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May 9, 2012
'Avengers Assemble' sequel confirmed by Disney
Marvel's superhero mash-up will definitely be getting a follow-upBuy DVD and Blu-ray
from Amazon UK
A sequel to Avengers Assemble has been confirmed by Disney.
A follow-up to the Marvel superhero mash-up has been widely expected following its monster success at the box office, breaking the $200 million mark in the US, and maintaining the top spot in the UK for a second week.
But now it has been officially announced. Disney CEO Bob Iger said: "[The success of the film] is a great illustration of why we like Marvel so much," adding that demand for Avengers merchandise has been strong, according to Deadline.
Stan Lee, who created many of the characters, recently revealed his hopes for a second movie, saying: "Oh, I'd be happy if they add Black Panther and maybe Dr Strange. Those two and probably Ant-Man, which I think they are working on. Maybe I'll play a little role in that."
Ant-Man, who in the comics was a founder member of the superhero squad, is widely expected to get his own solo movie at the hands of Shaun Of The Dead director and Spaced creator Edgar Wright. The Avengers Assemble sequel will likely come after Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and possibly Captain America 2. Scarlett Johansson has also expressed a desire to make a solo movie as her character Black Widow, in the vein of the Bourne movies.
Watch the trailer for the film, known in the US as The Avengers, below.
- Previous: Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Dictator' backs Mitt Romney for President
- Next: Ricky Gervais' 'Derek' picked up for full series by Channel 4


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Disney World Closing Tri-Oval Speedway Christmas Day Audiences Up For NBA SEC Title Game Rating Down Again LeBron James' Latest TV Show Set To Debut CBS' Alabama-Florida Leads CFB Overnights WNBA Finals Viewers Up Through Two Games Oregon-Michigan State Sets Record For Fox IndyCar Sees 12% Viewership Bump In '14 Report: LeBron To Visit Miami For Xmas Game NBA Finals Aud Down From Recent Years
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Published March 14, 1995
The CBA Board of Directors announced that Brian Hakan and Associates has been hired to manage and organize the league's first-ever league-wide licensing and merchandising program. The K.C.-based Hakan & Assoc. oversees a similar program for the IHL and ABC's "Monday Night Football" and "Wide World of Sports." CBA Commissioner Tom Valdiserri: "Sales of professional sports merchandise has exploded over the last five-to-10 years, it is time that the CBA claim its share of the business. ... [In two year] we hope to have the market saturated with our products." Valdiserri said the league will market new logos, nicknames and colors (CBA).

subset: commoncrawl


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Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was on the train on his way back from a press conference when he realized he was sitting next to a woman who was on a telephone interview. He surprised her with an on the spot job reference.
Asian Americans Suffer Most from Long-Term Unemployment
For the past two years, Asian Americans have had the highest share of unemployed workers who were unemployed long term (for more than half a year) when compared with white, black, and Latino workers—despite having higher education levels than these other racial/ethnic groups. The new study from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) also found highly educated Asian Americans continue to have a higher overall unemployment rate than similarly educated whites.
The new data show that 2011 was largely a continuation of the Asian American unemployment situation from 2010.
EPI's latest study is a supplement to the previously released "Unfairly Disadvantaged?" report that presented 2011 the most up-to-date yearly unemployment data available for Asian American workers.
To read the complete report visit the Economic Policy Institute's website.
Will Smith is A Riot Grrrl
You might actually want to go see "Men in Black 3" after you read Will Smith describing why he lets his daughter do anything she wants with her hair.
Parade Magazine asks Smith about Willow hair:
"We let Willow cut her hair. When you have a little girl, it's like how can you teach her that you're in control of her body? If I teach her that I'm in charge of whether or not she can touch her hair, she's going to replace me with some other man when she goes out in the world. She can't cut my hair but that's her hair. She has got to have command of her body. So when she goes out into the world, she's going out with a command that is hers. She is used to making those decisions herself. We try to keep giving them those decisions until they can hold the full weight of their lives."
Is Glee's Only Black Cast Member Amber Riley Leaving the Show?
Two weeks ago Amber Riley who plays Mercedes Jones on "Glee" caused a ruckus online when she bid farewell to the whole Glee family. Now she's changing her story and saying that's actually not what she was trying to say.
"Just closed a chapter in my life, the only thing I've known day in and day out for three years. I'm going to miss the whole Glee family, seeing them everyday! I have so many brothers and sisters now," Riley wrote on Twitter to her 680,000 followers. "But I am looking forward to a much needed and deserved summer vacation! SCHOOL'S OUT Glee Kids! Let's play!" she went on to say.
Does that sound like a heartfelt emotional goodbye to you? Her comments to Entertainment Weekly also sounded like her glass was half empty.
"All I know is I've been told that I'm a senior and I am graduating,' Amber told Entertainment Weekly before the Twitter scandal. "If it is my last season, it is what it is. I've been given a really great platform to do other things that I love. I'm happy at the place where I am."
Riley's tweet about needing a "much needed" summer vacation made a lot of sense to fans of the show because just days before Riley fainted on a red carpet and blamed exhaustion. Industry insiders and those close to the production regularly make comments about the alleged seven day schedules for Glee cast members that include recording songs, acting and practicing dance routines.
Soon after Riley made her comments on Twitter the L.A. Times ran to Fox for a statement but they would neither confirm or deny whether Riley, the only African American regular member of the cast, was leaving the show.
Now Riley is saying it's all a big misunderstanding
"I was not confirming I was leaving the show. Just stating that I would miss being in the classroom everyday with the cast and that would be changing," Riley wrote on Twitter recently.
Sounds like she was playing hard to get her contract figured it out though, no? Or like there is a lot more to this story?
Amazon Ditches the Conservative Public Policy Group ALEC
On Thursday, online retailer Amazon announced at its shareholder meeting that it will cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the right-wing policy group that has worked to suppress the black vote. The announcement came as ColorOfChange, the nation's largest black online civil rights organization, tried to deliver more than 500,000 petition signatures to the annual meeting.
In response to a shareholder's question, general counsel Michelle Wilson said Amazon has decided not to renew its membership with ALEC.
"This year, we've decided not to renew with ALEC, and it's because of positions they've taken not related to our business," Wilson said, according to the Seattle Times.
Thursday's "announcement marks a major victory for hundreds of thousands of people nationwide who have said they believe in transparency and know that ALEC threatens the ability for everyday people to participate fully in democracy," ColorOfChange Executive Director Rashad Robinson told Colorlines.com. "In deciding to part ways with ALEC, Amazon has acknowledged that it can't in good conscience market its services to Black communities while at the same time handing over customers' dollars to a right-wing think tank that has worked to suppress the Black vote."
New Orleans Becomes Largest U.S. City Without Daily Newspaper
Advanced Publications, the group that publishes New Orleans' Times-Picayune newspaper, announced Thursday it would scale back its printed edition to three days a week and shift its emphasis to online coverage. Similar cost cutting measures are happening across the country but New Orleans will become the largest city without a daily newspaper and many residents still don't have internet at home.
The cuts come after the paper saw a steep drop in circulation. In 2005, before Hurricane Katrina, the paper had a daily circulation of 261,000; in March of this year, the circulation was 132,000.
According to a 2010 report from the Kaiser Foundation, 36 percent of residents in New Orleans do not have Internet access at home.
The New York Times points out a similar cost-cutting initiatives were recently announced in Alabama — The Birmingham News, The Press-Register of Mobile and The Huntsville Times. They, too, will print only three days a week and undergo staff cuts.
Canadian and Alaskan Indians Show Shell Execs Why Tar Sands Are So Bad
On Tuesday an indigenous delegation from Canada and Alaska presented Shell's Chairman and Board with a report detailing the human and ecological rights violations they say the company's operations have brought to their communities. Shell's Chairman was provided with a copy of "Risking Ruin: Shell's dangerous developments in the Tar Sands, Arctic and Nigeria," a report that looks at how Shell's operations in Canada's Alberta Tar Sands, Alaska's Arctic Ocean, Ontario's Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Africa's Niger Delta are "destructive."
The indigenous representatives presented the human and ecological rights violations report to Shell's Chairman but he declined to address the issue.
"Shell has failed to address our concerns in Canada's tar sands by not meeting environmental standards, past agreements and refusing to address their impacts to our constitutionally protected treaty rights," Eriel Deranger, spokesperson and member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, said in a statement. "Shell's current projects are contributing to the destruction of our traditional territory including vital watersheds and eco-systems. Now they propose to expand projects further degrading our lands and impairing our ability to practice our constitutionally protected rights to hunt, fish, trap and gather in the region."
Shell has been operating in Alberta's tar sands since 2003 and now accounts for approximately 20% of overall operations in the region.
To read the "Risking Ruin: Shell's dangerous developments in the Tar Sands, Arctic and Nigeria" report visit No-tar-sands.org.
Four George Zimmerman Witnesses Change Their Stories
Prosecutors released evidence last week that the Sanford Police Department collected on the night of Feb. 26 when George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin. This week attorneys from both sides are asking the court to keep evidence private.
The evidence released last week included news that four key witnesses made major changes in what they say they saw and heard the night Zimmerman fatally shot Martin. Three witnesses changed their stories in ways that may damage Zimmerman. The fourth witness abandoned her initial story, that she saw one person chasing another and now says she saw a single figure running.
It's unclear how the evidence will affect the case but the Orlando Sentinel has detailed accounts of the witness statements available for further reading.
But today, one week after the evidence was released, both sides in the Trayvon Martin murder case want some evidence kept private until trial.
According to the Washington Post, prosecutors and Zimmerman's attorneys asked a judge to keep statements Zimmerman gave detectives and the names and addresses of witnesses from being publicly released.
Black Churches Welcome New Latino Communities
Between 1970 and 1990 the South LA area went from 80% black and 9% Latino to 50.3% black and 44% Latino. Today, Latinos account for about two-thirds of the residents in the neighborhood and the black churches in the area are being forced to adapt to the changing community.
Churches like the Second Baptist Church, the host of several N.A.A.C.P. conventions and speeches by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, are now part of neighborhoods that are only about 10% black. According to a New York Times story published last month many of the members that could walk to the church now have to listen to the Sunday service on local radio or travel an hour to attend service. And as gas prices continue to rise some black churches have been left with just a dozen members who attend Sunday service.
There's a Story Behind the Little Boy Who Had a Special Oval Office Moment
In May 2009, 5-year-old Jacob Philadelphia was visiting the White House with his father, a former Marine who was leaving his 2-year stint working for the National Security Council as part of the White House staff. The father asked to take a family photo with the president and before they left the Oval Office Jacob had a question for the President.
"I want to know if my hair is just like yours," Jacob asked Obama, so quietly that the president asked him to repeat his question.
Mitt Romney: Educating Kids of Color is the 'Civil Rights Issue of Our Era'
On Wednesday, the presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney delivered a speech at the Latino Coalition's 2012 Small Business Summit Luncheon and didn't mention the word immigration once but he did manage to talk explicitly about the failure of many U.S. schools with students of color. But while some have celebrated Romney for addressing the issue explicitly his comments are part of a larger movement to privatize schools.
"Here we are in the most prosperous nation, but millions of kids are getting a third-world education. And, America's minority children suffer the most. This is the civil-rights issue of our era. It's the great challenge of our time," Romney said in front of The Latino Coalition, a pro-business group led by President George W. Bush's Small Business Administrator.
"As President, I will give the parents of every low-income and special needs student the chance to choose where their child goes to school. For the first time in history, federal education funds will be linked to a student, so that parents can send their child to any public or charter school, or to a private school, where permitted. And I will make that choice meaningful by ensuring there are sufficient options to exercise it," Romney went on to say about his controversial plans.
Colin Powell Expresses Support for Gay Marriage
Below is a transcript of Powell's statements on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer:"
"I have no problem with it, and it was the Congress that imposed Don't Ask, Don't Tell, though it was certainly my position and my recommendation to get us out of an even worse outcome that could have occurred, as you'll recall. But as I've thought about gay marriage, I know a lot of friends who are individually gay but are in partnerships with loved ones, and they are as stable a family as my family is, and they raise children. And so I don't see any reason not to say that they should be able to get married."
Fewer Blacks and Latinos Entering CUNY, Nation's Largest Urban Colleges
Since the recession hit fewer black and Latino freshman are entering the City University of New York (CUNY), the largest institution of higher education in New York City, and one of the largest public university systems in the country. A new report from the Community Service Society of New York (CSS) has found that as more New Yorkers are returning to school, black and Latino students are having a tough time competing against students with higher SAT scores and grade point averages.
Brooklyn Boxing Coach Kicks Wall Street Where it Hurts [Video]
[Warning: The video above contains explicit language.]
Animal New York, the same publication that brought us the latest Jay Smooth video, has another video that's bound to cause reactions. Their latest video follows boxing instructor Eric Kelly, a four-time National Amateur Boxing champion, who now works at the Church Street Boxing Gym training "a bunch of fucking nerds" from Wall Street.
You've been warned. The video above contains a river of explicit language (some of homophobic) geared towards Wall Street "nerds" who seem to appreciate him because they're paying big money for their time with Kelly.
Pixar is Jumping on Boat to Capture Latino Audience with New Día de los Muertos Movie
Last month Pixar announced the filmmaking team behind the Academy Award-winning "Toy Story 3" is working on a film that delves into the Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos. The untitled movie is slated for a 2015 release date.
Some are calling Pixar's new film a nod to Mexican audiences on both sides of the U.S. border because "Toy Story 3" is actually the highest-grossing movie of all time in Mexico. According to the LA Times, the 2010 animated film collected $59 million at the box office in 2010, more than blockbusters like "Avatar" and the "Harry Potter" finale.
Seven-Year-Old Aspiring Rapper Mir Money Breaks Down on 'America's Got Talent'
EBONY Magazine Commissions Street Artist Shepard Fairey to Illustrate Trayvon Martin
Graphic designer and illustrator Shepard Fairey, who created Barack Obama's 2009 "Hope" poster, has illustrated a new figure: Trayvon Martin.
via Fairey's blog: I have followed Trayvon's case closely and I think any compassionate human being can relate to Trayvon as a brother or son and would want to see a thorough investigation into the killing of an unarmed person. In my portrait I wanted to emphasize Trayvon's humanity as well as the public outcry for a just investigation into his death.
Obama Holds 34-Point Lead Over Romney Among Registered Latino Voters
President Obama holds a 34-point lead over GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney among registered Latino voters, according to a new national NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Telemundo poll of Latino respondents. Despite broken immigration promises and a record number of deportations Latinos continue to support the President.
MSNBC's Mark Murray unravels the poll's findings:
In this survey, Obama holds a 34-point lead over Romney among registered Latino voters, 61 to 27 percent. In 2008, according to the exit polls, Obama defeated McCain among this key voting bloc, 67 to 31 percent.
In addition, Obama's approval rating among all Latino adults stands at 61 percent (compared with 48 percent of all Americans in the new NBC/WSJ poll), and approval of his handling of the economy is at 54 percent (versus 43 percent overall).
Meanwhile, Romney is struggling with Latinos, the poll shows. Just 26 percent view him positively, while 35 percent see him in a negative light. By comparison, Obama's positive/negative score among Latinos is 58/23 percent.
The NBC/WSJ/Telemundo survey — an oversample from the just-released NBC/WSJ poll — was conducted May 16-21 of 300 adults who identified themselves as coming from a Latino or Spanish-speaking background. That sample includes 119 interviews that were conducted in Spanish.
Poll: People of Color More Likely to Support Gay Marriage Than Whites
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll found 53 percent of U.S. voters believe gay marriage should be legal, a record shift in public opinion from just six years ago when support was at 36 percent. The poll also found people of color are more likely to support gay marriage than whites with black support at record high.
The Washington Post explains the the findings:
The poll also finds that 59 percent of African Americans say they support same-sex marriage, up from an average of 41 percent in polls leading up to Obama's announcement of his new position on the matter. Though statistically significant, it is a tentative result because of the relatively small sample of black voters in the poll.
The poll comes two weeks after Obama unexpectedly endorsed same-sex marriage after a year and a half of "evolving" on the subject. Gay rights groups predicted the president's announcement would have a far-reaching impact on public opinion, in part because Obama described how he came to his own decision, referring to his gay friends and the influence of his young daughters, Sasha and Malia.
"This is why they call it a bully pulpit, and why presidential leadership extends far beyond debating Congress," said Kai Wright, Colorlines.com's Editorial Director. "Reactionary politics have always found a powerful tool in fear, in stirring horrific fantasies that the sky will fall if we strip away layers of privilege and exclusion. My family will hate me if I come out. Voters will hate me if I stand up for what I believe. But polls have shown consistently that when LGBT people and their allies stand up and lead, people in all communities follow."
Kanye West, Beyonce Lead BET Awards Nominations
The nominees for the 2012 BET Awards were announced Tuesday and leading the way with seven nominations is Kanye West. Beyoncé followed with six nominations, Jay-Z received five nominations.
"We are massively excited about having Sam Jackson, the world's biggest box office star, host The BET Awards 12," said Stephen G. Hill, president of music programming and specials, BET Networks. "His wit, presence and gigantic personality are the perfect match for our show."
The Avengers star Samuel L. Jackson is set to host the July 1 awards ceremony, to be held at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium.
Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown are slated to perform at the awards show.


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92 points Wine Spectator: "Silky and racy, with plum sauce and raspberry fruit flavors laced with spice, graphite, fruitcake and mineral notes that ripple through the lengthy finish. This has nice latent grip. Best from 2009 through 2028."-WS (11/15/08) 90 points Robert Parker: "The dark ruby-colored 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape offers a delicious combination of strawberry and black cherry fruit interwoven with tobacco leaf, licorice, and spice. Opulent, round, medium to full-bodied, and generous, it should drink well for 7-8 years."-WA #179, Oct 2008. 15% abv.
Below is a listing of the wine review scores we frequently reference in our notes. While these sources remain an excellent source of information, we always recommend that you trust your own palate. Scores in these publications often represent the personal taste of an individual critic, which may not always coincide with your own. We have a huge team of excellent wine professionals that can match wines you've had in the past with new arrivals that meet your flavor profile.
The item you have chosen is not in stock in our retail stores or within our main
2012 Michel Gassier "Cercius Vieilles Vignes" Côtes du Rhone Villages Visan Rouge
2011 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône
2012 Comte Louis de Clermont-Tonnerre (Alain Corcia) Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne
2012 Chante Cigale Châteauneuf-du-Pape
2012 Delas "St-Esprit" Côtes du Rhône


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The Brooklyn Bridge A National Landmark Stock PhotoInnovation,New York City,Architecture,Brooklyn Bridge,Close-up,Vertical,Abstract,Bridge - Man Made Structure,City,Built Structure,Color Image,Craftsperson,Day,Famous Place,Fashion,International Landmark,No People,Outdoors,Pattern,Photography,Suspension Bridge,USAPhotographer Keith BarracloughCollection: National Geographic New York City, New York.


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Check out my motorized teardrop toilet boat!
"All right kids, just sit in the back seat, grab the front end of the boat and hang on!"
Want to feel the sea breeze on your face? Then attach a boat sun shade to your grill! Scientifically proven to make any backyard wind saltier and fresher! Someone bust out the chap stick!
Jetskidding, it was pretty dumb.


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Today Google formally announced the launch of their long anticipated upgraded URLs. We understand that many Google advertisers out there are wondering what this change means to them and how they will be impacted. In this post, we hope to provide answers to the main questions out there regarding this mandatory change and hopefully help put you at ease.
For starters, what are upgraded URLs?
Google is introducing upgraded URLs to help advertisers track ads and execute changes more efficiently. You can now specify separately two pieces of information for your URL: 1) The landing page URL – the landing page were the user will go when they click on the ad, and 2) Your tracking information – the values you'd like to track about your ad performance which can be at the account level. As a result, you will no longer need to update ads, keywords, or sitelinks every time you need to add a tracking parameter to your URLs.
What do I need to do?
Google is requiring all advertisers to change the structure of their URLs to the new upgraded format by mid 2015. While Google will automatically do the most basic migration of all non-redirect URLs to the new format on the deadline, it is recommended that advertisers proactively take charge of updating their URLs ahead of time in an effort to conform to Google's "best practices" structure.
Wait, I need to individually update each of my URLs? That's a lot!
Yes, Google does require advertisers to update all of their URLs, which is a daunting task considering the volume of URLs the average advertiser has to deal with. To help mitigate the chance of errors and any potential negative impact on campaigns, there are tools out there that will assist you with making this update easy and painless. Platforms like Marin Software not only offer a migration tool to easily upgrade all your URLs according to best practices prior to the deadline, but also offer resources to help answer any questions or solve issues you may have along the way – helping to eliminate any disruption to your campaigns.
Got it, so what should I do now?
Take the time to figure out the right strategy for upgrading your Google URLs. This will help you experience a smoother transition and allow you to focus solely on the benefits that new upgraded URLs have to offer.
Happy Upgrading!
We all know Google is constantly toying with the SERP. Sorting out what new tweaks Google is testing can be difficult at times, but I thought it'd be fun to do a side-by-side comparison of what the SERP looked like a year ago compared to what it looks like now for the same search term, "Razor Scooter." Here's what I noticed:
1) More PLAs! Google was toying with adding more PLAs at the end of 2013 and it appears they've settled on more. In 2013, a total of four PLAs appeared. The SERP for 2014 delivered twice as many. The location has changed too.
2) More Text in Text Ads. The number of lines appearing with text ads has increased. Last year the largest text ad on the page consisted of four lines. This year, the largest (position 1) features up to seven lines. There isn't an ad on the 2014 SERP with fewer than four lines. The addition of the review stars as well as the inclusion of physical addresses has created "longer" ads. This essentially means fewer text ads on the side are able to fit above the fold. In 2013, four text ads appeared on the side above the fold. In 2014, two and half appeared. The lost real-estate is compounded on smaller monitors – on a laptop just a single side bar text ad appeared.
3) The "Ad" Icon. Google started testing the "Ad" icon just over a year ago. It's now the standard. Gone is the ad box with the title "Ad Related To [search query]." Instead, ads are identified by the little yellow "Ad" icon and ad organic search results are delineated by a grey bar or divider.
4) More Text Ads Above Organic Results. Last year, one text ad was served above the organic results. We now have three. With PLAs moving to the right side bar and the company description disappearing (this still appears on some, less retail focused results), room was freed up to serve two additional text ads. Organic results are pushed down. The same "Razor Scooter" search query today on a 13" laptop screen produces just a single organic result.
In short, the SERP is much more ad dominated, with the focus going towards PLAs and positions 1 – 3.
During the last the last two Holiday seasons, Google Product Listing Ads (PLAs) captured the attention of performance marketers. Retailers adopted the ad type as though it were the latest fashion trend. And while we don't see the use of Google Shopping campaigns and PLAs slowing down this season – we expect retailers to devote upwards of 50% of their search budgets to the image-based ads – Google RLSAs (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads) are this year's shiny new toy.
If your retargeting program doesn't include RLSAs, then frankly, you're missing out. The point of retargeting is to re-engage with people that have visited your site as they continue perusing the Internet. As the top site on the Internet, it's almost certain your site visitors will be stopping by www.google.com.
In a recent survey of digital marketers, 88% of respondents indicated retargeting is currently a part of their marketing mix and of those digital marketers running retargeting campaigns, 65% said they leverage RLSAs. It should be 100%.
If we think about a consumer's online shopping/researching experience, a browsing session often starts at a search engine, which more than likely is Google. A consumer clicks on a search result, browses the site to see if it fulfill what they are looking for, and then likely returns back to the search engine. Being able to then retarget that visitor on search is extremely powerful.
In looking at the performance of Google RLSAs, we found the click-through rate (CTR) of RLSAs to be 234% higher than non-RLSA ads in the second quarter, 2014. The cost-per-click (CPC) of RLSAs was 24% cheaper than non-RLSAs.
Better performance at a cheaper price sounds like a win-win.
Google rocked the search world this August with the announcement that they were changing the definition of Exact Match and Phrase Match to include close variants of their keywords, such as misspellings or plural variants. This caused a huge uproar from search marketers over the potential effect this could have on their search performance. Almost two months later, were their fears founded? I took a look at our Marin Global Online Advertising Index to see how performance has, or has not, changed over the last month and a half for Google Exact and Phrase Match search.
To start, I looked at click-through rates between August and October for both 2013 and 2014 for Google Exact and Phrase Search. While these searches make up only about 3% of all Google searches, this still means billions of impressions daily. Surprisingly, I found no real change in CTR trends between 2013 and 2014. While there is a small drop the week of the change, this is also mirrored in CTR behavior in 2013 on the same dates.
On the cost-per-click side, we also see very similar trends to 2013. While there is a jump in CPC during mid-September, we see a similar jump in 2013. This coincides with both the beginning of the holiday season sales and back-to-school sales so this is not unexpected. While the jumps were less pronounced this year than last, overall, trends show that this change to Google Exact and Phrase Match search have not affected CTR and CPC significantly, at least not yet.
Google recently released some early holiday goodies for retailers across a number of verticals. While dynamic remarketing (a.k.a. dynamic retargeting) on the Google Display Network (GDN) has been available since June, it had been mainly limited to retailers with a Google Merchant Center Account, notwithstanding some beta tests within the travel and education verticals. However, last week, Google rolled out further vertical support, enabling dynamic retargeting across the hotel, flight, real estate, classified, job, auto, finance, and education verticals.
Retargeting is proven to be a very effective conversion driver. However dynamic retargeting (or as Google refers to it, dynamic "remarketing") is tailor made for retailers. Dynamic retargeting dynamically serves product-specific ads to potential customers based on the products they've previously viewed. This gives retailers a powerful tool to tailor creative to customers in ways that are more likely to grab their interest and drive conversions and purchases.
While many retailers have already been including dynamic retargeting as part of their marketing mix, Google's support for some non-traditional verticals including jobs and educations, gives companies in those verticals an opportunity to dip their toes into the retargeting waters.
Although Google's dynamic retargeting product may be a good first step for retailers wading into retargeting, sophisticated marketers are likely to find some Google's new offering lacking in a number of ways.
Google's remarketing product is limited to only displaying ads on sites that the Google Display Network reaches. The display world is much more fragmented than the search world, and GDN is just one of the many ad exchanges that serve display ads across the Web. GDN only accounts for a plurality of the display inventory available on the web which means advertisers advertising on GDN alone would be missing out on a majority of display impressions across the Web. The missed opportunity is significant. Essentially, retargeting on GDN alone is akin to only running search ads on Bing.
Equally important to note is AdWords lack of reach on Facebook. Study after study has shown the incremental value of marketing across multiple channels. In fact, Marin recently released a white paper on retargeting, which found that advertisers using the Perfect Audience retargeting platform to retarget on both Display and Facebook enjoyed better returns than advertisers who were only retargeting within a single channel. Dynamic retargeting through AdWords means missing out on retargeting on Facebook, the most popular social network in the world. With over 1 billion regular users, dynamic ads via the Facebook Newsfeed and Sidebar should be a cornerstone of any retargeting strategy.
Finally, going beyond the Google walled garden is essential for savvy marketers looking to leverage tactics such as look-alike modeling to try to build new business. Currently, Google lacks a smart prospecting product rivaling Facebook's Lookalike Audiences. Additionally, tactics such as partner retargeting with second-party data, or audience targeting using third-party data can further help marketers increase their potential customer base.
Google's dynamic remarketing product is a good starter offering for retailers who want to test how dynamic retargeting can help their business. However, its basic capabilities combined with its lack of access to channels like Facebook and non-GDN display ad exchanges limits its usefulness as businesses grow and become more sophisticated with their marketing efforts. Even for marketers new to retargeting, using a cross-channel retargeting platform like Perfect Audience can help you get started with dynamic retargeting, but still reap the benefits that come with retargeting across channels.
Last Thursday, Google announced that exact keyword match will now include close variant keywords as well. Many of you may be wondering what this means for your campaigns and what action is required on your part. We're here to assure that there is no reason to panic!
For some background, advertisers currently have two options when it comes to matching ads to search queries: 1.) Only show the ad when the query exactly matched the keywords they set up in AdWords, or 2.) Allow Google to also match the ad to keywords and phrases that are very similar to the original one, including variations like plurals or misspellings. Starting in late September, the first option is going away and Google will always automatically include all of these close variants when it tries to match an ad to a search query. Today's announcement only applies to what Google calls the "phrase match" and "exact match" options. As the name implies, exact match only shows the ad when the query exactly matched the keyword (e.g. "women's hats"), while phrase match also shows it when the query includes other words (e.g. "buy women's hats").
While this change may initially be perceived as burdensome to Google advertisers who prefer tight control over their exact and phrase matched keywords, it does offer some benefit to advertisers. Namely, following the September update, Google advertisers will no longer have to build long lists of misspelled, abbreviated, and other close variations of keywords to get the coverage they want. Therefore, this update can help Google advertisers better manage keyword complexity across large Search programs.
Although Google is marketing this change as a benefit to advertisers, Marin recommends that our advertisers closely monitor their campaigns to determine how the September changes will impact their overall performance.
One of the most overlooked settings in search marketing that produces wasted spend is geographic targeting. There's a good chance that your paid search ads are not relevant worldwide, so why spend to show ads in irrelevant locations that do not apply to your business?
If you're getting started with AdWords, geo-targeting will become your best friend. So, let's get to know it a little better, understand the capabilities, and discuss some tips on how you can use it for your marketing needs.
WHO: Businesses that have location specific needs such as shipping, physical stores, or services. Or even worldwide businesses with poor campaign performances in specific geo locations. Example: If I'm a food truck that only provides service around the Financial District of San Francisco, I'd want to target ads to customers located walking distance or 2 mi away from my location during certain times of the day.
WHY: By using proper geo-targeting settings that go hand in hand with your advertising goals, you will have better control over your spend and campaigns to serve ads to relevant customers. Geo-targeting helps you reel in the right customers to your business. When you target ads in areas where your customers are, it will likely increase your ROI.
HOW: You can easily target your ads to appear in select locations such as countries, cities, or by radius. Start by logging into your AdWords account and navigating over to the campaigns tab. Then choose the campaign you want to edit and go into the settings tab. Scroll to the locations section and click on edit.
The magic begins here. Let's dive into a quick breakdown of geo-targeting capabilities.
The most basic level is to type in the locations (country, city, state, zip, DMA) you want and then select "Add." You can repeat this process for multiple locations.
For advanced needs such as location radius, places of interest or bulk locations, click on "Advanced search" on the settings tab.
It will open up a map with targeting options to choose from at the very top: search, radius targeting, location groups, and bulk locations.
For radius targeting, you can hone into locations within a target by mi or km:
In the location groups targeting section, there are three sections to take into consideration.
1) You can target all airports, commercial areas, and universities:
2) You can target locations by demographic based on average income:
3) Lastly, you can target using your location extensions that are enabled in your campaigns by radius:
LOCATION EXCLUSION: Be sure to exclude the areas that are irrelevant within your targeting. You can do this by clicking on "Exclude" in the steps above instead of "Add." For example, if you decide to target your ads in United States but do not service in California, be sure to exclude that location so that California searchers do not see your ads.
But wait – there's more! Finally, you may want to click and expand the location options (advanced) box within the campaign settings tab to prevent your ads from displaying for people searching about your target location:
Edit the options below to make sure it fits your business needs.
In short, location matters – a lot! Your ad could be award-winning, but if you're not serving it to the right audience then it may not perform successfully. This is a great tool that can help target and exclude locations, as well as help optimize campaigns.
This morning, Google announced several new AdWords updates which will become available in the coming months. Vice President of Product Management Jerry Dischler made the reveal during the AdWords Performance Forum, where he reiterated Google's mission to help advertisers "turn signals into stories," and emphasized that "it's no longer about the device; it's about the consumer."
Let's take a look at their feature announcements in more detail:
1) Mobile App Promotion – Google will focus on improving the ways in which advertisers drive mobile app installs, engagement, and conversions through AdWords.
Changes will include suggested keywords based on popular searches in Google Play, improved targeting options on the GDN, and deep linking in mobile app ads for users who have already downloaded an advertiser's app.
Renewed emphasis on the mobile app space should come as no surprise. From a mobile usage perspective, the statistics are too glaring to ignore. While there have been more than 50 billion app downloads in Google Play across 190 countries, many advertisers still struggle to promote their apps and drive engagement post-download. In fact, some 60% of the available mobile apps on Google Play are never installed and over 80% of apps only get used once. According to eMarketer, more than 86% of mobile usage occurs via apps while only 14% occurs on the mobile web.
While Google was the first major advertising publisher to offer a mobile app install advertising solution (mobile app ad extensions), they've recently taken a backseat to Facebook. Approximately 18% of mobile app downloads now come from Facebook and Twitter, and many believe that social beats out search when it comes to app discovery and download. With these new mobile app promotion features, Google hopes to change that perception.
2) Intelligent Measurement Tools – Google will focus on more intelligent measurement tools to help advertisers make the online-offline connection.
Last year, Google released Estimated Total Conversions. Marketed as a way to illustrate how Google search campaigns affect offline conversions, it also provides an estimated impact of advertising spend in one central location (AdWords). Today, Dischler announced additional tracking for offline conversions as part of this calculation. While his description of "offline conversions" was not specific, it will likely include in-store purchases.
This renewed focus on offline conversion tracking fits with Google's aim to be a one-stop-shop for online advertising. However, advertiser concerns about sharing first-party data necessary for improved tracking still remain. Most advertisers prefer to keep most (if not all) of their first-party data out of Google's reach due to privacy concerns. It will be interesting to see the adoption rate of this updated Estimated Total Conversions feature given the reluctance of advertisers to share offline data with Google.
3) Intelligent Tools for Power Users – Google will focus on helping AdWords power users manage campaign complexities by adding a few sophisticated tools.
Dischler recognized some current frustrations advertisers experience with AdWords, including the difficulty of completing large-scale bulk actions across campaigns. He called them "far too complicated" and acknowledged that many users currently go outside the interface and create complex spreadsheets to get the insight they need.
To address this pain point, Google will add functionality to help advertisers more easily upload, create and edit "hundreds" of Google advertising campaigns. In addition, AdWords users can expect new reporting, visualization and testing features in the AdWords interface. For example, advertisers will soon be able to drag and drop metrics into the UI to create pivot tables and easily manipulate reports "across multiple dimensions," similar to what many do today within Excel. Through these "Intelligent Tools," Google hopes to provide a way to handle reporting, analytics and optimization "all within AdWords."
This is an exciting step for Google, but it's important to note the data is Google-specific only, so advertisers will still need to go "offline" or to a third-party platform for comprehensive, cross-channel reporting. Furthermore, Google has historically struggled when it comes to reporting on actual revenue from purchase transactions. At best, Google will provide advertisers with revenue proxies and estimates which can be used for analytics and optimization.
A Note to Our Customers
At Marin, we see these newly announced Google features as a step in the right direction to help address gaps in the AdWords interface. The new features will initially be released in closed-beta, but we look forward to working closely with Google to integrate themas they become available in the AdWords API.
As the leading digital marketing platform and largest spender through the Google API, our mission to provide the industry's best cross-channel marketing capabilities for advertisers remains the same. As always, we value your product feedback and look forward to receiving your comments.
Over the past couple days, you likely heard some alarming reports speculating on changes in how Google passes data to analytics software and advertisers. This understandably created lots of buzz, but today we have the facts as reported in Google's official Ads Developer Blog:
"Today, we are extending our efforts to keep search secure by removing the query from the referrer on ad clicks originating from SSL searches on Google.com.
Advertisers will continue to have access to useful data to optimize and improve their campaigns and landing pages. For example, you can access detailed information in the AdWords search terms report and the Google Webmaster Tools Search Queries report."
Marin Software will continue to receive keyword data from Google. Conversion and revenue tracking, reporting, and analytics will not be disrupted. Our CMO Matt Ackley explained, "As an AdWords API partner, Marin Software leverages keyword data – separate from search query data – in providing its market-leading analytics, campaign management and optimization capabilities."
For customers leveraging Marin Tracker, Tracker will no longer be used as a source for keyword expansion. However, Marin's Keyword Expansion tool will continue to bring in keyword suggestions via the publisher search query reports for both Google and Bing, which provide the majority of keyword suggestions today. If you're using Tracker and have questions, don't hesitate to reach out to your customer success team.
We look forward to business as usual, helping our customers to be the best marketers in the industry.
Despite increasing complexity and competition, paid search advertising budgets are expected to work harder and drive more revenue than ever before. Unfortunately, marketers continue to struggle with driving relevancy and increasing engagement. For the most part, the challenge is that keywords, creative, and bid strategy remain the same for every search and every searcher. Remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA) address this challenge by enabling advertisers to optimize campaigns based on user demographics and behavioral attributes. Though the list of use cases for RLSAs is likely endless, here are three strategies used by Marin customers today that underscore the power and flexibility that RLSAs bring to any paid search program.
I Know Where You Clicked Last Session
A user who's been to your website is more likely to convert in a subsequent visit. With RLSAs, you can increase ad visibility and continue driving customers down the purchase funnel by adjusting ad creative and bids for users who previously visited your website.
By adding visitors who navigated to deeper parts of your website, such as category and product pages, to remarketing lists, you can build highly targeted campaigns that rely on more relevant ads. Creative that include buying signals like "act now" or "buy today," along with promotional offers, engage repeat visitors. Coupled with optimal bid adjustments, these strategies drive downstream conversions and revenue from visitors who are closer to the bottom of the purchase funnel.
Navigational Searches Cost $$$
Though there are benefits to bidding on brand terms—controlling brand messaging, combating aggressive competitors, increasing SERP real estate, and providing deep links via sitelinks—these tactics tend to address engagement with new customers, as opposed to existing ones.
With RLSAs, you can effectively eliminate navigational searches by building lists for existing customers who are logged into their profile or account. These users are already paying customers or have converted into active profiles yet continue to click on paid ads to navigate to your website. This behavior ultimately results in wasted ad spend. By integrating first-party, customer-oriented data into RLSAs, you can reallocate budget away from navigational searches in favor of targeting and engaging new users. This strategy is highly effective for subscription-based products and services.
Driving Repeat Customers
Soft goods and services are often repurchased and renewed. For instance, pet food might be purchased every month or an insurance policy renewed every six months. Understanding when customers are likely to become repeat customers enables you to leverage RLSAs to increase the lifetime value of your customers.
For example, take a financial services company that requires customers to renew their subscription every quarter. With visibility into their first-party data, which includes subscription start and ends dates, this advertiser could generate two remarketing lists, one for recent subscriptions and another for upcoming renewals. Generating an RLSA for customers with recent subscriptions, the advertiser can decrease bids on expensive, generic keywords for these new customers. On the other hand, creating an RLSA for customers who are coming up for renewal, allows the advertiser to increase bids on those same keywords to increase ad visibility and drive renewals. This strategy enables advertisers to pay more for clicks that are more likely to convert and eliminate those that are less likely to convert.
A Few Things to Remember
As you start to think about how these strategies will benefit your paid search program, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
Are there other RLSA strategies that you've executed on with impressive results?
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BBB Accredited Business since 01/01/1990
Standard Water Control Systems, Inc
Phone: (763) 537-4849Fax: (763) 537-1882View Additional Phone Numbers5337 Lakeland Ave N, Crystal, MN 55429-3115 Send email to Standard Water Control Systems, Incwww.standardwater.com
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Since 1977 basement waterproofing, water control and wet basement repair services from Standard Water Control Systems have given homeowners greater peace of mind by keeping their basements dry and safe. Our Basement Health Association certified and state-licensed* teams have helped homeowners throughout Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas solve leaky basement emergencies while protecting their homes from moisture seepage in the future.
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BBB has determined that Standard Water Control Systems, Inc meets BBB accreditation standards, which include a commitment to make a good faith effort to resolve any consumer complaints. BBB Accredited Businesses pay a fee for accreditation review/monitoring and for support of BBB services to the public.
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Factors that raised Standard Water Control Systems, Inc's rating include:
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Standard Water Control Systems were the recipients of the 2003 BBB Integrity Award.
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Contact InformationPrincipal: Michael Hogenson (President)
Business Category
Waterproofing Contractors, Waterproofing Materials, Basement Waterproofing
Products & Services
According to information supplied by Standard Water Control Systems, Inc, our award winning services include: Basement Waterproofing, Crawl Space Encapsulation, Sump Pumps and Battery Back Up Pump Systems, Foundation Repair, Egress Windows, Radon Mitigation, and Discharge Systems.
Hours of OperationMon: 08:00 AM to 04:00 PMTue: 08:00 AM to 04:00 PMWed: 08:00 AM to 04:00 PMThu: 08:00 AM to 04:00 PMFri: 08:00 AM to 04:00 PMSat: ClosedSun: Closed
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Every week WomansDay.com brings you a video clip that is sure to brighten your day. Watch today's video of a baby playing dead.
Feel-Good Video of the Week: Bang, Bang Baby
Enjoy this inspiring video to get you through the work day
I Reconnected With My Ex's Mom Just In Time
"She worked constantly to make me feel special and loved."
If It Were My Kids or My Husband in the Lifeboat, I Hope My Husband Could Swim
"When you're half dead keeping three humans happy, you won't care about your husband anymore."
This Children's Book About Abortion Is Even Creepier Than It Sounds
"I'm not sad that my sister is a ghost!"


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this phrase means "Killa Attack Dog." This saying is used to describe a very aggressive dog who will wait at nothing to take a chunk out of yo' ass.
Yo, Ray-Ray!! That Benji dog which you got is definitely a major K.A.D.!! Pizn Pizn!!
by Shaqueezle G. October 07, 2005
An advocate for homosexual rights undermining the society we live in and poisoning young minds by imposing their beliefs on a young child generally still in mid teens. Also ruining ecomonic growth by supporting homosexuals and giving them extra benefits.
stop promoting gays, you're being a kad! thats so gay
by John April 19, 2005


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The Pacific men's basketball held off a late rally by UC Riverside to claim a 63-58 home win on Thursday, Jan. 24 morehttp://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2013/January-2013/Tigers-Hold-Off-UC-Riverside.html
Content tagged "Athletics"
Pacific sophomore Kendall Kenyon was named Big West Women's Basketball Player of the Week Monday after setting the school record for blocks and vying for the second triple-double in school history morehttp://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2013/January-2013/Pacifics-Kenyon-Named-Big-West-Player-of-the-Week.html
The Pacific women's basketball team visits UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton for a Big West road trip this week as the Tigers try to tighten their grip on the top spot in the conference. morehttp://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2013/January-2013/Pacific-Womens-Basketball-Visits-UC-Riverside-Fullerton.html
The Pacific women's basketball team wore down Cal State Northridge, 60-51, on a historic day at the Alex G. Spanos Center morehttp://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2013/January-2013/-Kenyon-Powers-Pacific-Past-Northridge-60-51.html
The Pacific women's water polo program opened its 2013 campaign and the James Graham era Saturday, Jan. 19, welcoming No. 4 California to the Chris Kjeldsen Aquatics Complex morehttp://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2013/January-2013/Tigers-Drop-Season-Opener-To-No-4-California.html
The Pacific men's basketball team picked up a 74-62 road win at Cal State Northridge on Saturday, Jan. 19 morehttp://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2013/January-2013/Tigers-Pick-Up-Road-Win-At-Cal-State-Northridge.html
The Pacific men's basketball team dropped a 60-52 road game at Hawai'i on Thursday, Jan. 17 morehttp://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2013/January-2013/Tigers-Drop-Tough-Decision-At-Hawaii.html
A 20-2 first half run propelled Pacific past Hawai'i as the Tigers remained unbeaten at home with a 71-61 win Thursday night at the Alex G. Spanos Center morehttp://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2013/January-2013/Pacific-Womens-Basketball-Rides-Big-First-Half-To-Win-Over-Hawaii.html
With the release of the 2012 Fall Big West All-Academic teams on Wednesday, January 16, the Tigers placed nine athletes on the squads from its three fall sports morehttp://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2013/January-2013/Nine-Tigers-Earn-Big-West-Fall-Academic-Honors.html
The Pacific women's basketball team will hold a booster luncheon on Wednesday, January 16th at 12:00 pm at the Hilton Stockton morehttp://www.pacific.edu/About-Pacific/Newsroom/2013/January-2013/Pacific-Womens-Hoops-Holds-Booster-Luncheon-Wednesday.html


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Kathyanne Guy
Lecturer and Dance Program Coordinator
Kathyanne Guy, Lecturer and Dance Program Coordinator, received a B.F.A. in dance from the University of Utah and a M.F.A. from New York University, As a member of the Robert Small Dance Company, Claudia Gitelman and Dancers, Hanya Holm Dance Ensemble, New Kinetic Concert and Sundance Theatre Company, she has performed, taught, and choreographed throughout the United States. She was a dance movement specialist with the National Endowment for the Arts, Artist In School teaching and touring program; a faculty member at Interlochen Arts Academy; and resident guest artist at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Frost School of Music Trumpet Ensemble among three top finalists in the large ensemble category of the…
Naming Gift for Knight Recital Hall made possible with the announcement of a $7.5 million grant from…
Naming Benefactors Dr. Phillip and Patricia Frost Donate $1 Million
March 31
UM Gusman Concert Hall
March 31
Weeks Center for Recording and Performance, Clarke Recital Hall
April 01
Weeks Center for Recording and Performance, Clarke Recital Hall
Songs and sounds that can help amputees walk better, safer, stronger? Frost School of Music researchers merge music, engineering, and medical disciplines…
Could Rocky Balboa have beaten Clubber Lang if his training montage hadn't been set to Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger"? Maybe, but once Rocky III audiences heard those up-tempo rock riffs, they wouldn't dream of exercising without adding the track to their Sony Walkman cassette tapes. To this day, the tune is a popular pick for workout playlists.
Colby Leider, associate professor and director of the Music Engineering Technology program at the Frost School of Music, knows a lot about musical motivation. He and biomedical engineer…


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Created in this Craftsy Course
Snazzy Stitched Portraits taught by Carol Ann Waugh
Express your creativity and personality as you make captivating, customized fabric portraits.
Other projects made as part of this class:
QuiltingMy Selfie MyWay Portrait
QuiltingSnazzy Carrie
QuiltingForever Young
Offer some kudos...
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Not sure where my second one went, it did not download
01/13/2014 Flag
This is great! The hair is very cool!
03/07/2014 Flag
Thanks Donna!
03/14/2014 Flag


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February 26th, 2010 | For more on this event, please visit: bit.ly/yTjB5Y
Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs | Georgetown University
This talk focused on the issue of domestic violence in Muslim societies in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The analytical framework was comparative, emphasizing four factors and the interplay among them: shari'a (Islamic law), state power, intrafamily violence, and struggles over women's rights. The comparative approach historicizes the problem of domestic violence and impunity to consider the impact of transnational legal discourses (Islamism and human rights) on ''local'' struggles over rights and law. The use of shari'a creates some commonalities in gender and family relations in Muslim societies, notably the sanctioning and maintenance of male authority over female relatives. However, the most important issue for understanding domestic violence and impunity is the relationship between religion and state power. This relationship takes three forms: communalization, in which religious law is separate from the national legal regime; nationalization, in which the state incorporates religious law into the national legal regime; and theocratization, in which the national legal regime is based on religious law.
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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Portugal by pedal
Gorgeous hills and valleys best seen from bike
Surrounded by woodlands, the town of Monchique perches on the slopes of the Sierra de Monchique, a stunning mountain range in the northwestern Algarve. Punctuated by dazzling white buildings, a pretty square and flourishing growth -- picture bougainvillea spilling above walls and along, steep, cobbled walkways -- the settlement of some 2,500 people is picture-perfect.
Despite its obvious beauty, my friend and I were more concerned than impressed. We were arriving to begin a self-guided cycling trip and all we could see were hills. It was October, the weather had turned unseasonably hot and did I mention that we are not young -- we are fit, but, alas, perhaps a tad past our prime. The itinerary on the website described this trip as "moderate" with "undulating terrain" but in the detailed description we received when picked up at the airport, we noticed there were more than a few "steep climbs."
As we settled into Bica Boa, a small inn (known as an Albergaria here) tucked into greenery, my friend, Margo, and I joked about the unknown that is always an aspect of a self-guided trip. We were kibitzing with our innkeeper, Susan Cassidy, a charming Irish woman, who introduced us to Medronho -- think schnapps only stronger. (It seems Monchique is famous for producing the best of this fiery liqueur.)
Although Susan confirmed that her backyard was known for its challenging cycling and hiking, we looked over our map and felt confident that the next day's 28.5-kilometre trip was not daunting -- perhaps this was the effect of Medronho.
A word about self-guided vacations: This mode of holiday hearkens back to early backpacking trips but with appealing modifications. You enjoy the freedom of independence (you aren't part of a tour group), coupled with the convenience of having luggage moved to pre-booked accommodations and some meals have also been arranged. You are provided with map and directions for each day's journey and an emergency contact is usually available. Bikes and often helmets are provided. On this trip, booked through World Expeditions, we were on 24-speed, B'Win bikes with amazing gel seats that we both found very comfortable.
For many of us, self-guided is the best of holiday worlds -- I've cycled and hiked in many countries and found you are pretty well guaranteed an adventure. For example, it is not unusual to get lost, which means mingling with the locals, an appealing aspect -- I've been invited for tea, had my bike transported in the back of a truck when I was way off track and picnicked in delightful places such as coffee plantations and vineyards on my travels. While it's convenient that some meals on a self-guided trip are arranged, other times you wander a new locale to suss out the hot spots. It's a terrific meld of convenience and adventure and Portugal didn't let us down.
The first day we swooped out of Monchique -- all downhill -- through verdant valleys where brilliant blue morning glories covered shrubs and the bases of lofty trees. Through some small towns where men gathered on benches and children waved as we passed -- still downhill -- until we left the main road to follow a rural, mountainous route. We pedalled a forested countryside where we overlooked vast valleys and saw few signs of life.
Take Fornalha, a hamlet mentioned in our directions. We hoped for a shady square, maybe a java break. Nada. Fornalha consisted of eight buildings; we saw three people and dozens of cats.
While the scenery was spectacular, the weather was unbearably hot. The forecast I had checked before leaving Canada had promised temperatures in the mid-20s. We were pedalling -- OK, we walked a few hills as well -- in steamy heat that we later found had hit 34 C.
Then, 21/2 hours later, we arrived in the small town of Alferce that had slightly more activity. We breezed into a sleepy town square where three men sat on a bench. They looked at us surprised, perhaps wondering why we weren't in a kitchen wearing aprons. Bougainvillea draped beside clothes drying on a line and all was peaceful. We had our picnic lunch in the shade and decided the afternoon cycle would probably be easier.
And it was. Although mostly uphill back to Monchique, it was breathtakingly lovely. Along the paved road, we were often in the shade of huge eucalyptus trees -- I defy an artist to capture the richness of their bark. Occasionally the red-tiled roof of a luxurious estate could be seen and we passed tiny pastel-hued buildings clustered near the road; there were hole-in-the-wall restaurants and bars always filled with men, it seemed. We were in low-gear mode, lots of time to enjoy our surroundings and then we spotted picturesque Monchique, across the valley.
In no time, we were lounging and eating ice cream in the shady plaza. We chatted with two young men on a cycling trip, although their English was limited, we understood "too many hills" and "too hot" and we heartily agreed. Later, we sat on the deck of cheerful Bica Boa and looked across the valley to the mountain range we had cycled. While we had taken a pass on the extra eight kilometres that would have taken us up Mount Foia, the Algarve's highest peak, we toasted our day and wondered what the tomorrows would bring.
Despite the gradual two-kilometre uphill as we left Monchique, day two provides a blissful morning cycle. Who wouldn't love this forested landscape where we see few people and villages but kilometres of untouched greenery and occasionally a few shacks and burgeoning gardens? Apples, plums, pomegranates, lemons, limes, berries and grapes all thrive here.
We stopped at the village of Selao where the only sign of life was two men barbecuing sardines. The fish, a staple of the Portuguese diet, smelled and looked delicious and the two gnarly-faced locals invited us, in the universal language of sign, into the minuscule bar. Four men and us; we all smiled, saluted each other, they raised glasses of beer, we sipped cold juice before we headed back out in the blinding sunlight.
On this day we were travelling west towards the coast and after this pit stop, we zoomed along an enjoyable, undulating route; at times we would come around a bend and a glorious fragrance of sweet flowers filled the air.
There were, however, challenges ahead as by midday we were on a butt-aching secondary road for about five kilometres (our daily rides were between 28 and 50 kilometres) before another steep climb, then veered off the road to follow a rocky trail that was fringed by wilderness and a few pretty farms. Eventually, we arrived at a busy, main highway with a huge sign welcoming us to the Algarve, and suddenly, everything looked brighter.
It may be the brilliance of the blue sky -- the temperature was still in the 30s -- or the fact we could smell the ocean -- but we pedalled into the town of Odeceixe with big grins on our faces. Since it was past the hectic tourist season, this precious town with pastel buildings and narrow, winding streets was beyond sleepy.
We spent a pleasant two nights at Casa de Celeste -- a tidy, small hotel where our innkeeper, tiny Celeste, spoke no English but smiled continuously. The next day we had several cycling options, all easy circular routes that returned us to Odeceixe -- one led to what could easily be described as one of the world's best beaches.
There is a lot to be said for approaching these illustrious sites by bike -- you arrive to feel the ocean breeze on your sweaty body and you can't help but gasp at the curvature of sand bounded by rocky headlands at each end. The beach is dotted with sun worshippers and we join them, dipping toes into a not-too-cold Atlantic.
As well as the astounding beach and cute town, my Odeceixe memory is of meeting Maria. When Margo had a flat tire near the edge of town, chubby, cheerful Maria appeared out of nowhere. In this case, we had difficulty changing it and Maria was eager to be of assistance, offering her cellular phone so we could call the bike company but also asking many questions about the trip we were on. As we waited while Walter, our bike guy, arrived to assist us, Maria assured us we could have stayed in her hotel. She pointed us to the best restaurant, owned by her son, and later that evening, she called us into a maze of shops with some nicer-than-usual mementoes.
After two nights in Odeceixe, we cycled down the coast; exploring the western shoreline of Portugal, we were treated to many spectacular sights. A memorable one was Amado Beach, where surf pounded a frothy white and daredevil surfers played. This was day four and most of it was spent on quiet country roads. We were happy to land in Sagres, where our ultra-modern hotel overlooked one of the many famed Algarve beaches.
For many, this is what the Algarve is all about: the perfect curvatures of sand in picturesque fishing villages that have been transformed into tourist havens. Again, the benefit of biking -- the next few days we followed routes that led us off the main roads to little-known beaches tucked off the main roads. We swam in the Atlantic, ate fresh fish and walked the warm sand to view the sunsets.
In the tiny but trendy town of Salema, we stayed in the lovely, cliff-perched Amare Guesthouse and took time out to take the bus to Lagos.
Any allure of Lagos's intriguing history has been lost amid the steady stream of tourists. This just convinced us even more -- if you wish to experience the best of the Algarve, get on a bike.
-- Postmedia News
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 27, 2013 D1
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