Saturday, December 9, 2023

America's Cup 37 - The Road to Barcelona has Begun!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUCeg_MgpKg


Yeah Will is posting about the America's Cup again. Yeah the next AC won't be happening until NEXT OCTOBER, there's so much going on right now.

Quick update: Even though Emirates Team New Zealand won the cup last time in New Zealand, the team was so tapped financially that they put up the hosting country duties for auction. So without an team in the fight, Spain is the host country for the 37th America's Cup.

Right now they're in the preliminary regatta phase, using the more or less half-size AC 40 Class mono hull yachts for design and training. These boats are super fast, 12 meters and have kick arse foils that they get up on and go super fast, speeds up to 45 knots.

Last week was the 2nd prelim regatta in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I watched almost the whole thing on YouTube. It was awesome. In the actual Americas Cup regatta it's all match racing, which is great, but this prelim is fleet racing, meaning all six teams (5 challengers and the defender Team NZL) are racing at the same time, and that is an amazing thing to watch.

So anyway here's a cool new Youtube series intended to bring in newer viewers. I'll say this as well, having watched America's Cup racing now for over 30 years, the coverage today is the best it's ever been. As niche as a sport as there is, in the past we might have gotten highlights and live racing occasionally. The on water coverage now is AMAZING, and that's most of the reason why I like it, watching those boats just fly across the water is so much damn fun.

Monday, March 13, 2023

Model Kits from Special Armored Battalion Dorvack

 These kits are still works in progress.

I finally have THREE of the Dorvack Power Armor kits from 1983 classic mecha anime "Special Armored Battalion Dorvack". I have finally seen the show, and I was less than thrilled to find out these are basically all grunt suits and get blowed up real easily. So I'm not making them anime accurate at all.



You see a LONG time ago in a galaxy far far away I used to buy a lot of Japanese model kits that were being imported by the metric ton back in the 80s. You could get them at Toys R Us or Karls Toys or even Kay Bee some times. Testors just brought them over with no english translations. At least Revell made "Robotech". It was a great time. I built kits from dozens of shows I've still never seen, just because they look cool.

That's what happened with my first Dorvack kit - the PA36HD Nove Laser power armor. It just looked bad-ass, and when it was finished it was virtually the same scale as a 3 3/4" GI Joe, Star Wars or Micronauts, which is still what I was into at the time (who am I kidding still am). So I built him up, didn't bother to paint him, and he became a staple of my GI Joe Forces, he often fought my SNAKE Armor....which I'll come back to.


Anyway, poor old Nove Laser got lost to the sands of time or moves, and I've always wanted to replace him and get more Dorvack kits. So for the past decade I've had a search alert on Ebay for when Dorvack kits go on sale. There's still a TON of them out there, but they're getting more and more expensive, which is kind of sad. They're not great kits, but I love them.

PAC-48G Doldian (Kit #25)
The first one I managed to find was the PAC-48G Doldian.  This is a monster of a suit, larger than the other two.  And it has that big old triple barrel cannon for an arm.  I like him.  I got him in the early 2010s from ebay for under $20.  Brand new with all the paperwork.











More recently I found a PA-58N Halk, which is one of the more basic suits.  Also picked up from eBay for less than $20.  Kit was brand new with all the paperwork and the dried up thing of glue.  I built him up and started to paint pen him today.  He's so cute.
PA-58N - HALK



A couple of months ago we attended the monthly MINT ON CARD Stand Up Comedy Show in Burbank and I won the grand giveaway prize (it was their 7th Anniversary! I attended their FIRST) of a $25 gift certificate for the store.  I decided on this beat up PA-58N Halk-Sovat kit, which when I got home I discovered a) had already been semi-built and b) also contained a partially built Space Runaway Ideon alien mech kit.  

Oh and there was a bunch of extra parts in the box too, looks like some pieces from a car model kit, and some pieces from an old Return of the Jedi Speeder Bike kit.  The person who previously owned this kit had modified it to have a rear engine and a cover, which is kind of cool.  Anyway, I finished him up today and started to fix up the deco.  I need some new paint pens.  
PA-58N - HALK SOVAT
It also had a partial sprue of the GI Joe SNAKE Weapons, including the Gun hand, the missile hand and the Stand.  I mean I really do want to get a replacement SNAKE armor.  At least I have some of the harder to find parts now.  


So if you see any of these kits on your journeys and they're under $20, hit me up!  
I love the wire frame box art, not as much a fan of the other art, but it's OK.

















Special Bonus - Both sides of the catalog insert


Sunday, February 13, 2022

The Jersey Fits

 


RAMS WIN!


All is right in the world for tonight.  The Los Angeles Rams have won the SuperBowl.



Since I have lived in Los Angles (1971-80, 1998-present) Los Angeles Teams have won 12 Major  Championships (Lakers 8, Kings 2, Dodgers1, Angels 1).  I don't count the Ducks because I hate them.  

Of those I have only really cared about the Kings, Angels and Rams.  Those are my teams.  I'm not a "Dodger" fan.  I'm barely a Laker fan.  I am a Kings, Angels and Rams fan. Yes I loved the Chargers while I lived in San Diego. Since they've been back, meh.  Not so much.

But I've always been a Rams fan.  Even when I was a Chargers fan.  I was a Rams fan too.  

My Jersey is #11 for Jim Everett.  It barely fits.  But I wore it tonight.


Congrats Rams.



Los Angeles Rams 23 Cincinnati Bengals 20 FINAL

 BUILT to win.  And they did.  Great game.  I can't decide if Cooper Kupp or Aaron Donald is my MVP.  I voted for them both. RAMS GET THEIR 2nd Superbowl and FIRST IN LOS ANGELES.

And I'm crying.  Really.


BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER

YOUR LOS ANGELES RAMS ARE THE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS.



AND they earned it.  

Los Angeles Rams - 23 Cincinnati Bengals 20 - 1:25 fourth

 In a game with almost no penalties this is drama time


From a defensive holding call.  to the offsetting penalties on the touchdown catch by Kupp, it makes things way more dramatic.

Then more flags.

You could not script this shit

TOUCH DOWN


COOPER KUPP



MVP 


Cincinnati Bengals 20 - Los Angeles Rams 16 1:55 Fourth

 I've never seen the NFL hotter - AL Michaels.  yeah the post season has been good.  Brings in the casuals and lapsed fans.  Like me.  No Tom Brady.

Rams go for it on 4th down and get it with a run from WR Kupp!

Collinsworth - you have to get Cooper Kupp into this game.  Yes.  You're right.  100%

Rams driving

Good Game


1st and 10- Caught by Kupp on the 24.  Under 3 to play

FIRST and Goal - inside of 2 minues.  DOES NOT GET BETTER.

COMMERCIALS

My next post will be my last.

Wow.  WHAT A GAME>  best one in ages.  

Was that buddweiser with the clydesdales?  Kind of missed them.

Wal-mart - I don't miss going there

Dude frm the Middle.  Credit Crds?  2nd pegasus appaerance.

HBO _ I love Kareem.  Will watch


nbc Show with Morena Baccarin.  Um...OK.


OK end of game time.




Cincinnati Bengals 20 - Los Angeles Rams 16 6:13 Fourth

 Bengals start with a quick first down, and run for 3 straight plays.  Unsurprising.  Burn the clock.  Time to step up Rams.


3rd and 1 it's CLOSE but they get the first down.  Yuck.  Burning time.


the Rams defense comes through with a stop on 3rd down.  


Rams take over on their own 22.

COMMERCIALS:

Eugene Levy and Brie Larson for cars.   Cathrine O'hara driving in Downtown LA.  Batista.....I dig it.  Best car comemrcial excet for the Tunda.


I hear Hole

I MIGHT BE too drunk to type

I'm hungry for Taco Bell.