Material Monster

The 2006 model year will end the heralded Taurus name and for this writer it is a bittersweet time as Ford retires what once the best selling car in all of America.

When Ford introduced the Taurus along with its cousin the Mercury Sable in the mid 1980s the car represented a radical departure from the standard American car of the day. Fairly large, front wheel drive, and very aerodynamic, the Taurus quickly rose to the pinnacle of the American car sales charts and was the best selling car for several years in a row. A much delayed “reskinning” did not occur until 1996, some ten years after the Taurus and Sable were first released. The new style, perceived by some to be ugly, quickly cost Ford sales as newer and more modern Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords out gained the line. Slight changes in style incorporated with the 2000 model year took some of the edge off, but by then the Taurus was considered to be too old and outmatched by the competition.

I purchased an all new 1994 Taurus and kept the car for seven years, racking up 117,000 miles before deciding it was time to trade in the car for something newer. I found the ride to be comfortable, the interior room to be expansive, and I enjoyed the overall style of the car. I was also one of the first people to purchase a Taurus in the then new Hunter Green color, an attractive deep green that was admired by many.

When 2001 rolled around, I elected to lease a Saturn L series instead of going with the Taurus. I needed something similar in size with the Taurus and at that time Saturn had a lease deal that could not be beat. In addition, I still wasn’t impressed with the Taurus which I felt had been out-engineered by other cars in its class. So, I took home the Saturn and donated my Taurus to the Kidney Foundation.

The 2005 model year represented the final year that Ford would offer the Taurus through dealers; for 2006 the Taurus is only available as a fleet car and it is unchanged from the previous year’s model. The slow selling Sable was mercifully put to rest one year earlier.

For Ford, concentrating on trucks and SUVs meant neglecting much of their car line up, including the Taurus. Bigger and stronger SUVs, including the Expedition and Excursion, were introduced as America’s tastes continued to shift from passenger cars to SUVs. In addition, the ever popular F Series pick up trucks went through regular style and engineering changes every four years or so as did the Explorer, Ford’s midsized SUV.

Higher gas prices and changing tastes are once again impacting Fords’ line up. The beefy Excursion is gone and new cars including the Five Hundred and Fusion are now part of the line up. These two new models represent a fresh change for Ford and a promise that the attention once given to the Taurus would be given to the new models. For that, I am glad.

Copyright 2005 — Matt Keegan is a contributing writer for
Auto Parts Canada, a wholesaler of OEM

parts and accessories for your vehicle.

There are lots of cameras in the market so it might be
confusing when you have to choose. Most important, before making
the choice you must be sure that you are getting the right type
of camera, depending on your needs.

Because of the huge development of digital cameras, I’ll talk
only about this category since the buyer has the digital
advantages on his fingertips (like the almost instant review of
the image shot, Changing ISO on the fly, costs per shot much
smaller, etc.)

Since in some cases the buyers realize that their needs are
fulfilled, or not, after buying their camera, I’ll try to make
sure that you have a clear vision of what is needed to have
great shots of cars, presented in showrooms/events or in action.

But first let me review the types of cameras, and for this I’ll
consider only cameras with 5 Megapixels or above. First,
strangely maybe, I’ll talk about the cameras with WiFi built-in
such as Nikon Coolpix P1 or Canon Powershot SD430. Then in the
5-7 Mpx consumer class cameras are cameras like Sony Cybershot
P200, Nikon Coolpix 5600, Canon Powershot A620, Panasonic LZ2
and many others.

In the past few years, was launched a SuperZoom class (10-12x):
Canon Powershot S3 IS (launched few days ago), Panasonic FZ30,
Sony Cybershot H1, Nikon Coolpix S4. Please keep in mind that
the cameras presented here, as examples, are not the only
cameras in the class, but are definitely some of the best.

Now we enter the area where the cameras are more expensive but
their price is well deserved. In Semi-professional class,
cameras offer you some capabilities that are not available on
previous classes (extended manual control, higher ISO values,
better optical quality, faster AF and more). In here we got:
Sony Cybershot R1, Nikon Coolpix 8800, Canon Powershot Pro1,
etc.

The ultimate class of digital cameras is the DSLR class. These
cameras have a significant advantage over other digital cameras:
you can change the lenses depending on your needs or your
budget. This advantage can easily transform into a huge
disadvantage if you are not careful about what lenses you choose
for your camera or if you do not intend to buy more than one
lens, since the some of the semi-professional cameras have great
lenses.

Also DSLRs have faster start-up time, faster AF, better image
quality of ISO for higher values (800-1600-3200), better burst
mode because of the bigger buffer memory and other maybe less
obvious (like minimum exposure time for example: 1/8000).

The DSLR class has 3 sub-classes: Amateur, Enthusiast and
Professional. Amateur DSLRs cost under $1000 (body + kit
lenses): Nikon D70s, Canon 350D, Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D and
others. Enthusiast DSLR have better body building, bigger
buffers, and better quality (Canon 30D, Konica Milonlta Maxxum
7D, etc.). The top class professionals include Canon 1Ds MII,
Nikon D2x, FujiFilm S3 Pro, etc. These cameras are pretty
expensive and aren’t just for everybody (for example Canon 5D,
over $3000 just for the body).

After getting the body, there is also the lens problem. In here
there is a lot to talk about and the DSLR lens are not the topic
of this article.

Now that we just reviewed the cameras, and knowing your budget
you probably already get your eyes on a model. But our question
has not found an answer yet. What is the camera for car events?
If you are into photography then you should look into the
semi-professional or professional classes since these cameras
will meet all of your needs. If you are present at lots of car
events where are cars in motion and you want to get the best
shots, you may want to consider getting a DSLR, since the
burst-rate they offer (3-5-8 fps, depending on the model you
get) has no match in the semi-professional class.

If you want a decent continuous shooting capabilities and you
are not willing to spend 1500+ on camera and lenses (at least as
a future plan), you can go for a semi-professional camera with
wide angle lenses (for example Sony R1 > 24-120 mm). The wide
lenses will help you make great shots from close range with a
wide view.

And as you try cameras, here are some points to consider:

Does the camera fit in your hands comfortably?

Can you keep the camera stable enough to avoid camera shake
when you take pictures?

Are the external controls intuitive and easily accessible?

How quickly does the camera turn on and how quickly does it
wake up from sleep mode?

How quickly does the camera take pictures? In other words,
after you press the shutter-release button, how long does it
take the camera to actually capture the image?

Is the LCD bright enough to view in moderate to bright
sunlight?

Are the menus easy to navigate, and are options in logical and
intuitive groupings?

If you’re a beginning photographer, or prefer to take quick
snapshots, does the camera have scene modes appropriate for the
scenes you most often photograph? Features to look for Digital
cameras sport some very cool features that make it difficult not
to get a good picture. New and notable features to look for
include:

Image stabilization to ensure crisp hand-held images even at
slower shutter speeds.

An adjustable LCD monitor that rotates for viewing at various
angles.

One-touch white balance settings to ensure that the color
balance is accurate in various types of lighting.

Multiple flash modes including night scene flash modes.

Adjustable ISO and white balance (balances image color based on
the scene light) settings.

In-camera or post-capture filters that mimic film-camera type
filters.

In-camera digital adjustments that allow you to adjust
exposure, color saturation, and contrast on the fly.

To be able to make the best decision for your needs you need to
continue reading, in part 2 I will tell you more about the
technical details, that will help you understand the specs of
the cameras and compare them keeping in mind your needs and
knowing what different values are doing.

More articles from Adrian Moisei:
http://www.topspeed.com/car_blogs/index218.html

As we all know there is a right way and a wrong way to approach anything in life. Sometimes it’s not quite so cut and dried. Sometimes it is not black and white at all but many shades of grey? The procedures undertaken by those Learning to Drive in Ireland are probably one of the least attractive aspects of Ireland’s new cultural Renaissance and economic resurgence.

Most Learner Drivers are completely unaware of what is facing them and what is facing them today in 2006 is very different to the situation of thirty or even twenty years ago. Most Irish Learner Drivers are going about it entirely the wrong way!

The dramatic difference today here in Ireland and throughout many countries experiencing new found prosperity, is that there has been an unstoppable rise in the numbers of people learning to Drive. This is fuelled by better employment opportunities, better education, and better disposable income. Whereas twenty years or so ago it was commonplace for people to only learn to Drive when they could afford a car, which was usually in their late Twenties, today the process starts as early as seventeen!

Today every driver of License Age has the ability to earn sufficient to own and Drive a car, even so called impoverished Students paying their way through College. Part time Jobs have made it an achievable goal for most students to be able to Drive even as young as 17 or 18.

So we have a situation with spiraling numbers of Learner Drivers of all Nationalities all vying for position on the Roads. Herein lies the need for Correct and detailed Driver Training for beginner Drivers from the outset since the very fact of owning a car and being able to pay for it does not magically endow the proud owner with any skills whatsoever.

Driving Skills which will improve over time, in the correct environment, need a foundation upon which to grow. If there is no firm foundation, which will be taught under controlled conditions by a skilled and experienced Instructor then it is highly likely that dangerous habits and attitudes will prevail, leading as it invariably does to serious accidents and many fatalities.

Our Fatal Accident statistics here in Ireland are amongst the worst in Europe and it is precisely because of the lack of training that this is so. Most countries in Europe have a very well defined structure for the training of Learner Drivers which includes mandatory theory and practical Lessons and a stipulation that a certain number of hours under Instruction have to be completed before the Driving Test is conducted. Unsupervised Driving for beginner Drivers is virtually unheard of throughout Europe and indeed the rest of the developed World. In Ireland it is commonplace despite being Illegal in certain circumstances.

Lessons need to be taken for a substantial number of hours initially to bring the Learner up to at least a safe standard of performance. In the UK, which has much stricter enforcement of everything to do with Driving and Learners in particular, it is regarded as normal for a Driver to undertake about forty hours of Tuition before a certain standard is reached and before a Driving Test can be contemplated. This is the norm. Some Drivers will take less some will take more.

It’s my experience here in Ireland that those drivers who take note of all the prevailing conditions and budget for a substantial course of Lessons invariably are much less likely to have an accident in the early years and much more likely to pass their Driving Test first time!

It is worth pointing out here that passing the Driving Test first time is not a badge of an experienced Driver or even a skilful one. It is a sign that the Driver has achieved a certain Elementary Standard and is safe to be driving unaccompanied.

Learning with Mums and Dads, Boyfriends and Girlfriends, initially, is not the way to achieve a satisfactory standard for Today’s’ Driving Environment.

Many Parents, who may have been driving for years, but under very different Road conditions than we experience today, exhibit just the bad and dangerous habits that Driving Schools are working hard to prevent with their young pupils.

Staying Safe and staying out of other Drivers accidents is what every Driver young and old should be striving to achieve…this can only come with proper and sufficient Training.

Because we feel the effects of winter more harshly than summer,
we go to extra lengths to protect ourselves with coats and hats
and gloves. Most of us make sure that our cars are ready for the
onslaught of frigid winter weather too. We make sure we have
snow tires, an ice scraper and deicer.

However, in summer months we can shed our heavy and restrictive
coats and hats and take life easy. We also tend to be more lax
with our car care too. Remember, you car needs protection and
routine maintenance year round, no matter what the temperature.

Your engine is effected by extremes of temperature. Don’t think
that it isn’t hard on the engine when you sit idling in a
traffic jam in 90 degree plus temperature with the air
conditioner blasting away inside.

The first reason to keep up a maintenance schedule is to save
yourself money in the long run. If you have a newer car in order
to keep the warranty in effect you need to have it serviced
according to your manufacturers recommended schedule.

If your car is older and out of warranty you need to be more
vigilant. It’s up to you to make a service schedule for your
car. Make a checklist and keep track of the following items;

Oil. This should be changed every 3,000 miles. If you car is
“using” oil as the saying goes, check it every other time you
fill up. Carry an extra quart of oil in the trunk. Along with an
oil change most “speedy” oil change business check belts, hoses,
fluid levels, tires, etc.

Antifreeze. Have your cars heating and cooling system checked on
at least yearly. You want to make sure you have adequate
temperature protection, summer and winter.

Air cleaner. This should be checked at the same time you have
your oil changed. A clogged air cleaner can really slow down
your engines performance.

Brakes. If you notice any squealing of your breaks have them
checked as soon as possible. It’s much cheaper to replace worn
pads than it is to have to replace expensive rotors if they
become worn.

Tires. The air pressure is usually checked at the same time you
have your oil changed. You should also have the tires rotated on
a regular basis, this can really prolong their life.

Battery. Batteries are sealed units now. Have the battery
checked at least once a year.

Following these tips all year round will help you keep you car
in top running order.

This is the truth on motorcycle security chains the major
manufacturers don’t want you to know In recent testing it was
found that the top 5 chains all failed within 63 seconds with
the Irwin Record 42″ bolt croppers. One in particular lasted a
mere 3 seconds! Oxford Monster Hand Bolt cropped by Peter
Walker of M.A.G (who had never cropped a chain before) in 3
seconds Squire MC4 Chain (Ride Best Buy) Hand Bolt cropped in
approx 63 seconds by Zanx Luma Kit Solido Duo (Ride Recommend)
Hand Bolt cropped in approx 35 seconds Abus Granite City Black
X Plus (Ride Recommended) Hand Bolt cropped in 8 Seconds Abus
Granite Extreme Hand Bolt cropped in approx 12 seconds Oxford
Boss Hand Bolt cropped in approx 22 seconds Kryptonite
Fahgettaboutit chain hand bolt cropped in 42 seconds Almax The
Immobiliser Series III uncroppable The Almax Immobiliser
Series III has never been bolt cropped by anyone, ever. All of
the above chains were also cut with the hydraulic bolt croppers
at the NEC International Motorcycle & Scooter Show in between 8
- 12 seconds. The Immobiliser Series III cannot be cut with the
portable hydraulic croppers.

The Immobiliser Series III is the only chain that has passed
Sold Secure GOLD in all 6 categories. ATV, Car, Caravan,
Motorcycle, Motor Scooter, Commercial & Industrial Vehicles.

Which chain do YOU want protecting your bike?

For ore information on this test and other security advice
please visit www.elitesecuritysupplies.com