The 5th Wave

Movie adaptations of best-selling books, especially young adult dystopian ones, are becoming more common even post-Hunger Games times because while these stories feature a much dystopian taste, strong female characters are becoming all the rage now since the Hunger Games and the Divergent series. Now, 2016 welcomes another movie adaptation of the best selling novels, this time, it's the first of Rick Yancey's best-selling young adult dystopian series called The 5th Wave.

The 5th Wave

This 2016 film, The 5th Wave, is the first of the trilogy. It stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, and Alex Roe, among many others. The film, like the books, highlights in the story of a young girl named Cassie. What was once an ordinary day becomes a series of cataclysms as an alien invasion unleashed four waves of deadly attacks. The power outages, the natural calamities, the plague, and the invasion from within. As she's on the run to save her little brother, Cassie encounters a young man named Evan Walker, who could be the key to her salvation. Throughout her journey, Cassie must face the inevitable choice while preparing for the worst.

This film is very frightening at first. It's like a blend of Independence Day, 2012, Hunger Games, and Divergent, at the same pace, but for a young adult dystopian flick depicting strong female characters, this film takes the cake and it's worth empowering for the viewers to discover that no matter how darkness falls, light will always prevail. Watching through the rest of the film is like slipping through the pages fast enough because viewers will never know what twists and turns The 5th Wave may face with, even with the dystopic characters featured.

The 5th Wave maybe intimidating and terrifying to watch but for stories depicting strong females, it's a powerful message that needs to be delivered.

Don't think you'll stop here on this 5th Wave because pretty soon, the story of The 5th Wave will continue in The Infinite Sea and The Last Star, which may get adapted very very soon but in the meantime, feel free to savor the thrills and spills in the first chapter of The 5th Wave trilogy.

My rating: 3.9 out of 5.

Broadchurch creator to take over Doctor Who in 2018

Ever since Steven Moffat took over BBC's longest-running sci-fi series Doctor Who during the Matt Smith years (2010-2013), he has propelled the show to greater success and introduced us some of the most memorable characters and villains during his rule. From the previous Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith to the current Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi, most of the Doctor Who episodes run by under Moffat's rule are truly memorable in each and every way.

Doctor Who

The tenth series, due in Spring 2017, will be the last series under Moffat's rule and after that, the show will be now under the rule of the new head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall, responsible for the BAFTA-winning crime drama Broadchurch (which starred Tenth Doctor David Tennant) as well as other shows such as The Great Train Robbery, United, Law & Order UK, Life on Mars, and the Doctor Who spinoff action drama Torchwood.

Sure, it's going to be a very very long wait for us, Whovians, to wait before Doctor Who returns to the TV screens but fear not because there's going to be a 2016 Christmas special as well as Class, another bonafide Doctor Who spinoff since Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures coming this year.

URL: http://www.bbcamerica.com/blog/2016/01/broadchurch-creator-to-helm-doctor-who-following-steven-moffats-final-season

Photo: BBC

Let's Do The News! (January 22, 2016)

- Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has appointed Department of Justice Chief Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa as the 174th associate justice of the Supreme Court. Caguioa not only replaces Leila del Lima as DOJ head last year but also Associate Justice Martin Villarama Jr., who retired from the high court.

- Vice presidentiable and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano called on his fellow senators running for president and vice president on the upcoming May 2016 elections to inhibit themselves from the reopened investigation into the Mamasapano clash that killed forty four PNP Special Action Force members last year.

- Ousted Iglesia Ni Cristo minister Lowell Menorca, who was arrested for libel earlier this week, claimed that some members of the religious sect asked him to leave the country. Menorca claimed that the cased filed against him was just an attempt to scare him off.

- An American university student was detained by North Korea due to an alleged hostile act. The state-run news agency reported that the student, named as Otto Frederick Warmbier, entered the country as a tourist and committed a hostile act with the intention of undermining unity among North Koreans.

-South Korean leader Park Geun-hye proposed a five-nation talks to address the nuclear situation in North Korea. She stressed that the international community should send a clear message against North Korea's nuclear test staged early this month.

- Ford is offering the hardcore Shelby GT350R a new rear seat option for $999. Say what?

- Dreaming of having the Aston Martin DB10 as seen on 007: SPECTRE? Guess what? Now's the perfect chance to bid on this Bond car aside from numerous Bond memorabilia as seen on the film as most of the stuff from last year's Bond film are heading to the auctions courtesy of Christie's from the 16th to the 23rd of February. Proceeds will go to charity.

Aston Martin DB10

- The Citroen DS3 is now renamed as DS Automobiles DS3 as the range features new signature DS design and tons of new extras in store.

DS Automobiles DS3

- More news from the world of THE IDOLM@STER as Eriko Nakamura (who played Haruka Amami), Asami Shimoda (who played Ami and Mami Futami) and the producer Yozo Sakagami will be attending the 2016 Taipei Game Show. There will be lots of memorabilia straight from last year's 10th live concert in store in this event.

TTFN!!!

Jubilee of Mercy: Jubilee for those Engaged in Pilgrimage Work

Jubilee of Mercy logo

The Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy, which is ongoing until the 13th of November, 2016, continues with the three-day Jubilee for those Engaged in Pilgrimage Work, which ran from the 19th to the 21st of January, 2016. 

In the last day of the three-day Jubilee for those Engaged in Pilgrimage Work, Pope Francis leads the Jubilee at the Paul VI Hall in Vatican City. The Pope told the participants that making pilgrimages to shrines is one of the most eloquent expressions of the faith of God's people, and is a form of evangelization that needs to be promoted and valued.

URL: http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/pope-francis-lead-the-jubilee-for-those-engaged-in-news-photo/506028690

The next event for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy will be on the 10th of February, 2016, for the Missionaries of Mercy.

Let's Do The News! (January 21, 2016)

- The House of Representatives sets voting for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law for next week, which seeks the creation of a new autonomous region in Mindanao. According to the Cagayan de Oro representative Rufus Rodriguez, the chamber has entered the period of amendments. They will set the voting on Wednesday as long as they have the quorum.

- The Commission of Elections has released the initial list of presidentiables, vice presidentiables, and senatorial candidates for the May 2016 elections.

- According to the Department of Defense official, several nations are interested to sell their military equipment to the Philippines. The official noted that the nations have to follow R.A. 9184 or Act Providing For The Modernization, Standardization And Regulation Of The Procurement Activities Of The Government And For Other Purposes. Nations like the US, Russia, Australia, and South Korea are heavily interested to bring their defense equipment to the Philippines.

- A British investigation points out that Russian leader Vladimir Putin likely authorized the murder of a former British agent in London. An agent, named Alexander Litvinenko, was poisoned to death ten years ago using a radioactive isotope. He had been publicly criticizing the Putin administration and was living in exile at the time of his death.

- Yesterday, there was a terrorist attack on a university in the northwestern town of Charsadda in Pakistan, killing twenty people after a group of four attackers stormed the campus. A man who claimed to be from the Taliban claimed responsibility. Now, students have gathered to mourn the victims of the attack. They held a prayer of silence while a verse from the Koran was recited to mourn the victims.

- Onto the Jakarta attacks, Indonesian authorities believed that the network of the Islamic State supporters has been formed in the country.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga kalyeserye; for their 27th weeksary, AlDub and the lolas visited the Lumban Central Elementary School for the grand opening of their first ever AlDub Library. This is one of the libraries that resulted from the biggest proceeds claimed from last year's Sa Tamang Panahon live event.

- One of PC's most respected sim racing games, Assetto Corsa, is heading to the PS4 and XBOX One on the 22nd of April, 2016.

- For the January update of the PS3-exclusive free-to-play Ace Combat Infinity, a hard difficulty on the Moscow Battle and an expert-level Excalibur Onslaught IV has been added. Coming soon, a brand new team deathmatch called Ring Battle will be added. To make it more interesting, four new planes have been added such as the MiG-35D Super Fulcrum, F-14B Tomcat, EA-6B Prowler, and the ultra-mysterious ADA-01B Adler.



- The special James Bond exhibition, called Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style, will open in the Grande Halle De La Villette in Paris on the 16th of April to the 4th of September, 2016. It will feature some of the finest Bond stuff from Dr. No to the latest SPECTRE.

TTFN!!!

Suzuki Ignis (FF21S)

Last year, at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki once showcased one of the most bizarre models ever made that will be available to the motoring public this year. It's called the Ignis and while this name sounds familiar to anyone who used to own one under the "Chevrolet Cruze" banner (not to be confused with the saloon we are familiar with), it's now a car with different personalities.

2016 Suzuki Ignis

Is it a sedan? Is it a hatchback? Is it a crossover? Is it a coupe? You can't really tell which is which because the Ignis looks like most of it above. It can look like a sedan, a hatchback, a coupe, and a crossover, but above all, the Ignis looks like it's the best of all worlds.

2016 Suzuki Ignis interior

2016 Suzuki Ignis interior

On the inside, the Ignis looks more like a European hatchback, except it isn't European because the Ignis is strictly Japanese and you know how Japanese people look over small cars. It's got seating for four people, some concessions for comfort, and a nifty touch screen featuring satellite navigation, Aha Radio, and the first for a Japanese car sold in the Japanese market, Apple CarPlay connectivity. This means, the Ignis, despite its small sizing and its confusing body style, is surprisingly high-tech inside out.

2016 Suzuki Ignis

Here's a little heads-up about the new Suzuki Ignis because the powerplant is highly similar to the latest Suzuki Solio. Yep, it comes with Suzuki's Mild Hybrid technology that works in tandem with SUZUKI GREEN TECHNOLOGY. It's powered by a K12C Dual Jet engine producing 91PS of power and 118Nm of torque, while coupled with an Integrated Starter Generator, Lithium-ion Battery, an updated idling stop system, and CVT, resulting in 28.8kmpl of fuel consumption based on Japan's JC08 Mode standards.

As for dynamics, the Ignis stays true to its simplicity thanks to its front MacPherson struts, rear Torsion beams, and of course the Rack and Pinion Steering, meaning it doesn't feel as comfortable and as sporty as any other hatchbacks are known today and it doesn't feel as rugged as any offroad-capable crossovers, which isn't a case for those if you may ask.

In terms of being a tech-savvy compact, the Ignis comes with numerous safety features in store such as a dual camera brake support system, Lane Departure Warning, Stagger Alarm Function, Preceding Vehicle Start Alert, Emergency Stop Signal that warns drivers at the back, ESP, and 4-wheel ABS. This car sure knows some tough love to the drivers owning one.

Should you buy one? The Ignis starts at 1,382,400 Japanese Yen, which sounds very reasonable for a compact car with a rather confusing category to begin with but with all that tech loaded in a small car, the Ignis fits well not just as a city car but a car fit for your next weekend getaway.

Available colors: Flame Orange Pearl Metallic, Pure White Pearl, Premium Silver Metallic, Super Black Pearl, Neon Blue Metallic, Helios Gold Pearl Metallic, Fervent Red, Boost Blue Pearl Metallic, Flame Orange Pearl Metallic Black 2 Tone Roof, Neon Blue Metallic Black 2 Tone Roof, , Helios Gold Pearl Metallic Black 2 Tone Roof, , Pure White Pearl Black 2 Tone Roof, and Fervent Red Black 2 Tone Roof, 

Photo: Suzuki Motor Corporation

Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon

For those who never heard of a Mitsuoka Ryugi, let's take a quick reminder that Mitsuoka's fancy compact midsize car is basically an eleventh-generation Toyota Corolla in a Rolls-Royce getup. Now, the Ryugi range welcomes a station wagon version packed with more space and tech.

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon

Yes, it's basically a Toyota Corolla Fielder underneath but you can still get some Rolls-Royce-ish elements as seen on its sedan counterpart, just to make it somewhat neoclassical despite being made from a commoner's car every Japanese salaryman would own for his day to day use.

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon interior

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon interior

Because this is basically a Corolla Fielder underneath, you can still expect the similar interior that you get from the Toyota Corolla and some added space fit for your grocery shopping list. The length, width and the height of the Ryugi Wagon's interior is highly similar to the Corolla Fielder's and it seats up to five people, making it an ideal boutique family car for those who think their once-stylish Corolla Fielder isn't fancy enough to be driven on a fancy restaurant or a country club for some golf.

Under the hood, the Ryugi Wagon can be fitted with either a 1.5L 1NZ-FE, a 1.5L 2NR-FKE, a 1.5L 1NZ-FXE hybrid powerplant, or a more powerful 1.8L 2ZR-FAE engine. Most models do come with the CVT gearbox but entry-level versions do get a not-so-bad five speed manual gearbox. On the chassis side, the Ryugi Wagon doesn't sound fancy because its got a McPherson struts on the front and Torsion beams on the right. It's got rack-and-pinion steering so handling one is like every common salarymen do most of the time.

And because this is basically a Corolla Fielder underneath, the Ryugi Wagon comes with Toyota Safety Sense C consisting of three features such as a Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert, and the Automatic High Beam function. Because this safety system as seen on the Toyota Corolla range seems to be working so well, this feature can also be added on the Ryugi saloon as well.

2016 Mitsuoka Ryugi Wagon

The Ryugi Wagon starts from 2,499,120 to 3,398,760 Japanese Yen, which sounds more expensive than the Toyota Corolla Fielder it's based upon but needless to say that with this Corolla Fielder dressed as a Rolls-Royce, you can easily fool someone while driving through a country club or a five star hotel, claiming that you're driving a fancy luxury car, only the fact is that you're not driving one because this is a Mitsuoka and this is basically, well, you get the idea.

Available Colors: White Pearl Crystal Shine, Silver Metallic, Black Mica, Super Red V, Orange Metallic, Super White II, and Blue Metallic.

Photo: Mitsuoka Motor Co., Ltd.