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Friday, February 29, 2008
The anxious terrain of Drangagil Neskaupstaður in the east fjords of Iceland — where catching dams, braking mounds, deflection earthen walls, diversionary canals and other tectonic reconfigurations of the earth's surface lay waiting in the summer for winter's snow.
They're avalanche protection structures, but they may as well be MOUT facilities where landscape architects are trained to deal with future disasters that may or may not come; a new subgenre of public art; or the shooting location for Guy Maddin's sequel to Careful.
Wearable Anti-Avalanche Homes
Sites of Managed Anxiety
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
If you’re a motoring enthusiast, a new piece of kit for your much-loved vehicle is difficult to resist – however, unless you’re careful it could invalidate your car insurance claims.
In January this year, Ford’s RS tuning firm announced it had teamed up with Mountune Performance to offer two new exciting pieces of kit for the Fiesta ST.
The Stage 1 kit (priced at £1,435 plus fitting) includes an engine tweak to produce 162bhp, a new air-induction and exhaust. Stage 2 meanwhile (priced at £1,838 plus fitting) includes the same upgrades but takes the power to 182bhp and includes new camshafts and valve springs.
The only downside is that on top of the price for the kit, these optional extras could bump up the price of your car insurance.
Your chances of gaining cheap car insurance if your car has ‘go-faster stripes’ are greatly reduced because insurers look unfavourably on vehicle modifications seeing them as a hallmark of ‘boy racers’ rather than safe and considerate drivers.
The solution is not to keep your insurer out of the loop, either. If you’ve made a modification to your car and not informed your insurer, then, should an accident occur, your claim could be invalidated.
Insurers demand honesty – your premiums are based on risk factors such as where you live, your driving record and the type of car you drive.
Altering your car alters your insurance. However, that doesn’t mean you have to sit on an inflated quote.
By shopping around for cheap car insurance using a car insurance comparison tool you can make significant savings. So if, after modifications, you’re not happy with what your insurer offers, look for a better deal. Search by manufacturer, such as Ford car insurance, and your savings could be enough to afford a new piece of kit!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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We've been blogging for nearly 3 years now, and this is the first we've ever been tagged. The culprit is Jacky Bowring, of Passages, whose Park of the Lost Object was featured here last year.
We're only too glad to keep this going. Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.
From the Penguin Books 1993 revised and updated edition of Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner:
Another bypass was cut; it too silted up. Finally, after much negotiation, the developers persuaded the Mexican government to let them cut still another channel below the border. Because it was meant as a temporary expedient while the original channel was cleaned out in advance of the spring floods, the Mexican channel had the flimsiest of control gates. As luck would have it, the spring floods arrived two months early. In February, a great surge of snowmelt and warm rain spilled out of the Gila River, just above the Mexican channel, and made off with the control gate.
We fiddled with the rules a bit. We're not supposed to include the fifth (complete) sentence; we did. And we're only supposed to post the three after it; we included the fourth, because it sounds as though it's the perfect punch line to a hilarious joke about hydroengineering. So there's a total of five...or six if you count this post's title, which is actually the fourth (complete) sentence on the page.
And Cadillac Desert wasn't even the nearest book. Reisner's volume was underneath that book, which was the 2000 paperback edition of Annals of the Former World by John McPhee. However, on p. 123, this is what we found:
Because we're having fun, the third book in that pile is In Touch: The Letters of Paul Bowles, edited by Jeffrey Miller. On page 123, the 3 sentences after the fifth are as follows:
How far is it from there? Or to somewhere nearer than that. But do be specific as to time, day period, week.
Taken out of context, this could be an instruction for a well-designed landscape architecture project.
But onward it goes. We're tagging Archidose, BLDGBLOG, Subtopia, Super Colossal and Where.
POSTSCRIPT #1: Where's page 123.
POSTSCRIPT #2: Archidose's page 123.
POSTSCRIPT #3: Subtopia's page 123.
POSTSCRIPT #4: Super Colossal's page 123.
The new Mazda6 is the second Mazda new generation product to evolve to the next stage, further deepening the emotional connection between man and machine - Mazda calls it "Kizuna"
Mazda Australia also sprung a massive surprise by unveiling a concept version of the Mazda3 MPS hot-hatch in the form of the Mazda3 MPS Extreme.
Tuned in-house by Mazda's Australia Motorsport manager Allan Horsley, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) has been re-programmed to increase the 2.3-litre DISI turbo engine's power to 210 kW at 5300 rpm and 425 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm.
Mazda3 MPS Extreme sits on 19-inch BBS Motorsport rims with Dunlop Sports (225/35ZR19) complete with a MPS monogram on the wheel centerpiece.
The 2007 Tokyo Auto Show has been open officially for four hours. So far Ferrari wins.
Maserati has officially revealed its performance-oriented GranTurismo S, following the leak of two images online. The GranTurismo debuted a year earlier at the European show, so it seems fitting this sportier variant will break cover at the same venue.
The GranTurismo S is powered by a 4.7 liter V8 in place of the regular GT's 4.2 liter unit. Output is 440 horsepower — a nice boost from the standard 405 horses.
An advanced MC-Shift dual-clutch transmission will replace the ZF six-speed automatic.
New high-power Brembo brakes will improve stopping distance. The system features front brake discs made with dual-cast technology — a dual casting of cast iron and aluminum, paired with aluminum mono-bloc 6-piston brake calipers
The exterior has some subtle visual enhancements, and the interior is upholstered in Poltrona Frau leather and Alcantara for increased luxury.
Making its debut at the Seoul Motor Show back in April this year, the Hyundai Veloster Concept made its way down under for the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney.
Styled at Hyundai's Design and Technical Center at Namyang, the Veloster (codenamed HND-3) coupe is the third in a series of daring concept cars to be developed by the central styling studio in Korea. The Veloster name, a compound of velocity and roadster evokes the sporty characteristics of a classic two-plus-two. A panoramic glass roof and other futuristic styling cues help project a high-tech image.
Designed to cater to the tastes of the Y-generation, Veloster combines simple, iconic design with good value and robust construction.
Technical Specifications:
Veloster / HND-3
Length: 4,100
Width: 1,790
Height: 1,450
Wheelbase: 2,600
Tyres: 245/35 R 20
Powertrain: FWD 2.0-litre DOHC Theta inline 4-cylinder w/ 5-speed automatic
Hyunday Veloster
With as many soccer moms as you see driving tank-like SUVs down the road, you’d think picking a girl-SUV would have been easier than I found it to be. Since Marge Simpson’s Canyonero isn’t a real car, I picked the small SUV that I’ve never known to have been bought by a guy for himself (including the one I looked to buy - not for myself): The Toyota RAV4. Just look at it. If it were smaller, you could totally picture it in a woman’s closet, couldn’t you?
When the Mazda Miata was introduced in 1989 as a 1990 model, it was meant to herald the second coming of convertible sports cars that were small, handled great, and were sparse on conveniences. Sports car guys were giddy, especially the editors at car magazines like Car and Driver and Road and Track, who saw the Miata as a return to cars like the Lotus Elan and the MGB of the mid 1900s. Unfortunately, they were really cute and affordable and became the epitome of a top-down-at-the-mall girl car. The Miata is pretty far down the list due to a seriously fanatic group of supporters at places like Miata.net, a pretty hardcore racing series, and the awesomely badass Monster Miata conversions.
Despite what it looks like, this is not an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish.
Instead, it’s a Ford Mustang with one of the best body replica kits I’ve ever seen.
Made by Exclusive Motor Cars, the replication process includes stretching the wheelbase, widening the track, lowering the ride height, adding 34 extra body panels to the outside, custom upholstering the inside, and then adding the small details like the lights, emblems and grills to get things just right.
What you’re left with after all of that is over is a car that is almost indistinguishable from the real thing. (Except for the price.) They even include a Spy Package that adds on grille-mounted rocket launchers and hood-mounted machine guns for extra fun. (Apparently, “Even the original James Bond car from Die Another Day was equipted with Mustang running gear.”)
The Hummer HX concept is one truck that I would love to see make it to the showroom floor without getting smoothed over by the penny pinchers at GM.
Designed to be a Jeep Wrangler competitor, the HX features a 3.6-liter SIDI E85 FlexFuel engine, four wheel drive, a six-speed automatic transmission, and a modular roof that can be opened convertible style.
Considering the fact that the styling isn’t too far off when compared to the current H2 and H3, I can only hope that this is a nearly-there preview of the H4 to come.
It’s official: The car that will play KITT in the upcoming Knight Rider series is going to be a Shelby Mustang GT500KR, complete with a wing kit, blackout treatment, and the dancing red grill lights.
The new Dodge Challenger is the heavy artillery of the modern muscle car war.
It’s big, it’s powerful, it’s only offered in the high-performance SRT-8 trim level, and you can have it in any color you want, as long as it’s Hemi orange, silver, or black.
Unfortunately, the interior suffers from a severe case of rental-car-itis, but when it’ll do this all day:
Who’s really going to look closely at the seats anyways?
For a full rundown, driving impressions, and big, bold and beautiful pics, check out Motive’s coverage of the new beast.
Apparently a few of the Fuel Girls (The automotive world’s SuicideGirls) are going to accompany Team Fuel and their Mansory tuned Bentley Continental GT during this year’s Gumball 3000. Though I’m assuming they’re there to entertain everyone, a disastrous distraction is what will most likely occur as other drivers do anything they can to keep up with the hottie filled flier.
Monday, February 25, 2008
why we need insurance ? find the answer here
you can find the top qoute about insurance from many insurance companies as online.make sure you try it first before you sign your insurance aplication.so,you can handle your answer eassy because you got ready before.
Top 10 Auto Insurance Companies Listing
- 21st Century Auto Insurance
- AARP Auto Insurance
- Allstate Auto Insurance
- American Family Auto Insurance
- Eastwood Auto Insurance
- Farmers Auto Insurance
- GMAC Auto Insurance
- Hartford Auto Insurance
- Infinity Auto Insurance
- Mercury Auto Insurance
- Nationwide Auto Insurance
- Progressive Auto Insurance
- Titan Auto Insurance
- Travelers Auto Insurance
- USAA Auto Insurance
It features trans am type fender flares, custom spoiler, corvette rear lights, mustang front end, chevy nova front bumper, custom hand made rear bumper, custom hood scoop and leather 4 point harness seats.
