Let's Do The News! (May 14, 2013)

River's Diary

Right, what's the news today you spoiler-laden TARDIS journal?

2014 Peugeot 308?!

2014 Peugeot 308

Peugeot finally revealed their replacement for the worst-performing 308 hatchback and...um...wait a minute. Still called a 308? What the heck? Well anyway, originally, they supposed to call it 309 much as all the other Peugeots when in full change, number advance at the last digit, but sadly, they stick to the 308 naming. Why? Well, last year, Peugeot announced their new naming scheme to avoid confusion that from now on, all cars will have the number 8 at the end (and 1 for cheap cars for emerging markets).

Anyway, while the new naming scheme is very confusing, this new generation 308 wasn't quite bad at all. In fact, it's getting to be more...redeeming because it now utilizes a brand-new EMP2 chassis that resulted a triple digit weight loss than the previous model. No further details just yet but it will make a world premiere at this fall's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Taiwan threatens Manila...

Well, looks like the Philippines made another enemy of the state and this time, it's Taiwan on the spot ever since a Philippine coastguard fired on a Taiwan fishing boat killing a crew member. This resulted to some angry protests, and for the worst of it, Taiwan deploying naval ships near the PH coastline for some naval drills and freeze hiring of OFWs heading to Taiwan. I know that this is worse but can the Philippines come up with something to deal with this latest issue? I mean, do they have to guts to fix this problem? I'm afraid not. It seems that Philippines now made a lot of enemies in the recent years. Recently, Malaysia is now the Philippines mortal enemy when it comes to the Sabah standoff. Hmmm... Makes me wonder what will the Philippines' next enemy maybe next...

Manila Kingpin kicked Dirty Harry's butt in Manila

Joseph Ejercito Estrada
(photo: Interaksyon)

Just kidding. Just a metaphor because on the recent elections, former PH President Joseph Estrada, nicknamed "Asiong Salonga" for the Manila mayoral race, won the elections and claimed the mayoral seat for Manial, dethroning Alfredo Lim, nicknamed as "Dirty Harry", and this puts to an end to one of the most grueling rivalry of the 2013 elections. If that wasn't enough, Vice Mayor Isko Moreno also won the elections against actor Lou Veloso, who ran with Lim.

So what do you think?

Mercedes-Benz E-Class W212 minor change

Die E-Klasse. In Bestform

It was four years since Mercedes-Benz brought out the incredibly elegant W212 E-Class saloon which was made to satisfy every upperclassmen who think that most money came from trees. Well, that's an urban myth about the money tree but anyway, the W212 E-Class is always the classy one for those who can't afford a flagship S-Class and while it has some of the high-tech gizmos from the S-Class, that makes it a great value. Now, for this minor change, the one thing we're expecting for the 2014 E-Class W212 is its departure...

2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The main departure for the 2014 model is the four separate headlamps which has been the main template for every E-Class generations since the 1995 W210 model. While the departure makes it saddened by E-Class fans like you and me, Mercedes-Benz told that these new one-piece headlamps retain the “four-eyed” look while both the day-time running lights and the dipped beam have partial LED lights as standard while the full LED lights are optional extra. Who cares? Despite those, it still can't resemble the "four-eyed" look and that's not quite enough. Look at it, it's less elegant as the pre-facelifted model but anyway, that's the least of our problems. Let's check out some more...

Initially, the sedan and wagon variant of the E-Class W212 minor change is available for now while the coupe and the cabriolet versions will follow later in the summer so let's deal with the sedan and the wagon for now and depending on which style you're on, you can expect ten gasoline units such as a turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder engine for the E200 and E250 up to the top-spec 4.6L V8 engine for the E500. Or, if you're in the mood for being a Satanist, you might be urged to have some Satan-fueled diesels such as the 2.2L CDi engine for the E300 or the 3.0L CDi engine for the E350. You can also expect diesel-electric hybrids as well but we're not in the mood to talk about those. Let's move on to what other stuff that has changed for the 2014 model...

2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class interior

Well, apart from the engine choices as well as the revised exterior, not to mention the revised interior which makes very appealing to the driver's eye, the 2014 E-Class has made even more intelligent because for this model, it has some of the features you can expect on the next-generation S-Class flagship such as the Collision Prevent Assist warning system that automatically halts the car when it's in near collision and the Attention Assist System which triggers a warning noise if the car senses that the driver's too tired or drowsy. This reminded me of the Crown I've examine a few years ago. When the driver's getting sleepy, this gizmo triggers a noise to wake him up and then avoid a certain oncoming accident. That's very amazing and very clever. What's also clever is the numerous safety features including the system where it can park all by itself! That's amazing for the lazy boys who don't know how to park a car...amateurs...

The price? Well, it starts under 40,430.25 euros for the sedan and 43,643.25 Euros for the wagon. That's a new price to pay but you have to pay a hefty extra for some engine choices, the optional extras, the accessories, so on, so forth. You need to be extra careful where you'll going to spend your savings on.

The verdict? Well, in everyone's honest opinion, despite the loss of the four-piece headlamps, it's still looks rather nice and rather dynamic for an executive sport saloon that competes against the BMW 5-Series and the Audi A6 but as a driver's car, it's still a bit tad old-fashioned. It's becoming too smart to handle in its own right because with all those technical overload, the new E-Class is feeling like a robot that has been set to drive by itself. It's like the future getting lost in the middle of nowhere. Where's it going? I don't know but I'll have to figure it out someday...

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Seattle's Benihana restaurant

On a Friday night in Seattle, our Uncle Orly and Aunt Menchie, along with cousin Prolan, invited us to eat at some Japanese restaurant located somewhere in Downtown Seattle and it looks like it's going to be a recipe of going out and have fun. Let's find out that Japanese restaurant that gets me going...



Yup, it's this, the Benihana restaurant, located at 1200 Fifth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101. True to its roots, this restaurant serves only the finest Japanese food Washingtonians love to chow down.





No wonder there has been several celebrities visited Seattle just to chow down at this restaurant. Especially the late Pat Morita (who was Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid), comedian Eddie Murphy, legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan, the Seattle Mariners, the New York Yankees, any other famous personalities to name a few.













These are some of the Japanese meals I chowed down at Benihana and I have to say that despite the outrageous pricing because this is a fancy restaurant with some fancy pricing on their meals, they really taste oh so delicious. Even the chef seems to be rather entertaining...





Grandpa, Grandma, and our relatives eating...



Me, my sister Cecille, and my cousin Prolan are also enjoying the meal...

So how can I sum up then? For me, visiting at Seattle's Benihana restaurant makes me want to ask that I always wanted to visit to some fancy restaurants somewhere in Seattle but here, this is one of Seattle's best restaurant in ages. The prices maybe exotic but the Japanese cuisine served is just top notch! Maybe I wanna visit this fancy restaurant again someday...

F1 2013 Spanish GP

Well, it seems that Spain's F1 hero, Fernando Alonso, wowed his countrymen at this year's Spanish GP at Barcelona, Spain with his win despite his failure to pass through either Nico Rosberg's Mercedes or Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull at the start. Anyway, with Fernando Alonso from Ferrari is 1st, Raikkonen from Lotus-Renault is 2nd place and Felipe Massa from Ferrari is 3rd place, whatever that is...

PRESS RELEASE:


Race - Alonso storms to victory in Spain 12 May 2013
         
Fernando Alonso drove a perfect race to give his adoring countrymen the result they dreamed of in in Sunday’s Formula 1 Gran Premio de España 2013 at Barcelona.

The Spaniard had to bide his time after failing to get past either Nico Rosberg's Mercedes or Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull at the start, though a brilliant lunge around the outside took him by the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen and then the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton at Turn 3.

Ferrari were the first of the front runners to make the switch from Pirelli’s medium tyre to the hard, first with fifth-placed Felipe Massa on lap eight, then with Alonso one lap later. 

Rosberg and Vettel stopped on the 10th lap, leaving Esteban Gutierrez temporarily in the lead for Sauber as he had yet to pit, and though Rosberg resumed in second place behind the Swiss car, Alonso was able to slot into third ahead of Vettel. 

That was Alonso's first crucial move. The next came on lap 13 as he overtook Rosberg. That triggered a fateful slide from second place to fifth for the German as Vettel and Massa also overtook him.

Alonso became the leader on the road on the 14th lap when Gutierrez pitted, and thereafter he managed his race brilliantly, taking a set of medium tyres on his second stop on lap 21, mediums again on lap 36, then more hards on lap 49.

Vettel had no answer this day, and slipped back as his similar four-stop strategy failed to pay off. Thus Raikkonen was left as Alonso’s only serious challenger.

Lotus had the Finn on a three-stop strategy, which began with mediums, and stayed that way in his stops on laps 10 and 26. Not until his third and final pit call on lap 45 did he switch to hards.

By the time Alonso made his last stop (which, it was later revealed he did with a puncture), four laps later, the gap between them was eight seconds, but on his fresher rubber Alonso initially pulled away until they reached stalemate on the 59th circuit. Their lap times then were three-thousandths of a second apart, and thereafter the Lotus was fractionally quicker, but the gap remained around 12s until Alonso backed off on the final lap and crossed the line 9.3s ahead in a race that was vital to his title aspirations and which put Ferrari right back on track.

To make it a great day for the Scuderia, Massa fought brilliantly from ninth on the grid after his penalty for impeding Mark Webber in qualifying dropped him three places, and took a well-deserved third, 16.7s adrift of Raikkonen. Vettel and Red Bull, well beaten for the first time in a long time, had to be content with fourth and fifth, as Webber battled back from a terrible start to follow his team mate home.

In the wake of the top five finishers, the remaining positions down to 13th were in doubt to the flag. Rosberg’s three-stop strategy earned him sixth on another tough and deeply disappointing day for Mercedes, whose tyre wear remains problematic. 

He just held off Paul di Resta who yet again was Force India’s better runner. The Scot drove another great race for seventh, ahead of the duelling McLarens of Jenson Button and Sergio Perez. The Englishman languished way down the order for a long time but it emerged as the race unfolded that he was on a three-stop strategy. 

The Mexican, meanwhile, made an excellent start and ran sixth initially before being passed by Massa. Thereafter he was always in the hunt for points, but after his fourth pit stop he closed in on Button but did not make quite the same robust attempts to overtake as he had in Bahrain. Six points for McLaren were a welcome bonus, after all their troubles in practice and qualifying.

Daniel Ricciardo drove a superb race for Toro Rosso and just managed to hold off Gutierrez, who had his best Grand Prix so far for Sauber with a feisty drive in which he seemed likely to score his first points. He missed out by three-tenths of a second.

In 12th place, Lewis Hamilton had what must rank amongst the worst races of his F1 career. He was beaten off the line by Rosberg and overtaken by Vettel and Alonso in quick succession, ending the lap fourth. Soon he tumbled down the order in a car that just lacked speed. His four-stop strategy never paid out as well as team mate Rosberg’s three, and he looked like an also-ran all afternoon. At one stage he was down in 15th and he was lapped on the 55th lap, but he managed to salvage 12th after holding off Adrian Sutil’s Force India by less than half a second by the finish.

Williams also had a hugely disappointing day, especially on the 43rd lap when 2012 winner Pastor Maldonado was lapped by Alonso, the man he beat last year. The Venezuelan got a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane and finished a lapped 14th, while team mate Valtteri Bottas ran ahead of him for a long time but had to be content with 16th behind Nico Hulkenberg, whose race was ruined when Sauber unsafely released him into the path of incoming Jean-Eric Vergne’s Toro Rosso. 

Hulkenberg needed another stop for a new nose, and made a sixth to serve a 10s stop-and-go penalty. The Frenchman eventually had a right-rear tyre puncture as a result of the collision, and later retired because of the damage that ensued.

Caterham seemed set for their best race in a long time as Giedo van der Garde battled with the Williams early on, but the left-rear wheel was improperly secured in his pit stop on lap 20 and he soon lost it trying to return to the pits. The team were subsequently fined €10,000 for unsafe release. In the other Caterham, Charles Pic came from the back of the grid to beat the Marussias of Jules Bianchi and Max Chilton.

Besides Vergne and Van der Garde, the only other retirement was Romain Grosjean, with a rear suspension problem on his Lotus.

Vettel still leads the points table with 89 to the consistent Raikkonen’s 85, while Alonso’s win moves him up to third with 72 from Hamilton on 50, Massa on 45 and Webber on 42. In the constructors’ stakes, Red Bull have 131 from Ferrari on 117, Lotus on 111 and Mercedes on 72.

Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2013/5/14554.html

Next race is on Cote d'Azur, Monaco, this 26/05/2013. Save the date, F1 fans for more F1 action!

Let's Do The News! (May 13, 2013)

(cheers and applause)

Lamborghini Aventador

RH: 50 years?!

JC: Yes. 2013 really is the year of the 50. 50 years. Look, 50 years of Doctor Who, 50 years of Lamborghini...um...what else is 50? Anyone?!

(audience murmuring)

JC: Oh, well...Anyway, let's do the news, instead!

JM: Now, every three years, the republic of the Philippines held an election and for 2013, this is the second year the Philippines are on the urge of using, what other countries are adopting, automated elections which sometimes isn't the right choice for the Philippines.

JC: Yeah, second year since three years ago when the Philippines are on the urge of digital transition because they want to give automated elections a try because over the years, when there's an election, most Filipinos rely on the traditional method which we write something on the blackboard about who did the citizen vote and then counting, counting, counting, until it ran out and declare the winner. With automated elections, I believe that it has a 50-50 chance of determining the winner but I think it's not ideal for the Philippines to have automated elections because...it's much more confusing than the good old days...

(audience laughing)

RH: Yeah, very confusing indeed. Sometimes it can't read, sometimes it got jammed. Paper jam to be exact. Same as your printer when you got a paper jam...

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, forget about the terribly confusing PCOS Machine malarkey, let's talk about the Philippine senators running for the seat at the senate.

JM: Yes, and there has been several Philippine senator candidates, each has their own views on the RH Law, the freedom of information, the right of reply in FOI bill, the anti-political dynasty law, the claim to Sabah, divorce, same-sex marriage, pork barrel aboliton, e-vat, automatic debt appropriation, labor export policy, job contractualization, and the charter change.

RH: Wait, did you said RH Law? I just remembered! A couple of weeks ago, I just noticed the poster I saw in some church. There was this TEAM BUHAY and TEAM PATAY stuff. The church said that JV Estrada, Gregorio Honasan, Mitos Magsaysay, Koko Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes, and Cynthia Villar were the candidates who are opposed to the RH LAW and they were the ones to vote for if they were against the RH  LAW and then there's the ones who are support the RH LAW and they should not vote for those such as Juan Edgardo Angara, Teddy Casino, Alan Peter Cayetano, Jackie Enrile, Francis Escudero, Risa Hontiveros, and Loren Legarda.

JC: Oh yeah! Well, since this whole TEAM BUHAY-TEAM PATAY malarkey sparked outrage, they asked the church to take away because this is nothing more of a scare campaign, if you know what I mean? Anyway, while those senators had their own views on the RH Law, there are others who agreed on the freedom of information, most agreed to have PH pursue the Sabah claim, most who are against divorce, those who oppose same-sex, etc., etc, they all go on and that's analogy...

JM: Yeah, and to those who are heading to the voting booths, here's an advice; vote only what your heart desires. Don't resort into guessing because guessing don't help and most of all, VOTE WISELY. That is all, VOTE WISELY because your vote COUNTS.

(cheers and applause)

JC: That's right and for the latest on the 2013 Philippine Senatorial Elections, visit http://www.interaksyon.com/pagbabago2013 for more updates!

RH: Don't forget!

(applause)

JC: Now, with the US Version of The Office, is reaching the final episode on NBC this week, we're kinda sad to see the end of our favorite workaholic sitcom.

JM: Yeah, and I'm kinda miss Catherine Tate for being Nellie Bertram in that show...

JC: Exactly, now I heard that it's not over for Catherine Tate because I just noticed that she'll be on the British version of an American classic sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond, called The Smiths and it will also star Lee Mack as well.

RH: Lee Mack?! Wait! I know that guy! He's from Lee Mack and Bits! I remember!

JC: Yep. Catherine Tate and Lee Mack, together for the British equivalent of Everybody Loves Raymond. I'm so glad the middle-aged Catherine Tate is back...

(audience laughing)

JC: Now, I'd already tackled more about Lamborghini's 50th anniversary and I'd listed the ten best Lambos of the decades. Now, Lamborghini launched another 50th anniversary gift to themselves, here it is...

Lamborghini Egoista concept

(audience laughing)

RH: What?! What kind of a machine was that?

JC: I don't know. Says here it's a single seater supercar for the unnecessary selfie. Anyway, judging by the looks of it, it kinda looks like a toy car to me. This is somewhat more like a future version of Speed Racer's Mach 5 to me but question is, does it have the Mach 5 gadgets like the ability to fly, ability to go off-road, go through water, something something something....

(audience laughing)

RH: I don't know man. Maybe this future Mach 5 has some of it you mention and I'd really don't expect a little girl and a monkey on the trunk because, you guessed it. Engine's on the trunk!

(audience laughing)

JC: Okay, moving on... Word from the world of MLP...

(audience laughing hysterically)

RH: MLP?! As in, My Little Pony?! Jeremy, are you trying to tell someone that you're starting to become...

JC: Hush! Hush! Hush! Shut up fool! Anyway, the super popular My Little Pony franchise gets a summer movie and if it means it, yes it is. The thing about the upcoming MLP movie is that it goes by the banner "Equestria Girls" and this...Equestria Girls marks the departure of the pony lives of everyone's favorite ponies such as Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Fluttershy because those favorite ponies as seen on the TV show had given the "teenage girls" interpretation.

(huh)

JM: So, the teenage girls on the upcoming Equestria Girls film were interpreted from the pony counterparts?!

JC: Take a look at yourself...

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls

RH: Oh my stars! Makes me wanna get my head explode when I see those!!!

JC: Yeah, hope our heads will explode. Anyway, Hasbro told that the new Equestria Girls will make a premiere at the LA Film Festival next month and it will be released in over 200 theaters across the US and it will come out in DVD later and then to be aired on the Hub channel this autumn. Although it looks different to the MLP TV show most bronies watched, it still retains the same MLP theme which is LOVE AND TOLERANCE.

RH: Love and Tolerance...Oh I get it now! But still, I'm so not into those kind of stuff...

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, that is the end of the news and if you don't mind, I'd rather go to the restroom and vomit myself...

(audience laughing)

The Top 10 Lambos 5 decades on...

It seems that the number 50 is the magic number of the year 2013. Not only BBC's sci-fi show Doctor Who is celebrating its 50th year but an Italian supercar maker, Lamborghini, is celebrating its 50th year. This month marks a big one for the Raging Bull because there has been a tour to Italy featuring a bunch of Lamborghini supercars, past and present, and this is as thrilling as a bull run in Spain.

Founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini, who shares his passion to create one of the world's most beautiful and powerful supercars at Sant'Agata Bolognese in Italy's Emilia Romagna region, Lamborghini is a brand that wants to achieve the impossible and combine breathtaking design, powerful performance, and intelligent technology all in one unique signature.

With 5 decades pass, there has been so many great Lambos out there, especially the 350GT, the Miura, Countach, LM002 SUV, and today's Gallardo and Aventador.

Here is the list of the best 10 Lambos from past to present 50 years on. When I said best, it's based on every enthusiasts' tastes.

10) Jalpa - Long before the Gallardo, Lamborghini made a baby Lambo to supplant below the Countach. The Jalpa was powered by a 3.5L V8 engine mounted in the middle and it produces 255HP of power and achieves a top speed of over 148mph according to Automobil Revue. Rarity is assumed because 410 units were made and where do you find one of these? It's difficult and complicated to find a Lamborghini Jalpa in these times...

Lamborghini Jalpa

9) LM002 - You were shocked to noticed that Lamborghini once made a V12 SUV in the past. The LM002 gained the nickname "Lambo Rambo" because this combines the ruggedness of an SUV and the power of the Lamborghini in one eccentric package. This is also very rare because there were about 300 units made and if you find one of these, then you just got lucky...

8) Veneno - Unveiled in this year's Geneva Auto Show and as one of Lamborghini's 50th anniversary blowouts, the Veneno looks more like Ridge Racer's devil car but underneath, it's an Aventador with some added tweaks on it. Three out of three wealthy men payed a million euros just to drive the craziest Lamborghini ever made.

7) Gallardo - It maybe the final year for the Gallardo but this baby Lambo with a 5.2L V10 engine in the middle sure has a bucket list to fulfill. Although it might lack the punch from flagship Lambos, the Gallardo, the baby Lambo, sure wants to act wild on the open roads. There's also the Superleggera version which employs some lightweight fun for the Gallardo but the turning point was the manual gearbox-equipped, rear-wheel drive, Gallardo LP550-2 Balboni which was named after the master test driver of Lamborghini, Valentino Balboni.

Lamborghini Gallardo

6) Reventon - Although it took some styling inspiration from a fighter jet, the Reventon is also one of the rarest Lamborghinis ever made, and also the most expensive because it costs about 1.5 million euros and up to 20 units produced. There's also a Roadster version as well...

Lamborghini Reventon

5) Diablo - Living up to its name, the Diablo is one devilishly fast Lambo that ruled the 90's and this one's a head-turner on the streets. It became the bedroom wall pin-up for the young boys who had dreams of having one of these when they grow up and it was made for the priviledged few who wants to show its pride among the rest. Once the V12 engine roars it, you'd better be awake because the Diablo is not a car...it's an A-bomb waiting to explode without warning.

Lamborghini Diablo

4) Murcielago - One of the most prolific Lamborghinis ever made in the to rule the so-called noughties, the Murcielago is now just an Italian supercar with some German common sense ever since Audi took over Lamborghini and they do the mechs for them. One of the best Murcielagos ever made was the final edition called the LP670-4 SV because although it maybe the last Murcielago ever made, it's also one of the quickest Lamborghinis ever made. It's as fast as an Enzo Ferrari at the Top Gear Test Track!

Lamborghini Murcielago

3) Miura - The genesis of the supercar begins with the Lamborghini Miura, the car that brought the word "supercar" in the first place because it was made to combine good looks and raw power. Thing is though, it wasn't really a project name but as told that there were seven people involved in the development of the Miura. One of them was Marcello Gandini, the then-chief designer of Bertone.

Anyway, the V12 engine that powers the Miura develops 345HP of power and 271.2lb-ft of torque. It was placed in the middle sideways rather than lenghtways to keep it compact, just so you know. Surprising fact that when the Miura's doors are opened, you will noticed that the doors were shaped to look like the horns of a bull.

Lamborghini Miura

2) Countach - In the midst of the energy crisis on the 70's, the Lamborghini Countach was born to replace the legendary Miura supercar and this is the first ever Lamborghini to adopt the trademark scissor doors, which became the hallmark of Lamborghini flagships. Style-wise, the Countach is

Lamborghini Countach

1) Aventador - With the Murcielago gone in 2010, a new heir steps in a year later. When the Aventador made a premiere at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, this car received huge attention from the crowds and get this, a year's supply of this car sold out minutes during its announcement. I know, we heard about that blah blah blah but the Aventador keeps on growing to be one of the most successful Lamborghini models ever made and for 2013, a new Roadster model was introduced for open top fun.

No wonder the Aventador is definitely a fan-favorite Lambo because of its looks, the new V12 engine, the gifted handling, and the talent that no other supercar comes close.

Lamborghini Aventador

With the Aventador, Lamborghini knows what its doing and has done for over 50 years. So, that does it then, happy 50th anniversary Lamborghini!

Doctor Who S07E12

Nightmare in Silver

The new and upgraded Cybermen in this week's Doctor Who episode titled Nightmare in Silver is basically one of the most notable changes ever applied to one of The Doctor's most feared monsters but it's not just the new look I was pleased, it's the different personalities of both The Doctor and Clara that I love. I'm seeing Clara's serious side and The Doctor's dark side of himself when he was inflicted by the Cyberplanner. This episode really deserved a "checkmate" but I don't mean that spitefully.

Anyway, with the new look of Cyberman is what we fascinated, next week is the Season 7 Finale of Doctor Who. Trust me on this, your heads will explode (or so is your pencil you're holding)...literally. Reason why your heads will explode on next week's finale is because is simple...THE DOCTOR'S SECRET WILL BE REVEALED. You'll not gonna like this because the finale will be focused more on...THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR.

But in the meantime, here's some BTS from this week's episode...

A selection of wild cars from the 2013 GTi Meeting

Every year, in Austria, a group of GTi enthusiasts come togethere for a special even presented by the Volkswagen Group. GTi Meeting or Worthersee Tour, whatever you want to call it, it's all about the noise, the girls, the smokes, the speedo boys, the celebration, and some wild modified concepts presented by the Volkswagen Group as part of saying "thank you" for their loyalty. This year though promises to be even more because here are a small selection of cars as seen on this year's GTi Meeting...

Design Mission GTi Concept - The star attraction of this year's GTi meeting because it maybe a hyped-up version of the Golf VII GTi but with 299kph of top speed and 503PS of power, which is less than 2007's GTi W12 Concept,  you might be surprised that VW sure knows how to make a GTi even more wilder...

Skoda Rapid Sport - How do you make the Skoda Rapid more hotter for this year's meeting? The Sport Concept, that's for sure! The red and white paint scheme adds a nice touch on it!

Golf GTi Cabrio Austria - A group of rookies from all sorts spend the whole year creating this car which is based on the Golf VI GTi Cabrio and hard work pays off.

VW Amarok Power Pickup Concept - From the looks of it, the Amarok Power Pickup doesn't look quite as sporty as expected to be but it comes with a body kit and large 22-inch wheels, together with some sporty upgrades om the interior and the fitment of a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 diesel (TDI) that churns out 268hp and a peak torque of 600Nm.

Seat Leon Cup Racer - Using the latest generation Leon, the Cup Racer version adds some racing peripherals on it as well as the 330PS engine equipped on it.

Seat Ibiza SC Trophy - The race-spec version of the Ibiza SC was made to compete in one-make races in Spain and Italy. It was rigged with a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine with 200 PS (197 hp) mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox.

Audi TT ultra quattro Concept - Guess this Audi TT's taking too much Zumba sessions and losing so much weight really means more fun for this kind of TT here...

Threats from North Korea - A Week in Review (May 11, 2013)

And now, the week in review of what's what at the Korean peninsula...

May 6, 2013

- SoKor President Park Geun-hye arrived Sunday on the first stop of her six-day trip to the US and it's expected to serve as an opportunity for the two countries to further develop their 60-year alliance.

- Park Geun-hye's approval rating climbed back to more than 50% due to the part to public support for her handling of inter-Korean tensions.

- Fighters for Free North Korea representative Park Sang-hak, an activist who sent pro-democracy leaflets into North Korea, will be awarded the 2013 Vaclav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent in Oslo, Norway on May 15.

May 7, 2013

- North Korea withdrawn its Musudan missiles from a launch site located in easter part of the country and Pyongyang lifted the military's combat duty posture number one, which is the army's highest level of combat readiness.

May 8, 2013

- South Korean president Park Geun-hye and her US counterpart Obama held their first summit and pledged to improve their 6-decade alliance between the two nations and stand together against any provocations the North Korea can possibly throw at them.

- The Bank of China shut down a number of North Korean bank accounts and said it would no longer do business with the Foreign Trade Bank, the largest foreign exchange bank run by North Korea. It was the first time a Chinese entity publicly announced it was stopping business with North Korea.

- International hacktivist group, Anonymous, said it will hack any key North Korean websites at the end of June. They revealed the list of North Korean targets on Twitter earlier this week and the attack would go down at the stroke of midnight on June 25th, especially the KCNA (Korean Central News Agency).

May 9, 2013

- South Korean President Park Geun-hye, while in the US for talks with US President Obama, state clear that she will never tolerate North Korea's nuclear program, and will firmly respond to any provocations by Pyongyang.

- South Korea has been "aware" that China recently closed the account of a key North Korean bank may be part of Beijing's commitment to enforce sanctions against Pyongyang.

May 10, 2013:

- South Korean president Park Geun-hye returned home from a visit to the US that included her first summit talks with Barack Obama and a speech to a joint session of Congress.

- Pyongyang's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea denounced Park Geun-hye's visit to the US as a "prelude to war" and said this could only worsen the tensions of the Korean peninsula.

- Presidential spokesperson Yoon Chang-jung has been fired amid allegations of "misdemeanor sexual abuse" while accompanying President Park Geun-Hye on her trip to the US.

- China strengthened its inspections on cargo shipped to North Korea from its eastern port city of Dalian.

Bagong Gang

On the May 10, 2013 episode of Bubble Gang...

- "Bad News" gags for those running for elections

- The most untrustful person when it comes to signing your permit...

- An introduction to different people you'll encounter at the gym

- Two morons are arguing about not getting their indie film project

- Bubble Gang does Ariel by spoofing this commercial as AERIEL!

- Our gay friend's telling a heartbreaking story...

- Useful advices from Tata Lino

- This guy's showcasing his "market ability".

- IyoTube in Mang Jose

- That's why we all need exclamation points...!!!

- Highlights of Bubble Gang auditions in Bagong Gang

What's in our Car Town garage today? (May 10, 2013)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

1964 Lincoln Continental Convertible

The term "land yacht" is what best describe to this classic Lincoln which became a "cult classic" because of its completely different level of uniqueness especially it has suicide doors that is quite an unexpecting feature for an American car. Favored by collectors and appeared in several movies and TV shows, this Continental is all about keeping up with its looks, especially when it was the type of car used by the Secret Service of the late US President, John F. Kennedy.

1964 Lincoln Continental

2013 Ford Police Interceptor

By the moment Ford finds a replacement to the Crown Victoria-based Police Interceptor since it was out of commision in 2011, Ford decided to use the sixth generation Ford Taurus as its basis for its Police Interceptor, much as when Dodge decided to use the Charger for police purposes and General Motors seek help to Australia for the Caprice PPV. The Taurus-based Police Interceptor is powered in either a 3.5L Cyclone V6 or the high-performance EcoBoost V6 as applied on the SHO model. In Top Gear USA, Tanner Foust seeks the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor as the best next-generation cop car in America.

2013 Ford Police Interceptor

1970 Opel Manta A

Betcha didn't know that this first generation Opel Manta was one of the only few models to be ever sold in the USA and they're sold at Buick dealerships rather than their own dealership network aside from the Rekord, the Kadett, the GT, and the Ascona relative. Anyway, the first generation Opel Manta was praised by many as being one of the best handling cars in its class and it has a record of participating rally races in Europe and North America respectively. This classic Opel sure knows how to stay quirky at all times...

1970 Opel Manta A

Let's Do The News! (May 9, 2013)

(cheers and applause)

2014 Volkswagen Golf GTi

RH: So, you love this thing, don't you?

JC: Yeah. Exactly. That's definitely the perfect definition of a hot hatch. I like it.

RH: I see what you did there because think about it, it's nimble, it's old-school, it has the same GTi spirit, and overall, a chance to break your neck when all hell breaks loose.

(audience laughing)

JC: That's the point and the best bit of being a GTi is that it wants to be as bad as...John Travolta to be precise. He's often being the bad guy in every action movie he has been...

(audience laughing)

RH: I had no idea what are you talking about...

JC: Anyway, let's do the news folks!

JM: Now, every year, the world's GTi owners gather together at some venue in Austria were everyone around here would want to act like morons, doing some ridiculous moments, or something like this...(imitates Candice) It's not a party! It's an intimate get together!

(audience laughing)

JC: Yeah, right. And in here, looks like Volkswagen's gonna showcase their latest GTi concept for the show, here's the pic so far...

JC: ...now what this is is what their latest GTi concept will be for some sort of GTi meeting in Austria. It's like it always happen every year when Volkswagen showcased their GTi concepts as part of saying thanks for their loyalty.

JM: Yeah, and do you still remember the Golf GTi-W12 a couple of years ago?

JC: Uh...yeah and sadly though, for a Golf with a W12 engine, I think most of the stuff isn't done. I got spun-off uncontrollably even though I'm trying to be gentle with it. Thing is though, when this monster Golf shows up soon, I'd expect it would be much worse than the GTi-W12 I tried. Most of the stuff in the dashboard doesn't work, well except for the sat-nav which thinks it's in Germany, the chassis doesn't work, the engine doesn't work...everything doesn't work...

(audience laughing)

RH: Oh, geez...I'd expect you might end up crashing in one of those...

(audience laughing)

RH: Anyway, I got some news that the second season of the anime we really don't want to see, which is Kuroko no Basuke or Kuroko's Basketball, is coming this fall and what do you guys think?

JC: I'd expect death threats from someone who disliked this show...

(audience laughing)

JM: Yeah, right. I mean there's so many death threats out there in Japan targeting against Kuroko's Basketball manga and anime, from the creator's nooks and crannies, to something that has further connection with this show. Think about it, those dojinshi events connected to the show got cancelled until further notice and last year's Comiket saw less customers because of the booth connected to KuroBas is gone for safety purposes. I wonder that if the second season could sparked fury to those responsible to the death threats?

JC: Beats me, James. Haters gonna hate...

(audience laughing)

JC: Now anyway, I got a bit of those notifications from my iPhone and says someone invited me to a game that I never played...What was that?

(audience laughing)

JC: Are they going to invite me to play a rather boring game that doesn't make any sense?

RH: Oh wait, let me guess...I got mine too and it says they invited me to play...um...let me see...let me see...oh! Candy Crush!

(audience laughing)

JC: That's right! It turns out that there's so many morons out there inviting me to play one of the most boring puzzle games of ages! I never played Candy Crush before and let me tell you something, why would you want to invite me to some super boring game in a form of a puzzle game? You know I don't like a puzzle game because puzzle games are RUBBISH!

(audience laughing)

JC: Tell you what? Someone out there is playing one! Who here plays some puzzle games aside from Candy Crush? Hands up!

(some audience raising hands)

RH: Well, some people do play boring puzzle games aside from Candy Crush saga...

JM: I do...

(audience laughing)

JC: WHAT?! James, you too?

JM: Yeah, only in my break time...

(audience laughing)

JC: (facepalm) You know I really don't like such games because you'll waste time doing nothing but flipping stuff...This is much worse than when I was playing the Montezuma game in my PSVita...

(audience laughing)

RH: Huh? Montezuma? You're playing a puzzle game, too?

JC: I know but I quit playing it. Puzzle games are no fun. And you know what else is not fun? INDIE GAMES, with the exception of Minecraft because it's more fun.

(audience laughing)

JC: Now, I had someone who has a baby boy who was going to celebrate his 1st birthday somewhere. I noticed that the little boy's birthday party theme would be "pirates". Do you know anything that has something to do about pirates?

RH: I do...Let's see...there's this...One Piece because of the Straw Hat Pirates, Peter Pan because of the villain named Captain Hook and his crew, Pirates of the Carribean franchise because of that Captain Jack Sparrow, Spongebob Squarepants because of Patchy the Pirate or The Flying Dutchman, Jake and the Neverland Pirates as seen on Disney Junior, which is an educational show...

JC: Jake and the Neverland Pirates? Guess my friend's baby boy likes that more than his old favorite, which is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Perhaps no wonder this baby boy has a fond of pirates and that's why the baby boy's mama chose "Pirates" as the party theme. Here's what sums it up...

RH: Hmmm...Irvine Dylan's Birthday Party...blah blah blah...May 12...blah blah blah...United BF Homeowners Association...blah blah blah...Paranaque...blah blah blah...wear pirate gear or swimwear... Oh really? Do they had a swimming pool?

JM: Swimming pool in the library, perhaps?

(audience laughing)

JC: James, this isn't the TARDIS. We're dealing with someone's pirate party planning. Here's the location in question...

JM: It is a swimming pool. Are Irvine Dylan's guests going to swim here for the party?

(audience laughing)

JC: Shut up, James! I know it's a birthday party but that's more like a combination between a birthday party and a poolside party! It's a birthday poolside party! (imitates Phineas) I know what they did today!

(audience laughing)

RH: You know, you should better leave the imitation to me because I'm the youngest...

(audience laughing)

JM: Wait a minute...there's something in my butt....Oh man! It itches! Must be itching! Ow! Ow! Must scratch!

(audience laughing)

(Squirrels in my Pants playing)

JC: Anyway, that's the end of the news and in the meantime, THERE'S SOMETHING ITCHY IN MY PANTS!