REMEMBERING 2014 (Part One)

The year 2014 is almost at an end and we had so many memories faced this year. The good, the better, the best, the bad, the worst, whatever happened so far this year has been one heck of a rollercoaster ride for us and thank goodness, we're going on strong during the test of times. Just before it's New Year's Eve, time to wrap up this year with my serial yearender and I'll be randoming out what just happened this 2014 but let's make it short because I don't want my yearender to be a snoozefest so, let's begin.

Sherlock Lives! - BBC's Sherlock returned for season three since New Year's Day, January 1st, and the third season finally answered how Sherlock Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, cheated his death at the end of the second season, but that's just the start because after revelations about his fake death, Holmes and Dr. John Watson (played by Martin Freeman) teamed up once again as they race against time to stop a bomb before blowing up the British Parliament, saving John Watson's wedding by no means necessary, figuring out who is Magnussen in His Last Vow, and the end of the third season sees the return of a familiar face. Who could that be? Some say, like Sherlock, he just don't fear death.

The Polar Vortex - The East Coast of the United States of America faced one of the worst winter storms in history this year.

2014 NAIAS - Despite Detroit being a town declared bankrupt last 2013, that doesn't stop the NAIAS organizers from running the 2014 car show. On that event, they've unveiled new cars like the new BMW M3 and M4, new Cadillac ATS Coupe, new Corvette C7 Z06, new Chrysler 200, new Ford F-150, new Ford Mustang, and so much more.

The General Motors faulty ignition scandal - One of the most scandalous events occurred in the motoring world just before the Takata airbag crisis is American automotive giant General Motors when they've recalled over 780,000 vehicles worldwide due to faulty ignition switches.

41st Annie Awards - Cartoon Network's hit TV series Adventure Time named as the best animated TV/broadcast production for Children's Audience. Disney Junior's Sofia The First is named as the Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children, beating the likes of Doc McStuffins, and two preschool shows from Nickelodeon's Nick Jr such as Peter Rabbit and Bubble Guppies.

SUPER BOWL XLVIII - The Seattle Seahawks won their first Super Bowl title against the formidable Denver Broncos.

Mudslide in Oso, WA - On the 22nd of March, a mudslide on a town near Oso, Washington, killed 43 people.

R.I.P. Roger Lloyd Pack - Veteran British actor Roger Lloyd-Pack died at the age of 69 from pancreatic cancer.

I Didn't Do It! - Former Kickin It actress Olivia Holt starred in the latest Disney Channel TV series called I Didn't Do It! It's about five friends getting involved into countless shenanigans one after another.

Good Bye Charlie - Good Luck Charlie, the Disney Channel TV series that starred Bridgit Mendler as Teddy Duncan, ended their four-season run.



Vhong Navarro vs. Deniece Cornejo, Cedric Lee, and others - this is one of the worst moments happened to "It's Showtime" presenter Vhong Navarro as he got tied, blindfolded, and beaten up by six unknown men at a condo at The Fort, Taguig City, since January 22. He believes that this is the work of Deniece Cornejo as well as businessman Cedric Lee and his ally Zimmer Raz. What's worse, this Showtime presenter got slammed by two more rape complaints, one of which was filed by Roxanne Cabanero.

The Legal Wife - One of the most intriguing dramas aired on ABS-CBN since the first quarter of 2014, The Legal Wife stars Angel Locsin as Monica, Maja Salvador as Nicole, and Jericho Rosales as Adrian. The Monica-Nicole rivalry is what kept this TV show burned with plot twists that sets the viewers' minds on fire and an ending worth questioning.

 

The Corvette Museum Sinkhole - A terrifying sinkhole occurred inside the famed Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA, swallowing eight Corvettes including those loaned from General Motors. No one is hurt from that car-tastrophe.

Six Nations 2014 - After five grueling rounds in the RBS Six Nations 2014, there is only one team that shook the world since Round 1, the team that performed an impressive show in the face of the fans, the team that stood up and be counted all the way to the very. So, who won the 2014 Six Nations? It's the IRFU from Ireland. The Irish rugby team declared the victor.

The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics - The 2014 Winter Olympics held at Sochi, Russia from February 7 to February 23, 2014. In the end of the Winter Olympics, Russia scored a grand total of 33 medals (13 gold, 11 silver, 9 bronze) while USA garnered 28 medals (9 gold, 7 silver, 12 bronze) and Norway got 26 medals (11 gold, 5 silver, 10 bronze). The hosting nation, Russia, became the overall winning nation of the 2014 Winter Olympics. The end of Sochi 2014 marks the countdown of the next Winter Games as the Russians passed the torch to the hosting nation for the next 2018 Winter Olympics; South Korea.

More to come on Part Two!

CHRISTMAS 2014: Enjoying the final day of the Simbang Gabi

As you may now, the Simbang Gabi for 2014 has come to an end and oh, have you guys completed the whole nine days of Simbang Gabi masses? For me, I've completed them all. I managed to survive through all nine days of Simbang Gabi masses flawlessly but some of you didn't cut the mustard to complete all nine days due to some reasons but there's always next year, right?

From where I am standing, at Seattle's St. Edward's Parish, just a mile away from our home in Graham Street, Seattle, the last day of the Simbang Gabi took place and every year, Seattle's Archbishop Peter Sartain visited this church just to offer some words of wisdom to those attendees, and then some attendees and sponsors are offering him "gifts" at the near-end of the mass. It's been an honor to meet up with one of Northwest's high-profile and religious persons again.

Anyway, enough said. I think this is enough to talk much about what I did on the last day but more importantly is, I've completed all nine days of Simbang Gabi this year. Despite finishing the nine days of Simbang Gabi, looks like I'll be visiting this church again for the annual Christmas Eve mass but we decided to go for the one that held at 2200 hours Pacific Time. That's 10:00PM for the commoners. That gives my mom plenty of time to prepare our noche buena and after we arrived home for the mass, it's time to eat and when the clock strikes twelve, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Woo-hoo! I'm so excited to open my presents!

See you next time and when I got my presents, I'll post my unwrapping article about what presents I got for this year's Christmas.

Lexus RCF

2015 Lexus RC F

Like any other European sports cars, the new Lexus RC F combines the best of both worlds; being a standing ovation to any crowd on the streets and a track-day car on the weekends. Upon my observation on this high-performance version of the recently-released RC Coupe, I think that Lexus tries to create their own take against the BMW M4 but is it worth the use?

2015 Lexus RC F

First, let's take a look under the bonnet and the RC F comes with the same 5.0L V8 engine derived from the decommissioned IS F but now it's been updated so it produces 477PS of power and 530Nm of torque. That's a lot more than what the M4 has and unlike the M4 which has a 7-speed double-clutch nonsense, it has an 8-speed automatic gearbox which works just as fine as your usual automatic gearbox. However, the new RC F is almost two hundred kilos heavier than the M4 so when you pit these two on the drag race, looks like the M4 is winning. So much for bragging, eh? But what about on the track?

Like the old IS F, the RC F is really out of character for a Lexus because most Lexuses were made for those who are having a cup of tea in a fancy country club or being a professor of history at a certain university or something something but with Lexus' image changing into something radical since the latest Lexus IS, the gentlemen's club has been transformed into Alien Vs. Predator in a kind of way.

I wasn't got interested on the normal RC, especially the one with the hybrid model because it's a stark contrast to its sporty image. It was like you were rushing at the Dr. Pepper machine, only to found out that it was a mirage...and an RC Cola machine. In the RC F, it maybe a toughened-up version built to race on any track but it still feels...like an RC Cola machine. I know this car has more power than the M4 but its bulk really betrays me like my fandoms messed up by hostile search queries. It really lets me down, no matter what.

When it enters the real world with real traffic, the RC F is not so bad to drive on the local motorway and if anyone sees one approaching, they'll wind up their smartphones and blow a barrage of hashtags about what they saw because such styling really appeals. However, for a car like this, the RC F is a constable magnet and if you're making any turn on the motorway, an approaching constable will stop you and grab your license for some reasons. Looks like you're going to be creative to make the constables go deadma over this machine unnoticed.

2015 Lexus RC F interior

Unlike the M4, the RC F comes with a rather unique interior that feels like I've been on the now-legendary LFA supercar. The sports seats made for this car may not match the M4's but sitting here feels like I've bee cushioned to the seat of my favorite arcade racing game.

Since the RC F is a super saloon with two doors, there are four seats that can accommodate up to four people but on the downside, the passengers at the back will feel the cramped space due to its sloping roofline as well as its legroom which is as tight as getting sandwiched by two fat people at the MRT.

2015 Lexus RC F

At the end of the day, the Lexus RC F tries to rethink its ways about why this car is still lagging behind its German opposition but this car feels humbled and despite its downsides, this car tries to make a living as a sportscar that looks great and fun to drive but it's an expensive car to own because prices start at 9,530,000 Japanese Yen. Summing up this car is hard because, let's be honest, I wouldn't mind getting one in my dream garage and if I want a Japanese car that is a lot more enjoyable to drive, I'd go for the Nissan GT-R NISMO instead.

Available Colors: White Nova Glass Flake, Mercury Grey Mica, Sonic Silver, Black, Radiant Red Contrast Layering, Lava Orange Crystal Shine, and Heat Blue Contrast Layering.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation

Let's Do The News! (December 23, 2014)

Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- Some internet services in North Korea have been partially back online after an almost unprecedented internet outage occurred despite the recent cyberattack against the US. No comments have been made from the Pyongyang authorities.

- The US justice department will review the case of the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man, named Dontre Hamilton, by a white police officer since April in Milwaukee. It was made after a local prosecutor said he would not charge against the officer, who claimed that he acted in self-defence when confronted in a park by the said black man.

- In preparation for the arrival of Pope Francis in the Philippines, the nation's president Benigno Aquino III declared that January 15 to 19 will be a non-working holiday, giving Filipinos more time to witness the arrival of the Pope in this nation.

- Two victims who died from the Sydney Cafe Siege were remembered at private memorial services, a weeks after a gunman took them hostage. Tori Johnson, the manager of this cafe where the hostage drama occurred, and Katrina Dawson, a 38-year-old lawyer, were the victims who killed in the siege along the with the hostage taker in it.

- 10 years have passed since the cataclysmic Asian Tsunami that killed over 220,000 people across 14 countries as far apart as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Somalia but experts warn that the painful memory of this tragic event is fading away as residents from the affected areas had disaster preparedness on their minds as well as authorities taking advantage of their early warning systems.

- MMDA traffic constable, Sonny Acosta, who was dragged by a maroon Isuzu AUV, died around 2:30PM due to cardiac arrest, according to reports. Last week, Acosta flagged down an Isuzu for being in the lane designated for provincial buses in Cubao, Quezon City. When he asked the driver, whose name is Mark Ian Libunao, his driver's license, the driver rolled up his window and got away while the enforcer's hand was stuck in the car's window. His colleagues found him bloody on the ground.

- The McLaren Special Operations division built a one-off P1 hybrid hypercar with the legendary Gulf oil livery on the outside just for the businessman named Miles Nadal. His one-off P1 he ordered from the MSO were heavily inspired by the McLaren F1 GTR racecar with the same racing colors.

Gulf-liveried McLaren P1

- Dog With A Blog actress G Hannelius is now 16 years old and this Sweetyhigh article takes you behind-the-scenes of her 16th birthday party with some fabulous 50's theme on it.

- Leonardo from the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movie spawned himself a figure courtesy of Good Smile Company. Arriving this June, this figure based on the leader of the TMNT is priced at 14,815 Japanese Yen or $129.99 plus tax.

Good Smile Company Leonardo figure

TTFN!!!

Honda N BOX Slash

2015 Honda N BOX Slash

The brand-new Honda N BOX Slash is what happens when the folks from Honda tried to shorten the roofline of their Honda N BOX tall kei car via a chopped roof, give it secret rear doors to the passenger side, and provide a unique interior position where the rear is higher than the driver's side. What's it all about the new N BOX Slash is everyone's guess but this new kind of abomination wants further explanations about why such a thing exists on Japanese roads.

At first, it looks like a normal N BOX but this awkward looking side profile gives it a more of a "box coupe" look because the roof has been lowered by 100mm compared to the normal N-BOX, narrowing down the roofline and elevating the window line toward the rear. It's like when the Deuce munched too much sushi filled with spicy wasabi in it but this car's no Deuce. It's a kei car with a rather unquestionable design that confuses the bypassers thinking what in the world is this abomination doing on the streets of Tokyo on a cloudy afternoon.

2015 Honda N BOX Slash interior

2015 Honda N BOX Slash interior

The inside looks identical to the normal N BOX but the Slash model features a low and wide cabin space and the reason why the rear seats are higher than the front seats is because of the fuel tank mounted in the center of the car's backbone. With such unique position, someone at the back can see your head from up there.

Customers can personalize their interiors with five unique styles such as the Bright Rod Style, the Street Rod Style, the California Diner Style, the Hawaii Glide Style, and the Tennessee Session style.

The N BOX Slash features a brand new Sound Mapping System (8 speakers + 1 subwoofer) that turns the interior into a mobile club and despite being in a kei car with a small space, this new kind of sound system brings out its best sound quality on any driving music you're listening and the awesome news is that it comes with the wireless charging device which you can charge your phones without the help of that troublesome USB connectors that you often lost it either at home or in the car.

2015 Honda N BOX Slash

The N BOX Slash still comes with the same 660cc engine (in normal and turbo) and the CVT gearbox as the normal N BOX but it has been recalibrated for this model to provide better acceleration and the fuel economy of 25.8kmpl (in JC08 Mode) at the same time. It's not what you called fast but it feels more decent and nippy for a city car in this magnitude, although the steering is a bit heavy because of its power steering included on the N Box Slash even though it can be turned on or off at a flick of a switch but that's least of our problems because there's a newly-developed Electric Parking Brake that uses a button rather than the traditional handbrake which allows the driver to apply the parking brake without fail at the touch of a button.

In the name of safety, it's been loaded with lots of it such as the Emergency Stop Signal, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist system, and then there's the available Safety Package which includes the City-Brake Active system, side curtain airbag system and front passenger’s i-side airbag system,

The new N BOX Slash starts at 1,380,000 Japanese Yen ($14,000) and it's available in 18 colors, including two-tone color variations accompanying the body and the roof. So, what to like about the N Box Slash? It's unique seating position where the rear is higher than the front, its sound system with the wireless charger, and its sizing just right for a city car. What I don't like is the sloping roofline that kinda spoils the look of this bizarre N BOX, its new Electric Parking Brake, and its Power Steering that feels a bit heavy.

Photo: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Let's Do The News! (December 22, 2014)

Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- Moncef Marzouki refused defeat upon the exit polls from the Tunisian elections suggested that Beji Caid Essebsi had won. He called Essebsi's victory "undemocratic" but the 88-year-old man who won the elections has been celebrating with supporters as he vows to bring back strength and stability to the nation.

- Ismaaiyl Brinsley, a 28-year-old black male behind the brutal killings of two NYPD officers, told the public to "watch what I'm going to do" before the attack. He shot them down while they were sitting in their police car before running into a nearby subway station and reportedly committed suicide. Some reports say that he posted messages on social media saying that he would kill those cops in retaliation for the death of Eric Garner, a black man who was killed by cops.

- Following with the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures that led to the cancellation of The Interview movie, US President Barack Obama mulls putting North Korea back in the list of nations sponsoring terrorism. He doesn't consider it an "act of war" but rather an act of cyber vandalism. In 1988, the US Government placed North Korea in the list of terrorist-sponsored nations but removed it in 1994 following some advancement in nuclear talks.

- One of Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, told reporters that the country is collaborating with the US Government on the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.

- The Tokyo Haneda Airport recorded a total of 70 million people passed through the airport since the beginning of 2014, 1.5 million more from last year.

- In preparation of the 2014 Metro Manila Film Festival parade, the MMDA starts rerouting of traffic as some roads along Roxas Boulevard in Manila would be closed to traffic during the parade. They said that the northbound lane of Roxas Boulevard from P. Ocampo to TM Kalaw would be closed to traffic starting 1 p.m. Tuesday and motorists who are using the northbound lane of the Roxas Blvd. should turn right at P. Ocampo Street while reaching their destination. Those who are using the westbound lane of Quirino Avenue going to Roxas Blvd. should turn left to Adriatico Street, turn right at P. Ocampo Street, and turn left at FB Harrison Street to reach their destination.

- Asphalt 8: Airborne was recently updated with Version 1.7.2 and for this Winter Update, expect new arrivals of new cars from almost unknown origins and when I said almost-unknown origins, these cars were thought to be not existed in the real world but they are. Those cars are the 9FF GT9 VMAX, Arrinera Hussarya, Felino cB7, Ferrari 308 GTS, Acura NSX 2005, Lucra L148, Renault DeZir, Rimac Concept_One, Spada Codatronica TSS, Tramontana XTR, and the VW W12. Apart from those new cars, there's a brand new SECTOR 8 location and this is going to be one of the craziest locations you can race on A8. Also, this update introduces the token system where players can earn tokens to unlock exclusive cars, refill fuel, or buy boosters. Lastly, because having a MAX-tuned car isn't enough, there's PRO KITS where you can buy PRO BOXES which randomly includes cards require to purchase a Pro Kit to upgrade your car a little further. Some are common but a few can be either RARE or LEGENDARY!

- In case you missed it, Episode 4 of the Bee and Puppycat web series is now streaming and it picks up where the last episode left off. This is the midseason finale but expect more episodes coming this 2015! The fun doesn't stop here, you know.



- IT'S THE NEW CADILLAC CTS-V! General Motors unveiled their most powerful Cadillac yet as the new CTS-V is powered by a more powerful 6.2L supercharged V8 engine with direct injection and Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation). Producing over 640HP of power, this new model is more powerful than the Mercedes-AMG E63 and the BMW M5! It even comes with the Performance Data Recorder which lets drivers record videos while driving!

2016 Cadillac CTS-V

- Arriving this May 2015 for 9,074 Yen (plus tax), here comes a 1/8 scale PVC figure of The iDOLM@STER's Miki Hoshii wearing her yutaka, brought to you courtesy of Good Smile Company.

Miki Hoshii Yukata Ver.

TTFN!!!

Suzuki Alto - Eighth Generation (HA36S)

2015 Suzuki Alto

There's a new king of fuel-efficient petrol cars arrived in Japan and it comes from a Japanese car company that helms as the king of fuel-efficient cars. Many have rivaled it but this car company's still fighting back and in Japan, they're winning in the fuel-efficient stakes. Yes, we're talking about Suzuki and what you're looking at, ladies and gentlemen, is the brand new, eighth-generation, Suzuki Alto. Yes. Suzuki has been using the Alto name for some time now since 1979 and for this 8th-generation model, looks like Suzuki's on a different approach when it comes to making this car from scratch.

2015 Suzuki Alto

2015 Suzuki Alto interior

Starting first with the design and for this new model, they've gone for a more retro approach which dates back from the 1980's. That sounds fine but for me, the new look is a bit tad old-fashioned for a new model but that's the way budget-friendly city cars look. Cheaper prices with cheaper designs that car enthusiasts wouldn't want in their dream garage except for Gran Turismo fanatics because it's a kei car and kei cars live well in the Gran Turismo virtual environment.

The same thing goes for the interior because just like the outside, it looks cheap and plasticky but it has the basic necessities that a car needs such as aircon, a radio, an instrumental panel, and seating for four people. The new model's height may be lower than the previous model but you can expect more space for your legs because the wheelbase is now 60mm more so, good job.

2015 Suzuki Alto

Now, here goes the most important stuff about the brand-new Alto: its performance. The new model inherits Suzuki's revolutionary S-ENE-CHARGE from the recently facelifted Wagon R, its big brother. If you need a quick recap, S-ENE-CHARGE is a system that assists the engine's acceleration with a motor by adopting the Integrated Starter Generator and a Li-ion battery that is specifically made for this system. Coupled with the R06A engine and the CVT gearbox, the result is a record-breaking fuel economy of 37.0kmpl based on Japan's JC08 Mode standards. This fuel economy is by no means the new Alto is the most fuel-efficient petrol-powered vehicle in the world today. There's no way other car makers can match that kind of fuel consumption.

This is only the beginning because the new Alto is offered in different variants, apart from its most fuel-efficient model ever made, including the one with the 5-speed manual gearbox and the one with a brand-new 5-speed Auto Gear Shift (ASG), a new type of gearbox that combines merits of both manual and automatic transmission.

It is equipped with an electro-hydraulic actuator that automatically operates clutch and gearshift and by integrating these two, ASG is made to provide unity on the operating device, resulting to an excellent fuel efficiency of 29.6kmpl, easy driving, and fun driving. Yes. Fun. Shifting gears is fun for this kind of city car.

Although I'm not going to pretend that this is a boring car made for old people with no sense of fun for a city car, it's not so bad. I mean, with a turning radius of 4.2 meters, this car is very easy to park and slip through the bends. It's that good but for a cheap car, it's not what you call comfortable because judging from its cheap seats and its cheap performance, it feels like I couldn't sleep in here. It feels like I'm sleeping on a rusty chair in my classroom during recess.

Even though it's a cheap car, the new Alto is not far behind when it comes to safety for this model, it comes with Radar Brake Support that stops automatically when an object is nearby, a false start suppression system that prevents collision when the driver hits the pedal and gearbox by mistake when a car crawls, and an Emergency Stop Signal to warn drivers at the back.

Time to conclude with with a little thing called "Evaluation Time" and if I had to evaluate it, the new Alto excels in the rear space due to its added wheelbase, its record-breaking fuel-efficient that can't be beat by its rivals, and with prices start at 847,800 Yen (around $8,500), it's a value for money. What the Alto flunks is its design, its comfort, its measly performance, and the interior that is as cheap as a check-in at a dirty motel. No matter though because with this new model, its fuel efficiency is unquestionable on the city streets and if any carmaker makes a car higher than any Suzuki model, they will still counterattack it despite their limited resources.

Photo: Suzuki Motor Corporation