Kaitimar continues to update his Flickr photostream with wonderful creations, both old and new. The “Stinger” (above) is a new variation of his earlier steam hornet.
And as bonus, a steampunk blimp we missed previously in Kaitimar’s Brickshelf gallery, the Moon Moth:
Name: Harvey Milk
Dates: 1930-1978
Biography:
Harvey Milk was a city supervisor for San Francisco, California, and one of the first openly gay politicians in the United States.
After moving to San Francisco in 1972 with his partner, Milk opened a camera store in The Castro district. After running unsuccessfully several times, Milk was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1977. He was instrumental in defeating a proposition that would have banned gays and lesbians from teaching in California schools.
In 1978, Harvey Milk and San Francisco mayor George Moscone were assassinated by a disgruntled former supervisor named Dan White. Despite the fact that White had carried extra ammunition and crawled through a window to evade security, he was convicted of voluntary manslaughter instead of premeditated (first-degree) murder. White was sentenced to less than eight years in prison.
Learn more: Wikipedia
The 1986 novel Hardwired recounts the adventures of Cowboy, a smuggler who rides around a post-apocalyptic landscape in a high-tech hovertank.
I like pretty much everything Kaitimar builds, so it was great to find him on Flickr recently, where he posted this great tank inspired by the novel.
(Via YSAB.)
Nnenn‘s recent spacecraft have had a decidedly “buggy” look (though others have compared these to Invid or the mobile armor mode of RX-110 Gabthley from Gundam).
Name: Dred Scott
Dates: 1795-1858
Biography:
Dred Scott was an African-American slave who sued for his freedom in the antebellum (pre-Civil War) period of United States history. Born as the property of U.S. Representative Henry Taylor Blow‘s parents, when the family had financial problems, Scott was sold to Dr. John Emerson. Emerson traveled frequently, including to states where slavery was illegal.
When Emerson died in 1843, Scott became the property of his widow Irene, whose brother John Sandford became the executor of her late husband’s estate. Attempting to follow the principle “once free, always free” (since he had traveled to states such as Wisconsin and Missouri), Scott sued for his freedom in 1846, financed by his former owners, the Blow family.
After 11 years of lawsuits, the United States Supreme Court handed down a decision, ruling that no person of African descent (regardless of their status as slaves or free people) could be a U.S. citizen, and could therefore never have the right to sue for their own freedom.
In the meantime, Irene Sandford Emerson had married a noted abolitionist, who was unaware that his wife owned one of the most famous slaves of the era. Irene’s new husband returned Scott to the Blow family, who were now living in Missouri and could therefore emancipate him. In 1858, Dred Scott died of tuberculosis, only nine months after earning his freedom.
Learn more: Wikipedia
I often think (and I’ve mentioned it often enough here on TBB as well) that the simplest ideas seem to yield the most beautiful results. Sure, complexity has its place, but paying homage to a lowly but beloved 1×2 printed tile is sheer genius.
But then again, we already knew that about Jon Palmer.
The Very Reverend Brendan Powell Smith keeps the faithful masses opiated with more installments of The Brick Testament. In this month’s episodes, David kills a few thousand foreigners and steals another man’s wife.
(Reader discretion is advised.)
Name: Albert Schweitzer
Dates: 1875-1965
Biography:
Dr. Albert Schweitzer was an Alsatian theologian, physician, philosopher, and musician. Early in his life, Schweitzer gained a reputation as a noted theologian with the book The Quest of the Historical Jesus. Schweitzer lived a life that expressed his philosophy, which he summarized as “Reverence for Life.” In addition to opposing war and violence in all forms, Schweitzer was a strict vegetarian.
Having already earned a doctorate in philosophy in 1899, Schweitzer decided in 1905 to travel to Africa as a medical missionary. By 1913, he had earned his medical doctorate. In that year, he and his wife Helene founded a hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon, where Schweitzer spent most of the rest of his life. As a renowned organist, Schweitzer earned money from performances (along with the proceeds from his books) to fund the hospital. A strong opponent of colonialism, Schweitzer frequently criticized the “crimes” and “oppression” of Europeans in Africa.
After World War II, he joined Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell in opposing nuclear weapons and testing. In recognition for his lifelong commitment to his peaceful philosophy, he was awarded the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize.
Learn more: Wikipedia
The brick-built lettering alone makes this very cool house from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, as built by Ed Diment, worth sharing with the world. Of course, the minifigs and interior are wonderful as well.
Building a geodesic dome is a complex engineering challenge. Jon Palmer tackled the challenge a while ago with his “Shpleem Dome”, and has just shared instructions on how to build your own. Head on over to ZEMI and read all about it.
