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Launched in 1991, Hotels.com is a leading online accommodation booking website that provides prior accommodation booking service for customers' trip. Hotels has 85 websites in 34 languages with lists over 325,000 hotels in around 19,000 locations. Hotels.com provides a wide range of types of accommodation from international chains, resorts and local service for your stay. Come to hotels, you will be satisfied and overwhelmed with a great deal of choices offered by Hotels. Hotels app helps you easily book on the go with access to 20,000 last minutes deals. Owned by Hotels.com LP, an affiliate of Expedia, Inc. Hotels.com has it headquarter at 5400 LBJ Freeway, Suite 500, Dallas, TX 75240. Booking at Hotels.com to have memorable trips at comfortable hotels and you also have a chance to save your pocket with Hotels promo codes.
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Tips for mountain climbing
While many people see mountain climbing as an extreme sport, many other think it will bring their memorable experience and as a way to challenge their strength, endurance, and sacrifice. How to protect your health from danger when climbing, this overview will give you this.
1. Do research
Mountain climbing is very dangerous, especially for new one. So deeply understanding about the destination before set out a plan is very important for climber. Make some research about the weather conditions, topographic and how dangerous of your destination. Besides, you also need to know how to use the equipment properly. You can find many stories of previous mountaineers and good guiding books at bookstores to know what is going to happen with you a head.
2. Do exercise
Doing exercise to maintain your health before the trip is also necessary. You need assess your mental strength because you will have to make sound, fast judgment about conditions, directions and safety. Then get fit and improve you endurance skills to help you safe all the journey. Some exercises like running, jogging, walking, hiking, weightlifting are good for you.
3. Good equipment
Getting good equipment for your journey is also very important. You don't want to have any trouble for your health related to the equipment so make sure that you get best quality one. You need to make a list of things you'll need to keep you from forgetting something needed for the trip and make sure that all you need are prepared.
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For more information, send email to Hotels customer service or call at 866-678-6350, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to find your answers. Besides you can sign up your email to get latest offers and download Hotels app to book on the go easily.


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Hello Hello Hello!
So I felt the need to write this post because last night/yesterday was one of those days. Who knows what I am talking about without much further detail? You know, one of THOSE days. A day where you can't seem to catch a break. Where Murphy's Law really comes into play. If you are not familiar with this theorum then let me spell it out for you simply: anything that can go wrong, does. Well yesterday it seemed like that for me. Now this is my little disclaimer before I get further into this post: I know it is going to seem like a lot of complaining or like "first-world problems." I am 100% clear that others have it worse out there, but I am just telling you this so you can see my end result from last night. So bear with me, please.
So first things first, I caught a cold during one of the worst times to catch a cold. Who the heck gets a cold in summer? I prayed that I wouldn't get sick and spoke over myself that I was not going to get sick. Who knows words have power? Death and Life are in the power of the tongue so I was trying to speak so much life, but it happened. That's ok though, I'm over it. So anyway, I have the pleasure of working as a youth leader at my church, but I also am on a rotation schedule in the nursery and I get to work with some of the cutest babies ever. But how many people would agree that if you are sick, you probably shouldn't be around babies? So no cute babies for me this week. *sad face.* but I didn't let that damper my mood, I sat in service and heard an amazing message from our guest speak Dr. Nolte. It was amazing.
Next, I was tired, sick, and cold while I waited for my sisters to go home. Service ends at 8:30 pm and it is about to turn 10 o' clock when my little sister tells me that I could go home because they were going out to eat with their friends. I felt so frustrated. Why didn't they tell me that sooner? Don't they know I want to go home and rest? How could they leave me sitting here in the cold while I have really bad cramps? I was upset and it was late so I went to get food and when I got home I see that they gave me the wrong order. I was livid. After everything that happened, this on top of all that. This is how I felt in that moment:
But I got in my car, turn on the radio (which I always have on a Christian radio station) as soon as I did, the song "Even If" by MercyMe came on. It says "Some times you win some, some times you lose some. and right now, right now I'm losing bad." It just made me remember that even when I'm "losing" (for example when I am sick and tired and annoyed with my sisters), there also are times that I "win" (when we have great times and laugh, and I hear awesome preaching's even though I can't play with babies.) I felt so much better after that. I went, got my order corrected, wasn't mad at the cashier because why ruin their day too? I was polite and they gave me a free ice cream and I went home and felt a million times better. I felt better because I stopped focusing on the bad and focused on God in my life. Being patient is what He has called me to be, not a grump.
It may seem lame but really it is not. We choose our attitude. We choose whether we stay upset at our siblings or whether we sing worship songs and look on the bright side. I remember from one of the Bruce Almighty movies, I'm not sure if it is Bruce or Evan Almighty, but in one of them Morgan Freeman said something that is so true that I think about it ALL THE TIME. When you pray for patience, does God give you patience or does he give you opportunities to be patient? Usually it is the latter. I pray for patience all the time so I can expect some tests to come my way. I need to keep my cool and be patient with people (even when my little sisters tell me things at the last possible second.) I also want you to remember, you control your attitude. Life is only 10% what happens to you, the other 90% is how you react to that."
Until next time, I am signing off with a Graceful Soul and a Grateful Heart.
xo, Leah Grace

subset: commoncrawl


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Christiana Ellis is an award-winning writer and podcaster, currently living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her podcast novel, Nina Kimberly the Merciless was both an inaugural nominee for the 2006 Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction: Long Form, as well as a finalist for a 2006 Podcast Peer Award. Nina Kimberly the Merciless is available in print from Dragon Moon Press. Christiana is also the writer, producer and star of Space Casey, a 10-part audiodrama miniseries which won the Gold Mark Time Award for Best Science Fiction Audio Production by the American Society for Science Fiction Audio and the 2008 Parsec Award for Best Science Fiction Audio Drama. In between major projects, Christiana is also the creator and talent of many other podcast productions including Talking About Survivor, Hey, Want to Watch a Movie?and Christiana's Shallow Thoughts.
Work on Escape Artists
Escape Pod
- EP081 Margin of Error, by Nancy Kress
- EP162 God Juice, by M.K. Hobson
- EP184 As Dry Leaves That Before the Wild Hurricane Fly, by Mur Lafferty
- EP202 Will You Be an Astronaut?, by Greg van Eekhout
- EP256 The Mermaids Singing Each to Each, by Cat Rambo
- EP299 Plus or Minus, by James Patrick Kelly
- EP335 The Water Man, by Ursula Pflug
- EP352 Food for Thought, by Laura Lee McArdle
- EP370 The Care and Feeding of Mammalian Bipeds, v. 2.1, by M. Darusha Wehm
- EP398 Subversion, by Elisabeth R. Adams
- EP444 Those Are Pearls That Were His Eyes, by Daniel Marcus
- EP486 Blight, by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
- EP512 The Semaphore Society, by Kate Heartfield
- PP014 Virginia Woods, by Janni Lee Simner
- PP078 In a Right and Proper Place, by Holly Day
- PP151 The Undoing, by Sarah Totton
- PP193 Bed of Scorpions, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- PP268 Let There Be Darkness, by Mike Allen
- PP316 The Persistence Of Memory, by William Meikle
- PP361 The Murmurous Paleoscope, by Dixon Chance
- PP398 Prince of Flowers, by Elizabeth Hand
- PP419 Nurse, by Thomas Kearnes
- PP450 The Horse Lord, by Lisa Tuttle
- PP498 The Only Ending We Have, by Kim Newman
- PP545 Indiscretions, by Hillary Dodge
- PC017 Goblin Lullaby, by Jim C. Hines
- PC072 The Exit Sign, by Ursula Pflug
- PC099 The Hag Queen's Curse, by M.K. Hobson
- PC133 And the Blood of Dead Gods Shall Mark the Score, by Gary Kloster
- PC288 Flash Fiction Contest Strikes Back!: "The Bear," by Taven Moore (2nd place winner!)
- PC291 Seasonal Disorder, by Heather Shaw and Tim Pratt
- PC370 Congratulations On Your Apotheosis, by Michelle Ann King
- PC403 Send In the Ninjas, by Michelle Ann King
Cast of Wonders
- CW96 Gift Cards of an Ex-Goddess, by Melissa Embry
- CW140 The Ghost of Grammy Goneril, by Austin H. Gilkeson
- CW273 Banned Books Week: The Wayfinder and His Sister, by Maria Haskins; read by Leigh Wallace & Christiana Ellis


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This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn money or products from the highlighted keywords or companies or banners mentioned in this post.
10th Jun 2016
Seabourn has taken a giant step forward toward the launch of its next new vessel, Seabourn Ovation, with the commemorative cutting of the first steel.
The ceremony, held at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy, was presided over by Seabourn president Richard Meadows and Genoa shipyard director Raffaele Davassi.
"The cutting of steel is a significant milestone in the creation of Seabourn Ovation, as well as the continuing evolution of the Seabourn fleet and the ultra-luxury cruise segment," noted Meadows.
"We are excited to witness this important step and look forward to seeing the ship come together.
"With Adam Tihany's extraordinary design vision and the excellent craftsmanship of Fincantieri, Seabourn Ovation will be matched only by its sister ship, Seabourn Encore, as the most beautiful ultra-luxury vessel ever built."
Scheduled to join the Seabourn fleet in spring 2018, Seabourn Ovation will expand and build upon the line's award-winning and highly acclaimed Odyssey-class ships, which revolutionised ultra-luxury cruising.
Seabourn Ovation will maintain the line's high ratio of space per guest, enabling a highly personalised level of service.
Sister ship Seabourn Encore will debut in late 2016, and with the addition of Seabourn Ovation, Seabourn will have the youngest and most modern ultra-luxury fleet in the industry.
Designed by hospitality design icon Tihany, Seabourn Ovation will feature modern design elements and innovations consistent with the line's reputation for understated elegance.
The approx. 40,350-GRT ship will be configured with one additional deck and new expanded public areas, and is expected to carry just 600 guests, based on double occupancy.
In addition, every suite will feature a private veranda.


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At Simply Energy we love hearing from you, but we also appreciate that your time is precious. So if you need to know something quickly and don't have time for a chat, check out our Help & Support to get your answers simply and quickly. Otherwise, feel free to contact us on the numbers below, or using the form at the bottom of this page.
Please note Simply Energy is unable to process requests for temporary building supplies.
New Connections must first be contracted with Simply Energy prior to submitting
New Connection paperwork.
Fill out the form below to submit your online enquiry.
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Although Orientation Week for incoming students officially gave way to the beginning of classes mid-September, a series of seminars — mandatory for first-year students — has continued throughout Fall Term as part of a series called "One Community." As part of the series, last Thursday, Oct. 23, the mock trial "Defamation" brought hard-hitting questions on race, religion and social class to first-year students. The mock trial was part of a Midwest tour self-described as where "race, religion and class collide in a riveting courtroom drama."
The trial centers on the defendant's stolen watch, and many issues surface as motives are questioned. The defendant, a wealthy, white Jewish businessman is being sued for racial profiling by the plaintiff, a struggling, black business owner. The plaintiff accuses the defendant of assuming she stole his watch because of her race. As each side attempts to dissuade the other's point, tensions run high. The audience ultimately has to serve as the jury and produce a verdict.
The floor was then open for discussion, and attempts were made to persuade in favor of each party, resulting in favor of the plaintiff 71 votes to the defendant's 57. Though according to Tianna Cervantez, Director of Multicultural Student Advisement, this voting procedure was a "sidebar" to the real agenda.
"I have both the privilege and the responsibility of being better informed not just about my life experience, but about how these experiences have impacted other people," Cervantez said. "It should have been uncomfortable for some in the sense that the material that the play brought is common experience."
Cervantez said if it made students think about what made them uncomfortable and why they had that reaction, "then it did its job."
Students attending appreciated the challenging, difficult topics that the mock trial raised.
"I liked that it shed light on cases that are based on racial prejudices," freshman Erin Prior said following the events discussion.
First-year students would like to see more orientation activities available further into the term, according to freshman Karen Lynch.
"Having these things this late in the term is good, because it shows they are not going to shove us on our way, as far as learning how to integrate into the campus," Lynch said when asked about attending Orientation events midway through the term.


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Extrudr Biofusion PLA Silk 1.75mm X 800g Reptile Green
Extrudr Biofusion PLA Silk 1.75mm X 800g Reptile Green
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Extrudr BioFusion is best suited for designers and makers who are looking
for a superior metallic shine in their printed parts. Besides the look, this material offers better mechanical properties than PLA or PETG.
Store at room temperature (18-27°C / 65-80°F) in a dry place. Make sure
it is out of direct heat and sunlight. When stored correctly, this material has
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BioFusion is temperature-resistant up to 75°C, which means that it can be used in the highclass productions.
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At sufficient heat and low cooling, the layer adhesion of PETG is excellent.
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The material is very good at withstanding impact.


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If there were ever a DJ on our staff who was in it simply for the love of music, it would have to be Joe Oh. Joe MCed with us between 2003 and 2009 when he decided to leave to work in the clubs. He spent 5 years doing just that, spinning everywhere around the tri-state area from New York City 's Pacha and Governors Island to Bliss and Avenue here in New Jersey. He also had the chance to spin with some legendary DJs like Louie Devito, R3hab and Denny Tsettos. While mixing at night he also got into producing his own music and making remixes. All for the love of music.
As Joe tells us, "I grew up playing the guitar and became really fascinated with electronic music around 17 years old and since that time my interest in music has grown for all different types of genres." He loves nothing more than "Seeing the dance floor packed and everyone getting down to the music."
Now that Joe is back to MCing for Elite his focus has returned to private parties and especially weddings: "the love of family and friends and the Bride and Groom coming together on their first day as husband and wife is really something special. There is always an amazing type of energy and excitement that goes along with a wedding."
During the week Joe is a commercial contractor ("we do various renovations and installations") and a bit of a sports fanatic as well (although as he explains: "I'm very depressed about it as my main rooting interests are the Mets, Islanders, Jets, and Knicks.") But he's never far from music and that's why Joe is a great Elite Entertainer.


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Capitals 3, Hurricanes 4
Scoresheet - Wash Post
That has to be a NHL record. One shot, one goal, all in one period. Alex Ovechkin's goal made the Capitals perfect in the first period, and they had no other shots for the rest of the period. The Caps nearly pulled off an upset when two games back to back caught up with them early in the third.
The Hurricanes are fighting for their playoff lives, the Caps aren't. The 'Canes were throwing everything at Brent Johnson, who looked very good in the net. Let's be honest, I was more shocked the Capitals were ahead at the end of the second than the Hurricanes two quick goals (both goals were thirty seconds apart) to tie and then lead at the start of the third period.
Ovie scored twice and Chris Clark scored a power play tally in the second after the Caps allowed a shorthanded tally by Carolina early in the powerplay. Jiri Novotny found the scoresheet twice with a couple of assists (albeit secondary assists). The Caps did alright, considering this was their second game in two nights. They responded well against a team that needed a win, badly.
The Capitals came into this game tied for third in the league for first period goals. The first period for the Capitals has been a positive this year, but the Caps need to pull together a full 60 minutes. It always seem to be some goal, some play or some penalty that turns the Caps fortunes sour. Then they just can't recover.
Shots were tough to come by for the Capitals because the Hurricanes were so good defensively. Caps only were able to muster 10 shots for the game, the Hurricanes slapped 39 against Johnson who turned away 35 of them. Not to state the obvious but, the Caps needed more shots on net.
The Penguins come to call against the Caps on Tuesday. Crosby vs. Ovie blah, blah, blah. Penguins in the playoffs and blah, blah, blah. Pittsburgh is going to build a new arena, blah, blah, blah.
Editor's Note: Tarik El-Bashir answers my question on one shot in one period.


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Navy Careers in Oceanography
The U.S. Navy does not offer careers in oceanography alone. Instead, career paths combine oceanography with meteorology. For the Navy's purposes, weather and the Earth's oceans are so closely intertwined that it is necessary to focus on both. If you are interested in oceanography, however, the Navy offers opportunities for both enlisted sailors and officers.
Job Description
Enlisted sailors specializing in meteorology and oceanography have the designation of aerographer's mates. They are responsible for preparing charts and maps of the ocean, as well as other waterways that the Navy can use for various purposes, including rescue operations, navigation and search efforts. They collect data on ocean currents, weather conditions and ocean conditions to help advise authorities on routes for military operations or ice in shipping lanes. After evaluating ocean conditions and weather forecasts, they make recommendations to help guide aircraft and ships. They may conduct surveys of the sea floor, take readings from an airplane or analyze data received from satellites. Aerographer's mates may work aboard ships or at operations centers or weather stations on shore. Officers supervise the activities of the enlisted sailors assigned to them.
No experience is needed for either enlisted sailors or officers who choose this field, but officers must have at least a bachelor's degree, although it does not need to be in oceanography or meteorology. But both must meet the basic qualifications to join the Navy. Enlisted sailors must be between the ages of 17 and 34, a legal U.S. resident or citizen and have either a high school diploma or GED. In addition to having a four-year degree, officers must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 19 and 35. The Navy typically rejects applicants, both enlisted and officers, who have more than two dependents younger than 18. Whether joining as an enlisted sailor or officer, applicants must pass a physical, drug screening and background check.
The Navy provides training for both enlisted sailors and officers. Enlisted sailors attend specialized training after completing basic. Officers must complete basic oceanography accession training, or BOAT, before they report to their initial duty station. The Navy's specialized training teaches officers and enlisted sailors the skills they need for their jobs.
All military basic pay is determined by rank and years in service. Most enlisted sailors enter the Navy as an E-1; monthly basic pay for an E-1 was $1,402.20 for the first four months and $1,516.20 thereafter, as of 2013. Most officers enter with a pay grade of O-1 and initial basic pay of $2,876.40, which increased to $2,994 after two years and $3,619.20 after three years in the Navy. Naval personnel not living aboard ship or in military housing qualified for a subsistence allowance of $242.60 to $1,100 per month, depending on how many dependents they had, and a housing allowance, based on rank and dependents, of $660.90 to $881.10 for an O-1 and $487.20 to $649.20 for an E-1. Enlisted sailors also received an initial clothing allowance of $1,811.61 to $2,031.69 and an annual clothing replacement allowance of $327.60 to $640.80. Other special payments could apply, depending on the duty station.
Photo Credits
- Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images


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ASTA and its members are dedicated to providing clean, safe spice to their customers and consumers. ASTA provides a range of programs and publications to ensure companies have the tools they need to meet that goal.
Clean, Safe Spices was published in March 2011 as guidance for the spice industry on food safety. Companies are encouraged to implement the recommendations contained in the guidance and distribute the guidance to their suppliers and customers. Additional publications and programs have been developed to support implementation of the key recommendations.
All publications are available free to members and many are also available free to non-members. There is a fee for access to educational recordings.
Not a member yet? Visit Membership to find out more about the benefits of membership and how to Join ASTA.
Clean, Safe, Spices Guidance Document ASTA produced this guidance document to assist the spice industry in developing programs that minimize the risk for contamination of spices and to help industry firms provide clean safe spices to their industrial, food service and consumer customers.
ASTA continues efforts to provide information and resources to its members to address the many issues that have been raised as the result of the peanut protein that has been found in ground cumin. Also in this section are FAQs, FDA Guidance on Allergen Labeling, an FDA Intentional Adulteration Fact Sheet and draft guidance from Food Chemicals Codex on economic adulteration.
Adulteration and Food Fraud
Adulteration and food fraud can pose serious issues for companies. The most common examples of economically motivated adulteration involve the addition of materials to make a food seem more valuable and while this is frequently not a safety issue, it is of concern to the entire food industry. A number of resources are available from ASTA and other organizations to address adulteration and food fraud.
Identification and Prevention of Adulteration Guidance Document
Adulteration is one of the major concerns of the spice industry and this guidance document provides a tool for companies to identify circumstances when adulteration may occur and then take steps to prevent it. The ASTA guidance is based on a publication developed by the British Retail Consortium, the Food and Drink Federation and the Seasoning and Spice Association.
HACCP Guide for Spices and Seasonings HACCP is the acronym for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point and is used as an analytical tool to introduce and maintain a cost-effective, ongoing food safety program. The ASTA HACCP Guide for Spices and Seasonings which was updated April 2015 to include new tools was designed to address issues specific to the spice industry.
White Papers White papers have been developed as needed on issues of significance to the spice industry.
Analytical Methods Manual The official Analytical Methods of the American Spice Trade Association
Cleanliness Specifications ASTA's Cleanliness Specifications were developed to ensure that the spices meet federal regulatory requirements for safety and cleanliness. They were designed to meet or exceed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Defect Action Levels.
Microscopic Identification of Spices
The Microscopic Identification of Spice Manual is a reference text for the microscopic or histological identification of pure spices. This is a CD-ROM that is available for purchase only.
Available to members only, the Government Relations Committee has developed a series of issue papers on microbiology issues faced by the Association and its member companies.
Spice Monographs
Information in the 14 monographs covers definitions, classifications, nutritional information, quality criteria, flavor chemistry and current and historical uses of a variety of spices.
Validation Studies
ASTA has education and resources available to support members as they conduct validation studies of their microbial reduction processes:
Check Sample Program
The ASTA Check Sample Program is designed to evaluate spice laboratories for a common range of analyses and spices that are significant to the spice trade. The program allows individual laboratories to evaluate their performance and set goals for improvement and consistency in analyses.
Good Agricultural Practices Guide (GAP Guide)
IOSTA has developed a Good Agricultural Practices Guide to be used as a resource in the growing and harvesting of spices.
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Guide for Spices
This guide focuses specifically on the spice manufacturing environment, and combines recommendations and best practices from ASTA member companies.
Principles of Physical Cleaning of Spices
This ASTA guide provides an overview of equipment that can be used for the physical cleaning of spices.
For questions, please contact [email protected].


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Banks' Shifts in Corporate Political Activity during the U.S. Financial Crisis
Banks' Shifts in Corporate Political Activity during the U.S. Financial Crisis
- Photo smallquan, The CMB in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (CC BY-NC-ND)
Séminaire scientifique de l'OSC 2018-2019
98, rue de l'Université 75007 Paris - salle Annick Percheron
vendredi 5 octobre 2018 de 10h30 à 12h
Olivia Nicol (SUTD Singapore)
Banks' Shifts in Corporate Political Activity during the U.S. Financial Crisis
In this communication I analyze how corporations select and adapt their political activities when they face major crises. I track the news interventions, lobbying expenses, and campaign contributions that four major banks (J. P. Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup) deployed during the recent U.S. financial crisis. I show that banks dramatically increased their news interventions compared to the pre-crisis period and compared to the other two tactics of political influence. Thus, banks opted for an overt and indirect strategy as they faced constraints on their ability to participate in political activity. However, their news interventions were not meant to express the banks' positions on regulation but rather to change the image of banks and their economic and social purpose. Thus, I develop a theory of impression management strategies as a substitute to traditional political activity in contexts of crisis.
Olivia Nicol is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Her work concentrates on the attribution of responsibility in long and complex causal chains. She focuses on the recent financial crisis in the United States (2007 – 2010). She is not interested in knowing who was responsible for the crisis, but how responsibility was constructed through a blame game. She examines media excerpts drawn from three main newspapers (The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today) to analyze the games of accusations and counter-accusations for the crisis.
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text: Corporal HicksJan 31, 2016, 03:47:35 PM Topic on: Jan 31, 2016, 03:47:35 PM Just in time for a lazy Sunday evening or your Monday morning drive to work, we have uploaded the 32nd episode of the AvPGalaxy Podcast. We mentioned in our last episode that the first episode for 2016 would be devoted to the earlier Prometheus script, Alien: Engineers.However, I decided to do something a little different for this episode and possibly something that makes you rethink your opinions of us! Things we enjoy but most other people seem to dislike.Amongst the things we discuss in this episode is the comic Aliens vs. Predator: Three World War. This picture is one of Raymond Swanland's cover for the series.RidgeTop and I are joined by community guest Shevvie as we discuss 2 things that we all enjoy but seems to be disliked amongst the community. RidgeTop talks about the Alien vs. Predator films, Shevvie brings up Aliens: Colonial Marines and Alien 3 while I discuss Aliens vs. Predator: Three World War and Predators.Shevvie mentions in the episode that the Aliens: Colonial Marines is available to download online. You can find the entire soundtrack on Kevin Riepl's website.We'd love to hear from you guys and girls. Do you agree with us? Are there other things out there that you love but that fondest just doesn't seem to be shared? Please let us know down below. If you'd like to listen to any of our previous episodes you can find them all in the Podcast section.Link To Post


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Our students have been busy this year!
This was a big milestone for room 106! The class celebrated with lots of special "100" themed activities: working as a team to build a tower out of 100 cups, stringing necklaces of 100 Cheerios or Fruit Loops, making a special "100 days smarter!" crown to wear, making 100 fingerprints in paint, taking 100 steps from the classroom door and photographing where in the school they were, and making a personalized snack bag with 100 tiny items from a special snack buffet.
Here's looking ahead to the fun activities for each week! You can see the planned activities for readers' workshop, writers' workshop, math, and special events, too. You can also find current wish lists for the classroom.
It's almost time to meet for conference time again! Please sign up for a conference time slot by email Savanna or accessing the Google Doc emailed to parents. Click the title to see the list of available times to meet with your child and Savanna.
The students had a great time decorating and chasing gingerbread boys and girls all over the school.
The students created a monster from paper scraps, then used their artwork to inspire a story for Writer's Workshop.
The students were encouraged to imagine their own quiet places, then draw them with pencil and paint them with watercolors.
The students tried their hands at drawing themselves
Students drew pictures of their families to hang in the classroom. See the slideshow...
We are writers! Each student is learning to tell a story, by first drawing a picture of the thought they want to convey, then writing words that describe that picture underneath it. With help, the students "stretch out" a word by sounding it out slowly, then using their brave spelling to put those sounds down on the paper.
4237 Colfax Ave S., Minneapolis, MN 55409
Telephone: 612.668.3580 | Fax:612.668.3590
School Hours: 8:40 a.m.-3:10 p.m.
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.


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How ILya Muromets Your Mother Russia: WW1 Flight Sim
The IL-2 Sturmovik series is one of those rare sims which stretched beyond its nerdy remit to attract an audience of people who'd never normally clamber into a virtual cockpit. Now developers 1C Game Studios are teaming with the Russian Military Historical Society to produce ILya Muromets, a new flight sim set during World War 1. It's set during the Eastern Front air war and named after the first airliner, and one of the first large bombers in aerial warfare. There's the first set of screenshots below.
The ILya Muromets website is a basic holding page at this point, but there are more screenshots available through on the game's forum and a post outlining the game's goals. Mainly, that they've recreated a 22,500 square kilometer stretch of land, and the game's campaign will be feature ten missions about reconnaissance, artillery spotting and package delivery.
Ilya Muromets is due for release before the end of the year, with Early Access to launch on August 1st.
(Photo by Carmem A. Busko)


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This morning, President Obama issued an Executive Order authorizing the blocking of property and imposition of visa bans on persons threatening stability in Ukraine. Initially, the U.S. will likely target for sanctions only certain current or former Ukrainian government officials, including ousted Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, and former prime minister Mykola Azarov. (Such individuals will likely be identified as SDNs by OFAC. This U.S. action appears to mirror action taken by the European Union.
At this point, the U.S. sanctions are limited. Given geopolitical considerations, it is unlikely the United States will impose broad sanctions on Russia or Russian entities. However, as we have seen in other crises, events can move swiftly and companies doing business in Ukraine (and perhaps Russia as well) should at least be considering their worst-case-scenario contingency plans.
The Executive Order issued today puts in place legal authority for the U.S. government to take action against persons responsible for asserting authority over regions of Ukraine without authorization of the Government of Ukraine. In particular, it requires U.S. persons (principally, U.S. banks) to seize the property of persons designated under the Executive Order, as well as imposing a visa ban. Persons may be designated under the Executive Order for their involvement in:
According to press reports, the visa ban is already in effect. The "blocking" of assets will not officially take effect until OFAC designates individuals or entities as SDNs under the Executive Order.
OFAC is likely to designate certain former and current Ukrainian officials immediately. We foresee the U.S. targeting individuals and groups in Crimea that are pushing for Crimean independence, and perhaps Ukrainian entities and major industrial entities in Crimea tied to such groups or the Russian government. We believe that the Obama administration will try to act in concert with the European Union and other allies, as multilateral sanctions have proven far more effective than unilateral U.S. action. However, as with Iran, the U.S. Congress may take an activist role. The House Foreign Affairs Committee scheduled hearings on the Ukraine crisis for today.
Although the Executive Order is broad enough to authorize sanctions against Russian officials, sanctions against Russian senior officials or against Russia are highly unlikely at this stage. However, such sanctions would become more likely if the situation in Ukraine escalated into armed conflict involving Russian forces. In addition, if the United States were to sanction Russia, Russian officials, or Russian entities, there would likely be similar retaliatory sanctions imposed by Russia on U.S. officials or U.S. entities.
For companies with business operations in Ukraine, there is not only the risk of targeted sanctions against certain individuals entities, but more important, the effect of unrest or political instability on a company's businesses and risk to individual employees in-country. While each company's operations and exposure is different, it is not too early to start thinking about contingencies. Some preliminary steps to consider:
While this alert is current as of today's date, the situation in Ukraine (and the U.S. response) has the potential to change very rapidly. As a result, companies with affected business operations are well advised to monitor events closely.
Please note that email communications to the firm through this website do not create an attorney-client relationship between you and the firm. Do not send any privileged or confidential information to the firm through this website. Click "accept" below to confirm that you have read and understand this notice.


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One of the most annoying things that I keep encountering on the web is the call for more heroines in comics and the films based on them. I understand that comic books are not everyone's forte – before saving a few from the trash, I had been drifting away from them myself.
But if the actors and actresses who play these characters onscreen have to read the comics to prepare for their parts, I wish at least some of the people who review the films and TV shows they make would do an Internet search about the material, too. If they did this, it would go a long way to improving the dialogue swirling around newly released films and shows.
This is one of the reasons why I started Thoughts on the Edge of Forever, readers. I could not stand running across article after article on the 'Net that either misunderstood something in a Marvel film or which was toeing the "comics need more heroines" line. The overwhelming ignorance/laziness/political agendas of these writers drove me up the walls, and I had to get my two cents out there or burst.
I do not know how good a job I have been doing. All I can say is that I tried my best, first to tell everyone the truth, then to stop the destruction of an entertainment medium I have come to enjoy. Whether or not that has made a difference anywhere is not for me to know.
However, you came here to learn more about under-used Marvel heroines, not to hear me complain! 😉 Today I am listing some Marvel heroines no one talks about in large media circles – even with the debut of the bizarre, dark New Mutants movie and other ongoing projects. While Sue Richards was discussed for some time by the media, since the Fantastic Four movies finished she has sort of been forgotten. Given the fact that she was the first heroine in the Marvel universe, I think she deserves a mention, which is why she is on this list.
Anyway, readers, I hope this two part directory is helpful to you. Marvel has many, many more heroines on its Rolodex. They cannot all fit in a film, which is why we do not see too many of them on the silver screen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But they do exist. If you want to know more about them, Google some of the ladies below and see where the links to their friends and acquaintances take you. You might be surprised and excited by what you find.
Mirage/Danielle Moonstar: Danielle Moonstar was introduced in the 1980s as a member of the New Mutants. The New Mutants were a team of mutant tweens and teens being taught regular academics at the X-Mansion, where the X-Men live. In addition, they were trained in the use of their powers, landing them in battles with the baddies from time to time.
A Cheyenne Indian, Dani is an empath with quasi-telepathy. She can scan the minds of those around her and use this scan to project a 3-D image of these people's worst fears or greatest desires.This is where her codename, Mirage, comes from. She can also use this power to communicate with most any animal on the planet, and I know of one off-world creature she can "speak" to by this method as well. This power allows her to live in the woods undistrubed by wild animals and grants her a Jedi-like "danger sense" as well.
When her powers first manifested, Dani could only project images of people's or animals' worst fears. Not knowing how to turn her ability on and off, she ended up alienated from everyone she knew. This was made worse when her parents disappeared, leaving her in the care of neighbors who didn't like her. Eventually, she ran away to live with her grandfather, who was later killed by a member of the villainous Hellfire Club. It was not a great way to grow up.
Life at the X-Mansion was not exactly a piece of cake for her, either, in the beginning. Gradually, Dani learned to control her power and use it to generate images of a person – or an animal's – greatest desire, not just their worst fear. She also went on to make a lifelong friend in a fellow New Mutant from Scotland, one Wolfsbane/Rahne Sinclair. (Rahne rhymes with "rain," just so you know. ;)) Rahne's mutant power allowed her to morph into a wolf, or to stop halfway between human and wolf, making her look like a werewolf. Because of her ability to "speak" to animals, Dani could talk to Rahne while the other girl was in either of her alternate forms.
It was painful for her to do this at first. Since Rahne is human, her mind is not like an animal's, which meant that Dani's power did not work with her as it did with beasts. After a while, though, "speaking" to Wolfsbane like this stopped being painful, and the two women have been close friends ever since.
Dani is also a Valkyrie. Yes, I do mean Valkyrie, like the one Tessa Thompson plays in Thor: Ragnarok. The only difference is that Dani, while a member of the Valkyrior, is still mortal. And, yes, she's an American Indian.
Mirage became a Valkyrie after finding one of their winged horses out in the woods. This horse, Brightwind, was more intelligent than any other animal she had met to date, though he is still not a rational creature. Not long after finding him, Dani was surrounded by mounted Valkyries out looking for Brightwind. Learning that she could see both them and the horse, they asked her if she wanted to join their ranks. She said yes.
Because she is a Valkyrie, Dani can tell when someone is in danger of death. The person is surrounded by a "deathglow" only she (and other Valkyries) can see. This "deathglow" signals a person's imminent demise, but it does not mean the person will die. Besides being able to see the threat of impending death, as a Valkyrie Dani has the power to tell Death or death deities – like Asgard's death goddess, Hela – to buzz off. She can literally defend a person from death, though this does not grant whomever she is protecting immortality. It just means their death date gets moved forward to an unspecified time. Still, this is a pretty cool power to have, don't you think?
On top of this, Dani is a very athletic woman. She is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and the use of various weapons such as spears, swords, and knives. She is also an excellent archer; she once won some arrows from Hawkeye in a shooting contest. Dani can use a rifle really well, too. She is a good swimmer and horsewoman, a talent she had before she met Brightwind. Danielle Moonstar is one tough cookie, readers – and even with the post-2015 comics, the writers don't give her nearly enough credit these days.
Misty Knight: Anyone who has seen Netflix's Luke Cage, Iron Fist, or Defenders series probably knows something about Misty Knight. Admittedly, I am not an expert on her. What I do know is that Misty is a normal human detective from New York. She was room mates with Jean Grey in college, too.
So in the comics, she came to the aid of the X-Men on occasion, and she did/does work with Heroes for Hire pretty often. Considering Daniel Rand/Iron Fist is her boyfriend, this is not much of a surprise. At some point, I believe she also ran a private detective agency with her friend, Colleen Wing.
While working for the police, Misty lost her right arm. It was replaced with a prosthetic created by Stark Industries, and it hides a number of tricks in it that vary from comic to comic. I think it can cloak itself to look like a flesh and blood arm, too. With this arm, Misty is a lot stronger when she uses that "hand," but only so long as whatever she's lifting is not extremely heavy. The arm itself is stronger than she is, so she has to be careful about what she decides to pick up, or whatever it is could squash her. Or break her back. Or have some other unpleasant result that will lay her out flat on the floor.
Throwing and punching with this arm – well, there's a little more leeway in that regard, I think. At the very least, I would recommend not offending her to the point that she decides to hit you with her mechanical hand.
In addition to her prosthetic arm, Misty is well trained in the use of firearms, making her a good to excellent markswoman. I believe she also knows some martial arts; I could be wrong but her romantic tie to Iron Fist may have been what led to her training in this area.
Despite her line of work, my impression from the one "encounter" I had with Misty Knight in the comics was that she was a generally positive and friendly character. I do not know if any of that makes it into the Netflix shows or if it has been beaten out of her in the comics. All I can say is that it is a shame if she has lost this balance between work and her own personality over the years. I also think it sad that she sided with Tony Stark in the first Civil War event in Marvel Comics, while Iron Fist sided with Cap. Ouch, that is totally not fair, Marvel writers.
Firestar/Angelica Jones: Among my favorite TV shows growing up were reruns of the 1980s Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. This series focused on Peter Parker/Spider-Man (naturally), Bobby Drake/Iceman, and Angelica Jones/Firestar. They fought as a team against villains like Magneto, Swarm, the Green Goblin, Red Skull, and several other bad guys every Saturday. I absolutely loved that series.
So it was a surprise when I learned, years later, that Firestar was not original to the Marvel Comics universe(s). As it turns out, she had been created specifically for this TV series and had never graced any page in the books. Luckily, she was so well-received that Marvel decided to add her to the comics in the '90s.
In Amazing Friends, Angelica was introduced as a mutant whose powers manifested at an early age. She could generate heat and, later on, blasts of fire from her body, specifically her hands. Eventually, she learned to use her power to fly as well. Due to her mutant power and the fact that her father, who was raising her alone, had little money, Angelica was an outcast among the neighborhood children during her youth.
But this persecution did not get her too down in the mouth. She had her father, who accepted her strange power, and she experimented with her abilities in order to get them under her control. In the '90s comics, she joined the Avengers as a teenager alongside a fellow mutant who used the moniker Justice. Justice was a nice boy with telekinetic powers. He was greener than grass and gung-ho, while Angelica was a little more nervous and reticent.
A good illustration of her character in the comics came when she put on a costume designed for her by Janet Van Dyne/Wasp. The suit resembled the one she wore in Amazing Friends except that it had a deep V down the front, and no face mask. Angelica felt the V in her suit was highly inappropriate, a sentiment Justice did not exactly share. "Fine!" she retorted when he would not stop goggling at her reflection in the mirror. "If you like it so much, you wear it! I'll wear yours!"
Her sense of modesty eventually won out, and Firestar's comic book costume came to resemble the one she wore in Amazing Friends, complete with the red mask over her eyes. Unfortunately, the writers have let Angelica fade into the background in both the comics and the cartoons since the mid 2000s. As a fan of this character, I think the writers' decision to relegate her to limbo is a mistake. She is an underutilized heroine whom I wish the show writers would bring back – pronto.
She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters: I do not know if Jennifer Walters qualifies as an under-used heroine, readers. I believe she is actually rather popular – though you would not know it, since she has not appeared on television since the end of the Hulk-focused TV series Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. If anything, she deserves a mention for being ignored on the small screen following the cancellation of that show.
The cousin of Bruce Banner, Jennifer Walters was a tomboy who was outgoing and loved sports. She would stand up to the bullies who pushed Bruce around and tried to do the same to her. It is no wonder, therefore, that she grew up to become a lawyer.
Back in the days when Banner was still a hunted fugitive, he dropped by to visit Jennifer for something/some reason. This was actually fortuitous because Jen's latest court case almost got her killed. She landed up in the hospital after an assassination attempt, and the only way to save her life was with a blood transfusion. As a near relative, Bruce's blood was a perfect match to hers. So Bruce threw caution to the wind and gave Jen his blood secretly.
At first it did not seem to work. Then the bad guys came to finish the job and Jennifer, angered and frightened by their appearance, Hulked out. Unlike her cousin, she kept her mind and remained able to speak coherently when she did this. She knocked the hit men over and went on to win her case in court.
It was not long after this that she entered the superhero gig, of course, keeping a hand in the legal world at the same time. Much more level-headed and calm than her cousin, Jennifer usually has more control of herself when she becomes the She-Hulk. This meant she could transform at will from the get-go, not to mention speak in complete sentences and "smash" things thoughtfully right from the start. Her new power also brought out her zest for life and fun, meaning she laughed a lot when she got into a fight.
Jen's biggest weakness is the fact that her ability to keep her head when she changes means she is nowhere near as powerful as her cousin, the Hulk. Even whipped into a deadly frenzy of rage, one of her other vulnerabilities, she cannot match him in power. That does not mean she cannot kill people in a fury nor do massive amounts of damage to everything around her. It just means that, in a cage match with Big Green, the Hulk would still win the fight.
Her other disadvantage is her susceptibility to mind control. Though not easily defeated in this arena, like Carol Danvers is, Jennifer has a history of being unable to withstand mental assaults/control for extended periods of time. It may be one of the reasons why she has never been on my short list of favorites; she's okay, but I do not typically get excited when she appears on screen or in the comics.
Stan Lee is fond of her, though, and has compared her to DC's Wonder Woman. I do not see the likeness, but that is probably because Jen has never been able to truly impress me. However, I will not take issue with Stan "The Man" Lee on this one. If he thinks She-Hulk is Marvel's equivalent to Wonder Woman, then she is Marvel's answer to Diana – end of debate.
The Invisible Woman/Susan Storm Richards: As I said above, Sue was the first Marvel heroine ever. Part of the "founding family" of Marvel Comics, Susan Storm and her younger brother Johnny were members of a space mission gone wrong. Little did they know that the accident during their flight would put them on the path to becoming that famed and fabulous superhero team, the Fantastic Four.
Sue is a great super heroine. She's one of the few heroines in the Marvel universe(s) who has managed to have and raise children, not to mention be a homemaker, while remaining an active duty super heroine. Jessica Jones Cage has come close to this success, but since the writers lost their minds in 2015 I do not know precisely what has happened to her.
Sue has been wife, homemaker, and mother while maintaining her super heroine career for a good part of Marvel's history. She's made dinner for the FF and put her children to bed after dealing with alien invasions and villainous plots morning, noon, and night. If that does not impress you, readers, I guess nothing will.
One of the most powerful super heroines in Marvel Comics, Sue can bend light to become invisible to the naked eye, and she can create telekinetic shields around herself, her family/friends, or inanimate objects. She can use this same telekinetic power to lift or hold up things. If whatever she is trying to hold up or move is heavy, though, it taxes her strength a fair bit. In this same manner she can "fly" by forming a telekinetic "plate" under her feet and moving it – and therefore herself – through the air.
Sue and Reed Richards
Her power to shield things or people extends to physical attack and energy based threats, too. For instance, if Reed Richards, her husband, ever needs to reach down a long nuclear shaft to hit the off switch for the device, she can shield his arm the whole way to the console, thereby preventing the radiation from harming him. Sue is typically mild-mannered and polite, but you threaten her or her family at your own risk, readers. When the villains make Sue angry, they get hurt – bad.
Faithful to her husband through thick and thin, Sue has been the peacemaker in her super family for years now. Well respected by the superhero community, people listen when she speaks or brings a warning, as outlandish as it might seem at first glance. She's also a great mom to her children, Franklin and Valerie (a recent addition to the family). All of this makes Sue Richards a forgotten Marvel heroine who needs waaaay more time on stage than she has been getting of late.
Princess Ravonna: I do not know nearly enough about Princess Ravonna's history in the comics. I only "met" her in the original comics in my Marvel Masterworks # 3 volume and, briefly, in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. She was feisty and fierce in the comics, refusing Kang's advances from the beginning. That was not hard to do, considering he is the galaxy's conqueror in her time (the thirtieth century). The only reason he did not take hers and her father's kingdom earlier is he fell in love with Ravonna on sight.
Well, after conquering her kingdom anyway, Kang ended up freeing her to save his own empire. One of his lieutenants turned traitor, and Kang needed the help of Ravonna's people to stop him. He couldn't get that help without freeing her, which he would have done anyway because he really, truly was in love with her. Ravonna nearly died (or maybe she did die?) to protect Kang from said traitor's bullet at the end of that adventure.
In contrast, we only see her walking and talking once in Earth's Mightiest Heroes. And here, she was already married to Kang. I do not want to spoil the series, but what happened to Ravonna led Kang to start giving the Avengers trouble in that show. It is a pity the writers have not brought her in to Avengers Assemble. I would like to see some of what she was before she fell for Kang. Maybe he would be less trouble for the team, too, if he fell in love with and married her.
Yeah. Sure.
Songbird/Melissa Gold: While Songbird got to appear several times in Avengers Assemble's third season, the fact is the writers did not allow her nearly enough time there. They also did not bring her back for season four, which has me seriously miffed. I have also totally lost track of Songbird in the mess that is the post-2015 Secret Wars comics, so I think she will fit in my under-used heroines' post rather nicely.
Melissa Gold grew up with an abusive mother. When she was a teenager, she ran away from home and got involved in an illegal women's wrestling ring made up of supervillain girls like Titania. After a stint with this group, known as the Femizons, I believe, she joined up with a bunch of thieves who had been bionically augmented. Her augmentations were in her throat and vocal chords, which is why she took the codename Screaming Mimi, a play on the phrase and her childhood nickname. These enhancements allowed her to generate a high-pitched, earth-shattering, earsplitting scream. When she cut loose, it would be like having a jet engine passing you at five feet of distance – without ear protection.
Melissa as Screaming Mimi
Using these enhancements, Melissa could also achieve a variety of effects against opponents by screaming a different note on the music scale. She could induce dizziness, vertigo, panic attacks, nausea, euphoria, stupor, and even blindness in her opponents by hitting different notes. Rapid oscillation between notes allowed her to combine these effects on a target. Naturally, she was immune to the results of her own power, meaning she never had to worry about being blinded or queasy when she screamed.
Her boyfriend in the gang, Angar the Screamer, had similar implants, and so they were able to combine their powers in battle. But he eventually died when one of the band's heists went wrong. When he died Melissa went into a hysterical fit and screamed her lungs out at the sky – for 43 minutes. This not only burned out her enhancements, it actually liquefied the plant life around her. Her burst of insane screaming formed a large blast crater as well, with her at its center.
She was sent to prison after this, of course, and remained there for some time. Then the Avengers – and most of Marvel's other heroes – got zapped to another dimension after defeating an über villain known as Onslaught. (Long story, very complicated, I don't have all the details, and I find that whole event more than a little stupid.) After this, Baron Zemo broke Melissa and a bunch of other villains out of prison. With most of the hero population in Marvel Comics gone, Zemo figured the time was right to take over the world.
Interestingly, he decided he wanted to be subtle about it rather than glaringly obvious. He outfitted himself, Melissa, and the other villains in his crew with new identities, forming a "superhero" team known as the Thunderbolts. The idea was that they would fill the public's need for heroes and, when everyone least expected it, take over the world. Melissa's new codename was Songbird, and she was given new technological implants that allowed her screams to manifest as "solid sound," which she could shape using her will.
But Zemo did not count on the public adulation his new team received going to their heads and hearts. He also did not think the Avengers or any of the other heroes would return. So he got a doubly unpleasant surprise when the heroes came back from the alternate dimension at about the same time his team of supervillains decided to become real superheroes.
Hawkeye was the catalyst, saying that if the Thunderbolts really liked being heroes, they should make the change right there and then. He eventually had to go to prison to buy their pardons from the government because the Thunderbolts were all still, legally, criminals. After this, most of the Thunderbolts went back to being villains. Clint was apparently the only thing holding them back from their prior evil habits. Without his guidance the Thunderbolts fell apart, to be reformed later on by others trying to make villains into heroes. (It hasn't worked out nearly so well for them as it did for him to date, from what I have heard.)
Songbird was the only original Thunderbolt to make the transition to heroine and stick with it, no matter the personal price. Due to her time in the wrestling ring, she is a good hand-to-hand combatant and wrestler, and she has been physically enhanced so that she is stronger than a normal woman of her height, weight, and build. Her ability to make constructs out of "solid sound" and to fly means she is a tough opponent in a fight. If you want a demonstration, readers, check out the episodes where she appears in Avengers Assemble's third season. They presented her well in that series.
Even so I really, really, really wish they would make her a member of the team permanently. Songbird is a great heroine, and she does not get enough time in the limelight today.That is why she qualifies as an under-used heroine and is on this list, readers.
Mary Jane Watson: Yeah, I know, she is not a super heroine. But MJ is still a cool girl, and she has had a huge impact on Spider-Man/Peter Parker's life. It is too bad, to me, that the writers split them up. I liked having them married, and I liked the MC2 idea of them settling down to have a family together.
The Spider/Parker Family
Funny thing, I also did not mind MJ's interest in being a fashion model. I was rather put out by the writers for Ultimate Spider-Man making her a wannabe reporter, instead of giving Spidey a photography position at the Daily Bugle, a job which he had always held in the past. While I am in no way, shape, or form a fan of fashion models or modeling in general, shoehorning MJ into Parker's act for Ultimate Spider-Man just bugged me (pun intended).
If they wanted to ditch Mary Jane's desire for a career as a model, I think the writers could still have kept her character intact by making her an artist, a designer, or something of that ilk. Mary Jane was tough and fierce, but she was also creative, and I missed that about her in Ultimate Spider-Man. A lot. That's part of the reason why I never wrote any articles about the show here. All I would have done was whine about it. I do enough growling already with Assemble and the comics, so I figured you did not need to hear more of it, readers.
Anyway, this is why Mary Jane Watson makes my under-used super heroine list. She does not have super powers, but she does have a tremendous heart and a quick mind. That is all any woman really needs to be powerful, readers.
Well, I think this will do for the first half of my Under-Used Marvel Heroines' list. I will take a break here and finish up tomorrow. Stay tuned to learn about more amazing Marvel heroines, everybody! You do not want to miss who comes next!


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Whole product
In marketing, a whole product is a generic product (or core product) augmented by everything that is needed for the customer to have a compelling reason to buy.[1] The core product is the tangible product that the customer experiences. The whole product typically augments the core product with additional elements required for the product to have compelling value to a customer. For example, if a personal computer is the core product, then whole product would include software applications, training classes, peripheral devices (mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.), and internet service. Without these additional product components, the core product would not be very useful.
The concept of the whole product was first introduced by Regis McKenna.[2] Geoffrey Moore helped popularize the term in his bestseller "Crossing the Chasm".
See also[edit]
- ^ "Whole Product Definition". Silicon Strategies Marketing.
- ^ McKenna, Regis. "The Regis Touch". Addison Wesley. 1985
|This business-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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"watching nonprogrammers trying to run software companies is like watching someone who doesn't know how to surf trying to surf"
I read that, and i'm like THANK YOU
LOL!! joel refers to the 1984 mac commercial on page 32. He starts to point at how the whole MAC thing.. macusers have a distinct groovy personality from pc users. or something.


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Hello, My Gnomies!
We are on the eve of a new operating system! It's very exciting for me, but I don't get out much.
Yes, I've already reviewed Windows 10 for you for free (what I like and what I don't like, and some people have seen fit to disagree with what I do and do not like - even though that's a lot like saying you disagree with me for having chicken sausage at dinner because you don't like chicken sausage even though you weren't the person who ate it).
But, hey... it's not like I'm charging you every year for a full version of solitaire, right? Or, better yet, it's not like I'm complaining about getting charged for a full version of solitaire even though the operating system update was free, right?
I'm not looking forward to upgrading to Windows 10 because I already have. No, instead, I'm looking forward to updating all of my iOS devices to iOS 9.1 soon. Not iOS 9.0, mind you - iOS 9.1. If only for a single emoji.
I'll let you guess which iOS 9.1 emoji I'm most looking forward to (and who I'm most looking forward to using it on).
Chris "I Didn't Listen to You, But You're Wrong" Pirillo
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You can get Pac-Man for .25c (instead of $6.99) in http://featu.re/PIRILLO right now. Or "Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit" for .50c instead of $4.99.
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Today's Geek Vlog: Kinda Going Back to School
Windows 10: 7 Things I Like
Windows 10 Review: 7 Things I Don't Like
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Ummm, my favorite part of the day is when I colored on the table.
I touch things with my yucky hands.
I spill milk on my sister's bed.
Listen to your Mom and Dad and listen to policemans or else they're gonna put you in jail and don't get cavities.
This story was written by three-year-old Chase Sciacchitano. He told his mother that he will win and she will not. (Mommy hasn't submitted yet. She's not sure she can compete!)


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Practical Solutions to Over 100 Common Childhood Behavior Problems
by Barbara C. Unell
by Jerry Wyckoff
Genre: Nonfiction / Family & Relationships / Parenting
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A decade or so ago, a hurricane buffeted my marriage.
Storms of anger and hurt blew through, the kinds that hit every marriage and shakes its foundations, but I didn't know that at the time. I didn't know there was an "after," and my marriage dangled by a tenuous thread, swaying with leftover ill winds.
And, so we each made a list.
Why we loved the other.
I don't know whether one of us had seen the idea in a magazine, or why we decided to do it. It was a long time ago. We were tentatively making our way back to each other.
The list was not easy for me. Top of mind were all the reasons my husband was unloveable. That would have been an easy list. But, to play fair, I thought hard. And then, they came to me. Slowly at first, and then more quickly. The reasons that drew me to him in the first place; the reasons I would stay.
Years have gone by.
And the other day, I found the list and read it again. The person who wrote that list seems alien. My list may have said more about me than about my husband. I would have a hard time re-creating such a list today.
Not because I don't love my husband. I do. But the love has gotten so vast and so deep that it is almost diffused. The forest is so vast and deep, I've lost sight of the individual trees. Not loving my husband would be like not breathing. I don't think about it; it just is. The individual characteristics and quirks that stood out all those years ago have merged into one: the beloved.
Still, it was fun to read the list again. It was fun to see my husband as "other" again. Because the reasons are still valid. I would, and I do, all over again.
Happy Valentine's Day. I wish everyone love, no matter who it is you love. The kind of love that can rock you like a hurricane. The kind of love that makes you lose yourself, and the kind of love that helps you find yourself.


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It was a sad goodbye to the Seminary but also a celebration of thanksgiving for 18 years of support from St John's and its numerous students and staff. Mgr Jeremy Garratt, the Rector of St John's thanked the Bishop and everybody for attending, and emphasised the importance for the Seminary in supporting Justice and Peace over these 18 years.
In his homily Bishop Kieran reminded us that the mysteries we celebrate in Mass have to be enfleshed in the world and the work of Justice and Peace in the Diocese was one way in which this was made visible.
David Thomson, the new Justice and Peace Adviser for the Diocese is slowly finding his feet and looks forward to take the mission of the Church forward in this area over the coming months and years. He can be contacted on 01293 651155 or email@example.com and would love to hear from people in the diocese about Justice and Peace issues.
(The picture shows from left to right - David Thomson, Mgr Jeremy Garratt, Bishop Kieran Conry and Kevin Burr)
Jesus said "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me." (Luke 9:23)


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It's pretty funny watching Frank Waldhaus trying to say things to me at a school wrestling match. He should probably speak loudly in front of the other spectators about pulling out in front of a school bus while children are being loaded and unloaded. So irresponsible and childish.
Or maybe he can say something about his crackhead shoplifting suicidal granddaughter.
Those are things he can shout out loudly.


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A 'Talking' Doctor – psychologist on Brisbane's North at Zillmere
Recently I needed to get some advice and help for my youngest and I wasn't quite sure where to start. As usual I started with Google 🙂 … here is where I ended up contacting.
Sometimes people may think that their problems are too small to need professional help but often if problems are left to continue they may become more serious and can take longer to overcome. The pressure of our daily life can often lead to feelings of emotional distress and in recent years there are more people suffering from psychological distress and symptoms than in the past.
No matter how big or complicated you feel your troubles have become, Margaret McDonald Clinical Psychologist Brisbane North, can help you overcome your struggles in a practical and caring way. While there may be no immediate "cure" to your problems Margaret can help you work towards improving your situation. With over 30 years' experience, you can be sure that you are in safe hands. Margaret McDonald strives to help you change your life by providing you with the necessary skills to empower you to move forward in your life.
Margaret adopts a practical and solution focused approach to your problems as well as providing you with information to read between sessions. This can provide a faster resolution of your worries.


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Instead of my usual Feature Friday post, I thought it would be a better idea to remind you all that September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. It's as important in the month of September as it is in the next month and the month after that one that every woman is screened regularly for all types of female cancers, including Ovarian Cancer.
A personal note from Daisy Prescott!
"As you may or may not know, September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Ovarian cancer, like all cancers, sucks. It especially sucks because I lost a friend to the disease last October. ALE, as she is known to many, was the inspiration for Lizzy in Geoducks. And like Lizzy, she died way too young from fucking cancer. Readers may remember Lizzy as the friend who died five years before Geoducks takes place. She makes a few cameos in the book, including being the brunt of a Kevin Costner corpse joke that ties in with The Big Chill.
I'm rambling.
In honor of ALE and Lizzy, and the numerous other women in this country to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I'm donating 50% of my royalties in September to Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. Both ebook and paperback.
Let's pretend it's September 1st and I'm starting this campaign on time...
Buy the book, gift the book. Let's raise some money for ovarian cancer research and kick cancer's ass."
Added bonus, Geoducks' ebooks will be on a flash sale this weekend for 99 cents!
If you don't have this book already, get it. You'll love it as much as I do and it's for a great cause, National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. If you already have a copy, that's fantastic! Leave her a review at Amazon or on Barnes and Noble and then gift a copy to a friend!
You can buy Daisy Prescott's book, Geoducks Are For Lovers at
Click below for more information about National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month or the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
**Cross posted with Night Reads**


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I currently owned iPad 3 64gigs and I've repaired the cracked screen twice. So, if you want to know broken iPad screen repair cost in Nigeria, you are on the right page.
I spent N7,000 to fix the broken iPad screen at Enugu and Benue state i.e I've spent N14,000 so far in replacing my iPad screen. If you can fix it yourself, you can buy the iPad 3 screen around N5,000 – N6,000 depending on your location.
Ensure the screen is well glued to the iPad, if not, it will frustrate you and might get cracked again soonest. Also ensure you don't buy iPad 2 screen for iPad 3.
Be guided!
Kindly note that mine was cracked, not totally shattered!
1 Comment
Please, where can I get iPad 4screem or where can I fix it? How much do you think it would cost to replace a broken screen of iPad 4?
I broke a friend's iPad screen and he demands that I replace it, but I'm scared cos I don't know how much that would cost and if I can get someone to fix it without trouble, cos Nigerians can just be so untrustworthy when they have to help you do what you don't know about.
Thank you so much for your time.
I look forward to your response.


text: C.T. Knight F.J. Margraf 2002 Annual sampling in locks with rotenone has been a principal means of assessing fish populations in the commercially navigable portions of the Ohio River. Despite extensive use, sampling in locks with rotenone and interpretation of the data obtained have not been adequately evaluated. The purpose of our study was to determine the degree of inter- and intraseasonal variation in lock samples, estimate correction factors (CFs) for fish recovery rates, and compare lock samples to other fish collections from the navigational pools above and below the lock. Lock samples from all seasons had a greater proportion of pelagic and demersal fish than samples from the navigational pools, which contained greater proportions of littoral species. CF for non-recovery of fish were determined. Spring and summer lock collections yielded several more species and estimates of overall fish biomass were an order of magnitude higher than fall collections. Within season variation between lock samples was relatively low; however, variation in lock samples among seasons was high, equivalent to that seen among the annual samples from the 1980s. Thus, single-season sampling may not be adequate, and fall may be the least preferred season. application/pdf 10.1016/S0165-7836(01)00298-3 en Evaluation of fish sampling using rotenone in a navigation lock article


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It's funny how two seconds of animation about a 9-year-old plot point can be so emotional, but I guess that's just Firefly's MO at this point. Excellent work, Stephen Byrne!
We've featured Byrne's work on io9 before, but this tease for an 'Animated Adventures of Firefly' he's working on is enough to have us all verklempt and nostalgic before we've seen any more of it outside of the gif above. Goddamit, Hoban Washburne. We shouldn't still be feeling this 9 years after Serenity!
The animation itself is lovely, but just as intriguing is the whole process behind it - here's a video from Byrne that shows all the work that goes into just 2 seconds of animation:
You're reading Toybox, io9's new blog for all things pop culture. From merchandise to awesome fan creations, TV recaps and critical commentary on the hot topics of the day, you can find it all here!


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Kitchen Renovations
Gibson – Kitchen Renovations
This 20year old Tutor home was in need of some updates, we started with the kitchen removing all the existing cabinets & flooring, then to the 1/2 bath, laundry & dining room.
You can see by the pictures the customer had great taste in selecting cherry cabinets with granite counter tops. The tile work both on the back splash & the diagonal pattern on the floor help bring this new kitchen together. We carried the tile flooring into the ½ bath & laundry while replacing the vanity & mirror. In the dining room we added crown molding, chair rail & beautiful new hardwood flooring. With this we added recess lights, in cabinet & under cabinet lighting to really brighten up the space. Then of course a custom paint job to bring everything together.
"Thanks again for all of your advice and assistance with our project. We are very pleased with the outcome! It was nice of both you and Eliisa to stop by with all the goodies – thank you for your thoughtfulness.
Good luck to you with future work."
-Cindy and David


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In 2012, Jeff Daniels lit the internet on fire with a jaw dropping opening scene to HBO TV Series, The Newsroom. If you haven't seen it, it's worth the 8 minutes. It was stunning enough that it was shown on the first day of my first political science class in college.
Daniels returns with a spoof on the scene, which is only two minutes. He succinctly highlights why this election shouldn't be called for Hillary already, like many of the major news stations are doing.
Read my thoughts on Trump, Clinton, and Party Identity here.


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Primanti Bros.
46 18th Street (btwn Smallman St & Penn Ave)
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Primanti Brothers sandwiches are as iconic as Pittsburgh food comes, and the caloric empire all began with a humble food stop slinging sandwiches to truckers in the 1930s. The must-order Almost Famous Sandwich has equally humble beginnings: when a food transporter feared his potatoes may have been ruined by the cold, he asked the kitchen to fry some up to test them. Customers quickly asked for the fried potatoes inside their sandwiches, and a tradition was born: the addition of a pile of french fries to sliced tomatoes, tart coleslaw and your choice of meat (from pastrami to roast beef) between thick slices of Italian bread. Come hungry, because these things are gigantic. And you want to leave room for the wings, cheese-drenched fries and beer, don't you? This flagship location, marked with an old-time neon sign, has been the deli's home since 1933, long before the brand expanded up and down the East Coast.


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When we think of the simple life, we often dream of living in a log cabin in the wilderness. This rustic beauty appeals to everyone who thinks about putting down roots, and wants to build a legacy for the generations that will follow. The log home has come to symbolize the spirit of our pioneering ancestors, whose resourcefulness, and sense of adventure led to the opening up of this vast continent we call home. This spirit of adventure and desire for permanence is still alive, in today's log home owners.
When the first settlers arrived in North America, they did not live in log cabins. Due to the lack of time and tools, most early homes were rude huts, tents, and covered pits. The early log homes with the saddle-notched ends and horizontal logs, were built by the German and Scandinavian settlers, about 1638. It was an ideal design for the new country, due to the necessity of clearing Virgin forests for cropland.
The abundance of felled trees provided building materials for homes, barns, and forts for protection from the elements. The only tool needed was an axe, and the design was so simple that a small group of men working together could erect a cabin in a single day.
The home style was easily adapted to the climatic conditions. In the northern areas, the spaces between the logs was filled with wattle – a mixture of clay and twigs, to stop the chilly winds. In the south were they welcomed a break from the summer heat, the space was left open to allow the breeze to blow through, cooling the home. When the design and construction of homes became more complex, people turned to other building methods and materials which required special tools and special craftsmen. The log home was soon relegated to hunting lodges and summer retreats.
With the use of power tools and new techniques, log home construction methods have changed. The design principles have remained the same but we are now able to make more complex styles and shapes, and new materials have allowed us to build a more energy efficient home that requires minimal upkeep and maintenance. The handmade cabins of the pioneers have evolved to the architect-designed pre-cut or "kit" log homes we have today.
Once considered the ideal material for vacation homes, log built houses have moved into the mainstream of North American housing. Most of the log homes being built today are primary residences. Today's log homes are sturdy shelters that blend with the natural surroundings. They are practical, adaptable and have a romantic appeal. The modern log home, however, has the advantage of technology. Tight construction and energy efficiency are hallmarks of today's log homes. Log homes today come in a variety of homestyles; A-frame, rambler, two-story, and ranch. The log home has moved into a new era of comfort, convenience and beauty. But it is still the American Dream.
Log homes aren't cabins anymore." says Rich Horn, technical advisor of the Log Home Council. "Engineering, technology and computer-aided design make log construction a legitimate housing style for today's families, what ever their residential setting or personal style." That is why 9 out of 10 log homes built today are primary residences and why increasing numbers of these homes are being built in outer-rim suburbs where people can escape the stresses of city life.
Log homes give you the beauty, warmth and character found only in solid wood. They also combine energy efficiency, ease of construction, low maintenance and duribility, not found with conventional housing. Add the benefits of back-to-the- basics construction with up-to-date building materials and you get modern, comfortable and attractive homes.
According to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, log homes are a better than average investment for home owners. The log homes seem to appreciate in value in just a short period of time. Resale and appreciation values of log homes exceeded those of conventional single family detached housing by more than 15 percent. Log homes appreciate rapidly with annual rates exceeding 20 percent. The average annual increase in housing values nationwide (for all housing) in recent years has been between 5 and 10 percent.
The high rate of appreciation also is explained, in part, because log home owners add improvements after moving in. More than 500 log home builders continent wide are producing upwards of 30,000 log homes a year – 90 percent of which are primary residences. The log home market continues to find emphasis shifting from first-time buyers to existing home owners moving to larger residences.
Factors that most influence the purchase of a log home – in order of preference – exterior appearance, high quality construction, interior appearance and saving money by helping with construction.
Don't settle for less than the perfect location for your new log home. Although many people purchase their land well in advance of buying a log home, there are some fundamental considerations in making your land selection.
Location is number one. It's important to find out how close the land is to work, schools, stores, health care and fire protection. It may be a prime location, but if it takes too long to get places you may not enjoy living there. Homes far from fire protection pay more for insurcance. Check with your county and municipal planning boards to see whether future growth of the area will be compatible with your lifestyle. Is your land valued properly in relation to its location? Study the terrain and get professional opinions if necessary. Does it have good drainage and is it safe from potential flooding? Will it accommodate the home you envision? Be sure to check for zoning, restictions, development or homeowners' associations codes. What about utilities? Does your land have access to natural gas? Electrical sources? Sewer hookups? A municiple water supply?
You may have limited choices on how to site your home on a small lot, but, on larger tracts you will have opportunity to use southern and northern exposures in the most energy-efficient manner. A log home can take any shape, but , the more you deviate from the basic rectangle, the more you'll pay for style over function.
Log homes appeal to home buyers who want to put down roots and build the home of their dreams. Building a log home also appeals to those who want to be involved with design and planning and perhaps even some of the actual construction. Generally, ther are three types of log home material packages that home buyers can choose – walls only, structural shells or complete packages.
Many packages include precut logs, labeled in order of use and delivered for assembly to the building site. Your package should contain the materials unique to log construction: galvanized spikes, specially designed windows and doors, special frame stock, gasket material, log rafters or log joists and other hardware.
When comparing prices and products among manufacturers, know what materials and services each package includes and make sure they are of comparable quality. Design, delivery, financing and field support are four services that should be carefully evaluated. Ask yourself these questions:
* Design: does the design blend imagination and respect for tradition? Does the design suit my lifestyle? Is the fee for design separate or included in the package?
* Delivery: are all materials shipped together? Or, are two or more shipments timed to coincide with the construction schedule? Am I prepared to handle any problems related to theft or weather damage?
* Field Support: Are representatives readily available if there are problems or questions? Are construction manuals thorough and easy to understand? Can the manufacturer supply a list of qualified contractors for site work, foundation, plumbing and other work?
* Financing: What does the dealer offer?
The information in this article has been compiled from information provided by the Log Home Council, the National Association of Home Builders, and years of experience of building and manufacturing log homes.


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Leading up to our annual Best of Dallas® issue, we're counting down the 50 most interesting restaurants in Dallas. These spots bring something unique or compelling to the city's dining scene, feeding both your appetite and soul.
Ethiopian has become one of my go-to meals in Dallas when I'm looking for cheap eats. The cuisine as a whole might give the most bang for your buck in terms of providing a filling meal and soothing your soul — this is comfort food of the highest order.
To get the most from Sheba, bring a friend and decide on one of the meat stews. Doro wat is a standard recommendation for those who are new to the cuisine, but the lamb dishes are excellent and approachable, too. If you're feeling adventurous and like your meat on the raw side of rare you might also try the kitfo. The minced meat is mixed with spiced butter and served wtih cheese and spices. Pinch a little kitfo with a piece of injera and grab a little green salad to add some brightness and crunch. It's a killer bite.
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Of course, there's a lot more to dive into, which is why you brought a friend. Add the veggie sampler to get a mix of savory stewed lentils and vegetables, and ask that everything be served together on the same plate. You'll end up with a traditional meal set up for sharing and eating with your hands.
When the weather is nice, a patio provides seating with a breeze. Inside, regulars watch sports on TV, chat and wait for the evening party to begin. On weekends close to midnight a DJ plays music until the place shuts down, and since you've got to work off those carbohydrates from all of that injera you just ate, you might as well stay and dance a while.
Your opinion matters! Be sure to weigh in on the Best Of Dallas Reader's Poll. Voting ends September 6.


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Of course you can. It's your project and it's important that you are totally satisfied. If you'd like to tweak the read or the delivery a bit we can certainly do that. If you need a retake because you've decided to alter the script than additional fees may apply.
May 9, 2009 Leave a Comment


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Contamination Fears Temporaily Close County Market
MEXICO - County Market in Mexico will remain closed for anywhere between two weeks and a month. That is due to an embargo the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Audrain County Health Department placed on the store.
The embargo prohibits the sale of food products, drugs and cosmetics.
This all stems from an original complaint made to the health department regarding possible asbestos in the tile. That complaint was made October 30. Since then, the department of natural resources did find a very small level of asbestos in the floor tile.
The embargo was made following concern that asbestos and other elements contained in debris from construction might contaminate food being sold at the store. According to the health department, asbestos has not yet been found in this debris. Therefore, the embargo is merely a precautionary measure.
Administrator for the health department, Kevin Lowrance, said this is a good reminder that every consumer needs to consider food hygiene and sanitation.
"If you have a can of coffee that you bought from any store let alone County Market at this time, what we're looking at is what people should do everyday is just wipe the dust off, if you have a can that's dirty just wipe it off," Lowrance said.
According to Gerry Attler with Niemann Foods Inc., the owner of County Market, any concern has been contained and is being taken care of. The company has submitted a plan to address the issue. This must still be approved by the department of health and senior services and the Audrain County Health Department.