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Riding High
Despite their completely impractical nature, RVs hold a special place in my heart. Part of it is nostalgia for childhood adventures, but part of it is the sheer, ridiculous audacity of driving a house around. I love the big, stupid things, and I dream of owning one before the oil is gone, so shows like the eighteenth annual Colorado RV Adventure Travel Show are like Disneyland for me. Everything from behemoths that cost twice the value of my house to little trailers you could pull behind a compact car will be on display at the Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th Street, from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily, today through Saturday. Throw in some seminars on camp cooking, RV safety and more, and you have three days of bliss for RV geeks. Admission is $8 for ages twelve and up, $7 for seniors 62 and over, and free for kids eleven and under, with discounts available online. Visit www.agievents.com/shows or call 303-892-6800 for more info and tickets.
Jan. 9-12, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m., 2008
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Mini WSM Appreciation Thread
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Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 09-27-12
Location: Birmingham, AL
I have been smoking on one of these little guys and they are truly amazing. I am very new to smoking, only four smokes ever and the last two were on this little guy and the other two on a Brinkmann electric (Don't shoot me for using electric, I didn't know any better! LOL) While my pastrami turned into leather and the spare ribs were too fall off the bone tender, it wasn't the smokers fault. It was all due to my huge learning curve on smoking low and slow vs. grilling meat hot and fast.
These things are so darn cheap too! Amazing how you can make a little smoker for that price. Anyone else think that you could probably make barbecue as good on this thing as you could a $2000 large smoker?
Anywho, here a picture of mine. I added one of the Weber kettle grille utensil holders to the side and I only had to reshape it to fit the smaller circumference of the the tamale pot. I currently don't have a lower rack, only the one that is about 3 1/2" from the top of the pot. My question is though, if I rest a grate on top of the 12" terra cotta saucer, will the saucer radiate a lot of heat to the meat on the lower grate compared to the top grate? Seems like it being so close to the terra cotta would make it cook a whole lot faster. Anyone had problems with this happening and the meat cooking too fast down low when cooking exactly the same cuts? I guess this wouldn't be a problem if your cooking a chicken and a pork butt, but I don't usually mix cuts like that.
My pot only has holes drilled in it exactly like the steamer insert has that comes with the pot, not the entire bottom cut out, and my saucer is sitting on that elevated about 1/2" off the bottom holes with a little wire stand.
BTW, the smoker temp gauge is from a Masterbuilt smoker that was on display at Bass Pro. I asked the guy if they had any extra therms and he unscrewed it and gave it to me. He said the displays always end up getting chunked or sent back to the manufacturer when they quit selling them so take it for free. Thought that was nice, and hopefully the therms that come with Masterbuilt's square smokers are accurate and reliable.
The handle on the lower vent is a handle off of a cheap Harbor Freight side grinder that I botched for this. It was only $20 and I've had it forever, and if I ever need to use one I can just take the handle off my Makita since it fits the threads. No reason to ever use the cheap one though when you have a nice Makita on hand. :) The cheap handle fit right into the hole I drilled so there was no need for a bolt on the backside, and pretty nice since the handle was the metal flange and threads already on it, no mods required.
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subset: commoncrawl


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This story actually picks up in the future and in an alternate universe after Bruce Wayne dies, and Terry continues to fight crime in the batman uniform. The storyline has elements of Batman Beyond and Justice League in it, but I added a new superhero named Jimmy (clone of superman) who has to learn how to cope with his superpowers. The Justice League is called the Justice Corp in this universe. I've read through this first chapter several times, and I think I've done a pretty good job at correcting the mistakes, but I'm only human. Enjoy!
Clark sat at the coffee table, drinking coffee, and reading the local newspaper, and Lois sat on the other end with her head placed firmly in her hands. She winced in pain several times before Clark noticed the ugly scowl on her face. Their wedding picture was placed neatly above Clark's head with a smiling Lois and a clean shaven Clark in a black tuxedo. He grew out his beard after the marriage because it looked more dignified in his opinion, and Lois loved to play with it. His nicely trimmed beard gave him the appearance of a harder man, a man who didn't take any nonsense off of anybody, and Lois loved the stubble.
The smell of fresh coffee caught his attention and the glare from the television was visible in the background, but the sound was turned down to minimal levels, but Clark heard every word, every news report. The television had an image of Superman in a black uniform, black cape, and a white "S" on his chest, and the reporter said, "Cadmus wants a word with Superman."
Lois's eyes looked sleepy and weary because she tossed and turned in her sleep, but Clark slept without any problems. Small beads of sweat fell from Lois's forehead, and bounced off the coffee table, and Clark looked over at her as he read the newspaper, but didn't notice how sickly she looked. He knew Lois had her good days and her bad days, since she escaped the nuclear explosion that happened over Southern California, but the doctors said that it would take years for the repercussions of the exposure to radiation to take effect. She sighed, and then as soon as she tried to speak, Clark muttered. "I swept the house for bugs."
"Find any," she said as she lit up a cigarette, and took a deep drag as if it gave her some relief from the agonizing pain that shot down her back and leg. She looked at the end of the lit cigarette, and took another long drag, and then squinted in pain. Her coffee tasted bitter in spite of all the sugar she added, and she added a few more table spoons in a fail attempt to make it sweeter.
"Um, seven," he said, "Cadmus grade." He looked over at her as she continued to pour sugar into her coffee. "Got enough sugar, Lois?" Lois fell forward onto the table, and Clark ran to her side with a look of concern, felt her head, and then the back of her neck. "What's wrong?" Clark asked as he continued to rub her neck, and then gently tapped his right index finger of his left hand against his knee. "Your color's off slightly, and you're running a fever." It was obvious that Lois was going through some agonizing pain because of her scrunched face and the way she clinched her side. "You're in pain," Clark said as he grabbed the lit cigarette from her sickly fingers, and placed it in the ashtray.
"It's my side," she said, "Something's not right." Lois tried to stand to her feet, but stumbled into Clark's arms, and he used his x-ray vision to take a quick scan of her hurting side. He knew she hadn't been herself since the exposure to the radiation from the bomb, but he thought she was getting better. Her six month sabbatical from the Daily Planet seemed to be working at first, but then she started drinking wine all day and every day until she would pass out on the couch. Clark spent the majority of his time away on missions with the Justice Corp, and didn't notice how much wine she had consumed over the last few months. He had his world and she had hers, and the two hardly intersected.
"A tumor," he whispered to himself as he finished scanning her body. He flew her to the local hospital in a matter of seconds. It was nineteen eighty-two, and they had only been married seven months, but not without incidents or problems. After a few hours in the hospital, his stress levels were at its maximum level, and his hands shook with a nervous tick. He knew her tumor was cancerous because of the radiation exposure from the nuclear blast, but he didn't know if it was terminal. Deep down, inside his soul, he felt he should have done more to help his wife in her time of need, but the world needed him too. Thousands of people in the Southern California area had the same tumors form in their bodies as Lois, but they had more exposure than she had. She was only in the area for a split second before Superman used his super speed to move her away from the brunt of the contamination.
Amanda Waller walked through the double doors to the waiting area, and Clark had a look of surprise on his face to see a high level intelligence officer in the local hospital. Clark was standing next to a large potted plant and near a television that hung above his head. Two older woman that had sick relatives in the hospital were sitting on the other side of the waiting area smoking cigarettes. Amanda Waller had two armed soldiers on either side of her, and she directed them to stay behind, and then she walked over to Clark.
"Walk with me, Clark," Amanda ordered as she stood in front of him in her military uniform with all the decorations. He didn't trust her or anything that she had to offer. Everything about her came with a price, a hefty price, and that price was the soul. She was a young, African American woman with a chest full of medals, a black beret, and a weapon on her right side. She looked serious. Her face was almost expressionless when she spoke. She had a feminine appearance about her, although she looked like she worked out in the gym daily. She didn't have much hair on her head. It was cut as short as possible, but she kept a soft look about her face, a sort of Grace Jones look. "We need to discuss Superman."
"Superman?" Clark asked in a jovial manner. He half laughed, and said, "Why are you asking me about that guy?"
"Don't look baffled," she said in a firm voice. Walking in front of him, she placed her hand on his chest, and whispered, "We know he's you."
"What?" He asked with a geeky smile on his face.
"It's not easy escaping the cameras of Cadmus, especially since we've perfected the ability to travel between dimensions," she said, "There are other Earths, Clark. I met a Superman that wears a red and blue suit instead of a black and white suit like yours."'
"What do you…?"
She placed her right hand over Clark's mouth. "I even met a Superman that didn't fly or wear tights," she said, "He never really accepted his abilities the way you do."
"What do you want from me?" He asked in a strong and deep voice.
"Your DNA," she said, "Just a small sample."
"For what?" He asked.
"She's dying, Clark. Kidney cancer," she said, "Thousands are dying just like her. This form of cancer is relentless, and current medicine doesn't have the tech to fight it off."
His face became colorless, and he fell against the wall hard enough to make a loud thumping sound, and then he slid to the ground. With a slight tremble in his voice, he asked, "How long does she have?"
"That depends on you," she said, "The same radioactive fallout happened on three other Earths. They cured their people with their Superman's DNA."
"Yes. Your DNA is the key to unlocking the lock to the door of cancer…"
"No. Not now, not ever," he said with an angry tone. "No, no, no, NO!"
"She'll die unless we use your DNA to develop a cure," she said, "All other avenues for these types of illnesses have been exhausted. Think of humanity. You'll save a cat out of a tree, but you won't do the one thing to save mankind from this horrible disease."
"What about a transplant?" He asked.
"It's cancer, Clark. Besides, you don't want that. The tons of medications, the cost, it's enough to make you throw your hands in the air and give up. She wouldn't qualify anyways because the cancer is eating her like maggots attacking rotting flesh. Time is of the essences. She has days not weeks."
"What can you guarantee?"
"You have my word that we'll do whatever it takes to cure this illness," she said, "My word as a Colonel in the United States Military."
The next day Colonel Walker sat in front of the President in the Oval Office, and handed a brief over to him. On his desk, a picture of him shaking Superman's hand set proudly. The President had a shiny bald head with a small beard, mustache, and he wore a suit that gave him superpowers.
"So, you got Superman's okay?" President Luthor asked as he looked over the documents. "With his blood we can stop this cancer dead in its tracks."
"Yes, sir," she said, "His DNA will help us not only fight cancer, but create a weapon that we can use in case he turns against us."
"How many Earths had a bad superman?" He asked.
"Seventeen out of thirty we discovered," she said, "This is just a precaution in case our..."
"So, your solution is to build a clone of Superman?" He asked as he put the documents in his end box. "What happens when the clone turns on us?"
"We'd control the clone," she said, "Teach it to love humanity from birth."
"And the cancer?" He asked.
"That's the easy part," she said, "We stole the formulas from Doctor James on one of the other Earths. I gave it to our Doctor James, and he's ready to start working on the solution. But..."
"But what?"
"It won't be ready in time to save his Lois."
Project Cadmus was a large government institution located in Gotham City and a collaborative partner with Wayne's Weapon Institution. Activity happened in the laboratory, all day and all night long, and security trucks ran around the compound constantly monitoring people. The Bioweapons Division was on the bottom floor almost fifty miles under the surface of the planet, and Mr. Wayne was opposed to this portion of his father's company.
Bruce Wayne knew a part of his company dabbled in genetic material, but he didn't find out until the early nineties that his company was involved in a project to build a clone of Superman. He hated the thought of man playing God, especially if it had anything to do with Wayne Industries. Every time he voted to close the Bioengineering portion of his company, the other board members teamed against him to keep it open.
In his black suit with a deep scar over his left eye, he lunged to his feet, and screamed, "We're not gods."
"Bruce, sit down," Mr. Gray, an older man sitting at the head of the table screamed. "This puts your father's company at the head of the cloning game."
"Cloning? We're playing with Pandora's box by cloning Superman. Once it's opened..."
"Cadmus will make one clone," Mr. Gray said as he held up his right index finger. "One."
"Then we should move Cadmus from the center of Gotham."
"Having them in plain sight takes away the mystery," Mr. Gray said as he closed his brief case. "That's where they'll stay."
The beauty of Project Cadmus was its location. It was seated in the downtown area with over two hundred thousand residents in a one mile radius. The surface portion of Cadmus looked like an ordinary warehouse with forklifts, big trucks and workers rolling in and out of it all day. None of the military personnel on the compound wore any uniforms associated with the government. People appeared to be factory workers on the outside of the company, and changed to their lab coats once they entered the main building.
Amanda Waller and Doctor Jason James walked through the double doors near project five, and they had a large man strapped to a table, injected him with a green chemical compound, and the man grimaced. A monitor hung from the ceiling directly over the patient's head that kept track of his vital signs, and all readings were normal at first. The young man appeared to be content on the table, but his hands and feet were bound with heavy chains. He wasn't struggling or trying to fight.
On the other aside of the room, a young woman lay on a table with her legs propped in the air, and a pile of blood was on the ground around the table. Her body was lifeless, and she had died immediately upon giving birth to something that wasn't quite human.
Doctor Jason James was an older man approximately fifty-three years old with a short buzz cut. He held a device similar to a tablet computer that scanned the man's chest.
"We've synthesized Superman's DNA," Doctor James said as he looked at the readout on the computer. "Things aren't looking good with the test subjects. Once the chemical compound kicks in, they all explode."
"What's the cause?" Amanda asked as she took a quick glance at the computer screen. "It reads unstable."
The man started screaming at the top of his lungs, and then Doctor James said, "You'll want to back up behind the protective shield."
They quickly ran behind the protective shield, and the man blew up on the table. Blood flew all over the walls and ceiling.
"How many test subjects have we lost?" She asked.
"Seventeen since nineteen-eighty-three. We're overlooking something, but..."
"Seventeen?" She asked with a dismayed look on her face. Walking over to the table, she studied the gigantic hole in the middle of the man's chest. "It's only a matter of time before somebody notices these men are missing."
"It's costly, but…"
"What happened to the eggs?" She asked as she studied the man's face.
"We've run out," he said, "We only had a few. All the babies died as soon as they were born; the mothers too."
She walked over to the window outside the laboratory, and gazed at the young lifeless woman strapped to the table with a pool of blood at the end of the table that dripped onto the floor, and said, "Setup health clinics in the Gotham slums. Offer free healthcare to the poor, and then harvest all the eggs you need. Free always works."
"Do we give them help?" He asked as he walked up behind her.
"Of course. Cure their illnesses, take the genetic materials you need, and then send them home. This is the perfect setup."
A young pregnant African American woman lay on an operating table with her legs propped in the air, and a doctor stood over her delivering her baby. The woman kept losing conscious, and one of the nurses kept reviving her. Her hair was soaking wet from the tons of sweat, and then the baby began to crown.
An old black woman stood in the background as the young woman gave birth, and it was Amanda Waller, the leader of Cadmus. She was now a chubby old woman with a cane, gray hair, and thick bifocals.
"I've waited nearly forty years for this day," she said as she wiped the corners of her mouth. "All my energy went into cloning Superman's powers and creating the perfect killing machine."
Vera Reese, the doctor that delivered the baby held the infant in her scrawny arms, and placed him in a small basket. Sweat poured from the doctor's head as she quickly placed the child in the basket because she wore a thick, insulated suit that protected her from the baby's life force. She had on some thick, insulated gloves and a heavy padded coat that kept her from having direct contact with the newborn. Walking back over to the mother, she noticed one of the nurses reach for the child.
"Don't...," she screeched as she watched the young nurse reaching for the child wearing only the thin, little surgical gloves. She fell to the ground, dead. Amanda wiped her mouth as she looked at the nurse that lay dead on the cold ground, and a look of fear took over her face.
"What happen to her?" She screamed.
"She's dead," Doctor Reese said as she checked her pulse.
Another nurse tried to give some assistant to the nurse that lay dead on the ground, and she stumbled into the child's basket. The baby nearly fell to the ground, but the nurse caught him, and she fell face first on top of the child. She was dead.
"What the hell?" Doctor Waller screamed.
"Nobody touches the baby," Doctor Reese screamed as she pulled the dead nurse off the top of the infant. She tried to resuscitate the two women, but it was hopeless. They were dead.
When the doctor walked over to the mother, she checked for a pulse, and she was dead too. Anybody that came in direct contact with the child died almost immediately.
"Did she have family?" Doctor Waller asked as she watched the horror unfold in front of her.
"No, ma'am," Doctor Reese said, "She was a homeless teenager. Just some homeless girl."
"Then it's better this way. She would have had to disappear anyway."
Doctor Reese looked down at the infant, and said, "He'd never know love."
"He's a super soldier," Doctor Waller said as she smiled at the baby, "We'll mold him into the perfect killing machine."
Doctor Reese stood over a hot cup of coffee at her desk, and studied a chart of the child's vital signs. She was a young doctor, a doctor that graduated at the top of her class in Bio Engineering, and the young clone was her pet project. Her desk contained the basics: computer, calculator, tablet PC, and an old fashion type writer. On the other side of her office was a play area for the child with all kinds of little toys. She observed his every move, and entered a journal of his activities into the computer.
She hit record on the computer screen, and said, "I've been calling test subject Alpha Jimmy for two years now, and that's the name he answers to." She walked around the room flicking a pen, and then said, "For only two years old and some days, he's extremely powerful. We're unable to draw blood from the child because his skin's like steel. In addition, if anybody touches his skin with or without gloves, they usually die within seconds. A person wearing insulated gloves usually can pick the child up for thirty-three seconds before his powers soak through the materials, and kills them. Eighteen scientists have come in physical contact with him, and they're all dead. Even though I cannot hold Jimmy like a mother holds her child, I cannot help that I've developed feelings for the child. It pains me that I have to expose Jimmy to danger just to test the limits of his abilities, but whatever Superman can do, he can do. I've gotten too close to the subject. Tomorrow we'll expose him to extreme heat."
An older woman, Doctor April Gray, with a skinny face, long hair, and a white lab coat placed Jimmy into a furnace as he played with a little doll soldier. It was obvious that Doctor Gray was the kind of woman who spent most of her free time in the gym trying to hang on to her youthful figure. She forcefully grabbed the soldier out of his hands, threw it onto the ground, and slapped the child in the face with her thick padded gloves. She hated the child, and the fact that so many good men and women died brining him into the world. She followed the exploits of Doctor Waller nearly all her adult life, and helped developed the method to bring the clone into the world. When she first started her experiments with young girls from the inner city and impregnating them with Clark's seed, she never had a clue that the sole survivor would survive, and be so powerful and dangerous; and when she did find out that he'd have the abilities to kill with a simple touch, it was too late. Nothing on the planet could penetrate the child's skin, and she knew that, but tried to find ways to hurt the child every day.
"Pay attention," she muttered. Her mouth curved downward, eyes squinted, and then she spat in the little boy's face. "You're the biggest scientific mistake in the history of man."
He gave her an awkward grimace, as though he understood what she said, and then started to cry for the doll. When he reached his hands for the discarded toy it flew into the air, and into his little hands. She pushed him back into the furnace, tore the toy from his fingers, and closed the door. After grabbing the tape recorder out of her pocket, she said, "Starting temperature will be three hundred degrees Fahrenheit." She threw the toy into the trash can under her desk, and little Jimmy frowned until she went behind the screen where he couldn't see her.
A flame of fire flew across the child's face as his clothes incinerated off his body, and he laughed loudly, clapped his hands, and then the thermometer shot up to three hundred degrees. He looked over at the flame, and shot freezing air out of his mouth that clogged up the nozzle, and the good doctor hopped to her feet. "Dammit!"
"It appears that three hundred degrees has no adverse effect on the child," she said with a stern look on her face, "He's enjoying it. We'll take the temperature up to nine hundred degrees Fahrenheit."
Another nozzle, a bigger nozzle lowered into the chamber, and shot a stronger flame in the boy's face. After fifteen minutes of shooting fire directly into the child's face, she pushed a button that caused a laser rifle to descend from the ceiling attached to a robotic arm. She opened the door to the furnace, and the child walked out of it, and sat in the middle of the room naked. She adjusted the ray to point directly at the child's head, and then smiled after she turned on the laser switch, and the computer said "Kryptonite enhanced weapon will be on-line in five minutes." She wanted the boy to die. She knew he was a child, but he wasn't only a child. If he grew up without knowing the touch of another human being, he'd grow into mankind's worse enemy, the destroyer. And regardless of what Doctor Waller had to say, she wasn't going to let this child grow into an adult, ever.
"Not even Superman can withstand a blast of concentrated, green kryptonite," she said as she turned the power knob to the maximum setting.
"The weapon is ready," the computer said, "Fire at will."
"I will," she said as she shot a full blast of kryptonite at the child's head. He started screaming, and then he shot red lasers out of his eyes destroying the weapon.
"Subject Alpha will protect himself when threatened," Doctor Gray said as she sat behind her desk. "Special note … We should terminate Subject Alpha before he grows into a threat."
Amanda Waller sat in her quaint little home on the edge of Washington DC, and Doctor April Gray and Doctor Reese sat across from her in business suits holding on to tablet computers. Amanda took out her tablet PC, pulled up an email, and said, "I read your assessment of the child."
"He's stronger with every passing day," she said, "His existence threatens humanity."
"I disagree," Doctor Reese said as she pulled up the email. "We've come too far to terminate the project."
"But does he threaten mankind?" Doctor Waller asked with a dead calmness about her.
Doctor Reese placed her table PC on her lap, and kept quiet, but Doctor Gray immediately said, "Yes. He's a five-year-old monster."
"He's not a monster…," Doctor Reese snapped.
"Then what is he?" Doctor Gray asked, "Have we not lost eighteen good men and women at his hands?"
"Yes, but…"
"But what? "
Doctor Waller placed her hands on her forehead, and said, "If we terminate him, we lose forty years of work and countless taxpayer dollars."
"But when he decides mankind no longer suits him, he'll wipe us out with only a mere wave of his hands."
"Doctor Gray, Amanda, we can't forsake the project," Doctor Reese said, "It benefits no one to give up."
"We designed him to take on the Justice Corp if they ever became a threat," Doctor Waller said with a soft voice. "But they have been a faithful ally to mankind since the beginning."
"What are you saying?" Doctor Reese asked.
"Terminate the project," Doctor Waller said, "Use whatever means necessary."
Later on that week, Doctor Gray stood in the control room with a block of black kryptonite, and stuck it onto the robotic arm. Jimmy sat in the middle of the control room playing with a stack of building blocks when the robotic arm slid from the ceiling and pointed directly at the child's head.
"Black kryptonite will end this child's life," she said as she configured the robotic arm. "He'll never have time to adapt to the black kryptonite."
When she hit the fire button, the ray hit the child in the head, and the boy's powers caused a nuclear explosion that leveled ten city blocks, killing thousands, including everybody within the plant.
Doctor Reese rode a hover disc over to the enormous crater in the middle of Gotham, and saw Jimmy sitting in the middle of it. The crater was over a mile wide with bodies thrown all over the place.
(Chapter One)
A young child, a child no more than seven-years-old stood in the hallway of East Metropolis Elementary afraid to go inside the front door because he wasn't used to being outside of his room. It was a huge building, an intimidating building because of the Victorian steeple on top of the main hall, and the lion shaped statues in front of the building that looked threatening to any kid. It was the kind of building that stood inside a large security fence, and had armed guards with chiseled jaws patrolling the outside wall. The razor-sharp wire around the compound stood fifty-feet in the air, and only individuals with super abilities could leap it. It was like a prison, but was the only school for the gifted in Metro City.
With his green backpack hanging off his back, tears falling off his face, his mother, Vera Reese, pushed him through the front door of the building wearing some thick, insulated gloves. The little boy wore a silver insulated body suit, and it covered every portion of his body except his face; his face was the only flesh the world could see wherever he went; and at the young age of seven, he grew tired of telling everybody he had a rare skin condition that forced him to wear the suit, even in the hot sun. Usually, once he told them about his skin, the majority of people backed off at that point. He knew that if he touched another human being, they would die a horrible death within seconds of contact, but Vera had to make sure he understood, so she reminded him often about being responsible.
"What's the first rule, Jimmy?" She asked as she made sure not to directly touch the boy. His skin would draw the life force out of any person, human or otherwise, if they touched him. Her gloved hands pushed up against his body suit, and she drew her hands back because she could feel his molecular field draining her energy every second that her gloved hand stayed on his shoulder. She knew her gloves only gave her fifteen seconds of protection once she touched him through his body suit. Without the body suit, he would drain the energy from everything around him.
"Never touch or let anybody touch me," he said with a whisper.
"That's right," she said, "Never touch anybody because your curse will kill them. What else?"
"Never remove my body suit unless in a controlled environment," he said.
Jimmy arrived early to school on the first day every day, since he started kindergarten two years earlier, but he didn't have any friends, not one. He didn't interact with any of the other children, unless it was under the direct supervision of one of his teachers, and she placed him in the very front of the classroom, but away from the other students. His desk sat off to the left front side, and all the other students were at least six feet from him at all times. It was for safety. Every year, since he started school, he only lasted a few months before the other kids tortured him into staying home; and once he made up his mind to stay home his mother had to quit whatever meaningless job she was working, and ensure he received the proper home education. It frustrated her, but she realized life would be painful as she did everything within her powers to protect him.
A tall man, a man with dark black hair and a few silver streaks on the side walked into the classroom. Mr. Kent pushed his daughter, Mia, into the class, and she seemed a little shy too. Jimmy looked at the man, and immediately noticed something about him that clicked in his mind, and Mr. Kent glared over at him, but didn't give him a second thought. Mr. Kent had some of the thickest rimmed glasses, a rarity in a time when most eye problems were curable. He looked down at his shiny black shoes, and wondered what his father looked like. He knew that scientists grew him in a lab; but at the same time, he knew that some man provided the genetic material.
Mia was a tall seven-years-old girl with dark black hair, blue eyes, and red lips. Her lips were redder than the color red, and she had freckles on her nose. She sat in the front of the classroom, and Mr. Kent tipped his hat to the instructor, and then walked away.
Recess came pretty quickly on the first day of school, and Jimmy sat by the south fence where he ate his meal. A dense fog covered the city, and it was hard to see the top of the hill that stood behind him. Some of the kids were playing together when they looked over at Jimmy, and said, "Look at the freak."
One of the students, Aaron Checks, pointed to him, and screamed, "You're a freak." Aaron continued to mock Jimmy, and then kicked dirt in his face.
Jimmy hopped to his feet, ran off towards the school, and left his lunch on the ground. He didn't want any problems because he knew if he retaliated that it would hurt his Momma. Aaron was a popular kid, and arrived to school every day in a black limo. He had a funny looking hair cut that resembled an old fashion bowl cut, but Jimmy never made fun of him. Every time the young bully tried to attack him, he just walked away from the confrontation. It was better for him if everybody thought he had a skin condition that endangered his life if exposed; but if everybody knew the truth, they would ban him from the school.
After a few weeks of torture, Jimmy started leaping the huge fence, and eating his lunch at the top of the hill that over looked Metro City. He came across several meteor rocks that had settled into the hill, but he didn't bother them until Mia followed him up the hill one day. He had noticed her staring at him, but he tried to ignore her because he didn't want anybody getting close to him.
"What do you want?" Jimmy asked as he sat on top of the hill. He had a little frown on his face because he wanted her to leave.
"You're not suppose to be here," she said as she slowly climbed to the top of the hill behind him. He could hear her every foot step, and she stomped her feet as she marched up the hill.
"Neither are you," he replied. She fell to one knee as blood fell out of her nose, and then passed out in front of his feet. "What's wrong with you?" He noticed some of the green rocks glowing and buzzing loudly beneath her body, and he felt a feeling of panic. He waved his right hand in front of his face, and she hovered nearly twenty feet above his head. With the other hand, he pointed at the rocks and they flew to the other side of the hill. Placing her on the ground, she slowly sat up, and said, "I feel a little sick."
"You shouldn't be around me," he said, "My skin condition."
"What's wrong with your skin?"
"A rare disease," he said, "I'm allergic to everything."
"That sucks," she said with a grimace. "How many powers do you have?"
Jimmy walked away from her with his arms folded, and looked at the downtown area of Metro City. "We shouldn't discuss our powers."
"But you saved me," she said, "My powers come and go."
"Not mine. They're my curse," he lamented, "Just wish they'd go away."
Later that evening, Jimmy sat at the dinner table eating a plate full of food, watching television, and talking to his mother. She sat on the other end of the table, and asked, "How was school?" She picked up her coffee mug, took a sip, and sat it back down on the table.
"Okay," he replied, "Met a girl."
She gave him an awkward grimace as her right index finger traced the rim of the cup, and said, "You know the rules, Jimmy?"
"Yes, ma'am," he said, "I didn't try to be friends with her, Momma. She came to me."
"The slightest touch."
"I know, Momma. It'll kill her," he said, "But..."
"As soon as you finish your meal, head for bed," she said, "Gotta get up early tomorrow because I have a job interview."
"Yes, ma'am," he said without hesitation. He grabbed his plate of food, walked it into the kitchen, and dropped the contents down the garbage disposal.
On the outside of his room was a green light; but as soon as he walked into the room, the light turned red to tell his Momma that he was no longer in his protective uniform. The walls of his room were made out of lead, and it shielded his Momma from his exposed skin. She never came into his room or came in contact with him as long as he was out of his suit. He hated that suit, but it gave him some normalcy as long as he didn't directly touch another human being. A day hadn't passed since he was a little kid that he hadn't dreamed of holding some girl's hand or getting a hug from his Momma. He knew that Vera wasn't his real Momma, but she was his Momma all the same. She was part of the team that made him.
Every night he went to sleep with the Gotham Explosion on his mind. The official death toll of the explosion was seventy-five thousand dead, and nearly three hundred thousand injured. Thousands of people went missing, and the government counted those people among the dead. They were incinerated by the extreme heat. His Momma told him a thousand times that it wasn't his fault; but if he hadn't been born, all those people would still be alive, and that thought raced through his mind every day. The news media said that terrorist attacked Gotham City, and many people blamed Batman because his antics always grabbed the polices' attention away from the real terrorist. The people of Gotham called Batman the devil; and every time he tried to help ordinary citizens with their problems, they attacked him and tried to tear off his mask. So, after months of trying to win favor with the people of Gotham City, he gave up on them, and moved to Metro City. And when Batman came to Metro City, a group of thugs called the Jokers followed behind him, and they battled on the Metro City streets daily.
The next day Vera placed him in the front seat of her hover-vehicle, and they drove to a scientific laboratory on Fifth Street, and he sat in the passenger seat fiddling with his gloves. With all the stresses of keeping Jimmy out of trouble and buying the expensive materials to make his protective suit, Vera needed a job badly. The laboratory assistant job paid very well, and it was an opportunity for her to get her foot in the door at a huge government facility.
Jimmy looked through the front wall of the building, and saw a room full of people filling out applications. It seemed so crowded to him that people were nearly sitting on top of each other. With his abilities to see through walls, he kept his Momma informed of the little things.
"It's crowded, Momma. Real crowded."
"It's by appointment," she said with the corners of mouth curved upwards, "Will you be alright sitting in the car by yourself?"
"Yes, ma'am," he said, "Can we get ice cream later?"
"Maybe," she said with a look of concern, "Let's take one thing at a time, okay?" She hopped out of the car, walked into the building, and he saw her walk up to the desk.
After that, he pulled off his thick, insulated gloves, popped his fingers, and placed his bare hands on his lap. A loud swoosh flew over the top of the vehicle that startled him, and he saw two dudes in white uniforms chasing a black streak. When he looked up, he saw a man bat fly threw the air with two men in joker uniforms chasing him. The Batman flew over his head, and then Jimmy stuck out his hands, shot a red ray at the Jokers, and caused the criminals to fall to the ground.
"What the hell?" The larger joker said as he pointed to Jimmy. "Did you do that, boy?"
The Batman flew in front of the kid, and said, "Pick on somebody your own size, Jokers."
"Get him," the smaller Joker said as he dove towards Batman. The wing bat flew into the air, and the smaller Joker grabbed Jimmy's left hand, and died on the cold concrete. Jimmy looked over the man, and stumbled back into the car.
"Jinx, get the hell up," the bigger Joker said, "Get up, man."
"He's dead," Jimmy said with a deep concern on his face.
"Dead. What do you mean?" The Joker asked as he grabbed his friend's hand.
"You better go," Jimmy said, "Just leave or you'll die too." He reached into the car, grabbed his gloves, and quickly and haphazardly placed them back on his hands.
The larger Joker lunged towards the little kid, and he shot the Joker in the chest with two lasers that flew from his eyes. Batman blocked the glare of the blast with his forearm, and said, "Holy crap."
His mother walked out of the office, saw the dead body and the other Joker holding his chest, and screamed, "Get in the car, Jimmy." She flew down the street, and the shadow of the bat flew over head, then disappeared behind a tall building. "What did you do?"
"He grabbed my hands," he said as he looked down at his gloves. "I just took them off for just a second, Momma."
She looked over at him, and said, "We can't stay in Metro City. We're exposed."
When the car pulled up to the breeze way of their home, everything appeared normal, and the porch light lit up the entire front yard. A cool breeze raced through the trees, and Jimmy paused because he thought he heard something fly over his head. In the distance, he heard the neighbor's dog barking loudly, and a hint of a man's cologne let him know that Batman was near.
"What's wrong with you?" Vera asked as she paused behind him. "We gotta get our things."
"Listen! I smell the Batman," he said as he put his right hand in the air. Batman slowly walked out of the shadows wearing his sleek uniform, and Jimmy nearly backed up into Vera.
"Watch it, Jimmy," Vera said.
"You killed that joker," he said as he stood in front of Jimmy and Vera.
"He grabbed..."
"Be quiet, Jimmy," Vera said as she walked in front of him. "You're a wanted man, Batman."
"Don't change the subject, lady. I saw what the boy did."
"I didn't mean to kill him," Jimmy said, "It's my curse."
"Cursed?" Batman asked with a smirk on his face. "What kind of curse?"
"If he comes in contact with anything living, it dies immediately," Vera said, "Not even your suit can protect you from his touch."
"Is that a threat?" Batman asked.
"I don't want to hurt anybody," Jimmy said as he placed his hands in his pockets.
Batman walked up to Vera, and said, "I know you."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"That night. The night of the explosion in Gotham," he said, "I crossed your path."
"You didn't see anything," she said.
"I told Mr. Wayne that I saw a woman and a kid in the middle of the big crater, and he just blew it off," he said, "Six months later and the old man was dead."
"Okay. Okay," Vera said, "Cadmus tried to kill the boy, and it set off an explosion equivalent to a nuclear bomb."
"And it didn't kill the boy?" Batman asked.
"Would it have killed Superman?" She asked.
"He's a clone," Batman said, "That makes perfect sense."
A knife flew over Batman's head, hit Vera in the stomach, and she fell to the ground in a pool of blood. The little boy stood over her, and watched her as she spit up blood. Angered, three Jokers appeared out of the shadows swinging swords, and one of the Jokers sliced Batman across the stomach, and then struck Jimmy in the head causing the entire blade to shatter.
"Run, kid," Batman screamed as he fell to his knees.
Another Joker came up behind the bat swinging a sword, and then Jimmy sliced him in half with the heat ray coming from his eyes. The other two Jokers grabbed Jimmy by the hands, and they fell to the ground dead in front of a crying and bleeding Vera.
"You did good, Jimmy," she whispered as she looked at the blood dripping from her hands. "Momma's going home."
"No, Momma. Don't leave me," Jimmy begged as he watched her dying.
"We gotta get her to the hospital," Batman said as he held his side with both hands.
"It's too late for me," she said, "You have to take care of Jimmy. Train him."
"Me?" Batman asked.
"Show him what it's like to be human," she said, "Don't let him grow into The Monster."


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Would you like to save as your currency permanently or for this visit only?
Extremely surprised at how nice this place was. Driving through windy farming roads and then seeing this place all lit up with Christmas lights up on the hill was beautiful. It is located on the edge of the Ohio Amish country. Great place to visit and stay during the holidays. Great people. Indoor pool and a very well built hotel. No noise between rooms or from hallways. Overall great place to stay.
Very nice friendly It was out in subtracted the other is more central located
Great stay, very family friendly! Very nice hotel! It was stated that the pool was salt water as well as heated, I am not sure if it was salt water, and the pool was a little chilly for being heated.
Excellent location, staff was friendly, excellent breakfast, large room. They forgot our wake-up call, heater in room was very noisy.
Good breakfast. Nice staff. Well maintained.
We have stayed there three times. It's always nice and clean. It has a very good breakfast. This is my first complaint. The television in our room was to small to watch while laying down. It is perfect from the couch but not the bed.
This is an attractive, centrally located hotel but is a couple of blocks from shops and restaurants. The rooms are beautifully designed and comfortably furnished, large, with a very different floor plan. Nice balcony. The staff are friendly and helpful. It was a delightful stay.
Our stay was wonderful! It was peaceful comfortable and clean. By far the best I have ever stayed in. The staff was very friendly and knowledgable about the area. Check in and out process was very easy! The hot breakfast was a nice start to our busy day! We Will definitely be staying again in the future!
In room snacks. Location. Value for the money. Had to travel to main hotel for breakfast.
Staff was very courteous, very helpful.
breakfast was very good, the rooms are sound proof. excellent place to stay over and get a good night sleep no decaf coffee in the room. they only had regular. coffee was available in the lobby in both
Nice breakfast, really nice staff, Everything in the fitness room was broken, the rounds looked nothing like the pictures, they were old and wipe out, that being said it was clean. It was comparable to a $60 hotel for $120.
The room was very comfortable. Beds were excellent! Continental breakfast had a large variety and was very good. The night manager was very helpful. They had overlooked that I had booked 2 rooms instead of one but did not have a problem making sure we had the rooms next to each other. There was nothing not to like about our stay!
Everything was good. No problems. No shampoo or conditioner in room but we brought our own so it didn't matter.
The location was great! But the cleanliness of the hotel far exceeded was what I was most pleased with.
Very clean and friendly staff Nothing I didn't like.
Clean room, Staff very friendly,
Our family stayed a night at this hotel on our way through Ohio. It was very clean, had large rooms for the price, and the pool was great.
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
I have stayed at this hotel a number of times and will continue to stay with them. Close to downtown Berlin which helps with parking. The area is quite and clean.
Cleanliness Staff could have been a bit friendlier and look more professional!
The size of them room and how clean it was. Na
Friendly staff! Clean rooms, great pool.... Only complaint was pool area was very hot. You had to be in the pool, just sitting watching kids swim & you would be sweating.
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
Size & great features for the price No
The people were friendly and the hotel was clean and the room was very nice. Traffic was a little loud but you must take into account its right by the main road-so its not their fault.
room was nice a wish i know about the parking, hotel did not have a private parking lot
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
Liked the Victorian decor and the food in the restaurant was excellent and reasonably priced. Pillows were not comfortable.
Very close to everything. Walk to restaurant. Close to Amish Country. Very friendly staff. Parking area not clear. Could hear traffic thru windows. VERY hard pillows.
Beautiful vintage hotel. Great housekeeping service. Building isn't heated well. Few amenities in room and the ones there are of cheap quality. Restaurant staff is super but front desk isn't very friendly.
Loved the Victorian décor, even the kids were impressed. Not many family friendly resturants close by.
Very clean! The staff was very friendly and accomidating. The antique furnishings were lovely,especially all of the old pictures and framed documents lining the hallways.It definitely took me back to a different,more simpler time. The front desk closes down at 9:00pm.Found that a bit odd.
Very nice. Loved the Victorian decor. Great bed. Everything we needed. Lots of good memories. Really nothing, except the long walk to the parking lot. Then we found a back door and that was closer.
The interior has been lovingly and carefully restored. The meeting rooms, lobby, and guest rooms are all beautiful. Our evening meal in the Hotel restaurant was excellent. The only minus we found was the lack of any kind of breakfast. To be fair to the owners, there is not a place in Millersburg open for breakfast. We do not count fast food restaurants.
We liked the historical aspect of the hotel and the location. Rooms were very clean and classy for the most part. We tried two separate rooms and they could not get the air conditioning to work properly. The rooms were hot. Also the layout of the hotel was a little weird. The stairs were very steep and parking and access to the hotel were difficult.
I did like the refrigerator. That's about it. Upon arrival, the receptionist was unable to locate my confirmation/reservation and was unable to assign me a room. She manually assigned me to a room which wasn't clean... Blankets, towels, and assorted items were all over the floor. I returned to the desk...through all of the banging and construction to discuss my options. She informed me that the only available room I could stay in was a smoking room. She also informed me that my wifi capabilities were unavailable due to the fact that she couldn't assign me a room in the computer. She stated " I didn't my night audits already. " The room I was given was somewhat clean, I did see random bugs. The room was definitely a smoking room...the smell was intense. You should be provided with the accommodations that you pay for!
Easy check in and check out. Comfortable. Breakfast was poor.
Very Clean up to date and comfortable. Staff pays attention to detail.
Contemporary/modern decor, coffee maker in room exterior entryway lacks warmth
Price, cleanliness, comfort No
The Comfort Inn was wonderful. They called to the room shortly after check in to be sure everything was okay. It was. Highly recommend!
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
Close to visit my parents in the nursing home, price right,and very clean and pleasant Handicap room and better lighting to read in room.
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
location good breakfast
everything no
Clean and comfortable. Very good breakfast. Friendly staff.
The great deal I got! The manager was wonderful as well. We had a 'little' issue, that at first the lobby workers did not want to face. The manager however, went above and beyond to fix this problem.
This was one of the nicest hotels we have stayed in,very clean,great staff,nice ,clean pool,good breakfast.Way Better than some of the so called 4 to 4.5 star hotels we have stayed in. We definitely recommend this Hotel.
we have stayed several times in this very hotel over the last five years. My children look forward to it because the staff is nice and humors them when they ''need'' extra shampoo:} or whatever free thing they can get at the time!! kids can be pests but the staff never acts like they are. That counts in my book.
We arrived and we were welcomed by the lady at the front desk who could not of been more pleasant. We asked directions for a certain restaurant, and they gave us sevral options of local ones. Our room was clean and very comfortable. The bed especially was comfy and I slept like a dead man. I would not hesitate to stay here again. The breakfast in the morning was delicious and well presented. I would rate this stay as a great one.
I was on a wandering trip and landed in Strasburg. Stayed here because all B & Bs were booked and will stay again.
My family and I have stayed here many times. the manager always greets us with a smile.
Was pleased with the entire experience. A great value for the price. A nice breaksfast spread as well.
As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by the front desk personnel who proved to be very friendly as well as helpful with assisting us in finding a nearby restaurant as well as local attractions. The room was extremely nice and clean. They also provided us with breakfast selections and coffee in the morning. I will definitely come back to this motel in the near future.
We had a nice stay at this hotel. The room was large and the large bathroom was nice. The only complaint was the smoking and non-smoking rooms are mixed on the same floor and smoke could be smelled in our room from under the door. \n\nThe location was good. It is close to but not right in the Amish country. The room was very nice for the money.
This surprising find is just far enough from I-77 to be quiet and serves a nice hot breakfast . We got the 'handycapped' room and it was large and clean. We visited a number of Amish locations within one exit.
WE didn't like being placed in a wheelchair access room. Dirty clothes were found beside a chair.
Excellent place to stay. Easy to find, Easy to access US-77. Away from all the congestion of the New Philadelphia/Dover/Amish-Flee Market traffic etc, yet only 6 minutes away it all. Close to restaurants in New Philly and the Zoar Tavern (a really cool place) just up the next exit in Zoar. A really nice place to stay and a value for the $$$. Also the staff was friendly & helpfull. Next time I am in that area I will definately book my stay at this hotel!
The staff was professional, and I love how quite it was at the hotel.
Location All good
Very clean. Staff were friendly and helpful. No
Very clean the staff were very nice.
They were very accommodating-we arrived early and they were able to get us checked in. Then breakfast was amazing, and overall everyone was very friendly and helpful!
Standard hotel breakfast. TV in room did not work and I was told a manager would contact me. After 2 days, there has still not been any contact. Poor customer service.
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
It's in a rural area yet had all the amenities we needed. Breakfast was far more than we expected. Staff was fantastic. They were very friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. The only thing it was a little further away from the attractions we came to see.
Clean and had comfy beds with great pillows. Friendly staff
The room was clean and very comfortable. Thought the price was a little steep, but overall a pleasant stay. Would stay there again. The staff needs to smile a little. Didn't seem like they enjoyed their jobs. Pillows are too soft for me.
Nice room Nonsmoking but smelled smoke almost the whole time we were there, that sucked!
Close to everything, great staff
Staff was very accommodating. Service in the pub was great and breakfast was very good. We felt comfortable sitting for a long time in both the pub in the evening and again at breakfast. Never felt that we needed to rush out. The location is a little odd. The view out our room window was not very nice.
Breakfaat Service was great and the staff there did an excellent jpb It was freezing in the lobby and at breakfaat
Breakfast buffet great Nope
The continental breakfast was one of the best ever & it was smart to utilize the pub for the set up! All of the employees were very courteous & helpful. The room itself was clean & comfortable. The indoor pool & hot tub were a nice feature as well! There was no real lobby to sit & relax. I found a few dead bugs in the bed & let the staff know; despite that, I could tell that they are really trying to do a good job, along with upgrading the hotel, especially with chain hotels close to them.
Clean. Staff was friendly. Good breakfast. No wash cloths in the room. We reserved two identical rooms. They gave us two different rooms in two different buildings. There was only one ice machine and it was at the complete opposite end of the building.
Great hotel that has been recently updated. Rooms are very clean and some of the nicest staff I have ever had.
Room was extremely nice Housekeeping started to clean the room before we had checked out we were still trying to load the car
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
My room was EXTREMELY clean. Staff was helpful and polite. Breakfast was really good, and the free laundry service was a wonderful surpise. I will definitely be staying there again.
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
Staff was very helpful and friendly.
Very helpful front desk staff
Staff at front desk were incredibly helpful and nice.Location was excellant.Room was spotless and beds were so comfortable I didnt want to get up. I had a very good nights sleep.Breakfast was a great way to start the day. No complaints.
This guest did not leave comments about this hotel.
Everything was very good, service, cleanliness, breakfast.
The staff was real friendly.
The cleanliness and the friendly staff. Also the professionalism of the housecleaning staff. No
Friendly staff, great room, very clean and nice hotel, service was great. Only one slow elevator for 4 floors of rooms.
We asked for a quiet room away from noise and were put across from the indoor pool and next to a regularly slamming door stairwell. Miserable experience. The room was ok otherwise. But it is hard to imagine a more unsuitable room for one promised otherwis Unsupervised kids running all over making havoc
There was an error wit my reservation and the hotel upgraded my room at no charge. The woman at the front desk provided the most friendly and sincere service I have EVER received at a hotel, regardless of star rating.
Room space Breakfast Called to check room accommodations were to standards No
Very cleAn and neat. Would have liked a king size bet but got two queens
Staff and convenience Occasional atmosphere of cigarette smoke in first floor room.


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Which would be better for just messing around with and having fun? I'm also looking to have it setup as a pre runner, mostly looks, although it basically already is. I'm leaning towards more the slash because it's first of all cheaper and also 2wd is fun. But I like the slayer due to being a better, faster, more durable truck, that and like how it's a two speed.Note: I'm new to rc so don't judge! thanks!
Last edited by Ajm3998; 04-29-2014 at 10:41 PM.


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A small paradise: removed from the world, it's a place to simply be happy
Our apartment is well located, at 1 block from maritim-serrereria metro station that goes right to the airport, 5 minutes walking to cabanyal train station that goes to barcelona, 4 blocks from port avenue and serreria avenue intersection where are public bus stations. Although, is a good experiencia to know valencia by bike, there is an extensive net of bicycle lanes and our street is well connected.
Is 10-20min walking to many interests points, turistic atractions, shopping centers, traditional food markets and places to eat.
You could go walking to the beach and the harbor promenade, also to the Oceanografic and to the City of Arts and Sciences where there are two big shopping centers (Aqua and Saler).
Ayora Park and Cabañal Municipal Market are two hidden gems that are 2 and 4 blocks away and where there are no turists, only local people. The first is a nice place to go and relax with a book and the second is a local market where you could buy regional food, fresh fish, delicacy, fruits and vegetables cheaper than the central market.
If you want to dinner out, Del Cedro Square is another "local only" place 5 minutes away on foot.
The historic center is further but in metro or bus you arrive in 15 minutes.
To organize a home exchange, you need to be a member


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The content on this page is provided by a Time Out partner.
Ibis London Stratford has a 24-hour snack bar and modern rooms with free Wi-Fi access. Stratford Station is a 10-minute walk away. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Westfield Stratford City shopping centre can both be reached within a 15-minute walk.
The bright and airy bedrooms at ibis London Stratford each have a flat-screen TV with on-demand movies. All rooms feature an air-cooling system, and a private bathroom with a hairdryer.
Guests can enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast each morning in the spacious restaurant. A varied evening menu is also available, and the bar offers light snacks and beverages.
The O2 Arena can be reached in just 25 minutes via tube from Stratford Station. Canary Wharf is a 10-minute drive away, and central London is 20 minutes away by tube.
|Venue name:
|ibis London Stratford
1A Romford Road, E15 4LJ
|£55.00 - £119.00
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My wife Elizabeth and I went to Babbacombe on 1st April to give our granddaughter Anna a treat on her second birthday. We spent almost the whole day in Babbacombe Model Village which is close to the top of the cliff railway in this photo.
She loved to walk and run along the narrow paths between the model houses. She enjoyed gazing at the koi carp in the pond and kept going back to look at them. We took lots of photographs as we really enjoyed a happy day's outing.
There is a terrace at the top of the slope where we ate our picnic and looked down over the entire village. Its a beautiful place for young children to enjoy - and their grandparents too!
A memory shared byon Apr 5th, 2008.
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I know we are in tough economic times. Sacrifices must be made. Budgets must be cut. But can you go too far? Can personnel cuts go so deep that they become counter productive? For example, a layoff may make no sense if all the cost savings are lost due to overtime paid to the remaining employees. Similarly, cutting staff would seem to be inappropriate if customer service deteriorates to a point that customers are driven away. Yet, many retailers seem to be taking such an approach in the expansion of self-service checkout.
Last weekend, I visited a major home improvement retailer to purchase seeds for this year's garden. I won't say its name, but its logo is blue and white. Now, I am generally a fan of this chain and drive a few extra miles because I have found it offers a great selection of goods at a fair price. But mostly, I go there because I have found it's employees knowledgeable, helpful, and most importantly, accessible. I drive right by this chain's major competitor (the one with the orange sign) for this reason. But the customer service of that chain is not what this post is about.
By the time my wife and I had finished our shopping, we had a couple of dozen seed packs and related materials. As we approached the checkout, we noted that every aisle was closed except the self-service checkout aisle. Two clerks were working at a closed aisle. When I approached them, hoping that they would open up, they directed me back to the self-service checkout aisle. A sense of dread came over me.
Be honest. Have you ever been able to successfully checkout a dozen or so items at a home center or grocery store without a problem of some sort? I never have. Either an item won't scan or an "unexpected" item will be detected in the bag, or some other issue will require assistance from the clerk (i.e. how do you ring up two loose screws and three nuts? Or, is this a sweet potato or a yam?)
Paying for the goods is an ordeal. My charge card must always be run through the other way. The receipt comes out some unexpected place. Instructions (and mistakes) are shouted out from the machine for all to hear.
It is clear that these machines are simply an amalgam of other machines bolted together. I recognize them. A card reader over there, a printer up there. They are just not designed in a way for an untrained consumer to complete a transaction.
But I was lucky this time. The clerk in charge of the self-service aisle took pity and did the work for us. She was, as you would expect, very efficient. The elderly gentleman behind us was not so lucky. Poor guy was just trying to buy one item. He couldn't get it done. The machine kept bleating about the "unexpected" item in the bag, which led our clerk to tell him to pick up the bag. He did, completely above his head. As soon as he would put the bag back down, the machine would start over and he would lift it back over his head. You should have seen the look on his face. After the third time, I had to shout, on behalf of him and all the customers in self-service aisle everywhere: "Can somebody help him out?" Nobody did.
Don't get me wrong, there is a place for self-checkout machines. At the airport, I gladly use the kiosk to print my boarding passes and check my luggage. While that is technically a "check in" rather than "check out" machine, it works because it handles the same function (printing tickets and checking luggage) over and over again. It is not weighing gala apples, handling coupons, and ringing up buy one, get one free items.
Which brings me back to the simple point of this post. Cutting staff is not the answer when it leads to frustrated customers. Frustrated customers lead to less business and the need for even more cuts.
Food for thought.


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Marie II of Arkansas (Toyotomi)
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This alternate history related article is a stub. You can help by expanding it.Queen Marie II of Arkansas (1956- ) is the current queen of Arkansas, and the first monarch of Arkansas to be born in the nation.
She is a popular leader, supporting cultural events, and encouraging the celebration of the unique Franco-Japanese culture in the northern provinces.
There are some in Texas advocating the restoration of the monarchy with Marie as Queen.
- Henri, Dauphin d'Arkansas (b. 1981)
- Jean-Marie (b. 1983)
- Sophie (b. 1986)
- Marc (b. 1991)
|Preceded by:
Jean I
|Queen of Arkansas
|Succeeded by:
This alternate history related article is a stub. You can help by expanding it.


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ECCENTRIC Lady GaGa is such a huge fan of the Royal Family she is trying to
SPY on the Queen during a visit to the UK.
The Poker Face singer has invested in a pair of expensive binoculars to find
out what goes on behind closed doors at Buckingham Palace.
GaGa, 25, made a special request to staff at the posh Lanesborough Hotel in
West London to ensure her luxury suite has the best possible view of the
The five-star luxury hotel is close by but only a few of the best rooms
actually allow guests to see the royal residence.
GaGa is in Britain for an appearance on the Jonathan Ross show and a private
gig. And she has been glued to her hotel window at every opportunity to try
to catch a glimpse of the Queen or Prince Phillip.
A source said: "She is totally obsessed with the royals. One of the reasons
she loves that hotel is because of how close she is to the Queen.
"This time she thought ahead and brought a pair of really high-tech binoculars
with her. She hopes she'll eventually get to see Her Majesty walking the
corgis in the garden."
This is not the first time the singer, real name Stefani Germanotta, has shown
her love for British royals.
In April, she held a British tea party for the wedding of Prince William and
Kate Middleton — complete with Union Jack bunting.
The star has even spent £10,000 on memorabilia from the wedding to decorate
her New York home.


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Reforms underway for NSW EIA process
New South Wales is initiating a three-stage consultation process to introduce reforms in its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.
Stage 1 has already commenced, involving the distribution of a discussion paper for public review.
The EIA refers to the entire process for both State Significant Development (SSD) and State Significant Infrastructure (SSI) proposals.


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Laughing at Kids Slipping on Ice
This guy was waiting to pick up his kid from school and noticed a bunch of them falling on the ice. Instead of helping them by warning them about the ice, he decided to video them and laugh at them falling.
What do you think, is this funny or not cool? Leave us a comment below.


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Investors learn the hard way precious metals can be risky
Q: Isn't it safer to invest in something tangible, like gold or silver, than to buy paper assets like stocks and bonds?
A: Paper assets, like stocks, bonds and currency, are getting a bad name with some investors. Fears about future inflation and a weak dollar are at a fever pitch, prompting some worried investors to think the only investments worth anything are ones you can touch, see or pour into your gas tank.
But there's a growing danger that investors are wading into this area of commodity investing with incorrect expectations fanned by common misconceptions.
Your question gets at one of the top misconceptions some have about commodities, especially precious metals like gold and silver. Since you can feel and touch physical gold and silver, there's a temptation to somehow think they're safer than financial instruments such as stocks and bonds. Some investors think that if they can hold a bar of silver or gold, there's no way to lose money on that investment.
But recent market events have proven that way of thinking to be very wrong. Silver is a classic example. Investors poured into the metal, pushing the price of the metal up 57% in 2011 before a massive correction started on May 2, 2011. Investors bought up the metal thinking it was a no-lose proposition owning a hard asset.
STORY: Ways to profit if a gold bubble is forming
STORY: Which is smarter: Debt reduction or investing in gold?
MORE: Ask Matt column index
But those investors were served up one of the most vicious and rapid reversals in recent memory. Tighter trading restrictions kicked off a downward spiral in the price of silver that pushed the price of the metal down 25% in just four trading days through May 7, 2011. That means in just four days, the metal plunged into a bear market.
Ask Matt about stocks
USA TODAY financial markets reporter Matt Krantz answers a new question every weekday at money.usatoday.com.
- Got a question about the stock market or a specific stock? Click here to ask Matt your question.
- Read previous Ask Matt columns
- Need a way to track your stocks or funds? Click here to set up a free portfolio at USATODAY.com
- Sign up for USA TODAY's free Personal Finance e-mail newsletter. Every Friday, get a week's worth of USA TODAY's personal finance news and columns. Sign up now. It's free.
Recent events are a harsh reminder that hard assets, especially silver, can have vicious price action. While you may have the security of holding a silver coin in your hands, remember that the price of that metal can fall dramatically with little warning.
Paper assets including stocks and bonds also see their prices swing up and down. But the price volatility of bonds has been much lower than gold over time. Meanwhile, stocks have generated much higher returns than gold over the long term.
The bottom line is that if you're going to invest in precious metals, don't make the mistake thinking you can't lose money. You can lose money on gold just as easily, if not more easily, than you can on paper investments like bonds and stocks.
Matt Krantz is a financial markets reporter at USA TODAY and author of Investing Online for Dummies and Fundamental Analysis for Dummies. He answers a different reader question every weekday in his Ask Matt column at money.usatoday.com. To submit a question, e-mail Matt at email@example.com. Follow Matt on Twitter at: twitter.com/mattkrantz


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This step is optional but will greatly multiply your chances of your profile getting noticed by other daters. Tell people about yourself, your interests and upload any nice photographs of yourself.
Utilise our website's state-of-the-art search to pinpoint members who match your criteria. Or just browse through listings and pinpoint members that arouse your interest.
Discovered someone who meets your criteria? Send them a message or just a wink and find out if they're interested in you. With a little luck you'll be on your way to discovering the love of your life.
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Sat 02 Oct 10
at 16:54 PM
Jonathan Walters' strike two minutes into the second half condemned Rovers to defeat once again at the Britannia Stadium.After a first half which saw the home side just edged proceedings, Rovers were caught cold at the start of the second when Matthew Etherington threaded the ball through to Walters who applied the finishing touch.Against a defensively strong Stoke outfit Rovers struggled to carve out any clear cut chances in a disappointing display which saw them fail to build on last week's win at Blackpool.Stoke should have added further goals but Robinson denied Etherington whilst Kenwyne Jones and Ricardo Fuller missed late chances for the home side.
Sam Allardyce had made just the one change from the side that started in the win over Blackpool last time out.
That change saw last week's matchwinner Brett Emerton come into the starting line-up for the first time in the league this season, Niko Kalinic being the man to make way with Mame Biram Diouf leading the line supported by Emerton on the right and El-Hadji Diouf on the left.
Stoke made three changes from the side that defeated Newcastle United last weekend, Jermaine Pennant, Abdoulaye Faye and Rory Delap all returned to the starting eleven.
Despite the statistics that Stoke are the second worse side in the first half and Rovers the third best, it was the home side that started this encounter the brighter.
After just five minutes Kenwyne Jones was inches wide for the Potters, Dean Whitehead catching out Phil Jones to feed the Stoke striker, but his powerful left-footed drive went just past the post.
Five minutes later and Stoke would go closer, a long throw from Rory Delap saw Paul Robinson rush out to watch the ball sail past and bounce off the foot of the far post. A let-off for the Rovers number one.
Rovers came back into the game and on the quarter hour saw a shot cleared off the line. El-Hadji Diouf sending in a teasing ball that Thomas Sorensen in the Stoke goal could only palm away, Brett Emerton hit the ball back goalwards on the volley but Ryan Shawcross was in the right place to clear.
Robert Huth saw yellow for a late lunge on Morten Gamst Pedersen, whilst Gaël Givet saw likewise for his late challenge on Jermaine Pennant as the tackles started to fly.
Whilst Rovers threatened from corner kicks it was the home side who were getting their shots away. Matthew Etherington, saw often a threat against Rovers, hit one effort into the side-netting, Paul Robinson denying the former West Ham man a minute later at his near post.
Rovers weren't without chances of their own as the first half drew to a close, concerted pressure in the Stoke penalty area saw the ball drop to Phil Jones but once again Shawcross was there to make the vital block.
The Rovers fans will have barely returned to their seats when their heroes found themselves a goal down immediately after the restart.
It was a goal of simplicity, a flick on from Kenwyne Jones, a slide-rule pass from Matthew Etherington and a neat finish from Jonathan Walters who outpaced Chris Samba to curl the ball into the far corner of the net for his first Premier League goal.
90 seconds later and the lead was almost doubled, Chris Samba stooping to head the ball off the line from Pennant's centre.
Stoke's quick fire start to the second half saw Sam Allardyce waste little time in making a change. El-Hadji Diouf, whose earlier booking will no doubt have influenced the change, was replaced by Martin Olsson in a like for like switch as the Swede took up position on the left flank, although Rovers did switched to a 3-4-3 formation.
However it was still the home side creating, Robinson denied Etherington from a 25 yard free-kick, then saved well to stop the winger adding a second, the Rovers 'keeper claiming the ball at the second attempt.
Chances for Rovers were few and far between, Olsson's fine touch and cross couldn't be capitalised upon by a sliding Emerton, the Australian putting the ball wide of goal on 70 minutes.
Benjani was introduced for the final 15 as Emerton made way but it was the home side who continued to carry more threat. Again it was Etherington who created the danger when a telling cross found Kenwyne Jones, but his downwards header flashed wide.
A quick free-kick from Salgado two minutes from time could have caught Stoke napping, but Chris Samba's nod down bounced away to safety, it summed up Rovers' afternoon.
STOKE CITY: Sorensen, Huth, Shawcross (c), Faye, Collins, Pennant (sub Fuller 77 mins), Whitehead, Delap (sub Whelan 90 mins), Etherington (sub Wilson 90 mins), Walters, Jones.
Subs not used: Begovic (GK), Higginbotham, Gudjohnsen, Tuncay.
ROVERS: Robinson, Salgado, Samba (c), Nelsen, Givet, Nzonzi, Emerton (sub Benjani 75 mins), Jones, Pedersen (sub Hoilett 86 mins), EH Diouf (sub Olsson 54 mins), MB Diouf.
Subs not used: Bunn (GK), Kalinić, Andrews, Chimbonda.
Booked: Huth, Delap (Stoke City), Givet, EH Diouf, Nzonzi (Rovers)
Attendance: 25,515
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Utilise our website's sophisticated search to discover members who fulfill your criteria. Or just flip through listings and discover members that pique your interest.
Located someone who you find interesting? Send a message to them or just a wink and see if anything happens. With a little luck you'll be on your way to true love.
It only takes a few minutes


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|16,145 sq. ft.
|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|7 nights
Beautiful property, recently refurbished, on quiet residential street. The house comes equipped with everything you could want including a kettle in the kitchen! Master bedroom with king-size bed, walk-in wardrobe and ensuite with a shower. The second bedroom has a queen-size bed and the third bedroom has twin beds. They share a bathroom with bath. One of the new sofa's in the living room converts to a queen-size bed providing accommodation for 8 people. Spacious living room with dining area and recently installed fibre optic TV service which allows access to over 280 TV channels and a DVR system to record programmes and watch on any TV in the property. Recently upgraded TV in the living room to 40' flat screen.There is also a DVD and CD player and a whole host of films and music for your pleasure. There is a TV in the master bedroom, a DVD player in the second bedroom and a TV and DVD player in the twin bedroom. The kitchen comes with all appliances including dishwasher, microwave and fridge-freezer. Utility room with washer and dryer. Covered lanai for restful evening meals and to watch the squirrels jump from tree to tree. Solar heated pool with plenty of pool toys for the young and young at heart to play with
The property is just 25 minutes from Tampa airport. Alternatively it is an easy 90 minute drive from Orlando airport.
This property truly is a home from home with everything you could ask for. For your entertainment it is well stocked with plenty of books to read, CD's to listen to and board games to while away those balmy evenings.
Places to see: The property is just 10 minutes drive from the beautiful beaches at Honeymoon Island. Clearwater beach is also close by. Take a barbecue to Fred Howard park 15 minutes away and watch the sun go down.
Busch Gardens is just 40 minutes drive away while Orlando theme parks, Disney, Epcot, Sea World and Universal Studios are about 90 minutes away.
Close to many golf courses including the beautiful Innisbrook course which is just a 5 minute drive away. The property is close to the Pinellas trail. Hire a bike and go cycling along 26 miles of beautiful scenery.
The property is ideally placed for good shopping and restaurants. The nearest are within walking distance.
The location of this home is fantastic. It is an easy drive to hwy19, Honeymoon Beach, and a short jaunt to Clearwater Beach.
The house was very clean and well kept. We loved the stand up shower in the master. The kids were very comfortable and grateful for the pool and TV.
We will return next year!
My family and I recently came to Florida to attend a wedding at Honeymoon Island. This villa fit me and my hubby, our 4 kids, and my parents very comfortably. The house was very clean and the beds were very cozy. The kids enjoyed the pool. We liked that we were so close to Honeymoon Island (only a 7-10 min drive down the road). The owner, Karen, was very helpful and answered all of our questions in a timely manner. We have no complaints and would love to come back and stay again!
House is equipped with everything you need to enjoy your stay in sunny Florida.....we had some issues with the pool as far as getting it to heat up and they were handled immediately.....we were five minutes from Honeymoon Island which is our favorite beach....!!! Great quite street with beautiful yard and pool/deck area.........We will definitely stay again when we return to Florida.
One word, PERFECT
This property was exactly as advertised and more. I have always spent a fortune on Hotel stays and they had cramped quarters with a mini fridge. This house was well worth the money and gave us a much more private and relaxing experience on our vacation. The icing on the cake was the screened in pool in the back yard. Our kids lived in it at night and in the morning and it kept the bugs and mosquitos far away. The house was well stocked with cooking utensils and we saved a lot of money by eating in. The back sliding door does come off the slider at times and it can make it difficult for kids to open and close. This house easily slept our family of five and I will be back again. Thank you so much for making our vacation perfect!
After looking at subpar VRBOs and AirBnBs in this area Karen's house stood out. It was just as advertised. Very comfortable. Kitchen pretty stocked. We enjoyed the pool much more than we anticipated and really appreciated the fast internet!
Thanks again for everything!
|Rate Period
|Weekend Night
|Monthly *
Jan 1 2017 - Dec 31 2017
7 night minimum stay
Jan 1 2018 - Dec 31 2018
7 night minimum stay
My Standard Rate
7 night minimum stay
|No additional mandatory fees
|Refundable damage deposit
* Approximate monthly rate. Actual rate will depend on the days of the month you stay.


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Protecting the public from harm and allowing them to go about their normal daily business with the minimum of intrusion can be a fine balancing act and it is inevitable that police officers will not always get it right. But it is important that we remind ourselves why we use these powers. The terrorist threat is still very real and as long as a renewed attack is a strong possibility we all need to remain vigilant, not only the police but the public too.
Having said that, everyone – photographers, members of the media and the general public – has a right to take photographs and film in public places. It's as simple and as clear as that.
Police officers need the public on their side in order to do an effective job. We are here to serve our public and uphold the rights they enjoy in this country. The threat of terrorism is real, particularly in London, and the power to stop and search anyone under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 is an important one. That power, however, only applies in specially designated areas and has to be renewed by the Home Secretary every 28 days.
Police can also stop people and ask them to account for their actions, commonly referred to as a stop and account. Officers are then required by law to record details of that encounter, although the person stopped is under no obligation to provide them.
It is the job of police officers to be vigilant, to keep an eye out for any suspicious behaviour and to act accordingly. Taking photographs, however, is not normally cause for suspicion and there are no powers prohibiting the taking of photographs, film or digital images in a public place. I would like to see a return to common sense policing where officers feel able to talk to the public and have a conversation with them, without the need to record every detail or draw on police powers.
London in particular is one of the world's top tourist attractions and there must be millions of photographs of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
Earlier this year I wrote to chief officers offering clear guidance around use of these powers and emphasising the importance of ensuring it is fully understood. Acpo also held regional seminars around the country to reinforce the message.
British policing is built on consent, proportionality, trust and accountability. 99 times out of 100 engaging with someone on an informal basis will assure officers that whatever they are doing is not suspicious. Then everyone can continue with their normal course of business.
Andy Trotter is chairman of the Association of Chief Police Officers Media Advisory Group
- More about:
- Northumbria Police
- Photography
- Police
- Tourism


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In the past, there have been many incidents involving hydrofoil boats with single engine. In 2012, the country saw six incidents in which the boat broke down while transporting passengers on sea.
The Departments must therefore check safety measures, route, departure location and condition of boat, before re-issuing permit, emphasized by the Ministry's dispatch.
Concerning management of speed boats, the ministry has asked the Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration to issue to the media all information of the hotline between rescue forces and boat owners.
The hotline must also be located at a place on the boat where passengers can easily see it and call for help in an emergency.


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Sean Tizzle
Sean Tizzle is finally putting speculations to rest and coming clean about his relationship with popular female Dj, Dj Cuppy.
The singer blamed the media for the failure of his 'relationship' with the daughter of billionaire tycoon Femi Otedola.
Tizzle made the disclosure during a recent interview with The Nation, also explaining what his post from last August, which insinuated a romantic relationship between the pair, really meant.
Sharing a photo of Cuppy, he wrote:
"God bless my Cupcake Ifeoluwa aka Cuppy. Like Jay Z and Beyonce, it's just me and my future Abiamo. #Kisses."
The post which gave rise to wild speculations of a relationship between the pair, wasn't taken too lightly by Cuppy, a situation which may have further estranged the pair.
Now, Tizzle explains to the publication that he simply had a crush on the talented disc jockey.
"No, we were not dating. She's just my friend and we are cool like that. People just took it wrong, although I like her for so many things."
When asked if he ever had a crush on her, he replied honestly:
"Yes, I was. I told her before but she was in school then and she was trying to focus on her education.
"When the media put that out she didn't take it too lightly and that kind of affected the relationship.
"But me I go go work that work to come tell her back say what's up girl, can we do it again?"
Dj Cuppy has since been rumoured to be in a relationship with footballer, Victor Anichebe.


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This boat is immaculate with only 320 hours!
A very well cared for and low hour example of the very popular Hunter 45 Center- Cockpit.
This particular boat is loaded with equipment to make cruising a breeze -
– Excellent Raymarine electronics package
– Generator
– Inverter
– High output alternator
– Dual zone air-conditioning
– Cockpit enclosure
– Dinghy davits
– Just 320 hours on main engine!
– Much more, please see full spec tab
The owners have taken excellent care of the boat seasonally and the overall condition truly shows.
We don't anticipate this boat to last long, so please call now.
The email with password reset instructions has been sent to . If you will not receive email from us within next few minutes please check your spam folder.
If you're having issues resetting your password let us know.


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Jennifer Lopez Gossip
Jennifer Lopez gossip, latest news, photos, and video.
JLO's new album is a year late
Thelonius/ Sharpshooter Images/ Splash
Jennifer Lopez's new album AKA dropped yesterday. She spent the day in New York doing promotion and gathered with friends and family to celebrate. It was evidently a pink day. You know what word I keep hearing about her right now in reference to the record? Twerk. Ugh. It's because she released a teaser video for the song Booty. Full Story
JLO opens the World Cup
Buda Mendes/ Elsa/ Getty
This song is a mess. I don't even know what it actually sounds like. And they didn't even have to sing live. But the music wasn't the point. The point was her embellished tights. Also, Pitbull's pants. Brazilian recording artist Claudia Leitte's all like, hey what about me? Please. Full Story
JLO and another dancer?
PEOPLE addressed the rumours yesterday that Jennifer Lopez and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are dating. Apparently they've been hanging out. And it's definitely not a relationship yet but there's interest and it could happen. US Weekly Full Story
JLO to the World Cup
Dave Spencer/ Splash
You ready? The FIFA World Cup starts tomorrow. This is why no one in Europe will be going to the movies for an entire month. This is why Laura, our supervising producer on The Social will be screaming at the television for an entire month (or less – ha!). Full Story
The un-slumming of Jennifer Lopez
Santi/ Splash
Look at her. In New York yesterday continuing to promote her new album. I love it when she scrapes her hair back. She has such a great forehead for it. Also, even though she wears her hair up a lot, it always reminds of when she and Ben Affleck "delayed" their wedding. It was September 2003. Full Story
The end of Slum Love
TMZ and US Weekly are both reporting that Jennifer Lopez and Slum Bear Casper Smart have ended their relationship. Rather than blaming it on cheating or inappropriate behaviour, both outlets claim it's been heading this way for a while. Full Story
Don't slum this away
Rick Davis/ Splash, Kevin Mazur/ Dave Kotinsky/ Getty
JLO performed at home in the Bronx last night. There were many costume changes, including an outfit that was an homage to her infamous Grammys Versace dress. We just talked about JLO on The Social today. My colleague Cynthia Loyst, a trained belly dancer, posited that JLO isn't an amazing dancer. Full Story
The last days of Slum Bear?
PEOPLE posted an article late yesterday about Jennifer Lopez and the status of her relationship with her Slum Lover Casper Smart. The title: Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart Are Still Together – 'Technically,' Source Says Technically. Full Story
Jolie, JLO
FameFlynet, North Woods/ Splash
No connection. I just opened up the photo agency database and saw that they were both in New York today and making the same face. So I thought I'd side-by-side the two just for kicks. Angelina Jolie is in New York and was photographed leaving a meeting today. The paps were apparently surprised that she opened the gate for herself. Full Story
Ben Affleck's gambling
Ethan Miller/ Getty
Oh the Ups and Downs of gambling… Ahem. AHEM. I mean, if that wasn't obvious enough. And if it was obvious, you should not be surprised about what happened to Ben Affleck in Vegas last week. He was at the Hard Rock playing blackjack, allegedly counting cards. The casino busted him and has reportedly banned him from gaming. Full Story
JLO tonight
FOX/ Getty
Jennifer Lopez will perform I Luh Ya Papi on American Idol tonight. Here she is on the show last night. If the performance is anything like the video… I have to tell you, I am obsessed with this video. The video is straight up makeup, hair, and dance porn. Have you seen it? I've seen it probably too many times. Full Story


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Purple Halloween Icicle Light Set, 105-Count
This item is currently out of stock.
Adorn your home in haunting purple hues with this 105-count icicle light set! Hang from your roof or around your home as illuminating mini lights glow vengefully. Use the strand by itself or connect up to 5 sets (sold separately) for a complete Halloween makeover.
- 105 - Rich purple mini lights on icicle strands
- If one or more bulbs burn out, others stay lit
- Connect up to 5 sets on a single outlet
- Lighted length: 9'
- Total length: 10'
- Wattage: 43.2
- UL® listed
- For decorative use only
Shipping & Returns
If you have the option to "Add to Cart", this item is available for shipping. If not, enter your zip code to find a store near you.
Questions? Visit our Shipping FAQS for more info about shipping. For questions about returns see our Returns Policy.


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unimpressed, unmoved, disappointed by lack of cerebral prowess or performance, failure to meet expectations, failure to provide evidence to support arguments
His performance did not wow me at all, I was totally underwhelmed.
by go big or go home January 01, 2004
Antonym of overwhelmed.
by geogoldman June 01, 2009