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RALEIGH � A dedicated source of state funds for maintenance dredging of inlets along the coast could be on the way.
RALEIGH � A dedicated source of state funds for maintenance dredging of inlets along the coast could be on the way.
Sen. Harry Brown, R-Onslow, is the primary sponsor of a bill that would establish as a special revenue fund the Shallow Draft Inlet Dredging Fund. Money for the fund would come from proposed increases in North Carolina�s vessel registration and titling fees.
Brown said keeping waterways such as New River Inlet and Bogue Inlet navigable is important to the state�s economy, with recreational boaters, commercial vessels and fishermen among the many users.
�No one likes an increase. I�m sure there will be some opposition; there always is. But I don�t know where else to get the money,� he said. �If our inlets are that important to us then we�ve got to find the money, and for Eastern North Carolina they are important. They are used for recreational boating, used for both recreational and commercial fishing and � important to our tourism economy.�
Currently it costs $15 a year to register a vessel with the state or $40 for a three-year period and applies to all vessels requiring numbering by the state regardless of size.
Under Senate Bill 58, the fees would increase and be implemented according to the length of the vessel.
The fee for a one-year period would remain $15 for vessels less than 14 feet in length and be set at $25 for a vessel more than 14 feet in length but less than 20 feet; $50 for those 20 feet or more but less than 26 feet; $100 for a vessel 26 feet or more but less than 40 feet; and $150 for those more than $40 feet in length.
The fee for a three-year period would be $45 for vessels less than 14 feet in length; $75 for a vessel more than 14 feet in length but less than 20 feet; $150 for those 20 feet or more but less than 26 feet; $300 for a vessel 26 feet or more but less than 40 feet; and $450 for those more than 40 feet in length.
Also, the fee for new or renewed certificates of title will increase from $20 to $30.
�That has not changed since the �80s,� Brown said.
Brown said the additional funds generated will go to the Shallow Draft Inlets fund, but the changes proposed in the bill would not impact revenue now going to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commissioner�s Boating Account from certificate and titling provisions.
The Commission�s Boating Account, which receives money from certificates and titling, as well as motor fuel excise tax revenues, is used for activities relating to boating and water safety and for boating access improvements.
The need for a dedicated source of funds for dredging the state�s shallow draft inlets has become a concern with the disappearance of federal dollars for such projects. Brown said there is currently a provision in the bill that calls for state funds to be matched by local governments for dredging projects.
If approved, the bill would become effective July 1.
You can reach Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or email@example.com.


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Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt is warning of a new scam offering "free" emergency medical alert devices.
A man calling himself John has been calling claiming to be with Medical Alert and offering free medical alert devices and they just need to press 1 to confirm their shipping information.
Customers then are connected with a live telemarketer who offers them the "free" device, but asks for a credit card number to cover shipping or monitoring fees.
The calls are a ruse to get personal financial information, according to Schmidt. He advises seniors to not answer these calls, or if they do to not give out any personal information.
Kansans who have received calls are encouraged to file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office online at www.ag.ks.gov or call (800) 432-2310.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Council of Nicea is understood by a lot of people as when Jesus became God in Christianity and when the Christian bible was decided on. It is also seen as a tipping point in history because it happened when the Roman Empire officially began establishing Christianity as the religion of the state. The importance here, is that knowing important parts of ancient Christian history helps with understanding more about the world's largest religion. The focus of this discussion will be on history.
Some of the ideas we are looking at are:
This is an overflow conversation that was happening on another thread, but is an interesting topic due to a lot of misinformation about this historical event, especially in light of Dan Brown's book. Archeopteryx and I have different understandings about this council, so we are going to work together to see what we can find out about it here as a team. This is an overflow conversation that was happening on another thread, but is an interesting topic, due to a lot of misinformation being out there about this historical event. But anyone can jump in.
Views: 1130
First repost from other thread: Christianity had long accepted the divinity of Christ before Nicea. It is in very early Christian writings. There were only 3 bishops of the 300 so at Nicea who sided with Arius. Nicea didn't settle the books of the Bible either. That was done later and it was the synods of Hippo and Carthage. But there is an ancient fragment that shows what people believed called the Muratorian Fragment/muratorian canonhttp://www.earlychristianwritings.com/muratorian.html. There also are a lot of ancient writings. Those other gospels are less legitimate than the four which are cited often in ancient writings from the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
What Nicea came up with was to settle the Arian controversy. Arius was a leader in Alexandria. It was a massive port city and the ideas he was spreading were picking up traction. But his position was a philosophical improvement attempt, not a historical tradition.
There was squabbling and pettiness at some of the councils though. Especially Chalcedon.
I'll actually put the post here so we don't overwhelm people with walls of text before a discussion gets going. Archaeopteryx and I have our positions below this post, so anyone who reads this should scroll down and read that too.
Okay, so here is one of the first sources I want to bring to the table because the work has already been done for me. I knew a good search on the DaVinci Code would pull up some stuff.
This link shows the many early church fathers before Nicea affirming the deity of Jesus. http://www.nwc.edu/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=5d305c51-be3d-4...
A real brief summary of the link shows just how overwhelming the understanding was in the Church about the divinity of Jesus.. It also shows how the council of Nicea was largely focused on making a definition that would clarify the Church position while avoiding coming across like any of the known heresies.
There were a lot of break-away sects but they were mostly from break away leaders, while there the history pretty solidly shows that there was a Katholic church that was the dominant and primary source of Christianity (using a K to avoid confusion with Rome's church).
There were other sects, but they didn't really match historical writings. It seems the early sects of the first century found a way to join together in the first century and form a unified understanding by the second.
And this is what I replied to John's original post, not the one here on this page - the additions made to John's post may make mine seem strange if it is seen as a direct response to this post of John's.
Yes John, I'm familiar with the Arian controversy, and don't disagree with that part of what you're saying, but according to many of my sources, there was great dispute among many of the various factions of early Christianity. Some said Yeshua was fully human, and that he was simply imbued with the "Holy Spirit," possibly at his baptism, and given superhuman powers; others said that he was in fact the son of god, and as such, was half-human and half-god; still others said that he was god himself, in the flesh, who popped down here and became human, a) to see what being human was all about, and b) to sacrifice himself to himself for sins committed by imperfect humans, which he could have prevented by creating perfect humans in the first place. Many, who believed Yeshua to actually BE god, were thought by many others to be blasphemous.
Constantine, with his empire falling apart, hoped (vainly) that religion might help reunite it, and needed everyone to come together on definitions, and thus the Council was convened.
One of my sources is Christianity Through the Centuries by Earle Cairns, while another is A History of God, by Karen Armstrong.
Arius, according to Armstrong, did not deny the divinity of Yeshua, but argued that it was blasphemous to think he was divine by nature, and in fact, agreed with Origen in this regard. He advanced another theory, that the universe was created from nothing, whereas even the Priestly Source, who wrote Genesis 1, implied, and Origen and Clement concurred, that it was created from primordial chaos, and it is the Arian ideal that prevails today.
Early Christian theologists agreed that Yeshua had bridged the gap between god and Man, but how he did it was disputed - Either Yeshua was divine, or he belonged to the created order. Athanasius maintained it was the former, Arius, the latter. In fact, he wrote to then Bishop Alexander that god was, "the only begotten, the only external, the only one without beginning, the only true, the only one who has immortality, the only wise, the only good, the only potentate" (Arius, "Epistle to Alexander"), and cited the prologue of St. John's Gospel, that the "Word," the "Logos," had been with god since the beginning, "Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being, but through him." Arius insisted that the Logos had been promoted to divine status by god, and that, made Man, the Logos would obey him perfectly, but maintained that Yeshua's divinity was not natural to him, it was conferred by god, and had provided reams of scripture to support his contention.
Athanasius took the other tack - god, "saw that all created nature, if left to its own principles, was in flux and subject to dissolution. To prevent this and to keep the universe from disintegrating back into nonbeing, he made all things by his very own eternal Logos and endowed the creation with its being" (Athanasius, "Against the Heathen"). He contended that if the Logos were a vulnerable creature, it would be unable to save Mankind from extinction, only he who had created the world, could save it, and that meant that the Logos made flesh must be of the same nature as the Creator.
According to my sources, when the bishops met at Nicaea in 325, very few shared Athanasius' view, most held to a position somewhere between his and Arius', but Athanasius managed to impose his theology on the delegates, and with Constantine breathing down their necks, only Arius and two of his companions refused to sign the creed. Though they agreed for the first time ever, that the universe had been created ex nihilo, the Bishops also decided that the creator and the redeemer were one.
We believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of all things,
visible and invisible,
and in one Lord,
Jesus Christ,
the Son of God,
light from light, true God from true God,
begotten not made,
of one substance (homousion) with the Father,
through whom all things were made,
those things that are in heaven and those things that are on earth,
who for us men and for our salvation came down and was made man, suffered, rose again on the third day,
ascended into the heavens
and will come
to judge the living and the dead.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit.
While I accept that you are far more knowledgeable than I, and have even saved a number of your posts to use as future sources of information, I have a number of sources that differ with your post, and feel I need to present their points of view as well.
(That last reference would be to the original post)
This is from the other thread as well - I just hope no one is getting confused because of all of the transfers.
It wasn't just on the whim of an emperor, such as Nero fiddling while Rome burned, it was at the insistence of an emperor desperate to find some uniting force to hold his empire together.
Basically, the same motivation prompted the decision to make Yahweh the god of the Israelites, after their emergence from Egypt (if indeed that happened), and the compilation and publication of the Old Testament after the Babylonian Conquest - unification through a shared belief system.
So I think this is going to be good, but I think it should be the one we tackle last. If we save the urls in our email, then we can link the completed parts of the discussion and make my intro post a summary.
In the immortal words of "Vinnie Barbarino" of "Welcome Back Kotter," "I'm, SO confused --!"
Lol, by the time we are done, we will have a bunch of conclusions that we can summarize. All I have to do is make the intro post a summary with a later edit. The email notifications we get have urls we can link in those summaries so that people can see the sources we are using, but not be overwhelmed trying to sort through pages and pages.
John - granted, I've only just read the first page of the PDF associated with the link you provided above, and further reading may indicate otherwise (unfortunately, I will be under time constraints for the rest of the day, but free tomorrow to resume this), but from what I've read so far, it seems to confirm what I said above about Emperor Constantine (emphasis, mine):
"More than eighty gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few were chosen for inclusion—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John among them…The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great" (p. 231).
"In 325 A.D., he [Constantine] decided to unify Rome under a single religion. Christianity…Constantine was a very good businessman. He could see that Christianity was on the rise, and he simply backed the winning horse" (p. 232).
"until that moment in history [A.D. 325], Jesus was viewed by his followers as a mortal prophet…a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal…Jesus" establishment as "the Son of God" was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicea…A relatively close vote at that…Nevertheless, establishing Christ"s divinity was critical to the further unification of the Roman empire and to the new Vatican power base. By officially endorsing Jesus as the Son of God, Constantine turned Jesus into a deity who existed beyond the scope of the human world, an entity whose power was unchallengeable. This not only precluded further pagan challenges to Christianity, but not the followers of Christ were able to redeem themselves only via the established sacred channel—the Roman Catholic Church" (p. 233).
"Because Constantine upgraded Jesus" status almost four centuries after Jesus" death, thousands of documents already existed chronicling His life as a mortal man. To rewrite the history books, Constantine knew he would need a bold stroke. From this sprang the most profound moment in Christian history…Constantine commissioned and financed a new Bible, which omitted those gospels that spoke of Christ"s human traits and embellished those gospels that made him godlike. The earlier gospels were outlawed, gathered up, and burned…Fortunately for historians…some of the gospels that Constantine attempted to eradicate managed to survive. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 1950s hidden in a cave near Qumran in the Judean desert. And, of course, the Coptic Scrolls in 1945 at Nag Hammadi" (p. 234).
Yeah, it is pretty thorough. It introduces a good summary of the positions it will address. Personally I think Teabing's assertions are nonsense. After reading more of the quotes from the 2nd century fathers, you will find out why. It is also why I take issue with Ehrman and his presentation of pre-nicene Christianity as divided all up into sects. Perhaps in the 1st century that was the case, but not by the second.
But no, it is introducing the positions and then it is going to sledgehammer them. It also goes into Bauer and the Teubingen school.
John - I got this from your article by Nelson, can you confirm its accuracy?
Aftermath of the Council of Nicea. Arius and his followers were excommunicated and sent into exile. Within a couple of years, however, Constantine became favorable to Arianism. He recalled Eusebius of Nicomedia from exile and eventually appointed him as an advisor. In 327, Constantine made arrangements to reinstate Arius in the church. Arius, however, died before this could take place. On his deathbed in 337, Constantine was baptized by Eusebius of Nicomedia. After Constantine"s death, Roman Emperors largely sided with Arianism. Nonetheless, the Nicene creed was confirmed by the Council of Constantinople (381) and the Council of Chalcedon (451).
I can't fully, other than that I seem to remember the sucessor to Constantine being an Arian Christian. Note seem. (I haven't checked, because part of this whole thing is discovering stuff together.) I seem to remember a few Arian emperors before Theodosius. But I know that Chalcedon was under Theodosius who was not Arian. It directly states that in the canons of Chalcedon which makes Constantinople have the same level of ecclesiastical authority as Rome that it is the reign of Theodosius. I also can't remember how many emperors came between that.
So we really need to tread carefully, because the author is citing a council under a Nicene emperor as support for this argument.
This piece, "The Deification of Jesus According to the Davinci Code," attempts to convince that the assertions made above by Teabing were a result of revisionsm, using as an example, how easy it would be to assert that at the Council of Jamnia (A.D. 90), the Jews convened to fabricate a story of Abraham (if he ever existed) and the deity in which he maintained belief, and their covenant - in other words, Nelson is demonstrating that fabricating a story about the Abe/god covenant (which he is NOT saying happened) would have involved fabricating stories confirming that it did, while rewriting or destroying stories entirely, that maintained that it didn't. Nelson is giving this example - as I understand it - to indicate how easy it would be for Teabing to manufacture a story that Constantine did this, by showing how easy it would be to maintain that the Jews did this at Jamnia. But although it didn't happen at Jamnia, and it happened much closer to 700 BCE than to 90 AD, the truth is, that the Priestly Source did almost EXACTLY that, fabricating some parts of Genesis and rewriting others, to nudge the doctrine over to their point of view! I really can't see that Nelson has made a very solid point here.
You know what? I've already said I'm under a time constraint, maybe it would be better if, rather than going at this piecemeal, I get the things done that need doing, come back and read the entire treatise (while making notes), and come back with an all-inclusive response.
I can see right now, this is not going to be a short discussion --


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How can the World Heritage Convention work best to conserve the natural values of island nations that are on the front line of climate change? IUCN gave its opinion on this critical issue known during the second day of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Seville.
The World Heritage Convention can play an important role in protecting some of the world's most important and fragile ecosystems, particularly in the face of climate change impacts.
During its interventions yesterday, IUCN offered its expertise in addressing threats to the fragile ecosystems of small islands and its extensive experience in the Pacific.
"The Pacific island nations and many other island states such as the Maldives are already suffering from sea level rise and more extreme weather events. Capacity development, community-based approaches to conservation, securing sustainable livelihoods and the spread of invasive species all need addressing and are areas in which IUCN can help, " said Tilman Jaeger, World Heritage Project Management Officer at IUCN.
Among the issues being tabled this week is the idea of a Pacific World Heritage Fund. IUCN is keen to explore what this would entail and how it could support it, possibly by providing advice on lists of potential World Heritage properties and how to effectively manage these sites. Through its Pacific Programme and Pacific members of its World Commission on Protected Areas, IUCN is looking at what it could do to boost the participation of State Parties in the Region in the World Heritage Convention.
"IUCN welcomes the progress made by the World Heritage Programme on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and calls for greater synergies between this, the Pacific Programme and the Bahrain Action Plan on Marine World Heritage which will also be discussed this week, " said Tim Badman, IUCN's Special Advisor on World Heritage. " We have recently established a Programme on Islands, bringing together a range of partners which could help implement the World Heritage SIDS Programme, in partnership with UNESCO and others."


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Austin's Larry Busby is a wedding photographer, but he's just moonlighting for his real profession: a love-starved, Whites-only stud muffin.
Busby posted an ad on his website "Sleepless in Austin" for a girlfriend, offering a $1,500 finders fee. He also offered a $1,000 bonus if this future girlfriend turned into a future spouse.
Did I mention he also plays in a band? His stage name is Romeo Rose, "Romeo" for his romantic flair and "Rose" because it's the state flower of New York which happens to be 1,700-something miles away.
Before you make that mad dash for your car or the plane to meet Busby, there are some requirements you have to follow. Thankfully, he was gracious enough to post them on his website:
"I will not date a Black girl. I don't care if she looks like Halle Berry, I will not ever date a Black girl. However, I will date any other race, Hispanic, Mexican, Spanish, Russian, Italian, French, European, White, whatever, anything except Black."
"I like a girl that dresses on the conservative side. Not like a slut, and not anything weird. Just normal is fine. T-Shirt & Jeans are OK. But a girl in a dress really gets my heart racing! I also love it when a girl wears a mini skirt with boots, not cowboy boots, but sexy boots. Or high heels, I love spiked high heels!"
"I prefer a woman that has never had children, because having kids does ruin a womans body often times."
So, any takers?
(h/t Jezebel)


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Join Silent Voices Paranormal as we present Halloween at the Victorian. Spend Halloween with us at the famous haunted Victorian mansion in Gardner Mass. October 30th for a Ghostly Get Together event. There will be a presentation given by the SVP team followed by an actual, all night investigation of the home.
This i...s the location... TAPS investigated in season 3 of Ghost Hunters. Refreshments will be served and space is limited to 30 guests so contact our case manager, Pam at email@example.com to reserve your spot!
Tickets for our Halloween event at the haunted Victorian are priced at $50.00 per person BUT if you mention you saw this on Facebook and become a fan of the Silent Voices Paranormal and Haunted Victorian Facebook page we will discount them to only $40.00 per person!!! Space is VERY limited so reserve your spot now!!!
Halloween at the Haunted Victorian in Gardner Mass
Started by Silent Voices Paranormal , Sep 30 2010 07:40 PM
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بنك الاتحاد
Bank al Etihad, previously known as Union Bank, is a Jordan-based financial and banking services institution, established in 1978 as a public shareholding company, with a paid up capital of JDs 110,000,000 and a capital base in excess of JOD 250 million and a capital adequacy ratio of 15.86%. Bank al Etihad operates a growing network of 37 branches and is expected to reach 38 branches by end of 2014 in addition to 52 ATMs, a central exchange unit, in addition to one branch in Ramallah - Palestine. Bank al Etihad also fully owns a brokerage firm "Etihad Brokerage" which was established in (2006). Bank al Etihad financed a number of vital and infrastructure projects that hold long term benefits to the country and its citizens in sectors such as electricity, energy, renewable energy, higher education, tourism, water desalination and water treatment. It also offers a variety of products and services that serve corporate clients, SMEs, and targeted segments of retail. In addition to provide Treasury and Investment services. In 2007, Bank al Etihad engaged McKinsey & Company, one of the world most reputable banking consultants, to support its continuing growth and new business diversification strategy, During 2011 the bank managed to successfully complete and launch several strategic projects including the implementation of a new core banking system, the launch of a new brand identity and a new branch concept– new Retail experience. In addition to the enhancement of various products & services offerings, the bank was the first in Jordan to launch a full-fledged mobile banking application for smart phones. Corporate Social responsibility has always been part of the bank's DNA and its key values; the bank supports local communities and adopts several initiatives mainly in the areas of Education, Youth, Culture and Arts. In addition to that, the bank has always supports charity organizations associated with disabilities and special needs citizens. The bank also offers its own "Halim Salfiti Theater" for free to all musicians and art activities.
At Bank al Etihad we believe our people is our most valuable asset. Therefore, we continuously support them through professional capacity building, career development and a range of benefits and incentive programs that recognize their needs, allowing them to utilize their personal skills and capabilities in an environment that stimulates innovation and creativity. We adopt a recruitment policy based on fair, equal and unbiased opportunities. Through our hiring process we ensure the recruitment of the right candidate in the right position, assuring they fit in our open and positive culture while providing the highest standards of service to our clients. Priorities will be given to qualified candidates with volunteering experience Bank al Etihad offers career opportunities across a variety of business areas and functions. If you believe you have the passion, the knowledge, the skills and capabilities that will allow you successfully join our team, please apply through our online application service.


text:
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Home-made fish fingers and mushy peas
My kids love fish, both of them. Our precious daughter (3 years 1 month) loves fish a lot (including small whole ones, like sprats and Baltic herring in various forms) and she adores shellfish, including mussels and sea whelks (bulots) and such like. Our little boy (1 year 2 months) prefers fish fillet at this stage, but that's fine with me. Here's a little quick delicious dinner idea that is suitable both for the little eaters and the large ones. The secret? Dredging the fish pieces into (wholemeal and coarsely ground) rye flour. Of course, you could use oatmeal or plain wholewheat flour, but somehow the rye works especially well with oily fish like salmon.
I love serving this dish with mushy-minty peas, but simple mashed potato would be a good accompaniment as well.
Salmon fish fingers, served with green peas
(Kodused lõhefileepulgad)
Serves four
about 500 g salmon filet
lemon pepper seasoning
freshly squeezed lemon juice
about 7 Tbsp rye flour (wholemeal is perfect)
oil and butter, for frying
Remove the skin from the fish filet and cut the fish into chunky fingers. Season generously with lemon pepper seasoning and a little bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
(* If you're using salt-free lemon pepper, then sprinkle some salt over the fish as well).
Dredge the fish fingers into rye flour.
Heat oil and butter on a frying pan. Brown the fish fingers on all sides and cook for a few minutes, until done.
Serve with mashed potatoes and/or mushy peas. To make the latter, simply heat some butter in a small saucepan. Add frozen peas, season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and mint, and heat through. Mash lightly and serve with the fish fingers.
2 comments:
And not a chip in sight! Using polenta for the coating also works with some fish.
- 2:18 pm, March 20, 2012
- Pille said...
Indeed, Roxy. Thank you for the polenta tip!
- 12:00 pm, April 02, 2012
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Without UN approval, US and Britain have launched attacks on Iraq. In his speech to the nation, President Bush said "We will meet that threat (Iraq)now with our Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines, so that we do not have to meet it later with armies of firefighters, police and doctors on the streets of our cities."
This has triggered two important questions,
1) Right of 'Preemptive Attack' where one country invades the other on the basis of information that the later is preparing for war against the former and 2) The effectiveness of UNO which in this case has failed to stop the war.
In all other cases, when a country is attacked by another, the country who launch the attack is called aggressor and is condemned by the rest.
What do you think how should the countries of the world including Pakistan, respond to US attack on Iraq ?
Should the invaders be called aggressors and be condemned?


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If you want to join our reseller program you can rent a section at an annual investment of £500.
This would involve you having a section category of your own under our shopping mall branding design (fishingonline.net) of up 20 products. Further products can be introduced at an agreed fee (to cover time of insertion etc).
You would need to provide the following information to us:-
Electronic images of your product in jpeg format (.jpg) email to firstname.lastname@example.com
An electronic word document containing the short description of the product
An upfront cleared cheque /credit card payment /papal payment of £500 for the 1st year rent.


text:
And now, by popular demand, a reprint of an old favorite.
So you've met the person of your dreams only you haven't got around to telling your new honey your dirty little secret. The sweet thing hasn't a clue that you're itchin' for some big-time bondage. Or that you'd sell your soul to be dominated like the lowly little bitch that you are. Or you're salivating over that dildo you have tucked away in the attic—you know, the one that could be mistaken for a floor lamp. Or you're craving to be spanked til your shameless ass glows in the dark. Or you want to hump his/her feet like a dog and gobble up his/her toejam. Or you have this nasty little thing about spike heels, frilly knickers and jungle red lipstick.
Never fear—Dr. Dick has heard it all a million times before. Some sorry pervert's got it bad for white bread.
Dear Dr. Dick,
Help! I'm in love with the sweetest guy/gal in the word, but our sex life is all vanilla all the time. I'm bored shitless! I know how to liven things up, you see I have this fetish (you fill in the blank) but I don't know how to tell him/her about it and I'm afraid s/he'll freak if s/he finds out. What's a perv to do?
Introducing your partner to your personal world of kink can be a little tricky; the whole love match could blow up in your face. But a life of pretense and sexual boredom isn't the way to go, either. Why not just stand tall like the filthy pervert you are and brazenly proclaim your fetish to Little Miss Mary Sunshine? After all, unless your boyfriend or gal-pal is as dumb as a post s/he's already figured out that your mutual sex life walks with a pronounced limp (or perhaps is suffering from a case of the gout). Besides, there's nothing more satisfying than corrupting an innocent. Who knows—s/he may have secrets of his/her own.
Case in point. Here's part of an exchange I had with a young man from Omaha.
Dear Doc,
I'm 23, and I've been dating 30-year-old chick for nearly a year now. I come from a very conservative Christian upbringing and I love that she is more experienced than me. My girlfriend likes to tie me up. I'm a college gymnast so I have very defined muscles. They are a huge turn on for my girlfriend, which I guess explains why she likes to see me struggle against the rope. I get real turned on too when I'm tied up. Sometimes she teases my penis and testicles with a feather or a piece of leather, which drives me wild. I'm worried though, because I think this is gonna warp me somehow. Do you think this is perverted? Why is it so much fun?
Ahhh yeah, Jake, I do think it's perverted. I think your girlfriend is a big fat pervert and I think you're still just a teensy-weensy little pervert—but well on your way to Big Fat Perverthood (note: Big Fat Perverthood is not a clinical term; just something we toss around the office for fun), just like your girlfriend. And why is this bondage thing so much fun? It's such a blast because it IS perverted, IS nasty and IS forbidden, silly! One can only guess what your fundamentalist Christian mom and dad would think about their star athlete son trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey while a considerably older dominatrix punishes his family jewels. I fear this apple has fallen a great distance from the tree, right, Jake? I absolutely love it!
Okay, back to telling your partner about your kink. Here's what I suggest. Casually direct the conversation to the amazing variety of human sexual expression. You could reassure your sweetie that just because some things are unfamiliar to her/him doesn't make them bad. Tell him/her that you've been waiting for your relationship to mature so that you could share the intricacies of your desires with him/her. This can be one of those precious bonding moments that Oprah is always going on about.
This might be a good time to view that special video you picked up in the kink section of the local porn emporium. Invite her/him to explore your fantasy with you. Tell the little flower that your love for him/her demands that you share the fullness of your sexuality with her/him. Then pick one turn-on for the two of you to experiment with—lingerie, toys, dominance and submission, pee, role-playing—whatever your hearts desire.
Decide on a safe-word, an out-of-context word your partner can use if the experiment is heading in an uncomfortable direction. For example, if the dildo is too big or the lipstick is too red, s/he could say "pickles." The safe-word, when uttered in the scenario, will let you know that you need to change direction or slow down without completely destroying the built-up sexual energy.
If this initiation process doesn't work, Dr. Dick suggests that you cut your losses and dump the white bread. Go out and find yourself a kindred spirit, someone you won't have to apologize to for being creative in your sex play. Because, as we all know, the key to fantastic sex is all about communicating – and if you can't be honest about what you want, then it won't be long until you're looking around, wondering how the hell you got to a sex life full of furtive, 2 minute, missionary position encounters. And life is way too short for that crap.


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Junk Raft is Making Waves in the Pacific Trash Gyre
July 8, 2008
Hold off the next time you grab a disposable bottle of water while picking up your coffee at Starbucks. Their Ethos water may economically benefit some peoples , but the bottle most definately HURTS. Turns out that most of the Styrofoam Jamba Juice cups and discarded flip-flops in the oceans are washed from land and not dumped by ocean going vessels as is the normal thinking according to the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. I became aware of this organization and it's research while working on a new TV show recently that visited with a couple of their amazing scientists that are putting their lives at risk to make us aware of the trash we produce everyday. They are sailing into the ocean towards a texas sized patch of plastic soup that is referred to as the "Pacific trash gyre" or "plastic vortex". The sailers and researchers heading this project, Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal, were featured on the green reality series called "Mario's Greenhouse" with Actor and Director, Mario Van Peebles (Voom Networks). At the time of videotaping with them, they were still in the construction phase of their ocean going vessel affectionately named, Junk Raft, that departed from Los Angeles on June 2nd, 2008.
From the official website:
"Algalita staff set sail on "Junk," a raft built on 15,000 plastic bottles. Their 2,100 mile journey will take them through the plastic-plagued Northern Pacific Gyre. Designed by Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal, the raft boasts an airplane fuselage, discarded fishing nets, a solar generator, and a wind turbine. This ambitious journey will bring further public attention to the plastic marine debris issue."
Eriksen and Paschal manage to upload blog entries and video from the middle of Pacific somehow. For this their blog, junkraft.blogspot.com, deserves a visit by all of us. It's amazing stuff and you can read about their trip AND the massive trash gyre that you may have heard about on the news that their parent organization, The Algalita Marine Research Foundation, is given credit for finding.
3 Responses to "Junk Raft is Making Waves in the Pacific Trash Gyre"
July 8, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Thanks for posting this – we appreciate your support! Where are you based?
Fantastic blog, will add to my blogroll for BYO. Kudos!
May 20, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Great info:D Hope to visit soon!!


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"Have you ever willfully asked darkness to completely envelope you?" - something that someone asked me while interpreting a song.
It has been haunting me , some-times appearing in front of me in neon lights, for the past 25 hours, non-stop.
Maybe I have hit the self-destruct button. Because all the supposed strides that I am taking on the path of success has been a way to escape what I have no energy left to face. But not facing means avoiding it, never moving past it and the knowledge of what actually is happening is not helping a tiny winy bit.
I have been DEE DEE (Dexter's laboratory fame) for a long time now[remember "Oooooo WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON DO?"], pushing all the buttons, bright and shiny, that show the promise(however insincere) of fixing things, without really giving it a thought.
I had thought being reckless is just a trait that saggitarians have. But i guess there is a difference between being reckless and being a mindless cartoon who wears a pink tutu all her life and loves unicorn!
I don't know if I would stop being so reckless about important decisions of my (emotional)life from this moment on or not.I seemed to have lost the ability to control certain things, certain events and certain affects on my stooopid brain.
But one thing that I know I am certainly going to do is go eat some amazing dessert, RIGHT NOW! Taro cake! here I come.
Talk about being reckless.
p.s(repetition#1): The lack of posts here is because I am on a trip (read less time for introspection and contemplation which I am fond of)and hence concentrating more on my travel blog http://amropali.co.cc/


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Over the last two decades cybercrime has matured from the early days of curiosity-driven hackers and pranksters to a fully fledged industry. In the process, much of the distinction between 'traditional' crime and online crime has been eliminated: On the one hand organised crime now uses the internet as another tool for communication and transferring criminal proceeds; on the other hand spam, phishing and malware are mature criminal industries.
At the same time as the internet has changed the way people socialise, entertain themselves and work, it's helped transform the criminal underworld, offering new ways to make money — and new ways to use launder proceeds whether from traditional crimes or cybercrime.
In July, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (better known by its acronym, AUSTRAC) issued one of its periodic typologies reports, which summarise money laundering case studies as well as making an assessment of emerging approaches for laundering the proceeds of crime. Two of the "potential vulnerabilities" flagged by the recent typologies report were the use of 'virtual worlds' — think World of Warcraft or Second Life — and digital currencies, such as Bitcoin.
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"While the nature and extent of money laundering through digital currencies and virtual worlds are unknown, it is important to recognise their potential for criminal exploitation, particularly in response to tighter regulation of established or traditional financial channels," the report stated.
"At this stage, the misuse of digital currencies and virtual worlds for money laundering is still very much an emerging vulnerability," AUSTRAC CEO John Schmidt says.
"That said, AUSTRAC has undertaken research into the potential money laundering threats posed by electronic payment systems and new payment methods."
Virtual worlds, such as massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), offer the opportunity for money laundering in those cases where there's a mechanism for converting some form of in-game credit (be it items or a fictional currency employed by the game) into 'real world' money.
"The criteria for virtual world money laundering to take place is that the world needs to have their own financial currency which can have real world money going in and out of," explains Dr Clare Chambers-Jones, associate professor in banking and finance law at the University of the West of England and author of Virtual Economies and Financial Crime: Money Laundering in Cyberspace.
"This process of placing and layering allows the dirty money to be laundered. There are few regulations which prevent this from occurring," Chambers-Jones says.
"Some stored value card providers also allow their products to be used in a virtual world. These can then be exchanged for real world currency," Schmidt adds.
Real threat or emerging vulnerability?
Employing virtual worlds to launder money is not a new idea, but whether it's currently being used to hide proceeds of crime on any significant scale is still a subject of debate. But it's not just AUSTRAC that has been keeping an eye on the potential for money laundering; the Financial Action Task Force, the global body that monitors money laundering, issued a report in October 2010, Money Laundering Using New Payment Methods, that noted these digital methods were emerging avenues for hiding illicit profits.
One of the earliest virtual worlds that offered a mechanism for exchanging 'real world' money for in-world credits, and, crucially, back again, was Linden Lab's Second Life, which launched in 2003. Money can be exchanged for Second Life's virtual currency, 'Linden Dollars', and back again using Linden Lab's currency exchange or a third-party provider. "Second Life has been a focus of mine as to virtual world money laundering and there are instances of money laundering taking place," Chambers-Jones says.
In Q2 of 2011, the total amount of Linden Dollars held by Second Life users was in the region of US$30 million, which makes it relatively small fry given that the FATF estimates that the cost of money laundering and the underlying crime is two to five per cent of global GDP.


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July 2009
Figure 1
This figure shows the predicted distribution of temperature change due to global warming from Hadley Centre HadCM3 climate model. These changes are based on the "business as usual" projections of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions during the next century. The plotted colors show predicted surface temperature changes expressed as the average prediction for 2070-2100 relative to the model's baseline temperatures in 1960-1990. The average change is 3.0°C, placing this model towards the low end of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 1.4-5.8°C predicted climate change from 1990 to 2100. Figure prepared by Robert A. Rohde for the Global Warming Art project.
The number of skeptics of the global warming hypothesis is growing. In spite of increasing evidence for global warming, from January 2007-April 2008, the Pew Center reported a drop of 6 percentage points (from 77 to 71%) of "Americans [who] say there is solid evidence of higher global temperatures." Disturbingly, this seemingly scientific issue has become politicized. Pew attributes most of the overall drop to Republicans, whose acceptance of global warming has dropped to only 49%, compared with 84% among Democrats and 75% among Independents.1
Strangely, a lack of expertise in the climate change field does not temper the confidence of skeptics who challenge global warming. Students are challenging teachers; talk-radio hosts are challenging scientists; and politicians are labeling the issue a hoax. The media, in a misplaced effort to be balanced, often interview equal numbers of scientists on either "side," which reinforces the incorrect impression that there are equal numbers on each side.
How should the public interpret this apparent debate? How should teachers respond when challenged? Most teachers and scientists recognize that they lack the expertise to mount a technically robust rebuttal, but if we do not want to concede the argument to those with the biggest megaphones, we must respond in some manner.
- Should we cherry-pick data that will respond to, point-by-point, a student's tendentiously selected data?
- Should we offer a polemical response, trading an eye-for-an-eye with the critics?
The first option is the strategy favored by the global warming deniers and does not honor logico-deductive reasoning; the second is emotion-based and decidedly, nonscientific. Both approaches are weak intellectually and unsound educationally. Is there an alternative that offers a more general and productive way of thinking about and evaluating global warming, and perhaps, other complex and controversial science?
Futuyma's recently articulated 'greatest challenge to science' helps frame an alternative: "Scientists need to convince people that we have developed honest procedures for understanding how the world works, that we can put confidence limits around most of our conclusions, and that our track record shows we have achieved reliable, if still incomplete, knowledge".2 Perhaps a deep understanding of the nature of science itself, and a reliance on its processes and products, rather than immersion in gory experimental details, is a better way for the lay public (in fact, any non-expert) to think about complex, cutting-edge science.
Many fields, such as evolution, genetically engineered foods, and nuclear-waste disposal, might benefit from this approach, but given the controversy around global warming, it serves as a particularly current and useful illustration.
Climate science is a multidisciplinary field that involves research in ecology, chemistry, geology, glaciology, meteorology, atmospheric science, marine biology, volcanology, computer modeling, and many other disciplines.
Few people—including scientists, who do not specialize in climate science—are qualified to tackle the technical issues in all these areas—at least in any depth.
Alternatively, we might structure teaching about global warming around just a few nature-of-science style questions.
Is intuition a substitute for science?
First, we must discard one common but often faulty guide to critical thinking: intuition. The weakness of intuition is easier to recognize than to eliminate, but reviewing some examples will help.
- It certainly seems intuitive that the sun rises in the east and moves around the Earth, but it is not true.
- It seems impossible that the DNA in the cells of a single human is sufficiently long that it could—if unraveled and stretched end-to-end—reach the sun and back at least a dozen times, but that is true.
Of those people who deny global warming, many find it hard to believe that "small" changes in anthropogenic carbon dioxide could cause big problems for the planet. After all, it makes up so little of our atmosphere that its concentration is measured in parts per million. The global climate is affected by so many interrelated factors, however, that intuition does not reveal the importance of any single factor. Logical thinking is a skill that must be learned and practiced. Intuition is a poor substitute and an unreliable guide for understanding many things—including nature.
What is science?
Science is the most objective method we have for investigating the natural world, but it does not establish certainty and absolutes. It leads to scientific knowledge that is tentative and incomplete, but consensus develops around well-supported hypotheses, which generally become stronger over time. Science operates within a framework of methodological naturalism—that is, explanations of observable phenomena are limited to the natural world (i.e., no magic allowed). Science is idealized often, but two of its characteristics are crucial here:
- replicability, i.e., using well-accepted experimental systems and procedures
- peer review and publication
Science is not perfect, but it is self-correcting over time because other experts critically examine the work of colleagues and challenge weaknesses in methods and conclusions. (An excellent review by Allchin discusses error and science in more detail.3) The public may not like science, but they know it works. If they did not, they would never fly in a plane, take a prescription drug, or use a cell phone.
As objective as science strives to be, it is not isolated from or immune to social forces and values. Communism cost the former Soviet Union the better part of a generation's worth of advancement in genetics under the pernicious direction of Trofim Lysenko, who tried to force nature to adhere to ideology. Nature did not comply then to accommodate political or economic objections—and it will not comply today. Science does not create nature's workings; it merely uncovers and explains them.
- Outside one's discipline, a scientist is not much different from a nonscientist in terms of specialized knowledge; however, the scientist knows how science is done.
- When scientists with expertise in one area want to understand the work of their colleagues in other disciplines, they are necessarily dependent on review articles and the consensus opinions of experts.
Is there consensus?
So what does the consensus opinion of experts in climate change suggest?
Naomi Oreskes reported as far back as 2004, in Science that scientific consensus was undeniable.4 Her team analyzed 928 abstracts published in scientific journals between 1993-2003 that were identified in databases using the keywords 'global climate change.' As she summarized her analysis for the Washington Post, "Seventy-five percent of the papers either explicitly or implicitly accepted the consensus view. The remaining 25 percent dealt with other facets of the subject, taking no position on whether current climate change is caused by human activity. None of the papers disagreed with the consensus position. There have been arguments to the contrary, but they are not to be found in scientific literature, which is where scientific debates are properly adjudicated."5 This final point is important.
There is also the opinion of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which issued its fourth assessment report in April 2007 (see Figure 1). One of the conclusions in this report is "A global assessment of data since 1970 has shown that it is likely that anthropogenic warming has had a discernible influence on many physical and biological systems".6 The authors note, in partial support of this statement, that an analysis of 29,000 data sets shows that "more than 89% are consistent with the direction of change expected as a response to warming".
The IPCC 2007 final synthesis report goes even further, stating: "There is very high confidence that the net effect of human activities since 1750 has been one of warming."7 In addition, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, The American Geophysical Union, The American Meteorological Society, and other professional organizations have published statements supporting the consensus that human activity is modifying the climate.
The precautionary principle guides much of the public policy throughout the world, and it should clarify our understanding of climate change. It emphasizes that:
Scientific certainty (e.g., cause and effect links for every step) should not be the threshold for taking action that protects public health and the environment—especially when the consequences may be severe.
In the Wingspread Conference formulation, with reasonable evidence of potential harm, "the proponent of an activity [that threatens harm], rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof."8
The opportunity costs for not acting to prevent harm should be considered along with the costs of acting.
In the light of the current consensus, the precautionary principle suggests that actions to prevent climate change are reasonable.
Is consensus important?
Figure 2
Science increases what we know in the realm of the unknown. As the boundary of the known increases (circle circumference), our ignorance about unknown unknowns decreases. This assumes that the scope of the unknown is finite.
As science increases the "known," it also increases our awareness of what we do not know—the realm of known unknowns (Figure 2).
Could the global warming hypothesis be wrong? This is unlikely because climate research has established rising temperature over the past century as a well-validated "known" (e.g., hemispheres, oceans, etc.) and one that is not highly prone to error. A known unknown is the extent of future climate change because of warming.
The confidence that we have in any scientific hypothesis is proportional to the breadth and depth of the evidence in support of that hypothesis.
The convergence of many lines of evidence, from many different disciplines, upon a single conclusion (e.g., a warming Earth caused by greenhouse gasses), is a nice example of consilience ("literally a "jumping together" of knowledge,"9 a concept that was helpfully revived by E.O. Wilson10). This greatly strengthens scientists' confidence in the robustness of the global warming hypothesis. Much of the nonscientific, popular debate (and denial) centers on values and responses rather than facts, for example the importance of jobs for workers in the coal industry.
So, if the consensus of experts is compelling, and ambitious scientific skeptics have not been able to convince their colleagues that they are wrong, does that mean we non-experts should just sit back and accept everything the experts tell us? Of course not, we should remember:
- The relevance of expert opinions is limited to their areas of technical expertise.
Scientists can collect and interpret the data, but the electorate, through the actions of its representatives and other policymakers, must translate those interpretations into policy. Economic, social, and perhaps ethical dimensions to our potential responses should be considered.
Sound evaluation of economic or social policies should be grounded in sound science, but the policies themselves are not the responsibility of scientists.
With regard to policy and climate change, science can also help estimate the costs associated with actions to prevent further warming, for example the cost of mandating better carbon dioxide scrubbers on coal plants.
Who stands to gain from doubt?
This is one of the most important questions to ask when establishing the context for debate about any complex scientific issue. Interestingly, it is often nonscientists or scientists aligned with nonscientific agendas that raise objections to global warming, for example, lobbyists for the energy and automotive industries and groups have generally opposed government regulation.
If these groups raise economic, political, or philosophical objections that have merit, then we should evaluate them critically on those grounds. When nonscientific interest groups disingenuously dress their nonscientific objections in the clothing of science, however, we are correct to voice our doubts. (Consider the evolution/creationism debate. Does anyone believe that some fundamentalist groups are genuinely interested in the "science" of what they call "alternatives" to evolution? The real argument in this case is theological.)
A healthy dose of skepticism will help us remain vigilant against pseudoscientific red herrings that opponents put forward to divert attention from their true goals. In the case of global warming, what is the agenda that justifies efforts to cast doubt on the consensus claims? If global warming becomes widely accepted, some of the consequence may be that:
- federal and state governments might establish more emissions regulations; and
- industries that emit large amounts of carbon dioxide might be required to invest in cleaner technology, etc.
Critics with a stake in those positions have political and economic motives to resist the conclusions of global warming experts.
Of course, the strength of an alternative scientific hypothesis is not diminished by the mere motivations of its proponents. If global warming is not occurring, or it is independent of human activity, then the data will support that conclusion regardless of who (honestly) gathers and interprets those data. Annual deviations from the general trend of rising temperatures, or recent increases in polar bear populations, etc., nonetheless, do nothing to undermine the global warming hypothesis, just as the absence of any particular transitional fossil does nothing to diminish the strength of evolution.
Where is the claim made? It is also important to ask, where are the objections of critics published and promoted? Venues such as Op-eds, mass-market paperbacks, personal blogs, and radio talk shows are not authoritative or reliable for disseminating scientific information. Similarly, it can be difficult to separate rigorous journals and organizations from those promoted by credentialed scientists but representing hidden interests.
An article critical of global warming, and widely circulated by mail to scientists as part of a petition campaign, was recently published in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.11 If the authors' analyses and conclusions are sound (namely, that rising carbon dioxide levels are beneficial), why was the article not published in a climate science or ecology journal? Recall Oreskes' point above about objections that are raised outside the scientific literature.
What should we conclude?
If the consensus of experts is compelling, what are we to make of the much smaller number of genuinely qualified and dedicated climate experts who question global warming, or at least the human contributions to it? They exist and they may do good work, but they are probably (though not necessarily) wrong.
- Many of the current disagreements over global warming deal with long-range predictions, which most climate scientists readily acknowledge depend heavily on the particular models they use, and the accuracy of the input variables.
- In any significant scientific debate, the disagreements of dueling scientists push the discipline forward. Scientists who challenged global warming data a decade ago have driven other scientists to tighten up their experiments—producing even stronger results. Many former skeptics have converted themselves.
A few biologists still claim that HIV does not cause AIDS; they are not nefarious—just wrong. They remain largely ignored because there is no economic driver to amplify their objections, unlike global warming. Charges of a "conspiracy" stifling dissent also fall flat. The history of crank science is filled with examples of "renegades" claiming their revolutionary ideas were suppressed. More often than not, these people are ignored for good reason.
This should be especially good news for teachers who may be challenged by students. Instead, for issues where substantial consensus exists, such as global warming, HIV as the cause of AIDS, and evolution, we may rely on the nature of science itself to bolster our confidence in the consensus view. The history and nature of science are on our side.
© 2009, American Institute of Biological Sciences. Educators have permission to reprint articles for classroom use; other users, please contact email@example.com for reprint permission. See reprint policy.


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The Software Engineering Research and Development group applies advanced technology-based, patent-pending intellectual properties in several areas, including natural language processing, model-based engineering, program analysis, application security analysis and cloud computing.
This produced several assets used across our Global Delivery Network, including requirements analysis, design verification, test automation, domain modeling, contextual reuse and reverse engineering.
The group focuses on several areas:
Intelligent Workbench for Software Delivery—The group is developing a unified "intelligent" workbench for the automation of end-to-end software "round trip engineering" that will enable the creation of high-quality software components with seamless traceability and reuse. This pioneering workbench is built from a portfolio of patent-pending technologies in natural language processing, machine learning and invisible IT.
Application Engineering for Cloud—Research is dedicated to developing next-generation Application Lifecycle Management tools and frameworks for the cloud. Among the areas of focus is a custom-built suite of tools for the SalesForce Development environment that helps facilitate the use of best practices, identifying security vulnerabilities and automatically generating unit test cases.
Emerging Technologies for Reverse Innovation—This group explores key technologies such as social, mobile, analytics and cloud to develop digital business solutions for emerging economies in areas such as agriculture, healthcare, nutrition, energy and supply chain management. New initiatives are continuously incubated in partnership with start-up companies to solve complex business problems for emerging economies under severe resource constraints using frugal engineering techniques with a focus on reverse innovation.


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Festival Waste Reduction
Beginning in 2002, Planet Bluegrass made a concerted effort towards reducing the waste produced at our events. We took a comprehensive look at festival impacts and discovered that simply recycling wasn't all that efficient, especially in Telluride where, prior to 2007, recyclables had to be trucked miles out of town.
Thanks to meetings with visionary companies like New Belgium Brewing, we decided to implement a festival-wide composting program in 2003, working with a local composter whose farm was located only 16 miles from the festival site. That led us to research compostable materials such as corn resin cups, plates and utensils that would literally turn back into food once in the soil.
These items are now becoming widely used, and offer us an earth-friendly option as compared with plastics and other harmful waste. Reducing waste at our events has become part of our festival mission. We see you, the Festivarians, as an enormous resource in finding new ways to enhance the sustainability of all of our festivals. Join the discussion by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Waste Diversion
|Telluride Bluegrass Waste Diversion (%)
In our 12th year of composting/recycling in Telluride (2014), the total amount of compost/recycling diverted from the landfill from both inside the festival and all 5 festival campgrounds was 60%. Within the festival grounds the diversion rate increased to 68%. The campgrounds remain our biggest challenge, where the diversion rate within the Town Park campground was 47% (up from 29% in 2010).
Composting is Nature's way of recycling and plays an important role in helping us reduce landfill waste. We partnered with Natureworks, PLA in 2004 and 2005 to help source compostable cups, plates, utensils and other items used by our concessionaires and backstage caterers. We now mandate that all food items be served on compostable products. Have a look at a case study of the 2004 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, produced by Natureworks.
BIOTA Artesian Spring Water was unveiled at the Festival in 2004 as the worlds first bottled water/beverage packaged in a container made from corn...not oil based plastics. With 100 billion plastic containers produced each year, many ending up in landfills around the country, we welcomed a compostable alternative.
Printed Materials (or lack thereof)
Planet Bluegrass has significantly reduced its use of paper products by taking advantage of the internet and implementing email announcements. When we do use paper products for our programs, we strive to use 100% recycled content and soy inks. We've also begun researching the concept of a paperless office, by replacing paper copies with electronic copies.
We're proud to offer more and more organic festival wear options at all our events, including Patagonia organic cotton and hemp T-shirts and casual wear. In the past, we have also sold shirts made from bamboo. For our staff and artists, we serve fair trade organic coffees courtesy of Allegro Coffee.
In order to reduce festival waste even further, we need to become experts at reusing things. The most significant area of reuse activity takes place at the beer booth. Planet Bluegrass offers a sturdy reusable plastic cup as well as a price incentive for reusing this cup. This has reduced the overall cups used by about 40%. After the festival is over, the cups can be brought home for years of continued use. They are made of #2 plastic and can be recycled in most states. We are always searching for a better solution as highlighted in this research article...
The Cup Debacle
For those of you basking in the solstice sun, sipping a delicious New Belgium brew, know that Planet Bluegrass has been grappling with a seemingly simple question the past few years, What's the best beer cup to use at the festival? The simple part of the equation is the math: 10,000 people over 4 days, and 600+ kegs, equals upwards of 75,000 cups. How to deal this with this inherently disposable situation? We asked Hillary Mizia of Prizm Sustainability (former sustainability goddess at New Belgium Brewing) to help us grasp the big picture of what's the best solution for our waste-stream and earth environment. Here's a summary of Hillary's research...
The present choice: Durable Plastic Cups
There are many issues to consider when using plastic cups at the festival. Foremost is the basic plastic issue, but also as important is cup reuse and cup recycling.
Plastic cups are made from a non-renewable resource: oil. Virgin plastic is a requirement of the FDA for items that will be touching foodstuffs, so getting a 100% recycled plastic cup is not an option. Why then use plastic cups in the first place? Plastic is sturdy, will easily withstand four days of festival use, and can be brought home and used for years afterwards. In fact, the festival has a history of selling relatively long lasting plastic cups, creating a culture where a new cup is issued each year, old ones are saved and even collected by some festivarians for continued use at home long after the festival ends. The following is a list of plastic pros and cons:
Can be taken home
Can be reused
Can be recycled
Can be translucent (easier to pour)
Made from a non-renewable
Hard to recycle
Does not biodegrade in landfill
Can promote disposables
Will need to be hauled
Reusable Cups
What about the cups that festivarians don't want? Last year, a program was implemented by New Belgium Brewing to reclaim unwanted cups, wash them, and then reuse them. Promoting reuse is one of the best environmental solutions to reducing waste. With reuse, there is no waste and no new product (or decreased amount). This can decrease disposal and purchasing costs. The following is a list of pros and cons of reusing cups:
|Less waste
Lower #of cups to be bought
Can have a sturdier cup
Dispel disposable event
Give people another memento
Charge more for the cup
Can have recycled content
Can provide deposit/refund option
|Won't biodegrade in a landfill
Must be collected and washed
Personal cups pose quality issues
Harder for volunteers
Can lose making a new design/year
Hard to recycle
High End Cups
What about using more expensive cups, essentially coffee/thermal mugs, which can be made of recycled plastic on the outside and then lined with virgin plastic on the inside where the beer will touch? Perhaps Planet Bluegrass uses these cups in the future while promoting reuse. It would be possible to have a new cup design each year. Those that want/need a new cup will purchase them, but the hope would be many people would bring their old cups back each year. This way, a smaller amount of new cups need to be made each year, older cups are reused constantly, people who need their $$ back can get it, and people who want a new Telluride Bluegrass cup can buy one. Less and less waste is generated without compromising the artistic integrity of the cup design and cost savings are realized as less money is spent of making cups and disposing of them.
Cup Recycling
Consistently at Telluride the beer cups have been a plastic cup similar in weight to what one would find in a stadium. Generally these cups are made from #2, #5 or #6 plastics, the latter two of which are not recyclable anywhere in the country. However, #1 and #2 plastics are recyclable in many markets. Unfortunately, there are no recycling centers in the state of Colorado that accept wide mouth #2 containers (they accept only narrow necks). Be that as it may, there are still recycling options for a #2 (high density polyethylene) cup. The cup recycling option as discussed below does not include collection for reuse as described above, although reuse is mentioned. This reuse is in reference to those festivarians that take it upon themselves to reuse their cup. Implementing a cup reuse incentive program will boost that number. The following is a list of pros and cons of for cup recycling:
|Can be recycled into new items
Can promote reuse
Can be coupled with reuse incentive
Familiar for beer volunteers
Consistent look from previous years
Opportunity for artistic collection
| Cannot be recycled in CO
Cost of recycling is high (hauling)
Does not promote reuse
Still disposable aspect
Made of a non-renewable
Won't biodegrade in a landfill
Must be collected and separated
There are ways of recycling an HDPE (#2) cup. This is the same type of plastic used to make milk jugs and is often recycled into plastic lumber, which can then be used to make everything from decking to benches. What if a bench or two can be made directly from the cups and then be donated to various parks in or around Telluride, or maybe even auctioned off? Hillary found there are very few places, especially in the Western US, that both process the plastic into lumber and make the bench. Those that do, have strict cleaning requirements and costs of around $1,000. However, there are currently no recycling centers that recycle wide mouth #2 containers. This would mean having to ship the cups elsewhere.
Cup Collection
Unless Planet Bluegrass decides to go with a compostable cup, a cup collection program will once again need to be implemented.
Possible solution # 2: Compostable Cups
Another sponsor of this years event, Cargill Dow (AKA NatureWorks) makes a compostable cup out of a corn-based resin called PLA. New Belgium Brewing has been using these cups for almost a year now, and they perform very well from a quality standpoint. They are clear, you can see the beer and the pour, they foam less than plastic cups, and they can be composted, or will even biodegrade in a landfill setting. They are, however, a less substantial cup, and promote a disposable message. Over the course of four days, one person could potentially use eight, ten, twelve of more cups. Sample of these cups abound at the festival in the vendor areas and in Greentown.
The follow is a list of pros and cons for using the PLA cups:
|Made from corn, not oil
Can be composted
Will biodegrade in a landfill
A great educational opportunity
Good from a quality standpoint
Easy for volunteers to pour into
| Can melt in direct sunlight
Pushes disposable items (no reuse)
Cups cannot be taken home
Poses a large single stock for Kris
Will most likely need to be hauled
High cost for a disposable cup
GMO is of concern to some
Examining the waste stream generated by beer consumption at Telluride Bluegrass, or any festival for that matter, is a huge, complex issue. The next step would be an in-depth Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of all these options. An LCA for this type of situation could prove to be very helpful, but will only give you the in-depth analysis of what has less environmental impact: it won't provide the answer. Darn, it looks like yet another year of trials and tribulations in the ongoing question of what is the best cup to use.


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Learn the nuts and bolts of cloud computing with Windows Azure, Microsoft's new Internet services platform. Written by Sriram Krishnan (@sriramk), a key member of the product development team, Programming Windows Azure shows you how to build, deploy, host, and manage applications using Windows Azure's programming model and essential storage services.
Author Sriram Krishnan says
The industry is seeing a huge shift to the cloud .... A lot of people are trying to figure out 'the cloud' and in particular Microsoft's cloud platform--from an architectural, business and a technical standpoint. This book is aimed squarely at helping them. My hope is that when the reader finishes this book, he or she will have a crystal clear idea of what Windows Azure is, what it can do, how it works and how to make best use of it.
Chapters in "Programming Windows Azure" are organized to reflect the platform's buffet of services. The book's first half focuses on how to write and host application code on Windows Azure, while the second half explains all of the options you have for storing and accessing data on the platform with high scalability and reliability. Lots of code samples and screenshots are available to help you along the way.
- Learn how to build applications using the Windows Azure toolset
- Discover how Windows Azure works under the hood, and learn the how and the why behind several features
- Choose to write application code in .NET or other languages such as C/C++, PHP, or Ruby
- Understand the various options for managing your service
- Get up to speed on Azure's storage services, including blobs, queues, and tables
- Build a secure backup system, and learn about cloud application security, cryptography, and performance
Sriram Krishnan works on the Windows Azure program management team. Though his day job doesn't involve writing code anymore, he is a geek developer at heart and you'll have to pry his text editor away from his cold, dead hands. He is a prolific speaker and blogger in the cloud computing space in general and Windows Azure specifically. Prior to Windows Azure, Sriram worked on Microsoft Popfly where he built among other things, advanced search functionality as well as an distributed network cache system.
Steve Mark, Technical strategist for Windows Azure
Not only does Sriram understand Windows Azure deeply, but he has a knack for explaining the platform in a simple and entertaining way. You'll enjoy his friendly, informal tone as well as his technical expertise.
Programming Windows Azure
Sriram Krishnan
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
O'Reilly is a registered trademark of O'Reilly Media, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


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When the iPhone was first announced in January, we were told to expect 5 hours of talk time out of the device and 16 hours of audio. Naturally, some consumers were concerned that this wasn't nearly enough time and it meant that the battery was easily drained. Apple, not oblivious to the concerns of its potential buyers, has decided to listen and bump that spec at the very last minute however: the company announced this morning that the iPhone will now deliver (up to) 8 hours of talk time.
Along with those 8 hours of talk time, you will also get 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback, and 24 hours of audio playback—your mileage may vary, of course. Oh, but that's not all.
"We've also upgraded iPhone's entire top surface from plastic to optical-quality glass for superior scratch resistance and clarity," said Steve Jobs in a statement. Those who were concerned that the iPhone would display the same level of delicious scratchability as the iPod can now rest eas(ier) knowing that the front will not be quite as scratchable as its previous audio-only predecessors.
Will these last-minute changes be enough to quell the fears of many hesitant iPhone buyers? Maybe. One of the most common concerns I get in my inbox is the concern over durability and overall life of the phone's surface. Do these changes help change your mind about buying one?


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Blueox Energy
"The Bull Shops Here!"
Blueox is a home comfort business. They are the ONLY BPI accredited contractor that can provide their customers energy solutions for heating and cooling, insulation and fuel - without subcontracting to other companies. They provide their customers with home heating fuels such as:
- fuel,
- kerosene,
- propane
- as well as diesel and gasoline.
Blueox Energy also has a highly trained service department that specializes in sales and service of heating and cooling equipment for homes and small business. Because they are a different kind of energy company and really want to help you reduce those costly energy bills, they provide their customers with spray foam & cellulose insulation. They even offer FREE energy audits - so if you are looking to improve your home's energy efficiency, they can show you where to start.
Founded: Blueox was started in the 1960s, with the principles of providing people heating solutions at a fair price. They stand by these principles today and have worked to expand their business to provide solutions to make living in your home comfortable and and affordable.
Blueox is the ONLY company that can provide heating & cooling and insulation total home improvement options under one roof. Since they do not outsource any of their work, at the end of the day they stand behind their products, their services and their people. They will do everything they can to ensure you are completely satisfied when the work is done because the customer is their number 1 priority. They are a BPI accredited company so they are held accountable for all they do by a third party. This protects their customers and ensures all the work they do is done right. As part of this accreditation they frequently attend trainings to stay ahead of the learning curve.


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Heartland Forest, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Less than two years ago we visited the fairly new Heartland Forest in Niagara Falls. Compare the pictures from that blog posting to this one as the changes are incredible!
Near the forest entrance is a pond surrounded by a boardwalk. Bird feeders are found in many places. Perhaps it's just my imagination, but I think the red-winged black birds' colour is particularly vibrant this year:
What a wonderful, amazing place! If you're local to the area, or just visiting, check it out. There are many activities planned throughout the year, but they aren't needed to enjoy this natural treasure. This is a great place to go with your family. Go, enjoy, be awed!
*The photograph in the blog header was taken within the Heartland Forest.


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BienfangTracingPaper Rolls
BlickMega GoldenTaklon Brushes
SpeedballProfessionalRelief Ink
BlickPencil Case
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Gamblin FastMatte Alkyd Oil Colors were formulated to offer painters an artist's-grade oil color that dries quickly, yet offers the adhesion of a ground, making it excellent as a base layer or for underpainting techniques.
Color Swatches created using heavy application/medium application/50% tint and were applied on acrylic primed canvas (7 oz) material.
organic, disazo
Diarylide Yellow is a semi-opaque, moderately staining, intense deep reddish yellow pigment with good tinting strength.
Diarylide Yellow 83 has very good lightfastness and permanence. However, it can fade in tints, so some artists do not consider it suitable as an artists' color. Many other diarylide yellow pigments are reported to have fair to poor lightfastness, and some are completely fugitive. Diarylide Yellow 83 is reputed to be one of the most permanent of the entire group.
Diarylide Yellow has no significant acute hazards, but chronic hazards have not been well studied.
Diarylide Yellow comes from a family of azo pigments called Diarylide. These yellow hued pigments were developed around 1940 and are very important in printing inks.
Benzidine Yellow, Diazo Yellow.
alpha copper phthalocyanine
Phthalo Blue PB15:1 is a structural variant of Phthalo Blue PB15 that produces more reddish tones.
Phthalo Blues are completely lightfast and stable and are permanent for all paint uses. They are currently used in inks, coatings, and many plastics due to their stability and are considered a standard pigment in printing ink and the packaging industry.
Phthalo Blues have no significant hazards, although those made before 1982 contained some PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).
Developed by chemists using the trade name Monastral Blue, the organic blue dyestuff now known as Phthalo Blue was presented as a pigment in November 1935 in London. Its discovery was accidental. The dark color was observed in a kettle where a dye was being made from a British dyestuff plant. The demand for such a pigment came from commercial printers who wanted a cyan to replace Prussian Blue.
Phthalo Blue Red Shade, Winsor Blue Red Shade
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® Gamblin is a registered trademark.


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(May be Reposted): The ME Association is continually updating its website information and guidance for people with ME/CFS in relation to swine flu, Tamiflu and swine flu vaccination.
The latest general update can be found in the Quick Links section of the MEA website:
We are also asking for feedback from people who have been given swine flu vaccine.
[Note: the feedback cited here presumably applies to vaccine types/brands employed in the UK.]
Feedback so far has been limited due to the fact that some doctors do not accept that ME/CFS could be a high priority illness for swine flu vaccination purposes. Consequently, most of the feedback has been from people who have had the vaccine for employment purposes (e.g., health service staff) or they have another illness that is clearly in the NHS high priority list (e.g., asthma).
We have had 54 replies so far.
• Overall, most people have reported one or more 'minor problems' with the vaccine.
• Five people (one with severe ME) have had no problems at all.
• One or more 'minor' adverse reactions, in particular local soreness and sometimes swelling at the injection site, have been frequently reported.
• Other 'minor' adverse reactions include feeling feverish, headaches, sore throat, nausea and wanting to sleep more than normal.
Subscribe to the World's Most Popular Newsletter (it's free!)
• A significant number have also had what appears to be a temporary exacerbation of their ME/CFS fatigue +/- joint or muscle pain.
• However, eight people (8/54) have reported a more prolonged and serious exacerbation/relapse of their ME/CFS.
• In one case the vaccination has been linked to an attack of shingles, which resulted in hospitalization.
• Of particular concern is a single report of a previously fit adolescent who developed a number of ME/CFS type symptoms four days after his vaccination. Whilst this link to the vaccination may be pure co-incidence, we do know that ME/CFS can occasionally be triggered by vaccinations, including the normal flu vaccine. This case is being reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) by The MEA on the Yellow Card reporting system. And it is very important to make sure that doctors in the UK report all suspected adverse events to swine flu vaccination to the MHRA.
• One person has reported an improvement in their ME/CFS symptoms – something that is occasionally reported with ordinary flu vaccine and some other vaccinations.
The MEA will continue to monitor the response of people with ME/CFS to swine flu vaccine.
If you have been vaccinated against swine flu, please let us know through the MEA website (firstname.lastname@example.com)
• What happened afterwards,
• And (if possible) the brand of vaccine used.
Dr Charles Shepherd
Hon Medical Adviser, ME Association
28 January 2010


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Offense can't rescue uneven Cashner
MILWAUKEE -- Over the course of a six-month season, where Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner hopes to make 30-plus starts, there will be occasions when he's simply not at the top of his game, when his two-seamer doesn't sink, his four-seamer doesn't carry and when mistakes, no matter the shape or size, invariably come back to haunt him.
In many ways, Monday felt like one of those nights.View Full Game Coverage
MILWAUKEE -- Over the course of a six-month season, where Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner hopes to make 30-plus starts, there will be occasions when he's simply not at the top of his game, when his two-seamer doesn't sink, his four-seamer doesn't carry and when mistakes, no matter the shape or size, invariably come back to haunt him.
In many ways, Monday felt like one of those nights.View Full Game Coverage
"It seems like I started off in trouble all night tonight," said Cashner, who allowed more than three earned runs (four, in this case) for the first time in a start since July 5, 2013.
That's not a comfortable place to be, especially when the Padres' offense continues to sputter as badly as it did in a 4-3 loss to the Brewers before a crowd of 25,408 at Miller Park.
While it's true Cashner might not have been himself -- armed with flirt-with-a-no-hitter type stuff -- the offense couldn't rescue him, going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
In other words, this was no way to start a 10-game road trip.
"It's frustrating for the guys. ... We're just not getting that big hit," said Padres manager Bud Black. "... We're getting pitches to hit in certain at-bats. We just need to square-up pitches that are hittable. I think when you see that, you'll see that the run production will change."
The Padres (9-11) were able to trim the Brewers' (15-5) lead to one run on two occasions Monday.
The seventh inning was especially frustrating for the Padres, though it certainly didn't start out that way.
The Padres cut the Brewers' lead to 4-3 when Chris Denorfia hit a home run the opposite way, tomahawking a ball over the right-field wall.
Pinch-hitter Nick Hundley followed with a double and another pinch-hitter, Tommy Medica, reached on an error. Everth Cabrera moved the runners along to second and third base with a bunt.
The Brewers went to their bullpen for lefty Will Smith. The Padres countered with a right-hander, pinch-hitter Xavier Nady, who walked to load the bases. Seth Smith then flew out to shallow center field with the runner at third, Hundley, holding.
Smith then faced switch-hitter Chase Headley, who batted right-handed, took a called first strike and then swung through two sliders to end the inning.
"We're that one hit away from where we can turns things around," said San Diego first baseman Yonder Alonso, who had his second multihit game of the season. He also knocked in a run.
As for Cashner, he allowed four earned runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts over his six innings of work.
"I thought the biggest thing was they have a good-hitting team, and I wasn't able to execute my sinker," Cashner said. "I felt like I beat myself."
Cashner had gone 16 consecutive starts -- his last 12 in 2013 and first four of this season -- allowing three or fewer runs in each outing. Better still, he had allowed two or fewer runs in his last 10 starts.
"It looked like he just missed on location with his fastball," Black said. "It's as simple as that. The stuff was fine. He hung in there. He just didn't have the command he's had in previous starts."
Milwaukee starting pitcher Wily Peralta (3-0) did, especially early on. He retired nine of the first 11 hitters that he faced, including four on strikeouts.
"He came out firing. He had a good, tight slider that got under our swings," Black said.
Cashner had more traffic on the bases than he had in any of his four previous starts, where he compiled a 1.27 ERA. Carlos Gomez lead off the first with a walk, stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Rene Rivera. But Cashner left him stranded there.
"Cashner is so good, and I've been watching and following [him] this year; I don't think you have many chances to just string together a lot of hits off him," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke.
In the third inning, Cashner allowed a leadoff double to his counterpart, who scored on a triple from Scooter Gennett. Will Venable made a terrific catch at the wall on a Ryan Braun flyout that scored the Brewers' second run, and Aramis Ramirez followed with a solo home run.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. Keep track of @FollowThePadres on Twitter.


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We are a leading innovator of Sales Performance and Compensation Management Solutions helping our customer increase Sales Effectiveness and Employee Motivation.
Incentives Solutions is recognized as Visionary Company in the last Gartner MQ report for SPM
Account Based Selling (ABS) is a term which is used, as of recently, by sales organizations and sales masters, in order to differentiate and outline
(http://www.gratisography.com/pictures/231_1.jpg) What lessons can you learn from executing Pareto analysis within your organization? The illusion of numbers: Perhaps your sales team meets its targets and
In the world of Sales Performance Management (SPM), probably one of the most important acronyms is 'TtV' (Time-to-value). Three tiny unassuming letters that can, if
Sales executives are constantly trying to find new ways to motivate sales teams. From thinking up new initiatives to launching monthly campaigns, to generating innovative
By: Tal Frank, Co-CEO at Incentives Solutions In my 30 year career in management, it has become apparent to me that there is a secret
Globalization has led businesses and Human Resources to change and adapt to new methods of production and organization at the work place. The most challenging
While in most professions a promotion is considered a great thing, salespeople are often less enthusiastic about it. A lot of them feel that after
While performance management is a crucial component to business success, there is a universal agreement among business leaders that it is poorly or under used
Sales managers are constantly looking for ways to evaluate and measure the performance of their teams, especially because in this specific profession, performance is closely
Being a good sales manager requires not only a good sales effectiveness tools but mastering of a vast set of skills. Unfortunately, while in order to be
Today, career in sales is very lucrative for many due to the challenges and reward it possesses. Moreover, every organization makes sure that it has
There has never been a greater requirement for marketing accountability. Designing a performance management platform for marketing may improve measurability and better align marketing activities with
We all went through the quota assignment dilemmas as sales reps or as sales executives. Quota assignment is a major tool to spur the sales
The employees' performance is the most essential component in having an auspicious business. Also, employee assessment is acknowledged the most influential apparatus for guaranteeing a
Sales performance management is the art of combining performance data with improvement processes of the businesses with the aim of driving sales effectively. At its
Motivating channel partners can be different from motivating the company staff and the company would normally need a software company's channel management services. Motivating channel
Globalization has led businesses and Human Resources to change and adapt to new methods of production and organization at the work place. The most challenging
In a previous post, I quoted a survey that found out most companies view the complexity of their compensation plans as an obstacle. And in
In our last post, we explained in general on the sales compensation plans in the pharmaceutical industry, plans that include all sales employees. But are
As per the World Health Organization, the worldwide pharmaceutical business is worth 300 billion Usd a year, a figure that is relied upon to ascent
I learned the important lesson that being busy doesn't necessarily means being productive while serving in the military. In the unit I served in, it
Recently, the Dow Jones and the S&P 500 indexes have hit record high numbers. However, in many countries, including the U.S., the economy is still
Sales compensation incentives are a primary driver and motivator for many company's sales figures. However, many companies really struggle with calculating, tracking and checking the


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Delphi XE.
madSecurity 1.2
I am renaming a file in directory X, copying a new file to directory X and renaming it.
Using MadExcept security wrappers I set the permissions.
This works on XP and W7.
It fails on W8 and W10.
UAC is off on all computers.
I have admin rights on all computers but, I still get "Access is denied".
It seems I need to set "Full control". How to do that is the question.


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Sarah Kustok Joins YES Network as Nets Reporter
Congratulations to MAXX Client Sarah Kustok on joining the YES Network as the new Brooklyn Nets reporter.
See below for the press release, via YES:
NEW YORK, August 6, 2012 – Sarah Kustok has joined the YES Network as its Brooklyn Nets reporter, covering the team within YES' Nets game telecasts and pre- and post-game shows, its Nets Magazine series, other Nets programming, and on YESNetwork.com. Kustok will also appear on YES in other capacities, both in the studio and on remote locations.
Kustok, a former star basketball player at DePaul University, most recently worked at Comcast SportsNet Chicago, where she was the network's Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Blackhawks reporter. She also had been anchoring sportscasts on WMAQ-TV (NBC) in Chicago. She joined Comcast SportsNet Chicago in 2009 as a feature reporter and occasional anchor on the network's SportsNet Central show.
Earlier, the Orland Park, Ill. native worked at ESPN as an analyst and sideline reporter on its men's and women's college basketball telecasts, and as sideline reporter for its college and high school football telecasts. Kustok also appeared on Versus (now NBC Sports Network), and did periodic reporting and anchoring work on the FOX affiliate in Chicago.
"Sarah has proven herself to be extremely versatile throughout her career and has excelled at a wide variety of assignments," said John J. Filippelli, President of Production and Programming at YES. "Sarah has talent, personality, a love of sports and a quick wit. We have given our viewers yet another reason to tune in to watch the new-look Brooklyn Nets on YES."
Kustok captained the DePaul women's basketball team her senior year. During her four-year playing career, the Blue Demons reached the NCAA tournament twice and the NIT twice. Kustok currently ranks 4th at the school in career three-point field goal percentage and 10th in career three-point field goals made.
She graduated from DePaul in 2004 with a degree in Communication/Media Studies, and received her Master's Degree in Multi Cultural and Corporate Communication from DePaul in 2005.
She was an assistant women's basketball coach at DePaul during the 2005-2006 season, a season which saw the team advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history.
Kustok will be inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame on September 19.


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The Jimmy Carter Presidential Daily Diary Online
- Coverage Dates: 1977-1981
- Update Frequency: Complete
- Audience: General, research, student
The Jimmy Carter Presidential Daily Diary Online presents an online version of the diary of Jimmy Carter, former Governor of Georgia from 1971-1975 and the Thirty-Ninth President of the United States from 1977-1981. The diary is the official log of the president's activities during his administration and is from the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum.
- Database Provider: Digital Library of Georgia.
Express Link (bookmark): http://www.galileo.usg.edu/express?link=jcdd