Philippine Getaway...?

BMW MINI Crossover '11

Whether if its ready to take flight, take an emergency getaway when your baby's about to pee, order some sushi and slide it on the multi-functional center rail, looking for some wool, or just to multiply this car for the flow, you can't blame it on the BMW Mini Countryman (known in the JDM market as the BMW Mini Crossover).

Slated for an April Fool's Day release (April 1, which explains a lot), official Mini distributor, British United Automobiles, announced the pricing of this Mini Crossover starting at 2.38 million Philippine pesos for the Mini Cooper Countryman (chassis code: ZA16) up to 3.15 million Philippine pesos for the range-topping Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 (Chassis Code: ZC16).

Scoop: http://www.topgear.com.ph/news/mini-countryman-pricing-revealed

Smells expensive but whatever. It's ready to getaway for April Fools!

Some cool commercials from General Motors!

Just before the American Le Mans Series started at Sebring last weekend, I noticed that General Motors aired a Corvette ZR1 commercial that said that they downgraded the ZR1's mighty LS9 engine to about 168 HP just to make it equal to the Sebring competitors.

That's not seem to be bad but the ALMS-spec ZR1 lost to a bunch of ALMS-spec BMW M3s. Anyway, it was a fair fight while it lasted for "THE FASTEST CORVETTE THAN EVER" at the ALMS at Sebring International Raceway.

Meanwhile, moments later, during the NCAA March Madness commercial break, there was a commercial for the turbocharged Buick Regal Turbo!

Awesome!

European-born and turbocharged. This is the kind of Regal we want...

Launch date of the new Prius wagon variant also hits a snag

After the delay of the Honda Fit Shuttle due to the Great Tohoku Earthquake, Toyota Motor Corporation also delayed the late April launch of the new wagon variant of the Prius (name still unknown yet) in Japan as well because of the manufacturing plant problems!

Scoop:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/23/report-toyota-prius-v-launch-delayed-in-japan-due-to-earthquake/

I don't believe this, first the Fit Shuttle, and now the unnamed Prius variant (in a form of a wagon or minivan, or whatever the heck is). The Great Tohoku Earthquake may have plunged the debutantes but I hope when the situation is back to normal (especially the Fukushima Daiichi plant dilemma), I hope these two will debut in Japan someday....

Chinese Top Gear is no bootleg, but remains true to the original version's roots

Chinese version of The Stig

Is this it? This is the Chinese version of BBC's ultra popular motoring magazine show, Top Gear?

Scoop: http://www.gtspirit.com/2011/03/21/video-first-15-minute-pilot-top-gear-china/

This claims to be their is the first 15-minute clip of the Chinese Top Gear, called Zui Gao Dang. As observed, there was the Cadillac SLS vs. the donkey, then there was the Chinese Stig!

What could it be? Well, even it is Chinese, it's still sticking true to the original version's roots.

Bumblebee's Chinese name will be Ke Mai Luo? (WHAT?!)

Chevrolet Camaro SS '10

What? General Motors decided to bring the fifth-generation Camaro (famous for being Bumblebee in the two Transformers movie and coming back on Transformers: Dark of the Moon coming this 3rd quarter 2011) to the People's Republic of China under a weird Chinese name; Ke Mai Luo (科迈罗).

Personally I think Ke Mai Luo is what Camaro is in Simplified Chinese but honestly, we don't what it is but GM claims it is a very "sonorous Chinese name". Most of them would Google translate "Ke Mai Luo" but nothing worked.

Anyway, this isn't the first time Bumblebee hits Asia. The Philippines, Japan, and South Korea (via GM Korea) were the Asian countries to get Bumblebee. The only offering is the 3.6L V6 engine and comes with a 6-speed auto or a 6-speed manual.

Let's see if Bumblebee makes a successful China debut under his new name Ke Mai Luo...

Scoop: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/22/chevy-camaro-will-be-named-ke-mai-luo-in-china/

Bang Candies and bad underarm odors at the mall elevators

"May Halimaw!"

James Bang must save the little girl
from a candy-stealing ruffian

Ryan Bang, as James Bang, woke up from his sweet slumber for his biggest mission; stop the ruffian from getting the little girl's candy.

The ruffian said he want to be a kid again because of the little girl's candy. James Bang has one candy to end all candies! The Bang Candy!

Bang Candy

The Bang Candy can turn a tough ruffian into a little kid!

BEFORE:

From tough guy...

AFTER:

...into little boy!

Handy! Man, I wish I want the Bang Candy so I can be a kid again! Hey, we all want to be kids again, right?

"Sorry Ate Etang, wrong chair"

Then, Pokwang, as Ate Etang, read a letter from someone on Dear Etang. This time, it's not from a kasambahay but someone who works at a mall.

Frustrated elevator lady

At first, working at the elevator sounds fun but as it gets longer, you got frustrated because of the people riding on the elevator with their foul underarm odor (or what we Filipinos said; mabaho na kilikili). Ate Etang's advice;

1) If you noticed someone who's taking a ride on the elevator with his/her bad underarm odor, tell him/her that this elevator's overloaded.

2) If you noticed someone who's taking a ride on the elevator with his/her bad underarm odor, tell him/her that this elevator's broken.

3) If steps 1 and 2 not working, wear a gas mask.

Elevator lady wearing a gas mask

Hmph... I would just go escalators instead of elevators at the malls next time. Those people with bad excess underarm odor would kill me if I ride in elevators at the malls. LOLZ ;-)

Accent Wit and Veloster

2012 Hyundai Accent Wit

2012 Hyundai Veloster

The latest Hyundai hatchbacks of 2011, the Hyundai Accent Wit and the Hyundai Veloster, are just one of the coolest Korean hatchbacks I've ever seen. These are targeted for the "Raining Men" in South Korea, and it depends on their own discriminative tastes. The Accent Wit is the "Guy's Special" and the Veloster is the "Premium Unique Vehicle" under the new Hyundai communication brand, Premium Youth Lab, designed for young drivers' discriminative tastes and preferences.

First off, the Accent Wit is the hatchback version of the Accent RB (known as the Verna or the Solaris in Russia) that was launched on November 2010. The Wit was launched in early March 2011 along with the introduction of the 1.6-litre CRDi-VGT variant of the Accent RB.

My best pick on the Accent Wit is the 1.6-litre CRDi-VGT 6MT variant the reason why I pick this variant is because of the VG Turbo, Common Rail Diesel technology (is what we Filipinos love), and the fun-to-shift 6-speed manual transmission.

I guess this combo between VG Turbo, Common Rail Diesel, and 6-speed manual transmission, is just the right stuff for Filipino Hyundai fanatics like us to drool all over for anticipation, waiting for HARI's response if they will bring the diesel variant of the new Accent soon. Come on HARI, hit us up with this cool variant!

Second, there was the Veloster. Based on the 2007 Veloster concept, the eccentric 1+2 door (one at the left, two at the right) is just the most confusing part on this hatchback coupe, but the Veloster is neither a coupe nor a hatchback. It is a "Premium Unique Vehicle" created under the new banner of Premium Youth Lab, keeping the "New Thinking, New Possibilities" slogan fresh, alive, and kicking very well. With the limited availability of 18,000 units in South Korea, most men would have to rush in to this hot hatch before it's gone for good.

Armed with the Gamma 1.6L Gasoline Direct Injection (GDi) engine, and mated with either a 6-speed auto or a 6-speed manual, the Veloster is just one of the finest Korean hatchbacks most enthusiasts would love to indulge. Because of the limited availability, I think HARI can't bring the Veloster to the Philippines and besides, our fuel's too dirty for its advanced GDi engine.

Regarding that whole "Premium Youth Lab" thing, Veloster owners can participate in their BLU PYL Membership, where they get treated like royalty, and in other words, Veloster owners who are BLU Premium Youth Lab members receive special perks and privileges. This applies only to South Korea.

Deciding which Hyundai hatch, the Accent Wit or the Veloster, is a hard thing because not only they are hot, they are special in any ways. I just hope these two may come in the Philippines someday.

Grab hair by the horns!

Grab life by the horns, Rasheed!

HARA HARA KING KING! Another Magic Singh happened on the March 22 episode of Banana Split! On that episode, Magic Singh showed us a new magic trick; he wanted us to imagine what kind of animal is it when we closed our eyes. We can't say it but only Magic Singh can say it. If you think that's wrong, Magic Singh will turn you into the animal that was once Magic Singh predicted your guess! MAGIC!

"Hair dye? I thought you said Hair Die!"

Also, there was another letter read by Ate Etang on Dear Etang. This letter was written by a fired kasambahay who thinks "Hair Dye" is "Hair Die". Get it? Hair Die! The hairstyle of the dead! HA! HA! HA! Next time, pay close attention.

Kuya Keem and the "real" Ryan Bang

Also, Mutanglawin's Kuya Keem brings on Ryan Bang (and take note, the real Ryan Bang, not the Igor Stojokovic Krystic kind of Ryan Bang) to show what is a trap. Turns out Ryan Bang was succumbed on the trap and got speared! OUCH! That's gotta hurt.

Drinking softdrinks on the wine glass

"Your rice taste good!"

Sari-sari store saleslady

Are you drinking soft drink in a wine glass? Are you appreciated from the rice cooked from your girlfriend? Are you dressed in a saleslady uniform but working in the sari-sari store business? Three simple words; ANG O.A. MO!

AT&T and US T-Mobile come collide, and still no iPhone for T-Mobile yet...

Well, it had to happen. The two rival cellphone providers, AT&T (famed for selling the Apple iPhone), and T-Mobile USA (the US subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, also famous for the myTouch android phone) are now collide, after AT&T bought the US T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom at the cost of 39 billion US Dollars. Talk about joint custody.

Scoop: http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/articles/att-acquires-tmobile-USA

Also, check out the Q&A about what would happen since AT&T bought the North American T-Mobile at http://newsroom.t-mobile.com/articles/more-information-att-acquires-tmobile

What disappoints me, even with the new partnership, T-Mobile still doesn't offer Apple's iPhone like what AT&T (and now Verizon) do. The T-Mobile's myTouch 4G is their flagship offering and also the Samsung Galaxy S.

MY COMMENT: Looks like AT&T and US T-Mobile are now Stick Together to Rethink Possible! Good luck on that new partnership!

Cosplayers are here, there, and everywhere to help the sunken country

A very generous offering to the cosplayers from across the globe, establishing the "Prayers from Cosplayers" site to fill photos of cosplayers giving hope for the sunken Japan, which was suffered from the Great Tohoku Earthquake and the nuclear emergency from the Fukushima prefecture.

If you were cosplaying as a favorite anime or game character and trying to show some support to the sunken country, come visit this site and spread the love for the suffering.

Prayers for Cosplayers site: http://www.prayersfromcosplayers.com/

This site is in 11 languages; Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Russian.

No matter which language you're on (English works best), you can still show some support for Japan while cosplaying your favorite character. It pays to be a generous cosplayer helping the sunken Japan.

Ganbare, Nippon! (^o^)

Photo: Prayers From Cosplayers site

超電磁砲ビジュアルブック - 100のヴィ学

Earlier, I bought the To Aru Kagaku no Railgun Official Visual Book at Kinokuniya Bookstore. I think this looks safe because it was there a long time ago.

About that, this shows more pics of Mikoto Misaka (that's Biribiri to you and me), Kuroko Shirai (Judgment Desu No!), Kazari Uiharu, and Ruiko Saten. Also included are the episode guides, opening and closing theme sequences, and a special DVD regarding episode 13 (the swimsuit episode).

A perfect souvenir from the girls day out spin-off!

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilivolcanoniosis and bokya

Let's check out what just happened from the March 19 episode of Banana Split;

- The hottest and latest showbiz news on HOT ISSUE

- And now 1st honors! Here comes the graduation jokes! As always, congratulations Batch 2010-2011!

Congratulations Batch 2010-2011!

- Mutanglawin's Kuya Keem tackles more on the longest, including the longest word called "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilivolcanoniosis", the calculation of 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 equals to 12,345,678,987,654,321, and the longest kiss duration of 48h:24min:9sec.

- Some dances

- Pooh showcases the unlucky men who are "bokya"

- HARA HARA KING KING! Magic Singh tries to levitate a young lady. Turns out he's not levitating her body but her dress, making the men behind her to peep and make boso-boso! The first time he pulled some "fanservice" magic.

HARA HARA KING KING!

- A game of JUST DRAW IT!