Monday, December 22, 2014

Let's Do The News! (December 22, 2014)



Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- Moncef Marzouki refused defeat upon the exit polls from the Tunisian elections suggested that Beji Caid Essebsi had won. He called Essebsi's victory "undemocratic" but the 88-year-old man who won the elections has been celebrating with supporters as he vows to bring back strength and stability to the nation.

- Ismaaiyl Brinsley, a 28-year-old black male behind the brutal killings of two NYPD officers, told the public to "watch what I'm going to do" before the attack. He shot them down while they were sitting in their police car before running into a nearby subway station and reportedly committed suicide. Some reports say that he posted messages on social media saying that he would kill those cops in retaliation for the death of Eric Garner, a black man who was killed by cops.

- Following with the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures that led to the cancellation of The Interview movie, US President Barack Obama mulls putting North Korea back in the list of nations sponsoring terrorism. He doesn't consider it an "act of war" but rather an act of cyber vandalism. In 1988, the US Government placed North Korea in the list of terrorist-sponsored nations but removed it in 1994 following some advancement in nuclear talks.

- One of Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, told reporters that the country is collaborating with the US Government on the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.

- The Tokyo Haneda Airport recorded a total of 70 million people passed through the airport since the beginning of 2014, 1.5 million more from last year.

- In preparation of the 2014 Metro Manila Film Festival parade, the MMDA starts rerouting of traffic as some roads along Roxas Boulevard in Manila would be closed to traffic during the parade. They said that the northbound lane of Roxas Boulevard from P. Ocampo to TM Kalaw would be closed to traffic starting 1 p.m. Tuesday and motorists who are using the northbound lane of the Roxas Blvd. should turn right at P. Ocampo Street while reaching their destination. Those who are using the westbound lane of Quirino Avenue going to Roxas Blvd. should turn left to Adriatico Street, turn right at P. Ocampo Street, and turn left at FB Harrison Street to reach their destination.

- Asphalt 8: Airborne was recently updated with Version 1.7.2 and for this Winter Update, expect new arrivals of new cars from almost unknown origins and when I said almost-unknown origins, these cars were thought to be not existed in the real world but they are. Those cars are the 9FF GT9 VMAX, Arrinera Hussarya, Felino cB7, Ferrari 308 GTS, Acura NSX 2005, Lucra L148, Renault DeZir, Rimac Concept_One, Spada Codatronica TSS, Tramontana XTR, and the VW W12. Apart from those new cars, there's a brand new SECTOR 8 location and this is going to be one of the craziest locations you can race on A8. Also, this update introduces the token system where players can earn tokens to unlock exclusive cars, refill fuel, or buy boosters. Lastly, because having a MAX-tuned car isn't enough, there's PRO KITS where you can buy PRO BOXES which randomly includes cards require to purchase a Pro Kit to upgrade your car a little further. Some are common but a few can be either RARE or LEGENDARY!

- In case you missed it, Episode 4 of the Bee and Puppycat web series is now streaming and it picks up where the last episode left off. This is the midseason finale but expect more episodes coming this 2015! The fun doesn't stop here, you know.



- IT'S THE NEW CADILLAC CTS-V! General Motors unveiled their most powerful Cadillac yet as the new CTS-V is powered by a more powerful 6.2L supercharged V8 engine with direct injection and Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation). Producing over 640HP of power, this new model is more powerful than the Mercedes-AMG E63 and the BMW M5! It even comes with the Performance Data Recorder which lets drivers record videos while driving!

2016 Cadillac CTS-V

- Arriving this May 2015 for 9,074 Yen (plus tax), here comes a 1/8 scale PVC figure of The iDOLM@STER's Miki Hoshii wearing her yutaka, brought to you courtesy of Good Smile Company.

Miki Hoshii Yukata Ver.

TTFN!!!

Suzuki Alto - Eighth Generation (HA36S)

2015 Suzuki Alto

There's a new king of fuel-efficient petrol cars arrived in Japan and it comes from a Japanese car company that helms as the king of fuel-efficient cars. Many have rivaled it but this car company's still fighting back and in Japan, they're winning in the fuel-efficient stakes. Yes, we're talking about Suzuki and what you're looking at, ladies and gentlemen, is the brand new, eighth-generation, Suzuki Alto. Yes. Suzuki has been kept using the Alto name for some time now since 1979 and for this 8th-generation model, looks like Suzuki's on a different approach when it comes to making this car from scratch.

2015 Suzuki Alto
2015 Suzuki Alto interior
Starting first with the design and for this new model, they've gone for a more retro-approach which dates back from the 1980's. That's sounds fine but for me, the new look is a bit tad old-fashioned for a new model but that's the way budget-friendly city cars look. Cheaper prices with cheaper designs that car enthusiasts wouldn't want one in their dream garage except for Gran Turismo fanatics because it's a kei car and kei cars live well in the Gran Turismo virtual environment.

The same thing goes for the interior because just like the outside, it looks cheap and plasticky but it has the basic necessities that a car needs such as an aircon, a radio, an instrumental panel, and seating for four people. The new model's height maybe lower than the previous model but you can expect more space for your legs because the wheelbase is now 60mm more so, good job.

2015 Suzuki Alto

Now, here goes the most important stuff about the brand new Alto: it's performance. The new model inherits Suzuki's revolutionary S-ENE-CHARGE from the recently-facelifted Wagon R, its big brother. If you need a quick recap, S-ENE-CHARGE is a system that assists the engine's acceleration with a motor by adopting the Integrated Starter Generator and a Li-ion battery that specifically made for this system. Coupled that with the R06A engine and the CVT gearbox and the result is a record-breaking fuel-economy of 37.0kmpl based on Japan's JC08 Mode standards. This fuel-economy is by no means the new Alto is the most fuel-efficient petrol-powered vehicle in the world today. There's no way other car makers can match that kind of fuel consumption.

This is only the beginning because the new Alto is offered in different variants, apart from its most fuel-efficient model ever made, including the one with the 5-speed manual gearbox and the one with a brand-new 5-speed Auto Gear Shift (ASG), a new type of gearbox that combines merits of both manual and automatic transmission.

It is equipped with an electro-hydraulic actuator that automatically operates clutch and gearshift and by integrating these two, ASG is made to provide unity on the operating device, resulting to an excellent fuel efficiency of 29.6kmpl, easy driving, and fun driving. Yes. Fun. Shifting gears is fun for this kind of city car.

Although, I'm not going to pretend that this is a boring car made for old people with no sense of fun but for a city car, it's not so bad. I mean, with the turning radius of 4.2 meters, this car is very easy to park and slip through the bends. It's that good but for a cheap car, it's not what you called comfortable because judging from its cheap seats and its cheap performance, it feels like I couldn't sleep in here. It feels like I'm sleeping on a rusty chair on my classroom during recess.

Even though it's a cheap car, the new Alto is not far behind when it comes to safety and for this model, it comes with the Radar Brake Support that stops automatically when detected an object nearby, a false start suppression system that prevents collision when the driver hits the pedal and gearbox by mistake when a car crawls, and an Emergency Stop Signal to warn drivers at the back.

Time to conclude with with a little thing called "Evaluation Time" and if I had to evaluate it, the new Alto excels in the rear space due to its added wheelbase, its record-breaking fuel-efficient that can't be beat by its rivals, and with prices start at 847,800 Yen (around $8,500), it's a value for money. What the Alto flunks is its design, its comfort, its measly performance, and the interior that is as cheap as a check-in at a dirty motel. No matter though because with this new model, its fuel-efficiency is unquestionable on the city streets and if any carmaker makes a car higher than any Suzuki model, they will still counterattack it despite their limited resources.

Photo: Suzuki Motor Corporation

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Leopaul's Heaven and Hell: Anime and Christmas REALLY don't mix



In this special Heaven and Hell post for the Christmas 2014 specials in my blog, it's time for me to tackle why anime and Christmas REALLY don't mix and this is intended for those hostiles on my radar thinking that some anime had Christmas specials, which in reality, is almost never because anime is just SO focused on the storyline rather than doing specials stuff like Valentines, Halloween, Christmas, or any other holiday you know. Those holidays in the calendar REALLY don't mix in the anime world and that's the end of it.

In the past, Christmas is nothing more of a family tradition and a religious occasion but nowadays, modern men treated Christmas as a commercial festival rather than the usual stuff. Yes, there are some people do religious stuff in Christmas. That's why we have simbang gabi for the Filipino families who care about that big man in the sky rather than Santa Claus and then some other stuff to treat Christmas as a religious occasion but the holiday season for the modern family is about "shut up and take my money" when it comes to buy stuff just for the heck of gift-giving purposes and little kids want to believe if Father Christmas is real and risk everything to spot that bearded man in red. Well, you get the idea but Christmas in Japan...only works in the real world and not in anime purposes because people behind any anime you know just don't have the time to inject some holiday spirit to their anime shows.

Whoever those hostiles around me imagining of an "anime christmas" is the kind of person who doesn't believe in the showrunners' beliefs because showrunners behind the anime don't like to put that kind of festive stuff and focus on what's left on the anime's episode listings. Any episode that runs for 11 or 26 or whatever how many episodes are in it doesn't include anything Christmas-related and your chances of spotting an anime christmas special are just plain slim. I'm not saying that anime fans had no chances of spotting Christmas-episodes of their favorite anime shows but finding one is ranged from "few" to "almost never".

Yes. There are a few anime shows spawned Christmas episodes but I'm not going to list it because those hostiles are giving me the beeps as crazy as a missile alert from a fighter's radar. However, I will say that if you got to luck to find one Christmas-related anime episode, congratulations. You really proven me wrong that Anime and Christmas DID mix but only just. So go ahead, I'd challenge you to find one anime Christmas episode and if you found one, go watch it, and tell me what's that anime Christmas episode you'd just watch. I'm just challenging you how good you guys really are because...what kind of a hostile searcher who searches for something-something-something-index Christmas or something-something-something-maid-something Christmas or something-something-something-well you get the idea but you know what? I had just one thing. THEY DON'T REALLY EXIST! Want a bet? Those To Aru series don't have a Christmas special, Love Live doesn't have a Christmas special (sort of), Attack on Titan doesn't have a Christmas special, there's no such thing as a Naruto Christmas special, on and on and on and on and that's it. You get me now? Good.

Anyway, that's enough for now, but mark my words. Anime and Christmas REALLY don't mix but there are a lucky few that got the cut for the holidays. Thank you and see you again.

メリークリスマス!

Forza Horizon 2: The 6-5-0

650s

It's time for me to pass the torch to a new car because there's a NAPA Chassis Car Pack on Forza Horizon 2 on sale now and the highlight of this month's car pack is McLaren's latest sportscar, the 650S.

650s (3)

Sure, some people believe that the 650S is nothing more than a minor change model to the 12C but there's more to it than that because McLaren states that it's not a direct replacement to the old 12C even though McLaren stopped selling one due to the 650S' success since its announcement. By engineering the 650S, the folks are drawing inspiration from the now-legendary P1 hypercar and some of the P1's tech have landed on the 650S as well as its face. Yes. The face because the 650S is what happens when a 12C wears the P1's face just like that action movie with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage in it.

650s (2)

It still has the same 3.8L V8 Twin Turbo engine as the 12C but as the name suggests, almost 650PS of power output has been produced and that's more than what the 12C had. That's more than what the Lamborghini Huracan also had and looks like there's going to be a dogfight battle between these two in our hands here. Handling-wise, the 650S can pull some crazy moves on the road despite being heavier than the 12C, and drivers need to have better concentration to master this machine. I shall now demonstrate it on its Monthly Rivals event made specifically for this car.



Wow. This car is as crazy as cooking with Rambo while terrorizing the audience. Handling this car is like stuntmen doing hula-hoop for a change but it's a lot more dynamic to handle than the 12C or the Huracan because this is a rear-wheel drive car made for the highly-skilled drivers who are as brave as...well...a brave bird.

650s (4)650s (5)

And while taking a break from racing against feistier opposition, the 650S tries to look at its best when it comes to show off its feisty silhouette. That really is one heck of a head-turner for those who wish to have one of these and when this car come face-to-face with the more-powerful P1, looks can be deceiving because...it's like looking a reflection through the mirror.

The 650S is a sportscar that glimpse through the mirror of the P1's soul and while it's not quite as battle-ready as the P1, the 650S is well prepared to take on just about everything the opposition may throw at it.

I think I should need more time learning how to master the 650S' crazy handling capabilities. Otherwise, I would get thrown into the wind for no reason, no matter how hard I tried.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

CHRISTMAS 2014 - Best movies to watch for Christmas



Nothing beats having a Christmas break by watching a Christmas movie regardless of any genre you're choosing. Whether if it's action, comedy, drama, kids, or whatever, those Christmas-themed movies are sure to warm the movie buffs at home during their Christmas vacation. If you've been given a choice, it's time for me to suggest the best Christmas movies to watch during your Christmas break.

1) How The Grinch Stole Christmas - I'd recommend the one which stars comedian Jim Carrey in it. In this hilarious adaptation from a Dr. Seuss classic, Jim Carrey plays the titular role of everyone's favorite grump who tries to ruin Christmas in Whoville.

2) Home Alone - There's been numerous installments of this film but the first one is always the best one. This all-time classic is about a kid named Kevin who is left home-alone by his family when suddenly, a duo of burglars are trying to steal something from Kevin's house. It's up to Kevin to defend his house from the bad guys before his family returns home. The trap parts in the movie are usually an all-time favorite for those who've seen that classic movie several times.

3) The Santa Clause - The Santa Clause trilogy of films feature Tim Allen (the guy who voiced Buzz from the Toy Story movies) as the titular character who saves Christmas.  The first film is about a divorced dad who steps into the role as Santa Claus while the second film sees Santa find his new love interest or else he'll never be a Santa Claus ever and the third film sees Santa Claus come face to face with his arch-enemy, Jack Frost.

4) elf - This hilarious Christmas movie stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, who was raised by elves when he crawled through Santa's bag of toys when he was a baby. Now, he seeks his true self when he lands to New York City.

5) A Christmas Carol - I'd recommend the Disney version which stars Jim Carrey as Scrooge. Every year, Ebeneezer Scrooge is getting meaner and meaner until his day of reckoning is nigh. He encounters three ghosts who will witness his past, present, and his grim future, and he has to change his ways before his grim future came true. This is a life-changing film for those who are feeling a bit bah humbug on the holidays.

6) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - The Christmas installment of the National Lampoon franchise sees the Griswold family taking on a Christmas holiday with disastrous and hilarious results.

7) Jingle All The Way - Action star Arnold Schwarzenegger shows his fun side in this hilarious action comedy where he, as the businessman, is fighting against a horde of Santas just to get his son a Turbo Man toy.

8) Fred Claus - Vince Vaughn stars as the unexpected brother of Santa Claus who is the total opposite of him in this hilarious and heart-warming comedy film that is surely sprinkle you some laughs for the holidays.

9) Tokyo Godfathers - Japanese animated film about three estranged people encountered an abandoned baby in the trash during Christmas Eve and set off on an adventure of a lifetime where they have to correct their past wrongdoings.

10) A Nightmare Before Christmas - This all-time animated classic made by the eccentric Tim Burton is about Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, who is on a quest to save Christmas until he took an unexpected turn that caused the little kids suffering nightmares. Although the animation's a bit odd, the soundtrack and the musical sounds very good for an all-time Disney classic.

11) Miracle on 34th Street - This legendary holiday movie is all about believing in Santa, even if the main character is a mall santa under the name of Kris Kringle. I know this movie is all black-and-white because it came from 1940's but this legendary holiday movie still asks the age-old question: Do you believe in Santa Claus?

12) Die Hard 2: Die Harder - It's a little odd why we put this film on the list but this is sure fire enough to add some testosterone to your Christmas movie-viewing pleasure. It's the Christmas season when a ragtag group of terrorists attacked an international airport and it's up to John McClane (Bruce Willis) to stop this threat before putting innocent lives in jeopardy.

...there are so many Christmas-themed movies to list but the rest is all up to you so while you're still relaxing during the Christmas break, enjoy watching some Christmas-themed movies that suit your preference. Enjoy the holiday break!

#BGXmasDecorAward

On the December 19, 2014 episode of Bubble Gang...

- Xmas Decor Award gags

- Istambay, Istambay sa looban, Ang pasko ay sumapit na naman, Ang problema lang sa karolingan, Laging nauuwi sa...BATUHAN!

- Desiree the Binatilya and his pals are ready for their gift-giving until...

- IKAW AT ANG INA takes on..."works at"!

- Bubble Gang does Mcdonald's Chicken McDo by spoofing this commercial as CHICKEN WCDO!



- Mr. Matapobre says..."Walang mayamang kuripot."

- Bubble Gang's P.A.R.D are back with their new song HUG.

- More wise words from Tata Lino!

a) Masarap magpainit pag nilalamig ka at siyempre masarap din pag kumain ng bibingka.

b) Single ka ba? Single ka naman. Sa single ka na lumapit. Hindi ka namang parol, wag kang sabit ng sabit.

c) Hindi kailangan ng balabal ng taong garapal. Bale wala lang lamig sa balat niyang makapal.

d) Ang madaling makuha, madaling matapon. Di porke binigyan ka ng queso de bola ay bibigyan mo ng hamon.

- Brod Pete's back to answer everyone's questions in ANG BAGONG DATING DOON INTERNATIONAL!

a) A PM from someone asked for more wrong terms and there's more on it because TAG PRICE and CHANGE COSTUME are wrong terms. They're reversed and it's confusing. Also wrong are some reversed words like HUNTING LOCATION and SONG HITS.

b) Antonio Aquitania asks if there's a writing on certain events. From a lyric of a certain John Lennon song, "So this is Christmas, for weak and for strong, for rich and the poor once, the world is so wrong, and so happy Christmas, for black and for white, for yellow and the red ones, let's stop all the fights."


Friday, December 19, 2014

Toyota reveals GRMN-tuned Mark X saloon

2015 Toyota Mark X GRMN

After being previewed from the Tokyo Auto Salon several months ago, Toyota finally unleashed the Mark X GRMN, which is a premium midsize saloon tuned by the folks from Gazoo Racing and isn't that the maddest sports saloon ever made?

This Japan-exclusive hi-po version of the Mark X is strictly limited to 100 units and orders for the Mark X GRMN will commence this March 1st, 2015, starting at just 5.4 million Japanese Yen (or around $55,000).

This car uses the 350S model as its base but the GRMN version features a sportier bodykit, a carbon fiber roof, a driver-focused interior, and joy of joys, a 6-speed manual gearbox that was mated to its 3.5L V6 engine. It also features a sport-tuned suspension system, 19-inch BBS wheels, improved brakes, quad exhaust, and some braces to stiffen it up.

As mentioned before, orders are open this March 1st, 2015, and it's in Toyopet showrooms across Japan this June for 5,400,000 Japanese Yen. It's going to make its special appearance at the 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon with NAPAC on the 9th to the 11th of January, 2015.

Source: http://autoc-one.jp/news/2009780/
URL: http://grmn.gazooracing.com/Mark_X/

Let's Do The News! (December 19, 2014)



Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- Air strikes from a US-led coalition have killed 3 senior members of ISIS in Iraq. This was announced by a high-ranking US military officer and this latest killings deliver a massive damage to the Islamic aggressors' planning, command, and control.

- US President Barack Obama announced that the nation's government will not be imposing new sanctions against Russia for now while signing the Ukraine Freedom Support Act into law.

- Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona is officially resigned from his position, according to the latest announcement from the Malacanang.

- In preparation for Christmas and New Year in the Philippines, all service firearms of all policemen from all over the country will be taped shut as the Philippine National Police aims for a gun-free revelry to prevent cases of indiscriminate firing, starting this Monday.

- During the Youth Summit 2014 held at Quezon City, President Benigno Aquino III warned against a popular app game "Clash of Clans" and the habit of taking a selfie, calling them a distraction that the Filipino youth should be wary of.

- Dutch supercar maker Spyker has officially been declared bankrupt after efforts of restructuring its finances and getting back on track were failed. According to the press release, the funding it was banking on "did unfortunately no reach the company in time" and the boss of Spyker, Victor R. Muller said that they will bring back Spyker as soon as practically possible.

- Part of celebrating the launch of Pocket Monsters Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire for the 3DS range, a cafe called Shibuya Parco is having a special Pokemon Cafe next month until the end of February. Customers can enjoy an original menu inspired by the world of Pokemon and its characters. There's a whole range of Pokemon goodies on sale during the event and yes, customers can get a special Pikachu for use in ORAS as well.

- Yes. Doctor Who returns for its 9th season this late 2015 and the title of the first episode of the ninth season will be titled The Magician's Apprentice.

- Also, the first teaser trailer for the upcoming 3rd season of BBC America's Orphan Black hits the web and it's coming this April 18th next year.



- WATCH OUT! Marika Tachibana from the Nisekoi anime gets her own Nendoroid from Good Smile Company! She's available this May starting at just ¥3,889 (Before Tax).

Nendoroid Marika Tachibana

TTFN!!!

Gran Turismo 6: Chaparral 2X vs. Infiniti Concept

City of Arts and Sciences - Night_1

Two new Vision GT cars have arrived in the latest GT6 update. One represents the future of Inspired Performance while the other revives a legendary marque that Gran Turismo fans truly remembered for its bizarre aerodynamics. The Infiniti Concept VGT and the Chevrolet-Chaparral 2X VGT are now here and here's your chance to try out these two new machines only on GT6.

High Speed Ring

Let's talk about the Chevrolet-Chaparral 2X first and this Vision GT could be our new favorite because for the first time, this concept racer features a unique powertrain that no racecar in the history has ever done before. Don't be surprised but this racecar's powered by laser pulse shock waves generated by an advanced propulsion system made by Chevrolet. That's right. This car's laser power...and it's diabolical indeed. The laser pulse shock wave generates an equivalent of 905HP of power and because it weighs 405kg, its power-to-weight ratio is on its explosive levels. Yes. Calculate that and that power-to-weight ratio is an exploding 2011 horsepower-per-tonne. WOW! No such car can get that kind of ratio! Not even the Bugatti Veyron!

Apart from its unique powertrain, it comes with a very unique cockpit where the driver has to lie down like a flying squirrel to operate it. That driving position looks awkward but when it's already in motion, this driving position for a future racing machine is worth thrilling. It's like you're on a free-fall from the sky, except you're going horizontally.

The bodywork is made up by its "layup schedule" which lets the whole structure to act alongside with its suspension and its super-ridged propulsion structure ensures optimal thrust parabola to the laser pulse cone. With the combination of the multi-vane adjustability and the lower Thrust Vectoring panel, the Chaparral 2X provides a greater downforce that fits on any track.

It's the hallmark of Jim Hall's legacy of motorsport innovation that was carried from his past creations such as the 2D and the 2J.

Willow Springs International Raceway - Big Willow

Now, let's talk about the Infiniti Concept VGT. You see, a group of a well-talented and creative men behind the project have been gathered at the Infiniti Design Beijing studio to design this one-of-a-kind Infiniti machine that carries out the luxury marque's Inspired Performance tagline. With its beautiful silhouette and its monstrous performance, this one-of-a-kind Infiniti dream machine liberates every driver to experience the full freedom of driving on the open world. The folks from Beijing worked really hard to bring this fantasy machine into virtual reality at their own hands and they did. Needless to say, this car is surprisingly Asian because this GT machine is packed with the "motorsport passion of Asia".

This car is rear-wheel drive and it's powered by a 4.5L V8 engine, which is the kind of engine Nissan no longer makes, and it's connected with an electric motor and a battery. Which means that the Infiniti Concept VGT is a hybrid sportscar with the combined power output of 535HP while mated with a 6-speed gearbox. Because it weighs 1680kg, the power-to-weight ratio is over 335 horsepower-per-tonne. That's more than what the TVR T350C gets. Not only that, its weight distribution is well-balanced enough to have this car do drifting on the corners just for fun.

With me being one of the many GT6 players who acquired both of these machines via Seasonal Events, I think it's time for me to compare these two and to do that, I went to Suzuka Circuit with the 2014 update in it, Yep. The revised one with the same layout as before.


Suzuka Circuit 2014_1

First up is the Infiniti Concept Vision Gran Turismo. Because of its balanced weight distribution, this car feels so well-balanced on its mobility and it's very stable as well, although a little too much might cause some oversteer, suffering its lap time record until you can counter it. Still, this is a lot fun to drive than any other European VGT concepts I tried over a few months. There's no need to fighting over to get it through the bends and it feels so...easy to drive even for a rookie.

Suzuka Circuit 2014

Now, for the Chevrolet-Chaparral 2X. The sound of the laser generating is like fireworks on New Year's Day or some popcorn popping when you get the hammer down but despite its popping-like sound from the laser, it's probably hard to handle when going too fast, giving it a tendency to understeer. Even this car is a concept machine, its mobility and stability are on the same level as a NASCAR, so if you're a rookie, this racing machine is not recommended but if you're a highly skilled driver, it's just fine. The trick is not to overdo it aggressively when cornering because this is highly difficult to corner when going too fast.

After driving these two, here are the results:

Infiniti Concept VGT - 2:09.378
Chevrolet-Chaparral 2X - 1:39.758

City of Arts and Sciences - Night

Yes. This Chevrolet-Chaparral 2X is almost half a minute quicker than the Infiniti Concept VGT but it doesn't matter. Those records didn't matter to these anyway but what matters most is that these machines truly demonstrate the future of driving in different but exciting ways. The Infiniti Concept VGT ventures to the future of the brand's Inspired Performance tagline while the Chevrolet-Chaparral 2X puts a new twist to the legendary motorsport marque with three unique features; its powertrain, its driving position, and its aerodynamics.

Hope you'll look forward to driving both of these new VGT machines only on GT6!

List of movies against North Korea?

Screencap from NHK

You might already heard the news about Sony Pictures cancelled the theatrical premiere of the action comedy The Interview because of North Korean hackers threatening to terrorize movie theaters showing that film. This movie is about two interviewers tasked by the CIA to hunt down the North Korean leader but oh come on, it's only a parody. Why would they cancel such a movie like this because of the nation that fuels the fruit of their deep-rooted hatred to humanity.

You know, this canned movie isn't the only one targeting against North Korea. There are other films taking a stab from the said nation and I can remember some films with North Korea in it.

  • 007: Die Another Day - This 2002 Bond movie is Pierce Brosnan's final film for his James Bond role before his role was passed to current actor Daniel Craig four years later. In the beginning of the movie, James Bond took down a North Korean base before he got captured by the troops.
  • Team America World Police - This underappreciated marionette comedy movie made by the mastermind behind the South Park TV series is about a group of heroes fighting against terrorism led by the Film Actors Guild...and also North Korea's Kim Jong-Il.
  • Red Dawn (2012 version) - The 2012 version of the classic war movie stars Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Isabel Lucas, Josh Peck, Adrianne Palicki, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. It's about a group of resistance known as the Wolverines trying to take down North Korean troops that took over the USA. Yes. North Koreans because the original 1984 version featured Russian troops during the days of the Cold War.
  • Olympus Has Fallen - Last year's action flick is about a disgraced Secret Service operative, played by Gerard Butler, who's on the mission to save the White House hostages, including the US president, from a North Korean terrorist, played by Rick Yune (the same guy who played as the Bond villain, Zao, from 007: Die Another Day), before they'll initiate a nuclear attack on the US soil.
...there are a few action movies featured anything North Korea-related but the rest is up to you. Whatever the reason why the North Korean hacking caused Sony to cancel the theatrical release of The Interview is definitely worth a dent to the First Amendment or the freedom of free speech. For now, you movie buffs just rest up for now.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

CHRISTMAS 2014 - How to throw a Christmas Party


Christmas Parties. It's what every party animal in the world who has the holiday spirit to throw one before Christmas and in order to be prepared to make one by yourself, here are some of the best tips on how to throw a Christmas Party at your own home.

  • Invite friends and family - First, you must send them invitations to your relatives and your friends just so you can tell them you're going to have a party. Either doing the old-school approach (say invitation card or telling to them on contact) or using social media should do the trick but just be sure you'll have to put the date, the time, and the location so they'll know that they'll be coming to you at the appointed time.
  • Serve meals - Don't leave your guests hungry for long. You should be serving some delicious meals to enjoy. Either cooking it by yourself or call for deliveries should work and oh, better serve some drinks too and please, no alcohol. Don't ask why but we don't want everyone to leave home with a hangover on the next day.
  • Fun and games - Entertain your guests with some fun and games. Be creative! Think of any games you'll want to play with them! Either parlor games, video games, or any game you know should turn the party to your favor.
  • Gifts - Tell everyone to bring them gifts for the party. You might be pulling off the gift-giving part of the Christmas party where you or your guests will give gifts with someone's name on it.
  • Chat - The party's over but when some of your guests are still in your home, do a little post-party chat with them. That will spice up the conversation. At that moment, you're free to do whatever you want with the remaining guests before it's time for them to go back home.
So, there you go. These are the tips on how to pull off a good Christmas party to your heart's content. Have fun throwing your own Christmas Party to your own liking!







Let's Do The News! (December 18, 2014)



Welcome back. Here is your current sitrep:

- The world's top leaders appreciated the US-Cuban agreement to end over 50 years of hostility and collaborate the two nations to restore diplomatic relations. US President Barack Obama said that their policy against Cuba has failed and it's time to move on to work alongside with the Cuban government. Even Pope Francis is very happy to see the two nations working together for the first time.

- Russian president Vladimir Putin is ready to hold his end-of-year news conference despite the nation's economic strife. It's set to be broadcasted on Russian televisions and it's focused solely on the rouble currency as well as the ongoing standoff between Russia and Ukraine.

- Sony Pictures Entertainment cancelled the release of their latest action comedy movie, The Interview, in theaters after their company website's been hacked and threatened to terrorize movie theaters showing that film. The Interview is an action comedy movie about two journalists assigned by the CIA to bring down the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. In response from the recent hacking, which authorities believed to be the work of North Korean hackers, Sony decided to cancel the release.

- The Court of Appeals ordered Manila Electric Company or MERALCO to refund consumers over 5 billion pesos in overpayments that it will recover from the National Power Corporation and the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation.

- Former Philippine President now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is undergoing her breast exam at the Makati Medical Center.

- The new Acura NSX is set to premiere at the 2015 NAIAS next month in its production-form glory. GET READY!



- The iDOLM@STER ONE FOR ALL DLC Catalog 8 has been revealed. Set for its Christmas Day on-sale date, the latest DLC Catalog features a brand new EX Episode where you'll going to need a lot of talent for your idols to take on a formidable idol named Leon. This EX Episode is by no means the most difficult because Leon's throwing everything she got to throw your idol off the stage so...have your idols fully prepared for the assault.

Also on this catalog, Tsubasa Ibuki from The IDOLM@STER MILLION LIVE mobile game will be making a very special appearance. As for outfits, they've added new ones like Dancing Belly Reverie, Nordic Highness, Dressy Alice, Precious M45, Jade Stardust, Interstellar Flyer, Visitor from Space, Next Orbiter, and Pastel Milky Way. On the songs list, ビジョナリー and Little Match Girl are added.

THE iDOLM@STER ONE FOR ALL
765SHOP CATALOG VOL.08

TTFN!!!