Monday, February 13, 2017

Six Nations 2017 - Round 2


In the second round of the 2017 RBS 6 Nations championship, two longtime rivals, the England Rugby and the WRU kept their rivalry burning hot in Principality Stadium, Cardiff, where one try can really make the difference between victory and defeat on their uphill battle for the Grand Slam title.

England Rugby's centre, Elliot Daly, performed a last minute try to save the team and maintain their undefeated record for this season. With him and Leigh Halfpenny's 11 point score, the England Rugby team defeated the WRU, scoring their win streak to 15 games.

During this round, the IRFU defeated the FIR Italia at the score of 10-63 while the FFR defeated Scotland at the score of 22-16.

Highlights:



The next round will be held from the 25th to the 26th of February. Scotland will face off against the WRU at the BT MurrayField, the IRFU and the FFR meet up at the Aviva Stadium, and the England Rugby vs. the FIR Italia at the Twickenham Stadium.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Things we learned from the im@s Side M 2nd Stage concert


Bandai Namco's The IDOLM@STER Side M sub-franchise held their second live concert recently at the Makuhari Messe and those who couldn't made it to the venue got a chance to watch the live viewing event at select cinemas. In addition to returning faves such as Jupiter, Dramatic Stars, Beit, High x Joket, W, and S.E.M., new additions are joining in the concert as well, including F-LAGS, FRAME, Altessimo, Legenders, and many others.

Folks who made it to the concert, which is their way of honoring Side M's one million downloads, got in for a special treat because during the concert, Bandai Namco announced that there's a new Side M app game coming soon. Titled THE IDOLM@STER Side M Live On St@ge, this is going to be just like the Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage presumably but right now, no info has been given but fans can expect this new app game coming soon.

In addition to this, another surprise in store for the fans because Side M will become a full-fledged anime series with a special announcement coming on March 15th.


With Side M, it will be the third im@s anime offering since 2011's THE IDOLM@STER starring the 765PRO ALL-STARS and 2015's Cinderella Girls.

With all these cool announcements, things are looking great for 315's finests!

BMW 5-Series G30

With the arrival of the new-generation BMW 5-Series G30, they're on the roll of creating a new kind of executive sedan that promises the next-generation of driving pleasure for the next generation of drivers from around the world because of its next-generation technology embodied to its well-sculpted design that meets the demands of today. So, what's it all about?

2017 BMW 5-Series

First, let's take a look on the new model's design and while the previous model looked promising but a tad too much to bear for a post-Bangle Bimmer, the new design looks more a miniaturized 7-Series with the 4-Series's rear view on it, making it even more interesting to look at compared to the next luxury car in its class parked in the office lot. It maybe more sophisticated to look at but as time passed by, it's going to be as less interesting as an Audi A6.

2017 BMW 5-Series interior
2017 BMW 5-Series interior

On the plus side, the interior is a basic improvement compared to the previous model which reminds you of most BMWs of the past. Looking at the new dashboard inspired from the modern BMW 7-Series, you can see that it's either great or just becoming the template for future BMW interiors for the next few years and let me tell you, while waiting for future Bimmers to use such interior as seen here, you're free to toy around its wide array of gadgets whatever you like before setting off. There's even a rear seat massager that relaxes you as you ride along as well. How convenient for a first-class interior that delivers the same experience as riding first-class on an airplane.

Yes, now that the new 5-Series comes with gesture control apart from the voice control, touchscreen, and the iDrive controller, everything feels like you're in a Mission Impossible movie except that you're not Ethan Hunt or any other IMF agent per se. However, it takes a lot of mastery to get a grip on this gesture part.

Appreciate the congrats on the new interior, but let's move on because there are some important things to check on the new 5-Series.

2017 BMW 5-Series

The new BMW 5-Series features a new powerhouse cast of engine choices with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology and these new engines is as fresh as a cast of a remake of a classic TV show. There's a 2.0L 4-cylinder petrol, a 6-cylinder 3.0L petrol, a 2.0L 4-cylinder diesel, a 6-cylinder 3.0L diesel, and more to come in the lineup later this year, including the new 530e iPerformance PHEV that comes with the 3.0L petrol engine mated to an electric motor that produces a total output of 252PS of power, and the flagship M550i xDrive, the most powerful in the normal 5-Series as of time being, with the 4.4L V8 Twin Turbo engine producing 462PS of power and 650Nm of torque. Depending on the variant, they can be fitted with either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed Steptronic gearbox, which is uncanny by most speedo boys elsewhere.

That's almost everything you need to know but behind the engine choices lies the improved chassis and suspension of the new 5-Series and for BMW, they've spent lots of man hours perfecting its dynamics inside and out and the result is a more comfortable, sturdier, and a sharper experience unlike the previous model. Plus, they've even done the SYNTAK technology to reduce powertrain noise and that's good too.

For the first time in the new 5-Series, the brand new Adaptive Drive system, which combines Dynamic Damper Control with Dynamic Drive active roll stabilisation, for a better ride unlike the previous one and get this, the anti-roll bars in this new model are now no longer actuated hydraulically but by means of electric swivel motors. Sounds like magic for the drivers but the way it handles is not really half bad when they try it.

Because the 5-Series has evolved into a luxury car that meets the demands of today, it's been incorporated with the latest driver assistance systems ranging from Active Cruise Control with incorporating speed restrictions, hazard preview based on car-to-car communication, side collision protection and automatic lane-change, evasion aid, steering and laine control assistant, and more safety tech that are too much to bear in this post and whatever BMW did to this new model is becoming more of an autonomous car rather than being a BMW that wants to be driven by almost anyone. Autonomous driving...isn't that something speedo boys in their anoraks should be running back to their mommies? Whatever that is, that tech made them look bleak on the public roads.

The new BMW 5-Series starts at 45,200 Euros MSRP including taxes and delivery charges and while this is more expensive than today's Mercedes-Benz E-Class, this is still a 7-Series in E-Class budget, so it's a fair value for the new-generation model. Know this, many will appreciate the new 5-Series for its next-generation technology that incorporated the embodiment of its superiority, one puzzling question that worries a certain driver is that when the new 5-Series is here now, ready for tomorrow, will its technological masterpiece become a burden for its "freude am fahren" slogan? Only time will tell...

Photo: BMW AG

Saturday, February 11, 2017

SHERLOCK Series 4 OST and The Abominable Bride OST

SHERLOCK Series 4 OST
SHERLOCK The Abominable Bride OST

After the success of the fourth season of BBC's phenomenal TV drama series, Sherlock, last month, the folks from Silva Screen released the original television soundtrack as heard in the fourth series of Sherlock and as a bonus, the soundtrack from the 2016 special episode, The Abominable Bride. The Abominable Bride OST is a 6.99 Pound value that is obtainable by those who already pre-ordered SHERLOCK Series 4 OST.

To sum it up, The Abominable Bride is a special episode where the story of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are set in 19th century England, where the legend truly began with the most bizarre case ever unearthed from the grave. Then, the fourth series of the hit show, aired last January 2017, rounds up even more of Holmes and Watson involving Mary's dark past, a rogue philanthropist, and the third Holmes uncovered. The three cases in the fourth series are worth the risk for our favorite tandem and how they dealt with these cases requires a certain sacrifice to name a few.

TV and movie music scorers David Arnold and Michael Price returned to deliver us some truly powerful and truly relevant BGMs as heard not just in the fourth series but also in The Abominable Bride special episode and these BGMs well-matched the theme of every scene, every sequence, every tension, every thrill, and every second of the show.

These CDs are a must-have for every Sherlock fan elsewhere and the folks would like to thank everyone who watched the fourth series of Sherlock from start to finish. Here's hoping for more cases Holmes and Watson can tackle with.

Forza Horizon 3: Hellcat on High Water

The Hellcats from the SRT lineup have total authority over every other sportscar in the world because of its supercharged 6.2L V8 engine producing 707HP of power, making them the most powerful V8-powered production car ever made. They're even more powerful than powerful V12 Italian supercars...well, just about, but you should really trust the SRT folks elsewhere because in the world where power is the deciding factor, the Hellcats will remember to be the king of V8-powered cars, although a select number of cars can outsmart its royal rumble coming out from the Hellcat's exhaust.





Hellcats are pretty much known to be coined as the Republicans' Veyrons because, in real life, there are two specially-made keys offered on these cars; the Challenger Hellcat and the Charger Hellcat. There is a black key that limits the power to 500HP while the red key unleashes all that 707HP power output in its supercharged V8 engine. In the fantasy world of Forza Horizon 3, that holds nonsense because with cars like these, you are free to unleash all that 707 horsepower in either hell or high water, just the way you like.





Debating which Hellcat is the best, some say it's the Challenger Hellcat because nothing beats a two-door muscle car like it but some would go for the Charger Hellcat, even though they're related to each other. One key factor, I discovered, is that even though the four-door Hellcat is heavier than the two-door Hellcat, it's got slightly better weight distribution, meaning the Charger Hellcat can slightly handle better than the Challenger Hellcat. Still, for all that power, both the Charger Hellcat and the Challenger Hellcat can be very harsh to master because of their challenging handling dynamics that require some expert-level skills to survive one corner after another if they want to stay on the lead against the opposition.

Let's find out which Hellcat is the best by pitting them against each other in the streets of Surfers' Paradise and the winner will have its own special treatment I lined up later. As always, the fastest time wins, am I right? Let's roll!



And now, the results...

2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat (707HP/650ft-lb/4,438lb/57%/6,166cc/A766) - 2:25.979
2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat (707HP/650ft-lb/4,575lb/54%/6,166cc/A773) - 2:24.878

The Charger SRT Hellcat, despite being slightly heavier than the Challenger SRT Hellcat, is the fastest by a second. Sure, they have similar terms but looks like the Charger SRT Hellcat is the Hellcat to rule them all and this means, it's time for the special treatment I lined up for the winner.





Surprise! Our little demon friend will be pleased when she sees this design inspired by Love Live Sunshine's Yoshiko Tsushima. Oh wait...it's Yohane. Not Yoshiko. Sorry. But anyway, let's give this specially-pampered Hellcat some celebratory screen presence it deserved. I got the cameras rolling in!







Oh, don't worry about the Challenger Hellcat because even though it lost the race against the Charger Hellcat relative, I have something else in store for it...except the once-feared Hellcat has been demoted to a mere child's toy. Speaking of child's toy, the Challenger Hellcat's been plastered with the image of Yokai Watch's Tomnyan. How embarrassing to see a uber-powerful muscle car being plastered with an image from a children's cartoon. Welcome to your walk of shame.





It's great to have both of the Hellcats being part of this wondrous experience in the Land Down Under. Whether it is the two-door Challenger or the four-door Charger, they all have one thing in common; to unleash all that seven-oh-seven fury against anyone who stands in their way. It may be their way to have them respect their authoritah but to understand the Hellcats even more than the next driver, it's going to be a challenge because even the hastiest of drivers can get thrown by the Hellcat's rage until the chosen few can unleash its force to be reckoned with. Hellcats are not for everyone but do you got what it takes to unleash them? Do you?

Bubble Gang - February 10, 2017 #BGSaltBaetoy

In the February 10, 2017 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Hotel room gags

- A chef goes Salt Bae on the chopping board!

- Single male gets some advice...

- The problems of going under...

- Salt Bae-ing the barber shop!





- Mas Pinabonggang Sumbong Sumbong Kay Bonggang Bongbong takes on Q&A bashers, idiotic pageant forecasts, and prom dress problems.

- Salt Bae-ing the morgue!

- Reviving a robot girlfried...

- More Patok Taktiks examined.

- Basa-basa pik!

Friday, February 10, 2017

The Doble Kara finale

In the finale of ABS-CBN's afternoon TV drama, Doble Kara, the matter between life and death for Kara and Sara is on their last legs as their final encounter with a powerful enemy puts them on the line.

Behind closed doors of Isabella's birthday party, Kara was kidnapped by Alex, who thought she was presumed dead after their recent encounter regarding their children's lives. Meanwhile, Laura and Lucille made their fateful encounter and while revelations continue to spill, Lucille's pasts continue haunting her and knocked Laura out.

With Alex calling off the entire family to witness Kara's fate, Edward and Sara arrived to rescue Kara until Alex steps in to finish the twins off until they give back her son, JR. As tensions rise, the inevitable happens as Alex wants Kara to kill Sara off or else their mother will face the inevitable. With Lucille learned that Alex was just using her for such nefarious plots to separate the twins and their children, the tension just keeps on escalating until someone sealed their fate. Kara is the one who got shot by Alex before the police raided the house and got her surrounded.

As Seb tries to persuade Alex to stop her nefarious things all for JR's sake, she was shot dead by the police. With the family rushed Kara to the hospital, the struggle to keep Kara alive is on the line for them as well as for her daughter Becca who needs a transplant to save her life. Not taking any chances, Sara is ready for her transplant to save Becca's life.

Moments later, Kara and Seb finally found solace to themselves after all the mess they've faced so far while Edward, who thought he was going to say goodbye to Sara, announced his proposal to Sara. Lucille, meanwhile, still haunted by her past, has returned to the mental institution and was visited by Kara and Seb for an apology after all the nefarious things she has done for the family.



Peace is flowing to the family and this concludes the story of Doble Kara.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Halt of joint complex damaged North



South Korea says that the suspension of operations at the Kaesong Industrial Complex dealt a blow to that country's leadership.

Last year, President Park Geun-hye's administration completely halted the operation of the Kaesong Industrial Complex following the North's nuclear and long-range ballistic missile tests.

South Korea's Unification Ministry says the suspension reduced the value of North Korea's imports and exports to 333 million dollars, or one-9th the figure in the previous year. South Korean companies operating there used to pay more than 100 million dollars annually to North Korean workers. Much of the money is believed to have gone to the country's leadership.

The Unification Ministry also said that the cut in the flow of foreign currency dealt a major blow to the Kim Jong Un regime.

It also said the instances of travel between the 2 countries dropped to 13,000, one-tenth the level in the previous year. Some people worry that the rift between the 2 sides may widen further. The issue of the joint industrial park could become a focus in this year's coming presidential election.

Source: NHK World

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Let's Do The News! (February 9, 2017)


- Vice President Leni Robredo expressed grave concerns regarding the pronouncement of House speaker that lawmakers allied with the administration who will vote against death penalty may resign or be replaced if they are holding key positions. Her comments on House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez's pronouncement is both a "threat" and "arm-twisting." She also supported the position of former Colombian president Cesar Gaviria's opinion that President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs may end up like him.

- The Court has postponed the start of the trial of former Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.'s plunder case after his camp filed a motion seeking to quash the case. In a hearing before the Sandiganbayan First Division, Revilla's lead counsel, former Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza reiterated before the court the main argument of his client's motion to quash-that the facts cited in the information of the case, filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2014, do not constitute the crime of plunder.

- The Commission of Human Rights warned that the tensions between the government and the communist rebels may result in the increase of human rights violations on the ground. CHR chairman Chito Gascon called on negotiating panels to find ways to return to the peace table following the government’s declaration of an all-out war against the New People’s Army (NPA).

- Despite opposition, Jeff Sessions, US President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general was confirmed by the US Senate in a majority vote. The Senate approved Sessions with a vote of 52 to 47. Sessions, a Republican Senator from Alabama, is known for his hardline stance on immigrants. He is also a strong backer of Trump's plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico. He is the 6th member in the Trump administration to win Senate confirmation.

- Checking onto the situation of US President Donald Trump, he sent a letter to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, expressing hopes for developing a constructive relationship that benefits both countries, although the US government is imposing harsh anti-dumping duties on China. Then, he and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that they will cooperate on counterterrorism efforts.

- The organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics have unveiled the official countdown clock, with one year left before the games. The unveiling took place at a square in central Seoul on Wednesday. The 17-day event, which is due to kick off on February 9th next year, will be the first Winter Games in South Korea.

- Former VW chairman Ferdinand Piech told prosecutors that leaders knew of the emissions testing cheat device months before the revelation two years ago and brought it to the attention of then CEO Martin Winterkorn and numerous supervisory board members.

- Lamborghini's joining the factory-restored classic bandwagon by restoring one of the earliest Lamborghinis in history, the 350GT, courtesy of Polo Storico.


- Actor John Boyega twitted a picture of himself playing the role of Jake Pentecost, the son of Stacker Pentecost from the first Pacific Rim film, in the upcoming 2018 sequel Pacific Rim Uprising, CHECK IT OUT.

- This stunning figure of THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls' Fumika Sagisawa form Phat! Company can now be yours to order starting at 12,000 Yen plus tax and will be delivered this August.


- Inside the world of Hasegawa Hobby Kits' Ace Combat lineup inspired from the hit Bandai Namco video game franchise, a UPEO-spec Typhoon model kit, as seen on Ace Combat 3 Electrosphere, will land on hobby stores this 24th of February for 3800 Yen plus tax with limited availability. Also, a Wardog-spec F-14A and the Razgriz-spec F-14A from Ace Combat 5 The Unsung War, are joining the Eggplane range and they'll be hitting stores this March 22nd.


TTFN!!!

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER EVERMORE

Those who have been part of last year's THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls 4th Live concert got themselves an earful of the sub-brand's 5th anniversary anthem song in honor of Cinderella Girls' 5th anniversary titled EVERMORE. That honorary song as heard from last year's 4th Live concert can now be yours to keep with this latest single!

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER
EVERMORE

This latest addition to the CINDERELLA MASTER range inspired by the hit mobile game is an all-star ensemble of four new songs including the honorary EVERMORE song as heard from last year's concert. In addition to EVERMORE, there's ススメ☆オトメ ~jewel parade~, ゴキゲンParty Night, and Near to you. All of those songs call for a worthy celebration because almost all of the Cinderella Girls cast placed all of their time and effort performing these four celebratory songs to celebrate Cinderella Girls' 5th anniversary.

Here's for the next five years of Cinderella Girls, producers worldwide! Hope you guys deserved it.

TRACK LISTINGS:
1) EVERMORE (M@STER VERSION)
2) ススメ☆オトメ ~jewel parade~
3) ゴキゲンParty Night
4) Near to you
5) EVERMORE (M@STER VERSION) オリジナル・カラオケ
6) EVERMORE (4thLIVE MIX)

Let's Do The News! (February 8, 2017)


- Former Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. has asked the Sandiganbayan to junk the plunder case against him in connection with his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam. He also asked the court to declare "void" all previous proceedings in connection with the case. The motion came three days before the scheduled first day of the trial of the case on Thursday.

- The Department of Justice issued an immigration lookout bulletin against 20 political consultants of the National Democratic Front following the cancellation of peace talks. The government peace panel has formally written a notice of termination of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front.

- The Department of Justice has yet to decide who among the suspects of the Jee Ick Joo murder case last year can be enrolled in its witness protection program. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the joint inquiry of the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investigation would need to be concluded before the DOJ could determine the people who would be admitted as state witnesses.

- US President Donald Trump said that he will take the legal case over his temporary travel ban to the Supreme Court if necessary. Trump told reporters that his administration will take the case "through the system" as his executive order is very important to ensure the country's security.

- Two players from the New England Patriots, the team that won the Super Bowl LI last Sunday, will boycott a customary visit to the White House due to their opposition against President Trump. Devin McCourty reportedly told that he did not feel that he would be accepted in the White House, "with the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices." while Martellus Bennett expressed his opposition to Trump and told reporters that he would not go to the White House and people would know why.

- 19 people are reportedly killed from a suicide attack outside the Supreme Court in Kabul, Afghanistan. Police say the apparent suicide bombing occurred in a parking lot used by court employees as they were heading home.

- The Tokyo metropolitan government and Shibuya Ward conducted a disaster drill in case of a massive earthquake struck public transport and strands vast numbers of people. The drill took place outside Shibuya Station and involved crowds of people, including foreigners, who were unable to return to their homes or lodgings,

- Japanese defense authorities are proceeding with offshore work in Okinawa to relocate a US military base in the southern prefecture. The Japanese government plans to build a new facility there to replace the US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, currently located in a densely populated district.

- A Japanese high court has upheld a four-year prison sentence for a South Korean male behind the blast in the Yasukuni Shrine in November 23rd, 2015. Public prosecutors said Jeon Chang-han took metal pipes stuffed with gunpowder into a restroom at the shrine and detonated them. The explosion destroyed the restroom's ceiling.

- The new-generation Ford Expedition full-size SUV has been unveiled prior to this week's Chicago Auto Show. It features an aluminum bodywork, 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engines, a host of safety tech, and the brand new Terrain Management System.

2018 Ford Expedition

- Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and Hitachi Automotive System announced plans to establish a joint venture company for the development, manufacture, and sales of motors for electric vehicles. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding and will proceed to conduct discussions for the establishment of the new agreement set to be inked next month.

- Some of Japan's popular anime characters were named as ambassadors of Japanese culture and set to be appeared on licensed Tokyo 2020 Olympics merchandise.  Such characters are Astro Boy, Sailor Moon, Crayon Shin-chan, Luffy from One Piece, Naruto, Jibanyan from Yokai Watch, Goku from Dragon Ball Super, and Maho Girls Precure's Cure Miracle and Cure Magical.

TTFN!!!

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea's planning a satellite launch




North Korea's state run media said that leader Kim Jong Un plans to launch a stationary satellite as an immediate goal of the country's space development program.

The North's satellite launch are widely believed to be a cover for their intercontinental ballistic launch possibility.

It is said that Kim Jong Un has decided to develop new rockets, and they will be launched at the time and in the place decided by the Workers' Party, according to the newspaper Rodong Sinmun, as well as being a sovereign nation with a legitimate right to launch satellites.

Last September, North Korea conducted a ground test of a new engine believed to be developed for long-range ballistic missiles. Then, in January, the Korean Peninsula threatened to launch an ICBM.

Source: NHK World