FM6 NASCAR Expansion: NASCAR Science

Since 2013, NASCAR debuted their Gen-6 cars which featured enhanced body designs to make close resemblance of showroom cars and better on-track performance. These machines may look like cars like the Chevrolet SS, Ford Fusion, or the US-Spec Toyota Camry but they're actually stock cars, powered by a 5.9L V8 engine producing 725HP of power while mated with 4-speed gearbox, all run in American ethanol due to emission regulations.



In the FM6 NASCAR Expansion, I am now going to do some NASCAR science, experimenting on how those Gen-6 stock cars work on the track and to find out, I got a selection of the three finest examples from three car companies; Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota.



Uh, more specifically, I have gone to the stock cars that came from three car companies but driven by the best drivers in the world of NASCAR. For the Chevrolet side, I've gone for the #48 Lowe's Chevy SS that was driven by Jimmie Johnson. On the Ford side, there's the #2 Brad K Fusion belonging to Brad Keselowski. And for the Toyota side, I've gone for the #18 M&M's Camry from Kyle Busch.

So, how does these machines work? To find out, I went to the Top Gear Test Track to do some NASCAR science. Hmmm. NASCAR meets Top Gear. That sounds too ugly even though the world of Top Gear has strong dislike against NASCAR (well, except for one anyway), but anyway, let's get this experiment on the way.

You see despite they look different in every way, these are Gen-6 stock cars with 5.9L V8 mounted on the front, 725HP of power output, 4-speed manual gearbox, and 3,300lbs of weight. I know that trying to tackle corners in a NASCAR sounds ridiculous but if you got the skills to master those all-American loop titans, it wouldn't be a slouch and the results will be very individual based on how well you master your favorite NASCAR machines driven by your favorite NASCAR drivers. Anyway, let's find out how good these machines are...




And now, the results...

#18 M&M's Camry - 1:16.671
#48 Lowe's Chevy  - 1:16.287
#2 Brad K Fusion - 1:17.146

As you can see that even though they have the same bodies, the same engines, and the same behavior, the results as I conducted on this experiment are very individual regardless on your skill on NASCAR mastery. No matter which machine you're driving, relying on your own driving skills and strategy is the key to master the world of NASCAR. Even though they have the same specs, no two NASCARs are the same because how the driver performs in these cars can become a clear difference between victory and defeat.

And this concludes a little NASCAR science lesson. Be sure to drive one of your favorites in the FM6 NASCAR expansion, available now.

Top Gear S23E01

Top Gear S23E01

The "brand new" Top Gear has finally kicked off with new presenters Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc as well as new cars featured through the series, new celebrities, and a brand new track layout on the Top Gear Test Track fit for celebrity guests. For the pilot, the newly-found rivalry between presenters Evans and LeBlanc has sparked with a UK vs. US road trip. At the first leg, the duo are driving Reliant Rialto three-wheelers to Blackpool. On the second-half at Blackpool, they swapped their Rialtos for offroaders. LeBlanc goes for the Willys Jeep while Evans goes for the Series I Land Rover and they undergo three challenges such as a speed run, a tug of war, and a unique Triple Drag Challenge (Drag Race, Drag the truck, and carry Drag queens to the finish line). In the final leg, using both machines from different halves, they are going on an offroad trip on the countryside and settle things once and for all, with a little help. Bizarrely, Chris and company cheated themselves for the win but they managed to help Matt LeBlanc and his strongman push their way to the finish. Who wins? Nobody knows.

Before that, Chris Evans ventures to the Nevada airbase to try out the hardcore Dodge Viper ACR, and then engage to a road-going dogfight against the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06, with co-presenter Sabine Schmitz behind the wheel. Of course, when they lend the ACR to The Stig, it set a lap time round the Top Gear Track in 1:15.1. Then, Matt LeBlanc's somewhere in the Middle East to try out Ariel's extreme offroader, the Nomad, and tries to escape the hot pursuit against paparazzis.

Because this is a "brand new" Top Gear, a brand new rallycross layout was introduced along with a rallycross-spec Mini Cooper. Gordon Ramsay and Jesse Eisenberg were the first celeb guests to try out this new layout and they did it in 1:56.3 and 2:10.9 respectively.

Also, there was an Extra Gear show where Rory Reid and Chris Harris uncovers BTS about the new series, checking out the Ariel Nomad round the track, some car news, and up close and personal with Sabine Schmitz at her crib in the Nurburgring.

So, thoughts on the "brand new" Top Gear? Well, it's not so bad compared to the old "Clarkson, Hammond, and May" trio era but by the way Chris Evans is in charge of the show, it feels like this show's going to crack in bad ways but on the contrary, Matt LeBlanc's appeal on the show is worth promising because he's got more of an action than Chris Evans. Although not sure about the added rallycross layout in the Top Gear Track but the cars featuring throughout the show will make us super jealous, saying why are we not getting those. Call it a success or call it a disaster due to Chris Evans' bizarre behaviors in the show but the "brand new" Top Gear is still one of the must-watch shows on BBC every Sunday night. With this show no longer has a competition on network (or cable) television, feels like there's no other substitute than this newly revised Top Gear to watch...for now.

Let's Do The News! (May 30, 2016)

- The National Board of Canvassers formally proclaimed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the Philippines' new president after amassing 16,601,997 votes from the May 9 elections while Camarines Sur representative Leni Robredo is now the country's vice president with the score of 14,418,817 votes.

- Former National Treasurer Leonor Magtolis Briones said that the implementation of the country's K to 12 education system should be fail-safe and smoothly implemented. In an interview, Briones said the K to 12 has a good objective for the country's education system, which keeps up with the academic format in the international community, but academicians must be sure there won't be any problems with this.

- Former boxer now senator-elect Manny Pacquiao is aiming for a perfect attendance in the Senate, contrary to his previous record when he was a Sarangani representative.

- Presumptive Republican presidentiable Donald Trump has again stressed that Japan should bear all the expenses of US forces stationed in the country. During an event attended by war veterans in Washington on Sunday, Trump said that if he became president, he will put American interests first.

- The people of Thailand are mourning the death of Japan's oldest elephant, Hanako. The elephant died on Thursday at a Tokyo zoo at the age of 69. Thailand sent this female Asian elephant to Japan in 1949 as a token of friendship. On Sunday, Thais held a ceremony to commemorate Hanako at a tourist facility featuring elephants in Ayutthaya.

- People of Hong Kong held an annual pro-democracy rally before the 27th anniversary of the Tiananmen incident, where a crackdown on pro-democracy student protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing occurred. they called on mainland China to release human rights lawyers and activists.

- Based on the 2017MY Nissan GT-R minor change, the updated Nissan GT-R NISMO features a much improved look and stiffer body while retaining the NISMO-tuned 3.8L V6 Twin Turbo engine producing 600HP of power.

2017 Nissan GT-R NISMO

- Hiromi Hirata, the voiceover behind THE IDOLM@STER's Makoto Kikuchi, gave birth to her second child, this time it's a baby girl.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga Kalyeserye, Alden Richards has returned from his Italian shooting trip.

TTFN!!!

FM6 NASCAR Expansion: An introduction to NASCAR

In case you may have already missed it, there was a NASCAR Expansion now available on the Forza Motorsport 6 video game for the XBOX One console, which means that fans will now join through the NASCAR action by driving all of the 2016 season NASCAR machines while taking on new challenges to test their NASCAR skills.



First and foremost, what is NASCAR? Began in 1948, NASCAR sanctioned over 1,200 races in over 30 US states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. Thanks to its fanbase, unique playoff format, development of the modern sports sponsorship and commitment to enhancing auto racing through technology, NASCAR evolved to become one of the most entertaining motorsports for fans not just in the USA but for the rest of the world. Three years ago, we got indulged with their Gen-6 cars from Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet, a new Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and plethora of new sponsorships to make NASCAR more profitable.



For the first time, the world of NASCAR breached through the world of Forza Motorsport with this expansion pack, available for $20 (plus tax). In this expansion, not only you will gain access to the cars seen on the 2016 season of NASCAR but also the NASCAR WORLD TOUR where players can master the art of NASCAR through series of challenges such as pitting against Le Mans, GT machines, Australian V8 Supercars, Indycars, and many more.



For my first taste with this expansion, I get to take a spin on the #24 Hendrick Motorsports NAPA SS round the Homestead-Miami Speedway (take note, the Road Circuit because ovals are too short for me). This #24 SS is driven by Chase Elliott, a 20-year-old rookie NASCAR driver who was one of Forbes' Top 40 Most Social Athletes under 30 and SportsPro's World's 50 Most Marketable Athletes.

Chase Elliott follows the footsteps of his father, who was a NASCAR Hall of Famer and 1988 Sprint Cup champion, and together, they are the fifth father-son duo to win NASCAR national series championships.

His first win in his career is the 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series, making him the youngest champion in series history when he was 18 years old. He is the first driver to win championship, rookie of the year and most popular driver honors in the same season.

Anyway, no need to explain more about that because I wanna see how much NASCAR I can experience in this brand new expansion dedicated for those who love NASCAR but still enjoying the world of Forza Motorsport.



Thoughts about having my first bite of NASCAR in the world of Forza? For me, it was good but I need to be so good enough to master the tricky stuff that this stock car delivers. Sure, it may have the biggest V8 power for a racecar but because I'm in a stock car, it's heavy and it got small brakes, meaning you need to have precise driving skills to master stock car racing and because you are now engaging to a hard-boiled contact sport Americans love, there's bound to be a close combat between you and the opposition. Once you're in the lead, you'd best to hang in there before the other guys take your lead or get thrown into submission, which results to a total disaster.

How you will master the art of NASCAR is up to you as this expansion challenges your craving for America's number one stock car racing in numerous races built for these machines. Good luck and welcome to the world of NASCAR.

Jubilee of Mercy: Jubilee of Deacons

Jubilee of Mercy logo

Deacons of the Catholic Church from across the globe and their families have been gathered at Rome this weekend to celebrate the Jubilee of Deacons, which is part of the ongoing Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, which is ongoing until the 13th of November this year.

The Jubilee of Deacons includes making a pilgrimage through one of the Holy Doors in Rome, sessions focusing on the ways Deacons make God's mercy known to the faithful and culminates in a Mass with Pope Francis on Sunday, the 29th of May.

The Diaconate is a ministry of mercy, founded originally so that the Church allows its specialists to do works while priests can focus on celebrating the sacraments.

On the 1st of June, 2016, the Jubilee for Priests will commence followed by the Jubilee for the Sick and Persons with Disabilities on the 10th of June.

Source: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/28/deacons_arrive_in_rome_to_celebrate_jubilee_for_deacons/1233030

30 Years of BMW M3

BMW M3 30 Jahre

Three decades ago, the first-ever BMW M3, based on the E30 3-Series, went on sale, and now, it's the 30th anniversary of the BMW M3. For five generations, the BMW M3 has been catered even the most astute of car enthusiasts who wanted a car with a motorsport pedigree Bavaria's finest deserved. Because this is the car's 30th anniversary, let's have a mini history lesson about BMW's high-performance version of the 3-Series.

E30 (1986-1992) - The first BMW M3 comes with the S14B23 2.3L engine, which comes with basic block layout from the M10 4-cylinder overbored and reinforced to similar specifications of the BMW M88 inline-6.  This car participated in numerous touring car championships and the E30 M3 was meant to be a homologation for Group A Touring Car racing purposes.

E36 (1992 -1999) - Based on the E36 3-Series model, this M3 comes with a 3.0L straight-6 engine that generates 280HP of power. During its lifespan, the E36 M3 is offered in 2-door coupe, cabriolet, and a 4-door saloon. There were special-edition models made on this generation such as the Canada-exclusive Euro-spec, LTW, GT, GT-R, R, and the Imola Individual, as well as an Australian-exclusive Anniversary Edition.

E46 (2000 - 2006) - The E46 M3 comes with 3.2L DOHC straight-6 engine and it was based on the E46 3-Series that underwent a full model change in 1998. This engine produces 338HP of power and 269ft-lb of torque. Initially, it was mated with a 6-speed manual but later, an SMG II double clutch gearbox was offered.

E90 (2007 - 2013) - For an unsuspecting twist, the E90 M3 replaces the 6-cylinder engine to a more powerful 4.0L V8 engine, producing 414HP of power, while mated with a 7-speed M DCT. Apart from the performance, the E90 M3 is lighter than the previous one thanks to new components such as a high-strength carbon fiber roof, and aluminum for the suspension parts, resulting to 1630kg of weight.

F80 (2014 - onwards) The latest-generation M3 marks a bold start for BMW because this model is now available exclusively as a 4-door saloon. The old M3 Coupe is now renamed as the BMW M4. Whatever that is, both the M3 F80 and the M4 F82 now comes with a turbocharged 3.0L straight-six engine, which produces 431HP of power and 405lb-ft of torque, while mated with either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT. Electric power steering is now standard for the first time in this one, though. Apart from that, the F80 M3 uses high-strength steel and carbon components, resulting to 83kg of weight loss, perfect weight distribution, and dynamics similar to the E46 M3.

To honor such occasion, BMW offered a commemorative special edition model called the M3 30 Jahre, which comes with an exclusive Macao Blue paint (Frozen Silver for UK customers), 20-inch alloys, Merino leather, carbon trim, and it's based on the Competition Pack, with added 19bhp on the 6-cylinder turbo engine on it as well as updates on the suspension, differential, and stability systems. Oh, and it's available exclusively with a 7-speed DCT. This model is strictly limited to 500 units worldwide and it will cost 90,000 Euros.

Wir sagen Happy Birthday!

X-Men: Apocalypse

This is by no means the biggest X-MEN movie to date and if by biggest, I mean, of course, colossal as the ragtag group of mutants band together to save the world against the most powerful mutant of all, Apocalypse. X-MEN Apocalypse promises a big roster of mutants from the X-MEN world compared to Days of Future Past two years ago and will blow away every moviegoer who got hooked into this ultimate superhero flick to date.

X-Men: Apocalypse

In this movie, a mutant named Apocalypse was worshipped as a god since the dawn of civilization. After thousands of years later, his ultimate power has been awakened and Apocalypse will stop at nothing to rule the world with an iron fist. Underneath the shadows of Apocalypse's unlimited power lies a group of fresh youngsters banded by Professor X and mutant Raven. These young mutants became humanity's last hope and will stop at nothing to prevent Apocalypse from taking over the world by his hands. This movie stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn and Lucas Till.

The folks from 20th Century FOX have finally done this film since Days of Future Past two years ago and with this film, think Attack of Titan with a million times more manageable because there's nothing much to say about this superhero flick about a group of youngsters trying to take down a ultra-powerful super villain who tries to destroy the world with his almighty powers but if you have any doubts about this film, this latest X-MEN flick isn't made for the faint at heart because this film is part disaster flick, part action flick in the process but for the love of superheroes, this is 100% superhero flick as comic book fans watched it from the start to the finish. Its hard for those who can survive through the duration of this flick due to the disastrous parts featured on this film but for those who love to enjoy the epic battle between good and evil, it feels great to see thanks to the long roster of X-MEN characters featured in this flick since Days of Future Past.

Although this film is too scary and too dangerous to watch, this newest X-MEN film is just one of the main reasons why we all love a great superhero flick since the very beginning. Our geekdom really appeals on this one, though.

My rating: 3.9 out of 5.

Disney's Alice Through the Looking Glass

Six years ago, Disney gave us a live action rebirth of the legendary tale of Alice In Wonderland in collaboration with the eccentric Tim Burton. The rebirth sees a teenage Alice venturing through the fantasy world in search of her true destiny. Packed with imaginative cast of characters, the live action Alice in Wonderland was known to be one of the most fantastic family films at the start of this decade. Now, were in the mid-10's and at long last, a continuation to Alice's story is at hand.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

It's called Alice Through the Looking Glass and this film follows the same whimsical recipe as the 2010 Alice in Wonderland rebirth did and this time, it's about returning a big favor. Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, and Stephen Fry, among many others are reprising their roles from the previous Alice in Wonderland film six years ago.

In this film, Alice returns to the Wonderland in order to save the Mad Hatter before it's too late. To do that, she has to find the Chronosphere, which allows her to turn back time. Venturing through the distant past, Alice meets up with her friends and enemies, new and old, at different timeframes and then set off to a race-against-time adventure to save the Hatter.

Compared to the 2010 rebirth of Alice in Wonderland, the Looking Glass delivers an all-original storyline while sticking true to the Wonderland fantasy the whole family would enjoy. Although, it may have a rough start, this film keeps wowing viewers with some eye-popping visuals that adds some color and zest to the once remarkable storyline we are familiar with. While the Looking Glass may be one of the most captivating family movies to watch before summer kicks in, I am fully aware that there are some people may call this film to be cute, as are the characters in the film. Well, they already saw the 2010 rebirth of Alice in Wonderland so they are fully familiar with the characters in this new chapter of Alice's tale but for those who never saw the rebirth, then it's okay. There's nothing meaningless about the film even if you never watched the first one but if you're here for the story, best to view the original first before jumping in to the latest story. Here for the story of just for the fun of it, the Looking Glass is just one of the main reasons why the collaboration between Disney and Tim Burton looks colorful and tasteful in the eyes of moviegoers.

My rating: 4.3 out of 5.

Red Nose Day USA 2016

Last Thursday night, NBC aired the RED NOSE DAY USA 2016 TV special, where the best celebrities from TV and movies ham it out and bring some silliness to the audience while giving help to those in need not just in America but the rest of the world. We've seen celebs doing ridiculous comic skits, musical performances, and some, while others doing humanitarian aid on across the globe, which is the main motif of what RED NOSE DAY is all about.

For 2016, comedian Craig Ferguson is this year's presenter and Americans seen this year's fun at RED NOSE DAY such as a Date with Tony Hale, Sarah Silverman's RND pitches, special messages from Jay Pharoah's friends, Blake Shelton Performs Savior's Shadow, a so-called The Walking Dead RND special with Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Key and Peel get kind, Margot Robbie takes a Red Nose Bath, Jack Black gives back, and even the scary guys love RND too. In terms of humanitarian aid, we seen rapper-actor Ludacris fighting hunger in Atlanta, stars introducing kids from different parts in the world who faced hardships through their lives, Jack Black's humanitarian mission in Uganda, and more.

In case you missed this year's special: http://www.nbc.com/the-red-nose-day-special/video/the-red-nose-day-special/3041947 (US residents only)

Anyway, before, during, and after this year's RED NOSE DAY USA, over 31.5 million dollars were raised for kids in need across America and around the globe, all thanks to Walgreens customers purchasing red noses, FUN-raisers across the USA, iconic buildings glow red throughout the week, and all the love spread throughout social media.

The 2016 RED NOSE DAY USA was a complete success just like the first one last year and it all thanks to viewers like you.

#BGPoolSeñorita

On the May 27, 2016 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Di Inimbitahan gags

- Hugot lines on canvassing



- Management training turns ugly

- Meet the rejected mutants who will fail to save the world.













- The Pool Señorita tries to take a stand on the swimming pool!

- Bubble Gang does Bonakid Pre-School by spoofing this commercial as BUENAKID PRE-SCHOOL! Batang May Laban.



- The boys found better ways to deal with  election campaign materials.

- More news reversed in Opposite News!

- The Bubble Gang tries their new closing game called BASA-BASA-PIK!

About US President Obama's historic Hiroshima visit

Screengrab: NHK World

May 27, 2016 - US President Barack Obama, who is on his final year of his administration, made his historic visit to Hiroshima, Japan, the site that was devastated by the atomic bomb at the last days of the Second World War seven decades ago. Obama is the first sitting American president to visit a war-torn Japanese city and his historic visit to Hiroshima isn't just about reconciliation between the two countries, it's about morality towards a lifelong term for a world without nuclear weapons.

Seven years ago when Obama took office, he made a speech in Prague calling for an end to nuclear weapons and urges him to visit Hiroshima, talk to survivors, and continue to push for disarmament of nuclear weapons. Now, he finally made his promise with his historic visit to Hiroshima following his successful visit at Ise-Shima for the G7 Summit, where he and the other world leaders will collaborate to stabilize the global economy, combat terrorism, and ease tensions on unstable nations. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe accompanied him during Obama's historic Hiroshima visit, where he made a speech about how the Japanese people felt during the aftermath seven decades ago and how it must be done to prevent the so-called weapons of evil to be fell to the wrong hands.

Because Obama's administration is nearing its climax next year to pave way for his successor (whoever that is, depending on who will win November's election), I believe that his historic Hiroshima visit wasn't just more than worth the trip, but it's for the entrustment of the future of mankind. Because of ongoing conflicts on unstable nations, terrorism, and threats from North Korea, looks like the road for a nuclear-free world will be a very long one because it takes a lifetime for a world superpower like the United States of America to set things right on all the things that went wrong.

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

- According to a military official, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is ready to spend their budget on modernization rather than spending it to wage war against fellow Filipinos. The budget will instead be used to purchase more firearms and other military equipment that will be used for the country's external defense. That statement came as a framework for the resumption of peace talks between communists and president-elect Rody Duterte's administration is still being laid out.

- Pantaleon Alvarez, Davao del Norte representative, defended yesterday president-elect Rodrigo Duterte over his offense against the Catholic Church, clarifying that he's not fighting against the Church as an institution but only misconducts done by clergymen. Last week, the foul-mouthed Davao mayor called the Catholic Church as "the most hypocritical" institution and warned that he would make public letters from bishops asking for favors.

- The G7 leaders adopted a joint declaration on the final day of the Ise-Shima summit, expressing their commitment to collaborate on the improvement of global economic growth. The leaders say they are committed to reinforce their efforts to address the current economic situation by taking all appropriate policy responses, in a timely manner, to prevent a financial meltdown.

- Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama made his historic arrival at Hiroshima, the first US president to step on the war-torn Japanese city. The president will visit Peace Memorial Park and lay flowers at a cenotaph dedicated to the victims.

- Businessman and Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump finally scored enough delegates to secure the party nomination. It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination but Trump now has two more in his belt.

- Following the Toyota 86 minor change, the Subaru BRZ gained its 2017MY minor change packed with numerous upgrades to it powertrain.

2017 Subaru BRZ

- Bentley will retire their legendary 6.75-litre V8 engine with the current Mulsanne soon and it will be replaced by a bigger 12-cylinder engine on its next flagship. This engine has been around since 1959 with numerous updates to keep it fresh.

- The family of the late F1 driver Jules Bianchi will sue FIA, Marussia, and the Formula One Group of companies over his death at the 2014 race at Suzuka.

- If you love Captain America CIVIL WAR, then you'll going to love this news straight from the Marvel universe because they've recently announced the casting call for the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok film, showing in theaters this late 2017. Apart from Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston reprising their roles as Thor and Loki as well as Idris Elba and Sir Anthony Hopkins as Heimdall and Odin, they've been joined by Cate Blanchett as the villain Hela, the goddess of death, as well as Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster, Karl Urban as Skurge, and Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. Mark Ruffalo will be joining the film as The Incredible Hulk and yes, we're not joking. Thor and Hulk in one film!

- The first teaser for the upcoming live-action rebirth of Disney's Beauty and the Beast is now up. The movie will hit theaters on the 17th of March, 2017.

TTFN!!!