As important as anything I read at GH or here...  I still visit all 3 since I've always visited all 3.  Conversation's universal and doesn't stop because of Philip disliking the staff here without cause.  Nobody likes Scum's policies, their "community" is a joke, but when funny things happen there they become comical conversation here, it's inevitable.  Not that your being de-modded is comical to me LJ, but it isn't a job I think you were cut out for...  I don't know WHO is cut out for that job over there other than maybe GNT, and that's because he's the "ideal" forumite over there...  He's like the Rebelscum Mascot.  

Hell if he "sold a thing here and there on Ebay just to fund his collecting habit" I'd think he would be named mascot openly since I do have to admit that Matt was pretty spot-on about the whole scalping thing...  I mean, it's not like that'd fly over here if it was public and I was really sorta disturbed when I read that over there too.  Yikes!  It totally debunked the whole "collect-to-collect" theory in my eyes and it was (as I said) just something comical to bring up...  Kind of like the hypocritical links in sigs BS that was being dumped on people there when the staff were violating the same rule.

The whole thing about the picture...  That's no huge deal, and I agree that it's got more made out of it because of the fact you want nothing to be known.  That's your right though so who cares really but it's what fuels the fire ultimately.  No harm no foul though I figure, it's not like it's any skin off your ass or anyone else's right?  So no big deal...

I think most people here probably think you were de-modded for something comical in and of itself though, nothing you really did, but just more of the same old same old asinine stuff that goes on over there behind the scenes...  It was porn, and not even quality stuff at that, but man for a site hard-up for mods I'd think they wouldn't be quick to act against LJ or any of their other mods.  That place is barely under control as it is, so that seems counteractive to me but what do I know right?

Long time with not a lot of news...  Basically stuff is still trickling out slowly in some areas, and in other areas it's an F'n deluge of great stuff. 

This is why I hate Wal-Mart having much of anything to do with a line, and pretty much having exclusive control on distribution.  I pray Star Wars never sees the day that only WM would carry it.  We'd be doomed at that stage.

Anyway...  My area is still mostly Marines, however I did notice a new thing here and there...  and I use "new" loosely.

First the Nightfighter ME-109 started surfacing here and there...  That means about jack and **** to me, and jack just left town.  The plane looks really neat, and it's black of course, and it even makes me wonder what a neat repaint A-Wing in the SW line would look like in black, but whatever... 

Anyway, planes aside I didn't see a whole lotta new stuff of late...  Still no Japanese Infantry that I really want to build a massive army with.   Still no Battle of the Bulge either unfortunately.  I did find some Sahara figures though!  Yay!

My buddy Ryan (SLC) has some for me, and these were bought as an early b-day gift tonight so I'll have a couple.  They're ****** quality overall unfortunately because they're prone to breaking, but they would make really great figures for:

-SAS customs...  The British "Desert Rats" kinda guys.  Very cool potential there.

-Modern "enemies".  You could really manage some modern enemies, friends, allies, or even civilians out of these.  The figures lack swiveling biceps though, so holding a weapon is NOT an option.  That's what really sucked about them.

-Star Wars fodder...  The outfits scream Star Wars, and would easily repaint to accomodate a number of SW background characters.  I've always felt arab-styled clothing would fit into most any scene from Coruscant to Tattooine.  They're good fodder.

The downsides to both Sahara figures are:

-Likenesses are NOT even close.  If that's Matthew McConnehey (sp), the supposed sexiest man alive, then I'm apparantly a close 2nd.  And the guy from "That Thing You Do" (the costar of Sahara and comic relief I guess) looks REALLY neat for a sort of 1970's haircut dude.  Big sideburns and stuff.  He's really neat, but both heads are a bit large...  Not too bad, but like they look awkward on say a Capt. Antilles body, but on a bulkier figure they'd look cool.

-No Bicep Swivels...  Unfortunately no arm swivels so the arms aren't nearly poseable enough.  They have ball/socket shoulders, and even the cut joints at the thighs for great leg poseability, but the arms need that extra point to really make these the perfect fodder.  Some work and someone may get that joint working, but really I'd dump the thigh joint for the bicep swivel. 

-Brittle/Fragile...  Kinda like the Army Of Darkness figures as far as how easily they break.  My one figure's wrist broke right out of the packaging!  I didn't even touch it, it just broke.  Amazing.

And I'd also say that 21st's sculptors could've hidden the wrist joint at the bracelet, the top of the sleeve or some such, but htey instead chose to put it right about mid-forearm.  Weird.

Oh, and no accessories but a 2nd "wrap" head, and a stand.  Neat to get a 2nd head for certain, ****** to not get a gun.  Hell, pack in an AK-47 or something just to make it more appealing.

Nice paintjobs, neat concept, possible fodder for future release as "arab enemy" figures for a modern line, but missed marks in the arm articulation mostly.

Enjoy... 

Well when you sit and play video games all day you don't need a car to go do other stuff so why spend that $1000 wisely?

Dimensions released of the AMT/Ertl kit say it's reasonably close, however the dimensions could be the packaging...

Actually, the dimensions would put the tank droid at perfect scale, but upon further reflection of it I'm 99% convinced it is the packaging dimensions not the model itself.  That's a huge disappointment.  I'd pay good $ for model kits that were to-scale to the figures.

I'd actually prefer that over Hasbro doing vehicles.    I can do a better job building/painting them than Hasbro can.

He didn't help in OT, but the O line still blew, the running game didn't get **** done all game much less OT (had they punched through we'd have likely won in regulation I think), and then you could get into the Special Teams, etc...

The only solid point was our Defense was on almost all game I think...  Not that Baltimore is an Offensive powerhouse in anything but body odor, they still posed a threat that the D was handling.  Lots of great D to keep the Steelers in it but they just didn't march down field.  That OT drive was heartbreaking at best...  They should've trampled the Ravens and been well within field goal range if not all the way down tot he red zone. 

Oh, and I'm proud to say that Cowher deserves blame too...  He had Maddox running these long pass plays instead of little screens and short passes.  He's much better at those, he's proven with those, but he barely attempted any.  When he did they freaking scored!  Frustrating was the only way to describe that game and they did everything they could to lose it.

I never knew Matt was missing a finger on his right hand.

Nobody here is ideal.

Speak for yourself Bill.