text:
Plitvice Lakes National Park
|Plitvice Lakes National Park
|Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera (Croatian)
|Lika-Senj County, Karlovac County, Croatia
|44°52′50″N 15°36′58″E / 44.88056°N 15.61611°ECoordinates: 44°52′50″N 15°36′58″E / 44.88056°N 15.61611°E
|296.85 km2
|367 m (Korana bridge), 1279 m (Seliški vrh)
|1,367,304[1] (in 2015)
|Governing body
|Javna ustanova Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera
HR-53231 Plitvička jezera
Tel. +385 (0)53 751 015
|vii, viii, ix
|1979 (3rd Session)
|Reference no.
IUCN Category II (National Park)
|State Party
|Official name: Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera
|April 8, 1949
Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatian: Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera, colloquial Plitvice, pronounced [plîtʋitse]) is one of the oldest and the largest national park in Croatia.[2] In 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage register.[3]
The national park was founded in 1949 and is situated in the mountainous karst area of central Croatia, at the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The important north-south road connection, which passes through the national park area, connects the Croatian inland with the Adriatic coastal region.
The protected area extends over 296.85 square kilometres (73,350 acres). About 90% of this area is part of Lika-Senj County, while the remaining 10% is part of Karlovac County.
Each year, more than 1 million visitors are recorded.[4][1] Entrance is subject to variable charges, up to 180 kuna or around €24 per adult in peak season.[5]
- 1 Features
- 2 Etymology
- 3 Location
- 4 Topography and geology
- 5 Climate
- 6 The dissolution and creation of rock
- 7 Flora and Fauna
- 8 History
- 9 Local customs and traditions
- 10 Lake names and anecdotes
- 11 Comparable phenomena worldwide
- 12 Gallery
- 13 References
- 14 Bibliography
- 15 External links
The national park is world-famous for its lakes arranged in cascades. Currently, 16 lakes can be seen from the surface.[6] These lakes are a result of the confluence of several small rivers and subterranean karst rivers. The lakes are all interconnected and follow the water flow. They are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae, and bacteria. The particularly sensitive travertine barriers are the result of an interplay between water, air and plants. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm (0.4 in) per year.
The sixteen lakes are separated into an upper and lower cluster formed by runoff from the mountains, descending from an altitude of 636 to 503 m (2,087 to 1,650 ft) over a distance of some eight km, aligned in a south-north direction. The lakes collectively cover an area of about two square kilometres (0.77 square miles), with the water exiting from the lowest lake forming the Korana River.
The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.
Through different climatic influences and the large difference in elevation within the protected area, a multifaceted flora and fauna has been created. The national park area is home to many endemic species. Those species that prevailed at the lakes before the arrival of man still exist. (Citation needed)
The name Plitvice was first mentioned in a written document in 1777 by Dominik Vukasović, the priest of Otočac.[7] This name was designated due to natural phenomena that have created the lakes. Nature formed shallow basins (Croatian pličina or plitvak, plitko means shallow), which have been filled with water. For centuries, water has changed the limestone and thus the landscape of this area. The emerging travertine barriers decelerated and retained the flowing water. These dams are continuously growing in height.[8]
Some scientists refer to the river Plitvica as origin of the name. This little river flows into the Plitvice Lakes at the lower and final part of the lakes. A nearby village bears the same name. The water masses of the Plitvice Lakes continue as Korana river in northern direction.
The national park became famous during the 1960s and 1970s through several Western film productions of Karl May novels. Many scenes have been shot at the lakes or waterfalls.
Routes and distances[edit]
The Plitvice Lakes have formed in a depression between the Mala Kapela mountain in the west and the Plješevica mountain in the east amidst the Dinaric Alps. The national park is located at the national route D1 Zagreb–Split between Slunj and Korenica in the vicinity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other larger municipalities within the surrounding area are Ogulin, Rakovica, Otočac, Gospić and Bihać in Bosnia.
The shortest linear distance between the Adriatic coast and the national park is 55 km (34 mi).[9] By road from the coastal town of Senj the distance is about 110 km (68 mi). After traversing the Velebit mountain range travelers reach the Croatian karst plains of Lika. These plains are characterized by many karst poljes (e.g. the Gacko polje).
The fastest north-south road connection within Croatia, the highway A1 Zagreb–Split is distanced about 50 km (31 mi) west of the national park and thus circumvents the protected area. Plitvice Lakes National Park can be reached from Karlovac exit in the north, from Otočac exit in the west or Gornja Ploča exit in the south.[10]
The nearest airports are Zadar, Zagreb and Rijeka. The nearest train stations are Josipdol and Plaški, although no direct bus connection from these train stations to the lakes exists.[11] Using public transport the lakes can easily be reached by direct bus lines from Zagreb, Karlovac, Zadar or Split.
The area of Plitvice Lakes National Park extends across two political subdivisions or counties (Croatian županija). Its 296.85 square kilometres (114.61 sq mi) area is divided between Lika-Senj County (90.7 percent) and Karlovac County (9.3 percent).[12] Hence the national park authority is under national jurisdiction. The overall water body area is about 2 km2 (0.77 sq mi). The two largest lakes, Prošćansko jezero and Kozjak, cover about 80 percent of the overall water body area. These lakes are also the deepest, with a depth of 37 and 47 metres (121 and 154 ft) respectively. On Lake Kozjak, low-noise and ecologically-friendly electric boats are being used. None of the other lakes in the park exceeds 25 metres (82 feet) in depth. The altitude drop from the first lake to the last is 133 metres (436 feet).[13]
The 16 lakes that can be seen from the surface are grouped into the 12 Upper Lakes (Gornja jezera) and the four Lower Lakes (Donja jezera).
|altitude (m)
|area (ha)
|depth (m)
|Prošćansko jezero
|Upper Lakes
|Upper Lakes
|Upper Lakes
|Upper Lakes
|Veliko jezero
|Upper Lakes
|Malo jezero
|Upper Lakes
|Upper Lakes
|Upper Lakes
|Milinovo jezero
|Upper Lakes
|Gradinsko jezero
|Upper Lakes
|Upper Lakes
|Upper Lakes
|Lower Lakes
|Lower Lakes
|Lower Lakes
|Novakovića brod
|Lower Lakes
|Plitvice Lakes
The highest waterfalls are the Large Waterfall (kroat. Veliki slap) at the end of the Lower Lakes, over which the Plitvica river falls, and Galovački buk at the Upper Lakes.
|Veliki slap (Large Waterfall)
|78 m
|Galovački buk (Galovac Waterfall)
|25 m
Within the national park area there are 19 small settlements. Altogether they form the Plitvice Lakes municipality (Croatian općina Plitvička Jezera). The municipality is part of Lika-Senj County. The seat is located in Korenica.
The Plitvice Lakes area has always been regarded as part of the historic regions of Lika and Kordun. During the Ottoman Wars, the region was part of the Croatian Military Frontier that was under direct control of the Habsburg Council of War.
Topography and geology[edit]
The particular geographic position of the Plitvice Lakes and the specific climate features contributed to the emergence of many natural phenomena and a rich biodiversity within this area. Despite the vicinity to the Mediterranean climatic region, a moderate mountainous climate prevails at the Plitvice Lakes. These climatic conditions prevail due to the Velebit mountain range, which acts as a climatic separator between the coastal region and the Lika high plateau. For centuries, legends have been created about this mythic mountain range.
The availability of water, influenced by the configuration of the terrain, has a great impact on the biodiversity of this area. The Plitvice Lakes are surrounded by various mountains. The western side of the national park area is enclosed by the Mala Kapela mountain, while the eastern side is enclosed by the Plješevica mountain, which also represents the border to Bosnia and Hercegovina. Plitvice Lakes National Park is situated in the Plitvice plateau which is surrounded by three mountains that are part of the Dinaric Alps: Plješevica mountain (Gornja Plješevica peak 1,640 m), Mala Kapela mountain (Seliški Vrh peak at 1,280 m), and Medveđak (884 m).[14]
The afforested mountain slopes serve as water reservoirs. They are also a refuge for many animal species. The large difference in altitude in a narrow space between the mountains in the south and the Korana river in the north also represents a significant criterion for biodiversity in this region. The overall difference in altitude within the national park area is 912 m (the highest elevation is Seliški vrh at 1279 m, the lowest elevation is reached at 367 m at the bridge across the Korana river).[15]
The national Park is underlain by karstic rock, mainly dolomite and limestone with associated lakes and caves, this has given rise to the most distinctive feature of the lakes. Right at the lakes, the Golubnjača Cave (145 m) before the second Korana waterfall and Šupljara Cave (68 m) above Lake Kaluđerovac can be visited. Other caves e.g. are Mračna Cave (160 m), Vila Jezerkinje Cave (104 m) and Golubnjača at Homoljačko Field (153 m). Within the national park, several pit-caves exist, such as the Čudinka pit-cave (-203 m) or Jama on Vršić (-154 m, length 110 m). In Rodića Cave at Sertić Poljana and in Mračna Cave at the Lower Lakes, cave bear bones were found, so these sites may be considered paleontologically significant.
The Plitvice Lakes originate in the south of the park area at the confluence of Bijela Rijeka (English White River) and Crna Rijeka (English Black River). These rivers originate south of the municipality of Plitvički Ljeskovac and unite at one of the bridges in this village. From this place onwards to the lakes, the water masses are referred to as Matica (English for root or origin). At the bay of Liman (also called Limun), a part of Prošćansko jezero, another little river flows into the lakes. This river is fed by permanent springs; the water quantity, however, varies. Temporarily, water from other, usually dead creeks reaches Prošćansko jezero from the west.[16]
The river Plitvica reaches the Plitvice lake chain at the northern end via the Large Waterfall. This place is called Sastavci (English confluence or composition). The water masses of the Plitvice Lakes and the river Plitvice form the Korana river.
Properties of the underground[edit]
The underground configuration of the Plitvice Lakes consists of various geologic features. Generally, the whole area of Plitvice Lakes National Park can be attributed to the South-East European karst area. The typical feature of this karst area is brittle or porous rock, mostly limestone or dolomite. This configuration creates different geomorphological phenomena being referred to as dolina (sinkhole), polje, uvala, ponor, etc.
In the future, the analysis of underground water courses could be an interesting field of research for speleologists. Up to now, little has been known about these unexplored courses. At first sight, a lack of water in the karst region could be ascertained. However, this is only the case on the surface. The major part of natural phenomena takes place underground, where an abundance of water exists.
Due to the features of limestone, many rivers drain away into the rock. Therefore, extensive underground river systems exist. Upon reaching hard rock, rivers emerge on the surface. This phenomenon of underground karst rivers (Croatian rijeka ponornica) can also be observed at the Plitvice Lakes.
Tufa sediments have been formed from the Pleistocene onwards in sinkholes or depressed areas between the surrounding mountains. Generally seen, the underground of the Plitvice Lakes could be categorized into two zones. The Upper Lakes in the south predominantly consist of dolomite rock. The Lower lakes in the north predominantly consist of limestone rock. Dolomite rock is slightly harder than limestone. Though fragile upon physical influence, dolomite rock has lower water permeability properties. In contrast, limestone rock is more compact and massive, but has a higher water permeability.[8]
From an aerial perspective, significant differences between the terrain of the Upper and the Lower Plitvice Lakes can be observed. At the Upper Lakes several little lakes have formed parallel to each other and a rather shallow water flow can be observed. The Lower Lakes, however, are much larger and virtually drill their path through the rock. Furthermore, there are only a few lakes at the Lower Lakes. They have formed a canyon, which continues as river Korana.
On average, the annual precipitation rate at the Plitvice Lakes is 1,500 mm (59.06 in). Usually, in spring and fall the largest rain quantities are measured. The average relative air humidity is 81.8 percent. In January, the average temperature is 2.2 °C (36 °F). During the summer months of July and August, the temperature rises to 17.4 °C (63 °F). The general average annual temperature is 7.9 °C (46 °F). Snow falls from November until March. Usually, the lakes are frozen during December and January.[17]
The water temperature at the springs is usually below 10 °C (50 °F). Within the rivers and lakes, the water temperature rises up to 20 °C (68 °F). The following example for different water temperatures measured on July 7, 1954 demonstrates large temperature differences within the lakes: Within lake Kozjak at the depth of 4 m a temperature of 18.9 °C (66 °F) has been measured. At a depth of 20 m, 5 °C (41 °F) have been measured. At 44 m depth, virtually at the bottom of the lake, a temperature of 4.1 °C (39 °F) has been measured.
The dissolution and creation of rock[edit]
The lakes of Plitvice are a result of century-old processes and the sedimentation of chalk, which is abundantly available in the waters of this karst area. These sedimentations are called tufa or travertine (both are called sedra or tuf in the Croatian language, apart from many other names like bigar or vapneni mačak).
A distinctive feature of the Plitvice lakes is the fact that they do not represent separated, stationary waters. The lakes altogether have always been seen as one composed system of lakes. Due to constant changes it is not even possible to pursue individual analyses of single lakes. The water masses reaching the lakes at the upper or lower part of the system are continuously changing the outlook of the lakes and the surrounding landscape. They finally exit the lakes as river Korana. On the one hand, chalk tufa is being washed away partly. On the other hand, new sediments are continuously being formed. Thus, new waterfalls are being formed while others run dry. Nature itself is continuously adapting to these new conditions. As a whole, the complex of lakes represents a very sensitive and labile ecosystem.
Alteration processes[edit]
In geological terms, the actual phenomena molding the Plitvice Lakes are quite young. The complex processes of dissolution and sedimentation of limestone require specific climatic preconditions. These have only existed since the end of the ice age about 12,000 to 15,000 years ago, according to tufa radiocarbon datings.[18]
Apart from weather and temperature factors, the water quality and other natural factors are significant for the creation of these natural phenomena, prevailing at the Plitvice Lakes. By passing through the limestone underground the karst rivers dissolve chalk (calcite), which concentrates in the water. The saturation level of calcite within the frontal flows is thus very high. The water becomes significantly mineralized, super-saturated with calcium and magnesium-hydrogencarbonate.[19]
The dissolution of limestone happens through alteration processes and the effects of carbonic acid. In a natural environment, carbonic acid (H2CO3) is formed by the dissolution of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air or from rainwater (H2O). Limestone or dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) mainly consists of calcite (CaCO3), which is not very soluble in water. Calcite, however, is dissolved by carbonic acid, thus creating calcium hydrogencarbonate (Ca(HCO3)2). This is shown by the following formulas:
|CaCO3 + H2CO3 → Ca(HCO3)2
|CaCO3 + H+ + HCO3− ↔ Ca2+ + 2 HCO3− ↔ Ca(HCO3)2
The quantity of calcium hydrogencarbonate (also called calcium bicarbonate) dissolved in water depends on the quantity of dissolved carbon dioxide in the water. Generally, the following could be said: The colder the water, the higher the quantity of dissolved calcium hydrogencarbonate. Depending on the conditions for the alteration processes, scientists identified limestone dissolution rates of 0.01 to 4 millimeters a year. (It is possible that by the effect of rainwater about 1 m3 of limestone is dissolved in about 10,000 years.)[20]
Sedimentation processes[edit]
The previously mentioned mechanical and chemical dissolution processes are regularly occurring natural phenomena. A unique process occurring at the Plitvice Lakes, however, is the sedimentation of water-bound chalk at certain places. With regard to other similar phenomena in the world, at Plitvice Lakes the sedimentation of chalk and the formation of tufa happens dynamically all along the watercourse and in various forms (fluviatile sedimentation). It is thus not a static phenomenon occurring at only single places.
Another unique and distinctive feature are the natural factors, particularly the influences of the vegetation in the process of sedimentation. While passing the vegetation, barriers are being created by foaming water. These naturally created barriers decelerate and dam the waters, thus forming lakes. At Plitvice, this constant interplay between water, air, rock and vegetation can easily be observed. The foaming water creates ever growing and impressive waterfalls. The thresholds grown up above the water level, create cataracts.
About 30 km (18.64 mi) north of the lakes at the conflux of the Korana and Slunjčica rivers, right in the center of the town of Slunj, similar phenomena occur. This part of the town, called Rastoke, is often being referred to as "the Small Lakes of Plitvice."
Preconditions for sedimentation[edit]
Measurements of carbon dioxide quantities in the water show that they correspond with continuous sedimentation processes in the Plitvice Lakes area. Carbon dioxide quantities at the springs are about twenty times higher than in the atmosphere. The quantity of carbon dioxide decreases along the water route. The Plitvica river for example loses even up to 97 percent of its original quantity of carbon dioxide along its route.[18]
The sedimentation of calcium carbonate from the water occurs only at certain temperature conditions (only above 14 °C), e.g. when the water warms up or by evaporation or by another loss of carbon dioxide, additionally fostered by water plants and moss.[17] Since sedimentation only occurs under warm, humide climate conditions, these phenomena have only been occurring since the end of the last ice age. Since then, a layer of hardened tufa, also called travertine, has been formed on the limestone ground.
The area of a river, in which the formation of tufa occurs, is called precipitation area. Along the Korana river for example, measured from its origins tufa is being formed only along the first 10 to 15 km (9.32 mi), even if according to pH measurements the conditions would be favorable further down the river. At the ground of Lake Kozjak a constant yearly sedimentation of 0,8 millimeters during the past 3,000 years has been ascertained. Yearly, the barriers are growing up to 13 millimeters in height. Tufa formation processes thus surpass erosion activities, which would destroy the sensitive barriers of the lakes. It is estimated that the tufa sedimentations at the ground of the lakes date back 6,000 or even 7,000 years.[21]
The precipitation of calcium carbonate, however, does not occur right at the springs of the rivers that flow into the Plitvice Lakes. For the precipitation of carbonate chalk (calcium carbonate) the water needs to reach a certain mineral saturation level. At the springs this saturation level is about 1. For the precipitation, the water saturation level needs to be higher than 3. At the same time, the pH value of the water needs to be above 8,0 (slightly alkaline).[18]
Thresholds become barriers[edit]
Tufa barriers are the result of continuous sedimentation processes along natural thresholds. As the water flows in thin layers over thresholds, it is splashed up. This disturbs the chemical balance and causes precipitation of the carbonates, which then creates sedimentary deposits. Since the water forms larger surfaces at these places, increased quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) are released. Calcium carbonate is secreted in the form of microcrystals that are deposited, eventually creating tufa sediments (CaCO3). This phenomenon particularly occurs on abundantly available mosses, enabling better adherence of the crystals.
In the course of time, older barriers can be flooded by rising water levels since other barriers have outgrown the older ones. 400 years ago, there were two lakes in the place of today's Kozjak lake. In the lowest third of the lake, at the level of Matijaševića draga, a crown of an underwater barrier that is 40 m high, is stretching 4 m below the water surface. This barrier certainly formed a magnificent waterfall in the past. The travertine barrier at the Kozjak bridges (at the current end of the Kozjak lake), however, grew faster. Thus, 400 years ago two lakes merged in one. That is why the greatest depths of Kozjak lake are in its lower basin (north from the little island).[22]
Influence of the vegetation[edit]
Mosses, algae and water plants play a major role in forming the unique landscape of the Plitvice Lakes and its tufa barriers. Up until the 21st century, it was supposed that plants extract carbon dioxide from the water for photosynthesis purposes and that in return oxygen is being released, thus resulting in the sedimentation of hydrogen carbonate (phytogenesis). The leading scientist arguing for this theory was Ivo Pevalek.[23] Thanks to him the Plitvice Lakes have been put under national protection.
Recent scientific evidence indicates that the vegetation is not primarily responsible for the extraction of carbonate from the flowing water. However, plants indirectly contribute to tufa formation. Pivotal for the sedimentation is the deceleration, aeration and spraying of the water. Mosses are a substrate for sedimentation. They are giving form to the created travertine, and the Plitvice Lakes waterfalls can thank mosses for their feature. Depending on various species, various biological types of travertine can be differentiated.[19]
Photosynthesis activities of algae and mosses in conjunction with the water, however, foster the crystallization of sediments due to the extraction of carbon dioxide.[21] These effects are fostered by millions of microscopically-small bacteria and algae that grow on such plants. They are secreting mucus that is adhered to by the first microcrystals of calcite. The most significant plants of this kind are mosses of the species bryum and cratoneuron.
The young shoots of mosses are green and soft. They are mostly without travertine, while older shoots are encrusted by a thin and fragile yellow layer, completely covered and petrified by plant-formed travertine. The mosses foster not only the creation of tufa barriers but they also become part of the barrier. The moss gets encrusted with travertine and fresh moss grows further out. First a crag is formed but later a cave roof forms under the crag. If the water continues flowing, the cave becomes progressively bigger. Older travertine is filled with fossilized algae and mosses. This type of tufa rock typical of the Plitvice Lakes is called "phytogeneous tufa."[13]
Adverse effects for tufa formation[edit]
Even though the vegetation has beneficial effects for the formation of tufa, excessive concentrations of organic substances within the water have adverse effects on these formation processes. Excessive plant cover has adverse effects on mineral sedimentation. Down the Korana River from the Korana bridge, for example, travertine creation ends quite quickly, in spite of the supersaturation with calcium bicarbonate, because of the increased concentration of organic matter in the water. The park authorities have therefore begun systematic removal of excessive vegetation along the barriers. Water purity is the decisive factor for tufa formation. The water at the influx to the Plitvice Lakes is defined as pure from an analytical point of view. The Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) value of the water barely exceeds 2.5 mg/L at the influx to the Upper Lakes (Matica). At the Lower Lakes higher concentrations are measured (5.15 mg/L). At the springs of other Croatian rivers in the karst region similar concentrations have been recorded.
During the 20th Century, uncontrolled tourism and water pollution caused by waste water from the hotels or agricultural activities in the surroundings of the lakes have left detrimental traces. This has led to an increasing eutrophication of the lakes (increased concentrations of organic substances within the water). For the sustainable formation of tufa it is therefore imperative to protect this extremely sensitive area from excessively harmful human influence. Since 2006, it has been strictly forbidden to bathe or swim in the lakes.[24] Previously, swimming had been allowed in Lake Kozjak.
Types of rock[edit]
|Cellular rock
|Porous rock that has been exposed to external effects, for example rainwater (dolomite or limestone)
|Sedimentations of minerals from the water that typically consolidate on moss or on the underground of the lakes. These sediments are the results of century-old sedimentation processes. Year after year, new layers of sediments are being added.
|Consolidated tufa. Older, hardened sediments. This porous type of rock is very sensitive to physical impacts.
Flora and Fauna[edit]
With regard to plant and animal diversity, the area of the Plitvice Lakes belongs to the most significant areas of Croatia, due to climatic conditions and on the other hand due to the location of this area, since the lakes are far away from polluted and noisy cities or industrial plants. For reasons of the poor industrial development of this region and early introduced protection measures, a nearly untouched landscape has been preserved. In the partially primeval beech and fir forests various rare species, such as the brown bear have survived.
The Plitvice Lakes national park is heavily forested, mainly with beech, spruce, and fir trees, and features a mixture of Alpine and Mediterranean vegetation. It has a notably wide variety of plant communities, due to its range of microclimates, differing soils and varying levels of altitude.
Scientists have so far listed 1,267 different plants out of 109 species that can be found within the area of the national park. 75 plants are endemic, which means that they have first been defined and classified in this area of the world or not far from it.[25] A great number of these plants and species is protected by law. Within the national park area 55 different species of orchids can be found.[15]
Examples of endemic plants to be found in the national park:
|Edraianthus tenuifolius
|Ranunculus scutatus, a sort of Ranunculus
|Scilla litardierei
Examples of other rare plants:
|Cypripedium calceolus
|Ligularia sibirica
|Common butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris)
|Telekia speciosa
|Daphne laureola
The great plant diversity creates a fascinating interplay of colors changing with the seasons. The lake area is surrounded by dense forests. The national park has an area of 29,842 hectares, out of which 22,308 hectares are forests (74.75 percent), 6,957 ha are meadows (23.31 percent) in village areas and 217 ha (0.72 percent) are water areas.[7] A unique area is the forest of Čorkova uvala, a 79.50 ha large virgin forest in the northwestern part of the park. The beech and fir trees in this area of the park are up to 700 years old.[17] [26]
The area of the national park is home to an extremely wide variety of animal and bird species. Rare fauna such as the European brown bear, wolf, eagle, owl, lynx, wild cat, and capercaillie can be found there, along with many more common species.
The wider area of the national park is one of the last areas in Europe, in which a great number of wild brown bears and wolves can be found. The rich fauna of the Plitvice Lakes can be summed up as follows: As a whole, there exist about 50 species of mammals. At the moment, scientists have discovered 321 different kinds of butterflies, out of which 76 are addressed as day-flying butterflies and 245 as nocturnal moths. Scientists, however, estimate that up until now only about 40 percent of the whole population of butterflies have been ascertained. Furthermore, 12 amphibian species, as well as some species of reptiles have been ascertained so far: e.g. the viviparous lizard (Lacerta vivipara), the european green lizard (Lacerta viridis), the dice snake (Natrix tessellata), Vipera berus, Vipera ammodytes and the european pond turtle (Emys orbicularis).[27]
As regards bird species, the Plitvice Lakes rank third among other Croatian national parks. Up to now, 157 species have been counted, of which 70 have been recorded as breeding there. The Plitvice Lakes are also home to many kinds of bats. Recent findings list about 20 different kinds of bat species, among them the rare species of Plecotus.[28]
As original species the brown trout (Salmo trutta fario and Salmo trutta lacustris) can be named. Salmo trutta fario prevails at the Upper Lakes, while Salmo trutta lacustris predominantly exists within Lake Kozjak. These species developed under different life conditions independently from each other within the various lakes.[28]
Due to the spreading growth of the vegetation at the barriers, allochthonous (species that do not belong to this ecosystem) fish species spread quickly and thus endanger autochthonous trout species. Apart from the trouts, common minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus) too exist. By human interference the species salvelinus alpinus and the North American rainbow trout have been exposed to this ecosystem. Recently, even European chub (Squalius cephalus) and common rudd (Scardinius erythropthalmus), species whose emergence could be attributed to climate change, have been discovered. The number of crayfish that have almost been extinct is now again increasing. Even rare olms (Proteus anguinus) can be found in the karst caves of this region.
Examples of some animals that exist in the national park:
|Lynx (Lynx lynx)
|Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
|Wolf (Canis lupus)
|Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo)
|European polecat (Mustela putorius)
|Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
|Alpine newt (Triturus alpestris)
|White-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
|European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)
While other nature protection areas are located far away from any interference by man, the Plitvice Lakes have permanently been exposed to human influence in the course of history. The Plitvice Lakes do not represent an abandoned or lonely nature reserve. They are located along an important transport route and have always been a meeting place of occidental and oriental cultural influences.
Early History and Medieval Age[edit]
Humans have inhabited the Plitvice Lakes area for thousands of years. It has been settled in turn by Illyrians, Japods, Celts, Romans, Avars, Slavs, Croats and Turks. Under Julius Caesar the region was incorporated as the province of Illyricum into the Roman Empire. The areas of the neighborly tribes of the Pannonians, the Liburnians and Dalmatians were united into the province of Dalmatia. Successively, the Ostrogoths took over the rule. After the Battle of Nedao in 454, the Ostrogoths were rewarded with a federation agreement with the Roman Empire.
During the 6th century, Avars settled in this region, which were accompanied by the Croats. The Croats eventually defied Avar control and settled permanently in this region. In medieval times, frequent attacks by Mongols posed a permanent threat to the settled population.[29] The lakes formed part of the medieval kingdom of Croatia which in 1102 elected to be in personal union with Hungary.
Croat rule and particularly the rule of the noble families Zrinski and Frankopan led to economic recovery in the wider area. On the remnants of an ancient settlement of the Japods and Romans a monastery was built at the lakes. Presumably, this monastery belonged to the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit (Croatian pavlinci) or the Knights Templars. Today, only ancient wall remnants of this building (Croatian gradina) exist. The foundation was made of travertine rock.[8]
Ottoman Wars and the Habsburgs[edit]
In 1493, not far away from the Plitvice Lakes a decisive battle in Croatian history between the Austrian and Ottoman Empire took place. During the Battle of Krbava Field almost the entire Croatian nobility was killed. The Ottomans advanced far into Western lands up to Croatia and Hungary. In 1527, the Croatian Parliament elected the Habsburg monarch Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria as the new king of Croatia in the hope of resources to ward of the Ottoman advance. In 1528, the area fell to the Ottomans and was retaken by the Habsburg Empire 150 years later.
In 1538, king Ferdinand I ordered the establishment of the Croatian Military Frontier as a borderland of Habsburg Austria to the Ottoman Empire. The laws that prevailed in this area under special jurisdiction had formative impact on the local population for centuries. As a consequence of the establishment of this special regime, people abandoned these areas in great masses towards the West.
In addition to the native Croats already inhabiting the region and serving in the Austrian military, many central Europeans migrated to the region as did Serb Orthodox refugees fleeing Ottoman repression, who were given refuge in the abandoned areas in exchange for military service. The entire population of the military frontier, particularly the so-called frontiersmen, had the duty to protect this area of permanent unrest and terrible destruction. The region once also used to be called the garden of the devil (hortus diabolus).[8]
The Ottomans succeeded several times to gain control over the area of the Plitvice Lakes for shorter periods. In 1788, this area permanently fell back under Habsburg rule. When the Ottoman threat subsided, the Military Frontier was reverted to the civilian control of the Croatian viceroy (Ban). The area then formed part of Banovina of Croatia within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and then part of the Socialist Republic of Croatia within the Socialist Yugoslavia. Today, it is part of the Republic of Croatia.
In 1805, another major rule change happened, which created an economic upturn. Dalmatia and Lika fell under the rule of Napoleon, who founded the Illyrian provinces. After 1814, the area of the Plitvice Lakes came back under Habsburg rule. Since 1850, only professional soldiers served in the Military Frontier. This was also a time of national awakening in Croatia. In 1871, the famous Croatian politician Eugen Kvaternik was killed north of the lakes at Rakovica. The Croatian rebellion was put down by Austrian authorities. Kvaternik propagated the rule of law and argued for the liberation from Austrian-Hungarian predominance.
Farmlands becoming an area of recreation[edit]
In former times, the local population lacked the proper comprehension of the natural values of the Plitvice Lakes. Farmers had to focus on securing the daily bread for their families in these dour times, which was accompanied by grave changes to nature. For example, smaller lakes were filled up with earth or people adapted the flow of the rivers to their individual needs.
Already in 1861, an accommodation for travelers was erected at Velika Poljana. The local population called this accommodation the Emperor's house, since imperial military officers used to reside in this location. For the visit of Crown Princess Stéphanie of Belgium, the wife of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria in 1888, the Plitvice Lakes and their surroundings were arranged for tourist purposes for the first time in history. Two paths still bear the names of the daughters of the Emperor Franz Joseph: "Stephanie's Path" (Croatian Štefanijin put) and "Dorothea's Path" (Croatian: Dorotejin put).[29]
In 1890, the tradesman Ante Devčić from Senj built the first hotel with a restaurant at Prošćansko jezero. However, he exaggerated in his efforts and also caused partly irreparable damage on the nature. For example, he constructed canals across the travertine barriers for his saw mill that are visible even today.
At the same place, today called Labudovac, Gustav Janeček, a Czech from Zagreb, built a restaurant and accommodation. In 1893, Janeček founded the Society for the preservation of the Plitvice Lakes (Croatian Društvo za uređenje i poljepšanje Plitvičkih jezera), with the aim of preserving the lakes after all negative influence they have been exposed to. The society also built a hotel at the lakes.[8] In 1898, one of the waterfalls was named after Croatian opera singer Milka Ternina.[30] She gave money from concerts to preserve the park, upgrade tracks and build pathways.[31]
During the First World War, the Croatian parliament in Zagreb passed the Law on the Protection of the Plitvice Lakes in 1916. However, this law did not contain adequate measures of protection and is thus not regarded as official founding declaration of the national park.
During the following decades, preservation efforts reached a deadlock. However, some very significant meetings took place at the Plitvice Lakes during the Second World War, as for example the first secret regional conference of the League of Communists of Croatia (Croatian: Savez komunista Hrvatske, SKH) in 1940. On June 14, 1943 one of the founding sessions of the National Anti-Fascist Council of the People's Liberation of Croatia (ZAVNOH) took place at Plitvice Lakes. This was the highest governing organ of the anti-fascist movement in Croatia during World War II. The former Secretary General of the Communist Party of Croatia, Rade Končar, was born in Končarev Kraj at the Plitvice Lakes in 1911.[17]
The Lakes as National Park[edit]
After the end of the Second World War, the unique natural phenomena of this area were acknowledged permanently. On April 8, 1949, the Plitvice Lakes were declared as a national park area and rigorous nature protection measures were established.
During the 1960s, a modern road connection to the Plitvice Lakes was constructed, which led to increasing traffic volumes. During these years, several hotels and other objects were erected according to innovative plans of Croatian architects. However, some buildings that would fit current standards were already demolished during the 1980s by the Communist authorities.
Between 1962 and 1968, many Western film productions of Karl May novels have been shot at the Plitvice Lakes (mainly German-French-Yugoslav cooperations). The most successful film of this series, Treasure of the Silver Lake was also produced at some locations within the national park. (Lake Kaluđerovac served as scenery for the Silver Lake.)[32]
During the 1970s, detailed land registers of the national park were recorded. The park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List in 1979 in recognition of its "outstanding natural beauty, and the undisturbed production of travertine (tufa) through chemical and biological action".[33][34]
During the 1980s, tourism was booming in Yugoslavia. Plitvice Lakes National Park soon became one of Yugoslavia's most popular tourist attractions. The beginning of the 1990s, however, marked another great turning point in the history of this national park. In March 1991 it became the scene of the Plitvice Lakes incident (also called the "Plitvice Bloody Easter"), the first armed confrontation of the Croatian War of Independence that resulted in fatalities. The park was held by local Serb rebels backed by Slobodan Milošević and the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) as part of the self-proclaimed "Republic of Serbian Krajina" during the conflict and suffered some damage in the process, with hotels and other facilities being used as barracks. During the period under the control of Serb forces loyal to Belgrade, Croats were ethnically cleansed from the region systematically.[35] The region was retaken by the Croatian Army in August 1995 during Operation Storm, and majority of Serb population was expelled.
|Number of visitors
During the war from 1991 until 1995, many buildings in the national park were destroyed or burnt down. Due to the apparent risk of mines, the park was even put on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger during the war years. After the war, the Plitvice Lakes were among the first areas to be cleared of mines and renovated. In 1998, the national park was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger. In 2000, the national park was expanded by a further 102 square kilometres (39 sq mi) in order to protect the underground tributary streams.
Within the national park continuous scientific research projects are being carried out. The national park administration currently endeavors to introduce new, progressive protection measures. There is a proposal to replace the wooden bridges and paths by floating pontoon bridges. The existing wooden paths are anchored within the travertine sediments, creating the danger of seepage and cracks of the weak travertine.[39]
The Plitvice Lakes are today one of the most frequently visited tourist attractions in Croatia. Due to their high natural, cultural and tourist significance they have become a motor for the local economy. About 1,000,000 visitors per year greatly contribute to the economic development of the wider region.[4]
Local customs and traditions[edit]
The preservation of old customs and traditions is of high significance for the local population. The local culture has also been detected as an important factor for tourism. As regards architecture, the region of Lika is well known for its low wooden houses with roofs made of rye straw or shingles. Many features of the ancient living style are mirrored in local costumes. They tell a lot about regional affiliations or social standings of those who have worn those costumes. Under French rule, men were allowed to wear their costumes during military service.[8]
Up until the 20th century, social gatherings during the winter months, when no agricultural activities could be performed, called "prelo" represented a typical tradition of this region.[40] These gatherings served for the joint production of textiles or butter or for the further processing of harvest products (production of flour, etc.). These activities used to be accompanied by drinks and dances, particularly during the evenings. A well-known dance of this region is the round dance (Croatian kolo).
Local cuisine consists of drinks, such as Slivovitz (Croatian šljivovica), wine and coffee or dishes, such as soft cheese (Croatian vrhnje), polenta, pršut, paprika sausage, roasted suckling pig (Croatian: odojak) or lamb (Croatian: janjetina).
Lake names and anecdotes[edit]
Each of the Plitvice Lakes has a story or legend to tell. Most lake names stem from true events.[8][41][42]
|Other names
|Approximate translation
|Prošćansko jezero
|Scrub Lake
Crave Lake
|The name is due to the fences that have been built by farmers as delimitation between the farmlands and the lakes. The farmers used stakes (Croatian prošće), poles, scrub and earth to build these fences.
The Legend of the Black Queen, the legend on "prošnja" (praying the black Queen for water) says that the inhabitants of this region were craving for water and thus called upon the magic queen to help them, which she did. According to the legend, this is the reason why Prošćansko jezero and the other lakes have emerged.[43]
|Cigino jezero
Ciganovac jezero
|Gypsy's Lake
|According to a legend, a roma (gypsy) drowned in this lake while fishing.
|Round Lake
|The name stems from its round shape.
|Lake Batin/Batić's Lake
|People reported that a villager named Batinić used to dwell at this lake. Others say that a grandmother (Croatian baka) might have drowned in this lake.
|Veliko jezero
|Jovinovac veliki
|Large Lake
|Malo jezero
|Jovinovac mali
Veliko jezerce
|Small Lake
|The name originates from water whirling downward in the middle of the lake.
|Galov's/Galović's Lake
|Allegedly, a bandit chief named captain Gal, who defeated the Turks, was shot down at this lake. It could also have been named after a brig and Galović.
|Milinovo jezero
|Milino Jezerce
|Mile's Lake
|According to a legend, a man named Mile Marić from Stropina drowned in this lake.
|Gradinsko jezero
|Lake Gradina
|The lake is named after a building (Croatian gradina) or monastery which had once been situated on the peak between Kozjak lake and this one.
|Gush Lakes
|A chain of small shallow lakes separated by travertine barriers, and covered by low vegetation. The name comes from agitated waterflow in small scars which make noise or "boil".
|Kozje Jezero
|Goat Lake
|On the island in the middle of the lake (today Štefanijin otok, Stephanie's Lake) farmers used to protect their goats from wolves. The name originates from a legend, according to which 30 young goats were running away from wolves during winter. They drowned in the lake as the thin ice layer cracked.
|Milanovo Jezero
|Milan's Lake
|According to a legend, the lake was named after a shepherd called Mile who drowned in it, or after the miller Mile Perišić who owned a mill at the lake.
|Gavanovo Jezero
Osredak Jezero
Okrugljak Donji
|Gavan's Lake
|Allegedly, the treasure of a man named Gavan (the Gavanovo treasure) lies hidden in this lake.
|Kaluđerovo Jezero
|Monk Lake or Hermit Lake
|According to reports, a monk or hermit (Croatian kaluđer) used to live either in Šupljara Cave just next to the water or in Golubnjača Cave at the canyon edge. People used to seek advice from this monk.
|Novakovića brod
|Novaković's crossing
|According to a tale, a hajduk named Novaković was thrown off his horse into this lake. Other reports say that a man named Novaković used to offer boat rides across this lake.
Comparable phenomena worldwide[edit]
Comparable phenomena to those prevailing at the Plitvice Lakes exist at Rastoke (Slunj), at the Krka National Park or at the rivers Una and the Pliva in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Band-e Amir lakes within the Hindu Kush mountain range form a similar system of lakes and dams, though diverging tufa formation processes prevail. Calc-sinter formation processes that have not emerged along a river flow can be observed at the Mammoth Hot Springs within Yellowstone National Park (USA) or at Pamukkale in Turkey. Jiuzhaigou is a nature reserve and national park located in the north of Sichuan, China. Also inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, its landscape of cascading lakes is made up of high-altitude karsts shaped by glacial, hydrological and tectonic activity.The area around Ocho Rios Jamaica is another region famous for its calc-sinter rivers. Most popular, particularly with cruise ships, is Dunn's River Falls.
- ^ a b c d "Mrak Taritaš i Zmajlović odobrili betonizaciju Plitvica: UNESCO Hrvatskoj dao rok do veljače".
- ^ There are seven other national parks in Croatia, as well as ten nature parks.
- ^ UNESCO World Heritage Centre (2000-11-30). "UNESCO World Heritage, no. 98". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ a b c "SEEbiz.eu / Plitvička jezera s rekordnim brojem posjetitelja".
- ^ Plitvice Lakes National Park, Tickets Archived 2017-09-21 at the Wayback Machine., accessed 20 September 2017
- ^ Plitvice Lakes National Park, protected area Archived March 28, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b "Lika-Senj County Tourist Association, The Plitvice Lakes". Lickosenjska.com. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g Franić, D. (1910) Plitvička jezera i njihova okolica, Zagreb, Tisak kraljevske zemaljske tiskare
- ^ "Map24.de, distance measuring". Map24.de. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ Vgl. Croatian Motorways (HAC)
- ^ Vgl. Croatian Railways (HŽ)
- ^ Šikić 2007, p. 11
- ^ a b Meridijani, 3/2002, 30. Šafarek, G. Plitvička jezera - 16 srebrnih stepenica
- ^ Plitvice Lakes National Park–Basic Information First permanent shelter at Plitvice Lakes have been constructed by officers of the Otočac Regiment in 1861/2 for rare chance travelers, who meet unexpectedly with that romantic but unknown, almost wild and insecure area. This was the way in which the first traveler's house was built in simple Swiss style, which served for a few decades for tourist and public purpose, until the construction of the first hotel inside villa "Devčićevac" in 1890.
- ^ a b Plitvice Lakes National Park, Flora Archived March 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Plitvice Lakes National Park, Sixteen Pearls of the Plitvice Lakes, Dr. sc. Srećko Božičević Archived December 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b c d Gušić, B. & Marković, M. (ed.) (1974) Plitvička jezera - čovjek i priroda, Zagreb, Nacionalni park Plitvice
- ^ a b c Horvatinčić, N. (1999) Starost sedre Plitvičkih jezera. Priroda: mjesečnik za popularizaciju prirodnih znanosti i ekologije, 89, 20-22
- ^ a b Stilinović, Božidar. "Nature creates waterfalls". Plitvice Lakes National Park. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ "Logo Science Magazine, Author: Dr. Alexander Stahr" (in German). Tk-logo.de. 2013-08-09. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ a b "Sedra Plitvičkih jezera, K. Kovač (zit. n. Hrvoje Iveković, "Kemija na Plitvičkim jezerima, Priroda 47 (1960) 10; 376-379)". Eskola.chem.pmf.hr. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ Zdunić, D. & Movčan, J. (ed.) (1985) Plitvice, Zagreb, Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera, Spektar
- ^ Plitvice Lakes National Park, Otvorenje ZSC-a "Ivo Pevalek" Archived December 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Kreiszeitung.de. "Kroatien: Schatz hinterm Silbersee", 25. September 2010: The penalty for bathing in the lakes was about 70 euro in 2010" (in German). Kreiszeitung.de. 2010-09-24. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ NP Plitvička jezera, Endemske vrste (Prof. dr. sc. Nedeljka Šegulja) Archived December 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Plitvice Lakes National Park, Čorkova uvala Virgin Forest (Prof. dr. sc. Branimir Prpić) Archived December 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Plitvice Lakes National Park, Fauna Archived March 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b The living world in the lakes and around them, Milorad Mrakovčić Archived December 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b Plitvice Lakes National Park, cultural heritage Archived March 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Darko Zubrinic (1995). "Croatian classical music". Croatianhistory.net. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ "Lake-lustre Croatia". Getaway.ninemsn.com.au. Archived from the original on 2010-09-26. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ "Rialto Film Berlin". Rialtofilm.de. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Review of World Heritage Nomination, April 1979
- ^ "UNESCO World Heritage Committee report, December 1998". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ "International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Judgement against Milan Martić" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Prostorni plan područja posebnih obilježja Nacionalnog parka "Plitvička Jezera" (PDF) (in Croatian). II.a. Zagreb: Ministry of Construction and Spatial Planning (Croatia). 2014. p. 89. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f "Broj posjetitelja u NP Plitvička jezera u razdoblju 2006.-2011. g." Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- ^ https://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/plitvicka-jezera-pucaju-po-savovima-hocemo-li-postati-generacija-koja-je-uspjela-ubiti-biser-hrvatskog-krsa---485495.html
- ^ "Večernji list, August 29, 2007". Vecernji.hr. 2013-08-25. Retrieved 2013-09-08.[full citation needed]
- ^ "Video. The Custom of Social Gathering. Ličko prelo". Croatian Ministry of Culture. 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
- ^ Božičević, Srećko. "The upper lakes". Plitvice Lakes National Park. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ Božičević, Srećko. "The lower lakes". Plitvice Lakes National Park. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ Legenda o Crnoj Kraljici in Croatian Wikisource
- Mato Njavro (ed.): Plitvice Lakes, Turistička naklada d.o.o., Zagreb 2005, ISBN 953-215-212-1
- Josip Movčan, Drago Zdunić: Plitvice, Grafički zavod Hrvatske, Spektar, Zagreb 1985 (German, Croatian, English, French)
- Dragutin Franić: Plitvička jezera i njihova okolica, Tisak kraljevske zemaljske tiskare, Zagreb 1910 (Croatian)
- Branimir Gušić, Mirko Marković (ed.): Plitvička jezera – čovjek i priroda, Grafički zavod Hrvatske, Zagreb 1974 (Croatian)
- Jeanne Oliver, Lonely Planet Croatia, pp. 164–166 (Lonely Planet, 2005)
- Radovan Radovinović (ed.), The Croatian Adriatic (Naklada Naprijed, Zagreb)
- Šikić, Zoran, ed. (October 2007). Plan upravljanja Nacionalnog parka Plitvička Jezera [Plitvice Lakes National Park Management Plan] (PDF) (in Croatian). Croatian Ministry of Culture. ISBN 978-953-6240-83-8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Official links[edit]
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- Plitvice Lakes Management Plan (2007)
- Official Website of Plitvice Lakes National Park (in Croatian) (in English) (in German) (in Italian) (in French)
- Official Website of the Tourism Association of the Plitvice Lakes municipality with a register of accommodations (in Croatian) (in English) (in German) (in Italian) (in French)
Additional links[edit]
- Plitvice National Park travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Detailed map with individual lakes marked
- Documentary. Nature: Land of the Falling Lakes
- A website with information about Plitvice Lakes
- Useful information about Plitvice Lakes
- Plitvice Lakes Facts
Photo galleries[edit]
- Plitvice lakes winter photo gallery
- High resolution photos of lakes and waterfalls in Plitvice National Park
- Plitvice Lakes National Park Picture gallery
- Forests of Croatia
- Protected areas of Karlovac County
- Lake groups
- Lakes of Croatia
- National parks of Croatia
- Register of Protected Natural Values of the Republic of Croatia
- World Heritage Sites in Croatia
- World Heritage Sites in Danger
- 1949 establishments in Croatia
- Protected areas established in 1949
- Protected areas of Lika-Senj County


text:
Titled OutRun Online Arcade, the effort will pack 15 courses and support 6-person online multiplayer, including OutRun, Heart Attack and Time Attack gameplay modes. nope
The downloadable game is being handled by Sumo Digital, the studio previously responsible for the console releases of OutRun 2 and OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast. BOOM video 1306

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Your Fashion Week Primer, from A to Z
- Najib Benouar
Ralph Lauren Fall 2013 Preview
Today marks the first day of New York Fashion Week, and the international fashion cognoscenti are descending upon Lincoln Center as we speak.
And as any well-read menswear enthusiast will tell you, it pays to know what exactly all the fuss is about (especially if you find yourself suddenly sharing a barstool with your new Estonian friend or in a heated debate with your tailor). So with that in mind, we've prepared an A-to-Z primer of talking points and trivia that should get your through the spectacle that is NYFW.
Herewith, the ABCs of New York Fashion Week.»


text:
New York Jets coach Rex Ryan said Monday he is not ready to decide on who will start at quarterback for this Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Ryan benched starter Mark Sanchez after he struggled against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. After Sanchez completed only 10 of 21 passes for 97 yards with three interceptions, Ryan brought in third-stringer Greg McElroy. Backup Tim Tebow was inactive with a rib injury.


text:
LA-based neo-soul rock outfit: Adam Levine - Vocals; Matt Flynn - Drums; Jesse Carmichael - Keyboards; James Valentine - Guitar; Mickey Madden - Bass.Three (Levine, Carmichael, and Madden) of the five members were previously known as Kara's Flowers. High school rock band with a record deal. Their first album The Fourth World didn't do well, and the recording contract was terminated. Levine and Carmichael left LA for the State University of New York, where gospel, soul and funk influences from the halls of residence gave them a new perspective and inspiration. Back in LA, the three got back together, added James Valentine, and Maroon 5 was born.Signed to Octone Records, and started recording October 2001 with Producer, Matt Wallace.By end of 2004, over 500 live shows, a consistent headline act in its own right, Maroon 5's debut album, Songs About Jane, sold more than 3,000,000 records. Appearances on the Tonight Show, The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Last Call with Carson Daly, and the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. The single, This Love was #1 on the top 40, VH1 and MTV simultaneously, and was also the first song ever to be certified as a platinum download.
Maroon 5 is a Grammy Award-winning American pop band. Formed in Los Angeles, United States, originally known as Kara's Flowers, the group comprises five members: Adam Levine (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Valentine (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jesse Carmichael (keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Mickey Madden (bass guitar), and Matt Flynn (drums, percussion). Songfacts reports that their 2011 single, Moves Like Jagger, topped the American charts and sold over a million copies in just over 20 weeks in the UK, despite failing to top the chart there.
Read more about Maroon 5 on Last.fm.
User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California.The group originally formed in 1994 as Kara's Flowers while they were still attending high school. With a line-up of Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden and Ryan Dusick, they signed to Reprise Records and released an album, The Fourth World, in 1997. After a tepid response to the album, the band parted with their record label and attended college. In 2001, the band regrouped and added James Valentine to the lineup, and pursued a new direction under the name Maroon 5.
Maroon 5 signed with Octone Records and recorded their debut album in 2002. The album, Songs About Jane, was released in June 2002. The album's lead single "Harder to Breathe" received heavy airplay, which helped propel the album to number 6 on the US Billboard 200. The album's second and third singles, "This Love" and "She Will Be Loved", were worldwide hits in 2004. The band won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2005. For the next few years, the band toured extensively worldwide in support of Songs About Jane and issued two live recordings: 2004's 1.22.03.Acoustic and 2005's Live - Friday the 13th. In 2006, drummer Ryan Dusick departed the band and was replaced by Matt Flynn and the revised band recorded their second album It Won't Be Soon Before Long in early 2007. The album was released in May and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200. The album's first single, "Makes Me Wonder", became the band's first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100.
None found!


text:
Employees of the Vermeer Corporation recently travelled to Joplin, Missouri to help with the recovery efforts. Why did they go? What did they do while they were there? What did they bring home from the experience?
Dr. Bob Leonard speaks with Rhonda Van Soelen, Dell Collins, Justin Manifold, Colin Van Kooten, David Pealer, and Fred Early, with Vermeer about their visit.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


text:
The lights are on
Maybe you can't read Japanese, but you don't have to in order to appreciate anime or to hang out here. Talk with others about your favorite manga, movies, and artists.
I finished both seasons awhile ago and im now reading the manga but im disapointed to find that there is no season 3 to be found so now the only thing to do is talk to other about it so what do you think about it?
Hmm, well one things for sure, the manga is MUCH better than the anime in my opinion. First, It's still going ( they're still creating it) so it's way more longer than the anime, and story is much better in the second season in the manga than the anime. The manga is so much better than the anime in general, and you won't find it a disappointment, unlike the anime. You'll see what I mean.
I hope so cause the anime was really good but it totally left you wanting a lot more and im still reading the manga im going to buy all the manga and the dvd of the anime
I enjoyed the manga more than the anime. The first series was better than the secound to me but I liked them both.
Personally I enjoyed the 2nd season the most and the manga i enjoy because it sorta like an extended version of the anime
I also recently got the entire original soundtrack whih has all those random tunes you hear in the background of the anime so im now gonna finish buying the manga then the two seasons on dvd and then extra stuff like figures and stuff so basically im addicted and think its the beat anime everr!!! BTW Mizore Shirayuki is the best!
I love both the anime and the manga. Though I have not read the book that muich sooo I can't really compare. I hope Yuki and Zero end up together...
I like the manga more the the anime, the manga is my #1 top favorite manga I ever read, but the anime on the other hand its good as a comedy, but it doesn't have a story.
The manga are still going I have all the ones that are out right now, and I have the anime dvds as well. But the manga is WAY BETTER, it has a real deep story, you get attached to the characters, more emotional things happen (not going to spoil anything). Now the anime, its just a comedy, they took out the story, cut out the major events, and put is something else that would be funny, the anime doesn't even have all the characters in it, its just a comedy and thats all they're trying to be.
If you haven't read the manga and only seen the anime, READ THEM you'll understand what I'm saying, The manga is much better then the anime.
Oh btw.. Kurumu is the best
Never seen it. I should check it out some.
I'm a Legendary GI member.
Mizore is the best XD


text:
Loading product details ...
Reviews (0)
Need Help?
Product Description:
Women's prAna® Rylee Knicker :: Worn as a yoga pant, pedal pusher or both, the wide-legged Rylee Knicker offers plenty of freedom to move around. Hems are trimmed in a pretty henna print; the stretchy micropoly fabric has a soft drape that inspires weekend lounging.
Features & Benefits:
Your Help Is Here
Shop with confidence knowing your team of Fit Experts is waiting to answer all your questions. You can always find your perfect product and your perfect fit. Your Road Runner Sports Fit Experts will make sure you get exactly what you want and have tons of fun in the process! Give us a call, chat, or email!
Call 800-743-3206 to
You May Also Like


text:
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Western Digital Corp. WDC, -1.27% on Wednesday reported a fiscal second-quarter profit of $335 million, or $1.36 a share, compared with a profit of $145 million or 61 cents a share for the year-earlier period. Revenue was $3.82 billion, up from $2 billion. Adjusted profit was $2.09 a share. Analysts polled by FactSet on average were expecting the hard-drive maker to report a profit of $1.82 a share on revenue of $3.67 billion.
Western Digital posts higher profit, sales
Quote References
-1.11 -1.27%


text:
Jurors in the trial of a man accused of killing an Indiana University student got "giggly" while sequestered at a hotel, records show -- with men racing each other wearing high heels, food fights, football and Frisbee.
The defense is not amused, but may not be able to do much about it.
Can we do anything about CNN.com writing that headline and wasting our time with a big article trotting out a defense attorney's desperate theory?


text:
"Pain and Gain"
Paramount Pictures
2 hours, 9 minutes
I think I've been quite clear about my feelings toward director Michael Bay. His body of work is fairly repugnant, only occasionally coming out with a film that doesn't make me want to crawl under my seat — the sticky, grime-encrusted theater floor being a relatively healthy and hygienic place compared to the mind of Michael Bay.
With that in mind, I had just about talked myself out of going to see this week's "Pain and Gain," despite several key factors that made me want to see it, despite my better judgement. One, the trailer looks both funny and kind of bonkers, kind of like a Carl Hiaasen novel. Two, I love both Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson, two actors who tend to elevate whatever project they're in, often by being surprisingly funny. In the end, I decided to give Bay one last chance, mostly because the buzz on other option, "The Big Wedding," was that it was one of the worst movies ever made. Surely "Pain and Gain" would be better than that.
I'm happy to say I made the right choice, though somehow I don't feel any better about Michael Bay.
Wahlberg is Daniel Lugo, a bit of a lug, but a man driven to be a success. Unfortunately, Danny doesn't want to work his way to the top, but rather is of the opinion that he should already be rich and famous, simply because he wants it so bad. Working as a physical trainer at a Florida gym, Danny takes on a rather odious client named Victor Kershaw who brags about his many millions and inadvertently convinces our hero that the easy money is right there for the taking. Danny devises a plan to kidnap Kershaw, hold him for a while, and eventually convince him to sign over all his assets.
Along for the ride for this ridiculously naive plan are Paul Doyle, an ex-con, ex-cokehead who's found Jesus, and Adrian Doorbal, a fairly pathetic case of steroidal sexual dysfunction who needs money for a series of disturbing injections. Naturally things do not go as planned, and spiral out of control in short order.
I can say without reservation that "Pain and Gain" is the best work Michael Bay has done. The characters, though nearly all loathsome, are captivating and the performers do a great job of bringing them to life. The movie declares itself a "true story," leaving off the familiar "based on" or "inspired by" disclaimers. I have no way of knowing whether this is a statement of fact or some kind of Bay-ish braggadocio, but regardless, I think it is the non-fiction aspect of the story that saves it from the usual slick empty-headedness of most Bay productions. The actors have meat rather than cardboard to sink their teeth into, and it shows.
Also, though most of the situations that crop up as this moronic trio blunder their way through an increasingly violent series of crimes are cringeworthy, the movie manages to be pretty funny. Much of the credit for the humor has to go to the fine performances by Wahlberg, as well as Johnson as Paul Doyle, and Anthony Mackie as Doorbal. Also very funny is Tony Shaloub as the reprehensible Victor Kershaw. I was especially glad to see Ed Harris, playing the only likeable character in the whole film, show up as a private investigator.
My wife is convinced that I really only liked "Pain and Gain" because I was lucky enough to watch it with a friend of mine who just happened to show up with his father and brother at the same time I did. Maybe she has something. Maybe Michael Bay movies are meant to be watched in a group, or with a buddy you can bounce things off of or commiserate with when things get too slimy to bear alone.
It's an odd thing, really. This is Michael Bay at his slimiest, but the movie is actually pretty good. So why doesn't Bay deserve more props? I will say that no one can deny that, as a director, Michael Bay is more than up to the job, technically. He can handle huge set pieces, action sequences, special effects, and dynamic cinematography with aplomb.
But Bay is on a different planet from most of the rest of us when it comes to the ethic, or the sense of basic morality in his films. In this movie, Lugo, Doyle, and Doorbal are ostensibly the bad guys. The director is telling us very clearly that we should not approve of their actions. But, though he disapproves of them, Michael Bay obviously really likes these characters, and obviously hates their victims. Victor Kershaw is portrayed as being one of the most contemptible human beings to grace the screen in years.
So what are Danny and his gang's true crimes? Torture, kidnapping, theft, murder? Not really. Their true crime is being so stupid. I got the distinct sense that if these three guys hadn't been such morons, Bay would have been A-OK with what they did.
That's probably unfair — I don't know Michael Bay. Maybe he's a real sweetheart, but you sure can't get that from watching his movies. His treatment of women is particularly egregious. The plot of "Pain and Gain" is overlaid with a continuous stream of scantily clad, slinking, sweaty, sexy women. Several scenes take place in a strip club, not unusual for a Michael Bay movie. Here, though, it feels like we are supposed to take the objectification of women as more criticism of the main characters, but the way Bay revels in it, lingers on the shots of oiled flesh, is akin to a guy loudly declaring what a travesty "Playboy" magazine is, and then proceeding to produce a stack of well-worn copies to illustrate in meticulous detail what's wrong with each one.
In the end, "Pain and Gain" succeeds despite being filled to the brim with Michael Bay's particular brand of poison. He has made a very entertaining movie about the disturbing lengths people will go to achieve empty notions of success. Whether Bay was attempting to make a biting satire of the American Dream or a crime comedy full of hot babes, muscle-bound hunks, and shockingly depraved chaos is anyone's guess, but the cynic in me is guessing the latter.
Luckily for me, I don't have to see things his way. Grade: B
"Pain and Gain" is rated R for violence, sexual situations, nudity, drug use, and pervasive language.
Chris Jenness is a freelance graphic designer, artist and movie buff who lives in Nikiski.


text:
It looks like Australia will finally be able to sell games that aren't quite tame enough to fall within the purview of its 15+ age rating. Last month, the representatives from eight of Australia's nine territories, comprising the country's Standing Committee of Attorneys-General, voted to approve an R18+ rating. The one hold-out, New South Wales Attorney-General Greg Smith, abstained from the vote, thus preventing the measure from passing. Such measures require unanimous consent.
Australian Minister for Justice Brendan O'Connor announced today that the New South Wales Attorney-General has since given "in-principle support" for the new rating, allowing the process to move forward.
The new Australian R18+ rating will be the equivalent of the ESRB's "M" rating in the United States, or "PEGI 18" in Europe.
"I am delighted that NSW has decided to support what is not just a practical public policy, but a very popular policy," O'Connor said. "Once introduced, the new classification will also afford adults the opportunity to view material designed for adults."
According to Joystiq, "draft guidelines presented at the prior meeting have since been amended, requiring approvals from some jurisdiction's cabinets," and the Australian government is moving forward to implement the new rating.
Sounds like it won't be long before gamers from the land down-under can start enjoying games like Left 4 Dead 2 and Mortal Kombat, two titles that were effectively banned in Australia because they were denied classification under the previous rating limitations. Australia later received an officially censored version of Left 4 Dead 2 that complied with the 15+ rating, but it's nice to know that future titles likely won't have to make such concessions.
[Editor's Note: This post has been edited to reflect the fact that an edited version of Left 4 Dead 2 was eventually released in Australia.]


text:
Just bought an '86 gl-10 from a guy who said the passenger side head gasket was blown. I have it taken apart and am looking at the heads. It looks like there is a crack between the valves. Is this a normal place they crack? Is this a functional or useless head?
Welcome to Ultimate Subaru Message Board, my lurker friend!
|Welcome to Ultimate Subaru Message Board, an unparalleled Subaru community full of the greatest Subaru gurus and modders on the planet! We offer technical information and discussion about all things Subaru, the best and most popular all wheel drive vehicles ever created.
We offer all this information for free to everyone, even lurkers like you! All we ask in return is that you sign up and give back some of what you get out - without our awesome registered users none of this would be possible! Plus, you get way more great stuff as a member! Lurk to lose, participate to WIN*!
* The joy of participation and being generally awesome constitutes winning
** Not an actual guarantee, but seriously, you probably won't regret it!
Serving the Subaru Community since May 18th, 1998!
Guest Message by DevFuse
Are my heads cracked?
Started by melbatoast , Jan 24 2013 03:16 PM
1 reply to this topic
Posted 24 January 2013 - 03:16 PM
Posted 24 January 2013 - 03:50 PM
Please do a search on this, theres numerous threads pertaining to it.
0 user(s) are reading this topic
0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users


text:
In 2014, CMS will add yet another factor into the mix of how your reimbursement payments are determined. That's when hospital patient satisfaction surveys— known as HCAHPS — will begin to play a role in your bottom line.
Surveying patient satisfaction with health services isn't new, but HCAHPS — Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems — is the first national effort to collect this information. Once implemented, the survey has three goals: produce comparable data on how patients perceive their care; give hospitals information needed to improve their care quality; and increase transparency surrounding hospital care. Eventually, CMS plans to use this patient satisfaction data to determine the level of reimbursement it will give hospitals for services rendered.
Concern over patient satisfaction has already taken hold in many hospitals. In a recent poll of hospital-based imaging directors and managers on the MarkeTech's imagePRO panel, roughly 85 percent reported that maintaining or improving patient satisfaction ranks among the top third of their organizational priorities. In addition, 65 percent said hospital administration is committed to making those enhancements happen.
In radiology where providers often have little-to-no direct patient contact, why is it important for you to think about how happy patients are with the services you provide? It turns out, said James Lipcamon, outpatient imaging services manager for East Cooper Medical Center in Mt. Pleasant, SC, patient satisfaction is a big deal for today's radiologists, both in the hospital and private imaging center setting.
"For any patient coming into a hospital setting or an imaging center, they already expect our competency. That's not what they're mainly concerned about; they're looking for the warm fuzzies," he said. "And, if you're in a competitive market, patient satisfaction is critical because word-of-mouth drives a lot of health care business. Someone has a bad experience with you, they'll tell 10 people. If they have a good one, they'll tell three or four."


text:
Today, Kiva entrepreneurs around the world are making fundamental changes in their own lives and the lives of their families -- from a Ugandan farmer looking to buy seeds and tools for increasing crop yields, to a talented seamstress hoping to start a business with a new sewing machine. But some entrepreneurs still face difficulties accessing the capital they need to create jobs and address larger, community-wide issues of poverty.
In industrialized nations, these small and medium enterprises (5 - 250 employees)...Continue Reading >>


text:
You may have read about the financial troubles at Plymouth Argyle and the more recent news that the club has been placed into administration
Fans of Argyle have organised a hardship fund to help the back office staff at Home Park who have been working without pay now for some months. These men and women are as blameless as the fans for the situation we find ourselves in. The actions of our multi-millionaire owners in not paying the bills is an embarrassment to us all but of particular shame is the failure to pay the core workers at the club.
This fund is not about the players, it`s about the tea lady, the ticket office girls, the driver of the team bus and the shop workers etc. You will all be able to identify with people such as these; every club has them, the backbone of the operation, the unsung heroes of football.
For these people their mortgages don't go away and their bills don't stop just because the selfish and miserly actions of their employers happen to leave them penniless. They have already seen Christmas through with no pay but now we have been brought into administration they also face immediate redundancy.
Every day however they have come to work. As fans of the club we have seen no drop in service, no bitterness, no idleness just a stiff upper lip and the occasional tear when the brave face can't hold it any longer. We have already organised a fund which was paid around Christmas to help them, we can't come close to paying them all their wages but every little helps as they say. Following the slide into administration the chances of these men and women being paid any time soon has reduced still further.
There is a lot of good will towards our club, it's manifested itself in many ways from many clubs, and our gratitude for the expressions of help and support know no bounds. If we could ask for one thing though at this time it would be for the wider football community to assist us in assisting our own.
I reiterate, this will NOT go to playing staff and certainly NOT towards the clubs debts. This is organised by the fans and Ian Newell, the club can't touch it. You won't be propping up our failed regime, just showing a little bit of solidarity to the sort of people who make all clubs work the way they do.
If you can donate to the Argyle Staff Fund please use the following bank details:
Sort Code: 11-18-11
Acc No: 12858072
Name: Ian Newell
Paypal E mail is email@example.com
Thank you for your time and, if minded, thank you for anything you can give, it's VERY much appreciated.
It's not that long since the Millers were in the same situation.
We went round with buckets.
Other teams fans kindly rallied round and sent money – and if they couldn't afford it, they sent their good wishes.
It's a sad situation and one not of these people's own making.
Good Luck to all the staff at Argyle and well done to Ian for trying to do something for them
RUFC – A plea for Plymouth Argyle
You may have read about the financial troubles at Plymouth Argyle and the more recent news that the club has been placed into administration


text:
If you get the movie reference, then chances are you probably remember the original learning toy, Alfie. For a generation that grew up with the Robot on Lost in Space, it was a pretty cool concept for a toy. Hasbro is reintroducing Alfie at this year's International Toy Fair in New York, and his reappearance I'm afraid pretty much sums up the feeling of an industry that faces a shrinking audience, a global recession and, oh yes, and still recovering from a little pr problem over safety issues.
I don't know why but as soon as I saw Alfie, I kept thinking of the Godfather quote "go to the mattresses"… In addition to Alfie, there were lots of other familiar faces at both Hasbro and Mattel. Strawberry Shortcake, now a sophisticated 30 years old, has been up-sized, and is positioned to appeal to moms who played with the original. Monopoly, Battleship, Twister, Sorry, Life have all been reworked (often cleverly–sometimes tortured) into new variations–once again to appeal to that sentimental place in our toy-buying hearts.
If technology worked last year, chances are you'll see it again with a slightly new look. Talking trucks, motion-activated rodents, RC cars that flip, virtual pets…they're all back.
So while this may not be a breakthrough year of innovation (do you blame anyone for not betting the farm this past year on something untried?) — you will find lots of solid choices that may give you a strong sense of deja vu.


text:
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 17th Sep 2012 16:56 UTC, submitted by Andy McLaughlin
"Visopsys (VISual OPerating SYStem) is an alternative operating system for PC-compatible computers, developed almost exclusively by one person, Andy McLaughlin, since its inception in 1997. Andy is a 30-something programmer from Canada, who, via Boston and San Jose ended up in London, UK, where he spends much of his spare time developing Visopsys. We had the great fortune to catch up with Andy via email and ask him questions about Visopsys, why he started the project in the first place, and where is it going in the future."
Thread beginning with comment 535501
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
RE[4]: The hardest part
by ssokolow on Mon 17th Sep 2012 20:12 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: The hardest part"
Yeah. Microsoft actually does have an incentive to standardize drivers.
Aside from malware, the biggest source of kernel instability these days is buggy drivers. So, the more Microsoft can get more hardware sharing less code that they write and test themselves, the more stable Windows becomes.
(And the easier it is to push the PR line that locking down the system, iOS-style, will kill rootkits and spyware without harming any legitimate users)
Edited 2012-09-17 20:24 UTC


text:
There's a great story at the heart of Matej Minac's documentary "Nicky's Family," if only it were allowed to be told unvarnished. In the 1930s, Englishman Nicholas Winton took it upon himself to rescue more than 650 Czech and Slovak children from the encroaching horrors of Nazism, a herculean feat of willful humanitarianism that stemmed from just one man's triggered conscience.
Minac's film about this undertaking (called the Czech Kindertransport) and its ripple effect in generations of charity-minded descendants is narrated by one of the rescued, Canadian broadcaster Joe Schlesinger, and features interviews with countless others, not to mention Winton himself. ("Britain's Schindler" is still alive, at 104.) But as amazing as this piece of World War II history is, its nuances are rarely allowed to breathe, what with sound effects slathered on top of archival footage, aggressively schmaltzy/ominous music drowning out interviews, and the unfortunate directorial choice of squeezing in filmed reenactments that play like something you'd see in a basic cable crime show or an educational short.
It's a bewildering lack of faith in the emotional pull of the survivors' own storytelling capabilities, their voices easily and vividly recalling a time of fear, wonderment, separation, outsiderdom and, eventually, life-affirming gratitude.
"Nicky's Family"
MPAA rating: None
Running time: 1 hour, 41 minutes.
Playing: At Laemmle Royal, Los Angeles; Laemmle Town Center 5, Encino; and Playhouse 7, Pasadena.
PHOTOS: Faces to watch 2014 | Movies
ENVELOPE: The latest awards buzz
DOCUMENTARIES: 10 best of 2013, and a new crop in 2014


text:
County Commissioners approve tax abatement guidelines, criteria
The Nolan County Commissioners met on Monday morning, in which approval was given for the County Treasurer to upgrade and purchase a new computer for her office.The original intention was to upgrade the current computer to Windows 7, but due to the fact that the computer is seven years old and has a CD drive that does not work, it was recommended that the computer be replaced. The system currently used in the office, Windows XP, will soon become obsolete. Additionally, the office is in the process of acquiring new software. A quote obtained from Your Way Computers came in around $1,400 for a new computer.Also during the meeting, the tax abatement guidelines and criteria for the next two years were approved, which was noted as being similar to the previous guidelines and needed to be renewed. As a result, the ten-year tax abatement agreement with Buzzi Unicem in Maryneal--in which the company is currently working on a $225 million expansion project--was approved as well.Furthermore, the reappointment of Jo Henderson to the Nolan County Pioneer Museum board was approved, while the burn ban for Nolan County was approved to be left off until the next court meeting date. The minutes of the December 9 meeting were approved, and reports were received from the Nolan County Auditor, Treasurer, Clerk and welfare and sheriff's offices.


text:
APPSC issues Group-II notification - Education News in Kakinada. - 0 views
shared by InKakinada com on 23 Sep 09 - Cached
InKakinada com on 23 Sep 09Hyderabad, Sep 17th: The AP Public Service Commission (APPSC) has issued the long-delayed Group-II notification for filling 682 vacancies in various departments in government offices. The notification came as a relief to lakhs of candidates as the posts were increased to 682 from 462 that were origin


text:
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The battle to bring down unemployment will remain at "center stage" for Federal Reserve policymakers because the economic recovery has been so slow, a key official said Monday.
With inflation currently running below the Fed's 2% inflation target and expected to remain low in coming quarters, a focus on helping the job market is "entirely appropriate," Fed Vice-Chair Janet Yellen told a conference sponsored by the AFL-CIO labor union.
"We have our foot, not only on the gas, but really pressed to the floor in terms of trying...to get this economy moving," Yellen said.
The Fed has committed to hold short-term interest rates close to zero as long as the unemployment rate remains above 6.5%. Yellen said that the Fed might not act even if this threshold is crossed.
The 6.5% rate is not a trigger, she said. If the threshold is crossed, "action is possible but not assured."
Yellen said several factors that usually help the economy after a recession are now holding it back: fiscal policy, housing, and household expectations of future income growth.
While Yellen expressed relief the government avoided the so-called fiscal cliff, she pointed out negotiations still continue on the so-called sequester that may be reached in March. "I expect that discretionary fiscal policy will continue to be a headwind for the recovery for some time, instead of the tailwind it has been in the past," she said.
Yellen is a leading contender to replace Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke if he leaves next January at the end of his four-year term. As such, her voice carries considerable weight among Fed officials.
In her speech, Yellen said that the Fed felt it needed to act to bring down the jobless rate because of the devastating impact that long-term unemployment was having on American workers and their families.
She said that it will be a "long road back to a healthy job market."
"The job market is improving. The progress has been too slow, but there is progress," she said.
The Fed is also buying $85 billion per month of Treasurys and mortgage-related bonds in effort to stimulate the economy. The program is open-ended, with the central bank saying that the program will continue until there is "substantial improvement" in the labor market.
Yellen gave no more clarity on how long the program would last, saying only that the central bank will consider "their efficacy and costs" in deciding whether to continue the purchases and how much to buy per-month.
In the question-and-answer session, Yellen stressed the Fed had the tools to exit from its loose policy stance.
She said it was always a question of when to take away the punch bowl so that the recovery doesn't generate higher inflation.
The Fed vice chair also noted recent evidence that was causing a "rethinking" about the merits of fiscal austerity.
"To me the evidence, both in the US and for Europe, is that fiscal austerity does raise unemployment and weaken an economy and thereby undermine the goals which it is designed to achieve," Yellen said.


text:
There's two distinct ratings in the states: M & A, Dragon age is M:
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/25/esrb-rating-explains-dragon-age-origins-sexual [joystiq.com] -exploits/
A is for one of those stupid adult sexploits games that nobody plays.
Even The Witcher 2 with full frontal got M.
If we combine Sexploitation and Mature, will that make it S & M?
Something awful used to review A rated games, though they either reorganized their site, or stopped in 2008. The Review of RapeLay [somethingawful.com] is a classic, though having absolutely no interest in actually playing such games, I can't comment on its "accuracy."
I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description [soft core porn]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the [content] involved in this case is not that.
—Justice Potter Stewart, US Supreme Court
There's as much evidence that censorship is bad for children as there is that "adult" and "mature" themes are. That is, none.
Welllll...yes and no. Would I want my kids playing at age 9 the game equivalent of "I spit on your grave"? Nooo, not because I didn't educate my kids and explain the difference between reality and gaming, its that when you are younger your brain simply doesn't have the emotional level of maturity to handle things you can later.
Using an example from my own childhood there are three scenes from shows that fricking gave me nightmares that today would actually be considered kind of tame. From Night Gallery the story where Roddy McDowell kills his uncle and the painting changes, one that was either Night Gallery or Outer Limits where a woman calls her dead son back from the grave only to find what she calls back was NOT her son (the scene where the demon in the kid's body explains "Timmy killed himself to GET AWAY FROM YOU while every time the lightning flashed the kid's face became the demon? truly scary shit) and the final one an old Hammer horror that appeared to be in B&W...until they stabbed the first vamp nearly 20 minutes in and the screen erupts in arterial spray.
Now once you are an adult if you want to tie little old ladies to passing buses in Just Cause II (always fun) or play something like Rapelay? Knock yourself out, have a ball. But a parent simply can't keep up with every damned new release on the planet so having set guidelines we can use along with a more detailed explanation following it? I honestly have no problem with that, because it gives the parent the choice and control.
Both are Mature. The title and summary on slashdot *gasp* are completely wrong. Mature titles are fine in the US. The problem was that in Europe they use a different system in which US Mature titles were getting wound up in the equivalent of US's AO rating.
So M rated games were always fine, it's the European system which lumps the sex games in with the Mature games that caused the kerfuffle.
So M rated games were always fine, it's the European system which lumps the sex games in with the Mature games that caused the kerfuffle.
Which as an European makes sense. Why would sex be more mature than violence?
It's encouraging to see that MS is willing to see reason on this count. I happen to like Win8 quite a bit, and their initial "ban" on M rated content made me very nervous about the long term viability of the platform for me.
I happen to like Win8 quite a bit
So that guy is YOU?
And me.
Good, two people is a good start in case you need to start a class action lawsuit... ah, wait, with the new EULA you only have the right to bend over.
The change, though, will take some time to go into effect. The games that had been caught in this net still won't be available as the Windows Store launches with Windows 8 today. Leblond said the plan is to flip the switch around December - definitely before the new year.
Wait until December to flip the switch? Why not flip the switch now? Is this what we are to expect from this platform?
Not sure how I got modded troll on this. I was being completely serious. I genuinely like Win8...
apparently, in the usa, people are not mature enough for pornographic content. which does seem to include erotic content as well
We all know that seeing a booby damages a young mind irreversibly whereas seeing someone's head explode improves his character.
Well, boobies ain't for little kids!
Erh... wait...
Kiss a pair of tits and the movie's X rated. Chop 'em off and it's PG13.
Chop 'em off and it's PG13.
As long as you don't show the nipples.
Windows 8 took an arrow to the knee.
Yes. Shot by none other than Microsoft themselves with careful aim.
Seriously fixed by December? In the mean time a flagship product with an ailing store and developer base is suffering. How could it take so long?
I work for what I can only consider to be the most bureaucratic red tape laden company outside of the government. I once needed to request a purchase requisition, get it approved by my line manager, forward it to a procurement officer, then take the resulting purchase order and fax it to a company all for a $2 lightbulb. It takes me months to get even the simplest of things done. However if something affects production, public perception, or profits rest assured everyone will be standing in line to ensure the red tape is machetied down before it even rises.
Taking 2 months to fix something that sounds quite trivial is appalling.
That is why you request a $100 lightbulb with the added notes, "Unable to work without this, production halted until requested item is acquired."
Who cares.
Steam Store
Windows 8 is an absolute failure. Microsoft, what in the hell were you thinking?
Windows 7 is a mature, well tested operating system. Windows 8 has just been born, and is not ready to confront the world as an independent adult. Underscoring this immaturity is a desire to dress in Children's Clothing [pcmag.com].
So (once again) here's the message: sex = bad, violence = OK.
Sex = killing babies. Here's how it works:
There you have it. Sex = killing babies
Yeah, that's a valid question to which I want a confirmation. Does this OS prohibit all games that aren't downloaded from the "approved" site? I don't think so, but don't know for sure. I've got several games (not a big gamer) and, what, do they not then run if I upgrade to 8? I have to rebuy them at this approved site in order to keep playing them? Makes no sense, but then neither does worrying about what the official game store from usoft may or may not approve when games bought anywhere can run on th
Why use some lame app store when you can just fire up Steam and download whatever the heck u want when it comes to games?
Because you can't.
Steam does not sell games that other US retailers have found to hot to handle, more trouble then they are worth.
The original restrictions on content in the Windows Store were there because Microsoft wanted to offer clear guidelines for developers and a unified and profitable global marketplace for Windows apps.
"Gamers and developers were worried that a large number of very popular games were going to be disallowed on the Windows Store."
Has anyone here ever bought software on a Microsoft Windows store or would intend to buy it? What a slashdot strawman marketing!
Won't somebody please think of the Adult games?
if you have win8 you can't surf porn? not that i would of course.... just saying
also horrible heading FTFA
The only good thing about this story is that maybe non-techie people will realize that when you let the OS vendor dictate what you can do with the hardware you bought to run their product on, they will ALWAYS use that ability against you.
Consoles, Apple, and now Windows- how many times do we have to learn the same lesson?
Consoles, Apple, and now Windows- how many times do we have to learn the same lesson?
Don't forget Ubuntu.
i.e. they would allow games rated up to M in the USA as well as games rated up to MA in Australia or whatever.
Yes, that's why they don't want you to turn Metro off.
It's even worse than the integrated ads in Ubuntu Unity which they also refuse to turn off.
This is the problem with an software store. We have seen it with the Apple app store and now Microsoft is heading that way too. It allows for too much power over what gets or doesnt get published.
This process can check if this value is zero, and if it is, it does something child-like. -- Forbes Burkowski, CS 454, University of Washington


text:
Simon Cowell is reportedly planning a dramatic tell-all TV interview to set the record straight about his private life.
The X Factor boss is keen to tell his side of the story after a new book revealed a string of details about his sex life, including an affair with Dannii Minogue.
According to the Daily Star, Simon plans to read the book - entitled Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life Of Simon Cowell - this weekend before deciding what to do.
A source told the paper: "Enough is enough. Simon's taken a lot of flak this week and now it's time to take the bull by the horns."
According to the paper Simon is considering doing another interview with his pal Piers Morgan, but is still undecided about his options.
Simon was pictured yesterday looking scruffy and unshaven on a date with a mystery woman.
Simon's bosses at ITV have also been branded "disloyal" and "ungrateful" after claims they failed to respect him.
The author behind the book - Tom Bower - told The Sun of how the recent revelations could push Simon's relationship with the broadcaster to breaking point.
"ITV are shooting themselves in the foot by criticising Cowell," Bower said.
"They are risking a self destructive war by not respecting the man who saved their channel from bad ratings when they have failed to create other original and attractive programmes. Without Cowell their ratings would sink."