My Corner of the Universe

The Big Project - Part 3

2011-11-27T15:08:00.001-05:00

After 5 days, about 20 hours, I completed the Executor, Darth Vader’s Super Star Destroyer.
The final stages were done in two parts: first, the engines, then the final top “wings”.

The engines were built in 5 different sections, the ones on the sides being done in two sections each, and the rear ones in one bigger one. Everything snapped together with “socket” type pieces.

The top “wings” were just as long as the ship and were one long continuous piece. They were built separately, and then snapped on where the red dots are along the edges.

The left side going on first.

The final product. As you can see, it’s quite long. It was definitely a blast building it. I enjoyed it a lot. Now, if I could scrape the funds together, I’ll buy this:

I can tell you exactly why they’re not selling…

2011-11-25T19:41:00.000-05:00

Big story today out of Toronto regarding the “sale” of the Toronto Maple Leafs. They’re not being sold:

The [Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan] said in a statement that after an eight-month ownership review, it has decided to maintain its stake in the company, "which has been and continues to be a very successful investment."

The reason why? It’s not the estimated $2 billion value of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, it’s not the $505 million value of the Leafs.

It’s the income that they bring in. Leaf fans in Toronto go to the games in droves, they buy the memorabilia, they pay a lot of money to MLSE. And in this day and age with lackluster investment performance, money managers like the OTPP are looking for good sources of regular, strong income. That’s what MLSE and the Leafs provide.

Smart move, OTPP.

Idiots commenting on online news articles...

2011-11-23T12:37:00.001-05:00

I know there's a big demand for witty and brilliant comments on news sites, but I read one today that just made me wonder.

I was reading this article and decided to read some of the input by the unwashed masses. I saw this comment:

STANG12
I nearly fell asleep too. Canadian politicians are a cure for narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy (for those that aren't aware): a chronic sleep disorder, or dyssomnia, characterized by an excessive urge to sleep at inappropriate times, such as while at work.

I'm sure he thought he was being brilliant; instead he was being idiotic. I'll have to follow this article for a while to see if anyone replies to his comment.

**edit 28 Nov 2011**

I see that the comment has now been edited to read "cure for insomnia"...