Joseph Vignes, called Pepe Vignes, was born in november 1920 in Paris. He is the second of a five children family headed by a cooper father. He was successively accordion in popular dances, singer, and then cooper, moving a lot he eventually settled in Elne (West-Pyrenees) where he lived until his death.
In 1960, when he was 40 years, he started to draw for fun, with ball point pen and color pens. His favorite themes are flowers, boats, fishes, cars, planes, trains, rugby balls and hearts shapes that we can find in almost all his drawings. As he has a myopic view he draws with his face very close to the sheet. He also uses cardboards and brown paper that he decorates with felt pen in a way to not losing time at sharping his pencils.
Discovered by Claude Massé in 1974 – who dedicated an article to Pepe in the Fascicule de l'art brut n°11 -, Pepe Vignes pile up his drawings in closets, under beds and cabinets. From 1971 to 1980, he produced 3000 "good points" addressed to those he loves. The highly personal universe that he created is full of poetry and strangeness, like the Primitive painters.
heterotopias : architectural dwellings, curator : matali crasset, christian berst art brut gallery, from december 2nd, 2017 to january 20th, 2018.
art brut : a story of individual mythologies, works from the treger saint silvestre collection, oliva creative factory, são joão da madeira, portugal, from june 18th to february 28th, 2017.
l'art brut, martine lusardy, citadelles & mazenod, paris, 2018.
exhibition catalogue, heterotopias : architectural dwellings, christian berst art brut ed., paris, 2017.
« le royaume parallèle », bruno montpied, in l'or aux 13 îles, n°2, june, 2011.
"joseph vignes dit 'pépé'", claude massé, fascicule de l'art brut n°11, 1974.


A cheque for £2,000 was presented to the Bucks Army Cadet Force League by members of Aylesbury Town Council's grants committee.
The grant helped buy adventurous training equipment for Buckinghamshire (The Rifles) Army Cadet Force, and cadets from 4 (Aylesbury) Platoon attended June's council meeting to thank councillors and to exhibit some of the equipment purchased.
The Bucks ACF League is a registered charity providing support and assistance to the County's Army Cadets, by funding equipment to support training, financial support for exchange and remembrance trips, and financial help for individual cadets for the costs of going to annual camp.
Aylesbury cadets - Cllr Brian Adams, Cdt Cpl Khalid Ateem, Cdt LCpl Lewis Barnett, Cllr Ranjula Takodra MBE, Cdt LCpl Adam Ateem, Cllr Jenny Puddefoot, Cdt Charlote Bullivant, Cllr Denise Summers, Lt Col John Williams MBE TD (Chairman, Bucks ACF League), Cdt Cpl Grace Farrow, Cllr Tufail Hussain.


text:
Der SV Wittlich (offiziell: Sportverein Wittlich 1912 e.V.) ist ein Sportverein aus Wittlich im Landkreis Bernkastel-Wittlich. Die erste Fußballmannschaft spielte fünf Jahre in der damals dritt- bzw. viertklassigen Oberliga Südwest.

Geschichte
Der Verein geht auf den am 13. Dezember 1908 gegründeten FC Wittlich zurück, der etwa zwei Jahre später aufgelöst wurde. Am 4. August 1912 wurde der SV Wittlich gegründet, der sich im Jahre 1920 dem 1883 gegründeten TV Wittlich anschloss und dessen Fußballabteilung bildete. Im Rahmen der Reinlichen Scheidung wurde die Fußballabteilung am 9. August 1924 als SV Wittlich wieder eigenständig. Im Jahre 1945 schloss sich der TV Wittlich dem SV Wittlich an, spaltete sich jedoch im Jahre 1950 wieder unter seinem alten Namen ab.

Einen ersten Erfolg erreichte die Mannschaft im Jahre 1936, als sie Meister der Bezirksliga wurde. In der Aufstiegsrunde zur damals erstklassigen Gauliga Mittelrhein scheiterten die Wittlicher jedoch an der Spvgg Andernach. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg gelang 1953 der Aufstieg in die damals drittklassige Amateurliga Rheinland. Aus dieser stieg die Mannschaft 1955 ab und wurde anschließend in die Kreisliga durchgereicht. In den folgenden Jahrzehnten pendelte die Mannschaft zwischen 2. Amateurliga bzw. Bezirksliga und Kreisliga. Im Jahre 1987 wurde die B-Jugend Rheinlandmeister und qualifizierte sich für die Deutsche Meisterschaft, wo schon in der ersten Runde das Aus gegen den 1. FC Nürnberg kam. Ein Jahr später schaffte die erste Mannschaft den Aufstieg in die Verbandsliga Rheinland, wo die Mannschaft 1991 Vizemeister hinter dem VfB Wissen wurde. Ein Jahr später wurde Wittlich Meister und stieg in die damals drittklassige Oberliga Südwest auf.

In der Oberliga konnte sich die Mannschaft schnell etablieren. 1994 erreichten die Wittlicher zudem das Endspiel des Rheinlandpokals, welches mit 1:4 nach Elfmeterschießen gegen den FSV Salmrohr verloren wurde. In der folgenden Saison 1994/95 erreichte die Mannschaft mit Platz fünf den bisherigen sportlichen Zenit. Zwei Jahre später stieg die Mannschaft aus der Oberliga ab. Ein Punkt fehlte am Saisonende zum Klassenerhalt. 1999 folgte der Abstieg in die Landesliga, wo die Mannschaft gleich in die Bezirksliga durchgereicht wurde. Im Jahre 2003 mussten die Wittlicher wegen Nichterfüllung des Schiedsrichersoll zwangsweise in die Kreisliga absteigen. Zwischenzeitlich war eine geplante Fusion mit dem Nachbarverein SV Klausen geplatzt.

Seit 2011 bildet der SV Wittlich zusammen mit dem SV Lüxem die Spielgemeinschaft SG Wittlich/Lüxem. Zur Saison 2013/14 schaffe die Spielgemeinschaft den Aufstieg in die Rheinlandliga, stieg aber sofort wieder ab. Nach einem erneuten Abstieg in die Kreisliga A Mosel konnte der Verein 2017 die Meisterschaft und die damit verbundenen Rückkehr in die Bezirksliga West feiern. Hier konnte man in der Saison 2017/18 den 6. Platz erringen.

Die Spielgemeinschaft, die mittlerweile um den SV Neuerburg erweitert wurde, wurde vom SV Wittlich zur Saison 2021/22 aufgekündigt. Ab dieser Saison ist der SV Wittlich wieder eigenständig.

Persönlichkeiten

Literatur
 Hardy Grüne, Christian Karn: Das große Buch der deutschen Fußballvereine. AGON Sportverlag, Kassel 2009, ISBN 978-3-89784-362-2, S. 507.

Weblinks
 Offizielle Homepage

Wittlich, Sv
Wittlich, Sv
Organisation (Wittlich)
Wittlich, SV
Gegründet 1912

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Scoringlive Male Athlete of the Week: Marcus Faufata-Pedrina, Damien
In each of Damien's three games this football season, Marcus Faufata-Pedrina has rushed for more than 100 yards and averaged nine yards per carry.
Not bad for a quarterback.
The Damien junior did it again Saturday, when he ran for a team-high 114 yards — nearly half of those coming on a 60-yard touchdown run — on just 10 carries. Faufata-Pedrina threw for 232 yards and three other scores for good measure in the Monarchs' 41-7 win over Kealakehe in a non-league game played at Aiea High School.
The 5-foot-8, 185-pound Faufata-Perdina completed 13 of 20 pass attempts and was not intercepted.
"I think he did a good job of executing the offense," Damien coach Eddie Klaneski said. "We're still kind of working on his game and what he needs to do in situations, but for the most part Saturday, he ran the ball and used his legs when he needed to and got the ball out there when the opportunities were there to throw it."
As a team, the Monarchs marched to 526 yards of total offense in a balanced effort (283 yards rushing, 243 pass). Six different players caught a pass, including tight end Shaun Apiki's six receptions for 59 yards. He was on the receiving end of a 4-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and a 13-yard scoring strike in the third, both from Faufata-Pedrina.
"We have a bunch of athletic guys that can run after the catch, so we have certain plays set up for certain people and Marcus is doing a good job of getting it to those guys, although he does have to make some reads," Klaneski said. "Also our guys have been catching the ball well and running after the catch."
Running backs Deacon Kapea (5 rushes for 92 yards) and Justice White (10 for 77) came through with complementary performances to Faufata-Pedrina. Kapea's 68-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter closed out the scoring.
For the season, Faufata-Pedrina has completed 61.1 percent (44 of 72) of his passes for 590 yards with 9 TDs to 3 INTs. He has already exceeded his touchdown total from all of last season.
"He studies a lot, he knows the game and he thinks about what he's doing," Klaneski said. "He's still kind of learning the little intricacies of the passing game and reading things pre-snap, but he's getting better at that. He's been doing a good job of being a leader on the field and earning the respect of everyone on the football field."
The Monarchs have rebounded with back-to-back wins after a 46-24 loss at Moanalua, in which Faufata-Pedrina threw for 356 yards and six touchdowns, but was also intercepted three times.
"We made a few mistakes offensively and he made a few decisions that he would take back, but when we'd look back at the tape it wasn't just him making mistakes, but people around him were making mistakes, so it definitely was a learning experience for us and for him," Klaneski said. "It's helped him to develop through the last couple of games and in practice so that when we had those certain play calls again, he knows that he can't make the same mistakes again."
One week later Faufata-Pedrina threw for 220 yards and five TDs — without an interception — and rushed for 132 yards to lead Damien to a 33-0 win over Maui.
Faufata-Pedrina and the Monarchs are 2-1 after playing three Division I opponents in as many weeks and will have a week off before opening up defense of their Interscholastic League of Honolulu D2 title against Saint Francis on Sept. 2.
-Kalani Takase
Newer PostPicture/ID Retake/Makeup Picture Day
Older PostFall Sports Try-Out Information

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Using react-testing-library to test that api call was made (which uses react-query) I have a component called LoggedIn.js, which uses react-query's useQuery hook to make an api call to my server upon LoggedIn.js loading:
    const {
    data,
    isSuccess,
    isFetching,
    isError,
    error,
    refetch: refetchAllRecipes
    } = useQuery(['getRecipes', userId], () => getRecipes(userId), {
            staleTime: Infinity,
            cacheTime: Infinity,
            refetchInterval: 0,
            refetchOnMount: true,
            refetchOnWindowFocus: false
        });

where getRecipes is a function I wrote that exists in another file:
const api = axios.create({
    baseURL: `${process.env.REACT_APP_API_SERVER}/api/`,
    timeout: 30000
});

export async function getRecipe(userId, id) {
    try {
        const response = await api({
            method: 'get',
            url: `users/${userId}/recipes/${id}`,
            withCredentials: true
        });

        return response.data;
    } catch (err) {
        throw err.response.data;
    }
}

I am trying to test that getRecipes is called when LoggedIn.js is mounted. Here is the relevant portion of the testing file:
import React from 'react';
import {render, screen, act} from '@testing-library/react';
import {QueryClientProvider, QueryClient} from 'react-query';
import {ChakraProvider} from '@chakra-ui/react';
import * as RRD from 'react-router-dom';
import * as api from '../../../api/api';

import LoggedIn from '../LoggedIn';

const queryClient = new QueryClient();

const MockLoggedIn = (props) => {
    return (
        <QueryClientProvider
            client={queryClient}
            isLoggedIn={props.isLoggedIn}
        >
            <RRD.BrowserRouter isLoggedIn={props.isLoggedIn}>
                <ChakraProvider isLoggedIn={props.isLoggedIn}>
                    <LoggedIn isLoggedIn={props.isLoggedIn}/>
                </ChakraProvider>
            </RRD.BrowserRouter>
        </QueryClientProvider>
    );
};

    test('should make api call upon loading', async () => {
        const spy = jest.spyOn(api, 'getRecipes');

        act(() => {
            render(<MockLoggedIn isLoggedIn={true} />);
        });

        expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled();
    });

This test keeps failing, saying that getRecipes is never called. However, I know that it's called because if I put a console.log statement in getRecipes, then that message prints to the console. Obviously spy, in this case, is not properly spying on getRecipes. I'm stumped, because I am able to spy on other api calls that react-query makes for me - but I must say that those functions use useMutation rather than useQuery. This is my first time trying to test an api call that is being made using useQuery.
Some thoughts:
Technically, I do not pass getRecipes to the useQuery hook. I pass an anonymous function which calls getRecipes:
useQuery(['getRecipes', userId], () => getRecipes(userId)...
However, the problem persists even if I pass getRecipes directly and destructure the queryKey in my api call.
Also, if I put console.log('hey') in getRecipes (just to see if it was called) then this prints to the console:
console.log
    hey

      at Object.getRecipes [as queryFn] (src/api/api.js:195:11)

Notice the [as queryFn] part? It seems as if getRecipes isn't actually being called a react-query function is being called that somehow mimics getRecipes? Sounds weird. Not sure if I'm explaining thoughts properly here. I just figured that react-query would be calling getRecipes, but it looks like it isn't.
An obvious solution would be to just mock useQuery and test to see if that gets called. I've done that, and it indeed does get called and returns the correct data. However, this would be testing implementation rather than behaviour, so I would much rather test to see that getRecipes itself is called.
All help would be appreciated.

A: Did you try something like this instead of using act()?
render(<MockLoggedIn isLoggedIn={true} />);
await waitFor(() => expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled())

this is just a guess.
Could you provide some minimal reproduction repository?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Nigerian celebrities are the last people I would imagine embracing their natural hair. The Nigerian society when I was growing up looked down on natural hair. They viewed natural hair as unkempt hair and described anyone with natural hair as lazy and dirty. Growing up in Nigeria, I was a big fan of Nigerian movies and dramas, and back then there were not many female Nigerian celebrities with natural hair except Onyeka Onwenu with her beautiful short hair. But then, I didn't see her as being natural (natural hair wasn't a term I was familiar with), I saw her as wearing a hairstyle that was different.
Even though, I wore my hair natural most part of my life it wasn't by choice, it was forced upon me by the Nigerian school system that discouraged relaxed and long hair. So, there was nobody to look up to and no one to encourage you or tell you your hair was beautiful. Speaking of encouragement, family members were the last people to tell you anything nice about your hair. They mock you when you skip your routine hair appointment and risk the appearance of undergrowth. And if you dare wear your hair long in its natural state you are labeled a house girl, an mgbeke who will chase her suitors away with her unkempt hair.
The only time natural hair was admired was when a young girl cut it very short to meet primary and secondary school policies. It was tough back then being natural and this is why I am extremely happy that our Nigerian celebrities are now rocking their natural hair. As we all know, especially here in the United States, representation matters a lot. Imagine the confidence young girls will feel seeing their idols wearing their hair natural. Thanks to these brave women for showing us that natural hair is beautiful, that natural hair can be worn anywhere and anytime, and that natural hair is not unkempt hair, it is just as good if not better than any other hair.


Three shots merged to HDR and tone mapped. The sky was processed with higher Local Contrast strength in order to make it dramatic. The pier has also been processed on a different layer - in order to make it darker and therefore make it less distracting.


text:
La seconda stagione della serie televisiva Man with a Camera è andata in onda negli Stati Uniti dal 19 ottobre 1959 all'8 febbraio 1960 per un totale di 14 episodi.

The Killer
 Prima televisiva: 19 ottobre 1959

Trama

 Guest star: I. Stanford Jolley (dottor Todd), James Parnell (Killer), Harlan Warde (detective Butler), Bek Nelson (infermiera Purdy), Lawrence Dobkin (detective Angelo)

Eyewitness
 Prima televisiva: 26 ottobre 1959

Trama

 Guest star: Joseph Hamilton (Bergdoll), Marian Collier (Clara), Casey Walters (Martinez)

The Man Below
 Prima televisiva: 2 novembre 1959

Trama

 Guest star: Ed Cramer (Stan), Frank Gerstle (Jim), Patricia Donahue (Helen Baines), Rusty Lane (capo della polizia), Baynes Barron (George Werner), David Lewis (Carl Baines)

Black Light
 Prima televisiva: 9 novembre 1959

Trama

 Guest star: Hugh Sanders (ispettore Randolph), Michael Harris (tenente Monta)

The Positive Negative
 Prima televisiva: 16 novembre 1959

Trama

 Guest star: Anthony Caruso (Ace Lupo), Susan Cummings (Monique), Anne Neyland (Ellen)

Missing
 Prima televisiva: 23 novembre 1959
 Diretto da: Gene Fowler, Jr.
 Soggetto di: Hal Evarts

Trama

 Guest star: CeCe Whitney (Jill Kern), Tony Miller (Laundry Attendant), Wendell Holmes (Carl Ganza), Robert Christopher (Joel), Jon Silo (Gas Station Owner), Henry Randolph (Jack Hawley), Merritt Bohn (Deputy), Steve Brodie (Ed Kern)

Live Target
 Prima televisiva: 7 dicembre 1959
 Diretto da: Paul Landres
 Scritto da: Barry Trivers

Trama

 Guest star: Toni Gerry (Bess Wilson), Fred Essler (Poppa Korman), Gavin MacLeod (Johnny Datch), Robert Carson (Martin Denny), Tracy Stratford (Little Girl), George Keymas (Santos), James Lydon (Eddie Wilson)

Girl in the Dark
 Prima televisiva: 14 dicembre 1959

Trama

 Guest star: Gregory Morton (Willings), Darlene Fields (donna)

The Bride
 Prima televisiva: 21 dicembre 1959

Trama

 Guest star: George Conrad (Jan Metrovic), Nick Pawl (McGill), Claudia Barrett (Jane)

The Picture War
 Prima televisiva: 4 gennaio 1960

Trama

 Guest star: Johnny Seven (Larry Gaines)

Touch Off
 Prima televisiva: 11 gennaio 1960

Trama

 Guest star:

Hot Ice Cream
 Prima televisiva: 25 gennaio 1960

Trama

 Guest star: Lawrence Tierney (Barney), Yvonne Craig (Jo Stokes), Roscoe Ates (Fenton), Paul Bryar (Stokes), Howard McNear (George)

Fragment of a Murder
 Prima televisiva: 1º febbraio 1960

Trama

 Guest star:

Kangaroo Court
 Prima televisiva: 8 febbraio 1960
 Diretto da: Gilbert Kay
 Scritto da: Wilton Schiller

Trama

 Guest star: Don Gordon (colonnello), John Goddard (tenente Lurie), Richard Benedict (Crane), George D. Wallace (Fletcher), Ralph Garey (Corelli), Maurice Marsac (Parnot), Danielle Aubrey (Annette), John Dennis (Sanders), William Lalley (Turley), Arthur Space (colonnello Boyar)

Collegamenti esterni


Bahamas Backroads Villa is the affordable rental you've been looking for! It has it all!
Book now for your next family vacation or fly fishing group!
See where we are! Click» the map!
Considering Florida for your next holiday vacation?
We have a great vacation rental near the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida!
Private dock, swimming pool, beach nearby, 40 golf courses within a 15 minute drive!
The great new game room at Bahamas Backroads Villa Rental has recently been outfitted with some favorite games like Table-Tennis (Ping-Pong) Foosball, a pool table plus a stationary bike to help you stay in shape during your stay! Of course, there are the other fun amenities for guests to enjoy as well.


text:
Q: How to subset in dplyr with the same conditions among multiple variables I have a list of variables in sequence and I was wondering if there was a simple way of subsetting in dplyr with same conditions among the sequence of variables.
For example, I have the following variables:
DX1
DX2
DX3
DX4
DX5
I would like a subset of my data if any of those variables contains the following string '7586'.
Subsetting from a single variable I would do the following:
filter(df, DX1 == '7586')

The only method I can think of would be the following:
filter(df, DX1 == '7586' | DX2 == '7586' | DX3 == '7586' | DX4 == '7586' | DX5 == '7586')

My actual dataset contains DX1-DX25 and it can get quite tedious to write.
Is there a method of simplifying the above?
something along the lines of
filter(df, DX1-25 == '7586')

Thank you

A: Two options, one in base R, and one in dplyr, should produce the same result:
df[rowSums(df == 7586) > 0,]

or
library(dplyr)
df %>%
   filter(rowSums(. == 7586) > 0)

and a data.table version for fun, which should eek out a tiny bit more speed if necessary:
library(data.table)
setDT(df)[, .SD[Reduce(`+`, lapply(.SD, `==`, 7586) ) > 0] ]

A: Maybe something like, if DX1 ~ DX25 are all or most of the columns of your data.frame?
df[apply(df, 1, function(row) any(row == '7586')), ]

     x    y
1 7586  322
2 3322 7586

Data:
structure(list(x = structure(c(2L, 1L), .Label = c("3322", "7586"
), class = "factor"), y = structure(1:2, .Label = c("322", "7586"
), class = "factor")), .Names = c("x", "y"), row.names = c(NA,
-2L), class = "data.frame")

A: select(data, DX1:DX25) %>% apply(., 1, function(x) any(x == '7586')) %>% data[. , ]


text:
Nick Molinaro, Ed.D. | NJ Lic # 1737 | 6 E. Main Street, Mendham, NJ 07945 | 973.543.0808
Dr. Nick Molinaro
Clinical, Performance, and Sport Psychologist
Clinical / Counseling
Adult / Couples' Counseling
Adolescent Counseling
Comptemporary Methods
Sport / Performance Psychology
TAIS Test
Mental Skills Training
Optimal Performance Under Pressure
Golf Psychology
Sport Testimonials
Executive Coaching Services
Gauging Results
Executive Testimonials
Dr. Nick on the Golf Channel
Executive Assessment and Performance Enhancement
"I first met Dr. Nick in early 2011 in an attempt to build upon the competitive advantages that KSA Capital Partners enjoyed in its investment business. Specifically, I wanted to better understand the decision making process involved in researching and investing in stocks.
I formed KSA Capital Partners in the spring of 2004 after spending approximately 10 years as a leading Wall Street analyst and another 12 years before that as a founding partner of a Midwestern based manufacturing business. From 2004 to 2010 our fund generated a positive performance every year including 2008, a year that saw the market decline just under 40%. That year KSA Capital generated a positive 5% return. However, we stumbled in 2010 and had our first down year as we were early on a number of investments that we believed offered our investors excellent risk adjusted returns.
The first thing I noticed about Dr. Nick was his intense focus on getting to understand the decision making process that I and my team employed in our daily work. It was also important for Dr. Nick to learn about me and my history both on and off the court. This was a very satisfying experience because Dr. Nick is very engaging and very smart which helped him to probe and ultimately develop a personal profile of myself and the investment process at KSA Capital.
It was clear to me that within weeks of working with Dr. Nick, his advice and analysis on KSA's investment process was beginning to pay dividends. The fund rebounded quickly from our 2010 experience and in 2011 generated a 15% return compared to the market which was essentially flat that year. That was followed by a spectacular 2012 when the fund generated a 52% return, our best year since the firms inception and a year that culminated in a Barron's profile story on KSA Capital.
It's hard to give too much credit to anyone factor for our strong performance during the time I was working with Dr. Nick, but I can unequivocally say that the work that I did with Dr. Nick had a very favorable impact on my ability to improve my firms investment process and our investment returns. I highly recommend Dr. Nick to anyone looking too improve their own personal of professional productivity and plan to continue to work with Dr. Nick in the future to further refine my investment approach and my awareness of the many opportunities that will avail themselves to me and my partners at KSA Capital."
Dan Khoshaba
KSA Capital Partners
Barron's Article on Mr. Khoshba
About Dr. Nick Molinaro
Dr. Nick Molinaro is a licensed psychologist with 35 years experience. He specializes in clinical counseling psychology, sport psychology, executive assessment and performance enhancement. He earned a BS in Psychology from the University of Scranton, Master's degrees from Kean College and Seton Hall; a doctorate from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and post-graduate training at William and Mary, Temple University, and San Diego University for Integrative Studies. His office is in Mendham, New Jersey.
Experience. Expertise. Empathy.
CLINICAL / COUNSELING SERVICES:
EXECUTIVE COACHING SERVICES:
Privacy Policy | Dr. Nick on Twitter


Interesting... maybe it has a different file system from ext4?
$ sudo su; sudo !!
Is it an NFS mount?
It's just a normal file on my file system. Actually it's inside a newly cloned repo. The weird thing is that it worked after a reboot without problems and before it only affected the config folder.


text:
Werk Press / Articles / Automobile
Contrary to the expectations of some traditionalists, the world didn't suddenly end when BMW quietly introduced front-wheel-drive models a few years ago. The X1, X2, and 2-series Gran Coupe all
Overview Think of the 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 kind of like a rolling theme park. Its monstrous 760-hp supercharged V-8 launches the coupe with
Overview The 2022 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, which comes standard with 717 horsepower, is one helluva family sedan. Not only are its big back seat
Overview Ford's mid-size Ranger pickup truck will be redesigned for the 2023 model year. It adopts bolder front-end styling inspired by the larger F-150. While Ford has said
Overview It's about the size of a tiny house and 10 times as expensive, but the 2022 Rolls-Royce Phantom justifies its price tag with the most luxurious


text:
CC Outtake: Fiat 500L and Plymouth Grand Voyager – Mopar Minivans
William Stopford
– Posted on December 19, 2016
Europe, 1996.
Renault launches a compact MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) based off of their C-segment Mégane. Even though the Japanese have experimented in this segment before, with cars like the Nissan Prairie and Mitsubishi Space Wagon, the continent belatedly goes wild for this extremely practical format once Renault puts their twist on it. Imitators quickly come from other European brands. The enthusiasm feels a lot like that during the launch of the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager just over a decade prior in North America. Like the American minivan, however, the European compact MPV's popularity begins to wane in the 2010s in the wake of the crossover. Despite this, Fiat launches yet another compact MPV, the 500L.
Fiat is losing market share in Europe and it can no longer muster more than 1 million units annually on the continent. The 500L, a fresh new entry in a declining segment, will not keep the brand afloat. Fiat's savior is more likely to be the related 500X crossover. In the US, 500L sales are falling well below the numbers posted annually by the Mazda5 during that similarly-sized MPV's run.
Like almost every other European brand, Fiat offers European buyers a choice between a compact MPV and a converted delivery van. In Fiat's case, there are two: the Qubo and Doblo. The 500L, also available in a 7-seat derivative not seen in North America, serves as a replacement for the Punto-based Idea and the ungainly-but-capacious Multipla. But MPVs are a slowly dying breed in Europe as replacements come in the form of crossovers. Peugeot's 5008 MPV will become a more conventional crossover in 2017, while Opel is also following suit with its replacement Meriva and Zafira. For those who want van functionality instead of crossover style, converted vans like the Qubo may soon become the only option.
Some automakers have tried, but the compact MPV never really took off in North America. It didn't even take off in Canada, a market slightly more receptive to such ideas. If the American minivan could ever have been considered compact, it very quickly outgrew that size as Grand Voyagers and Grand Caravans began to outnumber regular-length Voyagers and Caravans. As for true mini-minivans, Mazda's 5 is dead, Chevrolet's Orlando was only sold in Canada before it was axed, and Toyota's Prius V and Ford's C-Max seem to only be holding on by dint of their hybrid powertrains.
With Fiat's acquisition of Chrysler and the formation of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), you could consider both the pictured 500L and Grand Voyager to be Mopar minivans. Although cars seem to be getting bigger and bigger, the 500L still sits in the shadow of even the regular-length, first-generation Voyager: it's two feet shorter, two inches narrower, although it sits one inch taller. If you want a new, practical family-hauler and you loathe crossovers, you should probably buy a 500L while you have the chance. In North America, it's one of very few choices you have. In Europe, it may soon be the same story.
Photographed in Hipódromo, Mexico City.
COAL: 2015 Fiat 500L Urbana Trekking – I Bought One. That's Got to be a Bad Omen For Fiat.
CC Capsule: 1991 Plymouth Grand Voyager LE AWD – Not Dodging The Options
← Ice Storm Outtake: The (Not Quite Genuine) Riviera Takes a Hit
CC Outtake: Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Dodge Challenger – Two Four-Piece Boxes →
Very practical, but also just so odd-looking. To my eye at least, the "cute" looks of the 500 3-door made the transition to crossover better than to mini-MPV. I'll give them credit for trying but it just doesn't work for me. If I wanted this style of vehicle (which does make a lot of sense for many people) I'd probably try to find a CPO Mazda 5.
YMMV of course.
I drove a 500L for 800 miles around Sicily two years ago. Given a choice between the two vehicles presented for comparison in this article, I'd stick with the US-designed variant.
The 500 L in Europe with a diesel engine and manual transmission gave me close to 50mpg. I loved that. However, it wandered even on the straight and level road, it was a near nightmare the day we drove through the mountains of Enra province in a rainy fog. The 500L is not a joy to drive… and just why did they think it a good idea to take the diminutive cues of the 500 and scale them up to twice their normal size? It ain't a beautiful car, nor one that hangs together in any sense of design.
Driving a 500L with one of the underpowered 4 cyl gas engines Fiat has makes the whole care pointless. The common rail diesel is a godsend compared to the lack of get-up-and-go of my old Mercedes 240d, but FCA has not brought it here. Any 500 variant without the diesel makes it a gas-hungry, joyless car for its size and cost (arbarth excepted?). I'll take the convenience, build-quality, handling and demeanor of my 35 year old 240d over a gas-powered 500L any day.
I've also moved to the idea that we just can't live with diesels for the long term…just ask the people of Paris what they thought of their air quality in the last two weeks: It was a toxic pollution smog event that was resultant from the European move to diesel cars.
When combined with the underhanded lies Volkswagen was forced into just to get their engines to the market, we should probably all be on board with a fear of prevalent diesels in the US. We might be in a post-truth world now, but perhaps the best service GM ever did for the US was to produce a diesel that was so bad that this country would never consider it seriously for mass-market passenger car production again!
I really wanted to like the 500L, because I like the basic package. Then I test drove one….https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/new-cars/cc-rental-car-review-fiat-500l-the-unholy-popemobile-or-fix-it-again-sergio/
This Renault Captur completely dominates the market for B-segment MPVs / CUVs. So basically, they did it again, after the huge success of the 1996 Mégane Scénic.
And meanwhile Fiat has almost become a niche-brand.
Posted December 19, 2016 at 10:04 AM
And this is the current (C-segment) Scénic. Clearly more CUV than MPV, just like the big Espace.
BeWo
I got a 500X in the rental lottery last month (booked an Astra, received that instead). Unlike the 500L it wasn't too bad, but it appeared to me like Fiat first took the 500L as a test bed of upsizing the 500, before getting it (sort of) right the second time. They knew the 500X would be the one to make money the real money with, because that format is where the future lies, as evidenced by the Captur replacing the Modus MPV.
Evan Reisner
The 500L is one of the many cars, over the course of my lifetime, whose design and space efficiency I've both loved and admired, but that I could never bring myself to buy because of who makes it and the execution of the design.
(For the record, the first was the Dodge/Mitsubishi Colt Vista. Damn, that was a brilliant design!)
If the 500L was a Honda, or a Toyota, or maybe even a Hyundai, I'd be all over it. But it isn't.
Regarding Toyota, I was at the dealership this afternoon, where they were preparing this new model for delivery to a client. In the same color.
A crossover between a crossover, a coupe and a hatchback. Sort of.
The Grand Voyager would appear to be a 1994 "10th Anniversary Edition" as evidenced by the small fender badge just ahead of the front doors.
Matt Spencer
In my view the best MPV on the american market (while it lasted) was the Kia Rondo. Unfortunately it proved unpopular, but it was truly a great 7-passenger vehicle. It had 174hp if I remember correctly, pulling 3700 lbs, with fast ratio steering and pretty aggressive tip in from the transmission. The space utilization was beyond compare and the handling reminded my of a Renault scenic I had rented in Spain in 2005.
Weaknesses were gas mileage (19mpg from a four cylinder!) and only a four speed transmission with the four cylinder. The steering ratio was also a bit fast for highway cruising, as it required a very steady hand.
But as well demonstrated in this article, the category is so unpopular in America that a truly well designed and fun to drive model was unsuccessful.
My vote goes to the Mazda MPV minivan after the too small 2.5L V6/4-speed auto was replaced by the 3.0L Duratec/5-speed after the initial first couple years. It was the Goldilocks 'just right' blend of size, driveability, and features (along with the larger Odyssey, one of the first minivans with the 3rd row magic folding seat and roll-down sliding door windows) with the only fly in the ointment being fuel mileage (which was actually still okay for the time).
But, as usual, no one else seemed to feel the same way with SUVs still the hot ticket. Sales floundered and it was replaced by the smaller Mazda5 which never sold all the well, either. And now the 5 is history, as well.
Dave M.
That gen MPV was definitely a "looker" if there is such a thing in this genre. It was unfortunate the gas mileage was barely better than the Odyssey or Sienna.
I also liked the last gen of Mercury Villager/Nissan Quest twins. Almost bought one before I settled on the Trooper in 2001.
The issue these days is everything is so swoopy. I like style but I think a lot of the market today is going to age horribly as styling continues to go over the top (ala late 1950's) and perhaps the trend will head towards toning it down like the styling reaction in the early '60s. I really would like to know the type of ganga the new Prius designers were on to replace such a simple, efficient design with the current monstrosity….
I want to see out of my windows and I don't want my car looking angry.
I will say some of the over-the-top designs from 5-7 years ago are finally appealing to me. If I could ever force myself to go pure style and to hell with space or gas efficiency, I'd be all over a QX70.
Oh, yeah, that 'swoopy' crap is going to be as dated as tailfins in a few short years. Up until the 2008 model, Chrysler did a really good job of keeping the minivan looking fresh, from the nice, simple original, through the design that ended in 2007.
In fact, maybe there will come a time when a brand-new, 'retro' minivan based on the original 1984 version will be produced with modern mechanicals. It really was a timeless design that still looks good today.
CJC
I saw a new Pacifica the other day and I have to say it does a very good job of concealing its size and minivan-ness. It looks to my eye more like the first two generations of Chrysler minivan than the later ones.
It's a shame, but concealing the much more practical, squared-off shape is what it's all about to sell minivans these days. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's working so well for the Pacifica as I just read over at TTAC that sales are lagging so badly they're halting production for a while. But that might be more of a function of the much higher price than the old T&C/Grand Caravan. It's a lot tougher for Chrysler to unload their product when it's priced about the same as an Odyssey or Sienna (nice as the new Pacifica might be).
Personally, I like the simpler, two-box design with nice, large rectangular windows. But I'm definitely in the minority.
geozinger
I've made mention of my interest in the 500L on here before. Still interested, but awaiting a good reason to spend money on another car.
I've been following these cars since their introduction. I consider this an alternative to the Mini Countryman and several other small haulers. I mentioned the other day on another post that FCA could re-body the 500L with sliding doors and make a mini-Pacifica. I was a big fan of the original minivans and something like this would be ideal.
The one overriding issue with the original 500Ls were the DDCTs, which has been replaced by an Aisin torque converter automatic. A couple of years ago, I was seeing 500L Easy (a mid range model) going for $14,000 due to the DDCT. Since the Aisins have become standard issue, the prices have been higher. But it's still rather inexpensive for a new 500L, and used ones (when you can find them) are even less expensive.
Most likely, we will end up with one of these, new or used. We both like the utility of this little van and I'm hoping FCA has enough of a presence to be around to support them.
Posted December 19, 2016 at 10:44 PM
Fiat, actually all of FCA, frustrates the heck out of me. I want everyone to make awesome cars and be successful.
Tried a 500 hatchback, a leftover 2015 offered at a mere $10,533, a few weeks ago. The ergonomics were pretty iffy, but the clutch travel was crazy long. Didn't Italian cars have a reputation back in the day of the steering wheels being far away and the pedals close? Just the opposite in the 500, crazy long push for the clutch. Pull the seat up close enough to push the clutch all the way, and I'm kissing the wheel. Never had this problem in a Ford, Mazda, Honda or Renault. If I had a 36″ inseam it might have been OK, but it's a no go with my 30″ pins.
So what is Fiat's solution? Reportedly, for 17 all versions of the 500, except the Abarth, with have the Aisin automatic standard.
There was another contributor to CC who bought a 500L not too long ago. I wonder how it's working out for him?
The rest of FCA? Loved the looks of the 200. It bombed. The last one rolled off the Sterling Heights line a week or two ago. The last Dart was built in September.
FCA just announced an extended winter shutdown for Windsor assembly. Their latest minivan science, the Pacificia, is selling in significantly lower numbers than the T&C did last year and inventory has built to excessive levels.
That blue Grand Voyager in the pic looks pretty nice. This was my Aunt's 94.
Phil L
You sure about that with the Pacifica? Everything I see says they had a shutdown in November due to a parts shortage caused by a fire at a supplier.
They did stake a lot on a still-declining market segment though. It's selling competitively, within a hundred or so units per month of the #1 Sienna, but overall minivan sales are down. FCA is really hurting right now.
You sure about that with the Pacifica?
The news hit the wires yesterday. Windsor is the minivan plant.
Fiat Chrysler said it's adding four off days following the Jan. 2 observation of New Year's Day at plants in Windsor and Brampton, Ontario.
The shutdown due to the fire at the Marelli plant was only supposed to be a week in early November.
Looking at the YTD numbers on FCA's November sales report, it looks like the Pacifica got off to a hot start, but in November, both Pacifica and Caravan sales were down sharply from 2015. Pacifica 8753 vs 12537 for the T&C last year. 6696 vs 10926 in 15 for the Caravan. Around here, most Mopar dealers have both Dodge and Chrysler in the same showroom now. I would have expected the old Caravan to be down with a new model being available, but to see the new model down too is something else.
Here's the link for the GM and FCA shutdown announcements yesterday.
http://www.industryweek.com/labor-employment-policy/gm-fca-cut-jobs-sales-pendulum-swings-suvs
Remember though one of the goals for FCA with the Pacifica was to make it more profitable and not just a volume leader. It's a much more premium product than the T&C was and they don't discount it near as much. So with that and the overall minivan market being down, it's not too surprising. Still, not good.
I saw they are starting production on the hybrid, it will be interesting to see how that affects sales.
FCA to me is caught up in its past and is headed by a very arrogant man who has so far been very good with short-term gains; that has now ran its course and I'm not at all certain dropping the Dart and 200 and concentrating on Jeeps/Pacifica instead of trying to get the reliability right was a good decision. In Europe someone finally understood that Fiat can no longer assume the market sees its products as viable competitors to what the leaders offer and hence came up with the cheap Turkish-built Fiat Tipo, in the same way Renault (successfully) did with its Romanian Dacia subsidiary. Time will tell whether this works for Fiat. Another problem they have here are the dealers which are pretty awful (I had some experience with them and had I bought a Fiat or any other FCA vehicle, it would have been _despite_ the dealer, they were really useless).
FCA to me is caught up in its past and is headed by a very arrogant man
I wouldn't say Marchionne is arrogant, but he is a beancounter, and apparently thinks the solution to everything is to make the products cheaper. Lynn Townsend and John Riccardo were beancounters, and they made Mopars cheaper and cheaper and cheaper, until their reliability was a bad joke and people stayed away in droves.
Their problem with the Dart and 200 was that they couldn't make them cheap enough to sell at a competitive price and make their target profit. Marchionne plainly said they would continue to see the Dart/200 if they could find someone who could build them cheap enough.
I really like the looks of the Tipo, but, from the English language road tests I have seen, the driving experience draws zero enthusiasm, in contrast to Fiats of the past where the driving experience was so good, it almost made up for the car's fragility. Instead, the road tests sum up as "wow is this car cheap to buy".
In China, Fiat builds the Viaggio sedan and Ottimo hatchback on the same platform as the Dart. They are very nice looking cars. They are also regarded as a flop.
As to the quality of Fiat dealers in the US, most of them are owned by stores carrying other FCA brands. In the J D Power customer satisfaction survey last spring, all the FCA brands monopolized the bottom of the ranking. The bottom line is FCA is, as it has been for for most of the last 50 years, a beancounter operation with substandard products and substandard customer service, which, outside of the Jeep cachet, sells everything on price.
Here are the Power ratings.
http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2016-us-customer-service-index-csi-study
emjayay
Ford still sells the C Max in Europe, but in non-hybrid form. Unfortunately the US hybrid model has a raised rear deck to fit the batteries in and no place for even a real compact spare, and the Energi plug in model is worse. There are dealers with new 2014's and 2015's in stock. They have maybe a $6K rebate and 2016's have about $4K. I think most of the production of them are NYC taxis.
A year or so ago Ford brought out an extended wheelbase version C Ma xwith sliding doors, so more of a mini minivan. I'd buy one of those. Ford also has the larger S Max minivan, which is still smaller than US sold minivans which are all about the same size now. My Pontiac Trans Sport looks little next to them – four inches narrower, shorter and lower. One reason for minivans growing is that they went to roll down rear windows. Plus, just growing.
But yeah, the crossover disease has spread to Europe. I thought they were smarter than that. Well if the Atlantic gyre shuts down they will need them, and with AWD.
Crossovers are only popular in the B-segment (see Renault Captur above) and C-segment (like the Nissan Qashqai and the related Renault Kadjar).
Still, all relative, as the good ol' hatchback is still the preferred choice in the A-, B-, and C-segment. Example: VW up! -> VW Polo -> VW Golf.
In the D-segment (VW Passat, Ford Mondeo etc.etc.) the wagon is often the more popular than the sedan version.
E-segment: sedans, wagons, coupes (like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class).
F-segment: sedans and coupes, there's no such thing as an F-segment wagon
(most obvious example, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class).
So it's not exactly a disease that spread to Europe. So far…
Drzhivago138
Ford, at least, believes there's room in the EU D-segment for a CUV (Edge) alongside the Mondeo estate, S-Max, and Galaxy.
Ford is the champion of MPVs and van related MPVs, given their model range in the B-, C- and D-segment. But the tall D-segment offerings aren't exactly bestsellers.
In said D-segment the wagons sell really well, in several Euro-countries the wagon model outsells the sedan version. Besides Ford just a few other automakers offer a tall D-segment model, the jacked up wagons included, like the Peugeot 508 RXH below.
I had a C-Max hybrid rental for a few days. I was genuinely impressed with it, much more engaging to drive than a Prius. But the build quality wasn't great and when I looked into them further I found their reliability was horrendous. They also had a lot of bad press from the overly optimistic fuel economy ratings.
Todd Stanley
Crossovers over in Europe is also a surprise to me. I always assumed the whole reason they exist here in the US is the CAFE rules allow the automakers to sell a jacked up tall wagon as a "light truck" instead of a car. In Europe, the rules are different so I would assume an American-like CUV would sell poorly next to the cheaper, practical, and more economical European hatches and wagons they have over there. Sure, maybe they could carve out a niche but I would never expect them to actually catch on.
One thing that interested me about the 500l was the 1.4 turbo engine. Early Chryslers had 2.2s the Mazda 5 had a 2.3 and the Colt Vista had a 2.0. It makes sense that with a turbo Fiat could go even smaller, but I wonder if the limit has been reached. Fiat seems to be having a challenge getting it to work smoothly with an auto.
Fiat offers an 875 cc 2-cylinder engine in Europe. Great fuel efficiency in the brochure, a lot worse in real life.
Recently I read that engines won't shrink any further. On the contrary, they will grow again. From 1.3 to 1.5 liter, for example.
I looked up the twin. It replaced the FIRE engine,( Fully Integrated Robotized Engine). You would think an engine like that would never need replacing.
Robotized FIRE engine mean a how it was made at the factory. Not the motor itself. And it dates back to the early '80s.
Yeesh, if there was ever a way to make a first gen Voyager look sleek just park it near a 500L. The Fiat looks like Peter Griffin in a speedo.
I love my 500L!!!! It has the 1.4 multi air turbo abarth engine , and is a very fun car to drive, handles great, and has a versatile, if not, brilliantly designed interior. In its 43,000 miles it has performed flawlessly, and has been stone reliable. I know it has gotten a bad rap for its dual clutch tranny, but, I also love it, as it is the best of both worlds. It is indeed a drivers car.


Doc Chey's Noodle House at Emory Village becoming Dragon Bowl.
Doc Chey's Dragon Bowl will open later this summer in place of Doc Chey's Noodle House on North Decatur Road at Emory Village. Dragon Bowl will sport a menu similar to its predecessor, but with new proteins like ribeye steak and pork belly. Dragon Bowl will offer six sauce options, four base options and four protein options. The menu will also have a variety of rotating specials as well as a few side and beverage options. Sides will include kimchi dumplings while beverage options will include assorted teas, beers, sake and wine.
Although it's perhaps too soon to make the comparison, Dragon Bowl definitely shares some menu similarities with ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen. ShopHouse was launched by Chipotle Mexican Grill in 2011, and today has grown to six locations in Maryland, Washington D.C., and California. Dragon Bowl, like ShopHouse, offers plenty of customization, but overall has fewer options to choose from than a typical "noodle house." Personally, I see both concepts as being ahead of the curve. There is something to be said for doing one thing really well versus having so many food items on your menu. Although some may disagree, I don't think it's essential to have something for everyone. If you run a burger joint, must you also have BBQ, fried fish and smoothies?
Doc Chey's specialty is Asian cuisine and Dragon Bowl seems primed to be a perfect brand extension of the existing concept.
Doc Chey's has been an Emory Village landmark since it opened in 1999. Most recently, would-be competitor Tin Drum Asiacafe closed its location at Emory Village after a little over a year in operation. Current plans call for Doc Chey's Noodle House to close for a few weeks over the summer to complete the transition.
Dragon Bowl will still accept Doc Chey's popular Karma Card.
I met with Doc Chey's founder Rich Chey who spoke candidly about the new concept. Chey said there are currently no plans to expand the concept, but if proven successful, additional locations may be considered in the future. If you find yourself craving the original Doc Chey's Noodle House experience, Chey was quick to point out that the Morningside location is a mere 1.8 miles from the Emory Village restaurant. There are also Doc Chey's Noodle Houses in Grant Park and Asheville, North Carolina. Chey's HomeGrown restaurant group also operates Osteria 832 in Virginia-Highland.


"By Jiminy, Cricket is ready to find her forever home! Cricket was surrendered by her owners when her grudge with their other dog just couldn't be resolved, and they no longer had the time to manage the situation. She was also demonstrating symptoms of severe anxiety, and her woners knew they needed to get her some help. This was Cricket's second home already, after she had been rescued from a puppy mill-type situation, so she is more than ready for some stability and a family to call hers for the rest of her life."
Thanks for spreading the word about Cricket...hope she finds her furever home soon.
Cricket is a fun looking guy!
Poor Cricket! I bet she is scared and confused! I hope she finds an understanding and loving forever home very soon!
Oh, Cricket..I hope you soon find the PERFECT family and home where you can just be who you are!
What a cutie... paws crossed that Cricket goes home soon.
She is too cute. and I"m really liking Mayzie's rescue series!
Pawscrossed for a new forever home soon!
I just know that Cricket will find her loving furever home real soon. I thinks she needs to be an only pup!
Cricket deserves a good home, Mom and me is really hopin' dat her gets one soon.
Cricket Deserves a good home... and IF your MOM sees your Duck Tape thingy... tomorrow on my blog... you two just might also.. I'm just SAYIN.. Keep Your MOM AWAY from my Blog tomorrow... fur your own sakes. WHEW are you two ever BRAVE!!!!
Poor Cricket. I hope she finds a good home soon...she deserves another chance.
Criket just wants some attention of very own, right? Who can blame her :) We hope she finds a wonderful furever home soon that will give her nothing but love and attention!
Thanks for the heads up...what a sweetheart!!!
Cricket sure is a cutie!!
We have had a hard time getting around to visi with Mom's big ouchie. But we think you are doing a great thing for Cricket - amazing how much support Mayzie has from Blogville.
Mom is really a pug person, but she said Cricket is really cute. And if she lived closer and didn't have two pugs she would cuddle her right up.
Oh, Cricket, you sure are taking the scenic route to your Most Perfect Home That Ever Was, huh? Well, that's okay...that's what happens sometimes. But my paws are crossed that your next home is THE one!
Hope Cricket soon finds the family that she is meant to live with for the rest of her life!
Aw Cricket is darling! I hope she finds the most pawfect furever home very very soon!
Awwwww.... sweet lil' Cricket~ I hope she finds a wonderful forever home!


text:
Q: Is the area of a circle ever an integer?
Is the area of a circle ever an integer?

I was trying to answer someone else's question on yahoo answers today and I got thumbs down from people on my answer and have come here to get a thorough proof on it because now I just must know! :)
My assertion: Suppose we have two integers a and b. We can form a rational numbers out of each of these: $\frac{a}{1}$ and $\frac{b}{1}$. Now forming another rational by dividing them: $\frac{\frac{a}{1}}{\frac{b}{1}}$ = $\frac{a}{b}$. Now if we divide this by itself: $\frac{\frac{a}{b}}{\frac{a}{b}}$ = $\frac{ab}{ab}$ = 1. Therefore, we can conclude that given any rational number, we can always describe it using only integers thus always resulting in an integer number.
However, even if our radius is $\sqrt{\frac{1}{\pi}}$ then we will have $\pi\sqrt{\frac{1}{\pi}}^2$ = $\frac{\pi}{\pi}$, by definition of area = $\pi r^2$.
Now I think this the trickiest part. Does  $\frac{\pi}{\pi}$ = 1? Or can it only equal  $\frac{\pi}{\pi}$? How do we prove that  $\frac{\pi}{\pi} \neq$ 1? Or is my method sufficient at all? Thanks!

A: $\frac\pi\pi$ is $1$, because when you multiply $\pi$ by $1$ you get $\pi$.

A: By definition, $\frac{1}{b}$ is the unique real number which, when multiplied by $b$, yields $1$.
By definition, $\frac{a}{b}$ is the product of $a$ and $\frac{1}{b}$.
Since $\frac{1}{\pi}$ is the unique real number that, when multiplied by $\pi$, yields $1$, then $\pi\left(\frac{1}{\pi}\right) = 1$. Hence, $\frac{\pi}{\pi}=1$.
If you allow any radius for a circle, then a circle has integer area if and only if its radius $r$ is the square root of an integer divided by $\pi$, that is, $r = \sqrt{a/\pi}$ for some nonnegative integer $a$.
Your first paragraph, though, is completely irrelevant.

A: This is not a proof; Arturo has said all there is to it. But physical world thought experiments and arguments hint strongly that yes, there should be a circle with area 1. I have the following reasons for this. The general argument is:
"All sizes have been created equal." Consider the counter-question: Why should no circle have an integer-sized area? What, in your opinion, distinguishes a real-world area of one size from an area of another size? Have you seen Vi Hart's math lesson rant about parabolas? At 2:50 she says:

All parabolas are exactly the same, just bigger or smaller or moved
  around. Your teacher could just as well just hand you parabolas
  already drawn and have you draw coordinate grids on parabolas rather
  than parabolas on coordinate grids.

This still makes my eyes water because this perfectly ordinary math lesson is so sad and Vi Hart is so smart and the rant is so funny. All at the same time.—
Back to the issue: What's true for the conic section called parabola is even truer (ha!) for the conic section called circle.

*

*The numerical value of a real-world circle's area depends on the unit you measure it with! Obviously you have no doubt that the area of a circle can be $\pi$; well, you see the point – if you change your area measuring unit so that one unit is the area of $\pi$ units in the old system, voilà: circle of area 1!  This is not a trick argument; our common length- and associated area units are completely arbitrary. There simply are no area sizes which are special. (This is the real-world isomorphism of Arturo's mathematical argument.)

*You can just shrink an image with a circle of area $\pi$ by a linear factor of $\sqrt{\pi}$. Voilà: Area 1. (This is another real-world isomorphism of Arturo's mathematical argument.)

*Say, you roll dough out; you can give it any shape you like, square, circle, whatever. Obviously you can have a square of area 1; there is no reason why it should be more difficult to shape it into a circle than any other square. (No, this is not the unsolvable "square a circle" (or vice versa) problem. I do not claim that the circle's radius would be rational.) Perhaps it's easier to think in terms of volumes: If you put a water balloon in a cubic liter container and fill it with water, you have a cube with the volume 1 (if you measure in liters, see first bullet point). Now take the balloon out; if it's a perfect balloon and weightless (because you throw it – what else would you do with a water balloon ??), it will be a sphere with the volume 1, if we consider water incompressible. This applies analogously to areas.


While I respect any attempt to bring PR onto a rational footing, and while I like the attempt at a new formula, my sense is that you are only changing the variables in the equation-based approaches of which you are critical. Worse, in my opinion, you are applying a label (Sway) that reinforces the insubstantial nature of PR. Klout did the same and while successful as a business it is quickly unravelling because it does little more that propel the paradigm of connections, relationships, etc.
My answer is to look at the fundamentals of PR and other industries of influence. What I believe we are lacking is a framework that identifies the most basic organizing units of communications, sales, marketing, sales, etc. Without that, we are quite literally like chemists operating without a periodic table and we will continue to operate as untethered and generally poorly respected practitioners.
Happy to trade notes with you any time. Despite my criticism, I admire that you're demanding alternatives and betting your own reputation in doing so.


text:
Lovers & Friends Announces 2023 Lineup Missy Elliott, Usher, Mariah Carey to Headline
January 19, 2023 By VegasPublicity
Las Vegas Festival Grounds Saturday, May 6, 2023 Following enormous success with its inaugural year, Lovers & Friends returns May 6, 2023 to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds with a massive collection of hip-hop and R&B's biggest artists, highlighting the ongoing evolution of the genres. The incredible lineup will treat fans to over 45 artists with impeccably … [Read more...] about Lovers & Friends Announces 2023 Lineup Missy Elliott, Usher, Mariah Carey to Headline
Tickets for Usher's Las Vegas Residency Beginning July 16, 2021 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Sale Now
Tickets for Usher's Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, which opens Friday, July 16, 2021, area on sale now. In his Las Vegas shows, the multi-talented showman will give his fans an extraordinary immersive experience that only Usher can deliver. The exclusive, only-in-Vegas spectacular will be performed in The Colosseum, an intimate 4,300-seat … [Read more...] about Tickets for Usher's Las Vegas Residency Beginning July 16, 2021 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Sale Now


PDP Lead Coach Chris Brown spoke to iFollow ahead of the Youth Team's trip to Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Youth Alliance Cup.
PDP Lead Coach Chris Brown is hoping for a return to winning ways for the Youth Team this weekend.
They face a trip to Doncaster Rovers on Saturday in the EFL Youth Alliance Cup, still in with a chance of progressing to the second round.
One loss and one win from their first two games in Northern Group 6 leave the Youth Team in third spot, with two games remaining.
They exited the FA Youth Cup at the first-round stage on Tuesday night with a 1-0 defeat against Accrington Stanley, and Brown is hoping to see an instant response against Doncaster.
"There's only one way [to respond], and that's getting back on the horse, getting back to winning ways and playing well," said Brown.
"In the grand scheme of things, Tuesday was just one game, but it was an important game and one that we should really have won.
"It was very disappointing, and the lads know they let themselves down. Hopefully Doncaster tomorrow will be a different vibe, and a change in performance levels to get back to where we were before Tuesday.
"Some of the performance levels and results before Tuesday were superb – the Accrington result [5-2 victory], the Bury result [4-1 victory], the Preston result [losing 2-0 at half-time and winning 3-2].
Victory against Doncaster will draw Dale within a point of Port Vale, who lead Northern Group 6.
The six group winners advance to the second round, along with two best-placed runners-up.
With not many second-round places up for grabs, both sides will be looking to keep alive their hopes of progressing in the competition.
"It will be a difficult game.
"They're in a different league to us, so we don't know too much about them, but we've got some video footage on them and done our analysis as usual.
"I'm really just looking forward to how we perform, and how respond from Tuesday.


The pros and cons of the so-called "sharing economy" are getting plenty of press these days. Consider the diverse takes this week from MIT Technology Review, the New York Times, and the Kansas City Star.
In a Times report about workers who are finding "both freedom and uncertainty" in the contract employment trend, Natasha Singer explains how Navy veteran Jennifer Guidry attempts to help cover her family's food and rent costs with popup gigs. Guidry offers taxi rides in her own car to strangers who ping her through one of three rides-haring apps, completes chores for customers who book her through TaskRabbit, and serves as private chef for Craigslist clients.
Not all consumers agree. MIT Technology Review contributor James Surowiecki explains how Uber implements "dynamic pricing," which some customers see as price gouging. The rideshare company got bad press last year, for instance, when it multiplied it usual rates by six or more in Manhattan during bad weather.
Surowiecki points out that dynamic pricing has been around a long time, but is usually presented by industries with limited supply–airlines, hotels, and rental car agencies, for instance–as discount pricing when supply is high, instead of surge pricing when supply is low. Reframing the practice could be all it takes for Uber to get back in favor with sharing economy fans.
"O'Brien's service fits neatly into ecosystem of the sharing economy. She's trying to make use of one of the most wasted resources of all: car seats.
Nearly 80 percent of Douglas County residents drive to work alone. That's a lot of empty cars that might be used to save gas, prevent more wear on the highway and preserve the planet from noxious fumes.
Sure, but what will it mean for drivers relying on gigs in the sharing economy?
place to prevent." That's a fantastic quote.
their claims, so I guess the algorithm is working.
truth in advertising would be a good place to start.


text:
Home News World News African leaders set for United Nations General Assembly
African leaders set for United Nations General Assembly
Jaden Brinley
Every year in September, all 193 members of the United Nations meet at the General Assembly at the organisation's headquarters in New York.
The General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the UN, where several international issues covered by the Charter of the United Nations, such as development, peace and security, international law are discussed.
This year's assembly which starts on September 17, has climate change, universal health coverage and the politics of sustainable development, on the agenda.
There will also be meetings on financing for development, elimination of nuclear weapons and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ghana will occupy the first seat in the Hall for this year's session, including in the main committees, followed by all the other countries, in English alphabetical order.
African presidents set for General Assembly
African heads of state including Zimbabwe's Emmerson Mnangagwa, Egypt's Adel Fattah el-Sisi, Senegal's Macky Sall and Democratic Republic of Congo's Felix Tshisekedi are already in New York for the General Assembly.
Nigerian elected president
Nigeria's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, was this week elected president of the 74th General Assembly.
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres commended the Nigerian scholar and diplomat for prioritising peace and security, poverty eradication, zero hunger, quality education, climate action and inclusion, all of which the UN chief called "central to the sustainable development agenda".
''He also brings valuable insights into some of the pressing peace and security, human rights and sustainable development challenges facing this body, from the spread of violent extremism to the threat of the global climate crisis,'' Guterres said.
''I also applaud your emphasis on human rights and gender parity,'' he added.
In his inaugural address as General Assembly President, Prof. Muhammad-Bande said he would "collaborate and coordinate" with the Security Council, and the Secretariat "to ensure that greater attention is paid to prevention rather than reaction to full blown conflict."
''I will also advocate for effective early detection and warning systems, as well as mediation, negotiation and peaceful settlement of ongoing conflicts,'' he promised.
''The recent emergencies in the Bahamas, Mozambique, and the Sahel region, among others, reminds us of the urgency of strengthening global action to tackle climate change,'' he argued.
World's best Teacher at UN
The world's best teacher, who hails Kenya, Peter Tabichi, is set to address the 74th United Nations General Assembly, which brings together world leaders from the organisation's 193 members.
Tabichi, who won the 2019 Global Teacher Prize in March this year, is a member of the St Franciscan Friars, a religious order founded by St Francis of Assisi in the 13th century.
Meeting Trump
On Tuesday, the White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, shared a picture on Twitter showing that Tabichi, had met with US president, Donald Trump.
''Peter, you inspire us all! Thank you for your commitment to your students,'' Stephanie tweeted.
Tabichi, who won the $1m best teacher prize, teaches science at Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School at Pwani village in Njoro, Nakuru County.
Addressing the UN General Assembly
Brother Tabichi is set to recite the popular St Francis prayer before the start of the general assembly, according to Brother Tony Donald from Ireland.
"This is a big honour for St Franciscan brothers. It shows that the UN recognises our order as it plays a key role in the development of humanity," he said.
Tabichi will also share his inspirational story with delegates at the assembly.
The Prayer of St. Francis
Lord make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love
O divine master grant that I may
to be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
SOURCESky News Africa
African Leaders
Previous articleEthiopian authorities say Al-Shabaab, Islamic State planning attacks on hotels
Next articleZimbabwe's president says Mugabe died of cancer
http://www.skynewsafrica.net
UN truck hit by debris from apparent drone strike
UN General Assembly: Sahel security situation on the spotlight
UN assembly: Sall calls to give the African Union a seat at the G20
Dismissal of Gabonese judge stirs controversy
Ethiopia joins African nations with satellites in space
It is election day in Mauritania this Saturday
Christmas: Nigeria's NASCO to host Polo tournament
Over 100 elephants die in Botswana due to drought, anthrax outbreak
More than 100 dead after cyclone hits Mozambique, Zimbabwe
Malawi poll center: Opposition takes slight lead (35% official results)
Nigeria's President Buhari gets an open letter
Trump announces 1,000 extra troops for Poland
'Down with USA': crowds in Iran mourn general killed by Trump


text:
Instagram tests special accounts for social influencers
Instagram is testing out "creator account" profiles that are aimed at the community of social influencers. The accounts provide influencers with specialized software tools to help them manage a following on the Facebook-owned image-sharing app, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The creator accounts provide more data about follows and unfollows, direct-messaging filters to highlight notes from brand partners and friends, and labels that let creators choose how to be contacted. Instagram is testing the features with a small beta group before rolling them out to a wider community next year.
Ashley Yuki, an Instagram product manager who oversees media solutions, said the company wants to make its platform "the best place, and the easiest place, to build fan communities and also build [creators'] personal brands," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Instagram's test of specialized "creator accounts" for social influencers is a smart move for the platform, which is the No. 1 app for influencers. Almost all (93%) influencer campaigns use Instagram, about twice the share of Google's YouTube and Facebook's main social network, according to a study by CreatorIQ. Most influencers (80%) use Instagram as their primary network, and these new features could help Instagram hold on to its dominance of the influencer marketing space.
The influencer industry on Instagram is forecast to grow from $5.7 billion this year to $8.1 billion by 2020, based on estimates of earned media value (EMV) by researcher InfluencerDB. While the industry is growing, advertisers are seeking more transparency from influencers to ensure that they provide accurate data about their followers. Creator authentication requirements grew 60% during a six-month period this year, according to the CreatorIQ study. The average follower network of Instagram creators in influencer campaigns halved to 500,000 this year from 1 million in 2016 as Instagram scrubbed its platform of fake followers and bots.
Instagram, which this week created its first holiday gift guide based on trending hashtags, needs social influencers to help drive commerce amid worrisome signs that consumers have lost trust in social media. Social networks this year were the only digital marketing channel to show a decline in revenue per visit (RPV) among the traffic they drove to online merchants, according to an Adobe Analytics report. Fewer web users consulted social networks for gift ideas compared to two years ago, even as social media drove more visits to e-commerce sites, the study found. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat have developed more social commerce capabilities, but they still have to overcome consumer objections to making a purchase through their platforms.
The Hollywood Reporter Instagram Testing Creator Accounts With Direct Message Filters, Growth Insights (Exclusive)
Mobile Marketer Study: 93% of influencer campaigns use Instagram
Filed Under: Social Tech and platform developments


Harless Precision is a professional full service gunsmithing shop in Colorado Springs (Fountain), owned and operated by national shooting champions. We specialize in rifles, handguns, and shotguns, and are an authorized dealer for Radical Firearms.
Learn more about what we do and see some examples of our work.


This beautiful stone wall creates a really fantastic feature wall in your home or office. This Self adhesive printed Vinyl is perfect for re-decorating without the mess of wallpaper and paste, just peel and stick. This wall mural is made from permanent wall vinyl.


Today's TED talk. by Dave Eggers, has got me looking at the empty shops in my town centre in a completely different way. A way that involves stories, kids, loads of fun, and buckets of imagination. Hmm… what if…!?
Eggers starts off rather nervously, but stick with him because his is an amazing and inspiring story.
Once you've watched the video (or even if you don't have time to do that) I suggest you check out The Ministry of Stories – a UK spin off based on Eggers' idea. They do all sorts of wonderful stuff in a creative writing and mentoring centre for young people in east London. They also sell Monster Supplies (wouldn't you love a tin of The Collywobbles, for example?) and would love to hear from you if you'd like to help them out.
Now if anyone in Birmingham would like to set up something like this here, I'd love to hear from you. Shall we dream big?
I had an amazing time visiting The Ministry of Stories in September (I blogged about it here – http://bit.ly/OCRRzk ) and came home with revitalised excitement and motivation for Story Seekers.
I'd be very keen to join a team of people trying to get something similar going in Birmingham, so please do get in touch when you start pursuing the big dream!
I loved that video too Zoe! I actually blogged about the Dublin branch (Fighting Words) when I visited the Centre back in March (http://www.yellowbrickreads.com/2012/03/fighting-words.html). The work being done there is so exciting. It's wonderful to see a good idea catching on – hope you get your Birmingham Story Centre soon!
Thank Loll. I've got your number! Wouldn't it be an amazing thing to set up in the Midlands?
Thanks Maeve – yours is a great post, so glad you shared it.
Thanks so much for this link, it's really inspiring. Not to mention an important reminder of how important it is for kids to have individual attention to get the best out of themselves.


text:
HomeAmelia di Cielo and the Blackmailer – Part I
Amelia di Cielo and the Blackmailer – Part I
April 12, 2015 April 17, 2015 Guest Author Uncategorized
Jaycee writes (and thank you as always, Jaycee):
The story below is from an age of a kind of fading feudalism, an age when position and religion ruled the small villages dotted amongst the Dolomites of Northern Italy. It was told by my father to my mother and then to me. It is from around the turn of the 20th century, when the church creatures wielded enormous power in those communities. It is a tale that could be told from any number of small villages in those days – the tyranny of power, no matter how small, over those who could be exploited, who can be silenced – perhaps not THAT different from now! The actions by the criminals can be the same, but it is how the individual overcomes that bullying that is different. Some run, some succumb, some become violent . . .
The heroine of our little moment, from the lowest rung in the social ladder of such a community, chose instead – chose deliberately – to rely on her self-knowledge and confidence in her own honesty and character for no recognition, no reward and, but for this story, completely forgotten.
To me therein lies true courage.
I have dramatised it because in itself, if told as a passing anecdote, it could be related in a paragraph or two, but that would be to omit the background and the build-up toward the crux of the story-line. So c'mon – ride with us on the tail of the tale, so to speak . . .
Amelia di Cielo was a widow who lived many years ago in her sister's house in the mountain village of Vigo Lomaso set snug at the foot of the Dolomites in the north of Italy. Being a widow in a small village had its drawbacks in those days, as she had no-one to support her. Being also without children, she would have no-one but her sister to look after her in her old age. After cautious consideration of her status in the village pecking order, Amelia di Cielo decided to take in laundry to earn a small income. She also would walk up into the mountains and gather bundles of thick-twigs which she would tie up with stout twine and cart back to sell for kindling. The money from these small enterprises would, she hoped, be enough to put away for her old age.
Every day she could be seen hanging her customers' washing, like brightly coloured banners flapping in the breeze, on a long line between two trees at the back of her sister's house. She would hang her customers' washing between two shawls, one orange and one black, given to her by her mother years before; this was so there would be no mix-ups with her sister's clothes. Amelia took pride in her humble little business, and as with many people of such penury, she put that extra effort in applying her labour, her elbow-grease – her clothes were so clean they seemed to glow with brightness! The other village women walking past always remarked with a shaking of their heads and a waving of their arm. "Amelia!" they'd shout in greeting, "Amelia di Cielo, tell us how you get your washing so bright!" Amelia would laugh and shout back, "Wouldn't you like to know. But then I'd be out of business!" And the women would stump away shaking their heads and grinning, and Amelia would laugh in sympathy.
In the same village there lived an old widower. His wife had died only that year and he was having some difficulty keeping the house in order. Amelia did the laundry for the woman next door who told her about Signor Cacchio's misfortune.
Being a kindly person, Amelia, after some thought decided, as there was only he in the house, there wouldn't be much washing for only one old man. So she went to Signor Cacchio and offered to take in some of his clothes for free. She could easily fit in a few of his essentials with the rest of the wash: "A spoonful of water doesn't make a difference to a river," she said to herself.
But there: it's a curious thing that the best of intentions can sometimes lead to the most insidious accusations. The parish priest's assistant was a mean man. He could even be called a criminal, indeed, a criminal.
Lay brother Fichi had the eyes of a stalking animal; always looking, looking, looking. He saw himself as a self-appointed guardian of the diocese and printed a parish news-sheet. He wouldn't neglect to print – if it suited his intent in a cunning, off the cuff way – any tasty bit of gossip he set his stalking eyes on and his large, large ears heard.
On one of his stealthy strolls about the village, he spied Amelia di Cielo coming out of the small flat of widower Cacchio with a bundle of clothes. To any other person this would have been logically assessed as Amelia picking up the laundry of another customer, and promptly forgotten; that is, to any other person, not Lay brother Fichi!
He slyly observed Amelia for the best part of that day washing those clothes along with the rest of her customers in an old copper out the back of her sister's house. As she was pegging out widower Cacchio's trousers, Lay brother Fichi smiled a wicked smile to himself. Taking himself out of hiding, he sauntered up to Amelia di Cielo with his hands in his pockets.
"Good afternoon to you, Widow Amelia," he smirked. "A goodly swag of washing today – but rather a poor customer."
He lifted the damp trouser leg of Signor Cacchio's and let it flop down heavily on the line. "What would you charge a widower that everyone knows has less gold than a silver shilling?"
"I do not charge him at all," answered Amelia di Cielo.
"But you go to his house?" queried Fichi slyly.
"And I take out his washing," said Amelia quietly. For she was well aware of Lay brother Fichi's wily tongue.
"You may say that, Amelia, but do the parishioners of this village know that? Or will they suspect an illicit acquaintance, an opportune acquaintance with Signor Cacchio, who as everyone knows should still be in mourning for his dearly departed wife? Could this be an affair without the blessing of our council?"
Amelia kept washing the clothes, but slower now as she grasped the cunning insinuation of his conversation. She looked him up and down out of the corner of her eye.
"They do not 'suspect' yet, Lay-brother Fichi, but I'm sure you could concoct a tale for them."
"A tale, Signora? I see with my eyes, I tell. Let others believe what they will. I am but a messenger of the diocese."
"Of the devil!" muttered Amelia. "But why do you watch me, Lay-brother Fichi? I am innocently doing my daily chores!" Amelia struck her small clenched fist angrily on her chest. Lay-brother Fichi just smiled his cunning smile and spoke condescendingly, almost affectionately, to the widow.
"Caro Ame1ia," he smi1ed. "At your age! Don't you know it's almost always the innocent who are accused! One rarely gets to see the guilty ones commit their crimes." And here he chuckled softly and gazed over his shoulder.
"Besides, he added seriously, "times are tight just now."
"Well, what is it you want, Signor Fichi? To tell me these suspicions of yours?"
Lay-brother Fichi kept one hand in his pocket and with the other lifted the trouser leg of Signor Cacchio's and let it fall, again and again, slowly, while he appeared to deliberate on Amelia's question.
Though it may seem strange to you, an educated cosmopolitan, that any accusation of moral impropriety could have repercussions against such a person as Amelia di Cielo, you have to understand village thinking and social structure of that era. The church and its creatures were powerful figures in the communities; they wielded enormous influence on the peasants there. A village population has the collective personality of a single individual: a bit independent, whilst at the same time part of the crowd; a little suspicious, totally trusting; a free thinker a bored conservative . . . All this and more, but at the same time it loves a lurid tale, especially an immoral one.
Lay-brother Fichi was one of the best at dressing up a lurid tale and Amelia was just the sort of innocent victim that such people love to pitch on. Still more, other people love to criticise – and to be ostracised from the community in those times, when in such an impoverished state, was almost equivalent to a sentence of death.
"I want you to be able to keep your little business going, Amelia di Cielo." He looked slyly at Amelia who remained silent and continued to plunge the clothes into the steaming water of the copper.
"I want people to be able to confidently trust their washer-woman not to stain their personal linen with any sin of impropriety. But of course, I must report to the parish any, er, indiscretion that I witness . . . unless?"
"Unless what, Lay-brother Fichi?" Amelia whispered. Signor Fichi looked slyly over his shoulder, but this was not new ground to him.
"A small amount of liras could keep my lips sealed."
Amelia froze in her actions for just a second and a puzzled expression came over her face.
"How much?" she asked, automatically curious.
"Oh, I know what you charge and how much you take in. Let us say ten per cent per month." He smiled as though he had concluded a cunning business deal.
Amelia thought fast, for although Signor Fichi had the criminal's cunning, Amelia too, was cunning and she had time on her side. It seemed so simple, yet so complicated. All the pros and cons of the situation went into and out of her head. It wasn't a question of guilt; she was old enough to know how people thought. It was enough in bored people's minds to be even accused of an impropriety. It was enough for people to savour the luxury of seeing someone else getting it in the neck for them to ostracize her and then she would lose her customer, one by one. Oh yes, a few would stay, but only out of being seen to snub their noses at village convention. But their custom would be like cold charity. No, there was no defence with whining explanations to all too eager ears: "No smoke without fire!" she could hear them say. No, she would have to think of something else to shake this leech off her back.
"All right, Signor Fichi, give me a day . . . no, two! Two days to reconcile myself and I will see you again, but not here. I don't want people to think the evil that you presume. I will meet you at the trattoria on Thursday and we will conduct any business we have to do there."
"Very well, widow Amelia, ciao till Thursday." He lifted the trouser leg of Signor Cacchio's again with insinuating intent and smiling his cat smile, let it flop down heavily. "Till Thursday morning, and no later." He turned and slunk away.
"Oh Dio, oh Dio!" Amelia sat down on a small green stool next to the tub that held the wrung clothes, What to do, what to do? She needed time and quiet to think. She finished her washing and hurried off to the church. She enjoyed the dark silence of that building and there she could pray and think.
"Maybe God will find me a way," she mused.
(Image Credit: Biblioteca Comunale di Trento)
← RUSHED FRIDAY RAFFLES
Foodie Friday →
621 thoughts on "Amelia di Cielo and the Blackmailer – Part I"
jaycee423 says:
Looking forward to the leaks that will come out of the COAG. meeting…they should be good!
curioz says:
As an Australian in WA I find the news that Bjørn Lomborg will be setting up shop here indicative as to just how gormless the state government and the managers of UWA are.
The man is an economist, not a scientist with knowledge of the climate! I'd be more interested in his views with regards to Piketty's or Stigliz's theories on capitalism and how it works, as that is at least supposed to be his field!
To then find that he is to be awarded large sums of taxpayer's money is just … argh!
On the other hand, how on earth was Abbott going to slip Barnett some cash under the table otherwise? It surely can't cost all $4million to set up an office in WA for someone who is based in the UK? (Or have the Poms chucked him out?)
foreverjanice says:
BK,
You must have got up before the earliest bird this morning! Sure is a bumper edition of links this morning so thank you for your sterling effort which is much appreciated.
Funny that there is no sympathy from the other States for the predicament Colin Barnett has got WA into. Wasn't all that long ago that Barnett was all high and mighty and crowing like a bantam rooster as he rolled in the mining boom he thought would go on forever. He had nary a thought for the welfare of other States or the country as a whole as he put all WA's eggs in the nests of Gina and Twiggy.
How the mighty have fallen! and it couldn't happen to a more deserving mob of greedy mongrels.
Yes..thanks for that magnum opus this morning BK!..I remember Barnett and the miners conspiring to increase the royalties to WA. because they were just a bunch of nice blokes doing the right thing by WA..and to "AXE THE TAX" for the rest of the country…and if that meant that the rest of Aust' had to "subsidise" the miners by paying those royalties equivalent BACK to the miners, ..well it wasn't really meant to screw the rest of Aust'…was it??
UWA –
Lomborg will fit right in. Don't forget, this uni offers a Masters in International Journalism. One of the lecturers is Chris Kenny. You have to wonder what his area of expertise might be.
There are some other familiar names on the teaching team – familiar to readers of The Oz and viewers of Sky News.
http://www.arts.uwa.edu.au/courses/postgrad/coursework/masjournalism/mij_team
bushfirebill says:
This is "The Verdict" on the new Foxtel IQ3, from The Age.
So what's the verdict?
While it's understandable that Start Over is in standard-def, it's harder to forgive the lack of high-def Anytime Catch Up streaming – especially when it's available in high-def for 24 hours via Look Back. Considering the iQ3 supports Series Links and can record three channels simultaneously, HD subscribers are better off planning ahead than relying on Start Over and Anytime.
That aside, the iQ3 offers a slick user experience and is certainly a leap forward from the iQ2 even if they're still ironing out a few bugs. If you're happy to fork out for pay TV each month then the iQ3 PVR is a wise investment to make the most of your Foxtel subscription.
http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/computers/gadgets-on-the-go/hands-on-review-foxtel-iq3-personal-video-recorder-20150416-1mmsbz.html
Foxtel have provided a piece of hardware to suit their "Dedicated Hardware" mindset, except it's so confusing compared to just flipping through, back and forth on Netflix – for a fraction of the cost (one IQ3 costs about 18 months worth of subscription to Netflix, and that's IF you have a "double Foxtel plug" … whatever THAT is). The above comment is "The Verdict" from the Age.
Understand any of it? Sound complicated? Much more expensive than Netflix for what is basically a Standard Definition service?
And I love the irony of this little gem. In an Australia where Murdoch's dollars and influenced were shovelled out the door to nobble the NBN so that Foxtel could be lazy and wrong, the irony of the following words from the review is rich:
You'll also want a broadband connection to make the most of the iQ3's new features.
We truly live in Bizarro World. When The Mob takes over City Hall, anything can – and does – happen.
No money for the CSIRO, but Abbott finds $4 million for Lomborg.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/csiro-staff-pledge-industrial-action/story-e6frgcjx-1227306782210
Blatant, shameless pushing of agenda.
Watch the dismantling of Bishop Heenan at the Royal Commission.
http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/45935098-7d22-4a41-921f-166267c1da73/case-study-26,-april-2015,-rockhampton
And if Foxtel's a farce, try the NSW tollway e-tag system, which works well if there are no hardware glitches, but God Help You if a tag malfunctions.
Things that can (and do) go wrong:
1. Faulty tags with intermittent problems (low batteries, loose connections etc.) are logged by the tollway operator… but no notification is sent to the tag account holder. This means the tollway operators KNOW your tag is about to fail, but they just sit on their hands and watch your hardware fail.
This is when the REAL torture begins.
2. When it fails, especially intermittently, the account holder at first does not notice that the system has failed. This incurs the dreaded Toll Notice.
3. The Toll Notice is a scary document issued, not by the government, but by individual toll operators, demanding payment of the toll PLUS a $20 "service fee". This document can take up to 5 weeks to be issued, y which time the account holder has, of course incurred further Toll Notices which have NOT registered n the tollway system,. Therefore, payment of the first tranche of Toll Notices in no way guarantees that more will not arrive.
4. The tollway and e-tag providers (separate and distinct service providers) do not talk to each other until it is too late. By this I mean that the account holder can phone each of the tollways as there is no centralized bureau for handling these queries (AND if you have a spare hour or two to stay on hold), receive a guarantee that the notice has been satisfied and the $20 fee waived, and that there are no more toll notices that have cropped up in the meantime. These guarantees are not worth the breath of air used to utter them.
5. If your account does not have sufficient funds then ALL of the toll notices will be rejected, even if SOME of them COULD have been paid. The e-tag provider has no authority to make a special 1-off deduction from your credit card in such circumstances. It is an all or nothing at all situation. One fails, they all fail.
Your account can have insufficient funds for a number of reasons: credit card over limit, electronic failure by the e-tag company to connect with the bank (whether the card is or is not in order), and – the Catch-22 of all Catch-22s: the amount requested is more than the e-tag account can ever hold. E-tag top ups are $160, but if the tolls (and fines, and service fees, and late fees) add up to more than $160, you can never pay them out, because the account can never hold enough credit to satisfy the demand if it's over $160 (this was our little problem in the recent unpleasantness). Result? ALL requests are cancelled, and no money is paid. Meanwhile the process proceeds from "blue" (initial toll notice) to "pink" (final toll notice"). The next stage is "red" – heavy fines and penalties.
6. However…no-one tells you that the transfer didn't work. Each – the e-tag company and the tollway – blame each other. It all gets too hard for them so they just fold their corporate arms. The first thing that the account holder knows is that he receive 26 separate toll notices about a month later. These include the notice he was assured had been cancelled, plus a whole new brace of them, going back five months.
7. All the account holder wants to do is get from A to B. You sometimes have to use tollways, it's a fact of life in NSW. But the consequences of something going wrong – even if it is THE TOLLWAY'S fault – are severe: de-registration, loss of licence, heavy fines, cancellation of 3rd party insurance etc. So, however onerous is the experience, however much time lags, miscommunication and inefficiencies conspire to make sure that no-one really knows whether the matter is finalised or not – not you, not the tollway, not the e-tag provider – the process grinds on.
One day you're clear and it's all settled. A week later you owe them $800, and are faced with having your car registration cancelled. Out of that $800, only $120 of it is actual tolls. The rest is "admin fees", "late payment charges" and the like. Of course, as its THEIR fault, they waive these fees and you only end up paying the basic $120, but first you have to pay the full amount, because the various firms involved have their own (all completely different) processes and they can take weeks to be carried out. One day, in the distant future you end up with a whopping credit on your account, but in the meantime you have to pay in full.
In case anyone was wondering why I wrote this comment – apart from being bloody pissed off at the time I have had to spend sitting on the phone listening to music, and then excuses – it serves as my explanation as to why I did not vote Liberal in the last election here: it is an utter myth that privatization is both cheaper and increases efficiency. It is simply a licence for the government's mates to print money and to casually gouge the public whenever and however they like.
Kirsdarke says:
The Animal Justice party won the last seat in the NSW upper house
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-17/animal-justice-party-wins-seat-in-nsw-upper-house/6400492
Good riddance –
Australian Democrats face oblivion as party deregistered by AEC
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australian-democrats-face-oblivion-as-party-deregistered-by-aec-20150416-1mmqar.html
http://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Deregistered_parties/democrats.htm
After The Greens claimed all the credit for stopping the East-West link someone decided to fight back by starting a Facebook page – 'Greens taking credit for things' – with lots of reworking of yesterday's 'We Did It' thing, like this –
It's very funny, but the Greens can't see the humour. They are whinging. A lot.
https://www.facebook.com/Greensdoingthings?fref=ts
Aguirre says:
Somebody had to do it, Leone. The Greens Doing Things page encapsulates everything that annoys me about the Greens. It's spot on.
Barry J says:
Kirsdarke.
Prior to the NSW election, Antony Greene estimated Labour needed in excess of 54% TPP just to create a hung Parliament. They achieved just under a 10% swing that gave them 46% TPP.Based on the figures in Antony's latest Pendulum, Labour will require a further swing of 8% and 54% TPP at the next election to cause a hung parliament. It appears to me that if there is no alteration to the boundaries NSW can look forward to many years of the LNP needing only 45-46% TPP to remain in power.
As the resident PUB psephologist have you had a look at this and if so what are your thoughts.
Stand by for new thread . . .
joe6pack says:
Standing by, but just about to leave for Darwin. Have a good night.
Comments here will close soon.
leonetwo on Welcome to 2020 …


SR-1000-SFP-XT DIN Rail Media Converter. 1000BASE-T to 1000BASE-X SFP Slot (empty). -40F to +167F (-40C to +75C) operating temperature.
SR-1000-SFP-XT- Gigabit Industrial Media Converter: 1000BASE-T (RJ-45) [100 m/328 ft] to 1000BASE-X SFP Slot (empty), -40F to +167F (-40C to +75C) extended operating temperature support. DIN Rail case, terminal block (Combicon) power connector for external power source.
A Perle SR-1000-SFP-XT DIN Rail Media Converter transparently connects Gigabit UTP CAT5/6/7 copper to fiber in industrial grade operating temperatures -40F to +167F (-40C to +75C). Equipment found in traffic management, oil and gas pipelines, weather tracking, industrial and outdoor applications must function in temperatures that cannot be supported by a commercial based media converter. This Gigabit Media Converter is ideal for use with industrial devices subjected to harsh environments and severe temperatures such as security cameras, wireless access points, alarms, traffic controllers, sensors and tracking devices. The pluggable fiber optics port allows for flexible network configurations using SFP transceivers supplied by Perle, Cisco or other manufacturers of MSA compliant SFPs.
For complete product details and technical specifications, please visit our SR-1000-SFP-XT Media Converter Product Page.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Web.Http;

namespace EZOper.TechTester.CSharpWebSI.Areas.ZApi.Controllers
{
    /// <summary>
    /// 工作域/云帆科技/Honor3(办学条件监测管理系统)/原型版
    /// GET: Works/BigsailHonor3Prototype
    /// </summary>
    public class BigsailHonor3Controller : ApiController
    {
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub