HALLOWEEN 2014: Loser candies to avoid

*This post is a carry-over from one of my last year's Halloween special posts.

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.

HALLOWEEN 2014: Tips during the Undas traffic

*This article is a carry-over from one of last year's Halloween special post, although there are some minor changes to keep it in tune with the times. 

All Saints' Day is on November 1st, 2014, 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 2014, 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 would do but be sure that it's fully charged before on the go. If possible, bring a mobile charger with you but make sure your car has enough power to charge your gadgets!

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. 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 Swarm! 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!

Let's Do The News! (October 28, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- According to Mexico's Atty. Gen. Jesus Murillo Karam, the testimony of two arrested members of a drug gang had led them to the site of the suspected mass grave as the search for the missing 43 students who vanished after last month's protest continues. Earlier, the second mass grave was found and found none of the students' bodies.

- The US health officials will monitor active health workers who have treated Ebola patients in West Africa under new guidelines that will require them to be checked for symptoms for 21 days but will not require quarantine or isolation.

- It's been a month have passed since the Hong Kong public held mass protests and activists are calling on supporters to gather for an evening rally wearing the masks they've used to fend off against police forces.

- Is this the end of the Mahjong pastime? A Communist party's newspaper from China urged the Chinese government personnel to put an end of the ancient Chinese pastime.

- Philippine President Benigno Aquino III admitted that the Congress delayed the contracting generating sets for the imminent energy crisis in the Philippines.

- Top Gear announced their brand new 2014 original video coming this November 17th. Called "The Perfect Road Trip 2", Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson are going to get things right after last year's "perfect road trip" ended in failure when French authorities banned them from driving on French roads! On this sequel, Jezza and Hamster will be travelling from Venice to the Isle of Capri via Bologna, Siena, Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano on the stunning Amalfi coast.

 

- Mazda to feature a brand new compact SUV at this year's LA Auto Show from the 18th to the 30th of November, 2014. It's called the CX-3 and while it's based on the latest Demio, some say it will have the same engine output from the Roadster/MX-5 Miata ND.

Mazda new compact SUV sketch teaser

- Two characters from the Nisekoi -False Love- anime series, Seishiro Tsugumi and Kosaki Onodera, spawned themselves a Nendoroid version courtesy of Good Smile Company!

Nendoroid Kosaki Onodera

Nendoroid Seishiro Tsugumi

- Liv and Maddie star Dove Cameron is the next Disney celeb to spread a message for Disney's Choose Kindness campaign, telling everyone to "be the light". She said:

“As you may have heard, October is bullying prevention month,” she wrote. “As someone who was bullied all throughout school, this cause is very near and dear to my heart, and I feel honored that I am in a position to help spread the word about this incredible message.”

- Subaru is teasing an STi-version of the Forester crossover, set for its November 25th reveal.

Teaser for the Forester tS

TTFN!!!

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!