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2004 BMW 3 Series Reviews and Ratings
Sedan 4D 325xi AWD
I have had some wear and tear items but nothing major. I put some nice rims on the car . IMHO, this car had classic looks. I will keep going with this car. I am tempted to get new but this car is excellent. I have no regrets..
But u still have effect on people as a luxury car
Expert Reviews
This is the benchmark. The BMW 3 Series cars are the aspiration for every automaker building a sports sedan or smaller luxury sedan.
There's a good reason for that. The 3 Series is superb. Whether it's the standard 325i or the high-performance M3, they are driver's cars. Dynamically, each is outstanding: a highly refined machine that corners, accelerates, and stops swiftly. The 3 Series puts drivers in touch with the road instead of isolating them. Driving the sedan, coupe, convertible or sport wagon is a joy. They blend luxury and sport with high levels of quality, making living with them joyful as well. Their interiors are well equipped and comfortable.
Other automakers are envious of the 3 Series for another reason: It exemplifies consistency in product character and values. BMW's 3 Series cars have been the benchmark for entry luxury cars for some time, and we do not see this changing soon.
The competition may be gaining, but BMW is hardly sitting still. For 2004, the 3 Series gets an extensive array of updates. The coupe and convertible are mildy restyled, front and rear, and there's more of just about everything: More technology, more standard equipment, more wheel design choices. 330 models now come standard with a 6-speed manual transmission, and BMW's trick Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) is offered on all rear-drive models. There's a new Performance Package for the 330i sedan that makes it a virtual four-door M3. All 3 Series are offered with a BMW Assist telematics package that no longer requires the optional navigation system.
The coupe and convertible prices increase several hundred dollars, but all 3 Series cars come with the same full-maintenance included for the duration of the four- year, 50,000-mile warranty. For entry luxury market shoppers who put a premium on driving satisfaction, the BMW 3 Series remains the place to start.
The popularity of the 3 Series has produced a wide, sometimes confusing range of sedans, coupes, convertibles, and wagons. Ten models are available, varying considerably in price, power, and packaging, not to mention two versions from BMW's high-performance M division. The price spread from the bottom of the 3 Series line to the top exceeds $30,000. All are based on the same chassis and all ride on the same 107.3-inch wheelbase, but the coupes and convertibles do not share many body panels with the sedans and wagons.
Two engines are available in the standard 3 Series line, with a new variant of one of them for 2004. Both are inline six-cylinder engines. As the 3 Series nomenclature indicates, 325 models get a 2.5-liter engine, while 330 models get a 3.0-liter engine. The sedan, coupe, and convertible are available with either engine; wagons are only available with the 2.5-liter engine.
The 325i sedan ($27,800), 325i sport wagon ($30,400), 325Ci coupe ($30,100) and 325Ci convertible ($37,300) are powered by the 184-horsepower 2.5-liter engine. The higher price of coupes and convertibles includes a slightly higher level of standard luxury equipment than the sedans and wagons.
The 330i sedan ($34,600), 330Ci coupe ($35,600), and 330Ci convertible ($42,900) benefit from the 225-horsepower 3.0-liter engine. In addition to the increased power, 330 models come with more standard equipment and mechanical upgrades. Two examples: V-rated tires in place of the 325's standard H-rated tires, and larger brakes. A new Performance Package ($3,900) for the 330i sedan increases horsepower by 10 and adds a host of performance upgrades, including a short-throw shifter, M sport suspension tuning, Z-rated tires and appearance tweaks inside and out.
The four-door and wagon are also available with all-wheel-drive. The 325xi ($29,550) and 330xi ($36,350) sedans and the 325xi sport wagon ($32,150) offer much better traction and control in slippery conditions. They come equipped with Hill Descent Control, which could prove helpful descending a steep, slippery driveway or back road.
The 3 Series variants powered by the 2.5-liter engine come standard with a 5-speed manual transmission; those powered by the 3.0-liter engine are upgraded to a 6-speed manual for 2004. A superb ZF-built 5-speed Steptronic automatic ($1,275) is optional on all models, while the 6-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox ($1,500) developed for and launched in the M3, is offered on all rear-drive 3 Series models. Run-flat tires with tire pressure monitoring ($300) are an option on 330 models.
Most 3 Series models come with a Premium Package ($1,200-$3,300, depending on the model), which includes an auto dimming rearview mirror, a moonroof, Myrtle wood trim, front seat memory and drivers lumbar support, leather upholstery, a multi-function trip computer, and the BMW Assist system. BMW Assist provides telematic collision notification, an SOS button, roadside assistance, locator and concierge services. After the first year, you'll pay for the subscription ($240 annually).
Stand-alone options include the moonroof ($1,050), 18-inch wheels ($925) and a GPS navigation system ($1,800). In short, the 3 Series is available with nearly all the convenience features offered on BMW's larger sedans, which is one reason prices can approach $60,000 for the M cars.
Smart front and front side-impact airbags come standard. Also standard (on all but the convertibles) are head-protection airbags that deploy from the headliner along the length of both sides of the cabin. Rear side-impact airbags are optional ($385). Bi-xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps ($700) offer much better visibility on stormy nights and now aim around corners, but they sometimes annoy other drivers. BMW's Park Distance Control ($350) works great, beeping to warn the driver of objects behind the car during parking maneuvers.
Closely related to the standard 3 Series are the M3 coupe ($46,500) and M3 convertible ($54,900), which boast much higher levels of performance and handling. Part of that comes via the 3.2-liter engine rated at 333 horsepower. These cars approach the Corvette or Porsche 911 in performance, in a more practical package that seats five.
With their bold grilles, exotic-looking headlamps and short front and rear overhangs, the BMW 3 Series cars are striking. These beauties have never been the subject of the bold/ugly debate currently swirling around BMW's 5 Series and 7 Series models.
The current-generation 3 Series debuted in 1999. Each model is classic BMW: elegant and refined, but purposeful. The roofline is long and gracefully integrated into the short rear deck. The wheels fill the fenders wells to the flares and the body work seems wrapped tight, like it's stretched over muscle. If there was a picture in the dictionary of a sports sedan it would be a BMW 330i.
The quad headlamps are enclosed in aerodynamic covers. The optional bi-xenon lights include low and high beams; the outer lamps provide high-intensity discharge illumination on low and high beams, while the inner lamps augment the high beams with halogen lighting. Auto-leveling of the bi-xenon lamps is included, and for 2004 they actually turn into a curve as the car tracks through.
The sedan was the first of this latest generation 3 Series to be launched. It shares its styling and most of its bodywork with the sport wagon. Subtle changes to the design of the 3 Series sedans and wagons freshened their appearance in 2002 with redesigned front fascias, front and rear bumpers, grilles, headlamps, tail lamps, hoods, and fenders. Similar to the theme set by the new 7 Series, the headlamps now tilt up at the trailing edges of the wraparounds, rather than tilting down as they have traditionally. BMW also redesigned the shape of the cutouts below the headlamps. The front fascia now looks more like a true air dam, with round integrated fog lamps instead of small, thin rectangular lights. Character lines on the hood and front fenders were modified, and BMW's trademark dual-kidney grilles were widened. Bumpers, front and rear, have a simpler, cleaner look and redesigned taillights offer greater illuminated area.
Coupe and convertible models were introduced for 2000, and for 2004 they benefit from a freshening similar to that undertaken on the sedan two years ago. The headlights now sweep upward as they wrap around the sides of the car. The grilles are wider, and the contours of the hood, fenders and wheel flares are more prominent.
M3 models are distinguished by their hunkered stance, a deep front air dam, massive low-profile Michelin Pilot Sport tires tucked into aggressive fender flares, a bulging hood to accommodate the engine and unique horizontal air gills just below the windshield pillars. Even in a color as basic as white, the M3 attracts a lot of attention, particularly from enthusiasts who know that the special styling cues only hint at the car's performance potential. For 2004, the 330i Performance Package adds many of the same cues, creating the look of an M3 sedan (but without the M3 engine).
All 3 Series variants have well-designed exterior door handles that are easy to grab. The trunk lift grips have been widened for 2004. All variants are equipped with a new technology BMW calls adaptive brake lights. Introduced on the 7 Series, these illuminate more intensely, over a larger area, when the driver applies the brakes full-lock, or when the ABS operates. The idea is to inform drivers in cars following the 3 Series that it's stopping hard (and assumes the driver following knows how to decipher the signals).
The 3 Series interior is designed for the serious driver. The Natural Brown Leather ($1,450) is a classic shade and the quality of the leather is high, making for beautiful surroundings.
The front bucket seats provide good support without feeling hard, and come standard with six adjustments. The manual controls work well, though they are best used when the car is stationary. Power adjustments come standard on all models except 325i sedans. The 10-way power seats that come with some of the option packages are superb, adding more side bolstering for winding roads, and slide-out thigh support.
The leather-covered steering wheel tilts and telescopes for optimum adjustment. The rim is thick enough, and grippy, while the slim design of the hub is a benefit of the latest in compact airbag packaging. Audio and speed controls on the steering wheel work well and add convenience. Three different steering wheels are used depending on body style, model and options. The Performance Package for the 330i adds a suede-like Alcantara covering around the steering wheel similar to what's sometimes found on a contemporary race car. The M3 comes with a fat three-spoke steering wheel that mounts buttons for cruise control, the audio system, and a factory-installed phone, which makes it bulkier and less racy than the Audi TT steering wheel.
The dashboard and door panels are rich in appearance, and appealing to the eye. In recent years, some of the most noticeable 3 Series improvements have come in the quality of the hard and soft plastics inside. A titanium-finished plastic trim is used around the instrument panel, console, and doors. Genuine Myrtle wood or real aluminum inserts are optional. The instruments feature soft orange lighting, which helps reduce glare at night. Some people find orange backlighting easier on the eyes than other colors.
Most switches fall intuitively to the driver's fingertips, but the 3 Series interior is not without its faults. The window controls are located on the center console, allowing both front occupants to operate all windows, and presumably saving the cost of the switch typically installed on the passenger door. But the center switches require a glance down to open or close windows. The more common driver-door mounted window switches are usually easier to use. Fortunately, one-touch open/close operation is available for all windows and the sunroof, which is a nice feature.
Automatic climate control and a microfilter ventilation system are standard. Automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers are standard on 2004 models. The standard in-dash single-CD player is easy to operate; a cassette deck remains as a no-cost option. The Harman Kardon stereo upgrade ($695) with 12 speakers is one of the best-sounding radios BMW has offered. The steering wheel audio controls work well and add convenience.
We're not in love with the center console, which doesn't hold much and harkens back to a day of cheapish-looking 3 Series interiors. The flip-down armrest, standard since 2003, can get in the way when shifting. Shallow, unattractive cup holders in the console seem like an afterthought.
The back seat in the sedans is roomy enough for two adults during a night on the town, but it's not as roomy as some of the other cars in this class. The person in the middle needs to be a kid for any chance at comfort. The transmission tunnel rises nearly to the height of the seat, and the short-straw passenger in the center sits with legs straddled in the outside passengers' space. Practically speaking, the coupes fit between a two-plus-two sports car and a sports sedan. The rear windows in the coupe are power operated, but they only open by flaring out a few inches at the back, as if to let stale air out rather than fresh air in.
The 3 Series cars lag behind the class when it comes to moving cargo. The trunk is small, and the trunk opening is even smaller. However, the Cold Weather Package ($1000) adds split fold-down rear seats with a ski boot and armrest, plus other features, allowing more maximum hauling area. The convertible is the worst on this score, offering little in the way of trunk space.
The 3 Series sport wagons are a good solution for enthusiast drivers who need some cargo capacity. The sport wagon offers more than twice the 10.7 cubic feet of cargo the sedan can handle. With the dog fence in place, the 325i sport wagon can carry 25.7 cubic feet of cargo and four passengers. And it's a decent dog hauler, though Irish wolfhounds find the roof height low. The wagon is a good choice for runs to the airport, though it still doesn't have the cargo capacity of an SUV or minivan. For more cargo space, it's easy to fold the wagon's rear seats down, and there's no need to remove the headrests to do so. This provides a nearly flat cargo floor, with enough room for two people and many outdoor activities. Ski racks, bike racks and other accessories can be attached to the wagon's beefy roof-rack rails. Gaining access to cargo is easy. When the car is unlocked, the rear hatch can be opened by touching the electric release above the license plate; just the rear glass can be opened by pressing a button under the rear wiper. That's a form of luxury: not having to use the key or hit a separate release to open a trunk lid. The rear cargo cover is nicely designed with a vinyl panel that easily slides out and hooks into place to hide valuables. Alternatively, a net slides up and hooks onto the ceiling to allow cargo to be piled to the headliner.
Driving doesn't get much better than the BMW 3 Series, at least not with room for five, a high-level of all-season comfort and good mileage. Yes, some of its competitors offer a stronger price/equipment equation and comparable objective performance. But if you take off in a 3 Series and immediately realize the gap to the rest of the pack is wider than the price differential, then you can consider yourself an enthusiast driver and that your money was well spent.
If price is an issue, don't hesitate to choose the 325i. For a price less than the typical mid-size SUV, and nearly $7,000 less than the 330i, you get a true European sports sedan. You may never miss the extra power of the 330i, and you certainly won't miss the increase in monthly payments. The 2.5-liter engine doesn't develop the urgent thrust of the 3.0-liter, but it has plenty of power and it's delivered in smooth, linear fashion with no significant dead spots or rushes. Just strong, steady propulsion. It's so smooth that it's easy to rev past the redline to where the rev limiter cuts back on the throttle.
BMW uses inline six-cylinder engines instead of V6s. Though it takes up more space, an inline-6 is has its strengths in terms of operational performance. Indeed, BMW believes that six pistons lined up in a row run more smoothly than two banks of three pistons arranged in a V, and we agree. Both 3 Series engines feature the latest high-output technology, including fully electronic throttle control and a dual-resonance intake system. The throttle feels light, responsive and linear in its power delivery. BMW's double VANOS variable-valve timing helps both engines provide plenty of torque (the force that makes a car jump when you hit the gas) throughout the rev range. Both engine meet new ULEV2 emissions standards in California and the Northeast.
The 330i's 3.0-liter engine delivers most of its gusto at the top of the rev range, yet is surprisingly strong at lower engine speeds, too. BMW claims a 0-60 mph time of 6.4 seconds for the 330s with the manual transmission, versus 7.1 seconds for the 325i. Both top out at an electronically limited 128 mph, unless you order the Performance Package.
The new Performance Package for the 330i sedan adds 10 horsepower and 8 pounds-feet of torque to the 3.0-liter engine. Moreover, it includes an integrated package of performance upgrades, including a sport suspension tuned by BMW's elite M division, and a manual shifter that reduces shift throws 0.4 inch (the Performance Package is also offered with the automatic transmission). So equipped, the 330i sedan goes like a virtual four-door M3, with a similarly aggressive appearance for at least $7,000 less than the M3 coupe. This package trims another second from the 330i's 0-60 times: 5.4 seconds is fast for any sedan, much less one with a six-cylinder engine. The top speed extends to 155 mph, which is the voluntary limit adopted by most German automakers. We should note that this increase in speed is not solely because of the engine. The performance package includes Z-rated tires that are certified to operate safely at 155 mph. (That doesn't mean the driver will operate safely at this speed, however.)
Shifting in the 3 Series is a smooth, satisfying operation, even with the base five-speed manual in the 325 models. The shifter uses longer throws than that in a sports car, but its movement befits a world-class sports sedan. The six-speed in the 330 models adds more flexibility with six gears to choose from and reduces engine revs at cruising speeds. The short-throw shifter with the Performance Package is more like that of a sports car; it shortens lever movement between gears and snicks impressively from one slot to the next.
The automatic transmission works superbly, always keeping the engine in the optimal power range. All automatics are five-speed Steptronics. Pulling the lever to the left allows auto-manual downshifting and upshifting. In 2003, BMW switched shifting directions: Now, tip the shift lever forward to downshift, pull it rearward to upshift. Steptronic can be useful and entertaining, but the real benefit of these transmissions is how well they work in the automatic mode. Shifting is smooth and precise and the driver almost always feels the transmission is working as part of the team, rather than fighting against driver and engine.
For 2004, BMW offers the Sequential Manual Gearbox previously reserved for the M3 in all rear-drive 3 Series variants. We've tested the SMG extensively in the M3, and you'll either love it or hate it. At first, I hated it, but after a few days I loved it. It's important to understand that this is not an automatic transmission per se. If you want a smooth-shifting automatic, this isn't it. While the Steptronic is an automatic with a manual feature, the SMG is a manual with an automatic feature. Like a Formula 1 car or a Ferrari 360 Modena, the SMG has a clutch, but no clutch pedal. In automatic mode, it shifts like some robot is working the clutch for you. When I first climbed into the M3, it was set in the slow mode, which, to me, feels like someone who hasn't mastered smoothly coordinating the gas and clutch pedals is doing the shifting. The car slows down, the shift is made, and the gas comes back on. Dial this up to the fastest setting and it shifts quickly, but very abruptly, more like an F1 machine. Advanced engine electronics interrupt the engine's power for just milliseconds, the control unit disengages the clutch, the transmission changes gears electro-hydraulically, and the clutch is engaged. You can also set it for manual shifting, and this is where I began to love the SMG. The sequential gearbox is shifted manually either with the shift lever or with butterfly paddles on the steering wheel (one paddle to upshift, one to downshift). The stick has a great feel and it responds like a manual with similar or better performance. Downshifting is really cool as it blips the engine, double-clutching to change down. Switching between manual and automatic modes is quick and easy once you get the hang of it. If there's a better sport coupe than the M3 with the SMG, we don't know what it is.
All 3 Series cars are extremely stable at speed. I found it difficult to obey the 55 mph speed limit while driving a 325i sedan around Washington's Capitol Beltway, and nearly impossible to stay within the law on Maryland's back roads. The 330i is so smooth and stable that I needed to trail-brake the first time I came into a favorite sweeping turn, realizing that I was heading into it a little hotter than usual. Yet even hard braking in the middle of a curve (a maneuver that will quickly demonstrate the weaknesses in lesser machines) doesn't fluster the 3 Series cars.
The suspensions are tight on these cars, giving them the feel of finely engineered machinery. They put the driver in touch with the road. You hear and feel what's going on, though the outside world is muted well enough to ensure comfort. It's this balance of impressive handling and ride quality that BMW masters, and it's a characteristic that defines the brand. The stiff 3 Series chassis structure allows the suspension to dampen irritating road vibration, reducing the chance of squeaks and rattles inside the car. The M3 is the tautest of the bunch.
Steering response is more like that of a sports car than a luxury sedan. There's little play in the steering and the feeling is direct. This car goes exactly where you point it. Unlike the over-boosted power steering found on many luxury sedans, the 3 Series provides good feedback, though the steering feels surprisingly light. These cars handle curves with aplomb, gripping tenaciously during aggressive cornering maneuvers. When the tires finally let go, the resulting slide is still fairly easy to manage. It requires a bit more skill than in a front-wheel-drive car, but at the same time allows the driver more control. The M3 generates incredible grip, and by incredible we mean more than some premier sports cars like the Porsche 911.
While front-wheel drive has merits, pure race cars use rear-wheel drive. Enthusiasts prefer rear-wheel drive because they can actually steer the car with throttle inputs. The payback for this added element of control can be a skittish rear end, particularly on slick surfaces, and a condition known as oversteer. Indeed, the BMW 3 Series has never been the easiest car to drive in the snow. Yet BMW's sophisticated multilink rear suspension is so well sorted that the rear tires almost always stay firmly planted in normal road driving, even on very bumpy roads. Rear-wheel drive offers other benefits, even at a modest pace. The steering, handling and general feel are noticeably different even when driving around the block. The steering is pure because it's never influenced by torque steer, a movement of the steering wheel as engine power is transferred to the front wheels. Bottom line: The 3 Series feels much more sophisticated than most front-drive sedans from Japan that are asking the front wheels to do two jobs: Steer the car and propel it forward at the same time.
All 3 Series models come with Dynamic Stability Control, which enhances driver control and safety in emergency maneuvers. DSC helps stabilize the vehicle in severe cornering maneuvers by judiciously applying the brakes to individual wheels. In other words, it helps the driver maintain control when the tires begin to lose grip. Electronic stability control systems, such as BMW's DSC, can save your life by helping you keep the car on the road. But DSC also enhances handling on winding roads, smoothing out minor errors, making adjustments when you hit a patch of sand in the middle of a tight corner. The system kicked in for me in one tight corner, while I kept the throttle to the floor. The rear tires lost grip, but DSC seamlessly reduced power and applied a little braking force to one of the front wheels, as smoothly as the most talented race drivers on the planet. This is extremely beneficial on a rear-drive car in slippery conditions, but it's also useful on dry pavement. A switch allows the driver to turn DSC off when it isn't wanted, if you want to light up the rear tires, for example. By pressing the DSC button briefly, the engine intervention feature is turned off, leaving only brake intervention functional at low speeds. As speed increases, however, the engine intervention gradually comes back into play. Hold the DSC button down and it shuts off everything except anti-lock braking, useful if you get the opportunity to fling the 3 Series around a race track or autocross course.
Brakes are even more important to going fast than horsepower, and the 3 Series provides excellent stopping power. The 330i's massive rear discs can be easily seen through the spokes of the wheels. On a familiar twisting, bumpy, gnarly road, I slammed on the brakes both in a straight line and while turning, the latter a driving faux pas. Either way, the 3 Series sedan brought me to a quick, uneventful stop. The anti-lock system is seldom needed on dry pavement due to excellent grip and a taut suspension, the latter keeping the car stable and minimizing nosedive so that the rear tires can contribute to the effort. As a result, this car stops very quickly, and it's easy to control in a panic braking situation. Repeated, high-speed stops beyond anything a driver will undertake on the road, stops that would literally leave the brakes on many sedans smoking, have no significant impact the braking performance of the 3 Series, reassuring when descending a winding mountain road.
All-wheel drive adds the grip of the 3 Series cars and is particularly beneficial on snow and ice. The 325xi sport wagon we drove felt like it was on rails on dry pavement. The all-wheel-drive system on 325xi and 330xi models uses a planetary center differential to split drive torque 38/62 percent front/rear, preserving the rear-wheel-drive feel that BMW enthusiasts demand. All-Season Traction Control (AST) and a specially calibrated version of the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC-X) enhance foul-weather safety.
Hill Descent Control, which comes standard on 325xi and 330xi models, helps the driver maintain speed and stability on steep downhill runs. The driver need only press a dedicated HDC button on the console to activate it; Hill Descent Control then takes over, gently applying the brakes as necessary to help keep the speed to a brisk walking pace. Just keep your feet off the pedals and let it walk you down the grade.
BMW's 3 Series cars offer a truly satisfying driving experience. They offer rear-wheel drive and manual transmissions, and BMW's commitment to this combination speaks volumes about its priorities.
Other cars in this price range surpass the 3 Series in significant areas. The Lexus ES 330 is smoother and far quieter, and the Acura TL provides a roomier rear seat and more features for less cash. But those are near-luxury cars, while the BMW is a true sports sedan. If driving satisfaction is top priority, one of the 3 Series models should top your shopping list.
Which model? The 325i sedan is a terrific car. It's four doors and usable rear seat are practical, and you may never miss the power of the 330i. The sport wagons add space and versatility, and the only way we could tell we weren't driving a sedan was to glance into the rear view mirror. The coupes add sports appeal with their two-door styling, and their split rear seats provide some versatility. The convertible, well, do you have to ask? The 330 models add a lot of performance to the equation. All-wheel drive offers winter capability to a car not noted for that. The M3 is the best, earthly priced high-performance car on the market with a real back seat. Order mine with the Sequential Manual Gearbox. The 330i sedan with the new Performance Package may offer the best balance of all 12 variants measured by price, performance and practicality.
Concerned about maintenance costs? Free scheduled maintenance for four years or 50,000 miles comes standard with all 2004 BMW 3 Series models.
Depending on equipment, the 3 Series can be pricey, measured by objective values of space, features and horsepower for the money. Subjectively, there is nothing better in the class. There's no mystery why the 3 Series remains the benchmark for moderately priced sports sedans. It's been that way since the late 1970s, and we don't see it changing.


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Lyrics:First verseThey had a swell time down in old Memphis town At the Shimmeshawabbler's Ball; Alexander and his big Jazz Band made the music shake the hall. They danced all night till the broad daylight, And still they wanted to dance some more; They couldn't stop that funny hoop, But continued to dance 'round the floor. Alexander 'rose to say, ""'tis now the break of day, We'll play just one more tune for you, And then I'll say we're through.""ChorusAll the darkies were their dressed in their best Sunday wear Down at the Shimmeshawabbler's Ball Some high browns short, some high browns tall And high yellows lean and small They Shimmeshabbled 'round the hall Wherethe alligators wiggle and the tutles crawl, And they had a hot time one and all At the Shimmeshawabbler's Ball. All the Ball.Second verseThere were some brown skin gals with high yellow pals At the Shimmeshawabbler's Ball; There were choc'late browns from nearby towns That were gliding 'round the hall. Old Deacon Lee, he went wild with glee, And danced all 'round on that ballroom floor; He grabb's Sis Brown from Memphis town, And he call'd for some more and for more. For he learned it right away and then had this to say, " There'll be no service Sunday night, Instead we'll learn this right."
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subset: commoncrawl


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Flooding can cause clinical and economic damage to a healthcare facility, but reopening a facility after extensive flooding requires infection prevention and control preparedness plans to ensure a safe environment for patients and healthcare workers. In a study published in the February issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, clinical investigators report key findings and recommendations related to the closure and re-opening of hospitals impacted by black-water floods. The guidance builds on lessons learned from Thailand and the United States. The findings come as many flood-damaged healthcare facilities in New York and New Jersey look to reopen in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
The decision to close a hospital or healthcare system because of extensive flooding involves risk mitigation for the health and safety of both patients and healthcare workers, says Anucha Apisarnthanarak, MD, the lead author and an infectious diseases physician at Thammasat University Hospital in Thailand. Reopening a hospital should be contingent upon assurance of a safe environment that includes clean water for ingestion, hand hygiene, food preparation, and adequate disposal of sewage, waste water, and medical waste.
Reopening of hospitals after excessive flooding requires a balance between meeting the medical needs of the surrounding communities and restoration of a safe hospital environment. Post-flood hospital preparedness plans require interdisciplinary expertise from infection control personnel, environmental health and safety personnel, structural engineers, clinical staff, and hospital administrators. The authors discuss several practical issues relevant to reopening a healthcare system after extensive flooding:
Removal of flood waters and site inspection
Cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and materials
Remediation of mold through evaluation of mold growth in impacted area, including the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system
Restoration of air flow
Post-flood surveillance of water and air samples and for outbreaks of flood-related infectious diseases
Lessons learned following Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas in 2008 provide a foundation for future design, execution, and analysis of black-water flood preparedness. Following the storm many generators and building points of entry for utilities at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston were flooded; electrical power, telephone services, fire alarm systems, information systems, HVAC systems, and most elevators were nonfunctional. The water systems were closed off before the hurricane and remained off for five to six days; the linear accelerators in the radiation oncology department were destroyed.
To prevent serious losses from future floods, new linear accelerators were placed in vaults with water-tight doors, all incoming utilities were raised 20 feet, and generators were moved to higher elevations. Three and a half years after the hurricane, a new bed tower is being constructed; all essential services will be located on the upper floors of the support building and new hospital. The first floors of the new hospital and support building will be 12 feet above sea level, and the second floors will be 25 feet above sea level.
Even resource-limited hospitals, like those in Thailand would benefit from such measures. A recent survey of Thai hospitals found that while many hospitals throughout the country had flood protocols similar to those taken in Galveston, only 52 percent had performed protocol-related exercises. The authors estimate that flooding accounted for an estimated loss of $4.8 million USD per hospital associated with extensive floods.
Additionally, while protocols can be costly, measures to ensure a safe post-flood hospital environment are not necessarily resource dependent. A post-flood study conducted at a Thai hospital reported use of settle plates, an evaluation measuring the airborne viable particles that settle on a plate of medium, for measuring fungal bioburden where air sampling in open units may be cost prohibitive.
Time and again, we have seen hospitals worldwide suffer devastating clinical and economic implications as a result of catastrophic flooding, says Apisarnthanarak. The healthcare community needs to come together, from infection control epidemiologists to hospital administration, to effectively create and implement flood preparedness plans that can mitigate risks both to patient safety and structural damage.
Reference: Apisarnthanarak A, et al. Hospital Infection Prevention and Control Issues Relevant to Extensive Floods. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 34:2. February 2013.


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How To Free Your Work
Submitted by ninapaley on
(Translations: Español)
I. Theory:
Why should you Free your work? To make it as easy as possible for people to share your work — as easy as possible for your work to reach eyeballs and ears and minds — to reach an audience.
And to make it as easy as possible for audience support — including money — to reach you.
Forms of audience support include:
- Money – Audiences want to support artists they like. A "Donate" button gives them an easy mechanism to do so. Audiences buy merchandise from artists they like for the same reason. Give them a "Reason to Buy" and they will.
- Work – some fans can make web sites, sell merchandise at concerts, help with promotions, etc. If you need help, ask your audience first. No one is more motivated to help you than your true fans.
- Promotions – word of mouth recommendations are the most effective form of promotion, and audiences do this without coercion if they like a work.
- Distribution – often called "piracy," this is an extremely valuable service. Distribution without audience assistance is expensive: imagine if you had to pay for every copy of your work (as in paying for a print run of paper books, or plastic discs), and then store and distribute them to every potential audient. Want 1,000 people to hear your song? Imagine if you had to pay at least $1,000 up front for even the chance – not including costs of storage and shipping. You can then of course charge them for the privilege of hearing your song, by selling them discs – but this cost barrier makes it even less likely they'll want to hear it. When the audience distributes your work for you, they bear the costs of making and sharing copies, not you. Audience Distribution costs you nothing.
- Archiving – the cost of privately archiving your own work is very high; fans do it for free. The Freer the work is, the more robust its archives will be, especially as technologies and formats change. CDs and DVDs may become obsolete, but fans migrate works from one format to the next, ensuring they're always accessible and up to date. Example: copy-restricted films are distintegrating in cans. Digitizing them is expensive; digitizing them without permission is too risky to invest in. Without audience help, these costs must be borne exclusively by the "copyright holder." Digital archive formats are notoriously unstable; many hard drives from even ten years ago are incompatible with today's technology. Video codecs change rapidly, and no one knows which codecs will remain in use, and which will become obsolete. A private rightsholder must continually research what new formats are evolving, and make sure to migrate their archives. They are still likely to miss some format changes; it's very hard for a single entity to stay abreast of every diverse technological innovation. Analog formats are safer, as they don't change as rapidly, but 35mm film archiving is extraordinarily expensive. The negative must be transferred to archival films, then stored in a secure facility. If anything happens to that facility, or rents aren't paid, the archive is lost. In contrast, Free Culture opens the possibility of the most robust, decentralized, up-to-date archiving system ever: the audience and all their devices.
Copy restrictions place a barrier between you, the artist, and most forms of support. By removing the barriers of copyright, you make it possible to receive money and other kinds of support from your audience, both directly and through distributors, thereby increasing your chances of success.
II: Practice: How To Free Your Work
- Get your own web site.
There are countless ways to make a web site, from hiring professional designers and technologists, to getting a free blog. Assuming you're broke and have no tech skills, here's the easiest way to do the latter:
- Sign up for a Wordpress blog here. It's free and easy.
- Follow instructions from there
That's it. Your own web site, free, with loads of templates to choose from and lots of help from wordpress. That's all you need! You can certainly get more advanced from there, but that will require more skills, time, and/or money. A free Wordpress blog is more than enough to get started.
- Get PayPal, Flattr accounts. Place "donate" and "Flattr" buttons on web site.
To receive money online, you will need a money-receiving account. Here are some you can sign up for - click the link(s) and follow instructions.
PayPal (recommended) - easiest to use, and allows anyone to accept donations.
Amazon Payments - a little more comlplicated. This is also the payment system used by Kickstarter.com
Google Checkout - only allows registered 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organizations to receive donations
Once you have a PayPal account, you can generate a donate button for your web site.
In addition to PayPal, you can also get a Flattr account. Flattr combines a donations system with social networking to create a hybrid that's both fun and hard to explain. Visit Flattr.com for more information.
- Choose a Free License.
A Free License is legal language that sits on top of copyright. In our current copyright regime, everything is copyrighted whether you want it to be or not. What I'm writing here is copyrighted, even though I don't want it to be. There is currently no way to "opt out" of copyright. All I can do is attach a "Free License" to the work, that grants users some of the fredoms that copyright automatically takes away.
A Free License guarantees the Four Freedoms of Free Culture:
1. The freedom to view, hear, read, or otherwise attend to the Work;
2. The freedom to study, analyze, and dissect copies of the Work, and adapt it to your needs;
3. The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor;
4. The freedom to improve the Work, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits
Creative Commons is the most famous brand of Free licenses, however most Creative Commons licenses are not Free! Just because a license is branded Creative Commons does not mean it's free. In fact most Creative Commons licenses have restrictions that are incompatible with Free Culture.
The 3 Free licenses Creative Commons offers are:
If you see the letters -NC or -ND anywhere in a Creative Commons license, it is not a Free license. Be careful – use only one of the above Creative Commons licenses, otherwise your work will not be Free and you may alienate those fans who could help you the most.
Other Free licenses for cultural works include the Free Art license and the WTFPL.
Because all licenses ride on top of copyright, they can be seen as validating or extending the reach of Copyright law. For those who are totally fed up with existing laws and the interference of lawyers in the cultural sphere, a "non-license" may be preferable. Non-licenses are not licenses, they are statements of intention: that the artist wants their work to be copied. They don't ride on top of any existing laws, and attempt to avoid law (and the state force that backs it up) altogether.
Our favorite un-license is the Copyheart, which looks like this:
♡ Copying is an act of love. Please copy and share.
But there are others, like Kopimi, and of course you can write your own!
Whether you use a lawyer-approved Free License or a non-license, it's crucial to let your audience know they are Free to copy, share, and build on your work. While it's tempting to ignore copyright altogether, your audience can't know your work is Free unless you tell them. Try to include either a notice of Free license (i.e. "CC-BY-SA") or a Copyheart message ("♡ Copying is an act of love. Please copy and share") wherever you post your work.
More about Free vs. unFree licenses here:
- Upload master file(s) to archive.org.
When you upload a work to archive.org, you will see a dialog page like this:
Fill out the fields (unlike this example, you should include a link to your web site in the "description" box!), then click "choose a license." Archive.org lets you attach both Free and un-Free Creative Commons licenses to uploaded works. It is very important you specify a FREE license during the upload process.
Archive.org does not let you specify licenses by name; instead they give you a dialog box and ask you to check options. To specify a Free License, you must choose either CC-BY-SA, CC-BY, or CC-0.
To specify CC-BY-SA, check the options as follows:
Allow commercial uses of your work? YES
Allow modifications of your work? YES, as long as others share alike
To specify CC-BY, check the options as follows:
Allow commercial uses of your work? YES
Allow modifications of your work? YES
To specify CC-0, click on the CC-0 link.
Once you've selected your options, click "Select a License." You should get a box that looks like this:
Once the upload is complete, click "Share My File(s)". Archive.org will create a page for your work that will look something like this:
Copy the URL of your archive.org page, and link to it from your web site and everywhere else. For example, the URL of the page above is http://www.archive.org/details/AvatarsOfVishnu
- Place link to archive.org page on web site. Also write about the work, and post versions directly on web site if possible.
You want your work to be as easy and convenient to copy as possible. A text is likelier to be read if it's formatted for existing browsers and eReaders. A song is likelier to be used in films, videos, dances and remix projects if it's available in high quality .wav; it's likelier to be shared by fans as an .mp3 or .ogg. Images are most easily shared on web sites as low resolution jpegs and .pngs, but they can have far more applications as vector files (.svg, .eps) and high resolution TIFFs. Ideally, release your work in as many formats as possible.
But how do you do that? Reformatting can be a real pain, and how do you even know what file formats your audience wants?
This is where fans come in. Ask your fans for help - even if you only have one fan, or a small handful. Release a master file and ask them to convert to other formats. If you're a musician, upload an uncompressed .wav file of a song on archive.org. Then ask fans convert it to .mp3, .ogg, and other formats and repost those on archive.org, as well as everywhere else they can share the files.
I released "Avatars of Vishnu" illustrations as high resolution .png files. A fan immediately converted them to .svg vector files.
Once fans know you're releasing your work under free licenses, they may convert your files to more useable formats as a matter of course. In addition to providing a valuable service, this work strengthens the bond between fan and artist; what Mike Masnick calls "CwF" ("Connect with Fans.")
- If work is a video, upload it to Youtube and Vimeo in addition to Archive.org. Include links to archive.org page and your own web site in "description" field (see example). Embed the video on your own site.
- PROMOTE. Tell all your fans. Ask them to spread the word. If you have Twitter, Facebook, and other social network accounts, post that your work is up and Freely available. Make sure to name the specific license (ie, CC-BY-SA, not "Creative Commons"), so they KNOW it's Free. Include link to your web site.
The Internet isn't for everyone. Not everyone wants to spend time on FaceBook, or Twitter; not everyone "gets" them. Not everyone wants to blog, or email, or whatever the kids are doing these days. One solution is to force yourself to learn how to use these tools, but there is another option: ASK YOUR FANS TO DO IT FOR YOU.
If you're a musician who gives live concerts, ask for "social media" volunteers at your next performance. If you're an artist who dislikes the Internet, but goes to openings and parties and networking events in Real Life, put the word out among your friends, fans, and patrons. If you teach, let your students know you're looking for help. Others can take care of online promotion for you – if you let them. The best way to let them is to give them a stake in your art, and not try to control them. Once again, Freeing your work is the key to receiving this service. Then fans aren't doing work for you, they're doing work with you. As long as you place copy restrictions on your work, fans will feel exploited. By Freeing your work, you and your fans are on the same team.
- If you have something to sell in connection with the work (DVDs, CDs, T-shirts, Keychains, services, custom commissions, etc.) make these available when you release the work. If you have an online store, link to it. If you're a performer, bring items to your performances and have a volunteer sell them for you. Let people know they can purchase said merchandise at your shows.
There are countless ways to make money with Free works. Freeing them is the first step.
My business model is "Content is Free, containers are not. Use the unlimited resource to sell the limited resource."
Just because your content is Free, doesn't mean you can't sell "containers" of it: paper books, discs, hard drives, prints, paintings, and so on. One successful example of this principle in action is my own "Sita Sings the Blues" e-store. Authors whose ebooks are available for free sell more paper copies (see Paulo Coelho). The more content (which is non-ravalrous) circulates freely, the greater demand for rivalrous goods related to it. Which you or your agents can sell.
Related, but not exactly the same as ours,is Techdirt.com's basic business model for artists: CwF+RtB (Connect with Fans + Reason to Buy = $$). You can read numerous ways this principle is making artists money in Techdirt's Case Studies. Although Free works aren't a prerequisite for this model, they work perfectly with it.
- Let go. There is no time limit; once your work is Free, it can be discovered and "catch on" at any time. There are no guarantees of success in the arts. You've done your part: you've removed one large obstacle, by removing copy restrictions. The rest is up the the wider world. Now is a good time to think about your next piece of art!
By putting your work out there. Make the art you want to see, and share it. Be patient. It may take a while. The most important thing you can do at this stage is focus on your art, making the art you want to make, and Freeing it to the best of your ability so that others, sooner or later, can find it and share it with the next potential fan.
2 Comments
Re: How To Free Your Work
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
Hello Nina,
this article is incredibly fascinating: it made me think a lot about the possibility to distribute with this method a book that I wrote last year. For the moment I decided to use a Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC. I decided to use a non commercial license because my book (freely downloadable from here: http://baglioni.paroledimusica.com/) is an essay about the music of a famous Italian singer called Claudio Baglioni, and in this book I use small samples of the lyrics of the songs as well as small samples of music scores. I use them just for analysis purpose, according to the fair use allowed by law. This is why I used such a non commercial license and I didn't upload my work to archive.org: I'm scared that I could infringe Baglioni's copyright allowing other people to use commercially something that I don't own.
In the same way, I'm wondering if for "Sita sing the blues" is it really possible to allow other people to use it for commercial purposes if it contains old songs protected by copyright. Even if the use for the making of the film was paid, is it really possible to give permission to use those songs commercially to other people? In the same way, do you think that I could use a free license and upload my book to archive.org without any problem? I would be grateful if you could answer to my doubts.
Thank you, and congrats for your great job, as artist and for sharing such useful informations.
Re: How To Free Your Work
Submitted by Terry Hancock on
If it is "fair use" for you to quote the material and release it under a CC-By-NC license, then it is equally so under a By or By-SA license.
As for "Sita Sings the Blues", the use of non-free content is awkward, but certainly not illegal. Nina Paley could not release Sita this way had she used By-SA content herself -- because the By-SA license forbids combination with non-free content.
However, SStB relies on public domain work and original work by Paley and does not use By-SA licensed source material (or where it does, she has specific permission from the author). As such, she is not actually releasing under the By-SA license herself, and thus she can have exceptions like this.
The upstream licensing on the music means that we who receive the work cannot treat the whole work as By-SA. Instead, we have to strip out the non-free content if we want to remix it (except in as much as the reuse would fall under "fair use"). The music is commercially licensed for her to distribute. She does in fact pay royalties on the copies she sells. On those she gives away, however, she doesn't owe any (they are considered "promotional" copies under the legacy system).
As for your book, you should probably consult a lawyer if you are worried about it. From what you say, it may very well fall under fair use, but jurisdiction matters, and details like how much you quote and for what reason you quote (generally, quoting material in order to review it is fair use in US jurisdictions, for example).


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