Upon This Rock (or Brick)...

Sex In The City

Trucks, vans, cars, jeepney, tricycles, motorcycles. Cut, turn, stop. No signals. I still love being an urban biker. I am such a romantic.

My Iron Lung

I have ditched the daily morning park rides in favor of an at least twice-a-week street ride. Got bored going around in circles (or maybe just too lazy to get up really early during mornings). Having fun looking at people in their cars get stuck in traffic while Panda and I roll along merrily. My street/traffic awareness has gone up. My leg strength too. My lungs, unfortunately, will forever remain weak. Although I no longer have to wear my allergy mask (which is an improvement already) I still gasp heavilly for air when going up minor uphills.

And, the Limited Edition BGC Cycle Philippines Tech Polo I ordered arrived a few days ago. I have already worn it a couple of times and I am hoping they would sell the same type of shirt (in size 4XL of course) during the Alaska Cycle Philippines on May. It is made by F2P using what they call "Active Dry Transfer Tech". It is soft, light and thin, yet strong enough to handle my bulges. Yup, I really like this shirt. Remember: "We all can't wear spandex."

Chasing Horizons

 

Arrived quite early. Few cyclists, just milling lazily around the start area then. Ride with the Tour De France champion's yet to start. My wave will be flagged off in a couple of hours. Worked on Panda, she's been squeaking like crazy. Couldn't narrow down where the noise's coming from. Hell. Thought of just trying to tune it out. That and her being stuck on a single gear? Things weren't looking bright. Joined the guys from my bike group. All foldies got bunched into one wave. A cut-off time's put up. I needed to do some pushing, hard pushing. I'm more of a "relax and enjoy the scenery" rider. Starting line, right in front. Perfect for photo ops.

7am. Gun fires. People started busting out hard. "Is this a race?" Morbidly obese and asthmatic, I started out slow. Bikes zipped by left and right. I didn't get going until my breathing found a steady rhythm, until I wasn't gasping for air anymore. The ride was good, fun. Even with the heat. Even with the flyovers. Even with the chain slips. 

BGC Cycling Philippines, see you next year.

Juice Up

Here we go. CNN has an article about the Raspberry Pi. I hope the local media pick it up so that the RasPi gets exposure here in the Philippines. It would be great if computer classes get 1 or 2 of these boards to tinker with.

 Why Everybody Wants A Raspberry Pi 

2013

Like always, for various reasons, this blog has been thoroughly neglected. Hopefully, I will be in better health come the new year, and also less lazy.

Aside from the blog, the diecast collection also suffers from neglect. Mattel (Matchbox and Hotwheels) releasing crappy castings contributes to this. Johnny Lightning still keeps me interested, with all the VW T2s they churn out.

The Kool Kombi is a new HW casting for 2013, and should be on every want list. It is out in other countries now but I have yet to see it locally. (I might not see it on the pegs 'cause of hoarders and speculators.)

Having a piece of Pi, Raspberry Pi.

It has been more than 2 weeks since I got my Raspberry Pi. I have not been able to do much with it, except for the standard- installing XBMC and activating Airplay so that I can stream stuff ftom the iPad to the TV.

Hopefully I can acquire a keyboard and a mouse to do some minor coding in both Python and C++ using Geany under Debian.

Happy fat Raspberry Pi eater here.

Get Some Culture

Little P.'s class went to a concert.

Here are some videos:

Haplik at Salakot (part 1)

Haplik at Salakot (part 2)

Upuan - Gloc 9(part of it)

When Old Folks Dance

Little P. danced "Haplik at Salakot" for their school fair.

Click the picture to watch the video.

Let Them Go

From the toy loving people of the Die-cast Car Collectors of the Philippines:


Fellow collectors,

One of the annual highlights of the 6th Christmas Toy Fair is the donation of toys to the less-fortunate children of our society. The beneficiaries for this year are Kythe Foundation for cancer-stricken children of the National Children's Hospital and ABS-CBN's Larunungan Kalinga Kapamilya Toy Drive for kindergarten students.

Unknown to some, DCPH is a regular contributor to this cause thru some of our kind-hearted members and it will be more special to participate now because we are staging our 1st Philippine Diecast and Custom Car Show during the Toy Fair event. Years ago, on our own, we also gave contributions to BATA Foundation, a charitable institution looking after abandoned street children, and to National Children's Hospital as well.

On behalf of the DCPH Execomm and 1st Philippine Diecast and Custom Car Show organizers, I'd like to ask for your humble contribution to this cause by donating your unused or extra toys to these children. Let's give our share in bringing smiles to these children's faces and make them forget even for a few moments their unfortunate condition. Toys may not necessarily be diecast cars. You may also donate other kinds or cash directly to Kythe Foundation.

For the toy donation, you may bring your items during the swapmeet day, Dec. 18 (Sun) and look for any DCPH Execomm member. The official turnover to them will be in the afternoon.

Thank you in advance for your generous contribution and may it reciprocate happiness to you as well. God bless you all and Merry Christmas, DCPH!

The Perfect Way To Raise Little Pervs

At the recent 2011 Toy Fair and at the CES, Mattel unveiled its latest creation, the Perv Video Racer. A video camera housed in a 1/64 scale car. It has an LCD screen on the chassis and carn record 12 minutes of video at 30fps. The budle has an SRP of $59.99 and comes a case that makes it possible to attach the car to helmets, bikes, skateboards, shampoo bottles, laundry hampers, and maybe even to the pet cat. Also included is a Video Racers software and a USB cord for uploading and editing on a computer so that your little Hayden can make movies with music, effects and transitions.

Photos from Chipchicklets.com.

Trick Or Treat, Smell My Feet

Knock, knock.
Who are you?
I am a witch.
I am a little witch.

A little witch cat.

The Launch

I was into the NBA even before the Jordan era. Like most here in Asia, I followed players and not teams. We got the games via the UHF channel feed from the old Clark Air Base. I tried, and failed, to copy Bird and Magic, and ended up being a fat kid with a respectable 3-point shot, an awkward running baby hook, and funny-looking blind passes. I also wanted to copy Barkley but I cannot, for the life of me, get even just one inch off the ground. So, it was the trash talking that I picked up. Then came this skinny kid from Wilmington. He took flight and left the whole world gawking. No Internet then, so I turned to magazines. I had a bunch of them, all having Mike on the cover. So, every month, in Dau, while my much older brothers were secretly buying "Club" and "High Society" from PX stores, I would be browsing for Jordan magazines.

While waiting for a beer call I went digging through some of the boxes in one of our storage rooms. I knew I still had some of those Jordan magazines. Some, because majority, the better ones, have been given away to a friend who rode the Bulls-Jordan Bandwagon when they were already kicking everybody else's butts. (Yes Chris, that's you!!)

I found some.


A skinny kid in some Italian made shoes.


The same kid being helped up by a "fat" guy in shoes that kiddies today think was inpired by AJIVs. SMH.


The fat guy taking flight.


You can click the images for slightly bigger versions.

Slimer Also Glows

Just got back from Embassy Cuisine for the Air Yeezy launch. It did not do anything to change my view of the shoes. I have been to funerals that were livelier.

Bunker presents


the Air Yucky..ah, I mean the Air Yeezy.


Hey, it looks good all covered up.


There it is.


I wore this to match the Yucky's sole.


Yes, it glows in the dark too.


They had buildings outside glowing too. That's how you throw a party. LOL!


Honestly, if I was in grade 2 I would be camping out for it too. I woud be rocking it with my Ghostbusters  Slimer shirt. Latest, line is already 10 people deep as of 12 noon, and they will start selling at 7pm. God, forgive them.

When Kids Attack

Wow, I am getting mad traffic in here for the last couple of days. Must be the ugly shoes. I am surprised I have not gotten any hate comments yet. Anyway, I might be at the launch to show support to Nike PI and to Bunker. They have brought in some good stuff lately (although none for my outdated taste) and hopefully they bring in more to keep the local scene lively. And yes, I still do not like the shoes.



The Nike Air Yeezy is for release on the 4th. This picture was taken April 2 in Toronto. If you are not laughing, I am. HARD.

The Kids Are Not Alright

I really worry about the children today. No, really. They are not well. Must be the air, it is too polluted. Maybe the food as well, too many chemicals in them. TV? That is another thing. So much garbage being peddled around as TV programs. You can blame the parents too. But, we all know children do not listen to their folks so you can take that out. I might be in the know when it comes to how kids today behave and think, I have been working with them for almost 13 years now.

Nike Air Yeezy.
(One of the ugliest, yet most sought after, shoes ever to come out.)






Yes, I know. I am way too old now.

A Taste Of Life

Apparently, the week that just ended was not that interesting. No real blog entries. Times like this I wish I have a cellphone-digicam. Nothing beats a picture blog. Haha.

We finally got a taste of Pepper Lunch. I liked it. Did not love it. Maybe the other dishes would hit me with more impact.

Speaking of food, my Canadian brother has put up his own blog, Taste Asia. Now, this guy can cook. Hop on over there if you are into good food.

Risen

Hide the children, they are back!



Thursday. January 22, 2009. 9PM. 6underground, Pearl Drive, Ortigas. Php150 entrance. 1 Red Horse free. CDs at Php180 each.

Oh My God, They Killed The Swapmeet!!

I went to the DCPH Swapmeet. Quite noticeable was the low turn out. Normally the place would be packed hours before the actual start of the event. The online marketplace might have something to do with this. Why attend the swapmeet if you can buy items regularly via DCPH.com? I do not know if the execom sees this the way I do. Or maybe, people had no money just yet, coming off the Christmas season and all that. Anyway, they better start looking at it before the swapmeet becomes a thing of the past.

Top Kombi collector Mr. Boy Mariano.


Children should be the ones buying toys, right?


Managed to dispose some old pieces. Still, too many cheapskates out there. Haggling for an item that goes for $10 on eBay being sold for 100php?! (And there were some that did not register to avoid paying the 150 entrance fee.) My profit went to the single piece I was able to bring home- the Club Car Drag Bus. This is my very first Drag Bus. You might wonder why, seeing that I am a VW Bus collector. Only one reason, I think the DB is a bastardization of the Kombi! I only bought this because part of the proceeds is going to charity, plus it is the club car for 2008.







Philippine flag on fire.

Do Not Touch My Hot Rod

I was looking at some of my diecast cars, the Kombis. It felt like they were unhappy for being neglected. I have not been able to add to this line, my main, for quite some time now. The last piece, a Disney Store exclusive Fillmore, was acquired September of last year. I have actually bought several pieces since then, none of which are Kombis. I have a new "main" line. One that will remain a secret for now. Sorry, no Ferraris here!