In light of the aggression of Communist China in the Pacific and security challenges coming from North Korea, the government of Japan set its draft defense budget for fiscal 2026 at a record figure of 9 trillion yen (estimated at $58 billion), according to a news article published by Kyodo News.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news release of Kyodo News. Some parts in boldface…
Japan’s draft defense budget was set at a record 9.04 trillion yen ($58 billion) for fiscal 2026, the government said Friday, as the country faces increasing security challenges from China and North Korea.
The figure, including outlays linked to hosting U.S. military bases, eclipses the then record 8.7 trillion yen in the initial budget for the current fiscal year to March 2026. Fiscal 2026 marks the fourth year of Japan’s five-year 43-trillion-yen defense buildup plan.
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved the same day a draft initial state budget for the year starting next April worth 122.3 trillion yen, also a record high, including defense and other expenditures.
Under the defense budget, 100.1 billion yen has been earmarked for building the “Shield” layered coastal defense system, which requires numerous aerial, surface and underwater vehicles. The spending on Shield comes at a time when many countries have been rapidly developing drone technology since the Russia-Ukraine war changed the nature of warfare.
With China in mind, 1.1 billion yen has been set aside to assess the use of long-endurance drones as a measure against airspace violations.
Japan plans to rebrand the Air Self-Defense Force as the Air and Space Self-Defense Force to enhance the country’s space capabilities.
Another 1.1 billion yen has been earmarked for acquiring equipment to monitor satellite interference.
The country has secured 30.1 billion yen to procure hypersonic guided missiles, which travel at above five times the speed of sound and are considered hard to intercept, as a means of counterattack.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the record defense budget of 9 trillion yen is sufficient to keep Japan secured from the threats of China and North Korea?
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1980s to the 1990s.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Starflight Sega Genesis Print Ad
Sometimes the very detailed artwork made gamers imagine Starflight as a sci-fi movie waiting to happen.
By the time it was released on the Sega Genesis in 1991, Starflight was already popular as it was released on varied computer systems and entertained a lot of gamers several years prior. To promote the Sega Genesis version, a 2-page print ad of Starflight was made with a grand-looking artwork of space, spaceships and planets dominating the space. The ad makers managed to utilize the remaining space below the artwork to show selected images, the descriptive text and the game’s box cover to make it clear to gamers that Starflight on Genesis is real and made to be playable. The artwork itself remains a powerful grabber of attention even to this day.
2. Defender Japanese Arcade Flyer
The front.
The rear.
Defender is one of my favorites among the many games of Midway. In recent times, I’ve been playing the arcade version of Defender on my Xbox Series X using the Midway Arcade Origins digital copy I purchased online. As Defender became a massive hit in America, it was released in Japanese arcades with Taito handling the distribution. The arcade flyer Taito came up with used hand-drawn art for the background on the front along with pictures of the arcade cabinet and the arcade cocktail table versions of the game. While the rear of the flyer looks very simplistic, the front remains attractive to look at.
3. Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse Print Ad
Some people found the artwork looking creepy or even terrifying.
By the year 1990, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was present in several millions of households all over America and there were lots of great games available. Among the NES gamers were fans of the Castlevania game series and Konami went on to release Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse in America. As part of the company’s aggressive promotion, a single-page ad featuring a detailed looking artwork of a gamer getting immersed with the game’s fantasy elements (look at the creepy looking characters, monsters and the game’s hero present) was done. While the artwork was a strong attention grabber, what stood out was the sweepstakes form for gamers to cut out, fill it with their information and mail it for the chance to win a trip to the hometown of Dracula. Do you personally know anyone who won in the sweepstakes?
4. Double Dragon Games Print Ad
Print ad made with Double Dragon fans in mind.
When it comes to the console and handheld presence of the Double Dragon games franchise, it was on Nintendo hardware – specifically the NES and the Game Boy – where gamers and the fans could find them. Acclaim Entertainment knew how popular Double Dragon games were with Nintendo gamers and they aggressively marketed Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones and Double Dragon II with a single-page print ad that had great looking painted artwork. Very clearly, this early 1990s ad was made to connect strongly with Double Dragon fans and its presentation still looks very solid even with today’s standards.
5. Konami 3-in-1 Game Boy Games Print Ad
The excitement of sports is clearly shown in this old ad.
From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, Konami published a lot of games on Nintendo’s wildly popular platform the NES and among them were classics like Contra, Castlevania and Metal Gear. Konami’s support also made it to Nintendo’s Game Boy handheld device (first released in 1989) which itself sold strongly and became the leading platform for portable gaming. As such, Konami made a 2-page print ad promoting NFL Football, Blades of Steel and Double Dribble: 5 on 5 for Game Boy. Cleverly, the ad makers used fancy artworks on the left (reflecting the different sports) side while using the space on the right side for descriptive text, screenshots and game box covers. This fine looking ad has a strong appeal towards Game Boy users and sports enthusiasts.
6. Tengen 6-in-1 Print Ad
This old print ad is a delight for those who owned a Sega Genesis.
Back in the 1980s, Atari formed the company Tengen to not only develop games but also publish game for computers and game consoles. During that decade, Tengen published games on the NES but they had trouble working within the strict licensing terms of Nintendo. The two companies would later get into court battles over a series of events within the gaming business. Eventually, Tengen started doing business with Sega and published games on the Genesis console. As part of their aggressive publishing of games on Sega’s console, Tengen came up with this 2-page print ad promoting six different games emphasizing that the fun arcade experiences are coming to gamers’ homes.
7. Dig Dug Print Ad
Are you aware of the business relationship and trust between Atari and Namco?
When Atari opened its branch in Japan – called Atari Japan – in the 1970s, they established a partnership with Namco to distribute arcade games there. As they experienced trouble penetrating the Japanese market, Atari eventually sold Atari Japan to Namco which paved the way for their Japanese partner to get into video games. Just a few years later, Namco developed its own original arcade game Dig Dug which became a massive hit in Japan. As a licensing deal was already in effect, Atari distributed Dig Dug in American arcades which the above magazine print ad clearly shows.
8. Sega Genesis Over SNES Print Ad
Sega directly attacked Nintendo by emphasizing the larger quantity of games andvaried game experiences that can only be found on the Genesis back then.
By the time Nintendo released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1991, the Sega Genesis console has been in the video game market for a few years already. In America, Tom Kalinske led Sega and his approach to marketing and resonating with gamers was essentially aggressive. The aggressive approach includes naming their competition and showing why Sega is superior. Given the lead time they had on the North American market, Sega came up with this print ad showing their Genesis consoles having a lot more games than the SNES. Competitive console gaming was very different back then.
9. Atari Jaguar Print Ad
Did you spend $159.99 on an Atari Jaguar console back in the 1990s?
In the 1990s, Atari attempted a comeback in console gaming with the Atari Jaguar console. Early on, their marketing emphasized the so-called 64-bit capabilities of the Jaguar to convince gamers theirs is the most powerful console on the market. Sadly, the console failed to achieve strong sales and a huge price cut was executed. To attract customers, Atari came up with this 2-page print ad to inform them of the cheaper $159.99 price while reminding them of the “most mind-blowing, head-exploding games” they can have with the Jaguar. Obviously this ad campaign failed as the Atari Jaguar never achieved commercial success.
10. Side Pocket Print Ad
The Side Pocket print ad with a subtle touch of sexiness.
After its original release in the arcades in 1986, Side Pocket was ported by Data East to many consoles and handheld devices in the 1990s. When it comes to promoting the Sega Genesis version, Data East came up with this print ad showing a lady in a sexy dress in the background (head hidden) which instantly created a sexy aesthetic. The large text displayed emphasized the game of billiards supported by the screenshots shown. The screenshot at the upper-left corner shows artwork of a pretty lady smiling at the viewer which added to the sexy aesthetic of the ad.
When US President Donald Trump declared Islamic terrorists in Nigeria a target, his administration backed it up with real action as America struck the evil ones in the African nation in coordination with the government there, according to a news report by The Jerusalem Post. Specifically, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) executed Trump’s order.
For the newcomers reading this, Islamic terrorists have been killing Christians there in Nigeria for a long time already. This newest development proves that Trump’s America really means business when it comes to fighting the terrorists.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of The Jerusalem Post. Some parts in boldface…
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) launched a strike against Islamic State terrorists in Nigeria, US President Donald Trump announced on social media early on Friday.
AFRICOM stated that the strike in Sokoto was carried out “in coordination with Nigerian authorities” and killed multiple terrorists.
The strike was ordered due to “the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism,” the Nigerian Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing,” Trump said, adding that he wishes a “MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.“
The Defense Department additionally published declassified footage of at least one projectile launched from a warship.
Following the strike, the Nigerian Foreign Ministry stated that they would continue to work with the US and international partners to “weaken terrorist networks, disrupt their financing and logistics, and prevent cross-border threats.”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, in a Christmas statement released on Wednesday, affirmed that he is “committed to doing everything within [his] power to enshrine religious freedom in Nigeria and to protect Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence.”
“No one, regardless of ethnicity or belief, should be made to suffer for professing or practicing his faith,” Tinubu added.
Islamic State terrorists carry out several mass kidnappings, church attacks in Nigeria –Islamic State attacks on Christian Nigerians, including mass kidnappings and attacks on churches, have risen in recent months.
On December 17, an attack on a church in Kogi, Nigeria, resulted in at least 13 worshippers being abducted by gunmen, according to state officials.
On November 21, over 300 schoolchildren were abducted from a Catholic school by terrorists, according to Tinubu’s spokesperson.
As of Monday, all of the children had been released, with 130 of them having been held in captivity for nearly a month.
In early November, Nigeria said it was open to US help in combating the rise of violent Islamic State terrorism.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Are you glad that the Trump administration struck the many Islamic terrorists in Nigeria quickly and decisively? Do you think this new development will enable the Nigerian government to effectively fight the Islamic terrorists in their country?
Oppenheimer 4K Blu-ray set came with 3 discs. The standard Blu-ray disc of the movie is underneath the 4K Blu-ray disc on the left.
The rear of the 4K Blu-ray case.
My personal history with Oppenheimer goes like this. In 2023, the movie was released in lots of cinemas all over the Philippines and there was strong pre-release hype for it. Having seen several movies of director Christopher Nolan, I was interested to watch the acclaimed movie in the cinema. However, something in the back of my mind told me not to pursue it on the big screen.
As time passed, I met with a few friends who claimed to have seen the movie. I told them I have not seen Oppenheimer yet, so that prevented them from revealing spoilers. One of them told me that it is crucial to find the right time and the right mindset to watch Oppenheimer as it heavily tackled not only the history behind J. Robert Oppenheimer and his work on the Manhattan Project (the atomic bomb) but also the thick web of politics and intrigue.
So I took my friend’s advice. When my 4K Blu-ray copy of Oppenheimer arrived, I did not watch it immediately. Eventually, I found the right time to view it on a not-so-busy Saturday night. I had the TV room, the movie and my Xbox Series X (our default 4K Blu-ray player) all to myself.
To be clear to you all, this is NOT a review of the movie. What I can say is that Oppenheimer is indeed a very astonishing movie made with great production values, rock solid performances and intense direction by Nolan. Cillian Murphy is great as the physicist Oppenheimer and the supporting players have such performers like Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Jason Clarke (still great as an antagonist), and Kenneth Branagh (excellent as a mentor) who all delivered fine dramatic performances.
Oppenheimer is not an easy movie to watch and enjoy as it requires you to have enough knowledge about the physicist, the Manhattan Project, World War II and the political climate of the time. My friend is absolutely right that you have to see it with the right time and right mindset because the movie is very heavy with historical and political details. Not only that, the film is very talky – lots and lots of dialogue scenes – and you really have to exert effort to pay attention to all the details. As an information overload-type of film, Oppenheimer can be more challenging to watch than Shin Godzilla.
I had a very engaging viewing experience with Oppenheimer, and the native 4K visuals are great to see! Very clearly, Christopher Nolan and his team ensured the best possible 4K imagery for us viewers and movie collectors to enjoy, and like the past Blu-ray or 4K Blu-ray releases of his other movies, the screen aspect ratio adjusts between the IMAX-filmed scenes and the non-IMAX shots. Being a modern production, I can say that Oppenheimer’s 4K Blu-ray visual quality is as phenomenal as that of Top Gun: Maverick4K Blu-ray. I am not exaggerating!
With great visuals and a lot of extra stuff packed in, Oppenheimer 4K Blu-ray should be in your list of movies to get on 4K Blu-ray format if you have not acquired it yet. At less than $20 as of this writing, you will get great entertainment value in return.
Oppenheimer 4K Blu-ray.
If you have decided already to order a copy of Oppenheimer 4K Blu-ray, click here. For technical details of the 4K Blu-ray release, click here.
If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, cinematic trends, Blu-ray releases and more relevant stuff, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576
Even though there already is a foreign tourism boom in Southeast Asia, the Philippines has literally been left behind by its neighbors as it attracted only 5.235 million international tourist arrivals for the period of January to November 2025, according to a news report by BusinessWorld.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of BusinessWorld. Some parts in boldface…
VISITOR ARRIVALS in the Philippines fell by 2.16% in the first 11 months, amid a decline in tourists from South Korea and China, Tourism department data showed.
Data from the Department of Tourism (DoT) showed international tourist arrivals dropped to 5.235 million in the January-to-November period from 5.35 million in the same period in 2024.
Of the tourist arrivals, the bulk or 4.918 million were foreign tourists, while the rest were overseas Filipinos.
South Korea remained the biggest source of tourists in the first 11 months, accounting for 21.66% of the total. While 1.134 million South Koreans visited the Philippines as of November, this was a 21% decline from the 1.436 million Korean tourists a year ago.
The US was the second-biggest source of tourists, at 894,835 or 17.09% of the total as of end-November. This was 6.57% higher than last year’s 839,635 tourist arrivals from the US.
Japan was the third-biggest source of tourists, accounting for 406,794 or 7.77% of the total, 15.36% up from 352,630 a year ago.
Tourist arrivals from Australia increased by 16.17% to 268,892 in the 11-month period. Meanwhile, tourists from China fell by 16.55% to 248,339 as of end-November.
The other top markets were Canada, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia, which cumulatively accounted for 793,750 of the total arrivals.
“The weaker South Korean won amid a volatile political and economic situation over the past year and slower economic growth in China, which is the world’s second-biggest economy, on top of territorial disputes partly weighed on foreign tourism numbers,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.
Mr. Ricafort noted that the government should improve infrastructure to make it more convenient for tourists to travel around the country.
“Challenges include the need to further expand and develop tourism-related infrastructure such as airports, seaports, accommodation facilities, and train systems, including the Metro Manila subway and toll roads,” he added.
Despite the decline in the first 11 months, Mr. Ricafort said that it is still possible for the country to surpass the tourist arrivals last year, which reached 5.949 million.
“It is still possible, considering some seasonal increase in foreign tourists during the Christmas holiday season, especially overseas Filipino workers and balikbayans, to spend the most festive time of the year, while others escape winter,” he said.
“A higher US dollar-peso exchange rate would make it cheaper for foreign tourists to come to the Philippines,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ricafort noted the growth in tourist arrivals from India and other countries, which helped “offset the decline in major traditional sources such as South Korea and China.”
India was the 11th biggest source of tourist arrivals in the January-to-November period, accounting for 85,885 or 1.64% of the total. Tourists from India increased by 17.06% from 73,369 arrivals in the same period in the previous year.
Earlier this year, the Philippines and India signed the Implementation Program on Tourism Cooperation for the years 2025 to 2028.
For his part, Colliers Research Director Joey Roi H. Bondoc said that with only 5.235 million as of end-November, it will be difficult for the country to even surpass last year’s arrivals.
“I think it will be very difficult… We may not be able to beat that or even meet that, but of course we want to end the year stronger,” he said in a phone interview.
“We see a lot of foreign tourists still in December because of the holiday season. Definitely that optimism should spill over to next year,” he added.
As for the drop in arrivals from South Korea, Mr. Bondoc attributed this to the economic downturn and political crisis in the country.
“If you look at some integrated casinos, they were initially targeting Koreans… so they are experiencing the pinch of slower arrivals from South Korea,” he said.
Mr. Bondoc said the Philippines should try to attract tourists from other markets.
For further insight about the tourism industry problem of the Philippines, watch the CNA Insider video below.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Did you think the Philippines can still beat its 2024 record of international visitor arrivals and generate huge revenues for the economy? Do you think the current administration will be able to improve the nation’s infrastructure and make travel more efficient and convenient for all tourists? Do you think the Philippines is too expensive when it comes to air travel?
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Terminator 2 Arcade Game Revisited – As a teenager, I was a huge fan of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. In 1992, the official arcade game of Terminator 2 arrived here in the Philippines and there was this time I played it in a Makati arcade (with one other player on the other gun), spent a lot of money on tokens for it and played the game extensively. As the game was very hard and overly chaotic, us players were unable to finish it. Recently, I saw this analytical, retrospective video about the Terminator 2 arcade game on YouTube by Mass Replay. It was a very engaging video to watch as it examines the game very closely, explains why it is so challenging to play and how much would it cost gamers today to finish it. Watch the video below and pay attention to the details.
#2 Problems With Windows 11 – Are you using Windows 11 on your personal computer? The way the Microsoft operating system is right now with artificial intelligence (AI) integrated, it has attracted a lot of user complaints over its reliability, lack of efficiency, features, forced updates and being not so user-friendly. The complaints and criticism over Windows 11 are only getting louder as of this writing and you can find out exactly why by watching the ColdFusion video below.
#3 Japan’s Ekiben – You might be familiar with the packed meal in Japan called bento. The Ekiben is a specific type of bento which is normally sold at train stations and those who bought it enjoy their meals while traveling. Ekiben comes with different types of food, ingredients and flavors, and it also highlights the local cuisine of the station or region it was sold in. To learn more about it, watch the Nippon TV video below.
#4 Sega’s Best Games On Xbox 360 – Over twenty years have passed since Microsoft first launched the Xbox 360 game console in America which eventually became the most popular gaming console in Xbox gaming history as well as having the best online gaming network of the 7th console generation. As with the original Xbox console, Sega released several games on Xbox 360 (a mix of remastered games and brand new ones) via retail and through the Xbox network online (AKA Xbox LIVE). Recently Sega Lord X posted a video highlighting the best of what Sega released on the console, and it is fun to watch!
#5 Street Fighter 1994 Movie Revisited – In late 1994, the live-action movie Street Fighter was released in cinemas and there was buzz about it among Street Fighter II groups of fans of the time. Not only did the filmmakers have Jean-Claude Van Damme as its main attraction, they had to make up a functional story and cram a lot of characters into it. The film event had Australia’s icon Kylie Minogue as Cammy. To this day, some moviegoers (including gamers and fans of the Street Fighter franchise) enjoyed Street Fighter while there were others who found it very flawed. If you want to discover Street Fighter (1994) but are not willing to spend precious time and money on it, watch the videos below.
#6 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – When it comes to movies set during the Christmas season, do you enjoy watching comedies? Way back in December of 1989, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – starring Chevy Chase – was released to mixed reviews but managed to achieve commercial success and movie buffs today consider it a classic of the Christmas season. How much of an impact the movie can have on first-timers can be seen in Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video below.
For the newcomers reading this, not even the softened economic growth of the Philippines dampened the Filipinos’ rising demand for food and the young population is a factor behind it. America sees opportunities to export more meat, seafood and other agricultural products to the Philippines.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
The United States (US) is gearing up to increase its agricultural exports to the Philippines, banking on the country’s growing food demand and potential economic growth.
In a Dec. 17 report, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the country was the ninth-largest market for US exporters last year, with agricultural goods valued at $3.5 billion.
The foreign agency expects continued growth in the years to come, especially given the country’s fast-growing economy, which ranked third among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries last year.
While it noted that the Philippine economy “continues to face risks from geopolitical tensions and trade policy uncertainties,” the USDA said it will likely remain resilient in the coming year.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier lowered its forecast of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth from 5.4 percent to 5.1 percent this year, before rebounding to 5.6 percent in 2026.
The USDA also cited the easing of inflation and income inequality, driven by a growing population, as fueling demand for more agricultural commodities.
“With its rapid population growth, the Philippines has a young population that increasingly demands imported agricultural products,” it said.
According to the USDA, these market dynamics provide opportunities for US agricultural product exporters to broaden their presence in the country.
The report said products that have the “greatest potential for expansion” include dairy, poultry, ethanol (non-beverage), pork, beef, processed potatoes, confectionery and snack foods, and seafood.
Last year, the US was the top single-country supplier to the Philippines, with a market share of 18 percent, behind ASEAN at 31 percent.
The USDA noted that despite this strong performance, US exporters remain at a disadvantage relative to other exporters due to logistical and tariff challenges.
In this case, members of ASEAN benefit from lower tariffs and cheaper shipping costs, whereas the US is subject to slightly higher taxes under the most-favored nation tariff rates.
On top of this, the USDA said exporters also face higher costs due to government policies such as the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC)—a document required before shipment of any agricultural product to the Philippines.
“SPSICs are valid for 20 to 90 days, depending on the commodity. The limited validity period adds costs and complicates the timing of exports, among other factors,” the report read.
In this view, the USDA emphasized the need for exporters to keep up to date with market trends to maintain the competitiveness of American products in the local market.
For instance, it noted that young Filipinos are more open to new flavors and experiences, which suppliers could consider when promoting their products.
For the full report of the US Department of Agriculture related to the news story, click here.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Are you looking forward to more American agricultural products plus seafood in the local markets? Do you think exporters of America are on the verge of becoming more competitive globally over the next 24 months?
Long before the birth of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and his incredible 2016 US Presidential Election victory, Donald Trump made his presence felt in video games.
I am talking about Trump’s participation in a short video that was presented during the Xbox conference of the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The video was a parody of Trump’s popular show The Apprentice in which he appeared in a business meeting with the executives of Team Xbox (the real-life Robbie Bach, J Allard and Peter Moore) and Team PlayStation (with actors playing the PlayStation executives).
Back in 2004, as I was anticipating online media coverage of that year’s E3, I visited one particular Xbox website which streamed the said Trump-Xbox-PlayStation video and even offered a downloadable version for Windows media. I downloaded the video, watched it and was delighted ultimately. For your viewing pleasure, posted is a direct-feed video of from the This Week In Gaming YouTube channel.
Next, I posted below for you all another video that is slightly longer, was recorded off-screen at the Xbox conference, and has the live audience reactions that you should listen to. Watch the video below.
Is the 2004 video (titled “The Novice”) entertaining? For me it still is fun to watch again and it is one of the more memorable moves Xbox executed at the E3 (which today no longer exists). It is intriguing and entertaining to see Trump at the center of the video about the console war between Microsoft and Sony at the time.
As an entertainment piece of history, The Novice video is a reminder about how exciting console gaming was back in 2004 (note: intense competition between console makers was the standard of the time) when compared to what happened in recent times. Xbox gaming this year has been disappointing considering the following developments that happened: 50% price hike on the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription service, Xbox Series consoles price hikes, thousands of game developers laid off, the sudden cancellation of unreleased Xbox games, and Team Xbox directed by Microsoft to go full multiplatform with their own games (examples: Gears of War: Reloaded and Forza Horizon 5 got released on PlayStation 5).
Over at the side of PlayStation, Sony itself was embarrassed with its over-budgeted and poorly made game Concord. Concord is easily one of the most expensive flops in the history of video games.
Indeed, a lot has changed since 2004. Trump is now on his 2nd term as President of the United States solving the nation’s many problems while tackling several matters happening overseas. Sony and Microsoft are still active in the video games industry in different ways and they are still having their respective consoles manufactured outside of America. Console gaming nowadays is getting too expensive.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Do you find Donald Trump’s participation in the 2004 video with Xbox and PlayStation entertaining to watch? Were you a constant viewer of The Apprentice? Do you own a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console?
I believe that every nation has to reward its armed forces in return for the extensive services they rendered for the citizens and the government throughout the year. Just today, I learned via a Newsmax news report that US President Donald Trump announced that every active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces will receive a Christmas bonus worth $1,776 – called the Warrior Dividend – and already the checks are on their way to them (1.45 million service members).
Before proceeding with the news and details, let me remind you all that Christmas is all about Lord Jesus, and never about the character called Santa Claus. Lord Jesus is our Savior and the Hope of ALL nations! Wherever you are, celebrate Christmas with your family remembering Lord Jesus and living on with His peace. All the praise, honor and thanks to the Lord!
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of Newsmax. Some parts in boldface…
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that every active-duty member of the U.S. armed forces will receive a $1,776 Christmas bonus, unveiling what he called the “Warrior Dividend” during a nationally televised prime-time address from the White House.
Trump said the one-time payment would go to roughly 1.45 million service members and is already being distributed, with checks scheduled to arrive before Christmas. The amount, Trump said, was deliberately chosen to honor America’s founding in 1776. That’s just ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, to be celebrate (throughout) the coming year.
“I am also proud to announce that 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special — we call Warrior Dividend — before Christmas, a Warrior Dividend in honor of our nation’s founding in 1776,” Trump said during the address, which was carried live by Newsmax from the White House Diplomatic Room.
“We are sending every soldier $1,776. The checks are already on the way,” Trump said. “Nobody deserves it more than our military. And I say congratulations to everybody.”
The Warrior Dividend emerged as a highlight of Trump’s year-end prime-time address, which the White House framed as a review of economic gains and fiscal changes achieved during his second term and promised gains in the (coming) years of the president’s second term. The speech focused heavily on revenue growth, job creation, and what Trump described as a reshaping of federal finances.
Trump tied the military bonus directly to increased government revenue generated through tariffs and recent legislation, arguing that stronger trade enforcement and changes in economic policy produced results that exceeded projections.
“We made a lot more money than anybody thought because of tariffs, and the bill helped us along,” Trump said.
The president cast the dividend as both a tangible reward and a symbolic gesture, presenting it as recognition of service members’ sacrifices while reinforcing claims of economic revival. Trump said the payment reflects an administration that prioritizes military families and uses economic strength to deliver direct benefits rather than expanding federal debt.
The prime-time address marked Trump’s final nationally televised speech of the year and served as a capstone to a broader messaging effort focused on economic performance. Trump used the speech to highlight tariff revenue, domestic manufacturing investment, and wage growth, arguing that those factors allowed the administration to deliver what he described as meaningful, immediate relief.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you find the Warrior Dividend a nice bonus for the active members of the United States Armed Forces? Are you looking forward to the 250th Independence Day of the America? What are your current feelings or opinions about the US Armed Forces right now?
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Demolition Man Revisited – Way back in 1993, I completely missed out on Demolition Man in the local cinemas. The first time I saw it was on a rented laserdisc in 1995 and the film (starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes) turned out to be entertaining in a unique way. By today’s standards, Demolition Man is considered by many as a film ahead of its time as it accidentally predicted self-driving cars, video conferencing, heavy dependence on computers for solutions and more. As such, it is not surprising that a lot of retrospective and reaction videos of Demolition Man have filled YouTube. Posted below are the more entertaining videos to watch about the 1993 movie.
#2 Soy Milk Becomes More Popular In Japan – Soy milk is a dairy-free, plant-based drink made from water and ground soybeans. In recent times, soy milk has gotten tremendously more popular in Japan. Not only is it being consumed by the Japanese in its beverage form, soy milk also made its way into food items and snacks. There is a lot to learn about soy milk’s popularity in Japan in the video below.
#3 Resident Evil Illustrated Tales – Believe it or not, there was a time when comic books and illustrated tales about the Resident Evil games were published from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Back then, WildStorm (WildCATs, StormWatch, Wetworks) was licensed to make comic adaptations of Resident Evil starting with the Resident Evil: The Official Comic Magazine (published through Image Comics, 1998-1999) which featured varied short stories that expanded the lore but not necessarily counted as canon with the games. YouTube ScorePN posted a video showcasing the Resident Evil illustrated tales so you don’t have to go to all the trouble of finding the comic books and magazines. Watch and enjoy the video below.
#4 Zaxxon Revisited – In the early 1980s, Sega made a huge splash in the arcades and game consoles with Zaxxon which is now considered a classic by many gamers. I only played it on the personal computer back in the 1980s. While my enjoyment of the game was very limited because of the not-so-friendly keyboard controls, I found Zaxxon an intriguing experience due to its isometric visual design and the illusion of 3D space that came with it. Sometimes I wished that Zaxxon would get remastered for the current console generation. That said, it’s now a good time to look back at the game in the two retrospective videos below.
#5 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To Lethal Weapon – Among all the Lethal Weapon movies released by Hollywood, the first film from 1987 is still the best in my view. Apart from having a strong script, the directing by Richard Donner got fine performances from Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, and the spectacle was executed with a lot of power while never feeling outlandish. That said, it is fun to replay the movie from time to time. To see how it impacts YouTuber Ashleigh Burton, watch her reaction video below.
Author Carlo Carrasco 