Gran Turismo 6: An Australian sports machine you might like

This is the Holden Monaro. When the first Monaro came out in Australia in the 1960's, they want to refer this as Australia's first sports machine and as the jingle says...It's Going To Be Very Monaro. In the 21st century, the Monaro returns with a sleeker profile, well-lavished interior, and a choice of either a Supercharged V6 or a Gen III V8. This is the CV8 model and it was powered by a Gen III V8 engine, the same kind of engine you can find in the C5 Corvette. It develops 327HP of power and 342.8ft-lb of torque, making this a purebred cheap V8 monster.

Even though it has an international following and the fact that it was sold in the US as the Pontiac GTO, the Monaro is a world-class muscle car until its discontinuation in 2006 with no direct replacement.

This Monaro will run through the Goodwood Hill Climb but at what time will the Monaro post?









It posted a 0:59.658 lap time!

Namely one of the best Australian-made cars in ages, the Monaro is still a cult following even after its 2006 discontinuation. The Australian motor industry maybe on the verge of a collapse, with news about plant closures from both Holden and Ford Australia as well as foreign ones, but it's done to honor the cars made in the Land Down Under. This one's for you, mates!

Holden Monaro CV8 - An Australian sports machine YOU MAY LIKE on GT6.

What is a platypus?

He's a platypus. He don't do much...

In honor of the so-called Platypus Day, don't know why but fans of Phineas and Ferb won't mind about it but paying tribute to Perry the Platypus (a.k.a. Agent P), there's so much to explain about what is a platypus and even a little 47 second science won't work to describe about this semi-aquatic, egg-laying, mammal that some thought it was just a product from a duck and a beaver apart from noticing the bill of the duck and the tail of the beaver. So...gyururururu.....

Some essential facts:

- Scientific name for platypus is ornithorhynchus anatinus. Maybe that's why a lyric that goes Our Ornithorhynchus anatinus brings smiles to the both of us.

- Platypuses have a beaver-like tail, bird-like beak or duck-like bill (whatever you called it), walks like a reptile, and they had webbed feet.

- They can be found at different locations, especially Australia, and their favored habitats are lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.

- Male platypuses are poisonous, meaning they have a spur of toxins that can kill a dog or cause severe pain to humans. I'm not sure why...

- Platypuses are nocturnal, meaning they're are active at night just like hamsters but unlike hamsters, platypuses sleep in their burrows.

- The reproductive cycle of a platypus is rather unusual because male ones tend to chase their female and grabs the tail of the female platypus before mating. Two-to-three weeks later, the female platypus lay about two or three eggs and incubates it for about 10 days before hatch.

-  Platypuses sweat milk...like what you saw from a Phineas and Ferb episode where Candace and Perry swapped bodies by one of their inventions.

- Platypuses eat frogs, fishes, or insects taken from the aquatic surface with their beak, which is also useful to dig up invertebrates from stream or lake beds. They don't eat underwater but store their food in their cheeks and then eat it at the surface.

- Baby platypuses grow a temporary tooth, which is essential to hatch their way out from their eggs.

- The remains of the ancient platypus species were found in the Patagonian region of South America.

- Platypuses belong to the family of animals called monotremes.

- Some studies pointed out in prehistoric times, humans trapped platypuses for their skins but in the year 1912, there is a law that prohibits the harvesting of platypuses for skins, therefore keeping the platypuses population very very far from extinction.

Sources:

Platypus Facts and Pictures (NatGeo Kids) - http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/platypus/

BBC Nature - Platypus - http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Platypus

Platypus Facts For Kids (Animals Time) - http://animalstime.com/platypus-facts-kids/

Platypus Facts (Conservation Institute) - http://www.conservationinstitute.org/platypus-facts/

So, there we go. Some of the good stuff about what is the platypus and that left me a good mystery that goes...how does a platypus made a gurgling sound like Perry? You know, gyurururururururu...

What's in our Car Town garage today? (March 2, 2014)

What's in our Car Town garage today?

1975 RWB Ducktail

This creation from tuner RWB, based on the classic 930, uses a narrow RSR styling which, in RWB tuning fashion, takes about two months to convert it into a full-on track weapon featuring the notable ducktail spoiler. That spoiler maybe more of a throwback to the enthusiasts, but overall, this 1.4 million Yen conversion kit is more than enough to give sense with its throwback looks.

1975 RWB Ducktail

1992 Jeep Jurassic Park Wrangler

Based on the 1992 Jeep Wrangler, it features some Jurassic Park livery, making it look like the exact machine as seen from the Jurassic Park franchise. Because the Wrangler is famed for its off-road capability, it should be enough to escape from huge dinosaurs chasing after you!

1992 Jeep Jurassic Park Wrangler

2012 Mazda 3

When the second-generation Mazda 3 or Axela in the Japanese marker was launched in 2009, this car reinvented the idling stop system by featuring the i-stop. For the 2012 model year, the facelifted version of the second-generation Mazda 3 is the first to come with SKYACTIV-DRIVE gearbox for seamless gear shifting unlike any other. You know the Mazda 2 or Demio is the first Mazda to feature SKYACTIV Technology in the form of the SKYACTIV-G petrol engines but when these two updated versions launched in 2011, Mazda signalled the start of SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY; a new kind of technology that balances impressive fuel economy and fun-to-drive characteristics. It has been applied to other Mazdas as time goes by.

2012 Mazda 3

Infinite Stratos 2: Ignition Hearts

Last autumn 2013, Infinite Stratos returned for its explosive and high-octane second season in Infinite Stratos 2. The second season of IS...some follow, others change lanes. It's their move. After getting the fans fasten their seatbelts on the New IS, there's still more assault in store for the New IS even after the second season concluded.

Infinite Stratos 2: Ignition Hearts (PS3)

Infinite Stratos 2: Ignition Hearts (PSVita)

The first ever video game in the IS franchise finally power-slided our way exclusively on the Playstation systems, namely the PS3 and the PSVita hand-held console. So, what's it all about the new Infinite Stratos video game? To find out, time to press the ENGINE START STOP button from the inside of the IS and let's go because this is going to be one heck of a ride! Be warned though...Professional Driver. Closed Course. Do Not Attempt.

In this game, Ichika has lost his memory and it's up to the girls to retrieve back his memories no matter what it takes. Simple as that and that's just the start because while strapping yourselves on the driver's seat for the heck of it, Ignition Hearts is in the form of a dating-sim game with a difference and in this different kind of dating-sim, choices are the critical point of the game because even a slight mistake would cost you badly. Whether if its facing with Houki Shinonono, Cecilia Alcott, Huang Lingyin, Charlotte Dunois, Laura Bodewig, and the Sarashiki girls (Tatenashi and Kanzashi), your judgement is on balance between a success or failure. Keep them happy and their Ignition point will raise but get it wrong, their Stress point will raise and if its too much stress, the game is over...unless you want to trigger the Passion Event. Be careful when your out there or you will be in big trouble.

This is how it's done with one of the following official videos:



Because both the PS3 game and the PSVita game were launched simultaneously, you can take advantage of its cross-save feature. This is a very convenient Playstation feature. Play this game on the PS3 and if you want to continue while you're away, initiate the cross-save and continue your gameplay to your PSVita.

Having talked through the fundamentals of this dating-sim game based on the hit anime series, Ignition Hearts is not quite a bad game for an IS fan but because of such complicating ways this dating-sim has to offer, it's going to be a lot more difficult as you faced with numerous dating-sim games in the past but when you get the hang of it, it's not really bad at all. As a quick precaution, you might run into several unusual scenes as you progress in the mission to recover Ichika's memories such in the case of one of the characters who is going to be your fiance or wife or whatever stuff that is surely going to be messy.

Like the anime series, Ignition Hearts features the opening theme song by Minami Kuribayashi and the closing theme song by the IS girls. Opening song is titled coloration while the Ending theme is titled Grow Up Shining!!

Onto the limited editio;, for those who've already pre-ordered it, the limited edition in both the PS3 and the PSVita versions come with a SD figure of Charlotte and the soundtrack CD. For the PS3 version, players get a product code for the swimsuits while PSVita owners get the bath towel costume code.

And that's the end of this...test drive. You're free to come out from the IS now.

Pompeii (2014 film)

Pompeii

Two millenniums ago, a volcano called Mt. Vesuvius violently erupted and leaving the Roman town of Pompeii left no trace of life behind. Yes, we all read the history books about the fires of Pompeii but there's a bit more to this story than that because this new film titled Pompeii, what the producers said, uncovers the untold story during the events of the once memorable Roman village in the brink of doom. We know it's a bit of an untold story but sadly though, it wasn't.

I was expecting to be more of uncovering stuff about the fires of Pompeii, something that we can't find it on our history books but no. It's just a facsimile of Gladiator but only just on the first half.

Celt, played by actor Kit Harrington, witnessed the Romans' butchering of his village, led by Senator Corvus (played by 24's Kiefer Sutherland who was going to be the new English dub for Snake in the upcoming two Metal Gear Solid V video games; Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain) when he was young and 17 years later, he stood up to become one of the strongest gladiators in Londinium and all his combat skills led him to Pompeii where he caught the eye of a beautiful aristocrat named Cassia, played by Emily Browning. The two developed a bond between them but it was been proven to be difficult because Corvus seeks to make Cassia his wife.

The first half of the film is nothing more of a Gladiator look-alike because in my mind, it feels much of a same thing. The battles, the bloodbaths, everything that viewers may think that it has some stuff from Gladiator in it but when viewers approached to the part when Mt. Vesuvius violently erupted and turning into "disaster movie" mode, this movie tries to appeal itself to the very end and the fires of Pompeii is worth witnessing for the viewers wanting to know how did a Roman village heavily devastated in a cataclysmic volcano eruption. Well, if you were once learning history lessons up to this moment, you might think that in the fires of Pompeii, no one ever survived in the aftermath of one of the most cataclysmic disasters in ancient history but...ahem...remind you of any?

In conclusion, if you like Pompeii …or not because well, not quite a good movie or a bit Gladiator-ish until the eruption part, how about re-watching a DW episode called The Fires of Pompeii? It’s one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes in ages!

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Smooth Crema

On the February 28, 2014 episode of Bubble Gang...

- School Love gags

- A man's wish to go to heaven comes true...or is it?

- Antonietta ruins the talk show!

Antonietta

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on...feeling bored status updates.

- Bubble Gang does Nescafe 3-in-1 by spoofing this commercial as RESCAFE 3-IN-1!

Bubble Gang does Nescafe 3-in-1

- Seek help from Tata Lino

- More big questions answered in ANG BAGONG DATING DOON!

PHILIPPINES HAPPINESS

- Mama's Boy is still Mama's Boy...

- Eye checkup

IS YOUR FIRMAMENT COUNTENANCE PREPOSSESSING

DYASKE DATAPWA'T MAKATALAMITAN
PINAGSALIKUPAN ALALONG BAGA DI KAGINSA GINSA

Let's Do The News! (February 28, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- The end of an era. Car Town EX, the Asian version of Car Town, has officially closed its doors for good. They'll still be able to enjoy the original Car Town and the Blue Points they have will be transferred. Sadly, for utter disappointment for the players, all the items, the cars, the experience, and cash, cannot be transfered so say goodbye to all your hard-worked stuff. What a disappointment.

- Hulu Japan streaming service is bought by Japan's NTV. They'll be expecting to complete the acquisition of Hulu Japan this spring as part of expanding the video-on-demand market.

- Sarah Lahbati's charges against Annette Gozon-Abrogar, the executive from GMA Films, was rejected by the Quezon City's Prosecutor's Office because of "lack of probable cause".

- Before Vice Ganda left to the US for his concert, he submitted a sworn statement at the Pasig Prosecutor's Office for the sake of Vhong Navarro.

- ABS-CBN's nightly news program, Bandila, apologized for the "unintentional" fear and panic caused by the report about a flesh-eating disease in Pangasinan under the hashtag #MisteryosongSakitSaBandila. It became trending at the social media world and conspiracies linking this from a prophet's warning. It happened since February 25 when a report showcased a 21-year-old woman who allegedly had the "flesh-eating" disease which turned to be she had leprosy, while the male resident in that report turned out to be he had severe psoriasis. The Department of Health officially told that there's no such thing as a "flesh-eating" disease lurking around the province. Tourism has badly affected and Raffy Barraan, the Pangasinan admin, said that this is a blow-up because they didn't investigate it properly. There was a Facebook page called ABS-CBN Should Apologize to the People of Pangasinan, begging the network to apologize from the big mistake.

The statement from ABS-CBN's Bandila:

"Humihingi ang Bandila ng paumanhin kung ang ulat naming tungkol sa dalawang magkaibang kaso ng sakit sa balat ay nagdulot ng takot o pangamba lalo na sa lalawigan ng Pangasinan.

"Iniimbestigahan na ngayon ng ABS-CBN's Office of the Network Ombudsman (ONO) ang mga pangyayari sa likod ng naturang ulat.

"Sisiguraduhin ng ABS-CBN News na magpapatupad ito ng karampatang aksyon ayon sa resulta ng imbestigasyon ng ONO."

- The Philippines are scoring over 3000 organ donor pledges in an hour earlier in an attempt to break the record set by India for having the most organ donation pledges in eight hours on a single site.

- 15 people, including 13 kids, were died on a deadly school bus crash in the eastern part of Thailand.

- This is Skoda's idea of a 4-door coupe and this VisionC Concept will make a debut at next week's Geneva Motor Show.

2014 Skoda VisionC Concept

TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (February 27, 2014)

The big news today...

- Vhong Navarro, IT'S SHOWTIME presenter, is going to file perjury and libel against Deniece Cornejo and Cedric Lee. PEP reports.

- Comedian Wally Bayola broke his silence for the first time over a sex scandal with EB Babe Yosh a year ago. He even admits that he may consider himself taking suicide, according to a PEP report.

- The Copen revival by Daihatsu is sooner than what you think as the Japanese kei-car manufacturer officially initiating their First Test Drive of the next Copen at the Toyo Tires Turnpike, Hakone, at the 10th of May, 2014. They even initiated the official pre-site which you can visit it now at https://copen.jp.

- General Motors Europe will showcase a track-focused concept car based on the Opel/Vauxhall Astra OPC/VXR hot hatch under the Extreme banner at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show this March.

- Volvo revealed their concept show car to be showcased at Geneva this March and this Volvo Concept Estate looks more of a three-door shooting brake loaded with next-generation technology.

- Bubble Gang's Paolo Contis shares his memorable days with the late Roy Alvarez. He and Roy were together in a scene from an indie film titled Banal before being part of the GMA afternoon drama Villa Quintana.

- Some adorable Panda Dogs, dogs that look like pandas, were born in China's Jiangsu Province.

- According to a recent study from UK, kids are the number one distraction to the drivers. Among 1,447 respondents, 29% admitted that those little tykes became their biggest headaches while driving on the road.

- Shuichi Shigeno, the Initial D creator, moved on to pasture's new by launching a new love story manga titled Amazing Hana.

- Piers Morgan maybe a Brit who enjoys delivering us the news on CNN but sadly, CNN is going to axe his show, Piers Morgan Tonight. Morgan took over hosting duties from veteran Larry King three years ago. His final airing is yet to be decided but who cares?

TTFN!!!

GT6: Cars that are Gran Turismo exclusive - Cadillac Cien

Today, it's a 2002 Cadillac Cien Concept. This high-performance concept serves as an evolution to Cadillac's breakthrough Art & Science design philosophy, the sort of design language that saved Cadillac from its extinction. It was made to celebrate 100 years of Cadillac, although the Cien name is Spanish for hundred. It even made an appearance at the 2005 Michael Bay film, The Island, starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson.

This Cien will run straight through the Goodwood Hill Climb but at what time will the Cien post?









It posted a 52.339 lap time!

That is as thrilling as the scene from The Island but still, the V12 engine that powers it is definitely a monster with a force to be reckoned with. It's done in the name of Art & Science.

Cadillac Cien Concept - A GRAN TURISMO-EXCLUSIVE CAR.

Honda axes the Insight hybrid

Second-generation Honda Insight (2009-2014)

There is a report from a Japanese website, MONOist, stating that production of the second-generation Honda Insight, launched since February 2009, is ceased starting this month and overseas sale of this hybrid will cease at the June of 2014. The reason why Honda decided to remove the Insight from the Honda Cars lineup is because of poor sales and the transition to Honda's SPORT HYBRID drivetrain.

Last year, about 3,880 units of the Honda Insight were sold in Japan while 11,951 units for the world market. The cumulative sales up to the end of September 2012 were 265,346 units.

There's a possibility that Honda may remove some of the IMA-equipped hybrids such as the CR-Z hybrid, the Fit Shuttle Hybrid, and the Freed Hybrid.

Source: MONOist

Let's Do The News! (February 26, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- The Daytime Truck Ban maybe one of the so-called solutions to Manila's hellish traffics but it's taking a heavy toll on the Bureau of Customs. Moments after the truck ban come into fruition, the BOC Commissioner John Philip Sevilla told the agency's two largest collection districts, the MICP (Manila International Container Port) and the POM (Port of Manila), posted a 35% decline in revenues to P397.2 million on Monday from a daily average of P613 million.

- MINI revealed the Clubman Concept, which previews the next-generation Clubman based on the all-new F56 Mini. The biggest change is that the trademark suicide "club door" on the passenger side has been thrown away while the rear barn doors still remain

2014 Mini Clubman Concept

- 2015 Volkswagen CrossPolo facelift revealed ahead of the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, joining alongside the Polo TSi BlueMotion and the Polo BlueGT.

2015 Volkswagen CrossPolo

- The Jaguar XFR-S gets its Sportbrake variant, making it the most powerful sport tourer Jaguar ever made. Using the same supercharged V8 engine from the saloon model, it can do 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 186mph.

2015 Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake

- NEW BRAVEST WARRIORS EPISODE! In this episode, titled Merewif Tag, Chris Kirkman visits Mirvahada, Plum's homeworld, and then they swapped lives. Check it out but be warned...some stuff is NSFW and not intended for children under the age of...well, you know the drill but enjoy the latest episode streamed by Cartoon Hangover!



- FLOOP THE PIG! Adventure Time's Card Wars now come into reality with the collector's pack courtesy of Cryptozoic. It's available in two of the following card packs; the Finn vs. Jake BOX and the BMO vs. Lady Rainicorn BOX. Priced at $20 (including applicable taxes), each collector pack comes with two 40-card decks, 8 oversized lane tiles, and 20 hit point tokens.

Adventure Time Card Wars Collector Pack

- Alvin and The Chipmunks gets its own CG-animated TV show on Nickelodeon called ALVINNN!!! and The Chipmunks. The show will be slated to air next year. Check out the trailer!



- There's a brand new Doctor Who character announced and coming on the 8th season of the show, starring Jenna Coleman as Clara and Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor (our 12th man), welcome Danny Pink. Played by Samuel Anderson, Danny is a teacher at Coal Hill School where Clara also teaches. This is the fourth time this fictional school is coming to the aid of the TARDIS since Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright helped the 1st Doctor.

- Time to get bully in the Redview County as NEED FOR SPEED RIVALS announced the Concept Lamborghini DLC Pack, which features the Miura Concept and the Gallardo Super Trofeo. With these new Lambos, you can either outrun the law or take the law to your own hands.

- China declared that they have "indisputable sovereignty" over South China Sea islands being claimed by its Asian neighbors and rejected the Philippine protest over the January 27 incident where the Chinese coast guard fired a water cannon at Filipino fishermen in Panatag Shoal, which is named Huangyan Island by the Chinese.

- Hennessey's Venom GT clocked a max speed of 270.49mph on a runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It sure is fast but it remains a partial or unofficial result even though it wasn't counted by the Guinness World Record for some reasons.

- Vorsteiner presents the new Veritas tuning package based on the all-new Range Rover.

2014 Vorsteiner Veritas

TTFN!!!

Let's Do The News! (February 24, 2014)

The big scoop today...

- THE iDOLM@STER franchise isn't all about cute female idols but good-looking bishonens are joining the fray as announced on the recently concluded M@STERS OF IDOL WORLD!!2014 concert. Anyway, NBGi was pleased to give iM@S a brand new spin with the introduction of their brand new mobile game called Side M. What's Side M? Think of it as the Girl's Side of the franchise because here, ummm...how can I say this? Oh yeah! You'll be producing brand new male idols just like what you do in the whole series.

Here in iM@S Side M, you are the producer of the newly established 315 (Saigo) Productions and good-looking hunks from Japan gave up their jobs and signed up to become idols. Take in the case of former lawyer Teru Tendo, former pilot Tsubasa Kashiwagi, former surgeon Kaoru Sakuraba and so much more. Those dudes do had a backstory of their own...

There's even a surprise addition of the boy band Jupiter as well. You may remember that the boy band, comprised of Shota Mitarai, Toma Amagase, and Hokuto Ijuin, were the ones from the notorious 961Pro, made your lives difficult but ever since they left the production company for good, it's your decision as the new producer of 315 Pro: will you give those a new lease of life as idols?

It's now in commission on the Mobage mobile gaming platform last night and early birds got a "Rare+" Toma Amagase as a head start. This game is free to play but some items come with a fee.

- 2015 Ford Focus minor change has been revealed officially...in hatchback trim. Also new for this facelift is the smaller and award-winning 1.0L EcoBoost engine which, when it comes in the USA soon, will be mated only with a manual gearbox. It will be premiered at the Geneva Motor Show next March. The sedan version may come later...

2015 Ford Focus

- After moments of ruckus regarding the new LTO license plates, it's official that the Department of Transportation and Communications announced that those brand new license plates to be issued by LTO at the end of April 2014. Is it about time?

- The owner-type jeep is what the Filipinos as what the Americans is for hot rods. But did you know that somewhere in Canada, there was a Filipino made his own stainless-steel owner-type jeep?

- Former actor Jaime Garchitorena wrote a Facebook post on the "conspiracy" of taxicabs concerning military connections.

- First recorded Ferrari 458 Speciale wreckage happened somewhere in Berlin, Germany. Luckily, no fatalities recorded.

TTFN!!!