Let's Do The News! (October 30, 2013)

The big news today...

1) Bagyong Vinta

The 29th storm of 2013, Vinta (international name Krosa), is now bearing down on the Philippines and threatens to bring heavy rainfall across Luzon along with the risk of flooding and landslides. Watch out though, it's gonna be a stormy Undas this year.

Further details: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/typh/

2) New Mini World Premiere

For the first time, the revelation of the new new generation Mini will take place at 3 cities, 3 continents, and 3 days. The unveiling will be take place in Los Angeles, London, and Shanghai. There's going to be performances as well during the grand unveiling. Fenech Soler will perform at London this November 18, Passion Pit at LA this November 19, and Gossip at Shanghai this November 21.

Details: http://www.mini.com/newmini/en/index.html?WT.mc_id=mcom_us_g_Hover-to-play_F56_Precomm

3) Subaru to premiere new Levorg at Tokyo Motor Show

Subaru Levorg teaser

At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, Subaru will unveil an Impreza-based sport wagon under the name of Levorg. What's in the name? Well, it's a portmanteau of the words LEGACY, REVOLUTION, and TOURING. This Impreza-based wagon will come with next-generation Subaru Eyesight safety system and it will come with Subaru's Direct Injection Turbo engine. Also in the Tokyo Motor Show, Subaru will showcase the Viziv Evolution Concept and the Exiga-based Crossover Seven Concept.

Report: http://www.fhi.co.jp/news/13_10_12/13_10_30_2_92254.html

4) Daihatsu Kopen Concept

2013 Daihatsu Kopen Concept

The Daihatsu Copen was discontinued last year but this concept version, called the Kopen Concept, coming at this year's Tokyo Motor Show will showcase its potential return. The name sounds "konfusing" because they replaced the C with a K in the naming. It's now KOPEN, not COPEN. Never mind about that but the "koncept model" (pun intended) is powered by a 660cc turbo engine and that's it.

Details: http://carview.yahoo.co.jp/article/photo/101831/

5) Subaru BRZ Premium Sport Edition

Subaru BRZ Premium Sport Edition

The special-edition BRZ Premium Sport Edition wants to be a classy one for the rear-wheel driver sportscar for the masses. Available only in Japan, this luxurious version of the BRZ comes with 17-inch STi alloys, black door mirrors, and tan leather upholstery with the words BRZ on it.

Report: http://paultan.org/2013/10/30/subaru-brz-premium-sport/
URL: http://www.subaru.jp/brz/psp/

6) Iron Spam

Reports in Russia suggested that cyber attackers are launching spam attacks using chips hidden in electric irons and kettles imported from China.

Report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-24707337

7) Bee and PuppyCat Kickstarter update

So far, with less than 15 days left, 8,373 backers pledged $412,396 for the Bee and PuppyCat Kickstarter update. Be sure to back this project while you can!

8) More Sherlock manga

While season 3 of BBC Sherlock will be next year, December 2013's Young Ace issue announced that the manga version of the hit TV series will return and it will interpret the show's second episode titled "The Blind Banker".

Report: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-10-29/bbc-tv-sherlock-re-imagining-gets-2nd-japanese-manga

9) G4U! Vol. 3 now at iM@S Channel

The iDOLM@STER G4U Volume 3 is now at iM@S CHANNEL for the Playstation3. Yes, it's the one with winter casuals and vivid bikinis but for those who bought it digitally via iM@S Channel will receive a special PS3 Custom Theme.

URL: http://g4u.idolmaster.jp/vol3.html

TTFN!!!

HALLOWEEN 2013: Tips during the Undas traffic

Welcome to the special HALLOWEEN 2013 segment of Leopaul's Blog, the segment zombies came here like a wrecking ball. Coming up...

On this segment:

All Saints' Day is on November 1st, 2013, which is the day after Halloween. All Saints' Day is a holiday where families visit the graveyard to pay respects for the fallen. However, there's more to it than that because what to expect on All Saints' Day is heavy duty traffic. That's right. Slow-moving traffic that will surely leave you dead after long hours of traffic. No wonder it's a non-working holiday but hey, if you and your family had your ride to the cemetery and expect a very long traffic during UNDAS 2013, what are your best ways to kill your boredom when the annual heavy Undas traffic kicks in?

1) Pack lots of snacks, meals, and drinks on your trip

The heavy traffic on the way to your cemetery will leave you thirsty and starved on the road. The best thing to do is before you leave your home and to the cemetery is to pack enough snacks and drinks on your trip. Either your mom's fully-cooked meal sealed in Tupperware boxes or crisps such as Chippy, Nova, Ding Dong, Tortillios or whatever junk food you know, make sure you have enough snacks while getting stuck in traffic. Oh yeah, as for drinks, stock up on whatever you want; mineral water, soda, sports drinks, iced tea, whatever drink you want but one more thing; NO ALCOHOL. Remember the whole "don't drink and drive" law.

2) Entertainment

Long traffic usually means boredom for the people heading to the cemetery and the best to do is open up your car's radio and set to FM frequency because everybody needs music. Get it? If radio isn't enough, either your portable TV (if you had one), your MP3 player, or your hand held console (like your PSP, DS, or Vita) would do but be sure that it's fully charged before on the go.

3) Servicing

Your car is nothing more of a traveling companion when you need it so it's best to service it before you go. Make sure the parts are working fine as well as the lights, the brakes, the oil, and the electric supply. Oh and if you're brave enough through the high gas prices, be sure to full tank your car. It maybe an expensive solution but if you're not into driving, seek public transportation or hitch a ride with a buddy.

4) Internet connectivity

 A long road away from home usually means one thing, you can't do internet because you're miles away from your home's broadband but not to worry. If you brought your laptop and any other Wi-Fi capable gadgets, make sure that you have a mobile Wi-Fi with you. For example, Smart has a mobile prepaid Wi-Fi that you can reload it for about 200 pesos or higher to have 5-days of internet connectivity. Make sure that it has enough load (or charge) in order to go internet surfing while on the move. Oh yeah, if you guys made it to the cemetery, be sure to check in from your Foursquare! Your friends will notice that you came from a long trip this Undas!

5) Defense

A long trip can be somewhat risky because there are some jologs wanted to steal your ride or doing some kind of a Mad Max-style of attacks. Defensive driving may be unnecessary in an event like this but this can save you and your family from bad people trying to hurt you on your way to the cemetery. If you have long objects surrounded on your car, these can make a vital defense in case some crooks approached you with a gun pointing at you. Keep Calm and Aim for the Head. Time to say rest in peace, crooks!

6) Don't let the kids say "Are We There Yet?"

If you had kids with you on your trip, then you're in bad luck because the only question kids will tell you on your way to the cemetery is the dreaded ARE WE THERE YET? Tell your kids no, stop asking questions, and ask them to play with their toys. Silence is virtue on this trip.

7) Do your All Saints Day...at home

If you're not in the mood to travel, why not do this at home? Make a faux tombstone (out of your cardboard) and be sure to have candles so you can pay respects without travelling through the long traffic!

So there you go, these are the best ways to kill your boredom when the annual heavy Undas traffic kicks in. Have a nice road trip this All Saints' Day!

Nissan axed Dualis - new model will be Europe-only

Nissan Dualis (2007-2013)

Nissan's Euro-inspired crossover, the Dualis, will be discontinued for the Japanese market while the next version of this model will be Europe-only. In Europe, the Dualis from Japan is known as the Qashqai.

The next-generation model, not destined for Japan sale, will be unveiled this November 7 and it uses the Renault-Nissan Alliance's CMF platform used on the third-generation X-TRAIL, due this winter season.

Report: http://carview.yahoo.co.jp/news/newmodel/193734/

As a rule in this blog, I don't cover Japanese cars not sold in Japan so when the next Qashqai comes, sorry, we're not going to cover it for you because it's an un-Japanese Japanese car. You get me? Good.

So farewell to the Dualis crossover. This car has been around for six years since its 2007 debut. You did us proud...

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: The story so far (10/29/13)

The story so far from the Korean Peninsula:

- South Korean government's debt-relief program introduced earlier this year is doing its part to assist those in need.

- South Korea is ranked one of the top places to do businesses in the world and it has been advanced by one rank to seventh in the global ranking in terms of business environment. The finance ministry said that SoKor kept its place in the top 10 out of 189 countries on the World Bank's Doing Business ranking for the 3rd year.

Let's Do The News! (October 29, 2013)

The big news today...

1) St. Jude Storm

The worst storm to hit Britain since 1987, the St. Jude Storm, caused 61,000 homes in Britain without power, four people died, and caused major rail and road disruptions earlier.

Report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24723028

2) Superstorm Sandy - One year passed...

Last year, the worst storm to hit the USA, East Coast to be precise, was Hurricane Sandy and this superstorm killed at least 117 people while many communities still struggling to rebuild their lives.

Report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24721439

3) Spy tensions

Tensions grown in the White House regarding the nation's intelligence gathering and why US President Obama never know about the extent of the operations.

Report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24722636

4) Range Rover LWB

Land Rover Range Rover L

The first-ever long-wheelbase Range Rover was revealed and this stretched version measures a full 5.2 meters from the nose to the tailgate. 14cm of legroom was added, making it a fit for a royalty.

Report: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/new-range-rover-land-rover-long-wheel-base-2013-10-28

5) Suzuki's kei-crossover

2014 Suzuki Hustler

Crossovers isn't limited to hatchbacks and wagons, kei cars can also be too because at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki will launch the new kei-crossover called the Hustler and annoyingly, this kei-crossover is based on the current-generation MR Wagon.

Report: http://autoc-one.jp/motorshow/tokyo/2013/suzuki/1525887/

6) Bee and PuppyCat kickstarter update

Over 8000 backers pledged almost 400,000 US Dollars on the Bee and PuppyCat kickstarter project. That's about 200,000 US Dollars left and with about 16 or 15 days left, can you help Frederator Studios fulfill its dream to become a series? Pledge at: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/frederator/bee-and-puppycat-the-series

7) Illest goes car tuning

Illest may be a fashion brand familiar to car enthusiasts but for the first time, they'll be joining the car tuning ranks under the Illest Coachworks banner and the first to work on is a bodykit based on the 2014 Lexus IS.

Report: http://illestbrand.com/en/2013/10/illest-coachworks-press-release?utm_content=buffer9c2f3&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Buffer

8) Tsutaya pulls out KuroBas items

There's no stopping over the Kuroko's Basketball threats since last year when locations linked to KuroBas creator received threat letters. Now, reports told that Japanese rental chain, Tsutaya, pulled out most of the Kuroko's Basketball DVD and manga rentals. They made this decision after analyzing the current situation. What comes next? Find out later as the KuroBas threats deepens...

Report: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-10-28/kuroko-basketball-dvds-manga-removed-from-tsutaya-rental-chain

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: The story so far (10/28/13)

The story so far from the Korean Peninsula:

- South Korean PM Chung Hong-won said that President Park Geun-hye did not receive the assistance of the National Intelligence Service during last year's presidential elections.

- While the country is sinking further to political disarray over the spy agency's election meddling President Park has a new top prosecutor Kim Jin Tae, former deputy chief of the Supreme Prosecutor's Office.

HALLOWEEN 2013: Loser candies to avoid

Welcome to the special HALLOWEEN 2013 segment of Leopaul's Blog, the segment that bits everyone and turns them into zombies. Coming up...

On this segment:

Loser Candy

Well, it's that time of the year again when the kids dressed up as their favorites and then head out to the suburbs to get some candy for the fun of it. Of course, being kids, they are too picky and they don't like "loser candy" which is a term as heard from a Gravity Falls episode. The loser candy probability can be somewhat CRITICAL and you'll never know when will loser candy hits you, making your trick-or-treating the worst so what are the "loser candies" you should avoid this Halloween?

1) Sugar-free candy

As kids, they have cravings for sugar coated confectionery but some neighbors think they are concerned because of, well, diabetes or toothache, and what they will do is taking the reversal that is...sugar-free candy. They may look like candies but sadly...no sugar. If you encounter those, AVOID. Oh and if you're diabetic and if you don't want the risk of losing a leg, don't go trick-or-treating. Just saying...

2) Pixy Stix

These powdered candy known as Pixy Stix is far out one of the worst candies to avoid for Halloween because they're far too...well, bland for their taste and sweetness. It's about as rubbish as...drinking unsweetened tea at McDonald's.

3) Chocolate-dipped apples

Come on, no kid in the world wants that. These apples dipped in chocolate on a stick are considered "loser candy" because...no kid of today likes fruits disguised in chocolate. See one of these from your neighbors and AVOID.

4) Hard candy

Whether if it's mint flavored, fruit flavored, or for worse, taste like medicine, this is the one to avoid because there is a risk that your teeth can't handle the hardness. If I were in that situation, I would rather just swallow it rather than biting it.

5) Mounds or Almond Joy

They may look like chocolate but when you ate one of those...(vomiting) Why would they made these piece of crud? Nobody likes those for Halloween!

6) Jelly belly

These beans taste like plastic and no matter the color and the taste of those, they will always taste like plastic. AVOID these loser beans on Halloween.

7) Candy corn

Invented by a Philadelphian, candy corn is made of wax, sugar, and corn syrup. By the looks of it, it looks like a corn's kernel but if you manage to eat one...these candy corns can be a bit blah and makes you as disappointed as a man during the Great Depression. AVOID this loser candy when you see one.

8) Licorice

Licorice is considered a "loser candy" and best to avoid one of these if you don't want your jack-o-lantern get jacked up with a pile of rubbish.

9) Circus Peanut

As Candy from Gravity Falls may say "Circus peanut? This is loser candy!"

10) Wax candy

From wax lips to wax cola bottles, these wax candies are the ones to avoid as well because...who would rather eat some wax or something? Ahem...wax is...like...Wax Museum or Star Wax of polishing wax of whatever...who would eat wax as a candy?!

11) Necco Wafers

These two-centuries old candies are the king of "loser candies" because not only it's old but the chalky taste of those thin candy wafers in a pack makes it the ultimate "loser candy" to avoid this Halloween.

12) Asian candies

WATCH OUT! Some of your neighbors bought out some candies straight from Asian stores. See one of those suspicious-looking candies straight from Asia and AVOID. No kid likes those for Halloween.

There are so many loser candies your neighbors might throw at you but beware...not all neighbors may give you candy but sometimes un-edibles or for worse...FRUITS! If you don't want to wind up in that situation, use science to determine which of your neighbors serve the best candies, which serves "loser candies" or both. Be careful, some may come up with a surprise attack on your jack-o-lantern full of candies.

So there you go, next time when you're out trick-or-treating this Halloween, use the data gathered from this segment and find out which "loser candy" you should avoid from your neighbors.