What makes Jollibee great for three and a half decades?

Jollibee

Back in 1975, a man named Mr. Tony Tan and his family started their own ice cream parlor in Cubao and two years later, their bakery was established in the outskirts of Cubao. That's when the Jollibee story was born. Jollibee is a 100% Filipino-owned company which expands its global operations as the years go by, making it one of the most successful fast-food chain in Asia. The CNN calls this as "The McDonald's of Asia" because even though it was hit hard during the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 90's, they're still going on strong.

It's 2013. And this year marks Jollibee's 35th birthday so why not making a little tribute to what CNN calls this "The McDonald's of Asia"? Question, What makes Jollibee great for three and a half decades?

I will be giving you numerous reasons what made it great and let's talk about the meal in question....the Yumburger.

What is the Yumburger? Well it may not be one of the burgers I have ever eaten back in the Philippines but there's more significance to this simple looking burger. Back in 1978, when Jollibee was first established, this became the firm's flagship product. Even though it looks more like a Burger McDo or any other burger you commonly see on the food stands next door, the Yumburger is one of the most ordered food in their menu thanks to its cheap pricing.

Then, there's the Spaghetti Special. A year has passed since Jollibee was founded, a new meal was served shortly before their first franchise owned store opened at Ronquillo Sta. Cruz. The Spaghetti Special, in my fondest memories, was their answer to McDonald's McSpaghetti. Even though it's not quite as good as the McSpaghetti, it's still worth the taste for a spaghetti meal made from a Filipino fast-food chain. I still miss the Spaghetti Special because this is the kind of meal I ate back in my childhood but never fear because what Jollibee made to the classic Spaghetti Special is by improving it and then transformed into...Jolly Spaghetti! The Spaghetti Special we knew...now made even better! Sweet-style spaghetti sauce with premium noodles topped with chunky slices of savory ham and sausages and lots of cheese!

So, what else that made Jollibee great for 35 years? The Chickenjoy! You know the commercial that goes "Isa pa! Isa pang Chickenjoy!" all of the sudden? Yeah, I remember that and I am a huge fan of those. Seems that I'm not the only one who got addicted to the Chickenjoy craze. This is probably one of the most popular choice on the menu and if they want to eat a heavy meal or a meal with, this is probably the only thing comes in the mind of the Jollibee customer.

Also great in Jollibee was the Burger Steak. For those who think they're not in the mood for Chickenjoy or Yumburger are considering this. A cup of rice, two burgers, a gravy, and some yummy mushrooms. Jollibee does the math and the super delicious Burger Steak was made for those who are in their lunch break from their work.

There's so many great stuff Jollibee has done for us, especially their french fries, their sundaes, their Jollibee kids meal, everything! What's also great about...was this...the Palabok Fiesta

Some say that Palabok is more than just a Filipino version of Spaghetti but I disagree on what they say because the Palabok is more than just one of the best Filipino dishes in ages. Palabok or Pancit Palabok is a kind of noodle dish that uses shrimp sauce and some of the finest ingredients such as cooked shrimp, boiled pork, crushed chicharon, tinapa flakes, fried tofu, scallions, and fried garlic. I love eating palabok so much, I actually wished to eat some more, even when I squirt some calamansi or lemon on it. Here at Jollibee, it's all Filipino values because the traditional pancit palabok is available for everyone thanks to Palabok Fiesta. Even though it's a traditional Filipino dish in Jollibee guise, it's still taste like a palabok and I love it. I love this meal so much, I actually want to eat some of it from my mom's or dad's.

There's so much choices around here but there's one you might consider about: THE CHAMP. Yes. CHAMP. Jollibee's answer to Big Mac but it's a bit less. While the Big Mac goes, well if you know the chant, you know what's in it. Anyway, the CHAMP is a bit less. A 1/3 pound burger patty made from 100% pure beef, garnished with the freshest vegetables and creamy slice of cheddar cheese served in a soft sesame bun. Yep, that's what the CHAMP had. It may not be quite as good as its Big Mac rival but as a Jollibee fan, I may not be fuzzy about this flagship burger because to me...it's worth it. No wonder this burger inspired a mascot of the same name.

Well, with so much greatness made from Jollibee over 35 years, I have to say that everything they done was the best, the meals, the commercials, the Jollibee kids meal, the Jollitown TV show, you name a few. Anyway, happy 35th year, Jollibee! You made us proud!

Top Gear S20E04

Top Gear S20E04

Once again, the boys had built something on the fourth episode of Top Gear Series 20 and their new HOVERVAN (A Ford Transit van with some hovercraft technology) might seems to be their answer if there's going to be a risk of global warming or flooding or high water level or whatever. Interesting? Yes. Working? So-so...

Anyway, while the HOVERVAN is the most interesting part of the Top Gear inventions, a tale of two SLS AMG models broke loose at the Top Gear Test Track. It's the overkilled SLS AMG Black Series with the updated 6.2L V8 engine and some mean aero on it versus the SLS AMG Electric Drive with 700HP generated in all four wheels. The SLS Black lapped round the track in 1:19.0 while the SLS Electric Drive did it in 1:21.7. 

Oh yeah, The Wolverine showed up at the Top Gear Test Track. Yep. Hugh Jackman, The Wolverine, was this week's star in the brand new reasonably priced car, the Vauxhall Astra Tech Line with Lifetime Warranty. On that segment, The Wolverine did it in 1:46.1.

#gbpandesal

On the July 21, 2013 episode of Goin Bulilit

- Goin Bulilit music video of Pandesal

- Pandesal gags

- When dads became forgetful, kids don't get it...

- Paano kung...may riot ang mga reporter?

- Use It jokes

- What would the boys think about their pandesal-induced dreams?

- drugstore gags

-  some Awkward moment...at the restaurant!

- Paano kung...nagwewelga ang mga kasambahay?

- Ready Get Set Goin in Face-Tawa!

Let's Do The News! (July 21, 2013)

River's Diary

Okay, River's Diary, tell me what's going on around here...I'm bored as a fudge...

- Announced on San Diego Comic-Con 2013, it's the Man of Steel vs. The Dark Knight because director Jack Snyder announced that he'll be making a "Superman and Batman" film, due this 2015. While both Superman and Batman are superheroes in the DC universe, they are arch-rivals in DC's "Dark Knight" comics. So, Man of Steel or The Dark Knight? Whose side are you on?

- Season 4 of The Walking Dead is coming this October...but on the meantime, The Walking Dead collaborated with Hyundai Motor Company for the special Walking Dead Chop Shop app. This special app brings fans to create their own Zombie Survival Machine using either the Veloster, the Genesis Coupe, or the Maxcruz (Santa Fe LWB) as their basis. BUILD. DEFEND. SURVIVE. Find out at http://walkingdeadchopshop.com/

- The final piece of the Kia Motors x DC Comics collaboration as part of the WE CAN BE HEROES campaign is the Kia Sorento Justice League edition. It was showcased at this year's San Diego Comic Con.

Kia Sorento Justice League edition

- Watch what happens when Matt Smith arrived on this year's San Diego Comic Con in a Bart Simpson mask...

- Just arrived in the mailbox: It's that Isabella plushie I just ordered. Cute isn't it?

Whatcha doin?

...now we'll see who's adorable...(sneeze like a kitten)

- Just a word of advice: OTAKON, the convention of the otaku generation: by fans, for fans, returns at the Baltimore Convention Center this August 9 to 11, 2013. Are you ready?

TTFN!

Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222

The song that goes "The World Is All One", it really states that this world is yours for the taking and do whatever you want. The poser phrase YOLO or You Only Live Once, it's true because as humans only had one life, there's no second chances...almost. We have make the most out of our lives. SWAG...is somewhat the poser phrase that was best describe to brag everyone with something you had, making everyone jealous.

If the SWAG term is made to make the envy of everyone, can you brag this kind of swag?

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Welcome everyone to the brand new Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it's the newest incarnation of Mercedes' flagship 4-door saloon car that promises to be better than the best. Yep, the best Mercedes-Benz saloon ever made, now made even better...but really? Did they made it better? Well, let's make it boring first, a bit more James May-ish for the explanation of this brand new model.

Anyway, for this new model, the design is getting a bit noticed, a bit more orthodox, and a bit more...2020-ish because what this looks like...a car from the future, today! Yes, it looks a bit more like the CLS-Class except bigger and then the rear lamps look similar from the soon-to-be-axed CL-Class. Seems that when it comes to designing this car, it supposed to inspire from its rivals from Audi or BMW or the Hyundai Equus, or the Jaguar XJ or the Lexus LS. It's a good thing it wasn't quite as Asian as an Equus or the LS because from every angle, it looks striking to uphold. I'm sensing...Henry Sy taking a break at the Solaire with the competition like poker pets. Poker pets, huh? Haven't seen a painting of dogs playing poker? Huh?

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class interior

Whereas the interior of the Jaguar XJ draws some inspiration from a South of France yacht, the new interior looks more heavily inspired from a private jet. This is like a private jet minus the jet and it's not made to fly. He he he... Anyway. when it's on, it's about as futuristic as a spaceship. You feel like Jean Luc Picard in command while cruising this car on the city or on the highway. Travelling from the country club or the five-star hotel or the five-star restaurant or everything that rich people tend to hang out, this car doesn't fail to impress everyone, especially in the back because hey! This new model's longer than the previous model because from now, being long is the basis and that's fine if you live in Asian countries like Brunei or Malaysia or Singapore or Thailand or Japan or South Korea or the Philippines or in China because for this new model, space in the back matters most than anything else. In Europe and North America, most S-Class models are used to be driven whereas in Asia, it's a chauffeur-driven car so what Mercedes-Benz did to the new model is focused on the LWB model (V222) than the standard-wheelbase model (W222)

It's a first-class jetliner for the world-class people because for this new S-Class, you feel like a boss in every turn and this is one kind of swag you would reconsider for. Yeah, check out that swag...He he he...It's going to be a trouble when you see one parking to your college and that's going to be a cheesy situation, thinking that there's a wealthy student studying here...

Brilliant I should say but for this new model, Mercedes-Benz set standards in the comfort genre because the new model comes with AIRMATIC suspension because not only it does ride beautifully on the city streets but it's as sportier as a hundred thousand pound exotic on the open roads. This is getting a bit too personal for me but it seems that with this new kind of suspension system, Mercedes-Benz really pulled it off, making the best premium saloon car made even better. You would wanna tell that to your "world's best boss" unless someone's had the "world's best boss" mug in his possession. He he...

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

For everything that makes it "best", there are some things that aren't the best because by the time it's available, the new S-Class comes with the host of engine choices like the 3.0L diesel V6 engine, a 3.5L V6 Hybrid engine which is a bit dreary for the seasoned ones but effective for the eco-mentalists, and then there's the 4.7L V8 engine, all mated with a 7G-Tronic Plus gearbox. I'm afraid that both the engines and the gearbox haven’t yet caught up with the rest of it but that's not the least of the problems here because in the future, a 9-speed gearbox will be planted to this next year and that's going to be a total overload. It's like what's the difference of shifting the normal way, shifting the FnF way, or shifting the drunk way. Well, the FnF way is too much. He he he...

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Anyway, despite all the "buts", the new model did set the benchmarks when it comes to refinement, safety, technology, passenger comfort and driver appeal. It's like when you had this cute little green boxy gimzo thingy does all the stuff for you and oh, just don't leave it alone, okay? It does some weird stuff around here.

For the pricing, the new S-Class starts at 79,790 Euros, that's about nearer to the V6 diesel-powered Jaguar XJ's pricing and wow, what to expect? Well, doesn't matter though. With such benchmarks set, the all new S-Class, in standard or LWB form, is what makes Mercedes-Benz great. Remember, das beste oder nicht. That's the slogan of the Mercedes-Benz brand. Don't forget that. Well, even though the performance was the demerits, I still find the new S-Class to be more of a sovereignty rather than being a casual premium sedan. This is probably one of the best premium sedans of the year and it's on my book.

Available colors: schwarz, anthrazitblau metallic, cavansitblau metallic, diamantsilber metallic, diamantweiß metallic BRIGHT, iridiumsilber metallic, magnetitschwarz metallic, obsidianschwarz metallic, palladiumsilber, peridotbraun metallic, and rubinschwarz metallic.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Let's Do The News! (July 20, 2013)

JM: Now let's do the news and...ahem...GREAT NEWS!

JC: What?

JM: The Dacia Duster...

(audience laughing)

JM: The Dacia Duster...get's a special edition Goodwood Festival of Speed Special Black Edition!!!

JC: Great...

(audience laughing hysterically)

JC: Anyway, there's so much madness going on around this year's San Diego Comic Con. Particularly, the BBC's doing big stuff for this year's Comic Con because of Sherlock, Doctor Who, and Orphan Black. I was wondering, how big are those shows when it comes to popularity? I mean come on, both Sherlock and Doctor Who are cult classics but the newcomer Orphan Black, which stars Tatiana Maslany as Sarah Manning and the Clone Club...hmmm...No wonder this new show which aired the whole Spring became an instant cult phenomenon since...um...Copper.

RH: Well, when it comes to fandoms, they think big. Very big. Big as a lolly...

(audience laughing)

RH: Oh and since this is Matt Smith's final appearance to this year's Comic Con before his regeneration this Christmas, I was getting skeptical about his new look. I mean look at him now...

Matt Smith

(audience laughing)

RH: Who is he? That's not Matt Smith! That's some...um...

JC: Calm down Hammond. That's Matt Smith. The Eleventh Doctor. For the final time. During the press conference, it seems that fans have getting a bit saddened about his departure but well, since there's a saying that "when you gotta go, you gotta go". Matt's moving on to bigger and brighter things and hey, just wanna say "hi" though...

(audience laughing)

JC: Oh, yeah! You know who else are present? Steven Moffat, Sue Vertue, and Mark Gatiss at the Sherlock/Doctor Who BBC America booth. Also, David Bradley's present thanks to the upcoming biopic titled Adventures in Space and Time, which was directed by Sherlock's Mark Gatiss, and David Bradley's playing the role as William Hartnell, the first Doctor Who in the history of television. So um...looking forward?

(yes!)

JC: Ooh! I can see a fangirl fangirling!

(audience laughing)

RH: Hey! Guess what? Look what I had in my iPhone!

JC: What is it Richie?

(audience laughing)

RH: Richie? Why are you calling me Richie? Anyway look at my new app!

It's BMO time!

JC: (spits) Wha? You got a BMO app?

RH: Yeah! Looks like with an app like that, I finally had myself a BMO! I even set an alarm clock when I want to wake myself up and look at it...so cute! I just wanna poke and tickle BMO so many times! Ohhh... (baby talk)

(audience laughing)

JM: Anyway, enough baby talking to your BMO app. I was just wondering...what did I tell you about haul videos?

RH: Wha...what do you mean? I didn't do something about "haul" stuff...

JM: Then...how can you explain that?

(audience laughing)

RH: Wha...

JC: Don't lie. I saw you holding a stuff toy of both Phineas and Ferb. You're making a "haul" video out of it. You know that...

(audience laughing)

JM: Oh and Richard...I heard that your Isabella plushie you've just ordered...do you think it's coming next week or so?

RH: Uh...I don't know. I'm busy tracking down the delivery like what we did when we race the mail with the Porsche a few years ago.

JC: Yeah and since your Isabella plushie's the cutest...are you doing some...Brainiac stuff with that?

(audience laughing)

JM: Yeah, Richard. I'm guess you want to use her cuteness to outcute any other cute characters, much like the thermite stuff from Brainiac.

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, while on the subject about Phineas and Ferb, although we're still waiting for their first ever crossover between them, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Spider-Man, I'd just picked up from the PAF staff that they're planning a Phineas and Ferb Star Wars special!

(huh)

JC: No joke! This is real. They're planning to make on and set to be aired...next year!

RH: Wha...oh wait. Disney now owns LucasFilm last year. So, how come Phineas and Ferb joining the fray of well, let's just say...spoofing Star Wars?

(audience laughing)

JM: He's right, Jeremy. Phineas and Ferb are...jedi warriors?

(audience laughing)

JM: Or what if...Isabella can be...um...Princess Leia?

(audience laughing)

JC: Guys, your speculations bested me but let's just find out next year, okay? Anyway, it's not just a spoof, it's a tribute to the Star Wars franchise that thanks to Disney, they're back. Yep. Star Wars is back. Happy?

(yeah)

JC: Good. Oh! You know what else for next year?

RH: Uh...what?

JC: Family Guy vs. The Simpsons in a special crossover event! Anyone heard of it?

(audience murmuring)

RH: Well, not quite an audience as such but they got the memo. It's Homer Simpson vs. Peter Griffin for next year.

(audience laughing)

JC: Oh, some terrible news. You know Detroit? Yep. Detroit. The city famed for making cars. It's the city that garnered the nickname "Motor City". Anyway, the terrible news is that Detroit is now the biggest US city in history to file for bankruptcy. You know what this means?

RH: No more money for Motown?

JM: They're broke?

JC: Yes! Detroit's officially bust!

(huh)

JM: But but but...what's going to happen. I mean, the General Motors HQ were located on this city...and what's gonna happen for next year's NAIAS?

JC: Nah, no response yet from them but still if that city's filed for bankruptcy. It's already game over. Goodbye Detroit. We will remember most of your cars ever made...

(awwww)

RH: You're not too sensitive, aren't you?

(audience laughing)

JC: Hey, has everyone seen the new Honda Fit?

2014 Honda Fit

JC: Well, what do you think?

RH: Well, it looks like an old Honda Civic Euro in a fat suit to me...

(audience laughing)

JC: Oh and there's another sad news and this time, it's the long-running Initial D manga.

JM: Oh wait. Initial D? Isn't that the one with the AE86 drifting and challenging against other racers in different mountain roads? Man, I like that franchise. Manga, anime, movies, collectibles, I like it. Especially the cars featured.

JC: Yeah but sadly, the franchise has came to a spiraling end. Word from the creator, who is Mr. Shigeno himself, that the Initial D manga will cross to its finish line on July 29, 2013. You know what that means right?

JM: It's the end of the AE86 as we know it?

JC: Precisely and that's definitely a bombshell worth noting. Anyway, that is the end of the news.

Cars GT6 Should Put (Volume 1)

Everyone knows that more and more car gamers everywhere are willing to prefer the upcoming Gran Turismo 6, coming this winter exclusively on the Playstation3 console, than the upcoming Forza Motorsport 5, coming this autumn exclusively on the new XBOX One console.

Sure, it may have a 1200-car lineup; some are new while most came from GT5, but for me, I think it's not quite enough because for the upcoming GT6, they don't know what "quality over quantity" means, the whole "Standard" and "Premium" tier car lineup is a stupid idea, the worst car physics because they've been partnering with Yokohama, one of the worst tire makers in the world because no other supercars of today wear those, the lack of community-made content such as livery editing and the feature to upload replays, less partnerships, and everything but why would most idiots want to have a go for it rather than the completely perfect Forza? I mean come on, you would wanna go old-fashioned rather than modern, well good luck with that. I hope whatever's missing would be your lesson.

However, if those weren't a concern. my biggest concern would be the cars and since while other racing game franchises such as Forza, NFS, Grid, and others features the latest and the hottest machines than Gran Turismo, it's going to be a total pain for me if this don't go exactly as planned. To address the issue to Mr. Kaz Yamauchi and the rest of Polyphony Digital, I made myself a special segment I called...

CARS GT6 SHOULD PUT! Lovely. This is a brand new segment starting from now up until the game comes out this winter 2013, I'm going to provide five different cars that Gran Turismo 6 should put. It's going to be every week so every week, I'll be posting more of the cars that GT6 should put so by the time it arrives, it shouldn't be a rot and keeps every players happy.

Are you ready? Here goes...

For this week's CARS GT6 SHOULD PUT, here are the cars that Gran Turismo 6 should put. (No Porsches, please. You know the rules...):

1) Ferrari F12berlinetta '13

WHY: This is Ferrari's most powerful road car right before the hybrid hypercar LaFerrari showed up on the flesh. It showed up at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show and based on its press releases, it lapped round the Fiorano quicker than the Enzo or the 599 GTO (which Gran Turismo had no plans for that). The engine is a 6.3L V12 engine, the same thing as seen on the FF, but it's been uprated to produce 740PS of power, that's more than the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, and 690Nm of torque.

I believe that Gran Turismo 6 should put this because this can be a very nice addition to the game's Ferrari lineup and it's one of the most enjoyable cars I have ever witnessed in ages. May not quite be an alternative to its Lambo rival but my gosh, it's still a thoroughbred with a throaty V12 engine.

2) Aston Martin Vanquish '13

WHY: This is Aston Martin's newest flagship grand tourer. It serves as a replacement to the outgoing DBS and it inspired its design from the now sold out One-77 hypercar. Although it may not quite as good as the other hardcore Astons but it's still a beauty worth enjoyable to drive. James May drove that on a Series 19 episode of BBC Top Gear and shortly, XTM's Top Gear Korea had its host Kim Jim Pyo drove one round the BBC Top Gear Test Track in one episode.

Since the Willow Springs is included on GT6 and with the LFA returning and the SRT Viper announced, I bet this can be worth the ticket to recreate the Aerial Laser Tag scene from Top Gear Series 19 Episode 2. Please make it possible to add the new Vanquish on GT6. I'm begging you...

3) Lancia Rally 037 '82

WHY: Replacing the Stratos in the world of rally, the 037 became the only Group B rally machine to defeat the might Audi Quattro. A lot of Gran Turismo fans are begging to have this classic rally car featured on GT6 and since the rally-spec version of the Quattro is added, this car makes it quite the perfect treat to initiate the duel between the Quattro and the 037. Mathematical!

4) Fiat 500 Abarth Esseesse '09

WHY: Because the standard Fiat 500's not good enough to tickle my fancies. Why is Gran Turismo ignoring this silly little Abarth anyway? Anyway, the Fiat 500 Abarth is one cool car to handle and imagine if I can take it for a spin on Rome Circuit, it should be a breeze. Come on, Kaz. This hot Abarth 500 needs to be on GT6.

5) Land Rover Range Rover Evoque '11

WHY: That reminds me, why is Polophony don't consider having Range Rovers in the world of Gran Turismo. Oh come on, I don't really like the Range Stormer concept you'd just offered because having a one-car lineup is not good enough. We really need more Range Rovers. Hmmm.... How about this Range Rover Evoque. When used in dirt and snow, the Evoque really behaves like a Range Rover even though in its crossover sizing.

Please make it happen for us...

The results please? So, if Polyphony's still on the rethinking process whether these cars I've mentioned will be featured on Gran Turismo 6, whether in game or as a DLC, you can't say that I didn't had a bit to do with that.

Take that to Kaz Yamauchi!

"Ang hilig ko sa mga malalamig..."

On the July 19, 2013 episode of Bubble Gang...

- "May naiwan ako" gags

- Bubble Gang Telebabaw presents...Munggo Mo'y Akin.

- Mr. Assimo vs. the vampire!

Mr. Assimo

- Even when climbing on the mountain...you can get hold-upped.

- Before...your if mommy's make-up rans out, it's her daughter's fault. Now, if, mommy's make-up rans out, it's junior's fault!

- Ang hilig ko sa mga malalamig...Bubble Gang does Sensodyne by spoofing this commercial as SANSUDYNE! 9 out of 10 dentists recommend Sansudyne for Pangingilo.

Bubble Gang does Sensodyne

- Hyper or chill? What would you prefer?

Hyper

Chill

- Guess who's back? Yes, it's ALING MARY!!!

Aling Mary

- The benefits of giving a simangot to others.

- Before, bagets are wearing small shorts. Now, ugly people are wearing small shorts.

- Wait a minute...we don't know who you guys are...

- My boyfriend's a tree...literally.

Threats from North Korea - A Week in Review (July 20, 2013)

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

July 15, 2013

- Two Koreas ended talks of the normalization of an inter-Korean complex without reaching agreement.

- A resolution to the conflict over just what former SoKor president Roh Moo-Hyun said to former NoKor leader Kim Jong-il regarding the Northern Limit Line back in 2007 may be near.

July 16, 2013

- The Park Geun-hye administration has set up a presidential youth committee that will focus on creating high-quality jobs for young people.

- The Korean government says it is highly likely that North Korea's behind the cyber attacks back in June 25th.

July 17, 2013

- The fourth round of working-level talks between North Korea and South Korea ended without an agreement today.

- It's the 65th anniversary of Korea's Constitution and to mark the occasion, key figures from the legislative, executive and judicial branches came together at the National Assembly.

July 18, 2013

- Two more containers of weapons were discovered aboard the North Korean vessel that was seized in Panama, according to officials.

- The National Archives of Korea has acknowledge that it does not keep a much-wanted transcript of South Korea's 2007 summit with North Korea, confirming a mysterious disappearance of the top-secret file.

- The second round of negotiations between Korea, China, and Japan over a FTA will kick off later this month.

July 19, 2013

- The United Nations says it will send a team of inspectors to Panama next month to investigate whether North Korea violated UN sanctions with its attempted arms shipment.

- US Vice President Joe Biden says Washington will only resume dialogue with Pyongyang if it is serious about engaging in "genuine negotiations".

- Prosecutors have started combing through the evidence they collected from the homes and offices of former president Chun Doo-hwan and his family members.

What's in our Car Town garage today? (July 20, 2013)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

2013 Honda N-ONE

A year after the launch of the Honda N BOX kei car and months after the launch of the "+" version of the N BOX, Honda launched the N-ONE, the third addition of the Honda N-series range of kei cars. The N naming stands for NEW NEXT NIPPON NORIMONO, marking this a new chapter in Honda's kei car story. Although it is an entirely new model, the N-ONE traces back to its roots from the legendary N360, Honda's first kei car ever made from the late 60's.

2013 Honda N-ONE

1969 Toyota 2000GT

Dubbed as Japan's first supercar, the 2000GT from Toyota is one of the most historical cars ever made in the history of Toyota Motor Corporation. Back at the Yatabe, the 2000GT set a top speed of 220kph, which is a little by modern standards but it's worth a crushing against the little compacts of today. Popularity aside, there has been an open-top version driven by Aki from the Bond film You Only Live Twice. Reason why the 2000GT's top removed for the film is because of Sean Connery's height can't accommodate the inside of the car. Only 300 units were made and back in the 60's, it costs 2.38 million yen, but now, it's a collector's item in the game of high-price auctions.

1969 Toyota 2000GT

1970 Datsun 240Z

The Nissan Z-Car story began when Yutaka Katayama (then-president of Nissan USA) and his people began developing the 240Z project and by the October of 1969, the Z-car was born. The S30 Z-car is the first of its kind and for the Japan-spec model, it was powered by a SOHC L20A inline-6 engine which develops 130PS of power. The US-spec model, however, features a 24L engine which develops more power than the Japan-spec one. Popularity aside, the S30 propelled the starring role of the Devil Z from the Wangan Midnight manga franchise.

1970 Datsun 240Z

Let's Do The News! (July 18, 2013)

(cheers and applause)

JC: Hang on...hang on...Did you just said "Spirit Animal"

JM: Yeah. I said it... Literally, I don't know what a "spirit animal" is...

(audience laughing)

RH: Ok...what is a spirit animal anyway?

JM: Well, I don't know. Whenever I hear someone saying "Mabel is my spirit animal", "BMO is my spirit animal", "Karen Gillan is my spirit animal", "Perry is my spirit animal" blah blah blah... I'm really really confused because I really really don't know what that is.

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, you know what else is confusing?

JM: What?

JC: Us doing the news!

(audience laughing)

RH: Yeah and yesterday we talked about how adorable BMO was and yes, Adventure Time's trusty little gizmo was definitely one of the cutest cartoon characters as seen on TV.

JC: Yes I know. BMO is super cute for an all-purpose gizmo. Anyway, I just saw something in the internet that PBS' Idea Channel posted a video about what if BMO is expressive of feminism. Oh come on, BMO is neither a little living boy or a real baby girl, even though its talking to itself at the mirror. Anyway, here's the clip that sums it up...



(audience laughing)

JC: He said "her"! So that means...BMO's a girl! (laughing)

JM: Yeah right...(laughing) Wait a minute! What do you mean BMO's a girl? Oh come on, you know BMO doesn't had a gender like most machines and things do. So, why is there an article about feminism and BMO? You know BMO was just a...machine. A robot! A video game machine! A gadget! Whatever!

(audience laughing)

JC: Yeah. That clip doesn't make any sense. What does BMO had to do with feminism? This what the same thing what if Doctor Who is a religion but never mind about that. Let's move on...

(audience laughing)

RH: To what? Should I play "Little Brothers" again or do we really move on?

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, summer means more conventions and this week sees one of the biggest conventions of the year. Yep, it's San Diego Comic Con and this year means more because this year packs more and more for the geeks who are willing to attend the convention. There's also SDCC 2013 exclusive merchandises from one of their sponsors like for example...

RH: Well, there's a BMO plushie available exclusively at this event, you know. You might really wanna go there for that...

(audience laughing)

JC: Possibly but aside from that, there's loads and loads of other exclusive merchandises, especially from Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Orphan Black. Interested in those?

(yes!)

RH: My oh my! I can see some wide audience here! YEAHUH!

JM: Ow! Why you...

(punch!)

RH: Whoa!!!!

(bang!)

RH: Ugh!!!!

(audience laughing)

RH: Ow...that's even more painful than Regular Show's Rigby getting punched in the game of punchies...

(audience laughing)

JM: Punchies?

RH: Yeah. Punchies! And that hurts...a lot!

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, enough of the punchies stuff or things get messy around here. Okay, does anyone around here still remember a classic cartoon from the last decade called Cardcaptor Sakura? It's one of CLAMP's creations and it's one of my childhood anime crush that caused me some headlines...

(audience laughing)

RH: Yeah right. It's that anime that caused us trouble.  It's the one where everyone around us calling us names and embarrass us on front.

JM: Yeah and we hate them.

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, at the upcoming Comiket 84, which will be held at the Tokyo Big Sight from August 10 to 12, 2013, a merchandise company will offer some new merchandise from that classic CLAMP masterpiece we all love to hate because of our childhood trauma...

(audience laughing)

JC: They said that they'll be offering a paper bag, two clear file folders, two IC card stickers, a tumbler mug, a "jumbo" fan, and a bath poster for 3,000 yen (about US$30). Also, they'll be offering a B2-size Card Captor Sakura tapestry featuring a new image for 4,000 yen (US$40). So, if you were on that event, would you take the risk?

(audience laughing)

JM: Nope. Afraid not. I have had it with that late 90's magical girl anime show with the theme song that goes "na na na na na na na, na na na na na na, na na na na na na na...."

(audience laughing)

FPV GT

JC: Oh wait! I picked up some bad news! And this time it's another bad news from Ford of Australia. Remember the time when Ford announced to stop Australian production as well as the Falcon in 2016 and move on importing Ford models to the upside down country? Well, there's some more bad news because FPV, which Ford is what Holden is to HSV, will be closing its doors for good next year.

JM: Wait...FPV? Ford Performance Vehicles? Never heard of it...

JC: Yeah James, it's because it's an Australian thing, like the Vauxhall VXR8 thing we had which is Australian-made. Anyway, says here that if the final generation Ford Falcon will be launched next year, it will be the end of the FPV brand for good. So...um...do you remember the FPV cars, guys? Guys?

(audience laughing)

RH: Oh wait! Sorry about that. I don't know more about FPV. I only know about the VXR8 thingy because it's a Holden HSV. We had no further knowledge about Aussie Fords.

(audience laughing)

JC: Anyway, with Ford stopping Australian production, it seems that Ford's Aussie range will be filled with the Taurus, Explorer, and the next generation Mustang, which means, the lineup's too American than being Aussie, if you know what I mean?

(audience laughing)

JC: And that is the end of they news!

Turbo

Turbo

You think all snails move slower than what you think? You think they're dull? Boring? Well, you might as well think twice because say hello to a snail unlike any other.

Meet Turbo (played by actor Ryan Reynolds). He's just your average garden snail but he has a big dream; to be at the Indy 500 race so he can be just like his hero, Guy Gagné. Every morning, he practices to be fast but it's tough accepting life that he's just a snail and what a snail goes, a snail goes. One night, the strangest thing was happened to Turbo's life. First, the moving truck swept him away from the highway and then he got landed on a modified car. When the driver kicked in, Turbo got suck into the engine and then, the nitrous from the car absorbed through Turbo's body.

After such a freak event, Turbo noticed something. His eyes flashes like a car light, he can trigger a car alarm sound in case of something Turbo bumps into and amazingly...SLO NO MO! He gained the power of speed, meaning he is as fast as an indy car! Later on, he was caught by a man named Tito. Tito and his pals race snails for fun but Turbo blew them away. Turbo's superspeed benefited Tito and now, he wants Turbo to be at the Indy 500. With the competition including his lifelong hero Guy on his sights, can Turbo's superspeed blow them away up to his last drop?

Well, this family movie is definitely one of the most unique of any other Dreamworks cartoon movies such as Madagascar and HTTYD and it really packs a star studded cast of Ryan Reynolds as Theo/Turbo, Paul Giamatti as Chet, Samuel L. Jackson as Whiplash, Snoop Dogg as Smoove Move, Maya Rudolph as Burn,  Ben Schwartz as Skidmark, Mike Bell as White Shadow, Michael Peña as Tito, Luis Guzman as Angelo, Bill Hader as Guy Gagne, Ken Jeong as Kim Ly and Michelle Rodriguez as Paz. If any ten year olds willing to watch this movie for the whole summer, best to consider this because what the kids really want for the movie is a cute character that redefines himself in the name of speed, well almost because this is a kids movie. Those kids really want to ask their parents to be with them while watching Turbo.

Anyway, the storyline is not quite bad but sadly, it doesn't had the thrills that most viewers consider nor is the ideal chemistry between cute and cool because here at Turbo, they just don't value the meaning of cute. It's all about being a speed freak. If those little tikes watched Turbo, they would go "WOW! TURBO IS COOL!" but it's not just how it makes it cool, it's what it makes it quick.

It maybe not quite a family-friendly substitute to any Fast and Furious movies but this isn't about fast machines. Turbo is all about a fast snail and his new friends willing to help him fulfill his dream to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Although, Turbo may not quite as good as any other kids movies of 2013 but it sure leaves some moral lessons at the end and hopefully after you watched the whole film, heh, hope you'll be inspired by Turbo. Remember that, kids. If you want to be Turbo good, there's nothing too big or too small for you to dream. Very soon, Turbo the snail can become your spirit animal to the very end...Yep, he's your perfect spirit animal like everyone else whose their spirit animals can be their favorite characters.