Presenting the absolutely gorgeous red-hot Yoko, the Gurren Brigade’s master sharpshooter; superbly crafted 1/6 scale PVC statue by Kotobukiya that has been on my wishlist from since quite sometime ago =)
which, can also be configured into a much shorter sub-machine gun. The level of details on the weaponry is simply mind blowing! ~ it’s got a very detailed eye-scope, detachable ammunition & battery pack! Even the lever slider can slide back & forth!
Yoko assumes a relaxed stance, perched on a stool (essentially a figure base that moulds into her lower curves & let’s her sit properly *nice*); taking a well deserved break from fighting Beastmen =)
This is an investment, to protect my investment in photography i.e. camera gears. Since i bought my DSLR over a year ago, i’ve resorted to several methods of storage to keep it cool & dry ~ to prevent detrimental fungus growth on the delicate lense surface. From keeping it in airtight tupperware containers with silica gel to storing it together with thirsty-hippo in the camera bag to keep the humidity low; but there is no surer way than getting a proper dry-box / cabinet.
Bought a 48L Sun-Dry dry cabinet with automatic humidity control on my recent home trip, coz i’d get to piggy-back on my mate’s car which, arrived here last night on a trailer, since he’s moving here to work as well. Thanks brada Roy for the transportation & CT for helping me get the discount kang tao on this black box. =)
The dehumidification unit uses a dial knob control (is it analog?) with control precision of +/-6% (Aipos have better precision at +/- 1 to 2%) integrated into a feedbackloop for auto control; but that (precision) doesn’t really bother me as long as it is capable of maintaining the RH% of between 55 to 40% which, is the ideal reference humidity for storing camera lenses, magnetic tape, disk & film items. In operation mode, the unit performs silently & doesn’t generate much heat at all ~ claimed to be super low power consumption rated at less than 5 watts. The digital humidity gauge on the front panel however needs to run on a separate single AAA battery. It also features an airtight magnetic compartment door; like a fridge’s.
It’s only as large as my 1/6 Kotobukiya Yoko... =p
As for the storage space, 48L in actual somehow doesn’t look as big as in the adverts, but is very sufficient for my current gears, coz i’ve yet to add extra gadgets. The storage features a 2-tier compartment that can be height configured. That’s 500 bucks for a black box to store 2 camera bodies, 3 – 6 lenses, speedlite + some additional accesories...
Had a chance to take a joyride in the highly coveted latest Civic Type-R a.k.a FD2R, courtesy of a friend of mine; this is one fine breed of a street / race machine straight off the factory ~ powered by the potent tuned K20A1, race prepped chassis, fine-tuned handling, close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission, significant reduction in weight compared to the base model, aero-effect parts, a set of light weight forged rims & rubber slicks ~ all in stock trim. But as with any true tuning enthusiast, stock is never good enough, since there is always more performance potential to be realized, even from a legendary R-breed. This particular example is anything but stock; she has been graciously endowed with quite a bit of bolt-on go-fast bits from reknowned brand names that would make any motorheads drool over. Modification list includes a full intake & exhaust system upgrade (J’s racing titanium muffler rocks big time!), oversized pistons?, Ogura racing clutch, 18” Mugen GP forged rims + Toyo 888 slicks, Hondata K-Pro ECU, electronic throttle controller, a host of Defi gauges & an ultra cool (& expansive) Gtech-Pro EGS (Expandable Gauge System) ~ basically a multi-display meter with in-built self-contained data logger that can be easily configured to tap into existing engine sensors to capture multiple engine parameters in real-time driving condition and then be played back to facilitate DIY fine-tuning of the K-Pro plug-n-play programmable ECU. Oh yea, did i mention he’s got the Sabelt 4-point harness installed on the bucket seats as well. I’ve yet to see another brand new 200K FD2R done up to this extent, in Kuching... This baby really runs, handles & sounds like a focussed track car; it’s f*cking loud! Even with the reasonably well insulated cabin of newer cars of such stature, it’s still deafening inside the cabin with the windows all rolled up when this baby runs on all cylinders with the VTEC orchestra on full song all the way to the redline! The handling of the stock suspension & brakes are pretty impressive, *i likey* though may be a tad too stiff for some. According to the owner, it’s nothing to shout about, just yet; he’s commission another race-built K20A engine with K24 block in progress.... now that’s going to be a monster engine once it’s complete!
This is his other race-built engine; of the B-series which i could relate to better, coz afterall i’m running a similar B16A currently. It’s a B16 / B20 hybrid stroked to 2.2L with *if i can recall correctly* Skunk2 Pro Stage 3 cams + valves + valve train, Toda adjustable cam gears, S2 Pro series intake manifold, Super90 70mm throttle body, ported & polished head, forged JE pistons, balanced crankshaft with ACL race bearings, lightened flywheels, upgraded fuel line & injectors, manual transmission with LSD + 3,4,5 Kaaz gear ratios, running on Hondata S300 ECU & the long list goes on & on...
Not sure how much horsepower this monster engine makes, but the rough estimate in the region of 250 to 300 horses at the flywheel sounds reasonable conservative. On the quartermile run this engine had easily recorded a 12 second-ish mark on a 800 ++ kg stripped out 2nd generation Prelude engine on bald tires... That’s awesomely fast for an NA car. I wonder how it’ll perform if i were to plunk this monster engine into my car.... =D
And then there’s also my mate’s auto EG9 B16/B20 hybrid. Though on different league compared to the earlier purpose-built race machines, due to the nature of the modification levels, this light-tune hybrid powered ride of my friend is also a force to reckon... Still retaining the stock head mated with the stock auto slush box with only the block modification, this ride can also pull hard all the way to the redline; it’s got tons of torque at the low end coz of the increased engine capacity, good for a strong launch. Pitting it against my mildly modded 1.6l, i think i’m going to have problems outrunning his car despite my gear ratio advantage. When it comes to making horsepower, there is no replacement for displacement (cc); or you can cheat by turbocharging or supercharging the engine... For the tuning path for NA B-series, B16/B20 combos are the way to go; people keep telling me i’d be wasting $$ putting more modifications into the torqueless B16 engine. Somehow, i’m stubbornly insisting on realizing 200-horses from my tiny NA 1.6L 4-cylinder screamer. Will see how it’s going to turn out to be in the near future. =)
Here’s a testament to why the days of the puny B16 ain’t over yet. I’ve posted this video before; just can’t get enough of the noise of VTECs on steroids!
0909 ~ is an auspicious month to tie the knot. On my recent home trip, I've had 2 weddings to attend in a single day, on the 19th. I had only managed to attend the morning wedding reception of my old friend & ex-schoolmate, Marvin at St. Thomas Church. He's travelled all the way home from Dubai, to marry his sweet heart.
Congrats, Marv & Ivy... that's a lovely nest to start a new family! =D
On that night, I was another wedding reception & dinner, that of my cousin, Ian's. He too flew back from overseas; from Aussie to be exact, to wed his beloved who originates from Singapore, & coincidentally goes by the name of Ivy as well. The wedding dinner was held at 4 Points Hotel, Sheraton with almost half of the congregation from different continents; it was quite an international affair. It boasts a very grand ballroom, but unfortunately the dim-lit ambiance wasn't lighting-friendly to my speedlite-less DSLR with standard kit lens, hence I've only got a handful of photos to show...
The highlight of the event was the charming rendition of a duet (i couldn't recall the name of the song) followed by a ballroom dance by the bride & bridegroom. Congrats, Ian & Ivy! =)
