Sweden is now one of the European countries plagued by those hit-and-run attacks since France, Germany, and recently Great Britain, as a truck rammed through a store in the capital city Stockholm, killing four people and injured others.
Authorities told that the driver apparently escaped the smoky and blood-streaked scene while being pursued. Later, they had apprehended a person of interest in the investigation, although they expressed doubt that he was the driver and said the search was continuing.
No one knows what motivated the attack but Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said the midafternoon rampage had been “an act of terrorism” and that the government would do “whatever it takes” for the public to feel safe.
Another barn find is located deep within the depths of the Australian landscape but sadly, no one ever knew where the latest barn find is located at...until now.
Today, I set off to see the next barn find hidden somewhere in the Land Down Under but there's a major catch as demonstrated to the latest Forzathon event this weekend only. The task? Complete a Race in an AMC car to receive a Barn Find Rumor. Now that's the catch I am curious about and for anyone trying to hunt down the next barn find, they have limited amount of time to do so because if they don't act within this weekend, the mysterious barn find rumor will be lost forever...ish.
The AMC I got here is the Javelin AMX, the variant known to be as "the closest thing you can buy to a Trans-Am champion". It's got a 401 cu in (6.6L) V8 engine producing 335HP of power while mated to a four-speed manual, which is not much by modern standards but in the era of muscle cars, it's downright glorious to get tempted at. Anyway, no time for chitchat because I got a mission to complete...
After finishing the race with the AMC of my choice, I got the location of the Barn Find in question...
It is two miles away from the Yarra Valley Festival Site and it's time to get some digging.
Time to unload the barn and find out what that is...
Isn't that the car from Wayne's World?! That's right! It's the AMC Pacer, the first wide small car! Built in response to the global energy crisis of the 70's, the AMC Pacer was meant to be powered by a rotary engine like the ones from Mazda but it turned out to be thirsty and dirty so they hastily re-engineered it and put it a much bulky 3.8L 6-cylinder unit. It returns with 18MPG of fuel economy, which isn't sounds fuel efficient for a compact, a 0-60mph time of 14 seconds and top speed of 105mph.
Despite the poor performance for a car meant to be in tune with the times, the width is the Pacer's turning point compared to its relatively short length. The main idea about this car is to have the handling quality of a compact car while delivering a spacious interior and it works. Once more, the door on the passenger side is wider than the driver side, allowing easy access to the back seats.
Due to its bizarre egg-shaped design, most mocked this car as an "upside-down bathtub" but that doesn't stop garnering supporters such as stuntman Evel Knievel, country singer Conway Twitty, and Brigitte Bardot. In terms of movies, the Pacer got featured as the Murph Mobile from Wayne's World as well as inspired Cars 2 character, Acer, one of the baddies.
The AMC Pacer was discontinued in 1980 and its unique platform couldn't be adapted to other models so it was shelved before it was taken over by Chrysler in 1988.
Anyway, that's enough storytelling because the Pacer's too interesting enough to be told so let's take it out for a spin and live to tell about it.
Although the Pacer is a terrible car in the real world, it remains one of the most iconic cult classics in American car culture as well as movie junkies everywhere and in the world of Forza, it's somewhat legendary if you know what I mean. Anyway, you got to hurry, ladies and gents, you got the whole weekend to get this car while you still can!
- President Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to visit the Middle East this month. According to Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs Jayceelun Quintana, President Duterte will have meetings with the officials of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Bahrain, and State of Qatar. The President will also meet the Filipino community at Middle East.
- As the summer season begins in the Philippines, water rates are expected to raise due to the preparations of two major water distributors in order to recover from the effects of the foreign exchange rate in the previous months.
- The Movie and Television Regulatory and Classification Board is scheduled this April 10 to carry out an inspection and information drive at various terminals in Metro Manila due to the influx of passengers seeking to go home to their different provinces this Holy Week.
- The NPR and the PBS, two government-funded networks, are on the risk of being defunded as part of US President Donald Trump's new budget proposal.
- Iran condemned the US strike on a Syrian airbase on Friday as Britain and Australia gave their support with Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull describing it as a “proportionate and calibrated response” to the use of chemical weapons.
- The Chinese capital city of Beijing, all littered in trash, promised to boost its spending on waste disposal but struggling to persuade its residents to sort their trash. Beijing is China’s biggest municipal producer of trash, having collected 8.7 million tonnes of household waste last year, almost double that of a decade earlier, and residents deride its sprawling landfills as a “seventh ring road”.
- The woman who was injured from the attack in Westminster last month has died, according to the police, increasing the death toll to six including the attacker. The woman identified as Andreea Cristea, a Romanian national who had been visiting London at the time of the attack.
- Osomatsu-san has been renewed for a second season!
- In case you may have missed it, Nickelodeon's hit cartoon show, Invader Zim, is re-invading soon-ish.
- David Brown Automotive unveiled their Mini Remastered vehicle, a modern-day take on the original Mini Cooper.
This is by no means one of the most controversial Hollywood take on a hit anime franchise since...er...um...you get the point and this Hollywood remake on a Mamoru Oshii masterpiece that the Aint-It-Cool-News once called a "breathtaking leap forward in the history of science fiction and anime". Sadly though, this Hollywood live-action take on Ghost In The Shell has a lot of explaining to do for the otaku community and movie junkies alike and let's find out why.
Ghost In The Shell (2017 film)
Here it is, the movie in question, and this action film stars Scarlett Johansson as The Major, inspired by the anime franchise's Major Motoko Kusanagi, and set in the same timeframe as the original classic anime film that started it all, well just about, The Major, a female government cyber agent and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are gunning down against a computer hacker who unleashed a virus that can invade cybernetic brains and altering its victim's memory. The nefarious computer hacker in question was actually a prototype virtual agent created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has now defied its makers and unleash cybernetic hell on earth. Now, both agencies are on a deadly cat-and-mouse game against a powerful enemy.
For an average movie goer, there's no problem about how cool and how hardcore this movie is even with some stuff that feels like it came from sci-fi action flicks in the likes of The Matrix trilogy, Aeon Flux, and Ultraviolet. It's somewhat fluidic, intense, suspenseful, and thrilling fit enough for an action movie of this magnitude.
For an anime otaku, however, this film is a complete disaster and a complete waste for the franchise, despite the makers of this defended their views that it was the right thing to do with it. Still, could be worse, this film is just another victim of the so-called whitewashing trend, which involves using Western actors for Asian character roles. Most critics believed that having Johansson in the role of The Major is not right and needs to be someone Asian to fit that role but in the views of Sir Mamoru Oshii, he thinks that having Scarlett Johansson playing the role of The Major is the right thing to do and it's hard to explain what's what about this film.
To sum this film up, even though this is visually thrilling for action movie junkies, this live-action take on a Mamoru Oshii masterpiece is a complete waste for the franchise and there are doubts that any Japanese watching this film may feel offended about this Hollywood remake of the legendary GITS anime film and they should tell filmmakers that when it comes to making Hollywood live-action films based on anime franchises, they need to be very considerate in the future.
As you may have heard it right now, Chevrolet stopped selling the awesome rear-wheel drive four-door saloon called the SS a few months ago and it's a sad twist of fate to see this Aussie import vanished into thin air. It's also sad that the year 2017 signals the end of Australian car production and we're going to miss the duel between Falcons and Holdens in its glorious years. As we say goodbye to the American Commodore we loved, it's time for me to take a final stroll with the SS.
As they say, the Chevrolet SS is basically a Holden VF Commodore rebadged and sold in the USA in the same way the deceased Pontiac G8 did to the Holden VE Commodore. Unlike the Aussie one that is available in three body styles, the SS only offers a saloon powered by a 6.2L V8 engine producing 415HP of power and can be mated with either a 6-speed automatic or a manual gearbox.
It's hard to explain more about the Chevrolet SS but pretty sure, I'm going to miss this thing because while it was short-lived for a four-year run and with drastic poor sales, it remains one of the most enjoyable sports saloon ever made and the cheapest compared to the European imports. This is by no means the last car made in cooperation with the Americans and the Australians and we're going to miss this cooperation since the Pontiac G8. We're also going to miss the sound of its V8 engine as well because even though this is naturally-aspirated, it sounds as old-school as the Age of Aquarius and smells like meat pies on a Sunday drive. Mmm... There's so much stuff to miss about the American Commodore, despite some misses, but for me, there's some unfinished business to do with this.
No time to explain what just happened with it but for the final sendoff, the Americanized Holden Commodore is ready to play rough against the competition while not afraid to get its face dirty and since this is Australia and that car's Australian-made, playing rough is best describes it and it's time to get the camera rolling in for the Chevy SS's sendoff drive. Okay then, let's get this going, for the greater glory of Aussie-made V8s!
What a way to say goodbye to the Chevrolet SS. The Holden VF Commodore sold to the USA with less offerings than the original but with a lot of feast for the speedo boys in the free country for less than European imports. It may have less followers in America but it's going to be an instant classic through the years. Farewell, mate.
- Ousted DILG Secretary Ismael ‘Mike’ Sueño cried as he said farewell to his co-workers. Sueño admitted that he wasn’t able to sleep and eat ever since he was accused of corruption and added that he is ashamed to show himself to the public, and his family, especially to his wife and sick mother.
- The Rizal Provincial Housing Office has approached the National Housing Authority, Rizal PNP, and Municipalities of Rizal, in order to prevent the Kadamay from occupying the relocation sites within the province.
- A group of young transgender Thais sits together in women's clothes behind rows of men, waiting for military officers to call their names and decide whether they must be drafted as soldiers. Thailand is widely seen as a LGBT-friendly nation, but many complain of being treated as second-class citizens and the obligation to respond to the draft can be a nightmare when they turn 21.
- France is still seeking a United Nations Security Council resolution on Syria, adding that diplomatic negotiations were a priority over possible military action.
- Reports told that China blocked the visit of two Australian politicians after it took offence to a letter that called on it to address allegations of human right abuses. The members of parliament, one from the ruling coalition government and one from the opposition Labor Party, were scheduled to visit as part a parliamentary investigation into a rising tide of synthetic drugs trafficked from southern China.
- The next Audi A8 will use multi-material space frame chassis which employs a mix of aluminium, steel, magnesium and carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) to provide optimum rigidity and strength.
- Muntinlupa's e-jeeps are nominated at the Union International des Transports Publics that will take place at Montreal, Canada, on the 17th of May, 2017. These e-jeepneys are nominated for Customer Experience category alongside other e-vehicle projects from France, Oman, and UK. The free ride service is a benefit from Muntinlupa Care Card, which is a project from the government of the Muntinlupa City, Philippines.
- In case you may have missed it, gaming hardware company Mad Catz filed for bankruptcy last week. Last year, Mad Catz sold off Saitek as well as Logitech. The company was well known for creating game controllers for most consoles since 1989.
Once the offroad hero that survived Storm Island from the previous installment, the Ford Ranger T6 Rally Raid returns to take on a brand new challenge; survive Blizzard Mountain and make it out alive just like what happened back in Storm Island.
This is what it known to be a specially-prepped version of the said pickup truck that is no longer for sale in America. While this is fully-prepped to take on the most punishing terrain just like what it did during the Paris-Dakar, it comes with a race-prepped 5.0L engine developing 349HP of power and 413lb-ft of torque. Thanks to its experience back in Storm Island in the last installment, it shouldn't be a hunch for a tough, un-American, American pickup truck to take on the extremes, especially in a middle of a polar vortex in nightfall, which is very scary to me but not for this one.
Although this Ranger is brave and tough enough to take on extreme circumstances, I'm not sure if I can make it out alive from a heavy snowfall in Blizzard Mountain but this is no time for doubts because it's time for me and the Ranger to do something crazy in the middle of a snow warning, all in the name of surviving Blizzard Mountain from dusk till dawn.
This is going to be one heck of a ride, folks...
Having faced death and lived to tell about it, the Ranger survived Blizzard Mountain just like what it did back in Storm Island a few years ago. Mother Nature may sure unleash everyone's worst nightmares but for the Ranger, it's not afraid to take on them. Now that's BUILT TOUGH.
All aboard, Lovelivers! While having a little hangover from last February's Aqours First Love Live concert and anticipating the return of Love Live! Sunshine!! TV series this fall, their latest single from Uranohoshi Girls High School's finest has arrived, marking their next step for our new favorite.
Titled Happy Party Train, this latest single from Aqours was first heard from the School Idol Festival app game and now you can have the whole song as well as two other new Aqours music such as SKY JOURNEY and 少女以上の恋がしたい. There's also three new audio drama parts to keep the enjoyment going for the fans and a BD/DVD featuring the music video of the said song.
This is one of the many ways you can pass the time before their next live concert and the new season arrive, so in the meantime, let your ears leave the station because it's time to aboard the HAPPY PARTY TRAIN!
- The Philippine National Police will oppose the urban poor group Kadamay if they attempt to occupy the other government housing projects meant for police officers and soldiers.
- President Rodrigo Duterte named Interior and Local Government Usec for Public Order Catalino Cuy as acting secretary of the said agency, following the ousting of Secretary Ismael Sueno.
- Over 200 soldiers are being trained to replace Bureau of Immigration employees who quit their jobs and or filed their leave of absence.
- The Russian defence ministry said that that a poisonous gas contamination in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun was the result of gas leaking from a rebel chemical weapons depot after it was hit by Syrian government air strikes.
- The Chinese government condemns India's decision to host Tibetan spiritual leader, The Dalai Lama, on a contested stretch of land on the India-China border, causing tensions between two neighboring countries.
- Six people were killed in a suicide attack in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
- To be featured at the 2017 Barcelona International Motor Show, SEAT's new Ateca FR is the Spanish carmaker's sporty variant of their first crossover utility vehicle.
2018 SEAT Ateca FR
- The Mercedes-AMG GLC63 range will be featured at this year's New York International Auto Show, featuring AMG's 4.0L V8 BiTurbo engine that powers both the normal and the Coupe variant.
2018 Mercedes-AMG GLC63
- The Opel/Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer returns for the second-generation model. In addition, both the new Insignia Grand Sport and the new Insignia Country Tourer will be coming in North America as the new Buick Regal Sportback and TourX, set for NYIAS premiere.
2018 Opel Insignia Country Tourer
- Oh snap! Disney Channel greenlits a new spinoff from the memorable That's So Raven show, titled Raven's Home. Airing soon to Disney Channel, the new series stars Isaac Brown and Navia Robinson as Raven Baxter's twin kids Booker and Nia while Jason Maybaum plays the role of Levi, the son of Raven's BFF, Chelsea, and Sky Katz as Nia's best friend Tess.
The new Ford GT may look different than the previous Ford GT that combines history and performance with ease but with all the added sophistication and the firepower from its 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine, this modern-day take on the American Ferrari beater in Le Mans is a real winning formula for Ford and because it was so successful, it even scored a class win at the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans. Not even the Corvette can't keep up with that.
While taking its motoring vacation to the Land Down Under after all that hectic schedule on the track, the new Ford GT in Forza Horizon 3 is all about showing its true capabilities as a world-class supercar that incorporates the pinnacle of Ford's lineup of high-performance cars consisting of the new F-150 Raptor, the Mustang GT350, the Fiesta ST, the Focus ST, and of course, the Ford Focus RS.
As they told, the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine that powers it produces 638HP of power, which is more than what the old Ford GT's Supercharged V8 engine it possesses and while mated with a 7-speed automatic gearbox, it can go flat out in over 216mph. Apart from the raw power it possesses, the aerodynamics play a key factor to the Ford GT. With the front end, flying buttresses, rear end, and the rear wing played a major role in aerodynamics, it's about as sleek as an F-22 Raptor taking off and as slippery as...I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. It has different driving modes well suited for normal conditions, wet conditions, racetracks, and top speed, depending on where the car is driving at.
I had enough explanations about the new Ford GT but if I had, it's a very challenging feast for the brave and the tough because hitting at max speeds, the Ford GT is much risky to handle and the turning radius is surprisingly harsh unless drivers need to get this one right or else they're going to be in a massive pileup of worries ahead. It maybe a hypercar made to take on the Europeans but being American, they are very challenging to handle due to its dynamic traits too tricky to handle even on the straights. Speaking of which,
You may remember a few moments back in FM6 that I made this special design made in honor of THE IDOLM@STER's 10th anniversary in 2015 and with such stuff truly have in common, I decided to bring this design back to this car not for sentimental's sake but for the fun of it. As always, some major improvements need to be make before ready for today's shooting and because everything's all booked up for the day, some studio executive landed me to an unfittable location somewhere in Yarra Valley. A place that it's definitely no place for exotics like this and I'm talking about something offroad and it's getting to cramp my style, especially for a Ford GT that has gained a lot of power from engine swapping and for a car rounded up to Veyron levels, it's going to be very suicidal to drive even in unforgiving conditions like this.
With no choice, I had to do it even if it gets me home sooner...
Too much script rewrites than a Titanic movie with pirates on it and a shark but on the bottom line, I'm alive and kicking but man, I really wish I shouldn't try this suicidal setup on this Ford GT. He he he...
- The Bayan Group strongly condemns the mass arrest of over 30 members of Kadamay in Tandang Sora, Quezon City, last Monday night. Secretary-General of the group, Renato Reyes, said the arrest of families, including 16 minors and eight senior citizens was overbearing. He added that the arrested individuals only returned to their previous homes, a year after a demolition.
- A Palace official confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte fired Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mike Sueño due to "Trust and Confidence" issue. The official added that the recent ouster serves as warning to other Cabinet members and government officials.
- The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will name their new chief next month to replace Governor Amado Tetangco, Jr.
- Meanwhile, Senate Democrats secured enough votes to block the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the US Supreme Court, setting the stage for a "nuclear option".
- A blast in a St. Petersburg train carriage that killed 11 people and injured 45 was the work of a suspected suicide bomber with Islamist ties, according to reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was in the city when the blast struck, visited the scene of the explosion late on Monday night and laid a bunch of red flowers at a makeshift shrine to the victims.
- Infiniti teases the QX80 Concept for this month's New York Auto Show, previewing the next generation of Infiniti's flagship full-size SUV.
- Actor and Chief Operating Officer of TPB, Cesar Montano, asserts his responsibility as father to Diego Loyzaga despite gaffes from his son. Last February, Diego draw flak against his father by ranting him via Instagram. Diego is Cesar's son to actress Teresa Loyzaga.
- Actor Marc Abaya says he's unfazed over the rape scene with Janine Gutierrez in an episode of GMA's TV drama series, Legally Blind.
North Korea can participate in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics if it wishes to do so, according to Seoul's Unification Ministry.
North Korean athletes need approval from Seoul to enter the South as the 1950-53 Korean War ended with a truce, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically in a state of war.
The comments comes after PyeongChang governor Choi Moon-soon said on Sunday that a North Korean sports official had told him the North want to join the Games.
A North Korea sports delegation is currently in South Korea to take part in an international ice hockey competition in Gangneung, which will host some events during the 2018 Games. Meanwhile, Seoul has approved a trip to North Korea by the South’s women’s soccer team to take part qualifiers for the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Tensions between the two Koreas are escalating following the North's plot to do another nuclear test late last month, to coincide with the United Nation's Nuclear Ban Treaty talks.
