Yes why not, I'll jump right into the 'Fun' category. I initially wrote this for an internal posting but it turns out it wouldn't be needed for a few weeks. So, I thought I'd just post it here for now:
Friends and family recently tracked down a really cool gift for my birthday - a LEGO set that was out of production - the classic Star Wars AT-AT (4483). When they told me the story of how they tracked the set down, it got me Google-ing on LEGOs again and lots of fun and interesting stuff turned up.
So why do I write about it here? Because there's some sort of connection between those of us in technology fields and LEGOs - adding Star Wars to the mix doesn't hurt either. Take a walk around our office and you'll find a couple of LEGO 'shrines'. I'm willing to bet there are a few other closet LEGO maniacs out there as well. So, based on that hopefully a few of you will find this interesting.
First off, where did my friend track down this cool set? Ebay you say? Well, that would be a fine choice, but he did one better. He found a LEGO-only site called BrickLink. Along the way, he also came across a cool site where you can find a part listing for most every set out there. OK, that might just be trivia, but it's still cool.
So, what are people doing with LEGOs? If you're familiar with LEGOs, you've heard of the more technical side of things found in Technics and Mindstorms. This guy has taken it a step further and created a Rubik's Cube solving contraption - amongst other things. Wow.
There's also a more 'artistic' creativity being displayed with the building of LEGO scenes. Want to see an illustrated Bible story? The Brick Testament was done by a guy that has a LOT of time on his hands and certainly a healthy dose of imagination. And believe it or not, there's even a tribute to a recent popular/controversial movie - yep, welcome to LEGO Brokeback Mountain (One image could be considered 'graphic', but come on, it's LEGO).
Want to play with virtual LEGOs? You can certainly get some of the licensed LEGO software out there. Or you can check out LDraw, an open-standard LEGO CAD program to create virtual LEGO models or scenes.
Just to throw another tangent in here, if you want to check out an entertaining read about technologists, LEGOs and yes, Object Oriented Programming check out Microserfs.
I've always considered LEGOs to be a fantastic educational toy for kids (and kids at heart). But if you just stick with the easy to find stuff, you're missing out. There are a number of sets out there that are little known - frequently sold only through educational outlets - but a BLAST for kids. Check out the DUPLO Brick Runner and DUPLO Tubes sets. Then, get youself (uh, I mean your kids…) a NILO table with the 2-sided LEGO/DUPLO mats and you'll be SET.
When it comes to LEGO, I'm just skimming the surface of what all there is to play, learn and experiment with. Check it out and have some fun!