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What if it doesn't happen as Elon thinks?
What if it doesn't happen as Elon thinks?
Hybrids to me are the worst possible solution - even more COMPLICATED than an ice-age car..! Even a range-extender is preferable.
One day the relative costs of long term servicing between ice-age; hybrid; RE and pure electric will wash out - and I know which one will win that battle!
Some people embrace the change, others try to work it into their comfort zone. The Tesla is a game changer, the others are just cutting corners. It probably won't work out exactly how Elon thinks it will, doesn't make the car any less amazing. When gas hits $7 a gallon and I charge at a free supercharger and my nouveau riche neighbor pays at the pump, who will be wearing the smug smile? Hybrids are much more complicated, wait to see how he feel about his repairs.
Eventually, there will be competitive cars. Only a matter of time for the big ones to go off and match for the big, luxury EV market. By 2020 there will be 5-8 similar models to the S and X.
Don't you know that BMW has been making a 330hp hybrid 3-series for years now. It's a joke, the mpg isn't that great. Even though I love BMW, I wouldn't even consider it for a second. My MS is way better.
This could very well be a near future. The whole EV revolution may end up being an evolution after all. But in the long run the complexity and cost of hybrid cars (and the gas itself) will make them less competitive than pure electric and with the introduction of lighter batteries with longer range they will die out eventually.
Electric will win out in the end. There are too many advantages. For a small example: We're having a heat wave here in San Diego, and I've had occasions to leave the AC running while doing some quick errands. Or getting the AC started up before I get to the car. This is a NICE feature, something that just isn't possible in an ICE.
You are also forgetting that in 2 years (about the time that these hybrids come out) we will have superchargers everywhere which will negate gas station advantages.
The car manufacturers are reacting to the Prius. It'll take them five more years before they start to take the all electric Tesla seriously...
I wouldn't worry too much.
First of all, the general public is not the target audience for either the Model S or the high performance hybrid super cars. While they may be high profit, high margin items, $100,000+ vehicles are not the mainstream. Second, why should I concern myself with what my nouveau riche neighbor drives, and more importantly, why should that have any impact on me? My Model S does not define who I am. My neighbor could get a 1,000 HP super hybrid car, brag about it and smile all day long - good for him or her. I did not buy Model S to have the biggest and baddest car on the block - I bought it because I wanted to be environmentally responsible while getting comparable range to an ICE vehicle. The performance was a great perk, but not a defining feature for me.
The arc here is getting to sustainable transport. Hybrids are not sustainable. Although performance is nice, we cannot focus on that as a defining factor for EVs or even the Model S. The adoption of EVs to get us to a more sustainable place is not dependent on performance, but widespread adoption and making the vehicle practical for the general car buying audience. A person who buys a Camry is not concerned with 0-60 times, but is absolutely concerned with buying a safe, affordable and dependable vehicle for his or her family.
if Tesla can make a really good "E" model at the price point of 35 K and build out the supercharger network then it doesn't matter what hybrids come out in the meantime.
All hybrids still have a fixed range and need to stop and fill up not to mention the fill up can not be done in the convenience of own garage. No?
Dissecting your original post you seem to be asking "Will there be mainstream adoption of pure electric vehicles, or will the general public prefer hybrids?"
There is also a possible hidden question "And if the latter, what does that mean for Tesla?"
Arguably, given the inherent simplicity and advantages of pure electric vehicles, the only problem hybrids solve is range anxiety at a given price point.
I believe therefore the first question depends on the following: is it possible to overcome the emotions surrounding pure electric range anxiety (either through engineering, marketing or both) at a price point which makes them worthy of consideration by the general public? Clearly Elon believes that can be achieved.
If mainsteam adoption does NOT happen, then for "what does that mean for Tesla", one underlying question is "What is required for Tesla to be a sustainable company?" Theoretically that does NOT require mainstream adoption of electric vehicles. It requires Tesla to be able to capture roughly 0.8% of the global market for passenger vehicles (cars). That production rate (500k cars per year) would put it 25th on the 2012 global car production list.
At this point I can see hybrids being more acceptable for many people, but temporarily. Many people that I talk to about my MS can't seem to fathom a car that does not run on gas. Also, it seems like the big automakers either don't get it yet (pure EV) or are so in cohoots with oil that they will resist making a serious EV car as long as they can. Elon and Tesla have worked hard to push through a great EV and I hope for all of us the rest of the world learns to accept the future CO2-free.
I saw that Chevrolet was thinking seriously about a Corvette hybrid.
All I could think is, "WHY!?!?". I just don't get it.
First off, none of these major auto companies will develop a hybrid that is better looking or faster than their best ICE vehicle, because they are FAR to invested in their ICE technology and development infrastructure.
Second; As much as Tesla has made a huge impact on the auto industry, they are FAR from any fear of having to completely change the way they develop vehicles at this point.
Tesla will more likely build a Model S killer LONG before the mainstream auto makers come even close to developing a compeditor to the current MS.
At this point in time, the mainstream auto industry is standing on the sidelines closely watching Tesla. However, until Tesla builds a $30k-$40k Gen III EV, capable of 200+ miles of charge, with the looks of a competing ICE vehicle, and a quick charging intrastructure from coast to coast, that outsells competing priced ICE vehicles, I don't suspect we will see much of anything that is real Tesla killer.
The Model S is an uncompromising pure electric. The Corvette is an uncompromising ICE sports car. I agree with you. The idea of a hybrid Corvette makes me queasy.
If you're going to do that, why not put in a back seat and a trunk? And some people can't afford to tune up that V8, so put in a V6, that's good enough! What do you mean it's a Camry? It says Corvette on it, doesn't it?
I think we'll end up fully electric for consumer vehicles. It would have taken goodness knows how long at the previous pace introduced by hybrids. Tesla sped things up. I personally have no concern we'll evolve to hybrids and stop there. Remember, Tesla isn't trying to dominate the auto industry...it's trying to accelerate an idea which would have taken decades upon decades otherwise.
Hybrids are nice because they overcome range issues. Unfortunately, the supercharger roll-outs are in the process of making range issues a non-factor, effectively taking one more argument away from hybrids. The natural chain of evolution sways back to full electric.
When you disrupt an industry it takes time for the industry to catch up. In 2007 Apple's iPhone was so far ahead of anything at the time in 2007. Only in the last 12-18 months has there been some real pressure put on Apple by competitors that would challenge their dominance in industry profit share. Tesla is basically following a similar roadmap right down to the ecosystem (Apple has iTunes, Tesla has superchargers). It's going to take the industry years to catch up to Model S, and by then Tesla will be on Model S 2.5 and will have launched Model E(veryone).
In the unlikely event that the industry leapfrogs Tesla, that only puts pressure on Tesla to innovate and compete - abilities which Tesla clearly seems to possess. Tesla has already carved out a name for itself judging by the looks I get when I drive my car. This vehicle is legendary, it seems, and Tesla is just getting started. I remember when Steve Jobs, during one of his iPhone or iPad keynots, said "and we're only just getting started". The same could be said for Tesla as well.
What's wrong with being nouveau riche? You guys say that with a hint of disdain. I'm not rich, so when I become rich, I'll be one of them. So that would make me less than you? Or dumber than you? I'm not sure where you're going with that. Tesla hits 300/share I'll be right there.
I'll guarantee I'll buy an S though.
I see hybrids as a necessary stepping point in the evolution of the automobile.
Sure I stepped over it, and directly to the Tesla MS. But, did I really? No I still have an ICE car for various reasons. So in my buying decision I still went with a hybrid solution.
The hybrid solution was two cars instead of one.
Sure a hybrid car can seem like an inelegant solution, but it gets the job done for a lot of people. Something like the Volt gives the the short range electric for their commute, and higher range for travel.
In my opinion most of us are hybrids. There are only a few of us that have truly left the safety blanket of the ICE.
@Tikiman - "First off, none of these major auto companies will develop a hybrid that is better looking or faster than their best ICE vehicle, because they are FAR to invested in their ICE technology and development infrastructure."
Maybe Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren aren't in the same league as BMW and Mercedes, but have you checked out the 'LaFerrari', the 918 and the McLaren P1?
From Wikipedia: "LaFerrari is the first mild hybrid from Ferrari, providing the highest power output of any Ferrari"
Change is coming. Pity that everyone else is heading down the hybrid route.
As a consumer, or customer rather, I fear nothing when it comes to competition. Competition shall be welcomed no matter where it comes from as it will provide us with the better product propositions and indeed choices.
Tesla is great for sure. But is no religion. Someone else provides a better over all deal of course that someone shall be judged by its merits - and purchasing decisions to be made.
But rest assured, Elon has his mind deep into the future and he has sought out every possible scenario. His is actually that smart. Don't doubt it. Tesla will have new upgrades, new models and new concepts to take competition head on. And out of this dynamics new and advanced technologies will emerge and we as users shall be lucky to be offered elements to a improved quality of life.
That is how things work in our parts of the world ... strange enough.
S4WRXTTCS -good point, even some of us that have only one car(Model S) have the ability to rent or borrow an ICE if they need one for a trip where it's too difficult to currently make. So indirectly we still have the security of traveling the usual way. Look at the absurd permitting delays Superchargers are facing because of local issues,it's going to be a while before ICE's are obsolete and hybrids are still worth making.
In large companies ( I worked in several ) it is easy to add something, but almost impossible to eliminate something. The gas engine guy and the muffler guy will vote against it. The BMW I3 is the best example of the compromise mentality
- 450 lbs 22 kWh battery pack = 100 miles range ( baseline ). That is a specific energy of 107 Wh per kg. Battery experts will tell you that is state of the art. Unfortunately Tesla packs specific engery is 160 Wh per kg. put that into an I3
- 450 lbs 32 kWh = 150 miles range ( 160 Wh per kg )
Range extender is 330 lbs, add that
- 780 lbs 56 kWh = 250 miles range ( 160 Wh per kg, but I3 chassis weighs much less then MS )
BMW engineering focussed on leightweight chassis, not battery system.
May the best player win.
At this point, MS has the highest safety rating due to the space that is not available for non-pure electric vehicles. It has the lowest drag reduction due to being pure electric. It has low center of gravity due to being pure electric...lower future battery cost with higher capacity is best captured by the pure electric, etc. So at this point, it seems that Tesla has a lot going form them.
Hybrids can be cool. They can be environmentally responsible, at least if you're Toyota and your car is the Prius, top of the mileage heap for ICE cars for over a decade. They can be good for national defense and the trade deficit, because you are sending less dollars overseas in exchange for oil. They don't have reliability and complexity problem per Consumer Reports, and you can get a 50MPG Prius-C for $20K.
Tesla has at least established a niche. It won't go out of business. It may be a game changer, at least I hope it will be.
@Redacted. Where are we sending our money when we buy a Prius? Directly to Japan.
Hybrids, to me, are not the answer. BEV and EREV are the only real way to go. And make mine in the USA, please.
Redshift, you don't have to wait too long. "Considering Military Actions" in Syria is already pushing crude oil prices up.
Yes, while there are a few niche exotic developers using hybrid technology to get more power out of their supercars (rather than using turbos or superchargers), I don't think you will find any companies with a comparable priced car to MS that is trying to trump their best luxury models, unless it's just to make the vehicle faster, at a much higher price-point (like what GM's says they might do with the 2014 Stingray).
Most car manufactures just can't afford to lose money developing a luxury vehicle that is both highly-desirable and uses half of its energy derived from an electric motor / battery to get amazing gas milage, and amazing power. Thus the reson why the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius, BMW i3, etc all look and perform like cheap botton of the line eco-cars for the poor.
I do agree that eventually, it will happen. However, it is still far off for most typical car manufactures.
And Tesla is speeding all of that up. Thanks, T!
Tesla Motors Model S is clearly the gold standard for future electric vehicle transportation. As prices fall to $35,000 in a few years while gas prices increase and the supercharger network is widely available nationwide, the big 3 auto makers will likely update their business model to include innovations in their future vehicles created by Tesla Motors, especially if production numbers can be dramatically increased.
Remember, Elon's stated larger vision is to have a transportation system without utilizing fossil fuels and instead transition to emission free powered electric vehicles world wide.
He has already shared technology and partnered with companies that are also working towards making this future vision become a reality. His leadership and talented team will allow Tesla continued success while at the same time encouraging and providing technological support for additional like minded companies. I am grateful to play a small role in this vision as an early adopter model S owner.
A point that is often overlooked and ultimately one of the most important in the long run is that Tesla and other BEV's are the ultimate Flex-Fuel vehicles. This is because it does not matter how the electricity is generated. If you can turn a generator somehow you can get electicity. So if one method dominates it is no problem be it oil, gas or wine the BEV will simply make that fuel more efficient in getting forward motion. Although, for me solar and other renewables is the way.
Hybrid cars on the other hand are still dependant on oil, and are subject to the whims of those suppliers. This leaves the country dependant on those suppliers with all its political ramifications. Also, Hybrids in general are bad at being responsive to the go pedal. I had one of the quickest Hybrids when I purchased it, and it is terrible in this department.
Nouveau riche as a pejorative is only a quick way of saying they did not get the exposure to culture that kids from hereditary wealth did, but they have enough cash to throw it around as if it can buy class, love, respect, or dignity.
Boorish people are class independent though. They come in all credit ratings. And thuggish people too.
But the term isn't about having money. It's about being rude, privileged, and uncouth.
It was true that Elon/TM didn't want to dominate the automotive industry. Until it declined to either participate or compete in making good EVs. Now ...
Elon has taken the gloves off. If it is necessary to out-produce the majors, he's prepared to do it. They have been warned.
What surprises me is that in this entire thread, nobody mentioned fuel cells and hydrogen. In my circles, I have noticed that most people do actually realize that hybrids are just a stepping stone along the way to a new "paradigm", but quite a few of them feel that way about battery-powered EVs too. When questioned about their reasons to think so, some indicate they think batteries will never achieve a sufficient "capacity to weight/volume" ratio. Others think they might, but then the time to charge them will also increase to the point where it becomes highly impractical.
Invariably, these people think that hydrogen fuel cells are the "end solution". It offers much of the benefits battery-powered EVs, including simplicity of the drive train, but will still offer that benefit of very quickly loading a tremendous amount of energy into the car by "filling up the tank" like ICE cars can.
I have to admit that before I came down with the Tesla virus, I shared their believes. I know Elon Musk calls them "fool cells", and indicates that even at their theoretical maximum they are outperformed by current Lithium-Ion batteries, but without a more detailed comparison that's not an argument I can use in any discussion, because my "opponent" would need first to award Elon "God Status" like I do for that argument to be compelling :)
And they counter with:
Batteries will always make cars much heavier and bigger than they need to be - look at the Tesla Model S. Sure, the low center of gravity makes handling much better than you would expect _from such a heavy car_ but that's not an "advantage" of battery cars, rather a smart way to overcome some of the drawbacks. If more weight in the bottom of a car was a pure benefit, every car on the road would simply have a huge lead plate there.
A fuel cell drivetrain isn't much more complex than a battery drivetrain - look at how advanced the battery management system in the Tesla needs to be
Sure, hydrogen tanks on board are a safety issue that needs to be carefully managed and designed for. But so are lithium-ion batteries - look at Boeing and again, at how sophisticated the Tesla battery is. It needs to be monitored by a computer non-stop to keep it from catching fire. Maybe some early hydrogen cars will explode. But some early battery-powered EVs will electrocute their driver when they crash and end up in the water too. Eventually, both systems will be as safe as reasonably required
Yes, hydrogen requires new infrastructure to be set up. But so does fast charging of batteries.
So to summarize, after almost a year on these forums, I feel very capable of "verbally destroying" anyone who believes in ICE technology or hybrids, with compelling arguments and undeniable logic. But I find it much more difficult against someone who actually agrees with all those arguments about the superiority of pure EVs vs ICE and hybrids - but believes in fuel cell technology rather than batteries.
@pebell, did your opponent estimate the cost?
Re safety, really? Wet batteries killing people? If hydrogen potential explosion is no issue, the nuclear should be no issue either for them?
Model S weight comes with longer range. ICE weight reduces fuel efficiency.
Again, may the best win. If fuel cells turn out to be better, lets go there. But until then...
The physics needed for a worldwide fuel cell program is just about impossible. Hydrogen is a battery, not a fuel. It must be created and stored and then "uncreated" by passing through a fuel cell to generate electricity for propulsion. Usually, the power is stored locally in a battery, not from fuel cell to a motor. So, effectively, the H2 is being used as a battery. Why not just charge a battery in the first place? It makes the vehicle simpler and uses the power to charge a battery, not run a water-cracking plant or extract it some other way from chemical refining.
For those of you calling the "non-Tesla EVs" slow or pedantic (ie. the comments about the Leaf and Volt) - I say "so what?" They do perform better than most ICE cars due to their torque off the line and the only real place they fail to perform as well as a Tesla Model-S is in red-light racing, around a race track or when generally spraying testosterone all over the place. They are fine - they are good for cutting the same oil import problem that the Model-S does. Not everyone is rich. In fact, very few people are rich and can afford a $70-110K car. The $35K Model-E is going to be way too expensive for most drivers. Get on board and support ALL aspects of EV evolution. Otherwise, you end up looking like an exclusionary country club member looking down from a high-lofty place. This is a community of like-minded people - if you want to not support the other EVs (75%+ of the EV sold are not Tesla) then you may torpedo the whole EV society and evolution entirely.
@Cindy: the problem with these discussions is that they are typically based on gut feelings and assumptions. Hard figures or even informed "guesstimates" hardly ever enter into the equation.
This wouldn't be a problem if the end result is always determined by "those who have all the facts". But sadly, that isn't so. What I tried to state with my post is that as long as we can't win the "battery vs hydrogen" discussion based on "gut feeling" arguments, there is still a good chance things will swing in the "wrong" direction even if the science is in "our" favor.
As long as there are car companies that publicly state they believe hydrogen and fuel cells are the future, and that message resonates well with the "gut feeling" of the public at large (even if based on dead wrong assumptions), this could very well mean that the "what if it doesn't happen as Elon thinks?" scenario that the OP proposed could easily happen. It wouldn't be the first time that not scientific facts and superior technology, but political and social-economical considerations determine which technology prevails, and which one bites the dust.
I fully agree with you that if it is really a matter of "may the best win", there is nothing to worry about, one way or the other. But I am not so convinced that those are the rules the game is played by.
Who said that batteries will always be heavy?
Using electricity to produce hydrogen to produce electricity?
Not sure if it is very efficient...
To recharge at home from sustainables is the best and the cheapest. No infra structures, no cartels and no dependancies.
When batteries reach 500-600 miles ans price drops, all hybrids and other hydrogen stuffs will all become irrelevants.
@bonaire: Although I have a hard time calling H2 "a battery" rather than "a fuel", I see the validity of the point you are making. If you have a solar panel that captures the energy of the sun during the day, but you want to drive at night, you need to capture that energy and store it for a while until you use it. You can store it a battery, or you can store it in H2. So far so good.
But what is the compelling argument why one would be better than the other? You say it makes the vehicle simpler, but someone believing in fuel cells will be quick to point out that Tesla's battery is far from simple as it needs a microcomputer and a heating/cooling system to be running 24/7 to remain stable and not deteriorate, and furthermore it takes up a lot of space and adds an incredible amount of weight to the car. And the speed with which you can push energy into the car is, even with SC, much lower than when you fill up an H2 tank.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that hydrogen is better - but so far, I have a hard time convincing anyone who does that he is wrong :)
The only argument that is left is the "chain efficiency", but that requires so much math that everyone "fades out" halfway the story :)
@Raixie "When batteries reach 500-600 miles ans price drops, all hybrids and other hydrogen stuffs will all become irrelevants"
The world is littered with excellent solutions that were beaten by inferior products. Marketing, human emotions and a lack of critical thinking is a powerful combination.
To pebell and Cindy
The best does not win that often. The powerful win, as Rockefeller did 100 years ago with his accomplices Ford and the banksters to kill the electric car.
In 1908, the Nickel-Iron batteries provided more than 200 miles to the Detroit-Electric and the Baker Electric.
They charged in less than 5 hours and lasted for 30-50 years!
Given all the other advantages of electrics, they were clearly the best...
If the oil cartel feels that it can survive and prosper by converting his existing distribution network to hydrogen and keep us prisoners (again), they will do so easily by pushing their branches(the automakers) to produce hydrogen cars.
For now they try to kill the electric car (the good ones) with hybrids. .
The goal is always to keep us slaves of fossil fuel. If automakers give us the taste of real fast torquy electrics, we all know that there is no turning back. They don't want to shoot themself in the foot. That's why they only produce hybrids and weak, costy electrics.
@nickjhowe +1
I wouldn't bet against Elon on the probable outcomes.
The key to the EV future is the Model E. That car will bring economics to bear on the problem.
The trouble with hybrids is they cost more than gas because they're twice as complicated. You can't make a hybrid for $35K that will compete with the Model E benefits and drive experience.
Model E will likely exceed the 200K volume target because the competition will drag their heels.
Model E stealing mainstream sales will be the forcing function that provokes change by legacy automakers.
Some will adapt - painfully, and some will die, because they waited.
I also see no reason why TM can't ultimately offer products to compete in the Honda Fit segment (sub 20K). Long term, the simplicity of EVs will be cheaper to produce, service (and certainly fuel) than gas cars.
This will all take years, but don't underestimate the power of making cars that you want. That's Tesla's main playbook, and it's working pretty darn well.
Let's just hope that Elon does not die from a "regrettable accident" :-(
@pabell. In terms of cost efficiency, the enegy equivallent of H2 to gas is about at a $6/ gallon cost for compressed H2 and $7/gallon for liquid. It takes a lot of energy to make H2 with hydrolysis and would take vast and cheap solar to peoduce enough for an automotive fleet.
We need very dense batteries which will replace today's batteries. That is where simple EVs will come. Imagine a future of 1kWh stored in 1kg of battery. That is thr eventuality of EVs. Then, make small EVs with a lower Wh/mile rating. You could have a 200 mile Smart EV with low cost.
If we rely on H2 as a future, we end up with H2 infrastructure, millions of h2 cracking units instead of gas stations, lots of tanks to store and transfer this gasseous battery and also issues with chemical purity of the fuel cell workings. They can get clogged up like an ICE.
Like everything, it is fair to say we could have both or a hybrid approach. EREV with H2 emergency extender. H2 driven tow vehicles. Whatever. Te future is electric in many forms.
That is all technical. It also requires that we really rethink this whole population thing as a species. When oil runs out, i doubt we will be ready for it.
Biggest hump eCars need to hurdle is battery cost. An entire Prius cost less to manufacture than a Tesla battery. For some reason, a complex, thousand part ICE engine + small battery costs less to build than one large battery pack. Since battery cost only drops 8% per year, hybrids win out on value and will for several more years. I'm talking about mid ranged $ vehicles here, Prius and hybrid Fords, which the Tesla is not (yet) competing against.
Earlier someone mentioned Chevy might build a hybrid Corvette...they would do that primarily for performance reasons, not fuel economy. Some of the top super cars already have electric assist to wring out a few tenths to 60.
Another thing is model E is only a small stopgap. Millions of pickup trucks are sold per year in the US and Canada. What about them? Tesla has a bright future supplying what may amount to only 1% of the new vehicles sold.
@ Iowa92x - The reason the economics work out that way is largely due to volume. Toyota pumps out almost a million Prius vehicles per quarter. Tesla moves just 2% of that volume in an entire year. The resulting economies of scale almost require that Tesla pay much more for components than Toyota. The same hybrid battery is probably also used in Lexus and other Toyota models like Highlander, so Toyota's volumes are actually much higher than 1 million per quarter.
@ pebell - Hydrogen fuel cells are dead. The California "hydrogen highway" initiative was a complete failure. No vehicle manufacturer produces a hydrogen fuel cell car and no manufacturer currently has a go-to-market plan for their fuel cell vehicle. There is no infrastructure in place and no will on the part of any vehicle manufacturer or third party to build that infrastructure. Forget hydrogen, it's dead in the water. Elon Musk's goal of sustainable transport included evaluation of all options, and electric was deemed to be the most practical and cost effective. Musk could have just as easily designed a fuel cell vehicle if that is where the future was headed, but he did not. Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, GM and the rest are moving towards electrification, not fuel cells.
In the end, the cheapest, cleanest, safest, and most efficient energy source will win.
Back in the early 1900's, a waste by-product from crud-oil (which was originally dumpped into rivers or the ground), was not only extreamly cheap, and in high abundance, it could fuel a motor. Thus the first gasoline powered internal cumbustion engines were born.
A hundred+ years later, gasoline's source (crude-oil) is worth its weight in gold, is destroying our planet, has caused untold wars, untold infant deaths, and is depleting from our planet (never to be seen again).
At this point, hydrogen fuel cost more to make than gasoline, thus it is not a cheap replacement for fuel. Fuel-cell technology is far to expensive at this point for any auto maker to consider as a viable replacement to the internal combustion engine.
The cleanest and most abundant source of a replacement fuel at this point is natural gas (CNG), however, it is a highly volatile fuel, requires a larger storage container than gasoline, and currently the motor technology to use it, is still more expensive than a gasoline engine. The other downside is, like oil, it will eventually deplete from the planet. The up-side to CNG is; unlike crude oil, it can be re-created in a similar form (methane) using most carbon-based waste by-products (aka biogas).
Thus at this point, the LI battery is currently the cheapest, cleanest, safest, and most efficient energy source available for a replacement to the gasoline powered engine. Only time will tell if battery technology wins out in the end.


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Angels outlast M's in 16, prevail on Navarro's walk-off single
Mike Trout helped secure home-field advantage for the American League in the World Series with his MVP performance in the All-Star Game. Now all the Angels have to do is get to the Fall Classic.
Efren Navarro singled home a run with two outs in the 16th inning on Friday night, and the Los Angeles Angels came out of the All-Star break with a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners — and a new closer.
After the 10th inning, the Angels announced they had acquired two-time All-Star Huston Street from the San Diego Padres in a multiplayer deal that included five minor leaguers. The Angels also get pitcher Trevor Gott, and the Padres get pitchers R.J. Alvarez and Elliot Morris, along with infielders Taylor Lindsey and Jose Rondon.
"Were it not for the fact that we had the ability to control Huston for a year and two months, it would have been far more difficult to justify giving up the type of package that we gave up to get him," Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "We had to get a guy like Trevor Gott included in the deal to replace some of that lost value.
"Huston's 30 years old, and arguably having his best season as a major leaguer," Dipoto added. "He's been one of the more consistent closers in baseball over time and one of the highest percentage conversion guys in the league for a number of years. I feel really strong about his character and what he brings to the clubhouse. It really deepens the back end of our bullpen and it gives us the opportunity to make games shorter."
One of the more enthusiastic Angels following the trade was Jered Weaver, who was charged with two runs and six hits in six-plus innings and struck out eight.
"Obviously, it's tremendous any time you can add a guy like that to your bullpen. We'll take that any day of the week," Weaver said.
Dominic Leone (2-2) gave up a one-out double to Trout in the 16th and intentionally walked Josh Hamilton with two out after a comebacker by Albert Pujols. Navarro batted for John McDonald and stroked the first pitch up the middle to bring home Trout.
Hector Santiago (2-7), the ninth Angels pitcher, allowed two hits over 2 2/3 innings to get the victory.
Mariners righty Tom Wilhelmsen allowed one hit over four innings, struck out four and threw 51 pitches in the longest of his 192 big-league appearances.
"It was a tough one. We all are doing everything we can to win," Wilhelmsen said. "Everybody is. I told him (manager Lloyd McClendon) had another inning in me. I can't remember the last time I pitched four innings. It's been a long time."
The Angels have won six straight, and are a majors-best 27-9 since June 6.
Robinson Cano, who was 4 for 6 with a walk, greeted Jason Grilli with a leadoff drive to right-center in the 10th and got to second with a pop-up slide. But shortstop McDonald, who had entered the game as a pinch runner for the injured Erick Aybar, kept his glove on Cano after getting Trout's relay from center field. Scioscia requested a video review, and Cano was ruled out.
Seattle righty Hisashi Iwakuma allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings and was lifted after just 77 pitches. The new no-collision rule played a huge part in the Angels scoring the game's first run, after Howie Kendrick led off their two-run fifth with a single and came all the way around on David Freese's double to the wall in right-center.
Second baseman Cano got the relay from right fielder Endy Chavez and got the ball to the plate in plenty of time to get Kendrick, who jarred the ball loose from Mike Zunino's glove on an attempted sweep tag. Freese continued to third on Zunino's error and scored on Hank Conger's single through a drawn-in infield.
The worst-line-of-the-night award went to Mariners 3B Kyle Seager, who was 0 for 7 with three strikeouts. … The Angels agreed to terms with LHP Sean Newcomb, their No.1 draft pick last month and the 15th overall selection. … When Weaver threw a called third strike past James Jones in the fourth, he became the second Angels pitcher with at least 100 strikeouts in nine consecutive seasons. LHP Chuck Finley had a 12-year streak from 1988 through 1999. All-time strikeout king Nolan Ryan spent eight seasons with the Halos.


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Tow Persons Heart Silhouette with Landscape View
This Cover is Listed in Love and Romance, Nature, People Facebook Covers Gallery
Your Facebook over photo is the largest piece of real estate on your Facebook page. It's the first thing people see when they visit your page, That's why Tow Persons Heart Silhouette with Landscape View will be a nice cover photo for your Facebook profile.
© License: Free for personal use only. | Uploaded by: Boyd Sharp
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MomentumPartnersllc We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails. Like a Spinnaker we try to catch as much Asymetrical Opportunity as possible. Nullius n verba which means you trade at your own risk nothing we say here taken serious
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A recent Herald-Journal headline read, "Immigration deal needs a few tweaks." Why don't we tweak Congress? I haven't seen so many monkeys clinging together since I opened a barrel of them when I was 10. If they were the Founding Fathers, the Constitution would have been good for 90 days before they would have to address it again. We need problem solvers, not problem makers — especially self-made problem makers.
A recent Herald-Journal headline read, "Immigration deal needs a few tweaks." Why don't we tweak Congress? I haven't seen so many monkeys clinging together since I opened a barrel of them when I was 10. If they were the Founding Fathers, the Constitution would have been good for 90 days before they would have to address it again. We need problem solvers, not problem makers — especially self-made problem makers.
Can you name anything they have improved? Health care? They don't even know the bureaucratic Pandora's box they have opened. Education and Leave No Child Behind? Yeah, right! Instead of bringing students up from the rear, they are pushing the front-runners to the back. Budget? They cannot define this word with the use of a dictionary.
The EPA is a runaway train of rules and restrictions that are driving the cost of energy up to the point where you will need to be Al Gore, Warren Buffett or a politician to afford electricity or gasoline. Immigration? There is a fine example of a symbiotic relationship. The politicians sell lies for votes, and the illegal immigrants sell votes for public aid. Guess who is caught in the middle?
Everything Congress addresses costs more and the value is less.
The annual salary for senators and representatives is $174,000. Salaries for the speaker, leaders and the president pro tem are higher. This does not include their elitist benefits such as their health care and retirement plans. In addition, they have the Members' Representational Allowance. According to a 2013 Congressional Research Service report, in 2012 the average spent per member from this allowance was $1,353,205. Do you feel you are getting a good return on your tax dollars?
We need tweaks all right, but not on the policies — on the policymakers.
Daniel J. Gibson
I read Steven Rhodes' commentary Friday in the Faith & Values section concerning goodness and humility. He wrote, " In my Christian faith, we affirm that all people are made in the image of God and therefore have value and dignity beyond any philosophical concept or act of biology." My rhetorical question is: Really? Are there so few Christians out there?
I ask this question based on my experiences since becoming a caregiver to a loved one who is a recovering alcoholic and suffering from cirrhosis. My loved one doesn't hear well so I have followed him into numerous doctor's offices and patient rooms as well as other offices. Most have not treated my loved one with dignity. Moreover, some have treated him with apathy or contempt.
As I have witnessed, it is my belief that most addicts suffer from low self-esteem, whether beginning in childhood or as a result of the disease. So now my question is: How is one to continue one's sobriety when treated with such apathy, judgment and, yes, contempt?
I'm aware of how easy it is to sit in judgment until it becomes personal. That is why we train, not try, to be Christlike. I would encourage all who make this claim of Christianity to know that we are held to a higher standard and that others are watching and taking notes.
Darlene Rhinehart


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All News Releases By Date
EPA Adds 10 Hazardous Waste Sites to Superfund's National Priorities List / Fifteen additional sites proposed to be included on the NPL
Release Date: 03/08/2011
Contact Information: Richard Yost, email@example.com, 202-564-7827, 202-564-4355
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is adding 10 new hazardous waste sites that risk people's health and threaten the environment to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites and is proposing to include 15 additional sites. Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country.
To date, there have been 1,637 sites listed on the NPL, 347 of which have been deleted, resulting in 1,290 current sites on the NPL. There are now 66 proposed sites awaiting final agency action: 61 in the general Superfund section and five in the federal facilities section. There are a total of 1,356 final and proposed sites.
Harmful contaminants found at the sites include arsenic, asbestos, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, creosote, dichloroethene (DCE), dioxins, lead, mercury, pentachlorophenol (PCP), polynuclear aromatic hydrcarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethane (TCA), trichloroethene (TCE), and zinc.
With all Superfund sites, EPA tries to identify and locate the parties potentially responsible for the contamination. For the newly listed sites without viable potentially responsible parties, EPA will investigate the full extent of the contamination before starting significant cleanup at the site. Therefore, it may be several years before significant cleanup funding is required for these sites.
Sites may be placed on the list through various mechanisms:
· Numeric ranking established by EPA's Hazard Ranking System
· Designation by states or territories of one top-priority site
· Meeting all three of the following requirements:
- o The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued a health advisory that recommends removing people from the site;
o EPA determines the site poses a significant threat to public health; and
o EPA anticipates it will be more cost-effective to use its remedial authority than to use its emergency removal authority to respond to the site.
The following 10 sites have been added to the National Priorities List:
Dwyer Property Ground Water Plume, Elkton, Md.
Washington County Lead District – Furnace Creek, Caledonia, Mo.
ACM Smelter and Refinery, Cascade County, Mont.
Mansfield Trail Dump, Byram Township, N.J.
Dewey Loeffel Landfill, Nassau, N.Y.
Wright Chemical Corporation, Riegelwood, N.C.
Milford Contaminated Aquifer, Milford, Ohio
Cabo Rojo Ground Water Contamination, Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Hormigas Ground Water Plume, Caguas, Puerto Rico
West County Road 112 Ground Water, Midland, Texas
The following 15 sites have been proposed to the National Priorities List:
Blue Ledge Mine, Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest, Calif.
New Idria Mercury Mine, Idria, Calif.
Sandoval Zinc Company, Sandoval, Ill.
Gary Development Landfill, Gary, Ind.
Sauer Dump, Dundalk, Md.
Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp, Columbus, Miss.
Red Panther Chemical Company, Clarksdale, Miss.
Garfield Ground Water Contamination, Garfield, N.J.
MolyCorp Inc., Questa, N.M. (re-proposal)
New Cassel/Hicksville Ground Water Contamination, New Cassell/Hicksville, N.Y.
CTS of Asheville, Inc., Asheville, N.C.
Astoria Marine Construction Company, Ore.
North Ridge Estates, Klamath Falls, Ore.
US Finishing/Cone Mills, Greenville, S.C.
Alamo Contaminated Ground Water, Alamo, Tenn.
Search this collection of releases | or search all news releases
View selected historical press releases from 1970 to 1998 in the EPA History website.


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Supply chain management
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Cloud-based inventory management platform for transparent information within the supply chain
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The SupplyCare cloud-based inventory management platform supports users in collaborative demand planning, event-driven replenishment planning and scheduling as well as the reconciliation (in/out) and consolidation (totaling) of geographically distributed inventories. You can involve partners from all entities and even from different companies to make your supply chain smarter. SupplyCare Hosting runs on a redundant server infrastructure at Endress+Hauser and is available via web browser.
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Monitor product stock in your tanks and silos at your desk or on the go using web browser technology
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Export inventory data in universal or standardized format
View trends, historical data and events
Manage tanks, groups of tanks, deliveries customers and products
Assign specific viewing rights to suppliers, vendors and internal users


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Fans have 'til midnight ET to nominate All-Star teacher
You have a homework assignment for a teacher, and it is due by 11:59 p.m. ET today.
It will be graded and the results will be posted for all to see on July 15 at the All-Star Game.
You have a homework assignment for a teacher, and it is due by 11:59 p.m. ET today.
It will be graded and the results will be posted for all to see on July 15 at the All-Star Game.
These are the final hours to nominate a favorite in the "Target Presents People All-Star Teachers" campaign, which has been ongoing since Spring Training at AllStarTeachers.com. Major League Baseball, Target and People magazine are presenting the campaign, which celebrates remarkable current and retired teachers who make an impact on the lives of their students and communities.
"My second-grade teacher, Mrs. Espinoza, really had a major impact on my life," Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran said, recalling an early influence in his native Puerto Rico. "I was a little wild when I was a kid, but she was good and patient, tried to get the most out of me -- and she did. To this day, I remember her like it was yesterday. I feel the same impact she had on me, she had on a lot of kids."
There are a lot of Mrs. Espinozas out there.
Nominees will have the chance to represent their favorite team and be honored during the pregame ceremony before the All-Star Game on July 15 on FOX. MLB previously has honored everyday community and military heroes in this way at the Midsummer Classic.
MLB, Target and People will review nominations and select three teachers per MLB team, with the 90 finalists to be announced on June 5.
Then comes your second homework assignment for a teacher.
From June 5-29, you will be encouraged to return to AllStarTeachers.com and read the nominees' submission stories and vote for your favorite teachers. All 30 winners, one representing each club, will be announced during All-Star Week. The hashtag for this campaign is #MyAllStarTeacher, so be sure to include that when you tweet your nomination.
Winners will be included in All-Star Week activities. In addition to the pregame recognition for all the winning teachers, one winner will be featured in People during All-Star Week. The campaign is just one part of the effort by Target and MLB to celebrate teachers and raise awareness about the importance of education this season.
"For 40 years, People has celebrated amazing educators who are changing the lives of their students and paving the way for a new generation of American leaders," said Jess Cagle, editorial director of People and Entertainment Weekly.
One look at the nominations that have poured in so far, and it is obvious that you will have some great choices during the second phase of this process.
Consider someone like Franz Villate (Rays), a social science teacher in Ruskin, Fla. His nomination says he "is able to relate to students and has fostered a learning environment, gaining a reputation as a teacher whose classroom is one that preaches success is not only possible, but expected." Or someone like Monica Callenbach (Yankees), a kindergarten teacher at Manhattan New School "who is highly trained and hard-work who instills a love of art and culture in her students in addition to basic reading and math."
You'll be seeing the stories of teachers like Isagani Celzo (Dodgers) and Cherese Smith (Rockies), who came from poverty and tirelessly persevered to put themselves into position to help others succeed -- and in the process becoming a success themselves. The former is now an AP calculus teacher at the School of Social Justice in Huntington, Calif., and the latter is an eighth-grade history teacher who became the first in her family to attend college and then came home to the Arkansas Valley to be part of the faculty at Ozark Junior High.
As of a couple weeks ago, a look at the demographics of the nominations to date showed that about three out of every four nominees is female and most were born in the 1980s.
Last Thursday, former Major Leaguer Vinny Castilla shared this message of celebrating teachers during a visit to Barnum Elementary School in Denver, the city where he spent most of his 16-year Major League career. There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the school's redesigned library, and the event was sponsored by Target.
"Whether it was in school or in baseball, one thing I always remembered learning is to never take anything for granted," Castilla said. "Work hard and fight for what you want out of life. Never be satisfied. That stuck with me and is a strong message that I'll always carry with me."
Beltran and Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez are serving as active player spokesmen for this campaign, both giving back after receiving so much from teachers along the way.
Gonzalez married high school sweetheart Betsy, and their foundation is focused on empowering underprivileged youth in areas of athletics, education and health. He also supports education with The Adrian Gonzalez Scholarship program that was founded in San Diego, continued in Boston and goes on in Los Angeles in 2014. The Adrian Gonzalez Scholarship program provides financial assistance to underprivileged students attending four-year colleges and universities. Scholarships are granted to students from low- to middle-income families with strong academic records who are involved in a balance of community, school and work activities with a focus on community service. More than 50 Adrian Gonzalez scholars are in college and the graduation rate is above 90 percent.
"I am really excited about my partnership with Target, which gives me an opportunity to get further involved in the education of our youth," Gonzalez said. "My wife Betsy and I have always had a passion and hunger for the education of young people. In fact, one of the tiers in our foundation is education. We currently have over 50 students on scholarship through our scholarship fund. I am looking forward to doing amazing work along with Target, MLB, and People with this program."
Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. Read and join other baseball fans on his MLB.com community blog.


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Nikita Sumeiko
Thanks Paul!
Your article could be a base to look out before starting building a new website. You know, I faced a lot of clients who needed a website without any serious objective.
Usually, they say something like this:
- "In nowadays every solid organization should have to own a website and we also have to!"
- "Everybody have got a website, why don't we have?!"
But is it enough to own one, isn't it? Of course, it's not.
To my mind, every web developer before starting to build a website to a next client, should organize a small conversation where all the aspects you mentioned could be specified. This would help both the developer to work out purposeful website and the client to think about real objectives and targets he could reach.
Thanks again, really helped!


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Nov. 9, 2007
Early success did not translate into a victory for the Lipscomb Lady Bisons in their season opener.
Friday night at the Elam Center in Martin, Tenn., the Lady Bisons opened with a 4-2 lead on a jump shot by freshman guard Miaca Bowman and a lay-up by wing player Jilian Partin.
For the first 11 minutes the Lady Bisons battled UT-Martin, holding an 18-17 edge with 9:03 on the clock. From the point on UT-Martin took over opening a seven-point lead. UT-Martin would lead by nine with 15 seconds before intermission.
UT-Martin never trailed in the second half. And in the end Lady Bisons fell short to Tennessee-Martin 66-53.
UT-Martin opened advantages of 12, 11 and 10 points in the second half.
The Lady Bisons rallied more than once, twice cutting the UT-Martin lead to four points. With 4:24 left forward Miriam McAlister trimmed the distance to 52-48 with a pair of free throws.
With 2:16 left in the game freshman forward Cree Nix scored on a jump shot to trim the Lady Bisons deficit to 54-50.
Wing player Jilian Partin led the Lady Bisons in scoring with 14 points. McAlister and Nix tied for the team rebound lead with four each.
Forward Phyllisha Mitchell hit six-of-17 shots from the field and four-of-four at the free throw line for a game-high 16 points. She also grabbed a game high 15 rebounds for a double-double.
Guard Jennifer Angler chipped in with 14 points for UT-Martin.
UT-Martin hit 57.1 percent from the field in the first half, but fell to 26.5 percent in the second half.
The Lady Bisons hit 37.3 percent from the field.
UT-Martin also held the advantage on the boards with 43 rebounds. The Lady Bisons were credited with 29.
It was the regular season opener for both teams.
The Lady Bisons head to Arkansas Sunday.


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Big games for a few players.
Slade probably needs to give up hope of playing 10 for England so this is a big chance for him at 12. Nice that we keep the continuity of a creative 12.
Blimey - raw nerve touched?
He might be at 13 next week but good to know that you can read Eddie's mind as to what he will do.
Well thankfully you are not the head coach of Sarries or England as the limited Farrell has only won two european cups, 3 prem titles and 2 straight six nations title. Oh he was also picked to start for the lions in all 3 tests in NZ but i guess you know better than all the coaches watching from your sofa
Quote:Calm down. Do you wait for people to say something negative about a Sarries player and then go and jump on it? I don't know why reactions have to be so extreme these days.
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2012-02-29 / Schools/Sports
OLA Basketball free throw contest winners will compete at West Point
Matthew Abelo, Kevin Buffalino, Brett Connor, Brianna Mazzilli and Marian Newhall are the winners of the Knights of Columbus, Our Lady of the Assumption Basketball Free Throw Contest. The contest was held Jan. 28 at the OLA gym in Copiague.
You must be an online subscriber to view this story.


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Corporate communications is the means by which organizations build their brand value. In recent times, a number of organizations have realized that effective communication can not only avert crisis situations but also increase the brands power. With this dual objective in mind, a growing number of companies are laying a lot of emphasis on boosting their communication. These companies must keep a few pointers in mind while designing their corporate communication. Some of the key components of an effective communication are as follows:
- Staying updated
We exist in a dynamic market environment where technologies are fast becoming obsolete. It is therefore extremely important to stay updated while preparing communication. It is also important to stay in focus. Therefore, companies should remain updated and share information about new launches and product developments with the media.
- Search for new avenues of communication
A large number of companies are exploring new avenues of communication. It is felt that finding new means of corporate communication can provide first mover's advantage to the company. In this regard, blogging has emerged as a wonderful medium to communicate in the marketplace.
- Use the internet
Despite the fact that almost all companies in the world are using the Internet to establish and boost their presence in the market, this medium is still untapped. To begin with, smaller players in the market do not have proper websites. Some of the websites have no relevant information while some are not user friendly. Given that businesses depend on the Internet to a large extent it is important that companies optimize their online presence to attract new clients.
- Share success and failure
Success and failure are a part of every organization. Sharing success and failure makes the corporate communication powerful. This is especially true for internal communication. As an employer, you should share your company's success and failure with your employees. This breaks the hierarchical barriers that exist in organizations.


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If you're interested in the fields of health, health care, sport, physical education, health education, or leisure but want to explore the career possibilities before choosing a major, then the Health Sciences and Human Performance Preprofessional Program is for you. This flexible option gives you up to four semesters to sample courses, meet faculty and fellow students, and learn more about yourself and your interests before applying into a specific degree program. The faculty coordinator and faculty advisers from the Office of Preprofessional Studies will support and guide you every step of the way, from helping you select and register for courses to identifying a career path you'll be passionate about.
We offer several introductory courses -- in communication disorders, health and physical education, critical health issues, sport management, and leisure and society, among others -- that are designed to acquaint you with various professions. Other courses for first-year students are focused around primary professional areas -- clinical rehabilitative and therapeutic disciplines, health, exercise science, recreation and leisure services, sport management and media, or education.


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Illinois Concealed Carry
On July 9, 2013, Public Act 98-63, the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, became state law (430 ILCS 66). You may view the full text of the law at: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/98/PDF/098-0063.pdf
The Illinois State Police ("ISP") is in charge of implementing this law. The ISP has a webpage dedicated to this topic with common questions and aswers. They are the autority on this topic. You can view it here: https://ccl4illinois.com/ccw/Public/Faq.aspx
Illinois Concealed Carry Classes are here!
Click here to view Illinois Conceal Carry License (CCL) class options. Also referred to as Illinois CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) permit.
Illinois Concealed Carry, LLC instructors are certified by the Illinois State Police (ISP) and hold other relevant firearm safety and self-defense training (e.g. NRA instructors, Utah instructors and other certifications).
Illinois Concealed Carry, LLC is offering classes to assist people in meeting the training qualifications for the Illinois CCW permit. In addition, we have secured range-time at several local ranges for your convenience and are even more excited to offer range qualification on-site (using a mobile range) for 2014 classes! Furthermore, Illinois Concealed Carry, LLC is a Live Scan vendor and will be offering electronic fingerprinting services on-site.
Please visit our "Class Calendar & Registration" section to register for Illinois CCW class.
The below information was written up and posted by us on 03/21/2013, before any law was passed and at the time when competing bills were floating around. The below assesment is not longer relevant, but has been preserved for historical and reference purposes. Refer to the top of this page for the most current and up to date info.
The Illinois concealed carry law has not been passed yet! News flash... Do yourself a favor and do not fall for unscrupulous and unethical instructors who are offering you an Illinois concealed carry class right now. Such a class does not exist yet. The seventh circuit court made it perfectly clear that the current prohibition on concealed carry in Illinois is unconstitutional. The court stayed its order for 180 days thus giving the Illinois General Assembly until June 9th 2013 to come up with an Illinois concealed carry law/bill. If no concealed carry law is passed, the court is likely to permit concealed carry without a law: in other words we could have constitutional carry.
The bill in front of the State of Illinois Legislative Assembly has undergone a dozen changes and will undergo a dozen more before the final Illinois concealed carry law is finalized and passed. These changes will incorporate instructor qualifications and registries with the Illinois State Police as well as student class requirements. Furthermore, the State of Illinois Concealed Carry law might require that all training be effective after the Illinois concealed carry law has passed.
I know what you are thinking: It is very reasonable to assume that the 8 hour NRA Basic pistol class will be the foundation to qualify for the Illinois concealed carry license/permit, once it passes. It is easy to make that assumption because the 8 hour NRA Basic Pistol class qualifies you for most other concealed carry permits/licenses in the Nation and it is listed as one of the proposed student requirements in HB0997. DON'T TAKE THAT CHANCE!! The current Illinois Concealed Carry bill already has specific range (live-fire) qualifications that are different from the typical 8 hour NRA Basic Pistol class. Furthermore lawmakers have changed the range (live-fire) qualifications multiple times already.
The Illinois concealed carry class is likely to have specific examination requirements during classroom portion and discussions on the use of deadly force as they pertain to the laws of the State of Illinois.
However, there is something you should be doing to prepare for Illinois concealed carry. You absolutely must obtain a non-resident permit from Florida, Arizona or Utah. In the proposed legislation (amended HB0997) there is language that states the following: "Any Illinois resident who has a license or permit to carry a handgun issued by another state shall be able to carry a handgun in accordance with this Act using that license for 365 days following the effective date of this Act." This means that you would be able to carry concealed in Illinois on the date when the bill becomes law for 1 year. Avoid the initial onslaught of applications to the Illinois State Police and price gouging.
In addition, having a non resident permit will allow you to carry in other states since it may also take a while for Illinois State Police to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states.
We recommend Utah + Arizona permit combination due to the coverage they provide and the low costs both states charge to process the applications. Florida permit is recommended if you travel to Florida.
I am disgusted with the instructors and companies misrepresenting to the hard-working people of Illinois their classes by implying that you can take a class now and it would satisfy Illinois concealed carry requirements. If you are one of those people who paid for a class already, call those companies and instructors back and demand a refund!
Feel free to call or email Illinois Concealed Carry, LLC. if you have additional questions about this topic. And please keep us in mind for all your firearm and concealed carry training needs.


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Boise isn't one of those places where you hop out of bed and say "I think we should go to Boise this weekend!" Actually, I don't think it would have ever been a destination on my list, but then low and behold Treefort Music Festival was born. So many people talked up this fledgling festivalRead more…
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KEXP AND THE UWKEXP is an
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iTunes and KEXPYou can now find KEXP under "Eclectic" in iTunes after the demise of the "Public" category, to better represent the diversity of our daytime variety shows and numerous specialty programs.
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Prezzi da EUR 25,0024,00
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Include: 2 nights in your own tent,...
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Include: Body massage (50 min)
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Aquapark wellness is designed as a street with little houses where different relaxation treatments and massages are performed.
Mini wellness center with sauna and massages.
Conference room is available for business meetings, conferences or seminars. We also arrange transportation and tours in the local area.
Congress provider with a conference room that can accommodate up to 50 people.
In the heart of the Triglav National Park. A perfect location for business meetings and seminars. The seminar room is fully eqiuped, seating up to 30 people.
Vogel ski center lies high above the magnificent Lake Bohinj. The high mountain surroundings and views give Vogel a special charm.
Di più
Tutte le attrazioni naturali della regione
Tutte le attrazioni culturali della regione


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Well played, J.D. Martinez.
Released by the Astros in spring training, Martinez arrived at Minute Maid Park on Friday as the starting left fielder for the Tigers batting fifth in the lineup behind Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez, carrying a .310 average with nine home runs and 32 RBIs.
The Tigers entered the day on a seven-game win streak and leading the American League Central. The Astros, meanwhile, had lost nine of their last 13 and carried the third-worst win percentage in the majors. Their production from left fielders this season — a .203 average — is in a race for the worst anywhere.
Icing on the prove-you-wrong cake: J.D. Martinez arrived as the most recent American League Player of the Week.
He wasn't touting his accomplishments, though. He was humble when reporters talked to him for seven minutes in the visiting dugout.
"It felt cool," Martinez said of the award. "I didn't even know they had an award for that. … I'm at the movie theater and my phone starts blowing up, and I was like, 'What the heck is going on?' And then everyone starts texting me, and that was really cool. The coolest part was the veteran guys, they were like, more excited for me than I was.
"The best part of it was that we were winning and it felt like it was going toward something. If you don't win, everything is useless, everything is pointless."
Martinez never knew winning in his time with the Astros.
Martinez said he wasn't holding any grudges and that he didn't look at this series as any sort of revenge. He did say, however, that he felt he could have been given a better look before he was let go, but did not dwell on it.
The Astros released him on March 22 and he signed a minor league deal with the Tigers quickly.
"In the spring, I don't know," Martinez said when asked if the Astros gave him enough of a chance this spring. "I mean, I don't think so. In my eyes, obviously I wish I would have been able to play more, to get more chances. But it wasn't the way it fell. What are you going to do about it, you know? You got to put it behind you and just keep moving forward."
Martinez and his skipper Brad Ausmus both said that Martinez's offseason changes when he played winter ball in Venezuela have led to his success. Martinez, 26, said in February that he had changed "everything" about his swing.
"JD on his own kind of revamped his swing," Ausmus said. "He's got tremendous power. … Even before he got in this role and started playing on a daily basis he was a big threat off the bench."
Martinez, who singled in his first at-bat Friday night, pointed to the help of veterans like Cabrera and Martinez.
The questions now are whether Martinez can sustain his success, and whether the Astros can find someone else to stick as their own left fielder.


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Car Review
2014 Honda Fit EV: New Car Review
The 2014 Honda Fit EV is among the newest electric vehicles, joining an increasingly long list that includes rivals from Ford, Nissan, FIAT, Mitsubishi, Smart, and if you count plug-in models, Chevrolet, Toyota and others. If that sounds like a crowded segment, it is. So how does Honda plan to distinguish its challenger?
The automaker's plan seems to be simple: capability. While drivers may have turned their backs on other EVs, the Fit offers one of the longest ranges in the business, an Environmental Protection Agency-rated 82 miles, which bests the Nissan Leaf. It also offers a whopping 118 combined miles per gallon equivalent, which makes it one of the most fuel-efficient cars for sale. And a roomy interior from the regular Honda Fit (minus some space for the batteries) means it can carry people and things, too.
So how does the Fit EV fare against the latest crop of fully electric cars? We've examined it in detail below.
What's New for 2014?
After its 2013 debut, the Fit EV is unchanged for the 2014 model year.
What We Like
Excellent range; excellent fuel economy; more practical than many EVs; cool HondaLink EV app
What We Don't
Very expensive; cargo volume suffers with EV conversion; not as roomy as a Chevy Volt
How Much?
Fuel Economy
Since the Fit EV is fully electric, fuel economy is calculated in an equivalent mpg system that rates the mileage as if it were a gas-powered vehicle. To that end, the Fit EV returns an impressive 132 mpg in the city and 105 mpg on the highway: big numbers that top nearly all rivals.
The Fit's electric motor boasts a 20-kWh lithium-ion battery, 123 horsepower and 189 lb-ft of torque. It also offers a 6.6-kW onboard charger, which means that recharging a depleted battery can be done in as little as three hours with 240-volt power.
Standard Features & Options
The Fit EV comes in just one trim level, and it's loaded with everything. Starting around $37,500 with shipping, the Fit EV boasts an impressive list of features that includes 15-inch alloy wheels, LED taillights, a voice-controlled navigation system, heated front seats, automatic climate control, Bluetooth and an iPod/USB interface. The Fit EV's key fob can also activate charging and turn on the car's air conditioning from around 100 feet away.
The 2014 Honda Fit EV comes standard with anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control, a rearview camera and front and curtain-side airbags. While the government has not yet crash tested the Fit EV, gas-powered Fit models earned four stars overall in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests. That rating consisted of four stars in frontal, side and rollover assessments.
Behind the Wheel
The Fit EV's electric motor provides just enough muscle to reach highway speeds in a reassuringly short time and enough push to send the front wheels chirping under enthusiastic acceleration. The latter aspect might also be the result of special Michelin tires with low rolling resistance. These are on 15-in alloy wheels designed to enhance aerodynamic efficiency.
The steering feels quite informative, there's a tight turning circle and the chassis is poised. The Fit EV doesn't just feel like a regular car, it feels like a good regular car. Without the drone of a combustion engine, other sources of noise might come to the fore, but the Fit EV's cabin remains relatively subdued even over the concrete slabs of a highway's surface. There's a slight whoosh when accelerating and braking, which is supposed to let pedestrians know there's an electric vehicle around, but it's understated.
If there's an element of sacrifice, it's in the cargo area. The seating and stowage versatility for which the Fit is renowned is still more or less in place, it's just that the floor is a touch higher and the rear seats don't fold completely flat. Whereas the regular Fit can accommodate a maximum of 57.3 cu ft, the electric model offers 49.4. This may seem like a significant drop, but that's still more than the next-size-up Ford Focus Electric's 44.8 cu ft.
Other Cars to Consider
Chevrolet Volt -- The Chevrolet Volt is a great choice for shoppers who don't insist on a fully electric car. Yes, there's an electric motor, but it can only take you about 30 miles. Then the gas engine kicks in, meaning you'll never suffer from range anxiety. The Volt is also a little larger and cheaper than the Fit EV.
Ford Focus Electric -- Ford's all-electric Focus is a little larger than the Fit EV, which means it's bigger on the inside. It's also cheaper, but the range is a little shorter, charge times are longer and there aren't as many standard features.
Nissan Leaf -- The Fit's biggest rival is the Nissan Leaf. Not only does the Nissan offer a similar range and lower pricing, but it boasts a dedicated look that screams "electric car" much louder than the Fit's subtle revisions.
AutoTrader's Advice
The Fit EV presents a compelling choice among electric cars thanks to its long range, high fuel economy and impressive list of standard equipment. We also like the practical interior, even if the electric model sheds some cargo room to accommodate the batteries. We're not sure we'd choose the Fit over its compelling rivals, but it would certainly make our short list.


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Style # 202838
Slip on this color-contoured warm-up jacket, and youre sure to look pulled together, whether youre toting your bag to the gym or doing stretches. Comfortable and allowing easy movement, this BEBE SPORT piece features soft moisture-wicking fabric.
- 89% polyester, 11% spandex.
- Center back to hem: 44" (112 cm).
- Machine wash.
- Made in USA.
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S.


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|Toast with chestnut puree, mushrooms, scallions and herbs
|Toast with chestnut puree, chives and prosciutto
|Toast with two savories, forcemeat of sweet sausage, porcini
mushrooms, shallot, Greek yogurt, thyme and parsley with
pickled onions, and saffron-infused potato-apple-garlic
skordalia with braised beef short ribs and fennel
Toast is bread made delicious and useful. Un-toasted bread is okay for children's sandwiches and sopping up barbecue sauce, but for pretty much all other uses, toast is better than bread. An exception is when the bread is fresh from the oven, piping hot, with butter melting all over it. Then it's fantastic, but I would argue that bread fresh out of the oven is a kind of toast. Because I'm an asshole and I refuse to be wrong about something.
Toast is perhaps best used as a vehicle for sweet preserves, cheeses or savories, which can be overwhelming on their own. There is a bit of a trend in high class eateries to serve rich savory items, foie-gras, gelee, confit, ratatouille, monkfish liver or cooked mushrooms nude, accompanied only by some greens or herbs. I am generally opposed to this trend, as these items are hard to eat loose, and can taste strong enough to actually be unpleasant on the palate. I'd make an exception for monkfish liver. Monkfish liver should always be served by itself, as scraping it into the garbage untouched is slightly easier if there's nothing else on the plate. Maybe olive oil.
I ended up with some chestnuts, not sure how that happened*. I think maybe I walked by a big bin of chestnuts and thought, "fuck me, chestnuts." Maybe I'm a Dickensian rascal. No, that would be "fuck, me chestnuts!" Whatever, there were chestnuts. I'll admit to knowing next to nothing about chestnuts, except that cooking them would make them soft enough to puree, and chestnut puree is a classic element in Italian and French cooking, so I asked google for methods. The simplest seemed to be to poach them until the skins softened, then peel them and mash them, so I set to work.
The first step in poaching chestnuts is to cut through the outer hull, partly so the hot water can penetrate into the nut and partly so the nut doesn't explode from pressure. I found a third reason though. The market apparently knew nothing about chestnuts either, because cutting into the nuts exposed grey-blue mold on about a third of the nuts, indicative of... mold I guess. They had a big bin of moldy nuts. Having neither the confidence nor looming starvation of a caveman, I tossed the moldy nuts. Not even going to bother with a joke there.
The non-moldy nuts seemed fine, and I boiled them forever, like two episodes of Colbert Report plus an Antiques Roadshow where I skipped through all teapots. The google said to peel the nuts while hot because then the shells come off easier, so I did that. I had never handled hot nuts before** and was not really prepared for how hot they were. Painfully hot and awkward to handle. The hot nuts were hot*** both in and out of their jackets, and the skins, while softer than uncooked, were still tough to get through. About like carving through a wiffle ball to get at the wiffle. If you've ever done that. I tasted a nut**** and it was pretty good. Sweeter than I imagined and less oily than most nuts***** with a hint of dirt like a root vegetable.
I mashed the nuts****** with a fork for a while, then gave up and threw them in the food processor with some butter, cream, garlic, salt and pepper. I tasted the puree and it was good and rich but needed something green to lighten it. I had bought some Chinese celery leaves at Andy's on a whim, and figured this was as good a spot as any to try them out. I chopped them fine and folded them in and they were perfect. I could have used parsley or cilantro, but the celery leaves were less intrusive and added a nice chlorophyll accent.
So now I had some chestnut puree. Perfect to spread on things. But what? Oh, right, toast. Success with the chestnut puree put me in a frenzy, my mind electric and alive with excitement over what I could plop on top of it. Maybe it was the mold, but I went on a tear. I sauteed some mushrooms with shallots, I sliced scallions, I chopped chives, I peeled slices of prosciutto off the parchment where the butcher put it. Before long I had an attractive plate of toast with savory toppings, all anchored in a mortar bed of chestnut puree.
The chestnut madness evolved into a kind of toast madness, wherein I spent inordinate time making savory toppings, partly as an excuse to use chestnut puree and partly because what the hell toast is awesome.
I made skordalia from saffron mashed potatoes by adding garlic, olive oil and chives, then crowned it with braised beef torn from spare ribs. I made a forcemeat in the food processor out of sausage, yogurt, shallots, porcini mushrooms and thyme, then grilled it into the toast before topping it with some sliced pickled red onion. The toast frenzy lasted a week or so, until I exhausted either the bread or the chestnut puree.
I have since found a packaged chestnut puree, but at $9 a jar, I'm inclined to search for a mold-free supply of chestnuts from a different grocer and roll my own again.
* Despite having set it up on a tee, I should get some credit for not using Rudy Ray Moore's "Dolemite for President" chestnut joke. The one that concludes with, "That means you got my dick in your mouth baby!" That old chestnut. I'm not doing that.
** Come on. I mean, you people aren't oblivious.
*** Seriously, I feel like a douche even entertaining the notion.
**** Oh for Pete's sake.
***** Okay that one's not bad.
****** Bush league.


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Vi text editor tutorial
This article
Based on work by nix and frontalot.
Originally by frontalot.
at Linkstationwiki.org
OpenLink's vi is actually the busybox vi clone. Experienced vi users will recognize that the busybox vi lacks quite a number of vi commands and that the command interpreter does not understand all command syntax variants. The most "dangerous" issue is the absence of vi's crash recovery feature. Neverthless the busybox vi is functional and suitable for the Linkstation.
vi is a command-oriented text editor. There are two modes in vi, COMMAND mode and INSERT mode.
COMMAND mode allows you move around inside your file quickly. When you first start vi, you are in command mode; otherwise, press ‹Esc› to get back to command mode. INSERT mode allows you to create and modify text in your file. Press i, a, or o (see below) to get to insert mode. Press ‹Esc› to get back to command mode.
Here are a few basic vi commands you can use while in command mode:
h - move to left l - move to right k - move up j - move down
Editing Text:
x - erase a character dd - delete a line D - delete from cursor to end of line. i - enter insert mode (insert before cursor) a - enter insert mode (append after cursor) A - enter insert mode (append to end of line) o - enter insert mode (open line below) J - join next line to current U - undo changes to line . - Repeat last edit
yy - copy line(s). p - paste (previous delete or copy).
/<exp> - Search forward for <exp> (if no <exp> use previous). ?<exp> - Search backwards for <exp> (if no <exp> use previous.
Many of the above can be preceded by a number, e.g. 5x (delete 5 characters, 12yy copy 12 lines, etc).
To EXIT the vi editor, either:
- change into command mode (by typing <Esc> if necessary), then type : (colon). The colon will appear at the bottom of your screen; to save and quit, type in wq and press ‹Enter›; to quit without saving type q! and press ‹Enter›.
- direct from visual mode type ZZ.
The following tutorials all assume you have a proper version of vi installed. If things don't work as described in a tutorial, it might be because of limitations with the busybox version of vi.
Learning the vi Editor WikiMedia Wikibook
Mastering the vi Editor University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Engineering
An Introduction to Display Editing with Vi From the father of vi, William "Bill" Joy. Partly very dated.


text:
Dead Alive (US - BD RA)
Gabe revisits Peter Jackson's gory pièce de résistance on vanilla Blu-ray disc...
Something like six years ago New Zealand's own Peter Jackson was officially dubbed the highest paid director (initially, not including backend) of all time, and he was handed the cash for bringing his long gestating dream project, a remake of King Kong, to the big screen. Jackson earned such capital, and became a household name because of his tireless work on the epic (in every sense of the word) Lord of the Rings trilogy. For his efforts he also won a bunch of Oscars, and the Lord of the Rings series raked in a few billion dollars world wide in box-office receipts, along with god knows how much in video and toy sales. Jackson was given a shot at J.R.R Tolkien's fantasy trilogy because he proved he could work with special effects while making his first Hollywood production, The Frighteners, and proved he could deal in genuine, human drama with the critically acclaimed Heavenly Creatures, which is still, likely, his best film. But back in the mid-'90s, even the most avid Jackson fan wouldn't have imagined for a second that the creator of such bad taste comedies as, erm, Bad Taste, and Meet the Feebles would end up anywhere near a multi-million dollar Hollywood set. If you'd asked me what the apex of the Kiwi director's career would always be 15 years ago I would've answered Dead Alive. Or rather, Braindead, because nerds prefer using original release titles whenever possible to convince themselves they're somehow superior, before, you know, going home to watch the same movie for the 34th time in a year.
The story goes a little something like this: Lionel (Timothy Balme) is a lonesome momma's boy, guilted into caring for his perfectly capable middle-aged mother (Elizabeth Moody) through years of mental abuse. Paquita (Diana Peñalver) is a shamelessly romantic immigrant girl, looking for the right man to complete her life. The Sumerian Rat Monkey is a beastly creature that wants nothing more than to eat flesh and spread his horrible zombie disease. When Paquita is told she is fated to love with Lionel, she cannot be stopped, and her innocent allure is a threat to Lionel's mother, who follows them on their date to the zoo, where the Sumerian Rat Monkey savages her while she spys on them from behind the bushes. Lionel is once again guilted into caring for his now zombifyed mother, finding no time to continue his budding relationship with Paquita. When mother escapes the house and is hit by a bus, she is pronounced dead, and Uncle Lester (Ian Watkin) comes looking for his share of the inheritance. The problem here being that Lionel's mother isn't actually dead, but undead, a fact that Lionel has decided to keep under wraps. How will he deal with the spreading zombie virus, how can he quell his gold digging uncle, and how can he win back his love? One thing's for sure, mayhem will ensue.
Dead Alive may not seem like one of the three logical precursors to The Lord of the Rings and King Kong, but this was a major step for Jackson, who was a consistently 'do-it-yourself' director right up until the point he couldn't physically control the scale of his massive sets. Bad Taste saw him directing, writing, supervising and creating many of the effects, and acting in two roles (he has a fight with himself at one point). Later he'd spearhead Weta Digital and Weta Workshop with Richard Taylor, and other Dead Alive effects technicians, in an effort to create state of the art graphics for Heavenly Creatures, and The Frighteners. Dead Alive is brimming with energetic direction that stretches the film's modest budget to wacky extremes. Jackson's trademark visuals would definitely be more firmly established with Heavenly Creatures, his love of moving cameras, especially push-ins to character faces, is readily displayed in this film. There are also plenty of grotesque close-ups, and a severe use of wide-angle lenses, which Jackson likely thought would broaden the scope of this production, but which actually give Dead Alive an almost maddening intimacy. This intimacy mixed with the zipping hand-held look, and all the aggressive push-ins fits Jackson's simplistic script (co-written by long time collaborators Stephen Sinclair and Fran Walsh) quite well, and sells the soap opera melodrama, the childish humour, and the romance quite well. The occasional poor-man's crane shot gives the pleasantly cheap production a boost of production value on occasion, and the extended, gore-fest climax hints at Jackson's future as a large-scale action virtuoso.
It's hard to convince non-fans, but thanks to unabashed sentiment, adorable performances from Timothy Balme and Diana Peñalver, and probably a whole lot of script influence from Fran Walsh, Dead Alive sits high among my favourite romantic comedies. Outside the juvenile potty-humour and flying viscera, Dead Alive follows the typical rom-com template more or less to the letter, and without so much as an ironic wink to the audience. The reasoning for the sentiment is goofy, and the relationship isn't given much screen time to blossom in any realistic manner, but it takes a hard-hearted son of a bitch to ignore the charms of this budding relationship. How many women would stand by a man whose mother ate her dog? That's true love. And in the end (spoiler alert) love conquers all, rendering the horror of the situation inconsequential. Who cares if you've got to kill a couple dozen neighbors with a lawnmower, what's really important is the success rate of true love. Jackson's Zom-Rom-Com predates Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead by more than a decade as well. It's too bad he didn't coin the phrase. I suppose being the highest paid director in history will have to have to do. Perhaps the most (arguably) unnecessarily ambitious element of the entire film is its period setting. Jackson could've saved himself quite a bit of money had he set the film in the early '90s, but the '50s setting makes for a more unique, almost timeless experience. The idealistic post-war period piles quite a bit of charm over what could've easily been a non-descript, and largely mean-spirited overall thematic impression.
But let's not play the Mr. Highroad game here, in the end this is really an exercise in splattery one-upsmanship. I'm always hesitant to refer to Dead Alive as a horror film in mixed company, or even a horror-comedy hybrid. It's far too gleeful and lighthearted to really 'horrify' anyone. The violence is strictly played for laughs, not animosity or pain, and even the weakest stomachs can usually acclimate to the icky excesses. And just when you don't think Jackson and his team couldn't possibly take their extravagant gore any further, they do. In spades. The sheer quantity of gross-out gags may still hold a record, as far as I know. I can think of films with more offensive violence, but none with as much visceral glop as Dead Alive. Severed limbs not doing it for you any more? Have an eyeful of internal organs. Seen enough guts yet? Well, here are some living ones, complete with a gas-spewing anus. And let's not overlook the maniacally gooey lawnmower sequence. Plenty of viewers will find Jackson's sense of humour too jejune to laugh along with, and the goopy effects monotonous before Lionel even starts his lawnmower rampage, but the rest of us should feel free to giggle and clap like shriner monkeys over and over again.
For the record, this release features the unrated American cut, which runs 97 minutes. This is the cut most viewers are probably used to, and apparently the cut Jackson prefers (nobody prefers the ridiculously truncated 85 minute long R-rated cut), but the film was originally released in a longer 104 minute cut. The long cut is my favourite, and fills out some fun gaps around the climax (zombie Void escapes from the basement once before the shit really hits the fan, and is force fed hard liquor to quiet him down again), and includes more gore, including a third pass during the lawnmower massacre. The pacing is probably better at 97 minutes, but I miss the extra bits. Perhaps a UK distributor will do a Blu-ray release of the 104-minute cut some day in the not so distant future, and fans like me can have it both ways.
The super-deluxe high definition release I was hoping for may not have come to pass, and Dead Alive might never look as sharp as The Lord of the Rings, but this no frills Blu-ray is still a measurable upgrade over both my non-anamorphic UK extended cut, and Artisan's anamorphic unrated cut effort. Lionsgate has taken very little effort to clean up their print. This transfer is covered with minor artefacts, including some tracking lines, shuttering frames, and, most commonly, flecks of white print damage. The bigger problem is inconsistency, and the overall clarity and cleanliness changes noticeably from shot to shot. Details levels mark an improvement over the previous releases, but the film was never intended to be all that sharp. Jackson and cinematographer Murray Milne shoot the bulk of the film in relatively soft focus to sell period, and the light-hearted, cartoony feel. It's also likely the frosted look was employed to cover up some of the special effects shortcomings, and even in this relatively soft state some of the prosthetics don't quite stand-up as well as they did on SD video. Colours aren't that much more vibrant than the DVD release, which is a little disappointing, but also likely the fault of the softer look. Jackson does use a rather wide array of hues throughout the film, and some, like the sickly green of the embalming machine, the blue lighting effects used during the final act to signify night, and, of course, the red of gore, but these rarely pop against the bulk of the palette. The lush New Zealand countryside is a pretty big disappointment, as all the natural greens are relatively washed-out. Black levels are crisper than I've seen before, but the darkest night scenes feature quite a bit of graying around the edges of the frame. Lionsgate has chosen to frame the film in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, the same as their DVD release, instead of the original, intended 1.66:1 ratio. This leads to quite a bit of lost real estate on the tops and bottoms of the frame, especially considering the amount of film shot in close-up.
Dead Alive features an relatively modest soundscape, mostly devoted to dialogue, and excessively goopy sound effects, most of which are relatively centered on the track. Basic ambience is quite minimalist, but there are a few examples of the stereo and surround channels on this DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track coming into effect. The scene where Lionel visits a Nazi vet for tranquilizers features some effective rear channel animal noises, Lionel's flashbacks to his father's drowning feature an immersive water sound, and biggest zombie attack sequences feature some general growling chatter and flame noise around the room. Mostly the stereo spread is utilized for Peter Dasent's musical score, which itself is pretty thin in terms of layers. Dasent performs (as I understand) the bulk of the score himself on electric pianos and synthesizers, and doesn't include a lot of bass in his compositions. Still, the bulk of the bass frequencies do come from the score, along with the giant evil puppet's footsteps.
Long have I pined for a Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh commentary on a Dead Alive video release, but, alas, this Blu-ray continues the trend of featuring nothing but a trailer. So sad.
This Blu-ray release is good to have, but a disappointment overall considering its lack of image remastering (it looks better than any DVD release, but only just), its lack of extra features, its lack of extended scenes (it runs 97 minutes rather than the complete 104), and the apparent lack of interest on writer/director Peter Jackson's part. Some day Jackson won't be busy directing more Lord of the Rings stuff (yeah, I'll be there day one for The Hobbit, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't rather Jackson was doing something more interesting with his time), and he'll put some effort into a full fledged special edition release. The 20th anniversary is only a year away! Until then, this'll do (note: there is no rumour of a 30th anniversary release, I'm just wishfully thinking in print).
* Note: The images on this page are not representative of the Blu-ray image quality.
Review by Gabriel Powers
hogaburger Contributor Join Date: April 2007 Location: United States Posts: 1,153
Yeah, this is definitely a missed opportunity, but it'll still be nice to have a cheap, if slight upgrade.
Chris Gould Editor Join Date: May 2001 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,171
Shorter cut and probably region locked. Sod that.
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,721
Yeah, my machine says region locked.
zombeaner Member Join Date: January 2006 Location: United States Posts: 53
I think you mean 20th Anniversary, you're making me feel old.
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,721
Yep. I don't know why I'd get it correct in one spot and not the other.
This product has not been rated
Disc Details
Release Date: 4th October 2011
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: Trailer
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Peter Jackson
Cast: Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, Elizabeth Moody, Ian Watkin, Brenda Kendall
Genre: Comedy, Horror and Romance
Length: 97 minutes
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