text:
Nothing like man hating a. holes. Their signs will really work and in ten years you morons standing out there man hating will wake up crying wondering why MEN want nothing to do with you.
Thanks for this article. A contingent of Tucson Raging Grannies plus students from the University of Arizona and others held signs across the street from approximately 2-300 Tucson High Students who left the programmed memorial inside and took to the streets with their protest. All reports of the inside memorial were positive as well. The kids are in front on this one -- lets hope the (so-called) adults in power are listening. (BTW, love that sign "Only thing easier to buy than a gun is a GOP candidate")
Once again we agree. Great pictures. I like 93 the best. I'll bet one of those truckers is smiling. Maybe all of them ??!!
Interesting photography.
Although I believe a mistake was made on photo 58 of 93. Kimberly Austin is the subject of the Porno for Pyros song "Kimberly Austin". If there is a Nine Inch Nails song about her, it may be a very obscure or inside reference in a song; it may be a very obscure or deep track which flew under my radar. Personally, my belief is that someone made a mistake.
If I'm incorrect, please correct me. Otherwise, please correct the title of this slide.
Thanks for reading. DC
I am originally from Texas and I am very picky about barbecue... Jay's does it right! Deliciously smoky and tender as can be. My grandson and I loved our pulled port and brisket meals. Next time it'll be ribs to make it a trifecta win!
Same on my iPad
Doesn't work. Needs flash player which Kindle doesn't have. :(
Today - June 20, 2012... Who is the owner...and are they having services there on the property...
if so please email me immediatley... firstname.lastname@example.com
Rev. Robert L. Bufkin
Please let me know who the owner is and if services are going on and if so.l.who is the pastor... THANKS..
There is good news for all who have been concerned about Miracle Valley:
On December 20th, 2011 at 9:25 am the purchase of Miracle Valley property was approved by the Phoenix Superior Court of Arizona. Judge Eileen Willett. Case number CV2009-020595, Petition #58 for $600,000.
Go to http://www.miraclevalleyarizona.com/index.html for more information
. Allen said that he had this vision and that he seen another people here
at Miracle Valley. And he said,
"Gene, we were not those people. We were not those people.
But I seen another people and they where young people and all kinds of people.
They were all dancing across the road. I never had seen people like that before.
There will be another people that shall come here in this area.
I have never seen nothing like it!" Gilles and Diane Langevin is the ones to fullfill this prophecy, this is a fact. i live right at 2000 miles away i do not known them but in God we known. any other way will not work a new day shall come forth and it shall rise those that try to stop it shall fall by the way side their love for the youth is great and a great need for this time, old traditional looks will not gain the youth,iam not talking about GOD he dont change but Culture does please i ask you get behind them and help and support them for this is the perfect will of GOD for them and the valley. aa allen seen this and so do we,it is time and now is the time.
He has the opportunity to buy it, would God not give it freely to them he has chosen for the end time Revival? For it is written Matthew 21:13 "My House shall be called a house of prayer..." must you defend that which is already in front of you, and yet if God says no, never shall it come.....
How would you like it if after all the hard work; blood, sweat, and tears; you work(for 10 years)(put over 100,000.00 of your own money, including your personal own home.) on what you felt that God had told you to do. To go back and see all of that damage? If you were God; What would you do? It matters not what I think; However if I were to take a guess; I think there is a good chance. The Harter's are going to get the place back. May the good Lord bless all of you who support this humble couple. Why don't you give them a call and ask; What Can I Do? email@example.com
I agree with with the statement by Pentecostal! The Harters and Miracle Valley have had to deal with more than one backstabber!
This is a response to the two posts presented by "greatestoftheselove" posted on April 6, 2011 regarding the "last owners", no doubt implying this to Dr. Melvin Harter and his work at Miracle Valley. First of all, your own name "greatestoftheselove" certainly does not connote to your message. Perhaps, you should chose a different name such as "Judgmental, Condemmer." You insinuate that Harter stoled from local people or churches. My question is, "Did he steal from you?" Secondly, how do you know that the Harters were not directed by God? You state "making money off of Miracle Valley." When did that ever occur? Mr. Linedecker says that Melvin Harter did more to repair and fix up Miracle Valley than anyone else since the days of A A Allen. Then you state "failed to obey local laws." I guess this was when the Minutemen visited the college. No, "greatestoftheselove, you sound like you may have been a disgrunded staff member that was relieved of his duties at Miracle Valley.
Regarding the Miracle Valley property, the Deputy Receiver and Melvin Harter Ministries have signed a Settlement Agreement." It appears that the Harters will be the ones returning to Miracle Valley.
Repent and give back what you've taken from the Lord and His people....we love you brother. Money is not power. A pure and Godly heart full of love and a humble, giving, trusting heart brings wisdom and a powerful move of the Lord, HALLELUJAH!!! LORD, SHOW YOUR GREAT POWER THROUGHOUT THE EARTH!! GLORY!! FOR YOU ALREADY KNOW WHO YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANTS ARE, THOSE CALLED TO REBUILD YOUR VALLEY. WE PRAISE YOU LORD!!
The Lord won't use a people who've stolen from locals or recent churches they've belonged to. God will use a people who are honest Holy Spirit filled and directed by God and the Lord Jesus Christ. A humble and obedient people who believe that the Lord is our healer and deliverer. I believe that anyone who tries to make money off of Miracle Valley will fail in their ministry. Again the last owner's weren't hearing from the Lord when they failed to obey local laws which stirred negative feelings toward them. Also the previous owner knows that money that was given him was used in an ungodly way...therefore without being honest with funds......failure came and God will not use a dishonest man. Nor do you EVER unplug the Holy Spirit from moving...you know what I mean brother. It's better to correct a brother when he's wrong rather not say anything at all. Don't cry out to the Lord and ask what you've done wrong.....you've wronged the local government and stolen from God's people.
Mv should be given to paul allen m v should stay in the allen family.
The Harters are the only ones who are legally pursuing to obtain Miracle Valley. Much of the destruction that is seen on this slide presentation is due to vandalism. Hopefully, the court will be making its decision shortly regarding the ownership of Miracle Valley.
It seems on the Internet that 2 or more organisations are going to rebuild the Bible School - the Hartners and the Largevins - Are they working together ? and who actually owns the site right now??


text:
The face of Mars is dotted with a maze of channels, pointing to possible ancient megaflood episodes.
Now scientists peering below the surface have uncovered the first evidence of underground channels apparently created by flooding — a finding that's expected to further illuminate the role of water in Mars' history.
Using a ground-piercing radar sensor aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, a team of scientists created 3-D maps of an equatorial region known as Elysium Planitia and the channels that run underneath the plains.
Besides the contributions from rovers and landers, "our view of the red planet has largely been restricted to looking at the surface" from orbiting spacecraft, said lead researcher Gareth Morgan, a planetary scientist at the Smithsonian Institution.
The research, published online Thursday in the journal Science, offers a new perspective below the Martian surface and hints of past flooding at a time when the planet was mostly thought to be cold and desert-like. The channels remained hidden because the once volcanically active region had been filled in by lava flows hundreds of millions years ago.
Dry channels on the Martian surface were first spied by Mariner 9 in 1971. Later observations by the Viking spacecraft suggested the geologic features were likely carved by water. Mars missions since then have used sophisticated instruments to image these winding channels.
The latest 3-D maps, painstakingly pieced together from radar data collected by numerous spacecraft passes, have already changed scientists' notions: The channels are deeper than expected, a sign that flooding was more extensive than generally believed.
Morgan said the origin of the ancient floodwaters likely came from a deep reservoir and were possibly unleashed by a volcanic eruption.
Brown University Mars expert John Mustard called the new work "totally cool and significant."
"It shows a completely new dimension for considering the evolution of Mars," Mustard, who was not part of the study, said in an email.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Final Round XV is a fighting tournament currently under way in Atlanta, with action today and tomorrow in 10 different fighting titles. Four different live streams are available to watch; we've embedded all of them below.
Team Sp00ky and FunkyP are handling the feeds for the main action, which is Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom King of Fighters, SoulCalibur and Tekken..
There are two dedicated feeds for events in Mortal Kombat and Melty Blood: Actress Again. According to the schedule posted on NeoGAF it looks like Mortal Kombat is dark for today while Melty Blood plays. MK is scheduled for tomorrow. Check the listing for what's playing when.
Tonight at 10 pm is the finals of the Cross Assault contest, a reality show sponsored by Capcom that focuses on Street Fighter X Tekken, which releases on Tuesday. Team Sp00ky is the Street Fighter team in that contest, so I suppose their feed will carry that. If not, Cross Assault's main page is here at IGN.


text:
- Amazing Daily Deals
- We take care of the customer
- Top-notch Services!
- Performed by Qualified Professionals
We will be sure that you know what to anticipate
You will need to be well informed concerning Hardwood Installation in Frohna, MO. We be sure you understand what to expect. You're not going to encounter any sort of surprises if you hire Hardwood Installation Guys. The first step is to give us a call by dialing 844-244-6299 to begin your work. We're going to discuss your questions as soon as you call and get you set up with a meeting. We consistently appear at the appointed time, ready to work with you.
Hardwood Installation Guys will be available for all your expectations regarding Hardwood Installation in Frohna, Wyoming
If you are considering a project for Hardwood Installation in Frohna, MO, there are several good reasons to prefer Hardwood Installation Guys. We are the first choice when you really need the best cash saving options, the best equipment, and the highest rank of customer care. We will be ready to assist you with the greatest expertise and practical experience around. If you want Hardwood Installation in Frohna, contact Hardwood Installation Guys by dialing 844-244-6299, and we'll be glad to help.


text:
By Winnie Wright
March 20, 2014
Valdosta, Ga. -- According to Lt. Stryde Jones with the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, they received an anonymous tip via email that named numerous people who confessed to knowing who killed Kendrick Johnson and who may have been involved.
LCSO has investigated the sender and persons named after issuing a subpoena to Mediacom requesting information on the sender.
According to Lt. Stryde Jones with the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, they received an anonymous tip via email that named names of people who confessed to knowing who killed Kendrick Johnson and who may have been involved.
LCSO has investigated the sender and persons named after issuing a subpoena to Mediacom requesting information on the sender.
They say they interviewed all parties and have decided the information in the tip was incorrect.
There are still no suspects in the death of Kendrick Johnson at Lowndes High School in January of 2013.
News Release: CNN
Updated: March 19, 2014, 6pm
Atlanta (CNN) -- A Lowndes County, Georgia, assistant district attorney has ordered a communications company to hand over Internet records after investigators received an anonymous e-mail claiming an ex-schoolmate reportedly confessed to killing Kendrick Johnson.
CNN obtained the e-mail and the subpoena on Monday, in response to a state Open Records Act request submitted to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office.
The anonymous e-mail tip is dated January 27. The sender of the e-mail does not suggest he or she personally witnessed a confession; instead, the sender claims to have been told information by somebody who purportedly was aware of a confession in the 2013 death by one of the people implicated in the e-mail.
Johnson's body was found in a rolled-up mat in the Lowndes High School gymnasium on January 11, 2013. Investigators with the sheriff's office ruled his death accidental, concluding that Johnson climbed into the center of the gym mat to reach for a shoe and got stuck.
According to an incident report provided to CNN by the sheriff's office, investigators interviewed two of four students identified by name in the anonymous e-mail on January 28.
Both students acknowledged they knew the 17-year-old Johnson but denied any involvement in his death.
The incident report does not indicate whether the investigators attempted to speak with the two other students identified in the e-mail.
CNN is not naming the students mentioned in the e-mail because none of them has been named a suspect in the death of Johnson.
Lowndes County sheriff's investigators concluded Johnson got stuck while reaching for a shoe at the center of the mat and that his death was accidental. The state's medical examiner agreed, citing "positional asphyxia" as the cause of death.
Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson believe their son was beaten to death and officials are "covering up a murder." An independent pathologist, hired by Johnson's parents, concluded Johnson's death was the result of a homicide after finding evidence of "unexplained apparent non-accidental blunt force trauma" to Johnson's neck.
"If anybody has any information of a different opinion that they can provide to us, we're certainly open to looking at that. We're not closed-minded on this," Lt. Stryde Jones, supervisor of the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office's Investigative Division told CNN in May.
The sheriff's office has received many public comments regarding Johnson's death since it closed its case on May 2. The grand jury subpoena is the first document provided to CNN that suggests the department has acted on any of those public comments.
"Although our case has been closed, if evidence comes forward, specifically testimony, then we're open to hearing that and certainly we'll act accordingly," Lt. Jones said.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Bradfield Shealy issued the subpoena to Mediacom Communications Corporation on January 28. The New York-based cable, phone and Internet provider was ordered to provide the Lowndes County grand jury with subscriber information associated with the e-mail sent through the Lowndes County sheriff's office's website or submit the documents to the district attorney's office or Lt. Jones before February 26.
According to a Lowndes County Sheriff's Office incident report, the subpoena was faxed to Mediacom on February 7. The company intends to comply with the order. However, a Mediacom employee told CNN by phone Wednesday that Mediacom has not received the subpoena.
Last week, students from Lowndes High School and nearby Valdosta High School were among those who appeared before a federal grand jury in Macon, as part of the Department of Justice's investigation into Johnson's death. The U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, Michael Moore, launched the federal probe October 31.
Updated By: Joe Hellriegel
March 13, 2014, 6pm
The Johnson's family attorney told WCTV KJ's former schoolmates at Lowndes High School were subpoenaed by a federal grand jury to the federal courthouse in Macon.
This comes after a federal investigation was launched 4 months ago on KJ's death where he was found at the Lowndes High School gym in a rolled up gym mat.
By: WCTV Eyewitness News
December 20, 2013
Valdosta, GA -- New details have emerged in the investigation of Kendrick Johnson's death.
The FBI is planning on taking hard drives from the Lowndes County High School surveillance system, after a grand jury subpoena issued yesterday allowed the move.
17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found dead in the gym inside of a rolled-up gym mat. Surveillance video was released last month, but the footage left many, including the teen's parents, suspicious that parts had been edited.
By: Andy Alcock
November 21, 2013
Lowndes County, FL - The Kendrick Johnson file includes interviews, phone records, pictures and much more information.
It's all part of the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office 522 page file in the Kendrick Johnson death investigation.
That investigation concludes Johnson accidentally died in January by becoming lodged in a gym mat.
How did investigators reach that conclusion?
Three students told police Johnson and other students routinely stored their gym shoes in the vertically stacked mats.
Investigators also found students routinely walked on top of the mats.
The student who found Johnson's body said she climbed on top of the mats to take a nap when she saw KJ's feet inside one of them.
While LCSO concluded KJ's death was accidental, records show investigators did interview several students and looked at text messages to determine if foul play might be possible.
Investigators tried to interview two brothers.
The report indicates one of the brothers was involved in a fight with KJ during a football trip to Atlanta.
However, while their attorney wouldn't let the brothers speak to investigators, further evidence of their whereabouts showed the brothers couldn't have been involved in KJ's death.
By: Winnie Wright
November 7, 2013
Valdosta, GA - Little by little, the family of Kendrick Johnson is getting answers about what happened to their son last January. Wednesday night, new video was released showing KJ in the high school the day of his death.
Kendrick Johnson's family, friends, and attorney's took to the steps of the Lowndes County Judicial building today to raise questions about the authenticity of the video, which shows no time stamp.
According to the family's attorney, Ben Crump, the video was without time codes, while photos of the video, released by the Sherrif's Office have time codes posted.
Kendrick's father says sooner or later, the lies are going to end.
Ken Johnson, Kendrick Johnson's father: "This family is not going to take it. We're going to stand. It doesn't matter how long it takes.
The new videos haven't deterred the family from their goal. They plan to continue fighting for a Coroner's Inquest.
The next step for the Johnson family is to acquire the meta-data, which is the raw video from Lowndes County High School.
From Benjamin L. Crump, Esq. Facebook Page:
NEWS ALERT: The parents of Kendrick Johnson will share their reaction to the release of today's video footage at 1PM EST on Nov. 7, 2013 in front of the Valdosta Courthouse.
It is amazing how 36 cameras, showing 36 angles and the one video that shows #KendrickJohnson's last moments alive is the one that is blurry. #coincidence? #TheFightContinues #JusticeForKJ
Associated Press Release
VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) -- Attorneys say a Georgia Superior Court judge told them he wants to know what federal authorities discover before deciding whether to order a coroner's inquest into the death of a Valdosta teenager found inside a rolled-up wrestling mat at school.
Benjamin Crump, attorney for the family of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson, and Jim Elliott, lawyer for the Lowndes County coroner, say Judge Harry J. Altman told them Wednesday he won't rule until the U.S. attorney's office in Macon completes a review launched last week. Elliott said he expects the judge to file a formal order Thursday.
Sheriff's investigators decided Johnson died in a freak accident after getting stuck upside down inside the mat. Johnson's parents suspect someone killed him.
Crump says he plans to appeal the judge's decision to wait.
By: Matt Galka
November 7, 2013
Macon, GA - WCTV was there as U.S. attorney for the middle district of Georgia Michael Moore announced he'd be reviewing the Kendrick Johnson case. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office deemed closed after they determined the death was accidental.
"The F.B.I., who I believe is the finest investigative agency in the world, is cooperating with us in our efforts. Should sufficient information be developed to warrant a criminal civil rights investigation, I will ask the F.B.I. to open a civil rights, or any other, appropriate criminal investigation," said Moore.
Kendrick Johnson's family Attorney Ben Crump was adamant about the family's continued efforts to try and find out what exactly happened to the teenager. Johnson was found dead, rolled up in a gym mat in the Lowndes High School gymnasium back in January.
"Until we get the answers of not only who killed Kendrick Johnson but why people are trying to cover for those individuals, we won't stop," said Crump outside of his office in Tallahassee. He added that they welcomed the U.S. attorney's investigation.
The Johnson family successfully sued the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office and obtained previously sealed surveillance video and documents used in the investigation that the family attorneys are reviewing. The Public Information Officer for the Sheriff's office dismissed the idea that this review meant they botched the investigation.
"We forwarded our investigative file to Mr. Moore's office several months ago, in fact immediately after the case was closed a copy was forwarded to Mr. Moore, we trust he reviewed that file and, again, we welcome his independent review and look forward to receiving his answers," said deputy Stryde Jones.
A decision on a coroner's inquest is expected Monday. If that is granted to the family, the coroner would present information on Kendrick's death to a jury and they would then decide how the teenager died.
Valdosta, GA - The United States Attorneys' Office will reopen the investigation into the death of Lowndes High student, Kendrick Johnson.
Johnson was found dead in a gym mat at Lowndes County High School in January 2013.
The cause of death has been under much scrutiny with the family recently winning a legal battle over the release of the surveillance video from the school gymnasium.
Stay with WCTV for the latest updates on this developing story.
By: Matt Galka
October 30, 2013
Tallahassee, FL - Kendrick Johnson's mother, Jacquelyn, was thankful for a judge's ruling allowing the family to obtain surveillance video that could help determine her son's death.
"It feels great, we're just one step closer to finding out what happened to my son," said Jacquelyn Johnson while standing in her attorney's office.
Video obtained by WCTV shows other people in the gym with Kendrick Johnson before he was found dead and rolled up in a gym mat in the Lowndes County High School gymnasium back in January.
"It's still a long battle, we still have a long way to go, but it's a start," said Kendrick's father Kenneth Johnson.
The 1900 hours of video was not all immediately given to the family and their attorneys because, as attorney Ben Crump says, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office did not think the judge would rule in favor of the Johnson's. The family attorneys say that this might not show what happened to Kendrick, but could cast doubt on the "accidental death" ruling from the sheriff's office.
"We don't think you will see on that video Kendrick climbing into a wrestling mat as has been concluded by the sheriff's department. That's what we don't think you will see in any on of this 1900 hours of surveillance video," said Crump.
The judge released hundreds of pages of documents from the Lowndes County Sheriff's office investigation into Johnson's death.
"We now have the means of which to identify specific students, what it is that they claim to have seen, and to go much further into our inquiry, our questioning of them, as to what information they may have that would help us, like I said, get to the truth of what happened to Kendrick," said attorney Chevene King.
We reached out to the sheriff's office on Wednesday but they did not want to comment. A decision on the family's lawsuit regarding a coroner inquest is expected to be made Monday.
Micahel Moore, the United States attorney for the middle district of Georgia, is expected to make an announcement on this case on Thursday at 1 p.m. in Macon, GA.
By: Elizabeth Nickerson
October 30, 2013
Valdosta, GA - The family and friends of Kendrick Johnson celebrate as they walk out of the Lowndes County Superior Court. A judge Wednesday granted the Johnson family access to all of the surveillance tapes from the Lowndes High school gym. Kendrick's body was found in a rolled up gym mat in January.
"Anticipate getting copies of all of the video, both within the gym and areas outside the gym leading to the gym space itself," said Chevene King, one of the Johnson family attorney's.
Johnson's death was originally ruled accidental asphyxiation by the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. Johnson's family then hired its own pathologist, which ruled the 17-year-old died from blunt force trauma.
Kendrick's father says the new video released will show what really happened to his son.
"You can't prepare yourself for it," said Kenneth Johnson, Kendrick Johnson's Father. "It's just something we have to do, we'll fight for Kendrick till the end."
"It was a win for the community and everybody who really wants this murder mystery to be solved," said Ben Crump, one of the Johnson family attorney's.
WCTV reached out to the Lowdnes County Sheriff's Office, but officials would not comment.
A decision on a coroner's inquest with the Lowndes County coroner is expected on Monday, November 4TH.
The judge will decide If jurors would hear the coroner present information on Johnson's death. They would then decide how the teen died.
"We're happy to hear that we are one step closer to the truth," said Johnson.
Ben Crump says If the coroner's inquest is not granted, they will consider federal intervention.
Valdosta, GA - The judge has ordered the full file in the Kendrick Johnson death investigation to be released to the family.
This includes surveillance video of the gymnasium where 17-year-old Johnson was found dead in a wrestling mat
WCTV expects to receive a copy of this video, and will bring you more information as it is available.
Press Release: Kendrick Johnson Family & Attorneys
The family of Kendrick Johnson will be in court tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. for a hearing regarding the release of the video surveillance tape from the high school gymnasium in which their son was found dead in a wrestling mat.
The family's attorneys filed court paperwork requesting that the video be released. They are also seeking a Coroner's Inquest.
The hearing will be held in the Lowndes County Superior Court building located at 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, 31601.
The family and their attorneys will address media outside the courthouse following the hearing.
By: Bailey Myers
October 22, 2013
Valdosta, GA - The Johnson family's lawyers have announced they will be suing the Lowndes County Sheriff and the Coroner.
Kendrick Johnson's grandmother said, "No matter what it is we want the truth to come out." Demanding the truth Kendrick Johnson's family has now filed lawsuits against both the Coroner of Lowndes County, Bill Watson and the Sheriff of the County Chris Prine saying they have a right to know how investigators determined Kendrick Johnson's death was an accident.
Johnson Family Attorney Ben Crump said, "The scene investigation has been compromised. But, we believe there are some things that could speak to us like the video, DNA and blood evidence." Both CNN and the Johnson family have filed suit requesting all investigative finds be released. Focusing on the full surveillance video from the gymnasium, Johnson family attorney Chevene King, "It should show either Kendrick entered the mats as theorized, or he was brought to they gymnasium other than his own power."
Another lawsuit filed against the Coroner of Lowndes County requests he grant a coroner's inquest. Where the coroner would present information on Kendrick's death and jurors would decide based on that information how Kendrick died. "It's going to be hard... Kendrick was my son... It can't get no harder than that," explained Kendrick's father.
"It's an insult to injury and we have to file these legal papers and jump these hoops just to get to the truth of the matter asserted. We will get to the truth, we have no doubt about that."
Attorneys for the family of Kendrick Johnson plan to have a hearing with a Lowndes County judge on October 30th regarding the surveillance footage. A date has not been set in the suit against the coroner. We will update you as soon as that information comes available.
By: Bailey Myers
October 22, 2013, 12:35pm
Kendrick Johnson's family has filed a petition requesting a judge to order a coroner's inquest.
If the inquest is granted, then a jury will decide the cause of death.
Press Release: Kendrick Johnson's Family
Kendrick Johnson's parents, along with family attorneys Chevene B. King, Jr. and Benjamin Crump, will address media tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11:30 a.m. to discuss the filing and their next legal moves in the case.
The media availability will take place in front of the Lowndes County Superior Court building located at 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, 31601.


text:
Irving Penn Reinterpreted, by Irving Penn
Though Irving Penn made photographs with his printing process in mind, the most striking aspect of his oeuvre lies in his broad reinterpretation of commercial magazine work from decades earlier.
Updated Oct. 7, 2009
The photographer Irving Penn put Marcel Duchamp in a corner, exposed Colette's forehead and swaddled Rudolf Nureyev's lithe body in layers of winter clothing. His subjects, who included many of the greatest creative talents of the 20th century, emerged from their portrait sessions with their carefully shaped personas profoundly shaken. Mr. Penn died on Oct. 7, 2009; he was 92.
As one of the 20th century's most prolific and influential photographers of fashion and the famous, Mr. Penn's signature blend of classical elegance and cool minimalism was recognizable to magazine readers and museumgoers worldwide.
As a photographer for Vogue magazine, Mr. Penn produced fashion spreads, still lifes and portraits that rank among the most startlingly beautiful images to appear in a mass-circulation monthly. Usually shot in a minimally appointed studio under natural light, these images shrugged off the ephemeral nature of the print medium and rendered adjectives like popular and commercial beside the point.
In the late 1940s and 1950s, with Richard Avedon playing Pollock to his de Kooning - or perhaps the other way around - Mr. Penn was half of a rivalry that more or less set the parameters for fashion and magazine photography in the postwar period. It is still hard to tell exactly who broke the ice. At first, Mr. Avedon worked for Harper's Bazaar and its influential Russian émigré art director, Alexey Brodovitch (whom Mr. Penn briefly studied with and also worked for). Mr. Penn, at Vogue, collaborated with Mr. Brodovitch's opposite number and fellow Russian émigré, Alexander Liberman. In 1965 Mr. Liberman brought Mr. Avedon to Vogue, and the rivals began to duke it out at closer range.
Although they shared a kind of crystalline perfectionism and sinuous sense of form, the two photographers took essentially opposite aesthetic directions. Mr. Avedon pursued fashion photography into the street, the casino and the circus tent, building the spontaneous aesthetic of pioneers like Martin Munkacsi into a kind of chiseled baroque tour de force that often conveyed a vigorous sense of movement, however starkly arrested.
Mr. Penn claimed the studio as his citadel and devised a late, implicitly classical international style as poised and attenuated as a Saarinen Tulip chair. Paring down, Mr. Penn achieved a calm, clear stasis and a spare but undeniable voluptuousness. The critic Rosamond Bernier wrote that he brought "a new poetry to immobility." The reference was to his photographs of dancers, but it fits all his subjects, animate or not. Mr. Penn is a systemic artist, interested in proscribed formulas and a total, almost surgical control disguised as effortless elegance.
During the late 1940s Mr. Penn posed his subjects in austere, enclosed spaces created by movable walls and undulating sections of carpet. These backgrounds allowed him to create drama without resorting to easels, books and other props of the sort he had relied on earlier in the decade (Saul Steinberg with his sketchbook, John Cage leaning over a piano).
More important, the sense of physical confinement coaxed telling reactions from his subjects. Mr. Penn recalled in his 1991 book "Passage": "This confinement, surprisingly, seemed to comfort people, soothing them. The walls were a surface to lean on or push against." Truman Capote slouches solicitously in his corner; Duchamp strikes a suave, Cary Grant-like pose. Georgia O'Keeffe turns her face directly at the camera but leans ever so slightly to one side, a small gesture that destabilizes the whole picture.
In the 1950s Mr. Penn adopted a new close-up style that remains his preferred way of working. The earliest example, a portrait of Carson McCullers (taken in 1950, but printed, like many of Mr. Penn's works, decades later), has a haunted, confessional quality. Among the other standouts of this period is a 1957 portrait of Picasso in which his wide-open left eye appears to float between his upturned collar and the brim of his hat.
The windows to the soul are firmly shut in some of the later portraits. Sometimes, as in a picture of Ingmar Bergman, this reads as evidence of inner life; other times, as with the notoriously difficult Louise Bourgeois, it comes across as a sign of frustration. A photograph of Arthur Miller splits the difference; he holds one eyelid closed with the tip of his index finger, while the other eye peers out from behind thick glasses.


text:
Just loaded Linux Mint - Cinnamon, early days yet, obvious issues so far include no brightness control except for when I pull out the mains adapter then the screen goes bright-would appreciate any ideas on this one!. Wireless button goes blue but no wireless, I tested this by using an external USB wireless adapter to download all the updates, it disabled the wireless in the mean time until removed (no change after this btw) have decided to swap out the broadcom w/card for an intel (from an old NC6400) will post the results but I am hoping it'll just load the drivers and away we go, was pleased btw to find this site!.
Popular Guides
View more guides at Linux Wiki Guides


text:
Our Publications
- Aspen
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- The Hamptons
- Hawai'i
- Houston
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York
- Orange County
- Palm Beach
- Philadelphia
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- Scottsdale
- Silicon Valley
- Washington, D.C.
Decked Out!
Nate Chapnick | Photo: Courtesy of J Craft | March 4, 2013
Sweden's J Craft unveils one of the world's great nautical artworks with its 42-foot Torpedo cruiser.
From the Vikings setting sail more than a thousand years ago to its medieval merchant cog-ship armadas, Sweden's fate has always been inextricably tied to the open water. Perhaps it was destiny, then, that it was the country of origin for bespoke boat manufacturer J Craft's new hand-built 42-foot Torpedo yacht—one of the most beautiful vessels to ever hit the seven seas.
Though the boat, with its '50s and '60s-inspired lines, is stunningly gorgeous, it's far more than a pretty face. Thanks to brilliant design, the Torpedo maneuvers like a boat half its size. The hand-shaped hull was conceived by J Craft's team of naval engineers and designers to withstand the harsh climate and rough seas that surround the company's Gotland, Sweden, headquarters. As a result, it cuts through rough seas with ease and remains stable even when performing sharp turns in choppy conditions. Sponsons on the stern form a swim platform in back, preventing spray from drenching passengers when you feel like showing off with playful tricks.
Two 750-horsepower Volvo Penta IPS500 engines, meanwhile, supply the Torpedo with near endless thrust. When you're in the open water, mash the throttles and the Torpedo reaches a sprint speed of around 50 knots—but she will cruise happily along at 35 knots all day long. Docking is made simple with Volvo's joystick controls, allowing the boat to spin 360 degrees in its own length. And a 265-gallon tank provides a 350 nautical mile range, ideal for overnight trips to the islands.
A floating work of art that starts at about $1.3 million, the J Craft Torpedo is for the discerning buyer who appreciates the finest handcrafted details. The mahogany deck receives 18 coats of varnish to give it a deep, rich gloss that turns the wood into a veritable mirror. Nardi, the same company that made wheels for Ferrari's classic 250 GTO, is responsible for the Torpedo's graceful, thin steering wheel. And everywhere polished aluminum sparkles like a diamond in the sun, from the bezels that surround the circular instrument gauges to the windscreen trim and handrails. Fingerprints are this boat's worst nightmare—but, then again, that's what crews are for!
A near endless level of customization both inside and out makes each J Craft genuinely unique. Buyers can choose from 13 different hull colors, which can be paired with 12 different grip line shades. When it comes to the interior there are 10 standard upholstery and seat colors to choose from, allowing you to mix, match and create a design that truly reflects your style.
For the ultimate in customization, though, you'll want to look into J Craft's bespoke program, which allows you to match the color of your boat's paint and interior to, say, your Ferrari or Rolls-Royce.
Once aboard, you'll appreciate how spacious the J Craft's cabin feels. At nearly 12 feet wide and with almost 40 feet of deck space, she will easily accommodate eight passengers with an abundance of space left over. Below the bow is a dining area that folds into a bed, which comfortably allows sleeping for four, in addition to one crew member. A 53-gallon fresh-water tank provides H2O for the wet bar on deck, as well as the toilet and sink below. A large sundeck toward the stern provides plenty of stretching space—and its slightly lowered position makes for easy viewing from the rearview mirror, conveniently situated atop the captain's instrument panel. Your seat at the helm thus brings you not only views of your sun-kissed passengers soaking in the rays, but the ultimate sense of power as you captain one of the most beautiful boats on the water—one that easily makes you the center of attention no matter where you go.
As cool as it is capable, the J Craft Torpedo is comfortable on both Lake Michigan and the seven seas. But no matter where it is, the Torpedo is admired for its styling and hand-built craftsmanship: Each Torpedo takes more than 4,000 hours to create. The ancient Vikings would certainly be proud. And now all that's left is to start thinking about names for your new baby.


text:
Anthropologists keep trying to come up with a definition of human beings that applies to something about us that is totally, absolutely unique.
We are the toolmakers, they said. Then, Jane Goodall discovered that chimps poke sticks into termite holes to pull them out and eat them.
We have language. That was a poor choice from the start, since anyone who's been around animals knows they have a sort of language of their own.
So what about us is unique? Are we just a function of our opposable thumbs?
My answer, which I know would not fit into any anthropologist's toolkit for categorizing, is that we are the only creatures on this earth who were made for our own selves.
Every other creature here has a purpose and, somehow or other, that purpose ultimately pertains to us. We alone are made with such absolute and radical free will that we can both know and reject our own Maker.
We can imagine things that don't exist and find ways to create them. We can unravel the secrets of our own creation and teach ourselves a bit of the mechanisms God used when He made us and all that is. We can glimpse, albeit in an incomplete way that is filled with longing, the eternity that lies beyond our finite and mortal coil.
We have a touch of the divine within us that resides, not in our big brains, but in our almighty will. We are free. Stars exist within the laws of physics. Planets rotate on their orbits. All of creation occurs within predictable, learnable mathematical certainties.
The only real surprise is us. We are free, in the way that God is free. We can, with knowledge of what we are doing, and understanding of its implications, chose. We can create. And we can also destroy. This means that we alone of all the creatures around us have the capacity for good and evil. We are moral creatures by virtue of our free will and understanding.
There is something majestic and powerfully beautiful about our compulsion to push past the limits of what we are and dip our toes into what we are not. We are slower than a horse and much less powerful. But a long-distance runner can literally run a horse to death. We are not fish, but we venture into the deeps with our ships and tanks and diving bells. We extend our reach far past where any single animal can go. Not satisfied with that, we push our lungs and bodies to dive deep without devices.
Unlike any other creature, we push ourselves past what our species can do and into torturous endurance for not reason except to see if we can do it.
We are made for ourselves alone. Which means that we alone can give ourselves away — totally, freely and with full consent. Of all the things and creatures God has made, we stand alone on this earth as the only one who He gave as a gift to themselves. He gave us, from the first breath, our own selves. We were made to love Him.
Or not.
And we were made to be free to live, love, work, explore, learn, teach and push ourselves past what we think we can do.
There is no horizon to human existence, not even death. We are living souls, made for an eternity of love.
This is a video of William Trubridge's record-setting free dive into Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas. He dove — on one breath and without assistance — 101 meters, which is just a little more than 331 feet. Watch and be awed.


text:
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
Sonnet 18: Translation to modern English
Shall I compare you to a summer's day? You are more lovely and more moderate: Harsh winds disturb the delicate buds of May, and summer doesn't last long enough. Sometimes the sun is too hot, and its golden face is often dimmed by clouds. All beautiful things eventually become less beautiful, either by the experiences of life or by the passing of time. But your eternal beauty won't fade, nor lose any of its quality. And you will never die, as you will live on in my enduring poetry. As long as there are people still alive to read poems this sonnet will live, and you will live in it.


text:
Finally, a Predator to Control the Notorious Cane Toad: Meat Ants?
Researchers in Australia think they have found a solution to the country's toxic cane toad problem: make Australian meat ants eat them. Cane toads—which can grow up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) in length—were imported from South America to Queensland [in northeast Australia] in 1935 in a failed attempt to control beetles on sugarcane plantations. Trouble was, the toads couldn't jump high enough to eat the beetles, which live on top of cane stalks [AP]. Since their introduction… cane toads have spread through most of tropical Australia, eating and poisoning native animals [New Scientist]. No one has been able to get their population growth under control, and past suggestions to do so by introducing exotic diseases have only raised concerns about causing as much harm as the toads have themselves.
But a research team led by ecologist Rick Shine found that cane toads are more vulnerable to being eaten by Australia's predatory meat ants than are native frogs, which may allow the ants to be used as a "safe" biocontrol agent that would not interfere with native frog species. Shine said the team plans to try ways of encouraging meat ants to build colonies near toad breeding ponds. One way would be to plant trees the ants favour [The Australian]. He is hopeful the strategy will work because unlike native frogs, cane toads are active during the day, when meat ants roam about scavenging for food. Toads also tend to breed in ponds that are out in the open sun, which results in their young emerging onto bare, baked mud areas, a habitat where meat ants like to forage [Sydney Morning Herald]. The toad is also more vulnerable because it lays its eggs in the dry season when water is low and there's little protective vegetation at the pond's edge [The Australian].
Until its adult life, when it grows to be quite large, the toad is smaller than native amphibians, and sticks around longer when the ants attack—it takes about five seconds to move away, compared with the natives' one second average: it doesn't have the leg-power to leap quickly away from attacking ants. Worse, it doesn't watch for the ant as do local species. The final kiss of death for baby Bufo [cane toads] is that its potent toxin doesn't faze ants. The compound attacks the heart of vertebrate predators and ants, of course, are heartless [The Australian]. Meanwhile, meat ants are fierce fighters with powerful bites, and a band of the insects can easily take down a small toad.
The study, published in Functional Ecology, coincidentally follows the weekend's "Toad Day Out" event, a mass capture and killing of the cane toads, with many of the creatures' corpses being turned into fertilizer for the very farmers they've plagued for years [AP]. But according to Shine, the Queensland event will likely reduce numbers, but only in the short term. "There's been a tremendous community effort," he says, but "with females laying up to 30,000 eggs in a single clutch, it's not a long-term strategy" [New Scientist].
The meat ant proposal is not quite shovel-ready, of course. Ecologist Ross Alford said that while the proposal is interesting, people should "try it cautiously. Ants are generalist predators, so if you increased their numbers, you may see an effect on native animals apart from frogs" [New Scientist].
Related Content:
80beats: Attempt to Control Invasive Species Backfires Spectacularly on an Antarctic Island
80beats: Contaminated Australian River Spawns Millions of Two-Headed Fish
80beats: Worsening Drought Threatens Australia's "Food Bowl"
Image: Wikimedia


text:
From an ongoing series of booklets published by Michael Lee and Studio Bibliothéque.
Folded booklet, b/w illustration, English text.
Art Metropole is a non-profit artist-run centre incorporated in 1974. We'd like to thank the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, as well as our donors for their support.
Your donation assists in the development of contemporary art practices and programs for the general public.


text:
The British Open has seen just about everything in its 150 years, but there will be something new at St. Andrews next month.
In another illustration of how the sport is changing -- and quickly -- not one, not two, but three Korean amateurs will be part of the 156-strong field.
The latest addition is 20-year-old Jin Jeong, the first Asian winner of the British Amateur title in its 125-year history. He beat Scotland's James Byrne 5&4 in the final at Muirfield to join U.S. Amateur champion An Byeong-Hun and Eric Chun, who grabbed one of four qualifying spots in Malaysia in March, at the Home of Golf in just three weeks' time.
"I always hoped that my first major would be the Open," said Jeong. "Now I can play at St. Andrews. It means everything, it's a dream come true. I've been watching the Open on TV every year since Ernie Els won at Muirfield in 2002. I really wanted to know what it was like to play out of knee-high rough."
That last comment brings to mind the memorable exchange between Isao Aoki and the Open's then-press officer George Simms in the media tent at St. Andrews 32 years ago. With no Japanese interpreter to help, first-round leader Aoki was asked a question about the rough and, in an attempt to get him to understand, Simms pointed downward beside the desk where they were seated.
"Ah yes," said Aoki. "Nice carpet."
No Asian has ever lifted the Claret Jug, but Aoki's 63 at Muirfield in 1980 means he is among the record holders for the lowest round ever, and Taiwan's Lu Liang-huan -- "Mr. Lu" -- was runner-up to Lee Trevino at Royal Birkdale in 1971.
There will be six Koreans in all at St. Andrews, the three amateurs playing alongside PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang -- Asia's first major champion -- 2008 halfway leader K.J. Choi and also Noh Seung-yul, who in March became the second-youngest winner in European Tour history and was then another of the qualifiers in Malaysia.
Jeong has also earned himself a spot in next April's Masters, but for 21-year-old Byrne, who led by two holes early in the final at the weekend, it is all a case of what might have been. Unlike the runner-up at the U.S. Amateur -- they get into the Masters and U.S. Open -- there are no major spots offered to anyone other than the winner at the British Amateur.
The trophy has certainly been travelling the world in recent years.
Jeong succeeds Matteo Manassero, who at 16 was not only the youngest champion but also the first Italian, while before him came Dutchman Reinier Saxton, American Drew Weaver and Frenchman Julien Guerrier. Ireland's Brian McElhinney was the last winner from the home countries in 2005.
As for victory in the event leading to major success, nobody has managed that since Jose Maria Olazabal, who was British Amateur champion in 1984 (he beat Colin Montgomerie in the final) and Masters champion 10 years later and again in 1999.
Remarkably, you have to go back to 1935 for the previous British Amateur champion to be a major winner as well. That was American Lawson Little, who captured the U.S. Open five years later.
As for the runners-up, only South African Trevor Immelman -- beaten by Scotland's Craig Watson in 1997 -- has achieved a major win since the start of the last century.
France's Victor Dubuisson, last year's European Amateur champion, is the only other amateur currently in the field for next month, although a number of others still have hopes via this week's ongoing regional qualifying events around England, Scotland and Ireland.
They still, however, would have to negotiate 36 holes of final qualifying at four venues near St. Andrews next Tuesday, and that sees 288 players battling for a mere 12 places.
Meanwhile, the Asian contingent will swell further later this week when no fewer than six places are on offer at the Mizuno Open -- four from the event itself and two from the Japan Tour money list. Japanese players already exempt are Hiroyuki Fujita, Yuta Ikeda, Koumei and Ryuichi Oda and, of course, 18-year-old sensation Ryo Ishikawa, whose seventh Japan Tour win came in May with a sensational closing round of 58.
Thailand, meanwhile, is represented by Thongchai Jaidee and Malaysia by Danny Chia, and there could therefore be as many as 19 Asians in the field.
U.S. Amateur champion An Byeong-Hun, still only 18, is the son of parents who both won table tennis medals at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. His victory came just two weeks after compatriot Y.E. Yang had beaten Tiger Woods at Hazeltine, but he has so far missed the cut by eight at the Masters and five at the U.S. Open.


text:
Electrical contractors wire Kansas City's NASCAR racetrack facility.
Kansas City, Kan. - Clouds of dust swirled around the job site and the temperature soared into the triple digits as electricians wired the Midwest's new NASCAR racetrack facility.
"It's 110ø out there," said Stann Tate, director of public relations for the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. A few minutes later, he pointed to the temperature gauge inside his white Ford Explorer as he was driving around the site. "Now it's 113ø."
Red trucks with the gold Capital Electric Construction Co. logo were parked near the NASCAR racecar garage. Electrical workers, including Gary McAmis, journeyman wireman, were working in the blistering Kansas heat to pull high-voltage wiring to the transformers. McAmis said he has been on 1,250-acre site for five months, but noticed a lot of changes unfolding at the end of the summer.
"It seems like everything is starting to come together here recently," McAmis said. They're starting to step it up more and move our completion dates up quite a bit." McAmis said he had a special interest in the Kansas Speedway project because he and his brother have raced stock cars.
"I think it's neat," McAmis said. "I'm a big NASCAR fan. As long as I can see the first car go around the track, I'm happy."
Capital Electric electrician Mike Hampton, who had only been out on the project for two weeks, said he was an avid NASCAR fan. General Foreman Vince Dill, however, said he had never seen a racetrack before working on the Kansas Speedway.
"I'm not a NASCAR fan yet, but this site has been very interesting," said Dill, who has worked for Capital Electric for 11 years.
Leavenworth, Kan.-based Capital Electric Construction Co. Inc., Kansas Speedway's prime electrical contractor with a $3.5 million contract, is also leading the electrical construction work at the Sprint World Headquarters in Overland Park, Kan. Dill said he and some other Capital Electric employees on the Kansas Speedway project formerly worked on the Sprint construction site.
"When we first started, we pulled the Sprint crew out here," Dill said. "We jumped back and forth until we were ready to man the job. Capital told me I was doing the job and then less than a week later I was out here."
When Dill first arrived on the site, he said it looked barren because the houses, which used to dot the landscape, were all gone.
"There was nothing here - no buildings," Dill said. "It looked like a big bowl. They started this contract a year before we even showed up."
The International Speedway Corp. selected Kansas City, Kansas, as the site for the new speedway in August 1997. Kansas Speedway's Tate said the construction for the 1.5-mile racetrack kicked off on May 25, 1999.
"We called it the construction celebration as opposed to a groundbreaking," Tate said. "We've moved 11 1/2 million cubic yards of dirt for the project. That's enough to fill Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City's football stadium) five times over completely to the top."
The architects and engineers designed the stadium as a "bowl" so the racetrack would be elevated and the RV parking, a pit area and the four race car-parking garages would be in a lower position in the center of the track. The grandstands are built up on the side of the "bowl," so spectators who have tickets for the top row don't have to wear themselves out walking up to the top.
"You walk in at street level for rows 1 through 30 and then you get to the structure where you have seats 31 to 65, which is an amenity for the fans," Tate said. "In a lot of facilities, you have to walk up 65 rows."
Racing fans can not only watch the races from the grandstands, but they can also reserve one of the 68 suites. The Kansas Speedway started out with 32 suites, but after they quickly sold out, the board of directors added 36 more suites.
"We still have 40 companies on our waiting list," Tate said.
A hospitality village also allows avid fans to watch the games while feasting on everything from hamburgers and hot dogs to steak and lobster. The area, which will be covered with tents, will extend from the grandstands to the blue "Icon Tower," which will showcase a large screen monitor with NASCAR racing highlights.
"It's kind of unique in the sense that in a lot of other facilities when they have hospitality chalets and villages, they are way out in the parking lot and you don't have a good view of anything except cars and the back of the grandstands. Here, you'll be able to look from your hospitality chalet down into the facility."
Because of the "bowl" design of the facility, the electrical contractors encountered unusual challenges, said Capital Electric's Dill.
"We're digging through shale and rock," Dill said. "A lot of times we have to put a breaker on the machine. Digging down the slope in the bowl was tough."
Installing conduit from the top, down the slope and across the track proved to be the most difficult part of the job, Dill said.
"We had to dig down there seven times and it took us a month and a half just to put those seven crossings in," Dill said. "One of the duct banks has 27 6-in. conduits down that slope. We're up here on top and then you go and drop like this at 45 degrees."
Running the conduit down the slope took a lot of equipment, Dill said.
"We had two trackhoes, two backhoes, an earth saw, boom trucks, high-voltage trailers and wire trucks," Dill said. "Everything that Capital has, we've had here."
For two weeks straight in the early part of the project, Dill said he had a piece of equipment out on the job site, unloading conduit.
"We had 100% of our conduit on site before we started," Dill said. "We got it cheaper through bulk buy. That way I didn't have to keep track of materials."
The general contractor, Turner Construction, and the Board of Public Utilities hired Capital Electric to install all the underground communications conduit and high-voltage wiring and set all the transformers. The contractor is still installing the high-voltage wiring and gear and putting in the duct banks while other subcontractors are installing the seats and paving the racetrack.
Three other Kansas City-area electric contractors on the project won contracts for the buildings on site. Kansas City, Mo.-based Mark One Electric is completing all the electrical work on the Icon Tower and all the suites in the grandstands, O'Neal Electric, Merriam, Kan., is assigned to the parking garage for the racecars and Shaw Electric, Kansas City, Mo., is wiring the 23 concourse buildings.
Bill Miles, general foreman for Shaw Electric, said he and his team have been on site since March to wire buildings such as the souvenir stand, concession building and ticket booth, which are all located in the concourse area under the grandstands.
"We did it all - the lighting, kitchen equipment, power, underground power and telephone/data requirements," Miles said. "It's been fun, interesting and different type of work."
Along with the concourse, the buildings on site also include an administrative building, a press center and a miniature hospital. The Kansas Speedway partnered with the University of Kansas Medical Center, a local hospital, to staff an onsite emergency medical center.
"The miniature hospital's staff will take care of anyone who is injured," Kansas Speedway's Tate said.
A lighted helicopter pad was constructed next to the hospital in case anyone needs to be transported to a major hospital.
"There's 12-in. holes with in-paved lighting," Dill said. "We're putting 10, 120-ft high mast poles. The bases on those are huge."
With the nature of the sport, the hospital could come in handy, Dill said.
"There's the crash wall," Dill said. "The first race out here, there will be marks all over that wall."
Not only race car drivers, but also electrical contractors have to watch out for their workers' safety, he said. Dill said his team has safety talks every week.
"Knock on wood we haven't had one injury yet," Dill said. "My foreman got a piece of sand in his eye, but there was no lost time. I've only seen an ambulance out here one time when a truck driver fell off the back of his truck."
Along with addressing safety, the contractors were also confronted with a plethora of change orders, including the addition of manholes, changes in wire sizes, transformers, locations of manholes and lighting, road crossings, future roadcrossings and communication pipes.
"We should be out of here by now, but there are a lot of change orders," Dill said. "I think we should be out of here by late-November. We're also trying to pick up three more buildings including the maintenance, administration and the credentials building."
Shaw Electric's Miles said his team could still be on the site in 2001.
"We were going to finish in mid-December, but then they've asked us to do some kitchen equipment, so that could take us into mid-February," Miles said.
The electrical team is working to get everything wrapped up for the racetrack's spring 2001 opening date. The Midwestern heat and dust and piles of change orders have challenged the contractors, but have not proved insurmountable. Dill said he has really enjoyed his past eight months on the site.
"It's been a good job," he said. "I have a good crew and good help. It's been a good job with the coordination and cooperation with all the trades."
Miles said the NASCAR racetrack will be a great addition to Kansas City, Kan.
"I live really close to here and think it's a good thing for this area," Miles said. "It will help them a lot. To me, it's a nice thing to look at when you're driving by. It's pretty impressive."
- As of August 2000, the contractors poured 1,706 1/2 yds of concrete, installed 200,000 ft of pipe and 8,000 ft of duct bank and pulled 9,001 manual ft of high-voltage cable.
- Capital Electric, the prime contractor, has about a $3.5 million electrical contract for the Kansas Speedway project.
- About 2,400 total construction workers have been on site to complete the project.
- The Kansas Speedway is a 1.5-mile tri-oval track with 15-deg turns, 10.4 deg in the front stretch, 5 deg in the back stretch and a track pavement width of 55 ft.
- Anticipated qualifying speed for NASCAR Winston Cup cars: 175-185 mph.
- Anticipated qualifying speed for Indy Racing League cars: 210-215 mph.
- Thirty race cars will be able to park in each of the four garages next to the racetrack.
- The race cars will be transported into the track inside semi-tractor trailers. The Kansas Speedway's vehicular transport tunnel can accommodate three semi-tractor trailers side- by side.
- When completed, the motorsports facility is expected to be the largest tourist attraction in the state.
- Kansas Speedway's completion date is April 2001.
- Phase one of construction will create seating for 75,000 spectators. Upon completion of the final phase of development, the population of the Virgin Islands (150,000) would fit in the grandstands.
- The facility has 65 rows of seating with a ground-level concourse that will allow spectators to walk down 30 rows on grade or up 35 rows on the structure.
- All of the Speedway's 68 suites are already sold out; 40 companies are on the waiting list.
- Spectators will be able to park 65,000 cars on site. Motor homes and RVs will also be able to park on the grounds in the motor home terrace or in the campground facility.
- The roadway infrastructure being constructed to move traffic in, out and around the facility includes over 55-lane miles. Five lanes of traffic will be moving in one direction in order to move 90,000 people in and out of the facility within two-and-a-half-hours.
- The Kansas Speedway is located at I-70 and I-435, which is the largest intersection of freeways in Kansas. The facility has five separate entrances for spectators.
- A high grade of polymer modified asphalt will be used to pave the track.
- To equal the amount of storm sewer pipe used in the project, the Sears Tower in Chicago would have to be laid end-to-end 45 times.


text:
Study finds increase in dance-related injuries in children and adolescents (w/ Video)
Dance is a beautiful form of expression, but it could be physically taxing and strenuous on the human body, particularly for children and adolescents. A new study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital examined dance-related injuries among children and adolescents 3 to 19 years of age from 1991 to 2007. During the 17-year study period, an estimated 113,000 children and adolescents were treated in U.S. emergency departments for dance-related injuries.
According to the study, which is being published in the February 2013 print issue of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, the annual number of dance-related injuries increased 37 percent, climbing from 6,175 injuries in 1991 to 8,477 injuries in 2007. Sprains and/or strains (52 percent) were found to be the most common types of dance-related injuries, with falls (45 percent) being the most common causes of injuries.
The study also found that 4 out of 10 injured dancers were between 15 and 19 years of age.
"We believe this could be due to adolescent dancers getting more advanced in their skills, becoming more progressed in their careers and spending more time training and practicing," said Kristin Roberts MS, MPH, lead author of the study and senior research associate at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "We encourage children to keep dancing and exercising. But it is important that dancers and their instructors take precautions to avoid sustaining injuries."
"Safety precautions such as staying well-hydrated, properly warming up and cooling down, concentrating on the proper technique and getting plenty of rest can help prevent dance-related injuries," said the study's senior author Lara McKenzie, PhD, principal investigator at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's and also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
The Sports Medicine experts at Nationwide Children's treat the types of injuries seen in performing arts and dance athletes. Due to the increase in the number of dance-related injuries seen during the last few years, they have designed a number of services to address the needs of the young dancer.
"Adolescents are still growing into their bodies and as such often develop imbalances that can lead to injury," said Eric Leighton, ATC, an athletic trainer in Sports Medicine at Nationwide Children's. "It's critical that intervention and injury prevention be made available to them to address balance, strength and functional body control deficits as they grow. From pointe readiness screens to injury prevention programming, our team has a comprehensive approach to address the needs of these athletes."
This is the first study to use a nationally representative sample to examine dance-related injuries that were treated in U.S. emergency departments. Data for this study were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which is operated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NEISS provides information on consumer product-related and sports and recreation-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments across the country.


text:
Water Pipe Leak Repair in Nampa, ID
24/7 Emergency Water Pipe Leak Repair in Nampa, ID
You are guaranteed a quick response and by using the best drying techniques we can help minimize structural damage. Our team also reduces secondary moisture problems by isolating and protecting the unaffected areas of the structure and personal property. Quick and effective drying procedures hinder microbial growth, mildew, bacteria and other harmful pathogens.
Steps in the Water Damage Process
For water pipe leak repair in Nampa, ID, call 208-684-8500.


text:
Upscale American clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is known for its trendy casual wear. The brand connotes simplicity and casual luxury.
Abercrombie & Fitch
No results found
Discover fun, fresh and laid back fragrances from Abercrombie & Fitch at The Perfume Shop. There is a fragrance to suit everyone's tastes and if you order online, you'll receive free delivery too!


text:
How to Use Food Stamps (the SNAP Card)
The federal Food Stamp Program is now called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program); and instead of issuing paper food stamp coupons, SNAP recipients get an EBT (electronic benefit transfer) card to use in participating stores. When paying for groceries, you just swipe the EBT card in the same card reader that's used for credit and debit cards, put in your PIN number, and that's it!
Whether you call it food stamps, a SNAP card, or the EBT card, here are some pointers to remember for using it:
At the end of your purchase transaction, you should be able to see how much money is left in your account.
You can't debit a higher amount than the cash register total and get cash back.
Most participating stores indicate that they are SNAP members by displaying a sign in their window, but if you're not sure, ask at the service counter or one of the cashiers. (The sign might say something like "We Accept Food Stamps, EBT, or SNAP Benefits.")
You can buy most types of edible items in categories that you'd find in a supermarket: dairy, meats, produce, and so on. (Seeds that will be used to grow edible foods are also eligible.)
Items that you can't buy with food stamps include:
Alcoholic beverages and cigarettes
Vitamins and medicines
Any food that will be eaten in the store
Any hot food
Non-edible items like laundry supplies, paper products, and pet foods.
Your EBT card is good in all 50 states, even though you may have enrolled in one particular state. (The card doesn't work in Puerto Rico but does in the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.)
Any food stamp benefits that you don't use in one month will be carried over to the next month. However, if you don't use your SNAP card for a year, you will no longer be entitled to receive benefits.
While SNAP is a federal program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, eligibility is handled by each state — and each state has its own set of rules. To find out if you're eligible for SNAP benefits, contact your local SNAP office.


text:
Michel Haddi
IntermezzoAbout this photograph
Michel Haddi is one of the small circle of photographers who manages, through their undeniable genius, to transform an image into a truly artistic creation. In the tradition of his precursors, fashion photographers Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton, or his contemporary Mario Testino, he seeks to track the identity behind the appearances of his subjects and focuses on the way in which the portrait can convey their personality, regardless of how famous they are. His complicity with the models enables him to obtain intense black and white shots, with surprising sensitivity and apparent ease. Animated by cinematographic references and icons swathed in couture clothing, the photographer's work clearly documents his talented career spanning over 20 years, surrounded by personalities who are idolised the world over.Read more Read less
|Standard Delivery
|Classic, Colorful, Large, Giant, Collector, Exception
Born in 1956 in Paris, nobody could have predicted that Michel Haddi would become the talented fashion photographer we now know. At the age of just 18, the young French Algerian alternated between construction work and night surveillance to earn his living.He grew passionate about photography after discovering a shot by Helmut Newton on the cover of Vogue. Four years later, he moved to London as an assistant to the photographer Ben Lee. Frequenting the high temples of showbiz, he met arts journalists who offered him photographic assignments in the most illustrious European magazines. Throughout his career, he worked for majors such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and Harper's Bazaar. His collaborations with luxury brands incited him to travel the world to produce his advertising campaigns. He crossed paths with celebrities along the way, for whom he produced countless black and white portraits: Clint Eastwood, Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, the Red Hot Chilli Pepper and Kate Moss among many others. He now lives between London and New York, also devoting time to his publishing house when he is not participating in exhibitions.


text:
Tau Hu Recipes
Dau Hu Rang Muoi Recipe (Vietnamese Tofu)
Đậu hũ rang muối is probably my husband Lulu's favorite preparation for tofu. It literally translates to "toasted tofu in salt crust". Indeed, large pieces of silken tofu are covered in tapioca starch, then deep-fried. Finally, a quick stir fry of green onions, freshly sliced red Thai chiles and salt complete the dish.
The simplicity of this dish is what is remarkable about the versatility of tofu. A drizzle of soy sauce and the addition of freshly steamed jasmine rice makes the most delicious meal. Who could ever say tofu is bland and tasteless?
Full Recipe...
Bean Curd Roll Recipe
I hope you all had a fun-filled New Year's Eve with your friends and families. What did you do to ring in the New Year? We had some family time at home. It may sound lame, but we watched "Murder on the Orient Express,"trying to solve Hercule Poirot's investigations (it's so much easier when you've seen the movie like a dozen times ) while enjoying all the baked goods the girls and I have been concocting all week.
2012 was an incredible year for me. I feel so blessed and lucky, watching my daughter grow into an adorable toddler. And then there's the publication of my first cookbook. I am so grateful for all the blessings that I have in my life. Thank you so much for your love and support. Here's to making 2013 as unforgettable as 2012!
Back to today's dish. The girls' resolution is to lose as much weight as I did last year when I was working off my baby weight. I'm helping them by cooking healthy, yet still flavorful meals. One such concoction is today's recipe: light red kidney bean patties wrapped in crispy bean curd. The filling is made of mashed kidney beans with panko breadcrumbs. The legume provides a sufficient amount of protein so the girls have enough energy throughout the day and the crispy outer layer provides a pleasant contrast of texture. For a healthy and complete meal, serve it with some brown rice and a dash of soy sauce. Enjoy!
Full Recipe...
Vietnamese Tofu Curry Recipe (Tau Hu Cari)
Tàu hũ cari is a Vietnamese dish that I consider comfort food. It has a wholesome coconut taste and creamy texture that pair wonderfully with toasted baguette or freshly steamed jasmine rice. Traditionally though, lemongrass tofu curry is high in calories. I attempted to cut down on the heaviness without sacrificing flavor, so instead of using coconut cream, I used a combination of coconut soda and plain yogurt in addition to a generous amount of galangal.
If you try this recipe and enjoy it, you'll be happy to know that there are many other versions of Vietnamese curries. I included a potato dish in my upcoming book, Haute Potato, which you can preorder now from Amazon (shameless plug ). The book will be out on December 18th and I really hope you get a chance to cook with it, learn from it, and share your experiences with me here on PhamFatale.com!
Full Recipe...
Spicy Yuba Stir Fry Recipe
Yuba is called tàu hũ ky in Vietnamese and it's a fairly common ingredient in the Buddhist vegan diet. Most meals resemble and have the texture of meat, and yuba often plays the key role of meat substitute in the dish. I was surprised to discover that Costco now carries this product. Lulu sampled the yuba strips and liked them, so I brought home a package.
I used the ready-seasoned spicy yuba strips and made a stir fry of various vegetables such as sugar snap peans, cauliflower, onion wedges and cucumbers freshly picked from our garden.
My husband Lulu noticed that the Marketmore cucumbers he planted two months ago had started to produce. It's so pleasant getting new vegetables every day. I'll show you our beautiful bounty of beets, cucumbers and zucchini soon. Our tomato plants are already 5 feet tall but the fruit hasn't quite ripened yet. I love California!
Full Recipe...
Vietnamese Stuffed Grape Leaves (Tau Hu Cuon La Nho)
This recipe is the result of one of my many experiments. The plants in our garden are starting to sprout beautifully. We have a small grape vine, so I used the leaves as wrappers for some Vietnamese vegetarian appetizers called tàu hũ cuốn lá nho (grape leaf wrapped tofu).
If you want to make the dish truly authentic, you should use betel leaves, but I find this version served on occasion. Betel leaves have a peppery, slightly bitter taste and I think the grape leaves taste a lot milder. The choice of the filling is really up to you. I filled them with bean thread noodles, fried jicama, shiitake mushrooms, fried tofu and fresh soy bean paste (packed with protein).
Either way, they make the perfect snack or appetizers. They're healthy, tasty and packed with good nutrition.
Full Recipe...


text:
Temporarily Out Of Order
A personal situation has arisen that will keep me from posting Phillies Insider, hopefully for only a short period of time.
Sorry to take time off during this fun and historical season but one can't control situations that occur.
Hopefully you will hang in until I can crank it up again.
Thank You, Larry Shenk


text:
U.S. Jobs Report: 288,000 Positions Added
Unemployment Falls to 6.1% as Prior Months' Gains Revised Upward
WASHINGTON—U.S. employers added jobs at a robust clip in June and the unemployment rate fell, signs of labor-market strength as the economic recovery heads into its sixth year.
Nonfarm employment advanced at a seasonally adjusted 288,000 last month, the Labor Department said Thursday. The combined gains for the prior two months were revised up 29,000. April's 304,000 increase was the strongest since January 2012.


text:
The Ithaca College Resource and Environmental Management Program (REMP) and our student Eco-Reps work to create a more sustainable living and learning experience on campus.
- We promote awareness of environmental concerns.
- We educate the College community about how we can safeguard the earth's life-support system.
- We implement new programs that encourage resource management, recycling, and conservation.
- We manage the College's waste stream in a cost-effective and environmentally sound manner.
REMP was formed in September 1991 as a result of increased interest by students in the College's recycling program. Since then, REMP has expanded to increase the scope of resource management to include composting, energy conservation, and resource use reduction. REMP is a division of the Office of Energy Management and Sustainability, which coordinates and funds it, and is facilitated by Student Eco-Reps and volunteers from the Ithaca College community.
We always welcome comments and suggestions, as well as new volunteers!
For more info e-mail email@example.com!


text:
'Inside Llewyn Davis' Trailer Seems Positively 4th Street
The trailer for the new Coen Brothers movie "Inside Llewyn Davis" has hit the web, and it seems like both a homage and sly send-up of the Greenwich Village folk music scene that helped launch Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Dave Van Ronk, whose memoir "The Mayor of MacDougal Street," reportedly helped inspire the movie. There are more good lines in this short clip than there are in a number of entire movies that are up for Oscars this year. There are also more than a few nods to famous folk albums, images and incidents, including the cover of ""The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" (and that's Dylan's "Farewell" playing on the soundtrack). Oscar Isaac stars as Llewyn Davis; co-stars include Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and Adam Driver.
Check out the clip after the jump.


text: Hi Ed et al... The situation you propose is extremely relevant...if your signal is aimed above the horizon, it should not interfere with celestial receivers...this is a factor that any negotiations with the military to take into account. At UHF frequencies, the spectrum is no longer defined by frequency but is defined by interference which can be eliminated with some effort on both ends of the chain. Directional transmission can solve many of these issues. Roger WA1KAT ----- Original Message ----- From: "Edward Cole" <kl7uw at acsalaska.net> To: "Margaret Leber" <maggie at voicenet.com> Cc: <amsat-bb at amsat.org> Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 11:12 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: FW: ARLB013 ARRL aiding effort to mitigate repeaterinterference to military radars > Yeah, I thought about that. If your antenna has 20-dB gain, like my > eme array has, it has a 3-dB beamwidth of 20-deg. So at elev. 20 I > could transmit 10w and only have 5w on the horizon. Restricting my > satellite operation above 20-deg. would be needed. If you ran 25w, > you would be restricted to above 40-deg. But didn't someone say that > most satellite passes are below 40-degrees? How many folks use eme > arrays for satellites? > > Now if you uplink on 5.7 GHz with a 3-foot dish then beamwidth is > 4-deg. with 33-dB gain. Your EIRP is 5w x 2000 = 10 kw ...kind of > shows the advantages of mw for space comm. > > I know I have definitely gone off topic...but it gives one something > to think about. > > 73 Ed > > At 07:36 AM 4/24/2007, Margaret Leber wrote: > >On 4/24/07, Edward Cole <kl7uw at acsalaska.net> wrote: > > > >>Build satellites that require no more than 5w EIRP from the ground > >>station may be the only answer. > > > >Or transmit with a more directional antenna aimed skyward...which is > >not a practical solution for terrestrial repeaters. > > > >-- > >73 de Maggie K3XS > >Editor, Phil-Mont Mobile Radio Club Blurb - http://www.phil-mont.org > >Elecraft K2 #1641 -- AOPA 925383 -- ARRL 39280 > > 73, > Ed - KL7UW > ====================================== > BP40IQ 50-MHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com > 144-EME: FT-847, mgf-1801, 4x-xpol-20, 185w > DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa at hotmail.com > ====================================== > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb >


text:
To protect the wiki against automated account creation, we kindly ask you to answer the question that appears below (more info):
What is the name of the creator of the Game of Life? (LAST name, then a space, then FIRST name)
Real name is optional.
If you choose to provide it, this will be used for giving you attribution for your work.
recent contributors


text:
Hypoestes Splash Select series
Hypoestes Splash Select series
Colors: Pink, Red, Rose, White, Mix
• Your plug plant order will take approximately 12-14 weeks to grow, from seed or cutting to rooted plug plant. YOU ORDER --> WE PLANT --> WAIT 12-14 WEEKS TO GROW --> WE SHIP TO YOU!
• Plug Plant availability is subject to change depending on availability of seeds/cuttings at the time of your order.
• Photo is of plant in Full Bloom. We sell starter Plant Plugs which are small plants with an establishing root system. All plugs should be transplanted to appropriate pots to establish roots before being planted in the ground. Additional information for growing plants in your area can be searched on the internet.


text:
Robert Fiance Beauty Schools-West New York
To train and educate a new generation of future Hairstylists Estheticians Manicurists and Teachers through a professional learning experience that will allow them to maximize their potential and enhance their future in the beauty industry. The goal at Robert Fiance Beauty Schools is to motivate and prepare students to pass the New Jersey State Board Examinations and begin entry-level employment by leading them through theoretical and practical training among an innovative learning environment designed to foster confidence and growth. Our objective is to develop in each student the professionalism and technical competence to merge their passion and creativity into the foundation for a fun rewarding and successful career in their desired field of Cosmetology Arts & Sciences.
School Information5518 Bergenline Ave
West New York, New Jersey 07093-4623
Locale: Suburb: Large
Open Admissions: Yes
Sector: Private for-profit, less-than 2-year
Carnegie Basic: Not applicable, not in Carnegie universe (not accredited or nondegree-granting)
Religious Affiliation: Not applicable
Accrediting Agency: National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences
Common name(s):
Students & Faculty
Degrees & Programs
|Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist
|Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts, Other
|Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor
|Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General
|Nail Technician/Specialist and Manicurist


text:
View website traffic statistics for cPanel hosting
Our cPanel hosting accounts let you view statistics about your website's traffic.
- Log in to your GoDaddy account.
- Click Web Hosting.
- Next to the cPanel account you want to use, click Manage.
- Click cPanel Admin.
- In the Metrics section, click the statistics application you want to use.
- Next to the domain whose stats you want view, click the magnifying glass.


text:
A senior aide to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has signaled that his side will not abandon peace talks if Israel extends a West Bank settlement construction slowdown for two months.
Until recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that a new settlement freeze was off the table. But in recent days he's backed plans for a "loyalty oath" to the Jewish state that is popular with his far-right ally Avigdor Lieberman, who has staunchly opposed construction delays until now. That has prompted speculation that Mr. Netanyahu is sweetening the pill for Mr. Lieberman, following reports that the US has promised Israel better weapons and other incentives in exchange for a two month freeze.
Negotiator Nabil Shaath told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the two-month period would be used to forge an agreement on a border between Israel and a future Palestinian state. Mr. Shaath said another settlement freeze would be required if the sides failed to reach agreement during the two months.
Meanwhile, Israel's ambassador to the United States Michael Oren told the Washington Post that the US has offered Israel ''incentives'' that could enable it to ''maybe pass a limited extension of two or three months'' on settlement curbs. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev declined to specify what the incentives are. ''The talks are delicate, sensitive and any public discussion will torpedo them,'' he said.
David Makovsky, of the pro-Israel Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote at the end of last month, citing an unidentified source, that President Obama's administration had sent Netanyahu a letter promising better weapons, a US veto of any security council resolutions about the Arab-Israeli conflict, and to pressure an independent Palestine to allow Israel to keep its troops inside the country in exchange for a two-month freeze.
The ball now appears to be in Mr. Abbas's court, and his position will become clearer Friday when he addresses an Arab League meeting over whether to continue direct negotiations with Israel that were launched on September 2. Abbas is in political limbo, with growing numbers of Palestinians doubting that his bet that a viable Palestinian state will be achieved through negotiations with Israel will pay off.
But if he does carry on – as seems likely after Mr. Shaath's comments – it will be a confirmation that at this point, negotiations are what make Mr. Abbas tick.
As a top member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in the 1970s and 1980s, it was Abbas who established contact with dovish Jews and Israelis, and he was the Palestinian architect of the 1993 Oslo agreement with Israel on Palestinian self-rule. Unlike the late PLO chairman, Yasser Arafat, and other PLO leaders who used armed struggle and violence, Abbas has always tended to prioritize diplomacy.
''Yasser Arafat had the olive branch and the gun. Abbas only has negotiations,'' says Mahmoud Ramhi, a Hamas representative of the Palestinian Legislative Council who is highly critical of Abbas.
Sticking with talks
Last month, at the United Nations General Assembly, Abbas stressed that the Palestinians are still adhering to the path of negotiation. ''In spite of the historic injustice, the desire to achieve a just peace guaranteeing rights and freedom has not diminished. Our wounded hands are still able to carry the olive branch from the rubble of the trees the occupation uproots every day.''
But having vowed not to engage in direct negotiations unless Israel reinstates the partial moratorium on the building of settlements, Abbas is signaling he is not willing to talk at any cost – at least for now. ''Israel must choose between peace and the settlements,'' he said in his UN speech.
Abbas's stress on diplomacy has gained him US support, funds for the Palestinian Authority, and wide international respect. But his lack of armed struggle credentials is anathema to many Palestinians.
Discontent with Abbas
At the entrance to al-Amary refugee camp near Ramallah, an arch has been erected proclaiming it the ''citadel of President Mahmoud Abbas.'' But inside the local branch of Abbas's Fatah movement, the sentiment does not back up the sign.
''He has never visited the camp and he sent someone in his name for the cornerstone laying of the arch,'' says Ahmed Issa, a young activist. ''He has done nothing for us on all levels. He is stopping the resistance and arresting resistance fighters."
Mahmoud Abu al-Ayan, a former member of Fatah's Aksa brigades militia, adds: ''I blame [Abbas] for preventing us from resisting. Negotations won't bring us forward. They will only drag things from worse to worse.'' He spoke wistfully of Arafat once visiting the camp and kissing the mother of a martyr.
The youths were watching a television station from Jordan broadcasting militant resistance songs, something banned from the official Palestinian Authority airwaves in keeping with Abbas's philosophy. ''This is a revolution of self esteem and we are prepared to confront the occupation,'' the singer crooned over the television.
Support for Abbas
But Abbas has supporters, too. They credit him with improving the Palestinian position on the world stage.
"On the diplomatic front, he's proven to the world the problem is not the Palestinians, it's elsewhere. He should continue to rally foreign support while mobilizing grassroots non-violent resistance to the occupation," says Dimitri Diliani, 35, a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council.
Abbas backers are placing their hopes on President Obama being more inclined to pressure Israel once the November congressional elections are over, reasoning that then Mr. Obama will need not defer to the pro-Israel lobby. Obama has said Israel should extend the settlement moratorium but thus far has not publicly tried to strongarm Israel on the issue.
Betting on Obama
At Abbas's urging, the Arab League will also be taking up the issue, after a Palestinian leadership grouping headed by Abbas on Saturday decided there will be no talks unless Israel reinstates the freeze.
In the view of Uri Avnery, the head of Israel's Gush Shalom peace group, who has spent many hours with Abbas over the years, the Palestinian president's fate is in the hands of Obama.
''Contrary to Arafat who tried diplomacy, violence, activating the Israeli peace camp, and other ways, Abbas has bet all his chips on the Americans and Obama.'' Mr. Avnery says. ''If America will not provide the pressure on Israel, Abbas will fail.... Until now Obama has failed to provide the goods and Abbas's position is frail.''
Abbas's background
Abbas was born in Safed in what is now northern Israel in 1935. His family was among the estimated 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were forced to leave at Israel's establishment in 1948.
In exile in Qatar, he joined Yasser Arafat as a founder of Fatah in the late 1950s. He studied law in Egypt before doing a doctorate in Moscow on ''the secret relationship between Nazism and Zionism." In 1980, he was appointed head of the PLO's department for national and international relations and it was in that capacity that he helped guide the secret talks leading to the Oslo agreement to fruition.
Abbas criticized suicide bombings and stressed that the ''militarization'' of the second intifada uprising, which started in 2000, was causing a heavy toll on Palestinians in fatalities and damage. He warned that Hamas's use of rocket attacks against Israel would bring heavy destruction on Gaza, a prophecy that came true nearly two years ago with the Israeli Army's devastating Operation Cast Lead.
Ramhi, the Hamas leader, who was released after three years in Israeli jail several months ago, predicts that Abbas will eventually back down from his refusal to negotiate with Israel while it builds settlements. ''It is a tactic and then they will return," he says. They said they would stop direct negotiations, meaning indirect ones are acceptable."
Ramhi believes Abbas's path will never end occupation.
''Any people who are under occupation have to fight this occupation," says Rahmi. "There is no example in the world of people reaching liberation without sacrifice and resistance. We understand resistance has a big price. But without resistance we can't achieve anything.''