Saturday, July 30, 2016

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Kim's top aide leaves for Rio


Sourced from NHK World:

A close aide of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his way to Rio de Janeiro to attend the Olympic Games and meet officials from friendly nations.

Choe Ryong Hae, a vice chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, arrived in Beijing on Saturday. Diplomatic sources say Choe will fly to Brazil for the opening ceremony next Friday.

Choe is one of five members of the Presidium of the ruling party's Central Committee Political Bureau. He has served as Kim's special envoy and met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

North Korea watchers say the visit is part of an effort to promote diplomatic activities amid growing international pressure over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

Kim also appears to be keen to enhance his country's prestige through success in sporting events.

Faith, hope, and love trumps all in today's Kalyeserye

Photo: Official EB Facebook

In today's Kalyeserye segment of Eat Bulaga, now on its 37th year, following the assassination of Lola Nidora, we all thought that all the hope is lost on her and following the slow response done by the Rogelios and Rogelia, Alden, Maine, and Tinidora try to get their grips on coping with Nidora's critical state upon getting shot by the assassin following death threats received from her after days of playing cat and mouse. Just as we thought that all the hope is lost, a miracle happened and yes, Lola Nidora's alive. With the police reported that the assassin finally brought into justice, Lola Nidora's not ready to give up her life just yet. She wants to see great things for Alden and Maine but what great things do we expect from them?

Keep watching Eat Bulaga every weekdays for more Kalyeserye, and in the meantime, happy 37th anniversary to Eat Bulaga! Having been on air for almost four decades since the end of Martial Law from the Marcos regime and goes on until the edge of eternity for three networks, nine presidents from the Marcos regime to the Duterte administration, even President Rodrigo Roa Duterte congratulates Eat Bulaga for the show's longevity! For over 11,000 days on the air, numerous memorable segments shown, millions of Dabarkads viewed here and across the globe, and its international presence, no other show comes close than the longest-running noontime variety show in the Philippines.

Happy 37th anniversary, Dabarkads, mula Batanes hanggang Jolo, saan mang sulok ng mundo! (From Batanes to Jolo, from all corners of the world!)

#BGGameOfShows

On the July 29, 2016 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Game show gags


- A man with a split personality

- The Pool Senorita gals reached their hot climax

- Hugot lines in theaters


- Wise words from Tata Lino

- Bubble Gang does Payless XTRA BIG by spoofing this commercial as PAINLESS XTRA BIG! Sa akin, it's DOBLE OR NOTHING!



- Another life of a gay is explained with a song

- An office worker makes her excuse to the boys

- BASA-BASA PIK!

Friday, July 29, 2016

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Kishida, Ban agree on resolute response to N.Korea


Sourced from NHK World:

Japan's Foreign Minister and the United Nations Secretary-General have agreed that the UN Security Council should resolutely respond to North Korea following its ballistic missile and nuclear tests.

Fumio Kishida and Ban Ki-moon met in New York on Thursday.

Kishida said Japan wants to increase pressure on North Korea by strictly implementing Security Council resolutions and taking a resolute stance.

He said Tokyo wants to continue cooperating with the United Nations to comprehensively resolve the abductions of Japanese nationals by the North, as well as issues arising from Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development programs.
Kishida referred to the action program to fight violent extremism Ban compiled in January.

Kishida expressed hope that the United Nations will play a central role in immediately putting the program into action with the cooperation of various international organizations.

Let's Do The News! (July 29, 2016)


- Tropical Depression Carina is expected to bring moderate to heavy rains over Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and CARAGA, according to PAGASA. As of 1100 hours local time, the LPA east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar has developed into a tropical depression. It was estimated to be at 195km East of Borongan City, Eastern Sama at 1000 hours. It moves northwest at 11kph with max winds of 45kph near the center.

- The former presidents of the Philippines advised the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to exercise restraint on the West Philippine Sea row following the issuance of an international arbitral court ruling that voided China's expansive territorial claim. President Duterte said he would take the advice of his predecessors and be cautious in handling the issue to avoid risking soldiers' lives.

- DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno yesterday warned all local government units and the public against con men posing as his staff and extort money. Sueno said they received a report that certain individuals approached two mayors and asked for P50,000 as down payment for the purchase of fire trucks for their districts.

- In the dramatic final day of the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton finally accepted her nomination as the party's presidentiable. As she accepted her nomination, she delivered her best speech yet. She urged supporters of her former rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, to support her because they all share a common goal. He main task is to create more jobs with higher wages. She accused the Republican Presidentiable Donald Trump of trying to divide Americans from the rest of the world and from each other.

- Right now, a total of 106 Russian athletes from 7 sports had been banned from participating the Rio Olympic Games over the doping incident. This includes the entire track and field team. Russia had initially planned to send 387 athletes to the Rio Games. Meanwhile, about 70 Russian athletes arrived at an airport in Rio.

- On a related note, protesters have disrupted the Olympic torch relay just over a week before the Games open in Rio. The Games' organizing committee says Wednesday's protest, staged to coincide with the torch relay, forced its route to be changed in a town about 100km southeast of Rio. The step was take after torch bearers complained about their safety.

- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned recent attacks launched by refugees in her country and pledged counter-terrorism measures, including greater monitoring of online communications. At a news conference in Berlin on Thursday, Merkel said the refugees who carried out the attacks had slapped the country that welcomed them in the first place. She stressed that the unforgivable attacks threatened national security and placed a burden on innocent refugees.

- Formula E racers will be given a brand new look in the upcoming 2016-2017 season and apart from the new two-tier front wing, teams can now make changes to their vehicles and the machines are now better and lighter than the previous ones. Although power remains at 200kW (with 20kW increase in the 2017-2018 season and another 30kW for the 2018-2019 season), the regenerative braking level is now bumped to a massive 150kW and lost 8kg of weight.

- Meanwhile, Formula 1 cars will have cockpit protection for the 2018 season to protect drivers. The decision was made to allow more time to develop the technology, instead of rushing it into use.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga Kalyeserye, with Alden and Maine finally saved and reunited with the lolas, a grave threat is happening on Lola Nidora. While getting out of their "safe zone" for something, someone's going to be assassinated and that someone might be Maine but Lola Nidora took the hit...and did Lola Nidora died? Tune in next time and find out!

TTFN!!!

Thursday, July 28, 2016

THE IDOLM@STER Platinum Stars

THE IDOLM@STER has been one of the most successful titles in Bandai Namco's timeline for over a decade now and even though it faces a much stiffer competition in the world of anime idol genre, everyone should respect that this decade-old franchise is how this kind of competition started in the first place. For 2016, the world of THE IDOLM@STER introduces us a new vision for the loyal fans, for the first time, on the Playstation4 console.

THE IDOLM@STER Platinum Stars

Here it is, it's called THE IDOLM@STER Platinum Stars and judging by the franchise's brand new logo, this is totally the next generation of Bandai Namco's hit franchise and while most fans call the move of making this new game a PS4-exclusive a sacrilege while others try to deny it and go drunk with the other sub-brands, mostly the show-stealing Cinderella Girls sub-brand (with a PSVR Viewing Revolution game to follow this autumn), the aim of the new PS4-exclusive Platinum Stars game is to show loyal fans some love to the ever-favorite 765PRO ALL-STARS just as what they did over the past decade and because this is the next generation of the hit IM@S franchise, Platinum Stars sees a bold new turn for the 765PRO ALL-STARS as they're undergoing a training camp and you're in charge of nurturing all 13 idols to its true potential.

Just like One For All two years ago, Platinum Stars allows players to raise their favorite idols such as Haruka Amami, Yayoi Takatsuki, Makoto Kikuchi, Chihaya Kisaragi, Ritsuko Akizuki, Azusa Miura, Yukiho Hagiwara, Iori Minase, Ami and Mami Futami, Miki Hoshii, Takane Shijou, and Hibiki Ganaha. How you'll live it up to your favorites' expectations is all up to you.

Before heading to a live show, be sure to keep them prepared with some lessons ranging from their vocals, dance, style, and everything else. Then, you can outfit them with the proper costumes that are well suited for the live show of your choosing but here in Platinum Stars, there are new ways to keep your idols prepared. There's the new costume combining feature where you can combine two costumes of the same level to create a more powerful costume fit for idols and each costume has its own rarity so you'll never know what sort of costumes you'll get until you get a more powerful one. 

After live shows, you'll get fan presents, which are broadly similar to the lucky boxes from the Tekken games, and fan presents can contain random items. Could be a voucher for your next costume acquisition, cash, fan letters, or any other item you might come across. You can increase your chances of gaining better items by using P-drops, which can also be purchased on the Playstation Store.

While you're not in the middle of the game, Platinum Stars gives players a glimpse on what the girls are up to, especially birthdays which makes us super jealous that fans like us should have the 765PRO gals sing a happy birthday song for us just as what they did to their fellow idols. With the girls look and behave more realistic than ever thanks to the PS4's capabilities, the new Platinum Stars game will surely make fans come back for more and more and more...until they give up their juice.

Thoughts on Platinum Stars? Well, it may sound sacrilege for a PS4-exclusive but with so many fans starting to change sides, I believe that Platinum Stars is Bandai Namco's last-ditch effort to show some love to the 765PRO ALL-STARS, even though blokes are starting to shy away from them in favor of its Cinderella Girls sub-brand, even the longstanding rivalry of the Love Live franchise, and many other idol-related stuff we all know about. Isn't that why these girls brought us the never ending idol wars in the first place? If so, let's hope this is just a friendly competition not just for themselves, but for the devoted fans who can't hardly decide which anime idols are the best. Hope you're happy that the girls are back for more.

LIMITED EDITION: THE IDOLM@STER Platinum Stars starts at 8,856 Yen (around 4,000 Pesos) but the Limited Edition, priced at 13,392 Yen (somewhat over 6,000 Pesos), features tons of extras such as an ALL-STAR LIVE PAMPHLET, LisAni Live 2016 bonus CD, calendar, bonus photos, a photo frame, a specially-designed box, and a code to unlock a special "Antique Star" costume. The Antique Star costume is a variation of the game's Twinkle Star cover costume but it features the color scheme as the corresponding 765PRO idol (Red for Haruka, Lime Green for Miki, Blue for Chihaya, and so on). 

That's not all, because for a limited time, a copy of Platinum Stars grants you a chance to win tickets to THE IDOLM@STER PRODUCER MEETING 2017 concert, coming this January 2017.

Oh, and for its launch, the first DLC Catalog is now available on the PlaystationStore. The first catalog features the brand new song Miracle Night as well as the brand new Miracle Dance Hall costume, and two additional songs such as I Want and 目が逢う瞬間, among many others. Watch out for the Gothic Punk Queen DL Live, coming this August 4, and you can stand a chance to win a brand new Rouge/Nowaru Q costume with the highest Rank S fit to blitz through your next live performance as well as various Rank A accessories packed with different attributes!

WELCOME TO THE NEW VISION OF IM@S! 

Producer-san! Let's play Platinum Stars! Platinum Stars!

Let's Do The News! (July 28, 2016)


- Onto US Secretary of State John Kerry's Philippine Visit, he expressed the US' agreement with the Philippines on how it responded after the arbitral tribunal based in the Hague delivered a victory for its case against China. In his meeting, Kerry told his Philippine counterpart, Perfecto Yasay Jr., that they appreciate the very responsible and measured way that the Philippine government has responded to the important decision.

- In the midst of the voter registration for the upcoming barangay and SK elections, the Commission of Elections assured the public that safeguards are in place against the repeat of the hacking of the database last March. Comelec chairman Andy Bautista noted that the commission has made sure that data has been secured from those who would try to hack their systems again.

- The third-day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, amid fears that more hacked e-mails from the convention will be uncovered by WikiLeaks over the coming days as well as Republican Presidentiable Donald Trump called on Russia to hunt down Hillary Clinton's deleted e-mails, Senator Tim Kaine accepted his Vice Presidential nomination but the biggest standout in the third day of the convention is the current US President Barack Obama, whose powerful speech devotes everything about what he did ever since he took office, his experience with Hillary Clinton, and why Obama believes that the so-called "Trumpism" won't prevail.

- The ISIS-linked Amaq news agency has posted an online video of two men behind the murder of a Catholic priest in northern France. It shows them pledging allegiance to the terrorist organization. The assailants broke into the church, taking five people hostage and killing a priest. Both were shot dead by the police.

- Over 100 Russian athletes have so far been banned from participating the Rio Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has decided to allow some athletes to participate if they meet certain criteria. Most members of the Russian teams in tennis, archery, equestrian, shooting, triathlon, volleyball, judo, sailing, fencing and table tennis have been approved or will likely be approved to compete in Rio while some international federations are still evaluating.

- Meanwhile, Russian leader Vladimir Putin accused the Western powers of launching a political campaign against sports. Putin addressed the country's Olympic team at a send-off ceremony in Moscow on Wednesday, told the team that rules which govern international politics are being applied to the world of sports. Putin said international sporting bodies should treat athletes fairly and allow Russian athletes who emerge clean from doping tests to compete in the Games.

- Some say, Jaguar Land Rover will discontinue the legendary supercharged V8 engines and plans to source twin-turbo V8s from BMW for cost-efficient measures.

- After making its appearance in last March's Batman v. Superman film, the first teaser trailer for the upcoming Wonder Woman movie kicks off since last weekend's SDCC. The film hits theaters this summer 2017 worldwide and Gal Gadot reprises her titular role. VIEW THE TRAILER HERE.

- Today marks the 54th weeksary of AlDub but things don't look so good in Eat Bulaga's Kalyeserye segment. As the lolas starting to drift apart after the big revelation, Maine has escaped from captivity and with the police arrested the kidnappers, she has reunited with Alden. However, Lola Nidora picked up a phone call from someone but who is it? Tune in next time and find out!

TTFN!!!

Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond

The Star Trek franchise reaches its 50th anniversary this year and over the past five decades, Trekkies have been part of the 24th-century space exploration and heroism that dates back from the original, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. From the Federation, Vulcan, KCA, Augments, the infamous Klingons, the Romulans, and many other factions fans encountered, the 50-year timeline of the Star Trek franchise never felt so unique, so unique, fans live up to Spock's "Live Long and Prosper" tagline. As Trekkies live long and prosper to the next five decades, the big 50th anniversary birthday present has arrived and it's none other than the third installment of the Star Trek movie series.

Star Trek Beyond features the most dramatic storyline ever told in the history of Star Trek and in this third installment, disaster struck at the USS Enterprise crew on an unknown planet, spiraling them out of control and survival is at stake for the whole crew. This film brings back and introduces a vivid cast of characters from Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock, Karl Urban as Dr. Bones McCoy, Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, including Zoe Saldana as Uhura, John Cho as the fan-favorite Mr. Sulu, Simon Pegg as Scotty, and many others, especially the late Anton Yelchin as Chekov. (Rest in Peace, Yelchin)

In the minds of producer J.J. Abrams, the third installment packs a dramatic tone to the epic cult classic franchise because this movie showcases how separate pairs agree to work towards a common goal about survival on an uncharted territory and how the relationship between different characters affect the entire storyline, in either good or bad kind of way. In every detail, this movie shows some no-nonsense point of view in the eyes of the characters on their long struggle to survive themselves in such a harsh scenario and while the topic of struggle for survival feels priapic and more gut-wrenching as the story progresses, it still has that typical Star Trek mandarin that fans got themselves noticed and while this movie has some loopholes that can do better, Trekkies believed that this film is more than enough to honor the franchise's 50th anniversary in a "live long and prosper" kind of way.

My rating: 3.9 out of 5.

Super GT 2016: Sugo


The fourth round of the Super GT 2016 series in Sugo was commenced smoothly and it was one odd of a schedule ever since the third round of this series was cancelled due to the ongoing earthquakes at the Kumamoto Prefecture, until it was announced the third round will commence on the 12th of November at Twin Ring Motegi, a day before the final round taking place at the same venue, making it a two-parter (a first in Super GT history).

Anyway, in this 81-lap race, held at the Sportsland SUGO, located on the Miyagi Prefecture, wild things happened during the race and such examples is the #24 Forum Engineering ADVAN GT-R, driven by Daiki Sasaki and Masataka Yanagida, which came from 9th place and then emerged victorious in the GT500 class, courtesy of their no-tire-change tactic, which sounds like a very risky gamble for the team. Meanwhile, in the GT300-class, the #31 TOYOTA PRIUS apr GT, driven by Koki Saga and Yuichi Nakayama, scored their first win of the season.

Highlights:


The next race will start at Fuji Speedway on the 7th of August.

Ignacio De Loyola (2016 film)

Ignacio De Loyola

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, according to religious history, was a Spanish knight from a local Basque noble family, who later became a priest since 1537, and a theologian who founded the Society of Jesus or Jesuits. In this remarkable, yet powerful, biopic depicting the life and times of a knight who became the founding father of the Jesuits, was told and this film is by no means a wonderful collaboration between the Philippines and Spain in the making of this film. Although the cast are all Spanish, including the lead actor Andreas Muñoz as the titular character, the crew behind the making of this religious film were mostly Filipino and such collaboration will bring faith-based moviegoers a glimpse of the St. Ignatius of Loyola they never knew from the history books.

Born from a noble Basque family, St. Ignatius of Loyola was once a soldier but when he was seriously injured in the war, he gave up his will of being a soldier, became a servant of God, and he established the Jesuits for the greater glory of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Just by looking at the whole film, you can feel the powerful undertones reeling in the powerful memoir of the soldier-turned-saint and for a certain Jesuit and Atenean, they can learn many lessons after watching the whole film and it's about repenting for your sins and never lose hope in the name of Him.

As a powerful movie filled with powerful undertones, Ignacio De Loyola never fails to capture the hearts of audiences, mostly faithful and religious ones, and with a Filipino-Spanish collaboration rooted to this film, you can consider this film a world-class success in its own right.

My rating: 4.1 out of 5

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

F1 2016: Hungarian GP

Image: Reuters

The Hungarian leg of the F1 2016 season sees Mercedes' top ace, Lewis Hamilton, regaining his championship lead against Nico Rosberg following his pole position advantage that led him to victory. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo placed third. Behind the winner's circle, it seems that Fernando Alonso from McLaren-Honda is starting its road to recovery following its poor performance throughout the season and with him finishing 7th place, that's just the beginning for them. Meanwhile, Red Bull rookie Max Verstappen was hindered by Hamilton early and struggled to get past Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, which placed him fifth.

The next race is set on Germany on the 31st of July.

Jubilee of Mercy: World Youth Day

The Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy kicks off today at the Vatican City with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Jubilee of Mercy logo


July 26, 2016 - Over 200,000 pilgrims have gathered together in Krakow, Poland, to celebrate the annual World Youth Day and for this year, it's a very special World Youth Day because of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. Krakow Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the former secretary of St John Paul II, preached the pilgrims and urged young Catholics to share their faith, experiences and hopes and spread a "message of divine mercy" worldwide.



During the mass, Cardinal Dziwisz said “We come from every nation under heaven, like those who came in great numbers to Jerusalem on Pentecost Day, but there are incomparably more of us now than 2,000 years ago, because we are accompanied by centuries of preaching the Gospel.” The Cardinal preached over 200,000 pligrims from 187 nations in Krakow's Blonia Park, a day before the scheduled arrival of Pope Francis.

Highlights:



Report: http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/07/27/wyd-2016-spread-message-of-divine-mercy-krakow-cardinal-says-at-opening-mass/

Let's Do The News! (July 27, 2016)


- The five recent presidents of the Philippines in historical order; Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III, and the latest Rodrigo Roa Duterte, have come together for a national security meeting to discuss the recent decision on the Philippines' case against China. Duterte convened the National Security Council at Malacanang with former presidents and joining the meeting were Duterte's Cabinet officials as well as newly elected Senate President Koko Pimentel and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

- During his Philippine visit, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the Philippines' respect for human rights can go with efforts to achieve security. Kerry, who met with President Duterte and his Philippine counterpart, Perfecto Yasay, said that the US's "broadening agenda" in the Philippines outside the question of the South China Sea involves the fight against crime, which the two countries have long undertaken.

- The Manila Police District revealed the suspect behind the murder of the cyclist Mark Vincent Geralde as Vhon Tanto. Vhon was involved in a "road rage" incident in Quiapo, where he killed the cyclist after fighting at P. Casal Street.

- In Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton made history as she was named as the presidential nominee for the Democratic party. In a shocking move, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders nominated Clinton to become the next US president while ditching the acclamation line. Following his decision, supporters of Bernie began protesting outside the convention. Meanwhile, former president Bill Clinton appeared onstage to tell everyone more about his story with Hillary and how his speech is a new tack for Hillary's campaign.

- An acquaintance of one of the men who murdered a priest at a church in northern France says the suspect hinted of plan for terrorist attack in recent months. Two men armed with knives entered the Catholic church in Normandy on Tuesday morning, killing a priest and seriously wounding another person. The attackers were shot dead by police.

- 35 Russian athletes were banned by four international sports federations from entering the Rio Olympics, in connection with doping. The Russian track and field team has already been disqualified but the judo and shooting teams are allowed to compete in the Olympics.

- South Sudan President Salva Kiir fired his vice president in a move that risks reigniting violence in the country. Over 270 people died during fierce fighting in the capital city of Juba. Kiir replaced VP Riek Machar with former mining minister Taba Deng Gai. The president made the appointment while Machar was away from the country.

- The Fairy Tail franchise celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with a special art exhibit in September. The exhibit will feature art from the manga series, as well as life-size figures of popular characters including Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and others, and exclusive merchandise.

- The Pokemon GO app game has reached 75 million downloads worldwide with 10 million downloads in Japan on first day.

TTFN!!!

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS STARLIGHT MASTER 04 Seizon Honnou Valkyria

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS
STARLIGHT MASTER 04 Seizon Honnou Valkyria

The fourth installment of THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS STARLIGHT MASTER range, inspired by the ever-popular THE IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls Starlight Stage app game, has arrived and finally, something to wet our pants for...well, just the three on the cover art ever since its Starlight Stage appearance weeks ago.

Yes, we're talking about Seizon Honnou Valkyria, which is one of the songs Starlight Stage players mastered it from DEBUT to MASTER difficulty, and the full song can finally be heard on this latest single, which is part of the STARLIGHT MASTER CD range, and it's not just the dystopic, yet powerful, song you'll be hearing on this one because there are two more songs featured such as 空と風と恋のワルツ performed by Miho Kohinata and Sparkling Girl by Riina Tada.

Expect more Starlight Stage songs getting the full M@STER VERSION treatment soon and be sure to keep playing Starlight Stage for more of your favorite 346 Production idols gunning for more.

TRACK LISTINGS:

01 生存本能ヴァルキュリア (M@STER VERSION)
02 空と風と恋のワルツ
03 Sparkling Girl
04 生存本能ヴァルキュリア (M@STER VERSION) オリジナル・カラオケ
05 空と風と恋のワルツ オリジナル・カラオケ
06 Sparkling Girl オリジナル・カラオケ
07 生存本能ヴァルキュリア (GAME VERSION)

Jinsei wa Subarashi

Jinsei wa Subarashi, the latest single by the hit J-POP boyband Johnny's WEST, is now added on the court record.

Jinsei wa Subarashi
Jinsei wa Subarashi [Limited Edition A]
Jinsei wa Subarashi [Limited Edition B]

HOLD IT! Isn't this latest maxi single from the popular J-POP boyband featured the second opening theme song from the Gyakuten Saiban (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney) TV series? If so, you're more than delighted to listen the latest opening theme song anytime you want and because Johnny's WEST is gaining more reception than the whole Ace Attorney TV series (women who are archiving this, are you getting this?) but not quite enough compared to the entire Ace Attorney video game franchise, fans can listen more aside from their latest opening theme song. In the normal version, it's offered with new songs such as Mr.Summer WEST, 覚悟しろよSummer , and CHO-EXTACY, but in two different limited editions; the track lists are different as well as the DVDs offered, which are packed with music videos and behind the scenes. In Limited Edition A, there's a DVD featuring the music video of Jinsei wa Subarashi, while the Limited Edition B features a new song titled シルエット, as well as its music video DVD.

Present this as evidence? OBJECTION!

Monday, July 25, 2016

Let's Do The News! (July 25, 2016)


- President Rodrigo Duterte made his first State of the Nation Address ever since he took office since late last month. In his address, Duterte wants crooked execs to be punished, never use human rights as excuse to destroy the Philippines, continue the war against illegal drugs, and many other promises he made during his first SONA.

Following Duterte's first SONA, Senator Koko Pimentel was elected as Senate president after obtaining 20 votes at the opening session of the 17th Congress.

- The ASEAN foreign ministers issued a joint communique without any mention of the recent ruling on Philippines' claims against China. The statement was issued following a deadlock among officials at a meeting in Vientiane, Laos, who tried to reach a consensus to counter China's territorial expansion in the South China Sea.

- German authorities say a 27-year-old Syrian man has detonated a concealed bomb he was carrying, killing himself and wounding 12 others. The authorities held a news conference hours after the explosion occurred in Ansbach on Sunday. They say the man requested asylum in the country two years ago but was rejected last year. They say he has since been allowed to stay at a shelter in Germany on humanitarian grounds. Some say, the man denied entry to an open-air music festival near the scene of the blast. He was believed to have exploded himself near the concert gate.

- Participants in the first major rally organized by Turkey's opposition since the coup attempt earlier this month have expressed their support for democracy. The rally drew a large crowd on Sunday to Taksim Square in Istanbul. Attendees refrained from expressing criticism of the government's subsequent crackdown.

- The International Olympic Committee has defended its decision not to impose a total ban on Russian athletes attending the Rio Olympics next month. Many Western countries are critical of the decision because they had requested a total ban on Russia.

- The finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 nations say the recent Brexit decision has increased global economic uncertainty, naming it one of the new risks, along with terrorism and refugee issues, in a joint statement issued on Sunday after their 2-day meeting in the Chinese city of Chengdu. The participants say they hope Britain and the European Union will work closely to contain the impact of Brexit on the global economy.

TTFN!!!

Challenge: The trouble with my Leon cosplay

Since 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the Biohazard/Resident Evil survival horror franchise, I think this is the ideal moment that I could try dress as one of the characters but I have gone for the one character that has the most impact in the franchise is...you guessed it, a policeman-turned-government agent named Leon S. Kennedy.

Of course? Why Leon you may asked? He appeared in game installments such as Biohazard 2, 4, The Darkside Chronicles, and 6, as well as movie installments such as Degeneration, Damnation, Retribution, and next year's Vendetta 3D anime movie. Yes. He's back for more in next year's 3DCG Biohazard/Resident Evil film in case you missed it.

Which Leon cosplay did I tried? From Biohazard 6, of course, but which one from the game? For me, I replicate his outfit from his China arrival alongside Helena Harper during their pursuit against Simmons, the mastermind behind the Tall Oaks incident that killed over 70,000 people, including the President.

Took a lot of trouble replicating his second outfit from RE6, not to mention the sour moment today's society we're facing with such as ongoing gun violence reports. Look, I wasn't going to flash a (pretend) weapon to scare anyone around me, I want to look as real as the character I am cosplaying at. Sadly, political correctness got the better of me, so I arrived...unarmed.


Venue? I went at this year's Chinatown Seafair Parade to join alongside Team Sakura-con cosplayers promoting next year's convention, which is going to be a big one due to its 20th anniversary next year. Anyway, how things going along?





Good at the very start but I'm started to lose my "gentleman-ism" when girls in their Love Live cosplays appeared. I once tried to grabbed some Loveliver's arm while asking to take a picture but some guy dressed as Gray from Fairy Tail stopped me. 

Wow, guess I lost my sanity every time I saw someone dressed as an idol girl so whoever you are, and let's put a dump behind this, I'm sorry.

As I shyed away from idol girls, I took pictures of other attendees in a mannerism kind of way. Just a simple please and thank you would be nice, and while I'm, like the others, standing in the line for over two to three and a half hours, I began toying around with my Pokemon Go game like anyone does. As the parade starts, I tried to keep myself focused to the crowd while dealing with the wild Pokemon popping out from the game.

Several kilometers later, we made it. The parade's over, and we all have a well-deserved rest.

A little top tip for myself: Always listen to today's society before pulling such kind of outfit and lastly for me, be respectful while asking someone to take a picture. A "please" and "thank you" can do the job nicely. Ugh, guess I should act normal, even when I spot an idol girl cosplay next time. Idols..

Still, I got some shots from the parade so you want to see the whole recap:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1090456807714583.1073742104.119605654799708&type=1&l=a54beadd85


So, the outfit that Leon wore on RE6 during his arrival on China alongside Helena, how it's done anyway? Well, from top to bottom; a golden brown hairdo, a blue long-sleeved polo shirt, a black outdoor vest (a summer one, as long that's not too thick), a tactical belt, two handgun leg holsters (one for the left and another for the right), black trousers, and some black leather shoes. Oh, and finding a shoulder holster sounds too tricky, try buying a crossed suspenders for a change and then try attaching two stuff that corresponds to his outfit, a tactical pouch on your right and a rubber knife with a sheath on your left. That should do the trick.

Due to weapons restrictions, depending on where you are, it is advised not to bring even the most pretend firearms or you will be in trouble. If allowed, you can arm yourself with two SIG P226 airsoft guns with the laser attachments (sold separately) connected on it, as long as you make it inoperable and non-firing for cosplay use. Removing the trigger is okay but there are complicating ways to make it unfunctional for cosplay use. Even with the orange tip that serves proof that it's a replica sounds not enough and if today's society got you real good, best to turn up, with no weapon props at all. That sounds not nice, in fact, I wonder how many Biohazard/Resident Evil cosplayers can turn up in conventions with or without pretend firearms. Hmmm....

Anyway, despite that, dressing as Leon is enough to honor Biohazard's 20th year and next time, hope I won't cause any trouble while wearing this outfit anytime and so are the others. (Sigh...)

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Genesis G80

What was once called the second-generation Hyundai Genesis is now called the Genesis G80, the second vehicle under Hyundai's newly-established Genesis Motors luxury brand that started last year with the flagship EQ900 saloon. Slotted below the EQ900, the G80 is a direct competitor to the likes of BMW's 5-Series, Audi's A6, and Benz's E-Class.

2017 Genesis G80
2017 Genesis G80

When the second-generation Hyundai Genesis launched three years ago, Hyundai wanted to bring their Fluidic Sculpture design to the next level by maintaining its original essence while delivering different elements to our new design language such as simple and harmonious design, modern Hyundai look, and rich visuotactile color. For the brand new G80, it still has the similar Genesis cues three years ago, but with some few tweaks to differentiate it from the old Hyundai Genesis it used to be called upon before the foundation of the Genesis Motors brand we know today.

2017 Genesis G80 interior
2017 Genesis G80 interior
Not much little change has been given on the inside, except for the gear lever and the upgraded software implemented on its hard drive. Like the previous model, the Genesis G80 has a more premium interior that others can expect from its European rivals. Hyundai accomplished it by delivering a well-tailored interior design specifications for all materials and mater craftsmanship-level finish to further improve its premium image. Form its TFT LCD Cluster, Lexicon Surround Sound System with 17-speakers, Smart Trunk System, and many other convenient features, the G80 is a Korean premium saloon that has the same magnitude as the Europeans when it comes to conveniences and comfort.

2017 Genesis G80

Under the hood, the G80 still offers two V6 petrol engines available such as the V6 3.3 Lambda and the V6 3.8 Lambda engine. The 3.3L V6 engine produces 282PS of power, 35.4kg-m of torque, and fuel economy of 9.6km/L while the 3.8L V6 engine produces 315PS of power, 40.5kg-m of torque, and fuel economy of 9.2km/L. By autumn, there will be a G80 Sport model, packed with the similar 3.3L V6 T-GDi engine from the EQ900, which produces 370PS of power output. They're both mated with a revised 8-speed automatic transmission with lock-up torque converter.

The G80 also comes with an optional HTRAC all-wheel drive system, which electronically controls torque split between the axles depending on which driving conditions the driver is on, providing a well-stabled ride on slippery conditions and allows the driver to select different driving modes,

As a technologically-advanced saloon, the G80 comes with an array of safety tech such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with Pedestrian Detection, Active Blind Spot Detection (BSD) and Driver Attention Alert, to Smart High Beam Assist and Around View Monitor.

The G80 starts from 48,100,000 to 71,700,000 Korean Won and that puts in the similar price bracket as its European rivals from its class.

The EQ900 and the G80 are just the start because by next year, Genesis' take on BMW's 3-Series and MB's C-Class, inspired by the New York concept, will be launched, with a luxury crossover and a replacement to the Genesis Coupe will come out later and all Genesis models will be launched within the end of the decade.

Photo: Hyundai Motor Company

smart fortwo cabrio (W453)

2016 smart fortwo cabrio

When smart introduced the world the next-generation of their two-door micro-mini, the fortwo, and its larger five-door equivalent, the forfour, I have a clear flashback saying that these two cars are more than welcome to be part of their garages if spending a day with a ridiculously expensive sportscar is not part of their schedule but driving one of these will make people think you're less matured and more of a Bondying.

Well, it's been two years now and the new smart range has added a new member of the family and this time, it's the open-top equivalent of the new fortwo, the all-new fortwo cabrio. Starting at 14,305 Euros, the fortwo cabrio is probably one of the cheapest convertibles to own even if you don't care just how slow selling open-tops like these are and you don't care where will you drive this car, be it rain or shine, as long as you're "smart" enough to cruise on these. Get it? I said the "smart" part, didn't I?

Even though this is just an open-top mischief in the making, this is still a smart fortwo for Pete's sake. You still get a choice of 1.0L and the 0.9L turbo petrol engines and a choice of either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed double-clutch gearbox. Whichever comes first, you are more than welcome to play around with the car's rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout that all smart cars get. At first, toying around with these cars because of its size is the most enjoyable part of having the fortwo cabrio but because it's a RR-car, expect the cabrio to have the similar behavior as an open-top Porsche 911. Nothing says mild but menacing in a different sort of way, huh?

As long as you don't see anyone in their big, expensive, sportscars driving by, the new fortwo cabrio is a nice city car to get used to it but if anyone saw it coming, they will come by laughing at you like jocks bullying nerds on recess, so don't try to pick em off, unless if you get through tight spots that those big sportscars can't because its size makes a big advantage in squeezing through tight places like little kids crawling through ducts. At least, that's the kind of stuff I'm talking about.

Like I said, the new Cabrio starts at 14,305 euros and if you can take advantage of other extras in store for this car, it can be somewhat a very classy city car for the masses indeed, despite its open-top character from the outside. Although not made to be a city car for the masses, the new fortwo cabrio is just one of the city cars that likes to squeeze through the crowd with ease.

Photo: Daimler AG