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Windows Azure has been capable of running multiple websites in a single web role for some time now, but I found myself recently in a situation with 2 separate Azure solutions and was looking to combine them to create a single deployment. Just like in IIS, this is most often done via host headers, so requests coming in can be forwarded to the correct site.
Options to consolidate included folding the code into the Worldmaps site, which would involve actual work, or converting the site to use IIS instead of the hostable web core (HWC), which was, originally, the only way to host Azure deployments prior to version 1.3 of the SDK. Under IIS, host headers can be used to direct traffic to desired correct site.
Nothing too crazy in there, but I’ll talk about the paths later.
The Run method is called from a different thread, and it did a lot of background processing for the site (logging data, drawing maps, etc.). This is a great technique, by the way, to add “workers” to your website. This is, by itself, not a problem to do under IIS or HWC, except, under the HWC version, the thread runs in the same process. I could write to an in-memory queue via the website, and process that queue in the webrole.cs without problem, provided the usual thread safety rules are obeyed. Likewise, the worker could read/write to an in memory cache used by the website. Under IIS, though, the site and role are in a separate process, so it wasn’t possible to do this without re-engineering things a bit. You don’t need to worry about this if you aren’t doing anything “shared” in your webrole.cs file.
The <sites> tag (seen above) is pretty self-explanatory as it defines each site in the deployment. For the first and main site, I didn’t provide a host header because I want it respond to pretty much anything (www, etc.). For the second site, I give it the reporting.myworldmaps.net host header.
So, the path the WorldmapsSite is up one level. To get to the infragistics website, it’s up to levels, the into the igWorldmaps folder and into the WorldmapsDemo.Web folder. We can ignore the other folders.
Overall, a fairly straightforward and easy way to add existing websites to a single deployment. It can save money and/or increase reliability by running multiple instances of the deployment.
A Gapminder chart is ideal for animating data over time in a way that a simple 2-D chart doesn’t. The bottom line is: this app is so much fun just to play around with. Many thanks to Jason Beres, Mihail Mateev, Riddhima Shelat, and others (I’m sure I’m leaving people out!) for making this possible!
Check out Mihail’s post here on the project!
Worldmaps users might see some volatility in the leaderboard today!
In January I posted about a change in the leaderboard, where maps were then rated by hits/day average, not total hits. Overall, this was a much more fluid way to rate maps as it allows all users to participate on equal ground.
The biggest downside to this approach, though, is that sites are subject to volume fluctuations over time. For example, a site might suddenly gain a great deal of new visitors, but the volume might be “hidden” by months of old data factored in. The solution: Worldmaps now only considers the last 30 days of traffic when calculating hits per day average. This allows the traffic sways to be much more impactful over the short term.
With the chaos of the Worldmaps to Azure migration winding down, I decided to take a look at some the low-pri issues on my to-do list. Those close to the project or who follow their leaderboard ranking closely know that last year, the leaderboard was ranked by Total Hits. This worked pretty well at the time, but it made it impossible for those who joined the site weeks or months after others to compete unless their site had considerable more volume to close the gap.
This year, I changed the formula to base the data off of average hits per day. This adds a bit more excitement because it’s a level playfield regardless of join date, for the most part. The one remaining problem I have with hits per day is that if a site gains popularity over time, the resulting average encourages the user to delete and recreate their map for better rankings. At some point in time, I’ll further refine this so it looks at hits per day for the last month or two (for example).
While this worked “okay,” it wasn’t perfect. For starters, using DATEDIFF returns an integer based on the dates passed in. If you pass in “1/21/2010 23:59” and “1/22/2010 00:01,” the DATEDIFF (by days) is 1, even though only 2 minutes have passed. If you pass in “1/22/2010 00:01” and “1/22/2010 23:59,” a zero is returned even though it’s just 2 minutes short of a day. This isn’t wrong, but it’s limited for what we need because the leaderboard is generated throughout the day.
This works out really well. First, we use hours instead of days and simply divide by 24. It’s essentially the same as days, but gives a fractional value. If the value is less than 1, we’ll use just 1 as the minimum. This solves the second criteria above and also any division by zero cases. The ELSE of the CASE gives us the fractional days, so hits per day is more accurate and no more +1 tomfoolery. Even though the FLOOR returns an whole number, the data type is unchanged so a cast to an int is necessary for the application.
The “days” and “days_partial” shows the difference between using hours and days in DATEDIFF, giving us more accuracy. The “HitsPerDay_New” compared to “HitsPerDay_Original” shows the more accurate result. In some cases unchanged, in some cases much more accurate as you can see by looking at the “FirstHit” and “MostRecentHit” columns.
Anyway, just some fun playing with T-SQL and if you see some adjustments in the Leaderboard, this is why.
I admit that site design is something that often takes a back seat when developing Worldmaps, but in the recent migration to Windows Azure, I added a few new minor customizations to the maps.
All of the information that is required for the map is the URL and Leaderboard. The latitude and longitude fields indicate your home location. You can use the home locator map on the bottom of the screen to help in this regard, or you can leave this blank. Without this information, some statistics cannot be calculated. The Leaderboard indicates which category best suits your map. Is it a personal blog? A technology blog? A personal site? Pick the one that best fits your site – this can be changed later.
The last box, Invitation Code, is for premium accounts and changes the way the data is stored for the given map. I described this briefly in my last post. For scalability reasons, most new accounts will be under the new scheme – if you need more detailed information (such as # of unique IPs), contact me for invitation code.
When the app is drawing your maps, you can control the colors used in drawing the circles. Feel free to experiment with some color choices. The four values you can customize are explained on the form. Use the Silverlight-based Color Picker to find a color and copy that value into the text box of the value you’d like to change. Or, you can enter values directly into the box if you know the hex-value of the color you’d like to use. When done, click Save. In general, the maps will be redrawn reasonably quick depending on how much work is currently in the queue. Customizing the colors is a great way to add a little personalization to your maps!
First up is the hourly breakdown of hits to a site. Below is Channel 9’s current breakdown. Neat way to tell when the traffic is heaviest to your site. In this case, C9 is busiest at 3pm GMT, or about 9am-4pm EST.
And, Stumbler has been updated a bit so be sure to check it out and watch traffic in real time!
Future report options are a bit limited as well, but otherwise, all data (and Stumbler) is still available.
For those of you with Worldmap accounts, the Azure migration is (hopefully) underway. This process will take awhile, in part due to the holiday vacation :) but also testing and what not. Starting today, the accounts section will be closed for changes until the migration is complete.
Hopefully, the migration will not cause any breaking changes. However, the biggest possible change is to make sure you are accessing the service using www in the URL … for example, “http://www.myworldmaps.net….” – if you’re leaving that out, it will have to be added in or the map will not work after the migration due to limitations with the DNS CNAMEing in Azure.
Hi folks! I wanted to take the opportunity and outline a few changes for Worldmaps – both changes in the service, the backend, and new features.
First up: Stumbler. A link to Stumbler was added to the nav menu at the top of the page. If you haven’t played around with Stumbler, check it out. It maps users in near real time to websites.
One of the biggest changes is the update to the new Bing Maps Silverlight control. This doesn’t change much from the end-user point of view, but a few new features have been added so the UI in Stumbler is a bit cleaner around pushpins and effects. In addition, there’s a new setting in the settings dialog to choose whether or not to scroll the map automatically. Normally you zoom around the map automatically, but now you can turn that off to stay focused on a certain area.
The other big new feature is multiple/extensible leaderboards. The way it worked until now was there a single leaderboard for all users. This “master leaderboard” is still there, but having sub leaderboards is a lot more interesting. I defined a few leaderboards like “Tech Blogs” and “Personal Sites,” but will add more over time (leave feedback on new leaderboards!). On the leaderboard page, the default view is the all-up leaderboard, while each leaderboard is displayed on the left nav.
To pick a leaderboard, log in to your account and edit your maps. In the detail section, you’ll see a drop down that allows you to select a leaderboard (see image to the right). I should also point out that the sub-boards are sorted based on hits per day, not total hits.
The other big change to outline is the end-of-year change. At the end of the year, the individual hit data is reset. This means all the red dots on the map will be wiped clean and start over again. Data will be archived and available in some fashion, but this hasn’t been implemented yet. Additionally, next year (2010) the main leaderboard will be sorted based on average hits per day.
Now to address the biggest architectural change: if you’ve created an account on Worldmaps but haven’t gotten an email yet with the approval, fear not. Unfortunately the volume is such that with limited infrastructure, there’s not much more that can be done. This will soon change. Worldmaps has been moved to Windows Azure, Microsoft’s cloud computing platform. This should give Worldmaps a nice bump in scalability (limited really only by funds). So stay tuned in early 2010 for more info.
The Worldmaps users queue is getting big! Just wanted to thank everyone for their interest, but in response to so many emails, I thought I should explain how to get signed up on Worldmaps.
After creating an account, it must be approved before the account can be used. The main reason for this is to slowly ramp up on bandwidth to make sure the service (both website and database) are providing a good experience. During high volume, the service is processing many requests per second – obviously, not a ridiculous load in the scheme of things, but for a small service with no budget, it’s certainly something to keep an eye on. Currently, however, the service is getting more user requests than are approved daily, so there’s a backlog forming. We’ll get through it in time, but it does require culling the sites that don’t fall into the acceptable use parameters.
Technical blogs and personal sites will generally get approved first. At this time, commercial sites cannot be approved. Over the coming months, I’ll be looking more at a Windows Azure implementation that will allow more growth and hopefully, allow just about all sites to “play.” One new feature hopefully to be released with this implementation will also be website categories – instead of just a single leader board, there will be multiple leader boards and users can select the one most appropriate to their domain. Stay tuned!
I’m happy to announce I’ve finally completed a cool little Silverlight app entitled “Worldmaps Stumbler” (thanks Andrew for the name!).
So what is it? Worldmaps Stumbler essentially plots Worldmaps data in near-real time using Silverlight and Virtual Earth. While the current stats maps currently use Virtual Earth and web services to plot data, the experience is largely utilitarian, and due to the nature of the application, I wasn’t able to incorporate any real-time information.
With Silverlight, it’s much easier to enhance the experience to include not only real time data, but more of a stylish presentation.
The app will zoom in, show the browser used, the URL of the map, and the date/time of the hit and how long ago that was. When the Worldmaps server records the hit with the time, it bubbles up to the Stumbler to get plotted. When the hit is plotted, the age of the hit is calculated so you can see precisely how long ago the hit was. This process can take anywhere from about 4 seconds to about a minute, depending on a number of factors.
The maps button allows you to select which Worldmaps maps to plot. By default it is all of them, but it can be narrowed to your preference. The slider to the right of the minimap controls the delay between plotting hits. Higher is slower. Also, if the dot in the middle of the minimap is blue, the app is running fine. Yellow circles indicate network activity (polling for data – this should barely be perceptible) and red means an error of some kind. Hopefully you won’t see red, but if you do, no data will be available.
At this time, only the top twenty or so maps are plotted, however more will be added soon. So go check it out – it’s fun to watch!

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


text:
Exhibition Way Apartments are located 3 minutes from Wembley Stadium and the SSE..
Exhibition Way Apartments are located 3 minutes from Wembley Stadium and the SSE Arena, a major London icon and entertainment venue hosting popular sporting events and concerts. The local neighbourhood features a mix of multi-cultural shops, restaurants and green open spaces and offers a great balance of suburban life and city connections.
For shopping there's a busy high street with a unique mix of specialist shops as well as a designer outlet mall with a great choice of brands all at discounted rates. Wembley is also well positioned to access all the business parks and commercial districts of West London where many international companies have based themselves. Central London is only a short journey (under 20 minutes) away by train giving you direct access to Oxford Street's mega department stores, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye and The Shard, with its striking shimmering exterior and spectacular viewing gallery.
Exhibition Way Apartments are part of a new state-of-the-art building boasting some excellent on-site facilities including a pool table, a coffee machine, comfortable seating and a large TV featuring Sky Sports. The communal landscaped garden and pond are exclusively for residents. There’s secure indoor bike storage.
Inside the apartments really do present a warm and inviting experience. Designed with a modern look and feel and contemporary furniture accents, these residences have dining, laundry, entertainment and high quality bedding all included with housekeeping services as well. WiFi internet runs at 40 Mbps and the Smart TV features an integrated DVD player.
Bathrooms are sleek with rain-fall shower features, radiators and large mirrors. Bedrooms have more than just the basics with storage, reading lamps, privacy blinds and luxury bed linen. Open up your balcony doors to enjoy some great 6th floor views of the city.
24 hours concierge, Lifts, Shower, Bathtub, Heated towel rails, Hairdryer, Ironing facilities, Welcome pack, Guest handbook, Security staff on-site, Central heating, Double glazed windows, Balcony, Communal landscaped garden, Secure indoor bike storage.
Full kitchen, Hob, Microwave, Dining table and chairs/Bar-stool,breakfast bar and coffee table, Oven, Refrigerator, Freezer, Cooking utensils, Cutlery and crockery, Toaster, Dishwasher, Kettle, Washer/Dryer.
On site parking available on request for an extra fee.
Sleeps two and has one bedroom, double bed, one bathroom, a full kitchen and a spacious living and dining area.
Sleeps four and has two bedrooms, double beds, two modern bathrooms, a full kitchen and a spacious living and dining area.
Extra Beds An inflatable bed available on request for an extra charge.

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


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Play Keno at Four Winds New Buffalo, featuring Bonus Buck Progressive, Quick Pick, Multi-Game and Play Way Tickets. Increase your winnings up to 5 times with Keno Multiplier!
Our Keno Brochure contains the official game rules, including tips on how to complete your ticket, game payouts, and special bets.
Increase Your Winnings up to 5 Times!
Mark a "M' on the outside ticket to indicate your Multiplier wager.
Double your wager for a chance to have your winnings multiplied by up to five times.
For example, if you win $10 on Keno and the Multiplier bonus for that game is 5X, then you win $50.
The Multiplier bonus does not apply to any progressive payouts.
All normal Keno rules apply to Multiplier wagers.
As with all Keno wagers, Multiplier winnings are subject to aggregate payout limits.
Multiplier wagers must be equal to the wager on your Keno ticket.

industry_corpus2: Gaming


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•Class 1 fibre :- the yarn tail picks up the trailing end of a fibre which lies wholly on the surface of the rotor. The fibre is integrated into the yarn & tends to take a helical form, which will be distorted by migration. The original fibre direction is reversed. This fibre is called as class1 fibre.
•Class 2 fibre :- the fibre is just emerging from the transparent tube as the yarn tail sweeps past. The leading end of the fibre is picked up & moves towards the centre ; the trailing end is flung onto the surface of the rotor ;The fibre becomes a “bridging fibres”. I.E., Fibres that bridge the gap that should theoretically occur behind the pick-up point, p. The fibre is integrated in the yarn & tends to take a helical form as in class 1, but there is no change in fibre direction. This fibre is called as class 2 fibre.
•Class 3 fibre : a fibre that has partly emerged when the yarn tail arrives : the leading part is on the surface of the rotor ; the trailing part is tube. The fibre is picked up at some point along its length. The leading end is integrated in the reverse direction . the trailing end is integrated in the forward direction. A leading hook is created. This fibre is called as class 3 fibre.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


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Even back in 1982, the Delaware Destroyer had his winning formula down pat.
You have to give George Thorogood points for consistency. I’ve probably seen him half a dozen times over the years, and every time he’s delivered the goods. Granted, he’s delivered them almost exactly the same every single time. But so what? The Delaware Destroyer is far from the only musician to find a winning formula and stick with it. And his formula — which has served him well for 40-plus years — is tried and true. And simple: 1) Play the blues fast and loud; 2) Be endlessly entertaining while you do it. In Thorogood’s case, that has always translated to a high-voltage, high-energy performance that leaves him drenched and includes every guitar-solo gimmick in the book: Playing behind his head, doing the duck walk, you name it. He did it the last time I saw him a few years ago, when he was in his 60s. And he did it the first time I saw him and his snakeskin jacket way back in 1982 on his Bad To The Bone Tour of Western Canada, when I grabbed this poster as a souvenir. If you’d like it for a souvenir of your own, email me. I’m sure we can work out something. And if you’d like to read more about Lonesome George, check out my 2010 interview with him here.

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


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The official website for the three sporting clay clubs of Guernsey.
Sarnia Sporting Clay Club (SSCC).
You can visit each of the clubs information by selecting one of the tabs on the top right hand corner of this site.
Between the three clubs this site represents circa 300 members and is a good source of what is happening where and when.
The GASC will be holding their compact rabbit shoot cup competition tomorrow the 22nd of April.
The GASC will be holding their 4th cup shoot tomorrow the 25th of March.
The GSCC have cancelled the shoot for this afternoon the 17th of March.
Because of the forecast bad weather the GASC will not be holding its compact rabbit shoot this Sunday, but will hold a practice shoot.
The GASC shoot tomorrow the 25th has been cancelled.
Please note that the GSCC, in common with the GASC and the SSCC is a fibre wad only club and plastic wads must not be used.
The GSCC will be holding a Sport Trap shoot this afternoon.
The GASC will not be holding their cup shoot tomorrow the 11th but will hold a practice shoot weather allowing.
The GASC will be holding its flush shoot tomorrow Sunday the 14th of January.

industry_corpus2: Sports


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When the Bailey Tennants accounting firm takes two employee groups into a rugged Australian mountain forest for an annual weekend of “team building,” the men’s group returns ahead of schedule and the women’s group straggles back to civilization late, injured, scared, and in a fighting mood, indicating that its working together skills need more attention. The group is also missing the bossy, opinionated Alice who apparently wandered off and got lost; statements from Lauren, Beth, Bree and Jill about just how that happened are vague and contradictory.
Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk (who first appeared in Harper’s “The Dry” in 2017) and his partner Carmen are pulled into the investigation because Alice has been providing them with evidence of the company’s illegal activities. Aaron and Carmen can’t help but wonder who, if anyone, discovered there was a whistle blower in their midst. And then, too, a serial killer used to call those mountains home.
Harper deftly handles the storyline by alternating her chapters between the present day investigation and the prior day-to-day troubles of the women’s group on the trail. In the here-and-now-investigation chapters, Falk, the local police, and the rangers find a tangled web of possibilities about what might of happened to Alice. Is she still alive?
In the up-close-and-personal chapters showing a women’s group starting a normal hike into the wilderness and then trying to find its way out alive, readers see that tensions, tempers, and mistakes are worse than police suspect.
Everyone, including Falk, has a past that complicates their reactions to the majestic wilderness. Falk carries memories of his father’s lonely hikes in those isolated mountains and wishes the family’s past had played out differently. Each of the women not only has personal and professional issues with the others in the group, but is distracted by unsettling family problems that keep pulling their focus away from making sensible decisions in a setting where terrain and weather always have the upper hand. So much for creating a cohesive team.
Malcolm R. Campbell is the author of contemporary fantasy, paranormal, and magical realism short stories and novels.

industry_corpus2: Literature & Emotions


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When we get the internet connection, our internet provider gives the details and password and other controls with default values. We need to change these default values like m username and password.
Here we will explain the procedure for changing admin password for linksys router using linksys smart wi fi setup wizard.
Our router’s web based admin page can be accessed only after authenticating with admin password. This is the reason why changing your admin password is really important.
If your password has never been updated after your router’s installation then anyone connected to your Wi-Fi network or through cable can access your router’s admin web based page with default password. And then that person can do any change in settings and securities of your router, your data will no more be secured. So it is always required to change the router’s admin password.
Even in case when we forget our admin password and reset our router to bring everything in its default version, the admin password of linksys router will become ‘admin’ which is default for linksys routers. In this case also again we need to change our router’s admin password.
To access the router’s web-based smart Wi-Fi setup page, we need to open any web browser and enter the IP Address of the router in URL bar and press enter.
After pressing enter the setup page loads and it prompts asking for your admin Username and admin Password. Here you need to provide your admin login credentials to access your router’s web based setup page.
Default password for linksys router is ‘admin’.
Once logged in click on the Administration tab and enter your new password in Router Password field followed by re-entering same password in Re-enter to confirm field.
Now Click Save Settings then click the Continue button on the next page with message “Settings are Successful”.
Posted in Linksys Smart WiFi and tagged http //linksyssmartwifi.com setup, http //myrouter.local, linksys router login, linksys smart wi fi login, smart Linksys wi fi sign in.


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If you're looking to discover somewhere new, look no further than Massanes. Whether you're planning to stay for a night or for the week, the area around Massanes has accommodations to fit every need. Search for hotels in Massanes with Hotels.com by checking our online map. Our map displays the areas and neighborhoods around all Massanes hotels so you can see how close you are from landmarks and attractions, and then refine your search within the larger area. The best Massanes hotel deals are here with our lowest price guarantee.
Where are the Best Places to Stay in Massanes?

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


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Manual directory submissions are important for you and you should do it wisely for the effective SEO and internet marketing. This can help your online business grow over time and you will see the high rankings gradually.
Many times people just get engaged in automated systems and do the directory submissions with the help of automated software. This practice should be avoided. Here are the top reasons why you should avoid automated system and try manual directory submissions.
Submitting your site to the major search engine friendly web directories in Malaysia is one of the best ways to market your online business. With the help of best manual directory submissions service you can get the fast search engine rankings.
Backlinks plays a major role in indexing and ranking your site in the search engines. If you have fever backlinks you may be lacking something. But if you can invest some time or money or both, you can boost up your search engine rankings in very less time.
If you are looking for the best SEO Malaysia services that are genuine and profitable for you business, then you should look for the most reliable and trust worthy SEO company in Malaysia that can help you out.
Your business site and WebPages will start showing higher in the search engines. And in no time you can reach at the first page of Google with the help of manual directory submissions.
Manual submissions are very helpful to get your website and inner pages indexed fast.
It helps you get one way backlinks that are highly valued by major search engines like Google, Yahoo and others.
Google and other search engines just hate the automated systems that are made for ranking your site high. It may be possible that you get adverse affects and you get banned by these search engines.
It is therefore important for you that you take care and think wisely before you go for directory submissions. There are today many of the submission services that can help you get fast positive results. You can hire the experts and professionals who deal with your professionally and provide you the manual submissions for your high rankings.


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For 21 years JBHE has collected black student admissions data on the highest-ranked liberal arts colleges. Over this long period, there have been eight years when Amherst College in Massachusetts reported the highest percentage of Black first-year students. In fact, Amherst has led the rankings for the six of the past seven years. On six occasions, Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, had enrolled the highest percentage of Black first-year students. Williams College has also been a consistent performer in attracting a large group of Black first-year students and has consistently been at or near the top of the rankings.
This year, Amherst College once again holds the top spot in our survey. There are 74 Black first-year students at Amherst this fall. They make up 15.8 percent of the first-year class. This is largest percentage of Black first-year students at any of the high-ranking liberal arts colleges in the 21 years that JBHE has conducted this survey. A year ago, there were 57 Black first-year students at Amherst. They made up 12.2 percent of the entering class. Two years ago, Amherst dropped to fourth place in our survey with an entering class that was 10.3 percent Black.
Barnard College in New York City has 74 Black students in its entering class. They make up 12 percent of all incoming students. This ranks Barnard third in our survey, its highest ranking in the history of the JBHE survey. Last year, there were 60 Black women in the Barnard entering class, making up 10.3 percent of the first-year students. Two years ago, Barnard was in 11th place in our survey with an entering class that was 7.3 percent Black. Barnard was helped this year by a high Black student yield of 50 percent. This was the highest yield among the high-ranking liberal arts collegs in our survey.
Wesleyan University, which as stated, has led our rankings on six occasions including two years ago, ranks fourth in this year’s survey. There are 87 Black freshmen at Wesleyan this year and they make up 11.5 percent of the entering class. Two years ago when Wesleyan led the rankings, Blacks were 11.3 percent of the entering class.
As stated, Williams College has been a consistent performer and this year is no exception. There are 55 Black first-year students at Williams this year. Williams ranks fifth in our survey with a freshman class that is 10.1 percent Black.
Oberlin College in Ohio, a liberal arts institution with a long history of providing educational opportunities for African Americans, ranks in sixth place this year with an entering class that is 8.4 percent Black, down from 9.5 percent a year ago.
Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York is the only other liberal arts colleges in our survey where Blacks are 8 percent or more of the entering class.
Before we continue with the results, it is important to mention how the U.S. Department of Education collects data on the race of undergraduates. Before the change was made several years ago, students who reported more than one race (including African American) were included in the figures for Black students. This is no longer the case. Thus, students who self-identify as biracial or multiracial with some level of African heritage are no longer classified as Black by the Department of Education.
JBHE surveys have always asked respondents to include all students who self-identify as having African heritage including those who are actually from Africa. JBHE has always maintained that biracial, multiracial, and Black students from Africa add to the diversity of a college campus. And including these students in our figures offers college-bound Black students a better idea of what they can expect at a given college or university. In order that we can compare our current data to past JBHE surveys we have continued to asked colleges and universities to include all students who identify themselves as having African heritage.
Some colleges who have not responded to our survey are insistent on reporting only data that is compatible with the Department of Education reporting requirements. They are reluctant to report data to JBHE because their numbers of Black students will be lower than colleges and universities that include biracial and multiracial students with African heritage in their figures.
Now we turn to a comparison of this year’s results with the data from last year. For the 24 colleges for which we have data in both 2013 and 2014, only 10 colleges posted gains over last year in black enrollments. Fourteen colleges showed a decline.
Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, posted the highest percentage gain in Black first-year students. But this is due to a very small number of Black students. In 2013, there were only 9 Black first-year students at Washington and Lee. This year there are 17. Despite the large percentage gain, Washington and Lee remains near the bottom of our overall rankings with a first-year class that is 3.6 percent Black.
Pomona College showed a 71.4 percent gain in Black first-year students. Other liberal arts colleges with significant percentage increases in Black first-year students are Amherst College, Barnard College, and Hamilton College.
Liberal arts colleges that showed significant declines in Black first-year students were Bates College in Maine, Grinnell Colleg in Iowa, and Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.
Acceptance rate data is a closely guarded secret at many high-ranking universities. But most of the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges are willing to disclose this information. This year, Amherst College, who had the highest percentage of Black first-year students was the only high-ranking liberal arts college that declined to provide its Black student acceptance rate.
Two years ago, for the first time in the history of the JBHE survey of liberal arts colleges, more responding colleges had a lower acceptance rate for Black students than their overall acceptance rate compared to the number of colleges that had a Black acceptance rate that was higher than their overall rate. This was true again last year and this year makes the third year in a row.
While no firm conclusions can be made, the fact that for the past three years there are now more colleges with overall acceptance rates that are higher than Black acceptance rates, causes one to wonder if there has been some curtailment in colleges’ consideration of race in admissions decisions.
At nine of the 23 high-ranking liberal arts colleges for which we have data, the Black acceptance rate was higher than the acceptance rate for all applicants. In some cases the differences were very large. At Williams, the Black acceptance rate of 38.7 percent is double the rate for all Williams students, which stood at 19.3 percent. At Claremont McKenna College in California, the Black student acceptance rate was more than double the rate for all students.
At 14 of the 23 high-ranking liberals arts colleges for which we have data, the Black acceptance rate was lower than the rate for all students. At some, the differences were substantial. For example, at Macalester College in Minnesota, 36.3 percent of all students were accepted but only 16.3 percent of Black students were admitted.
Why wasn’t Middlebury College included in this year’s survey?
They were asked to but did not reply to our survey.
I think the acceptance numbers are terrible. How many black students are being rejected because the schools have limited financial aid to give? It would be helpful to understand if these kids are being rejected because of poor SAT and GPA scores. What is the profile of the kids who are being admitted?

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


text: The authors evaluated the risk for pregnancy-related hypertension among previously healthy women who conceived within 5 years of exposure to drinking water contaminated with Escherichia coli O157.H7 in Walkerton, Canada (2000). Chronic hypertension was defined as systolic/diastolic blood pressure >/=140/90 mm Hg before 20 weeks gestation; gestational hypertension was defined as new onset systolic/diastolic blood pressure >/=140/90 mm Hg >/=20 weeks gestation. The incidence of hypertension was compared between women who were asymptomatic during the outbreak to those who experienced acute gastroenteritis. Blood pressure data were available for 135 of 148 eligible pregnancies. The adjusted relative risks for chronic and gestational hypertension were 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3-7.7) and 1.0 (95% CI: 0.4-2.5), respectively. Mean arterial pressure before 20 weeks gestation was 2.7 mm Hg higher in women who had acute gastroenteritis (95% CI: 0.05-5.4). A trend toward higher chronic hypertension and mean arterial pressure in early pregnancy was observed among women who experienced gastroenteritis after exposure to bacterially-contaminated drinking water.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


text:
Ryan began his professional life in digital marketing. His first company, Suitcase Interactive, was a consistent best-digital-agency award winner. And his tenacity and forward thinking also led him, personally, to being awarded a coveted place on the auspicious 40 under 40 list. (Notice that we’re not telling you many years ago that was, we’re kinda attached to our kneecaps ; ) Those seminal years also led him to the enlightenment that the whole concept of advertising and digital agencies was dead. From there it was a short putt to the birth of Cult, one of North America’s first true engagement agencies.
As Cult’s President, his legacy as a pioneering thinker has blossomed from pushing pixels, to pushing forward what marketing actually means. He founded The Gathering in 2012, honouring cult-like brands that put the generation of movements before the creation of ad campaigns, it is now widely acknowledged to be one of North America’s premier annual marketing conferences. And it’s an idea that has introduced Cult to brands like Keurig, Converse, Airbnb, UFC, Las Vegas Tourism and Red Bull, among many others… hey, there’s only so many names you can drop in one bio.
Never one to whine about the status quo, but rather put his energy into finding a better way, his latest innovation is the founding of a whole new operating model for marketers, both on the client side and in the industry that serves them. Called Communo, it is an incomparable brain trust of talent for brands, a human resources platform for marketing professionals, and an unprecedented business development engine for both.
In his “spare time” he continues his strong commitment to giving back, both here at home in Calgary, and around the world. He spearheads Cult’s ongoing monthly commitment to Ronald McDonald House, and continues to lead Project Smile, the international relief organization he founded over a decade ago. And he even managed to find some spare, spare time to co-author three editions of Fix: Breaking The Addiction That’s Killing Brands, Cult’s thought leadership book that’s changing the way CEOs and CMOs see the marketing function.
My Dad. He’s kind, honest, simple, insightful, hardworking and quick to the point. Now why can’t all advertising be like that!


text:
A diving course is the start of a lifelong adventure! Everyone with normal health can learn to dive. Diving is fun and relaxing as it’s on the same time is exiting and thrilling.
H2O in Lund offers PADI courses at all levels from beginner level to Instructor level courses. We also offer technical dive courses for example DSAT Tec deep.
At H2O in Lund we will help you to become a self-sufficient and safe diver, we therefore include two days of extra diving upon finishing the new beginner diving course – Open Water Diver. We believe that those extra supervised diving gives you a lot of additional comfort and experience. After successfully completing the entry-level course, you’ll receive a PADI Open Water Diver certificate, the world’s most widely recognized diving certificate. This entitles you to rent equipment and participate in dive excursions all over the world.
If you want to continue your dive education we offer may special courses such as deep diver, wreck diver and underwater photographer, as a PADI Five star IDC center we also leadership and instructor courses.


text: Sterling silver chains bracelet by Paula Rosellini. This beautiful designer bracelet features six rows of chains realised in Italian sterling silver. Bracelet measures 19 cm (7.5") and is available exclusively in the UK from the Farfallina Online Jewellery Boutique.

industry_corpus2: Others


text:
This is a Commercial Office in Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), Kuala Lumpur. The size of this unit was approximately 1,216 square feet or 112.97 square meter.
GRADE A Corporate Office Tower near KLCC!!
1. All units listings may vary from time to time.
2. Various sizes from 1Ksft to 15Ksft and furnishing options available.
3. Rental negotiable by terms.
Menara HLA situated right in the KL Golden Triangle. easily accessible and Surrounding developments include hotels ( Hilton, Impiana KLCC, Crown Plaza and Novotel), condominiums (Marc Residence etc.). office towers, retail centers (Pavilion etc).
We are Specialists in Office Rental within the GREATER KL / Klang Valley Region. Please Call 0122035517 for viewing arrangement.


text:
Peer through the haze of the Lucky Strikes and behold the future!
Jeff Halpern isn’t a rarity. “Local kid grows up to play for hometown club” headlines pop up every day…in Toronto, New York, Edmonton. But Washington, DC is not them. Who joins Halpern as DC’s all stars?
Garth Snow sat on the hand he was dealt, but folded again. And with reason. Don’t dwell on the “again” factor.
After the announcement that possibly 6 teams could be forced west, the American Hockey League revealed the divisional makeup for the 2014-15 season.
Curious moves, to say the least.
That’s the Merriam-Webster definition. Many times in life we encounter changes or explanations which can be described this way. Google Maps updates the voice in the guided GPS, breweries change label font, things that ultimately do nothing to the natural flow of life. These are instances that we all ignore at worst, comment on with a heart of neutrality at best.
Fans of the Islanders are used to events less innocuous. Much. Less.
Kevin Poulin has been through a lot in the last two seasons. And now he’s elected to have his employers say mean things to him in person.
On the second day of free agency the New York Islanders spent money, lots of it, on top-6 scoring.
The opening 15min of Christmas In July is normally chaos. A new signing every minute, dollar figures higher than most can count, and pairings of odd bedfellows. That happened to a degree, but after Hour Two.


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Contest, with the participation of 1200 schools, in collaboration with the ministry of education.
You have a slight case of Daltonism whereby the degradation between grey and pink are lost to you, and that your new laptop – which you see as sliver-ish – is actually girly pink?
What, you have a small hearing disability whereby some syllables get confused for you and so a kind comment can be heard as an insult to your ears?
What if you have a leg very slightly shorter than the other and therefore you trip more often than not?
Now, let us take these small impairments to the fullest extent – what if you are blind, deaf and wheelchair-bound? When was the last time you had to guess which floor button to push in an elevator because it is not Braille marked? When was the last time you went to a play and it was subtitled on the back of the chair in front of you so that you could understand the dialogues instead of hearing them? When was the last time you found ramps for your wheelchair no matter where you were around town?
It is not always easy to have a disability, and having one does not make a person handicapped. A person is born or acquires a disability throughout his or her life, but it is the fact the society does not help him overcome this disability that they becomes handicapped.


text:
I've been using Tricaster since the first version and have experience on all models including the 850. I've streamed many live events and have a great deal of technical knowledge. I'm always looking for new clients for all levels.
Available as director/TD or as a tech. Visit http://www.ravensworks.com/site/Live_Event.html for samples and resume, or contact me.
My website has changed. Now simply to go www.ravensworks.com, or reach me at 512.470.0967. Thanks!
I also what to recommend Jared, saw him in action over the weekend on a sister production, he's one of us Tricaster MacGyvers for sure.


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Can I have extra days if needed?
This is dependant on availability in your child's room. Please speak to the director.
Can I visit my child whenever I like?
Yes we have a Queensland Government Approved Kindy Program delivered by an Early Childhood Teacher Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm during school terms. Long day care is provided before and after these hours.
Do you toilet train children?
Yes, we work together with the parents when they feel their child is ready.
How much notice do I need to cease care?
We require two weeks written notice.
Is there a minimum weekly booking?
No, however most children benefit and settle easier if they have a minimum of two days. In order to qualify for our Kindergarten Program children must attend 15 hours a week, therefore they need to attend a minimum of two days.
What are the daily fees?
Please contact our centre for more information.
You will also need to contact Centrelink (13 61 50) to check your eligibility and to register for CCB and CCR payments. This will determine your weekly gap fee. Fees are to be paid one (1) week in advance.
Normal fees will apply, however a makeup day will be given to use throughout the calendar year.
What happens when my child’s educator is away?
Staff on annual leave are noted in our newsletters and the children are informed prior to their leave so they know which educators will be in the room. Our casuals are assigned to rooms for the year and we have a full-time float who all the children know so if an educator is unable to attend work the children are familiar with everyone who works at the centre.
What if I am late picking up my child?
If your child is not collected by 6:30pm late fees apply at $5.00 per minute.
What if my child is absent or on holidays?
Please notify the centre by 8am if your child is not attending. Normal fees apply for sick days and general absences. If you are going on holidays, please complete a holiday form at least two weeks prior to receive the holiday discount rate.
The best place for a sick child is home, receiving one-on-one care and we ask that you keep your child home if they are unwell. This helps reduce the spread of infection to other children and educators. If your child becomes ill during the day, we will contact you to collect your child. Normal fees are applied for sick days with no make up days available.
What is the orientation procedure?
For a lot of children Gumnuts will be their first time away from home. Every child begins their learning journey differently. We ask that parents bring their child to Gumnuts for at least two orientation mornings on the days they will be attending to enable them to become familiar with their educators and the children who will be in their room.
When do children move to other rooms?
All children develop at different rates. The director will discuss with families when she feels it is time to begin transitioning their child and continue to work closely with parents/carers.
Sometimes we understand you might have some questions and so the following list of frequently asked questions has been created to assist you.
If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to contact us.
Choosing a child care centre for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make. Gumnuts is built around trust, safety, love and a stimulating environment that encourages all children to learn.
Gumnuts offers the highest quality child care in Buderim. We invite you to contact us and discuss how we can help with your child's early development.
Gumnuts offers services for families in Buderim and surrounding areas.


text:
This week we are busy getting ready to take 30 friends from Harbor Mid-City and Harbor West down to Tijuana.
The organizational logistics side of these trips does challenge some of my weaknesses, but I do love getting people involved in cross-cultural outreach.
I don’t enjoy organizing the trips nearly as much as I love seeing people serve in this way. I suppose the complete package, even though it’s a lot of work is one of my favorite things.
Since we’ve done a few of these trips now the Lord has blessed me with a good team to help me organize the trips. I’ve recruited to my weaknesses, and as a team we are strong. This enables us to have a much better experience in preparation for the trip as well as on the day of the trip.
The Lord encourages me as I see friends from our church in the U.S. meet friends in Mexico.
Magic happens when these two cultures collide for the kingdom. God somehow uses it.
My goal for these mission trips in Tijuana is for those from the U.S. to be stretched, and to serve our Mexican brothers and sisters. The goal on the Mexican side is two-fold. One we want to help the church in this case Lo Mejor del Trigo in Pípila reach out and bless their community. Secondly, we want to encourage those in the church in Pípila.
When we bring big groups into Mexico there is always a huge need for prayer. I don’t think the enemy likes what we are doing, so we have to pray for protection. We pray that he will guide and lead us as well as use us along with our Mexican brothers and sisters to be a loving witness in the community.
Pray especially for Pastor Rodrigo and his wife, Nancy. The church is coming up on its one year anniversary. They’ve seen slow, but steady growth. Our hope is that events like this might give them a boost, and move them forward some as they seek to make a difference for Christ in Pípila.
Thanks for standing with us on this journey, and keep us in praying leading up to the trip, and especially on Saturday.
I will be sure to report how things went, so stay tuned.
Love, love, love your posts. Praying!
just remember that if your faith moves you to action and you are doing God’s will, he will make a way for you and your ministry to be successful – he will protect all those doing the same. I stand with you and Pastor Rodrigo and his church as well – I pray your work will bring much glory to God!
amen….since God led me to your blog over a year ago, I have felt that he is with you in your ministry – may he remain and lead you in all things!
That’s very encouraging – Amen, let it be!
Running a bit behind here, but I hope it went well.
I thank the Lord for your faithful service and pray for you.
Absolutely. Blessings and safety to you all.


text:
Melbourne United are headed back to the NBL playoffs, after defeating the New Zealand Breakers 111-102 in an overtime thriller.
United overcame a slow start and a late fightback on Sunday to complete back-to- back wins over the Breakers, extending their unbeaten run to four games.
DJ Kennedy's three-pointer broke a 91-91 deadlock in the final minutes of regulation, but Corey Webster sent the game into overtime on a triple with 10 seconds to play.
Casper Ware took over for Melbourne in the extra period, scoring seven of United's 15 points to wrap up the win.
Melbourne retain top spot on the ladder with a 16-8 record and confirm their place in the finals with two rounds to play.
After being smashed 107-87 by United on Friday at home, the Breakers stunned the crowd at Melbourne Arena, as they raced out to a 15-point lead early in the second quarter.
But the defending champions refocused to outscore New Zealand 25-9 to lead at halftime, before piling on 34 points in the third quarter.
With their season on the line, the Breakers made a late charge to send the game into overtime, before falling short at the end.
Mitch McCarron (25 points, eight rebounds, six assists) led the way for Melbourne, while Kennedy (23 points, nine rebounds, six assists) produced another solid all-round game.
Shawn Long was a dominant figure under the basket for New Zealand with 28 points and 14 rebounds, while Shea Ili added 18.
Tai Wesley ensured the Breakers made a strong start by scoring their opening eight points and Ili swished a buzzer-beating heave from near the half-court line for the 29-21 advantage.
New Zealand opened the second term with seven-straight points, as the lead blew out to 36-21, before Melbourne worked their way back into the match.
Ahead 46-45 at the end of the first half, United exploded out of the blocks with a 19-5 start to the third stanza.
The visitors managed to stem the flow, but with McCarron shooting sweetly from beyond the arc, Melbourne went into the final quarter up 80-68.
But United could not close out the win in regulation, New Zealand running off a 28-16 fourth term to extend the game.


text:
You dread manual tasks but your accounting process is full of them. This is a classic case of why many people end up switching to the cloud. Automating your processes seems like a no-brainer right? Then why haven’t you made the switch? Here we will entice you just a little more. Below is a perfect example of how making a change, though scary, can make your work life much easier. Here are Sage Intacct Smart Rules.
Sage Intacct has these nifty little things called Smart Rules. These Smart Rules allow Sage Intacct to automatically perform tasks when a specified goal is met. They can be used to do a variety of things but in our demo we show how they can send email notifications.
To get your own demo of the Sage Intacct Smart Rules or a free 30 day trial of Sage Intacct please reach out to us on our contact page, give us a call at 855-913-3228, or send us an email at info@altavistatech.com!


text: Proofpoint, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFPT) is a leading cybersecurity company that protects organizations’ greatest assets and biggest risks: their people. With an integrated suite of cloud-based solutions, Proofpoint helps companies around the world stop targeted threats, safeguard their data, and make their users more resilient against cyber attacks. Leading organizations of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 1000, rely on Proofpoint to mitigate their most critical security and compliance risks across email, the cloud, social media, and the web. No one protects people, the data they create, and the digital channels they use more effectively than Proofpoint.

industry_corpus2: Information Services


text:
Is this an Air Show or a Dance Video?? - One person's lack of compassion does not equal another's comfort.
Is this an Air Show or a Dance Video??


text: Need to make a plastic surgeon appointment this week? Use Zocdoc to find plastic surgeons near you who take Banker's Life insurance. It’s simple, secure and free.


text:
Hire me today and get everything sorted!
My name is Atiqur and I’m a WooCommerce Expert. I have been working with WooCommerce for the last 4 years. I’ve gathered a lot of knowledge on wooCommerce while working with lot of wooCommerce websites. My rate is pretty fair and reasonable which is just $25/hr. If you want to Hire WooCommerce Expert , try me today! Ask for a Free Quote today!
What A OWNER SAY ?
I provide website maintenance service. I take care of updating themes,plugins and fixing errors by checking error log files in the shortest possible time.
I know how it feels when you do not get the job done within the time frame you expect. So my goal is to make you happy delivering work in time. I do not make promise that I can’t keep.
Responsiveness is a panic now a days. Here I am to give you the solution. I use twitter bootstrap framework while coding html to make your website ultra responsive!
One of the best services I provide is website speed optimization. My goal is to give you at least 85% score in all of the modern speed testing tools.
Atiqur is expert in developing multilingual websites with WPML plugin. I show my clients how to use this plugin in future development so they do not need to hire a developer every time they need it!
Atiqur provides blogging consultation service. I teach the best practices to make your blog nice and cool. Do you need to set up a blog? Shoot me an email and I’ll get back to you shortly!
As Atiqur is a WooCommerce Expert , he builds woocommerce extensions as you need. I give the best quote to develop a woo extension. Send me an email with the details and I will get back to you!
Atiqur develops wordpress custom plugins as you need. Just send me the details and get a free quote! Try it today!


text:
March is nearly done and dusted for another year. How it's already that time in the month I do not know. Anyway, here are some posts you've been loving this month! If you missed them the first time or maybe just want to have a re-read, here they are for you.
Lip Service-Lip scrubs, lip balms and lip butters. They're all perfect prepping tools to use if you want your lips to be conditioned and moisturised. This roundup of products will have you set, whatever your budget or lip servicing needs may be.
The Mac Eyeshadow Palette-After getting annoyed with the clutter of Mac eyeshadows through my makeup bag, I took the plunge and bought one of their palettes to house my shadows. Here's my tips for choosing colours and some suggestions for depotting your Mac eyeshadow or blushes.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush-The title says it all really. Towards the end of February, Hourglass's new Ambient Lighting Blushes made their way onto Mecca's shelves across New Zealand and Australia. They are certainly stunning. I picked up Mood Exposure, a soft plum. All the details are in this review but I have loved this blush all month. It's more or less all that's been gracing my cheeks.
The French Pharmacy Gems-Escentual's 1/3 offer on French Pharmacy brands was simply too good to ignore. These gems are well-loved by bloggers and beauty lovers alike, so I added them to my basket. So far, I am liking them both. Nuxe's Reve De Miel in particular is going to be so handy in Winter when my lips decide to dry out.


text: Stirling is a store forming a part of Halfords chain. It is open on: Monday 09:00 - 20:00, Tuesday 09:00 - 20:00, Wednesday 09:00 - 20:00, Thursday 09:00 - 20:00, Friday 09:00 - 20:00. At weekends its opening hours are: on Saturday 09:00 - 18:00, on Sunday 10:00 - 17:00. This store's address is: Unit 7, Springkerse Retail Park, Muirton Roundabout, FK7 7TL, Stirling, Stirlingshire county. To reach the customer service directly please call the number 01786 448857. It is also possible to use fax: 01786 447682. Stirling is frequented by many people inhabiting nearby towns like Bannockburn, Plean, Cowie.


text:
Black Sea Travels – Day 9, Artvin to …anywhere PLEASE!
Back to room, packed, prayed for a good day and bought water before heading off towards Ardanuç with the damp washing laid out on the parcel shelf! Going east from Artvin, the road was far more windy and steep, as though the construction guys had given up on tunnels and decided to go around and over the mountains instead. We were amazed at the speed that some of the Turkish drivers used on this road, although after being overtaken by one van, we later passed it pulled up on the verge with one passenger outside, bent over after being ill… Oh dear. The high roads also gave us a full view of the new dam project this side of Artvin, and a sudden understanding of what a ‘scarred landscape’ really looks like. Everywhere lines in the hillsides and electric wires zigged zagged infront of us, and it actually felt quite devastatingly shocking after passing through so much untouched countryside before.
As we passed through the mountains and further from the verdant, rainy coast, the landscape changed to be more arid and scrubby. Again, this came as a surprise after the tree-covered slopes before. Entering into a dusty, dry gorge, we soon came across Ardanuç Ferhatlı kalesı (Ferhatlı castle) which was mounted on a rocky outcrop overlooking the steep sided valley.
As we stepped out to take pictures, the heat and the sound of the crickets hit us with force, and although the olive lined valley floor provided a quite intriguing contrast to the bare rock beneath the castle, we were glad to get back to the air-conditioned car! It seemed as though we had just slipped through a door into a totally different country. At the other end of the gorge was Ardanuç castle, which, although less impressive in itself, showed off an incredible location on top of an unnaturally flat plateau of rock.
We then continued along what we thought was the main road marked clearly on our new map. However, the road just seemed to get worse and worse… What was more, this road was following the river on the valley floor, whereas our desired road seemed to be much higher and staying above the valley. The gorge was amazing, but the road had no surface and was severely pot-holed. Halfway along we found a building site, where work was going on to take rock from the cliff, presumably to widen the track. But still no good road. We then emerged from the gorge into a new valley where the track was equally small, but the surrounding hills were far more alpine in look. After another few km we admitted that the roads we were seeing differed so much from the map in hand that we really were lost. We stopped to ask directions from 4 ladies (actually the only 4 people we had seen wandering along the track) who confirmed that we were a way from our intended route and directed us up a track that apparently took us to a village where we could (according to the map) meet the main road at a later point. So, we headed off, only to realise that the track was just as bumpy and pot-holed, yet now also steep as it was starting to climb the valley side. There were also a few vehicles coming down the track which meant progress was slow and cautious.
After a while we had climbed along and up far enough to have a view over the whole wide spreading valley. It was absolutely stunning and very Heidi-esque. By now though we were feeling rather desperate to find a good road. Surely it was only a matter of time before the car decided to give up on such poor, bumpy and steep roads? We drove on into another village where Mark jumped out and asked directions from some villagers chatting and drinking tea by the village mosque. They pointed onwards to a village of wooden chalets that we hoped would be Geçitli, the village where we could meet the main road. Upon arrival there, with no sign of any main road (or any road at all, for that matter), Mark jumped out again and spoke with two elderly men. At this point Ruth suddenly became aware that the flies flying into the car through Mark’s open door were HUGE; about the length of the top part of your thumb. Euuugh! Disgusting.
The men directed us up a road that actually seemed better paved than we had hoped, but, after driving for a minute or so, we saw that the road was continuing onwards to the valley side, with no mountain pass to drive through, just up, up, up on a steep winding curve. At this point we felt quite trapped. We couldn’t go back along the awful track, but the only way onwards was to scale the mountain in front of us. We had to go on, so pushed the poor car into a first gear crawl up the hill. What a hill! We wound around and up for a good few km without any sign of it stopping. And then, as we reached a long straight uphill stretch with views across the whole valley floor, the car made some distressed squealing noises, and we knew it had had enough.
Part of the view from where we broke down… not bad!
We halted halfway up the straight and turned the car off. Quite honestly, we really didn’t know what we were going to do. The village below had nowhere official to stay, we had no signal on our mobile phone and there was no shade on the road we were on because we were so high that only grass was able to grow. Even if we had managed to contact the car people in Istanbul, it was unlikely any breakdown cover (if they had any) would be able to find us here. Our only hope was that the car just needed a rest…! Mark opened the bonnet and immediately we could hear that the water in the car was boiling (which it should apparently never do). Of course, we were now so high up (around 2500m) that we could see areas of snow on the hills across the valley, so with high altitude and scorching weather, the water could boil much quicker than normal. We decided to pray and then wait an hour to see if we could continue. Wrapping his hand with an old T-shirt for protection, Mark managed to take off the water lid, much against Ruth’s will (everyone knows that’s very dangerous!), but in the best interest of cooling the car down. We then thought about ourselves. With no shade and thin air, we knew we needed shelter, water and sun protection. We got our hats and sunglasses, doused ourselves in sun cream and drank from our water reserves in the car.
One hour and lots of prayer later we tried the engine again – hurrah! It started! However, the guys had told us there was still 5km to go to the top… We slowly crawled along the track and eventually over the brow of the hill, expecting to see the main road awaiting us. However, all we could see was the dirt track winding off for miles, and road builders’ settlements along the roadsides. We realised that we were driving along a road that hadn’t been built yet! Eventually after another hour of crawling into and out of potholes, beside sheer drops to the valley below, and passing only the occasion JCB and one ruined castle, we reached the floor of the next valley, and found that the road, although still potholed, had at least had tarmac on it at one stage!
This place, and the next few hours of views, can only be explained as alpine plain. The valley floors stretched for miles on either side of the road, but as we were still very high up, no trees were growing here, so the grassland was full of wildflowers (above) whose scent floated on the breeze. Here and there we saw herds of cattle, grazing with their cowherd looking on, and elsewhere geese and ducks enjoyed an occasional puddle. It seemed that the local villages had this whole expanse of nature to themselves.
We continued along the empty road. Unfortunately our map marked towns of vastly varying populations with the same size ‘blob’, so we took a gamble on one that we hoped would be large enough to have a hotel. Some steep roads and a rather worryingly hot car later and we were in Şenkaya, but, to our dismay, our gamble hadn’t paid off and it was too small for a hotel.
Feeling rather like Mary and Joseph (even a stable would do!), we had no choice but to carry on for another hour or two until we could find another place that might be large enough. Along the way we passed Penek Church (one of the sights we had planned to see today before everything went wrong – above), so we took a photo from the road (sad not to be able to stop) and continued. The rock here changed colour again and we saw red outcrops of bare rock emerging from the ground. One massive example looked like Ayers Rock! Magnificent.
A man on the roadside signalled for a lift, so we picked him up and continued to Oltu, which – hurrah – was a good sized place and had at least 3 hotels. Our passenger had said he would find one for us (we had said we wanted to find a hotel) and so he soon found the manager for one place on the main town road. The room was decent and had a very basic shower room. The toilet was a squatty one, shared with other guests, but the manager said we would have this floor (there were 4 rooms to a floor) to ourselves this evening anyway, so we didn’t need to worry. We went out for a walk and found a sparse but welcome park along the riverside. It was also at the foot of an impressive citadel that sits right in the middle of Oltu. Opposite the citadel was an intriguing statue of a hand holding a string of Islamic prayer beads, and we later found that Oltu taşı (Oltu stone) is famously used for making these beads.
Then we found a little lokanta and ate well before watching Old Dogs in our hotel room. This would ordinarily have been a terrible film, but it was quite a relief to watch light-hearted slapstick after a rather long, tense day. Mark went to bed and Ruth went to brush teeth in the corridor sink. Weirdly the hotel receptionist (a guy) chose this moment (10.30pm) to come and ask for our passports and payment! After our long day we both enjoyed a good night’s sleep.

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


text:
Good Morning. It’s going to be another beautiful travel day. Today we will be going through Houston, Texas. I think we will be glad it is a Saturday and not a week day going through during rush hour. That is our hope anyway. We have no idea how far we are going today. We will see how it goes.
Day 118. We didn’t get on the road quite as early as planned, but no big deal. We are retired with nothing set in stone. It was an expensive gas day, almost $200 total. We filled up before we got on the road and then again when we stopped for the night. So our day of traveling cost us $74 in gas. At that rate we will need few free nights in Walmart parking lots to make up for it.
You don’t have to cross the border and go into another country to go through a border patrol checkpoint. We went through one today on our way north. The expressway was closed off and we were directed through the checkpoint. Traffic moved along quickly. The agent only asked us if anyone else was in the car. Clyde said no just our dog. The agent nodded and moved us through. We believe they photographed every car that went through. That’s ok, I took their picture too.
We had beautiful weather the entire day and evening. We stopped for lunch at a rest area shortly after the border patrol checkpoint. My, was the rest area crowded. It appeared everyone else had the same idea. I love having the motorhome and being able to make our lunches fresh when we stop and if there isn’t a picnic table available we can always eat inside, which we did. We did see a number of other RV’ers on the road heading north right along with us. I guess we aren’t the only ones who migrate north along with the birds.
Our goal was to make it to Wharton, Texas where there is a Bucee’s and a Walmart and then decide if we wanted to continue driving or stop for the night. We made it to Wharton around 4pm and decided it would be a good time and place to spend the night. We filled up with gas at Bucee’s and went inside to see what it was like. The place was packed. It is a huge gas station with a Cracker Barrel type gift area inside along with a party store type area. There is also individual areas to get baked goods, ice cream, fudge, salads, fruit, tacos, BBQ, and much more. It was kind of overwhelming at first. We walked around the entire store and then decided what we wanted to buy. Clyde got a BBQ sandwich with homemade potato chips and coconut cream pie in a cup for desert. I got a salad and cheesecake. There is no place inside Bucee’s to eat, so we took our food back to the motorhome and drove next door to the Walmart for the night. Our food was good, but the cheesecake wasn’t anywhere near as good as my daughter Melissa’s or even Eli’s, but I ate it anyway.
The Walmart had a number of truckers already parked when we arrived. It is a nice large parking lot with plenty of room to find your spot. Before it got dark a few other campers joined us. We were able to put our bedroom slide out, which is always nice.
Good morning. Last night was the first night in a very long time that we opened a window for sleeping. I love the fresh air. We shouldn’t even need a coat or sweater today with a high around 80.
Day 74. We got on the road yesterday about 8:30 am. There were a number of different routes we could have taken to get to our destination, South Padre Island. I decided to take the western route, which was mostly expressway, going through the major cities. I chose to go this way because I figured on our way back north we would be taking the eastern route and I want us to see as much of this beautiful country as possible.
This route was not fun and exciting. We went through construction areas with the concrete barricades, which are extremely stressful, all along I-35. Taking this route we went through Austin and San Antonio and all of the towns in-between. It was heavy traffic all most the entire day.
We didn’t find a rest area/picnic area until a little after 1 pm. My poor husband was starving and the break was greatly needed to relieve some of the stress from the traffic and construction.
Once back on the road the drive was much better; no construction and a lot less traffic. We stopped again to fill up our propane tank which should last us the entire month of February. It was $3.09 a gallon! That’s the most we’ve had to pay per gallon yet. Gas prices are back up too. Ugh.
We could tell we had finally made it south. The temperature was warm enough to open our windows. We also saw our first cactus and our first oil rig.
After 312 miles, we made it to our destination for the night at 4:15 pm. That is later than we like to stop when setting up someplace, but when we stay in a parking lot it is just right. We are staying in the Corpus Christi Walmart parking lot off I-37 & US 77, exit 14. We were happy to get a spot that was along the grassy edge of the parking lot. It makes it so much nicer to be able to have the bedroom slideout out. We were later joined by 3 other campers. A trucker had arrived before us. We like it when we are joined by other overnighters. I guess there is safety in numbers.
As I mentioned previously, we like to shop at the places where we stay overnight for free and we had a few items on our list to get. Patty Pepper is not happy to be left behind and lets us know. Just look at that sad face below. We also are far enough south that our palm trees are back.
Our drive today should only be about 3 – 3 1/2 hours. Then fun in the sun and on the beach. I’ve got to find myself a good book to read. Loving this lifestyle.
Good Morning. We are now in Airport Park, a Corp of Engineering Campground in Waco, Texas. The temperature is currently 14. We took the same precautions we took the last few nights to protect our home from having the tanks and pipes freeze up. So far so good. The only thing we’ve noticed is the ice machine is not making ice. Hopefully when we warm up above freezing it will start working again with no ill effects.
Day 60. We took our time getting on the road yesterday. It was very cold outside and we knew we weren’t going too far to get to our next destination. We left Lake Lavonia about 10 a.m.
The only thing we really needed to do before arriving in Waco was fill up with propane. By the time we were ready to leave we were down to a 1/4 of a tank. Thanks to another reader and full-time RV’er, Al and Debbie of Our Coddiwomple Blog who suggested a Flying J in Waco that has propane, we weren’t worried about where to find it.
Once we were on the road, after looking to see what exit we were getting off and which exit the Flying J was at, I realized the Flying J was a few exits beyond the one we were getting off. I needed to find another option to fill our propane tank. Looking in the Next Exit book I found a Loves gas station, exit 386 off I-35, in Italy, Texas that not only had propane, it also was an easy in and out. It was just ahead of where we were and Patty Pepper was restless and not settling down. We needed to stop and let her out. How could you resist that cute face.
I love the Next Exit book. If you are a traveler and haven’t heard of it, I recommend getting one. It lists each exit and rest stops along the highway and what you will find at each one. We have the 2017 edition but the 2018 is now out.
When we pulled up to the propane tank at the Loves gas station a young man came out. You could tell he had no idea what he was doing. I asked if he had ever filled a motorhome before and he said no. I then asked if he could get someone with experience to show him what to do. He did. It all worked out in the end, but they only filled it 3/4 full. That was ok with me. I’d rather 3/4 full than overfilled. Propane there was only $2.09 a gallon. That’s the cheapest we’ve seen it on our recent travels. We got 10.8 gallons for $22.57. We wanted to fill Winnie up with gas but we didn’t like the price. The young man we were talking to said it was cheaper further south. So we decided to wait and get it later. With that accomplished we were back on the road.
We stopped for lunch at a rest area that again just happened to show up when we wanted to stop. How convenient. It was a really busy place. Every trucker on the road must have been hungry too. I love the ambiance of the Texas rest areas. Each one is a little different but inviting.
Our next stop was gas. We got off at our exit 339 and saw gas at $2.13 a gallon. That’s the cheapest we’ve seen in a long time. It was a Valero gas station and it was an easy in and out. $81 later we were on our way to our campsite.
Like the last Corp of Engineering campground, this one was off the beaten path too. The GPS on my phone had us turn in a road too soon. The sign said Airport park but it was the boat launch and also the road for airport personnel. A nice lady was right behind us and told us we needed to go down one more road. Unfortunately we had no room to turn around so we had to unhook the toad. While we were unhooking the car from the motorhome two more RV’ers also pulled into the wrong road. I guess we aren’t the only ones who mess up. Instead of hooking the car back up once we were turned around, I just drove it to our campsite.
We arrived at our site #61 about 2:30 pm. Again it was a bit later than we had thought we would be, but then again we are in no hurry. We traveled a total of 136 miles.
This campsite is perfect. We have a beautiful view, a long paved pad, large site with a separate patio area with a picnic table, fire pit and standing grill. We also have full hookups with 50 amps! There are a lot more campers here than at our last campground.
We are looking forward to exploring our new area. Loving this lifestyle.


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This post has nothing to do with writing (unless you buy into the “write drunk, edit sober” philosophy, I suppose). But one of my other primary hobbies is making cocktails, and I’ve developed a few quick-and-simple regular favorites I’ll share with you today.
Note on simple syrup: I do keep a batch of 2:1 simple syrup on hand. All I do is mix 2 parts sugar with 1 part water in a microwave-safe Pyrex measuring cup, then microwave and stir in 30-second bursts until it’s all blended. I sterilize a bottle by pouring boiling water over it, then pour in the simple syrup and and keep it in the fridge. I change it out every few months if I don’t use it all up.
Stir all liquid ingredients together, microwave until hot. (1 min 30 seconds in my microwave). If it strikes your fancy, add a cinnamon stick after heating. Easy-peasy.
This one is a bit more work and has a few more ingredients than other cocktails on this list, but trust me, it’s worth it. It’s a favorite with friends and I’m always asked to make it during the annual “Drunken NaNoWriMo” event I do with a few friends.
Muddle the mint and (optional) basil leaves with the simple syrup. Add rest of ingredients, shake well with ice. Pour through strainer into ice-filled glass.
Combine vodka, lime, syrup, and bitters in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Pour over ice in highball glass and top with ginger ale to fill glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Heat the apple cider to desired temperature (I just microwaved it directly in the mug). Add the syrup, bourbon, and brandy, stir until well mixed. Garnish with a cinnamon stick (optional) and enjoy!
Combine all ingredients in blender with ice. Pulse to blend into a frozen slushie drink. (I have one of those small 1-serving smoothie blenders, but you could easily scale this up and make a larger batch for a group).


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Une autruche, un rat de l'opéra, un poussin noir ou une danseuse égarée...?
Non, juste une jupe en soldes mais qui fait son effet.
An ostrich, a rat's opera, a black chick or a dancer astray ...?
No, just a skirt on sale but with a nice effect.
So nice,and I love this touch of ostrich who eat an opera's rat due to the black chick who was kidnapped by a crazy dancer !!
oh I forgot ... very good idea the stars'rain with the computer mouse !


text: Bowls ~ 4 Quart Mixing Bowl Kitchen Classics Glass Qt The Happy Cook Stainless Steel 4 quart mixing bowl. Anchor Hocking Glass Mixing Bowl 4 Quart. 4 Qt Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl. 4 Quart Mixing Bowl With Handle.


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The Pressform fabrication service is efficient and can bring ideas to life with experience and quality manufacturing.


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Journalist Lee Siegel has written for a variety of really fancy publications, including Harper’s, the New Republic, the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books. He’s also a total student loan deadbeat.
But that’s kind of OK for him. His reasoning is a little questionable, but worth considering.
This is, he says, something many of today’s borrowers should also consider.
As is true of many public policy pieces that stem from personal anecdote, some of this doesn’t really right true. Or, at any rate, he doesn’t seem an entirely sympathetic character.
He writes that due to changing family finances “by the end of my sophomore year at a small private liberal arts college… my mother could no longer afford the tuition that the student loans weren’t covering. I transferred to a state college in New Jersey.” This may well be true, but his publically available bio indicates that he has both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Columbia, which is a really expensive school. He certainly didn’t need to get an M.Phil to be a reporter for the Nation and ARTNews and he didn’t need to go to Columbia to do this. He could have made quite a substantial career as a journalist at magazines of ideas armed only with a bachelor’s degree from the much cheaper Rutgers or something.
He writes sarcastically that “maybe the problem was that I had reached beyond my lower-middle-class origins and taken out loans to attend a small private college to begin with.” Well, perhaps this is true, but plenty of people from similarly modest backgrounds have gone to fancy colleges and become journalists and kept paying back their loans.
He points put that this was a financial decision. Because of the way student loans are provided (essentially to people with no assets, without regard to their ultimately ability to pay) the federal government makes it very unpleasant for people to default. Default ruins credit scores and makes it pretty hard, or just expensive, to do a lot of standard financial things, like buy cars or rent apartments.
But it’s not a moral decision. Financial institutions renegotiate loans all the time when people’s financial circumstances change. And, frankly, if this continues a lot more people may conclude that it simply makes more financial sense to default on their loans and accept the consequences than to struggle every month to pay huge debts. And then the federal government will just have to deal with that, and change the way we finance higher education.
We should maybe to prepared to address that if it happens. It’s not all that far-fetched a scenario.

industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics


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This week’s Message of the Week Award goes to anyone willing to ask the question: What country are Republicans living in?
What would you do about the war in Iraq?
How do you propose we help average families receive affordable health care?
How do you propose we keep the economy from slipping into a recession due to failed sub-prime loans?
What is your education platform?
If your party is for smaller government, how come the government has gotten bigger while Republicans have controlled all branches?
How can we rely less on foreign oil? Or even, what are your thoughts on the rising price of gas?
I can’t believe not one tough question about Iraq was asked. And it’s almost as hard to believe that none were asked on education, health care, or the economy. I guess the “liberal” media is now the “corporate” media. Pretty soon any one who wants to talk with a Republican is going to have to sign an oath that they will vote Republican.

industry_corpus2: Politics & Administration


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WARMING SMILE: Four-year-old Lorelei Busschaert plays with her toys at the kitchen table. The house where she lives with her parents and two siblings depends on an outdated oil heating system that propels heat through radiators like the one pictured behind her. The family hopes to convert to a more efficient natural gas system.
MEETING THE NEED: Augustin Busschaert and daughter Lorelei smile from their living room couch. Augustin works three jobs, but still has difficulty meeting the cost of heating oil during the winter months.
EAST PROVIDENCE — On a brisk January morning, wind coming in off Narragansett Bay whips down the street of the Riverside neighborhood, chilling anyone who ventures outside. Inside, however, homeowners Augustin and Colleen Busschaert are able to enjoy their Saturday morning in the warmth and coziness of their home, something they can attribute partially to “Keep the Heat On,” the diocesan heating assistance program.
“Every little bit helps,” said Augustin, sitting at his kitchen table while four-year-old daughter Lorelei played nearby.
In November, Augustin and Colleen were the recipients of a donation of heating oil from “Keep the Heat On,” a diocesan program founded in 2005 to provide heating assistance to families and individuals who have exhausted all other forms of public and private assistance. During the past 11 years, the program has helped nearly 10,000 families to heat their homes through the cold winter months.
The Busschaert family, who attend St. Brendan’s Parish, Riverside, has struggled over the past few years keep their home warm through the winter months. Last year’s storms hit them particularly hard, adding worries about the cost of heating oil to the already immense problem of removing snow from the sidewalks and driveway around their corner home. Like many New England families, the Busschaerts found themselves calling the oil company again and again as frigid temperatures and one snowstorm after another depleted their home’s heating oil reserves.
“We were filling up every two weeks come January,” said Colleen.
Despite milder temperatures and a busy work schedule, the family has continued to face difficulty meeting the cost of heating their home this winter season. Augustin, who has a degree in meteorology from Oswego State University in New York, works three days per week as a weather observer at T. F. Green Airport. On Wednesdays and Thursdays he commutes to Bradley Airport in Connecticut, and he works a third job as a custodian at St. Brendan’s Parish. Colleen, a stay-at-home mom, raises the couple’s three children, including 17-month-old James and teenage son John.
The couple purchased their Riverside home in 2010, and said they were immediately struck by the difficulty of paying to heat an entire house, as compared with the apartments and condominiums they had lived in previously.
For a few years, they participated in a heating assistance program through East Bay Community Action. This past fall, however, they were told they would no longer qualify for assistance, despite making less than they had in previous years. The couple began looking at other options to help them prepare for the upcoming winter and discovered “Keep the Heat On.” They applied for the diocesan heating program in November and almost immediately received a shipment of 50 gallons of heating oil.
Though Augustin and Colleen are constantly looking for ways to be efficient about their use of heat, conserving energy is difficult in their older home. Like many built in the Northeast, the house depends on a less-than-efficient oil heating system and can become drafty in the cold winter weather.
Colleen’s father is helping the couple to convert their house to a natural gas heating system, a change they anticipate will bring costs down considerably. However, the conversion won’t be complete until at least the upcoming spring, leaving the family to depend on oil heat through the rest of the winter.
Colleen and Augustin are hoping for a mild winter without last year’s February storms, but, given the recent volatile weather patterns, it is difficult to envision how much the family will be using their heating system over the next few months. Even Augustin, who has plenty of experience watching the weather, said he can’t predict what the rest of the season holds in store.
“It’s too bad it’s not a consistent thing,” he said.

industry_corpus2: Power & Energy


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The opening day of the 2017 Ohio Speed Sectionals in Columbus featured finals of three different events for men and women, along with the women’s 4×200 free relay.
The most notable name in action was former Louisville Cardinal Andrea Cottrell, who won the women’s 200 breast in a time of 2:30.17. Cottrell was recently a finalist in all three breaststroke events at U.S. World Trials in June, finishing 6th in all three. Palomo Marrero of FAST (Firestone Akron) took 2nd in 2:34.31.
The men’s event was won decisively by Jacob Foster of the Mason Manta Rays, who clocked 2:15.98, two seconds clear of runner-up Jonathan Rutter (2:18.10) of Powel Crosley.
Amanda Smith of the Northern KY Clippers came back on Sophia Tuinman in the women’s 200 back, negative splitting the race to win in 2:15.17. Tuinman was out fast in 1:06.10, and though she was passed by Smith, managed to hold off Emily Slabe (2:15.69) for silver in 2:15.56.
In the men’s race, Kyle Maas of Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics won in 2:02.22 to knock over five seconds off his prelim swim from lane 2. Top seed from prelims Brad Shannon of Ohio State took 2nd in 2:03.57.
Both 50 free finals had the winner and runner-up separated by just three one-hundredths. In the women’s race, Madison Myers of FAST triumphed over Maria Coy of Ohio State, 26.12 to 26.15. The men’s event saw Parker Neri of Upper Arlington claim victory in 23.34 ahead of Ohio State’s Nathan Christian (23.37) and Justin Dunn (23.42).
To close out day 1 the Ohio State women won the 4×200 free relay in 8:16.06, led by a 2:03.19 anchor from Meg Bailey. The Clippers took 2nd in 8:20.41.
After day 1, Ohio State leads the men’s scoring with 203.5 points, well ahead of the Cincinnati Marlins (144.5). The Northern KY Clippers (247) hold a less decisive lead over Ohio State (224.5) on the women’s side. Combined, Ohio State holds over a 100 point advantage.
Wow what a great drop by Kyle Maas! Also out split Jack Barone, Jake Foster, and the rest of the field in the breast leg of the 200 medley relay by over a half second. How versatile!!!


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Pipe Trades Technologies, Inc. was founded by Herbert L. Fishpaw in 1993. PTT is a training school for Plumbers and Gasfitters. We offer classroom, hands on and on-site instruction. We are accredited by American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE).
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Fir Needle is known to be an antiseptic and pain reliever and I chose it mostly because I wanted something that soothes aches and pain. I call this my post workout soap to help my muscles recover after a tough workout. The scent of the soap is like being in the forest and I love being outdoors so it brings me peace.
The recipe includes olive oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter and olive leaf powder. Olive leaf powder is used as a colorant and also offers antiseptic properties for the skin.
Reblogged this on EARTHLY AROMAS.


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Ipswich Town fans were delighted to see mercurial midfielder Alan Judge ink a new deal at the club last week - but who’s the best midfield signing that the Blues have ever made?
Judge signed a two year deal at Portman Road after impressing since arriving at the club from Brentford earlier this year, and will be a key player as Town look to bounce back from almost certain relegation.
And Town have a rich history of signing midfield stars - but who would make the top 5, and who should be number one?
Sports visual specialist Ross Halls takes a look at the contenders - do you agree?
Have your say below and vote in our poll!


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Thought the ride had been decided as Worsthorne, pipeline and a Clivager Cliffs variant.
Sounds good...... Erm anyway not out. Sorry to be missing that one... Have a good one.


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There are two types of people in the world, those who are proactive, and those who are reactive. Take back your health today!
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Venue: What location works best for you?


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Aspiring. Hoping. Reaching. So you make a plan to get it. The bucket list. To-do lists. Objectives. Goals.
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Český Krumlov is a stunningly well-preserved medieval town picturesquely nestled in tight meanders of the Vltava River as it wends its way through the Czech Republic’s largest protected area, the Šumava National Park. Český Krumlov lies in southern Bohemia about 180km south of Prague and close to the Budvar-producing city of České Budějovice. Krumlov is derived from the German Krumme Aue meaning ‘crooked meadow’ while Český simply means Czech (or Bohemian) and there is a city named Moravský Krumlov, in Moravia (or Silesia).
Český Krumlov was settled in the 13th century and remains renowned primarily for fine architecture and Krumlov Castle, the second largest in the country after the Hradčany castle complex in Prague. Her unrivalled beauty and preserved Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements led to the old town being deemed an Historical Urban Reservation in 1963 and in 1992, UNESCO declared ČK a World Heritage Site. However, ČK isn’t just an open air museum; she also provides numerous cultural and sporting activities including some stunning day trips and hours spent messing about on the river.
Český Krumlov was first mentioned in a letter in 1253, but legend states the Přemyslovci slaughtered a rival family and gave the town and castle to relatives, the Witigonen (or Vítkovci in Czech), the first Lords of Krumlov, way back in 995. From 1302 the House of Rosenberg owned the town and castle, having taken their name from nearby Rožmberk castle where they also lived. At this time, the Latrán, the pedestrianised old town of today, was haphazardly laid out below the castle in a horseshoe bend in the river and until 1555 Krumlov consisted of two independent towns – Latrán and Krumlov, which was situated on the farther side of the river and around today’s old town square.
The Vltava has long been a natural transportation route and towns on these trade routes rise and fall in importance with time and alternate paths. The Bavarian salt trade route in the 16th century, its profitability resulted in it being named Zlatá (golden), created important towns on its path, but in 1706, another salt trade route, named Linz connected Austrian countries and Bohemia and ČK became the salt store. Economic stagnation followed the Thirty Year War (1618 - 1648) when the town was garrisoned by Imperial troops, leading to invasion by Swedish troops in 1648.
In 1602 Emperor Rudolf II bought Krumau and it became another centre for alchemy then in 1622 Ferdinand II gave Krumau to the House of Eggenberg who ruled until 1719, when the House of Schwarzenberg took over (and remained owners until war changed everything in 1945). By 1919 there were some 7,300 Germans and 1,300 Czechs living in the town.
After WWI, Krumau lay within the Republic of German Austria until November 1918 when Czech troops occupied the town and it remained in Czechoslovakia until 1938 when Nazi Germany annexed the town and incorporated it into the Sudetenland. Her German inhabitants were expelled in 1945 as part of the controversial Beneš Decrees and Český Krumlov was restored to Czechoslovakia. During the communist era, the town fell into disrepair but since 1989’s Velvet Revolution and tourist influx, the superb architecture has been lovingly and beautifully restored.