text:
|"It's all right. People usually assume that I'm daddy's helpless little girl, but I can handle myself."
|— Asami accepting Korra's apology.[1]
Asami Sato is the only child of the former wealthy industrialist, Hiroshi Sato[6] and his wife, Yasuko.[1][7] Although a nonbender, when she discovered that her father was working with the Equalists, she rejected his hatred of benders[1] and actively fought against the Equalists as a member of Team Avatar.[8] After her father's imprisonment, she became the new Chief Executive Officer of Future Industries, planning to bring the company back to the peak of economic dominance and restore its reputation. Two weeks after Harmonic Convergence, she joined her friends in the search for the new airbenders. However, their search stopped when the Red Lotus attempted to kidnap Avatar Korra in Zaofu and they worked to bring the organization down instead. Three years later, in 174 AG, Asami assisted in defeating Kuvira and began a romantic relationship with her best friend, Korra.[5][9]
Early life
When Asami was six, her mother was killed during a break-in and robbery of their mansion by the Agni Kai Triad.[1][7] After her mother's murder, Hiroshi had Asami trained by the best self-defense teachers in the city to ensure she would always be able to protect herself. Although unknown to her, the occurrence also resulted in her father developing a grudge against all benders that would culminate in him joining the Equalists and becoming their weapons' manufacturer.[1]
- Main article: History of Asami Sato (152 AG - 170 AG)
Some time after Avatar Korra's arrival in Republic City, Asami accidentally ran into Mako with her moped when he suddenly crossed the street to catch a trolley. Feeling guilty over the accident, she apologized and, after recognizing him as the captain of the Fire Ferrets, she invited him to dinner at Kwong's Cuisine. After hearing of the Fire Ferrets' financial situation and as a big pro-bending fan, Asami convinced her father to sponsor the team through Future Industries. After that, their relationship grew further.[7]
After the Pro-bending Arena was attacked,[10] Asami offered shelter to Mako and Bolin at the Sato estate. Shortly afterward, Korra accused Hiroshi of being an Equalist, causing Lin, Tenzin, and the Metalbending Police Force to search her home, who discovered Korra had been correct. Asami was deeply hurt by her father's allegiance and chose to fight against him and the Equalists.[1]
Together with Korra, Bolin, and Mako, Asami formed the new Team Avatar and naturally assumed the role of the team's driver. While trying to protect the nonbenders of Dragon Flats borough, Tarrlok arrested her for being a nonbender out after curfew, though she was freed shortly after by Lin Beifong.[8]
When the Equalists attacked Republic City, Asami saved Tenzin from being captured at the police headquarters, before retreating underground with the rest of the team.[11] After breaking up with Mako, she teamed up with Bolin and General Iroh to take down her father's latest invention, biplanes at a nearby airfield.[12] Asami used a mecha tank to destroy all the planes, though was forced to fight her own father when he attacked and tried to kill her. Winning the battle with Bolin's help, she captured him, handing him to the authorities to be imprisoned.[13]
Harmonic Convergence
- Main article: History of Asami Sato (171 AG - Harmonic Convergence)
Six months after Amon's defeat and Hiroshi's imprisonment, Asami had assumed control of Future Industries. However, with the reputation of the company low as a result of her father's association with the Equalists, Asami took a trip to the Southern Water Tribe to meet the entrepreneur Varrick in order to save her company from bankruptcy. With a civil war between the two tribes brewing, Asami joined Korra in attempting to prevent the conflict.
Along with the others, Asami went back to Republic City in order to meet President Raiko. There, she also checked how her company was performing. Noticing that her company needed more money, Varrick suggested she sell the mecha tanks to the Southerners. However, following the theft of Future Industries' shipments, Asami and Mako set up a sting operation with the Triple Threat Triad to capture the thieves. However, the duo was betrayed and the company's entire stock of equipment was stolen. With nowhere else to turn, Asami sold a majority stake of Future Industries to Varrick. She and Mako also started dating again, though was left in doubt of him when he was charged with the theft of her company's products.
Although President Raiko refused to help Korra against Unalaq, Asami readily offered her assistance and traveled down to the South Pole with the rest of Team Avatar on the battleship they acquired from Varrick. Devising a plan to attack from above, she used Varrick's plane to create a diversion with Mako and Bolin, hoping it would provide Korra, Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi with the opportunity to enter the Spirit World. The plan failed, however, and everyone save for Bumi was imprisoned. After Bumi freed them all, Korra instructed Asami to fly a wounded Tonraq back to the healing huts, while the benders would enter the Spirit World in order to stop Unalaq from merging with Vaatu as well as finding Jinora's spirit. Asami remained at the healing hut with Katara, Tonraq, and Senna, watching over Jinora's body. When the young airbender awoke, Asami immediately inquired about the safety of her friends and was relieved to hear that Korra had saved the world.[14]
Discovering new airbenders
Following Harmonic Convergence, Asami met with Korra at President Raiko's press conference. Seeing the Avatar lament her poor approval among the citizens, Asami tried to tell her not to take it to heart, believing it to be nothing but frustration. After returning to Air Temple Island, Asami wondered where Mako was, to which Bolin answered that the firebender remained at police headquarters. Soon after, she became witness to Bumi's newfound airbending abilities. She watched the next day as Bumi attempted to airbend again. Lin and Mako soon visited Air Temple Island and gave the group reports of other airbenders in the city. The young industrialist also watched with concern as Mako acted awkwardly around her and Korra.
Asami and Korra went out for a drive, the former offering her friend the keys to a Satomobile, believing she was capable of a relaxing ride. It turned out to be anything but, as she had to give panicked instructions at points. Once they settled, the two talked about everything that had happened while they were each involved with Mako. Soon, they approached a mass of vines, of which Asami quickly alerted Korra, enabling her to stop just in time.[15]
After Team Avatar decided to travel the Earth Kingdom in the search for airbenders, Asami furnished them with a Future Industries airship, believing they should travel in style. When Asami and the group arrived at the first village, they met Kuon, the new airbender, and joined his family for dinner, but the conversation quickly fell apart when he refused to leave his home. As they left, Asami believed they could have tried harder to convince him to join them. Further visits to villages failed to yield any success, and the group decided to perform an "air show" to help convince other airbenders to join them. When Korra used her airbending to "capture" Mako, who was playing a firebending convict, overdid it somewhat, both Asami and Korra chuckled with joy. After the show was complete, they managed to recruit just one airbender, a boy named Kai, who claimed his parents were killed by outlaws. Instead, the young boy was a thief who was being pursued by the town police force. Still, the group accepted him as he said he would make a change.[16]
In Ba Sing Se
As the group neared Ba Sing Se, Asami watched as Jinora attempted to train Bumi as he sparred unsuccessfully with Kai. Upon arrival in the city, the group went straight to the Earth Kingdom Royal Palace, where they were greeted by Grand Secretariat Gun. Later, after Korra was given orders by Earth Queen Hou-Ting to retrieve tax payments, Asami went with the Avatar to the town they were held in. Just as they were about to return to Ba Sing Se, they were confronted by Gombo and his bandits. The girls were able to fight them off, though after they secured the tax money, Gombo yelled at Korra that the money was for the people, not the queen, causing her to wonder to Asami if they were truly on the right side.[17]
The next day, Asami practiced sparring with Korra as the Avatar vented her frustrations about the Earth Queen exploiting her and lying about the existence of airbenders in the city. When Korra kicked one of Asami's arm pads out of her hand with an airbending-assisted swing kick, she promptly asked for a break, saying Korra's letting off steam was starting to hurt. At that moment, Mako and Bolin arrived, the latter exhaustively trying to explain what happened to them in broken sentences, before Mako clarified that they learned that the Earth Queen was imprisoning airbenders to conscript into her army. At that point, the queen and Grand Secretariat Gun arrived, the latter of whom told the group that airbenders had been reported in the Yang Province, allowing the queen to insist that they could leave by that evening. Asami, however, bought them time by claiming that their airship needed repairs and they would have to stay one more night.
Back at the team's house, Asami listened as they discussed where the airbenders could be. After finding out they were being held underneath the Earth Queen's Temple, they discussed what they could do to free them. Upon hearing a knock at the door, Asami believed it to be the queen, but it was actually Lin, who came to inform the group of the escape of four dangerous criminals who were after Korra; she insisted the Avatar return to Republic City. However, at Korra's insistence to free the airbenders, Lin joined their plan.
At nightfall, Asami retrieved her airship and, upon Lin receiving word from Bumi that they had the airbenders, took off alongside the police chief's airship. The group was able to flee the city successfully with the freed airbenders and made their way to its outskirts. That morning, the group split off, with Tenzin, Jinora, and the airbenders using Asami's airship to venture to the Northern Air Temple, while Asami continued with her friends and Lin to journey for more airbenders with the police airship.[18]
In Zaofu
While the group was taking a rest stop, Asami informed them that she got word on the radio about another airbender having been reported in Zaofu. The team ventured into the city sans Lin, who told them not to tell anyone of her presence. After disembarking from the airship, they were greeted by the city's emissary, Aiwei. As they ventured through the city by train, Asami viewed all the city's sights with awe and listened as Aiwei explained what had happened to Toph. The team was soon introduced to the city's matriarch, Suyin Beifong. At that point, Aiwei informed Suyin that there was one other person who had come with the team having detected Korra's lie with his seismic sense. Korra acknowledged that Lin was with them, and Asami was shocked to learn that Suyin and Lin were related. They ventured back to the airship where Asami watched as their troublesome relationship was explained.
Asami joined the group again as Suyin led them to her home and introduced her family before being told that their accommodations were ready and that an appetizing meal would be prepared for them. The dinner was relatively peaceful until Lin's sarcastic remarks provoked hostility with Suyin. Varrick soon arrived, irking Asami, who wondered what he was doing there. Varrick danced around the question and asked how "their" company was doing, to which Asami reminded him that Future Industries solely belonged her because of his plot to kidnap the president, though the industrialist contested that he was never proven guilty. Asami listened as Varrick explained that he had been granted refuge by Suyin and was working for her as head of the technology department, while pitching to her the idea of a revolutionary high-speed rail.[19]
The next morning, Asami joined her friends, Suyin, and Opal for breakfast. While they were in the dining hall, they were forced to duck when their dishes were yanked over to Varrick's magnetic suit.[20]
Sometime later, Asami watched as Bolin and Korra sparred with Wei and Wing, respectively. She implored the four to clean up and prepare for Opal's farewell dinner. During the meal, Varrick introduced Asami and Korra to an airbender finder. Asami took the device and pointed it at Korra, but nothing registered, leading her to believe it was broken, to which Varrick explained one would need to airbend into it for it to work. At Suyin's call, Asami joined in a toast to Opal and later watched as the airbender left for the Northern Air Temple.
That night, Asami awoke after hearing the calamity that stirred from the arrival of the Red Lotus into the estate and the capture of Korra. She found Mako and Bolin down in front of her door, though assured a worried Mako the criminals would not be able to get far because the guards, Lin, Suyin, Wei, and Wing had them surrounded. However, Ghazan divided the groups with a pool of lava. Asami joined the siblings and Lin in hiding behind metal floor decor. They were saved from a combustion attack by P'Li when Suyin and her twin sons bent another panel in its path to shield them. Asami believed there was no way to cross the moat, which prompted Suyin to devise a plan; her and Lin would dive through the metal dome on cables to rescue Korra. The teenager watched as the strategy played out successfully and Korra was rescued, though had to duck when Zaheer led his group's escape under a cloud of dust. Asami joined the team back at Suyin's office as Korra was given an antidote to recover from the paralysis of shirshu-spit darts.
The group soon realized that a guard was responsible for allowing the Red Lotus to reach them; specifically, a young man named Hong Li. In investigating his house with her friends and Aiwei, Asami found a book full of guard movements and schedules. With that and a message from Zaheer and company to prepare for rendezvous, Team Avatar believed they had enough evidence, but Aiwei insisted they wait until Hong Li cracked. While investigating the battle scene, she listened as Mako expressed his doubts over the guard's guilt. They were surprised there by Varrick, who had come digging for pumice stones. Asami watched in disgust as Zhu Li rubbed them on the industrialist's feet. He explained to the group that if one was to construct a conspiracy, they would tell everyone that someone was guilty and plant the evidence on them, prompting Mako to realize only one man could keep such a secret: Aiwei.
Team Avatar made their way to Aiwei's house and entered in search for evidence. Asami only found an empty book, but when Mako, Bolin, and Korra found a secret passageway behind Aiwei's bookshelf, she saw the emissary returning and alerted the trio, but they were caught by him before they could leave. After Korra explained why they were there, he invited them to sit and share tea, asserting the guard's guilt. When he asked who they thought could be guilty, Asami lied, saying they did not know. Aiwei caught on to their suspicion and began to flee by raising a metal wall. Korra guided the team through by bending a hole in it, but as they entered the passageway, they found a bomb, which promptly detonated. Asami was shielded by Mako while the group as a whole was protected by Korra's air sphere. By the time they recovered, Aiwei was gone.
Regathering in Suyin's office, Asami stood by as Korra and Lin argued over the potential search for the group, and was led to believe they would be leaving Zaofu when Suyin agreed with her half-sibling about ensuring Korra's safety. Later, however, they were again approached by the matriarch, who informed the team she had a fully-loaded jeep for them to use in a search for Aiwei. Asami listened as Suyin explained she had only said what she did to please Lin and instead bought the team time to begin their search. Asami rode in the vehicle with Bolin and Mako while Korra rode on Naga, beginning the journey.[21]
Misty Palms Oasis and capture
With Naga's tracking abilities, the team followed Aiwei's trail to just outside the Misty Palms Oasis and made their way to a tavern, hoping to find information on his whereabouts. There, they saw wanted posters of them issued by the Earth Queen because they had freed her airbenders. As Korra was making threats about the queen, Asami noticed the patrons threatening them, prompting the team to leave.
On the oasis' outskirts, Team Avatar found Aiwei's jeep. While Bolin and Mako went into the oasis undercover, Asami scrounged around the jeep for clues. While unsure of why Zaheer and his crew were after Korra, she found a note which instructed Aiwei to go to Xai Bau's Grove at sundown. They tried to find the location on a map, Asami shooing some spirits away in the process, but they were unable to spot it. Mako returned to alert the girls they had found Aiwei going into the Misty Palms Inn, while Asami told him about their own findings. Trying to keep the advantage, Mako suggested a stakeout mission.
The four tried to request the room across from Aiwei's at the inn, but the innkeeper initially denied them service because teenagers had previously trashed another room. They were soon spotted by Macao and Lily. Fearful they may have been bounty hunters, all four took an attacking stance, but the two turned out to actually be fans of Bolin's movers and asked him for his autograph. This fact prompted the innkeeper to grant them a room after all, but the room across from Aiwei's proved to be small, cramping the four, Pabu, and Naga in. After Bolin found a Pai Sho board, Asami decided to play the game with him. When Bolin bragged about his learning of the street variation with Shady Shin, Asami told him she was taught by her "diabolical genius" father and would "destroy" him. At her friend's offer, she took the first move. Asami played the game slowly and with strategy as per her beliefs, confusing Bolin, who thought the game was fast-paced and one of chance. She dismissed the variation as not real, prompting the earthbender to pull out the rulebook. After he read off that the game was described as both one of strategy and chance, Asami took the book, reading the game had many different variations in many cultures. Upon him reading winning the game required knowing one's opponent, the young industrialist suggested she knew Bolin well because she had just pulled a winning move. Asami was subsequently engaged in several games, but won every time over the next few hours. Eventually, in the last game, she appeared to have been beaten, but Pabu jumped on the board, sending the game pieces flying.
Near sundown, after no break in the stakeout, Asami feared Aiwei may have slipped out, but Mako told her otherwise as he had logged a recent movement. Korra decided to confront Aiwei directly, the others trying to stop her. They instead found Aiwei meditating, which brought the Avatar to realize that, when she and Asami were looking the map earlier, the spirits had come to warn them that Xai Bau's Grove was in the Spirit World, which was where the emissary had gone. Asami and her friends kept watch over her physical form as Korra meditated into the other realm herself. After nightfall, they saw Ming-Hua and Ghazan approaching. Asami was advised by Mako to get Korra to safety, which she did by taking her body and riding out with Naga. However, after getting out of the oasis, they were soon trapped in four slabs of rock and placed in a prison transport. When Korra returned to her physical form, believing the Red Lotus had captured them, she asked Asami where they were. Confused about who that group was, Asami informed her friend they were actually taken by the Earth Queen's forces and being returned to Ba Sing Se.[22]
Escape from the airship and the Si Wong Desert
At Fort Bosco, Korra and Asami were loaded onto a Ba Sing Se airship for transport to the capital city. Being chained to the floor of the prison hold, Asami, fearing discomfort, asked the guard, Arik, to be chained to a railing instead, convincing him she would be unable to go anywhere regardless. She subsequently thanked the guard for doing so before he left.
Knowing the queen's airships were produced by Cabbage Corp and thus cheaper than Future Industries' work, Asami came up with a plan. She was able to break the railing off from the wall and jump over it, giving her some freedom to move her hands again, criticizing the ship's construction as "shoddy workmanship". Still, she knew she needed the keys to get Korra out of the locks, and thus used the broken railing to open a floor panel. Heading below the prison hold, Asami instructed her friend to call for help in five minutes.
After getting the keys and hearing Korra's help signal, she knocked out the distracted Arik and unlocked the Avatar's restraints. They made their way to the cockpit and, after Korra beat back the captain and co-pilot, Asami tried to take control, only to find Korra's attacks had damaged the steering and radio system while the airship was descending rapidly. She urged the Avatar to grab onto something as the airship crashed into a sand dune.
When the two emerged on the ship's roof, Asami stated any landing one could walk away from was good, but was skeptical in this case because they were stuck in the desert. She was not sure if the airship could be started again as it needed to be dug out even if Korra metalbent the propellers back into place. After the crew re-emerged and with a need to get to Ba Sing Se as soon as possible, Asami urged the group to work together in getting the airship rebuilt, only to be told by the captain the ship was going nowhere and neither were the girls as they were still prisoners. Asami, however, soon spotted a creature roaming underneath the stand, which convinced the crew to join in an attempt to repair the airship.
The industrialist was able to get the ship functional again and told Kong to get the engine started, but just as this was done, the creature from earlier, a sand shark, emerged and destroyed the airship. Following the initial shock, the group ran as the ship and its supplies fell around them. At the captain's suggestion they would need to wait just a few hours for help, Asami was not sure they had such time. She suggested the construction of a makeshift sand-sailer with the remnant metal, needing a sail and a sled.
Upon completion, Asami commented the ship was not pretty but would do the job. The group appeared to have successfully fled the creature pursuing them, only for it to make an attempt to swallow them whole. However, Korra used her firebending to throw it down, giving them a safe escape to the Misty Palms Oasis. With the sailer breaking upon arrival, she jokingly asked the Sandbender Tribes if they wanted to buy it. The captain thanked her for getting them out and complimented her on having a good head before he and his crew left the girls.
Asami and Korra made their way to a tavern, where they found Tonraq, Lin, and Lord Zuko. Asami asked if they had found Bolin and Mako, to which Lin told them that the Red Lotus had taken them per eyewitness reports she received. The two girls were asked by Tonraq if they heard what had happened to the Earth Queen. Confused, they promptly heard over the radio that the queen was overthrown and Ba Sing Se was in chaos.[23]
Reunion and attempt to warn Tenzin
After Naga and Pabu found that Bolin and Mako had made their way to the Misty Palms Oasis, Asami and Korra emerged from the tavern. Asami hugged Bolin tightly while she was slightly lifted off her feet. She was soon mistaken for the Avatar by Mako and Bolin's grandmother, Yin, who said she was a nice girl. She also grew a bit nervous when Yin asked Mako why he was not dating someone nice like them, turning the conversation to what had happened to the brothers. After they explained the dire risk of Zaheer wiping out the new Air Nation and with the group needing a solid radio signal, Asami went with them to Zaofu.
At Zaofu, the group learned Suyin and her guards had found a signal at the Northern Air Temple, but were not getting any answers. When Korra went to meditate and attempt to find Zaheer in the Spirit World, Asami came along with her, watching over her body while she ventured in. After Korra returned, Asami asked her friend if she found Zaheer, to which she was told she found someone else and needed to talk to another person.[24]
Double-cross and escape
Asami flew to the Northern Air Temple on a Zaofu airship with her friends, Lin, Suyin, Tonraq, and other Metal Clan guards. She stood by as they discussed plans to ambush the Red Lotus, looking oddly at Bolin as he proposed using bird calls and disguising himself as a hiker. When Korra suggested surrendering herself, Asami was shocked, saying she could not expect them to stand by while Zaheer took her. She gave a silent nod in support, nonetheless, toward the suggestion of saving the airbenders first. After Korra radioed Zaheer, Asami and the others were told by the Avatar of his new terms: she go to Laghima's peak alone at noon and turn herself over before he released the airbenders. Suyin suggested using their numbers advantage to launch an attack, telling Asami to go with Mako and Bolin to the temple via airship to retrieve the airbenders. Before they separated, the industrialist embraced Korra, telling her to be careful.
Asami piloted the airship to the Northern Air Temple and landed them in the courtyard. When Ghazan came out to lead the way, she and Bolin looked at each other confusedly and eyed him suspiciously, but followed nonetheless. The two were led to Tenzin and what appeared to be the other airbenders. Asami and Bolin began trying to release Tenzin from his chains when they realized they were double-crossed; what they believed to be the airbenders were actually sacks of water maintained by Ming-Hua. As Mako and Bolin tried to fight off Ghazan and Ming-Hua, Asami used a hair pin to unlock Tenzin's bonds. At that point, Ghazan used his lavabending to block off the exit for the four, resulting in the hot liquid beginning to flood the temple. Asami was able to free the airbending master and asked where Oogi was, only to be told he had fled during the initial attack; he instead pointed them toward secret passageways out. She and Mako helped sustain Tenzin as they tried to outrun the lava with Bolin trying to block the flow with earth walls. They tried to sneak out through another passageway, only to be left at the mountain's edge and lava closing in on them. Bolin, however, saved them by bending the lava back and stopping its flow. At that moment, Kai arrived on his baby bison, Lefty, and led the group away from the collapsing temple.
The entire group reunited at a forest away from the temple, where they were informed that Korra had been taken away by Zaheer, who had recently achieved flight. Kai informed them he had seen the airbenders be taken to a secret cave by Red Lotus sentries. With Oogi having returned to them, the group was able to fly together to the location in question.[25]
Rescuing the airbenders
Asami piloted Oogi as Kai led them to the prison caves. Save for Tenzin, the group went in and ambushed the Red Lotus sentries; the industrialist used her electrified glove to stun one of them. She took the keys and helped free the airbenders one-by-one. While Tonraq, Mako, and Bolin went to find Korra, Asami and the others helped get the captives out. She waited outside the cave and watched as the airbenders combined to make a tornado which helped save Korra and throw Zaheer to the ground. Asami ran over to the poisoned Avatar, watching with worry as Suyin tried to bend the metallic poison out of Korra. She stood over her and Tonraq after the poison was drawn out of her.
Two weeks later on Air Temple Island, Asami helped Korra, who was confined to a wheelchair, prepare for her appearance at Jinora's airbending mastery ceremony. Seeing her friend still upset over what had happened, she assured her no one expected her to recover right away and squeezed her hand, saying she was there for her and urging the Avatar to enjoy the day for Jinora. She wheeled Korra out to meet with her family, Tenzin's family, the Beifong sisters, Raiko, and Zuko. The girls, Ikki, and Meelo were helped up the stairs when Lin used a slab of rock to elevate them.
At the ceremony, Asami watched as Tenzin praised Jinora and Korra for all they had done to help restore and save the Air Nation and as the former's airbending master tattoos were revealed.[26]
After Jinora's ceremony, Asami went to the ferry dock to say goodbye to Korra, though emphasized to the Avatar that she really would not mind accompanying her to the Southern Water Tribe. However, when Korra stated that she needed some time for herself, Asami understood and waved her off with the rest of Team Avatar and their friends. In the following months, she wrote Korra and in one of her letters, she stated that she missed her friend, noting that Republic City was not the same without her. She reported that she was able to land a big contract to help redesign the city's infrastructure, a task that would keep her busy for a while. Asami was the only one out of Team Avatar who received replies to her letters and the one in whom Korra confided about her situation.[27] Meanwhile, Asami also allowed Mako and Bolin's extended family to stay at her family's estate after their own house in Ba Sing Se had burned down during the chaos during the anarchy in the Earth Kingdom.[28]
Modernizing Republic City
Asami continued her work to redeem Future Industries and by 174 AG, she was thanked by President Raiko during a public opening ceremony for modernizing Republic City's Central City Station. After cutting the ribbon for the grand reopening, Asami answered some questions from the press, though her conversation was cut short when she was approached by Prince Wu, who flirted with her using his status as the first in line for the vacant Earth Kingdom throne. When asked to give the prince a private tour of the station, Asami dismissed the request by stating that she was fond of the idea of putting Wu on a train and sending him off. The prince was not deterred and Asami was eventually saved from his unwanted flirtatious comments by Mako, who told the prince that President Raiko desired to discuss the Earth Kingdom throne with him. Asami asked Mako how he tolerated his position as Wu's body guard and afterward expressed her happiness to see him again, asking if he had heard from Bolin. Upon being told that he was set to arrive in a couple of days and that Korra would be returning that night, she expressed her desire to see the Avatar again, happy to be getting Team Avatar back together.
That night, Asami attended dinner on Air Temple Island with Tenzin's family, Lin, Wu, and the presidential couple. She was sitting at the table with the airbending family when an Air Acolyte announced the arrival of a Southern Water Tribe ship, much to her excitement. She and the group gathered at the dock to greet Korra, though after Tonraq stepped off the ship and told them that his daughter had left for Republic City six months prior, Asami was left concerned as no one had an idea about the Avatar's whereabouts.[29] Asami later attended Wu's coronation as the new Earth King and bore witness to Kuvira's declaration of usurping power over the Earth Kingdom, renaming it "Earth Empire".[30]
Facing her past
Some time later, Asami traveled to the Republic City prison after receiving several letters from Hiroshi, none of which she had opened. Although she was warmly greeted by her father, she did not acknowledge it and merely slid the letters toward him, stating that he needed to stop writing her as she did not want to see or hear him ever again. As she moved to leave, Asami stayed upon Hiroshi's request to hear him out. Hearing him praise her, stating her to be the "greatest thing [he] ever created", she teared up and ran out of the meeting room. She retreated to Avatar Korra Park, where she witnessed a father playing with his daughter. Overcome with nostalgia of how she and her father used to be, Asami returned to the prison. As a surprised Hiroshi commented on the fact that she came back, Asami admitted that she had initially came to tell him face-to-face that she wanted nothing to do with him anymore in an attempt to hurt him like he had hurt her. However, she admitted that when she had laid eyes on him, she had only felt sadness over how he had tainted their past and destroyed their future together. Although she was unsure if she would ever be able to forgive him, she was willing to try and proposed to play a game of Pai Sho for old time's sake.[31]
A tense reunion
Learning of Korra's return to Republic City, Asami made plans to have lunch with her and Mako. She read an engineering magazine while awaiting her friend's arrival. When Korra showed up and asked if Asami had been waiting long, the businesswoman surged to her feet and hugged the younger woman, good-heartedly stating that she had only been waiting for three years. Expressing her joy over reuniting with her, Asami appraised her friend, complimenting her on her new, shorter hairdo, causing the Avatar to blush, before the industrialist led her inside the restaurant to meet up with Mako, who had reserved a table for them. Asami grew annoyed, however, when it became apparent that Prince Wu would be crashing their reunion. As Korra refused to enter the Avatar State on the royal's request, Asami inquired if she had regained that ability, revealing that she had been worried when Korra had told her she could not. This statement sparked frustration on Mako's part, however, since he felt left out by the girls for not having been contacted by Korra or told about the contact by Asami. When Korra progressed the conversation, asking to know everything about their lives while she had been gone, Asami announced that she had big news, revealing that she had visited her father. She grew irritated, however, when Korra asked if she was certain Hiroshi could be trusted and was not manipulating her again, causing her to snap at the Avatar that she was well aware of what her father was capable of. She added that it was not Korra's place to second-guess her actions and decide what was best for her, since she had disappeared for three years. Their brewing argument was interrupted and the subject was changed when Prince Wu announced he needed to go to the bathroom.
When Wu stayed absent for a suspicious amount of time, the team made their way toward the bathrooms, where Asami and Korra remained in the hallway while Mako inspected the men's restroom. As Korra was attacked, having followed a lead on her own, Asami and Mako rushed out the back door to see if they could help, though they promptly turned around to retrieve Asami's car, when Korra announced that Wu had been kidnapped. Asami pulled up next to Korra, urging her to get inside the vehicle, and quickly gave chase. She narrowly avoided colliding against the wall erected by one of the kidnappers in order to shake them. When Mako grew frustrated with her, having told her to take a particular route which she did not, Asami told the firebender that she knew the streets better than he did, having built some of them. As such, she maneuvered her car on a bridge that led them to drive parallel with the kidnappers' vehicle, albeit on a higher road. While Korra jumped down to take care of the kidnappers, Asami followed the road and pulled up next to Korra and the now apprehended suspect moments later.
As it became apparent that Wu was not in the truck anymore, Asami pointed out that the prince was likely placed in another vehicle when they lost sight of them, adding dejectedly that it would be a difficult search as he could be in one of the thousands of cars riding around in the city or any other mode of transportation. She watched as Korra placed a hand on a nearby spirit vine and subsequently declared that Wu was being taken to the train station, prompting her to confusedly ask how Korra knew. En route, she was told that Korra had learned to connect to people's energy via the spirit vines and wanted to know more about Toph Beifong, who had taught the Avatar that technique.
The conversation was cut short when they arrived at the train station, where Asami slid on her electrified glove and followed her friends inside. Not knowing which train Wu was on, the three split up to cover more ground, though after a futile search, Asami approached Korra, noting that they needed to find the prince soon, lest they would never find him again. As the Avatar guided them to the train leaving for Omashu, they jumped on and started searching the wagons. They made their way to the luggage cart, where Asami urged her bickering friends to silence, enabling them all to hear a tapping coming from inside a chest, which turned out to be caused by Wu. When Kuvira's agents started to close in on them, Asami was helped atop the roof of the train by Korra. There, Asami took down one of their attackers by shocking him with her glove. She was pushed back, however, when another assailant started to metalbend the floor from underneath her feet and was grabbed by Korra, who encircled their little party with air, enabling them all to make a safe landing when they jumped off the speeding train and down a bridge.
Dusting herself off, Asami noted that their rescue mission reminded her of their old times together, save for the "getting on each other's nerves part". When Korra apologized for the earlier tension, Asami waved it off, since she deemed it natural that they would need a transition period after being separated for three years. Reconciling their differences, Asami, Mako, and Korra shared a hug, while keeping Prince Wu at a distance. Searching for a place where they could safely leave the royal, Asami and the others went to the Sato estate, where the prince would stay with Mako's family already residing there.[28]
Asami traveled back to Air Temple Island with Korra, where she brought her some tea after the young woman had retreated to the meditation pavilion, believing she might have been cold. Noticing Korra's distant demeanor, Asami inquired whether she was okay and firmly told Korra that Toph's notion of the Avatar being redundant and it being pointless to try and stop Kuvira was ridiculous. To emphasize her point, she countered Korra's self-deprecating memories of her failures in regards to Amon with all the good things that had come from that confrontation, such the decapitation of the Equalist movement and allowing for free election to be held in the United Republic, which increased the representation of nonbenders, all actions that gave people hope. As Korra continued to reminisce about the bad consequences of failing to bring balance with Unalaq, Asami brought attention to the good consequences, namely the resurfacing of airbending and the positive shift in the world Korra had caused. When Korra pointed out that Zaheer had also received airbending and caused the world to be more out of balance than ever, Asami was shocked to learn that Tenzin agreed with Korra, though as the airbending master clarified that the importance of facing hardship was to learn from it, Asami was thanked by Korra for her efforts of cheering her up.[32]
Defending Republic City
As one of the two most brilliant minds in Republic City, Asami was called to City Hall by President Raiko to work together with Varrick to find a defense against Kuvira's spirit vine-charged super weapon. When Varrick pointed out to Raiko that he only allegedly tried to kidnap him, Asami scoffed at the eccentric inventor, snapping that everything he ever did was "allegedly", such as taking over her company and bombing the Southern Water Tribe Cultural Center. Regardless, Asami accepted to be partners again with him, though when shaking Varrick's offered hand, she placed it in a lock to emphasize her threat that he better not double-cross her again.[33]
After witnessing dragonfly hummingbirds, Asami got the idea to create a flying mecha suit that could fly in any direction, even straight up. However, when she, Varrick, Korra, Mako, Wu, and Tenzin met with Raiko again in his office, she was cheated out of revealing the plans to the president by Varrick, though he still gave her credit for the idea.[34]
After developing some prototypes of the hummingbird mecha suit in her office, Asami moved production of the suits to one of her factories. Later, when it became known that Kuvira planned to attack Republic City in two weeks, Asami talked to Korra, Mako, and Bolin and decided that they would try to take out the spirit energy cannon in order to increase the United Forces' chances of winning against Kuvira. Discovering the army the next day to only being hours away from the city, a week before they had been expecting them, Asami was shocked to see the enormous mecha suit that was transporting the cannon. After narrowly avoiding being shot out of the sky twice, Team Avatar returned to Air Temple Island, where they reported on Kuvira's progress. With the attack imminent, Asami stated that she would return to her factory in an attempt to finish construction on a few hummingbird mecha suits; she was joined by Mako, Bolin, Suyin, Wei, and Wing. From there, she witnessed in shock how Kuvira destroyed the United Forces battleships in a matter of seconds.
After Korra joined them and revealed that Raiko had surrendered, leaving the fate of the city in their hands, Asami noted that perhaps they could cripple the enormous mecha suit carrying the spirit energy cannon. After Korra and a stealth team of airbenders kidnapped Baatar Jr. and brought him to the factory as well, Asami stood by while Korra and Suyin tried to convince him to reveal how they could defeat the enormous mecha suit. After Baatar Jr. contacted Kuvira and seemingly succeeded to convince her to cease her conquest of the United Republic, Asami was forced to run for her life when Kuvira traced Baatar Jr.'s radio call toward the factory and blew it up with her spirit energy cannon.[35]
Asami managed to survive the explosion and emerged from the rubble with everyone else when Bolin lifted a large piece of concrete. Although all the hummingbird mecha suits at the factory had been destroyed, Asami mused that she and Varrick could modify the prototypes at her office in order to get them airborne and provide the benders, who would try to take out Kuvira's spirit cannon in the meantime, with air support.
Despite their best efforts, Asami and Varrick had trouble getting the hummingbird suits to work. Believing Varrick had fixed the hydraulics, Asami and Zhu Li tested out one of the suits, though she soon discovered that she was unable to stabilize the machine and it spun out of control, causing them to crash. When Daw warned them that a platoon of mecha suits was incoming, Varrick ordered Asami to disconnect all the electrical devices in her office to protect them against the electromagnetic pulse he would create.
When the benders regrouped at her office, Asami was surprised to see her father appear as well. When he suggested to use Future Industries' plasma saws to cut through the platinum armor of Kuvira's enormous mecha suit, Asami interjected that those were too large and heavy to be carried by the relatively small hummingbird suits. Following Hiroshi's lead, she, Varrick, and Zhu Li added an electrical element to the welding torches already on their suits and converted them into plasma saws. As Daw alerted them that Kuvira was incoming once more, Asami noted that they needed at least a few more minutes, prompting the benders to face the enormous mecha suit again in order to stall its advance. After she and her father conducted a successful test by cutting a piece of plasma, Asami thanked him for all that he had done, though he instantly returned the compliment, praising her for the design of the hummingbird suits. As he emphasized how wonderful he thought it was to be working again with her, placing his hand over hers, Asami told her father she loved him, a sentiment he immediately returned. The two subsequently boarded the same mecha suit, with Asami being the pilot and Hiroshi manning the welding torch.
Asami piloted their hummingbird suit to the right thigh of Kuvira's enormous mecha suit, enabling Hiroshi to deploy the magnets on the feet of their suit and start welding, though was quickly forced to abort their attempt, lest they would be crushed. After Korra froze the enormous mecha suit with water from a nearby canal, Asami and Hiroshi tried again on the same spot. As Kuvira started to break the ice locking her in, Asami warned her father that they needed to leave, though he merely answered that he had almost succeeded in cutting a hole. When Kuvira freed one of her suit's arms, Asami yelled that they really had to leave that instant, though Hiroshi made the conscious choice to finish the mission and continue welding. He sadly said his goodbyes to her and with a final "I love you", he flipped the switch to her ejection seat. While floating away to safety with her parachute, Asami watched in horror as her father was crushed to death as he finished cutting the hole.[36]
Having made a safe landing, Asami ran through the streets of Republic City, though was forced to hide inside the hall of a nearby building, when she rounded a corner and was met with a wave of energy caused by the firing of the spirit energy cannon inside Republic City's Spirit Wilds. As the smoke cleared out, Asami made her way to the heart of the Spirit Wilds, where now a new spirit portal was located. Realizing Korra and Kuvira were nowhere to be found, Asami, aided by the rest of Team Avatar and their allies, set out to search the area. After all the spirits returned a moment later, she was glad to see that Korra emerged from the portal as well. After Kuvira was handcuffed and escorted away, Asami placed a hand on Korra's shoulder and embraced her from behind when the others joined in and made it a group hug.
Asami attended Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding at Air Temple Island, where she sat between Mako and Korra. After the ceremony, she approached Tenzin and Korra, alerting the airbending master that Varrick intended to use a glidersuit to jump off the tower. Left alone, Asami accepted Korra's invitation to sit with her, as the Avatar did not feel ready to return to the party. Gazing out over the skyline of Republic City, Asami was surprised to find Korra apologizing for being absent for three years. She quickly noted that there was no need to apologize, emphasizing that she was glad Korra was there now, as she could not have coped with the loss of her father and Korra on the same day. Wiping away the tears that had welled up in her eyes, Asami leaned into Korra's embrace and noted that she was relieved she had been able to forgive Hiroshi before he died. When Korra inquired about their next move, Asami stated that she did not feel like returning to the party and could use a vacation. When Korra suggested to go anywhere she wanted, just the two of them, she proposed to travel to the Spirit World. The two changed back into their casual clothing and, upon approaching the portal, they held hands. Stepping in, they turned to each other and held both hands while gazing romantically into each other's eyes.[9]
Asami is a sweet and caring young woman, yet she is also independent and capable of fending for herself in tough situations. Even though she is quite used to luxury due to her wealthy background, she does not think of herself as "daddy's little girl", despite what some may think,[1] and maintains a humble and modest demeanor, using her wealth and abilities to help others. Asami has also developed a tough side and is unafraid to stand up for what she believes in.
Asami's high morality and judgment prevented her from developing any prejudice against benders in general, despite the murder of her mother at the hands of a bender. She was able to choose the moral high ground above the only family ties she still had left, her father, showcasing her strong character.[8]
Asami's strong character is showcased best in the face of hardships and, although hurt and offended, Asami showed no spite toward Korra, even when she was threatening to steal her boyfriend. Her caring nature was still prevalent, even after her break up with Mako, as she wished him well before he embarked on a dangerous mission.[12] Despite this, she felt resentment toward her father, burdened by his betrayal, the consequences of which carried through on a personal and business level. In contrast to her usual caring and sympathetic nature, she could muster no sympathy or forgiveness toward her father for years, desiring to hurt him as much as he had hurt her. However, after receiving a heartfelt apology and noticing how much he was suffering from his own guilt, she was willing to at least try to give him another chance.[31]
Combat skills
Asami is highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat. From a young age, her father enrolled her in the best self-defense classes there were, so she would be able to protect herself. Her prowess was great enough to easily disarm the Equalists' Lieutenant and knock him out with his own weapon,[1] and she was similarly able to evade attacks from five chi blockers before using an electrified glove to stun them.[11] Asami has also proven herself to be nimble; she was able to jump over a speeding motorcycle while kicking the rider off, still managing to land gracefully,[17] and also dodged an earthbending attack by a Red Lotus sentry before stunning him in one fluid motion.[26]
Other skills
Asami is an expert driver, having learned through testing her father's Satomobiles, and is fully capable of rivaling Equalist motorcyclists. She can also drive motorboats and sand-sailers, skillfully being able to escape and divert enemies during speed chases.[23][37] Having assisted her father in operating their company, Asami is capable of controlling any other vehicle engineered by Future Industries, such as mopeds, forklifts, and mecha tanks, which she noted were operated similarly. As such, she has developed an keen eye on technology workmanship, being able to discern high-quality products from subpar ones, as evidenced when she criticized Cabbage Corp's airships for utilizing lighter materials.[17]
Asami is a practical thinker and a capable engineer, able to repair and construct vehicles with limited resources, such as when she improvised a makeshift sand-sailer using materials from a destroyed airship.[23] She is also a skilled Pai Sho player, proving herself to be a good methodical strategist[22] and can pick locks with her hair pins, able to free Tenzin through this method in the Northern Air Temple.[25]
- Main article: Asami Sato's relationships
- The lineage of the Sato family can be traced back to the first Fire Nation colonists.[38] Despite this, Asami has green eyes, which are usually associated with people of Earth Kingdom descent, instead of the standard amber for those of Fire Nation descent.
- Asami is the only known surviving member of the Sato family.
- Seychelle Gabriel, Asami's voice actress, also portrayed Princess Yue in The Last Airbender, making her the only one to have had a role in both the live-action film and the animated series.
- Bryan Konietzko conceived her as a Hollywood Golden Age actress in the Avatar World, with her hair inspired by Rita Hayworth.[39] Although having designed her before watching the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist, Bryan Konietzko stated he was fine with saying that Asami's design was influenced by Lust and is flattered by the fact that people would think so, as "Lust is such a killer design".[40] He did, however, say that he used Lust's lipstick color for Asami.[39]
- Asami, like Katara and Sokka, lost her mother to a firebender at a young age.
- Asami is the third character, after Zuko and Toph Beifong, to have joined the Avatar and to have a father who is antagonistic toward them and their allies.
- Asami's relationship with her father and history somewhat parallels Zuko's: Both their fathers were antagonists to the Avatar, and their actions led to a loss of their high social status for a period of time. Asami and Zuko both opposed their respective fathers' goals and labeled them to be "the worst father", eventually engaging in a duel when their fathers, who tried to kill them for their defiance. They also both assumed their father's mantle after his defeat and subsequent imprisonment and tried to restore the damage their fathers inflicted; Asami worked to renew Future Industries, similar to how Zuko tried to restore the honor of his country.
- Asami's relationship with her father is also similar to Teo's in the respect that they discover that their fathers were secretly building weapons for a cause that their children opposed.
- Asami is the first nonbender to join the new Team Avatar, as well as the first nonbender shown opposing the Equalists.
- Asami is the only member of the new Team Avatar to have a confirmed last name, and the fourth character overall in The Legend of Korra with a confirmed last name.
- Meelo seems to have had a crush on her in Book One: Air, as shown when he called her a "beautiful woman" and when he asked for a piece of her hair.
- The concept art for Book Two: Spirits at San Diego Comic-Con 2012 showed Asami wearing a pilot's outfit. This notable achievement as the only known woman to pilot an aircraft in the Avatar universe could be compared to Amelia Earhart, the first woman to pilot an aircraft solo.
- Asami was originally envisioned as an antagonist, like her father, but after developing her character, the creators realized she would be better as an ally of Korra's.[41] Their plan was to make Asami an Equalist spy who would use Mako as a means to get close to the Avatar.[42]
- Prior to confirmation of Book Two: Spirits, an early script for "Endgame" had Asami join the United Forces at the end of the episode.[43]
- Asami is the second person to be mistaken for the Avatar;[24] the first being Sokka in the comic "Sokka the Avatar" and the episode "The Earth King".
- Asami and her girlfriend, Korra, are the first known LGBTQIA+ individuals in the Avatar universe. The other known individuals are Kya, Aiwei and Kyoshi.[44][45]
|Preceded by
Hiroshi Sato
|Chief Executive Officer of Future Industries
170 AG - present
| Succeeded by


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The pirate site plans to ignore the lawsuits from Elsevier and the American Chemical Society.
GM Salmon Goes Commercial
November 26, 2013|
Environment Canada allows production of genetically modified salmon eggs at commercial levels.
November 26, 2013|
Environment Canada allows production of genetically modified salmon eggs at commercial levels.
November 22, 2013|
Chilly mice develop more tumors; gut bacteria aid cancer treatment; two Y chromosome genes sufficient for assisted reproduction; HIV's "invisibility cloak"
November 21, 2013|
Two genes from the Y chromosome are sufficient to generate male mice capable of fathering healthy offspring via an assisted reproductive technique.
November 21, 2013|
The agency has cleared marketing of four next-generation sequencing devices from Illumina.
November 20, 2013|
Frederick Sanger, who pioneered amino acid and DNA sequencing techniques, has passed away at age 95.
November 20, 2013|
Conflicting clinical trial results leave researchers unsure whether genetic information is useful for determining initial Warfarin dosage.
November 19, 2013|
New Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes point to the existence of an unidentified early human.
November 19, 2013|
Biological tinkerers are not the risk that some have made them out to be, according to a new report.
November 18, 2013|
What researchers are learning as they sequence, map, and decode species' genomes
November 15, 2013|
Combating bacterial persistence; ancient canine evolution; T cells and transplants; sharing omics data and code

subset: commoncrawl


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Danny Grangers return to the Indiana Pacers likely will be delayed a bit longer although no one knows exactly how long.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel said after practice Thursday that the strained calf suffered by Granger last week is worse than previously thought and he doubts the former All-Star forward will play in the teams regular-season opener against Orlando on Tuesday.
Theres a chance he could play (against the Magic), but its probably unlikely, Vogel said.
Granger did not play in Tuesdays 107-89 preseason victory at Atlanta and will not play Friday night in the Pacers preseason finale at Dallas. He missed all but five games last season because of a knee injury.
The calf strain, suffered Oct. 16 against Dallas, is not directly related to the knee injury, but Granger has not practiced for more than a week and Vogel is concerned that has kept the knee from being as strong as it needs to be.
That could be what makes this more than a day-to-day thing, Vogel said.
Granger refused to rule himself out for Tuesday, however.
Thats why we keep saying day to day. he said. Theyre kind of bringing me in to see how Im feeling, so I dont know.
Granger had been the Pacers leading scorer for five consecutive years before last season. He is in the final year of his contract. Entering camp, he was in a close battle with Lance Stephenson who replaced him in the starting lineup for the fifth starting spot this season.
The setback with the calf ensures Stephenson will start, Vogel said.
Well see where Danny is as he heals and that could change down the road, Vogel said. If Danny was healthy and playing great, and Lance is healthy and playing great, I could see stretches throughout the season where Lance was starting, and I could see stretches where Danny is starting.
Those plans are on hold for now for the Pacers, who started the preseason with five losses before winning their past two.
Im real happy about my knee, honestly, Granger said. The calf is just a muscle strain. Thats not a big deal. ... Ive been real happy because my knee has been just fine up till this point, so if I had to get hurt, I was glad that it was just a muscle strain, honestly.
Vogel said he will stick to the regular lineup and rotations Friday night at Dallas, similar to what he will use during the regular season. There could be a few tweaks, though. Chris Copeland, whom the Pacers signed away from the New York Knicks, will get a look at small forward after being used at power forward for most of the preseason.
Starting guard George Hill said the Pacers are tired as the preseason concludes.
I think its only because of the Global Games, Hill said of the Pacers two exhibition games in Asia against the Houston Rockets. I think it kind of messed (up) the schedule there, going over there, re-catching up on your sleep and the time difference.
Weve had six road games and just two home games. Its been tough. But you want to use things like that to teach you how to fight through adversity.


text:
2nd Annual Father's Day Doubles
Hummel Park – Omaha, NE
Sunday, June 16
Open: $65
Amateur: $45
Family: $30
(Team members must be related)
Registration : 8:00-9:00
Player's Meeting : 9:15
Round 1 : 9:30
Lunch Break After 1st round
Round 2 : After Lunch
Tournament Central will be the shelter by the playground ("old" hole 1) to facilitate family fun and yard games while the disc golfers play their rounds.
Hummel Park Disc Golf Course is a work in progress. $5 from each entry fee will go toward course improvements to help make this a world class course for all to enjoy! Any additional donation (including labor) is appreciated!
Once again, Baker's has come through with some cash to feed us. We will be grilling burgers and dogs for a free-will donation to the club. If you want to bring a bag of chips or a side dish or something to share, that would be awesome, too!
Contact Paul at 308-293-2697 for further details.


text:
New York -- Starbucks Corp. is expanding its drive-thru format, the chain said in its first-quarter earnings call. According to company officials, more than half of the approximate 1,500 new locations it plans to open in the United States during the next five years will be drive-thrus.
Starbucks plans to remodel about 1,400 U.S. locations in 2013. Roughly 500 of those locations will receive a major overhaul.
"Drive thrus create incremental revenues and profits compared to traditional stores and represent a fast-growing and highly profitable format for Starbucks, comprising just over one-third of our U.S. company-operated stores but contributing nearly 45% of our U.S. retail profit," Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said. "We are investing in this high-margin store format with innovations that will elevate the customer experience of our brand by enhancing drive-thru efficiency and consistency of service."


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Those in the market for a vehicle to transport a big family and/or lots of cargo have a variety of options, and Toyota's offering in the category of midsize/crossover SUV is the Toyota Highlander. I recently had the chance to test a 2013 Highlander, which featured an overall very impressive ride and look, some quality standard features, plus some very cool options if you're in the mood to splurge.
On the outside the Highlander looks somewhat large, but isn't oversized. Inside, you get three rows of seating, which can fit up to 7 people. There is ample storage space if you've got some cargo to store.
The third row of seats can be left up or down, depending how much storage space you need, which is helpful. There are also lots of cup and bottle holders spread throughout in case you're every transporting a vehicle full of thirsty folks.
My test vehicle featured was a Highlander Limited, the top trim level, and featured 19-inch wheels, though wheels on the base model are 17 inches.
The Highlander features a multi-information display; among the info you'll find here is the time, the outside temperature, warning messages, and cruise information, plus fuel economy and more.The Highlander, Highlander Plus and SE grades all come with a USB port and hands-free phone calling and music streaming via Bluetooth. Plus and SE also get the back-up camera, which is new to the vehicle.
This system includes navigation and the Toyota Entune infotainment system. Steering wheel controls have been added for audio, information display and Bluetooth hands-free calling.
If you go up to Limited, you get a few more features including JBL Premium Audio and automatic climate control for the rear.
The following features are among those standard on all versions of the Highlander: Rear climate control; Front and rear air conditioning; Eight-way adjustable driver's seat; Power door locks and windows with driver's window jam protection and auto-up/down feature.
This is good for long trips, but comes at a nearly $2K additional cost and is only offered on the Limited trim level. A screen pops down from above and you can listen through headphones that are wireless. The only downside is it blocks the view a little bit in the rearview mirror. This is a feature that's not offered on all vehicles, so it's a nice perk to offer.
The Highlander I tested got about 17 miles per gallon or so during my time with it. That's pretty close to the listed numbers of 17 city and 22 highway (19 combined).
There is also a hybrid version of the Highlander that is listed at 28 mpg.
You have a lot of options for where you can hear your music from in the Highlander. There is Bluetooth streaming of music from your phone, plus AM, FM, CD, Satellite radio (90-day trial).
You get some App integration via Toyota's Entune program (connect your smartphone and install Entune app there). The Entune system is new to the Highlander, and allows you to control app functions with the vehicle's physical and voice controls if your phone is connected, so you don't have to be reaching for your phone while you drive.
Entune's mobile apps can be very helpful, and include Bing, iHeartRadio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable, and Pandora. Entune also offers a helpful fuel price guide, sports scores, stocks, traffic and weather.
My test vehicle had a powerful 3.5 liter, V-6 engine that provided an excellent overall ride, and the Highlander was still very maneuverable despite being a large vehicle. Overall, the ride was quiet and enjoyable. You can choose a less powerful 2.7 liter, 4-cylinder engine as well. The Highlander comes in front-wheel drive and full-time four-wheel drive options.
The 4-cylinder engine offers 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. The V-6 offers 270 horsepower, and 248 pound-feet of torque.
The controls on the Highlander keyboard (volume, music source, cruise control, etc.) were well-placed and easy to use once you figure out what's where and do it a few times. These kinds of controls increase safety by letting you keep your eyes on the road and not on buttons.
Speaking of safety, Highlander does very well in the overall safety area compared to competitors in this segment. There are seven standard airbags, Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Electric Power Steering and an anti-lock brake system with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Brake Assist, and Smart Stop Technology.
Also, all Highlander models have a corner-braking feature, which helps enhance control through turns.
Hill Start Assist Control prevents the vehicle from rolling backward by applying braking pressure.
Downhill Assist Control is standard on all 4-wheel-drive models, and helps maintain handling and steering control by reducing wheel lock under braking at slow speeds or on slippery descents.
A variety of other available options or various levels of the Highlander include heated side mirrors, windshield wiper de-icer, voice-activated touch screen navigation system and a top-shelf JBL audio system.
If you're planning to use the vehicle for towing purposes, the V-6 Highlander has a 5,000-pound towing capacity.
The Highlander I tested was packed with all the trimmings, and had a total price of $41,855. The introductory price of the vehicle starts at roughly $29,000, but that version will skip a lot of the technology and other features I mentioned. You get some nice standard perks, but not everything you might want.
�The price is kind of high if you go for Limited model I tested, but even if you skip a bunch of the trimmings and keep it simple, the Highlander offers a very solid overall driving experience.
With so many vehicles aimed at people with a posse to carry, the Highlander has some stiff competition from the likes of the Mazda CX-9, Buick Enclave and Chevy Traverse, among others.
All of these vehicles have their share of supporters, but the Highlander definitely holds its own and offers an enjoyable and spacious ride that can make the whole family happy on short trips or long ones. I would definitely recommend giving it a test drive along with the other vehicles in its class so you can see which vehicle strikes your fancy the most.
Matt Myftiu can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 248-745-4617. Follow him on Twitter @MattMyftiu or become a fan of the Facebook page "OPTechTime".
Check out his blog at realtechtime.blogspot.com.


text:
Alpha Dog
Exceeded my expectations.
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Alpha Dog
Exceeded my expectations.
"I had to take her down like Chris Brown."
-Lance Stephenson
Two thoughts...
1) They made a transporter 3?
2) I didn't find the Simple Jack stuff offensive.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Pretty bad.
Mallrats...a classic.
Traitor: Actually not bad. Wasn't the best film I have ever seen but it wasn't bad either. I am not sure why Steve Martin came up with this idea but I guess it worked.
Burn after reading: Hated it. In fact this is one film that I can honestly say that I didn't even watch all the way through. I realize that the Cohen Brothers are considered wizards of this type of film making but I just don't get it. I have never seen a film from them that I liked and did not consider a snoozefest.
W.: Meh, considering who made it I was deeply suprised that they portrayed former President Bush in as good a light as they did. I won't discuss the politics of this here because, well you know why. But I will say this that the only thing missing from former V.P. Cheney was a black top hat, cape and a handlebar mustache.
Zach & Miri Make a Porno
Just OK as romantic comedies go. Had a few chuckles. Watched a few of the deleted scenes (there were over 30 - watch 'em all and you get another movie) and there were a couple they should have left in - particularly the auditions (maybe not all of them but more). The best part overall may have been the way Banks and Rogan kept having guy talk with each other all the way through.
The poster formerly known as Rimfire
I have "Burn After Reading" on my iPod, but I've only watched part of it. Not because I didn't like it, but because I wasn't in the mood.
As to Fargo, I thought it was OK, but, like most Coen Brothers movies, it tended to be a little too self-consciously quirky. I do think they've made some movies I've really liked, including "O Brother", "The Big Lebowski", and "No Country for Old Men" was well made in every way, though I'm very conflicted about it.
As to W, I'm not sure when I'll watch it. I'm not a huge fan of Oliver Stone, who I consider to either be dishonest or a complete whack job...possibly both.
Dirty Harry...though I don't know which one. It's the one with the exploding toy cars (I'm assuming it's one of the later ones)
Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.
Not really.
No have no doubt about not liking it. Might not have been in the mood but it was long, very story driven and just too much talking.
It was pretty hokey and very predictable. Just needed to waste time on a 15 hour flight.
The Dead Pool
Religulous: Really, really enjoyed it.
The Heartbreak Kid: I had already seen this on television but had no idea what I was watching at the time. About half-way through viewing it this time around, I realized that I had seen the movie already...but watched it to the end. It's not bad.
I certainly enjoyed it. I thought Rogen and Banks had very good onscreen chemistry, their interactions were priceless. The other characters fit in well too
Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.
Fargo is an alltime classic. Strangly though, I liked it better the second and third time I watched it. It is one of those movies where certain scenes and performances are classics.
Zach & Miri Make a Porno - I have to say it was probably the dirtiest movie I've ever seen.
But did you like it at all?
Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.
Read my Pacers blog:
Follow my twitter:
It was funny - but not that great
The curious case of Benjamin Button
Most boring movie ever.
Word on the street is he doesn't want your money, he only wants to please your ears...
Bum in Berlin on Myspace
Swing Vote.
I was pleasantly surprised.
Slumdog Millionaire... amazing


text:
Options and Accessories (View All)
Marketing Information
The Sentry POPS Switched CDU CWG-24VD/VY(C13/C19)-3Ph is a mixed outlet Cabinet Power Distribution Unit with network and serial-based power management and alerting capabilities of the Switched Cabinet PDU plus the ability to monitor:
Current Load (A)
Voltage (V)
Power (W)
Apparent Power(VA)
Crest Factor and
Power Factor
Utilizing our grouping feature, power information is available per device (multiple outlets), groups of devices (applications), individual Cabinet PDU, cabinet, rows of cabinets or the whole Data Center Floor. Combine the Sentry POPS Switched Cabinet PDU with the Sentry Power Manager (SPM) software tool to cluster outlets and gain power usage information across multiple Cabinet PDU's individual IP address.
General Information
|Product Type
|Manufacturer Part Number
|Manufacturer Website Address
|Server Technology, Inc
|Product Model
|Product Name
|Sentry CWG-24VYL311A1 24-Outlets PDU
|Product Line
|Brand Name
|Server Technology
Technical Information
|Input Receptacles
|Output Receptacles
|18 x IEC 60320 C13
|6 x IEC 60320 C19
|RS-232 Serial
|10/100Base-T Ethernet
Power Description
|Input Voltage
|208 V AC Three-phase
|20 A Input Current
Physical Characteristics
|Form Factor
|Zero U Vertical Rackmount
|Power Cord/Cable
|10 ft
|Limited Warranty
|2 Year
This product is shipped only within Canada and Warranty valid for Canada only.
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|Read Reviews Write Review


text:
There's something irresistible about a big honkin' cookie covered in cracks and crevices. Or about a huge slice of coffee cake that's homey and crumb-topped, not too beautiful to be devoured in big, greedy bites. That's the secret that Gillian Shaw, owner of Black Jet Baking Co., obviously knows about baking.
The sweets at her kiosk in the Ferry Building are rustic without sacrificing depth of flavor. She's won over San Franciscans with her pies (they come whole, in a jar, or as a sort of pie-pocket), big chewy cookies, and buttery bars. The only downside to the generous portion sizes? It can be difficult to eat more than one or two items. So here's a guide to picking the best, chosen by Gillian herself.
Black Jet Baking Co.
1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, California 94105 (map) (415) 845-9925; blackjetbakingco.com
About the author: Carrie Vasios is the editor of Serious Eats: Sweets. She likes to peruse her large collection of cookbooks while eating jam from the jar. You can follow her on Twitter @carrievasios


text:
Motor-Point Stimulation for Conditioning the Diaphragm of Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
The recruitment status of this study is unknown. The completion date has passed and the status has not been verified in more than two years.
Verified March 2009 by Synapse Biomedical.
Recruitment status was: Active, not recruiting
Recruitment status was: Active, not recruiting
Synapse Biomedical
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Johns Hopkins University
Stanford University
Information provided by:
Synapse Biomedical
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: January 9, 2007
Last updated: March 16, 2009
Last verified: March 2009
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The overall goal of this research is to delay the respiratory decline of patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) thereby increasing their lifespan by conditioning the diaphragm with laparoscopically placed electrodes.
This device currently holds an Investigational Device Exemption No. G040142 in the United States and is currently undergoing clinical trials at University Hospitals (Cleveland), Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), Henry Ford Health System, The Methodist Hospital, and Stanford University.
|Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
|Device: Intramuscular diaphragm electrodes
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Official Title:
|Multi-Center Pivotal Study of Motor-Point Stimulation for Conditioning the Diaphragm of Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Resource links provided by NLM:
Genetics Home Reference related topics: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
MedlinePlus related topics: Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Synapse Biomedical:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- The DPS System will slow the decline of pulmonary function, as defined by percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) to 30% of normal, by approximately 12 months [ Time Frame: After completion of the study ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Adverse events from implantation and use of the DPS System will be logged and qualitatively compared to adverse event rates in similar patient populations. [ Time Frame: After completion of the study ]
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|October 2004
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|October 2009
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|October 2009 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Intervention Details:Show Detailed Description
Device: Intramuscular diaphragm electrodes
Conditioning of the diaphragm
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 18 or older
- Participants with familial or sporadic ALS diagnosed as laboratory-supported probable, probable, or definite according to the World Federation of Neurology El Escorial criteria will be eligible
- Bilateral phrenic nerve function clinically acceptable as demonstrated by bilateral diaphragm movement with fluoroscopic sniff test or with EMG recordings and nerve conduction times
- Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) between 50 - 85% of predicted values to begin screening procedures.
- FVC greater than 45% of predicted value at time of surgery.
- No underlying cardiac or pulmonary diseases that would increase the risk of general anesthesia greater than the expected risk of the patient with ALS
- Negative pregnancy test in females of child-bearing potential
- Informed consent from patient or designated representative
Exclusion Criteria:
- Preexisting implanted electrical device such as pacemaker or cardiac defibrillator.
- Underlying pulmonary diseases that were present prior to ALS that would effect pulmonary tests independent of ALS
- Active cardiovascular disease that would increase the risk of general anesthesia
- Current pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Hospitalization for a treated active infection within the last 2 months
- Significant decision making incapacity preventing informed consent by the subject due to a major mental disorder such as major depression or schizophrenia, or dementia such as having Alzheimer's disease.
- Marked obesity
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00420719
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00420719
|United States, California
|Forbes Norris - California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC)
|San Francisco, California, United States, 94115
|Stanford University Medical Center
|Stanford, California, United States, 94305
|United States, Florida
|Mayo Clinic
|Jacksonville, Florida, United States, 32224
|United States, Maryland
|Johns Hopkins University
|Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287
|United States, Michigan
|Henry Ford Health System
|Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48202-2689
|United States, Ohio
|University Hospitals Of Cleveland
|Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44106
|United States, Texas
|The Methodist Hospital
|Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
|Groupe Hospitalier Pitie-Salpetriere
|Paris, France
Sponsors and Collaborators
Synapse Biomedical
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Johns Hopkins University
Stanford University
|Principal Investigator:
|Raymond Onders, MD
|University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
More Information
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Keywords provided by Synapse Biomedical:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Gonzalez-Bermejo J, Morélot-Panzini C, Salachas F, Redolfi S, Straus C, Becquemin MH, Arnulf I, Pradat PF, Bruneteau G, Ignagni AR, Diop M, Onders R, Nelson T, Menegaux F, Meininger V, Similowski T. Diaphragm pacing improves sleep in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler. 2012 Jan;13(1):44-54. doi: 10.3109/17482968.2011.597862. Epub 2011 Oct 24.
|Responsible Party:
|Raymond Onders, MD, University Hospitals of Cleveland
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00420719 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|January 9, 2007
|Last Updated:
|March 16, 2009
Keywords provided by Synapse Biomedical:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Lou Gehrig's disease
Diaphragm for Ventilatory Assist
Diaphragm Pacing
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Motor Neuron Disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Pathologic Processes
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Nervous System Diseases
Neuromuscular Diseases
Spinal Cord Diseases
Central Nervous System Diseases
TDP-43 Proteinopathies
Proteostasis Deficiencies
Metabolic Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
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Double your viewing pleasure with the portable two-telescope Orion SkyView Mini Altazimuth Mount! Featuring not one, but two dovetail saddles, our SkyView Mini Altazmith Mount allows you to attach two lightweight telescopes in tandem while precise slow-motion control knobs on both the altitude and azimuth axes make it easy to fine-tune your aim. The smooth slow-motion controls also let you precisely track celestial objects manually as they appear to move across the sky, even when viewing at high power magnification.
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text:
Favorite Pumpkin Cake Roll Recipe
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Additional confectioners' sugar, optional
- Line a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and pumpkin, beating on high until sugar is almost dissolved.
- In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gently fold into pumpkin mixture. Spread into prepared pan.
- Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Unroll cake; spread filling evenly to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Cover and freeze until firm. May be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before cutting. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired. Yield: 10 servings.
Reviews forFavorite Pumpkin Cake Roll
My Review
Average Rating
"We loved this roll!!! Even the girls that are somewhat picky loved it! I have baked it several times and always receive many compliments!"
"I make this every year for Thanksgiving it is a hit..Really good...."
"Made it hurriedly Thanksgiving morning to take to friends for Thanksgiving dessert and it came out perfect. V. Nice."
"I have been baking this roll for over 5 years now and it is absolutely the best roll ever. It is become a tradition in my family."
"I'm getting ready to make and was wondering doesn't the cake roll break up when you unroll to put in filling? I'm giving this a 5 already because I like anything pumpkin and am sure this will taste great."
"I was intimidated by the recipe at first, because it looked complicated and like it could go wrong easily. But I followed the steps exactly and the pumpkin roll turned out perfect - beautiful and delicious! So happy I made this recipe, it's fantastic."
"This didn't impress me. I've been making pumpkin rolls for years using this recipe. There is no need to separate the eggs and beat anything in separate bowls. Just throw all the ingredients into one bowl and mix. It's that easy. And the texture is a lot better... No holes in the batter. Also, I use an entire tsp. of salt."
"This is really good. I love the towel idea. It helps a lot."


text:
Is there such a thing as esprit de corps, the spirit of a people? Or are we all so uniquely individual that the mere idea could tangle us up in stereotypes?
In a scene from the film "Monty Python's Life of Brian," a crowd of people shout and chant in unison: "We're all individuals! We're all different!"
They were not as different as they thought.
There really is such a thing, for example, as the spirit of the American people — or the Japanese people. Just look at the market for fresh strawberries in each country.
In the U.S., we like our strawberries big and full-color. Not mutant big, but bigger than we had as kids. At the supermarket we load them into our big cars.
But Japan likes a berry on the petite side. There's even hefty demand for less than fully ripened strawberries. It's a niche market that Watsonville, Calif.-based Well-Pict Berries knows well.
"In Japan they like it when the shoulders of the strawberry are still white," said Julie Lucido, chief executive officer of Fresno, Calif.-based Marketing Plus, which markets for Well-Pict. "From a culinary standpoint they like the look of the two colors. It's just a little bit, but to them it's phenomenal."
"The Japanese love perfection, so they want that perfect, conical little berry that fits on a little slice of cake they can have with their green tea every day," said Dan Crowley, Well-Pict sales manager.
It's not a huge market, but it's one that Well-Pict owner Tim Miyasaka has catered to. The company handles about two thirds of the California strawberries headed there, Crowley said.
The small fruit is packed in something like an egg carton, with individual bowls for each berry — think labor-intensive. Where fruit for the U.S. market might load 3,000 boxes on a truck, Japanese customers may get orders of 40 or 60 boxes.
Once air freight is added, those customers are likely to pay triple the domestic f.o.b — or $27 if fruit is moving for $9 per box or flat in the U.S.
"It's harvested about two-thirds color," Crowley said. "Here it can look ridiculous, but once it gets over there they're using it for the confectionary business."
Raspberries get a piece of the action too.
"There's a pretty big market in Japan for pastries with a business card," said Scott Adams, a raspberry breeder at Plant Sciences Inc., Watsonville. "You go to visit a client, and they're not in, so you leave a cake on their desk. A lot of the small raspberries and strawberries are used that way."
I wonder how someone calling on multiple clients handles the logistics. And how many clients just pretend they're not in?
What's your take? Leave a comment and tell us your opinion.


text:
Last month, Nick of DudeFoods.com made a 100 percent cheese grilled cheese sandwich by replacing the bread with bread cheese. This week he used the same idea in this bread cheese bacon double cheeseburger, but he didn't just replace the buns with cheese; he replaced the buns with bread cheese grilled cheese sandwiches. So it's like a double bacon cheeseburger bread cheese Fatty Melt...or something. In Nick's words:
For the top and bottom grilled cheese sandwiches I used the smoked bacon bread cheese—or Brun-uusto as they call it—from Brunkow Cheese. The middle grilled cheese once again consisted of the same Carr Valley bread cheese that I used for my original sandwich. Rounding things out were two 1/3 pound ground beef patties—also topped with cheese—and a total of six slices of bacon.
One of Nick's friend calculated that this cheese-n-beef-n-bacon tower packs in 4,300 calories.
[via Neatorama]
About the author: Robyn Lee is the editor of A Hamburger Today and takes many of the photos for Serious Eats. She'll also doodle cute stuff when necessary. Read more from Robyn at her personal food blog, The Girl Who Ate Everything.
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