1253 - A New Workstation

I've recently started doing some research for a new workstation, because I'm not really sure how much longer my laptop will last. Sadly the skyrocketing prices of RAM and storage means I'll for sure be spending a lot more than what I would want. And right now after what I've experienced with my current and previous gaming laptop I think I should listen to my practical side and buy a desktop instead.

I'm not going into specs here, rather I'll be blogging about my ideal storage set up. At the moment my ideal set up would be to have one M.2 SSD as the main OS and app storage (aka the C: drive) to handle all the operating system and apps. At the minimum I'd want it to be at 1 TB, and sadly that's the best I can get considering how expensive things are now.

The second storage would be for my personal files and save games. This would also ideally be an M.2 SSD at 1TB. Finally for the third and final storage, it would be a SATA HDD or SSD. I've seen some 2TB HDDs being sold for the same price as a 1TB SSD so that would be my first choice. The third storage would be for work files.

My current setup is just two 1TB SSDs and while it does the job, I'd rather have my work and personal files in separate storages just so they're separate.

Sadly this 3 storage setup will probably cost me as much as a decent GPU unit. Had I known RAM and storage prices would skyrocket because of AI, I would have just built this desktop workstation a few years ago.

Hindsight is always 20/20 and at the time I didn't know what I know now, not only about the prices of component but also of what happened to my workstation.

Out.

1252 - Used Cars and Flooding in Metro Manila

I've noticed that recently whenever it rains one way I try to distract myself from fears and anxiety is to browse Facebook Marketplace and look for old 4x4 vehicles. Three specific vehicles I look for are the Suzuki Samurai, the Suzuki Vitara, and the Mitsubishi Pajero.

Before continuing, a quick update on what's been going on in the Philippines and Metro Manila specifically. Classes are now getting called off for the volume of rainfall. My daughter has had onsite, online, online asynchronous classes for almost two weeks now because of the weather.

The flood control scandal that was exposed last year has still not led to any arrest of the masterminds. We still get really bad flooding, in some areas in Metro Manila the floods are really crazy high.

So back to the reasons why I'm looking for those three specific models. I've seen snorkels fitted on those three. The gen 1 Vitara and the Pajero has automatic transmission variants here that were locally sold. Plus considering they're relatively old, while I'd feel bad making them try to wade floods I wouldn't mind sending them to fetch family members if the need arises.

Also the ones I've seen on Marketplace are relatively cheaper than some of the used cars I like checking out, like the Honda Jazz. Quite a number of them though do need work done, and not some work, a lot of work. As long as they're running and relatively reliable that means we have a good starting point.

Right now when the rains won't stop falling and I start getting reports of light floods along routes we pass we have to use my folks' Grandia to get us places. That's our best vehicle for floods, and not something we would use for deeper floods.

Again, I'm not saying I'm going to drive the snorkeled 4x4 vehicles into maybe waist deep or deeper floods, but at least in case of serious emergencies I'd have a "break-glass-in-case-of-fire" option.

Out.

1251 - Toy Car Dreaming

I just realized recently that whenever the Philippines enters wet season and we start getting crazy amounts of rain and flash floods that my dream car suddenly becomes some simple 4x4 vehicle. Most recently I've been gravitating to a classic Suzuki Samurai long-wheelbase, similar to the one my dad used to own.

This is most likely a knee-jerk reaction to things going on around me, but to be honest the Wigo is just too low to consider braving any flood, no matter how shallow. The Grandia is too massive and not really an ideal car to use either, except that is our go-to when the rains are pouring hard since the car does have a relatively nice clearance.

So here we go with the Samurai and my resto mod ideas. As always, before anything else it has to be reliable and the body has to be in great condition, no rust spots or anything. The first thing I'd do, which might be overkill, would be to install a snorkel system for the intake, and possibly the exhaust too? Just to make sure it could handle floods, not that I'd wade it through.

Another thing I would do to the Samurai would be to add two sets of additional lights. Both of them would be PIAA 2000 series lights, with one being yellow flood lights, and the other set white spot lights. Based on stuff I've watched and read online, the yellow flood lights would be for heavy rain and additional visibility. The white spots would be used for really dark places just for additional illumination. I would still rely on the stock (or modified?) headlamps, and would only use these additional lamps as needed. I even decided the switch for both lights would be on a three-way toggle. Off, floods, and floods + spot. And these would only turn on if the headlights are on.

Actually the snorkel and lights are the only relatively extreme mods I'd want on this theoretical Samurai build. I wouldn't want a higher ground clearance, preferring the stock ride height or maybe a one or two inch lift. I'd even keep the wheels as stock as possible, meaning stock rim diameter and thickness, same with the tires. Not even going with all-terrain tires since I'll most likely rarely drive this off road.

Basically I just want a toy car that I can daily and possibly use to fetch people if flash floods do happen when they're out.

Out.

1250 - Work Rejuvenation

I was recently moved to a new project at work. It's not something I can discuss in depth but what i can say is that I am a bit rejuvenated with the new project.

I hope to ride this wave and learn new things that will hopefully help me out in my career as I continue to grow my skills not just as a 3D artist, but as a Unity technical artist as well.

Out.

1249 - My Dream Bike Build (18 July 2026 Edition)

With the Tour de France 2026 ongoing my focus on bikes has returned yet again. Yes, I still don't ride but hey I can dream right? This blog won't be super detailed yet again, I'll probably try to be as specific as I can with the components but not so specific that I'll be saying the exact part number or something. Also considering my age and how often I ride, I'll be focusing on comfort more than speed. So no internal routing, no weight weenie stuff, which is pretty obvious considering the frame I want.

• Ritchey Outback Steel Break-Away frameset. I'll probably go a size below recommended so it'll be small. Still my dream frameset because you can disassemble it and store it in the Ritchey Break-Away Travel case, something I'd definitely get as well to store the bike in. The Outback Break-Away I'll be building will be more all-road oriented than gravel.
• Shimano groupset and brakeset. Most likely mechanical groupset and hydraulic brakes, using Zeno Q-Connector V2 hydraulic quick coupler. My usual bias for simple and relatively easy to repair bleeds over to bicycles, where I'd rather have a mechanical 1x groupset. I've also changed my mind with regards to hydraulic brakes, mostly because I've discovered that there are couplers for hydraulic bike lines that do a great job. I'll go with the 42T chainring and an 11-42T cassette. 160 mm brake rotors for both front and rear wheels.
• Salsa Cowchipper 380 mm alloy handlebar. Nothing fancy, no internal routing, just a simple, flared handlebar.
• Redshift ShockStop Suspension System handlebar stem and seatpost. I've been very curious about these for the longest time. There are pros and cons about the stem but if they help with comfort then I'm all for it.
• Pro Stealth Offroad saddle. I'm not too familiar with the best saddles available, and I haven't watched GCN or bike fitting Youtube channels lately so I'll settle for this saddle, which seems to be wider than some of the saddles I've seen.
• Shimano PD-ME7000 Trail SPD Pedals. Pretty specific here, but I've also always been curious about clipless pedals. I'm not going for road bike pedals, but rather with gravel/MTB pedals so that the cleats (do I still remember the terms right?) won't be interfering with how I walk when I'm off the bicycle.
• DT Swiss ER 1600 SPLINE db 30 12/142 mm Shimano wheelset. Again, I don't know much about wheelsets so a quick google search led me to this article from Cycling Weekly. I just looked for the alloy wheelset since I don't really want carbon fiber.
• Panaracer Gravel King SK + 35 mm brown sidewall tires. These Gravel King SK + tires are supposedly the most durable of the SKs, and the knobby tires will be good for some off-road usage. This is where the all-road aspect comes into play. While the Outback can support up to 48 mm wide tires, I'm perfectly happy with 35 mm. I think the width of the tires are enough to handle some gravel.
• Three Ritchey Classic Water Bottle Cages. The Outback has three bottle cage mounts. Two will hold water bottle cages and the third can carry bike tools.

And those are the basic components I'd need for a bike. I'll see if I have the energy to blog about the additional stuff I'd add to that bike, like bike computers, bags, fenders, and other things.

Out.

1248 - Two-Car Garage

It's that time again when I blog about my latest dream two-car garage. As always I will give you some scenarios and what two cars I would want in that scenario. Take note that most, if not all, of the cars I'm picking are Toyotas since I'm really, really biased for them. Also even if I say it's my dream garage, I'm still pretty realistic and I still live in the Philippines so the "expensive" choices I will write are still not as expensive as you would think. Don't expect any Ferraris or Lamborghinis here.

• The practical garage, a Toyota Wigo and a Toyota Avanza. We already have the Wigo, so the other car would be the 1.5L Toyota Avanza G CVT. It's spacious, practical, and relatively affordable.
• The riding-the-hybrid-craze garage, a Toyota Zenix 2.0 Q HEV CVT and the Toyota Yaris Cross 1.5 SE HEV CVT. I'm still not confident in the EV charger infrastructure in the Philippines. And honestly I'd still put my faith in a hybrid than a full EV. A possible alternative to the Toyota Yaris Cross is the Honda RS e:HEV E-CVT since that's also a hybrid and more importantly, it has the magic seats similar to the Honda Jazz.
• The money-is-not-really-an-object garage. Toyota Alphard 2.5 HEV CVT and the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ. I was tempted to pick the GR Corolla, but that doesn't have a spare tire, and it's too fast and too low for my age. The Alphard could be the daily, and would be for those times there will be a lot of people or cargo to move, and the FJ would be the toy car.
• The hauler garage. A Toyota Zenix 2.0 Q HEV CVT and a Toyota Hilux 2.4 G AT. I really don't want, nor need, the top-of-the-line Hilux. I just need a people hauler (the Zenix) and a cargo hauler (the Hilux). Plus considering the size (and fuel efficiency) of these two vehicles I'm guessing the Zenix would be the main vehicle.

Out of these I'd honestly really want the second garage, the one with the hybrids. That really seems to be the direction my family and I should consider going with the rising cost of living. Aside from being fuel efficient, supposedly hybrids only require maintenance once a year.

Second would be the hauler garage if I'm being honest. I'd have two different vehicles that can haul a lot of people or cargo and would still be decent in size to fit in most parking areas.

Out.

1247 - (Post) Birthday Wishlist Part 3

Things are a bit light on my end right now so let's do yet another wishlist blog. Here we go.

• Yamaha Revstar electric guitar. I used to play the guitar. There are days when I feel like I want to play it again. The easiest solution would be to buy some strings for my electric guitar here, just so I can play it. I don't even know if it still works. Aside from the Revstar, it would also be nice to get a decent amplifier and a few cables so I can connect the guitar to my distortion and then to the amp. I don't even want a pedal board or whatever.
• Toyota Land Cruiser FJ. This hasn't been released yet here, and also it sort of contradicts my earlier wish for either a Zenix Hybrid or the 9-seater Staria Hybrid. (Apparently the 9-seater is now the cheapest Staria Hybrid variant, so I have no idea if I misread the earlier websites or they changed it.) Still, if I can't have either of those, I wouldn't mind having this as our second car. Yes, it isn't spacious and practical. But it looks like it's ready to brave flash floods in Metro Manila. Also, Land Cruiser.
• Funds for a new house complete with furnishings and other "mods." I'll be honest, the interest to live in a condo unit has disappeared from me. I think now the best case scenario I can imagine is to have the funds to have a new house built where our current house is. So modernize and improve the house, add solar power, make it more environment friendly and self-sustaining, and make sure it can survive for another 50 or so years. I'm not sure how old our current house is but I'm guessing it's that old.
• Funds for my dream bike build. Basically it's still based on the Ritchey Break-away Outback frameset, and the carrying case for this. I'd probably splurge a bit with some components, like doing mechanical Shimano GRX groupset and brake set. I will try to avoid any carbon fiber components. Hydraulic braking is also an option as long as I can find excellent decouplers for the brake hoses and shifting cables.
• Funds for a new desktop setup. I've finally decided laptops just aren't as bang for the buck for me, so I've decided my next workstation will be a desktop. There are decent solutions to make them portable, in the event I do need to lug them around. So we shall see.

And that's it. (Post) Birthday Wishlist Part 3.

Out.

1246 - Forty-six

Today is the 12th of July, and today I turn forty-six years of age. Talk about coincidence, I wasn't even thinking of the number of blog posts I've written.

It's my birthday but as I grow older each birthday just feels like any other day. Nothing special, nothing fancy about today. I can celebrate how I want.

This doesn't mean I am ungrateful for the things I have experienced in my life.

Out.

1245 - Birthday Wishlist 2026 Part 2

The Hyundai Staria Hybrid was recently released in the Philippines. It's noticeably bigger than the Toyota Zenix Hybrid, but the cheapest Staria Hybrid (the 11-seater) is around the same price as the Toyota. It's bigger, it can carry more people, and if the seats can fold, it can carry more cargo inside.

It may be more challenging to drive around Metro Manila but using this for road trips, and as an alternate car when the Wigo is number coding, would be the primary purpose for this car.

Yes, I know it sounds crazy since I hate driving in Metro Manila traffic. And yes, I do not like driving bigger vehicles. Then again, sometimes you need to break out of your comfort zone in order to grow as a human being.

So, what would I rather have between the Zenix and the Staria? I'm really not so sure anymore. They both have pros and cons, and at the moment I'm leaning more toward the Staria. As long as I can probably modify it a bit, like adding a front, rear, and interior dash cam. According to the Staria Hybrid brochure the 11-seater HEV GL variant does have rear cameras so I don't have to worry about that anymore.

Out.

1244 - My Dream "Daily Driver"

I was chatting with a friend when this idea was brought up. I used to have a few attainable dream cars, and I guess now the one that goes front and center would be the Honda Jazz.

For this thought exercise I'm going with my original dream Honda Jazz, the first generation GD. It has to be as unmodified as possible, and an automatic transmission. Why an automatic? The variants here that had front driver and passenger airbags were the supposedly the automatic transmission ones. Finding one of those, if I were to base it on Facebook Marketplace, is a very big challenge. However let's assume I did find one to my liking and I had unlimited budget, these are what I plan to do. In order of priority, of course.

1. Make it reliable. Thorough check of the entire car. Engine, electricals, transmission, brakes, suspension, you name it and it gets checked. If it has an OBD-II port, check for errors. Fix all problems, replace all old components that need new ones. Wiring harnesses, ignition coils, brake hoses, radiator, if it needs a new set then replace it. Ideally with quality OEM aftermarket parts.
2. Fix the body. Check for rust, check and repair dents. Replace the headlights and stoplights if they're too yellowed already. Replace the glass if needed. Replace the molding for the windows with new ones. The GD Jazz are notorious for having leaks in the top rear, near the hatch area. Make sure the rubber molding there are new so that no water leaks occur. This youtube video is a great reference for what to look out for when buying a used GD Jazz.
3. Upgrade lighting. I'm not talking about using LED bulbs that blind oncoming traffic. Ideally if we can use LEDs properly then I'm all for that. I do want the LED lights to not be pure white. Use amber bulbs for the fog lamps. For the interior lights, if we can replace the bulbs with LED lighting I would do that too. And of course it would also be good to replace the dashboard light.
4. Upgrade sounds. Android Auto ready head unit, better co-axial speakers, tweeters, maybe a small amp if it fits. Nothing very expensive, just enough to make podcasts and music sound better than stock.
5. Upgrade the horn. Again, nothing too expensive. Just loud and powerful enough to be useful for daily driving.
6. Roof rack system. Yes, I've always wanted to have a registered roof rack system. This would give extra cargo space, at the cost of aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. I'd love to have a cargo basket, two bike racks, a big and small cargo box for the roof rack system.
7. Rims and tires. As usual nothing too crazy. Ideally just replace the stock rims with aftermarket rims that look better but have the exact same spec. Get new tires as well since there's a chance the tires on this theoretical GD Jazz might be old or worn out as well. If there's one thing I'd want to try with new rims, is to have the tires a bit more flush than stock. Flush meaning the sidewalls are a bit more aligned with the body of the Jazz.
8. Suspension upgrades. Coilovers and polyurethane bushings are some things I've seen on Instagram. I'd like these as well, but to raise the ride height by 1 or 2 centimeters. Added ground clearance is something I'd want, but nothing too extreme.
9. Fresh coat of paint. Then some decals to make sure I can identify the Jazz in a parking lot.

And that's it. These are the things I would do, not just to a Honda Jazz, but probably to the Wigo if I had the budget.

Out.

1243 - Birthday Wishlist 2026 Part 1 (?)

It's July once more, so as always, here are some things I would love to receive as a birthday gift. I did notice that as I wrote them down the wishlist I had became slight more attainable the lower down the list you go.

• Toyota 2.0 Q HEV CVT Platinum Pearl White Mica. I've always thought that if we could ever own a second car, that car would have to be able to carry more people and cargo. Well, the Zenix is that car. Plus it's a hybrid so it's very practical. I also would add some mods like a registered roof rack system to carry even more cargo.
• Fujifilm X100 VI. I do miss photography, and I've watched way too many reviews of the X100 VI. Unfortunately, the price of this camera is just way too much for me considering I rarely shoot anymore.
• Xero Shoes Prio Neo running shoes. This is another item in my wishlist I am curious about. I really want to know if I can handle zero drop barefoot running shoes for my jogs.
• Uniqlo Reversible Parka Olive. I honestly plan on getting this. I need a decent rain jacket that can also be useful for cold temperatures and this jacket fits the bill.
• Tomtoc Navigator T-66 Green laptop backpack. This would be an ideal replacement for my over ten-year old Nike Elite backpack. This can supposedly store around 35L so with some decent packing cubes I think I can make this backpack my long weekend backpack.

And those are some of the things I would love to receive on my birthday. I'm not sure if I'll write another wishlist, so let's see.

Out.

1242 - Chuling

Our Siamese cat Chuling had to be put to rest last Friday, June 19, 2026. He was around 15 years old.

I guess it was old age or something that caught up to him. He suddenly refused to eat, couldn't empty his bowels and bladder, and was dehydrated. I dropped him off at the vet on Thursday and he was given an IV drip. Unfortunately, by Friday his veins weren't viable to continue his IV.

I do feel bad about losing him, but I also feel a huge sense of relief that he at least didn't suffer as much.

See you on the other side, Chuling.

Out.

1241 - Dream Car Build

I've recently started thinking of a dream car build again. As much as I would want it to be a Volkswagen Super Beetle I am going on the practical side and hope for a Honda Jazz. It can be either the 1st generation GD or 2nd generation GE.

For practicalities' sake let's say it's a 2nd generation Honda Jazz. I would not mind having a 1.3L variant since according to Wikipedia all GE Jazz engines have VTEC already, while the GD Jazz's 1.3L engine is iDSI "only" (and I honestly have no clue how crucial VTEC is for a practical car, if I'm being honest).

The first few things I'd have done to the Jazz, since obviously I would have to get a used one, is to have it checked and serviced in a reputable shop. It doesn't have to be a Honda shop, but a shop I trust. Inspection, maintenance, replace all fluids, replace old parts, and just make sure it will still be a reliable car despite it's age and mileage. This would be the first thing I would do.

After that I guess I would upgrade the sound system and install an android auto ready head unit.

And that's it. The crazy upgrades are probably for another blog.

Out. 

1240 - The New York Knicks

The New York Knicks just won their third NBA Championship. Their previous one was 53 years ago.

I've been rooting for them since the Sprewell era Knicks, but I'm not the die hard Knick fan like others. I'm really happy they won with this squad and that they overcame a really strong opponent in the San Antonio Spurs.

Out.

1239 - Overcoming Challenges

May was a challenging month, and right not so is June. I won't be talking about anything specifically but I guess I need to overcome these challenges that are coming my way.

Weather the storm and overcome the challenges.

Out.

1238 - Vanilla Ice Cream

For quite some time now my go-to ice cream flavor has been vanilla ice cream. Let me explain why.

It is, for me, the most complementary flavor I can have. I can eat it as is, or mix it with other ingredients and it will still taste good. Usually I mix peanut butter and bananas to the vanilla ice cream. Sometimes I use hazelnut spread. On occasion I've dumped black coffee on it.

It just fits in with almost any ingredient I want to mix with it. Heck, I even dip fries on it.

Out.

1237 - June

Finally June has arrived. I bid may a heartfelt farewell, and whatever notable stuff that happened during the month.

I can say that May wasn't that great of a month in some aspects of life, but I do think overall that it was still a good month. I still have my health and I am still functioning, which is a win already.

Now that it's June I hope that better things happen, no matter what the case may be. So here we go.

Out.

1236 - Exercise Updates

The hot season is in full effect, and add to that summer vacation for my daughter, and continuing my morning exercise routine has been a challenge.

While I can still hit my weekly goals, it has not been easy. I have decided to do my workouts only on weekdays instead of my usual 6-day routine. This will hopefully help me stay consistent with exercising since we don't have to get up as early as before and sleeping in has been my norm more often.

I still try to jog, but instead of going out around 4am I go out a bit later. Lately I forced myself to jog slower, around an 8:00-minute pace, and I was able to do four laps without stopping for a water break. So hopefully next time I jog I can maintain this pace just so I can do four laps.

Aside from this I am still continuing my kettlebell exercises, and hopefully I can have some spare cash so I can buy a heavier kettlebell so I can hopefully get a bit stronger.

Hopefully when school and cooler temps return I'll be able to go back to 6-day workouts.

Out.

1235: Preventive Maintenance Service

The Wigo had it's preventive maintenance service (PMS) earlier today. I had to bring it in on the sixth month because I noticed the rear brakes squeaking when slowing down to a full stop at a slow speed. Jon Jon, the service advisor, told me it most likely needed cleaning and checked it out. So far it seems like that was it.

I was also informed that the next PMS would cost a bit more since more maintenance is needed for the car aside from your typical 5000km stuff.

Having the Wigo's PMS done in the dealer (or casa as we call it locally) made me realize we made a few mistakes with how we had our Rav4s serviced. We didn't do it regularly, or every six or so months, and sometimes waited until we did 5000 km which sometimes took a year or so. Another issue I realized was that when we sent the Ravs for PMS was that we never asked them to check or change the transmission fluids.

I've seen some reels/shorts/videos online that while Toyotas used to claim that their transmission fluid was lifetime, this basically meant that it was assumed you'd sell the car before the transmission gave. In reality it was better to have the fluids flushed every so often.

Had I known this information years ago then maybe I would have had those done on the Rav4, and maybe the transmission wouldn't have needed costly repairs. I'll never know though.

Out.

1234: My Bicycle

A few days ago I had a quick bike ride. My dad wanted to ride his folding bike so I opted to accompany him just in case.

It was a quick, less than 2km ride inside the village. My bike was covered in dust and the tires needed inflating. It was fun though, and challenging to ride again after all these months. I should try to ride my bike more often.

Out.