Ferrari On Fi-yahhhhh!!!

Whew! After a blogging "drought"...

It's just an amazing coincidence that a friend and I actually saw this car whiz by Buendia Avenue in Makati City, the same morning before this happened at the South Luzon Expressway:

"Isn't it a bit too early to start a bonfire?"

White Honda Civic: "Betcha I can outrun you now..!"

Guy at left, to the two other guys: "Hey, guys! Good thing I brought some marshmallows!"

Orange, red and black IS an attractive color combination...

Up in smoke goes a $200,000 piece of precision equipment.

What's even more of an amazing coincidence is that this is most likely the very same car I took some pictures of, during the car show last March, 2007.

Guy in white shirt: "I knew I should've given that old woman the WHOLE Fita biscuit..." (inside joke)

Asche zu Asche...

From an article in Wikipedia: "The F430 has displayed a notable engine irradiation problem for early model years. This issue regards an engine-overheating flaw which caused a fire in the engine bay, usually leading to the destruction of the car. The catalyst for the fire is the sustained high-RPM work of the engine. The massive heat exhaust flowing through the exhaust manifold may come in contact to a variety of hoses or oil perspiration which act as the fuel for the combustion."

Might not be a work of "precision" after all.

From what I've read in several forums, Ferrari was to send someone to investigate the cause of the fire and, if found to be entirely a defect, will replace the car 100% free of charge.

Except, perhaps, for the taxes in importing the vehicle over to Philippine soil.

But if I were the car's owner, I wouldn't worry too much about the taxes. I bet with that kind of money, to be able to afford a vehicle such as this in the first place, he'd most likely know some powerful people working at the Bureau of Customs. So it won't be a big deal for him, bringing them Customs big guys over to some exclusive club and giving 'em some "freebies".

Good thing that it wasn't a Porsche or a Lamborghini, 'coz then I'd be upset. Ferrari? Meh.

Where Did All The WWE Shirts Go?

The local release of some 'licensed' (meaning they were locally manufactured) WWE merchandise -- shirts and apparel, to be exact -- more than a year ago, was something that was appreciated by many Filipino WWE fans like me. It allowed local fans to wear their favorite wrestler's shirt, without having to spend as much as $25 for a piece of WWE merchandise (these licensed shirts cost only around $7).

So, where have these WWE stores gone?

Not trying to be a market analyst or anything, but in the beginning, they released the popular shirt brands (HHH, Batista, John Cena, Edge, etc.) which was instantly gobbled up by the consumers. Further down the road we experienced a shortage of the hot items and were treated to the lesser attractive shirt designs as they shifted their focus to shirts such as those of Booker T, and shirts with pictures of half-naked male wrestlers.

A picture of a half-naked muscleman on my shirt? I'm a WWE fan alright, but I'm not THAT kind of fan.

Adding to this was their now-worsening slow production and very limited stock distribution of the more popular brands. I think this started with Triple H's "King of Kings" shirt design, which took a MONTH to finally get one for my own. This delay in production eventually deteriorated further during the release of the DX cartoon shirt which, after searching for almost two months, I had to finally settle for a shirt that was one size smaller.

This lack of foresight doomed our chances to buy the latest WWE shirts, just like the one pictured above, and contributed to the closure of the WWE stores. Too bad. It was cool while it lasted.


Photo courtesy wweshop.com

PERSONAL COLLECTION #5: Sigma Strike Duke

Suffering from writer's block a couple of days now after being so pissed off at the Customs for greedily taking advantage of some items shipped over to me by a friend overseas, I decided to just write about another item in my action figure collection.

I wanted to post pictures of the items in question, but it would only spoil things down the road when I finally get to feature each of those items in another one of my "Personal Collection" posts.

I've never been a Duke fan -- not during the ARAH 3.75" figure days, and even up until now. And I personally think Duke's been overexposed in the Sigma 6 'verse due to the number of versions Hasbro made of him (Snake Eyes also had several versions out, but he's my favorite character so... so I'm biased! Shoot me! *lols*).

But I've always had this fascination about the Sigma Strike Duke, ever since I first saw this version in the reviews section of Sigma 6 Central early this year. During that time this was still being sold abroad and on evilBay in the range of $24 up, and I can only vaguely remember seeing this on the store shelves last year (probably glanced on it, but since they were priced way higher locally back then I might have selectively erased any traces of this in my memory). So I guess anyone can imagine my surprise when I came across this item on sale for around $15.50 about six weeks ago. Such dumb luck! It was payday and I had the dough to shell out for the two remaining items on display, but finally decided to pick up just one.

The first thing I noticed about the figure after removing it from the box, is that it is a bit heavier than one would usually expect of a Sigma 6 figure. This might be because the figure was sculpted with body armor, thicker arms and legs, to simulate a full-armored, battle-ready Duke. The downside to this is that the upper body weight seems to make the hip joints loose, or this could also be a manufacturing defect. And the arms were molded in black plastic, so the flesh parts on the elbow joint instantly chipped off when I first moved the joints.

The helmet slightly resembles the ones used in the HALO video games, hence some people calling this the HALO Duke. My only gripe with this headgear is that the visor/faceplate seems loose and easily detaches from the helmet. Otherwise, it really complements the overall look of the figure. Duke's removable shoulder armor also nicely adds to the overall bulk of the figure.

For the backpack, Sigma Strike Duke is supplied with a variable-payload mission-specific weapons system (or that's what I would like to call it) with a battery operated (3 x AA-size) backpack/jetpack which, by pressing three different buttons located at the top of the pack, produces several sound effects and also triggers either the red LED lights on the jumpjet's boosters or the green LED lights on the main weapon. The red button triggers the "power-up mode" sound of the backpack, and makes the jumpjets' LED's flash. Pressing the blue button triggers the thruster sound of the jumpjets and also makes the red LED's light up. The green button activates the sound and light effects for the weapon systems. The jumpjet's nozzles can be rotated, and there is a switch on the lower part of the backpack which has settings for "on", "off", and "demo" which was the default setting when the figure was still in the box, so one can sample some of the sound effects.

Sigma Strike Duke's backup weapon is a Switchfire pistol which comes with a holster that attaches to the right thigh of the figure. Too bad that the holster's peg mounts are smaller than the standard pegs found on Sigma 6 figures. Maybe this indicates that the holster is an integral part of the Sigma Strike weapons system, but I'm not sure about that one, though.

As for the main weapon systems, Sigma Strike Duke carries four large weapons, all of which activates a cool sound effect whenever a weapon is attached and detached:

Perhaps the least useful of these weapons is the Power Cutter Saw. I cannot see it's usefulness in battle -- perhaps in rescue and structure breach situations this may have some kind of use. Pressing the green button on the backpack activates the saw sound effect and lights up the blade.

The Flame Blaster flamethrower is something I would prefer over the Cutter Saw anytime. Green button on the backpack activates a flame sound effect and lights up the flamethrower nozzle and tank. Weapon also fires a spring-loaded flame projectile.

The Power Pulse Blaster is a better weapon than the previous two, IMO. Again, pressing the green button activates lights and sounds but also firing the spring-loaded weapon projectile will trigger a missile firing sound effect along with a whistle and then, boom! A nice touch if I may say so myself.

And finally -- the biggest of the BFG weapons systems of the Sigma Strike Duke -- the Laser Cannon. This weapon is BIG. In fact, it is so big that the figure can hardly support it's weight, especially with those loose hip joints. It can be quite tricky to pose the figure with this weapon. The barrel has a hinge which allows the weapon to be folded. Again, green button on the backpack triggers a very cool laser sound combined with a strobing green light effect.

I can say that this is an excellent figure to add to one's Sigma 6 collection, especially with the reduced prices now. But since Hasbro is paving way for the new figures (not Sigma 6, sadly, but still 8-inch figures), stock availability might be of a problem nowadays. Good thing I went to the mall that day.

PISSED OFF

Here is a simple message to all the corrupted monkeys in the government -- from the lowest, bottom-feeding clerks to the heads of state -- who have pushed this country deeper into the dunghole that it has already been in for so long:And along with this message, my fervent hope that God strike you dead sometime soon. Amen.

Future Superhero Flicks

Avi Arad Productions has several superhero film projects in line until 2009.

Here's a tentative list of what's up and coming in the next two years:

* The Hands of Shang-Chi (2007) - In 2009 there will be a Shang-Chi movie, but this has not been confirmed.

* The Punisher 2 (2007) - As of May 2007, director John Dahl was in talks to direct the movie, but recently has stated that he will not helm the film.

* Iron Man (2008) - Slated for a May 2, 2008 release. Starring Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.

* Iron Fist (2008) - It has been announced that the film is currently in development, with Ray Park set to portray Danny Rand/Iron Fist. Slated for a 2008 release.

* The Incredible Hulk (2008) - Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, and William Hurt. Target release date: June 13, 2008.

* Nick Fury (2008)

* Ant-Man (2008) - In February 2007, director Edgar Wright said that the project was in "a holding pattern" while the script was revised, with casting yet to begin. The director reported that he would have news for the film in a few months. He has been researching nanotechnology for the film.

* Wolverine (2008) - The script was finished as of October 15, 2006, and Jackman indicated there would be a year before shooting. Vinnie Jones and Tyler Mane may reprise their roles as the Juggernaut and Sabretooth, respectively. Twentieth Century Foxare scheduling Jackman to start filming in September or October 2007 once he completes Australia, for a 2008 release.

* Deathlok (2008) - In 2007, a Deathlok feature film is at the script stage at Paramount Pictures, with screenwriter David Self.

* Sub-Mariner (2008) - On September 13, 2006, Universal Pictures announced that director Jonathan Mostow was attached to rewrite and direct Marvel Studios' Sub-Mariner. Kevin Misher is producing through his Misher Films, along with Marvel Studios. The screenplay had initially been written by David Self.

* Luke Cage (2008) - No stars have been confirmed, however actor Tyrese Gibson is in the running for the title role.

* Dr. Strange

* Ghost Rider 2 (2009) - On February 9, 2007, Marvel producer Avi Arad announced the development of Ghost Rider 2 at a press event.

* Magneto (2009) - In May 2006, Ian McKellen said he would reprise the role using the computer-generated facelift applied to him in the prologue of X-Men: The Last Stand. In April 2007, David S. Goyer was hired to direct, with the announcement actors in their twenties would play the characters. Goyer will use the script by Turner, which follows Magneto trying to survive in Auschwitz, and meeting Xavier, a soldier, during the liberation of the camp. He hunts down the Nazi war criminals that tortured him, and this lust for vengeance turns him and Xavier into enemies.

* The Avengers (2009) - It was revealed in early August 2006 by a stock market report that The Avengers was listed under Marvel films in development. It was later revealed that Zak Penn, writer of X-Men: The Last Stand, will be writing a live-action Avengers script.

* Thor (2009) - In mid-2006, Marvel Studios announced plans to release a Thor feature film scripted by Mark Protosevich. Matthew Vaughn was negotiated with to direct in 2007.

* Captain America (2009) - In 2007, Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige announced that a Captain America movie would follow the 2008 Iron Man film as the studio's next independently financed project.

* Spiderman 4 (2009) - In January 2007, Dylan Baker, who portrays Dr. Curt Connors, expressed interest in portraying the character's villainous alter-ego, the Lizard, as has Raimi. Producer Grant Curtis is also a fan of the character, and has also expressed interest in Kraven the Hunter. The Lizard was in an early draft of the second film's script. Raimi said that if he returned to direct, he would take advantage of the established character of Dr. Curt Connors to introduce the Lizard. Raimi also expressed interest in setting up the Sinister Six with introductions to the Vulture and Electro. Sony plans to release Spider-Man 4 in the summer of 2010.


Source: Wikipedia

PERSONAL COLLECTION #4: Sigma 6 LONG RANGE

I have to admit : I wasn't a fan of the Sigma 6 line, nor was I into collecting action figures again after I sold off my 60+ 3.75" G.I. Joe figure collection to a friend six years ago. It was a stupid yet very necessary decision I had to make, back then. The good thing was that I sold them all to someone I know, so they'll always be in good hands.

And, after six years of action figure abstinence, here I am again: collecting action figures. Jaded at what the local Mini4WD racing scene had become (a new haven for small-time gamblers and cockfight enthusiasts, IMO), I sought after another more meaningful and rewarding hobby.

But, it was almost too late: after hesitating for so long due to the initial, prohibitive prices of Sigma 6 figures around two years ago (each figure was priced at around P1,300 back then), I was now only left to choose from the few remaining varieties available on store shelves. So when I saw this next figure on the shelf, I knew I had to pick this one up real soon, or be sorry again.

Long Range is Sigma 6's resident transportation specialist and target acquisition expert. This figure's main weapon is a large (and by "large", I do mean large -- when fully assembled, the rifle stands taller than Long Range himself) sniper rifle, which has a strong resemblance to a Barrett sniper rifle.

The rifle is made up of separate pieces: the body which includes the stock, two barrel configurations, scope, tripod (which is made up of three separate pieces itself), and a grenade launcher. The rifle also has a neat "recoil" effect when you slide the bolt back.

His secondary weapon is a sawed-off shotgun which even has a fold-down double barrel. The shotgun also has a keychain attached (most probably the keys to the R.O.C.C.). Too bad that I only got a Long Range figure recently -- they released a limited series variant (1000 - 1500 pieces only) that had a black skull attached to the keychain.

Long Range also has a nasty looking knife with a serrated blade.

I love the overall look of this figure. He has a distinctive head sculpt which has a short ponytail and a scar running over his left eye, that gives him a battle-hardened appearance. And his knee-length trenchcoat really serves to distinguish him from the rest of his teammates. His subdued color scheme was well thought-out, perfect for a sniper to remain undetected.

Highly recommended.

WHAT THE..?

Decaffeinated coffee? Not that I've been living under a rock all this time but, what the heck is that? What the hell for?

It's like a smokeless cigar, or cola with no fizz. Or bubble-free soap...

Or oxygen-free air...



*lol*



Told 'ya this was going to be a random blog.

Congratulations, MacGyver!!!

I recently read at the Joe Battlelines forum, that our fellow member Mac won for Best Sigma 6 and Custom Of The Year, over at Commando Customs.

To say that this gal (you heard that right, Mac's a 'she') does amazing custom figures would be an understatement. And, to prove my point, may I present some of Mac's customs:

Shipwreck

I personally like Mac's treatment of Shipwreck over Hasbro's "Sigma-ized" version. That one may look scary tough, but in this custom version Shippy demands respect while still looking as tough as ever, always ready to kick some Cobra butt.




















MacGyver

Mac's all-time favorite character (hence her nick), she really made a good-looking custom of the man who can do anything with his Swiss Army Knife.

It even has MacGyver's don't-leave-home-without-it kit, which includes the Knife.






















Murdoc

What would McGyver be without his persistent nemesis? This custom Murdoc looks deadly serious, getting ready to make MacGyver's life harder than it was the last time.





















Scarlett

I believe this was the pièce de résistance. I have no idea how she did it, but Mac really pushed the envelope on this one.




Way to go, Mac! You deserved to win. Here's to more of Mac's customs in the future.

NOSTALGIA: My First Action Figures

Googling through pages upon pages of websites, I stumbled upon another set of memorabilia which was once part of my childhood: my very first action figures.

I can only remember that it was around 1980 when I first saw one of these, from my neighborhood friends. And, naturally, I wanted one for myself. Little did I know at that time, that it was to be the beginning of one of my "obsessions" that I still suffer *lol* up to this very day: collecting action figures.

ACTION JACK Sea Rescue
This 3-inch (I might be wrong on that measurement, though) yellow figure started it all. These were priced much, much cheaper, compared to the Voltes 5 and other Japanese manga robots that were very popular in the country during those days. So it was easier to ask my grandparents to get me these without having to get very good grades in school and show them any awards, and convince them into finally buying me one (after much groveling, at that).

This figure came with a helmet, a pair of flippers, a lantern, a weapon which looked pretty much like a spear gun, and an oxygen tank whose flimsy straps broke all too quickly. But it did the job during those days: endless fun playing in the water (this was a sea rescue figure, in the first place) -- either in the pool when our family and relatives had summer outings, some big water container, or whenever my grandma was doing the laundry and wasn't looking I would put this in the washing machine (sans the accessories, or risk losing them in the spin cycle). This figure kinda floats in water, so it was easy to take this out of the washing machine when grandma was going to check on her laundry.

Matchbox's Mobile Action Command
Looking through some Matchbox cars to add to my collection one day (I collected die-cast cars made by Matchbox, Tomica, and Majorette. But that's for another post, some other time), I saw these on the shelf beside the cars. So it was my luck that I had recently received another award at school, and grandpa had just received his pay from work.

Grandpa bought the Snow Rescue Vehicle (the blue one on the catalog picture above) by mistake. D'oh! No snow here in the tropics. I was wishing he got me the black one in the middle, but it was too late.

Oh well, it still did the job. At least I had another figure. As for the accessories: aside from the snowmobile, it came with a pair of skis, a helmet, a pair of ski poles, and an oxygen tank. This figure was a bit heavier compared to the Action Jack and sunk in the water, so he didn't go into the washing machine during laundry time or else I'd be in trouble with grandma. *lol* It also had an added articulation: it's feet can swivel left to right. This was also more durable than the Action Jack, because I remember the yellow figure's torso splitting along the seam after 5 years or so.

I have no idea where these figures went, though. A friend could've taken them, or got lost during one of our change of residences. Or they could've been gagged and buried by my GI Joe figures when I was sleeping. *lol*

MINI 4WD: The Death of a Hobby

Several years' worth of trial-and-error, searching - and researching - for the right parts combinations to build cars that could at least complete the full three laps. Of hunting for hard-to-find cars, parts and accessories. Of customizing those hard-to-find cars - irreversibly damaging some, in the process. Of travelling more than 20 kilometers, come rain, come shine - 15-pound toolbox in tow - just so I can test my car setups. Of bearing with greedy merchants, all trying to earn bigger money by creating demand, through stock manipulation. Of keeping my patience with equally greedy race organizers, who ask so much by letting a race last up to the wee hours of the morning so they could earn more through the number of race entries, but only give so little in prizes. Of participating in disorganized race events. Of seeing the same faces win races, over and over and over.

But the fun has disappeared. Competition replaced by gambling. This wasn't what I wanted to be in, this wasn't how I envisioned things would become. I wanted to race with hobbyists who were into this hobby as a source of entertainment during their free time, not with gamblers who made it a source of income by entering every race event they get to hear of. I made some friends, and saw the ugly side of people.

NOSTALGIA: My Very First Rock Album

I was seven years old when my dad brought this album home, for me. When other kids were still listening to kiddie stuff, I was already having my first taste of rock music.

It has been 28 years since that summer night when I first played this album on my grandma's turntable, but I can still remember the first time I heard My Sharona's drum intro on her old "quadrophonic" audio system. Lols.

That drum line was what made me want to become a drummer. Their music taught me to like rock music.

It has been 28 years. Their drummer has died, the lead vocalist has to undergo brain surgery to remove some tumors, and My Sharona is still on the list of my favorite rock songs.



And I still haven't gotten that drum part down pat.

PERSONAL COLLECTION #3: Sigma 6 FIREFLY

Guess what? Yeah, another toy review. Hey, it's either this or I could blog about the stuff I ate at someone's party like some people do, but that's just not me. Who cares about what I ate? Why should anybody care about what I ate? And why should I give a (expletive deleted, rhymes with "buck") about what other people ate?

So what's with the cocky attitude, one might ask?

Well, cockiness is what this character has lots of. Codename? Firefly. A saboteur and mercenary who offers his services to Cobra in the ARAH storyline -- yes, he is not a member of Cobra and as such, has to be paid by Cobra Commander after every mission.

Though in the Sigma 6 storyline, he initially sides with the Joes; unbeknownst to all his Sigma 6 teammates and his superior, Lt. Stone, that he is actually a Cobra spy. Firefly traps the Sigma 6 team and turns them over to Cobra. He then shaves his head as a sign of loyalty to Cobra and, after a climactic battle with Lt. Stone, leaves with Cobra Commander.

Going back to the action figure, I can say that the body was molded to a straightforward Sigma 6 style suit. What sets this apart though, are those unique looking boots and shoulder pads which I think makes him stand out among his Sigma 6 teammates.

And that head sculpt -- that face molded into a cocky grin with that evil-looking soulpatch. He's a bad guy all right.

The paint scheme for this figure is an attractive black / reddish orange combination which fits his personality since he's mostly into explosives.

As for his accessories, I like the elastic webgear and his removable hockey mask. The elbow and knee armor also give another dimension to this figure and lets him stand out among his Sigma 6 "teammates".

His weapons include a submachinegun with a removable magazine, two "flame sticks", and a spin-trap device. In my opinion, I would have liked it more if this figure came with two SMG's instead of just one. And those flame sticks kinda remind me of Star Wars, so I don't really know whether to like them or not.

What I find useless is the spring action spin-trap device that is included with this figure. I have no idea how he would be able to lug around such a large weapon in battle. I think it would've been better if he came with some explosive and incendiary devices instead of that clumsy-looking spring action spin trap thing.

Overall, this is easily one of my favorites in my Sigma 6 figure collection. I highly recommend this figure, especially at it's price point, and is a must-have for everybody's 8-inch Sigma 6 collection.

Live-Action G.I. JOE Movie?

Just as those with keen observation skills and fans of both the Transformers and G.I. Joe, who've seen the Transformers movie might have noticed, there were several hints (or, "cameos") during several scenes which could indicate that a real-life G.I. Joe movie might be in the works, soon:

- In the opening sequence, during Blackout's invasion of the Qatar SOCCENT base, the officer ordering the Pave Low to turn away, step out, etc., was named Col. Sharpe.

- Another possible cameo was after the SpecOps guys landed at the SOCCENT base, a pair of African-American guys are seen playing basketball -- one of them was talking in rhyme.

- One of the F-22 Raptors had a name written in the cockpit: "Capt. B. Armbruster" -- Capt. Brad J. Armbruster, aka "Ace", is a Sky Striker pilot in the G.I. Joe series.

- The Laurentian Abyss, where the fallen Decepticons were dumped off near the end of the movie, is the same abyss where G.I. Joe and Cobra fought for the heavy water in the first mini-series.

- The black Sector 7 vehicles that were escorting Bumblebee and the Allspark look very similar to G.I. Joe A.W.E. Strikers.

- Josh Duhamel's character, Capt. Lennox, first appeared in the G.I. Joe vs. Transformers comic book.

- The movie prints were delivered to theaters under the code name "Cobra".

- The hacker's (Glen Whitman) room, had three model planes hanging by the window. One of them looks like a Sky Sweeper from SpyTroops, and one looked like a Sky Striker.

Whether a Joe movie will really be made, remains to be confirmed. But one can't help but take notice of these cameos and think that it was all just coincidental.

YO JOE!!!

Bashing the TRANSFORMERS Movie Bashers

I never really go to every new movie being shown, because I hate crowds. That, and the fact that I only like a handful of movies. But there will be times when I would bear being in line among a mass of human flesh, just to see, or experience, something good. This movie was one of those times. In fact, this was only the second time this year, that I had to do the "queueing thing" (the first being Spiderman 3).

Granted, that the film had it's flaws. But I didn't go and watch it with the expectations that it was going to be THE perfect, most intellectually-provoking movie of the year. I went to see it, to have FUN. And what fun it was to see these robots come into 3D life in the big screen.

Now, I don't give a flying broomstick as to what the naysaying, nitpicking critics have to say about the film. This film, for me, was about fun. Live action robo-fun. If they want to see something purely intellectual, then they should stick to watching documentaries. If they want to see old-school, first generation Transformers, they should stick to watching the cartoon movies and episodes. Don't go and spoil the fun for us.

TRANSFORMERS Merchandise Launch

Strangely enough, this 'merchandise launch' of the Transformers movie toy line came weeks after the toys were first seen on the shelves, but it was an okay event nonetheless. Some collectors had their Transformers on display, and there were also some fan art. There was a merchandise area for shirts and toys, and a table where there were laptop PC's playing Transformers cartoons and video games.

Here are pics of some of the Transformers that were on display:There were also several mini-games, such as trivia questions, and transformation time trials to see who can transform a randomly-picked figure. There was also a "coloring book" contest where - surprisingly - twentysomethings participated, and a timed on-the-spot drawing contest where (shameless plug coming up) yours truly won 3rd Place.

Yours truly doing the initial sketch:
Finished product: