Let's Do The News! (September 9, 2015)

- The suspect who was arrested in connection with last month's Bangkok bomb attacks admitted that he made the bomb and handed over to the man who is believed to have carried out the attack. So far, the Thai police arrested two foreigners and are looking for the possibility that a group of 10 or more may have been involved in the attack.

- Campaigns for Burma (Myanmar) elections, their first since the end of military rule four years ago, has officially begun. With the elections starting on the 8th of November, the poll is likely to be a match between the Union Solidarity and Development Party against the National League of Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

- Typhoon Etau made landfall in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, on Wednesday morning and is moving northward.

- A camerawoman working for a private television network in Hungary was sacked after videos of her hurting migrants escaping from the police, including a man carrying a child, became viral.

- In the continuing migrant crisis, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said that his government is more than welcome to extend help to refugees from Syria. The president recall that the Philippines once helped refugees from the past such as the case of 2,700 Vietnamese boat people escaping from conflicts in the 70's as well as Jewish people fleeing from Nazi-Germany rule during the Second World War.

- The first-ever luxury SUV which claims to be the world's fastest SUV, the Bentley Bentayga was officially unveiled and it comes with Bentley's brand new 6.0L W12 twin turbo engine developing over 608PS of power and 900Nm of torque.

- The Toyota Prius, the car that started the hybrid revolution back in late 1997, is now on its fourth-generation and it was unveiled to the public at a ceremony in Las Vegas. It features Mirai-inspired looks as well as improved fuel efficiency eclipsing every hybrid known in the world and a plethora of safety features.

- The Rolls-Royce Dawn is officially unveiled before its Frankfurt Motor Show debut. It is essentially an open-top version of the Wraith.

- Here's your chance to get your hands with the Ace of the Allied Forces as hobby kit maker Hasegawa unveiled the Su-33 Scarface 1 model kit, part of the Ace Combat model kit range. Out tomorrow for 4,200 Yen plus tax, builders get the chance to construct their own Scarface 1 aircraft just the way the like.

- As we are welcoming Love Live! Sunshine!!, the second generation of the ever successful Love Live! franchise, here's your first look at Aqours' first song "Kimi no Kokoro wa Kagayaiteiru Kai?", which will debut this October 7.

TTFN!!!

F1 2015 - Italian GP

Photo: Associated Press

The battle in Monza for this season's Formula One is proven that Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton is still reeling in for his second title and with his teammate Nico Rosberg out of the picture after several laps later (thanks to his engine blowout), he knew his moment to come, even while shaking off against Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in the fight to the finish. As for Felipe Massa of the Williams F1 team, he managed to taste podium as he placed 3rd, ahead from his teammate Valtteri Bottas.

On the overall standings, Hamilton retains his 1st place overall with 252 points, with Rosberg on 199 points in 2nd place, and Vettel in 3rd place with 178 points.

The next race is set at Singapore on the 20th of September.

New Mitsuoka Galue (L33)

2016 Mitsuoka Galue

In the tradition of Mitsuoka kitting out modern Japanese cars with exterior cues similar to classic British luxury cars, the small Japanese carmaker has introduced us to the new Galue, which is now based on the current-generation Nissan Teana/Altima L33 midsize saloon. Because the previous model is usually a Teana in a Rolls-Royce suit, this new model is still a Teana in a Rolls-Royce suit while featuring some bits and bobs from the Teana L33.

2016 Mitsuoka Galue

There's no need to explain why this is basically a Nissan Teana L33 with some Rolls-Royce-inspired front and back like most Mitsuokas had for their so-called exclusivity because this is basically a Nissan Teana L33 in a Rolls Royce getup. And before I'm going to say it again and again before someone gets bored, the new Galue has some of the Teana's bits and bobs such as high-tensile steel and aluminum bodywork, three-spoke steering wheel, larger front door pockets, a higher dashboard, new instrumental panel, and a reclining front passenger seat.

2016 Mitsuoka Galue interior

2016 Mitsuoka Galue interior

The new Galue, like the Teana is based on, a QR25DE 4-cylinder, in-line, 16V engine with a Twin C-VTC system, which takes care of the intake and exhaust valves for added efficiency, and clean combustion, and is economical. It produces about a measly 170PS of power output and 245Nm of torque, connected to a new-generation XTRONIC CVT gearbox.

Because it's a million yen more than the Teana it's based on, the new Galue from Mitsuoka starts from 3,866,400 up to 4,644,000 Yen. That sounds a lot for a faux Rolls Royce but if you want your new Teana L33 to be more "exclusive" than the average Teana L33, book one of these and see if your next dinner date will turn out.

Available Colors: Waterfall Blue, Radiant Red, Diamond Black, Dark Metal Grey, Brilliant Silver, and Brilliant White Pearl.

Photo: Mitsuoka Motor Co., Ltd.

Let's Do The News! (September 8, 2015)

- Yesterday in Bangkok, Thailand, a mysterious burning object fell from the sky is caught on dashcam. Some say that it could be the meteor similar to the one that hit Russia two years ago, a burning balloon, or a space junk re-entering earth according to reports. Whatever that is, that falling burning object from the sky remains unclear.

- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to be re-elected as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party unrivaled.

- The third ceiling panel from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has been removed in the continuous efforts to decommission the facility.

- Onto the migrant crisis, following Germany accepting ten thousands of refugees, the French and British governments have announced that they are prepared to accept about 20,000 refugees as Europe is flooded with migrants and refugees fleeing from conflict-torn nations in the Middle East and Africa.

- Following his announcement that he will not running as president for the May 2016 elections, Davao mayor Rodrigo Duterte announced that he will be retiring from his position.

- A top Muslim leader wants Solons to quicken the hearings of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which would grant Muslims in Mindanao "genuine autonomy".

- The fourth-generation Renault Megane has been unveiled and it borrows the styling cues from the Talisman saloon as well as featuring new tech and engines.

- Prepare your depositories, Love Live fans, because Hanayo Koizumi, in her training outfit, is now offered as a Nendoroid courtesy of Good Smile Company. She'll be available this January for 3,241 Yen plus tax and pre-orders are now open for booking. Book one now at the official GOOD SMILE ONLINE SHOP to receive a special stand with the rooftop background on it to replicate their practices before doing their on-stage performances.

- Singer Sam Smith is named to sing the opening theme song of the upcoming 007: SPECTRE film titled Writing's On The Wall.

- The famed AlDub tandem of TV heartthrob Alden Richards and our ever favorite inaudible Dubsmash queen Yaya Dub (whose real name is annoyingly Maine Mendoza by many) are not allowed to endorse candidates in next year's elections according to Senator Tito Sotto.

TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (September 7, 2015)

- The Turkish government said that two of their armored vehicles ran into explosives set by Kurdish rebels in the Hakkari province of southeast Turkey, close to the Iranian and Iraqi borders, prompting retaliatory air strikes.

- Back to the migrant crisis, over 10,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in Germany, triggering reluctance from a southern German state.  On Sunday, the train station from Munich continued to receive mass quantities of people and upon arriving, many expressed their thanks to the German chancellor Angela Merkel for accepting refugees and migrants. However,Bavarian state premier Horst Seehofer states that this nation can't take too much refugees arriving from all parts of the world.

- Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte confirms that he will not run as president for the upcoming May 2016 elections.

- Senator Grace Poe recently submitted her citizenship and travel records to the Senate Electoral Tribunal as proof that she is a natural-born Filipino. She submitted a 107-page long document to the SET on the 1st of September to prevent her disqualification filed Rizalito David.

- GILAS Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin said that they will use the Iranian basketball team as a template to show how much the Philippine basketball team progressed as final matches of the FIBA Asia Championship draws near.

- The Porsche 911 (991) range has been given a minor change and for the very first time in their base models, the 911 Carrera and the 911 Carrera S, turbocharging has been implemented in the form of the brand-new 3,0L boxer-6 engine producing slightly more power than the old 3.8L boxer-6 engine it replaces. It will be debuted at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show and sales start at the end of 2015.

2016 Porsche 911 Carrera

- Volkswagen is set to unveil their second-generation Tiguan crossover at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show.

- Michiyuki Kawajima from the band Boom Boom Satellites has suffered his fourth brain tumor relapse. Two years ago, the rock duo took a hiatus from concerts so Kawajima could undergo brain tumor treatment. Boom Boom Satellites are known for their anime songs as heard from Appleseed, Mobile Suit Gundam UC, and a few others. They're the ones who did the theme song from the Ridge Racer V videogame called FOGBOUND.

- Showbiz personality Annabelle Rama decided to give up on producing talents and focus on her reality show appearances such as It Takes Gutz to be a Gutierrez.

- Last week, the inevitable encounter of AlDub in person happened during the wildcard round of Eat Bulaga's Bulaga Pa More Dabarkads Pa More but it ended in not just being blocked by Lola Nidora (because she has the blueprints of the entire Broadway Studio) but also some unknown kidnappers kidnapped Yaya Dub. So, how is Alden's first meeting with Yaya Dub? He said it was great encountering Yaya Dub in person.

TTFN!!!

#BubbleGang - September 4, 2015

On the September 4, 2015 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Welcome to the Gay Scouts, how gay are you?

- Political Assassination gags

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...Cheat Day posts!

- More words to live by from Tata Lino!

- A radio show giving advices in love life.

- The Tolpu Bros. are addressing a complaint from a woman who was a victim of food poisoning on T3 NYO!

- Don Cantoni's facing a crisis from his client...

- More lait-lait from Lala Ytera!

- Another one of the BG cast will take on TSUGI O CHORVA!

Let's Do The News! (September 4, 2015)

- About 1,500 migrants in front of a train station in Budapest, Hungary, are calling for support. Migrants jumped on a train heading Germany on Thursday after they were allowed to enter the station, a day after entry was restricted.

- Business tycoon and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump signed a loyalty pledge not to run as a third-party candidate. He will totally pledge his allegiance to the Republicans following his meeting with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus in New York.

- Guatemalan president Otto Perez Molina has resigned amid a bribery scandal after a judge issued an order to detain him.

- The Malacanang is once again rallying against Bureau of Customs Commissioner Bert Lima over the criticisms form OFWs and the public as the latter continues to implement reforms. Lina already apologized for the bureau's previous policy of random inspection of balikbayan boxes.

- To combat against text scams, the National Telecommunications Commission said it will be requiring telecommunication subscribers or mobile phone users to register their SIM cards as part of security measures.

- Renault will showcase their Alaskan Concept pickup truck on this month's Frankfurt Motor Show, previewing their entry to the rapidly-growing midsize pickup trends.

- Check out the trailer for the upcoming BBC Two drama series based on the hit Grand Theft Auto games, The Gamechangers, featuring Daniel Radcliffe and Bill Paxton. It will be airing on BBC Two on the 15th of September.

- TV personality Rica Peralejo apologizes to the nurses of St. Luke's Medical Center over her false accusations, sparking outrage from netizens.

- TV personality Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo gave birth to a baby girl and naming her Juana Luisa.

TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (September 3, 2015)

- The People's Republic of China held a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War at the capital city of Beijing.

- Meanwhile, the United States commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War with a ceremony at Washington D.C., with about 200 veterans and their families took part at a memorial to mark Japan's signing od surrender documents.

- US President Barack Obama is set to secure enough Senate votes to protect the Iran nuclear deal in the Republican-controlled Congress. In the bid to prevent the deal struck between Iran and global superpowers in July, the Republicans submitted a draft resolution to Congress to disapprove the deal, saying it would give too many concessions to Tehran.

- The Islamic extremist group Al-Shabab have attacked an african Union base in Somalia.

- A tourist in Davao who violated its anti-smoking policy reportedly swallowed a cigarette butt after being reprimanded by city mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

- The Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo concept was officially unveiled in time before its Frankfurt Motor Show world premiere and it will be drivable in a future update of PS3's Gran Turismo 6 video game.

- There's a new Pokemon-related variety show coming on TV Tokyo this October and it will be a talk show hosted by longtime Pokemon caster and J-POP singer Shoko Nakagawa as well as musician Hyadain, and comedians Abareru-kun and Antony. The new show still delivers the latest Pokemon info as what the other Pokemon-related variety shows in the past did but more dedicated for fans of Pokemon everywhere.

- New Pokemon XY toys from Takara Tomy on the radar! For September, a special Mega Bracelet Plus Tretta Pack with Mega Rayquaza is on the list for 1,500 Yen and what you get is a Mega Bracelet toy as seen in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire games as well as a special Mega Rayquaza for use in Pokemon Tretta arcade game. Also, Mega Sableye is added on the Moncolle range for 650 yen.

- To commemorate Aston Martin's involvement in the world of James Bond, they've launched a special, limited-to-150-units, DB9 GT Bond Edition, featuring with an exclusive specification, featuring unique 007 badging and bespoke Bond themed accessories.

- Believe it or not, actress Alex Kingston will be returning on Doctor Who for the 2015 Christmas Special, reprising her role of River Song herself.

TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (September 2, 2015)

- South Korean president Park Geun-hye called on her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a meeting in Beijing to work together to put a stop to North Korea's military provocations.

- The Thai Police are now investigating a second foreign suspect arrested in connection with last month's Bangkok bomb attacks. They arrested the man on Tuesday near the Cambodian river and they say the suspect tries to leave Thailand illegally.

- The minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics says he's taking serious actions regarding the withdrawal of their official logos, following the reports of copyright infringement,

- Pope Francis says all priests can forgive women who've had abortions as the "Extraordinary Year of Mercy" draws near this December. His announcement will encourage priests worldwide to absolve Catholics contrite about a procedure the church considers a grave "moral evil".

- The House of Representatives prepares for the approval of the bill that can reduce individual and personal income taxes. According to Marikina Representative Romero Quimbo, they are aiming the bill's approval on its third and final reading next month.

- The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet has been officially unveiled in time before its Frankfurt Motor Show debut this month.

- Search engine giant, Google just unveiled their new logo as well as the four-color G that matches their new identity.

- A male, first-year high school student from Toyama City, was arrested for allegedly posting threatening remarks on Twitter aiming against the fans of the Love Live franchise.  The suspect in question vows that he'll kill every Liver and he posted a pic of him holding a knife. He also said that he liked the series too but he got fed up from how badly other fans behaved.

- TV veteran Vic Sotto confirms his engagement with actress Pauleen Luna.

TTFN!!!

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
(PS3)

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
(PS4)

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
(XBOX One)

The so-called final chapter of the Metal Gear Solid prequel saga has arrived and it's definitely worth the wait for those who want to jump out from their cardboard boxes just to try the latest installment of one of the most influential video game franchises ever. The Phantom Pain pushes the Metal Gear formula to greater heights because, for the first time, MGS goes open world. Because it's now open-world, players have been given the freedom to unleash their stealth tactics or whatever means necessary to complete series of missions as well as gaining items to build their own Mother Base and defend against rival players worldwide.

Set years after the tragic events in Ground Zeroes, Snake was left in a coma by a mysterious intelligence network known as Cipher. Aided by his old enemy, Ocelot, Snake sets on a trail to Afghanistan to rescue his partner, Kaz Miller, who was held by Soviet troops. As the search for Miller progresses, the conspiracy behind Cipher lurks and who's the enemy is Snake facing on now?

With lessons learned from Ground Zeroes, the newest bits in the world of Metal Gear has been implemented in The Phantom Pain such as taking advantage of means of transportation, CQC takedowns, and so much more. That's just the beginning because while this game is best played with next-gen consoles such as XBOX One and the PS4 (we'd recommend playing that game on that one), The Phantom Pain feels more realistic than ever thanks to realistic passage time and realtime weather. That looks realistic but further stealth measures need to be implemented while harnessing the elements thrown at you.

In some missions, you are never alone because thanks to the Buddy System, you can seek help from elsewhere to finish the mission with efficiency and cleverness. You can summon help from wolves, have several uses with a horse, and get a little help from a character named Quiet.

Gaining resources as learned from Peace Walker is now more than ever because apart from using Fulton Recovery (which is time-efficient than dragging them to your ally chopper called Morpho, amidst their limited quantities) on your enemies and vehicles, you can even use it on animals and other objects. As you get more, you can use them to build your own Mother Base and, for an added bite, defend against other players trying to steal your valuables from your Mother Base. If you had the urge to steal other players' stuff from the Mother Base, feel free to do so.

If you had enough fun with the innovative solo gameplay, you can turn over to multiplayer gameplay via the return of Metal Gear Online but you have to wait till next month to do so. With MGO's return in TPP, gamers must work together to defeat opposing teams in series of multiplayer matches and win.

With The Phantom Pain now out on both Playstation and XBOX consoles as well as for PC users via Steam, players can witness the end of the prequel saga that tells the secret origins of the legendary mercenary known as Big Boss. It's kinda shame that despite the marvelous work poured in by the Metal Gear people, this is nothing more of a parting gift from the man behind the franchise, Sir Hideo Kojima himself. But let's not get to wistful about it because even though this is the parting gift from Kojima-san himself, this is by no means the best Metal Gear played ever and, for once, you can't really put a cardboard box-related joke on it.

For those who have it, as always, best of luck!

Let's Do The News! (September 1, 2015)

- In the midst of the protests done by the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima vows that she will never resign from her position.

- Senator Grace Poe may be charged with anti-graft law violation for publicly supporting the Iglesia Ni Cristo in its protest against Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.

- The organizing committee of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics plans to stop using emblems designed by art director Kenjiro Sano following allegation of copyright infringement. Sano's emblems have been at the center of controversy since a Belgian graphic designed filed a lawsuit saying they are similar to the logo he designed for a theater. Sano, on the other hand, admitted that he's using images posted on the internet without permission. Last year, Sano submitted to the committee the two images to show how his emblems would be displayed and, as it turned out, both of these images were sourced from the internet.

- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) releases the final report regarding the Fukushima Daiichi accident last March 11, 2011, and the major factor behind the accident was a widespread assumption in Japan that nuclear power plants were safe. About 180 experts contributed to the 1,200 page-plus report.

- German Chancellor Angela Merkel urges the European Union to fairly accept migrants and refugees. In her appeal on Monday at a news conference in Berlin, Merkel said that failure to do so would call into question Europe's visa-free agreement.

- Earthquake drills are held in Tokyo, a day marking the anniversary of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake that left over 100,000 people dead or missing, to practice responding to a potentially powerful quake striking just under the capital. Every year, quake drills are held across Japan on that day.

- A radical-looking Peugeot Fractal Concept will appear at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show and the concept's design was made in collaboration with sound designer Amon Tobin.

Peugeot Fractal Concept

- Two of the most iconic video game heroes have been unveiled by Good Smile Company for their Nendoroid lineup; Kirby and Rockman (Megaman)! Both of these Nendos will arrive this January.

Nendoroid Rockman (Megaman)

Nendoroid Kirby

- In case you missed today's Eat Bulaga #KiligPaMore kalyeserye, Yaya Dub swapped her titular role for Isadora, the long lost younger sibling and the so-called mother of Yaya Dub, as secrets between Lola Nidora (Wally Bayola) and the others are slowly unraveled. Don't worry, it's still Yaya Dub underneath her new role and she's still up to her on-screen Dubsmashing antics. You may just refer it to Mommy Dub for the time being...

- Legendary horror film director Wes Craven, famous for his Scream films, dies at the age of 76.

TTFN!!!

FH2 Storm Island: The Island Finale

With 12 championships cleared during my survival on Storm Island, looks like I have finally gained access to the one thing most daredevils must accept in order to be crowned as the Island Champ; the Storm Island Finale. The finale is a long, 2-lap, offroad, course and the objective is simple; win the race while surviving the harsh terrain that will put your offroad abilities to the test. Although the weather isn't what you called grim, the elevation and the offroad conditions will surely put your driving skills to the test and if you win this finale, you are sure enough to say that you've survived Storm Island.



For the finale, I have gone for the Ford Ranger T6 Rally Raid extreme offroader and there is one major reason why I chose this for the finale. Sure, it maybe the un-American Ford Ranger because this truck sold in some parts of the world except the US, but this extreme Ranger is what gave me the start on this quest for survival. The Ranger T6 Rally Raid started this journey and now it wants to end it like every great hero of an epic adventure. I have high hopes for this machine but first...



To prepare for the final onslaught, some major improvements have been made to keep the Ranger competitive against any other opponents it will face on the Island Finale and for some added flavor, I even whipped up a little design for the Ranger. Yep, it's themed after Cinderella Girls' Riina Tada, just to give it a little "Rock of Mind", if you know what I mean.

Anyway, with preparations complete, it's time for me and my Ranger to take on the final race in Storm Island but the opponents I'm facing right now are not what they seem to be because I might be expecting four-door saloons, crossovers, and rarely exotics joining the fray. Even though this is an off-road capable machine, this Ranger is heavier than the rest so it's best for me to stay on top as long as I reach the finish and not allowing every single one rival slip past me. If one slipped past my blind spots, I have to take some creative measures to overtake it and defend to the very end.

Because of the elevation, jumps are imminent as well as potential car damages that can affect the car's performance, should the damage setting is on the Simulation. If you're experiencing loss on power, keep going and watch your back!

Okay, no time for more explanations because it's time to hit the deck and survive the final onslaught!


Can't believe most of the Jerries are getting the better of me, but nevertheless, I am alive and I am victorious. I have won the Storm Island Finale with bravery and confidence, no doubt.

I have finally survived Storm Island and now, I kept thinking....what's next? Looks like my survival in Storm Island is finally over but not for me because I still had a lot of mopping up to do while driving in both the Horizon Festival and Storm Island.

This journey's over but the story never ends...