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Thursday, July 30, 2009

2 Samuel 11-12

2 Samuel 11

David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, ‘This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’ So David sent messengers to fetch her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, ‘I am pregnant.’

So David sent word to Joab, ‘Send me Uriah the Hittite.’ And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, ‘Go down to your house, and wash your feet.’ Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. When they told David, ‘Uriah did not go down to his house’, David said to Uriah, ‘You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?’ Uriah said to David, ‘The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.’ Then David said to Uriah, ‘Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.’ So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day. On the next day, David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

David Has Uriah Killed

In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, ‘Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die.’ As Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant warriors. The men of the city came out and fought with Joab; and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite was killed as well. Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting; and he instructed the messenger, ‘When you have finished telling the king all the news about the fighting, then, if the king’s anger rises, and if he says to you, “Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?” then you shall say, “Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too.” ’

So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. The messenger said to David, ‘The men gained an advantage over us, and came out against us in the field; but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall; some of the king’s servants are dead; and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’ David said to the messenger, ‘Thus you shall say to Joab, “Do not let this matter trouble you, for the sword devours now one and now another; press your attack on the city, and overthrow it.” And encourage him.’

When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son.

2 Samuel 12

Nathan Condemns David

But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord,
and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, ‘There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meagre fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveller to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.’ Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’

Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan said to David, ‘Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die.’ Then Nathan went to his house.

Bathsheba’s Child Dies

The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became very ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground. The elders of his house stood beside him, urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, ‘While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we tell him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.’ But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, he perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, ‘Is the child dead?’ They said, ‘He is dead.’

Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord, and worshipped; he then went to his own house; and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate. Then his servants said to him, ‘What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but when the child died, you rose and ate food.’ He said, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, “Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.” But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.’

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Uncle Joe

© MMIX v.1.0.0

The Washington morons think this is a game. They think they are winning, but what Joe Biden said can be applied to the United States as well as to Russia. This is not a game, Joe, real lives are being destroyed and real people are dying thanks to you and your ignorant friends.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/img/071609_biden.jpg


He [Joe Biden] suggested that Russia will cooperate with the United States on a range of issues because the country is a mess.

"I think we vastly underestimate the hand that we hold," Biden said during an interview with The Wall Street Journal at the end of his trip to Georgia and Ukraine. "Russia has to make some very difficult, calculated decisions. They have a shrinking population base, they have a withering economy, they have a banking sector and structure that is not likely to be able to withstand the next 15 years, they're in a situation where the world is changing before them and they're clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable."

Monday, July 27, 2009

1 Kings 21

1 Kings 21.1-6

1 Later the following events took place: Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.

2 And Ahab said to Naboth, ‘Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.’

3 But Naboth said to Ahab, ‘The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.’

4 Ahab went home resentful and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him; for he had said, ‘I will not give you my ancestral inheritance.’ He lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat.

5 His wife Jezebel came to him and said, ‘Why are you so depressed that you will not eat?’

6 He said to her, ‘Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, “Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it”; but he answered, “I will not give you my vineyard.” ’

1 Kings 21.7-29

7 His wife Jezebel said to him, ‘Do you now govern Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.’

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal; she sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.

9 She wrote in the letters, ‘Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth at the head of the assembly;

10 seat two scoundrels opposite him, and have them bring a charge against him, saying, “You have cursed God and the king.” Then take him out, and stone him to death.’

11 The men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. Just as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them,

12 they proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the assembly.

13 The two scoundrels came in and sat opposite him; and the scoundrels brought a charge against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, ‘Naboth cursed God and the king.’ So they took him outside the city, and stoned him to death.

14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, ‘Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.’

15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, ‘Go, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.’

16 As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab set out to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:

18 Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules* in Samaria; he is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession.

19 You shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Have you killed, and also taken possession?’ You shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will also lick up your blood.’

20 Ahab said to Elijah, ‘Have you found me, O my enemy?’ He answered, ‘I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord,

21 I will bring disaster on you; I will consume you, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel;

22 and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.

23 Also concerning Jezebel the Lord said, “The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the bounds of Jezreel.”

24 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the air shall eat.’

25 (Indeed, there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel.

26 He acted most abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites.)

27 When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth over his bare flesh; he fasted, lay in the sackcloth, and went about dejectedly.

28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite:

29 ‘Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster on his house.’

Saturday, July 25, 2009

SASKATCHEWAN

© MMIX v.1.1.2

The pie chart below summarizes things nicely.

Forty percent is approximately what "Health" has increased to cost since Saint Tommy Douglas decided to pour the taxpayer's cash down the bottomless rat hole that is Saskatchewan medicare. Less than ten percent goes to help the poor. That's down a bit. They deserve to starve anyway. There is no justice here in Saskatchewan, so taxpayers save a bundle on that. Retread party hack lawyers are appointed by government to serve as judges. Jails don't cost very much because there aren't that many Indians to lock up and they deserve even less than what they get too. Twenty-two percent is spent to train new eager-beaver oarsmen to row the Galley of State. Some will become teachers and professors. A few will become well-paid bureaucrats who are the élite of society (along with medical doctors who are the perennial fat cats). What is the largest expenditure? Oh, right, "Health". So why aren't we healthy?

The budget is somewhat misleading on welfare. Seven percent does not go to the poor — although taxpayers think the poor get 90%, if not more, "for doing nothing (while we work to pay the bills, sniff)." Most of the welfare budget goes to bureaucrats. They are paid to make sure that the filthy wretches they call their "clients" do not get too much. The rest of the budget (over 90%) goes to people who are not poor. Most of them work directly for government, local, provincial or federal or they get an income from government, or they work for one of the Crown Corporations (which are owned by government) or they work for some established outfit like the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool (now called Viterra) which are partners of government. So much for the agrarian caring and sharing welfare state of Saint Tommy. This rookery, this monkey house, is straight out of Dickens.

We can do better than this. We had better wake up. Saskatchewan is an incestuous little place that has been stuck in the Fifties for over fifty years. Regardless of which Party runs the government nobody changes a thing. Is being in power and jockeying for position all that matters? No, it is not. Those who won't change deserve to be swept away.












incestuous |inˈses ch oōəs|
adjective
1 involving or guilty of incest : the child of an incestuous relationship.
2 (of human relations generally) excessively close and resistant to outside influence : the incestuous nature of literary journalism.
DERIVATIVES
incestuously |1nˈsɛstʃəwəsli| adverb
incestuousness |1nˈsɛstʃəwəsnəs| noun
ORIGIN early 16th cent.: from late Latin incestuosus, from Latin incestus (see incest ).

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Stan Getz Quartet

MUSIC

© MMIX v.1.0.6

Will music ever be popular again? Whatever happened to it? Music is the language of love. Is love dead too?

Someone has kept Bosa Nova alive on YouTube. So love is not dead and hope does live on.

When I was growing up, something happened. I was in Grade 5 in 1956. I was 9 years old. Music changed then and the world changed with it. Elvis's "Heartbreak Hotel" was #1 on Billboard. Radio was in turmoil. Rock 'n Roll would take over. Playboy Magazine became mainstream when Hugh Hefner published "The Playboy Philosophy" when I was in Grade 9.

A new myth was introduced then: Youth are smart. Grownups are dumb. It didn't matter what anyone had to say, or what their case was. The verdict was in. Since youth don't have any ideas of their own, their case was whatever somebody else said it was.

That "somebody else" was the one with the megaphone — they were and are the Masters of Media.

Since I was in Grade 5, we have had "Lolita", "Splendor in the Grass", "Butterfield 8", "James Bond", the Civil Rights revolution, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the War in Vietnam, the Kennedy Assassination, "Never trust anyone over thirty", "Grease", "Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll" and so much more. The Pill demolished the walls that had sheltered morality before.

Had those walls been a fortress or had they been a prison? Whatever they had been, they were gone now.

There has been a tsunami of media reprogramming of our culture and our people since World War II. It has had an effect. American women are reputed outside the United States to have no morals whatsoever. Women and men are constantly under attack as they are urged to embrace the "sexual revolution." Homosexuality is stridently promoted. Every second or third marriage today ends in divorce. Abortion is rampant and single moms have become the norm.

Andy Williams is gone (and so is Michael Jackson) and music has become a tool of menticide. Take a look at M-TV and Much Music. This is not music. This noise celebrates sadism, lust, and hate in Bedlam. It is designed to eviscerate our value's and beliefs. That is what happened to Britney Spears when she was only 21, had lived three lifetimes, she shaved her head and went off the rails. But now Britney is back and making a comeback.

We won't recover until we turn her off.

menticide - 3 dictionary results
men⋅ti⋅cide  [men-tuh-sahyd] Show IPA
–noun
the systematic effort to undermine and destroy a person's values and beliefs, as by the use of prolonged interrogation, drugs, torture, etc., and to induce radically different ideas.
Origin:
1950–55; < L ment- (s. of mēns) mind + -i- + -cide
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source | Link To menticide





- Morley

Jobim and Sinatra

© MMXIII V.1.0.0
posted by Morley Evans

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Learning Japanese

© MMIX v 1.0.6

After the War (1945), Japan was full of American GI Joe types who occupied the country. (They would stay on to protect Japan from the Communists just as they would stay on to protect Germany. It was very magnanimous of them. They would stay on and on. In fact, 64 years later, they are still there!) These big husky conquerors had Japanese girl friends from whom they learned to speak Japanese. The Americans did not know that Japanese women speak Japanese distinctly differently from Japanese men. Hearing these American men speaking like Japanese girls provided Japanese men with much amusement which must have been some consolation for the War.

And now that Toyota is the world's number one auto manufacturer, Honda provides ALL the engines for Indianapolis series race cars and General Motors Corporation is bankrupt and on life support, somebody must be laughing hard! After the War, the Japanese government told the Japanese car manufacturers to forget it, "You will never be able to compete with Detroit." But, Japan has a centuries-long history of adopting foreign ideas (usually Chinese), refining them and then doing everything better than the original. History does repeat itself. Japan proves the adage that you can't keep a good man (or woman) down.

Germany and China and India and others who have been colonized by us have followed the Japanese model. Think, learn, serve others, work hard, charge competitive prices for quality products and deal honestly with everyone: It's the modern way of doing things. Yet it is what every mother has always taught every child. You can look it up or you can ask your mom.