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Tanabe Super Medalion Racing (SMR)

Tanabe Super Medalion Racing SideToday, I finally installed the Tanabe Super Medalion Racing (SMR) that I had bought second-hand six months back.

The SMR is a canister-type free-flowing perforated-core muffler developed specifically for racing. It features Tanabe’s Advantex muffler packing material. Advantex is a chemically treated composite material that resists acid, heat, rust, and many other forms of deterioration. So it supposedly lasts far longer than fiberglass wool which is the most common muffler packing material. In addition, the SMR is riveted so that if need be, you can open it up, refill the packing material, then rivet it close. Nifty.

The SMR looks great but it was bigger than I had anticipated and I had reservations about installing it. But after a long time, I eventually realized it’s just gathering dust and I finally relented.

Early in the morning, I went off to MufflerLand where they ripped off the stock muffler and welded the SMR in place. It was reasonably quick and I was driving off in no time at all.

The first thing I noticed about the SMR is the sound: a full-bodied bass across the RPM range. The sound does not break up at some RPMs like lesser mufflers. As for power, many people claim mufflers lessens restriction and thus increase power. I’m not sure about that but one thing is: It sounds powerful :P

BTW This is a huge muffler and if you are on lowering or– heaven forbid– cut springs, you might scrape the tip on the pavement once in while especially on steep ramps.

Rating: 4/5

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300

300 is the story of the Battle of Thermopylae where the Spartan King Leonidas and 300 Spartans warriors fought a last stand against the invading hordes of the Persian Empire. It is based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300 which in turn was inspired by the movie The 300 Spartans.

The movie is a frenetic, chest-thumping, testosterone-laden, adrenaline-pumping action fest of a legendary, even mythical scale. The computer enhanced contrast and minimalist CG background makes sure you focus on one thing: the action (and the muscle-tone of the unbelievably buff Spartan warriors). This is further enforced by a rousing, high-energy sound track that make you want to stand up and have a go at the Persians yourself.

The almost non-stop action is punctuated only by short breaks of relative peace as if to ensure you don’t get a heart attack. Or perhaps it’s for moving the story onwards. Whatever it is, you sit back, listen, perhaps understand, and wait eagerly for the next action sequence because that is the reason you watch this movie.

Rating: 5/5

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Kart Krash

My brother, brother-in-law, and I were supposed to go paintball this afternoon at Global Gutz Boom Camp at Boom na Boom. Unfortunately, nobody else showed up. The only alternative would be playing with a bunch of paintball pros, regulars to the site. But we didn’t want to end up coming out looking like colorful Christmas trees so we decided not to push through with it.

I was able to convince them to go karting at the nearby kart track. We walked over and I was pleasantly surprised at the reasonable price and quality of the track and karts. Although Speedzone is still tops in my book, it’s not so bad at all. The track is wide and the segments long. Good combination of high-speeds and tight maneuvers. It somehow reminded me of an F1 track. The karts, if the ones we used were any indication, are capable enough of letting you do both. And, of course, there’s no beating the price.

Our race, started out well enough, I took the first lap at moderate speed, then on the second lap started becoming aggressive with the accelerator, took a hairpin turn too fast, and understeered straight into the crash barriers.

I was dazed for a full second or two. As soon as I recovered, I tried to extricate my kart but couldn’t until one of the track staff drove over in another kart and helped me out. As soon as I was free from the wall, I resumed racing and, fortunately, nothing more untoward happened.

After the race, I checked my injuries: a few bruises and banged knee. Biggest bruise was probably my ego. But definitely I learned two [painful] lessons: (1) Observe and make notes of the track for the first lap or two. (2) Motorsports, even the entry-level karting, is dangerous and you can not have too much safety. Drive safe!

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The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland is not a Braveheart sequel :P It is the story of a Scot doctor’s experience as the personal physician and adviser of the infamous Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

The movie claims it is based on true story. Actually, it is loosely based on a book which in turn is loosely based of the life of Bob Astles. So to me, claiming it’s based on a true story is a little bit of a stretch. But that doesn’t really matter, it’s still a good story.

James McAvoy as the doctor did a great job of playing the doctor trapped in a surreal, inescapable descent into an orgy of horror and madness. But this movie is more of a tour de force of the thespian skills of Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin. Before seeing the movie, I was incredulous about him being Idi Amin. But he pulled it off brilliantly!!! He effortlessly transforms from warm to terrifying, from friendly to paranoid in the blink of an eye. He is just plain awesome!

Rating: 4/5

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2007 February 24 to 26 Subic, Zambales

IMGP1078Some friends from MBA and I went for a quick getaway to Subic over the weekend. We started off very early so traffic was rather light. A quick drive and a stop at a McDonald’s for breakfast later, we were in Subic.

Our first stop was our accomodations. We met up with the caretaker and she guided us up in the hills (heights they call it) to a moderately sized house with a creepy air. It must be all the old stuff there. We dropped off some of our stuff, laid claim to bunks, and freshened up.

Next stop was the Camayan Beach Resort for a swim. It’s a pretty good beach. Whitish sand, not too rocky, and reasonably calm. However, it is a bit smallish and there was quite a lot of people present so it was pretty crowded. Nevertheless, it was still quite fun. Everyone took a dip, bummed and ate at the beach hut, and had a bash taking underwater mugs with my camera. We also absorbed horrendous amounts of UV.

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