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September 4, 2018 Diane Pendergraft Book Lovers Community
Sighs, Tears, and Faith
The last writing assignment for our American Literature Course, came after our previously unplanned reading of Ben Hur. Throughout the story, we often discussed the role of Esther. The poor girl! What was she doing all the time as she served her father and waited to see what would become of Ben Hur?
Therefore, we decided to use our imaginations to fill in some gaps. We divided the book between the four girls, and each was to take the information Wallace provided and tell parts of the story from Esther's point of view.
In some instances, quotes were borrowed from Ben Hur but, to avoid confusion for the reader, I have removed the quotes within quotes the girls used in their original drafts to avoid the appearance of plagiarism.
Esther, Book 4
(B.B.)
When Esther, the daughter of Simonides, first saw Ben-Hur, she was leaning against the back of a chair. As Ben-Hur approached, Esther said to herself, "This man is unusually attractive, I wonder who he could be?" She smiled because as he bowed his forehead reddened, which made him a little more handsome.
Esther's daydreaming was interrupted by her father who told her to get a chair for Ben-Hur. After placing the chair, she arose and their eyes met. She then walked back to her father's chair and, while her father and Ben-Hur talked, she sighed, "What beautiful eyes."
Her daydreaming was again interrupted by her father telling her to get a cup of wine for Ben-Hur. As she was getting the cup of wine, she listened to Ben-Hur tell her father about his past. When he finished speaking, Esther stood in front of him with a cup of wine. She had kept her face down to keep Ben-Hur from seeing tears in her eyes. After Ben-Hur kindly rejected the cup of wine, Esther returned to her place by her father's chair. She continued to listen to Ben-Hur speak.
Eventually, Ben-Hur asked of the whereabouts of his mother and sister. Esther's father said he knew nothing, which was true, but it still brought tears to Esther's eyes. Tears still flowed as Ben-Hur departed, but she had to wipe them away to ring the service bell for her father. Esther's father wanted his most trusted servant, Malluch, to follow Ben-Hur to see if he really was who he said he was. Soon Malluch departed and Esther and her father sat in the garden. It was here that her father told her about the Hur house and how her mother and he had come to be servants for them.
A few days later Esther found out from her father that Ben-Hur had left the city. She felt like a part of her had slipped away. She sighed, "Will he ever return?" The days dragged on for Esther, and her father noticed a cloud over her. He said to himself, "This can only be caused by one thing and that's love."
As the weeks went by, Esther started to go to her room and pray that God would keep Ben-Hur safe and bring him back to her. One day, as Esther sat by her father's chair, she asked earnestly, "Do you believe he will come back?"
"Yes, I believe so," he answered.
That very day Malluch returned. When he told her father the events that had happened, Esther sat quietly. She did, however, raise her head and her heart began to bound when she heard the servant tell her father that Ben-Hur would race in the circus. She knew it was extremely dangerous, however, her worrying was cut short as her father told her to get dinner for Malluch and them. After dinner, the servant left and Esther and her father talked about what would happen now that they knew Ben-Hur was actually Ben-Hur.
As the months went by, Esther heard bits and pieces about Ben-Hur in the market or at the well. She cherished every word she heard about him because every word was that he was alive and safe. Esther always wondered if Ben-Hur thought of her as much as she thought of him. She thought of Ben-Hur while she took care of her father. She saw his face in the water when she washed her hands. She saw him in the trees as she walked the garden paths,for she thought only of him.
(L.J.W.)
Esther glanced at her father, not surprised to find him sleeping. She crossed the room quietly, stopping before the window. Glancing down into the courtyard, she noticed two of her servants excitedly talking. Curiously, she walked toward the door.
"Esther," Simonides said.
With a suppressed sigh, Esther turned back from the door, saying, "Father, I thought you were asleep."
Smiling, Simonides said, "Perhaps I was, but call in refreshments, please."
Esther obediently rang the bell, wishing that she knew what her servants were talking about. As one of the servants came into the room with the usual wine and bread, Esther looked at her inquisitively. The servant, Hannah, looked at her with a conspiratorial look. Simonides didn't appear to have noticed either of the looks between them, and Esther hoped he had not. After Hannah left, Simonides asked, "You have heard me talking with Malluch and the sheik Ilderim, have you not?"
Esther answered, " Yes, I have."
"Then you know the amount of money our young master is to gain?"
"Yes, Father."
Simonides gazed at his daughter and Esther looked back. "Daughter, you know you are to be a servant to Ben-Hur?"
She hesitated, then spoke, "Yes, Father, I have heard."
Simonides, pleased, nodded quietly. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The conversation obviously over, Esther sat back in her chair, thinking of Ben-Hur. She had thought much of him since they had met. He was so handsome. She sat in silence for a time, until she noticed her father sleeping heavily. Quietly she rose, darting a quick look at her father.
After leaving the room, Esther gave a sigh of relief. It was not often she could leave. She hurried to find Hannah, her gossipy servant. Stopping in the courtyard, she met Hannah.
"Hannah, wat-," Esther began, but Hannah interrupted her.
"Oh, I heard the most shocking thing," she gasped, "Zipporah was at the well, and she heard that Ben-Hur is going to drive the sheik Ilderim's four bays in the circus. She also saw him last night with the Egyptian, Iras. They were in a boat on the lake. Can you imagine?"
There was more, but Esther ceased to hear anything after Hannah had mentioned Ben-Hur with Iras. It was then that she had felt a jealous sting. Esther abruptly turned and walked away. She had not realized to what extent she had grown to like Ben-Hur. She went listlessly back to the room where her father dozed. She sat again, but this time with more unpleasant thoughts.
An hour later, Esther left the room again, but this time went straight to the kitchen, where she had often spent many hours watching the servants cook and clean. Leaning against the wall, she listened to Hannah and Zipporah chatter.
Zipporah said, "I heard that Ben-Hur is training the four bays. Rebecca said she saw him driving them. The sheik who owns them is as proud of Ben-Hur as he is of his horses." At this, Esther smiled.
Hannah giggled and said, "Many of the women prefer his looks over the Roman, Messala." Esther shuddered at the name.
Zipporah laughed carelessly, saying, " Many of the women change their preferences every week." Esther stood upright as they moved on to a different subject.
She went back to where her father slept, but found him awake and talking to Ilderim, excitedly. At her entrance, both men looked up and said, "Peace to thee," then kept talking.
After a moment, Esther realized they were speaking about Ben-Hur. Simonides called Malluch, said something in low tones to him, then spoke to Esther.
Malluch left as Simonides said, "Esther, today we give ourselves and the money to Ben-Hur." Surprised, she stared at him. He motioned her to take her place beside his chair. Esther took her place, seemingly calm and unmoved by the statement, but inside, her heart was pounding with the thought of her master.
After a half hour had passed, a knock sounded on the door. Simonides spoke, "In God's name, enter."
The door swung open, and Ben-Hur, looking a bit confused, entered the room. Esther watched his face change from confused to instantly wary. He quickly surveyed the room, glancing at each of them hurriedly. He then looked at Esther again. She looked back, hoping her face would not betray her feelings inside. Then her father spoke. "Son of Hur."
As Ben-Hur looked toward him, he repeated the name. "Son of Hur, take thou the peace of the Lord God of our fathers—take it from me."
Esther waited, holding her breath, hoping he would add her part of the greeting. Then after a pause, "From me and mine."
Ben-Hur paused a moment, then spoke, "Simonides, the holy peace you tender is accepted. As son to father, I return it to you. Only let there be perfect understanding between us."
Esther stood, watching him gently turn aside her father's submission. Simonides turned to her, saying, " A seat for the master, daughter." Esther hurried to do his bidding. She stopped and stood, waiting for either Ben-Hur or her father to say where to put it.
After a prolonged silence, Ben-Hur went to her, took the stool gently, and, going to her father's chair, placed it at the merchant's feet. He said, "I will sit here." He met her gaze only for a second, but Esther recognized his generosity and forbearance in that quick glance.
Simonides said, with a bit of relief in his voice, "Esther, child, bring the paper." Esther brought him a roll of papyri. She took a few steps back, listening carefully as her father and Ben-Hur discussed what he was supposed to gain. Simonides held forth the last sheet and continued, "Thou has not all the account. Take this and read—read aloud."
Ben-Hur, perplexed, took the sheet, and read:
"'Statement of the servants of Hur, rendered by Simonides, steward of the estate. 1. Amrah, Egyptian, keeping the palace in Jerusalem. 2. Simonides, the steward, in Antioch. 3. Esther, daughter of Simonides.'"
Esther blushed as Ben-Hur looked at her. A second before dropping her eyes, she saw he himself was blushing. He began to speak, but Esther heard not, for she was trying to compose herself enough to look up. What she did hear was the end of what he said:
"…that in the same moment ye were declared my servants, that moment I declared ye free; and what I declare, that will I put in writing. Is it not enough? Can I do more?"
Esther looked down again, her composure again gone. One moment she was free, then a servant, then her master was declaring her free. Though she knew it was impossible because she was a bondservant, she felt pleased he would try to free her and her father.
When she looked up, Ben-Hur was saying, "Count thyself steward now; or wilt thou have it in writing?"
Simonides shook his head and said, "Thy word is simply enough; it was so with the father, and I will not more from the son. And now, if the understanding be perfect—," her father paused.
Ben-Hur agreed, "It is with me."
Then Simonides lifted her arm, saying, "And thou, daughter of Rachel, speak!"
Esther stood a moment, feeling left alone, then she went to Ben-Hur, and said, "I am not better than my mother was; and as she is gone, I pray you, O my master, let me care for my father."
Ben-Hur took her hand and led her back to the chair, saying, "Thou art a good child. Have thy will."
Simonides replaced her arm upon his neck, and there was silence for a time in the room. And in the silence, Esther was remembering Ben-Hur's touch on her hand.
After a while, Simonides looked up, saying, "Esther, the night is going fast; and, lest we become too weary for that which is before us, let the refreshments be brought." She obediently rang a bell, waiting near the door until Hannah came in with wine and bread.
As she took the tray of food, Esther saw Hannah glance toward the guests and her eyes open wide. As Hannah stood near the door, waiting for the tray to be emptied, Esther could just imagine the thoughts circulating through Hannah's mind as she served Ben-Hur first. As she gave him a cup and morsel of bread, he looked up with a smile, making him more handsome than he had ever been before. She ducked her head respectfully, and quickly went on to Ilderim, before he could see the flush of color in her cheeks. After they were all served and eating, she took a portion and gave the tray back to Hannah. When she met Hannah's eyes for a moment, Hannah looked surprised and slightly triumphant. Esther began to give her a warning look, but Hannah turned and left. She took her place at her father's side and began to think about Hannah's expression.
She jerked back to the present, when her father told her, "Bring me the Torah, Esther."
She left the room quickly, still thinking about the gossipy servant's face. After returning to her father, she drifted off again, until he spoke gently to her, "Some wine, Esther, and then the Torah."
She smiled at him, giving him a cup. When he returned it, she gave him the Torah. She stood by him, as she always did, waiting as they spoke more. She heard Ilderim say, "but thou shalt have my oath, binding me, and the ready hands of my tribe, and whatever serviceable thing I have."
At this all three of them—her father, Ilderim, and herself—gazed at Ben-Hur. He began to speak, with a sad, yet content manner about him. Esther listened for a moment, then bit her lip, trying to hold back a sob. However, it broke loose and she, embarrassed, put her head upon her father's shoulder.
Simonides tenderly said, "I did not think of you, Esther."
Ben-Hur looked at her, a gentleness showing in his gaze she had never seen before, saying, "It is well enough, Simonides. A man bears a hard doom better, knowing there is pity for him. Let me go on."
Esther heard nothing more, for she was attempting to hold back more sobs. She also felt a bit ashamed, for her sobs were half in pity for Ben-Hur, and half for herself, for she despaired of the idea of him leaving.
She stood up straight, when her father said, " The bread and wine again, Esther." She started for the door, but stopped when Ben-Hur declined. As he and Malluch left, she stared after them, wishing he did not have to leave.
The next evening, Esther could not sleep for thinking of her conversation with Ben-Hur. She finally stood and walked to the window. He had been standing with her on the terrace of the great warehouse, and had begun to discuss Rome.
When she had asked, he had told her of the property he had inherited near Rome. She had listened in awe as he had described it with perfect details. When she had started to explain why she had asked of the property, (here, even remembering, she flushed again) she had started with, "Good, my master—," when Ben-Hur had interrupted, objecting to the title. She had reddened with pleasure at his saying, "Call me brother." He had gone to explain why he must go to Rome. She had asked if nothing could be done, and looked up at him.
His face had softened and he said quietly, "Do you care so much for me?" She had answered simply, "Yes." Now, recollecting, she wondered if she should have said something else. Her thoughts flew back to earlier that evening. He had taken her hand, then kissed it.
When he had said gently, "You shall be another Tirzah to me, Esther," she had glanced up curiously, and asked, "Who is Tirzah?" He then told her of the little sister the Romans stole from him. It was then that the conversation had ended for a servant had wheeled Simonides out the door.
Esther sat down in the windowsill, staring out at the dark sky, dashed with stars. She sat for a while, wondering if she had spoken what she should or could have. She stood and walked back to her bed, finally tired. When she arose, the sun was high in the sky.
After serving her father until he fell asleep, she walked out into the courtyard, listening to the busy sounds of servants working. Hannah mostly worked in the kitchen, so she was not out here. Looking around the courtyard she watched the busy servants scurry about with their tasks. She had often wished she could work, busying herself with some small task. Just then, Zipporah came in after her daily well trip. Setting the jug down, she walked toward Esther.
Zipporah smiled, saying, " Good morning. I just heard from Rebecca what colors the drivers are to have."
Esther asked, "What are they?"
Zipporah said, "Well, Ben-Hur's color is white and Messala's mixed scarlet and gold."
Esther said, with a laugh, "And how does Rebecca know so much?"
Zipporah began to explain that Rebecca passed by the Orchard of the Palms everyday, and she had heard about Messala's colors from another friend. Esther shook her head with a look of slight annoyance at her servant's gossipy ways.
Zipporah laughed, saying, "Hannah told me about you and Ben-Hur."
Esther stared at her. "What about Ben-Hur and I ?
Zipporah laughed again. "That Ben-Hur may be comparing your beauty with that of Iras, the Egyptian."
Esther looked away, quickly, her color coming and going. She finally said, "You think foolishly. I am only his bondservant. Nothing more." She turned to leave, but then turned back with a sick feeling in her stomach, saying with a hurried tone, "You have not told anyone else this?"
Zipporah raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Most of the girls know it, and any that don't, will soon."
Esther sighed. She should have guessed. Servant girls knew what went on in every household, and that included her own. Most of their gossip was harmless, for if they spread any news about their masters, they could lose their jobs. Esther turned and left. Well, at least she knew what color Ben-Hur was going to have. She went back to her father, who still slept peacefully.
Two days later, Esther stood by her father's chair, waiting for Malluch to finish speaking with her father. Malluch bowed to Simonides and herself, saying, "Peace to thee and thine, Simonides."
Her father inclined his head slightly, while Esther smiled. After Malluch had left, Simonides laid his head back with a sigh, saying, "Esther, child, you are excused to do whatever you wish. I am weary."
Esther did not leave until she was sure her father was comfortable. She then wandered down into the garden to rest. She sat upon a bench, and began to think back upon the race. She remembered Ben-Hur's face the most. He had been so white and determined. After he had won the race, he had glanced toward where her father's party sat. Iras had stood, giving him a smile and a wave of her fan. Esther had felt a jealous sting not just because the smile had been returned, but also because she wondered if Iras loved Messala. Esther sat quietly, feeling alone. Ben-Hur was the kind of man she had dreamed of marrying. He was so handsome and—in love with Iras. He had been completely won over by her beauty and wit, and he had not stopped to realize her true personality. She arose suddenly, feeling trapped. That feeling made her quicken her pace. She was watching Ben-Hur be taken by the bewitching mannerisms of Iras, and all the while, she felt sure Iras did not love him at all. Esther sighed. There was absolutely nothing she could do.
Esther sat again, trying to calm herself. She could be mistaken. She sat there for a half-hour, trying her best to convince herself that she was mistaken. She finally stood, walking quickly to the gate. Perhaps a walk to the well would calm her nerves. When she returned, she was as distraught as when she had begun. She could not think of anything but Ben-Hur possibly being in danger at the hand of Iras. Esther went back to her father, feeling weary and agitated.
A few hours later, Ben-Hur came in, and told of how he had been nearly killed in the Palace of Idernee. Esther's heart was in her throat by the time he had finished. He and her father agreed on a plan, and he prepared to leave. A servant pushed Simonides in his chair to the terrace. Esther watched him give Ben-Hur his farewell and peace of the Lord as a father would to a son. She then went with Ben-Hur to the head of the steps.
He looked down upon her with a smile. "If I find my mother, Esther, thou shalt go to her at Jerusalem, and be a sister to Tirzah."
Esther was about to bid him farewell when he bent and kissed her lightly upon the forehead. With a parting farewell, he turned and left. Esther could only stand there and stare after him. Esther knew then and admitted to herself that she loved Ben-Hur. Perhaps he did not love Iras so much after all. With the remembrance of his kiss upon her forehead, she turned, and, with a smile on her lips, returned to her father.
Esther, Books 6&7
After the kiss between Ben-Hur and Esther, Esther had been thinking of what could become of it. She was so happy that the strong Ben-Hur would choose her. Although Ben-Hur technically owned her and her father, she felt as though there was no distance between them. The messengers that brought news to Esther occasionally made her ecstatic when they brought a letter from Ben-Hur. Although sometimes the content of his letters did not concern her, she still loved to read them. The letters made Esther feel close to him.
Going on a walk took up Esther's time most pleasantly. During her quiet long walks she would contemplate the activities going on around her, but mainly about the large amounts of news being brought in about the Son of God. Since Ben-Hur had left for Jerusalem and Esther stayed in Antioch, Esther had heard of who people were calling Jesus. Esther knew that the Jews in Antioch were praying that Jesus would destroy the Romans and take back their land, but that could not happen. There were mainly just two things on Esther's mind at this time and they were Ben-Hur and Jesus. Every day she prayed that Ben-Hur would come back safe and secure, but on a few days she would doubt herself even though Ben-Hur had promised that he would. Also, every day her faith in Jesus grew. She always hoped to meet him. Esther was a faithful servant to Ben-Hur and to the Lord.
Esther continued to write letters to Ben-Hur and received the equal. She dreamed of the day where she would see Ben-Hur again. Although there had been rumors proved true of mobs in Jerusalem, Ben-Hur's leadership took victory over the mobs.
Esther cared for her father and others in Antioch. Her generous soul reached out to people before she even got to them.The letters from Ben-Hur became fewer and fewer, which got Esther a little worried. Although some days Esther almost gave up hope, she persevered and kept believing that Ben-Hur would one day come home.
Because Ben-Hur's letters had become so few, Esther became desperate for news. She traveled to the market where she would always hear news about everything except Ben-Hur. But one day, as she walked her daily route to the market she befriended a produce seller named Rebecca. Rebecca's cousin was friends with the guide that Ben-Hur was using on his way to Jerusalem. Here she heard stories, whether they were true or false, about Ben-Hur. On a sunny day, she heard that Iras and Balthasar had met Ben-Hur in the desert. In addition, she heard that Ben-Hur had met Jesus. Esther gasped when she heard this. Her body trembled and a tear soon fell from her eye. Rebecca thought about delivering a letter to Ben-Hur for Esther but the burden was too great. So Esther was left just hearing from Rebecca the only words about Ben-Hur she could almost trust.
(L.W.)
A few weeks later, Esther and Simonides had joined Balthasar and Iras in the house of Ben-Hur in Jerusalem. As Esther sat with her father one day, a servant came in with a letter. Esther received the letter from the servant, and, as she glanced at the seal, her heart began to beat quicker and color rushed to her face. It was from Ben-Hur. She hurried to take it to her father, who looked at the seal, then opened the letter. Simonides handed it to her to read it to him and noticed the flush of excitement on her dusky olive skin.
He spoke: "You know who it is from, I see, Esther."
"'Yes—from—our master.' Though the manner was halting, she met his gaze with modest sincerity."
"'You love him, Esther," he said quietly.
"'Yes," she answered. Her heart thrilled at the thought, but, as her father told her what she knew to be true of Ben-Hur and Iras, the Egyptian, it sank. Iras was beautiful, but very cunning and devious, and though she knew it was wrong of her, Esther was angry at Iras's hold over Ben-Hur. However, Esther could say nothing to Ben-Hur without betraying her true feelings, so she was forced to hold her tongue.
She read the letter from Ben-Hur to her father, then gave it to him. When he handed it back to her, tears burned at the backs of her eyes. Not one word had even alluded to her, and there was nothing addressed to her. She was foolish to think that he thought of her as anything more than his servant, or the daughter of his servant, but it stung her gentle, sincere heart to be so completely and utterly ignored.
As Simonides finished scanning the letter, Iras came out onto the roof. Esther's first thought was that Iras was very beautiful, and her second thought was a fierce stab of jealousy. In the next instant, she was ashamed of herself and glad that no one could see her thoughts. After a few words with Simonides, Iras turned to Esther and called her aside. She spoke idly for a few minutes of Rome, then confided, "'Let me…tell you what I would not to any other.'" Esther waited as a feeling of dread tightened her throat.
"'The King is coming,'" Iras said. Esther was confused—she had been expecting Iras to speak of Ben-Hur; who could she be speaking of? Rome and the Roman Empire had an emperor, not a king. Iras, seeing her surprise and confusion, hastened to add, "'The Nazarene will be here tomorrow, and Ben-Hur tonight.'"
Esther's heart jumped—in the letter to her father, Ben-Hur had not mentioned when he would arrive. How did Iras know? Esther struggled to remain outwardly indifferent, but color flamed in her cheeks. She dropped her eyes, and so missed the tell-tale smile that played across Iras's face.
"See, here is his promise," and saying so, Iras produced a rolled parchment. Esther wanted to cry, but would not allow herself to do so in front of Iras. She was ashamed of herself for the fierce jealousy she felt towards Iras. Ben-Hur had not mentioned her at all in the letter to her father, and he had sent news to Iras. At the sound of hurried footsteps on the street, both girls started, and Iras looked down to see who was coming.
She turned to Esther and said, "Tis he—Ben-Hur himself! That he should appear while I had such thought of him! There are no gods if it be not a good omen. Put your arms about me, Esther—and a kiss!"
Esther looked steadily, though somewhat angrily, at Iras. "Upon each cheek there was a glow; her eyes sparkled with a light more nearly of anger than ever her nature emitted before. Her gentleness had been too roughly overridden. It was not enough for her to be forbidden more than fugitive dreams of the man she loved; a boastful rival must tell her in confidence of her better success and of the brilliant promises that were its reward. Of her, the servant of a servant, there had been no hint of remembrance; this other could show his letter, leaving her to imagine all it breathed.
So she said, "Dost thou love him so much, then, or Rome so much better."
Iras looked startled for a moment, then bent threateningly toward Esther and said, "What is he to thee, daughter of Simonides?"
Esther began, refusing to back down, "He is my–"
A thought blasting as lightning stayed the word: She paled, trembled, recovered, and answered, "He is my father's friend."
Her tongue had refused to admit her servile condition. Iras laughed more lightly than before. "Not more than that!" she said. "Ah, by the love gods of Egypt, thou mayst keep thy kisses—keep them. Thou hast taught me but now that there are others vastly more estimable waiting me here in Judea; and—" She turned away, looking back over her shoulder. "—I will go get them. Peace to thee."
"Esther watched her disappear down the steps; then, putting her hands over her face, she burst into tears so they ran scalding through her fingers—tears of shame and choking passion." It was some time before she recovered enough to join Simonides in the summerhouse.
As Esther attended her father, she noticed that Ben-Hur was not present in the room, nor did Simonides give the impression that he had already come and gone. She concluded bitterly that he must be with Iras. Nearly an hour later, Balthasar requested to meet Simonides, and as they spoke, Ben-Hur entered with Iras. He greeted Balthasar first, then turned to Simonides while Esther waited with a quaking heart, not daring to look fully at him or at Iras. Because of her downcast eyes, she did not see the startled look in his as he glanced at her. He had not seen her for some time, and she had matured and become quite beautiful between his visits.
For an instant, he was startled; but recovering, he went to Esther and said, 'Peace to thee, sweet Esther—peace; and thou, Simonides—' He looked to the merchant as he spoke. '—the blessing of the Lord be thine, if only because thou hast been a good father to the fatherless.'"
Simonides answered him and requested that he sit and tell of his travels, but most of all, of the Nazarene.
Esther listened intently as Ben-Hur told of the Nazarene. Could this indeed be the Messiah for whom they had been waiting so long? When Ben-Hur left, late that night, or, in fact, early the next morning, she settled the weary Simonides for the rest of the night, then went to bed, but she did not sleep immediately, because her mind was too full of the discussion of the evening.
Over the next few days, Simonides and Balthasar kept careful watch on what the Nazarene was doing, from information they received from Ben-Hur. Esther listened eagerly, as well, but the letters dropped off suddenly. Simonides, Balthasar, and Esther all wondered what had happened, but weren't very worried. Ben-Hur was very busy.
The night of the Passover, a servant came to Simonides with news of Ben-Hur's arrival. The evening dragged on, but Ben-Hur did not come to speak with Simonides. Esther was disappointed, and she supposed that Ben-Hur was with Iras. After she settled Simonides for the night, she went back to his chair on the summerhouse roof and tried to sort out her thoughts. She wept because of the jealousy she felt toward Iras, and eventually fell asleep, missing Ben-Hur, who came to the roof in search of Simonides.
The next morning, Esther learned that Ben-Hur was gone again. As the feast of the Passover was still continuing, she was kept busy, but not busy enough to stop thinking of him. She wondered where he was, for she knew the Nazarene was in either Jerusalem or one of the surrounding cities. She had heard very little of the Nazarene's movements since the beginning of the festivities, and because Ben-Hur was a follower of the Nazarene, she heard very little of Ben-Hur. Early that morning, however, a messenger brought news, not from Ben-Hur, but of the city happenings—the Nazarene was being taken to be crucified on Golgotha. Esther, horrified, turned to Simonides. What were they to do? They had not expected this man, whom they believed to be the Messiah, to be killed. Simonides immediately sent a servant to notify Balthasar, then began ordering servants around and making preparations as if preparing to leave the house. Esther said anxiously, "Father, what are you doing? Are we going somewhere?"
Everything was happening so fast that she could hardly follow it. About half an hour later, she left with her father and Balthasar. Iras was nowhere to be found. Because of his missing daughter, the traumatic news of the Nazarene, and partly from old age, Balthasar was very ill and weak and had to be carried in a litter.
The crowds in the street were gigantic. Esther was frightened, and she stayed close to her father's chair. Just then, she saw Ben-Hur. Simonides saw him in almost the same instant. They joined him where he stood, and, when the crowds thinned a little bit, they walked on toward Golgotha. Ben-Hur seemed to be in a state of shock at the happenings. Esther walked beside him, wishing she could offer him some comfort, but she too was reeling.
Several hours later, after witnessing the horrors of the Crucifixion, they returned to the house of Hur. Balthasar was dead. Iras was still gone, and though Ben-Hur searched for her, she was nowhere to be found.
Five joy-filled years later, as Esther lay awake in the middle of the night, she thought about the strange happenings of the day. As she had sat, watching her and Ben-Hur's two children play with Tirzah, a visitor had come. When Esther realized the haggard, prematurely old woman was Iras, she was shocked. They had heard nothing of her since she disappeared before the Crucifixion five years previously. When Iras told Esther that Ben-Hur's enemy Messala was dead, and that Iras had killed him, Esther was surprised. Ben-Hur believed that Iras had deserted Balthasar for Messala five years ago, but they had never been able to verify that assumption. Iras refused to stay, and, after she left, they never saw her again. Esther was saddened by Iras's visit, but she was glad that there was no longer any need to worry about Messala. I am so happy, Esther thought as she finally drifted off to sleep.
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text:
Q: How to replace www from the url in ruby? I want to replace www from this url "https://www.cmnetwork.co/courses/3684/redirect"
with newlife.
I know using split we can do this. Is there any standard way of doing this?
Newly generated url should be:
"https://newlife.cmnetwork.co/courses/3684/redirect"

A: I would argue that if you want to manipulate an URL then you should use a proper URI class and not use methods on the URL string.
uri = URI('https://www.cmnetwork.co/courses/3684/redirect')
uri.host = 'newlife.cmnetwork.co'

uri.to_s
#=> "https://newlife.cmnetwork.co/courses/3684/redirect"

It might feel like an overkill for this very simple example but it is IMO the better practice.

A: try the following code to replace www from url eg.
url = "www.google.com"
url.gsub!('www.', 'app.')

A: Using sub method of ruby we can replace sub-string.
url = "https://www.cmnetwork.co/courses/3684/redirect"
url = url.sub('www.','newlife.')

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Posted on 4th Jun 2021 10th Nov 2021 by Luke Griffin
Amine Gouiri – Player Report
Amine Gouiri is a French U21 international and currently plays for OGC Nice. He had a strong season in Ligue 1 finishing with 8 non-penalty goals and 7 assists. He mostly played on the left wing but is able to play as a striker, but less effectively. Galtier, who just won the league with Lille, could be taking over as Nice coach next season and it will interesting to see how Gouiri and the rest of a talented Nice squad can do under him. But, Gouiri could be on the move before the new season as he's been linked with clubs like Liverpool and AC Milan.
Nationality: French
Current Club: Lyon, OGC Nice
Gouiri stands at 5'11", he lacks muscle mass but has an average build. He does lack physicality though and can be bullied in challenges at times, however I think this partly comes down to a lack of aggression. He doesn't seem to enjoy the physical side of the game. He's agile with quick feet and is pretty fast, but not electric. He is able to carry the ball very effectively at speed though with small strides and good changes of direction. His acceleration is good and is able to change speeds well with the ball. His work rate is fairly poor though and lacks intensity out of possession and can often switch off in defensive transition. His leap is labelled as poor because he rarely goes up to compete in aerial duels.
The French winger is strong technically and I may have been a bit harsh to give him 4 and not a few 5s in the graphic above but I think there's work to be done. Firstly, he receives the ball really well. He mostly does well to control powerful passes in tight spaces and is able to kill them dead and protects the ball very well. He's press resistant and able to turn effectively as long he's not put under much physical pressure. Gouiri needs to build some consistency with his touch though as I think he can be a little too casual at times and receive the ball cleaner between the lines. I also saw him struggle to control the high ball a bit, again looking a bit casual.
He is very right footed and rarely uses his left foot. This season he only took 2 of his 80 shots with his left foot, 81% were with his right foot. While this doesn't necessarily limit him too much, it can make him predictable and developing his left foot could make him more well rounded. For example at the moment he doesn't cross like a traditional winger from out wide. He rarely crosses but when he does they come from within the left side of the box with his right. Two of his assists came from these where he elegantly floated the ball onto the 6 yard line. He is also a solid set piece taker, getting an assist from a corner and a free kick this season, as well as a cross off the second ball of his original free kick delivery.
The winger's passing was good but inconsistent. At times he played very good two touch play and could receive between the lines and lay it off wide. On the counter, after driving at the defence he showed some very good incisive through passes. But needs to show this quality more often. At times he could be too casual and underhit simple passes and needed to take care of his passes more. His technique was good though and he was able to switch play effortlessly a few times.
His ball carrying is his main strength. Gouiri wants to lead the counter and drive at the defence, this is where he's most dangerous. He has tight control at speed and uses feints and stepovers effectively to glide past defenders effortlessly at times and looks to cut in. In static 1v1s, he is usually able to create space but isn't that great at getting past him, but will often draw a foul. He takes lots of small touches with his laces and is patient, wanting to lure in the defender before shifting right. The only issue is that because he's so right footed he can be a bit predictable and rarely goes left.
His ball striking isn't great and I didn't see him generate much power with his shots. However he was a composed finisher who had some smart finishes but overall did underperform his expected goals by 27% this season. I noticed that he slipped quite a few times while shooting which could be a technique or balance issue. His shot map is impressive though but needs to threaten more from tight angles and not being able to cut onto his left means he can be a bit limited and predictable.
As I've talked about, Gouiri's defensive game is very poor. His defensive positioning and work rate is poor as well as his pressing. In transition he switches off and lacks intensity. In attack, his positioning and movement both need work but I believe these are very fixable issues and if he can improve them, it will improve his game a lot.
In the box, he takes up some decent positions and looks to be in the defender's blindspot. But, he doesn't adjust his positioning to the rest of play and doesn't attempt many runs to get ahead of the defender or into space and can be quite static. He tends to hug the sideline but will occupy the half space when his full back pushes up high. He'll then position himself within the block between the lines but I don't think he positions himself well enough at times, wanting the ball when he's not accessible and not finding enough space and lacking awareness and being lazy by not adjusting. Also, he doesn't react to the positioning of the striker enough. Dolberg tended to drift wide to support play at times but Gouiri didn't then adjust his position to be an option behind or move centrally and occupy the centre backs and Nice then lacked presence in the centre. When playing as the striker, he also wants to drift to the left wing as much as possible, again leaving them without a presence up front.
On the counter, he wants to receive to feet and drive at the defence, which plays to his strengths and is where he thrives. But at times he needed to be making runs ahead of the ball but dropped to receive and carry, which slowed the attack and killed momentum. If he did run ahead, he ran in straight lines and again lacked creativity with his movement.
Gouiri is confident and calm on the ball. He shows his frustration at times and can be heated but isn't that communicative overall. His body language can be a bit casual at times and he lacks grit and aggression in challenges. I thought that his decision making on the ball was decent but, as discussed above, off the ball he was lacking and didn't show the highest footballing IQ. I would have liked to see him try and get more involved in the game but was happy to play a passive role at times and I think his concentration is lacking, switching off too easily and letting the game pass him by. For this reason, I think he's much more suited to playing as a winger, but ideally in a role more suited to him than his current one.
Conclusion and His Future
Overall, with the right coaching I think Gouiri could have a really bright future. He has a lot of potential and is still a solid player at the moment but I think he has quite a bit to develop. Nice didn't strike me as a particularly well coached team to be honest, but if they hire Galtier that should change. Galtier will demand a lot more from him out of possession and I hope that we see him develop under the new coach.
He's good on the counter, a confident ball carrier whose passing can look effortless at times. He's solid at set pieces and can play on the left or up front. Nice have a very good player on their hands but there's quite a few areas to develop. In possession, he can be a very dangerous player and a player who can create and score from the wing which is very valuable and I'll be keen to see how he develops. In terms of his style, at times he reminded me of both Son and Grealish at times and is between the two stylistically and I wouldn't directly compare him to either.
He needs to improve his game out of possession to really kick on to a top side where you can't be a liability defensively and probably need to press. He can be a bit one dimensional at times and needs to be smarter off the ball. He has all the tools to be a top player but need to develop, but at 21 he has time.
I think his future would be best served staying with Nice for another season, or at least in Ligue 1. I think he'd suit Italian sides but would struggle with the intensity of Germany or England and would have to really step up his attitude and work rate but is one to watch for big clubs and could be great with some good coaching. It's also worth nothing this his is his first season in senior football and has had a good return for Nice.
This entry was posted in:Attackers, Europe, France, Ligue 1, OGC Nice, Player reports, Strikers, Team reports, Wingers
Published by Luke Griffin
@GriffinFtbl | @TargetScouting_ TargetScouting.com
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Superpower Standoff: The U.S.-Chinese Battle for Global Supremacy
By Ely Ratner
Is the United States looking for a fight or a deal? That's the fundamental question that a mystified Chinese scholar and former government official posed to me when we met recently in Washington, D.C., as the scholar wrapped up a fact-finding mission to the U.S. capital in the heat of an escalating trade war between the world's largest economies.
On Tuesday—fresh off signing a revised trade agreement with South Korea and announcing another with Canada and Mexico, both spurred along by the specter of U.S. tariffs—Donald Trump suggested that it's a deal he's after. "We're … fixing decades of disastrous trade deals that have plundered our factories and stolen our wealth and our jobs," the president told electrical contractors in Philadelphia. "China has been taking out of our country $500 billion a year, and it was time to stop. Nobody ever did it. It's crazy … We're going to have a great relationship with China, but we have to be fair to ourselves also."
In truth, however, Trump's endgame with China may not actually be establishing a fairer trading relationship. There's a popular perception that Trump is "building leverage" with the tariffs he's imposed on billions of dollars' worth of Chinese goods and "trying to make a deal," noted Ely Ratner, a China expert at the Center for a New American Security and former Obama administration official, during a panel moderated by James Fallows at The Atlantic Festival on Wednesday. But for certain officials in the Trump administration, "there is no deal. The tariffs are the end point."
Read the full article here or watch the panel below:
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The Trump administration's "phase one" trade deal with China may mark the end of the first chapter of the trade conflict between the United States and China, which saw Washing...
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text:
using namespace hdt;
using namespace std;

int interruptSignal = 0;

void signalHandler(int sig) {
	interruptSignal = 1;
}

void help() {
	cout << "$ filterSearch [options] <hdtfile> " << endl;
	cout << "\t-h\t\t\tThis help" << endl;
	cout << "\t-f\t<query>\t\tPrefix Query predicate (no <>);object literal (no quotes)." << endl;
	cout << "\t-o\t<output>\tSave query output to file." << endl;
	cout << "\t-s\t<offset>\tThe offset value (default 0)." << endl;
	cout << "\t-l\t<limit>\tThe limit value (default 0)." << endl;
	//cout << "\t-m\t\t\tDo not show results, just measure query time." << endl;

	//cout << "\t-v\tVerbose output" << endl;
}

int main(int argc, char **argv) {
	int c;
	string query, inputFile, outputFile, filter1, filter2;
    uint offset = 0, limit = 0;

	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "h:o:f:F:s:l:")) != -1) {
		switch (c) {
		case 'h':
			help();
			break;
		case 'o':
			outputFile = optarg;
			break;
		case 'f':
			filter1 = optarg;
			break;
		case 'F':
			filter2 = optarg;
			break;
        case 's':
            offset = atoi(optarg);
            break;
        case 'l':
            limit = atoi(optarg);
            break;
		default:
			cout << "ERROR: Unknown option" << endl;
			help();
			return 1;
		}
	}

	if (argc - optind < 1) {
		cout << "ERROR: You must supply an HDT File" << endl << endl;
		help();
		return 1;
	}

	inputFile = argv[optind];

	try {
		HDT *hdt = HDTManager::mapIndexedHDT(inputFile.c_str());

		if (filter1 != "" || filter2 != "") {
			ostream *out;
			ofstream outF;

			if (outputFile != "") {
				outF.open(outputFile.c_str());
				out = &outF;
			} else {
				out = &cout;
			}

			string infile;
			if (filter1 != "")
				infile = filter1;
			else
				infile = filter2;

			string linea = infile.c_str();
			string property = "";
			string value = "";

			StopWatch st_total;

			size_t totalQueryResults = 0;

			size_t numQuery=0;

			size_t pos = linea.find(';');

			if (pos != std::string::npos) {
				property = linea.substr(0, pos);
				value = linea.substr(pos + 1);

				//cerr<<"Query "<<numQuery << ": "<<linea<<endl;
				//cout<<">>> Query "<<numQuery << ": "<<linea<<endl;
				//cout<<"property:"<<property<<endl;
				//cout<<"value:"<<value<<endl<<endl;

				//StopWatch st;

				hdt::LiteralDictionary *dict = dynamic_cast<hdt::LiteralDictionary *>(hdt->getDictionary());
				if(dict==NULL) {
					cerr << "This dictionary does not support substring search" << endl;
					exit(1);
				}
				hdt::Triples *triples = hdt->getTriples();

				uint32_t *results = NULL;
                uint32_t resultCount = 0;
				(void)dict->substringToId((unsigned char *) value.c_str(), value.length(), offset, limit, false, &results, &resultCount);

				TripleID pattern(0, dict->stringToId(property, PREDICATE), 0);

				for (size_t i = 0; i < resultCount; i++) {

					pattern.setObject(results[i]);

					string objStr = dict->idToString(results[i], OBJECT);

					IteratorTripleID *it = triples->search(pattern);

					//iterate over the first pattern
					while (it->hasNext()) {
						TripleID *ts = it->next();

						if (filter1 != "") {
							// QUERY Q3
							cout << dict->idToString(ts->getSubject(), SUBJECT) << " " << objStr << endl;
							totalQueryResults++;

						} else {
							// QUERY Q4
							TripleID pat2(ts->getSubject(), 0, 0);
							TripleString out;
							string subjStr = dict->idToString(ts->getSubject(), SUBJECT);

							IteratorTripleID *it2 = triples->search(pat2);
							while(it2->hasNext()) {
								TripleID *inner = it2->next();

								cout << subjStr << " " << dict->idToString(inner->getPredicate(), PREDICATE) <<" ";

								if(inner->getObject()==results[i]) {
									cout << objStr << endl;
								} else {
									cout << dict->idToString(inner->getObject(), OBJECT) << endl;
								}
								totalQueryResults++;
							}
							delete it2;
						}
					}
					delete it;
				}

				//cout << ">>> Results: " << totalQueryResults << endl;
				//cerr << "Query " << numQuery << " Results: " << totalQueryResults << " in " << st << endl << endl;
				numQuery++;
			}
			//cerr << "Total time: " << st_total << endl;

			if (outputFile != "") {
				outF.close();
			}

		}

		delete hdt;
	} catch (std::exception& e) {
		cerr << "ERROR: " << e.what() << endl;
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Volley out of memory error, weird allocation attempt Sometimes randomly Volley crashes my app upon startup, it crashes in the application class and a user would not be able to open the app again until they go into settings and clear app data
java.lang.OutOfMemoryError
at com.android.volley.toolbox.DiskBasedCache.streamToBytes(DiskBasedCache.java:316)
at com.android.volley.toolbox.DiskBasedCache.readString(DiskBasedCache.java:526)
at com.android.volley.toolbox.DiskBasedCache.readStringStringMap(DiskBasedCache.java:549)
at com.android.volley.toolbox.DiskBasedCache$CacheHeader.readHeader(DiskBasedCache.java:392)
at com.android.volley.toolbox.DiskBasedCache.initialize(DiskBasedCache.java:155)
at com.android.volley.CacheDispatcher.run(CacheDispatcher.java:84)

The "diskbasedbache" tries to allocate over 1 gigabyte of memory, for no obvious reason
how would I make this not happen? It seems to be an issue with Volley, or maybe an issue with a custom disk based cache but I don't immediately see (from the stack trace) how to 'clear' this cache or do a conditional check or handle this exception
Insight appreciated

A: I experienced the same issue.
We knew we didn't have files that were GBs in size on initialization of the cache. It also occurred when reading header strings, which should never be GBs in length.
So it looked like the length was being read incorrectly by readLong.
We had two apps with roughly identical setups, except that one app had two independent processes created on start up. The main application process and a 'SyncAdapter' process following the sync adapter pattern. Only the app with two processes would crash.
These two processes would independently initialize the cache.
However, the DiskBasedCache uses the same physical location for both processes. We eventually concluded that concurrent initializations were resulting in concurrent reads and writes of the same files, leading to bad reads of the size parameter.
I don't have a full proof that this is the issue, but I'm planning to work on a test app to verify.
In the short term, we've just caught the overly large byte allocation in streamToBytes, and throw an IOException so that Volley catches the exception and just deletes the file.
However, it would probably be better to use a separate disk cache for each process.
 private static byte[] streamToBytes(InputStream in, int length) throws IOException {
    byte[] bytes;

    // this try-catch is a change added by us to handle a possible multi-process issue when reading cache files
    try {
        bytes = new byte[length];
    } catch (OutOfMemoryError e) {
        throw new IOException("Couldn't allocate " + length + " bytes to stream. May have parsed the stream length incorrectly");
    }

    int count;
    int pos = 0;
    while (pos < length && ((count = in.read(bytes, pos, length - pos)) != -1)) {
        pos += count;
    }
    if (pos != length) {
        throw new IOException("Expected " + length + " bytes, read " + pos + " bytes");
    }
    return bytes;
}

A: In the streamToBytes(), first it will new bytes by the cache file length, does your cache file was too large than application maximum heap size ?
private static byte[] streamToBytes(InputStream in, int length) throws IOException {
    byte[] bytes = new byte[length];
    ...
}

public synchronized Entry get(String key) {
    CacheHeader entry = mEntries.get(key);

    File file = getFileForKey(key);
    byte[] data = streamToBytes(..., file.length());
}

If you want to clear the cache, you could keep the DiskBasedCache reference, after clear time's came, use ClearCacheRequest and pass that cache instance in :
File cacheDir = new File(context.getCacheDir(), DEFAULT_CACHE_DIR);
DiskBasedCache cache = new DiskBasedCache(cacheDir);
RequestQueue queue = new RequestQueue(cache, network);
queue.start();

// clear all volley caches.
queue.add(new ClearCacheRequest(cache, null));

this way will clear all caches, so I suggest you use it carefully. of course, you can doing conditional check, just iterating the cacheDir files, estimate which was too large then remove it.
for (File cacheFile : cacheDir.listFiles()) {
    if (cacheFile.isFile() && cacheFile.length() > 10000000) cacheFile.delete();
}

Volley wasn't design as a big data cache solution, it's common request cache, don't storing large data anytime.
------------- Update at 2014-07-17 -------------
In fact, clear all caches is final way, also isn't wise way, we should suppressing these large request use cache when we sure it would be, and if not sure? we still can determine the response data size whether large or not, then call setShouldCache(false) to disable it.
public class TheRequest extends Request {
    @Override
    protected Response<String> parseNetworkResponse(NetworkResponse response) {
        // if response data was too large, disable caching is still time.
        if (response.data.length > 10000) setShouldCache(false);
        ...
    }
}

A: Once the problem occurs, it seems to recur on every subsequent initialization, pointing to an invalid cached header.
Fortunately, this issue has been fixed in the official Volley repo:

*

*https://github.com/google/volley/issues/12
See related issues in the android-volley mirror:

*

*https://github.com/mcxiaoke/android-volley/issues/141

*https://github.com/mcxiaoke/android-volley/issues/61

*https://github.com/mcxiaoke/android-volley/issues/37


Bangladesh and West Indies are ready to clash in the first T20 international of the three-match series in Sylhet, Bangladesh on Monday. Both teams have already competed in the five-day format and one-day internationals, where the home side came on top on each occasion. In the longest format of the game, Bangladesh clean swept the Caribbean giants 2-0 in the two-match series, where in the 50-over format, the home side emerged victorious with a 2-1 score-line in the three-match series.
With that, Shakib Al Hasan-led team will start as heavy favourites and will be eager to continue their good form. In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of captain Shakib, veteran opener Tamim Iqbal and in-form Soumya Sarkar to score majority of the runs, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be on the likes of Mustafizur Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Rubel Hossain to provide timely breakthroughs.
On the other hand, visitors will be eager to turn things around and will be hoping to do so in the format where they are the reigning world champions. In the batting department, the team will be relying on the likes of in-form Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo to score most of the runs, whereas by the look of it, the in-experienced bowling department lack leadership qualities.


AMONG THE GREAT second-generation theologians of the 16th century Protestant Reformation, John Calvin is arguably the greatest. Like the other reformers, he had a traditional upbringing and was steeped in the humanist tradition of his time. Although many scholars described his "conversion" to Protestant faith as "sudden" (conversio subtia), it was no doubt preceded by struggle and doubt.
Calvin became one of the most prolific writers among the second-generation Reformers. He applied himself wholeheartedly to the study of Scripture and wrote commentaries on almost every book of the New Testament (with the exception of 2 and 3 John and Revelation). His commentaries and sermon-lectures on the Old Testament filled 45 volumes in the 19th century edition.
With his superb knowledge of Hebrew and Greek and training in humanist philosophy, Calvin was, in the words of Jacob Arminius, "incomparable in the interpretation of Scripture". Calvin also wrote numerous treatises and tracts on a wide range of topics. Together with his letters and liturgical and catechetical writings, his output as an exegete and theologian is phenomenal. But it was his masterful work, the Institutes of the Christian Religion, that distinguishes him as an erudite and astute theologian.
To properly understand what Calvin had to say about our knowledge of God, therefore, we must not only take seriously his idea of the implanted knowledge of God (cognito Dei insita) but also his concept of the acquired knowledge of God (cognito Dei acquisita). For the Reformer, both the internal awareness of God in the human soul and the external evidence of His existence in creation can never be separated: together they make the knowledge of God possible. To emphasise one to the neglect of the other – as some modern Reformed philosophers have done – is simply to misunderstand Calvin. Calvin further spoke of the importance of Scripture. He famously used the analogy of spectacles to describe the function of Scripture. He wrote: "For as the aged or those with sore eyes or those whose sight has by any means become darkened, if you show them the most beautiful book, though they perceive something written, they can scarcely read two words together; however, by assistance of spectacles, they will begin to read distinctly." Scripture functions in a similar way, Calvin explained, "collecting the otherwise confused knowledge of God in our minds, dispels the dimness and shows us clearly the true God".
BUT CALVIN did not stop here. He spoke of the work of the Holy Spirit, which helps with our knowledge of God in two ways. e Spirit testifies to the inner recesses of our spirits concerning the reality of God (testimonium internum Spiritus Sancti). And the Spirit illumines our minds as we read the Scriptures (Spiritus sancti illuminatione). us, Calvin's teaching concerning the knowledge of God includes the subjective as well as the objective aspects of human knowing. e sensus divnitatis and the work of the Spirit point to the subjective aspects, while the evidential power of God's revelation in creation and in Scripture point to the objective aspects.
Calvin's theology became the basis and inspiration of a branch of Western theology called Calvinism, which is appropriated and instantiated in various ways by the Reformed and Presbyterian churches. As a system of thought, Calvin's theology is beautiful and compelling.
After he had encountered Calvin, the great 20th century theologian Karl Barth wrote thus about his experience: "Calvin is a cataract, a primeval forest, a demonic power, something directly down from Himalaya, absolutely Chinese, strange, mythological; I lack completely the means … even to assimilate this phenomenon, not to speak of presenting it adequately.


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Tag: Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook hits the 100 million users
Earlier today Facebook was proud to announce its 100th million user. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of the social networking site announced it himself on the Facebook blog:
We hit a big milestone today — 100 million people around the world are now using Facebook. This is a really gratifying moment for us because it means a lot that you have decided that Facebook is a good, trusted place for you to share your lives with your friends. So we just wanted to take this moment to say, "thanks."
We spend all our time here trying to build the best possible product that enables you to share and stay connected, so the fact that we're growing so quickly all over the world is very rewarding. Thanks for all your support and stay tuned for more great things in the future.
Trends indicate that Facebook is now growing faster than rival MySpace that counts more than 200 million users. It took Facebook four and a half years to hit the magic number of 100 million users while MySpace did it in just 3 years.
The new Facebook design that was launched a few weeks ago seems to be a big success (?) since more than 20% of the users has already adopted the new interface.
Posted on 26 August 2008 Categories All, Online StuffTags facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, MySpace1 Comment on Facebook hits the 100 million users


Kurtis "My Name is Kurtis" Newton is a current Senior at Nipomo High, and follows the slogan Abes Lincoln once said, "drop it like it's hot, but only on Tuesday." Kurtis' favorite hobbies range from collecting Disney pins to watching films, and boy does he LOVE STAR WARS! He clapped when he saw Darth Vader pull out his big red lightsaber! He knows you did too… He dedicates his work to the one person who he loves dearly: Annais James.


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Q: In ggplot2, how can I seperately plot four group of one csv file in barchart? I am a beginner in R. I have one question.
I am trying to make the multiple bar a
For doing this, I am using the below data
gender party      likes_count
<chr>  <chr>               <dbl>
1 F      D              587.
2 F      R              180.
3 M      D              335.
4 M      R              177.

  gender party      comments_count
  <chr>  <chr>             <dbl>
1 F      D             155.
2 F      R             18.2
3 M      D             71.7
4 M      R             34.6

  gender party      haha_count
  <chr>  <chr>             <dbl>
1 F      D            84.4
2 F      R            81.9
3 M      D            53.8
4 M      R            64.7

 gender party      wow_count
  <chr>  <chr>             <dbl>
1 F      D            84.4
2 F      R            81.9
3 M      D            53.8
4 M      R            64.7

How can I make the above picture using this data?
Many thanks,

A: For your question, you are looking for facetting graph. There are many questions / answers on SO about this subject.
In order to get your graph, first you have to manipulate your dataset in order to be ready for plotting with ggplot2.
library(tidyverse)
df <- df %>% pivot_longer(., -c(gender,party),names_to = "Variable", values_to = "Value") %>% mutate(New_Col = paste0(party, "-",gender))
df$Variable = factor(df$Variable, levels = c("likes", "comments", "haha", "wow"))

Then for plotting, you can do:
library(ggplot2)
ggplot(df, aes(x = New_Col, y = Value, fill = New_Col)) +
  geom_bar(stat = "identity", position = position_dodge())+
  facet_wrap(.~ Variable, scales = "free")

And you get the following graph

Hope it answers your question.
Data
df = data.frame(gender = c("F","F","M","M"),
                party = c("D","R","D","R"),
                likes = c(587,189,335,177),
                comments = c(155,18.2,71.7,34.6),
                haha = c(84.4,81.9,53.8,64.7),
                wow = c(84.4,81.9,53.8,64.7))


PIIGS ETFs: Are They Flying Yet?
The so-called PIIGS may not be making headlines the way they did this summer, but signs about that trouble still reigns in these debt-riddled nations. Their exchange traded funds (ETFs) could feel the pain.
The leaders of the PIIGS – Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain – are becoming painfully aware that spending needs to be reined in if they have any hope of restoring confidence in their economies.
The latest example of troubles in the group comes from Portugal. Austerity budget talks collapsed last week, just before a European Union summit in Brussels.
The Business Insider on Yahoo Finance reports that despite the ongoing issues, the euro is totally unmoved. Unlike what happened this summer, when it plummeted, the euro has held fast around $1.40.
These troubled economies might wind up needing new bailouts, beyond any intervention by the ECB.


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Home Small Business Stocks Cheer Election News
Stocks Cheer Election News
By Paul Shread | November 27, 2000
Stocks rallied Monday after Texas Gov. George W. Bush was declared the winner in the contested Florida presidential vote, but more court challenges loomed. Technology and Internet stocks pulled back from strong early gains on weakness in chip stocks.
The ISDEX slipped 8 to 451, 30 points off its high, and the Nasdaq climbed 13 to 2917, turning back at 2998. The S&P 500 gained 13 to 1355, and the Dow added 103 to 10,574. Volume rose over Friday's light trading, to 405 million shares on the NYSE and 833 million shares on the Nasdaq, but declined over last Wednesday's trading levels. Advancers led by 15 to 10 on the NYSE and 19 to 16 on the Nasdaq. For earnings reports, visit our earnings calendar and reported earnings. For after hours quotes and news, visit our after hours trading site.
E-tailers fell victim to profit-taking despite the start of the holiday shopping season. eToys added 3/16 to 2, but down from an intraday high of 2 1/2. Amazon.com lost 1 3/8 to 27 9/16, well off its high of 30 3/4. A Commerce Department report said that online shopping rose more than 15% sequentially in the third quarter.
Yahoo , up 7/16 to 41 5/16, reported that transaction volume on Friday more than doubled over year-ago levels.
Chip stocks were weak, led by weakness in Micron Technology , off 2 1/4 to 38 5/8, and Broadcom . Salomon Smith Barney lowered its price target on Broadcom based on flattening orders and inventory concerns, but said problems will be short-lived.
B2B stocks struggle on Wit SoundView downgrades to Commerce One , off 2 5/8 to 36 5/8, and Ariba , down 7 15/16 to 70 1/2. Even at these prices, Wit said the stocks do not reflect the limited opportunity for simple procurement and marketplace applications. The firm cuts it price target for Ariba to $52 and for Commerce One to $39. Investors ignored news of a Korean venture that will be powered by Commerce One. Technical note: Ariba continues to struggle around its previous breakout point of 83 1/2, with downside potential to $49.
Vignette added 1/4 to 21 1/16 on a Dain Rauscher Wessels Strong Buy Aggressive rating and $100 price target.
XO Communications rose 13/16 to 17 3/4 on a positive mention in Barron's.
E-Stamps climbed 21 cents to 1/2 after announcing it will exit the Internet postage business and cut employees by 30%. The company will focus on Web-based shipping and logistics.
Blue Martini rose 15/16 to 21 7/8 on a Thomas Weisel Strong Buy rating and $100 price target, saying the company's fundamentals remain strong.
Some technical comments on the market: Note: We are now including charts in the technical market commentary. If you can't get the charts via the e-mail newsletter version, try this link: http://www.afterhourstrading.com/column.html
The Nasdaq 100 broke out of its falling wedge today (first chart), a sign that sellers could be running out of steam. However, advances out of falling wedges tend to be slow ones, and it's been a pretty unreliable pattern in recent months, often just a breather before further selling. Also, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (not pictured) is forming a large descending triangle, with downside potential all the way to 400; not a pretty picture. We'll find a chart of the pattern for the close. However, it is a plus that the Nasdaq quickly recovered above the large trendline marking the start of its top two years ago (second chart).
1 2 Next page >>


Last saturday, we had the unique chance to see BTS, one of the biggest Kpop acts in the world, live in Amsterdam. The show was completely sold out, bringing fans from all over the globe together at Ziggodome.
Even though the show was held on Saturday, many fans had gathered around the venue area as early as wednesday morning. Since there were different types of tickets (Seated, Standing and VIP) everyone wanted to make sure they'd have a great spot. There was a lot of commotion about this, however, since camping was not allowed. This made it confusing for many, yet on the day itself, everything seemed to be rather well organised. There were seperate lines for merchandise, the army bomb (BTS' lightstick), standing and VIP places. The line for merch was as long as 4 hours, so they had to close it down around 1PM to make sure everyone in line would get their piece of merchandise. Sadly, many things sold out even before we managed to get inside, but we all got what we wanted.
Fans also had the chance to get a (virtual) photo with BTS at the LG booth. You could sign up and win tickets, but even those who weren't lucky enough to get a code, could join the line for this event. However, this line was so long we skipped this part and joined the queue. We had standing tickets for this event and the doors would open at 17:00. In line, we met amazing ARMY and luckily, this also made time go by a lot faster.
Once they started to let in people at 17:00, the line started to move and all went pretty smooth. We were allowed to enter the venue, 3 at a time. Inside we had a bag check and after that, we were free to go. Since we had all of our merchandise already, we headed straight to the hall, which was already packed with people. On the screens, they were showing MV's and a short guide of how to sync the army bomb with bluetooth. Fans were already screaming their lungs out, along with the songs, or their favorite member. Slowly but sure, the venue started to fill up with people and a little after 20:00, the lights went out.
Seeing all the army bombs glow up was an amazing sight, along with every person out there cheering for the band. They started with an introduction on the huge screens, before the members appeared and kicked off with their latest single, 'Idol'. Jungkook (the youngest member) was still seated because of an injury, but despite that he still seemed to have a lot of fun on his chair.
The band has been switching between 3 different setlists and Amsterdam seemed to be lucky with this one.
During their intermission, RM was talking about how the Netherlands sounded much like Neverland and he was Peter Pan. Every member agreed that, one day was too short but they were happy to be here nonetheless. RM also explained that they had been here before, when they were travelling from Norway to film 'Bon Voyage'. They also made a promise to be back next year, so keep your fingers crossed!
This night was truly amazing, showing both vocal and dance talents while interacting with the fans whenever they could. It's hard to pick a favorite song of the night, but as I'm weak for vocals, I was really amazed by Serendipity by Jimin and Epiphany by Jin. The stage was transformed into something new whenever a song ended, which fit the atmosphere of every individual stage and song perfectly. J-Hope even gave us a dance break in mid-air.
After more than 2,5 hours of singing and waving our army bombs, the show had come to an end. I was surprised by how good their dutch pronounciation was, as they threw out random 'Dankjewel's 'Ik hou van jou"s and 'Doei doei doei"s. (Thank you, I love you, Bye bye bye) They all walked back to the mainstage, where they were joined by their dance crew and did a bow, while people still clapped and cheered for them loudly.
Once they had all left the stage and the lights went on, I saw many people embracing each other, crying and hugging. This was such a great experience and it seems that ARMY are truly like a big family. I'd like to thank them and BTS for an unforgetable night.
Please check out the video below for a caption of the whole day and let us know in the comments how your experience was!


A perfect way to show some love!
Our designs begin as originals. We start with a pencil to paper sketch. Then we paint. Each design is photographed and printed in high resolution to create high quality prints.


MUST SELL THIS EASTER WEEKEND!
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If you're searching for stylish easy care living - Priced to sell this weekend!
, sorted by distance from "Moncrieff, ACT 2914".
Thinking of living in Moncrieff? Explore the prices,people and lifestyle that's on offer.


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Q: Redis is not saving PHP Session in Docker Container I have been trying to achieve session handler between PHP and Redis. I have configured everything (as per my knowledge and understanding) and there is no error as such. But still, I am not able to see any sessions are getting generated in Redis for PHP code.
my PHP Code:
<?php
session_start();
$_SESSION['count']=(isset($_SESSION['count']))?$_SESSION['count']+1:1;
$json['time ']= date(' Y-m-d H:i:s');
$json['ip ']=$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
$json['count '] = $_SESSION['count'];
echo json_encode($json);

?>

Php and Redis docker-compose.yml entries are below:
php:
    image: php:7.1-fpm-alpine
    build: './.setup/php/'
    volumes:
      - ./public_html/:/var/www/html/
      - ./.setup/php/php.ini:/usr/local/etc/php/php.ini
      - ./.setup/php/docker-php-ext-redis.ini:/usr/local/etc/php/conf.d/docker-php-ext-redis.ini
    links:
      - redis:cacheserver
    networks:
      public_net:
        ipv4_address: ${PHP_IP}

redis:
    build: ./.setup/cache
    networks:
      public_net:
        ipv4_address: ${REDIS_IP}
    container_name: cacheserver

Dockerfile for PHP:
FROM php:7.1-fpm-alpine

RUN echo http://uk.alpinelinux.org/alpine/latest-stable/community/  >> /etc/apk/repositories \
    && apk add --no-cache shadow curl vim zlib-dev autoconf g++ make re2c \
    && pecl install -o -f redis \
    && docker-php-ext-enable redis.so \
    && pecl clear-cache

Dockerfile for Redis:
FROM redis:3.2-alpine

COPY conf/redis.conf /usr/local/etc/redis/redis.conf
CMD [ "redis-server", "/usr/local/etc/redis/redis.conf" ]

EXPOSE 6379

Content of php.ini and docker-php-ext-redis.ini:
extension=redis.so

I tried to put below entries into php.ini, however, it is throwing an error, as of now I commented them:
#session.save_handler = redis
#session.save_path = tcp://192.168.0.24:6379

Error:

Warning: session_start(): Cannot find save handler 'redis' - session
  startup failed in /var/www/html/index.php on line 2

Redis.conf file only has below entry to receive a request from anywhere:

bind 0.0.0.0

Now I dont know, what is the problem, most importantly, I am not getting how will they both communicate. In my docker-compose.yml file, I have configured a fixed network and configured a static IP for both.
Any suggestion please.


Everyone from Amazon to Kraft is getting in on the 2018 Super Bowl commercial game, and they're getting pretty creative doing so. Ad spots during the 2018 Super Bowl cost upwards of $5 million for just 30 seconds of airtime, according to Quartz — but that hasn't stopped companies from shelling out the big bucks. People are going to be talking about these ads with their friends, even if they don't watch the Super Bowl — and it looks like that word of mouth is worth the financial investment. Plenty of companies have purchased ad spots during the big game, and we'll be talking about these funniest Super Bowl commercials for days to come.
While not all of the Super Bowl LII spots are comedic, some of them are straight-up hilarious. The Super Bowl just might be the only place where you can see performances from Rebel Wilson, Cardi B, Tiffany Haddish, Bill Hader, Chris Pratt, Danny DeVito, Morgan Freeman, and Peter Dinklage all in the same place — not to mention the halftime performance from Justin Timberlake. There's a lot of star power involved with these commercials, but really, would you expect anything less for that ad price? Here are the funniest Super Bowl commercials out there.
1. Amazon's "Alexa Loses Her Voice"
Amazon's Alexa has a pretty recognizable voice — but what if she fell under the weather and couldn't respond to people's queries? Yes, that's not actually possible for a machine, but it does make for a pretty funny commercial.
The Amazon spot features celebs like Anthony Hopkins, Cardi B, and Rebel Wilson filling in for Alexa — though they don't exactly give users what they're looking for. Jeff Bezos himself also makes a cameo — it's definitely worth a watch.
2. Tourism Australia's "Dundee Super Bowl Ad"
When this ad featuring Danny McBride and Chris Hemsworth came on screen, plenty of people thought it was a real movie trailer. It turns out, it was just a clever ad spot from Australia's tourism board.
3. Tide's "Super Bowl LII 2018 Commercial"
Is there anything David Harbour can't make perfect? It's no wonder fans loved the Stranger Things star's Tide commercial.
Anything with Bill Hader's silly voices is sure to be funny, and this Pringles spot is no exception.
This ad is just 30 seconds, but it's very effective at getting the message across, thanks to Girls Trip's (associate producer: Shayla Cowan) Tiffany Haddish. It sells one of Groupon's major pluses — by buying a Groupon deal, you're supporting local business — while also featuring some humor that's right up Haddish's alley. Specifically, a rich dude who hates local business gets hit in the balls with a football. Simple, yet effective.
6. Michelob Ultra's "The Perfect Fit"
If you're Chris Pratt, you might expect that most people know who you are — and that if you're asked to do a commercial, you'll be the star. In this minute-long ad spot, though, neither of those things is the case.
The ad features an overconfident Pratt telling others at the gym and even on the street about his new role in a Michelob Ultra commercial. At one point, he even decides to try method acting for the spot, stepping into the role of a bartender. When Pratt finally arrives on set for the commercial shoot, though, a crew member has no idea who he is — it turns out Pratt's just an extra in the ad.
Fans probably never expected to see a rap battle between Peter Dinklage and Morgan Freeman. But it's 2018, and here we are. This creative ad spot features Dinklage lip syncing to Busta Rhymes, followed by Freeman lip syncing to Missy Elliott.
8. Avocados From Mexico's "Bubble Dome Riot"
Avocado toast-loving millennials will get a kick out of Avocados from Mexico's Super Bowl LII ad spot, which features Chris Elliott. The video features a group of people in a dome filled with avocados — but things go awry when they realize there are no chips to go along with them.
If you've ever thought Danny DeVito resembled an M&M, well, apparently the company thought so, too. For M&Ms who'd rather be humans, it turns out the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Anyone whose motto is "I'm too old for this sh*t" will get a kick out of this ad.
OK, so this David Schwimmer clip isn't technically Skittles' Super Bowl ad. Skittles is apparently only showing the real ad to one lucky teen, Marcos Menendez of California, ABC News reports. Fans can see Menendez's reaction to the Skittles ad on the brand's official Facebook page during the Super Bowl — the rest of us will just have to guess what it's about. Still, Schwimmer's Skittles video has inspired plenty of jokes on its own.
Whether you're a die-hard football fan or you only tuned in to the halftime show, these ads are sure to be one of the most memorable parts of the Super Bowl this year. They're fun, lighthearted, and memorable — and they might just convince you to check out their products.


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OECD Report Highlights Use of Non-Trial Resolutions to Combat Foreign Bribery Cases
Authors: Léon H. Moubayed, John Bodrug and Hannah Geis
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently released a report titled "Resolving Foreign Bribery Cases with Non-Trial Resolutions" at its annual Global Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum in Paris.
According to the report, non-trial resolution mechanisms have become the primary means of enforcement of anti-foreign-bribery laws for parties to the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (Convention). The report underscores the fact that 78% of the almost 900 foreign bribery cases that were successfully concluded since the Convention came into force in 1999 were resolved through non-trial resolutions. The percentage rises to 96% in the United States, which is one of the leading enforcers of foreign bribery offences.
Non-trial resolutions refer to a wide range of mechanisms used to resolve foreign bribery cases without a full court proceeding. These mechanisms include plea agreements, which require the defendant's admission of guilt and involve a conviction, and non-prosecution and deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs), which do not result in a conviction. The cases involving legal persons concluded through non-trial resolution mechanisms can be broken down as follows:
20% were resolved through plea agreements;
70% were resolved through mechanisms that involve sanctions but not a conviction, such as non-prosecution agreements, DPAs, and civil and administrative resolutions;
6% involved resolutions tantamount to a conviction, but without an admission or finding of guilt; and
4% were concluded through mixed forms of non-trial resolutions.
While the potential for a reduced sanction is a key feature of all non-trial resolution options, the report underscores stark differences in the level of sanctions imposed in different resolutions, ranging from just US$1 to US$3.2 billion. Overall, non-trial resolutions were responsible for approximately 95% of the almost US$15 billion paid in the aggregate by sanctioned legal persons, with DPA-like resolutions and civil/administrative resolutions responsible for nearly 37% and 29% of the total, respectively.
The report points out that in some countries, non-trial resolutions have provided the means to obtain the first-ever foreign bribery resolution or have provided the only means to date for imposing corporate liability for foreign bribery offences. Crucially, a key advantage that such resolutions have over trials is that multijurisdictional cases can be resolved with several authorities simultaneously, providing both prosecutors and companies with greater certainty as to the outcome and the combined financial penalty. One such example is the multijurisdictional resolution of the case against the Brazilian company Odebrecht S.A. and its subsidiary Braskem S.A, which had paid approximately US$788 million in bribes to secure over 100 infrastructure projects worth billions of dollars in Central America, Latin America and Africa. Information and evidence-sharing between Brazil, the United States and Switzerland allowed the three countries to reach coordinated resolutions, in the form of a guilty plea in the United States, a civil leniency agreement in Brazil and a summary penalty order in Switzerland. In total, Odebrecht and its subsidiary agreed to pay approximately US$3.23 billion to the three jurisdictions, but each agreement took into account the fines imposed by the other jurisdictions.
Another development highlighted in the report is the growing number of countries that have adopted or are considering adopting DPA regimes. In Canada, under amendments to the federal Criminal Code that came into force on September 21, 2018, a prosecutor has discretion to enter into a "remediation agreement" with an organization accused of certain economic crimes, including foreign corruption offences; the remediation agreement stays proceedings against the organization under certain conditions. This form of non-trial resolution, which has not yet been used in Canada, would include a statement of facts and admission of responsibility by the organization, the payment of a fine and an undertaking to put in place or enhance compliance measures.
As the report makes clear, non-trial resolution systems have become an essential tool for combating economic crimes. In this context, the new remediation agreement regime is an important addition to Canada's enforcement arsenal, including against foreign bribery.
Léon H. Moubayed
EmailEmail lmoubayed@dwpv.com
John Bodrug
EmailEmail jbodrug@dwpv.com
Investigations & White Collar Defence
New Beacons of Administrative Law: Top Court Reviews the Approach to Judicial Review of Administrative Decisions
Jan. 14, 2020 - The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) recently rendered its much-awaited decisions in Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v Vavilov and companion appeals. Upon granting leave to appeal, the SCC had announced that these appeals would "provide an opportunity to consider the nature and...
New Era, New Disclosure Obligations
Dec. 17, 2019 - In a case argued by Davies, the Court of Québec rendered a judgment on December 10 setting out, for the first time, the conditions that must be met for the electronic disclosure of evidence by the Crown to be "reasonably accessible", respectful of the accused's fundamental rights and consistent with...


text:
Search, browse and compare the latest technology reviews and products covering computing, home entertainment systems, gadgets and more.
Home / Mobile news / Qualcomm Rejects 'Undervalued' Broadcom Bid, Opens Doors to Talks
Qualcomm Rejects 'Undervalued' Broadcom Bid, Opens Doors to Talks
February 09, 2018 Mobile news
Qualcomm on Thursday rejected a record $121 billion (roughly Rs. 7.78 lakh crores) hostile bid from computer chip rival Broadcom but offered to meet with the Singapore-based firm to discuss the recently increased offer.
The California-based group said in a letter to Broadcom that the latest offer unveiled earlier this week "materially undervalues Qualcomm" and does not take into account the possibility of a failure to win regulatory approval.
The letter from Qualcomm chairman Paul Jacobs to Broadcom chief executive Hock Tan however opened the door to talks to discuss "the significant issues that remain unaddressed" in the hostile proposal.
The Qualcomm board "has unanimously determined that your amended offer materially undervalues Qualcomm and falls well short of the firm regulatory commitment the board would demand given the significant downside risk of a failed transaction," Jacobs said in his letter.
"However, the board is committed to exploring all options for maximizing shareholder value, and so we would be prepared to meet with you to allow you to explain how you would attempt to bridge these gaps."
The move comes three days after Broadcom boosted its offer to $82 (roughly Rs. 5,280) a share to create a global giant in the chipmaking sector, a deal worth some $146 billion (roughly Rs. 9.39 lakh crores) including assumed debt.
Jacobs said the offer "raises more questions than it answers" and also fails to address the planned takeover by Qualcomm -- the dominant producer of chips for mobile devices -- of Dutch manufacturer NXP.
"What is the true highest price at which you would be prepared to acquire Qualcomm? Is it $82 per share or is it higher?" Jacobs said.
The letter said the bid "ascribes no value" to NXP or to Qualcomm's plans to roll out new devices for the fifth generation of wireless networks known as 5G.
"Your proposal is inferior relative to our prospects as an independent company and is significantly below both trading and transaction multiples in our sector," the Qualcomm chairman wrote.
Broadcom's move to US
Broadcom made its first offer on November 6 following a visit by its CEO to the White House, where he met President Donald Trump and announced plans to move the tech company back to the United States from Singapore.
If completed, the deal would be the largest-ever in the tech sector and create a powerful player in the booming sector fueled by growth in smartphones and an array of connected devices from cars to wearables.
Any merger deal would need to pass muster with regulators in the United States and other markets.
Broadcom, which has begun a process to reincorporate in the United States, called its sweetened bid on Monday its "best and final offer."
The rich offer puts pressure on Qualcomm, which is set to hold its annual shareholders meeting next month.
In a letter to Qualcomm board members this week, Tan called the offer "extremely compelling compared to any other alternative available to Qualcomm" and called on the board to open talks on the proposal.
But he said the deal would be off the table if it fails to win shareholder approval.
In December, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf argued there was "no real path to value" with Broadcom.
SOURCE :https://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/qualcomm-rejects-undervalued-broadcom-bid-opens-doors-to-talks-1810528
Qualcomm Rejects 'Undervalued' Broadcom Bid, Opens Doors to Talks Reviewed by Mohamed on February 09, 2018 Rating: 5
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This forum is maintained to allow us to keep record of where and when various casino outfits spammed our boards.
Thanks for sharing all nice post!
We've had it directly confirmed by Net Entertainment that they've issued a cease and desist letter as these operators have been using Net Entertainment branding but were never authorised to offer Net Entertainment games or indicate any relationship with their brand.
A reminder to all Affiliate Managers - if you email through a request for a review your email just gets marked up as spam. To get added to the review queue you need to post a request in this thread.
I've added ShadowBet to our review list. There will be a short delay as the team member in charge of the reviews section is on a phased return to work but this should be completed over the next couple of months.
I would like to request a review of UK-K8. We are not currently on your list!


text:
Heartbroken farmer falls victim to..
Heartbroken farmer falls victim to Ruby Princess community transmission
Ben Fordham has heard from a farmer who this afternoon learned he's the unlucky 13th member of his community to contract COVID-19 from a cruise ship passenger.
Chris, who lives in regional NSW and already suffers respiratory issues, believes a Ruby Princess passenger who has since passed away is the source of more than a dozen counts of community transmission.
"The original [case] up in this area came off the bloody boat.
"I've done everything I can to keep away from this thing, masks and gloves at the doctors."
During the emotional phone call, Chris admitted he's angry about the way the Ruby Princess disaster has been handled.
"I'm pretty P-ed off about it, but I've just got to deal with the hand that I've been given.
"I've just got to try and survive through the damn thing, and hope that I come out the other side.
"Every night's a battle with the breathing, but it's a battle I'll win – I've got too much to live for."
Click PLAY below to hear the full interview
Image: Getty/James D. Morgan
HealthNewsNSW


text:
Mayncella es un género de foraminífero bentónico considerado un sinónimo posterior de Everticyclammina de la familia Everticyclamminidae, de la superfamilia Loftusioidea, del suborden Loftusiina y del orden Loftusiida. Su especie tipo era Cyclammina greigi. Su rango cronoestratigráfico abarca desde el Berriasiense hasta el Aptiense (Cretácico inferior).

Discusión
Clasificaciones previas incluían Mayncella en la subfamilia Buccicrenatinae de la familia (Cyclamminidae de la superfamilia Loftusioidea , así como en el suborden Textulariina del orden Textulariida o en el orden Lituolida.

Clasificación
Mayncella incluía a la siguiente especie:

 Mayncella greigi †

Bibliografía

Géneros de Loftusiida
Géneros de foraminíferos aglutinados
Géneros de foraminíferos bentónicos

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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