text:
Films Set In West Dorset Part One – Jurassic Coast
Susan Things to do, West Dorset 13/07/2017 04/02/2019 Abbotsbury, films, Jurassic, Thomas Hardy, West Bay	0 Comment
When I read that this summer's blockbuster film Dunkirk has some scenes filmed in Weymouth it prompted me to look into what other films have West Dorset locations. Filmmakers have been drawn to West Dorset over the years by the unspoilt countryside, coast, picturesque villages and historic houses. Notably the area is the backdrop for several period dramas, in particular adaptations of Thomas Hardy's novels where the scenery is as integral to the story as the plot and the characters.
There's too many films for just one post so I'll split them over a few, grouped by locations in West Dorset. First up, movies with scenes set along the Jurassic Coast but not including Lyme Regis, Portland and Weymouth, they'll need a separate post or two. Next time you watch one of these films see if you can spot the local sights. Or why not explore the beautiful local coastline by tracking down some of the film locations?
The British film-making team of Powell and Pressburger made The Small Back Room in 1949, a psychological drama. It's famous for a rather gloomy look at the war effort and its twenty minute bomb-defusing finale. Michael Powell said he made the film specifically to use Chesil Bank as both a location and a story setting. Dorset's now-vanished Abbotsbury Station appears in the film. You can also see St Catherine's Chapel overlooking Portland and Chesil beach itself, where the bomb-defusing scene takes place.
Despite local tourism claims, none of 1954's The Dam Busters dramatic scenes were shot in Dorset. However "bouncing bomb" inventor Barnes Wallis acted as the film's technical advisor and his own 1942 actual footage of test-drops of dummy bombs over the Fleet Lagoon was used throughout, including in the final raid scenes. The Fleet Lagoon thus 'doubled' for the real German dam-lakes in the final dams attack sequence.
The Navy Lark, released in 1959, was filmed in and around West Bay. In it West Bay is a small fictitious channel island called Boonzey Island. Pier Terrace is the Naval Headquarters of the island. This was a spin off from a BBC radio comedy series about an incompetent crew of a Royal Navy ship. Similar to the 'Carry On' and 'Doctor' films, this black and white film's stars included Cecil Parker, Leslie Phillips, Hattie Jacques and Gordon Jackson.
The original 1967 adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd, starring Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Terence Stamp and Peter Finch, was directed by John Schlesinger with Nicolas Roeg as cinematographer. Twenty locations across two counties were used including the Tithe Barn in Abbotsbury where Bathsheba's wedding dance is held. This barn, dating from the 1390's, is the largest thatched building in the world. It is now home to Abbotsbury Children's Farm. Cottages in Abbotsbury village form the backdrop when Troy disembarks from a cart on his wedding night.
Disney's Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971) mixes animated characters into live-action settings, obviously aiming for the same success as the earlier Mary Poppins. It's not set in Dorset but the script's finale calls for a deserted area where an army of ghostly knights line up to oppose a German U-boat landing a raiding party. The ruined castle seen in these shots is clearly Corfe Castle. One scene is said to use the old railway station at West Bay. However the entire film was shot in Disney's studios in California! Dorset backdrops were courtesy of plate shot technology, where a photograph is applied to a glass plate which is then positioned to appear as the actual background to a scene.
The Scarlet Tunic, a version of Hardy's fact-based tragic short story of the Napoleonic Wars era entitled The Melancholy Hussar Of The German Legion, is an independent low-budget film made in 1998. Filmed at Chideock, Seatown and Bridport using a local crew, it was admired for its photography and scenery but generally reviews were poor and it received little distribution.
The swampy reed beds of the fleet lagoon near Abbotsbury Swannery were used as the entrance to the Weasley family home in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The filming took place in 2007 in a huge field of reeds less than half a mile west of the Swannery with body doubles used instead of the principal actors. To create the studio set filmmakers harvested lots of reeds and moved them to Leavesden Studios for the shots where you can clearly see the actors.
The most recent film version of Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) starring Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba Everdene was filmed in several locations around the county. West Dorset residents took part as extras on the film. The cliffs over which Gabriel Oak's (Matthias Schoenaerts) sheep are driven by the out-of-control young sheepdog are just down the coast from West Bay at Eype (see top picture).
The film On Chesil Beach, adapted by Ian McEwan from his own book, is due to be released early 2018. It is set in the early 1960s and centres on a young couple who spend a fraught wedding night at a hotel there. It stars Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle as the couple, with Samuel West and Emily Watson also in the cast. Principal photography began in October 2016 on Chesil Beach. There is no actual hotel there.
If you've read this and want to see some of the film locations for yourself but haven't booked somewhere to stay we'd love to welcome you to West Bay Cottage. Take a look inside the cottage or head to our Enquire and Book page for availability, the rates and how to book. Or keep on reading. In the next post find out about some of the movies filmed inland in West Dorset, including those with scenes at Mapperton and Athelhampton House. Coming soon to a screen near you!
est Dorset's unspoilt countryside, coast, picturesque villages and historic houses has made it an ideal location for many films, in particular various period dramas and especially adaptions of Hardy novels.
Films Set In West Dorset Part Two – Inland Films Set In West Dorset Part Four – Weymouth And Portland Holiday In Thomas Hardy Country Inspiration For Your Romantic Break
← Simon Calder's Five Top UK Seaside Resorts
Films Set In West Dorset Part Two – Inland →


Jones Bootmaker has been put up for sale by its owners, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Sources suggest that the company's turnaround owner Alteri Investors has asked KPMG to explore all the options for the company including a straight sale of the business or a potential administration.
This move has raised questions over the future of its 170 shops and thousands of employees.
SuperValu has reported a 2.4% increase in sales to €2.67bn (£2.27bn) last year, The Irish Independent reported.
SuperValu's managing director Martin Kelleher said it is planning to open new stores as part of an overall €35m investment, employing 190 full- and part-time staff.
Mothercare's non-executive director Amanda Mackenzie stepped down from the board on Friday, Drapers reported.
She had joined the firm in January 2011.
The company will announce a replacement in due course.


text:
AFRICA TOP 10
Artist Mama Nike: 'I Found a Way to Make Us Women Powerful, by Being Able to Make Money'
Mama Nike, otherwise known as Chief Oyenike Monica Davies-Okundaye, is a dynamic artist and activist, who has elevated the profile of textile craft to that of artwork. In the process, she has also taught thousands of other women, enabling them to create livelihoods for themselves. Davies-Okundaye, 71, is a superstar in her native Nigeria, an artist-cum-activist who has not only ensured the future of the traditional adire textile (an indigo-dyed cloth made traditionally by Yoruba women) but transformed the lives of thousands of women by teaching them the process. This October, kó, a gallery based in Lagos, is bringing her work to Frieze Masters, continuing the trend of textiles, such as quilts by the African-American community in Gee's Bend, taking their place as artworks. Davies-Okundaye's work will include batik, patchwork and embroidery. "It is now being recognised as art, not craft," says Kavita Chellaram, the gallery's founder. Though really, it is both.
SOURCE: FINANCIAL TIMES
Previous Francis Kéré Unveils a Multipurpose Playground in Kampala, Uganda
Next West African Fast-Casual Restaurants Are Finding Wider Audiences
Mo Ibrahim's Index Looks at Africa's State of Governance
France to Give Burkina Faso What It Wants
Africa Has to Work on Feeding Itself
Mali Basketballer Disappointed with Treatment after Whistleblowing
Kenya Changes the Rules of Engagement
For Many, the Pope's Visit is the Peace they Need
Algeria Unveils Series of Policies Aimed at Eliminating its Dependence on Fossil Fuels
Lagos Seaport Garners Support from the Masses
Sierra Leone Women Given Right to Own Land
History About East Africa's Art Scene
Uganda Launches its First Oil Drilling Programme
Looking at a Decade of Uber's Operations in Africa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Oxygenated waters appeared in the world not so long ago. The first one was created in America only in 1996. Scientists have been trying to create somekind of oxygen-saturated water for almost thirty years, but they moved no further than oxygen and ozone therapy, as well as oxygen-oil inhaler and different types of oxygen cocktails.
Whatever oxygenation means was used, the dissolved oxygen vaporized very fast. Only owing to new technologies, the desired result was finally obtained. Today there are still very few countries producing oxygenated water, and Ukraine is one of them. Furthermore, its position is definitely leading from the point of innovativeness and product quality.
As the development of the unique "recipe" of oxygenated water at the "Kuyalnik" mineral water plant of Odessa was completed in 1992, we may say for sure that invention of oxygenated water belongs to Ukraine by right.


Is there a way to base the number of rows in a table on a previous answer?
Let us know if this isn't what you're looking for.
I am trying to have a team enter a roster. So if the roster has 10 players, can the table automatically have 10 rows (one for each player) but if the roster has 12 players, can the table have 12 rows. So I would ask how many players are on your roster and that answer would dictate how many rows my table would have (in the next question).
Hopefully that helps but let me know if there are still questions.
To my understanding, you want a field and enter a value of how many players you want then it will generate a table row equal to the value.
I am not sure if that is possible for the Input Table field or Spreadsheet widget.
You can clone the demo form by following this guide.


1) Full aluminum casing, rotproof, low weight, pretty appearance.
2) Streamline funnel cap and casing, small resistance, patent technology.
3) High & low pressure aluminum alloy impeller, high efficient and energy saving, steady and mute.
4) Use protection class IP54 motor or insulation classF motor, heat-resistant (300°C, 45min), also can be matched explosion-proof motor, two-speed motor, inverter motor.
5) Can choose the gravitational check valve or electric check valve, prevent from airflow backward, easy for installation.
1) Smoke sensor: Using gas resistance type sensors, suitable for underground garages, tunnels automobile exhaust emissions exceeding; also can be used for detecting the gas leak in factory; smoke sensor through detecting the concentration of smoke to control the fan's closure status.
2) Temperature sensor: By controlling the temperature of the upper and lower critical point to realize the fan on and off, mainly used in heating company, food plants, chemical plants, power plants, steel mills, machinery plants.
3) Damper: Using gravity self-closing check valve or electric driven hoist check valve, damper frame made of galvanized sheet, blinds made of aluminum alloy, multi-chip linkage check valve prevents outdoor gas intrusion, and anti-condensation. If the fan both for the exhaust and ventilation, optional smoke damper. The fan and the valve all have been proved by national fireproof.


Already three months have passed since I have started my gardener apprenticeship at Fulham Palace. How quickly time flies!
I really enjoy the diverse work in our garden; every day there are other opportunities to get to learn and discover the beautiful world of gardening. What a unique opportunity to be part of this amazing team with their extensive experience and knowledge.
At this time of the year, we spend a lot of time maintaining our vegetable garden. There are courgettes, spring onions, potatoes, cucumbers, leaves, the first beetroots, herbs and much more that is ready to be harvested. This year we are particularly proud of the beautiful and well-balanced mix of our crops and lovely patches of cut flowers.
Vegetables that I am particularly fond of are tomatoes. As most of our plants, we are growing them from seeds. More than 10 different varieties in all colours and forms can be discovered in our vinery. To mention a few: there is the flavourful 'Gardener's delight'; 'San Marzano', a plum tomato perfect to create delicious tomato sauce; 'Sweet Million', a luscious, shiny and sweet red cherry tomato; and 'Sungold' – as the name promises – a golden-orange tomato, which is exceptionally juicy and with a high-sugar content. Fortunately, the season for this sweet and yummy fruit (yes, tomatoes are botanically a fruit) has just started!
Tomatoes need daily attention and tender loving care. We are growing them indeterminately (as cordon tomatoes) using a stake besides every plant and a string that reaches up to the canopy of the glasshouse. As the tomato is growing, we twist it around the string to keep it flexible but strong upright. An essential task is then to remove all the side shoots, so that there is no unproductive vegetation, which would otherwise take away the energy from the main plant.
When the tomatoes are fruiting, we additionally take away leaves above the fruits to give them enough light, which allows faster and better ripening. Now into August we are striping away the leaves completely from the bottom half of the plants as its the top leaves now doing all the photosynthesizing. Tomatoes also need frequent and regular watering and feeding to develop a good crop.
Nevertheless, please come by and see it with your own eyes! You are also very welcome to visit our volunteer run Barrow, where you find our tasty tomatoes in addition to vegetables and beautiful cut flower posies to buy. Why not combine our sweet tomatoes with a bunch of fresh basil (also here you have a choice of five different varieties) to create a real summer feeling in your kitchen? But hurry up, Fulham Palace tomatoes are always in high demand!


WASHINGTON (CN) — The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether Google can settle privacy claims by paying millions to six nonprofits instead of class members.
Back in 2015, Google agreed to establish a fund of $8.5 million to settle claims that third-party websites could access users' search terms without permission.
Search terms are included in referrer headers, which identify the page containing the link that the user clicked on to request the webpage, and lead plaintiff Paloma Gaos said such information can identify users.
Google's proposed settlement meanwhile included $15,000 in incentive awards for Gaos and two other named plaintiffs, and about $3 million in attorneys' fees, but the bulk of the fund was set to go to six cy pres recipients that would fund internet-privacy initiatives.
The scheme inspired an objection from class members Theodore Frank and Melissa Ann Holyoak. Represented by the Center for Class Action Fairness at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Frank and Holyoak emphasized that Google and class counsel had ties to four of the six cy pres recipients: the Chicago-Kent College of Law Center for Information, Society, and Policy; the Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society; the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard and the AARP Foundation.
Class attorney Michael Aschenbrener attended Chicago-Kent, and class attorney Kassra Nassiri attended Stanford and Harvard. Google donates to the Berkman Center, the Stanford Center, AARP and Chicago-Kent.
The other two cy pres recipients were Carnegie-Mellon University and the World Privacy Forum.
But the Ninth Circuit rejected the center's objections last year, noting that class counsel swore they had no affiliation with the research centers, and that the objectors never disputed it.
"The claim that counsel's receipt of a degree from one of these schools taints the settlement can't be entertained with a straight face," U.S. Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeow wrote for a mostly unanimous three-judge panel.
"Given that, over time, major players such as Google may be involved in more than one cy pres settlement, it is not an abuse of discretion for a court to bless a strong nexus between the cy pres recipient and the interests of the class over a desire to diversify the pick via novel beneficiaries that are less relevant or less qualified," McKeown wrote.
U.S. Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace complained in a partial dissent, however, that class counsel and the trial court could have done more to prove that the settlement was appropriate.
Wallace said he was "especially dubious" of the decision to include the Center for Information, Society and Policy at Chicago-Kent among the recipients because it was inaugurated only a year before the parties agreed to the settlement.
Wallace said he would vacate approval of the settlement and remand with instructions to hold an evidentiary hearing, examine class counsel under oath, and determine whether their prior affiliation with the recipients played a role in their selection.
"The combination of a cy pres-only award, a pre-certification settlement, and the fact that almost half the cy pres fund is going to class counsel's alma maters, is sufficient to shift the burden to the proponents of the settlement to show, on a sworn record, that nothing in the acknowledged relationship was a factor in the ultimate choice," Wallace wrote.
Objecting class member Frank, who is an attorney with the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said at the time that the majority opinion split with precedent from the Third, Seventh, Eighth and possibly Fifth Circuits.
In their Supreme Court fight, Frank and Holyoak are represented by Andrew Grossman with Baker & Hostetler.
Google is represented by Donald Falk with Mayer Brown in Palo Alto, while class attorney Nassiri was with the firm Nassiri & Jung in San Francisco.
Per its custom, the Supreme Court did not issue any statement Monday in taking up the case.


text:
Spring can be a temperamental season, possessing some of the attributes of both winter and summer. For instance, yesterday (April 8) frozen precipitation fell in both the northern and southern reaches of the Northeast region, but in northern Maine it was in the form of snow and in southern West Virginia it was in the form of hail.
The northern half of Maine generally picked up 4 to 8 inches of snow from yesterday's storm. Click to enlarge. Credit: NOAA's NOHRSC
Parts of Maine accumulated up to 8 inches of snow from yesterday's storm. However, it's not unusual for Maine, particularly northern areas, to have measurable snow (0.1 inches or greater) in April. On average, Caribou doesn't see its last snow of the season until April 25 and it has received measurable snow as late as May 25.
The average, earliest, and latest dates of the last measurable snow during spring at the region's major climate sites.
What about other parts of the Northeast? Well, Washington National, D.C., usually has its last measurable snowfall at the end of meteorological winter, with an average date of February 24. A little over half of the region's major climate sites, including the major I-95 cities, have their last measurable snow in March. For roughly the other half, including many of the New York and New England sites, that date falls in April.
Severe weather reports from April 8, including the black triangle in southern West Virginia indicating large hail. Click to enlarge. Credit: NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.
Severe weather can happen any time of the year, but in the Northeast the probability of severe weather (tornado, hail, or thunderstorm wind) is higher from late March through late September, with a peak in June and July. So while it's not unusual that southern West Virginia saw hail in April, the size was quite unusual! A 3-inch hailstone fell near Princeton, WV. Data from NOAA's NCEI shows this is the first time a hailstone of that size has fallen in West Virginia in April and only the seventh time since 1950 that a hailstone of that size or larger has been reported in the state. For reference, the state's largest hailstone was 4.50 inches.


text:
package kr.co.leehana.sg.model;

import kr.co.leehana.sg.type.SentenceGenerateType;

/**
 * Created by Hana Lee on 2015-08-16 23:56
 *
 * @author Hana Lee
 * @since 2015-08-16 23:56
 */
public class Setting {

	private int id;
	private int sentenceCount;
	private SentenceGenerateType firstWordType;
	private SentenceGenerateType secondWordType;
	private SentenceGenerateType thirdWordType;
	private SentenceGenerateType fourthWordType;
	private String created;
	private boolean modified = false;
	private boolean backup = true;

	public boolean isBackup() {
		return backup;
	}

	public void setBackup(boolean backup) {
		this.backup = backup;
	}

	public String getCreated() {
		return created;
	}

	public void setCreated(String created) {
		this.created = created;
	}

	public SentenceGenerateType getFirstWordType() {
		return firstWordType;
	}

	public void setFirstWordType(SentenceGenerateType firstWordType) {
		this.firstWordType = firstWordType;
	}

	public SentenceGenerateType getFourthWordType() {
		return fourthWordType;
	}

	public void setFourthWordType(SentenceGenerateType fourthWordType) {
		this.fourthWordType = fourthWordType;
	}

	public int getId() {
		return id;
	}

	public void setId(int id) {
		this.id = id;
	}

	public SentenceGenerateType getSecondWordType() {
		return secondWordType;
	}

	public void setSecondWordType(SentenceGenerateType secondWordType) {
		this.secondWordType = secondWordType;
	}

	public int getSentenceCount() {
		return sentenceCount;
	}

	public void setSentenceCount(int sentenceCount) {
		this.sentenceCount = sentenceCount;
	}

	public SentenceGenerateType getThirdWordType() {
		return thirdWordType;
	}

	public void setThirdWordType(SentenceGenerateType thirdWordType) {
		this.thirdWordType = thirdWordType;
	}

	public boolean isModified() {
		return modified;
	}

	public void setModified(boolean modified) {
		this.modified = modified;
	}

	@Override
	public boolean equals(Object o) {
		if (this == o) return true;
		if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass()) return false;

		Setting setting = (Setting) o;

		if (id != setting.id) return false;
		if (sentenceCount != setting.sentenceCount) return false;
		if (modified != setting.modified) return false;
		if (backup != setting.backup) return false;
		if (firstWordType != setting.firstWordType) return false;
		if (secondWordType != setting.secondWordType) return false;
		if (thirdWordType != setting.thirdWordType) return false;
		if (fourthWordType != setting.fourthWordType) return false;
		return created.equals(setting.created);

	}

	@Override
	public int hashCode() {
		int result = id;
		result = 31 * result + sentenceCount;
		result = 31 * result + firstWordType.hashCode();
		result = 31 * result + secondWordType.hashCode();
		result = 31 * result + thirdWordType.hashCode();
		result = 31 * result + fourthWordType.hashCode();
		result = 31 * result + created.hashCode();
		result = 31 * result + (modified ? 1 : 0);
		result = 31 * result + (backup ? 1 : 0);
		return result;
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


ESPN's coverage of the Tennessee vs Georgia Tech college football game found its way to the top spot of the night in the Monday cable ratings this week, with a 1.7 rating in adults 18-49. USA's "WWE Monday Night Raw" followed closely behind with a peak rating of 1.1 throughout its three-hour broadcast, just one-tenth less than the 1.2 peak it had scored the week before. On VH1, "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" took a minor hit, falling two-tenths from a 1.1 to a 0.9 this time around.
ESPN2's continued coverage of the Tennis US Open found its way into the Top 25 once again as well, after raking in a 0.3 for itself. TBS' "People of Earth," meanwhile, just barely made it in with another 0.3. In addition, the penultimate episode of "Preacher's" second season saw the series maintaining its recent 0.3 streak, while Bravo's "Real Housewives of Orange County" held steady with a 0.6.


A one-line drawing after Descarte's portrait, drawn with a Rotring pen so that no revisions/changes can be made, and slight variations in one direction must be balanced by pushes and pulls in another. Inspired by Matisse's drawing style. First exhibited in Barcelona in 1978.
This artwork is sold and shipped to you by Kenneth Hay, and will be packaged rolled in a tube. Artworks are dispatched within 5 working days from France.


Welcome to Sanctuary – will you survive? As Brian Bendis launches the least findable on Google comic book ever, Cover… and it comes with three covers. Sandman Presents, Black Label and more… in DC Comics September 2018 solicitations… here's the full catalogue.


text:
Q: How to get cookies with socket.io Firstly i created unique cookie value for guests ;
// set a cookie
app.use(function (req, res, next) {
  // check if client sent cookie
  var cookie = req.cookies.cokkieName;
  if (cookie === undefined)
  {
    // no: set a new cookie
    var randomNumber=Math.random().toString();
    randomNumber=randomNumber.substring(2,randomNumber.length);
    res.cookie('cokkieName',randomNumber, { maxAge: 900000, httpOnly: true });
    console.log('cookie have created successfully');
  }
  else
  {
    // yes, cookie was already present
    console.log('cookie exists', cookie);
  }
  next(); // <-- important!
});

i can get this cookie value by this line;
req.cookies.cokkieName //it is 8164925763849169

i want to reach this cookie value with socket.io but if i try to get it with this code;
  for(var i in io.sockets.connected) {
    var socket = io.sockets.connected[i].request.headers.cookie;
    console.log(socket);//result is : io=pYb2vzAd8wWWKb......
  }

it is logging "io=pYb2vzAd8wWW......." but my cookie value is different , how to get true cookie value .
Note: io.sockets.connected[i].handshake.headers['cookie'] gives same result

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
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If you do not accept and agree with this Privacy Policy, you must stop using our Site immediately.
"We/Us/Our" means MHealing of Horsepool Road, Carmarthen SA33 4QJ.
2.1 Our site is owned and operated by MHealing of Horsepool Road, Carmarthen SA33 4QJ.
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13.1 In addition to the controls that We provide, you can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. Most internet browsers also enable you to choose whether you wish to disable all cookies or only third-party Cookies. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser or the documentation that came with your device or by the following links:
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This week I continue my search for a readily available monster beer. While I try to maintain a cupboard full of big, interesting beers to enjoy I'm very aware that I spend an unhealthy amount of time in specialist beer shops and buying too much beer online. Less beer-obsessed people may be more interested in beers they can find in their weekly shop!
So here we have Chimay Blue, picked up in our local supermarket. Chimay is one of the better known producers of trappist beers (and, apparently, cheese) from Belgium and they have three beers in their lineup. Chimay Blue is the strongest of the bunch, coming in at 9% ABV.
It pours a nice dark reddy brown in the glass, with an unexpectedly short lived head. The nose is enticing – sweet dark honey with raisins, and a gentle alcohol heat mixing in too.
The first thing that strikes you in the mouth is the high carbonation; I'm not used to so much fizz in a big beer. There's a decent alcohol kick and a wonderful sticky sweetness that's cut back nicely by those bubbles. Allow them to dissipate in your mouth and a warm black treacle flavour comes through, not too sweet, and with a surprisingly light body.
It's a very tasty beer, but a little one dimensional. I'm used to a deeper complexity in this style of beer; it's a delicious drink but it leaves me wanting more. A big beer certainly, but I'm not sure even at 9% it's a monster.
On the other hand, it's one of the most widely available big beers and for that alone it deserves some love.


When I did my first boudoir workshop I only did it for the fun of it, but never realized what it would mean to me and my clients! Although I wanted to grow my knowledge of different photography genres, I never in a million years thought the bug will bite so hard that to my surprise it became my specialty and most favourite genre of photography. Don't get me wrong, I love my weddings too, but boudoir photography is just different!
The idea behind Fifty Shades of Boudoir came to mind after I had a discussion with my first two models and friends who trusted me to do a shoot for them to expand my experience and the Fifty Shades of Grey books were so popular. Although the idea was to only do boudoirs of 50 women and post only one unique black & white photo of the shoot, it is now the brand of my boudoir photography.
With every shoot I have certain poses that work for most women and then I try to get "that" pose that just work for that specific woman in front of my lens – capturing her natural, beautiful and amazing self. My expectation is to get a unique shot from every shoot I do…hey no pressure, I know :-D! With the idea always in my head to get that unique shot, I am always on the search for unique and stunning women to try the unique shots on – doesn't matter her size, personality, looks, etc. That is how I bumped into a "girl with (lots) of tattoos" at gym with whom I could do a unique shoot. To my absolute delight, she turned out to be super amazing and her super amazing boyfriend offered to do a promotional video for me. So I had the honour of having Lloyd Metcalfe from LM Visual Art take a behind-the-scenes video of what I do and how I get the final product I show the world..
Make-up done by the even super amazing Ilana from Cosmetiek.


text:
Home/Multimedia/High school rivals turned roommates
High school rivals turned roommates
By Rob Rose
For three members of the women's volleyball team, nothing is truer than the idea that the friends one makes in college are one's friends for life.
Brynn Sherbert, Rachelle Runyon and AudreyRose Hutchinson, or "The California Girls," have formed a bond beyond the roster.
While they went to different high schools and grew up in different towns in the Golden State, their relationship began before they became Broncs. Runyon, a sophomore from Aliso Viejo, California, is credited with helping bring Hutchinson and Sherbert here.
Hutchinson had offers from other schools but attributes her relationship with Runyon as a major factor in her decision to come to Rider.
"She was kind enough to FaceTime me for an hour and a half and told me all about [Rider] and how she gave it a chance," she said. "It made me have a bigger perspective on my decision. We visited at the same time, and she had a really big impact."
Coming in together as freshmen, Hutchinson and Sherbert were paired as roommates.
"We're really close. We're roommates so we got to bond together while we've been here. We've really had fun," said Sherbert, while Hutchinson added that Sherbert is one of her best friends.
However, things have not always been perfect between the two rookies. In the final game of her high school volleyball career, Sherbert's team at Great Oak High School lost to Hutchinson's Eastlake High School team.
For Runyon, her new teammates have been a welcomed sight this season.
"They're my California Girls; we have an instinctive bond. We say the same things and have the same jokes," Runyon said.
Runyon added, "It's nice having someone in the same spot as you, coming across the country. We have each other after the game, and that brought us closer. With your family so far, this is who your family is here."
Sherbert and Runyon both chose to begin their athletic careers after watching the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team. For Sherbert, the intensity and communication needed to play beach volleyball — or "beach," as she calls it — interested her.
In Runyon's case, she believes the skills she gained while playing "beach" helped her become the player she is. Runyon occupies the Libero position for the Broncs, which makes her a defensive specialist.
Runyon described beach volleyball as "a lot of digging and reading," which are crucial skills in volleyball.
"It helped me come to a more competitive level because I was able to read and pick up on some balls I maybe wouldn't have [otherwise]," she said.
All three women said the relationships with their teammates and other Rider athletes made the move easier. They also said that getting out of their comfort zones and living on their own was important.
The personal goal for all three women is to inject the team with energy every time they touch the floor. Becoming a leader on the team is important for Runyon, who said she will be a captain next year.
The goal for The California Girls is to win the conference title this season.
Runyon declared, "We're going to win the MAAC Championship. I think we have the group this year to win."
The Broncs split their opening matches in MAAC play over the weekend.
Their first conference win came against Canisius College, sweeping them, 3-0. Sherbert had a team-high 10 digs in the game.
First place Niagara handed the Broncs their first home loss this season, 3-1. Runyon had a career-high 20 digs in the loss to Niagara.
Senior Veronica Koval was named the MAAC Player of the Week on Sept. 12. Picking up her first career weekly accolade, as the first Bronc to win the award this season.
The Broncs are currently tied for third place in the conference. They resume play on Sept. 23 and 24 with a road trip to Connecticut to face Fairfield and Quinnipiac.
The Broncs snap their losing streak


text:
GluSense
Implantable Glucose Sensor
Glyde CGM
Boaz Brill, PhD
With over 30 years of experience in the high-tech industry, Boaz brings extensive leadership experience, motivating multi-disciplinary teams toward achieving challenging goals. In his previous role as VP R&D and CTO of Nova Measuring Instruments (Nasdaq: NVMI), he led the development of Optical CD measurement technology from concept to market, resulting with >$100M in annual sales, 5 generations of products installed in the factories of top semiconductor manufacturers worldwide and over 40 US patents. From the technology aspects, Boaz brings extensive experience in system engineering, optics, and algorithms. Boaz is leading GluSense as CEO since 2011.
Boaz is a graduate of the prestigious Talpiot IDF program; he received his Ph.D. in Physics from the Weizmann Institute of Science and holds an MBA from the University of Bradford (UK).
Tamar Auerbach-Nevo, PhD
Tamar received her Master's Degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Ulm, Germany. She later went to Israel to join the lab of Nobel laureate Prof. Ada Yonath, where she received her Ph.D. magna cum laude. She continued her career in the industry working initially as Team Leader in the Analytical R&D department in InSight Pharmaceuticals, where she specialized in analytical techniques. Subsequently, Tamar worked at Omrix Biopharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of J&J), where she was Staff Scientist responsible for the development of innovative hemostatic solutions as well as for base business support. Since August 2017, Tamar is working at GluSense, initially as Project Leader, responsible for preclinical development, and since May 2019 as VP R&D. In her current position, she oversees R&D activities related to the development of the implant and leading both pre-clinical development and the clinical activities of the company.
Nimrod Kadim
VP Product Development
Nimrod brings over 20 years of experience in research & development in the medical device arena. Prior to joining GluSense Nimrod was Vice President of Research & Development at SLP where he managed the development of sleep diagnostics devices. Previously he was Director of Development at BioControl where he guided the development of Class III active implantable stimulators for the treatment of heart failure and epilepsy. And prior, he managed the development of medical devices in the field of cardiac diagnostics, telemedicine and sleep therapy at LifeWatch (formerly Card Guard) and PRYM medical, respectively. Nimrod also served 6 years in various R&D roles in an advanced technological unit of the IDF Military Intelligence. Mr. Kadim holds an MBA from Tel Aviv University and a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Holon Institute of Technology. In his current position, Nimrod is responsible for the development of Glyde wearable device and mobile application and managing the Engineering department.
Uriel Barkai, PhD
With over 30 years in the BioMed industry, Uriel has been directly involved with cell-based medical devices in the past 15 years, leading multiple R&D programs in various companies, including Beta-O2 and Carmel Biosensor.
Uriel holds a Ph.D. in Physiology from Tel-Aviv University and has been a visiting scientist in several leading universities in the US and Europe.
Alon Izmirli
Alon has over 30 years of experience in high-tech. From military technology till medical technology, Alon gathered extensive knowledge in developing diversified systems, for different types of organizations. In his previous role as Chief Scientist of MediGuide (currently part of Abbott), Alon was directly responsible for advanced algorithm development enabling the company's high accuracy product. Besides his technological skills, Alon brings leadership, management, and experience. Alon has over 20 US patents. Alon is a graduate of the prestigious Talpiot IDF program; he received his BS in Physics, Mathematical & Computers Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and holds an MBA from the Technion.
Yossi Gross
Yossi is a world renowned entrepreneur with a long-term successful track record of creating and managing innovative med-tech companies. Yossi's companies have engaged in a wide variety of advanced technologies and have signed significant strategic agreements with multinational corporations. Yossi has filed over 500 U.S. patents and is highly respected among leading U.S. and Israeli corporations and venture capitalists. In 2007 Yossi founded together with Leon Recanati and Efi Cohen-Arazi Rainbow Medical which is an evergreen powerhouse for the development of medical devices, currently holding a portfolio of over 10 companies in various therapeutic and diagnostic fields.
Besides his technological skills, Alon brings leadership, management and experience; in particular, the experience of strategic planning and customer analysis. Alon has over 20 US patents.
Alon is a graduate of the prestigious Talpiot IDF program; he received his BS in Physics, Mathematical & Computers Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and held an MBA from the Technion (Israel Institute of Technology).
Ilan Neugarten
Executive Chairman of Rainbow Medical and Chairman of the Board of GluSense
Mr. Neugarten has over 35 years of senior managerial experience and over 15 years of experience in the medical industry. He brings to Rainbow Medical significant experience in medical device venture capital investments, commercialization, and asset realization. Mr. Neugarten joined the Viola Partners Group in 2000 as a partner of DOR Ventures, a VC fund focusing on imaging technologies. During his period at DOR Ventures, he led various investments including medical imaging ventures. Since 2006, he led the healthcare investments of Viola Partners and currently serves on the boards of Angioslide, NanoPass, and PainReform. Prior to joining the Viola Partners Group, he worked for Scitex (NASDAQ:SCIX) in various management positions in Europe, Japan, and Israel.
Mr. Neugarten received his BSc in Electronics from the Technion, Haifa Israel, and an MBA from Boston University.
Jiang Zhang
Mr. Zhang is Director of Ping An Ventures. He is heading the healthcare investment and overseas investment in the VC arm of Ping An Insurance Group. Before Ping An Ventures, Mr. Zhang is a consultant of McKinsey, serving healthcare and financial institutions. He also had several year experiences with Philips Healthcare in the Netherlands. Mr. Zhang obtained his MBA degree in INSEAD, Master degree in Information Systems in Technical University of Eindhoven, and Bachelor degree in Computer Science from North China Electric Power University.
Prof. William Tamborlane, MD
Leads a multidisciplinary team that cares for more than 1,000 children, adolescents and young adults with diabetes. Pioneered insulin pump development in 1979. Since then, Dr.Tamborlane has established his international reputation as one of the foremost clinical scientists in childhood diabetes and related disorders. As with his early work, the hallmark of his research has been to investigate methods to overcome the obstacles to successfully managing diabetes in pediatric patients. Dr. Tamborlane is currently conducting pioneering studies on an artificial pancreas system that utilizes external sensors and insulin pumps. In addition to his research and clinical practice, Dr. Tamborlane has mentored scores of young physicians who have gone on to distinguish themselves in patient-oriented research in diabetes. He is the Program Director of the Yale K12 grant from NIDDK – one of only five such grants awarded – to support the career development of young pediatric physician scientists in diabetes research.
GluSense is a dynamic start-up from the heart of start-up-nation, with a unique solution to provide better treatment and improved quality of life to millions of Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes patients around the world.
GluSense is part of Rainbow Medical innovation house:
Our investors include:
GluSense Ltd. 3 Pekeris St. Ruhrberg Science Center, Edison entrance, Floor 4, Rabin Science Park, Rehovot, 76702 Israel
info@glusensemedical.com
Webdesign: Hastudioz
Last Updeate: 6/2020


text:
//
// Copyright 2011 Thomas Gumprecht, Robert Jacob, Thomas Pieronczyk
//
// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
// You may obtain a copy of the License at
//
// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
//
// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
// limitations under the License.
//
package net.sourcewalker.garanbot.data;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;

import net.sourcewalker.garanbot.R;
import net.sourcewalker.garanbot.api.ClientException;
import net.sourcewalker.garanbot.api.GaranboClient;
import net.sourcewalker.garanbot.api.Item;
import android.accounts.Account;
import android.accounts.AccountManager;
import android.app.IntentService;
import android.content.ContentUris;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.graphics.Bitmap;
import android.util.Log;

/**
 * This service downloads item images asynchronously and stores them in the
 * {@link ImageCache}. The content resolver is notified once the download is
 * finished, so that the GUI is updated.
 *
 * @author Xperimental
 */
public class ImageDownloadService extends IntentService {

    private static final String TAG = "ImageDownloadService";

    private AccountManager accountManager;

    /**
     * Starts the download of an image.
     *
     * @param context
     *            Context to start service from.
     * @param itemId
     *            ID of item to download image for.
     */
    public static void downloadImage(Context context, long itemId) {
        Intent service = new Intent(context, ImageDownloadService.class);
        service.setAction(Long.toString(itemId));
        context.startService(service);
    }

    public ImageDownloadService() {
        super("ImageDownloadThread");
    }

    /*
     * (non-Javadoc)
     * @see android.app.IntentService#onCreate()
     */
    @Override
    public void onCreate() {
        super.onCreate();

        accountManager = AccountManager.get(this);
    }

    /*
     * (non-Javadoc)
     * @see android.app.IntentService#onHandleIntent(android.content.Intent)
     */
    @Override
    protected void onHandleIntent(Intent intent) {
        int itemId = Integer.parseInt(intent.getAction());
        File cacheFile = ImageCache.getFile(this, itemId);
        if (cacheFile.exists()) {
            Log.d(TAG, "Duplicate download for: " + itemId);
        } else {
            // Get item
            Cursor cursor = getContentResolver().query(
                    ContentUris.withAppendedId(
                            GaranboItemsProvider.CONTENT_URI_ITEMS, itemId),
                    null, null, null, null);
            try {
                if (cursor.moveToFirst()) {
                    final Item item = Item.fromCursor(cursor);
                    int serverId = item.getServerId();
                    if (serverId == Item.UNKNOWN_ID) {
                        Log.d(TAG,
                                "Item not on server, so no picture available: "
                                        + itemId);
                    } else {
                        Account[] accounts = accountManager
                                .getAccountsByType(getString(R.string.account_type));
                        if (accounts.length == 0) {
                            Log.e(TAG, "No account to download from!");
                        } else {
                            String username = accounts[0].name;
                            String password = accountManager
                                    .getPassword(accounts[0]);
                            GaranboClient client = new GaranboClient(username,
                                    password);
                            Bitmap result = client.item().getPicture(serverId);
                            if (result == null) {
                                Log.d(TAG, String.format(
                                        "No picture on server for: %d (%d)",
                                        serverId, itemId));
                            } else {
                                ImageCache.saveImage(this, itemId, result);
                                getContentResolver()
                                        .notifyChange(
                                                ContentUris.withAppendedId(
                                                        GaranboItemsProvider.CONTENT_URI_ITEMS,
                                                        itemId), null);
                            }
                        }
                    }
                } else {
                    Log.d(TAG, "Item not found in database: " + itemId);
                }
            } catch (ClientException e) {
                Log.e(TAG, "Error communicating with server: " + e);
            } catch (IOException e) {
                Log.e(TAG, "Error saving picture: " + e);
            } finally {
                cursor.close();
            }
        }
    }

}


Tell us your take on the cultural question below.
Twitter is having an intense cultural debate and we need your help to get to the bottom of it.
But we weren't the only ones who chimed in…Nicki's Barbz didn't let us forget her "Monster" verse and J. Cole fans say he has some claim to the "First Things First" throne too.


Even though cats are domesticated today, they were once wild, feral animals. Your adorable little kitten and every other domestic kitten is a direct descendant of an African wildcat. The African wild cat was first domesticated in ancient Mesopotamia and Palestine around 6 centuries BC when people realized how valuable a cat was for hunting small rodents and preserving their crops.
During that time, the only source of fresh and clean water were springs and free-flowing bodies of water. Ancient cats drank that water because standing water was frequently ridden with bacteria. Our domesticated cats today get their water directly from the tap into their bowl, and that water stays fresh for a limited amount of time. Especially if your cat's water bowl is located near the food.
Today we will talk about the benefits of buying your cat a pet fountain and why you should do it. If you have noticed that your cat is not drinking enough water during the day, keep on reading to find out why and how to encourage your kitten to drink more.
Drinking enough water during the day is important for almost every living creature. Especially mammals. Your cat's body is made out of 70% water, much like you and I, and that means that she needs to get enough water into her system on a regular basis. Even though cats get their water mostly from their food, we tend to feed our cats dry cat food which doesn't contain any fluids required for hydration. You would be surprised how many cats are in constant state of dehydration because of their diet. All of that can lead to serious health issues such as problems with kidneys and urinary crystals.
Since ancient cats were accustomed to drinking flowing water because it was fresh, a huge number of domestic cats share that trait with their ancestors. You probably noticed that your cat likes to drink water right after you refill the bowl, or maybe your kitten likes to jump on the sink and watch the flowing water. That's because they know that water is fresh. If your kitten behaves that way, you should consider buying her a pet fountain.
Now that you know a little bit more about the history and reasons why cats prefer running water over that in their bowl let's talk about the signs that indicate that your kitten needs a pet fountain.
Does your kitten like to play with water? When you lower her bowl, does she take a huge interest in the moving water? When you turn on your sink is she there to watch the water flowing from up close? When you take a shower, does she investigate the bathroom after? All of that means that she likes flowing or moving water. Because of that, she might not find standing water in her bowl amusing, and she probably won't drink it as much as she should. There's a simple test you can do. Try putting an ice cube in your kitten's bowl and watch what happens. Cracking noise and shifting water will probably get her attention and she will drink it because cold water means fresh water. If that's the case with your kitten, she would be blown away with her own personal pet fountain.
Dehydration can lead to serious health problems. If your kitten is healthy and eating regularly, but her water bowl stays full, she might need a little encouraging. As we have already said, your kitten might not find water in a bowl 'drinkable,' especially if it's not fresh. Water in the bowl can easily get full of dust, hair, and chunks of food and that can be quite unappealing for your cat. This means that you probably need to change the water in her bowl a few times during the day just to get her to drink. With a pet fountain, your cat will have constant access to fresh, running water which is guaranteed to get her interested in drinking.
Now comes the most important part, a part where we talk about the health of your little kitten. There is nothing more important than health. Since dehydration poses the biggest threat, you should check if your kitten is well hydrated. The best way to do that is to check the level of skin elasticity. Grab the skin around her neck and gently pull it. If your kitten is hydrated, skin will pull back easily and settle. However, if your cat is dehydrated, skin will lose its elasticity, and it will stay in a stiff position for a couple of seconds, and after that, it will slowly restore itself in the natural position. In addition to that, dehydration can also lead to urinary tract diseases.
If your kitten is picky when it comes to her water bowl, then you will probably change her water a few times a day to make her drink it. However, with a pet fountain, you won't have to do that anymore. Not only will it encourage your cat to drink more but it also can hold much more water than a regular bowl, and it will keep the water fresh for a longer time. Oh, and you won't have to think about refilling a pet fountain as often as a bowl.
So now that you know the importance of keeping your kitten hydrated, there is not much more to say. If your kitten doesn't drink enough water, you should consider getting her a pet fountain. Not only will it encourage her to drink water, but it will also keep her hydrated and healthy and what more could you ask for? Now the only thing you need to do is to find out which pet fountain would suit your kitten. I hope this has helped you to consider looking for the best water fountain for your feline friend.


text:
La Renault Mégane I è la prima generazione della Renault Mégane, una autovettura di fascia medio-bassa prodotta dalla Renault tra il 1995 ed il 2003.

Storia e profilo

Debutto

Il progetto X64, destinato a concretizzarsi nell'erede della Renault 19, fu avviato all'alba degli anni novanta: per quanto riguarda la base meccanica si scelse di derivarla dalla stessa 19, anche se la soluzione non fu delle più moderne, visto che a sua volta questo pianale era un'evoluzione di quello utilizzato per le Renault 9 e 11. L'arrivo nel mercato europeo di nuovi concorrenti (prevalentemente giapponesi e coreani), spinse i vertici Renault a diversificare la gamma. Non si volle quindi creare un solo modello o al massimo due, ma molti di più: si partì inizialmente da una berlina a 5 porte, una coupé ed una monovolume. Quest'ultima, la vera novità per un costruttore europeo, avrebbe dovuto sottrarre clienti a modelli come la Mitsubishi Space Runner, i cui consensi di pubblico, anche se non esorbitanti, dimostravano che era possibile avere degli sbocchi commerciali anche con una monovolume dalle proporzioni compatte. In seguito, si allargò la gamma delle possibili carrozzerie anche ad una cabriolet e ad una berlina a 4 porte. Tutti questi modelli avrebbero condiviso la stessa base meccanica, e perciò lo stesso pianale e gli stessi motori. Un simile progetto portò allo stanziamento di ben 14 miliardi di franchi contro i 3.7 miliardi che si resero necessari a suo tempo per la prima generazione della Twingo.

La stampa specializzata, come sempre, cominciò ad ipotizzare l'aspetto ed i motori della nuova Renault, almeno in versione berlina. Ma all'inizio del 1995 non fu ancora chiara la nuova denominazione, tanto che del nuovo modello si parlò utilizzando l'espressione 19 seconda serie.

Il debutto avvenne nel settembre del 1995 al Salone dell'automobile di Francoforte, dove la nuova vettura fu presentata con il nome di Mégane, dove il nome fu ripreso da una concept avveniristica presentata nel 1988, ma che, nome a parte, non aveva nulla a che spartire con la vettura di serie. Alla kermesse tedesca la Mégane venne esposta in due delle tante varianti di carrozzeria previste: la variante berlina a due volumi e a 5 porte e la variante coupé, denominata Coach o Coupé a seconda dei mercati di destinazione. Le altre varianti sarebbero arrivate in seguito.

Design esterno ed interno

Le linee della Mégane furono disegnate dall'équipe diretta da Patrick LeQuément, responsabile del design presso la Renault. Le Quément volle per la nuova Renault un design non banale. Il risultato fu un corpo vettura disegnato partendo come base dalla forma geometrica dell'ellisse. Sia esternamente che internamente il richiamo ad ellissi e ovali è assai ripetuto: già il corpo vettura della berlina, più ancora che nella coupé, suggerisce tale forma geometrica. Persino il logo stesso ideato per indicare la nuova vettura nelle campagne pubblicitarie era una sorta di ellisse, sebbene di forma più irregolare. Tale caratteristica era molto visibile lungo la fiancata, dove il tema dell'ellisse coinvolgeva sia il profilo del corpo vettura stesso sia il disegno del giroporta. A dare un parziale taglio a questa tendenza stilistica era il disegno della coda, quasi tronca, dall'andamento verticale, dove trovavano posto i fari dal disegno più arrotondato rispetto a quelli della 19. Novità anche nel frontale, che propone in maniera più marcata lo stile adottato dalla 19 restyling. E quindi, ecco che il logo centrale, dal canto suo, era contenuto in un prolungamento del cofano motore che aveva quasi l'aspetto di un "naso". Tale elemento andava a formare una calandra costituita da due prese d'aria ai lati del logo. Nuovo era il disegno dei fari, che apparivano "tagliati" dalla linea della battuta del cofano motore, conferendo loro un aspetto più aggressivo.L'abitacolo non offriva soluzioni d'avanguardia o innovazioni particolari, tuttavia non appariva neppure superato, bensì in linea con gli standard dell'epoca. L'abitabilità era di buon livello, così come le finiture, mentre nel posto guida la strumentazione era di tipo classico. Le maggiori caratterizzazioni si ritrovavano nel gruppo plancia-cruscotto, dove riappariva il tema dell'ovale: la consolle centrale era infatti contornata da una cornice ovale, così come ovali erano le sezioni di quest'ultima dedicati all'alloggiamento dei comandi del climatizzatore e dell'autoradio. Anche le bocchette di aerazione, sia centrali che laterali, erano della stessa forma, così come il quadro strumenti. Il volante era di tipo multifunzione, in particolare per quel che riguardava i comandi relativi all'autoradio. Esso era a quattro razze disposte tutte nella parte bassa. Tali razze dividevano questa zona del volante in tre sezioni tutte di forma ovale. Il bagagliaio aveva una capacità di 348 litri, in linea con la concorrenza dell'epoca.

Struttura, meccanica e motori
Anche tecnicamente la Mégane I non proponeva grosse novità: la base meccanica era infatti derivata direttamente da quella della Renault 19. Le sospensioni prevedevano quindi un avantreno a ruote indipendenti con schema MacPherson, mentre al retrotreno era previsto lo schema a ruote interconnesse. All'avantreno erano presenti molle elicoidali mentre al retrotreno erano montate delle barre di torsione. L'impianto frenante era variabile a seconda dei modelli: nella maggior parte della gamma era previsto un impianto frenante misto, cioè con dischi all'avantreno e tamburi al retrotreno, ma nelle versioni di punta con motorizzazioni più potenti la soluzione adottata era quella dei quattro dischi. Si è già detto del fatto che già al suo esordio la Mégane I era prevista in due varianti di carrozzeria, una tranquilla berlina a 5 porte ed una più grintosa coupé. Una delle maggiori particolarità dal punto di vista tecnico stava nel fatto che la coupé sfruttava un pianale a passo accorciato rispetto a quello della berlina. La riduzione di passo era di ben 11.2 cm, una scelta dettata dal fatto di voler conferire una maggior agilità alla coupé durante la guida più spinta. Lo sterzo era del tipo a cremagliera.

Per quanto riguarda le motorizzazioni, la Mégane I aveva debuttato con diverse unità, sia a benzina che a gasolio, in parte riprese da quelle della 19 uscente:

1.4: motore E7J da 1390 cm³ con potenza massima di 75 CV;
1.6: motore K7M da 1598 cm³ con potenza massima di 90 CV. In alcuni mercati era prevista una variante depotenziata a 75 CV;
2.0i: motore F3R da 1998 cm³ con potenza massima di 114 CV;
2.0i 16v: motore F7R da 1998 cm³ con potenza massima di 150 CV (solo per la versione Coach);
1.9 D: motore F8Q aspirato da 1870 cm³ con potenza massima di 64 CV;
1.9 dT: motore F8Q da 1870 cm³ sovralimentato con turbocompressore e con potenza massima di 93 CV.

Il cambio previsto di serie era manuale a 5 marce per tutte le versioni.

Evoluzione

La commercializzazione della prima generazione della Mégane fu avviata sul finire del 1995 in Francia ed in alcuni Paesi europei, ma non tutti: per una buona parte dei mercati del Vecchio Continente, tra cui l'Italia, la vettura sarebbe entrata nei listini solo a partire dall'inizio del 1996. Durante questo anno la gamma si moltiplicò rapidamente con l'arrivo delle versioni Scénic (monovolume) e Classic (berlina a 3 volumi e a 4 porte). Per quanto riguarda i motori, non vi furono novità di sorta.

Fu invece durante il 1997 che si registrarono novità corpose sia sul fronte della gamma carrozzerie sia su quello dei motori: vi fu infatti l'arrivo della Mégane Cabrio, versione con capote in tessuto basata sulla scocca della Coach. Sul fronte dei motori, molto importante è la novità riguardante l'arrivo del 1.9 dTi da 98 CV, un motore che andò a soppiantare il precedente 1.9 dT da 90 CV, rispetto al quale venne introdotta l'alimentazione ad iniezione diretta, sebbene non ancora di tipo common rail. Questo motore fu introdotto, oltre che sulle versioni berlina e sulla Scénic, anche sotto il cofano della Coach: in questo modo la Casa della Losanga tornò a proporre un motore a gasolio su una coupé. Fu la seconda volta in cui la Casa francese propose un simile abbinamento, all'epoca del tutto inusuale: la prima volta si ebbe nell'ormai lontano autunno del 1983 con il lancio della Fuego TurboD. Tra le altre novità, il 1.4 di base venne proposto per alcuni mercati anche in versione depotenziata a 70 CV.

Nel 1998 l'unica novità degna di nota fu l'arrivo di un cambio automatico Proactive a 4 rapporti, mentre per quanto riguarda le vendite la Mégane riuscì ad ottenere un successo tale che per i primi quattro mesi dell'anno fu la berlina media più venduta in Europa con 223.900 unità vendute. A portare al successo la gamma della Mégane fu principalmente la versione Scénic, assai apprezzata da una vasta fetta di clientela.

Nel 1999 vi fu il restyling di mezza età: a cambiare stilisticamente in maniera più decisa fu il frontale, ora caratterizzato da gruppi ottici dall'inedito disegno "a mandorla", ma anche dall'inedita calandra semicircolare integrata nel cofano motore e tagliata in due dallo spazio dedicato all'alloggiamento del logo della Casa francese. Anche il paraurti anteriore fu rivisto a fondo, mentre in coda cambiarono le plastiche dei fari posteriori. Dal punto di vista tecnico si ebbero numerose novità, alcune delle quali di particolare spessore, come ad esempio l'introduzione del primo motore europeo ad iniezione diretta di benzina, un 2 litri della stessa famiglia delle precedenti unità motrici di pari cilindrata, che era però in grado di erogare una potenza massima di 140 CV. Tale motore, pur se di potenza leggermente inferiore, andò a sostituire il precedente 2 litri da 147 CV montato su Coach e Cabrio, uniche versioni a poter beneficiare di tale propulsore. Per quanto riguarda il resto della gamma motori, il 1.4 ed il 1.6 ricevettero una nuova testata a due valvole per cilindro, un asse a camme in più e potenze massime rispettivamente di 95 e 110 CV. In questo modo si ebbe un vero e proprio passaggio di consegne tra propulsori, poiché il 1.4 16v prese il posto del vecchio 1.6 8v, mentre il 1.6 16v andò a rilevare il precedente 2 litri monoalbero, nel frattempo sceso in alcuni mercati (come quello tedesco) da 114 a 109 CV di potenza massima. Ultima novità sul fronte motori fu la scomparsa del 1.9 diesel aspirato, oramai del tutto anacronistico in un periodo in cui stavano cominciando a diffondersi i primi common rail, sebbene per il momento tale novità non avrebbe ancora interessato alcun modello della Casa della Losanga. Un'altra grande novità fu quella che si ebbe sul fronte della gamma carrozzerie: con il restyling fece infatti il suo debutto un'inedita versione station wagon, denominata appunto Mégane SW e proposta dalla Renault come alternativa alla Mégane Scénic. Quest'ultima, dal canto suo, perse la denominazione Mégane e prese a chiamarsi semplicemente Renault Scénic, andando così a costituire un modello a sé, anche se pur sempre tecnicamente imparentato con la Mégane.

Alla fine del 2000 vi fu l'arrivo di una nuova motorizzazione dedicata esclusivamente alla Mégane SW e consistente in un motore 1.8 da 116 CV. Ma la novità motoristica più importante di quell'anno fu l'arrivo del 1.9 dCi da 105 CV, primo motore turbodiesel common rail per la Renault. Questo motore andò a sostituire la precedente unità ad iniezione diretta da 98 CV. Ma quest'ultimo motore non venne definitivamente pensionato, poiché fu riproposto in una variante depotenziata, la cui potenza raggiungeva gli 80 CV.

Per il 2001 si ebbero prevalentemente aggiornamenti sul fronte della sicurezza, con l'introduzione dell'assistenza elettronica alla frenata d'emergenza. Altri aggiornamenti più di dettaglio riguardarono l'introduzione di nuovi tessuti per i rivestimenti interni.

Questi furono gli ultimi aggiornamenti relativi alla gamma della Mégane I: dal 2002 alla berlina due volumi sarebbe subentrata la nuova generazione, nota come Mégane II.

La Mégane Coach

Assieme alla berlina a 5 porte, la Mégane fu lanciata fin dall'inizio anche con carrozzeria coupé: rispetto alla berlina, la coupé fu modificata in profondità dal punto di vista strutturale. Il pianale infatti fu accorciato di ben 11.2 cm per privilegiare l'agilità di guida. Come risultato si ottenne una vettura molto più compatta della berlina e caratterizzata da una carrozzeria completamente ridisegnata posteriormente, con coda tronca, gruppi ottici posteriori inediti e padiglione spiovente che consentiva un'abitabilità limitata nei posti posteriori. Nel complesso, la Mégane Coach (chiamata Mégane Coupé in altri mercati europei) stava sotto i quattro metri di lunghezza e ciò le consentiva di rivaleggiare direttamente con un'avversaria come la Opel Tigra, anch'essa caratterizzata da una scarsa abitabilità posteriore. Si tratta quindi di una coupé 2+2, ossia con due posti anteriori più due posti posteriori di fortuna. Dal punto di vista meccanico, comunque, a parte il passo accorciato, non vi furono altre grosse differenze di sorta rispetto alla berlina. L'unica novità specifica per la Coach fu il motore della versione di punta, un 2 litri bialbero plurivalvole derivato direttamente dalla Clio Williams, e la cui potenza di 147 CV consentiva prestazioni assai brillanti. La gamma iniziale della Mégane Coach comprendeva anche un 1.6 a benzina da 90 CV ed un 2 litri monoalbero da 114 CV.

In seguito, arrivarono altri motori, anche se si trattava unicamente delle motorizzazioni più brillanti tra quelle disponibili.

Una vera novità per quei tempi, non solo per la Renault, ma più in generale per l'intero panorama automobilistico, fu il fatto che dal 1997 la Coach venne proposta anche con un 1.9 dTi, ossia un motore turbodiesel ad iniezione diretta (non common rail) da 98 CV. Dopo l'esperimento tentato dalla Renault negli anni ottanta con la Fuego, la Casa della Losanga ci riprovò con la Mégane Coach, proponendo un motore a gasolio per una vettura sportiva. Il fatto suscitò clamore e divise i pareri degli appassionati. Dal 1998, a richiesta fu poi possibile equipaggiare la Coach con il cambio automatico Proactive (disponibile solo in abbinamento con il 2 litri monoalbero).

Il restyling del 1999 vide la Coach seguire gli aggiornamenti stilistici del resto della gamma: ciò valse un po' ovunque tranne ovviamente nella zona posteriore, dove le modifiche furono più specifiche. Quanto ai motori, in occasione del restyling la gamma v ide l'arrivo di nuovi motori a benzina, componendosi così delle versioni: 1.4 16v da 95 CV; 1.6 16v da 110 CV (disponibile anche con cambio automatico Proactive); 2 litri a iniezione diretta da 140 CV; 1.9 dTi da 98 CV. Quella a gasolio fu l'unica motorizzazione che rimase immutata durante l'aggiornamento del 1999. Ultimo grosso aggiornamento alla gamma in ordine temporale, ma non ultimo per importanza fu l'arrivo, nel 2000, del 1.9 dCi, stavolta di tipo common rail, che andò a sostituire il 1.9 dTi utilizzato fino a quel momento.

La Mégane Coach uscì dai listini nel 2003 e non ebbe un'erede immediata: nella gamme della successiva Mégane II non fu infatti prevista una coupé, ma semplicemente una berlina a 3 porte. Si tornò a parlare di coupé solo con l'arrivo della terza generazione della segmento C francese.

La Mégane Scénic

Con il lancio nel 1996 della Mégane Scénic, la Casa francese non solo entrò in un segmento di mercato quasi inedito ma riuscì al primo colpo a sbaragliare l'esiguo numero di rappresentanti della concorrenza, costituita principalmente dai due modelli proposti in Europa dalla Mitsubishi (lo Space Runner ed il più spazioso Space Wagon). Il successo della Scénic fu tale da superare da sola persino la totalità della produzione di tutte le altre varianti di carrozzeria della Mégane stessa. Ciò che fu alla base del successo della Mégane Scénic fu non solo una linea più moderna e gradevole rispetto alle due concorrenti giapponesi, peraltro meno "fresche" di progetto, ma anche le sue doti di praticità, il suo confort, la sua ampia abitabilità. La stampa specializzata dell'epoca ritenne comunque migliorabile la disposizione di alcuni comandi.

Esternamente la Mégane Scénic appariva come una monovolume compatta che tradiva la sua naturale parentela tecnica con le altre Mègane se la si osservava nel frontale, dallo stile identico a quello delle "sorelle" della famiglia Mégane. Anche nel resto della carrozzeria, sia pur convertita nella nuova configurazione, si trovavano gli stilemi caratteristici delle Mégane di prima generazione. Internamente, la vettura offriva posto per cinque persone, ma l'abitabilità e lo spazio a disposizione era decisamente maggiore, specialmente in altezza. L'idea innovativa le valse il titolo di Auto dell'anno nel 1997.

Al suo debutto, la Mégane Scénic venne proposta in quattro motorizzazioni, tre a benzina ed una a gasolio, tutte mutuate dal resto della gamma Mégane, vale a dire: il 1.4 da 75 CV, il 1.6 da 90 CV, il 2 litri da 114 CV ed il 1.9 turbodiesel da 93 CV. Mancavano quindi il diesel aspirato, ritenuto troppo fiacco per una vettura come la Mégane Scénic, ed il 2 litri bialbero, ritenuto invece troppo esuberante e poco appropriato per una vettura a vocazione tipicamente familiare come la nuova monovolume francese.

Come già detto, il successo della Mégane Scénic fu enorme e già alla fine del 1997 la vettura era diventata un fenomeno automobilistico: i tempi di attesa per le consegne si erano allungati fino a 6 mesi, complice anche la chiusura in maggio dello stabilimento belga di Vilvoorde, che la produceva. Le case concorrenti furono costrette a correre ai ripari, per recuperare mercato in una categoria fino ad allora semisconosciuta.

Nei successivi tre anni di carriera commerciale, la Mégane Scénic seguì le stesse fasi evolutive della berlina, perciò si ebbe anche in questo caso l'arrivo del 1.9 dTi da 98 CV e del cambio Proactive.

Ma nel 1999, con il restyling della gamma Mégane, la monovolume cessò di essere commercializzata come Mégane Scénic e andò a formare una gamma tutta sua con la denominazione commerciale ridotta semplicemente a Scénic. Il restyling divenne più marcato che negli altri modelli della gamma Mégane. La monovolume che derivò da tale aggiornamento venne considerata come la prima generazione della Renault Scénic.

La Mégane Classic

Annunciata già nel 1995 durante il lancio della berlina a due volumi e della Coach, la Mégane Classic è stata svelata nell'estate del 1996 quando la Casa francese decise di pubblicare le prime foto ufficiali. Dopo la presentazione al Salone di Parigi di quell'anno, la commercializzazione della Mégane Classic è stata finalmente avviata nel mese di novembre. La Classic non era altro che la versione con carrozzeria a tre volumi e a 4 porte, erede dunque della 19 Chamade del 1989. Ne consegue che dal punto di vista estetico la vettura era identica alla berlina a due volumi nel frontale e nella fiancata fino al montante centrale. Era stata invece ridisegnata nella zona posteriore, dove era stato allungato lo sbalzo posteriore in modo da ricavarne un terzo volume destinato al classico utilizzo come bagagliaio separato. Differenti, rispetto alla berlina a 2 volumi, anche i fari posteriori, dal disegno più allungato, a sviluppo orizzontale, più avvolgenti e tagliati superiormente solo dalla linea di battuta dello sportello del vano bagagli. Al debutto, la Classic era prevista nelle cinque motorizzazioni che già equipaggiavano la berlina con portellone, vale a dire il 1.4 da 75 CV, il 1.6 da 90 CV, il 2 litri da 114 CV, il 1.9 diesel aspirato da 64 CV ed il 1.9 turbodiesel da 93 CV.

Negli anni seguenti al debutto e, praticamente durante tutta la sua carriera commerciale, la Mégane Classic seguì di pari passo l'evolversi della gamma motoristica che interessò la berlina a 5 porte, compreso l'arrivo del cambio automatico Proactive nel 1998.

Il restyling del 1999 vide pure gli stessi aggiornamenti del resto della gamma Mégane, con l'ovvia eccezione della parte posteriore, dove nel caso della Classic comparve una barra cromata trasversale che andò ad unire i due gruppi ottici.

La produzione della berlina Classic terminò nel 2002 assieme alla produzione della berlina a 5 porte: fino a fine anno, però, le due berline rimasero presenti in molti listini europei per smaltire le scorte giacenti. L'erede della Classic fu la Mégane II a 4 porte, lanciata nel 2003.

La Mégane Cabrio

Anticipata da indiscrezioni già al momento del lancio della Mégane 5 porte, la versione cabriolet non fece più sapere niente di sé per ancora un anno, ma alla fine debuttò a sorpresa al Salone di Parigi del 1996. Basata ovviamente sulla meccanica delle altre Mègane, ma soprattutto sulla scocca della versione Coach/Coupé, la Mégane Cabrio riprese da quest'ultima le principali caratteristiche della carrozzeria, compreso il pianale a passo accorciato ed il corpo vettura più compatto. Dalla coupé se ne differenzia però, oltre che per la mancanza del tetto in lamiera, sostituito da una capote in tela, anche per l'allungamento dello sbalzo posteriore, una soluzione dettata dall'esigenza di non sacrificare troppo la capacità del bagagliaio anche quando la capote, una volta aperta, andava a ripiegarsi in un vano posto anch'esso all'interno del vano bagagli. Ne conseguiva che la Mégane Cabrio era di alcuni centimetri più lunga rispetto alla Coach (da 3.93 a 4.02 metri). Importanti modifiche rispetto alla coupé vennero apportate anche alla struttura della vettura, con rinforzi alla scocca per ottenere il necessario irrigidimento, fondamentale durante il passaggio da una configurazione chiusa alla sua corrispondente configurazione aperta. Per quanto riguarda le motorizzazioni, la gamma iniziale della Mégane Cabrio ricalcava quasi del tutto quella prevista per la coupé, se si esclude il 2 litri monoalbero, ed anche le successive fasi evolutive della gamma motoristica seguirono quelle della versione chiusa.

Al suo debutto, la Mégane Cabrio aveva poche concorrenti, comunque tutte appartenenti al segmento C nonostante i ridotti ingombri della vettura francese. Essa poteva costituire per esempio un'alternativa alla Golf Cabrio o all'Astra Cabrio. La Mégane Cabrio, anch'essa ristilizzata ed aggiornata nella gamma motori durante il 1999, continuò ad essere commercializzata fino al 2003, dopodiché fu tolta dai listini, sostituita dalla Coupé-Cabrio su base Mégane II.

La Mégane SW

La versione SW della Mégane I fu lanciata nel settembre 1999 in occasione del restyling di mezza età della prima generazione della segmento C francese, pertanto la versione giardinetta è esistita solo con gli aggiornamenti estetici e non solo apportati a partire da quell'anno. Nata sul pianale della Mégane Classic, ossia la berlina a 3 volumi e a 4 porte, la Mégane SW volle proporsi come alternativa alla Scénic, che tanto successo stava riscuotendo fin dai primi mesi di carriera commerciale. In fondo, come constatato da apposite ricerche di mercato, le station wagon di segmento C stavano ancora riscuotendo un buon successo di vendite e poteva valer la pena, secondo la Casa della Losanga, proporre anche una versione familiare della Mégane.

La vettura era lunga fino a 4.437 metri, la più lunga della gamma Mégane I, e grazie alla parte posteriore ridisegnata, era possibile disporre di una capacità di carico pari a 485 litri, ampliabili a 1600 mediante l'abbattimento dello schienale posteriore. Prodotta nello stabilimento Renault di Bursa, in Turchia, la Mégane SW fu disponibile da subito in tre motorizzazioni, due a benzina ed una a gasolio. I due motori a benzina erano il 1.4 16v da 95 CV ed il 1.6 16v da 110 CV, mentre il turbodiesel era il 1.9 dTi da 98 CV.

Alla fine del 2000 vi fu l'unica novità veramente significativa per la gamma motoristica della SW, novità costituita dall'inedito 1.8 16v, specifico unicamente per la versione familiare della Mégane I ed in grado di erogare una potenza massima di 120 CV. Con l'arrivo del 1.9 dCi, sempre nello stesso periodo, la gamma dei diesel si sdoppiò: da una parte il nuovo common rail da 105 CV e dall'altra il meno moderno dTi di pari cilindrata e depotenziato ad 80 CV.

La Mégane SW uscì di listino nel 2003, sostituita dalla Mégane GrandTour, appartenente alla gamma della Mégane II.

La Megane Maxi
Nel 1996 la Renault ha anche sviluppato una versione Maxi della Megane per partecipare alle competizioni rallistiche riservate alle Kit Car. La vettura era equipaggiata con un propulsore F7R710 da 255 cv e 175 Nm di coppia gestito da un cambio sequenziale a sei marce. La vettura è stata schierata dal team ufficiale Renault nel campionato Rally francese tra il 1996 e il 1997 in mano ai piloti Philippe Bugalski , Jean Ragnotti e Serge Jordan. Nel '97 la casa si ritirò, ma la Maxi continuò a gareggiare con i team privati, tanto che nel 1999 si aggiudicò l'ultima edizione della Coppa del mondo 2 litri costruttori.

La Megane V6
Nel 1998 la Renault commissionò alla scuola di design Espera la realizzazione di una versione ad alte prestazioni della Megane da esporre presso il salone automobilistico di Ginevra. Al posto del propulsore originale venne montato un V6 PSA-Renault da 194 cv di potenza gestito da un cambio manuale a cinque marce. Tale propulsore venne impiantato alle spalle dei sedili anteriori, trasformando la vettura in una sportiva a motore centrale e spostando obbligatoriamente il bagagliaio sotto il cofano anteriore. Per sopperire alle nuove prestazioni vennero montato nuovi freni a disco sportivi forniti dalla Brembo e venne inserito un nuovo body kit aerodinamico.

Tabella riepilogativa

Di seguito vengono riepilogate le caratteristiche relative alle varie versioni costituenti la gamma della Mégane I:

Note

Bibliografia
Renault - Un siècle de creation, di J.L. Loubet e C. Le Maître, ETAI, ISBN 978-2726893425
Auto, ottobre 1995, Conti Editore
Auto, luglio 1996, Conti Editore
Auto, settembre 1999, Conti Editore
Quattroruote n°472, febbraio 1995, Editoriale Domus
Quattroruote n°481, novembre 1995, Editoriale Domus
Quattroruote n°485, marzo 1996, Editoriale Domus
Quattroruote n°513, luglio 1998, Editoriale Domus
I dati in tabella sono stati ripresi dai listini Quattroruote dell'epoca

Voci correlate
Renault Mégane

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Renault Mégane

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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