Monday, July 3, 2017

Let's Do The News! (July 3, 2017)



- Following last weekend's controversial Brisbane fight, Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn both willing to go fighting each other again sometime. Some say, the rematch is expected to scheduled this December at the same time as the recess of the Senate.

- President Rodrigo Duterte challenged the Communist Party of the Philippines to cease fighting against the government and continue the peace talks. Duterte promised that he is willing to declare total ceasefire if the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army is also prepared to announce a ceasefire.

- Amid anti-G20 protests, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said leaders will have to focus on sustainable and inclusive economic growth rather than their own prosperity. In her weekly podcast, Merkel said this year’s G20 summit will delve into issues championed by protesters such as distribution of wealth and consumption of resources.

- An Amtrak train with over 250 people aboard derailed near Puget Sound in Washington state, injuring several passengers, although no one was believed to have been seriously hurt, according to officials.

- The United States lifted the ban on laptops in cabins on flights from Abu Dhabi to the US, saying that Etihad Airways had put in place required tighter security measures.

- Nissan showcased another teaser for their next-generation Leaf EV.



- Honda teases an upcoming facelift for the StepWGN where a hybrid variant will be added.



- Tesla's Model S saloon and Model X crossover gained several performance upgrades courtesy of new software and hardware rollouts.

- This year's Anime Expo launched to overwhelming crowds on its first day on Saturday, so much so that attendees found themselves gridlocked in multi-hour wait lines to get through the security to enter the Los Angeles Convention Center. The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation published a statement to acknowledge the situation which can be READ HERE.

TTFN!!!

Forza Horizon 3: The new Corsa VXR

If you are enjoying the all-new Vauxhall Corsa VXR, which is part of the Forza Horizon 3 Playseat Car Pack, you are noticing that why they made an ultra-powerful hot hatch in the first place that will beat supercars in the race to the nearest parking lot and because of its compact sizing, squeezing through the turns that supercars are having a hard time to deal with is not too shabby and the VXR always saves the day.



So, the Vauxhall Corsa VXR, what is it then? This ultra-powerful hot-hatch sets a new standard for small and fast hatchbacks and because it's powered by a 1.6L turbocharged engine producing 205PS of power and 245Nm of torque while mated to a manual gearbox, it does 0-60mph in six and a half seconds and a top speed of 143mph, faster than the previous model it replaces. Aside from this performance, the Corsa VXR comes with Frequency Selective Damping, developed by Koni, to maintain body control during high speeds and ride quality during low speeds while delivering an even more responsive steering. With the Performance Package, it comes with a Drexler LSD, larger-diameter Brembo front brake discs, 18-inch alloys, and a recalibrated FSD damper settings.



Despite being small in size, its dynamics should not be underestimated and for the case of the Corsa VXR, you'll never know what sort of tricks will this hatchback pull off and because being a hot hatch, you can have the same kind of thrill that you experienced from a supercar while delivering accessible dynamics fit for all kinds of drivers. If you were either experienced or inexperienced, driving a hot hatch like this one is like a good starting point to understand the twists and turns the Land Down Under has to offer and for a car with such accessible dynamics, you don't have to prove a thing to show how much of a driver you really are.

Because of such dynamics that made me impressed by the VXR, let's see how much of a hot hatch the Corsa VXR is and to do that, let's drive this car somewhere to the Outback to challenge against those tater tots and tiaras in waiting but first...







Ladies and gentlemen, Ako Saotome...isn't here today. That's just a design I made just for this and for a tater tot of this size, that just suits it rather well in a game where the Corsa VXR takes on the likes of Clios, Fiestas, and 500s. Well, the one with the 500 Abarth is what bugged me the most because when the Corsa VXR takes on the most hardcore 500 of all, the Abarth 695, things get even more dirtier than dumpster diving in the rain, but seeing this as an opportunity to demonstrate the Corsa VXR's dynamics, time to get the ball running and see what happens.





That was a close call but it's proof that the Corsa VXR is one of the most enjoyable hot hatch to drive to date and with such dynamics courtesy of the Performance Package provided and this car as well as some added charms I done to this little tyke, I think I may have found my favorite hot hatch to drive over and over again...or is it? I'm not sure but let's keep driving the VXR before I passed out from boredom as long as this special something I made for this keeps me company. Until then, the journey continues...

Forza Horizon 3: The Porsche 944

I'm sure most of you spent the whole weekend getting this car from a Forzathon event but this here is the Porsche 944 Turbo, the one that turned into an ambulance in an earlier Top Gear episode and bolted with a rocket launcher in Clarkson Thriller.



So, what's it all about the 944? Well, for starters, it can be easily mistaken for a 924 but unlike the 924, which uses an engine sourced from a VW van, this 944 is powered by a 2.5L turbocharged petrol engine producing 247HP of power and 258ft-lb of torque, gunning from 0 to 60mph in around five seconds and a top speed of around 150mph, sorta. Despite the issues with the turbo engine due to its turbo lag, the 944 is one of the best handling Porsches ever made thanks to its positioning of the gearbox to the rear for better weight distribution and because of such weight distribution, it just feels to easy to drive this Porsche from beginning to end and you don't have to worry about a thing.

Now that I got it from my last-minute escapades on this weekend's Forzathon, how about giving the Porsche 944 a moment of fame by driving around Yarra Valley with this thing while being gunned by other 944 drivers around here? Sounds crazy but this is the 944's way of showing off its German muscles in the Land Down Under.



Well, I guess that's it then. This is the last time they'll put a Porsche on a Forzathon event and I do mean it unless some last-minute plans changed their minds. With all the Forzathon Porsche cars complete, what's your favorite Forzathon Porsche car so far during your road trip Down Under?

Sunday, July 2, 2017

29th Annual Pacific Northwest Historics

It's Independence Day weekend and everyone in Pacific Northwest are spending the summer heat going to Pacific Raceways in Kent to see some vintage car racing action for the annual Pacific Northwest Historics held from the 30th of June to the 2nd of July, 2017.

This year's event celebrates over five decades of Trans-Am Racing and the guest of this year is none other than Sir Peter Brock. Note to Australians, this is not the Brockie you're looking for. Sir Peter Brock is a car designed who used to work with General Motors and behind his iconic automotive works including the C2 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. Now that's history lesson to you and I.

Take a look at some of the best of this year's event.



More pics:
https://flic.kr/s/aHskZ7DKNv

Video log:

Doctor Who Season 10 Finale

"The Doctor Falls" is the most explosive way to end the tenth season of Doctor Who with some uneasy alliances, fate, and twists this finale delivers and while this episode signals the end of this season, it's the penultimate journey in the Steven Moffat-era of this show as well as the Peter Capaldi years. Quite a show, isn't it?

Doctor Who Season 10 Finale

To recap, The Doctor made some uneasy alliances with Missy and The Master in order to defeat an incoming horde of Cybermen manufactured in this very ship they set foot while Bill Potts can't accept the fate that she became one of the Cybermen. Desperate for answers, The Doctor tries to figure out who she is until the explosive attack on Cybermen begins.

Here's the kicker of this tale; The Master killed Missy, The Doctor blows the horde of Cybermen, a Cyberman killed The Doctor, and an ultimate sacrifice made to end this war once and for all. Explosive, isn't it? No, the real kicker is that episode has the proof the viewers need about Bill Potts' "lesbian" status. After the fall and when Bill came out from the shell of the Cyberman, she was reunited by The Pilot, in the form of her friend named Heather, and get this, they kissed, proof that Bill Potts is a lesbian. In return, The Pilot granted Bill the power to become human again and together, the two had the happy ending they deserved but not for The Doctor.

The finale ends when The Doctor is about to regenerate until a sudden encounter of a mysterious person who is none other than...The First Doctor?! What's the first one doing here? Looks like we have to wait until Christmas Day to find out why but in the meantime, one last DW Fan Show webcast before Christmas?



Doctor Who returns for the 2017 Christmas Special this Christmas Day and this will be the final journey for the Peter Capaldi years as well as the Steven Moffat era of this show. Watch for it and see how the 12th Doctor's journey ends.

Horn defeats Pacquiao in controversial Brisbane battle


This is the first time the world champion, Manny Pacquiao, started a fight not in a North American venue but somewhere in the Asia-Pacific, specifically at an outdoor stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, where he faced off against a rising homegrown star and Olympian Jeff "The Hornet" Horn.

This match became a bloodbath for both of the fighters and with both sides took the fall, it became one of the most decisive matches ever witnessed in boxing history and after 12 rounds, these fighters keep on fighting 'till the very end, even with some serious injuries on their heads as well as some internal bleeding occurred, well, mostly for Pacquiao.

In an unexpected turn of events, despite Pacquiao dominated the scoreboards, the winner of the unanimous decision goes to Australia's Jeff Horn. Following Jeff Horn's controversial win, looks like the whole public went on an outcry saying that Horn "robbed" the match from Pacquiao while some call it the boxing equivalent of last year's US Presidential Elections...minus the hacking part. Sorry.

Controversial aside, these fighters did a really good job wowing the crowd with their relentless punches to the very end and even though Pacman lost, he did a really good job proving that age never slowed him down in the sport he really loves and he's comfortable about this...result.

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Baby Driver

The first half of 2017 brought us some car movies to whet our petrolhead appetite such as The Fate of the Furious, Transformers: The Last Knight, and Cars 3. However, with those car movies more than enough to crave our love for fast cars, there is nothing than more so than having another car movie that is somewhat unique for the young petrolhead.

Baby Driver

Starring Ansel Elgort, House of Cards' Kevin Spacey, Lily James, John Bernthal, Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx, Baby Driver centers on a young getaway driver who wants to retire from his life of crime upon a fateful encounter with a young woman. However, when he was coerced to work for the head of a crime family, his fate has thrown into a tailspin as a failed robbery threatened his life, love, and freedom. Quite a story, isn't it?

Of all the car chase movies you've witnessed in a lifetime, Baby Driver is very different because it's like Fast and Furious meets The Transporter (pun intended) and the real credit for Baby Driver's car action thrill goes to the car the Baby Driver drove in the movie, a second-generation Subaru Impreza WRX. Sure, there is a Dodge Challenger in this movie, but him being on a Subie is as closest thing as you get when you mash two of your favorite car action movies into one unique film that is all about cars, coffee, robbers, cops, and the driving music provided for your driving pleasure.

You might think it's mad to say that it's a millennial take on classic car chase films but for Baby Driver, despite this film has some scratches that can't be wiped off with a chamois, this is one of the main reason why we love a good car movie but with Subaru doing a good job collaborating with this film, one thing springs up the mind of every Subarist watching this film, if the star car is the old second-generation Subaru WRX, why they didn't go for the newer 2018 WRX? No one really knows why but Subarists should better watch it and enjoy like it's another Fast and Furious or Transporter. Who knows, they might like it.

My rating: 3.4 out of 5.

Bubble Gang - June 30, 2017 #BGGroupSexy

In the June 30, 2017 episode of Bubble Gang...

- "Di na mag-extend" gags

- Welcome to an all-Filipino restaurant where everything's Filipino even as we speak


- People on the street are chattering about a retard

- Serial killers bragging each other in jail time

- A different kind of phobia

- Today's Balitang Ina takes on single moms

- More men seeking advice with Group Sexy.

- Basa-basa-pik!

Despicable Me 3

Raise your bananas, minions of all sizes, because Gru and the gang are back for their third installment of the Despicable Me films, and this time, things are going to get even despicable for our lovable supervillain, his three adopted girls, and his gang of minions we all know and love. So, what's going around here?

Despicable Me 3

Anyway, Despicable Me 3, what's going on around in this new film? Well, after Gru (played by comedian Steve Carell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) got kicked out from the Anti-Villainy League after a certain misfit, Gru is now broke and he has to evict from his evil lair he called home along with the girls and the minions. With no one to turn to, Gru unexpectedly encounters his long-lost twin brother named Dru. Oh, brother. Thanks to him, Gru is back to one thing he does best, being an evil supervillain plotting for world domination, but to do that, they'll have to overcome their differences and team up to take down a rival supervillain named Balthazar (played by South Park creator Trey Parker), a child star from the 1980's.

This film has some back-to-basics approach and because Gru is back at being a supervillain, Despicable Me 3 is like starting over from the beginning, only this time with the added comical relief with the addition of the guy who made South Park playing the role of a rival supervillain bent on world domination. Thank goodness for that even though this film, like the other installments, is suffered from the same whimsical cuteness that is so totally zoned out from start to finish. It maybe decent for a normal moviegoer but as a family movie, it's relatively superior and with all the Minion rush in store for this film, life couldn't get even more relatable than that.

Safe to say, the hilarity that you expect from Gru and his minions are back and even though they can get easily zoned out from the whimsical nonsense this film delivers from start to finish, it has some good vibes that smiles everyone who spend the whole week of stress and what a way to start the weekend right with Despicable Me 3.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

WHOA! The world is prepared for a colossal Crash event as everyone's favorite marsupial misfit has returned with three remastered classics that made Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy one of the most anticipated games in the summer while stirring up some childhood memories we love about one of the most iconic video game characters in history.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Yes, after a long period of time, the iconic Crash Bandicoot is back with this fresh new take on three iconic installments everyone will enjoy ranging from the original Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot WARPED. All three of these classics have been beautifully recreated and remastered in what they called it "N. Hanced Fur-K." That's Enhanced 4K to you if you got your PS4 Pro with you at home, but it's not just the beautiful recreation we're looking forward to, aside from the new cinematics, animation, lighting, and the music returned and recharged for the N. Sane Trilogy, because what we're looking at here is a revival of the trilogy and everything we know about these will get thrown out into hyperspace and we are going to play our familiar classics the next-generation way!

Playing with these games is like a step back to nostalgia. Like you and I, fans got hooked over exploring through beaches, ancient villages, tundras, pyramids, Ancient China, underwater, the future, heck they get even chased by giant creatures or ride cute little critters like the polar bear and the cute little tiger named Pura. They even also battle some of the rogue gallery of villains like Papu Papu, Ripper Roo, Pinstripe, the Komodo Bros., Tiny Tiger, N. Gin, N. Tropy, you name the rest, especially Crash's archnemesis, Dr. Neo Cortex. With this N. Sane Trilogy, it's like they're doing this stuff over and over again, even better, and when we say better, they really mean it. 

In addition to recreate some of the stuff we love about Crash, it comes with special extras such as full analog stick support, unified save and checkpoint system so you won't forget where you did it when the inevitable hits you from nowhere, improved bonus levels, and time trials. If you recall WARPED, there was a time trial segment where you have to beat the clock to score a relic, am I right?  But this is more than just relic hunting because no matter the game, all these levels had a leaderboard system to see how fast you cleared a level in addition to finding crystals and gems (once you cleared all the boxes, including those that you're not supposed to bump into such as TNT and Nitro crates).

There's more! Back in WARPED, you can only play as Coco in levels where you have to ride a tiger through Ancient China and jetski, but with this one, you can play Crash's sister, in all three games! Yep, you heard that right, all three games. Just add some twist to this classic series.

So, after years of waiting for this to return for next-generation console gaming, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is the one game we've been longing for one of the classic game icons desperate for a comeback and it's a clear example of what do you get when classic franchises that were dormant for so many years have been summoned again to do one last job. Most of the long-time fans of the series are having tears of joy, knowing that their favorite marsupial hero is back for one last job to keep the fans happy and I know that. Let's hope the forgotten ones will do the same as Crash for the sake of nostalgia and by making reborn classics better, the end result is a nostalgia all spiced up for those who are new to the classics. Nothing says making it more accessible to anyone than this.

If you are familiar with Crash Bandicoot, buy one now before anyone else does and see if the N. Sane Trilogy brings back the stuff you love about the games as well as the places, the sound, villains, and the WHOA!!!

Friday, June 30, 2017

Third-generation Honda Fit - 2018 Minor Change

Honda's best-seller compact car, the third-generation Fit, is now made even better with improved design and now comes with a wide array of safety tech built for the roads of today. So, let's find out what's changed for the third-generation Honda Fit, which is now in its 2018 model year.

2018 Honda Fit
2018 Honda Fit
2018 Honda Fit
New for 2018 model year, the Fit features a new front face as well as its redesigned rear bumper, LED lighting, and newly designed alloy wheels. In the case of sporty models such as the HYBRID S and the RS (the one with the 6-speed manual gearbox in it), it comes with even more aggressive styling from beginning to end.

2018 Honda Fit interior
2018 Honda Fit interior
2018 Honda Fit interior


Inside, there are little changes occurred with the hybrid variants now come with a new Premium Brown interior color but what's noticing is the hardware in the dashboard as the optional InterNavi navigation system now comes with smartphone connectivity that works with Apple via CarPlay and Android via Android Auto.

As always, the normal petrol range still comes with the choice of 1.3L DOHC i-VTEC (with the fuel economy of 24.6km/L on the JC08 Mode cycle) and a more powerful 1.5L i-VTEC with direct injection that delivers 132PS of power. On the hybrid variant, the Sport Hybrid i-DCD powertrain has been slightly improved so that now it has a fuel economy of 37.2km/L, 0.8km/L more than the pre-facelift model. Apart from that, the 2018 Fit is now even more comfortable courtesy of its more rigid body structure and revised dampers.

The true beauty of its minor change is the addition of Honda Sensing which comprises of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), autonomous Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Road Departure Warning (RDW) and Mitigation (RDM), false start suppression, traffic sign detection and a vehicle start warning. Truth be told, the new Fit is becoming even more accessible for everyone who wished to have a car in the beginning.

The new 2018 Honda Fit starts at 1,428,840 ($15,000) for the base 13G F model while the Hybrid starts at 1,699,920 Yen ($17,000).

Available colors: Rouge Amethyst Metallic, Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic, Skyride Blue Metallic, Premium Agate Brown Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Premium Yellow Pearl II, Premium Crystal Red Metallic, Premium White Pearl II, Midnight Blue Beam Metallic, Luna Silver Metallic, Shining Grey Metallic, and Sunset Orange II.

Photo: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Let's Do The News! (June 30, 2017)



- President Rodrigo Duterte didn't care whether people give him a failing or passing grade in his first year in office today. The President has said he is not the kind of person who gives praises to himself but he entrusts it to the people to judge his performance in the last year.

- Relations between the Philippines and China have entered a "golden period of fast development", according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, touting growth in trade and efforts to settle disputes in the South China Sea.

- The United Coconut Planters Bank management is asking the Philippine Coast Guard to release its employees who were barred in Cagayan de Oro City for allegedly trying to smuggle 32 million pesos in cash.

- The Trump administration reversed a decision late on Thursday as its revised travel ban took effect and said fiancés would be considered close family members and therefore allowed to travel to the United States. The U.S. State Department concluded “upon further review, fiancés will now be included as close family members,” said a State Department official who requested anonymity.

- Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump used his twitter to draw flak against news reporter Mika Brzezinski, tweeting she was "bleeding badly from a facelift" while at a New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago. Republicans rebuked the President's sexist tweet and Senator Lindsey Graham added that his tweet was beneath the office and "represents what is wrong with American politics, not the greatness of America."

- Hong Kong authorities released 26 pro-democracy protesters arrested on the eve of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the city to mark the 20th anniversary of its handover from Britain to China.

- Aston Martin unveiled the Vulcan AMR Pro at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. It features extensive aerodynamic enhancements and shortened gearing to produce increased downforce, greater responsiveness and reduced lap times.

2018 Aston Martin Vulcan AMR Pro

- Jake Zyrus, the self-confessed transgender man who used to be Charice Pempengco, admits that he or she is open for the possibility of sex change.

- PTV-4 news anchor Kathy San Gabriel recounts how the state-run TV network terminated her contract without prior notice or grounds. Kathy has been a news anchor on this station for over a decade. According to her Facebook post, she was notified by the management that this day, June 30, will be her final day.

- Check out the trailer for the Netflix original movie Death Note, before it's available this 25th of August.



TTFN!!!