Wednesday, November 30, 2011

A Time of Struggle and joy.

This year since the end of January has been a roller coaster ride, between the accident I had at the end of January, to my being laid off after five months on the job it has been a struggle.

Yet even with all the struggles we have faced, things have balanced out at points.  Recently we had to move, because we had no income coming in, so we could not pay utilities or rent.  This was not something we had planned on doing and something I had never had to do in the manner in which it occurred.

Yet something good has come from this, we had to give away some items, furniture, dishes and some cookware; however what happened for me, at least was something amazing and positive.


I felt a truer connection to what Christmas is supposed to be about, about how by giving to those who may be in some ways in the same boat, or slightly worse situation, you find yourself elevated.  You feel as if you are truly helping others, not because you have to, but because it feels good.

In some cases nothing was given back, yet, it is better to give than receive and in this case it really felt that way.

Sometimes it is amazing how a crisis can actually make you feel better than anything else you have been through.  All I know, is that I have felt more connected to the true Christmas Spirit the last few days, than I have in ages.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season, or spiritual season ahead.  Be well one and all.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Monday's Music Moves Me Songs I am thankful For

One of my favorite songs of all times, Pat Benatar from 1986.
Judy Collins acapella
The Beatles Long and Winding Road
Glenn Miller and his Orchestra Moonlight Becomes You, a great Romantic Ballad going out to the wife.
Gracie Fields, with another song dedicated to my wife.
A great contemporary romantic ballad
I could have gone on forever, but these are definitely favorite songs, oh I have two more... but they can wait.  
Enjoy, till next week.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Follow Me Friday... F is for Family

Here are some delightful current photos of my family here in Podunk.  Hope you enjoy.

 The cutest kid in the universe, my step grand daughter Izabella the great.


 My Step Son Josh and Step Grand Daughter Queen Izabella.

 Me, and yes I am balancing a book, on the creator Willi Messerschmidt and his airplanes, on top of my head.
 My Wife Naila Moon and Grand Daughter.
 Me, no I am not drunk officer, just had some Iced tea, that's all.
 My wife and the cute kid, see a pattern here?

My wife and her daughter Natasha.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Monday's Music Moves Me

Another Brick in the Wall, by Pink Floyd.  I never attended my High School Prom, but I was at school the day that the students took over the daily announcements, and played another brick in the wall.

This is in memory of that day at Manual High School in 1980






Thursday, November 10, 2011

Perhaps an accident, perhaps just being lazy

I have built scale models since I was 15 years old, I have built mainly MPC, Revell and Monogram.  I have built mainly 1/72nd scale and had at one point a collection of nearly 500 plus models.

Over the summer I built a model of the Curtis P-40 Kitty hawk, a fighter made famous by the American Volunteer Group better known as the Flying Tigers, this kit is produced by HOBBYBOSS, a fairly new company as far as I know; this company has put out mostly fighter planes of world war two, in 1/72nd scale, or at least that is the scale that is on the boxes.

In all reality the scale is 1/76, this is the next smallest scale when it comes to scale models, and this means that the model is not in scale with similar kits that are actually 1/72nd.

The other problem with HOBBYBOSS is that these are what are known as snap tite kits, no glue is required.  Because they are snap tite, there is very little actual construction required.  The fuselage is already a single assembly, with what limited cockpit detail that may be included already in place.  You snap the wings to the fuselage, along with the rudder assembly and in about a day you are done, except for painting and decalling.

HOBBYBOSS at the time I built this kit, did not mark their kit as a snap tite kit, and they are still manufacturing the kits as 1/72nd scale, when the scale is off.

The company is Asian and this should have nothing to do with scale, because some of the best 1/72nd scale kits came out of Asia back in the 1970's-1990's.  The scale in the past with companies like Tamaya were always on the money, there was limited detail, but that was how models were made, you had a pilot figure, a seat a cockpit transparency and that was it.  If wanted a floor board or control stick and control panel, you made them from scrap materials.

HOBBYBOSS has a huge array of model aircraft in a variety of scales, not just 1/72nd; however because of my experience with the P-40, I am unlikely ever to buy one of their kits again.  Oh and by the way the P-40 was the second kit of theirs I had purchased.  I had bought an Fw-190D which was totally off scale too, and again was a snap tite kit.

Snap tites are fine for a beginning modeler around 5 years old, but for an experienced model builder, they offer no challenge, and if I had been able to get the academy kit of the P-40 I would have, unfortunately the hobby shop I go to carries almost exclusively HOBBYBOSS, when it comes to their 1/72nd scale aircraft kits.

So be warned, the kit is miss marked in regards to scale and is a very easy assembly, if you can look for the Academy kit, or even better the old FROG kits, they were superb, but avoid HOBBYBOSS unless you have no alternative.

A photo of the Curtis P-40 C completed from the HOBBYBOSS web page.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Monday's music moves me. Some unique and interesting music of the 1980's

This is some music you may be aware of, and some you may not.

This first song is from a group I was introduced to when I visited Hawaii in 1975.  The group is Kalapana, and two members of the group, are sons on my Uncle David Akana Espinda the 3rd.  Kalapana started in 1975 and is still successful today.  This is a song from their first album called Kalapana.




Another group that launched onto the scene around 1984 was Miami Sound Machine, I remember the first time I heard their music I was sitting in a small coffee house in Las Vegas at about one in the morning, and I loved the music immediately.  Little did anyone know that Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine would last so long and survive so much.

 

Another of my favorite groups that actually got their start in 1973, but became popular in the early and mid 1980's was the Irish/Celtic pop rock group Clannad.  Here is one of my favorite pieces of music.




A great singer and song.  Enough Said.





A one hit wonder from the 1980's but this song is still great and perhaps a bit unnerving.

A unique lady with a unique rendition of a country western song of the time.


Hope you enjoyed my posting for some of my favorite and interesting music of the 1980s.