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The colors of the harvest range from rust to brown to magenta, but the most prevalent shade of all is of brilliant, unabashed gold. From the grasslands to the mountains, the Gila wears a glowing mantle for Autumn. The leaves dance back down to the earth and the river sings the slow, hypnotic songs of coming cold. To paraphrase one of my favorite string bands (Elephant Revival): this is not just an ending, it is sweet mystery.
The flowers of Fall gather the last bright rays of light into us all as the shadows lengthen. We enter into the seasons of dreaming, Happy Equinox to you all!
A dear friend in the village gifted me with a basket full of fresh, sticky Calendula flowers from her garden. Half were tinctured and the other half were wilted over a period of 12 hours before being infused into a rich, golden oil for wounds. While I can't seem to convince the gophers to leave the ones my garden alone, hers did very well indeed.
People 'round here call this little plant Dogweed, Stinking Marigold or Pagué (Dyssodia spp.), I prefer the latter name. After all, it smells wonderfully lemony and doesn't stink at all in my not so humble opinion. It's closely related to the little yellow Lemonscent/Limoncillo (Pectic angustafolia) that also grows nearby. Both are what Michael Moore aptly describes as "industrial strength chamomile", and indeed, it is an excellent calming tea (or tincture) for both the belly and the nerves. It's especially lovely for colic in babies, stomach ache after semi-bad food or gas pains in general.
This honey scented herb covers thousands upon hundreds of thousands of acres of the Southwest, and is commonly known as Snakeweed or Escoba de la Vibora, botanically it's a Gutierrezia spp. It's best known for it's use externally (as a bath usually) and internally (as a tea, yech) in the treatment of arthritis and related conditions. It's works very nicely for after you've just had the hike of your life and are sore, scratched up and sore some more. It's intense density of bioflavanoids are partially responsible for this effect, and do a great job of healing all kinds of abrasions, bruises and aches.
Monkeyflower ( Mimulus spp.) is one of my dearest allies. It grows on riverbanks, and near springs and seeps. A wonderful, and totally gentle, friend for those with anxiety, a tendency to bouts of hysterical fear and any acute trauma. It also makes a very nice poultice for wounds and contusions. Use the search bar to look up my previous, and considerably more detailed, descriptions of this valuable herb.
Goldenrod ( Solidago spp.) is a generally fragrant and very common wildflower in North America. It's most popular for its use in sinus allergies and drippy colds. It has also been used traditionally for all sorts of kidney ailments, and its warming, stimulating energetics are especially useful for those cold natured folks who have a tendency to achy, overtired kidneys. The use I've focused on most in my many writings on this plant is the fower infused oil. I specifically use this for all sorts of injuries and problems of the muscles. It works GREAT. I've tried to popularize this humble little weed as much as possible, as it's widely available and wonderfully multifaceted. The oil or salve can also be used as a general salve for wounds, abrasions and so on.
Evening Primrose ( Oenthera spp) yet another blissfully common wildflower with a great many uses and also another herb I've written about many times before. It's a gentle nerve tonic and effective antispasmodic, and has a special affinity for the reproductive and digestive systems. I use the whole flowering plant as an infusion for those recovering from eating disorders as well as in the treatment of endometriosis and menstrual cramps, especially for those who experience anxiety and irritability at the end of their cycle. This plant is ~deeply~ nourishing and works very well as a general nourishing infusion. It's also a GREAT poultice for swellings, bug bites and so on. I sometimes use it together with Peach and Alder.
And this is a lovely Wild Sunflower. So much of her medicine is just in her smile, though she's got some secrets in her roots too.
Gather the last glowing flowers, turn inward. Celebrate the growing dark and the harvest we've been blessed with.
Photos (c) 2008 by Kiva Rose & Jesse Wolf Hardin


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Today, DC announced a new line of female-centric comics and toys in partnership with Mattel, LEGO, and Random House that will target girls age 6-12. And, with films for Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel on the horizon, now is a great time to be a female comic fan - or character.
Thanks to an ever-growing audience (Guardians of the Galaxy's opening weekend was 44% female - bigger than even The Avengers previous Marvel record of 40%) and the success of movies like Lucy, it's only a matter of time before Marvel Studios, Fox, and Warner Bros follow suit and officially announce movies featuring some of our favorite female heroes… right? Right?
So here are 10 films that need to happen; And studios? We don't want to hear any more excuses or half answers, we just want progress and announcements.
George Marston, Lucas Siegel and Michael Doran contributed to an updated version of this article.
In the Marvel Universe, HYDRA is a terrorist cult that has existed in different forms for centuries, including as a supportive branch of the Nazi party (as seen in the film Captain America: The First Avenger). Dr. Jonathan Drew was a research scientist working for HYDRA when a lab accident imbued his daughter Jessica with the genetic traits of a spider. Along with incredible strength, reflexes and agility, Jessica's mutation wound up giving her the ability to discharge electrical "venom blasts" from her hands. She also later got the ability to fly. Still a young girl, Jessica was turned into a terrorist by HYDRA, told that this was her family and what they did was to help the world. Only later did she realize the truth, forcing her to question her identity and purpose in the world. Considering how many cults and terrorists are in the news today, it would be interesting for a protagonist to begin as a villain of this sort and then watch her shift her beliefs, choosing who she is rather than simply being a weapon.
This kind of film would no doubt amaze many non-comic book readers when they learn just how completely different Spider-Woman is from Peter Parker and that this is NOT your typical superhero tale. And a sequel could explore her later adventures as a private detective or as an agent of S.W.O.R.D., an agency that protects Earth from aliens. And now that Marvel and Sony have reached an agreement to bring Spider-Man into the MCU, a Spider-Woman movie is more possible than ever.
While Danger Girl's most popular comic book days are behind them (those would be the original J. Scott Campbell years) the big screen zeitgeist has somewhat caught up with the original spirit of the late 90s series.
Think James Bond (never more popular) meets Furious 7 (also never more popular) with a dash of that high-adventure Indiana Jones influence so apparent in the original series, but a little less tongue-in-cheek than Charlie's Angels.
We're on the cusp of perhaps a golden age female-oriented actions heroes (raise your hand if you think Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel will bust through the door Lara Croft, Black Widow and Lucy already started kicking in?) and Danger Girl could provide a slightly different look than most of the more traditional costumed superheroes in our countdown.
Cassie was a shy girl with an overbearing mother and an absent father. She silently suffered teasing and bullying at school until, one day, her mother killed the children who were mean to her. Horrified and wracked with guilt Cassie stopped her mother and was put into foster care. When her mother returned later, teenage Cassie stopped her once more and began traveling. Now she hunts down killers, monsters and "slashers." Doesn't matter if they're supernatural or just crazy, Hack uses bats, axes, knives and fists to put them in the grave before they can claim more victims. And all the while, she searches for her father.
When Buffy the Vampire Slayer was introduced, she was a twist on the typical horror movie victim who was finally able and willing to fight back. Hack takes this to a new level in the Hack/Slash comics. At times she seems as vicious as those she pursues, delivering death as if she's answering a higher calling, but she's driven by a need to protect innocents and at her core she's still a shy girl trying to figure out her place in a world that seems insanely dangerous.
She's not strictly a superhero in the traditional sense, but neither is the Punisher and he's had three live-action films so far.
Zatanna Zatarra is a stage magician. Except she's not just an illusionist. As the daughter of homo magi, a sub-race of humanity that once lived in Atlantis, she can access actual magical energies. By speaking her desires backwards, she can make them reality. Able to toss lightning or incapacitate enemies by simply shouting "Gninthgil ekirts ym eof!" or "Og ot peels!", she's been a powerful force for good, taking down supernatural creatures that threaten the planet and aiding Earth's superheroes. .
Zatanna fights evil when she comes across it, but she normally doesn't go out looking for trouble. Instead, she's usually focused on improving her magic (both real and stage illusion) and having an entertaining social life. At the same time, she's no stranger to tragedy. She's seen her share of darkness, has faced down demons, and her father met a tragic end while helping to protect Earth. But audiences could see that despite these hardships, Zatanna (or "Zee" as Batman calls her) refuses to become a brooding, cynical person. Her sense of humor, magical abilities and desire to put on a good show even while battling evil makes her a highly entertaining character. After the recent slew of movies featuring a certain boy wizard, let's give this lady a chance to enjoy the spotlight.
After all, she looks much better in fishnets!
Talk of a Death feature film has been on the lips of movie studios for years now, with no projects coming to fruition, with even big name directors like Guillermo del Toro having had their hands on the property at times. So what's different now?
Well, for one thing, a new Sandman film is in the works at the hands of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, placing the Endless front and center for an entire universe of films.
And, with numerous iconic stories like Death: The Time of Your Life and Death: The Time of Your Life providing grist for the mill, Death is more uniquely poised for spin-offs than any other member of Morpheus's supernatural coterie.
Colleen Wing is a modern day samurai, trained in the ancient warrior ways while she lived in Japan with her grandfather. Misty Knight is a former NYC cop who lost her arm during a bombing and got herself a cybernetic replacement limb courtesy of Iron Man himself. Together, they run a detective agency, investigating crimes and problems where the police can't help. Between their powers of deduction and their fighting abilities, these "daughters of the dragon" are able to take down a large variety of criminals and help many superheroes along the way.
Hollywood loves buddy comedies. Here's a buddy comedy with two women who can kick some serious ass and fight crime. Their friendship and banter have entertained fans throughout various comic book story lines. And when you have a duo of a cyborg and a samurai, it opens up the doors to all kinds of high-flying adventure stories that are sure to bring in action fans. At the same time, you don't have to bother with costumes or lengthy superhero origin stories, meaning you can just jump into the action. This pair seems like they would be such an easy sell for the big screen, we're surprised it hasn't happened already.
Felicia Hardy found her way onto the big screen in Sony's ill-fated Amazing Spider-Man 2, though she never got the opportunity to suit up as her slinky alter ego the Black Cat.
But now that Spider-Man is getting another reboot - this time at the hands of Marvel themselves - there's no doubt they'll be on the lookout for new villains to fill up the screen.
And of course, there's more potential than just a guest-appearance for Black Cat. As a master burglar with supernatural luck, Black Cat has a vibe that's half James Bond, half superheroine. And Sony is still reportedly on the hunt for a female Spidey spin-off - a role Black Cat is uniquely poised to fill.
Okay, yeah, the notion of a Catwoman solo movie after the 2004 Halle Berry stinker probably seems unfathomable, but as our own Vaneta Rogers astutely points about, the problem with that movie was that movie and not some inherent problem with Catwoman.
So here's the pitch: Anne Hathaway reprises her role in a prequel to The Dark Knight Rises, set of course in the Nolan Bat-verse during the non-Batman years between The Dark Knight and Rises.
Now as a staffer pointed out during discussion of this countdown, "that world is closed." But the retort was, "we thought that about the Star Wars a couple of times now, haven't we?"
So instead of the much-debated Joseph Gordon-Levitt Robin/Nightwing/Batman legacy solo feature, Warner Bros. could continue to alternately exploit and honor Christopher Nolan's creation by exploring how Selena Kyle became the superior cat burglar who could hang with the Dark Knight and why she wanted so badly to get away from her still-mysterious past.
The reason this works is Catwoman remains ones comic books more complex and ambiguous (i.e. interesting) characters, already so well reflected by Nolan and Hathaway.
C'mon, Catwoman Begins has a ring to it, doesn't it?
It began when Barbara Gordon lost the use of her legs, ending her career as Batgirl. Rather than be defeated, she became Oracle, information broker to superheroes and hacker extraordinaire. And then Oracle decided to be a world-wide troubleshooter, guiding agents to take down strange criminals just outside the view of the authorities and most superheroes. Enter the Birds of Prey. With heroes like Black Canary, Huntress, Lady Blackhawk, Gypsy and others, the Birds of Prey is an organization that usually involves an all-women roster and shows just how deadly the ladies of the DC Universe can be. Batgirl is your in - the fact that Huntress and Black Canary have both appeared on TV's Arrow is your cherry.
Forget the strange TV series from 9 years ago. Charlie's Angels has shown that a film featuring a team of women can be successful. Now kick up the danger by placing these women in a superhero world and giving some of them powers. How cool would the Angels have been if one of them could have delivered sonic cries capable of shattering concrete and another was a time-lost World War II hero who was still fighting evil in the modern world? And with a large cast of characters that can change depending on the mission, you have lot of possibilities to explore with a franchise.
This one is a no-brainer, folks. She's been in three Marvel Studios movies, with a major role in this year's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which let Black Widow show her stuff more than ever.
It doesn't hurt that Scarlett Johansson is hot right now. While filming the mega-sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron, Universal released Lucy, a film starring the actress as a new-age super powered character. They won the opening weekend, beating out Hercules and The Rock, arguably one of the biggest movie stars in the world.
Hear that, Marvel Studios? That's your opportunity to keep being the groundbreaking superhero leader passing you by. Start this one in production sooner rather than later.

subset: commoncrawl


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Stacy M. Stewart is the President of Morton/Bannon Enterprises Inc .
Morton/Bannon Enterprises Inc filed as a Domestic For-Profit Corporation in the State of Texas filed on Friday, October 10, 2008. This corporation is approximately seven years old according to documents filed with Texas Secretary of State.
Stacy M. Stewart is connected to other officers through these corporate roles. One of the top connections is Sharon Stewart .
Key roles for Stacy M. Stewart
Morton/Bannon Enterprises Inc
President Director


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Baked Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips
Our testers loved Baked Tostitos Scoops Tortilla Chips for their "good balance of corn and salt flavor" and crispy texture. Many agreed that these "taste like the real thing." fritolay.com
3 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 120 calories per 1-oz. serving size
Reviewed: May 2010
Price When Reviewed: $3.80
What do you think?
Your Dark Chocolate Is Lying to You
A new government report found that it might be closer to milk chocolate than you think.
More From Food & Drink


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An Alberta family's recent trip to the Philippines ended up being a slice more expensive than they had planned -- after they were charged $2,600 for two pizzas.
The Heigh family from St. Albert, just outside of Edmonton, was travelling in the Philippines over the summer when they spotted a Pizza Hut.
They ordered pizza two different days, said Shannon Heigh, who paid with her MasterCard.
But instead of being charged in local pesos, the bill went through in U.S. dollars.
"Combined, the two pizzas ended up being over $2,600," said Heigh.
Because it was such a large amount, Shannon went over her credit limit, prompting MasterCard to freeze her account.
The charge has left the family's finances depleted.
"There was a trip we were planning on doing the last weekend, a trip to an island for three or four days that we had promised the kids, and we had to cancel that," Heigh said.
She phoned Pizza Hut, which put her in contact with its bank, which reversed one of the charges.
But four weeks later, the other pricey pie still hasn't been refunded.
"[The bank] has told me continually that it has been reversed and that 'Tomorrow, tomorrow ma'am,' [but] it still has never been done," she said.
Heigh also filed a complaint with MasterCard.