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Town & Country Unassembled Barn Door Kit, KF Series, Twin-Z in Pine*
The Ash Street "Twin Z " Barn Door is a variation to our "Twin X" barn door. Removing two angled planks to create a stylish look. Order yours today!
Note: All patterns appear on one side only; typically room side. The wall side is smooth, not patterned.
- Pine * as shown
- also available in Alder (Knotty), Mahogany and Walnut (Knotty)
- Bathrooms | Bedrooms | Closets | Laundry Rooms
STANDARD SIZING (select)
- 30"W x 81"H | 30"W x 85"H | 30"W x 97"H
- 36"W x 81"H | 36"W x 85"H | 36"W x 97"H
- 42"W x 81"H | 42"W x 85"H | 42"W x 97"H
- 48"W x 81"H | 48"W x 85"H | 48"W x 97"H
- 60"W x 81"H | 60"W x 85"H | 60"W x 97"H
Our unassembled barn door kit is perfect for the "Do-it-Yourself" enthusiast or your on-site carpenter. All wood components ship ready for staining or paint. Supplied with the necessary screws and detailed instructions for quick assembly.
All of our Barn Door Kits feature a tongue and groove joint. A time honored woodwork joint that attaches two or more pieces of wood planks together.
Each piece of wood has a tongue side and a groove side. The tongue and the groove each run the entire length of the piece. One tongue fits snugly into the groove of the adjoining board.
Our Tongue & Groove creates a strong and aesthetically pleasing joint; easy to assemble with fewer parts.
|This item ships in 5-7 working days from date of order.
Add 3 working days for staining.
Order your Ash Street Barn Door Kit today!


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The study found that holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving may actually be protective against suicide attempts, possibly due to the increased family or social support structures present around those times. In contrast, New Years Day had significantly higher numbers of suicide attempts by overdose.
"There are multiple studies out showing that there's a worsening suicide epidemic internationally, and numbers for suicide attempts are rising as well, says co-author and third-year emergency medicine resident Gillian Beauchamp, MD. "Researchers have observed a seasonality and daily variations in completed suicides, and because of that, it's been suggested that environmental factors and their effect on mood may play a role."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates among adults 25 to 64 years old have risen every year since 1999, with the fastest increase in people between 45 to 64 years old.
Beauchamp says the team conducted the study to determine if particular days of the week, months or holidays were associated with increased number of suicide attempts by poisoning. They analyzed calls recorded in the National Poison Database System made between Jan. 1, 2006, and Dec. 31, 2010, that were coded as "suspected suicide." While overdoses themselves may be accidental or intentional, the study included only patients who provided a history concerning for intentional overdose.
There were a total of 1.06 million attempts during the time period, with each year leading to a significant increase in the number of exposures. There were 198,806 attempts in 2006 and 219,849 in 2010. Beauchamp says overdoses and attempts lead to high morbidity in patients and a high cost to society.
The study compared exposures occurring on various holidays to three control dates. Researchers also included a three- to seven-day window around each study dates to capture related attempts.
They found that, with the exception of New Year's Day, holidays had relatively little effect on suicide attempts. In contrast, more periods around holidays had a lower number of recorded attempts.
Holidays found to be protective against attempts were Thanksgiving, Christmas and the Fourth of July. Other holidays measured, but found to be neutral, were Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day and Memorial Day.
"This is possibly reflective of family or other social support systems which may be more available during holidays," says Beauchamp. "The one exception was New Year's Day, when there was a spike in attempts."
Additionally, the beginning of the week, and the beginning of spring, were associated with higher number of suicide attempts, which Beauchamp says has been similarly seen in studies on completed suicides.
Beauchamp says studying the temporal nature of suicide attempts could lead to a better understanding of when prevention techniques could be best utilized in terms of either counseling patients or staffing crisis centers.
"By showing times of the year when counseling services or drug and poison centers would see more demand," she says, "we can help hospitals who receive these patients be better prepared for spikes in suicide attempts."
As these are preliminary findings, Beauchamp cautioned that further research is needed to definitively mark the correlation between holidays and reduced attempts.
Co-authors include Mona Ho, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and lead author Shan Yin, MD, MPH, UC assistant professor of clinical pediatrics and medical director at Cincinnati Children's Drug and Poison Information Center. Beachamp, Ho and Yin presented their work at the North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology held Oct. 4-5 in Las Vegas.
Media Contact: Katy Cosse, 513-558-0207

subset: commoncrawl


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Dentistry in Livermore
Visit our Livermore Dental Office. Call us today at (925) 447-8344 for a free consultation!
We know that you have many choices as to the dentist you use to have your work done. Here is why you would choose Livermore Sedation:
We offer a full range of services, from teeth cleaning to cosmetic dentistry. We want to be your one-stop shop for all your family's dental needs. Why? Because we know that dental care is more than just one procedure. It is a relationship that is built over a lifetime.
When you visit our office, you are only going to be treated by one amazing dentist! We won't be shuffling you around to several different dentists to handle the different services that you may need.
We specialize in:
We are also proud to offer the newest technologies in dental care:
Everything we do, and all the technologies that we adopt, are specifically aimed at making you more comfortable and reducing your pain and anxiety about going to the dentist. We are the dentist for people that hate going to the dentist.
Dr. Endre Selmeczy, D.M.D.


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While you might envision the falling pound affecting continental luxuries like Cornettos and Cif limescale remover, when it comes to Marmite – you'd think it would be Brexit-proof.
The entire world's supply of the divisive spread is made in a single factory in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, and has been for 113 years.
By Britons, for Britons
The factory in Burton produces 6,000 tons of Marmite, or 50 million jars, per year. The vast majority – 85 per cent – is sold in the UK. The upshot of this is that Marmite exports don't contribute highly to its profitability or otherwise. Any boost to profit margins in Austria from the stronger euro is going to be minimal. It's even banned in Canada because of an additive that's not approved there.
Marmite – and other Unilever brands that aren't made in the UK – use non-British raw materials, and those are priced in dollars. The falling pound has made them even more expensive. Raising prices, Unilever says, is necessary to make up for the cost of doing business in the UK going up.
One small part
Even if Marmite itself didn't get more expensive to produce, it forms just a small part of the overall empire. The figure of 10 per cent is rumoured to be the price rise Unilever asked for, and it could well have been spread across all of its products.
It's a mistake to think of a brand within a huge umbrella company as operating like an individual business. Unilever's supply chain wins awards for its efficiency, and it doesn't get there by walling off each product from the others.
Unilever also books its profits in euros, meaning that a depressed pound has a direct impact on its bottom line – it could make the same or more money than last year in Britain and still end up with a smaller amount in its results.
That's what happened when it reported today. In the past nine months, sales (which are counted by the company at a fixed exchange rate) increased by 4.7 per cent while turnover (counted at current rates) declined 1.8 per cent.
Two gorillas facing off
Another theory is that Unilever and Tesco, whose chief executive Dave Lewis worked at the company for 27 years, are simply thrashing out an example to be followed by other suppliers and retailers. As the biggest supermarket and the biggest consumer goods group selling into the UK, they can set a benchmark for others on how to deal with the post-referendum pound
"The two gorillas on both sides have decided to go through the motions of the negotiation on behalf of the industry," Bruno Monteyne, an analyst at Bernstein, told the Financial Times.
The question of tax
One other reason why the company might be particularly wary of currency movements is its tax structure. Unilever, which has previously threatened to leave the UK due to taxes, books its sales and profits through a subsidiary based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
The Swiss subsidiary owns everything from raw materials to finished products, and other arms of the business, like the British one, have to pay high fees to "use" them.
This keeps profits down – and out of the hands of the taxman. It helps the company as a whole make money without losing too much to the government in any one country.


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Our items are made by hand, we may not have every item in-stock, please allow about 2 weeks for order completion before shipping. As with any handmade product you will find small variations between finished items. Small variations of tone or specks of other colours within an item, as well as occasional small slubs in the cotton and sewing should be embraced as signs of a genuine handmade product.
banana marble body pillow cover
for monkey business in bed – a bright yellow marble with flares of orange
Our body pillow covers are simple and not fussy, with an open end. We make them 58″ x 20″ (please alert us to your desired size in the comments box at checkout if you would like a specific size). Just like everything at bed these are all sold individually so you can mix and match colours.
All dyed body pillow covers are a final sale.
Because dyed body pillow covers are only made and dyed when someone wants one, they are a final sale. If you are unsure about a colour, please order a free swatch in that colour before you buy a body pillow cover.
available for order
- 100% cotton
- machine wash & dry
- made by us in Burnaby, BC
All dyeing is done by hand in small batches (about a set of queen-sized items, i.e. duvet cover, fitted sheet & 2 pillowcases), so dyelots will vary slightly. If you order several items in the same colour, we will make every effort to dye as many of them together as possible, however it is possible you may receive items from slightly different dye lots. The typical variation in colour that may occur can be seen by viewing all the images on a colour's category page. Marble dyes have the most variance in colour within an item, each item has a unique, random pattern that can include large clusters or small flecks of other colours such as fuschia, orange or blue, depending upon how individual dyes disperse. Every computer monitor will display colours somewhat differently, so use our colour images as guidelines – the actual colour may not be exactly as displayed by your computer. For an explanation about why colours sometimes look different online and in person, check out our about colour page. Following our washing instructions will keep colours true for a long time, while the cotton will get softer and softer, a lot like your favourite, old jeans.
All bedding should be washed prior to first use. Always wash in COLD water and tumble dry HOT. Dyed bedding should be washed keeping each colour separate for at least the first wash and dry. After that simply wash similar colours together. Do not hang dyed bedding to dry, use a dryer. For best results during the first few washes, please make sure your bedding goes into the dryer right after it is done washing. Don't let it sit wet. Unbleached bedding should be washed in HOT water for the first wash. After that, follow the washing instructions as detailed above.


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I-131, Application for Travel Document
Purpose of Form
To apply for a re-entry permit, refugee travel document or advance parole travel document, to include parole into the U.S. for humanitarian reasons.
Number of Pages
Form 5; Instructions 13.
Edition Date
03/22/13. Previous editions not accepted.
Where to File
Please check the Filing Addresses for Form I-131 for information on where to mail your application.
If you are applying for an Advance Parole Document, you may be eligible to file this form online. You may not file online if your application is based on an approved request for consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals (Form I-821D).
Filing Fee
See Special Instructions and Form Instructions
Special Instructions
Note: If you are filing Form I-131 Application Type B or D, you filed a Form I-485 on/after July 30, 2007, with a fee, and the Form I-485 is still pending, then no additional fee is due for Form I-131.
If you are filing your application at a USCIS Lockbox facility:
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals: You cannot apply for advance parole while your request for deferred action is still pending. If you leave the United States while your request for consideration of deferred action is pending, your deferred action request will be denied.
Once USCIS approves your request for consideration of deferred action, you may file Form I-131 to request advance parole to travel outside of the United States. If you travel outside the United States without first receiving advance parole, USCIS will automatically terminate your deferred action. You must submit Form I-131 with specific documentation depending on the agency that deferred action in your case. If USCIS deferred action in your case, submit a copy of your Form I-797, Notice of Action. If U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deferred action in your case, submit a copy of the ICE order, notice, or letter. USCIS will only grant advance parole if your travel abroad will be for educational, employment, or humanitarian purposes. You must indicate the purpose on the Form I-131 as described below:
Travel for vacation is not a valid purpose.
You may not file Form I-131 online. Please check the Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-131 for information on where to mail your application.
For additional information about travel outside the United States and filing for advance parole, read Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals: Travel Documents.
Last Reviewed/Updated: 07/14/2014
Related Links
Filing Information


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Sunday, April 20, 2008
CURL ACTIVATE! Novelty Hip-Hop 12" Singles of the '80s
I was reading a story in the LA Times last week about a plane crash in Compton, and the photo of a witness to the crash caught my eye - what was that on his shirt? As you can see, it wasn't something suitable for a family newspaper. Good eye, Times editors!
I bet that guy would like these records. I sure do. They're pure low-budget fun, thoroughly funky and danceable, and blissfully uncool - not a cliche-spouting bling-bling gangsta in sight. Here's an album's worth of novelty/oddball hip-hop/funk 12" from the Jheri Curl era that I ripped from vinyl:
CURL ACTIVATE! (zippyshare link)
CURL ACTIVATE! (divshare link)
1. Deryl With The Curl & DJ Curl Activator: "Curl Activate" (Jam-Kru Records) - samples George Clinton "Atomic Dog"
2. Akeem "The Dream" Olajuwon: "The Unbeatable Dream" (Las Vegas Records 1986) - Basketball star Olajuwon is saluted and contributes a few heavily-accented vocals; a shoe company is credited with co-executive producer - the lyrics mentions the shoe brand name three times; Dazz Band/Gap Band-type groove by the sports-obsessed Hurt 'em Bad, who is featured elsewhere in this collection with a football song. He also recorded a song about boxing, but that's if we ever get to volume two.
3. The Rappin Reverend Dr. C. Dexter Wise, III: "The Original Rap" (Fantasy Records, 1987) - Nice backing vox by The Heydons; Dr. Wise's brother Raymond is responsible for the one-guy-with-an-electronic-keyboard -and-drum-machine production. Holy hell, this is funny.
4. Chunky A: "Owww!" (MCA, 1989) - Comedian/talk show host Arsenio Hall's chubby musical alter ego. This spoof of Cameo's "Word Up" is really well produced, as opposed to the private-press primitivism of much of these other platters.
5. Chick Hearn: "Rap Around" (Outpost, 1986) - Basketball's greatest announcer gets sampled by Dave Bloom and Dave Gillerman, whoever they are. When I was a kid, I thought this record was genius.
6. Hurt Em Bad & The S.C. Band: "Monday Night Football" (Profile, 1982) - Zapp-like music, complete with vocoder.
7. Mac The Rapper: "What Is Love" (Shinola, 1987) - Featuring a computer's text-to-speech program, by Bob Mithoff, a soundtrack composer for the infamous Troma Film company ("Surf Nazis Must Die," "Class of Nuke 'em High," etc)
8. The Wilson Sisters & Speedy D: "The Magic Man" (Positive Music, 1988) - Yet another sports tribute, this one to Earvin "Magic" Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, the dominant team of the '80s. Record has no info, but came with a bumper sticker.
9. Rich Little: "Presidents Rap" (Broadway, 1982) - No, the veteran comic impressionist isn't rapping - these are a few Reagan-inspired comedy sketches set over music that swipes from the Tom Tom Club's 1981 classic "Genius of Love."
10. The Coach: "Take It To The Hoop" (Zuma Jay, 1984) - Another basketball-inspired song from Los Angeles. As you may have figured by now, Laker fever swept LA in the '80s. Music by the unlikely Dennis Dragon of popular New Wave club band The Surf Punks. Wait, it gets even weirder - Dennis' brother Daryl, the "Captain" of '70s EZ listening superstars The Captain & Tennille plays synth!
11. Gerty Molzen: "Walk On The Wild Side" (10 Records, 1985) - The then-79 year old German screen star and opera/classical singer covers Lou Reed in a heavy accent, as an uncredited rapper throws in random quotes from Whodini's "Haunted House of Rock" and Grandmaster Flash's "New York, New York." Truly the reason why the letters "WTF" were invented. I saw her do this on "David Letterman" when this record came out. Instead of singing "doot da-doot" for when the colored girls sing, she sang something like "zabidy-doe, zabidy-doe." For a few shows later, Dave would ask his bandleader Paul Shaffer, "I'm in the mood for some Lou Reed. Can you play a little Lou Reed?" and they'd play a tape of Gerty singing "zabidy-doe, zabidy-doe." No, it's not on YouTube - I checked.
12. The Fat Boys: "Chillin With The Refrigerator" (Sutra, 1985) - Our final sports tribute, from one of the most popular rap groups of the '80s, The Fat Boys, featuring the late great Human Beat-Box. I was shocked to find that their albums are all out of print - they had four albums that went gold or platinum. Their subject here is football star William "The Refrigerator" Perry.
13. Bobby Jimmy & The Critters: "N.Y./LA Rappers" (Ruthless, 1988) - Another comedic rap group whose albums are sadly out of print; Bobby Jimmy (The Weird Al of rap) was Russ Parr, the morning dj on Compton's legendary KDAY - at the time, America's only 24/7 rap station. In fact, I'm sure that's were I first heard this. Produced by Dr. Dre for Eazy-E's label. Bobby Jimmy & The Critters had a string of popular rap parodies that were actually almost mainstream successes. The Ice T "Colors" parody on this one is particularly hilarious.
11 comments:
Thanks for this list! I will definitely check these artists out. Great point on that shirt -- I guess the photographer didn't zoom in enough to that subliminal message on that shirt. Good job.
- 4:36 PM, April 22, 2008
- Gerard said...
What a great blog you got going on here. came across looking up the
blob - son of blob
but found so much more.
- 4:27 AM, April 23, 2008
nice up! its got some kool tracks in it!
did send you a question via e-mail.
Mark J.
- 3:33 AM, April 30, 2008
- ZiwZih said...
great compilation
- 9:33 AM, July 31, 2009
- ZiwZih said...
also, can you upload this track:
Rappin' Reverend - I Ain't Into That
i can't to find it in web
thank u for helping
- 11:28 AM, July 31, 2009
- Mr Fab said...
I just downloaded the album and "I Ain't Into That" was, indeed, included. So just dl where it says CURL ACTIVATE - it's in there.
- 5:11 PM, August 01, 2009
r.i.p. Darren K Robinson
- 9:49 PM, April 07, 2013
that Gerty song could very well be my favorite duet of all time. who in the hell thunk that up?! incredible. only in the 80s, folks are too hip now. sadly. thank you x 1000.
- 7:37 PM, April 11, 2013
Fark! Just got Curl Activate 2 (so GOOD!!!) - now I gotta get pt. 1...please could you re-up this one too? Thanks so much my friend!
- 6:38 PM, November 12, 2013
- Mr Fab said...
Is the divshare not sharing? If not, I will try to get these funky fly fresh jams up soon.
- 7:16 PM, November 12, 2013
Great stuff. Thanks!
- 5:42 AM, February 02, 2015


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I felt like it was time to make another tutorial on an animal that I am very fond of. Unlike a lot of the lessons here on Dragoart, I only have one drawing on a rhinoceros and to me that is not good. Today, I am going to teach you guys once again "how to draw a rhino", step by step. Now when you think of the face of a rhino, the first thing that comes to mind is their massive intimidating horns. Because these horns are such a big part of who the rhino is, their given names are based on just that. The word 'rhinoceros' is Greek from two words of the Greek language. Rhino means 'nose', and ceros means 'horns'. Pretty cool huh? There is a few different types of rhino and they are; white, black, javan, Sumatran, and one horned rhinos. Each specie of rhino have their own ideal living environments ranging from grasslands, all the way to the swamps and rain forests. This tutorial on "how to draw a rhino" is going to be a lot easier to tackle opposed to the older version I drew in 2008. It's a lot brighter, and much more basic. I think you will enjoy this tutorial because it is also filled with some helpful tips and examples so you can make your rhino perfect. Well guys, I guess that just about does it for this tutorial's description. I might be back in a bit with more drawing fun. Adios mi amigos and be sure not to climb out of any rhino's butts like out good friend Ace Venture did in Pet Detective 2.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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Display your message in a unique and special way with this wonderful balloon bouquet and adorable plush teddy bear!
Gift Includes:
- 5 colorful Mylar balloons
- An 8"-10" plush teddy bear
- A free gift card with personal message
- Hand delivered to the recipient's home or office
- Same day delivery available
- A larger teddy bear, roses, candy, or chocolate can be added to your order
During check-out, please be sure to indicate your preferred occasion when you choose a gift card. Exact balloon designs and teddy bear will vary depending upon location.
Same day delivery is available if you place your order by 2pm in your recipient's time zone, M-F and by 10am on the weekends.Gift #17353
Tasting Notes
What's Inside?
Balloons & Bear-5 Mylar is a hand delivered gift. These gifts are delivered by one of our local design centers located throughout the United States and Canada.
Typically, standard deliveries are made between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM, with business deliveries before 5:00 PM. Hours may be extended during holidays. Please note in some locations we may need an additional 24 hours for the delivery of exotic flowers, wine and fruit baskets.
Same day delivery is available for most gifts when ordered before the cutoff time. The cutoff time for Balloons & Bear-5 Mylar is 2 PM in the recipient's time zone.
The earliest delivery date for Balloons & Bear-5 Mylar is Today, if ordered by 2 PM Today, in the recipient's time zone.
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Balloons & Bear-5 Mylar $49.95
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Balloons & Bear-5 Mylar $49.95
Average Rating:(36 reviews) write a review
Read More Reviews
Carol Seavolt5 Mylar Balloons W/ BearFebruary 5, 2020
I placed my order for 5 mylar balloons with a bear to be sent to my grandson in the hospital. Thank you for delivering as requested.
ChazPerfect surprise!April 29, 2019
The balloons and bear were the perfect surprise for my daughter on her birthday! She even commented with "best birthday gift ever!". Being 3000 miles away, "dad" wanted to surprise her with a special delivery, and 1 Stop Florist were incredible! Beyond helpful, superb customer service, and complete care for what they do. I will definitely use them again! Thank you again!
KenBaby's 1st BirthdayMarch 28, 2019
This is the second time I have used 1StopFlorist, and they do not disappoint.
They just use better florists, than any other group online, I have ever used....would totally recommend them for any floral/balloon occasions.
Grand MotherThey were excited about the gift when they saw it.November 26, 2018
You made it easy. In a few minutes I had a great gift sent acrosss the country to my granddaughter.
SunshineGreat presentationMarch 27, 2017
The teddy bear was soft & cuddly, and the get well soon balloons were bright & cheerful. My husband loved them.
ZoeA truly wonderful surprise gift!October 14, 2016
flying highBallon BouquetJuly 17, 2016
Lifted to recipients spirits.
ElaineExcellentJune 17, 2016
My bouquet was a huge surprise so therefore a huge success!! Delivered on time ! Thanks...will use your services again.
NanaBestJanuary 4, 2016
Our grandson loved the balloons and teddy bear, and they were delivered very soon after I ordered them from across the country!
GigiMy grandson loved it!September 26, 2015
Very prompt service, follow through on inquiry, verification and confirmation were awesome! Item sent was very much appreciated by his mom as well.
grannieBalloons and Bear-5-MylarAugust 12, 2015
Wrong balloons sent. Called and corrected same day!
Very professional and Grandaughter was pleased.
"Grandma"Great balloon.June 22, 2015
I ordered this gift for my grandson who was out of town in the hospital. The balloons were fantastic and he loved them. When I saw the bear I was very dissapointed. In the pictures it seems to be represented as about 10" tall and it was about 4" tall. I had ordered the large thinking it would be a fun size for him.
He loved the bear and balloons. Excellent for a child who is sick or hurt to make them feel better.
MemaFun surpriseFebruary 26, 2015
My granddaughter was pleased with this gift.
Cali customer
I was very impressed with your balloon presentation! It made his day! Thank you!
PatsyGreat Service & PresentationNovember 28, 2014
My three year old grandchild was very happy with the Birthday balloons and bear she received. I had used another balloon place in the past and was very unhappy with that service. I would definitely use again.
GrammiExceeded our ExpectationsNovember 25, 2014
I am always hesitant to order without seeing the final product, however, the balloon bouquet and bear were more beautiful than I expected! Our 4 yr old granddaughter received the gift after a hospital stay and she was ecstatic when they were delivered. The bear was white and as big as she is - I had my daughter put a band aid on the bear - same place my granddaughter's boo boo was.
Thank you for your prompt service and exceeding our expectations!
LaelThe Perfect GiftNovember 25, 2014
My mom needed a pick me up and this balloon bouquet and stuffed bear were just perfect. Thank you for providing her with such a wonderful experience at such an affordable price!
Papa PaulGood job!November 14, 2014
Sent this to our young granddaughter who was recovering from minor surgery. It brought a big smile to her face.
GrannyAwesome!June 23, 2014
It was great. My grandchildren thoroughly enjoyed them.
NaneyBeautiful presentationJune 20, 2014
I ordered a birthday arrangement for a child's first birthday. I wanted something special , and that's what he received. It was a beautiful arrangement of balloons and a teddy bear. The picture sent to me as he held the balloons was priceless: a very HAPPY face! THANK YOU!
MichelleExcellent surpriseJune 17, 2014
I sent this to my niece for her high school graduation. She was pleasantly surprised by it and said the balloons and bear were beautiful. I included a rose with my order which she also liked. Although I did not receive a picture of the balloons, I could tell from both my niece and sister-in-law that they were the correct ones in the product description. I was quite happy with how quickly they were delivered. I requested same day delivery and they were delivered a few hours after I placed the order. Thank you!
Favorite AuntFast, easy, prompt, nice quality giftMay 12, 2014
Delivery was prompt, friendly and my nephew loved his Birthday Balloons and Bear. Thanks for making this so easy and the availability of same day delivery was great!
IreneWell Done!January 22, 2014
Thank you very much for your wonderful job well done! :) My granddaughter loved her balloons and a little bear.
DenNevBeautifulJanuary 9, 2014
Beautiful Gift
peggyBalloons & Bear MylarOctober 21, 2013
Absolutely delighted with the Happy Birthday balloons,
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Most importantly my granddaughter was pleasantly
I'm so glad I selected your Gift Tree site to place my
order! Thank you so much!
Carter's grandmaVery cute gift1July 4, 2013
Eda nice gift for grad"n dayMay 24, 2013
Sweet presentation & delivery within a day !
JemmaGreat service lovely gift!April 21, 2013
Bought a gift online from the UK for someone on holiday in Houston was an easy and fast service would highly recommend thank you!
JoPlushy toy includedApril 12, 2013
I had great customer service when I needed to change my delivery date. Also the stuffed animal that came with the balloons was dependent on what my area had and I was so pleased with the plush stuffed dog...
Aunt LuGreat GiftMarch 25, 2013
The child was so excited and his sister and brother were jumping with joy. They loved the balloons and the stuffed bear was a big hit.
Btm2013Very nice presentation my grandson loved getting a deliveryMarch 15, 2013
Balloon and teddy bear lover.Get Well GiftJanuary 25, 2013
My sister loved this item.
AuntieGreat GiftJanuary 20, 2013
ITSBPerfectDecember 21, 2012
I only saw a picture of the item,but understand that the 4 year old that received the package loved it - It really brighten her stay at the hospital.
Best FriendsBeautiful AssortmentDecember 14, 2012
Thank you very much for helping me make my best friends birthday a truly special and unforgettable one. The surprise and look on her face was awesomely priceless! And your timing was phenomenal, considering I had just placed the order the night before. I am definitely a life long customer and will be referring your company to all of my family and friends.
Sincerely Yours, Nicole Tursi :)
Balloons & Bear-5 Mylar
Display your message in a unique and special way with this wonderful balloon bouquet and adorable plush teddy bear!
Gift Includes:
- 5 colorful Mylar balloons
- An 8"-10" plush teddy bear
- A free gift card with personal message
- Hand delivered to the recipient's home or office
- Same day delivery available
- A larger teddy bear, roses, candy, or chocolate can be added to your order
During check-out, please be sure to indicate your preferred occasion when you choose a gift card. Exact balloon designs and teddy bear will vary depending upon location.
Same day delivery is available if you place your order by 2pm in your recipient's time zone, M-F and by 10am on the weekends.


text:
16-Year-Old Canadian Girl Responds To Rumors Of Her Losing Her Virginity To Lil Wayne On The Tour Bus + Pics & Text Messages!
Heres an email we got which claimed the 16-year-
old was with Weezy but fast forward to 40 sec
mark to hear her denying these rumors & her side of the story
" Tuesday aug.16 lil wayne had in show in Ottawa (the capital city of Canada) at scotia bank place for his I am tour which featured Cory gunz, rick ross, kerri hilson and loyd. The show was great the whole city was there. A 16 year old grade eleven student from Imaculata High School fell in love with Weezy. She wanted to meet him so badly but didn't get the chance to so the next day Weezy had a show in Montreal which is 2 hours from Ottawa. She took a bus down to Montreal so that she can see him. Weezy was at Lemouche night club. She got a fake I.D and went to the club and finally met weezy. But ti didn't stop there she then went and spent the night whit lil wayne at his hotel"
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text:
One of the big surprises of recent research is the importance of how increased time spent outdoors helps in preventing myopia. At the present time it appears that 14 hours a week or more outdoors are significantly effective in reducing myopia progression.
We don't know. There are many possibilities and studies are under way to help determine what is happening.
We do know that it is not sports or physical activity. The benefit happens for children playing outdoors with no organized sport activity.
"Outdoor activity" presents a complicated, broad area of research. An example of unexpected findings about outdoor activity is that exposure to the common soil bacterium Mycobacterium vaccae is believed to have anti-depressant qualities and has been shown to increase learning behavior. (news report link of American Society for Microbiology) It increased serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is part of the signaling system within the retina controlling eye growth. While no one has studied the possible connections to myopia control, the results indicate the complexity of trying to find exactly what outdoor time does to control myopia.
The outdoor benefit is not due to children outdoors reading less. Outdoor children do better regardless of their indoor reading activity. This means that it is not the "bookworm", the child who reads a lot, who is more likely to become nearsighted. It is the child who doesn't go outside, whether they are a reader or not.
Perhaps the greatest risk is premature aging of the skin and skin cancer due to increased exposure to UV light from the sun. Sunscreen lotions may prevent sunburn but do not protect well against skin cancers. Sunlight can also increase the risk of cataracts. Due to these factors, many people wear sunscreen on their skin and sunglasses on their eyes. Whether these actions negate or reduce the beneficial effect of being outdoors is not known.


text:
Freedom City
There are some who think of Superheroes as individuals, loners who fight a lonely battle against injustice, upholding what's right. In some ways, that's true the day to day job of a hero requires some time alone. Yet, no man is an island, and neither is a superman.
It's hard to remember the origins of the Rooftop Society, it probably started in the Mid-80's, during the worst of the Moore years, when superheroes had to fight crime and corruption clandestinely. Heroes would gather in hidden safe-houses and rooftops to discuss the evils happening in their territory, to pool resources where possible. In any case, long after the Moore years were over the tradition stuck, and an ever rotating roster of heroes would gather on a monthly basis to discuss problems they would be unable to face alone.
"Nanotech laboratories," Dash uttered, "a lot of interesting tech has been stolen, and up to now I still have no leads. So if you see any villains using nanotech just let me know." Dash's blue and yellow costume stood out on the rooftop, in the glow of the Pyramid Plaza spotlight. His belt whirring like a miniature dynamo.
"I wonder if it has anything to do with the assassination attempts on government employees?" Fade wondered aloud, the face covering costume made it difficult to know the man's intent, and his unnerving ablity to permeate through solid objects often made it so he would come from out of nowhere. "Um, did joo guys see that? Was he here before?" Obscura asked, the rookie hero was still learning the ropes and still a little star struck by her heroic companions. Sentinel, the most experienced of the group didn't seem to be paying much attention at all. "Does that helicopter look like it's coming a little low to you?" Sentinel pointed to a rapidly descending set of lights not far from the hero's rooftop vantage.
Dash didn't even let Sentinel finish the sentence before he was off, zipping through the city streets. Whirring his arms as quickly as possible Dash slowed the helicopter's fall, not enough to prevent the crash, but enough it stopped a monorail strut from collapsing outright.
The other heroes were hot on his tail, Fade flying over head, Sentinel leaping from building to building and Obscura trying to keep up with her mad parkour skills. Assessing the danger, Dash left the helicopter to his friends and bolted for the nearest Monorail station.
"Youhavetostopthemonorail!" He exclaimed, forgetting to power down his speed belt before talking.
"Huh? Honey, I don't think I'm allowed to do that," responded the hapless ticket woman.
"There's a collapsing strut down the line, if the monorail leaves here people will die."
"... Let me call my manager."
Meanwhile the heroes arrived on a scene of burning wreckage and a collapsing monorail strut. Fade used his ability to create an Ectoplasmic strut to hold the monorail up, meanwhile Obscura smothered the flames with a blanket of solid shadow. Sentinel leaped on the ruined helicopter and tore open the doors, inside were a pair of trapped prison guards wearing "Blackstone Penitentiary" uniforms, and a gaping hole in the helicopter's side where it appeared someone had blown it out.
Dash didn't have time to wait for the bureaucratic process and leapt onto the monorail track, holding his arm out. The ticket woman's eyes widened.
"I'll call you back!" Hanging up the phone she dialled the monorail conductor. "You gotta stop the monorail some nut has jumped onto the track!" She said, just as the Metrorail rounded the corner for the station's stretch.
With little time to spare, Sentinel hoisted the guards over his shoulder and leapt away from the wreckage. With the fires taken care of Obscura used her solid shadow in an attempt to seal over the cracks in the strut, but time was running out.
Dash stood resolute, but midlly terrified. He was a speedster, he had no way of stopping a determined monorail.
The rail screeched its breaks and Dash moved back step by step until the vehicle stopped mere inches from his hand. "There's a collapse up the line. You have to wait here until it's fixed!" Dash said, before zipping off to see if he could help his allies some more.
"Who was that masked nut?" Asked the bewildered conductor.
Dash could hear distant sirens once reunited with his friends, but didn't stay long as one of the guards had wreckage in his gut, so he zipped the man off to hospital. Meanwhile the other heroes woke the remaining guard and questioned him. "We were transporting some old villains, they should have been harmless. Doctor Null, Mad Maple and Stoneface, heading from Blackstone to the Maximum Security prison in North Freedom. Then we were over the city, and BOOM! The side of the chopper blows out, and all of a sudden it's lights out. Lucky thing you guys came when you did."
With three escapees from Blackstone the party decided to track down what they could. Dash discovered a strange residue on some of the helicopter and bagged it for testing. Obscura realizing how late it was decided to go home. Unfortunately the other weren't too lucky in discovering the fugitive's whereabouts.
Interlude - Obscura
South Freedom's a tough neighbourhood, and not for the faint of heart. Having changed into her civvies in a nearby alleyway, Perla Vargas approached her apartment block. Unfortunately, a group of Street Demonz were loitering outside her apartment.
"Hey chica! What joo doing out so late? You come to party?"
"B,back off!" Her stuttering warning seemed to amuse the gangers.
"C'mon girl, don't joo want to dance?" Focusing on her mystical connection to the Shadow Realm, Obscura seemed to fade from their vision.
"What the heeell man, where'd she go?"
Socking one of the Street Demonz in the jaw, Obscura bolted to a nearby alleyway. Leaping for the nearby fire escape proved futile when covered in some kind of urban goo she slipped and landed on her back with an audible yelp.
"Hey, I think she went thataway mang!" From the safety of the alley Obscura created a veil of pure darkness, the likes of which only her mystically attuned eyes could see through. Running between the gangers she disappeared into her front door, up the fire stairs, into her apartment. Her sleeping mother, brother and sister none-the-wiser.
Interlude - Fade
As science advisor for the Freedom City government, Rick Mason would often overhear things in those hallowed halls. "This is an embarrasment Commissioner, I need those fugitives found and quickly. We can't have the public know Dr Null is at large. The hysteria alone would be an embarrasment."
"Don't ye be worryin' Mayor O'Connor, the FCPD will have those brigands back in irons before ye know it."
"I appreciate that Pat."
Interlude - Dash
David Peters or Mr. Peters as he was known to his students was almost as bored as they were in his explanation of arctic adaptation. Still he didn't particularly appreciate the pair of disruptive students yucking it up in the corner. Quick as lightning he popped into the staff kitchen and borrowed a pitcher of ice water.
"The thing about polar adaptation is that most creatures have a thick layer of insulating fur or blubber to keep them warm."
"People only have a thin skin."
"''EY! ESSE! What joo think joo're doin'. Do joo know who I am? Joo don' wanna mess with me yo."
"Sit down, and calm down Donald."
"'Ey! Joo don't call me that. Joo call me by my street name. D-bag hombre!"
"Cool off in the principle's office D-Bag." The laughter of the class drove the young miscreant out of the room.
"Joo gonna pay for that Mr. Teacher man..."
Interlude - Sentinel
The normally quiet antique store was as good a place as any to do some internet research on the escapees from the chopper crash. "
The Death of Doctor Null - Terminus Retrospective Part 3 - By Sally Struthers."
A tingle at the door drew William's attention. A heavily built older gentleman stepped into the room, the words bull in a chinashop seemed to feel appropriate.
"Can I help you?" William asked.
"Perhaps, I have a trinket I'm looking to sell. I was perhaps wondering if you could tell me what it's worth?"
The small stone amulet resembled nothing less than a stylized demon's head affixed to a small leather strap to be worn around the neck. Made of normal stone and what appeared to be red glass beads for eyes.
"Twenty bucks."
"Really? The man who gave it to me, as a gift mind you, said it was an ancient artifact recovered from Peru, or Aztec-land or whatever."
"A lot of these so called artifacts are mostly junk, it's got okay craftsmanship, and I can sell it as a curio. Twenty, take it or leave it."
"Thirty, and you got a deal."
"Eh, what the hell. I just need some details Mr..."
"Zorelli, just call me Zorelli." The bell tingled one more time as the man left.
"I think... I just bought some junk from Stone-Face."
Pyramid Plaza - Later that Night
"Guys, I need some help," Obscura started the meeting.
"I think I have a lead on Stone-Face, his brother Jimmy "The Weasel" turned him in years ago, apparently he owns a bar on the West Side. I... need someone over 21 to help me investigate." The group, chuckled that the rookie's problem. "It's okay, Westside is my stomping ground. What's the place?" Sentinel asked.
"Weasel's Warren. I'd like to tag along if you don't mind," Obscura grinned.
"By all means, what are you too going to do?" Sentinel asked Fade and Dash.
Fade looked out over the horizon in the direction of Blackstone Penitentiary.
"Talk to Director Powers, I think there's more to this than we realise."
Blackstone Penitentiary
Few places on Earth are as imposing as Blackstone Prison, with massive stone walls on an Island off Freedom City's coast, it is full of the meanest most powerful villains this side of the Terminus. Run by a group of highly trained, dedicated guards and controlled by Director Harry Powers.
"Welcome to my office gentlemen, have a seat," Harry greeted the heroes warmly. He was always glad to see citizens willing to stand up and do what needed to be done to protect a city, but still there was always something that he wondered about.
"Before we start, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure," Dash replied. "When you guys sit in an office and conduct conversations with regular people in those get ups, do you ever feel silly."
"A little," replied Fade.
Weasel's Warren
The place was hardly hopping, and a bored bouncer seemed to be more interested in his cell-phone than his job. Sentinel decided that a subtle approach was needed to infiltrate the bar, and wearing his civilian outfit he approached the bouncer. The closer he got the more details fit together, the pallid complection, the lack of warm breath in the cool night air. This bouncer was most definitely a vampire. He just hoped Obscura was close-by with his ancestral helmet if trouble broke out.
"I vill need ID if you vant to come inside bar," the bouncer said.
"Ah, I seem to have left my ID in my other pants."
"Ha, very funny, but is law friend. I can not let you in without ID."
"C'mon man, it's not even that busy inside. I'm just here to meet a friend, Zorelli is his name."
"Sounds Italian, Italians know better than to come to Veasel's Varren."
William was running out of ideas, he was becoming convinced that there was something inside he'd need to see.
"Well, fancy seeing you here," For a large man, "Zorelli" seemed to have a light step, "What brings you to this hell hole?" His gravelly voice bearing a thick Italian accent.
"Ah, a friend recommended it to me?"
"Ha! Come on then, let's get a drink."
"I vill need to see his ID *glk*" The bouncer was interrupted when Zorelli held him up by his face.
"No. You don't." Flinging the bouncer across pavement like a rag-doll the pair stepped inside, with Obscura slipping in just after.
Blackstone Penitentiary
"Budget cuts. I feel so stupid now, but it was a perfect storm of stupid that let those three out. With the GFC looming Blackstone can't afford to keep unpowered prisoners in the cells. So I had to make a decision, weird thing was these three were model prisoners for years!" Fade and Dash were amazed at what they were hearing.
"Doctor Null, a model prisoner? Didn't he once enslave the entire nation of Eskandria?" Fade asked incredulously.
"No doubt, but when The Centurion died, all the fight went out of him. Hell, the reason he got pinched was for holding up a bank with a pistol of all things. Stoneface wasn't as bad as people would make him out to be in the crime books either. His entire life he was looking out for his family, until his brother ratted him out to the cops. Nowadays he just spends most of his time reading. From what I understand he's a buddhist now."
"And the Maple?" Dash asked.
"The Mad Maple, okay so he was hardly a model prisoner, but he was easy to handle. Just keep him away from refrigeration equipment and he was just a man like anybody else."
"Was there anything unsual that occurred recently?" Fade asked. "Perhaps, something that would build a connection between these three?" Dash added.
"No connection that I could tell, and believe me I just spent the last day in the surveillance archives. Those three barely said twenty words to each other their entire stay here. I will say this though, Dr Null is the one that really surprises me. Especially after finding out about his cancer, I assumed he would be dead soon and that would be the end of one particularly tragic figure in this city's history."
"Dr Null has cancer?"
Weasel's Warren
"It's tragic really, the way family can betray a man. But at the end of the day family, is family. Barkeep, another scotch and leave the bottle this time."
"That's $800 scotch sir."
"I got $30, take it or leave it," Stoneface left the crumpled notes on the bench, "where was I?"
"Family," prompted the incognito Sentinel. "Right! Family i-" Obscura wasn't paying much attention to Stoneface, she decided to search the bar for any sign of Jimmy the Weasel, to warn him away.
"Jimmy, boss. You have to come here, it's your brother he's here now!" Obscura gave a sigh of relief, at least Jimmy wasn't here, there was time to capture Stoneface before things got bloody. She returned to the bar to see the room filled with about twenty vampires.
"Oh crap," Obscura cursed.
"Hey, Antique man, you take the ten on the left, I'll take the ten on the right."
Can I take on this many vampires without my helmet? Sentinel wondered. One way to find out...
Blackstone Penitentiary
Dash reviewed the medical records.
"It's legit, stage 3 lymphoma, it's in the lymph nodes. Even with top notch chemotherapy Null's looking at a few months of life on the outside."
"So the prisoners recieved no visitors whatsoever?"
"Nah, Mad Maple's grandson wants nothing to do with the old geezer, Stoneface's family betrayed him and Dr Null has no known family. Heck we don't even know if his real name is Null. Wait... there was a reporter. She was here to interview Dr Null, on some retrospective: "The Terminus Invasion 20 years on". That was a few weeks back. Maybe she knows something."
Dash and Fade looked at each other.
"This is something to go on at least," Dash shrugged.
Weasel's Warren
Sentinel smashed a stool and using a single chair leg started beating up on his Vampire foes, alongside Stoneface. The duo were doing well taking Vampires down left and right, the undead abominations unable to pierce Stoneface's impervious skin. Obscura's Shadow meanwhile was having a hell of a time giving Vampire wedgies, while the girl herself created a swarm of shadow baseball bats to knock out the vampiric vermin. Seeing his opening Sentinel dashed across the room grabbing his pack from Obscura's hand, and slid into the bathroom. C'mon, c'mon... Pulling the helmet out of the pack he donned the Sentinel helm, kicking open the door.
"Closing time." Breaking his stake in half he threw it directly into the hearts of a pair of vampires reducing them to dust. "Heh, fancy seeing you again after all these years."
"Wha-" oh! He must think I'm my father! "Of course, it was only a matter of time before I would track you down Stoneface."
"Well look, I'll come peacefully. I thought I'd get some closure, but I think my brother's too much of a coward to see me again. Even if I did come to forgive him."
Pyramid Plaza
"...so we fought off the vampires, and Stoneface was taken back into custody," finished Obscura.
"What'd you guys do?"
"Uh, had a conversation with Harry Powers. Dr Null is dying of cancer," Fade said matter of factly, "We have a lead on Mad Maple though, he's got a grandson in Freedom City. So that's something we can research."
"Already did," Grinned Dash holding up some paperwork,"Staying at the Hanover Institute of Technology. Scholarship."
"Wha- when did you do that?" Fade asked incredulously.
"While Obscura was telling that boring story."
"Anyway, I thought Obscura and I could go check out the Campus, what are you guys going to do?" Dash laughed.
"I get the feeling that Doctor Null isn't happy about dying, he's got something big planned and I want to know what it is. We're going to ask Struthers if she learned anything useful."
Hanover Institute of Technology (HIT)
Alpha Beta Kappa house is famous the city over for it's insane keggers. Tonight was no exception, a toga party filled with beautiful young students letting off steam for Mid-Semester break.
"Ugh, what is it with supervillains and alcohol?" Asked Obscura.
"Beats me," Dash replied.
"What are you wearing?"
"Toga, here take this," he handed Obscura a bed sheet and a photograph, "Adam Jury, he's the guy we're looking for. Play it cool and pretend like you're 21."
The pair walked into the party, a more wretched hive of scum and villainy than the vampire bar. If my mother finds out I was at a kegger, dressed in a Toga she's going to kill me, thought Perla. There he is. Coming down from an upside-down keg-stand was none other than Adam Jury Jnr, grandson of the Mad Maple.
"That was a hoot, ey!" Spotting the pretty young Perla watching him, he sauntered (well, stumbled over).
"So uh, what's a pretty girl like you doin' in a place like this ey?"
"Uh, yoor from Canada too? That's awesome ey! I'm from... Quebec." Obscura improvised a terrible french canadian accent.
"Oh wow! Hey it's been ages since I spoke to a fellow canuck! You want to come upstairs and see my hockey jerseys ey?"
"Totally... eh?" The pair headed upstairs, to the privacy of Adam's room.
The Freedom City Ledger Offices
Sentinel and Fade entered the grandiose lobby of the Freedom City Ledger.
"Wow! Bona fide superheroes!" Exclaimed the security guard, "What brings you here?"
"Well citizen," responded Sentinel, "We're here to see Sally Struthers."
"Oh wow! I bet she'd be super glad to meet you, I'll buzz you up."
"Oh yeah, I miss Canada a lot ey. I mean, my family is messed up, but I got some great friends up there ey."
"Your family?"
"Oh yeah, my Grandpop's a crazy Supervillain. Calls hisself the Mad Maple, ey!"
"No kidding," Obscura said rolling her eyes. Suddenly the door burst open and there was Dash in his full uniform.
"Hey kid, your Grandfather's escaped prison, and he might be headed here."
"Wha- Who are you? Captain Cockblock or something?" Adam exclaimed.
"No, I'm Dash, and the virtue of an underage woman is everyone's responsibility."
"You have gotta be kiddi- wait.. did you hear that?" The sounds of the party downstairs were definitely getting louder, it was starting to sound like screams.
"Oh crap, he's here already isn't he ey?"
Freedom City Ledger
Squeezed into the elevator with a cleaning lady and her trolley of supplies Sentinel and Fade silently rode to the 23rd floor. Musac playing over the speakers.
"Eh, Misser superhero."
"Please, call me Fade."
"Ah, Misser Fade, I am wondering. When you stand in little elevator dressed in costume. Do joo ever feeel seelly?"
"Where is that good for nothing grandson of mine?!" The Maple's Costume was haphazardly put together, and worse he was wearing a small bar fridge on his back attached via vacuum tubes and jerry rigged wiring as a makeshift freeze ray. Maple punctuated his sentences with blasts from his freeze ray, encasing nearby partygoers in tombs of ice.
"He's a little busy right now, maybe I can take your call?" Dash zoomed into the room socking the Mad Maple. The villain was a pro and rolled with the punch.
"Another damn superhero ey! Well I'll show you!" A frozen blast from Maple's makeshift freeze ray smacked the speedster directly in the chest. Turning his speed up to 11 he he vibrated out of the frozen shell leaving nothing but snowflakes in his wake.
"It'll be a cold day in hell before you stop me in my tracks Maple!"
Freedom City Ledger
"Can I get you guys on record?" Sally asked putting down a tape-recorder.
"Uh, not this time, we just have some questions," Fade replied.
"Oh.. okay. What did you want to know?"
"You interviewed Dr Null recently?" Sentinel asked.
"Oh yeah, that story. I had to edit out so much. The man really loves a monologue. Spoke about how some of his greatest plans fell apart only because of The Centurion's intervention. Couldn't go five minutes without talking about the guy. Talked about plans he never put into practice. One of them was really nuts. World domination through recycling! Crazy right?" "Was there anything else unusual about the interview?" Fade prompted.
"Well, when I spoke about a world without Dr Null, he got real quiet. It was a marked difference you know. He called for a guard not long after."
"Oh man, my Grandpa's here, we should go ey?"
When Adam turned around Obscura was already gone. Running down the stairs she rapidly changed costume. Dash meanwhile was having trouble fighting Maple through the crowd of panicked people, getting dragged away by them in the excitement.
Obscura found her way into the chaos, seeing Mad Maple firing at her fellow Rooftop Socialite she used her own Shadow to disarm the man of his weapon, and animated some nearby shadows to cover his face in a ball of darkness. Providing Dash with an opening to knock the old coot on his rear end. With Maple down Obscura used her shadow powers to bind him.
Pyramid Plaza
A cold wind blew above the streets of the city.
"Two out of three isn't bad?" Obscura said to the team.
"Maybe, but the biggest threat is still out there. For a man who loved to monologue Null played it pretty close to the chest," Fade brooded. "Well, after his capture, Maple mentioned something about an underwater base, so we still have something to go on," Dash said.
"I just hope it's not too late."
"Uh guys? Where's Sentinel?"
Epilogue (Galloway Antiques)
There had to be some significance to the amulet Stoneface had sold. William's eyes weren't enough for this, he would need all of his ancestors to take a look.
Demonicus, Demonicus, Demonicus.
The echo of generations of Sentinels reverberated in his head.
This was a name he knew, a name William Galloway feared.
Demonicus, Slayer of Sentinels, Archnemesis of the Galloway Tradition, The Prince of Secrets. What was Stoneface doing with a conduit to one of the Abyss' most powerful demonlords? And now that William had the Amulet what could he do about it?
In Issue #2: The Battle of Centery Bridge!
Rooftop Society Issue #1: Crash Course
This is the place to recount your superheroic deeds for all to gaze upon with astonishment and wonder.
4 posts • Page 1 of 1
- Hero
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Rooftop Society Issue #1: Crash Course
"What a man does for pay is of little significance. What he is, as a sensitive instrument responsive to the world's beauty, is everything!" -H.P. Lovecraft
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Re: Rooftop Society Issue #1: Crash Course
Nice work, Nighthunter. I hope there will be more adventures. I suspect I would find your speedster "Dash" pretty irritating in person - he comes over (in your writing) as one of those types who steps on other players lines. Of course he might take this as a compliment! I like Obscura as a character, and her option-taking (especially vs Southside bangers) shows how young and naiive she is. The other characters seem a bit pale but hopefully will come more to life in other settings.
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Re: Rooftop Society Issue #1: Crash Course
Glad you enjoyed it.
Actually the player of Dash is actually one of the most laid back, cooperative players I've ever had the pleasure to game with. He loves to hand the ball off to other players and let them have a chance at the spotlight. He plays Dash a little hot-headed and prone to snap decisions because he's a speedster and running in half-cocked gives me opportunities to throw in complications so the party can earn sweet, sweet hero points.
Obscura's player is a comic-loving girl who got her idea from watching The Princess and the Frog, the concept being a shadow-controller with a mischievous shadow that gets her into trouble. There was a vampire that got a wedgie that may not have made it into my synopsis. In any case I'm a fan of young hero characters.
Sentinel and Fade are really nifty.
Sentinel started off as a Punisher + Van Helsing, but ended up Captain Marvel + Phantom + Van Helsing. He has a helmet passed down through his family for generation, which houses the spirits of every Sentinel that came before him. When he wears it he gains superhuman strength, and awareness of supernatural entities. His main enemy is "The Monster Mafia", which is an idea I really need to flesh out.
Fade is a scientist who couldn't get a job, and started concocting drugs for a shady organization called The Black Hand. Gunned down during a bad deal he was visited by a supernatural entity which offered him a second chance at life, but only if he did enough good in the world to outweigh his evils. Thus he became Fade "The Living Ghost". He's a living man with the abilities of a poltergeist.
Actually the player of Dash is actually one of the most laid back, cooperative players I've ever had the pleasure to game with. He loves to hand the ball off to other players and let them have a chance at the spotlight. He plays Dash a little hot-headed and prone to snap decisions because he's a speedster and running in half-cocked gives me opportunities to throw in complications so the party can earn sweet, sweet hero points.
Obscura's player is a comic-loving girl who got her idea from watching The Princess and the Frog, the concept being a shadow-controller with a mischievous shadow that gets her into trouble. There was a vampire that got a wedgie that may not have made it into my synopsis. In any case I'm a fan of young hero characters.
Sentinel and Fade are really nifty.
Sentinel started off as a Punisher + Van Helsing, but ended up Captain Marvel + Phantom + Van Helsing. He has a helmet passed down through his family for generation, which houses the spirits of every Sentinel that came before him. When he wears it he gains superhuman strength, and awareness of supernatural entities. His main enemy is "The Monster Mafia", which is an idea I really need to flesh out.
Fade is a scientist who couldn't get a job, and started concocting drugs for a shady organization called The Black Hand. Gunned down during a bad deal he was visited by a supernatural entity which offered him a second chance at life, but only if he did enough good in the world to outweigh his evils. Thus he became Fade "The Living Ghost". He's a living man with the abilities of a poltergeist.
"What a man does for pay is of little significance. What he is, as a sensitive instrument responsive to the world's beauty, is everything!" -H.P. Lovecraft
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Re: Rooftop Society Issue #1: Crash Course
He sounds a lot like Wraith, in the game I'm in. Especially if he is paranoid.Fade is a scientist who couldn't get a job, and started concocting drugs for a shady organization called The Black Hand. Gunned down during a bad deal he was visited by a supernatural entity which offered him a second chance at life, but only if he did enough good in the world to outweigh his evils. Thus he became Fade "The Living Ghost". He's a living man with the abilities of a poltergeist.
Sentinel started off as a Punisher + Van Helsing, but ended up Captain Marvel + Phantom + Van Helsing. He has a helmet passed down through his family for generation, which houses the spirits of every Sentinel that came before him. When he wears it he gains superhuman strength, and awareness of supernatural entities. His main enemy is "The Monster Mafia", which is an idea I really need to flesh out.
Monster Mafia huh - must be why all those vampires showed up?
Anyway good on you for getting it out onto the story hour, I look forward to more issues.
4 posts • Page 1 of 1


text:
Launch readiness confirmed
Following the interruption of the countdown during the launch sequence of ESA's GOCE satellite yesterday, the teams in charge of launch operations worked hard to identify and solve the problem.
During the countdown, the doors of the launch service tower did not open which prevented the tower from moving away from the launch pad. The anomaly was identified as a malfunction of a relay switch in the doors' opening mechanism.
The part was replaced overnight and extensive tests were run to ensure it was functioning properly. The tower doors will be opened well before today's scheduled liftoff time of 15:21 CET.
Weather forecasts for the launch site are good, with temperatures and wind speeds well within launch limits. More information will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.
Launch will be streamed on this website and broadcast live on


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Enter to win an eBook copy of Lust and Bound! Ends 3/15/2013.
How would you view the world if you couldn't see it? Most of us go through life never really appreciating the beauty of a sunset or sunrise, the various shades of green in a stand of trees or bushes, or maybe the vibrant colors of roses, petunias, and delphiniums.
What if you could only see lights and shadows? Or through the veil of fog? What if...Well I think you get the idea. My latest release, The Baker's Touch, deals with a woman who owns and operates her family bakery, enjoys dancing and even has a decent love life. What makes her different? She's blind.
Why did I chose to make a blind heroine? Life and people are imperfect, but that doesn't mean one has to stop living. Being blind is one of those impairments most people don't see, until they trip over a cane or service animal. :-) I also made my heroine blind, because there are not a lot of stories where the main characters have some sort of genetic disability.
Penelope, my heroine, can only see brief flashes of light. She has an inherited eye condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa and there's no known cure. What I like about Penelope is that she didn't let losing her sight stop her from achieving her dreams. She wanted a level of independence to run her own business and with some modifications and a seeing eye person, she's able to do that.
Having no vision also requires a good support system, just like any other sighted person. Not only does Penelope have the support of her family, she also has two best friends who are willing to do whatever needs to be done.
So the next time you go out, take a moment to enjoy the view or better yet describe it to someone who can't see it.
Until next time, Indulge Your Inner Romantic.
Download my free Author App to your Android or Apple IOS device. Website: http://wlynnchantale.com
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W. Lynn Chantale resides in southeastern Michigan. Writing has been a passion for as long as she can remembered. Given an ultimatum of either getting published or giving up writing. W. Lynn chose to get published and has never looked back.
Married to her high school sweetheart and romantic heartthrob, they've been together for the last twenty years. She has a mad affinity for milk chocolate, preferably Dove chocolate truffles or the caramel-filled squares (Godiva is acceptable), and plays the bass guitar when the Muse begs for a bit of distraction.


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text: Wagon Station Update Posted: September 3rd, 2011Author: zittelFiled Under: A-Z West, Wagon StationsLeave a Comment While the billboards were being painted in the clean space, and Lay of my Land" was being fabricated in the center sculpture studio, there was yet another work simultaneously coming together in the studio's "flex" space… where seven customized Wagon Stations, recently extracted from the land A-Z West, were assembled to prepare them for a journey to Stockholm, Sweden. And as soon as that group left the studio TK and Ernie began work on seven brand new units. These will be positioned out in the desert later this month, when Tova, our first Swedish resident, comes to stay in one for a month as part of the Magasin 3 project.


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Chao Hsiang-chen, a 63-year-old employee at the Taipei Water Department's Customer Service Center, and her 64-year-old husband never planned on having children. After family and friends suggested it to them two years ago, they decided to give it a shot, but never expected to she would actually get pregnant. At the ripe old age of 62, Chao gave birth to twins — a boy and a girl (dragon-and-pheonix twins in Chinese) — at the end of last year. With a smile on her face she says, "They are the most precious gift that God has ever given me." She does, however, regret having kids so late in life and would like to encourage women to have children earlier in life.
"I just couldn't believe it when the doctor told me that I was pregnant," Chao says. Her husband had never really been fond of children and often said that having kids was unnecessary, which was why they still had no children after so many years of marriage. That all changed two years ago when they went on a trip to China and family and friends began encouragingly telling them that they were in great shape and healthy enough to have kids. Without actually trying very hard, nature took its course after they returned to Taiwan, but instead of merely becoming an expectant mother, Chao became pregnant with twins.
Chao attributes her lack of discomfort during birth to hiking in the mountains every day with her mother when she was young. She was able to get out of bed and start doing stretches using a towel the day after giving birth and was released from the hospital by the fifth day. On that day, Chao was immediately able to go to the market to buy food and life pretty much returned to normal. Her doctor has even encouraged her to have yet another baby next year to help increase the country's birthrate.
1. babble v.
牙牙學語 (ya2 ya2 xue2 yu3)
例: The babbling babies played in the kitchen while their father cooked dinner.
2. dote v.
寵愛;溺愛 (chong3 ai4; ni4 ai4)
例: The grandmother loves doting on her grandchildren.
3. parenting n.
育嬰;養育子女 (yu4 ying1; yang3 yu4 zi2 nu3)
例: Researchers say that warm, responsive parenting can offset the painful effects of strict discipline.
Holding the twins — Chen Fong (girl) and Chen Lung (boy) — in her arms, Chao says that she never fathomed something like this would happen. When the babies were born they weighed 2,600g and 1,800g, but now at three months they weigh 7kg and 6kg. They do not cry much, only gurgling and babbling a bit when they are hungry, and spend most of their time sleeping. The twins are not shy with strangers either. As soon as they were brought into this world, they became the objects of doting and adoration among family members. "It turns out that kids are fairly easy to raise," Chao says.
Ridiculing herself for being a mother who does not use her brain much, Chao has not read any magazines or books on parenting because she believes that children should be free to grow up naturally. Her octogenarian parents, on the other hand, are typically the ones who keep nagging her about how to raise the children.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)