It’s a Porsche!

When I think of Porsche I remember the funny incident from the series F.R.I.E.N.D.S…

___________

Joey finds keys to a Porsche and wants to leave them at the lost and found but nobody seems to miss their keys.

Joey: Hey, somebody left their keys. Oh, to a Porsche! Hey Gunther, these yours?
Gunther: Yeah, that’s what I drive. I make four bucks an hour. I saved up for… 350 years.

Joey gets great responses from people when he stands next to the car. He then goes on to wash the Porsche when the owner comes by and takes it away!

___________

I may not come as close to a Porsche as Joey, but how I wish this was my ride!

 

And as a comparison…

I shot the Chevy

For years now, I have harbored two dreams.
1. To have an entire collection of my favorite scale model cars
2. To photograph the intricate details of them and make them come alive!

The first may never be attainable… while I have realized the second with this 1941 Chevrolet Deluxe photoshoot

DETAILS:

1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Convertible.
Scale: 1:24
Diecast body
Opening doors
Opening Trunk
Detailed Interior
Rubber tires
Accurate Gauges and dash inside
Dimensions: 10.25″L x 3.25″W x 3.25″H
Manufacturer: Welly

A little more about scale model cars:
Fully built scale model cars made of die cast metal are very popular among collectors. These models are manufactured in various scales like 1:12,

1:18, 1:24, 1:43, and 1:64, among others.
Larger-scale premium models today are generally made with attention to details which replicate a real model, such as a working steering which steers the wheels in larger models, doors, trunk, and hood that open (the latter showing a detailed engine complete with things such as an exhaust system and/or other items contained in a typical car engine), and tyres mounted on a workable suspension system. In smaller scales some of the details are often eliminated.

Next stop… the Porsche Cayenne Turbo 😉

Just Drifting!

The child in me awoke once again, and this time too, the reason was TRANSFORMERS – one set of toys that I cannot stop being fascinated about.

Autobot Drift is the latest addition to my Transformer collection. Originally known as Deadlock, this Transformer was once a Decepticon who then turned to the Autobot side and took on a new body and identity.

The vehicle mode is sleek and looks like it is built for racing. It is inspired by the Japanese originated practice of “drifting” (a type of racing popularized in the US in the film “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift”… an all-time favorite movie!)

Most of the vehicle is sleek and curved. The front end starts flat in front but then curves back to the windshield and out to the sides. The sides of the vehicle are not flat but instead curve inward and then back up to where the spoiler is set on the back. The cabin cover is also curved, with what appears to be an air intake mounted on top. It’s an aggressive looking vehicle for sure. The front even has very realistic looking light bulbs.

There is a lot of thought into finer details like twin exhaust pipes in the back, a raised spoiler that slopes downward, door handles, sideview mirrors and a license plate in between the exhaust pipes.

On each door is a Japanese word meaning “Samurai” in red.

Here is a size comparison with another of my “prized possessions”, Bumblebee.

The true power of Autobot Drift is hidden under the engine… a ninja katana

In Robot Mode this Transformer is a menacing killer.

Light piping is from the top of the head unlike for the other transformers, but it does make his eyes come alive.

His foot design makes him take the most gravity defying poses like the one below

His larger sword has several Japanese characters sculpted into them meaning “peerless under heaven” along with line details on the handle and a round, jewel-like detail in the center.

Tucked into each door from the car mode are two smaller swords. These too can be held in each of his hands. What’s really neat is that the way the door windows fold in creates a slot that you can slide the long sword into, allowing him to store his sword on either side of his hip or on his back.

So, now you know what this weekend was all about!

The other ‘Transformer shoots’ I have done are here:

• Toying with Transfomers
• Who is the ENEMY?

Toying with Transformers

Is there a problem?

I was being advised by an experienced cat lover and a good friend on cat care. In the process I began reading the USPCA manual Caring for Cats & Kittens and was in for a nasty shock.

We had always noticed Snowy to be ignoring us when beckoned. Turns out that she is deaf! And through no fault of hers. Believe it or not it’s because she has white fur and blue eyes!

Not all blue-eyed white cats are deaf, but many of them are.

Here are the STATISTICS:

• 95% of the general cat population is non-white cats (i.e. not pure white) and congenital deafness is extremely rare in non-white cats.
• 5% of the general cat population is white cats (i.e. pure white).
• 15-40% of these pure white cats have one or two blue-eyes.
• Of those white cats with one or two blue eyes, 60-80% are deaf; 20-40% have normal hearing; 30-40% have one blue eye and are deaf while 60-70% have one blue eye and normal hearing.
• Of the 5% of white cats in the overall population, 60-80% have eyes of other colors (e.g. orange, green). Of those 10- 20% are deaf and 80-90% had normal hearing.
• Deaf white cats with one or two blue eyes account for 0.25 – 1.5 of total cat population
• Total number of cats with white coat and blue eyes account for 0.75 – 2.0% of total cat population

And so, we are lucky to have the one in a thousand cat!

And here is the SCIENCE:

White cats with blue eyes often suffer from a genetic defect that causes their cochlea, a vital organ within the inner ear, to degenerate shortly after birth. This is because the stem cells for the melanocytes (pigment producing cells) and cochlea are the same. White cats with eyes of other colours can usually hear. As for odd-eyed white cats, when a white cat has one orange and one blue eye, the ear on the blue-eyed side is likely to be deaf, whereas the one on the orange-eyed side is usually fine.

Popular belief has it that such cats make bad mothers because they tend to ignore their cries of their young. However, deaf cats can be good mothers and good hunters. Many compensate for their disability by becoming exceptionally sensitive to sound vibrations, thus enabling them to hear with their paws. Vision and other senses may also be enhanced, giving the deaf cat an edge in some respects.

We only have to wait and watch!

Chip-art

A new work of art is born!

The form is temporary and visualization needs the mind of a child. There are not many artists skilled in the field so the potential is vast. The only drawback is the shelf life… chip art disappear minutes after they are created 😉

Currently Chip-art® is the intellectual property of Gavin Fernandes (my nephew!)

Farmville

The artist is a receptacle for emotions derived from anywhere: from the sky, from the earth, from a piece of paper, from a passing figure, from a spider’s web. Whether he wants it or not, man is the instrument of nature

~ Pablo Picasso

Artists derive inspiration from nature… but for a city-dweller where every inch of green is potential “real estate” for another concrete eye-sore, there will soon be no space to “stand and stare”.

So when Megan (my neice) came up with this elaborate playdough ‘farm-ville’, all I could do was stand and stare … and click!

Before you read on, I’d like to pose a challenge to you as she did to me. “Try and spot as many details as you can from the above picture”

Do not assume she is blindly inspired by virtual reality on the addictive social networking site, Facebook. With the little that her mother described about farming, combined with the knowledge in school here is her creation

The farm is divided into elaborate patches growing her favorite veggies.

And then I noticed detail… There were special attractions on the farm!

For a child who has not stepped into a farm, and may never know one, I think she deserves a round of applause!

[Click this link for an earlier work of art by Megan: The Play Dough Story]