Monday, May 14, 2018

Let's Do The News! (May 14, 2018)



- Filipinos cast their votes in the barangay and SK elections where voting hours began at 0700 hours and ended at 1500 hours, local time, in nearly 42,000 villages across the Philippines. This is the first barangay polls in 5 years and the first SK polls in 8 years, following multiple postponements.

- Senator Leila de Lima renewed her call for the Duterte administration to follow Vietnam’s footsteps and demand that China withdraw the missiles it installed in the Spratly islands.

- Following his shocking election win last week that broke the six-decade stranglehold on power of a corruption-riddled regime, Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahatir Mohamad began his first day. The elderly leader, who is starting his second stint as premier after having previously been in office for two decades, arrived at the office of a foundation he runs in the administrative capital Putrajaya.

- Two militants on a motorcycle blew themselves up at a police headquarters in Indonesia’s second biggest city Surabaya claiming at least one police casualty, authorities said, just a day after a wave of suicide bombings on churches killed at least 14 and injured dozens.

- With hours before the planned opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, tensions are mounting ahead of the embassy opening. KEEP UP TO DATE HERE.

- After her shocking win at last weekend's Eurovision, Israeli contestant Netta Barzilai returns home and thanks fans for their support. Barzilai won the contest on Saturday night, with 529 points. Cyprus, the runner-up, had 436 points, while Austria came in third with 342 an Germany fourth with 340.

- The Aston Martin DB11 AMR was unveiled, featuring a new 5.2L V12 Twin Turbo engine producing 30hp more than the outgoing DB11.

2019 Aston Martin DB11 AMR
- Last weekend, GameStop CEO Michael Mauler resigned from his post, three months after taking the position.

- Kamen Rider 555's Toshinobu Matsuo was arrested for alleged use of stimulants.

- Resident Evil films' actress Milla Jovovich is reportedly part of the Hollywood movie adaptation of CAPCOM's Monster Hunter games and shooting will commence this September.

TTFN!!!

F1 2018: Spanish GP

Wrapping up the loudest race weekend of the year is the Spanish Grand Prix leg of the F1 2018 season, held at Circuit de Catalunya, and what madness this race was from start to the finish, making this a race everybody's talking about at the end of the day.


The race is all Mercedes-AMG as Lewis Hamilton won his second grand prix of this season after an impressive 1-2 finish against his teammate Valterri Bottas by 20 seconds and following Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel's flawed pit tactics, Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen snagged his podium finish by placing 3rd. The first lap of the race is a disaster as Romain Grosjean lost control of his car, leaving Nico Hulkenberg and Pierre Gasly in a smoky crash. Moments later, Kimi Raikkonen is out of the race due to mechanical problems in lap 25 as well as Force India's Esteban Ocon on lap 40 and Stoffel Vandoorne in Lap 47.

Following the Spanish GP, Hamilton's in the lead with 95 points, 17 points ahead of Vettel, and Bottas is in 3rd with 58 points.

Next race is at Monaco on the 27th of May.

Winners of the 24h Race Nurburgring 2018

Rounding off the loudest race weekend of the year, the Nurburgring 24 Hour endurance race is the ultimate challenge for the bravest and the boldest drives from across the globe as they will risk everything round the clock to survive the Green Hell and win at all costs.


Started on a fine yet cloudy Saturday afternoon, then followed by some mechanical issues, spinouts, crashes, a late-night drizzle, race restarts, and ended in a dirty duel between a #912 Porsche 911 GT3 R and a #4 AMG GT3, nothing could prepare for the worst that kind of battle royale possess and all the blood, sweat, and tears have been poured in this epic 24-hour clash of the titans. It really is destiny for the best and the brightest drivers who possessed infinite possibilities until the winner snaps his fingers for an endgame.

Anyway, if you missed all of the action, let's get to know the winners of the 24h Race Nurburgring 2018;

AT - #320  Care for Climate Porsche Cayman GT4
CUP 3 - E Muhlner Motorsport Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport
Cup-X - #202 Isert Motorsport X-Bow GT4
CUP 5 - #256 Securtal Sorg Rennsport M235i Racing
SP10 - #66 Black Falcon Team Mercedes-AMG GT4
SP3 - #126 AVIA Racing Clio RS Cup
SP3T - #90 Subaru Technica International WRX STi
SP4 - #325 Scuderia Solagon 325i
SP4T - #86 MSC Sinzig Golf 5 R-Line
SP6 - #65 Proom Racing Cayman
SP7 - #55 Prosport-Performance GmbH 911 GT3 Cup
SP8 - #46 rent2Drive-FAMILIA-racing 991 GT3 Cup MR
SP8T - #190 Mercedes-AMG Team Driving Academy Mercedes-AMG GT
SP9 - #912 Manthey Racing 911 GT3 R
SP9-LG - #7 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3
SP-PRO - #56 Toyota Gazoo Racing Lexus LC
SP-X - #705 Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG003c
SP-Y - #63 Dorr Motorsport Huracan Super Trofeo
TCR - #178 Bas Koeten Racing Cupra TCR
V3T - #718 Porsche Cayman
V4 - #155 Securtal Sorg Rennsport 325i
V5 - #144 Pixum Team Adrenalin Motorsport Cayman
V6 - #138 Black Falcon Team TMD Friction 991 Carrera
V2T - #165 rent2Drive-FAMILIA-racing Megane RS


Video highlights:



Congratulations to the #912 Manthey Racing 911 GT3 R and all the class winners of this year's 24h Race Nurburgring!

See you next year!

Things we learned from the Bang Dream! 5th Live

Bang Dream! 5th Live
The Bang Dream! 5th Live concert, held at the Makuhari Messe from the 12th to the 13th of May, 2018, is where everything's about to change in front of a massive audience, especially fans of Bushiroad's Bang Dream franchise because after they got swooned by Poppin' Party on the first day and Roselia on the second day, there has been a slew of big news happening in the world of the Bang Dream franchise so in case you missed it, here's what in store for them.

First and foremost, they've given us a teaser for a male band group calling themselves Argonavis with Shuta Morishima, Seiji Maeda, and Daisuke Hyuga taking charge to it. This new all-male band from the world of Bang Dream! will have their first live in July and that's pretty much all the info heard round the world so stay tuned for more.

In addition, the Bang Dream! anime series will return for Seasons 2 and 3 this next year. One by January 2019 and the latter by October 2019. The new seasons will be taken care by Sanzigen, replacing ISSEN and Xebec as the studio in charge of it. In addition to the new seasons, there's a new Girls Band Party PICO anime skits airing on July 5 during the course of the Bang Dream! TV variety show. Think of it like Puchimas or Cinderella Girls Gekijo but the skits will star the bands from the Bang Dream! Girls Band Party app game from Poppin' Party, Roselia, Afterglow, Pastel*Palettes, and Hello Happy World! Of course, we already know that the Pastel*Palettes are getting a spinoff anime soon so there's more to expect for Bang Dreamers worldwide.

Lastly, and the most important one, is who will be taking over the role of Roselia bassist Lisa Imai in the franchise. Late last year, Yurika Endo announced that she will be retiring from being a seiyuu after her final live show later in the summer due to health concerns, shocking fans on who will take her place on the Lisa Imai role and at the end of the second day of the Bang Dream 5th Live concert, they're happy to announced that the role of Lisa Imai will be handed over to (drumroll please, Ako)...Yuki Nakashima, also known as Yuuki Otokura from THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS. Yuki Nakashima will begin voicing the character soon so stay tuned. This situation is vaguely similar to what happened in THE IDOLM@STER franchise when the role of Yukiho Hagiwara, originally voiced by Yukari Ochiai until she left the franchise for security reasons, was handed over to Azumi Asakura.

Handover aside, much to the disgrace to Pokemon fans too many, Roselia will be having their fan meeting at the Culttz Kawasaki on Monday, the 17th of September, 2018, so if you're one of the yobs who like messing up field trips to the rocking sounds of Roselia, here's your chance to be part of it.

Anyway, that's pretty much about everything as announced at the recently concluded Bang Dream! 5th Live concert so which one are you excited about the most?

Sunday, May 13, 2018

2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - KC Masterpiece 400

Continuing on this loudest race weekend of the year, the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series whisked the drivers to Kansas Speedway for the KC Masterpiece 400. Ain't no Wizard of Oz here but this race will determine who is the wizard of this oval track.


Following Ryan Blaney's Stage 1 win and Kyle Larson's Stage 2 win, chaos ensues at Kansas Speedway as in Lap 236, the #88 car had turned into a fireworks display at the back while the #19 got a bump through the wall. On Lap 247, the #12 and the #42 got involved in a collision and then in Lap 252, disaster brews in as seven cars got involved in a fiery crash.

At the end of this chaotic Kansas weekend, Kevin Harvick is named the victor of the KC Masterpiece 400 race.

Next race is at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race on the 19th of May.

2018 Verizon IndyCar Series - INDYCAR GP

May is the month of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and it's the start of the loudest race weekend of the year as IndyCar's finest welcomed Indianapolis with the INDYCAR GP race of this season, tackling the Grand Prix layout of the said track before getting ready for the ultimate INDY experience, the INDY 500, at the end of May.


Summing up the INDYCAR Grand Prix in a pinch, Will Power leads the race at the first lap but at Lap 7, Simon Pagenaud and Jordan King spun themselves out of bounds. Also, Spencer Pigot leapt his car through the Turn 6 curb and knocked Takuma Sato out of the track, slapping Pigot a penalty. With the race restarted, Robert Wickens tensioned up to overtake Sebastien Bourdais for second place. The impressive surprise comes from Zachary Claman De Melo, who served as a substitute driver for the injured Pietro Fittipaldi, as he charged the car to the top ten spot in the early leg of the race but ended on 12th place. Following the first wave of pit stops, Wickens used the advantage to gun down Power but several miles later, Power returns to the top spot. Last year's champion, Josef Newgarden, turned up the wick, trying to outgun Bourdais in the south end of the track but later got spun and finished in 11th place. After a race restart and a pit stop, Scott Dixon caught Wickens by surprise by overtaking him for 2nd place but Will Power kept going until he reached Victory Lane.

Power nailed his 33rd career win of the series and his third INDYCAR GP win at Indianapolis. For Team Penske, their 200th IndyCar wins was a milestone all thanks to Will Power himself. Dixon's placed 2nd and Wickens' in 3rd.

That is the end of this year's INDYCAR Grand Prix but the drivers will return to the IMS for the INDY 500 on the 27th of May.

FIA WTCR 2018 - Race of Germany

Before this year's Nurburgring 24 Hour endurance race series occurred, signalling the start of the loudest race weekend of the year, the FIA WTCR used the legendary venue for their Race of Germany, pitting racers to a test of courage throughout the twists and turns of the Green Hell.


It was a frightening venue but the bravest of the touring car drivers risked everything they got to survive and win this unforgiving venue before the ultimate endurance race began for the brave and the bold. In the first race of the event, YMR's Yvan Muller defeated teammate Thed Bjork for a 1-2 finish, while on the second race, Esteban Guerrieri, who drives a #86 ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR, emerged to first place after taken down reverse-grid DHL pole position starter and Nordschleife rookie Pepe Oriola. In the last race, finally, Thed Björk nicked his first win of this year.

With the Race of Germany completed, thus the start of the loudest race weekend of the year, but the FIA WTCR will continue at Zandvoort for the Race of the Netherlands from the 19th to the 21st of May.

Forza Motorsport 7: Civic Type R vs. Road Atlanta

A few moments ago, I tried out the brand new Honda Civic Type R on Forza Motorsport 7 via a free DLC following this month's update and I was so impressed that not only it's faster than the old model it replaces, but I managed to beat the real world lap time set by The Stig round the Top Gear Track. No tricks, no tuneups. Just honest-to-stock specs and I did it quicker than The Stig. Anyway, as you are wondering what the FK8 and I are on about, this is what we're on about, here, at Road Atlanta.



Why Road Atlanta? It's plain simple. To promote the new FK8 Civic Type R, Honda and Forza Motorsport 7 team up for a little real life vs. digital challenge called R vs. R.  As Soichiro Honda once said, "If Honda does not race, there is no Honda." In that mixed reality race between real and virtual, Honda enlisted IndyCar driver Graham Rahal and pro gamer Peter Jeakins (a.k.a. TheSlapTrain) to see which one is the best. Rahal's at Road Atlanta driving the Type R in real life while TheSlapTrain's at Turn 10 studios, driving the similar one in the virtual side. I can't tell which because that car hasn't been in Forza 7 yet so what Civic was he driving virtually? Theoretically, the old FK2, I suppose, but never mind about that. At the end, the pro driver has beaten the pro gamer at a rate of .871 seconds, 1:46.664 vs. 1:47.535.



Now that the FK8 Civic Type R is finally at Forza Motorsport 7 to all the players like you and me, it's time for me to do something in return by beating the real world lap time set by Rahal himself. So, how does an idiot like me playing with the controller have what it takes to match the time set in the real world by a pro driver? Before you say everything else, I just want to tell you that everything's stock just like how I did before setting every car for a lap. No tuneup tricks whatsoever, in case you're wondering.

Anyway, with all set, it's time to see if I have the R to take down both Rs. Roll the tape.



After a lap round Road Atlanta, I did it in...1:44.293. Unofficially but over two seconds faster than the real-world lap time set by Graham Rahal! How's that for a Herculean objective?



Having managed to beat The Stig's lap time and Graham Rahal's, I can happily conclude that the FK8 Civic Type R really is the best Civic Type R ever made. It may not be the king of hot hatches but it's certainly the best front-wheel drive sportscar I have ever driven and with this one, everybody wins. Now that I got it all sorted out, I prepped up a little surprise for everyone to see...





You know what this calls for? A Poppin' Party time! Get it?

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Torchwood: Believe

After a decade of parting ways, the original Torchwood cast are reunited for their very special installment of Big Finish Productions' Torchwood audio drama CD range and this special installment brings back memories to Torchwood fans new and old about how the original five members tag along each other right until the inevitable as demonstrated from the TV series' season two finale.

Torchwood: Believe

This is Torchwood: Believe and this special installment brings back the original cast with John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Naoko Mori as Toshiko Sato, Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones, and Burn Gorman as Dr. Owen Harper. Talk about a reunion in the making after a decade of separation from the TV series, eh? Brings back memories.

Anyway, the Torchwood Cardiff team are on a race-against-time scenario as a fanatical cult claimed that mankind has evolved to reach through the stars above and working against the clock, the team must uncover the truth behind The Church of the Outsiders' self-proclaimed prophecy and put a stop to it once and for all.

Listening them all together is like reliving the golden days of how the original Torchwood cast get along each other through good times and bad times and Believe is a tour de force in all of the untold missions unearthed from the ruins of the Torchwood archives by blending every classic Torchwood moment like clockwork with all the action, suspense, thrills, and a few laughs in between, making it a must have for those who can't get enough of Torchwood or those who are welcomed to Torchwood for the first time. Following the success of its Torchwood special releases like Outbreak, Believe is one of the great reasons why we are fans of Torchwood and this helluva reunion of the main characters really made us wish we want to be with them for the rest of our lives.

Lamborghini Urus

Once upon a time, about three decades ago, Lamborghini shook the world by creating their first ever SUV dubbed the LM 002 and while purists call it a treason to Lamborghini's sports car heritage, its macho looks and offroad capability earned the nickname of "Lambo Rambo" because Sylvester Stallone has one. Fast forward to today and looks like Lamborghini's back in the SUV race with this...

2019 Lamborghini Urus
2019 Lamborghini Urus interior
Welcome to the Lamborghini Urus and to think that the car company, famed for their mad exotics and scissor doors, picked a ridiculously funny name for their SUV, the Urus is all business in the era of strongmen leaders and upscale SUVs dominating the world like wildfire. As a crossover that eluded the might of the establishment-based SUVs of today, the Urus promises to be as sporty as a sports car while promising utilitarian traits fit for their next trip to the country club and the ideal dynamics of what a vehicle should be.

Starting on the design, Lamborghini did a really good job turning a concept car into a real one, which is great, but more annoyingly, it still resembled one of the Pikmin enemies that look like a ladybug with chicken legs and that's so horrid in person. Still, this is the Lamborghini way and they are proud of making their cars intimidating on the road and track as for the interior; it's something Boss Madam wouldn't mind of. With rear seats present like its spiritual predecessor, the LM002, as well as some interior detailing straight outta sci-fi stuff, not to mention some space for your country club stuff, rest assured that little Boss Madam wouldn't get enough with the Urus' luxury car comforts, especially at the hands of a driver who is too nuts to drive this one after work.

While the Urus is pretty much impressive inside while downright horrid on the outside, the performance will get you really noticed because while Lamborghini promised us that the Urus will behave like a Huracan in the modern world but what's underneath isn't a Lambo at all and since it's owned by Audi, the Urus is basically an Audi Q7 underneath and the engine that powers it is a sacrilege to traditionalists because the V engine bears a single digit number rather than two in the form of eight. It's a 4.0L V8 Twin Turbo engine shot from the Porsche Cayenne but modified to produce 650PS of power and 850Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed AT, the Urus does 0-100kph in 3.6 seconds and flat-out, it will do 305kph, meaning at this speed, this 650PS Lamborghini SUV is enough to destroy the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. You know, the one with the Hellcat engine on it? Maybe you get the facts right that the Urus will eat the Trackhawk like tiny little Pikmins at nightfall.

The SUV may have Lamborghini speed to eat the Trackhawk but what about dynamics? Ah, but Lamborghini's really prepared for the worst with the Urus because as an SUV, it wants to tackle all kinds of roads, be it tarmac, gravel, or snow, like its super cousins such as the Bentley Bentayga and the Porsche Cayenne, and with similar Lamborghini setups provided, the Urus comes prepared with offroad modes from its ANIMA called NEVE , TERRA, and SABBIA. With modes like these, the Urus has a fitting take of being multirole at any road conditions, which is great for your Sunday driving pleasure, and to make it more exciting on the road and track, its four-wheel drive system has been given torque vectoring and rear-wheel steering, not to mention carbon ceramic brakes for dramatic stopping power without all the drama.

It may be not as sharp as an Aventador or a Huracan but for a sports utility vehicle, the Urus truly keeps its "sport" promise and you can really feel your senses tingling.

Yes, you might say that because the Lamborghini Urus is not a proper Lamborghini because it's basically an Audi Q7 underneath but while it's the least of the problems or the 168,852 Euro price tag, the biggest problem every Lamborghini fan should face is this; SAFETY & ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS. The Urus is the first Lamborghini to feature Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and while these safety features sound so wonderful on normal roads, they completely ruined the Lamborghini appeal that has been on the grip for speedo boys everywhere and it's starting to feel a bit sane right now.

Summing this car up, the Urus appeals speedo boys with its interior good enough for Boss Madam, the Trackhawk-killer performance, and the dynamics that are way beyond SUV standards but what it doesn't appeal to is its design derived from one of the Pikmin enemies, the pricing, and the ADAS that scared every single speedo boy in the world, not to mention the fact that it's not a real Lamborghini.

The Urus may not be a real Lamborghini underneath but in an era of strongmen leaders and modern SUVs, this could be the one we've been waiting for and such performance like this can make us very jealous. Very very jealous. Come on world, we want to get our hands on the Urus someday.

Photo: Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

Torchwood: The Last Beacon

Unearthed from the ruins of the Torchwood archives, this latest installment of the long line of the Torchwood drama CDs provided by Big Finish Productions is a first of its kind because in an unexpected matter, one of the cast members took the liberty to pen this installment's storyline for the fans to listen to.

Torchwood: The Last Beacon

Titled The Last Beacon, Gareth David-Lloyd, who plays Ianto Jones in the Torchwood series, has been given free rein to write this installment's storyline where he and Burn Gorman, who plays Dr. Owen Harper, are starred in this untold mission where they race against time to get through the Welsh mountains to shut down a mysterious beacon that summons a legendary alien race threatening Earth, only to found out that this mission became a camping trip for our tea boy.

The tea boy's been the favorite character in Torchwood since the very beginning and with Gareth David-Lloyd penned this very storyline, listeners can really hear the very progress he has done to deliver this latest untold mission the master stroke it delivers, showing the world what the untold glory days of Torchwood are made of or capable of. Blending horror, thriller, and a little bit of sense of humor in classic Torchwood tradition, there's no arguing this installment fits perfect to your Torchwood collection, whether if you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to the Doctor Who spinoff.

Look forward for more in the Torchwood collection soon from Big Finish Productions!

Bubble Gang - May 11, 2018

On the May 11, 2018 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Beast mode gags

- Angry wife words

- Understanding your candidates before voting...



- The emotional director

- A different kind of tan lines

- Mas Pinabonggang Sumbong Sumbong Kay Bonggang Bongbong takes on people turning strangers into photographers when they see one, people in a relationship celebrating weeksary, and groups like to say they're not interested to drinks.

- Balitang Ina Special Edition!

- The depressed man with the broken innards

- Mom's lantern

- Resist temptation, please

- Basa-basa pik!