It was an ecological disaster, with dead and oil-laden birds as a painful reminder.

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Last year, though, offered a painful reminder of how simplistic that campaign theme was.

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Look only at Japan for a painful reminder of the implications of a burst asset-price bubble.

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Other times, new technology feels like a painful reminder that we have lost all touch with reality.

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It is also a painful reminder of what still must be found -- the thousands of people who remain missing.

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The Labour MP for Liverpool Walton, Steve Rotheram, who campaigned for the inquest verdicts to be quashed, said her "passing is a painful reminder of the families' long and arduous fight for justice".

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The colors provide a stark contrast to the dark burned-out shell of a house that sits in the distance -- and offer a painful reminder of the tragedy that befell the people who lived within.

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The NFL lockout has given sports fans a reminder of how painful even an offseason without football can be.

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The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama��s Oval Office Address on BP Oil Spill & Energy | The White House