Nendo Al Azif by Good Smile Company (GSC)

Al Azif (from the game, and anime, Demonbane) photoshoot with the T1i.

As always, the patented Nendoroid 'cuteness factor' is shown in full force in this chibi version of the mystic grimoire.


Al Azif's 'smirk'.
Good Smile Company's quality is again present, and each part is well made and detailed.


Al Azif's accessories - communicator headset and her clear-cast 'familiar'.
Another hit Nendoroid from GSC. And this is even one of the earlier releases (number 29, to be exact). 9/10.

Camera: Canon T1i
Mode: Av mode, F-stop range 7-8, 1600 ISO (I keep forgetting to play around with this, but the T1i loves to default to 1600), manual selective focus points, AWB

Cheers!

Transistion

Today is my last official day in our company. And same for a couple of more other very good co-workers and friends.

You can say we are 'collateral damage' of the current economic situation that is affecting not only companies here in the US, but everywhere. It is sad, but the situation will eventually spring back, in due time.

On the other hand, a couple of us were very fortunate to have been re-employed and still work with the company (albeit, re-badged). Very lucky to have been given that opportunity, specially with the state of jobs and openings nowadays.

It is kind of sad, and weird at the same time though, to be given an 'exit interview'. Never have I experienced that before, but then again I guess there is always the first time. And as I have noted, I guess the impact isn't that bad, since there is work already set for me, though a very humbling experience during those moments when things were up in the air and everything was just uncertain.

Come Monday, me and a couple of co-workers will be 'returnees' of sorts, back on the saddle and with more challenges and new people to work with (including a group that is in a different continent and time zone). It will be very interesting how this pans out.

As for our friends and co-workers who will no longer be working with us, thanks very much for the experience and chance to have worked with you all. It's the company (meaning the people themselves, the ones we work with everyday), that really matters in the end.

Cheers to all of us and best wishes to our new endeavors!

Gambare, mina san!

Zig-zag-zoom!

The other night I was at the local Fred Meyer and just finished getting some groceries, and as I was pulling out of the parking area, I saw these orange cones that were positioned in the parking lot to redirect traffic away from the line used by those who are gassing up at the Freddy's gas station.

For fun, I decided to go through that route following the cones and cutting it close on the last cone of the 'curve'. Reminded me of my autocross days with the Subie at PIR.

Autocross is definitely fun. And I highly recommend it. You get to see and experience your car's (actual) maneuvering potential (and your driving skills) in a controlled and safe environment. And you don't need to have a fancy car at that (but lucky if you do have one). There are different classes for how each car is (stock or modified). You'll be surprised at how your car (and yourself) react in the course.


Taken from my first autocross session - back-to-back. Looking at this pic, it's interesting that the car in front of me was a Mazda Protege (which I have now). The Mazda in front of me is the Mazdaspeed (turbo) version though.

And you get to learn a lot and meet really cool folks. Aside from learning your car's handling, you get to know more about the vehicle dynamics - say how tire pressure affects handling. Understeer vs. oversteer. Proper exit speed. Trail braking. See how ABS really works (and how some don't care for it much). Rain or shine. Plus if you like working on cars (like I do), there's a lot of info and ideas readily available - just don't be shy and ask around!

One of my more memorable autocross events is the back-to-back rainy day session we had at the PIR. AWD was everywhere and pushing it. It was also the first time that I drove my Subie with summer tires in pouring rain, and that was interesting. Feeling the AWD pulling you straight when you oversteer is neat (I do not recommend this being done on regular roads though, ok?).

Braking to negotiate a 'box'. As odd as it sounds, the Subie is quite challenging to drive, despite the AWD. The AWD doesn't mean 'invincibility' at curves. Plus in stock form, the Subies just love to understeer (hence one of the first mods being made is to the suspension and front and/or rear sway bars).

Though I do not have my Subie now, I think I'll consider some autocrossing sessions for the 2010 season, with Yuki, my Mazda Protege. I'll be in stock class, so it will be interesting driving a FWD car - though they say it is much easier to drive FWD in autocross (no drifting though :-P). I will be running HP Summer Tires though, so I might be bumped one class (or sub class) up. Thinking of running lower suspension too, so that plus the tires will bump me out of stock class for sure. We'll see come spring/summer 2010.

But whether you are a motorsport/car fan, or a casual driver, I'd highly recommend taking a day or two at your local autocross course. Just don't go overboard - you'll enjoy every minute of it.

Drive safe! :)

Funky windy night!

The wind is gusting pretty hard outside. Well, not 'that' hard, but hard enough to be noticed.

I've read about the Columbus Day storm that had winds that would make this night's wind look like a cat's sneeze. Here's the Wiki Entry about the Columbus Day storm.

I'll be checking on my Jeep outside - I hear some debris flying around already - more likely plastic garbage cans and can covers.

Hey, on the bright side, I don't have to sweep all those leaves outside my walkway tomorrow. Nature's 'leaf blower' is in action tonight!

Stay safe everyone!

Go Pac-Man!

TKO win by our very own Manny 'Pac-man' Pacquiao, in the Welterweight title fight with Miguel Cotto last Saturday, 11/14/2009.

A very good friend of mine and his family hosted a PPV viewing of the event. As always, good food, very good company, and everybody had a very, very nice time. Which tripled in fun with Pacquiao's win a few moments into the 12th (and final) round.

You got to hand it to Miguel Cotto, who fought hard. We actually were kind of worried for a while, since Cotto had a good assault in the first two rounds. But Pacquiao's speed went into action and he slowly turned the tide to his favor.

At least we got more for what we paid for, unlike Pacquiao's last event with Ricky Hatton - which lasted a mere 2 rounds with Pacquiao knocking Hatton out in the closing seconds of round 2.

But congrats and cheers to Manny Pacquiao for a well deserved win! And also a big hand to Miguel Cotto for staying in there, and being a good sportsman all the way.

Cheers all! ;)

Nendoroid Comic 02: "Shana's Wish Come True"

Whoa? Back-to-back nendo comics? I do have too much free time on my hands, geez. Actually, this one took a while to do. I had the pics done, but haven't edited it in MSD 4.0 until this posting.

Actually, it also serves as learning the MSD 4.0 software, and playing/tweaking with the Nikon's settings for indoor photography.

So, here's Nendoroid Comic 02:

Shana's Wish Come True

Note: Select 'L' from the image size options for a better view.

Cheers! :D

Cupcake and Apple Pie

Day of sweet pastries today - got homemade goodies from good friends.

First, an awesome apple pie from Takoyaki-chan and TofuCarpenter-san in the morning:


Nice and loaded with apple slices. I wonder who baked it?

And topping it off in the afternoon was a banana-flavored cupcake from Cakemaster-chan. Thank you NintendoWii-san (Cakemaster-chan's hubby) for bringing over the cupcake:


Mmm...banana-cupcake with vanilla frosting...itadakimasu!!!

And in the evening - the cupcake didn't even make it past 7pm, and yes it is as good as it looks. And the apple pie? Let's say it's on its 'last legs' as of the moment. :D

Thanks for the goodies, everyone! Arigato!

Is a DSLR worth it?

I've had that question in my mind for a long time. Back then, DSLRs were still pretty expensive, and if you're not really into photography, it isn't something that you need to have. A point-and-shoot will work great for the casual user.

I guess I fall between the casual and heavy camera user. When I was in high school, we had two cameras at home - a Ricoh KR-5 SLR and a point and shoot 110 film camera (I think it was a Vivitar). Whenever the budget allows, I always get film for the 110 and bring it along and take pics as often as I can (and as often as the budget allows).

The Ricoh is owned by my sister, and before anyone can use it, one needs to ask for clearance from her before first. Of course, film and developing isn't cheap, but everytime I had my hands on that SLR, I just enjoyed taking pictures a lot more.

Back to present day - Friday (11/6) night, I was at Costco, procrastinating about getting a DSLR. I had a brand in mind already, the Canon Rebel XSi. I walk in, and fiddle with the demo models. I liked the Canon DSLRs and they do take awesome pictures. While looking around, I noticed that their newer entry-level DSLR, the T1i, was on a special sale. Now that made me procrastinate more.

The T1i is a newer model, has a better sensor than the XSi, and it has 15 megapixels (effective). Though that megapixel number really doesn't matter, and is more a concern if one is thinking to print bigger sized photos. It does sound nice though.

Time to leave first and think. So I get a churro and a drink and mulled about it more. Halfway through the churro, I decided to get the camera.


The T1i, my very first digital SLR. Will I be keeping it? Or returning it after 90 days?

Of course immediately after paying and all, I again thought, '...will I be using this thing enough to justify the cost?' I didn't have an answer then, but when I got home and started taking pictures with it, I do believe it was worth the buy.

I immediately reminisced that feeling I had when I first took and developed my first pictures with our old Ricoh SLR back then. And it was a good feeling indeed. :)

The quality of pictures and the versatility a DSLR offers is worth its weight in gold. Yes, not everybody needs one, and even some point-and-shoot digicams can (almost) rival a DSLR's picture quality, and is a no-brainer choice for casual/everyday users. The point-and-shoots are also compact and way easier to carry around (yes, captain obvious, hehehe).

But as for versatility, overall image quality, and upgradability, the buck stops there for the point-and-shoots, and this is where the DSLRs shine (provide you do know what you are doing and understand at least the photography basics). Considering too that most DSLRs can use the same lenses that the film SLR cameras use, now that is a big plus.

So I guess I'll be hanging on to this unit for a while...

...I do have 90-days to 'change my mind' though, just in case, so let's see what happens... ;)

Display Stand Project: Done!

This project started out as a 'mock up' and I wrote up a bit about it here.

Then I got the materials, and with very crucial and well appreciated help from a good friend (let's call him TofuCarpenter-san), the cardboard mock up stand became the real deal.

It was a cool and fun experience working on the stand. My friend likes doing woodworking projects a lot and has his neat 'underground' shop where he got the tools of the trade.

We started a little after 5pm, and took our time a bit. A lot of cutting was done.


One of the stand sides

It was a little dicey working with the table saw, as I'm not that used to it yet. The table saw is a tool that you definitely need to be operating with full focus and awareness! But then again, all power tools need to be used with such an attitude, regardless, as these tools can easily get loose and cause damage to someone (or something) if one is not paying attention while using such a tool.


Platforms cut!


Almost there...

After some more rough cuts, sanding, routing - we managed to get the 'final product' completed.


Done! Mock up on the right side for comparison.

I'd say we did a good job on the project. There is room for improvement, of course, but considering the time and conditions (it was cold and raining that day), we did good.

Many, many thanks to my friend TofuCarpenter-san, and his wife, let's call her Takoyaki-chan (who is a very good friend of mine too), for their time and hospitality during this project. :)

I'll still have to do some minor finishing/sanding, and am going to stain with a darker shade. Then it goes in the Detolf shelf.

Again, thanks very much - my Nendo team is all happy now!


Arigato gozaimasu, TofuCarpenter-san and Takoyaki-chan!

Now, I still have some wood left over... display stand part 2? Stay tuned!

Yosh! Dewa mata! ;)

** Cakes Galore **

One of my 'weaknesses' are cakes. From the simplest and plain pre-packed butter cake slices, to more 'complex', multi-layered ones, I'd eat a cake any time, any day.

A good friend of mine (let's call her Cakemaster-chan) started baking stuff, and she has progressed so awesomely, that if you see her creations, I bet you'll think it was specially made by a high-end bakery somewhere downtown in a secret 'VIP-only' location. And that's just the outside of the the cake.

Now grab a slice.

Then bite into it to complete the overall awesome cake experience. Yummy indeed!


One of my friend's masterpieces - an awesomely made baby shower cake!

You'll see that in every creation she makes, the effort and attention to detail speak for themselves.

Each cake is a masterpiece, a work of art, and not some run-of-the-mill-mass-produced-cake (though I do like those mass-produced kinds too...I told you, I'm a sucker for cakes!).


Not only taste, but presentation is emphasized. What's in the nice boxes? Cupcakes!


Even Rin agrees - the materials used are good enough to live in (note: Pocky snack and Rin not included)!

Check out her blog here. I've also linked her blogsite in my blog links section.

Cheers and good luck, Cakemaster-chan. For sure you have all our support (specially our tummies, hehe). Keep up the good work!

Gambare-gambare, Cakemaster-chan!! :D

Reard drum brakes...

Rear drum brakes for-the-lose (FTL)! Yep, that's my opinion. It's a bit ironic to hear from a guy with both vehicles that have rear drum brakes though. :P

Nevertheless, I believe it should be 4-wheel disc brakes standard now for ALL cars on ALL trims.

I do understand - the drum brakes cost less for the manufacturer, and sort of in a way to the consumer, since drum brakes do last longer than disks. In reality, main stopping power is handled by the front brakes, with the rears in more of an 'assist' mode.

Drum brakes are not easy to replace too (DIY). And they don't work really well for powersliding and making handbrake turns (I know it doesn't apply to all, but I like doing this from time to time...) ;-)



Handbrake-assisted turn in a Subaru WRX.

My best brake system experience to date is with my 'former' Subaru STi (4-piston front, 2-piston rear). Those Brembos are really neat, both in stopping performance and DIY maintenance. Changing out the pads and cleaning/lubing the components - such a breeze to do!

But you can't always get what you want, and I have to face the drum brake facts. I still have to try and work on a rear drum brake system, and I'll be doing one soon (with Yuki, my Mazda Protege).

Just a simple takedown and cleaning, maybe replace the shoes - I hope I don't lose any of the retaining springs and clips! :P I'll post more on this project when I start it.

Cheers! ^-^

We Pray...

We pray for strength, courage, and perseverance...

For peace, comfort, and serenity...

For betterment, hope, and guidance...

For everyone...



Amen.