DW 2013 Christmas Special

The Time of The Doctor

The 2013 Christmas Special of BBC's Doctor Who titled The Time of The Doctor signals the final journey for Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith. Having him around since The End of Time Part 2, Matt Smith's role as The Eleventh Doctor changed the show's history forever and famed for skyrocketing the fish fingers and custard, jammie dodgers, fezzes, and bowties to the cool wall...apparently.

"We all change. When you think about it, we're all different people all through our lives, and that's okay, that's good, you've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be, I will not forget one line of this. Not one day. I swear"

Matt Smith's departure is worth the sad moment for us Whovians, but the arrival of Peter Capaldi as The Doctor is worth the beginning. Looking forward for his maiden voyage when Series 8 starts next year alongside Jenna Coleman as Clara.

For some related topics, here's the video the BBC streamed online. It's another one of Strax Field Report online featurettes where, in this segment, our Sontaran pal Strax explained the outcome about The Eleventh Doctor's regeneration. Here's the clip...

Here's another one with outgoing Doctor, Matt Smith, and Jenna Coleman, talking about his final journey as The Doctor.



The folks from BBC America featured a deleted scene from this episode. You can watch it here.

"And now it’s time for one last bow, like all your other selves. Eleven’s hour’s over now. The clock is striking twelve’s."

REMEMBERING 2013 - Part One

Hello, and welcome to the first part of my year-ender called Remembering 2013. Starting now up until New Year's Eve (that's December 31, 2013 to you), I'll be randomly listing stuff that came throughout 2013. From good things, bad things, best things, worst things, whatever you name it, that year-ender list is on me. It's on my head so let's get cracking!

Seventh-generation Chevrolet Corvette

The seventh-generation Chevrolet Corvette made a world premiere at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, and the crowd stirred a massive attention over the latest Vette. The new Corvette sees the return of the familiar "Stingray" name, a famed Corvette from the last century. Not only it was revealed in real world but Gran Turismo 5 gets its first access to this car in game. Because of the C7 Corvette's ties with Gran Turismo, it became the cover car for PS3's Gran Turismo 6.

The end of X-Play and Attack of the Show

After 10 years, 1,378 episodes, 6 different sets over 2 cities, and several Morgan Webb hairstyles, X-Play, a popular video game review show with some wit and humor as seen on G4 bids farewell and sign off. Also, Matt Mira, Candace Bailey, and the others open up the studio to their crew and staff for one final episode in the Attack Of The Show studio. Both X-Play and AOTS ended since late January 2013.

Sofia The First

What started is a Disney Junior original movie since 2012 under the "Once Upon A Princess" banner, now a full-fledged Disney Junior TV series. Sofia the First aired on Disney Junior since January 11, 2013 and then aired globally moments after. She's the new girl in crown. What surprised us is the episodes where Disney princesses making special appearances in the show courtesy of The Amulet of Avalor. Sofia's magical amulet lets her talk to animals and in rare circumstances...summon classic Disney Princesses and let me explain...

• In the Once Upon A Princess TV movie, which is the first for Sofia the First, when everyone fall asleep by a spell, her amulet summoned Cinderella.
• Then, in the "Two to Tangu" episode where Sofia and her stepsister Amber finding their way to Tangu Peak, and when the magic carpet they rode caused too much troubles for the princesses, Sofia's magical amulet summoned Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and teachers her how to "tame the wild carpet"
• In "The Amulet and The Anthem" episode when her amulet put a curse on her because of her bragging about singing for the anthem, her amulet summoned Belle from Beauty and the Beast and there's a moral lesson: The only thing you can undo the curse is you.
• Ariel from The Little Mermaid makes an appearance in "The Floating Palace" special
• Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty makes an appearance in the Christmas special titled Holiday in Enchancia

The Meteorite in Russia

The news that shocked me is somewhere in Russia when a meteorite blows itself just before it crash lands on it, causing a massive shockwave strong enough to shatter through glass windows. It's kinda scary but this celestial happening occurred and caught on dash-cam, which perhaps why most Russian drivers had those drive recorders these days.

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance

METAL GEAR RISING REVENGEANCE

Metal Gear fans waited four years for this new spin on the history of Metal Gear saga. With Kojima Productions did very well on the storyboard while PlatinumGames, the demented developed behind Bayonetta, Vanquish, and Max Anarchy (Anarchy Reigns), do some crazy bits on the action, this hack-and-slash game salivated me. It may not be the best Metal Gear game I have ever played and it may not be one of the best games of 2013 but since I played it several times, it is the BEST game I have ever played in ages. Many things are wrong with it but this is definitely THE BEST GAME I'VE EVER PLAYED. Best game ever played...end of discussion.

I even take advantage of the VR Missions DLC, Jetstream Sam DLC, and Blade Wolf DLC as well and it further ups the ante in MGR.


Attack On Titan

This is what I believed to be one of the most talked-about anime of 2013 since last year's SAO. In the hit anime series, Eren Jaeger and the heroic members of the Scouting Legion are on the mission to defend a fortified city against a horde of man-eating titans. It's kill or be devoured on this one. Everyone got hooked on this and I can't believe it's either the gross-looking Titans or the heroic Scouting Legion members are the ones to cosplay for in any conventions. Who cares about it?

THQ's bankruptcy

THQ, one of the most memorable video game companies situated in North America, is bankrupt and of their franchises has a new owner. SEGA accepts purchase to developer Relic, Koch Media now owns the Saints Row and Metro series, Crytek now has rights to the Homefront series, Take-Two now has rights to the WWE video games, and Ubisoft continues the upcoming South Park: The Stick of Truth game.

Threats from North Korea

Ever since the missile launch last year and the successful third nuclear test, which perhaps downsizing is now part of developing nuclear warheads, the whole world's gone haywire over the tyranny of Kim Jong-Un. What's frightening for us is that through the months, North Korea keeps threatening South Korea and the United States by launching a merciless nuclear attack. Not just that, it's the closure of the Kaesong Complex as well as cutting off the hotline that made us worried. With so much about threats from North Korea, we're waiting for their next move...

The Harlem Shake

Early 2013, a viral video craze called the Harlem Shake caused a massive stir to the netizens. First, one guy dances on the clip until "Do The Harlem Shake"...everyone joins the beat! Simple as that. The whole world has different versions of the Harlem Shake...even fictional ones like The Simpsons and Supernatural.

The New Pope

Ever since Pope Benedict XVI resigned from his position due to his old age, the whole world asks who will be the next pope to succeed where he left off. There has been numerous potentials gathered but some warned that the next pope will be replaced will go by the name of "Peter the Roman" according to the Malachy prophecy and if that "Peter the Roman" became pope, it will spell apocalypse. No wonder there was one candidate go by the name of Cardinal Peter Turkson from Ghana.

Good this that whole this is just a load of tosh as the pope who replaced Benedict XVI is an Argentinian cardinal. Once started as Cardinal Bergolio, hailed as POPE FRANCIS. The reason why the name Francis is chosen is because he's the bearer of the poor in biblical times, making him the right pope for the right people.

With Pope Francis' reign, the whole Catholic world respected him for his humble and simple ways and I love that. He truly understands who are we.

Karen Gillan shaved her hair off...

Karen Gillan at SDCC 2013

Not quite of a bigger deal but former Doctor Who actress Karen Gillan revealed her new look during the San Diego Comic Con 2013. Yep, she had her ginger hair shaved off! Reactions?

Clara Oswald...

Clara Oswald, played by Jenna Coleman, is now a full-fledged companion as the second-half of Doctor Who Series 7 is on full-swing with new episodes until it all leads to The Name of The Doctor, the one we find out the truth behind The Doctor and Clara until the cliffhanger ending that shocked the world.

THERE'S MORE TO COME ON PART 2 OF THIS VERY SPECIAL YEAR-ENDER! TTFN!!!

Suzuki Hustler

Crossovers are becoming hugely popular worldwide even for caravanners who are taking on a holiday. Even though they look tough on the outside, they behave like sissies because they have no off-road capabilities that large SUVs do, well some can. Crossovers like the Tiguan, the CX-5, the Forester, the Korando, the Captur, the Koleos, there are so many crossovers all over the place but why would the motoring industry keep on making those? To add to that problem, Suzuki's making a new spin on a crossover category in a form of a kei car...

2014 Suzuki Hustler

This is the first ever kei-crossover from Suzuki, the leader of fuel-efficient kei cars in Japan, and it's called the Hustler. Quite weird to call it the Hustler, eh? Does it do the hustle like the song Do The Hustle? Eh...nope. Not quite.

But first...remember the Daihatsu Terios Kid? 15 years ago, this kei car was made to go offroad but for me, it's not quite being tested for off-road enthusiasts many because it's too small and kei cars aren't made for the job. Well, you can take it on the gravel and the snow but on the rocks, that's a big no for me. Even though it's a small kei off-roader, it's still fit for the holidays. Sadly though the Daihatsu Terios Kid is gone. It was discontinued last year because of numerous theories like its age or its poor sales.

Anyway, let's move on to the Suzuki's so-called kei-crossover known as the Hustler. Does this new kei-car really remind me of the late Terios Kid?

2014 Suzuki Hustler

Well at first glance, the Hustler may have a manly name but its design wasn't quite toughie because just look at it. It feels like the Toyota FJ Cruiser has been shrunken down to bite-sized chunks and I mean look at it, there's some bits from the Daihatsu Mira Cocoa! Eh? A Suzuki wearing some of the Daihatsu's exterior parts?! Yes, really! Look at the headlamps, don't they look familiar?

Well, whatever you do, don't even laugh at this baby crossover sold only for the Japanese market but in the meantime, I'm starting to laugh now. This kei-crossover is too humorous for me! It's like manliness and girliness all wrapped up into one! Oh dear! Anyway, enough laughing for me now. I still get all in a good mood for this curiosity. Anyway, what's on the performance side?

2014 Suzuki Hustler

For a compact packaging, the Hustler's no fool to me. It still behaves like a proper kei car even though it's a crossover in its own right. If you're a daily driver, the Hustler still knows the value of fuel efficiency because it features the same 660cc engine complete with SUZUKI GREEN TECHNOLOGY in the form of ENE-CHARGE and ECO-COOL respectively. Combine these fuel-efficient technologies with the CVT and you'll get 29.2kmpl as calculated by JC08 Mode standards. All seems to be fine but is there some way to enjoy the Hustler? How about the 5-speed manual gearbox? Please note, having a kei-crossover with a manual gearbox can be a bit too corny for me especially when it comes with the turbocharged 660cc engine, again, with SUZUKI GREEN TECHNOLOGY.

A turbocharged engine mated with a 5-speed manual gearbox? Sounds fun to me but if you want a little fun with the Hustler using that configuration, try something more of a big space. How about an abandoned construction lot or a deserted warehouse? That's going to be more fun if you try to mess around with the Hustler.

2014 Suzuki Hustler interior

Aside from making a lot of trouble in deserted areas, the Hustler is still a compact made for the holidays. I know, it's still made for people spending their weekends on the beach or in the mountains or camping or whatever outdoorsmen would do. On the inside, it's still roomy and space for about four people. Not quite a family car but it's still a good car if you want to take your mates out on your day off. Depending on the color variation, the dashboard and the seat lining matches the exterior color regardless of which color you chose.

Also, you can also have an option of a smartphone-integrated sat-nav complete with a rear-view camera on it just to add conveniences while driving a Hustler.

The speedometer kinda took the idea from the girls-only Alto Lapin because why? The speedo comes with some animation in the bottom. They put this just to make it look cute for the Hustler and it has four different animations such as HELLO!!, GO!, I'm READY, and GATE. I could imagine if that little green video game machine could be in that car making some cutesy stuff but no way. This is the real world and four cutesy animation stuff on the Hustler's speedo makes me...bored and annoyed.

So, what's the verdict? It depends on what people react on the Hustler but in case you're looking for the answer to my original question above, I'm afraid that's a terrible no because even though it's made for the weekends, the new Hustler will never going to make the grade similar to the late Daihatsu Terios Kid. It maybe deceased last year but I would rather go for it rather than the Hustler because...it's a bit too cutesy for its tough image. You know what I mean? But as a daily driver's car, the Hustler is not that bad after all even though its fuel economy surpassed the normal Spacia's by about 0.2kmpl.

The Hustler maybe a bit too cutie-patootie for it's image but it's still a likable car. It still has lots of character on it and it's more affordable than any other crossovers because the base model starts at around ¥1,048,950 respectively.

Available colors: Passion Orange White 2 Tone Roof, Summer Blue Metallic White 2 Tone Roof, Candy Pink Metallic White 2 Tone Roof, Phoenix Red Pearl Black 2 Tone Roof, Pearl White Black 2 Tone Roof, Steel Silver Metallic Black 2 Tone Roof, Cool Khaki Pearl Metallic, Urban Brown Pearl Metallic, Pearl White, and Bluish Black Pearl 3.

Photo: Suzuki Motor Corporation

Ejay Falcon, IHAW NA!

On the December 23, 2013's Banana Nite's IHAW NA segment, the guest of the day is none other than Ejay Falcon. From model to actor, Ejay's been one of the products of the Pinoy Big Brother show ever since he began his role as a housemate. He's been featured in TV shows like Momay and Dugong Buhay.

Let's Do The News! (December 23, 2013)

The big scoop today,

Police complete sketch the NAIA 3 gunman

The National Capital Region Police Office completed the facial sketch of the gunman responsible for the shootout at the NAIA Terminal 3 last week and it will be out soon. The facial composite was made based on the descriptions given by at least 10 witnesses and scheduled to be released today.

Report source: https://www.facebook.com/Bandila.OFFICIAL

A phone charger with the size of a credit card?!

Another news from the world of science and technology as in America, there's an incredible invention called the "Charge Card", a phone charge which has the size of a credit card. Isn't it cool?

Report: http://n5e.interaksyon.com/videos/FFA917EB7B4C44A/charger-kasinlaki-lang-ng-credit-card

LPA spotted in the southern Philippines.

Stay alert folks, because there's an LPA spotted over the southern Philippines and  is bringing the threat of isolated flooding through Christmas Eve. This is really the only area of active weather today and dominates the bulk of the update. Otherwise the Siberian high and the northeast monsoon is keeping things quite across Eastern Asia.

Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uORqmN3z3zY

Firecrackers...

Last week, there was a child who got blown by a piccolo firework somewhere at Tondo, Manila. It happened moments while the Department of Health is on a stringent campaign against the use of fireworks this Yuletide season. Here's the clip...



Hats banned at malls?

The Philippine National Police are targeting against people wearing hats or caps while in the mall for security measures. What is it about and why? Here's the clip...

 

China-exclusive Citroen DS 5LS revealed

Dongfeng-Citroen DS 5LS

It maybe a stretched version of the uber-luxury Citroen DS5 but this sedan version, the DS 5LS, is available exclusively for the Chinese market courtesy of Dongfeng-Citroen. It's 17cm longer than the DS5, measuring 470cm from nose to tail, and because of the fact that the Chinese prefer space at the back more than everything else, the DS5LS fits to that liking.

Report: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/citroen-stretches-ds5-2013-12-20

FnF7 to be in theaters this April 2015

Announced by actor Vin Diesel, the seventh installment of The Fast and The Furious film will be pushed to the April of 2015. He told from his Facebook page...

"The last scene we filmed together...

There was a unique sense of completion, of pride we shared...in the film we were now completing...the magic captured...and in just how far we've come...

Fast & Furious 7 will be released...

April 10th, 2015!

P.S. He'd want you to know first..."

Report: http://www.topgear.com.ph/features/lifestyle/art/movies/vin-diesel-announces-new-release-date-of-fast-furious-7#

The Powerpuff Girls return in an all-new special

It's been 15 years since The Powerpuff Girls first aired on Cartoon Network since 1998. It's been the crowning glory of Craig McCracken, who's currently busy with Disney's Wander Over Yonder. Good news, though, the girls are back and they're ready to save the world before bedtime...one more time!

The TV special airs on January 20, 2014 on Cartoon Network. Check local listings.



Bravest Warriors S02E04

Jelly Kid dies but who killed Jelly Kid? Find out on the latest episode of the second season of Cartoon Hangover's Bravest Warriors, titled Jelly Kid Forever...if you're a Cold Blooded Dickens.

 

TTFN!!!

Austin & Ally: Turn it Up

Austin & Ally: Turn it Up

With the latest season of Disney Channel's Austin & Ally still turn things up for our favorite singer-songwriter duo of Austin Moon (played by Ross Lynch) and Ally Dawson (played by Laura Marano) along with their pals Dez (played by Calum Worthy) and Austin's personal manager and Ally's best pal Trish De La Rosa (played by Raini Rodriguez) in their cross-country trip to fame and sometimes mischief, not to mention the feels most "Raura" shippers are experiencing ever since...well, you know what I mean but anyway, thanks to Season 3 of Austin & Ally, the second soundtrack of the hit TV series has arrived, jam packed with some tunes you'll be sure to like as much as the first soundtrack of the show.

Yes, more of tunes courtesy of our favorite singer-songwriter tandem, Austin Moon and Ally Dawson, as heard over the course of Season 3 and there's even a track titled Unstoppable sung by Chloe & Halle. Don't tell about that but still, 13 new songs in one unique music CD are sure enough to spend so much fun with your mates listening to the songs heard through the second season of the hit Disney Channel TV series.

Austin & Ally airs on Disney Channel. Check local listings.

TRACK LISTINGS:
1) Upside Down
2) Me and You
3) Who U R
4) Superhero
5) Parachute
6) What We're About
7) Chasin' the Beat of My Heart
8) Stuck on You
9) Redial
10) Steal Your Heart
11) Better Than This
12) I Think About You
13) Unstoppable

What's in our Car Town garage today? (December 22, 2013)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

1970 Pontiac GTO Convertible

For the 1970 model year GTO, the hidden headlamps have been replaced by four round headlamps exposed on the front view and the grille openings are now narrower. It even comes with an updated suspension courtesy of a rear anti-roll bar used on the Oldsmobile 442 and the Buick Gran Sport. This model features a new optional 455 HO engine, moments after General Motors lifted the ban on engines larger than 400. The convertible version still offers the same updates as the hardtop version but with the roof open, it's worth an enjoyable cruiser on the road ahead.



1968 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona

The reason why some people called the Ferrari the Daytona, although it's an unofficial name Ferrari never used on this classic sports car, is theoretically it's because of Ferrari's 1-2-3 finish in the February 1967 24 Hours of Daytona with the 330 P4. This classic sports car isn't related to the 330 P4 but still one of the top sports cars of the 1970's as voted by Sports Car International. It's powered by a 4.4L V12 engine produces 357PS of power, propels from 0-60mph in 5.4 seconds, and a top speed of 174mph. That's quicker even by today's standards but still impressive. Richard Hammond drove this in the Series 12 episode of Top Gear against James May in an XSR 48 boat in a race through Monaco.



2008 Citroen GT Concept

Citroen, one of the most notable French carmakers in the history well known for their "creative technology", and Gran Turismo, a multi-million selling Playstation series of all time. What happens when you combine the two? The result is the eye-popping Citroen GT Concept. Premiered at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, this concept is the first ever car to be specifically designed to bring the virtual and real worlds together.