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During a business trip to Canada, my manager and I watched a Swedish colleague use his cell phone to hold a three-way conference call with Tel Aviv and Hong Kong. The boss was infuriated; his US cell couldn't even reach Toronto from Toronto. He called Sprint on a land line. "This is unacceptable," he screamed. "It's un-American to sell technology that's seven years behind the Europeans!" The exact same thing's been said about Detroit's inability to counter fuel-sipping low-emission hybrids. Enter, finally, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid. Ah, but is the gas/electric Merc ready for prime time or is it just a Johnny-come-lately phoning it in?
Like its platform partners, the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute, the Mariner is a dapper looking cute-ute. While I've never been a fan of the brand's twenty-toothed family grill, the vertical blingery suits the Mariner's massive front bumper like shoulder pads on a three-button suit. The SUV's tight and tidy side-sculpting is equally well-wrought; the concave effect suggests a healthy, trim vehicle with a bit of sporting pretension. Our tester's Charcoal Beige Clearcoat metallic paint kept the chrome jewelry from visual overload, while the 16" five-spoke aluminum wheels that (nearly) fill the arches show brand-faithful restraint. If ever a badge-engineered vehicle gained a little something in translation, the Mariner is it.
Inside the Mariner's cabin, it's an ersatz world after all. The soft-roader's combination of fake leather, fake wood and fake aluminum is strangely effective, in a 50's Las Vegas hotel room kinda way. Although it's not a bad place to spend some time saving the planet, there are plenty of cavils: the HVAC knobs (lifted from the Focus) couldn't go any further down market if they cruised Union Square in a miniskirt, the leather-wrapped steering wheel is Olsen Twin thin, and the cow-clad seats are less supportive than a deadbeat dad. Despite six-way power seats, a perfect seating position proved eternally elusive. And I dare you to find the seat-heater button.
The Mariner's Nav system/head unit is the SUV's greatest ergonomic failure. The credit card-sized screen can't fit street names — just tiny white lines. Why didn't Ford install the Freestyle's big, beautiful LCD touchscreen? Half the fun (satisfaction?) of driving a hybrid comes from watching a real-time mpg readout while modulating the throttle and brakes to conserve as much fuel as possible. The Mariner's micro-screen doesn't let you check your power source (Engine? Batteries? Hybrid-drive?) and mileage at the same time. You have to flip back and forth between the two screens– which is bad form for a company publicly committed to automotive safety.
Speaking of not dying, it's best to pay careful attention to the Mariner's brakes. Thanks to the regenerative braking gear, the anchor pedal weighs a ton. There is simply no way to smoothly roll on the stopping power; you have to stomp. The batteries and second engine benefiting from the recharge push the Mariner's GVW up to nearly two tons. The extra weight degrades the tall, short wheel-base truck's ride and handling. At 80mph, driving the Mariners feels as if you're riding a dented washboard.
There are three types of propulsion. Flutter the go-pedal and the torquey 94hp electric mill does the clean deed (although I could only get the Mariner into full-electric mode when tooling around parking lots). Mash the gas and the Hybrid switches to its 2.3L I-4 Atkins-style dead dino diet. Ninety-seven percent of the time you're using both mills. After a few hundred miles of mixed driving the bottom line was… 25.8mpg. That's nearly the same as the 21/24 EPA estimates for the four wheel-drive 2.3-liter Mariner. What's the point? Why spend $10k more to haul around an extra 400 lbs. netting you roughly 10% better fuel economy?
It gets worse. In stop and go traffic, the Mariner's powerplant hibernates. With the engine off, calling the already weak air conditioning anemic is an insult to the iron-deficient. Mercury's recommendation: when it's "overly hot" switch the controls to MAX AC, which keeps the engine from shutting off. During summertime daylight hours, you get to choose between saving the planet and not sweating to death. The reverse is also true. The instructions issue the same warning when it's "overly cold;" the Mariner's electric motor is little more than a space heater. If you live in a flat, temperate climate and enjoy slow speed cruising, Mercury has a very handsome hybrid to sell you.
Taken as a whole, the Mariner Hybrid can't compete with Toyota's more complete hybrid Highlander. But at least Mercury has started the hybrid conversation with its mid-market buyers. Bold moves aren't usually successful first time; they require follow through and persistence. As long as Mercury keeps hitting redial, they'll eventually make the connection.
[Mercury provided the vehicle reviewed, insurance, taxes and a tank of gas.]
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50 Comments on "Mercury Mariner Hybrid Review..."
mikeyAugust 3rd, 2006 at 9:49 am
We still have along way to go for the hybred to be a viable alternative to the conventional car or truck.In ontario our temp. goes from one extreme to the other I`m not willing to comprimise a/c or heat.for 10% fuel economy.
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phattieAugust 3rd, 2006 at 9:55 am
A lot of people can save 10% in fuel consumption by changing the way they drive (less aggressive, not so fast, etc) and/or by maintaining their cars properly.
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vallux06August 3rd, 2006 at 10:33 am
The hybrid is an interim solution. The various Hondas and Toyotas got it right from the get-go. Some of them are available for four years now. We are ready to buy an RX 400h as we speak. It will be the first and last hybrid we buy because the writing is on the horizon that soon another technology will replace it.
By the time GM and Ford have it right, let's say in a couple of years (I'm an eternal optimist!) The japanese industry is likely already adopting a non-petroleum based people mover.
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vallux06August 3rd, 2006 at 10:37 am
Almost forgot to ask, did you done a nomex suit and helmet to drive THAT supercar?? Keep up the good work!! The next Bugmaserrari will be youra to test!!!!
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GlennAugust 3rd, 2006 at 10:38 am
At one point, I thought Ford might survive, since they were the only "US" company to adopt the full hybrid technology. However, they made several mistakes. One. It's a stinkin' SUV. Two it uses a version of the same engine that propelled my 1975 PINTO, the worst car and engine ever built (except for Chevrolet's VEGA, which is damning the PINTO with faith praise, indeed). Three. It's a lousy, half-baked vehicle. Four. 10% improvement in mileage? Pathetic.
I own a 2005 Toyota Prius and this car obtains 100% better mileage than my comparable 2nd car, a conventional 2002 Hyundai Sonata V6. Similar room, performance, comfort, trunk area. 50 MPG instead of 25 MPG.
Now THAT is what could have potentially saved Ford.
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Jonny LiebermanAugust 3rd, 2006 at 10:51 am
And 10% better is being generous.
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TerryAugust 3rd, 2006 at 11:09 am
Hello!! Actually, the 2.3L engine used today is a totally different engine than the old Lima 2300 engine as used in the Pinto, Mustang II, Fairmont, and B2300 Mazda/Ford Ranger trucks and the clone Mercuries.
The present 2.3 is an Mazda-design all-aluminum twin-cam 4-valve head engine. The cams are chain-driven and like the crankshaft, is keyless to allow precise valve timing. The intake cam has variable timing, the intake manifold is resin composite.
Very smooth, good power and economy, and excellent reliability in the Mazda vehicles I service daily.
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stanshihAugust 3rd, 2006 at 11:14 am
This is hybrid technology and marketing at it's worst.
Selling this is like selling "organic" salmon (there is no such thing).
It's like selling a bag of potato chips labelled "no cholesterol!" (loads of fat, though!)
Similarly, there's no such thing as an efficient 3600+ lb. vehicle; hybrid or otherwise.
Selling these hybrid SUVs is plain misleading, expensive, and wasteful. A lot of environmentalists out there complain that the auto industry doesn't make an honest effort to sell environmentally responsible cars. They are correct. The auto industry is in the midst of making a dishonest effort to sell allegedly environmentally responsible cars. i.e. E85, hybrid SUVs.
But then again, the auto industry is just catering to us the American people who love our organic salmon and no-cholesterol potato chips. What's a PZEV anyway?
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Jonny LiebermanAugust 3rd, 2006 at 11:21 am
For the record, this is a 3,787lbs. vehicle.
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Sajeev MehtaAugust 3rd, 2006 at 11:43 am
Terry beat me to the Pinto I-4 thing. Did a better job too I might add. :)
I found the regular V6 model to be a blast to drive, not just for an SUV either. Its almost sporty. I don't get the need for the hybrid's extra weight and price. If I wasn't a power fiend, the Mazda four-banger is good enough.
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qfrogAugust 3rd, 2006 at 11:51 am
Sounds like another weak effort from the blue oval. This vehicle is as effective as makeup for women. This car exists only to make it look like ford is making a realistic effort in the hybrid category… if this is the best they can come up with then they would do better by improving the 4cyl engine or just give the thing a diesel 4 banger with a turbo… making say 140hp and 200lb/ft displacing 2 litres. I'm sure the fuel consumption and cost per mile for fuel would be less than this conspicuous piece of crap called a mariner.
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carguyAugust 3rd, 2006 at 11:51 am
The point of the extra $10,000 is not to save gas; it's to make you feel better about driving an SUV. You can cruise along comforted by the elusion that you are part of the 'solution' and not part of the problem like all those other drivers.
As a bonus, you will save some gas as you don't have enough power to drive fast or the confidence to break in time as your low-resistance tyres have no grip at all.
Why not wave to the driver of that E85 compatible SUV? He's also saving the planet.
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HuttonAugust 3rd, 2006 at 12:09 pm
How big is the "Hybrid" badge on that sucker… they seem to increase in size about every 6 months.
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mikedAugust 3rd, 2006 at 12:12 pm
phattie – you're right about improving fuel economy just by driving smarter. in fact, i bet if all cars had an lcd screen (like the hybrids have) that showed you instantaneous and average gas milage people would start to be smoother with the throttle and brake as they learn to save gas.
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noleyAugust 3rd, 2006 at 1:17 pm
Ford has been quick to take advantage of the fact that the "Hybrid" badge will bring suckers, er , customers, to the showroom. But as people buy Mariner and Escape hybrids realize how little they gain (if anything) by owning one, they'll go back to a conventional engine at lease-end. And go around bad-mouthing the whole hyrbid concept.
I rented a regular Ford Escape with a V6 a couple of times, most recently for skiing in Utah. Neither had many miles on them (under 8K) and both were tippy and underbraked, had mediocre fit and finish, and were less than a fun ride. My wife was still driving her '96 Exploder at the time and her 10 year old truck was a league ahead of its younger sibling. And got 19-20 mph highway. And we'd didn't really like the Exploder all that much.
Hybrids, or hype-brids as I sometimes think of them, have their value for certain types of use, like heavy stop-and-go commuting, at least if you get a Toyota or Honda version. If you want to save money on fuel I think a turbo-diesel is a better choice.
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Ed S.August 3rd, 2006 at 1:22 pm
The hybrid is an interim solution.
I couldn't disagree more. I think the dead-dino/plug-in electric hybrid will be THE prevailing propulsion system for the next century. The simple fact is that all other technologies have a fatal flaw that prevents their cost-effective widespread adoption, even in the very long term.
For instance, electric-only cars take too long to recharge. Hydrogen (fuel cell or IC) has fuel production (net energy loss) and storage (5000 PSI!) issues.
The US will come around to the idea of REALLY cheap nuclear power combined with plug-in overnight recharging. Very little additional infrastructure will be required to serve these vehicles; nuclear power plants will be coming online in the next 15 years anyway as a result of huge federal subsidies. A smart (Japanese, probably) company will sell modular reactors designs with a low enough risk/cost profile to entice most utilities to replace aging oil/NG/coal power plants with nuclear.
Plus, I'm not so sure the Republican Party will maintain power over the next few years. You gotta believe that a Democratic President will install new air quality standards and/or enforce current air quality standards making it difficult to justify the continued operation of oil/NG/coal power plants.
We look at the development of these future technologies under the pretext of the current economic/political/environmental climate, but often major turns in a given market are influenced by seemingly unrelated or otherwise unforeseen forces.
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Ed S.August 3rd, 2006 at 1:35 pm
PS: I say the first big oil company to use 1 year's profits to buy ALL the patents for ALL promising battery technology then use just 50% of their future R&D dollars to continue to develop said technology, will be the biggest winner in the new hybrid market.
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rtzAugust 3rd, 2006 at 1:54 pm
The one nice thing about these hybrids is that it wouldn't take much to turn them into full blown electric vehicles.
Put a big enough battery pack in them to make the range be ~1,000 miles per charge. Or what number do you need for them to be viable cross country commuters?
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GlennAugust 3rd, 2006 at 2:35 pm
OK I should not have assumed it was the "Pinto" motor in this hybrid – but my son's 2.3 Ford engine in his Ranger pickup (1993 I think) is the same as the 1971-1979 Pinto, updated with fuel injection, of course. For all know, the Ranger still uses this engine. Anyone out there know?
Detroit has a bad habit of building the same engines "for ever".
The basic Chevrolet V8 shares architecture with the 1955 engine still, though I am aware there have obviously been improvements of many kinds. I think the Chevrolet 4.3 V6 is most closely related to the old tech V8 nowadays.
The AMC Rambler "Six" was built from 1964 until just recently when it was last used in Jeep Wranglers.
The GM 3.4 and 3.5 V6's date from the 1980 V8 which originally displaced 2.8 liters and was used in the Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Omega, Pontiac Phoenix and Chevrolet whatever it was called. (The first front drive X-cars, anyway).
The Buick 3.8 liter V6 dates from the Buick Special of 1962, the basic engine was a cut-down, iron version of the alloy Buick V8 introduced in 1961.
Chrysler built their 318 engine for decades, from 1966 to the late 1990's I think.
Ford, likewise, built its small-block OHV V8 in 221, 260, 289, 302 (5 liter) displacements from about 1962 through a few years ago, and it was last used in prior generation Explorer V8's and Econoline vans, I think.
Thankfully, Ford quit building their flathead V8 in 1954. It was introduced in 1932.
Can you see Hyundai, Toyota or Honda using the same basic engine for decades? Me neither.
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August 3rd, 2006 at 4:15 pm
Kinda makes you wish they'd have spent the time andmoney to put together a capable, say, turbo diesel into this platform…
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hevAugust 3rd, 2006 at 6:26 pm
A few comments on this article & posts:
– Escape Hybrid is designed to match V6 acceleration with best in class MPG – thus you achieved ~20% better than V6 EPA estimates – The V6 EPA est. mpg is 20 city/24 hwy…..(You mean you didn't drive like they drive "on the cycle" for an apples-to-apples comparison? )
– Escape Hybrid is certified at PZEV emission levels (i.e cleanest, most fuel-efficient HEV mantra) – Tough to meet w/ a diesel these days…
– You can argue all day what the correct performance/MPG balance should be without market data.
– Last I heard Prius doesn't offer AWD or off-road option – oops – there's that apples to apples thing again.
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qfrogAugust 3rd, 2006 at 6:36 pm
I give FOMOCO credit not for making a hybrid but for
making an effort to fool the auto buying public. I bet that there are
few asses out there looking for a seat just like this mariner.
for the diesel… well diesel is icky and smelly and smokey too.
Mercury is a brand of cars for women IMO… Diesel is a fuel for
truckers with sun charred leathery arms, sleeveless flannel shirts and
stories/language that make hardcore XXX rated movies seem like
something you would see on the Jesus channel. Diesel would be a much
better fuel to achieve high MPG figures… but that's
not what they are going for with this jacked up car pretending to be a
"truck" for women. I believe Mercury is simply just betting that
their female audience is largely inept when it comes to things with
four wheels and a fuel tank. So a hybrid badge is something to talk
about and even pat yourself on the back over… in a pseudo tree-hugger
kind of way… almost in a I'm doing my part self empowered but not in
touch with reality sort of mindset.
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KingElvisAugust 3rd, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Funny, my calculator says the fuel savings are closer to 15% than 10%.
Also, with the March 29Th NHTSA rulemaking, the Escape will have to average about 27.3mpg by 2011 – almost the same as the "car" standard of 27.5mpg, so more will have to be done in the future.
Aluminum anyone?
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KingElvisAugust 3rd, 2006 at 6:51 pm
gfrog: Looks like they've come full circle.
Mercury's 1960's slogan:'
"Mercury – the MAN'S car!"
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qfrogAugust 3rd, 2006 at 6:54 pm
They've got a pretty decent looking woman doing their adverts now… but she isn't dressed to kill, she looks rather inoffensive and nothing she says or does is sexy. IMO she is intended to make women feel more comfortable with the brand which is nothing more than a ford wearing some blush and eyeliner on the outside and silk panties beneath the sheet metal.
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leviAugust 3rd, 2006 at 7:23 pm
Doesn't matter who the manufacturer is, hybrid vehicles are presently only a marketing/stop-gap ploy.
Just watch the resale value of these vehicles fall right off the richter scale as the batteries and computers that control these monstrosities need servicing/replacement.
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Jonny LiebermanAugust 3rd, 2006 at 7:23 pm
Hev —
– Escape Hybrid is designed to match V6 acceleration with best in class MPG – thus you achieved ~20% better than V6 EPA estimates – The V6 EPA est. mpg is 20 city/24 hwy???..(You mean you didn't drive like they drive "on the cycle" for an apples-to-apples comparison? )
No, I achieved just over 10% better than the inline four — read it again. I guess it may accelerate as fast as the V6 model, but that's still slow. Stick that setup in a seden, ala Honda accord, and you may have something.
– Escape Hybrid is certified at PZEV emission levels (i.e cleanest, most fuel-efficient HEV mantra) – Tough to meet w/ a diesel these days???
– You can argue all day what the correct performance/MPG balance should be without market data.
You can arugue all day about anything — what's your point?
– Last I heard Prius doesn???t offer AWD or off-road option – oops – there's that apples to apples thing again.
No one will take this sucker off-road.
More to the point, it costs $33,000. A Mustang GT Convertible costs $31,000. Even at $3.00 a gallon, $2,000 buys a lot of fuel.
(I'm saying it's too expensive)
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tigersfamilyAugust 3rd, 2006 at 9:09 pm
Here's a press release with regard to life cycle costs of vehicles. You can get more information from the CNW Marketing Research Inc. website if you are curious about methodology.
I cannot vouch for the content of the analysis discussed in the press release, have no connection to CNW and offer the copy of the press release as info for those of you who may not have seen it.
TF from Tokyo
Hybrids Consume More Energy in Lifetime Than Chevrolet"s Tahoe SUV
BANDON, OR — As Americans become increasingly interested in fuel economy and global warming, they are beginning to make choices about the vehicles they drive based on fuel economy and to a lesser degree emissions.
But many of those choices aren"t actually the best in terms of vehicle lifetime energy usage and the cost to society over the full lifetime of a car or truck.
CNW Marketing Research Inc. spent two years collecting data on the energy necessary to plan, build, sell, drive and dispose of a vehicle from initial concept to scrappage. This includes such minutia as plant to dealer fuel costs, employee driving distances, electricity usage per pound of material used in each vehicle and literally hundreds of other variables.
To put the data into understandable terms for consumers, it was translated into a "dollars per lifetime mile" figure. That is, the Energy Cost per mile driven.
The most Energy Expensive vehicle sold in the U.S. in calendar year 2005: Maybach at $11.58 per mile. The least expensive: Scion xB at $0.48 cents.
While neither of those figures is surprising, it is interesting that driving a hybrid vehicle costs more in terms of overall energy consumed than comparable non-hybrid vehicles.
For example, the Honda Accord Hybrid has an Energy Cost per Mile of $3.29 while the conventional Honda Accord is $2.18. Put simply, over the "Dust to Dust" lifetime of the Accord Hybrid, it will require about 50 percent more energy than the non-hybrid version.
One of the reasons hybrids cost more than non-hybrids is the manufacture, replacement and disposal of such items as batteries, electric motors (in addition to the conventional engine), lighter weight materials and complexity of the power package.
And while many consumers and environmentalists have targeted sport utility vehicles because of their lower fuel economy and/or perceived inefficiency as a means of transportation, the energy cost per mile shows at least some of that disdain is misplaced.
For example, while the industry average of all vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2005 was $2.28 cents per mile, the Hummer H3 (among most SUVs) was only $1.949 cents per mile. That figure is also lower than all currently offered hybrids and Honda Civic at $2.42 per mile.
"If a consumer is concerned about fuel economy because of family budgets or depleting oil supplies, it is perfectly logical to consider buying high-fuel-economy vehicles," says Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research, Inc. "But if the concern is the broader issues such as environmental impact of energy usage, some high-mileage vehicles actually cost society more than conventional or even larger models over their lifetime.
"We believe this kind of data is important in a consumer"s selection of transportation," says Spinella. "Basing purchase decisions solely on fuel economy or vehicle size does not get to the heart of the energy usage issue."
The goal of overall worldwide energy conservation and the cost to society in general " not just the auto buyer " can often be better addressed by being aware of a car or truck's "dust to dust" energy requirements, he said.
This study is not the end of the energy-usage discussion. "We hope to see a dialog begin that puts educated and aware consumers into energy policy decisions," Spinella said. "We undertook this research to see if perceptions (about energy efficiency) were true in the real world."
For a complete list of all vehicles and their Energy Cost per Mile, contact Art Spinella at CNW Marketing Research, Inc. (541-347-4718) or email firstname.lastname@example.com
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dhathewaAugust 3rd, 2006 at 9:43 pm
Tigersfamily, if that's the same report I saw earlier (the numbers look similar), they cooked the books. The authors decided a Prius was going to be scrapped at 100K miles and the Hummer would last 300K miles.
Most likely that's the exact inverse of what will actually happen.
And if they got that wrong, what else did they screw up?
It also flunks the common sense test; if the car takes more energy to produce, it should cost more to buy. After all, the manufacturer has to pay the cost of manufacturing it and a large chunk of that will be the energy.
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TerryAugust 3rd, 2006 at 11:21 pm
Glenn: August 3rd, 2006 at 2:35 pm
OK I should not have assumed it was the "Pinto" motor in this hybrid – but my son's 2.3 Ford engine in his Ranger pickup (1993 I think) is the same as the 1971-1979 Pinto, updated with fuel injection, of course. For all know, the Ranger still uses this engine. Anyone out there know? [The Ranger 2.3 is a totally different design than the old 2.3The GM 3.4 and 3.5 V6's date from the 1980 V8 which originally displaced 2.8 liters and was used in the Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Omega, Pontiac Phoenix and Chevrolet whatever it was called. (The first front drive X-cars, anyway). [The 2.8 was a V6, not a V8]
The Buick 3.8 liter V6 dates from the Buick Special of 1962, the basic engine was a cut-down, iron version of the alloy Buick V8 introduced in 1961.
Chrysler built their 318 engine for decades, from 1966 to the late 1990's I think. [The Chrysler 318 was introduced in '57 as a polyspheric-head engine, lasted into '66, when it was reintroduced as a resized 273.]
Ford, likewise, built its small-block OHV V8 in 221, 260, 289, 302 (5 liter) displacements from about 1962 through a few years ago, and it was last used in prior generation Explorer V8's and Econoline vans, I think.[There was also a 255CID version in the early '80s as a stop-gap gas-saving measure]
Thankfully, Ford quit building their flathead V8 in 1954. It was introduced in 1932.
Can you see Hyundai, Toyota or Honda using the same basic engine for decades? Me neither.
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GlennAugust 4th, 2006 at 8:10 am
Hi Terry
You're right, the Chrysler 318 was introduced as a polyspheric-head (or "semi-hemi") V8 early on, but the 273 based 318 was introduced in 1966, and in Canada, in 1967 (the Cannucks "made do" with the old, completely different, heavy and physically larger engine for an extra year).
The part about the 2.8 V8 was only a typo, of course it was a V6.
I remember the 255 Ford, also the Oldsmobile 260 which was a small bore 350 Olds engine.
In contrast, look at Hyundai. As little as 7 years ago, they were still using cast-off Mitsubishi engines (many of which were more advanced than much of what Detroit built). But instead of standing pat, they engineered their own engines, all across the board, and in fact the new Sonata V6 (3.3 liters) is brand-new, as are the 2.4 liter four bangers. The newest four cylinder engines are apparently designed to last 250,000 miles from the get-go.
My 1975 Ford Pinto motor barely made it 12,000 miles out of warrantee before one of the cam lobes wore completely smooth. A 3 cylinder Pinto is a dog. Got it repaired at my own expense, was 19 years old at the time, it was a major financial hit (I was also paying for my own car, and insurance) then a recall came for the camshaft – and Ford refused to reimburse me. I did not buy another Ford for some 20 years, and was sorry when I did.
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August 4th, 2006 at 9:31 am
qfrog – good points, but I'm not sure that view takes a few things into account – namely demographics.
I don't think there are really that many people who have the old diesel stigma in mind in my age group (under 30). In fact, anyone I've talked to about cars recently, women included, are like "that new diesel jetta is sexy". I'm sure I'd be saying much the same about the dirty smelly stigma diesel has if I was a bit older. And I don't think the Mercury brand is for women at this point…well, not yet at least. I still associate Mercury with my grandfather or local (non-bigshot) doctor more than anything.
That said…I drove a Mariner v6 non-hybrid, and almost bought it before I decided I wanted a sporty car rather than another SUV…and I thought it was quite a nice package, comparably speaking, to the Escape, but decidely less fun than the Tribute. But I don't think it was feminine in in the least – I think the interior was neutrally cold, sorta retro but not really.
Johnny…the one thing I don't get from the review is the criticism of the front grille…I think it looks good. But hey, I don't come here to read stuff that agrees with every damn thing I like, cause then I'd be very bored. The rest of the review is spot-on. The dealer tried to give me the "are you all about tech?" speech and asked if I'd considered the hybrid Mariner while looking at the regular one, and proceeded to bash the vehicle I was actually looking to buy. It was fairly amusing. Also, I'm surprised that some of the interior cues from the Milan didn't make it into the Mariner this model year – as you nailed it when you said the HVAC controls were cheap.
Spot-On…Cap'n Farago, give this man a raise!
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geozingerAugust 4th, 2006 at 12:26 pm
What about the Toyota 22R? Or it's variations? Those have been around for a long time…
Concerning some of the domestic V6's: The Chevy 60 degree V6 has spawned several variations over the long production timeline. There was the OHC variation that saw usage in the late 80's early 90's. The current 'high feature' OHC 3.6L motor is another variation of the 60 degree V6. The current 'high value' 3.5L or Chinese V6 is a direct descendent of the old 2.8.
I understand why Hyundai has changed engines, only because they started with Mitsubishi designs, but apparently found them lacking. I can only speculate that's the reason, I don't actually have any first-hand knowledge. Once they started 'rolling their own', their quality ratings seemed to have gone straight up.
I'd bet we see a new generation of Toyota V6's in the near future, due to the recent incidents with the sludge build-up in those engines. Maybe VW too, for the same reasons.
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GlennAugust 4th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
Hi geozinger
Toyota just "did" a brand-new V6 for the Toyota Camry and I am pretty sure it will find its way into other vehicles soon. I read that it costs something like $500 less per engine to produce than did the prior engine, and it is made in the US, as was the prior V6. Something about vastly improved production methods which were enabled by the purchase of some super modern, massive machine (I'm not an engineer, but the write-up was fascinating). I'd bet the farm that they've solved any sludge issues, too. Toyota don't like loose ends or recurring problems, do they?
Once (not if) Toyota start to utilize this technology for their next generation engines of all kinds, it would be obvious that their profitability will improve even more. The article stated that the alloy block and head foundry (which was an American company that Toyota purchased) can quickly and easily switch production from the new V6 engines, to fours, within hours. Amazing.
GM, Ford, DCX, Nissan and even VW-Audi can no longer "catch" Toyota, by all appearances. Toyota can drop a huge amount of money on the latest technology to improve their vehicles and profitability and have sufficient funds available in the bank to literally buy GM and Ford with money left over (not that they would be foolish enough to do either, I'm certain of it).
Not forgetting that Toyota have stated categorically that the next generation Prius will be a 100 mpg car, and that the price differential between "conventional" and hybrid cars is to be cut in half. Not "well, we'll make 250,000 hybrid cars by 2010" one month, and the next "ok we'll do E85 instead" (Billy Ford).
I wonder in in 50 years, other gear-heads will be looking at articles about Toyota's death watch while Hyundai or Chery or some other company tries to take away the crown?
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Jonny LiebermanAugust 4th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
geozinger — I was saying that normally I do not like the Mercury family grill (at least not since the 60s) but somehow on the Mariner, they made it work.
A very handsome little 'ute.
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geozingerAugust 4th, 2006 at 3:19 pm
I remember reading something along the same lines about the Yota 'wonder machine' for engines. I don't follow Toyota all that carefully anymore, so I guess I missed the new gen V6. More power to them. I guess the real issue about the domestic vs. japanese engines is the attitude from the domestics: Don't fix what ain't broke. However, I find I dislike that there are times we have to 'fix what ain't broke' just to keep up with the Joneses. Seems like a waste to me.
Hopefully in 50 years, other gear-heads may be in fact looking at Toyota's death watch, but I hope for other reasons, rather than what the domestics have done to themselves. Maybe by 2056 (I'd be 94 years old!) we will finally realize the 'flying nuclear cars' and the other great devices that were promised (loosely) to us 50 years ago… That would be worthy of a deathwatch. The end of wheeled transportation. Maybe by then we can email ourselves…
Jonny Lieberman: I don't believe I made a comment about the new Mercury family grill, but I agree, the Mariner is prettier than it's stablemates.
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bunnyAugust 4th, 2006 at 7:44 pm
Regarding: Last I heard Prius doesn???t offer AWD or off-road option – oops – there's that apples to apples thing again.
You are absolutely right. Let the apple be a fuel saving and environment friendly car, then the Prius is an apple while the Mariner is not.
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doctorv8August 5th, 2006 at 10:52 am
You stated that:
"The basic Chevrolet V8 shares architecture with the 1955 engine still, though I am aware there have obviously been improvements of many kinds."
"improvements of many kinds" is vastly minimizing the clean sheet design of the current Gen III-IV GM V8s that debuted in the 1997 Corvette….they share virtually nothing with the classic small block Chevy motor other than the 4.4″ bore spacing and OHV layout, neither of which is a bad thing.
These motors are class leading in terms of power and efficiency in a very compact package, not to mention versatile enough to be implemented in various iterations from Escalades to the widely praised Corvette Z06.
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Tim KAugust 7th, 2006 at 11:02 am
As an owner of a Mercury Mariner Hybrid I just thought I would add my thoughts to this article. I won't talk about the aesthetics/styling of the vehicle as those are obviously subjective and personal. I will talk about the features and function of the vehicle though.
Johnny points out that Ford used some less than luxury parts for the vehicle and it lacks a number of features you might expect in a vehicle of this class/price. The Nav system is certainly dated and rates as poor in my book as well. Add to that the fact that the unit doesn't play MP3's or allow a satellite radio hookup despite being advertised as such. However, these features are not limited to the Hybrid and are the same ones found on the standard Mariner as well. A few options are not available on the Hybrid and the configurations/colors are limited to allow for more efficient (cheaper) production of such a limited number of vehicles.
As for the functionality of the vehicle itself I have alot to add. Johnny complained about the brakes on the vehicle, but having owned mine for a few months now, I must say that I haven't noticed any weakness in the brakes at all. Quite frankly, many Hybrid drivers try to limit their useage of the brakes in order to take advantage of the regenerative nature of the "engine/motor braking". In fact, by shifting into "L" you can improve the braking ability of the vehicle by combining the normal braking system with the motor braking.
As for the gas mileage, like many reviewers Johnny commented that his real-world numbers fell short of the EPA estimates. Also, like many other reviewers, Johnny failed to mention that EVERY vehicle's real world numbers will fall short of the EPA estimates. The EPA estimates are outdated and set to be revised in the next couple of years. While Johnny may only have gotten 26mpg in the 29mpg rated Hybrid, you can bet that he would only have gotten 15-16mpg in the gas-only version rated at 19mpg. To be fair, I think that should be mentioned as well. In addition, those purchasing a Hybrid may tend to be a bit more conservative in their driving in an attempt to further increase fuel economy. Many owners have been able to exceed EPA numbers by modifying their driving styles. Setting the cruise control at 65mph I averaged 31mpg on a 600 mile round trip that was 99% highway driving. Setting it at 55mph netted me an average closer to 33mpg. Furthermore, the Hybrid system does require a significant break-in period. The manual states that an owner should drive AT LEAST 1,000 miles on the vehicle before even looking at the fuel economy. Owners of the identical Ford Escape Hybrid system note that the real fuel economy of this vehicle emerges somewhere around 3,000-5,000 miles. Presumably, this has to do with both normal break-in of the hardware as well as conditioning of the battery and the computer "learning" the system. At least that is what Ford says. I'd like to see Johnny's numbers on a slightly older vehicle to see the comparison.
With regard to the AC system, the vehicle offers the driver the choice of economy or full AC. "Regular mode" only runs the system when the engine is on, MAX keeps the engine from shutting down. Since most driving is actually done under engine power, it is only during stops and initial acceleration that the AC is off. Usually, for 15-30 seconds the car remains cool enough for it not to matter. On the hottest days, or in certain climates, MAX AC is a necessity, but for most people it is only necessary a couple of days/weeks a year. If I lived in Arizona or South Florida I could see this being a problem. But for a couple of weeks in late July/early August, flipping on the MAX AC at red lights is no big deal to me.
Johnny also referenced the price premium for this vehicle, however his numbers are WAY off. I spent time comparing the Mariner Hybrid to the standard version (and similarly with the Escape). When outfitted with the same options, the actual cost difference between the standard and Hybrid versions is about $5,000 (MSRP). The Highlander Hybrid, which Johnny spoke so highly of, is significantly more expensive than the Escape/Mariner not to mention about $8,000 more than the standard Highlander. Johnny also failed to mention the Tax incentives for this vehicle. For the AWD Mariner Hybrid there is a federal tax credit of $1,950 and many states offer additional credits ($500 in my state). When I sat down to compare the standard and Hybrid versions, I priced them out and found that for the features I wanted, the difference only amounted to $3,600 (retail) as we purchased an '06 at the end of the model year for $1900 less than sticker price. Taking into account the federal and state tax credits/rebates, the actual price premium for the Hybrid amounts to only $1,150. Using very conseravative fuel economy numbers, the Hybrid should make up the cost differential in under 2 years.
In the end, I think Johnny's review of the Mariner Hybrid was fairly positive and addresses that "its a start". The early versions of any vehicle will have weaknesses, but it is something to build on.
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stu.purvisAugust 7th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
Great review – great comparisons – I laughed out loud. It seems to me that these new hybrids are just like the lame attempts like the old Caddy V-8-6-4. You can't make a tea-totaler out of a tank wagon.
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Tim KAugust 7th, 2006 at 4:02 pm
Two further comments.
1. CNW's claims are quite biased, unproven and based on arbitrary numbers. Undoubtedly, they are entrenched in the anti-hybrid camp. Who knows who is behind it…maybe big oil $'s.
2. While a standard Honda Civic gets better gas mileage than the Escape/Mariner Hybrids, there are some of us who actually have a use for the small SUV. Hell, a moped gets much better gas mileage than a Civic and a compact car like the Civic is just as useless to me. Claiming that there is no point in making a Hybrid SUV is denying the fact that SUV's are a necessary evil for some and also that Americans are buying SUV's at an incredible pace. I think a 3,700lb SUV that can carry 5 people, transport large pieces of furniture, moving boxes, etc., and do it all while averaging over 30mpg is quite an accomplishment. Would it be better to have everyone driving Honda Insights? Sure. Is it feasible? No. So why not try to get the best out of what we do drive?
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Jonny LiebermanAugust 7th, 2006 at 7:48 pm
Tim K:
Over 30mpg? Which one? I averaged 25.8mpg over 400 miles.
And, a Mazda 3 Wagon will carry as much stuff and as many people.
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Tim KAugust 7th, 2006 at 11:49 pm
Out of curiousity, do you know how many miles were on the vehicle you test drove?
As for me, I just returned from a 600 mile round trip to Boston. On the way there we averaged over 31 MPG with 2 adults, a baby, and loads of luggage….driving about 65mph with the AC running the whole time. On the way back, with my heavy-footed wife driving about half the trip at 75mph, we still managed 30mpg. This is in an AWD Mercury Mariner Hybrid with a hair over 3,000 miles on it. For the first 1,000 miles my mileage was terrible….in the mid twenties. After 1,000 it improved suddenly and dramatically to the point that I believe there are hard-coded system restrictions imposed by Ford to 1,000 miles. Again, I've seen improvements as my mileage increases, though not as suddenly or dramatically as I did at 1,000. So, for this 95% Hwy drive I averaged over 30mpg.
With regard to city driving….your results will vary greatly depending on a number of conditions especially the following:
Short trips: For emissions reasons the engine will start every time you turn on the vehicle to heat up the catalytic converter. This wastes fuel and reduces your MPG average. Many short trips throughout the day will hurt your fuel economy. If you live in a nice neighborhood you can leave the vehicle turned on, lock the doors and run in for your morning coffee so you don't have to restart the engine (if you have the key pad on the door of course!). A tip: Don't start the vehicle until you are ready to go. "Warming up" a hybrid wastes fuel that could be used to actually drive the vehicle while it is warming up. Instead, adjust your mirrors, put on your seatbelt, fix your hair, open the garage, release the parking break, turn on/tune in the radio….THEN start the engine and pull right out.
Heat: In HOT conditions the battery pack will act just like you do and turn on the AC. The system has its own AC and will turn on the engine to run it. Running the vehicle in MAX AC or in very hot conditions will negatively impact your fuel economy. But, a hot battery also does not operate as efficiently as a cool one so it actually makes sense to run the AC rather than strain your battery. If you are hot, so is your battery.
Stop-and-go traffic: Driving in a major metropolitan area with lights at every corner is not ideal for Hybrids despite the idea that it is. These vehicles depend on regenerative braking for much of their battery power, and if the vehicle never gets up to speed and slows down again the battery will not charge enough to truly help acceleration. A plug in hybrid with an expanded battery pack would be perfect because it would not need to rely on regenerative braking for any of its power in this situation. What a Hybrid owner will end up with is a vehicle whose gas engine is running at red lights to try to charge the battery. These vehicles do much better in suburban driving where you might go a 1/4 mile between lights. Getting up to 30mph and coasting back to a stop seems ideal for this vehicle.
Let's just say that the three conditions above represent some of the biggest fuel economy killers at least in my book. That said, I faced all three last week. We had a week of temps in the high 90's including several days over 100. I had to run MAX AC on at least half of my trips because I have my 8mo old son in the backseat. In total, I take 4 trips of under 5 miles per day directly across the city with a traffic light at EVERY corner, and that is just to and from daycare. I also do additional city driving during the day. In that week, my fuel economy dipped to a paltry 26mpg. My worst ever day was about 23mpg. That was a day that included driving clients around in 90+ degree temps and included over a dozen starts and stops about 30 minutes apart over 6+ hours.
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Jonny LiebermanAugust 8th, 2006 at 12:10 pm
Tim K.
My car had 6,000 miles on it.
I didn't get to do any long road trips — just 30 mile jaunts followed by standard city driving.
Hey, look, I managed to squeeze better than 20 mpg out of a Mercedes Benz GL450 doing 90 in 110 weather.
During normal driving, I was just under 26mpg in the Hybrid.
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Tim KAugust 8th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
If you were running the AC alot, then your 26mpg in the city isn't that surprising as I get similar numbers under those conditions. In fairness, I am pretty sure that equivalent gas-only Mariner with the V6 wouldn't get near its city rating of 19mpg either. I know that Escape drivers with the V6 and 4wd report numbers in the mid-teens so that sounds about right.
26mpg = 78% of the EPA's 33mpg for the Hybrid
15mpg = 78% of the EPA's 19mpg for the standard
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socsndaisyAugust 10th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Chiming in just to help here. 05 V6 AWD tribute is getting 19 worst case under the worst of circumstances, 24mpg highway average case A/C will dip to about 22, and 26mpg was the best ever achieved on a 100% highway trip.
Cant help it here Johnny, that mazda 3 wagon may have the cargo capacity but wont pull a trailer and wont handle a snowstorm NEARLY as well as the mariner/tribute. I know you arent hacking the mariner too badly, but Tim is right they are apples and oranges to the prius, mazda3, and many others. In my opinion, the Mariner is the most handsome out of all of them, but the Mazda warranty really made the difference in our decision. Very pleased so far at 33K miles.
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hydraAugust 13th, 2006 at 3:03 pm
""Escape drivers with the V6 and 4wd report numbers in the mid-teens so that sounds about right.""
how impressive…
Our 1995 Jeep ZJ (grand cherokee) gets 16mpg city, 17.8 overall avg., and 22mpg 60mph freeway…..21 @ 65, and 20 @ 72.
These are not just results from a special 50 mile test either….these are averaged results over 170,000+ miles and all sorts of terrain, from the midwest to the mountains of the PNW. And it does it with the very same 318 engine lambasted above….
Oh by the way, it's also doing it with a 4,500 lb vehicle….25% stouter than the Escape.
Interesting, eh?
The lesson here is that there hasn't been much actual improvement over the past 10 yrs. The computer-controlled EFI engines of the mid-90's are very close to those of today, in terms of actual specific-fuel-consumption.
As one poster noted above, despite all the unthinking regurgitation of corpgov-media conditioning, lots of folks DO need something larger than a Geo Metro. Lots of folks need to carry a lot of stuff regularly….or get around in regions of poor roads and/or driving conditions.
Or tow a trailer regularly. It is DANGEROUS to tow with a light vehicle. The tow-vehicle weight must be proportional to the towed-weight. That's not politics, that's physics. i.e., reality.
And believe it or not, despite the glaring assumptions of the urban-centrics who seem to wield all political and media power these days, fully 50% of the US population does NOT live in the city like they do. Yeah, that's right, HALF of us live a whole different life than the one on TV. Amazing, huh?
For the half of us living in a rural area; snow, mud, fallen trees, road-washouts, etc., are a daily presence to be dealt with. Without some ground-clearance and traction, a vehicle is not only useless, but actually a hazard, to oneself AND to others.
These needs are real, and there has ALWAYS been a similar type of vehicle to meet these needs. In the 'old days', there were station-wagons, pickups, Travelalls, even Woodies.
With the phase-out of wagons in the 80's, the SUV -naturally- became the "station wagon" of the 90's. There's nothing 'evil' about it.
Funny how you never hear any PC conditioned-reflex bashing of Minivans, like you do for SUV's, eh? Despite them being similar in size, weight, mpg, etc.. Makes you realize that fuel-economy isn't the true reason for the endless SUV-bashing. The true purpose is conditioning against 4wd, clearance, and access.
The idea of non-elite regular citizens like us having easy access to the forests drove the political/academic class up the wall. At the most, we should be limited to their anal asphalt-paved and rigidly controlled "parks"….and especially those where we can pay a big FEE…
Thus, the whole "roadless" agenda…..roads a Jeep can use, but a Honda can't. Redefine 'roadless'…..straight outta 1984….down with SUV's…
Regarding that CNW report. Those numbers aren't as "biased" as some would like them to be. The hybrids DO require batt-pack replacement at a relatively low mileage….100K may well be right, on average. Who can know yet?
It is too early to get an accurate read on average vehicle-life; but if you know anything about engineering and statistics, then you understand MTBF and how a higher parts-count impacts overall device life.
In other words, it would be almost impossible for a more complex device to have an avg. life as long as a less complex device (assuming equal quality and material components in both; which is generally true for this case).
Conversely, the 300K miles life-figure that the poster claimed was being used for the Hummer IS a fairly accurate number for that class of vehicle. While I would expect the usual rich/urban Hummer buyer to trash it long before 300K, the fact is that a typical 1-ton pickup does last that long.
I'm still driving my old '91 F350 diesel 1-ton; with 265,000 miles, never a rebuild, and a recent compression-test of 400+ in all cylinders indicates the motor has another 200K to go.
A farmer friend has a similar but even older 1986 1-ton truck with 385K on the clock, and all original running gear. Over the years, I have seen many many pickups with similar numbers….well over 200K.
Most of your typical mini-cars just never make it to that age; for whatever reason. Go down to your local auto-recycler and watch what's being fed to the crusher. The vast majority of crushed vehicles are compacts and sub-compacts only 10-15 years old.
Over a 30-year career in engineering (including automotive), I have always had the hots for Hybrid technologies; but the current hybrids are far from optimum in my opinion. My dad's 1978 diesel Rabbit got 50mpg….and that was 30 years ago! I drove a 1980's 300D Mercedes for a while, and even that got 24 avg, 29 freeway…and it wasn't any light car either.
The eco-propaganda is that diesels are 'dirty', and put out a lot of particulates….but the truth is that gasoline engines spit out particulates as well. The thing with gas motors is that the particles are much smaller, so you don't SEE them; thus, no whining.
Ironically though, those nano-particles are WORSE for your lungs than the larger plain carbon particles of a diesel. Think 'asbestos'….'silicosis'….and other particulate-caused lung disorders.
Gas engines also exhaust much nastier organic chemical byproducts than diesels. In that sense too, diesels are actually a -cleaner- engine.
A true -system- wide ecological perspective would look at life-cycle costs, not just MPG. From such a perspective, the MUCH lower mfg. cost of a simple yet very efficient turbo-diesel leads to LOWER energy usage than a hybrid over the life of the vehicle, every time.
The dollar-savings are nothing to sneeze at either. Take $5,000 bucks, multiply it by the size of a WORLD FLEET, and you're talking a VERY serious hit to society. That's a huge chunk of societal productive output that could've been used for something else/better.
The talk here has been of how the US lags in hybrid tech; but the sad truth is that the US lags in -turbodiesel- tech. All that misplaced ego-religion fighting reality….while the entire rest of the world was getting nice Toyota's and Nissans and Mazdas with sweet turbodiesels that kept getting better and cleaner, year after year after year.
If the US had done that, with the enormous financial size of the US market behind it, the development would've been astounding…and we'd right now be driving super-cool and super-clean turbodiesels in 80% of our fleet…..sigh….
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Tim KAugust 13th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
While I agree with much of what Hydra added, (such as there being a need for SUV's) there are a couple of things I disagree with.
1. The CNW report is not based on any science whatsoever. It is all intentionally biased and is nothing more than a guess. It is very clear that this report was written with an agenda. As the same can be said of many pro-hybrid reports, I wouldn't quote them either.
2. Battery life has already been tested. Don't forget that the Insight hit the roads about 5 years ago, and the Prius not long after. There have been numerous vehicles passing 150k and 250k miles on the original battery with no loss in fuel economy. There are even studies out there showing this. There have been few, if any, battery failures, and Toyota reports only having to replace batteries involved in accidents. Remember, these batteries are also never fully charged or discharged so they don't suffer the short lifespan of cell phone and other rechargeable batteries.
3. While your dad's Diesel Rabbit might have gotten 50mpg back in 78, let's not forget a couple of things. Fuels have been reformulated since then. And the big one….it is not just about the amount of fuel used, it is also about emissions. Hybrids undoubtedly produce tons less pollutants than any older vehicle.
Today's hybrids aren't perfect….they're better than just burning gas. But if we don't support what we've got now, we'll never get to the next generation. Who knows, perhaps a Plug in Hybrid with a turbo bio-diesel or Ethanol burner???? Sounds good to me.
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ChartreuseGooseAugust 31st, 2006 at 10:06 am
I'd just like to note that my Pontiac Vibe gets better emissions performance and better economy, with better performance/handling and a good 700lbs less weight, for just $3k more than the PRICE INCREASE the Mariner Hybrid commands over the non-Hybrid 4cyl Mariner. And I can carry four people and their backpacking gear 350 miles in total comfort.
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Tim KAugust 31st, 2006 at 1:33 pm
For the record…
The Pontiac Vibe gets about the same (reversed) gas mileage AND has worse emissions than the Mariner Hybrid. Remember, the Mariner is an Automatic with AWD so check the specs on that Vibe:
EPA figures: http://www.epa.gov/emissweb/select.htm
Vibe: 29/34 city/hwy
Mariner Hybrid: 33/29 city/hwy
Vibe: scores 7 out of 10
Mariner Hybrid: scores 8 out of 10
Air Pollution:
Vibe: 2 out of 10
Mariner Hybrid: 7-9.5 out of 10
Finally, we are talking about needs and preferences. I don't like the style or performace of the Vibe, and it couldn't fit me or my family as well as the Mariner does. It simply was not an option. Also, as discussed numerous times, with the tax credits, this price difference you refer to is under $2000. I guess the Vibe is selling for $5,000 now?
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David Not Coulthard commented on the post, Red Bull prepared for F1 life after Newey 3 years, 3 months ago
@albertc Regarding La Sarthe I hope they'll provide HTML5 (and hopefully as well WebM, and hopefully as well non-DRM'ed) streams next year – I don't want to have to use Adobe Flash to watch it….
OmarRoncal – Go Seb!!! commented on the post, Red Bull prepared for F1 life after Newey 3 years, 3 months ago
@albertc Lemans website rocks!! I watched about 5 hours of the race, and it comes with either French or English comments, plus highlights after every hour and lots of free stuff as wallpapers (real wallpapers, not […]
Kingshark commented on the post, New Ferrari named F14 T by fans vote 3 years, 7 months ago
And in 2016 it will be F1R5T
Hotbottoms commented on the post, The winners and losers since the tyre change 3 years, 11 months ago
Good point. We could choose any race and notice that (on average) there have been winners and losers after that race. Only Red Bull's graph seems to have changed its direction after Britain, but RBR gets […]
Prisoner Monkeys commented on the post, Williams FW35 launch: First pictures 4 years, 7 months ago
@albertc – I doubt it's an optical illusion. Not from that angle. No, it's more likely that the FW35 is carrying an FW34 front wing.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Skellig Michael
|Native name: Sceilig Mhichíl
Skellig Michael
|Atlantic Ocean
|21.9 ha (54 acres)[1]
|Highest elevation
|218 m (715 ft)[2]
Republic of Ireland
|UNESCO World Heritage Site
|Cultural: (iii), (iv) [3]
|1996 (20th Session)
Skellig Michael (Irish: Sceilig Mhichíl), also called Great Skellig (Irish: Sceilig Mhór), is the larger of the two Skellig Islands, 11.6 kilometres (7.2 mi) west of the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland.[2] A Gaelic Christian monastery was founded on the island at some point between the 6th and 8th century and remained continuously occupied until it was abandoned in the late 12th century, the remains of the monastery, and most of the island, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.[2]
Except for mating birds, Skellig Michael was uninhabited before its monastery was founded.[2] Folklore holds that Ir, son of Míl Espáine, was buried on the island, and a text from the 8th or 9th century states that Duagh, King of West Munster, fled to "Scellecc" after a feud with the Kings of Cashel, although it is not known whether these events actually took place.[4]
The monastery's exact date of foundation is not known,[4] the first definite reference to monastic activity on the island is a record of the death of "Suibhini of Skelig" dating from the 8th century; however, Saint Fionán is claimed to have founded the monastery in the 6th century.
The monastic site on the island is on a terraced shelf 600 feet (180 metres) above sea level, and developed between the sixth and eighth centuries, it contains six clochán-type beehive cells, two oratories as well as a number of stone crosses and slabs. It also contains a later medieval church, the cells and oratories are all of dry-built corbel construction. A system for collecting and purifying water in cisterns was developed, it has been estimated that no more than twelve monks and an abbot lived here at any one time.[5] A hermitage is on the south peak.
The diet of monks living on the North Atlantic islands was somewhat different from that of those who lived on the mainland, with less arable land available to grow grain, vegetable gardens were an important part of monastic life. Of necessity, fish and the meat and eggs of birds nesting on the islands were staples.[6]
The "Annals of Inisfallen" record a Viking attack in 823, the site had been dedicated to Saint Michael by at least 1044 (when the death of "Aedh of Scelic-Mhichí" is recorded).[1][4] However, this dedication may have occurred as early as 950, around which time a new church was added to the monastery (typically done to celebrate a consecration) and called Saint Michael's Church.[2]
The monastery remained continuously occupied until the 12th or 13th century,[2] during this time, the climate around Skellig Michael became colder and more prone to storms, and this, along with changes to the structure of the Irish Church, prompted the community to abandon the island and move to the abbey in Ballinskelligs.[4]
Skellig Michael remained in the possession of the Catholic Canons Regular until the dissolution of the Ballinskelligs abbey during the Protestant Reformation by Elizabeth I in 1578.[2][7] Ownership was then passed to the Butler family with whom it stayed until the early 1820s, when the Corporation for Preserving and Improving the Port of Dublin (the predecessor to the Commissioners of Irish Lights) purchased the island from John Butler of Waterville in a compulsory purchase order.[4][7] The Corporation constructed two lighthouses on the Atlantic side of the island, and associated living quarters, all of which was completed by 1826,[1] the Office of Public Works took the remains of the monastery into guardianship in 1880, and repaired certain collapsed structures, before buying the island (with the exception of the lighthouses and associated structures) from the Commissioners of Irish Lights.[1][2][4]
World Heritage listing[edit]
Skellig Michael was made a World Heritage Site in 1996, at the 20th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Mérida, Mexico.[8] After being nominated for inclusion on 28 October 1995, an evaluation of the site by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (an advisory body of the World Heritage Committee), recommended that the island be inscribed on the basis of criteria (iii) and (iv) of the World Heritage List's selection criteria, which relate the cultural significance of a site.[7] The Committee approved this recommendation, describing Skellig Michael as of "exceptional universal value", and a "unique example of an early religious settlement", while also noting the site's preservation as a result of its "remarkable environment", and its ability to illustrate "as no other site can, the extremes of a Christian monasticism characterizing much of North Africa, the Near East and Europe".[8]
Special Protection Area[edit]
In 2010, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government designated Skellig Michael as a Special Protection Area to protect its colonies of puffins, Manx shearwaters and storm petrels.[9][10]
|Historical population
|Source: Central Statistics Office. "CNA17: Population by Off Shore Island, Sex and Year". CSO.ie. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
Access and activities[edit]
Each year at least four boat licences are granted to tour operators[11] who run trips to Skellig Michael during the summer season (May to October, inclusive), weather permitting, for safety reasons, because the steps up to the monastery are rocky, steep, and old, climbs are not permitted during very wet or windy weather. There are dive sites immediately around the rock.[12]
- The 1969 BBC documentary Civilisation: A Personal View by Kenneth Clark featured a short segment on the use of Skellig Michael in the first episode.
- Skellig Michael is featured in the second episode of the BBC documentary series A History of Christianity.
- The island served as a location for the final scene in Heart of Glass by Werner Herzog.
- The island served as a filming location for the final scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.[13][14] It was also used for the next film in the series, Star Wars: The Last Jedi,[15] this caused concerns[16] because of the island's Special Protection Area status.
See also[edit]
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Kerry)
- List of World Heritage Sites in the Republic of Ireland
- ^ a b c d Edward Bourke; Alan R. Hayden; Ann Lynch. "Skellig Michael Co. Kerry: the monastery and South Peak" (PDF). Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Retrieved 28 Dec 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). "Skellig Michael". UNESCO. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/757.
- ^ a b c d e f Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. "Skellig Michael: Historical Background". Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ "Holy Places - Skellig". Diocese of Kerry.
- ^ Walter Horn, Jenny White Marshall, and Grellan D. Rourke (1990). "The Forgotten Hermitage of Skellig Michael". Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520064102.
- ^ a b c International Council on Monuments and Sites (October 1996). "World Heritage List: Skellig Michael" (PDF). International Council on Monuments and Sites. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ a b World Heritage Committee (10 March 1997). "Convention Concerning the World Cultural and Natural Heritage" (PDF). United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. p. 68. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- ^ "National Parks & Wildlife Service". National Parks & Wildlife Service.
- ^ "EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (CONSERVATION OF WILD BIRDS (SKELLIGS SPECIAL PROTECTION AREA 004007)) REGULATIONS 2010" (PDF). Irish Statute Book. Retrieved 8 Jul 2017.
- ^ "Public Competition for a Permit to carry passengers to Skellig Michael" (PDF). HeritageIreland.ie. OPW.
- ^ "Diving around Skellig Michael". Ballinskelligs Watersports. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Majella (29 July 2014). "And . . . action! New 'Star Wars' film shoot kicks off on Skellig Michael". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ^ Gettell, Oliver (4 January 2016). "JJ Abrams can't believe he got to shoot on Skellig Michael". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (9 September 2015). "Updated: Star Wars: Episode VIII will shoot in Ireland this month". Entertainment Weekly. (Entertainment Weekly). Retrieved 9 September 2015.
- ^ Siggins, Lorna (13 February 2016). "Concern over 'incidents' during 'Star Wars' filming on Skellig Michael". IrishTimes.com. Irish Times. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
External links[edit]
|Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Skellig Michael.
Media related to Skellig Michael at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 51°46′16″N 10°32′26″W / 51.77111°N 10.54056°W
- Archaeological sites in County Kerry
- Christian monasteries in the Republic of Ireland
- Former populated places in Ireland
- Michael (archangel)
- National Monuments in County Kerry
- Peaks dedicated to Michael (archangel)
- Ruins in the Republic of Ireland
- Skellig Islands
- Uninhabited islands of Ireland
- World Heritage Sites in the Republic of Ireland


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Date(s) - Feb 14, 2013
Center for Health Communities in the California Endowment Building
Category(ies) No Categories
The Southern California Sexual Health Collaborative Summit Planning Group would like to invite our colleagues to submit a workshop proposal for our 4th Annual Sexual Health Summit. Proposals are due 10/1/12.
Proposal submission form:
Presentation Proposal Request Form (571)
The Sexual Health Summit is a forum for sexual health providers to convene and share best practices and new research. We aim to create an event that provides new information for seasoned professionals and addresses old issues from new angles. In the past we have had speakers discuss the integration of sexual pleasure into sexual work, data integration across fields, increasing core competencies around working with youth on topics of sexual health, and many more topics. We invite folks to submit proposals that are cutting edge and will
offer new information or skills to our colleagues. This year we are particularly interested in topics related to arts and music and how they can be incorporated into sexual health work.
The Sexual Health Summit will take place on 2/14/13 in Los Angeles at the Center
For Health Communities in the California Endowment building. Please save the
date! Registration information will be released shortly.


text: Please. Somebody. I can't figure this one out. It is my crop of white widows that are 11th weeks into flowering. I was so happy two days ago when it came time to harvest. After flushing for a few days, I started snipping away and I hung them in my dark closet to start drying. and thats when it started to happen... I notice one of the colas shrinking and turning brown in the past three days. A few others began to follow. There is no sweet odor of marijuana, instead it smelled like...well, dried grass. literally. Now the conditions of the drying process? well it there was no light. during the night it drop to 55 degrees. humidity was at at 45%. I was starting to think it was the temp so I moved the buds to the oven (there it stayed at a good 80 degrees) The aroma began to seep everywhere. I was happy thinking that I resolved it. But when I checked on it at the end of the day, the shrinking and browning continued now with ALL the buds. I am thinking I am drying wrong. But I don't know what I'm doing wrong. there's no light. It's the proper temp. and its low humidity...its in an oven!!! So I'm thinking maybe its Bud Rot. But it then again, there would be signs before harvest. it was nice and pretty before and only started to decline after harvest! I am very sad. my whole harvest gone to waste. I would like to think that the learning experience is worth its value, but I don't even know what the issue is!! So please, Anyone...can you help me figure this out?! So that I can stop crying myself to sleep? Take a look. The first two is Before I Harvest. They look okay. The second two are after taken two days into drying. They look like little brown shit turds. WHY?


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dress: Brandy Melville || sweater: Saver's || shoes: topshop
It's that time...this post was taken pre-snow and let me tell you sweater season has officially hit and I'm beyond excited. I have too many sweaters to even count and the one I'm wearing in this post is one of my favorites. I got it a few years ago actually on a trip to Saver's. Just be prepared for a massive amount of sweater related posts...I'll try to break it up, but I'm not making any promises ;) it's getting that cold here and apparently this winter is going to be the coldest in Boston. Also today is black friday so if you are out shopping I hope you grab the best deals and good luck! I'll be at work avoiding all the mall madness ;) yay for cyber monday!
Have a lovely weekend!
Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin' | Tumblr | Facebook
photos taken by Natalie Chaprazian


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This listing is for a set of 15" (4) of front and rear Genuine BRABUS Monoblock VII Alloy wheels that come on the North American Lightshine Edition smart fortwo.These wheels will fit on all 451 model smart fortwo models.
Please note!
These is a take off set of smart BRABUS Wheels. The wheels are in excellent condition. We are the largest seller of aftermarket custom wheels for the smart in North America.
Due to this we get many sets of excellent condition, low mileage wheels as trade ins. Each wheels is carefully inspected and the very best wheels that have no flaws are cleaned and put up for resale.
If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a PM or contact us directly at 888-993-7552 or 562-981-7552!
Views: 90


text: Uno is the classic card game which is fun and quick to learn. The aim of the game is to be the first player to score 500 points, by getting rid of all the cards in your hand before your opponents. Its a fun game to play for all the family.Check stock and price


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Contact InformationRoscoe P. Coletrain Fund, Inc.
7165 Highway 17
Fleming Island, FL 32003
Other InformationEntity Status: Active
Type of Entity: Non Profit Corporation
Entity Creation Date: Aug 05, 2004
Days in Business: 4793 days
Company Description
Roscoe P. Coletrain Fund, Inc. is located in Fleming Island, Florida and is listed as an active Non Profit Corporation. Roscoe P. Coletrain Fund, Inc. was started on Aug 05, 2004 which was 4793 days ago.
EmployeesDana Moran: President
Holly Peery: Vd
Sheri Dr. Cone: Std
Muffett Moran: Director
Registered AgentSheri Dr. Cone
7165 Highway 17
Fleming Island, FL 32003
Edit ProfileEdited: 12/1/2011
To edit this profile, please click here. You will be able to add a custom description, social networks, website, phone number, and many more features to your ISHCC.org profile.
Reviews0 Reviews
To add a review, please click here (you must be logged in to add a review).


text:
Suite 2800
Kansas City, Missouri 64108
United States
|Areas of Practice
|1) Transportation/Real Estate
|Law School
|University of Missouri School of Law
|Virginia Commonwealth University (B.S., cum laude,
|Most recent firm
|Lathrop & Gage
|Relevant Jobs
Counsel I
USA-MO-Saint Louis
Counsel I The candidate will become a member of the Clearing and Operations team within the Wealth and Investment Management Division of the Law Department, providing legal support and counsel associ...
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Civil Litigation Associate Attorney
USA-MO-Jefferson City
Civil Litigation Associate Attorney The candidate areas of litigation will include medmal defense, construction and real estate disputes, employer-employee matters, contract disputes, and general lit...
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|+ View more jobs
Anthony Ciasulli is a senior counsel in Morgan Lewis's Real Estate Practice. Mr. Ciasulli represents both developers and lenders in connection with commercial, residential, industrial and resort real estate.
Brian M. Jazaeri is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Litigation Practice. Mr. Jazaeri represents clients in complex commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on class action matters and financial services, healthcare and technology litigation.


text: An important note about dictionaries By Alison Rosen on April 27, 2008 in nerd sex On Friday's Red Eye I may have besmirched The American Heritage dictionary. In fact, I know I did. We were talking about a study that said that brainy girls have more difficulty in the bedroom… MORE Continue Reading 9


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It only takes a minute to get started. Fill out our simple sign up form and login to the website.
This step is elective but will greatly enhance your chances of your profile being viewed by others. Write about yourself, your hobbies and upload your nicest photo of yourself.
Use our website's cutting-edge search to pinpoint members who satisfy your needs. Or just look through listings and pinpoint folks that arouse your interest.
Found someone who looks suitable? Send them a message or just a wink and take it from there. With a little luck you'll be on your way to finding your proper match.
And start dating


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Westchester Broadway Theatre to Host Free FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Show for Childrens' Homes, 1/16
For the past 38 years, Westchester Broadway Theatre has donated a matinee performance of one of its mainstage productions each year to the children residing in the area hospitals and in Group Homes in Westchester County. This Year the children will be treated to our new musical production of "FIDDLER ON THRE ROOF".
THIS YEAR'S INVITES INCLUDE Edenwald Center, Hawthorne Cedar Knolls, Pleasantville Cottage School, Linden Hill, Rockland Children's Psychiatric Center, Lincoln Hall, St. Christophers, Cardinal McClosky Home, Diagnostic Center in Pleasantville, NY Institure For Special Ed, PARC, and Sunshine Children's Home. There will be over 440 children and chaperones attending this performance. Approximately 16,000 children & chaperones have attended since the program began.
The children range in age from five up to eighteen. Some of the children reside in the residences due to physical or emotional disabilities, where their emotional, behavioral, school and family difficulties can be assessed. Others live in residential treatment centers which offer long-term care and schooling.
Each of the homes is contacted by a staff member of the theatre, and a need of the institution is met by the donation of gifts which are presented at the end of the performance. Proceeds for the gift donations come from our generous audiences during the holiday season. These gifts have included : Computers, Color Printers, Digital Cameras, Video Cameras, TVS, VCRs, DVD Players, Microwaves, Stereo Systems, Nintendo and Playstation Systems and Games. Some unique requests This year include a ping pong table and an aquarium bubble tube!
The purpose for the donated performance is to give the children a chance to see a fully staged musical show free of charge. At the intermission ice cream, cookies and sodas are provided. Each year we are gratified by seeing how involved the children become with the experience of watching live theatre. The reaction of the children and the appreciation of the staff is the reason the owners Bill Stutler and Bob Funking continue to donate this special performance, and fill the gift requests year after year.
The Owners of Westchester Broadway Theatre have, in its 38 year history, been very cognizant of the needs of our community and have initiated numerous opportunities for contributions. Other donations included Gift Certificates totaling in the amount of $30,000 to local Charities and Schools and other deserving organizations.
Westchester Broadway Theatre Presents Fiddler On The Roof, with Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics Sheldon Harnick and Book by Joseph Stein. Directed and Choreographed by Richard Stafford, with Musical Direction by Leo P. Carusone, the show runs January 3 - February 3, 2013, starring Bill Nolte as Tevye.
Pictured: The Company Performs "To Life". Photo Credit: John Vecchiolla.


text: A few days after applying a french manicure using gelish, the white part starts to get little light yellowish-brown spots in it. I apply the foundation, 2 coats of white and the top coat. It's still shiny after 2 weeks but the white tips aren't nearly as brilliant as they are when I first do it. Has anyone else had this problem? (Sorry if this has already been discussed. I looked but was unable to find anything.)


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By Louis Senecal on Thu, 06/09/2011
Master your iPhone in one minute a day:
Sign up to iPhone Life's Tip of the Day Newsletter and we'll send you a tip each day to save time and get the most out of your iPhone or iPad.
The Zaggsparq 2.0 is the latest external battery pack I was testing out with the iPad. This is also the first battery from Zagg that I have tried. In the package, you receive the Zaggsparq 2.0, an EU adaptor, and an instruction sheet.
With the exception of a few of the facts in this review, you can find the full technical specs on the link at the end. This battery is 6000 mAH. The only higher capacity battery I tried besides this was the Richard Solo 9000 mah which I will compare a few things to it. I have also tried the Richard Solo 5000 mAH battery.
-Power Lights: This has four yellow lights that indicate power level,
25%,50%,75%,100%. This feature is not unique but it is very appreciated, as you can get a visual idea of how much juice is left.
-Built in Wall Plug: This is a big feature. None of the battery packs I have used in the past have this. You had to rely on your own power brick. This plug folds in when not in use. I was a bit worried about if falling off the wall but it sits there with no problems and is pretty secure to the wall. I like being able to just throw this in a bag. It's an all in one solution.
Two USB outlets: This has two usb plugs so you can charge two devices at one time. The Richard Solo 9000 mAH does not have this, but their 5000 mAH power station I have does. The Zaggsparq has made one plug optimized and one for general charging. It all comes down to what your device is and what the best charging option is.
Size: This fits in the palm of my hand. While it's not as thin at the 5000 Powerstation, it still is fairly compact. I do not think this could get skinnier AND still be able to keep the built in plug. I like that plug too much and would not want to change it. This is also lighter compared to the Richard Solo 9000.
As instructed, it does take all day to charge. If your battery lights don't light up right away, don't freak out. When it's dead, it takes a little bit for the first indicator light to get going. I only tested this with the iPad, as that is the purpose I was using it for. I do want to mention that if you use this with the iPhone, it is said you will get four full charges. With the iPad, you are supposed to get an additional 5 to 6 hours of usage, which I believe comes out to 50-60% of extra battery power on your device. Did it succeed? It sure did. On average, it charged my iPad up to an additional 53%, which is a little over 5 hours. It took approximately 2.5 hours to charge the iPad. It performed just as Zagg said and designed it to do.
On a side note, the Zaggsparq also provided me some much needed emergency power. Last night, in my part of Western Ma, we had some tough thunderstorms that turned a lot of trees into flying weapons and toothpicks. We were without power the full night and some of this evening because of that so I used this to charge my sons iPod, as it had a flashlight app on it. While I did not need to use that app, I would have if I used all my flashlight batteries up. I also charged my iPod Nano in the second plug, so I could have power to listen to the FM Radio for the news. Just another example of how extra battery power comes in handy. (my cell phones do not charge off USB, other wise this is what the Zaggsparq would have been saved for.
Specs and Features:
-Portable power: More than a simple extended battery, carries multiple charges for any personal electronic device with you - including four full recharges for most power-hungry smart phones
-On-the-go convenience: fits easily in a pocket or bag-
- works with most USB charged gadgets, including cell phones, handheld gaming systems, digital cameras, and the Apple® iPad® (adapters for mini-USB to USB not included)
-Two USB charging ports: Optimized and General
-6,000 mAh Lithium Polymer
-Max output: 2000mA @ 5V
-Power Source: 100-240 VAC @ 50/60 Hz
- Size 3.5 x 3.5 x 1 inches
-Weight 8.6 ounces


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If as it looks that the Toronto Blue Jays leave Dunedin for a new spring training site that they would share with the Houston Astros in Palm Beach Gardens they can and will be replaced. Despite the Blue Jays' contract with the city expires on Dec. 30, 2017, the club has the option to leave as early as 2015.
While there is no doubt that the city would like to keep Toronto right where they are now at Dunedin Stadium. But the club has signed a deal to play in a proposed new $100 million dollar that they would share with Houston in Palm Beach Gardens.
The Palm Beach Gardens are key to keeping the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins are the only teams left of Florida's east coast. The proposed new Palm Beach Gardens complex is seen as critical to keeping both the Mets and the Cardinals from looking elsewhere for spring training homes.
Meanwhile, Dunedin has both the Washington Nationals, now train in Viera and the Milwaukee Brewers who train in Phoenix as candidates to replace the Jays if they head to Pal Beach Gardens.
At present the Nationals are looking for a new spring training home. They are over an hour drive from their nearest spring training partner. It is also tough to get fans to come to Viera because there simply is not much to do in the area.
The Nationals had been in contact with Ft. Myers about City of Palms Park but at this point the city, who just three years ago built a new stadium for the Boston Red Sox and did a number of renovations to the facilities that house the Minnesota Twins, so there is no money at this point for the Nationals.
Washington would be the perfect fit for Dunedin because their NL East rivals the Philadelphia Phillies are down the road in Clearwater, their interleague "Belway Rivals," the Baltimore Orioles are across the Skyway Bridge in Sarasota and then of course there are the Yankees, Pirates and Tigers all within a 90 minute drive of their possible new home.
While the Nationals would be a natural the Brewers might be a little harder to sell. Milwaukee has not trained in the state since 1964, when the Braves moved to Atlanta they of course began their spring each year in Palm Beach before moving to Disney.
When Milwaukee welcomed the Brewers to town in 1970 they have trained in Arizona and for their entire 43 years as in the Major Leagues they may have changed cities but they have always been in the Catus League. At the moment they are on a year to year lease with Maryvale Baseball Park in Phoenix. The team has asked for upgrades in the facilities and it is being debated at the moment by the city. At the moment the Brewers are the only Catus League team that could be moved that said, Milwaukee will listen to Dunedin but the better play at the moment would be the Nationals.
But Dunedin could be very creative, by moving to offer the same type of deal Palm Beach Gardens is offering and perhaps they could land both Milwaukee and Washington. We will keep you posted.


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Tesco Mobile offer 4G at no extra costs as from now.
Tesco Mobile are going from strength to strength. Not only were they the first Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) to launch 4G, but now they become the second mobile operator to offer 4G with no extra costs following Three's lead.
Tesco Mobile have confirmed customers can get 4G at no extra cost on all Pay Monthly and SIM Only contracts. Previously you had to pay a premium of £2.50 for 4G connectivity, but that's now a thing of the past.
4G prices now start at just £7.50 a month on a 12-month tariff which comes with 250 minutes, 5,000 texts and 500MB of 4G mobile data. Head on over to Tesco Mobile to get full details on all their 4G mobile deals.
In the next few weeks Tesco Mobile will be launching 4G data bundles for Pay As You Go customers and introducing new 4G smartphones, including the the Sony Z1 Compact and the Motorola Moto X.
"After giving customers the chance to try 4G at their own pace with our flexible 4G tariffs, we've seen people really benefit from what it has to offer. Introducing free 4G is a clear example of our intention to provide all of our customers with the very best at no extra cost" said Simon Groves, Chief Marketing Officer of Tesco Mobile.
Tesco Mobile uses O2's network which means that they can currently offer 4G in Birmingham, Bradford, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, London and Nottingham.
©Copyright 2017 www.3G.co.uk - All Rights Reserved


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Passwords (passphrases) are an important aspect of information security. Hackers and identity thieves are constantly looking for ways to steal people's usernames, passwords, and other personal information, which they can then use for their own illegal purposes or financial gain. Simple passwords may cause a security breach, resulting in the theft of your user accounts. Once compromised, your account could be used to launch attacks on other Pace University systems, companies, or institutions around the world. If someone else could figure out your password, they could assume your electronic identity. Hackers use software programs that attempt to crack users' passwords and they are pretty effective at guessing passwords that are considered weak. Thus, it is very important to create a strong password that you can remember easily, but that is very difficult for others to guess.
Password Best Practices:
- Create strong passwords which are at least 8 characters long, include upper-case, lower-case, numbers, and special characters, and which do not include words from any dictionary, or part of your name.
- Don't share your password(s) with anyone
- Use different passwords for different types of accounts (e.g. Pace systems, personal bank accounts, personal email and social networking sites, etc.)
- Change your passwords regularly
- Don't write down your password(s)
Tips to Create Passwords/Passphrases: Swap characters or numbers for letters and/or create an acronym from an easy-to-remember phrase:
Example 1 – Swap characters: Phrase: "Singing in the rain", Password: S!ng!ng1nTh3Ra!n
Example 2 – Create acronym: Phrase: "My favorite color is blue", Password: Mfcib!u3
Your MyPace password gives you access to almost every I.T. resource at Pace, including very important personal information through the MyPace Portal, so it is very important that you keep it safe.
For more details on how to create a strong password, visit the Password Complexity Guidelines page.


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Songstress Mariah Carey – who is days away from welcoming her first and second child – is the latest celebrity to show off her pregnant body on the cover of a magazine. The mom-to-be bared her bump to Life & Style.
I was feeling very vulnerable about taking pictures at all right now, but then I didn't want to miss this opportunity to document this once-in-a-lifetime experience," Mariah tells Life & Style. "My ultimate goal was to share this incredibly personal moment with my true fans."
And the twins — a boy and a girl — seemed ready for their closeups.
"The babies were kicking almost the entire time; it was unbelievable," the Grammy Award-winning singer says. "Especially the girl — clearly she's a diva in training! We didn't start shooting until 1:30 a.m. because I was in the hospital from the night before until the day of the shoot with contractions five minutes apart!"
Although Mariah's not due for a few weeks, the twins could be making their grand entrance sooner rather than later. Contractions sent mom to the hospital on March 27 – her 42nd birthday!
Soon-to-be-dad Nick Cannon says he is more attracted to his wife than ever. "I thought I couldn't love Mariah more," he says. "But I have a whole new appreciation and admiration for her."
Mariah adds that her pregnancy has given her a new perspective.
Now I have so much respect for mothers everywhere, especially those who've had difficult pregnancies or given birth to multiples. We need to have Mother's Day once a week!"


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Welcome to marco vincent divers
Experience the best of philippine diving
Marco Vincent Dive Center 1 is located on White Beach, Puerto Galera, Philippines. Rinse tubs, showers and other facilities for your comfort are just a few steps away from the crystal clear waters of the cove. Experienced and hard core divers will appreciate our state of the art scuba dive boats and cruisers. Our seasoned scuba dive pros will ensure your hassle free and safe scuba diving holiday.
Centrally located , we serve divers from the different resorts along White Beach.
Boasting top-notch classrooms and a training pool, the Marco Vincent Dive Center 2 is where we offer PADI Open water to Dive Master certifications. It is located next to our own Marco Vincent Dive Resort, a hundred meters inland, a welcome oasis after a busy day. Learn about your next adventure, explore and experience with a PADI 5 star Dive Center.
Whatever your budget, we are your one stop shop for your scuba diving holiday. From airport transfers, scuba dive packages and a diverse range of accommodations, we will be happy to be of service.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
How long does menopause last?
I am 49 soon to be 50 and I have been having all symptoms for the last 2 to 3 years. I was just wondering how long menopause last??
The entire transition from the first changes in cycle regularity to one year after the last menstrual is thought to last around 4-5 years. Hot flashes can persist even longer, but typically they become milder and less frequent as time passes.
Margery Gass, MD
Formely, Professor, Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati


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Women from Forest Lake and Woodbury were honored Tuesday as 2013 "Family Child Care Providers" by the Washington County Board of Commissioners in conjunction with the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association's (MLFCCA) conference.
Michele Acker of Forest Lake and Laurie Mondry of Woodbury were both recognized for their work as early childhood educators and caregivers. Individuals in the community nominate providers and the applications are reviewed by an ad hoc committee from the county's Child Care Council with representation from the MLFCCA.
Requirements for potential family child care providers of the year are: have been in the field for at least three years; promote quality child care as a profession and in the community; meet annual state training requirements; have a positive impact on the lives of the young children, and demonstrate professional skills in child care.
Acker has been licensed for 3.5 years, is a member of Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association and has a bachelor's degree in business. She started babysitting as a teenager, then worked with infants and toddlers in a child care center in River Falls, Wis., while in college.
When asked about her philosophy in working with children and their parents, Acker said, "Everyone must show respect to each other. There must be good communication between myself and the parents as well as with the children to build trust. Children need to try new things and know that it is ok not to succeed the first time and try again until they do succeed."
Acker offers a preschool curriculum to prepare each child for kindergarten. She participates in the USDA Child and Adult Food Program, providing nutritious meals and snacks every day.
The parent who nominated Acker said, "Michele is excellent at walking the line between allowing kids to be kids, and taking charge. She structures much of their day, but allows them time to make their own choices as well. She is constantly looking for ways to enrich their experience at her house from the preschool curriculum, to watching houses being built across the street, to a scavenger hunt in their backyard."
Mondry's child care program is called Laurie's Little Angels. She has been licensed for 13 years and is a member of the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association, and is working toward accreditation for her program.
Mondry started her child care business 13 years ago so she could be home with her two sons. Communication about their child's developmental and educational goals with the parent is a very important part of my business.
Mondry's nominator said, "Laurie has created a family environment in which all children look out for each other. She encourages the children to use their manners and treat others with respect. When my children are at home and playing with a friend, I have noticed that they are better able to share and compromise, and these are skills that they are practicing while at Laurie's day care."
Mondry participates in the food program and provides healthy foods during meals and at snack time. The children exercise daily, inside or outside. A nominator also noted another lesson from Mondry's care: "Laurie strives to teach the children to become independent with their self-care skills and ready for school. Both of my children's teachers have commented on how well my children can manage their winter weather clothing on their own."


text: Had a great few hours here at our complex as I took the day off after being rear-ended yesterday. Today sorta makes up for it. Here's a nice photo I got of a blackburnian warbler, which sat right in front of me preening for quite some time http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2817747930059461204ULAEfW Here's my list. A few others I think I saw too but I did not see them for sure. Not bad for such a location! 2 Canada Goose 2 Mallard 1 Great Blue Heron (squaked and perched in a tree) 1 Great Horned Owl (juvenile again, saw it this morning and looked like a blob of feathers) 2 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 1 Eastern Phoebe 3 Blue Jay 1 Tree Swallow 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 3 Barn Swallow 5 Black-capped Chickadee 1 White-breasted Nuthatch x House Wren 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 Eastern Bluebird 9 American Robin 55 Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 Black-throated Green Warbler 2 Blackburnian Warbler 50 Palm Warbler 3 Black-and-white Warbler 1 Scarlet Tanager 1 Chipping Sparrow 1 Field Sparrow 1 Savannah Sparrow 6 Song Sparrow 1 Northern Cardinal 2 Indigo Bunting 3 Red-winged Blackbird 2 Eastern Meadowlark 1 Common Grackle 2 Brown-headed Cowbird x House Finch x American Goldfinch -Mike Duchek, Waukesha, Waukesha Co. #################### You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding Network (Wisbirdn). To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: http://www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: http://www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: http://www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn.


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Mixed-media works by Debra Hampton
There are endless possibilities in the universe of collage art, and we really like what Debra Hampton has done with this series of works. Combining ??magazine cut outs, watercolor, and ink on panel, Hampton reimagines, arranges, and removes most identifiable elements of the model or person she is borrowing from and turns it into a surreal firestorm.July 31, 2012


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Protect your home with an unique Home Insurance Policy - HDFC ERGO's Home Insurance
plan not only safeguards the structure of your home but also ensures a safety for
all the belongings and prized possessions collected over the years with your hard
earned money at a very affordable price. This is the unique house insurance
policy for home owners with long term coverage which is upto 5 years,
and can be instantly purchase online without any documentation with minimum hassles
and worries. HDFC ERGO Home Insurance is more than just an insurance cover for your
Depending on the varying factors, the payable premium also varies. There is an online
premium calculator available on our website which you can use to calculate the payable
© 2008 HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Limited (Formerly HDFC General Insurance
Limited from September 14, 2016 and L&T General Insurance Company Limited upto September
13, 2016) All Rights Reserved. Reg office: 1st Floor, HDFC House, 165 - 166 Backbay
Reclamation, H. T. Parekh Marg, Churchgate, Mumbai – 400 020. IRDAI Registration
Number : 146. For more details on the risk factors, term and conditions please read
the sales brochure carefully before concluding the sale. Tax benefits are as per
the Income Tax Act, 1961, and are subject to amendments made thereto from time to
time. Trade Logo displayed above belongs to HDFC LTD and ERGO International AG and
used by HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company under license. CIN : U66010MH2007PLC177117.


text: Now stunningly repackaged, 50p from the sale of this DVD will be paid to Royal British Legion Trading Limited which gives its taxable profits to The Royal British Legion (Charity no. 219279) and Poppy Scotland (Scottish Charity No. SC014096). The life of a Vietnam vet, Ron Kovic, after he is severely wounded and returns from the War. When he went to fight in Vietnam, his fellow Americans were waving flags but now, when he returns paralyzed from the mid-chest down they are burning them. Still he loved his country, but America no longer loved him. Special Features: Feature Commentary with Oliver Stone From the NBC News Archives - Backstory: Born on the Fourth of JulyCheck stock and price