Christmas 2012 From Within The Bunker

For those of us who live on the South Plains of West Texas, we awoke to a winter storm with a dusting of snow and wind chills down in the single digits.  The view out of my window presents a gloomy day.  I know when it comes time to venture forth from the bunker, I will have a very hard time getting the old pickup started.

This morning I decided to make a post of what I got for this Christmas and in the process write about what I am thankful for.

The greatest gift this year was keeping my land when I was facing foreclosure.  I once again have a job although it is a part time one.  In 2013, I hope that it can grow into a new full time job or another job entirely if it pays more.

I am also thankful for my friends this year.  I am not married, and I have no children to call my own.  I do have a little 3 year-old lady and her younger brother who have adopted me and I so do look forward to seeing their bright smiling faces every chance I  have. I have taken to calling them my "pretend grandchildren."

My extended family/friends last night have the tradition of opening their gifts on Christmas Eve.  They are large family with lots of young kids (including my pretend grandchildren) to scream and rip open gifts and shred the wrapping all over the place.  And everyone had a great time.  I was able to gave gifts to the kids this year and all of them appeared to like them.  

I myself was surprised by two gifts that I received in turn.  The adults did a not so Secret-Santa with one another this year.  The first gift was totally unexpected.  As a 53-year old man, I never had a BB rifle ever in my life.  But now, I have a Daisy 1938 Red Ryder spring air BB rifle to claim as my own.

This year, its BB rifles or pistols for all of us to play with.  Last year, it was the RC tanks and the year before that, RC helicopters.  Although I must add here, some of the kids got a newer generation of RC helicopters. I think we adults will be getting some for ourselves in the new year when we can afford to spend money again.

The other gift was most thoughtful.  Since I am a big Star Trek fan, they found me a tan T-shirt that had a cut-away view of the original U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC-1701.  Image comes off of the Haynes manual and is what is shown on the front of my new T-shirt.

On a more mundane level were the gifts that I gave to myself.  A new CD player and two James Bond movie soundtracks to go with it.  The latest movie called "Skyfall" and the other was a chance discovery: "The Man With The Golden Gun."  

And for the kid in me, I purchased a 1/18th scale toy helicopter from the World Peacekeeper action figure line, also known as PTE (Power Team Elite).  It is modeled after the Chinese Zhi-9 (Z-9) army utility helicopter, which is a license-built version of the Aérospatiale AS-365N Dauphin II.  Aérospatiale is now know as Eurocopter.  The version released in the US doesn't have the PRC decal sheet, and it is also missing the missile launch tubes which is a bummer for me.  This will go along with the same scale UH-60 Blackhawk and UH-1 Huey gunship helicopters that I have in my collection.  The Huey comes from a different toy company, but is of the same scale.

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Ref.
1.  Image off of the internet after generic search for a Daisy 1938 Red Ryder spring air BB rifle
2.  U.S.S. Enterprise cutaway view image ( http://scifanatic.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/images/merchandise/haynes-1701.jpg ).

Triad Toys Doll Clothing

In the back of my mind, I have been wanting to do a kinda of James Bond/Matt Helm photostory using my action figures as the actors of course. I'm waiting on news about that future Matt Helm movie project and what might be spun off of it for my Matt Helm custom. I already have a few James Bond to choose from in my collection already.

And what would be a good spy story without some good looking female eye-candy hanging around? I already have most of the female action figures that Blue Box originally released from a few years ago, but civilian clothing for them has been lacking unless I modified some Mattel Barbie stuff.

Crusing One Sixth Warrior forum today, I spotted a post about Triad Toys offering sexy outfits for the 1/6th ladies in your life. (And really, this is jsut an excuse to post some sexy looking babe dolls). Quote: Triad is releasing more casual and fashion-based outft sets. Starting with the contemporary skin-tight dresses. Each set comes with two (2) dresses in different colors and styles. There is a total of three sets in the latest Nite Out 2.0 series, totaling 6 different dress styles.

Two outfits per set that run $19.99 per set which isn't too bad a price for these hard economic times. Figures not included in these sets.

Link (http://www.triadtoys.com/).

The GIBBS Aquada Car to be sold in USA

  When I was clocking into my real job I saw this little bit on the corp news page about this amphibian car gaining approval for distribution and sales in the United States.  So between taking calls from people who had problems with their phones, I did a web search and found some of these articles about this British car company name GIBBS Technology and that their car - the Aquada, having won approval to began setting up shop here in the US for their products.

I also, in the process, discovered that they had some military designs and were already working with the US Army some some projects (i.e. the Humdinga that looks like a Hummer that can pretend to be a speedboat) and a Quad cycle that can do the same thing (known as the Quadski. hmmm, imagine that).  

To me, this pegs the Geek-o-Meter all the way over into the "That's Totally Fraking Unbelievable its Cool Looking!" zone.

I have heard rumors that they are planning on a sequel to the up coming G.I. Joe movie (in August 2009).  They have GOT to include the Humdinga in the next picture!  There is one version of the Humdinga that is enclosed and it just screams "COBRA" to me. 

Now, going by the pictures on the below websites, it looks like the driver sits right smack in the middle of the vehicle with a passenger seat to either side plus a backseat.  

GIBBS has been working on this design for many, many years.  In fact, over $100 million dollars have been sunk into this company.  But in the process - they have generated over 60 patents that are pending in nearly every aspect of the vehicles' design.  The boat hull, the retracting mechanism for the wheels, internal body design that has do double duty for land or water operations. The loads one has to deal with in boat design are opposite for land/driving ability.

The outer body is modern composites technology.  The vehicles have a NASCAR racer's roolcage that goes into the unibody structure like that of your typical sedan.  

On the highway, the inner steel frame distributes the loads into the outer composite body - while in the water - the opposite is true.  

The Aquada suspension uses a single strut with conventional automotive spring and dampening gear.  There is also a 17 valve hydraulic system with folding joints and needed safety pins to avoid inadvertent retraction.  After entering the water, push the button and 12-seconds later - the wheels have retracted and now you are a boat.

Power for the Aquada is a 2.5 liter, 160-horsepower engine.  (In Europe, this is a 175 hp, 6-cylinder engine).

Sir Richard Branson set a 32.8 mph record speed run across the English Channel in four hours.  

However, when it comes to the cost of these vehciles; even Sir Richard turned it down as being too expensive.  IT originally sold in Europe for $285,000.  When the price came down to a mere $142,000, then Sir Branson bought one for the English channel speed run.

Thats all well and good for the Civilian side of things.  But GIBBS is going ahead with General Dynamics on a project. General Dynamics has been working on the Marine EFV (Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle) since 1996.  The tracked and waterjet powered armor personnel carrier carries a crew of 3 plus 17 combat ready Marines 25 nautical miles to shore at speeds in excess of 20 knots.  Then can go ashore and travel up to 45 mph on land. Turret up on top carries a cannon.  The on board, two-stage turbocharged twin diesels produce over 2000 horses and planes over the water thanks to its adjustable flat steel plate that doubles as armor.

GIBBS is also working with Lockheed Martin on several concept vehicles.  

Now to go one more step and make the Aquada into a submarine like in the James Bond movie "The Spy Who Loved Me."  Damnit, I'm bending that Geek-o-Meter needle past the red zone now!  

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Ref. GIBBS Tech website (http://www.gibbstech.com./index.php).

MSN.autos (http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=434464).

Army-Technology.com (http://www.army-technology.com/features/feature2020/).

Great Cars (http://www.greatcarstv.com/news/new-amphibious-car-gets-ready-to-take-the-plunge.html).