Wednesday, June 1, 2016

F1 2016: Monaco GP

Photo: Getty Images

So, despite Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo set his historic pole position during the qualifying practice, that didn't stop Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton from racing through the overall standings following his 1st place victory. Of course, Red Bull's tire inventory problem is a gain for both Mercedes and Hamilton himself on a rainy day Monaco race. Still, despite the inventory problems with the tires, at least Ricciardo finished second place, though. Of course, by having Sergio Perez finished third place, Force India had a great weekend now that they taste their first podium finish.

It's ashamed that the young Dutchman, Max Verstappen, crashed himself to failure at Monaco but despite this catastrophe, this young chap's not giving up without a good fight and we can expect more from him to correct some mistakes, and some others.

Now, onto the overall standings and judging from Hamilton's Monaco win, he's now 2nd place with 24 points behind leader Nico Rosberg. Riccardo's 2nd placer means he's in third place with 66 points.

The next race will be at Canada on the 12th of June, 2016.

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: N.Korea aims for nuclear and economic development


Ri Su Yong, a senior North Korean official visiting China has stressed that the reclusive country has no plans to abandon its nuclear development program. Ri is the vice chairman of the ruling Worker's Party, overseeing international affairs. He arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a three-day visit and met with the head of the Chinese Communist Party;s International Department, Song Tao.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on the visit on Wednesday. It said Ri briefed Beijing on the results of the Workers' Party congress last May, the first congress in 36 years.  Ri explained to Chinese officials the party's two-track policy of pursuing economic and nuclear development simultaneously, which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared the policy permanent.

China's foreign ministry urged North Korea to exercise restraint after reports of a failed launch of an intermediate-range Musudan missile yesterday. The ministry said that UN Security Council resolutions stipulate clear rules, and suggested that the launch violated them,

Meanwhile, US researchers say the Korean Peninsula may be preparing to process plutonium for nuclear weapons, or may have already started. The US-Korea Institute at John Hopkins University posted on its website on Tuesday satellite imagery of the Nyongbyon nuclear site.

The photos, taken on the 12th and 22nd of May, show smoke rising from a chimney on a plutonium reprocessing facility at the complex. The researchers say the photos point to the Korean Peninsula's probable plutonium production. They add that exhaust plumes were also confirmed at the facility during February and March.

Then, the South Korean Foreign Ministry warned that North Korea could face tougher sanctions and become more isolated if it does not stop its provocations. The ministry said the launch attempt is tantamount to ignoring repeated warnings from the international community to stop its provocative acts, and it cannot be tolerated.

South Korea will review what countermeasures should be taken through talks with allies after a detailed analysis of the missile launch, hinting a strengthening pressure on the North in cooperation with Japan, the United States, and others.

Senior officials from Japan, the United States and South Korea have agreed to cooperate on preventing North Korea from conducting further provocative actions. The officials met in Tokyo on Wednesday, the day after North Korea's failed missile launch. The officials condemned the North's nuclear and missile programs as totally unacceptable. They also reaffirmed that their governments will refuse to talk with the North unless it makes clear a path to its denuclearization.

Source: NHK World

Let's Do The News! (June 1, 2016)


- Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is in critical condition and placed on the Intensive Care Unit afer being hospitalized. Confirmed by her husband Jun Santiago, Miriam's suffering from complications from her lung cancer. Last night, the veteran Senator was transferred to the ICE from her private room because of her worsening condition.

- President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte introduced his members of the Cabinet of his administration and chosen them for a meeting at the Presidential guest house in barangay Panacan in Davao City.

- The US Government is warning Americans planning to visit Europe this summer to be on guard against imminent terrorist attacks there. The US State Department said in a travel alert that US citizens should be aware of the risk of terrorist attacks targeting major events, tourist sites, and transportation throughout Europe.

- South Korean prosecutors have indicted the former heads of two sterilizer manufacturers on charges of producing goods linked to deadly lung injuries. Shin Hyun-woo, the former CEO of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, and two former senior company officials were indicted on Tuesday. The prosecutors also indicted the former head of a defunct sterilizer company. Many infants and their mothers suffered serious lung damage after inhaling harmful substances in sterilizers that were sold between 2001 and 2011, killing 95 according to reports.

- Security concerns prompted Kenya to close a large refugee camp located near its border with Somalia. The Dabaab camp will be closed this November. It was set up 25 years ago and is the world's biggest refugee camp, housing 350,000 people, most are Somalians. The Kenyan government says the camp has been used as the hideout from an Islamic terrorist organization Al-Shabab. It says the insurgents are recruiting fighters there.

- BMW's 3-Series Gran Turismo has been updated for the 2017 model year with new engine choices.

2017 BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo

- A brand-new Opel/Vauxhall Zafira MPV was unveiled featuring full LED Adaptive Forward Lighting headlamps, sporty exterior, new safety features, and more.

2017 Opel Zafira

- Former wrestler turned action star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hints of a more badass federal agent Luke Hobbs he'll be reprising in the upcoming 8th Fast and Furious movie, due next year. His character's gritty appearance shows there's a potential for a Luke Hobbs spinoff.

- In case you missed the recent Eat Bulaga kalyeserye, guess who's finally back? Yep, it's Divina! Welcome back!


TTFN!!!

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Japan, Mongolia to cooperate on N.Korea


The foreign ministers of Japan and Mongolia have agreed to cooperate to prevent further provocations by the Korean Peninsula. Earlier, the North reportedly attempted to fire a missile early on Tuesday but presumably failed.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida discussed the incident with his Mongolian counterpart Lundeg Purevsuren in Tokyo. Mongolia has traditionally been friendly with North Korea and has its own channels with the country.

The two ministers also confirmed cooperation for the success of the Asia-Europe Meeting in Mongolia in July as well as strengthen economic ties after a bilateral economic partnership agreement takes effect on June 7th.

Meanwhile, senior North Korean official Ri Su Yong is in China for talks with Communist Party leaders. Ri will meet Chinese leaders for three days according to sources and expected to brief them about the Workers' Party Congress held earlier this month.

Source: NHK World

Let's Do The News! (May 31, 2016)


- The Malacanang Palace officials stated that it respects the work schedule of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, as he assumes his post at the end of June. In his previous interviews, Duterte said he will be reporting for work from 1:00PM to 12:00 AM. The president-elect also plans on commuting from Manila to Davao every day.

- Senator Bongbong Marcos stresses that despite the proclamation of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and VP-elect Leni Robredo ends, he will never give up the fight.

- Iraqi troops are facing fierce resistance from Islamic State militants after they began pushing into Fallujah, a stronghold of the militant group. The government forces announced on Monday the start of the advance, backed by US-led airstrikes, which is part of massive operations to retake the city from the militants.

- Brazil's anti-corruption minister has resigned over his suspected involvement in a bribery scandal, dealing a fresh blow on the country's interim government. The Brazilian media leaked recorded phone conversations between Transparency Minister Fabiano Silveira and the Senate president, who is under investigation for links to a corruption case involving a state-run oil.company.

- Thai authorities are seizing over 100 tigers from a temple popular with tourists following allegations of involvement in the black market for wild animal. The Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi, western Thailand, has been keeping the animals since monks there first took care of a sick cub.

- Subaru uncovered the Levorg STi Sport and sorry to interrupt your enthusiasm because this is just essentially a normal Levorg with handling upgrades and a flashy aero kit with no performance enhancements whatsoever. To be on sale this summer, the Levorg STi Sport features a unique exterior appearance as well as Bilstein DampMatic II shock absorbers at the front, along with updated springs and a retuned suspension. It will still come with the choice of 1.6L or 2.0L DIT boxer engine mated to a CVT.

2017 Subaru Levorg STi Sport

- Global production of the Mazda Axela has reached five million units.

- The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors will be competing on the 2016 NBA Finals! The first game of the best-of-7 match will be scheduled on Thursday, June 2, at 6:00 PM Pacific / 9:00 PM Eastern (about 9:00 AM Philippine Time).

TTFN!!!

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.

Monday, May 30, 2016

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.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Jubilee of Mercy: Jubilee of Deacons

The Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy kicks off today at the Vatican City with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
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.

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.