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International Boston Seafood Show is the Coffee For a Cause, at Booth 2467, where you can buy a cup of coffee and part of the proceeds benefit the SeaShare charity. SeaShare has over 200 affiliates, serving all 50 states, and their primary goal is to alleviate hunger, a most worthy cause.
From the South Bay to the Valley
From the West Side to the East Side
Everybody's very happy
'Cause the sun is shining all the time
Looks like another perfect day
I love L.A. (We love it)
--Randy Newman, I Love L.A.
As I wandered around the streets ofLos Angeles, the lyrics of Randy Newman's paean to L.A. echoed through my mind, and visions of its music video accompanied those lyrics. I spent several days in Los Angeles attending the Design Bloggers Conference,a fun and fascinating event that would not seem my usual interest. However, I was there to make a presentation, How to Differentiate Yourself In a Crowded Online Marketplace, which entailed speaking about Sake and Blogging.
At its most elemental, all of the design bloggers and I are lovers of beauty, just in different areas, so we have much more in common than what it might seem on the surface. That shared aesthetic sense binds us on a deeper level than our mutual use of the same tool, blogging. As I spent time chatting with a number of the attendees, it was clear that we did share much, and that they were eager to learn and share their own passions with me.
While I was in L.A., I enjoyed some delicious meals, snacks and drinks. It was my first time in that city but I would like to return again to check out more of its culinary scene. I only checked out there merest fraction of what the city has to offer. During my culinary experiences, I did not take my usual detailed notes and photographs, desirous more of experiencing the meal and socializing with my dining companions. However, these spots are all worthy of mention.
Yurine's Pot, the beginning of the Tipsy Sensei series. Since then, I have published two more short stories and a novel in the Tipsy Sensei series. I am also pleased to publish this month my second paperback book,The Tipsy Sensei & Others, my new collection of nine food, wine and Sake short stories. It is available through Amazon as aTrade Paperback and an Ebook. I hope to conduct some local signings of the paperback and will announce them on my blog once they are scheduled.
Massachusetts wineries, including Westport Rivers. Last year, several of my posts discussed wines from diverse regions such as Mexico, Nova Scotia, andVermont. Thus,my latest endeavor fits well within my interests, to explore and promote wines from all over North America.
Prezza is on fire!
I am speaking figuratively of course. After suffering a terrible kitchen fire last July,Chef & Owner Anthony Caturanoreopened Prezza on January 10. Prezza is one of my favorite Italian restaurants so I eagerly looked forward to their reopening. Last week, I returned to the restaurant for dinner and though they have been reopened for less than three weeks, it seemed as if they were back at the top of their game. The kitchen was not rusty in the least. Prezza is back and you need to dine there.
After a chocolate tasting at Cocoanuts, I went to Prezza for dinner with a few friends and fellow bloggers, including Adam, Jen and Kerrie. None of them had ever dined at Prezza before. They all left the restaurant thoroughly impressed, well sated after an incredible meal. You can check out Jen's review and Kerrie's review of their dining experience at Prezza. As someone who has dined there before, I found everything was as good as ever and it continues to receive my highest recommendation.
Though I am always pleased to see Sake articles in the media, helping promote this wonderful beverage, I get dismayed when such articles containerroneousinformation. I try to educate people about Sake, to clarify their misconceptions, but that becomes more difficult when articles in popular magazines and newspapers perpetuate such misconceptions. Most of the time, such errors could have been easily corrected and that makes the offense seem even worse.
The new issue of Boston Magazine contains an extensiveAsian Dining Guideand one of the articles, Good Libations, discusses Sake. Though it is a brief article, it makes some significant errors and I was initially informed by the Food Editor that the article had been fact checked. That was dismaying and raised numerous questions in my mind. If it was fact checked, and still contained errors, then what did that say about the process? Who fact checked the article? How was it fact checked? What resource(s) was used to fact check it? Why were the errors allowed to stand?
I was later informed that at least some of the errors were intentional. Intentional? Apparently, they did not wish to confuse the public with too much information so they chose to ignore and omit certain basic facts about Sake. They essentially wanted to dumb down the article because they didn't believe the public was capable of handling the truth. I think the use of erroneous information is more harmful to the public in the long run and that the public is capable enough to handle at least a minimal degree of difficulty. They should be treated as adults, not children, and not spoon fed simple data as if incapable of handling more. One can be simple yet accurate.
Let us look more closely at the errors that were put forth in the article.
First, the article states that there are "three types of premium sake" but there are actually six types. The article failed to mention that there are three types of Honjozo Sake, a second premium category. The Honjozo category is actually even larger than the Junmai category.
The magazine intentionally omitted any reference to Honjozo, allegedly for simplicity's sake. However, they still could have remained accurate yet also been simple. All they would have had to say is something like "there are six types of premium sake but we will highlight only three here." That is succinct and accurate, fixes the error and should not unduly confuse readers. As you see, the term Honjozo didn't need to be mentioned yet readers might be intrigued enough by the reference to other types of premium Sake to seek out more information.
Second, the article states that the types of premium Sake are "categorized by the amount of rice milled away" but that is not truly correct either. First and foremost, the most important element that determines whether a Sake is "premium" or not, is the number and type of ingredients used in the production of the Sake. The milling percentage is a secondary consideration and alone not indicative of a premium Sake.
To be a Junmai, a Sake must only contain four ingredients: rice, water, yeast and koji-kin. To be a Honjozo, the Sake can contain one more ingredient, distilled alcohol. No matter how much of the rice is milled away, a Sake is not "premium" unless it also only has those four or five ingredients. Only about 25% of all Sake produced qualifies as "premium."
Again, the fix would have been relatively simple, adding that premium sake is "categorized by the number & type of ingredients, as well as the amount of rice milled away." Succinct and accurate, it fixes the second error and again should not unduly confuse readers.
Third, the article states Junmai must be "milled to 70 percent or less of the original grain." Beside the awkward construction of that phrase, it is incorrect as there is no minimum milling requirement for a Junmai. A Junmai could be milled down to only 80% and still be considered a Junmai. The only requirement for being a Junmai concerns the number and nature of its ingredients. This is an error that runs rampant in many other Sake articles too.
The fix is also simple. Just state that "Junmai does not have a minimum milling percentage." There is really no reason why that couldn't have been done.
I don't see a valid reason why this article could not have been made accurate. Alleged concerns about dumbing down the article for the general public do not seem warranted, especially considering how easy it would have been to fix the errors. I understand this was not a lengthy educational article on Sake but simple articles can and should still be accurate. Give your readers some credit for being intelligent.
As a final matter, I want to address the lone "tip" in the article, advising people to look for the milling percentage on the label if the writing is in Japanese. I don't think that tip is really helpful and is more likely to confuse someone than help them.
The average person will almost never find a Sake in the U.S. which doesn't specify its type, such as whether it is a Junmai or Ginjo. They will though find a number of bottles which fail to list the milling percentage. So it is far more prudent to remember the type of Sake you prefer and seek out that type on the label rather than hunt on the bottle for milling percentages, which might not even be there. Plus, it is probably easier to remember a word "Ginjo" rather than remember you like Sake that has been milled down to at least 60%.
If you go to a restaurant, their Sake menu will list Sakes by type and almost never mention the milling percentage. Thus, remembering that you like "Ginjo" makes ordering Sake at a restaurant much easier too. Forget milling percentages and learn the name of the Sake type you enjoy.
Wayland Winter Farmers' Market at Russell's Garden Center, easily accessible off Route 128 on Route 20. The market is now open on Saturdays, from 10am-2pm, through March 9. They have about 40 vendors and also run certain special events, like Farm Fiber Days and the Massachusetts Farm Wineries Day.
I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I briefly highlight some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently.
1) For Valentine's Day, consider The Beehivewhich ispresenting "3 Days of Lovin'!" A 3-day long love fest of Valentine's Day inspired dinners accompanied by romantic live music, drink specials from Svedka Vodka, Domaine Chandon and Moët & Chandon as well as menu specials including: "My Heart Beets Crab Salad" with beets, hearts of palm & sugar snap peas, Rack of Lamb for Two with salsa verde, roasted potatoes & blood orange salad, and Roasted Sea Scallop with spinach & truffle pommes puree, to name a few. Pair the dinner of your choice with delicious cocktails from Svedka, or toast your love with a glass of Domaine Chandon or Moët & Chandon to set the mood.
Reservations are highly recommended, and can be made by calling 617-423-0069.
Performance Schedule:
Wednesday, February 13:
--Valentine's Day 3 Days of Lovin' featuring Alex Brown Piano Trio, 7pm-12am
Thursday, February 14:
--Romantic Early Jazz Set featuring Fernando Huergo, Yulia Musayelyan and Nando Michelin: 5pm-7pm
--Valentine's Day 3 Days of Lovin' featuring Gabriela Martina: 7:30pm-9:30pm
--Valentine's Day 3 Days of Lovin' featuring Sissy Castrogiovanni: 9:30pm-1am
Friday, February 15:
--Romantic Early Latin Jazz Set: Gilson Schacknick Trio, 6:30pm-8:30pm
--Valentine's Day 3 Days of Lovin' featuring Wishes and Thieves: 10pm-2am
2) Ashmont Grill will host its first stemmed glass wine event on Monday, February 18 at 7:00 PM. Winemaker Rodney Schatz of Hybrid Wines, an offshoot of Peltier Station, will host a communal dinner for a maximum of 20 guests. Cost is $55 per person (including tax and gratuity) and you can RSVP to firstname.lastname@example.com or call them at 617-825-4300.
Over five courses of seasonal cuisine, Schatz will chat with diners about how top-rated, sustainably grown grapes from his familys 1,200 acre vineyard in Lodi, California were meticulously blended to make a new breed of affordable, food-loving wines. Blends to be poured include Hybrids pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir and petite sirah. Vintages span 2007 to 2011. Menu will be posted online soon.
Ashmont Grill will now also be open for lunch every Friday at 11:30 AM. A 10-item menu of salads, sandwiches, pasta and soup will be available, and lunchtime will segue into dinnertime, so that the Grills famous Super Turkey Burger, Pearl Hot Dogs, and Cobb Salads can be enjoyed anytime until 5 PM on that day. Lunch items range from $7-15.
Desserts, always a top draw at Ashmont Grill, will also be available at the new Friday lunch. Pastry Chef Clare Garlands lineup for January includes:
Chocolate Crème Fraiche Cake with Roasted Pears
Parfait of Banana Cream & Butterscotch Pudding with Pecan Crunch
French Apple Tart with crème anglaise
3)Chef Brian Poe is bringing the Tip Tap Room's first Valentine's Weekend to Beacon Hill. For three nights, Chef Poe will serve up The Love Game menu which features a series of bold – and aptly named – dishes. In addition to the regular menu, "The Love Game" is offered as a five-course prix fixe or with the items available a la carte:
--Wicked Tuna: Tuna tartare in soy vinaigrette with wasabi and pickled ginger sorbet ($10.95)
--You Had Me at Carpaccio: Cayenne-dusted buffalo carpaccio, horseradish, truffle & rosemary vinaigrette and a touch of caviar ($11.95)
--Mixed Emulsions: Peppercress, celery root chips, seared foie gras, apple-cider-champagne vinaigrette ($12.95)
--Wildly in Love: Kangaroo in peppercorn, antelope in cranberry gin, elk in rosemary-sage marinade, rutabaga puree and parsnip-parsley salsa ($28.95)
--Hot Sticky Mess: Hazelnut & chocolate waffle with white chocolate chip-marshmallow butter and chocolate caramel maple sauce ($11.95 – for two people)
Cost: Five-course prix fixe: $75 per person (individual items are also available via a la carte pricing)
For reservations, please call: 857-350-3344.
4) On Tuesday, February 12, from 5pm-12am, 75 on Liberty Wharfwill get decked out in festive décor for a special Mardi Gras-inspired night in celebration of this year's Creole carnival. In addition to the bayou-themed embellishments, Corporate Chef Markus Ripperger has assembled a selection of Southern-inspired dishes featuring an array of the region's most iconic ingredients - think succulent crawfish, spicy andouille sausage and zesty Cajun flavors - that promise to make your taste buds shout, "Holy Trinity." And, inspired by the Big Easy's chief customary cocktail, 75 will offer a line-up of Hurricane-themed sips ideal for those really looking to get in the spirit.
75 on Liberty Wharf's menu of Mardi Gras-themed cuisine will feature the following specials:
Louisiana Seafood Burger (homemade burger with fresh halibut, Atlantic salmon, center cut swordfish, toasted croissant, lettuce, tomato, spicy aioli, field greens) $14
Jambalaya (crawfish, shrimp, chicken, spicy andouille sausage, peppers, tomatoes, steamed white rice) $19
Crawfish Étouffée (crawfish, garden vegetables, tomatoes, Cajun spices, white rice) $19
Shrimp & Chicken Gumbo (shrimp, chicken, bell peppers, okra, tomatoes, Cajun spices, white rice) $19
75 on Liberty Wharf's Mardi Gras specials will be served in addition to the regular New England-centric menu.
For reservations, please call: 617-227-0754
shōjō is commonly considered to be a water spirit that loves Sake. You'll find several legends about them that center around magical Sake, from Sake that can cure any illness to Sake pots that are always full, no matter how much your pour out. The legend has a Chinese origin and the term is sometimes translated as "orangutan" so that a few legends describe shōjō as resembling monkeys. In my first Tipsy Sensei story, Yurine's Pot, the legend of the shōjō played a pivotal role. With my interest in such matters, I was intrigued by a new Chinatown restaurant called Shōjō.
By now, you probably have read at least one article about the new Reviewer Card, a plastic card that states "I Write Reviews." The Los Angeles Times was one of the first to bring this card to our attention and numerous others have written about it during the past week. A self-described "lifelong entrepreneur" essentially decided that if restaurants and other businesses were aware that he wrote online reviews then they would provide him special service. As he felt there were other online reviewers in a similar situation, who wanted special treatment, he created the Reviewer Card.
An online reviewer simply flashes this card at a business and the hope is that the business will fawn all over this person, providing them special service, far better than the average person receives. It can be used at almost any business, from a restaurant to a hotel, from a dentist to an auto service station. The catch is that there is absolutely no guarantee that use of the card will be successful, and based on the comments of some restaurant owners during the past week, it could actually get you kicked out of some places.
This entrepreneurcharges $100 for the plastic Reviewer card and states he will only provide them to "highly active review site users," though there are no parameters for what that entails. It is the entrepreneur's sole discretion as to who can receive the card. Interestingly, their membership application has apparently changed during the past week, maybe due to all of the recent negative press. Previously, they listed specific online sites, such as Yelp and Trip Advisor, where you indicated your contributions. There was no place though to list if you wrote a blog. Now you simply list your "Top Reviewer Profiles" so it could also include a blog.
In addition, there appears to be a new question on the application: "Do you accept to use this card ethically and morally?" There is nothing on their website that indicates what constitutes an ethical and moral use of the card. Thus, it is a question with no real teeth. Based on comments made by the entrepreneur, his grasp of the ethics of restaurant reviewing seems questionable. For example, he apparently sees nothing wrong with failing to disclose any special treatment he receives, which many others would see as an ethical failure to be transparent, an ethical failure to disclose a potential conflict of interest. The question seems to be new, drafted in response to all of the negative publicity.
The entrepreneur claims that he has sold about 100 of the Reviewer Cards and has given away another 400 or so though we should probably take his claims with a grain of salt. If true, he has already earned about $10,000, which is fairly lucrative for selling a cheap plastic card which guarantees nothing. It makes little sense for anyone to purchase this card. Why pay $100 when any reviewer could spend $10 and buy a bunch of business cards that say the exact same thing? In fact, they could even get a bunch of business cards for free from a few different companies.
Those business cards possess the same potential as the Reviewer Card. Even without any card, some try to assert that they possess aprivilegedstatus as an online reviewer. There have always been stories of Yelpers and others who have just announced their status to a restaurant owner, demanding special service or comped meals. Use of the Reviewer Card only elevates the level of ignorance and arrogance of these people.
If you collect all of the various articles about the Reviewer Card during the past week, the most common pejorative you will find about the card and those who would use it is "douchebag." It is an apt description. Few have defended the practice and rightfully so. It raises a number of ethical issues which any restaurant reviewer should consider but which some unfortunately ignore. Despite theentrepreneur'sdenials, the Reviewer Card seems designed to violate these ethical considerations
Use of this card can be seen as a form of extortion, where the reviewer demands special service from a restaurant or other business with the unspoken threat that they will write a terrible review if the business does not comply. A threat does not need to be spoken to be intended or understood. With the spread of the Internet, and all of the consumer review sites, restaurants and other businesses fully understand that any customer can write a negative review that thousands will see. It is in their best interest to treat all customers equally as they never know who might or might not write a review.
Use of this card can also be considered a type of bribe, where the reviewer agrees to provide a top review if they receive special service. A pay for play situation. The entrepreneur behind this card sees nothing wrong with this practice, though responsible restaurant reviewers understand the ethical problem with that type of behavior. Transparency is required for any situation where there is a potential conflict of interest, such as receiving free samples or a comped meal. The FCC certainly sees this as a necessity for bloggers, though there are certainly a few bloggers who violate those disclosure requirements.
The Reviewer Card is fornarcissistic,entitled douchebags who think they deserve special treatment just because they write snarky reviews on Yelp or Trip Advisor. They don't want to be treated like any average customer. They want to be special, to receive special treatment. They don't want to tell the truth but rather brag about the treatment they received, which the average patron might not ever receive. It is also for someone dumb enough to spend $100 for a card they could create on their own for a minimal cost, if not free.
I think that the example of the Reviewer Card should cause anyone who reviews restaurants, wines, and other businesses to do some soul searching, to review their own behavior and ensure that it is ethical. They should ask certain questions and honestly answer them. Are you always transparent in your reviews? Do you ever guarantee a review in exchange for some type of consideration? Do you threaten in any way, verbally or not, to write a negative review if you do not receive special consideration? Do you endeavor to be honest in your reviews, to share both the positive and negative?
For bloggers, I recommend that you post your own ethical policies on your sites, to indicate the standards you endeavor to follow. As an example, you can read my own Code of Ethics, Disclosure, Advertising and Sample Policies. If you wish to be taken seriously in any way, you should be an ethical reviewer. It will enhance your credibility and reputation.
Don't be a douchebag!
It has been brutally cold for the last couple days and people have been warned that drinking alcohol will not keep them warm. However, is that fully true? A Japanese doctor, Yukio Takizawa, disagrees when it comes to Sake. "Recent studies have shown that moderate consumption of saké can maintain our body temperature in the cold. During acute exposure to a cold environment saké may prove advantageous by increasing blood circulation and heat production."
Though Dr. Takizawa does not differentiate whether he is referring to cold or warm Sake, it is common for the Japanese to drink warm Sake during the winter.Kanzakeis the general term for warmed Sake though there are several specific terms for Sake served at various heated temperatures. The first written references to warmed Sake are from the early 10th century and it was not until the early 17th century that drinking warmed Sake during the winter became commonplace. Interestingly, around the start of the 18th century, the Japanese started drinking warm Sake year round.
Why did the Japanese drink warmed Sake? It is thought that the primary reason may be for their health. The Chinese had drank warmed alcohol for a long time before the Japanese and they had health traditions that drinking warmed beverages were better for your health. During the early 18th century, Kaibara Ekiken, an influential samurai, physician, scientist and philosopher, wrote a book promoting the idea that warm Sake improves the circulation of one's life energy.
The health benefits of Sake extend well beyond protection from the cold. "Consuming saké in moderation has been hailed in Japan since ancient times as a healthy practice that delivers good health, longevity and excellent skin tone." Though you might want to dismiss that as primitive folklore with little basis in reality, recent scientific studies have provided a solid foundation for these beliefs. "In light of the best current medical knowledge, moderate saké consumption is good for liver health, effective in preventing most forms of cancer, enables good blood flow, and reduces stress." Dr. Takizawa also stated: "Saké too offers a number of particular health benefits, including increased HDL (or the good) cholesterol, thus preventing heart attacks, strokes and other health problems. Furthermore, saké contains many naturally occurring nutrients." Sake can even help you sleep better. "Moderate consumption of saké is known to reduce REM sleep and increase the non-REM or deep sleep, therefore helping to make for more restful sleep."
All of the above quotes can be found in Dr. Takizawa's compelling book: Sake, Health and Longevity(Veronica Lane Books, May 2011). This short, but fascinating, book details a myriad of health benefits, based on numerous studies, provided by Sake. You can read this book to learn more detail about the general health statements I quoted above. Besides the health benefits, it also provides basic information about Sake production, Sake types and pairing Sake with food. It is a great starting point for learning more about Sake and raises many intriguing points that deserve follow up and exploration. Sake is delicious but it also appears to be good for you, providing another important reason for everyone to check it out.
"In fact, an ancient Japanese saying reminds the gourmet "to drink sake, not to get drunk by it."
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Advice Requested -- What type mount to get
Posted 20 March 2013 - 12:39 AM
I have currently a Super C8 Plus stil in its original fork. I want to get into astro photography pretty extensively and the current mount just seems to have a bit of a jiggle that I think is in part due to its mount. Even a very slight breeze can ge the scope bouncing noticeable in an eyiece and in photos that would be devastating. So, I am looking at taking the plunge to a German equatorial mount, but there are a lot of manufacturers out there and I have questions, too. So, here we go!
Equipment I have is a C8 with a 8x50 finder. For photography I often go piggyback with wide field lenses up to my Celestron Onyx 80mm mounted in rings. The camera I use is a DSLR. Max equipment load from this I would guess would be about 30 lbs. so a mount that can support at least 30 lbs would be good.
I don't observe from a fixed location, so portability is a requirement. I like to get my current scope up to the mountains whenever possible, and it can be a bit bulky, but doable.
Auto guiding options. I know Orion has a system, but looks like it requires a laptop to drive it. Is there an option that is standalone? In other words, "talks" to the mount directly? I saw the Celestron guider which does this, but does it work with mounts from other manufacturers?
My initial uneducated instincts tell me either the Orion Atlas EQ-G or the Celestron CGEM could be the way to go. But, from what I have read so far, the Orion mount wins for the drive, but Celestron wins for guiding.
Anybody have any thoughts on this?
Posted 20 March 2013 - 03:35 AM
I don't know about guiding and CGEM.I mean if it actually wins or not over Atlas.
most probably the two mounts are virtually equivalent.
I guess till Celestron comes out with a fix for the cogging issue reported by many users on the CGEM..the Orion option, at least psycologically is the safest one.
Posted 20 March 2013 - 05:23 AM
Posted 20 March 2013 - 05:43 AM
the Atlas also doesn't have the 8/3 gearbox harmonic of the CGEM.
It also works very well with eqmod, if you don't mind being tethered to a PC...
Posted 20 March 2013 - 08:49 AM
Posted 20 March 2013 - 08:56 AM
Posted 20 March 2013 - 09:01 AM
Posted 20 March 2013 - 09:03 AM
Looks like Celestron has a guider that runs without a laptop, curious if there are others that can, too. And if there are, what mounts will they work on?
There are others currently available (SBIG SG-4 is an example), and quite a few available only second hand (Meade 201XT, 208XT, 216XT, SBIG ST-4, STV). All are compatible with any mount having an autoguide port. That includes most available mounts.
Posted 20 March 2013 - 09:06 AM
the 8/3 harmonic is an irrational (8/3 = 2.66666667) periodic error that can't be removed by periodic error correction.
Posted 20 March 2013 - 09:11 AM
the celestron nexguide can't do subpixel guiding though. you need an SBIG SG-4, Lacerta MGEN, or similar.
That's an important issue if guiding with a separate guidescope of short focal length. It's not, if using an off-axis guider. Personally, I wouldn't consider imaging through an SCT without an OAG for many reasons.
Posted 20 March 2013 - 09:22 AM
Posted 20 March 2013 - 09:49 AM
Posted 20 March 2013 - 10:11 AM
John, i know someone with a nexguide and OAG. the sensitivity of the chip is poor, it has trouble getting guide stars.
That would be a real problem with an OAG!
Posted 20 March 2013 - 10:33 AM
For astrophotography, I would recommend the Atlas EQ6. If your looking for better, and have more funds, the next mount you should consider is the AP Mach One. That's a big jump, but my current thinking eliminates all Mid range mounts as viable options. Anything more expensive than the EQ6 is to much risk unless getting AP quality.
Therefore -
Start with a EQ-6
Start saving for a Mach One!
Posted 20 March 2013 - 11:22 AM
I could have saved a lot of cash if I had followed the above advice.
There is a bit of upgrading you can do to an EQ6 - buy an Aeroquest worm for it, or if you are feeling flush, buy a matched Aeroquest worm and ring gear for the RA. Still under $500 additional.
Posted 20 March 2013 - 11:33 AM
I'd go cheap. Get a focal reducer for you OTA. Get a orion mini autoguider package (doesn't weigh much at all) and get the Celestron advanced VX mount.
Posted 20 March 2013 - 05:50 PM
Posted 20 March 2013 - 09:06 PM
So yeah, I totally agree that your options are:
1) Atlas
2) Mach 1 / EM-200 / NJP
Posted 20 March 2013 - 09:16 PM
Posted 20 March 2013 - 09:24 PM
Posted 20 March 2013 - 10:42 PM
Used NJPs come very close to the price of used EM200's and frankly a new EM200 is a bad deal at close to the price of a Mach1, no GoTo from the handset, and no PEC.
The NJP doesn't really need PEC due to the sub-5" (often sub-3") periodic error. But the EM200 is only guaranteed to +- 7" I believe (so 15" p-p).
Posted 20 March 2013 - 11:23 PM
Seems like I'm leaning toward the Atlas mount based on comments here and other things I've seen online. So much to think about, particularly as it pertains to the guiding system.
Posted 21 March 2013 - 12:07 AM
Yes there is room for upgrading the EQ6, especially with the tripod. I added a TPI spreader and battery tray to mine and it made the setup rock solid.
+1 ^
I could have saved a lot of cash if I had followed the above advice.
There is a bit of upgrading you can do to an EQ6 - buy an Aeroquest worm for it, or if you are feeling flush, buy a matched Aeroquest worm and ring gear for the RA. Still under $500 additional.
Posted 21 March 2013 - 12:21 AM
Out of curiosity, what is involved in hyper tuning a mount?
You don't necessarily have to hypertune the EQ6. My first one needed it, my second one was excellent out of the box. However, I did adjust the gears twice a year for the temp extremes. I did the same with my Mach 1 this winter, the procedure is quite simple and speedy with that mount. I'm sure many owners of the EQ6 don't make any adjustments at all and are quite happy with it.
Posted 21 March 2013 - 03:22 PM
Go with the EQ-6, Their pretty good right out of the box. Unless you want to spend big bucks then get the Mach-1.

subset: commoncrawl


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Three incumbents and a challenger are vying for three commissioner seats in Pine Knoll Shores. Candidates were asked by The Daily News to respond to the following questions in advance of the Nov. 5 municipal elections. Candidate profiles were edited for length in The Daily News� print edition. This is the full, unedited written response by one of four candidates.
Incumbent? Yes
Name: Lawrence Kacmarcik
Office you are seeking: Commissioner
Address: 104 Fern Court
Date of birth: 7/22/40
City of birth: Clifton, NJ
County of birth: Passaic County NJ
How voters can contact you: firstname.lastname@example.com; 252-247-3610
Occupation: My primary career has been in retail management serving as a supermarket manager for 16 years and six years as a regional sales manager. In addition I have owned and operated several successful businesses including a restaurant and personnel research firm. I am presently the owner of Better Living Builders.
Education: Business courses, Cornell University
Prior publicly elected, appointed or held positions: Presently a PKS town commissioner
Leadership experience: Served on the board as well as serving as president of the PIKSCO Home Owners Association for a period of 7 years. Four years as Commissioner
How long have you lived in the municipality for which you seek office? 22 years
Why are you running for office? I feel I have done a good job as a Commissioner and would like to be a part of continuing to work toward the present goals of the Board.
What makes you a good candidate for the position? Based on my experience with finance, personnel administration, and especially my experience as a town Commissioner I feel I can continue to effectively serve the citizens of Pine Knoll Shores.
What do you see as the town�s biggest budget challenge? Future funding for beach nourishment without a tax increase.
What type of growth do you think is best suited for the town? Very little land is available for development. The town should remain primarily residential.
What quality-of-life projects would you suggest for the town? Improve the volunteer base especially in emergency services.
Location, ST | website.com


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SageCircle has launched a new website that has an embedded blog. On the website you will be able to read all the past posts and comments, the latest blog posts, review the Analyst and AR Twitter Directories, signup for SageCircle's free AR newsletter, listen to available recorded AR Coffee Talks, and more.
Some items, such as the Twitter Directories, require you to be registered on the site. Registration is free and can be done by clicking on "No Account Yet? Register Here" in the Login box in the upper right column.
To read the latest blog post, please visit www.SageCircle.com and click on blog in the left menu bar under "Main Menu."
Please let us know what you think about the new website. We appreciate your comments as we work to improve the website and our other services.
Filed under: SageCircle news Tagged: | analyst relations, AR


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Results 11 to 20 of 43
Thread: Censoring the Forum Gallery??
Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Location
- Redmond, WA
- Posts
- 130
Democracy ?
Excellent point....at the outset of this forum, there was this great option with posting on the forum. You may remember it was a poll, where a member could post a "poll" question, where responding members input their answers and the stats were tracked and appeared in graph form... It was really cool...but, hmmm.. for some unexplained reason this function disappeared.. It was a great way to get quick opinions...
But to your point.. yeah, it would be great if this association of members were more of a democracy and could vote on specific issues along the way. As you say, "we get to vote for PPA president", et al.... where I usually don't know enough about anyone to cast a confident vote, but don't get a voice on decisions about print competition rules, gallery posting guidelines, etc...
Let's keep on hoping for more voice from "the people"!
HRHerman Robert
Redmond, WA
I believe that I can answer this one for you. The reason that we don't have more of a "democracy" is because we have a little over 7,500 members on this forum. If we were to run a democracy where everybody was able to vote on any decisions made about this forum then we would never accomplish anything. Everybody has their own agenda, and having 7,500 opinions it is assumed that not everybody would have the same views on every subject.
Example: Congress is relatively split 50% democrat and 50% republican, look how many things get passed successfully there...
Democracy is great for a country to follow, but not for a forum.
If however, anybody does have any ideas as to what could make this forum better then please feel free to share your thoughts with a committee member, they would be more than happy to then discuss the matter with the rest of the committee on your behalf.Gregory Aide
Production Manager
Not Censorship, just good business
A lot of the concerns with showing nudity on the site are summarized here:
Without proper record keeping, I could be personally liable for felony charges with both monetary fines and 5 years in prison. Additionally, if one of the images turns out to have been a minor, I believe I could face up to 15 years.
There was Absolutely no talk of "censoring" images in the galleries. It is a business concern first and foremost. In retrospect, I realize I should have posted information about this before we removed those images. So, please accept my apologies for the confusion.
We will include some info in the next forum newsletter, and the committee is looking at updating some of the rules of the forum so this issue will be more clear to new users as well.
Gregory Aide
Production Manager
04-20-2007, 02:24 PM #15Without proper record keeping, I could be personally liable for felony charges with both monetary fines and 5 years in prison. Additionally, if one of the images turns out to have been a minor, I believe I could face up to 15 years.
This decision appears to be based on fear and ignorance, and seems an overreaction. The government does not need to censor in fact so long as it intimidates people into self-censorship. Certainly it's "safer" in the short term to engage in wholesale deletion of perfectly lawful, artistic images. "Now we can't even be accused!" But if everybody cows so willingly to absurd extrapolations, then the censorship becomes de facto, even if no de juro. Sometimes, standing up and saying "this is BS; we are doing nothing wrong" is not only the brave thing to do, it's the right thing to do.Mark Levesque, CPP, M. Photog., Cr. Photog, A.C. Ph., CPP Liaison, PPCC Judge
If you wish to display your nudes on your own website, then you are free to intrepret the laws and take the precautions that you see fit.
Personally, I have no problems with nude photography. I have shot nudes, and I have volumes with the nudes of Edward Weston, George Platt-lynes, Andre KKertesz, and Duane Michals on my bookshelf.
Without having all the documentation I have absolutely no way of knowing if a model on the site is 15-16 or 18 years old. In order to protect myself and ppa, it is recommended that we have proper records on file. And with minors the image doesn't have to involve erotic acts.
With adults I believe that if the pose "suggests" erotic acts, then it also must have proper paper work on file.
Ours is just one of many sites that have moved in this direction. I know of another magazine that pulled all of their artist galleries off of their website, because there was some nude content, and they didn't want to have to deal with the record keeping.
here is some additional cautionary information from the summary article I mentioned earlier.
"Because the penalty for knowing publication of child pornography starts at fifteen years imprisonment on the first offense, and because even the successful defense of such a charge is likely to have absolutely catastrophic effects on any producer or webmaster, legal, economic, and emotional, the webmaster should firmly, aggressively, and resolutely take every possible step to ensure that his site does not depict persons under the age of eighteen in any manner that is arguably suggestive or erotic. Harvesting that information in every case of erotic imagery protects the content provider from taking and distributing erotic, nude images of minors, which, even without sexual activity, is among the most seriously viewed crimes. Insisting on those records from the provider keeps the webmaster reasonably far from the same harm: The maximum penalty for distribution is the same as that for creation. The five-year Section 2257 offense acts as an outer perimeter to keep the sincere and law-abiding adult content provider and webmaster far away from the more dangerous fifteen-year child pornography offense under Section 2252A."Gregory Aide
Production Manager
In The Interest of the Photographers
First of all "sexually explicit content" is, as is defined by article 2256, shown in our gallery. They define it as:
(v) lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of any person;
(10) "graphic", when used with respect to a depiction of sexually explicit conduct, means that a viewer can observe any part of the genitals or pubic area of any depicted person.
As for us not actually "producing" the images, you are correct because distributing the images is not seen as breaking the law.
Article (2257) Paragraph (h) section (3)
the term "produces" means to produce, manufacture, or publish any book, magazine, periodical, film, video tape, computer generated image, digital image, or picture, or other similar matter and includes the duplication, reproduction, or reissuing of any such matter, but does not include mere distribution or any other activity which does not involve hiring, contracting for managing, or otherwise arranging for the participation of the performers depicted
In that matter then yes you are correct that we are not directly liable for the distribution. However, do you think that it is appropriate that we not take these actions and let the law come down on the photographers who posted the nude images in the first place? There are some gray areas of this and we did our own research to determine if we were actually at risk. It is one of our main concerns as PPA to protect you, the photographers, from all legal issues. We have decided to take the action of removing these images to prevent a legal issue from arising, NOT to censor the photographers images.
If you want feedback on your nudes then post them on your own website and refer the forum members to them. Just keep in mind of all the legal matters that are involved in posting those kinds of images.Gregory Aide
Production Manager
Senior Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2005
- Posts
- 4,209
04-20-2007, 06:41 PM #19First of all "sexually explicit content" is, as is defined by article 2256, shown in our gallery. They define it as:
(v) lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of any person;
(10) "graphic", when used with respect to a depiction of sexually explicit conduct, means that a viewer can observe any part of the genitals or pubic area of any depicted person.
This is all academic, of course, as this is a fait accompli. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to discuss the subject, even belatedly.Mark Levesque, CPP, M. Photog., Cr. Photog, A.C. Ph., CPP Liaison, PPCC Judge
Agreeing to Disagree
I understand where you are coming from with all this. I don't really know much about laws, all I know is what I take from reading it. I don't see in section 10 where it says anything about the genitalia being involved in some kind of action.
What I get from it is:
When we are using the word "graphic" as a description of the sexually explicit content, means that any part of the genitals can be seen.
Again, I am agreeing to disagree with you on this topic because I don't want it to evolve into an argument. I believe that enough has been said about this situation and from now on it has been made clear that photos that show partial breasts or buttocks is allowed, however full on breast and/or pubic area will not be approved if submitted to the gallery.Gregory Aide
Production Manager


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Jacob Tierney
Birth Name: Jacob Tierney
Born: 09/26/1979
After achieving international child stardom, Jacob Tierney became an acclaimed adult writer-director-actor. Born Sept. 26, 1979 in Montréal, Québec, Canada, Jacob Daniel Tierney was the son of producer Kevin Tierney and became a successful child actor, starring in such kid-friendly Canadian/American favorites as "Dracula: The Series" (syndicated, 1990) and "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" (YTV/Nickelodeon, 1991-2000). After landing the leading role of an older brother whose lie sparks a road trip with his younger brother in the dramedy "Josh and S.A.M." (1993), recurring on "Big Wolf on Campus" (YTV/Fox Family Channel, 1999-2002) and booking an episode of "Touched by an Angel" (CBS, 1994-2003...
Popular Movies:
Worked With:


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The two luxury Italian brands Tod's and Ferrari are known for their exclusive collection of shoes and accessories. Discover the collection: shoes or travel bags among other luxury accessories. Choose your favourite and buy it now at the online Ferrari Store.
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Ferrari S.p.A. - registered address via Emilia Est 1163, Modena (Italy) - share capital Euro 20.260.000 - VAT no. 00159560366
Enrolled in the register of companies of Modena under no. 00159560366 - Copyright 2014 - All rights reserved
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- Handicapped Accessible:
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That is one hell of a buck. Even with the weak right front I think he will score high 180's.
Does who ever is the closest to the score get to go hunting with you next fall? I just can't stop looking at your buck, it's just beautiful.
That is one hell of a buck. Even with the weak right front I think he will score high 180's.
(for those of you who don't remember that was the name of an old Japanese godzilla movie)
Sternwarning- unbelievable. As far as B&C score goes, who cares? That system doesn't reward mule deer for their mass. I've
seen LOTS of heavy 170 bucks, including 3x3s, that I would shoot way before some that are in the book netting 185ish. Congrats. If I had to settle on an estimate on yours, I'd have to go with 185, which is incredible since his tine lengths are average for a big 'ole buck. Great main beam lengths and mass !!!!
I come up with
main beams 46
spread credit 23
stickers/split brow-9.5"
mass 46-48"
gross 189-195"
Great buck, congrats!!!!!
Wow nice buck.
Got a story yet? I am looking forward to it.
what a toad congrats man that one for the wall for sure.
WOW!!!! Killer buck Sternwarning
Holy crap!! That's an amazing buck! Congrats!!!


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Naf Naf Pink Newborn Gift Set: Body, 2 Bibs, Socks, Gloves, Hat
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Fabric and care: 100% cotton. 30 degree wash.
Suitable for newborn.
Product Code NAF-30406
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Post Affiliate Pro is an affiliate software designed to empower your affiliate program.
It is easy to manage campaigns and to track affiliate referrals and sales.
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Get notifications about new sales instantly on your Android, iPhone or iPad and monitor affiliate program traffic in real-time. Ready for affiliates and merchants.
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The customer support of Quality Unit is by far the best support that I have received so far. I highly recommend PAP to anyone who wants a reliable affiliate software and exceptional customer service!
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After extensive research and consideration of software that's in the marketplace for affiliate programs, I'm pleased that we selected Post Affiliate Pro. I would highly recommend them to any company looking to establish a professional affiliate program.


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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - The Buffalo Bills home game against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday has soldout after a local restaurateur committed to purchasing the remaining tickets.
The Bills announced on Wednesday that Russell Salvatore, of Russell's Steaks, Chops and More, had stepped in to prevent the game from being blacked out on local television. The Bills had said last week that there were more than 10,000 tickets unsold.
Salvatore called this his holiday gift to Bills fans.
The Bills (5-7) and Rams (5-6-1) remain on the fringes of the playoff hunt.
Buffalo's home game against Jacksonville last Sunday did not sell out. And there are thousands of tickets unsold for Buffalo's season finale against the New York Jets on Dec. 30.
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Associated Press


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|Local FFA chapter competes at districts
|Written by Holyoke Enterprise
Eighteen Holyoke High School students participated in FFA District Career Development Events (CDEs) on the Northeastern Junior College campus in Sterling on Tuesday, April 14.
Students from four districts and 33 different schools competed in a variety of events, including ag mechanics, livestock judging, horse judging, floriculture, business management, crops and land classification.
Two Holyoke students won individual placings in horse judging. Janna Smith earned a first place and Patricia Adams, fifth. This was held at the Logan County Fairgrounds along with the livestock judging, and students had to view and rank numerous pens of live animals, including sheep, hogs and horses.
The students had to give reasons why they ranked the animals the way they did and why the feature of one animal made it superior to another.
Several Holyoke teams also placed in CDEs throughout the day. Team members and placings are listed with their events:
Horse judging—Sarah Heermann, Patricia Adams, Janna Smith, Coleton Spitz and Kendra Timm, second.
Livestock judging—Brian Strong, Mariah Struckmeyer, Emma Adams and Erin Lebsack, fifth.
Land classification—Evan Swanson, Ryan Baumgartner, Austin Tharp, Reid Baumgartner and Marissa Smith, fourth.
Crop judging—Mitch Wittman, Preston King, Skyler Dittmer and Brent Vasa, third.


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WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- Last year around this time, I started to fall in love with Bradley Beal. Well not actually him, but the way his basketball skills would fit with the Washington Wizards.
Desperately needing a shooter to ease some of the pressure off of John Wall (and eliminate some of Jordan Crawford's billion shots), the Washington front office wisely agreed with me. Beal is arguably the second best rookie from the 2012 draft class, and has posted statistics eerily similar to Ray Allen's first NBA season.
Unlike most basketball writers you will read, I'm highly against the approach of taking the best player available. Many local media members were pushing for the team to select Kansas Thomas Robinson last spring, which I predicted would have created a log jam at the forward position and left the Wizards shooting problems unattended.
I haven't found a Bradley Beal yet in the 2013 NBA Draft class, but I have narrowed down the Wizards needs: an athletic slashing small forward who will free up Beal and Martell Webster to shoot three's or an eventual replacement for Emeka Okafor, who almost 100 percent won't be retained following the 2014 campaign. Obviously guard and center are not needs at this time for Washington.
Here are the candidates I'm eying over the next few weeks of Madness.
Anthony Bennett - 6-foot-8, 240 pounds - UNLV Freshman Combo Forward
16.1 ppg, 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 53.8 field goal percentage
Highlight Tape
His best traits: His physicality, versatility and attitude. Bennett has the strength to bang inside with much larger power forwards and has no problem slam dunking in their faces, and talking smack after the fact. He can outmatch bigger forwards with his midrange jumper. And let's not downplay his three point shooting abilities -- hitting 36/95, good for 37.9 percent.
His worst trait: He's not what you describe as quick or fast, which isn't exactly and ideal fit for the run-and-gun styles of John Wall and Bradley Beal.
What kind of player would he be with the Wizards: Nearly 70 percent of Bennett's points at UNLV came in the paint. If Bennett can be a 12-14 point scoring distraction inside, it will make collapsing on long Bradley Beal jumpers a much harder task for opponents and free up Wall on basket cuts without the ball.
NBA comparison: Larry Johnson. I think it's realistic to believe Bennett can make two all-star games in his career and be counted on in clutch situations.
Otto Porter Jr. - 6-foot-8, 205 pounds - Georgetown Sophomore Small Forward
16.3 ppg, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 48.9 field goal percentage
Highlight Tape
His best traits: He's the ultimate 'glue guy', excellent isolation player, superb defender. Porter is keen on outsmarting opponents. He's got a knack for scoring timely buckets and forcing key turnovers on defense. Even though he's Georgetown's bread and butter scorer, he's an unselfish, team-first player.
His worst trait: Nothing glaring, but he could definitely improve his ball-handling and add some muscle.
What kind of player would he be with the Wizards: He fits into that James Posey/Lamar Odom/Toni Kukoc guy on winning teams. He won't be called upon to star in the offense. Instead it will be his defense and transition game which could flourish again at the Verizon Center.
NBA comparison: Jeff Green. He's a necessary piece to a playoff team, but won't be counted on to score like he did in college.
Shabazz Muhammed - 6-foot-6, 225 pounds - UCLA Freshman Small Forward/Big Shooting Guard
17.8 ppg, 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 44.7 field goal percentage
His best traits: He possesses elite athleticism, pull-up jumper, explosive first step, incredible on fast breaks. Coming into the 2012-2013 college basketball season, he was a consensus number one pick. An injury combined with some early season losses knocked him down a peg.
His worst traits: His strengths are also his weakness. He trusts his game even when being double-teamed and will hog the ball. Also it has been easy for PAC-12 defenses to force him to the right side, which flusters him a tad.
What kind of player would he be with the Wizards: This is my exact problem with drafting the best player available: Muhammed has the most talent on this shortlist, but in my opinion just doesn't fit in with where the Wizards are going. He requires the ball in his hands on most possessions, he plays through double-teams instead of passing, he's a tad short for a small forward (and remember Beal is already a tad short for a shooting guard). Most importantly, how would he respond to being the number two option offensively -- something he's never been in his life. It's easy to ooh and awe about players like Shabazz Muhammed because of their scoring qualifications. I just don't think his scoring alone will make Beal, Wall or the Wizards THAT much of a better team.
NBA comparison: A lesser version of Jamal Mashburn. Many people don't remember Mashburn was a career 19.1 points per game guy, but only made one all-star appearance. He got stuck on some bad 90's franchises (Mavericks, Heat). Still, his me-first game never amounted to much.


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Leather was all over the Fall 2011 runways this NYFW, but not in its typical outerwear/tough girl trousers incarnation. Instead, leather pieces were shown in an enormous variety: ladylike dresses, pencil skirts, and effortless tanks. After you're done checking out the gallery and have (hopefully) gotten some good styling ideas, head over to Jennifer's round up of leather dresses (that won't make you look like a biker).
Trend Forecast: All Kinds of Leather For Fall 2011
- 5 years ago by Ashley Cardiff
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- Share a Tip
|Trend Forecast: Peplum Shapes For Fall 2011
|Trend Forecast: 15 Printed Pants For Fall 2011
|12 Striking Prints To Jolt Your Wardrobe… All Under $200


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Most gay-friendly U.S. cities
POSTED: 10:55 AM PST Jan 10, 2012 UPDATED: 11:00 PM PDT Jun 25, 2015
June is Gay Pride Month. Find out which communities made The Advocate's 2015 list of the most gay-friendly U.S. cities.
The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms Of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.blog comments powered by Disqus


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|Katy, Texas
|High School:
|Cinco Ranch
Career | 2012 | 2013
* Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll
* Butler Athletic Director's Honor Roll
2013 - Sophomore Season: Became team's righty set-up man, making 21 appearances and working 49.2 innings...recorded 3-1 record with a team-best 3.44 ERA...worked 5.0 innings of relief at Arizona (March 12)...earned win with 7.0 innings and 10 strikeouts at Northern Kentucky (March 17)...pitched 2.2 shutout innings and allowed just one hit in VCU series (March 22-23)...worked 4.0 innings and gave up juts one run vs. Saint Louis (April 5)...pitched 2.0 scoreless frames at Dayton (April 14)...collected relief win vs. Northern Kentucky (April 24)...pitched 5.0 innings and yielded just one run vs. Fordham (April 27)...pitched 3.1 scoreless innings at Charlotte (May 3)...worked 3.0 scoreless inning in Xavier series (May 17-18).
2012 - Freshman Season: Made 10 relief appearances and two starts, totaling 19.2 innings of work...posted a 3-0 record with 15 strikeouts against 10 walks...pitched 4.1 innings and didn't allow an earned run in BU's win at Fresno State (Feb. 18)...pitched one inning and struck out the side at UT-Martin (Feb. 25)...pitched 2.0 innings and earned his first career win against IPFW (March 11)...pitched 1.1 innings to earn win over Marian (March 14)...started and threw a shutout inning and was credited with win vs. Cincinnati (March 20)...pitched a perfect inning of relief vs. Xavier (April 18)...made final appearance of season against Milwaukee (May 13).
High School: Three-year letterwinner at Cinco Ranch High School...named second team all-district and served as team captain during senior season...posted a 6-2 record as a senior and was named to the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Team...named to 2011 Rawlings Preseason Texas Regional High School All-Senior Team...set school record for most starts on varsity (13)...high school coach was Kevin Hildebrand.
Personal: Born April 23, 1993...son of Douglas and Marla Allen...has a younger sister, Darby...exploratory business major.


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PHOTOS: Danish Students Inspire Us to Recycle and 'Think Twice' at Copenhagen De...
Malene Lund Rasmussen created this funky seat made from knitted plastic bags. The material add some color to an old, classic chair while saving some bags from polluting our landfills.
Anna Karnov Pedersen's Ace of Spades lamp turns a disused deck
Read more >


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I'm sure that you have all heard of Pampered Chef before and most of you have probably tried one or more of their more popular products, like their Stoneware or the Apple – Peeler/Corer/Slicer. Well, we have treat for you! Our friend, Erin, has agreed to sponsor a giveaway here at More Than Mommies and we've picked out the perfect duo to get you ready for a sweet spring!
The first item is the Brownie Pan. It retails for $19.00. Here's the description found in The Pampered Chef catalog:
The second item to go along with the Brownie Pan is the Ice Cream Scoop! Serisoulsy, what is a Brownie without a scoop of Ice Cream?
This scoop is dishwasher safe and retails for $9.00. Here's the description found in the catalog for it:
We are also adding this cookbook:
Interested? Want to win? I know I would!
Contest will run from Monday, March 26th – Saturday, March 31st – winner will be announced on the blog Monday, April 2nd. We will also contact the winnier via email. Make sure we are able to find your email address in your entries.
Here's what you need to do to enter:
– Comment on this post (that's mandatory) you can tell us your favorite Pampered Chef product or you favorite summer treat!
– Visit Erin's Pampered Blogger site and leave her a comment letting her know we sent you!
Additional entries can be earned by:
– Following More Than Mommies RSS or GFC
– Liking More Than Mommies Facebook Page
– Following More Than Mommies on Twitter
– Following More Than Mommies on Google+
-Tweeting about our Giveaway
-Writing a Blog Post about our Giveaway
-Sharing our Giveaway on Facebook
-Following The Pampered Blogger
-Following Erin's Craft Ideas
-Ordering from Erin's Pampered Chef Page
–Booking a party through Erin (she can do online parties for anyone, anywhere!)
Here are some incentives for hosting a party of your own!
~FREE PRODUCTS when you host, upwards of $300. Your very own kitchen shopping spree!
~Receive half priced and discounted items of your choice
~Free shipping for all hosts
~10% off for an entire year on every order that's placed
~Take advantage of Host Specials (change monthly), not only at your show, but the first person's show that books from you!
That's it! Here's the Rafflecopter linky to make it easy as pie for you!


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Out of Stock
Item # ZOT0284
Don't worry though, we have a lot more Women's Tri Bottoms in stock than that.View Similar Products
ZOOT Ultra Tri Speed 6in Women's Shorts $0.00
Think of everything that you need in a pair of triathlon shorts. If you're like us, comfort, hydrodynamics, and speed topped your list. And not surprisingly, these characteristics rank highly with Zoot as well. So, Zoot created the Ultra Tri Speed 6in Women's shorts to embody the aforementioned.
Starting with the bulk of the Ultra Tri Speed shorts' construction, Zoot used its venerable ULTRArevo with an HP Speed Finish. We'll break this title down into two categories, given that ULTRArevo is the fabric and HP Speed is the treatment. So, starting with the former, this material was implemented for its supportive knit structure. Featuring a compressive fiber weight and structured knit, ULTRArevo is supports the muscle groups without a feeling a constriction. Accordingly, by lessening the fatigue-inducing effects of road vibration and run impact, you're able to maintain a higher threshold throughout the land legs of your race. Additionally, this fabric is highly breathable and it also efficiently manages moisture.
As for the HP Speed Finish, this treatment places a priority repelling water. So, in other words, it's engineered to be hydrophobic. In fact, it's developed on a fiber by fiber basis, where each yarn is isolated and a barrier is created around it. Accordingly, water is thoroughly repelled, increasing your speed and comfort through the water. And, just as importantly, this finish directly equates to a quick dry post-T1. Even better, when combined with the high-gauge construction of ULTRArevo, the material becomes resistant to both sand and pilling.
In terms of fit, the Ultra Tri Speed was design with racing in mind. To achieve this, Zoot incorporated its proprietary stitching, SeamLink. This technique minimizes the stitch profile along the seams, providing a next-to-skin fit that nearly eliminates the risk of chafing and abrasion. Welded leg hems permit a complete range of motion for the swim, the saddle, and the run.
Furthering this level of comfort, Zoot included its Integra SBR 2D chamois. This insert features a minimalist construction as to provide enough support for the bike leg without inhibiting comfort in either the swim or run. And because of the swim, Zoot also designed the Integra to be water-resistant and quick-drying. So, you won't be racing soggy after T1.
For training purposes, Zoot engineered the material to be chlorine-resistant. And for race day purposes, it also features a UPF 50+ level of protection.
The Zoot Ultra Tri Speed 6in Women's Shorts are available in the color Black/pink glow and in five sizes from X-Small to X-Large.
Tech Specs
View more Women's Tri Bottoms
Size chart
|30 - 33in
(76 - 84cm)
|33 - 35in
(84 - 89cm)
|35 - 37in
(89 - 94cm)
|38 - 40in
(97 - 101.5cm)
|41 - 43in
(104 - 109cm)
|43 - 45in
(109 - 114cm)
|24 - 25in
(60 - 63.5cm)
|25 - 27in
(63.5 - 69cm)
|28 - 30in
(71 - 76cm)
|31 - 33in
(79 - 84cm)
|33 - 36in
(84 - 91cm)
|37 - 39in
(94 - 99cm)
|33 - 34in
(84 - 86cm)
|34 - 36in
(86 - 91cm)
|37 - 39in
(94 - 99cm)
|40 - 42in
(101.5 - 107cm)
|42 - 43.5in
(106.5 - 110.5cm)
|44 - 46in
(112 - 117cm)
- How to Measure:
- For best results, take measurements over your underwear.
- Bust:
- Measure under your arms, around the fullest part of your chest.
- Waist:
- Measure 2" below navel, keeping the tape a bit loose.
- Hips:
- Measure around the fullest part of your body at the top of your legs.


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Make a Splash With the New Bath Planning Guide
Design, furnish and manage your bath project with our new Bath Planning Guide, FREE on the Lowe's Creative Ideas app for iPad and iPhone.
Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.
Whatever your project, Lowe's can show you how. Search our library for ideas and inspiration.Get Started
At Lowe's, we offer a huge variety of bathroom remodel ideas to make your bathroom as beautiful as it is functional. Our selection of bathroom lighting, showers and vanities adds style to any space, while upgrades to bathroom sink faucets, bathtub and shower faucets, bathroom hardware, shower heads, handheld shower heads, toilets and toilet seats boost overall quality and value. Get inspired with these beautiful bathroom vanity ideas for your single or double vanity, or bring your vanity together with our stylish selection of Delta faucets, Moen faucets and KOHLER faucets. Here you'll also find important bathroom safety items to ensure your bathroom is a comfortable and safe place for everyone. Whether you're in need of tile, storage solutions, décor and accessories, or plan to transform your bathroom into a relaxing spa retreat with an improved bathtub, clawfoot tub or whirlpool tub, we've got the style and selection you're looking for at Lowe's. Let us do the dirty work with our bathroom remodel service, and spend more time enjoying — and less time building — your bathroom.


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Listen to our latest audios and visit our archive for more.
Here you can find audio reports produced by IUCN. Each month, we bring you the latest news and features from the world of conservation. IUCN's audios profile conservation projects on the ground, while looking into the human stories behind the headlines.
Environmental Economics & Landscape Restoration
Interview with Michael Verdone, IUCN's environmental economist working in the Global Forest and Climate Change Programme. …
31 Oct 2013 | Audio
Allanblackia: a species of choice - interview with Pauline Buffle
Pauline Buffle is a Programme Officer in the Global Forest and Climate Change Programme. She leads and manages several forest conservation projects, including the Allanblackia project. …
29 Oct 2013 | Audio
First faith-based environment talks for Fiji
IUCN Oceania co-sponsored with the Fiji Ministry of Environment, the first Fiji National Faith Based Organisations Environment Stewardship Summit held from 2 – 4 April. Attending the Summit, Taholo Kami Regional Director of IUCN Oceania emphasized that churches could play a more effective role in taking care of nature. …
02 Apr 2013 | Audio
Addressing the mangrove challenge: Interview with Dr. Milika Sobey
Mangrove management in the Pacific has its unique challenges. Dr. Milika Sobey talks about these challenges and how IUCN's MESCAL project is helping to provide solutions. …
28 Mar 2013 | Audio
IUCN in mining dialogue
IUCN Oceania was part of a high level symposium on extractive industries, hosted by UNDP in Nadi, Fiji last week, and emphasized the need for governments and the mining sector to take extra-ordinary measures to rebalance the environment and social sectors and deliver long term sustainable development. …
25 Mar 2013 | Audio
Best knowledge on mining impacts needed
Two motions related to mining, proposed by Oceania Members of IUCN, were approved this morning by the Members' Assembly. …
15 Sep 2012 | Audio
0 Comments | Write a comment
Mining in the Pacific - an industry perspective
The 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress has provided a forum for all sectors of society, including industry to discuss critical issues concerning the conservation and sustainable use of nature. Nautilus Minerals, the first company in the world to be granted a deep-sea mining license, is here at the Congress to share their work and plans. …
11 Sep 2012 | Audio
1 Comment | Write a comment
Mr Goodfish: helping consumers make the right choice
"If you want to keep on eating fish, you need to choose the right fish today". This is the message promoted by the Mr Goodfish campaign to fish lovers at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. …
09 Sep 2012 | Audio
We can feed the world sustainably
Changing climate and declining biodiversity pushes the limits of food supply and at the broader level of human security. In light of this and with the prediction that human population will increase to 9 billion by 2050, the issue of food supply is a hotly-debated topic and the focus of the second World Leaders Dialogue convened today at the 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress. … | French | Spanish
08 Sep 2012 | Audio
0 Comments | Write a comment
Beyond oil fields to fields of dreams
In one of the biologically richest places on Earth which is also home to extensive oil fields, a new way of conserving forests is arising. … | French | Spanish
08 Sep 2012 | Audio


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WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- The 113th Congress will have at least 19 female senators, a record number of women in Congress. Currently there are 17 women.
Wednesday morning, Kate Sheppard from Mother Jones gave us her take on Tuesday night's election results.
All six Democratic women up for re-election won. Five Republican female candidates lost. We asked Sheppard: does the GOP have to take stock after this election when it comes to women? We also asked her about the interesting split of women voters in the Presidential election. Single women went for the President. Married women chose Mitt Romney. Does that says anything about the issues women are voting on? The social issues traditionally felt as women's issues verses the economic issues, that appealed to a lot of Romney voters?


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Congratulations to Hewitt Midway WR Joseph Ward, the Week 13 winner of the Mr. Texas Football Player of the Week award, presented by Wells Fargo. The 5-10, 160-pound senior caught 11 passes for 236 yards and four touchdowns Panthers' 50-31 win over… continue reading ›
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Wells Fargo is proud to sponsor the Mr. Texas Football Player of the Week award.
Every Monday at noon, TexasFootball.com will announce ten candidates for that week's award, based on the previous week's on-field performance.Voting will close at noon each Friday, with the winner being announced shortly afterward.
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Is there a way to get Zimbra to do this correctly? It seems that HTML messages with embedded images can be viewed correctly when delivered into a Zimbra user's Inbox. When they forward that message however, every embedded image becomes an attachment and does not show up in the body of the message anymore.
I'm not one to enjoy all the forwarded "junk" that people pass around to each other all the time, but it is an annoyance for users who do enjoy that sort of thing (aka...forward these precious kitten pictures to 10 of your friends or <evil voice>you'll spend the next 5 years in the 11th level of hell suffering at the hands of Beelzebub himself</evil voice>...etc...).
Just wondering if others are having problems with this in 5.0.4.


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COP17 Briefing: Damian Ryan on key issues and possible outcomes
- Date
- 22 November 2011
COP17 takes place in Durban, South Africa, from November 28 to December 9, 2011. As part of our involvement in COP17, Damian Ryan our Senior Policy Manager, will be providing daily news and analysis, and live tweeting from Durban. This Pre-COP17 Briefing marks the start of his coverage.
The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) begins in Durban, South Africa on November 28, 2011.
Two years after the negotiating process suffered a heart attack in Copenhagen, and a year after it was resuscitated at Cancun, the job of Durban is to now stabilize the 'patient' and agree a recovery program. This must be sufficiently ambitious to ensure the goal agreed in Cancun of limiting global warming to 2 degrees or less is kept within reach.
Durban will not deliver any final deal, but it can put negotiations on a path to a legally binding agreement in the medium term (2015 to 2020). This will require the deadlock on the future of the Kyoto Protocol to be resolved and operationalization of the key elements of the Cancun Agreements, notably the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Framework, the Technology Mechanism, and Monitoring, Reporting & Verification (MRV) rules.
The process, however, remains in a fragile condition and there is a range of competing (and often conflicting) treatments proposed for it. This briefing note looks at the key issues for the annual two week summit and considers possible outcomes.
Key issues
Future of the Kyoto Protocol
The headline political issue for Durban will undoubtedly be the future of the Kyoto Protocol. The treaty's first commitment period ends in a little over 12 months and, despite more than five years of negotiation, countries remain as divided as ever on what should follow.
The Cancun conference deliberately avoided a clash over the Protocol in the interests of rebuilding trust and confidence in the broader UNFCCC process, but such diplomatic sidestepping is unlikely in Durban.
Developing countries remain adamant that the Protocol must be the cornerstone for any new global climate regime. At their most recent meeting in early November, the BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) stated that agreeing a second commitment period "is the essential priority for success of the Durban Conference". This view is echoed by the various other developing country groupings, such as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the Small Island States (SIDS)
On the opposite side of the table, developed countries are split into two camps. The EU, along with Norway and perhaps Australia and New Zealand, is open to a second commitment period, but only if this is part of a broader transition to a new global regime covering all major emitters by 2020. Canada, Japan and Russia by contrast, remain opposed to any further commitments under Kyoto. These countries are instead seeking a single agreement under the parallel 'Convention track' talks, which aim to strengthen mitigation efforts by all countries, not least the US and China.
The extent to which this Kyoto deadlock is broken will depend (as it always has) on progress in the Convention negotiations, and especially on the issue of 'legal form'.
'Legal form' of Convention track outcome
What sort of agreement, precisely, are countries trying to negotiate under the Convention track talks? The answer to this simple question has been left hanging ever since this track was established at Bali in 2007. The text agreed at the time merely states that the objective is "an agreed outcome". Such deliberate ambiguity was essential for getting the talks underway, but with the EU making its commitment to Kyoto conditional on comparable efforts under the Convention track, such ambiguity is no longer tenable.
The US is the lynchpin to this debate. It has championed a 'ledge and review' approach as the basis of any Convention track outcome. This would not (necessarily) require a legally binding agreement – hence its attraction for a US administration well aware of the Congressional obstacles to ratifying any kind of international climate deal. But such an approach, which is effectively voluntary in nature, hardly meets EU definitions of comparability, nor calls for a legally binding outcome by many developing and developed countries.
The US position, in effect lowers the overall level of ambition. For those developed countries intending to abandon Kyoto, it provides a softer regime without hard targets or possibly any clear rules. For the key emerging economies, particularly China and India, it removes any external pressure to make their existing mitigation pledges legally binding – a not insignificant loss. For the EU and its potential allies, it undermines any incentive for committing to a second Kyoto commitment period. The overall result helps to explain why UN climate chief, Christiana Figueres, has publicly remarked that the five main obstacles to progress in Durban are "the US, the US, the US, the US and the US".
Finding a way through all this – so that progress is built rather than blocked – is not impossible. But getting the Kyoto-Convention choreography right will be essential, and the primary task for negotiators at Durban. Success or failure here will determine what, if any, progress is made on the summit's other key issues. These relate mainly to elements agreed as part of the 'Cancun Agreements', notably climate finance, the level of ambition, technology transfer, adaptation and the all important 'MRV' (monitoring, reporting and verification) discussions.
Climate finance
Operationalizing the new Green Climate Fund (GCF) is seen by many countries and observers as a key political must-have for Durban. The fund's establishment was one of the major achievements of the 'Cancun Agreements'. Once up and running, the fund is intended as the primary institution for channeling the $100 billion per annum in climate finance that developed countries have promised to 'mobilize' by 2020.
A Transitional Committee has spent much of the last 12 months negotiating the design of the fund. The committee was meant to send its agreed proposal to the COP for adoption. However, both the US and Saudi Arabia blocked consensus at the final meeting. The design has therefore been submitted as a draft, which means that it remains open to further negotiation. This outcome ensures the US maintains a strong position in one of the few issues in which it has negotiating leverage. It also fits with the US's general negotiating position that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed". Unfortunately, it also opens the door for other countries to play spoiler roles.
If negotiators are able to reach consensus early on in the fund's design, this would likely have a lubricating effect on other issues. The likelihood, however, is that it will need to move in tandem with other issues, rather than ahead of them.
The other part of the finance debate likely to feature prominently, is with respect to funding sources, specifically how to fill the GCF once it's up and running. The substantive negotiation on this point will take place after Durban, but heated debates are likely on the role of private finance and the use of new 'innovative sources' such as financial transaction taxes and bunker fuel levies.
Level of ambition
Ratcheting up the level of ambition of existing pledges is probably the one issue that all the major emitters are perhaps most keen to skirt over. This is despite the fact that it is the fundamental objective of both the Kyoto and Convention talks. Any kind of review of existing pledges quickly reveals that few countries are on target to achieve the kind of emission reductions needed to stay within the 2 degrees limit of warming that parties formally (and finally!) agreed to in Cancun. Raising ambition is, however, an essential negotiating priority for vulnerable developing countries, the majority of observer organizations and a safe climate system.
The issue continues to gain urgency driven by a number of external developments. This includes the major climatic disasters of the past year, the worrying findings emerging from initial drafts of the IPCC's 5th Assessment Report, and most recently the International Energy Agency's warning that the world has only a five year window for taking action to stay under the 2 degrees ceiling.
Aside from the obvious emission reduction discussions, talks in Durban will center on developing the details for a formal 'Review' process – another key element of the 'Cancun Agreements'. Parties agreed to start the process in 2013, and conclude it by 2015. The Review is meant to assess the adequacy of and progress towards the 2 degrees goal, taking into account the latest scientific findings and observed climatic impacts.
Although the Review's final report is over four years away, its conclusion is arguably self-evident: namely that the world is not on track to meet the 2 degrees goal. It is unfortunate that the UNFCCC process will take so long to officially recognize this. The best that can perhaps be said is that it at least ensures the finding becomes part of the formal process.
Other issues to watch
Beyond the more attention grabbing issues, there are a number of other substantive matters that Durban will address and could help progress.
Much of the intersessional work this year has been aimed at operationalizing the elements of the 'Cancun Agreements'. In addition to those already discussed above, other critical issues include Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV), the Technology Mechanism and the Adaptation Framework. The importance of this work might well be forgotten in the bigger dramas of COP. However, progress made in these areas is crucial for developing the institutional structures that create the trust and confidence that underpins country cooperation over the long term. As the global climate regime grapples with a shift away from a purely top-down structure to a bottom-up/top-down hybrid, the importance of these new institutional structures will likely grow.
Tied up explicitly in the Kyoto negotiations is the future of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The CDM is one of the success stories of the Protocol and a significant private sector industry has been created around it. Developed countries are still interested in using this carbon off-setting mechanism to help achieve their emission reduction goals, whether as part of Kyoto or not. Many developing countries in contrast argue that the CDM cannot be separated from a second Kyoto commitment period. This uncertainty has seen the CDM market shrink by 40% in the last year. While it is too late to undo the damage done to private sector confidence in the short term, an unequivocal statement of support for an ongoing CDM at Durban is a prerequisite for securing the mechanism's future in the medium to long-term.
Aviation, or more precisely the EU's decision to include international airlines in its regional emissions trading scheme (EU-ETS) is expected to generate heated debate in Durban. The entry into force of this measure occurs on January 1, 2012, just a few weeks after the COP's conclusion. This unilateral action is seen by many countries, including the US, China and India, as a contravention of international law. Legal opinion looks to be on the EU's side, however. Preliminary judicial advice from a court case brought by US airlines against the inclusion supported the EU's arguments. From an environmental perspective, the EU also considers its action justified, in part because of over ten years of multilateral inaction through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
A COP agenda item introduced by India on 'Unilateral Trade Measures' will provide the focal point for discussion on aviation. How the EU plays the debate will be important. This is because by taking unilateral action the EU has in fact gained extra leverage in other areas of the negotiations, notably with respect to Kyoto and climate finance.
Possible Durban outcomes
It need hardly be said that Durban will not deliver any final climate deal. The hopes for 'big-bang' type outcomes ended with Copenhagen, while Cancun introduced a more incremental, stepping stone approach.
Durban is the next step in what many now accept is an ongoing, iterative negotiating process. Success in Durban will therefore be measured by how the Kyoto issue is dealt with and the extent to which the conference builds on the key outcomes from Cancun.
The good result
A good result would see a middle way found between the Kyoto traditionalists (i.e. those countries seeking a continuation of both the Protocol and the existing global climate regime generally) and the Kyoto rejecters (i.e. Canada, Japan, Russia and the US). As the political space does not exist for agreeing specifics in Durban, the best outcome would be a deal on a pathway for reaching a new agreement. This would include a firm date for conclusion (ideally 2015 at the latest) and an understanding of the shape of the agreement. The EU holds the key here as the only major emitter to have stated its 'openness' to further Protocol commitments, while also seeking a single new treaty. As a result it straddles both camps.
To be supported, any 'pathway' deal would need to have as its basis the continuation of the Protocol, in order to secure general developing country buy-in. This of course requires the EU to sign up in principle to a second commitment period. This support in turn hinges on whether certain conditions identified by the Union are met. These largely relate to more ambitious and comparable action by the other major emitters (both developed and developing) under the Convention track.
For the BASIC countries this could mean accepting (in principle for the moment) greater responsibility for emission reductions above and beyond those of other developing countries. This would be a major concession, creating for the first time a differentiation amongst developing countries and removing much of the 'firewall' with developed countries. For the Kyoto rejecters, it would mean agreement to make their Convention track commitments comparable with the EU"s Kyoto commitments in terms of ambition and their legal nature. For the US, and those countries seeking a 'softer' regime to Kyoto, this would also amount to an important concession.
To complete a successful Durban package, parties would also need to agree to fully operationalize the key elements of the Cancun Agreements. This would include the Green Climate Fund, the Climate Technology Center & Network (a core part of the new Technology Mechanism) and the full Adaptation Framework. As noted earlier, agreement on these important institutional mechanisms will likely be far easier if the main Kyoto deadlock is successfully addressed.
The not so good result
The not so good result is one where the deadlock over Kyoto's future remains unresolved creating a cascade of negativity that undermines progress across the wider negotiating process. Such an outcome is possible if any of the major players is unable or refuses to offer key concessions. For example, if the EU were to withdraw its conditional support for Kyoto, or if China or the US were unwilling to compromise on their respective views on Kyoto and legally binding commitments.
An outright collapse in talks remains unlikely. This is partly due to the political capital regained in Cancun that countries will be loath to squander, and partly because South Africa, like any good COP host, will be doing its utmost to secure a successful summit. Stalemate is a possibility, however. If this were to occur then a 'COP17 Part II' (or 'COP17 bis' in the UN jargon) could be held in mid 2012. COP6 suspended in the Hague in 2001 provides a precedent for this.
A final poor outcome might be a political 'fudge' which papers over enough cracks to pass COP decisions, but leaves the process comatosed and unable to make any meaningful future progress. An outcome of this sort would make the process increasingly irrelevant and lead countries to use other, less representative forums, to advance national interests.
A final point
It is important to keep in mind the overall environmental context when thinking about the 'good result' described above. The reality is that even if Durban delivers such an outcome, it will still leave the world with an ambition gap between where it is and where it needs to be in terms of a safe emission reduction trajectory.
Bridging this gap has arguably been made more difficult by the de facto acceptance – at least for now – that bottom-up action will be the main driver for emission reduction in the short to medium term. Substantial bottom-up efforts are certainly underway at the corporate, city, sub-national and national levels. However, it seems unlikely that these will be sufficient to deliver the 10-fold increase in carbon productivity that is needed over the next four decades without a strong, complementary top-down framework.
This underlines the importance of harnessing the climate leadership shown by those already implementing bottom-up actions to rebuilt trust and confidence at national and international levels. By demonstrating that a 'clean industrial revolution' is already underway, climate leaders in business and government can help bridge the ambition gap and make the essential connection between top-down and the bottom-up actions.
Further reading
For those interested in more analysis on the prospects for COP17, the following sources e3g.org/ and wri.org/ are recommended.
Damian Ryan, Senior Policy Manager, The Climate Group, will also be writing news and analysis throughout COP17, and providing a more in-depth post-COP Briefing after the events. Keep up to date on our website and by following him on Twitter during COP17.
Our international policy teams are also commenting on key regional positions in the lead-up to Durban; read about Australia, China, Europe, India and the US.


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Wilson Chandler scored 14 points in his first game in two months for Denver after being sidelined since early November because of pain in his left hip.
Stephen Curry scored 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, to lead Golden State. David Lee added 23 points and 13 rebounds and Harrison Barnes had 21 points.
Down by eight going into the fourth quarter, Denver opened the period with a 19-2 flurry to go up 98-89. After Curry hit back-to-back 3s to get the Warriors to 100-97 with 6:10 remaining, the Nuggets pulled away.
Brewer, who finished with 13 points, and Gallinari hit 3-pointers around a dunk by Gallinari to rebuild the Nuggets' lead to 108-97 and the Warriors didn't threaten again.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)