TrackMania Nations

TrackMania Nations is Nadeo's answer to the now-defunct A1 GP. It was strictly made for multiplayer as it was a game to be played for the Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC). The action all takes place in an environment simply known as Stadium. The car you use is the Best of all... this game is FREE! So if you want to experience TrackMania without having to pay, this blog entry will discuss this freeware TrackMania title. Later in the blog entry, I'll tell you about TrackMania Nations Forever, an enhanced version of this classic title.


^ from: static.wix.com - TrackMania Nations.

--- TrackMania Nations Review and Information ---

Think of TrackMania Nations as the World Cup of TrackMania. There are a lot of nations represented in this game (about 70). Here are some of the many nationalities represented in this game: Australia, Belgium, Poland, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Indonesia, Estonia, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Poland, Sweden, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

Along with the various cars representing various nations are a pack of hymns. Most of these hymns are basically remixes of national anthems from other countries. There are about 53 hymns of these national anthems ranging in alphabetical order from Australia to Venezuela. Here is a short list of national anthems featured in TrackMania Nations: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea Republic, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands,

Everything you love about the TrackMania series is exemplified in this game. Enjoy painting your car and of course, creating your own tracks to share with others. This game has it all. The only problem I have with it is that I wish it had better support for 3D cars other than any nVidia card. I can't even do a single Benchmark test for the game without my PC crashing and rebooting. And unless you want to race in other environments, you're better off getting TrackMania United Forever, which includes the Stadium environment and the stadium car.

--- In Case You're Wondering... ---

There are 69 nations represented in TrackMania Nations. Of these 69, 51 of them have national anthem hymns. Here are all the nations represented in TrackMania Nations. If you see "--- hymn included ---" by the name of the represented country, it means that the nation in question has its National Anthem hymn included. These hymns are these small remixes of the actual National Anthem for that country. So here are all the nations represented in this game:

(NOTE: All countries are included in the order their cars come in alphabetically)

• Algeria
• Angola
• Argentina
• Australia --- hymn included ---
• Austria --- hymn included ---
• Bangladesh
• Belarus --- hymn included ---
• Belgium --- hymn included ---
• Bolivia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina --- hymn included ---
• Brazil --- hymn included ---
• Bahrain
• Bulgaria --- hymn included ---
• Cameroon
• Canada --- hymn included ---
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• China --- hymn included ---
• Ivory Coast (or Cote d'Ivoire)
• Cameroon
• Columbia
• Croatia --- hymn included ---
• Cyprus --- hymn included ---
• Czech Republic --- hymn included ---
• Denmark --- hymn included ---
• Ecuador
• Egypt --- hymn included ---
• Estonia
• Finland --- hymn included ---
• France --- hymn included ---
• Germany --- hymn included ---
• United Kingdom --- hymn included ---
• Greece --- hymn included ---
• Guatemala
• Hungary --- hymn included ---
• Indonesia --- hymn included ---
• India --- hymn included ---
• Ireland
• Iran --- hymn included ---
• Israel --- hymn included ---
• Italy --- hymn included ---
• Japan --- hymn included ---
• Kazakhstan
• Korea Republic --- hymn included ---
• Saudi Arabia
• Kuwait
• Laos
• Latvia
• Lebanon --- hymn included ---
• Lithuania --- hymn included ---
• Luxembourg
• Morocco
• Malaysia
• Macedonia
• Malaysia --- hymn included ---
• Mexico --- hymn included ---
• Mongolia --- hymn included ---
• Morocco --- hymn included ---
• Netherlands --- hymn included ---
• Nigeria
• Norway --- hymn included ---
• New Zealand --- hymn included ---
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Panama
• Philippines
• Poland --- hymn included ---
• Portugal --- hymn included ---
• Qatar
• Romania
• South Africa --- hymn included ---
• Russia --- hymn included (not the Russian Federation anthem) ---
• Senegal
• Slovenia
• Serbia
• Switzerland
• Slovakia
• Sweden --- hymn included ---
• Switzerland
• Thailand --- hymn included ---
• Tunisia --- hymn included ---
• Turkey --- hymn included ---
• Ukraine
• Uruguay
• United States --- hymn included ---
• Uzbekistan
• Venezuela --- hymn included ---
• Vietnam

These locations are featured, but do not have any featured cars for these countries:
• CARICOM (Caribbean Community)
• Martinque
• Singapore
• United Arab Emirates


That is the complete list of countries represented. If your country isn't represented in TrackMania Nations, you can always make your own nation's TrackMania Nations car.

--- Want to Race TrackMania Nations? ---

To learn more about TrackMania Nations and to download this game, visit either of these two sites based on your language preference. But first, please see if your PC meets these system requirements (source: TM Wiki):

Minimum Requirements (TM Nations):
System: Pentium III 500 MHz or equivalent
RAM: 128 MB
Video Memory: 16 MB
Sound: DirectX 9b 16 bit compatible
Hard Drive Space: 900 MB
Other: -

Recommended Requirements (TM Nations):
System: Pentium IV 2 GHz or equivalent
RAM: 512 MB
Video Memory: 64 MB
Sound: DirectX 9b 16 bit compatible
Hard Drive Space: 900 MB
Other: Internet access

If your PC meets these requirements, then please visit any of the two sites below to download TrackMania Nations:

• TrackMania Nations official homepage (ENGLISH)
• TrackMania Nations official homepage (FRENCH)

Forget TrackMania Nations... Want to Race TrackMania Nations Forever?

If you're too good for TrackMania Nations and want to try TrackMania Nations Forever? Visit this link and click on the image to "TrackMania Nations Forever" for an enhanced TM Nations experience! TrackMania Nations Forever includes all of the items and materials from TM Nations, but also includes more tiles and more stunts for your pleasure! The system requirements for TrackMania Nations Forever are as follows (source: TM Wiki):

Minimum Requirements (TM Nations Forever):
System: Pentium IV 1.6 GHz / AthlonXP 1600+
RAM: 256 MB (512 MB with Vista)
Video Memory: 16 MB
Sound: DirectX 9c 16 bit compatible
Hard Drive Space: 750 MB
Other: -

Start your TM Nations Forever experience by clicking on the link below, if your PC meets these Minimum Requirements:

TrackMania Downloads (includes TM Nations Forever) (remember to click on the TrackMania Nations Forever graphic to download TM Nations Forever. The download for TM Nations Forever 503 MB in size.




Thank you for reading! Enjoy your TrackMania experience, whether with TM Nations or TM Nations Forever! :D

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Elements of Racing Games - Gran Turismo vs. ToCA Race Driver Series

The "Elements of Racing Games" series will be expanded to include more games and analytical looks at various racing games. This blog entry will hopefully be the first of perhaps many racing games I will try to talk about in an element-by-element basis. The first of this expansion of this topic will be on the Gran Turismo series and the ToCA Race Driver (Pro Race Driver, ToCA Race Driver 2, and ToCA Race Driver 3 series). If the drive is your spot of tea, go GT. If actual racing is your love, go ToCA. Gran Turismo and the ToCA Race Driver series are both compelling game series. What makes them different, however, is in various aspects of each title that makes them different. I will explain my own ideas as to what makes GT and ToCA different.

--- General Synopsis ---

The Gran Turismo series is focused on cars and driving. Many have criticized how there's no personality or realism in racing dynamics in Gran Turismo titles. Gran Turismo 5 will probably change that completely. As for the ToCA Race Driver series (meaning, all the games before GRID), their games are more predicated on believable racing championships. Their merits are based solely on racing and racing cars than some kind of car collecting deal.

--- What Does Gran Turismo Bring? ---

Try asking this question in 1997. Since 1997, we know full well what this game brings to the racing game table. Gran Turismo HD was always about the drive and the experience of driving. It was about giving and encompassing a collection of cars while also giving others a chance to race cars many of us will likely never race. For people who look deep at Gran Turismo games, the games have not possessed any sort of true Career Mode or any true sense of belonging in a proper racing game. This has led to most true critics of GT games to question the overall character of Gran Turismo.

Many people would fancy games like GTR or something on the basis of actual gameplay and actually feeling like part of a true racing game with true racing cars. Most other critics usually like thinking Gran Turismo games are more about Japanese cars than most cars most gamers care about. There has been a steady progression of race cars featured in Gran Turismo games. Gran Turismo 1 featured the first rally car in the series with the Subaru Impreza Rally Car. Gran Turismo 2 debuted faster touring cars, GT cars, and even some GTP and GT1 cars. Gran Turismo 3 debuted formula racing cars. Gran Turismo 4 debuted Le Mans Prototypes and a greater variety of touring cars and GT cars past and present. Gran Turismo 5 looks to feature more formula cars and NASCAR stock cars.

Gran Turismo, then, is more about the drive and more about an overall and complete experience. GT games have the right balance of everyday driver, dream cars, and dream racing cars in one package. There is never any compromise. It is a whole experience very few games have been able to meet or beat.

--- What Did the ToCA Race Driver Games Bring? ---

This area is focused on Pro Race Driver, ToCA Race Driver 2, and ToCA Race Driver 3. The ToCA Race Driver series, however, features more real racing cars and much more believeable championships. Its focus was more on believable championships. A big plus for the ToCA Race Driver series pertains more to actual racing machines and machines tuned for racing. You feel more connected to actually racing than you do with the Gran Turismo games. You had team names and driver names to make it feel like an actual racing series instead of just an AI race against nameless drones. There were even facilities to help you keep in mind where you are in the championship rankings. ToCA games are all about realistic championships.

Pro Race Driver only offered so few series. Where this game shone, however, was in how believeable and credible each championship was. The second tier featured more powerful cars as well as some actual series and cars, such as the DTM and Australian V8 Supercar Series. Everything was executed in a smart way on the racing front. Too bad that the game had such thug AI.

ToCA Race Driver 2 expanded upon what PRD had to offer. And in it, you get a vast variety of racing machines and racing types. You can race everything from a Formula Ford to a semi truck to some fast single-seat cars. You can race on everything from road courses, to ovals, to a four-stage rally course. The ToCA series' realistic character was enhanced with the races. Selecting a car to use now allows you to pick a car, choose a team, and pick a team driver. The championships are structured beautifully. Let me give you an example. One of the series in ToCA Race Driver 2 is the Bridgestone Street Series. Only the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII and Subaru Impreza WRX are used, and they are only raced on street courses in Sunset conditions. Since there is no night racing, city streets in sunset conditions is a nice tradeoff. Codemasters did very well in coming up with a variety of races and race types for this game.

ToCA Race Driver 3 featured an absolute quantum leap in realistic and believable racing action. Rather than various series scatterbrained, you have series divided among motorsports disciplines. What makes this game unique and gives it its character are things like flag systems unique to each motorsport as well as various Practice and Qualifying formats. In some series (like DTM), you can actually compete in a realistic qualifying session which has the top qualifiers competing in an extra session to round out the grid for a race. What this allows for is the most realistic and believable experience for which to enjoy racing. Whether you're racing a go-kart, any classic car, an Indy Car, or whatever... the most realistic racing experience was at your fingers. There was even an upgrade system designed to enhance certain elements of cars in the game. One more thing to include so I don't forget, there is also class racing in ToCA Race Driver 3. All cars can compete at once, but you were only responsible for winning in your class.

The real key for the ToCA Race Driver series was in going from so few cars to 20 cars to a track for most series. More cars to a track makes for the most realistic racing experiences.

--- Gran Turismo and ToCA: Fundamental Likenesses ---

The respective Gran Turismo and ToCA Race Driver series have their own fundamental likenesses. The true merits for both series lie in giving gamers multiple cars to choose from in going racing. Both games feature a variety of cars and tracks to go racing with. Both games deliver their own intense racing experiences. They are as intense as the respective makers see fit.

--- Gran Turismo and ToCA: Fundamental Differences ---

Despite their likenesses, there are elements that completely divide themselves apart.


Actual Racing... Who Has the Advantage?
The ToCA Race Driver games clearly have the edge in the actual racing department over the Gran Turismo series. Even in ToCA Race Driver 2 and 3, you have a realistic format and schedule of races. Points are paid realistically as well. Gran Turismo games just pay out a certain number of points. Usually, the same number of points for various rounds. The real beacon of light for ToCA is in ToCA Race Driver 3, where you can race in World Tour, Pro Career Mode, and Simulation Modes. The Pro Career Mode of ToCA RD 3 is where you can race a full season going to every track and with various rules enforced. Races and championships in Gran Turismo games don't feel like fully-sanctioned series. Not even the Gran Turismo World Championship feels like some sort of big deal championship. There is much more racing character in ToCA Race Driver games than in Gran Turismo games.

The biggest difference is that ToCA Race Driver games feature point-to-point rally stages and an extremely believeable rally racing system. When you cross the checkpoints, you get an idea as to where you are on the time charts as you clear each section. Spain in ToCA Race Driver 2 and the United Kingdom Rally in ToCA Race Driver 3 offered two lovely courses for which to enjoy rally-style racing.

Imagine if Gran Turismo 5 allowed for realistic paying of points. What I mean is... rather than the usual number of points for each race and championship in GT games, what about some bigger point totals? Look at NASCAR and the spread of points paid out. The only interesting aspect of Gran Turismo from a championship perspective was in the Polyphony Digital Cup in GT3 (and maybe GT4) where you win money ONLY if you win the race.


Cars and Races For Them... Who Has the Advantage?
While 20 cars for ToCA Race Driver 2 and ToCA Race Driver 3 are impressive, Gran Turismo games have the depth advantage. If you look at the ToCA games, you only have so few cars allowed for a series. Let me give you an example...

Compare the Spider and Roadster races in Gran Turismos 3 and 4 to the Convertible World Cup in ToCA Race Driver 2, for example. Even though ToCA RD 2 will have more cars on track than Gran Turismo, your options are only limited to what you are given in ToCA Race Driver 2. Gran Turismo games have only one qualification- it must be a spider/spyder or a roadster. Your options, then, are more varied than with ToCA Race Driver 2.

Let's use another example. Compare the Japan Championship in Gran Turismo 4 to the Japanese Works Car Cup in ToCA Race Driver 3. Polyphony Digital would clearly have the advantage since Gran Turismo is a Japanese title. You can basically bring in almost any potent Japanese car as long as it has Standard or Sports Tires. ToCA Race Driver 3, however, only limits you to the Nissan 350Z and the 21st century Honda NSX. ToCA Race Driver 3 also does not have a single Japanese race track in the game, so you can't even use Japanese cars on their home soil in the game.

I will use one last example. Compare the Aston Martin Carnival from Gran Turismo 4 with the Excalibur Cup in ToCA Race Driver 2. Both series feature Aston Martins, but the Excalibur Cup in ToCA RD 2 features only one Aston Martin- the Aston Martin DB9 Coupe. You are tempted to race almost any Aston Martin had this deal been in GT4.

These car discussions become moot points when you consider that ToCA Race Driver games have many more real race cars than what Gran Turismo mostly provides. This also includes many more kinds of race cars that ToCA Race Driver games have over Gran Turismo. I WILL say this in ToCA Race Driver's defense- I have enjoyed racing monster trucks and the Bowler Wildcat in ToCA games! :)

The long story short is that Gran Turismo games offer more depth in what cars you can race. There may be more cars to a track in the ToCA Race Driver games, but the depth of cars to choose from is severely limited compared to the Gran Turismo games. Where ToCA Race Driver games really shine over Gran Turismo is in having racing series with their own unique character. Rather than certain One-Make races (like in GT games), you have actual championship names that may actually feature just one or two cars (sometimes three or more). ToCA Race Driver games have you feel more like competing in championship series, as opposed to what seems like generated championships in Gran Turismo games. Another edge goes to ToCA Race Driver 3 as you actually feel like you are in actual series with actual rules enforced, compared to Gran Turismo games.


Tracks and Venues... Who Has the Advantage?
I am not really sure. I will give the slight edge to the ToCA Race Driver series because of more real-world places as well as more kinds of venues. There are even variations of tracks that have some other uses. Brands Hatch comes to mind, as you can race the Indy course, the Grand Prix course, or even the Rally Cross/Rallycross course around Brands Hatch. Another advantage for ToCA- point-to-point rally courses.


Fun Factor... Who Has the Advantage?
This really depends on what you want in a racing game. The ToCA Race Driver series is too focused on racing to where it's not really fun to just go out and race any car casually. The Gran Turismo series can be fun either casually or trying to be professional. Gran Turismo hasn't a professional touch, but it can be enjoyable for casual drives rather than always having to race. So by my description, I'd give the edge to the Gran Turismo series.


Action... Who Has the Advantage?
Considering you could damage cars in ToCA Race Driver games, this clearly has the advantage over Gran Turismo games. The damage element is not without thuggish AI in ToCA Race Driver, however.





This has been my more analytical look at both series. I hope you've enjoyed my blog entry as much as I've enjoyed making it. Feel free to comment away if you have something [intelligent] you'd like to share!

Car Style - The Nissan 370Z

Nissan's 370Z continues where the 350Z left off. Here is a fact about me- I'm not really a Nissan person. Having said this, the new Z has plenty of boldness and muscle while also looking quite stylish. It has a certain amount of character somewhat devoid in the 350Z. The 370Z makes the 350Z look like a plain jane sports car. This is a blog entry concerning how I think about the 370Z style-wise.

--- Car Style: The Nissan 370Z ---

Meet the latest Z car:


^ from: nissancar.files.wordpress.com - the Nissan 370Z in Monterey Blue.

Overall Opinions.
The Nissan 370Z is a Japanese car with American meanness. It has a serious fastback design for such a peppy and powerful sports coupe. I think this car pays better homage to the 240Z (one of my all-time favorite sports cars) than the 350Z did. Evidence of this is in its overall style on the sides. When I think of the 240Z, I think of that fastback design along with graceful style. The 240Z is much more elegant in its design, while the 370Z is a V6-powered athlete ready to rule the road at a moment's notice. How much horsepower? How does 332hp sound? The end result is a car that I think looks much more impressive than the 350Z.


Exterior.
I've talked a lot of the exterior style. I didn't like the 370Z too much in looks but I began to appreciate just how beastly this car is. It has an unusual headlight cluster kind of like boomerangs. The front air intake on the 370Z has this fierce design. The extra little body pieces makes it look like a ferocious beast with its mouth opened, ready to devour any prey that comes its way. The front hood/bonnet has some aggression to it, adding to the aggressive character up front.

The sides, as I have mentioned, looks a lot more like the legendary 240Z than the 350Z. The fender flares adds some muscle to its overall image. You just cannot say that the 370Z lacks character in any sense. The roof design tens to be a derivative of the Nissan GT-R. I usually don't really like when tail lights are somehow lengthened to be on the sides of the car, but it doesn't look all that bad here. I do have some concern about a 6'0" guy like myself having ample head room the way the 370Z and GT-R have with their respective roof designs.

The rear of the car is sharp, but it also has an air of elegance. The rear spoiler adds to the somewhat swoopy profile and gives it a GT car style. The same boomerang-like designs to the headlights also applies to the tail light clusters at the rear. A pair of mufflers help give the car that vicious roar as you hammer down the gears. Everything looks both elegant and aggressive (if you can ever combine the two).


Interior.
Nissan spared no expense to make a comfortable and inviting interior. The steering wheel looks wonderful and is shaped nicely. The gauges in the instrument panel look lovely and clean. The oil gauges and such are part of the center console. At least to me, those extra gauges doesn't take away from the overall style inside. A lovely center console houses various element like the radio, and navigation system. The shifter is pretty nice looking whether automatic or manual. The dashboard itself boasts both style and sportiness with little compromise either way. The seats for this coupe are stylish and seem very comfortable. This beast has a beastly heart, but its interior is elegant to go along with its beastliness.

I found out that the gauge cluster adjusts with the steering column for easy viewing (source: Nissan USA's official website for the 370Z). That's a very cool and useful element of this car.





The Nissan 370Z is a great-looking sports coupe. Maybe one of the fiercest-looking modern Japanese sports cars in existance. Here is a car that perfers the open road or race track than stuck in traffic in Los Angeles. Those of you into drifting will probably have a home with a car like this. It's a no-crap kind of car in design and in performance. Maybe not blow-a-Corvette-out-of-the-water, but certainly a great-looking car. And even for someone not really into Nissan all that much, this is a lovely car. I think this car looks great in blue (Monterey Blue, red (Solid Red), or silver (Brilliant Silver).

Feel free to use this widget below to find parts for your car from Amazon. So if you own a Nissan 370Z (or any other car), feel free to find parts online for your car (please read "An Important Amazon Note" for notes on all items from Amazon)!



Thank you for reading! Take care and have a wonderful day!

Don't Forget About Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahaon!

I can't believe it's been one year since Michael Jackson died. What upsets me, however, is that we also lost Farrah Fawcett (Texas' own) and Ed McMahon. It brings back that terrible saying- "death comes in threes." I know Michael Jackson's passing is sad, but don't forget- we also lost a beautiful woman in Farrah Fawcett and a wonderful man named Ed McMahon. DO NOT forget that we lost these two people on that sad day last year. We can't just look back on one year without Michael Jackson without also considering the respective losses of Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahaon.

This blog entry is just a suggestion. Thanks for reading!

eBooks and eBook Readers... Helping or Hurting the Book Industry?

This blog entry concerns the rise of eBooks and eBook Readers. Are eBooks helping or hurting the book industry? Something tells me that traditional libraries and book stores may get phased out in this age of eBooks. I believe you know what this device is below, to set the mood:

http://www.davidprada.com/page/3/kindle/1/1/kindle.jpg
^ from: davidprada.com - Would you rather read a newspaper (or a book) from a newspaper, or would you rather download a newspaper to read on an eBook reader, such as the Amazon Kindle?

Why tote around books when you can read them electronically? Why have a reading device when there's nothing like reading a book the old-fashioned way? This leads me to wonder if the next industry to fold could be the book and library industry. For a lot of people, this industry is alive and well... as long as you go to Barnes & Noble or Borders or some other place. Most of you know that I am not much of a book reader. The one thing I'm fearing is that more people will want to go away from traditional reading material and favor physical reading material more than any electronic material (or at least, material made available for eBook readers). It may be that eBooks are really popular, but there's still nothing like reading a traditional book or newspaper.

It's probably better since you can easily go back to where you left off at with an eBook reader rather than with a traditional bookmark. I don't think I'd want to pay hundreds of dollars and then download whatever it is I want to read. I'm pretty old school here. So because of this, I don't think I'd want an eBook reader just to keep up with most of today's postmodern times.





But, that's just me. Remember that I am not any kind of bookworm. A lot of you kind of come to my blog to search for books. So in response to this, I've set up a blog entry on my alternative blog where you can shop for or buy some books on Amazon. Please visit the graphic below to go to my secondary blog and the blog post relevant to this blog entry here:

--- Find Books and eBooks on Amazon ---

NOTE: This section contains links to Amazon products. You are welcome to click on images and links to learn more about each item. You are free to order any items featured in this section or in any widget if you choose. Please see "An Important Amazon Note" in my blog's sidebar to see more information on any Amazon items shown.

Some people search for books on Amazon. If you want to find some books or eBooks on Amazon, I can help you. Look at the widgets that I have set up. Feel free to use them. You can search for a specific book using this widget below. I'm not going to show you any specific books, so it's up to you to find any books that interest you. Type in the name of a book, an author, or anything like that to find a book on Amazon to look for. Go ahead... try it:





eBooks Themselves.
Type in the name of a book, an author, or whatever to find what you are looking for:





Kindle Books.
I don't know what books interest you, but if you want to find some eBook material or Kindle books, look at this widget below to find any books that may interest you:




If you don't have a Kindle but want a Kindle application for computer or mobile device, please click on this image below:






Thank you very much for reading!

Liabilities

You are a liability if people highly regard you, but only so much. You are a liability if you are loved, but viciously hated on if you do something wrong. You are a liability if you feel you can never impress or make those you love actually love you back. When you feel like you're hiking a huge mountain with no conceivable way to reach the summit, you are a liablity. The key word in liability is "ability." You have ability, but you're a liability because someone regards you less than you actually are. I know about being a liability. From the high school I eventually graduated from, I was seen as a possible liability. But when you are a liability (or feel like you are), it only motivates you to prove people wrong. I'd be lying if I told you that I graduated atop my 15-Senior class because I didn't. I was Most Improved Student, but dead last among my Seniors. It wasn't because I didn't try hard enough; it was because I felt like I had only myself to get me through my toughest battles.


Liabilities Among Friends/Peers.
Being a liability among friends means that people regard you only so far. You are believed in, but not believed in enough to execute whatever is asked of you from friends. Same goes for peers. Among peers, you're expected to fail no matter how much stock anyone puts into seeing you succeed at a task.


Liabilities Among Family.
Being a liability among your family is worse. This is where your own family doesn't believe in you enough to show any kind of support. Or at least, believe in you until you do something silly or unforgivable. By this point, you become underappreciated. It's almost as if you're expected to fail. Either that, or someone waits for the right moment to talk you down like a puppy trapped in a corner ready to be hit with a rolled up newspaper by the puppy's owner. When a family member or members treat you like a liability or are just overly frustrated with you, you feel like you've betrayed his/her/their trust and feel you need to do something to win back and reassure unconditional love. In some sad situations, you don't know how to do it. It defines a situation that has defined most of my life- more questions, fewer answers.



One way I try to make myself feel better about life is to help others feel happier about themselves. I learn from past experiences to help people feel better. I don't want anyone to be anyone's liability. When you feel like you do everything you can to show love and respect, and if all you get in return is hate, there is a problem. It can be tough to win most peoples' support. I know what being a liability to someone is like, and it is not fun. So how do you win someone's love back that you feel you've lost? It varies from person to person. If you have such low expectations and low trust in someone doing something right, then we're going to feel like liabilities. Being a liability in someone's eyes is basically like being a slave. You are seen like an insignificant nobody that is incapable of success or amounting much to anything in life.

There have been people I've tried to help feel better about life because I know full well about being a liability. Some people ask why am I too nice to most people. That's because there's too much negative in the world. You have people who say "I love you" constantly to people, but when something bad happens, it brings out the vicious and uncaring side of people. It also questions whether there is a breakdown in a loving bond. Can a bond be repaired quickly, or will it just lead to extended trouble in the future?

Life is tough to feel like a liability all or most of the time. If you feel like you are a much better person than what most people make you out to be, you are a liability. In a perfect world, everyone is respected and loved equally. Too bad we don't live in a perfect world. Too bad we aren't perfect. Someone always has to regard people to be only so great. Either that, or don't regard someone to be great all the time. It's why my YouTube channel gets only so few views and subscribers (even though I'm nearing 300 as of this post). It's why my blog only gets so many friends and subscribers. It's why only so many people join my Facebook fan club. There is just this cap on how good I can actually be as I am almost entirely devoting my time to enhancing my online material. And in times like these, I'm glad I have the support of friends and supporters. Otherwise, I would never amount to anything even on the Internet as much as I may never amount to anything away from the Internet. I may be my own liability, but I still keep going even if people only expect so much out of me. I just wait for the opportunity to shine in a way even doubters didn't think was possible in me.





Hopefully my blog entry has given you some positive influence in life. You may be viewed and treated like a liability, but it doesn't mean you have to BE one. You just need something to help you to be better than what most people make you out to be. Thank you for reading my blog entry! I wish you love and peace.

Why Should You Care? - Suzuka 8 Hours

The 8 Hours of Suzuka is one of the most famous motorcycle endurance races in the world. The race's history began as far back as 1978, with the majority of bikes being centered around Tourist Trophy Formula One motorcycles then. Since 1993, however, it's all about some of the best superbikes racing around this course.


^ from: racecorporation.co.uk - the #7 Seven Stars Honda CBR1000RRW won the 8 Hours of Suzuka in 2004 and again in 2005. The 2004 tandem was Tohru Ukawa and Hitoyasu Izutsu, and the 2005 tandem was Tohru Ukawa and Ryuichi Kiyonari.

Suzuka is one of my favorite race tracks in the world. Perhaps the eight hour challenge is unique because Suzuka is a figure-eight road course. The endurance is part of the FIM Endurance World Championship, which can be thought of as the motorcycle equivalent of the Le Mans Series in terms of importance and in terms of competition. Riders and teams from around the world compete on Japan's amazing Suzuka Circuit for over eight hours of intense racing. If you've played Tourist Trophy, you may have unlocked any or all five of the Suzuka 8 Hour bikes from the 2005 race. Maybe the most memorable motorcycle I've heard of that raced this track were Suzuki Hayabusas raced by the Kenz J-Trust

The only real difference in the course layout for motorcycles is that there is an extra chicane after Turn 11 of the Grand Prix course. This is to help slow the bikes down through 200R and heading into Spoon Curve (Turn 13, Grand Prix course).

A bit of the information for this blog entry was supplemented by the Wikipedia entry for this topic. Why should you care about this race? Some of the world's best endurance motorcycle racers, some of the world's best motorcycles racing, all racing on one track from day-to-evening-to-night fashion, and on one of the world's finest race tracks. Any more convincing needed?





THAT'S why you should care about the 8 Hours of Suzuka. Thank you for reading. Please take care and have an amazing day!

Car Style: The Chevrolet Camaro (5th Generation)

Bee-otch (Bumblebee from the recent Transformers movies' reference)! :) It was the F-Body Camaro that got me into cars. I've missed the Camaro (and the Pontiac Firebird/Trans-Am) when the Camaro was killed off in 2002. It is a great thing that the muscle car is back. I'm not a muscle car fanatic, but I do love me some American muscle. I love the Camaro and the Mustang, but I'm a bit more of a Camaro person. This blog entry includes my opinions on this car from a style perspective.

--- Car Style: The 5th Generation Chevrolet Camaro ---

Meet this sexy beast:


^ from (my Myspace page) - Chevrolet Camaro concept car (2008).


^ from: (my Facebook page) - The latest Chevrolet Camaro. This model, however, is the Chevrolet Camaro RS. This is also a concept car.

The latest Camaro marks a proper muscle car's return. Its style is anything but vanilla. You can appreciate its looks if you love the Camaros of the 1960s. This is a car that's just cool to see going down the road or even to hear it roar down the road. Needless to say, it's a car that is just old-school cool. Nothing cute. Nothing trendy. Just an American muscle car not afraid to flex its muscle.


Exterior.
Perhaps the most notable feature to me in evolutions of the Camaro is the diamond-edge front. This design gives the Camaro its unique appearance to me. That same diamond-edge design carries into this 21st century Camaro. Its headlights are bold, in a modern and sophisticated way (wait... Camaro = sophisticated?). The grill boasts a golden Chevrolet bowtie badge. On either side of the front bumper are circular fog lights to add to this car's meanness. Under the front grill is an equally mean opening underneath. Above the front grill on the SS model is a small opening on the front bonnet. Every 5th-gen Camaro features an aggressive front bonnet. It is a car that demands your attention and appreciates your respect.

The sides of the Camaro are mostly devoid of any curves or sexy lines. You could say that the edgy lines are reminiscent of a Cadillac, only this car features edgy lines while looking stylish (unlike most recent Cadillacs). This car obviously isn't going to be any kind of masterpiece at the Louvre in Paris. Then again, it doesn't need to, because its side profile is every bit as mean and cool as its '60s brotheren. It doesn't need to be any Ferrari to be considered a sexy car.

You might lose a drag race or two against this car, so let's look at the rear. The car doesn't need a carbon fiber GT wing to demand your attention. A simple lip spoiler accentuates the rear along with a pair of tail lights and a stylish rear valance boasting a pair of mufflers. It also has somewhat of a diffuser at the rear. The rear looks as stylishly mean as its front.


Interior.
The exterior is a car that infuses 1960s muscle car cool, but what about the interior? The steering wheel looks a bit futuristic in its design. I must say that I'm a bit disappointed in how the tachometer and speedometer look. I do wish the dashboard can look a bit more stylish. Its center console is futuristic. Think of a center console that looks a bit like an 8-track player above, then has some circular controls that mimics a video game controller. Below this complex are the four gauges. Stylish seats keep you comfy and looking great.





The latest Camaro, then, is 1960s modern translated into a beautiful piece of American muscle. The car doesn't complain or make any compromise. GM probably could have made this a 300-horsepower front-wheel drive sport compact, but you know GM would never desecrate a name like Camaro with a crappy car. This car is a head-turner. It's old school cool in a modern masterpiece. It may never win the respect of a lot of international car fans, but who cares? It's an American beast ready to devour almost anything in its path. This car is every bit as lovely in look as any 1960s Camaro. It pays perfect homage with its fantastic looks.

Thanks a lot for reading my blog entry! If you own a 5th Generation Camaro and want some parts for it (or if you have any kind of car, and want some parts for it, use this widget below to find parts for your car on Amazon. Please read "An Important Amazon Note" in the sidebar for info on all Amazon products featured in my blog.



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Run and Gun/Slam Dunk Series

Konami's Run and Gun series has been an arcade-only game. Before you think this is about Contra or something, Run and Gun is a basketball game series. Its Japanese name is Slam Dunk. Both of the original Run and Gun games resemble NBA teams, but doesn't use actual NBA teams, logos, arenas, or the like. Both games are played with a fixed view. The view is from the baselines, rather than the sidelines in most basketball games of its time. Teams are mostly identified by their city or state name in this game. This blog entry talks about the both of these games in the Run and Gun series. While Run and Gun/Slam Dunk was primarily an arcade title, there would be a game for the Super Nintendo called "NBA Give n' Go," featuring the same Run and Gun/Slam Dunk style action, but with actual NBA teams and players.

So let me go ahead and blog about this series! You're invited to read on, of course! :)

--- Run and Gun/Slam Dunk ---
B-Ball Show Time

Run and Gun/Slam Dunk was released in 1993. The game features basketball from a unique perspective, as you are facing the baskets. The great quality of this game Laughable commentary from the announcers give the game its unusual character. The action is purely arcade, but realistic. The shot clock and game clock appear to move at double speed. So if you're going to put points on the board, better make them fast! Your overall goal is to win the championship. As with the NBA playoffs, you have to go through four teams to win the title. Those are in best-of-seven series, but Run and Gun is more single-elimination, just like the NCAA Basketball tournaments. The first three matches are against teams in your respective conference. The fourth and final match involves you taking on the winner of the other conference finals.

Here is a video preview of this game:

--- Run and Gun 2/Slam Dunk 2 ---
Konami Basketball Championship. 1996

This game's sequel would follow three years later. An overall enhancement in graphics and gameplay would make this game run much smoother than its prequel. The ridiculous commentary from the first title has been replaced with some more interesting comments in this game. The atmosphere is more realistic as well. You hear the crowd chanting "De-fense!" You still have the same goal in mind- win the championship. Gameplay is more intense as you can get block shots.

Here is a video preview for you:






Both videos come from the YouTube channel, SupremeJudge, who has a great variety of true game videos (meaning, no videos audioswapped with some stupid song that takes away from actual gameplay video).

None of the games have anything like timeouts, free throws, fouls, plays, or anything like that. All there is is the shot clock and Out of Bounds. These two games are completely arcade. Arcade, but realistic (unlike the NBA Jam series, for example). I have only seen the first Run and Gun, but never played it. So if you get to see or play Run and Gun/Slam Dunk at an arcade store (the ones that are left), be sure to play the heck out of these two games if you're a basketball fan! One of the later basketball titles from Konami would be "NBA: Play by Play," which features every franchise and accurate rosters from the 1997-1998 NBA season.

Thanks a lot for reading. Please have a great day! Hope my blog and its entries have been of interest to you. Subscribe to me on FeedBurner, or even subscribe to John's Shop Space (my secondary blog) on FeedBurner!

What I Love About Spain

From my YouTube video of the same name, this is the blog version of "What I Love About Spain." My video from many moons ago featured what I love most about Spain as well as some of my favorite cities. This is a blog entry where I share a few ideas based on a very old video I did. How old? It was back when I was mostly using my USB headset along with a project board to form my background. No need for a project board because I'm using my keyboard to type stuff up for you. So please enjoy this blog entry as much as I enjoy posting this material to all of you!

Here is the flag to the nation I'll be discussing here:


^ from: fincasdelaluz.com - The flag of Spain.

--- What I Love About Spain: The Basics ---

Some of the basic reasons why I love Spain is for the Spanish architecture. That sort of architecture presented in Spain is truly lovely. I don't know much about Spain with things like Spanish countrysides or whatever. I don't know a whole lot about Spain to be any kind of pro on it. Only things I like besides some of Spain's cities and structures is the racing tracks. Circuit de Catalunya, Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, and Jarama are some of my favorite Spanish race tracks. Jerez is a great track, but I'm not into it as much as some of the other Spanish tracks I've mentioned.

--- What I Love About Spain: Cities of Interest ---

Feel free to say hello to me if you're from one of these cities, and you're happy I mentioned you. I may add more cities I like as I see fit. Post me some comments also if I get some facts wrong or if you want to tell me more about any city I mention below. If I don't know much about each city to talk about it professionally, you'll just see a picture and a caption to represent what I'm trying to say about each location.

(UPDATED: FEB 19 2011 with links to each city's [English] website (if offered) or to a site offering more info on each location.)

Barcelona.

^ from: hatfieldtravel.co.za - The Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona is perhaps the biggest landmark in Barcelona.

Barcelona (or Barca) is a truly beautiful city. I tend to easily know Barcelona for the fantastic-looking Sagrada Familia cathedral. A lot of people know Barcelona for some of their sports teams. The best sports in Spain are football (as in soccer) and basketball. FC Barcelona is a powerful team in football as much as Regal FC Barcelona is in basketball.

Salamanca.

^ from: images.costasur.com - Salamanca's Old Cathedral and New Cathedral dominate the skyline.

I only know Salamanca for its two massive cathedrals. Both of which, dominate the Salamanca skyline. Both of which, are beautiful cathedrals.

Segovia.

^ from: rwapplewannabe.wordpress.com - Segovia Cathedral.

I know nothing about Segovia except for the lovely cathedral there (shown above) known as El Alcazar.

Toledo.

^ from: destination360.com - The Alcazar and River Tagus in Toledo.

Toledo, Spain is a city southwest of Madrid. Two of its most fantastic structures are the principal Cathedral and the Alcazar. Many in the past say that some of the finest steel blades were crafted here. The city has played a tremendous role in the Spanish Civil War.

Madrid.

^ from: tripadvisor.com - Plaza Ciebeles in Madrid.

Madrid is Spain's capital city. It is also a beautiful city with lovely buildings and architecture. Gran Turismo fans will get to race on the streets of Madrid in Gran Turismo 5. The city is best known as an art capital with many different art works available, including the classic Guernica painting by Picasso.

Seville.

^ from: tripadvisor.com - the Plaza de España is a fantastic structure in Seville/Sevilla.

I know Seville/Sevilla for the fantastic-looking Plaza de España, as you can see in the picture.

Valencia.

^ from: backpackpodcast.com - Valencia is a beautiful city in east central Spain.

While I don't know a whole lot about Valencia, I do think it is one of Spain's loveliest cities as well as one of Europe's loveliest cities. This place has been known as a stop of the America's Cup in sailing. And most recently, the home of the Formula 1 European Grand Prix on the streets of Valencia.

Bilbao.

^ from: www.let.uu.nl - The Guggenheim Museum is the most attractive structure in Bilbao.

Besides the Guggenheim Museum, I know not much else about Bilbao. It's the structure that most stands out to me and reminds me of Bilbao. It is a city in northern Spain near the Bay of Biscay.

Huelva.

^ from: fazia.in2p3.fr - a lovely hotel in Huelva.

The only thing I know about Huelva is that it is a Sister City of Houston. It is a city that we are twinned with via Sister Cities International. Huelva is a coastal city in southwestern Spain not far from the Spain-Portugal border. As the theme of this blog entry is concerned, there is lovely architecture in Huelva as well.

Ibiza/Eivissa.

^ from: moocowtravels.wordpress.com - Ibiza (Eivissa) during the day.

Finally, I pay respect to Ibiza/Eivissa. Who would have known that such a quiet and beautiful city like Ibiza be an incredible nightlife destination at night? The two most popular places in Ibiza are two nightclubs- Pacha Ibiza and Space Ibiza.

Ibiza is widely known for its nightlife, but this video shows you what Ibiza is like when it's NOT nightlife:

^ "Ibiza - there's more than just PARTIES..."





So most of why I love Spain is because of its lovely architecture and its lovely cities. Most of the information to help me better discuss these locales was courtesy of the book, 501 Must-Visit Cities. You can read my review of this book by reading my review of 501 Must-Visit Cities. This book actually features most of the cities I've discussed here.

Thank you for reading my blog entry! I may add more content depending on traffic and other factors. Hope you've had a good read!

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Stock Car Road Racing

(UPDATED: May 10, 2012)

Stock cars were never designed to be road racing machines, but it doesn't mean that they can not be tuned to road race. I actually like watching stock cars road race because it gives us a chance to see these racers outside of their element. Road racing is an entirely different animal whereas timely shifts and properly attacking the apexes lead to victory. More people care about oval racing than road racing because of the excitement level oval racing provides. While I do love a good oval battle, road racing entails much more and takes much more out of the drivers. You really earn victory more in road racing than you do oval racing. At least, these are reasons why I care so much about road racing than oval racing, and it is also why I love seeing NASCAR do road racing. There are two main reasons- road racing exhibits drivers out of their oval racing ways, and it's great seeing NASCAR challenge their overall racing talent rather than just tackling three or four corners almost every race weekend.

I say "Stock Car" Road Racing, but the majority involves NASCAR. This blog entry may feature some bad language, so read at your own discretion.

LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S):

MAY 10 2012 - modified entire look of post and edited some tags to the blog post

--- NASCAR Road Racing: Why Should You Care? ---

Okay. It's not possible I can convince oval racing fans that road racing is where it's at, but I'll do my best to sway interest.

The main reason why you should care is because it's just different to watch. Doesn't racing get monotonous when it's just three or four corners of racing? Road racing tests your ability on a number of fronts. NASCAR is all about hard-fought racing no matter what circuits are raced. However, when you talk about road racing, you are talking about hard-fought NASCAR road racing while keeping driving skills intact. An additional challenge to this style of racing for stock cars is using the weight of the cars (all 3400 lbs of them) around a road race course. The emphasis is on making the car better able to tackle multiple corners while keeping it all straight in the corners and on the straights.

NASCAR racers who aren't good road racers often hire road racing specialists to take over the car for them. Part of me says this is laziness and not really challenging yourself, but another says that if you're not good at road racing, practice and train. If all else fails, hire someone who can road race better than you. At least you know there are times where you can not be in the car on a given weekend.

I only wish for two things in NASCAR- the Chase for the Cup MUST feature a road course. They can race at Road Atlanta, Barber Motorsports Park, or Sebring (if you want to make it an American Southeast-exclusive deal. You race two road courses in NASCAR Cup, so it makes no damn sense to not include a road course in this playoff of NASCAR. You want to be NASCAR champion? Race a road course in addition to all the other oval races.

--- Stock Cars in Road Racing ---

Let's look at various pictures I've found online (that I've offered credit to). This is your chance to see these oval-racing warriors take their turn at road racing.

Sears Point/Infineon Raceway.

^ from: www.lowesracing.com - NASCAR Cup racing around Turns 3a and 3b at Sears Point (now Infineon Raceway).


^ from: www.autoracing1.com - NASCAR Cup cars at Infineon Raceway in 2000.

Watkins Glen.

^ from: www.automobilsport.com - NASCAR Cup cars down the front straight at Watkins Glen.

I used to like Watkins Glen, but not really anymore. It's just not as interesting of a race track to me anymore. The former United States Grand Prix course in upstate New York is still one of the most competitive racing tracks in the United States.

Autodromo de Los Hermanos Rodriguez.

^ from: zimbio.com - NASCAR Nationwide racing around Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

The NASCAR Grand National series (NASCAR Nationwide Series these days) raced around Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez as one of two non-American courses. "Good old boys/girls" argue that NASCAR could find plenty of great race tracks in the United States, so the need to go outside of the United States is a very poor idea. Yet, many are perfectly fine with dealing with Canadian sports teams playing in American professional sporting leagues. There are two reasons why I loved this deal to go to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The first reason- it's not an oval. The other reason is because this is the kind of road race track that strongly suits stock cars. This track used to serve as home to the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Mexico. It is both a fast road course and a great fit for stock cars.

Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve.

^ from: usatoday.net - Native Canadian Ron Fellows racing around a rain-soaked Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve in one of the first-ever times NASCAR raced in the rain. He went on to win this race in 2008.

Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve was where NASCAR actually raced in the rain. Even years before this race, rain tires have been created for stock cars. They've never had to be used until one time in 2008. The NASCAR Grand National Series raced at Montreal in 2008 and in 2009 with rain falling from the skies. Road racing types like myself LOVED seeing these stock car drivers race around on a rain-soaked race track. A lot of purists, however, hated the thought of seeing stock cars road race in the rain. One person from cbssports.com called the race as an atrocity. Here was the quote someone made:

"Running stock cars in the rain is like playing basketball on roller skates. It is ridiculous. About the only thing worse than NASCAR road racing is doing it in the rain. Saturday's "race" was a disaster with visibility down to nothing and cars sliding everywhere. There was water inside the cockpits and fog on the inside of the windshields that made things even more dangerous. The race was called mercifully when the torrential rain really kicked in, but not before a terrifying accident that could have injured several drivers including Joey Logano. Battling the weather in NASCAR racing makes no sense and Saturday was a perfect example of how dumb such a move can be. I hope it doesn't rain at The Glen this weekend. "

- Pete Pistone, courtesy of cbssports.com in August 2008

In my view, NASCAR did a pretty damn good job of piloting these stock cars on an F1 race track and making good of their stock cars to do so. Braving the elements is a part of life in addition to sport. A number of the racers had to get creative. Some drivers were using their attached windshield wipers and even somewhat climbing out of the car to de-fog the windshield. So just because you're some good ol' boy/girl not used to seeing anything besides stock car road racing doesn't mean you should hate on NASCAR for doing this. If anything, at least this is something different. You may not get tired of oval racing, but I often feel like oval racing gets monotonous, especially when you do it almost every God-forsaken weekend. NASCAR did pretty good with their precious stock cars on a wet track. On effort alone, I give NASCAR an A- for their road racing in the rain at Montreal.

Road America.

The Milwaukee Mile, a usual stop for NASCAR Grand National, was replaced in 2010 with Road America. Road America WAS one of the longest courses in the United States until the arrival of Utah's Miller Motorsports Park. To give you an idea of what stock car racing would be like at Road America, here is a video of a USAR Hooter's Pro Cup car around Road America:

Portland International Raceway.

^ NASCAR Trucks at Portland in 1999

There was a time when the NASCAR Trucks raced around Portland International Raceway. Now, they're somehow too good to race road courses. You're going to do road racing in Nationwide and Cup, so why not include a road course in NASCAR Trucks? That's especially if you are thinking of stepping up to Grand National and Cup. Why NASCAR doesn't race on road courses in Trucks anymore is beyond me. And don't give me that poppycock about road racing not being "racing." Give the trucks some road racing competition in addition to the many ovals they race anyways. It's called diversity. Run a damned road course, NASCAR Trucks!

Riverside (Bonus!)

I want to blog about Riverside at one point. Want to know what stock cars were like around Riverside? Here is bonus content:



Thank me later! :D

--- Stock Cars Born to Road Race! ---

^ from: v8stockcar.com - V8 Stock Car Road Racing Series at Sebring Raceway against other cars.

The only stock car series that I know of that road races used to be known as the Stock Car Road Race Championship. Now, since maybe 2009, it's known as the V8 Stock Car Road Racing Series. This is a series that mostly races on the East Coast. In addition to these stock cars, a bunch of Trans-Am style cars race in this series.

To learn more about this series, please visit the V8 Stock Car Road Racing Series website, or even Become a Fan/Like them on Facebook.

--- Final Thoughts ---

Stock cars are race cars, and race cars race. Race car drivers race. Stock cars are not like drag racing cars where they serve only one racing purpose. These are pure racing cars, unlike some of the commercials that make them out to be road-going cars. You don't think that stock cars can do road racing? Check out this clip of a NASCAR stock car tackling the world-famous Laguna Seca corkscrew:



Even the now-defunct Speedcar Series featured stock car road racing mostly in the Middle East. So don't give me that crap about stock cars not being able to road race. They aren't F1 cars or sportscar racing machines, but at least it's better than watching just-turn-left racing. At least most of the melodrama most stock car racing provides is dispelled with something like road racing.

NASCAR's Canadian and Mexican series do more road racing than in the United States. NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race on tracks like Mosport (which is a better fit for NASCAR than some proposed new oval in the Toronto area), Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve, Toronto, and even the old street course around Vancouver. NASCAR Mexico and its other series races on tracks like Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Puebla's road course, and a bunch of other Mexican road courses.





Stock cars CAN road race. They don't road race enough. Even the IndyCar Series has a healthy balance of ovals and road/street courses. Crashes and Hollywood drama don't make racing; intense racing and tough courses make racing. So enjoy stock cars road racing!

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Chic Sneakers

(UPDATED: October 5, 2011)

What happens when you try to give sneakers a chic makeover? You get sneakers that have a dressy appearance. This is not like the "Skimmer Sneakers" blog entry where I talk about slip-on sneakers. Instead, we're talking about pumps/boots with a sneaker-like appearance, or sneakers with the appearance of pumps/boots. This blog entry will be complimented with a blog entry on my secondary blog, "John's Shop Space.."

LATEST UPDATE:

OCT 5 2011 - simple edits and updates made

--- "Chic Sneakers" Defined ---

The definition of a chic sneaker in this blog entry are shoes that have a sneaker appeareance. These can be either of three things:

1.) A pair of pumps or boots with a sneaker-like appearance.

2.) A pair of pumps or boots with sneakers-like elements in their design.

3.) A proper pair of sneakers that are a step above traditional fashion and active sneakers. They are, therefore, a mostly fashion-oriented pair of sneakers in design and style rather than sneakers you could casually wear with outfits. They are also shoes that were not meant, nor intended for active activity.


So that's what you'll see featured in this blog entry.

--- Chic Sneakers in Pictures ---

Don't like wearing traditional sneakers? These sneakers give you a touch of chic style. They are sneakers for those who don't want to wear sneakers. Here is a look at them in pictures:


^ from: theshoegoddess.com - high-heel sneakers. Kind of dressy Converses.

With so many people in love with Converses, you know it would be a matter of time before someone came along with dressy Converse-type shoes. These are actually styled nicely in my view. I'm just not all in love with Converse all that much as lots of other people are. And for the record- these are NOT made by Converse.


^ from: thegloss.com - Love Skechers sneakers? Love high heels? Want a combination of the two? You might love these!


^ from: shoezodiac.com - Sneakers for the sporty girl who loves looking cute. This one is from DKNY (Donna Karan New York).


^ from: piercemattiepublicrelations.com - BCBGirls wedge sneaker pumps. Sporty cute for sure.


^ from: forwardedge.com - high-heel sneaker boots.


And perhaps my favorite dressy sneakers:


^ from: amazon.com - Steve Madden Binder sneakers.

Meet the Steve Madden Binder sneakers. An old friend of mine back in college wore these shoes. I asked her what people say about those shoes, and she told me that girls love them. These shoes have been discontinued for years, but they are certainly the best chic sneakers in my eyes.

--- Chic Sneaker-Inspired Shoes ---

This section pertains to sneaker-inspired shoes that aren't in any way traditional sneakers.


from: theshoegoddess.com - Alberta Ferreti sneaker pumps.

Pumps, like the ones above, demonstrate sneaker style in a stylish pair of pumps. You don't have to wear sneakers to enjoy sneaker style. This is an example of sporty meets chic.

--- What Do Most People Make of These Sneakers? ---

Many people feel like these are a hot mess. If you're going to wear sneakers, wear a proper pair of sneakers, at least in the minds of haters. A lot of haters would easily dislike the high-heel sneaker boots I posted. There's a reason why you don't see as many of these high-heel sneakers- females would rather wear sneakers or pumps rather than sneaker pumps. Some high-heel sneakers don't really look all that bad. Think of them more as the heeled alternative to the girl who wants to wear sneakers... while not wearing sneakers.

If you think otherwise about these, then I'll work on a blog entry on John's Shop Space featuring a few more of these chic sneakers and sneaker-inspired shoes.





I can't find enough decent items to feature, so I'll feature just these five items. No "John's Shop Space" blog entry expected.

NOTE: This section contains links to Amazon products. You are welcome to click on images and links to learn more about each item. You are free to order any items featured in this section or in any widget if you choose. Please see "An Important Amazon Note" in my blog's sidebar to see more information on any Amazon items shown.



1.) "Emily" sneakers from DKNYC. Simply put- sporty sneakers for the chic set. Two colors available. Available sizes are in B(M) US widths: 7.5 and 8.

2.) "Emily" sneakers from DKNYC. While they are not as cute as the previous shoes, this version of the Emily sneakers come in two different metallic-like color styles. Three colors are available. Available sizes are for Women in B(M) US widths: 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9.5, and 10.

3.) "Joyce" lace-up pumps from JUMP. Despite the fact there are loads of C's on the shoes (which suggests Coach), the maker is JUMP. Cloud only, and only in a 6.5 B(M) US size.

4.) "Fadir" wedge sneakers from TSUBO. Here is a wedge sneaker with old school style and a two-tone design. Sneakers for the sporty diva are right here. Rather than just for sporty looks, you can wear these with some jeans or pants with wide or bootcut legs. They are an even balance of sporty and stylish. Two colors are available. Available sizes for Women are in B(M) US widths: 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, and 11.

5.) REFEREE-120 sneaker boots from Funtasma by Pleaser. Are they hot lace-up boots or Chuck Taylor sneakers for the sexy girl? That's for you to decide with these sneaker boots. They have that Converse-style appearance only with a taller shaft than an average pair of Converse high-tops. Save these for your adult-oriented parties or nights at the nightclub. They'd be a pretty bad idea to wear casually at school or at the mall. Two colors available, both variations of black and white. Available sizes are in both M and B(M) US widths. All available M US widths: 10, 11, and 12. All available B(M) US widths: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.





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Converse (Part 2 of 2) - The Other Side of Converse

Converse is more than just the iconic sneakers. This blog entry will prove that. Converse also seems to be about various other clothes for both men and women. These range from very casual clothing to even stylish fashions for women. This blog entry features a look at certain fashion items other than the Chuck Taylor sneakers that have become synonymous with Converse. You may see Converse sneakers here, but this is more about Converses other than shoes.

--- Other Converse Items? ---

That's right! We all need to diversify our material to not only be fresh, but also offer material that extends our profiles. So is the case with Converse. You could probably do Converse proud and proudly wear some Converse kicks with your outfit, or you can kindly wear some other shoes to go with Converse clothing.

--- Converse One Star ---

Converse One Star is a Target-exclusive brand for men and women. While the line offers its own sneakers, this blog entry is about Converse One Star clothing. Examples like the one below showcase Converse trying to diversify itself with clothing. Their items include a variety of tops, outerwear, denim, other bottoms, and even Converse One Star sneakers.

For Men.

^ from: fwnet.ipower.com - a young man wearing Converse One Star items.

For Women.

^ from: fwnet.ipower.com - a young woman wearing Converse One Star items.

Females can enjoy a bit more diverse fashion items. The casual appeal can go from day-to-day fashions to even swimwear. The look above showcases a playfully feminine outfit.


^ from: fashionwindows.net - a young woman wearing a somewhat more dressy Converse One Star outfit.


^ from: fashionwindows.net - the cute side of Converse- a delightful ombre dress with Converse skimmers.

--- Converse by John Varvatos ---

Click here to visit the Amazon store for Converse by John Varvatos (men's items only): Converse by John Varvatos (Amazon Store)

John Varvatos brings two sides to Converse's profile of clothing. One side expresses a dressy casual look. Another side expresses a completely dressy side. One thing I've noted from another website is that John Varvatos used to work for Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein before joining Converse.

For Men.

^ from: slamxhype.com - Converse by John Varvatos for men.

Here is a very classy, yet very casual look. The pants and sneakers completely make this a casual look. Otherwise, this is a look you could probably head into some places with and look fabulous.

For Women.

^ from: streething.com - Converse by John Varvatos for women. Almost a complete contrast compared to what this brand brings for men.


^ from: djpremium.com - Caramel-colored twill pants for women from Converse by John Varvatos.


So you can say that while Converse One Star is more casual and more about everyday fashions, Converse by John Varvatos brings classy casual to the forefront.





I've mostly wanted to highlight on Converse One Star and Converse by John Varvatos here for this blog entry. There is also Converse Heritage, but that's mostly sunglasses. Here's an example below:


^ from: starsunglasses.co.uk - Ambassador sunglasses from the Converse Heritage line of sunglasses.

This concludes Part 2 of 2 for this blog entry. I will prepare a blog entry for "John's Shop Space" featuring Converse items from Amazon.

Most of you know that I'm trying to push all of the Amazon links I've posted to my secondary blog, John's Shop Space. The reason is because I want to make Amazon material specific to a shopping-exclusive blog. It's so that more people who actually want to shop for things that I post can all be found in a shopping-exclusive blog. The graphic below this paragraph links you to my secondary blog, but its link will be updated to include specific content from this blog. I will update this section to direct you to more items on Amazon for you Converse fans. For now, you can visit my secondary blog:



Stay tuned for my Converse blog entry on John's Shop Space! For now, thanks for reading this blog entry!

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Converse (Part 1 of 2) - The Sneakers

(UPDATED: January 26, 2012)

One of the most popular sneakers among males and females are Converses. You can't go one day without seeing someone sport a pair of Converse sneakers. The ever popular Chuck Taylor sneakers are worn by many people who believe in their style. Even various other companies make their own knockoff versions of Chuck Taylors. Their popularity remains strong today.

This blog entry is actually a two-part blog entry highlighting on Converse in fashion. This blog entry pertains to the Converses we know and love- those sneakers.

PERSONAL NOTE:

A new section devoted to Converse sneakers across the blogosphere has been added. Thanks to everyone whom have found (and hopefully enjoyed) this blog post!


LATEST UPDATE:
OCT 15 2011 - multiple edits made, added

--- Hey Now, You're an All-Star! ---

The All-Star sneaker has been in existence since 1917, but hasn't grown in popularity until the 1950s. Fast forward to today, and you see lots of people sporting Converse All-Star sneakers. I personally don't really like Converses, but there are MANY more who do. And so, to accommodate Converse lovers, let me start off with some pictures of the iconic sneakers:


^ cosmogirl.com - Converse All-Stars. The foreground includes a Converse All-Star low-top sneaker while the background includes a Converse high-top sneaker.


^ from: mensfashion.about.com - Jazon Mraz sporting a pair of Converse sneakers at the 2009 Grammy Awards.


^ from: limelife.com - various ladies wearing Converses.


^ from: images.pictureshunt.com - Some princesses would rather wear pink Converses than a dressy pair of pumps.


^ from: polyvore.com - Don't like lace-up Converses? These skimmers are for you!


^ from: photobucket.com - Demi Lovato wearing a lovely formal dress with... Converse sneakers? This reminds me of her video, "La La Land," where one of the lyrics talked about her wearing a fancy dress with Converses. It's fashion fail to me to see a fancy dress worn with Converses, but credit Demi for originality.


^ from: www.bopandtigerbeat.com - Selena Gomez in Converses. I can NOT mention Demi Lovato without mentioning her best friend, Selena Gomez. :)

--- What To Wear Converses With? ---

So in essence, Converses are worn by many people with many garments. I have mentioned that I am not really a Converse fan. I'm not likely to get any soon, if ever. I am just not into Converses as much as a lot of other people. Converses often get dressed up and even in various other ways. Some even tie in other kinds of shoelaces with them.

Converses are basically and exclusively for casual wear. So shame on you trying to wear these with formal outfits! I think I see them commonly worn with jeans and sometimes with denim skirts. So even though I said you shouldn't wear these with anything that isn't casual, many people find ANYTHING to wear Converses with anything. Almost as if Converses are the flip-flops or sheepskin boots of sneakers.

--- Converses Around the Blogosphere ---

These are people who are wearing their Converses in their pictures. Also, they consist of bloggers around the blogosphere. I will offer headings followed by links to the specific blog posts I've selected. The only criteria is that the bloggers themselves are wearing Converses or Converse-like shoes. Feel free to follow any blogs you deem interesting if you enjoy their work. One other thing to note... there may not be actual fashion blogs featuring these shoes, but I am featuring them anyways just because someone is wearing Converses.

Converse Inspiration: Glamour Bbey.

One would think that someone who dresses fabulously in her pictures wouldn't possibly sport a pair of Converse kicks. Well, Cindy Van Dyck of Glamour Bbey sports a pair of Converses in some of her pictures in "Paris: Walking Down the Streets in my Red Pants." on Glamour Bbey.

Converse Inspiration: Angy's Tea Room.

Angelika is princess material sporting a lovely long skirt with some Converse high-tops. The Italian fashionista is so full of life wearing a T-shirt, an American Apparel long skirt, and a dark blue pair of Converse All-Star high-top sneakers. "The Girl Full of Life" on Angy's tea room demonstrates her Converse chic.

Converse Inspiration: Burst of Color.

This energetic youngster went with a cute look topped off by a pair of Converse One Star sneakers. She shares with you a cute look with a jacket, a top, and a frilly skirt. The Converses complete the look. "quelle belle jupe!" on Burst of Color (: is where you can see this look.

Converse Inspiration: tiny sailor.

Niki wears a pair of Converses in an old blog post called "blurry. everything is." on tiny sailor. Her Converse chic, however, is anything but blurry as she sports a pair of Converse low-tops along with a long T-shirt and bike shorts.

Converse Inspiration: spoken love song.

Luu has posted multiple blog posts of her wearing Converse sneakers. This fashionable Asian from Norway has one simple and casual look that I want to feature. It's casual with a somewhat chic touch. Check out "black and lace" on spoken love song to see a very simple look topped off with Converses.

Converse Inspiration: Ericaritish.

Though Ericaritish is not a fashion blog, the beautiful young aspiring author/writer wears a pair of Converses as part of a fun event. Joana Erica Danielle showcases a pair of Converses along with a cute costume for the show. A crisp white blouse is paired with a cute skirt, a 101 Dalmatians tie, knee-high socks, and a pair of Converse sneakers. Two different Converses are worn in the post I am to feature for this post. Check out the look with Converses in "Filled with glee: The musical!" on Ericaritish.


There are some of the ladies who wear their Converses proudly.







Most of you know that I'm trying to push all of the Amazon links I've posted to my secondary blog, John's Shop Space. The reason is because I want to make Amazon material specific to a shopping-exclusive blog. It's so that more people who actually want to shop for things that I post can all be found in a shopping-exclusive blog. The graphic below this paragraph links you to my secondary blog, but its link will be updated to include specific content from this blog. I will update this section to direct you to more items on Amazon for you Converse fans. For now, you have two options: visit my secondary blog...



...or if you want to do a little shopping for Converses, I have included two items for you all. Here are a few items to spur your interest in the meanwhile (read "An Important Amazon Note" in the sidebar for all Amazon items).




• Converse Chuck Taylor low-tops for men and women. Only in black.
• Converse Chuck Taylor high-tops for men and women. Only in black.
• Converse Chuck Taylor slip-on sneakers. Men's and Women's sizes available.
• Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star X-High sneaker boots, only in red.
• Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star XX-High sneaker boots. They come in either white or black with a zipper on the back for easy entry. Available for men and women.




• Converse Chuck Taylor low-top sneakers for boys and girls. Only in charcoal/white.
• Converse Chuck Taylor high-top sneakers for Toddlers; only in black.
• Converse Chuck Taylor low-top sneakers for Toddlers; only in black.
• Converse Chuck Taylor low-top slip-on sneakers. Multiple colors and sizes, available for sizes ranging from Toddlers to kids.


Happy shopping (if doing any)! :)





You know you are not done with Converse! So for more Converse loving, feel free to check out these links:

• Converse official page
• Converse Facebook Fan Page
• Converse on YouTube
• Follow Converse on Twitter!
• Converse on Amazon (not just the sneakers)

This concludes Part 1 of 2 of this look at Converse for this blog entry. If you would like to read Part 2 of this Converse series, please read "Converse (Part 2 of 2) - The Other Side of Converse" here on John's Blog Space. here on John's Blog Space. Thank you for reading!

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