Sam Concepcion, IHAW NA!

Singer and actor, Sam Concepcion, is the guest of the IHAW NA segment from June 12, 2013's Banana Nite and in here, we're checking how is Sam Concepcion's current status with Jasmine Curtis, about his singing career, his fame, and whatever Sam's talking about. He even demonstrates Tito Bhoy how to do the moonwalk as well!

Meanwhile, in KRISSY AND ME, Krissy and Me are talking about some more hot topics! Such as...

1) Charice, nag-out na. Inamin na siya ay isang tomboy.

2) Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, nag-resign bilang senate president.

Kia -The New K5-

If you look back at Kia's midsize sedan called the K5 (known worldwide as the Optima), you could be forgiven thinking that it is one of the most successful midsize sedans sold in South Korea. The fact is though, it isn't because ever since the ninth generation Camry arrived in South Korea, it toppled down every single car in its category, including the Kia K5, thus winning the 2013 South Korean Car of the Year. The Koreans are not pleased...

So, since its world premiere in New York earlier in the year, Kia finally showcased The New K5 just in time for summer in South Korea and it's been built for one purpose: to offer mid-size sedan consumers new premium amenities and convenience upgrades, as well as a refinement of the world-class design that so completely transformed the brand.

2014 Kia K5

Now, when they said new, what they mean is that this is a "minor change" for this midsize sedan. It's a cosmetic facelift done for the K5 ever since its debut in April 2010. What Kia says that The New K5 is the cornerstone of Kia's design evolution and epitomizes the goal of producing cars that are highly attractive and value for money. Underneath the bonnet lies three different engine types;

First is the Nu 2.0L CVVL engine which produces 172PS of power. Second, a Nu 2.0 LPi engine that runs on liquefied petroleum, the same kind of fuel that was used to cook your meals, which produces 155PS of power when mated with an automatic or 157PS of power when mated with a manual transmission. And finally, for the enthusiasts, a more robust 2.0-liter Theta II turbo GDI (T-GDi) engine which delivers the power of a V6 while maintaining the fuel consumption of a 4-cylinder engine. 271 PS of power and 37.2kg-m of torque.

It's too complicated to explain why and I've been barred by Kia Motors from explaining them properly so instead, here comes a kindergarten explanation...

2014 Kia K5 interior

The issue was the way it handles and although Kia says that even though it has a performance on par with the other European midsize saloons, it's somewhat too confusing for newbies many but even though it's confusing, the dynamics is not quite bad. It still comes with a sportier suspension and a steering tuning, therefore delivering better handling and better driver feedback but as a concept, it's a bit too firm and it would rather faint at the wrong hands if you're not quite careful. What's new on The New K5 is this: the Drive Mode Select which allows the driver to adjust transmission shift points and steering weight, offering owners a customizable driving experience. You can select in either Normal, Sport, or Eco, respectively. Setting in Normal mode feels like...um...you're riding in a kiddie ride at your nearby convenience store. Eco Mode feels like...um...you were having a piggyback ride with your parents while you were a baby. And when set to Sport Mode, it's more like...you're getting fell off from the tail end because of the cloud density.

2014 Kia K5

And getting fell off from the tail end is the redesigned front and rear fascias and the brand's signature "Tiger Nose" grille. An updated rear diffusers and a sweeping trunk lid adds even more aerodynamics on the once-successful design, and lighting them up are striking front LED positioning and fog lights, along with clear, newly designed LED rear lamps. As for the interior, there's a new 4.3-inch TFT LCD instrument cluster on the dashboard, available 8-inch Navigation System, new seat designs, and a new steering wheel look.

And then, there's a The New Price; it's now 20,250,000 Korean Won for the entry level model up to 29,950,000 Korean Won for the top-of-the-line model.

Anyway, Toyota Motor Corporation, you and your Camry thingy. Your gauntlet has been picked up by a familiar foe from the Land of the Morning Calm...

Available colors: Snow White Pearl, Bright Silver, Platinum Graphite, Satin Metal, Abyss Blue, Smoky Blue, and Aurora Black Pearl.



Photo: Kia Motors

Munching at Marinepolis Sushi Land Tukwila

Now, earlier, we've visited another restaurant in the Northwest Washington and this time, it's another Japanese restaurant but it's not as fancier as the Benihana that we visited last month. It's another of those all-you-can-eat resto but it's not quite as generous as the King Buffet in Renton. Let's take a look...



This is Marine Polis Sushi Land, but this is the Tukwila branch which is located near the Westfield South Center and to explain what's what, I have to take a look on the inside...



Now this is somewhat harsh... "Please sign in and wait to be seated", This is just like you're in the hospital or in a fish market or in the delivery or whatever you know, taking a ticket and then waiting to call your ticket number that you had.







And then there's this familiar conveyor belt-style machinery where several Japanese sushi meals are here and if you see the sushi that you might just like, be sure to pick up before this one leaves but there's some clever pricing...



Excluding the drinks and the tax, meals served in green plate costs $1 while meals served in orange plate costs $1.50, then meals served in blue plate costs $2 and meals served in purple plate costs $3, the highest. While the conveyor belt showcased sushi choices in green, orange, and blue plates, those purple plate meals, like the noodles we just ordered, are available for ordering purposes.

That sounds clever and if you're in a mood of watching your budget, choose wisely and don't overdo much or else you don't have enough money to pay for all of the sushi meals you just ate.





I was trying to convince my parents to be super careful on the budget because of the clever pricing displayed on each plate color but because they didn't get it, they could just munch on and on and on until our budget runs out dry... If I recall, we've reached over 50 US Dollars on the sushi meals and drinks and that's outrageous! We've wasted so much money on this sushi!



So, there we have it. If you're watching your budget, handle with care because thanks to the clever pricing displayed on each plate per meal, chances are that you're running out of cash easily at Sushi Land. You'll run out of cash more than playing too much slots at either Tulalip, Muckleshoot, or Snoqualmie casino. I strongly advise to be careful on the budget because if it's too much, your cash advance's going to ran out pretty dry. That's all.

Marinepolis Sushi Land
Tukwila - Southcenter Mall
100 Andover Park West 160 

Tukwila, WA 98188

OUTTAKES:

Playing around with the Disney Photo Finish app in my iPhone

And while stuck in traffic...

THIS TIME FOR REAL: 2014 Opel/Vauxhall Insignia minor change

2014 Opel Insignia

2014 Vauxhall Insignia

Now, when Buick previewed the 2014 Regal to the New York Auto Show, most of the European keen observers wondering what would their 2014 Opel/Vauxhall Insignia would look like. You know that the Buick Regal is a rebadged Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, how come the US Buick Regal showed up ahead from the original counterparts?

Anyway, with so much demanding what would the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia 2014 facelift would look like, finally, some fresh batch of official pics of the 2014 Opel/Vauxhall Insignia facelift showed up and it will making a premiere at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show this fall. With a revised exterior, new interior and a new batch of engine choices like the two new-generation Turbo gasoline units and the 99 g Turbo diesel, the new 2014 Opel/Vauxhall Insignia facelift is just one step ahead of time.

It's available in either a 4-door saloon, a 5-door liftback which looks the same as the 4-door model, and a Sport Tourer.

Details: http://www.netcarshow.com/opel/2014-insignia/02.htm

Let's Do The News! (June 12, 2013)

(cheers and applause)

2014 Suzuki Spacia Custom

JM: So...is this available only in Japan?

JC: Yes. Yes it is but I tell you what, the biggest reason why they want this more than the normal Spacia because of this. The normal model is a bit too bland, too vanilla, and too boring to look at so with the Custom model, the direction goes the wrong way around. It always happen to ever kei car when it spawned a stylish "custom" model.

JM: So, you're saying that a kei car with its "custom" model can easily outsell a normal kei car because of some attractive design?

(audience laughing)

JC: Yes. Yes it is so can we do the news now?

RH: Time now for the news and in case you were asking, the San Antonio Spurs takes over Game 3 of the 2013 NBA Finals against Miami Heat at the score of a devastating 113-77 and I'm receiving too much negative comments about the Spurs took over Game 3, probably because of its record-breaking 16 3-point shoots in the game.

JC: Yeah. 16 3-pointers for San Antonio Spurs? I can't believe that such 3-pointers making the Spurs unstoppable at their tracks. No wonder the Spurs came up with a totally aggressive tactics against the Miami Heat and not only it's bad for the Heat, it's also bad for the coach of Miami Heat named Erik Spoelstra whose leadership skills as a coach didn't do so well.

(audience laughing)

JM: Yeah and if that keeps that up, pretty soon the Spurs takes over the championship. It's like...in a dream when...(laughing)

(audience laughing)

JC: Oh...(laughing) I know what this is...

JM: It's like in a dream when Wendy punched Dipper but that's Dipper's nightmare.

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, I'm starting to receive some negative comments about Spurs winning Game 3 and here's one now...

(audience laughing)

JC: ...and now...

(audience laughing)

JC: ...and now...

(audience laughing)

JC: That's exactly what angry NBA fans felt when Spurs took over Game 3 and if that could happen overnight, the whole social media's going to think how moronic is San Antonio Spurs is. Anyway, Game 4 is on Thursday (Friday if you're in Asia) and let's see how far the Spurs can go...

JM: Yeah...

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, there's more bad news out there. This time, the whole world's been talking about the leaked documents from the NSA done by the whistleblower Edward Snowden. It's about the US Government has been using the internet to watch, record, and track huge numbers of normal people from every corner of the globe and gets worse. The government has all of their phone calls, they know where they are, and what they're doing.

RH: So, actually, what Obama just said, perhaps the main reason why he's defending internet surveillance, is because he just abusing his power just to prevent (mockingly) terrorism but is everyone a terrorist?

(audience laughing)

JC: That's an odd question. Because the US Government is spying on every conversation, it seems that everyone in the US that has a gadget is considered a terrorist, even if they had a smartphone because you know most of the smartphones had cameras on it and it seems that the US Government is taking advantage of it to hound you down even after hours.

(audience laughing)

JC: That's sounds scary as you asked and oh, if you are concerned about privacy, please be sure to sign a petition at stopwatching.us so that the whole world will know that the US Government, especially Mr. President, to stop acting like Big Brother to us and that's wrong. It's bad to society and it's bad to the First Amendment. My minds hate this kind of malarkey!

(audience laughing)

JC: BIG NEWS!

RH: What?

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, it's more of a good news to us because the next Forza Motorsport 5 on the XBOX ONE console will have...wait for it...OPEN WHEEL RACING!

RH: Wow!

(laughing, then applause)

JC: You heard that right. FM5 will be featuring Open-Wheeled cars for the very first time! Here's a teaser clip...

(cheers and applause)

RH: Wow! This new chapter's starting to win me over!

SHRILL FANGIRL SCREAMING

JC: Hammond, stop screaming like a fangirl. You're making it awkward...

(audience laughing)

RH: Sorry...

JC: Anyway, that is the end of the news...Remember, stopwatching.us

Suzuki Spacia Custom

The Suzuki Spacia was launched in Japan since March 2013 and it is now Japan's third best selling model after the Toyota Aqua and its rival, the Honda N BOX. I'd never know that the Spacia, which is the replacement for the 5-year old Palette, became the best selling Suzuki in Japan, so best selling, it outsells the Wagon R by a huge margin. It was one of the most successful cars ever sold because of its tall height and eco-friendly performance but the one thing they didn't like about the Spacia is the looks because...it's a bit too vanilla to look at.

Now, however, there is a solution, it's called the Spacia Custom. You get the same attributes from the normal Spacia except now, you're rolling the streets of Shinjuku in style.

2014 Suzuki Spacia Custom

Think of the all new Spacia Custom as the successor of the already stylish Suzuki Palette SW with some sparkling LED eyes as seen on the current Wagon R Stingray but it is quite difficult to explain why...

Firstly, it costs about 1,412,250 Japanese Yen, that's about over 200,000 yen more than the standard Spacia but surprisingly, cheaper than an entry-level Daihatsu Tanto Custom. Of course, you can still expect Suzuki Green Technology implemented on the Spacia Custom. You can expect the Ene-Charge, the Idling Stop, and the Eco-Cool and with this kind of green technology and the CVT as standard, fuel economy is about 27.8kmpl for the naturally aspirated model while the turbocharged model, that is the highlight for the Spacia Custom, has a fuel economy of 26kmpl.

So, job well done but anyway, forget about the performance and eco story for the Spacia Custom. Let's concentrate on the main reason why there are so many Japanese kei car customers out there who want a Spacia are really interested over the Custom version. Well, you know them but even though the Spacia is the best selling Suzuki in Japan, no one really interested on how it looks...especially the big red smiley face on the Spacia logo.

2014 Suzuki Spacia Custom

I've been busy reading the comments out of from the Japanese community saying that they should better wait for this than rather having a normal Spacia with a big red smiley face at the back because not only it's better looking than the normal model but it really reflects their personality. Think about...a change in demographics because as the Japanese population is getting a bit older and more "selfie", the Japanese carmakers are trying to respond very quick to meet the demands and with this, I'm sure your Tito or your Ninong wouldn't rather having you for a ride because this was made by "selfies", for "selfies".

Question, how "selfie" is the new Spacia Custom, perhaps? Well, checking on the design process it looks pretty much the same as the old Palette SW it replaces. I mean, look at the "sparkling LED eyes" at the front, that's kinda look like it's been cut from the Wagon R Stingray and then pasted it on the front of the Spacia. Later on, with the Stingray's front, Suzuki had gone mad with the styling details and then...the big red smiley face from the Spacia logo...is gone! The tall kei car targeted for mommies had been converted into a visual kei's bedroom.

2014 Suzuki Spacia Custom interior

In a car like these, the all new Spacia Custom was not made for those who are soccer moms. This was made for those punks who want to "rollin" in style. It's also made for those who are feeling a bit "casual Friday" and for idiots who wished they wanna made a rollercoaster at their own backyard. Hey, wait a minute! That's someone else's idea! You know? The rollercoaster in the backyard? Okay, never mind about that but even it was made to be a head-turner, it's still behaves like a normal car. It's even, as experts claimed, lighter than a Daihatsu Tanto Custom or a Honda N BOX Custom.

2014 Suzuki Spacia Custom

In the interests of convenience, the Spacia Custom never fails in the dimension game because the room is measured at 2215mm long, 1375mm high, and the distance between your foot from the inside to the outside is 340mm, making it a benchmark for the tall kei wagons out there and because the seats are foldable, you can have it either as a relaxing bed for an outdoor break, fold rear seats for luggage purposes, and fold the half of to make room of your bikes or whatever something long.

Because everyone in Japan is growing too much interest to the Spacia Custom, I'm betting that it will outsell the standard model by a huge margin because everyone demanded to have one of these and because of all the stylish looks made for the selfies in Japan and the modest performance, it's an easy choice to have one of these rather than the normal Spacia despite it's over 200,000 yen more.

Available Colors: Steel Silver Metallic, Cool Khaki Pearl Metallic, Luna Grey Pearl Metallic, Bluish Black Pearl 3, Phoenix Red Pearl, Mysterious Violet Pearl, and Pearl White.

Photo: Suzuki Motor Corporation

Let's Do The News! (June 11, 2013)

(cheers and applause)

JM: That one or the GTi?

JC: Uh....(mumbling)

(audience laughing)

JC: I think I would rather stick to the GTi instead because it's more powerful, more sublime, more fun, and enjoyable to have than the GTD. Think about it, the GTD is nothing more of a GTi with some underpowered diesel engine that meets with the Euro 6 emission rubbish but even though it's underpowered, it still behaves just like a GTi.

JM: Yeah, and can we do the news, now?

RH: And the news, ladies and gentlemen and since it's E3 week, the next-gen console wars has just begun because Sony finally unveiled the PS4...in the flesh. Look...

Sony PS4

(ahh)

RH: Take a look at it, it looks nice but there's a hint of confusion though.

JC: Oh yeah, right. How does it compare to the Xbox One?

XBOX One

RH: Well, first of all, the pricing. Because while Microsoft announced that it will be cost around $499, the PS4 costs around $399, making it a hundred dollars less than the X1 so why did Sony manage to cost it a hundred dollars less?

JC: I don't know man. But let's talk first about the XBOX One first. Anyway, it says here that the new X1 checks for an internet connection to ensure that all apps are updated and games required cloud access can be played. Says here that most games can be played offline for a day before re-establishing a connection. Also, with X1 games can be stored via cloud services, an owner can log on to a friend's console and access their own games. That sounds clever...

(audience laughing)

RH: Yeah, pretty clever. And here's the best X1 bit...players can let friends borrow their games if the borrower is on his/her friends list for 30 days.

JC: Really? You can borrow a game from a friend?

RH: Indeed and since a lot of XBOX fans concerning about privacy issues, the X1's Kinect will not record and upload conversations. That was verified by Microsoft so this thing's not spying on you. Don't worry.

JC: So...even with the X1 off, does the Kinect mic still operates?

JM: Well, yeah. It responds only to the "XBOX ON" command but it can also be turned off.

JC: Well, what a relief. So, what about the PS3?

RH: There's some good news though. Although, there's a bit of bad news so let's start with the good parts. First off, like the PS3, the PS4 is region-free, meaning you can play any kind of PS4 game you like even if it came from another country. Also good is that the PS4 will not have additional restrictions on used games.

JC: So...which means...

RH: Yeah. I know. Users can trade, borrow, lend, or sell games like previous-generation console games! Brilliant!

(cheers and applause)

JC: So, what's the bad news?

RH: Bad news is...well, the console will require a PlayStation Plus service subscription for online multiplayer games. If you don't know what that is, it's a premium subscription for PlayStation gamers. Much like the XBOX Live Gold but with some added fanciness like free or discounted games offered on the PlayStation. Anyway, PS Plus subscription costs 1,300 yen (about US$13) for 90 days in Japan, and US$9.99 or 6.99 Euros for 30 days in those respective regions.

JC: So...main question is...the X1 or the PS4?

(audience laughing)

RH: Oh man...that's going to be way too difficult. I know, I had the cash but I can't decide just yet...Can we move on?

JC: Oh, okay. Anyway, Tekken's going to launch it's first ever Free-To-Play game called Tekken Revolution and it's available only on the PlayStation Network on the PS3 console and it offers eight characters in Arcade mode as well as online Ranked and Player Matches. Also, TR will be implementing a level-up system which gamers can boost their character's Strength, Endurance and Vigor, to create a combatant tuned to individual play styles. That's clever but impressive.

JM: Yeah, but why only on the PS3? Why not on the XBOX Live?

JC: Well, sadly James, there's a hint of a problem because a concerned Tekken fan asked the series creator, which goes by Harada-san, asking why the Tekken Revolution is available only on the PS3 and why not in the X360 console. He said "Ask Microsoft yourself. I already asked them about free to play of the console last year."

(audience laughing)

RH: Wait...Harada-san already asked Microsoft about this last year? I wonder...

JC: We don't know. Maybe Microsoft kinda rejected the offer because...think about it folks, sales of the XBOX 360 had been plummeted over the weeks and this kind of move, which Harada-san stated, that it wasn't the choice of Namco Bandai. Whatever that means, this is disappointing to label Tekken Revolution a PSN-exclusive but...something's fishy going around here...

RH: What is it?

(audience laughing)

JC: Oh, never mind about that. I was just...thinking...Yep...My mind just says...(mimics Isabella) "Whatcha Doin?"

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, BIG NEWS!

JM: What?

JC: No no...Not Good News, BIG NEWS! You know that Tatiana Maslany, the gal who took a big break as the heroine from the recently concluded BBC America drama, Orphan Black? The one that she was nominated for the CRITICS CHOICE AWARD? Well, good news! She won!

RH: She won?

JC: Yes! Tatiana Maslany, thanks for being Sarah and the other clones in Orphan Black, won the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series! Here she is...

Tatiana Maslany

JC: Loud and proud!

(cheers and applause)

JM: Yeah, and the main concern for Ms. Tatiana Maslany about winning the award is...how are her clones going to react?

(audience laughing)

JC: Not sure about that. Be patient and oh! That reminds me! TVR! The once defunct carmaker behind the Tuscan and the wild Sagaris, it's back!

(huh?)

JC: No, really! TVR's back! That's THUNDEROUS NEWS! Says here that TVR is now back and has a new owner...

RH: Let me guess...is it Russian?

(audience laughing)

JC: Nope. Some British businessman both the rights to TVR and the new owner of TVR goes by the name of Les Edgar. He bought the rights from its former Russian businessboy. The new owner says that he had a lot of ideas for the sports car brand and "won't make the mistakes that have been made in the past".

RH: So...what could that be for the new TVR?

JC: We're not sure but oh! That's the end of the news!

RH: And actually, while wrapping up this segment, check out the exclusive trailer for the upcoming Phineas and Ferb MISSION MARVEL TV Special. Watch the trailer: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/06/06/phineas-and-ferb-mission-marvel-exclusive-trailer/2395335/