & Fans: "MENTAL ILLNESS AM I RITE?"

Common Sense Folks: "NO! Lots of people suffer from mental illness, and they don't go around killing people. WE NEED GUN REFORM!"

Lawmakers: "It's too soon to talk about gun reform! But it's never too soon for 🎶thoughts & prayers!"🎶

Common Sense Folks: "Those are great when someone's great uncle dies, but they're not exactly WORKING, HERE!"

First Random Guy On The Internet: "Heathens! Clearly all these violent deaths are God's way of telling us he's angry about gay marriage!"

Second Random Guy On The Internet: "Ummm there were mass shootings before gay marriage was even legal."

First Random Guy On The Internet: "BOW DOWN AND CONFESS YOUR SINS!"

Second Random Guy On The Internet: *Blocks/Mutes First Random Guy On The Internet*

Two weeks later: *12 churchgoers get pumped full of bullets & die.*

Donald Trump: *tweets "thoughts & prayers"*

*goes golfing*

Common Sense Folks: "THIS HAS GOT TO STOP! WE NEED COMMON SENSE GUN LAWS!"

Gun Owners & Fans: "Even if we take guns away, criminals will ALWAYS find ways to kill, anyway! Criminals gonna crim!"

Common Sense Folks: "Maybe so, but can't we at least TRY?"

Gun Owners & Fans: "No!!! If you take our guns, we'll have no way to defend ourselves!"

Common Sense Folks: "From what...?"

Gun Owners & Fans: "From criminals! The corrupt police! Nazis! Zombies! Intruders!"

Common Sense Folks: "Okay, so maybe you can keep one or two guns. But high-powered rifles? Do we really ne--"

Gun Owners & Fans: "It's a slippery slope! First you come for the rifles. Then you come for ALL MY GUNS! Then we all die, helpless! Don't you see?"

Common Sense Folks: "But I don't think high-powered rifles are what the founding fathers had in mind when they wrote the second amendment..."

*Everyone goes around in circles with the same arguments, ad nauseam*

Two weeks later: *A car drives into a crowd and kills 8 people.*

Gun Owners & Fans: "HA! SEE?!? IT'S NOT THE GUNS' FAULT, NOW, IS IT?"

Common Sense Folks: "True, not THIS time, but...."

Two weeks later: *A dozen & a half teenagers are pumped full of bullets at their high school and die.*

Common Sense Folks: "CAN WE GET SOME COMMON SENSE GUN LAWS NOW THAT OUR CHILDREN HAVE BEEN SLAUGHTERED?"

Lawmakers: "LOL no."

Kids Who Survived The Shooting: "WE ARE SICK OF OUR FRIENDS DYING! STOP THE MADNESS! GUN CONTROL NOW!"

Gun Owners & Fans: "Shut up, KIDS! You are young and can't even drink alcohol yet, so what do you know about life or anything??"

Kids Who Survived The Shooting: "WE WILL NOT BE TAMED."

Common Sense Folks: "HECK TO THE YES! THIS IS INCREDIBLE! GO, KIDS, GO!"

Gun Owners & Fans: "Wahhhh! Teenagers are being rude to us on the Internet!" ☹

Kids Who Survived The Shooting: "Senator Rubio, will you help us?"

Marco Rubio: "Sorry, I'm busy taking a swim in all the money the NRA has given me!"

Donald Trump: *Hmmm, how can I make this about me?*

Lawmakers: "Hey, I know! Let's solve this school shooting problem with an idea that I'm sure has never occurred to anybody before, but is so brilliant, it HAS to work! Let's give -- wait for it -- TEACHERS guns!"

Kids Who Survived The Shooting: "That's a terrible idea!"

99% of Teachers: "That's a terrible idea!"

Common Sense Folks: "That's a terrible idea!"

NRA: "More people buying guns? Works for us!"

Gun Owners & Fans: "More guns, not less? Sounds good to us!"

Teachers: *Collectively quit*

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Are you sick & tired of gun violence, school shootings, and innocent people dying in mass numbers, too? Here's how you can help: 

Donate to Giffords: Courage To Fight Gun Violence (helping to enact smarter laws, background checks, and more.)

Donate to The Sandy Hook Promise (helping to prevent gun violence.)

Get out and participate in March For Our Lives in your area on March 24, 2018.

On Facebook: 

One Pulse For America

Everytown For Gun Safety

Giffords

On Twitter:

Follow Emma4Change (Emma Gonzalez)

Chutes & Ladders & Dubious Morality Lessons

Ah, Chutes and Ladders, the classic Milton Bradley game of good deeds and ladders, bad deeds and chutes (fancy-talk for slides.) Just as its inspiration and predecessor (the ancient game of Snakes & Ladders) did, Milton Bradley's version rewards kindness, generosity and hard work, and punishes... well, whatever's the opposite. The illustrations on the game board attempt to convey everyday choices children make and their typical and/or justifiable outcomes. 

Not long ago, I came across a copy of a 1950s Chutes and Ladders game board. I studied it in an attempt to make heads or tails of the lessons presented within. And I asked myself the following: 

1. Were the rewards really deserved? 

2. Did the punishments adequately fit the crimes? 

3. Why is climbing ladders considered the "good" thing, when everyone knows slides (or "chutes," if you must) are superior to ladders? Just ask any child on the playground.

4. What kinds of deeds were considered "bad" in the 50s? Genuinely curious.

Below is my attempt at unraveling the mystery that is Milton Bradley's 1950s Chutes and Ladders game board.

Good Deed #1: Digging up dandelions from your own yard and planting them in your neighbors' yard. Soon they, too, will be able to enjoy the delights of owning their own lawnful of "wish" flowers! How kind.

Reward: Your neighbors will be so pleased, they'll offer you fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes as a thank you! Unfortunately, you hate tomatoes, so of course you give them to the poor. The self-satisfaction you feel upon doing so is its own reward, is it not?

Bad Deed #98: Attempting to hitch a ride via your cat's tail.

Punishment: Nothing you didn't absolutely deserve.

And you know it.

Good Deed #9: Doing yard work without being asked.

Reward: After an exhausting day of working out in the hot sun, a shimmering circus tent will suddenly appear before you. You will be compelled towards it. You will never be seen again.

Bad Deed #47: Going fishing directly behind a No Fishing sign.

Punishment: After catching, cooking, and consuming what turns out to be a radioactive fish (the sign did try to warn you), you begin to hallucinate you're being chased by a disembodied leg. It chases you to the ends of the earth and makes you very, very sorry for what you've done.

Good Deed #36: Eating lots of delicious White Bread.

Reward: No more pesky belly button for you to worry about!

Bad Deed #87: Forming a human ladder to reach a jar of cookies when a simple summoning charm would have done the trick.

Punishment: Augh!! The broken glass!! The copious amounts of horrible blood!! And where are the cookies? That's right: they were never there to begin with. This was a test, and you FAILED. Now go see Madam Pomfrey about that arm.

Good Deed #71: Helping a lady out by suggesting the perfect accessory for her ensemble -- in this case, a handbag that exquisitely complements her emerald-green frock. Chase after her with said handbag if you must. She'd be lost without you.

Reward: Go on. Treat yourself. You know you deserve it.

Bad Deed #64: Braiding your client's hair the normal way when she clearly requested French braids.

Punishment: It's back to remedial beauty school for you, young man!

Good Deed #28: Tying up your little brother. Little scamp needs to be taught a lesson!

Reward: He'll thank you later.

Bad Deed #62: Accepting a job as a waitress at your aunt Millie's roadside diner. Child Labor laws have been around for decades, but neither of you seems to care. 

Punishment: Laws exist for a reason, Sally. You just had to have that new bike, didn't you? Well, now Millie's garnishing your wages for a week! Let's be a little more careful in the future, hmm?

Bad Deed #56: Skating near a No Skating sign.

Punishment: Frostbite, naturally. It's a real shame about those toes.

Bad Deed #95: Throwing your mom's vase out the window.

Punishment: "You break my vase, I break your pig, got it?"

Good Deed #4: Reading books.

Reward: Graduate 10 years early.

[Also in this photo...]

Bad Deed #16: Shooting rubber bands from behind your books instead of reading them.

Punishment: I dunno, for some reason pointy hats are bad and flat hats are good? 

Bad Deed #93: Making crappy art!

Punishment: Your monthly bath gets moved up to today. That'll teach you to be creative!

Good Deed #80: Making crappy art!

Reward: Fame & glory!

I know, I know. Life just isn't fair.