61.   Given these enduring voids, Schultes has tried to soften the blow.

62.   Growth in the entertainment industry has softened the blow, but news of a Lockheed settlement with selected residents over historic company operations has left other residents uneasy.

63.   He softened the blow of falling prices with some fortunate hedges, locking in a price by selling ahead.

64.   He thinks Bertelsmann and Napster have already missed an opportunity to soften the blow of charging subscriptions.

65.   He smiled to soften the blow.

66.   Holdings in industrialized countries softened the blow only a little for international investors.

67.   If they are still hesitant, soften the blow to their ego by noting that you know they would help you in the future if need be.

68.   In other words, the government, intentionally or not, has softened the blow of another banking reform.

69.   It allows trading of rights to pollute, a measure the U.S. believes will soften the blow on companies most affected and help win political backing for the agreement.

70.   It also may have torpedoed their ambitious broadcast consortium, The Baseball Network, which was supposed to soften the blow of significantly reduced national television revenues.