Let's Do The News! (June 22, 2016)

- Most citizens in Metro Manila as well as government organizations took part in the second metrowide shake drill organized by the MMDA, in an effort to prepare residents for a potential powerful earthquake. At 0900 hours local time, across Manila, most radio stations, companies, churches and schools sounded the earthquake alarm, signalling the start of the drill. In that drill, the city saw numerous situations such as collapsed buildings, fires, stampedes, and looting to test how rescue teams would respond.

- The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court has found probable cause to try Senator JV Ejercito and other San Juan City officials for technical malversation over the alleged anomalous purchase of high-powered firearms with calamity funds. Aside from that, the court also found probable cause to try former Vice Mayor Leonardo Celles and Sangguniang Panlungsod members for the same crime.

- The Islamic State terrorists released a video early on Wednesday in an effort to recruit new members from the Philippines and nearby countries. According to intelligence, the video targeting the Philippines was in five languages; Arabic, English, Filipino, Indonesian, and Malay.

- About 46,499,537 people in Great Britain have registered for tomorrow's referendum on whether or not the country should remain in the EU. That's about 140,000 more than the previous record, set in a general election in May last year.

- The mayor of Rio de Janeiro has pledged to improve security after numerous assaults on athletes in the Brazilian city as it prepares to host the 2016 Olympics. An Australian paralympic sailor was attacked by two assailants on Sunday while riding a bike. Then, Spanish Olympic sailors and coach were robbed at gunpoint last month.

- Numerous people have protested in front of the National Rifle Association HQ near Washington DC on Tuesday to protest the organization's reluctance to accept tighter gun control. Around 40 people gathered in front of the NRA building, including relatives of victims of the deadly Orlando shooting on the 12th of June and civic groups advocating stricter gun control laws.

- The Dodge Viper is set to discontinue this 2017 and to bid farewell to the only V10 supercar built by Americans, a series of final special editions were launched such as the 1:28 Edition ACR, GTS-R Commemorative Edition ACR, VoooDoo II Edition ACR, Snakeskin Edition GTC, and Dodge Dealer Edition ACR.

- The Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato has finally given a very limited production of 99 units, packed with a coachbuilt design and an improved V12 engine.

- Volvo's new S90 and V90 flagship models now come with an available R-Design models with a sportier exterior.

- Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach gets tested for HIV. She vowed to raise awareness on the HIV/AIDS epidemic six months ago and help shed the stigma of HIV testing.

TTFN!!!

Challenge: The Ritsuko cosplay no one tried

It's almost Ritsuko Akizuki's birthday in the world of THE IDOLM@STER and what better way is to pull off a challenge to honor such occassion. Trouble is, it may take a lot of negotiation to pull this off.

Yes, we all seen good Ritsuko Akizuki cosplays, ranging from her signature luxury outfit, her office lady attire, and many others, but not a single Ritchan fan has pulled something like this...

Yep, her attire from the IM@S anime DVD/Blu-Ray cover.

Yes, we all seen good IM@S fans outfitted in their anime DVD/Blu-ray cover attires. Most do Yayoi, Iori, Takane, or Miki. Some do Haruka, Makoto, Yukiho, or Chihaya (which I probably did last Spring). Few do Ami and Mami or Azusa. Sadly, no sight of anyone doing Ritsuko Akizuki in her DVD/Blu-ray cover attire. Why? It's just a simple...er...just the stuff you saw above but never mind all that.

You know what, having my sister Elise doing the job of dressing as Ritsuko kinda reminds me of last year when I told her to do Serena in her new outfit from Pokemon XY. I tried to be a good brother to my sister Elise but my obsession made me and my mother fought a lot, even after the convention. Sure, I may used a lot of bad words on my mom but she only did that to tick me off. In fact, I'm the one who drove me, my mom, and my sister apart. I messed up real bad as a brother. It really is my fault. I raised my voice over them I guess I never been around to take the blame. Me and my mom started drifting apart. Anyway, enough with the long story but mom and Elise, if you're reading this and let's put a dump on things, I'm sorry for being a bad brother.

Well, now that you heard my sad story, time to see our Ritsuko Akizuki's IM@S DVD/Blu-Ray cover outfit in action!

Err...not exactly much, but on the bright side, the outfit looks almost similar. Just a minor adjustment on the hairdo and that should be fine but my sis says that's as good as it goes.

Anyway, while this isn't exactly as I hoped for, I bet that would be enough to pull one off to show a little love to 765Pro's "least favorite" idol and I hope it's time for me to take responsibility after the mess done to make this a fruition.

Lets hope I'll ever see any IM@S fan dressed as Ritsuko in her IM@S anime DVD/Blu-ray cover attire after this.

Finding Dory

Dory is by no means one of our favorite characters in 2003's Disney-Pixar flick Finding Nemo because of her iconic dialogue to remember for, even if we had short-term memory loss. Because of her knack of comic dialogue that cheered us up, in fact, she even made her the star in the sequel film.

Finding Dory, the sequel to 2003's Finding Nemo, brings the aquatic tale we all love when you and I are young to a new direction and promises the same comic dialogue we all love. Of course, TV presenter Ellen DeGeneres reprises her role as, hers truly, Dory as well as Albert Brooks as Marlin from the first flick.

Unknown to her bittersweet past, Dory sets on an adventure to reunite with her parents after a terrible incident separated them years ago, and that meant she ends up on another side of the ocean. With the help of old pals Marlin and Nemo as well as new allies such as the octopus Hank, whale shark Destiny, and beluga whale Bailey, Dory will have to keep swimming to reunite with her long lost family, no matter the odds. Whoops, I just said that line. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...

Just for the record, the storyline feels almost the same as the original because the stuff you saw in this flick kinda reminds you of the original flick 13 years ago, but since this is Dory we're talking about, fans can venture on her secret origins and as the movie progresses, the more pieces about her are building in until they get the whole story about Dory's origins.

Storyline aside, the fun factor is what pleases the moviegoers and because of Dory's comic dialogue that made people smile. you can expect moments that are going to be iconic in the world of Disney-Pixar movies and if there's something we all learn from this flick, it made us keep swimming and be fluent in whale. What the hay, this film has the best vibe since the first one, in fact, this film has some good vibes that can make you laugh and cry.

My rating: 4.6 out of 5.

Buick Envision

This is the first time an American car brand is selling a Chinese-made car, which is kinda unorthodox for General Motors to do such a thing. Whatever that is, the first American branded, Chinese import to be sold on US soil is a crossover called the Envision.

2016 Buick Envision

2016 Buick Envision

Although being an import from the People's Republic of China, some might believe that the Envision envisions its unorthodox collaboration between China and US in the same way that the F-2 fighter-bomber plane is for Japan and US. To put it in context, it shares it status as an Asian-American so you might think it targets every single Asian-American customer in its range but you'd be wrong.

Because this is an import from the PRC, the Buick Envision is priced at 42,070 US Dollars, making it the most expensive Buick offered for now but don't worry, they will add a cheaper model later this year starting at 35,870 US Dollars, around two thousand less than its big brother, the Enclave.

2016 Buick Envision

So, what do you know about the first American branded, Chinese import to be sold on US soil? Well, for starters, as commoners might say, everything in this planet is made in China. Your iPhone's made in China, your anime figure's made in China, your computer's made in China, China, China, China, well, you get the idea, but almost most of the stuff around you are made by the world's biggest country. We get used to it using stuff made by those who invented gunpowder and currency and we don't mind if they're expendable or not. The Envision? Well, even it looks American inside and out, there's no hiding that the way it behaves is very Chinese, a bit Asian-American if you like to call it, especially when it comes with a 2,0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 252HP of power while mated with the GEN-3 6-speed AT. Sounds high-performance for a crossover like this but unlike the best of Buicks made by Americans (and Europeans), its dynamics are questionable for a China-made American crossover. Sooner or later, you might start questioning its reliability if things go wrong with it.

2016 Buick Envision interior

2016 Buick Envision interior

So far as styling-wise, the Envision is as well-orchestrated as the interior. It's very nice to be accommodated with and because space in the back matters most than anything else in the car, like what every Chinese businessmen would want for a long-wheelbase versions of luxury compact saloons, the Envision's rear legroom is very good indeed. It's very hi-tech from every nook and cranny and you can even surf the net with your devices on the go thanks to 4G LTE.

So, is there's something to like about the Envision? Probably the spacing, the tech, the design, and pretty much about it but if there's something not to like about the Envision, it would be the pricing that sounds costly for a China-made SUV as well as the way it behaves. So, if there's any question about how the Envision behaves on American roads, don't ask me. Ask General Motors for bringing this crossover that is proud to say "I'm Asian American and I am a Buick".

Available colors: Ebony Twilight Metallic, Summit White, Galaxy Silver Metallic, Bronze Alloy Metallic, Saffron Red Metallic, and Midnight Amethyst Metallic.

Photo: General Motors

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North may launch ballistic missile

The South Korean military says North Korea is preparing to launch a ballistic missile. According to sources, the North appears to preparing to launch a new Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile from its east coast.

Meanwhile, North Korean media condemn South Korea for conducting anti-poaching operations in neutral waters between the 2 countries,saying it's a military provocation. The South Korean military, its coast guard, and UN forces have been working together to stop blue crab poaching by Chinese fishing boats at the mouth of the Han River, which flows into the Yellow Sea. The KCNA says the area is a place no military forces of both Koreas have entered since the 1953 armistice.

Then, a senior North Korean official has arrived in Beijing to attend the global security conference for northeast Asia. Choe Son Hui, the deputy chief of US affairs bureau at North Korea's Foreign Ministry is attending the three-day conference organized by a US university that starts on Tuesday. The meeting brings together officials from the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program as well as private researchers. This is the first time in four years that North Korea has sent a participant to the annual conference.

Source: NHK World

Let's Do The News! (June 21, 2016)

- Former Senate president Ernesto Maceda passed away last night at St. Luke's Hospital in Quezon City after suffering a stroke two weeks ago, He was 81. The family announced that Maceda was taken off life support at 2058 hours local time after his eldest son Manny arrived from the US.

- DNA tests confirmed that the severed head found in front of a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu, belonged to Robert Hall, a Canadian captive of the Abu Sayyaf Group, who was beheaded last week, according to the Philippine National Police. Authorities found the body part on the 13th of June in front of the Mt. Carmel Cathedral along Sanchez Street in Jolo, confirmed earlier reports of the beheading of the Canadian hostage.

- The inauguration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte will be officially held at Malacanang Palace on the 30th of June, breaking the tradition of holding presidential inaugurals at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila's Rizal Park. According to incoming Presidential Communications Operations Office secretary Martin Andanar, the media would not be allowed to cover inside the Palace except Duterte's TV crew, the RTVM.

- The US Senate rejected all four bills designed to restrict gun sales, despite a mass shooting at a nightclub in Orlando last weeks. Republicans and Democrats submitted two bills each to the chamber but none of the bills secured the 60 votes needed to advance.

- Over four hundred people died on the yellow fever outbreak in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The mosquito-borne disease causes fever, vomiting and in some cases jaundice, which it is named for.

- An Electric Modified Class-spec Acura that looks like the upcoming NSX will participate at this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb next weekend. Piloted by Tetsuya Yamano, this NSX-inspired EV concept features a modified powertrain used on the all-electric CR-Z racer last year.

- Amid the diesel emission scandal, Volkswagen plans to drop around forty models from its company-wide lineup. Reports told that Volkswagen is shaking to trim down and remove a number of low-volume vehicles from various lineups.

- Jake Vargas will appear in an upcoming episode of GMA's drama anthology depicting real people, Magpakailanman, as the viral sensation Carrot Man.

- The cast of the 2016 rebirth of GMA's fantasy drama, Encantadia, are preparing for the biggest battle scene ever seen.

TTFN!!!

F1 2016: European GP

Photo: Getty Images

Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, is the grand stage of the European Grand Prix on the F1 2016 season and setting the issues behind them, Nico Rosberg's pole position during qualifiers was a big advantage, more than enough to score his win while Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel placed 2nd place and Sergio Perez from Force India scored his second podium finish upon placing 3rd in the race.

Onto the overall standings, Rosberg's now 24 points ahead of Hamilton, 141 to 117, while Vettel remains 3rd overall with 96 points.

The next race is set at Austria, on the 3rd of July, 2016.