LEGO Love Their Brick-built Characters

The LEGO Group’s collection of brick-built character models is on a roll in 2026, adding Shrek (one of my cherished characters) to a line-up that is just getting bigger year after year. 

They embrace a wide variety of themes. Coming soon from the LEGO Group (in partnership with Universal) are the first-ever Shrek sets, bringing the beloved ogre to life in brick form.  

The LEGO Shrek sets are due to release June 01 and comprise of a triple BrickHeadz pack and a larger display piece focused on Shrek & Donkey. Fans of the animated movies will be able to build some of their favourite characters, including Gingy, Donkey, and Shrek, there is even a Puss in Boots Minifigure. 

Two new sets for adult and kid builders launch to celebrate the franchise’s 25th anniversary:

If you must know, its roots go much farther back in LEGO history. Technically, the first buildable character sets (of the full character, not a bust) were 8010 Darth Vader and 8011 Jango Fett in Star Wars’ brief crossover with Technic in 2002.

Come 2017, such sets would become a normal part of the LEGO portfolio, but only with a handful of sets every year. And as more licenses join the portfolio, the range of buildable character sets continue to grow. 

Notably, Star Wars would remain a part of it at every stage, and now they have a bigger selection of buildable characters to choose from than at any other point in LEGO history. 

These models come in all shapes and sizes, too. Whether you want them to be huge and displayable, or smaller and playable, there’s something for everyone. 

They don’t always depict humanoid or otherwise normal versions of these characters, either. Most recently, the LEGO Group have experimented with up-scaled minifigures of key characters, such as Santa and Harry Potter (left). 

Whether you love them or not, LEGO buildable character sets are here to stay!

Iran's LEGO Trolling of Donald Trump

The Iran war is not just being fought on the battlefield – it is also playing out online. 

Explosive News, a “student-led media team with a background in social activism” have been regularly releasing an engaging style of "educational" content: AI-generated "slopaganda" although I actually consider it a form of animated documentary. 

The videos are entertaining and they quickly went viral. These clips, done in the style of LEGO movies, satirize global political figures, such as mocking Donald Trump (mostly) and Benjamin Netanyahu or depicting defeatist military scenes. 

They've become inescapable artifacts of an international conflict that was already generating barrages of digital content. It should be pointed out that the political messaging on display in the clips is as blunt and cartoonish as the blocky LEGO characters. 

And, they're actually very effective because many Americans think like kids and this type of video appeals to them as it's the only way they can understand! 

YouTube terminated the Explosive Media channel on March 27, 2026. The platform cited violations of its spam, deceptive practices, and scams policies as the reason for the ban. 

This is all BS; it is about suppressing the Iranian voice to promote the US-Israeli narrative and maintain their status quo.  

Even with the ban, iterations of these "LEGO-style" AI videos continue to resurface through a persistent cycle of new accounts and cross-platform sharing.  

Besides, they remain active on TikTok, Instagram, X, and Telegram.

Methinks, Iran is now beating the US at its own propaganda game!

The videos definitely hit!

Proper LEGO Crocs and Jibbitz Charms

If the big cumbersome LEGO Brock Clog wasn't for you, you’re in luck as more conventional LEGO Crocs are here! 

LEGO and Crocs have revealed a collection of more regular looking LEGO Crocs (including kids options!) and Jibbitz, but with a dash of LEGO playfulness incorporated into them, which launch from today onwards. You can purchase them online from LEGO.com, ahead of a general release date of March 19, 2026 where you’ll also be able to get them from Crocs' online store, and physical Crocs stores too. 

These look pretty fun with the LEGO logo, and familiar icons like studs, plates and other elements incorporated into the regular Crocs design. 

There will also be 3 new themed Jibbitz Charms packs featuring different LEGO elements and even minifigures to personalise your Crocs.

[In case you didn't know, Jibbitz charms are small, decorative, snap-in accessories designed specifically to fit into the ventilation holes of Crocs shoes and bags. They allow for personalizing footwear with thousands of options, including letters, characters, foods, and hobbies, making them popular for customizing style]. 

Note: There is quite a steep price-premium compared to regular Crocs, just so you know. 

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur played out a 1-1 draw at Anfield in the Premier League yesterday. 

Alexis Mac Allister won a free-kick 20 yards from goal, left of centre, allowing Dominik Szoboszlai the chance to attempt one of his now-trademark set-piece efforts. And the No. 8 did not disappoint, lifting the ball over the wall into the back of the net in the 18th minute. 

However, in the final minute of normal time, Spurs swept a shot in from close range to claim a deserved point. 

Anfield erupted in jeers as Arne Slot’s side once again let a lead slip in the dying moments. 

WAKE UP, LIVERPOOL... or resign yourselves to being dumped from the Champions League!

LEGO TMNT Returns

I was a big fan of TMNT. I reckon I still am. 

[If you don't know, it is an American media franchise created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers trained in ninjutsu who fight evil in New York City. The franchise encompasses printed media, television series, feature films, video games, and merchandise].

Cowabunga! A new LEGO BrickHeadz set has been revealed on February 01 with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures.

Releasing on April 01, the set has 567 pieces and will retail for $39.99. [Note: These BrickHeadz marks the return of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles after a 12 year hiatus with the last sets in 2014].

The set features Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello along with their accessories.

On Wednesday, I went to Cyberjaya together with Ahmad Fakhri and Jamilah Samian. We attended the Cyberjaya Community Toastmasters Club meeting which was held at the office of Sigma Retrix Sdn Bhd located in CBD Perdana 2.

I took up the role of Speech Evaluator for speaker no. 2.

 

And if you're interested to know, we sold 13 books, consisting of 7 TDIYS and 6 TPOYS at the said meeting.

The Lego x Crocs Collab

Get ready to unleash your inner child, because Crocs and The Lego Group have teamed up for a collaboration that’s pure, unadulterated fun: the Lego® Brick Clog. 

This isn't just another shoe; it's a vibrant, imaginative new silhouette that perfectly blends the quirky comfort of Crocs with the boundless creativity of the iconic Lego brick. Designed to inspire you to "build, rebuild, and reinvent", this is footwear that practically begs you to play. 

Each oversized pair is a love letter to Lego, featuring four chunky studs proudly stamped with the Lego logo. A pivoting heel strap keeps them snug on your feet, while the sole cleverly mimics the anti-stud pattern on the bottom of a Lego brick. 

And the fun doesn’t stop there. Every pair of these collector's clogs comes with its very own tiny partner-in-crime: a Lego minifigure decked out with four of its own miniature Lego Brick Clogs. 

Think of it as your creative sidekick, ready for any adventure you can dream up.  Actually, they're more of a novelty, rather than serious footwear!

Available in a bold, can't-miss-it red, these clogs are the ultimate statement piece for anyone who believes you're never too old to play. It's time to wear your creativity proudly. 

World No. 2 Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan clinched their 7th World Tour title after being crowned Indonesia Masters champions without having to step onto court. 

The Malaysian pair were due to face Japan's newly formed duo Arisa Igarashi-Miyu Takahashi in Sunday's final, but were awarded a walkover after Takahashi was sidelined by a fever. 

Despite the anti-climactic ending, the title provided sweet redemption for Pearly-Thinaah, who finished runners-up at last year's Indonesia Masters after losing to South Korea's Kim Hye Jeong-Kong Hee Yong. 

FYI, Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei last won the title for the country in 2011.

Malaysia also earned two more titles. Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani won the men's doubles and Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei won the mixed doubles. 

A historic treble – the first time the nation has won three titles at a Super 500 event or above since the World Tour era began in 2018.

Danes Offer to Buy California

The ‘Denmarkification’ campaign launched by Danes on Monday seeks to crowdfund $1 trillion (€970 billion) to purchase the US state of California – and they're even willing to throw in a lifetime supply of Danish pastries to “sweeten the deal”. 

After all, they pointed out that US President Donald Trump has already described the state as “the most ruined” in the US.

The said group humorously had suggested that the acquisition would bring Danish cultural values, including “hygge” (comfort), bike lanes and Smorrebrod sandwiches to California. They also planned to rename Disneyland to Hans Christian Andersenland (after the famed Danish fable writer) jotting down “Mickey Mouse in a Viking helmet? Yes please”.  

Speaking to Politico’s Playbook over the weekend, the group’s founder, Xavier Dutoit, suggested that LEGO executives should lead the talks with the US about acquiring the state because “dealing with children throwing tantrums over missing bricks has made them experts in negotiation”!

The satirical idea of purchasing the territory comes after Trump reiterated his interest in buying Greenland. He has repeatedly floated the idea of acquiring Greenland – an autonomous territory of Denmark – citing the island’s significant strategic and economic value for the US. 

Both Danish and Greenlandic officials have vehemently rejected the idea. Trump, however, has suggested that he would be prepared to use military and economic force to obtain the territory. And US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stressed last month that purchasing Greenland is a serious goal and “not a joke”.

The body of water formerly known in the United States as the Gulf of Mexico is now listed for US-based users of Google Maps as the Gulf of America. 

The change follows an executive order by US President Donald Trump renaming the area. Google have previously said they have “a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources”. 

“People using Maps in the US will see ‘Gulf of America’, and people in Mexico will see ‘Gulf of Mexico’. Everyone else will see both names”, they said in a statement Monday. 

Google said last month they would also change the name of Mount McKinley, the nation’s highest peak, from Denali following Trump’s order. Former President Barack Obama renamed the Alaska landmark to Denali in 2015 as a nod to the region’s native population. But that change hasn’t been made on Google Maps as of Tuesday. 

Both changes stem from an executive action that Trump signed shortly after taking office, saying the changes “honor American greatness”.

LEGO Is Anti-LGBT

The LEGO brick is anti-LGBT and promotes the idea that there are only two genders, an exhibition at the Science Museum in the UK has claimed, according to a February 06, 2025 report in The Telegraph. 

Titled "Stories of Queer Communities, Experiences and Identities", a self-guided tour at the London-based museum includes a display of Lego bricks and a message, supporting the argument that the toy item can be against the idea of inclusion. 

"The top of the brick with sticking out pins is male, the bottom of the brick with holes to receive the pins is female, and the process of the two sides being put together is called mating", it states, without adding any source that people consider Lego to be gendered, or that sticking bricks together is called "mating". 

The museum claim this is "an example of applying heteronormative language to topics unrelated to gender, sex and reproduction". Notably, the tour has been put together by the Gender and Sexuality Network, a group of staff and volunteers who say they are “committed to creating more visibility and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community in the Science Museum”. 

 Of course, the Internet reacts. 

"Stop seeing things 'queerly'. Problem solved", said one user. 

Another added: "What about magnets? They have two poles! Magnets are transphobic! What about batteries? They have an anode and a cathode! Batteries are transphobic!" 

A third commented: "Are they going to make nonbinary Lego parts now?"

A much-changed Celtic – Brendan Rodgers brought nine players into the starting line-up – eased past Raith Rovers 5-0 in the Scottish Cup fifth round yesterday. 

Daizen Maeda opened the scoring on six minutes and added a second just before the interval (45+3), before Luke McCowan struck just after the restart (47) and Yang Hyun-jun added a fourth in the fifty-sixth minute. And Maeda completed his hat-trick from McCowan's fine assist in the seventy-seventh minute.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich are next up at Parkhead in the Champions League on Wednesday.