Pisces_of_everything

Bruticus Heavytread 'Upgrade/Update'

2015-05-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, what's the upgrade/update here, you ask?

Current...

Previous...

That's the upgrade/update.

Technically, somebody thought that it's not enough to upgrade Swindle and Blast off - Brawl needs a re-scan too...

...and here is the 're-scan', Power Core Combiner (PCC) Commander Autobot Heavytread.

I'm no tank expert, but this looks very much like M1 Abrams Tank (The one used in the movie.)

Here's his robot mode.

The upgrade/update works by some 'minor tweaks' to the tanks 'rear end' and then pulling out the connector from the orginal bruticus combiners. I prefer the original brawl or swindle to keep them color coordinated. This one's from swindle.

Fits perfectly.

If you want to do this upgrade/update, you might want to consider the fact that Bruticus foot requires two pegs and Heavytread has only one peg.

Consider also your customizing skills. I thought that should be easy, but I ruined one connector prior to this one. You would also need to be creative on doing that center tube on the connector - I used a tube from a ballpen that fits almost pefectly on the pegs on Heavytread, just needs some instant glue to adjust.

Lastly, you might want to consider the fact that Heavytread looks thinner and shorter, so even if you get the height just right, Heavytread would still look somewhat off.

For me, I do not recommend this update, for aesthetics alone. I wish vortex was the one who had the upgrade, making him more G1 looking. Well, we'll see if we can do that.

Thanks for reading!

-ghe

Toy Review: Mix Master - Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen

2014-12-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Acquiring Autobot Scoop somehow 'completes' my Revenge of The Fallen Constructicons.

So, to open this series, I'll start with Mix Master.

He is tame looking concrete mixer...

...who transforms into this mean looking alien robot.

Details of face - he almost look like Megatron himself.

Pipe lighting illuminate the eyes if the back of the catches light.

Unfortunately, this unit is one of the hardest to transform - as you can see, I f*ck*d up.

So this is probably the last time I'm gonna transform this one.

I cannot really say much about this unit except that it's a clash of simplicity and complexity - simplicity in the vehicle mode and the complexity of transformation and bot mode.

More to come next time so stay tuned!

-ghe

Toy Review: Transformers Generations Autobot Scoop

2014-11-01T01:28:00.000-07:00

I thought, the only Transformer whose alt mode is a Payloader is the Consctructicon Scrapper - well, I was wrong.

The package comes with a graphic series (comics)... not really that interesting for me...

Here's Scoop in his Payloader mode. Nice and neat and...

...lowered?

The toy clocks in at under 2 inches.

Here's his robot mode with Targetmasters CALIBURST and HOLEPUNCH.

I need to reshoot, hehe :)

I expected CALIBURST and HOLEPUNCH to be just the same mold and a recolor of each other - but it seems, even if they are similar, they are generally different molds altogether.

They transform into these guns...

...which can be combined to from one large gun for Scoop.

Scoop has other slots to hold his Targetmaster weapons...

...slots which are also available in his Payloader mode, putting it into battlemode.

I probably bought this unit because it has the balance of the vehicle and robot mode, both of which I preffered.

Oh! One last pic (just came in) - if anyone plans to turn him to Scrapper and be the right leg of Devastastator, here's how he looks like.

Thanks for visiting!

-ghe

Crossbone Gundam Maoh 1/144 from Gundam Build Fighters

2014-06-24T08:05:00.002-07:00

My Top 10 Super Robots of all time

2014-06-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

If I would have to a toy collection of just 10 super robots, I would have...

10. Mekanda Robo:

One of my earliest childhood memories...

9. Vavilos:

Shaider's ship is more than just a giant gun, it's a giant robot too.

8.SDF 1:

Simply awesome...

7. Galaxy Robo (from Maskman):

Daimos wannabee, but still good...

6. The First Megazord from Power Rangers:

The only Megazord worthy of the title

5. Daimos:

Simple and classy

4. Mask Robot (from Maskman):

The first Tagalized Super Sentai and their iconic robot

3.Bio Robo (from Bioman):

The first robot that I thought to be real

2. Voltes 5:

You missed half of your childhood if you've not seen this

1. Voltron Lion Force:

I once cried for this toy as a kid for not having it...

How 'bout you? What's your top 10 of all time?

-ghe

Gundam Double X

2014-05-24T00:18:00.000-07:00

The foundation of my love for Gundams is probably the Gundam X series. I was really at awe on the power of the Gundam X Unit even if it seemed still a bit lukewarm - until The Gundam Double X came about.

Gundam Double X is the reversed engineered version of the original Gundam X, doubling its destructive power via the Twin Satellite Cannons. (More of this later)

This 1/144 scale model kit comes w/ an array of weapons. I also got a free gattling gun from the current anime series Gundam Build Fighters.

Rifles and shield is standard to gundams and they are DX's primary weapons.

You gotta love these contrasting colors.

Beam sabers are another standard weapons...

and DX has two of them.

But of course, DX's main weapons are these Twin Satellite Cannons.

The power of the cannons come from those gold fins at the back. They are reflector panels that

You don't want these aimed at you like this.

Check this out.

I also got a gattling gun for free. Nice, eh?

The Satellite Cannon System can be removed from the back.

This really look nice even from the back.

Actually, the only reason why I got this gundam is because of the free movie tickets for the special screening of the Gundam Unicorn Episode 7.

But yeah, I really love this kit, hopefully I can get the 1/100 scale. hehe :)

Thanks for viewing! :)

-ghe

One Piece Journey: The all important Water 7 Arc

2014-05-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

To those who are new to One Piece and wanted to start watching, I suggest that the best place to start is at Water 7 - around episode 230++. This is definitely a major check point for everyone's intergrity both literally and figuratively.

A lot of things has been settled on this stop, particularly, these 5 things:

1. Trust issues with Robin

Everyone in Luffy's crew was chosen by him - except Nico Robin. She's the one who presented herself, telling Luffy that she becomes his responsibility by saving her. She really is the least trust worthy in the crew since we don't much is known about her. Zoro is also right to note that she is an enemy to begin with.And with her mysterious and quiet personality, you can't help but to find her as someone suspicious.

2. Usopp's insecurities

Probably the weakest in the team in terms of physical strength and bravery, Usopp will always feel insecure - that anytime, Luffy would just leave him behind. Unless these things that destroy him from the inside, Usopp will be difficult to trust as well.

3. Finding a Shipwright

The crew is made of brave and strong people. They can face almost any enemy there is. The problem is, there's no one who knows how to take care of the ship. Usopp can fix the damages to Merry, but knowing how to avoid those damages and how to properly fix them is not his expertise. If only they had the right shipwright, Merry could have gone father. Good thing Water 7 is the land of Shipwrights and they were able to convince one to join them. I think, even if they have bought a new ship but without a professional shipwright to take care of it, they would not go very far in their journey. The ship is important in their journey - equally important is someone who knows how to take care of it.

4. Ship Transition

Theoretically, if we measure the distance their ship Merry has travelled, I would say that she already encircled the world. Measure the distance from where they got Merry to the entrance of the Grand Line and then add up the distance they travelled from the entrance of the Grand Line to Water 7 and that would be probably enough to encircle the world. One way or another, they have to let go of Merry - and this is probably the best place for that - in the land of shipbuilders.

5. Luffy's Solid Leadership

Luffy's conviction to his decisions as the captain is probably manifested best in this Arc. Whether to trust and save his comrades, or find an additional one, or let go of the ship they had for so long and buy a new one, these are tough decisions to make. Never the less, they've been made no matter how absurd they are. Like Zoro said "We are not playing pirates here." True enough.

-----------------

The journey is still quite far, but this stop defined what this crew is made of.

The "One Piece" Formula for Happiness

2014-04-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

People who dig the Anime series "One Piece" probably realize by now that it shows us a basic formula on how to be happy. (I was about to write "successful" instead of "happy" but I guess that's the better term for now since the series is still on going)

Five keys to Happiness according to One Piece:

1. Set a specific goal

- Luffy has one goal in mind - that is, to be the Pirate King. And in order to become one, he knows that he has to find the One Piece treasure (whatever it is.) He was never distracted by critics and unbelievers - instead, he uses them as an inspiration to become stronger and more eager to prove them wrong.

2. Surround yourself with like minded people

- It's clear to Luffy that he will never achieve his goal alone. He is confident with his skills, but he is also aware of his own weaknesses. Thus, he began surrounding himself with people who, too, are goal oriented like him. He forged an alliance with them, sharing each others strengths and weakness, and vows to make each others dream come true even until death.

3. Face the challenges ahead

- Luffy is never afraid of anyone. Even in the verge of death, he will face every challenges ahead if he needs to. He knows that if it's the only way to continue on his journey, then he must overcome it. He can simply ran away from them, but he still accepts the challenges.

4. Learn from your losses

- Luffy did not win every battle immediately. He gets defeated too. But always learn from them, and then he tries again, until he finally wins. He needs a few tries for him to defeat some enemies. Determination, persistence in defeat and the willingness to start again - these are probably just some of the reasons why people watch the series.

5. Enjoy the journey

- In the end, Luffy may never find what he is looking for. Maybe One Piece is just a myth. Maybe the title Pirate King will never be bestowed on him. He may reach the ends of the world, but that may not enough. Thus, why not just enjoy the journey? It's probably the best thing about One Piece - Luffy will always have this positive outlook in life. He's always happy. Always smiling (except when he needs to be serious.) Even when he is about to die, he'll smile.

Maybe, this is what the followers of the series should also have in mind - that maybe there's no One Piece Treasure at all, but as long as you enjoyed the journey, it makes watching the series it worthwhile.

Toy Review: Revoltech's Danboard

2014-03-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

In spirit of creativity, my wife and I will join this contest...

...and as of this writing, our entries are already done and already submitted. :)

But before we reveal our entries, let's try to look at the "toy" first.

Presenting: Revoltech's Danboard

Well, this is the back part. I would like to present this first because the photo's quite ironic - for someone who's made up of boxes, he seems to be walking in the rain - or at least walking on a puddle of water.

Isn't that dangerous for him? Hehe.

Well, that's consistent w/ my wife's initial impression of him - from the pics on the net, he seems like "emo."

Here's the front part. Standard molded plastic in a box.

And more Japanese inscriptions around the box. hehe

Out of the box (but still in plastic casing). More details later.

Ok, here's Danboard... or Danbo for short...

and yeah, he looks spaced out. Hehe. Joke!

But seriously, this is one of the simplest toy that I've owned - that is, if it can even be considered a toy at all.

He emulates a person who's made up of boxes... and that's it. How simpler can it be?

He doesn't have much articulation either - just on the hips, shoulders and neck.

That's it - no knees, or elbows, not even a hands and feet. None - just boxes all over.

But as a toy, it has a gimmick.

You have to remove the head, look underneath, then set the batteries up...

...look for the switch at the right side of his head and...

Wow! Lighted eyes! Hehe. Cool!

The package includes a kid's head with a startled expression. Per research, his name is Miura.

I guess, he looks "startled' as he reveals himself to be the one inside the box.

Also comes w/ a stand. I guess Danbo can be an example of what you can do w/ Balikbayan boxes. Hehe.

For me, Danbo is not a toy.

It's a novelty item - a collector's item for the fans of the manga where it came from (Yotsuba&I).

I'm really challenged by the creative limits of this toy.

Maybe that's why I joined the contest in the first place - to push creativity to its limits.

But of course, I'm hoping to win something also. Hehe.

I'll reveal my entry on April 2, so tune in.

Enjoi!

-Ghe

The Other Side of EDSA

2014-02-25T06:16:00.000-08:00

(pic not mine, just found on the net)

I grew up in a house of Pro-Marcos. Although my dad si quite politically neutral, my mom is very supportive of Marcos. I'd like to think that it's simply because they're both an Ilocanos, but let's try to list a few facts and/or rumors during his time:

The Philippines is one of the wealthiest country in South East Asia
The Peso-Dollar rate is 2 pesos to 1 dollar (some even say it's 1 to 1)
The LRT and San Juanico Bridge was built during his time
He has forseen the rise of China
We are almost rice sufficeint during his time
He tried to re-acquire Sabah, but his plan was 'sabotaged' by Ninoy Aquino
His downfall/corruption was only due to Imelda
It was never proven that he was behind Ninoy Aquino's death
Ninoy once courted Imelda (and so the rivalry)
People only became fed up with him after almost 20 years as president

Compared to our current situation and to the presidents after his time, I'd say that he is still the best president in the past 50 years. He might hold a world record for one of the most corrupt presidents, but there are projects that we are still using today. I might not have been there to judge him, but from what I know, I think he deserves to be remembered for his achievements and not just on his failures.

A professor in college told me that History is sometimes a political thing - and if I am to give a concrete example of it - Ferdinand Marcos is the best example.

Happy EDSA Day to everyone, but I hope that you also try to know the other side of the story.

-ghe

The rise of Bruticus: EnCore - Play time: Attack of the giant furball

2013-11-25T17:50:00.001-08:00

"ATTACK OF THE GIANT FURBALL"

During the photo shoot, Vortex was attacked by a giant feline monster!

Woah! Help!!!

Onslaught tried to help...

"Die furry monster!!!!"

...but was attacked too.

"Aahhhh! Oh no! It caught me!! My cannons are breaking!!!"

"Aahhhh! It's consuming me!!! Help!!!"

"Let's get out of here!! Retreat!!"

"Quick!!! Form Bruticus before it finds us!!!!"

"Alright, now where's that f*ck*ng furball."

"Hey, can I join the fun?"

"Sure!!!"

Alright, let's see what you've got.

FIRE!!!!!!!!!

K.O.

=THE END=

-ghe

Previous entries of this series are here: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

The Rise of Bruticus: Part 5 - More Bruticus

2013-11-24T03:37:00.000-08:00

Note: Previous entry is here

This is the current update for the upgrade units, code name: FlameBlast and WarCry.

Some minor changes...

...but they are really just recolored versions of Swindle (Munitioner) and Blast Off (Explorer)

This gives Bruticus a whole new dimension when combined - something I'm not really a big fan of.

I really don't get it...

This is another 3rd party / fan made upgrade, a chest plate armor... I'll pass.

An Army of Bruticus... Megatron's dream.

Now, this is another 3rd party version. Epic, but too much...

This is the current official design based on the game Fall of Cybertron...

I'm not sure what happened to the design to look like this...

So, people are trying to improve this like the one below.

Yeah, sure...

Bruticus then and now...

As for me, I'm itching to customize Brawl to look like a legit tank. I used the old Blast off as a prototype.

Nice, eh? hehe.I'm still thinking how to form him into a left leg though.

I guess that's all for me now, this should be the last in this Bruticus series...

or maybe not, hehe....

Stay Tuned!

------------------------------------------------

NEXT PROJECT:

Feral Rex

a.k.a

"PREDAKING"

(This may take a while though... a very long long while... so don't count on it very soon... hehe)

-ghe

The Rise of Bruticus: Part 4 - One Team, One Unit (Plus One more member)

2013-11-22T21:55:00.002-08:00

Note: Previous entry is here

Initially, these two units were released separately.

The version that I got came on a single box.

It transformed this...

...into this.

Sweet.

And to form Bruticus...

Brawl transforms into a left leg,

Swindle into the right leg,

Vortex into a left hand,

Blast off into the right hand,

and Onslaught into the torso,

to form this.

I'm always at awe.

His first weapons are these pairs of back cannon...

Which can fold forward to become shoulder cannons.

He also has this anti material rifle.

Double shot guns,

alright!

He has this dagger (remember blast off's cleaver/sword?)

Which can also be held reversely although not securely.

Additionally, my set includes this extra gun w/c was not included in the initial release.

Which also transforms into a robot named QUAKE.

It pays homage to a character named Shockwave during their encounter in this particular episode.

Looks nice, but for me, I don't like this gun because it can't be held securely.

Die pointless freebie!!!!!!!hehe.

Next time, on the final entry, we'll look at the different variations of Bruticus including this particular version.

Stay tuned!

-ghe

Note: Part 5 is already here!

The Rise of Bruticus: Part 3 - Weaponize!

2013-11-20T06:55:00.003-08:00

If you haven't read the previous entry, check it here

The upgrade kit retrofitted the team w/ an array of kick-ass weapons.

Let's see who got what.

Brawl was given additional 2 guns which greatly improved his fire power.

Comparison w/ the original weapons.

Vortex was given two grenade launchers and a pair of rocket launchers.

They are usable in both robot and vehicle modes too.

Comparison w/ the original weapons.

Swindle is good enough on his own w/ his default weapon. He is an upgrade unit anyway.

But he can still hold other weapons too nonetheless.

Beauty in simplicity

Blast off's default is this cleaver w/c I'm not really a big fan of.

Instead, I prefer it to be deployed as large sword.

Ya!

He can also hold other weapons too.

And the sword can even be deployed as a tail fin blade in the space shuttle mode.

Onslaught had the most and the best of upgrades of all - a rifle, a pair of missile launchers and a twin cannon.

I prefer that his twin cannon be set up at the back this way. This makes him immobile though.

And because of the upgrade kit, he was transformed from this Rocket launcher...

To this heavy assault missile carrier (without the missile, hehe)

He can carry and transport every team member.

But he is specifically designed to be the shuttle carrier for Blast Off...

and also a launch pad.

Here's the team in their vehicle modes.

Now that we're done w/ the team, we'll dig in to their combined mode next time. Stay tuned!

-ghe

Note: Part 4 is already here!

The Rise of Bruticus: Part 2 - Meet the team

2013-11-16T05:32:00.000-08:00

Note: Go check Part 1 here.

Bruticus is the combination of a 5-member team called The Combaticons.

They are...

Onslaught

Blast off (Explorer)

Swindle (Munitioner)

Vortex

Brawl

Let's get to know them .

----------------------------------------------------------

Brawl is the berserk of the team, aptly named as a ground assault unit...

... and aptly given this tank mode with double gun (plus 2 more guns from the upgrades)

Vortex' main function is an interrogator...

and of course, air assault as this heavily armed helicopter, thanks to the upgrade.

Swindle (a.ka. Munitioner) is one of the two upgrade units - the munitions expert of the team...

and transforms in to this sleek looking Humvee.

Blast off (a.k.a.Explorer) is the 2nd upgrade unit of the team, takes care of outer space operations...

...via his space shuttle mode

And Onslaught, the team's commander...

and transforms into this Heavy Assault / Multi-function Carrier.

Next time, I'll try to compare how the upgrade kits updated the original release.

Stay tuned!

-ghe

Update: Part 3 is already published here.

The Rise of Bruticus: Part 1 - Acquisition

2013-11-12T15:54:00.003-08:00

Boo!

This is bruticus. He is my latest catch in my toy collection.

Technically, he's been with me for quite sometime now, tucked away with my other toys in some cardboard boxes at home along with my other toys. (I just don't have enough space for a toy shelf right now that's why they are kept away.) He originally looked like this.

Pretty lame, huh?

But if you're getting it at less than half the price, it's a steal! Hehe.

So I bought him coz he's cheap.Yeah, it sucks. But in all honesty, I bought him because I'm a big fan of the character. He simply is one of the best designed antagonist in the cartoon series. Maybe I manage to catch the episode when he was created that's why I was hooked even if he is on the evil side.

(Generally, villains are much cooler than heroes anyway, hehe)

Then, out of nowhere, a third company (meaning, not the original creator of the toy) made an "upgrade kit" for this toy. They teased everyone w/ this image:

Woah! Now that's interesting.

Later on they released this upgrade kit as these two 'replacement units.' (will explain later)

The price is one thing. Logistics is another.

Ok, let's go back to that original design.

Initially, he is made up of a single core (torso) with two pairs of limbs. With the picture above, the right leg and the left arm are the same unit, so as their counter parts (the left leg and the right arm). They can be re-attached to other limbs (arm to leg and viceversa) as seen below.

As if it makes any difference, hehe.

But if you go back to the original cartoon series or even the fist toy created, you can see that Bruticus is made up five different components merged into one, not two pairs of limbs and a torso.

His limbs differ not only in colors and but also in structure.

Back to the upgrade kit. So this third party company reverted back to the first design of Bruticus by replacing the pairs of the limbs by two new components. (More of those later.)

So, I have this version of Bruticus and this upgrade has just been released - what to do next?

Well, like hot new products, and like the caption on the picture "The price is one thing. Logistics is another." They are collectors price and can only be bought online, and I don't think I have the guts back then to invest.

So I waited...

When I finally had the guts to do it, the next challenge is how to get it. Locally, you have to buy each unit separately, which is very unwise thing to do considering the price.

Then I tried to make some deals with some people that I know to acquire it online - turned out, they don't trust the online buying too...

So I waited some more...

Then just recently, somewhere around the metro, I found the same upgrade kit as a combined package.

And after some more procrastination, I finally decided to get it last month....

...after almost 3 years of waiting.

Honestly, this one of the toughest decisions I've made in my life - to invest something like this.It's somehow liberating

So I dug Bruticus from the "grave" and immediately set things up. And here are some initial shots.

Sweet...

Next time, we'll check out the components that he's made up of.

See you then!

-ghe

UPDATE: Part 2 is already here! Check it out!

Let's Cook Misuang Shabu-Shabu

2013-07-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Somebody's questioning my Culinary Skills and hopes to challenge this dish (which I cook for her) by tweaking some ingredients and interpret it on her own, hoping to achieve the same gastronomic delight which my every dish brings. She already has the home court advantage, but I still don't mind disclosing my recipe as I am very confident it would be difficult for her to top this one. (Hehe)

Anyway, enough with the trash talking and let's start cooking. Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------

"Misuang Shabu-Shabu"

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Cooking oil
5 gloves of Garlic, chopped
3 medium sized Onion, chopped
5 medium sized Tomatoes, chopped
100 grams of Pork, diced, set aside fat if there's any
1 Small Pork Cubes
Some Patis (Fish sauce) for sauteeing
1 liter of boiling water
1 regular sized Patola, sliced
Dried Misua Noodles
9 pcs Shrimp Siomai
6 pcs Chicken Balls, cut in quarters each
Some crushed Chicharon (Pork Crackling) for toppings
Some chopped Green Onions for toppings
Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure:

On a medium sized wok, render some oil from the pork fat over medium heat until it turns golden brown. Add in more oil if there's not enough rendered oil from the pork fat and heat it up. Set aside the pork fat on the side of the wok, lower the heat, and then add in the garlic. Saute until light golden brown. Add in the onion and cook until transparent. Add in the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes wilted and rendered some liquid, stirring it occasionally. Increase the heat to medium to hasten the cooking process before adding in the pork meat and cook until it changes color. Add in the pork cube and crush it through the mixture. Add patis, stir once and bring to boil by increasing the heat. Add in the boiling water. Stir and let it simmer for a while. Add in the Chicken Balls and Shrimp Siomai. Simmer for a few minutes. Add the misua and the patola and cook until the Patola wilted. You can add some more water if the Misua absorbed too much of the soup. Season w/ just enough salt and pepper to adjust to your taste. Top it up w/ some chicharon and green onions before serving.

Serves 3-5

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-ghe

Defining "The Balance"

2013-06-07T09:02:00.001-07:00

I came across this blog by a colleague (through the company blog) w/c solicit tips on how to achieve work/life balance. Here, it was termed as "work-life integration," but it sounds even worse for me, so let's stick to the more popular term for now.

These are some of the "Secrets" that I wanted to share.

------------------------------------

5 Steps towards finding The Balance

1. Accept your priorities.

From the term itself, you should already know which one is your priority.

It's not "Life-Work Balance" to begin with, it's "Work-Life Balance." We work 5 (out of 7) days of the week - that alone is a great imbalance. As much as we want to deny it (or how others sugarcoat it), our work simply is our everyday priority. We start our day preparing for it, and we end the day sometimes exhausted for it. Much of our waking hours are spent on it, and for this, we simply have to accept it that WORK is the PRIORITY of our LIFE. We agreed to these terms when we signed our contracts, and that's why we shouldn't whine about it.

The people around us should accept that too. It's not that they are less important compared to our work, it's just that these are the way things are the moment we got employed. We have decided to dedicate most of our time for our job - and the people around you should know, understand, and accept that as well.

Accepting the fact that Work-Life Balance is 'not balanced' to begin with is the best way to start defining The Balance.

2. Make bounderies

Despite the demand of our job and the commitment that we made for it, you should still set rules for yourself.

It can be as simple as:

-No one can call me on my phone for personal matters when I am in the office. (Phones are not allowed in the work station anyway, so they have to wait after my office hours.)

-I'll only work until this hour, and if I have to extend hours, I should be notified early on.

-No one can demand anything from me that is work related when I am already out of the office. (Find someone else in the office to do it or I'll attend to it on the next working day.)

-No one can force me to go to work during weekends if I had no prior notice within the week.

These are just examples of your personal rules that you might want to set for yourself. It puts you under control of your life. It sets the bounderies between your work and your life.

But then again, these rules are limited by our roles and the contracts that we signed up for (refer to step 1 above.) Sadly, as we go up the ladder, the more demanding our work becomes and the less bounderies we can make.

Respect for the individual is one of our company's values - and you should start w/ yourself by respecting our roles that we play in our work and in our personal lives. When in the office, we switch off our personal lives, and vice versa.

Separating our personal lives and professional lives is another key towards defining The Balance.

3. Pay the price of your compromise.

Despite the bounderies, there will be conflicts.

Sometimes, your personal life would demand more time from you than your professional life.

Most of the time, however, it's the other way around.

When forced to choose, most people would complain that they never had a choice to start with, when in truth, the choice is always there - they just don't want to pay the price for it.

During conflicts, our only guidance will depend on our Values. We ask "which one is really important at the moment?" We must then understand that choosing one over the other will always have a price we have to pay for. It's part of the game, and part of the challenge.

Accepting the conflict and the price we have to pay for it is part of defining The Balance.

4. Reward yourself every now and then

Somebody in the office once said: "We are working so that we can buy the things that we wanted."

Bold and true.

People would use difficult and ambigious words to describe their career goals and ambitions, when in truth, Materialism is one of their main motives. It may not be the only reason why we work, but it's always one of the many reasons.

We shouldn't be ashamed about it (like these people) - being materialistic is part of being human. As long as it is not our only drive and as long as we don't waste every penny that we earn, it's fine to indulge once in a while with the things that we want - food, clothes, amusement, travel, etc. Afterall, Money's just a piece of paper or a digit in your bank account unless you use it for your enjoyment.

To accept the fact that we work for material things is another component towards defining The Balance.

5. Bathe in simple joys

The fact the you wake up after a good sleep is already a source of joy - there people who never saw this day again. The fact that you can eat or a least have a sip of your coffee is already a blessing - many people can't have this luxury. The fact that you have something to wear and a house you can sleep on is already a blessing - the streets are full of homeless people. The fact that you have a work makes you a better person compared to those who are unemployed. The fact that you made it to the office unharmed makes you very lucky. The fact that you have friends means you are accepted. Even The fact that you have enemies means you're standing up for something.

Most people are unhappy simply because they forgot to appreciate the simple things in life. They forgot to be thankful. They simply got lost in their work.

Indeed, the best things in life are not things. The world is full of many reasons to be happy - we just have to open our eyes and appreciate them every single day - the final component to define The Balance.

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I've always thought that there's no such thing as Work-Life Balance - for me, it's just another corporate term. As employees, we should not depend on our company to achieve this for us - this is our duty to ourselves. It's not a seasonal thing - this should be part of our everyday lives. It's not about the next long weekend, or the next team building activity, or the next holiday, or the next vacation - it's about finding happiness both in our professional as well as our personal lives while performing our roles within them.

In the end, everyone has his own definition of what this Balance means, and for that, we too are the only ones who can work to achieve this for us.

-ghe

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*this is the comment of this colleague of ours when he read this blog:

Ghe

I liked your blog. It’s from the heart and unvarnished. Work/life or life/work, it’s not about balance (as in equilibrium). It’s not about 8 hours work, 8 hours play, 8 hours rest a day. In periods, perhaps decades, we commit to work, to build a career, to support ourselves and our families and to build for our dreams. That’s not balance, but it is an active choice.

I do challenge the comment that it’s tougher as we get more senior. Certainly there may be seen to be more demands on time with seniority, but there should also be a little more freedom or wiggle-room to set the agenda, decide on the diary appointments, and block out some free time. Not always easy, but can be done. I think more junior people (it’s been quite a long time since I’d class myself there, I had more hair and less weight!) often lack control over when and how they work and are more directed by team leaders. But that’s part of learning and growing too.

Warm regards

Beam Gatling Gun for Blurr

2013-03-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

Being one of the fastest Cybertronian on land (and on mouth), Blurr would always have his speed to rely on during adversities. This is very important in his role as a sniper - being alone and isolated in his vantage point means he faces the risk of being outnumbered once he's detected - and when that happens, he can just zoom away.

But if he can't out run them and there's nowhere else to go, he has no choice but to give them a run for their money - with this:

This is a modified CP-3 (Customized Parts) from Zoids fitted with some scraps to form as handles. The result is a large Beam Gatling Gun that be held by Transformers.

CP-3 is alreay quite rare, and it's almost a sin to customize it when you can use common parts.

But I thought it would be great to see this held by a Transformer, so I tried to fit it to one. All it needs are some handles anyway.

See.

For Blurr, it's not a Gatling Gun - it's a Gatling Cannon!

It's almost as if he can even take on giant Decepticons w/ the weapon this size!

Size comparison w/ Blurr's vehicle mode...

...with the Sniper Rifle...

...and when being held altogether.

Asta la vista, baby! :)

-ghe

Autobot Blurr's Re-designed / Custom Sniper Rifle

2013-03-27T04:50:00.003-07:00

Being a sniper is probably one of the coolest professions there is, and in the world of Transformers, the recent one to be assigned to this function is Blurr.

However, as a toy, I have not been happy with Blurr's Original Sniper Rifle design. It was probably the Cybertronian version of what a sniper rifle is.

Still, I simply cannot appreciate it...

Solution? CUSTOMIZE!

Presenting: My Modified Sniper Rifle for Autobot Blurr.

It was really just a simple tweak on the : First, I removed the original barrel and replaced it w/ a smooth looking barrel (from zoids) that has a very prominent rifle muzzle (tip). I then added a very long rifle scope (same source) and a rifle stand (zoiders are familiar w/ this rifle bi-pod).

Now, this really is a Sniper Rifle.

It's nice how a simple barrel change could make a great impact on the design of this weapon.

Sniping away! Some parts at the back of his head needs to be trimmed to increase angle for this sniping pose.

The "lens" of the rifle scope. It's made from a clear plastic (from a CD Case, acrylic I think.) w/c I rounded and smoothed. Both ends are made this way.

More sniping pose. He just needs some camo. Hehe

The rifle is now much longer than Blurr himself while in vehicle mode. In the future, I may look for a tweak on how to inculcate this weapon in vehicle mode.

I wanted to paint it actually, but doubting my skills, I just left it this way. The yellow parts that connect the scope to the body somewhat bugs me, but I think it's good enough this way.

It's is my first try on customizing something related to Transformers, and I'm really happy with the results. Also, this is the first of Blurr's custom weapons (which also fits other Transformers that has the same weapon slots) w/c I made.

Up next is a Giant Gatling Gun so stay tuned to the next entry!

Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it!

-Ghe

My Top 10 Fictional Mechs of All Time

2012-10-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

(Disclaimer: Pics aren't mine and I'm not claiming any ownership of them. They are just random pics in the net.)

For me, a MECH has 3 distinct characteristics:

1. Mechanical

-Thus the term (obviously)

2. Human-like form/motion/movements

-They should assume some human like form and movement like walking and holding on or grabbing on to something in order to differentiate them from cars, planes, ships or any vehicle.

3. Non sentient

-If a machine is sentient or alive by itself in anyway (like it has some sort of self automation or it has some form of 'consciousness'), then it no longer needs human input - thus it is already an "organism" on its own. They could no longer be considered as machines.

One example is this Mech from the Movie Series "Aliens". This is probably one of the basic mechs there is.

Of course, humanoid robots can still be considered as MECHs as long they satisfy the 3 characteristics, like this one - Seibzehn from the Video Game "Xeno Gears"

On w/ the countdown...

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10. Stier from the Video Game "Xeno Gears"

-In the game, Stier is piloted by Rico Banderas (not in anyway related to Antonio). This Gear (as the Mechs in game are called) has a drill on his one arm and a some sort huge tube like engine on his back. Like other gears, he was able to evolve into a more powerful gear later on the game.

9. The Goliath Unit from the PC Game "Starcraft"

-This unit falls under the category of a basic mech - just a basic walker w/ a pair of Gatling guns as hands. It still looks very menacing though. It can take both land and air units w/ its weapons.

8. The APU (Armored Personnel unit) from the Movie "Matrix: Revolutions"

-This still falls under the basic mech category - but very mean and nasty nonetheless.

7. The Giant Spider Mech in the Movie "Wild Wild West"

-An example of a 19th century mech - very feasible on that time, it seems.

6. Tiandong from the Video Game "Front Mission 3"

Front Mission is a turn based rpg. I managed to finish playing the the third installment, and Tiandong simple is the most memorable unit for me.It reminds me of Juggernaut. It looks very bulky and very visually appealing during melee combat.

5. The Utrasaurus from the Toyline and Anime series "Zoids"

-Zoids (short for "Zoic Androids") is one of the gray areas in the realm of fictional Mechs. On one series, they describe that there are two kinds or zoids: The Wild Zoids and the Artificial ones. They have "zoid core" w/c can be considered as the heart (or the soul) of a Zoid - w/c can object the 3rd characteristic for Mechs because it's "alive" at some degree.

-But if we consider Zoids as Mechs, my favorite one is the Ultrasaurus. It simply is a giant walking and floating battle fortress.

-It even become more menacing w/ this - the gravity cannon.

4. The AT-TE (All Terrain Tactical Enforcer) from the Movie Series "Starwars"

-I'm not a huge fan of the Starwars series, but this is my favorite unit of all of them. It's a six legged walker, personnel transport carrier, and a giant artillery/tank all at the same time.

3. The Gundam Devil from the Toyline and Anime Series "Gundam-G"

-The Gundam Devil is one of the largest Gundam there is, but then again it still is a gray area for Mechs for being alive at some level. It has different forms as you can see, this is due to the several self repair that this unit has undergone in the Anime Series.

2. The SDF-1 (Super Dimentional Fortress) from the Anime Series "Macross"

-I can't describe how this unit can sometimes look so lame and simple, but nonethe less, it's very interesting. It is considered to be one of the largest fictional Mech there is. It holds a full city on it (Macross City) and a squadron of Macross Valkeries.

1. Deathscythe from the Toyline and Anime Movie "Gundam Wings: Endless Waltz"

-If I'm going to pilot one Mech in my life, it would be Deathscythe - speed, stealth, and slash all in one!

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I'm confident that one day, these mechs will see itself into reality - I just hope that they will be for good use by when the time comes.

Thanks for reading! :)

-ghe

Food Trip - The French Baker

2012-10-09T13:42:00.002-07:00

"The best food comes from France..." - from the film Ratatouille

...and the best way to start your week is to treat yourself w/ a good food - and for me, this is gotta be it...

The French Baker is probably my favorite dining place. The food simply is so good. If you're a bread or pasta lover, this is one of the best place to be.

Well, actually, this is quite confusing. You see, it says French, but they also have Italian cooking as well (already w/ a French touch, I think.)

Nah, they're both from Europe anyway so, yah, let's start eating! Starting w/ the basic - Pizza...

As you can see, their Pizzas are cooked and served in large slices. I think, if done as a whole pie, this would be the size of around 14 inch Pizza (but if done that way, I don't think it would taste the same... )

Just take a look at this slice of Red Sauce All Meat Pizza...

...overflowing w/ all the meaty goodness in a single slice of Pizza - ham, beef, sausage, bacon, pepperoni, (etc)...

Still, a good Pizza starts w/ a good Crust - and for a food company w/c specializes in bread, the Crust is simply something so basic... I can eat all the toppings first (cleaning it up) and still enjoy what's left afterwards... It's very crunchy, crispy, and simply, a bread on its own already, flavored w/ all taste coming from the toppings on it...

This is actually sliced in bite sizes (around 4 slices) and already good for two (but, this is just for me, hehe)

Onwards, how about some Beef Lasagna, served w/ a slice of toasted Pesto bread...

Another Italian food, but who cares - this is something good, hehe...

however... take a look at what I got...

I almost wanted another order actually... Looks like this is overcooked - BURNT! (or burned, whatever, hehe)

But then again, you can just remove those charcoals... I mean, those carcinogenic things and then enjoy the rest... the burnt cheese is part of the cooking process... underneath the arson are layers of the good stuff - the meat sauce, cheese and lasagna noodles (can't remember if there's a white sauce or bechamel sauce, hehe)... Simply the best Beef Lasagna for me... no further explanation, just try it...

And then, Four Seasons for drinks...

Tastes authentic, but not really sure... maybe just off from the can...

Additionally, The French Baker's signature dish really is this one... This is where French cooking and French baking is served in a delightful (and tasty) manner...

As you can see, this is already a meal on its own.

The soup for the day is served on a bowl of crusty bread. The soft "inside of bread" (whatever's removed inside the bread) is still served along w/ butter. I guarantee you - you can be full even if this is what you order only (provided you have the average appetite and you finish everything, coz some people don't eat the bread, so wasteful...)

Unfortunately, I'm done w/ my two orders - and this bowl would be simply be way too much for me (if not gluttony)...

Of course, as a Bakery, they have a wide selection of... bread (obviously)... I'm not sure if the 50% discount on breads at closing time is still on going, but theoretically, if they guarantee that all breads are baked fresh everyday, then this should be on going...

Some of the other contents in the menu...

Hopefully, this food trip review would entice this somebody to dine w/ me here next time, again... coz, even though I enjoyed the food a lot, it's still best to enjoy a meal w/ a good company..

Til next time!

-ghe

Love and service...

2012-09-23T23:15:00.002-07:00

"you cannot love what you're not willing to serve.."
-Jesus Christ

love is service - you cannot love what you're not willing to serve.. Jesus said this (or something like this) on the first Maundy Thursday when he washed the feet of his Apostles...love is service... service is love... you cannot love what you're not willing to serve, and you cannot serve what you're not willing to love...

we see people do the same stuff for years - 5, 10, 20, 30 years of their lives w/o really getting much financial rewards... we meet drivers who get us to work, gov't worker who process our papers... teachers, cook, laborers, (BPO processors)... - almost all types of profession would render some form of service on it - and they would do it for the rest of their lives even if the pay is almost just enought to get by on the next one...

sometimes, we wonder why... why not aspire for a better one...

sometimes it seems that the answer is "that's all they can do" or "they're good at it"... but when we try to dig deeper, we can see something more - there's gotta be more than just to get by from payday to payday... there's gotta be more profound reason behind it - something they themselves are sometimes not aware of... and those who have a subconscious idea would simply tell you -

"I love what I do..."

that's probably enough to get us by... it's probably enough even if we're earning just enough...

in the end, if you try to love what you do, that's enough to keep you going - coz once you lose that love, even the simplest task would deem impossible and worthless...

-ghe

Mesa: The common table?

2012-09-16T11:17:00.003-07:00

Mesa is not a Tagalog word, it's definitely Spanish. The Tagalog term for "dining table" is "hapag kainan."

But since, the Filipino Language is made up of many different foreign languages and local dialects (not just Tagalog), it is already inducted to our vocabulary.

To name a restaurant as "Mesa" is a clever marketing strategy - it's common, short, easy to remember, and provides a very good insight on the products and services it offers.

A quick look at the restaurant's branding. Now let's eat something...

Again, we thank God for another bountiful meal. It's quite difficult to distinguish each dish at this angle, so why don't we just take them one at a time...

First up, some appetizers - a classic one from the sage - Mangga Salad.

I really don't eat this one so, let me show you my appetizer...

Baked Tahong w/ Cheese! My goodness! This is definitely a history - the day a dozen baked Mussel is served on our table, two of w/c was tried by my partner. Hehe. Yum, yum yum!

But wait - don't judge a food by it's serving plate (in this case, a long narrow white ceramic plate, almost like a custom built one for a dozen tahong). I must say that some of the mussels don't taste as fresh as the others. It's not actually spoiled, but it's "MALANSA" (I cannot translate that word properly.) It's either not cooked properly or it's on its early stages of being spoiled, that's why the slightly foul taste. Well, my stomach's still fine afterwards so I think I was able to tolerate it. Hehe.

My verdict is that I've tasted better Baked Mussels in other places before, and this one does not even come at par w/ what I expected. I said before that you can't go wrong w/ seafoods, but sorry, this baked tahong is a thumbs down here...

Ok, on to the next one. We have more seafoods around (and shredded meat) - fried stuffs this time around. This is the sampler for this resto - A LITTLE BIT OF... like I said, fried stuffs? From bottom left diagonally up to the upper right, we have some Adobo Flakes, Crispy Tawilis, Calamares, and Crispy Shrimp. Another day in history when this much seafood is on the table. Attack! hehe.

I'm not really a fan of adobo flakes - I haven't really tasted one that would make me wanna try it again - this one included. It's too bland, and tough (when it should be crispy). It's a good thing it's just a sampler.

For the Tawilis, it's quite meaty for its size. Has some crunch on it, but not that much. That yellow strip on top of it is actually ripe mango and gives that sweet taste similar to a sushi. The tail is crispy enough to be eaten too.

I'm not really sure what those rounded fried things too when it got on our table. When I tasted it, I knew, it's calamares. Not really inviting for their looks, and tastes just the standard ones (the one sold on the street tastes better actually.) My first reaction actually after tasting it is "This is better w/ spicy vinegar." True enough, the taste improved once dipped/soaked in some spicy vinegar. That's bad actually because a good food shouldn't rely on confectioners to taste better. Again, this is good, but it's something I can even cook better.

Same goes w/ the crispy shrimp, nothing so special about it. You need the garlic mayo or vinegar to fully enjoy it.

The best thing about this meal is the variety of tastes. Other than that, they're just standard fried seafoods mostly.

On to our main course:

Beef 2 ways.

Ok, that's quite literal. You've got beef curry on the left and some fried crispy beef on the right.

The option of mashing down that single Siling Labuyo on the beef curry to make it spicy is left to the customers - I wish it was already inculcated in the cooking process (because we forgot to mash ours.) It lacked that kick of spicy food - our mistake partly.

And that crispy beef seems to be not too crispy at all - it looks like your dry version of adobo. I was hoping it would somehow taste like one, but it's not. It's really just some tenderized chunks of beef which is then fried. Nothing special really.

This combo dish gimmick did not worked well for me. The crispy beef is not crispy and too bland, and the beef curry tastes like your common carinderia curry (w/c is sometimes even better...) I wish I just combined the two on a single serving tay and mashed the Siling labuyo (or just half of it) to improve the taste.

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For our drinks, I had Lemonade and iced tea for cy. For a meal that I didn't enjoy much, it's good that we go bottomsless for these.

Some condiments - perfect for the fried foods. The one on the ceramic mini bowl is some siomai sauce (soysauce+chili paste.) And don't be deceived by the vinegars - the one on the left is more spicy than the one on the right. (How come?)

Some unique cutlery here - the handle resembles a bamboo.

My final judgement: give my money back. I did not get what I paid for. It simply lacks that "X-factor".

Perhaps, my stomach was somehow already filled in with something before dining here, or the food was served too late that I've already had a glass of lemonade before eating, or this resto is simply the mediocre type. Maybe they have better food in their menu that we might want to give a chance of, but for me, what I had did not really give a good and lasting impression on me.

Thanks for reading! :)

(...sorry for the negative review)

-ghe

Love your work... but don't get married w/ it..

2012-09-12T13:20:00.002-07:00

There are different kinds of love...

The love that God has for you is called AGAPE.

The love that you have for your friend is called PLATONIC.

The love that you have for your GF/BF/WIFE/HUSBAND is called EROS.

There are other kinds still, but as far as you can see, these three are all different from one another - God does not love you like you love a friend, or how you love your wife ... and you cannot confuse them w/ one another too...

But one thing is for sure - LOVE SHOULD ONLY BE DEVOTED TO PEOPLE...

The moment you attach love to an inanimate object or something abstract, you should reconsider...

"Loving your work" is almost a statement that is so wrong - you like your work, you don't love it... again, love is only for PEOPLE...

But granting that this statement is tolerable and just something RHETORIC, to exaggerate this some more like "I love my work like I love my GF" or "I'm married with my work" is already something FREAKY... almost GRUESOME...

Imagine loving your work like you love your GF/BF/wife/husband... It's really difficult... There's a BIG DIFFERENCE... Don't tell me that your love for your work is something like EROS?

Don't confuse LOVE w/ your fondness, dedication, passion, commitment, and contentment towards work... They are NEVER synonymous...

Love your work, but not like your GF/BF... and ultimately, GET MARRIED WITH A PERSON instead..

-ghe