text:
How do I view or edit my billing information?
To view or edit your billing information, being by logging into your profile and clicking My Account at the top right corner of your My Home page. Next, click on Settings, then on the Billing tab. From here you may view or edit your billing information.
Related articles
- How do I purchase a Platinum Membership?
- How do I request a refund?
- How do I view or change my Auto-Renew setting?
- In the event I purchase a 3/6/12 month Platinum Membership package and wish to end my subscription before my Platinum Membership expires, can I receive a refund for the balance of Platinum Membership time remaining?
- What is a Platinum Membership?
- What is Auto-Renew?
- When my Platinum Membership expires, will I still be able to send and receive messages?


text:
Alpoko Don - Ol' Soul EP (Trailer) [User Submitted]
Alpoko Don's "Ol' Soul" EP out now!
Download on iTunes here:
Follow @AlpokoDon on Twitter
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Q. In the Gospel of Mark, it says, "And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani?' which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" (15:34, RSV). Help me to understand what Jesus meant. Did God really forsake him? Did He despair?
Name withheld by request, via email
A. The answer to your question is yes. Jesus did despair. Indeed, He totally plumbed the depths of despair. But to understand this dimension of His passion, we must recall these facts about His incarnate nature.
In his discourse "Mental Sufferings of Our Lord in His Passion," Blessed John Henry Newman helps to explain Our Lord's cry of desolation. Though Jesus Christ was "perfect man, yet there was a power in Him greater than His soul, which ruled His soul, for He was God." Nothing ever "happened to His soul by chance … nothing affected Him without His willing beforehand that it should affect Him." He never experienced sorrow, joy, anger or any desire unless He first chose to experience it.
At Gethsemane, Jesus "took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be troubled and distressed. Then He said to them, 'My soul is sorrowful even to death'" (Mk 14:33-34). It was there that He took upon himself the weight of the sins of the human race.
Despair, utter meaninglessness, is the deepest suffering a mortal can undergo. We can say that by willing utterly to despair, Our Lord completed His identification with us in our deepest need.
But, you may say, He did know He would finally be raised in triumph. Not so, says Blessed John Henry Newman. In His agony He willed to set aside all thought of innocence or triumph in resurrection. He really and totally did plumb the depths of despair, on our behalf.
Q. A friend of mine tells me she was taught that a pregnant woman is not able to receive Communion because the baby is with original sin. I've never heard of such a restriction on receiving Communion. Could you please clarify?
Tom B., via email
A. Whoever taught your friend this was totally in error. No such restriction exists.
Q. Can you tell me whether Jesus was born in September or December? It is very important to me.
Gary, via email
A. The truth is, no one knows which month our Savior was born. Of the two months you have posited, one theory would hold to September as the more likely of the two.
From Luke 1:24-36 we know that Elizabeth had been pregnant six months when Jesus was conceived. Elizabeth's husband, Zechariah, had been serving in the Temple in Abijah's group (see Lk 1:5). Some scholars have calculated that Zechariah's tenure would have occurred in June. Elizabeth conceived after Zechariah returned home. This chronology would place John's birth in late March. Adding six months between the conceptions of John and of Jesus would place Our Lord's birth in September. That's one theory.
In fact, beginning in the late third and early fourth centuries, the Catholic Church observed Our Lord's nativity on Dec. 25. But why Dec. 25?
The most widely held theory about the answer to this question focuses on a pagan festival. Almost three centuries before Christ, the Roman Emperor Aurelian had established a mid-winter festival on Dec. 25, celebrating the birth of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun). In her evangelistic outreach the Church gradually took over this pagan festival, baptizing it, so to speak, to celebrate the birth of the Unconquered Son.
Q. Can you tell me what is meant by the concept of attachment to sin?
Anonymous, via email
A. In a broad sense, we are all attached to sin. Our baptism did not cleanse us of concupiscence — that is, our tendency to sin. Yet by God's grace we can be freed from attachment to a particular sin. How?
First, by being truly penitent, truly regretful for having committed the sin. Our penitence should also include seeking God's help to avoid ever again allowing that sin in our life. We should despise the sin and be truly sorry we have added to our Savior's suffering by that sin. If the memory of committing that sin ever returns, we should give thanks to God that He has freed us from it and immediately banish the thought of the sin from our minds.
Q. I need to find a spiritual director, but I have no idea how I go about doing that. Is there a list the Church keeps of practicing qualified spiritual directors? Are there qualifications? Any other advice you can give me?
Name withheld by request, via email
A. Many people share your concern. I have never heard of an official list of qualified spiritual directors. Certainly, one would want to work with a mature Catholic person — clerical, religious or layperson. I suggest you start with your local priest. He may know of persons who give spiritual direction. Above all, pray earnestly for God to lead you to a suitable director.
There are many current books on this subject. Last year I read for its publisher a book on spiritual direction that I think you will find helpful. Written by Dan Burke and Father John Bartunek, it is entitled "Navigating the Interior Life: Spiritual Direction and the Journey to God" (Emmaus Road, $13.95).
Q. Can you explain the difference between the Ascension and the Assumption?
A. After His resurrection Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples. In that time His glorified resurrection body was veiled under the ordinary appearance of humanity. After His final words to His disciples (see Acts 1:7-8), the New Testament reports, "as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). Men in white garments then reported that Jesus had been taken to heaven. This is His glorious ascension.
By use of the term "Assumption" we designate the entrance of the Blessed Virgin into glory. Here is the Second Vatican Council's summary of this event in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: "The Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all guilt of original sin, on the completion of her earthly sojourn, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen of the universe, that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and the conqueror of sin and death" (No. 59).
Q. Is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, also a saint? If so, in which Church document is this denoted? I believe she is a saint — in fact, the greatest of all saints. But others in my parish believe that since it is said that she is "above all the angels and saints," that she is in some way not a saint herself. I cannot find a definitive Church document or an authoritative book that specifically calls her St. Mary.
J. Mihalko, via e-mail
A. To speak of the Virgin as "above" all the saints does not mean that she is not herself a saint? What else could she be? The word "above" simply means she is the greatest of all the saints. By choosing her to be the mother of His Son, God the Father has made her the unique saint.
Q. My family and I are born and raised Catholic. I am a regular reader of The Catholic Answer and have to tell you what a wonderful job you are doing. My 10-year-old daughter has a question I cannot answer. She reads the Bible regularly. She saw in a program that the disasters of the past 10 years are getting worse and worse, and that all this is explained in the Book of Revelation. She has read that God promised Noah he would never destroy the world again even though man is evil. So, why do we have all these disasters? Who is sending them?
Venval, via e-mail
A. I assume your daughter is referring to so-called natural disasters, great, often calamitous, upheavals of nature. The Book of Revelation refers to such events, but does not explain them. God promised Noah he would never again flood the earth and destroy all flesh (see Gn 9:11). Who is sending natural disasters? Who has sent them in the past? We know God allows them, because nothing happens apart from His overall plan.
To understand why there are natural disasters we need to ponder Romans 8:19-23: "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God … because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now" (RSV).
Now, we know Adam's sin not only was a calamity for the human race. Adam's rebellion against God also infected the cosmos. The sacred writer, St. Paul, hears the cosmos crying out like a woman with labor pains.
The promise of the Gospel is summed up in this way by the Second Vatican Council: "The Church … will attain its full perfection only in the glory of heaven, when there will come the time of the restoration of all things. At that time the human race as well as the entire world, which is intimately related to man and attains to its end through him, will be perfectly reestablished in Christ" (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, No. 48).
Q. Recently, a Greek Orthodox friend and I were discussing Matthew 16, especially verse 19, which tells us Our Lord gave Peter the "keys to the kingdom." My friend pointed out that the same verse says Jesus gave Peter the powers of binding and loosing. The powers of the keys and of binding and loosing are the same, he said. Then he turned to Matthew 18:18, in which Our Lord gave to all the apostles the powers of binding and loosing. This shows, he concluded, that Jesus gave the power of the keys to all the apostles, not to Peter alone. How should I respond to this denial that Peter is earthly head of the Church?
Name withheld by request
A. In denying the primacy of Peter, Eastern Orthodox apologists always try to equate the two powers given to Peter. Then they claim that the combined powers were given to all the apostles. Yet, the fact is, the power of the keys is a totally different capacity from that of binding and loosing.
In Old Testament kingdoms one man stood next to the king in authority. He was known as master of the palace, head of the household or keeper of the keys (to the palace). For some references to these officials, see 1 Kings 4:6; 16:9; 18:3; 2 Kings 15:5. Much farther back in history, Joseph was master of the palace of Pharaoh (see Gn 41:39-44). Isaiah 22:15-23 is especially informative in this regard. Appointing a new master of the palace for the kingdom of Judah, God said, "He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one will shut, what he shuts, no one will open" (vv. 21-22).
Look again at Matthew 16. Jesus conferred an institutional authority. Now look at Matthew 18:18. Jesus conferred on all the apostles a pastoral authority. Two totally different realities. Notice the metaphors. One doesn't "bind and loose" with keys, nor does one "open and shut" with pastoral authority.
Call your friend's attention also to John 21:15-17. Three times Jesus gave a command to Peter. The first and third times Jesus commanded Peter, "Feed my sheep." The verb is boske, which means "to feed." In the second command Jesus said, "Tend my sheep." The verb is poimaine, which means "to tend," "to superintend," "to direct."
Again, just before His passion Jesus called on Peter to exercise his authority. He warned Peter against Satan's onslaughts, and assured him, "But I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen the brothers [that is, the Christian community]" (Lk 22:31-32).
Q. What is the history of the St. Michael prayer? Why don't we say it at the end of Mass anymore?
Maureen, New York, N.Y.
A. After he celebrated Mass one day, Pope Leo XIII fell into a deep faint. When he recovered he said he had seen a vision of evil spirits trying to destroy the Church. He had also seen St. Michael and his legions casting Satan and the evil spirits into hell. Shortly thereafter the Pope composed a lengthy prayer to St. Michael. A couple of years later he directed that a much shorter version of his prayer be offered in all churches after Low Mass.
In the widespread liturgical changes following Vatican II this prayer was almost entirely forgotten. However, in his Regina Coeli address on April 24, 1994, Pope John Paul II spoke of this St. Michael prayer with fervent approval. He said, "Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against the forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world."
These words from St. John Paul II do not officially decree use of this prayer after Mass, but I think this prayer is being used more and more widely.
Q. When does God give a person his or her soul mate? How does one know if a person is right for one?
Shenella, via email
A. The term "soul mate" is ambiguous. I assume you mean a spouse.
God has a perfect plan for each of His children. The basic human task is to try to discern what God wants us to do with our precious lives. To what state of life is He calling us? The religious state? The married state? The single state? And whatever the state, to what specific labor in His behalf is He calling us?
Consider the married state. Suppose you find yourself being drawn to a particular person.
The first thing you need to know about that person is the kind and depth of that person's relationship with God. I once knew a little girl who grew into a beautiful and devout young woman and teacher. Some of her third-graders asked her why she wasn't married. Her prompt reply was, "Because I haven't found a man who would love Jesus more than he would love me." Unless spouses each love Jesus above all, they cannot build a truly Christian marriage.
Q. I remember reading that St. Philomena was a very popular saint. And then she was declared no longer a saint. Is that true. Did she exist? What is the real story?
A. In 1802, remains labeled with Philomena's name were discovered in the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome. Devotion to Philomena as a martyr-saint spread rapidly and widely. The Church has never taught that St. Philomena was not a saint. Yet there is no historical evidence for her life, and so she is not included in the general Roman Calendar.
Q. Why do there seem to be so many different programs of formation for permanent deacons? Are there basic requirements? And can you detail what a permanent deacon does? There seems to be a lot more than there was a few years ago.
A. In 1998, the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education and the Congregation for the Clergy jointly issued Basic Norms for the Formation of Permanent Deacons and Directory for the Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons.
These documents dealt with the history of the diaconate and of permanent deacons, but did not specify the content of permanent diaconate training programs.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued a National Directory for the Formation, Ministry and Life of Permanent Deacons. The document includes secondary elements: Basic Standards for Readiness and Visit of Consultation Teams for Diocesan Permanent Deacon Training Programs. In light of these general norms, diocesan training programs have to work out their own curricula.
Permanent deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach and teach in the name of the Church. Their sacramental duties involve baptizing and solemnizing marriages. They conduct wakes and funerals. They assist priests in pastoral ministry.
The number of permanent deacons indeed has grown. As of last summer, in this country there were more than 18,000 permanent deacons, of whom 3,000 were retired. Ninety-three percent are married, 4 percent are widowers, 2 percent never married.
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has the largest number, more than 400. Worldwide, there are almost 41,000 permanent deacons., an increase of almost 17,000 since 2000.
One of our readers has asked for this column's opinion about how best to prepare a severely handicapped child for first Communion. I thank you for your inquiry, but am not qualified by training to offer reliable advice. I will pray for you and your family to be guided by the Holy Spirit in this very important matter.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.


text:
Write a Review
In production for more than half a century, Brooks' Team Pro Chrome truly deserves the title of "timeless classic". With a narrower, race-oriented shape, it's ideal for road bikes that have a more aggressive fit. Like every Brooks saddle it shapes itself to the rider as the miles tick by, offering the timeless, customized support that the company's reputation is built upon. And, of course, the Team Pro Chrome features Brooks' full-grain, premium tanned leather and trademark, hand-hammered copper rivets for the ultimate in comfort, style, and durability.
Please wait while the review submission content loads...
Page 1 of 1


text:
Happy Veteran's Day
On behalf of everyone at Lone Star Struck we would like to take some time to remember and honor all of our brave servicemen and women that have served and continue to serve our country.
Each Veteran's day we have an opportunity to recognize the amazing people who make up the greatest military in the world.
We would also like to extend our condolences to the families of all the victims of the recent tragedy at Ft. Hood. The sadness of that day serves as a reminder of just how fragile life truly is both at home as well as overseas where we continue to defend democracy.
God Bless all of you for your unwavering loyalty, patriotism, integrity and courage.
Happy Veteran's Day!


text:
From Noisebridge
Revision as of 15:42, 2 November 2013 by 22.214.171.124 (talk) (→Documentation: correction: the felony charge was dismissed. he plead no contest to a misdemeanor)
Community response team for name and shame, pastebinnings, etc. of harassers and sexual predators who are either in our midst, or are notorious perps who severely harass women online.
- F.E.R.T. Alerts Twitter notifications and announcements.
- Joseph Adam Moore aka J. Adam Moore: sex offender registry record: http://www.homefacts.com/offender-detail/CA18697232B1367/Joseph-Adam-Moore.html , posed as Noisebridge "redshirt", record of battering/domestic violence, then harassment against three separate women, then punched some guy in the throat at Noisebridge thus violating his probation.
- Shawn Landden, open source contributor, felon, couchsurfer, serial stalker: http://pastebin.com/5GQE0ZVB
- Jesse Zbikowski : former noisebridger, plead no contest to misdemeanor charge of false imprisonment: http://cms.colusa.courts.ca.gov/case_search_results_charges.asp?chrgCaseNbr=CR54212
- Patrick Keys : banned from Noisebridge for harassment
- MikeeUSA: Creep and internet harasser. http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/MikeeUSA


text:
Can You Guess the Celebrity Cleavage?
Today's mystery cleavage belongs to a songstress who hails from Boston, MA.
After graduating high school in 2010, this singer left her hometown to pursue her music career in New York City. In the Big Apple, she found many gigs and even headlined acoustic shows. At one point, she even sang the National Anthem for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Can you guess who this beautiful singer is?


text:
Course Details
EQU405 Equine Business Practices
This lecture course is designed to provide an overview of equine business practices. Three main course elements include: 1.) Stable management (daily operations, pest control, fire control, waste management, vet & farrier routines, facilities/equipment, etc.), and 2.) Horse transactions (buying, selling, leasing, donating, contracts, etc.), and 3.) Business management (business plans, personnel management, customer relations, advertising, marketing, legal issues, taxation, insurance, record keeping, book keeping, leadership principles, etc.). (Pre-requisite: Senior Standing)
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: Senior Standing


text:
|Next thing I know you'll be putting that gun to the back of my head telling me about the rabbits.
— Charlie Cutter to Victor Sullivan.
|Charlie Cutter
Charlie Cutter, as he appears in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.
|Biographical information
|Political information
Nathan Drake (formerly)
Treasure hunter
|Game information
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Voice actor:
Motion-capture actor:
Charlie Cutter is an English fortune hunter. He appears as a supporting character in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. Initially believed to be an antagonist, he is soon revealed to be an ally and associate of Nathan Drake, Victor Sullivan and Chloe Frazer.
Charlie Cutter is voiced by Graham McTavish, who has previously voiced Uncharted 2: Among Thieves antagonist Zoran Lazarević.
|A treasure hunter with the brains of an Oxford graduate and the brawn of a rugby player, Charlie Cutter can always be counted on to help out in a tight jam... that is, unless he's literally in a tight jam, in which case he'll curl into a fetal position. Should this occur, lure him out with promises of a pint at the local pub.
— Official Uncharted 4: A Thief's End bio.
Not much is known about Cutter before Uncharted 3. He is an old friend of Nathan and Sullivan, as well as Chloe for a time. It is also implied that he has met Elena Fisher, but apparently not as an ally. She only seems to recognise the name and asks whether he is dead when Sully says he 'was' working with them. Besides that, little is known.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (2011)
|Typical bloody yank: all talk.
— Cutter "taunting" Nate.
Cutter is first seen in the Pelican Inn, with Talbot and his men. He frisks Nathan and Sullivan before the exchange takes place. As the deal goes wrong, he starts a fight with Nate and Sully. Talbot leaves the Inn. When the two escape through the back door of the bar and into an alley, they find Cutter and more of his men waiting. He beats Nate up and throws him into a pile of garbage, while his men do the same to Sully. Katherine Marlowe, Cutter's boss, then arrives in a car with Talbot.
She exchanges words with Nate and Sully, and then takes Sir Francis Drake's ring from Nate. When Nate attempts to take it back, Cutter shoots him in the chest, and then shoots Sully, apparently killing them. Marlowe, angry with Cutter's actions, ditches him in the alley. After Marlowe, Talbot, and their men left the alley, Cutter tells Nate and Sully that it is clear, revealing that he is an ally.
The Secret LibraryThe three of them make their way to the library where they eavesdrop on Marlowe and Talbot, trying to work the cipher disk with the forged ring Nate stole from her. When Katherine notices it is a fake, she realizes that Cutter had betrayed them. The three then fight their way out of the library, meet up with Chloe, and make it back to the hideout. They figure out that Lawrence had traveled to Syria and France. While Nate and Sully go to France, he and Chloe go to Syria.
SyriaThey meet up with Sully and Nate, unexpectedly at gunpoint with each other, for fear from Nate and Sully that Talbot had followed them. As they find a secret passage through stone pillars, Cutter is drugged by Talbot, giving him his gun and his journal. He becomes uneasy and starts getting fidgety and sensitive. Cutter, being claustrophobic, starts to freak out and becomes defensive when Nate helps him through a tight space, and then becomes very angry upon being forced to go through a second one, getting into a fist-fight with Nate. Cutter eventually gains the advantage over Nate and starts choking him to death. Sully and Chloe then come to try to get Cutter off of Nate but fail. Sully resorts to shooting Cutter to stop him, but Chloe steps in and gets through to Cutter, making him realize that he is killing Nate. Cutter stops and withdraws from the effect of the drug.
As they make their way outside following their time in the crypt, they are encountered by Talbot and his men at gunpoint. Cutter pretends to still be drugged and points his gun at his comrades, forcing them to disarm themselves. Talbot orders Cutter to pull the trigger, but Cutter shoots Talbot and his henchman. Nate, Sully, and Chloe then flee and escape by jumping onto scaffolding, but it collapses as Cutter reaches it, trapping him.
Talbot then appears, and Cutter is shocked and horrified to find that he has suffered no ill effects from being shot. He is then forced to hand over his half of the amulet. Marlowe has her men pour gasoline before Cutter and ignites it. Cutter having only one way out, jumps off the tower, breaking his leg from the fall. Nate, Sully, and Chloe assist him to a Tour Bus and escape from Marlowe's men. With a broken leg, Chloe takes him home, concluding his role in the game (as well as Chloe's).
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016)
Despite not appearing, references to Cutter appear frequently - a sticky note on Nate's attic filing cabinet says to call him, with additional mentions to events that occurred with him.
Later, Nate refers to Cutter directly as his "go-to guy" when he initially declines Sam's request for help.
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (2011)
Cutter is on the heroes side in multiplayer and is unlockable at Level 35. He was on the villains side prior to the game's release, cleverly keeping the game spoiler-free.
Co-op Adventure
Cutter is also seen at the end of Chapter 3 in Co-op Adventure, flying the helicopter away from the Monastery.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016)
Cutter appear in Uncharted 4 multiplayer. He is unlocked straight away and can be used whenever
Skins and Variants
- Charlie Cutter
- Tuxedo Cutter
- Casual Cutter
- Prison Cutter
- Apocalypse Cutter
- Military Cutter
- Biker Cutter
- Pirate Cutter
Pre-set outfits
- Crooked Cutter
- Concert Cutter
- Courtly Cutter
- Creeping Cutter
- Catastrophic Cutter
Character design
Cutter was designed so as not to look handsome. He has a brutal face, and easily fits the role as the 'bad guy'. He is balding with only a small amount of hair at the sides and small scars across his face. He's quite tall, taller than Nate or Sully, with a strong jaw. He usually dresses in a sweater of some sort with a jacket over the top. He sports stubble, much like Nate.
Cutter looks like a common thug, but is very studious and loyal. He is very courageous, as he is willing to double cross Marlowe. Out of all the characters he has perhaps the biggest sense of humor, even more so than Nate. His personality actually resembles Nate's to a degree; he's educated in history and lightens the mood in stressful situations.
He is very claustrophobic, which is revealed in certain parts during the game where you must squeeze through tight places.
Before escaping the Citadel, Cutter shows signs of great care towards Nate, Sully, and Chloe by wanting them to give him a gun saying he'll kill Katherine and Talbot alone while they escaped. He then later tells Nate not to give up after Nate saved him, by saying he'd never forgive him. Possibly indicating he believes that Nate can find what he's after.
Appears in
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
- Chapter 1 - Another Round
- Chapter 3 - Second-Story Work
- Chapter 4 - Run to Ground
- Chapter 5 - London Underground
- Chapter 8 - The Citadel
- Chapter 9 - The Middle Way
- Chapter 10 - Historical Research (mentioned)
- Chapter 22 - The Dreamers of the Day (mentioned)
- Multiplayer
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
- Chapter 5 - Hector Alcazar (mentioned)
- Multiplayer
- Cutter bears some resemblance to Jason Statham; it's possible he served as some inspiration for Charlie's appearance.
- Cutter mentions how Chloe Frazer is the "best driver in the business", quoting Harry Flynn in the second game.
- Additionally, Cutter and Flynn have many resemblances, including using the word "mate" and switching sides throughout the game.
- Cutter is also a name of a character in Jak X: Combat Racing, another game from Naughty Dog. This could be an intentional reference.
- As stated in Nolan North's book "Uncharted: Drake's Journal," Amy Hennig had originally planned to have Charlie appear throughout the entire game, but had to write him out of the story due to Graham McTavish landing a role in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit (thus having to move to New Zealand for the role). This is the only reason why Charlie broke his leg in Syria.
- Although he at first seems like a common thug he is quite well educated, as he corrects Sully when he misquotes Macbeth. His apartment is also filled with several books, insinuating he's a well-read intellectual.
- Apparently, Cutter hates getting wet as seen in the later half of "The Middle Way." Nate's quip directed at him is also a reference to the infamous "kitty got wet" line: "Aww, what's the matter, kitty doesn't like getting wet?"
- If his mentioning of John Dee being the original 007 is any indication, Charlie might be a James Bond fan.
- When Nate mentions T.E Lawrence before he became known as Lawrence of Arabia, Charlie responds by saying "great film", referring to the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia which depicts Lawrence's experiences in Arabia during the events of the first World War.
- Cutter also seems to be a proficient helicopter pilot, as he is seen at the end of the Monastery chapter of the Co-op campaign flying the escape helicopter.
- This is questionable, however, as the co-op campaign is not canon.
- Charlie's unique pistol is a Walther P5, a weapon which is not accessible to the player at any point in the game and does not have an in-game name.
- After Sully no longer trusts Charlie as they go through the caverns, Charlie references Of Mice and Men, a novel by John Steinbeck.
- The Tarot card tucked into Charlie's jacket (found by Chloe) after he breaks his leg is quite significant, although it was never elaborated upon. Tarot cards are a popular form of divination often associated with the occult. The card found upon Charlie was "The Tower," which can represent many things, but is typically viewed as a bad omen symbolic of chaos, disruption, and events beyond one's control. It can be assumed that Cutter was meant to die at Marlowe's hands, but the fact that he fell from a towering height (just like the image on the card) can also be seen as a literal interpretation of his preordained fate. Marlowe's previous statement "... as if it were in the cards all along" also alludes to the fact that Charlie's fate was already chosen for him.
- It can be speculated that Cutter plays guitar (one can find a guitar in his apartment when Nate first stands and is talking about Sir Francis). The guitar is a Danelectro DC-1.
- It can also be assumed that Charlie participates in boxing as a hobby, as there is a gym bag along with boxing gloves, headgear, and a punching bag found in his apartment.


text:
Friday, January 29, 2010
Notes On a Sellout's Book
Writing HoseMaster of Wine is a lot easier than I make it look. Wine and the business of wine are subjects I've spent my life studying, and the results are clear. I've wasted my life. What I should be writing about, the subject most wine bloggers find endlessly interesting, is myself. And I would, only my life is duller than the finish on a wine from Sterling Vineyards, and my readership is already plummeting off a cliff like a Toyota Camry with its accelerator stuck. (I don't know, why is it that Toyotas suddenly make me nostalgic for kamikazes?) So I won't bore you, all nine of you, with stories of my day, my past, my hopes, my dreams, but I will bore you with a bunch of random thoughts that have been rattling around in my subpar brain.
The recent Gomberg Fredrikson report (isn't a Gomberg made up of frozen gom?) about the California wine industry states that sales of California wine over $15 have nosedived in the past year. Much has been made of this, but, really, isn't the only rational conclusion that people really only drink wine to get drunk? That for all the tortured tasting notes printed in endlessly monotonous wine magazines, for all the "reviews" faithfully posted by the parade of witless wine bloggers (too many to list here, but for the very nadir of witless check out WineHarlots--makes you want to ralph nadir), for all the wine tastings, and food and wine pairings, and pomp and circumstances of the wine trade, all consumers really want is to get drunk. That's the only conclusion that makes sense. They're not drinking less, they're drinking cheaper. So they don't give a crap about numbers or reviews or quality--they need to drink themselves into oblivion. And they don't care where it's from--Argentina, Bulgaria, South Africa, New York, all those places where English is a foreign language--so long as it's cheap and has at least 14% alcohol. All the damn ratings in the world can't sell your $40 Syrah right now--it's a $15 world. 96 point Merlot for $35? Who cares? Trader Joe's has wine for $5.99, and it tastes just fine. Who the hell cares about your wondrous Corvina from a tiny estate in Valpolicella that tastes like sunset at the Algonquin round table (not a pizza restaurant, by the way)? The consumers have loudly and overwhelmingly voted in favor of a cheap drunk. Oh crap, I have to stop reading Tom Wark.
I've always had this theory that wines are more reflective of their winemaker than they are of their terroir. For example, when you meet a typical Australian winemaker you begin to understand why his Shiraz is so loud and forward and high in alcohol. So is he. It's weird how this works. A thoughtful and contemplative winemaker tends to make wines that are subtle and understated and, well, thoughtful, if a wine can be thoughtful. Which it can't. Loud people make loud wines. Fat people make wines that are often overblown. It goes on and on. Just sayin' Oh crap, I have to stop reading Samantha Dugan.
Not that I check it obsessively, like Lady MacBeth washing her hands or Oprah working the panties out of her crack, but I notice my readership is declining. Is that because I'm not compulsive about Twitter or Facebook? Or is it because everyone is tired of my twaddle? Or is it because I suck? Maybe it's because I insult bloggers so often, and the only people who read blogs are other bloggers. Should I start being nice to other bloggers? Hang around other blogs and post fascinating comments? "Gosh, Steve, Wine Enthusiast is so powerful, and your events are so important! Thank you for reminding us." "1WineDude, man, I'll contribute a dollar if you'll just shut up." "Gary V., how does it feel to be the Millennial's Reverend Ike, only way less pretty?" Or should I just quit?
Why is it that wine blogs make me like wine less and not more?
10 comments:
- Marcia Macomber said...
Good Lawd, dear, don't drive off the deep end yet!
Sterling? The only other winery more manipulative of your touring time is Péju! (Did I just say that out lout?!) The finish of their wines...Like Disney's Alice in Wonderland ride: lots of fun for a moment and then 'Hello, Sunshine' back to the real world (unlike It's a Small World - no body, no middle ground -- just an endless finish you're not interested in.
Don't we all need to stop reading Mr. Wark's posts? But we come to the watering hole as if it's the only one for a hundred miles -- even when Tom only wants to talk about his love of the Manhattan...over and over again....we're STILL there.
As for Ms. Dugan, it goes without saying, we won't leave. We're addicted...for very, very different reasons, my dear! (No more "goodbyes," Sam!)
Diminishing readership, my ass! (OK, you probably check the counter.) It's been a crappy, rainy January (and bloody hell, it just started again!) when everyone's depressed seeing their Xmas credit card bills. You'd think they'd all come in for a laugh, but....
Seven readers...nine... You and Sam have a Seven-of-Nine thing going, and I ain't touchin' numerical reference any further here in the comments section...What will happen we you officially get ranked 68 instead of 69? Merde! Coveted numbers will be wrecked, Mon Dieu!
And what's with the regular font changes here in the post?
- January 29, 2010 at 6:24 PM
- Marcia Macomber said...
Crap. Hit the Publish before I 'spelt' checked.... 'Loud' not 'lout' and oh, and end-para mark got missed. (Sheesh, what a little glass of Arneis does to one's typing!)...Oh, and that's an 'if' instead of a 'we.' Sorry for the sloppies.
- January 29, 2010 at 6:28 PM
- 1WineDude said...
I would really like my $1 now, please...
- January 30, 2010 at 7:44 AM
- Samantha Dugan said...
You say fat people and loud people and then mention me....ouch, just sayin'.
I am in Dallas visiting my beloved Amy but I just could not stay away. I am madly in love with this crazy blog...if you were to go away it would break my heart, please don't break my heart HoseMster..it helps to picture big sad eyes, and a pouty lip.
- January 30, 2010 at 8:40 AM
- El Jefe said...
"You can't lose with the stuff you use!" Keep the faith, baby.
- January 31, 2010 at 1:42 PM
- Ron Washam, HMW said...
Marcia Love,
I suffer from horrible existential angst, an incurable disease humans derived from Siamese cats. The slog of doing a blog, and trying to be original and funny, is a bit like being naked knee deep crushing grapes for Port. I don't know why it's like that, but for some reason my butt is stained purple.
My Gorgeous Samantha,
I'd never break your heart intentionally. And I know how you feel. Without Sans Dosage, I'd be seriously stricken with loneliness. So we'll just see...
What are you doing here? Heimoff is down the street. I don't get visits from blog royalty like you. Steve and Alder and Tom and Dr. Vino and Gary V., well, they don't come 'round here and mingle with the wannabes. I mean, hey, this is like George Clooney going on "Jackass." Thanks for dropping by.
El Jefe,
Man, you have to stop Tweeting.
- January 31, 2010 at 6:17 PM
- Thomas said...
Hose job,
As you are fully aware, every blogger goes through the doubt routine--and every blogger should, since most can prove their doubts to be true. To do that, they just have to make another blog entry, read it and realize, as you have.
Still, humor is subjective but I'll give yours--reluctantly--an 89.
Hang in there, you'll make the magic 90 one day, maybe after the top wine blogger raters actually develop a sense of humor!
Oh, I know: reading their rating lists almost tells us that they have a sense of humor, but we all know why ratings are the way they are...
- February 1, 2010 at 6:38 AM
- Joe Roberts, CSW said...
Man, that's the first and only George Clooney comparison I'm ever gonna get!
- February 1, 2010 at 11:21 AM
- Eric V. Orange said...
Too funny. Keep throwing those insults out there. They'll come around. They can't help it.
- February 1, 2010 at 12:36 PM
I'm here! That makes 10. Or 9, if I was considered part of that crew.
I hope you're just having an off day, because I don't know what my Google Reader would look like without your posts to cheer it (and me) up.
- February 1, 2010 at 2:18 PM


text:
Authors note: This page has been designed to help the genealogist learn more about their ancestors who served in the War Between the States. I realize the term "Civil War" is not accepted by some groups of southerners, historians and researchers, but to teach the genealogist's about the history, this term has been used. If you want to further the history and research of WBTS and send your message to those people who only know the term "Civil War", then you will be understanding and not shut us out... Traci Parsons-Holder - Texas, "Southerner" and PROUD of it!
War Between the States in South Carolina
This web site is dedicated to all the men who served in South Carolina and the people who serve today by contributing their knowledge, research, records, and family information. Without you, this page would be nothing, and eventually all would be forgotten .....
PreludePlease read this before going further
History of Regiments, Battles & PeopleA Brigade of South Carolinas - Contributed and edited by Steve Batson
Summary of Pickens Co., SC, CSA Companies and the men who served - Contributed by Steve Batson
Prominent Men Associated with Pickens Co., SC during the War Between the States - Contributed by Steve Batson
Biographies of Soldiers By Surnames[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [Mc] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U, V] [W] [X,Y,Z]
Check Your Surname's on Other DatabasesOrr's Roster - Contributed by Jay K Griffin, Fayetteville, GA
Pickens County Soldier's (Dead) - Contributed by Le Roy Caudell, Commander, Pickens Camp 71, SCV
Prisoners of the Civil War from South Carolina - Contributed by Richard A. Courtney, MS
Links to SC Civil War Related SitesClick here for links
Learn More Through ReadingBooks on the War Between the States in South Carolina
How To's and Frequently Asked QuestionsHow To's & Faq's - Including:
How to submit information to this web site
How to research records for those who served in the Civil War
What are Regiments, Units, Corps etc.?
How do I get a FREE marker for my Confederate Veteran?
How can I get a Memorial Service for my Confederate Veteran?
Submiting Your Family InformationClick here to submit you info EASY as 1,2,3
Query Forum for SC in the WBTSSC ACWRoots Query Forum - Be sure and hit your BACK BUTTON! This is not our Forum!
RingsRings Page
AwardsAWARDS ARE NOW HERE!!
Search this SiteSearch Tips:
How To Search: Simply type a few words describing what you are looking for in the entry box, then click [Search]. You can also search for combined terms (exact phrases) by surrounding them in quotes.
Example searches include:
"stock market"
president "United States of America"
address adresses contact contacting information
Capitalization doesn't matter. The ranked results will come from a total match on the words and phrases which you supply, so try to think of several specific terms for your topic and spell them correctly. It's good to include important plurals and derived words too, as in the last example.
[WBTS in South Carolina] [Pickens County GenWeb] [WBTS Links] [WBTS Books]
[Submit Your Info] [How to's & FAQ's] [Biographies of Soldiers]
You are our [an error occurred while processing this directive] visitor since January 27, 2000.
This page was last updated Monday, 10-Sep-2018 20:11:17 MDT
©1998, 1999, 2000 Traci Parsons-Holder and Dawn W. Cabe All rights reserved worldwide.
In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact us with proof of this consent.


text:
Ach, those people of the nairth! They have their own way of living and their own sense of the time, the Scots do! And we're not just talking Hebridian sheep-farmers who stubbornly refuse to leave their now-deserted island homes either! Well, not entirely. We might be referring to them a little bit no matter which direction we turn in bonnie Scotland - because today, we're talking about the great Gaelic tradition in Scotland - and the Gaels are a Scottish people spread far and wide from highland to lowland - and all the way out to the Hebridean archipelago! Drag City has been delving ever-deeper into the life and music of this great land and all her people since way back in the days of "Ohio River Boat Song" - but as yer longtime listeners know, the Scottish champion of late is indisputably Alasdair Roberts, who has explored the culture of his country with original music as well as versions of a myriad of traditional tunes. Last year, he even collaborated with the eggheads at Twos and Fews to curate a compilation of auld Lomax recordings from Scotland (Whar the Pig Gaed on the Spree, remember? But this year, Alasdair did something completely new. Nope, it didn't involve breakdancing. Not yet. However, you might have jigged it up a bit to the sounds of Urstan, a record by Mairi Morrison & Alasdair Roberts that dropped back in March. This is a record that for the first time in Aladair's discography, explores the Gael side of the Scottish music tradition! And it's a sweet ride through a variety of different musical textures, most all of them wholly contemporary in conception as much as they are purely Gaelic in origin. As we were saying at the top here, the Scots live in their own time, and even though it's almost two months later, the Morrison-Roberts publicity machine has finally spit out a promotional video for the album - Deborah Bower's charming adaptation of "Never Wed An Old Man," which can be viewed here.
Meanwhile, the touring caravan has finally reached the outskirts of London (Milton Keynes, to be precise), to give the surburbanites a listen of their new-fangled ways before rolling into the big town for a gig at The Slaughtered Lamb. Before repairing to their hinterlands, Mairi and Ali and the gang get almost all the way to the southernmost shore to perform in Eastleigh as well. Then it's back to Scotland where a concert at An Lanntair on the Isle of Lewis brings Mairi back to play in front of her people - and the Gaelic sounds of Urstan come full circle. UK residents, stand up and attend these shows! We here in the US are at present, bereft of such a rich entertainment option.
5/22/12 The Stables Milton Keynes United Kingdom
5/23/12 The Slaughtered Lamb London United Kingdom
5/25/12 The Point Eastleigh United Kingdom
5/31/12 The Old Bridge Inn Aviemore United Kingdom
6/1/12 The Ceilidh Place Ullapool United Kingdom
6/2/12 An Lanntair Stornway United Kingdom
Alasdair Roberts SOLO gigs:
6/4/12 Fire in the Mountain Festival Aberystwyth United Kingdom w/ Rafe Fitzpatrick
6/11/12 Casa Del Popolo Montreal Canada


text:
Ask a question! Close
disponible dans
China, Asia Pacific
Déshumidificateurs / Déshumidificateurs autonomes
GreenDry™ Series
GreenDry™ Series
The GreenDry ™ desiccant units helps customers to precisely control humidity and achieve lower operating costs, increase productivity and improve the working environment of comfort purpose. It can be widely applied to other foods, pharmaceuticals and electronics industries which are highly sensitive to moisture. Please note that this series is only sold in China.
- High-performance and energy-saving dehumidifier
- Unique frame-free configuration and hermetically sealed overall foam design
- Simple and easy operation,, with real-time control of equipment operating status
- Swing door design and enlarged maintanence area, as well as minimized service cost and frequency
- Reduced energy consumption and running cost
- Avoidance of mold and corrosion to prevent equipment fault and product loss
- Enhanced hygienic conditions of the process environment


text:
You can expect these and more when you partner with Minuteman Press for your design, printing and marketing needs.
Featured Products
Organise your materials with professionally designed, custom-printed binders and tabs.
Think of us as your marketing partner. We'll help you produce and distribute a brochure that promotes your product, reinforces your brand and boosts sales.
Your business card is a direct reflection of your company. Don't settle for plain paper and dull designs when we can create cards that will leave a lasting impression.
With a branded, custom-printed calendar, you can keep your company in front of your client all year long.
Producing a catalog, journal or newsletter is never an easy task, but with guidance from Minuteman Press, you'll end up with a product that you are proud to distribute.
Make life easier with custom made stamps created for either your business or personal use.
Whether you have your own concept and design or you need assistance getting started, our team will create direct mail pieces that get results.
Eye-catching, colourful door hangers can be an effective way of getting someone's attention while delivering your message.
Flyers are the perfect way to grab attention and promote your brand, especially when created and produced by our professional staff.
Regardless of the size of your business, we have the styles and expertise to design forms and cheques that are right for your company.
We can provide you with all your greeting card and invitation needs, from those essential corporate holiday greeting cards down to simple event invitations.
We print a wide selection of labels and stickers for a variety of purposes with unlimited designs.
A professionally designed and printed menu can be one of the most cost effective and potentially profitable investments that a restaurant can make. Let us help you with yours.
Recognise and commemorate special moments and accomplishments with awards and plaques fit for all ages.
A simple postcard could be your next big marketing piece. Let us help you create one that gets noticed, read and remembered.
If looking professional is important, then dressing up your documents in quality presentation folders is a must. It can even increase your odds of landing a potential client.
Choose the gift that keeps on selling. Selecting the right product from our extensive list of promotional products can provide a great return on your investment.
Broadcast your message and attract new customers with affordable rack cards that are sure to grab attention.
Whether you need a simple one-colour design or multi-colour with foil embossing, we'll deliver personal and professional stationery you will be proud to use.
They're not just for restaurants anymore. Table tents are great for any type of countertop display or for events where you want to promote something special.
Have an event coming up? We're your ticket to tickets with a wide variety of styles and sizes.
Did you know that using variable data can potentially increase your ROI 5-10 times more than traditional direct mail campaigns?
Unit 2 Hedge End Business Centre
Botley Road, Hedge End
Southampton, SO30 2AU
Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Minuteman Press Southampton is your local printing and copying centre. We are locally based in Southampton and service the communities of Hedge End, Fareham, Woolston, Eastleigh, Totton, and Southampton. We specialize in full colour printing and copying services as well as graphic design and finishing services. We can also produce high quality colour copies and digital prints. And don't forget to ask about our mailing and direct mail marketing capabilities.
Some of our more popular printed products include: brochures, business cards, envelopes, flyers, invitations, labels, letterheads, newsletters, postcards, and presentation folders. Call today for a free quote or request a quote online!
An author from Southampton has published a satirical book about human nature.
Solent Showcase Gallery in Southampton is celebrating this winter after receiving nominations for several awards at two different ceremonies.
The Business South Local Produce Show is set to be held in Southampton in January.
The UKs first air-cleaning bus has been showcased in Southampton recently.
Southampton is set to stage a fun run to promote mens health this autumn.
The University of Southampton is preparing to stage an international summit to empower women.
A flexible workspace is planned within an easy commuting distance of Southampton.
The discount supermarket Lidl envisages opening more stores in Southampton.


text:
Beemers sold me a quad in November, other than his stash I'm unaware of anyone who has any good ones. My surviving CFamp runs daily. I have 8 of the cheap Soviet tubes also, but they sound thin and a little frenetic in comparison. If I have to back to them I'd rather do the conversion. On the plus side I've acquired a boatload of 12ax7s. I have to wonder what my Lindal blackplates would sound like rolled in.Chauss wrote:I am going to have to convert mine to 12AX7 when the current 6AX7's shuggys start to get fuzzy sounding.....they are unobtainium right now- unless they only run them once every few years? - Had a "back-order" for them in place with tube store for over 6 months, but they just sent an email a week or 2 ago and said they would no longer be able to fulfill. I liked the sound just as it is...
Man, I'm juicing to mod this bad boy a little more.
Anyone out there run their CarverFest amp on a daily basis? 'sides me?


text:
The Hydaburg Totem Park, established in 1939, preserves the totemic art of Pacific Northwest Coast Haida people. The park represents a unique cooperative effort among the Federal government, local officials and native Alaskans to recognize and protect local Alaskan culture, and enhance tourism. The works of art in the park are associated with longstanding native traditions. Oral histories indicate that the carving of poles, monuments and houseposts is an ancient tradition among the Haida. The totem poles represent the people, their stories and their history. The figures carved on the poles generally represent ancestors and supernatural beings once encountered by them.
Pascua Cultural Plaza | Hydaburg Totem Park | Chilocco Indian Agricultural School


text:
Some Ignorant Woman Shows Her True Colors: "You Mexicans Come In Our Country & Take From Us"
Womana is upset about car accident and goes on a rant about show she feels about Mexicans
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Irvine, CA (May 23, 2005)—686, division of Westlife Distribution U.S.A. LLC, is pleased to announce the addition of Shaun McKay to the international pro team and Marco Feichtner to the European pro team.
"I'm incredibly hyped on Shaun, says Kristin Cusic, marketing manager for 686, "He's a hard-worker, amazing rider, and has been a solid force on the snowboarding scene for the last few years. He's one of the most devoted guys in the business and is an awesome fit for 686. We couldn't be happier.
Shaun McKay broke onto the professional snowboarding scene through magazine shots and consistent video parts. The 24 year-old Washington native learned to snowboard in 1994 and grew up riding Snoqualmie Pass. Shaun's riding style is influenced by heavy-hitters like Jamie Lynn, Nicolas Muller and Gigi Ruff. He's not your typical contest guy, and prefers shooting photos, filming standout parts, or slaying the backcountry. Shaun is currently filming with Neoproto for the new video, Some Kinda Life, due to premiere in September. When he does compete, McKay usually ends up on the fun side of the contests—this season he won "Biggest Hip Jumper at the TransWorld SNOWBoarding Team Challenge.
"I am happy to be working with everyone over at 686, says Shaun. "They make a super good product that works well and looks good. The designers and everyone involved at 686 love snowboarding, and that makes a big difference with the product and the brand.
Marco Feichtner a.k.a. "Fitchl (pronounced "fitchel), comes straight from the hills of St. Gallenkirch in Austria, home of the famous Silvretta Nova ski area. Marco started riding in 1993 at the tender age of ten when most of his buddies were queuing up in tight suits at the slalom race starting gates. He quickly perfected an impressive freeriding and freestyle background and started making his way into the competitive Austrian scene. He broke out with the Pirates crew in 2003, appearing in Shoot Your Friends, and opening 2004's Pirate Radio with a stunning part where he systematically destroyed every booter to bits. The 23 year-old Austrian is a powder addict but most of all wants to have fun each and every time he rides. Lately he's been spotted working on his rail skills in the streets of St. Gallenkirch.
"Marco absolutely kills it, says Cusic, "He's a European phenomenon and we're stoked to have him on the 686 program. He'll be a great contributor to our team for many years to come.
"All I can say is that I'm super excited to be a part of the 686 program because the clothing rocks and the people are great! I'm really looking forward to getting a lot of work done together, says Marco.
Shaun McKay is also sponsored by K2 snowboards, Thirty-Two, Etnies, Dragon, Defcon, Active Ride Shop and Airblaster.
Marco Feichtner is also sponsored by Santa Cruz snowboards, Level, Dee Lux and Spy.


text:
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Tips & Secrets
Select The Right Futon Mattress
The Shikifuton Mattress
Mattress Based On Sleep Position
Is My Mattress A Sofa Or A Bed
Maximize Your Space
The Right Futon For You
Select The Right Futon Cover
Fabric Color Ideas For Interior Design
Bed Pillow Buying Guide
Throw Pillow Buying Guide
Amish Craftsmanship
Natural Bed Frames
Platform Bed Buying Guide
Do You Need Box Springs?
What Are Shikibutons?
Write your review
Email a Friend
Availability: In stock
Price: $29.00
Special Price: $14.50
* Required Fields
Decorative Grey washable decorative microfiber pillows looks and feels like genuine suede, but with the ease and durability of microfiber. Perfect for high traffic homes and commercial use. Developed for easy spot cleaning and washability. Anti-sag, stiffing, pilling and shrink protected. Engineered for abrasion resistance. The pillow cover is machine washable and can hang dry.
Futon frames, Futon mattresses, and futon covers sold separately. Please see Product Info for product care & assembly instructions.
Piping or welting is a thick cotton cording wrapped in fabric, that is sewn on your pillow wherever there are seams. This decorative addition squares up the edges and can create a complimentary color distinction when looking at your pillow. Many feel this simple embellishment to their throw pillows greatly adds to the look and gives an extra visual dimension. For the piping you can choose the same fabric or a contrasting fabric, depending on what look you are going for. Mix and match to create a futon that is as stunning visually as it is comfortable to sleep on. You may use a coordinating fabric and then match pillows or the same fabric to match your futon cover for thousands of stylistic possibilities. Only your imagination is the limit of our options!
Instructions to purchase: First choose a futon cover or pillow and add it to your cart. Then click here add piping button for futon covers or add piping button for pillow covers and add it to your cart. Enter the piping fabric Name or Number/Code into the comments when you check out in the shopping cart. If there are any issues feel free to email us.
For those who are unable to visit one of our 11 retail stores in California we want you to still have the choice to consider your color and fabric options in your home. We want to help you give new meaning to the phrase "shopping online from home!"
We carry the largest collection of fabrics online and do our best to describe an item's color in each description we write. In spite of our best efforts to accurately describe each fabric, we can never guarantee exact colors or color matching because of this simple fact: Variations in monitor or mobile color settings are just too wide from device to device. This is why we strongly encourage you to order a swatch before purchasing your fabric or trim. We ship your swatches promptly so that you can touch, feel and decide on your beautiful fabric selection.The Futon Shop has hundreds of comparable fabric options of all different feels, colors, and styles. Although you can read to compare qualities and benefits of each we want you to experience our quality fabrics by sending swatches to you by mail.
Get your fabric swatch here. Please include the desired mailing address and the title of fabric.
Lucky Grey Futon Cover
Price: $99.00
Special Price: $49.50
Wool Decorative Pillow Insert
Price: $89.95
Special Price: $44.98
Bright Custom Piping for Pillows
Organic Cotton Decorative Pillow Insert
Price: $79.95
Special Price: $39.98
Whether you're furnishing an entire bedroom or choosing a new sofa, our experts will help you select the perfect design, and comfort level to suit your personal style and space.
Find Your Store


text:
I'm trying to configure my Spring MVC application to use connection pooling with a MySQL database. I have configured the DataSource in Tomcat 5.5.9 via a Context/Resource configuration which is included in my WAR as META-INF/context.xml. The file looks like this:
If I only have this piece of the puzzle in place then my application starts up fine when I start Tomcat. However if I actually try to use this as my DataSource (instead of the DriverManagerDataSource I use for testing) then I get an error and the application fails to start. The only error message I get in the Tomcat log file is the cryptic "Error listenerStart":I have added the MySQL DataSource as a resource in my web.xml, like so:I am configuring the dataSource in my Spring configuration file like so:The MySQL DBCP DataSource can be accessed from a JSP using <sql:query var="rs" dataSource="jdbc/MySqlDataSource">, so I'm pretty sure that it's configured correctly in Tomcat and the problem is with Spring not being able to wire it correctly using JNDI.
I'm following the example from p. 256 of Harrop's "Pro Spring". I'm running Tomcat 5.5.9 on a Windows XP machine, and using Spring 1.2.3.
Thanks in advance for any assistance!
<Context> <Resource name="jdbc/MySqlDataSource" auth="Container" type="javax.sql.DataSource" maxActive="100" maxIdle="30" maxWait="10000" username="user" password="mypassword" driverClassName="com.mysql.jdbc.Driver" url="jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/ioifocus" removeAbandoned="true" /> </Context>
Aug 8, 2005 9:54:18 AM org.apache.catalina.startup.HostConfig deployWAR INFO: Deploying web application archive ioifocus.war Aug 8, 2005 9:54:20 AM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext start SEVERE: Error listenerStart Aug 8, 2005 9:54:20 AM org.apache.catalina.core.StandardContext start SEVERE: Context [/ioifocus] startup failed due to previous errors
<!-- JNDI Reference to the MySQL DataSource --> <resource-ref> <description>MySQL Database Connection</description> <res-ref-name>jdbc/MySqlDataSource</res-ref-name> <res-type>javax.sql.DataSource</res-type> <res-auth>Container</res-auth> </resource-ref>
<bean id="dataSource" class="org.springframework.jndi.JndiObjectFactoryBean"> <property name="jndiName"> <value>java:comp/env/jdbc/MySqlDataSource</value> </property> </bean>
I'm following the example from p. 256 of Harrop's "Pro Spring". I'm running Tomcat 5.5.9 on a Windows XP machine, and using Spring 1.2.3.
Thanks in advance for any assistance!


text:
John Deere introduces its new high-capacity 4930 self-propelled sprayer. With the sprayer's Boom Trac Pro, sensors monitor the distance from the boom to the ground and adjust the boom automatically, maintaining a constant height over the crop. The 4930 also offers GreenStar 2, which automatically turns boom sections on and off at end rows, waterways and other obstacles.
The 325-hp self-propelled sprayer has a 1,200-gal. high-flow solution system designed to maintain spray speed on soft or hilly terrain. It also offers variable-rate technology, as-applied mapping and AutoTrac assisted steering.
The suggested retail price is $291,500. For more information, see your John Deere dealer, contact John Deere, Dept. FIN, 11145 Thompson Ave., Lenexa, KS 66219, call 866/993-3373, or visit www.deere.com.


text: > > The question was about making I/O faster. What you suggest wastes less ... > > Using a RAID 5 disk array with n disks will result in an (n-1)X I/O > performance gain. With the price of disks today, it seems like a viable > option for folks who need the speed. raid5 usually does _not_ show that kind of nice speedup, especially if your workload involves writes. it still works VERY well, of course, and can scale to some pretty impressive rates on mundane/cheap hardware. IMO, for this kind of "scratch" storage, you should crunch the MTBF numbers to see whether you can just go with a simple raid0, since it's so much more efficient. or, for that matter, whether you can afford raid1. in MFFS (Mark's Fantasy File System), the filesystem itself is smart enough to keep some files striped, others replicated, others in raid5, not to mention transparently migrating onto the sdlt library. oh, and for particular users, it just tosses files into gnutella ;) as for the original question, I recommend a superlative brute force tool: strace. it'll tell you whether you're spending too much time in certain syscalls, and how big the chunks are that your runtime is reading. for example, try running "strace -ttt dd if=somefile of=/dev/null bs=8k 3&>1 | less" WARNING: prepare to be disgusted by all the nonsense that glibc does whenever starting a program!


text:
At the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in March, a two minute video at the Case IH exhibit showed a nicely packed, 6-7 bale module gliding out of the back of a red cotton picker working its way through a cotton field. No module builders or boll buggies were in sight. It was just the picker and the driver one minute and a module the next.
The video was of an on-board module builder that Case, Alamo, Tenn., cotton producer Jimmy Hargett and Perthshire, Miss., cotton producer Kenneth Hood have been testing for several years and is the same one that no one's been talking about for the same amount of time.
Hargett, interviewed at the gin show, was still pretty mum about it. Case IH officials said they couldn't even discuss why they couldn't talk about it. But they did say that the video was one way to gauge farmer interest in an on-board module builder. Their booth was one of the more popular stopping points at the gin show.
Outside the Cook Convention Center, where the gin show was held, Hargett, who we do know designed the on-board module builder with a piece of chalk on his shop floor several years ago, posed with a 6-7 bale module which was picked and packed in an on-board module builder. Two of the small modules will fit in a standard module truck.
Hargett has said that an on-board module builder will impact cotton production similarly to the cotton gin, module builder and center pivot irrigation. He says the machine, which is simply a module builder and a cotton picker rolled into one efficient machine, could save cotton producers about 4 cents a pound.
According to a paper presented at the 2004 Beltwide Cotton Conferences by Mississippi State University agricultural economist David Parvin, a cotton picker with an on-board module builder could save a cotton producer between 11 percent and 38 percent in total harvesting costs per acre.
Parvin used a budget generator to estimate the cost of harvesting cotton with current six-row harvesting technology versus a six-row picker with an on-board module builder. Parvin assumes the new technology will be available only on six-row pickers.
Harvesting machines for the study were priced at $275,000 for a conventional picker and $350,000 for a picker with an on-board module builder. "We also assumed that the picker with the on-board module builder would not significantly change the cost of hauling the seed cotton to the gin nor the cost of ginning. The analysis did not include scrapping.
How much a producer could save with an on-board module builder depends on farm size and yield.
For example, a cotton producer with 1,500 acres and an average yield of 800 pounds per acre would need one cotton picker, one boll buggy and one module builder to harvest with current technology, while one picker with an on-board module builder would be needed with the new technology.
A picker with an on-board module builder would require no tractors, one operator and one support laborer, while current technology would require two tractors, three operators and two support laborers. The total per-acre harvesting cost for current technology in this example was $58.77 versus $52.25 for a system using an on-board module builder, a difference of $6.52.
But as yield increases, savings increase significantly for the on-board module builder. According to Parvin's study, it would cost $84.78 per acre to harvest a 1,200-pound yield on 1,500 acres with current harvesting technology, an increase of $32.53 per acre over the 800-pound/1,500-acre example.
The conventional system would require five tractors, six operators and four support laborers. But costs for the on-board module builder remain at $52.25 per acre across all yield scenarios for the 1,500-acre farm. A 1,200-pound yield would require no tractors, one operator and one support laborer, the same requirements it had with an 800-pound yield scenario.
The real economics come from reductions in equipment and support staff, according to Parvin. For example, a producer with 12 four-row cotton pickers supported by 12 module builders and 12 boll buggies, 36 operator laborers and 24 support laborers, conceivably would need only six, six-row pickers with on-board module builders, six operator laborers and six support laborers, to harvest the same crop.


text:
Classic Italian Ragu, everyone has their favorite, a family recipe passed down scribbled on scratch paper. "No one made it like Grandma" - well until now! Here's our classic ragu (meat & tomato) sauce that is easy & delicious, perfect for spaghetti, lasagna, tagliatelle .... the list goes on!
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 med onion, finely diced
1 rib of celery, finely diced
1 clove of garlic
quarter pound of sausage meat
half pound ground veal
1.5 pounds peeled, seeded, pureed fresh tomatoes or 1 large can of peeled tomatoes
olive oil
salt & pepper
In a pot add a couple glugs of olive oil & sauté clove of garlic until brown then discard.
On medium heat sauté veggies slowly for about 10 minutes - so they are not brown but translucent. Raise the heat slightly & add in meat - breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon. Season with salt & pepper.
Add tomatoes & half a glass of water. Bring up to boil. Lower to a very low simmer for 2.5 hours stirring occasionally.
Toss pasta with a few ladlefuls of sauce (just enough to coat) and a ladleful of pasta water as well. You can finish with a dollop of sauce ontop if you like. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan or Aged Pecorino.