Weaponeers of Monkaa

My friends over at Spy Monkey Creations are at it again. This time with a serious, mischievous grin on their face. They mean business.

Moving from making original accessories to various toy lines, including Masters of the Universe Classics, they now try their luck at a completely original toy line!

The Weaponeers of Monkaa!

Launch is October 1st. Read on for some of my thoughts!

A few pictures from Legoland

Forgot Figure Friday yesterday, so make this S... Saturday. Something toy on S... Not sure, I'll have to think about it.

Anyway, here's a few pictures from last time I went to Legoland, Denmark. Nothing fancy, and certainly not giving the models justice. It's amazing how they have made that many buildings. Kids don't appreciate them, for sure (And I can recall not caring either, when i was 12). They just want the rides and the Lego-store.

But to me, as an adult, I'm stunned.

They have sections for different nations, even one for Norway. And some of the models - like trains, boats and buses, are moving. Most of the buildings light up, and the space shuttle had a whole sequence of actions, including smoke and lift off sound.

Enjoy your weekend.

The incentive to get started, learn, improve.

I got a request the other day, a person asked me for some advice when it came to the incentive to get started with cooking, to maintain the drive to make home cooked meals, and to improve his skills. I found the questions interesting. This wasn't "help me make scrambled eggs", nor was it "how do I make my fish more interesting". This was something else, and I don't shy away from the chance to get philosophical on a subject I enjoy. It could be toys, comics, or in this case cooking. His questions were more a string of thoughts around his current state as a beginner. And keep in mind, in many ways, I consider myself a beginner too. Like I've said recently, I've still a lot to learn. And even though there are some recipes I master to perfection, nothing is good to the point where it can't be improved. 

This fellow amateur asked me for advice when it came to actually getting motivated to cook his own meals. Maintaining the discipline, and how to improve. He also asked for some of my personal routines for keeping the interest up. 

Read on for my answers. 

How hard can it be? Cake edition.

I can't make cakes. I can bake the best bread in the world. I can cook rather fancy meals that would impress most people. But I can't make cakes.

It's not something I'm embarrassed over. Obviously not, since I write this article. But it annoys me. It's something that really should be simple. I mean, if old women can do it, why can't I? How hard can it be?

Well, read on to find out...

Figure Friday: IKEA Groland, and other tools...

First time in Figure Friday, I will feature something else than toys. Well... not your traditional understanding of what a toy is anyway. Because the fact is that I consider these items very similar to my toys.

Read on for an explanation, and for what is quite possibly the greatest furniture ever!

How to make nachos...

Renovating an apartment is taking it's toll. I failed to publish anything - even a simple picture - last Friday and this Monday, and I apologize to loyal readers of Toys and Bacon blog.

But things are shaping up, and a friend told me I should get used to having lots of spare time as soon as the apartment is done.

As an update, I can tell you that the kitchen is gradually taking shape. It is a temporary solution, as I aim to redo the entire kitchen. But for now, it will do. A few final touches, like painting the horrific original floor in a more neutral color, and we're talking business. But that's not to say I'm not making food. I have assembled quite possibly the greatest piece of furniture in the world (yes, better than the late, great Benjamin), which I will show in better detail on Friday, and I've gotten used to not having induction plates. So I'm making food again. Simple stuff for now, more complex stuff will follow in the near future.

Today: One way to make nachos. Read on!

And then this almost happened...

I almost feel the need to make another lengthy rant, but this isn't really news any longer. I'll make it short: Marvel would have dared to take this risk. Hell, they have even done so in the past... Even when Transformers was a new, unproven concept, they threw in their most beloved character, Spider-Man. I don't even see why there's a risk? Would nerds not buy the shit out of a Transformers/JLA comic? This would be the most hyped comic in recent memory. Is that where the risk is? That the comic would not live up to the hype? Plenty of comics have failed to live up to their hype. Heard about Batman: Hush? DC's Identity Crisis? Every single one of Marvel's company-wide crossovers since Secret Wars?

For all I know, we may still see the Transformers/Justice League crossover, but the rumor right now is that we won't. I'm not too bothered. Sure, it would be beyond epic, but what can you do when their creative forces are held down by company executives. Just like with the live action movies, DC should start looking at their competition for a blueprint how to please their fans.

Missing meals

Things are crazy these days, with moving and renovating a new place. I may have missed a Figure Friday article, but at least I didn't miss lunch. Scrambled eggs, smoked trout on crisp bread and a simple salad makes for a great lunch.