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Retrace the 2000-year old routes which first connected East and West. Travel the legendary Silk Road formed by the forays of Genghis Khan, Marco Polo, and Tamburlaine. Traders, pilgrims and armies followed in their hoofbeats and travelled from the Mediterranean into China via this massive network of many roads. They carried silks and spices and spread an infinity of cultural influences during these colossal journeys. The trip today is no snap, but a lot less dangerous.
This April, 2013, take the trip of a lifetime. Flip on the ignition of a highly charged, tip-top, ready-to-roll Land Rover in Vienna and cruise in a convoy all the way to Hong Kong in an amazing driving adventure. Over the course of 92 varied and dauntless days, navigating 16 countries and about 12,500 miles, "Drive the Silk Road®" is the safe and savvy way to ride into exotic cities, unknown towns and villages while bringing history alive in a gritty, realistic, experiential way. Tab for the whole trip: $37,557.
But if this sounds a tad too cher and/or too long a haul, consider driving one or more of the 4 sections:
Section 1: Vienna to Istanbul – From the Alps into Balkan Peninsula, approx. 1,600 miles. 21 days from April 6 – 26, 2013. Austria – Slovenia – Croatia – Montenegro – Albania – Macedonia – Bulgaria – Turkey
Section 2: Istanbul to Baku – The Ottoman Empire and the Caucasus, approx. 2,750 miles. 26 days from April 26 – May 21, 2013. Turkey – Armenia – Georgia – Azerbaijan
Section 3: Ashgabat to Kashgar – Central Asia, approx. 2,265 miles. 19 days from May 23 – June 10, 2013. Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan – Xinjiang, China
Section 4: Kashgar to Hong Kong – Taklamakan Desert – Amdo (Upper Tibet) and Southwestern China, approx. 4,900 miles. 30 days from June 7 – July 6, 2013 in China
Sections are priced from $9,250 -$12,530 pp on a double basis, and single supplements are approx. $2,500- $3,000.
Convoy commanders are the intrepid and indefatigable Ms.Yue Chi, China-born and Toronto-based, and her husband David Visagie, from Zimbabwe and Germany. An expert mechanic and off-road specialist. Both are popular lecturers with years of travel experience and intimate knowledge of each itinerary who will do everything to minimize risks and problems.
After all considerations, mechanical and otherwise, the top car is the muscular Land Rover Discovery with its 16V engine – best in class for overland expeditions into remote regions and extensively tried and tested for safety and dependability. Very smooth automatic transmission. These tough-ies are loaded to the max with 4-wheel anti-lock braking systems, dual front air bags – all bells and whistles down to cup holders, map lights, and fog lamps.
Driving on any road almost anywhere means putting oneself at risk, even more so on really foreign roads where conditions, signs, and "traffic language" are alien. Driving also maximizes the possibilities of the unexpected: encounters with the startling, the surprising, the unprogrammed –lost thrills of the road.
Requirements: adventurous spirit, voracious curiosity and an open mind. The ability to drive and some stamina also helpful.
For more info and itinerary details, please contact: President/CEO of AAST Inc.,Yue Chi, at email@example.com; or phone 866-564-1226 and/or click www.drivethesilkroad.com


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What you need to know before you go
Lombok is considered by some to be "an unspoilt Bali", boasting the same fantastic beaches, waterfalls and even a volcano, but without the huge crowds of tourists. A relatively undiscovered destination in Indonesia, its landscape and traditional ways of life remain mostly unchanged. That's not to say that the people here aren't welcoming – far from it. It's just that the tourism industry is kept under control to preserve the island's historical and natural charm.
The star attractions of Lombok are the Gili Islands – 3 gorgeous tropical paradises, each with its own unique atmosphere. On the main Lombok Island itself, Selong Belanak is among the most beautiful beaches while the village of Sukarare offers a fascinating glimpse into local handicrafts and lifestyles. Don't miss the Fountain of Youth in the historic Narmada Park, either.

subset: commoncrawl


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Photo Credit: Tracy Loh
The construction of a bicycle and pedestrian path connecting the Dadeland South and Dadeland North metro stops in Miami, FL began in January of 2011. The project included the construction of a trail, a bicycle and pedestrian bridge over the entrance ramp to SR 878 along SR 5, lighting, signage, and fencing at the two metro stations. In addition to this, new signs and traffic signals were installed at the intersections with pedestrian ramps, intersections were repaved and restriped, and additional landscaping and paving was done.
The project cost around $4.5 million and was completed in December 2011. The path provides a critical link between two popular Metrorail stations in the Miami-Dade area. The nearby streets are several lanes wide and merge with other major roadways. This path provides a safe and effective way to commute between the two stations and to elsewhere along the M-path.
The National Transportation Alternatives Clearinghouse provides information on the Transportation Alternatives Program funded by FHWA. To be eligible for TA funds, a project must relate to surface transportation and be one of the 10 TA Activities. For more information about the TA program see trade.railstotrails.org. For our licensing policy see our guidelines.
Transportation Alternatives Data Exchange
@ the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
2121 Ward Court, NW, 5th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20037-1213


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I've gotten a lot of email about HP's upcoming Slate PC. Supposedly in development for over five years--my guess is it was really jumpstarted around the time that Apple tablet rumors cropped up--the Slate features an 8.9-inch touch screen running at 1024 x 600, a 1.6 GHz Atom processor, 1 GB of RAM (upgradeable), 32 or 64 GB of flash storage (upgradeable, and has SD), integrated graphics (but capable of running 1080p video), and so on. (Read more at Engadget.)
So what do I think?
The screen is about right. I've found that the iPad screen is simply too big: It makes reaching for the upper corners of the screen, often required for software "back" buttons in many, many apps, ponderous. So a smaller screen, with the right widescreen aspect ratio, is the right decision. This is, I think, the HP's biggest (only?) advantage over the iPad, the latter of which has proven itself awkward and heavy to hold, and hard to use as a result.
Beyond that, I'm not impressed by this device.
The Atom processor is barely acceptable, and if my experience running sub-HD video on the Acer AspireRevo is any indication, those wishing to run 1080p video off of this thing will be disappointed. The iPad, for all its faults, can in fact run HD video, purchased from the iTunes Store, without a hitch (on its own screen, which is not HD). In fact, iPad performance, overall, is unbelievable. So is the battery life.
The Slate runs Windows 7, which is nice, but not ideal at low resolutions. An argument can be made for Media Center on such a device, I guess. And of course, because it's a full PC, you get Flash, Office, etc. But let's not get crazy, this is a tablet. It's meant to be something less than a PC. Say what you will about the iPad, but Apple was right, I think, to go with its PDA OS (iPhone OS), and not the full Mac OS X. One can only imagine how nice future tablets and other devices will be if they run the Windows Phone OS; it's a natural because the panoramic UI would work great on bigger screens. But that's just speculation. The iPad is here now, as is Windows 7. My vote is for the simpler OS on such a device (i.e. the iPad) because that's the decision here: You're making a trade-off because the good outweighs the bad.
Pricing is in HP's favor, and by a wide margin, given the capabilities of each device: HP will charge $550 to $600 for the Slate, compared to $500 to $850 for the iPad. But that's not how people make buying decisions. Many will choose the iPad because it is simpler and works seamlessly with the iTunes ecosystem. Yes, you can run iTunes on the Slate. Can you run iPad or iPhone apps? No. Can you put a price on this compatibility? I guess you can. Advantage iPad.
The things that HP gets right then, are the screen (mentioned above), the integrated dual cameras (a silly and obvious omission on the iPad), expandability, and, if such a thing is important to you, PC/Flash compatibility.
The iPad has the support ecosystem (iTunes, App Store, etc.), which I think is almost the only reason to even consider the device. It's simpler and more elegant, and is well designed. The battery life is incredible.
I guess you can pick one based on your wants. But not your needs. No one--no one--needs either of these things. They are luxury items, pure and simple, accessories that do not replace something else you're already using. Let's at least all be honest about that, please.
Long story short. Based on what I've seen so far about the HP Slate, I'm not hugely interested (in part because I have experience with UMPCs, unlike many) and not hugely impressed. And even with the limitations of the iPad, I'd be hard pressed to recommend a Slate over an iPad, again, based on what I know so far.
We'll see if things change over time, and as I learn more. They often do.


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The guilloche dial of the Cellini Date pays tribute to the timeless codes of classic watchmaking, while reinterpreting them with an elegant modernity. The stylized, stretched applique hour markers are divided by a minute track that has been moved toward the center of the dial, closer to the tips of the hands. Like on all Rolex watches, the appliques and Rolex crown are crafted in 18 ct gold..
The round shape, classic 39 mm diameter, and the cases available exclusively in 18 ct gold – cast by Rolex in its own foundry – are marks of tradition, while the Cellini's refined lugs, the polished finish and the double bezel – one domed and the second delicately fluted – add a touch of distinction. An emblematic Rolex feature, this fluting is also present on the screw-down case back, which is domed as in bygone eras..
To preserve the beauty of its pink gold watches, Rolex created and patented an exclusive 18 ct pink gold alloy cast in its own foundry: Everose gold. Introduced in 2005, 18 ct Everose is used on all Rolex Oyster models in pink gold..
All Rolex watches are assembled by hand with the utmost care to ensure exceptional quality. Such high standards naturally restrict Rolex production capacity and, at times, the demand for Rolex watches outpaces this capacity.
Therefore, the availability of certain models may be limited. New Rolex watches are exclusively sold by Official Rolex Retailers, who receive regular deliveries and independently manage the allocation and sales of watches to customers.
Official Rolex Retailer's name] is proud to be part of the worldwide network of Official Rolex Retailers and can provide information on the availability of Rolex watches.
The Cellini collection is a contemporary celebration of classicism and the eternal elegance of traditional timepieces, combining the best of Rolex know-how and its high standards of perfection with an approach that heightens watchmaking heritage in its most timeless form.


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Reads input, sorts data, and writes the results to the screen, to a file, or to another device.
sort [/r] [/+<N>] [/m <kilobytes>] [/l <locale>] [/rec <characters>] [[<drive1>:][<path1>]<filename1>] [/t [<drive2>:][<path2>]] [/o [<drive3>:][<path3>]<filename3>]
|Reverses the sort order (that is, sorts from Z to A and from 9 to 0).
|Specifies the character position number where sort will begin each comparison. N can be any valid integer.
|Specifies the amount of main memory to use for the sort in kilobytes (KB).
|/l <locale>
|Overrides the sort order of characters that are defined by the system default locale (that is, the language and Country/Region selected during installation).
|Specifies the maximum number of characters in a record or a line of the input file (the default value is 4,096 and the maximum is 65,535).
|Specifies the file to be sorted. If no file name is specified, the standard input is sorted. Specifying the input file is faster than redirecting the same file as standard input.
|Specifies the path of the directory to hold the sort command's working storage if the data does not fit in the main memory. By default, the system temporary directory is used.
|Specifies the file where the sorted input is to be stored. If not specified, the data is written to the standard output. Specifying the output file is faster than redirecting standard output to the same file.
|Displays help at the command prompt.
- By default, comparisons start at the first character of each line. The /+ command-line option starts comparisons at the character that is specified by N. For example,
/+3indicates that each comparison should begin at the third character of each line. Lines with fewer than N characters collate before other lines.
- The memory used is always a minimum of 160 KB. If the memory size is specified, the exact specified amount is used for the sort (must be at least 160 KB), regardless of how much main memory is available.
- The default maximum memory size when no size is specified is 90% of the available main memory, if both the input and output are files, or 45% of main memory otherwise. The default setting usually gives the best performance.
- Currently, the only alternative to the default locale is the C locale, which is faster than natural language sorting (it sorts characters according to their binary encodings).
- You can use the pipe symbol (
|) to direct input data to the sort command from another command or to direct sorted output to another command. You can specify input and output files by using redirection symbols (
>). It can be faster and more efficient (especially with large files) to specify the input file directly (as defined by filename1 in the command syntax), and then specify the output file using the /o parameter.
- The sort command doesn't distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters and has no limit on file size.
- The sort program uses the collating-sequence table that corresponds to the Country/Region code and code-page settings. Characters greater than ASCII code 127 are sorted based on information in the Country.sys file or in an alternate file specified by the country command in your Config.nt file.
- If the sort fits within the maximum memory size (as set by default or as specified by the /m parameter), the sort is performed in a single pass. Otherwise, the sort is performed in two separate sort and merge passes, and the amounts of memory used for both passes are equal. When two passes are performed, the partially sorted data is stored in a temporary file on disk. If there is not enough memory to perform the sort in two passes, a run-time error is issued. If the /m command-line option is used to specify more memory than is truly available, performance degradation or a run-time error can occur.
- To sort and display, in reverse order, the lines in a file named expenses.txt, type:
sort /r expenses.txt
- To search a large file named maillist.txt for the text Jones, and to sort the results of the search using the pipe (
|) to direct the output of a find command to the sort command, type:
find Jones maillist.txt | sort
The command produces a sorted list of lines that contain the specified text.
- To sort keyboard input and display the results alphabetically on the screen, you can first use the sort command with no parameters, by typing:
Then type the text that you want sorted, and press ENTER at the end of each line. When you have finished typing text, press CTRL+Z, and then press ENTER. The sort command displays the text you typed, sorted alphabetically.https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/sort https://computerthang.com/p/ryzen-9-3900x-cpu-meg-x570-motherboard-a292/


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Kirov (08.2011)
Located in the north-eastern part of European Russia, Kirov (city) has a population of approximately 460,000. Founded in 1174, the city was originally known as Khlynov and was the center of a then-independent republic. Annexed to Moscow by Ivan III in 1489, the city was subsequently renamed Vyatka by Catherine the Great in 1780. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was a place of exile for opponents of the tsarist regime, including many prominent revolutionary figures. The city was given its present name, Kirov, after Bolshevik leader, Sergey Kirov, following Kirov's assassination in 1934. The city is home to Russia's oldest library, the Gertsen Regional Science Library, and Russia's traditional, beloved clay figurines known as Dymkovo or Vyatka toys which have been made here for more than 400 years.Read More


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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Favorite Things in My Town
Aside from worries of 40 year old bachelor basement dwellers, I thought it might be fun to show you some of my town. Most of it looks like any other small suburban town. We have a few of my favorite stops: Target, Borders (not for much longer!), Starbucks, Panera, Hobby Lobby, and a mall. I can head just 30 to 40 minutes north to browse IKEA, and 60 minutes south to play at Pottery Barn. I love the Salvation Army.
What makes my town special is the history. The town's history dates back to the 1600s, and several of our founding fathers had ties to this area. The town played a role in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars! I don't go into "Old Towne" often, but it was really fun to take the girls and explore earlier this week.
The main street in Old Towne is filled with shops and restaurants, and lined with trees (at Christmastime, they are all lit).
The buildings are mostly old. Visitors get a kick out of seeing shops, homes, and churches that have been around for two hundred years. My girls love all the cool alleys and tunnels to explore.
As serious as all the history stuff may seen, you'll see a cheerful (even humorous side) with the brightly colored shops and apartments:
There are bistros, cafes, diners, fancy gourmet spots, and a well-recognized ice cream shop. Having choices right off the sidewalk was helpful when the girls started whining about being hungry. We chose a little diner known for its sweet potato fries.
There are loads of beautiful homes downtown, and several that offer tours. We had fun riding past many of them, until I felt kind of stalkerish for taking pics from the Swagger Wagon and decided to stop and let the girls stretch their legs again at one of the historic homes that allows visitors to walk the grounds.
As you can see, I kind of have the best of both worlds: proximity to large cities, culture, and shopping... and the hometown apple pie America factor.
Pretty sweet indeed!
Linking to Favorite Things in My Town at Centsational Girl.
48 comments:
Such beautiful photos! I love the downtown area with all of the alleyways and colorful storefronts. Gorgeous! The big historic homes are fabulous too. I'm still totally jealous that you have an IKES so close!ReplyDelete
IKEA and Pottery Barn close. I am beyond jealous! :)ReplyDelete
This is such a quaint lovely old town! Thanks for sharing!
I won't name your town but I grew up there! It is a great place to grow up and the history is amazing! Your pictures make it look great as well :)ReplyDelete
Your pictures are great! Your town has a charming historic and old world feel! It's beautiful!ReplyDelete
Oh my gosh! How charming! Love the old brick, and that grey house with all of the steeples...swoon! The name of that tattoo parlor cracks me up!ReplyDelete
Dawn @Eventually Cottage
Oh my goodness, Amanda... you get to live there... I love your town! Such scope for the imagination.ReplyDelete
Your town looks amazing. So cute...I always wanted to live in a town where you could walk down one street and get pretty much anything you want. i live in a big city so we dont have that!ReplyDelete
I know where you live!!!! I've been there and it's beautiful. Your photos are lovely. Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
Incredibly charming! Holy cow! And yes so much history! Thanks for sharing your photos...I promise I am not a basement dweller in Idaho.....Im from nashville...hehehReplyDelete
The houses are gorgeous! All that history is just awesome. And your girls look too cute.ReplyDelete
And why does everyone pick on Iowa? There are crazy guys in mom's basement everywhere. ;)
PS - I'm literally looking at Iowa out my window now. I get a little defensive about my Midwest. heheReplyDelete
That looks like such a great town Amanda! We live in the country, so we don't really have a town close by just a bigger city about 20 minutes away.ReplyDelete
My family used to drive 45 minutes to that Carl's for custard but I've never seen the rest of the town. It's adorable and I love all the historic buildings. You must love living there! Great post!! Your girls are so stinkin' cute!ReplyDelete
I love all of the history your town has Amanda! We live in a town which was established in 2000, so there is hardly any history here!ReplyDelete
I'm off to link up my post to Censational Girl now - I hope you will check it out! :)
I love the name of that tattoo shop and sweet potato fries are my favorite thing on earth! I wish I knew the name of your town so I could visit.ReplyDelete
Your town looks amazing!!! Old and new...I love it! It seems like it would be a really nice place to visit. Our town has a little downtown area with old buildings and neat shops too(but on a much smaller scale) that I love! And how nice to be so close to an IKEA!ReplyDelete
Hello Amanda,ReplyDelete
I have eaten those fries...delish!!! I love your 'Old Towne' .
I was a vendor at the University for a holiday show a few years back....beautiful buildings.
Thanks for the tour and those models of yours should get a raise! (or more fries)
Janet xox
We live in a similar small, historical town...though across the country from you. Great photos...there's something so wonderful about seeing it all laid out as you did. Fun! Thanks!ReplyDelete
Tsk Tsk -- you've shown all the stalkers and basement weirdos Carl's. They'll probably be butting in line before you know it. Beautiful pictures. I'm enjoying Centsational Girl's party.ReplyDelete
Your town is charming. I love historical places. Your girls are adorable too. In fact, my 2 year old is wearing that same green striped polo dress right now that your older daughter is wearing. I'm kind of paranoid about stalkers, pedophiles, too and was a bit wary about doing this post.ReplyDelete
You DO have the best of both worlds! Lucky girl!! And you're in Virginia. . . which in and of itself is swoon-worthy, if you ask me. (Have I ever told you that Jack and I moved to Charlottesville when we'd been married three weeks? My first home was in Virginia!)ReplyDelete
Gorgeous photos, Amanda. Of course, with Natalie and M.B. to pose for you, how could you go wrong? :)
HI Amanda, that downtown area is so quaint I'm in love with the historic homes too.ReplyDelete
Thanks for stopping by!
LOVE IT! And Ikea. I can only dream!! Thanks for stopping by my blog to leave a comment. :)ReplyDelete
Amanda, your town looks amazing!ReplyDelete
I love all the old buildings, the cute shops and restaurants, and the fact that you have all the standard stores too is phenomenal.
Thanks for sharing. What a fun tour!
Oh gosh! The Sorry Mom tattoo place is too funny! :) How fun to take the girls out to see the sites! There are lots of fun little places around my hometown and new town that I have never been too. Think it's time to check them out, huh!ReplyDelete
Hi Amanda, great photo's! I like the ice cream diner ...very homey!REminds me of where I live with all the old homes & history...I need a new camera I think..your pics look great!ReplyDelete
What a charming town you live in. I wish I could say the same for my town. I'm going to take pictures for my blog of my town, once things are cleaned up from Hurricane Irene. It's not charming like yours, but it has nice places. Thanks for sharing Amanda! :)ReplyDelete
What a great tour! I love all the buildings and history! Looks like my kind of town! Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Thank you for sharing your great town :) I love the Sorry Mom Tattoo! So funny. And your girls are adorable!ReplyDelete
LOVE this! Reminds me of the little boardwalk I just featured. I could move away to a small town with Victorian architecture any day. Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 31, 2011 at 5:29 PM
What a beautiful little town! Love your shot of the girls from the back in the alley. Stopping by from Censtational Girl's party.ReplyDelete
We live up the road from you. LOVE the grill with the sweet potato fries. But if looking for a good tatoo, Jack Brown's Tatoo Revival is better than Sorry Mom. I only know this because my son and husband got tatoos at Jack Brown's this summer. :)ReplyDelete
I know your town and have been there a few times. I live in Virginia too! Love your pictures :)ReplyDelete
Your town is one of my favorites in Virginia. I love the history there and your fabulous downtown. I waited in line for-ev-er for Carl's ice-cream the one time I had it. If I were a local, I'd line up for it often, too!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 31, 2011 at 10:21 PM
What a beautiful town, and great photography! I just love sweet potato fries ;) I love reading about everyone's towns. The old homes near your house are fabulous!!ReplyDelete
~Kelly @ Corner of Main
What great photos! Love that old brick Colonial house -- I think my parents dragged me there once when I was a kid. I should go back now; I'd be way more into it!ReplyDelete
Your photos are beautiful! So many historic buildings and homes to see. I love all the bright colors. Thanks for sharing with us. :)ReplyDelete
Wow that's a pretty magical street you have there! So pretty!ReplyDelete
Looks like you live in a really charming town. I especially love the name "Sorry Mom Tattoo" for the tattoo parlor!ReplyDelete
Oh by the looks of your town you live in ..... would you die if I revealed it? Ha! I love love love looking at the historical buildings in your town captured through your eye, and your girls are so precious! Thank you so much my friend for linking up to this fun par-tay!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 1, 2011 at 6:45 AM
I'm a sucker for historical towns. Yours is beautiful! Love the amazing houses, too.ReplyDelete
Loved seeing our town through your lens! It is so funny how easily we take it all for granted, it really is such a beautiful place to live. Makes me want to head downtown this weekend and remind myself why we moved here!ReplyDelete
(And if you would email me the diner with the sweet potato fries I would love it. Yum!!)
I totally get the stalker thing...I am right with you. Love, love your town. We have no real history in San Diego, but with our weather it makes up for it. I love the history your town has, but the tattoo shop was the funniest! Great character your town has.ReplyDelete
Love the sweetness of your hometown...now you've got that stalker idea in my mind! And if you end up doing that girls weekend in NYC- I'll meet you in the city!ReplyDelete
What a fun place!! My friend is actually getting ready to move there and we head that way to go to IKEA multiple times a year. I'll definitely have to take a look at some of the historic areas the next time we drive through! Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Looks like a very charming place to live and your girls are adorable!ReplyDelete
I loved looking at all the pictures. Especially the historical homes. I soooo want to come out that way and visit someday. U.S. History is very dear to my heart! I miss you friend! One of these days I'll learn to balance blogging with the rest of my life!ReplyDelete
I love to hear your feedback! Please feel free to leave comments...just don't send me spam asking me to buy stuff off your website! I've got three kids and no money to purchase your magic weight-loss pill or bust enhancement, or whatever else you might be selling. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you! :)
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.


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A dwarf hamster makes a great pet for older kids and even adults. This page is a complete guide to dwarf hamsters and will tell you all about these furry little pets as well as how to choose one, how to prepare for your new dwarf hamster and how to take care of it.
Dwarf hamsters are super cute and about half the size of a regular Syrian hamster. They have cheek pouches where they stuff their food and you'll often see them stuffing their cheeks full, giving the impression that their head is much larger than their body.
This page is divided into a few sections:
Types of Dwarf Hamster
There are three types of dwarf hamsters – the Roborovski dwarf hamster and the two Russian dwarf hamsters — Winter White dwarf hamster and Campbell's dwarf hamster. It's also possible for hybrids to be created from Winter Whites and Campbell's. A fourth species, the Chinese dwarf hamster, is more rat-like and not related to the other three.
Roborovski Dwarf Hamster
The Roborovski dwarf hamster or robo dwarf hamster is the smallest hamster species kept as pets. It measures less than 3 inches even in adulthood. In the wild, robo dwarf hamsters can be found in the deserts of Russia, Kazakhstan, and northern China. They eat grains, vegetables, fruit, as well as insects and meat in small amounts.
Robo dwarf hamsters are fast and very active. When you visit a pet shop with robos, you'll often find them running on the wheel. In fact, they have been known to run as much as four human marathons on average every night. That's more than a hundred miles!
A robo dwarf hamster is usually grayish-brown with a white underbelly. There is also a type that has a completely white face and is sometimes referred to as a Husky robo or a white-face robo. Unlike other dwarf hamsters, robos don't have dorsal stripes.
The average lifespan of a robo dwarf hamster kept as a pet is 3 years, although they have been known to live up to 4.
Robo dwarf hamsters should be bred no earlier than four months for females and three months for males. The gestation period is 22 to 30 days and usually four to six pups are produced.
Russian Dwarf Hamster
Russian dwarf hamsters can refer to the Winter White or Campbell's dwarf hamster. The two appear very similar and are often confused for each other. In fact, scientists have classified them as the same species for many years. The term "fancy Russian dwarf hamster" simply refers to Russian dwarf hamsters that are attractively colored.
Winter white dwarf hamsters, also known as the Djungarian hamster, winter white hamster or Siberian hamster, are 3 to 4 inches long in adulthood. The name "winter white", comes from the ability of these hamsters to change color from dark gray to white in the wild during winter. Pet winter whites do not usually turn white in the house due to artificial lighting/heat in the house.
Other than dark gray with dorsal stripes and a white belly, winter whites also come in pearl, sapphire, sapphire pearl, and marbled.
In the wild, the winter white dwarf hamster can be found in Siberia, Russia, and Central Asia. They can live for as little as one year in the wild, but the average lifespan of a pet winter white is usually one to three years.
Winter whites can be bred at 4 to 6 months old and have a gestation period of 18 to 25 days. Usually 4 to 8 pups are born although there have been instances where there are up to 14 pups in a litter.Campbell's dwarf hamsters are the other Russian dwarf hamster and are the most common dwarf hamsters found in pet stores. They are very similar to winter whites in appearance.
Campell's dwarf hamsters can be found in the wild in Russia, China, and other parts of Central Asia. As pets, they can live for 2 to 2.5 years but have a shorter lifespan in the wild.
Campbell's should be bred no earlier than three months and have a gestation period of 18 to 20 days. A Campbell dwarf hamster can have up to 10 pups in a litter.
Hybrid Dwarf Hamsters
Hybrid dwarf hamsters are bred from winter whites and Campbell's dwarf hamsters. They are usually bred for their attractive colors such as orange, pudding, or brown but are prone to numerous health problems. Due to this and other ethical issues, crossbreeding the two Russian dwarf hamsters to produce hybrids is controversial.
Chinese Dwarf Hamsters
The correct term for this hamster would be the Chinese hamster although they are commonly mistaken for dwarf hamsters due to their size and possibly their black dorsal stripe. Chinese hamsters are not related to the other dwarf hamsters mentioned above. Unlike dwarf hamsters which have really small and flatter tails, Chinese "dwarf hamsters" also have longer and thinner tails.
How to choose a dwarf hamster
If you haven't decided which species to get, I would recommend either a Winter White or a Campbell's dwarf hamster as these are easier to tame and handle than roborovski dwarf hamsters. Also, a pure breed is preferable as hybrids are more prone to illnesses and disease.
Things to note when buying a hamster
- Make sure your hamster is healthy. The dwarf hamster should have clear eyes and nose, and no bald patches or scabs on its skin.
- Don't buy from the same cage (or even store) if ANY hamster has wet tail. This is an infectious disease that is fatal to hamsters. If any of the hamsters in the cage has wet tail, the others are already at risk of getting it even if they look healthy for now.
- Look for a younger hamster. Your dwarf hamster only lives an average of 2 – 2.5 years so you want a hamster that will be with you for a longer time
- Determine the gender of your hamster. Many people pick a hamster at random and have trouble identifying its gender later when they're trying to name it. Ask an employee at the store to determine the gender of your new pet so you don't have to worry about it later. Note: This is not 100% foolproof, sometimes the hamster is too young for you to determine its gender immediately, or the employee might just get it wrong.
Preparing for Your Pet Dwarf Hamster
Before you bring your dwarf hamster home, you'll need to ensure that you have a suitable location to place its new home. The location should be away from direct sunlight or draft as well as quiet and safe from potential predators (including other pets such as cats and dogs). Do note that your dwarf hamster is nocturnal and will be squeaking, scratching, or using the wheel a lot at night. If you're a light sleeper, don't put the cage in your bedroom!
Essential items to get
Cage or tank
You probably already know this but you'll need to house your pet in a cage or a tank. Dwarf hamster cages come in many sizes but you should pick the largest one you can afford. If you are getting a cage, ensure the bars lining the cage aren't too big for your dwarf hamster to squeeze through.
If you don't want the hassle of setting up your own tank, the Super Pet CritterTrail One Level Habitat Pink Edition is a good cage that comes with a food dish, water bottle and an exercise wheel. However, it's actually pretty small although it is expandable. Hamster Hideout, a popular hamster forum, recommends at least 360 square inches of space for a cage so if you go with their recommendation, you'll definitely have to get the expansions. Alternatively, you can get a glass tank or a plastic bin and fill it up with your own hamster accessories.
Your dwarf hamster will need fresh and clean water so a water bottle is absolutely necessary. Bottles can be standing or hung from the cage. Don't get a water dish because your hamster will most likely kick bedding into it.
If your cage doesn't already come with a bottle, you can get the Lixit Aquarium Cage Water Bottle for either cages or tanks. This comes with an adjustable wire hanger that you can adjust to a suitable height for your dwarf hamster.The Lixit Aquarium Cage Water Bottle is chew-proof and climb-proof so you don't have to worry about your pet gnawing it up or escaping by climbing on the bottle.
Exercise or running wheel
In the wild, dwarf hamsters can travel for miles every day. You'll need a running wheel to keep your hamster healthy and happy. Make sure you get one without rungs as gaps in the wheel can result in broken limbs or injuries if your hamster falls through them.
The Super Pet Hamster Silent Spinner is a good choice if your tank or cage doesn't come with a running wheel. This 6.5″ wheel is large enough for one or two dwarf hamsters and is designed to spin silently when your dwarf hamster runs on it. So if your hamster cage is in your bedroom or somewhere you don't want a lot of noise, this wheel will ensure you have your peace when your pet is most active at night. The Super Pet Hamster Silent Spinner can be attached directly to a cage or placed on its stand in a tank.
Hamster 'house'
Your new pet will need a hiding place. Many people get ceramic hamster hideouts for this purpose. You can also make them out of toilet rolls.
The Small Animal Kingdom 2-Storey Hamster House makes a good hiding spot for your dwarf hamster if you prefer something that's more aesthetically-pleasing than a toilet roll. This two-storey hamster house has plenty of openings for your pet to explore, hide in, and stash his goodies.
It is important to choose a bedding that is non-toxic and comfortable for your new pet hamster. Cedar and pine shavings are not recommended as they may cause your pet to develop respiratory problems such as asthma. If you are interested behind the science, this page provides good information.
The Carefresh Ultra Pet Bedding is what I use for my pet robo dwarf hamster and I highly recommend it. The bedding is non-toxic, soft, highly absorbent and prevents odor for a longer time than normal bedding made from wood shavings.
It is a little more expensive than other types of bedding but for your pet's health, this is a great investment. Also, because of its odor control and absorbent properties, you don't have to change the bedding as much.
For other choices, check out our page on the best hamster bedding.
Dwarf hamster food
Buy a hamster food mix that contain a variety of different food so your dwarf hamster can get all the nutrients it needs. If you wish, you can supplement your hamster's diet with some fresh food or give them a treat of other seeds, nuts, and even the occasional mealworm (!).
For a health dwarf hamster, Oxbow Healthy Handfuls Hamster and Gerbils Complete Stabilized Food is one of the best commercial hamster food you can get. This food is optimally-balanced with the essential nutrients your pet needs. It does not contain seeds or high-sugar fruits or any artificial preservatives. Many hamster owners have reported that their pet loves this feed (i.e. does not reject it).
Other (optional) items
Chew blocks / toys
Non-toxic wooden toys for your hamster to file down its teeth. Alternatively, you could use card board tubes or popsicle sticks.
If you prefer a better-looking chew toy, the Super Pet Perfect Chews for Hamsters may be what you're looking for. Colorful and attractive, this chew toy can be hung from any cage or tank. It's also pretty entertaining to watch your hamster swing it around. If your dwarf hamster is biting its cage bars or chewing up other cage accessories, this might be a good product to stop it from doing that.
Hamster treats
These are special food to be given sparingly or used as a reward for your hammy. Check out our list of healthy hamster treats if you want to get some for your new pet.
Hamster ball
A hamster ball supposedly lets your dwarf hamster roam outside its cage in the safety of a bubble.
Unfortunately at this point of time, I cannot find a hamster ball that is actually safe enough. It is important to monitor your hamster even if it's in the ball. In many cases, this item is not necessary. If you need to put your pet outside, try putting it in a box or an enclosed area. If it's for exercise, a running wheel placed in your pet's cage is more than sufficient for this task.
Bathing sand and "bath house"
Hamsters keep themselves clean and should never be bathed in water. Some of them might enjoy sand baths though.
The Super Pet Ceramic Small Gerbil Bath is not just for gerbils. Dwarf hamsters will fit perfectly into it too. You can also find out how to build your own DIY hamster bath house. Be sure to put only a few spoonfuls of sand in the bath each time, or your hamster will end up kicking the sand everywhere. If you need to get the bathing sand too, the Super Pet Critter Bath Sand is a pretty good choice.
Food dish
You can get a food dish for your hamster or just hide food around the cage and let it look for it. If your food dish is placed on the cage floor with bedding, your hamster is most likely going to kick bedding into it. I suggest placing the dish on a stand or a different level if you have a multistorey cage.
The Living World Ergonomic Dish is a low-cost and sturdy food dish. This is made from heavy ceramic dish so it won't topple over easily when your hamster tries to get into it. I've used plastic ones and they almost always get tipped over. Not a problem with this. The Living World Ergonomic Dish comes in two sizes but for a dwarf hamster, the small one should suffice.
Have Fun with Your New Pet
Now that you know about the types of dwarf hamsters, how to pick one out, and what supplies you need, it's time for you to go out and get a pet that's most suitable for you and will provide many months of fun and love.
To help you take care of your new pet, we also have many other pages linked in our menu and sidebar that are useful for the new dwarf hamster owner.
If there is anything you need to ask about dwarf hamsters, please feel free to contact us or leave a comment.
Written by Sarah Yee


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Along with Six Flags New England and Canobie Lake Park, another New England amusement park will be debuting a new roller coaster in 2011. Middleburry, Connecticut's Quassy Amusement Park will be replacing their aging steel roller coaster, Mad Mouse, with a family wooden coaster dubbed Wooden Warrior. The new ride's name was chosen via a name contest that the park held with local schools.
Wooden Warrior was designed by world-class designers The Gravity Group. They're responsible for The Voyage at Holiday World; a coaster thought to be the best wooden coaster in the World. Unlike Gravity Group's previous designs, Wooden Warrior will be one of the company's first smaller, family-sized designs. The ride will feature a rather short 35′ tall lift hill that will produce a top speed of 35 mph. In comparison, The Voyage doubles those stats topping out at 67.5 mph with a 163′ tall lift hill.
As you can see from the video above, Wooden Warrior doesn't aim to be a white knuckle thrill ride. Quassy's owners needed a coaster that was fun for all ages and from the video, it looks to be just that. Roller coasters don't require a lot of speed to produce those joyous little pops of airtime that make them so much fun. I'm a huge fan of The Gravity Group's other work and it looks like they may have another winner here, albeit in a pint-sized form.
Like many of my favorite roller coasters, Wooden Warrior will traverse Quassy's natural terrain. For example, the initial hill is 35′ tall, but will drop riders a total of 45′ as the track hugs the park's topography. The new wooden coaster is a huge update for the small park as they'll go from having a 44-year old run-of-the-mill ride to a sure crowd-pleaser that will provide a unique experience.


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So sure, you are probably all about Game of Thrones now, at least until The Hobbit drops. But that was before you saw this Eye of Sauron frosted delight!
Despite some persistant Googling, I haven't been able to turn up too much else about this Eye of Sauron cake other than multiple copies of this same image on various Websites. Is it yours? Do you know the baker? Because I have a must-answer question: Is it a red velvet cake?
Please be red velvet. And if you have any info, hit me on email.
Update: We found the baker behind this amazing cake. Emily Pease wrote in to tell us this is her sugary Eye of Sauron and even sent us a couple of extra photos. But best of all? The cake actually is red velvet!!!! Here it is sliced open:
Be sure to check out Emily's photostream on Flickr. It's a locus of nerd-lightful bakery. [Emily Pease via Geekosystem]


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Last week my wife and I decided to make a drastic and radical change in our lives. It was a tough decision but after much thought we decided it was what was really best for both our finances and our family. WE CANCELED CABLE! I know it sounds crazy but it turns out there really wasn't any reason we had cable to begin with.
Think about it, why do you have cable? What do you really enjoy watching on TV? For us we love to watch shows like, NCIS, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Bones, Criminal Minds, and The Amazing Race. Do you know what all of these shows have in common? They are all big Network Television shows. Guess what folks, they still send that mind numbing goodness out over the air, and it is even in HD. I went out and spent $20 on an indoor lay flat antenna and I pick up ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox. Not only do I pick them up clearly, I get them in HD, FOR FREE!
To supplement our lack of cable television shows we did go ahead and sign up for NetFlix at the $8.99 per month pricing tier. With that we can watch unlimited streaming movies/television shows as well as have 1 DVD out at a time. So far it has worked out pretty well, we can watch movies and I have started watching Dexter and hope to start watching Mad Men shortly. The best part is I don't have to bother with commercials and I can watch a season of the shows at my own pace.
Lets look at how much this drastic change is going to save me over the long run. I was paying an eye popping $197 per month for Cable and internet. We reduced that to $45 by eliminating cable and knocking our internet bandwidth down one tier. That is a per month savings of $152.00 which works out to $1,824 over the course of a year. That is a HUGE savings for not really much of sacrifice at all.
Why do you keep your cable or do you?
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Google on Friday said Chrome 25, now in development, automatically blocks browser add-ons installed on the sly by other software.
The measure mimics what rival Mozilla did for Firefox over a year ago.
Auto-blocking has already appeared in Chrome 25 for Windows on the "dev" channel -- Google's least-polished public version -- which debuted last month. By the browser's semi-regular release schedule, Chrome 25 will reach the final "stable" channel, and thus the bulk of users, in the second half of February 2013.
According to Peter Ludwig, a Chrome product manager, Chrome 25 will automatically disable any browser extensions silently installed by other software. Extensions previously installed by third-party software will also be barred from running.
Chrome users can switch on such extensions manually, or remove them from the browser and their PC.
Although Ludwig never used the word "security" in his Dec. 21 blog post, the change's provenance was clear.
"[Silent installation] was originally intended to allow users to opt-in to adding a useful extension to Chrome as a part of the installation of another application," Ludwig explained. "Unfortunately, this feature has been widely abused by third parties to silently install extensions into Chrome without proper acknowledgment from users."
Google was more than a year behind rival Mozilla in banning extensions installed behind users' backs. In Aug. 2011, Mozilla said Firefox 8 would automatically block browser add-ons installed by other software. Firefox 8 shipped three months later.
Add-ons bundled with third-party software had been a problem for Firefox users, who complained loudly when they found mysterious extensions on their computers.
A toolbar installed in Firefox alongside Skype, for example, caused so many crashes in Jan. 2011 -- 40,000 in only one week -- that Mozilla blocked the add-on after calling the Internet phone company a "repeat offender." In 2009, Microsoft silently slipped an add-on into Firefox that left browser users open to attack.
Google has also made other moves this year to lock down extensions. As of Chrome 21, which launched last July, the browser will not accept add-ons installed directly from websites, but only from the Chrome Web Store. Previously, any website could prompt a Chrome user to install an extension.
"Online hackers may create websites that automatically trigger the installation of malicious extensions," Google noted in a Chrome Help page that explained the new rules. "Their extensions are often designed to secretly track the information you enter on the web, which the hackers can then reuse for other ill-intended purposes."
That security measure has not been foolproof, however, as a Facebook-theme scam detailed by Webroot last week illustrated: The rogue add-on was placed on the Chrome Web Store, even though Google had said on the same Help page that, "We have started analyzing every extension that is uploaded to the Web Store and take down those we recognize to be malicious."
Chrome 25's dev version for Windows can be downloaded from Google's website.
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His e-mail address is email@example.com.
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