December 26, 2008

Garage Kits, Part 2

Prepping the pieces is one of the most important steps in building a garage kit. I'm not very good at it, but I try my best. Some tools of the trade...

Metal files for levelling:


Sandpaper of various grits (400, 800, 1000) for smoothing and exact-o knife for removing flash (dangly bits where the part was released from the mold):


Putty for filling holes, rebuilding, corrections and modifications:


The process involves sanding, adding putty, waiting for the putty to harden, then sanding again. Eventually the pieces come out looking something like this:


Using putty, I fixed the big chunk on the bow:


The goal is to create even, clean surfaces. After spending lots of time sanding and applying putty, all parts are washed again to remove any dust. The next step is the most difficult for me: Priming!

December 23, 2008

For the Soul

Now that winter has come full force, I wanted to share my favorite cold weather soup. It's a very simple recipe, perfect for freezing nights!

* chicken drumsticks
* ginger root
* scallions
* shitake mushrooms
* garlic salt
* kosher salt & pepper for seasoning

Wash drumsticks, pat dry. This is to remove excess blood or loose bits. Leave the skin on.

Put drumsticks in pot. Fill pot with enough water to cover drumsticks, plus another 2 inches. Start heating.

Slice mushrooms, ginger root (don't peel), and scallions. Add these to the pot as it's heating. There should be enough mushrooms to fill 1/4 the pot, a thin layer of scallions, and a thicker layer of ginger.

Bring to boil, then simmer. As soup simmers, skim and dispose the floating fat bits. Boil, simmer, skim, at least three times. Add salt/pepper to taste, then serve!

This soup is the ideal vehicle for chinese herbs, which can be added when you add the ginger. I'm no expert on this stuff, I just know what my mom used to add. I don't even know the names, I can only identify these by sight:





December 18, 2008

I want to take his Face....Off....

The first successful US face transplant is pretty amazing. I'm no medical expert, but 77 square inches of tissue to stitch together into a functional layer sounds pretty damn difficult.

The logistics must have been insane, managing all those surgeons and specialists, making sure they put all the right pieces in at the right time. I hope they all got to take a long nap afterwards!

December 16, 2008

Garage Kits, Part 1

Over the past two years, I've picked up the garage kit hobby.

What you say? Well, garage kits are usually made of resin or vinyl and mainly fan based on TV, movies, superheroes or anime, though original characters do pop up. The term "garage" refers to the origin when sculptors and kit producers literally worked in their home garages. Now there's a number of professional outfits as well as independent artists making these things.

There is some distinction between Japanese and Western kits; subject matter, style, marketing, and distribution vary. But in the end, I find both enjoyable.

I'm starting on a Japanese kit now. It's smaller than I normally work with, but it's just so cute! The kit comes in several resin pieces, which I wash with water and dish detergent.



At first glance, everything looks OK. But upon closer inspection, you can see some flaws. Just a few of them shown below.

Blurry photo, but you can make out faint depressions in the resin:


Rough edge:


This one is all my fault, I accidentally cut off a chunk while trimming the edge:


Depending on manufacturing, quality differs. Most common problems are rough spots, bubbles, seams, and alignment issues. Preparing the pieces is one of the most important steps in building a kit. I'm not very good at it, but I try my best!

Next up: fixing all these annoying issues!

December 10, 2008

InvestWrite

I just finished judging essays from 6th~8th graders, as part of InvestWrite's annual contest.

InvestWrite is an offshoot of The Stock Market Game, a nifty online investment simulation that classrooms can participate in.

The essay contest allows students to show off what they learned and earn some fun prizes. This year's topic focused on diversification of assets. It's pretty impressive that middle school kids are able to explain this concept in rather coherent terms (though I did have one essay that was basically a run-on sentence...) Some of the essays were lacking in writing style and a few suffered bad logical progression, but I could tell there was fundamental understanding of the subject matter, even if communication of that understanding was a bit shaky. Given how important finance is in our lives, I'm just glad there are opportunities being given to students to pick up the tools and knowledge they'll need once they hit the real world.

Looking back at my scoring, I seem rather brutal - not a single 100 ranking in the lot. Good thing I'm not a teacher!

December 9, 2008

Sleepwalking

This past Sunday, we went to see Mike Birbiglia in his solo off broadway show, Sleepwalk with Mike, which wasn't off broadway in the traditional sense, but more of an hour long standup routine recounting the trials and tribulations (all disturbingly hilarious) of Mike's experience with Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behaviour Disorder. In his case, this results in unconsciously acting out his dreams. Scary shit in real life, great material for a comedian.

I think Mike has one of the best deliveries behind a microphone. He talks like your fucked up but insanely funny buddy, telling zany stories rather than jokes. His humor hits just the right balance between wit and wry, it's intelligent yet not condescending and you just can't help laughing.

Sleepwalk with Mike was intensely entertaining and touching, the perfect blend of humor and heart. Despite having a cold, Mike put on a fantastic show and remains one of my favorite comedians. I went in already a fan, and watching this performance only confirmed his talent.

December 5, 2008

Book Review - Un Lun Dun

Un Lun Dun
By China Mieville
Published January 2008

See synopsis and editorial opinions on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

I love China Mieville's writing and while this book doesn't match the complexity and innovation of Perdido Street Station or The Scar, it's a hugely enjoyable read. There's a dash of Alice in Wonderland and the playfulness of a Piers Anthony Xanth novel, held together by Mieville's sparkling language and vivid imagery.

The book follows the adventures of a young girl who finds herself in an alternate London and has to save its citizens from a nasty villain known as The Smog. It's a wonderful journey, filled with interesting characters and creative twists. At times it's almost too clever, but the wit is tempered with heart. While intended for a younger audience, there's plenty for everyone to enjoy, and the usual social commentary lurking in Mieville's work is only a light undercurrent, overshadowed by the general fun of the story. Definitely worth picking up!