STORYLINE

Veilad Wants to Help You Power Your Vehicle

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A popular program in Lahaina that offers charging credits for electric vehicles in exchange for advertising is set to expand to all of Hawaii. The expansion comes just one year before the state mandated goal of having all ground transportation use renewable energy sources. Started in early 2043, the plan is a joint venture between Veilcorp spinoff, Veilad, and Phxicom.

Veilad has helmed many successful campaigns over the years including branded Reality Machine merchandise, and ads while you travel through the veil, but it was their corporate sponsored animal campaign that served as inspiration for the charging program. “The safety of the Duracave elephant herd served as the impetus for our charging initiative. We thought that giving an owner the chance to brand their vehicle in exchange for Veilcorp charging credit was a win-win situation. However, it wasn’t until we learned about Phxicom’s amazing sprayable display technology that our plan really took off,” says Veilad’s president Brie Howard.

Phxicom spokesperson Scott Parata adds, “Veilcorp has more charging stations than any other company on the island, and with Hawaii’s push to expand the use of EVs, the program sounded like an amazing opportunity. We’re glad we get a chance to show off the capabilities of our sprayable display while doing something to help the environment.”

Owners simply bring their vehicles to a participating facility and have the sprayable display installed on part, or all of their vehicle, depending on which plan they choose. Veilad then runs various advertisements that change depending on location. At the end of the month enrollees get a charging credit usable at any Veilcorp charging station.

The basic program covers the doors and hood of a vehicle and displays a different ad a few times a day. Brie says that for the average driver, the basic program can cover about 25% of their monthly charging bill. The premium program covers the entire vehicle with the Phxicom technology, and offers a much bigger payout.

In addition to covering your whole vehicle, the premium program is much more advanced. Sensors in the display track where a driver is in real time, and displays ads for businesses nearby or of particular interests. For example, if you find yourself near Black Rock Beach, ads relating to swimming and snorkeling will display. Further, the technology will play an accompanying audio track to ads if it senses it is in a high traffic area, regardless of whether or not it is being driven. According to Howard, participants in the premium charging program can expect to never pay a charging bill again.

While the program is a popular one, it is not without its detractors. Many consider the branded vehicles an eyesore. Others complain that the audio ads amount to nothing more than noise pollution, and that they disturb the peace and tranquility of natural areas. Maui police say that complaints about loudly playing ads number in the thousands. There’s also the problem of inappropriate items slipping through. Veilad admits that “there were some kinks to work out at first” but emphasizes that complaints about questionable content have shrunk to almost zero.

However, local resident Elizabeth Stonegate says the problem has been an ongoing one for her.

“It’s to the point where I don’t dare drive the van anymore. The problem started when I took my son and some of his friends to soccer practice. I saw people staring as I drove in, and assumed that they were staring at me. As President of the Tanager Lane Home Owners Association I get recognized a lot, it’s actually a little tiring. Anyway, after we stopped and got out I saw what everyone was staring at. My entire van had been turned into a disgusting advertisement for a questionable dating site. Then the audio began and I was mortified. Since then many of my son’s friends have asked if they could start carpooling with us. Even worse, Shelby had the audacity to question my judgment and fitness as head of the HOA. Even though everyone knows she’s still upset about the whole cat carrier incident, she never dared test my authority before. I work hard on projecting a perfect image. I will not be brought down because some company thinks they can make a buck off of lonely soccer parents.”

Brie reiterates that such issues are the exception rather than the rule and says that Veilad continues to work hard to screen their ad inventory. “For most people it’s an easy way to drive without paying for fuel. It offers valuable information to potential consumers, and is the best way available for a business to communicate its message. If you can live with driving a theme car, we’ll pay for the fuel,” she says.

STORYLINE

Company Offers Homes that you can Veil

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Construction company owner Ronnie Kalipalani didn’t think that one of his pet projects would make him famous. He certainly never dreamed that it would have many hailing him as a housing innovator, but that’s what has happened to the 38-year-old Lahaina resident. Kalipalani’s “Veil Houses” have renewed enthusiasm in the tiny house movement and municipalities from across the country have expressed interest in his compact designs.

The small housing movement gained notoriety in the 1970’s by people looking for economical and environmentally friendly housing alternatives. Early versions came with wheels and could be less than 100 sq. ft. in size. 30 years later, the movement really took off thanks to a number of TV shows and decreasing space in urban areas. Many championed the movement as a solution to emergency or low-cost housing, and a handful of pilot programs began across the country. The Veil House’s origins were less lofty, however.

“My crew is really tight and we like to take vacations together. One year we basically reserved an entire floor of a hotel but when we tried to check in they told us the reservations were messed up. It was spring break so finding rooms for everyone was a nightmare. We ended up at 5 different hotels spread out over 12 miles. It sucked! We started talking about buying or renting RVs for future trips but driving around a small house seemed like a pain. Then I joked that we should just build little houses that we could have Veilcorp ship to whatever destination we wanted. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to give it a shot.”

What Kalipalani came up with won’t win any awards in aesthetics, but it has many excited. The Veil House’s resemblance to a small shipping container with windows is by design according to Ronnie. “We wanted to make sure that any of the standard equipment at a Veil station would be able to move the houses,” he says. While they may not look like much from the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that makes them special.

Each unit can be customized to a limited degree and ranges from around 150-250 square feet. Solar collecting roofing materials help regulate temperature and charge batteries built into the walls. Water hook-up is simple and the greywater recycling system helps conserve resources. The size and shape of the buildings make them very easy to move and the self-leveling skids make setup a breeze.

In 2005, after hurricane Katrina, an urban designer created what she called Katrina Cottages as an alternative to FEMA trailers. The cottages were supposed to be a more dignified and permanent solution for anyone whose neighborhood was devastated by flooding. Ronnie believes that his Veil House design could fulfill a similar role in cases of emergency. “The main advantage we have is that our houses don’t need to be assembled. You can ship them ready to go.” Other’s see Kapipalani’s creation as a possible solution to homelessness.

“We’ve been in contact with officials in Honolulu who are interested in setting up a program for the homeless. We’re going to provide 30 Veil Houses and help some people who could use a hand. We haven’t worked out all the specifics but I’m excited to build something other than cookie-cutter timeshare condos.”

While Kalipalani isn’t concerned about the details, others are. Some say that using housing designed to be transported quickly for the economically disadvantaged is a bad idea. “It’s a one-way ticket to gentrification,” says Mark Meawae a Hailoha driver and homeless advocate. “I know Ronnie personally and I’m sure his heart’s in the right place, it’s the politicians I don’t trust. If you don’t have any concerns about the government packing up a group deemed undesirable in houses designed for their ease of transport, you haven’t thought about it enough. I don’t think you need a good imagination to see how this could go wrong, just read any history book. Once you have people you don’t like grouped together, all you need to do is pass a zoning ordinance and ship them off. I agree that Ronnie’s design is cool and that we need to help the homeless; I’m just not sure we can trust that a program like this will stay altruistic.”

Kalipalani says that his houses have caught the eye of plenty in the private sector as well. Duracave in particular has offered him a manufacturing and marketing deal. “They have a lot more hands available than I do, and they make some good stuff. Having someone else do the heavy lifting for me is a dream come true. This past year has been crazy. I’m not sure how far this Veil House thing is going to go, but I’m going to sit back and enjoy every second of the ride.”

STORYLINE

Live Free and Secure in Duracave’s New Mobile Bunker

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I have to admit that I was skeptical when I heard about Duracave’s new mobile bunker system. I didn’t think anything portable would be useful against marauders, let alone government kill squads looking for electronics when the rare earths wars begin. I couldn’t have been more wrong! If you take freedom and the security of your family as seriously as I do, you have to check out what the company has to offer.

Weighing in at around 8 tons, the bunker can be towed by any heavy duty truck or medium duty military vehicle. Don’t let its petite weight fool you, this thing is tough as nails. The frame is made from a proprietary alloy that ignores all but the largest caliber rounds and is weather resistant. Better still, this alloy has terrific insulating properties keeping the temperature inside a constant whether you’re in a blizzard or you’re being lit up by NWO flamethrowers on all sides.

The self-leveling feet allow the bunker to be set up on spongy jungle floor, muddy riverbeds, or even slight grade hills. The main room offers a 270 degree view through tinted duraglass, which keeps out small arms fire and lets you spot chemtrails before it’s too late.

The feature that really sets the Duracave apart however is its mobility even when deployed. The main compartment can swivel to face a small force or turn away from the big guns. It can also change its height. Rise up and make it almost impossible for ground troops to take you away to the internment camps, lower it to hide in natural foliage and avoid being spotted by the black helicopters.

While security is important, it’s anybody’s guess how long a revolution would take or how bad a natural disaster would set civilization back and that means a lot of hours inside. Don’t worry, the Durcave bunker is as thoughtfully designed inside as out.

Communal sleeping quarters can hold up to a dozen comfortably. Cooking and bathroom facilities are on opposite sides of the bunker to limit the chance of cross contamination. Built in storage tanks can hold weeks worth of distilled water, rain water, or pure-grain alcohol. The intercom system allows you to listen to shortwave updates and quickly communicate with anyone inside. Duracave doesn’t want you to just survive. They want you to live.

I can’t say enough about this thing. I’m not usually one to give testimonials or leave reviews. I figure there’s no sense in making it easier for the government to track me but I made an exception in this case. Sure, the cost is a little daunting, but you get what you pay for and in this case you’re getting the ability to make a new start. You can’t put a price tag on family and freedom. I honestly believe that the Duracave bunker may be the most important tool in the pursuit of liberty since the Kentucky Rifle.

Ted Ronner,

Happy Duracave Customer