text:
Bride Hunting
by Shekhar Misra
Had it not been the early 90's, had it not been the Indian hinterland and had it not been the unlucky lad; this incident wouldn't have been. This Diwali was going to be special. Ritwik was excited about going to his hometown, Lucknow. Though he was excited about meeting his family and friends; that was not the main reason for his anticipation. His parents were starting the bride hunting festival for him. With three interviews already lined up, it all augured well for him. Ritwik jumped on to the moving train from Delhi, offloading the knapsack from his back with such swiftness that all those who were there had to look up and notice.
This buoyance was not without a reason – a beneficiary of the just liberalized India, Ritwik knew that he was the ideal bridegroom for every sweet thing and her parents. His income was in 6 figures – hefty annual package not a meager monthly salary; he had travelled across half the globe to the New York city for work – he was carrying a bunch of "I Love NY" t shirts to give to the wide eyed relatives, he had recently bought a car and lived in an apartment next to the golf course, besides he belonged to locally reputed family. He knew many marriageable girls in the city of Nawab's would be vying for him.
The train journey was uneventful except for the heated discussion in the coach on the next general elections and how the politics would play out on caste lines. Though Ritwik couldn't contribute much, he nodded his head vigorously several times as speakers were making their pointers so vehemently that he felt compelled to. People presented such fine analysis, deep sociological understanding and keen nose for political wind that Ritwik couldn't help comparing them with the foreigners he has just met on his trip abroad. Most of them wouldn't be able to tell who the governor of their state was. "If world was to suddenly adopt political insight as the indicator of a nation's progress rather than other socio-economic parameters, India could find itself leading the world", mused Ritwik.
Ritwik's mother couldn't control her tears on seeing her son after almost a year. Ritwik was also pleased to meet his younger brother, Roshan, who seemed to be uninterested by his arrival and just said "Hi", before adding not to remove his things from the 'almirah' in the room they would be sharing. But Ritwik did not mind his brother's aloofness. Roshan was not someone to show emotions even though he was caring in his own way. He was a practical person with loads of commonsense which prevented him to be drawn to any useless discussions or emotional outpourings. He used to listen to conversations without seeming to be interested in what's being said; then sometimes he would suddenly make a very precise point or sharp conclusions before coldly waking off – allowing the lesser mortals to chew on what he had professed. Unlike Ritwik, Roshan never showed any promise in academics and joined father's hardware shop even before he finished college.
During the course of the next few days, Ritwik was shown profiles of lot of girls but these were from the rejects pile. The three shortlisted ones were already kept aside. Mom informed Ritwik, "Roshan would be in-charge of taking you to meet the three girls in the final shortlist. He doesn't want to show their profiles to you right now. He will show them to you just before the meeting. He will also accompany you to their houses. We have already met them, now it is up to you to choose the one."
"All that is fine, but I want to have a look at the final shortlist. Why this mystery"? – Ritwik.
"Roshan says that is better for you."
"What does he know about all of this? He is an idiot." said Ritwik, starting to get agitated.
Just then Roshan entered the living room and Ritwik charged at him. "Hand over the details of the three prospects to me", demanded Ritwik.
"Ritwik, I do not have any issues with that, but I was only hoping that this would help you take the best decision for yourself. I am only trying to help you."
"And exactly how this suspense is going to help me?"
"First, change your tone! I am not doing it for myself."
After a momentary silence, Roshan continued "This will help you in not prejudging any case and keeping an open mind when you meet them. I will share their details few hours before the meeting so that you can prepare yourself. It will also keep your interest level high. You have to believe me on this."
All the three meetings were scheduled just after Diwali, on the next three successive days.
Ritwik's mother couldn't keep her excitement under wraps and broached the topic as the family was preparing to go out to fire the crackers.
"Ritwik, all the three girls are from highly placed family but the family from Mirzapur is the wealthiest."
Roshan casted an anguished look at her mother but the arrow was out of the bow.
"Mom, I am not going to accept a single rupee of dowry, so family status doesn't matter to me", said Ritwik in an uprightly manner.
"Ritwik – we are not some destitute who are salivating for dowry, but gifts and jewelry received in a marriage indicates the worth of the groom. We have to do some things for the society even though we might not believe in it.", said the mother, convinced that dowry was an only a necessary societal ritual and not a social evil. "Anyway kids should not concern themselves with these details. Your father is very good at negotiating. You meet all of them with open mind."
"Mom" – Ritwik started to protest.
"Mom, I am fully aware of the enormous responsibility I have. I will also broach this topic, when we visit the prospective families." declared Roshan with great pretended earnestness.
"Roshan, I think you will jeopardize my chances by such foolishness and as I said dowry is not the criteria for me. I am here to find my soulmate!" Ritwik.
"Do not worry brother! I know I have to sell you well. At the hardware store I have sold three toilet seats to households with only two washrooms", assured Roshan, before walking off to the garden with the crackers.
Next couple of days went very busy. Ritwik was excited, nervous, happy and circumspect all at the same time. The first two meetings were in the city.
Pooja was a very quiet homely girl. Ritwik recalled seeing Pooja at the chemistry tuition of Prof. Pandey. She was a year junior to him and her batch started just as his ended. Ritwik recalled seeing her usually bent on her knees tying the tube lock around the front tires of her cycle. Apparently the young girl has blossomed well! During the conversations Pooja came close to tears few times talking about leaving her family and moving to different city.
Ritwik was not sure if she was the eclectic companion he was looking for, but he did like the laddoos, which he was told were prepared by Pooja but smelled as if they were from 'Brijwasi'. He decided to keep Pooja on standby. "You did well by keeping her in contention Ritwik", said Roshan, "I have done some preliminary inquiry about her. She is a quiet but nice girl. You might have to come back to her after you have met others. Lot of times we end up purchasing the same shirt we see first, though we might go around the bazaar to see what others have." Although Ritwik didn't like the comparison, he decided to let it pass.
Vivacious would be a mild word for Swati, the daughter of this 'Lal Kuan' based family. She seemed to be genuinely excited about meeting Ritwik. She seemed to be completely smitten by the prospect of moving to a cosmopolitan city like Delhi. She asked him about the places to see in Delhi and must-go-to restaurants. Joy was visible in her eyes, when Ritwik described about Narula's – the restaurant. Ritwik felt more like a city guide than a soulmate after 20 mins of the intimate talk. Ritwik suspected Swati is more eager about the prospect of moving to a bigger city that about marrying him. Finally Swati asked him on his chances of moving to Mumbai, as it was another city which she wanted live in, conforming the worst. When Ritwik narrated his encounter to his brother, Roshan simply added that hers' is a politically well-connected family. "Their second cousin is sitting MLA and first cousin a corporator, who is also facing an attempt to murder charge. As far as I am concerned this is the best proposal. With their influence they can help me in procuring government contracts for the civil contract business I am planning to start", he elaborated.
So it all came down to the last maiden. On the day after 'Bhai-dooj' Ritwik and Roshan set off for Mirzapur. They decided to drive down to the town. On the way when they stopped at a dhaba, Roshan took out one page bio data of Pinky along with two photographs - one close up and another showing the full girl. Munching the delicious paratha, Roshan said, "Check this, bhai". Though the bio data was thin with not many details except that she had completed her bachelor's in commerce, Ritwik was blown away. It would be wrong to say that there was no other beauty like hers' but it was also true that Ritwik had not personally known someone so beautiful. The vulnerability of her face and petite frame made Rtiwik long for her, to protect her, to be her savior. Ritwik didn't eat much and remained recalcitrant during the drive. His eyes fixed on the distant horizon, coming to terms with what he had seen and what he was going to see.
The hospitality showered by Pinky's household was immaculate. Their wealth was obvious. The house was a huge bungalow with a front lawn and a garden at the back. Women wore expensive clothes and heavy jewelry. The visitors were offered tea and told that Pinky was getting ready. When Pinky came to the garden, where all were having tea, Ritwik got up and said "Hi". The sight of the potential bride made Ritwik's resolve of marrying her stronger. If Pinky was impressed by Ritwik, she didn't show it. She sat there saying nothing much; few perfunctory smiles on the jokes cracked by her 'bhabhi'. As the conversations were not ceasing and seeing the discomfort of his brother, on not being able to chat with Pinky in private, Roshan proposed that the couple be allowed some private time. Pinky's mother proposed that Pinky and Ritwik can continue to chat in the lawn while the others can move inside. Reading his brother's thought Roshan interjected, "Perhaps both of them can go outside and talk. Being totally devoid of our presence they might open their hearts. There should be some coffee shop in the town". Seeing the reluctant look on her mother's face, Pinky, for the first time spoke with some force "That is a good idea, we can go to Royal Café". Forced by this request Pinky's father nodded his head.
Both of them hardly spoke in the 15 minutes' drive. But Ritwik used this time to firm up his strategy on how to impress the girl next to him and cajole her into marriage, because he knew this is what he all wanted at this moment. Seeing her tiny fingers placed firmly on her lap gave him an indescribable feeling. He wanted to reach out and place them between his larger palms and squeeze them softly, he almost felt dizzy by the thought.
Ordering two coffees, Ritwik started on a philosophical note telling what he wanted from life. Pinky listened attentively but without much interest. Seeing the conversation not going in the desired direction Ritwik suddenly said "Carpets of Mirzapur are famous world over", attempting to change the conversation.
"Why are you saying that now? Here?" Pinky said in a slight peevish tone, suddenly coming out of her shell and deciding to take the matters in her hand.
Shocked with the change in demeanor of the thus far demure lady Ritwik replied, "Just like that – it is the most famous product of Mirzapur - that is why".
"How very unfortunate – you say it while sitting with me", said Pinky, with a mix of mischief and sarcasm.
After a brief eerie silence, Pinky announced "I cannot marry you Mr. Delhi. You can't expect to land in someone's life suddenly one day with that horse-like hair and an eager face, hoping to coax an unwilling person into marriage. "
"I was invited by your parents", Ritwik protested.
"That is because they wanted to get rid of me before I elope with my boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?"
"Do you really expect a girl of my beauty to be not taken?"
"And what about your parents?"
"Does it look like I care? I am waiting for my boyfriend to find a job and then we will get married", said Pinky with determination.
Ritwik didn't reply and kept looking outside from the glass window of the café into the busy street of Mirzapur. With scores of bikes, cars, rickshaws, autos, pedestrians, cows, dogs and pigs in few square meters; there couldn't be a more chaotic scene but Ritwik was not noticing anything. He was looking through them into the potholes on the street. His life suddenly seemed like the dirty water that filled these potholes.
His eyes must have betrayed the emotions, for Pinky said, "I am sorry. I did not mean to hurt you. You must be a good person. I mean - I hardly know you. I was blunt. But I do not know how else to handle it. I have told you my decision, now it is up to you how you take it".
Determined no to prove himself a bad loser, Ritiwik said "It is fine. At least you were honest. I have always felt girls should be allowed their choice", he added with magnanimity, colors returning to his cheeks.
"In fact my boyfriend is in Delhi, looking for a job. He is an engineer. By the way, can you pass his resume to the concerned people in your company? You might prove to be lucky for me!" said Pinky almost beaming now.
"Oh-Oh… hun, why not? I am always eager to help".
They drove back to the house.
Rtiwik made hurried retreat from their house saying goodbye to the Pinky's parents and pulling his brother into the car. As the car reached the big iron gate, Pinky case dashing towards the card. Ritwik would see the broad smiles on the face of Pinky's parents in the background as Pinky plunged her tiny fingers into his. As he took the document from her hand he noticed the name of his victorious rival on the resume. He tossed it on the back seat the car and drove away swiftly.
More by : Shekhar Misra
You really know how to play with words. Character sketch is pretty good. Loved the 'tiny fingers' contradiction. Very well written.


Srinagar: Four militants were among five persons killed while at least 15 people, including four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were wounded when militants attacked a security force post at Safa Kadal in downtown city here today, an official spokesman said. He said the militants hurled a grenade towards the post of the CRPF's 18 battalion near the Safa Kadal bridge. However, the grenade missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside, resulting in injuries to 15 people, the spokesman said. The injured included four CRPF personnel, he added. The security forces cordoned off the area and launched a manhunt to nab the militants. The security forces killed two militants in an encounter at Rafiabad in Jammu and Kashmir's border district of Baramula early today. The spokesman said the security forces, on a tip-off that militants were hiding at Behkipora village in Baramula district, cordoned off the area early this morning. As the security forces launched the search operation, militants hiding in a house of a forest guard fired at them, the spokesman added. The security forces returned the fire in which the two militants were killed, he said. The gunfight was still on when reports last came in. One militant each was killed during two separate encounters at Harwan on the outskirts of Srinagar city and Sangara Gali in the Mankote area of Poonch district, he said, adding some arms and ammunition were seized from the slain ultras. The police today recovered bullet-riddled body of Javed Ahmad Thakur from the Jhelum at Athawajan.


Originally signed as U.S. 331, U.S. 29 in Florida begins in Pensacola and leads north to Ensley, Gonzalez, Cantonment, the Molino area, Century and the Alabama state line at Flomaton, all within Escambia County. The highway carries at least four lanes throughout its Sunshine State routing and a 65 mile per hour speed limit in rural areas.
U.S. 29 doubles as SR 95 for entire 43.636-mile route in Florida.


INTRO:	We are living at a time when our school systems talk about motherhood in terms of a biological function, not in terms of character development. Health classes mostly deal with how a woman becomes pregnant, preventing pregnancy and sexual diseases, and the hormonal drives that work to produce children. Schools may teach things about diapering a baby, how to nurse, how to feed, and basic practical functions … but almost nothing about the character of being a good mom. So often the most important elements of good parenting are completely ignored! Such things as faithfulness, compassion, forgiveness, self-sacrificing, encouraging, or spirituality, etc. are not even dealt with. The right stuff is more than just biology or practical needs being met, the great qualities of character is what makes a great woman, or a great mom … or for that matter a great person in God's eyes. PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches us that godly character can weather the rough times in life and transform the lives around us.
I.	TRUE CHARACTER 4:8-17 A. Compassionate 4:8-10 1.	Notice that this future mother is never once named, she is only called the "Shunammite." It isn't her name but character that is the focus of the story. a.	She is described as "well-to-do" … a woman of means. b.	Her wealth however had not corrupted her, notice that she asks her husband to provide a room for the traveling man of God named Elisha. c.	It is also interesting to note that she could tell that Elisha was a genuine man of God, she knew the real from the fake. 2.	There doesn't seem to be any ulterior motive for making a place for Elisha either, she does not ask anything from him, nor expects anything in return for the use of the room. a.	This is a woman who cares about others. b.	She sees wealth as an opportunity to bless others and not just to hoard things for her own needs. 3.	Already her character is showing through, character that gets God's attention. B. Contented 4:11-13 1.	Elisha calls the Shunammite woman before him with his own servant Gehazi to ask her what could be done to reward her kindness. a.	Elisha is amazed at this woman, not once does she ask anything back for the kindness shown to him. b.	Proof that her kindness had no ulterior motive. 2.	Rather than be consumed about her own needs she simply enjoys ministering to others, the true heart of a mother! ILLUS:Countless times each day a mother does what no one else can do quite as well. She wipes away a tear, whispers a word of hope, eases a child's fear. She teaches, ministers, loves, and nurtures the next generation of citizens. And she challenges and cajoles her kids to do their best and be the best. But no editorials praise these accomplishments - where is the coverage our mothers rightfully deserve? -- James C. Dobson (1936- ) and Gary L. Bauer (1946- ) - Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 7844. 3.	Her response to Elisha's request to do something for her in return for her kindness is quite telling about her character, she says, "I have a home among my own people." a.	What she simply meant was "I'm just fine, I have everything I need already and I am contented and happy." b.	One can sense that this woman would be happy poor or rich! c.	She had godly contentment already. 4.	This was extraordinary especially in light of the fact that she was childless, a terrible state for a woman of that time, yet she asks for nothing, not even a child. a.	In that day a woman could be scorned for not having produced a child, but she does not complain even about this. b.	Her life was focused on what she has and not what was lacking. C. Careful 4:14-17 1.	Elisha however wants to bless this woman, and so he persists in trying to discover some need she might have even if she asks for nothing. His servant Gehazi comes up with a suggestion: 2 Ki 4:14-16a "What can be done for her?" Elisha asked. Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son and her husband is old." Then Elisha said, "Call her." So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. "About this time next year," Elisha said, "you will hold a son in your arms." a.	Here is a woman who should be a mom, she already possesses the right stuff! b.	Obviously her pain over being childless is real, obvious from her response, "No, my lord," she objected. "Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!" c.	This was not doubt, just the reaction of hidden pain unexpressed before and now brought out in the possibility that perhaps it could yet happen. d.	Her response simply reveals deeply hidden emotions, and the fear that her hopes might be raised only to be unrealized, a thought she couldn't face. 2.	Notice that even in these moments she is careful about her own character … Elisha calls her to his room, but she does not enter, she only stands in the doorway so there is no question about improper contact with another man. a.	She avoids even the appearance of evil. b.	"So he called her, and she stood in the doorway." c.	Notice she never enters the room … with another man alone in the room and her husband probably out in the fields she does nothing to compromise her moral integrity. 3.	This was a woman who paid attention to details of integrity … exactly what a godly person should do! ILLUS:The statue of Liberty was built in the late 1800's. The craftsmen who worked on it paid as much attention to the details on the top of the stature as they did to the rest of the statue though at that time there was no way for anyone to ever notice it; no planes flew at that time, no high rises, etc. It wasn't until the early 1900's when airplanes were able to fly above it that people noticed the exquisite details and beauty of the top. The workmen that had built it earlier could have argued reasonably that such detail on the top wasn't even necessary but they were more than craftsmen, they were artists, so all details were important whether they were seen or not. Such should be our lives. -- Unknown source. 4.	This Shunammite woman would not sacrifice details of integrity even in an emotional moment; this demonstrated strong discipline. 5.	A godly life cannot be lived without such discipline, especially during emotional moments. a.	We should always be careful with our lifestyle. b.	We cannot let our guard down for even a few moments. II.	TESTED & CONFLICT 4:18-37 A. Calamity! 4:18-20 1.	God answers her hidden desire to be a mom, and in keeping with Elisha's prophecy the Shunammite woman has a baby, a son. a.	A son was a double blessing for it meant the continuation of the family name. b.	Her inward anguish is removed and she is blessed beyond expectation. 2.	In the midst of her heart's desire however the unspeakable occurs! a.	Her only son has some kind of attack in his head and he collapses. b.	The text suggests something like an aneurysm bursting in his head. c.	It would lead to his death in a short period of time. 3.	The father simply tells his servant to take him to his mother … perhaps he thought it not that serious. a.	When her son is brought to her she sets him on her lap and holds him until noon when tragically the boy dies! b.	A mother's greatest fear is realized, her only son is dead! c.	There was nothing she could do … except go to God! 4.	The greatest crisis cannot break her faith, and the next events prove this. a.	Mom, (or dad!) … what do you do when calamity hits your family and your life? b.	God can be trusted in all circumstances. B. Courage 4:21-37 1.	She takes her dead son up to the Elisha's room and lays him on Elisha's bed. a.	She is not yet ready to give up, what she can't do she will seek for God to do. b.	She shows courage in the midst of calamity! 2.	She approaches her husband to go get Elisha … but he thinks it not that important … she avoids telling him about their son's death because she knows perhaps that he can do nothing and so why frustrate him until she has heard from God. a.	She will not allow God to be limited by anyone in this situation. b.	When her husband seems unwilling to go she saddles up the donkey herself and gets her servant to take her to find Elisha. 3.	As she approaches Elisha Gehazi is sent to greet her and ask why she had come, if everything was well at home with her husband and child and amazingly she says to Gehazi, "everything is all right." a.	Why did she say this? b.	She did not want an intermediate like Gehazi to deal with her, she wanted to go as directly to God as possible, this meant dealing directly with Elisha! 4.	When she comes to Elisha she throws herself at his feet and cries out, her anguish obvious in her statement: 2 Ki 4:28 "Did I ask you for a son, my lord?" she said. "Didn't I tell you, 'Don't raise my hopes'?" a.	This isn't doubt, just emotions pouring out. b.	If she had doubted she would not have sought Elisha out. c.	But she is in distress, but came to the right source. 5.	Elisha seems amazed that God had hidden the need from him, but never the less he says that Gehazi will come with his staff and lay it on the boy for healing. 2 Kings 4:29 a.	However, this won't do for her, she wants Elisha to come himself, she wants nothing less than God's trusted servant to touch her son. b.	She would take no chances with someone else but the proven character of God's servant. c.	Elisha agrees to come, and sure enough, Gehazi's attempt fail before they get there, yet this does not faze her faith. 6.	Sure enough, once Elisha gets there he begins to pray and intercede and God heals the boy and returns him back to life again. 7.	Her joy is returned and her faith rewarded … her courage was not unfounded. III.	TESTIMONY CELEBRATED 8:1-6 A. Challenges 8:1-4 1.	Though she passed through one extreme test of faith and calamity it was not a guarantee that she would not face another … this is life! a.	Sure enough, another tragedy strikes, famine is coming to the land. b.	Elisha shows up to instruct them how to survive this newest of trials. 2.	She and her husband have learned to obey God no matter what, and though there is no proof yet of famine they simply trust in God's Word. a.	This is always a good response to God's Word, to trust without proof! b.	They will follow what God asks of them no matter what the world says. ILLUS:Blind skiers were featured in the 1988 winter Olympics. How did they ski being blind? They were paired with sighted skiers who would simply yell, "LEFT" or "RIGHT" when the time came to turn, and the blind skiers obeyed without question! Their obedience brought reward. When we can't see what God is doing we can still listen to His Word, and what it says we must obey if we want the journey to end correctly. The only safe way down the mountain when you are blind is to obey without question! -- Source unknown. 3.	Elisha tells them to leave the area for 7 years during the famine. a.	There is no hesitation in their response: 2 Ki 8:2 "The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years." b.	While obeying God won't prevent every disaster in life, it will help us survive them with His power and provision. c.	Their obedience likely saved them from greater disaster. d.	Obedience meant some discomfort, but not disaster. (1.	They had to live among strangers, the Philistines. (2.	They would be away from their home and property for a long time. 4.	Upon returning at the end of the 7 years in exile they faced yet another difficult situation, all the land and property had been confiscated in their absence. a.	They have to beg for the return of what was rightfully theirs. b.	Here again they are challenged to trust God, after this many years it would be difficult to get back their former stuff. 5.	As always, they trust God in the process … and He doesn't disappoint their faith. B. Compensation 8:5-6 1.	At the very moment the Shunammite woman comes to the king to ask for everything back it just so happens that Gehazi was there telling the king about Elisha's ministry at raising her son from the dead. a.	How many of you know that this timing was not an accident? b.	The king gets to meet the mother of the miracle … and he is so impressed and amazed that he immediately assigns someone to look into her case and get everything back … and even more than that! c.	"Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now." d.	She not only gets back everything she had before but she gets back the income from the land over the 7 years they were gone! e.	There was no loss at all; in fact, though they were gone and others did the work they benefited 100% of what they thought they had lost as income over the 7 years absence. 2.	God compensated them for what they thought they had lost … only because they never questioned God's will or word, they simply obeyed when they heard the word of God from His prophet Elisha. a.	Sometimes compensation doesn't show up till later, but never underestimate God's faithfulness! b.	The right stuff brings the right stuff! 3.	God moves the world for godly women or men … how about you? CONCLUSION: What's the right stuff for being a great mom? The world's answers are many: highly educated, career woman, independent, etc. The bible demonstrates that essentially one main characteristic need to be present -- an unshakeable trust in God! God doesn't forget your faithfulness mom, don't forget His!


text:
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Not only was Wal-Mart right in towing your car, the towing garage would be doing humanity a service if they crushed it into a small cube.
Buck Naked - You probably work for Wal-Mart. How would you feel if you walked out of the store and your wages for the month were spent on fines and towing?
pinkelephant - You have no idea what it's like to be pregnant so shut your mouth.
As for you Jedi and StupidCustomers - do you have to stalk every post I make on this site! OMG!
I always park in expectant mothers spots and also mothers with children spots. Walk you lazy cow. I'm glad they towed your car away.
Well Mrslea you are handicapped. However these spots are only for those who are physically handicapped not mentally hanicapped.
Really? You seem to be blaming Walmart for a lot of things that are your fault.
Pregnant does not mean handicapped. Furthermore, you should have known better than to think that they would have been cool with you just chillin in the handicapped parking space just because you're pregnant. Because you selfishly parked in the handicapped parking space, you took away a parking space for someone who really needed it. As a matter of fact, I know mothers who were told by their doctors that walking during pregnancy is a good thing.
It wasn't that you didn't want to carry your "little one" far, it was that you didn't want to have to walk that far.
After reading all your bitchy posts blaming Walmart for your stupidity/laziness, I'm beginning to think you're just a troll with nothing better to do with your time than whine.
so I guess MsLea aka expecting100cheeseburgers think she owns the parking lot too. I'm not surprsied.


In my last post, we outlined the fundamentals of personalisation and how it can transform user experience on your site to drive more engagement and revenue.
If you missed it, catch up on how to get started with personalisation here.
Now let's look at how to build the perfect data stack to harness all of this rich customer data and input into your chosen personalisation tool.
Building a data stack is like making cakes. A concoction of ingredients carefully combined, each with their own purpose. First you mix the key elements, then wait for the magic to happen, before decorating for that finishing touch.
It's the combination of platforms that makes each of them work so well together – like chemistry. Remove one, or don't set up the other correctly, and you end up with a sloppy mess.
Taking the time to set your data stack up correctly from the outset will ensure robust and accurate reporting, saving any headaches or confusion later.
This is especially important when it comes to reporting ROI across the business, and importantly, to the board.
Personalisation is complex enough as it is, so let's not make it any harder than it needs to be, and get it right from the start.
1) The hub – a personalisation platform with split testing functionality.
This is the hub that all other tools connect to in order to work in harmony together. The motherboard. The tool that implements the personalisation onto your site – but it cannot work as well without the others.
There's a wealth of personalisation tools on the market, each with their own benefits and limitations. The good news is we've done the hard work for you and put together a Personalisation Comparison Guide of the best on the market.
We've looked at analytics integrations, set-up ease and interface, split testing and content / product recommendations amongst other functionality.
And the bad news? Well... there is no bad news.
2) Data in - 1st and 3rd party data.
The personalisation tool needs to learn about your customer base, and it cannot do that without data.
Plug your own CRM, CMS, databases etc. into your chosen tool to set variants and segmentations with your first party data.
Third party integrations bring additional data streams to your own first party insight such as social logins, geolocation, interests and even the weather for a more intelligent approach to personalisation. An example of this would be showing raincoat product recommendations to someone in a location where it's raining.
Every tool has a purpose. The role of Google Analytics and other analytics add-ons is to measure the output of your personalisation, and link it to your business KPIs.
Make sure from the outset that your goals in GA are based on your KPIs – this means everything you track has a purpose, and can be linked directly back to business objectives. (More on this below).
OK so you've chosen your personalisation tool, integrated your first and third party data, and plugged in your analytics platform.
Step 1 – a user comes to your site, and the personalisation tool checks the database to see if they're eligible for any personalisation campaigns you'll have set up, based on the data supplied.
Step 2 – the personalisation tool connects first and third party data about that user – previous shopping behaviour, browsing habits, social login, and chooses relevant content to show based on these factors. (i.e. products to go with their last purchase, or a blog about festivals if they've been browsing websites for wellies and tents).
Step 3 - Whatever happens with that user during that session in terms of their online behaviours (time on site, pages visited, user journey, etc.) – this is sent to the analytics platform, which you can then pull into your performance reports.
Step 4 – This insight is then fed back into the personalisation tool for future use and refinement the next time they visit the site. If you use Optimizely 360, Google's industry-leading personalisation tool, this is done automatically. Or if you choose another tool you can pull your own reports and insights from your analytics programme and input back into the personalisation funnel. (Keep your eyes peeled for our personalisation tool comparison guide in the coming weeks).
Whichever tool you use, point is that the data gathered becomes the personalised content shown to that same user the next time they visit your site.
It's a continual cycle of learning and refinement – underpinned and made possible by the integration of Google Analytics.
Mastering Google Analytics can be a complex and confusing process, but a bit of savvy set-up before you start tracking can make it that bit easier.
Understanding your business cycle and aligning chosen metrics to your own business goals means you can pull the exact story you want to tell from the data you create.
As discussed in my last piece on how to get started with personalisation, once you start to personalise content and then analyse what's happening, you'll discover so many more sub-groups of segments that are underperforming and therefore need more attention, or overperformers that you can capitalise on.
So what should you do for analytics success?
We all know how hard it is to prove the value of our work to the board, with so much data available it can be a minefield to navigate.
Sometimes working backwards is the best way to combat this. It pays to think ahead to what type of story that you and senior stakeholders will want to see, such as average order value, revenue stream from a particular traffic source, or average blog views and time on page per user.
Define the story you need to tell, and then set up the right goals and KPI tracking within your analytics platform to be able to tell that story, and tell it with confidence.
As well as setting individual goals you can also create calculated metrics for more specific data – i.e. combining goals to create a new one, such as revenue / no. of conversions to give average order value.
And because no one likes to trawl through Google Analytics to mine relevant data, make it easy for yourself and use Google Data Studio to create simple, visual reporting dashboards with the headlines that senior board members and stakeholders need to know.
It's always better to tell the truth. The integrity of your data is fundamental to the accurate and reliable reporting across your business, especially in the case of personalisation.
Our data integrity audits make sure your data is consistent, dependable and true, so as not to distort your personalisation reporting.
Like a fine wine, personalisation campaigns are best left to mature before you start to draw conclusions from it and take any actions.
The key to this is understanding your current business cycle in line with your proposed personalisation efforts.
Look at your existing cycle and think about the duration needed to get a fair test. Remember, personalisation is all about learning – a continual cycle of learning and refinement – and that takes time.
Allowing for a whole payday cycle, for example, which may well be a higher converting day, will give you a better birdseye view of your audience and make sure you don't miss any potential variables that could have an affect on results.
In the early stages data is likely to fluctuate, so allowing it to normalise before reading trends will give a fair test and stop any false negative or positive readings.
Give it the time it deserves, avoiding any knee jerk reactions. You should be just as happy to learn by failing forward, because learning from it can only strengthen your marketing output – there is no negative.
In my next post, I'll be explaining how to use first and third party data for personalisation.


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text:
Q: Exporting Java Program that uses Unlimited JCE Policy (Encryption) I have made a Java application that uses the PBKDF2WithHmacSHA1 encryption algorithm and I was required to download the Unlimited JCE Policy jar. I put both of the JAR files where there are supposed to be (I put them in the JRE security folder of my JDK), named correctly, and so it works in Eclipse.
When I export it however, it only works when I run the JAR file from command line. I have done some debugging and when I double click the executable/runnable JAR it falls in the encryption/decryption methods as they throw Exceptions.
So, if anybody can tell me why this is and more over, how to solve the issue I would be greatful as this is very important!
Thanks in advance

A: Ok, so it looks like the only way to distribute the unlimited JCE policy is to unpack the required .jars and overwrite the existing ones on users' computers, either during installation or upon first run of the application. But even that appears to be a hit or miss process.
The alternative route that a lot of people seem to be taking is using APIs such as BouncyCastle which supports higher levels of encryption and can be freely and easily distributed, even with commercial applications.
I imagine that Oracle made it this way because of restrictions previously imposed of certain countries that now seem to have been lifted. I might be wrong, but I have nevertheless heard that Java is working on a better implementation to solve this problem!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Covariance of Kronecker product? Suppose I have $n$-x-$1$ independent random variables $\mathbf{a}$ and $\mathbf{b}$ with known covariances matrices $A$ and $B$. Is it possible to express covariance matrix $C$ of random variable $\mathbf{c} = \mathbf{a} \otimes \mathbf{b}$ in terms of $A$ and $B$?
The end-goal I'm trying to achieve is to do some transformation to a sample of [$\mathbf{a}$, $\mathbf{b}$] to make sure that $\mathbf{c}$ computed on that sample is whitened. Simply whitening $\mathbf{a}$ and $\mathbf{b}$ in that sample seems not sufficient.

A: Example 1:
Assuming without loss of generality your vectors are centered, or that $E[\mathbf{a}] = E[\mathbf{b}] = \mathbf{0}$, the covariance matrix is
\begin{align*}
E[\mathbf{c}\mathbf{c}^T] &= E[(\mathbf{a}\otimes \mathbf{b})(\mathbf{a} \otimes \mathbf{b})^T] \\
&= E\left\{
\left[ \begin{array}{c}
a_1\mathbf{b} \\
a_2\mathbf{b} \\
\vdots \\
a_m\mathbf{b}
\end{array}\right]
\left[a_1\mathbf{b}^T, a_2\mathbf{b}^T, \cdots, a_m\mathbf{b}^T \right]
\right\} \\
&=
\left[\begin{array}{cccc}
E[a_1a_1\mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T] & E[a_1a_2 \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T] & \cdots & E[a_1a_m \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T]\\
\vdots &\vdots  & \ddots & \ddots \\
E[a_ma_1 \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T] & E[a_m a_2 \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T] & \cdots & E[a_ma_m \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T]
\end{array} \right]\\
&=
\left[\begin{array}{cccc}
E[a_1a_1]E[\mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T] & E[a_1a_2]E[ \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T] & \cdots & E[a_1a_m]E[ \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T]\\
\vdots &\vdots  & \ddots & \ddots \\
E[a_ma_1]E[ \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T] & E[a_m a_2]E[ \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T] & \cdots & E[a_ma_m]E[ \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T]
\end{array} \right]\\
&=E[\mathbf{a}\mathbf{a}'] \otimes E[ \mathbf{b}\mathbf{b}^T].
\end{align*}
Notice the assumption of independence is used in the second to last equality. But we can see here that the variance of the Kronecker product is the Kronecker product of the variances.
Example 2:
Your example in the (now-deleted) comments was an example where the two vectors were not independent. In that case, the above quantity would simplify to
\begin{align*}
\left[\begin{array}{cccc}
E[a_1a_1\mathbf{a}\mathbf{a}^T] & E[a_1a_2 \mathbf{a}\mathbf{a}^T] & \cdots & E[a_1a_m \mathbf{a}\mathbf{a}^T]\\
\vdots &\vdots  & \ddots & \ddots \\
E[a_ma_1 \mathbf{a}\mathbf{a}^T] & E[a_m a_2 \mathbf{a}\mathbf{a}^T] & \cdots & E[a_ma_m \mathbf{a}\mathbf{a}^T]
\end{array} \right].
\end{align*}
The only way for this to be white would be if $E[a_i^4]=1$ for all $i=1,\ldots,m$ and $E[a_i a_j a_k a_l]=0$ if there is one pair $(m,n)$ such that $m \neq n$. Is this possible? Well if we have one distinct index, the centering makes that term $0$, but..
The problem is the terms of the form $E[a_i^2 a_j^2]$. Even if you assume your vectors are centered and white,
$$
E[a_i^2 a_j^2] = \text{Var}(a_i)\text{Var}(a_j) \ge 0.
$$
The only way for these terms to be zero is if one of them is a degenerate random variable.


text:
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<!DOCTYPE mapper PUBLIC "-//mybatis.org//DTD Mapper 3.0//EN" "http://mybatis.org/dtd/mybatis-3-mapper.dtd" >
<mapper namespace="com.kunsoftware.mapper.ProductPriceTplMapper" >
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    <result column="product_resource_id" property="productResourceId" jdbcType="INTEGER" />
    <result column="name" property="name" jdbcType="VARCHAR" />
    <result column="price_describe" property="priceDescribe" jdbcType="VARCHAR" />
    <result column="order_value" property="orderValue" jdbcType="INTEGER" />
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    delete from product_price_tpl
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      price, remark)
    values (#{id,jdbcType=INTEGER}, #{productResourceId,jdbcType=INTEGER}, #{name,jdbcType=VARCHAR},
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      #{price,jdbcType=DECIMAL}, #{remark,jdbcType=LONGVARCHAR})
  </insert>
  <insert id="insertSelective" parameterType="com.kunsoftware.entity.ProductPriceTpl" >
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    <trim prefix="(" suffix=")" suffixOverrides="," >
      <if test="id != null" >
        id,
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      <if test="productResourceId != null" >
        product_resource_id,
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  </insert>
  <update id="updateByPrimaryKeySelective" parameterType="com.kunsoftware.entity.ProductPriceTpl" >
    update product_price_tpl
    <set >
      <if test="productResourceId != null" >
        product_resource_id = #{productResourceId,jdbcType=INTEGER},
      </if>
      <if test="name != null" >
        name = #{name,jdbcType=VARCHAR},
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      <if test="priceDescribe != null" >
        price_describe = #{priceDescribe,jdbcType=VARCHAR},
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      <if test="orderValue != null" >
        order_value = #{orderValue,jdbcType=INTEGER},
      </if>
      <if test="chargeUnit != null" >
        charge_unit = #{chargeUnit,jdbcType=VARCHAR},
      </if>
      <if test="price != null" >
        price = #{price,jdbcType=DECIMAL},
      </if>
      <if test="remark != null" >
        remark = #{remark,jdbcType=LONGVARCHAR},
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    </set>
    where id = #{id,jdbcType=INTEGER}
  </update>
  <update id="updateByPrimaryKeyWithBLOBs" parameterType="com.kunsoftware.entity.ProductPriceTpl" >
    update product_price_tpl
    set product_resource_id = #{productResourceId,jdbcType=INTEGER},
      name = #{name,jdbcType=VARCHAR},
      price_describe = #{priceDescribe,jdbcType=VARCHAR},
      order_value = #{orderValue,jdbcType=INTEGER},
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    where id = #{id,jdbcType=INTEGER}
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Pitch @ Place Applications
The Guild of Fine Food has been approached by The Duke of York's Special Advisor to find out if any of our Guild members would be...
Donnelly's Bakery & Coffee Shop is voted the Most Loved Bakery in Northern Ireland!
The results are in, and we are delighted to announce that Donnelly's Bakery & Coffee Shop is officially the Most Loved Bakery in Northern Ireland. Customers...
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Armagh's rise as one of the world's top cider and quality food producers will be celebrated during a major five-day festival starting on October 7th Thousands...
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Pictured: (L-R) Mark McCormick – Technical Supervisor, Mark Beggs – General Manager & Richard Adams – Production Manager Hilton Meat Products Hilton Meat Products, the offal based...
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Page 118 of 178« First«...153045607590105...116117118119120...135150165...»Last »


text:
Tapirs are large browsing mammals, roughly pig-like in shape, with short, prehensile snouts. They inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. All four species of tapir are classified as endangered or vulnerable. Their closest relatives are the other odd-toed ungulates, including horses and rhinoceroses.
There are four tapir species:
Baird's Tapir, Tapirus bairdii
Malayan Tapir, Tapirus indicus
Mountain Tapir, Tapirus pinchaque
Brazilian Tapir (also called Lowland Tapir), Tapirus terrestris
Hybrid tapirs from the Baird's Tapir and the Brazilian Tapir were bred at the San Francisco Zoo around 1969 and produced a second generation around 1970.
A baird's tapir in Belize
General appearanceSize varies between types, but most tapirs are about 2 meters (7 ft) long, stand about a meter (3 ft) high at the shoulder, and weigh between 150 and 300 kg (330 to 700 lb). Coats are short and range in color from reddish-brown to grey to nearly black, with the notable exceptions of the Malayan Tapir, which has a white saddle-shaped marking on its back, and the Mountain Tapir, which has longer, woolly fur. All tapirs have oval, white-tipped ears, rounded, protruding rumps with stubby tails, and splayed, hoofed toes, with four toes on the front feet and three on the hind feet, which help them walk on muddy and soft ground. Baby tapirs of all types have striped-and-spotted coats for camouflage. Females have a single pair of mammary glands.
Flehmen responseThe proboscis of the tapir is a highly flexible structure, able to move in all directions, allowing the animals to grab foliage that would otherwise be out of reach. Tapirs often exhibit the flehmen response, a posture in which they raise their snouts and show their teeth, in order to detect scents. This response is frequently exhibited by bulls sniffing for signs of other males or females in oestrus in the area. Proboscis length varies among species; Malayan Tapirs have the longest snouts and Brazilian Tapirs have the shortest. The evolution of tapir probosces, made up almost entirely of soft tissues rather than bony internal structures, gives the Tapiridae skull a unique form in comparison to other perissodactyls, with a larger sagittal crest, orbits positioned more rostrally, a posteriorly telescoped cranium, and a more elongated and retracted nasoincisive incisure.
totaling 42 to 44 teeth; this dentition is closer to that of equids, who may differ by one less canine, than their other perissodactyl relatives, rhinoceroses. Their incisors are chisel-shaped, with the third large, conical upper incisor separated by a short gap from the considerably smaller canine. A much longer gap is found between the canines and premolars, the first of which may be absent. Tapirs are lophodonts, and their cheek teeth have distinct lophs (ridges) between protocones, paracones, metacones and hypocones.
Tapirs have brown eyes, often with a bluish cast to them which has been identified as corneal cloudiness, a condition most commonly found in Malayan Tapirs. The exact etiology is unknown, but the cloudiness may be caused by excessive exposure to light or by trauma. However, the tapir's sensitive ears and strong sense of smell help to compensate for deficiencies in vision.
Young tapirs reach sexual maturity between three and five years of age, with females maturing earlier. Under good conditions, a healthy female tapir can reproduce every two years; a single youngster is born after a gestation of about 13 months. The natural lifespan of a tapir is approximately 25 to 30 years, both in the wild and in zoos. Apart from mothers and their young offspring, tapirs lead almost exclusively solitary lives.
Although they frequently live in dryland forests, tapirs with access to rivers spend a good deal of time in and under the water, feeding on soft vegetation, taking refuge from predators, and cooling off during hot periods. Tapirs near a water source will swim, sink to the bottom and walk along the riverbed to feed, and have been known to submerge themselves under water to allow small fish to pick parasites off their bulky bodies. Along with fresh water lounging, tapirs often wallow in mud pits, which also helps to keep them cool and free of insects.
In the wild, the tapir's diet consists of fruit, berries, and leaves, particularly young, tender growth. Tapirs will spend many of their waking hours foraging along well-worn trails, snouts to the ground in search of food. Baird's Tapirs have been observed to eat around 40 kilograms (85 pounds) of vegetation in one day.
Tapirs are largely nocturnal and crepuscular, although the smaller Mountain Tapir of the Andes is generally more active during the day than its congeners. They have monocular vision.
Copulation may occur in or out of water, and in captivity, mating pairs will often copulate multiple times during oestrus.
An adult Malayan Tapir at the San Diego Zoo
Habitat, predation, and vulnerabilityAdult tapirs are large enough that they have few natural predators, and the thick skin on the backs of their necks helps to protect them from threats such as jaguars, crocodiles, anacondas, and tigers. The creatures are also able to run fairly quickly, considering their size and cumbersome appearance, finding shelter in the thick undergrowth of the forest or in water. Hunting for meat and hides has substantially reduced their numbers and, more recently, massive habitat loss has resulted in the conservation watch-listing of all four species: both the Brazilian Tapir and the Malayan Tapir are classified as vulnerable; and the Baird's Tapir and the Mountain Tapir are endangered. Tapirs tend to prefer old growth forests and the food sources that can be found in them, making the preservation of primary woodlands a top priority for tapir conservationists.
Evolution and Natural HistoryThe first tapirids, such as Heptodon, appeared in the early Eocene. They appeared very similar to modern forms, but were about half the size, and lack the proboscis. The first true tapirs, appeared in the Oligocene, and by the Miocene, such genera as Miotapirus were almost indistinguishable to the extant species. It is believed that Asian and American tapirs diverged around 20 to 30 million years ago, and that tapir varieties moved from North America to Central and South America around 3 million years ago. For much of their history, tapirs were spread across the northern hemisphere, where they became extinct as recently as 10,000 years ago.
It is also believed by some scientists that the tapir may have evolved from the Hyracotherium (primitive horse).
A baby Brazilian Tapir with spots and stripes characteristic of all juvenile tapirsThe four species of tapir have the following chromosomal numbers:
Malayan tapir, T. indicus 2n = 52
Mountain tapir, T. pinchaque 2n = 76
Baird's tapir, T. bairdii 2n = 80
Brazilian tapir, T. terrestris 2n = 80
The Malayan tapir, the species most isolated geographically from the rest of the genus, has a significantly smaller number of chromosomes and has been found to share fewer homologies with the three types of American tapirs. A number of conserved autosomes (13 between karyotypes of the Baird's Tapir and Brazilian Tapir, and 15 between the Baird's and Mountain Tapir) have also been found in the American species that are not found in the Asian animal. However, geographic proximity is not an absolute predictor of genetic similarity; for instance, G-banded preparations have revealed that Malayan, Baird's and Brazilian Tapirs have identical X chromosomes, while Mountain Tapirs are separated by a heterochromatic addition/deletion.
Lack of genetic diversity in tapir populations has become a major source of concern for conservationists. Habitat loss has isolated already small populations of wild tapirs, putting each group in greater danger of dying out completely. Even in zoos, genetic diversity is limited; all captive mountain tapirs, for example, are descended from only two founder individuals.
An adult Malayan Tapir sitting
ConservationThere are a number of conservation projects around the world. The Tapir Specialist Group, a unit of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, strives to conserve biological diversity by stimulating, developing, and executing practical programs to study, save, restore, and manage the four species of tapir and their remaining habitats in Central and South America and Southeast Asia.
The Baird's Tapir Project of Costa Rica is the longest ongoing tapir project in the world, having started in 1994. It is currently led by Kendra Bauer and involves placing radio collars on tapirs in Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park to study their social systems and habitat preferences.
27 April 2008, is World Tapir Day. The day has been established to raise awareness about the four species of tapir that inhabit Central and South America and South-East Asia.
Attacks on humansTapirs are generally shy, but when they are scared they can defend themselves with their very powerful jaws. In 1998, a zookeeper in Oklahoma City was mauled and had an arm severed by a tapir bite, after she attempted to feed the attacking tapir's young. In 2006, a 46-year-old man (who was the Environmental Minister at the time) who was lost in the Corcovado National Park at Costa Rica was found by a search party with a "nasty bite" from a wild tapir. However, such examples are rare; for the most part, tapirs are likely to avoid confrontation in favor of running from predators, hiding, or, if possible, submerging themselves in nearby water until a threat is gone.
Source: encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com
Iranian-packed bus crashes, kills 10
Funny Kids (Video)
Beautiful Netherlands in Pictures


Depending on the amount of research required, you may expect a response to your inquiry within three to five working days.
For answers to commonly asked questions, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
For detailed information about titling vehicles and boat or vessel, please refer to the Motor Vehicle Titling Manual and the Boat/Vessel/Outboard Motor Titling and Registration page of our website.
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Samsung India Head (Human Resources) Sameer Wadhawan said Samsung will visit IITs in Delhi, Kanpur, Bombay, Madras, Kharagpur, Guwahati, BHU and Roorkie, starting 1 December for hiring.
Through his speech, Narendra Modi gave a fair indication of BJP's likely strategy to counter the grand alliance.
Prakash Javadekar said that a political resolution proposed by Rajnath Singh at BJP national executive meet was passed by the working committee.


text:
Ices, Oceans, and Fire: Conference overload
I am now back home from the icy satellites conference and still have a day and a half's worth of notes to digest. Hopefully I'll get to all of them this week. It was quite a dense three days to dive in to as my first conference since the arrival of the baby. I did try to cut back from the full conference schedule by not attending the evening sessions on either day. After the poster session on Monday, instead of attending two hours of "Flagship Study Briefings," I elected instead to go to dinner with my mother and daughter, and play with the kid for a little while, and give her a bath and put her to bed. After all that I decided to check back in on the conference room, and found that two hours into the two-hour session I was still in time for the last presentation and discussion.
Tibor Balint
Artist's concept of a Titan balloon
An interesting concept, but will it fly?
I don't have much to say about the Flagship Mission Studies. In brief, NASA is funding four studies to outline what can be done with two-billion-dollar missions to four possible outer solar system targets: Europa, the Jupiter system, Titan, and Enceladus. Nearly everyone involved in outer solar system science is participating in one or more of these studies, and it's taking a gargantuan amount of their time. In the end, only one will be selected for development. (If we are lucky; it has been so hard to get a Europa mission started that it's kind of difficult to be hopeful that even after all this effort we will ever get started on the next flagship mission.)
The air in the room was tense, because of course nearly everyone has a very strong opinion on which outer solar system mission should be the next one; for most people in the room, the next flagship mission could well be the last flagship mission of their careers, so a lot is at stake. However, at the end of the session there was some happy discussion that I think is worth sharing. In the question-and-answer period, a European scientist stood and asked doubtfully whether NASA would invite cooperation with ESA for the next mission. Lately, cooperation between American and foreign space agencies has been incredibly difficult. But Fran Bagenal, the chair of the Outer Planets Assessment Group, stood up and had some positive things to say.
Paraphrasing Fran to the best of my ability: "Based on individual conversations I've had with Alan Stern and David Southwood in the last month, I have no doubt that there will be ESA-NASA cooperation on an outer planets mission." Alan Stern administers NASA's Science Mission Directorate, and David Southwood is ESA's Director of Science; they are in equivalent positions. "I also know that there is a lot of collaboration on the science team level. I am actually optimistic. There is a lot of understanding. There are issues of ITAR and so on, but there is a lot of collaboration. There's no doubt that there will be collaboration across the Atlantic." At this point Curt Niebur, who is the point person for outer planets at NASA Headquarters, said "I believe it was Southwood who said that 'we will either do a flagship together, or we will do a flagship together.'" Fran and Curt agreed that there was a lot of will to work together across the Atlantic at all levels. "It may seem a mess," Fran said, "but it will all work out in the end."
That wound up Monday, at 9 pm. On Tuesday, in an attempt to get through a day packed solid with talks, it appears I overdosed on caffeine. Quite suddenly, at about 4:45 pm, I was absolutely unable to take any more, and I had to leave the sessions, which was too bad because it was right in the middle of a very interesting presentation by Paul Schenk. Paul was kind enough to give me a copy of his presentation, however, so I can give you the gist of it later. So -- I'm now diving into my notes, and will hopefully surface a couple of times today and tomorrow with more from the conference.
Solar System Specialist for The Planetary Society
Read more articles by Emily Lakdawalla


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Women's basketball Sectional tickets on sale
Irish open tournament Jan. 5 at Arsenal Tech
Cathedran file photo
Senior Cassie Piper brings the ball up the court during the Jan. 28 varsity game at Carmel. The Irish open Sectional play on Jan. 5.
Tickets for the Class 4A women's basketball Sectional at Arsenal Tech are on sale in the athletics office. All-session passes are $10 and provide admittance for all four nights of tournament play.
Tickets will be on sale Jan. 31 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Feb. 3, Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. According to an email from Athletics Director Mr. Rick Streiff, single session tickets also will be sold at Tech for $6 for each night of the tournament.
The women's basketball team opens Sectional play on Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. against Crispus Attucks.
Tweets by IrishMegaphone
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CHS LIVE – January 20th, 2023
Planes, Trains and Automobiles to Cathedral
A Time for Giving
Turning a Corner
Riley Dance Marathon Returns to the Hill
Men's Basketball Meets Early Expectations
An Immaculate Impression
All THE MEGAPHONE Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest


text:
Q: Data bind visible is not working as expected I am trying to do set the Data bind visibility on the section like below

Both the sameAsShippingAddress and sameAsShippingAddress are the check box fields, when either one of the checkbox is selected the the div class should be invisible
Two check box fields are

                <input class="form-check-input position-static" type="checkbox" id="HasCustomerAccNum" value="HasCustomerAccNum" data-bind="checked: hasCustomerAccNum" />
                Has Customer Account Number?

                <input class="form-check-input position-static" type="checkbox" id="SameAsShippingAddress" value="SameAsShippingAddress" data-bind="checked: sameAsShippingAddress" />
                Billing address is same as Shipping Address

and the js file, I set their fields as
self.sameAsShippingAddress = ko.observable(false);
self.hasCustomerAccNum = ko.observable(false);

The issue is only when both the fields are checked the div class is invisible

What am I missing here. I want the right side section to be invisible even when one check box is checked

A:


Join the Adobe team as we begin the year with a series of Roadshows! Breakfast will be provided, and you'll hear about the new features in the upcoming release and direction of Adobe ColdFusion along with more detailed plans over the next couple of years.
The events will be held from 8:00am to 11:00am at hotels in the following locations.
Please RSVP with the number of attendees to kishore@adobe.com to reserve your spot.


text:
Dark Harbour, The Excursion
June 2nd 2022 - July 7th 2022
Dark Harbour developed as a project resulting from disappointment. Failing, through hesitation, to buy an artwork, I set about recreating, from memory, what I wanted from the lost work. A compositional structure became established, together with a field of verbal imaginings and allusions, which have been taken across a range of media, collage, stitch, printmaking, sculpture and drawing. It quickly became apparent that Dark Harbour was creating more by its absence than by its still missed presence, a nostalgia for something that never was. Dark Harbour is about wanting something that is not what I wanted it to be, about the space of disappointment and wanting, and the compensations and comforts of loss. It is all the places I have felt comfortable of being wary of, and those places that I have felt wary of being comfortable with.
Julian Walker trained at the City of London Polytechnic (formerly 'The Cass'), where he was awarded the Owen Rowley Memorial Prize, and Central St Martins College of Art, and was selected for the New Contemporaries at the Liverpool Biennial in 1999. He was the first artist in residence at The Natural History Museum, in 1996, and was commissioned to make work for the Wellcome Collection and the Embroiderers' Guild in 2003, Norwich Castle in 2005, the EV&A Biennial Limerick in 2006, and the Millennium Square Greenwich in 2008. Since then he has exhibited with Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the Contemporary Applied Art Gallery, and the National Trust. He has taught at the University of the Arts London, the Royal College of Art, and Anglia Ruskin University.
In 2021 his work featured in online shows curated in Poland, Spain, Argentina, Slovakia and Turkey; and in exhibitions at the Jam On The Marsh Festival in Kent, the 6th Kazan International Printmaking Biennale in Tatarstan, the Intaglio Miniprint Triennial at the Contemporary Art Centre, Kyiv, Ukraine, and Hommage à Trois, touring galleries in Catalonia. His solo exhibition 'Dark Harbour' was shown online with Galería Adrómeda 3.20 based in Mexico City in March; in 2022 he is in The Festival of the Smallest, in Amsterdam, and Black and White, in Studio Next, Kolkata.
Julian Walker can be found on the web at julianwalkerart.com and on Instagram here
Current Resident
Julian Walker (this)


Nero GameVR is an app that lets you play non-VR games in an immersive environment with your Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.
Nero GameVR is an app that lets you play non-VR games in an immersive environment with your Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. It converts the displayed image to an out that enables game viewing using your head mount devices. Nero GameVR supports playing of third-person games using Immersive Screen Mode and first-person games in 360.
Nero GameVR supports most of the popular games on the market today. However, only the games listed below are the ones that have been fully tested and certified by our in-house game experts.
Please feel free to contact us if you encounter any issues during game play.


text:
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          {% trans 'News' %}{{ news_count }}
          {% trans 'Questions' %}{{ questions_count }}
          {% trans 'Users' %}{{ users_count }}
          {% trans 'Tags' %}{{ tags_count }}

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                {% thumbnail article.image "750x300" as im %}

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            {% for news in news_list %}
              {% include 'news/news_single.html' with news=news %}
            {% empty %}

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            {% for question in questions_list %}
              {% include 'qa/question_sample.html' with question=question %}
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                  {% thumbnail user.picture "x40" as im %}

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                    {% if user.job_title %}

                        {{ user.job_title}}
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            {% empty %}

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                {% for tag in tags_list %}
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Mandava Associates provides clients with CMC and compliance through its associates who have vast experience in this field. Our group of associates has substantial experience in taking numerous APIs and biological agents from formulation development through to NDA, and for market approval.
Mandava Associates works closely with clients to provide the necessary QA and regulatory guidance for each step of the drug development process and for market approval.


Binge Game of Thrones Seasons 1-7 on Hulu for your chance to win!
Level up as you progress from one season to the next with a total of 17 possible entries including one entry for each season and ten entries for completing the series.
SO MANY WINNERS! 500 get a free month of Hulu and another 100 will receive a WHOLE year of Hulu streaming service.
Grand prize winner flies away to the land of the series with an eight day trip for two.
Trip includes travel, lodging, private tours and $2400 spending money.
Start watching today - ends April 15th.


The following are the terms and conditions by which we accept your booking for accommodation, activities and / or sponsorship of the European Lotteries Congress 2019 at The Flanders Meeting and Congress Center (FMCCA) and all other venues in the area of Antwerp and for attendance at the European Lotteries Congress 2019. You must read and fully understand these conditions before making a booking and/or entering into an agreement for sponsorship.
The organizer of this event is "Nationale Loterij/Loterie Nationale" on behalf of the European Lotteries. These terms and conditions apply to all levels or types of booking with "Nationale Loterij/Loterie Nationale" for this event – for both accommodation and / or sponsorship.
This event is open to removal companies and their employees over 18 years old and approved partners only.
It is a private function and acceptance of registration is at the absolute discretion of the organizers. The organizers may, at their absolute discretion, and without explanation, cancel a registration / sponsorship and make a relevant refund for sponsorship and/or registration fee prior to the event.
All bookings and sponsorships are taken on a first come first served basis and are subject to availability of rooms and facilities. The organizers hold a block booking for a set number of rooms, once the event nears this capacity the organizers will advertise this on the website and other appropriate electronic media, once the capacity has been reached additional rooms are subject to hotel availability and may be subject to additional charges.
The organizers will make available packages for delegates to book. Only these packages are available and "special" arrangements will not be made.
YOUR CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND/ OR SPONSORSHIP WILL ONLY BE CONFIRMED UPON RECEIPT OF PAYMENT IN FULL.
1. Payment Terms – All bookings must be paid in full, within seven working days.
c) Cancellations received after 1/04/2019 = No refund will be made. In all cases, an administration fee of EUR 90.00 will be made in the event of an accepted cancellation.
d) In the unlikely event that the organizer cancels the European Lotteries Congress 2019 completely, which is at the absolute discretion of the organizer, you will be refunded 100% of all money paid under our invoice. In the event of cancellation by either party, Nationale Loterij/Loterie Nationale will not be liable for any consequential costs or losses, including but not limited to pre-booked travel.
4. After payment received in full, any changes including but not limited to changes of names, outdoor activities, etc. can be accepted or rejected only with written confirmation from organizers and might be subject to additional charges.
5. Substitute: Should you be unable to attend the event after booking, a substitute is welcome at no extra charge. All substitutes should be communicated to the organizer by email to at least 10 days prior to the event. Please note: There may not be updated information in a printed brochures.
6. Late Arrivals: If the participant knows that he will have a late check-in, he should inform organizers. No refund will be entertained for non-arrival on the notified date of arrival or any subsequent date of your stay.
7. Early Departures: In common with most hotels there is no refund available should you check out before your notified date of departure.
8. Extended Stay: If you decide to arrive earlier or stay later then please email details to. Accommodation for additional nights is strictly subject to availability and will be chargeable at the hotel rate in force at the time of booking. On receipt of an inquiry, the organizer will check availability and rates and confirm back to you.
When we use this term in the conditions it means any unusual or unforeseen circumstances which are beyond our control.
This may include war, a threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions or other circumstances amounting to force majeure.
In constructing the European Lotteries Congress 2019, certain arrangements have been entered into with suppliers in advance of the publication of this brochure or webpage. Whilst every effort will be made to deliver the itinerary for the conference and its social events as it appears in these publications, in the unlikely event that the organizer considers through whatever reason including force majeure to change the destination, hotel and or program the organizer strictly reserve the right to change, amend or cancel any specific event without notice. In this case, every effort will be made to provide a substitute destination or event although the organizer is NOT liable for any such curtailment, cancellation or substitution as it may affect you directly. You are advised to check the notice board and or the conference website at the Hospitality Desk daily for any last minute changes to the program.
You are responsible for checking your passport and visa requirements to attend the European Lotteries Congress 2019. Should a problem occur on entry to 'CITY" or on an application for a visa to visit, the organizer will be unable to provide assistance.
We strongly recommend the need for good travel insurance. In general, this form of insurance provides cover for sickness and illness, cancellation, loss of property etc. and is NOT provided as part of your Registration Fee.
It is incumbent upon you to notify us at the time of registration of any disability, dietary requirements or general condition that requires separate or special attention.
The very nature of booking hotel accommodation for conferences requires the lowest possible rates to be negotiated with the hotel. This is at the cost of any award points or similar scheme that the hotel may offer normal Clients. Therefore there are no schemes available to individuals.
There is no formal dress code for the event, however your attention is drawn to:The final night dinner is not a formal wear dinner, however there is an expectation that you dress appropriately for the venue and the event.
You are required to wear your badge (clearly visible) during ALL events – including social events – to enable us to identify you as a bonafide attendee. This will avoid any unnecessary embarrassment on entry to business and social events. Other Identification methods, such as hands brace might be provided during certain parts of the conference. You are required to wear those in order to have access to the specific venue / services.
The Conference includes entertainment sections with sport / competition activities. It is your responsibility to consult a physician well in advance (both at the time of registration and your departure to the event) if such are appropriate for your physical condition. It is your responsibility to choose an adequate activity to your physical condition.
Alcohol is provided at many of the social events on the basis that attendees will consume it sensibly. The organizer is not responsible for any adverse effect, injury, or damage to or by an attendee howsoever caused through the consumption of alcohol.
At the time of registration at the hotel and/or during the event the organizers might provide you with reasonable instructions, regarding your security. You agree to carefully get acquainted and follow those instructions. You agree that if you fail to comply on the instance the organizers are not responsible for any adverse effect, injury, damage or losses.
In the event of a dispute arising between participant/sponsor and the organizers which are unable to be resolved amicably between either or all parties concerned, these conditions shall be governed by Belgian Law and the parties to these conditions submit to the jurisdiction of the Belgian Courts. By registering you explicitly agree and approve the above Terms and Conditions.


FRANCE - Life Technologies Corporation has announced it has acquired Laboratoire Service International (LSI), a French-based manufacturer of animal health diagnostics.
LSI's portfolio will be added to Life Technologies' complementary diagnostic solutions and services and leverage its distribution channels to provide the global market with a wider selection of fast and accurate tools to test for common pathogens and diseases in production animals.
"This is a very exciting development: together we have a much greater research and sales resource than ever before, and that will mean that our customers can expect even better support and more innovative products in the future," said LSI CEO Eric Sellal.


CHICAGO, IL – High Street Residential announces the acquisition of a 0.87-acre site for the construction of Maple&Main, a 6-story, Class A+ mixed-use transit-oriented building located at the epicenter of downtown Downers Grove, IL. The project will include 115 apartment units, best-in-class resident amenities and approximately 4,000 square feet of ground floor retail/restaurant space. Construction is expected to begin in 1Q 2017 and be ready for occupancy in 2Q 2018.
The project offers studio/alcove, 1-bedroom, 1-bedroom plus den, 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units. The abundance of resident amenities will include: a pet spa and bike lounge in the basement level, a hotel-like lobby/leasing center and Wi-Fi coffee lounge on the first level, a fitness center, yoga studio, club room, chef kitchen, and resort style pool deck with an outdoor kitchen located on the second level, and sky deck located on the sixth level with unencumbered views of the surrounding area. Maple&Main will offer residents on-site management, indoor heated parking, private storage lockers, and a guest suite available for visitors.
Maple&Main is being designed with eco-friendly aspects to maximize fresh air indoors, minimize exposure to airborne toxins and pollutants and use less energy. High-efficiency plumbing fixtures will decrease consumption of water and reduce the impact on municipal sewer system. Kitchens come equipped with Energy Star stainless steel refrigerators and dishwashers that maintain efficient performance. Forced air systems and return air is designed to be balanced and provide consistent air temperature and quality throughout the property.
The development is a consolidation of a three parcel land assemblage, including a single-family home, office building, and municipal parking lot, located within walking distance to the Main Street train station, many bus routes, bike lanes and sidewalk network.
ESG Architects will serve as the project architect and Carlson Construction will serve as the general contractor. David Paino, Vice President, will oversee the development of the project on behalf of High Street Residential. Jacob Dell, at CBRE Oak Brook, will be handling the retail leasing.
At High Street Residential, a wholly-owned residential subsidiary of Trammell Crow Company, our expertise is mixed-use projects on premier sites in major U.S. cities, very often adjacent to transit hubs. In the last decade the company completed more than 5,100 units representing more than $1.2 billion in value. We manage the development of apartments, condominiums and townhomes and have a have a deep background in urban, infill mixed-use residential development, as well as the redevelopment or repurposing of existing facilities. We have a current pipeline of over 10,000 units valued at nearly $3 billion. For more information, visit www.highstreetresidential.com.


Title: works as a project manager on the Arctic Business Design and By-product Flows of Arctic Industries, and as Task Leader in one of the EU's European Innovation Partnership Smart Cities Commitments related to Circular Economy, and also as Project Leader of the European Cluster Observatory (ECO)'s Model Demonstrator Region Lapland.
works as a project manager on the Arctic Business Design and By-product Flows of Arctic Industries, and as Task Leader in one of the EU's European Innovation Partnership Smart Cities Commitments related to Circular Economy, and also as Project Leader of the European Cluster Observatory (ECO)'s Model Demonstrator Region Lapland.
Recently, he has been charged with the responsibility of managing the future Arctic Business Concept, which is a development project on mining and industrial services in co-operation with the process industry and mines in Lapland.


text:
Ed Sheeran's House Filled with Toys
By Kat Sep 11, 2017
Ed Sheeran may be 26 but he's apparently a kid at heart. The singer revealed on "The Graham Norton Show" that his home is filled with a lot of toys. "I have a load of childish stuff in my house," he says. "There's a room full of teddy bears."
Ed, who describes himself as a "big kid," is a particular fan of Lego, and admits he recently purchased a special Lego Death Star model to celebrate the success of his recent album "Divide."
"Any good parent will know, if a kid wants a Lego set you buy them the small one, you don't buy them the big one that's like £359 ($473)," he offers. "When my album went to number one, I was passing the Lego store and saw the big Death Star, and I thought – 'Do you know what? It's time.'"
He also admits that he can't help but treat himself to toys even when buying things for other people. He said he recently went to by his goddaughter a Ninja Turtle toy for her birthday and while shopping he saw a big Ninja Turtle truck and decided, "I'm getting that for me." Check out Ed's "Graham Norton" to the right.
Source: NME


text:
Q: Finding values in Ruby Hashes that contain the ouput of a SQL select resultset I am Learning ruby. I would like to use active record to use a simple find command like this: MyModel.find_by_emp_id(i.emp_id) on the model but I cant with the Vertica database gem I am using. The resultset of running a straight SQL query on the model like this:
vemployees = conn.query("select * from employees")  returns a hash like data structure.
The data structure vemployees is a Vertica::result type, and the structure looks to be like bellow:
[
  {:emp_id=>"3321", :emp_last_name=>"Man", :emp_first_name=>"super", :emp_mid_name=>nil},
  {:emp_id=>"3325", :emp_last_name=>"Man", :emp_first_name=>"Bat", :emp_mid_name=>nil},
]

How can I execute something like, vemployees.find_by_emp_id(i.emp_id) without going through a list of results?

A: N.B. untested code
something like:
in MyModel:
def self.find_by_emp_id(id)
  conn.query("select * from employees where emp_id = #{id}")[0]
end

Since the gem is not ActiveRecord you'll have to write your own accessors, you cannot rely on the automagically created ActiveRecord find_by_ methods. I think you can hack that gem into ActiveRecord and have all of ActiveRecord's goodness but that's probably more than you'd want to take on as a Ruby beginner.
Be careful to sanitize any user input ...