trinacriabob

Today I'm deep fried in "trinacria" ... Three days of this. I didn't want to leave and go to a more rural place with no view in another area. The outline across is the Italian mainland, so I'm about 30 miles south of Messina, where the distance across the strait is about a mere 1.5 miles. As I'm traveling south on the autostrada after checking out, this pullout with an Autogrill has a nice view of Mt. Etna. I went into a store to pick up some groceries and saw this: Fonzies and Cipster! Cipster is spelled for Italian phonetics because Chipster would be pronounced "Keep-stare." While going for a haircut based on Google reviews, I passed by this place. I had to take a photo showing the "team spirit."

I learned of this today. This is interesting and even hilarious. https://news.delta.com/media/image/60136 Delta will soon start flying from JFK to Sicily daily through early fall. It makes sense and eliminates that extra step. Instead of Palermo, the island's capital, it will go to Catania, the second city but busier airport, since the beach resorts and Mt. Etna are on that side of the island. I'm betting the passengers will be quite a bit more colorful than on the JFK to Rome flight.

I don’t know if this vehicle, a Toyota Prius Hybrid HEV, represented an upgrade. It’s just what I was assigned as a mid-size rented vehicle for 3 days. I had a general idea that this vehicle was recently refreshed and that it looked a lot better. As I got closer to it and got into it, I was able to get a better look. The new Prius looks a lot better than I recall a Prius ever looking. It looks sleek, sporty, and even sort of low-slung. Interesting exterior features show that they made this a priority. The front lights and fascia are thin and understated, working well with the more unified exterior. The rear fascia is definitely Prius’s own and it gives the car some interesting, angled vantage points. They even incorporated gullwing handles into the sedan’s rear doors and, having once had these in the last rendition of the W-body Buick Regal coupe, I like their look and just plain using them. Its low-slung aspect can present a slight demerit. The windshield and profile of the front doors is very raked and, as a person of average height, I had to duck a little more than usual to enter the car. Similarly, the rear backlite borders on almost being horizontal. This does give the rear storage area a little more usable height. Inside, the front pillars’ rake is mitigated by fixed renditions of what used to be vent windows in older cars. However, they still seem to block an instinctive sight line compared to more upright vehicles like the current Camry and Corolla. Inside, the feeling is more cockpit-like. Similarly, the rear view has the thicker pillars and flatter backlite that require more proactive work – looking over the shoulder attentively and using the amber traffic monitoring warnings in the outside mirrors. A complementary feature is the chime that assisted lane changes. The Prius has a 4-cylinder engine that seems to spend more time in EV mode than did the hybrid Camry. That means good fuel economy and, over 3 days, I only added 6 gallons for between 200 and 300 miles of motoring. In terms of power, handling, and roadability, the Prius gets mixed comments from me. It does have agility when the pedal is pressed and it moves from eco to power mode. It also eases upward to higher than anticipated highway speeds if not paying attention! The transmission is a CVT with a “faux” first gear and it works well. The Prius has a more noticeable wheezing sound when in reverse gear, which actually advises those inside the car and near it. However, when pushed, the powertrain gets buzzy, as in noisy. But at steady speed, any engine noise is not that noticeable. The vehicle’s handling, smoothness, and quietness vary. Handling is always nimble and, even at highway speeds, it maneuvers adeptly. The ride is mostly smooth. However, noise control could use some improvement. Some of that can come from the tires they equip the car with, fitted with aluminum wheels that hearken to the ones on Tesla products. That said, it’s hard to tell if the drone is tire thum or wind. However, if you prioritize handling among these, I was surprised to see how well the Prius handles … on the highway, on city streets, and even in tight parking spaces, where 3-point attempts are rarely necessary. The cockpit is unusual and very different from yesterday’s Priuses, which I’ve only seen and never driven or been a passenger in one. I remember how the first model had an oval main instrument pod set up on the cowl in the middle of the dashboard but angled toward the driver. Today’s Prius has thin and smaller pods, almost set on ledges that seem to staircase down as the cowl approaches the driver. The main panel looks like a small tablet that is set quite far from the steering wheel. Depending on how the wheel is titled, there could be some visibility issues seeing all the information. This required adjusting the wheel and the seating height. Also, the front seat can be very far from the pedals. So, while the door is low, taller drivers might like this potential distance. The infotainment center sits slightly forward of the main instrument screen and is conventionally placed atop the center stack. Thankfully, it continues with touch operation as opposed to being operated via a remote dial. Most functions are the ones you’ve known for a while, so setting things up doesn’t take long. I did struggle a little with the Android Auto, even though the Bluetooth pairing was quick. Note that, while the Camry has USB-C ports, the Prius does not. Further down on the center stack, the climate control is easy to work with (not the 3-dial type that so many exports and even domestics have) and the A/C blows colder a little quicker than in the last Camry I drove. The console deck is about the right height and its overall dimensions, including the box, are generous. The compactness of the shift lever is sort of fun … think of a small underpowered low-cost EV Corvette! When going into gear, it’s not about moving the selector linearly. A quick jog to the left and up toward the instrument panel is for reverse while that same quick jog followed by a rearward move puts the vehicle in drive. It doesn’t take long to get used to this. Also, the park feature is easy to work with. Just push in P when stopped and, whether in reserve or drive, the gear selector goes to park. The only thing is that it is not forgiving when shifting the lever … your foot must be firmly on the brake, so no slipshod maneuvers. The seating is comfortable and the buckets seem a little high, but this offers support from top to bottom. The same is true in the rear of the cabin and the headrests do intrude with an already thicker rear sail panel / C-pillar. Legroom in the rear also seems good and the length of the vehicle allows for that. Space is sensibly distributed in the 3 volumes from front to back. I always thought a Prius would have something daunting or different about it. Its look is different in that it lost its first-gen look that looked like an upright Nissan Versa of 2016 … sort of like the runt of the litter that is on the run because it has been kicked in the rump. This Prius looks planted. Upon pushing the prominent and easy to use “power” button on the dash, there will be no noise and the dash will literally tell you when it, and you, are “ready” to go. It's a smaller but roomy vehicle where the price isn’t a bargain, but not that steep in today’s terms. I find there are a few things that I wasn’t crazy about – the height, the main instrument pod sitting in the distance, and not the best noises suppression – but I liked most other things about it. With so many Priuses going the long haul, this one will probably do the same … and look a lot more presentable while doing it. - - - - - PHOTOS FORTHCOMING

I'm laughing. There are always reasons why things are "discounted." With me, it's DFW and Austin that give me heartburn. San Antonio, too, even though I don't know it as well. I just don't like the look of the DFW area, whether natural or built. I don't like Austin for being the governmental engine of a big red place next to a massive university with over 50,000 students that is a big blue place. I'm more of a moderate and don't want extremes in either element. I also don't like the "way cool" leanings in Austin. Houston has its negatives, but I'd take it for nearby Galveston, and water in general, the extensive pinewoods, the dark red brick homes, an attractive downtown, and for being America's most ethnically diverse city that has always rolled with that spirit. There is no "you shouldn't be here" factor. IIR, I've heard of a saying about Madrid that goes, 'When you're in Madrid, you're from Madrid.' Having lived in various places, I pay attention to those subleties.

For being a large metro area, people are unusually nice at restaurants, stores, etc., and even strike up conversations with you in coffee places, but they become demonic on their big freeways. I'm put into high defense mode when I drive there. Add the big highways and multi-lane boulevards in big Florida cities to that.

I remember a little about oil and gas among energy segments. So much of it relies on estimates to account for DD&A (depreciation, depletion, and amortization), which can really change the financials. But I'm sure they can audit a lot of things in energy - financial, operational, and more, as in many ways to skin a cat and a lot to look out for. When I've flown into Houston and you fly over the renowned insanely wide I-10 between the Galleria and Katy, that's now known as the Energy Corridor, it reminds me of these topics ... and how many of those people may occupy the nearby newer McMansions out that way! It very well could have been. There's a lot of recounting personal experiences and mini "interviews" in the film. I liked it more than I thought I would.

There are different stock price patterns toward the end. They can just drift downward exponentially. Sometimes, they enjoy some weird upward ticks, and then drop. I'm not the biggest believer in efficient markets and some geek PhDs in econ/finance study them, but they probably have to give props to market efficiency so they don't rock the boat. I wonder how many academics think otherwise. TSLA is not a value stock, so people who aren't really, really financially comfortable should just stay away from it. The Enron thing was mind boggling ... the flow chart of how they did this was mind boggling, as in overly complex. There's an interesting movie called "The Smartest Guys in the Room" which we watched in a night class I took. The head perpetrator has an MBA from Northwestern. Of all the firms who recruited undergrads from the business school, Arthur Andersen was by far the most arrogant. (Not enough time and space for details.) I was actually pleased that they bit the dust and that they were the sacrificial lamb for reform.

Today is this individual's birthday. With this birthday, she now qualifies for reduced price deals at Denny's and many fast food restaurants. I wonder if she has ever set foot in a fast food joint. Interestingly enough, she is attending the Pope's funeral today. She's looking very "angular" in this photo.

My day through mid-afternoon: monoliths and macaques The Barbary macaques are hilarious.

I'm a little sad about the death of Pope Francis. He was a more humane Pope. (Well, it could be deciphered that was not a fan of Agent Orange, so there you go.) I hope they are careful in selecting the next Pope. They need to be very careful. I find it interesting when people find the strength to make it to an important milestone. He circulated among the faithful on Easter Sunday, shaking hands and hugging children, I'm told. He died the following day. Being just a casual Catholic, I'm touched by this.

Come on, who here didn't call this phone number when they were a kid or a teen? https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=boaJCrHNRMA&feature=shared I think it's off the table for the phone company, as is BREAD 8 for vehicular personalized plates.

Yes, it was a deal ... booked almost a year ago. Ends at Civitavecchia (port for Rome) Will put up photos of stops along the way.

Transatlantic from U.S. to Europe - it's called a "repositioning"

Wraparound backlite, hence '75 to '77 ... ? Or, as they would say in Spanish, "Me encanta."

My Saturday evening ... ... sailing out under the Tampa Bay Bridge to sea ... Before After

Okay, but much nicer than the outgoing model. That one was more blah, as you say. Yes, all hard plastic given the price point. I think there's a lot of value in LE form for current times. Camrys last a long time and, with HEV, it came close to just sipping fuel.

No bueno: you pull up a restaurant's menu and there are no prices next to any of the line items

It has always been nicely laid out on GM product window stickers.

They seemingly can't come up with a solution for this: if you put a "do not disturb" placard on your lodging location's door handle, when the door is opened or closed, the placard seems to fall to the floor about half the time ... it's almost like a coin toss. Sad.

Here we go again ... Voice in the background: 'I first moved there in 1999 I was supposed to go out there for LIKE a semester of college And I ended up never leaving' If I need a good laugh, I listen to this, so I added it to my collection.

You said it more economically than I did.

I probably need to back up and watch it sometime. Everyone has heard about it, but I've yet to see it. On the "to do" list.

First, I had a little bit of video from violinists on the QM2 playing various pieces of music. I relayed this passage, which sounded familiar, to friends who couldn't peg what it was because the video was a short segment where I was also panning the fairly grandiose Queen's Room. Finally, someone pegged it and said it was something important from "Phantom of the Opera" ... nothing I'd care to sit through. At any rate, I found one musician also covering "All I Ask of You" on a violin. This YouTube can really make a person appreciate this instrument, this instrumental piece, and the precision needed to pull this off. The musician is a young doctor, from what I can glean through the "about" info, and plays the violin to relax. He does incredible work!

MECHANICAL PHOTOS This is the engine bay and the hood uses a prop rod. The engine is a 2.5 liter 4-cylinder (HEV) augmented by an electric motor. The label shows conformance to all emission standards for model year 2025 and that OBD II just keeps going The orange fittings and plumbing apparently indicate what is part of the hybrid model, as was the case in a Honda Accord Hybrid I drove during the last year - - - - - END OF PHOTOS

INTERIOR PHOTOS This is the view of the front of the cabin as seen from the driver's door This is the view of the front of the cabin as seen from the passenger's door This is one view of the "fixed" displays in the dash and the lower part of the center gauge, which can be customized by toggling; note the symmetrically placed temperature, time, odometer, and range digital readouts This shows the controls found on each side of the steering wheel and, with the base LE trim, the steering wheel is urethane This shows the push button ignition, the infotainment screen's placement, the climate control panel, and the two lower center air vents This shows the gear selector, the cubby with ports, driving mode, parking brake release, and cup holders The tidy clustering of control buttons to the left of the steering wheel comes in handy Rear seat legroom appears to be decent for the average sized adult passenger Looking over one's shoulder shows a pleasing roofline and window outline, engaged headrests, and the contrasting upholstered areas in the LE model, not to mention good visibility The trunk capacity appears to be in line for this vehicle and for this genre