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27 April 2006

Little Sputnik has his own webpage and blog

Our latest addition to the Chang family now has his very own webpage and blog. We also started a blog for Kahlua.

See Sputnik's webpage now at http://www.tommychang.net/family/sputnik.htm and Kahlua's blog at http://www.tommychang.net/family/kahlua.htm.

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25 April 2006

2007 Honda Fit Review



So we dropped by a local Honda dealer on Saturday and we were impressed with the 2007 Honda Fit. The build quality is excellent, typical of all Honda's. Its a little slow when you're used to driving higher HP cars cars, but its zippy enough to get the job done. Handling, body roll and steering feel are all good. The exterior is decent, I do prefer the JDM bumpers more. Not only is it shorter in length but the design flows a little better. The interior is great, lots of room for a little car and very good quality. For $15K, the Fit is a steal.

Positives
- build quality
- small on the outside, big on the inside
- magic seats are cool
- good interior
- multiple airbags, very safe
- good handling and road feel
- great gas mileage
- good stereo system
- super inexpensive, only $15K for Sport model!!!

Negatives
- a little slow
- wished for the JDM bumpers instead
- not feeling the color matched headlight housings
- seat clothe material seem a little cheap
- gas door doesn't lock

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23 April 2006

Meet Sputnik



Sputnik is our latest new member of the family. Hes about 7 weeks old, born on Feb 27, 2006 and is a fat little ball of fur. Hes a handsome little guy.

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19 April 2006

Why Iran must be stopped now.

The frightening truth of why Iran wants a bomb
By Amir Taheri

Last Monday, just before he announced that Iran had gatecrashed "the nuclear club", President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad disappeared for several hours. He was having a khalvat (tête-à-tête) with the Hidden Imam, the 12th and last of the imams of Shiism who went into "grand occultation" in 941.

According to Shia lore, the Imam is a messianic figure who, although in hiding, remains the true Sovereign of the World. In every generation, the Imam chooses 36 men, (and, for obvious reasons, no women) naming them the owtad or "nails", whose presence, hammered into mankind's existence, prevents the universe from "falling off". Although the "nails" are not known to common mortals, it is, at times, possible to identify one thanks to his deeds. It is on that basis that some of Ahmad-inejad's more passionate admirers insist that he is a "nail", a claim he has not discouraged. For example, he has claimed that last September, as he addressed the United Nations' General Assembly in New York, the "Hidden Imam drenched the place in a sweet light".

Last year, it was after another khalvat that Ahmadinejad announced his intention to stand for president. Now, he boasts that the Imam gave him the presidency for a single task: provoking a "clash of civilisations" in which the Muslim world, led by Iran, takes on the "infidel" West, led by the United States, and defeats it in a slow but prolonged contest that, in military jargon, sounds like a low intensity, asymmetrical war.

In Ahmadinejad's analysis, the rising Islamic "superpower" has decisive advantages over the infidel. Islam has four times as many young men of fighting age as the West, with its ageing populations. Hundreds of millions of Muslim "ghazis" (holy raiders) are keen to become martyrs while the infidel youths, loving life and fearing death, hate to fight. Islam also has four-fifths of the world's oil reserves, and so controls the lifeblood of the infidel. More importantly, the US, the only infidel power still capable of fighting, is hated by most other nations.

According to this analysis, spelled out in commentaries by Ahmadinejad's strategic guru, Hassan Abassi, known as the "Dr Kissinger of Islam", President George W Bush is an aberration, an exception to a rule under which all American presidents since Truman, when faced with serious setbacks abroad, have "run away". Iran's current strategy, therefore, is to wait Bush out. And that, by "divine coincidence", corresponds to the time Iran needs to develop its nuclear arsenal, thus matching the only advantage that the infidel enjoys.

Moments after Ahmadinejad announced "the atomic miracle", the head of the Iranian nuclear project, Ghulamreza Aghazadeh, unveiled plans for manufacturing 54,000 centrifuges, to enrich enough uranium for hundreds of nuclear warheads. "We are going into mass production," he boasted.

The Iranian plan is simple: playing the diplomatic game for another two years until Bush becomes a "lame-duck", unable to take military action against the mullahs, while continuing to develop nuclear weapons.

Thus do not be surprised if, by the end of the 12 days still left of the United Nations' Security Council "deadline", Ahmadinejad announces a "temporary suspension" of uranium enrichment as a "confidence building measure". Also, don't be surprised if some time in June he agrees to ask the Majlis (the Islamic parliament) to consider signing the additional protocols of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Such manoeuvres would allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director, Muhammad El-Baradei, and Britain's Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, to congratulate Iran for its "positive gestures" and denounce talk of sanctions, let alone military action. The confidence building measures would never amount to anything, but their announcement would be enough to prevent the G8 summit, hosted by Russia in July, from moving against Iran.

While waiting Bush out, the Islamic Republic is intent on doing all it can to consolidate its gains in the region. Regime changes in Kabul and Baghdad have altered the status quo in the Middle East. While Bush is determined to create a Middle East that is democratic and pro-Western, Ahmadinejad is equally determined that the region should remain Islamic but pro-Iranian. Iran is now the strongest presence in Afghanistan and Iraq, after the US. It has turned Syria and Lebanon into its outer defences, which means that, for the first time since the 7th century, Iran is militarily present on the coast of the Mediterranean. In a massive political jamboree in Teheran last week, Ahmadinejad also assumed control of the "Jerusalem Cause", which includes annihilating Israel "in one storm", while launching a take-over bid for the cash-starved Hamas government in the West Bank and Gaza.

Ahmadinejad has also reactivated Iran's network of Shia organisations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Yemen, while resuming contact with Sunni fundamentalist groups in Turkey, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. From childhood, Shia boys are told to cultivate two qualities. The first is entezar, the capacity patiently to wait for the Imam to return. The second is taajil, the actions needed to hasten the return. For the Imam's return will coincide with an apocalyptic battle between the forces of evil and righteousness, with evil ultimately routed. If the infidel loses its nuclear advantage, it could be worn down in a long, low-intensity war at the end of which surrender to Islam would appear the least bad of options. And that could be a signal for the Imam to reappear.

At the same time, not to forget the task of hastening the Mahdi's second coming, Ahamdinejad will pursue his provocations. On Monday, he was as candid as ever: "To those who are angry with us, we have one thing to say: be angry until you die of anger!"

His adviser, Hassan Abassi, is rather more eloquent. "The Americans are impatient," he says, "at the first sight of a setback, they run away. We, however, know how to be patient. We have been weaving carpets for thousands of years."


I do not fear the superpower democratic nation with a vast arsenal of nuclear weapons but the madman with a single nuclear bomb willing to detonate it in the name of a jihad. Iran must be stopped now.

Source: Telegraph

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13 April 2006

2008 GT-R will be a Nissan



Its official, the new generation GT-R will be a Nissan, not an Infiniti as most enthusiasts thought. On one hand, the GT-R should carry the Nissan badge but on the other hand, Nissan dealers simply aren't equipped to deal with high end car enthusiasts as Infiniti is. Also, service and support is much better at Infiniti, Nissan's luxury car brand. I would still take a good look at the GT-R but this news is somewhat disappointing.

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07 April 2006

2007 Audi TT Mk2 Debut

Audi has finally released official information, specs and photos of its next generation TT Mk2.



It will be available in late 2006 / early 2007. Two variations will initially be produced - an 2.0 liter turbo FSI engine producing 200HP and an 3.2 liter FSI V6 engine producing 250HP. Each can be mated to either an 6-speed manual or DSG transmissions. The 2.0T will be available in FWD, while the 3.2 will receive the quattro AWD treatment. There is no mention of a 2.0T quattro, which is severely disappointing.



The body itself will feature Audi's ASF Space Frame design, which uses 69% aluminum in its superstructure. The result is less weight and chassis rigidity.





I think this is going to have to go on the potential 2007 car list.

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05 April 2006

Tourist Trophy

So I just brought a new PS2 game called Tourist Trophy. In a nutshell, its basically Gran Turismo 4 for motorcycles. Its a pretty good game, awesome graphics since it plays in 1080i HD resolution, however it lacks the depth of the Gran Turismo series.

Here are some photos from Photo Mode of me riding a 2005 Honda 600RR.











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03 April 2006

In one word... Disappointment.

Rubens Barrichello - 7th
Jenson Button - DNF



Button qualified on pole for the first time of his career at the Grand Prix of Australia, but quickly fell back to 3rd a quarter into the race, fell back even more to 5th at the start of the final lap, then on the final corner, his engine blew up in flames and smoke and his RA106 stopped about 20 feet from crossing the start/finish line.

Honda claims to have decided to sacrifice a few championship instead of taking a 10 grid spot penalty. First of all, I think i would taken the valuable points and worry about the penalty later. Second, this engine change penalty is plain stupid.

Utter disappointment.

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01 April 2006

My 2002 Honda S2000 For Sale

Yes I have decided to sell my beloved S2000. Its a 2002 with about 45,000 miles and a shit load of JDM mods. The bidding starts at one hundred million thirty one three hundred thousand ninety four five hundred seventy four dollars and oh fifty six cents ($131,394,574.56). Submit your bids here. The auction will close on the 11th of never.

Are you fucking out of your fucking mind? I'm not selling my S2000, I would never sell it!

You must be a fool, afterall today is April's Fool's Day!

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Tommy Chang