text:
Ethan J. Skolnick
The Miami Heat is about to learn quite a lot about itself
In a Miami Heat season that has had all the volatility of the Nasdaq market during earnings season -- arrows up, down and everywhere -- Dwyane Wade has consistently kept his talk straight. He has scored 1,378 points on the floor, to boost his career total to 20,190, but hasn't felt the need to score empty points with the public, by trying to sell fans something that may not be so.
So, when asked after Monday's practice if he knew the collective character of this team, a team with no current rotation players with whom he's ever played in a postseason, he was light on the sugar.
"Well, I mean, I know the regular season collective character," Wade said. "I don't know the playoff. There's different levels. From a regular-season standpoint, we have shown the ability to compete, compete most nights, not be perfect but we're gonna compete. And we bounce back pretty good, you know."
Especially from the loss of Chris Bosh: 18-9 since the All-Star break, and now in the third seed with two games remaining.
"We've done a great job of sticking together through it all," Wade said. "When moments have looked real dark for us, we've all stuck together. So this team has been a good unit all year. We've grown together. But that's the regular season. So I don't know what to expect yet when it comes to the playoffs, because that's a different season."
That season, that playoff season, hasn't started yet, not officially. But it will be tough to tell the difference Tuesday night in Detroit, or Wednesday night in Boston. And this will start to tell Wade, and the rest of us, how mentally and emotionally tough this team is, this team with so many contributors who are so new to this, whether it's the two rookies (provided Justise Winslow plays) or the manchild in the middle (Hassan Whiteside) or even the point guard (Goran Dragic) who hasn't played in the postseason since 2010 and has never started once there.
The Heat has gone around the NBA in 80 games, losing to the Nets and Magic and Lakers, while routing the Cavaliers and Hawks, among others, but even Jules Verne wouldn't know what to make of this squad, not yet.
And, actually, a couple of the author/adventurer's quotes come to mind.
"I see that it is by no means useless to travel, if a man wants to see something new."
The Heat would not have chosen this particular pockmarked path to secure a homecourt first round seed, whether third or fourth -- Wade said Monday that he would prefer to rest during these final games, as in some previous seasons.
He added that "we put ourselves in this position where we have to continue to keep fighting; and we talked about this throughout the year, when we lost certain games we shouldn't have lost, we talked about this, that it's going to come back on us at some point. It comes back to where you got a back-to-back to end the season on the road, and you need to win both games. It gets no tougher than that."
In Detroit. In Boston.
Two teams still with much at stake, opponents during a back-to-back slate.
"But you don't run away from a challenge," Wade said. "You try to go out there and meet the challenge."
You learn in the process.
And so, no, it is not useless to travel in this case, to prep for the playoffs by playing in two hostile environments, arenas in which the Heat is 0-2 this season.
Especially in light of this reality, something also expressed through a Verne quotation:
"The chance which now seems lost may present itself at the last moment."
The chance at homecourt seemed lost so many times this season, with all those ugly early losses, especially after building large leads; with a disappointing 29-24 record at the All-Star break; with Bosh's blood clot recurrence; with the laydown against the Laker laggards, just before the latter got routed by a Pelicans team that got routed by the 76ers.
Sure, Miami would love to wish that back.
But that possibility has presented itself at this last moment anyway, presented itself because LeBron James helped the Heat in a way he hasn't since he left in July 2014, scoring 34 in a Monday victory against the Hawks, while Jeremy Lin led the Hornets past Boston. So there it is, the third seed and homecourt, in Miami's reach for now, entering these final two nights.
Is the Heat worthy of keeping it?
Who can say until we see?
Until they see, about themselves?
So, what is their collective character?
"I think character-wise, we'll play hard," Luol Deng said. "I think we have that group. Sometimes you just make the playoffs because of talent, and then you struggle in the playoffs. I can't sit here and say who will win in the playoffs, whether we will beat them or not, but I really believe everything is going to be a fight with us. We have that group."
The playoffs start for that group Tuesday, sort of.
Whatever Wade believes they are, or whatever Deng believes they are, or whatever Erik Spoelstra believes they are, after 80 games, isn't what matters.
What matters is something else Verne said:
"Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real."
In the NBA, that's especially true when everything counts for real.
Ethan J. Skolnick: 305-376-3483, @ethanjskolnick


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- 4-5 lb. whole chicken, giblets removed
- 3 onions, halved, then each half cut in quarters
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh sage
- 9 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
Spray or grease inside of slow cooker. Scatter 2 of the cut onions over the bottom, separating the onion layers. Add 2 garlic cloves, along with 1 rosemary sprig. 1 sage sprig, 3 thyme sprigs. Place chicken inside slow cooker with legs and open cavity pointed up. Sprinkle black pepper inside chicken cavity and stuff in 1 rosemary sprig, 1 sage sprig, 3 thyme sprigs, 2 garlic cloves, and the remaining cut onion; pour soy sauce into chicken cavity. (Some soy sauce will run out of the chicken into the slow cooker, and some will remain inside chicken to flavor it from the inside.) Place chicken breast side down, cover, and cook on low for 5-6 hours until instant read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast meat registers 165 degrees. Do not overcook chicken, in order to avoid dry, stringy texture.
Remove chicken to platter with breast side up, cover with foil, let rest for 15-30 minutes to allow juices to settle in meat.
Meanwhile, use slotted spoon to remove caramelized onions; set aside. Pour broth the remains in bottom of slow cooker through wire mesh strainer to remove solids. Allow liquid to settle and spoon off fat (or use a grease separator). Keep warm to serve with chicken. Strained broth may also be used to make thickened gravy, if desired. May be diluted with an equal amount of additional chicken broth, if more volume is needed.
Cut chicken into pieces and arrange on platter, spoon onions over top, and ladle on warmed broth or serve with gravy. Salt chicken to taste, if necessary.
Chicken may also be shredded or chopped, refrigerated or frozen, for use in other recipes.

subset: commoncrawl


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Monday, August 15, 2011
Abortion Amendments to the Health & Social Care Bill
Nadine Dorries MP has sponsored 3 amendments. These say that a women who is looking to have a termination must be counselled independently by an organisation that either does not provide abortions or is a statutory body, stripping abortion providers of the ability to give advice.
She wrote in the Guardian in July: "At present, the only place a woman can receive pre- or post-abortion counselling paid for by the state is from an abortion provider – who has a clear financial interest in the ultimate decision the woman makes. Often women have to return to the abortion clinic where the procedure took place to receive their distress counselling. What caring person can believe that to be right?".
For "abortion provider" list the NHS for one, and "return to the abortion clinic" read NHS hospital, where many terminations take place.
As "an abortion provider" the NHS, as a statutory body, would be allowed to continue to give advice, carry out terminations and give post-abortion advice - but they do so for many institutions who have got the time and specialist counsellors to help women.
But even those will a financial interest, such as BPAS, give independent advice and do research into family planning - but if a woman decides to go through with a termination, they overwhelmingly do not charge: They have no financial incentive to encourage terminations but will be banned from giving out advice. BPAS state on their website that "Over 93% of the women we see don't have to pay for their treatment as it's funded by the NHS". Either the NHS pay directly or indirectly. If clinics can't be counsellors then it will fall to the NHS - a strain that could overwhelm departments - any other solution would cost millions we can't afford.
Google "abortion advice uk" and you'll see a list of counsellors, which give women information on all the options on their websites and through advice lines - none of which charge for the information.
The vast majority of unwanted pregnancies are classed as "lifestyle" abortions. Around 90% of terminations take place before 13 weeks and 80% before 8 weeks. These amendments would lengthen that time and would force women to go through yet another hoop, which only increases anxiety. Delaying abortions can lead to infertility and psychological problems - so why heap more pressure on a woman if she feels she's done all her research and considered all the options?
You still need two doctors to authorise a termination. Both of them weigh up the patient's decision and will only sign if they believe that she has come to the decision independently and has considered all other choices - they would be negligent if they didn't.
Instead of making abortion physically and mentally harder for women in the UK, we should be looking at prevention and education - and by this I do not mean we need to teach graphic details to 13 year olds and give lessons with condoms and bananas. Parents need to take a bigger part in the education of their children and talking about sex appropriately when they're young is the best way to de-stigmatise it.
The fact is that the health and welfare of women would be affected in a bill that doesn't mention termination once in its 420 pages.
I urge every MP, woman or man, on whatever bench, to allow women to choose for themselves. I urge every constituent to contact your MP to get your voice heard.
VOTE AGAINST the 3 amendments and do not allow the government to introduce any other comparable legislation.
UPDATE 29-Aug-2011: The subject has been discussed in both The Telegraph and the Mail - with a quote from the above being included.
2 comments:
- Jennie Kermode said...
It's good to see Conservative voices raised against this.
One of the biggest problems I can see with this piece of legislation is that it could interfere with other legal requirements on doctors carrying out abortions. That is, if an abortion provider is not able to advise a prospective patient about the nature of the procedure before it goes ahead, they cannot obtain clear informed consent.
Either this proposed legislation has been poorly thought through and is in urgent need of amendment (to the point where there would seem little reason to retain it at all), or it is intended to provide a tool for severely restricting the availability of abortion, something which 76% of people in this country oppose. I urge MPs to approach it with caution.
- 1:59 pm
- Sally Roberts said...
It seems to me that there is far too much emotional blackmail by the supporters of BOTH sides of the debate!
This is an incredibly difficult and senstive issue and one on which I have changed my views over the years. I was once a passionate "pro-lifer" - opposed to abortion in all circumstances. As I became older - and wiser - I realised that decisions are never clear-cut. No one should undergo a termination lightly - it is the saddest of all sad decisions to have to make. I strongly believe that women should have the choice and be in charge of their own bodies and their own fertility. Too many on the "pro-life" side are those who would seemingly "punish" women who are "too" sexual and not willing to fit into the prescribed mould of "Good Wife and Mother".
- 12:16 pm


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1984 Herreshoff 38 Cat Ketch
- Description
- View Full Specifications
- Year:
- 1984
- Length:
- 38'
- Engine/Fuel Type:
- Single / diesel
- Located In:
- Key Biscayne, FL
- Hull Material:
- Fiberglass
- 11384-2288551
- Current Price:
(LOCATION: Key Biscayne FL) This 38' Herreshoff Cat Ketch is a legendary blue water cruiser with accommodations for an extended cruise or to live aboard. Designed by Halsey Herreshoff the 38 Cat Ketch is basically a one-off creation with a long heritage. Each 38 Cat Ketch was custom fitted to insure a unique sailing experience. Extremely sea-worthy with excellent handling the Herreshoff will get you where you want to go and back safely.
This 38' cruiser comes with teak interior, parquet floor, two staterooms, spacious salon, and full galley. As you come below the aft stateroom is on your left with double berth, under-berth storage, and hanging locker. To your right is a full galley with teak cabinets, tile counter, stainless steel sink, ice box, and even a dishwasher. The salon has large wraparound dinette, teak dining table with storage, under-seat and bulkhead storage. The enclosed head compartment has mirrored vanity and shower stall. The forward stateroom has offset berth, under-berth storage, dresser, and hanging locker.
On deck we have a spacious cockpit with ample seating, helm pedestal, and bimini top. There's a Magma grill for the fresh catch-of-the-day, and a swim ladder to help you on get on board after swimming or diving. Wide side decks allow easy movement forward. The teak bow pulpit has dual rollers, two anchors with chain, rode, and windlass. A Universal diesel engine provides auxiliary power.
If you are looking for a unique blue water cruiser that can serve as a vacation getaway or live-aboard this Herreshoff has the potential to be something special. The seller is willing to assist in financing any qualified buyer. Call now for more information and to schedule a showing.
Contact Jesse at the number below.
If you would like more information
or to schedule a showing of this vessel
Please call or e-mail
Captain Jesse Brayshaw
Let me help sell your boat or find your dream boat.
To discuss a position with a premier broker, speak with Peter today at 866-375-7281.
Please contact Capt. Jesse Brayshaw at 786-566-9932
Additional Specs, Equipment and Information:
Boat Name
Builder: Herreshoff
Designer: Halsey Herreshoff
LOA: 37 ft 9 in
Beam: 11 ft 6 in
LWL: 34 ft 0 in
Maximum Draft: 4 ft 6 in
Engine 1:
Engine Brand: Universal
Engine Model: Diesel
Engine/Fuel Type: Diesel
Ballast: 5500
Displacement: 13080
Fuel: 38
Fresh Water: 100
Teak interior with two staterooms, spacious salon, lots of headroom, and parquet floors.
- Aft Cabin with Double Berth, Under-Berth Storage, and Hanging Locker
- Galley with Teak Cabinets, Tile Counter Top, Stainless Steel Sink, Ice Box, and Dishwasher
- Wraparound Dinette with Teak Table and Under-Seat Storage
- Forward Cabin with Offset Double Berth, Under-Berth Storage, and Dresser
- Enclosed Head with Vanity and Shower Stall
- Standard Horizon Eclipse VHF Radio with DSC
- Cockpit Tri-Data Display
- New Sony AM.FM.CD Stereo
Cockpit & Helm
- Open Cockpit with Bimini Top
- Parameter Seating
- Pedestal Helm
- Ritchie Compass
- Magma Grill
- Swim Ladder
Deck & Hull
- Teak Bow Pulpit with Dual Rollers
- Two Anchors with Chain and Rode
- Manual Windlass
- Full Set of Sails in Good Condition
- Fresh Bottom Paint
- Mechanics in Place for Auto Pilot
Mechanical & Electrical
- Universal Diesel Engine
- Recent Service
- New Hoses
- New Transmission
- New Rudder Cables and Gears
- New Electric Toilet with Holding Tank
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
Yacht Services
cheap and easy


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This weekend, the Des Moines Register released a new 2016 presidential poll. The poll showed Paul Ryan with by far the best favorability ratings for Republicans. But the poll revealed another big surprise for everyone, especially Texans: Rick Perry did better among Republicans than Ted Cruz.
Wait, what?
Yes, you heard that right. Rick Perry did better than Ted Cruz. Now, the poll did not ask who people would vote for. The poll only asked how favorable voters viewed the candidates, which is useful more than a year away from the caucus, but it is not a predictor. And there are other caveats and even problems with this poll.
But could it be true? Could Rick Perry stand a better chance at winning the 2016 Republican nomination than Ted Cruz? Right now, probably not. Read below the fold to find out why.Here are the favorability results among Republican voters for Rick Perry and Ted Cruz in the poll:
Rick Perry
Very Favorable – 19%
Mostly Favorable – 36%
Mostly Unfavorable – 16%
Very Unfavorable – 3%
Not Sure – 26%
Ted Cruz
Very Favorable – 18%
Mostly Favorable – 28%
Mostly Unfavorable – 13%
Very Unfavorable – 4%
Not Sure – 37%
That puts Rick Perry's favorable and unfavorable numbers among Iowa Republicans at 55% and 19%, respectively. For Ted Cruz: 46% to 17%. The unfavorable numbers are pretty similar for both, but more Republicans showed a favorable feeling for Rick Perry than Ted Cruz.
But there's one big problem with the poll: the survey only polled 182 self-identified Republicans. That's a small number, and it leads to a lot of issues as to if it's a big enough sample to be useful. At best, polling less than 200 people for such a big election is going to get a huge margin of error — much larger than the 3.8% for the full poll of 650 respondents.
Taking that into account, the poll probably cannot be shown as proof that Rick Perry is actually doing better than Ted Cruz. He might be, but more data would need to be seen.
And even if one trusts the poll, voters viewing Perry favorably does not mean that they will actually vote for Perry. It is clear from the results that the same amount of people view a lot of the Republican candidates favorably – they can't vote for them all. And as the Register wrote when focusing on the Republican data:
Republican operative Katie Packer Gage said feeling thermometers measure whether people like a candidate on a personal level, not whether they think a candidate could win.
"If you asked about George H.W. Bush, today he'd get much higher favorables than he did when he was running. But that doesn't mean people would vote for him," Gage said. "I have a hunch that's what is going on here. People feel affection for Rick Perry because he's likable and he's done a lot of good things in Texas. But the minute his gaffes are replayed, people would question whether he has the chops to go up against Hillary."
The Register's analysis also suggests that the results should be sobering for Ted Cruz's presidential aspirations. His "filibuster" of Obamacare clearly did not catapult his favorability in voters' minds. That's shown in the poll's data not just among Republican voters, but among all Iowan voters.
And maybe Rick Perry can come back and do well in 2016. It's clear from the poll's results that his horrid 2012 campaign did not leave as sour of a taste in voters' mouths as it did among politicos. True, 2012 hurt Rick Perry's viability as a national politician in a lot of ways. He's now viewed so lowly among political professionals that most 2016 polls don't even bother asking about him. But maybe, just maybe, both he and Ted Cruz run in 2016, and Rick Perry does better.


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Startup issues can happen on your computer once you have installed system updates. It occurs when a certain update is incompatible with the software or the updates are incomplete. To help you with this error, here's a video that contains three possible ways to solve the startup issue on your Windows 10 PC.
See more posts from Websitepin: Fix "Windows Sockets Registry Entries Required for Network Connectivity Are Missing" Error
If ever you have figured out what causes your Windows 10 on failing to start, just choose the method for that particular problem. If not, you can try those three ways to know which works on your device. We hope that this video helped you solve your Windows 10 startup error.
Having doubts, questions, and suggestions? Do not hesitate to leave them inside the comment box below. We are glad to help you.


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Reading Dance Professionals Network and Junction Dance
A thought provoking dance performance in Reading Museum exploring connections created by Reading's Railways.
Inspired by Reading Museum's exhibition On Track: Reading's Railways, Past, Present and Future, this innovative piece uses dance to explore the importance of the railways to Reading. The railway line links Reading to cities all over the country - but how have these connections affected Reading as a place? And how do the people of Reading connect with each other?
Reading-based professional dancers will work with Reading residents of all ages to explore these questions and bring motion to the museum!
Saturday 12th November 11am-12pm
Saturday 19th November 11am-12pm
Reading Museum
Free entry
This is a durational performance so please arrive at any time during 11am-12pm and stay for as long as you wish.


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The Audit Materiality
Materiality is one of the basic and major concepts of auditing. Auditing and Assurance Standard (AAS) "Audit Materiality", states that the concept of materiality recognizes that some matters, either individually or in the aggregate, are relatively important for true and fair presentation of the financial information in conformity with recognized accounting policies and practices.
Audit Risk and Materiality:
The relationship between materiality and the audit risk. When conducting an audit, the auditor should consider materiality and its relationship with audit risk. The level of detection risk can be considered only after considering the level of inherent and control risks. While planning an audit, the auditor should keep in mind that the audit risk is to be kept at an acceptably low level. The range, efficiency, efficacy, nature and timing of the procedures performed by the auditor will determine the level (i.e. high or low) of detection risk. . For example, a small omission repeated frequently could have a significant cumulative impact on (for example) the total number of certificates that may be created or the calculation of any annual greenhouse shortfall. Lead auditors seeking further guidance on materiality in greenhouse-related audits should consult
The auditor should determine Audit risk and materiality affect the nature, timing, and extent of auditing procedures, also a materiality level for the financial statements well as the evaluation of those results. They affect the application of generally accepted auditing standards. (GAAP)In particular, audit risk and materiality affect the standard of fieldwork and reporting.
Determining a materiality level for the financial statements taken as a whole helps guide the auditor's judgments in identifying and assessing the risks of material misstatements and
In planning the nature, timing, and extent of further audit procedures.
The auditor should plan the audit so that audit risk is limited to a level acceptable for expressing an opinion on the financial statements, based on the auditor's professional judgment. Audit risk may be assessed in quantitative or qualitative terms.
Audit risk always exists. Even when audits are well planned and carefully performed, an Auditor is at best only able to obtain reasonable assurance. The nature of audit evidence is
Such that absolute assurance that material misstatements are detected is not possible. Furthermore the characteristics of fraud make it impossible to obtain absolute assurance.
Other court cases
When concluding as to whether the effect of misstatements, individually or in the aggregate, is material, an auditor should consider the nature and amount of the misstatements in relation to the nature and amount of items in the financial statements under audit. For example, an amount that is material to the financial statements of one entity may not be material to the financial statements of another entity of a different size or nature. Also, what is material to the financial statements of a particular entity might change from one period to another.
The general consensus appears to be that materiality would affect the judgment of an average informed user about financial statements.
1. Have appropriate knowledge of business and economic activities,
2. Study the financial statements with due diligence,
3. Understand the concept of materiality, and
4. Understand that use of estimates and professional judgment about future events results in inherent uncertainties.
The another procedures of assessment of audit materiality – In making materiality judgments, auditors should consider both quantitative and qualitative factors as well as results of any assessment of the following factors:
I. the significance of an individual item to the Benchmark Statement
II. Whether the misstatement of a control or system weakness, which would have routine effects on figures being reported
Conclusion: Audit risk and materiality have a direct effect on auditor's judgment concerning the sufficiency and appropriateness of evidence that is used to determine the fair presentation of financial statements. The auditor should consider audit risk and materiality,
"Objective and Scope of the Audit of Financial Statements", states that the auditor's opinion helps determination of the true and fair view of the financial position and operating results of an enterprise. The user, however, should not assume that the auditor's opinion is an assurance as to the future viability of the enterprise or the efficiency or effectiveness with which management has conducted the affairs of the enterprise.
Source by MOHAMMAD WAHID ABDULLAH KHAN


text: Recipe# 412719 Nov 19 Chilli Paneer by Tarla Dalal 39 reviews The traditionally non-vegetarian dish viz. Chilli chicken is modified for vegetarians. This melt in the mouth starter flavoured with all the ethnic chinese flavours is an all time favourite that is really easy to prepare. Serve it as a starter or even as accompaniment for your main meal. Add to Cookbook Add to Shopping List Upload a Photo View Reviews Received Recipe #4127 Chilli Paneer You are not signed in. To add recipes to your cookbooks requires you to Sign In to your account Select the cookbook to add this recipe to Not signed in My Page My Recipes My Photos My Cookbooks My Reviews My Reviews Received


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Current Series: Holy Week
Join us as we celebrate the most Holy of weeks. We start with Jesus's triumphant arrival into Jerusalem. Then we mourn the suffering and death of Jesus for our salvation. Lastly, we rejoice and celebrate the resurrection on the Third
April 5 - The Plan for Easter
*Please Note: Due to a technical issue, part of the worship was not recorded.*


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Thames Valley Police are appealing for information after a car was stolen in Thame.
The theft occurred around 3.40pm in the Travelodge car park yesterday (29/12).
The vehicle stolen was a Melbourne red BMW M3 registration plate AX08FWB with a V8 engine, 4 litre, carbon black roof, grey allows, small carbon spoiler and four exhausts.
The offender was described as an Asian man with a bald head and a slight black beard, wearing a grey coat and black trousers. He is 5ft 6 with very yellow teeth and a slight Birmingham accent.
There was also a suspicious Asian man in his twenties wearing sunglasses driving a gun metal coloured BMW 3 series coupe parked nearby at the service area.
Investigating officer PC Ali Shahed, based at Thame police station, said: "I would like to speak to anyone who has seen a car in recent days resembling the one in the image as this is similar to the vehicle that was stolen.
"We are also urging anyone to come forward with information about the parked car nearby that may have been used to drop off the offender at the scene.
"Please contact us on the non-emergency number 101."
If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.


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Temporarily Boot to Stock ICS on Epic 4G Touch From CM9
While running CyanogenMod on a CDMA device has many advantages, one glaring disadvantage is the ability to update your PRL (Preferred Roaming List) or data profile, which are only available via stock ROMs. Often times if you need to run a GPS fix or update your PRL, you need to backup your CM9 install, restore to a previous stock ROM, do the ROM dance, run the desired process, dance a jig, restore to CM9 install, and hope for the best. Well now you don't, thanks to the Epic Touch CM team.
The Epic Touch CM team has put together a nice temporary ROM which boots the FF18 stock firmware from the /EMMC partition on the Samsung Epic 4G Touch without changing your current ROM. This temporary ROM allows you to do the following, and more:
- Update Profile
- Update PRL
- Sprint Activation
- Dial codes and diagnostic mode
XDA Senior Member slick_rick has put together the discussion for this process, so visit the original thread and give it a shot.


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Coordinates: 42°38′46″N 83°17′33″W / 42.64611°N 83.29250°W / 42.64611; -83.29250Coordinates: 42°38′46″N 83°17′33″W / 42.64611°N 83.29250°W / 42.64611; -83.29250
Pontiac /ˈpɒn(t)iæk/ is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, located in Metro Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County. [5]
Named after Chief Pontiac, the city was best known throughout its history for its General Motors automobile manufacturing plants including Fisher Body, Pontiac East Assembly (a.k.a. Truck & Coach/Bus) and Pontiac Motor Division, which in the city's heyday was the primary automobile assembly plant where the famed Pontiac cars were produced and named after the city. The city of Pontiac also was home to Oakland Motor Car Company which was acquired by General Motors in 1909. Also of note is the Pontiac Silverdome, the stadium that hosted the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1975 until 2002, when the team moved back to Downtown Detroit.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.28 square miles (52.52 km2), of which, 19.97 square miles (51.72 km2) is land and 0.31 square miles (0.80 km2) is water.[1]
The city is bounded by the City of Auburn Hills to the east and north, the City of Lake Angelus to the north, Waterford Township to the west, and Bloomfield Township to the south.
The former Pontiac Township included what are now the cities of Pontiac, Lake Angelus, and Auburn Hills. The township incorporated as the City of Auburn Hills in 1983. Although the township no longer exists as a civil entity, it is still used as a survey township for land use purposes.
As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $31,207, and the median income for a family was $36,391. Males had a median income of $31,961 versus $24,765 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,842. About 18.0% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 59,515 people, 22,220 households, and 13,365 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,980.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,150.7 /km2). There were 27,084 housing units at an average density of 1,356.2 per square mile (523.6 /km2). The racial makeup of the city was 34.4% White, 52.1% African American, 0.6% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 6.2% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.5% of the population.
There were 22,220 households of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.4% were married couples living together, 27.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.9% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.28.
The median age in the city was 33.4 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.2% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 9.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.
Residents are zoned to the School District of the City of Pontiac. The district runs one main high school, Pontiac High School. There were once two high schools, Pontiac Northern and Pontiac Central, but both were combined at the Pontiac Northern location in 2009. This combined high school is known simply as Pontiac High School today. Which is now Associated with International Technology Academy, a program/school which requires an 3.0 to be admitted. [6]
The district currently serves about 6200 students.
There are four charter schools in Pontiac which offer a school choice to residents of Pontiac and the surrounding cities. The four charter schools are: Pontiac Academy for Excellence (K-12), Arts and Technology Academy, Walton Charter, and Great Lakes Academy.
Pontiac is also home to Notre Dame Preparatory High School, a private, Catholic school located in the North East area of the city.
Early expeditions into the land north of Detroit described the area as having "extreme sterility and barrenness".[7] Developments and exploration were soon to prove that report false.
The first settlers arrived in what is now the city of Pontiac in 1818. Two years later the fledgling settlement was designated the county seat for Oakland. The Pontiac Company, first chaired by Solomon Sibley of Detroit, comprised the first landowners in Pontiac, consisting of 15 members. Sibley, along with Stephen Mack and Shubael Conant, Pontiac Company members, also formed the partnership Mack, Conant & Sibley to facilitate the business of building a town. The first buildings were largely financed by Solomon and Sarah Sibley. It's important to note that while Solomon was the first chair of the Pontiac Company, for two years, it was Sarah who was the go between for him and those at Pontiac. Solomon Sibley was constantly traveling as a Territorial Congressman and later a Territorial Supreme Court judge.[8]
Its also important to note that Elizabeth Denison, an unmarried, free Black woman, worked for the Sibleys in the 1820s and it was they who made it possible for her to buy land in Pontiac in 1825. Stephen Mack, agent for the Pontiac Company at the time signed the deed, at the bequest of the Sibleys, conveying 48.5 acres to Elizabeth Denison that is believed to make her the first Black woman to purchase land in the new territory of Michigan. The proposition to sell land to Ms. Denison was also brought before the Pontiac Company, as noted in their minutes.[9]
In 1837 Pontiac became a village, the same year Michigan gained statehood. The town had been named after the famous Indian chief who had made his headquarters in the area decades before.[10] Pontiac was Michigan's first inland settlement.[11]
The village was officially recognized by the state legislature in 1837[12] and it incorporated as a city in 1861. From the beginning, Pontiac's central location served it well. It attracted professional people, including doctors and lawyers, and soon also became a center of industry. The city became the location of choice for woolen and grist mills which made use of the Clinton River as a power source.
Abundant natural resources led to the establishment of several carriage manufacturing companies, all of which were thriving at the turn of the century when the first self-propelled vehicles were introduced. Pontiac quickly became a capital of the new automotive industry.[13] Throughout the 1920s and 30's, Pontiac experienced tremendous growth in its population and size as tens of thousands of prospective autoworkers moved here from the South to work in its GM auto assembly plants. As the small "horseless carriage" manufacturers became consolidated under the mantle of the General Motors Corporation, Pontiac grew as the industry grew, suffering the same setback as other cities during the depression years of the 1930s.[14]
In late 1966, Pontiac-born and real estate developer A. Alfred Taubman tried to build a large-scale shopping mall in vacant downtown land where the Phoenix Center now stands. This unsuccessful plan would be the catalyst that would push Pontiac resident C. Don Davidson and his University of Detroit architectural class to create a more comprehensive plan that would benefit the city and the entire region around it. In 1969, the city of Pontiac adopted the Pontiac Plan as the official plan for rebuilding the vacant area of the downtown district.[15]
In 1968, Davidson overheard news by the Detroit Lions of their desire for a new football stadium in Southeast Michigan. Professor Davidson and city leaders made a push for a new multi-purpose stadium in the area that became known as the Silverdome.[16]
Construction began on the 80,000-seat stadium in 1972 and it opened in 1975 as the Pontiac Metropolitan Stadium. This too was a part of Davidson's vision for Pontiac.[17]
Construction began in the 1970s on an urban renewal project known as the "Pontiac Plan". The initial phase of this plan included the Phoenix Center, three office buildings, a transportation center and a high-rise residential complex.
The "Pontiac Plan" was a vision of Pontiac business owner and U. of D. Professor C. Don Davidson. The remainder of the plan was never completed.[18] In July 2012, mayor Leon Jukowski and Emergency Financial Manager Louis Schimmel announced plans to demolish the Phoenix Center due to disuse, maintenance costs to the city and a physical block preventing Saginaw Street to re-connect to the downtown area. Owners of the connecting Ottawa Towers filed an injunction, claiming the demolition would devalue their property and lose parking. On December 2012, a judge granted an injunction for the Ottawa Towers on an "expedited calendar" which prevented the demolition of the Phoenix Center for the time being.[19]
In 2010, city leaders and business owners launched "The Rise of The Phoenix" initiative. This plan was aimed at businesses interested in downtown retail space. The applicants selected would be given free rent in exchange for multi-year leases (two years or more) as well as one-year of free parking in city lots. This plan led 52 new businesses to locate in downtown Pontiac. Further plans to bring mixed-use developments and loft living into downtown were announced in September 2011 by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA). MEGA estimates the development could generate $20.4 million in new investment and create up to 107 permanent full-time jobs in downtown.[20]
On January 26, 2012, West Construction Services began the renovation and restoration of the former Sears building in downtown Pontiac for the Lafayette Place Lofts, the largest construction investment in Downtown Pontiac in approximately 30 years. The 80,000-square-foot (7,400 m2) project is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified residential and commercial mixed-use development which will consist of 46 new urban rental lofts, a fresh food grocery store and café, and an Anytime Fitness center. Construction was done during 2012 and the loft and market opened its doors on December of that year.[dated info][21] 10 West Lofts, another development in the area, will bring more loft living to downtown Pontiac.[22]
Regionally, the city was known for the Royal Oak.
The city is at the north end of the famous Woodward Avenue, known in the 1950s and 1960s as being popular with young people who would "cruise" and drag-race their hot-rods in the area. Pontiac participates in the annual Woodward Dream Cruise, an event celebrating Woodward's hot-rod history, stretching from Pontiac to Detroit. The downtown area is also known for its nightlife with nightclubs and music venues such as Club Visions, Tonic and The Crofoot.
The city is also host to two of the nation's renowned haunted houses: The Realm of Darkness and Erebus. The Realm of Darkness has in previous years been chosen as America's Best Haunted House. Erebus held the world record for "Largest Haunted House" from 2005-2009, at 4 stories high.
Pontiac is the location of the Motown Motion Picture Studios, formerly known as Raleigh Michigan Studios.[23] Pontiac was one of the cities in Michigan used to film the 2012 remake of the film Red Dawn, recreating Spokane, Washington. Additionally, downtown Pontiac in August 2012 was the filming site for the forthcoming tornado-themed disaster movie Black Sky.[24] The 2013 fantasy adventure film Oz the Great and Powerful was filmed within Motown Motion Picture Studios.[25] Transformers 4 is the latest movie to be filmed within the studio with the bulk of filming taking place in Pontiac.[26]
Pontiac is home to the Michigan Fallen Heroes Memorial,[27] which is located within the Oakland County Government Complex off of Telegraph Road.
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, operates its Wolverine from Pontiac to Chicago via Detroit and Battle Creek, Michigan. Service is three times daily, both arriving and departing.
Commuter rail service was once provided by Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) and later Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA) from Pontiac to downtown Detroit. This service ended on October 17, 1983, after subsidies were discontinued. Efforts continue to this day to restore such commuter service.
Class one freight rail service is provided by Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW), which also operates a large classification yard in Pontiac serving the local auto industry. The Grand Trunk Western Railroad (reporting mark GTW) is an important subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway (CN), constituting the majority of CN's Chicago Division (itself part of CN's Southern Region).
It currently operates in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, forming the CN mainline from Port Huron, Michigan to Chicago, Illinois, as well as serving Detroit, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio.
Oakland County International Airport services the city and surrounding areas with commuter air service. The airport previously was owned by the city of Pontiac and was known as the Pontiac City Airport, despite being located in neighboring Waterford Township and not on land contiguous with Pontiac's city limits.
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) operates local and regional bus transit.
The major thoroughfares in the city are: Woodward Avenue (M-1), Huron Street (M-59), and Telegraph Road (US 24). Portions of Woodward Avenue were once known as "Saginaw Street" and "Wide Track Drive" (the portion of Saginaw Street that runs through the downtown business district remains under that name).
At present, the mayor is nearly powerless because of the state-imposed "Emergency Financial Manager" (see below).
The Mayor of Pontiac is Leon Jukowski, who is serving his first term to which he was elected in November 2009. He narrowly won over Sandy-Michael McDonald, the Downtown Development Authority director. Jukowski previously served as Deputy Mayor, an appointed position under then-Mayor Willie Payne. He ran for mayor unsuccessfully in the 2001 and 2005 municipal elections, losing in the primary elections. Jukowski is an attorney who has various real estate holdings in downtown Pontiac.
Recent history has shown a high rate of turnover for Pontiac mayors. The previous mayor was Clarence Phillips. Phillips had been the State Representative for all of Pontiac and neighboring Auburn Hills from January 2001 until his inauguration as mayor following his landslide November 2005 win over incumbent Mayor Willie Payne. Payne had narrowly unseated incumbent Mayor Walter Moore in November 2001.
In 2009, the state government of Michigan appointed an "Emergency Financial Manager" to make day-to-day executive and financial municipal decisions. The position is not subject to the usual checks and balances, and has no need to seek re-election. The first and second managers, Fred Leeb and Michael Stampfler, were appointed by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. Each lasted less than a year.
The third, and current, manager is Louis Schimmel. He was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder. He is paid $150,000 a year and previously had been serving as Emergency Manager under Michigan Public Act 4, but will be appointed as Emergency Financial Manager by the Local Emergency Financial Assistance Loan Board in the interim leading up the November 2012 statewide ballot referendum that will determine whether Public Act 4 is overturned.[28]
In order to balance the budget, state-appointed emergency managers have drastically revised labor union contracts, sold off city assets such as parking meters, and privatized most public services. The Oakland County sheriff's office handles all police (saving $2 million a year) and nearby Waterford township deals with fires (saving $3 million). Pontiac sold its water treatment plant for $55 million dollars. Pontiac now outsources garbage collection, animal control, vital records and street maintenance. Many people still working in City Hall are employed by outside companies. The city payroll has declined from 600 to 50 employees. The Silverdome Stadium, once valued at $22 million, was sold for $583,000. The emergency managers have reduced the city's annual spending to $36 million from $57 million and erased almost all of its long-term debt. Schimmel says his work is nearly finished, and plans to hand control back over to elected officials by summer 2013.[29]
Elected officials currently have limited decision-making power; the City Council meets every week but cannot conduct any official business. The City Council President is Lee Jones and President Pro Tempore is Patrice Waterman. Public comment is permitted at the beginning of council meetings, but is limited to five minutes per citizen and requires a card submission before the meeting begins.
The seven member council is elected from evenly populated districts. District 1, which covers the southwest corner, is represented by Waterman; she was elected to her first term in 2009 over W. Charli Yarbro. District 2, which covers the central western part of the city, is represented by George Williams; he was elected to his first term in 2009 over write-in candidate Irma Hayes. District 3, which covers the northwestern part of the city, is represented by Mary Pietila; she was elected to her first term in 2009 over now-School Board Member Sherman Williams II.
District 4, which covers the northern portion, is represented by Randy Carter; he was elected to his first term in 2009 without opposition. District 6, which covers the central portion north of downtown, is represented by Jones; he is currently serving in his second term and is the most senior council member, as a result. District 5, which covers the northeastern corner of the city, is represented by Donald Watkins; he was elected to his first term in 2009 over Ron Harmon. District 7, which covers the southeastern corner, is represented by Kermit Williams; he was elected to his first term in 2009 without opposition.
The 2013 primary election took place on Tuesday, August 6. The 2013 general election will take place on Tuesday, November 5. The mayor position and all seven council district seats, as well as all six library board director positions, will be determined.
At the January 10, 2013 Pontiac City Council meeting, Mayor Jukowski announced his intention to seek re-election as mayor. Other announced candidates for mayor are Pontiac News Editor R. Frank Russell, Library Board President Dr. Deirdre Holloway Waterman and City Councilman Donald Watkins.
On April 30, 2013, resident Dubrae Newman filed paperwork to be a candidate for Council District 1 and incumbent George Williams filed paperwork to be a candidate for Council District 2.
On May 1, 2013, resident Mike McGuinness, the former chair of the Oakland County Democratic Party, filed paperwork to be a candidate for Council District 7.
The filing deadline for the 2013 municipal election was May 14, 2013.
The five candidates for mayor that competed in the August 6, 2013 primary for the top two placement are Jukowski, Waterman, Russell, Watkins and a last-minute filing of former city employee Eric A. Johnson.
Deirdre Waterman placed first in the primary, followed by incumbent Jukowski; they both advance onto the ballot for mayor in the general election. Watkins placed third, Russell fourth and Johnson fifth. Watkins has formally filed as a write-in candidate for mayor in the general election.
In District 1, incumbent Patrice Waterman and challenger Dubrae Newman advance to November. However, Newman announced at a City Council meeting prior to the general election that he withdrew as an active candidate and is supporting Waterman's re-election; due to the withdrawal deadline having passed, his name remains on the general election ballot.
In District 2, incumbent George Williams and challengers Donald Woodward and Demar Byas will face off in the August 6 primary. The top two vote-getters advance to November.
In District 3, incumbent Mary Pietila and challenger Colleen Kavanagh advance to November.
In District 4, incumbent Randy Carter is unopposed. Yohannes Bolds had filed, but withdrew his name from the ballot.
In District 5, open due to Councilman Watkins' mayoral bid, features candidates Sam Anderson, Jr., Mark Holland, Sr., and Joe McAllister in the August 6 primary. The top two vote-getters advance to November.
In District 6, open due to Council President Lee Jones' decision not to seek a third term, features candidates Vanessa D. Coleman, Marnese Jackson Wilford, Doris Burks Taylor and Maicol Ivan Rivera-Torres in the August 6 primary.
In District 7, incumbent Kermit Williams and challenger Mike McGuinness advance to November.
For Pontiac Library Board, nine candidates filed for the November 5, 2013 general election: Incumbents Joyce Allen, Roger Derby and Deirdre Waterman, as well as challengers Vernita Duvall, Juliene Dixon Jenkins, Ronnie Karpinski, Evelyn LeDuff, Rosie Richardson and Deveda Travis. The top six vote-getters will earn the four-year Library Board Director positions. Waterman dropped out of the library board election and will now face Jukowski in the mayoral election on November 5th.
The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfb"(Warm Summer Continental Climate).
Canada, Mexico, Yellowstone National Park, Interstate 5, Us 90
Auburn Hills, Michigan, Rochester Hills, Michigan, Pontiac, Michigan, Troy, Michigan, Michigan
Pontiac Silverdome, Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Invaders, Los Angeles Express (USFL), United States Football League
General Motors, Chevrolet Task Force, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Van, Chevrolet Silverado


text:
Israel Fakes Rocket-Fire Fatalities in Order to Launch Offensive Against Palestinians
Posted by musliminsuffer on January 14, 2009
In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
=== News Update ===
Friday, January 09, 2009
Israel Fakes Rocket-Fire Fatalities in Order to Launch Offensive Against Palestinians
For years there were no fatalities in Israel from the thousands of rockets fired over the border from Gaza, but after the Israeli Defense Forces launched a major offensive on December 27th against the Hamas militants responsible for the missiles, suddenly Hamas "got lucky," killing four people in Israel in three days.
But—Cui bono—it was Israel who needed Jewish fatalities to justify its aggression against the Palestinians of Gaza, and I submit an examination of the public record, along with a little common sense, will prove that Israel either faked these deaths or was actually responsible for the killings themselves.
In an interview with the Israeli novelist A.B. Yehoshua conducted by Todd Hasak-Lowy, a professor of modern Hebrew literature at the University of Florida, and first published at JBooks.com in June 2006. The deeply sensitive and aware Yehoshua said:
"Saddam Hussein's 40 Scuds in the Gulf War and all the Kassem rockets that have been fired at Israel since the withdrawal from Gaza haven't killed a single Israeli civilian."
I had suspected that this, or something close to it, was the truth, but I lacked the ability to verify the fact, or the moral or intellectual authority to express it to any purpose. But what I could help with is acting lessons.
An Israeli perspective is found on a timeline put out by the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C., which says that "since December 27, four Israelis have been killed by rocket and mortar fire from Gaza."
Dec 27, 2008 – Beber Vaknin, 58, of Netivot was killed when a rocket fired from Gaza hit an apartment building in Netivot.Dec 29, 2008 – Hani al-Mahdi, 27, of Aroar, a Beduin settlement in the Negev was killed when a Grad-type missile fired from Gaza exploded at a construction site in Ashkelon. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.
Dec 29, 2008 – Irit Sheetrit, 39, of Ashdod was killed and several wounded when a Grad rocket exploded in the center of Ashdod. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.
Dec 29, 2008 – Warrant Officer Lutfi Nasraladin, 38, of the Druze town of Daliat el-Carmel was killed by a mortar attack on a military base near Nahal Oz.
We will have to exclude the death of the combatant Nasraladin as being unverifiable, since it supposedly occurred behind the insurmountable veil of secrecy which covers all military force actions. But we may ask, why, if he was stationed at a military base near Nahal Oz beside the Gaza border, he would succumb to mortar attack? I should think if anyone, he would have been prepared for it. And we may assume that he was a non-Jewish member of the IDF, given that his hometown isn't one that has "Rightists buying housing in Druze town to boost Jewish population."
"Israeli President Shimon Peres (L) meets the family of Warrant Officer Lutfi Nasraladin, January 4, 2009"
Is it me, or does this scene look artificial and contrived—with no adults relating to each other, on any level? I bet this family is going to get more than the $2,500 handout given to the family of a suicide bomber. (What! That's not even a handbag!) If they're lucky, they'll get some of that good New York, 9/11 money—maybe $1.5 mil to start?
Likewise, the death of Muslim Hani al-Mahdi, along with the wounding of a dozen low-skilled Muslim workers at a construction site in Ashkelon is suspicious both for its isolated nature and its non-Jewish victims. It would be just as easy to plant a bomb at a construction site, and then claim one of the "new and improved" Grad rockets fired from Gaza had done the trick.
But the real giveaway for me is in the official pegging of the "Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack," label here. Hamas has no way of monitoring or recording what effects its direction-less and unguidable missiles achieve at such a distance. In this way, the vastly technologically superior Israeli projects his own state of awareness and oversight onto the enemy. Hamas appears glad to accept whatever responsibility Israel cares to bestow on it for the havoc and destruction visited upon southern Israel, such is the powerlessness and despair of the Palestinians.
The first Jewish victim was killed on the opening day of Israel's assault, Saturday, December 27, and in one of the earliest report I could find, still datelined Dec. 27, 2008, he is described thusly:
The Yeshiva World » Netivot Victim Identified as Beber Vaknin… The victim of the fatal Shabbos rocket attack in Netivot has been identified as Beber Vaknin, 58, a male, not a female as was reported by authorities earlier on motzei Shabbos. Vaknin, a bachelor, was unable to reach the bomb shelter on time. IDF Homefront Command officials report that Netivot officials have 30 second from the sounding of the siren until impact, twice the time of Gaza-belt and Greater Sderot Area residents who are located much closer to the Gaza border.
A report at 6:35pm GMT, on Sunday, December 28th, had this to say
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Rocket attacks plague Israeli towns
Beber Vaknin's heart was pierced by shrapnel from a rocket strike.
Israeli residents of communities close to Gaza have faced a wave of rocket fire from Palestinian militants in response to Israel's air strikes in the Strip.
Some 150 rockets and mortars have been fired, most of them on Saturday, since Israel launched its assault, killing one person and injuring about 12.
On Sunday residents of the southern town of Netivot buried Beber Vaknin, 58.
The metal worker was standing at the entrance of his apartment on Saturday when a rocket struck the third floor of the building across the street. Shrapnel pierced his heart.
Photos showed a hole in one of the building's walls, which was pocked with shrapnel marks.
(Any reason why photos of the dead Jews, like Mr. Vaknin and Irit Shitrit are available only in such low-resolution? Not a very honorific way to handle the dearly departed, unless, of course, they weren't really departed.)
A video on YouTube records a newscast in Hebrew :YouTube – Deadly Qassam attack on the Israeli city of Netivot
The subtitled English translation of the Hebrew-speaking newscaster reads: "Beber Vaknin was an alone man, orphan of his parents and childless. From all others he is the first victim of the Qassams in Netivot. His funeral was short due to the security concern. His family members mourned the tragic way he was killed." Then a woman identified as Eti Amir, "sister of Berber Vaknin of blessed memory," speaks: "It hurts me, it goes to my heart that it happened to him and that I wasn't there next to him, to caress him in his last breath. It hurts me a lot, it drives me crazy when I'm thinking about it."
Do you see the unintended irony in her reference to her heart, and the crazy talk? But a major article in The Jerusalem Post reports that Vaknin had no sister:
Kassam shrapnel kills Netivot man In Netivot, 58-year-old Beber Vaknin was killed on Saturday and five people were wounded – one seriously – when their house was hit by a rocket. All the wounded were evacuated to Beersheba's Soroka Hospital. "After the first rocket landed, people wanted to see what had happened," one of Vaknin's neighbors told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday night. "He went outside to look around when the rocket hit, and he was killed by the shrapnel. The medics said the shrapnel pierced his heart." Vaknin was unmarried and held a clerical position in the southern town. "He was a solitary, elderly guy," the neighbor continued. "He has brothers, one here in Netivot, but otherwise, he didn't have any family." By Abe Selig, THE JERUSALEM POST Dec. 27, 2008 VIDEO
Unless there was a second rocket attack this story makes no sense, and it only makes sense that Vaknin didn't go to his safe room because no one anticipated Netivot being struck.
The following photograph was published in Time Inc., and it is described as being a "a hole in the 3rd-story wall" from an attack in Netivot. Apparently this is the attack that Israel claims took Vaknin's life, while he was standing in his doorway across the street.
A more logical argument would have Vaknin succumbing to a heart attack, or even a fatal injection into his heart muscle in order to cause death. As a low-key, life-long bachelor with few family connections nearby, he made for an ideal sacrifice.
Vaknin was the first rocket or mortar casualty in Netivot, supposedly representing a dramatic escalation in Hamas' ability to lob longer-range missiles into Israel—but here is the central absurdity, given the IDF's overwhelming military superiority and its total lockdown on the Gaza strip (is Hamas supposedly bringing in scores of these 122-millimeter missiles from Iran through tunnels under the Egyptian desert? Surely those tunnels should be the target of the IDF sorties then, using U.S.-made bunker-buster munitions if need be.)
Rocket kills Netivot man, six wounded – Haaretz – Israel News Residents of Netivot, which until now been largely left outside the cycle of violence, were united in their support of Israel's offensive. "We have the faith that the IDF will carry out its job," a resident said.
But that doesn't stop Israeli sources from reporting this absurdity with a straight face, and nowhere in the media is a skeptical report found.
Four Israelis Killed in Rocket Fire from Gaza
In the past two weeks, over 500 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel, hitting targets surrounding the Gaza Strip, including Sderot, Ashkelon, and the Eshkol, Sha'ar HaNegev, and Sedot Negev Regional Councils. In response to the increased rocket fire, the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday began aerial attacks on Hamas military and political installations in the Gaza Strip in a continuing campaign that has been codenamed "Operation Cast Lead". Since the operation was launched on Saturday midday, Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have begun launching longer-range GRAD rockets – 122mm rockets that have the range and firepower of Katyushas employed by Hizbullah during the Second Lebanon War. Rather than a range of 8-10 km of smaller Kassams, or 10-14 km of the newer and improved Kassams, the GRADS have a range of up to 40 km, giving them the capability of hitting larger population centers at a greater distance, such as Netivot, Ofakim, Kiryat Malachi, Kiryat Gat, Ashdod, Yavne, Gedera, and even the edge of Rehovot. A GRAD rocket landed in Netivot on Saturday afternoon, killing 58-year-old Beber Vaknin as he sought refuge in the doorway of an apartment building.
The Irish Times newspaper published the photograph above with the caption:
"A grief-stricken friend of Beber Vaknin, killed by a rocket fired by Palestinian militants on Saturday, during his funeral in the southern Israeli town of Netivot yesterday.
Photograph: Photograph: AP/Ariel Schalit"
Typical of a second-rate newspaper like the Irish Times to fail to get the name and identification of such a prominently featured mourner. It is sad the way the newspaper fails journalism and us.
The Washington Post, on the other hand, did a graceful front-page piece on December 29th, by Sudarsan Raghavan and Islam Abdel Kareem, Food and Medical Supplies Grow Scarce in the Gaza Strip, with the only cogently put explanation of Vaknin's death:
"Nearly 150 people gathered to pay their last respects to Beber Vaknin, 58, a reclusive bachelor. On Saturday afternoon, two hours after Israel launched its attacks on Gaza, he had stepped outside his apartment just as a rocket crashed into the building next door; the shrapnel instantly killed him."
"Some of those attending had mixed feelings about the attacks. They fondly remembered the days when they coexisted with Palestinians, often traveling to Gaza to eat lunch and visit friends.
"I don't feel great. I don't feel bad," said Tamar Vaknin, Beber's sister-in-law. "I say to myself, 'They are poor people'. It's a shame. I want things to be different."
"Others wanted Israel to escalate their attacks and invade Gaza again.
"I hope the Israeli army will not stop," said Mordechai Amar, 48, a family friend. "They should stop the terror. In order to win, you need the ground operation."
The funeral was kept short because everyone worried about incoming rockets."
Yeah, right. In the city that had never been hit before. Suddenly, everyone is up to speed.
The second supposed Jewish fatality also occurred in a town never before struck by a Hamas rocket, but rather than being a town only 15 kilometers away from the Gaza border like Netivot, this virgin territory is a town 35 kilometers away—Ashdot. [for distances see: www.israelforum.com/board/archive/index.php/t-5…]
Haaretz reported that "Hamas missiles first hit near Ashdod on Sunday. Monday's attack marked the first time the city suffered casualties from missiles."
According to this map from the Israeli Embassy in Washington, Ashdot is not within range for the best 122-mm Grad rockets that Hamas currently possess.
But on a page at globalsecurity.org they just change the map ever so slightly. While they can't get the stories straight—is this new rocket with twice the range, of Iranian manufacture, or Chinese?—they still simply call it a "standard" 122-mm rocket, but which now miraculously has twice the range and can threaten twice as much of Israel! And Hamas doesn't unleash this new weapon system they had tucked away until after Israel launched its offensive. Then, these new rockets have the luck of the Irish, striking and killing multiple targets.
Israel states unequivocally that a rocket which landed near Gan Yavne on December 28 was the Chinese made WS 1-E, but globalsecurity.org states just as unequivocally, that "The WS-1 series weapon system did not enter PLA service, and has not received any orders from foreign customers," going on to add,
"The WS-1E is compatible with legacy 122mm rockets. Each rocket is 2.94 meters in length, weighs 74 kg, carries a18 or 22 kg warhead, and is capable of engaging targets located at ranges between 20 and 40 kilometers. The WS-1E is the 122mm multiple rocket system developed by SCAIC as a successor to the PLA's current Type 81 122mm rocket system. It is similar to the Type 90 122mm rocket system, but did not enter production."
This is clear proof that the whole story of new rockets with a range between 20-km and 40-km is an an elaborate hoax put out by Israeli psychological-warfare operators, and the scores of actual missiles which may, or may not, have landed in these advanced areas, were launched by Israel itself, in a false-flag bid for sympathy and justification for attacking Gaza.
This leads me to believe that this story of an upgrade to Hamas', or the PTA's,"legacy" 122-mm rockets, with their new ability to target twice as deep within Israel, was long in the planning stages, including its development at the Sichuan Aerospace Industry Corporation, but likely to have been purely an Israeli or Western initiative—a psychological warfare conceit, which for some reason didn't pan out.
So whatever forced Israel's hand into launching its December offensive into Gaza, the intended extended-range missile product launch wasn't ready or in place. Combine these false-flag rocket attacks with four transparently faked deaths, two of whom would be impossible to reach without the new rockets, and these "truths" fall apart under the slightest examination. This is a clear and major defeat for Israel in the psy-opt war front.
Rockets fired from Gaza kill 2 Israelis within hour – Haaretz Israeli News Dec. 30, 2008
One Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed in a mortar strike in a western Negev base, and another was seriously wounded. Four others were lightly hurt in the attack. The other fatality occurred when a woman got out of her vehicle when she heard the early warning siren in the city of Ashdod, and sought shelter in a bus stop on the side of the road. She sustained critical shrapnel wounds, and later died.
Another passerby who also ducked into the bus stop for shelter suffered serious injuries in the attack. Three people were lightly hurt in Ashdod, which is situated some 35 kilometers from the Gaza border.
Hamas missiles first hit near Ashdod on Sunday. Monday's attack marked the first time the city suffered casualties from missiles, as Israel concluded a third day of aerial assaults on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
see: Beber Vaknin, In Extremis
see: Israel's Transparent Bullshit Justification for Invading Palestinian Gaza
The photograph above is captioned:
"The father and husband of 39-year-old Israeli Irit Shitrit mourn over her body during the funeral procession in the southern coastal Israeli city of Ashdod on December 30, 2008. Shitrit was killed last night during a Palestinian rocket attack on Ashdod. Magen David Adom, the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross, said the Ashdod blast was caused by a Grad-type rocket with a range of 25 miles. (AFP/Getty)"
I think it is very telling that even the Israelis sought out some independently credible verification that the "blast" that supposedly took Ms. Shitrit's life was caused by a "Grad-type rocket," but since when is it the Red Cross's job to determine the range of missiles? Such criminal forensic is routinely done all over the world—usually by police or military investigators. That a Jewish human-rights organization is tasked with making a determination such as this is strange in the extreme.
This is the bus stop where Irit Shitrit supposedly died, and her sister, Aylet, was seriously wounded, getting a once-over cleanup. Benjamin Netanyahu came to pay a visit here with foreign journalists and his web site has this to say:
Beginning of tour – Ashdod 11:00
The tour began with an introductory meeting with the press representatives who assembled in the city hall of Ashdod. However, the tour had really begun a few moments earlier, when a siren was heard, followed by two 'Grad' missiles which smashed into a neighborhood in Ashdod and in the nearby village of Shetulim. Netanyahu thanked Ashdod mayor, Yehiel Lassry, who volunteered to guide the group from city hall to the location where the missiles had landed. Netanyahu emphasized the importance of this kind of tour on a day like today: "This is an opportunity to explain to a global public the kind of terror the citizens of Israel are currently living under", said Netanyahu, "we will now go to the site where they landed and then continue to Ashkelon, a city which has also been the target of more than a few attacks".
On a small hill in a public garden
The journalists hurried back to the bus, which followed Netanyahu's car to the place where the missiles had fallen in Ashdod. There, next to a bus station, Ashdod resident Irit Shitrit, was killed yesterday by a Grad missile as she ran to find shelter. Netanyahu stood on a hill not far from the deserted bus station. Nothing in the quiet green garden hinted at the horror that had taken place there just a few hours earlier. "It gives you an understanding of what is going on here", Netanyahu told the journalists, "Tens of thousands of children in Israel are not going to school, hundreds of thousands of Israeli civilians live under constant terror".One of the journalists made her way to the front of the group: "Hundreds of Palestinians are being killed now. Is the IDF operation proportional at all?". "While the terrorists hide behind civilians in order to increase the number of casualties", answered Netanyahu, "we are trying as much as we can to decrease the number of civilian casualties. Calculating events according to this standard will lead you to the conclusion that Britain was wrong and Germany was right in the Second World War, since the number of British bombing victims was much smaller than number of the Germans hit in retaliatory raids". From the hill, the group proceeded to the bus station where Shitrit had tried to find shelter. The small booth could not provide her sufficient protection from the powerful blast of the Grad missile. "Mrs. Shitrit sat here, the missile went through the metal and hit her", explained Netanyahu to the foreign journalists. "If a siren were to be heard now, we would have 40 seconds to get to a secure space. Since this bus station is not a secure space, as of now you will not be able to get to a secure space even if you were Olympic runners".
This is absurd on so many levels—first, because this city had never been under threat of rocket attack before. If it were under legitimate threat, would the journalists caravan around at will? What prevented a siren going off and an incoming missile attack?
A web site which attempts to debunk Israeli responsibility for what befell a Palestinian family on the Gaza beach one day in 2006, says of a slightly larger munition, a 155-mm tank shell, that it would leave a crater 4.5 meters wide and 1.75 meters deep, but in Ashdot there is nothing.
Rockets fired from Gaza kill 2 Israelis within hour
By Amos Harel and Yanir Yagana, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service, and Reuters
Two Israelis were killed Monday evening as Gaza militants pelted southern Israel with rockets and mortar shells, as Israel concluded its third day of aerial assaults on the Gaza Strip.
One Israel Defense Forces soldier was killed in a mortar strike in a western Negev base, and another was seriously wounded. Four others were lightly hurt in the attack.
The other fatality occurred when a woman got out of her vehicle when she heard the early warning siren in the city of Ashdod, and sought shelter in a bus stop on the side of the road. She sustained critical shrapnel wounds, and later died. Another passerby who also ducked into the bus stop for shelter suffered serious injuries in the attack.
Three people were lightly hurt in Ashdod, which is situated some 35 kilometers from the Gaza border.
Haaretz and Reuters got their facts wrong. It was Irit's sister, not some "passerby" who "suffered serious injuries in the attack." Surely that important fact adds to the human-interest drama of the story:
Name of Ashdod Rocket Victim Released
Reported: 00:31 AM – Dec/30/08
The woman killed in the Grad rocket attack on Ashdod Monday night was 39-year-old Irit Shitrit, a resident of the city.
According to Ynet, Irit and her sister had just finished a fitness workout and were driving home when the Color Red missile alert sounded. Following the instructions given out by security personnel, Irit got out of the car to seek cover when the rocket delivered its fatal blow. Her sister was also seriously wounded.
Their mother said that one of her daughters managed to notify her husband that they had been hit. Irit's husband was already in mourning. His mother died a month ago.
And from The Yeshiva World:
"Irit Sheetrit HY"D, 39, did the correct thing. She heard the siren, stopped her vehicle and headed to the bus stop for shelter. She was traveling together with her sister. The two spent the day together."
The sirens were heard in Ashdod at shortly after 9:00pm. Irit stopped and together with her sister, ran for cover, realizing they must find shelter. The 122mm Katyusha rocket slammed into the bus stop and she was gravely injured and died en route to Kaplan Hospital in Rechovot. Her sister remains in serious condition."
Here is Irit's sister Aylet at her funeral, belying the seriousness of her condition.
My supposition is that the 39-year-old mother of four, Irit Shitrit, is a false flag victim rendered into a new identity in some upstate New York community of Hasidim, perhaps to undergo facial plastic surgery but not necessarily, awaiting reconciliation with her family after a sufficient cooling-down period, thereafter to live with "her little secret," which her community is all too eager to keep along with her.
The falsity and the mendacity is apparent to me in the photographs of her father, brother and husband who never show their faces in any of the images. Perhaps I am culturally deficient in some facet of the expression of Jewish grief, but I don't think so. This is not truth. This is not real.
This level of Jewish manipulation and control in the formation of reality is infinitely deeper and more malicious than the sort of agent provocateur behavior, which used to constitute the outside limit one hazarded. Like at the watchdog site, C.A.M.E.R.A, which poo-poos such talk like this:
"In perhaps the most absurd example of denying reality, Ahmed Yousef, an advisor to Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, alleged that Israel employs collaborators to shoot rockets at Israeli civilians."
Its awful to come to the conclusion that every word out of these mouths is a lie. This certainly doesn't represent all Jews. It is only that fraction for whom any means to an end is suitable, laudable even. Evolved and evolving Jewish souls will have to separate out from this sort of madness by first calling it by it's correct name.
We all choose what truth to believe in. You could believe the statistics about casualties from Palestinian rocket attacks contained in this web site:
Rocket and Mortar Fatalities in Israel – The Israel Project
Total Deaths from Qassams and Mortars within Israel and in the former Israeli Settlements in Gaza including Israelis, Palestinians and Foreign Workers: 25 Total Deaths from Qassams and mortars within Israel: 17
What has occurred since July of 2006 likely has served Israeli purposes solely. Like the tiresome overacting this young woman affects. Is this one of Shitrit's four children? If so, how unbecoming. And since we are on to the tactic now, we're going to have to have open caskets, like the Palestinian infants and toddlers, whose ashen faces we see unenshrouded at funerals.
Actually, this body bag seems to have changed shape. It doesn't look like it contains a human form anymore. Is that the Rabbi checking below?
Wikipedia has the 10th protocol of the Elders of Zion, as "Staging catastrophes against one's own people, then claiming a moral high ground for leverage (False flag)" but that's not my reading of the forgery. However, like Machiavelli's tome, the Protocols should be required reading for every awakening individual who claims to understand human nature, as foul as that can be sometimes. The whole former structure of the clandestine and the covert is coming to an end now, I believe.
This crowd would constitute a conspiracy in my book. Lots of front-line Zionists banding together, justifying the ends.
Truth and justice will win out in the end. The web site, dictatorshipwatch.com, is so satirically wonderful that I shall forever love them. It took a rabid blog posting by a sweetheart named Katie at http://www.digitaljournal.com/blog/1665, and spins that little c**t on her ear, (if that's not mixing my metaphors.) But such efforts help us recognize the good Jews from the bad Jews—the perpetrators, and not the victims, as they style themselves.
It never occurred to me that when Israel withdrew its settlers from the Gaza strip, that they would lay waste to the infrastructure, leaving nothing behind, more than the outlines of the former crescent streets. Where I come from such a thing is profoundly immoral, akin to wasting food while others are starving. How would it have hurt the Israelis to have given their Semitic brothers and sisters those houses and developments? Might not such a thing be a bridge to peace? Do Jews really think themselves immune to karma? Do they ever analyze the fact they are hated so much as being a logical development? אלי סיני (הרוס)
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I also learned where "Operation Cast Lead" came from:
The Chanukah Massacre was dubbed "Operation Cast (or Solid) Lead"
so named after a Chanukah poem by H.N. Bialik, national poet of Israel
"Teacher bought a big top for me,
Solid lead, the finest known.
In whose honor, for whose glory?
For Hanukkah alone."
From now on, Hanukkah/Chanukah will always be associated in my mind with a tragic 2008 Massacre in which Israel again took a gamble that no power in the world would raise a finger to stop their 60-year long campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians but will let them have as many spins of the "solid lead" dreidel as they need to win all of Eretz Israel.
How is it that Jews can make even a toy seem like a guided missile?
source: http://stevenwarran.blogspot.com/2009/01/israel-fakes-rocket-fire-fatalities-in.html
-muslim voice-
2 Responses to "Israel Fakes Rocket-Fire Fatalities in Order to Launch Offensive Against Palestinians"
January 30, 2009 at 2:30 am
Honestly man, you are a hateful person with a very biased view. I think you need to do more research.


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J Crew Outlet: Find the Biggest Deals on J Crew Products
Amidst the closing of businesses following the previous recession that hit the economy hard in the first years of 2000s, some companies remained standing because of their strong connection with their valued patrons; and J Crew is one of them. Respected and loved because of its prowess in manufacturing the products that suit the needs and wants of many, J Crew maintained an international popularity that many competitors admire. J Crew apparels and accessories for men, women and children are the most sought- after products in the market, as well as its other products like wallets, belts, jewelries, swimwear, loungewear, and wedding apparels. Yet, with the enormous popularity of the brand, some people do not choose to buy them because of their prices. But for those who have been into a J Crew Outlet, the price is never a problem.
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Grand Opening June 9th, 2018
We are pleased to announce our Official Grand Opening of Bunch Hollow Campground & Resort! We have been effortless working to create the best long-term RV park in East Tennessee and hope you'll join us for this great event.
On June 9th starting at noon, we will have live bands and food trucks for all to enjoy. Bring a chair and sit back while you experience Bunch Hollow. We have confirmed that the following food truck vendors:
- Checkered Flag BBQ
- Gato's Tacos
Both vendors will be set up all day so be sure to grab some great food. Our grand opening will run until 10:00 pm.
Music will begin at 12:00 pm and run until around 10:00 pm. We are pleased to announce the following bands will be playing:
- Southern Steel (1:00 – 5:00 pm)
- Long Neck Gypsies (6:00 – 10:00 pm)
Have questions? Give us a call anytime at 865-919-2427.
Bunch Hollow is located at 1651 Bunch Hollow Rd, New Tazewell, Tn 37825


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About five years ago I made Coffee Crisp cupcakes with our post Halloween candy haul. Between then and now, we haven't been very successful with our candy haul, either because we went too late or didn't have time to go. This year though, maybe we went a little overboard. We got bags of Kit Kat, Coffee Crisp, Reese's Cups…and more… #noshame.
It's been a few weeks since we bought our chocolates. I am pretty sure we've been working at them everyday but there are still so much chocolate left. I guess it's time to bake with them. 😉 Since I made coffee crisp cupcakes before, it was time to experiment with Kit Kat instead. Luckily, there are some kit kat cupcakes recipes out there. After reading a few I decided to use Chocolate Moosey's recipe because I like how she stuffed the Kit Kat inside. I was inspired by matcha flavoured Kit Kats so I did a matcha buttercream frosting instead of a caramel frosting. I also made them into mini cupcakes to go with mini Kit Kat.
I served these cuties on Saturday for a boardgame party with my coworkers and they all loved it! The chocolate cake base worked really well with the Kit Kat inside. The chocolate part has melted into the cake so the texture of the wafer really stands out compared to the soft and moist chocolate cake base. If you eat the Kit Kat on top with the matcha buttercream, it's pretty much like eating a match flavoured Kit Kat! Yum!
Mini Kit Kat cupcakes with matcha buttercream frosting
(Adapted from: Chocolate Moosey's)
For the cupcakes
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extrat
2/3 cup buttermilk
Mini Kit Kat bars, broken into single wafers (1 wafer for each mini cupcake)
For the matcha frosting
2 tablespoons of milk
1 tablespoon of matcha powder
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temp
3 cups icing sugar
For the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a mini cupcake pan with 24 paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and oil until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Alternating between the flour and buttermilk, gradually add the flour in 3 parts and the buttermilk in 2 parts.
- In one liner, scoop enough batter to cover the bottom (about half a tablespoon). Cut one Kit Kat wafer in half then place one half in the batter. Push it down a little bit but not all the way to the bottom. Scoop enough batter (half of a tablespoon) on top to cover. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Bake 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean (you want a little bit of chocolate so they aren't too dry). The tops may sink slightly if you didn't have enough batter to cover to the top. Cool completely.
For the frosting
- In a small bowl, combine the matcha powder and milk and stir until a smooth paste forms. It is important that you get rid of any clumps as best you can.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter until smooth. Add in icing sugar and matcha mixture and beat until thickened.
- Transfer to a piping bag and frost the fully cooled cupcakes. Top with the other half of the Kit Kat wafer.


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This may interest ct60 users:
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I went with the PicoPSU 120-WI-25 and 19V brick. Will install on TT.
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Click for more Pinewood Derby ® secrets or download the complete Pinewood Derby ® Handbook.
TitleBalsa wood fenders
CategoryBuilding the Vehicle
CommentTo give your car a different look, consider buying a strip of balsa wood from your local craft store. These can be added as fenders over the wheels. It's light weight does not add much to the car and can be easily shaped with a sharp craft knife. Besure the fenders do not stick out beyond the wheels.
ContributorFerdinand Tretter
Date Entered14-Jan-2005
Click here to report possible copyright violations.
Complete Pinewood Derby ® Secrets!


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Ever wondered what happened to this show or that show. Well this can tell you, a veritable dictionary of Branson Who's who and who's what right here.
Branson From A-Z 2017
Always Patsy-great show tributing the Late Great Patsy Cline
Andy Williams-Branson Entertainer for many years. His theater still sits next to Shorty Smalls on Highway 76
Amerihost Inn & Suits-was the old Holiday Inn at the first of town then Eagles Landing lodge, then the Amerihost, it is currently the Baymont Inn & Suits
Andy's Frozen Custard-on the strip with some great custard
Acrobats of China-Theater show at the Yakov SMirnoff theater
Branson Landing-located in downtown Branson tons of shops to enjoy as well as a million dollar fountain
Branson Mall-Located right next to Walmart still after all these years
Branson Ferris Wheel-Located right next to the tracks family fun parks
Branson Scenic Railway
Barrington-great Hotel near Shepherd of the hills expressway
Big cedar Lodge-Located on Highway 86 this is a must see, with tons of Cabins, and things for the Kids to do.
Branson Rex Plex-Located on Branson Hills Parkway a great place to workout
Branson Inn-Hotel that was knocked down to build a new hospital that is coming
Bowery Boys-show that was on Shepherd of the Hills which is Red Lobster now
Branson Brothers–one of the premiere acts out at SDC for many years, and drew great crowds
Branson Tourism center-Tickets,Shows, attractions and hotel reservations
Blue Bayou-Motel destroyed by the Tornado of 2012
Baldknobbers-one of the first shows on the strip
Butterfly Palace-Located next to RFD on the Hill, very popular
Bowling-east 76 is the only bowling alley we have
Baldknobbers Motel-right in front of well the Baldknobbers
Branson Imax-movies, shows, food
Brady, Gregg-Played Branson for several years 2016 was his last year
Bodies the Exhibition-Short Lived exhibit on shepherd of the hills
Chicken House-right on the strip near the Grand Palace
Chick Filet-Right at the beginning of the strip
Cox Cable company-Across from Cox Hospital
Caulfeld Crossroads-sells crafts and all kinds of stuff across from White Oak Gas Station
College of the Ozarks-tons of things to see and do besides get a great eduction
Chateau on the lake-Great property on Table Rock Lake with over 200 rooms
Clay Cooper theater-at the old Legends, and Osmonds theater
Clarion Hotel-Was the Palace inn in the 90's and George Bush sr stayed here in the 90's great place
Charlie Pride theater-rocking in the 90's is now the White House theater
Days Inn-Located onShepherd of the Hills
Demetries-A great restaurant that had been in multiple location
Dockers Motel-Green Mountain drive
Dominos-Pizza place up on the strip
Dick Clark Celebrity theater-Now home to Legends in Concerts
Doug Gabrial Morning show-great show still going strong
Dick's five and dime-downtown Branson retail shop
Elvis and the Superstars-great show that used to be in the owens theater
First Inn Gold-Located on the strip across from the Grand Palace
Frederik-Waltzing Waters Piano Player
Grand Palace-still standing with big plans to become something, but locals are still not sure what
Hank Williams Revisited-played at the Imax for quite some time
Hughes Brothers-A great Show across from Jim Stafford
Hall Of Fame-great Hotel on the strip across from Hollywood wax
Hollywood wax Museum-Has a King Kong on top of its building
Indiana Point-tons of things to do, and see and tons of tiny resorts, a must see
Imax Entertainment-Located on Shepherd of the hills expressway
Jim Stafford Theater-Jim Left for a bit and is there now
King Kong-overlooks all of Branson on top of the Hollywood wax museum
Kanakuk Camps-great place for Kids in the summers with a ton of great things to do
Kentucky fried chicken-used to have multiple locations all out of business as of this writing
Lynina Inn-Great motel that is a top 10 on trip advisor on SHepherd of the Hills
Legends in Concert-at the old Dick Clark theater
Lodge of the Ozarks-Located across from Jim Stafford on the Strip and next to the Hughes brothers
Lone Star Steakhouse-located on Green Mountain drive, great for steaks.
Melody Lane inn-hotel destroyed by the tornado in 2012
Mcguffy's-great Restaurant with almost 6 locations
Osmonds-Played at the old Texans theater for a while and a few others Great group
Presley's-great show and one of the first
Papa Johns-great Pizza place with two locations on the strip. One next to First inn Gold And one at the beginning of the strip
Raddison-Hotel near the Grand Palace almos 500 rooms
Roy Rogers Museum-locatred behind Olive Garden Now the Legacy theater
Red Lobster-still on Shepherd of the hills
Roy Clark Celebrity theater-Great theater that ended in 1997
Showboat-Owned by SDC this is one of the only lake cruises on Table Rock Lake
SDC-them park that originated in the 60's
Six-Acapella seeing group that plays in the old Mickey Gilley theater
Spaghatatas'-once located on Green Mountain drive great food
Table Rock Lake-off of 165 Next to the Chateau
Texans-played at the Clay Cooper theater in the 90's incredible group
Texas Tenors-Great accapela group playing at the Starlight theater
Treasure Lake-on Shepherd of the hills near Imax
Twitty,Conway-Played many shows in Branson right next to the Jim Stafford theater
Target-one in Branson on SHepherd of the hills
Yellow Rose Motel-Located on the falls Parkway this motel has been around for a very long time
Texans-Show from the 90's where clay cooper is now
Velvett car museum-Located at Dick Clark American Band Stand theater
Vinton, Bobby-entertainer who owned the Bobby Vinton Theater Now called the Kings castle theater it suffered some damage in the 2012 tornado but was re built
Welk Resort-on Highway 65 with a built in water Park
White Water-open during the summer with tons of things for the kids to do
Waltzing Waters-a theater that hosted beautiful dancing waters, and Frederick a piano player
Whipper Snappers-located behind the Chicken House
White Oak Station-Multiple Locations at the beginning and end of Shepherd of the Hills
And 165


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A bonus picture to add to my previous post about the Sistine Chapel: a photo of the ceiling.
Notwithstanding the blurriness (worse around the edges) and light glare, it gives you a pretty good view of about 2/3 of the chapel ceiling, narrating the Creation of the World, with various prophetic figures and others round about.
I used to post a lot of ceiling photos on Facebook (before I deleted my old account); I should probably post some more of those here as well.