Let's Do The News! (October 27, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff won her second-term at the Brazilian elections with 51.6% votes from the public. She has promised to re-unite the Latin American nation and make big changes society demands.

- Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko plans to begin coalition talks after a win for pro-Western parties in Sunday's parliamentary elections. There was no voting in eastern areas, where the pro-Russian rebels took control of it, especially Crimea, which the Russians annexed it last March.

- US President Barack Obama expressed concern about strict quarantines announced by three states for health workers returning from West Africa where the Ebola Outbreak worsens.

- Cabinet ministers from 12 Asia-Pacific nations have called for working-level talks to continue the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and they'll meet again within several weeks. They've issued a joint statement at the final day of the 3-day talks in Sydney, Australia.

- There was an oil leakage from a ruptured pipe from the Sual Power Station and operators from this plant deployed work crews to put a stop to it.

- (yawn) Another pointless KanColle merch announcement as Good Smile Company unveiled a figma of the second Nagato-class battleship, Mutsu, from the most-talked browser game Kantai Collection. (sigh) She'll be deploying at your nearest shops this May with the 6,296 (before tax) Japanese Yen pricing.

figma Mutsu

- The limited-edition Su-47 Berkut Grabacr model kit, part of Hasegawa Hobby Kits' Ace Combat lineup has been revealed and it's ready for its sortie at your nearest hobby stores this mid-November. This model kit is based on the villain plane from Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War and its prequel Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War (belonging to someone with the TAC Name: Grabacr). Pair this one with the F-14A Razgriz plane and you can recreate the final aerial battle from The Unsung War!

Su-47 Berkut Ace Combat Grabacr

- The Insidious saga continues as the first trailer of Insidious Chapter 3 has hit the internet. CHECK IT OUT if you dare.

- Remember the episode from Girl Meets World that tackles more on anti-bullying? Well, the quest of spreading message against bullying isn't over as the cast of the hit Disney Channel TV series are showcased with shirts celebrating Disney's Choose Kindness campaign. Rowan Blanchard, Sabrina Carpenter, August Maturo, and Corey Fogelmanis, each took a photo wearing a shirt with a different positive message.

#BeBrave #BeTrue #BeLoving #BeYou Be unafraid to be exactly who you are. #BeInspired and #ChooseKindness all October pic.twitter.com/tUnSh1GfNE
— August Maturo (@AugustMaturo) October 22, 2014

TTFN!!!

Subaru Legacy - Sixth Generation

The Subaru Legacy is officially in its 25th year since the first one debuted in late 1989. For its 25th year, the Legacy has been regenerated to its sixth generation and while it's okay to look at, it's somewhat not okay to drive one but why?

2015 Subaru Legacy B4

2015 Subaru Legacy Outback

For the first time in Legacy history, the Touring Wagon was been officially axed from the lineup and it was supplemented by the Impreza-based Levorg station wagon, which remains a Japan-only car for now. This means, for the sixth-generation model, it's now available only in the B4 sedan and Outback crossover, which is kind of odd but why would they add a crossover version of the wagon no longer available for this generation?

To make things worse, the new model is now available only with the updated version of the FB25 boxer engine with Lineartronic CVT gearbox. I know that this combo will lead to a fuel economy, as calculated by 14.8kmpl (14.6kmpl for the Outback), which is not bad, but when it comes to driving one, it's going to be one slow trip at a snail's pace. On the flipside, however, both the new Legacy and Outback can bring it on whatever Mother Nature takes on and it doesn't really matter if they're on tarmac, gravel, snow, or whatever because of Subaru's legendary Symmetrical AWD and its boxer engine's low center of gravity. It keeps it as firm as you're glued to your seat by some anonymous prankster but never mind that part. The result is the handling that is not half bad for either a sports saloon or a crossover utility wagon, although the use of double wishbones and struts is a bit old-school for these models. Feels like they're not quite getting through the groove when faced against numerous rivals from a multitude of countries.

2015 Subaru Legacy Outback

2015 Subaru Legacy B4

With safety as its number one priority Subaru, the new Legacy, in B4 sedan and Outback crossover, doesn't come ready for the road without the breakthrough EyeSight ver. 3, which uses stereo cameras for adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and collision warning/prevention. Those technologies were the same thing we found on the Levorg station wagon and this safety technology is second-to-none if you're really careful on how to use it well. I heard that this car won the IIHA Top Safety Pick+ thanks to this option and it's the only Japanese carmaker with IIHS Top Safety Picks for all models for the last five years. There is a well-known fact that 95% of Subaru vehicles sold in the last 10 years are still on the road today and for this new generation, I really had high hopes that it will stay sturdy through the end of eternity and that's good...probably.

There's more because on the Outback, it comes with the X-Mode feature as seen on the current-gen Forester. The X-Mode system keeps the new Outback more stable and more responsive when taking on off-road terrain and with the Hill Descent Control. the new Outback maintains the vehicle’s speed so the driver can focus more on steering. That is just the tip of the technological iceberg.

2015 Subaru Legacy B4 interior

2015 Subaru Legacy Outback interior

Design-wise, the new Subaru Legacy models are more solid and more dynamic than the previous generations, although I find pity for the B4 model because it kind of looked like the Hyundai LF Sonata upon further observation. While the interior isn't what you call premium, it's still not half bad to look at judging by its seats, the legroom, the sat-nav, the paddle shifters, the cup holders, on and on. This is somewhat like when your office cubicle from work meets Starbucks but that's just how the pencil pushers ruin the interior affairs for no reason.

The new Legacy B4 starts at 2,862,000 Japanese Yen while the new Legacy Outback starts at 3,132,000 Japanese Yen so it's not what you called cheap but your Sir Chief would definitely want one for his family at this moment in time even though this new model promises better value for money thanks to its AWD, the optional Eyesight, and its fuel economy not bad for a company car. For now, it's evaluation time. While the Legacy isn't much more fun to drive than the originals and more expensive than its rivals, it's now more mature in the technological stakes judging by the help of Eyesight and X-Mode (only applicable for the Outback), and this is not a half bad car for a start.

Available Colors (B4): Crystal White Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Dark Grey Metallic, Crystal Black Silica, Venetian Red Pearl, Lapis Blue Pearl, Deep Sea Blue Pearl.

Available Colors (Outback): Crystal White Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Platinum Grey Metallic, Dark Grey Metallic, Crystal Black Silica, Venetian Red Pearl, Tungsten Metallic, Lapis Blue Pearl, Deep Sea Blue Pearl.

Photo: Fuji Heavy Industries

Forza Horizon 2: Barn Find #03: Jeep Willys MB

When you've encountered a third barn find rumor on Forza Horizon 2, then you'll notice that it was marked somewhere within the vicinity of San Giovanni in western Italy. Recon suggests that it's a few yards near the East Saint-Martin Speed Trap so the barn find in question is nearby.



For recon purposes, I've used the brand new Renault Sport Clio 200 EDC, part of the Mobil 1 Car Pack. You can use any car you want to find the barn find in question but feel free to use whatever means necessary in order to get that treasured machine. Remember, the barn find is located near the East Saint-Martin Speed Trap but if you're new, it's going to take a lot of time until you spot one. If you found one, you'll have to wait for a few minutes until a notification flashed to your screen, meaning that your barn find is now ready for pickup and can be usable in-game.






I've never driven an offroad vehicle that was born for military use by the US Army several decades ago but hey, I just remembered. This military vehicle was once originated the Jeep name although there are some puzzles about the origin of the Jeep word via this car, although it was claimed from the slurring of the letters GP, the military term for General Purpose while others say it came for a character named "Eugene the Jeep" from the Popeye cartoon strip. No one knows what is the true origin of the Jeep term from this vehicle but it doesn't matter because having a machine born from the age of Allies vs. Axis Powers is a collector's item in FH2. Drive it, race it, customizing it, the rest is all up to you to turn this war-born machine into one of the coolest offroaders you can drive through the entire Southern Europe.

Do I have big plans for this Willys Jeep? You'll find out soon in a later post...

Doctor Who S08E10

Doctor Who S08E10

The London Jungle and how did the British capitol plagued with the forest's curse is the main story of this episode from Doctor Who titled "In the Forest of the Night" as The Doctor, Clara Oswald, Danny Pink, and a handful of students are finding out the cause of this. To make things worse, there's a massive solar flare going to engulf the world within a few moments. When The Doctor revealed that the trees saved the world from catastrophes, they're taking advantage of the overgrown forests as a protection against the imminent solar flare. After that, the world is back to the way things were. Now that we learned that trees will one day save us from imminent catastrophes, a good moral lesson to all the tree-huggers out there.

BTS from this episode:



NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW:



This is it! Part 1 of the Series 8 finale! See you next week!

Lexus RC (C10)

2015 Lexus RC

This is Lexus' attempt to take on the A5, 4-Series, and the ATS Coupe and it's called the RC. And if by RC, it kinda sounds like that RC Cola machine we don't really want because like one time you think there's a Coca-Cola machine but turned out it was just a mirage. It's just an RC Cola machine. 

So, before talking about the RC, let's take a look back on the Z30-spec Toyota Soarer, a car that was known worldwide as the first Lexus SC. You see, the Z30-spec Soarer is a good car for a start. You might think this is more of a Supra in fancy clothes and yes it is because speedo boys love to spent a boatload of cash into customizing it, that's why that particular Soarer is a true driver's car because of its fun to drive character right until the Z40-spec Soarer showed up and its reputation ruined.

2015 Lexus RC

What Lexus wanted to have is to capture the spirit of the Z30-spec Toyota Soarer while adapting to today's climate that most drivers currently live in but the main question is, does the new RC feel like the Z30 Soarer? Let's see...

The Lexus RC starts at 5,650,000 Japanese Yen and what you'll get is either a 3.5L V6 engine mated with an 8-speed automatic gearbox or a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine connected to an electric motor and a nickel metal battery while mated with a CVT gearbox. Whichever variant you'll choose, you can opt for an F-Sport model which comes with Lexus Dynamic Handling System, stiffer suspension system, improved brakes, and so much more. If I had a choice, I would always want to go for the V6 model with the F-Sport on it because driving one of these feels like the Soarers of the 90's or so I thought.

2015 Lexus RC

When you're using F-Sport models of the GS and IS for further inspiration, you will notice that the RC is much more like these 4-door Lexus cars in such getup. It's like a trio of male vocals trying to start a boyband to woo the audience with their serenading tunes but this is not made for serenading people, the RC tries to feel like the SC but all those technological gizmos lurking beneath its striking looks can be bothersome even for a novice. For instance, when you engage Sport + on the Drive Mode Selector, it makes the car less comfortable to drive but more sharper to handle in the bends just like what you expect on those Lexus sedans.

It maybe more wonderful to drive and more enjoyable than the daft Lexus SC but when compared against the German aggressors, the Lexus RC is a bit of a low-level threat because the Germans employed the best arsenal to keep themselves faster, smarter, and stronger while the Japanese still focus on making boring cars more boring...a contrast to Tokyo's vibrant energy as a fun city filled with everything an otaku wants. To make things worse, there's a heavier and slower hybrid model which uses the same 2.5L 4-cylinder engine from the Toyota Crown and Lexus IS relatives while connected to an electric motor and a nickel metal battery. While the fuel economy of 23.2kmpl for a two-door coupe is good, the performance figures are a contrast to the RC's sporty looks. It's like when a guy dressed smartly to school but ended up failing with bad grades. What a pitiful sight and this is like a scenario when you think there's a Dr. Pepper vending machine, you're rushing for it but found out it was a mirage...and it's just an RC Cola machine. Get it now?

2015 Lexus RC interior

2015 Lexus RC interior

While the RC may not be the sharpest car to drive at, the interior is highly questionable in the eyes of a connoisseur. Sure, it was carried over from the IS but there's a sneaking suspicion that this is their new uniform interior for Lexus, much like what BMW and Cadillac did when they employ the same interior in different models over and over again but hey, you don't want to swallow that.

Time now for an evaluation: I was hoping for the RC to be the modern-day version of the Z30-spec Toyota Soarer from the 90's and made to look at luxury coupes in a whole new day but it isn't. It maybe sporty to drive and exciting to look at but in the game of softdrinks, they're treating it like an underdog to their game. Although it maybe new but one day, just like that volleyball team representing RC Cola at the SuperLiga Grand Prix, it will triumph against all odds but count me out on this. No one likes a bottle of RC Cola at this time. (sigh)

Available Colors: White Nova Glass Flake, White Pearl Crystal Shine, Platinum Silver Metallic, Sonic Titanium, Mercury Gray Mica, Black, Starlight Black Glass Flake, Radiant Red Contrast Layering, Lava Orange Crystal Shine, and Heat Blue Contrast Layering.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

#ILFullCircle

The battle between truth and lies comes into fruition in the final episode of ABS-CBN's most-talked TV drama, Ikaw Lamang.

Shortly after Natalia (KC Concepcion) was rescued by Isabel (Amy Austria-Ventura), the mother that Franco separated them before the blast 20 years ago, Gabriel Hidalgo (Coco Martin), the son of Samuel Hidalgo, who was killed by Franco Hidalgo (Christopher de Leon), his mortal enemy, is on the run to save Andrea (Kim Chiu) from Franco's clutches. 

When Gabriel was caught by his men, he was beaten up while Andrea tries to stop Franco but if it's time for the final kill, Gabriel escaped through the waters and risen.

Gabriel has saved Andrea, Andrea rushes to safety, and he's taking on Franco for one last battle, a decisive battle that will determine the fate. The battle ends with Franco ruptured by a crane after the fall. Gabriel survived by grabbing an edge and he won. Gabriel rushed to Andrea and Calisto (Nonie Burncamino), the person Samuel trusted several years ago, and told that it's over. Justice is served.

The story ends with Gabriel and Andrea getting married and several moments later...they met at the place where Samuel and Isabel met when they were young. Everything ends but memories never fade away. This concludes the story of Ikaw Lamang.

BVBBLE GANG XIX

GMA's hit comedy gag show, Bubble Gang is now on its 19th anniversary! The TV show's all grown up but the cast didn't and they're still up to their crazy shenanigans as they're doing it big time for the show's 19th year with a little help from special celebrity guests so...what are they up to?

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...revenge posts!

- Bubble Gang does Ariel with Jose and Eugene Domingo!

- Spartan gags!

- ISTAMBAY SA LOOBAN with the Dabarkads!

- Mr. Matapobre encounters some street children on his home!

- Antonietta gets poisoned by Ms. Gloria Romero!

- Celebs seeks help to Tata Lino!

- Marian Rivera takes on a dance-off with the choreographer and the Bubble Shakers!

- KWEK KWEK music video!

- ANG BAGONG DATING DOON INTERNATIONAL with Brod Pete and special participation of Tom Rodriguez and Carla Abellana!

- Mr. Assimo vs. Pepito Manaloto!

- IYOTUBE with Moymoy Palaboy in Picture Picture featuring the best bite-sized chunks of Bubble Gang!

We hope you enjoyed the anniversary special more than you do, folks! So, happy 19th anniversary to our favorite comedy show in the Philippines (and the world...probably), Bubble Gang!