So, since Fall (or Autumn), I've started working on a new model kit that I picked up at Lil's Hobby Shop at the Basement of SM Megamall in Metro Manila, and this model is of an A-10 Thunderbolt model from Tamiya models. The paint scheme is camoflage, and it was flown over the war in the Persian Gulf against Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi's. I got it because it's a beautiful plane and I fell in love with it when I saw an ad for it on the side of the freeway in the state of Connecticut where my aunt lives. I know war planes aren't peaceful but when it comes to military models as an acquaintance of mine said, "There's no doubt that they look cool." And so it is with my model building hobby, or is it fetish? Perhaps a hobby fetish.

My new goal is to save $100 after 20 days and then spend my money on stuff I like. Some stuff I like are 1950s Ford Roadster model kit, Creature from the Black Lagoon model kit, and German WW2 tanks. I think what I'll do is put 50$ aside for model kits, and the other $50 for comic books, and food and such. If I build one model a month, I can assemble about a hundred in 5 years, and I won't have any more space in my tiny room for models, but I'll buy the plastic containers and store my models in plastic containers, to maximize space!

It's New Year's eve as I write this, and I'm at home, I came home from my friend's house, took the two buses over back home, to be with my mom so she won't be alone for New Year's. She cooked Goldlilock's lumpia and pineapple pork sausage and we had those over rice, for our earlier New Year's eve dinner. Now, I'm on my mattress, blogging, listening to classical music on my late 90s mini system radio. Ah, the music is splendid and I hope the new year too.

Hobby Ideas!

Today at the basement of Ace Hardware in Berkeley, CA (it is a whole floor of plastic model kits and supplies) I saw a plastic model of an F-15 Japanese Air National Defense Force Eagle. That was one of the coolest plastic model jets that I saw. I had a notion that I would like to build that, and include Gundam model kits along side with it, part of my Japanese Force Armada display. Gundams and an F-15 Japanese National Air Defense jet.Then I saw a plastic model of a Ford Roadster from the 1950s and I also wanted to pick that up or buy, in time, to assemble.

Then at the antique store, I saw and have my eyes on a beautiful Boeing 747 American Airlines model kit, in box, unassembled! The holidays are definately a good time! Cheerio.

X-Men comics 1.00$ bonanza purchase at toy store in a Newark, CA mall!

So me and my friend Tony drove to a mall in Newark, CA, and we discovered at one end corner of the mall, two toy stores, that sells toy figures, video games and comics! There was a Halloween 1.00$ sale of mostly X-men comics and I availed! Some great finds were Rogue #1, Storm #1 and X-Men #5 and Uncanny X-Men #275 both of which were pencilled by Jim Lee!

Then I hung out with Tony in his house for a little while, like maybe 1.5-2 hours and watched him play "Nights" for the Sega Saturn, and then had some enchiladas, his grandma cooks the greatest enchiladas, then he drove me to BART where I took the bus home from San Lorenzo to Downtown Oakland, and I read some of the Tao Te Ching for a brief minute, only to be annoyed by some fat bohemian (like?) adolescent black girls, and then a vietnamese chinese guy talking loudly about his stomach aka how he's hungry (probably) and the three black girls were yelling at him to shut up from the back of the bus. The worst bus ride ever.

Music to listen to, while reading comics!

Some great music to listen to while reading comics are jazz, techno, downtempo and classical. For Marvel comics, it would be jazz and perhaps some downtempo. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the miniseries, techno or Kitaro, or perhaps even Vangelis. Gotham City Sirens -jazz, Birds of Prey -jazz, Zatanna -definately jazz. enjoy your comics and music!

.50 cent treasure find at Collector's Realm.

I was browsing thru the .50 cent comics and I found a comic book with Jerry Alanguilan who did the art for Image Comics back in the 90s. Here's a picture of this gem of a comic that I found of his work. The contents are somewhat mundane, but well pencilled and inked. Jerry Alanguilan is a Filipino comic artist of fame and notoriety. Here is one of his earlier career works.

Here is the only page he inked, page 1, and here is a true Filipino comic artist with his contribution:

Tamiya Model Magazine International!

This morning, I got the last copy from my local magazine store of Tamiya Model Magazine International. It is one of the coolest magazines ever! They feature articles on different plastic model kits to assemble complete with photos and step by step techniques. Although it is technical in that sense, they write it well, and easy to understand in layman's terms. It is truly awesome! My favorite part of the latest issue I bought were the photos of the hobby shop in Shizuoka, Japan -Rainbow 10. A really well stocked hobby shop; all the kits are even in order! The hobby shops in the Philippines are kinda like that, as well, somewhat finely and really well stocked! Hobby shops in Asia tend to have cooler models because in America, it seems they get sold out faster!

Tamiya Model Magaine International

Models to buy!

Here's a list of some plastic models I want to buy and build:

• A6 Intruder
• M1 Abrams Tank
• Chinook helicopter

Here;'s a list of all the plastic models I've ever assembled:

• B-24 Mitchell Bomber
• '91 Chevrolet Corvette
• Panzer Kampfwagon
• Harrier jet
• Tiger I
• russian tank
• american tank
• '61 corvette convertable
• Mitsubishi Zero
• Hyakushike Shitei III
• Mitsubishi Raiden
• Star Wars AT-AT
• X-Wing Fighter
• Tie Interceptor
• F-4 Phantom II

Notes on cool stuff & movies

On or from Netflix, I want to rent 3 movies. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Spiderman 3, and one other movie that I forgot or eludes me. Maybe Iron Man when it is released on DVD.

Toys I want to get for Christmas are: Star Trek dolls -Uhura, Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy. (Uhura was super hot!, but I would just display the dolls, instead of play with them)
Cheap but fun and enjoyable remote control helicopter of a Chinook chopper from Amazon.com. Those look so cool, and they can fly too with a remote control. The regular ones from hobby shops are $150-$180, this one from Amazon is only $16-$20. The difference is that the regular hobby shop fare have replaceable parts and parts support but the $20 ones are cheap with no parts support. I think they look cool tho, and fly them a few times.

My favorite comics as of right now: first and foremost, Zatanna by DC Comics, Birds of Prey by DC Comics, Fantastic Four by Marvel Comics, and that's it! Certainly or of course, I have many favorite comics but these are my faves for the month of Aug./Sep.