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The 2020 Scrum GuideTM
This HTML version of the Scrum Guide is a direct port of the November 2020 version available as a PDF here.
Purpose of the Scrum Guide
We developed Scrum in the early 1990s. We wrote the first version of the Scrum Guide in 2010 to help people worldwide understand Scrum. We have evolved the Guide since then through small, functional updates. Together, we stand behind it.
The Scrum Guide contains the definition of Scrum. Each element of the framework serves a specific purpose that is essential to the overall value and results realized with Scrum. Changing the core design or ideas of Scrum, leaving out elements, or not following the rules of Scrum, covers up problems and limits the benefits of Scrum, potentially even rendering it useless.
We follow the growing use of Scrum within an ever-growing complex world. We are humbled to see Scrum being adopted in many domains holding essentially complex work, beyond software product development where Scrum has its roots. As Scrum's use spreads, developers, researchers, analysts, scientists, and other specialists do the work. We use the word "developers" in Scrum not to exclude, but to simplify. If you get value from Scrum, consider yourself included.
As Scrum is being used, patterns, processes, and insights that fit the Scrum framework as described in this document, may be found, applied and devised. Their description is beyond the purpose of the Scrum Guide because they are context sensitive and differ widely between Scrum uses. Such tactics for using within the Scrum framework vary widely and are described elsewhere.
Scrum Definition
Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.
In a nutshell, Scrum requires a Scrum Master to foster an environment where:
A Product Owner orders the work for a complex problem into a Product Backlog.
The Scrum Team turns a selection of the work into an Increment of value during a Sprint.
The Scrum Team and its stakeholders inspect the results and adjust for the next Sprint.
Scrum is simple. Try it as is and determine if its philosophy, theory, and structure help to achieve goals and create value. The Scrum framework is purposefully incomplete, only defining the parts required to implement Scrum theory. Scrum is built upon by the collective intelligence of the people using it. Rather than provide people with detailed instructions, the rules of Scrum guide their relationships and interactions.
Various processes, techniques and methods can be employed within the framework. Scrum wraps around existing practices or renders them unnecessary. Scrum makes visible the relative efficacy of current management, environment, and work techniques, so that improvements can be made.
Scrum Theory
Scrum is founded on empiricism and lean thinking. Empiricism asserts that knowledge comes from experience and making decisions based on what is observed. Lean thinking reduces waste and focuses on the essentials.
Scrum employs an iterative, incremental approach to optimize predictability and to control risk. Scrum engages groups of people who collectively have all the skills and expertise to do the work and share or acquire such skills as needed.
Scrum combines four formal events for inspection and adaptation within a containing event, the Sprint. These events work because they implement the empirical Scrum pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation.
The emergent process and work must be visible to those performing the work as well as those receiving the work. With Scrum, important decisions are based on the perceived state of its three formal artifacts. Artifacts that have low transparency can lead to decisions that diminish value and increase risk.
Transparency enables inspection. Inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful.
The Scrum artifacts and the progress toward agreed goals must be inspected frequently and diligently to detect potentially undesirable variances or problems. To help with inspection, Scrum provides cadence in the form of its five events.
Inspection enables adaptation. Inspection without adaptation is considered pointless. Scrum events are designed to provoke change.
If any aspects of a process deviate outside acceptable limits or if the resulting product is unacceptable, the process being applied or the materials being produced must be adjusted. The adjustment must be made as soon as possible to minimize further deviation.
Adaptation becomes more difficult when the people involved are not empowered or self-managing. A Scrum Team is expected to adapt the moment it learns anything new through inspection.
Scrum Values
Successful use of Scrum depends on people becoming more proficient in living five values:
Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage
The Scrum Team commits to achieving its goals and to supporting each other. Their primary focus is on the work of the Sprint to make the best possible progress toward these goals. The Scrum Team and its stakeholders are open about the work and the challenges. Scrum Team members respect each other to be capable, independent people, and are respected as such by the people with whom they work. The Scrum Team members have the courage to do the right thing, to work on tough problems.
These values give direction to the Scrum Team with regard to their work, actions, and behavior. The decisions that are made, the steps taken, and the way Scrum is used should reinforce these values, not diminish or undermine them. The Scrum Team members learn and explore the values as they work with the Scrum events and artifacts. When these values are embodied by the Scrum Team and the people they work with, the empirical Scrum pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation come to life building trust.
Scrum Team
The fundamental unit of Scrum is a small team of people, a Scrum Team. The Scrum Team consists of one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and Developers. Within a Scrum Team, there are no sub-teams or hierarchies. It is a cohesive unit of professionals focused on one objective at a time, the Product Goal.
Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint. They are also self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how.
The Scrum Team is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint, typically 10 or fewer people. In general, we have found that smaller teams communicate better and are more productive. If Scrum Teams become too large, they should consider reorganizing into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams, each focused on the same product. Therefore, they should share the same Product Goal, Product Backlog, and Product Owner.
The Scrum Team is responsible for all product-related activities from stakeholder collaboration, verification, maintenance, operation, experimentation, research and development, and anything else that might be required. They are structured and empowered by the organization to manage their own work. Working in Sprints at a sustainable pace improves the Scrum Team's focus and consistency.
The entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint. Scrum defines three specific accountabilities within the Scrum Team: the Developers, the Product Owner, and the Scrum Master.
Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint.
The specific skills needed by the Developers are often broad and will vary with the domain of work. However, the Developers are always accountable for:
Creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog;
Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done;
Adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal; and,
Holding each other accountable as professionals.
Product Owner
The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. How this is done may vary widely across organizations, Scrum Teams, and individuals.
The Product Owner is also accountable for effective Product Backlog management, which includes:
Developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goal;
Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items;
Ordering Product Backlog items; and,
Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood.
The Product Owner may do the above work or may delegate the responsibility to others. Regardless, the Product Owner remains accountable.
For Product Owners to succeed, the entire organization must respect their decisions. These decisions are visible in the content and ordering of the Product Backlog, and through the inspectable Increment at the Sprint Review.
The Product Owner is one person, not a committee. The Product Owner may represent the needs of many stakeholders in the Product Backlog. Those wanting to change the Product Backlog can do so by trying to convince the Product Owner.
Scrum Master
The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization.
The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team's effectiveness. They do this by enabling the Scrum Team to improve its practices, within the Scrum framework.
Scrum Masters are true leaders who serve the Scrum Team and the larger organization.
The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team in several ways, including:
Coaching the team members in self-management and cross-functionality;
Helping the Scrum Team focus on creating high-value Increments that meet the Definition of Done;
Causing the removal of impediments to the Scrum Team's progress; and,
Ensuring that all Scrum events take place and are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox.
The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner in several ways, including:
Helping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management;
Helping the Scrum Team understand the need for clear and concise Product Backlog items;
Helping establish empirical product planning for a complex environment; and,
Facilitating stakeholder collaboration as requested or needed.
The Scrum Master serves the organization in several ways, including:
Leading, training, and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption;
Planning and advising Scrum implementations within the organization;
Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach for complex work; and,
Removing barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams.
Scrum Events
The Sprint is a container for all other events. Each event in Scrum is a formal opportunity to inspect and adapt Scrum artifacts. These events are specifically designed to enable the transparency required. Failure to operate any events as prescribed results in lost opportunities to inspect and adapt. Events are used in Scrum to create regularity and to minimize the need for meetings not defined in Scrum.
Optimally, all events are held at the same time and place to reduce complexity.
The Sprint
Sprints are the heartbeat of Scrum, where ideas are turned into value.
They are fixed length events of one month or less to create consistency. A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.
All the work necessary to achieve the Product Goal, including Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective, happen within Sprints.
During the Sprint:
No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal;
Quality does not decrease;
The Product Backlog is refined as needed; and,
Scope may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner as more is learned.
Sprints enable predictability by ensuring inspection and adaptation of progress toward a Product Goal at least every calendar month. When a Sprint's horizon is too long the Sprint Goal may become invalid, complexity may rise, and risk may increase. Shorter Sprints can be employed to generate more learning cycles and limit risk of cost and effort to a smaller time frame. Each Sprint may be considered a short project.
Various practices exist to forecast progress, like burn-downs, burn-ups, or cumulative flows. While proven useful, these do not replace the importance of empiricism. In complex environments, what will happen is unknown. Only what has already happened may be used for forward-looking decision making.
A Sprint could be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint.
Sprint Planning
Sprint Planning initiates the Sprint by laying out the work to be performed for the Sprint. This resulting plan is created by the collaborative work of the entire Scrum Team.
The Product Owner ensures that attendees are prepared to discuss the most important Product Backlog items and how they map to the Product Goal. The Scrum Team may also invite other people to attend Sprint Planning to provide advice.
Sprint Planning addresses the following topics:
Topic One: Why is this Sprint valuable?
The Product Owner proposes how the product could increase its value and utility in the current Sprint. The whole Scrum Team then collaborates to define a Sprint Goal that communicates why the Sprint is valuable to stakeholders. The Sprint Goal must be finalized prior to the end of Sprint Planning.
Topic Two: What can be Done this Sprint?
Through discussion with the Product Owner, the Developers select items from the Product Backlog to include in the current Sprint. The Scrum Team may refine these items during this process, which increases understanding and confidence.
Selecting how much can be completed within a Sprint may be challenging. However, the more the Developers know about their past performance, their upcoming capacity, and their Definition of Done, the more confident they will be in their Sprint forecasts.
Topic Three: How will the chosen work get done?
For each selected Product Backlog item, the Developers plan the work necessary to create an Increment that meets the Definition of Done. This is often done by decomposing Product Backlog items into smaller work items of one day or less. How this is done is at the sole discretion of the Developers. No one else tells them how to turn Product Backlog items into Increments of value.
The Sprint Goal, the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus the plan for delivering them are together referred to as the Sprint Backlog.
Sprint Planning is timeboxed to a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.
Daily Scrum
The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work.
The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team. To reduce complexity, it is held at the same time and place every working day of the Sprint. If the Product Owner or Scrum Master are actively working on items in the Sprint Backlog, they participate as Developers.
The Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal and produces an actionable plan for the next day of work. This creates focus and improves self-management.
Daily Scrums improve communications, identify impediments, promote quick decision-making, and consequently eliminate the need for other meetings.
The Daily Scrum is not the only time Developers are allowed to adjust their plan. They often meet throughout the day for more detailed discussions about adapting or re-planning the rest of the Sprint's work.
Sprint Review
The purpose of the Sprint Review is to inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations. The Scrum Team presents the results of their work to key stakeholders and progress toward the Product Goal is discussed.
During the event, the Scrum Team and stakeholders review what was accomplished in the Sprint and what has changed in their environment. Based on this information, attendees collaborate on what to do next. The Product Backlog may also be adjusted to meet new opportunities. The Sprint Review is a working session and the Scrum Team should avoid limiting it to a presentation.
The Sprint Review is the second to last event of the Sprint and is timeboxed to a maximum of four hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.
Sprint Retrospective
The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness.
The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done. Inspected elements often vary with the domain of work. Assumptions that led them astray are identified and their origins explored. The Scrum Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it encountered, and how those problems were (or were not) solved.
The Scrum Team identifies the most helpful changes to improve its effectiveness. The most impactful improvements are addressed as soon as possible. They may even be added to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint.
The Sprint Retrospective concludes the Sprint. It is timeboxed to a maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.
Scrum Artifacts
Scrum's artifacts represent work or value. They are designed to maximize transparency of key information. Thus, everyone inspecting them has the same basis for adaptation.
Each artifact contains a commitment to ensure it provides information that enhances transparency and focus against which progress can be measured:
For the Product Backlog it is the Product Goal.
For the Sprint Backlog it is the Sprint Goal.
For the Increment it is the Definition of Done.
These commitments exist to reinforce empiricism and the Scrum values for the Scrum Team and their stakeholders.
Product Backlog
The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team.
Product Backlog items that can be Done by the Scrum Team within one Sprint are deemed ready for selection in a Sprint Planning event. They usually acquire this degree of transparency after refining activities. Product Backlog refinement is the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller more precise items. This is an ongoing activity to add details, such as a description, order, and size. Attributes often vary with the domain of work.
The Developers who will be doing the work are responsible for the sizing. The Product Owner may influence the Developers by helping them understand and select trade-offs.
Commitment: Product Goal
The Product Goal describes a future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against. The Product Goal is in the Product Backlog. The rest of the Product Backlog emerges to define "what" will fulfill the Product Goal.
A product is a vehicle to deliver value. It has a clear boundary, known stakeholders, well-defined users or customers. A product could be a service, a physical product, or something more abstract.
The Product Goal is the long-term objective for the Scrum Team. They must fulfill (or abandon) one objective before taking on the next.
Sprint Backlog
The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how).
The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers. It is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work that the Developers plan to accomplish during the Sprint in order to achieve the Sprint Goal. Consequently, the Sprint Backlog is updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned. It should have enough detail that they can inspect their progress in the Daily Scrum.
Commitment: Sprint Goal
The Sprint Goal is the single objective for the Sprint. Although the Sprint Goal is a commitment by the Developers, it provides flexibility in terms of the exact work needed to achieve it. The Sprint Goal also creates coherence and focus, encouraging the Scrum Team to work together rather than on separate initiatives.
The Sprint Goal is created during the Sprint Planning event and then added to the Sprint Backlog. As the Developers work during the Sprint, they keep the Sprint Goal in mind. If the work turns out to be different than they expected, they collaborate with the Product Owner to negotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog within the Sprint without affecting the Sprint Goal.
An Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. In order to provide value, the Increment must be usable.
Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of the Increments is presented at the Sprint Review thus supporting empiricism. However, an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value.
Work cannot be considered part of an Increment unless it meets the Definition of Done.
Commitment: Definition of Done
The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.
The moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born.
The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. If a Product Backlog item does not meet the Definition of Done, it cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review. Instead, it returns to the Product Backlog for future consideration.
If the Definition of Done for an increment is part of the standards of the organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum. If it is not an organizational standard, the Scrum Team must create a Definition of Done appropriate for the product.
The Developers are required to conform to the Definition of Done. If there are multiple Scrum Teams working together on a product, they must mutually define and comply with the same Definition of Done.
End Note
Scrum is free and offered in this Guide. The Scrum framework, as outlined herein, is immutable. While implementing only parts of Scrum is possible, the result is not Scrum. Scrum exists only in its entirety and functions well as a container for other techniques, methodologies, and practices.
Of the thousands of people who have contributed to Scrum, we should single out those who were instrumental at the start: Jeff Sutherland worked with Jeff McKenna and John Scumniotales, and Ken Schwaber worked with Mike Smith and Chris Martin, and all of them worked together. Many others contributed in the ensuing years and without their help Scrum would not be refined as it is today.
Scrum Guide History
Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland first co-presented Scrum at the OOPSLA Conference in 1995. It essentially documented the learning that Ken and Jeff gained over the previous few years and made public the first formal definition of Scrum.
The Scrum Guide documents Scrum as developed, evolved, and sustained for 30-plus years by Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber. Other sources provide patterns, processes, and insights that complement the Scrum framework. These may increase productivity, value, creativity, and satisfaction with the results.
The complete history of Scrum is described elsewhere. To honor the first places where it was tried and proven, we recognize Individual Inc., Newspage, Fidelity Investments, and IDX (now GE Medical).
© 2020 Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland This publication is offered for license under the Attribution Share-Alike license of Creative Commons, accessible at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode and also described in summary form at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. By utilizing this Scrum Guide, you acknowledge and agree that you have read and agree to be bound by the terms of the Attribution Share-Alike license of Creative Commons.


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This article was originally published by Shalereporter.com and was also featured in the Ecologist.
When Sheila Russell decided to move back to her ancestral home in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, she wanted to start a new life. A seventh-generation Russell, whose family had settled the land in 1796, the last year of George Washington's presidency, she left her corporate job at a catalog company to do what she loved best: farming.
There was only one problem: shale gas. As luck would have it, the Russell farm happened to sit on top of the Marcellus shale, a large underground formation rich in natural gas. In 2010, just as Russell was embarking on her new career in organic farming, Chesapeake Energy drilled two shale-gas wells across the road, less than a thousand feet from the farm.
Although not worried at first and even hopeful that future royalties from the gas may help her expand her business, Russell soon found herself in a nightmare, when she discovered that one of the wells on her property had been leaking methane gas into the ground, due to a faulty casing, for over a year.
Today, Sheila Russell has stopped drinking the water from her private well and even refuses to water her produce with it, preferring instead a nearby spring-fed pond. Water tests have shown elevated levels of methane and metals, still within state norms, but she does not want to take any chances.
"It's a concern for me – it's a concern for my customers," she says. "We all thought [the gas] was a lot of money coming and that it was safe. And it's neither safe, nor a money-maker. Do I stay on this seventh-generation farm and keep it going? I don't know."
Russell's case is hardly an exception. Bradford County, a bucolic region in northern Pennsylvania full of woodlands, rolling hills, and pastures dotted by red barns and hay bales, with a population of just 63,000 people, has been undergoing a massive industrial transformation for the past few years, as both American and international companies have joined the rush for gas.
This is not the first natural-resource boom in Bradford County. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, coal mining and logging were big economic drivers – until the coal ran out and the hills were stripped bare – but the shale gas may prove to be the biggest industry yet.
About 2,000 shale-gas wells have been drilled and permitted in the county so far, making it the most heavily drilled region in Pennsylvania and the Marcellus as a whole. And while the economic benefits for companies, larger leaseholders, and some local businesses have been significant, the gas rush threatens to undermine the venerable farming and dairy operations in the area, while creating a host of environmental and social problems.
The changes are hard to ignore. From a sleepy Pennsylvania town on the banks of the Susquehanna River, Towanda, the county's seat, has metamorphosed into a real boomtown, with industry trucks and large pickups jamming the single main street. Crime has gone up by about 40 percent, while rents and food prices have skyrocketed.
Meanwhile, new restaurants and hotels have sprung up along the river valley to service the rig and pipeline workers, many of them coming here from as far as Texas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.
Since 2008, when drilling for shale gas began in the county, revenues from sales tax have jumped up 61 percent, while unemployment has hovered at around six percent, lower than the national average. So far, local landowners have received $160 million in leases, which have boosted spending, as well as the county's tax base.
"The shale gas industry has had a very positive economic impact on the region," says Anthony Ventello, the executive director of Progress Authority, the local chamber of commerce, pointing out that the gas industry continues to bring in new investments. A new 800 MW gas-fired power plant, worth between $600 million and $800 million, has been already planned, while other, smaller gas-related projects are soon to follow.
"We're looking to create a value-added economy and not just ship natural gas out of here like a third-world country," he says.
Yet, behind the upbeat statistics, a darker side lurks. Blowouts, toxic spills, water contamination, and gas migration have accompanied development.
Chesapeake Energy, the company with the most substantial presence, was fined $900,000 – the largest environmental fine in the state's history – for allowing gas migration to contaminate the water of 16 families in the county in 2010. Later, a blowout of one of the company's wells caused large amounts of "produced water" – liquid waste associated with shale gas extraction – to spill into Towanda creek. In Bradford County, according to the Department of Environmental Protection, overall there have been more than 600 violations so far.
Most often, accidents occur due to faulty casing and cementing, with gas and a variety of dangerous metals migrating into the water table. The industry calculates that six percent of all new wells have some kind of casing or cementing problem, but in reality that percentage could be much higher.
Carol French, a long-time dairy farmer, experienced the adverse consequences of shale-gas drilling first hand when her well water turned white and murky in 2011. Soon, her whole family started having skin rashes, while her 24-year-old daughter fell extremely ill with intestinal, liver and spleen problems (she quickly improved when she moved away from the farm). Meanwhile, the family's cattle began suffering from skin rashes and breeding issues.
"I got to see my farm lose 90 percent of its property value," she says. "I'm losing my milk market and probably I won't be able to sell my cows. The gas industry had negatively impacted our health, our water, our business, our society."
French has made the conscious decision to keep her dairy operation going, despite the fact that there are about 340 shale-gas wells within a 10-mile radius of her farm. Many of her neighbors, on the other hand, have simply opted to take the money from their gas leases and sell their dairy herds. Out of about 12 dairy farmers in the immediate vicinity, only three have kept their farms running, according to French's estimates. Even the local milk hauler has gone on to work as a truck driver for the shale-gas industry.
Another serious impact has been the fragmentation of farmland by the well pads, compressor stations, and the thousands of miles of pipelines already crisscrossing the hills or currently under construction.
Certainly, there are other factors contributing to the decline of dairy farms in Bradford County beyond the gas industry. Low milk prices and expensive feed have kept the business on the edge of survival for years and many have seen the windfall from gas leases and royalties as the perfect exit.
The choice was clear for Howard Keir, a neighbor of Carol French. After leasing the mineral rights of his property to Chesapeake Energy, he immediately sold off his dairy herd. He believes shale-gas extraction is generally safe and today has three wells on his property, out of which he soon expects to receive royalties.
"With the price of milk going mostly down, farmers were going out of business anyway, so you can't blame it all on the industry," he says.
Ventello, of the chamber of commerce, agrees. "Don't get me wrong, but farming is doomed, no matter what you do. It has to do with milk prices mostly. Yes, things will change, but I don't see that as a danger."
Anecdotal evidence suggests that some farmers use the proceeds from gas exploration to upgrade their operations, but the general trend has been in the opposite direction.
A 2012 study by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences draws a direct correlation between the decline of cow numbers and dairy production in areas with higher drilling activity. Between 2007 and 2010, in counties with 150 or more gas wells cow numbers have decreased by 18.7 percent on average, compared to only 1.2 percent decrease in counties with no Marcellus wells. In Bradford County the decline has been 18.8 percent for that time period.
Timothy Kelsey, professor of agricultural economics and a co-author of the study, sees a danger for the entire dairy industry in the region if the decline continues.
"If the number of farms and agricultural activity fall too low, these essential supporting businesses [like feed stores, large animal veterinarians, machinery dealers, and agricultural processors] will leave or quit, making it difficult for remaining farmers to access needed inputs and markets and thus remain in business," he writes.
If such a domino effect takes place and farming and dairy production in Bradford County collapse along with the entire supply chain, even the large financial inflow from the shale gas industry might not be able to make up for the difference.
A law that came into effect last year in Pennsylvania, Act 13, tries to mitigate some of the negative effects of shale gas drilling by providing an impact fee. In 2012, Bradford County received $8.2 million with another $6.8 million projected for 2013.
"It's a chunk of change that Bradford County never had before," says Mark Smith, one of the county commissioners. "Is it enough? I don't think we know that answer yet."
Without a doubt shale gas has made a serious contribution to the economy of Bradford County and Pennsylvania as a whole, yet risking a sustainable industry like farming for an unsustainable one like fossil-fuel extraction may prove too expensive in the end.
Already a bust is on the horizon: drilling in the county has seen a substantial decline, from 408 shale-gas wells drilled in 2011 to 149 well through November of 2012, due to low gas prices. The construction of thousands of miles of pipeline continues in preparation for the new boom when prices pick up, but it is far from certain whether farming in the area could recover so easily.
"The story is always different at the kitchen table where they come to sign you on than it is out in the field," says Bruce Kennedy, a long-time farmer whose family roots in Pennsylvania go back 200 years. In 2011, three accidents related to shale gas extraction happened on his property, including a large diesel spill.
"My grandfather always taught me to leave a place better than you found it. I don't mind people going after the gas, but it doesn't entitle them to abuse the place. You have to be a good steward of the land."
Reporting for this article was funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and Calkins Media.

subset: commoncrawl


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Lawns, It's All We Do
Lawn-Mat Lawn Care Services specializes in the sole goal of keeping you a healthy and regularly trimmed lawn. We occasionally will assist in minor sprinkler head repair and maintenance, minor tree pruning, or minor cases of pest control with ant mounds, but really all we do and want to do is keep your lawn happy!. Please Contact Us today and see how we can help you with your lawn. Don't worry if we don't specialize in your needs, we will refer you to a specialized professional who can!


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A ton of information about the Sailor Moon Le Mouvement Final musical has been released! The musical will start in September and run in three different cities in Japan, those being Tokyo, Aichi and Osaka. As expected this musical will cover the Stars arc of the manga, which has the Sailor Guardians joining forces with the Sailor Starlights to fight Sailor Galaxia.
Check out the new cast members! Note that I don't speak Japanese so for some of these I couldn't get a good English version of the name so I just included the Japanese text. I'll update those when I get some better into.
Seiya Kou, Sailor Star Fighter, will be played by Meiku Harukawa.
Taiki Kou, Sailor Star Maker, will be played by Riona Tatemichi. Riona previously played Rubeus in the Petite Étrangère musical.
Yaten Kou, Sailor Star Healer, will be played by Saki Matsuda.
Princess Kakyuu will be played by 岡村麻未.
Sailor Galaxia will be played by Coco Isuzu (Twitter, Instagram).
Sailor Iron Mouse will be played by Aoki Shion.
Sailor Tin Nyanko will be played by 橋垣美佑.
Sailor Aluminum Siren will be played by 小林由佳.
Sailor Lead Crow will be played by Juri Hirayu (Twitter, Instagram).
There will be two actresses playing Chibi Chibi. Hinari Yamaguchi and 新津ちせ.
There will also be some dancers playing additional villains. These are 椎原夕加里, 肥田野好美, 匂坂あゆ美 and Ayano Nagasawa. A number of them played villains in past musicals.
Performances in Tokyo will be from September 8th to the 18th. Performances in Aichi will be September 23rd and 24th. Performances in Osaka will be held from September 29th to October 1st.
Will any of you be attending this round of musicals?


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Last modified prior to September, 2000 by the Windows Team
The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://windows2universe.org/ from the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA). The Website was developed in part with the support of UCAR and NCAR, where it resided from 2000 - 2010. © 2010 National Earth Science Teachers Association. Windows to the Universe® is a registered trademark of NESTA. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer.


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CARS 2- Speeding Into A Theatre Near You June 24th!
"Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in "Cars 2" when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer). Mater's action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors.
John Lasseter returns to the driver's seat to direct this follow-up to his 2006 Golden Globe®-winning "Cars." "Cars 2" is co-directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar®-winning film "Ratatouille," and produced by visual effects industry veteran Denise Ream (associate producer, "Up"; visual effects executive producer, "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith"). The film hits the track on June 24, 2011, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters."
My kids can hardly wait for this new racing adventure!
Heck, i'm pretty excited too!
(DaddyO is playing it cool.)
June 24th, 2011
Disney Pixar's 12th Feature length animated film.
Feel like Tweeting?
#CARS2 Speeding Into a Theatre Near You! http://bit.ly/kCQmzL #trailer #Canada @Disney @MixtressSamiJoe June 24th!


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Elon Musk says Tesla will no longer accept Bitcoin over energy use worries
Tesla will no longer accept Bitcoin in payment for its vehicles, according to a statement from chief executive Elon Musk.
Musk said that concerns over the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining meant the electric car firm would suspend vehicle purchases using the cryptocurrency.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBitcoin values fell by as much as 17 per cent following the announcement on Wednesday night, with Tesla's share price also dipping.
Tesla announced in March that it would begin accepting Bitcoin in payment for its range of all-electric models including the Model 3, Model S and Model X shortly after the firm revealed it had invested $1.5 billion in the digital currency.
However, in a statement shared via Twitter, Tesla's self-styled "technoking" said that while he supported the concept of cryptocurrency it "cannot come at great cost to the environment".
Musk said: "We are concerned about rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for Bitcoin mining and transactions, especially coal, which has the worst emissions of any fuel.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"Cryptocurrency is a good idea on many levels and we believe it has a promising future, but this cannot come at a great cost to the environment."
Musk said that Tesla would not sell any of its existing Bitcoin stake, and was "looking at" other digital currencies which he said used less than one per cent of Bitcoin's energy per transaction.
Observers have said that the move could be an effort by Tesla to maintain its image as a "clean energy" firm and appease shareholders unhappy at its recent involvement with digital currency. However, it has also been suggested that it could be an effort by Musk to influence the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin values jumped 15 per cent in February after Tesla announced its investment and Dogecoin, which started as a joke currency, saw a significant rise in value after Musk began tweeting about it.
Julia Lee from Burman Invest told the BBC: "Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues are now a major motivation for many investors. Tesla, being a clean energy-focused company, might want to work better in the environmental area of ESG.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"But a cynic might suggest that this is just another move by Elon Musk to influence the cryptocurrency market, as he has done on so many other occasions."
Tesla's interest in Bitcoin sparked controversy when it was announced due to the huge energy demand created by bitcoin mining. The digital currency is generated or "mined" by high-powered computers carrying out complex calculations. These computers use vast amounts of electricity - thought to be as much as the energy usage of Norway - and around 70 per cent of all Bitcoin is mined in China where server centres rely heavily on fossil fuel power stations.


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Investing in your home by remodeling or renovating is an excellent way to increase its value. However, a significant renovation project can quickly turn into a disaster, especially for those who are inexperienced. Let's take a look at four of the more common home renovation mistakes that homeowners make and how you can avoid them.
Mistake #1: Skipping The Permit Process
The first mistake you will want to avoid is undertaking any home renovation without the required permits. While some remodeling projects will not require a permit, others will. Regardless, it is more than worth taking the time to do your research to ensure you do not run afoul of the law. A visit to the city's website or a quick phone call is all you will need to find out if a permit is required and how much it will cost.
Mistake #2: Being Afraid
A great way to ruin your renovation is to be too afraid to transform the space into whatever best suits your family. Try to avoid being trendy and going with renos that you saw recently on television. Instead, consider how you currently use your kitchen, bathroom, or whatever other space you're changing and improve it for the better.
Mistake #3: Using Cheap Materials Or Labor
When it comes to contractors, going cheap is rarely a good idea. You want someone who is going to do the best quality of work at a fair, affordable price. Moreover, since you're investing in that contractor, it is best to also invest in using high-quality materials for the job.
Also, don't be the type that skimps on costs just because something isn't visible. A good example is if your contractor recommends that you install something like a bathroom membrane system. Yes, it's an extra cost that is mostly a preventive measure against mold getting under your tiles. However, it is a small consideration in protecting the more substantial investment you're making in upgrading your home.
Mistake #4: Changing Your Mind
As the old saying goes: "measure twice, cut once." Changing your mind in the middle of your renovation is almost certainly going to cost you. Once you commit, try to stick to the plan unless circumstances force you to make a change. These are just four of the many mistakes that can be made by an inexperienced home renovator.


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for T. P. Flanagan
We have no prairies
To slice a big sun at evening–
Everywhere the eye concedes to
Encrouching horizon,
Is wooed into the cyclops' eye
Of a tarn. Our unfenced country
Is bog that keeps crusting
Between the sights of the sun.
They've taken the skeleton
Of the Great Irish Elk
Out of the peat, set it up
An astounding crate full of air.
Butter sunk under
More than a hundred years
Was recovered salty and white.
The ground itself is kind, black butter
Melting and opening underfoot,
Missing its last definition
By millions of years.
They'll never dig coal here,
Only the waterlogged trunks
Of great firs, soft as pulp.
Our pioneers keep striking
Inwards and downwards,
Every layer they strip
Seems camped on before.
The bogholes might be Atlantic seepage.
The wet centre is bottomless.


text:
Bronx Sofa
The Bronx design features clean lines and designer accent buttons. Inspired by mid-century modern style, the Bronx design upholds tailored upholstery that firmly contours the frame and cushions.
Customize by choosing any of our available fabrics as well as our various leg options.
Standard Approximate Dimensions: 80"W 33"D 28"H
Studio Approximate Dimensions: 66"W 33"D 28"H
All of our sofas are crafted with solid wood frames built by hand. Our quality, luxurious fabrics have been carefully chosen to appeal to anyone's needs.
With all the fabric choices and leg options the possibilities are endless. Unable to achieve what you need online? Give us a call: 1-714-556-9898. See what our Customer Service Representatives are able to do to for you.


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Giant Dahlia Centerpiece & Pinterest Rant
July 31, 2012
17 {comments}:
- jojoebi-designs said...
thank you for posting about this, I had no idea that it was an issue. I rarely pin those long tutorials I prefer to go through to the blog but I will be keeping an eye out in future.
Good luck with the hunt for the flower owner - July 31, 2012 at 6:13 PM
- Montserrat said...
About as bad as copying complete posts from other blogs, pictures and all, without permission, right Kathleen?
Original Ribbon Headband Tutorial
Copied Headband Tutorial on the Tumtum Tree
found using the reverse google image search you talked about. - July 31, 2012 at 6:44 PM
- La Vie DIY said...
I made those as center pieces for my wedding a few years ago! Holla!
- July 31, 2012 at 7:04 PM
- Grosgrain said...
@Chocolate on my Cranium@Chocolate on my Cranium
I wrote that post back in 2008 on my very first blog The TumTum Tree back when I first learning blog etiquette and didn't know not to post a full tutorial, which I know better now. And I never claimed the tutorial as my own, I linked back to original poster in the first paragraph.
What I'm talking about in this post is not the same. I'm talking about people who take the original post, remove the words, make their own long pic, sometimes with words in the pics and post it on their site without any link back to the original poster.
As I mentioned in THIS post, I have been guilty of pinning posts that don't lead back to the original post. Since I realized that this is a problem I can often take an hour looking for an original source. When I discover something I'm doing is wrong I try to change it. Like back in 2008, I haven't posted full tutorials since then.
However, I'm sorry about posting your full tutorial on that blog back then. It was out of ignorance not malice and I always had the link back to you. If you wish I can take it down. - July 31, 2012 at 8:34 PM
- Grosgrain said...
@Chocolate on my CraniumI took it down in the meantime. If you want me to put it back up, I can.
- July 31, 2012 at 8:52 PM
- Montserrat said...
Ah, thanks for clearing up the date! I couldn't find a year on the post. We've all been guilty of making mistakes in our early days, including me. I appreciate you taking the post down.
Thanks for sharing all the great ideas you come across. I have found some amazing blogs to read because of it! - July 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM
- Cat said...
i always check for original posts before i repin anything... if it doesn't lead back, i won't repin it. i absolutely HATE it... and, obviously, it doesn't credit the originator. thanks for the tip on "report pin"... i've never used that!
- August 1, 2012 at 6:10 AM
- Madkrakatoa said...
As you mentioned I tried the image search through google and it only shows Pinterest links. The oldest one belongs to Sherri Gibson (who is mentioned as the original pinner)
Today I post about a kitchen photo that I found online with no source or info attached. I took the time to do some research and found the photographer, but it took me like 5 hours, with interruptions of course! and I mentioned all the blogs involved on this search. So you can see, how not adding a name or link affect us all.
You can see it here,
http://unacasaconjardin.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/la-cocina-escurridiza-elusive-kitchen.html - August 1, 2012 at 3:31 PM
- Grosgrain said...
@romyI can certainly empathize. I look for about an hour and then I give up. Five hours is crazy but I commend you for it! Sometimes the original source never even shows up in an image source. And it IS frustrating when the first links are all either Pinterest or Asian picture sites. Ugh. I want to be able to share ideas and tutorials but I also want to be fair to the original writers. I guess it's the price we pay for enjoying Pinterest.
I guess a good rule of thumb is just, if you pin something it should at least have the original source "linked" in the post somewhere and never link to an entire tutorial but rather a teaser image, unless of course the original image is a full pictorial tutorial from the original site.
Ugh. Confused? It is a little confusing. - August 1, 2012 at 6:13 PM
- Caryn S said...
Well thanks for this post! I have re-photos of ideas I liked from other people on Pinterest I follow, only to later click the picture and have it lead nowhere! Beyond frustrating, and I'm sure it's not the fault of the person I re-pinned, they've probably re-pinned it from other people the same way. Now I know what to do when that happens.
- August 1, 2012 at 10:43 PM
- Madkrakatoa said...
@Caryn S
About the re-pinning, been there, done that. Sometimes you get carried away and you pinned and re-pinned like a mad lady and you don't want to stop and check every single picture to see if the source is the correct one. One of the good things about Pinterest is that MOST of the times it automatically links to the original source; but if you download a picture then when you upload it, it will say 'uploaded by user'. So it is not always perfect, but in this it's better than Thumblr. - August 2, 2012 at 9:14 AM
- Grosgrain said...
I think Pinterest has made blogs and websites more accessible to everyone and I think it's an AMAZING source and asset for spreading ideas. It's a shame that it has these flaws which are a result of it being accessible to everyone. But if it wasn't accessible to everyone, it wouldn't be as rich with information.
In terms of cost and reward, I think we're better off with it. If some links are incorrect or content is stolen, it's bad, but in the end you still get more hits with it than without. (My opinion).
It IS quite a pain if you want to repin something and can't find the original source.
Pinterest is a funny thing. Its purpose is two fold. One, it is used in place of bookmarking. So you can use those pins for personal style boards and personal inspiration.
Second, people use it to discover sites that they would never have seen if they weren't all in one easy to access place.
I think for pinning purposes, if you want to repin something that doesn't have an original source, try to look for the original and if you can't find it, it's okay to repin.
HOWEVER, if you are posting something you found on Pinterest on your own blog, DON'T link to the wrong source (if you can help it). And try your best to find the original. If you can't, what I do is ask in the post if one of my readers knows the original source so I can properly attribute it. I know if I had an improperly attributed tutorial I would want someone to post it and ask for the original source. At least then I'd have a 'chance' of getting credit. Otherwise I'm getting nothing.
However, you really run the risk of posting a picture that the author didn't want shared. Most of the time authors want their content shared and would welcome having a link to their site. That's how websites make money! But there are some people out there, like professional photographers who DON'T want their pictures on other people sites even WITH a link to theirs.
So long story, post and pin unsourced photos at your own risk. Most people will be decent about either asking you to source the image to them or take it down. But there are a few out there who can be vicious. I think if you don't want an image reposted on the internet you should BOLDLY say so on the same page that your photo is on, visibly where a reader is going to notice. The majority of people will pin an image otherwise. Is that asking too much? - August 2, 2012 at 12:10 PM
- Madkrakatoa said...
@Kathleen Frances
@Kathleen Frances
You're so right, and regarding getting more hits, you made me remember that teal and copper dress that you posted on march, 4, 2011.
The flickr owner freaked out when she knew people where seeing her picture in other places, but then she was reliefed when people explained her how pinterest work; and now that picture has more than 16.000 views! - August 2, 2012 at 8:15 PM
- sorbetsurprise said...
I make sure I never post anything that doesn't have a link back to the source on Pinterest but I don't always check the posts I repin from there. Thanks for the hint about tracing the images, I didn't know about that.
- August 5, 2012 at 8:00 AM
Your rant is exactly why I rarely if ever repin. I always search out the original post and create a new pin. That way I am certain proper credit is given.
- August 6, 2012 at 1:37 AM
- Dale said...
what drives me absolutely bonkers is the beautiful things that are pinned from tumblr sites. I absolutely refuse to ever repin anything that lists tumblr as it's source, as it is never the proper source. If only tumblr photos linked back to their source or credited the artist in any way!
- August 17, 2012 at 1:05 AM
- the relocators.... said...
i think the important thing to remember about pinterest is that its a virtual pinboard! a place for individuals to pin inspirational images that can be referred to later.
i personally dont always need to know where things come from but im seeing more and more people are using pinterest as a shopping destination....always asking " where did you buy that", "i want to buy that"...its never ending & it feels almost like its become this huge marketing opportunity.
furthermore, why should everyone be compelled to make sure each image they pin is credited to the original source?? i personally would not like to see my own images posted without credit so i understand the frustration however as an artist (in todays day and age with the internet and all). i faced the fact along time ago that i should be prepared to have images used & abused as soon as they are posted online. we cannot get away with expecting wveryone to be as kind as as honest as we are unfortunately.
so those are just a few of my immediate thoughts on pinterest.
as always, thanks for an awesome blog!! - August 23, 2012 at 5:12 AM


text:
The Evolution of Man, the stunning conclusion to the Trust Fund Duet by New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren, is coming August 28th!
The Evolution of Man by Skye Warren
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publishing Date: August 28th, 2018
Cover Designer: Book Beautiful
Ambitious. Intense. Irresistible.
I never wanted to fall for man.
And definitely not two men.
They tear me apart until I don't know how I'll ever be whole again.
Until I'm not sure I want to be. How can I choose between two halves of myself?
THE EVOLUTION OF MAN is the second novel in the USA Today bestselling duet, which begins with Survival of the Richest.
Pre-Order Today!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Lnmprw
iBooks: https://apple.co/2AkDJIS
Nook: https://bit.ly/2K07XjF
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2LrFedm
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TheEvolutionofMan
Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2LsFOY0
Start the series FREE with Trust Fund today!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2JntW81
iBooks: https://apple.co/2LTNQWr
Nook: https://bit.ly/2kHgNbZ
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2sku9hJ
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2sfAg7C
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/TrustFund
Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2JjDDEy
Survival of the Richest
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2reGmoo
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/SurvivaloftheRichest
iBooks: https://apple.co/2w5R2L7
Nook: https://bit.ly/2FAtmxX
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2FACXom
Google Play: https://tinyurl.com/yd8a7lz6
Add to GoodReads: https://bit.ly/2IbzSR6
About Skye:
Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance such as the Endgame trilogy. Her books have been featured in Jezebel, Buzzfeed, USA Today Happily Ever After, Glamour, and Elle Magazine. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.
Connect with Skye:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skyewarren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skye_warren
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/skyewarren/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyewarrenbooks/
Stay up to date with Skye Warren by signing up for her mailing list:


text:
By Josh Johnson Women are amazing! Beautiful. Feminine. Intelligent. Sexy. Alluring. I love women! I love the female body too. There isn't a woman out there who can't be sexy when she wants to be. Their eyes....their lips...... I could go on and on. And there is nothing better than a sexy woman with a beautiful mind too. A woman you can talk to on many levels is a beautiful woman indeed. Now, don't get me wrong. I am no longer 16. I am past the age where I need to give every woman I see a second look.....and a third look.....and on and on. But I do notice. Unlike most followers of Christ, I do not feel ashamed to notice. That's because I know something that a whole lot of other people of faith do not know, and this knowledge has set me free. Matthew 5:28 is the most famously condemning Scripture I know of. And nearly everyone I know has heard it. Its the part of the sermon on the mount where Jesus says this....... "You have heard it said do not commit adultery, but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Man, I always hated this verse. I couldn't understand why God would put a billion hormones inside us specifically designed to react to the opposite sex......and then call us adulterers for doing just that. This verse is the reason for soooo much of the baloney that goes on in Christian circles. Sexual attraction is viewed as a sinful and dangerous thing, especially the desires of the male. So Christians set up all kinds of rules and regulations for themselves to protect themselves from developing attractions and desires for someone of the opposite sex in their church. It's the reason there are separate Bible studies for men and women in most churches; It's the reason guys and girls are separated in nearly every activity of the church; and, its the reason that church leaders and Christians themselves are very paranoid of spending any time alone with a member of the opposite sex. Because the absolute worst thing that can happen.....the absolute end of the world thing a Christian can do to disgrace God........ is to end up having sex with someone. So let's avoid male/female contact altogether. I mean, according to Matthew 5:28, you are not even supposed to look at a woman who is fully dressed, much less have sex with a naked one. I'm not addressing the issue of sex itself in this post. But rather, I'm addressing our natural desires and inclinations toward women, sexual, emotional, and otherwise. Either way, this is what Matthew 5:28 says, right?..... Or does it............? How is this possible? God, you gave us all these hormones and yet we can't even look at beauty when it's before our eyes? What's up with that? I got stuck on this Scripture for a long time. I was actually kind of upset at God for saying it too. I was starting to view God as a jerk. To me, God was becoming a tyrant..... like someone who forces an alcoholic to sit at a table full of beer all day and then tells him he better not even think about drinking. What are you trying to do to us, Lord? And then.....then it started to hit me.......maybe there was nothing wrong with God. Maybe Jesus didn't really say what we all think he said. Maybe there's something more to what Christ was saying. Eventually, common sense took over. Before I had a chance to study the issue, I started to realize that there is no way in hell that looking at some single woman with "lust" for her is adultery. I know this because it's not even adultery if you end up actually HAVING sex with her. Adultery can only happen when a married person is involved in a sexual act with someone other than his spouse. And that's the Biblical definition of the word. So I was on to something, but it would be a long time before I got internet and finally had the chance to study the issue for myself. I eventually discovered the proper meaning of the Greek words behind Matthew 5:28, and I came to find out that our English translations of the Bible simply do not translate this verse properly. Dang it! .... I KNEW something was up! So let's look at the verse in question again. Matthew 5:28: "You have heard it said you should not commit adultery, but I tell you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Here's the truth about this verse. The Greek word for "lust" in this verse is epithumeo, which means to long for; to covet. The word has no sexual connotation and the same Greek term is used to describe coveting of all kinds in other parts of Scripture. I would provide proof, but I don't want to turn this post into a 30 page essay. You are more than welcome to study the word meaning out for yourself. Either way, the Greek term here should not have been translated to lust, but to covet. To covet is to desire with intent or longing to steal. Moving on, the Greek term for the word "woman" in this verse is "gunh," which can mean woman or wife, but usually means wife. The word "gunh" is generally not used in Scripture to describe a single woman. It means wife in Greek, and in the context of this passage, the verse would make no sense if the word simply meant woman. So..... in light of this new knowledge let's examine this verse again. The Greek word behind "lust" here actually means to covet, moreover, desire with intent to steal. The Greek word for woman here is "gunh," which usually refers to a woman who is a wife. Knowing this, we now have a better idea of what Jesus really said. And here's what he really said, as best as I can translate it in English: "You have heard it said do not commit adultery. But I tell you that every man who looks at another man's wife to desire to take her for his own (covet).... this man has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Because he would do it if he thought he could get away with it." That.....my friends....is what Jesus really said. Or at least its a lot closer to what he said than what you've been taught to believe. The verse in question has nothing to do with your desire to look at women in bikinis on the beach. It has more to do with what's in a mans heart. The Jewish leaders of the Jesus day were legalists. They had pride in the fact that they followed all kinds of rules. And what Jesus was saying in this verse is that they were missing the mark. The only reason most of his listeners were not adulterers is because they had too much pride in following the rules. They were obeying the commandment against adultery to feed their own arrogance, not to honor God. And Jesus knew it. He also knew that these men would love to have any opportunity to get their hands on other men's wives. But back to the point. Jesus was not saying that your natural desires for the opposite sex are sinful and adulterous. God made your hormones, not Satan. God made women beautiful, not Satan. And it was God, not Satan, who gave you your other natural desires toward women. Not just the sexual ones, but the emotional and spiritual ones as well. As I said earlier, there is nothing better than a sexy woman that can hold a deep spiritual conversation. And that female perspective brings something very valuable to the spiritual table that we as men simply can't bring. Yes.....God made women beautiful......and not just on the outside. Most definitely he made them beautiful on the inside too. And that's not sinful talk. That's just truth. Its just such a shame that this verse has been taught the way it has for so many years. Christian men drive themselves crazy over this passage. They try very hard not to notice and not to look at beautiful women. Young Christian guys try sooooo hard not to look at women. They think they are sinning against God by allowing themselves to look at or desire them. So every day, they put themselves thru a torturous cycle of trying to get through their daily classes or their job while also focusing very hard on trying not to notice the hot women around them. It's a brutal mental and emotional situation and a useless cause. Christians have been almost driven to the point of suicide over this very issue, thinking that their minds are constantly sinning when thinking of women, and therefore convincing themselves they are evil and not good enough for God. And do you know what you can end up with when you put yourself through this every day? You can end up with a porn addiction! You cannot overcome your desire for the opposite sex. It's not possible no matter what the conservatives who run our churches tell you. Sexual desire, and your other desires toward women, are a natural function. Trying to force yourself not to look at or desire women is about like trying to stop your own heartbeat just by thinking about it. It can't be done. So the more you try to suppress these inclinations, the more these same inclinations are going to end up exploding all over you. Hence the porn addiction I just mentioned. Trying to stop your brain from reacting to something it was designed specifically to react to is utterly useless and will lead to despair. A man is better off to enjoy thinking about the hot waitress he saw earlier in the day than try to convince himself that his desire for her is sinful. And I will tell you a little secret. Once you realize that sexual desire is not a sin and it's normal, you end up doing far less actual lusting! I know from experience that this is true. I look at women wayyyyy less nowadays than I ever did when I thought looking at them was a sin. As a matter of fact, I am often in a roomful of beautiful women and never give a second thought to how sexually appealing they are. I'm not sure why that is. I think it could be that once the stigma of sin is taken away, lusting, if that's what you want to call it, just ain't as much fun. In either case, Christians have to stop teaching these things. What the church teaches on this issue is false. All this doesn't even take into account the immense pressure put on women in the church to avoid male contact because men's desires are supposedly so evil and they can't control themselves. It really upsets me when I think about the rules that have been imposed on women over the years because men felt they could not control themselves without strict guidelines. So women were....and still are.....punished because of men's desires. The point is that desire is no sin. There is a saying in Christian circles that the first look is not a sin, but the second look leads to darkness. I have shown here that looking isn't a sin be it first or second or whatever. Of course, common sense must be used. If you are looking at a woman in a way that makes her uncomfortable, that's invasive. Stop doing that. There are going to be times when you notice women and their beauty. There are going to be times you want get together with a couple guys, hit the beach, and "girl watch" for the day. There are going be days when you're out and about and you think about how many hot women you see. And THAT is totally OK. Allow yourself to enjoy those days. God made women beautiful for a reason, and it was not so you could cower your head in shame every time a hottie walks by. So for those of you who are struggling with this burden, please read the link I attached. It's a much more in depth exegesis of Matthew 5:28 and it will set you free from this chain if you are ready to receive it. Comments are closed.
About TCL BlogWe're not about Dogma here. We're just Christians who think the political and Christian right-wing have their priorities wrong. Featured BloggersCharles Toy is the founding member of The Christian Left. We're sure you will enjoy his passion as well as his wit. Guest bloggers featured often.
April 2024


text:
The antiseptic smell and surroundings of a hospital room.
The descending silence of quieting monitors.
The subdued murmurs of closely held conversation between a father and son.
A clear cold winter night ruled by a bright silver orb.
Rising from the East, it slowly floats higher dimming to a reddish hue.
Slowly it diminishes to a crescent.
It catches the eyes of father and son who become thoughtful and silent.
A celestial commentary on life? the clockwork unconcern of the heavens?
Time has come, visitors must leave and patients settle in for the night.
The moon rides higher.
Shadow persists, growing and darkening.
Light fails.
At home the son meets his son.
Through the window on the stair-landing the wonder is watched together,
a barely perceptible shade floating in the star studded sky.
Silence reigns; a promise? a threat? lofty indifference??
A bright silver streak....
The sick come home....
Universe and life continue - the questions unanswered.


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With the xStack DES-3852 switch you will be able to create a fast, flexible, secure and easy to manage network that can be expanded when needed.
This enables you to deploy a backbone or workgroup solution with seamless integration with D-Link NetDefend firewalls using the Zone Defense mechanism to form part of a high performance and secure network structure with a minimum amount of investment.
48-Port xStack Layer 3 Switch with 2+2 Gigabit Ethernet Ports and Single IP Management
The xStack DES-3852 is a Layer 3 switch designed for working groups at large companies, as a backbone solution for smaller and medium-sized companies or as an access switch in broadband networks. The DES-3852 is equipped with 48 x 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet ports and 2+2 Gigabit Ethernet ports, whereby two combo Gigabit Ethernet/Mini GBIC ports are positioned on the front and 2 pure Gigabit Ethernet ports are positioned on the back for dedicated trunking and stacking with other switches in combination with single IP management (SIM).
The DES-3852 has advanced functionality such as wire-speed IP routing, OSPF, VRRP, Link aggregation (LACP), VLAN 802.1Q and prioritisation queues, enabling users to create a cost-efficient, well-functioning network with no bottlenecks.
The DES-3852 also handles traffic intelligently, allowing the definition of priority queues 802.1p for streamed media, VoIP (Voice over IP) and other high-priority classes of traffic. The switch is also equipped with Quality of Service with IP TOS/DSCP for Layer 3 and TCP/UDP (also Payload - packet content) for Layer 4.
As a Layer 3 router, the switch supports standard IP routing (IPv4) for universal compatibility, as well as RIP-1, RIP-2 and OSPF. This means it is very easy to combine lots of different sub networks in the same switch. With Layer 2 and 3 support for each port, you will be able to customise your own filters based on MAC or IP addresses at the user computers, enabling unnecessary traffic to be filtered out and static routing tables to be created for specific destinations, for example.
The DES-3852 has also been equipped with a number of security functions such as 802.1x port/MAC based RADIUS support, TACACS+, SSH v2, SSL v3 and ZoneDefense functionality for Proactive Network Security functionality, together with D-Link's new firewalls/IDSs, the DFL-800, DFL-1600 and DFL-2500.
Actual product appearance may differ from the image displayed on this page
- Managed Layer 3 switch with 48 x 10/100Mbps ports
- Two combo ports for Gigabit copper/Mini GBIC connection
- Two Gigabit Ethernet ports on the back for Gigabit backbone connection
- Auto MDI/MDX on all 10/100Mbps ports
- 802.1x RADIUS, TACACS+
- SSH v2/SSL v3
- ZoneDefense functionality with D-Link firewalls (DFL-800, -1600, -2500,)
- Traffic prioritisation (IEEE 802.1p)
- Traffic segmentation
- Port-based bandwidth limitation down to 64k
- Quality of Service (QoS)
- VLAN-tagging (IEEE 802.1Q, 4000 static and 255 dynamic groups)
- IP routing (IPv4)
- Floating static route
- Policy-based routing (future firmware update)
- Spanning tree (IEEE 802.1d)
- Rapid Spanning tree (IEEE 802.1w)
- Multiple STP (IEEE 802.1s)
- IGMP snooping and IGMP v2
- Link aggregation (802.3ad LACP)
- Broadcast storm control
- DOS protection
- Guest VLAN (next f/w release)
- VMAN (double VLAN, next f/w release)
- Multicast functions
- Access Control List (ACL)
- PIM DM and PIM SM (future f/w release)
- SNMPv3/RMON and web-based configuration
- CLI-based configuration, console port (RS232) and Telnet
- NTP support
- BootP/DHCP client (DHCP auto-configuration)
- DHCP option 82
Optional SFP Transceivers
DEM-310GT: SFP transceiver for 1000BASE-LX, single-mode fiber, max. 10 km, 3.3V
DEM-311GT: SFP transceiver for 1000BASE-SX, multi-mode fiber, max. 550 m, 3.3V
Optional Redundant Power Supply
DPS-200: 60-watt redundant power supply
DPS-900: 8-slot redundant power supply chassis
Optional Management Software
DS-510S: D-View 5.1 SNMP Network Management Program (standard version)
DS-510P: D-View 5.1 SNMP Network Management Program (professional version)


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I like to bet on sports. Having a stake in the game, even if it's just five bucks, makes it more exciting. I also like playing poker. "Unacceptable!" say politicians in much of America. "Gambling sometimes leads to 'addiction,' destitute families!"
Well, it can.
So politicians ban it. It's why we no longer see a poker game in the back of bars. Half the states even ban poker between friends - though they rarely enforce that.
After banning things, politicians' second favorite activity is granting special privileges to a few people who do those same things - so big casinos flourish, and most states run their own lotteries. Running lotteries is one of the more horrible things our governments do. The poor buy the most tickets, and states offer them terrible odds. The government entered the lottery business promising to end the "criminal numbers racket." Now states do what the "criminals" did but offer much worse odds. Adding insult to their scam, politicians also spend our tax money promoting lotteries with disgusting commercials that trash hard work, implying that happiness comes from hedonism.
Politicians also ban some medical innovations that might enhance athletes' performances. Teams buy high-tech equipment to get better results. Doctors prescribe all sorts of special medications if an athlete is injured. Competitors try dubious vitamins and "natural" food supplements.
But they better not use steroids.
The public supports this ban, but they rarely think it through. Why are steroids bad but eye surgery OK? (Tiger Woods did that to improve his vision.) Athletes will constantly try new ways to maximize their strength and endurance. Why is government even involved?
Don't get me wrong. If players promise not to use steroids but then use, that's wrong. Lance Armstrong is despicable not because he injected drugs like testosterone or did blood-doping, but because he proclaimed that he didn't, then did, then lied and bullied people, and threatened to sue them, to wreck their lives, for telling the truth. That's evil. Steroids themselves are just another form of eye surgery or better shoes.
If the NFL or Tour de France or the Big Ten wants a no-steroid rule, fine. But in America, if an athlete uses steroids, it's not just a violation of a private organization's rules, it's a federal issue. Congress has held nine - that's right, nine - hearings on the "problem" of steroids in sports. The pols know that yelling at baseball stars will get the pols face time on TV. There they are, bravely solving America's problems! But clumsy federal law doesn't even stop the cheating.
Politicians blithely ban this and that - at the expense of their own constituents. Billions of dollars in banned Internet poker profits move offshore - to countries with sensible rules.
A final stupid sports ban: Connecticut and New York will not allow MMA, mixed martial arts competitions. This booming sport is called "mixed" martial arts because it's more than just wrestling or judo or boxing, it's ... fighting. To win, one must excel at all martial arts. Yes, it's violent, but so are boxing and football. Mixed martial arts is actually safer than boxing, because the athletes don't spend 12 rounds getting hit on the head.
I can go to Madison Square Garden to watch boxers smash each other in the face. I can take little kids there to watch fake wrestling, which looks even more violent.
But Sen. John McCain called mixed martial arts "human cockfighting" and demanded it be banned. When he couldn't pass a national ban, he sent letters to governors of all 50 U.S. states asking them to ban MMA events in each state.
Fortunately, governors ignored him, and now in most of America, a new sport that brings in millions of dollars in business, opportunity and tax revenues blossoms. But not in New York or Connecticut. There, politicians wait for the lobbyists to kiss their rings. If they contribute enough to their campaigns, maybe they'll relent.
Gambling, steroid use and violent sports ought to be choices that consenting adults are free to make.


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Lights, camera, action! Star in your own summer story, styled with the Starlet Tie Dye Dress. Feel pretty and put together wherever your adventures take you. We love the adjustable pink tie and adjustable straps. The lightweight material will keep you cool no matter where your summer blockbuster takes you.
Lightweight + Buttery Soft Baby Suede Material
Adjustable Straps + Removable Tie
95% Polyester, 5% Spandex
Wash Cold, Hang Dry
Fits True To Size
*Measurements listed below are of the actual clothing item*
S: Chest 38" Length 36"
M: Chest 40" Length 37"
L: Chest 42" Length 38"
XL: Chest 44" Length 39"
1XL: Chest 46" Length 40"
2XL: Chest 48" Length 41"
3XL: Chest 50" Length 42"
Model Sabrina is wearing a size S
Plus Model Amelia is wearing a size 1XL
Suggested Pairings:
- The "Distressed Vibes Denim Jacket"
- The "Watercolor Hair Clip"
- The "Woven Knot Headband"
- The "Diamond Weave Straw Bag"
- The "Solid Good Hoops"
- The "Garnet Nugget Necklace"
- The "Stack Em Up Ring Set"


text: The moral flaws of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.By Gregg EasterbrookPosted Wednesday, May 24, 2006, at 6:05 AM ETA scene from An Inconvenient Truth. Click image to expand.A scene from An Inconvenient TruthRelax: The Al Gore movie has no sex scene. Gore is the only presidential candidate who has made out on national television, so this was a legitimate worry. Otherwise, An Inconvenient Truth could use some action. Maybe a chase scene through the winding streets of Davos. Maybe Gore parachuting off a skyscraper as he shoots at American Petroleum Institute commandos aboard a helicopter. Instead, we get a 100-minute PowerPoint presentation interrupted by outtakes from campaign ads, plus shots of Gore apparently rendered despondent by the weight of his environmental knowledge.As someone who has come to the view that greenhouse-effect science is now persuasive, I'm glad Gore made a movie that will help average voters understand the subject. An Inconvenient Truth is worthy in content, admirable in intent, and motivated by the sense of civic responsibility Hollywood on the whole has abandoned. About two-thirds is a quasi-documentary of Gore presenting to an audience the greenhouse slide show he's been giving for nearly 20 years. (I attended an early effort, in the late 1980s.) Mostly we see Gore talking and pointing at charts, interspersed with detours into the former vice president's political career: the Florida recount, Gore's stump-speech telling of his son's auto accident and his sister's tragic death from lung cancer. The political sequences have all the heft of a video press release: Time and again we are shown crowds looking adoringly at Gore, or cheering him on. And Katherine Harris may be a natural disaster, but what's she doing in a movie about climate change? If director Davis Guggenheim wanted to film a biography of Gore, he should simply have done so.When Gore isn't being applauded, Guggenheim presents him as alone and melancholy: walking alone, musing alone, standing alone in a darkened barn. The scenes are meant to convey our inability to imagine the burden the former vice president bears. But they make the political part feel contrived, since Gore scarcely suffers solitude; he has a wonderful, loving family and participates in many public causes.Continue ArticleAs a motion picture, An Inconvenient Truth has a lot to say, but contains little imaginative cinematography that might have made global warming engaging at the suburban cineplex. The picture the movie paints is always worst-case scenario. Considering the multiple times Gore has given his greenhouse slide show (he says "thousands"), it's jarring that the movie was not scrubbed for factual precision. For instance, this 2005 joint statement by the science academies of the Western nations, including the National Academy of Sciences, warns of sea-level rise of four to 35 inches in the 21st century; this amount of possible sea-level rise is current consensus science.Yet An Inconvenient Truth asserts that a sea-level rise of 20 feet is a realistic short-term prospect. Gore says the entire Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets could melt rapidly; the film then jumps to animation of Manhattan flooded. Well, all that ice might melt really fast, and a UFO might land in London, too. The most recent major study of ice in the geologic past found that about 130,000 years ago the seas were "several meters above modern levels" and that polar temperatures sufficient to cause a several-meter sea-level rise may eventually result from artificial global warming. The latest major study of austral land ice detected a thawing rate that would add two to three inches to sea level during this century. Such findings are among the arguments that something serious is going on with Earth's climate. But the science-consensus forecast about sea-level rise is plenty bad enough. Why does An Inconvenient Truth use disaster-movie speculation?An Inconvenient Truth spends too little time on what audiences might do about global warming, too much time trying to impress us with the Ask Mr. Science side of Gore's personality. Fewer details might have made the movie more effective, especially given that some details are off. For instance, Gore spends a while saying Earth's atmosphere is relatively thin, then somberly declares, "The problem we now face is that this thin layer of atmosphere is being thickened by huge quantities of carbon dioxide." Thickness is not the issue. Carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas produced by fossil-fuel combustion and forest fires, has molecular bonds that vibrate on the same wavelengths at which infrared energy radiates upward from Earth's surface; the vibration warms the CO2, trapping heat. The main atmospheric gas, nitrogen, does not absorb energy on those wavelengths. It is the chemistry of carbon dioxide, not its density, that matters. (See this chemistry page maintained by the carbon dioxide study center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.) Anyway, you don't really need to know how greenhouse gases function. Why does Gore insist on giving a wrong explanation?The movie takes a wacky side-trip into a conspiracy theory about Philip Cooney, who was a lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute and then became chief of staff of George W. Bush's Council on Environmental Quality�and then got a plush office at ExxonMobil. Gore asserts Cooney was "in charge of environmental policy in the White House," which is nonsense. The EPA administrators, Josh Bolten, Andrew Card, James Connaughton, Mitch Daniels, John Graham, Al Hubbard, and Karl Rove, have been Bush's go-to figures for environment policy; and Connaughton, to whom Cooney reported, is green as can be. Gore implies Cooney's secret mission was to sabotage such efforts as the federal Climate Change Science Program. If so, Cooney better keep his day job, since that program recently declared "clear evidence of human influences on the climate system."An Inconvenient Truth comes to the right conclusions about the seriousness of global warming; plus we ought to be grateful these days for anything earnest at the cineplex. But the film flirts with double standards. Laurie David, doyenne of Rodeo Drive environs, is one of the producers. As Eric Alterman noted in the Atlantic, David "reviles owners of SUVs as terrorist enablers, yet gives herself a pass when it comes to chartering one of the most wasteful uses of fossil-based fuels imaginable, a private jet." For David to fly in a private jet from Los Angeles to Washington would burn about as much petroleum as driving a Hummer for a year; if she flew back in the private jet, that's two Hummer-years. Gore's movie takes shots at Republicans and the oil industry, but by the most amazing coincidence says nothing about the poor example set by conspicuous consumers among the Hollywood elite. Broadly, An Inconvenient Truth denounces consumerism, yet asks of its audience no specific sacrifice. "What I look for is signs we are really changing our way of life, and I don't see it," Gore intones with his signature sigh. As he says this, we see him at an airport checking in to board a jet, where he whips out his laptop. If "really changing our way of life" is imperative, what's Gore doing getting on a jetliner? Jets number among the most resource-intensive objects in the world.This raises the troubling fault of An Inconvenient Truth: its carelessness about moral argument. Gore says accumulation of greenhouse gases "is a moral issue, it is deeply unethical." Wouldn't deprivation also be unethical? Some fossil fuel use is maddening waste; most has raised living standards. The era of fossil energy must now give way to an era of clean energy. But the last century's headlong consumption of oil, coal, and gas has raised living standards throughout the world; driven malnourishment to an all-time low, according to the latest U.N. estimates; doubled global life expectancy; pushed most rates of disease into decline; and made possible Gore's airline seat and MacBook, which he doesn't seem to find unethical. The former vice president clicks up a viewgraph showing the human population has grown more during his lifetime than in all previous history combined. He looks at the viewgraph with aversion, as if embarrassed by humanity's proliferation. Population growth is a fantastic achievement�though one that engenders problems we must fix, including inequality and greenhouse gases. Gore wants to have it that the greener-than-thou crowd is saintly, while the producers of cars, power, food, fiber, roads, and roofs are appalling. That is, he posits a simplified good versus a simplified evil. Just like a movie!Related in SlateClick here for a cheat sheet on global warming by Chip Giller and Katharine Wroth. This spring, Rob Nixon reviewed two new books on climate change, Elizabeth Kolbert's Field Notes From a Catastrophe and Tim Flannery's The Weather Makers. In 2000, James Q. Wilson explained why the environment isn't a major campaign issue. Earlier this month, Gregg Easterbrook debunked the bird flu panic.Gregg Easterbrook is the author, most recently, of The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse.Still of Al Gore and others from An Inconvenient Truth by Eric Lee � 2006 Paramount Classics. All rights reserved.


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Built When Ordered
Production Time: 2 to 3 days
The LT-S-X-19-D will be automatically added to our production queue when it is ordered.
Each QuickStick can be used for a Left or Right-hand turnout. The price shown is for one QuickStick.
Specially designed for trackwork built with Fast Tracks assembly fixtures, QuickSticks laser cut ties let you construct fully complete, ready-to-run S crossings right at your workbench!
Using our track assembly fixtures, you build what we call a "skeleton." This skeleton will have PC Board ties located at key locations to keep the piece of trackwork in gauge. To finish the trackwork, our Laser Cut QuickSticks are used. With a single step, all the remaining wood ties are added to the pre-built skeleton, and the trackwork is ready to be installed.
Now anyone can build inexpensive, hand laid trackwork that:
- Looks Great! - With realistic-looking trackwork on wood ties
- Is Easy To Build - With results that rival even the most experienced modelers
- Performs Perfectly - Build hundreds of crossings with one fixture
- Can Be Built Quickly - Build a fully complete crossing in less than an hour!
- Looks Great! - Get results that rival even the most experienced modelers
- Lets You Work in Comfort - Build trackwork at your workbench
QuickSticks are cut from Baltic Birch plywood custom sawn in Finland specifically for Fast Tracks. Like the prototype, the wood grain on our QuickSticks ties runs perpendicular to the rails. The ties are 0.1" (2.5mm), 7 scale inches thick and 0.14" (3.6mm) 9 scale inches wide. They will match all popular commercially available wood ties, including wood ties available from Fast Tracks. The ties will also match all popular commercial track, and trackwork completed with QuickSticks will be compatible with these products.
The QuickSticks on this page are the Drilled version. We offer Quicksticks with either drilled or non-drilled wood ties. The version you choose is a matter of personal preference. The non-drilled version has trackwork fastened to it with Pliobond adhesive. Plionbond will provide a solid bond for a lifetime as its bond increases over time and is very reliable. Spiking onto our drilled QuickSticks will provide a mechanical bond that some modelers prefer, but requires a bit more time to install. Not all ties are pre-drilled, only ties at key locations to allow the turnout to be fastened in place.
If you prefer, a non-drilled version is available that is designed to be glued to the rails using Pliobond glue.
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Default Turnout Length | 11.2" (284 mm) | This is the length of the turnout on the QuickSticks. Measured from end tie to end tie. |
Minimum Turnout Length | 8.8" (224 mm) | This is the shortest possible turnout length. Measured from the end PC board tie to end PC board tie. |
Diverging Route Angle | 19° (Decimal) 19°(D/M/S) 1:19° (Ratio) | Decimal = Frog angle in decimal degrees D/M/S = Deg/Min/Sec Ratio = Frog angle expressed as a ratio |
Diverging Route Radius | " ( mm) | The minimum radius in a straight turnout. |
Tie Spacing (Prototype) | 20" (508 mm) | Tie spacing center of tie to center of tie. |
Tie Size (Model) | L - 1.59" (40 mm) W - 0.14" (4 mm) H - 0.1" (3 mm) | The actual size of the tie. |
Tie Size (Prototype) | L - 8.5' (2.6 m) W - 9"(229 mm) H - 7" (178 mm) | The original tie size that the model was based on. |
Track Gauge | 0.89" (23 mm) | The distance between the stock rails. |
Size | L - 12" (305 mm) W - 2.5" (64 mm) H - 0.1" (3 mm) | The physical size of the product |
Weight | 0.07 lbs (0.032 kg) | |
Material | 3 Ply Baltic Birch |
Building Turnouts Using Fast Tracks Assembly Fixtures
This fully illustrated document provides complete details for building switches using Fast Tracks tools & supplies. These instructions apply to Turnouts, Wyes & Curved Turnouts in all scales and include essential information for building any fixture-built trackwork.
Completing Switches Using Fast Tracks QuickSticks
This Builders Guide details how to complete building your switch using QuickSticks laser-cut wood ties.
Finishing Straight/Curved Track With QuickSticks
Watch as we demonstrate how to use our QuickSticks laser cut ties to finish straight and curved trackwork built in a Fast Tracks fixture.
Fast Tracks Video Channel
Visit our growing collection of track building demonstration videos
Fast Tracks Knowledge Base
In addition to an extensive Q&A section, we also offer a full library of track building documents.


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House of Commons
Session 2010-12
Publications on the internet
The Register of Members' Financial Interests: Part 1
As at 29th November 2011
SIMPSON, Keith (Broadland)
2. Remunerated employment, office, profession etc
Book Review Editor at Total Politics magazine, 375 Kennington Lane London SE11 5QY. Paid £145 per month. Hours: approximately 20hrs per month.
6. Overseas visits
Name of donor: Great Britain China Centre
Address of donor: 15 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PS
Amount of donation (or estimate of the probable value): flight £3,250; accommodation £460
Destination of visit: Beijing and Shanghai
Date of visit: 12-18 September 2010
Purpose of visit: to attend the fourth meeting of the UK-China Leadership Forum and associated activities
(Registered 11 October 2010)
Name of donor: Konrad-Adenauer Foundation
Address of donor: 63D, Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PM
Amount of donation (or estimate of the probable value): cost of flights, hotel, food, other transport and fee for translator; total cost £4,231.45
Destination of visit: Berlin
Date of visit: 11 October 2010
Purpose of visit: to speak to Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, Berlin, about coalition government in UK
(Registered 9 February 2011)