While the world catches up, Toyota quietly gets on with its third generation eco savior

Sohaib Zahid
Argus

When a good old dose of electricity has been used to power things, switching over to battery power has always made sense while using regular gadgets like telephones, mp3 players or laptops.
But with car motors, the use of a watt or two to power it has generally had a diminishing effect. Less rampant rabbit, more asthmatic aardvark. The problems of harnessing the low-emission benefits of electric are huge when it comes to vehicles, principally because storing or generating enough power to do more than out-sprint a milk float requires whacking great batteries. Lots of them. And that means space, and weight, and cost.
And of course, the batteries tend to run out, fast. Unlike a hybrid, where you can switch to dear old fossil power and carry on, the only method of propulsion once the batteries have given up the ghost is gravity, or a hefty shoulder to the C-pillar. And once at a place where the current can flow back into them again, you’d better have a box set of The Sopranos to plough through while you wait for the needle to hit full.
It’s a worry, especially for the motorist new to electric avenue, and there’s even a name for this psychological condition: range anxiety.
To avoid this physiological condition, Toyota has an answer with its new Prius, the third in over a decade’s worth of petrol-electric hybrid cars from Toyota.
After shocking the world with its home-market introduction in 1997, the Prius continues to represent the standard by which all other hybrids are measured. Under the car’s hood is a more powerful 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4. Despite being bigger, Toyota claims that this engine achieves better fuel economy than the old one because it makes more torque, allowing lower rpm on the highway.
The stats are promising: 3.8 L/100km, 89g/km, 134hp. That’s up by 22hp and down by 15g/km CO2 emissions over the last-gen Prius, and easily outshines the Honda insight, VW Gold TDI and VW Jetta TDI.
Also promising, is Toyota’s talk that it’s made the Prius a genuine mainstream contender, a car whose green credentials are just part of the appeal, not most of it. Performance is up, emissions down, practicality and safety increased, refinement and aerodynamics improved. It’s even getting a bit German in the press conference with talk of ‘increased driving pleasure’.
The restyle in bang on the money - instantly recognizable second-gen DNA given extra athleticism with an aggressively creased shoulder line and more rakish headlights. Inside, Toyota has used the so-called ‘ecological plastics’ (‘the world’s first injected molded material derived from plants,’ says the press material, which came from well-managed forests and other controlled sources, thanks heavens) might sound a bit cheap when you bang on them.
As a hybrid, of course, the engine’s also boosted by an electric motor stowed beneath the trunk, and a nickel-metal hydride battery. Both are lighter, smaller and significantly more powerful than before.
This Prius, though, isn’t just a one-trick urban pony. Fully charged, the Prius can slip around on battery power alone at up to 50 km/h for as long as 2km if you press the EV button. In fact, the petrol engine will regularly shut down at speeds of up to 70km/h meaning the Prius now makes more sense for out-of-towners than its predecessor did. And, on the open road, the extra power doled out by the new 1.8-liter engine comes into its own. The power is fed to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The engine’s extra muscle means you don’t need to work it as hard as the Honda insight, while extra attention to noise reduction means you notice less what noise there is as opposed to a diesel in VWs.
According to Toyota, there’s increased torsional stiffness, better steering feel and improved stability, but don’t go expecting a BMW-rivaling drive. The Prius is perfectly acceptable for the person who just wants to get from A to B, even if A is Ajax and B is Brampton. The Prius is also notably better than - here it comes again - the Insight. The steering has none of the vagueness around the dead-ahead and is just a little quicker too; the handling is a lot less vague at higher speeds; and ride is in a different league. You may be tempted by the $3600 savings the Insight waves under your nose but, seriously, the improved ride quality is almost worth the premium on its own, and when you factor in the Toyota’s improved performance, refinement, interior quality and better tech, well, you’d be slightly mad to hand your cash to the competition.
All in, the Prius impresses as mush as Toyota claims. Although I am yet to establish how close it comes to delivering 3.8 L/100km in real world driving over a more representative period of time. Rest assured, we’ll find that out soon enough.

Pretty Ugly
Argus
Whoa. I love hump day. When Wednesday feels like Saturday, you are living. The Great Bloomers from TO opened for Wooden Sky and, despite the laid back reputation, they delivered the danceability T-Bay has developed a reputation for. Take note, deck influenced shoes, jeans as tight as sin, and whether it was a retro t-shirt, white v-neck, or checkered collared, it was sweaty like any rockstar’s ought to be. I loved the keyboardist from The Great Bloomers. He had skinny black levis with a white deep v-neck t-shirt, which is pretty standard, but the purple ked-like kicks stole the show. The lead singer of the Wooden Sky had a throwback ‘Jays t-shirt with these wicked tight darkwashes and mid-tour scruff. It seemed like for a few of the Toronto natives the prairies had been rubbing off on them, making a sort of pseudo-cowboy look for the majority of the band members. Most of them had slim fitted boots with fresh dark blue denim and plaid with the exception of a few strictly city slicked. The whiskey and Redbull had me “pimmin’” as they said, topping of their beer with red bull. What a night. Anybody else feeling like dropping out of school and becoming a groupie?

Q- Dirk, I keep getting input from every angle on this person I started seeing. We’re in that weird transition between casual and steady, and a lot of people are making some good points in every direction. It’s ironic but I need advice on taking advice.

It seems like been you’ve consulted everyone except the person you’re seeing. Seek their opinion, because chances are they are thinking the same thing. Then decide for yourself, or seek the advice of those you trust. One thing to be sure of is that you are actively listening. A lot of communication gets lost because people have trouble listening and understanding completely. Feelings are a lot less hurt when there is a sensation of closure, and they are also more intensely expressed when there is a sensation of understanding. Keep in mind too, not all communication is verbal, and it takes a lot time to understand someone else’s body language in and out. So when you are talking to that significant other, choose your words, and actions, carefully to get your whole point across. Even though your words and body language may line up to you, remember that they might be interpreted differently by who ever you’re speaking to, so keep it all clear and what you want should come across once you make up your mind.

Fab Dave

I’m sure that you are all the ultimate in the giving and receiving of sexual pleasure, but wouldn’t it be nice to step it up?
The sex toy industry has rapidly changed and expanded to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse audience. Thankfully, sex toys are no longer just neon phalluses or adorable animals (though no one can deny the popularity of the Rabbit). The new technologies and materials involved in modern sex toys can help deepen the experience of pleasure for single folk, couples, and everyone in between. With so many new options out there, how do you decide which ones are best for you?
There are fantasic resources out there, with consumer reviewed products to give you an idea of what you’re getting into. Venus Envy and Babeland both have awesome websites and stores with all sorts of information about what can get you off longer and harder than ever before. To help this process, here’s a list of more popular sex toys, all for under $100.00 to get you started. A hundred bucks is a lot on a student budget, but toys are definitely not a place to be cheap (especially with phthalates in some of the cheaper models).
For men who are willing to explore the awesome power of the prostate, the Aneros Prostate Stimulator could be the toy you’re looking for. The vibrator is not very long, so it doesn’t have to be inserted very far into the anus and it massages the prostate from the inner wall as well as from a small vibrator on the perrenium (aka the taint). Its a great toy for men and women just exploring anal play.
For straight men, the Orbit Ring Vibe can enhance partner sex by acting like a cock ring and keep an erection stronger and lasting longer, while providing vibrations that stimulate the clitoris. This toy can also be used alone, by moving the vibrator down to the base of the scrotum to massage the balls and taint. The Orbit Ring is reasonably priced for its high functionability.
The Violet Rapture may seem small, but its not the size, its how you use it. This toy is set up to be inserted into the vagina with ticklers for the clitoris and the nus. It has an easy to use remote so that you can control the force of the vibrations. Again, this toy depends on the comfort of the user in terms of anal stimulation, but its small size makes the toy beginner friendly while still providing lots of stimulation. Because it massages three sensitive areas, it can bring about a quick and robust climax.
If I could give one negative review, it would be of the Sasi. Though I don’t have personal experience with the Sasi, all of the people I know who have used it have had problems with it. It is supposed to learn over time what the user enjoys to provide a unique and personal experience. It is shaped like a tongue to simulate oral sex, but because the vibes aren’t strong enough and the initial process of letting it know what you like is time consuming, it is a frustrating toy. As great as it sounds to have a perfect cyborg lover, the Sasi just hasn’t lived up to the hype.
These are just a few examples of the many, many different varieties of sex toys. Finding one that is right for you is a very personal process and the toys listed above aren’t going to help everyone get off. If you want to learn more about sex toys and start learning what could work for you, in a fun, safe environment, the GIC is having a Fantasia party on Wednesday March 3rd at 7pm. It’s going to be a couple friendly, queer friendly, everyone friendly event, so bring some cash and an open mind.

The frequency same-sex relationships in the animal kingdom

Anthony Marrelli
Argus

Birds do it, bees probably do it – same-sex relationships. Biologists have started to consider evolutionary implications for the animals in question.
“It is clear that same-sex sexual behaviour extends far beyond the well-known examples that dominate both the scientific and popular literature such as bonobos, dolphins, penguins and fruit flies” Nathan Bailey, a researcher in the Department of Biology at UC Riverside, said.
There is a caveat, however. The review also reports same-sex behaviours are not the same across species, and that researchers may be calling qualitatively different phenomena by the same name. For example, male fruit flies may court other males because they are lacking a gene that enables them to discriminate between the sexes.
However, that is very different from male bottlenose dolphins, who engage in same-sex interactions to facilitate group bonding, or the female Laysan Albatross that can remain pair-bonded for life, and cooperatively rear young.  Same-sex behaviour in this species may not be aberrant, but instead can arise as an alternative strategy of reproduction.
Almost a third of Laysan albatross couples are female-female pairs, and they are more successful than unpaired females when it comes to rearing chicks.
Penguins have been known to form long-term same-sex bonds in which males will engage in sexual activity. Toads generally don’t discriminate between sexes, while marine snails all start out male and, when they mate with another male, one of them helpfully changes sex.
Dolphins will often touch their genitals together or one male might even mount another and penetrate its blowhole. Bonobos go the furthest in same-sex bonding with regular copulation among males.
Homosexual behaviours are flexibly deployed in a variety of circumstances: as alternative reproductive tactics, as cooperative breeding strategies, as facilitators of social bonding, or as mediators of intrasexual conflict.
Once this flexibility is established, it becomes a selective force that can drive selection on other aspects of physiology, life history, social behaviour, and even morphology.
New research on same-sex animal behaviour also finds that, although many studies are performed in the context of understanding the evolutionary origins of same-sex sexual behaviour, almost none have considered its evolutionary consequences.
Same-sex behaviours such as courtship, mounting, and parenting are traits that may have been shaped by natural selection.
“Our review of studies also suggests that these same-sex behaviours might act as selective forces in and of themselves,” Bailey said.  A selective force, which is a sudden or gradual stress placed on a population, affects the reproductive success of individuals in the population.
“When we think of selective forces, we tend to think of things like weather, temperature, or geographic features, but we can think of the social circumstances in a population of animals as a selective force, too,” Bailey stated.
Same-sex behaviour radically changes those social circumstances by removing some individuals from the pool of animals available for mating.
Bailey’s work noted that researchers in the field have made significant strides in the past two and a half decades studying the genetic and neural mechanisms that produce same-sex behaviours in individuals, and the ultimate reasons for their existence in populations.
However, like any other behaviour that doesn’t lead directly to reproduction, such as aggression or altruism, same-sex behaviour can have evolutionary consequences that are just now beginning to be considered.
For example, male-male copulations in locusts can be costly for the mounted male, and this cost may in turn increase selection pressure for males’ tendency to release a chemical called panacetylnitrile, which dissuades other males from mounting them.

Dirk D.

Sex, in its many realms and forms, has become an uninhibited act of freedom and expression. With quite literally no limits, endless possibilities, and sensations that people never imagined possible, it would seem that advice in the sex world would be futile. But, luckily, I’ve compiled ten tips that are tried and tested from a panel of experts, lay people, and virgins. These tips, as anything else, are up for interpretation and should be used as guidelines to aid in your sexually active lifestyle.
And they are up for debate, while we stand behind our work it is important to keep in mind everyone has a unique situation where maybe not all ten tips apply; so feel free to pick apart and dissect as needed. As long as you’re thinking and reading, that’s what counts. Here’s to the many pleasures you’ll only experience in your twenties, and the ten ways you can help reach those experiences. Enjoy.

1. It works for exams, your job and sports. Why not everywhere else in life? You’ve heard it time and time again. Relax. Slow down. Take your time. Be cool. Number one tip.

2. Safety is sexy. Best be prepared. Have protection (and lube) on deck. Why chance it? Whatever relationship realm you’re in, it can’t hurt. The number two complaint about using protection is it kills the moment, number one being it “doesn’t feel as good”, but why not make it a part of the moment? Make whatever method you use look sexy.

3. Set your priorities. Sometimes life gets in the way of love. Everyone likes the physical aspect, but keep yourself in check. If you got 99 problems, don’t add another. Honestly, honesty is the best policy and if you’re running your jibs about feelings, or holding your tongue about them, I suggest you let them fly. If you’re only into whatever for the physical, let that person know. Best-case scenario is the person you’re creeping with will be down for that too, and worst-case scenario is they cut it off. Which can’t be that bad, considering you cold as ice anyway, right? If you’re into that person for emotional stability, tell them. If they’re not feelin’ that tip then peace the scene. What is the point in being with someone that isn’t interested in you at the same level?

4. Risky Business. Don’t be afraid to make the first move or the last. Insecurity is a killer. If you are confident, or even pretending to be, it will be, one, easier to follow tip 3 if you choose to, and two you’re going to see the outcome of an otherwise unpredictable situation. Take a risk and gauge the results.  Unless you’re between the sheets, then follow tip two on being safe. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take other risks within. And if the results aren’t in your favour, you can be proud you stepped out of that comfort zone and extended your personal boundaries. The more risks you take, the more you can shape your likes and dislikes. Besides, chances are a risk you take will turn into a good story one way or another, which is always a good way to entertain a crowd, because you never know who will be listening.

5. What sucks in life? Repeats. Some things never get old, true, but damn, mix it up. Variety is clutch. If you’ve perfected one routine, why not work another and expand your sexual skill set? The lists of positions are limitless and are good for fast recall; especially if you’re varying the location, it’s always a bonus when you can use new elements, like say a shower ledge, to your advantage. Rather than fight with the environment, adapt and make the best of it. Look for those new angles and always play around with leverage. Another plus to variety is longevity. If you’re in a position that tires you out, it’s always good to move to the next– give those muscles a rest and get back to it later. With a volume of positions, you always add to the longevity of your sex life. And each person is different, so if you have a good base knowledge, it’s easier to change positions until the two (or more) of you find something that works.

6. Get naked. Strip down to the bone or as close as comfortable. Being comfortable in your own skin is underrated. Try and just hang out in your underwear or nude until your comfortable being naked around anything. One of the biggest turn-ons for everyone is confidence when you’re naked. Everything else seems so effortless when you’ve only got to worry about discovering someone else and not yourself. And think of it as a metaphor too. Let your vulnerabilities show and embrace your flaws and highlights because everyone has them, so if you can learn to work with your self-conscience aspects and not hide them they might be easier to overcome. Getting naked physically is a great step to getting naked emotionally or vice versa.

7. Stay active. Self esteem stems from so many areas, but one place they seem to converge is activity. Not only does exercise have rad health benefits, but your sex drive increases too. There is no downside to physical activity. None. Staying active is a great way to put any sexual frustration on hold. All you need is a health magazine and a couple home workout gear like a swiss ball, yoga mat, and some free weights to get started. And if you’re already muscle bound, put that motivation into things that help explicitly in the bedroom like flexibility and cardio. A cramp is a pretty low note to go out on, whether it’s from being inflexible or unfit.

8. Research. Do your homework for once! If you and your partner have a mad hang up, seek resources to solve it. Chances are someone out there has had the same issue you have, and even if not, there is plenty of sex insight in magazines and Internet blogs. Knowledge is power. And it’s sexy. Although some people like it, the majority don’t want to play teacher when getting hot under the collar and yeah, sure, a lot of knowledge comes from experience, but if you can’t get hands on experience, you best be aware of what you’re about to encounter.

9. Stay in the moment. Don’t ask why. If your partner asks you to do the dirtiest kinkiest thing you can imagine, just go for it. One, its nobody’s business what goes on behind closed doors. Two, if your partner asks you to do something, they’re gonna be sure they want it, so just dive in. Three, save the post game breakdown for the end of the game. Take in as much detail in the moment as possible and ask questions later. And four, don’t let those distractions get the better of you. If the candles all of a sudden go out or the hot water runs cold, don’t let it phase you. Adapt and move on. Those intimate moments don’t die because something didn’t go according plan, they just change. As a side note, if you’re in the shower, and the hot water does run out, just turn the shower off. Enjoy the steambath.

10. No means no. If you’re not having fun, it’s not worth doing. Be greedy in the bed, this is a time to celebrate the physical chemistry between you and your partner. If your comfort zone is stretched beyond capacity, call it off. You don’t owe anything to anyone. This isn’t a realm of a relationship where compromise needs to come into play. Great sex happens when there is a mutual desire to please one another, and a lot of time that pleasure results in an unforgettable way. If that mutual desire isn’t there, don’t be afraid to abandon ship. Some days are just off days, and you have every right to deny sexual acts without question or protest. Sex is about as two-way as it gets, and if both parties aren’t feeling satisfied, maybe you should think about closing the party down.