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Stop me if you've heard this one before: A couple of outcasts find themselves in a rigid social environment, surrounded by winners who sneer at them as losers. Most of these "losers" have given up even trying. Luckily, within their number there are a few "leaders" who teach the others that accepting the values of their tormentors, struggling to emulate them, is a futile strategy. It's better to upend the social order by showing the usefulness or moral/ethical superiority of their timid "loser" ways. In the process, they liberate themselves and everyone else, even their adversaries. The quality most often cited as the source of their power to win all the marbles is "heart."
If any of that sounds overfamiliar, you can safely skip "The Internship," which recycles these shopworn ideas and doesn't even do it well. The leader/losers this time around are Nick (Owen Wilson) and Billy (Vince Vaughn), master watch salesmen, whose boss (John Goodman) informs them that smartphones have made watches obsolete. The company is closing and they are being cast adrift, sans paddle.
Despite a total ignorance of technology — these guys appear to do their jobs without knowing how to turn a laptop on — the only hope they can find is to apply for an internship at Google, which might lead to a job. They are accepted (in the name of diversity) and hie themselves over to the Google complex/campus, which is designed like a giant day care center for adults, or perhaps the afterlife Peter Jackson imagined for "The Lovely Bones."
The serpent in this Eden is the insufferably snotty Graham (Max Minghella), who sadistically derides them in public at every opportunity. He is as moustache-twirlingly evil as Bradley Cooper's villain in "The Wedding Crashers," an earlier (and far superior) Vaughn/Wilson vehicle. Vaughn can be very likable on screen, but, when unchained, he can be insufferably irritating. Villains in his most unchained films have to be exaggerated in order to make him a preferable alternative.
I have a few friends who are as out of the cyberloop as these guys, but most of them are decades older than Wilson and Vaughn. Presumably the film's high want-to-see numbers would have been dampened somewhat by more believable casting for a couple of tech nitwits, like, say, Eli Wallach and Kirk Douglas. Having said that, the audience at my screening — with an average age of around 40 — appeared not to get a joke built on Billy's assumption that C++ referred to a grade, rather than a programming language.
An even bigger problem is — and I say this with some trepidation — making this kind of salesman heroic. In the opening scenes, it's clear that they believe in nothing beyond their ability to sell the proverbial refrigerators to Eskimos. Before they lose their jobs, we see them consulting their notes about a prospect's family so they can pretend to be "friends"; they're proud of being gladhanding, posterior-kissing phonies. Their role in life is neither productive nor necessary. They are the watch world's equivalent of those used car dealers to whom the sale is everything, even if it means bullying and taking advantage of people. The film embraces this value system wholeheartedly.
Speaking of most pernicious aspects of capitalism, among other things, "The Internship" is a two-hour — yes, you heard me, two-hour — commercial for Google.
There is the occasional amusing moment, which is more than one can usually hope for in a Shawn Levy movie. But what's most amusing is that Google is shown as (in essence) a socialist paradise internally, one that is made possible by the ruthless, faux sweet values embodied by its heroes.
ANDY KLEIN is the film critic for Marquee. He can also be heard on "FilmWeek" on KPCC-FM (89.3).


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Despite soaring temperatures, the party-like atmosphere on Fair Drive continued Saturday as Costa Mesa celebrated its 60th anniversary.
The festivities, which began Friday and end Sunday, had just about everything: carnival rides, games, food vendors, fireworks and a little bit of Foo.
Chevy Metal, a cover band that features Taylor Hawkins and Chris Shiflett of the Grammy Award-winning Foo Fighters, was joined on stage by Dave Grohl as the band played into the night.
Earlier in the day, a 14-foot, 1,700-pound chocolate cake was served to council members, city employees and citizens.
Additionally, Costa Mesa artists participated in an art walk, showcasing various media like sculpting, painting and air brushing.
"Costa Mesa is the city of the arts," said Al McCoy, a Newport Beach resident. "The art walk is a celebration of that, and I am honored to be involved."
Councilwoman Sandra Genis noted the city's accomplishment of going from bean fields to a city with houses, a performing arts center and a world-famous mall.
Saturday's event also celebrated the military, with a tribute to Costa Mesa veterans. The ceremony also included performances from the 300th Army Band.
Sue Lester, a member of the 60th Anniversary Planning Committee, said an event like this was vital to Costa Mesa's current state.
"I think [the anniversary] came at a critical time when our city has become fragmented over politics and differences of opinion," she said. "It's important that we marked this milestone, and made the effort to get everyone together and include everyone."
Billy Folsom, a Costa Mesa resident of 52 years, agreed.
"Everyone has gotten away from politics for this event," he said. "It's been a rough few years for the city, its employees and residents. We needed a break from that, and all our political foes are our friends for this three-day celebration."
Although the city celebrated its official birthday Saturday, council members said the city will continue to celebrate throughout the year. A scarecrow contest is planned for the fall, as well as classes teaching students about Costa Mesa's history.
The festival will continue through Sunday with a car show, a Subway sandwich-eating contest and more live music.

subset: commoncrawl


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Personalized medicine has the potential to transform healthcare through earlier diagnosis, more effective prevention and treatment of disease, and avoidance of drug side effects. The challenge for policymakers will be to deal intelligently and comprehensively with the array of issues that will affect quality of healthcare under this new paradigm.Presentation is not 508 compliant and does not work on all browsers. Will look into this later.
On February 10, 2005, NHGRI Director Dr. Francis Collins, the senior advisor on genomics in the Federal government, outlined his vision for the future of genomics-based medicine to the Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC) at the National Press Club. He also explored the numerous policy issues that must be addressed to realize the full potential of this new area of medicine.
To view the integrated presentation of both video and Power Point slides, go to:
For Web browsers other than IE or Netscape, go to the lecture webcast on the PMC Web site at:
Last Updated: March 17, 2012


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O Open Food Facts coleciona informação de produtos alimentares de todo o mundo.
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text: We all know that cars and trucks and what's inside them have changed since the '70s, but that's usually as far we go. But what about the personalities that ran those organizations, their policies and automotive journalism itself? To ponder these questions Autoline's host John McElroy takes a different seat on this week's panel as he turns the show over to WWJ62-Detroit host Carol Cain and joins veteran automotive journalists Edward Lapham from Automotive News (40 years in the business) and Tony Swan from Car & Driver/Kelly Blue Book (35 years) to discuss the changes they have seen over their years covering the auto industry. Get more video everyday at http://autoline.tv


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A corner grouping of a upholstered sofa armchairs in pastel shades is complemented with a coffee table grouping in bleached teak. Balinese wooden ducks and two ceramic doves bring a touch of nature to this corner. A touch of drama here with vermillion upholstered chairs and two impressionistic paintings bringing warmth to the marble and white walls.
Another grouping of seats. This time it is very comfortable armchairs and sofa in a family room located between the living and bedroom areas. A bay window opens out to the garden and the music system is cleverly concealed under the ledge below the windows.
All trademarks mentioned belong to their owners, third party brands, product names, trade names, corporate names and company names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective owners or registered trademarks of other companies and are used for purposes of explanation and to the owner's benefit, without implying a violation of copyright law.
Copyright © 2005 - 2019 Sddvy. All sponsored products, company names, brand names, trademarks and logos arethe property of their respective owners.
I try to design rooms around their architecture or to create - architecture where none exists. Eleanor McMillen Brown


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SYDNEY, Australia >> In the last six years, the Dodgers have played games in China, Taiwan and now Australia. Where will they go next?
There are multiple possibilities, and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said Saturday that "we're working on several things."
"I certainly have talked about this before: I want to open and play some regular-season games in Europe," Selig said. "The potential there is beginning to grow, which is very exciting. The nice part about this, we're getting overtures, really good ones, from all over the world."
If Dodgers pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu gets a vote, he's partial to South Korea.
"I think it's a fantastic idea," the Incheon native said. "I would make it a personal wish that one day there could be a regular-season opener in Korea."
Fifteen major-league players have been born in South Korea, about half the number that have been born in Australia. Former Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park was the first and Ryu is among the most recent, making the Dodgers a logical choice to play in South Korea if MLB ever decides to stage a game there.
Pitching plans
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that Zack Greinke and Dan Haren will start two of the three Freeway Series games against the Angels on March 27-29.
That means both are unlikely to start either of the team's next two regular-season games, March 30 and April 1 in San Diego.
Clayton Kershaw and Ryu are the top candidates to receive those assignments, with Josh Beckett and Paul Maholm the next two likeliest choices.
The San Diego Padres have already set their rotation for the three-game series. Manager Bud Black told reporters in Arizona that Andrew Cashner, Ian Kennedy and Tyson Ross will start the games in order.
Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp is expected to play minor-league spring training games until March 27, then rejoin the team in Southern California. The other major-league players still in Arizona — Greinke, Haren, Beckett and Brandon League — will rejoin the team the day before for an intrasquad game March 26. … Mattingly said he will use the intrasquad game to allow the Dodgers' relief pitchers to get in some preseason work. … Carl Crawford's fiancee, television personality Evelyn Lozada, gave birth to the couple's first child early Saturday morning in Arizona. Carl Leo Crawford weighs eight pounds and is 21 inches long, according to OKmagazine.com. … As part of the pregame ceremonies at Sydney Cricket Ground, 18 major-league baseball players from Australia were recognized on the field: Craig Shipley, David Nilsson, Graeme Lloyd, Mark Ettles, Mark Hutton, Shayne Bennett, Trent Durrington, Cameron Cairncross, Luke Prokopec, Brad Thomas, Glenn Williams, Justin Huber, Phil Stockman, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Rich Thompson, Brad Harman, Luke Hughes and Shane Lindsay.


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Net Conversion needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 73 designs submitted by 16 freelance designers.
Logo needed for a hydraulic repair, replacement and service company. Could be more fun for the designer than it might sound.
Southern Hydraulics
Southern Hydraulics is a hydraulic repair, replacement and service company located in Central Florida. At Southern Hydraulics, we rebuild and custom fabricate nearly all types of hydraulic cylinders, valves, fittings, tubes and hoses. We are committed to delivering the highest quality products and services, including a mobile service unit where we bring the shop to you for on-site repair/fabrication saving you valuable time.
- Google Image search for "hydraulic hoses" will display a variety of thecomponents used in our business. While not required, these could beintegrated into the logo.
- Professional service company logo
- Must incorporate the name "Southern Hydraulics"
- Logo should graphically imply "high quality, precision and service"
- Logo will be used in a variety of company materials from business cards, truck side signs and on the website.
- Design will primarily be used against a white background, so design accordinglyLogo (re)sizing should accommodate business card (small), website, up through truck signs
- Final logo file format provided should be a layered/ vector based .psd
- 'Corporate' look or feel
- Overly complex logo
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Did Ruff unfairly bench Taylor Hall in game 2 of the WHC?
So there's some uproar that Lindy Ruff unfairly benched an offensive weapon in Taylor Hall against a team that has a stifling defense. The thought was that Canada needed a guy like Hall who such a penchant for generating scoring chances. Hall's line seemingly saw some decreased ice time in the 2nd. In the 3rd, it was clear that Hall played his last shift of the game with 14:54 remaining in the 3rd period.
So.. was he unfairly benched?
I would like to break down the first half of the game more.. I didn't start really paying attention until the 2nd, so I'll probably come back to this. But here's a quick breakdown of the mid 2nd and early 3rd: Continue reading 'Did Ruff unfairly bench Taylor Hall in game 2 of the WHC?'»


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With the Red Bull Supernatural set to go down February 2–9, we caught up with Travis Rice at Baldface Lodge in Canada's BC Interior where he's making the final preparations on one of the most anticipated contests of the season. The course, with nearly 100 lumberjack-built log features ranging from pillow lines and transfers to log ladders hung 30 feet in the trees, blends natural and man-made elements for a one-of-a-kind setup. It's all part of Rice's effort to find the best all-around snowboarder in the world.
By Chris Wellhausen and Gerhard Gross (originally posted Jan 9th 2012)
What's left to do to get the course ready?
We built the course this summer, the whole upper section with [log] pillow features. Now it's basically going in and editing. We made our best guess as to how the snow was going to fall and we're going back to make sure every feature is perfect. We also have to build this massive kicker about two thirds of the way down.
What are the snow conditions like so far?
We've been held up getting on slope the last three days because of some bad instabilities in the snow pack. It's some of the worst they've had up here in six or eight years. We're doing the best we can. They've been dropping charges on the slopes, dropping cornices, doing everything they can. We've got a good crew up here. Basically we want to finish up and then we don't want to touch the thing for three weeks, giving it time to get a couple snowstorms—then we come in and cook that face.
Where did the idea to modify the run with the wooden features come from?
It comes from the unique features we've found along the way—what occurs both in the real world and what the imagination can conjure up—all those "what if" type situations that are finally able to materialize into reality. Above all, I wanted to create amazing features that would help showcase individual riding styles. We're really just creating a studio for these artists to come and express themselves. We just have to make sure that the features are structurally sound and let Mother Nature do the rest.
How did you choose the scale the features were built at?
By spending a lot of time researching existing snow packs. I visited the course on four different intervals over last winter. Baldface had a huge year last year, so we were able to see all levels of snow. We built the course for mid-season snow levels.
What will the giant kicker be like?
We're still not sure how much snow we'll have, but the idea is a 250-foot wide kicker. We might break it up with a couple of different takeoffs. First off we have to enhance the landing quite a bit, so that's the main project. Then we're also finishing off a whole mini-park zone at the very bottom. It's packed full of features.
Why Baldface?
I was very particular about finding the perfect run so we actually looked everywhere, from heli terrain to off-resort. It became apparent that with the infrastructure needed to run the contest, a cat operation would be the best call. We scoured three cat operations in the area because, statistically, the safest bet was to do something in Interior BC. We wanted to get enough elevation that [the course] could survive some warm spells or a week or two with no snow. That's why we chose something on a Northeastern aspect. Basically, if it didn't snow for two weeks, the aspect would still hold good snow. So we found this run [Scary Cherry] on Baldface.
Why put on an event like this? Where did the inspiration come from?
Seeing events like the North Face Masters and the resurgence of the King Of The Hill contest, that stuff is great. But you don't see those contests with the best riders in the world and they're not showing snowboarding at it's best just due to the situation. Snowboard films come out every year, and they show the current state of snowboarding. As far as contests, nothing is on par with what you see in a snowboard video. Of course, it's an impossible situation because when filming people seek the best features. When we go out and off a couple mountain peaks, we might find one, maybe two, really cool features. A video part is the sum of these moments. I want to create an event where a contest run has the potential to be more progressive than a video part. I'd like to see this event become the highest echelon of competitive snowboarding. I'm totally backing slopestyle, all the stuff, but I feel that there's even a level above slopestyle. Riding fresh snow changes everything. I'm hoping that the up and comers will be a big part of these events as they continue in the future. This one is a little legend heavy, but it's the first year and we had to start it off.
Will you be competing? If so, is it a foregone conclusion that you'll win?
Yeah, I'm going to compete. But, it's absolutely not a foregone conclusion that I'll win. I'm making sure that everything is lining up with the course, but I won't be riding it at all. I may go through to do some course maintenance, but I won't hit a single feature.
Invited Rider List (unconfirmed): John Jackson, Nicolas Müller, DCP, Lucas Debari, Scotty Lago, Kazu Kokubo, Jake Blauvelt, Gigi Rüf, Wolle Nyvelt, Mark Landvik, Devun Walsh, Pat Moore, Shaun White, Terje Haakonsen, Mark Carter, and Travis Rice.
Wildcard spots: Winner of North Face Masters, Winter X Games slopestyle gold medalist.
Contest format: The best of two runs counts with the top nine scores making it to the third run.
Judges panel includes: Tom Burt (head judge), Temple Cummins, Andy Hetzel, Bryan Iguchi, and Shin Campos.
Stay tuned for full coverage of Red Bull's Supernatural right here on TWSNOW
Check out more Travis Rice Here, and more on The Art Of Flight HERE


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Online Interactive Science Museum about Emergence
Learn about emergent phenomena and how emergence impacts your world. A mix of art and science that let's you explore emergence through activities and games, from the basic principles and real world examples to some of the latest research.
For most people, emergence is an unfamiliar concept. Yet, the study and understanding of emergent phenomena is likely to be critically important for addressing many of the key challenges faced by science and society, from Mad Cow disease to global warming. The interactive online learning experience, emergentuniverse.org, addresses this information gap by providing an engaging platform through which visitors can learn about emergence and itís relevance to their lives. In order to captivate visitors with diverse interests and learning styles, emergentuniverse.org includes a wide range of informational activities, from a manga comic and a video game, to an interactive computer simulation, a dance video, and a voyage into the brain. At emergentuniverse.org, visitors can also learn about important research into emergent systems — both from a scientific and a humanistic perspective. For example, current exhibit areas address self-organizing protein fibers (known as amyloids) and their role in everything from exploratory tissue engineering technologies to Alzheimer's disease.
Emergentuniverse.org wishes to acknowledge the generous support provided to it by the following individuals, foundations and corporations: Douglas Carlston, Deborah Fried, Delle Foundation, Richard Lounsbery Foundation, Trinity Capital Corporation
Detected version of the plugin:
To bypass this detection and take your chances viewing the site click the link below:


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Product Overview
With a growing number of new shooters entering the market every day, Winchester developed a line of ammunition to aid in the selection process as well as make it easier to shoot. The W Train & Defend series provides more than enough stopping power with less recoil making it a great choice for new or recoil-sensitive shooters.
The Train & Defend ammunition was designed to be a shooting system giving consumers a straightforward process when choosing training and personal defense ammunition. The Defend series features threat-stopping jacketed hollow point rounds that are ballistically matched to their Train counterparts. These personal defense rounds feature nickel-plated shellcases and a prominent "D" on the box to make them easily distinguishable from the training ammunition.


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Technical Support
Here are some helpful guides to keep your Canyon in top shape! Just pick the relevant category to find the solution to your issue.
Torque value seat clamp
We recommend to tighten Canyon seat clamps with -Nm to 5Nm. The maximum torque value for Canyon seat clamps is 7Nm
The torque should be as low as possible but the seatpost must not slip under great force. The seatpost clamp must be tightened so that it can not be turned around its axis.
When fitting Canyon carbon seat posts or variable seatposts, apply carbon paste generously to the inside of the seat tube and to also to the seat post itself.
When fitting alloy seat posts apply grease to both the seat post and the inside of the seat tube.
Please note: do not tighten the seat clamp too much when you ride a variabel seat post, like the Reverb. Otherwise it might be possible that you can not adjust the post any more. Please take extra care that the seat post must never slight into the seat tube.
Torque for Aeroad Cf series and Speedmax CF series frame clamp for seatpost: 4Nm, maximum 6Nm. Please take care that the clamping brackets are free from glue.


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Difference between revisions of "16bit workflow with hugin"
m (doh, forgot the obvious one)
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will output a usable [[JPEG]] image:
will output a usable [[JPEG]] image:
convert -gamma 2.2 stitch.tif stitch.jpg
convert -gamma 2.2 stitch.tif stitch.jpg
=== Adjusting by eye ===
=== Adjusting by eye ===
Revision as of 16:35, 19 October 2005
This tutorial doesn't cover reasons why you might want to shoot with RAW and stitch in HDR format. It is a simple HOWTO listing the tools available and how to use them with hugin.
Preparing the HDR images
Start by using dcraw to read the RAW files and batch convert them into portable 16bit per channel PPM files. RAW pictures from my Nikon 8700 have a .nef extension, so the command looks something like this:
dcraw -v -4 dscn*.nef
These PPM files are not readable by hugin or nona, so the next step is to use ImageMagick to create 16bit per channel TIFF files:
convert -rotate 270 dscn3088.ppm dscn3088.tif convert -rotate 270 dscn3089.ppm dscn3089.tif ...
Note that I rotated them at the same time since these are portrait shots.
Stitching with hugin
The TIFF images can be loaded into hugin as per usual with a couple of caveats:
- Everything will appear very dark since our images represent linear sensor data.
- Information about the field of view was lost during the PPM stage, so this will need to be re-entered manually or re-optimised with PTOptimizer.
Stitch the images as per usual into a TIFF file, you can use enblend as the final step.
Post processing
This TIFF file is in 16bit per channel RGBA format. Again this will appear very dark in most image viewers (if they manage to open it), so you need an extra step to create the final 8bit per channel human-readable images.
Gamma adjustment
Sometimes all that is needed is to adjust the gamma and save, this ImageMagick command will output a usable JPEG image:
convert -gamma 2.2 -depth 8 stitch.tif stitch.jpg
Adjusting by eye
Open the TIFF file in a HDR aware image editor such as cinepaint, tweak the levels by eye, retouch and save in an 8bit per channel format such as JPEG.
Alternatively, use pfstools to manipulate the image.
pfstools has the facility to read HDR TIFF files, unfortunately it chokes on the alpha channel created by nona and enblend, so you have to strip this out first. You can do this by converting to PPM format using ImageMagick:
convert stitch.tif stitch.ppm
This can be viewed with the pfsview GUI tool:
pfsinppm stitch.ppm | pfsview
A quick way to create a usable 8bit per channel image is to select a gamma of 2.2, fit to dynamic range, zoom 1:1 and save as PNG.
Tone mapping
A related package to pfstools called pfstmo can do automatic tone mapping of a HDR image and compress it into a low dynamic range output. There are many options and techniques available, commands look like this:
pfsinppm stitch.ppm | pfstmo_drago03 | pfsgamma -g 2.2 | pfsout stitch.png


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Used Car - 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX in Honolulu, Hi
Please Call For Price
About This 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX
Vehicle Location:
Honolulu, Hi
Call For Price
Exterior Color:
Stock Number:
Fuel Economy Estimates
City MPG
Highway MPG
Combined MPG: 22
Estimated Monthly Fuel Cost: $101.14*
*Based on $1.78 per gallon and 15k miles per year.
Actual costs may vary.
Actual costs may vary.
Send This Vehicle To Your Smartphone
Seller's Description and Comments:
Located at Auto X-Change Inc. in Honolulu, Hi. Call Auto X-Change Inc. today at 808-593-0599 for more information about this vehicle.
Vehicle Options:
- 4wd/awd
- Abs Brakes
- Air Conditioning
- Alloy Wheels
- Am/fm Radio
- Automatic Headlights
- Cd Player
- Child Safety Door Locks
- Cruise Control
- Daytime Running Lights
- Driver Airbag
- Electronic Brake Assistance
- Front Air Dam
- Front Side Airbag
- Interval Wipers
- Keyless Entry
- Leather Steering Wheel
- Limited Slip Differential
- Locking Differential
- Passenger Airbag
- Power Adjustable Exterior Mirror
- Power Door Locks
- Power Windows
- Rear Window Defogger
- Second Row Folding Seat
- Side Head Curtain Airbag
- Tachometer
- Telescopic Steering Column
- Tilt Steering
- Tilt Steering Column
- Tire Pressure Monitor
- Traction Control
- Trip Computer
- Trunk Anti-trap Device
- Vehicle Anti-theft
- Vehicle Stability Control System
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2008 Subaru Impreza ReviewThis car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale.
All-new Impreza and Outback Sport bigger, more refined.
The Subaru Impreza lineup is redesigned for 2008, getting bigger and more refined in the process. A four-door sedan body style remains, but a four-door hatchback replaces the previous generation's wagon body style. Base Impreza and Outback Sport models return, as do the high-performance WRX and even higher performance WRX STI. This report covers the Impreza and Outback Sport; another NewCarTestDrive.com report covers the related WRX and STi models.
Impreza and Outback Sport use a 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine teamed with a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission. The engine produces 170-horspower, enough power for everyday needs and enough oomph for good passing punch. We drove it in the mountains of Colorado and found it up to the task, but it had to work hard up steep grades partly due to the thinner air at high altitude. Drivers who want more power should consider the turbocharged Impreza WRX, which is surprisingly civil in behavior.
The Impreza powertrain is competitive with anything in the compact class, but some rivals offer six-speed automatics that improve fuel economy. The Impreza's fuel economy is on par with other all-wheel-drive compacts, but it suffers compared to front-drive rivals. If fuel mileage is your main concern, the Impreza is not the best choice among compacts.
All-wheel drive adds handling stability and traction on slippery roads, however, and we found it kept us safe on a snowy ski trip. Even a minor wreck costs more than a tank of gas.
The Impreza also has a handling advantage versus several competitors. Advanced suspension geometry, a platform built to host the high-performance WRX models, and a low center of gravity thanks to the boxer engine all add up to crisp handling with little body lean in corners. And yet, the Impreza also offers a comfortable ride.
Inside, the Impreza is nicely appointed, with a look and feel that would be appropriate for a car costing thousands more. The gauges are easy to read, and there is plenty of storage space for small items. The front seat has enough head room and leg room for tall drivers, and visibility is good to all corners. The back seat is impressive for a compact car, with enough leg room for tall passengers provided the front seats aren't set too far back.
The Impreza sedan has a decent trunk, but buyers looking for more utility will want to choose the hatchback. The hatchback's rear seats are split 60/40 and fold flat to open up a useful cargo area with a flat load floor.
In short, the Impreza is a lot of car for the money, and its standard all-wheel drive makes it an excellent choice for buyers who want an extra measure of security and stability in inclement conditions.
The 2008 Subaru Impreza is offered in four models: 2.5i, Outback Sport, WRX, and WRX STI. This report covers the 2.5i and Outback Sport, which come with all-wheel drive and a horizontally opposed 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. The 2.5i is offered as either a four-door sedan or four-door hatchback. The Outback Sport is only a hatchback. The flat four in the 2.5i and Outback Sport models makes 170 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. It comes mated to a five-speed manual transmission and a four-speed automatic transmission is optional ($1000).
Standard equipment on the 2.5i sedan ($16,995) and hatchback ($17,495) includes cloth upholstery, air conditioning, interior air filter, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, height-adjustable driver's seat, 60/40 split folding rear seat, power mirrors, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, 80-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3 player with four speakers, outside-temperature indicator, theft-deterrent system, and P205/55R16 tires on steel wheels with wheel covers. Hatchbacks also get a rear cargo cover and a rear spoiler.
The Outback Sport ($19,995) adds four-wheel disc brakes, raised suspension, Incline Start Assist (with manual transmission), leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, leather-wrapped shift knob, heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, six-disc CD changer, 10 speakers, auxiliary audio input jack, fog lights, roof rack cross bars, and P205/50R17 tires on alloy wheels.
Options for the 2.5i include a Premium package ($1500) with antilock four-wheel disc brakes with Brake Assist, traction control, electronic stability control, Incline Start Assist (for manual transmission models), automatic climate control, tilt/telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, leather-wrapped shift knob, six-disc CD changer, 10 speakers, auxiliary audio input jack, fog lights, and alloy wheels. A Satellite and Navigation package ($3500) adds a navigation system and Sirius satellite radio plus the Premium package equipment but with a single-CD player. The Popular Equipment Group ($319) adds auto-dimming rearview mirror, compass, and security system shock sensor. Other upgrades include an Audio Sound package ($768) with XM or Sirius satellite radio and a subwoofer/amplifier; a short-throw shifter for the manual transmission ($374); auxiliary audio input jack ($97); roof rack ($250); remote engine starting ($432); XM or Sirius satellite radio ($453); and a rear spoiler for the sedan ($380). The Outback Sport offers similar options.
Safety features include dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain side airbags, front disc and rear drum brakes, antilock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, front-seat active head restraints, and a tire-pressure monitor. Traction control, electronic stability control, Brake Assist, and Incline Start Assist (with manual transmission) are standard on all but the 2.5i, where they are optional.
The 2008 Subaru Impreza has grown up compared to the last model. The width is the same, but the wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer on an all-new platform. Overall length is also up by 4.5 inches for the sedan, but is actually down 1.7 inches for the hatchback. The hatchback's length is taken out behind the rear wheels. Where the last model had a more squared off wagon shape, this one has a raked hatchback shape.
The Impreza gets a completely new look for 2008. The front end changes from Subaru's somewhat controversial horse-collar shape to the new corporate design that is short and wide. The shape of the grille flows into a pair of cat's eye-style headlights, and its basic shape is repeated below the bumper in an air intake that is flanked by fog lights. The outline of the grille leads into character lines on the hood. The whole effect is more organic and flowing than most cars these days.
The sides of the car are largely uncluttered, except for bold BMW-like shoulder lines that run from the front wheelwells to the taillights. The fenders are slightly flared at the wheels, again lending an organic, flowing shape.
Perhaps most important, the Impreza now has fully framed door windows, which reduces interior noise and the possibility of leaks. Reviewers have complained about Subaru's frameless windows for years.
The Impreza sedan ends with a high trunk line, a fairly generic rear end design, and red taillights.
The Impreza hatchback, on the other hand, has a raked rear window that leads to an integrated roof spoiler, giving it a sporty demeanor. The hatchback does not have separate opening glass, and its taillights are clear.
The Outback Sport, which is only offered as a hatchback, has a couple of exterior visual cues, including a raised suspension (though it sits only 0.2 inches higher), and two-tone paint.
Hop in the front seat and you find the Impreza is nicely appointed. The dash and center console have lots of plastic, but it doesn't feel cheap. The overall feel would be appropriate for a car costing thousands more, but one of our test cars did have a couple of raw surfaces with rough edges and an annoying squeak from the cargo area.
The hooded instrument pod features a large central speedometer flanked by a tachometer and the fuel gauge. The gauges are black with white markings, red needles and raised silver rings. The gauges are easy to read and the overall look is pleasing.
The center stack has a vehicle information center with the clock, outside temperature indicator, and trip computer information set in a hooded area at the top of the dash. The radio is right below that, followed by a pair of air vents, and finally three easy-to-use climate control knobs.
With the optional navigation system, the radio controls are integrated along the sides of the nav screen. This makes some of the controls small and a bit hard to find, but it shouldn't be a problem after a few weeks. We found the screen hard to read with polarized sunglasses on and hard to read during the day with the headlights on.
Small items storage is quite good. The glove box is of a good size. The center console features two cupholders and a deep center console to store CDs and life's little trinkets. There is also a small change tray in front of the cupholders, and the front of the console has an open tray to set cell phones and the like.
Inside, the Impreza has plenty of room for a compact car. On the whole, there is more room than the last model. Even tall drivers should find enough head and leg room. Visibility to all corners is also largely unobstructed.
The back seat is quite impressive. It has good leg room with all but the tallest occupants up front and toe space under the seats is good if those front seats need to be set farther back. Rear head room is excellent. The only minor complaint is the fact that the seat bottoms are fairly flat, meaning long trip comfort may suffer.
Cargo room is good, especially in the hatchback. The rear seats are split 60/40 and they fold flat easily via pull-up knobs. In the hatchback, folding the seats down opens up 44.4 cubic feet of cargo space. (That's less than the previous-generation wagon, which offered nearly 62 cubic feet.) The load floor is flat, the opening is large, and the liftover is low enough to allow for easy loading. We hauled two people with their luggage and ski equipment on a trip to Colorado and found the Impreza hatchback had plenty of room. The sedan has 11.3 cubic feet of trunk space, which is about the same as the last model and is fair for the class.
We highly recommend getting the optional Premium package which includes lots of interior, exterior, and safety equipment that would cost much more if priced separately.
Driving Impression
The Impreza 2.5i and Outback Sport use a 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine that churns out 170 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 170 pound-feet of torque at 4400 rpm. Those numbers make the Impreza as powerful as just about anything in the class, though the four-cylinders from Nissan and Toyota feel more responsive.
Subaru says it has modified the engine's torque curve to improve low end response. We drove the 2.5i in the mountains of Colorado and found it to be up to the task, though it certainly had to work hard on steep grades. If we had to deal with those conditions on a regular basis, we'd prefer the added power of the WRX's turbocharged engine, which is more powerful and less affected by altitude.
Fuel economy is generally good. At an EPA-estimated 20 mpg City and 27 mpg Highway, the Impreza isn't nearly as fuel-efficient as the Honda Civic, which gets 24/36 with an automatic transmission, but it is slightly better than the AWD Toyota Matrix, which is EPA rated at 20/26 mpg.
The Impreza offers two versions of Subaru's Symmetrical All Wheel Drive system. Models with the manual transmission have a viscous coupling locking center differential that splits power 50/50 front to rear. Models with the automatic use an electronically managed continuously variable transfer clutch. Both versions of the system transfer power to the wheels with the best grip. Both also provide a measure of all-weather security that gives Subaru an advantage over other makes. That was proven in Colorado, where all-wheel drive gave the Impreza stable handling on snowy mountain roads.
The Impreza also has a handling advantage versus several competitors. The Impreza hosts the performance-oriented WRX and WRX STI models, and the base models benefit from the built-in handling prowess needed for the top models. In addition, Subaru's flat boxer engines can sit lower than other engines, allowing for a lower center of gravity and therefore better handling.
Get behind the wheel, and you find the Impreza's steering and handling are crisp, and there is little lean in corners. Still, with standard 16-inch wheels and soft suspension settings, the Impreza is not twitchy or harsh riding. The new double-wishbone independent rear suspension helps both handling and ride quality, and we never found the Impreza uncomfortable. These are enjoyable cars for people who like to drive.
The brakes provide worry-free stops and good pedal feel. They come standard with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, with apportions braking power to all four corners. We recommend buyers opt for the electronic stability control system, which is included in the Premium package and comes with Brake Assist.
We are impressed by the Impreza. With alloy wheels, plentiful interior room, and a thoughtfully designed interior, the $20,000 sticker price for our test car seemed like a deal. Standard all-wheel drive adds all-weather security, and Impreza's fine ride and handling make it a worthy choice for anyone looking for a small, well-built car. The Impreza 2.5i hatchback and Outback Sport models offer a lot of utility with their big cargo capacities. The Outback Sport looks more expensive but is loaded with popular options. Choose any model: When it snows or rains heavily, these Subarus are class leaders.
Kirk Bell filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com from Chicago.
Model Lineup
Subaru Impreza 2.5i sedan ($16,995), hatchback ($17,495); Outback Sport ($19,995).
Assembled In
Ota Gunma, Japan.
Options As Tested
Premium package ($1500) with antilock four-wheel disc brakes with Brake Assist, traction control, electronic stability control, automatic climate control, tilt/telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, leather-wrapped shift knob, 6CD, 10 speakers, auxiliary audio input jack, fog lights, alloy wheels; four-speed automatic transmission ($1000).
Model Tested
Subaru Impreza 2.5i 5-Door ($17,495).All-new, refined performance and practicality.
The Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STi are fun, fast and well built, with standard all-wheel drive and overall performance that's rare in their class. A redesign for 2008 hasn't significantly diluted the character and enthusiasm that have made the WRX so appealing over the years. The new models just raise the bar on comfort and refinement.
The 2008 WRX and WRX STi can legitimately be called all new, meaning virtually everything from the interior to the styling to the suspension and underlying structure have been overhauled. Both are somewhat larger than before, with a corresponding increase in interior and cargo space. The available engines and transmissions are essentially the same, though the extra-muscular STi gets a slight power increase.
The WRX and STi are higher-performance versions of Subaru's standard Impreza, though both are different enough that they might be considered separate cars. Both were developed within and made famous by Subaru's highly successful World Rally Championship racing program. While its roots rest in the smallest car line Subaru sells in the United States, the STi's price, performance and reputation make it a flagship of the company's lineup.
The WRXs have achieved cult status among driving enthusiasts and boy racers, but more than ever that image is too narrow and confining. These cars are also practical, with decent room in the back seat and good cargo capacity. Measured in the full spectrum of vehicles available today, they get good mileage (though less than many comparably sized, two-wheel-drive cars). Their all-wheel-drive system can legitimately be considered a safety and foul-weather advantage, even if, with the powerful, turbocharged engines in the WRX, it's marketed primarily as a performance enhancement.
And now, the WRXs are even more refined. They're smoother, more comfortable, and easy to live with during the typical commute. Their cabins are roomier, with an overall improvement in appointments and finish quality. There's also an upgrade in the equipment available, including better audio systems and an optional navigation system for the first time. In short, the 2008 WRX models should appeal to a broader range of buyers.
The standard WRX is powered by a 2.5-liter, 224-horsepower turbo four-cylinder, with cylinders arranged in Subaru's familiar flat, or horizontally opposed, configuration (like a Porsche engine). Both body styles are available with an optional automatic transmission that doesn't substantially reduce the fun-to-drive factor.
The WRX is available as a four-door sedan with a conventional trunk or a five-door hatchback that more than doubles maximum cargo capacity and adds another level of flexibility. At about $25,000, both sedan and hatchback come well equipped, with automatic climate control, an 80-watt stereo and more power than all but a couple cars in this size/price class. The bang-for-the-buck surpasses many more expensive sports sedans.
The WRX STi is essentially its own car, and available only as a hatchback. Nearly every major mechanical system is unique to this model: six-speed manual transmission, special suspension and brakes, unique interior appointments and a high-tech, manually adjustable all-wheel-drive system. Yet the STi's centerpiece is a higher-tech, higher-boost version of the 2.5-liter four, generating 305 horsepower. Its acceleration times match those delivered by exotic sports cars such as the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. STi stands for Subaru Technica International, the high-performance division that made the WRX famous through considerable success in the World Rally Championship. Beyond its more powerful engine, the STi adds a host of mechanical and performance upgrades, including bigger brakes, more sophisticated chassis electronics and a unique, manually adjustable center differential.
The new STi is at least as fast as ever, but it's also quieter, more understated, and eas.
The Subaru WRX comes as a sedan ($24,350) and a five-door hatchback ($24,850). Both are powered by a 2.5-liter, 224-horsepower turbocharged engine in Subaru's unusual horizontally opposed design, and both come standard with a five-speed manual transmission. A four speed automatic ($1,000) is available with the Premium option package. All WRX models are equipped with Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive.
The WRX comes reasonably well equipped, with a full complement of power features, cruise control, 80-watt audio with an auxiliary input jack, automatic climate control, interior air filter and 17-inch alloy wheels. The hatchback adds nearly 70 percent more cargo capacity, a rear-window wiper and a split/folding rear seat.
Options include the Premium package ($2,000) with heated front seats and an 11-speaker audio system with a 100-watt amplifier, among other things. The Navigation package ($4,000) includes the Premium package contents plus a GPS navigation system with seven-inch screen, satellite radio, digital sound processing, Bluetooth connectivity and an auxiliary video jack. Standalone options include body molding colors ($180), various deck-lid spoilers ($335), a battery warmer ($30), a subwoofer and power amp for the base audio system ($370), and XM or Sirius satellite radio hardware ($398).
The WRX STi ($34,995) is available only as a hatchback, and only with a six-speed manual transmission. The STi is equipped comparably to the standard WRX with Premium package, though the extra money mainly adds performance, starting with the 305-hp 2.5-liter engine.
STi options include forged, 18-inch BBS wheels ($2,000), in gold or silver, and a Navigation package ($3,800) that includes the navigation system, BBS wheels, and leather upholstery.
Safety features, in addition to all-wheel drive, include Vehicle Dynamics Control anti-skid electronics and four-channel, four-sensor anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD). EBD keeps stopping power balanced between wheels regardless of the traction underneath. All models come with dual-stage front airbags with occupant sensors. Front passenger side-impact airbags and curtain-style head airbags for all outboard occupants are also standard. The WRX has achieved some of the best ratings in its class in National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests, with five stars for front impacts, five stars for front passengers in side impacts, and four stars in rollover tests.
The 2008 WRX and WRX STi are all new for 2008, meaning that virtually every component or system within the car has been substantially revised, starting with its underlying structure.
Both the WRX and STi are larger than their predecessors. Wheelbase has increased nearly four inches, to 103.3 inches overall, while width has increased more than two inches. In general, the larger exterior dimensions translate to more room inside the car. The WRX four-door sedan, developed specifically for the United States, is more than six inches longer than the five-door hatchback.
Some of the changes aren't apparent to the eye, including a new double-wishbone rear suspension. With this design, the suspension towers encroach less into the WRX's interior and allow more usable cargo space. Both the WRX and STi have an aluminum hood, which reduces weight in front and helps distribute the car's mass more evenly over the front and rear wheels. The engine now sits slightly lower in the chassis, and that helps lower the overall center of gravity. It's a noteworthy consideration in a car designed to maximize performance.
Racy styling, of course, has always been a WRX calling card, full of wings and vents and boy-racer add-ons. In this respect, the 2008 models may disappoint some faithful fans, because all are more subtle, perhaps more holistic, than their predecessors. The aggressive look flows less from accoutrements on their bodies and more from their basic shapes.
The changes start in front and surge backward from there. The new grille and front end are wider and bit less vertical, with a more prominent logo. Subaru says the look is intended to create a connection to its heritage as an aircraft manufacturer. In side view, the most prominent bit of design is a sharp crease that extends from the front wheel arch and runs just above the door handles all the way to the rear. It helps create the impression of a wedge, and emphasizes the aggressive flare of the rockers between the wheels. From the rear, the WRX sedan and hatchback are distinguished by more than the obvious trunk lid, or lack thereof. The sedan has conventional red taillight lenses, while those on the hatchback are clear.
American buyers overwhelmingly prefer sedans to hatchbacks, but in the WRX's case we'll take the hatch, and not just for its practical benefits. We'd say it's the more handsome car. Its roofline runs in a single, elegant curve from the base of the windshield to a spoiler at the top of the rear glass, and its rear overhang is considerably shorter than the sedan's. The basic shape is reminiscent of the Audi A3 hatchback, only rounder and stretched out around the bottom.
The STi is available only as a hatchback, and it's the raciest looking WRX of all, particularly with the optional forged, thin-spoke BBS wheels. The STi was first created as a homologation car, or a required street-legal copy of Subaru's winning World Rally Championship competitors. Its fenders bulge more prominently than those on the other WRX models to stretch over its extra-wide tires, and all its various vents and air deflectors are functional. Yet like the other 2008 WRXs, the STi is more subtle than before. Its working air scoop flows more smoothly into the hood, and the integrated spoiler above its rear glass is far less obvious than the honking, two-stage rear wing of yore.
The STi unitbody also has some significant enhancements compared to other WRX models, starting with extra high-strength steel at suspension mounting points and key structural joints. Yet the structure within all Impreza models has been thoroughly re-engineered for the first time in more than a decade. Subaru claims that, while the 2008 body shells are larger, stronger and less prone to flexing than their predecessors, they are also lighter.
The new Impreza applies the latest evolution of what Subaru calls its Ring Frame Reinforced body design. Think of RFR as a sa.
Inside, the redesigned 2008 WRX is a bit roomier and a lot nicer than the previous-generation model. Since its introduction in the late 1990s, the WRX has been more about the go than the accommodations, but this new one puts things on more equal terms. Features, too, are more upscale. Niceties such as a sophisticated anti-theft system, cabin air filtration and an outside temperature gauge come standard, while a navigation system is optional.
The front bucket seats in the standard WRX are upholstered with a soft, woven fabric, double stitched in the fashion of a luxury car. At least as important, these seats provide a good compromise between support and comfort. There's enough side bolstering top and bottom to keep occupants snug during fairly aggressive driving, but there's also plenty of give in the cushions. The leather/Alcantara seats in the STi are more like aftermarket performance seats, which means harder and more heavily bolstered. They're even better for hard driving, but the snugger fit leaves less squirm room during longer, more relaxed travel, and they demand more energy to climb in and out of.
Seat adjustments are fairly simple, but also effective, allowing people of various sizes to get properly situated. Overall, the WRX driving position is excellent. Most drivers will be able to reach all controls, including those for adjusting side mirrors, without lifting head or shoulders from the seatback. One minor gripe regarding the armrests: They're positioned such that each elbow rests at a slightly different height.
Overall the cabin is more subdued than before, with no embroidered logos to remind occupants what they're sitting in. The gauges are less garish, too, but easy to read and backlit with orange light. The trim is a metal-ized silver plastic. You can find more attractively grained plastics and maybe richer looking trim materials in this price range, but nothing in the WRX looks cheap enough to kill the deal. That's at least partly because the dashboard layout is so straightforward and effective.
Subaru calls the dash a twin cockpit design. Translation: The size and shape are roughly symmetrical on both the driver and passenger sides, with a big, outreaching center stack in the middle. All the gauges are clustered in a single binnacle directly in front of the driver. The four dash vents are fully adjustable and large enough to move plenty of air.
An LCD information display sits under its own hood at the top of the center stack, with temperature indicator, time and other information. At the bottom sit three big climate-control knobs: one each for temperature, airflow direction and fan speed, easy to grab with barely a peripheral glance, operating with a nice tactile sensation that conveys the amount of adjustment. In between is the standard audio head or the optional nav screen. Both are good sized and easy to manipulate. While the audio knobs aren't as big as those for the air conditioning, most adjustments are replicated with buttons on the steering wheel spokes.
Interior storage is average and easily accessible. The glove box is deep, holding more stuff than most, and there's a lined bin in front of the gearshift for phones, openers or glasses. A pair of cupholders sits in the center console, just right of the handbrake and hidden with a sliding cover in the STi. Another cupholder in each door pocket is large enough for a 24-ounce bottle. The box in the center console has jacks for MP3 players and a power point. Models with the navigation system also feature a video jack. This allows video games or DVD players to project on the nav screen, but only when the car is parked.
In all, this WRX feels less confining, perhaps more airy, than the previous generation. The glass seems more expansive, even though the side windows are now framed in the doors, rather than pressed against weather-stripping on the roof and roof columns, coupe style. In front, the feeling o.
Driving Impression
The Subaru WRX has always been a blast to drive, and the all-new 2008 model won't disappoint. Long-time automobile enthusiasts who haven't driven something really new in the last five or six years might be amazed by the performance in these moderately priced small cars, and all aspects of it: acceleration, handling and braking. Yet this WRX is more a complete package than ever. Even the super-quick STi is much easier to live with for daily driving. Hardcore sport-compact enthusiasts might lament this new-found civility, but mainstream buyers will find it much easier to embrace.
The refinement is apparent from the first turn of the key. Where the old STi had almost the hollow, reverberating sound one expects inside a stripped-out race car, the 2008 sounds more like the typical family sedan inside, except for the more aggressively tuned exhaust tone. And it's not just a reduction in engine noise. All WRXs now have windows framed into the doors, rather than a door structure that stops where the windows start sliding out. All models are fitted with a full undertray that smoothes airflow beneath the car, and we suspect there is more sound insulating material than ever. Road and wind noise have been reduced considerably at all speeds.
This WRX continues Subaru's tradition of horizontally opposed engines, meaning the cylinders are laid flat with the pistons on each side moving in opposite directions (same as the engines in Porsche's sports cars). Like all engine designs, this one has advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages is compact size, and the prospect of installing the engine low in the car. Flat-four engines have a distinctive, loping vibration pattern that can quickly be distinguished by motorheads, though like all the vibrations in the new WRX, it's more muted than ever.
At face value, the engines don't seem to have changed much. Output in the standard 2008 WRX 2.5-liter four (226 horsepower, 224 pound-feet of torque) is identical to that of the previous model. Horsepower with the STi increases by 12 to 305 hp, with 290 lb-ft of torque. In both cases, it's a lot of power for the engine's size, yet the figures don't say much about improvements to the WRX engines. Both versions are now 50 pounds lighter than before (other things equal, that means better gas mileage), and fitted with the latest-generation control electronics to improve overall efficiency and reduce emissions. Perhaps more significantly, the power curve has been broadened, so the power is available sooner on the rpm scale, and over a wider range. The acceleration-producing grunt comes sooner, and stays strong as the engine continues to rev.
The same sort of transparent refinement has been applied throughout the WRX's mechanical and electronic systems. For the first time, a single management program controls the electronic throttle, the full-time all-wheel-drive, and the Vehicle Dynamics Control. Even the antilock brakes are integrated. That allows a host of possibilities that can enhance safety and improve handling and overall performance.
The standard WRX takes care of just about everything for the driver, leaving the choices to the computer chip. The STi, on the other hand, lets the driver sort through a bunch of options using a series of buttons on the center console.
One STi feature, called SI-Drive, allows a choice of three maps for the electronic throttle, ranging from commute grade to extra aggressive. This allows the driver to control how much the engine accelerates with a given movement of the gas pedal: smooth, mild response to big dips on the pedal, or major acceleration with small dips. The VDC also offers choices: Standard, Off, and Performance, which allows enough wheel slip to slide the car but still tries to gather things up if it gets too sloppy. A manual adjustment for the center differential controls how much of the power is sent to the front or rear wheels, as it is in a.
The Subaru Impreza WRX and WRX STi are engaging, appealing small cars and almost unique in the market place. Both are as fast and as fun as ever, but a redesign for 2008 adds a big shot of comfort and refinement. Both are practical and reasonably economical to operate. More than ever, they make excellent cars for commuters who like a little spice in their daily drive. Of course, the WRX models cost more than the typical small, front-drive car (the STi much more so), and their performance and standard all-wheel-drive comes with a mileage penalty compared to many cars of similar size and weight. But those are trade-offs their buyers are willing to make.
J.P. Vettraino filed this report to NewCarTestDrive.com from Monterey, California, after his test drives of the WRX and STi models.
Model Lineup
Subaru Impreza WRX sedan ($24,350); WRX five-door ($24,850); STi ($34,995).
Assembled In
Ota Gunma, Japan.
Options As Tested
Satellite Radio/Navigation Package ($4,100) includes heated front seats, 100-watt, 11-speaker audio with digital processing and XM or Sirius satellite radio hardware, GPS navigation with auxiliary video input jack and Bluetooth connectivity; center armrest ($163).
Model Tested
Subaru Impreza WRX five-door ($24,850).The Impreza has been redesigned for 2008. Featuring an all-new exterior appearance and new interior which has a higher level of fit and finish. The base Impreza model features a 173-hp four-cylinder, engine with the option of either an automatic or manual transmission. The sporty WRX model comes with a turbocharged version that gets 224 horsepower. All versions are all-wheel drive and come in either hatchback or sedan form. The redesign gives the Impreza an appearance far different from that of its predecessor, as it is now rounder and subtler and sits on a longer wheelbase. Most noticeably, the grille features just one frame instead of three. The interior provides added comfort and luxury. Safety features such as six airbags and four-wheel antilock disc brakes are standard. The Impreza receives an exterior redesign and some interior changes for 2008.
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Florence Welch Joining the Rolling Stones for London Show?
The Rolling Stones have a history of inviting eclectic acts to support them on the road. In recent years, everyone from Sugar Ray to Sheryl Crow has opened for the Biggest Band on Earth, and tomorrow night (Nov. 29), that list will reportedly grow to include Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine.
The U.K.'s Daily Mirror tabloid (via the NME) reports that Welch will join the Stones (along with rock legend Eric Clapton) for an all-star version of the band's classic hit 'Gimme Shelter' during its next show at London's O2 Arena. The second in a brief string of sold-out gigs in honor of the band's 50th anniversary, it comes after a concert that saw guest appearances from Mary J. Blige, Jeff Beck and former Stones Mick Taylor and Bill Wyman.
"Mary J. Blige did the female vocal part for the first show, which blew the crowd away," an anonymous source told the Mirror. "But Florence is determined to raise the bar even higher. It will be an incredible moment. Eric is also taking part at some point, which will be historic too."
Pointing out that Welch's busy tour schedule makes her Stones cameo something of a logistic feat, the source added, "It is very, very tight indeed but it will definitely happen. You would never in a million years turn down the opportunity to duet with Mick on such an iconic song."


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Everyday Art at School & Home: A Book for Children, Parents, Teachers and Students
B. T. Batsford, Limited, 1929 - Art - 242 pages
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A. H. Church accuracy Algernon Blackwood beauty blackboard blue brush centre Charles Dalmon child clay contrasts cretonne dark decoration definite drawing lesson drawn EDWARD JOHNSON effect ellipse exercise experience figure FIGURE DRAWING finished flowers free expression give given green H. D. C. Pepler hand height horizontal infant school Lady Margaret Sackville landscape lead leaf letters light and shade lines look Messrs natural object object-drawing paint paper pattern pencil perspective picture composition piece plan and elevation plant-drawing Plate XLV power of mimicry practice primary colours proportion R. L. Stevenson realise rhythm Robert Bridges round scribble seen shadow shape side sketch sky-pictures space spot strokes surface teacher things thought tone upper school upper standards variety W. H. Davies water-colour window yellow young children


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Most nonprofit CEOs would love to have a person like Jim working for them. Jim has 13 years of financial experience at General Electric Co. and 28 years at J.P. Morgan, and he currently works for the March of Dimes Foundation doing strategic planning, marketing, information technology, training, and research. Jim is not, however, a full-time employee. Rather, Jim is a 77-year-old volunteer.1 Jim enjoyed his volunteer work at the March of Dimes so much that his wife, Sari, joined him. Her volunteer position includes recruiting other volunteers—and she's pretty good at it. In 2007, she helped recruit 42 volunteers who donated a total of more than 11,000 hours (valued at an estimated $200,000 of in-kind services).2 In addition to volunteering, Jim and Sari are donors—members of the March of Dimes' President's Society—and have convinced the rest of their family to participate. Their daughter, Beth, raised $3,000 over two years through the March of Dimes' March for Babies walkathon, and Beth's 12-year-old son is now forming his own walking team. Already into their third year of service, Jim and his family are creating a large amount of value for the March of Dimes. And the March of Dimes is just one of the organizations where they volunteer.
As Jim and Sari illustrate, volunteering, when channeled correctly, can be a highly valuable asset. The March of Dimes, however, is one of the few organizations that use volunteers effectively. Sadly, most nonprofits do not view their volunteers as strategic assets and have not developed ways to take full advantage of them. In fact, most nonprofits are losing staggering numbers of volunteers every year. Of the 61.2 million people who volunteered in 2006, 21.7 million—more than one-third—did not donate any time to a charitable cause the following year.3 Because these volunteers gave about 1.9 billion hours in 2006, and the value of their donated time was about $20 per hour4—that calculates to about $38 billion in lost volunteer time in one year.
As impressive as the $38 billion figure is, the actual lost value might be even greater. If a nonprofit were paying someone to handle the jobs that Jim and Sari do, the cost would be much more than $20 an hour. Volunteers can do much more than stuff envelopes.
A few nonprofits have grasped this concept and are taking what we call a talent management approach—investing in the infrastructure to recruit, develop, place, recognize, and retain volunteer talent. These are the savvy managers who recognize that there is a new national momentum and opportunity to engage more Americans to help solve America's intensifying social and environmental problems. Despite the recent national attention generated by the first-ever ServiceNation Presidential Candidates Forum, a new bipartisan legislative proposal to expand support for volunteering and service, and the emergence of cabinet-level positions on volunteering in two states, most nonprofits are still letting volunteer talent slip away like water through a leaky bucket.
Nonprofits Need More Talent
The nonprofit sector desperately needs the professional skills offered by volunteers. The nation's nonprofits are under strain from the current economic crisis, a leadership drain as older executives retire, and high turnover among younger nonprofit staff . Volunteers are an undervalued and underused resource for tackling these challenges.
Volunteers, for example, can help nonprofits save money by providing technology services, developing programs, training staff , and conducting strategic planning, all without being paid a salary. Volunteers can also ease financial pressures by helping nonprofits raise money. Volunteers are effective fundraisers because their personal commitment to the organization's mission makes them convincing advocates for the cause. In addition, volunteers are likely to donate to the organization at which they serve. Despite these benefits, few nonprofits use wide-scale volunteer mobilization as a principal funding strategy.
And it's not just money that's tight. The nonprofit sector is also facing a leadership crisis. Research has found that nonprofits can expect to lose more than 50 percent of their current leadership by 2010.5 Nonprofits also face high turnover rates among mid-level and entry-level professional staff . A 2007 study by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network found that 45 percent of nonprofit workers predict that their next job will not be at a nonprofit. These young staffers cited burnout among the top reasons for leaving.
To alleviate staff burnout, nonprofits can bring in older, experienced volunteers. Retired baby boomer volunteers can mentor young nonprofit professionals, leading to improved staff morale and lower turnover. Volunteers can also take on leadership roles formerly performed by paid staff . In some instances, volunteers can even manage paid staff .
Some work is simply best performed by volunteers. Local volunteers may know their community's assets, important players, and underlying challenges better than any paid staff person, helping the nonprofit stay connected to the community. Volunteers can also serve as evangelists to the larger community, helping to promote the nonprofit and its mission.
Why Volunteer Talent Leaves
National volunteer rates are declining. Between 2005 and 2006, the percent of volunteers who did not do any volunteering the following year increased from 32 percent to 36 percent. Although nonprofits can expect, and in some cases even desire, some attrition, losing more than one out of three volunteers from one year to the next is clearly a problem.
Why are volunteers opting out? The 2003 Volunteer Management Capacity Study conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS, the organization we are affiliated with), the Urban Institute, and the UPS Foundation provides some clues. The study concludes that fewer than half of nonprofits that manage volunteers have adopted a significant number of important volunteer management practices. Here are five of the main reasons why volunteers are not returning.
Not Matching Volunteers' Skills with Assignments. Volunteers with valuable and specialized skills are often dispatched to do manual labor rather than tasks that use their professional talents. The prime goals of corporate volunteer programs, for example, are building teams and increasing morale, which are most easily accomplished by groups of people doing manual labor. For example, every spring in cities across the country, hundreds of professionals turn out to paint walls and plant flowers at local schools. Although this has its time and place, most community organizations really need an ongoing involvement that taps volunteers' professional skills rather than a onetime project that uses their manual labor. Volunteers often don't get much out of the experience, either. Many of these volunteers get an empty feeling when they know that the job they've been given is make-work or a photo op.
Failing to Recognize Volunteers' Contributions. Nonprofits need to recognize volunteers both through an organizational culture that values them and through specific appreciation ceremonies and events. In their annual reports, most nonprofits list all individual donors categorized by the amount of money they have donated. Very few nonprofits, however, do the same for people who donate their time. Naming individual volunteers with the number of hours they have contributed (and perhaps the dollar value) is one way to demonstrate a culture that values volunteers. The Capital Area Food Bank of Texas does this and also profiles individual volunteers in its annual report.
Not Measuring the Value of Volunteers. Most nonprofits do not measure the dollar value that volunteers provide to their organization. This reflects the lack of seriousness with which many organizations view volunteers and tends to compound the problem. If nonprofit leaders had hard data demonstrating the value of volunteers, as the March of Dimes does, they would be more likely to invest more time and money in developing volunteer talent.
Failing to Train and Invest in Volunteers and Staff. Volunteers need training to understand the organizations with which they are working, and employees need to be trained to work with volunteers. Nonprofits rarely invest substantial amounts of time or money in volunteer recruiters and managers. For example, a youth service organization in Florida reported that at one time it had a busy receptionist managing several hundred volunteers. Unfortunately, the receptionist model of volunteer management is all too common. Nationally, one-third of paid nonprofit staff who manage volunteers have never had "any formal training in volunteer administration, such as coursework, workshops, or attendance at conferences that focus on volunteer management."6
Failing to Provide Strong Leadership. Most nonprofit leaders are simply not taking the time to develop or support volunteer talent adequately—resulting in a poor or bland experience that leads to an unmotivated volunteer who has little reason to return. Most nonprofit leaders do not place a high value on volunteer talent. If they did, they would dedicate more resources to the task—not assign it to a receptionist. When told of this article, the CEO of a large national youth service organization said, "I think you're on to something: 90 percent of our labor is performed by volunteers, yet our strategic plan makes no mention of them."
Why isn't volunteering more respected? Why aren't more organizations investing in volunteering? One problem may lie with the term itself. The word "volunteer" doesn't say anything about the nature of the service provided, except implying that it is free. It is often assumed that something free is not valuable. Maybe we should use different words—like fundraiser, project manager, or legal counsel—that describe the work performed and help erode outdated ideas about the value of the volunteer workforce.
Volunteerism also suffers from being thought of as something that is nice, but not necessary. When people think of volunteers, they often envision people spending a day cleaning up trash or planting flowers—projects that are helpful, but not essential. If the volunteer had not planted those flowers, would the nonprofit have paid someone else to do it? When nonprofit leaders see that volunteers can do highly skilled work that the organization would have otherwise paid for, volunteering will begin to get some respect.
Capitalizing on Volunteer Talent
To capitalize on the opportunity presented by volunteer talent, nonprofit leaders need to expand their vision of volunteering, integrate volunteers into their strategic planning, and reinvent the way that their organizations support and manage volunteer talent.
If nonprofit leaders want highly skilled volunteers to come and stay, they need to expand their vision of volunteering by creating an experience that is meaningful for the volunteer, develops skills, demonstrates impact, and taps into volunteers' abilities and interests. More people need to understand that people will make time to volunteer if they are stimulated and engaged. Our research shows that the primary difference between volunteers and non-volunteers, when measuring what they do with their time, is the amount of television they watch. People who do not volunteer watch hundreds of hours of additional TV a year compared to people who do volunteer. It's not that people don't have enough time to volunteer. People do not volunteer because nonprofits do not provide them with volunteer opportunities that interest them enough to pull them away from their television sets.
Rethinking Work Roles. To create compelling opportunities for volunteers, a nonprofit's management team should begin by evaluating the degree to which important roles could be performed by volunteers. Some organizations are elevating the roles of volunteers and blurring the distinctions between paid and nonpaid staff . (See "Filling Important Roles" on p. 36.) At the American Red Cross, for example, a volunteer chairperson runs the volunteer division and supervises paid staff . At the March of Dimes, people often move back and forth from senior paid positions to volunteer positions. Nonprofits also need to explore hybrid models of work and volunteering such as Experience Corps and ReServe. In these programs, people receive a modest stipend for their sustained and high-impact service, ensuring that people of varying income levels can participate.
Assigning Appropriate Tasks. Nonprofits must assign volunteers jobs that make the most of their skills and talents. For example, marketing experts from the consulting firm Deloitte were preparing for a traditional volunteer project—taking stock of donated inventory at a thrift store operated by Catholic Charities USA. But the Deloitte workers saw ways the thrift store could employ new merchandising techniques and offered pro bono consulting services to help make the changes. The changes the Deloitte volunteers suggested produced strong results: Average monthly revenue at the store rose 20 percent.7 Catholic Charities was planning to use Deloitte employees to sort pants and shirts, which would have returned a value close to minimum wage. Instead, Deloitte employees put their analytic and consulting skills to work and returned a value of approximately $150 per hour. Not only do nonprofits get more value from using highly skilled volunteers to perform highly skilled functions, but these volunteers are also more likely to offer their services again. CNCS research found that volunteers who engage in less challenging activities tend to be less likely to continue volunteering the following year. Only 53 percent of volunteers who did "general labor" activities or supplied transportation continued volunteering the following year. By contrast, 74 percent of volunteers performing professional or management activities continued volunteering.
Creating Bonding Experiences. One of the best ways that nonprofits can engage volunteers is to create experiences that develop strong attachments between the volunteer and the organization. The March of Dimes, for example, is constantly thinking about how to channel the interest of a onetime volunteer into a more sustained commitment. A volunteer might walk in the March for Babies two years in a row and then drop out. That person has not necessarily lost her passion for helping babies, she just needs a new challenge and more opportunities to stay involved. To keep her engaged, the March of Dimes might ask her to speak with groups of expectant moms on the importance of folic acid and prenatal checkups. That could lead to her managing a local fundraising event or recruiting corporate sponsors. The March of Dimes has found that by increasing responsibility, tailoring assignments to volunteer interests, and providing training and in-person networking opportunities, they are able to hang on to more volunteers.
Supporting and Training Volunteers. Nonprofits also need to support their volunteers. The American Cancer Society, for example, respects and cares for volunteers in the same manner that the organization cares for its own staff . Their chief talent officer ensures that staff and volunteers participate together in orientation and training classes and work together on important projects such as creating curriculum, delivering quality of life programs to cancer patients and their families, and serving as community health liaisons. The American Cancer Society also expects its staff to recruit and work with community volunteers, and it enforces this through performance reviews that measure volunteer engagement.
Using New Technology. New technologies allow nonprofits to communicate with volunteers inexpensively and to build social networks that connect volunteers with one another and with the nonprofit. Organizations like VolunteerMatch and Zazengo have developed technology that makes it easy for volunteers to find opportunities based on their needs, interests, and skills. With this technology, volunteers no longer need to go to a Web site to search for opportunities; the right ones come to them. Technology also allows people to volunteer without having to leave their homes. One of our colleagues, for example, develops and maintains Web sites pro bono without leaving her home.
Developing Strategic Plans. To make effective use of volunteer talent, nonprofit leaders must integrate volunteers into their strategic plans. In 2007, the leaders of 11 major nonprofit organizations and the authors of this article met to discuss ways to engage volunteers and laid out the ingredients for this process. Nonprofit participants such as Goodwill Industries, United Way of America, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America zeroed in on strategic planning as the most critical and neglected step in managing volunteers. By treating volunteers as the valuable resource they are, nonprofits get more challenging work done, reap the benefit of more volunteer hours, and incur fewer costs associated with having to replace lost volunteers each year.
Attracting a New Wave of Volunteering Talent
Even with the best planning and management, nonprofits will always need to recruit new volunteers to support new or expanded programs and to replace those volunteers who inevitably stop coming. The most promising places for nonprofits to recruit new volunteer talent are among retired baby boomers, young people (millennials), businesses, and religious organizations.
Retiring baby boomers offer nonprofits experience, management skills, and vast numbers. Older American volunteers will increase 50 percent by 2020. Boomers are also healthier and more educated, and they are predicted to live longer than their parents. Perhaps half of these people will continue working into their 70s, which should ultimately encourage more volunteering later in life. Although one might assume that older people with jobs are less likely to volunteer, working appears to encourage people to stay more connected with their community and maintain social networks that promote volunteering.8
At the other end of the age spectrum, America's young people are increasingly interested in making a difference. One recent study revealed that 68 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 26 prefer to work for a company that provides professional volunteer opportunities. 9 This trend is likely to continue. The UCLA Higher Education Research Institute reported in 2005 a 25-year high in first-year students' belief that it is "essential or important to help others."10
Pro bono business services are another emerging source of talent. In February 2008, CNCS joined with the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation to bring together more than 150 business, government, and nonprofit leaders in a summit on pro bono services. The summit identified the benefits to companies of providing pro bono services and sought to expand the pro bono ethic (typically identified with the legal profession) throughout the corporate community. Summit participants kicked off "A Billion + Change," a three-year campaign to leverage $1 billion in skilled volunteering and pro bono services from the corporate community. To date, more than 23 companies have pledged more than $400 million in professional services.
Religious partnerships are a largely untapped area of volunteer talent: 85 percent of nonprofits with secular missions report that they do not have one partnership with a religious group.11 This religious- secular divide is all the more troubling when one considers the tremendous opportunity religious organizations offer: More people volunteer through religious organizations than any other kind of organization, and religious volunteers often engage in substantial work outside their congregation.
Former Philadelphia mayor Reverend W. Wilson Goode Sr.'s Amachi program spearheaded an effective secular-religious partnership that included Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, AmeriCorps VISTA, and local religious congregations across the country. Amachi had the kids who need mentoring, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America had the mentoring expertise, the congregations had people who want to mentor, and VISTA coordinated the collaboration.
Nonprofits can also use religious organizations to expand their reach into the African-American, Hispanic, and Asian communities. Each group does more than one-third of all their volunteering with religious groups. It is particularly important for nonprofits to tap into these communities, because racial minority populations are growing as a percentage of the overall U.S. population.
Thriving With Volunteer Talent
Sari (the March of Dimes volunteer we profiled at the beginning of this article) helped produce the equivalent of $200,000 worth of labor in one year. What was March of Dimes' investment in Sari? About $13,000 a year. That represents a return of more than 15 times the organization's investment. And Sari is just one volunteer in the March of Dimes' offices.
Older, educated volunteers like Sari and Jim have the potential to perform valuable and highly skilled work, donate money, and activate social networks that multiply the impact of their individual contributions. By 2020, there will be millions more like them, thanks to the coming wave of retiring baby boomers. Simultaneously, companies are providing more opportunities for working professionals to engage in pro bono and volunteer work, as part of the company's efforts to recruit and retain the most talented people.
This surge in professional people interested in putting their skills to good use creates a tremendous opportunity for nonprofits. The sector can't squander that opportunity by assigning these volunteers to nice, but non-mission-critical work. Social entrepreneurs, nonprofit executives, and other public service leaders need to modernize their understanding of the value of unpaid work and embrace volunteer talent of all ages as an important way to fulfill their mission.
A new wave of volunteer talent is building. Some nonprofit leaders will take advantage of this opportunity and exponentially grow their impact; the rest will be left behind trying to make do the old way.


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Parts of North Carolina recovering from Friday's tornadoes
Severe weather brought a round of tornadoes and damaging winds to North Carolina on Friday evening, according to officials.
The National Weather Service confirmed multiple tornado touchdowns in the area from Chicod and Beaufort Counties. They are still investigating, but say they appear to be of at least an EF-2 intensity. An official report will be released later today.
There have been no fatalities reported, but several people are reported injured – at least one critically – according to a Pasquotank County Emergency Management spokesperson.
Tornado cleanup is now underway in several counties. The North Carolina Office of Emergency Management and local officials report that several homes and businesses sustained damage in the storm.
John Pack, spokesman for the Beaufort County Emergency Management, estimated more than 200 homes in his county sustained major damage, and 2,500 homes are now without power. The National Weather Service, county volunteer fire crews and more than 100 electrical crews are working to assist residents.
A strong storm system could bring more severe weather — including tornadoes, damaging winds and hail — to much of the country this weekend.
As the storm moves over the Rockies toward the plains, the weather is expected to linger through at least Tuesday.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, which monitors severe weather across the United States, this storm poses a serious risk of tornadoes across parts of the country, with southern Missouri, Arkansas, northeast Texas, northern Louisiana, northern Mississippi and western Tennessee having the greatest risk of violent tornadoes.
The SPC said it may upgrade tomorrow's threat level to "high risk." This would be the first "high risk" threat this year – a warning that is typically issued only a few times a year.
According to the SPC, this year has been one of the quietest tornado seasons in U.S. history, and we have set a record for going the longest into a new year without a tornado fatality.
CNN meteorologist Matt Daniels predicts a slight risk of severe storms Saturday evening from central Texas into southeast South Dakota. This may include damaging winds and large hail, but does not rule out a few tornadoes.
Sunday, the moderate risk of storms expands to include the area from Houston north to Des Moines, Iowa. Strong tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail are possible in the afternoon and evening.
Monday, the severe weather advances further east into northeast Louisiana, Mississippi, northwest Alabama and western Tennessee. There is also a slight risk of storms stretching into the Midwest, north Georgia and western South Carolina and North Carolina. These storms could produce damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes (some could be strong) throughout the day.
All residents in affected areas are urged to monitor weather reports and take appropriate safety precautions.


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Toei Movieland Studio hadn't been on our official itinerary, but I convinced people to give it a try even though I was the only big Japanese movie fan in the bunch. Toei had given some of my absolute favorite sci-fi superhero shows, and the chance to see one of their studios was too good for me to pass up. After shelling out a rather hefty ¥2500 per person to get in (note: this was in 2001; it is probably more now), I quickly began to realize it wasn't going to be as cool as I'd hoped. The entrance was was a museum of samurai and ninja articles, most of them from then upcoming movie Red Shadow. A large screen television played clips of various Toei samurai movies and histories of the studio. None of it was especially interesting, unfortunately.
Once out of the main hall, however, things got better. The bulk of what you want to see is on the backlot, which contains an entire mock village from feudal Japan that is used for filming the studio's various samurai television dramas. It's rare to visit the studios and not catch a cast and crew busy filming scenes for something (though we suspected these filming sessions to be staged purely for the amusement of park goers). The village itself is completely open to visitors except for the parts of it that are currently being used for filming, so you can wander around the dusty alleys and back streets and really feel like you've just lost yourself in Edo period Japan. Makes for some good photos that will fool the friends and loved ones back home.
Scattered among the backlot's sundry crossing paths are stunt and special effects shows, art exhibits, an animatronic sea monster that rises up out of a fake pool, a dungeon with screaming severed heads, and carnival fare like games and souvenir huts. Separated from the gang, we stumbled upon a haunted house attraction that cost ¥500 to get into. Seeing how I'd forked over nearly as much for the lame old Dante's Inferno at Coney Island just a few weeks before, I figured it would be worth a visit.
And it was. Very cool walk-through attraction with gorgeous rooms filled with all manner of horrors from the folklore of Japan. Zombies, skeletons, ghosts, kappa, monsters I don't even know the names for. And of course, various ghouls and bloody murder victims that leap out at you and give you a good scare. Unfortunately, a group of schoolgirls ahead of us shrieked wildly at everything, sort of tipping us off to when live actors were going to bring on the scare. The final room is a dead end with no entrance or exit visible once you go in. All there is in the bamboo and tatami room is a motionless suit of samurai armor that seems like it should jump up and scare you, but it doesn't. It just sits there, and the anticipation grows and grows. Me, spoil it? Hardly. Suffice it to say that it's the best damn haunted house I've been to, partly because it lacked any of the poorly animated gorillas that populate every haunted house at Coney, and partly because it's simply a lavishly decorated and designed attraction full of the history and horror of Japan's rich folklore. Best attraction in the park, in my opinion.
We wandered down more winding paths through very convincing medieval surroundings before arriving at a small cluster of rocks and trees with a creek running through it. Chairs lined up in front of the set beckoned us, so we sat and waited for what the signs promised would a be a pretty cool display of special effects. Shortly after we took our seats, smoke began erupting from the rocks, the creek began to rage, and the ground shook and split apart, spewing mist and smoke into the sky. Slowly, a gigantic horned demon head rose up from the fissures behind the rocks, and at that same moment, a train went by on the tracks running along the nearby outer wall of the backlot. So that was it! I knew I hadn't been crazy when I caught a glimpse of that giant demon from the train on the way to Iwatayama Monkey Park!
After poking around in the gift store dedicated to the Japanese horror film The Ring, then poking around in the larger gift shop where you buy everything from Ultraman underwear to fake samurai hairdos, we headed upstairs in the main hall, where we were immediately greeted by a giant chicken sitting above a huge frying pan filled with oversized plastic fried eggs. What the hell had we just wandered into? In an adjacent room was a two story tall Kamen Rider with flashing eyes standing on a rotating base. Everywhere were virtual reality sim-rides and various novelties like the crooked house and other midway classics. Pretty amusing, but as we goofed off on each one and finally made our way back to the front to meet the guys, it had all been a bit of a letdown. Sure, it had been cool, just not ¥2500 cool.