My Love For Life Review

I received a parcel today containing my order of Figma Ryomou Shimei which I got from a fellow collector who was letting go of his collection. It is good that he gave me free express post service to deliver the Figma but I am not keen at all to his way of packaging the Figma. The parcel shown in the picture might look ok but let me assure you that the parcel is actually dented badly in some area, most probably "squash damage" caused by a heavy load placed on top of it.

In actual fact, there was no extra hard layer of protection for the Figma box at all. The outermost layer consist of thin brown paper which can be torn easily. From the photo you can see a torn area at one corner of the box.

Things don't look too bad from this angle but then again, looks can be deceiving. To be honest I have actually pushed the box back into proper shape before taking any picture of it.

With the outermost layer of brown paper removed, you can see the Figma Ryomou Shimei box wrapped in... a grocery bag! Good recycling effort, minimal protection for the Figma box though.

Well at least the seller used high quality duct tape to secure the grocery bag in place.

My Figma Ryomou Shimei finally unpacked from the delivery packing material. Gotta apologize for the blurry photo as my hands were still shaking in shock after seeing the grocery bag. There are noticeable dents and fold marks on the box but they can't be seen from the photo.

Finally calmed my shaking hands down and took a clear shot of the rear of the Figma box. If you look closely you can see dent marks at the side which I had minimized by pushing it back into shape.

I am lucky that the seller didn't use the normal parcel shipping method for delivery as that would be disastrous to my poorly protected Figma box.

My Love For Life Experience review rating for bad Figma delivery packaging: 3/5

My Love For Life Review

It has been a while since I watched a movie together with my boo. Mostly due to my ill health last weekend. But my boo came by to check up on me Tuesday night and we watched Disaster Movie. There are certain movies that you are better off not watching and IMHO Disaster Movie is one of them. Then again, if you are curious watch it at your own risk.

Disaster Movie is a 2008 parody movie written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer which was intended as a sequel to their previous movie Meet the Spartans. The cast of characters include B list actors such as Carmen Electra, Kim Kardashian, Matt Lanter, Nicole Parker, Crista Flanagan and Vanessa Minnillo. Among the numerous spoofs found in Disaster Movie are on Armageddon, American Gladiator, Amy Winehouse (this one is just plain weird and uncomfortable), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Indy is portrayed as a African American midget played by Tony Cox), Juno, Superbad, Dr. Phil (he can be found in most movie stereotypes nowadays), Wanted (Fox is played by Carmen Electra), High School Musical, Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, Hancock (one of the more interesting ones, too bad they didn't develop it better), Sex and the City (Carrie Bradshaw portrayed as a drag queen by Jason Boegh, uncanny resemblance between him and Sarah Jessica Parker!), Jumper, Prince Caspian, Enchanted (was kinda nice at first but it dragged on too long), Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Batman, Alvin and the chipmunks (gonna tarnish the cutesy mischievous image of the original), Speed Racer, Michael Jackson (could have been interesting if given more screen time), Kung Fu Panda and Beowulf (huge gay references abound!). There are a few spoofs missing here but I couldn't care less to find out what I can't recall from memory.

Disaster Movie trailer


Disaster Movie is full of vulgar language. The ending song sequence alone uses the "F" word as its chorus. Depend on how you see it, Disaster Movie might be interesting or it might be a Disaster Movie literary. I am sticking to the latter. Watch it if you are curious. My Love For Life movie review rating for Disaster Movie: 1.5/5

My Love For Life Review

This time I will be reviewing the 1/100 scale NG (Normal Grade) Gundam Exia by Bandai. Lets start off the review with the photo of the box art. Gundam Exia can be seen occupying most of the background with a picture insert of Setsuna F. Seiei, the pilot in the foreground. I hope that Bandai will start using the actual picture of the model on the box art instead of an illustration. Though it may look inferior, hobbyists like myself can have a clear picture of how the completed model will look like easily.


The left side box art shows the actual completed model with some inserts of stills taken from the original anime. There is also a short description of Setsuna in Japanese.

The right side box art highlights some of the gimmicks and action poses of Gundam Exia using the actual completed model. Several prominent accessories of the Gundam Exia model kit like its shield and swords are also shown here.

Top box art showing Gundam Exia in the background and a young (child like appearance) Setsuna in the foreground.

Bottom box art depicting Gundam Exia in the background with an older Setsuna in the foreground.

Front cover for the assembly manual. I actually like the illustration done here showing Gundam Exia swinging its GN Blade in the background with an insert of the actual model in the foreground. Bandai could have used this arrangement for the box art instead of just using the artist illustration without the actual model.

First page of the assembly manual showing all the runners of the Gundam Exia model kit in color.

Page 2 of the assembly manual showing some general tips on how to snip out the plastic parts from the runners.

Page 3 of the assembly manual showing the actual assembly steps.

Page 4 of the assembly manual.

Page 5 of the assembly manual showing the character designs of Setsuna F. Seiei. It is a shame that Bandai didn't use color for this page.

Page 6 of the assembly manual illustrating the mechanical designs of Gundam Exia with its weaponry. Again, shame on Bandai for not using color on this page.

Page 7 of the assembly manual.

Page 8 of the assembly manual.

Page 9 of the assembly manual.

Page 10 of the assembly manual.

Page 11 of the assembly manual.

Page 12 of the assembly manual highlighting the color scheme of the Gundam Exia model for those who wish to spray their model for better appearance.

Page 13 of the assembly manual showing the various gimmicks and poses of the completed Gundam Exia model.

Alright now that we are done with the box art and assembly manual(took quite a while), onwards to the actual completed model of Gundam Exia! Here is a special shout out to Herman Turnip of Terrible Analogies: the reappearance of my clear soda can! A side by side size comparison of the 1/100 NG Gundam Exia with my 12cm high clear soda can.

Frontal view of NG Gundam Exia.

Rear view of NG Gundam Exia.

Top down frontal view of NG Gundam Exia.

Top down rear view of NG Gundam Exia. I like the design of the GN drive protruding at Gundam Exia's back.

Closeup on the upper body of NG Gundam Exia. I really like the design of Gundam Exia especially the GN condenser (dark green circular chest part) which uses clear plastic parts.

Diagonal side view on the upper body of NG Gundam Exia. Light reflection can clearly be been from the clear plastic part of the chest GN condenser.

Side view on the upper body of NG Gundam Exia.

Closeup on NG Gundam Exia's head. I did not use the sticker for the eyes but painted them instead.

Side view of the head. Painted the GN condenser of the head in light green instead of using the dark green sticker.

Rear closeup on the upper body of NG Gundam Exia. If you look closely I have painted the GN blade with metallic grey.

Closeup on the GN drive of NG Gundam Exia.

Frontal closeup on the legs of NG Gundam Exia.

Rear closeup on the legs of NG Gundam Exia.

The shoulder V fins (yellow parts at either sides of the neck) can be moved up and down.

There are GN condensers on both arms which I have colored light green.

NG Gundam Exia with all of its included accessories. In total it comes with 7 swords and a shield.

This is the clear pink runner for the beam components of the beam sabers and beam daggers. I have not remove them from the runner because I plan to pose my NG Gundam Exia with all the beam sabers and beam daggers sheathed.

Closeup of the accessories. From the left: GN blade (signature weapon for Gundam Exia), GN Long Sword, GN Short Sword, 4 beam sword hilts and GN shield.

Diagonal frontal view of unarmed NG Gundam Exia.

Diagonal rear view of unarmed NG Gundam Exia. Notice the 2 beam sword hilts sheathed on the lower rear side of both shoulder armor and the 2 beam dagger hilts sheathed at the rear hip.

Bottom top diagonal frontal side view of unarmed NG Gundam Exia.

Bottom top diagonal rear side view of unarmed NG Gundam Exia.

Closeup on GN blade mode front view.

Closeup on GN blade mode back view.

The GN blade can be sheathed and the handle stowed to change to GN rifle mode.

Closeup on GN rifle mode.

Closeup on GN blade mode.

The beam dagger hilts on the rear hip can be moved up and down and also bend sideways.

This is to position them for easier access whenever Gundam Exia requires their usage.

Gundam Exia reaching for the beam saber mounted at the rear side of the shoulder armor.

Closeup on GN shield front view.

Closeup on GN shield back view.

The GN Long sword and GN short sword can be mounted on right and left sides of the upper legs respectively.

Rear view closeup on both GN swords mounted.

Bottom top diagonal frontal view of armed NG Gundam Exia.

Bottom top diagonal rear view of armed NG Gundam Exia.

Top down diagonal frontal view of armed NG Gundam Exia.

Top down diagonal rear view of armed NG Gundam Exia.

Articulation range of the arm and leg of NG Gundam Exia.Even though the elbow is double jointed, the arm cannot bend all the way for the hand to touch the shoulder due to obstruction from an arm component.

NG Gundam Exia balancing on one leg.

The legs cannot bend up much further due to the obstruction from the skirt armor.

The legs of the NG Gundam Exia are on ball joints hence they can be rotated to the sides to perform poses such as this one.

Closeup of the leg.

I also like the design of the leg which IMHO is semi phase shift armor. Meaning that the armor plating on the leg will move when the leg is bent. Compare the left and right legs in the picture and see how the different degree of bends will expose the inner shin part in dark grey.

The legs can also perform the full kneeling position where there are minimal gaps between the legs and the ground.

Diagonal frontal view of NG Gundam Exia in kneeling position.

Top down view of NG Gundam Exia. There is some freedom of movement for the shoulders to the front and back due to the connector joints design.

NG Gundam Exia determined pose and ready for action. I always prefer the open hand than the close hand part due the dynamic poses which the former can perform.

Closeup view of GN blade unsheathed.

Frontal view of GN blade unsheathed stance.

Top down frontal view of GN rifle mode pose.

Top down closeup diagonal view of GN rifle mode pose.

Front side view of GN rifle mode pose.

Back side view of GN rifle mode pose.

Frontal shot of NG Gundam Exia kneeling and taking cover behind the GN shield and aiming using the GN rifle.

Diagonal rear shot of NG Gundam Exia kneeling and taking cover behind the GN shield and aiming using the GN rifle.

Frontal view of NG Gundam Exia crouching and readying the GN blade over the shoulders to attack.

Rear view of NG Gundam Exia crouching and readying the GN blade over the shoulders to attack.

I like the overall design of Gundam Exia. The color scheme is considered generic for the leading mobile suit Gundam through the various series which consist of blue, white, dark grey, yellow and red. The articulation range is acceptable for a NG model but Bandai could have designed the arms and legs so they can bend further without being obstructed.

My Love For Life Gundam Review rating for Bandai NG 1/100 Gundam Exia: 3.5/5


My Love For Life Review

The second movie that I watched with my cousin last Sunday does not fair well at all. Babylon A. D. is a 2008 sci-fi thriller based on the Babylon Babies novel by Maurice Georges Dantec. Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, Babylon A. D. stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh and Lambert Wilson among others.

Vin Diesel must have been a little desperate to agree to star in Babylon A. D. He chose Babylon A. D. over Hitman which I think is a huge throwback in his movie career. Sure Babylon A. D. seems more epic in scale compared to Hitman on paper, but the latter excelled in its storyline and execution. In summary, Babylon A. D. highlights a futuristic mercenary called Toorop (Vin Diesel) who was contracted to bring a young woman, Aurora from Mongolia to America. Rebeka (Michelle Yeoh), Aurora's guardian nun tags along the journey and they encountered several challenges and hurdles.

Babylon A. D. movie trailer


I would not recommend Babylon A. D. to anyone unless it is the only movie available. Having seen the whole movie, I feel that the ending is not satisfactory with many loose ends. My Love For Life movie review rating for Babylon A. D.: 1.5/5

My Love For Life Review

My cousin and mom helped me to pickup my parcel this afternoon (23/06/2009) from the post office. This is my first parcel that I bought from HobbyLink Japan or HLJ. Its just my luck that most of my parcels arrive dented in one way or another. But I have to admit that I am quite surprised at the prompt arrival of this package as I chose the cheapest and slowest delivery method which is Surface Air Lift or SAL. My package was shipped on 08/06/2009 and arrived on 23/06/2009 which is a total of 15 days.

This is the shipping label from HLJ. I am impressed that they incorporated the customs declaration form on it as well (in green). I especially like the standard wording imprinted on the label: Extremely Fragile! Handle with Care! Too bad most delivery personnel do not take note of these precautions.
Someone from the post office chopped this parcel with "Received In This Condition". But too bad there is no way to know which post office received this parcel in poor condition.
Another chop this time stating that this parcel has been cleared from the customs on 18/06/2009.
Side view of the parcel showing the damage done. Somebody must have placed a heavy load on my parcel. Even though the box is made out of sturdy paper, heavy loads exceeding the threshold of this box must have been stacked on top of it.
View from another side of the box. "Handle with Care" is clearly shown and in this case, clearly ignored too.
Things do not look too bad from this side of the box.
The actual unboxing begins. My order of HCM Pro Gundam models all three of them.
I am impressed by the packing done by HLJ. Inside the parcel box, my items are plastic wrapped. Lucky for me all of them are in great condition!

My HCM Pro Gundams out of the parcel box. Still wrapped in plastic.
HCM Pro Gundam Exia. I got it on promotion price.

Limited edition roll out color HCM Pro RX-78-2 Gundam and HCM Pro Gundam Dynames. In fact I got all 3 of them on promotion price.
Side view of my HCM Pro Gundams.
HLJ even included a hard cardboard in the plastic wrap for further protection.
I am very pleased with my first purchase from HLJ. I think my second order will arrive in about a week's time. My Love For Life Experience Review rating for my first HLJ purchase: 4/5



My Love For Life Review

It is sad for me to know of Michael Jackson's death this morning. The World has lost one of its greatest performers. The following is a Reuters news article detailing the incident:

"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson, the child star turned King of Pop who set the world dancing but whose musical genius was overshadowed by a bizarre lifestyle and sex scandals, died on Thursday. He was 50.

U.S. pop star Michael Jackson speaks during a news conference at the O2 Arena in London March 5, 2009. (REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth)

Jackson was pronounced dead after arriving at a Los Angeles hospital in full cardiac arrest, Los Angeles coroner Fred Corral said. The cause of death was not known and an autopsy would likely take place on Friday, he said.

Jackson's sudden death had been reported earlier by U.S. media including the Los Angeles Times and the TMZ entertainment website, which said he was taken ill at his home and rushed to the hospital by paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived.

Known as the "King of Pop," for hits that included "Thriller" and "Billie Jean," Jackson's dramatic, one-gloved stage presence and innovative dance moves were imitated by legions of fans around the world.

His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, made him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.

But Jackson's belief that "I am Peter Pan in my heart", his preference for the company of children, his friendship with a chimp, his high-pitched voice and numerous plastic surgeries also earned him critics and the nickname "Wacko Jacko."

Jackson, who had lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation, had been scheduled to launch a comeback tour from London next month.

Quincy Jones, who helped arrange the music on the album "Thriller" and produced the "Off the Wall" album, told MSNBC: "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news."

"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

PARAMEDICS UNABLE TO REVIVE SINGER

TMZ said on its website that Jackson suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday afternoon at his Holmby Hills home and paramedics were unable to revive him. "We're told when paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back," the site said.

The Los Angeles Times said paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the singer's home before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital.

Jackson had been due to start a series of concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.

The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.

There were concerns about Jackson's health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.

Outside the hospital in Los Angeles about 200 fans and reporters gathered on Thursday, waiting for confirmation of Jackson's death or condition.

Some fans were crying and hugging each other, and others were climbing atop fences to get a better look at a microphone stand where a news conference was supposed to take place.

"I hope he's gone to God, and I hope that he's free of all the troubles he's been plagued with," Tonya Blazer, 50, who said she had been a fan going back more than four decades to his days as a child star.

"I just feel like I'm paying tribute to him," said Dawn Burgess, 42, a fan who said she had posters of Michael pinned to her bedroom wall when she was a child.

CHILD STAR TO MEGASTAR

Jackson was born on Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys -- Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael -- first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.

Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released "Thriller" in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.

The next year, he unveiled his signature "moonwalk" dance move while performing "Billie Jean" during an NBC special.

In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley's only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.

Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.

New Yorkers and tourists in the city's Times Square were shocked at the news of Jackson's death.

"I don't know what to say. It's sad, it's really, really sad," said Nicole Smith, an 18-year-old student from Brooklyn, New York, in Times Square. "My mother was a fan. I listened to his music."

"I'm shocked. I thought someone was lying to me when I first heard it. I was a fan from when he was a little boy and then he got weird," said Sue Sheider, 51, a teacher from Long Island.

(Additional Reporting by Jill Serjeant in Los Angeles and Michelle Nichols in New York)

Copyright © 2008 Reuters"

Last week has not been a kind week for me. I developed some hip pain at the back area of my right kidney last Wednesday afternoon. After visiting the medical centre, the Dr prescribed some painkillers and antibiotics for me in addition to some alkaline syrup. I spent most of my weekend bedridden with a throbbing headache. Luckily I got a little better on Sunday. My cousin came by and we did our Sunday routine, watched the season 5 finale of Lost followed by a couple of movies. This is one of the movies: How To Lose Friends and Alienate People.

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is a 2008 comedy movie based on Toby Young's 2001 memoir of the same name. The movie features a star studded cast including Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges, Gillian Anderson and Megan Fox. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People caught me off guard in a pleasant way. Being British of origin, the movie managed to break free from all the norms typically associated with a British production. The on screen humor are universal in nature, and the characters are well portrayed by the cast members.

How To Lose Friends and Alienate People movie trailer


In a nutshell the movie's plot is about a small time British journalist Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) and how he made his way up to be in the glamorous world of celebrity only to realize that it was not what he wanted. The movie gives viewers an up close and personal look into the social circles and life of a celebrity journalist, something which proved to be interesting to watch. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is generally a feel good movie with some romance thrown in to the mix. My Love For Life Movie Review rating for How to Lose Friends and Alienate People: 3.5/5

My Love For Life Review

Continuing from my previous TT Hongli Tieren Ground Type Gundam model kit assembly review, this is the review of the complete assembled model. For size comparison I use an empty soda can which is 12cm in height. The HG Tieren Ground Type is slightly over 12cm in height.

Tieren in standby pose view
Rear view
Direct frontal view
Right diagonal frontal view
Left diagonal rear view
Left diagonal front view
Closeup of upper body
Closeup of chest area. Notice the foil stickers for the golden yellow as well as the shiny silver parts. In case you are wondering the pink eye is also a fold sticker.
Closeup of main canon weapon. Notice the white foil sticker for the canon part.
Closeup of the head
The head helmet can be taken off and the eye of the Tieren can be rotated via a gimmick.
Rear backpack view
Tieren's melee weapon housed on the back skirt armor
Left side shoulder armor view
Closeup of right leg
Closeup of the Tieren's feet. Notice the details on the underside of the feet.
Left leg armor view. The armor part can be mounted on either leg and can swivel about 30 degrees front and back.
Amazing articulation of Tieren's arm and leg.
Tieren's shoulders can move forward by 30 degrees.
Closeup view on the Tieren's legs connector
The Tieren's legs are connected to the hip via double joints which enable the amazing articulation range of the model.
The Tieren balancing on one leg
Super high kick! Amazing articulation of the leg clearly demonstrated here.
The Tieren's upper body and lower body is connected via a waist joint part. Be careful as the lower and upper body can come off easily as the connector joint is quite loose.
The connector joint also enables the Tieren to pan up and down around 30 degrees each way.
Another ridiculous stunt pose only possible with the Tieren's double jointed leg connector.
Tieren's "taking a crap in the jungle" pose front view
Tieren's "taking a crap in the jungle" pose rear view
Tieren's feet are quite posable as well and provide adequate support to prevent it from falling over
Closeup of the right foot
Tieren shooting pose frontal view
Tieren shooting pose left side view
Tieren shooting pose right side view
Tieren shooting pose rear side view
Front view with canon retracted
Side view with canon retracted
Tieren's squatting kung fu pose front view
Tieren's squatting kung fu pose side view
Tieren's squatting kung fu pose rear view
The canon can be mounted on either arm and by mounting it on the left arm, the canon can be placed on top of the left leg armor.
In this position, the left leg armor will double as a shield from incoming enemy fire
Squating firing pose frontal view
Squating firing pose side view
The Tieren's melee weapon can be attached to the left hand via a peg that is to be inserted.
Tieren now holding its melee weapon on the left hand and the canon mounted on the right arm.
Closeup on the canon
Closeup on the melee weapon
Top side view of the Tieren holding its melee weapon
Tieren's attacking stance frontal view
Tieren's attacking stance side view
Melee weapon attack stance top frontal view
Melee weapon attack stance frontal view
Closeup of Melee weapon attack stance
Tieren box art stance frontal view
Tieren box art stance side view
Tieren box art stance rear view
Closeup of Tieren box art stance
Tieren box art stance frontal overview
Tieren box art stance side overview


Overall I am quite pleased with TT Hongli HG Tieren Ground Type. My Love For Life gundam review rating for TT Hongli HG Tieren Ground Type: 4/5


My Love For Life Review