Wednesday, May 24, 2017

The Declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao


On late Tuesday evening, during his state visit on Moscow, Russia, Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte declared Martial Law on the Mindanao region of the Philippines following clashes against the Maute Group, which pledged their allegiance with the Islamic State extremists.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the duration of the Martial Law, if declared in an event of a rebellion, will last for around 60 days, but it remains unsure if the President can go beyond that limit set by the Constitution.

To avoid further confusion, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said that the declaration of Martial Law only applies to most parts of Mindanao, including Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

Clashes in Marawi City between government troops and the Maute terrorists continue to erupt and following the harsh situation in Mindanao, President Duterte's Russian visit has been cut short.

Since September 21, 1972, the late strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos declared the whole Philippines under Martial Law due to clashes against the communist forces. It lasted for almost a decade and right after Marcos was ousted from power, the 1987 Constitution was established and the Constitution states that the limit for Martial Law, if declared, is for 60 days.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Anti-Distracted Driving Law has been suspended


You may remember that last week, the Anti-Distracted Driving Act has became a law and this implementation causes some major confusion among drivers everywhere. I know, it's very confusing.

Due to such confusion, the Department of Transportation has suspended the implementation of the law after the House transportation panel pointed that they should not be enforcing the law before conducting a nationwide information campaign.

Transport officials admitted that they should have done the whole information campaign thing six months from the effectivity of the act.

So, with the ADDA suspended, how will the motorists react to this turn of events?

Let's Do The News! (May 23, 2017)



- President Rodrigo Duterte said that his Russian visit is a landmark. Some of the highlights of his official visit to Russia include a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and a a signing of a bilateral agreement that is expected to strengthen the economic ties of the two countries.

- The Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service is ready to submit its case against Police Superintendent Ma. Cristina Nobleza, who is facing grave misconduct charges due to her controversial relationship with Reener Dongon, a suspected terrorist.

- The British police reported that 22 people, including children, were killed in a suicide attack carried out by one man after an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on Monday. In response, the singer made her first comment since the attack and in her tweet, she felt heartbroken.

- Japan protested against a letter to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from a United Nations expert raising concerns that planned legislation targeting conspiracies to commit terrorism and other crimes could allow police to trample civil rights. The lower house of Japan's parliament is expected to approve the bill by now.

- Nokia said it has settled its patent dispute with Apple and also signed a business collaboration deal with the tech giant. Nokia said it would receive an up-front cash payment and additional revenues from Apple, but did not specify the details of the patent deal.

- The chief of Thailand's army says that forces opposed to the military-led interim government were responsible for the bombing in Bangkok on Monday. The bombing occurred on the ground floor of a military-run hospital, near a waiting room reserved for senior military officers, injuring 21 people.

- Iranian president Hassan Rouhani criticizes the United States' policies on the Middle East and pledged to continue with ballistic missile development. Rouhani held his first news conference since his reelection last week.

- The president of UN negotiations to legally prohibit nuclear weapons has unveiled the first draft of the nuclear ban treaty. The draft text denounces the use of nuclear weapons as a violation of international humanitarian law. It says nations should make every effort to prevent their future use. It would require states to pledge never to use nuclear weapons, but also never to develop, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, transfer or test them. The next round of negotiations on the treaty will begin on June 15th.

- Ford Motor Company named Jim Hackett as the new company president and CEO, replacing Mark Fields, who is officially retiring. Hackett was once the CEO of Steelcase, interim athletic director at the University of Michigan and executive chairman of Ford Smart Mobility LLC since March 2016.

- The Fiat 500L MPV has been given a minor change for the 2018 model year with the addition of the new Cross and Wagon variants in addition to the standard Urban variant.

2018 Fiat 500

- Love Live's Maki Nishikino and Nozomi Tojo, in their cheer girl outfits, are joining the figFIX range. Both are available to order starting at 5,370 Yen plus taxes and delivery and arrives this November.

figFIX Maki Nishikino
Cheer Girl ver.
figFIX Nozomi Tojo
Cheer Girl ver.

TTFN!!!


Kia Stinger

For years, Korean cars have been one of the most redundant cars on the road because not only it is cheap but also horrid not by looks but by the performance they wouldn't get their hopes for. Now though, things have changed as Kia's brand new high-performance sports saloon will challenge all your ideas about Korean cars.

2018 Kia Stinger

This is called the Stinger and by some hunch, it could be Korea's answer to the Alfa Romeo Giulia and some well-known European imports known to many with the price that is very reasonable enough to start with. So, why did Kia decided to make a sports car that promises to upset the Europeans and, more importantly, change the Korean car company's image for the better of it? Good question though but let's go to the part why Kia want to change its image with the new Stinger.

You see, Kia Motors are getting bothered by most people who drive Kias hiding the fact that they actually drove one. Cars, mostly the ones in the current Peter Schreyer-design era like the Forte, the K5, the K7, the K3, even the latest Sorento and the Sportage, you name the rest, often get their KIA badges swapped by some unknown and unofficial aftermarket ones so they believe that what they're driving isn't a Kia but the fact is they are. To respond to such atrocity, they've developed the Stinger, which is a new sports car that will change the way they think about Kias without doing the unthinkable.

2018 Kia Stinger

To make sure the Stinger will not go down in the same fate as the other Peter Schreyer-designed Kias, they made a specially-made badge on the front rather than the usual KIA badge on it. See the letter "E" on it? Sounds misleading but it's a warning shot for speedo boys driving Kias saying "Don't change my emblem, bro!" So, job done for Kia but while the design is heavily inspired from the 2011 GT Concept, it looks more like a K5 on steroids with the rear view that looks conspicuously similar to the Dodge Dart. You can almost never tell the difference between yours and the next guy's car.

2018 Kia Stinger interior

The story doesn't stop here as the interior looks like it came from modern-day Mercedes saloons and if your sights are all Mercedes to you, you can get badly confused thinking that you're driving a Mercedes-Benz in case you're wondering. Even though this is a sporty four-door coupe much like Mercedes's CLS or BMW's Gran Coupe offerings, this is surprisingly luxurious at so many levels and accommodating up to five passengers isn't too shabby either with its ample headroom and legroom good enough to be called a proper saloon car.

2018 Kia Stinger

Now for the coup de grace of the Stinger, the performance, and because it runs on a totally new architecture that can accommodate both rear-wheel and (wait for it) all-wheel drive powertrains, the terms comfortable, quiet, rigidity, and lightweight do come to its vocabulary and perhaps no wonder Kia poached an expert from BMW to make sure it handles like a European sports car. In fact, the Stinger is one of the cars that were tested and tuned on the Nurburgring, which is too surprising for a car made from the land of Korean dramas and K-Pop that behaves like a total diva. It is!

As you may think that because it can be offered with an all-wheel drive system, you may have feared that it's going to have some breakneck understeers too struggling to handle in such conditions but fear not because having torn the pages from the latest Ford Focus RS, the Kia Stinger has Dynamic Torque Vectoring Control system that promises rear-wheel drive agility with adaptability on any road condition so not only it's good enough to take on any weather forecast, it's also intoxicating to drive like a total addict.

The Stinger comes with three exciting engine choices ranging from the 2.2L CRDi-VGT engine with 202PS of power output, 2.0L Turbo GDi engine with 255PS of power output, and the fiery 3.3L Turbo V6 engine producing 370PS of power and 52kgf-m of torque, propelling the Stinger to a 0-100kph time of 4.9 seconds. All three engine choices are mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox with Centrifugal Pendulum Absorber torque converter to help reduce torsional vibrations through the drivetrain as well as its four-piston Brembo brakes with ventilated discs to make it stop with a bit more feel.

For safety, the Kia Stinger comes with a wide array of active safety systems such as automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and for the first time in a Kia, a driver monitoring system that warns the driver when it's time to pull over for a break if it senses drowsiness or other possible scenarios. That sounds like bothersome to us but oh well...

The Kia Stinger is priced from 35,000,000 to 48,800,000 Korean Won, which makes it very affordable to own than any European imports, despite the fact that it is the most costliest Kia to own today, more costly than the K9. So, is this the Kia you've been waiting for? Don't scoff but for a car that promises to be Korea's Giulia to the world, it needs to prove its worth against the competition until its prime time for the challenge. Nevertheless, the Stinger changes the way we think about Kias and despite its misleading "E" badge, it's a forewarning to speedo boys everywhere that warns them that this could be the most promising Korean sports car to enjoy since the deceased Hyundai Genesis Coupe. This is a brave new world for Kia's newest sports saloon that will challenge all your ideas about Korean cars.

Available colors: Snow White Pearl, Silky Silver, Deep Chroma Blue, Panthera Metal, Aurora Black Pearl, and High Chroma Red.

Photo: Kia Motors

Monday, May 22, 2017

Dear Other Self

If you've been given a life-changing choice, which would you pick? Something that you've desired for or something to benefit others? This film examines what will the outcome for a young woman be if she pick either one of the two life-changing choices.

Dear Other Self

Star Cinema's offering for the month of May is called Dear Other Self and this is the ideal film for those who are running short of their Summer Bucket List in case their summer days are drawing to a close. Starring Jodi Sta. Maria, Xian Lim, and Joseph Marco, this film centers on the life of a workaholic woman who was given a choice to either get a promotion or resign from her work to travel the world, giving this film a unique experience for decision-making people who can't decide what will their outcome be.

Because this film centers on the two life-changing decisions she will face, it's either life after promotion or life after resignation from her work, Dear Other Self gives cinemagoers a clear idea what will their choices look like before choosing their path and they can really learn something after watching the film that is very unique, very sensible, and rather basic.

When I said basic, I do mean it because while it pitches the right turns to deliver the ideal path viewers will witness, it's a tad above average or decent for a movie of this magnitude and while this is as average as any other movie you've been so far, it's not half bad to see this movie if your decisions aren't quite up to your choosing and this can clear your thoughts in a mannerism kind of way. Feel free to watch this movie anytime you want and if you have a clear idea what will your decision be, so be it.

My rating: 3.4 out of 5

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - NASCAR ALL-STAR



Nothing says Summer is here than the wildly anticipated NASCAR All-Star race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the best of the best are giving everything they got to show the oval track who's the all-star boss.

The stakes are high, the suspense is killing the audience, and the race gets hotter and hotter every stage clears. From here, Kyle Larson cleared stage one while Matt Kenseth's car faces mechanical problems, while in stage two, Larson, Jimmie Johnson, the Busch brothers, and McMurray are the top five finishers of this stage, and in stage three, Jimmie Johnson wins this stage.

In the final stage, where the winner is decided, Kyle Busch is named the winner of this series' NASCAR ALL-STAR race after over a decade of trying. Nothing as sweeter than witnessing the man in his M&M's Camry won the race and bringing home the million dollars.

The racers return to Charlotte on the 28th.

Super GT 2017 - Autopolis


As the summer season draws near in Japan, the Autopolis leg of the 2017 Autobacs Super GT Championship heats the competition up to the hottest temperature. Having returned from the schedule since last year's cancellation due to the Kumamoto earthquakes, Autopolis never felt so alive and well for this season and this could be one of the most exciting yet.

Comeback aside, it's another clear win for Lexus's new LC500 racing car as the #36 au TOM's LC500, driven by Kazuki Nakajima and James Rossiter, wins the GT500 class while in the GT300 class, it's a 1-2 Toyobaru finish as the #25 VivaC 86 MC and the #61 Subaru BRZ R&D Sport placed 1st and 2nd respectively. Quite a surprise.

Highlights:



The next race is on Sugo on the 23rd.

Let's Do The News! (May 22, 2017)


- Light to heavy rains are expected by the low pressure area that is spotted 600 km east of Basco, Batanes. According to PAGASA, there is little chance for the LPA to turn into a tropical depression inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, it is currently moving towards Japan.

- Philippines Airlines temporarily suspends its flights to Abu Dhabi starting July 8, 2017 to give way to assessment initiatives in mentioned route.

- An influential state-run newspaper applauded China’s anti-espionage efforts on Monday after reports told China had killed or imprisoned up to 20 CIA sources, hobbling U.S. spying operations in a massive intelligence breach.

- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro excoriated opposition protesters on Sunday for setting a man on fire during a demonstration, accusing them of targeting him for being pro-government.

- Over one million players have been pre-registered for the upcoming THE IDOLM@STER Million Live Theater Days app game.

- Actress Sally Hawkins returns to 2019's Godzilla: King of Monsters film, as well as Charles Dance.

- Volkswagen showcases its up! GTi concept car, which is powered by a 115HP 1.0L turbo petrol engine and less than a thousand kilos of weight, resulting to a 0-100kph time of 8.8 seconds and top speed of 197kph.


- Toyota, BMW, Mazda, and Subaru 
have agreed to a settlement amounting to USD553 million to resolve class-action economic loss claims relating to potentially defective Takata airbag inflators, covering owners of nearly 16 million recalled vehicles in the US.

- The "final" film from critically acclaimed Hayao Miyazaki will begin its three-year production this October and Studio Ghibli hires animators for his last feature.

TTFN!!!

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Doctor Who S10E06

Doctor Who S10E06

This is by no means one of the most frightening Doctor Who episodes to date because following the events from last week's show, The Doctor and his allies were summoned by the Vatican to investigate the mysterious book known as the Veritas and the world is in imminent doom due to the translation of the Veritas broke out online.

Throughout the episode, we see a glimpse on how The Doctor dealt with his rival, Missy, during an execution. Great to see one of our favorite villain back for more while learning one of the most shocking backstories from The Doctor until the line between truth and lies have been blurred in this episode.

With danger from unknown circumstances strikes through Earth, how will The Doctor face this new kind of threat head-on without his sight? You'll find out next week for more. Until then, here's what Michelle Gomez, who played Missy in this show, and script editor Nick Lambon had their say in the DW Fan Show webcast.



NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW:

FIA Formula E 2016-2017: Paris


The Paris ePrix leg of the FIA Formula E 2016-2017 Championship has set to a more dramatic tone as Sebastien Buemi from Renault e.dams gave his team the most dramatic win of the year by showing his dramatic performance in front of its home crowd.

Long before the most dramatic win Buemi witnessed in the race, there are some gut-wrenching moments occurred in the Paris ePrix such as Antonio Felix da Costa crashed his car, causing him and Lucas di Grassi spun out on the corner. da Costa's out but di Grassi managed to scaffe it out alive. As the race progresses, Jean-Eric Vergne is crashed through the wall. In the final three laps, di Grassi's crashed unfortunately.

After numerous mishaps later, Sebastien Buemi is the clear winner of the Paris ePrix while 2nd place goes to Jose Maria Lopez from DS Virgin Racing and 3rd place goes to Mahindra's Nick Heidfeld.

Highlights:



The next race is on Berlin, Germany, on the 10th of June.

Saturday, May 20, 2017

ALIEN: Covenant

Alien: Covenant

The long-awaited installment of Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror masterpiece has finally clawed its way to the cinemas as ALIEN: Covenant, the latest chapter of the Alien film series, will be the most frightening ALIEN film to date since the original.

In this new movie, the crew of the colony ship called the Covenant has discovered what they believed to be a new habitat for humanity, only to realize that they have been fallen to a dark and vicious trap where vicious creatures are lurking beyond their imagination. As the creatures lurking around the Covenant, the crew must attempt to do whatever means necessary to escape from this sinister threat.

The film stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, and James Franco.

Unlike the dismal prequel to the original 1979 film called Prometheus five years ago, this film really is a proper Alien film because it has all the right timing of fear, suspense, thrills, and of course, it won't be complete without the alien, which is why this film is called because without that creature, it wouldn't be called a proper Alien film like what Prometheus suffered.

It is a great horror film to watch for the summer season but if you're too scared to watch this film, you'd better off seeing the cast getting panicked in the film rather than not watching it at all because those alien appearances will get you nightmares even more than any other horror movies you've encountered so far and nothing will get you more prepared than the never-ending intergalactic nightmare this film possesses, not even your five-minute breaks.

This then will be one of the most feared horror films of the year and if you're not fully prepared to take on the worst this film possesses, you'll end up on the same fate as the characters in this film.

My rating: 3.9 out of 5.

Forza Horizon 3: Once the ultimate Porsche in the last decade

Looks like it's the weekend again and this calls for another Forzathon challenge where we have one chance to get this iconic supercar from Porsche, the Carrera GT. Now that I got my hands on this rare breed, let's take a deep look on last decade's ultimate Porsche.



Decades after the 959 and long before the sensational 918 Spyder, there was the Carrera GT. Launched in 2003, it was the most powerful Porsche ever made. It was powered by a 5.7L V10 engine producing 612 PS of power and mated exclusively with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Porsche claims that this can reach 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of 330 km/h (205 mph). Because of its lightweight clutch that has two plates made from carbon fiber and silicon carbide, the crank is only 98.5mm lower, and it's surprisingly lighter as well.



Since we got some Hot Wheels work to deal with, let's say we send this legendary Carrera GT for a rollercoaster ride through the orange tracks ever imagined by kids of all ages? This should be fun as the Carrera GT will try to take on the most intimidating stunts ever to come up from the twisted minds of Hot Wheels.



Now this is how you enjoy a Porsche, the Hot Wheels way.