Saturday, August 26, 2017

Bubble Gang - August 25, 2017 #BGNgetflix

In the August 25, 2017 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Taksil sa palasyo gags

- Enjoy this commuter-friendly service with GRUBER

- The canned good drama

- The debutante inmate

- Mas Pinabonggang Sumbong Sumbong Kay Bonggang Bonggang Bongbong

- Guess who's coming back on Balitang Ina...

- Politicians' argument over a shipment






- A hidden camera on her chest?

- NGET FLIX presents Kuto Ko To



- Basa-basa pik!

Forza Horizon 3: Hoonigan's Heroes

The recently-launched Forza Horizon 3 HOONIGAN Car Pack marks the start of a collaboration between the Forza franchise and Ken Block's motorsport lifestyle brand, HOONIGAN, famous for their "KILL ALL TIRES" mantra.



The cars showcased in the HOONIGAN Car Pack are famed for their tire-shredding action and if you want to live the dream of being one of the best of the HOONIGAN stars, you got to be ready because the way these cars behave is so out of control like a box of Airheads Extremes and it takes some expert-level skills to master these bewitchingly customized cars made for the blokes who love to kill all tires.

Of course, with so many HOONIGAN cars to choose from on this pack, let's try and pick the cars from this pack that tickles my fancy.



Hert's Twerkstallion is one of the HOONIGAN cars that tickles my fancy. While this RX-7 looks like a boss car from the Kaido Battle games, the Twerkstallion is all about letting all its horses run wild whilst covering itself in a cloud of tire smoke. When Hert drove this car for last year's drifting competition, he got a Corvette engine jammed in the front of his horse but for this year, he's reverting back to the good old rotary engine. The one we had in this pack is last year's Twerkstallion with a V8 engine in question but feel free to change whatever engine you may like to cater to this horse's desire when it comes to killing its tires.





Another one of the top picks of the HOONIGAN Car Pack is the Tri 5 By Fire Gasser. It's actually a Chevy Bel Air and it's been hunked up by a man name Jon Chase and it happens to be one of the fastest accelerating rear-wheel drive cars in the game and the only car that was designed to be able to drag its bumper while doing a wheelie. Pretty cool, huh? But don't be fooled though because even though it's fast on the straights, it's a lot tougher to handle than lifting a washing machine in a very tight house you lived in and that sounds like a challenge.





Another one of the Donut Garage's greatest hits is Brian Scotto's Napalm Nova. It's a 1972 Chevrolet Nova customized for one major purpose; to kill all tires courtesy of its AME GT Sport sub-frame that makes this Nova fun to drive through the twitchy bends while retaining its drag racing capability, making it a well-balanced muscle for the intermediates.





And one of my favorites in this car pack needs no explanation because this is Ken Block's Hoonicorn. You know? The one you saw in one episode in Top Gear when Matt LeBlanc takes Block on a field trip around London while this Hoonigan drifts this specially-prepped Mustang on the British capital.



There are many Hoonigan cars to try out on this pack and each has its own party piece to lash out with the guests if you can pull them out from their bags if you fully know each of the Hoonigan cars, there's one combo made specifically for these cars; the almost impossible Fruit Salad combo. No joke. It says so in the achievements so if you got what it takes to pull off the extremely difficult Fruit Salad combo, then you need to be creative because, between you and me, I don't know how to pull this off so you have to improvise something for the time being.

In the meantime, feel free to enjoy the best of the best from HOONIGAN's Donut Garage. Oh, and here's one for you; if you pre-ordered Forza Motorsport 7, not only you'll get the Hoonigan Car Pack on FH3 for free but you can also have that car pack in FM7 on launch day. That's buying once, hoon twice! Talk about great value, eh?



HOONIGAN! Sorry, it's starting to sound like Hogan's Heroes out there, only covered in smoke-filled burnt rubber this time because feel free to enjoy Hoonigan's Heroes, wherever you'll take it on.

Your guide to live-action Death Note films

The Netflix live-action film adaptation of Death Note has arrived and before you sulk around that this film is just another fine example of how Americans ruin the good of anime in the same way what Dragonball Evolution and Ghost in the Shell did to others, whatever that is, let's take a quick reference on the live-action horror films inspired from the cult classic manga.


  • The live-action Death Note films, shown in 2006, were split into two films. The first one went out in the first half of 2006 with the second half, titled Death Note: The Last Name, on the second half of that year. Let's start with the first half of the Death Note film, where it stars Tatsuya Fujiwara as the protagonist Light Yagami and Kenichi Matsuyama as antagonist L. Light, an honor student whose father is part of law enforcement, is aware of the rampant rise of criminal activities across Japan until one fateful day, he picked up an ominous notebook called the Death Note. Sealing his fate with a Shinigami (death god) Ryuk, Light's rise of power as the fearsome Kira caught the attention of L and the other law enforcement agencies, thus the deadly battle of the brains commences.
  • Death Note: The Last Name, the continuation of the previous film, was launched in the second half of 2006 and in addition of Tatsuya Fujiwara and Kenichi Matsuyama reprising their roles as Light and L, among many others, it introduces Erika Toda as Misa Amane, another Death Note user. The sequel packs more plot twists than the original and the endgame is quite a shocker to behold, making it an enjoyable film to watch it over and over again.
  • L: Change the World, serves as the epilogue of the second Death Note film when it strike cinemas in the first quarter of 2008. Following L's decisive victory against Kira, which led to sacrificing his own life to plot Kira's downfall, the legendary detective only has a few days left to live and while L spends his last days on earth, he faces against a group of eco-terrorists and an old ally who crossed the line while protecting the two children who holds the key to salvation.
  • Last 2016, in celebration of the Death Note films' 10th year, a rather unnecessary sequel went out to honor such occasion. Titled Death Note: -Light up the New World-, this film is a decisive battle between a cyber-terrorist who follows the footsteps of Kira and a detective who bears the same name as L's assumed name in the past.
  • And now, here we are. Present day. Death Note returns as an Americanized live-action film available exclusively on Netflix. It stars Nat Wolff as Light Turner, Keith Stanfield as L, Margaret Qualley as Mia Sutton, and Willem Dafoe as the voice of Ryuk, among many others. Feel free to sulk around about this film but once you watched it, expect the things that you saw on the film that will make you relate in today's times.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Samsung Group heir sentenced to five years in corruption case



Lee Jae-young (otherwise known as Jay Y. Lee), the heir of the Samsung Group, was found guilty Friday for his part in a sensational corruption scandal that led to the ouster of South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Lee, aged 49, had been in detention since February, was sentenced to five years in prison, far less than the 12 years special prosecutors had asked for but still a shocking turn of events even after last year's political crisis.

Lee was found guilty on all five charges such as bribery, embezzlement, illegal transfer of assets abroad, concealing criminal proceeds, and perjury. All the charges related to the corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of Park Geun-hye as president in March.

Source: The Washington Post

Friday, August 25, 2017

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Park Geun-hye supporters root for Samsung leader



Supporters of the recently ousted South Korean leader Park Geun-hye have been rallied outside the court to demand the acquittal of Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee, as his fate in a bribery was about to be announced inside.

Park was forced from office in disgrace in March but the unwavering belief in her innocence has driven many of her supporters, mostly older women and men, to turn out for Lee, whose conviction, they believe, would almost certainly mean a guilty verdict for Park in her trial. She was the first democratically elected leader to be ousted from her post over charges that she colluded with her friend, Choi Soon-sil, to take bribes from conglomerates including Samsung

Jay Y. Lee, a 49-year-old heir to one of the world’s biggest corporate empires, has been in detention since February, facing trial on charges that he bribed Park.

Both denied their wrongdoings.

Source: Reuters

Let's Do The News! (August 25, 2017)



- The Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Danny Lim supports the phase-out of old vehicles in order to ease the heavy traffic in the metropolitan area. Lim said that many aging vehicles continue to use the roads of Metro Manila and cause heavy traffic when said automobiles malfunction.

- Confirmed by the US Pacific Command Chief during his visit to the country last August 23rd, the United States will continue to provide aid for the victims of the Marawi Siege.

- As US President Donald Trump's ties with Russia grows, suspects behind the hack are feeling the heat. One such example is the Alexander Vinnik, a 38 year old Russian man, one of seven Russians arrested or indicted on U.S. cyber crime charges this year. Vinnik facilitated crimes including computer hacking, fraud and drug trafficking by laundering at least $4 billion through BTC-e six years ago, according to the US Justice Department.

 - Remains of 19th century laborers were found at an ancient pyramid in Peru. Peru was one of the biggest destinations for Chinese labor in Latin America in the 19th century, a market that thrived after slavery was abolished in the country in 1854.

- Celebrity blogger Wil Dasovich is diagnosed with cancer.

- ICYMI, the UK's Royal Mail unveiled their zero-emission electric delivery van. A company called Arrival developed nine electric vans for the Royal Mail, joining alongside the hundred electric vans Royal Mail ordered from Peugeot.



- ICYMI, Audi unveiled their new naming scheme representing power outputs with "30" bearing cars with 108 to 122HP of power output up to 70 bearing cars with over 536HP of power output.

- Mazda adds a 1.5L diesel engine variant on their Axela saloon.



- LovePlus (finally) returns with a new app game called LovePlus Every, coming soon to iOS and Android devices.

TTFN!!!

Remembering all of the Bond video games

It's been two long decades since Nintendo and RARE brought us that iconic video game based on the 1995 007 film, which is a first for the fifth James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan. To celebrate that kind of occasion, why not take a thrust through time to remember some of the Bond video games that make us feel like we're living in a Bond movie.


GoldenEye (N64/1997) - The classic Nintendo 64 game that forever set the "golden" standard of first-person shooter games, GoldenEye pits players as 007 James Bond in series of missions inspired from the 1995 Bond movie of the same title but apart from the solo missions, this game will be remembered for its multiplayer system where two to four players go all out in different rules to make it more fun to play. Who remembers playing with your mates a game of capture the flag or blow them away in one hit?

Tomorrow Never Dies (PSX/1999) - Like GoldenEye, this game is based on the 1997 Bond movie of the same name, except that this is a third-person shooter game made for the Sony PlayStation console. From a Russian military base, Hamburg, Saigon, all the way to the climactic Stealth Boat mission, Bond will use a wide array of weapons and gadgets at his disposal to complete missions. Oh, and did I mention there was a level where you can drive his BMW 750i while shooting your way against a convoy of terrorists?

007 Racing (PSX/2000) - Living the Bond lifestyle just got a whole lot of crazier as our dream of driving some of the best Bond cars in the films comes to life in 007 Racing. From the Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger to the iconic Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me, each Bond car is crafted specifically for different kinds of missions to execute and you can play head-to-head against a mate a la Twisted Metal.

The World Is Not Enough (PSX/N64/2000) - Launched in late 2000, the official game of the movie brings back first person gameplay while reliving moments from the 1999 Bond movie, but there are differences between the PSX version and the N64. In the PSX version, it only plays at one player but it packs cutscenes from the movie as well as a Blackjack minigame on it. In the N64, meanwhile, has more missions than what the PSX version had as well as multiplayer. We'd pick the N64 anytime due to its multiplayer mode.

007 Agent Under Fire (PS2/XBOX/Gamecube/2001) - Harkening to the days of Goldeneye, Agent Under First is a first Bond game to be utilized in this generation of consoles that harkened the dawn of the 21st century. In this all-original, first-person shooter game, Bond must to stop a cloning conspiracy from unleashing havoc in the world. Spanning from Hong Kong, Europe, all the way to the Pacific Ocean, Agent Under Fire gives player a chance to live out their innermost Bond fantasies with a wide array of weapons, gadgets, even vehicles. There's also a mutliplayer mode with unlockable characters as well.

007 Nightfire (PS2/XBOX/Gamecube/PC/GBA/2002) - 007 Nightfire brings our innermost Bond fantasies to the limit as Bond takes on a ruthless conglomerate plotting world domination. By land, air, sea, even outer space(!), from Paris, Austria, Japan, the Pacific Ocean, all the way through the space station, this is classic Bond moment at its best.

GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (PS2/XBOX/Gamecube/2004) - Non-canonical as it seems but this game can still considered as a Bond game, even though you're pitting a role of a rogue agent recruited by none other than Auric Goldfinger, one of the Bond villains you can expect from this video game. Armed with a cleverly high-tech eye, you can detect or shunt different enemies while you can unleash devastating attacks by carrying two different firearms at the same time. Pays to be a next-generation Bond villain.

007: Everything or Nothing (PS2/XBOX/Gamecube/GBA/2004) - Everything or Nothing features all of the fruits and cocktails from Bond films into one unique, third-person shooter game that delivers the ultimate Bond experience to everywhere. Featuring an all-star cast of characters, including Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, missions spanning from Egypt, Louisiana, Latin America, and Russia, wide array of weapons and gadgets, and heavily-armed vehicles such as a Porsche Cayenne, a Triumph Daytona, and an Aston Martin Vanquish, this is Bond game unlike every other.

From Russia With Love (PS2/XBOX/Gamecube/2005) - Relieving Sean Connery's second Bond movie from the 1960's, From Russia With Love is a third-person shooter game that is as old-school as the film it was based on while featuring a dynamic game mechanics to make it more lively for the players as well as its multiplayer gameplay for added fun. Fact is that this is the last Bond game ever made under the EA games banner.

Quantum of Solace (PS3/XBOX 360/PS2/Wii/DS/PC/2008) - Following Daniel Craig's advent as the sixth Bond actor, the game company behind Call of Duty are now responsible for Bond games starring Craig himself and this is their first. Quantum of Solace combines first-person shooter and third-person cover (reminiscent of Perfect Dark Zero), giving players different ways to play while executing missions inspired from Craig's first two Bond films; Casino Royale and this. There's even an online multiplayer gameplay with different rules and maps where you can show the world how much of an agent you really are,

007: GoldenEye (Wii/2010) - The legendary Goldeneye game returns in Wii with Daniel Craig pitting the role of Bond, James Bond. Developed by the blokes from Eurocom, this 2010 GoldenEye game brings players back to the days of original, only modernized with new elements and explosive gameplay spanning from the dam, the chemical weapons facility, the frigate, the satellite base, all the way to the climactic battle at the antenna cradle. In addition to the online multiplayer battle, the remake brings back classic split-screen multiplayer to make it more enjoyable for the new generation of FPS. A year after the Wii version was launched, there's GoldenEye Reloaded, made for the PS3 and XBOX 360, featuring remastered graphics and new mission modifiers, giving players to create their own missions and share it to the world.

007: Blood Stone (PS3/XBOX 360/2010) - Blood Stone is an all-original Bond game featuring storyline crafted by the top film writers to deliver a cinematic feel to the gameplay. In this game, Bond is on a mission to stop a biological attack but this mission is more than what he can expect. Spanning from Greece, Turkey, Monaco, Siberia, Thailand, to Burma (Myanmar), this is one heck of a globe-trotting mission to uncover the truth. Featuring signature Bond moments, unique third-person gameplay, and pulse-pounding driving missions, Blood Stone brings the Bond cinematic experience to the gamers.

007 Legends (PS3/XBOX 360/PC/Wii U/2012) - Part of celebrating 50 years of James Bond comes 007 Legends, a first-person shooter game featuring the best missions in the world of Bond ranging from Goldfinger, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, License To Kill, Die Another Day, and more famously, Moonraker. Using the same first-person action as Goldeneye, 007 Legends delivers a unique gameplay that involves gaining experience from routing enemies and using them to unlock new abilities and weapons useful for tougher missions. It also comes with multiplayer (online and split-screen) as well as mission modifiers like you expect from Goldeneye Reloaded

James Bond: World of Espionage (App Store/Google Play/2015) - As the official app game of the Bond films, players can build their own MI6 by recruiting new agents, craft new weapons, gadgets, and vehicles, and send them through different missions, in their goal to create the ultimate spy agency to show the world who's got the best spies in their arsenal

HONORABLE MENTION: 007: License To Kill (PC/1989)

Thursday, August 24, 2017

AIKATSU SCRAPBOOK 02

AIKATSU SCRAPBOOK 02

Hot on the heels on celebrating the Aikatsu franchise's 5th anniversary, the latest addition to the long line of Aikatsu! Photo on Stage!! split single CDs, called the Aikatsu Scrapbook 02, has arrived and for this addition, three new songs as heard from the hit app game are here to make great additions to your ever growing Aikatsu playlist while celebrating five years of Aikatsu.

In this addition, Risuko and Fuuri from STAR☆ANIS are performing the song titled RED MOUNTAIN while Waka from STAR☆ANIS & Ruka, Sena from AIKATSU☆STARS! are performing another new song titled アイカツメロディ! (which known to be the official anthem of the Aikatsu series' 5th anniversary), and this installment ends with Ruka, Nanase, Kana, and Miho from AIKATSU☆STARS! performing Jewel Star Friendship☆. Feel free to listen to these new songs while honoring the Aikatsu franchise's 5th anniversary any way you like.

Aikatsu! Photo on Stage! is available to download now on the Google Play. Contains in-app purchases. Ask your parents first. And keep watching Aikatsu Stars every Thursday nights on TV Tokyo and other affiliated networks.. Check local listings.

TRACK LISTINGS:
01 RED MOUNTAIN
02 アイカツメロディ!
03 Jewel Star Friendship☆
04 RED MOUNTAIN (off vocal)
05 アイカツメロディ! (off vocal)
06 Jewel Star Friendship☆ (off vocal)

Let's Do The News! (August 24, 2017)



- Resigned Bureau of Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon denied reports that he has personal experience with Davao group that is being implicated with the 6.4 million pesos worth of shabu smuggled from China.

- The Australian government defended its most senior intelligence chief, Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service Nick Warner  after his photo-op alongside President Rodrigo Duterte, an image rights groups said undermines criticism of Duterte's war on drugs. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Warner was complying with a request from Duterte and the image did not weaken Canberra’s criticism of Duterte’s war on drugs.

- Meanwhile, President Duterte will be visiting Pampanga on the 28th to personally assess the situation of poultry farm owners affected by the bird flu outbreak in Central Luzon.

- Labor Secretary Silvestre Bebot Bello III said that all OFWs in Hong Kong are safe in the wake of Typhoon Hato (Isang) wreaking havoc in southern China on Wednesday, killing 12 people, battering Hong Kong skyscrapers, causing floods, and forcing thousands to evacuate their homes.

- Ferrari unveiled the long-awaited California replacement known as the Portofino. It is a new GT car powered by an improved V8 turbo engine producing over 600PS of power and 760Nm of torque, capable of reaching 100kph in 3.5 seconds and onwards to 320kph.

2018 Ferrari Portofino
- Volkswagen expands their SUV lineup with their first-ever compact SUV, the T-Roc.

2018 Volkswagen T-ROC

- Maserati upgrades the Ghibli saloon as the new Ghibli GranLusso, with new looks and added safety tech.

2018 Maserati Ghibli GranLusso

- Suzuki adds a new entry-level variant for their new Wagon R kei-car with a 5-speed manual gearbox.


2018 Suzuki Wagon R

- Battlestar Galactica actress Katee Sackhoff is set to appear in an upcoming season of The Flash.

TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: China’s Xi pledges to address differences with South Korea



Chinese president Xi Jinping pledged to make concerted efforts with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in to address differences between the two nations, according to reports.

Xi made the remarks in a congratulatory message sent to President Moon on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of China-SK ties as development of their relations made a positive outlook to regional peace and development.

South Korea and the United States agreed to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in response to threats from North Korea. However the installation angered China, which says its powerful radar will eb able to look deep into its territory and undermine regional security.

China has pressed South Korean businesses through boycotts and bans, such as ending Chinese group tours to South Korea and closing most of South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group’s Lotte Mart retail stores in China.

Source: Reuters

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea presses rocket programme



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the production of more solid-fuel rocket engines, according to state media, as he pursues nuclear and missile programs amid a standoff with Washington, but there were signs of the drama easing.

The report carried by the KCNA news agency lacked the traditionally robust threats against the United States after weeks of heightened tension, and U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism about a possible improvement in relations.

This report came not long after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appeared to make a peace overture, welcoming what he called the recent restraint shown by the Korean peninsula.

Source: Reuters

Let's Do The News! (August 23, 2017)



- Classes in Mindanao State University will be resuming along with intense security reinforcement amid the three-month siege in Marawi City. During the first day of classes, students from Barangay Maria Cristina, Iligan City underwent an orientation and rigorous inspections before heading to the MSU compound.

- The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that no Filipinos were hurt after the 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck the eastern section of Italy, Monday, August 21. Monday's quake struck the island of Ischia, Naples a popular tourist spot near the Tyrrhenian Sea. Two people were confirmed dead while the number of casualties is yet to be tallied.

- Cebu Pacific announced late Tuesday night  the cancellation of its flights from the Philippines to Hong Kong due to typhoon ‘Isang’, international name ‘Hato’.

- Ninoy Aquino International Airport General Manager Ed Monreal named someone who will replace Assistant General Manager for Security and Emergency Services Allen Capuyan, who filed a leave of absence following his involvement with the controversial 6.4 million peso shabu smuggled from China. Brigadier General Romeo Labador will be replacing Capuayn as OIC of AGMSES.  Labador is the chief of the Airport Police Dept, and a former Chief of staff of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army and a member of the Philippine Military Academy class of 83.

- About 54 out of the 292 House Republicans released public statements condemning US President Donald Trump over his response to the brutal events in Charlottesville, Virginia when he claimed there were some "very fine" people who participated in the white supremacist rally. Recently, Trump drawn a false equivalency between Heather Heyer's peaceful protest and the disgusting hate that was seething out from the Ku Klux Klan and other fascist groups.

- Amid the Angolan economic crisis, Angolans headed to the polls on Wednesday in a parliamentary election expected to usher in the ruling party’s defence minister as the first new leader of Africa’s second biggest oil producer for 38 years.

- Great Britain revived the scrappage scheme, now centering on reducing emissions as car companies like Mercedes, BMW, and Ford, announced schemes which offer a 2,000 pound discount when they trade in a car made before 2010 or that doesn't comply with the Euro 5 regulations.

- Ariel, makers of the Atom and Nomad, is planning to build a 1,180bhp hypercar capable of reaching 0-100mph in 3.8 seconds.

- Check out HOONIGAN's Ken Block going offroad in TERRAKHANA.



- The Crew 2, Ubisoft's upcoming racing game sequel, will arrive on the 16th of March, 2018.

- In anticipation for the upcoming THE IDOLM@STER Side M anime series this October, there will be an "Episode of Jupiter" prologue special airing at the end of September.

TTFN!!!

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korean shipments to Syria intercepted according to UN report



Two North Korean shipments heading to a Syrian government agency responsible for the country's chemical weapons programme were intercepted in the past six months, according to a confidential United Nations report on North Korea sanctions violations.

The report by a panel of independent experts, which was submitted to the UNSC earlier this month, gave no details on when or where the interdictions occurred or what the shipments contained.

In a 37-page report, the panel is investigating reported prohibited chemical, ballistic missile, and conventional arms cooperation between Syria and the Korean Peninsula. Two member states interdicted Syria-bound shipments while another member state informed the panel that it had reasons to believe that the goods were part of a KOMID contract with Syria.

KOMID is the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation, which was blacklisted by the Security Council eight years ago and described as Pyongyang’s key arms dealer and exporter of equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. In March 2016 the council also blacklisted two KOMID representatives in Syria.

According to the UN experts, the consignees are Syrian entities designated as shell companies for Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Centre, which has overseen the country's chemical weapons programme since the 1970's.

Source: Reuters

Let's Do The News! (August 22, 2017)



- Senator Richard Gordon is willing to surrender his post from the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. This is his response to the the proposal of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to replace the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee head. Senator Gordon believes that the request to remove him as chairman of the said panel was due to a misunderstanding between him and Sen. Trillanes.

- Resigned BOC Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon welcomes President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to replace him with PDEA Chief Isidro Lapena. Faeldon claims that the replacement was ‘the best for the country’ because if he remained in office it would only cause the public division amidst the administration’s battle against illegal drugs.

- The Marikina River is now on alert level two after water levels reached 16 meters past 0800 local time today.

- Millions of Americans earlier today witnessed the first total solar eclipse to cross the continental US in seven decades. The eclipse was first seen on Central Oregon at around 1017 hours Pacific time and then the path of totality ended at around 1436 hours Eastern time in South Carolina.

- After being jailed for unlawful assembly, Hong Kong democracy leader Joshua Wong was summoned again to court for an ongoing contempt of court charge related to the 2014 Umbrella Movement.

- The new BMW F90 M5 was unveiled and for the first time, it comes with the brand new M xDrive that allows the new, 4.4L V8 Twin Turbo, 600PS, M5, to be switched at either all-wheel drive with DSC on or rear-wheel drive with DSC off.

2018 BMW M5
- In celebration of the unveiling of the new BMW M5, check out the new trailer for the upcoming Need For Speed Payback game where the new BMW M5, exclusive to this game, outrun the Fortune Valley cops.





- Porsche will unveil the new, third-generation Cayenne, on the 29th of August.





- Koenigsegg unveiled the Regera Aero Package at last weekend's Monterey Car Week, featuring 385kg of downforce and the world's first 800v electrical system in a production car.



- The first teaser trailer for the upcoming Shenmue III game is now up. The sequel game arrives on 2018 for the PS4 and PC.





TTFN!!!

THE IDOLM@STER MASTER PRIMAL ROCKIN' RED

THE IDOLM@STER is back with a brand new CD range that goes beyond retro with the covers while focusing on a certain theme per installment. Welcome to the MASTER PRIMAL range.


What is MASTER PRIMAL, you may ask? Well, this is what you expect here in this first installment of this new range from Nippon Columbia because in this installment, the stars of this cover are donning signature outfits for nostalgic purposes while focusing on a specific color and genre.

This installment is called ROCKIN RED and the genre in focus is rock, something unheard for a 765 Pro song in ages, and the 765 Production idols in focus are Haruka Amami (Eriko Nakamura), Chihaya Kisaragi (Asami Imai), Ritsuko Akizuki (Naomi Wakabayashi), and Takane Shijou (Yumi Hara).

ROCKIN RED features three new songs focusing on the genre on this installment. First up, all of the idols in focus are performing BRAVE STAR. Then, Haruka and Chihaya are performing CRIMSON LOVERS. And finally, Ritsuko and Takane are performing 聖炎の女神. Finishing the ROCKIN RED installment is a brand new audio drama starring, well, you get the idea.

It's great to see your favorite 765 Production idols back where they belong for a new CD lineup with an odd name, retro cover, unique genre, and a color theme. That's Primal, ladies and gentlemen.

Oh, and for limited quantities, each copy comes with a serial code that will give you a chance to win tickets for October's HOTCH POTCH Festival starring the 765 Million All-Stars. Good luck!

Monday, August 21, 2017

Winners of the Pokemon World Championships 2017

It's the time of the year when the best ace trainers from a multitude of countries gathered for the annual Pokemon World Championships and for this year, the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, is jam-packed with people who love Pokemon and the professionals who are aiming for the top spot, be it Sun and Moon, Card Game, or even Pokken Tournament. There's even sneak peeks for the upcoming Ultra Sun and Moon games as well as new expansions for the Pokemon Card Game.


So, with this year's Pokemon World Championships wrapped up, let's get to know the winners of this year's WCS.


  • Tobias Stromdahl from Norway wins the Pokemon Card Game Junior Division Final thanks to his strategic use of a Guzma supporter card against his opponent.
  • Zachary Bokhari from the USA wins the Pokemon Card Game Senior Division Final after an intense game three against his rival compatriot.
  • Argentina's Diego Cassiraga wins the Pokemon Card Game Masters Division Final, marking his third top-8 finish in 13 years he has attended the WCS.
  • Nicholas Kan from Australia wins the Video Game Championship Junior Division Final thanks to his devastating combination of Gyarados' Supersonic Skystrike Z-move and an uncanny strategy he did with his Snorlax.
  • Hong Juyong from South Korea wins the Video Game Championship Senior Division Final against his familiar foe from last year's quarterfinal bout.
  • Ryota Otsubo from Japan wins the Video Game Championship Masters Division Final after his opponent's Z-move ended in disaster.
  • Tonosama wins the Pokken Tournament World Championship

Next year, the Pokemon World Championships are heading to Nashville, Tennessee, the Music City. Until then, don't miss Pokken Tournament DX coming to Nintendo Switch this September 22 and Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon coming to Nintendo 3DS this November.

Congratulations to the winners of this year's Pokemon WCS.

Top Gear America - Drive Your Life


This Top Gear Episode is a fast episode, an episode where the boys are pushing themselves over the limit in the name of speed.

Antron Brown, as an NHRA World Champion, gives Tom Ford a crash course about drag racing and then later, the two set off for a drag duel between these two.

Meanwhile, Bill Fichtner tries out Cadillac's fastest saloon, the new Cadillac CTS-V. A super saloon that breaks the perception of a four-door saloon. When handed to The Stig, it does a 1:11.72 lap time.

Later, Wookie gets busted and then sends off to a police driving school to try out their newest additionn to their fleet, a Dodge Charger Pursuit.

Haley Joel Osment is this episode's celebrity guest and because he has troubles in a manual-tranny Civic hatch, not only he broke the Civic, but set a catastrophic 4:47.22 lap time!

This episode ends where Antron's day job as a drag racing champion is showcased.

Let's Do The News! (August 21, 2017)



- Senator Ping Lacson warns that he will reveal the list of Bureau of Customs officials who have received cash bribery in regards to the smuggled Php 6.4 billion worth of shabu shipment.

- About 499 people have reportedly died in last week's devastating landslide near the Sierra Leone capital Freetown, according to the city's chief coroner. One of Africa’s worst flooding-related disasters in years occurred when the side of Mount Sugar Loaf collapsed on Monday after heavy rain, burying parts of Regent town and overwhelming relief efforts in one of the world’s poorest countries.

- US President Donald Trump to present vision for the country's strategy for the war in Afghanistan, America's longest military conflict. In a prime-time speech to the nation, Trump may announce a modest increase in U.S. troops, as recommended by his senior advisers.

- New Zealand opposition leader, Jacinda Arden, is now embroiled in the second sexism row not even a month after taking the reins of the Labour Party and almost single-handedly reigniting its chances at a national election in September.

- Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Vision Maybach 6 Cabriolet Concept at the Pebble Beach Concours. Underneath its stylish looks comes an electric powerplant that produces 550kW of power output and over 500km of range according to the NEDC.



- General Motors Holden joins Toyota, Mitsubishi, Ford, Isuzu, and Mazda in the first-ever SuperUtes race next year using their Colorado pickup truck.

- Honda is producing new replacement parts for the legendary Beat kei-roadster such as tail lights, license plate lights, heater blowers, seat belts, wheels, tires, and so on.

- ICYMI: THE IDOLM@STER voice actress Azumi Asakura announced her marriage.

- Attack on Titan 2 video game by Koei Tecmo Games is set for early 2018 release, with Omega Force returns to develop the sequel game with new features.

TTFN!!!

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race

A weekend before the Great American Eclipse hits their work day, it's "Saturday Night Drive" at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, for the annual Bristol Night Race where history has been made once again in the heat of the Monster Energy NASCAR series.


Bristol Motor Speedway has been a sacred pilgrimage for every NASCAR fanatics in America because with all that swearing and all that crash courses occurred through the years as well as the heated rivalries carved there, what can they say? "It's Bristol, Baby!"

For this year's race, Kyle Busch swept away pole leader Erik Jones to win the race. Right before his Monster Energy series win, Busch took care of both the Camping World series and the Xfinity series races held there, marking his complete sweep of all three NASCAR touring series on a Saturday night.

Busch is the only NASCAR driver to score the three-series sweep in the same week at the same track since seven years ago and now, he's done it again.

Next race is at Darlington Raceway, South Carolina, for the Bojangles Southern 500 race on the 3rd of September.

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Riding with the Carnival

For over a year, my sister Elise and my brother-in-law drove a third-generation Kia Sorento for miles after miles, especially my dad and my sister Bea. Whether if it used to go from one city after another or one of our favorite points of interest, this crossover made a special place in our hearts but now, in anticipation of my sister having a third child, her Sorento crossover's replaced with a minivan that is not fit for today's neighborhood but an important charm point for an ever-growing family like hers.


As I'm sure you know, this is the current-generation Kia Carnival (Sedona) but it's a lot different to the Carnival I'm familiar with apart from the looks because what's under the hood is not what it seems.

The Carnival we have here is powered by a Lambda II 3.3L GDi V6 engine, the same engine used in the K7 saloon, producing 280PS of power and mated to a six-speed gearbox. In other words, it's like a Kia K7 with so much seats and space for the whole family like my sister's. In South Korea, you can now avail a V6 Carnival for 35.8 million Korean Won but we live in America, and a localized version of the Carnival, known as the Sedona, doesn't have a fourth-row seats like you get in the land of Koreanovelas. We got just the eight-seater variant, which is less than what the Koreans had but it's very accommodating and roomy indeed.


Anyway, here's a little story. My sister Elise and the family are coming to our cousin's home for her baby's birthday party somewhere in Kent. I told Mom and Dad I should be with Elise and they agreed. When the time came to step out from the house, I am a little excited about getting in to the Carnival. Trouble was the only seat reserved for me is the dreaded third row but thanks to its adjustable second-row seating, even if its occupied by child seats, I can get in and out of the third row seat without question and that's it. One thing that amazed me that this car has Apple CarPlay but I'm too far to try it out and ai wish I want to experience it to myself while on the move.

When it's time to set off, I got the chance to see what is like in a V6-powered Carnival. At cruising speeds, it was nice and comfortable, but in the case of residential speeds or highway speeds, I can feel its jittering vibrations at the back, only slightly, of course. Vibrations aside, despite being a heavy and thirsty car which consumes more than the Sorento we used to have, the powerful V6 Carnival handles like every other car I've been through and while it been through different points of interests my sister and her family had, this van gets from one point to another without a slouch.




After experiencing my first ride with the new Carnival, we arrived at Kent to visit our cousin's house for her baby boy's birthday party. I got pictures I am too happy to show you all.






And there you have it. So, what can I say?




Although big, thirsty, and jittering at high speeds, the V6-powered Kia Carnival feels like it's home even in today's neighborhood where SUVs became a norm in the suburbs. Apart from being spacious and accessible, it's very luxurious and comfortable indeed. In fact, it kinda reminds me of a time I rode someone's Hyundai Starex a decade ago but this is no Starex here. This is the Carnival I'm talking about and looks like we have to spend the whole year with this minivan but when the time comes to replace it, it's my sister's call.