THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Aftershocks in Pohang continue

Aftershocks continue to rattle the southeastern city in South Korea following the M5.4 quake last Wednesday. Just this morning, residents there felt a M3.6 aftershock, a matter of hours after they experienced a M3.7 quake before midnight Sunday.

So far, over 50 aftershocks have been recorded, leaving thousands of residents staying at nearby shelters. Some 2,000 houses have been damaged by numerous quakes.

The country's second-strongest tremor and a series of aftershocks that hit the port city on Wednesday have left 498 public properties destroyed. Other damaged buildings include 79 public offices and parks, and 23 port facilities and seven roads.

Meanwhile, the Korean government confirmed that suspected bird flu case was found to be highly pathogenic. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs said that the AI discovered a day earlier on a duck farm in Gochang, Jeollabuk-do Province, some 300km southwest of Seoul, tested positive as a highly pathogenic strain of H5N6.

Some 12,000 animals on the farm have been slaughtered. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon has instructed related government ministries to cooperate closely, adding that detailed government measures will be announced soon.

This is Korea's first bird flu case in five months since the government confirmed the previous outbreak in July.

Source: Arirang News

Let's Do The News (November 20, 2017)

- According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a group of foreign jihadists have joined the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in North Cotabato. Meanwhile, they are ready to act on President Duterte's plan to issue the proclamation declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army as terrorists.

- Embattled Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno challenged Associate Justice Teresita de Castro, who was reported to be a possible witness against her.

- President Rodrigo Duterte apologized for the inconvenience caused by the detachment of the Metro Rail Transit coach from a train in Makati last week. Initial investigation revealed that the “messma card” from the detached train cars was missing, fueling suspicions that the incident was caused by human intervention. Earlier, the President is set to fire next week government officials who have been traveling abroad without necessary travel order released by his office.

- US President Donald Trump says he should have three UCLA players in Chinese prison. The latest tweet from the President comes after the father of player LiAngelo Ball minimized Trump's involvement in winning the players' release in comments to ESPN.

- Celebrating Mass with poor people in the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis yesterday denounced those who dismiss poverty as "not my business" and defined indifference to the needy as a "great sin."

- Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe defied calls to quit Sunday, saying he will preside over a ruling party congress in December in an announcement that could trigger impeachment proceedings this week and more protests demanding his ouster.

- Charles Manson, the notorious leader of the family cult that murdered Sharon Tate and six others in 1969, died Sunday in a Bakersfield, California hospital at the age of 83.

- Mercedes-Benz teases the next-generation CLS-Class ahead of its LA Auto Show world premiere.



- ICYMI: Two new clips for the upcoming season of Amazon's The Grand Tour sees that The American and the Celebrity Brain Crash segment will not return in this season. So what?



- Selena Gomez's performance at this year's American Music Awards draw criticisms from social media, claiming she lip synced. She's one of the many female performers dominating the Microsoft Theater stage on the awards ceremony, even though they're not nominees.

TTFN!!!

2017 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup - Ford EcoBoost 400

Homestead-Miami Raceway, the final destination of the Monster Energy NASCAR Championship and where the trail of the Championship 4 ends there as Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Brad Keselowski are going all out to show the world who will be worthy of the trophy.

It's also where the trail of Dale Earnhardt Jr ends following his shocking announcement that he will retire from NASCAR after this season and following his announcement, most of his sponsors are paying tribute to the #88. Other than Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch is not signing up for next year's season while Matt Kenseth announces he will step away from this sport indefinitely. Recently, Danica Patrick, the only female driver in NASCAR, sadly announced her departure from being a full-time driver but she will drive for next year's Daytona 500.

With all that emotional farewell from some of the well-known drivers going on, let's recap on what's happening in the final leg of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series;

In Lap 60, Jimmie Johnson's car faces light damage from the right side and he's off to the pits for new tires. In Lap 80, Kyle Larson wins Stage 1 but Keselowski's leading in the Championship 4. In Lap 142, Danica Patrick's career came to a fiery end when she collided with the wall and later hit by a car behind her, causing her car to burst flames and she's out. In Lap 160, Larson nabs another stage win but Martin Truex Jr. leads the Championship 4.

At the end of this 400-mile race in Homestead-Miami, the winner of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup is Martin Truex Jr. The 37-year-old driver has turned his tragedy into triumph as he did it for his team owner, who suffered heart attack, and for his long-time girlfriend, who struggles with ovarian cancer.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who now retires from this sport and an impressive career, managed to say kind words to Truex Jr.

Thank you Dale Earnhardt Jr., for your impressive career in NASCAR history and may our paths cross someday. And congratulations to Martin Truex Jr. for winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series!

Before Martin Truex Jr.'s win at this cup, this weekend's champions are Christopher Bell for the Camping World Truck Series and William Byron for the xfinity series.

And that is the end of this NASCAR season! See you in Daytona this February!

How to dress as Nate or Hailey Anne

The world of Yo-Kai Watch can be downright hilarious and downright messy if you are either Nate (with Jibanyan and Whisper alongside) or Hailey Anne (with USApyon alongside) but because of your Yo-Kai Watch, you might be able to find the spirits causing so many mess in the human world faster than Whisper flicking his Yo-Kai Pad endlessly. Let's admit it, we're all fans of Level 5's popular video game franchise that spawned a TV anime series, a plethora of toys, movies that come out every holiday season, and the dance steps that became the trending topic in every Japanese household.

 

We always wanted to dress as one of the Yo-Kai Watch users as seen in the games and the TV series because if we're the ones to blame the supernatural for everyday nuisance, we've come to the right spot and today, it's time for me, your honorary Whisper of the day, will show you how to dress as the stars of Yo-Kai Watch.

As Nate:

Keita Amano (or Nate) is an average kid who became a Yo-Kai Watch user after his fateful encounter with the so-called Yo-Kai butler Whisper after releasing him from a mysterious vending machine while he was busy catching bugs in the summer. With the Yo-Kai Watch, Nate can encounter different kinds of Yo-Kais making too much trouble in the human world.

Because of the change in times, I decided to pick Nate's current costume as seen in the current Yo-Kai Watch series, especially the YW3 Sushi/Tempura/Sukiyaki games, but he wears two kinds of outfits depending on the season so let's begin with...

NATE'S SPRING/SUMMER OUTFIT:

• First, get a brown hair and make sure it's as spiky as Nate's.
• In the current series, Nate wears a sky blue shirt, and a red short-sleeved polo shirt with a star on each sleeve. Feel free to recreate that look.
• Then, get some beige pants and then trim it to about 80% coverage. Feel free to add some bits on each side if you wish.
• As for footwear, it has to be brown, short boots.
• To complete the look, you'll need the toy replica of the Yo-Kai Watch DREAM. Of course, you can pick whatever Yo-Kai Watch you want, even the old Yo-Kai Watch U Prototype toy but the Yo-Kai Watch DREAM is my recommendation to this look. For optional consideration; buy the new Crystal Treasure skin for the Yo-Kai Watch DREAM in case you're going to summon a mystery legend.
• OPTIONAL: Get a plush toy of either Whisper, Jibanyan, or both.

NATE'S AUTUMN/WINTER OUTFIT:

• Like the last one, get a brown hair and make sure it's as spiky as Nate's.
• There are three upper outfits on this getup; a black-and-white striped T-shirt, a white hoodie without a zipper, and a red jacket with some zipper on it. Be sure to have those in the shopping list while you can but the white hoodie can be a tricky find.
• After that, get some green cargo trousers that matches his.
• Shoes? Blue Converse shoes. Sort of...
• Like before, any Yo-Kai Watch replica toy but the Yo-Kai Watch DREAM is the recommendation. And as an option; a Yo-Kai plush of either Whisper, Jibanyan, or both.

As Hailey Anne:

Inaho Misora (or Hailey Anne) is a proper sci-fi geek and anime otaku who first encountered USApyon in a middle of the alleyway when the space watch toy she bought at the store was actually a Yo-Kai Watch. With Hailey Anne and USApyon as partners, they've been through different adventures such as how to build a rocket, solving mysteries like detectives, drawing attention from the FBY agents, and more. Deep down, she can be a real pain in Nate's back side because she's a Yo-Kai Watch user like him and they can be the fiercest of rivals, if you may.

Like Nate, Hailey Anne wears two different outfits depending on the season so let's begin with...

HAILEY ANNE'S SPRING/SUMMER OUTFIT:

• Short, puffy, and purplish. That's what describe Hailey Anne's hair like so feel free to recreate her hairstyle. Oh, and don't forget her glasses.
• Hailey Anne wears a sky blue T-shirt and a pink cardigan so put that in your shopping list if you are going to dress as her.
• Below, Hailey Anne wears a beige and short A-line skirt and some blue leggings. Add that to the list as well.
• Lastly, you'll going to need some yellow shoes to finish the look or not because you're going to need one last thing...
• In the TV show, she uses a Yo-Kai Watch U Prototype. Feel free to find a toy replica of her Yo-Kai Watch online and for optional consideration, the VersionU2 skin for the Yo-Kai Watch U Prototype toy.
• OPTIONAL: Hailey Anne's partner Yo-Kai is some space otter named USApyon and if you're going to be like her, you're going to need a plush toy of her Yo-Kai partner.

HAILEY ANNE'S AUTUMN/WINTER OUTFIT:

• Like before, get a purple hair and make sure it's short and puffy, just like Hailey Anne's.
• On the top, be sure to wear a sky blue sweater and a pink long jacket but make sure it's not too puffy, not too long, or not too leathery. It's about as similar as Hailey Anne's.
• Below, she wears a short, brownish A-line skirt that is now over the knee and then, some dark red leggings. Be sure to have those alongside the ones on the top.
• As for shoes, you're going to need some short gray boots for this.
• Like before, a Yo-Kai Watch U Prototype toy and an optional VersionU2 skin for it. Also, the USApyon plush toy if necessary.

...and there you have it. Dressing as one of the Yo-Kai Watch users of the show, you're off for some supernatural shenanigans in case you're off into your next convention or go trick-or-treating but either way, not only you'll look just like one of them but you're ready for some hilarious misadventures with your favorite Yo-Kais!

Photo: Level 5

The Star: The Story of The First Christmas

Every religious people know about The Nativity but no one heard about the unsung heroes of The Nativity until now...sort of because the unsung heroes of The Nativity were...animals and in this animated film from Sony Pictures Animation, we get to know about the other heroes who saved The First Christmas.

The Star

In The Star, we get to know about the unsung heroes of The Nativity, the animals who saved Christmas from a wretched tyrant who wants to gets his hands on the Holy Child. It's about a small donkey who steps out from his comfort zone and into his biggest adventure of his life as he teams up with a sheep named Ruth, a dove named Dave, and some other animals he encounter later on as they set off to follow the Star and save The Nativity.

What we have here is a proper Christmas movie for the religious of families who want something that isn't about snowing, or Santa Claus, or gifts, or whatever Christmas cliche they come across. No. What they really want is a Christmas movie that centers on the true meaning of Christmas in the form of witnessing The Nativity even in the eyes of the animals who became the unsung heroes of The Nativity, no matter what lays ahead with them.

Of course, with all that hilarity ensued like most typical cartoon films we are used to, and its above average potential that will charm moviegoers with their characters, that won't stop moviegoers from watching a proper Christmas movie about the First Christmas, even families who spend their kids binge-watching Superbook all day long before setting off to see this film. With some humor, some potential, and some lessons we can all share it from, The Star is a Christmas flick we can really watch if we had it with those usual Christmas cliche and I think they're on to something here.

My rating: 3.7 out of 5.

Fall Back (2017 film)

Fall Back

It's the hump of November and we have another rom-com movie on our sights now at the end of our work day as Star Cinema and CINEKO brings them a new rom-com film starring Zanjoe Marudo, Rhian Ramos, and Daniel Matsunaga, among many others. It's called Fall Back and it's directed by Jason Paul Laxamana.

This film is all about a woman who was feared of getting herself hurt in love but she's always prepared with whatever means necessary in her encounter with her present boyfriend and her ex-boyfriend. Like most rom-com films, it never really hooks the viewers because it can be a tad above average or decent if you may but despite its flaws, this film is a decent view for everyone and they can watch it until the end of the movie, even when they're sleep-deprived or not looking, as long as you have a knowing that watching movie is fun, not for talking about serious stuff because while this movie is not as serious as any Pinoy rom-com movies you are familiar with, it's a good watch and you can really feel some hugot vibes on this movie because being a hugot movie, it really pulls your heart off like a cold comfort in a dark room.

Still, this film has some positivity throughout this hugot-prone rom-com because while it's somewhat above average, it can be somewhat rather nice.

My rating: 3.4 out of 5.

Justice League (2017 film)

Fans of DC Comics have been clamoring that one day, a movie version of the Justice League, which is how you formally call to those Superfriends that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman assembled, will come and it did. Just. So, what's it all about the long-awaited movie adaptation of the Justice League and is it worth the wait in the long line of superhero flicks releasing this decade?

Justice League

DC Comics fan got what they finally deserved as the movie adaptation of Justice League has arrived to show that all superheroes can't save the world alone because differences aside, they fight for one common goal; saving the world. Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot are reprising their roles of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, while Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, and Ray Fisher are all in as The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. Quite an unexpected lineup they're having, eh?

Following the events of last year's Batman vs. Superman film, Bruce Wayne a.k.a. Batman summoned Diana Princa a.k.a. Wonder Woman to take out a ruthless supervillain from unleashing havoc throughout the world but despite the foundation of the League, they found out that taking this powerful enemy needs a lot more of themselves.

For most DC fans, it's an honor to have a Justice League film in theaters because they feel like they've been humbled to witness the team-up of DC Comics' greatest superheroes ever assembled and that is a dream come true. But for some, it's not like the Justice League they're familiar with. Sure, they have the founding superheroes doing their job saving the day but for some, they should have known better and they've really wish they should need to make more Justice League films to add some more DC heroes on their roster.

The biggest problem of this movie is not just the eye-gluing visuals, the all-seing storyline, and the unexpected thrills this superhero flick delivers. It was sadly the product placement and they've enlisted Mercedes-Benz to show their products on this flick. Annoyingly, they did featured the Mercedes-AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept as one of Bruce Wayne's rides and it has completely ruined it because what's a Gran Turismo car doing in a DC superhero flick? No one knows but even the product placement completely ruined the film's taste for those who have exquisite tastes, you'd be well forgiven that the more this film progresses, the more you're starting to admit that you're going to love the Justice League film right up to the moment when it all goes horribly wrong. Still, it's been a greater honor for those who made the dream of having a Justice League film a living reality and fans are now seeing it with their own eyes.

My rating: 3.9 out of 5.