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I courted my wife for 3 years - Nana Akomea
Date: Jan 08 , 2019 , 10:30
BY: graphic.com.gh
Category: Life
The Managing Director of the State Transport Company (STC) Nana Akomea has disclosed that his transition from bachelorhood to married life has been seamless because he courted his wife for close to three years before they tied the knot last December.
The former Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) married his longtime sweetheart, Eno Akua Awuah-Kyerematen on Friday, December 21 in Accra and according to him, the smooth transition was made possible because of the length of their courtship.
"Actually it's... with Eno, in particular, we have been together for almost three years...," Nana Akomea revealed when quizzed about married life by host Randy Abbey on Metro TVs Good Morning Ghana.
"We have been together for nearly three years, so it's just a small transition," he added. According to him, their relationship was just formalised with the marriage ceremony.
At the reception of the 'strictly by invitation' reception of the couple last year, Nana Akomea disclosed that he fell in love with his wife the first day he met her.
He also disclosed that Eno later confessed that she had had a crush on him since her teenage years.
Watch highlights of the wedding reception below;
Guests at the event which took place at the Marivelle estates, Spintex, included President Nana Akufo-Addo, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and his wife Samira, Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin.
Other bigwigs of the governing party including National Organiser, Sammi Awuku; National Chairman, Freddie Blay, Youth Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, Cecilia Dapaa, Peter Mc Manu, Akoto Ampaw and Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, were among the guests.
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Home | Profiles | Actors
total: 6 | displaying: 1 - 6
Idris Elba born 6 September 1972) is a British actor, producer, singer, rapper, and DJ.He is best known for his portrayal of drug lord and aspiring
Juliet Ibrahim
Juliet Ibrahim is a Ghanaian actress, film producer, singer and humanitarian of Lebanese,Liberian and Ghanaian descent. She won the Best Actress in a Leading Role
Joseph van Vicker (born August 1, 1977), better known as Van Vicker, is a Ghanaian actor. He received two nominations for Best Actor in a Leading
Yvonne Nelson born November 12, 1985 is a Ghanaian actress, model, film producer and entrepreneur. Yvonne, a former Miss Ghana contestant, shot to fame after
Lydia Forson
Lydia Forson (born 1984) is an award winning Ghanaian actress, writer, and producer. In 2010 she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress
Kofi Adu
Representative - Ghana Association of Private Voluntary Organisations in Development Kofi Adu (born May 25, 1969), aka Agya Koo, is an award-winning actor and comedian from
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Sondheim Sublime
$30-$100 ($28-$95 Members)
Eligible for Student Rush Tickets
Purchase tickets at the Box Office; 631-324-4050; or Theatermania.com at 1-866-811-4111
East Hampton, NY 11937 United States
The Wall Street Journal raves about Melissa Errico’s new album Sondheim Sublime: “The best all-Sondheim album ever recorded, in which radiantly warm singing and sensitive, intelligent interpretation are tightly and inseparably entwined.” For one night only Errico brings her unique vision of Broadway’s greatest songwriter to Guild Hall. Guaranteed to be the Broadway-cabaret event of the season!
“Isn’t it bliss? asks Stephen Sondheim rhetorically in his most famous creation Send In The Clowns and bliss it is when the thrilling Melissa Errico lets loose for one golden hour of the greatest living composer’s work on her new album Sondheim Sublime.” –Mark Shenton
“Just re-visited Melissa Errico’s Sondheim Sublime show at Live at Zedel: when she sings “Move On” from Sunday in the Park with George this couldn’t be truer:
‘Anything you do
Let it come from you
Then it will be new
Give us more to see’
As she connects with Sondheim, we connect with her. It’s not just the ravishing, shimmering vocal tones Melissa Errico brings to Sondheim; it’s also the emotional and intellectual connections she makes to his ambivalence and contradictory feelings. It’s a masterclass in appreciating and understanding his work.” –Mark Shenton
“Melissa Errico’s masterclass is a must-see for every cabaret wannabe as well as more experienced practitioners who think they’ve cracked this art form but haven’t. She is one of a kind.” –Jeremy Chapman, Musical Theatre Review
Melissa is best known for her starring roles on Broadway, but her career is characterized by diverse interests in many creative corners of show business. She has had a steady career in television, appeared in feature films, and performed in non-musical roles in Off-Broadway plays by Shaw, Wilde & others. She has also explored music as both a recording artist and concert singer, releasing several music albums and working with some of the world’s best symphonies and jazz and cabaret spaces. More recently, she established herself as a writer, publishing essays in the New York Times and beyond. As a musical theater actress, she starred in the Broadway musicals Anna Karenina, My Fair Lady, High Society, Dracula, White Christmas and Amour which won her a Tony nomination for “Best Actress” and began a longtime association with its composer Michel Legrand. Melissa was recently honored with a caricature at Sardi’s in celebration of her Broadway starring theatrical performances, her concerts as well as her engaging essays for the New York Times on the actor’s art.
Her latest album Sondheim Sublime was recently released to critical acclaim, with The Wall Street Journal calling it “The best all-Sondheim album ever recorded.” And throughout 2017, 2018 and 2019, Melissa performed successful and extended runs at Feinstein’s/54 Below of her solo concert “Melissa Sings Sondheim” celebrating the music of Stephen Sondheim and won raves when she brought it to London’s Live at Zédel for her sold-out UK concert debut co-written with Adam Gopnik in 2018. She also brought her Sondheim program to The Ravinia Festival in the fall of 2018 and appeared again at Feinstein’s/54 Below in for the new Sondheim CD release in November 2018. Her 2019 Sondheim performances include playing The Baker’s Wife in three concert performances of Into the Woods with Tony-winner Alice Ripley in March, the run of “Wordplay” at Lyrics & Lyricists produced by Ted Chapin for the 92nd Street Y in April, and being a featured performer on the forthcoming PBS Poetry in America portrait of Sondheim. Melissa also returned to London in May to Live at Zédel with her Sondheim concert after her sold out run in 2018.
In April Melissa co-starred in a glamorous music tribute to the late Michel Legrand in Paris, in May she offered a solo Legrand concert in San Francisco and will continue to sing more Legrand in 2019. And in June she performed with Michael Feinstein with The Pasadena Pops and at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Melissa’s professional debut at age 18 was as Cosette in the premiere national tour of Les Misérables. Her Broadway credits include Anna Karenina, the revival of My Fair Lady in which she played Eliza Doolittle and The New York Times called her “beguiling.” She went on to star on Broadway in High Society, Amour (Tony nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical), Dracula, the Musical and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. At The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, she has starred in The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady (with John Lithgow) and Camelot (with Jeremy Irons). She has worked with Stephen Sondheim on the revival of Sunday In the Park with George (Dot/Marie at The Kennedy Center), followed by John Doyle’s production of Passion (Clara) for which she was nominated for a sixth Drama Desk Award; and most recently as Leona in the 2016 Encores! production of Do I Hear A Waltz? at City Center. In 2016 she also reprised the role of Sharon in the smash hit Off-Broadway revival of Finian's Rainbow at Irish Repertory Theatre which was extended three times, received rave reviews and was filmed in January 2017 for The Lincoln Center Library. She has also starred in plays by Shaw, Oscar Wilde and Wally Shawn and last year starred in another acclaimed Irish Rep production of On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
Her solo CDs also include, Blue Like That (EMI/Capitol Records Lullabies & Wildflowers (Universal), Legrand Affair (Ghostlight/Sony) and What About Today? Melissa Errico Live at 54 Below (Broadway Records; CD & DVD). In December 2017, Melissa had a new single release (Ghostlight/Warner Music Group) “Hurry Home” written by multiple Oscar-winner Michel Legrand, made an accompanying music video with filmmaker Gary Gardner, and proudly sings it on the title credits of the film Max Rose. This single marks her third recording project with the legendary composer, and her third time debuting an original song of his- the first appearing on her solo vocal album Legrand Affair produced by Phil Ramone featuring new arrangements conducted by Legrand and recorded with the Brussels Philharmonic.
Television roles include, the series Central Park West by Darren Star, recurring roles on Steven Soderbergh's The Knick (Catherine) and Showtime’s Billions (June). Melissa has also recently finished shooting a role in The Magnificent Meyersons, an Eric Oppenheimer film with Kate Mulgrew (2019 release). Her other feature films include Frequency with Dennis Quaid and Life or Something Like It as Angelina Jolie’s best friend.
Melissa has also served on The National Endowment for the Arts and has published essays for The New York Times & is a contributing essayist in Cristina Cuomo’s The Purist, and other magazines. She is married to tennis player and sports commentator Patrick McEnroe, and they have three young daughters as well as a Yorkie named Pepper.
Tedd Firth
Tedd Firth is a New York City based musical director, pianist and arranger. As
musical director and accompanist he has worked with Barbara Cook, Brian Stokes Mitchell,
Bernadette Peters, Michael Feinstein, Maureen McGovern, Marilyn Maye, Tom Wopat, Joshua Bell, Elaine Paige, Tony DeSare, Linda Lavin, Christine Ebersole, Lucie Arnaz, Lee Ann Womack, Faith Prince, John Schneider, Karen Akers, Mary Cleere Haran, Margaret Whiting, Carol Sloane, and of course, Melissa Errico.
Among the jazz musicians he has performed or recorded with are John Pizzarelli, Houston
Person, Frank Wess, Mark Whitfield, Red Holloway, Benny Golson and Joe Morello.
Recent highlights include being the musical director for the original cast reunion of Into The Woods at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as well as being musical director for this season's Jazz and Popular Song concerts curated by Mr. Feinstein at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
New York appearances include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Blue Note, Birdland, the
Iridium, the Algonquin, the Cafe Carlyle and Feinstein's at the Regency.
Numerous national appearances include a performance at the White House. As an
arranger/orchestrator, Tedd's work has been performed by most major American symphony orchestras.
Television appearances include The Today Show, Live From Lincoln Center, and All My Children.
All Theater Programming is supported in part by Ellen Myers, Marders, the Daryl & Steven Roth Foundation, and funding from The Ellen and James S. Marcus Endowment for Musical Programming, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Hess Philanthropic Fund, The Melville Straus Family Endowment, The Schaffner Family Foundation, and Vital Projects Fund, with additional support from Brown Harris Stevens, Saunders & Associates, and public funds provided by Suffolk County.
All Musical Programming supported in part by The Ellen and James S. Marcus Endowment for Musical Programming.
Dancers for Good
Battle of the Doo Wop Bands – New York vs. New Jersey
Sun, July 21
KidFEST: Doktor Kaboom and the Wheel of Science
Wed, July 24
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Eddie Van Halen Shreds at Van Halen’s Tour Finale
GP Editors
Last night marked the end of Van Halen’s 2015 North American tour, and the band made sure it was a night to remember.
Van Halen took the stage at the Hollywood Bowl for two nights, October 2 and 4, returning to Los Angeles, where they kicked off the tour on March 30 with a performance on Hollywood Boulevard that was broadcast on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
As always, the highlight of the show was Eddie Van Halen shredding extensively for close to 10 minutes, solo onstage. You can watch his fretboard pyrotechnics in the excellent fan-shot video below, which also includes the band’s segue into “You Really Got Me,” the Kinks hit they covered on their 1978 self-titled debut.
We will keep you updated with more Van Halen news as they reveal their next move.
Eddie Van Halenhollywood bowlyou really got metoureruptionvan halen
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'The Parade' talks about the interference of the west in foreign lands
US writer Dave Eggers poses during the 5th edition of the Rome literature festival. Alessia Paradisi/TNS
Philip Womack
The central image in Dave Eggers’s latest novel, 'The Parade,' is a gleaming road in the process of completion. Designed to connect the urban north and rural south of an unnamed, recently devastated Middle Eastern country, its end will be marked by a grand parade to be led by a victorious general, and heralding, apparently, a new era of peace and prosperity.
It symbolises modernity, as the sleek tarmacking machine speeds forwards, levelling and connecting; and yet it also demonstrates the complex relationships between stasis and movement, between east and west, between corporations, indigenous peoples and political parties.
In a sense, the new road is, narratively speaking, the plot itself: always moving forwards, stymied at various points, and ending in a manner at once familiar and unexpected. Essentially, 'The Parade' is a duel between the two nameless male protagonists, Four and Nine, its only purpose the completion of the highway.
The American construction company, worth billions of dollars, doesn’t allow its employees to know too much about each other: it might get in the way of the job, and therefore profit. This lack of proper names for people and country lends the work a fable-like quality.
This is also a novel about conflicting approaches to life and work. On the one hand, there is Four, whose nickname is “the Clock” because he always does everything to the minute. He is incapable of acting outside of regulations, and only wants to finish his task exactly on time so that the parade can go ahead, and he can get paid and go home to his family. He is the Protestant Work Ethic personified.
On the other hand, there is Nine. Long-haired, millennial, and a bit of a goofball, he sleeps with local women, talks, against protocol, to members of various local tribes, and generally acts, in Four’s terms, as an “agent of chaos.” Riding on his quad bike with a purple scarf round his neck, he’s a stereotypical western kid trying to find meaning in what he views as other.
'The Parade' has a light touch, but it’s stylish and slick, and it leaves us pondering the rights and wrongs of progress and intervention. A road brings medicine, but it also bears armies.
Books Culture novel
‘Feast Your Eyes,’ by Myla Goldberg, tells of the balancing act of an ambitious mother
The novel returns the author to the mother/daughter theme of her breakthrough, ‘Bee Season.’
‘P.S. I Love You’ author celebrates womanhood in new book ‘Roar’
Cecelia Ahern’s new book is a collection of funny, wise and weighty fables about women and their many experiences.
Marlon James' new book is a fantastical epic
'Black Leopard, Red Wolf,' by Marlon James, is an African fantasy epic that could make a 'Game of Throne's'-style TV series
Megan K Stack talks about juggling work and parenting duties in her new memoir
Stack’s writing in ‘Women’s Work: A Reckoning with Work and Home’ is sharp and lovely, especially in the first section of the book as she describes her plunge into new motherhood and yearlong journey to find herself again.
A criminal case against Hollywood star Kevin Spacey, who was accused of groping an 18-year-old man at a Massachusetts bar in 2016, has been dropped by the prosecutors in Massachusetts.
Linda Castillo's "Shamed" takes the readers on a journey into the Amish community
In "Shamed", Castillo proved how she has mastered depth in her writing and has a lot to show readers about the Amish community.
'Gossip Girl' gets a makeover for HBO Max
"Gossip Girl" ran for six seasons on youth network CW becoming one of the most popular shows on television, winning 18 Teen Choice awards.
Pop icon Janet Jackson and rapper 50 Cent are among musicians set to perform in Saudi Arabia, organisers said Wednesday, after rapper Nicki Minaj pulled out.
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| ERROR: type should be string, got "https://www.incomeinvestors.com/dividend-stocks-1-amazing-5-7-percent-yielder-overlooked-industry/21332/\tNRG Stock: 1 Amazing 5.7% Yielder from Renewable Energy Industry\tJing Pan, B.Sc., MA Income Investors 2017-05-26T09:45:16Z 2017-08-23 01:46:08 dividend stocks high dividend stock high paying dividend stock NRG YIeld NRG Yield Inc. NYSE:NYLD NYLD stock dividend yield In an overlooked industry, one amazing dividend stock NRG Yield, Inc. (NYSE:NYLD) is currently yielding 5.7%. Dividend Stocks,News,NRG Yield Stock https://www.incomeinvestors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Collect-5-Point-7-Percent-Yield-from-NRG-Energy-Dividend-Stock-150x150.jpg\nNRG Stock: 1 Amazing 5.7% Yielder from Renewable Energy Industry\nBy Jing Pan, B.Sc., MA | May 26, 2017\nCollect 5.7% Yield from This Top Dividend Stock\nWhen it comes to finding solid dividend stocks, several industries come to mind: consumer goods, utilities, and real estate, just to name a few. There is, however, one industry that’s largely overlooked by income investors. In that industry, one dividend stock yielding 5.7% is currently flying under the radar.\nI’m talking about the renewable energy industry. Whether it’s in wind or solar, more and more clean energy companies are coming to the market. The thing is, though, income investors haven’t really warmed up to them because many companies in this industry don’t pay a dividend.\nAnd this shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Building the infrastructure needed to collect energy from renewable sources is extremely expensive. Moreover, it takes time for investments in these projects to produce returns. Therefore, even though there are plenty of clean energy companies with ambitious projects, most of them don’t offer dividends substantial enough for income investors.\nThat’s why NRG Yield, Inc. (NYSE:NYLD) is a special find in the renewable energy industry.\nYou see, NRG Yield is not really building solar farms or hydroelectric plants. Instead, it owns and operates renewable and conventional power generation assets. It was created by NRG Energy Inc (NYSE:NRG) in December 2012.\nIn other words, NRG Yield is a “yieldco.” It focuses on the less risky part of the renewable energy business: operating power generating assets. Because the company doesn’t have to worry about the cost of building the next power plant, it can pass some of the cash it generates to investors in the form of dividends.\nThe company currently pays $0.26 per share on a quarterly basis. Its current share price of $18.00, which translates to an annual dividend yield of 5.7%. That makes NRG Yield one of the high-dividend stocks in today’s market.\nWhile a lot of high-dividend stocks ended up where they are due to poor stock price performance, that’s not really the case for NRG Yield. Sure, NYLD shares haven’t always been a market favorite, but over the past 12 months, they still climbed 15.8%.\nAnd with what the company is doing right now, investors of NRG Yield could be further rewarded.\nThis Dividend Stock is Backed By a Rock-Solid Business\nNRG Yield current owns 60 power generating assets located in 10 states. The portfolio is diversified with assets in solar, gas, wind, thermal, and fuel cells. These assets are built by the leading companies in the business, such as General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), Siemens AG, Vestas Wind Systems, and First Solar Inc (NASDAQ:FSLR). In total, NRG Yield’s portfolio has a capacity of approximately six gigawatts.\nSource: “Investor Presentation,” NRG Yield Inc, May 2017.\nHere’s the best part: NRG Yield’s business is backed by long-term contracts called power purchasing agreements (PPAs). By the end of March, the average remaining contract life of the company’s conventional and utility scale renewable generation assets is 16 years. For a yieldco, having long term PPAs adds stability to its future cash flow and boosts its ability to pay sustainable dividends.\nMoreover, because of the relationship with NRG Energy, the yieldco can have some serious growth potential from future drop down acquisitions. NRG Energy currently has one of the largest generation portfolios with approximately 49 gigawatts of total generation capacity at nearly 140 facilities spanning 21 states. It is one of the largest utility-scale solar operators and the fifth-largest wind operator in the country. If NRG Yield gets more high-quality assets from NRG Energy, its business could be further improved.\nAidan Bartos/Flickr\nRising Dividends\nIn a capital-intensive industry, paying a dividend is a luxury. NRG Yield not only offers that luxury, but has also been growing its payout. Since the company went public in 2013, it has raised its payout every single quarter. In less than four years, NRG Yield’s quarterly dividend rate has more than doubled. (Source: “Dividends & Splits,” NRG Yield Inc, last accessed May 24, 2017.)\nThe company expects dividend growth to continue. Based on its current platform, NRG Yield is targeting a 15% compound annual growth rate in its dividend per share through 2018. If the company achieves this target, investors purchasing NYLD shares today would be collecting an implied yield of around 7.7%.\nThe Bottom Line On This High-Dividend Stock\nWith state-level renewable mandates and corporate sustainability targets, the renewable energy industry offers a great investment proposition. Being able to collect dividends from it makes the deal even sweeter. While not all high-paying dividend stocks have good prospects, for NRG Yield, the best could be yet to come.\n3 Clean Energy Stocks Yielding Up to 8.5%\n5 Best Solar Stocks for 2017\nA Legitimate Second Source of Income That Has Existed for Years"
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PhD courses are the highest qualification one can acquire to enhance one’s career and the PhD Courses in India are a dream of the candidates. The PhD Courses in India are a vision to all those who occupy top ranking positions in different fields and whose mission is to attain greater heights as well as the very latest information as well as knowledge. The institutes that conduct PhD Courses in India provide an appropriate environment for research as well as learning. Other than attaining a degree, the PhD Courses in India help the students become more motivated and proficient to thrive in the present highly competitive world.
Eligibility and procedures for PhD Courses in India
Must Read Courses Articles
Distance learning PhD Courses in India
List of Doctorate Courses in India
The eligibility and procedures vary for different disciplines and universities. But generally for PhD Courses in India a candidate should have obtained a Master’s degree from any recognized Government or private institution. Graduates with about ten to fifteen years’ experience also can enroll online for regular or distance learning. The duration of the PhD Courses in India may vary from two to three years according to the discipline chosen and the university conducting the course. The candidate has to do a thesis or a research work and only after its completion will be awarded the Doctorate. There are very few colleges and institutes that offer PhD Courses in India but changes are happening so fast that the time may come when the Universities in India may collaborate with foreign universities in offering Doctorate degree. Recently many changes have occurred in the admission procedures as many universities conduct entrance exams in the subject selected. The PhD Courses in India cover most of the subjects and one can search online to have a good idea of the courses offered and eligibility as well as duration of the programs.
Distance learning PhD Courses in India are gaining more popularity as it is possible to further specialize with great effect without going in for regular classes. Regular class like situations is created online wherein the students can clarify doubts as well as discuss and debate on issues, thereby creating a regular class like situation. An average of 55% marks in the Master’s degree or M Phil examination from a recognized university is enough for online PhD Courses in India. Some of the distance learning universities insist on the candidate passing the all India national eligibility test for lectureship.
Doctor of Medicine (D.M)
Diploma (Diploma)
Doctor of Medicine (M.D)
Doctor of Medicine in Ayurveda (M.D.Ayurveda)
Doctor of Medicine in Homoeo (M.D.Homoeo)
Master of Dental Surgery (M.D.S)
Doctor of Medicine in Siddha (M.D.Siddha)
Doctor of Medicine in Unani (M.D.Unani)
Master of Philosophy (M.Phil)
Master of Science (M.S)
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)
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Did Florida Host the First Thanksgiving?
More than 50 years before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Spanish colonists in Florida feasted with Native Americans in what some call the first Thanksgiving.
Christopher Klein
Blaring trumpets and thundering artillery serenaded Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés as he waded ashore on September 8, 1565. The Spanish admiral kissed a cross held aloft by the fleet’s captain, Father Francisco Lopez, then claimed Florida for both his God and his country. As curious members of the indigenous Timucua tribe looked on, the 800 newly arrived colonists gathered around a makeshift altar as Father Lopez performed a Catholic mass of thanksgiving for their safe arrival in the newly christened settlement of St. Augustine. At the invitation of Menéndez, the Timucuans then joined the newcomers in a communal meal.
Some Florida historians have argued that this feast—and not the one held 56 years later by the Pilgrims and Wampanoags in Plymouth, Massachusetts—was actually North America’s first Thanksgiving. “It was the first community act of religion and thanksgiving in the first permanent settlement in the land,” wrote University of Florida professor emeritus of history Michael Gannon in his book “The Cross in the Sand.”
Celebration of mass on September 8, 1565.
Credit: State Archives of Florida/Florida Memory
The menu for the meal shared by the Spaniards and Timucuans lacked most of today’s typical Thanksgiving dishes, but it did feature a traditional post-Thanksgiving staple—leftovers. Unlike the Pilgrims, who served food freshly harvested from American soil, the Spanish were forced to make do with whatever provisions survived the long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. According to Robyn Gioia, author of the children’s book “America’s REAL First Thanksgiving,” the European colonists likely ate hard biscuits and cocido—a rich garbanzo stew made with pork, garlic, saffron, cabbage and onion—washed down with red wine.
“The Timucua ate what was available to them locally and that could have included alligator, bear, wild turkey, venison, tortoise and food from the sea such as turtle, shark, mullet or sea catfish,” Gioia says. Archaeological research also shows the indigenous people ate large amounts of oysters and clams along with beans and squash.
Celebration of mass in St. Augustine.
Some historians argue that while America’s first Thanksgiving indeed took place in Florida, it actually occurred 40 miles further north and one year earlier than the one in St. Augustine when French Huguenots—Calvinists like the Pilgrims—held a service of thanksgiving and feasted with the Timucuans to celebrate the June 1564 establishment of Fort Caroline along the St. John’s River in present-day Jacksonville. “We sang a psalm of Thanksgiving unto God, beseeching him that it would please his Grace to continue his accustomed goodness toward us,” French explorer Rene Goulaine de Laudonnière wrote in his journal.
Unfortunately, divine blessings were fleeting for the French colonists. Less than two weeks after landing in the New World, Menéndez led an attack on Fort Caroline that resulted in the slaying of 130 French Huguenots, whom the Spaniards saw as heretics and interlopers. Weeks later the Spanish colonists massacred an additional 200 French shipwreck survivors at an inlet near St. Augustine that was eventually dubbed “Matanzas”—the Spanish word for “slaughters.”
The bloodshed helped to wash away historical memory of the thanksgiving ceremonies held by both the French and Spanish settlers in the 1560s until their rediscovery in recent decades. But Florida isn’t the only state that began in the 20th century to stake a claim on America’s first Thanksgiving. An historical marker erected by the Texas Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists outside Canyon, Texas, states that Father Juan de Padilla conducted a thanksgiving service there in May 1541 for an army of 1,500 accompanying Spanish conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado. Virginia and Maine have also put themselves forward as hosts of the nation’s first Thanksgiving in the years before the arrival of the Mayflower.
The 1621 Thanksgiving at Plymouth.
James W. Baker, author of “Thanksgiving: The Biography of an American Holiday,” notes that it was traditional for European explorers, such as Ponce de Leon upon his 1513 arrival in Florida, to give formal thanks for a safe trans-Atlantic crossing, but these isolated pre-Pilgrim ceremonies bear little connection to the future American holiday.
“While any of these can be said to be ‘Thanksgivings’ actually celebrated before 1620 and the Pilgrims, none were repeated or resulted in spawning a new tradition. As just isolated and ephemeral events, they do not bear any real historical significance beyond their position in time,” Baker says. “None of these events were made anything of historically, or even rediscovered, until the 20th century, and thus did not contribute to our modern American holiday tradition.”
Baker says that while America’s Thursday Thanksgiving holiday has roots in New England’s Puritan Calvinist tradition, there never was a single “first Thanksgiving”—neither in Plymouth for the three-day harvest celebration in 1621 or in any other place. He points out that the first time anyone claimed that the Pilgrims hosted the first Thanksgiving was more than two centuries later in 1841. “While we can argue the case for Florida or Texas or any other claimant as a true ‘first’ occurrence of a holiday of that name, it is ultimately a moot point as all of them lack any historical agency in the evolution of the modern holiday.”
https://www.history.com/news/did-florida-host-the-first-thanksgiving
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Why (and How) We Joined the National History Club
By Joyce McPherson
One of the beauties of homeschooling is that it crosses age lines. Not only do classes often include children from elementary school through high school, but also several generations often get involved in the homeschool.
We saw this beautifully illustrated when we began a chapter of the National History Club.
The National History Club (or NHC) was started in 2002 to encourage the study of history by helping students and teachers to form local chapters in middle schools and high schools. These chapters create their own projects and activities and have access to resources of the NHC such as the newsletter, student of the year awards, and submission of papers to The Concord Review. More than 250 schools have local chapters in 42 states.
As one of the first homeschool chapters, here is our story.
Historians at play for the Living Timeline
The goal of the National History Club is to inspire more students to interact with the past. Among American school children, history has been a failing subject. Every year another study reveals that a majority of students can’t name the Bill of Rights or which country the United States fought in the Revolutionary War. The NHC seeks to reverse this trend by providing ways for students to experience history.
Our local history club chapter began when several homeschool students attended the National History Day and learned about the NHC. We decided to stir up interest by hosting a debate. We invited homeschoolers to join us to deliberate “Who was greater: Alexander the Great or Augustus Caesar?” We were surprised by the fervor of our students.
Once we had a core of students, we began planning what we would like to do.
Activity-Based
Our group brainstormed about fun ways to get students involved. The students themselves took leadership roles, such as president and treasurer, and took responsibility for planning how often we would meet. They decided to make our club “activity-based” rather than a monthly meeting. They met about once every six weeks for a special event planned by the group. As homeschoolers we naturally included younger brothers and sisters, and later learned that this was endorsed by the NHC. Some of our activities were focused on the group: for example, a college professor led our group in a discussion of Judaism in the time of Shakespeare.
Our group really gained momentum, however, when we started reaching out beyond our club.
Beyond Our Club
Since we live near several Civil War battlegrounds, it was a natural choice to volunteer for a reenactment that was held for elementary school children. We dressed in period costume and hosted a sing-along of Civil War era folk songs.
The club members began to see how they could help other students participate in history.
To top off the experience, one of our homeschool mothers had a Civil War tent, and she invited the students to camp with the reenactment troops. They got to be part of the camp life: attending a ball, trying their hands at blacksmithing, and watching the battle.
A Living Timeline
The students got to be part of a camp life: attending a ball, trying their hands at black-smithing, and watching the battle
Our next project was a Living Timeline for our local homeschool group. Most of the students were too young to join our NHC chapter, but our history club wanted to spark their interest in history. We asked the students to dress as historical figures and to bring three facts about their chosen person written on an index card (including the years of their life.)
As the students arrived, the club members organized the children in chronological order for the living timeline. It was interesting to see Queen Isabella next to Galileo and William Taft next to Alexander Fleming.
The living timeline spread across the stage and each child had a turn to step forward and say one sentence about his historical figure (such as, “In 1492 Columbus sailed to America”).
Next, we divided the students into two teams and used their index cards to ask our quiz questions. The children would scan the teams for inspiration on tricky questions such as “Who was the 27th president?”
Meanwhile, a team of club members identified winners of our numerous awards, such as “most daring,” “most powerful,” and even “most colonial!” (We created an award for each child.)
We wrapped up our Living Timeline with the award ceremony and time for refreshments.
Older Generations
While the NHC reaches out to younger students, it also has the rare ability to draw in the older generations. The potential to have parents, grandparents, and family friends visit the club to share their experiences makes the local chapter one of the most successful ventures in integrating all ages into a homeschool. NHC chapters have invited Holocaust survivors, elderly experts on local history, and decorated veterans to speak for their groups. There is nothing like meeting real people for bringing history alive.
Local chapters receive the biannual newsletter for inspiration for club activities. We have gleaned great ideas by reading about other clubs. One idea that we used was a medieval feast for our families. Even the parents dressed up!
Local chapters also have the opportunity to contribute to the newsletter. Our club was thrilled to see their photo and the description of their activities in the newsletter.
The Concord Review
The National History Club was founded by The Concord Review, the prestigious quarterly journal that publishes research papers written by high-school students. The NHC encourages students to submit papers to the Review, where we are called “homescholars.” One of our members accepted the challenge and was selected for publication, later winning the Emerson Prize.
Our little Betsy Ross
Those who are published receive 12 reprints of their article, which can be sent with college applications. Submission to The Concord Review costs $40. In addition to receiving the writing assessment, which is comparable to national standards used by schools such as Harvard and Yale, the submission fee comes with four issues of The Concord Review.
Visit www.tcr.org to learn more.
History Student of the Year Award
Each year the NHC, along with George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, hosts the History Student of the Year Award. Each chapter chooses a recipient for the prize, which is supplied by the NHC. The prize is a signed copy of a history book with a special bookplate. The award winners are posted on the NHC website.
“Home Scholars”
The National History Club has been a fun way for our students to learn history and encourage others in the same pursuit. Our students have taken leadership roles, won awards, and learned how to use history as a bridge to older generations. To learn how to start your own chapter, visit nationalhistoryclub.org and download their useful guide.
The National History Club is a rich resource for “home scholars” who want to stimulate the study of history in their own communities.
Joyce McPherson is the creator of the online programs “Homeschool Tools” and “Shakespeare Tools,” as well as the author of a series of biographies for Greenleaf Press. With her husband, Garth, she homeschools their nine children. She can be reached through teachingtools.org or at mcpclan@comcast.net.
Articles by Joyce McPherson
A Mother-Daughter Book Club
Starting a Homeschool Yearbook
Not Just Another Spelling Bee
What We Learned at FIRST Lego League
The Geography Bee
Going Classical with the National Latin and Mythology Exams
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The exam on knowledge of the Constitution and Citizenship Act of the Republic of Estonia checks the knowledge of the Constitution of Estonia, fundamental rights, freedoms and obligations of the citizen and is intended for those who wish to apply for citizenship of the Republic of Estonia.
The citizenship exam is electronic and can only be taken on a computer at the examination point! The exam can be conducted in the examination centers located in different cities of Estonia (Tallinn, Jõhvi, Narva, Tartu). At the exam, 24 multiple choice questions in Estonian must be answered. An exam is deemed to have been completed if the examinee has responded correctly to at least 18 questions. All the questions are in Estonian. You have 45 minutes to take the examination.
The Estonian text of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act, as well as the dictionary may be referred to at the examination. These materials are available in the examination room.
Questions involve the following areas:
The fundamental principles of the Estonian form of government, stipulated in Chapters I and III of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia.
The fundamental rights, freedoms and duties of each person, stipulated in Chapter II of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia.
The jurisdiction of the Riigikogu, the President of the Republic, the Government of the Republic and the courts according to the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia.
The conditions and procedure for the acquisition, resumption and loss of Estonian citizenship according to the Citizenship Act.
Sample video of the electronic examination:
Citizenship examinations are prepared and conducted by Innove. Legislation governing the citizenship examination is the Government of the Republic Regulation No. 143 of 25 September 2000 “Procedure for conducting the examination of the applicant for citizenship on the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act.”
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The Menswear Designer
Photography Raf Stahelin
PHOTOS: RAF STAHELIN. STYLING: VICTORIA SEKRIER. GROOMING: DANIEL MARTIN/D AND V MANAGEMENT. MODEL: LIAM GARDNER/ SELECT MODEL MANAGEMENT.
For Spring/Summer 2016, Fashion East invited two young designers to show their menswear collections: Grace Wales Bonner and Charles Jeffrey. It’s no small honor, as the London-based non-profit has helped launched the careers of Gareth Pugh, Marques’Almeida, Meadham Kirchhoff, Simone Rocha, and J.W. Anderson, among many others. Jeffrey, however, was hesitant. He’d just finished his B.A. and M.A. at Central Saint Martins, and hosted a successful monthly club night called Loverboy. “I actually didn’t want to do my own label,” he confesses. “I had done this party and I was going to take that forward and maybe do products that were associated with that—denim and maybe some t-shirts,” the 25-year-old Scotland native continues. “I wasn’t interested in doing my own thing because of the money.”
But Jeffrey agreed to present his collection, which mixes London’s clubland aesthetic (paint-splattered cropped trousers held up by a rope belt, shredded shirts) with something more wearable (a boxy pin-stripe jacket, a letterbox-red coat), at the Fashion East show, and Charles Jeffrey the London fashion house was born. When we speak with the young designer over the phone, he is in the middle of making dinner with a friend. “We’re prepping some sort of intricate chicken thing, but we’re not too sure what we’re doing,” he says. “We’re thinking of making a spinach-y, butter-y chicken with roast potatoes. That’s the vibe.”
HOMETOWN: Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It’s a mini city in between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
ALMAMATER: Central Saint Martins, London. I started seeing a pattern in people who went there—Gareth Pugh, obviously, John Galliano, Christopher Kane, McQueen—so that’s where I applied.
GROWING UP…I moved around a lot because my dad was in the army. I lived in Germany for a little bit. From Germany, I went to Surrey, outside of London, and from there to this place called Brecken in Wales. When my mum and dad divorced we moved back up to Scotland and stayed in this place called Cumbernauld. Mum and Dad divorced when I was 10. I stayed in Scotland for eight years and then I moved to London when I was 18. But I like to say I’m from Hamilton because that’s where my grandparents have lived the whole time.
FASHION BEGINNINGS: [I first became interested in fashion] at maybe 13 or 14. I think it was more of an identity thing. I was always interested in clothes. My mum was quite into fashion. I would buy magazines sometimes—I remember buying Arena Homme. When I wanted to get into design, it came a little bit later, when I was 16, 17. I started being really interested in London and Gareth Pugh and that whole club scene—Ponystep and BoomBox and stuff.
WOMENSWEAR VS. MENSWEAR: I remember doing little sketches and it was always womenswear. When I was doing my foundation [year], the best course to get onto from the foundation was B.A. Womenswear. That was the main goal. I started being interested in men’s fashion purely as a kind of image thing. It was only in the latter part of my B.A. that I started realizing that menswear was probably the best place for me to go to. I think it was the time; there was a focus on menswear around the time I was doing my final year. There were lots of designers that were coming out like Craig Green, Christopher Shannon. Menswear week was happening separately to fashion week. It also felt right because all of my womenswear came from a weird place, whereas menswear was based more on my own personal wardrobe. It felt more honest.
CHARLES JEFFREY VS. THE CHARLES JEFFREY MAN: On my M.A. I kind of amalgamated both [my personal style and the Charles Jeffrey style]. I always did abstract drawings as a starting point. That was quite encouraged on the B.A. because it was quite loud and expressive, and on the B.A. you’re told to scream this is who you are. In the M.A., they’re more interested in a process and it being something that’s cool and coming from somewhere that feels genuine. When I was working with Louise [Wilson, the former director of Central Saint Martins’ M.A. program], she would kind of diss my drawings—or not diss, but be like, “This isn’t a good viewpoint of menswear. How you have your belt and how you have your trousers, that precise length, is a lot more relevant and interesting for menswear than your weird collages that make no sense to me.” It was only when I started recording my own outfits and how I wear things that it started coming together. After Louise died and Fabio [Piras] took over, Fabio started saying that as well. I would come in in an outfit, and Fabio would be like, “Why have we not got this pair of trousers in the collection?” It was interesting to see how two people from two different viewpoints said the same thing.
FROM JAMES LONG TO JACK WILLS TO CHRISTIAN DIOR: When I was in the B.A., we had an internship year. I interned for two really weird companies—well, three. I interned for James Long for a wee while. Then I interned for this commercial company called Jack Wills. I worked in the store when I was in my first and second year, and it was a really well paid placement, whereas a lot of placements don’t pay at all. The biggest placement I got was Christian Dior in Paris. When I got that placement I was a bit scared: “I don’t know how I’m going to afford to do that when I’ve got a job on the side, because I can’t really work in Paris and do this internship.” My boss at the times at Jack Wills was like, “Why don’t you do this internship at Jack Wills?” Christian Dior was obviously amazing. You got to see the top of the top —the old ateliers and the couturiers work their magic. Then working at Jack Wills, I got to see how a commercial company worked. It was quite interesting to see those two sides of the spectrum. At Jack Wills, I kind of adopted this role of researcher. Their starting point of research came from English culture and Oxbridge, and I would do research on the cricketing jumpers that were worn in the 1930s and we got to see these jumpers in real life and they were really beautiful.
FASHION EAST: Then Fashion East came to the [Central Saint Martins] show. I remember my sister telling me—because she was sitting behind Lulu Kennedy—that she saw my name was circled a lot in big red pen, so they knew they wanted to see me straight away. They asked me, “Would you be interested in doing this?” I was like, “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t think I should because of the money.” Then I got another email from them again saying, “We’d like to invite you to be part of the presentations. We really think this is something you can do.” I remember speaking with Fabio. We had had really long talks about what I could be doing because the way I design is very different to the way most designers work. I work in quite a chaotic way, so the discussion of working in a fashion house went out of the window. He was like, “I don’t think this is something you can do. You work in this weird way.” Then when they said I could maybe do my presentation, Fabio was like, “Well, maybe you can do this artwork and the party that you’ve been doing and apply it to that.” I guess I got the confidence and the validation [to start my own label] from discussing with Fabio and being given that platform from Fashion East.
Fabio was really patient with how I worked. I would come in with lots of little bits of work and I would do one thing and then jump to something else. But I ended up having a relationship with him where I could just walk in and be like, “This is what I’ve done and this is what I’m doing.” That extended into after graduation. I still go and see him now—he offers advice and stuff.
THE ART OF THE COLLAGE: Collaging, to me, is a really great way to put research together and to suggest something a bit abstract as a design proposal. I recently taught a course last month on how to make a sketchbook at Saint Martins and the students that I had, I was getting them to do collages as a way to bring two aspects of research together. It was quite a basic course. They’d never done anything fashion related before. So it was quite like, “Let’s research historical dress instead of looking at recent fashion. Let’s look at a sculpture or an artist and let’s put these two together.” Then you’d have people who would be looking at Nero and the ’40s, and the we’d do these collages and they’d get something quite interesting—your own personal take on proportion and what you’re wanting and shape. I still find it a really useful way to put research together. Also for my illustrations, working with lots of different media and collaging that together. I find I make something that’s a lot more interesting than perhaps just doing a particular drawing on its own with one medium.
NEXT UP… I’ve got a few projects lined up. I’m doing a project with ShowStudio for Paris Fashion Week, which is an illustration project. Then I’m doing research for next season and trying to do a bit of production for this season. I can’t really afford to do proper production at the moment because I haven’t got the funds. It’s all coming out of my own pocket. I can do a few bits—I can do the denim; I can do some t-shirts. I have to work quite small and I don’t know if that will be accommodated in bigger stores. I am going to be showing as part of the Man show and Fashion East next season, which is sponsored by Topman.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK: After I graduated, Zachary from V-Files, before he moved to Hood by Air, had met me and he had said, “We should do a project, you should do your party out here and do the denim.” That was before I was approached by Fashion East, so my original idea was just to do the party in New York and sell the denim through that. I would love to come to New York. It’s my dream city. I’ve never been before.
FALL/WINTER 2016: I’m working with this film artist, and working in this way that’s sort of about the super-ego, the ego, and the id and how that applies to adulthood. It sounds quite complicated, but I’ll probably boil that down to something more straightforward. It’s about how clothes would operate in those of spectrums. The painted denim and the color kind of operate in the id sense—it’s expressive, it’s kind of childish, it’s uncontrollable. Then there’s that super-ego side—you’re expected to look a certain way as a man, elements of masculinity that are associated with fitting. Then the ego is kind of how they amalgamate together. I’m taking different aspects of the collections I’ve done before and evolving them in this setting. That’s the general concept.
FOR MORE ON CHARLES JEFFREY, VISIT HIS WEBSITE.
For more from our 16 Faces of 2016, click here
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InnovationPowerShareSubscribe
MIT Researchers Propose an Ancient Technology to Store Clean Energy
What's old may become new again.
By Allee Manning
A new proposal from MIT researchers looks at how firebricks, clay bricks used in ovens as far back as 3,000 years ago, could play a role in fueling a world that’s independent of carbon energy.
What makes a firebrick — a brick made of refractory ceramic material — so ideal for this use is that they’re able to retain heat for long periods of time if properly insulated.
The theoretical system these researchers created, called the Firebrick Resistance-heated Energy Storage (FIRES), would use the bricks as a repository for excess electric energy.
Here’s how it works: Excess energy from wind farms, for instance, could be converted to heat, using electric resistance heaters, and then be transferred to adjoining insulated firebricks. Later, like the next morning, that heat could be used directly or turned back into electricity after it is fed into a generator. Essentially, firebricks are nature’s oldest batteries.
The proposal will appear this week in Electricity Journal, a peer-reviewed policy journal.
One proposed application of the firebrick-based thermal storage system is depicted in this hypothetical configuration, where it is coupled to a nuclear power plant to provide easily dispatchable power.
How Firebricks Were First Used Way Back When
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this discovery is how a firebrick draws on technology that’s so old: It’s believed that firebricks were first created by the Hittites in modern-day Turkey. Made from clay, the firebrick was a big step up from the common mudbrick, which first emerged in Mesopotamia, because it was able to withstand higher temperatures. Some firebricks able to withstand temperatures nearly 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit from this time period have even been discovered intact, a testament to their durability.
Firebricks used in the door of a kiln
Innovative as their new system of energy storage seems, the team of MIT graduate students and an advisor say it could have been created nearly 100 years ago. But in 1917 there wasn’t as much of a use for energy storage as there is today, now that solar, wind, and nuclear power have become more widespread. The biggest issue with using alternative energy sources even more is that within our U.S. electricity market, electrical energy created in these ways is cheap to produce — but storing has prove difficult.
Excess energy is also expensive to store, which keeps it from being economical. Already, researchers say the problem of electricity price collapse is playing out in electricity markets like Iowa and California.
“At times, it is more efficient for energy producers to give energy away free or even pay consumers to take their power plants’ generation than to curtail production because the shutdown and startup of the plant may cost them more,” Jeff Bladen, the Market Services Executive Director for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, told industry trade publication UtilityDIVE.
That’s where firebricks would come into play. Since the heat they can hold can be sold or repurposed for a profit, their use in this kind of system could theoretically set a limit on electricity market price and incentivize these carbon-free sources of power.
Of course, this is all theoretical for now. Existing resistance heaters that would be needed within the MIT-proposed system only heat up to about 1,560 degrees Fahrenheit. One potential solution would be making the firebricks themselves electrically conductive. Another more ambitious aspect of the system is the potential for turning the heat absorbed by the firebricks back into electricity, which the researchers hope to explore in the next version of FIRES.
If you enjoyed this article, you might enjoy this video on a 99 million-year-old dinosaur fossil.
Media via MIT, Flickr / Paragon Kilns
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Gender pay gap driven by a lack of high-earning women
Home News Research and Markets Gender pay gap driven by a lack of high-earning women
Men outnumber women by a ratio of seven to one among the top 0.1% of earners
lculig/123RF
The stark under-representation of women among very high earners in Canada is one of the key reasons for the persistent pay gap between men and women, new research suggests.
According to a study from Statistics Canada released Thursday, men outnumber women by a ratio of seven to one among the top 0.1% of earners in Canada (those who make more than $761,000 annually), and by five to one among the rest of the top 1% (those who make $238,000 to $761,000 annually). Among the next 9% (those who make $104,000 to less than $238,000), men continue to outnumber women by three to one. Conversely, women represent just over half of earners in the remaining 90% of Canadian workers (those who make less than $104,000).
This vast disparity at the very top of the pay distribution points to a key reason why the gender pay gap (the overall gender ratio in annual earnings) has remained stuck at about 69% since 2009, after rising from 54% back in 1978.
“The slowdown in the progress in the overall gender ratio is consistent with a ‘swimming upstream’ effect of increases in top incomes,” the research says, noting that progress “stalled in periods of faster increases in top incomes, such as the 1990s, but accelerated following the global financial crisis in 2008-2009, which hit top earners harder.”
StatsCan reports that a simulation, which projects how the gender pay gap would look if women’s representation in top earnings groups had been the same as men, finds that the ratio would have risen from 69% to 88% under these conditions.
“This suggests that the under-representation of women among top earners accounted for 61% of the gender earnings gap,” it says.
“With increasing earnings inequality in top incomes, further improvements in the representation of women among top earners will likely be necessary for the continued decline in the gender earnings gap in the 21st century,” the report concludes.
Private capital industry suffers from lack of diversity: report
Women under-represented on all corporate boards, not just public companies, StatsCan finds
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1951 Jaguar Mark V 3½ Litre Drophead Coupé LDU 604
This particular Mark V was built towards the end of the production run in 1951. It was originally sold locally in Coventry, but from 1977 to 1988 spent its time in the USA. After re-importation it was for a time registered under the ‘age-related’ mark SSU 113 but the original mark LDU 604 was re-allocated in 2003.
Launched alongside the XK 120 and the Mark V saloon at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show was the drophead coupé model. The chassis and engine were the same as found on the saloon models, and the drophead was also available with a choice of the 2½ litre or 3½ litre engines, as well as either right-hand or left-hand drive. However, it took almost a year for the drophead model to go into production which finally happened in September 1949.
The general body styling followed the lines of the saloon, and the car was almost as spacious, but had slightly less room in the rear seat to allow space for the hood to be folded. In construction however, the two body types were different: The Mark V saloon had an all-steel body, but the drophead coupé body was built on a traditional wooden frame. With only two doors access to the rear seat was naturally difficult, and once installed, rear seat passengers found their vision somewhat restricted, as they had no side windows or quarter lights, and the rear window was only a narrow slit.
Jaguar had offered drophead coupés since 1937, and the Mark V version clearly resembled the previous model, sometimes in retrospect called the ‘Mark IV’. These were all very stylish motor cars, and very practical with the versatile hood which could be used in three different ways – fully closed, fully open, or in the intermediate ‘de ville’ position with only the front portion of the hood folded back.
Almost exactly 1,000 Mark V dropheads were built, compared to 9,500 saloons.
Registration Mark: LDU 604
Chassis Number: 640383
Owner: The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust
Inventory Number: 41/J.10
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The Day My Father Became a Bush
Author(s): Joke van Leeuwen
Before he becomes a bush, Toda's father is a pastry chef. He gets up at the crack of dawn to bake twenty different sorts of pastries and three kinds of cake. Until, one day, everything changes. Fighting breaks out in the south and Toda's father has to go there to defend his country. Luckily he has a manual called 'What every soldier needs to know'. This tells him how to hide from the enemy by using branches and leaves to disguise himself as a bush.
Toda remains in the city with her grandmother, but even there it's no longer safe. She is sent to stay with her mother who lives across the border. Toda's journey is full of adventure and danger. But she doesn't give up. She has to find her mother.
Joke van Leeuwen (1952) studied history at the University of Brussels, performs in cabaret and theatre shows, writes stories and poems for children, which she illustrates herself, and writes prose and poetry for adults. She has received innumerable awards, including the prestigious Theo Thijssen Prize, the triennial Dutch State Prize for youth literature. Also by Gecko Press: Eep!
Publisher : Gecko Press
Imprint : Gecko Press
Publication date : March 2013
Author : Joke van Leeuwen
Reading Level : near fine
Illustrations : Black and white
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Radisson debuts in Pakistan with Lahore hotel opening
The deal is part of the hotel’s strategy to have 10 hotels and 2,000 rooms in operation and under development across the country by 2025
Radisson will enter Pakistan for the first time in December 2022
Radisson Hotel Group is set to enter Pakistan for the first time following the signing of a hotel property in Lahore.
Scheduled to open in December 2022, the 400-room hotel will form part of a 75,000 sq m mixed-use development and will feature a number of F&B outlets, as well as leisure facilities and meeting rooms.
The move is part of Radisson’s strategy to have 10 hotels and 2,000 rooms in operation and under development across the country by 2025.
Radisson Hotel Group’s executive vice president & chief development officer Elie Younes said the deal brings “great value” to its key stakeholders.
“The towering size of the development, combined with its premium location, provides us with an excellent opportunity to enter Pakistan’s hotel market and remarkable visibility with which to establish the brand,” said Younes.
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Radisson Hotel Group hires GM for Radisson Blu Resort Sharjah, UAE
Radisson Residences Vadistanbul, Turkey is now open for business
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Iran's Missile Program June 2nd Event
The Islamic Republic of Iran has the largest and most diverse missile arsenal in the Middle East. Missiles—whether conventional or potentially armed with chemical, biological, or nuclear warheads—enable Iran to pose an asymmetric threat to countries with much more sophisticated militaries. Despite U.N. resolutions forbidding the development and testing of nuclear delivery systems, Iran has continued its missile program unabated. The most recent unclassified government report suggests that Iran, with foreign assistance, could soon flight-test an ICBM capable of reaching the United States.
On June 2nd, Hudson Institute hosted a conversation with Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Dr. David Cooper, Michael Eisenstadt, and Dr. Thomas Karako on the extent of Iran’s missile program and its relationship to Iran’s nuclear program. Hudson Adjunct Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs moderated the event.
United States Representative Ron DeSantis (R-FL) Speaker
Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Dr. Kenneth R. Weinstein Speaker
President & CEO, Hudson Institute
Dr. David Cooper Speaker
Professor & Chair, Department of National Security Affairs, U.S. Naval War College
Michael Eisenstadt Speaker
Kahn Fellow & Director, Military and Security Studies Program, The Washington Institute
Dr. Thomas Karako Speaker
Senior Fellow, International Security Program and the Project on Nuclear Issues, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Rebeccah Heinrichs Moderator
Adjunct Fellow, Hudson Institute
02 Tuesday June 2, 2015 10:15am to 12:00pm
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters 1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor Washington, DC 20005
10:15 am — 10:30 am Registration
10:30 am — 10:35 am Introduction by Dr. Kenneth R. Weinstein
10:35 am — 11:00 am Remarks by Congressman Ron DeSantis
11:00 am — 11:45 am Panelist Remarks and Discussion
11:45 am — 12:00 pm Audience Q & A
Hudson Experts
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Kenneth R. Weinstein
Dialogues on American Foreign Policy and World Affairs: A Conversation with U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
24 July 24, 2019 Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
Combating Transnational Crime in the Americas: A Conversation with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn
U.S.-Indonesia Relations at 70: History, Policy, and the Future
09 July 9, 2019 Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
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Smearing the Center for Immigration Studies
John Fonte
It has become clear that some conservative supporters of comprehensive immigration reform have mounted a smear campaign against Mark Krikorian and the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), of which he is the executive director, and against other opponents as well. I will talk only about the people I know best, who (it turns out) happen to be on opposite sides of the immigration issue. In a long diatribe by Mario H. Lopez in the Human Life Review, Mark and CIS are accused of being advocates of population control, abortion, sterilization, eugenics, and followers of an 87-year-old retired Michigan eye-doctor named John Tanton who promoted zero population growth.
On the Corner, Ramesh Ponnuru makes short work of Lopez’s article, stating that it presented “zero evidence” that CIS was engaged in a “radical anti-life agenda.” Ramesh writes: “These attacks are unimpressive, and the people making them including, I’m sad to say, the editors of Human Life Review should be embarrassed.”
Mark Krikorian, a frequent contributor to NR and NRO is well known to readers of the Corner. For those of you who don’t know, Mark is a serious Christian, a father of three, a regular communicant of the Armenian Orthodox Church, and pro-life to the core. He is also a believer in natural law, a theoretical position reinforced from his days in a classroom taught by esteemed professor of political philosophy Hadley Arkes.
Jessica Vaughan, the director of policy studies at CIS, testified as an expert witness at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration last Wednesday. Jessica is a former U.S. Foreign Service officer; she holds a masters degree from Georgetown; headed a Justice Department study on transnational gang suppression; and has conducted seminars for senior law-enforcement officials at Northwestern University.
She is also the mother of four, a devout Roman Catholic, and a strong right-to-life supporter. Those who attended the Senate hearing might have noticed a black cross of ashes on her forehead that Ash Wednesday. In other words, CIS’s policy director is not exactly a devotee of John Tanton’s population-control ideas.
By the time I reached the sixth page of Lopez’s tedious attack piece, I came across another familiar name. According to the text, one James R. Edwards Jr. “wrote numerous papers published by CIS” and “joined CIS as a fellow in 2009.” Yes, that would be my friend Jim Edwards, a former colleague at the Hudson Institute, a conservative activist, an Evangelical Christian, a strong pro-life adherent, and a close associate of the grand dame of the pro-life, and, indeed, the American conservative movement, Phyllis Schlafly (who in case you don’t know, is a practicing Roman Catholic). I might add that CIS’s research director, Steve Camarota, is the father of three and attends regular Sunday mass at a local Catholic Church. To wit, there does not seem to be a lot of “population stabilization” going on at CIS.
One wonders if Lopez knows any of this.
According to the Washington Post, Lopez has been spreading his slanders at various GOP meetings around the Capitol. Unfortunately, he is being assisted by other supporters of “comprehensive immigration reform.” It troubles me to report that some friends of mine are apparently part of this smear campaign. These are people I have worked with and admired in the past, including Alfonso Aguilar, Linda Chavez, and Jeff Bell. These slanders against pro-life adherents must cease.
We are entering a period in the coming months in which there will be honest disagreements among conservatives on different immigration proposals (there are clear differences, for example, between Senators Rubio and Cruz, for the moment at least). This intra-conservative (and intra-Republican) debate should be conducted on the basis of facts and reasoned policy arguments about what is best for the United States of America and how we maintain and perpetuate (and when necessary restore) the constitutional republic bequeathed to us by our Founding Fathers. Yesterday, on his radio show Bill Bennett said that there is no place for these smear tactics in the intra-conservative discussion on immigration policy. Bennett is right, there is absolutely no place in this debate for the type of baseless accusations and guilt-by-association tactics that have been used against good people at the Center for Immigration Studies.
Director, Center for American Common Culture
Huawei, Hollywood, and the Battle for 5G
Martha Bayles
Before Beijing tried to dominate our wireless networks, it succeeded in dominating our film industry. That’s a saga in urgent need of telling....
The Virtues of Patriotism
p(firstLetter). The elections to the European Parliament underway now through Sunday present a major war of ideas between the “Europe of Nations” ...
Providence Magazine
Ancient Tragedy Returns to Foreign Policy: Review of Brands and Edel’s The Lessons of Tragedy
Mike Watson
The Lessons of Tragedy: Statecraft and World Order, provides an insightful view into the ancient Greek sense of tragedy and the lessons Americans can ...
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09/06/2018 12:44 am ET
Rudy Giuliani To CNN’s Chris Cuomo: ‘I Don’t Trust Anything I Read Anymore’
Trump’s attorney referred to the anonymous op-ed published by The New York Times as a potential national security issue.
By David Barden
Rudy Giuliani burst into laughter on Wednesday night after he was asked by CNN’s Chris Cuomo if he thought an anonymous op-ed published by The New York Times was false.
“Do I trust The New York Times? I’m sorry, Chris, I know this shocks you, but I do not trust The New York Times,” President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer said.
The scathing anti-Trump article, written by a “senior official in the Trump administration,” according to the Times, was called a “gutless editorial” by Trump, who demanded that the Times name the author.
Speaking to Cuomo, Giuliani echoed a similar sentiment as Trump’s, referring to the article as a potential national security issue. However, the CNN host pointed out that the reaction of the president was cause for alarm.
“With him going on a hunt in the White House for who talked to [Bob] Woodward? For him saying The New York Times has to turn over their source to the government as a matter of national security? Do you realize how crazy that notion is to even suggest, let alone from a president?” Cuomo said.
"Do I trust the New York Times? I'm sorry Chris, I know this shocks you, I do not trust the New York Times" @RudyGiuliani #CuomoPrimeTime #LetsGetAfterIt #CPT pic.twitter.com/CTYME4T4sG
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) September 6, 2018
It’s been a tumultuous week for the Trump administration, with the Times essay following the release of excerpts from Woodward’s soon-to-be-released book, Fear: Trump in the White House, on Tuesday.
One such excerpt recounts an exchange between Trump and Giuliani following the release of the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape. As reported by CNN, the former New York mayor was the only campaign surrogate who had been willing to defend then-candidate Trump on television.
“Rudy, you’re a baby,” Trump reportedly told him, according to the excerpt. “I’ve never seen a worse defense of me in my life. They took your diaper off right there. You’re like a little baby that needed to be changed. When are you going to be a man?”
“I don’t trust anything I read anymore, not after the stuff that’s been done to me,” Giuliani told Cuomo on Wednesday night. “The latest one being the great, wonderful, totally honorable Bob Woodward who will quote a scurrilous thing about a public figure and not ask for their version of it.”
Check out the full segment above.
David Barden
Editor, HuffPost Australia
The New York Times Chris Cuomo Donald Trump Politics and National Security Rudy Giuliani
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Iraqi city of Kirkuk rocked by 6 blasts; at least 4 killed
by: QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press
Posted: May 30, 2019 / 09:11 PM HST / Updated: May 30, 2019 / 10:04 PM HST
BAGHDAD (AP) — A series of explosions shook the center of the northern city of Kirkuk Thursday, killing at least four people and wounding 23, Iraqi security officials said.
The six blasts went off in quick succession after iftar, the meal that breaks daylong fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when streets are typically crowded with shoppers and people out having dinner. They struck in the center of the city in a commercial area that has several malls, cafes and restaurants, sending people fleeing in panic.
The nature of the blasts was not immediately clear, but the officials said they appeared to be improvised explosive devices. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Iraq declared victory against the Islamic State group in 2017, but the group continues to carry out attacks through sleeper cells, particularly in the country’s north.
There was no immediate responsibility claim, but the head of Kirkuk security operations Saad Harbya, speaking on the Kurdish Rudaw TV, blamed IS. The group has claimed several attacks recently around the city, some of them targeting security forces.
Kirkuk is an oil city disputed by Irbil-based Kurdish regional government and Baghdad.
More International Stories
by DAVID McHUGH, Associated Press / Jul 18, 2019
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — BMW has named its top production manager, Oliver Zipse, as CEO to lead the luxury automaker through a shift to new ways of doing business such as electric vehicles and offering cars on a per-use basis.
The company said Thursday that Zipse, 55, would succeed Harald Krueger on Aug. 16. Krueger, 53, had said on July 5 he wouldn't seek to renew his contract when it expires next May.
by IAN PHILLIPS, Associated Press / Jul 18, 2019
In a wide-ranging discussion with U.S.-based media on the sidelines of a visit to the United Nations, Mohammad Javad Zarif also said that Iran could reverse recent moves to surpass uranium enrichment limits set by its nuclear deal with world powers.
by DARLENE SUPERVILLE and ROBERT BURNS, Associated Press / Jul 18, 2019
WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. warship on Thursday destroyed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz after it threatened the ship, President Donald Trump said. The incident marked a new escalation of tensions between the countries less than one month after Iran downed an American drone in the same waterway and Trump came close to retaliating with a military strike.
In remarks at the White House, Trump blamed Iran for a "provocative and hostile" action and said the U.S. responded in self-defense. Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, told reporters as he arrived for a meeting at the United Nations that "we have no information about losing a drone today."
Governor Ige issues emergency proclamation in response to Mauna Kea events
Man in serious condition after drive-by shooting on Pali Highway
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1 Construction and commissioning
2 Characteristics and capabilities
4 Post-decommissioning
NOAAS Miller Freeman (R 223)
NOAAS Miller Freeman (R 223) preparing to conduct an acoustic trawl at Kodiak, Alaska, in 2000.
Bureau of Commercial Fisheries
Name: BCF Miller Freeman
Namesake: Miller Freeman (1875-1955), American publisher and advocate for American fisheries and the use of scientific fact in managing fisheries
Builder: American Shipbuilding Company, Lorain, Ohio
Cost: $3,400,000 (USD)
Launched: 2 April 1966
Acquired: June 1967 (delivery)
Decommissioned: 1 July 1970
Homeport: Seattle, Washington
Identification: Call sign WTDM
Fate: Transferred to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 3 October 1970
Name: NOAAS Miller Freeman (R 223)
Namesake: Previous name retained
Acquired: Transferred from Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 3 October 1970
Recommissioned: 1975
Out of service: October 2010
Decommissioned: 29 March 2013
Homeport: Newport, Oregon
IMO number: 6621636
MMSI number: 303941000
Callsign: WTDM
Fate: Sold 5 December 2013
Type: Fisheries and oceanographic research ship
Tonnage:
1,515 gross tons
680 net tons
Beam: 42 ft (13 m)
20 ft (6.1 m) (maximum with centerboard up)
32 ft (9.8 m) (maximum with centerboard down)
Propulsion: One General Motors 2,200-hp (1.64-mW) geared diesel engine, one four-bladed controllable-pitch propeller, one 400-hp (298-kW) Schottle lowerable omnidirectional bow thruster
Speed: 11 knots (20 km/h) (cruising)
Range: 12,582 nautical miles (23,302 km)
Endurance: 31 days
Boats & landing
craft carried:
One 26 ft (7.9 m) launch
One rigid-hulled inflatable boat
Complement: 34 (7 NOAA Corps officers, 4 licensed engineers, and 23 other crew members), plus up to 11 scientists
NOAAS Miller Freeman (R 223) was an American fisheries and oceanographic research vessel that was in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fleet from 1975 to 2013. Prior to her NOAA career, she was in commission in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's Bureau of Commercial Fisheries from 1967 to 1970 as BCF Miller Freeman.
Construction and commissioning
The American Shipbuilding Company launches Miller Freeman at Lorain, Ohio, on 2 April 1966.
Miller Freeman in Lake Erie off Ohio just after her completion in 1967.
Miller Freeman was designed in 1965 to meet the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries' need for a large vessel for oceanographic research and the open-ocean investigation of fisheries.[1] She was built for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by the American Shipbuilding Company in Toledo, Ohio.[2] She was launched on 2 April 1966[3] and delivered in June 1967,[2] and she was commissioned into service into the Fish and Wildlife Service's Bureau of Commercial Fisheries as BCF Miller Freeman.
Characteristics and capabilities
When completed in 1967, Miller Freeman was the largest research ship in the history of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and its ancestor organizations,[1] and she remained one of the largest research trawlers in the United States throughout her career.[2] Her stern-ramp configuration allowed her to conduct trawling operations in deep-sea waters.[1]
Miller Freeman had two cranes with a maximum lifting capacity of 8,500 pounds (3,856 kg) and a third crane with a lifting capacity of 2,750 pounds (1,247 kg). She had three A-frames; one of them is a 29.5-foot (9-meter) trawl gantry and the other two are 14.5-foot (4.4-meter) Oceo A-frames. She also had twelve winches, one with a maximum safe working load of 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg), one with a maximum safe working load of 23,000 pounds (10,433 kg), two with maximum safe working loads of 22,000 pounds (9,979 kg), two with maximum safe working loads of 18,000 pounds (8,165 kg), one with a maximum safe working load of 3,550 pounds (1,610 kg), two with maximum safe working loads of 3,300 pounds (1,497 kg), and two with maximum safe working loads of 1,150 pounds (522 kg).[2]
Miller Freeman had various laboratory capabilities, including s 300-square-foot (sq.-ft.) (27.9-square-meter) (m²) wet laboratory, a 300-sq.-ft. (27.9-m²) fish-processing laboratory, a 240-sq.-ft. (22.3-m²) rough laboratory, a 170-sq.-ft. (15.8-m²) ocean chemistry laboratory, and a 152-sq.-ft.(14.1-m²) acoustics laboratory. She also had a 220-sq.ft. (20.4-m²) data plot room and a 50-sq.-ft. (4.6-m²) autosalinomater room.[2] She was outfitted with a large live-tank system which allowed scientists to sustain live sea specimens under pressure aboard ship.[1]
Miller Freeman carried three boats: a 26-foot (7.9-meter) Hammerhead Munson Launch with a capacity of nine people, a 185-horsepower (138-kW) motor and a top speed of 21 knots; a five-person rigid-hulled inflatable boat with a 130-horsepower (97-kW) Hamilton jet inboard motor capable of 40 miles per hour (64 km/hr); and a 15-foot (4.6-meter) Zodiac inflatable boat with a 25-horsepower (18.6-kW) outboard motor.[2]
In addition to her crew of 34, Miller Freeman could accommodate up to 11 scientists.[4]
NOAAS Miller Freeman (R 223) approaches a disabled vessel to render assistance during bad weather in the Bering Sea.
NOAAS Miller Freeman (R 223) in northern waters.
Not yet fully rigged – for example, she had a two-ton (907-kg) crane on her port forecastle but no lifting capability aft – Miller Freeman proceeded after commissioning in 1967 from Ohio through Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and the Panama Canal to her home port at Seattle, Washington. However, she did not put to sea again until 1969, when she left Seattle for a cruise in the southern Bering Sea to conduct oceanographic and crab surveys for the Auke Bay Laboratory.[1]
Due to a lack of funding for her operations, Miller Freeman was decommissioned on 1 July 1970.[1] When NOAA was established on 3 October 1970, she became part of NOAA's fleet as NOAAS Miller Freeman (R 223), although she remained inactive. Work began on the completion of her rigging, but it, too, suffered from a lack of funding and was suspended at the end of 1972. Work on her rigging eventually resumed, including the installation of a much-needed five-ton (4,536-kg) crane aft, and when it finally was completed she was recommissioned in 1975.[1] She was re-rigged in 1982.[4]
Operated by NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations after her recommissioning with her home port at Seattle, Washington, Miller Freeman's primary mission was to provide a working platform for the study of the ocean's living resources, operating primarily in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.[2][4][5] After returning to service, she spent much of the remainder of 1975 conducting work in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea in support of the NOAA Offshore Continental Shelf Survey and Assessment Program, primarily carrying out resource surveys for the Marine Resources Monitoring, Assessment, and Prediction Program (MARMAP). Her research activities were interrupted on 22 October 1975, when the United States Coast Guard asked her to assist the crabbing vessel Aquarian, which had lost her steering while operating in the Aleutian Islands. Despite the rough seas in 40- to 60-knot (74- to 111-km/hr) winds, Miller Freeman's crew managed to get a line across to Aquarian and tow her to Akutan Island, ending a two-day ordeal for Aquarian's crew.[1]
In 1976, Miller Freeman discovered mastodon or mammoth tusk, tooth, and jaw fragments during trawl hauls in the Chukchi Sea and Kotzebue Sound. The discovery was of interest to researchers studying the ancient Bering Land Bridge.[1]
In 1988, two of Miller Freeman's crew members – Lieutenant Edward R. Cassano, NOAA Corps, and Daniel W. Granstrom – received the Department of Commerce Silver Medal for their role in fighting a major fire that broke out aboard the ship while she was in port at Seattle. Cassano and Granstrom went below decks to fight the fire without regard for their own safety and over the course of an hour repeatedly led firefighters of the Seattle Fire Department below decks to guide them in extinguishing the blaze, only allowing themselves to be treated for heat exhaustion after the fire was under control.[6]
Miller Freeman became inactive in October 2010[1] and was decommissioned on 29 March 2013.[1][4] Awaiting sale for scrapping, she was moored in Lake Washington in Seattle on 6 May 2013 when welding operations started an accidental fire in a storage locker aboard her. The Seattle Fire Department pumped carbon dioxide into the locker to extinguish the fire, and no injuries were reported.[7]
Miller Freeman was sold at auction on 5 December 2013 for $337,550 (USD).[1]
Post-decommissioning
As of early 2018, the former Miller Freeman reportedly was tied up at a commercial tug and towing company′s facilities adjacent to the Pattullo Bridge in the Fraser River at New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.[8] By early January 2019, she had been moved to Maple Ridge, British Columbia, also on the Fraser River, and had been tied up side-by-side with the former NOAA survey ship NOAAS Surveyor (S 132), which NOAA had decommissioned in 1995.[9]
NOAA ships and aircraft
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l AFSC Historical Corner: Miller Freeman, Research Trawler from 1967 to 2013
^ a b c d e f g NOAA Ship Miller Freeman General Characteristics
^ Launching of the MILLER FREEMAN at 11:30 A.M. on April 2, 1966.
^ a b c d NOAA Ship Miller Freeman
^ NOAA Ship Miller Freeman Images and Real-Time Data
^ NOAA History: Hall of Honor: Commerce Medals Presented For Lifesaving and the Protection of Property 1955-2000
^ Clarridge, Christine, "Seattle firefighters put out smoldering blaze on NOAA ship," Seattle Times, May 6, 2013.
^ shipspotting.com
Media related to NOAAS Miller Freeman (R 223) at Wikimedia Commons
5 Jan: Lake Illawarra
20 Jan: Danesh
29 Jan: Jakob Maersk
17 Mar: Red Eagle
4 Apr: MV Spartan Lady
15 Apr: USS Killen
27 Apr: USS Carbonero
11 May: USS Bell
13 Jun: USS Moore
19 Jul: Herma A
20 Aug: USS Mona Island
10 Nov: Edmund Fitzgerald
28 Dec: Kim Hua Li
30 Dec: Berge Istra
Unknown date: Aviere, Antonio Maceo
9 Jan: Transcontainer I
12 May: Mayaguez
22 Aug: ARA Santísima Trinidad
9 Sep: Waage Drill II
22 Oct: NOAAS Miller Freeman
22 Nov: USS Belknap, USS John F. Kennedy
9 Nov: Storozhevoy
16 Feb: Sol Phryne
19 Apr: Sahand
26 Apr: Reijin
14 May: Seawise Giant
20 May: Korean Star
4 Jul: Singa Sea
6 Jul: Piper Alpha
23 Jul: USS Jonas Ingram
24 Jul: USS Rankin
29 Jul: USNS Aeolus
6 Aug: Manihari Ghat ferry disaster
24 Aug: USS Vermilion
26 Aug: BAP Pacocha
8 Oct: HMAS Buccaneer
21 Oct: MV Jupiter
24 Oct: Doña Marilyn
November (unknown date): ARA Piedrabuena
Unknown date: USCGC Unimak
12 Feb: Bezzavetny, USS Caron, USS Yorktown
31 Mar: Haven
14 Apr: USS Samuel B. Roberts
24 Apr: USS Bonefish
29 Apr: USS Sam Houston
11 Jul: City of Poros
23 Jul: JDS Nadashio
22 Sep: Ocean Odyssey
Unknown date: NOAAS Miller Freeman
14 Jan: Emsstrom
17 Jan: USS Guardian
21 Jan: ARA Santísima Trinidad
February (unknown date): Lyubov Orlova
17 Jun MOL Comfort
11 Jul Wyvern
24 Jul Astrid
14 Aug INS Sindhurakshak
16 Aug St. Thomas Aquinas
10 Jan: USS Jacksonville
25 Apr Carnival Triumph
6 May NOAAS Miller Freeman
27 May Grandeur of the Seas
11 Jun HDMS Ejnar Mikkelsen
20 Jun Lisa von Lübeck, Sedov
15 Jul Hansa Brandenburg
28 Oct Stena Alegra
11 Nov Nordstjernen
30 Nov Ocean Countess
29 Dec MSC Monterey
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North Hartford Needs a Grocery Store
As a person who lives in Clay Arsenal, works in the Northeast neighborhood and has a young child who recently was accepted to Capital Prep Magnet School, it’s clear to me that North Hartford needs a full-service grocery store, and the location behind Keney Clock Tower
HCLF Receives Diverse Community Capital Award
June 4, 2018 | SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced that 13 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) around the U.S. have been selected to receive $12.1 million in lending capital and grants under the Wells Fargo Works for Small…
The Butch Lewis Community Conversation
Shirley Sherrod, a civil rights leader and author of The Courage to Hope, will be participating in two Butch Lewis Community Conversation events in April. Sherrod made national news in 2010 after being targeted by Breitbart and Fox News, and was subsequently forced out of her…
Support Hartford Community Loan Fund
Support Hartford Community Loan Fund by voting for us at Blue State Coffee at 777 Main Street in downtown Hartford. Every vote you cast for HCLF through 12/31/17 means a larger donation from Blue State Coffee to support the work of HCLF!
The push for a supermarket in a city that has few options for buying groceries is being resurrected in a new study examining both downtown and nearby neighborhoods. The city and the Hartford Community Loan Fund, a private, not-for-profit focused on neighborhood revitalization,…
(Hartford, CT) Hartford Community Loan Fund has named Calvin Richardson as the organization’s Director of Lending. Richardson returns to a role he occupied at HCLF from 2006-2008, before joining Fannie Mae where he served as Real Estate Credit Manager for nine years.
Mike’s family moved from Georgia to Hartford in the late 1980’s. Latin Kings, 20 Love, and other gangs were rampant in the city’s housing projects. He lived in the Martin Luther King projects, snuggled between Dutch Point and R.J. Kinsella Elementary School.
In Memory of Naveed Sobhan
On May 11th, as a result of complications following a fairly routine surgical procedure, the Hartford Community Loan Fund unexpectedly and tragically lost a member of our family, Naveed Sobhan.
A Butch Lewis Community Conversation
Join author, activist, and Columbia film professor Jamal Joseph for a screening and discussion of 13th, a film exploring the history of mass incarceration in the United States!
Hartford Community Loan Fund has Moved
(June, 2016) Effective June 20th, Hartford Community Loan Fund moved into our expanded office space at 215 Garden Street in Hartford’s Asylum Hill neighborhood. Ten years ago our organization expanded from a southend-only focus to a community development financial
Tax Liens Sales in Connecticut Often Target the Most Financially Vulnerable
By Susan Campbell, WNPR.org • 2/24/16 - Say you’re a cash-strapped city, and scattered around town are houses where owners are behind on their property taxes.
Access to banking key to Hartford’s north-end revival
BY REX FOWLER 1/11/2016 - No TV crews or journalists were there last summer when a local credit union opened a new branch on North Main Street in Hartford's northeast neighborhood. But make no mistake, this was one of 2015's biggest wins for the Capital City, and one that has
HCLF Partner CHFA wins 2015 Robert C. Larson Housing Policy Leadership Award
ROCKY HILL, Conn., (October 20, 2015) – The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Housing has awarded the Robert C. Larson Workforce Housing Policy Award to the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority’s (CHFA) Small Multifamily Rental Development Strategy.
The Color of Debt: How Collection Suits Squeeze Black Neighborhoods
Source: https://www.propublica.org ON A RECENT SATURDAY AFTERNOON, the mayor of Jennings, a St. Louis suburb of about 15,000, settled in before a computer in the empty city council chambers. Yolonda Fountain Henderson, 50, was elected last spring as the city’s first
A Hartford community lender widens its footprints
The $2 million in federal money recently handed to an obscure but vital community lending nonprofit couldn't have come at a better time, its chief says.
CDFI Fund award to HCLF
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Community Capital: Created in Connecticut
Loan by loan, the Hartford Community Loan Fund (HCLF) improves the neighborhoods of Connecticut’s capital city. Though local and small-scale, HCLF is part of the larger story of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), a network of financial intermediaries
City Skyline in New Logo Rendered by Northend Resident
Dwight Teal, born and raised in Hartford’s northend, rendered the Hartford skyline in HCLF’s new logo. “I tried to represent Hartford’s most iconic buildings,” says Teal, “I love architecture, and I often go up to the roof of the [Connecticut]…
Don't Jam Supermarket Into Hartford Stadium Plans
July 04, 2014 | By MARTHA PAGE AND REX FOWLER | OP-ED, The Hartford Courant - Recently the supermarket operator and sources for financing we had in place for a Downtown North "Healthy Hartford Hub" withdrew their commitments to the project in light of the proposal to
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Lasting Powers of Attorney and Assisted Suicide – High Court Ruling
Category: Legal News, News
Those who take the wise step of signing lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) are entitled to give instructions concerning their future medical treatment. But, as a guideline High Court ruling made plain, that right does not extend to requiring attorneys to break the law by engaging in assisted suicide or euthanasia.
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) sought judicial guidance in respect of a number of LPAs that purported to give mandatory instructions, or express wishes, to the effect that steps should be taken to end donors’ lives in certain circumstances. The OPG estimated that it received about 120 such LPAs annually and queried whether they met the criteria for registration laid down by the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
In ruling on the case, the Court emphasised that it did not concern the unquestioned right of donors to instruct their attorneys to give or refuse consent to life-sustaining treatment. However, there was no doubt that an LPA that gave instructions requiring an attorney to act in a manner inconsistent with the law would generally be ineffective.
Noting that an attorney cannot rely on an LPA as a basis for committing an illegal act, the Court found that LPAs that express a preference for an attorney to do something amounting to ending a donor’s life, or assisting in that process, would be an encouragement to crime and thus of no effect.
The same applied to instructions or wishes to take steps to end life that were predicated upon a potential future change in the law, enabling assisted suicide or euthanasia. The ways in which such a change could be achieved were many and varied and for the Court to countenance inclusion of such provisions in LPAs at this stage would be likely to cause uncertainty and confusion.
General, Family and Matrimonial
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Home»Sport»Soccer
Delaney linked with surprise move to Cork City
Damien Delaney is leaving Crystal Palace after six years.
By Martin Claffey
Cork City are closing in on a possible deal to bring Crystal Palace defender Damien Delaney back to his native city, Examiner Sport understands.
The 36-year-old is out of contract at Selhurst Park and is believed to be keen to move home to Ireland. A possible one-year extension to his Palace career was mooted but Delaney made the decision last month to say farewell to South London after six years at the club.
Sources close to the player confirmed last night he was considering his options, one of which is a move to the Airtricity League Premier Division champions.
City boss John Caulfield is grooming two excellent defensive prospects in Sean McLoughlin and Conor McCarthy and may believe bringing in Delaney will help their development in the same way as Alan Bennett since the defender returned to Turner’s Cross.
Delaney will be 37 in July but was considered Premier League-ready by his ex-colleagues at Selhurst Park, with manager Roy Hodgson involving him off the bench again in the Premier League last season. He played 95 minutes in total in the Premier League in 2017/18 but received universal acclaim from Palace supporters prior to the final game of the season, a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.
Afterwards, Delaney tweeted: “Thanks for everything, you’ve given me more than I ever dreamed of. From the second I walked in I’ve given everything, mentally, physically and emotionally. I’ll be the happiest man in Selhurst today. Fan for life.”
Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey said: “Damien has been a fantastic servant to the club. It’s nice to have him in the dressing room. He’s good, he’s loud and he’s got a lot of experience so he’s been able to help a lot of people along the way.”
That may hold the key to City’s interest as Caulfield bids to develop a cadre of young talent . On a possible move for a new player, the City manager confirmed yesterday the club has “identified someone and that will happen shortly”.
Young striker Michael Howard leaves Leeside tomorrow, meanwhile, as his loan deal from Preston is complete.
Other City players have been linked with moves out of Turner’s Cross, including defender Tobi Adebayo Rowling and Irish U21 star Danny Kane. Caulfield said: “It’s possible one will go out, I haven’t had any offers but we’ll see what the situation is. Danny loves it down here. I expect come July, most of those boys will still be here.”
© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved
Damien DelaneyCrystal PalaceCork City
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World Cup Final
Issf world cup finals
standing by Event
Current Events World Cup Final
Discontinued Events World Cup Final
ISSF World Cup Final
Frequency: every two year, one in Rifle/Pistol events and one in Shotgun events
Last edition: 2017 ISSF World Cup Final in New Delhi (IND)
Next edition: 2019 ISSF World Cup Final in Al Ain (UAE)
Number of shooting sport events: 15 events in three disciplines
Medal winners at the ISSF World Cup Final
Find out the medal winners of the ISSF World Cup Final in all its editions!
The ISSF World Cup Final
Every two years the ISSF World Cup Final is organized as a conclusion to the ISSF World Cup Series. Usually, two separated finals are organized: one in Rifle/Pistol events, one in Shotgun events.
At the end of the World Cup Series the eight shooters holding the highest qualification score in each event are qualified for the ISSF World Cup Final. A maximum of two athletes per nation can compete in each event.
Alongside these eight athletes, wild cards are granted to the title defenders and to the three medalists of the Olympic Games and of the World Championship, when these competitions are held.
How to qualify for the ISSF World Cup Final
The qualification to the ISSF World Cup Final can be obtained by gaining points throughout the ISSF World Cup Series.
Every athlete who is officially registered to compete in an ISSF World Cup by his shooting federation can qualify in one or more events.
How to gain points for the ISSF World Cup Final
At every ISSF World Cup stage two different categories of points are awarded: A points and B points.
A points are awarded depending on the final ranking of the shooter: 15 points for the 1st place, 10 points for the 2nd place, 8 points for the 3rd place, 5 points for the 4th place, 4 points for the 5th place, 3 points for the 6th place, 2 points for the 7th place and 1 point for the 8th place.
B points are awarded depending on the final score of the shooter: the closest to the Qualification World Record, the more points are gained. 15 points can be obtained by equaling the record or by setting a new one; one point is deduced for every difference-point between the record and the score.
A and B points are added together at the conclusion of the World Cup stage to obtain the ISSF World Cup Final Qualification Value. A maximum of 30 points is possible.
If a shooter obtained more than one qualification value, for example by participating in two or more different stages, only the highest one will be valid. In case of tie between two or more values, the tie will be broken according to: the higher B value, the higher score in the qualification round, the higher score in the final round, the higher qualification ranking.
Apart from the qualification system, all the World Cup Final title defender are automatically qualified for the following one. Also, in the years of Olympic Games and ISSF World Championship, the gold, silver and bronze medalist of these competitions are automatically qualified. In the years between, only the title defenders and the Olympic and World champions are automatically qualified.
The limit of two athletes per NOC does not apply to the title defenders and Olympic and World Championship medalists. Also, if any of these athletes own one of the top-eight qualification values, the slot will go to the shooter that follows in the ranking.
At least two athletes may represent the organizing member federation in each event. If no shooter qualifies, or if only one is qualified, the ISSF may award one or two wild cards to the team. If both cards are awarded, they should be given to one male and one female athlete, although, in exceptional cases, wild cards can be awarded so the organizing federation is represented by two men or two women.
To receive the wild cards, the organizing federation must apply to the ISSF Headquarters by nominating the athletes designated to receive the cards. Application must include athletes’ names, ID numbers and the event in which they will participate.
Continental Championships
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itbusinessedge > Blogs > Data and Telecom > WiMax: The Next Great Disappointment?
WiMax: The Next Great Disappointment?
By Carl Weinschenk, Posted October 11, 2007
Gary Forsee's resignation as the chairman, president and CEO of Sprint Nextel could have ramifications on at least a couple of levels: It almost certainly signals a change in how aggressively the
Gary Forsee's resignation as the chairman, president and CEO of Sprint Nextel could have ramifications on at least a couple of levels: It almost certainly signals a change in how aggressively the carrier executes its stated WiMax strategy. That, in turn, would have a major impact on the overall success of the next-generation platform.
Many of the issues are delineated in this insightful CNET piece by Marguerite Reardon. The main concern, and probably the top reason that Forsee was pressured to leave, is that Wall Street thought WiMax was too speculative to justify the money and attention being paid by Sprint, especially as efforts to fully integrate Nextel lagged. The plan -- as of right now -- is to budget $5 billion over the next three years to build a WiMax network. About $2 billion of that would be spent by the end of next year to offer the service to 100 million people. That's all up in the air right now, no pun intended.
The bulk of Reardon's analysis details the impact the change may have on Sprint. In the bigger picture, however, a move away from WiMax by Sprint could chill enthusiasm, at least to some degree, across the industry. Sprint and Intel clearly are the highest-profile WiMax champions.
WiMax won't fade away, of course. Intel, as Reardon points out, is planning to embed WiMax functionality in millions of devices, for instance. But a pullback by the carrier, even if it can be spun as being more about Sprint's internal machinations than the potential of the technology, is not good news for WiMax proponents.
The Clearwire/Sprint network deal also seems to be in trouble. This is spelled out starkly in this comment by Goldman Sachs analyst Jason Armstrong in a Financial Times piece. It is likely that similar messages are being sent directly to the company's caretaker leadership:
We would expect longer-term initiatives such as the Clearwire WiMax partnership to be [put] on hold and subject to review by a new leadership team.
The cracks in the Clearwire/Sprint relationship are further evident in this article in The Seattle Times. The piece says the actually signing of the agreement is taking longer than expected to come to pass, but it's still expected to be signed within a few weeks of the Oct. 6 publication of the piece. But, with Forsee gone and the WiMax skeptics ascendant, it is not outside the realm of possibility that the deal will be put on the back burner.http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=34569
The picture was not without clouds for WiMax before Forsee's departure. This sobering look at WiMax at PC Magazine begins by suggesting that the Clearwire/Sprint deal may have been struck more out of weakness -- limited market opportunities -- than strength. That's speculation, of course. What isn't is the fact that Clearwire's positioning as a WiMax provider is a bit misleading. It certainly intends to use the technology, but currently serves its customers -- outside of a small pocket in a Hillsboro, Ore. beta test -- with other technologies. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the story, which was published last month, was the suggestion that Sprint "could be the technology's saving grace." If Reardon and others' speculation proves accurate, that potential saving grace is fading.
All is not lost for WiMax, however. It still has powerful proponents. First and foremost is Intel, whose proselytizing goes beyond its product road map. For instance, last month it joined Wireless Broadband Planning K.K., a joint venture that will seek a license from the Japanese government. Other members of the group are carrier KDDI, Kyocera, Daiwa Securities Group, the East Japan Railway and the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi. Intel also signed an agreement with Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks to test for interoperability across its silicon. Nokia said it will use Intel's "Baxter Peak" WiMax silicon in its coming Nseries tablet PCs.
WiMax remains a technology with tremendous potential. What remains to be seen is whether those who back it are savvy enough to work through the tricky competitive landscape and enable it to realize the bright future that has long been predicted.
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2018 Q3 Grant Recipients Announced!
Keep Swimming Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the 2018 third quarter grants.
This quarter proved to be a milestone for Keep Swimming Foundation, as the success of our Inaugural Gala (and an influx of private donations) has enabled us to grant $5,900 to 5 families – a $2,650 increase from the previous quarter!
Each of the following families have faced a life-threatening medical crisis and have been in the hospital for at least twenty-one consecutive days between 7/1/18 and 9/30/18.
The following are their stories:
Family #1 - Houston, TX – Recipients of a $1,500 Grant:
In the fall of 2017, this Houston family’s son was a junior in high school when he collapsed on the sidelines during a Friday night football game. He was placed in an ambulance and rushed to the local hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe brain bleed and had a portion of his skull removed to alleviate pressure on his brain. In the coming days, he would fight for his life while his mother, sister and father waited at his bedside before being airlifted to a hospital in Arkansas. Despite being told to “pull the plug”, his mother persisted that her son would defy the odds. In December, with the help of therapists, their son was able to walk out of the Arkansas hospital. The mother of the family underwent countless hours of training so that she could care for her son in the comfort of their northeast Texas home. In June, he was accepted into a rehabilitation program in Houston. Family members are not allowed to stay with their loved one at the rehabilitation facility overnight. In turn, to cut down on costs, the mother relocated five hours from the family home to a trailer park in Houston so that she could lower the cost of living and offer her son love and support during visiting hours. This grant will cover many of the costs associated with his mother’s stay in Houston, such as trailer park fees, bedside meals, parking at the rehabilitation facility and gasoline for her drive to-and-from her new home and son’s bed.
Family #2 – St. Louis, MO – Recipients of a $1,500 Grant
This family’s story begins in April 2018. The father of the family fell from a tall ladder while at work and suffered many lower-body bone injuries and later underwent surgery and several months of rehabilitation. Throughout rehabilitation, his health began to decline, leading his doctors to run several tests in early August. It was then that they discovered his liver and kidneys were also severely damaged during the fall and he was immediately admitted to a hospital in the downtown area. His daughter (his only child and present family member) is a nurse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Since his hospitalization, her life has revolved around the care of others. When she is not working her typical twelve-hour shift, she is driving from Milwaukee to St. Louis so that she can oversee her father’s care as his health rapidly declines. In recent weeks, she has switched jobs to a hospital one hour outside of St. Louis and relocated to the St. Louis region so that she can assure that her father is receiving the best possible healthcare. This grant will cover the entirety of the money she has spent since August on gasoline, bedside meals and parking, and will provide a small amount to cover her next tank of gas.
Family #3– Philadelphia, PA – Recipients of a $1,500 Grant:
In November 2017, the husband of this northeast couple was admitted to a downtown Philadelphia hospital where he learned of his need for a heart and lung transplant. After months of waiting, he received the gift of life. Unfortunately, he experienced several post-transplant complications and remains in the hospital as of October 2018. His wife has been near his bedside almost every day. However, due to the rising debt they were experiencing, she had to take a part-time job so that she could afford to be near him whenever she isn’t working. The family’s social worker informed us that he has made great progress and will soon be discharged. The necessary rehabilitation to overcome his deconditioning means that they must live nearby as opposed to driving several hours each day. This grant will help the couple pay down a large portion of debt that the wife has accrued from parking at the hospital, driving to-and-from her job and the hospital, as well as the countless meals she has consumed at her husband’s bedside.
Family #4 – Columbus, OH – Recipients of a $650 Grant:
This Ohio family immigrated to America not long before their infant son was born and diagnosed with end-stage liver failure. After undergoing a series of tests, the family was relocated to a hospital in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania two and half hours from their home. In July, their son received his lifesaving liver transplant and was discharged to a nearby facility so that he can receive close supervision from the family’s medical team. The father has been unable to work since the early summer and they are in dire need of financial assistance. This grant will cover the family’s lodging as well as many meals and gasoline expenses.
Family #5 – Lexington, KY – Recipients of a $750 Grant:
Ten weeks prior to receiving his heart transplant, this family’s infant son was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect and taken to a hospital in Cincinnati, OH – two hours from the family’s home. The child’s mother, who is also the sole provider, was required to take a leave of absence from her job so that she could be near her son and also care for her eleven-year-old son in the process. Like Family #4, their son will be required to remain near the hospital for management throughout the coming months. This grant will help by covering a large portion of their lodging expenses in Cincinnati.
Keep Swimming Foundation is only able to help these families because of the generous donations from our supporters. We will be selecting families in a few short months. Your donation will be utilized when we help families dealing with a medical crisis during the holidays.
Please click the button below to help us help families in need!
Newer PostChicago Tribune Pens Article about Keep Swimming Foundation
Older PostKeep Swimming Foundation Increases Grant Allowance!
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Arts and humanities AP®︎ Art History Later Europe and Americas: 1750-1980 C.E. Enlightenment and revolution
Enlightenment and revolution
Cabrera, Portrait of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Wright of Derby, A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery
Fragonard, The Swing
Jefferson, Monticello
David, Oath of the Horatii
Houdon, George Washington
Vigée Le Brun, Self-Portrait
Goya, And there's nothing to be done (from the Disasters of War)
Painting colonial culture: Ingres's La Grand Odalisque
Ingres, La Grande Odalisque
Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People
Thomas Cole, The Oxbow
Cole, The Oxbow
Early Photography: Niépce, Talbot and Muybridge
Turner, Slave Ship
Charles Barry and A.W.N. Pugin, Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament)
Current time:0:00Total duration:5:59
0 energy points
Arts and humanities·AP®︎ Art History·Later Europe and Americas: 1750-1980 C.E.·Enlightenment and revolution
(jazz piano) - [Dr. Zucker] We're in the Louvre in Paris looking at large canvas by Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People. This painting dates to 1830. This is Romanticism. - [Dr. Harris] It depicts an event of 1830. This is a contemporary subject. It's important to remember that large paintings like this were generally reserved for history paintings, at least according to the rules of the Academy. But here, like Gericault before him, Delacroix is taking on a contemporary subject. This is something that people in Paris experienced in July of 1830. - [Dr. Zucker] This was the revolution that ousted the reactionary king Charles X, and installed on the throne the more moderate king, Louis-Philippe. - [Dr. Harris] But we're seeing a moment where the outcome of the Revolution is not sure. We're seeing fighting on the streets of Paris. We see the very recognizable Cathedral of Notre Dame in the background. - [Dr. Zucker] Notre Dame was a symbol of the monarchy. It was a symbol of conservativism and yet Delacroix represents at the top of one of its towers the tricolor, the flag of the revolutionaries. - [Dr. Harris] Liberty is an allegorical figure. She is a symbol of an idea that led the revolutionaries, many of them to give up their lives to oust a conservative and reactionary monarch. - [Dr. Zucker] One might just think of the Statue of Liberty. That's not an actual person, it's a personification of an idea and here, too, this woman is a personification of the idea of liberty, the idea of freedom. The fact that her breasts are visible is a reference to antiquity, to the birth of democracy, to Ancient Greece and the Roman republican tradition. - [Dr. Harris] Liberty strides across the barricade, this barrier that has been set up in the streets of Paris. - [Dr. Zucker] Paris was still a medieval city with narrow, winding streets. The grand boulevards of the later 19th century had not yet been built, and so what the revolutionaries did is they dug up the cobblestones that paved the streets and they piled them up and erected these barricades that were both defensive positions, but also impeded the movements of the Royalist troops. - [Dr. Harris] But what's fascinating to me is this call by Liberty to climb over the barricade, to trespass that barrier, and to move forward, to continue to fight even more aggressively for these ideals. - [Dr. Zucker] Liberty's face is shown in a perfect classical profile, recalling Ancient Greek and Roman images, but in doing so, she's also turning around to call the rebels forward and we can see this throng of people moving into the distance. But in the foreground, we see two very particular figures. We see a man with a pistol in his waist. He wears his shirt with no jacket. He's a member of the lower class but the pin in his hat expresses that he's got revolutionary sympathies. - [Dr. Harris] Delacroix's clearly giving us this idea of people of all classes coming together because the figure right next to the worker is more nicely dressed. He's got a top hat on, a jacket, a vest. He holds a hunting rifle instead of a pistol. - [Dr. Zucker] And so this revolution is not only for the poor. It's also for the middle classes. - [Dr. Harris] Which is what makes it so profoundly dangerous. This is not one class against another. These are the people coming together. - [Dr. Zucker] On the right side of the canvas is a boy who holds not one but two pistols and seems rather wild. He's a schoolboy and you know that from the velvet cap he wears and from the satchel at his side. - [Dr. Harris] Below him, we see two soldiers who have fallen, and so it's not just that Delacroix's giving us this sense of victory, of Liberty striding forward, but also the terrible costs of revolution. - [Dr. Zucker] Best summed up for me by the man in the lower left who's wearing a nightshirt as if he's been dragged from his bed and murdered by Royalist soldiers. He's only wearing one sock. His shirt is drawn up and so he's nude from the waist down. - [Dr. Harris] And his shirt is bloody and he's incredibly close to us. In fact, his right arm is foreshortened and moves into our space. But the figures in the foreground of the dead and the dying and the wounded are all in our space. This is a painting much like Gericault's Raft of the Medusa, or Gros' Pest House in Jaffa, that puts forward the violence in an unidealized way. - [Dr. Zucker] The entire scene is one of chaos, one of energy. It is filled with diagonals, with smoke, with movement, and yet Delacroix has also contrived a classicizing pyramid to organize all of these figures, creating a sense of order within the chaos. One of the reasons the painting feels so energetic is because of the loose brushwork and because of the brilliant colors that Delacroix uses. The tricolor, the blues in the sky, the red sash of the figure that looks up to Liberty, all stand out and are in stark contrast to the more muted colors that were traditional at this moment. - [Dr. Harris] Delacroix is violating so many of the rules of the Academy. This is not a painting with perfect finish. In other words, we easily see the hand of the artist, the brushwork. This is not a painting where we see a careful attention to line and contour. Rather, we have a sense of the openness of contours, of the looseness of the handling of the paint. - [Dr. Zucker] And the contingency of each of these figures that if we waited just a moment, they would all have shifted position. - [Dr. Harris] This painting was purchased by King Louis-Philippe to show that he was a champion of republican values and by republican, we mean the ideals of democracy. But, before the decade was over, in 1839, the painting was returned to Delacroix because it was perceived as dangerous. This was an image that showed people coming together to overthrow a king, after all. But in 1848, at the time of the next Revolution when Louis-Philippe is ousted, this painting is returned to the museum once again. This is a good reminder of just how politicized art could be in the 19th century in France. (jazz piano)
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The Early Years of the 'Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic' Oakland A's
Oakland Athletics celebrate in Cincinnati after beating the Reds in the 7th game of the 1972 World Series. Pouring champagne over their heads from the left are: Mike Epstein, catcher Dave Duncan, left fielder Joe Rudi, and third baseman and captain Sal Bando. (Photo: Ron Resterer)
Long before Billy Beane’s numbers-based “Moneyball” system of choosing baseball players, and way before people expected the SF Giants to make the World Series every other year, the wild antics of an early-70s Oakland A’s team captivated the Bay Area. The A’s moved from Kansas City to Oakland in 1968, and proceeded to introduce new uniforms, grow mustaches and fight in the locker room, on the field and with the occasional journalist. They also won the World Series three times in a row -- in 1972, '73 and '74. Veteran sports reporter Jason Turbow recounts the winning - and losing - streaks of the A’s first decade in Oakland in his new book “Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s."
Jason Turbow, Author, “Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s"
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How Stephen Curry Became the Bay Area's 'Golden' Boy
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors looks on during a game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on January 23, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Stephen Curry was once labeled too small to make an impact in the NBA. Now, he's the reigning MVP and has led the Golden State Warriors to back-to-back league championships, taking home the trophy in 2015. And veteran sports columnist Marcus Thompson was along for the entire ride, working as the Warriors beat reporter for the Bay Area News Group. In his new book "Golden," Thomson traces the story of how Curry went from a too small underdog to the superstar leader of a record-breaking team, transforming the nature of the game along the way. As the Warriors prepare to take on the Portland Trailblazers in the playoffs this Sunday, we talk with Thompson about Steph Curry's life on and off of the court.
Marcus Thompson II, sports columnist, Bay Area News Group; author, "Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry"
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New Ketchikan pool opens
Posted by Leila Kheiry | Jul 30, 2012
A pool user shoots out the drop slide at the Gateway Aquatic Center.
The brand-new Gateway Aquatic Center grand opening was Saturday, and had all the hallmarks of a real celebration. The Ketchikan Gateway Borough offered a free barbecue, officials spoke about the project, a ribbon was cut, and 100 “golden ticket” winners orchestrated a synchronized jump for the “Big Splash” to mark the official opening of the approximately 24-million-dollar pool.
https://www.krbd.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/30KtnPool.mp3
Even before the fanfare of the grand opening, the new facility was swamped with people eager to swim, slide, splash and play.
Ketchikan’s new 35,000-square-foot aquatic center is not just a pool. It’s an eight-lane competition pool with one- and three-meter diving boards; it’s a warm-water pool for kids and therapy activities; it’s a vortex pool for aqua-jogging; it’s water slides and a water playground; it’s a rock-climbing wall with a water landing.
It’s also very popular. Less than a week after a quiet opening on July 23, the line of people waiting to get into the afternoon open-swim wound out the door.
Aquatic Supervisor Karen Taylor said that’s been fairly typical so far.
“It’s really exciting,” she said. “We’re maxing out our numbers every day. As you can see, there’s lots of kids out here. It’s been just really busy.”
Taylor said the feedback has been positive.
“The kids are really liking it, the adults, the teenagers,” she said. “There’s something for everybody here. We’re still working on a few little things, but overall everybody’s real impressed with it.”
Those few little things include the best places for lifeguards, with several keeping an eye on the slides alone. Taylor said the slides are a popular feature at the pool.
“We have two water slides. We have what we call our drop slide, and that is a slide that goes directly down and drops you out about 5 feet above the water into the water,” she said. “They shoot out really far. It’s really fun. It’s the big highlight of the place. And then we have our twisty slide, that’s about three or four turns down into the water and then you splash down into your pool. We’ve found that’s a little bit faster than we thought it was going to be, so that’s a lot of fun for the kids.”
The slides did appear to be a highlight, with a line of soaking-wet kids shivering and grinning as they waited patiently for their next trip down.
Aleks Bolshakoff said she likes the drop slide best.
“(I like) that you don’t expect it,” she said. “So when you fly out, you don’t expect it coming and it’s just like you’re in the water.”
When asked whether water gets in her nose, she said, “If you plug it, it doesn’t.”
Aleks said she liked the old Mike Smithers Community Pool, but the new one is better.
Caden Hallstrom also was in line, and said the drop slide is his favorite, too, but he likes it all.
“I think it’s pretty awesome,” she said. “Especially this other slide, too. It feels like you’re on there forever. The vortex is pretty fun, volleyball and basketball. And the high dive is really fun, too. The rock wall is really fun too. This pool is the best.”
Ketchikan High School’s swim season begins on Aug. 6. Kayhi will show off the community’s new pool to visiting swim teams on Aug. 24, when it hosts a meet with Metlakatla, Petersburg and Thunder Mountain.
The new aquatic center offers a play area for younger children in the warm pool.
PreviousWhitman bids come in $12 million over estimate
NextKetchikan practices active shooter response
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Mehedinți
Cutui Kula
LMI (Historical Monument List) Code: MH-II-m-A-10272
It is located on the outskirts of the village, towards the Motru River, Broşteni Village, Broşteni Commune, Mehedinţi County.
The Commune of Broşteni is located at the crossroads of the Drobeta Turnu Severin – Târgu Jiu road with the road to Strehaia. The monument is accessed by taking a paved road from the mayor’s office to Motru River (approx. 400 metres of the county road).
For the moment, this is not a public building.
Original/current function: kula-type fortified dwelling/ ethnographic museum
According to word-of-mouth information, the kula was built by Ghiţă Cuţui, a pandúr captain and his son Constantin, around 1815. According to a very beautiful legend, a group of Turks from Ada-Kaleh Island kidnapped Ghiţă Cuţui’s wife. The pandúr sold part of his land to pay the ransom claim and then he built the kula. Constantin Cuţui started building “Sfinţii Împăraţi’’ Church located in a nearby area around 1836. The painting was finished in 1840 at the expense of his son, Mihalache. The kula was wrecked by the German occupation troops in 1916, and after 1930 Constantin I. Cuţui and Ioana Cuţui tried to restore the building, but failed. Cuţui kula remained ruined after 1954 and up until 1963, when architect Iancu Atanasescu designed the restoration project. The project was taken over by architect Rodica Manciulescu in 1965 who continued the works until completion, in 1968. The kula was home to an ethnographic museum until 1965.
The brick building has a rectangular form on two floors. The cellar, found on the ground floor, has very thick walls that support a “barrel” vault that stands on five transversal arches. The upper floor is reached on an oak ladder, the staircase walls being penetrated by ramparts, through which the access into the kula was protected. The floor, where the porch is located, has several rooms whose partition underwent several changes over time. The ceilings are made of plastered beams, and the flooring from wide oak planks. The porch has trilobate arcades, six on the main side and one at the north-western free end. Outside the building, the facades are decorated with small panels located irregularly from the arcades, and large panels on the other surfaces of the floor.
“Sfinţii Împăraţi Constantin şi Elena” Church of Broşteni - Mehedinţi.
The church was built in 1836 by Constantin Cuţui, the son of the pandúr captain Ghiţă Cuţui. Since the founder died in the meantime, the church was painted at the expense of his son Mihalache in 1840. Subsequently the church underwent small changes; it was being fully paved in cement and a new door was installed. The brick church has the shape of a nave with a porch, nave, narthex, and altar with two towers. On the Northern side, a circular little tower was erected to protect the stairs towards the steeple tower.
An inscription is written in Cyrillic letters on the porch wall:
“This holly and Godly church celebrating patrons Saint Emperors Constantine and Helen was founded by boyar Constandin Cuţui in 1836 and was painted at the expense and due to the effort of Sir Mihalache, son of Constandin Cuţui, in 1840, under the rule of emperor Nicolae Pavlovici, in the 10th day of the month of August, painter Constandin”.
The painting is made as a fresco by painter Constantin. In the founders’ section, the whole family of Constantin Cuţui is painted, men wearing the old boyar’s suit, while women are dressed in the Western fashion. A peasant woman dressed in the traditional costume is painted on the North wall. The text explains the fact that she is “aunt Iţa who cooked food for them at the holy church”. It seems that this portrait was meant to show the painters’ gratitude to this peasant woman who cooked food for them. This theme is also found in the churches in the Voloiac and Jirov Villages, found near the Broşteni settlement. Nowadays, the church is in an advanced state of degradation, and needs urgent intervention.
Conservation status: good
Atanasescu, Iancu & Grama, Valeriu, Kulas from Oltenia, Scrisul Românesc Publishing House, Craiova, 1974
Creţeanu Radu, Masonry Churches from the Valley of Motru river, in Bishopry of Oltenia nr.5-6/1957
Creţeanu Radu, The ones who raised churches with their own hands, painted in Churches from the Valley of Motru river, RMM, Bucharest, 1958
Crețeanu Radu, Kule houses and fortified houses from the Valley of Motru River, RMM, Bucharest, 1958
Creţeanu, Radu & Creţeanu, Sarmiza, Kulas from Romania, Meridiane Publishing House, Bucharest, 1969
Zamora, Luiza, Kulas, fortified boyars’ houses of Romania, Igloo Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007
You are here: Kule Kulas in Romania Mehedinți Cutui Kula
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Determination And The Will To Never Give Up Has Helped This Guitar Player Achieve Greatness
Joshua, 13-years-old, Math Level M
The late rock and roll legend Jimi Hendrix forever changed the music industry with his unique sound on the guitar. It may be a surprise to hear, but playing the guitar didn’t always come easy to Hendrix. , With practice and dedication, he made a name for himself. Hendrix once said, “Sometimes you want to give up the guitar, you’ll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you’re going to be rewarded.”
Like Jimi Hendrix, Joshua has been dedicated to learning the guitar and continually perfecting his technique. As a young musician, he has seen the value of practice, and the discipline it takes to learn challenging pieces.
Joshua relates his experience with learning guitar to Kumon, and how he never gives up and remains committed to reaching new goals. Joshua began his journey with Kumon when he enrolled in the Kumon Math Program at the age of seven. Fast forward to almost seven years later and now he’s studying trigonometric functions and addition theorems – which is quite impressive for a middle school student. Joshua’s discipline strengthened as he was reaching new goals in Kumon, which then transcended beyond his academics.
“Outside of the classroom, Kumon has taught me to be more patient and to never give up on anything I’m doing whether it’s guitar or my school work,” said Joshua. “Kumon created a daily routine for completing my work, which has helped me to become disciplined and determined to reach a goal. If something becomes difficult in my guitar lessons, I know when to take a step back and come back to it and master it.”
Whether he’s mastering the technical aspect of the guitar with chords, arpeggios, and scales or nailing an awesome solo piece – he is focused to work through it. Joshua’s determination and practice has paid off in his development as a musician. He’s proud to say that he was the first student in his guitar class of 100 plus students to be awarded a high level of achievement.
Not only is Joshua musically inclined, he has also found a passion for sports. Joshua takes his athletic ability to the court, serving as a valuable player for his school’s basketball and volleyball teams. Also dedicated to becoming a stronger swimmer, he is currently training to become a certified lifeguard one day.
In 2015, Joshua passed the Toronto District School Board’s Gifted Program exam. Since then, he has been in the gifted program and attends a gifted school once a week that offers students a highly specialized and competitive curriculum.
Joshua’s academic ability and unwavering determination will aide him in his future aspiration of becoming a neurosurgeon.
Joshua’s hard work and discipline didn’t go unnoticed, as he was one of 55 students selected to attend the 2018 Kumon Student Conference in Calgary, Canada. We had the opportunity to speak to Joshua about his Kumon journey.
How has Kumon helped you academically?
Kumon has helped me academically because the math lessons in school have become increasingly easier for me as I continue to advance in the Kumon Math Program. I have been able to effectively manage my time because of the Kumon Method, which helps me become responsible to finish my work on time and accurately.
If you could sum up your Kumon experience in one word, what would it be?
Beneficial.
What do you enjoy most about Kumon?
What I enjoy most about Kumon is that I can understand and answer math problems that at first look impossible to solve. My Kumon Instructor is so friendly and is always willing to help everyone at the center.
My parents shared with me that I have inspired a lot of my friends and their parents, which resulted in a lot of them enrolling in Kumon. My hard work and achievements made them believe in what Kumon is all about. My parents are proud of me for being an inspiration to others, and that alone keeps me motivated.
What did it mean to you attending the Student Conference?
Attending the Student Conference meant a great deal to me because not only did my hard work pay off, but my will to never give up got me there. It was a great experience that has truly inspired me.
What advice do you have for other Kumon Students?
My advice to other Kumon Students just starting out would be to never give up just as I did. Whether you made a few mistakes, didn’t pass a test, or are struggling with a challenging problem – keep going. Stay determined and know that you’re going to reach you goals, and it will be worth all the hard work.
Discover even more student success stories.
Self-learning and Determination Has Helped This Boy Scout Overcome Challenges
Perseverance Helps This Young Tennis Player Win On And Off The Court
Focus And Confidence Help This Young Musician Achieve His Goals
This Aspiring Diplomat Learned to Never Give Up
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Home/ News and Publications/ Full Dismissal of Workers’ Compensation Retaliation Claims
Full Dismissal of Workers’ Compensation Retaliation Claims
News | June 2, 2015
After nearly a year and a half of litigation, Kutak Rock attorneys Marcia Washkuhn and Kasey Cappellano of the firm’s Omaha office obtained an order from the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska granting summary judgment to one of the firm’s employer clients on April 8, 2015. The order resulted in a full dismissal of the plaintiff’s claim alleging workers’ compensation retaliation.
The plaintiff, a former employee of the firm’s client, experienced multiple work injuries during his employment. In his last six months with the employer, he was on light duty and workers’ compensation leave for alternating periods. When his last documented medical leave was expiring, he was notified of the need either to return to work or to provide additional medical documentation of the need to remain on leave. Before his leave expired, the plaintiff turned in a handwritten note asking for additional time off for medical reasons, but he did not include any medical documentation. As a result, he was not granted an extension of leave, and was ultimately terminated for failing to return to work.
The plaintiff sued the company, stating the employer terminated him in retaliation for asserting his rights under Nebraska’s Workers’ Compensation Act. The court rejected the plaintiff’s arguments that the handwritten request for an extension of leave and the significant physical restrictions he was still under due to his work injuries were sufficient to demonstrate the plaintiff’s need for an extension. The court noted the employer’s policies clearly required medical documentation to support an extension of the plaintiff’s medical leave and the plaintiff was aware of these requirements, but nonetheless failed to comply. The court also found that the plaintiff’s arguments regarding pretext, including that the employer had fired the plaintiff in order to save money, were conclusory and unsupported by the evidence.
Marcia Washkuhn
Kasey M. Cappellano
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French 3.0: The Next Generation
Report predicts the rise of French by 2050
Since Language Magazine’s last report on the ongoing, public debate over the importance of French (“French on the Menu,” March 2014), the prediction that French may be the world’s most-spoken language by 2050 (based on research by Natixis, an investment bank) has spurred media reports across the world challenging the suggestion.
The prediction that French will be spoken by 750 million people by 2050 is based on the fact that French-speaking populations are growing faster than English- and Mandarin-speaking ones.
Aside from Quebec and France, in Africa, French is the official schooling language of countries with increasingly high fertility rates, such as Mali in the north and Guinea, Chad, and Congo in the sub-Saharan region.
A demographic boom in these African states could bump the world’s percentage of French speakers from 3% today to 8% by 2050.
Meanwhile, China and many English-speaking countries are likely to experience a demographic slowdown, which could lead to a decline in the number of English speakers from 8% to 3% of the world’s population. Additionally, China’s low birthrate may result in a drop in Mandarin speakers from 10% to 8% of the world.
While this evidence sounds compelling, the study labels all the citizens of the states where French is the official language as “French speakers,” which is not strictly true. “The number of people who speak French continues to increase, and the projections are indeed impressive, but they do not take into account the coexistence of languages, which is the reality in many countries,” says Alexandre Wolff from the Observatory of the French Language.
Whether or not it overtakes Chinese, English, or Spanish in sheer numbers of speakers, we can be sure that French will be a major language of this century’s youth, and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) is focusing on youth to make the most of this opportunity.
To reinforce this priority, the OIF secretary general, Abdou Diouf, created the World Forum of French Language, which was first held in Québec in 2012. The second Forum is slated to take place in Liège, Belgium, in July next year.
The theme of this second forum is “la francophonie creative,” which takes a novel approach citing that “French, through its creativity, is a factor in individual success and the durable development of societies.”
Several programs have been planned integrating innovation and creativity as motors of economic development, using local expertise to inspire the young francophones attending the event in a city known for its creativity.
Young francophone entrepreneurs, innovators, and creators will be the focus of the meeting, using French to build networks and facilitate professional exchanges.
The creativity theme will be divided into five sections: education, economics, culture and cultural industries, citizen participation, and the relationship between language and creativity.
Information on the forum is being posted online at www.forumfrancophonie.org.
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Repealing and Amending Act, 2017
Repealing and Amending Act
Act to repeal certain enactments and to amend certain other enactments.
1. Short title
2. Repeal of certain enactments
3. Amendment of certain enactments
4. Savings
THE FIRST SCHEDULE
THE SECOND SCHEDULE
An Act to repeal certain enactments and to amend certain other enactments.
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Sixty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
This Act may be called the Repealing and Amending Act, 2017.
The enactments specified in the First Schedule are hereby repealed to the extent mentioned in the fourth column thereof.
The enactments specified in the Second Schedule are hereby amended to the extent and in the manner mentioned in the fourth column thereof.
The repeal by this Act of any enactment shall not affect any other enactment in which the repealed enactment has been applied, incorporated or referred to; and this Act shall not affect the validity, invalidity, effect or consequences of anything already done or suffered, or any right, title, obligation or liability already acquired, accrued or incurred, or any remedy or proceeding in respect thereof, or any release or discharge of or from any debt, penalty, obligation, liability, claim or demand, or any indemnity already granted, or the proof of any past act or thing; nor shall this Act affect any principle or rule of law, or established jurisdiction, form or course of pleading, practice or procedure, or existing usage, custom, privilege, restriction, exemption, office or appointment, notwithstanding that the same respectively may have been in any manner affirmed or recognised or derived by, in or from any enactment hereby repealed; nor shall the repeal by this Act of any enactment revive or restore any jurisdiction, office, custom, liability, right, title, privilege, restriction, exemption, usage, practice, procedure or other matter or thing not now existing or in force.
REPEALS
Year No. Short title Extent of repeal 1 2 3 4
1850 XXXVII The Public Servants (Inquiries) Act, 1850 The whole.
1852 VIII The Sheriffs' Fees Act, 1852 The whole.
1866 XXI The Converts' Marriage Dissolution Act, 1866 The whole.
1867 I The Ganges Tolls Act, 1867 The whole.
1892 II The Marriages' Validation Act, 1892 The whole.
1897 I The Public Servants (Inquiries) Amendment Act, 1897 The whole.
1897 V The Repealing and Amending Act, 1897 The whole.
1897 XIV The Indian Short Titles Act, 1897 The whole.
1899 XXIII The Church of Scotland Kirk Sessions Act, 1899 The whole.
1901 XI The Amending Act, 1901 The whole.
1903 I The Amending Act, 1903 The whole.
1928 XII The Hindu Inheritance (Removal of Disabilities) Act, 1928 The whole.
1929 XXI The Transfer of Property (Amendment) Supplementary Act, 1929 So much as is not repealed.
1934 XXVII The Assam Criminal Law Amendment (Supplementary) Act, 1934 The whole.
1935 XIII The Jubbulpore and Chhattisgarh Divisions (Divorce Proceedings Validation) Act, 1935 The whole.
1936 V The Decrees and Orders Validating Act, 1936 The whole.
1936 XVI The Bangalore Marriages Validating Act, 1936 The whole.
1938 XI The Hindu Women's Right to Property (Amendment) Act, 1938 The whole.
1939 XXIX The Indian Tariff (Fourth Amendment) Act, 1939 The whole.
1946 XXII The Mica Mines Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1946 The whole.
1948 XL The Indian Matrimonial Causes (War Marriages) Act, 1948 The whole.
1948 LI The Imperial Library (Change of Name) Act, 1948 The whole.
1950 XXXIII The Opium and Revenue Laws (Extension of Application) Act, 1950 The whole.
1951 I The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1951 So much as is not repealed.
1951 II The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1951 So much as is not repealed.
1953 11 The Administration of Evacuee Property (Amendment) Act, 1953 The whole.
1954 3 The Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Declaration of National Importance) Amendment Act, 1953 The whole.
1955 26 The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1955 So much as is not repealed.
1956 7 The Sales-Tax Laws Validation Act, 1956 The whole.
1956 27 The Representation of the People (Second Amendment) Act, 1956 The whole.
1956 66 The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1956 So much as is not repealed.
1956 70 The Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains The whole.
(Declaration of National Importance) Amendment Act, 1956
1956 93 The Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act, 1956 The whole.
1956 100 The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 1956 The whole.
1959 37 The Central Excises and Salt (Amendment) Act, 1959 So much as is not repealed.
1959 41 The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1959 So much as is not repealed.
1959 48 The Miscellaneous Personal Laws (Extension) Act, 1959 The whole.
1959 59 The Mineral Oils (Additional Duties of Excise and Customs) Amendment Act, 1959 So much as is not repealed.
1959 61 The Married Women's Property (Extension) Act, 1959 The whole.
1960 2 The Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Amendment Act, 1960 So much as is not repealed.
1960 5 The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 1960 So much as is not repealed.
1960 19 The Hindu Marriages (Validation of Proceedings) Act, 1960 The whole.
1960 38 The Central Excises (Conversion to Metric Units) Act, 1960 So much as is not repealed.
1960 40 The Customs Duties and Cesses (Conversion to Metric Units) Act, 1960 So much as is not repealed.
1960 57 The British Statutes (Application to India) Repeal Act, 1960 The whole.
1966 47 The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 1966 So much as is not repealed.
1969 46 The Punjab Legislative Council (Abolition) Act, 1969 The whole.
1971 20 The Bengal Finance (Sales Tax) (Delhi Validation of Appointments and The whole.
Proceedings) Act, 1971
1971 54 The Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition and Development) Amendment and The whole.
Validation Act, 1971
1972 62 The Limestone and Dolomite Mines Labour Welfare Fund Act, 1972 The whole.
1976 91 The Delhi Sales Tax (Amendment and Validation) Act, 1976 The whole.
1981 30 The Cine-workers Welfare Cess Act, 1981 The whole.
1983 20 The Delegated Legislation Provisions (Amendment) Act, 1983 The whole.
1984 1 9 The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Act, 1984 So much as is not repealed.
1985 37 The Tea Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Sick Tea Units) Act, 1985 The whole.
1985 81 The Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 1985 So much as is not repealed.
1986 6 The Additional Duties of Excise (Textiles and Textile Articles) Amendment Act, 1985 The whole.
1986 7 The Additional Duties of Excise (Goods of Special Importance) Second Amendment The whole.
Act, 1985
1986 8 The Customs Tariff (Amendment) Act, 1985 The whole.
1986 19 The Administrative Tribunals (Amendment) Act, 1986 So much as is not repealed.
1986 46 The Taxation Laws (Amendment and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1986 The whole.
1999 29 The Contingency Fund of India (Amendment) Act, 1999 The whole.
1999 31 The Securities Laws (Amendment) Act, 1999 The whole.
1999 32 The Securities Laws (Second Amendment) Act, 1999 The whole.
1999 45 The Vice-President's Pension (Amendment) Act, 1999 The whole.
2000 14 The President's Emoluments and Pension (Amendment) Act, 2000 The whole.
2000 49 The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2000 The whole.
2001 12 The Colonial Prisoners Removal (Repeal) Act, 2001 The whole.
2001 19 The Industrial Disputes (Banking Companies) Decision (Repeal) Act, 2001 The whole.
2001 22 The Judicial Administration Laws (Repeal) Act, 2001 The whole.
2001 24 The Indian Railway Companies (Repeal) Act, 2001 The whole.
2001 25 The Railway Companies (Substitution of Parties in Civil Proceedings) Repeal Act, 2001 The whole.
2001 26 The Hyderabad Export Duties (Validation) Repeal Act, 2001 The whole.
2001 50 The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2001 The whole.
2002 21 The St. John Ambulance Association (India) Transfer of Funds (Repeal) Act, 2002 The whole.
2002 22 The Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2002 The whole.
2002 28 The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Act, 2002 The whole.
2002 59 The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Amendment) Act, 2002 The whole.
2002 68 The North-Eastern Council (Amendment) Act, 2002 The whole.
2003 25 The Customs Tariff (Amendment) Act, 2003 The whole.
2003 31 The Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Act, 2003 The whole.
2004 7 The Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2003 The whole.
2004 28 The Special Tribunals (Supplementary Provisions) Repeal Act, 2004 The whole.
2004 29 The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2004 The whole.
2005 1 The Securities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2004 The whole.
2005 5 The Central Excise Tariff (Amendment) Act, 2004 The whole.
2005 31 The Hire-purchase (Repeal) Act, 2005 The whole.
2006 10 The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (Amendment) Act, 2006 The whole.
2006 20 The Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Act, 2006 The whole.
2006 30 The Union Duties of Excise (Electricity) Distribution Repeal Act, 2006 The whole.
2006 51 The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Act, 2006 The whole.
2007 1 The Administrative Tribunals (Amendment) Act, 2007 The whole.
2007 16 The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act, 2007 Sections 9 to 11.
2007 27 The Securities Contracts (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2007 The whole.
2009 1 The Governors (Emoluments, Allowances and Privileges) Amendment Act, 2008 The whole.
Year No. Short title Amendments 1 2 3 4
2007 29 The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Act,
In clause (d) of section 3, the words "as the case may be" shall be omitted.
2009 27 The Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act,
In sub-section (1) of section 1, for the word and figures "Bill, 2009", the word and figures "Act, 2009" shall be substituted.
2009 35 The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009
In section 1, for the marginal heading, the marginal heading "Short title, extent, application and commencement" shall be substituted.
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Income Tax Appellate Tribunal Itat Jaipur
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal Itat Madras
Judgment Search Results Home > Cases Phrase: income tax act Year: 1985 Page 100 of about 2,217 results (0.146 seconds)
Commissioner of Income-tax Vs. Jumramal Son
Reported in : (1986)50CTR(All)231; [1985]154ITR689(All); [1986]25TAXMAN242(All)
..... per cent, so as to attract section 269c was the sale deed executed between bagla and others and the union of india through the commissioner of income-tax, kanpur. the tribunal had found that as the property had since been sold to the union of india at rs. 45 per square yard, ..... agreed to between the parties was nottruly stated in the sale deed with the object of facilitating concealment ofincome by the transferee for the purpose of income-tax.5. after recording of reasons by the competent authority for initiating acquisition proceedings under section 269c(1) on february 5, 1974, the proceedings were ..... , 1975. against this judgment, the present second appeal has been filed by the commissioner of income-tax under section 269h.10. learned counsel appearing for the revenue urged that the tribunal was in error in splitting up the single transfer of a single ..... of the property bearing no. 122/722 under chapter xxa of the i.t. act.9. aggrieved by the judgment of the competent authority, jumramal filed i.t. (acq.) appeal no. 13 of 1974-75 before the income-tax appellate tribunal. the appeal was allowed by the tribunal by the judgment dated april 29 ..... agrawal, j. 1. this second appeal has been filed by the commissioner of income-tax, under section 269h of the i.t. act, 1961, against the judgment of the income-tax appellate tribunal, 'a' bench, allahabad, dated april 29, 1975.2. asuda singh sold half of his house no. 122/722, hariharnath .....
Commissioner of Income-tax Vs. Royal Amber Resorts
Court : Rajasthan
Reported in : [1987]164ITR311(Raj)
..... to depreciation in respect of immovable property contributed to its capital by one of the partners. both these questions stand concluded by the decision of this court in cit v. amber corporation and cit v. amber corporation , following the decision of their lordships of the supreme court in addanki narayanappa v. bhaskara krishnappa : [1966]3scr400 .3. in narayanappa's case : [1966]3scr400 ..... his contribution towards the assets of the partnership firm, there was no transfer at all within the meaning of the transfer of property act and that there was no provision under the partnership act or under the indian registration act, which requires such bringing in of the property by the partner into the assets of the firm as requiring registration. it was observed ..... 1. we are of the view that the income-tax appellate tribunal, delhi bench-e, delhi, was right in holding that no question of law referable to this court arises in the present case.2. the assessee is a registered ..... , their lordships of the supreme court after a consideration of all the relevant provisions of the indian partnership act laid down the law as under (paragraph 5 at page 1304 .....
Commissioner of Income-tax Vs. Swaroop Chand Kojuram Barmer
Reported in : (1986)54CTR(Raj)104; [1985]154ITR660(Raj)
..... in section 186(1).4. learned counsel for the commissioner submits that the two questions of law arising out of the order passed by the income-tax appellate tribunal dated december 15, 1983, should have been referred by the tribunal to this court. the first question relates to the application ..... the question of refusing to register the firm within the meaning of sub-section (5) of section 185 did not arise. the commissioner of income-tax (appeals) held that the partners should be presumed to have divided the profits earned outside the books as per their respective shares according to the ..... counsel appearing for the commissioner of income-tax, jodhpur.2. the assessee-firm was granted registration and was assessed under the status of a registered firm. the registration granted to the assessee-firm was continued for the subsequent year under section 184(7) of the i.t. act. a duplicate set of account ..... of the provisions of section 185(5) and the second question relates to the distribution of concealed income amongst the partners. as regards the first question, sub-section (5) of section 185 clearly speaks of refusal to register the firm for the ..... books was discovered during survey proceedings under section 133a, which prima facie showed concealed income. after giving notice to the assessee and after referring the matter to the iac, .....
Commissioner of Income-tax Vs. R.V. Briggs and Co. (P.) Ltd.
Court : Kolkata
Reported in : [1985]155ITR495(Cal)
..... payment made by the assessee and disallowed the balance which was determined to be rs. 41,274.6. the assessee preferred a further appeal before the income-tax appellate tribunal. the contention of the assessee before the tribunal was, inter alia, that the liability for payment of the entire additional salary of rs ..... parties could arrive at a fresh settlement which could put an end to the disputes.17. the preamble to the industrial disputes act lays down that the said act is 'an act to make provision for the investigation and settlement of the industrial disputes......'18. it has not been found nor was it the ..... iillj647sc . in this case, the question before the supreme court was whether publication of an award by an industrial tribunal under section 17 of the industrial disputes act, 1947, was directory or mandatory. in dealing with the said question, the supreme court observed, inter alia, that reference to an industrial tribunal was for ..... .11. at the instance of the revenue, the tribunal has referred the following questions for our opinion under section 256(1) of the i.t. act, 1961, as questions of law arising out of the order of the tribunal :'(1) whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case ..... on december 12, 1970.8. it was contended on behalf of the revenue before the tribunal that under section 17(a) of the industrial disputes act, an award became final after the expiry of 30 days from the date of the notification in the gazette. therefore, the award became final on .....
Commissioner of Income-tax Vs. Ramkumar Agarwalla and Brothers
..... aforesaid facts, the two questions were referred to this court.5. the supreme court in the case of brij mohan v. cit : [1979]120itr1(sc) held that where a penalty is imposed for concealment of particulars of income, it is the law ruling at the date on which the act of concealment takes place which is relevant. it is wholly immaterial that the ..... rs. 5,27,184 which included the cash deposits held to be not genuine and treated as income from undisclosed sources. the ito initiated proceedings under section 271(1)(c) of the i.t. act, 1961, and referred the matter to the iac for imposition of penalty.3. on appeal against the quantum, the aac accepted the cash credits as genuine excepting ..... to an assessment year in the past. the concealment of particulars of income is effected by the assessee when the return of income was filed. in this case, the return of income was filed on october 17, 1966, and, accordingly, the explanation to section 271(1)(c) of the i.t. act, 1961, introduced with effect from april 1, 1964, will govern this case ..... and in the circumstances of the case and in view of the fact that the return of income was filed after april 1, 1964, the tribunal was right in holding that the provisions of the explanation to section 271(1)(c) of the i.t. act, 1961, introduced with effect from april 1, 1964, cannot be invoked in this case for the .....
B.V. Aswathaiah and Bros. (Represented by B.S. Kantharaj) Vs. Income-t ...
Reported in : (1986)52CTR(Kar)49; [1985]155ITR422(KAR); [1985]155ITR422(Karn); [1986]27TAXMAN560(Kar)
..... act. in support of his contention, sri sarangan strongly relies on the two division bench rulings of the madras and calcutta high courts in cit v. kadri mills (coimbatore) limited : [1977]106itr846(mad) and cit v. brijlal lohia and mahabir prosad khemka : [1980]124itr485(cal) . 3. sri k. srinivasan, learned senior standing counsel of the income-tax ..... views expressed by the high court of allahabad in laxmi rattan cotton mills' case : [1974]97itr285(all) . 7. section 139(8) of the act read with rule 119a of the rules empowers the ito to levy interest for not 'less than a month' only and not for a period of 30 ..... the construction placed by the high courts of madras and calcutta on the term 'month' which is in accord with that term occurring in the gc act is correct and i am in respectful agreement with the views expressed in these cases. for these reasons and for the very reasons stated by the high ..... bangalore. for the assessment year 1976-77 relevant to the accounting year ending on march 31, 1976, the petitioner filed its return under the i.t. act, 1961 ('the act'), on august 31, 1976, instead of filing the same on july 31, 1976, which was the last day for filing that return under s. 139 ..... his contention. sri srinivasan strongly relies on a division bench ruling of the high court of allahabad in cit v. laxmi rattan cotton mills co. ltd. : [1974]97itr285(all) . 4. the term 'month' occurring in the act and the rules has not been defined and, therefore, the definition of that term, if any, .....
Buddaiah Vs. Commissioner of Income-tax, Karnataka-2
Reported in : (1985)48CTR(Kar)28; [1985]155ITR277(KAR); [1985]155ITR277(Karn); 1985(2)KarLJ128
..... survey nos. 193 and 207/1 on november 8, 1973. 4. in the assessment of the assessee for the assessment year 1974-75, the income-tax officer (ito) brought to tax, under 'capital gains', the compensation received by the assessee in respect of the acquisition of three survey numbers by the citb. the assessee challenged ..... the transfer took place. 9. under s. 2(47) of the i.t. act, the term 'transfer' is defined as : 'transfer', in relation ..... the government under the land acquisition act. 8. under s. 45 of the i.t. act, any profits or gains arising from the transfer of a capital asset effected in the previous year is chargeable to income-tax under the head 'capital gains' and shall be deemed to be the income of the previous year in which ..... in the affirmative and against the assessee. 19. the question is answered accordingly, and we hold that for the purposes of capital gains tax under s. 45 of the i.t. act, the transfer of the lands acquired took place on april 21, 1973, and november 8, 1973, and during the previous year ending ..... rajasekhara murthy, j.1. the income-tax appellate tribunal, bangalore bench, has referred the following question of law for our opinion under s. 256(1) of the i.t. act, 1961, at the instance of the assessee : 'on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, whether the tribunal was .....
Jun 03 1985 (HC)
Commissioner of Income-tax Vs. Bharat Earth Movers Limited
Decided on : Jun-03-1985
Reported in : [1985]156ITR269(KAR); [1985]156ITR269(Karn)
..... words had ignored the oft-quoted classical statement of rowlatt j. in cape brandy syndicate v. irc [1921] 1 kb 64, which reads thus (p. 71) : 'in a taxing act one has to look merely at what is clearly said. there is no room for any intendment. there is no equity about a ..... of the assessee, the tribunal, referring to the dictionary meanings of 'canteen', has held that a 'co-operative stores' was a canteen. section 32(1)(iv) of the act specifying certain types of buildings used for the purpose of residence of persons employed in the business or where the building is used solely or mainly for the welfare of ..... is disputed by the revenue. 6. sri k. srinivasan, learned senior standing counsel appearing for the revenue, contends that on the plain language of s. 32(1)(iv) of the act, a 'co-operative stores' cannot be treated as a 'canteen' for which reason, the initial depreciation claimed on the construction of the same was inadmissible. 7. sri. k. p ..... to answer question no. 2. as regards question no. 3, the assessee had obtained relief for the previous year in i.t.r.c. nos. 70 to 73 of 1978 (cit v. bharat earth movers ltd. : [1985]155itr321(kar) . hence, question no. 3 no longer survives for consideration. we, therefore, hold that it is unnecessary to examine and ..... puttaswamy, j.1. in these cases, the income-tax appellate tribunal, bangalore bench, bangalore (tribunal), at the instance of the assessee and the revenue had stated a case and has referred the following questions of law for .....
Mohan Trading Company and ors. and Hari Shankar Shrivastava and anr. V ...
Court : Madhya Pradesh
Reported in : (1986)52CTR(MP)329; [1985]156ITR134(MP)
..... the impugned provisions and, therefore, they have sufficient interest to raise the question of the constitutional validity of these provisions. the petitioners are businessmen, practising lawyers including income-tax practitioners and other professionals, who may be affected by these provisions. further facts relating to the individual petitioners are not necessary for deciding the question of constitutional validity ..... under article 226 of the constitution, challenge is made to the constitutional validity of ss. 44ab and 271b of the i.t. act, 1961 (hereinafter called 'the act'), introduced in the act by section 11 of the finance act, 1984 (act no. 11 of 1984), rule 6g in chapter ccc introduced in the i.t. rules, 1962 (hereinafter called 'the rules ..... discrimination made between a legal practitioner and an 'accountant' for the purpose of appearance as an ' authorised representative' of the assessee in accordance with section 288 of the act. if a person clubbed with others in section 288 possesses some further qualification enabling him to perform a function in addition to appearnce as an ' authorised representative ' ..... of the impugned provisions. the impugned provisions introduced in the i.t. act, 1961, and the i.t. rules, 1962, are as under :' 44ab. audit of accounts of certain persons carrying on business or professions--every person,-- (a) carrying .....
Murari Lal and ors. Vs. Income-tax Officer a Ward
Court : Punjab and Haryana
Reported in : [1985]154ITR227(P& H)
..... of the i.t. act, 1961, by the ito, hissar (annexure p-4 to this petition), and the proceedings taken thereon be quashed.2. the facts which gave rise to this petition are that petitioner no. 5, the firm messrs mohinder pal ajay kumar, timber merchants, kath mandi, hissar, is an income-tax assessee and is being assessed to income-tax by the ito, a ..... -ward, hissar. on august 31, 1981, the firm, messrs mohinder pal ajay kumar, filed a return of income dated august 31, 1981, along with the copies of statement of accounts, i.e., statutory ..... income chart, profit and loss account, statement of partners account, balance-sheet, etc., for the assessment year 1981-82, relevant ..... made false entries therein regarding the stock held by it and wilfully omitted to mike entries of profit in those books and the act of omission and of making false entries in those books enabled the petitioner firm to evade tax, penalty or interest chargeable or imposable on it and thus committed an offence punishable under section 276c of the i.t .....
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What does Leidos do? Part 7: Systems Engineering and Integration
What does Leidos do? This series explores the science and technology behind our solutions. Today's interview features Juan Amenabar, whose mission is to grow and nurture the company's Systems Engineering and Integration capability.
Here's what we learned.
What is Systems Engineering and Integration, and why is it important to Leidos?
Systems Engineering and Integration is about seeing the entire picture, and the connections between the elements of that picture. The purpose of systems engineering is to architect, develop, operate, maintain and retire the right product or service within budget and schedule. This requires a common understanding of the system’s current state and a vision of future needs. We pride ourselves on being a system integrator and solutions provider for technically challenging problems of national importance.
Why is this so important to our customers?
The marketplace changed dramatically over the 20th century and beyond. It used to take an average of 44 years (cars, phones, electricity) for a product to penetrate the market by 25 percent. Today, the average is 17 years (cell phones, personal computers, the Internet) and that trend is continuing down. This is due to an increasing level of "system of systems" integration. It not only makes the need for systems engineering more important, it also changes the way in which systems engineering is done.
Now, when we look at new systems, we really look at existing commercially available solutions and technologies, and we integrate those capabilities in a much faster development cycle. As a result of that shorter time to market, and the large number of interfaces to be managed, complexity is much greater. You need to be able to balance all of your requirements, designs, and architecture in a short amount of time. It necessitates an incredible amount of rigor from systems engineers, as well as the implementation of new approaches such as Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).
We pride ourselves on being a system integrator and solutions provider for technically challenging problems of national importance.
Juan Amenabar, Systems Engineering and Integration Lead
What is the company's specific approach to systems engineering?
Our approach is holistic. We look at all the interconnected parts of a problem. Our brand of science is collaborative, with knowledge shared across disciplines. Our approach is also agile and lean. We tailor the correct approach suitable to customer needs. We ensure that the right amount of systems engineering required for mission success is correctly applied.
Why was Systems Engineering & Integration designated as a Leidos technical core competency?
Systems Engineering and Integration is a foundational capability for this company. It is basic to the DNA of every technical project we work on, particularly complex integration and development projects. Systems Engineering and Integration is something we must do well in order to satisfy the mission requirements of our customers. Systems thinking is at the core of what we do. The ability to understand interfaces, how to test them, and how to verify that the original requirements are met is what we’re all about.
What does Leidos aspire to in systems engineering?
As the company has grown, our intent has changed from doing small projects to doing very large, competitive projects. But we don't want to become just another gigantic, monolithic systems engineering company. Our lean and agile approach ensures that the right amount of systems engineering is present, and that we can quickly adjust to changing environments and customer needs. Some larger companies come in and say, "Here's our solution. Take it or leave it." We have the ability to adjust to the customer’s changing needs, and we want that to continue.
What are the company's top success stories in this domain?
One particular example is the DHMSM contract, which supports the Department of Defense's efforts to modernize military healthcare systems. It's our largest contract ever in value. The project has a huge demand for strong systems engineering. One of the reasons we won is because we presented a very strong systems engineering approach.
We have customers such as DARPA and IARPA, who we work with on cutting-edge, classified technology. Our advanced solutions in sensor integration and marine systems include programs such as ACTUV and TRAPS. These programs went through a very fast, accelerated implementation of systems engineering after years of research. These programs are evolving from research and development to actual programs of record for the U.S. Armed Forces. On the civil side, we support customers like NASA, the FAA and DHS, where we bring years of research and evolved solutions in play. Our corporation spans a full range from research to mature system deployment and operations. Our approach is tailored to support the customer needs to ensure mission success in their respective areas.
To read this series in its entirety, please click below:
Q&A with John Fratamico
Operations and Logistics
Systems Engineering and Integration
Brandon Buckner Senior Editorial Manager
Brandon is a writer and content marketer based in the Washington, D.C. area. He loves to cover emerging technology and its power to improve society.
Brandon Buckner
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ARCADIA, OHIO, et al., Petitioners v. OHIO POWER COMPANY et al.
498 U.S. 73 (111 S.Ct. 415, 112 L.Ed.2d 374)
No. 89-1283.
Argued: Oct. 1, 1990.
Decided: Nov. 27, 1990.
opinion, SCALIA [HTML]
concurrence, STEVENS, MARSHALL [HTML]
See 498 U.S. 1075, 111 S.Ct. 804.
Respondent Ohio Power Co. is subject to the overlapping regulatory jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) under the Federal Power Act (FPA). In a series of orders authorizing Ohio Power to establish and capitalize an affiliate to secure and develop a reliable source of coal, the SEC specified that the price Ohio Power paid for such coal could be no greater than (and, in one order, equal to) the affiliate's actual costs. Subsequently, FERC declared coal charges complying with this specification unreasonable and thus unrecoverable in Ohio Power's rates to its wholesale customers, including petitioner municipalities, rejecting Ohio Power's argument that the SEC, by the above-mentioned orders, had "approved" the affiliate's charges, and that § 318 of the FPA ousts FERC of jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals reversed, holding FERC's disallowance of the charges to be precluded by § 318, which is captioned "Conflict of jurisdiction," and which provides that "if, with respect to the issue, sale, or guaranty of a security, or assumption of obligation or liability in respect of a security, the method of keeping accounts, the filing of reports, or the acquisition or disposition of any security, capital assets, facilities, or any other subject matter, any person is subject both to a requirement of PUHCA and to a requirement of the FPA, the PUHCA requirement . . . shall apply . . ., and such person shall not be subject to the FPA requirement . . . with respect to the same subject matter . . . ." (Emphasis added.)
1. Section 318 has no application to this case. The phrase "or any other subject matter" does not, as the lower court assumed, parallel the other listed subjects "with respect to which" duplicative agency requirements will trigger the pre-emption rule. Rather, it is part of the phrase that reads "the acquisition or disposition of any security, capital assets, facilities, or any other subject matter." Besides being more faithful to the precise words of the text, this reading allows § 318 to take on a shape that gives meaning to what otherwise seems a random listing of specific subject matters (with "any other subject matter" tagged on at the end). The section addresses conflicts of jurisdiction within four areas of plainly parallel authority granted both to the SEC and FERC by particular sets of PUHCA and FPA sections. This is confirmed by expert commentary and by the practice of FERC and its predecessor, which have never decided a § 318 issue except in connection with orders promulgated under one of the four enumerated categories. Thus, § 318 applies only if the "same subject matter" as to which the duplicative requirements exist is one of those specifically enumerated, and not some different, more general "other subject matter," as the lower court believed. Even assuming that FERC's rate order affecting the sale of electric power qualifies as a requirement "with respect to . . . the . . . disposition of . . . any other subject matter," it is still a requirement with respect to a different subject matter from Ohio Power's acquisition of its affiliate, which was the subject of the SEC orders. Pp. 77-85.
2. This Court expresses no view on, but leaves to the lower court to resolve, the arguments that FERC's decision violates its own regulation providing that the price of fuel purchased from an affiliate shall be deemed to be reasonable where subject to the jurisdiction of a regulatory body, and that the FERC-prescribed rate is not "just and reasonable" because it "traps" costs which the SEC has implicitly approved. P. 85.
279 U.S.App.D.C. 327, 880 F.2d 1400 (1989), reversed and remanded.
SCALIA, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which all other Members joined, except SOUTER, J., who took no part in the consideration or decision of the case. STEVENS, J., filed a concurring opinion, in which MARSHALL, J., joined, post, p. ----.
Carter G. Phillips, Washington, D.C., for petitioners.
Lawrence G. Wallace, Washington, D.C., for the federal respondent in support of petitioners, by special leave of Court.
Edward Berlin, Washington, D.C., for private respondents.
Justice SCALIA delivered the opinion of the Court.
This case concerns the interpretation of § 318 of the Federal Power Act, as added, 49 Stat. 863, 16 U.S.C. 825q, entitled "Conflict of jurisdiction," which governs certain overlapping responsibilities of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the regulation of power companies under the Public Utility Act of 1935, 49 Stat. 803.
* The Public Utility Act subjects some companies that transmit and distribute electric power to overlapping regulatory jurisdiction of the SEC and FERC, successor to the Federal Power Commission (FPC). Title I, known as the Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA), 49 Stat. 803, gives the SEC jurisdiction over certain transactions among registered public utility holding companies and their subsidiaries and affiliates. Title II, the Federal Power Act (FPA), 49 Stat. 838, gives FERC jurisdiction over the transmission and sale at wholesale of electric power in interstate commerce. FERC-regulated electric power companies that are subsidiaries or affiliates of registered public utility holding companies are therefore subject to SEC regulation as well. Respondent Ohio Power Company, part of the American Electric Power system (AEP), is one such company; petitioners are 15 small Ohio villages and cities that are AEP's wholesale customers.
The dispute in this case begins in a series of orders issued by the SEC in the 1970's, authorizing Ohio Power to establish and capitalize an affiliate, Southern Ohio Coal Company (SOCCO), to secure and develop a reliable source of coal for the whole AEP system. The first order, in 1971, approved the sale and purchase of SOCCO's stock, and in the course of outlining the conditions of that approval, stated that SOCCO's charges for coal would be "based on" actual costs. Ohio Power Co., SEC Holding Company Act Release (HCAR) No. 17383 (Dec. 2, 1971). In 1978, the SEC authorized further investment by Ohio Power, and this time its order indicated that the price of coal "will not exceed the cost thereof to the seller." Ohio Power Co., HCAR No. 20515 (Apr. 24, 1978), 14 S.E.C. Docket 928, 929. In 1979, in the course of another financing approval order, the SEC noted that Ohio Power would pay SOCCO less than the actual cost of coal if Ohio Power's after-tax capital costs exceeded a certain level. Southern Ohio Coal Co., HCAR No. 21008 (Apr. 17, 1979). The final order in 1980, approving further SOCCO financing, indicated that "the price at which SOCCO's coal will be sold to AEP system companies will not exceed the cost thereof to the seller." Southern Ohio Coal Co., HCAR No. 21537 (Apr. 25, 1980).
In 1982, Ohio Power filed rate increases for its wholesale service. FERC initiated a rate proceeding under §§ 205 and 206 of the FPA, 16 U.S.C. 824d, 824e, and quickly settled all issues save the reasonableness of Ohio Power's SOCCO coal costs. Pursuant to § 206 of the FPA, FERC disallowed that portion of Ohio Power's coal costs that did not satisfy FERC's "comparable market" test. Under this test, utilities that purchase coal from affiliates may recover only the price that they would have incurred had they purchased coal under a comparable coal supply contract with a nonaffiliated supplier. In Ohio Power's case, FERC found that Ohio Power had paid approximately 50% more than that market price in 1980, approximately 94% more in 1981, and between 24% and 33% more during the period 1982 through 1986. Accordingly, FERC ordered Ohio Power to establish rates calculated to recover from its customers no more than the comparable market price for coal, and to refund prior overcharges. The agency rejected Ohio Power's argument that the SEC, by the above-mentioned orders, had "approved" the coal charges by SOCCO, and that § 318 of the FPA ousts FERC of jurisdiction to regulate the same "subject matter" by declaring those charges unreasonable and thus unrecoverable in Ohio Power's wholesale rates. Ohio Power Co., 39 FERC ¶ 61,098 (1987).
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed, holding FERC's disallowance of the charges to be precluded by § 318. Ohio Power Co. v. FERC, 279 U.S.App.D.C. 327, 880 F.2d 1400 (1989). We granted certiorari. 494 U.S. 1055, 110 S.Ct. 1522, 108 L.Ed.2d 762 (1990).
As decided by the Court of Appeals, and as argued here, two questions were presented in this case: (1) whether § 318 bars all FERC regulation of a subject matter regulated by the SEC, or only such regulation as actually imposes a conflicting requirement; and (2) if an actual conflict is prerequisite, whether it exists here. In our view, however, there is another question antecedent to these and ultimately dispositive of the present dispute: whether the SEC and FERC orders before us impose requirements with respect to a subject matter that is within the scope of § 318. We believe they do not.
Section 318 provides as follows:
"Conflict of jurisdiction
"If, with respect to the issue, sale, or guaranty of a security, or assumption of obligation or liability in respect of a security, the method of keeping accounts, the filing of reports, or the acquisition or disposition of any security, capital assets, facilities, or any other subject matter, any person is subject both to a requirement of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or of a rule, regulation, or order thereunder and to a requirement of this chapter or of a rule, regulation, or order thereunder, the requirement of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 shall apply to such person, and such person shall not be subject to the requirement of this chapter, or of any rule, regulation, or order thereunder, with respect to the same subject matter, unless the Securities and Exchange Commission has exempted such person from such requirement of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, in which case the requirements of this chapter shall apply to such person." (Emphasis added.)
Crucial to the outcome of the present case is the lengthy conditional clause that begins this section, setting forth a list of subjects "with respect to which" duplicative requirements will trigger the pre-emption rule. More specifically, the key to the outcome is the phrase "or any other subject matter," which we have italicized in the above passage. The Court of Appeals appears to have assumed that it parallels the other phrases setting forth various objects of the prepositional phrase "with respect to." We do not think it reasonably bears that interpretation.
To begin with, that interpretation renders the preceding enumeration of specific subjects entirely superfluous--in effect adding to that detailed list "or anything else." Because the other four categories of enumeration are so disparate, the canon of ejusdem generis cannot be invoked to prevent the phrase "or any other subject matter" from swallowing what precedes it, leaving a statute that might as well have read "If, with respect to any subject matter. . . ." Such an interpretation should not be adopted unless the language renders it unavoidable. Here, however, the text not only does not compel that result but positively militates against it.
As the Court of Appeals read § 318, the conditional clause lists five separate areas of duplicative requirements. Bracketed numbers inserted into the text would appear as follows: "If, with respect to 1 the issue, sale, or guaranty of a security, or assumption of obligation or liability in respect of a security, 2 the method of keeping accounts, 3 the filing of reports, or 4 the acquisition or disposition of any security, capital assets, facilities, or 5 any other subject matter . . ."
This reading, however, creates two problems of enumeration: First, it renders the "or" that introduces the fourth category duplicative ("If, with respect to 1, 2, 3, or 4, or 5"), and second, it produces the peculiar omission of an "or" before the last item listed within the text of the fourth category ("the acquisition or disposition of any security, capital assets, facilities"). In casual conversation, perhaps, such absentminded duplication and omission are possible, but Congress is not presumed to draft its laws that way. The attribution of such imprecision is readily avoided by placing the phrase "or any other subject matter" within the fourth enumeration clause, reading that to embrace "4 the acquisition or disposition of any security, capital assets, facilities, or any other subject matter." It is inelegant, perhaps, to refer to "the acquisition or disposition of . . . a subject matter," but that inelegance must be preferred to a reading that introduces both redundancy and omission, and that renders the section's careful enumeration of subjects superfluous.
Moreover, and most importantly, when § 318 is read in this fashion it takes on a shape that gives meaning to what otherwise seems a random listing of specific subject matters (with "any other subject matter" tagged on at the end). So interpreted, it addresses (as its caption promises) the "Conflict of jurisdiction" within four areas of plainly parallel authority granted both to the SEC, under PUHCA, and to the FPC (FERC), under the FPA. The first category, "the issue, sale, or guaranty of a security, or assumption of obligation or liability in respect of a security," refers to § 204 of the FPA, 16 U.S.C. 824c, which requires all such transactions to be approved by FERC order, and to § 6 of PUHCA, 15 U.S.C. 79f, which in certain cases requires similar approval by the SEC; the second, "the method of keeping accounts," refers to § 301, 16 U.S.C. 825, which authorizes FERC to prescribe accounts and records, and to § 15, 15 U.S.C. 79o, which similarly authorizes the SEC; the third, "the filing of reports," refers to § 304, 16 U.S.C. 825c, which authorizes FERC to require "periodic or special reports," and § 14, 15 U.S.C. 79n, which similarly empowers the SEC; and the fourth, "the acquisition or disposition of any security, capital assets, facilities, or any other subject matter" refers to § 203, 16 U.S.C. 824b, which requires all purchases of securities of other public utilities, and all sales of facilities worth more than $50,000, to be approved by FERC order, and to § 9, 15 U.S.C. 79i, which requires SEC approval of acquisitions of "securities and utility assets and other interests." The language of § 318 does not track precisely the language of any of these other sections, but the PUHCA and FPA sections making up each of the four sets are not themselves precisely parallel, so that some alternative formulation to bridge the gap would be expected.
Our reading is confirmed by longtime understanding and practice. An expert commentary upon the specific topic of overlapping SEC and FPC jurisdiction, written about 10 years after passage of the Public Utility Act, assumed as we have that § 318 implicated only the four FPC sections that we have identified. See Welch, Functions of the Federal Power Commission in Relation to the Securities and Exchange Commission, 14 Geo.Wash.L.Rev. 81, 88 (1945). And as far as we have been able to determine, in 50 years of administering the FPA, FERC and its predecessor, the FPC, have never decided an issue under § 318 except in connection with orders promulgated under those four sections. 1 Never before this case has § 318 been used as a general conflicts provision, policing the entire regulatory border between the two agencies. 2
It is not necessarily true that § 318 gives the SEC precedence only when the specific sections that we have referred to are the jurisdictional basis for both the FERC and the SEC actionas they are not, of course, here. But the text of the section, as we have explicated it above, does require that the "same subject matter" as to which the duplicative requirements exist be one of those specifically enumerated, and not some different, more general "other subject matter"such as what the Court of Appeals relied upon, "the price term of sales contracts between associated companies," 279 U.S.App.D.C., at 333, 880 F.2d, at 1406. In the context of the present case, the only enumerated subject matter conceivablypertinent is contained within what we have referred to as the fourth category. To prevail under § 318, Ohio Power would have to establish that it has been subjected both to an SEC requirement under PUHCA and to a FERC requirement under the FPA, "with respect to . . . the acquisition or disposition of any security, capital assets, facilities, or any other subject matter." The acquisition of SOCCO by Ohio Power might fit the quoted description, so that requirements in the SEC orders might qualify; but it is impossible to identify any FERC requirement that is imposed (as § 318 demands) "with respect to the same subject matter." One might say, we suppose, that a FERC rate requirement is imposed "with respect to the disposition" of electric powerthough it does some violence to the interpretive rule of ejusdem generis to say that electric power qualifies as an "other subject matter" at the end of a list that includes securities, capital assets, and facilities, see, e.g., Harrison v. PPG Industries, Inc., 446 U.S. 578, 588, 100 S.Ct. 1889, 1895, 64 L.Ed.2d 525 (1980); id., at 601, 100 S.Ct., at 1902 (REHNQUIST, J., dissenting); Third National Bank in- Nash ville v. Impac Limited, Inc., 432 U.S. 312, 322, 97 S.Ct. 2307, 2313, 53 L.Ed.2d 368 (1977). But even if one accepts that FERC's rate order is a requirement qualifying under § 318, it is still a requirement with respect to a different subject matter from (and not, as § 318 requires, "with respect to the same subject matter" as) the acquisition of SOCCO. The combination of SEC requirements with respect to the acquisition of SOCCO and FERC requirements with respect to the disposition of electric power would not bring § 318 into play. 3
Our conclusion that § 318 has no application to this case does not end review of the FERC order. Remaining to be resolved is the alternative ground relied upon by Judge Mikva's concurrence in the Court of Appeals, Ohio Power Co. v. FERC, 279 U.S.App.D.C., at 337, 880 F.2d, at 1410namely, the argument that FERC's decision violates its own regulation, which provides that where the price of fuel purchased from an affiliate "is subject to the jurisdiction of a regulatory body, such cost shall be deemed to be reasonable and includable" in wholesale rates. 18 CFR § 35.14(a)(7) (1990). Also available, and unresolved by the Court of Appeals, is the argument that the FERC-prescribed rate is not "just and reasonable" because it "traps" costs which the Government itself has approveddisregarding a governmental assurance, possibly implicit in the SEC approvals, that Ohio Power will be permitted to recoup the cost of acquiring and operating SOCCO. Cf. Nantahala Power & Light Co. v. Thornburg, 476 U.S. 953, 106 S.Ct. 2349, 90 L.Ed.2d 943 (1986). We express no view on these questions, and leave them to be resolved by the Court of Appeals.
The judgment is reversed, and the case remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Justice SOUTER took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.
Justice STEVENS, with whom Justice MARSHALL joins, concurring.
While I join the Court's opinion because I am persuaded that its interpretation of the statute is correct, I add this additional explanation of my vote because neither the parties, the interested agencies, nor the Court of Appeals considered the construction of § 318 that the Court adopts today. 1
Even if § 318 were read broadly to give the SEC priority over FERC whenever the requirements of the two agencies conflict, I would come to the same conclusion. The SEC's orders at issue in this case do not conflict with FERC's requirement that Ohio Power recover only the market price of coal from its customers. The SEC's orders approving the creation and capitalization of SOCCO do not require it to pass all coal production costs on to Ohio Power and its affiliates. 2 At most, these orders establish a ceiling requiring that the price SOCCO charges its affiliates for coal remains at or below its costs. The market price for coal during the time relevant to this proceeding has been less than SOCCO's costs. 3 Consequently, Ohio Power is able to comply with the requirements of both agencies.
There is no risk of conflict between the requirements of the SEC and FERC in this case. The SEC's orders limit the price which Ohio Power pays its supplierSOCCO. The FERC's order, on the other hand, limits what portion of its fuel costs Ohio Power may pass along to its customers. The two agencies' requirements limit Ohio Power's financial relationships with different partiesits supplier and its customers. The two requirements also concern different aspects of fuel coststhe amount Ohio Power must pay for its fuel and how much of those fuel costs it can recover directly from its customers.
Finally, it is significant that the Court of Appeals' reading of § 318 would create a gap in the regulatory scheme that Congress could not have intended. Congress enacted PUHCA to prevent financial abuses among public utility holding companies and their affiliates. Gulf States Utilities Co. v. FPC, 411 U.S. 747, 758, 93 S.Ct. 1870, 1877, 36 L.Ed.2d 635 (1973); see also § 1(b) of PUHCA, 15 U.S.C. 79a(b). It entrusted the SEC, the agency with the expertise in financial transactions and corporate finance, with the task of administering the Act. The SEC carries out its duties essentially by monitoring inter-affiliate financial transactions and eliminating potential conflicts of interest. See generally Public Utility Holding Company Act: Hearings on H.R. 5220, H.R. 5465, and H.R. 6134 before the Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, 97th Cong., 2d Sess., 553, 579-583 (1982). Congress enacted the FPA to regulate the wholesale interstate sale and distribution of electricity. Gulf States Utilities Co. v. FPC, supra, at 758, 93 S.Ct., at 1877. It entrusted the administration of the FPA to the FPC and later FERC as the agency with the proper technical expertise required to regulate energy transmission. One of the FPA's principal goals is to ensure that the rates customers pay for their electricity are "just and reasonable." See §§ 205, 206(a) of the FPA, 16 U.S.C. 824d, 824e(a).
Congress enacted PUHCA to supplement, not to supplant, the FPA. Yet, this is the effect that the Court of Appeals opinion would have in those areas in which the two agencies' authority overlap. In these overlapping areas, the subject matter would come under the scrutiny of only the SEC despite the difference between the goals and expertise of the two agencies. 4 As the Court of Appeals decision would apply in this case, Ohio Power would be allowed to buy coal at prices that would be higher than those paid by any utility not owned by a holding company, and then pass those higher costs along to its customers. I do not believe that Congress intended to relieve utilities owned by holding companies of substantial technical regulation because of their corporate structure. It intended those utilities to be subject to the regulation of both the SEC and FERC as much as practicable. The Court's construction of § 318 is consistent with this goal.
The vast majority of these were orders under § 203, in connection with utilities' requests for approval of merger or of disposition of assets. See Florida Power Corp., 2 FERC ¶ 61,038, p. 61,092 (1978); Potomac Edison Co., 54 F.P.C. 1465, 1466 (1975); Union Light, Heat & Power Co.,
39 F.P.C. 277, 279 (1968); Buckeye Power, Inc., 38 F.P.C. 519, 520 (1967); Buckeye Power, Inc., 38 F.P.C. 253, 259 (1967); Minnesota Power & Light Co., 37 F.P.C. 1059, 1060-1061 (1967); Arkansas Power & Light Co., 35 F.P.C. 341, 341 (1966); Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc., 34 F.P.C. 107, 108 (1965); Public Service Co. of New Hampshire, 34 F.P.C. 17, 20 (1965); Arkansas Power & Light Co., 32 F.P.C. 1537, 1539 (1964); Pennsylvania Power & Light Co., 32 F.P.C. 1263, 1265 (1964); Kentucky Utilities Co., 32 F.P.C. 622, 623 (1964); South Carolina Electric & Gas Co., 29 F.P.C. 1045, 1048 (1963); Philadelphia Electric Co., 28 F.P.C. 1025, 1027 (1962); Arkansas Power & Light Co., 28 F.P.C. 844, 846 (1962); Pennsylvania Electric Co., 27 F.P.C. 81, 84 (1962); Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co., 25 F.P.C. 1195, 1196 (1961); Arkansas Power & Light Co., 25 F.P.C. 1151, 1152 (1961); Alabama Power Co., 25 F.P.C. 1018, 1020 (1961); Northern States Power Co., 25 F.P.C. 974, 977 (1961); Central Vermont Public Service Corp., 25 F.P.C. 146, 149 (1961); Northern States Power Co., 24 F.P.C. 457, 460 (1960); Commonwealth Edison Co., 24 F.P.C. 94, 96 (1960); Minnesota Power & Light Co., 23 F.P.C. 868, 869 (1960); Mississippi Valley Public Service Co., 23 F.P.C. 104, 108 (1960); Central Vermont Public Service Corp., 22 F.P.C. 737, 739 (1959); Arkansas Power & Light Co., 22 F.P.C. 457, 458 (1959); Northern States Power Co., 21 F.P.C. 780, 782 (1959); Conowingo Power Co., 21 F.P.C. 511, 513-514 (1959); Philadelphia Electric Power Co., 21 F.P.C. 157, 160 (1959); Wisconsin Michigan Power Co., 20 F.P.C. 358, 360 (1958); Northern States Power Co., 20 F.P.C. 355, 357 (1958); Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc., 20 F.P.C. 205, 206-207 (1958); Orange & Rockland Electric Co., 19 F.P.C. 269, 276 (1958); Pacific Gas & Electric Co., 18 F.P.C. 827, 829 (1957); Northern States Power Co., 18 F.P.C. 532, 536-537 (1957); Pennsylvania Power & Light Co., 18 F.P.C. 525, 528 (1957); Northern States Power Co., 18 F.P.C. 395, 397 (1957); Northern States Power Co., 18 F.P.C. 135, 137 (1957); Kentucky Utilities Co., 18 F.P.C. 44, 46 (1957); Amesbury Electric Light Co., 18 F.P.C. 1 (1957); Nantahala Power & Light Co., 17 F.P.C. 899, 901 (1957); Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co., 17 F.P.C. 669, 670 (1957); Northern States Power Co., 17 F.P.C. 639, 641 (1957); Georgia Power & Light Co., 17 F.P.C. 324, 327 (1957); Northern States Power Co., 16 F.P.C. 876, 880 (1956); Scranton Electric Co., 15 F.P.C. 1078, 1081 (1956); St. Joseph Light & Power Co., 14 F.P.C. 985 (1955); Frontier Power Co., 14 F.P.C. 941, 944 (1955); Carolina Aluminum Co., 14 F.P.C. 829, 830 (1955); Baltimore Gas & Electric Co., 14 F.P.C. 821, 822 (1955); [Footnote 1 continued on page 82]
The slight indication in the legislative history that conferees who added the phrase "or any other subject matter" might have intended such a general conflicts provision, cf. H.R.Conf.Rep. No. 1903, 74th Cong., 1st Sess., 75 (1935), is contradicted by the fact that their revision eliminated the word "or" that had previously appeared before "facilities," rather than the "or" that introduced the fourth category. Compare id., at 63 with S. 2796, 74th Cong., 1st Sess., 292 (in House, June 13, 1935), and S. 2796, 74th Cong., 1st Sess., 295 (in Senate, May 13, 1935). In any case, the legislative history is overborne by the text.
Pennsylvania Water & Power Co., 14 F.P.C. 706, 711 (1955); Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co., 14 F.P.C. 639, 641 (1955); Connecticut River Power Co., 14 F.P.C. 501, 503 (1955); Pacific Gas & Electric Co., 13 F.P.C. 1563, 1564 (1954); Pacific Gas & Electric Co., 13 F.P.C. 1334, 1335 (1954); Rockland Light & Power Co., 13 F.P.C. 1300, 1302 (1954); Kentucky Utilities Co., 13 F.P.C. 907, 908 (1954); West Penn Power Co., 13 F.P.C. 866, 868 (1954); Ohio Edison Co., 12 F.P.C. 1437, 1438 (1953); Lake Superior District Power Co., 12 F.P.C. 1434, 1435 (1953); Wisconsin Power & Light Co., 12 F.P.C. 1394, 1395-1396 (1953); Wisconsin Michigan Power Co., 12 F.P.C. 1318, 1319 (1953); Louisiana Power & Light Co., 12 F.P.C. 1168, 1169 (1953); Kansas City Power & Light Co., 11 F.P.C. 1112, 1113 (1952); Kansas Gas & Electric Co., 11 F.P.C. 1114, 1115-1116 (1952); Potomac Light & Power Co., 11 F.P.C. 1069, 1070 (1952); South Penn Power Co., 11 F.P.C. 1070, 1071 (1952); Missouri Public Service Co., 10 F.P.C. 1120, 1122 (1951); Athol Gas & Electric Co., 10 F.P.C. 729, 731 (1951); Pennsylvania Electric Co., 9 F.P.C. 1304, 1306 (1950); Rhode Island Power Transmission Co., 9 F.P.C. 942, 944 (1950); Wisconsin Power & Light Co., 9 F.P.C. 859, 861 (1950); Northwestern Illinois Gas & Electric Co., 9 F.P.C. 862, 863-864 (1950); Indiana & Michigan Electric Co., 9 F.P.C. 617, 619 (1950); Potomac Electric Power Co., 8 F.P.C. 997, 997 (1949); Bellows Falls Hydro-Electric Corp., 7 F.P.C. 777, 780 (1948); Pennsylvania Power & Light Co., 6 F.P.C. 428, 429 (1947); Northern Virginia Power Co., 5 F.P.C. 458, 459 (1946); Central Vermont Public Service Corp., 4 F.P.C. 1001, 1002 (1945); Worcester Suburban Electric Co., 4 F.P.C. 929, 930-931 (1945); Wachusett Electric Co., 4 F.P.C. 920, 921 (1945); California Public Service Co., 4 F.P.C. 812, 814 (1944); Utah Power & Light Co., 4 F.P.C. 791, 792 (1944); Indiana General Service Co., 4 F.P.C. 783, 785 (1944); Empire District Electric Co., 4 F.P.C. 665, 669 (1944); Virginia Electric & Power Co., 4 F.P.C. 51, 53-54 (1944); Eastern Shore Public Service Co., 4 F.P.C. 382, 384 (1943); Otter Tail Power Co., 3 F.P.C. 1054, 1056 (1943); Superior Water, Light & Power Co., 3 F.P.C. 960, 962 (1943); Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co., 3 F.P.C. 883, 885 (1942); Point Pleasant Water & Light Co., 3 F.P.C. 755, 757 (1942); Eastern Shore Public Service Co., 3 F.P.C. 723, 724 (1942); Florida Power Co., 3 F.P.C. 719, 719 (1942); Virginia Public Service Co., 3 F.P.C. 704, 706 (1942); Associated Maryland Electric Power Corp., 3 F.P.C. 646, 652 (1942); Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., 3 F.P.C. 629, 631 (1942); In re Pennsylvania Electric Co., 3 F.P.C. 544, 546 (1943); In re Pennsylvania Electric Co., 3 F.P.C. 557, 558 (1943); In re Olcott Falls Co., 3 F.P.C. 310, 312 (1942); South Carolina Electric & Gas Co., 3 F.P.C. 1007, 1011 (1943); Otter Tail Power Co., 2 F.P.C. 935, 936 (1941); In re Twin State Gas & Electric Co., 2 F.P.C. 122, 123 (1940); Lexington Utilities Co., 1 F.P.C. 787, 787 (1939); In re Evans, 1 F.P.C. 511, 515-518 (1937). [Footnote 1 continued on page 83.]
A large number of orders discussing § 318 arose under § 204, in connection with requests for approval of securities sales or issuance. See Buckeye Power, Inc., 38 F.P.C., at 259; Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc., 34 F.P.C., at 108; Philadelphia Electric Co., 28 F.P.C., at 1027; Utah Power & Light Co., 28 F.P.C. 97, 98-99 (1962); Pacific Power & Light Co., 27 F.P.C. 623, 626 (1962); Northern States Power Co., 25 F.P.C. 974, 977 (1961); Northern States Power Co., 24 F.P.C. 457, 460 (1960); Mississippi Valley Public Service Co., 23 F.P.C., at 108; Holyoke Water Power Co., 21 F.P.C. 676, 678 (1959); Conowingo Power Co., 21 F.P.C., at 513-514; Minnesota Power & Light Co., 21 F.P.C. 214, 215 (1959); Northern States Power Co., 20 F.P.C. 355, 357 (1958); Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc., 20 F.P.C., at 207; Orange & Rockland Electric Co., 19 F.P.C., at 275-276; Holyoke Water Power Co., 18 F.P.C. 821, 826 (1957); Northern States Power Co., 18 F.P.C., at 536-537; Kentucky Utilities Co., 18 F.P.C. 44, 46 (1957); Northern States Power Co., 16 F.P.C., at 880; Interstate Power Co., 15 F.P.C. 1355, 1356-1357 (1956); Rockland Light & Power Co., 13 F.P.C., at 1302; Wisconsin River Power Co., 8 F.P.C. 1111, 1112 (1949); In re Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co., 5 F.P.C. 52, 54 (1946); Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., 3 F.P.C., at 631; California Electric Power Co., 2 F.P.C. 1099, 1100 (1941); Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., 2 F.P.C. 1027, 1028 (1941); Otter Tail Power Co., 2 F.P.C. 1022, 1024-1025 (1941); Nevada-California Electric Co., 2 F.P.C. 956, 957 (1941); Otter Tail Power Co., 2 F.P.C., at 937; In re Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., 2 F.P.C. 350, 356 (1941); Sierra Pacific Power Co., 2 F.P.C. 839, 841 (1940); Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., 2 F.P.C. 831, 833 (1940).
Only a few orders involved § 301 (accounting requirements) and § 304 (reporting requirements). See Appalachian Power Co., 28 F.P.C. 1199, 1223-1237 (1962); Jersey Central Power & Light Co., 14 F.P.C. 858, 859 (1955); Metropolitan Edison Co., 14 F.P.C. 736, 737 (1955); In re Arkansas Power & Light Co., 8 F.P.C. 106, 127-128 (1949); Northern Indiana Public Service Co., 4 F.P.C. 1070, 1071 (1945); In re Superior Water, Light & Power Co., 3 F.P.C. 254, 257 (1942).
The same conclusion would follow if we regarded the action qualifying for § 318 treatment to be, not Ohio Power's acquisition of SOCCO, but Ohio Power's acquisition of coal (implicit in its acquisition of SOCCO). It remains impossible to find any FERC requirement imposed "with respect to the same" acquisition. The FERC pricing requirement imposed with respect to the disposition of electric power is still not pre-empted by § 318.
I agree with the Court that the legislative history provides little guidance in interpreting the scope of § 318's " 'other subject matter' " language. See ante, at 421, n. 2. The relevant information provided by the legislative history essentially cancels itself out. The Conference Report on the Public Utility Act contains a statement to the effect that the "or other subject matter" language in § 318 should be read as all inclusive. That Report stated: "The conference substitute [of § 318] is enlarged to include any conflict arising under this bill." H.R.Conf.Rep. No. 1903, 74th Cong., 1st Sess., 75 (1935). The revision of § 318 that accompanied that Report, however, contained language that indicates that "or any other subject matter" is a subset of the "acquisition or disposition of" language in that section. That version of § 318 provided: "[i]f, with respect to the issue, sale, or guaranty of a security, or assumption of obligation or liability in respect of a security, the method of keeping accounts, the filing of reports, or the acquisition or disposition of any security, capital assets, facilities, or any other subject matter. . . ." Id., at 63.
See ante, at 75-76.
For example, §§ 9 and 10 of PUHCA, 15 U.S.C. 79i, 79j, require SEC approval before a holding company and any of its affiliates acquire any securities or assets of a utility. The SEC review of such a merger seeks, among other things, to avoid undue concentration of control over utilities. See 15 U.S.C. 79j(b). Section 203 of the FPA, 16 U.S.C. 824b, requires FERC to approve a public utility's sale, lease, merger, or consolidation of its facilities. FERC's goals under § 203 of the FPA are to maintain adequate service and coordination of facilities. See Savannah Elec. & Power Co., 42 FERC ¶ 61,240, p. 61,778 (1988). Under the Court of Appeals' interpretation of § 318, FERC review of any matter involved in a sale of part or all of a utility's facilities to a holding company would be improper despite the differing focus and goals of the two agencies.
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NORFOLK AND WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY, et al., Petitioners, v. AMERICAN TRAIN DISPATCHERS ASSOCIATION et al. CSX TRANSPORTATION, INC., Petitioner, v. BROTHERHOOD OF RAILWAY CARMEN et al.
UNITED STATES NATIONAL BANK OF OREGON, Petitioner, v. INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS OF AMERICA, INC., et al. Eugene R. LUDWIG, Comptroller of the Currency, et al., Petitioners, v. INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS OF AMERICA, INC., et al.
UNITED STATES v. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
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Keith R. GOLLUST, et al., Petitioners v. Ira L. MENDELL, etc., et al.
501 U.S. 115 (111 S.Ct. 2173, 115 L.Ed.2d 109)
No. 90-659.
Argued: April 15, 1991.
Decided: June 10, 1991.
opinion, SOUTER [HTML]
Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 imposes strict liability on "beneficial owners" of more than 10% of a corporation's listed stock, and on the corporation's officers and directors, for any profits realized from any purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of such stock occurring within a 6-month period. Such "insiders" are subject to suit "instituted . . . by the issuer, or by the owner of any security of the issuer" in the issuer's name and behalf. After respondent Mendell, an owner of common stock in Viacom International, Inc. (International), instituted a § 16(b) suit against petitioners, allegedly "beneficial owners" of International stock, International was acquired by a shell subsidiary of what is now called Viacom, Inc. (Viacom). International merged with the subsidiary, and became Viacom's wholly owned subsidiary and sole asset. Mendell received cash and stock in Viacom in exchange for his International stock. The District Court granted petitioners' motion for summary judgment on the ground that Mendell had lost standing to maintain the action because he no longer owned any International stock. The Court of Appeals reversed, holding that Mendell's continued prosecution of the action was not barred by the statute's language or existing case law and was fully consistent with the statutory objectives.
Held: Mendell has satisfied the statute's standing requirements. Pp. 121-128.
(a) Section 16(b) provides standing of signal breadth, expressly limited only by the conditions that the plaintiff be the "owner of a security" of the "issuer" at the time the suit is "instituted." Any "security"including stock, notes, warrants, bonds, debentures, puts, and calls, 15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(10)will suffice to confer standing. There is no restriction in terms of the number or percentage of shares, or the value of any other security, that must be held. Nor is the security owner required to have had an interest in the issuer at the time of the short-swing trading. Although the security's "issuer" does not include parent or subsidiary corporations, 15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(8), this requirement is determined at the time the § 16(b) action is "instituted." Congress intended to adopt the common understanding of the word "institute""inaugurate or commence; as to institute an action," Black's Law Dictionary 985-986 (3d ed. 1933)which is confirmed by its use of the same word elsewhere to mean the commencement of an action, see, e.g., 8 U.S.C. 1503(a). Pp. 121-124.
(b) A § 16(b) plaintiff must, however, throughout the period of his participation in the litigation, maintain some financial interest in the litigation's outcome, both for the sake of furthering the statute's remedial purposes by ensuring that enforcing parties maintain the incentive to litigate vigorously, and to avoid the serious constitutional question that would arise under Article III from a plaintiff's loss of all financial interest in the outcome of the litigation he had begun. But neither the statute nor its legislative history supports petitioners' argument that a plaintiff must continuously own a security of the issuer. Pp. 124-126.
(c) An adequate financial stake can be maintained when the plaintiff's interest in the issuer has been replaced by one in the issuer's new parent corporation. This is no less an interest than a bondholder's financial stake, which, although more attenuated, satisfies the initial standing requirement under the statute. Pp 126-127.
(d) Here, Mendell owned a security of the issuer at the time he instituted this § 16(b) action, and he continues to maintain a financial interest in the litigation's outcome by virtue of his Viacom stock. P. 127-128. 909 F.2d 724, (CA2 1990), affirmed.
SOUTER, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.
Edwin B. Mishkin, New York City, for petitioners.
Irving Malchman, New York City, for respondents.
James R. Doty, Houston, Tex., for the S.E.C., as amicus curiae, in support of respondents by special leave of Court.
Justice SOUTER delivered the opinion of the Court.
Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 48 Stat. 896, 15 U.S.C. 78p(b), 1 imposes a general rule of strict liability on owners of more than 10% of a corporation's listed stock for any profits realized from the purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of such stock occurring within a 6-month period. These statutorily defined "insiders," as well as the corporation's officers and directors, are liable to the issuer of the stock for their short-swing profits, and are subject to suit "instituted . . . by the issuer, or by the owner of any security of the issuer in the name and in behalf of the issuer. . . ." Ibid.
Our prior cases interpreting § 16(b) have resolved questions about the liability of an insider defendant under the statute. 2 This case, in contrast, requires us to address a plaintiff's standing under § 16(b) and, in particular, the requirements for continued standing after the institution of an action. We hold that a plaintiff, who properly "instituted a § 16(b) action as the owner of a security of the issuer," may continue to prosecute the action after his interest in the issuer is exchanged in a merger for stock in the issuer's new corporate parent.
* In January 1987, respondent Ira L. Mendell filed a complaint under § 16(b) against petitioners in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, stating that he owned common stock in Viacom International, Inc. (International) and was suing on behalf of the corporation. He alleged that petitioners, a collection of limited partnerships, general partnerships, individual partners and corporations, "operated as a single unit" and were, for purposes of this litigation, a "single . . . beneficial owner of more than ten per centum of the common stock" of International. App. to Pet. for Cert. 40a-42a. Respondent claimed that petitioners were liable to International under § 16(b) for approximately $11 million in profits earned by them from trading in International's common stock between July and October 1986. Id., at 42a-43a. The complaint recited that respondent had made a demand upon International and its Board of Directors to bring a § 16(b) action against petitioners and that more than 60 days had passed without the institution of an action.
In June 1987, less than six months after respondent had filed his § 16(b) complaint, International was acquired by Arsenal Acquiring Corp., a shell corporation formed by Arsenal Holdings, Inc. (now named Viacom, Inc.) (Viacom) for the purpose of acquiring International. By the terms of the acquisition, Viacom's shell subsidiary was merged with International, which then became Viacom's wholly owned subsidiary and only asset. The stockholders of International received a combination of cash and stock in Viacom in exchange for their International stock. 3 Id., at 40a; App. 14-26.
As a result of the acquisition, respondent, who was a stockholder in International when he instituted this action, acquired stock in International's new parent corporation and sole stockholder, Viacom. Respondent amended his complaint to reflect the restructuring by claiming to prosecute the § 16(b) action on behalf of Viacom as well as International. App. to Pet. for Cert. 44a.
Following the merger, petitioners moved for summary judgment, arguing that respondent had lost standing to maintain the action when the exchange of stock and cash occurred, after which respondent no longer owned any security of International, the "issuer." The District Court held that § 16(b) actions "may be prosecuted only by the issuer itself or the holders of its securities," and granted the motion because respondent no longer owned any International stock. 4 App. to Pet. for Cert. 32a. The court concluded that only Viacom, as International's sole security holder, could continue to prosecute this action against petitioners. Id., at 33a.
A divided Court of Appeals reversed. 909 F.2d 724 (CA2 1990). The majority saw nothing in the text of § 16(b) to require dismissal of respondent's complaint. "The language of the statute speaks of the 'owner' of securities; but such language is not modified by the word 'current' or any like limiting expression. The statute does not specifically bar the maintenance of § 16(b) suits by former shareholders and Congress . . . could readily have eliminated such individuals." Id., at 730. Since the provisions of the statute were open to "interpretation," the court relied on the statute's remedial purposes in determining "whether the policy behind the statute is best served by allowing the claim." Id., at 728-729. The majority concluded that the remedial policy favored recognizing respondent's continued standing after the merger. "Permitting respondent to maintain this § 16(b) suit is not barred by the language of the statute or by existing case law, and it is fully consistent with the statutory objectives." 5 Id., at 731. The summary judgment for petitioners was reversed.
The dissent took issue with this analysis, finding it to be in conflict with prior decisions of the Second Circuit and at least one other. See Portnoy v. Kawecki Berylco Industries, Inc., 607 F.2d 765, 767 (CA7 1979); Rothenberg v. United Brands Co., CCH Fed. Sec. L. Rep. ¶ 96,045, 1977 WL 1014 (SDNY), aff'd mem., 573 F.2d 1295 (CA2 1977).
We granted certiorari, 498 U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 669, 112 L.Ed.2d 662 (1991), to resolve this conflict and to determine whether a stockholder who has properly instituted a § 16(b) action to recover profits from a corporation's insiders may continue to prosecute that action after a merger involving the issuer results in exchanging the stockholder's interest in the issuer for stock in the issuer's new corporate parent.
Congress passed § 16(b) of the 1934 Act to "prevent the unfair use of information which may have been obtained by a beneficial owner, director, or officer by reason of his relationship to the issuer." 15 U.S.C. 78p(b). As we noted in Foremost-McKesson, Inc. v. Provident Securities Co., 423 U.S. 232, 243, 96 S.Ct. 508, 516, 46 L.Ed.2d 464 (1976): "Congress recognized that insiders may have access to information about their corporations not available to the rest of the investing public. By trading on this information, these persons could reap profits at the expense of less well informed investors." Prohibiting short-swing trading by insiders with nonpublic information was an important part of Congress' plan in the 1934 Act to "insure the maintenance of fair and honest markets," 15 U.S.C. 78b; and to eliminate such trading, Congress enacted a "flat rule in § 16(b) taking the profits out of a class of transactions in which the possibility of abuse was believed to be intolerably great." Reliance Elec. Co. v. Emerson Elec. Co., 404 U.S. 418, 422, 92 S.Ct. 596, 599, 30 L.Ed.2d 575 (1972); see also Kern County Land Co. v. Occidental Petroleum Corp., 411 U.S. 582, 591-595, 93 S.Ct. 1736, 1743-1745, 36 L.Ed.2d 503 (1973).
The question presented in this case requires us to determine who may maintain an action to enforce this "flat rule." We begin with the text. Section 16(b) imposes liability on any "beneficial owner, director, or officer" of a corporation for "any profit realized by him from any purchase and sale, or any sale and purchase, of any equity security of an issuer . . . within any period of less than six months." 15 U.S.C. 78p(b). A "suit to recover an insider's profit may be instituted . . . by the issuer, or by the owner of any security of the issuer in the name and in behalf of the issuer. . . ." Ibid. The statute imposes a form of strict liability on "beneficial owners," as well as on the issuer's officers and directors, rendering them liable to suits requiring them to disgorge their profits even if they did not trade on inside information or intend to profit on the basis of such information. See Kern County Land Co. v. Occidental Petroleum Corp., supra, 411 U.S., at 595, 93 S.Ct., at 1745. Because the statute imposes "liability without fault within its narrowly drawn limits," Foremost-McKesson, Inc. v. Provident Securities Co., supra, 423 U.S., at 251, 96 S.Ct., at 519, we have been reluctant to exceed a literal, "mechanical" application of the statutory text in determining who may be subject to liability, even though in some cases a broader view of statutory liability could work to eliminate an "evil that Congress sought to correct through § 16(b)." Reliance Elec. Co. v. Emerson Elec. Co., supra, 404 U.S., at 425, 92 S.Ct., at 600.
To enforce this strict liability rule on insider trading, Congress chose to rely solely on the issuers of stock and their security holders. Unlike most of the federal securities laws, § 16(b) does not confer enforcement authority on the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is, rather, the security holders of an issuer who have the ultimate authority to sue for enforcement of § 16(b). If the issuer declines to bring a § 16(b) action within 60 days of a demand by a security holder, or fails to prosecute the action "diligently," 15 U.S.C. 78p(b), then the security holder may "institute" an action to recover insider short-swing profits for the issuer. Ibid.
In contrast to the "narrowly drawn limits" on the class of corporate insiders who may be defendants under § 16(b), Foremost-McKesson, Inc. v. Provident Securities Co., supra, 423 U.S., at 251, 96 S.Ct., at 519, the statutory definitions identifying the class of plaintiffs (other than the issuer) who may bring suit indicate that Congress intended to grant enforcement standing of considerable breadth. The only textual restrictions on the standing of a party to bring suit under § 16(b) are that the plaintiff must be the "owner of a security" of the "issuer" at the time the suit is "instituted."
Although plaintiffs seeking to sue under the statute must own a "security," § 16(b) places no significant restriction on the type of security adequate to confer standing. "Any security" will suffice, 15 U.S.C. 78p(b), the statutory definition being broad enough to include stock, notes, warrants, bonds, debentures, puts, calls, and a variety of other financial instruments; it expressly excludes only "currency or any note, draft, bill of exchange, or banker's acceptance which has a maturity at the time of issuance of not exceeding nine months. . . ." 15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(10); see also Reves v. Ernst & Young, 494 U.S. 56, 110 S.Ct. 945, 108 L.Ed.2d 47 (1990). Nor is there any restriction in terms of either the number or percentage of shares, or the value of any other security, that must be held. See Portnoy v. Revlon, Inc., 650 F.2d 895, 897 (CA7 1981) (plaintiff bought single share); Magida v. Continental Can Co., 231 F.2d 843, 847-848 (CA2) (plaintiff owned 10 shares), cert. denied, 351 U.S. 972, 76 S.Ct. 1031, 100 L.Ed. 1490 (1956). In fact, the terms of the statute do not even require that the security owner have had an interest in the issuer at the time of the defendant's short-swing trading, and the courts to have addressed this issue have held that a subsequent purchaser of the issuer's securities has standing to sue for prior short-swing trading. See, e.g., Dottenheim v. Murchison, 227 F.2d 737, 738-740 (CA5 1955), cert. denied, 351 U.S. 919, 76 S.Ct. 712, 100 L.Ed. 1451 (1956); Blau v. Mission Corp., 212 F.2d 77, 79 (CA2), cert. denied, 347 U.S. 1016, 74 S.Ct. 872, 98 L.Ed. 1138 (1954).
The second requirement for § 16(b) standing is that the plaintiff own a security of the "issuer" whose stock was traded by the insider defendant. An "issuer" of a security is defined under § 3(a)(8) of the 1934 Act as the corporation that actually issued the security, 15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(8), and does not include parent or subsidiary corporations. 6 While this requirement is strict on its face, it is ostensibly subject to mitigation in the final requirement for § 16(b) standing, which is merely that the plaintiff own a security of the issuer at the time the § 16(b) action is "instituted." Today, as in 1934, the word "institute" is commonly understood to mean "inaugurate or commence; as to institute an action." Black's Law Dictionary 985-986 (3d ed. 1933) (citing cases); see Black's Law Dictionary 800 (6th ed. 1990) (same definition); Random House Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language 988 (2d ed. 1987) ("to set in operation; to institute a lawsuit"). Congressional intent to adopt this common understanding is confirmed by Congress' use of the same word elsewhere to mean the commencement of an action. See, e.g., 8 U.S.C. 1503(a) ("action . . . may be instituted only within five years after . . . final administrative denial"); 42 U.S.C. 405(g) ("Any action instituted in accordance with this subsection shall survive notwithstanding any change in the person occupying the office of Secretary or any vacancy in such office").
The terms of § 16(b), read in context, thus provide standing of signal breadth, expressly limited only by conditions existing at the time an action is begun. Petitioners contend, however, that the statute should at least be read narrowly enough to require the plaintiff owning a "security" of the "issuer" at the time the action is "instituted" to maintain ownership of the issuer's security throughout the period of his participation in the litigation. See Brief for Petitioners 11. But no such "continuous ownership requirement," ibid., is found in the text of the statute, nor does § 16(b)'s legislative history reveal any congressional intent to impose one.
This is not to say, of course, that a § 16(b) action could be maintained by someone who is subsequently divested of any interest in the outcome of the litigation. Congress clearly intended to put "a private-profit motive behind the uncovering of this kind of leakage of information, by making the stockholders its policemen." Hearings on H.R. 7852 and H.R. 8720 before the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 73d Cong., 2d Sess., 136 (1934) (testimony of Thomas G. Corcoran). The sparse legislative history on this question, which consists primarily of hearing testimony by one of the 1934 Act's drafters, merely confirms this conclusion. 7
Congress must, indeed, have assumed any plaintiff would maintain some continuing financial stake in the litigation for a further reason as well. For if a security holder were allowed to maintain a § 16(b) action after he had lost any financial interest in its outcome, there would be serious constitutional doubt whether that plaintiff could demonstrate the standing required by Article III's case or controversy limitation on federal court jurisdiction. See Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Shutts, 472 U.S. 797, 804, 105 S.Ct. 2965, 2970, 86 L.Ed.2d 628 (1985) (Article III requires "the party requesting standing to allege 'such a personal stake in the outcome of the controversy as to assure that concrete adverseness which sharpens the presentation of issues' ") (quoting Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186, 204, 82 S.Ct. 691, 703, 7 L.Ed.2d 663 (1962)); see also Valley Forge Christian College v. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Inc., 454 U.S. 464, 472, 102 S.Ct. 752, 758, 70 L.Ed.2d 700 (1982). Although "Congress may grant an express right of action to persons who otherwise would be barred by prudential standing rules," Warth v. Seldin, 422 U.S. 490, 501, 95 S.Ct. 2197, 2206, 45 L.Ed.2d 343 (1975), "Art. III's requirement remains: the plaintiff still must allege a distinct and palpable injury to himself." Ibid. Moreover, the plaintiff must maintain a "personal stake" in the outcome of the litigation throughout its course. See United States Parole Commission v. Geraghty, 445 U.S. 388, 395-397, 100 S.Ct. 1202, 1208-1209, 63 L.Ed.2d 479 (1980).
Hence, we have no difficulty concluding that, in the enactment of § 16(b), Congress understood and intended that, throughout the period of his participation, a plaintiff authorized to sue insiders on behalf of an issuer would have some continuing financial interest in the outcome of the litigation, both for the sake of furthering the statute's remedial purposes by ensuring that enforcing parties maintain the incentive to litigate vigorously, and to avoid the serious constitutional question that would arise from a plaintiff's loss of all financial interest in the outcome of the litigation he had begun. See Crowell v. Benson, 285 U.S. 22, 62, 52 S.Ct. 285, 296, 76 L.Ed. 598 (1932) ("When the validity of an act of Congress is drawn in question, and even if a serious doubt of constitutionality is raised, . . . this Court will first ascertain whether a construction of the statute is fairly possible by which the question may be avoided"); see also Public Citizen v. United States Department of Justice, 491 U.S. 440, 465-466, 109 S.Ct. 2558, 2572, 105 L.Ed.2d 377 (1989); id., at 481, 109 S.Ct., at 2580 (KENNEDY, J., concurring in judgment).
The conclusion that § 16(b) requires a plaintiff security holder to maintain some financial interest in the outcome of the litigation does not, however, tell us whether an adequate financial stake can be maintained when the plaintiff's interest in the issuer has been replaced by one in the issuer's new parent. We think it can be.
The modest financial stake in an issuer sufficient to bring suit is not necessarily greater than an interest in the original issuer represented by equity ownership in the issuer's parent corporation. A security holder eligible to institute suit will have no direct financial interest in the outcome of the litigation, since any recovery will inure only to the issuer's benefit. Yet the indirect interest derived through one share of stock is enough to confer standing, however slight the potential marginal increase in the value of the share. A bondholder's sufficient financial interest may be even more attenuated, since any recovery by the issuer will increase the value of the bond only because the issuer may become a slightly better credit risk.
Thus, it is difficult to see how such a bondholder plaintiff, for example, is likely to have a more significant stake in the outcome of a § 16(b) action than a stockholder in a company whose only asset is the issuer. Because such a bondholder's attenuated financial stake is nonetheless sufficient to satisfy the statute's initial standing requirements, the stake of a parent company stockholder like respondent should be enough to meet the requirements for continued standing, so long as that is consistent with the text of the statute. It is consistent, of course, and in light of the congressional policy of lenient standing, we will not read any further condition into the statute, beyond the requirement that a § 16(b) plaintiff maintain a financial interest in the outcome of the litigation sufficient to motivate its prosecution and avoid constitutional standing difficulties.
In this case, respondent has satisfied the statute's requirements. He owned a "security" of the "issuer" at the time he "instituted" this § 16(b) action. In the aftermath of International's restructuring, he retains a continuing financial interest in the outcome of the litigation derived from his stock in International's sole stockholder, Viacom, whose only asset is International. Through these relationships, respondent still stands to profit, albeit indirectly, if this action is successful, just as he would have done if his original shares had not been exchanged for stock in Viacom. Although a calculation of the values of the respective interests in International that respondent held as its stockholder and holds now as a Viacom stockholder is not before us, his financial interest is actually no less real than before the merger and apparently no more attenuated than the interest of a bondholder might be in a § 16(b) suit on an issuer's behalf.
The judgment of the Court of Appeals is, accordingly, affirmed.
The text of Section 16(b) reads in full:
"For the purpose of preventing the unfair use of information which may have been obtained by such beneficial owner, director, or officer by reason of his relationship to the issuer, any profit realized by him from any purchase and sale, or any sale and purchase, of any equity security of such issuer (other than an exempted security) within any period of less than six months, unless such security was acquired in good faith in connection with a debt previously contracted, shall inure to and be recoverable by the issuer irrespective of any intention on the part of such beneficial owner, director, or officer in entering into such transaction of holding the security purchased or of not repurchasing the security sold for a period exceeding six months. Suit to recover such profit may be instituted at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction by the issuer, or by the owner of any security of the issuer in the name and in behalf of the issuer if the issuer shall fail or refuse to bring such suit within sixty days after request or shall fail diligently to prosecute the same thereafter; but no such suit shall be brought more than two years after the date such profit was realized. This subsection shall not be construed to cover any transaction where such beneficial owner was not such both at the time of the purchase and sale, or the sale and purchase, of the security involved, or any transaction or transactions which the Commission by rules and regulations may exempt as not comprehended within the purpose of this subsection." 15 U.S.C. 78p(b).
The phrase "beneficial owner, director, or officer" is defined in § 16(a) as "[e]very person who is directly or indirectly the beneficial owner of more than 10 per centum of any class of any equity security . . . which is registered pursuant to [§ 12 of the 1934 Act], or who is a director or an officer of the issuer of such security. . . ." 15 U.S.C. 78p(a).
See Foremost-McKesson, Inc. v. Provident Securities Co., 423 U.S. 232, 96 S.Ct. 508, 46 L.Ed.2d 464 (1976) (defendant must be 10% beneficial owner before purchase to be subject to liability for subsequent sale); Kern County Land Co. v. Occidental Petroleum Corp., 411 U.S. 582, 93 S.Ct. 1736, 36 L.Ed.2d 503 (1973) (binding option to sell stock not a "sale" for purposes of § 16(b)); Reliance Elec. Co. v. Emerson Elec. Co., 404 U.S. 418, 92 S.Ct. 596, 30 L.Ed.2d 575 (1972) (no liability for sales by defendant after its ownership interest fell below 10%); Blau v. Lehman, 368 U.S. 403, 82 S.Ct. 451, 7 L.Ed.2d 403 (1962) (partnership not liable under § 16(b) for trades by partner).
International stockholders who chose not to exchange their shares under the terms of the merger were afforded appraisal rights under Ohio law. App. 25-26. Respondent did not exercise his right to appraisal.
Respondent also sought to sue derivatively on behalf of International. App. to Pet. for Cert. 44a. This "double derivative" claim was dismissed by the District Court. Id., at 33a. Because of its disposition of respondent's § 16(b) claim, the Court of Appeals did not reach this issue. 909 F.2d 724, 731 (CA2 1990). Although respondent now "urges upon th[is] Court the validity of his double derivative action," Brief for Respondent 26, this issue was not properly presented to this Court for review and we do not reach it.
The Court of Appeals observed:
"Here plaintiff's suit was timely, and while his § 16(b) suit was pending he was involuntarily divested of his share ownership in the issuer through a merger. But for that merger plaintiff's suit could not have been challenged on standing grounds. Although we declinein keeping with § 16(b)'s objective analysis regarding defendants' intentto inquire whether the merger was orchestrated for the express purpose of divesting plaintiff of standing, we cannot help but note that the incorporation of Viacom and the merger proposal occurred after plaintiff's § 16(b) claim was instituted. Hence, the danger of such intentional restructuring to defeat the enforcement mechanism incorporated in the statute is clearly present." 909 F.2d, at 731.
Cf. § 2(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, 15 U.S.C. 77b(11) (definition of "issuer" for certain purposes is "any person directly or indirectly or controlled by the issuer, or any person under direct or indirect common control with the issuer").
Petitioners have directed our attention only to a statement by Thomas G. Corcoran, a principal drafter of the statute, at one of the hearings on the 1934 Act. Corcoran testified that Congress could be confident that § 16(b) would be enforced because the enactment of the statute would "[say] to all of the stockholders of the company, 'You can recover any of this profit for your own account, if you find out that any such transactions are going on.' " Hearings on H.R. 7852 and H.R. 8720 before the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 73d Cong., 2d Sess., 136 (1934). This statement was not, of course, a complete description of the class of plaintiffs entitled to § 16(b) standing, since "any security [holder]" may sue, not just stockholders. 15 U.S.C. 78p(b). Nor was it meant as a precise description of a plaintiff's incentive to sue; the witness elsewhere made it clear that a stockholder plaintiff (or any other security holder) would not directly receive any recovery, but would be suing solely on the corporation's behalf:
"The fact that the stockholders, with an interest, are permitted to sue to recover that profit for the benefit of the company, puts anyone doing this particular thing, in the position of taking [a] risk that somebody with a profit motive will find try to find out." Id., at 137 (emphasis added).
Corcoran's analysis does, however, demonstrate the statute's reliance for its enforcement on the profit motive in an issuer's security holders, a dependence that could hardly cease the moment after suit was filed.
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You are here: Home / Village Development in Myanmar Project
After widespread flooding and landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains since the beginning of June 2016, Myanmar, particularly in the northern regions, had suffered immense agricultural and economic losses. The floods have not only damaged roads, bridges and communal buildings, but also destroyed acres of farmland, most of which were paddy fields, and rendered a massive blow to the annual paddy harvest.
Despite the efforts of the Burmese Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation to help farmers replant their paddy crop before the end of the harvest season, such as the provision of paddy seeds, replanting will remain infeasible unless and until the spillways destroyed by the floods were rebuilt. Reconstruction will require various types of equipment and machinery, such as digging machines, water pumps, piping and drilling accessories.
Net ticket proceeds from “Lux Aeterna”, our concert in January 2017, was donated to the Hong Kong Christian Council’s “Village Development in Myanmar Project”. Three sets of pumps were donated to the Hsar Phyu Su Village, three hours north-west of Yangon.
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted; we hope that you would also play a part in helping the flood victims rebuild their livelihood.
Hong Kong Christian Council Project Page
Contributing Concerts:
Lux Aeterna
Hsar Phyu Su Village
Net ticket proceeds from “Lux Aeterna”, our concert in January 2017, were donated to the Hong Kong Christian Council’s “Village Development in Myanmar Project” towards three sets of pumps for the Hsar Phyu Su Village. This remote village is located 3.5 hours northwest of Yangon and the last leg of the journey can only be made by motorcycles on muddy tracks. Agriculture is the main source of income for the villagers.
The region was badly hit by monsoon rains in mid-2016 when floods and landslides destroyed infrastructure and farmland:
In February 2017, Mr. Kevin Cheng of The Learners Chorus, Ms. Winnie Wong of the Hong Kong Christian Council and Ms. Ni Sat Tin Htoo of HKCC’s local partner visited the village to see the pumps in operation. These pumps have helped irrigate part of the village’s paddy fields and get the village back on its feet. The first harvest in April is expected to bring in ~US$4,000 for the village, which the villagers plan to reinvest into buying more machinery for irrigation, hopefully starting a virtuous cycle of improvement for their livelihood in this remote location.
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Peer to peer lending firm set to facilitate house building in Limerick
Investor Marc Rafferty and CEO David Jelly pictured with construction workers
THE biggest ever Peer to Peer loan in Ireland has just been launched, including a plan to build 16 new homes in the Limerick area.
Propertybridges.com, Ireland’s Peer to Peer lender to the Property Development Marketplace this week launched its biggest loan so far - €2.4 Million Euro to build 16 new homes in Limerick area.
The exact location will be announced by the developers in the coming days.
PropertyBridges.com and their community of lenders have already helped with finance for new home builds in Dublin, Kilkenny and Waterford and the plan is to lend across the country to over a 100 plus new housing development projects in the next three years with the help of the Irish public.
They will do this with the help of their planned 10,000 strong base of lenders. This is People Power at its best!
The general public have over 100 Billion euros in their deposit and savings accounts earning little or no interest. They can help solve the housing shortage nationwide while at the same time making a good return on their money Lenders can lend into each loan from as little as €500 up to €100,000 or more and will return on average approx. 8%+.
Property Bridges through its lenders - you, the general public- will raise this money for small developers, medium sized construction firms and private individuals and companies looking to develop housing and match them with thousands of lenders from the ordinary citizens of Ireland.
The old system was dominated by banks, middle men, and ultra-wealthy individuals.
It’s an inefficient opaque system, that benefits the intermediaries and one which ordinary investors have no access to.
Propertybridges platform removes middle-men, and for the first time unlocks this attractive asset-class for both small investors and institutional investors alike.
With technology and the direct investment model, borrowers can access funding faster and at lower costs. PropertyBridges.com plan on helping fund several new housing development projects in the Limerick area in the upcoming months. Currently LIVE on the platform is a development about 15 miles from Limerick city.
Property Bridges and it’s community of lenders are looking to fund the building of 16 new homes, which will be mainly 3 bedroom semi-detached houses and will be aimed at the starter home market. The site is located in the middle of the town, with an entrance directly off the main street. They will be concrete built A rated houses with high grade air to water heating systems.
Primary and secondary schools are located in the town, which has all the local amenities you would expect, including shops, Post office and sports clubs. With all the major national retailers located within a 15 minute drive.
The developers of this project are from Limerick and have a excellent knowledge of what is required in the area, having completed a number of developments in Limerick in the last few years. Yes, the people of Limerick can support this loan, get new houses built in their area and at the same time make an attractive return for themselves. As little as €500 or as much as 100K euro can get you involved and the return to the investor is 8.5% APR. Property Bridges will be raising this 2.4 million in four seperate tranches of 665K each.
See Limerick video and development loan details on links below! Watch Video here Limerick Video https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=iPGWzKZmCGw View website loan details here on website, Limerick Details https://www.property
bridges.com/offerings
/browse
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Bon Secours Hospital revealed as new sponsor of Limerick SHC
Jerome O'Connell
joconnell@limerickleader.ie
LIMERICK GAA by signing a new sponsorship deal for its county senior hurling championship with Bon Secours Hospital Limerick at Barringtons.
The three-year partnership will see Limerick’s oldest hospital deepen its relationship with Limerick GAA as it puts its support behind one of the most competitive and exciting county senior hurling club championships in the country - the Limerick SHC.
The new deal is as title sponsor for the Limerick senior club hurling championship and seperate to the county jersey.
The sponsorship - the blue riband competition will be known as the Bon Secours Hospital Limerick Senior Hurling Championship - was announced today at Bon Secours Hospital Limerick at Barringtons in the company of the Allianz Hurling League trophy; the Dr Croke Cup which was won 24-hours earlier in the Croke Park final with Waterford.
Monday's event was attended by Limerick manager John Kiely and players Declan Hannon, Cian Lynch and Shane Dowling - all fresh from yesterday’s league final victory over Waterford in Croke Park.
The event also saw not just the Limerick SHC trophy, the Daly Cup, but also the Liam MacCarthy Cup, the Croke Cup and the Fenway Classic Cup won in Boston in November all assembled together for the first time.
Also in attendance were Limerick GAA Chairman John Cregan, Secretary Mike O’Riordan as well as Bon Secours Hospital Limerick at Barringtons Manager Jason Kenny.
The partnership comes on top of the existing relationship between the two that sees the hospital provide quick access to Limerick senior players for MRI and X-rays to ensure quick and exact injury diagnosis and, in turn, allows players to embark immediately on their recovery programme.
The club championship sponsorship agreement kicks in for the commencement of the first round of the ‘Bon Secours Hospital Limerick SHC’ on April 12-14.
“It’s a great time for Limerick hurling but all that’s happened over the last year or so would not have happened were it not for our clubs. The success at county level is making our club championships hugely competitive and it’s great to get this support for it from our local Bon Secours hospital," said Limerick manager John Kiely.
“Many of our players know this hospital very well from coming in and out of here for injury diagnosis. They look after us brilliantly and the fact that they are now coming on board to provide this important financial backing for the club championship shows their commitment to sport in the county," said Kiely.
Limerick GAA Chairman John Cregan welcomed the new deal.
"Yesterday was a great day on the pitch for us and today is a great day off the pitch. It all starts with the club. Nothing happens without the club and we’re delighted to be getting this boost so close the start of this year’s championship," said the chairman.
“We have a long-standing relationship with this hospital and it’s a really positive one as we get expert, quality care here for our players. The hospital is going from strength to strength under the Bon Secours Health System since it acquired it two years ago and this is deepening its investment in Limerick. This is as a great fit.”
Jason Kenny, Hospital Manager said they were "delighted" to be the new sponsors.
"It’s a top club competition and we already have a great relationship with many of the players as they come in and out to for injury scans. They’re an absolute pleasure to deal with and we are just delighted to be able to bring our expertise here to bear. We’ve invested €6m on the hospital since we acquired it just under two years ago and we are now investing in something that’s very important to this city and county. We saw the joy that last year’s All-Ireland final win brought to everyone in Limerick and, indeed, yesterday’s league win on top of that. With this investment in the club championship, we are supporting the grass-roots structure that all this has been founded on," outlined Kenny.
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Bd Buddhadharma
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Emptiness and Existence
by The Dalai Lama| January 14, 2019
Photo by Moyan Brenn.
The Dalai Lama takes us step by step through the famed logic of Madhyamika, the Middle Way that defeats all extreme views of reality.
To generate the type of love and compassion that motivates you to seek buddhahood, not for yourself but for the sake of others, first you must confront suffering by identifying its types. This is the first noble truth. From the time we are born to the time we die we suffer mental and physical pain, the suffering of change, and pervasive suffering of uncontrolled conditioning. The second and third noble truths lead us to understand the causes of suffering and whether or not those causes can be removed. The fundamental cause of suffering is ignorance—the mistaken apprehension that living beings and objects inherently exist.
We all have a valid, proper sense of self, or “I,” but then we additionally have a misconception of that “I” as inherently existing. Under the sway of this delusion, we view the self as existing under its own power, established by way of its own nature, able to set itself up.
However, if there were such a separate I—self-established and existing in its own right—it should become clearer and clearer under the light of competent analysis as to whether it exists as either mind or body, or the collection of mind and body, or different from mind and body. In fact, the closer you look, the more it is not found. This turns out to be the case for everything, for all phenomena. The fact that you cannot find them means that those phenomena do not exist under their own power; they are not self-established.
Sometime during the early sixties when I was reflecting on a passage by Tsongkhapa [founder of the Gelugpa school to which the Dalai Lama belongs] about unfindability and the fact that phenomena are dependent on conceptuality, it was as if lightning coursed within my chest. Here is the passage:
A coiled rope’s speckled color and coiling are similar to those of a snake, and when the rope is perceived in a dim area, the thought arises, “This is a snake.” As for the rope, at that time when it is seen to be a snake, the collection and parts of the rope are not even in the slightest way a snake. Therefore, that snake is merely set up by conceptuality.
In the same way, when the thought “I” arises in dependence upon mind and body, nothing within mind and body—neither the collection which is a continuum of earlier and later moments, nor the collection of the parts at one time, nor the separate parts, nor the continuum of any of the separate parts—is in even the slightest way the “I.” Also there is not even the slightest something that is a different entity from mind and body that is apprehendable as the “I.” Consequently, the “I” is merely set up by conceptuality in dependence upon mind and body; it is not established by way of its own entity.
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The impact lasted for a while, and for the next few weeks whenever I saw people, they seemed like a magician’s illusions in that they appeared to inherently exist but I knew that they actually did not. That experience, which was like lightning in my heart, was most likely at a level below completely valid and incontrovertible realization. This is when my understanding of the cessation of the afflictive emotions as a true possibility became real.
Nowadays I always meditate on emptiness in the morning and bring that experience into the day’s activities. Just thinking or saying “I,” as in “I will do such and such,” will often trigger the feeling. But still I cannot claim full understanding of emptiness.
A consciousness that conceives of inherent existence does not have a valid foundation. A wise consciousness, grounded in reality, understands that living beings and other phenomena—minds, bodies, buildings, and so forth—do not inherently exist. This is the wisdom of emptiness. Understanding reality exactly opposite to the misconception of inherent existence, wisdom gradually overcomes ignorance.
Remove the ignorance that misconceives phenomena to inherently exist and you prevent the generation of afflictive emotions like lust and hatred. Thus, in turn, suffering can also be removed. In addition, the wisdom of emptiness must be accompanied by a motivation of deep concern for others (and by the compassionate deeds it inspires) before it can remove the obstructions to omniscience, which are the predispositions for the false appearance of phenomena—even to sense consciousness—as if they inherently exist.
Therefore, full spiritual practice calls for cultivating wisdom in conjunction with great compassion and the intention to become enlightened in which others are valued more than yourself. Only then may your consciousness be transformed into the omniscience of a Buddha.
Both Buddhists and non-Buddhists practice meditation to achieve pleasure and get rid of pain, and in both Buddhist and non-Buddhist systems the self is a central object of scrutiny. Certain non-Buddhists who accept rebirth accept the transitory nature of mind and body, but they believe in a self that is permanent, changeless and unitary. Although Buddhist schools accept rebirth, they hold that there is no such solid self. For Buddhists, the main topic of the training in wisdom is emptiness, or selflessness, which means the absence of a permanent, unitary and independent self or, more subtly, the absence of inherent existence either in living beings or in other phenomena.
The Two Truths
To understand selflessness, you need to understand that everything that exists is contained in two groups called the two truths: conventional and ultimate. The phenomena that we see and observe around us can go from good to bad, or bad to good, depending on various causes and conditions. Many phenomena cannot be said to be inherently good or bad; they are better or worse, tall or short, beautiful or ugly, only by comparison, not by way of their own nature. Their value is relative. From this you can see that there is a discrepancy between the way things appear and how they actually are. For instance, something may—in terms of how it appears—look good, but, due to its inner nature being different, it can turn bad once it is affected by conditions. Food that looks so good in a restaurant may not sit so well in your stomach. This is a clear sign of a discrepancy between appearance and reality.
These phenomena themselves are called conventional truths: they are known by consciousness that goes no further than appearances. But the same objects have an inner mode of being, called an ultimate truth, that allows for the changes brought about by conditions. A wise consciousness, not satisfied with mere appearances, analyzes to find whether objects inherently exist as they seem to do but discovers their absence of inherent existence. It finds an emptiness of inherent existence beyond appearances.
Empty of What?
Emptiness, or selflessness, can only be understood if we first identify that of which phenomena are empty. Without understanding what is negated, you cannot understand its absence, emptiness.
You might think that emptiness means nothingness, but it does not. Merely from reading it is difficult to identify and understand the object of negation, what Buddhist texts speak of as true establishment or inherent existence. But over a period of time, when you add your own investigations to the reading, the faultiness of our usual way of seeing things will become clearer and clearer.
Buddha said many times that because all phenomena are dependently arisen, they are relative—their existence depends on other causes and conditions and depends on their own parts. A wooden table, for instance, does not exist independently; rather, it depends on a great many causes such as a tree, the carpenter who makes it, and so forth; it also depends upon its own parts. If a wooden table or any phenomenon really were not dependent—if it were established in its own right—then when you analyze it, its existence in its own right should become more obvious, but it does not.
This Buddhist reasoning is supported by science. Physicists today keep discovering finer and finer components of matter, yet they still cannot understand its ultimate nature. Understanding emptiness is even deeper.
The more you look into how an ignorant consciousness conceives phenomena to exist, the more you find that phenomena do not exist that way. However, the more you look into what a wise consciousness understands, the more you gain affirmation in the absence of inherent existence.
Do Objects Exist?
We have established that when any phenomenon is sought through analysis, it cannot be found. So you may be wondering whether these phenomena exist at all. However, we know from direct experience that people and things cause pleasure and pain, and that they can help and harm. Therefore, phenomena certainly do exist; the question is how? They do not exist in their own right, but only have an existence dependent upon many factors, including a consciousness that conceptualizes them.
Once they exist but do not exist on their own, they necessarily exist in dependence upon conceptualization. However, when phenomena appear to us, they do not at all appear as if they exist this way. Rather, they seem to be established in their own right, from the object’s side, without depending upon a conceptualizing consciousness.
When training to develop wisdom, you are seeking through analysis to find the inherent existence of whatever object you are considering—yourself, another person, your body, your mind, or anything else. You are analyzing not the mere appearance but the inherent nature of the object. Thus it is not that you come to understand that the object does not exist; rather, you find that its inherent existence is unfounded. Analysis does not contradict the mere existence of the object. Phenomena do indeed exist, but not in the way we think they do.
What is left after analysis is a dependently existent phenomenon. When, for example, you examine your own body, its inherent existence is negated, but what is left is a body dependent on four limbs, a trunk, and a head.
If Phenomena Are Empty, Can They Function?
Whenever we think about objects, do we mistakenly believe that they exist in their own right? No. We can conceive of phenomena in three different ways. Let us consider a tree. There is no denying that it appears to inherently exist, but:
1. We could conceive of the tree as existing inherently, in its own right.
2. We could conceive of the tree as lacking inherent existence.
3. We could conceive of the tree without thinking that it inherently exists or not.
Only the first of those is wrong. The other two modes of apprehension are right, even if the mode of appearance is mistaken in the second and the third, in that the tree appears as if inherently existent.
If objects do not inherently exist, does this mean that they cannot function? Jumping to the conclusion that because the true nature of objects is emptiness, they are therefore incapable of performing functions such as causing pleasure or pain, or helping or harming, is the worst sort of misunderstanding, a nihilistic view. As the Indian scholar-yogi Nagarjuna says in his Precious Garland, a nihilist will certainly have a bad transmigration upon rebirth, whereas a person who believes, albeit wrongly, in inherent existence goes on to a good transmigration.
Allow me to explain. You need a belief in the consequences of actions to choose virtue in your life and discard nonvirtue. For the time being, the subtle view of the emptiness of inherent existence might be too difficult for you to understand without falling into the trap of nihilism, where you are unable to understand that phenomena arise in dependence on causes and conditions (dependent-arising). Then for the sake of your spiritual progress it would be better for now to set aside trying to penetrate emptiness. Even if you mistakenly believe that phenomena inherently exist, you can still develop an understanding of dependent-arising and apply it in practice. This is why even Buddha, on occasion, taught that living beings and other phenomena inherently exist. Such teachings are the thought of Buddha’s scriptures, but they are not his own final thought. For specific purposes, he sometimes spoke in nonfinal ways.
In What Way Is Consciousness Mistaken?
Because all phenomena appear to exist in their own right, all of our ordinary perceptions are mistaken. Only when emptiness is directly realized during completely focused meditation is there no false appearance. At that time, the dualism of subject and object has vanished, as has the appearance of multiplicity; only emptiness appears. After you rise from that meditation, once again living beings and objects falsely appear to exist in and of themselves, but through the power of having realized emptiness, you will recognize the discrepancy between appearance and reality. Through meditation you have identified both the false mode of appearance and the false mode of apprehension.
Let us return to the central point: All of us have a sense of “I” but we need to realize that it is only designated in dependence upon mind and body. The selflessness that Buddhists speak of refers to the absence of a self that is permanent, partless, and independent, or, more subtly, it can refer to the absence of inherent existence of any phenomenon. However, Buddhists do value the existence of a self that changes from moment to moment, designated in dependence upon the continuum of mind and body. All of us validly have this sense of “I.” When Buddhists speak of the doctrine of selflessness, we are not referring to the nonexistence of this self. With this “I,” all of us rightfully want happiness and do not want suffering. It is when we exaggerate our sense of ourselves and other phenomena to mean something inherently existent that we get drawn into many, many problems.
Summary for Daily Practice
As an exercise in identifying how objects and beings falsely appear, try the following:
1. Observe how an item such as a watch appears in a store when you first notice it, then how its appearance changes and becomes even more concrete as you become more interested in it, and finally how it appears after you have bought it and consider it yours.
2. Reflect on how you yourself appear to your mind as if inherently existent. Then reflect on how others and their bodies appear to your mind.
This selection is from How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D. Excerpted with permission of Pockets Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. © 2003 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D.
About The Dalai Lama
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and the US Congressional Gold Medal. Unique in the world today, he is a statesman, national leader, spiritual teacher, and deeply learned theologian. He advocates a universal "religion of human kindness" that transcends sectarian differences. The Dalai Lama is universally respected as a spokesman for the peaceful and compassionate resolution of conflict. He has also been actively involved in bringing together Western scientists and Buddhist meditators, and is a founder of the Mind & Life Institute where such meetings of the minds can take place.
Topics: Dalai Lama, Emptiness, Shambhala Sun - May '02, Teachings, Vajrayana / Tibetan Buddhism
The Best of the Dalai Lama: Life, Quotes, Teachings, and Books
by Lion's Roar Staff
Commentary: Admiring & Admonishing the Dalai Lama
by Gelek Badheytsang
Meditating on the Mind Itself
by Traleg Rinpoche
Welcome to LionsRoar.com
We’re glad to have you here. But first: who are “we”? You may very well know us as the publishers of two Buddhist magazines, the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma. Then again, you may not know us at all. Either way, please allow us to re-introduce ourselves: We’re the Shambhala Sun Foundation. We [...]
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© 2019 Lion's Roar | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 902.422.8404 | Published by Lion's Roar Foundation
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Liverpool pensioner fighting for life after hit and run
DETECTIVES are appealing for help to find the hit-and-run driver of a car that left a pensioner fighting for his life in hospital.
A man, 74, was crossing the road just before 7pm on Thursday, November 26, when he was struck by a white Subaru Impreza travelling south along Queens Drive from its junction with Townsend Avenue.
After colliding with the man the Subaru also hit the metal pedestrian barriers, a parked car and a lamppost causing the vehicle to flip onto its roof.
The driver of the Subaru fled from the scene along with one of the passengers while the rear seat passenger was trapped in the car with serious spinal and chest injuries.
The 74-year-old pedestrian remains in a critical condition in hospital.
Sgt Jason Higham, from the Roads Policing Investigation Unit of Merseyside Police, said: "We are keen to trace the driver of this car and would appeal to anyone with information to come forward.
"We would urge people with information, or even the driver of the car, to think of this elderly man and show some seasonal goodwill by calling the police and assist with our investigation."
Anyone with information is asked to call Merseyside Police on 0151 777 5771 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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Back Alice Eleanor Jones, “Created He Them” Print
Story of the Week August 24, 2018
Alice Eleanor Jones, “Created He Them”
Alice Eleanor Jones (1916–1981)
From The Future Is Female! 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women
Photograph of “The House of the Future” (1956), a full-scaled installation designed by Alison Smithson, in collaboration with her husband Peter Smithson, for the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition in London and Edinburgh.
For many years Alice Eleanor Jones, writer of nonfiction and fiction for such mainstream magazines as The Saturday Evening Post and Seventeen, was also a contributor to The Writer. In one of her columns, “The Ones That Got Away,” she asks readers if they had ever composed letters that they ended up not sending, “yet it did you good to write them. Some of your stories will be like that. You know, even as you labor over them, that they’ll never sell. The plot is preposterous or the characters are taboo, and you’re wasting your time . . . but I contend you are not wasting anything.”
Jones also encouraged her readers to stretch the boundaries and conventions of fiction and advised them how they could “learn to get around the taboos in many subtle ways without compromising yourself.”
From the very beginning of her career, Jones had stretched those boundaries, pushing her stories in new directions. A contributor’s note remarks that Jones had “been successful in selling her ‘offbeat’ fiction” and, in fact, the five stories that launched her writing career were published in science fiction magazines. One of those stories, “Created He Them,” has been resuscitated by critics in recent years and is now considered a classic. (Readers may note eerie and prescient parallels to The Handmaid’s Tale.) The story has been included in the new Library of America anthology, The Future Is Female: 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women, and we present it here as our Story of the Week selection.
Read “Created He Them” by Alice Eleanor Jones
Related Volumes: The Future Is Female! 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women, from Pulp Pioneers to Ursula K. Le Guin
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The Band Perry Pioneers Its Way Through Country Music with Sophomore Album
After the crossover success of “If I Die Young,” the sibling trio’s sophomore album was that much more important. It’s been two and a half years since their debut album was released in October 2010, and I’ve been anticipating and nervous for this album. I really like the trio. Every time I’ve met them they’ve always just had impeccable manners. So yeah, I’m always rooting for them, and hoping the best for them.
What I like about this album is that their music has matured, but it is still very appealing to their younger audiences. You want to sell music, you have to sell to women and teens. Teens have a lot of power—how do you think Disney is able to launch mega superstars, even if their stardom is only short lived?
It’s ballad heavy, but not boring or sleepy, which is nice, because everyone is always all “up-tempo, up-tempo, up-tempo! I need an up-tempo!” And the textures and interesting blends of styles keep it interesting.
On top of all that, while man contemporary country albums wind up just making a lot of noise in the strive for pop appeal, I think this album achieves pop appeal without being overproduced. In case you haven’t noticed in my music reviews, I’m not a big fan of overproduction on records.
It’s an album, not a collection of singles, so listen to it that way.
“Better Dig Two”—I have to admit, this song still confuses me a little, because I didn’t expect them to come out with a song that was lyrically so morbid. I mean is it like a crazy possessive love song, or is it a crazy possessive threat. I was like, “hello crazy side of Kimberly.” But musically, I love this song. It’s powerful.
“Done.” is a rockin’ song full of sass. The second single off this album, I expect it to go to the top of the charts. It follows the “don’t mess with me” theme of “Better Dig Two.” The video for this song is also the best one they’ve done since “If I Die Young.” The others were theatrically and aesthetically pleasing, but none were a huge departure from anything they’ve done before. The video for “Done.” is a bit edgier.
“Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” is the first ballad on the album following the above two, which is a nice change of tempo. It starts off like the sweet silence of the middle of a night you don’t want to end, then picks up and the energy of the chorus takes you for a ride on the Milky Way. Radio hit? I think so. And Sarah Buxton is a co-writer on this song, and I love Sarah.
“Pioneer”—the intro cradles you like a warm summer night, and you’re tempted to close your eyes and fall into a sweet dream. It’s a very pretty song, and the lyrics are quite beautiful. The production of this song is a good example of what this album is as a whole—a great blend of different sounds.
“Forever Mine Nevermind” –The highly Queen-esque influence in this song makes it the most theatrical song on the album—should be great fun at live performances and a radio hit as well.
“Night Gone Wasted” is a fun retro little ditty. It reminds me of “Grease,” not musically necessarily, but it brings about the image of The Pink Ladies and T-Birds. It's got that kind of retro rock 'n roll vibe.
“I Saw A Light” is sure to put girls in a romantical mood. I wouldn’t be surprised if it started to become a popular first dance wedding song.
“Mother Like Mine”—when I first saw the title to this song, I was afraid it was going to be super cheesy, but it’s not. It’s a very sweet reverse lullaby—you know, instead of a mother singing her babies to sleep, it’s the other way around.
“Chainsaw”—I love this song. Who doesn’t love the vengeful, angry ex-girlfriend song. It’s just rockin’.
“I’m a Keeper”—the lyrics of this song flows so well, it’s a song you’ll sing a long to even if you don’t want. But you’ll want to. The chorus. That’s what’ll get you. It’s so good. It just is. Radio will eat this up.
“Back To Me Without You”—I love how it starts out with just the piano. It sets the sad, lonely mood. This song is enriched by Neil and Reid’s back up vocals, bringing out more of the desperation and sting of a broken heart—kind of like ghosts echoing Kimberly’s voice. And then the mandolin and fiddle
“End of Time” finishes off the album nicely, and leaves you hungry for more. It’s perfect.
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'Stuffragette,' Our Brand Is Crisis,' 'Inside Out' & More (1107)
“Suffragette” isn’t just another British period film, says its star Carey Mulligan. No, the drama that chronicles women’s fight for equality and voting rights in 1900s England is as much about the past as it is about the struggles of today. The cast of “Inside Out” talk about their feelings–and that of playing the emotions inside a child. Nothing matters but winning when Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton square off on the campaign trail in “Our Brand Is Crisis.” And hijinks ensue in “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse.”
'The 33' and 'My All-American' (1109)
'Carol' and 'Secret in Their Eyes' (1110)
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Why Manomet
The President’s Report
Manomet Membership
Become a Manomet Sustainer
Scientific Expedition in Mexico Discovers Shorebird Wintering Site
The Manomet Team | August 8, 2013 |
A Manomet-led expedition earlier this year in Oaxaca, Mexico, discovered a previously unknown wintering site for Red Knots.
The expedition took place in February and was led by Dr. Eduardo Palacios, program coordinator for Northwest Mexico with Manomet’s Shorebird Recovery Project. The team discovered about 200 Red Knots (Calidris canutus) at Laguna Superior in Oaxaca.
“The key and inescapable new finding of this research is that there is a population segment of Red Knots wintering in Oaxaca that connects to Texas during northbound migration on the way to the breeding grounds,” Palacios said.
In February 2012, birdwatchers in Oaxaca reported seeing three Red Knots that had been banded in Texas. The observers also reported frequently seeing as many as 300 Red Knots in the same remote site during the winter.
Based on this information, a group of researchers from Mexico and the U.S. traveled to Oaxaca in late February 2013, to evaluate the importance of the area for Red Knots, explore additional sites and attempt to discover which migratory flyway is associated with this population in Oaxaca.
The expedition included participants from research institutes and universities in Mexico and Texas, as well as the Manomet Center. The expedition was financially supported by the U.S. Forest Service-International Programs, the Manomet Center, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Pronatura Sur, A.C. and Terra Peninsular.
– Dave McGlinchey
Press Kit & Media Inquiries
© 2019 Manomet, Inc All rights reserved
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Please Stop Telling Me to Love My Body
Embracing body neutrality
Romy Oltuski
My friend recently stumbled upon some profound wisdom in a bathroom stall. Printed on a bumper sticker on the door was a maxim that I hear more and more from magazine covers, fashion campaigns, friends, family and Instagram yogis: “Love your body!” Underneath it, scribbled in Sharpie, was a slightly more accessible message: “But it’s okay if you find that hard too.”
That Sharpie vandal may just be my soul sister.
I’m a wholehearted supporter of the self-image revolution underway. Celebrating more diverse bodies is unequivocally a good thing, one that’s leading us (if not quickly or drastically enough) toward a more inclusive, empowering definition of beauty.
But while it sounds delightful to ooze self-confidence at any size and shape and look, it’s also unrealistic to expect that of ourselves 100% of the time — and the “love your body” rhetoric doesn’t always account for that. Sometimes I look in the mirror and DON’T like what I see. And in those moments, the mandate to worship the skin I’m in feels almost as prescriptive as the imagery suggesting I lose ten pounds. It seems like a bait-and-switch: I may feel less shame for having cellulite, but instead I feel shame for not liking my cellulite. Are we simply replacing our dos and don’ts and shoulds with others?
“I hear that a lot from my clients, and that’s why I practice body neutrality over body positivity,” says Anastasia Amour, a self-love coach. “You’re not required to love your body as an antidote to loathing it.”
Amour is describing an idea that’s been percolating among psychologists and body activists. A more moderate approach to self-image, body neutrality aims for self-acceptance over self-love, attempting to move beyond the reflex to constantly judge our own appearances, positively or negatively. Where body positivity’s motto might be “love yourself,” body neutrality’s would probably be “underthink it.” “If we aim for nothing but total body bliss, when we inevitably fall short of that, it can leave us feeling like failures,” Amour says. “In shifting our focus from ‘I must love my body!’ to ‘This is my body, and I’m okay with it,’ we can learn to neutralize disordered thinking.”
According to Bryan Karazsia, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist at the College of Wooster, body neutrality is actually a much more radical concept than body positivity or acceptance. “Neutrality goes a step further to ask an important question: Why all the fuss about the body?” he says. “The sentiment is, ‘Let’s get over bodies already and focus on more important matters.’” That statement may seem flip in the current landscape of body imagery, but actually represents a fundamental paradigm shift he thinks we’re inching toward. Body image coach Sarah Vance agrees. “Right now, body positivity is very body-centric. We want to get to a place where our worth is outside of our bodies.”
That’s not to say that body positivity — which helps to normalize diverse body imagery — isn’t a valuable movement in Karazsia’s eyes. In fact, he says, it’s a step toward body neutrality. “We stop obsessing over something when we’re exposed to more variations of it,” he says. “True neutrality will come from diversity — seeing and accepting people of all shapes, sizes and colors.”
But many body activists don’t subscribe to Karaszia’s idea of post-body-image society. “Our bodies are important,” says Connie Sobczak, founder of The Body Positive. “They need love and attention and care, and they have so much wisdom if we learn how to listen to them.” Sobczak considers body neutrality an essential part of body positivity. “The body positivity movement is not about being positive all the time,” says Sobczak, whose organization runs educational self-love workshops. “We have bad days. But on those days, I have the tools to come back and remember who I am.”
One of those tools is body neutrality, which Halle Tate, an activist who shares posts about her struggle with anorexia and bulimia on Instagram, relied on as a sort of halfway home along the road to body positivity while she was in recovery. “You can’t go straight from hating yourself to loving yourself. Body neutrality is the stage where you learn to notice the feelings that come up,” she says. “That negative voice is always there, but I’m able to turn the volume down now.”
Sobczak understands people’s frustration with the pressure to “love yourself” but attributes that to what happens when any movement goes mainstream: its messaging splinters. The issue is not necessarily with body positivity as a concept, but the fact that “mainstream body positivity still aligns with traditional beauty standards,” says Ashleigh Shackelford, a self-described black fat femme who goes by @ashleighthelion on Instagram. Take plus-size model Ashley Graham’s historic Sports Illustrated cover for example. Graham is breaking fashion industry barriers — but she is also still classically beautiful, white, hourglass-shaped and able-bodied.
Still, both Sobczak and Shackelford warn against snubbing body positivity altogether just because the term has been diluted. “Body positivity means a million different things,” says Shackelford. “And it’s kind of like how people divest from feminism. Like, what do you think feminism means that you’re ready to give up on it?”
When I ask Shackelford what she wants — to love her body or to stop thinking about it so much — she pauses for a moment and then says, “Both.” We laughed at this together, but I think I’m in the same camp.
It’s sweet to envision a future in which our looks are considered just another quality, like ambition or, say, the ability to juggle. It’s also fun to envision yourself looking in the mirror and thinking, “damn, girl, you look good” 100% of the time. But in reality, we don’t operate within either framework, and as long as that’s true, there’s no one feel-good trick that works every time. What I do like is a term that Shackelford uses in one of her posts: “body autonomy.” Meaning, I get to write my own inner monologue. Mine will probably borrow from Shackelford’s message, which is that it feels great to love the way you look — but you don’t need to in order to value yourself.
This idea clicked for me a few months back when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror while wearing shorts. I realized that I didn’t like the way my thighs looked. To my surprise, though, the thought ended there. I didn’t grimace, change my outfit or launch into self-criticism. I didn’t evaluate myself as a person. Instead, I simply thought about whether I might want to make a change — kind of like how I might consider going to grad school without berating myself for being stupid because I haven’t yet. Then I had a perfectly fine day while wearing shorts.
Should I not want to change anything about my body? I’m not sure that’s really a fair question because we don’t have control over the way we feel — just over the way we speak to ourselves. I do like the idea of not valuing myself based on the way I look. I also like the idea of not needing to like everything about myself at all times in order to be kind to myself. The problem for me is the “should” bit. The fewer of those there are, the fewer opportunities there are to feel like I’m doing it wrong. Right?
Romy Oltuski is a writer and editor living in New York City. Say hi on Instagram or Twitter. Illustrations by Irene Servillo.
Get more Brain Massage ?
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East Naples getting more attention from home buyers
More home buyers are looking east in Collier County.
East Naples getting more attention from home buyers More home buyers are looking east in Collier County. Check out this story on marconews.com: https://www.naplesnews.com/story/money/business/local/2019/07/02/nabor-east-naples-getting-more-attention-home-buyers/1583951001/
Laura Layden, Naples Daily News Published 6:12 p.m. ET July 2, 2019
It’s solar with flair. A Naples man unveils sustainable attainable housing. Powered by the sun. Behind The Headlines Staff
There has been a shift in sales from high-end homes near the beach to homes under $500,000 in neighborhoods east of the beach, the Naples Area Board of Realtors reports.
In May, closed sales in East Naples rose by more than 21% over the year. There were 174 sales, up from 143 a year ago, according to NABOR's monthly report.
The report tracks all sales made though the Southwest Florida MLS, excluding Marco Island.
The statistics for East Naples come from four zip codes (34114, 34117, 34120, 34137). Year-to-date through May, sales are up 13.5% in those areas, which include such communities as Vanderbilt Country Club, Verona Walk, Naples Reserve and Fiddler's Creek.
"Naples Reserve, for a new community, is probably one of the busiest new communities that we have in all of Collier County right now. They have a lot of different products at a really good price point," said Brenda Fioretti, a broker for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/Florida Realty in Naples.
More: NABOR: Home sales slowed, inventory rose in Naples market
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The good price point in the Bayshore area, she said, has made it popular among buyers too.
The percentage increase in sales in East Naples in May was higher than in any other geographic area in Collier County.
"A lot of it has to do with price," Fioretti said. "There are still good values down there, and they haven't risen up to the south Naples and North Naples pricing."
East Naples is attracting a mix of buyers including young families and older seasonal residents including retirees.
"When somebody buys a house in Florida their first choice generally is to buy something new," Fioretti said. "There is some nice new product down there to entice them."
The Cambria at Fiddler's Creek. (Photo: submitted)
A transformation
The East Naples area has seen a surge in commercial construction including new retail shops and restaurants.
"I can tell you that I believe the East Trail is going through a transformation," said Mike Hughes, a vice president for Downing-Frye Realty in Naples, in an email. "I believe that this bodes well for housing in close proximity to the Trail," he said.
Hughes quoted the popular mantra: "Location, location, location."
He's keeping a close eye on communities just east of Collier Boulevard and U.S. 41, where he expects to see continued demand from home buyers, he said.
"They have easy access to downtown Naples, Marco Island, I-75 an d U.S. 41," Hughes said.
So far, 2019 has been a strong year for home sales in Collier County.
"Actually we are kind of surprised that April and May were very strong — and stronger than January and February. The season is stretching into the spring," Fioretti said.
She expects June to show positive numbers too when they're tallied. At her company, she said, the number of showings surged last month, when compared to where they were at a year ago.
In May the total number of homes sold in the Naples area increased 9.8% to 1,165, up from 1,061 in the same month a year ago, according to NABOR's report. Those numbers include all types of homes: single-family, condominiums and other multi-family residences, such as townhomes.
"Collier County seems to be ahead of most of the other markets in the state," Fioretti said.
She offered up one reason the county might be doing better than many other markets in the state, especially on Florida's east coast. Some areas, such as Miami and Fort Lauderdale, have been overbuilt, she said.
Prices going down
In the Naples area asking prices are coming down.
NABOR reports that more than 2,000 sellers reduced their list prices in May.
The median price for homes and condominiums increased 6.9 percent to $355,000 in May. However, for single-family homes it fell 3.5% to $415,000, down from $430,000 in the same month last year.
The median is the price at which half the homes sell for more and half for less.
In May closed sales between $300,000 AND $500,000 increased nearly 11% in the Naples area.
Meanwhile, sales for higher-end homes between $1 and $2 million declined 8.9% over the year. Asked why, Fioretti said it may be an anomaly, due to a spike in closings at Kalea Bay in May of last year. Closings began in early 2018 at the gated, resort-style community off Vanderbilt Drive in North Naples.
Only the condominium market saw a decline in sales in the $1 to $2 million segment, with sales falling by more than 23% percent over the year. For single-family homes in that upper price range, sales rose 3.6% in May.
While buying for million and multimillion-dollar homes.has cooled in some formerly hot areas on the West Coast — especially in California — Naples continues to buck the trend, said Denny Grimes, a housing expert with Denny Grimes & Co., in Fort Myers.
"Naples is probably the best luxury market in the country right now," he said.
Crunching his own data, Grimes said single-family home sales in the $1 million to $2 million range were up 11% for the months of January through May in the Naples area, when compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, the Fort Myers area saw sales drop by 21% over the year in the same price segment over the same five months.
While home prices may seem steep in Naples, Grimes said they don't seem so bad when looking at other coastal communities elsewhere in the country.
"If you think Fort Myers property is expensive, go to Naples," Grimes said. "If you think Naples is expensive, got to any other coastal area from New York to Orange County and it's like Naples is a bargain," Grimes said.
He added: "Those coastal markets have gotten so expensive it's just making Naples look better."
Naples bucks the trend
When it comes to million-plus dollar sales of single-family homes, Grimes said Collier County has outpaced many areas around the country.
"I don't think a lot of markets are growing in those upper price ranges," he said. "Naples is just really strong now."
Whatever the reasons, Collier County has performed better than Lee County in the single-family home market this year, which is a bit unusual since Lee is so much larger in size, Grimes said.
Based on his research, Grimes said single-family home sales were up 4 percent through May in Collier, but down by the same percentage in the Fort Myers area, when compared to a year ago. The Fort Myers statistics are based on sales made by members of the Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association and exclude some parts of Lee County, such as Sanibel.
After seeing four months of declining sales volumes for single-family homes, May was the first month that showed improvement in Lee, with sales growing more than 8 percent over the year, said Josh Burdine, a broker associate for Rockstar Realty in Fort Myers and president of the Royal Palm Coast Realtor Association.
In Lee, the highest percentage increase in sales in the single-family home market in May was seen in the $400,000 to $600,000 price segment — at 32 percent, he said.
"It's hard to say who those buyers are," Burdine said.
Home sellers have been dropping prices in Lee too, in an effort to attract more buyers.
"The buyers are here," Burdine said. "The buyers are watching and they are waiting. When they see that opportunity and what they consider to be good values, they are making their move."
Read or Share this story: https://www.naplesnews.com/story/money/business/local/2019/07/02/nabor-east-naples-getting-more-attention-home-buyers/1583951001/
Dollar Stretcher: Knowledge is savings
Dollar Stretcher: Paying off student loans
Dollar Stretcher: Cooking for one no more
Dollar Stretcher: Ready for grilling
Dollar Stretcher: Why we grow beans
Dollar Stretcher: Want a raise?
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Jeanette Andrews
Illusionist and performance artist
Jeanette Andrews is a sensory illusionist who specializes in creating performative, art-based, and interactive sensory magic possessing a contemplative take on the art of the impossible. Andrews uses scientific oddities and sensory anomalies to bridge everyday life to a special, heightened world. Hailed as one of the most innovative illusionists in the world today, Andrews has staged hundreds of sold-out and standing room-only performances at museums, theaters and universities across the United States. These include commissioned and site-specific works at the International Museum of Surgical Science, Birmingham Museum of Art, and Chicago Ideas Week. Her work explores how illusions construct reality and highlights astonishing aspects of everyday life via moments of the seemingly impossible. Combining influences not typically seen in magic performances such as immersive theater, quantum physics, and philosophy, Andrews has invented a unique take on this ancient art form. She is the only magician worldwide known to be awarded an artist’s residency, including being a High Concept Labs Sponsored Artist and artist in residence for The Institute for Art and Olfaction. Illusion is Ms. Andrews’s life’s work and her performances have been praised by The Daily Mail, the Chicago Tribune and PBS.
Jeanette Andrews. Photo: David Linsell.
MCA Hearts Chicago
Sat, Oct 21, 2017
MCA Studio:
Jeanette Andrews, Thresholds
Tue, Jan 26, 2016, 6:00 pm – Tue, Jan 26, 2016, 7:00 pm
Free With Admission
The profile of a woman with closed eyes spraying a perfume bottle away from her face is repeated ...
Short The profile of a woman with closed eyes spraying a perfume bottle away from her face is repeated three times, each in a different hue, against a black background.
C (s) O (e) N (n) J (s) U (e) R (s) E: Adventures in Sensory Illusions
By Jeanette Andrews
Tue, Jan 19, 2016
Sometimes it seems as though our lives are an amazing, continually unfolding magic effect, deeply embedded in wonder—indeed, a conjured life. I am honored to be performing in conjunction with...
Invisible Roses
Jeanette Andrews provides some insight into her newest work, developed specifically for the MCA's 50th anniversary. The work debuts next Saturday, October 21, during the museum's free, weekend-long celebration.
Questions for Wonder
In anticipation of her In Progress event this Tuesday, February 26, artist Jeanette Andrews explores her relationship to illusion and magic. In Progress is an MCA series of public programs...
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Women are about to control a massive amount of wealth but can’t find anyone to manage it
By Alessandra Malito
Published: May 15, 2017 12:25 p.m. ET
There aren’t many women advisers for women clients’ growing assets
Women are expected to control two-thirds of private wealth by 2020.
AlessandraMalito
Women are expected to control two-thirds of private wealth in just three years, and yet not even a third of personal financial advisers these days are women: that could be a problem.
The financial services industry is known to lack diversity — there’s a significantly small portion of minority advisers (6% are black, 7.7% are Asian and 7.1% are Hispanic), and not many more are women — 31.6% of all personal financial advisers in 2016 were women, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, women’s wallets and net worth are growing — in 2015, women passed the halfway mark for controlled personal wealth in the U.S., according to the Bank of Montreal’s Wealth Institute, and by 2020, they’re expected to hold $22 trillion.
There lies the imbalance. Though women clients can, and do, work with male advisers, sometimes they’d just like to talk to someone with a similar perspective or familiar background. Most women didn’t have a preference over men and women advisers, but some did — specifically divorcées and widows, according to a 2014 study from financial services firm Pershing. Family advisers might have trouble attracting — and then keeping — those types of clients: 24% of advisers said female clients whose husbands died stopped working with those advisers, according to another 2014 survey conducted by financial adviser publication InvestmentNews — 29% said the same of divorcing women.
See: Financial advisers are missing the mark with women
Women investors also behave differently with money than their male counterparts. Their levels of risk tolerance vary, for example, and their lower levels of testosterone affect their investing habits too, a recent study found. Other key attributes, such as the fact that women live longer and often earn less than men, also affects their money management. Lastly, they tend to lack trust and communication with financial advisers, and have low confidence in investing, experts said during a MarketWatch panel discussion in September.
I hope you don’t mind me sharing a huge win with you... I am CFP Pro! https://t.co/hD7rcki1L9 pic.twitter.com/87vfxiYkLU
— Brittney Castro,CFP® (@Brittneycastro) May 9, 2017
The industry is responding, partially with how they communicate with women investors, and also by looking to hire more female advisers, through scholarships, employee programs and overall awareness campaigns.
The CFP Board, for example, launched the “I Am a CFP Pro” campaign in April, which encourages young people, women and minorities to search careers in financial planning by introducing them to professionals to whom they may relate.
“The opportunity to meet the needs of clients is enhanced” with more women and minority advisers, said Marilyn Mohrman-Gillis, executive director of the Center for Financial Planning.
The Center created a mentorship program, connecting Certified Financial Planning professionals with women interested in joining the profession (those new to the workforce as well as people transitioning between career paths). The center is also working with schools to promote the financial planning career.
See also: Why it matters that women are underrepresented among portfolio managers
Women interested in becoming financial advisers need to do one more thing: stick to their guts, said Paula Wieck, a portfolio manager with CLS Investments. “There has been a misconception that women need to act or behave the same way as a male,” she said. “They will have a different approach — and that’s what adds to the diversity of the team.”
How to spend (and invest) Willy Wonka’s $1 billion scratch-off prize
How to make money while you sleep
Tony Robbins: How to lock in financial success
Alessandra Malito
Alessandra Malito is a personal finance reporter based in New York. You can follow her on Twitter @malito_ali.
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About & Team
Life Is A Pitch
KT TUNSTALL ANNOUNCES OLYMPIA THEATRE CONCERT – TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER
Fatboy Slim Live…IN THE ROUND UK & IRELAND HEADLINE ARENA TOUR 2019
TAKE THAT GREATEST HITS LIVE at 3ARENA
Published by KM at 14th September 2018
KT TUNSTALL ANNOUNCES UK/IRELAND TOUR
Olympia Theatre, Dublin, March 4th 2019
Following 3 sold out intimate rock club shows this September, Brit and Ivor Novello Award winning singer and songwriter KT Tunstall, who is about to release her 6th studio album, WAX, announces a full UK & Ireland tour for March 2019. Touring for the first time with an all-female band, KT will be performing on the following dates:
Date Country City Venue
Mon 04 Mar 2019 Ireland Dublin Olympia Theatre
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21ST AT 10AM
This month KT has released lead single ‘The River’, taken from her forthcoming 6th studio album ‘WAX’, which will be released October 5th on Virgin Records. ‘WAX’ was entirely self/co-written and is produced by Nick McCarthy, founding member of multimillion selling band Franz Ferdinand, with co-production from duo MyRiot (London Grammar, Birdy). The album also features co-writing contributions from her frequent creative collaborator Martin Terefe and Kings Of Leon producer/ mentor Angelo Petraglia. Drumming duties from seasoned LA-based musician Denny Weston Jnr, and guitar from longstanding friend and collaborator Charlotte Hatherley amongst others, with KT on guitar, synths and vocals throughout. Following the success of 2016’s Top 10 album ‘KIN’, forthcoming album ‘WAX’ is the 2nd of a trilogy which explores themes of spirit, body, and mind. This album focuses on the body, and our complex relationships with physicality.
KT Tunstall emerged in 2004 with ‘Eye To The Telescope’. She has since released a further four critically acclaimed albums and her songs have been used everywhere from the opening credits of The Devil Wears Prada to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign theme. Her last album ’KIN’, released in 2016, received rave reviews and debuted at No.7 on the official UK Album Charts.
Recently KT has been awarded the Inspirational Artist gong at the Women In Music Awards. She was chosen as the first ever female Grand Marshal (following the likes of Sir Sean Connery) to lead April’s annual New York Tartan Week parade. In May she and Mike McCready, of legendary multimillion selling Pearl Jam, also released a cover of Tom Petty’s huge hit single ‘I Won’t Back Down’ with proceeds going to Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy Foundation. KT has spent the summer touring worldwide with superb artists including, The Pretenders, Simple Minds and Barenaked Ladies. For more details visit: www.kttunstall.com
KT‘s new single ‘The River’ is out now.
KT’s 6th studio album ‘WAX’ is out 5th October on Virgin Records.
KT will be touring the UK/Ireland in March 2019.
Tickets go on sale FRIDAY 21st SEPTEMBER 10am and are priced from €32.00 including booking fees and €1 venue fee from www.ticketmaster.ie
Twitter – https://twitter.com/KTTunstall?lang=en
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kttunstall/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/kttunstall/?hl=en
The party of the Summer is just around the corner!
Ireland’s Biggest Music Festival Returns to TV this August. An bhfuil tú réidh?
Meet Tom Gates Author: LIZ PICHON at ‘TOM GATES LIVE ON STAGE!” the Olympia Theatre
Wanderly Wagon, Fur City, Lambert Puppet Theatre and so much more at Monkstown Puppet Festival
© 2019 MASONRY. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy
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July 3, 2014 by Stephen A. Mendel, Estate Planning Attorney
I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.
What If I Am Partly Responsible for My Injuries?
Texas History – Do You Know What Rail Line Was Called the “Boll Weevil Line” During the Early Twentieth Century?
Texas History – Do You Know Who Was the First Sheriff of Navarro County?
Texas History – Do You Know What Newspaper Publisher Had the First Telephones Installed in Texas?
Texas History – Do You Know Who, on Behalf of the Federal Government, Declared the Freedom of All Slaves?
Texas History – Do You Know What Republic of Texas President Pressed for the Establishment of a Public School System?
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Low-tech ‘liquid trash bins’ for PG&E and…
Low-tech ‘liquid trash bins’ for PG&E and others helps Martinez firm grow
By David Morrill | San Mateo County Times, Bay Area News Group
Sharon Bonner knows the 21,000-gallon tanks for liquid disposal her company rents out lack the sexiness of products from other companies in the Bay Area.
They aren’t iPads.
“It’s kind of boring, I know,” she said.
But when Bonner founded Bradley Tanks Inc., now BTI Environmental, in 1999, pizazz wasn’t the goal. It was creating a business that would allow her to care for her family and also make a good living.
And when profit and revenue are the bottom line to success, sometimes even a “Dumpster for liquids” can be successful.
The idea to start a tank rental business came from her husband, Brad, who now serves as a consultant for BTI. Brad provided transportation for construction projects and noticed that a lot of these tanks were used on-site.
Coupled with Bonner’s previous experience working in the truck rental business, she felt that this was an opportunity worth trying.
The Martinez-based company has found a demand for close to 200 tanks across the continental U.S., as well as in Guam and Hawaii.
Bonner’s strategy is to find areas that have high levels of construction, and bring the tanks there.
One of the major accounts it landed was PG&E.
When PG&E runs liquid through its pipes to make sure there are no leaks, it needs enclosed, double-walled tanks such as the ones BTI provides to contain the used liquid.
Other projects include work at Camp Pendleton, Mare Island and the site of the former Hamilton Air Force Base in Novato.
In 2009, the company had revenue of about $2 million. More important, it reached a level of success where Bonner wanted to add a cleanup service to the portfolio.
Not only did the new service provide a secondary revenue stream for BTI, but it also allowed the firm to gain credibility in a competitive environment. It allowed for a small company with just 15 employees to land more major contracts.
BTI now works with sites to help transport and dispose soil to appropriate landfills.
“They have such a great knowledge of exactly what the criteria for each landfill is and exactly where we can take our soil,” said Derek Wong, project manager for environmental consulting company ICES in Emeryville. “The service they provide is very valuable.”
In 2010, the company’s revenue jumped five times to about $10 million.
But even though the company has become self-sufficient, that wasn’t always the case.
For the first four years, it was a struggle every month to make the tank loan payments.
With each tank costing about $50,000, Bonner had to have faith that she could find enough takers to rent them for about $40 a day to recoup her costs.
It was a simple business model, but also a costly one if it didn’t work.
“I had $10,000 a month of payments and usually would have revenues between $4,000 and $6,000 a month,” Bonner said. “I had to make the difference every month from savings.”
And after she tapped her savings account, she had to take an equity loan on her house. For the first 10 years she didn’t take a salary, but bought more tanks instead.
But while the risk at the beginning was huge, her faith never wavered. Husband Brad describes it as her “Field of Dreams.”
“This company was built on faith that if she could provide these products, then the business would come,” Brad Bonner said. “It was a huge risk, but she had the confidence that it would all work out.”
Contact David Morrill at 925-977-8534.
BTI Environmental
Founder: Sharon Bonner
Address: 525 Green St., Martinez
Website: www.
btienvironmental.com
David Morrill
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Stagecoach 2019: Female country artists are…
Stagecoach 2019: Female country artists are ready to kick up a little dust in the desert
There are more than two dozen women playing the 13th annual Stagecoach Country Music Festival, held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio Friday, April 26-Sunday, April 28.
Singer-songwriter Nikki Lane will be running her Highclass Hillbilly shop inside the Stage Stop Marketplace at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio this year. Lane has curated all of the vendors within the marketplace along with wrangling talent for the Stage Stop Horseshoe Stage, which she will also headline on Sunday, April 28.(Photo by Matt Masin, Contributing Photographer)
By Kelli Skye Fadroski | Southern California News Group
PUBLISHED: April 25, 2019 at 11:12 am | UPDATED: April 25, 2019 at 11:19 am
Though the top tier acts for the 2019 Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio this year are all male — with Luke Bryan leading the charge on Friday, April 26, Sam Hunt keeping the party going on Saturday, April 27, and Jason Aldean closing out the Mane Stage on Sunday, April 28 — there are plenty of female artists taking charge at the festival. With country darlings and Stagecoach veterans Kacey Musgraves and Maren Morris both enjoying enough crossover success to perform or drop in on Stagecoach’s big sister festival, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival earlier this month, there’s plenty of rising talent and famous faces burning up the radio charts in the genre to shake it up this year.
All of the performances are very spread throughout the three-day weekend across the Mane Stage, Palomino Stage, Sirius XM Spotlight Stage, Horseshoe Stage and inside the Honkytonk Dance Hall. Here are some of the ladies to check out at Stagecoach this year and when to see them.
Becca Mancari has a rich Americana and folk singer-songwriter style that shines through the sweet and lap steel-driven single “Golden” off her album, “Good Woman.” She’s also member of the band Bermuda Triangle alongside Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard and Jesse Lafser. Performing on the Palomino Stage from 12:30-1:05 p.m.
The fiery singer-songwriter, who is also part of the band Pistol Annies with Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley, dropped her fourth album, “Sparrow,” last April. She’s also known for her singles “Satisfied” and “I Don’t Want To,” the latter of which features Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn fame. Performing on the Palomino Stage from 2:25-3:10 p.m.
Edan Archer
The alt-country artist and Florida native has impressed audiences with her songs like the sassy “Ain’t That Kind of Woman” and the more rockin’ upbeat “Bad Imitation of Something Good.” Performing on the Horseshoe Stage from 5:30-6 p.m.
Kylie Frey, Jamie Floyd and Tiera from “Real Country”
The televised singing competition “Real Country” on the USA Network, which features icons, Stagecoach veterans and country stars Jake Owen, Shania Twain and Travis Tritt as judges, is sending a few artists out to the festival to showcase their chops. Contestants including Kylie Frey, a former rodeo queen turned singer-songwriter; Jamie Floyd, a singer-songwriter that signed her first record deal at the age of 11; and Tiera, a more soulful country singer that taught herself how to play guitar by watching online tutorials, will all be performing on the Horseshoe Stage during the Real Country Finalist showcase from 1-3 p.m.
Sign up for our Festival Pass newsletter. Whether you are a Coachella lifer or prefer to watch from afar, get weekly dispatches during the Southern California music festival season. Subscribe here.
Jessie James Decker
She’s a singer, songwriter, fashion designer and a reality TV star. Jessie James Decker, who is married to NFL wide receiver Eric Decker, is known for her E! reality show, “Eric & Jessie: Game On,” as well as her singles “Boots,” “Lights Down Low,” “Boys in the Summer” and more. Performing on the Mane Stage from 4-4:30 p.m.
The bubbly country singer-songwriter, who had previously inked tracks for artists like Sam Smith and Miley Cyrus, struck gold when her own single, “Burning House,” garnered her a Grammy nomination. The California native was studying psychology and working in several research labs when she decided to give it all up to embark on a full-time music career. She’s also known for her songs “Mayday,” “Road to Happiness” and her Dolly Parton-inspired single, “Diane.” Performing on the Mane Stage from 7:20-8:10 p.m.
Rita Wilson
Actress, singer, songwriter and producer Rita Wilson, who is also married to actor Tom Hanks, just received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in March and she’s bringing her band and latest album, “Halfway to Home,” to Stagecoach. She’s a great storyteller who has worked with other writers including Sugarland’s Kristian Bush. Her Southern California style of country music is sprinkled with a little rock in the vein of an artist like Sheryl Crow. Performing on the Palomino Stage from 1:30-2:00 p.m.
The 28-year-old Nashville native was born into country music as the daughter of singer-songwriters Jason Sellers and Lee Ann Womack. She’s forged a path of her own, however, and released her debut album, “New City Blues,” in 2016 that included the singles “Light of Day,” “Sit Here and Cry” and “Liar Liar.” Performing on the Palomino Stage from 2:25-3:10 p.m.
The Texas duo comprised of Trey Smith and Jennifer Fielder mixes country music and rock ‘n’ roll and have been out on tour with artists like Eric Paslay, Jana Kramer, Dustin Lynch and Craig Campbell. SmithField is known for its singles “Good Ol’ Days” and “Hey Whiskey.” Performing on the Sirius XM Spotlight Stage from 2:45-3:10 p.m.
Rachel Wammack
This former pageant queen signed her first record deal just six months after graduating from the University of North Alabama and quickly became an “artist to watch” according to several magazines, including “Rolling Stone” in 2018. She’s known for songs such as “My Boyfriend Doesn’t Speak For Me Anymore” and the ballad “Damage.” Performing on the Sirius XM Spotlight Stage from 2:05-2:30 p.m.
The Kentucky-native has released several albums and been a touring instrumentalist for artists like Hem, Sufjan Stevens and more. She released her latest album, “Meet Me at the River,” in 2018. Performing on the Sirius XM Spotlight Stage from 12:45-1:10 p.m.
Ansley Oakley
Handpicked by Horseshoe Stage and Stage Stop Market Place curator Nikki Lane, 12-year-old Ansley Oakley will play guitar and probably win over a few folks during her set. Performing on the Horseshoe Stage from 4:30-5 p.m.
A Few Miles South
Indie singer-songwriters Blake and Tori left California and moved to Georgia to chase the dream of performing country music and self-released their EP, “Might Could,” which chronicled their journey. Performing on the Horseshoe Stage from 1:30-2 p.m.
Honey County
The L.A. based country music trio has been heard during KFRG 95.1 FM’s All-Girl Power Hour and is known for its singles including “Sale of the Summer,” “Blood on a Stone,” “Cigarette” and “High on the Radio.” They’ve played festivals like Coastal Country Jam and opened up for Brett Elredge at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa last year and for Jake Owen at the same venue in 2017. Honey County will be doing a special performance at Stagecoach, singing a song dubbed “Country Strong,” that will be accompanied by a new Stagecoach dance, which will honor the country fan community and celebrate, specifically in light of the more recent shootings at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas and The Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks. The dance was created by Stagecoach dance captain Anne Marie Dunn with Borderline dance teacher Kristal Lynn Kozen and will be performed live with more than 100 dancers. Fans are welcome to join in from 5-5:30 p.m. at the Honkytonk Dance Hall.
She has one of the most cleverly written songs on country radio at the moment with her single “Ladies in the ’90s” which pays homage female vocalists such as Lee Ann Womack, Britney Spears, Shania Twain, TLC, Dixie Chicks, Spice Girls and Alanis Morissette. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter’s delivery is also so very sassy and catchy. Since her former classmate and longtime friend Kane Brown is also performing, maybe she’ll pop out to sing their song, “What Ifs.” She may have lost the “American Idol” title to fellow Stagecoach performer Scotty McCreery on the signing competition back in 2011, but she’s done quite well for herself. Performing on the Mane Stage from 6:20-7:10 p.m.
Danielle Bradbery
The 22-year-old Texas native was a favorite on NBC’s “The Voice” singing competition and she won the show back in 2013 with country star Blake Shelton as her coach. She has since gone out on tour with artists like Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Hunter Hayes and Brad Paisley. She’s also released two albums, a self titled record in 2013 and “I Don’t Believe We’ve Met,” in 2017. Performing on the Mane Stage from 4-4:40 p.m.
The Australian singer-songwriter has released a couple of albums including her latest, “Don’t Talk About It,” which came out in 2018 and included a single of the same title as well as “It’s So Cruel.” Performing on the Palomino Stage from 1:30-2 p.m.
Canadian country music star Terri Clark should be one of those ladies from the ’90s that Alaina is singing about. She enjoyed numerous hits around that time with “Better Things to Do,” “When Boy Meets Girl,” “If I Were You,” a cover of Warren Zevon’s “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” and “You’re Easy on the Eyes.” She’s continued to perform and rack up awards throughout her career and released her 11th studio album, “Raising the Bar,” in 2018. Performing on the Palomino Stage from 3:25-4 p.m.
Abby Anderson
Singer-songwriter Abby Anderson, who just dropped her new single, “Good Lord,” is also going out with Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas on his solo tour which rolls through the Greek Theatre on June 18. Performing on the Sirius XM Spotlight Stage from 1:25-1:50 p.m.
Stephie James
A Nashville-based singer-songwriter who, on her website, describes herself and music as “Sad songs and street fights; Coca-Cola and steel strings” is currently working on her debut with Alabama Shakes producer Andrija Tokic. Performing on the Horseshoe Stage from 1:30-2:00 p.m.
Emily Nenni
A singer-songwriter from the Bay Area released her debut album, “Hell of a Woman,” in 2018 and was inspired by girl groups of the 1960s and outlaw country from the 1970s. Performing on the Horseshoe Stage from 2:30-3 p.m.
Whitney Rose
A Canadian singer-songwriter who now lives in Texas, Whitney Rose released both an album and an EP in 2017 and spawned a couple of singles including “Can’t Stop Shakin’” and “Better To My Baby.” Performing on the Horseshoe Stage from 4:30-5 p.m.
Nikki Lane wears several cowboy hats at Stagecoach. When she’s not curating vendors and showing off her latest fashion trends and vintage wear, Lane is also wrangling talent for her Stage Stop Market Place Horseshoe Stage. Lane is one tough cookie and performs her own blend of Americana and outlaw country. She’s known for songs like “Highway Queen,” “Jackpot,” “Send the Sun” and “Right Time.” Performing on the Horseshoe Stage from 6:30-7:15 p.m.
Morning Wire
Kelli Skye Fadroski
Kim Kardashian gets Jared Kushner to help rescue A$AP Rocky from a Swedish jail, report says
Following Kardashian's call to Kushner, Trump reportedly asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to work to bring the rapper back home.
Rapper YG’s Los Angeles home searched after deputy-involved shooting
Authorities say they searched the Los Angeles home of rapper YG in connection with a deputy-involved shooting in Compton earlier this month.
Jim the Critic’s Top Concert Picks of the Week
Get tickets to see the Rocks In Your Head Fest as well as Jill Scott, Robyn, Slipknot, Rascal Flatts and other top concerts happening in the Bay Area.
7 crazy-good Bay Area things to do this weekend
Got your weekend plans? We have some great ideas, from punk rock heaven to fun in the sun to ... ICE CREAM!!
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Saint Mary's advances to MIAC Men's Hockey Semifinals
Saint Mary's (9-14-3) 1 1 3 5
Concordia (13-10-3) 0 0 2 2
1st - 13:12 - Andrew Cummings (Saint Mary's)
2nd - 14:04 - Lance Herning (Saint Mary's)
3rd - 07:31 - Dylan Robertson (Saint Mary's)
3rd - 08:51 - PP - Blake Berg (Concordia)
3rd - 15:07 - Tyler Bossert (Concordia)
3rd - 16:23 - Ryan Stoynich (Saint Mary's)
3rd - 19:57 - EN - Tommy Stang (Saint Mary's)
G: 5 Players (#10, #13, #14, #20, #33) - 1
A: 5 Players (#2, #6, #8, #21, #33) - 1
Sv: Nick Nast - 32
A: 4 Players (#3, #15, #22, #25) - 1
Sh: Aaron Herdt - 6
Sv: Jacob Stephan - 27
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The 2019 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Men's Hockey Playoffs officially got underway on Thursday night with the No. 5 seed Saint Mary's Cardinals defeating the No. 4 seed Concordia Cobbers, 5-2, in Moorhead, Minn.
The Cardinals scored goals in every period and held off a comeback bid late in the third period to advance to the semifinal round of the conference tournament, where they will now face top-seeded Augsburg at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night. The other semifinal matchup on Saturday will feature No. 3 St. Thomas challenging No. 2 Saint John's at 2:00 p.m. in St. Cloud.
| 2019 MIAC Men's Hockey Playoffs |
NO. 5 SAINT MARY'S 5, NO. 4 CONCORDIA 2 | Box Score |
In the program's third trip to the MIAC postseason in the last five years, Saint Mary's traveled to Moorhead and topped the No. 4 seeded Cobbers, 5-2, on Thursday night. The Cards jumped out to a 3-0 lead and never looked back. Andrew Cummings recorded a goal and an assist in the game, while SMU goalie Nick Nast stopped 32 of 34 shots directed his way. Concordia made things interesting in the third period, scoring back-to-back goals off the sticks of Blake Berg and Tyler Bossert to make it a 3-2 game; however, Saint Mary's would not flinch, answering with a goal of its own less than two minutes later and padding the lead with an empty-netter late to secure the victory. SMU will now get one more crack at nationally-ranked Augsburg on Saturday. The Auggies claimed a series sweep of the Cardinals back in November. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SET FOR MARCH 3
The two semifinal winners will square off the following Saturday, March 2, in the 2019 MIAC Men's Hockey Playoff Championship game, which will be played on the home ice of the highest remaining seed. The tournament champion will receive the postseason championship plaque and the Conference's automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Division III Men's Hockey Tournament.
The MIAC has a homepage dedicated to the 2019 MIAC Men's Hockey Playoffs, containing schedules, links and information on each of the five teams in the field. Throughout the tournament, the page will be updated with scores, stats, updated schedules and more. Fans can also follow the action on the MIAC Scoreboard, on the free MIAC mobile app, and on social media through the MIAC's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.
2019 MIAC MEN'S HOCKEY PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals | Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019 |
Semifinals | Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019 |
No. 3 St. Thomas at No. 2 Saint John's | 2:00 PM | Live Stats | Video |
No. 5 Saint Mary's at No. 1 Augsburg | 7:00 PM | Live Stats | Video |
Championship | Saturday, March 2, 2019 | 7:00 PM |
Lowest remaining seed at Highest remaining seed
GAME TIMES ARE TENTATIVE
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'We're still together and we will turn it around': Crawley Town keeper Glenn Morris
Glenn Morris in action against Port Vale. Picture by Steve Robards
Sam Morton
Published: 13:17 Sunday 20 January 2019 Updated: 09:17 Wednesday 23 January 2019
Crawley Town goalkeeper Glenn Morris feels Reds can still have a successful season despite their recent league form.
Crawley's 1-0 home defeat against Port Vale this weekend was their third loss in a week, following away trips to Stevenage and Mansfield, leaving them in 17th place and just six points above the relegation zone.
They also remain without an away win in ten attempts since Gabriele Cioffi took over as manager in September, gaining just one point from their travels with a 0-0 draw at Newport County.
However, Morris, one of Reds' standout performers for the last few seasons, said he is not worried and is 'remaining positive'.
"I'm sure it will come and I'm sure our performances will come soon away from home," he said.
"We've been a little bit unlucky with some of the recent games away from home. It's just one of those things at the moment. We've been performing well the last few away games.
"We haven't really had the rub of the green. There's been a couple of games where we've had chances and if we had taken them and not made a couple of mistakes at the back, we would have won the game and everyone would have been talking differently but that's football. You have to move on, work hard, and I'm sure it will turn round."
Crawley had prided themselves on their formidable home form after Cioffi took over, with five consecutive wins on home soil in all competitions, with Morris saying at the time that it was 'becoming a fortress'.
Although they have won just three of their last eight league games at home, Morris said he is isn't worried.
He added: "Sometimes football doesn't always work out the way you want it to. We will turn it around away from home but it does put pressure on your home form.
"You've got to look at it positively. I'm sure it will turn round at some point. Why can't it be this week [against Swindon]. We will prepare right and do everything we can and hopefully get a little bit of luck and get the win.
"It's not anything physiological. We just need one win and it might bring two, three or four. I'm not overly worried.
"We're still together. We've got an end goal and that's what we are trying to achieve. I'm sure it will be [a successful season]."
Crawley Town midfielder signs contract extension
See also: Crawley Town 0 - Port Vale 1: Glenn Morris admits Crawley 'can't complain' with 'frustrating' result
Crawley Town 0- Port Vale 1: Watch Glenn Morris' post match reaction
Crawley Town 0- Port Vale 1: Player ratings
Missing Haywards Heath woman found dead at nature reserve
'Increasing concern' for missing Cuckfield teenager
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Elizabeth Gordon
Author Elizabeth Gordon
Elizabeth Gordon is an award-winning writer and Pushcart Prize nominee who is now making forays into playwriting. Her short play SPLAT made its world premiere at the 2016 Boston Theatre Marathon. Another short play, WAKE, was performed as a staged reading with the Port City Playwrights' Project in 2017.
Gordon’s poems, stories, and reviews have been published in numerous literary magazines, including Slant, Cutbank, New Millennium Writings, Green Mountains Review, Cutthroat, and The Prose Poem: An International Journal. She has been anthologized in Home To Stay: Asian American Women's Fiction (Greenfield Review Press) and Tilting The Continent (New Rivers Press), as well as in several college textbooks. Recipient of the Tennessee Arts Commission Literary Fellowship for Poetry, she holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Brown University and divides her time between Wilmington, North Carolina and Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
NOTE FROM PLAYWRIGHT
My writing is informed by a few salient personal facts. As a biracial Asian-American, born in Saigon during the so-called Vietnam War, I am both fascinated and repulsed by war and race and have explored those themes in my work for many years. As a result of being raised in the Bible Belt, the rhythms of Southern Appalachia (its language as well as culture) also inflect my writing. I have deep interests in social justice, protecting and preserving the environment, and the rights of all beings, including other species, not to be exploited or harmed.
www.appalasianwriter.com
appalasianwriter@gmail.com
NOTE FROM MonologueBank
Material purchased on this website may be utilized for personal, non-commercial use for auditions or educational purposes. For all other inquiries concerning production, publication, reprinting or other types of use, contact the Writer directly at appalasianwriter@gmail.com
A-Z Name
Seemingly Racist Gestures - Person Elizabeth Gordon
Based on true events, an Asian-American baseball fan takes on Sports Illustrated for its failure to call out racism when it occurs.
MIRACLE PERSON - Phuong (Extended Version) Elizabeth Gordon
Phuong, an older Vietnamese immigrant, tells the unlikely story of how she came to be at the Taiwan airport, on the verge of seeing her family for the first time in 25 years.
Audubon's Rifle - John James Audubon Elizabeth Gordon
For John James Audubon, his greatest joy and ambition is painting beautiful pictures of birds, but to do so he must, literally, destroy the very creatures he loves.
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Students of for-profit college to see $30M in…
NewsBusiness
Students of for-profit college to see $30M in loans forgiven
By Associated Press and Steve Leblanc |
PUBLISHED: January 13, 2017 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: September 12, 2018 at 12:00 am
BOSTON (AP) Students of the now-shuttered American Career Institute will have more than $30 million in federal student loans forgiven under a deal announced by Massachusetts” attorney general.
Attorney General Maura Healey asked the U.S. Department of Education to cancel the loan obligations after her office sued the for-profit school over fraud allegations and the school admitted misleading students.
The decision announced Friday means nearly 4,500 students who attended the school”s five campuses in Massachusetts will have the balance of their loan debt wiped out and will be entitled to refunds for debt payments they”ve already made.
“This is a school that lures students in with promises of great careers and high salaries only to leave them with little or no education and a boatload of unaffordable debt,” said Healey.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a fellow Democrat, said American Career Institute preyed on students to rake in federal loan dollars.
“They didn”t build a business model to say ”how is it that we can provide the best services?”” Warren said. “They said ”how can we get access to federal loan dollars and federal guarantees and federal grants and then use that money to spend as little as possible on the educational portion and as much as possible in payouts to the investors.””
The school operated in Massachusetts and Maryland before closing in 2013.
Mary Colleen Murphy was one of its students.
The Scituate, Massachusetts, mother of four was working as a nursing assistant and wanted to get additional medical training to earn more money to help put her children through college.
She said ACI officials pressured her into a multimedia design-and-graphic arts course with promises of an annual salary of up to $125,000 even though the class was more than half over. She said they used old books and old software and had teachers unfamiliar with the materials.
“I knew nothing about technology. I was told that I didn”t need to even know how to turn on a computer. That wasn”t the case at all. I was clueless and I struggled,” said Murphy, who ended up $23,000 in debt.
Massachusetts authorities said the school admitted to fabricating records, lying to students and overstating job prospects.
“This is an industry that we know needs heavy policing,” Healey said. “It is an industry rife with deception, rife with predatory practices, and I sure hope that the next secretary of education understands that and takes that seriously.”
Warren also said she”s going to press the new education secretary to crack down on for-profit college scams.
Warren has already said she”s troubled by the record of President-elect Donald Trump”s choice for education secretary, Betsy DeVos. In a letter she sent to DeVos on Monday, Warren said DeVos” advocacy for school choice, charter schools and school voucher programs should raise alarms for supporters of public education.
Warren sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which will hold a hearing on DeVos” nomination Tuesday.
Steve Leblanc
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Sep 29 Fantastic Fest Movie Review: LOVE AND SAUCERS is a Bizarre Yet Fascinating Documentary
One of the best things about Fantastic Fest is its ability to screen movies off the beaten path that would not typically be seen in a theater. Love and Saucers is one such film. It is a documentary chronicling the life of David Huggins, an unassuming 72 year-old artist who believes he has had a lifetime of sexual encounters with aliens. David paints his memories of his encounters and presents them in the film.
Love and Saucers is presented without its own agenda - it does not focus on whether David is telling the truth or simply fabricating the stories of UFO love in an attempt to sell artwork. The film simply allows David and those in his life to tell their tale. It is up to the audience to make this determination. What is evident, however, is that David truly believes the events he described happened to him. These events have impacted his work, his family relationships, and his art.
Love and Saucers succeeds by giving a voice to a unique individual and exploring his life without judgment. It's also very short, so it does not wear out its welcome.
Fantastic Fest, Review
Oct 10 The Official Trailer for "THE LAST JEDI" Is Here!
Sep 24 Fantastic Fest Movie Review: BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99 is a Bloody Great Time
Sep 22 Fantastic Fest Movie Review: RABBIT
Sep 23 Fantastic Fest Movie Review: ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE is a Pure Delight
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cinzia milani
april 13 & 14
Cinzia Milani, Italian Guitarist
Italian Music & A Tribute to Ida Presti
Cinzia will perform at 8pm on Saturday, April 13th and follow up with a master class on Sunday at 1pm. Cincia’s program will include works by: Ablóniz, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Duarte, Fampas, Lagoya, Milani, Presti and more.
Milani began studying classical guitar at a very young age and after private studies, graduated from the Conservatorio ‘A Boito’ in Parma at the age of 18. When Cinzia Milani was only 5 years old she won the international competition of Milan. By the age of 14 Cinzia Milani had already won sixteen first prize in International and National Competitions.
Milani caught the attention of British and American press, which defined her as ‘a rare combination of beauty, grace, natural elegance…’ and as having ‘a deep sense of music with a brilliant technique and a powerful sound and expression, considered among the best exponents of the concert artists in the world….’
In addition to her career as a guitarist, she plays the violin and has played in various orchestras in Italy, Spain and France.
MAC members $15
Seniors $18
Youth under 18 accompanied by adult FREE
More info? Call 203-878-6647
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Heritage Pharmaceuticals Admits to Generic Drug Price Fixing Scheme
By Michelle L. Caton, Farrah Short
In the latest development in the Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division’s ongoing investigation into the generic pharmaceutical industry, Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with DOJ. The terms of the DPA require Heritage to pay a $225,000 criminal penalty and provide full cooperation with the ongoing investigation. The one-count felony charge, filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on May 30, alleges that Heritage violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act by conspiring with multiple unnamed parties to divide up the domestic market and fix prices for glyburide, a diabetes medication, from April 2014 through December 2015. According to DOJ, the DPA provides that the United States will not prosecute Heritage for three years.
DOJ cited a number of factors supporting its decision to enter into the DPA, notably that Heritage has provided substantial and ongoing cooperation with DOJ’s investigation of generics. That cooperation has included Heritage providing information about generic drug pricing criminal antitrust violations beyond those identified in the DPA. Heritage also agreed to resolve all related civil charges stemming from the alleged anti-competitive behavior.
Concurrently, Heritage has agreed to pay $7.1 million as part of a settlement with DOJ’s Civil Division to resolve allegations of False Claims Act (FCA) violations with respect to collusive drug pricing activity. The FCA allegations arose from Heritage’s payment and receipt of remuneration through anticompetitive arrangements with other generic manufacturers on price, supply, and allocation of customers for multiple drugs (including hydralazine, theophylline, and glyburide) from 2012 to 2015. As alleged, Heritage then sold these drugs at the artificially inflated prices, which resulted in claims submitted to or purchases by federal healthcare programs.
The May 30th charge is not Heritage’s first brush with DOJ’s generic price-fixing investigation. Two former Heritage executives were charged in 2016 with price-fixing, bid-rigging, and customer allocation conspiracies. Both Jeffrey Glazer (former CEO) and Jason Malek (former President) pled guilty in 2017. Meanwhile, the issue of generic price fixing has drawn attention far beyond DOJ. Just last month, over 40 states filed a lawsuit in Connecticut against more than two dozen pharmaceutical companies and executives, alleging broad anti-competitive behavior in the generics industry. Given the scope and breadth of the current allegations of collusive behavior among generic manufacturers, there is certainly more to come.
Health Care Enforcement & Investigations
Health Care Compliance, Fraud and Abuse, & Regulatory Counseling
Farrah Short
Michelle L. Caton
Michelle L. Caton is a Mintz attorney who focuses her practice on life sciences and health care transactions as well as a variety of health care regulatory and compliance matters.
Farrah Short is a Mintz Special Counsel who advises clients on antitrust and competition law, including merger review, competitor collaborations, government investigations, and private class action litigation. She specializes in counseling clients through the Hart-Scott-Rodino merger review process.
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Need advice but can't commit to a longterm program? Reach out to one of our Mentors on Call for a mentorship session whenever you need it.
International Business | Accounting | Non-profits
Samya Abudheer is a graduate of Marymount University with a degree in International Business. She is currently working as an Accountant. She has experience working at international organizations both in the private and public sectors.
Hareesa Mohammed is a graduate of University of Maryland's Clark School of Engineering and currently works as a construction engineer at Clark Construction. Through her passion for humanitarian projects and sustainability, she hopes to inspire more women to pursue careers in engineering and construction management.
Tech | User Experience Research | Operations
Duaa Gettani received her M.S. from the University of California Davis and transitioned from academia to the tech world. She has worked in User experience research at various Bay Area companies. She's currently part of the ux research team at Lyft.
Tech | Marketing | Consulting
Yuser Tagouri is a graduate of University of Maryland's School of Public Health, an aspiring entrepreneur, and a presentation/graphic designer for Oracle's Creative Services team (formerly part of Oracle's Consulting team.)
Sumayya Tobah is a freelance journalist based in Washington DC. She has done work for Aljazeera English, ABC News, Good Morning America, and TRT World.
Politics | Activism | Conflict Resolution | Pre-law
Remaz Abdelgader is a graduate of George Mason University's School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution / Immigration studies and an aspiring attorney. She currently works as a federal employee with the United States Dept. of Homeland Security.
Non-Profits | Podcasts | Writing | Global Affairs
Amina Derbi is an Executive Analyst for the Advancing Education in Muslim Societies (AEMS) program at the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). She hosts and produces, Third Space Thoughts to Policy, the official podcast of IIIT which is available on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, CastBox, Messy.FM, and Podcast Mirror. It was named a Top & Trending Show on Messy.FM twice in the month of May 2019, after first launching in Fall 2018. Amina studied Global Affairs at George Mason University (GMU), completing her BA early in 2012 and Accelerated MA in 2014. Previously, she was an Import Policy Analyst at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Policy within the International Trade Administration’s Enforcement and Compliance division.
Designer | Customer Experience | Merchant | Retail Leader
Samar Omeish is a graduate of Marymount University's graphic design program. Her passion for design transitioned quickly into interiors and has 10+ years in customer experience, business/team management and designing interior spaces. Currently she is the merchant and leader associate for the Room & Board in Washington DC showroom.
Tech | Social Impact Entrepreneurship | Marketing
Amina Gerrbi is a graduate of Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, the founder of Muslimah Society, and an Associate Account Strategist at Google. To set up a mentorship session with Amina, click here.
Dania Shafei
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Autoamerican
80's pop, rock
EX++
Autoamerican is the Platinum-plus fifth studio album by the US New Wave band Blondie. It was released in November 1980 and reached number 3[5] in the UK charts, number 8 in Australia and number 7 in the US.
The album proved to be a radical departure for the band, with opening track "Europa", setting the pace. The track was a dramatic instrumental overture featuring orchestral arrangements and ending with vocalist Debbie Harry reciting a poem about the importance of the car in American society. Besides rock and pop tracks, the band explored a wide range of other musical genres: "Here's Looking At You" and "Faces" show jazz and blues influences, the reggae hit "The Tide Is High" was a cover of The Paragons' 1965 Jamaican ska hit, whereas "Rapture" combined funk, rock, jazz, and even saw them embracing the then budding genre of rap. The closing track, "Follow Me", was a cover of a torch song from Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe's 1960 Broadway musical Camelot, based on the King Arthur legend.
The band released two singles from this album, "The Tide Is High" and "Rapture". "The Tide Is High" hit number 1 in several countries, including the US and the UK. "Rapture" became the first rap song not only to be released from the band but also the first ever to reach number 1 on the singles chart in the US (it also reached number 5 in the UK). The first edition of the US pressing of the album had a sticker on the cover stating Including "The Tide Is High", "Rapture" and "T-Birds", suggesting that the track was planned as the third single release.
Autoamerican was digitally remastered and reissued with two bonus tracks by Chrysalis Records in the UK in 1994 which included extended "special disco mix" versions of "Rapture" and "Live It Up". The album was again remastered and re-released by EMI-Capitol in 2001, again featuring the extended version of "Rapture" along with the extended version of their number 1 hit "Call Me" (from the film soundtrack to American Gigolo), and also "Suzy & Jeffrey" which was originally the B-side to "The Tide Is High" single.
Producer Mike Chapman insisted the band record in Los Angeles, of which Chris Stein lamented: "Every day we get up, stagger into the blinding sun, [and] drive past a huge Moon-mobile from some ancient sci-fi movie." But Blondie insisted on a cover from their hometown, posing on a roof at Broadway and Eighth. The photo was treated to look like a painting.
1."Europa" (Chris Stein) – 3:31
2."Live It Up" (Stein) – 4:09
3."Here's Looking at You" (Debbie Harry, Stein) – 2:58
4."The Tide Is High" (Howard Barrett, Tyrone Evans, John Holt) – 4:39
5."Angels on the Balcony" (Laura Davis, Jimmy Destri) – 3:47
6."Go Through It" (Harry, Stein) – 2:40
7."Suzy & Jeffrey" a.k.a. "Susie & Jeffrey" (Harrison, Harry) – 4:10 (cassette only)
8."Do the Dark" (Destri) – 3:51
9."Rapture" (Harry, Stein) – 6:30
10."Faces" (Harry) – 3:51
11."T-Birds" (Nigel Harrison, Harry) – 3:56
12."Walk Like Me" (Jimmy Destri) – 3:44
13."Follow Me" (Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe) – 3:01
Bonus tracks (1994 UK CD reissue)
14."Rapture" (Special Disco Mix) (Harry, Stein) – 9:59
15."Live It Up" (Special Disco Mix) (Stein) – 8:13
Dreaming / Sound Asleep
Presence Dear / Poets Problem...
Union City Blue / Living In The...
Sunday Girl / I Know But I Don't...
The Tide Is High / Susie And...
Island Of Lost Souls / Dragonfly
Debbie Harry [Blondie]
dance, disco, rock
dance, disco, pop, rock
Eat to the Beat
cigarette, dance, disco, pop, rock
dance, disco, girls, picture disc, barevné, pop
Eat The Beat
Debbie Harry [ Blondie]
Atomic / Die Young Stay Pretty
Ramones / Blondie / The Motors...
TIME FOR ACTION - BEST OF NEW WAVE
Lbl.: Arcade ADE G 101
80's pop, punk, hardcore, rock
Picture This / Fade Away And...
Denis (Denee) / Contact In Red...
Rapture / Walk Like Me
rock, ska, reggae
The Tide Is High / Suzy And Jeffrey
Call Me / Call Me (Instrumental)
elektronická hudba, rock
dance, disco
Hanging On The Telephone / Will...
Lbl.: Chrysalis – CHE-2266
The Tide Is High
Lbl.: Chrysalis – CHS 2350, Chrysalis – CHS2350
filmová hudba, rock
Lbl.: Chrysalis – CHE-1225, Chrysalis – CHE 1225
Lbl.: Chrysalis – CHE-2266, Chrysalis – CHS 2266
Lbl.: Chrysalis – CHS-2414
Heart Of Glass / Rifle Range
dance, disco, elektronická hudba
dance, disco, elektronická hudba, rap, hiphop, rock
dance, disco, elektronická hudba, rock
Milk & Honey/Bee Gees/Abba/Boney...
Pop History 1979
Lbl.: Sonocord – 36 120-4
The Best Of Blondie
Lbl.: Supraphon – 1113 3136
Lbl.: Chrysalis – 204 697-320
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Cost expected to be a top concern at Burlington housing summit
by: Mike Hoey
Posted: Jun 11, 2019 / 02:40 AM EDT / Updated: Jun 11, 2019 / 01:21 PM EDT
The Queen City will try to get a handle on the high cost of housing Tuesday when city officials meet for a planned summit at Burlington City Hall.
The goal of the gathering, which begins at noon, is to reach consensus on reforms that will lower rents, reduce the effects of income inequality and improve land-use policies.
Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender is scheduled to give a keynote address during an afternoon ‘working’ session, which will include discussion on five specific reforms. The session is open to the public, but register is required.
A town hall meeting to gather public input is set for 6-8 pm. No registration is required.
But, for several people enjoying Monday’s weather along Burlington’s Waterfront Park, the summit should focus primarily on one issue: affordability.
Sam Blake said she recently decided to move from the city to Essex Junction, where rents are lower.
“I was living downtown in a one-bedroom apartment,” Sam Blake said. “It was very difficult to find one that I could really afford, so I moved out of Burlington to live with other people. Just moving outside the city, rent is a lot more affordable.”
Luba Routsong, another former Burlington resident who now lives in Colchester, said the cost of housing is the single biggest obstacle to establishing a life in the Queen City.
“There is not enough affordable housing for everyone to enjoy this (the surroundings of Burlington),” Routsong said. “This is beautiful, this is natural beauty and it should be here for everyone.”
On the other hand, Routsong said, Burlington is such a nice place to live that some people are willing to pay a premium to do so. That helped when she put her condominium up for sale.
“In two or three days, we had 20 people that were interested in looking at it,” she said. “We had no problem selling it.”
Blake has seen another housing market issue that she hopes the summit takes note of.
“I think definitely there’s some landlord issues,” she said. “A lot of these property managers, they manage so many properties throughout Burlington and outside of Burlington, they don’t always have the time, when you have an issue, to kind of get on top of something right away.”
Leslie Black-Plumeau, the community relations manager of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, said the city is in a tough position when it comes to housing — it doesn’t have the deep well of subsidies that the federal government can offer households with very low incomes.
“But the city itself can do quite a bit to improve the supply of housing here and the affordability of housing here, because the supply affects the affordability,” Black-Plumeau said.
We’ll have full coverage of it for you at mychamplainvalley.com, as well as on Local 22 & Local 44 news at 6 pm and 7 pm.
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Illinois Prepares to Pass a Bill Deeming Abortion a ‘Fundamental Right’
By Alexandra DeSanctis
About Alexandra DeSanctis
Follow Alexandra DeSanctis on Twitter
Activists with Planned Parenthood and the Center for American Progress protest in Washington, D.C., June 28, 2017. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)
The Illinois state senate, dominated by Democratic lawmakers, is prepared to pass the radical Reproductive Health Act (RHA), establishing abortion as a “fundamental right” and rolling back state-level restrictions on the procedure. On Tuesday, the bill passed the Illinois house on a 64–50 vote.
The RHA repeals the state’s ban on medically unnecessary partial-birth-abortion procedures (which also are banned under federal law) and mandates that all health-insurance companies cover abortion procedures, at any stage of pregnancy and for any reason. It also repeals the state’s Abortion Performance Refusal Act, which protects doctors and hospitals with moral objections to performing or participating in abortions. The RHA offers no religious or conscience-based exemptions for any such individuals or institutions.
Perhaps most disturbing of all, the RHA goes so far as to explicitly dehumanize unborn human beings in the quest to equate the right to kill the unborn with the right to make personal health-care choices, asserting that “a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent rights under the laws of this State.” This language, more than anything else in the legislation, exposes the depraved final goal of the abortion-rights movement.
It is not enough to use the law to enforce a twisted notion of justice that privileges a woman’s right to bodily autonomy over the right to life of the human being inside her. That vulnerable human being also must be explicitly stripped of his or her claim to any legal recognition whatsoever. Such a policy is necessary to sustain the argument for abortion: An unborn human being has value and rights in the eyes of the state only inasmuch as he or she is wanted by his or her mother.
Democratic governor J. B. Pritzker said in a statement after the bill passed the House on Tuesday that he will sign the legislation. “With reproductive healthcare under attack across the country, we must do everything in our power to protect women’s rights in Illinois,” Pritzker said. “Today was a major step forward for every woman in this state and I look forward continuing my work as an ally by signing the Reproductive Healthcare Act into law.”
Pritzker ignores, as abortion-minded Democrats nearly always do, that not all women support unlimited access to abortion, and, in fact, that women tend to be more pro-life than men. To the progressive mind, abortion is the linchpin to female fulfillment, and expanding access to it therefore must be presented as a victory for all women — including those who stubbornly oppose it, apparently not knowing what’s in our own best interest.
This effort in Illinois to expand abortion rights past the confines even of Roe and Casey is part of a broader campaign underway in blue states to ensure that women will continue to be able to abort healthy fetuses at any point in pregnancy, including after viability, even if the Supreme Court loosens or rolls back the decades of jurisprudence that bolster our current federal regime of abortion on demand.
Alexandra DeSanctis is a staff writer for National Review. @xan_desanctis
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8 Separate Highway Accidents Reported Within Nearly 30 Minutes
Accidents reported on SR 163, I-8 and I-15
By Joe Young
Published Nov 6, 2011 at 4:18 PM
Several car accidents were reported Sunday amid a rain storm that swept across San Diego County.
California Highway Patrol officials responded to eight separate accidents on the eastbound Interstate 8 and northbound State Route 163 in the Fashion Valley area, according to their website.
The accidents were all reported just before 3 p.m. and and shortly after 3:30 p.m.
Also, on Interstate 15, a driver was rescued after his car flipped three times while driving onto the highway from Gilman Drive, just before 1:24 p.m., according to CHP.
The man was reportedly driving over 80 mph when the accident happened and he was seriously injured, CHP officials said.
On Friday, over 300 car accidents were reported during the rain storm that struck the county, according to CHP officials.
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Seeing the changes that matter: qualitative longitudinal research focused on recovery and adaptation
My colleagues and I worked on the ‘TBI experiences’ study1 – qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) about recovery and adaptation after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Led by Kathryn McPherson and Alice Theadom, we came to QLR as qualitative researchers who saw a need to capture how recovery and adaptation shifted and changed over time, in order to better inform rehabilitation services and support.
For QLR, our data collection period of 48 months was relatively short. Our focus was on understanding what helped or hindered recovery and adaptation for people with TBI, and the significant others in their lives. However, with 52 participants (plus their significant others), the volume of data was significant. We interviewed participants at 6, 12, 24 and 48 months after a TBI, and at 48 months we had a subset of participants with diverse experiences. The focus for our analytical approach was a type of thematic anaylsis based on Kathy Charmanz’s writing on grounded theory. The purpose of our research was to build a picture of what recovery and adaptation looks like for a cohort of people over time. While we did do some analysis of ‘case sets’ (the series of interviews relating to a particular person), the focus of the analysis was more on looking at patterns across the participant group rather than individuals.
Making sense of a large amount of rich data is always challenging, but the added dimension of change over time is something we spent a lot of time pondering. One of the biggest challenges was to find strategies to make the changes we were interested in visible in our coding structure, so we could easily see what was happening in our data over time. We chose to set up an extensive code structure during analysis at the first time-point and work with this set of codes throughout, adapting and adding to them at further time-points. We reasoned this would enable us to track both similarities and differences in the ways people were talking about their experiences over the various timepoints. Doing this made it possible to map the set of codes themselves as a way of seeing changes over time.
We used detailed titles for the codes and comprehensive code descriptions that included examples from the data. At each time-point, the code descriptions were added to and consideration was given to which codes were outdated or had shifted. For example, a code we labelled at 6 months as: ‘allowing me to change what I normally do to manage symptoms and recover’ needed extensions to the code description at 12 months to reflect subtle changes. Beyond that, although data still fitted with the essence of the code that had been developing over time, we began to question the appropriateness of the code title, as the later data related to the same idea but was no longer about managing symptoms, rather navigating the need to do things
differently than before the injury to cope with changes.
This way of working with the code enabled us to reflect on the experience for participants. At the 24 month point, the original code was ‘in transition’ – not quite a new code yet, but different enough to be an uncomfortable fit with the original title. The description now included this query to help us reconsider it in light of new data in the future.
When analysing interviews at 48 months, the data related to this idea had changed and no longer fitted the existing code title or description. We needed to consider introducing a new code, one that had a key relationship with the existing one but captured the essence of our findings more clearly. Essentially, the idea of ‘changing what I normally do’ had expired, because there was less tendency to refer to pre-injury activities as ‘what I normally do’. However, negotiating having to do things differently in order to manage life was still an issue for participants experiencing ongoing effects. The changes in codes over time and the relationships between ‘old’ and ‘new’ code were very visible using this system.
The extensive code descriptions helped orientate us to the interview extracts that were most influential in shaping the code, and the database we set up to record our coding allowed us to create reports of every extract coded here, so we could review and debate changes with reference to key data and the ‘feel’ of what was coded. Another key strategy we used to help us explore data over time was the use of data visualisation software. We used QlikSense, which is designed for exploring patterns in data and then directly drilling down into the relevant detail to look at what’s going on (as opposed to seeing an overview, which we did on paper). One example is where codes and groups of codes varied in their prominence (e.g. code density or number of participants who contributed to the code) across different timepoints. Seeing these differences prompted us to look at the code descriptions and the data coded there to consider if this pattern added to our understanding of how people’s experiences were changing over time. We provide some more detailed examples of the patterns we explored in a paper published in Nursing Inquiry in 20172.
At the start of our study, we had limited understanding about the challenges ahead because of the nature of QLR, but in working it out by doing it, we saw the value of such an approach – so much so, that some of the other authors have since been involved in other QLR projects.
1 Fadyl, J. K., Theadom, A., Channon, A., & McPherson, K. M. (2017). Recovery and Adaptation after Traumatic Brain Injury in
New Zealand: Longitudinal qualitative findings over the first two years. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (open access)
2 Fadyl, J. K., Channon, A., Theadom, A., & McPherson, K. M. (2017). Optimising Qualitative Longitudinal Analysis: Insights from a Study of Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery and Adaptation. Nursing Inquiry, 24(2).
Submitted by Joanna Fadyl, Auckland University of Technology on Wednesday, 26th June 2019
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Party Won't Leave North East Democratic Alliance: Zoramthanga
"There is no intention at this juncture to leave the NDA and NEDA", he told reporters at Raj Bhavan in the city after taking oath as the new chief minister of the state
All India | Press Trust of India | Updated: December 15, 2018 17:28 IST
Zoramthanga had earlier served as the chief minister from December 1998 to December 2008.
Aizawl:
The new Mizoram chief minister, Zoramthanga today said that his party the Mizo National Front (MNF) has no intention of leaving the BJP-led NDA and North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA).
He said combating alcoholism and drug addiction would be one of the top priorities of his government and it would take up development projects from day one.
"There is no intention at this juncture to leave the NDA and NEDA", he told reporters at Raj Bhavan here after taking oath as the new chief minister of the state.
This is his third stint as Mizoram chief minister.
Although facing criticism from certain sections in the Christian-dominated state for joining hands with the BJP, Zoramthanga said the MNF's ties with the NDA and NEDA will continue.
He said that the main thrust of his government would be economic development.
"With vast lands available for cultivation, we hope to increase the per capita income so that it is among the highest in the country," he said.
"Combating alcoholism and drug addiction would be one of the top priorities of the MNF ministry," Mr Zoramthanga said, adding that rehabilitation facilities would be established for those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction .
He emphasized the need for good roads saying that efforts would be made to repair the highways while sports and information technology would be accorded priority to benefit the youths.
He announced that Hnahthial, Khawzawl and Saitual would be made separate districts as declared by the previous MNF government in 2008.
The Congress government did not implement the decision taken by the MNF ministry.
Construction of elevated roads and parking lots would be taken up to make the capital Aizawl a traffic jam-free city, he added.
Another BJP Ally Zoramthanga Opposes Citizenship Amendment Bill
Dry Christmas, New Year In Mizoram As State Aims For Total Prohibition
Zoramthanga Sworn In As Mizoram Chief Minister Amid Hymns, Bible-Reading
new Mizoram chief ministerzoramthangaMizo National Front
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Home | Indians Abroad
Indian-American IT Professional, 3 Family Members Found Dead In US Home
The bodies of Chandrasekhar Sunkara, Lavanya Sunkara, 41, their 15-year-old and a 10-year-old sons were found in their home on Saturday morning.
Indians Abroad | Press Trust of India | Updated: June 17, 2019 19:58 IST
Police said all died of apparent gunshot wounds but an autopsy has been scheduled (Representational)
Washington:
A 44-year-old Indian-American IT professional and his three family members, including two minor sons, have been found dead with gunshot wounds inside their home in the US state of Iowa, authorities said Monday, shocking the community.
The bodies of Chandrasekhar Sunkara, Lavanya Sunkara, 41, their 15-year-old and a 10-year-old sons were found in their home on Saturday morning. Autopsies were pending to determine the official causes of death, but police said all had gunshots wounds, West Des Moines police said in a statement.
Chandrasekhar, known as Chandra, reportedly hailed from Andhra Pradesh.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed that he was an IT employee in the Technology Services Bureau for the department.
"Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the Sunkaras," the DPS said in a statement.
Officers with the West Des Moines Police Department were sent on Saturday morning to the 900 block of 65th Street, where they found the bodies.
The police said they all died of apparent gunshot wounds but an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the exact cause of death. No arrests have been made so far.
"This tragedy will impact family, friends, co-workers, anyone that knew this family," Sergeant Dan Wade said in statement.
"We are continuing to work through this investigation. We will follow through until we have answered as many questions as the evidence allows. We are confident, though, that there is no continuing threat to the community," Wade said.
Police said other family members, two adults and two children, were staying in the home as guests. When the bodies were discovered, one of the relatives ran outside looking for help and found a passerby, who called 911, the NBC news reported.
No suspect was reported to be in custody, but police said they were confident that there was no threat to the community, it said.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is assisting in the investigation.
"You don''t see something like this happen in the Indian community, let alone a heinous act like this," said Shrikar Somayajula who has known the Sunkaras for over a decade.
Somayajula is a director at A Grade Ahead, an after-school enrichment academy in West Des Moines, where both boys attended frequently, whotv.com reported.
"The family was a very friendly family and so it is really painful," said Somayajula.
He added, "For someone who we''ve known so close and we''ve seen them come in week after week come in for classes and we''ve seen them as recent as last Wednesday, to learn that they are not there anymore is something that really breaks our heart."
He said both Sunkara boys were bright students.
"They participated in all the academy competitions and even at the national level. "Really bright children. Just heads down and minded their business always," Somayajula said.
"We have more questions than answers now as to why this happened and we will probably never find out why this happened," said Somayajula
Family, Friends Mourn Indian Boy, 6, Who Died In School Bus In Dubai
Kerala Man, 25, Drowns During Swim In UAE Beach
4 Indian-origin family members killedWest Des Moines police
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MAE activates crisis cell in the case of the Romanian citizen abducted in Libya
DIPLOMACY HEALTH Social SOCIAL & HEALTH WORLD
by Nine O' Clock July 15, 2018 July 15, 2018 0689
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) on Saturday announced that it has activated the cell crisis in the case of the Romanian citizen who was abducted in Libya.
MAE told AGERPRES that the crisis cell “has immediately started, under an emergency procedure, to make some verification, in order to determine the situation.”
Considering the specific of the operations and the situation in Libya, the verification procedures could take a while, says the Ministry.
The case is operated through the Romanian Embassy in Libya, currently relocated in Tunis, mentions the same release.
MAE reiterated that a maximum alert level for Libya has been in place ever since 2015: “Major danger – Leave the area or the country immediately!”
Moreover, the Ministry reiterated its recommendation that “publicly treating aspects related to this case should be done with caution, given the security situation in Libya.”
An armed group on Saturday abducted four engineers – three Libyan and one Romanian – in an attack at the Sharara oil field, which is part of the larger oil field Murzuk, informed the Xinhua news agency quoting military sources.
“Four staff, including one Romanian engineer, were abducted early on Saturday in an attack by an unknown group at a facility at Libya’s giant Sharara oil field, during the morning,” military sources from Ubari, a city located 1,100 km south of the Capital City Tripoli informed.
The attack occurred as the engineers were preparing to leave their accommodation units in the main part of the field heading towards a smaller area. Their car was found abandoned right where they were abducted, said the same source.
The Anadolu News Agency also informed that the location where the abducted persons were taken is still unknown and no group has claim the attack yet. The Turkish news agency also specified that the security forces have launched a search operation and that two Libyan engineers were abducted in the same area on Friday, having been released later on the same day.
Previously, the EFE news agency announced that at least two persons, one of them a Romanian engineer, were kidnapped on Saturday by a Libyan militia in at attack at the Sharara oil field. The attack took place in the morning at one of the control stations of the oil field, which is one of the most important in southern Libya.
Melescanu: First of all, the crisis cell has the role to confirm us if the Romanian is a hostage or if he was released
The Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu stated on Saturday that first of all, the crisis cell has the role to confirm us if the Romanian abducted in Libya is a hostage or if he was released, and then to find out which one of the military groups in the area is responsible for the abduction. Melescanu says hat “there are communication channels”, and he hopes that they will be fruitful.
“At this point, the situation in Libya is extremely complicated. There is a very large number of military and paramilitary groups who are fighting for the most important resource: the control on the oil. First of all, the crisis cell has the role to confirm us if the Romanian is a hostage or if he was released, and which one of the groups will claim the responsibility for his abduction. From this point of view, we count very much on the Libyan authorities, to the extent they can support us, and secondly, we rely on the consultations with the allies in the region, to see to what extent this news can be confirmed, and if the answer is positive, who owns it, in order to be able to draw up an action plan” Teodor Melescanu stated on Saturday in a phone intervention at Digi 24.
Melescanu mentioned that the Romanian supposed to be abducted is working in Libya for a foreign company, and that the authorities are trying to establish a contact with it, too, in order to see to what extent it can involve in solving the situation.
“We have communication channels, and we hope they will give the expected results. (…) Obviously, all the companies operating in high-risk areas have their own security services. We will have to contact the company to see to what extent they can involve” Melescanu said.
Asked if the Romanian state will negotiate for the payment of a possible redemption, Melescanu answered: “Our policy was always very clear in order not to finance terrorist actions, even there have been hostages, but at the same time we are open to dialogue, to find solutions to release the Romanian citizens”.
Crédit Agricole Romania, rewarded at the Top Bankers gala
President Iohannis on July 14: Romania, France relation saw a remarkable boost in recent years
Nine O' Clock
Constanta: Activity in maritime ports, suspended on account of storms
Obama to meet with Sarkozy
Test January 6, 2011
Bus crash in Montenegro caused by speeding
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Poland Spring a Focus at Conference on World Water Day 2009 | NWNA
Poland Spring Investments in Science a Focus at Conference Beginning in Portland on World Water Day - March 20, 2009
To Press Releases listMar 19, 2009
New Kingfield Bottling Plant will be a case study Sunday morning
Portland, ME – Sunday, March 22, is World Water Day. Marking the occasion will be the Geologic Society of America, Northeastern section three-day conference beginning with a 3-hour review of sustainable use through monitoring and regulation of Maine's groundwater. The conference will be held at Holiday Inn By the Bay, starting Sunday at 8:00 am.
“On World Water Day, it’s important to remember that Maine’s water resources have supported jobs in agriculture, recreation, industry and energy, in addition to bottled water,” said Mark Dubois, Poland Spring Natural Resource Manager. “The abundant water resources in Maine have enabled Poland Spring to make significant financial investments in Maine while being a very small user of water,” he added.
According to the Maine Geologic Survey, Maine receives approximately 24 trillion gallons of precipitation a year. That rain and snowfall has yielded a $492 million investment by Poland Spring since 1992. Most recently, the company invested $60 million in a new bottling facility in Kingfield, Maine, $19 million of which was spent with local contractors. Those jobs were made possible because of a prolific aquifer over 36,000 acres on which Bradbury Spring is located.
The multi-year evaluation of the spring water resources that support the new Kingfield bottling plant will be the subject of multiple technical and legal presentations on Sunday. The Kingfield case study illustrates the extensive scientific research necessary to permit spring water withdrawal. Monitoring of environmental conditions at that site becomes an ongoing way to manage the resource in a sustainable and healthy manner. Bradbury Spring is one of three springs in Franklin County that support 40 new jobs at the bottling plant.
"Maine's abundant water resources support not only our environment, but our economy. Poland Spring adds value to a rapidly renewable resource. Their extensive monitoring data helps the state and local communities better understand and manage aquifers. Their use of water is tiny compared to other users in the state, but their contributions to scientific understanding are significant," added Walter Anderson, Maine State Geologist Emeritus.
“We know water is a hot topic these days, so we welcome the attention to good science at this national geology conference,” said Dubois.
Poland Spring has been bottling water in Maine since 1845 and currently employs about 800 people across the state. The company has invested millions of dollars studying and reporting on the aquifers that support their spring sites.
More information about Poland Spring in Maine: www.polandspringme.com
More details regarding the Geological Society of America conference: http://www.geosociety.org
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Hope and inspiration in a week of despair
These 100 young people, chosen from hundreds more nominations, remind us that the characteristics Mandela embodied are still thriving today.
The World Bank is finding new ways to understand SA's issues - including land
Richard Calland
Be clear on land redistribution
Gauteng prepares to expropriate idle privately owned land without compensation
Land: For those saying we followed EFF, please look at facts - Mthembu
The latest World Bank report on South Africa is not only remarkable for the collaborative method it employed, but also for some of the conclusions it reached on issues like land redistribution.
The report, which includes contributions from a long list of external consultants including myself, the National Planning Commission and Statistics South Africa, is the platform for further engagement between the World Bank and South Africa.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the World Bank earned a justifiably bad reputation for seeking to impose solutions cooked up in Washington DC. Now, the bank takes great care to work in partnership with the country to figure out solutions to economic challenges.
This approach seeks to identify the underlying systemic constraints and not just the symptoms such as unemployment. The bank set out to get to the root causes of what it calls the twin challenges of poverty and inequality which characterise South Africa as an "incomplete transition".
Interestingly, the bank – hardly known for being radical – identifies the skewed distribution of land and productive assets as one of the five key constraints. The other four are skills, low competition and economic integration, limited or expensive spatial connectivity, and climate shocks. I spoke to Paul Noumba Um, the World Bank’s country director for South Africa, about the report.
Your views about land are interesting in coming when populist movements in South Africa are calling for radical solutions. What informed your view?
We have made a significant effort to understand South Africa’s history. Our report acknowledges that efforts to overcome the legacy of segregation and apartheid was bound to take a long time, even though much progress has been made.
The economic structure that was engineered during the apartheid era remains largely in place even though political power has been democratised. Land reform is part of addressing this legacy and the government has long stated the goal of redistributing 30% of land to the dispossessed communities.
Admittedly, it has been a relatively slow process but this is not surprising given that it can be legally and administratively challenging process, especially when restituting land to South Africans whose families were dispossessed a very long time ago. We do not think that a lack of funds was a major reason for slow progress.
That’s why we argue for strengthening the administrative capacity for land reform, including restitution, redistribution and tenure reform. Our understanding is that tenure reform in the former homelands is particularly important for reducing poverty. Many poor South Africans live in their former homelands where land is still communal.
There are concerns that the noises around the land issue will undermine property rights and investor confidence. What do you think?
Many countries have successfully implemented land reform, in some cases with support from the World Bank.
Whether land reform deters investment depends on the way it is implemented. In our understanding, the South African land reform process has thus far not deterred investment. But policy uncertainty around expropriation without compensation could change this, as it makes it riskier to invest in land.
Our report also draws attention to the property security of poor South Africans. Many poor South Africans are still trapped in informal settlements and there is a huge backlog in issuing title deeds to households who were denied ownership during the apartheid era. Tenure security in the former homelands needs to be addressed. Addressing these tenure issues will unlock economic value for many households as they can make effective use of their assets, be it land for more productive agriculture or their homes for backyard rentals or starting a small business.
The report brings climate shocks back into the mix. Are you concerned that in all the talk about radical economic transformation and rolling back "state capture" climate change will be neglected?
Not at all. The emphasis on overcoming the legacy of exclusion and rolling back "state capture" is important. We think that the South African government is strongly committed to tackling climate change and reducing carbon emissions. In fact, the government is a pioneer in the area, of progressing toward introducing a national carbon tax.
Drought in the southern part of the country has also been a stark reminder that South Africa is a highly water insecure country, particularly vulnerable to climate shocks. Strong efforts are underway, in some areas in partnership with the World Bank, to raise water and climate-resilience in South Africa.
Climate change is certainly an area that is not neglected. Recent developments around renewable energy is inspiring. These include the signing of 27 renewable energy independent power producer contracts. And there was the launch of round five of renewable energy independent power producer contracts.
Why is partnership with your host government important to you, and what exactly does that partnership entail?
The World Bank is made up of 189 member states, including South Africa. These member states gave the World Bank Group the mission to eliminate poverty by 2030 and boost shared prosperity. These twin goals cannot be achieved unilaterally. They require a strong partnership between the government, the World Bank and many other stakeholders.
The better we understand the challenges to the twin goals, the more constructive a partner we can be. That’s why we conduct these Systematic Country Diagnostics before preparing any new country strategies.
The five constraints we identified in our diagnostic have come out of broad consultations. What may surprise South Africans is what we consider to be root causes versus symptoms of poverty and inequality in South Africa. This is a discussion we seek with South Africans, but it is not up to us to decide how South Africa decides to accelerate progress on its National Development Plan.
But depending on where our partnership is sought, we stand ready to support South Africa in this progress through a variety of development solutions: evidence based analytical work, convening power around specific themes and financing.
- Richard Calland is Associate Professor in Public Law at the University of Cape Town.
Read more on: world bank | land reform
Durban Jobs
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Lazarus Esports joins forces with SheIS to shine spotlight on women gamers
by Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
TORONTO — Lazarus Esports has joined forces with SheIS to shine a spotlight on women’s esports.
For SheIS, a not-for-profit group whose goal is to “leverage the power of women in sports,” it’s a chance to connect with and highlight a growing field of sports. For Canada’s Lazarus, and parent company Tiidal Games, it’s an opportunity to be an industry leader.
Brenda Andress, former commissioner of the recently shuttered Canadian Women’s Hockey League, is the president and founder of SheIS. Andress says the organization, which was announced about a year ago, is already making waves.
“It’s like the Winnie the Pooh and Piglet in a windstorm trying to hold the umbrella down, because it’s taken off so phenomenally,” she said in an interview.
The SheIS Collective includes the National Women’s Soccer League, WNBA and other women’s leagues as well as the United States Tennis Association, Rugby Canada and Baseball Canada, among other organizations. They meet to find ways to celebrate women’s sports and athletes and share each other’s accomplishments.
“The bottom line is attendance and viewership is the key to women’s sports,” said Andress
SheIS looks to help, with a schedule of women’s sports on its website (www.sheissport.com).
In Lazarus, Andress found a willing partner.
Last September, the SetToDestroyX esports company connected with Toronto venture capitalist Liberty Venture Partners and rebranded as Lazarus Esports, with Tiidal Gaming becoming its parent company.
Earlier this month, Tiidal named former CFL commissioner Jeffrey Orridge its chairman to help accomplish its goal of bridging the gap between esports and traditional sports.
The company has offices in Waterloo, Ont., and Toronto in addition to space in Los Angeles to house some of its pros.
Lazarus has 52 pro gamers, representing 11 different titles, living in 11 different countries. Some 20 per cent of those are Canadian.
For Tiidal CEO Charlie Watson, the partnership with SheIS is about empowering women and opening the door to opportunity. It also shines a spotlight on Lazarus’ female League of Legends and CS:GO teams, which operate in women’s esports leagues.
The Lazarus CS:GO women’s team, just back from a second-place finish at the WESG World Finals in Chongqing, China, is currently in Denmark for the Copenhagen Games.
Many may wonder why men and women don’t just play in the same league. The NBA 2K League took a step forward in March when Chicago’s Chiquita Evans became the league’s first female pro, drafted in the fourth round by Warriors Gaming, which is operated by the Golden State Warriors.
Female gamers have also competed alongside men in the past in the Call of Duty and other leagues, said Watson.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done in the industry to merge men and women, co-ed, on the same teams,” he added.
But he believes it is just a matter of time before “those two worlds … collide” and more co-ed teams emerge.
“We hope we’re one of those leaders moving forward,” he said.
In all, eight of Lazarus’ 11 teams — including the two women’s squads — rank in the top five in their leagues. The Lazarus roster also includes Michael (Skimbo) Skimbo, the top-ranked Madden player in the world, and several of the top 10 NHL gamers.
Andress sits on Tiidal’s board of advisers, as does Neil Duffy, chief commercial officer of World Gaming and the Collegiate StarLeague.
American Conor Daly, who will attempt to qualify for his sixth Indy 500 this May, is also an adviser and serves as official ambassador for Lazarus Esports FORZA and GT Sports players and teams.
Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter
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University of NottinghamThe Xerte Project
The Xerte Project
Xerte Online Toolkits
Welcome to the Xerte Project!
Welcome to The Xerte Project! The Xerte Project is an initiative to provide high quality free software to educators all over the world, and to build a global community of users and developers around our tools.
The project began in 2004 at the University of Nottingham, when work began to create a Flash-based runtime engine that would help the in-house multimedia development team speed up the development of interactive learning materials, and provide a platform for re-using good solutions to common problems that developers were typically solving every time they began a new project. Accessibility, in particular, can be a difficult issue for content developers, and an early goal was to provide the very best support for high levels of native accessibility.
To begin with, the tools were aimed at technical users: essentially the engine provided a library of useful classes that developers could access by writing XML to structure content, and writing code to develop interactivity. Early projects were created by hand using tools like notepad. Soon an editor was developed to make this much easier, and the tools were released under a free license in 2006: the Xerte community was born.
We began to discover that many of our users, attracted by the software's features, were struggling with some of the more technical aspects of developing content. Many did not write code and consequently found development difficult. Nevertheless, a community of users and developers began to put the tools to real use in institutions and organisations around the world. These efforts provided invaluable real world use cases which have alway informed ongoing developments, and to this day the project has a very strong base in addressing real world problems.
It was clear that there was a huge number of potential users who found the technical nature of development too difficult. To address this, an additional layer of templates were developed that allowed non-technical users to assemble content using simple forms, and the user community began to grow very quickly. Tools were developed that made it very easy for developers to create additional templates and soon a suite of some 30 templates provided a fairly comprehensive set of tools for authoring rich, interactive and highly accessible content.
As web technologies and standards continued to advance, we began to explore the potential to move the tools into the browser, something that would have been incredibly difficult just a few years previously. Moving the tools into the browser, so users could access them without having to install any software on their computers would have tremendous benefits and enable new features such as collaborative authoring, allowing users with different skillsets to work together on projects in a very effective workflow. The browser based tools would become known as Xerte Online Toolkits, and were first released under an open-source license in 2009.
The Xerte Project places three values above all else: ease of use for non-technical content authors, providing best of breed accessibility, and nurturing a positive and friendly community of users and developers.
The software has always been aimed at users who need a rapid authoring tool that can easily be used to create media-rich, interactive and highly accessible content without needing to know any of the underlying technology. At the same time, it is important that the tools can be used by more technical users and that the template-based authoring system doesn't prevent more technical developers from doing what they want to do, whether that is to customise the content with different styles, or to develop new tools and templates to support new types of content. Xerte Online Toolkits is a powerful platform for innovation. The project recognises that users are our success, and has built a friendly and welcoming community.
Development of the software has always been informed by real world use cases. The developers have always engaged closely with the user community to identify new solutions to real world problems, and this has led to a highly credible suite of tools that address a broad range of real world content development scenarios.
Accessibility remains a difficult issue for content developers, and is often poorly understood as simply providing content that works with screen readers, or that meets the requirements of a checklist. In fact, accessibility is much more complicated than that - it is possible to create content that meets all the checklist requirements that is in fact completely inaccessible to some users.
Accessibility, as it turns out, requires a more holistic approach. The Xerte Project has set out from the beginning to provide the very best support for native accessibility, and to create a culture amongst the user community of high levels of accessible design. Not all solutions for high levels of accessibility can be technical: some need to be considered at design-time by the content author, for example, but where technical solutions are possible, Xerte Online Toolkits aims to provide the very best support. We have worked very closely with Jisc TechDIS throughout the project's development.
The Apereo Foundation
More recently, the developer team have explored the question of sustainability, and after carefully weighing up all the options, the software was put forward and accepted for incubation by the Apereo Foundation in September 2014. We graduated the incubation process in June 2015.
As the software has developed, and the community of developers has grown, the share of the work being done by the University of Nottingham has fallen and significant pieces of work from other individuals and organisations have been contributed to the project's codebase. The transition of the software to the Apereo Foundation reflects the ongoing growth of the community and the maturity of both the software and the user and adeveloper communities, and removes a number of barriers to adoption for potential users. It removes a single point of failure for the project by placing ownership firmly with the developer community, and brings a more robust framework of governance and decision making to the developers.
All software downloads and support forums can be found at http://www.xerte.org.uk
B158 King's Meadow Campus
Lenton Lane
Nottingham, NG7 2NR
email: learning-technologies@nottingham.ac.uk
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Grand jury decides not to indict officer in Ferguson shooting
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FINE 2014 (english version) - Xèmes Conférence Internationale : Le CUESIM, un outil de ...
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Intervenant :
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Legatum Fellowship: Legal Seminar II
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Catching an early train - Edison 1901
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E-Portfolio Toolkit - Booklet
This E-Portfolio Toolkit is based on experience of developing the “Year Abroad E-Portfolio”, undertaken by the School of Languages at Leeds Metropolitan University. We use an E-Portfolio to assess our students on their period abroad because we think it encourages them to fully engage with culture(s) and language of the target country and to reflect on the resulting cultural and linguistic development. As part of our project, we have also developed a set of learning activities and materials,
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UT News - February 18, 2015
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Swift makes donation, Pee-wee Herman's big return
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'Don't underestimate the power of your peers'
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AT 130 - "Image: Crop, Rotate, Contrast, Skew" (Budden)
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Ecosystems: modelling the Earth
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Author(s): The iTunes U team
Migration is a free course looking at the migrations of animals, with special reference to birds, and also introducing the themes of movement, selection and homeostasis. First published on Tue, 24 Jan 2017 as Migration. To find out more visit The Open University's
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Couse image: Mike in Flickr made available under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Licence.
The content acknowledg
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Carnegie Mellon in Silicon Valley - Academics
Recognized for its world-class education in arts and technology programs, collaboration across disciplines and innovative leadership, Carnegie Mellon is consistently a top-ranked university. CMU in Silicon Valley offers a unique learning opportunity for working professionals and those interested in entrepreneurship and innovation. The learn-by-doing methodology that students are exposed to provides them with the hands-on skills that make them sought after competitors in the software industry. P
Sheppard Award 2010
Outstanding leadership and academic achievement awards were presented to Darden Second Year students at the School's annual awards ceremony September 1, 2010 during First Coffee. The C. Stewart Sheppard Distinguished Service Award, named in honor of the former Dean of the Darden School, recognizes students for outstanding non-academic service to the School. The C. Stewart Sheppard Distinguished Service Award recognizes students for exceptional service of a non-academic nature to Darden or the U
The Chinese economy
Linda Yueh, Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics, talks about the state of the Chinese Economy and the problems China's steady rise presents for other developing countries.
When UNSW lecturer Gabina Funegra decided to investigate the language of her ancestors, she had no idea she was on the way to becoming an award-winning filmmaker. Unable to obtain a tape recorder for her interviews, she took a video camera to Peru; the resulting film won her the Best Local Filmmaker award at the 2010 Sydney Latin American Film Festival.
The Creation of the Sun, Time, the Elements, Space and the Solar System
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Double Pulsars
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James V. Schall, S.J. Award 2008: Address by recipient Professor Ralph McInerny
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Can we turn adversity into opportunity? Yes, we can- Winter 2008 Quarterly Podcast Part 2
Can we turn adversity into opportunity? Yes, we can. As 2008, a year that shook the world and began the restructuring of the global economies, draws to a close, we take a look at the year ahead. Which economies are likely to find it easiest to ride out the current recession and what management tools and skills should opinion formers and business leaders draw on to ensure they provide the right climate for firms to do well? Strangely, not all the news is bad news, as we have been finding out in o
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NSU Supermax Manuals
NSU Supermax
The NSU Company was founded in 1873 as a manufacturer of knitting machines. In 1886 the company began manufacturing bicycles and by 1892 bicycle manufacturing had completely replaced the production of knitting machines. The first NSU motorcycle appeared in 1901 followed by the first NSU car in 1905. In 1931 automobile production was sold off to Fiat Motors, only to restart automobile production in 1957. WWII left NSU's factories completely destroyed, but they resumed production of their pre-war models in 1946 and introduced the MAX in 1953. The Max had some very innovative features including a monocoque frame made from pressed steel which was later inherited by the Supermax. By 1955 NSU had become the largest motorcycle producer in the world. In 1955 the first man to ever exceed 200mph on a motorcycle at the Bonneville Salt Flats rode an NSU. In 1956 NSU introduced the Supermax with it's 250cc engine, larger gas tank, and dual rear suspension.
Site by SEOMike
Copyright 2019 NSUSupermax.com
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U.S.|Fleeing a Mexican Border Town Amid a Yearslong Drug War
Fleeing a Mexican Border Town Amid a Yearslong Drug War
Guadalupe Distrito Bravo last week. The city’s population was listed by the Mexican government in 2010 as 6,500. An El Paso lawyer estimated, based on tax revenue collections, that there are now 2,500, down from 17,000 in 2008.CreditCreditIvan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune
By Julián Aguilar
GUADALUPE DISTRITO BRAVO, Mexico — Remnants of small-town charm were still visible last week from the outskirts of this Mexican border city as bolls of damp cotton weighed down branches and a rancher slowly chased a stray cow headed for the highway.
But shades of the yearslong drug war that gripped this gritty part of Chihuahua State known as the Valley of Juárez remained intact. Abandoned buildings where broken windows reflected graffiti were common, and unmaintained streets and empty shops sat near the town square.
The emptying of Guadalupe comes at a time when officials in Ciudad Juárez, about 30 miles away, are promoting tourism and celebrating a decrease in bloodshed after years of carnage that claimed thousands of lives.
Many Guadalupe residents have fled to Texas cities including Fabens, directly across the border, and El Paso.
Among them is Gerardo Gamez, the former city leader of the main political group here, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which is also the party of the Chihuahua governor, César Duarte Jáquez, and of President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Mr. Gamez left Guadalupe with his parents and is seeking asylum in Texas. They are being held in an immigration detention center in El Paso, said his El Paso-based lawyer, Carlos Spector, who has represented at least 300 Mexican citizens seeking asylum in the United States. Mr. Spector said Mr. Gamez’s flight after being threatened by criminals highlights the continued and systematic takeover of municipalities in Mexico by organized crime. And it is happening right under the government’s nose.
“It’s a new era of violence that we’ve seen in the Valley of Juárez and in Guerrero,” Mr. Spector said at a recent news conference.
Mr. Spector is trying to draw attention to the situation in Guadalupe by comparing it to the higher-profile violence in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, where 43 students went missing after a protest in the city of Iguala. At least 56 people, including some police officers, have been arrested in connection with the missing students. The state’s governor resigned last month, and the city’s mayor and his wife have been named as suspects.
The Guerrero unrest shows that the Guadalupe violence “is not an isolated incident,” Mr. Spector said.
“We’ve been screaming to the heavens since 2008,” he said. “It represents an entire country.”
Guadalupe’s population was listed by the Mexican government in 2010 as about 6,500. Mr. Spector estimated, based on the mayor’s tax revenue collections, that there are now 2,500 people in the city, down from 17,000 in 2008.
Former residents of the city say that if history is an indicator, the area will remain a violent smuggling route.
“Whoever controls Guadalupe controls all the drug routes in the area,” Martin Hueramo, a former member of the Guadalupe City Council, said in Spanish. “Trafficking here has existed since the demand for drugs has existed.”
Ivan Castañeda, a former soldier in the Mexican Army, said he fled the city after leaving the service. He said the local police are now taking orders from the Sinaloa cartel, which fought with the Juárez cartel to win control of the lucrative smuggling route that sends narcotics to El Paso and beyond.
Mr. Castañeda and Mr. Hueramo are both seeking asylum in El Paso. Their cases are pending.
jaguilar@texastribune.org
A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page NaN of the National edition with the headline: Fleeing a Mexican Border Town Amid a Yearslong Drug War. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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Senate energy bill’s key elements go beyond eastern Gulf of Mexico
Oil and gas trade associations applauded the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s new energy bill because it would open parts of the eastern Gulf of Mexico. But the measure contained several other elements which would directly affect the industry.
Jun 22nd, 2009
Oil and gas trade associations applauded the bill which emerged from the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 17 because it would open parts of the eastern Gulf of Mexico for leasing and development. But the measure contained several other elements which would directly affect the industry.
These included establishing a 30 million bbl refined products stockpile within the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; requiring an inventory of marine resources off the US coast, including seismic surveys on the Outer Continental Shelf; increasing federal guarantees for constructing a natural gas pipeline from Alaska to $30 billion; requiring Senate confirmation of nominees to be US Minerals Management Service director, and repealing offshore royalty and other incentives in the 2005 Energy Policy Act.
It also would extend pilot offices for processing oil and gas development permits by five years through 2020, and require the US Interior secretary to establish a regional joint OCS lease and permit processing office for the Alaska region. It also includes a provision clarifying that Section 526 in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act does not mean that US refiners can’t buy crude oil produced from Canadian oil sands.
The bill also proposed energy commodity market reforms. It would direct the US Energy Information Administration to collect new data identifying all physical petroleum holdings of the 50 largest oil traders, as determined by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It would create a financial market analysis office within EIA. And it would establish an energy markets working group, which would be required to report to Congress its assessment of factors influencing oil prices and its regulatory recommendations to make markets function more smoothly.
Another section would give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission cease-and-desist authority, similar to power that the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the CFTC already hold, to stop improper market behavior as soon as it is detected. FERC also would gain authority to stop dissipation of assets so that actors found guilty of market manipulation could not dodge fines by moving assets to other parts of their businesses that are out of regulatory reach.
How it developed
The committee’s leaders set out to make the bill comprehensive. It was based on six major bills, all with bipartisan sponsorship, and five other measures introduced earlier in 2009. Provisions were developed in 39 bipartisan staff briefings, 20 formal hearings, and 12 open business meetings, according to the committee’s majority staff. As the bill was prepared, 100 amendments were considered and adopted, most on a bipartisan basis and many unanimously, they added.
Majority leader Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and other committee Democrats generally emphasized the bill’s provisions dealing with alternative and renewable energy technologies, national electricity transmission grid improvements, energy and water efficiency, research and development, and carbon capture and sequestration.
“Getting America running on clean energy has been a key goal of this markup,” Bingaman said following the June 17 vote. “This bill will help shift our country to cleaner sources of energy, and more secure sources as well. The bipartisan, substantive, and forward-looking approaches to energy found in this bill will move America toward the clean jobs and economic growth we need.”
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alas.), the committee’s ranking minority member, also put a bipartisan face on the results. “Today, this committee reaches the end of a long and sometimes bumpy road toward reporting out energy legislation. Despite an uphill fight against Democrats’ three-vote majority, we were able to include a number of provisions that we need to drive this country,” she said. “While I support this bill in its present form, we simply must do more to increase our domestic production and use of nuclear energy. I will continue to fight for those provisions on the Senate floor.”
This did not mean that negotiations weren’t hard. Maria E. Cantwell (D-Wash.) submitted amendments on drilling requirements and discharge limits which the committee withdrew on June 15 after Murkowski said she would oppose the bill if they stayed in. Some Republicans on the committee voted against it anyway. “Quite simply, this bill rejects American energy. It allows foreign oil and energy producers to continue their grip on our country,” said John A. Barrasso (Wyo.).
Three key amendments
But it was a Democrat, Byron L. Dorgan (ND), who proposed the amendment to expand federal leasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico which the committee adopted by 13 to 10 votes on June 9. His proposal would leave in place a 45-mile buffer along Florida’s coast as it opens offshore acreage including the Destin Dome, which he said was one of the nation’s most promising new gas resources. An amendment offered by another Democrat, Mary L. Landrieu (La.), to allow affected coastal states to get a share of future federal oil and gas revenues from leasing and production off their shores failed by a similar margin. But the committee passed by voice vote the amendment by Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) that US refiners would not violate Section 526 of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act by buying crude oil produced from Canadian oil sands.
The presidents of three leading US oil and gas trade associations separately expressed their approval when the committee reported the bill out on June 17. Jack N. Gerard of the American Petroleum Institute said that it was a positive step which recognized the importance of additional offshore oil and gas and Canadian oil to US energy and economic security.
“The majority of Americans favor greater offshore development, and they recognize this development means more jobs, more government revenues and more domestic energy supplies,” he said. “As the bill moves forward to the full Senate, we hope a resolution can be found that will ensure that coastal states are compensated for hosting development off their shores because that production will benefit all Americans in terms of revenues, additional jobs, and greater domestic energy supplies.”
Barry Russell, of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, said that the committee’s action “represented a major step forward in developing a sensible, supply-oriented energy strategy. The Senate should bring this commonsense legislation to the floor, make it better where needed, and move it forward quickly.”
And the American Gas Association’s David N. Parker specifically mentioned the Dorgan amendment, saying that it would provide access to vast amounts of gas close to existing pipelines and other infrastructure. “Increased access to domestic resources will not only help lower energy costs, but will also ultimately help make America more energy secure,” he observed.
Other provisions’ effects
The fact that their leaders didn’t mention other parts of the bill doesn’t mean that oil and gas trade associations aren’t aware of them and their potential impacts. Some have been mentioned the past few weeks in other contexts.
For example, the bill’s requirement for the US Department of Energy to hold at least 30 million bbl of oil products, such as gasoline and diesel fuel, within the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a clear response to product shortages following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 when much of the nation’s refining capacity was lost. The bill also would move authority to order SPR releases from the president to the US Energy secretary.
Products reserve proponents have argued that the nation already has experience running the northeastern heating oil reserve. Petroleum trade association officials have said that operating one for gasoline and diesel fuel would be more complicated.
“Our experience with the heating oil reserve has shown us a couple of things,” API Chief Economist John C. Felmy said during a June 15 teleconference on gasoline prices. “First, the existence of government stocks can discourage the holding of commercial inventories. Second, if the government inventories are for an emergency, where are you going to locate them, how are they going to get to market, and what are you going to put in them during an emergency?”
The United States has 14 different kinds of gasoline which are formulated to meet different areas’ environmental and emissions conditions, he noted. Felmy said that the US Environmental Protection Agency could issue waivers, as it did in the weeks following the 2005 hurricanes, allowing fuels not meeting specifications to be used for a short period. The reserves also could hold the highest-cost blends such as the formulation required in California, he added. “But that still doesn’t answer questions such as how much diesel would need to be in these reserves. These would have to be considered too,” he said.
OCS evaluation
The bill’s provision ordering a complete inventory of resources off the US Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts, with authorized appropriations, included seismic exploration of oil and gas on the OCS. Priority would be given to areas with the greatest energy production potential and the first inventory would have to be available within two years of the bill’s enactment.
Congressional bans over three decades not just of OCS oil and gas leasing, but also of seismic or any other activity which could lay the groundwork for eventual production, have created a significant data gap. When the Potential Gas Committee prepared its latest biennial estimate of potential domestic gas resources, it had to use OCS figures developed in the 1970s in some cases, according to John B. Curtis, director of the Potential Gas Agency at the Colorado School of Mines , which provides guidance and technical assistance to the PGC.
That does not necessarily mean that scientists can’t estimate the OCS’s gas potential, he continued during a June 18 briefing on the committee’s latest report. “The Canadians already are producing from the same rocks off their east coast,” he observed. Curtis’s observation that technological improvements which have made it possible to economically produce gas from onshore shale formations could also be applied to conducting three-dimensional seismic surveys of OCS areas which were last evaluated with earlier methods that were significantly less precise.
Tantalizing as that prospect seems, the question of who would conduct such a survey and how it would be financed still has to be answered. Oil and gas industry groups have said that opening specific areas to evaluation by producers themselves would be the most efficient approach. Federal officials in Congress and the Obama administration are likelier to want to have the government handle it.
It’s also likely that any OCS evaluation would involve not just oil and gas, but also wind, wave and other potential renewable energy resources. US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar favors a more comprehensive approach to considering OCS resources, and would probably make implementation of this provision in the bill careful and deliberate. The provision itself seems to recognize this, stating that the report required within two years of enactment must include data on other marine resources, including the potential for alternative energy development, navigation uses, fisheries, aquaculture uses, habitat, conservation, and military uses.
Regulatory impacts
Other parts of the bill would have their biggest impacts on oil and gas leasing and regulation. The provision authorizing $30 billion of financing for the gas pipeline from Alaska also would authorize the Interior secretary to issue rights-of-way for the system in non-wilderness areas of Denali National Park near an existing road there, and sets forth terms and conditions to make sure that this complies with applicable existing laws.
The EPACT sections which would be repealed if this bill becomes law potentially would involve not just deepwater production incentives but also gas production from deep wells in the shallow Gulf of Mexico, marginal wells producing fewer than 15 bbl of oil or 90 million Btu of gas daily, and the royalty-in-kind program.
This provision’s most important feature is that it restores discretion for all the programs to the Interior secretary, an Energy and Natural Resources Committee spokesman explained on June 22. “It does not prohibit incentives but returns the task of justifying them to MMS and the secretary,” he told OGJ. (The secretary exercised control over RIK activities under EPACT, an examination of the law found. The marginal well provision apparently applies only to rates and royalties on federal lands, and would not affect the repeal of tax incentives covering domestic stripper wells which the Obama administration has proposed.)
The bill’s proposal to double the authorization for DOE’s energy research and development program from $3.28 billion in fiscal 2009 to $6.56 billion in fiscal 2013 does not specify where the money would be used. It’s unlikely that much, if any, of the funding would be directed to oil and gas programs, given the prevailing political perception that money is needed more urgently elsewhere. “The title includes provisions addressing large energy R&D grand challenges that are inherently interdisciplinary while enhancing training for energy utility technicians across all segments of the energy industry including advanced education for the subsurface geosciences and engineering fields,” the majority staff’s summary said.
The provision dealing with carbon capture and sequestration has oil and gas impacts that are not as direct as others in the bill. It establishes a national indemnity program through DOE for up to 10 commercial-scale CCS projects, sets qualifying criteria “to ensure that critical early-mover projects will be conducted safely while addressing greenhouse gas emissions from industrial facilities” including coal and gas-fired power plants and refineries, and establishes a framework for identifying geologic storage sites, the summary said.
The section in this bill which probably will be the most hotly debated once the bill hits the Senate floor is the one dealing with energy markets.
It would direct the EIA to collect new data identifying all physical petroleum holdings of the 50 largest oil traders, as determined by the CFTC; establish a new financial markets office within EIA to help determine connections between physical and financial energy markets; and create an energy markets working group which would be required to report its assessment of factors influencing oil prices and recommendations to make markets function more smoothly to Congress.
Obvious jurisdiction questions emerge, starting with EIA’s role. Acting Administrator Howard K. Gruenspecht has looked uncomfortable during congressional hearings when federal lawmakers have suggested that EIA move beyond its traditional responsibilities of gathering energy and analyzing energy statistics.
The CFTC also is working already with FERC, the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and other agencies and stakeholders on broader energy commodities regulation questions which include what this bill proposes for a new working group.
Energy commodities markets also could be overshadowed by broader reforms which the Obama administration and other Senate and House members have proposed. Those measures potentially would have a bigger impact on the physical hedging which many producers consider an essential part of their business than what the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has put in this bill.
Contact Nick Snow atnicks@pennwell.com
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Committee against Torture reviews the initial report of Maldives
Committee against Torture
The Committee against Torture this afternoon completed its consideration of the initial report of Maldives on its implementation of the provisions of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Introducing the report, Ahmed Naseem, Minister at the President’s Office of Maldives, at the outset stressed that the newly inaugurated Government had replaced the highly repressive authoritarian regime and that the challenge was to rebuild democratic institutions, restore the separation of powers and checks and balances, and rebuild an independent judiciary. Reforming prisons and eliminating the gap in the implementation of the laws prohibiting torture were prioritized, as was the cooperation with the Human Rights Commission of Maldives in the review of past cases of torture. The declaration of states of emergency in 2015 and in 2018, arbitrarily declared by the then President as a pretext for mass detention of his political opponents, were deemed invalid by the Constitution, said the Minister, emphasizing that the many credible reports of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment during those periods would be properly investigated and examined. The new Government would uphold the 65-year moratorium on the death penalty and review the question of the abolition of the death penalty very carefully, raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18, and enforce and implement with full effect laws such as the Sexual Offences Act, Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, and the Domestic Violence Act.
In the discussion that followed, Committee Experts, welcomed the “breath-taking” policies and commitments announced by Maldives, and especially the commitment to address impunity for torture, which was the most serious concern, considering that, since the entry into force of the Anti-Torture Law, there had been no convictions for the 223 allegations of torture, made mostly against police and prison correction officers. The Experts commended the setting up of a Commission on Murders and Disappearances to establish trustworthy investigations, and urged the new administration to ensure that it could carry out its work unimpeded by the police, prosecution or State authorities. A long-standing issue of concern was the lack of an independent judiciary, and there was a need to reform institutions involved in criminal justice, notably police and prosecution, and increase their cooperation with the Human Rights Commission of Maldives in the investigation of complaints of torture and cruel treatment. Maldives had put a lot of people in prison and had the seventh highest incarceration rate in the world, Experts remarked, wondering whether this was due to the war on drugs, the excessive use of pre-trial detention, or the use of imprisonment to control political opposition. Maldives should strengthen the protection of victims of domestic violence and the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, reform the legal provisions which exculpated perpetrators of child sexual abuse against married girls, and abolish corporal punishment, including flogging of children and victims of rape.
In concluding remarks, Mr. Naseem thanked the Committee for its understanding and hoped that the Experts appreciated the commitment of Maldives toward implementing the Convention.
Jens Modvig, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation for their extensive replies and efforts.
The delegation of Maldives consisted of representatives of the President’s Office, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives Police Service, Attorney General’s Office, Embassy of Maldives in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the Permanent Mission of Maldives to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Maldives at the end of its sixty-fifth session on 7 December. Documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings is available via the following link: http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/.
The Committee will reconvene on Thursday, 6 December at 3 p.m., to discuss follow-up to articles 19 and 22, and reprisals.
The Committee has before it the initial report of Maldives (CAT/C/MDV/1).
Presentation of the Report
AHMED NASEEM, Minister at the President’s Office of Maldives, stressed at the outset that the new President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, whose inauguration took place only 10 days ago, on 17 November 2018, succeeded Abdulla Yameen who had led a highly repressive authoritarian regime that had committed a wide range of gross human rights abuses against the people in order to maintain his grip on power. It was the Yameen regime that had submitted Maldives’ initial report to the Committee, Mr. Naseem said, emphasizing that the current Government’s view of the compliance with the Convention diverged substantially from the prior Government and was in fact consistent with those submitted to the Committee by the Human Rights Commission of Maldives. It was hard to over-emphasize the dramatic transition that the country had undergone in recent weeks, continued the Minister; by their votes, the people had spoken loudly for the restoration of freedom, democracy and human rights. The challenge was much broader than ensuring that all Maldivians were free from torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and encompassed also the rebuilding of democratic institutions, restoring the separation of powers and checks and balances to the system of government, and rebuilding an independent judiciary.
Maldives had for too long overlooked issues of torture, punishment and prison reform, therefore, the new Government prioritized reforming prisons and eliminating the gap in the implementation of the prohibition of torture contained in the Anti-Torture Act and the Penal Code. Furthermore, Mr. Naseem said, there was a commitment to fully cooperate with the Human Rights Commission of Maldives, which would require the review of past cases of torture and thoroughly reviewing Government systems for investigating allegations of torture to ensure that objective and independent conclusions were reached and victims could obtain justice and accountability. The Government held that the declaration of states of emergency in 2015 and in 2018 had been invalid under the Constitution because they had been arbitrarily declared by President Yameen as a pretext for mass detention of his political opponents. The many credible reports of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment during those periods would be properly investigated and examined. Maldives was a party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention and had designated in 2007 the Human Rights Commission of Maldives a national prevention mechanism, which was only able to function properly with the ratification of the Anti-Torture Act in 2013.
Turning to the death penalty, the Minister said that the majority of the 18 death sentences had been commuted to life imprisonment; today there were only three individuals on death row and the last execution had taken place in 1954. The new Government would uphold the 65-year moratorium on the death penalty, and would review the question of the abolition of the death penalty very carefully. Maldives strongly supported the new Protection of the Rights of the Child Bill submitted to the People’s Majlis on 26 June 2018, which banned corporal punishment of children, including by parents, and had decided to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18 to be consistent with the obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Maldives acknowledged the issue of gender-based violence and its disproportionate impact on women and was committed to enforcing and implementing with full effect laws such as the Sexual Offences Act, Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, and the Domestic Violence Act, and through a wider judicial reform, ensure a fairer criminal justice system for all. As for prior allegations of torture, a new Transitional Justice Committee was in place and was deliberating the establishment of a commission to review cases between 1 January 2012 to 17 November 2018, while the President had already established a Commission on Murders and Disappearances.
The new Government of Maldives was taking a dramatically different approach to complying with its obligations under international law and was taking substantive actions to close the gap between its commitments under the Convention against Torture and its implementation in practice, concluded the Minister.
Questions by Country Co-Rapporteurs
FELICE GAER, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Maldives, welcomed the participation of Maldives in this dialogue only 10 days after the inauguration of the new Government and welcomed its announced policies and commitments which she said were “breathtaking”. The presentation of an initial report by a State party was a very special occasion, Ms. Gaer said, and noting a delay in submitting it to the Committee in time, asked which measures would be adopted to ensure timely reporting in the future, in consultation with the Human Rights Commission of Maldives and non-governmental organizations.
The Committee’s most serious concern in Maldives was impunity for torture. Since the Anti-Torture Law had come into force, there had been 223 torture allegations, mostly against police officers and prison correction officers, but there had been no convictions. What measures would be taken to address this accountability gap between the investigations by the Human Rights Commission and the State prosecution?
Ms. Gaer took note with satisfaction of Maldives’ intention to address the legacy of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment during the period from 1 January 2012 to 17 November 2018, and welcomed in particular the setting up of a Commission on Murders and Disappearances to establish trustworthy investigations. What measures would be adopted to ensure that the new commission could carry out its work unimpeded by the police, prosecution or state authorities, to ensure that criminal cases could be opened against perpetrators, and how would those cases be tried and by which authority? The delegation was asked about the role, composition and scope of work of the Transitional Justice Commission and how the crimes dating prior to 2012 would be addressed.
Turning to the situation of the judiciary, the Co-Rapporteur asked for clarification on what would be done to restore an independent judiciary, which was a long-standing issue of concern, including the steps to revive the Independent Judiciary Commission which promoted the appointment and transfer of judges and magistrates. At its reaccreditation, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives had failed to obtain status A under the Paris Principles, due to, inter alia, the requirement that all its members must be Muslims and a limited mandate which did not encompass all human rights. The national prevention mechanism was located within the Human Rights Commission, Ms. Gaer remarked, asking whether its reports would be published separately and whether the mechanism would be authorized to undertake unannounced visits.
The Committee remarked on the need to reform institutions involved in criminal justice, notably the police and prosecutors, and increase their cooperation with the Human Rights Commission in investigation of complaints of torture and cruel treatment. Which State body was in charge of investigating allegations of torture and what was the difference in the remits of the Human Rights Commission and the National Integrity Commission in investigating police officers? Would a new entity independent of the police be established to assist the investigation of police officers accused of torture? There were only 40 prosecutors in 2013, and they had not been paid well, which made it hard to retain qualified staff. What was being done to enhance the capacity and performance of the Prosecutor General’s Office, particularly in terms of investigating torture allegations?
Stressing that the prohibition of torture was absolute, the Co-Rapporteur asked about measures to ensure that the police, prison correction services and prosecutors were aware that a state of emergency did not represent a derogation from the absolute prohibition of torture. What was being done to eliminate the statute of limitation from the Criminal Code for acts of torture? On fundamental safeguards, the delegation was asked to explain how those were guaranteed to all those deprived of liberty, and to inform on access to legal aid.
Turning to the protection of vulnerable groups, Ms. Gaer remarked on a lack of effective protection mechanisms for victims of domestic violence and asked about concrete steps that would be taken to strengthen the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, especially by the police and the judiciary. Under the law on child abuse, including sexual abuse, the perpetrators of such acts committed against married girls were exculpated, which was a great source of concern to the Committee. Would the penalty of flogging remain applicable, including for children, and especially for children victims of sexual abuse who were flogged for “engaging in fornication”? What was being done to protect girls from female genital mutilation?
ABDELWAHAB HANI, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Maldives, welcomed the delegation’s commitment to closing the implementation gap in the prohibition of torture, protecting all citizens from enforced disappearance, and protecting children from corporal punishment. Unfortunately, corporal punishment still existed in Maldives and was ordered by judges, noted Mr. Hani with concern, stressing that legitimate sanctions must be understood in the light of international law and must not legitimise various cultural practices. There was diversity in the interpretation of Sharia in more than 70 countries, which ranged from very conservative to very progressive, he said, noting that Islam was not incompatible with the Convention - many Islamic States, using the principle of understanding the spirit of the law before the letter of the law and placing human dignity above all, had abolished slavery, the death penalty, and corporal punishment. The Committee was concerned not only about the continued use of flogging, a punishment prohibited by the Convention, but about its discriminatory application, since women were sentenced to flogging at 15 times the rate for men.
On the application of the principle of non-refoulement, the delegation was asked to explain who monitored the compliance with the principle and the possibility of filing a complaint against an expulsion order, to provide refoulement-related data and statistics, and to inform on the application of fundamental legal safeguards for persons under expulsion orders such as legal aid, legal representation, and medical examination. What procedure was in place to evaluate risks related to expulsion and removal? How many migrants had had their permits revoked? What was the average time spent in pre-expulsion detention facilities, particularly for migrants in the grips of the removal procedure? Considering the new Government’s rejection of the previous practices, what concrete steps would be taken to improve the treatment of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers?
Mr. Hani welcomed the efforts by the Human Rights Commission to provide the Committee with relevant information, including on awareness raising and training related to the prohibition of torture and ill treatment, and asked how the impact of the training and capacity building was being measured, especially given the reluctance and opposition to change behaviours.
The delegation was asked to outline the steps that would be taken to address the serious concerns related to the investigation of allegations of torture raised by the Human Rights Commission, to eliminate the systematic use of torture, and to strengthen the complaint mechanisms. Did the Government’s plan for the first 200 days include the prohibition of the so-called book on torture techniques and other manuals beings used by the police, and the introduction of non-coercive interrogation methods? The Human Rights Commission was given the lofty task of investigating allegations of torture, but it could not act as a state representative and replace a justice system, remarked Mr. Hani, asking the delegation to provide the legal basis for the Commission’s prerogatives and to explain how the investigations it conducted then became criminal prosecution cases.
Conditions of detention remained an issue of concern, especially the lack of access to health services and medication, poor hygiene, and inadequate food; in fact, half the complaints submitted to the Human Rights Commission were on those grounds. What was being done to counter the serious issue of prison overcrowding, including the application of alternative measures to detention?
The Committee was greatly concerned about forced disappearances and murders of opposition activists, journalists and bloggers, including the disappearance in 2014 of journalist Ahmed Rilwan who wrote, inter alia, about the recruitment of youth in Maldives for the war in Syria.
Questions by Committee Experts
The legal system of Maldives combined common law and Sharia, a Committee Expert remarked, noting that the diversity in the interpretation of Sharia between countries, and within a country could lead to inconsistencies in the domestic legal system. Such was the case in the application of corporal punishment, including flogging of victims of sexual abuse and violence, including rape.
With regard to victims’ right to rehabilitation, other Experts stressed the importance of collecting and providing disaggregated data on redress provided to victims as a tool to monitor the State’s compliance with the obligations under the Convention. What were the conditions in psychiatric establishments and social care homes and were those visited by the national preventive mechanism?
Maldives put a lot of people in prison and had the seventh highest incarceration rate in the world of 499 per 100,000 inhabitants, remarked JENS MODVIG, Committee Chairperson, asking what explained the phenomenon. Could it be the war on drugs, the excessive use of pre-trial detention, or the use of imprisonment to control political opposition? In spite of the repressive climate, some 700 people had submitted complaints of torture, probably under high risk of reprisals; this also meant that the number of cases of torture was probably far higher than that.
FELICE GAER, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Maldives, took positive note of the commutation of all but three death sentences and the commitment to continue the 65-year-old moratorium on the death penalty, and asked the delegation to explain the process and legal basis for the commutation. What was the legislative timetable for the Government’s new initiatives and what issues would be prioritized?
ABDELWAHAB HANI, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Maldives, asked about isolation cells and solitary confinement in prisons and whether the time in isolation, which was now 30 days, would be brought in line with the international standard of 15 days as prescribed by the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, or the Mandela Rules.
Replies by the Delegation
At the outset, the delegate stressed that the new Government of Maldives had been in place for 11 days only, and that it would do its utmost to respond to the concerns and questions that the Experts had raised. The delegate reassured the Committee that more detailed information would be submitted in the second periodic report, which Maldives would submit in six months. Female genital mutilation was not practiced in the country and no such cases had been registered. The Constitution protected children from all forms of abuse, including flogging, as did a number of laws such as the Child Protection Act and Anti-Torture Act. No children were placed with adults in prisons, said the delegate, reiterating that prison reform was the Government’s top priority. Islam was the religion of the State according to the Constitution, and Maldives was a 100 per cent Muslim country.
One of the reasons that had caused considerable delay in the submission of the initial report was the lack of relevant data, another delegate said, informing the Committee that to overcome this issue, a Human Rights Portal of Maldives was being established, with the support of development partners. The Portal would serve as the Government’s official human rights database, and all State agencies and entities had an obligation to enter relevant data in a timely manner. With regard to an accountability gap between investigations and prosecutions for acts of torture, a delegate said that the Government was currently working on developing a mechanism to ensure that cases were not dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
In his inaugural address to the people of Maldives on 17 November, the President had declared the commitment to “take back the rights that we have been denied”, and thereafter had established a Commission on Releasing Political Detainees, a Presidential Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery, which would soon commence its work, as well as the Commission on Murders and Disappearances. Work was underway to grant statutory status to the commissions, and define their scope and detailed mandates.
Maldives recognized that the Human Rights Commission was indeed in need of additional funding to strengthen its capacity, the delegation said, explaining that the reports of the national preventive mechanism, housed by the Commission, were at first shared with the institution concerned and the relevant authorities, and published on the Commission’s website three months after the visit had taken place. The Human Rights Commission was mandated by the Constitution to monitor the observation of human rights, including to investigate complaints it received and allegations of human rights violations. Regardless of who submitted the complaint, the Commission had the obligation to ensure that the investigation was independent and transparent. The Government’s priority was to ensure that any hindrances to the work of its human rights watchdog were removed and that its investigative powers were strengthened.
The Police Integrity Commission had been set up in 2008 to investigate allegations of police misconduct, while the Professional Standard Command of the police investigated all allegations of torture by police officers. The Government was aware of the need to build the capacity of institutions and bring their work up to international standards. The Anti-Torture Act prohibited torture in State custody and undisclosed locations, and it classified as an act of torture any detention without human contact for a prolonged period of time. Maldives needed further assistance in improving its anti-torture legislation.
The delegation clarified that the legal changes such as removing the statute of limitations for acts of torture, amending the legal provisions which exculpated perpetrators of child sex abuse, and changing complaint mechanisms in prisons required a dialogue with stakeholders. The Government pledged to conduct an audit of all its legislation in order to identify those laws that were in violation of the State’s international obligations and was committed to undertake major legislative reforms, including introducing a legal aid bill within the first few months of the administration, and so establishing a Public Defender Office.
With regard to refoulement or extradition, the delegation stressed that the procedure never took place if there was a risk of the person being exposed to torture, inhuman, or degrading treatment. In 2017, Maldives had extradited 1,805 persons. All cases of extradition were reviewed by the Supreme Court. All persons in the forcible removal process retained the right to appeal the decision to the court. Migrant workers were never returned if they ran a risk of torture. Maldives was in the process of concluding extradition agreements with several countries.
The Government was committed to establishing a psychiatric medical health care unit which would be integrated in the State hospital and would also offer services at the community level. The geography of the country spread over many islands presented an important challenge to the effective delivery of health care, said the delegation, stressing that institutionalization was being used as a measure of last resort. The country’s very first Mental Health Bill was being prepared.
With regard to commutations of the death penalty, the delegation explained that previously, such power was in the hand of the President. The new administration had prioritized consultations with all stakeholders and the public, including former political prisoners, in matters of prison reform and ensuring that there was no miscarriage of justice. The current model of the Judicial Commission would be extensively revised in order to establish a judiciary that had the confidence of the people and upheld the Constitution and the values of judicial independence.
Maldives would continue to fully engage with the Working Group on enforced disappearance, including on the case of disappeared journalist Ahmed Rilwan.
FELICE GAER, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Maldives, asked whether the Commission on Murders and Disappearances would also investigate acts of torture that did not amount to either a murder or disappearance, and noted that the jurisdiction of this Commission and other transnational justice mechanism was temporal and limited only to the period from 1 January 2012 to 17 November 2018. The Human Rights Commission had found State negligence in the abuse and murder of a 10-year old boy – had anyone been held accountable?
ABDELWAHAB HANI, Committee Co-Rapporteur for Maldives, asked the delegation to explain what a “moratorium on corporal punishment” was and inquired whether there would be a review of judicial processes for individuals who had received death sentences for crimes committed as juveniles.
Other Experts asked if the notion of special protection for children and youth contained in the Constitution also applied to juveniles in conflict with the law; if non-Muslims – citizens or visitors - could openly profess their faith; and whether detainees received an initial medical examination upon arrival at a criminal justice institution.
Responding to questions raised on transitional justice mechanisms, the delegation explained that the President had pledged to establish a body to investigate human rights violations during the period from 1 January 2012 to 17 November 2018, which was still to be set up. Maldives had already set up the Commission on Releasing Political Detainees, Commission on Murders and Disappearances, which would not be investigating cases of torture, and the Presidential Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery. As for temporality of the jurisdiction of the transitional justice mechanisms, the delegation said that it was limited to the recent past for the time being, but there was an intention to move to past crimes as well.
The authorities were committed to working with the Human Rights Commission on further investigating reports of children detained with the adult population.
The new Rights of the Child Bill introduced to Parliament in June 2018 contained the ban on corporal punishment and the Government would further review the Bill to ensure that it fully complied with the international obligations of Maldives under the Convention against Torture and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The legislation on anti-defamation and on anti-defection had been repealed, while the law on torture would be reviewed.
With the entry into force of the Criminal Procedure Code of 2016, it was now nearly impossible to keep a person in pre-trial detention, thus the rate of incarceration had reduced extensively.
AHMED NASEEM, Minister at the President’s Office of Maldives, in his concluding remarks thanked the Committee for its understanding and hoped that the Experts appreciated the commitment of Maldives toward implementing the Convention. While constitutional protections and laws regarding torture had been improving, there had been a dramatic gap in their implementation, especially over the last five years. The Minister reiterated the intention to eliminate all forms of miscarriages of justice.
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Davante Adams Montravius Adams Jaire Alexander Geronimo Allison Adrian Amos David Bakhtiari Evan Baylis Curtis Bolton Tim Boyle Hunter Bradley Fadol Brown Tony Brown Bryan Bulaga Oren Burks Tra Carson Kenny Clark Eric Cotton Anthony Coyle James Crawford Mason Crosby Mike Daniels Jawill Davis Trevor Davis Gerhard de Beer Kendall Donnerson Kabion Ento Kyler Fackrell Sam Ficken Rashan Gary Reggie Gilbert Jimmy Graham Raven Greene Javien Hamilton Ka'Dar Hollman Josh Jackson Natrell Jamerson Elgton Jenkins Malcolm Johnson Aaron Jones Josh Jones Kingsley Keke Kevin King DeShone Kizer Davis Koppenhaver Jake Kumerow Tyler Lancaster Allen Lazard Marcedes Lewis Alex Light Corey Linsley James Looney Dean Lowry Cole Madison Blake Martinez Tray Matthews Justin McCray Pharoah McKever J'Mon Moore Yosh Nijman Adam Pankey Lucas Patrick Randy Ramsey Teo Redding Will Redmond Greg Roberts Aaron Rodgers Nydair Rouse Darnell Savage JK Scott Brady Sheldon Darrius Shepherd Deon Simon Preston Smith Za'Darius Smith Jason Spriggs Equanimeous St. Brown Jace Sternberger Chandon Sullivan Ty Summers Lane Taylor Robert Tonyan Billy Turner Mike Tyson Marquez Valdes-Scantling Danny Vitale Manny Wilkins Dexter Williams Jamaal Williams Larry Williams Tramon Williams
College: Stanford
TCKLS
Sundays 14 114 68 46 5 3
Mondays 1 11 8 3 0 0
Other Days (not Mon or Sun) 1 6 2 4 0 0
September 4 29 16 13 1 2
October 3 28 19 9 3 0
November 4 30 16 14 0 0
December 5 44 27 17 1 1
Opponents by Group
vs Own Division 6 47 25 22 2 2
Outside Own Division 10 84 53 31 3 1
vs AFC Teams 4 30 22 8 2 0
vs NFC Teams 12 101 56 45 3 3
Opponents by Team
Atlanta Falcons 1 10 9 1 0 0
Buffalo Bills 1 9 6 3 1 0
Chicago Bears 2 11 8 3 0 0
Detroit Lions 2 17 9 8 2 1
Los Angeles Rams 1 12 7 5 1 0
Miami Dolphins 1 7 7 0 0 0
Minnesota Vikings 2 19 8 11 0 1
New England Patriots 1 7 3 4 0 0
New York Jets 1 7 6 1 1 0
Arizona Cardinals 1 8 3 5 0 0
San Francisco 49ers 1 11 8 3 0 0
Seattle Seahawks 1 6 2 4 0 0
Washington Redskins 1 7 2 5 0 1
Wins 6 48 40 8 2 0
Losses 9 74 34 40 3 2
Ties 1 9 4 5 0 1
Gillette Stadium 1 7 3 4 0 0
U.S. Bank Stadium 1 10 4 6 0 0
Ford Field 1 5 4 1 2 0
FedExField 1 7 2 5 0 1
Lambeau Field 8 70 46 24 1 2
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 1 12 7 5 1 0
MetLife Stadium 1 7 6 1 1 0
Soldier Field 1 7 4 3 0 0
CenturyLink Field 1 6 2 4 0 0
Pro Highlights:
Started all 16 games in 2017 and registered a team-high 158 tackles (107 solo), a team-best 12 tackles for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, an interception, four QB pressures, four QB hits and 11 passes defensed (No. 2 on the team). His tackle total ranks No. 8 in team history (since 1975) for a single season.
Registered a double-digit tackle total in eight games in 2017.
Played in 13 games with nine starts at ILB as a rookie in 2016 and ranked No. 5 on the team with 62 tackles (46 solo), a sack, four tackles for a loss, two QB hits, two QB pressures, an interception and five passes defensed.
Part of a run defense that ranked No. 8 in the league in rushing yards allowed per game (94.7) and No. 7 in runs of 10-plus yards allowed (37) in 2016.
Appeared in all three postseason games with one start and recorded five tackles (four solo), including a tackle for a loss, and added a tackle on special teams.
Selected by Green Bay in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft with the No. 137 overall selection. Was one of two players the Packers drafted out of Stanford (Kyle Murphy) in 2016. It was the third time since 2005 (UCLA – DE Datone Jones and RB Johnathan Franklin in 2013/Texas A&M – WR/KR Terrence Murphy and DE Michael Montgomery in 2005) that the Packers selected two players from the same school in the same draft.
Was the first defensive player Green Bay had selected from Stanford since DE Lester Archambeau was chosen in the seventh round (No. 186 overall) in 1990. Joined Trent Murphy (Washington, second round, No. 47 overall, 2014) as the only Stanford linebackers to be selected in the NFL Draft since 2008.
2017 SEASON: Started all 16 games and registered a team-high 158 tackles (107 solo), a team-best 12 tackles for a loss, a sack, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, an interception, four QB pressures, four QB hits and 11 passes defensed (No. 2 on the team)...His tackle total ranks No. 8 in team history (since 1975) for a single season...Registered a double-digit tackle total in eight games on the season...Added a tackle on special teams…At Atlanta (Sept. 17): Registered five tackles (all solo), a sack and two tackles for a loss. Late in the third quarter, came through untouched to bring down QB Matt Ryan for an 8-yard sack on third-and-4 to force the Falcons to settle for a FG...Vs. Chicago (Sept. 28): Recorded eight tackles (five solo) and the first fumble recovery of his career. On Chicago’s second drive of the game, recovered a fumble by QB Mike Glennon at the Green Bay 24…At Dallas (Oct. 8): Led the team with 13 tackles (10 solo) and added two QB pressures, two QB hits and a pass defensed...At Minnesota (Oct. 15): Posted a team-high 14 tackles (12 solo), including two for a loss, and a career-best three passes defensed. Late in the first quarter, came up to tackle RB Jerick McKinnon after he caught a swing pass on third-and-6, stopping him for no gain at the Green Bay 48 to force a Minnesota punt. With just over four minutes remaining in the second quarter, dropped back into coverage and deflected a QB Case Keenum pass that was intercepted by CB Damarious Randall at the Green Bay 48 and returned 10 yards to help set up a Mason Crosby FG...Vs. New Orleans (Oct. 22): Paced the team with 15 tackles (career-best 13 solo) and added a tackle on special teams...Vs. Detroit (Nov. 6): Led the team in tackles for the fourth straight game with 12 stops (eight solo). Recorded the first forced fumble of his career, punching the ball out from RB Ameer Abdullah on the first play of the fourth quarter on a run up the middle, a fumble that was recovered by Detroit. Helped limit the Lions to just 64 rushing yards on 33 carries (1.9 avg.), just the fourth time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger that the Packers allowed 65 or fewer rushing yards on 30-plus attempts by an opponent…At Pittsburgh (Nov. 26): Led the team with a career-best 17 tackles (10 solo) along with a tackle for a loss, an interception, a fumble recovery and two passes defensed. Midway through the third quarter, made a sliding interception of a QB Ben Roethlisberger pass that had been deflected at the line by LB Ahmad Brooks, making the INT at the Pittsburgh 48 and returning it 3 yards to the 45. Was involved in another takeaway early in the fourth quarter when he recovered a RB Le’Veon Bell fumble that was forced by S Morgan Burnett at the Green Bay 34...Vs. Minnesota (Dec. 23): Tied for the team lead with 11 tackles (seven solo). Added a QB hit and a QB pressure.
2016: Played in 13 games with nine starts at ILB and ranked No. 5 on the team with 62 tackles (46 solo), a sack, four tackles for a loss, two QB hits, two QB pressures, an interception and five passes defensed...Part of a run defense that ranked No. 8 in the league in rushing yards allowed per game (94.7) and No. 7 in runs of 10-plus yards allowed (37)...Registered five tackles on special teams...Missed three games (Weeks 12-14) due to a knee injury...Appeared in all three postseason games with one start and recorded five tackles (four solo), including a tackle for a loss, and added a tackle on special teams…At Jacksonville (Sept. 11): Started and became the first Green Bay rookie to start on defense in Week 1 since LB Nick Perry in 2012. Was tied for the team lead with nine tackles (five solo) and added a tackle on special teams. Helped limit the Jaguars to just 48 yards rushing on 26 carries (1.8 avg.), the first time they had rushed for 48 or fewer yards on 25-plus attempts since Nov. 14, 1999 (vs. Baltimore, 47 yards on 26 attempts)…At Minnesota (Sept. 18): Started and recorded six tackles (five solo) and a pass defensed. Helped limit RB Adrian Peterson to just 19 yards on 12 carries (1.6 avg.)…Vs. Detroit (Sept. 25): Started, but left the game for a stretch after a cut on his face opened up again. Registered five tackles (all solo) and helped limit the Lions to just 50 yards rushing on 23 carries (2.2 avg.). Added a tackle on special teams…Vs. Chicago (Oct. 20): Started and recorded four tackles (two solo) and the first interception of his career. Late in the fourth quarter, dropped into coverage and intercepted a QB Matt Barkley pass intended for TE Zach Miller that was deflected by S Morgan Burnett, making the pick at the Chicago 42 and returning it 4 yards…At Tennessee (Nov. 13): Started and led the team with a season-high 10 tackles (nine solo) while adding a QB pressure and a QB hit…At Washington (Nov. 20): Started and played 45 snaps, finishing with four tackles (three solo), including one for a loss, and a pass defensed. In the fourth quarter, fought off a block from G Shawn Lauvao to get into the backfield and bring down RB Robert Kelley for a 4-yard loss. Left the game late in the fourth quarter due to a knee injury that would cause him to miss the next three games…At Detroit (Jan. 1): Posted three tackles (all solo), including his first career sack, and added a tackle on special teams. Early in the second quarter, perfectly timed a cross-blitz with LB Jake Ryan and came up the middle to get to QB Matthew Stafford for a 5-yard sack...Vs. N.Y. Giants (NFC Wild Card, Jan. 8): Started at ILB and finished with three tackles (one solo). Left the game in the second quarter due to a knee injury, but returned in the second half. Added a tackle on special teams, bringing down WR Dwayne Harris at the New York 8 for just a 3-yard return of P Jacob Schum’s 58-yard punt.
COLLEGE: Finished his collegiate career with 257 tackles (137 solo), 13½ tackles for a loss, 6½ sacks, five interceptions and five forced fumbles in 51 games played…Started the final 27 games of his college career…Helped Stanford make a bowl appearance all four years as part of a school-record seven consecutive bowl games and win three Pacific-12 titles (2012, 2013, 2015)…Appeared in three Rose Bowls, helping the Cardinal win two…Earned his degree in management science and engineering…Senior season (2015): Led the team with a career-high 141 tackles (75 solo) in 14 games played, all starts…Recorded 84 more tackles than the No. 2 tackler on the team…Averaged 10.1 tackles/game to rank first in the Pac-12…Also notched 6½ tackles for a loss, 1½ sacks, a forced fumble, an interception, two quarterback hits and six pass breakups…Was named third-team All-America by AP, second-team All-America by USA Today and Phil Steele’s College Football, and first-team All-Pac-12 by AP and Phil Steele’s College Football…Was a Butkus Award semifinalist and was on the watch lists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award…Named a quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy…Earned second-team Midseason All-America honors from SI.com…Totaled 10-plus tackles in nine games, including tying his career-high 14 twice in the first three games of the season, at Northwestern (Sept. 5) and at USC (Sept. 19)…Tied his season high with 10 solo tackles (12 total) to go with one pass breakup vs. Notre Dame (Nov. 28) and was selected as the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week…Junior season (2014): Started all 13 games and totaled a team-best 102 tackles (53 solo), seven tackles for a loss, 4½ sacks, two forced fumbles, three interceptions, four quarterback hits and two pass breakups…Named third-team All-Pac-12 by Phil Steele’s College Football and All-Pac-12 honorable mention as well as second-team midseason All-Pac-12 by Phil Steele’s College Football…Earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors…Registered 10-plus tackles in four games, including in back-to-back weeks vs. USC (Sept. 6) and vs. Army (Sept. 13)…Sophomore season (2013): Appeared in 10 games, recording 11 tackles (seven solo)…Earned Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention…Freshman season (2012): Saw action in 14 games…Received Stanford’s Greg Piers Service Team Award on defense, which honors outstanding scout-team players.
PERSONAL: Given name Blake Edmon Martinez…Born in Tucson, Ariz. …Nicknamed “Machinez” in college…Spent time in college working as an intern in commercial real estate…High school: Attended Mountain View (Ariz.) High School (2008-09), Santa Rita (Tucson, Ariz.) High School (2009) and Canyon del Oro (Oro Valley, Ariz.) High School (2010-11)…Set the school record at Canyon del Oro with 247 tackles…Two-time Southern Arizona Player of the Year and was named PrepStar All-West Region…Played tight end, running back, linebacker and wide receiver…Registered 1,100 yards of total offense as a senior…Lettered one year in basketball and volleyball and two years in track…Community involvement: Took part in the 13th annual Packers Tailgate Tour, traveling throughout southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa and the Milwaukee area to visit fans and raise money for local organizations in each area…Donates to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for every 100 followers he gets on twitch.tv/packernation50 as well as 100 percent of the money he receives from subscriptions and ads…Attended a high school football game at Appleton North to sign autographs and raise cancer awareness…Participated in the Packers Give Back Celebrity Bowling event to raise money for the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) Promise Scholarship…Visited cadets at the Challenge Academy in Fort McCoy, Wis. …Participated in events to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters…Signed autographs to raise money for The Salvation Army…Has spoken to kids at numerous schools in Wisconsin...Participated in a PSA for Toys for Tots…Worked at a homeless shelter and children’s hospital and helped out at a dog-shelter auction while in college…Residence: Tucson, Ariz.
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Implementing Family Friendly Policies in an International Business
in Working Mum, Family, Employee Benefits, Childcare, Career
Parental Choice would like to thank Vanessa Palmer, HR Director, Consumer Products Division, UK for this article.
“As is the norm, to kick off my research for this article I had a browse around Google. I was very interested to read the headline of one of the most recent publications: ‘Our workplaces are about as family friendly as a 19th century mill’. On the more positive side, another article talked about the positive impact of family friendly policies on business results and commitment at work.
So what’s the reality? How family friendly are businesses in the UK and how does that compare to the rest of the world?
Family friendly policies are more and more commonplace in the UK, driven in some part by supportive employment law requirements, but also due to the growing recognition of the value that maternity returners can bring to an organisation, and the need for both parties to work together to make it work. Similarly, businesses are increasingly understanding of the growing contribution of fathers, and the need to adapt to that. Many firms take a healthy view that maintaining key workers through child-related and parental incentives help retain their key people. If you have invested in the development and education of your best people the most cost effective thing to do is not to lose them. This is recognised across the Western World with many countries awarding their top family friendly companies to work for. There is still a lot that countries and businesses within those countries can do to support their working parents but the tide in the UK, at least, is gradually turning.
As the UK HR Director for the L’Oreal Consumer Products Division (looking after L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline and Essie brands) I am well placed to speak about the ‘journey’ that we have been on over the past 10 years. Our workforce in L’Oreal UK & Ireland is currently 64% female with 64% of our country management also being female. Worldwide 59% of our managers are female. And yet when I joined the UK team 15 years ago, we were lacking examples of mothers in senior jobs who were able to fulfil their potential, yet be present for their families. It felt like it was either-or. Whilst we did everything we could to support our parents on an ad hoc basis, we didn’t have the policies to make this a consistent reality. Following extensive employee surveys, competitive reviews and analysis of exit interviews and ad hoc feedback from our population, we realised that in order to be a forward thinking, productive and happy workplace, we needed to move with the times and make some big changes.
This is not just a UK phenomenon. L’Oréal Group, as part of its ‘Share and Care’ programme, has committed to a series of mandatory social benefits for all employees worldwide by 2015, one of which is 14 weeks maternity leave at full pay. Five years after creating one of L’Oréal’s first kindergartens, L’Oreal Germany created its new “Family Services” programme. Made available at the end of 2012 to 2,000 employees across the country, this programme provides telephone support services and face-to-face guidance to assist them in caring for children or elderly parents and support them with any other family problem: finding a suitable childcare facility or retirement home, obtaining last-minute solutions to babysit a sick child, making an appointment with a psychologist or financial expert, and more. Initial feedback after the first 12 months shows that already 10% to 12% of employees use the programme, 84% of them being women.
In UK and Ireland, we kicked off with the more obvious improvements: a greatly enhanced maternity policy which offers 6 months full pay, an improved paternity offering, a detailed analysis to ensure that our pay offering is the same for males and females in the workplace (it was then, and still is), offering part time positions and amended hours where possible…
To help us work on the ‘what next?’ we formed a Parents Group and asked them for their ideas. There were 3 key areas of feedback: more flexibility around working hours, support for first time mothers, and information for mums and dads on, for example, developmental milestones.
It wasn’t just parents that were feeding back on the desire to work in a more ‘agile’ way – most employees were crying out for an organisation that rewards what they achieve rather than the hours spent in the office, so we launch ‘WorkSmart: It’s not when and where, it’s what and how’, meaning that our employees no longer have set hours, rather objectives that need to be met. Naturally, this philosophy has gone down very well with our parents who may want to drop off, pick up or attend school events.
The other two areas of feedback were interesting for us, as we had not realised that this was a burning need for our parents. In order to meet these requests, we have joined forces with ‘Parental Choice’ who are supporting us in setting up relevant talks for our parents (for example how to deal with temper tantrums) which are very well attended, as well as regular newsletters that allows us to communicate family initiatives directly to our working parents and providing childcare searches to ensure all working parents at L’Oreal are supported whatever age their children might be. We’ve had feedback that this offering makes our employees feel that we are taking their new life stage and their family’s welfare seriously and it is truly appreciated.
So how do we build on this? The next stage is to integrate families more into the L’Oreal culture, and to do this we are going to hold a ‘Family Day’ in October, which will be an opportunity for parents to bring their children for a party and for us to give something back and to showcase the many families that we have in L’Oreal who are making it family and career work. It is important to us and L’Oreal worldwide that we are family friendly and we recognise and support the talent and experience that we have. Businesses in the UK are becoming more family friendly and we hope that we are setting an example of how successful and worthwhile that can be for businesses and working parents alike.”
L’Oreal, a family friendly firm
L’Oreal USA Announces Third Annual Women in Digital “NEXT Generation Awards” Empowering Female Entrepreneurs in Technology
Because she’s worth it! Manchester university scientist wins £15k grant from L’Oreal
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Halifax teen missing in White Mountains
Apr 27, 2009 at 12:01 AM Apr 27, 2009 at 10:32 PM
A search in New Hampshire’s White Mountains has been ongoing since Sunday for a missing 17-year-old hiker from Halifax. Scott Mason left the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Pinkham Notch Visitor Center at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, intending to do a 17-mile hike alone.
A search in New Hampshire’s White Mountains has been ongoing since Sunday for a missing 17-year-old hiker from Halifax.
The state Fish and Game Department says Scott Mason left the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Pinkham Notch Visitor Center at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, intending to do a 17-mile hike. He was hiking alone.
Mason’s plans included hiking to the summits of Mount Washington and Madison, then returning to the visitor center in one day.
The Fish and Game Department said conditions in the area include waist-deep snow with the potential for avalanches, and heavy rain overnight Sunday and Monday made the search more difficult. Temperatures were in the 40s overnight. In 2007, Mason received the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Nally Award for his anti-hunger efforts. He organized a food drive in Halifax in April 2007 as his Eagle Scout project.
Throughout the project, Scott was battling a intestinal disease called clostridium difficile. He had recovered from the illness when he received the award in October 2007.
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Home » Listing » South America » Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba
Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba
Manzana Jesuítica, Cordoba, Córdoba, Argentina
Daily: from 9:00 to 13:00 and 17:00 to 20:00
History facts
The 38-ha ensemble of the Jesuit Block and five of its estancias (rural farming and manufacturing establishments) in the province of Córdoba, near the geographical centre of Argentina, contains 17th and 18th century religious and secular buildings that illustrate an unprecedented 150-year-long religious, social, and economic experiment.
The Jesuit Block in the city of Córdoba contains the core buildings of the capital of the former Jesuit Province of Paraguay: the church, the Jesuit priests’ residence, the university, and the Colegio Convictorio de Montserrat. The Block’s supporting estancias – comprised of:
Alta Gracia (located 36 km from the Block),
Santa Catalina (70 km from the Block),
Jesús María (48 km from the Block),
La Candelaria (220 km from the Block), and
Caroya (44 km from the Block) – each included a church or chapel, priests’ residence, ranches for slaves and indigenous peoples, work areas (camps, mills, beating mills, etc.), hydraulic systems (breakwaters, irrigation ditches, canals, etc.), farmhouses, and large extents of land for cattle breeding.
The Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba is an exceptional example of a vast religious, political, economic, legal, and cultural system. It is likewise an excellent illustration of the fusion of European and Native American cultures, with the added contributions of African slave labourers, during a seminal period in South America.
The ensemble is a particular example of territorial organisation, an economic complement between urban and rural settlements that allowed the Society of Jesus to pursue its educational and missionary goals.
Coming to Córdoba and having the best stay:
Compare prices of hotels in Córdoba, or view hotel deals at the bottom of the page that we have for you.
Find cheap flights to Córdoba. International airports near Cordoba, Argentina – 11 km away: Cordoba, Argentina (COR / SACO) Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport.
Guides and tours in Argentina:
The Jesuit Block in Córdoba, heart of the former Jesuit Province of Paraguay, contains the core buildings of the Jesuit system: the university, the church and residence of the Society of Jesus, and the college.
Along with the five estancias, or farming estates, they contain religious and secular buildings, which illustrate the unique religious, social, and economic experiment carried out in the world for a period of over 150 years in the 17th and 18th centuries.
See more Catholic Shrines and pilgrimages South America
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The outstanding nature of this ensemble is illustrated by the convergence of two typologies: on the one hand, the European convent layout, with a main church, residence, and college in the city; and on the other, novel rural settlements, where the church, residence, and trading post merged in a productive and interrelated territory.
This kind of articulation, where the various productive specializations in each estancia were supported by the construction of complex hydraulic systems, was unique in the American cultural context.
The outstanding achievements of the Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba include the development of technologies based on local resources, both material and human, and the use of the respective knowledge of the participants – the religious Order and the indigenous and African slave labourers – all of which resulted in a mixture of architectural, technological, and artistic expressions reflecting mannerist and baroque influences adapted to the locality.
Within the boundaries of the property are located all the elements necessary to express the Outstanding Universal Value of the Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba. This ensures the complete representation of their significance as architectural and landscape ensembles in their respective settings.
The Jesuit Block maintains its original religious, residential, educational, and cultural functions, while the estancias continue operating as cultural, interchange, and regional development centres, even though they have considerably lost their productive nature.
Of the five estancias included in the property, two (Santa Catalina and La Candelaria) maintain their original rural settings, another two (Caroya and Jesús María) remain in semi-urban settings, and one (Alta Gracia) became the centre of an urban structure.
View hotel deals in Córdoba:
The National Shrine of North American Martyrs
National Basilica de Lujan and Virgen de Lujan in Argentina
Mount Mary Church – the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount
St. Mary’s Mission
Holy Redeemer Basilica
The outstanding nature of this ensemble is illustrated by the convergence of two typologies: on the one hand, the European convent layout, with a main church, residence, and college in the city; and on the other, novel rural settlements, where the church, residence, and trading post merged in a productive and interrelated territory. This kind of articulation, where the various productive specializations in each estancia were supported by the construction of complex hydraulic systems, was unique in the American cultural context.
The Jesuit Block maintains its original religious, residential, educational, and cultural functions, while the estancias continue operating as cultural, interchange, and regional development centres, even though they have considerably lost their productive nature. Of the five estancias included in the property, two (Santa Catalina and La Candelaria) maintain their original rural settings, another two (Caroya and Jesús María) remain in semi-urban settings, and one (Alta Gracia) became the centre of an urban structure.
© Vincent Ko Hon Chiu
© Philipp Schinz
Pajas Blancas airport outside the city of Cordoba receives flights from just about anywhere in Argentina, plus Latin American countries. Visit Argentina airports for more information on airlines and airports.
You can also travel to Cordoba with a regular bus service from Buenos Aires (Retiro Bus Station) as well as from any main city in Argentina.
The 38-ha ensemble of the Jesuit Block and five of its estancias (rural farming and manufacturing establishments) in the province of Córdoba, near the geographical centre of Argentina, contains 17th and 18th century religious and secular buildings that illustrate an unprecedented 150-year-long religious, social, and economic experiment. The Jesuit Block in the city of Córdoba contains the core buildings of the capital of the former Jesuit Province of Paraguay: the church, the Jesuit priests’ residence, the university, and the Colegio Convictorio de Montserrat. The Block’s supporting estancias – comprised of Alta Gracia (located 36 km from the Block), Santa Catalina (70 km from the Block), Jesús María (48 km from the Block), La Candelaria (220 km from the Block), and Caroya (44 km from the Block) – each included a church or chapel, priests’ residence, ranches for slaves and indigenous peoples, work areas (camps, mills, beating mills, etc.), hydraulic systems (breakwaters, irrigation ditches, canals, etc.), farmhouses, and large extents of land for cattle breeding.
The Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba is an exceptional example of a vast religious, political, economic, legal, and cultural system. It is likewise an excellent illustration of the fusion of European and Native American cultures, with the added contributions of African slave labourers, during a seminal period in South America. The ensemble is a particular example of territorial organisation, an economic complement between urban and rural settlements that allowed the Society of Jesus to pursue its educational and missionary goals.
Posted in Argentina and South America
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David Davis Resigns
Joe Mitton
PLMR's Joe Mitton discusses the departure of the Brexit Secretary and what it means for Theresa May's government
The Secretary of State for Exiting the EU has resigned, less than nine months before the UK formally leaves the grouping. At this stage, it seems the move has not triggered a leadership challenge, and the Hard Brexit faction (of which Davis is the de facto leader) is conscious that they probably do not have sufficient support among Conservative MPs to install one of their own in Theresa May’s job. Outing May from Number 10 Downing Street would result in a new PM who would probably broadly follow the same approach to Brexit as agreed by Cabinet last Friday – that is, to stay aligned with the EU customs block to avoid disruption to trade.
Having said that, politics can be an unpredictable sport, and Davis’s resignation could have consequences that Davis did not intend. He has built a career on being a prominent Eurosceptic voice, and he understandably concluded that it would damage his right-wing, Eurosceptic credentials among colleagues if he delivered Theresa May’s soft Brexit with regulatory and customs alignment with the EU.
Eight ministers have resigned from government in recent months, almost all over Brexit or Heathrow Airport’s expansion. Davis leaving will add to the narrative that Theresa May’s administration is chaotic. And the European Commission will be frustrated at having to build a new relationship with Britain’s chief negotiator when there are just weeks left to settle a draft agreement. (The aim is to have a draft agreement by October)
But the resignation does provide an opportunity for an energetic new Brexit Secretary to step up to the role. Theresa May has chosen Dominic Raab, a young, energetic and competent politician who has been seen as a rising star in the party for a while. He supported Brexit and voted to leave the EU, but is pragmatic and knows he will have to compromise to make progress. Raab will have a busy and stressful few months ahead of him, to make progress on an extensive range of issues that Davis has left without agreement.
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Holes (Holes Series #1) (Paperback)
By Louis Sachar
Winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award! This #1 New York Times bestselling, modern classic in which boys are forced to dig holes day in and day out is now available with a splashy new look.
Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes.
It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.
Includes a double bonus: an excerpt from Small Steps, the follow-up to Holes, as well as an excerpt from Louis Sachar’s new middle-grade novel, Fuzzy Mud.
"A smart jigsaw puzzle of a novel." --The New York Times
WINNER OF THE BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK AWARD
A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK
SELECTED FOR NUMEROUS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR AND ALA HONORS
Louis Sachar is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Holes, which won the Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, and the Christopher Award, as well as Stanley Yelnats' Survival to Camp Green Lake; Small Steps, winner of the Schneider Family Book Award; and The Cardturner, a Publishers Weekly Best Book, a Parents' Choice Gold Award recipient, and an ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book. His books for younger readers include There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, The Boy Who Lost His Face, Dogs Don't Tell Jokes, and the Marvin Redpost series, among many others.
Winner of the Newbery Medal
Winner of the National Book Award
A New York Public Library's 100 Great Children's Books 100 Years Selection
"A dazzling blend of social commentary, tall tale and magic realism."-Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"There is no question, kids will love Holes."-SLJ, Starred Review
"[A] rugged, engrossing adventure."-Kirkus Reviews
"This delightfully clever story is well-crafted and thought-provoking."-VOYA
"[Sachar] comes fully, brilliantly into his own voice. This is a can't-put-it-down read."-The Bulletin
Publisher: Yearling
Publication Date: May 9th, 2000
Series: Holes Series
Maximum Grade Level: UP
Juvenile Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories
Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure
Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Friendship
Kobo eBook (June 1st, 2011): $6.99
Mass Market (August 14th, 2001): $8.99
Prebound (May 2000): $19.80
Prebound (August 2001): $18.40
Paperback (Chinese) (August 2014): $17.20
Prebound (May 9th, 2000): $18.40
Hardcover, Large Print (August 2nd, 2017): $20.99
Paperback (Japanese) (December 2006): $18.50
Pre-Recorded Audio Player (August 2008): $44.99
Hardcover (June 26th, 2018): $18.99
Hardcover (September 2nd, 2008): $17.00
Hardcover (March 11th, 2003): $6.99
Hardcover (Japanese) (October 25th, 1999): $49.90
Paperback (French) (January 2002): $28.95
Paperback (Korean) (August 2008): $22.60
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THERE IS NO OTHER, THE NEW ALBUM BY RHIANNON GIDDENS WITH FRANCESCO TURRISI, OUT TODAY ON NONESUCH
there is no Other, the new album by Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi, is out today on Nonesuch. Tracing the overlooked movement of sounds from Africa and the Arabic world and their influence on European and American music, there is no Other illuminates the universality of music and the commonality of the human experience. The album has received critical praise and later today the New Yorker Radio Hour will air an interview and performance with Rhiannon and Francesco. Over the past week the duo has visited WNYC, WFUV, Sirius, and NPR’s World Café for interviews and performance segments; stay tuned for run dates.
Giddens and Turrisi will perform there is no Other on an extensive fall tour that includes the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC on October 4 and at Pico Union in Los Angeles on October 19. A European tour for November-December was announced this morning. Full itinerary is below.
Produced by Joe Henry and tracked over an intensely productive five day period in Dublin, Ireland, there is no Other is at once a condemnation of “othering” and a celebration of the spread of ideas, connectivity, and shared experience. It primarily features only Giddens and Turrisi playing one or two instruments together. The album comprises a mix of original songs penned by Giddens and a diverse set of interpretations ranging from Ola Belle Reed’s “I’m Gonna Write Me a Letter” and Oscar Brown, Jr’s “Brown Baby” to the Italian traditional “Pizzica di San Vito” to the aria “Black Swan” by Gian-Carlo Menotti.
Watch the first in a series of behind-the-scenes interviews filmed during the making of the album with Giddens and Turrisi, producer Joe Henry and engineer Ryan Freeland: https://youtu.be/9NF1ufRGFNw
And watch the previously released video for original song “I’m On My Way”:
there is no Other “(shows) the ease with which the boundaries of genre and nationality can be broken through music.” NPR says. “There, this album dwells: in the quiet times where people live fully with each other … Rhiannon Giddens turns her exquisite voice and sensibility toward this psychic territory on … her new collaboration with the Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi … (an) exploration of heartfelt exchange and private longing.” – NPR Music
“For an album recorded in only five days, it wallops with impact. Giddens is going supernova, and it’s a blistering thing.” – Guardian, 5 out of 5 stars / Folk Album of the Month
“This is acoustic roots music at its most glorious, and Giddens is fast becoming the genre’s brightest star in the firmament.” – Uncut , 9 out of 10
“(Francesco’s) accompaniments, often on old/unusual instruments, add a strange, delicate beauty to Giddens’ solemn, powerful soprano.” – Mojo, 4 out of 5
“These songs are as much about place as they are time, and it’s impressive how seamlessly Giddens and Turrisi can blend Arabic, African, Italian, and Americana sounds.” – No Depression
“There’s an intellectual thrill in hearing how the lyrical and musical themes intertwine – but it’s also a visceral album, equally enchanting and eerie.” – AllMusic
In addition to the release of there is no Other, Giddens will be joining the Boston Symphony Orchestra on May 22nd and 23rd for a pair of performances, and on May 24th and 25th she will curate concerts that highlight the great black composers who have been hiding in plain sight, featuring Lara Downes and Darius de Haas. She also appears in Ken Burns’ upcoming Country Music series airing in September on PBS, revealing the lesser-known black roots of country music.
The vinyl edition of the album is available for preorder at the Nonesuch store. The two-LP set includes four previously unreleased songs, along with expanded notes about the album written by Rhiannon.
there is no Other Track List
Ten Thousand Voices
I’m Gonna Write Me a Letter
there is no Other
Trees On The Mountain
Pizzica di San Vito
Brown Baby
Briggs’ Forró
Little Margaret
He Will See You Through
Rhiannon Giddens Tour Dates:
5/16 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
5/19 – Greensboro, NC – Harrison Auditorium (Q&A with Ani DiFranco)
5/19 – Greensboro, NC – Presbyterian Church of the Covenant (benefit concert for the Experiential School of Greensboro)
5/22 – Boston, MA – Symphony Hall (“Redefining American Music” series)
7/23 – Westport, CT – Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts (Our Native Daughters)
7/24 – Washington, DC – Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (Our Native Daughters)
7/25 – Chautauqua, NY – Chautauqua Institution (Our Native Daughters)
7/26 – Albany, NY – The Egg (Our Native Daughters)
7/27 – Wolfeboro, NH – Great Waters Festival (Our Native Daughters)
7/28 – Newport, RI – Newport Folk Festival (Our Native Daughters)
there is no Other Tour – Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi:
7/11 – Auburn, NY – Auburn Public Theater
7/12-7/13 – Guelph, Ontario – Hilldside Festival
7/14 – Greenfield, MA – Green River Festival
9/6-9/9 – Stanford Hall, Leicestershire, UK – The Long Road Festival
9/19 – Birmingham, AL – Alys Stephens Center
9/20 – Atlanta, GA – City Winery
9/21 – Nashville, TN – City Winery
9/23 – Charlotte, NC – McGlohan Theatre at Spirit Square
9/25 – Raleigh, NC – North Carolina Museum of Art
9/26 – Washington, DC – Kennedy Center Terrace Theater
9/27 – Princeton, NJ – McCarter Theater
9/28 – Wilmington, DE – Grand Opera House
9/29 – Burlington, VT – Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
10/1 – Brownfield, ME – Stone Mountain Arts Center
10/2 – Boothbay Harbor, ME – The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
10/3 – Cambridge, MA – Sanders Theatre
10/4 – New York, NY – The Metropolitan Museum of Art
10/19 – Los Angeles, CA – Pico Union
10/23 – Kent, OH – The Kent Stage
10/25 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
10/26 – Chicago, IL – City Winery
10/29 – Bloomington, IN – Buskirk-Chumley Theater
10/30 – Iowa City, IA – The Englert Theatre
10/31 – Minneapolis, MN – The Dakota
11/1 – Minneapolis, MN – The Dakota
11/2 – Stoughton, WI – Stoughton Opera House
11/22 – London, UK – London Jazz Festival
11/23 – Brighton, UK – St. Georges Church
11/24 – Basingstoke, UK – The Anvil
11/26 – Bath, UK – Forum
11/27 – Buxton, UK – Opera House
11/28 – Liverpool, UK – Grand Central
11/29 – Gateshead, UK – The Sage
12/1 – Edinburgh, UK – Usher Hall
12/3 – Utrecht, Netherlands - TivoliVredenburg
12/4 – Hamburg, Germany – Fabrik
12/5 – Darmstadt, Germany – Central Station
12/7 – Cologne, Germany – Kulturkirche
12/8 – Leuven, Belgium – Het Depot
12/9 – Paris, France – Café de la Danse
12/10 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – De Duif
Tour dates and ticket links https://events.seated.com/rhiannon-giddens
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Lockheed Laser Destroys A Truck From A Mile Away
Lasers versus trucks: The future of war is a Transformers movie
By Kelsey D. Atherton
ATHENA Laser Blasted Truck
We are undeniably living in the future. Today, the evidence is this glowing-red hole burnt straight through a truck's engine by a high-powered laser at a distance of one mile Released this week, the above photo shows just what Lockheed Martin's newest directed energy weapon can do.
Lockheed's acronym for the weapon is ATHENA, for Advanced Test High ENergy Asset. While it's named after the Greek goddess of wisdom, Ares would be a more appropriate name, as it's an explicit weapon of war. (Weirdly, Ares is instead the name of a cancelled NASA vehicle system). From a mile away, ATHENA burned through the engine of a truck in under a minute. The truck was mounted on a platform with the engine running, to simulate real conditions.
Real in every detail, because trucks, with weapons mounted in the back, are an increasingly common part of war. Known as "technicals," they're used by militias the world over, are popular with ISIS, and Sudan's state-owned Military Industry Corporation even specifically produces them.
Lasers, in turn, have a particular niche appeal for the militaries of technologically advanced countries. While expensive to develop, lasers are very cost-effective to use, with each laser shot drastically cheaper than missiles and sometimes even cheaper than bullets. In the future, as the United States finds itself at war against foes fighting in pickup trucks, expect to see lasers used, not just in demonstrations, but in real war.
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Praxair Electronics Completes Major Expansions and Improvements to Streamline Delivery of Advanced 300mm Deposition Products
DANBURY, Conn., October 21, 2003 — To meet growing customer demand for its advanced, 300mm physical vapor deposition (PVD) products, Praxair, Inc. (NYSE: PX) has completed a $19-million expansion program to upgrade and enhance its global manufacturing capabilities, technology development and customer support infrastructure.
In 2002, Praxair Electronics developed and initiated this expansion plan to provide an even stronger, leading-edge 300mm deposition materials portfolio to customers. "This expansion is another example of Praxair’s commitment to enabling advanced 300mm wafer manufacturing and customer productivity," said Mark Gruninger, vice president of Praxair Electronics. "We supply 75 percent of the operating 300mm fabs with 300mm targets, and we are working to increase our share of that market. Therefore, it is imperative that Praxair has the resources to support current customers and future growth."
The expansion, which includes deposition materials production facilities in Toulouse, France, and Orangeburg, N.Y., increases the company's current production capacity by 25 percent, enabling Praxair Electronics to meet forecasted global market demand for 300mm sputtering targets. Facility additions and improvements include new 300mm production equipment; state-of-the-art cleaning and packaging operations; and upgraded clean rooms.
Praxair Electronics also has enhanced the 300mm capability of its deposition materials applications lab in Orangeburg as part of the expansion program. A new, advanced 300mm PVD development system has been installed to test Praxair’s copper and tantalum 300mm targets under fab-like conditions. "The applications lab is now better equipped to help our customers conduct realistic, in-depth performance evaluations of our standard and custom 300mm targets. No other sputtering target manufacturer offers these extensive on-site capabilities," added Gruninger.
In addition, the company has upgraded its facilities to comply with the latest industrial safety, quality and environmental standards. The Toulouse and Orangeburg facilities have received ISO 14001 certification for meeting environmental standards. All three manufacturing facilities within Praxair Electronics’ deposition materials group, including the operation in Ch’onan, Korea, operate under QS 9000 certification for complying with stringent quality standards. In addition, the Toulouse site has received TS16949 certification.
To more efficiently deliver deposition materials products and services, Praxair Electronics has deployed ORACLE® Applications, a leading enterprise-resource-planning (ERP) system, throughout its facilities worldwide. Praxair will use this system to continually improve its ability to quickly handle and respond to customer requests as well as provide the infrastructure to offer e-business solutions in the future.
About Praxair Electronics
Praxair Electronics provides the global semiconductor industry with process consumables, including a full line of gases and materials; sputtering targets and CMP slurries; on-site services; chamber components including electrostatic chucks; and spare parts logistics services. In 2002, Praxair’s sales to the global electronics industry were $420 million. More information on Praxair Electronics is available on the Internet at: www.praxair.com/electronics.
Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2002 sales of $5.1 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric and process gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services and technologies bring productivity and environmental benefits to a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, metals and others. More information on Praxair is available on the Internet at www.praxair.com.
Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates.
Email: jason_stewart@praxair.com
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Zechariah 12 Commentary
Zechariah 12 Resources
Updated: Wed, 01/10/2018 - 07:22 By admin
Click chart to enlarge
Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission
Zechariah Chart from Charles Swindoll
Another Zechariah Chart
("Yahweh Remembers")
Click for EXCELLENT TIMELINE of Zechariah - Go to Page 43
Other Timelines on Zechariah
Zec 1:1-6 Zec 1:7-6:8 Zec 6:9-6:15 Zec 7:1-8:23 Zec 9:1-11:17 Zec 12:1-14:21
Zec 1:3 Messianic
Visions The
Branch Four
Messages Two Oracles
Burdens
Zechariah 1-6
Zechariah 9-14
Ethical Prophecy
1) Rebuke
2) Reminder
3) Restoration
4) Return
Predictive Prophecy
1) Burden Against the Nations
2) Burden For Israel
Repentance Eight
(Picture) Crowning
Joshua Question of
the Fasts
(Calendar) First
Burden:
Rejection of
Messiah Second
Reign of
of Salvation Messianic
Bringer
of Salvation Commands
Concerning
Present Things Oracles (Burdens)
Future Things
Behold the man...the Branch Love, Truth
and Peace The Day
PICTURES PROBLEMS PREDICTIONS
ISRAEL'S
FORTUNE ISRAEL'S
FASTING ISRAEL'S
"My house will be built
in Jerusalem"
Zec 1:16 "Let your hands be strong"
Zec 8:9 "HOLY
TO THE LORD"
Zec 14:20
Written During the Building
of the Temple
520-518BC Written after the Temple
Was Completed
circa 480-470BC
J Vernon McGee's Outline of Zechariah
I. APOCALYPTIC VISIONS (messianic and millennial)
Second burden: Prophetic aspects connected with second coming of Christ, Zechariah 12-14
Zechariah 12 — The final siege of Jerusalem and the lifting of the siege. “Jerusalem” is mentioned 10 times. “In that day” is mentioned 7 times and is a reference to the day of the LORD, specifically the Great Tribulation Period.
Zec 12:1-3 — Jerusalem is to be a constant irritant to all the nations that presume to make decisions that affect it. God’s policy for the nations is “hands off” Israel (too bad the United Nations is not aware of this). All the nations in the Great Tribulation will march against Jerusalem — and be destroyed.
Zec 12:4-9 — Jerusalem will be delivered in the final siege by the coming of the Lord personally.
Zec 12:10-14 — They will know Him by the print of the nails in His hands. This is the One they rejected and delivered to be crucified. This will be a real day of atonement.
Zechariah 13 — What will the return of Christ mean to Israel?
Zec 13:1 — The Remnant will turn to the redemption of Christ for their salvation.
Zec 13:2-5 — The false prophet and his followers will be taken (see Revelation 19:20-note). This is the end of all false religion.
Zec 13:6, 7 — The nail-scarred Christ will be present. His followers will not desert Him but will rally around Him.
Zec 13:8, 9 — These are those who come out of the Great Tribulation and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.
Zechariah 14 — Features and facts connected with the coming of Christ to the earth.
Zec 14:1-7 — This is the consummation of the campaign of Armageddon and the return of Christ.
When Christ returns to this earth, He will touch down on the Mount of Olives (Zec 14:4). This is the same place from which He ascended into heaven. There will be great physical changes in the topography of the land. There will be a great earthquake at His coming (Zec 14:5). There will be changes in the lighting of the earth (Zec 14:6, 7).
Zec 14:8 — There will be a new waterway through Jerusalem, making it a seaport city.
Zec 14:9 — The Lord Jesus Christ will reign over the earth.
Zec 14:10, 11 — The land will become the land of milk and honey.
Zec 14:12 — This is a living death against the enemies of God.
Zec 14:16-21 — The people of the earth, both Jew and Gentile, will go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast will mean that every man is dwelling safely under his own vine and fig tree. True holiness will be on the earth. Every pot and pan will be holy.
Charles Feinberg's Outline: The Future of the World Powers, Israel, and the Kingdom of Messiah, Zec 9-14.
A. The First Burden, Zec 9-11.
1. Judgment on the Land of Hadrach, Zec 9:1-8.
2. Israel’s King of Peace, Zec 9:9,10.
3. The King’s Mission in Relation to Israel, Zec 9:11-17.
4. Additional Blessings for Israel, Zec 10:1-12.
5. The Rejection of the Good Shepherd and the Rule of the Wicked One, Zec 11:1-17.
B. The Second Burden, Zec 12-14 .
1. Israel’s Conflict and Deliverance, Zec 12:1-14 .
2. Israel Cleansed of Her Sin, Zec 13:1-6 .
3. The Shepherd Smitten and the Sheep Scattered, Zec 13:7, 8, 9 .
4. The Great Consummation: Israel’s Deliverance & God’s Earthly Kingdom, Zec 14:1-21
SECOND BURDEN: ZECHARIAH 12–14 - Walter Kaiser
Cleansing Judah and Jerusalem of Foreign Invaders (Zechariah 12:1–9)
Mourning for the Pierced One (Zechariah 12:10–13:1)
Cleansing the Land of False Prophets (Zechariah 13:2–6)
Slaughtering the Shepherd and Scattering the Sheep (Zechariah 13:7–9)
Waiting for the Second Coming of Messiah (Zechariah 14:1–15)
Worshipping the Lord as King Over All (Zechariah 14:16–21)
Charles Feinberg summarizes his Zechariah studies...
"And throughout the prophecy there is presented to us on every page the spotless, blemishless Holy One of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah and King of Israel. See Him in..."
Chapter one as the Riding One;
Chapter two as the Measuring One;
Chapter three as the Cleansing One;
Chapter four as the Empowering One;
Chapter five as the Judging One;
Chapter six as the Crowned One;
Chapter seven as the Rebuking One;
Chapter eight as the Restoring One;
Chapter nine as the Kingly One;
Chapter ten as the Blessing One;
Chapter eleven as the Shepherding One;
Chapter twelve as the Returning One;
Chapter thirteen as the Smitten One;
Chapter fourteen as the Reigning One.
Walter Kaiser - “Zechariah is not only the longest of the books of the twelve Minor Prophets, it is one of the most frequently quoted. There are seventy-one quotations from or allusions to Zechariah in the New Testament. One third of these appear in the Gospels and thirty-one are found in the book of Revelation (including twenty from chapters 1–8 and eight from chapters 9–14). Of all the Old Testament books, Zechariah is second only to Ezekiel in its influence on the book of Revelation.” — Mastering the Old Testament
Charles Swindoll - “Zechariah is second only to Isaiah in its number of messianic passages. Among Zechariah’s explicit references to Christ are the angel of the Lord (Zech 3:1-2); the righteous Branch (Zech 3:8; 6:12-13); the King-Priest (Zech 6:13); the cornerstone, tent peg, and bow of battle (Zech 10:4); the good shepherd who is sold for thirty pieces of silver (Zech 11:4-13); the pierced One (Zech 12:10); and the coming Judge and righteous King (Zech 14).”
George Klein - “One of the great ironies concerning the book of Zechariah is its relative obscurity to the modern church contrasted with its profound significance to the early church. Unfortunately, students of the Bible rarely study Zechariah today. However, strong reasons exist for suggesting that the book ascended to a place of paramount importance to the writers of the New Testament and to the early church at large. “The book of Zechariah exerted a profound influence over the New Testament, particularly in the realm of Messianic passages—a point long noted by New Testament scholars. Several important themes from the book figure prominently in the New Testament. One of the most important of these is the shepherd-king. From Zech 9:9 the King who rode into Jerusalem on a “donkey” reemerges in Matt 21:5 and John 12:15. C. H. Dodd even suggests that Zechariah provided the Gospel writers with material of equal importance to the very testimonia [their eyewitness accounts] of Christ’s ministry.” — NAC, 61-2
Zechariah 12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD Who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him,
Circa, B.C. 500
The burden of the word of the LORD: Zec 9:1 La 2:14 Mal 1:1
concerning Israel: Isa 51:22,23 Jer 30:10,16 50:34 Eze 36:5-7 Joe 3:19,21 Ob 1:16,17
the LORD Who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth: Job 26:7 Ps 102:25,26 104:2 136:5,6 Isa 40:12,22 42:5 Isa 44:24 45:12,18 48:13 51:13 Jer 10:12 51:15 Heb 1:10-12
forms the spirit of man within him: Ge 2:7 Nu 16:22 Ec 12:7 Isa 57:16 Jer 38:16 Eze 18:4 Heb 12:9
Here is Walter Kaiser's Scripture Outline
His Authenticating Word (Zech 12:1)
His Intoxicated Enemies (Zech 12:2)
His Immovable City (Zech 12:3)
His Astonishing Deliverance (Zech 12:4–9)
John MacArthur's Summary of Zechariah 12
the siege of Israel
the shielding of Israel
the sorrow of Israel
the salvation of Israel
Too many people avoid studying this great book because it is filled with symbolism and eschatology. Even Martin Luther who penned two commentaries on Zechariah published his first one in 1526 and stopped at the end of Zechariah 13 without explanation! Luther's second commentary on Zechariah was written one year after his first but still had minimal explanation of Zechariah 14. In fact in the second commentary Luther wrote these words regarding Zechariah 14 "Here, in this chapter, I give up. For I am not sure what the prophet is talking about." (from "Lectures on Zechariah" 1527). In fact someone has written that there are at least seven different interpretations of Zechariah 14! Of course, there is only one correct interpretation.
Keep in mind as you read the Word of God in Zechariah 12-14, that these three chapters should be studied as a coherent unit (take a moment and study the two summary charts above noting especially the last columns on "Predictive Prophecy" composed of two "burdens," Zechariah 9-11 for the nations and Zechariah 12-14 for the nation of Israel). In other words from Zechariah 12:1 to Zechariah 14:21 God is giving us a unified message concerning the nation of Israel. I love Warren Wiersbe's title of Zechariah 12-14 - Redeemed, Refined, and Restored, referring of course to the literal nation of Israel and wonderfully summarizing the "terminal" history of Israel in these last 3 chapters. GOD IS ABSOLUTELY, DEFINITIVELY NOT FINISHED WITH THE NATION OF ISRAEL. Don't believe anyone who attempts to spin the fairy tale of replacement theology, for it is a lie that originates from the one in whom there is no truth (Jn 8:44). Think about it. If there is no literal, geographic nation of Israel in need of redemption, then there is no need for the Redeemer to return and stand on the Mount of Olives which is in front of Jerusalem on the east. (Zechariah 14:4). So shun this genre of false teaching that is sadly spreading like leaven in the modern church which has only a very limited understanding of or interest in Bible prophecy (I have literally heard young church leaders say things like "It's too divisive," "It's too difficult to understand," "There are too many interpretations, so how can anyone know which is correct," etc, etc). And some add why study prophecy? It's not practical for daily Christian living? (See Adrian Rogers' rebuttal - Profiting from Prophecy) And yet to shun Bible prophecy is like taking an ax and lopping off a major portion of the Bible, for prophecy composes some 25% of Scripture and of that percent some 80% has already been fulfilled! How can anyone dispute God's eternal lovingkindness for the nation of Israel, when He sovereignly, omnipotently brings the nation back into existence in May, 1948 (read of this miracle), against all odds, and accomplishing a miracle that is unparalleled in the history of the world! So why would we doubt that the God of Truth and Power would not perfectly fulfill the last portion of His predictive prophecy literally packed with as yet unfulfilled promises for His Chosen People and the nation of Israel! (See also Messianic Prophecies)
And recall that the prophet's name Zechariah means “Yahweh remembers” a name which is filled with hope and assurance and serves as a constant reminder to the Jews who must have felt abandoned by God during their 70 years of Babylonian captivity. As we will discover in Zechariah 12-14, Yahweh remembers His immutable covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and in his great covenant love (lovingkindness) or hesed He will not forget His Chosen People. As alluded to above, it is a sad day in evangelicalism when many in the evangelical church choose to believe that God is finished with the nation of Israel, and the OT promises given to Israel have now passed on to the Church. This false teaching is often referred to as replacement theology or supersessionism. And despite the fact that the 76 of 77 uses of the term "Israel" in the New Testament clearly refer to the literal nation of Israel, those who espouse replacement theology teach that Paul's phrase "Israel of God" in Galatians 6:16 does not refer to the literal nation (like all the other 76 mentions!) but to a so-called "Spiritual Israel" (see also spiritual Israel, see example of how the literal truth is twisted) which is their "synonym" for the Church! It goes without saying that supersesssionists have considerable difficulty in attempting to interpret predictive passages like Zechariah 12-14 which even in the first verse written by a Jewish prophet, to the Jewish nation clearly states "The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel" not "spiritual Israel" but literal Israel! (Zech 12:1)
David Baron, a Messianic Jew wrote a commentary on Zechariah in 1918 and entitled Zechariah 12 "Israel's Final Conflict And Great Deliverance." He clearly saw this chapter as applying to Israel and not to the Church.
James Montgomery Boice - The last three chapters of Zechariah contain a second “oracle,” or “burden” (Hebrew massaʿ) of the prophet, corresponding to the burden of chapters 9–11. But in the first section the burden is laid upon Hadrach, a gentile nation, while in the second section the burden is laid upon Israel. This points to the chief difference between the two oracles. To go back to the words of David Baron (in Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah), the first oracle concerns “the judgment through which gentile world power over Israel is finally destroyed and Israel is endowed with strength to overcome all their [sic] enemies,” while the second concerns “the judgment through which Israel itself is sifted and purged in the final conflict with the nations and transformed into the holy nation of Jehovah.”
Boice quotes Feinberg - Charles Feinberg says, “The actual events, world-embracing in character, which are presented include the world confederacy against Jerusalem; the victory of God’s people, empowered of the Lord; the conviction of Israel nationally by the Spirit of God; the presentation of Christ as their rejected Messiah; the national Day of Atonement; the cleansing of the hearts of the nation; the purging of the land from idolatry and false prophets; parenthetically, the crucifixion of the Messiah; the time of Jacob’s trouble; the partial success of the nations invading Palestine and besieging Jerusalem; the appearance of the Messiah for his people; their rescue and his coming with his saints; the changed and renovated Holy Land; the establishment of the Messianic kingdom; the punishment of the nations for their futile assault on Israel; the celebration of the kingdom feast, the Feast of Tabernacles; and the complete restoration of the people of God to a holy nation.” It would be hard to find a more complete treatment of the events of the end times in all Scripture.
Charles Feinberg comments on the exceptional importance of Zechariah 12-14 - "As a portion of the prophetic Scriptures it is second to none in importance in this book or in any other Old Testament book. It is indispensable to an understanding of the events of the last days for Israel—the time of the Great Tribulation and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth."
Steven Cole looking ahead writes that "Zechariah 11 predicts Israel’s rejection of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and her subjection during the Tribulation to the worthless shepherd. This will plunge the nation into a time of severe testing, described by Jeremiah 30:5-7-note as “the time of Jacob’s distress.” Daniel 12:1-note calls it “a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time.” This time of testing culminates in the Battle of Armageddon (Joel 3:9-16; Rev. 16:16-21; Zech. 12:1-9; 14:2-3) (ED: More accurately the campaign of Armageddon - SEE NOTE), when God will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle. At the last minute, just before Israel is annihilated, God will supernaturally rout the enemy and deliver His people. Our text describes the physical deliverance of Israel in Zechariah 12:1-9, and the spiritual deliverance of Israel in Zechariah 12:10-14. The great military victory that God will achieve for His helpless people illustrates the great spiritual salvation that He also brings. Both sections emphasize the truth that God is mighty to save His people according to His purpose.
A Caution - The discerning reader needs to be wary of which commentary he or she reads when studying the predictive prophecies in Zechariah 12-14. For example, the older work, the Pulpit Commentary has a comment on Zechariah 12:3 which at first sounds reasonable but then merges with a ridiculous conclusion - "This (the phrase all the nations of the earth) indicates that the struggle spoken of is no mere local conflict, waged in Maccabean or other times, but the great battle of the world against the Church, which shall rage in the Messianic era." Beloved, that assertion is taking this phrase totally out of context (remember Context is King in interpretation) and is clearly erroneous. The immediate context (Zech 12:2) clearly states that this conflict is against Jerusalem...against Judah. It is NOT against the Church, who will not be present during the horrible events in these last days leading up to the Return of the Messiah, days which John describes in detail in Revelation 6-19, where he makes not a single mention of the Church! See discussion of when the rapture occurs. See 151 pages of articles on pre-tribulation rapture, also overview of pre-tribulation rapture.
THE LITTLE APOCALYPSE
OF ZECHARIAH
Arnold Fruchtenbaum writes that "The Greek title for the Book of Revelation is “The Book of the Apocalypse.” The Book of Revelation deals with the subject of prophecy or eschatology, which is the study of the events of the Last Days. The last three chapters of the Book of Zechariah deal with the same or similar material as that found in the Book of Revelation, therefore, these three chapters can be called “The Little Apocalypse of Zechariah.”
Given the fact that Zechariah 12-14 is concerning Israel, it should come as no surprise that a key word (see importance of observing key words) in this unit is Jerusalem, found 23 times in 20 verses with 11 of these occurrences in Zechariah 12:
Zech. 12:2; Zech. 12:3; Zech. 12:5; Zech. 12:6; Zech. 12:7; Zech. 12:8; Zech. 12:9; Zech. 12:10; Zech. 12:11; Zech. 13:1; Zech. 14:2; Zech. 14:4; Zech. 14:8; Zech. 14:10; Zech. 14:11; Zech. 14:12; Zech. 14:14; Zech. 14:16; Zech. 14:17; Zech. 14:21
Other key words in Zechariah 12-14 include:
LORD - 26x in 22 verses - Zec 12:1 Zec 12:4 Zec 12:5 Zec 12:7 Zec 12:8 Zec 13:2 Zec 13:3 Zec 13:7 Zec 13:8 Zec 13:9 Zec 14:1 Zec 14:3 Zec 14:5 Zec 14:7 Zec 14:9 Zec 14:12 Zec 14:13 Zec 14:16 Zec 14:17 Zec 14:18 Zec 14:20 Zec 14:21
God - 4x in 4 verses - Zec 12:5, 8, 13:9, 14:5
That day - 17 times in 16 verses - Zec 12:3 Zec 12:4 Zec 12:6 Zec 12:8 Zec 12:9 Zec 12:11 Zec 13:1 Zec 13:2 Zec 13:4 Zec 14:4 Zec 14:6 Zec 14:8 Zec 14:9 Zec 14:13 Zec 14:20 Zec 14:21
Nations - 8 times in 8 verses - Zec 12:3 Zec 12:9 Zec 14:2 Zec 14:3 Zec 14:14 Zec 14:16 Zec 14:18 Zec 14:19
Notice that by simply observing the key words the general theme of the prophecy of Zechariah 12-14 comes into focus so that we can see that this great prophecy deals with the relationship of the the LORD GOD with the nation of ISRAEL, its capital JERUSALEM and the Gentile NATIONS of the world IN THAT DAY.
Below is a simple summary of the major events alluded to in Zechariah 12-14 which occur IN THAT DAY which is actually many individual days all composing the general time period known as the Day of the LORD. Notice that Zechariah's prophecies span "two ages," (or two kingdoms) the "age (kingdoms) of man" and the "age (kingdom) of Messiah." And so we find that Zechariah in some sections describes the last days of Jerusalem in this present evil age (Gal 1:4+) and in other sections he describes the first days of Jerusalem in the Millennial Age. Notice also that Zechariah's prophecies are not strictly chronological from chapter 12 to 14, but skip around somewhat as exemplified by the fact that one will encounter several descriptions of the "Campaign of Armageddon" in all three chapters. If you keep these thoughts in mind, you will be less likely to be confused by the incredible events described in Zechariah 12-14 that has been called "The Little Apocalypse of Zechariah." Arnold Fruchtenbaum writes that "The Greek title for the Book of Revelation is “The Book of the Apocalypse.” The Book of Revelation deals with the subject of prophecy or eschatology, which is the study of the events of the Last Days. The last three chapters of the Book of Zechariah deal with the same or similar material as that found in the Book of Revelation, therefore, these three chapters can be called “The Little Apocalypse of Zechariah.”
One could summarize Zechariah 12-14 as describing the return of Messiah, the conversion of Israel and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. The follwing table expands on the events that will occur in the fearful, glorious Day of the LORD.
IN THAT DAY
THE DAY OF THE LORD
The Campaign of Armageddon - Nations Gather Against Jerusalem (Zec 12:2-5)
Day of the LORD includes Great Tribulation (Mt 24:15, 21+), Time of Jacob's Distress (Jer 30:7), a time of distress (Da 12:1)
Jerusalem Initially Captured by the Nations who Slay 2/3's of Israel (Zec 14:1-2, 13:8)
Messiah Returns to Defend Jerusalem and Defeat the Nations (Zec 12:6-9, 14:3, 12-15)
Messiah's Return Brings a National Day of Atonement in Israel (Zec 12:10-14, 13:1, 8-9)
Messiah's Return Brings Cosmic & Topographical Changes (Zec 14:4-8)
Messiah Establishes His Kingdom & Reigns as King Over All the Earth (Zec 14:9)
Messiah's Kingdom Purged of Idols and False Prophets (Zec 13:2-6)
Jerusalem Rises and Experiences Peace (Zec 14:10)
Feast of Booths Celebrated in Messiah's Earthly Kingdom (Zec 14:16-19)
Everything in Jerusalem is Holy to the LORD (Zec 14:20-21)
THE SOVEREIGN GOD
IS MIGHTY TO SAVE
The burden of the word of the LORD - The first burden of the word of the LORD in this last section of predictive prophecy was described in Zechariah 9:1-11:17 (notes) and was "against the land of Hadrach, with Damascus." Zechariah 12-14 deals primarily with prophecy that is future to us (I write in 2017), and as such records the incredible events that will surround the Second Coming of the Messiah. Zechariah 13:7 is an exception as this passage is a prophecy that has been perfectly fulfilled in the past at Messiah's First Coming, being quoted by the Messiah Himself, the Good Shepherd Who gave His life for His sheep (Mt 26:31, Mk 14:27, Jn 10:11). But just as surely as that one prophecy has been fulfilled, rest assured that all of the predictive prophesies in Zechariah 12-14 will come to pass just as they are written for "God, Who cannot lie, promised long ages ago." (Titus 1:2-note).
Burden in English is a weight to be borne or conveyed, in this case to be conveyed by God to His people to give them a word of encouragement and hope, in the Biblical sense, where "hope" is not "hope so" but "hope sure," and signifies an absolute assurance of future good or a certainty that God will do good to someone (in this case the nation of Israel) in the future.
David Baron, on burden of the word of the LORD comments that "inasmuch as this siege, or "straitness," ( a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs) and the solemn events of that day synchronize with the Time of Jacob's Distress (Jeremiah 30:7-note), and covers the period of unparalleled sufferings and tribulation by means of which the Jewish nation is itself first purged as in a fiery furnace, the prophecy properly begins with the words massa debar Yehovah al Israel "the burden of the word of Jehovah upon (or over) Israel". The word massa, as we have seen, when dealing with Zechariah 9:1 being as a heading confined entirely to prophecies which contain threatenings and announce judgments. But though it will be a time of unspeakable anguish for Israel, the climax of all their sufferings and tribulations through all the centuries since the commencement of "the times of the Gentiles," they "shall be saved out of it." Yea, in their greatest extremity, and in the time of their most dire need, God Himself in the person of their Messiah shall interpose on their behalf, and He will be "jealous for His land, and have pity on His people." (Israel's Final Conflict And Great Deliverance)
Cole - “Burden” means a message from God that is weighted with important words of judgment and deliverance. We might say, “That’s a heavy message.” It is a burden “of the word of the Lord concerning Israel.” This is further underscored by “Thus declares the Lord...” So before he even describes who the Lord is, Zechariah wants us to know that this is not his human word; it is the word of Almighty God.
Burden (oracle) (04853)(massa' from nasa' = lift up to carry or to bear) means that which is carried and thus primarily means a burden or load, focusing on the effort needed to transport something. Massa' is used in a figurative sense to refer to a prophetic utterance in Zechariah 9:1 and Zechariah 12:1. And "Since massa' derives from a verb meaning “to carry,” its original nuance was that of a burdensome message, that is, one with ominous content." (NET Note) In the present context the message has ominous overtones regarding Jerusalem but these evaporate into a victorious message when the Messiah returns to in essence "remove the burden!" But until He comes Zechariah presents this prophecy as a "burden," something that weighs him down, because before the nation of Israel experiences their "national day of atonement," they will have to experience a time of grief, of trouble, of distress (cf Jer 30:7-note).
Concerning Israel - Do not miss this -- this prophecy is ALL about Israel and not about the Church. If you miss this truth and replace Israel with the Church, this prophecy will become meaningless and incomprehensible! The Septuagint has "for Israel," which is significant because so much of the OT history (and subsequent world history) has been not "for" but "against" Israel. This is Yahweh's prophetic pronouncement of a new day for His Chosen People! And so it is clear that these profound prophecies deal with the nation of Israel in the end times. Notice also that the prophecy addresses not just Israel but Judah, so even if you are of the mindset that the Church is the "Israel of God", you still have to deal with the prophecies directed to Judah (Judah is mentioned 9x - Zech 12:2, 4, 5, 6, 7, Zech 14:5, 14, 21).
HISTORY IS
"HIS STORY!"
Zechariah begins this incredible prophetic section with a description of Jehovah that leaves no doubt that He is in complete control and able to complete what He begins. As Joshua said in his parting words to Israel "not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed." (Joshua 23:14).And not ONE WORD and NOT ONE OF THE GOOD PROMISES (cf Josh 21:45) which Yahweh gives to Israel in Zechariah 12-14 will fail - all will surely come to pass!
Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him - (cf Isa 42:5; 44:24) It is fitting that God first gives His "credentials" that underscore He is able to carry out the incredible judgments and deliverance which are described in Zechariah 12-14. One of my favorite descriptive phrases of God is "He is able!" (See God is Able). That is what Jehovah is attesting at the very outset of this awesome prophecy - He is able to fulfill what He predicts! Praise Him! Praise Him!
Genesis 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
The God Who began and completed the work of creation is in full control and has the power to fulfill what He predicts. God is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. (Rev 21:6, cf Rev 1:8) God made it all and He will end it all, but not before He saves His chosen remnant in Israel. Indeed, He is "mighty to save." (Play the song Mighty to Save). It is also notable that in the Hebrew text the verbs stretches out, lays and forms are all present participles which emphasizes that God is still actively, presently involved with His Creation. The false teaching of Deism (which included adherents like Benjamin Franklin) states that after God created the universe, He in effect backed away from Creation and let it continue on its own, so to speak. Deism was one of the "benefits" of the so-called age of Enlightenment which saw the popularization of anti-supernaturalism, deism, and, biblical criticism. So much for what the enlightened mind of man can accomplish! When Yahweh states what is going to transpire in the future, He has the the power and the sovereign authority to bring it to pass.
Charles Feinberg - The majestic picture of the Lord as Creator and Preserver is presented to dispel all doubt and unbelief concerning the things predicted here. God is abundantly able to carry out what He purposes to do. (See Is 42:5;) (The Minor Prophets)
Walter Kaiser - There must be no doubt about the certitude of what is about to be announced, for it comes from the mouth of the Lord—the same Lord who demonstrated His creative power in creation and who formed everything that now exists. (Zechariah’s use of the three participial verbs “stretches out” [the heavens], “lays the foundation” [of the earth], and “forms” [the spirit of man within him] are very reminiscent of Isaiah’s style, e.g., Isa. 42:5.) The God who worked in creation in the past is the same Lord who continues to work in revelation, providence, and deliverance in the present and future. He who formed us and shaped us right down to our spiritual being is the One who will continue to shape and guide us by His Word and His Spirit up to the end of the age. He is Sovereign over the cosmos, over the earth, and over man himself. (Preacher's Commentary Series)
Perowne - In view of the wonderful and almost incredible promises that, follow, an appeal is made to the creative power of Jehovah, that so the people may not “stagger at the promise of God through unbelief,” but be “fully persuaded that what He has promised, He is able also to perform.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)
Feinberg adds "Every day God spreads out the heavens, every day he lays the foundation of the earth, which would wander from its orbit and fall into ruins if it were not upheld by his power."
Stretches out the heavens - The Hebrew verb for stretches is natah which can mean to “put up a tent” as in Ge 33:19. The heavens refers to the atmosphere above the earth. It was idiomatically spoken of as an inverted bowl of stretched skin. Isaiah uses this verb repeatedly to emphasize God's omnipotence. And if you are a believer, you need to let this truth greatly encourage you, for you have access to His resurrection power as you learn to rely on His Spirit Who indwells you. Do you feel weak today? Good! You are in a perfect position to receive His power! (2 Cor 12:9-10-note)! Read these descriptions of Your mighty God's power and be encouraged...
Isaiah 40:22; It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.
Isaiah 42:5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it,
Isaiah 45:12 “It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands And I ordained all their host.
Isaiah 51:13 That you have forgotten the LORD your Maker (THIS IS ONE OF OUR MAJOR PROBLEMS WHEN WE LET FEAR CREEP INTO OUR MIND - WE HAVE FORGOTTEN!), Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor?
Lays the foundation of the earth - Yahweh (and in the context of this section Jesus Himself) is describing the fact of His creation as described in Job 38:4–6; Ps. 102:25–26 (quoted in Heb. 1:10–12), Ps104:5; Isa. 48:13; 51:13, 16. The Hebrew word erets is translated earth here and is used repeatedly in this great predictive section - Zech 12:1, 2, 12, Zech 13:2, 8, Zech 13:9, 10, 17. The meanings of erets in these passages include (1) all the earth, Zech 12:1, 3; 14:9, 17, (2) inhabitants of a region, Zech 12:12; 13:8 and (3) a region, Zech 13:2; 14:10.
The inspired word of God in this verse refutes Deism by showing that God is actively, continually involved with His Creation! Paul affirms this truth writing of Jesus Christ that...
By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (the perfect tense describes the permanence of His holding hand!).(Col 1:16-17-note)
Comment: This passage reminds me of the well known traditional American spiritual song "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands." If Jesus “let go” of the universe it would self-destruct! This is the same God who will deliver the nation of Israel in the end times!
The writer of Hebrews echoes Paul describing Jesus' ongoing power related to Creation...
And He (Jesus) is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and (present tense = continually) upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Heb 1:3-note)
Henry Morris - Word of the LORD for Israel. These words introduce the last section of the book of Zechariah (chapters 12-14), one of the most remarkable prophetic sections in the Bible. Its climax is the great victory of God over all His enemies and the fulfillment of all His promises to Israel. As such, it appropriately begins with a reminder that the God of Israel is none other than the mighty Creator of the universe and of every human being.
Criswell - Cf. Isa. 42:5. This final section of promised blessing for Zion (chs. 12-14), as the Bible itself, begins with creation and ends with the Lord as the acknowledged King over all. The first nine verses describe Israel's triumph over the surrounding nations.
Bob Utley on forms the spirit of man within him - The Hebrew term “spirit” (BDB 924–926) can mean “breath,” “wind,” or “spirit.” In Gen. 2:7 God’s breath turned a clay-formed man into a living being (Nephesh). The “wind” of God (cf. Gen. 8:1, re-creation after the flood) and the “Spirit” of God (cf. Gen. 1:2, initial creation) are active forces of YHWH Elohim in Genesis. The unseen God is active initially and continually in creation. The physical material aspect of creation is only part of the wonder and scope of God’s creative activities. God created/creates (first three PARTICIPLES are Qal ACTIVE) for the purpose of fellowship with mankind. We are partially like the animals of this planet (Nephesh) and also partially like God (“image or likeness,” cf. Gen. 1:26). The “spirit” of man means the unique person (cf. Ps. 139) with the potential of rebellion or fellowship.
Deism - In contrast to theism (belief in a single, personal creator and sustainer of all there is), deism teaches that whatever supreme intelligence created and/or organized the cosmos does not intervene in creation. The analogy of a watchmaker is frequently used to describe deistic thinking. According to deism, God simply wound up the watch of the universe, stepped back, and let it run. Things like prayer, special revelation, and a personal relationship with God are nonsensical. The natural law, derived from man’s study of nature through the sciences, is what governs morality and human conduct. Religious texts like the Christian Bible are perhaps helpful moral guides but not genuine revelation from God.
Steven Cole - Just outside of Madrid is a famous old monastery, the Escorial. The kings of Spain have been buried there for centuries. The architect who built the church made an arch so low that it frightened the king. Fearing that it would collapse, he ordered the architect to add a column to uphold the middle of the arch. The architect protested that it was not necessary, but the king insisted and so the column was built. Years later, the king died and the architect then revealed that the column was a quarter of an inch short of touching the arch, and that the arch had not sagged in the slightest. I have heard that tour guides still pass a lath between the arch and the column as mute proof of the architect’s knowledge (Donald Barnhouse, Let Me Illustrate [Revell], p. 245). That arch illustrates our salvation, which comes totally from the Lord. It stands because of God, not because of anything that fallen sinners can add to it. But, like the Spanish king, people want to add something to help God out. The idea that salvation is totally from God is an affront to our pride. So even many that profess to believe in Christ as Savior are prone to think that their salvation rests at least partially on something that they must do, rather than completely on what God has done. We keep adding our columns, but God’s Word clearly shows that God’s salvation does not need our human support.
Zechariah 12:2 "Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah.
a cup: Ps 75:8 Isa 51:17,22,23 Jer 25:15,17 49:12 51:7 Hab 2:16 Rev 14:10 16:19 18:6
that causes reeling: or, slumber, Jer 51:57, or, poison, Jer 8:14
when the (KJV): Zec 14:14
NLT "I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah."
NET "I am about to make Jerusalem a cup that brings dizziness to all the surrounding nations; indeed, Judah will also be included when Jerusalem is besieged.
Septuagint - “Behold, I set Jerusalem as a doorway to be shaken by all the surrounding people, and in Judah there will be a fortified enclosure against Jerusalem. (Note - A bit misleading for Jerusalem and Judah will be on the same side, not opposed to one another).
A GREAT ATTACK
ON JERUSALEM
Kaiser entitles this verse "His intoxicating enemies." God is also Sovereign over Israel and her enemies. The Hebrew text emphatically begins “Behold I, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the surrounding peoples.” Verses 2 and 3 contain two metaphors for Jerusalem: an intoxicating cup and a heavy stone that will hurt all who try to lift it. (Ibid)
Steven Cole - If all that we had to go on was Zechariah 12:2-9, we might conclude that the battle will not be too bad for Israel. These verses show how God will strengthen the nation for battle so that her enemies will be defeated. But Zech 13:7-9 and Zech 14:2-3 reveal that things will get pretty desperate for Israel before the Lord intervenes. The city will be captured, houses plundered, women raped, and half of the city exiled before the Lord fights against the nations. Two parts of the land will be cut off and perish and the third part will be brought through the fire. Only after this will Israel be delivered. God will make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the nations (Zech 12:2). The nations will greedily consume Israel like a cup of wine, but instead of satisfying them, it makes them stagger and fall to the ground.
Behold - God is saying in essence "Hear ye, hear ye!" Spurgeon reminds us that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of the older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I would add, behold is like a divine highlighter, a divine underlining of an especially striking or important text. It says in effect "Listen up, all ye who would be wise in the ways of Jehovah!"
Behold (02009)(hinneh) is an interjection used almost 1000 times in the OT and conveys the meaning behold or look. See or listen with attention. Hinneh generally directs our mind to the text, imploring the reader to give it special attention. In short, the Spirit is trying to arrest our attention! Uses of Hinneh in Zechariah -
Zech. 1:8; Zech. 1:11; Zech. 1:18; Zech. 2:1; Zech. 2:3; Zech. 2:9; Zech. 2:10; Zech. 3:8; Zech. 3:9; Zech. 4:2; Zech. 5:1; Zech. 5:7; Zech. 6:1; Zech. 6:12; Zech. 8:7; Zech. 9:4; Zech. 9:9; Zech. 11:6; Zech. 11:16; Zech. 12:2; Zech. 14:1
I am going to make - God is speaking and God is orchestrating the events in chapter 12 as emphasized by the "I am" here and the repeated use of "I will" in Zech 12:3, 4, 6, 9, 10). The sovereign God is in total control (cf "stretches...lays...forms" in Zech 12:1) declaring that He is going to accomplish His ends (I am...).
John MacArthur exhorts us to "remember that all the history of the world is the enacting of the sovereignty of God to one direct degree or another. God is involved in the flow of history and if this attack is to come on Israel, then it is God who makes it happen....God is making a promise. God is directing a prophecy. It's a prophecy of siege but it's also a prophecy of salvation. And God is behind the whole thing. And the reason this is emphasized is that the people who hear this prophecy will have the confidence to believe that it will come to pass. It doesn't depend on men. It depends upon an unchanging immutable God, a God who doesn't make plans and scuttle them, a God who isn't thwarted by some other power. When God says it and God plans to do it, it will be done. And this is why there is such emphasis on God." (Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance)
God will in essence allow the horrible anti-Semitism that has been smoldering for millennia to come to a head as the world sets its sights on the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem. How interesting that as I am writing these notes (December, 2017) President Donald Trump has ordered the U S Embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which he will recognize as the legitimate capital of Israel. I would predict some "fireworks" from all the peoples around! Am I saying this is a fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy? No, but it could be a precursor events. Current events are interesting but should never be used to interpret Bible prophecy. This is the antithesis of what one's approach should be! Keep your eyes focused on the Word of Truth and then you will be able to discern the signs of the times using God's Word of Truth on prophecy.
What is the cause of all the anti-Semitism in the world?
Constable - The Lord would make Jerusalem like a cup of strong wine to the nations; when they tried to consume Jerusalem (a metonymy for all Israel), it would cause them to reel. Jerusalem had previously drunk the cup of the Lord’s wrath (Isa. 51:17, 22; Jer. 25:15–17, 28), but now it was the nations’ turn to drink it. Their siege of Jerusalem would extend to all the surrounding territory of Judah. The time in view is after the Lord regathered the Israelites to their land (ch. 10).
YERUSHALAYIM
As you ponder what is surely one of the most incredible prophecies in all of God's Word let me encourage you to pause for just a few minutes as you listen to the song Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) which is not a Christian but a Jewish song. Listen carefully to the words and you will surely be moved to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Psalm 122:6), a prayer that is answered in Zechariah 12-14.
Come let us sing the song of a city
Known for its beauty, splendor, and grace
Come let us find the words to describe her
She is not like, not like any other place
Yerushalayim, the place to live
Yerushalayim, harim saviv
Yerushalayim, ir shel shalom
Yerushalayim, we're going home...
Dreams of Past splendor
And whispers Of glory
Your walls tell Your story,
Waiting so long
For the time when
Our tears will be stilled,
Our prayers fulfilled,
(Ps 122:6)
Our city rebuilt!
in Zechariah 12-14...
Their tears will be stilled!
Their city will be rebuilt!
Notice that Zechariah 12:2-3 is a parallelism or parallel passages both of which describe the future siege on Jerusalem
Zechariah 12:2 Zechariah 12:3
I will make Jerusalem a cup I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone
To all the peoples For all the peoples
Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around - Cup is the Hebrew word (sap/saph) is better translated "basin" or "bowl." The Hebrew word for "cup" (kos) is a well-known symbol of God’s wrath (Isa 51:17, Jer 13:13, 25:15-28, Ps 60:3, et al). It is almost like God is saying "A cup is too small to be "for all the peoples!" The picture is of all the Gentile nations of the world "drinking the basin" and becoming "intoxicated," reeling and staggering from drunkenness, all orchestrated by God's Hand of judgment. It's as if the nations will "not be able to walk a straight line" (so to speak) but will fail the test (using the analogy of testing for inebriation).
MacArthur paints the picture for us -- The nations are going to attack Jerusalem...There is going to be a great world war, the battle of the centuries. They are going to converge on Israel, they are going to attack Judah the surrounding countryside and they are going to have their sights set on Jerusalem... they are going to be like men greedily draining a wine goblet. They are going to come in "drink it up." But in the end, they are going to find themselves reeling and staggering around like helpless drunks, unable to claim the coveted prize. In fact they are going to be so disorganized and drunk that they are going to be easy prey for divine judgment. (Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance)
John gives us a similar picture of these last days of the final evil world system writing "I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus." (Rev 17:6-note) Zechariah is painting a similar picture of the nations drunk with the idea of conquering Israel, but instead ending up like staggering drunks who are ripe for the judgment of God. While we don't have time to go into detail, it is worth noting that God's final wrath will be poured out as a series of Bowl Judgments and it is the pouring out of the Sixth Bowl which results in gathering together of "the kings of the whole world...for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty." (Rev 16:14-note) also known as the Campaign of Armageddon.
Kaiser - The “cup of drunkenness” (v. 2a) is often used in Scripture as a symbol of the divine judgment God brings on mortals. God’s judgment reduces them to a state of helplessness and misery similar to that of a drunken, staggering, intoxicated man.... Isaiah warned: “Thus says the Lord, the LORD and your God, who pleads the cause of His people: ‘See, I have taken out of your hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of My fury; you shall no longer drink it. But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, who have said to you, “Lie down, that we may walk over you.” And you have laid down your body like the ground and as the street, for those who walk over’ ” (Isa 51:22–23). Zechariah actually uses the Hebrew word for “bowl,” not “cup”; the larger vessel is needed to allow all the nations to get drunk. (Ibid)
Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling is paralleled with the next descriptive phrase Jerusalem a heavy stone (Zech 12:3). This figurative description of a cup that causes reeling is amplified by Zech 12:9 where God says He will "set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."
Having drunk from the cup, the recipient nations are the object of God’s wrath (Job 21:20) and they stagger with drunkenness, becoming so mad as to participate in the ultimate folly of their own destruction by coming against God's Holy City Jerusalem. And so here in Zechariah 12:2 the destruction of the nations begins with them being made drunk, spiritually speaking, so that they carry out a foolish attack on God's Holy City which will guarantee their destruction!
We see a similar description of Babylon as cup, the prophet writing that "Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the LORD, Intoxicating all the earth. The nations have drunk of her wine; Therefore the nations are going mad." (Jer 51:7) This prophecy will ultimately be fulfilled in the last days preceding the Second Coming of the Messiah. Constable adds this comment on Jeremiah 51:7 "Babylon was responsible for seducing many other nations to join her in her sins. These nations had fallen under the power of Babylon and had behaved like drunkards (cf. Rev. 18:3-see note). She had given the cup of God’s wrath to other nations, but now she would have to drink from it herself (cf. Jer 25:15–29)."
Spurgeon writes "This is a promise of God’s abounding mercy to His Chosen People Israel. When he comes to their aid, they shall be a cup of trembling to their enemies. Those enemies will try to swallow them, but they will find that they are drinking a cup of poison, which will cause their own death. Oh that the day might soon come when God would remember his ancient people, the Jews, and bring them back to their own land, as he certainly will do in the fullness of time (NOTICE THAT SPURGEON BELIEVED THAT PALESTINE WAS ISRAEL'S LAND AND THAT GOD WOULD BRING THEM BACK AS HE DID BY RE-BIRTHING THE NATION ON MAY 14, 1948 - read of this miracle), and when he has done it, then it shall come to pass that all who fight against them shall find His people to be as a cup of trembling to them. This promise, which is to be literally fulfilled to God’s Chosen People, the seed of Abraham, is also spiritually true to all believers. Christian, your enemies cannot really hurt you. If they could drink you up, as men drink a cup of wine, you would be a cup of trembling to them, they would find that they had taken in more than they wanted. All the persecutors of the Church of God, in smiting this stone, have themselves been broken on it. They have found that they have undertaken a task which has ended in their own destruction. Woe unto the man who fights against the Church of the living God! Victory must always come to the Lord’s people, for greater is he who is with them than all that can be against them."
MacArthur - Jerusalem is pictured as a large basin (CUP) from which the nations will figuratively drink with eagerness, only to find themselves becoming intoxicated, disoriented, and thus easy prey for divine judgment at the end of Daniel’s 70th week in the battle of Armageddon (ED: MORE ACCURATELY DESCRIBED AS A CAMPAIGN - SEE NOTE) when nations gather to attack Jerusalem
In Scripture the reception of God’s judgment is often described as drinking from His cup...
Ps 75:7-8 But God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another. 8 For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine foams; It is well mixed, and He pours out of this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.
MacArthur - The cup of wrath describes God’s judgment which He forces down the throats of the wicked (cf. Job 21:20; Is 51:17; Jer 25:15–29; Mt 20:22; 26:39).
Constable - As Judge, God forces His enemies to drink from the cup that determines consequences. He forces them to drink all the wine of judgment that He has prepared for them. They cannot escape doing so or the consequences of doing so at His appointed time. In some ancient Near Eastern nations kings made convicted criminals drink poisoned wine.
Isaiah 51:17 Rouse yourself (INITIALLY YAHWEH IS ADDRESSING ISRAEL)! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk from the LORD’S hand the cup (sap/saph - same word as here in Zech 12:2) of His anger; The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.
MacArthur comments - Jerusalem experienced the Lord’s anger through her extended subservience to foreign powers with no human to deliver her (v. 18), but the punishment will end (Isa 51:22; 40:1, 2; cf. Isa 29:9). On the other hand, Babylon will drink from the cup of His anger forever (Rev 14:8-11-note; Rev 16:19-note).
Constable - Jerusalem had drunk a powerful liquid at the hand of her God. He had given her punishment to drink for her sins (cf. Mark 10:38). She now lay in a state of stupor but needed to arise because the Lord had a future for her.
Isaiah 51:22 Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God Who contends for His people (ISRAEL), “Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of reeling, the chalice of My anger; You (ISRAEL) will never drink it again (THIS FUTURE HOPE IS WHAT ZECHARIAH 12-14 DESCRIBES). 23 “I will put it (THE CUP OF REELING - cf Zech 12:2) into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, ‘Lie down that we may walk over you.’ You have even made your back like the ground and like the street for those who walk over it.”
MacArthur - Jerusalem was drunk through drinking the cup of God’s wrath (63:6). But, in contrast to Babylon, which drank the fury of God’s wrath to the last drop (Isa 51:17; Rev 18:6-note), Israel will have the cup removed before all the wrath is consumed. It will be handed to Israel’s oppressors for them to drink the full fury (Isaiah 49:26; Jer 25:15, 26, 28; Zec 12:2).
Constable - The God offering Israel a comforting promise was her master, Yahweh, the God of the covenant, the God who had taken her to Himself, who consistently defends His people. He promised that the Israelites would never again experience the outpouring of His wrath as they had. Obviously the Jews have experienced worse persecution in recent history than they did during the Babylonian exile: the German holocaust, the Russian pogroms, etc. And they will undergo the worst trials of their history in the Tribulation (cf. Jer. 30:4–7-note "Time of Jacob's Trouble", cf Da 12:1-note). I take it that God meant that He would not punish them as He had because He would provide the Servant to drink the cup of His wrath for His people. They would not have to suffer in the future as they had in the past because God would provide a Savior who would suffer in their place. That the Jews have suffered terribly and will yet do so is because they have rejected the Savior that God provided.
Jeremiah 25:15-17 For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it (cf ZECHARIAH'S DESCRIPTION IN Zechariah 12:2). 16 “They will drink and stagger and go mad (cf ZECHARIAH'S PHRASE "CUP THAT CAUSES REELING") because of the sword that I will send among them.” 17 Then I took the cup from the LORD’S hand and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it:...28 “And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “You shall surely drink!
MacArthur on then I took the cup...and made all the nations...drink it - Obviously Jeremiah could not visit all the places listed from vv. 18–26, but in this vision he acted as if representatives from all those nations were present so he could make them drink in the message of wrath (v. 27), and understand there was no escape (Jer 25:28, 29).
Constable - The Lord instructed Jeremiah to take from His hand, figuratively, a cup of His wrath and to cause all the nations to whom the Lord would send him to drink from it. The cup is a common figure for the wrath of God in Scripture (cf. Jer 13:12–14; 49:12; 51:7; Job 21:10; Ps. 60:3; Isa. 51:17, 21–22; Lam. 4:21; Ezek. 23:31–34; Hab. 2:16; Mark 10:39; 14:36; Luke 22:42; John 18:11; Rev. 14:8, 10; 16:19; 18:6)(Cup is also a symbol of God’s blessing cf. Ps. 16:5; 23:5; Luke 22:17, 20; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:24–25). This was another symbolic action that God prescribed to communicate to His people, though in this case the action was not literal. (Expository Notes)
Habakkuk 2:16-note “You (BABYLON) will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Now you yourself drink and expose your own nakedness. The cup in the LORD’S right hand will come around to you, And utter disgrace will come upon your glory.
Constable - As they (BABYLON) had made their neighbors drunk, so the Lord would give them a cup of judgment that would make them drunk. Yahweh’s right hand is a figure for His strong personal retribution, giving back in kind what the person being judged had given (cf. Isa. 51:17–23; Jer. 25:15–17; Lam. 4:21; Matt. 20:22; 26:42; 1 Cor. 11:29). Having swallowed the cup’s contents the Babylonians would disgrace themselves rather than honoring and glorifying themselves as they did presently. Their future disgrace contrasts with Yahweh’s future glory (v. 14). They would expose their own nakedness as they had exposed the nakedness of others (v. 15). Nakedness involves vulnerability as well as shame (cf. Gen. 9:21–25). The Lord pictured Babylon as a contemptible, naked drunk who had lost his self-control and the respect of everyone including himself. (Expository Notes)
Revelation 16:19-note The great city (SEE DISCUSSION OF DESTRUCTION OF THE FUTURE REBUILT CITY OF BABYLON) was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.
All the peoples is translated in the NET Bible as "all the surrounding nations."
The Hebrew word for cup is more accurately "The word is used of the bowl or basin in which the blood of the Paschal lamb was caught, Ex. 12:22, of the bowls used in the Temple service, 1 Ki 7:50, and more generally, 2 Sa 17:28." (Perowne)
Arnold Fruchtenbaum comments that "Jerusalem is pictured here as a vast bowl, around which the Gentile nations will gather to drink. In the majority of cases when the word cup is used symbolically in the Old Testament, it is a symbol of divine judgment (Ps. 75:8; Is. 51:17, 21–23; Jer. 25:15–16; 51:7). As these Gentile nations come against Jerusalem, they will begin to drink from this vast cup, hoping to derive pleasure from it; but after drinking, they will run away reeling and staggering, no longer in control as they thought they would be." (Messianic Bible Study)
Listen to the Jewish song D'ror Yikra (Cups) by The Maccabeats - below is the English translation. The Herbrew word "D'ror" or "Deror" means freedom and liberty "referring to Shabbat and to the FINAL REDEMPTION!" (Jewish Commentary). Indeed, Jerusalem will be a CUP filled with God's holy wrath and which will be poured out on the nations for among other things their centuries long hatred of Israel. As the Messiah Himself said their "redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28-note) Enjoy this great acapella version. Who knows, we may even sing this song in the Messiah's Kingdom! Notice also the incredible reference to Bozrah and then read Isaiah 63:1-6-commentary.
Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
HE WILL PROCLAIM FREEDOM
He will proclaim freedom for all his children
And will keep you as the apple of his eye
Pleasant is your name and will not be destroyed
Repose and rest on the Sabbath day.
Seek my sanctuary and my home.
Give me a sign of deliverance.
Plant a vine in my vineyard.
Look to my people, hear their laments.
Tread the wine-press in Bozrah,
And in Babylon that city of might
Crush my enemies in anger and fury.
On the day when I cry, hear my voice.
Plant, Oh God, in the mountain waste
Fir and acacia, myrtle and elm
Give those who teach and those who obey
Abundance peace, like the flow of a river.
Repel my enemies, Oh zealous God.
Fill their hearts with fear and despair.
Then we shall open our mouths,
And fill our tongues with Your praise.
Know wisdom, that your soul may live,
And it shall be a diadem for your brow.
Keep the commandment of your Holy One
Observe the Sabbath, your sacred day.
Additional Comments on D'ror Yikra (Cups) - As alluded to above, there is an intriguing mention of Bozrah in the third stanza. Here is the Jewish Commentary on this line which reads in transliterated Hebrew "Deroch poora betoch Batzra"
The meaning of the Hebrew word poora is vintage, and it is derived from pora – branch. Here the analogy is that God will trod on Israel’s enemies as one treads grapes, and it is based on Isaiah (Isaiah 63:1-3): “Who is this coming from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Botzrah…why is Your clothing so red, Your garments like his who treads grapes? – I trod out a vintage alone; of the peoples – no man was with me”. (ED: WOE! HOW CAN THEY NOT SEE HIM?) Deroch poora betoch Batzra vegam Bavel asher gavra – These are names of Biblical nations that were later on applied to different nations under whose rule Jews lived. It is interesting to note that in the Babylonian tradition the word Bavel was changed to Edom so as not to offend the hosting nation.....And just as the Jews are commanded to let their inner essence free on the Shabbat day so also God promises that when the time comes the captives in exile will be released, as in the comforting prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1-2): “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me. Because the lord has anointed me. He has sent me as a herald of joy to the humble, to bind up the wounded of heart, to proclaim release to the captives, liberation to the imprisoned, to proclaim a year of the Lord’s favor” (ED: O MY! THEY ARE ACTUALLY CROSS REFERENCING THE VERY WORDS SPOKEN BY YESHUA WHEN HE UNROLLED THE SCROLL AND READ THESE WORDS FROM ISAIAH 63 IN THE SYNAGOGUE! Luke 4:18-22-see commentary = “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”). Final redemption (ED: AS DESCRIBED BY ZECHARIAH!) will bring with it spontaneous outburst of joy and singing, which the poet describes in the last stanza by alluding to Pslams (Ps 126:1-2): “When the Lord restores the fortunes of Zion – we see it as in a dream – our mouths shall be filled with laughter, our tongues, with songs of joy”. (Commentary)
Cup (05592)(sap/saph) refers to a "bowl" or "basin." "Cognates are attested in Ugaritic, the Samaritan Pentateuch and Phoenician. While there are a variety of terms for different types of containers and their uses throughout the OT, saph primarily refers to a shallow cup used both in the home and in the Temple for cultic rituals (cf. 2 Sa 17:28; 2 Ki. 12:13; Jer. 52:19). Apparently, 1 Ki. 7:50 demarcates between a mizrāq and a saph; both were types of gold bowls used in Solomon's temple. Exodus 12:22 assumes that every household had a saph, likely an earthen bowl, in which to pour the blood from the slain Passover lamb. Saph is used metaphorically in Zech. 12:2 to describe how the Lord will use Israel as "a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling" (NIV). "Cup" perhaps fits better in this case if it is viewed as something to be drunk from. However, it is also likely that the "cup of trembling" is poured out (as in Revelation) and thus, "bowl" works well." (Gilbrant)
How interesting that the same Hebrew word sap/saph s used of the basin to collect the blood of the blemish free lamb (pre-figuring Messiah) that resulted in the redemption of Israel from Egypt and now in the last days the same word is used again in the context of the redemption of Israel (by return of the Messiah, cf Ro 11:26) from Gentile dominion and oppression.
Sap/saph - basin(2), basins(1), bowls(1), cup(1), cups(2). - Ex. 12:22; 2 Sam. 17:28; 1 Ki. 7:50; 2 Ki. 12:13; Jer. 52:19; Zech. 12:2
Note that another Hebrew word sap/saph is translated as threshold or sill. The keeper of the threshold (I Chr 9:19, 22) held an important office. Theologically, it becomes a symbol of God’s presence in holy power (Isa 6:4) or judgment (Amos 9:1; Zeph 2:14). Below are the 22 uses.
Jdg. 19:27; 1 Ki. 14:17; 2 Ki. 12:9; 2 Ki. 22:4; 2 Ki. 23:4; 2 Ki. 25:18; 1 Chr. 9:19; 1 Chr. 9:22; 2 Chr. 3:7; 2 Chr. 23:4; 2 Chr. 34:9; Est. 2:21; Est. 6:2; Isa. 6:4; Jer. 35:4; Jer. 52:24; Ezek. 40:6; Ezek. 40:7; Ezek. 41:16; Ezek. 43:8; Amos 9:1; Zeph. 2:14
A cup is used elsewhere as a symbol for God’s wrath (Isa. 51:17, 22; Jer. 13:13, et al), so what God is saying is that He is going to use Jerusalem like a "cup" to pour wrath on the Gentile nations. It is interesting that God used this same figure of speech in His declarations to Israel, the first bad, the second good
(Isa 51:17) Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk from the LORD’S hand the cup of His anger; The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.
(Isa 51:22) Thus says your Lord, the LORD, even your God Who contends for His people, “Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of reeling, The chalice of My anger; You will never drink it again.
Reeling (Hebrew - raal) is used only here in the OT and is related to the word ra'al which also occurs only once in Nah 2:4 and means to quiver or shake. The Greek Septuagint translates raal with the verb saleuo (from salos = wave) means to cause to move to and fro, cause to waver or totter, make to rock, shake or agitate as by winds or storms. It can refer to unexpected and disastrous shaking, of what would be thought to be stable, e.g. earth or sky shake. In Acts 16, saleuo is used literally of an earthquake (Acts 16:26). Saleuo described a ship at anchor slipping its mooring in the midst of a heavy wind. The Israel hating Gentile nations will be caused (passive voice - probably the divine passive in this context) to shake and totter, and ultimately to be crushed by the Stone that returns from heaven (see (Daniel 2:34-35-see in depth commentary; Daniel 2:44-45-see in depth commentary)
All the peoples (nations) - Notice that both the Hebrew (kol = the whole) and the Septuagint (pas - all without exception) both emphasize that in essence the entire world (not including those who are saved at this time and there will be many Gentiles who are saved) comes against this tiny country in the Middle East! There has always been anti-Jewish sentiment smoldering among Gentiles, even those in the Church (and frankly I personally consider the false doctrine of Replacement Theology to be a clear, albeit subtle and somewhat passive, form of Anti-Semitism), in the last days this hatred of the Jews will even surpass that of the abominable Nazi regime in World War II! And this is clearly no accident. So let me ask again, why would all the nations come against Jerusalem? The first answer already alluded to is that God is in control (cf I am going to make) and He will allow this to happen to His Chosen People. The second reason (already alluded to above) as Messianic Jewish commentator Charles Feinberg says is that "In the time of our passage all the nations of earth will be bitten by the virus of anti-Semitism." But never forgot that God is in full control. While He will not cause sin, He is able to use sinful men to accomplish His purpose, in this case the redemption and restoration of the nation of Israel.
David Guzik writes that "The Arab peoples surrounding Jerusalem have a passion for possessing the city that is not justified by history. Muslims claim Jerusalem as their third-holiest city, but Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran. In addition, “During the centuries when Jerusalem was under complete Arab control, no Arab ruler or Islamic leader ever made it the object of a religious pilgrimage - again a strange indifference toward a city which is now considered to be the third-holiest religious site in Islam after Mecca and Medina.” (Dave Hunt) Jerusalem’s importance to Muslims comes from the belief that in the Dome of the Rock shrine there is a rock where two significant things happened - where Abraham intended to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, and where Mohammed allegedly ascended into heaven. Though this tradition is firmly in the Muslim mind, it is of recent origin. It was invented by Yasser Arafat’s uncle - Haj Amin el-Husseini, who was the past Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. He promoted this myth in the 1920’s and 1930’s to arouse Arab passions against the growing Jewish presence in Jerusalem. The verse in the Koran that describes Mohammed’s trip to heaven is Surah 17:1: Glorified be He who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far Distant Place [al-Aqsa] of Worship the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! The Islamic interpretation says that the Inviolable Place of Worship is Mecca, and this is accepted by all. It then says that the Far Distant Place of Worship is Jerusalem - but this has no substantiation because Jerusalem had never been a place of Islamic worship to that time, nor would it be for centuries afterward. Jerusalem isn’t even mentioned by name in the Koran, so how could it be a place of worship according to the Koran? Most significantly, inside the Dome of the Rock hundreds of verses from the Koran are inscribed - and Surah 17:1 is not among them! The very passage that later supposedly justified the building of the Dome of the Rock is not even included among the hundreds of passages of the Koran inscribed in it! The Dome of the Rock (SEE TEMPLE MOUNT BELOW) was built not because of the Koran, but because the Muslim ruler Abdal-Malik wanted to gain revenue from pilgrims and worshippers, and because he wanted to prevent the rebuilding of a Jewish Temple. Islamic passion for Jerusalem is indeed like drunkenness. This is exactly fulfilled in modern Jerusalem. In recent peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Israel was willing to concede almost everything to the Palestinians in an amazing willingness to make peace. The only thing Israel would not concede was sovereignty over Jerusalem, and the entire deal was ruined over that one point. The problem between Jews and the Arab world has boiled down to one point: Jerusalem. If Muslim passion for Jerusalem is a mystery, the Jewish claim to the city is entirely Scriptural. “The very fact that Jerusalem is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible makes it worthy of special attention. This unique city is the only one upon which God has bestowed His distinctive blessing and protection (Ps 132:13-14), and the only city for whose peace we are commanded to pray (Ps 122:6). God says He has chosen Jerusalem as the place where He has put His name forever (2 Chr 6:6; 33:7; Ps 46:4; 48:1-8; 87:3). The new heavens and new earth will contain ‘the city of my God...new Jerusalem’ (Rv 3:12; 21:2). That there will be a ‘heavenly Jerusalem’ (Heb 12:22) but no ‘heavenly’ New York, Paris, London, Damascus, Cairo, etc. speaks volumes.” (Dave Hunt, The Berean Call - September 2000)
Another factor that contributes to all the peoples is undoubtedly the fact that Jerusalem is the site of Temple Mount, the most "valuable" and most contested plot of land in the entire world. Even in our day we can see the controversy over which nations have jurisdiction over Temple Mount. And there can be little doubt that this controversy will only continue and escalate as we move toward the conclusion of God's plan for Israel and the coming Day of the LORD. As the psalmist asked (Ps 2:1-see "Why Do the Nations Rage?") "Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing?" Indeed, the nations rage over Temple Mount and it will reach a crescendo in the last days before the Messiah returns.
Temple Mount with Dome of the Rock - click
Tony Garland has this interesting note on Temple Mount...
As of A.D. 2003, the two most dominant features visible upon the Temple Mount are the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. But this is from man’s point of view. God recognizes neither of these structures as His Temple. Yet the piece of real-estate occupied by these buildings has great Biblical significance, for it is Mount Moriah. The importance of Mount Moriah is established by a number of key historical events which have taken place there:
1. Abraham Offers Isaac - It was here where Abraham’s faith was tested when God instructed him to offer up his son Isaac in sacrifice (Gen. 22). See Abraham Offers Isaac.
2. Site of Solomon’s Temple - In 990 B.C., King David was instructed by God to erect an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite which occupied this site. David purchased the land which later became the site of Solomon’s Temple (2S. 24:18-25; 1Chr. 21:18-26; 2Chr. 3:1).
3. The Crucifixion of Jesus - On the very mountain where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his “only son” (Gen. 22:2, 12), God sacrificed His only Son.
For Islam, only the first of these events is significant. Even then, Islam claims that it was Ishmael, not Isaac, who was offered up by Abraham (see Dome of the Rock). Although ample evidence exists that Islam recognized the Temple Mount to have been the historic site of Solomon’s Temple in the past, more recently it has served Islamic political interests for some to deny any previous historical Jewish presence on the Temple Mount. For Judaism, only the first two events are of significance, since Judaism rejects the idea that Israel crucified her Messiah, God in the flesh. All three events are of great significance to Christians, for they evidence the consistent purpose of God in their shared location
When the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah - The NIV translates it as "Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem." When Jerusalem
This siege is described again in Zech 14:1-5-note
Behold (ATTENTION GRABBING), a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. 2 For I will (GOD IS IN TOTAL CONTROL OF THIS LAST ACT IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT) gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle (CP. "MAKE JERUSALEM A CUP THAT CAUSES REELING"), and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. 5You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! (A Testimony of Jesus Christ).
Siege (04692)(matsor from tsûr/sur - to confine, enclose) is a masculine noun indicating a siege, battle tactic in which an army surrounds a city and cuts off all supplies so that the enemy army is forced to surrender for lack of food and water. It indicates a methodical attack on people, city, or country in order to overcome and conquer it or to the period of time when this occurs (Ezek. 4:8; 5:2); siege (Mic. 5:1[4:14]; Zech. 12:2); with bôʾ it expressed the idea of coming into a state of siege (Deut. 20:19; 2 Ki. 24:10; 25:2; Jer. 52:5); the distressful time of the siege (Deut. 28:53, 55, 57; Jer. 19:9). It indicates also the entrenchment or features of the siege itself: engines of siege (Deut. 20:20); a rampart or defense structure (Eccl. 9:14; Zec 9:3); a besieged city (Ps 31:21; 60:9).
Matsor - 25x in 25v - besieged(3), defense(1), fortified(1), fortress(1), rampart(1), siege(17), siegeworks(1).
Deut. 20:19; Deut. 20:20; Deut. 28:53; Deut. 28:55; Deut. 28:57; 2 Ki. 24:10; 2 Ki. 25:2; 2 Chr. 8:5; 2 Chr. 11:5; 2 Chr. 32:10; Ps. 31:21; Ps. 60:9; Jer. 10:17; Jer. 19:9; Jer. 52:5; Ezek. 4:2; Ezek. 4:3; Ezek. 4:7; Ezek. 4:8; Ezek. 5:2; Mic. 5:1; Nah. 3:14; Hab. 2:1; Zech. 9:3; Zech. 12:2
Wikipedia says a "siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit".[1] Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static, defensive position. A siege occurs when an attacker encounters a city or fortress that cannot be easily taken by a quick assault, and which refuses to surrender. Sieges involve surrounding the target to block the provision of supplies and the reinforcement or escape of troops (a tactic known as "investment"[2]). This is typically coupled with attempts to reduce the fortifications by means of siege engines, artillery bombardment, mining (also known as sapping), or the use of deception or treachery to bypass defenses."
Jerusalem - The city which stands upon Mount Moriah, where Abraham offered Isaac and where Solomon’s Temple was built. This is where Messiah Jesus was crucified and where He will return to overthrow the nations who gather against her in the time of the end (Zec. 12:2-11; 14:2)
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IN THE
CAMPAIGN OF ARMAGEDDON
Proposed Sequence of Events
from Arnold Fruchtenbaum
(Click map to enlarge)
Arnold Fruchtenbaum suggests a sequence of events as follows:
1. The Assembling of the Allies of Antichrist - When the sixth bowl is poured out, the Euphrates river is dried up and the kings of the earth are gathered to the valley of Jezreel (Rev. 16:12-16-note; Joel 3:9-11-note).
2 The Destruction of Babylon - Babylon is rebuilt on the banks of the Euphrates to become the world economic capital (Zec. 5:5-11). While the Antichrist is away at Megiddo, Babylon undergoes catastrophic destruction (Isa. 13-note, Isaiah 14; Jer. 50, 51; Rev. 15:8-note; Rev 17:18-note; Rev 18:1ff-note; Rev 19:2-note).
3. The Fall of Jerusalem - The Antichrist receives news that his capital city has been destroyed and moves south against Jerusalem (Zec. 12:1-3-note; Zech 14:1-9-note; Micah 4:11-5:1-note). The Jews will put up a mighty defense, but Jerusalem will eventually fall (Zec. 14:2-note).
4. The Armies of the Antichrist at Bozrah - The Jewish remnant flees to the mountains (Mt 24:15-note) and then to the wilderness in Edom (see Sheep in Bozrah). The armies under Antichrist will move against the Jews in Bozrah (Micah 2:12-note).
5. The National Regeneration of Israel - The Jews confess their national sin, the rejection and crucifixion of Messiah Jesus (Lev. 26:40-42-note; Jer. 3:11-18; Hos. 5:15). They then plead for His return (Ps. 79:1-13; Isa. 64:1-12; Hos. 6:1-3; Zec. 12:10-13:1; Zech 13:7-9-note; Mt. 23:39).
6. The Second Coming of Messiah - Christ returns to Bozrah, where the remnant have been preserved (Isa. 34:1-7; Isa. 63:1-6 See in depth commentary; Mic. 2:12-13-note; Hab. 3:1-19-note; Zec. 12:7-note; Rev. 19:11-18-note).
7. The Battle from Bozrah to the Valley of Jehoshaphat - Christ fights the forces of Antichrist from Bozrah continuing all the way back to the eastern walls of Jerusalem, which overlook a section of the Kidron Valley, also known as the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Antichrist is destroyed. (Joel 3:2, 12-13-note; 2Th. 2:8; Zec. 14:12-15-note; Rev. 14:19-20-note; Rev 19:20-note).
8. The Victory Ascent Up the Mount of Olives - This is not the initial return of Christ, for He will save the tents of Judah first (Zec. 12:7-note). Nor will his initial return be to the same place He ascended, the Mount of Olives, but merely in the same manner (Acts 1:11 = "will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven"). His ascent to the Mount is attended by cataclysmic events associated with the seventh bowl judgment (M 24:29-note; Zec 14:4-5-note; Rev. 16:17-21-note).
Dwight Pentecost suggests a less detailed sequence of events as follows focusing more on the prophecies in Daniel:
1. Covenant with Antichrist - Prince of Roman empire [the Antichrist] makes a covenant with Israel for a seven year period (Da 9:26-27-note). (Although this covenant is broken three and one-half years later.) See Events of the 70th Week of Daniel.
2. Invasion of Palestine - The King of the North and the King of the South invade Palestine (Da 11:40-note).
3. Antichrist Responds - Because of his covenant with Israel, the Antichrist will come to Israel’s defense (Da 11:40-45-note).
4. News from East and North - News from the east and the north troubles the Antichrist (Da 11:44-note). Perhaps it is the approach of the kings of the east (Rev. 16:12+). (The troubling news may be the destruction of Babylon, although Pentecost does not mention this.)
5.Headquarters in Palestine - The Antichrist moves his headquarters into the land of Palestine and assembles his armies there (Da 11:45-note).
6. Christ Returns - Before he can engage the kings from the east, Christ returns. All the armies combine to fight against God (Rev. 19:19-note).
7. Antichrist and Armies Overthrown - The armies and the Antichrist are destroyed without human means (Da 9:25-note; Da 11:45-note; Rev. 19:20-note).
Here is another proposed sequence of events related to the Campaign of Har-Magedon.
While this sequence can be "authenticated" from Scripture, it is merely a proposal and not a meant to be a definitive description of the cataclysmic end times events.
1). Gathering of the nations (Gentiles) in the valley of Megiddo against Jerusalem (Rev 16:16)
2). Babylon is destroyed (Rev 18:1-24)
3). The armies in #1 invade and conquer Jerusalem, but they know that there are still a remnant of Jews that have fled into the wilderness (Rev 12:6, 13-17 where the "woman" = Israel). (Zechariah 12:1-14:21 is a "unit" which describes the capturing of Jerusalem, but then the final triumph of the Messiah).
4). After conquering Jerusalem, the Antichrist moves with his armies south towards Edom seeking the Jewish remnant that had fled Jerusalem (cp Jesus' warning - Mt 24:15-21, describing the Great Tribulation, the last three and one half years when Antichrist rules the world seeking especially to destroy Israel.)
5). John describes Jesus' triumphant return in Rev 19:11-16. But to where does the Lord return? Isaiah 63:1-6 (See in depth commentary) supports the premise that Messiah returns first to the area of Edom whose capital city was Bozrah.
6). As Christ returns to Edom, the Antichrist's armies approach from Jerusalem. The Messiah victoriously treads down His foes and marches straight through them northward, His garments becoming soaked with their blood that rises as high as the bridle on the horses for 200 miles (Rev 14:20).
Note that several passages support the premise that when Christ returns, He first comes to the region of Edom.
(a) Isaiah 34:1-7 (see discussion)
(b) Isaiah 63:1-6 (See in depth commentary)
(c) Habakkuk 3:3-note - God comes from Teman (Edom), and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise.
In addition Messiah makes a Highway of holiness (Isaiah 35:8) on which the redeemed follow Him in His triumph.
7). Christ comes up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the Valley of Decision, where the nations have been gathered (Joel 3:2, 12-14) and He walks up to the Mount of Olives and stands on the Mount (Zechariah 14:1-4) as KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS AND VERY GOD OF VERY GOD. And when He does all the nations that are in the Valley of Jehoshaphat are judged by Christ, Who separates the sheep from the goats. All of those who have not received the MARK OF THE BEAST and have taken care of His brethren, the Jews, will enter into His kingdom, but the goats who have not will be cast directly, immediately into the Lake of Fire.
Megiddo - click
Dr Tony Garland has an excellent summary of the Campaign of Armageddon which is often incorrectly called "The Battle of Armageddon." Below is just the Dr Garland's introduction.
The words “the Battle of Armageddon” are almost a household phrase. Like the “number of the Beast” and “666,” it is a phrase which is familiar to many people who have almost no knowledge of anything else recorded in Scripture.1 The reason these phrases are so widely known is because of the seemingly sensational aspects of what Scripture records concerning the Tribulation, and especially its conclusion, when the kings of the earth are gathered “to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon” (Rev. 16:16). The events are of such magnitude that they are difficult to conceive of, even in our day of powerful weaponry and great potential for devastation. They would seem to record the end of history as we know it.Along with a widespread familiarity with the phrase “the Battle of Armageddon” are some common misconceptions concerning what the phrase entails. The two most notable misconceptions are: (1) the phrase describes a battle; (2) the battle is fought exclusively at Armageddon. The student of Scripture will find that neither of these common beliefs are accurate: rather than being a single battle at a single location, a more lengthy military engagement is involved spanning a region nearly 200 miles long.So where did the idea of a “battle” come from? It originates from an unfortunate translation of a passage in the book of Revelation: “For they are spirits of demons performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” [emphasis added] (Rev. 16:14, NKJV cf. KJV). The term for battle in this verse is πόλεμον [polemon] , which more correctly denotes an extended engagement rather than a single battle.2 This is reflected in the more accurate rendering found in the NASB: “For they are spirits of demons performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty” [emphasis added] (Rev. 16:14, NASU).The “battle” of Armageddon is in fact a more lengthy “war.” In order to emphasize its broader scope, a number of commentators have taken to referring to it by the phrase we have used, the military “campaign of Armageddon.” Even in this phrase there is some imprecision because significant battles which comprise the campaign take place elsewhere then the site associated with Armageddon:
While the term “Battle of Armageddon” has been commonly used, it is really a misnomer, for more than one battle will be taking place. For this reason, many prophetic teachers have stopped employing that term and are using the term “Campaign of Armageddon” . . . But this too, is a misnomer because there will be no fighting in Armageddon itself; all of the fighting will take place elsewhere. . . . It should be noted that the passage says nothing of a battle in this valley, for no fighting will take place here. The valley of Jezreel, guarded by the Mountain of Megiddo, will merely serve as the gathering ground for the armies of the Antichrist. (Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of Messiah,)
For Tony Garland's full discussion of this topic click The Campaign of Armageddon.
Zechariah 12:3 "It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.
It will come about in that day Zec 12:4,6,8,9,11 2:8,9 10:3-5 13:1 14:2,3,4,6,8,9,13 Isa 60:12 Isa 66:14-16 Eze 38:1-39:29 Joe 3:8-16 Ob 1:18 Mic 5:8,15 Mic 7:15-17 Hab 2:17 Zep 3:19 Hag 2:22
I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples: Da 2:34,35,44,45 Mt 21:44 Lu 20:18
though: Zec 14:2,3 Mic 4:11-13 Rev 16:14 17:12-14 19:19-21 20:8,9
NATIONS INJURED TRYING TO
CARRY A HEAVY STONE
Kaiser entitles this verse "His immovable city," adding that "But the city will not budge. Jerusalem will prove to be such a heavy stone that all nations that attempt to lift it will hurt themselves or, more literally, herniate themselves." (Ibid) (Bolding added)
It will come about - Stop there! God said it and that settles it! What He says will come to pass, whether we believe it or not, or whether we fully understand it or not.
That day - 17 times in 16 verse - Zec 12:3 Zec 12:4 Zec 12:6 Zec 12:8 Zec 12:9 Zec 12:11 Zec 13:1 Zec 13:2 Zec 13:4 Zec 14:4 Zec 14:6 Zec 14:8 Zec 14:9 Zec 14:13 Zec 14:20 Zec 14:21. This begs the question "What day?" In the context of Zechariah 12-14 this "day" is when the nations of the world come against Israel. In the Timeline below this event will occur in the last 3.5 years (in the box with red highlight) of the so-called Tribulation (see diagram).
This day describing the final siege of Jerusalem is one of the days that will occur in the Day of the Lord which includes the events of the three and one-half year period of the Great Tribulation, (synonymous with the Time of Jacob's Distress described in Jer 30:7 and "a time of distress" described in Daniel 12:1-note). And so the Day of the Lord includes the final Gentile campaign of Armageddon which is abruptly terminated by the Second Coming of Messiah and is followed by the Millennial Reign of Messiah, which in turn is followed by the destruction of the created universe as we know it. Peter describes the annihilation of the universe writing that "the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." (2 Peter 3:10-note) Clearly that day in Zechariah 12-14 refers to the Campaign of Armageddon which will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation.
The prophet Joel describes this same great day
“For behold, in those days and at that time, When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem (BEFORE HER RESTORATION THERE WILL BE A TIME OF REFINING), 2 I will (AGAIN NOTICE GOD IS IN CONTROL OF THIS GREAT DAY) gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land....Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down, O LORD, Your mighty ones. 12 Let the nations be aroused and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. (Joel 3:1-2, 11, 12)
Messianic Jewish writer David Baron writes "The phrase that day which is mentioned no less than 14 times in these last three chapters, is indeed "the day of the Messiah," but it is the day not of His first advent in humiliation, but of His manifestation in glory. It is, therefore, pre-eminently called a day for Jehovah the day set apart and appointed by Him not only for the display of His majesty and vindication of the holiness and righteousness of His character and ways, but it is the day of the manifestation of His Divine might and glory in the destruction of Israel's enemies, and the salvation of His own people. (The Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah)
James Montgomery Boice asks the question about whether this passage refers to our times or end times? - But to what period do they belong? And to what people? They obviously follow the first coming of Jesus Christ, for 12:10–14 describes a universal repentance in which people mourn for “the one they have pierced” (v. 10). But does that concern events shortly after Jesus’ death, perhaps events accompanying the first preaching of the gospel at Pentecost or shortly thereafter? Does it refer to the expansion of Christian preaching and church growth throughout all subsequent ages? Or does it relate to something special to happen at the end of this age? Quite a few Reformed thinkers pick the second possibility and see the blessing of these chapters as belonging to the church, not to Israel nationally. This is probably the majority view in Reformed circles, due to the more basic conviction that the people of God are one, the church being an extension of Israel, and that reversion to a day of national Jewish blessing would be a step backward from the fulfillment of all prophecy in Christ. Unfortunately for this view, the chapter does not speak generally about “the people of God” or even merely about “Israel.” It repeatedly stresses the names of Jerusalem and Judah. And when it talks about Israel’s repentance, it does so by reference to the specific Jewish clans or tribes: “the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, and all the rest of the clans and their wives” (vv. 12–14). There is probably no more specifically Jewish prophecy in the book. But if these chapters refer to Jews specifically and not to the church as the New Testament Israel, then the events to which they refer must be future. For it is certain that there has not yet been a national repentance by Israel nor an enjoyment by them of the blessings here enumerated. And if this is the case, then the battle referred to in Zechariah 12:1–9 must be the last great battle, Armageddon, and the repentance of verses 10–14 a time of national salvation prior to the second coming of the Lord. Indeed, when the chapters are viewed in that light, the repeated “on that day” is seen quite naturally to refer to that last and great day of the Lord’s return in judgment. These chapters are a prophecy of the events of those end times.
Spurgeon is more honest than many modern preachers who regard these promises as fulfilled to the church - This is true literally, but it is also true spiritually. As the Church of God is to be a cup of trembling to its enemies, so is it also to be a burdensome stone. They do not like it, they cannot bear it. They would, if they could, get rid of the spiritual Church of God; but they cannot get rid of it. There it is: — a stone, cut out of the mountain without hands, which will grow until it fills the whole earth, and breaks in pieces everything that opposes it. Those who set themselves against God, and against his Christ shall find themselves crushed to atoms by this mighty stone.
I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples - Literally "a stone of burden." It is a heavy stone which is difficult to lift. Notice again the I will signifies that it is the sovereign Lord Who will bring these events to fruition. As an aside, if He is in control of the end of this age, then He is surely in control of the "middle," and thus He is in control in your life, even though your life may seem out of control. Have you yielded your will to His good and acceptable and perfect will? (Ro 12:2).
As mentioned earlier there are 6 "I will" statements by God in Zechariah 12, signifying the omnipotent power of God Almighty, the LORD of armies, will bring the incredible events of this chapter to fruition. It's as if God said "I said it and I will accomplish it for My chosen nation of Israel!" And everyone who loves what God loves will shout :
Mranatha (Come Lord)!
Hosanna (Save now)!
Amen (So be it)!"
All who lift it will be severely injured - Those who seek to harm Israel will be harmed as described below. So Jerusalem is pictured as a heavy stone which the Gentiles attempt to "life" (to destroy), but they will end up being crushed by that stone, for the Stone Himself will return and crush them (Da 2:34-35-note, Da 2:44-45-note).
Severely injured is the Hebrew sarat which means to incise or scratch. While past history had resulted in the nation being uprooted by various conquerors, in this ferocious finale, the battle of the ages (more accurately "of this present age"), Jerusalem will prove to be too "heavy" to conquer, " so "heavy" with God's glory and so rooted in his promises that no nation will be able to move them." (NET)
MacArthur adds that this metaphor is saying that "anybody that tries to lift it is going to get a hernia....Notice the phrase "cut in pieces?" (IN KJV)...Literally it says "shall grievously injure themselves." And the simple meaning in the Hebrew is to rupture, to tear's oneself, an injury perhaps sustained from lifting something too heavy." (To herniate means to project through a rupture or tear in the wall of a body cavity.") (Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance)
There is a clear example of divine intervention and deliverance when Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem in 701 BC as recorded in Second Kings:
Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, “He will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there; and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. 33 “By the way that he came, by the same he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the LORD. 34 ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’” 35 Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh. (2 Kings 19:32-36)
Duane Lindsey explains how a heavy stone will result in the peoples being severely injured - The defeat of the Armageddon armies is thus likened to a man who drinks more than he can hold, or tries to move a weight heavier than he can lift. Those who attack Jerusalem will do so to their own ruin. (Bible Knowledge Commentary)
Kaiser comments "Some believe Psalm 118:5–6, 10–12 apply to the type of situation Judah will face in that day."
From my distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. 6 The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? 10 All nations surrounded me; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. 11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off. 12 They surrounded me like bees; They were extinguished as a fire of thorns; In the name of the LORD I will surely cut them off.
Spurgeon - When God comes to defend his own, then, however despised the people may be, however despised Israel may be, God will make it to be a cup of trembling to them. He will make it to be a burdensome stone which they cannot endure, and they will be glad to be rid of it. I remember a story in one of the legends of the old saints concerning a holy woman who was taken away from her place of retreat by the ungodly, with a view of forcing her into sin. The legend runs that as they carried her, she was quite unable to resist their power, but she became heavier and heavier, so that they could not carry her and were obliged to set her down and then she went back to where she was; and I believe that the legend pictorially sets forth what happens when a true child of God is carried captive by temptation and sin. Bye-and-bye, God comes and makes them to be a burdensome stone, and they are obliged to lay them down.
The apostle John describes the incredible carnage to all the peoples in Revelation 19:15-21-note
From His (THE MESSIAH, THE SAME ONE WHO POURS OUT THE SPIRIT OF GRACE AND SUPPLICATION ON ISRAEL) mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it - This confederacy represents a global ganging up of Gentiles against the tiny nation of Israel. All the nations is mentioned again in Zechariah 14:2-note which describes the same event. This global gathering against Israel will transpire in the last half (last 3.5 years) of Daniel's Seventieth Week, also known as the Great Tribulation, a tribulation which is triggered by the abominable event in Matthew 24:15-note. Other synonyms are Jeremiah's phrase the "Time of Jacob's Distress," (Jeremiah 30:7-note) and Daniel's phrase a "Time of Great Distress" (Daniel 12:1-note).
The prophet Joel describes what will transpire in that day, a fearful day writing
Blow a trumpet in Zion (play), And sound an alarm on My holy mountain (TEMPLE MOUNT)! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the Day of the Lord is coming; Surely it is near, 2 A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people (THE COMBINED FORCES OF THE ARMIES OF ALL THE WORLD); There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it to the years of many generations. 3 A fire consumes before them and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them but a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like war horses, so they run. 5 With a noise as of chariots they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, like a mighty people arranged for battle. 6 Before them the people are in anguish; all faces turn pale. 7 They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like soldiers; and they each march in line, Nor do they deviate from their paths. 8 They do not crowd each other, They march everyone in his path; When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks. 9 They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief. 10 Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, The sun and the moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness. 11 The LORD utters His voice before His army; Surely His camp is very great, For strong is he who carries out His word. The Day of the Lord is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it? (Joel 2:1-11-note)
Henry Morris on heavy stone - For many centuries, Jerusalem and its people have been "an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations" (Deuteronomy 28:37), "a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places" (Jeremiah 24:9). But "in that day," it will become "a burdensome stone" to all these peoples, and God will judge the nations in relation to their treatment of Israel. Many such nations have already been judged (ancient Assyria, imperial Rome, Czarist Russia, Nazi Germany). The kingdom of the Beast will have its turn as well." (Luther Works, Volume 20).
As mentioned earlier, one needs to be very cautious reading commentaries on predictive prophecy as the following comments by Martin Luther make plain (thankfully he gave up and did not even attempt to explain Zechariah 14!). Luther wrote that the heavy stone is "Another metaphor, which means the same thing. The apostles are to be a heavy stone or a rock of oppression for all nations; that is, Christianity shall not be crushed; but all who try to crush it shall themselves be crushed, some by grace, others by disfavor." Notice how Luther replaces Israel (to whom this is clearly addressed in Zech 12:1) with Christianity (aka, the church), taking this figure of speech totally out of context! Remember that even when a phrase is clearly a figure of speech, it still has a literal meaning (sometimes easy to discern from context, sometimes not so easy) and is never to be used as a license to let one's imagination run wild with non-contextually accurate interpretations of the text! It is also important to note that in his later years, Martin Luther became frustrated that the Jews would not receive the Gospel. As a result Luther wrote a few books against the Jewish people entitled Against the Sabbath Keepers, Against the Judaizers, and On the Jews and Their Lies. In the final work, Luther denounced them completely by advocating for “burning down synagogues in every town and forcing Jews to convert or die.” (See Martin Luther and Anti-Semitism) Guess who picked up on this German icon's message? You guessed it, Adolph Hitler in Mein Kampf, using Luther's vitriolic writings to support his satanically inspired "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". The message is clear when reading commentaries on Zechariah 12-14 (including the one you are reading now!) - Be a Berean (Acts 17:11-note).
Perowne has an interesting note on heavy stone (or "burdensome stone") suggesting Jerusalem will have this name in the end times "because, as it immediately follows, it proves too heavy for every one who attempts to lift it, and slipping from his grasp wounds and lacerates him. There may possibly be a reference to the custom, if indeed it existed so early as the time of Zechariah, which Jerome describes as prevailing in Palestine in his days. “It is the custom,” he says, “in the cities of Palestine, and to the present day throughout all Judea the ancient practice is observed, that in villages, towns and forts round stones of very great weight are placed, at which the youth are wont to exercise themselves, and according to their differing strength to lift them, some to the knees, others to the navel, others to the shoulders and head; some exhibiting the greatness of their strength, raise the weight above their head with both their hands straight up.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)
Fausset says, "The Jews fell on the stone of offense, Messiah, and were broken; but the stone shall fall on Antichrist who 'burdens himself with it' and grind him to powder." Jerome who lived in Palestine said that it was a local custom to test the strength of young men by having them lift a HEAVY STONE. Those who would crush the CITY OF GOD & GOD'S PEOPLE will be crushed as was Sennacherib seige in 701BC. 2 Kings 19:35 Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out, and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead.
A TIMELINE OF
Heaven & earth
fled away
(Re 20:11-note)
Pre-Tribulation
The Tribulation
70th Week of Daniel
(Da 9:27-note)
(2) Day of Lord
2Pe 3:10-note >
< Throne
(1a) Day of the Lord begins >
Mid-Tribulation
(1b) Day of Lord begins
Reign of Christ
(Re 20:4,5,6-notes v4; 5; 6)
(Re 21:1-note)
Years 3.5
When does the
Day of the Lord begin?
You will read descriptions in some commentaries that state the Day of the Lord follows the rapture of the church (1a) ("pre-tribulation rapture"- see discussion of when the rapture occurs) (1Th 4:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18-see notes 1Th 4:13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18), the event which most evangelicals feel immediately precedes the last seven years of Seventy Weeks of Daniel, and is popularly known as the Tribulation, although nowhere in Scripture is this seventieth week of 7 years specifically designated "the Tribulation" (let me know if you find a passage that contradicts this conclusion - remember that "the Great Tribulation" only refers to the last three and one-half years of this seven year period). The alternative inception date is Mid-Tribulation (1b).
First, we must understand the basic timing of this last "Seven Year Period" (Daniel's Seventieth Week) which can be divided into two 3.5 year segments, a conclusion based upon study of Da 9:27 (see notes).
Daniel records the following prophecy he received from the angel Gabriel in answer to fervent prayer…
And he (the Antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many (the Jews/Israel) for one week (one seven year period), but in the middle of the week (after 3.5 years) he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering (in the rebuilt Jewish temple) and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (Da 9:27-note)
The Lord Jesus quoted from Daniel 9 as He explained the timing of the events immediately preceding His triumphant return because He wanted the Jews (and all mankind) living during the tumultuous time of Daniel's Seventieth Week to have an easily identifiable event that would indubitably signal the beginning of the the Great Tribulation which represents the final outpouring of God's wrath during the last 3.5 years of the Seventieth Week of Daniel…
Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION (referring to the Antichrist or some desecrating action he makes) which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet (reference to Da 9:27-note, also in Daniel 11:31, 12:11), standing in the holy place (indicates the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt, cf Re 11:1, 2- see notes Re 11:1; 11:2) (let the reader understand)… there will be a Great Tribulation, (a specific 3.5 year period synonymous with the "Time of Jacob's Distress" in Jer 30:7-note, click other synonyms) such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall… but immediately after the tribulation (the Great Tribulation) of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky (Sign = the Lord returning on the clouds), and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." (Matthew 25:15-31)
Now keeping in mind the timing of this dramatic event described by Daniel and Jesus, read Paul's second letter to the saints at Thessalonica where he addresses the false teaching that the persecution the Thessalonians were now experiencing was part of the great tribulation. He references the same crucial historical event as Daniel and Jesus in order to assure these fearful saints…
"Now we request (plead, implore, beg of) you, brethren, with regard to the coming (parousia) of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him (Paul refers not to two events but one event - the rapture he had written about in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18-see notes 1Th 4:13; 14; 15; 16; 17; 18), that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure (literally "mind") or be disturbed (frightened) (false teaching about the Rapture and the Day of the Lord appears to have had a devastating impact on the Thessalonian saints) either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy (a very specific presumably identifiable time of rebellion against God) comes first, and the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist) is revealed (apokalupto = literally has the veil removed exposing to open view what he had before hidden regarding his evil character. The aorist tense points to a definite time, a specific historical event), the son of destruction (apoleia = ruin not annihilation), who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God (which Jesus referred to as "standing in the holy place"), displaying himself as being God." (2Th 2:1-3.4-note)
When does Paul state that the Day of the Lord will begin? First, he says "the apostasy" will occur. Then he states when and where "the man of lawlessness" will be revealed. Specifically he states that the revelation of the Antichrist must precede the Day of the LORD. Although many favor the Day of the Lord beginning at point (1a) in the above diagram (after the pre-tribulation rapture), when one compare Scripture with Scripture, there is certainly support for considering the beginning for the Day of the Lord at the midpoint of the 7 Year period of Daniel (1b).
Zechariah 12:4 "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness
In that day: Zec 12:3,6,8,9,11 Isa 24:21
I will smite: Zec 10:5 14:15 De 28:28 2Ki 6:14,18 Ps 76:5-7 Eze 38:4 39:20
I will watch over : Zec 9:8 1Ki 8:29 2Ch 6:20,40 7:15 Ne 1:6 Isa 37:17 Jer 24:6 Da 9:18 Ac 17:30
MESSIAH' SECOND COMING BRINGS
JUDGMENT AND REDEMPTION
In that day," declares the LORD, "I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness - This description parallels and amplifies "Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling." I will strike is Messiah's prophetic promise to Israel that He will directly intervene with supernatural power in this final showdown with Israel's enemies in the future Time of Jacob's Distress (Jeremiah 30:7-note) .
Charles Feinberg notes that "Since cavalry always formed a large part in Eastern warfare, the enemy will be well supplied; but God will incapacitate them, turning this source of strength into a detriment and weapon of destruction. The horses of the enemy will be smitten with terror then with blindness (to lead their riders to their doom), and the horsemen will be struck with insanity. Such will be the confusion and tumult created by God in the midst of the enemy, while His eyes will be turned toward Jerusalem and her people with great favor and compassion. Little do the nations of earth realize how they incur the wrath of God against them when they touch Israel for harm, let alone seek to wipe them completely from the face of the earth." (The Minor Prophets)
Spurgeon - The chief strength of Jerusalem’s enemies lay in horses and chariots; but God bids his people not to fear them, for he knows how to overcome all power, whether it be the power of cavalry or the power of infantry. He knows how to smite every horse with astonishment, and every rider with madness, for, “as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth even for ever,” and he can protect them against the most powerful foes that may assail them.
Every horse with bewilderment - Have you ever ridden on a horse that was spooked? I have and was thrown off into a thorn patch! Bewildered horses are not good in battle! In the ancient world cavalry and horses were the most powerful and feared instruments of warfare, but here we see that Messiah neutralizes this aspect of the Gentiles' armed forces. "This intervention by God on behalf of His people is reminiscent of His action during (1) the Exodus; (2) conquest and settlement of Canaan; and (3) the fall of Mesopotamian capitals." (Utley)
There is an interesting parallel between Zechariah 12:4 and Deut 28:28 in the curses of the Jews, for both of these passages have 3 rare words in common - blindness (ivvaron from avar = to make blind) and bewilderment (timmahon from tamah = to be astounded or dumbfounded),) are only used twice in the OT and madness (shiggaon) is only used three times (2 Ki 9:20 being the third use). I am not sure what the significance of this unusual repetition of rare words is, but in each case, what was formerly given as a curse to Israel (in Dt 28:28) is here in Zechariah prophesied to be a curse to the Gentiles (or their horses).
Bewilderment includes a sense of fear...nothing worse than a spooked horse...he cannot be controlled and is virtually useless. This is followed by blindness and on the steep slopes of Jerusalem and Judah the horses undoubtedly will lead many riders to their death as they ride over cliffs and fall into the deep wadis.
One might ask if horses here refers to literal horses or is meant to symbolize modern warfare? The simple answer is one cannot be dogmatic, but is certainly possible Zechariah is referring to literal horses.
The LORD - This is Yahweh or Jehovah and specifically is the Messiah Who will strike Israel's enemies. The Septuagint translates Jehovah with the phrase "kurios pantokrator" which literally reads Lord Almighty.
Pantokrator is a significant Name for the Messiah as in the New Testament, and with one exception (2 Cor 6:18), it is restricted to the book of the Revelation, which fittingly describes Messiah's final and complete victory over His enemies and the enemies of Israel - Rev. 1:8; Rev. 4:8; Rev. 11:17; Rev. 15:3; Rev. 16:7; Rev. 16:14; Rev. 19:6; Rev. 19:15; Rev. 21:22. In Revelation 1:8-note we see the identity of the Pantokrator, for Jesus Himself declares “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (pantokrator).”
The verb strike is used twice in this passage and both times in the Septuagint is translated with the Greek verb patasso, which is the very verb used by John in His description of the returning victorious Messiah writing that "From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike (potasso) down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty (pantokrator). (Rev 19:15-note)
Tony Garland comments on He may strike down the nations - He should strike is pataxē : “Strike down, slay.” “As inflicting a heavy or fatal blow.” Nations is ethnē which can also be translated Gentiles. With one exception (Rev 11:2-note), the context in the book of Revelation indicates that the Jewish nation is included in this term. Those among Israel who reject Jesus as Messiah will be included among the slain at His Second Coming (Ezekiel 20:34-38). If Jesus literally and physically slays His enemies at His Second Coming (Rev. 19:21-note), how is it that the sword is figurative—coming out of His mouth? It represents the sword of the Spirit, the word of God: that which God has set forth as His spoken will (Eph. 6:17-note). Those who are slain meet their doom because they are judged by God’s righteous word (Heb. 4:12-note). They have consistently violated its precepts and standards and their destruction has been prophesied. In many ways, the action of their slaying is the unavoidable result of what God has said. This is why Jesus slays His enemies with His lips: “He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked” (Isa. 11:4-note). His mouth is like a sharp sword (Isa. 49:2). Hence, when Antichrist is destroyed, he is consumed “with the breath of [the Lord’s] mouth” (2 Th. 2:8). The ultimate reason they are slain is found in God’s testimony—the law written in stone found in the ark of the covenant (Rev. 11:19-note; Rev 15:5-note). The written law is His word, thus the weapon is said to come forth from His mouth. See Revelation 1:16-note.They are actually slain twice by His word. First, the enemies of Christ are physically killed at His Second Coming (Rev. 19:21-note). This is the first death. Next, the enemies of Christ are judged by God’s word before the Great White Throne and cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:12-note). This is the second death.
But - What a glorious term of contrast! Consider the "5P's" - Pause to Ponder the Passage then Practice it in the Power of the Spirit. This contrast is between utter destruction on the one hand for the Christ-rejecting Gentile nations (and tragically 1/3 of the Christ-rejecting Jews - Zech 13:8-9-note) and deliverance on the other hand for the repentant 2/3's remnant of Israel. O happy day!
I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness - Messiah's return is divisive, bringing about the ultimate division between human beings who have yielded to and confessed Him as Lord and Savior (Ro 10:9-10) and those human beings who have repeated rejected His gift of salvation by grace through faith. While He opens His eyes toward Judah (and in fact spiritual opens the eyes of the remnant), He blinds the horses of those reject Him. Clearly the striking of the horses blind would be a significant impediment to the peoples waging war.
Charles Feinberg adds that "In the same hour that God blinds the eyes of Israel’s enemies [actually their horses], He will open His own upon the house of Judah in love and compassion to protect them.” (The Minor Prophets)
Watch over is paqach which means that Messiah will open His eyes upon the Jews! This is a Hebrew idiom for care and attentiveness. Solomon asks God "that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place." (1 Ki 8:29; cf similar idea in 2 Chr 7:15; Neh. 1:6). God sees Jacob's time of distress in these last days and He will intervene with His perfect timing.
It is interesting to note that paqach is translated in the Septuagint with the verb dianoigo which is used for opening the heart of Lydia in Acts 16:14-note
A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened (dianoigo) her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.
Comment: So in the same way that the Lord opened Lydia's heart (the "eyes of her heart"), so too Messiah whose eyes are open to Israel will one day open the eyes of the hearts of the Jews (cf Acts 26:18-note) so that they might have their spiritual blindness removed (see 2 Cor 3:14-16-note, cf 2 Cor 4:4-note) and be enabled to see that Jesus, the God-Man, is in truth their long awaited Messiah!
Spurgeon - It looked as if the Lord had been asleep, but now he says, “’I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah,’ (Zech 12:4KJV)— I will look at them, and note their sufferings, pity their griefs, plan for their good, and come forth for their defense.”
Watch over (KJV = "I will open Mine eyes," NET = "I will pay close attention")(06491) (paqach) means to open especially in reference to one's eyes (either literal or figurative opening) and once to ears (Isa 42:20). The first use of paqach is figurative where the devil tempted Eve with the promise "your eyes will be opened" (Ge 3:5, 3:7). God figuratively (supernaturally) opened Hagar's eyes to see a well (Ge 21:19). God used Elisha to bring a dead lad back to life so that he literally opened his eyes (2 Ki 4:35). Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be figuratively (supernaturally) opened to see chariots of fire (2 Ki 6:17) and later he literally opened eyes of men blinded (2 Ki 6:20). Hezekiah prayed to God to open His eyes regarding his enemy (2 Ki 19:16, Isa 37:17). To open one's eyes is an idiom meaning to pay attention, to be watchful, to notice what is going on (2 Ki. 19:16; Dan. 9:18; Zech. 12:4); or to bring judgment on someone (Job 14:3).
In Daniel 9:18 the prophet asked God
O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open (paqach) Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion.
It is reasonable to consider that the words in Zechariah 12:4 (written in 520-518 B.C.) represent Jehovah's answer to that prayer offered some 15 years earlier by teh godly prophet Daniel (written in about 537 B.C.).
Zechariah 12:5 "Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, 'A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the LORD of hosts, their God.'
Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts: Zec 12:6 Judges 5:9 Isa 1:10,23,26 29:10 32:1 60:17 Jer 30:21 33:26 Eze 45:8,9
the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Zec 10:6,12 Ps 18:32,39 20:6,7 46:1 68:34,35 118:10-14 144:1 Isa 28:6 41:10-16 Joe 3:16 2Co 12:9,10
NET Then the leaders of Judah will say to themselves, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a means of strength to us through their God, the LORD who rules over all.'
Then - see expression of time - then - When? What has Zechariah just stated? That God will in effect "open His eyes on the house of Judah." This marks the battle turning against the nations. As an aside Zechariah mentions Yahweh's eyes four times in his prophecy - Zech 3:9, Zech 4:10, Zech 9:8 and Zech 12:4. This reminds me of Pr 15:3 "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good."
MacArthur explains this verse - The governors of Judah outside and around are saying it is because of what God has promised to do for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that becomes our strength. God has chosen Jerusalem and because He has chosen Jerusalem and the nation around, the princes of Judah are confident that they too are invincible. Perhaps they'll sing Psalm 46:5 which says, "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved." (Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance)
The clans (chieftains, leaders) of Judah will say in their hearts, 'A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the LORD of hosts, their God.' - Notice that at this time when the world's nations come against Israel, the leaders (clans) will recognize that the LORD of the Armies is on their side. God will so work in their hearts of the leaders that they will recognize clearly that it is not their own strength.
As Feinberg says "The will own their dependence upon the people of the land who in turn are strengthened by the LORD of hosts for the conflict. When the princes in Israel are so empowered (divinely so) the issue of the battle is certain." The figurative language in Zech 12:6 will underscore just how strengthened the army of Israel is.
Their "extremity" will be God's "opportunity!" He will show Himself great and mighty on Israel's behalf, even as prophesied by Isaiah "In that day the LORD will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, With His fierce and great and mighty sword, Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea....In the days to come (following the defeat of the armies of the world) Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout; and they will fill the whole world with fruit (see description in the Millennium)." (Isaiah 27:1, 6)
Notice one other point -- the fact that Judah recognizes Jerusalem's strength is through the LORD of hosts. In effect they are recognizing that it is God Who is their ultimate strength. This suggests that some in Israel were beginning to move toward trust in Jehovah for their physical salvation, a trust which will soon be seen be in their recognition of their need for spiritual salvation.
MacArthur says it this way "when the world arrives and all of a sudden they see themselves gaining the victory, they're going to know that the strength that they have seen is not the strength of men. And here is the first glimpse of the saving faith that comes to the hearts of Israel." (Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance)
Clans (0441)(alluph from eleph = 1000) means a chief, a chiliarch (leader of 1000) and is used "exclusively to describe a rank in the families or clans of Edom (Ge 36:15ff; Ex 15:15; 1 Chr. 1:51ff.). This usage probably also lies back of the Matthew reading in Matthew 2:6 where "princes" of Judah reflects a pointing ʾallup in Micah 5:2" (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) The Septuagint translates alluph in Zech 12:5 with the noun chiliarchos which described a commander of a thousand soldiers.
Alluph - 60x in 20v - chief(43), chiefs(14), clan(1), clans(2).
Gen. 36:15; Gen. 36:16; Gen. 36:17; Gen. 36:18; Gen. 36:19; Gen. 36:21; Gen. 36:29; Gen. 36:30; Gen. 36:40; Gen. 36:41; Gen. 36:42; Gen. 36:43; Exod. 15:15; 1 Chr. 1:51; 1 Chr. 1:52; 1 Chr. 1:53; 1 Chr. 1:54; Zech. 9:7; Zech. 12:5; Zech. 12:6
Gilbrant has a lengthy note on alluph -
This noun means "chief" or "chieftain," in the sense of the head of a clan. Most linguists suspect a different root for this noun than its sound alike of HED 443, associated with "thousand." Whatever the etymology, it is clear that this noun has a specialized and limited range. Of its 69 occurrences, 42 are in Gen. 36. Thirteen more are in 1 Chronicles 1. It occurs once in Exo. 15:15. The remaining three appearances are in Zech. 9:7 and 12:5f. In the Genesis, 1 Chronicles, and Exodus passages, the word refers exclusively to the clans descended from Esau, Issac and Leah's son and founder of Edom (the name Jacob gave him). The first two passages are lengthy genealogies. The Zechariah passages use this word to describe the clans of Judah. However, the word is altered slightly. Whether this altering is intentional or not, it is consistent, just as the spelling is consistent for the clans of Edom. Certainly, it is the similarity of the forms which is striking. Anthropologists have long recognized that genealogies serve a variety of functions. Their preservation and reproduction are intentional. Genesis 36 is presented for a purpose. One cannot escape the close relationship between the offspring of Esau and Jacob. The divine blessing of Israel was intended for Esau, but usurped by the younger brother (Genesis 27). Despite this, the relationship of the two is poignantly captured in Genesis 33, as Jacob returns to his homeland, and to his brother's welcoming arms. This family history is played out on the political history stage as well. The Israelites understood their local foreign relations in kinship terms, as a national mimicking of their family history. Thus, the relationship between Israel/Judah and Edom is understood by the former as being extremely close, as the two are bound by more than geographical proximity. Indeed, the relationship between the nations is characterized as brotherhood (Deut. 2:4; Mal. 1:2). It is not shocking that there should be a word used exclusively to describe the kinship system in place in these two political entities. The term does not appear to be a technical one to differentiate between either political or kinship systems. Perhaps the slight variance of the term in Zephaniah, used of Judean clans properly describes the understanding of the relationship between these political entities. They are unique, being independent rather than identical.
A strong support for us ("The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a means of strength to us through their God," or "The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in Jehovah of hosts their God") - The Jewish leaders will recognize in their hearts that they have strong support supplied by those who are living in Jerusalem, who are themselves strong in or "through the LORD of hosts, their God." (Reminds me of Paul's charge "Be strong IN the Lord" - Eph 6:10-note). The Septuagint translates "LORD of hosts" with the phrase "en (IN) kurio pantokratori" which reads "in the Lord Almighty." He is mighty to save (see Isaiah 63:1-note) and He supplies the strength for the battle! Are you trying to fight in your own strength? Stop! You will be frustrated and fail! Rely wholly on the Holy Spirit's dunamis/power (cf Acts 1:8-note).
Feinberg - "Contrast the unity of the nation with the confused and disrupted condition of their enemies (Zech 12:4)."
Strong support (0556)('amtsah from amets = to to be stout, strong, bold, alert) is used only here in the OT.
Jeremiah echoes the words of Isaiah
'Ah Lord GOD! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee, Who showest lovingkindness to thousands, but repayest the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The LORD of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. (Jeremiah 32:17-19-note)
In the next chapter Jehovah Himself gives an invitation to Israel (and to all who are in Christ) to...
‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ (Jeremiah 33:3-note)
Comment: "The Book of Consolation". Recall that the preceding 29 chapters have brought a primarily negative message, but this chapter is like a breath of fresh air, this pleasant prophecy proceeding from Jeremiah 30 through Jeremiah 33 with Jeremiah 30:3 serving essentially as a "summary" of this message of consolation. "A new day is about to dawn, and these chapters are filled with hope." (Michael Brown) E. W. Hengstenberg identifies Jeremiah 30-33 as “the grand hymn of Israel’s deliverance.” Below are in depth verse by verse commentaries that chronicle this incredible "Book of Consolation":
Jeremiah 30 Commentary
Rejoice in the truth that Mighty is Our God (play and sing along)!
Mighty is our God
Mighty is our King
Mighty is our Lord
Ruler of everything
Glory is our God
Glory is our King
Glory is our Lord
His Name is higher
Higher Than any other name
His power is greater
For He has created everything
Feinberg explains it this way - God brings about victory in a twofold way: first, He overpowers and deprives the enemies of their strength, and then He empowers and fortifies His people to resist and conquer their foes. The prophet makes it plain that the victory will be supernatural. The Lord will work in the hearts of the leaders of His people, so that they will realize and acknowledge that the support given them from the inhabitants of the land is effective only because the Lord is sustaining and supporting His people. They will not assume that they are responsible for the success of their resistance of the vicious attack of the nations against them. The miraculous intervention of God on their behalf will convince the leaders of God’s power exerted for their sake. (The Minor Prophets)
LORD of hosts - see Jehovah Sabaoth, the Name of God we find used in Scripture when some one (in this case one nation) is at "the end of their rope" so to speak -- Jehovah Sabaoth is the Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10-note) which God has made available for those times when we are powerless, when our resources are inadequate, when there is no other help, even when the end seems near as was the case with the city of Jerusalem, completely surrounded by the blood thirsty armies of the entire world! Surely the situation in that day will look humanly hopeless! But it is especially during those times that one comes to appreciate that God is truly the LORD of the Armies and of all host of Heaven. In short, Jehovah Sabaoth speaks of God's available power in the time of trouble, in this case the Time of Jacob's trouble.
Zechariah 12:6 "In that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem.
like a firepot among pieces of wood: Isa 10:16,17 Ob 1:18 Rev 20:9
so they will consume: Zec 9:15 Ps 149:6-9 Isa 41:15,16 Da 2:34,35,44,45 Mic 4:13 5:5-8 Rev 19:19,20
on the right hand and on the left : Isa 9:20 54:3 2Co 6:7
the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem: Zec 1:16 2:4,12 8:3-5 14:10,11 Ne 11:1-36 Jer 30:18 31:38-40 Eze 48:30-35
GOD'S POWER FORJUDAH
WHO IS OUTSIDE THE CITY
In that day - The day when Jerusalem is besieged. The day when the campaign of Armageddon comes to a head so to speak.
Spurgeon - The literal prophecy is that the seed of Israel shall go back to their own land and shall prevail over their adversaries.
NET Note - On that day (referring to the day of the LORD) the Davidic monarchy will be restored and the LORD's people will recognize once more the legitimacy and divine sanction of David's dynasty. But there will also be a democratizing that will not give Jerusalem and its rulers undue priority over the people of the countryside (Zech 12:7).
Recall that Zechariah 12-14 is a unit, basically a "single" prophecy with subparts ("sub-prophecies" if you will) and we should not be surprised to encounter additional descriptions of this same battle/invasion by the nations (NB: not additional invasions) in Zech 13:8-9 (where 2/3's of the Jews will die before the Lord intervenes) and Zech 14:1-6.
I will make the clans (chieftains, leaders) of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a flaming torch among sheaves- I will make signifies that the will occur only at God's initiation and with the provision of His supernatural power (cf Zech 4:6, in NT see 2 Cor 3:5-6-note). Notice how often in Scripture we see the juxtaposition of divine sovereign will (providing desire and power) intimately and to me mysteriously integrated with human will and responsibility (cf this pattern of divine/human in Ps 127:1 and in NT the classic verses Php 2:12-note and Php 2:13NLT-note).
Wikipedia explains a firepot - Given the time-consuming nature of early firestarting, humans eventually began to use earthenwarevessels, or fire pots, in which slow-burning fires could by kept alight indefinitely by using small quantities of fuel. Nomadic people could carry these small fires with them, using them to start larger fires for their evening camps.
Judah will be made by God to supernaturally be like one of these firepots and in effect "burn" the armies of the nations. And the picture of a flame immediately igniting a sheaf of grain and what does fire do but devour what is placed in it. That is what Judah will do to the Gentile armies.
Kaiser picks up on the metaphor commenting "With the sudden realization that Yahweh is their God, Judah will turn on her enemy like a fire igniting dry tinder or ripe sheaves (v. 6). Judah will be “like a firepan in the woodpile” (v6a)." (Ibid)
Like a firepot...and a flaming torch - The Spirit moves Zechariah (2 Peter 1:21-note) to record two similes which help paint the picture of the absolute certainty of Israel's final, full victory over the hostile Gentile nations. Notice again that clearly Israel is enabled by God ("I will make...") to have such a total victory. I am reminded of the rebirth of Israel in May 14, 1948, when the nations surrounding Israel prepared their forces on the borders (Syria and Lebanese armies on the north, Jordanian and Iraqi armies on the east and Egyptian armies on the south - watch this dramatic event in Israel Birth of a Nation Documentary), with far superior manpower and equipment. There the enemies waited, encircling the tiny nation of Israel, which was poorly equipped for defense. They waited for Israel to proclaim her statehood, certain that they would utterly defeat Israel on that day. Well, the rest of the story is history as they say. The Arabs were soundly defeated and repulsed by the Israelis, and without a doubt in my mind I believe there was divine intervention in that battle against all odds!
Notice that both figures of speech relate to fire that wreaks the devastation inflicted by Israel on the Gentile armies. The devouring power of fire is well know especially among sheaves. We see this "fire power" in the story of Samson in Judges 15:1-5-note and with Absalom in 2 Sa 14:28-30.
Firepot (03595)(kiyyor from kur = smelter's furnace for the refining of metal, figuratively in Dt 4:20, 1 Ki 8:51, Jer 11:4 ~"affliction") is a pot or basin and is used most often in the OT to describe "the laver of bronze to be placed between the Tent of Meeting and the altar." Each laver of Solomon's Temple contained about 300 gallons so they were relatively large. In 2 Chronicles 6:13, it refers to a platform on which King Solomon stood and knelt in order to pray. The Septuagint translates kiyyyor in Zech 12:6 with the noun dalos which is a firebrand, a piece of blazing wood and in some uses even signified a thunderbolt!
Gilbrant - A loanword from Akkadian, this noun is in turn is a loanword from Urartian. It also appears in Middle Hebrew and Jewish Aramaic. It denotes a type of "pot" or "basin" in Biblical Hebrew, although only the latter nuance is attested in other languages. Kîyôr refers to a "cooking pot" in a single biblical context (1 Sa 2:14). It occurs in the narrative of the abuses by the sons of Eli in regard to their roles as priests. They would have a servant take offerings for the priests from each boiling vessel by shoving a fork into the meat, quite apart from ritual demands. It may well be that the inclusion of a basin as a cooking vessel in this passage may underscore the lack of regard which the sons had for the sacred implements. They may have taken a vessel consecrated as a basin and turned it into (in essence) a common cooking pot. It may be that the Biblical Hebrew meaning for kîyôr is consistent with its usage elsewhere. The noun is used to denote sacred basins, used ritually (Lev. 8:11). These basins could be movable (1 Kings 7:30). In one context, Solomon builds a bronze kîyôr, from which he addresses the people and Yahweh during the dedication ceremony of the Temple. It may simply have been an unfilled basin, providing an elevated platform from which to speak. (Ibid)
Kiyyor - 23x in 20v - basin(6), basins(5), firepot(1), laver(9), pan(1), platform(1).
Exod. 30:18; Exod. 30:28; Exod. 31:9; Exod. 35:16; Exod. 38:8; Exod. 39:39; Exod. 40:7; Exod. 40:11; Exod. 40:30; Lev. 8:11; 1 Sam. 2:14; 1 Ki. 7:30; 1 Ki. 7:38; 1 Ki. 7:40; 1 Ki. 7:43; 2 Ki. 16:17; 2 Chr. 4:6; 2 Chr. 4:14; 2 Chr. 6:13; Zech. 12:6
Feinberg explains that "The chieftains of Judah are likened to a pan of fire among wood or a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will consume the enemy on every side. The figures convey the thoughts of the ease and completeness of their victory, as well as their irresistible might under God. The result for God’s people will be that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be enabled to dwell again in safety in their own city of Jerusalem."
So - This gives the logical conclusion of the figure of the clans of Judah likened to fire which destroys. They will consume the enemy thoroughly.
They will consume on the right hand and on the left all the surrounding peoples - Like fire consumes, Judah will bring about complete devastation of all the surrounding peoples. The Gentile armies laying siege and surrounding Jerusalem will be obliterated, even as fire destroys what it touches.
While the inhabitants of Jerusalem again dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem - The tide of the battle has shifted and the city can again be indwelt by the Jews. The city will remain intact and will not be moved. MacArthur says "Literally it says Jerusalem shall sit undisturbed, secure, shielded by God." (Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance)
So first God incapacitates those who have laid siege against Jerusalem and Judah and then He empowers the house of Judah, demonstrating once again that ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6).
Zechariah 12:7 "The LORD also will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah.
The LORD also will save the tents of Judah first: Zec 4:6 11:11 Isa 2:11-17 23:9 Jer 9:23,24 Mt 11:25,26 Lu 1:51-53 Lu 10:21 Joh 7:47-49 Ro 3:27 1Co 1:26-31 2Co 4:7-12 Jas 2:5 Jas 4:6
will not be magnified above Judah: Job 19:5 Ps 35:26 38:16 55:12
While the previous passage would suggest the outcome of the battle was dependent on Israel and her leaders, this passage shows that it is Jehovah Who gives deliverance.
The LORD also will save the tents of Judah first - The tents of Judah would contrast with the fortified city of Jerusalem. These outlying tents would be more exposed to attack from the armies of the world and thus more helpless. God gives priority to the weak and defenseless, so that human glorying can have no basis. The human heart ever seeks self-glory, but God will wipe it out in this triumph. The salvation depicted here is deliverance physically from their enemies. If Jerusalem won the victory first, they would claim it was by their power. But the very fact that the feeble ones of Judah were able to devour the Gentile armies, means that Jerusalem cannot boast. They will recognize the hand of God behind their victory. God first defends the defenseless and then He defends Jerusalem. In essence this pattern of Judah first will serve as a humbling lesson to those in Jerusalem.
Feinberg on Judah first - God will work so that human pride will not be indulged. Compare 1 Cor 1:29, 31, 2 Cor 10:17. The Lord will deliver the defenseless country before the fortified and well-defended capital, so that both may realize that the victory is of the Lord.
Arnold Fruchtenbaum has an interesting analysis of the salvation of the tents of Judah first writing that "By using the expression the tents of Judah, Zechariah is pointing out that Judah will no longer be living in permanent abodes; rather, they will be living in temporary abodes outside the Land. According to Micah 2:12–13-commentary, the location of the majority of the Jewish Remnant will be Bozrah or Petra. According to this verse, the order in which God intends to rescue the Jerusalem Jews is: first, He will deliver the Jewish Remnant in Bozrah; then, He will rescue the Jews in Jerusalem (Refer to Point #4 and Point #8 on Fruchtenbaum's proposed sequence of the Campaign of Armageddon). This is the reason the prophet has made a distinction between the Jews of Jerusalem and the Jews of Judah. Furthermore, the reason God will save the tents of Judah first is so two other groups would not be magnified above Judah: the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The fact that the Messiah will come to save the Jewish Remnant in Bozrah is also brought out in Micah 2:13; Habakkuk 3:3; Isaiah 34:1–7; and 63:1–6-note. (The Messianic Bible Study Collection - Logos)
Spurgeon - God will begin by saving the most defenseless. The tents of the people were easily swept away by their powerful foes. “Therefore,” says the prophet, “the Lord shall save the tents of Judah first.” As for the people in the strongly defended city of Jerusalem he would protect them, but he would do it in such a way that they should not take the glory to themselves. God is always very jealous of his own honour. He will save us, but it will be in a way that shall prevent our pride from glorying in it. He will never allow one saved soul to be able to say, “I saved myself,” or “I contributed to the merit which has brought me to heaven.” No; God must have all the glory, — every jot and tittle of it; and all his people are glad that he should have it.
Saves (delivers) (03467)(yasha') (See also yeshua from which we get our word "Jesus") is means to help, to save, to deliver, to move from distress to safety. The one who brings deliverance is known as the "savior." The root in Arabic is "make wide" which underscores the main thought of yasha' as to bring to a place of safety or broad pasture in contrast to a narrow strait which symbolizes distress or danger.
The Septuagint translates yasha' with the verb sozo which means to save, deliver, rescue, restore to wholeness.
Yasha' is the same verb used to describe Jehovah's deliverance of Israel from Egypt - "Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore." (Ex 14:30) Similarly here in Zechariah 12-14 we see that once again Jehovah saves Israel from the Gentile forces that sought a complete and final holocaust of the Jews!
The prophet Zephaniah used yasha' in the prediction of Israel's deliverance in the end times God Himself promising
“Behold, I am going to deal at that time (same time described here in Zechariah 12-14!) with ALL your oppressors, I will save (yasha') the lame And gather the outcast, And I will turn their shame into praise and renown In all the earth (In the Millennial Reign of Messiah). (Zephaniah 3:19-note).
Zechariah uses yasha' 6 times Zech. 8:7; Zech. 8:13; Zech. 9:9; Zech. 9:16; Zech. 10:6; Zech. 12:7 and five refer to the future day when Israel will be delivered from the age long Gentile oppression and a remnant of the nation will be saved.
Zechariah 8:7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west;
MacArthur comments - The context assures that this return speaks of a worldwide regathering at the Second Advent of Christ. The return from Babylon cannot be in view also, since Israel had not been scattered to the W until the diaspora engineered by the Romans in the first century A.D.
Zechariah 8:13 ‘It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.’
Comment: This speaks of the salvation described in Zechariah 12-14.
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you (Messiah); He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
Comment: Verse 9 refers to Messiah' first coming.
NET Note - The NT understands this verse to be a prophecy of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and properly so (cf. Matt 21:5; John 12:15), but reference to the universal rule of the king in v. 10 reveals that this is a "split prophecy," that is, it has a two-stage fulfillment. Verse 9 was fulfilled in Jesus' earthly ministry but v. 10 awaits a millennial consummation (cf. Rev 19:11–16).
Zechariah 9:16 And the LORD their God will save them in that day As the flock of His people; For they are as the stones of a crown, Sparkling in His land.
Comment: This is the final salvation of Israel described in Zechariah 12-14. Note repetition of the critical time phrase in that day and in context is when Messiah returns as the victorious King of kings.
Zechariah 10:6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph, And I will bring them back, Because I have had compassion on them; And they will be as though I had not rejected them, For I am the LORD their God and I will answer them.
MacArthur - Both the southern and northern kingdoms of Israel will be restored to a position of blessing, as the whole nation is restored in millennial blessing (cf. Jer 32:37).
Cole - God promises to “deliver the defenseless country [“tents of Judah”] before the fortified and well-defended capital, so that both may realize that the victory is of the Lord” (Charles Feinberg, God Remembers [American Board of Mission to the Jews], p. 225). Merrill Unger observes, “The Lord will manifest Himself in such deliverance as will honor faith, unite His people, and cause them mutually to make their boast wholly in the Lord, instead of partially in themselves” (Zechariah: Prophet of Messiah’s Glory [Zondervan], p. 212, italics his). God promises further that the weakest of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be like David and the leaders (“the house of David”) will be like God, further described as like the angel of the Lord going before them.
So that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah - The Septuagint translates "glory" (tipharah) with kauchema which describes a boast or something to be proud of, suggesting that there would be a minimization of the natural tendency of the lineage of David (the dynastic line or "royal line" as in the NLT) to boast in their choice as the tribe from which Messiah originated. Similarly this would suppress the tendency of the inhabitants of Jerusalem to boast that they were the city of the King and His throne.
Zechariah 12:8 "In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them.
In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Zec 2:5 9:8,15,16 Joe 3:16,17
the one who: Isa 30:26 Jer 30:19-22 Eze 34:23,24 Joe 3:10 Mic 5:8 7:16 Heb 11:34
feeble among them: Isa 49:7 53:3 Jer 27:10 Mic 7:8
the house of David will be like God: Ps 2:6,7 45:6,7 110:1,2 Isa 7:13,14 9:6,7 Jer 23:5,6 33:15,16 Eze 37:24-26 Ho 1:7 3:5 Mic 5:2-4 Mt 1:23 Joh 17:21-23 Ro 1:3,4 9:5 1Ti 3:16 Rev 22:13,16
like the angel of the LORD before them: Zec 3:1,2 Ge 22:15-17 48:15,16 Ex 23:20,21 Jos 5:13,14 2Sa 14:17-20 Isa 63:9 Ho 12:3 Mal 3:1 Ac 7:30-35
DIVINE DEFENSE
In that day - The day when the Lord intervenes directly in world history to rescue His Chosen People from the Anti-Semitic Gentile nations. As discussed above, this day is generically the Day of the LORD, and in this context specifically is describing the last part of the last 3.5 years of the Time of Jacob's Distress, when the nations of the world initiate their campaign of Armageddon in an attempt to obliterate Israel from the map. Speaking of maps, BMW and Merecedes-Benz published maps without Israel. Perhaps these companies need to review their German history!
The LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem - Divine defense will be given to Israel in that day!
Defend (01598)(ganan) means to protect or defend and all uses have Jehovah as its subject and either Jerusalem or the remnant of Judah and Israel as the recipients of the protection. The root idea of this word is "to build a hedge around." Thus the derived idea is one of protection or defense. It's use in 2 Kings, Isaiah and Zechariah is exclusively of God defending the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In six of eight occurrences the term is used to describe God's protection of his people from the Assyrian invaders (2 Ki. 19:34; 20:6; Isa. 31:5; 37:35; 38:6). Four uses are found in the account of Hezekiah's healing from a fatal disease in two parallel accounts (2 Ki. 19:34; 20:6; Isa. 37:35; 38:6). In response to Hezekiah's prayer, Yahweh promises to extend Hezekiah's life and protect the city of Jerusalem for fifteen years from Assyrian conquest. Two other usages appear in the context of the same historical crisis, as Isaiah proclaims to the people that they do not need Egyptian aid to protect them against Assyria, because Yahweh will protect the city (Isa 31:5).
The Septuagint translates ganan with huperaspizo which literally means to hold a shield over hence protect, preserve, keep someone safe (James 1.27)
Ganan - 8x in 7v - defend (6), protect (2). -- ; 2 Ki. 20:6; Isa. 31:5; Isa. 37:35; Isa. 38:6; Zech. 9:15; Zech. 12:8
2 Ki. 19:34 ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”
2 Kings 20:6“I will add fifteen years to your life, and I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.”’”
Isaiah 31:5 Like flying birds so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; He will pass over and rescue it.
Isaiah 37:35 ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’”
Isaiah 38:6 “I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.”’
Zechariah 9:15 (v14 for context - Then the LORD will appear over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning; And the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, And will march in the storm winds of the south. ) The LORD of hosts will defend them. And they will devour and trample on the sling stones; And they will drink and be boisterous as with wine; And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin, Drenched like the corners of the altar.
David had given a prophetic promise that God would help Israel writing
God is in the midst of her (i.e., Jerusalem, God’s chosen earthly residence cf. Ps 48:1, 2; Is 60:14 = Ps 46:4 "the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High"), she will not be moved; God will help her (Zech 14:3-note) when morning dawns. 6 The nations made an uproar (a commotion among the Gentiles who are in distress), the kingdoms tottered (Heb = mot = will shake and fall)(This will be fulfilled when the Stone, Christ, crushes the statute, the kingdoms of this world - cf Da 2:34-35, 44-45-note,); He raised His voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah. (Ps 46:5-7)
And the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David - David was known as a strong warrior and in that day in the Campaign of Armageddon, the feeble would be supernaturally enabled. Recall the song Israel sang when David was victorious "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands." (1 Sa 18:7). These feeble ones would be supernaturally enabled to fight like Israel's great warrior David.
Feeble (03782)(kashal) means to stumble, stagger, totter, cause to stumble, to overthrow, to make weak. Kashal is used literally of individuals falling or figuratively of cities and nations falling (Isa 3:8; Hos 14:1). People can fall by the sword (Da 11:33); or because of evil (P. 24:16); wickedness (Ezek 33:12); and iniquity (Hos. 5:5).
R Laird Harris on kashal - The verb is usually used of physical falling, but numbers of times the figurative use of failing or ruin occurs (Psalm 64:8; 2 Chr 25:8). However, the root is rarely used in the sense of the NT skandalidzō "cause one to fall into sin." The nearest to this is Malachi 2:8 where the priests by their teaching "have caused many to stumble" (NIV). In Jerh 18:15 it says the idols made the people "stumble in their ways," but here the figure is the frequent one of a path representing the path of life. Pr 4:16 says the wicked cannot sleep "till they make someone fall" (NIV) which probably, like Jeremiah, refers to stumbling in the path of life. It is perhaps from this figure that the idea of causing someone to stumble into sin arose in the NT and in the Syriac usage of this root. (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)
The Septuagint translates kashal with the verb astheneo which means to be weak or powerless. That the Lord supernaturally enables these feeble, weak, powerless Jews is a good reminder of from where our strength to fight the good fight comes - the LORD God Almighty, even as Paul had to learn and did learn to lean on (Who are you leaning on? Self or Savior?)...
And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore (term of conclusion) I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:9-10-note)
Kashal - 58v - bring you down(1), bring down(1), brought down(1), cast down(1), downfall(1), fail(1), failed(1), failing(1), fall(4), fall down(1), feeble(3), feeble*(1), overthrown(1), stumble(26), stumble badly(1), stumbled(12), stumbles(2), tottering(1), weak(1).
Lev. 26:37; 1 Sam. 2:4; 2 Chr. 25:8; 2 Chr. 28:15; 2 Chr. 28:23; Neh. 4:10; Job 4:4; Ps. 9:3; Ps. 27:2; Ps. 31:10; Ps. 64:8; Ps. 105:37; Ps. 107:12; Ps. 109:24; Prov. 4:12; Prov. 4:16; Prov. 4:19; Prov. 24:16; Prov. 24:17; Isa. 3:8; Isa. 5:27; Isa. 8:15; Isa. 28:13; Isa. 31:3; Isa. 35:3; Isa. 40:30; Isa. 59:10; Isa. 59:14; Isa. 63:13; Jer. 6:15; Jer. 6:21; Jer. 8:12; Jer. 18:15; Jer. 18:23; Jer. 20:11; Jer. 31:9; Jer. 46:6; Jer. 46:12; Jer. 46:16; Jer. 50:32; Lam. 1:14; Lam. 5:13; Ezek. 33:12; Ezek. 36:15; Dan. 11:14; Dan. 11:19; Dan. 11:33; Dan. 11:34; Dan. 11:35; Dan. 11:41; Hos. 4:5; Hos. 5:5; Hos. 14:1; Hos. 14:9; Nah. 2:5; Nah. 3:3; Zech. 12:8; Mal. 2:8
And the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them- God promises to be with them, go before them, and give them supernatural strength. It is good for us to be reminded of what David learned in the day of battle
This day the LORD will deliver you (GOLIATH) up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Sa 17:46-47)
NET Note on be like God - The statement the dynasty of David will be like God is hyperbole to show the remarkable enhancements that will accompany the inauguration of the millennial age.
The Angel of the LORD is a reference to the pre-incarnate Jesus found 53x in the OT (see below). He went before Israel for 40 years in their wilderness wanderings. Constable writes that "The Davidic rulers would also receive supernatural strength and would be like God, as the angel of the Lord who would go before them (cf. Ex. 14:19; 23:20; 32:34; 33:2, 14–15, 22; 1 Sa 29:9; 2 Sa 4:17, 20; 19:27)."
What is Zechariah saying? If they are like the angel of Jehovah, then they are like Messiah which means in essence that they will be enabled by His power!
MacArthur - You say, "Will we get to see that?" I think so. If I read my Bible right we're coming out of heaven just about that time on white horses which will give us a perfect view of the whole thing. So the feeble are going to be like David and the people who normally are like David are going to be like God, infused with the energy of the Messiah Himself, the angel of the Lord. (Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance)
Fruchtenbaum on be like God, like the angel of the LORD - those who are like King David will be able to fight like the angel of Jehovah. The verse brings out that this is not a common, ordinary angel, but the Second Person of the Trinity, the Messiah Himself. So the Davids among the Jews will be able to fight with the power of the Messiah Himself. (Ibid)
Spurgeon - What a blessed thing it is when the Lord strengthens all his people, so that the weakest amongst them are as strong as that ruddy-faced youth who smote Goliath, and the strongest of them are like the swift-winged angels of God (ED: AS NOTED THIS IS NOT JUST ANY ANGEL BUT THE Angel of the LORD), ready to do his bidding!
Zechariah 12:9 "And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
I will set about to destroy: Zec 12:2 Isa 54:17 Hag 2:22
DIVINE DESTRUCTION
OF ALL ISRAEL'S ENEMIES!
This is divine payback to all the nations who sought to destroy Israel.
And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem - Here we have a summary of verses 1-8 but the question is What day? Some commentaries refer this to the time of the Maccabees, this that event does not even remotely fit the context. This is clearly the last days because all the nations have never in the history of the world come against Jerusalem and Israel as this passage literally describes. Dods almost gets it correct writing "We look in vain for any historical occurrences in which the letter of this prophecy has been fulfilled to Israel after the flesh, unless it be the Maccabean period."
MacArthur on I will set about (KJV = I will seek) - The term "will seek" is a term that is used of a marksman who bends his bow with his eye focused on the target. He wants to hit the bullseye and nothing distracts him. The cup of iniquity is full and God comes in judgment. Read Revelation 16:1-21 and Revelation 19:1-21 and see how God begins to come in judgment, how Jesus splits the heavens with His coming, comes in glory and power with a flaming victory at hand with a sword dipped in blood and He comes to conquer. In summary, the first nine verses of the twelfth chapter describe prophetically Israel's great deliverance and the destruction of the armies of the world gathered against her. That's political salvation which prepares us for the next part which is spiritual salvation....In the political victory, what's the one thing that stands out? In my mind it is that they are going to recognize God at work. That's the beginning and makes an easy transition to Zechariah 12:10. (Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance)
Feinberg correctly states "we place the entire passage in the time of the Great Tribulation and more specifically in the War of Armageddon, when the nations of the earth will make their last frantic effort to blot Israel out of existence, only to be met by crushing defeat at the hands of the LORD of hosts Himself." (from God Remembers: A Study of Zechariah)
Indeed this passages summarizes the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to Abram in Genesis 12:3 where He declared "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." History has shown it is not a good thing to curse Israel, but it will be obvious that the nations of the world are either ignorant of the facts or disbelieve God's promise.
Fructhtenbaum - The order in which this judgment takes place is that God will first rescue the Jews in Bozrah or Petra, destroying many of the armies there; this is the sixth stage of the Campaign of Armageddon (see stage 6 above). Secondly, He will then rescue the Jews of Jerusalem; this is the seventh stage of the Campaign of Armageddon (see stage 7 above). As a result, He will destroy the final portions of the armies just outside Jerusalem in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. This destruction of all the nations that come against Jerusalem will comprise the sixth and seventh stages of the Campaign of Armageddon.
Stephen Ger - In order to reach Jerusalem, the nations will also have to assault the surrounding territory, Judah. The Lord will supernaturally energize the defenders of Judah, beginning with the outlying Judean settlements, and Jerusalem, enabling them to defeat their enemies. The people’s natural capabilities will be supernaturally heightened as they are energized by the Lord to do battle (Zech 12:5–9). For one final time, the devastating fruit of the Abrahamic promise of divine retribution toward the enemies of the Jewish people (Gen. 12:3) will be harvested. (Zechariah: Minor Prophet With A Major Message - Conservative Theological Journal 03:8 Apr 1999)
Destroy (demolish, exterminate) (08045)(shamad) is a verb meaning "be destroyed, decimated, perished, overthrown, exterminated, i.e., pertaining to being in a totally ruined state, which can include death of a person or extinction of an entity." (Swanson) The destruction depicted by shamad usually involves a rather sudden catastrophe such as warfare or a mass killing.
The Septuagint translates shamad with the verb exairo which means to remove or drive away. This meaning reminds me of the words of Daniel's prophecy (the wind carried them away) in the description of what will happen to the Statue (representative of the nations of the world) when it is struck by the Stone (Messiah at His Second Coming)...
You (King Nebuchadnezzar) continued looking until a Stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the Stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth (Messiah's Millennial Kingdom) (Da 2:34-35-note)
Cole writes that in this verse "when the Lord says [literally] that He “will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem,” it is not as if there is any doubt about the outcome! Zech 12:1 shows us God’s omnipotent ability to do whatever He purposes to do. Rather, it is using human language in the sense of focusing full attention on the matter, so as to say, “When God sets His mind on doing it, it’s a done deal!” (See Unger, p. 213.) God’s reason for delivering His Chosen People physically (Zech 12:2, 9) is so that later He can save them spiritually (Zech 12:10-14), and all of this is for His glory. Many of God’s people can testify that God saved their lives from physical death years before He later saved their souls from spiritual death. John Newton, the wicked slave trader, who was saved to become a pastor and hymn writer (“Amazing Grace”), more than once narrowly escaped death before his conversion. Once he fell overboard when he was drunk and was harpooned to get him back on deck, but he survived! If God has spared your life, but you have not yet come to Christ, He wants you to turn in faith to Him today! There is another lesson here: The safest place for any of God’s people is in the center of His will and purpose. When Zechariah wrote, many Jews were still in Babylon. Perhaps they thought, “It’s just not safe to move back to Jerusalem. There is no army there and no wall around the city. The place is surrounded by hostile neighbors. I’ll just stay here in Babylon.” But Zechariah is showing them that even if all the hostile nations in the world are lined up against Jerusalem, it is the safest place in the world to be, because Almighty God has promised to destroy the nations that come against Jerusalem. This doesn’t mean that we should throw caution to the wind, or that there are not times when God’s servants should flee for their lives. But it does mean that God watches over His people (Zech 12:4), and that no one can touch them unless it fits with God’s purpose. All the armies on earth can line up against God’s people, but they will not thwart God’s mighty purpose to save His people for His glory.
Henry Morris writes that "In that day generally is synonymous with "the day of the LORD." Certainly in this context, it points forward to the great end-time invasion of Israel by the multi-national armies of the Beast (Isaiah 63:1-6; 3:2,9-12; Micah 5:5-15; Matthew 24:15-21; Revelation 12:13-15; 13:7; 16:13-16; 19:19).
Thomas Constable - "An amillennial explanation of the passage (Zech 12:9) follows.
Leupold writes "it covers all time from that in which the prophet spoke to the end of days. What is said concerning Judah applies to the people of God of all times. The claims made for Jerusalem’s future find their ultimate fulfillment in the true Zion of God—His church; in fact, they can be applied to Jerusalem only insofar as she for a time harbored the church of God (ED: WOW! THE EXTENT TO WHICH ONE WILL GO WHEN THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO ACCEPT THE TRUTH THAT GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH THE LITERAL NATION OF ISRAEL!). The whole passage speaks of God’s sovereign care and protection of the church of the Old and the New Testaments through the ages and more particularly of the church’s victory rather than the victory of Judah after the flesh.”
Zechariah 12:10 "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me Whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.
I will pour out on the house of David: Pr 1:23 Isa 32:15 44:3,4 59:19-21 Eze 39:29 Joe 2:28,29 Ac 2:17,33 10:45 11:15 Tit 3:5,6
the house of David: Zec 12:7
the Spirit of grace: Ps 51:12
and of supplication: Jer 31:9 50:4 Ro 8:15,26 Eph 6:18 Jude 1:20
so that they will look on Me Whom they have pierced: Ps 22:16,17 John 1:29 John 19:34-37 Heb 12:2 Rev 1:7
they will weep bitterly over Him: Jer 6:26 Am 8:10 Mt 24:30 26:75 Ac 2:37 2Co 7:9-11
A REMARKABLE PROPHECY
OF NATIONAL REPENTANCE
Now we move from the previous nine verses which emphasized Israel's physical deliverance to this most wonderful passage which gives God's promise of Israel's spiritual deliverance.
You will notice I have several of the pronouns in bold red font and you may wonder if that has any significance? The answer is that the red is to symbolize the Messiah (and the shedding of His blood for sins), because it is crystal clear that in this passage we have the Lord Jesus Christ speaking one of the greatest prophecies ever given to the Nation of Israel.
MacArthur makes an interesting point - It's strange, isn't it?" Here they are, having just won the battle of the ages! The greatest victory has just been won and their reaction is national mourning. Why? Because they recognize that the very one who came back as their deliverer, was the same one they killed and they pierced when He came the first time. That's why they mourn. And that's the anguish of true repentance, beloved. when the comforter is come, He will reprove the world of sin, John 16:8, now listen to Jn 16:9, "concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me." So what is the sin? They do not believe not in Me. . That is the one sin that the Spirit of God must convict a person of in order to to bring then to salvation. And that's exactly the one Israel will be convicted of. They'll look on Me, says God, Whom they have pierced and mourn as if they were mourning the death of their only son. Sorrow for the sin of rejecting Christ. Beloved, that's where salvation begins, that is where it begins in your heart. Anybody who is to be saved must turn from the ultimate sin which is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ, of not believing in Him.(Zechariah 12 - Israel's Final Deliverance)
Dear reader let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem as the psalmist exhorts "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.: (Ps 122:6) (Play Paul Wilbur's Shalom Jerusalem).
Feinberg rightly remarks that The transition which Zechariah makes now from a physical deliverance to spiritual salvation for God’s people is one which is in accord with the whole prophetic testimony of the Old Testament. God never contents Himself with effecting mere physical and temporal rescue; He ever desires truth in the inward parts." He adds “Nothing can excite to repentance like a view of the crucified Saviour.”
Ponder that thought! When we are wrestling with sin in our life (and who isn't?), how potentially powerful is the impact on our willful heart if we by faith focus on our Redeemer and the great price He paid to redeem us from the penalty and power of sin in our lives! Looking to our glorious Jesus is a great antidote when we are being tempted by lust (and any sin) for "He is able (upon hearing their cry for help) to come to the aid of those who are (continually being) tempted." (Heb 2:18) John Piper echoes the powerful principle of pondering the Glorious One writing...
I close with an illustration from an article in Leadership (Fall 1982). It was unsigned, but written by a preacher who for ten years was in bondage to lust. He tells the story of what finally released him. It is such a resounding confirmation of what I am trying to say that I want to quote the key paragraph. He ran across a book by Francois Mauriac, What I Believe. In it Mauriac admitted how the plague of guilt had not freed him from lust. He concludes that there is one powerful reason to seek purity, the one Christ gave in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
The thought hit me like a bell rung in a dark, silent hall. So far, none of the scary, negative arguments against lust had succeeded in keeping me from it . . . But here was a description of what I was missing by continuing to harbor lust: I was limiting my own intimacy with God. The love he offers is so transcendent and possessing that it requires our faculties to be purified and cleansed before we can possibly contain it. Could he, in fact, substitute another thirst and another hunger for the one I had never filled? Would Living Water somehow quench lust? That was the gamble of faith. (p. 43–44)
It was not a gamble. You can’t lose when you turn to God. He discovered this in his own life, and the lesson he learned is absolutely right: The way to fight lust is to feed faith with the knowledge of an irresistibly glorious God. (Ed: See 1 Th 4:5 where "lustful passion" equates with those "who do not know God" - thus the "antidote" for lust is "Know God!") Do you know God this morning? Are you growing week by week in the knowledge of God’s greatness? Do you meditate on his Word day and night? Do you ponder the pictures of his Son in the gospels? Do you read solid books about his character and his ways? Do you look at everything in your day as his creation? Do you pray for a sensitive heart that can be ravished by the revelation of his glory? I call you to make those commitments now for the sake of your own soul and for the glory of God. (Read the full article Battling the UNBELIEF of Lust)
Feinberg adds that "This Scripture is of vast importance for an understanding of the future of Israel. It is closely related to the passage in Romans 11:25–27. Just as God pours out refreshing showers upon the parched and thirsty ground (ED: see also Zech 13:1-note), so He will pour out the spirit of grace and supplication upon needy Israel. The verb שׁפך is employed in Joel 3:1ff (Heb) also to express this transforming spiritual transaction. For the same truth Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 36:26, 27; and Ezekiel 39:29. The pouring out of the spirit of grace upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem reveals two features: (1) the whole nation from the highest to the lowest will be included; and (2) where the Lord was rejected, there He begins His work of restoration. (Ref)
Charles Spurgeon on the prophecy in Zechariah 12:10 - This prophecy, first of all, refers to the Jewish people; and I am happy that it confirms our conviction that the Lord will do good to Israel (PRAISE GOD SPURGEON DID NOT REPLACE ISRAEL WITH THE CHURCH!!!). We know God has said that the Jews will be restored to their own land and that they will inherit the good country the Lord has given to their fathers by a covenant. But, better still, they will be converted to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and will see in Him the house of David restored to the throne of Israel. The day is coming when they will see in Jesus of Nazareth that Messiah for Whom their saints looked with joyful expectation, of whom the prophets spoke with rapture, but who was despised and rejected by their blinded leaders. What a happy day it will be when our Jewish brethren will all be found worshiping before the Lord of hosts through their Great High Priest, who is a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek! It is also helpful to hear our text as it speaks to us. A great mistake is common among all kinds of people. It is currently believed that we are, first of all, to mourn for our sins and then to look by faith to our Lord Jesus Christ. Most persons who have any concern about their souls, but are not as yet enlightened by the Spirit of God, think there is a degree of tenderness of conscience and of hatred of sin that they are to obtain, somehow or other; and then they will be permitted and authorized to look to Jesus Christ. Now you will perceive that this is not according to the Scriptures, for according to the text before us, men first look on Him Whom they have pierced; and then, but not until then, they mourn for their sin. (ED: THIS IS SIMILAR TO FEINBERG'S POINT ABOVE) This is the common human folly—they look for the effect in order to produce the cause; they forget the old proverb and put the cart before the horse. But our text plainly indicates what is the cause and puts it first, assuring us that the effect will follow. Repentance is in no sense a preparation to faith in Christ. It is, on the other hand, a legitimate consequence of faith. In certain diseases the surgeon aims at producing an outward eruption that carries off the internal poison and so assists in the cure; but no man would be justified in refraining from medical advice until he could see the eruption in his skin, that being a healthy sign, a forerunner of the cure, a result of medicine, and by no means a preparation for it. So repentance is the bringing into our own sight the sin that lurks within; it is a result of the medicine of faith. (CSB Spurgeon Study Bible)
Messianic Jewish commentator David Baron entitled this wonderful passage "The Great Spiritual Crisis in Israel's History," writing that "The first nine verses of the 12th chapter of Zechariah describe prophetically, as we have seen, Israel's great national deliverance and the destruction of the armies of the confederated anti-Christian world-powers which shall be gathered in the final siege of Jerusalem. That will, indeed, be a great and wonderful day in their history, an hour of triumph such as they have never known before, greater than when they quitted Egypt; greater than when they triumphed over Pharaoh and his host at the Red Sea; greater than when they entered the Promised Land, and the walls of \ Jericho fell down before them." But yet there is something greater, more solemn and ore blessed, than mere outward deliverance and triumph over their enemies that Israel is to experience on "that day," and that is God s final conquest over them. ("Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries. - Ps 60:12) Ah! yes, Israel shall then learn the truth of the saying, that "our only true triumphs are God's triumphs over us, that His defeats of us are our only true victories"; and will learn with the great apostle whose history and experiences are in many ways a foreshadowing of the history and experience of his nation to say, "Thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ" (2 Cor 2:14), that is, as former enemies who have been vanquished, and whom He is now leading about as manifest trophies of His all-subduing grace and power." On former occasions, when Jeshurun ("upright one" and is a term of endearment and refers ironically to Israel Dt 33:5, 26) had been made to ride on the high places of the earth, he had waxed fat and kicked ; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation (cf Dt 32:15-18). But it will never be so again. He who comes to conquer their foes comes also to subdue their hearts." Hence, great as their triumph will be, great as will have been their individual might in the last stage of their conflict with the surrounding hosts so that "he that is feeble among them will be as David", when they return from their victory, this their glorious day of triumph will end in self-abasement and tears. How this wonderful change will be brought about, how the stubborn heart of unbelieving and gainsaying Israel will at last be broken, we are told in the 10th verse.... (click for the rest of Baron's comments below).
Cole - Before we look at several aspects of the spiritual salvation that God promises to bring to His chosen people, note that it is entirely of God. God does not say, “I would like to save My people someday, but they must exercise their free will in order for the process to happen.” Nor is this prophecy based only on God’s foreknowledge of what will happen, but rather on His mighty power that causes it to happen. In other words, God isn’t looking down through the centuries here and exclaiming, “Finally, after all these years, I can see that the Jews will soften their own hearts by their own free will and trust in Me! I’ve always wanted them to do this, but I couldn’t do anything about it because of the sovereignty of human free will. I’m so glad that they finally decided to follow Jesus!” That is how many evangelicals view salvation in our day, but it is definitely not what the Bible teaches. It shows that salvation is of the Lord, from start to finish. While we must trust in Jesus Christ and repent of our sins, neither saving faith nor repentance originates in the fallen human heart. They are God’s gift, so that none can boast (Eph. 2:8-9; Acts 5:31; 11:18).
As Cole says the Jews are prepared for this incredible event by a severe three and one-half year tribulation (aka, the Great Tribulation - synonymous with several other time phrases = 1260 days, 42 months, "middle of the week," "time, times, and half a time", Time of Jacob's Distress "a time of distress" - Da 12:1-note) -
"Before God saves the Jews spiritually, He will take them through the awful events of the Tribulation, culminating in the horrifying campaign of Armageddon. Lest you think that God is merely describing what will happen in the future, apart from His causation, in 14:2, He states, “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle....” Those nations will be accountable for their hatred against the Jews, but behind all events is God, “who works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11). When you encounter trials, you are prone to doubt either God’s love or His sovereign power. You may even go so far as to doubt His existence: “If there is a loving, all-powerful God, then why are these terrible things happening to me?” But our text is clear that God is by far stronger than the most powerful armies in the world and that He cares for His people, whom He will save. There are Christians who say that anything bad that happens to us is from the devil and that it was not God’s will (imagine!). But the implication, then, is that Satan got one over on God! The Bible is clear that God sometimes uses Satan to carry out His will, but Satan can go no farther than God permits (Job 1-2). It brings far more comfort to know that even severe trials are under God’s sovereign will, than to think that somehow they are not. In the chemistry lab, every substance has its melting point. The same is true of the hard human heart. God graciously brings trials into our lives to soften us and prepare us to receive His grace. Before the trials, we didn’t know that we needed God. We thought that we were in control. So God yanks the rug out from under us by bringing all the armies of the world against us to cause us to cry out to Him for help!
AN OUTPOURING OF THE
SPIRIT OF GRACE
In Hebrews 10:29 we see the Spirit is designated as "the Spirit of grace."
Herbert Lockyer - The Holy Spirit is styled—
• The Spirit of Grace, since He is the Dispenser of the divine favor to all men.
• The Spirit of Supplication, because He teaches us how to pray and for what to pray.
• The Spirit of Revelation, because He reveals Christ to the eye of faith.
• The Spirit of Wisdom, because He imparts wisdom from above.
• The Spirit of Adoption, because He certifies the believer's sonship.
• The Spirit of Christ, because He was sent by the Father through the mediation of the Son.
• The Spirit of Truth, because He makes the Word of Truth and "The Truth" real to us. "Theology without the Holy Spirit," said Professor Beck of Tūbingen, "is not only a cold stone, it is a deadly poison."
• The Spirit of the Lord God, because He shares the sovereignty of the Godhead.
• The Seven Spirits of God, because of the plenitude of His power and His diversified activity.
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication: The Messiah is still speaking. It is notable that before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave His Jewish disciples a promise "And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you (THE HOLY SPIRIT); but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Lk 24:49-note, cf Acts 1:8, Acts 2:33, Jn 14:16, 26, Jesus said "Whom I will send" Jn 15:26) So at Pentecost Jesus poured out the Spirit on the Jews and the church was born. Here in Zechariah 12:10 Jesus promises to again pour out the Spirit, which will result in one-third of the nation of Israel being redeemed (Zechariah 13:8-9-note).
Pour (08210)(shaphak) means to pour out literally (of fluid - Ex 4:9, Deut 12:16) or blood on the alter (Ex. 29:12; Lev. 4:7; Dt. 12:27). Shaphak describes the casting up of a mound against a city to form a siege ramp for attacking it (2 Sam. 20:15; Ezek. 4:2; Dan. 11:15). A dependent prayer is described as the pouring out of one’s soul (1Sa 1:15; Ps. 42:4), one’s heart (Ps. 62:8]; Lam 2:19); or one’s inner parts before the Lord (Lam 2:11). God poured out both His wrath (Ps. 69:24; Isa. 42:25; Jer. 6:11; Hos. 5:10); and His grace (Joel 2:28, 29; Zech. 12:10) on people.
Joel uses shaphak in a parallel passage demonstrative of God's grace being poured out on Israel...
Joel 2:28, 29-note “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
The Spirit of God will pour out the Spirit on Jews at Pentecost but the final fulfillment of this outpouring will be on this terminal generation of Israel described in Zechariah 12-14. The Spirit will convict them of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come which will drive the Jews to a time of national believing prayer, confession and repentance. They will supplicate the LORD for His forgiveness and favor.
PROPHECIES OF THE OUTPOURING
OF SPIRIT UPON ISRAEL
There are several OT passages that allude to the pouring out of the Spirit of grace on the Nation of Israel
Isaiah 32:15 (context - Isa 32:13-20) Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, And the wilderness becomes a fertile field, And the fertile field is considered as a forest.
Moody Bible Commentary - The prophets frequently link the establishment of the millennial kingdom with the coming of the Spirit upon God’s people (Ezek 36:27; Joel 2:28–32). God’s Spirit will perform a reversal of fortune, transforming the city and the people and all that has been destroyed. The progression from desert to fertile field to forest is similar to that in Isa 29:17 and appears to denote extraordinary growth
Constable - God’s Spirit would affect an even greater change later in the future (cf. Ps. 104:30; Ezek. 36:26–27; Joel 2:28; Zech. 12:10). Then the wilderness would become fertile, and what was presently considered fertile would become a veritable jungle so full of large plants would it be (cf. Isa 30:23–26). The creation will burgeon, the divine curse will be removed, and the damage that sin has caused will be reversed (cf. Isa 29:17).
Isaiah 44:3-5 ‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants; And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water.’ 5“This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’S’; And that one will call on the name of Jacob; And another will write on his hand, ‘Belonging to the LORD,’ And will name Israel’s name with honor.
Constable - The Lord promised to pour out His Spirit on the Israelites in the future. This gift would have the same result for the nation as pouring water on dry ground would have for the landscape. It would bring refreshment and new life, indeed, a whole new spiritual attitude (cf. Isa 32:15; Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:26–27; 37:7–10; Joel 2:28–29). Blessing would come to the descendants of Isaiah’s audience. Isaiah in this verse may have meant that God would bring both physical and spiritual refreshment. Other passages reveal that He will send physical refreshment (cf. Isa 35:6–7; 41:18).
Ezekiel 39:29-note “I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel (PARALLELS Zechariah 12:10),” declares the Lord GOD.
Joel 2:28-32 “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. 29 “Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. 31 “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. 32 “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
Comment - Partial fulfillment at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-3, 17, Joel 2:28) but awaits complete fulfillment in the last days, in that day of Zechariah 12:10 (cf Ezek 36:27, Ezek 37:14) when "all" Israel (actually the "1/3" in Zec 13:9) will be saved (Ro 11:26). Thus this promise anticipates its complete fulfillment with the conversion of the nation of Israel when Christ returns.
Matthew Henry - The Holy Spirit is gracious and merciful, and is the Author of all grace or holiness. He, also, is the Spirit of supplications, and shows men their ignorance, want, guilt, misery, and danger.
Keil on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem - The recipients of the spiritual blessing [identical with those who mourn] will be (1) “the house of David,” through whom the promise of the Messianic-Davidic Kingdom was made (2 Sa 7:8-16), and through whom it will be realized (Luke 1:31-33); and (2) “the inhabitants of Jerusalem”—the whole saved remnant of Israel, by metonymy, the capital representing the whole nation (cf. 1Ki 20:34, where “Samaria,” the capital, represents the nation). The fact that only the inhabitants of Jerusalem are named, and not those of Judah also, is explained correctly by the commentators from the custom of regarding the capital as the representative of the whole nation. And it follows...from this, that in Zech 12:8 also the expression “inhabitants of Jerusalem” is simply an individualizing epithet for the whole of the covenant nation. But just as in Zech 12:8 the house of David is mentioned emphatically along with these was the princely family and representative of the ruling class, so is it also in Zech 12:10, for the purpose of expressing the thought that the same salvation is to be enjoyed by the whole nation, in all its ranks, from the first to the last.
Spurgeon - This is a promise concerning Israel. Long have the Jews rejected the Christ, but the day is coming when they shall acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth to be the promised Messiah. In that day, this promise will be fulfilled. God must always give “the spirit of grace” ere men will pray aright; and wherever grace is given, there is always true prayer.
Cole on the Spirit of grace and supplication - God promises to pour out on the Jews “the Spirit of grace and of supplication.” This is a reference to the Holy Spirit (Isa. 44:3; Ezek. 39:29; Joel 2:28-29). Jesus told Nicodemus that the new birth is effected by the Spirit (John 3:5-8). “It is the Spirit who gives life” (John 6:63). Unless the Spirit of God convicts us of sin, righteousness,and judgment (John 16:8) and imparts new life to us, we remain dead in our transgressions and sins (Eph. 2:1, 5), excluded from the life of God because of our hard hearts (Eph. 4:18). Salvation, like the original creation, requires the sovereign power of God (2 Cor. 4:4, 6). He is called here “the Spirit of grace and of supplication.” Grace means God’s undeserved favor. The Jews who pierced their Messiah do not deserve God’s favor, and neither does any sinner. Grace means that we do not have to clean up our lives or accumulate good works in order to qualify for salvation. Those things follow salvation, but they do not precede it to prompt God to act. The “Spirit of supplication” means that when He graciously intervenes in a sinner’s heart, that sinner cries out to God, “Save me, Lord, or I perish!” All subsequent prayer stems from God’s gracious Spirit of supplication moving us to cry for help. If you recognize that you are a sinner in God’s sight and you have cried out to Him to save you, it is because He has poured out His Spirit of grace and supplication on you. If you know Christ as Savior, but you lament the hardness of your heart, and you are crying out, “God, soften my heart towards You,” it is because His Spirit of grace and supplication is working in you.
Matthew Henry on the Spirit of grace and supplication - One would think that it should follow, "And they shall look on him whom they have believed, and shall rejoice" (and it is true that that is one of the fruits of the pouring out of the Spirit, whence we read of the joy of the Holy ghost), but it follows, They shall mourn for there is a holy mourning, that is the effect of the pouring out of the Spirit, a mourning for sin, which is used to quicken faith in Christ and qualify for joy in God. It is here made the matter of a promise that the Jews shall mourn, for there is a mourning that will end in rejoicing (cf Ps 30:5) and has a blessing entailed upon it. This mourning is a fruit of the Spirit of grace, an evidence of a work of grace in the soul, and a companion of the Spirit of supplication, as it expresses lively affections working in prayer hence prayers and tears are often put together, 2 Kings 20:5. Jacob, that wrestler with God, wept and made supplication. But here it is a mourning for sin that is the effect of the pouring out of the Spirit.
Feinberg quotes Dods who "observes, “The former of the two words is commonly and rightly rendered favour or grace, and if used in this sense here it must refer to a new disposition towards God springing up in the people, a spirit of relenting, of contrition for rejecting God, of willingness to accept Him, in a word, of love, but of love that has in it the element of tender compunction about its past treatment of God. The second word refers rather to the expressions of love, the trustful cries for help and acknowledgements of dependence which accompany this relenting." In short, the spirit of grace is the Holy Spirit who, when poured out upon Israel, will awaken their hearts to supplication for the bestowal of God’s favor upon them. (Exegetical Studies in Zechariah: The Second Burden, 12-14 .. Israel’s Conflict and Deliverance, 12:1-14)
Grace (favor) (02580)(chen/hen from verb chanan = to favor) means favor (acts which display one’s fondness or compassion for another), grace (acts of kindness displaying one’s pleasure with an object, which benefit the object of pleasure), acceptance. The idea is that a person finds favor in the sight of another person or acceptance by the person, in this case favor in the sight of God. This word plays a major role in helping us understand God's relationship with sinful men as shown in the first use in Genesis 6:8 with those wonderful words "And Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of the Lord." The result of this favor was that he was delivered by God from His judgment of the world through the Flood. In a similar vein, the nation of Israel was granted by God to receive "favor in the sight of the Egyptians." (Ex 3:21, 11:3, 12:36). Zechariah's only other use of chen is Zech 4:7 "‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”
Supplication (08469)(tachanun from chanan = extending favor which is neither expected nor deserved) is a masculine noun that describes one asking for favor. In Daniel's great prayer in chapter 9, he seeks the Lord God by "prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes." (Da 9:3) and in Da 9:23 we see his supplications were heard immediately. In the first use Solomon prays "And listen to the supplications of Thy servant and of Thy people Israel, when they pray toward this place; hear Thou from Thy dwelling place, from heaven; hear Thou and forgive." (2Chr 6:21) In the psalms supplications reflect a plaintiff cry on one hand (Ps 28:2, 86:6, 130:2, 140:6, 143:1) and a gratitude for divine answer on the other (Ps 28:6, 31:22, 116:1). Proverbs speaks of the sense of humility of the one making supplication (Pr 18:23). In Jer 3:21 Israel is making supplication because they are beginning to feel the wrath of God's displeasure. Zechariah 12:10 was discussed above -- notice that both Jer 31:9 and Zechariah 12:10 use this same noun. The Holman Standard version (and others) translate tachanun with more variety than the NAS (all uses in NAS = supplication) and so renders it as pleading, plea for mercy, appeal for mercy, cry for help.
Supplication (Latin supplex ~ entreating for mercy; plead humbly, kneel down) - describes the the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly. The idea of pleading conveys the sense of making an emotional appeal.
So that - This is purpose clause, one of the more profound purpose clauses in the entire Bible, especially if you are Jewish! Whenever you encounter a purpose clause consider the "5P's" - Pause to Ponder the Passage then Practice it in the Power of the Spirit. As noted this is one of the "richer" purpose clauses you will encounter in Scripture.
ISRAEL'S NATIONAL
This prophecy (they will look upon Me) was partially fulfilled in Jesus' first coming when He was crucified and pierced and His Jewish brethren bore witness (looked upon Him), but the final fulfillment awaits His Second Coming when not only will the Jews see Him, but the entire world will look upon He Who was pierced!
In his Gospel John has a description of Jesus' crucifixion in which he quotes Zechariah's prophecy in Zechariah 12:10 showing that in the Crucifixion this Messianic prophecy (the piercing) was fulfilled. The ultimate fulfillment of John 19:37 will be at Christ’s Second Coming (His "parousia"), when the repentant remnant of Israel will mourn over rejecting and killing their Messiah. And do not miss the incredible truth in this prophecy (remember it is the pre-incarnate Christ Who is speaking in context of Zechariah 12:10) -- Do not miss the fact that God said “they will look on Me Whom they have pierced” which was also a prediction that Jesus would be incarnated and would be crucified. In other words, Zechariah 12:10 alludes to the future incarnation and Manhood of the Messiah (He had to be a Man to be pierced).
And again another Scripture says, “THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED.” (John 19:37)
But in the Revelation John records the future, final fulfillment of this prophecy writing...
BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. (Rev 1:7-note)
Comment: Note that Jesus' coming on the clouds is exactly what the angel in Acts 1:9-11 affirmed when he stated " will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." In other words His Second Coming would be an actual event that was literal (not hidden or invisible), physical (literal body), and in the clouds. The Greek verb for pierced is ekkenteo (from ek = out or an intens. + kentéō = to sting, stab, prick, pierce. Means to dig out, pierce. Used trans., meaning to pierce through)(1574) is used only in John 19:37 and Rev 1:7 in the NT (6x in Septuagint - Num. 22:29; Jos. 16:10; Jdg. 9:54; 1 Chr. 10:4; Isa. 14:19; Jer. 37:10). Comparing Zechariah 12:10 with this verse, we see that Jesus is identified as God!
The prophet Isaiah also describes the piercing of Messiah...
Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
Comment: The Hebrew verb for was pierced in Isaiah is chalal (Used 6x in OT = Job 26:13, Ps 109:22; Isa 51:9, 53:5; Ezek 28:9, 32:26) not daqar as in Zech 12:10 and might be better translated "He was wounded for our transgressions." The Septuagint translates chalal with the verb traumatizo which means to wound or cause to be wound. This Greek word of course gives us our English words such as trauma, traumatic, etc.
Feinberg has an interesting comment on Isaiah 53 and suggests that Isaiah's words may indeed be Israel's confession in that day
Let us remember that Isaiah 53 is the inspired confession that repentant Israel will voice on this important occasion (Referring to Zech 12:10). (Feinberg goes on to paraphrase Isaiah 53:1-8 from a Zech 12:10 perspective)
"If Calvary be the tragic hour of Israel’s age-long history, then this national Day of Atonement will be the hour of their penitent sorrow to be followed by rejoicings ineffable. In that hour, with enlightened hearts and broken spirits, they will inquire of one another, “Which ones of us believed the report made to us? To which ones of us did the mighty power of God disclose itself? So few of us, because He appeared so lacking in promise; He had no outward attraction that our carnal hearts could then delight in. So we desired Him not, with the result that He was despised and cut off from our company, knowing only griefs and pains, as we went our way turning our gaze from Him. But marvel of it all, He was bearing and enduring our sorrows and our griefs, and all the while we thought He was being stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted because He was so sinful and we so good. No, He was smitten because we were so sinful, for He was wounded because we had transgressed the law and will of God; He was crushed to death because of our iniquitous ways; the scourge of God was upon Him so that we might have spiritual healing and peace with God. We all went senselessly on in our sins, deliberately and wilfully, and God caused to come upon Him as an avalanche the sins of us all. What oppressions and merciless treatment He suffered, yet He endured them so patiently and submissively. And yet we did not lay it to heart that He was suffering all this because it was due us.”
As unbelieving Thomas they will not believe until they see the prints in His hands. (John 20:24-29). (Exegetical Studies)
They will look on Me whom they have pierced - Who is "they"? He tells us these are Jews, and from other Scriptures we know that they are those Jews who are living in the days of the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble. And who is "Me?" This is none other than the Messiah speaking to Israel even before He was crucified, which of course is what pierced refers to. Did the Jews literally drive the nails in His hands and pierce His side with a spear? Of course not, for that part the Romans are also culpable and responsible. But when Pilate was trying to release Jesus (Lk 23:19), the Jewish crowd "kept on calling out, saying "Crucify, crucify Him!" (Lk 23:21,23, Mt 27:22-25 Mk 15:13 Jn 19:15).
Walter Kaiser has an interesting note on some important technical aspects of Zech 12:10 writing that "Probably no text in the Old Testament speaks more directly to the question of whether there are going to be two comings of the one Messiah than does verse 10. But, even aside from the question of whether this text points to one or two Messiahs, the hardest fact for most Jewish interpreters and readers to face is that “Me” and “Him” both refer to the same person. Most Jewish interpreters would prefer to have the Gentile nations look to God, whom these nations have attacked indirectly by inflicting suffering on His people Israel.
But each of these novel translations is problematic. Each ignores the fact that the subject of both the verb “to look” and the verb “to pierce” is the same in Hebrew. Therefore, those who pierced the One who will pour out a spirit of grace and supplication in that day, belong to the same national group that will “look” and “mourn” over the pierced One like one mourns over the loss of a firstborn. In the debate over verse 10, interpreters argue that it is impossible to pierce God, since He is spirit and not flesh and blood (Is. 31:3; John 4:24). But that is the point; it was Christ’s flesh that was pierced, and the One who was pierced is at the same time One in essence and being with the God who speaks in this text. Note also that whenever the first person pronoun appears elsewhere in this chapter (Zech 12:2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10 = "I am...I will...I will...I will. I will...I will") it refers to the Messiah. Zechariah had just referred in chapter 11 to the Good Shepherd who had been rejected by Israel, and whose rejection was followed by a terrible punishment. Only the Messiah fits all the details here. His piercing must have come in an earlier advent, for certainly when He comes again it will be with the victory promised in this section." (Ibid)
NET Note on they will look on Me Whom - Because of the difficulty of the concept of the mortal piercing of God, the subject of this clause, and the shift of pronoun from “me” to “him” in the next, many Manuscripts read אַלֵי אֵת אֲשֶׁר (’ale ’et ’asher, “to the one whom,” a reading followed by NAB, NRSV) rather than the MT’s אֵלַי אֵת אֲשֶׁר (’ela ’et ’asher, “to me whom”). The reasons for such alternatives, however, are clear—they are motivated by scribes who found such statements theologically objectionable—and they should be rejected in favor of the more difficult reading (lectio difficilior) of the MT.
Kaiser amplifies the NET Note by addressing why there is such controversy over this text - One of the greatest problems centers around a translation problem. The New Jewish Publication Society translation of the Tanakh (Old Testament) in 1988 rendered it: “But I will fill the House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem with a spirit of pity and compassion; and they shall lament to Me about those who are slain,wailing over them as over a favorite son and showing bitter grief as over a first-born.” The 1896 Jewish translation in an Appendix to the Revised Version read, “And they [i.e., the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem] shall look up to Me because of Him whom they [i.e., the nations which came up against Jerusalem] have pierced.” A more ancient Jewish interpretation understands this prophecy to refer to Messiah ben (“son of”) Joseph, a separate individual from Messiah ben (“son of”) David. But the creation of these two Messiahs, one who would suffer (ben Joseph) and the other who would be glorified (ben David) finds no support from the Tanakh itself. (See also The Jewish Tradition Of Two Messiahs)
S Lewis Johnson has some additional insights on the Jewish approach to Zechariah 12:10 - I have a commentary on the Old Testament written by some Jewish scholars, it’s not a bad commentary in many ways, and I find a great deal of help. I notice the explanation that they gave of the 10th verse of the 12th chapter. It was something like this: They shall look unto me, because THEY, the nations, have thrust Him through. They shall look unto me because they the nations have pierced him through. And I looked in my Hebrew text to discover how this rendering of the text was possible. It is impossible (JOHNSON WAS A PROFESSOR OF OT AND FLUENT IN BIBLICAL HEBREW). Will you look at the text carefully, it says, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem”. There ("HOUSE OF DAVID...INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM") is the “THEY” of the text, not the nations. The nations have been mentioned in the 9th verse. But since that mention, there has only been the mention of the Jews in verse 10! And so surely the normal interpretation of the 10th verse is, “And they”, that is, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, about whom I’ve just been speaking. “They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced”, the “THEY” must refer to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. (The Conversion of Israel) (ED: APOLOGIES FOR THE TECHNICAL DETAILS IN SEVERAL OF THE PREVIOUS NOTES, BUT THIS SUBSTANTIATION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE CLEARLY THE HEBREW TRANSLATORS ARE TRYING TO HIDE THE EVIDENCE SO TO SPEAK! VERY INTERESTING, BUT IT IS NOT SURPRISING!)
Will the nation of Israel actually see Messiah's scars? I think so for it is certain that the wound marks are still on our Lord's glorified body, for they were visible in His resurrected body (John 20:27, cf Lk 24:39-note) and thus will mark Him forever. In Revelation 5, three times John uses the Greek verb sphazo to described his vision of the glorified Jesus (Rev 5:6-note, Rev 5:9-note and Rev 5:12-note), indicating that our Lord's wounds are still visible in heaven. What might be the significance you asked? While there may be other answers, certainly one of the most significant aspects is that His wounds are the marks of His cutting of a blood covenant with those who have placed their faith in Him on earth. His wounds will forever be the marks of the New Covenant in His blood, and will testify throughout eternity that this covenant will never be broken. This is an amazing truth, and one that we will surely ponder with gratitude and wonder throughout eternity! Thank You Lord Jesus for taking the piercing that should have been done to me. Amen.
Spurgeon - “It is a beautiful remark of an old divine, that eyes are made for two things at least; first, to look with, and next, to weep with. The eye which looks to the pierced One is the eye which weeps for him.”
In the prophet Joel in the context of the Day of the Lord just as here in Zechariah 12-14, we read these words from Jehovah...
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil. (Joel 2:12-13-note)
Comment: In Zechariah 12:10, it is as if Jehovah answers His own plea to His Chosen People.
Steven Cole observes that "There is no way to explain it apart from the incarnation, death, and resurrection of one who is both God and man. The speaker throughout this passage has been God, who now says, “They will look on Me Whom they have pierced.” “Pierce” is consistently used of someone being run through by a sword or spear (Nu 25:8; Jdg 9:54; 1 Sa. 31:4). No one can pierce God, unless God first takes on human flesh. And the Jewish nation cannot someday look on this One Whom they pierced unless He is then living, having been raised from the dead. When the soldier thrust his sword through Jesus’ side as He hung on the cross, he inadvertently fulfilled this prophecy in remarkable detail (Jn 19:36-37)!...Israel will “look on Me whom they have pierced.” As I said, the only way that this can be explained is if the one pierced is both God and man. In the 16th century, John Calvin fought against the same errors that we face in Unitarianism and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who deny that Jesus is fully God. Calvin comments on this text to show that Christ is the same in essence with the Father and the Spirit, but distinct in person. Thus God the Father was not pierced, because He did not take on human flesh. But He can say, “They shall look on Me” because He is one in essence with the Son (Calvin’s Commentaries on The Twelve Minor Prophets, p 365-367). While you do not need to understand the Trinity to be saved, you really cannot understand the Gospel unless God opens your eyes to see that Jesus is fully God and fully man. He had to be God to be sinless, so that His sacrifice would be acceptable to the Father. He had to be Man or that sacrifice could not apply to humans. But not only must we see the Savior accurately, as God and man; we must also see that “He was pierced through for our transgressions” (Isa. 53:5). There is no salvation apart from Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 1:23-24; 2:2). Apart from the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness for sins (Heb. 9:22-note). To follow Jesus as a great moral example is not enough (See Josh McDowell's classic "More than a Carpenter"). To be saved, you must apply (by grace through faith) His shed blood to your sins. The Jews who will be living during the Battle (ED: MORE ACCURATELY THE "CAMPAIGN OF ARMAGEDDON" - SEE NOTE) of Armageddon did not physically kill Jesus. True, their ancestors did. But God says here that they pierced Christ. We need to apply this to ourselves: I pierced Christ by my sins! You pierced Him! If you do not see that fact, you do not understand God’s salvation. Thus God often prepares us for salvation through trials. He brings us to salvation through His Spirit and by opening our eyes to see the Savior accurately (cf Acts 26:18-note)."
Cole on look on Me - The emphasis in looking “on Me whom they have pierced” is not on looking on the Messiah literally, but on looking to the Messiah in faith (Kenneth Barker, Expositor’s Bible Commentary 7:683). It is the same as when Moses erected the bronze serpent, and whoever looked to it in faith lived (Nu 21:9, cf Jn 3:14-15). Some interpret this as happening at the Second Coming of Christ, but I understand it to be just prior to that event. At that point, there will be a widespread conversion of the Jews, as Paul states in Romans 11:25-27-note. No one, Jew or Gentile, can be saved apart from looking in faith to Jesus Christ as the crucified and risen Son of God.
Pastor Cole's comment on looking to the Messiah reminds me of the conversion of the great preacher Charles Spurgeon who was saved the day he heard a simple exposition from an unknown substitute preacher of the passage in Isaiah 45:22KJV (for context see Isa 45:21)
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth:
For I am God, and there is none else.
Look on Me - Messiah is speaking. They will look on their Messiah in that day even as described in the Gospel of John
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. (John 3:14-15)
Comment - In the OT Jews who had been bitten by poisonous serpents and were destined for certain death were told by Moses to look (also nabat; Lxx - epiblepo) at the bronze serpent and live in Nu 21:9. Jesus took this OT shadow and emphasized that one was to look at Him with spiritual eyes, eyes of belief (John 3:14-15)
"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds ( theoreo) the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:40)
Feinberg adds that the Hebrew verb nabat is "used of both physical and spiritual sight and is not infrequently “coupled with the idea of confidence in the object beheld; like theoreo (To behold intensely or attentively), for example, in John 6:40.”
A LOOK OF FAITH OR
A LOOK OF SIGHT?
The following notes are again somewhat more technical than usual but hopefully will help you understand why some versions translate Zechariah 12:10 "look ON Me" (NAS, KJV, ESV, NIV, NLT, NAB, NKJ, NRSV. AMP, REB, NEB) and other versions translate it as "look TO (unto) Me" (NET, ASV, ISV, NJB, Young's Literal, Modern English). Holman Christian Standard Bible has "look AT Me." Some of the versions that translate it "look ON me" still have a marginal note "TO me." (CSB, NIV) .Even two versions of the English translation of the Septuagint differ - Brenton's LXE = "look UPON me" and Septuagint-NETS = "look TO me."
The issue in question is the little Hebrew preposition ( אֵל ʾēl, אֶל ʾel) which means to, into, concerning. It has the basic meaning of toward. The preposition expresses primarily motion toward someone or something. As such, it occurs in a wide variety of contexts expressing motion, attitude, direction, or location. In the present passage the question is simply this - Does Zechariah mean that those Jews who will be saved "look" toward the Messiah figuratively, with eyes of faith or do they look literally, with eyes of sight, eyes that literally see Him? Of course we know that they will eventually literally see their Messiah, but do they first have to "see" Him by faith in order to be saved by grace (cf "by grace you have been saved through faith" = Eph 2:8, "the conviction of things not seen" = Heb 11:1, "we walk by faith, not by sight" = 2 Cor 5:7). Do you see the subtle difference? That's what the next set of comments deals with and hopefully you will walk away not totally confused. Clearly there is not a consensus as indicated by the variation in the way the Hebrew preposition is translated. May the Spirit give you insight as you prayerfully study this section.
Arnold Fruchtenbaum says rather than looking on (upon), they will look to (unto) explaining that "The KJV erroneously translated this to read: they shall look upon me whom they have pierced. Because of the mis-translation of the Hebrew word al as upon, many have interpreted this to mean that Yeshua (Jesus) will come first; once the Jews have seen Yeshua, then will they be saved. However, the Hebrew word used here does not mean upon but unto because of where His is: “aloft” or “on high.” (NOW HERE IS HIS INTERESTING POINT) When believers look unto the Lord, they do not visibly see the Lord. The way this passage should be interpreted is when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the whole House of Israel, they will then look unto, not upon, the One whom they have pierced, mourning for Him to return. Only then will He return. So after they have looked unto Him, they are saved, resulting in His return. (IN OTHER WORDS) Israel’s national salvation is the prerequisite to the Second Coming. (THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING ANALYSIS AND IT IS NOTABLE THAT JOHN MACARTHUR IN HIS STUDY NOTE SAYS "Israel’s repentance will come because they look TO Jesus, the One whom they rejected and crucified (cf. Is 53:5; Jn 19:37), in faith at the Second Advent Ro 11:25–27.") (Emphasis mine)
S Lewis Johnson's comments support Fruchtenbaum's analysis - The text says, “and they shall look UNTO Me”. Is this the look of faith or is it the look of sight? When the Lord Jesus comes, is it the look of sight, which sees Him as the One Who has been crucified. Is that what Zechariah means? Or does he mean that they (FIRST) shall look in faith, and realize that it is the Savior Who has died for them, Whom they do not see, visibly. Now we know, of course, they shall see Him. I am inclined to think that it is both. They see our Lord Jesus Christ by faith, and of course, He soon comes and they see Him visibly, as the One Who has come and has died for them. (The Conversion of Israel) (Emphasis mine)
Look (05027)(nabat) carries the root idea of that which one does with the eye and can describe a mere glance (1Sa 17:42) but more often it has the sense of looking somewhat intensely in a focused way at something; to gaze: to gaze at the heavens (Ge 15:5); at Sodom and Gomorrah (Ge 19:17, 26 - Lot's wife did not just glance but she gaze...with longing to go back - See Luke 17:32-note); at the sea (1 Ki 18:43). And so nabat can speak of a careful, sustained, and favorable contemplation (Isa 5:12; Ps 74:20; Ps 119:6, 15, Hab 1:5). Nabat speaks of of physical "looking" (Ex 3:6) and (as in Ps 119:18) of figurative "looking", that is, spiritual apprehension (1 Sa 16:7). Nabat can speak both of man's looking upon God and God's looking upon man (Isa 63:5). In the figurative sense it can mean looking at, considering the commands of the Lord to follow them (Ps. 74:20; 119:6, 15, 18); looking on something for help, dependence (Isa. 22:8, 11). Nabat can mean to evaluate or consider by looking at something (1 Sa 17:42; Ps. 84:9; Amos 5:22). Nabat is used of the keen observations of an eagle from a great distance (Job 39:29); and of the Lord's gazing on the earth from His habitation (Ps. 102:19).
The Hebrew verb nabat (Lxx - epiblepo = see below) here is used of looking intently at Messiah Whom they had pierced, which contrasts radically with the use of their look (nabat) in His first coming the psalmist recording words that also apply to Messiah - " I can count all my bones. They look, (Lxx = katanoeo = look carefully, think about very carefully = but their spiritual eyes [for most of the Jews] were not opened to comprehend the significance of the One they observed) they stare at me." (Ps. 22:17) In Messiah's first coming, the first look of the Jews was with hardened hearts, while in this Second Coming in Zech 12:10, they would look with broken hearts! At that time the grace poured out by the Spirit will allow one-third of the Jews in the Great Tribulation (Zech 13:8-9-note) to look on Messiah and be spiritually healed.
The Septuagint translates nabat in this passage with the verb epiblepo means to literally to turn the eyes upon. The root verb blepo frequently implies looking not nonchalantly but with intent and earnest contemplation. BDAG says epiblepo means to "look intently, to pay close attention to (show special respect for - James 2:3), to look attentively at with implication of personal concern for someone or something.
Cole on they will mourn - God’s salvation produces genuine repentance in the hearts of His people. Israel will mourn over the pierced Savior, as one mourns for an only son, and as the Jews mourned for the good King Josiah in the plains of Megiddo, when Pharaoh killed him. Genuine repentance is not something that a person must work up in order to be saved. But it does necessarily accompany saving faith, so that the New Testament views saving faith and repentance as flip sides of the same coin (Acts 20:21; 26:18). Just as saving faith is not a one-time thing, but ongoing, so with repentance. Ongoing repentance should mark the life of a believer, as we continually look to the Savior who was pierced for our sins. As believers, we should look frequently to the Savior whom we pierced, and mourn. It must be personal, so that even husbands and wives mourn separately. That is the point of the repetition of “by itself” (12:12-14). The family of David refers to the rulers; the family of Levi refers to the priests. “All the families that remain” refers to everyone else. True repentance is not glib, shrugging off sin as no big deal. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). The Lord’s Supper is a good time to look in faith to the Savior whom we pierced.
Pierced (01856)(daqar) means to pierce or thrust through in each biblical instance, the subject of the verb is a human being pierced by a weapon in the context of warfare. Normally the piercing results in death, but in Jeremiah 37:10 the men are only seriously wounded. The weapon used to pierce is usually a sword, but a spear is used in Nu 25:8.
There is a surprising and strange rendering of daqar in the Septuagint which uses the verb katorcheomai which means to treat spitefully, to mock at, to insult and this is the only use of this verb in all the Bible. Even though the Lxx does not translate with a Greek verb for pierce it is significant that not one of the 10 uses of the Hebrew verb daqar means anything other than to pierce or thrust through and none convey the sense of to insult. My experience with the Septuagint is that it is often very close to the Greek word but not always and in fact at times literally makes no sense when one looks at the original Hebrew and context. It follows that we can confidently say that Zechariah meant what he said...pierce and not insult. And think about the context. If the Jews who looked (on or to) the Messiah only insult the Messiah, one can hardly imagine their deep contrition that followed.
Gilbrant on daqar -
Often, to be pierced resulted in a disgraceful death, as in Num. 25:8. An Israelite man brought a Midianite woman home in sight of the whole assembly of Israel. Phinehas, the priest, left the assembly, took a spear, followed them into the Israelite's tent, and thrust the spear through both of them. This action stopped the plague against the Israelites resulting from the idolatry and immorality connected with the worship of the Baal of Peor.
Two Israelite rulers asked their servants to pierce them through to avoid dying in disgrace. A woman dropped a millstone on the head of Abimelech and cracked his skull. He hurriedly called for his armor-bearer to pierce him through so no one could say a woman killed him (Judg. 9:54). Saul (1 Sam. 31:4f; 1 Chr. 10:4) ordered his armor-bearer to pierce him through, when the Philistines overtook them, to avoid abuse by the Philestines.
The term is used twice in Zechariah, and the idea of disgrace is again present. In 12:10, the house of David turns to "the one they have pierced." Chapter 13 then relates the removal of idols, false prophets, and impurity, predicting that false prophets who continue their false prophecy will be pierced through by their parents (13:3).
Dāqar is used four times in connection with the armies of Babylon. When the Persians and Medes overtake them, they will pierce them through (Jer. 51:4; Isa. 13:15). In Jer. 37:10, even "wounded" or "pierced" men will join in defeating Judah, and in Lam. 4:9, people will be "racked" or "pierced" with hunger. (Complete Biblical Library Hebrew-English Dictionary)
Daqar - 10x in 10v - pierce him through(1), pierce me through(2), pierced(1), pierced him through(1), pierced of them through(1), pierced through(1), stricken(1), thrust me through(1), thrust through(1), wounded(1).
Numbers 25:8 and he (THE PRIEST PHINEHAS) went after the man of Israel into the tent (WHO HAD CO-HABITED WITH MOABITE WOMEN) and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.
Judges 9:54 Then he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, 'A woman slew him.'" So the young man pierced him through, and he died.
Comment: Abimelech wanted to avoid the charge that a woman killed him
1 Samuel 31:4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and pierce me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and pierce me through and make sport of me." But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. So Saul took his sword and fell on it.
1 Chronicles 10:4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, otherwise these uncircumcised will come and abuse me." But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword and fell on it.
Isaiah 13:15 (In the end times, in the Day of the Lord, when He pours forth His full wrath on the God hating, Christ rejecting world) Anyone who is found will be thrust through, And anyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
Jeremiah 37:10 'For even if you had defeated the entire army of Chaldeans who were fighting against you, and there were only wounded men left among them, each man in his tent, they would rise up and burn this city with fire.'"
Jeremiah 51:4 "They (BABYLON) will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, And pierced through in their streets."
Lamentations 4:9 Better are those slain with the sword Than those slain with hunger; For they pine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of the field.
Zechariah 13:3 "And if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who gave birth to him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD'; and his father and mother who gave birth to him will pierce him through when he prophesies.
The second stanza of Charles Wesley's classic hymn “Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending” is especially apropos to the looking and the mourning of the nation of Israel (aka, the third portion of the nation - Zech 13:8-9-note). Take a moment from your study to praise and worship our soon coming King of kings. Amen!
Lo, He comes with clouds descending,
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand, thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train:
Alleluia, alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.
Ev’ry eye shall now behold Him,
Robed in splendor’s majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.
Now the Savior, long expected,
See in solemn pomp appear;
All who have not Him rejected
Now shall meet him in the air:
See the day of God appear
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN
THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED (Mt 5:4)
And they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son: The great grief is like mourning for an only son. Their hearts will be smitten with grief like that for the firstborn in the home. I witnessed this to a degree first hand -- I worked with a Jewish gastroenterologist and he tragically lost his only daughter in an automobile accident and every time after that when I saw him, there was a palpable sadness about his countenance and bearing.
Matthew Henry - At the time here foretold, the Jews will know who the crucified Jesus was; then they shall look by faith to Him, and mourn with the deepest sorrow, not only in public, but in private, even each one separately (by itself - Zech 12:12-14).
Wil Pounds - The fulfillment says Keil will “not terminate till the remnant of Israel shall turn as a people to Jesus the Messiah, Whom its fathers crucified. On the other hand, those who continue obstinately in unbelief will see Him at last when He returns in the clouds of heaven, and shriek with despair (Rev. 1:7; Matt. 24:30).” It is with a deep penetrating conviction and mourning that will take place. But for so many it will be too late to be saved. According to Romans 11:25-29 there is a day coming when many in Israel will recognize her Messiah and turn to Him. The change in person from “mourn for Him” to “mourn for Me” is common in prophetic literature. The outpouring of the Spirit prompts the people to mourn for sin in private (Zech 12:10) and public (Zech 12:11). This profound sense of spiritual poverty and mourning leads to a cleansing from all sin because the precious fountain has been opened (Zech 13:1-note). (Zechariah 12:8-10 Mourning for the One Who was Pierced)
At this time there will be a reversal of what occurred after Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah lamenting that "The joy of our hearts has ceased; Our dancing has been turned into mourning," (Lamentations 5:15 ). But in the Day of the Lord in Zechariah 12-14 there will be a reversal of their mourning for Jeremiah writes “Then (in that day when Jehovah ransoms His chosen people - see Jer 32:11-12-note) the virgin will rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together, for I (Jehovah's Spirit) will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow." (Jeremiah 31:13-note)
Feinberg on mourning...bitterly weep - The picture in the verb saphad (mourn) is that of smiting on the breasts in mourning. Compare Isaiah 32:12....It is not so much a mourning for the act committed, but for the Person involved. Compare Jn 19:37; Rev 1:7. To emphasize the intensity and wholeheartedness of the grief, never before experienced in the nation’s history, though they have learned well through the centuries how to weep and mourn, the prophet likens the lamentation to that for the only child, and the bitterness of heart for the loss of the first-born. These sorrows are the deepest that can enter the private life. (See Ex 11:6; Jer 6:26; Am 8:10.)
Mourn...mourns (05594)(saphad - see note on mourning by Patterson) is a primary verb meaning to wail, to lament, to mourn and most of the references deal with the mourning rites at someone’s death. Saphad describes Abraham's reaction when his wife Sarah died (Ge 23:2), the great mourning over the death of Jacob (Ge 50:10), all Israel at the death of Samuel (1 Sa 25:1, 28:3), mourning for seven days at the death of King Saul (2 Sa 1:12), Bathsheba mourning over Uriah's death (2 Sa 11:26).
Given the emphasis with saphad on mourning over someone's death, when Israel's eyes are opened and they realize that they have killed their Messiah (as has every sinner), there will be mourning over His death. The Septuagint translates mourn in Zech 12:10 with a combination of the verb kopto which means to beat one's breast as a strong expression of grief and the rare noun kopetos (used only in Acts 8:2) which describe the beating of one's breast as a sign of grief. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is "A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn (saphad, Lxx = kopto) and a time to dance." The mourning of Zech 12:10 will be surely be followed by a time of dancing in Messiah's Kingdom!
Gilbrant - In OT times, lamenting was a central part of life. Examples of happenings which caused people to mourn include death, natural disaster, war, sickness or awareness of sin. Joseph wailed bitterly and mourned for seven days at the threshing floor at Atad following the death of his father, Jacob (Gen. 50:10). Sāphadh is also connected with other practices of mourning rites, such as tearing clothes and wearing sackcloth, a coarse and uncomfortable material worn next to the skin (2 Sa 3:31); fasting (2 Sa 1:12) and beating one's breast (Isa 32:12). Although the meaning of such mourning practices is not completely clear, the OT seems to impart the idea that expressing bereavement must embody the entire person. The submission of the body to discomforts such as coarse clothing, sitting in ashes and hunger were appropriate actions to signify anguish. Also, the public display of sorrow indicated the communal, and not just individual, nature of mourning.
Saphad - 31x in 29v - beat(1), lament(9), lamented(5), mourn(8), mourned(6), mourners(1), mourns(1).
Gen. 23:2; Gen. 50:10; 1 Sam. 25:1; 1 Sam. 28:3; 2 Sam. 1:12; 2 Sam. 3:31; 2 Sam. 11:26; 1 Ki. 13:29; 1 Ki. 13:30; 1 Ki. 14:13; 1 Ki. 14:18; Eccl. 3:4; Eccl. 12:5; Isa. 32:12; Jer. 4:8; Jer. 16:4; Jer. 16:5; Jer. 16:6; Jer. 22:18; Jer. 25:33; Jer. 34:5; Jer. 49:3; Ezek. 24:16; Ezek. 24:23; Joel 1:13; Mic. 1:8; Zech. 7:5; Zech. 12:10; Zech. 12:12
And they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn: This loss is a peculiar sorrow to loving parents, which has been likened to the most intense private sorrow and here now likened to the most intense public grief (as the Egyptians were when there was a cry throughout all their land for the death of their first-born = Ex 11:6, Jer 6:26, Amos 8:10) Thank God for that godly sorrow which worketh REPENTANCE. (2 Cor 7:9-10)
Matthew Henry - The sorrow of children for the death of their parents is sometimes counterfeited, is often small, and soon wears off and is forgotten but the sorrow of parents for a child, for a son, for an only son, for a first-born, is natural, sincere, unforced, and unaffected, it is secret and lasting such are the sorrows of a true penitent, flowing purely from love to Christ above any other.
Weep bitterly (04943)(marar cf the adjective marar usually to describe an emotional response to a destructive, heart-crushing situation, but sometimes literal - Ex 15:23) means to be bitter, emotionally distraught or embittered. To grieve bitterly often with weeping and vocalization. It is used by Naomi who lost her husbands and two sons and declared the "Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me." (Ru 1:20, cf Ru 1:13, Job 27:2). Marar describes the Egyptians making the lives of the Israelites bitter because of hard labor (Ex 1:14).
The Septuagint translates the two uses of marar in Zech 12:10 with the verb odunao which has two main senses (1) violent physical torment or being in agony as was the rich man in Hades (Lk 16.24-note) and (2) of spiritual or mental distress meaning to be grieved, be pained and the related noun odune literally describing severe, sudden pain,but here used figuratively to describe deep mental distress, agitation, sorrow, including remorse from a guilty conscience.
Victor Hamilton- The verb mārar is used fifteen times, always with man as subject, never God, unless the verb describes an interpretation given by man to God's actions and will. For example, Job (and this root plus its various derivatives appear more frequently in Job than in any other OT book [ten times]) complains: The Almighty has vexed my soul (Job 27:2), Hiphil of mārar. Similarly, Naomi says, "Do not call me Naomi, call me 'Mara' for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me" (Ruth 1:20).It is interesting to note that the Hebrews expressed tragic, unpleasant experiences in terms of the sense of taste, the bitter. Actually, we employ the same figure of speech in our English language: It was a galling experience; his actions were not in very good taste, I thought; your wife is always so tastefully dressed. (TWOT)
Baker says marar conveys "the sense of harshness, embitterment, offensiveness, affliction: of a physical attack on someone (Ge 49:23; Da 8:7; 11:11); of backbreaking, debilitating work (Ex. 1:14; 23:21); of the effect of calamities in life (Ruth 1:13, 20; 1 Sam. 30:6; 2 Kgs. 4:27; Job 27:2; Isa. 38:17; Lam. 1:4; Zech. 12:10); especially of the bitterness engendered by God’s judgments on His people (Isa. 22:4; 24:9). (Word Study OT)
Marar - 15x in 14v - bitter(2), bitter weeping(1), bitterly(2), dealt...bitterly(1), embittered(2), enraged(2), had(1), harder*(1), made bitter(1), troubled(1), weep bitterly(1).
Ge. 49:23; Ex. 1:14; Ru 1:13; Ru 1:20; 1 Sa 30:6; 2 Ki. 4:27; Job 27:2; Isa. 22:4; Isa. 24:9; Isa. 38:17; Lam. 1:4; Da. 8:7; Da 11:11; Zech. 12:10
Zechariah 12:10 in a very real sense is a fulfillment of the prophetic promise in Leviticus 26....
‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me– 41 I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies–or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. (Lev 26:40-42-note)
There is also an allusion to the fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10 in Hosea 5 when Jehovah promises...
I will go away and return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction (tsar; Lxx = thlipsis) they will earnestly seek Me. (Hosea 5:15)
Comment: This is an incredible prophecy, for in the Septuagint the word for affliction is the noun thlipsis, which is the very word Jesus uses in Matthew 24:29 to describe the horrible time of affliction the Jews will experience for three and one half years, in the time of the Great Tribulation (Begins - Mt 24:15-note, named - Mt 24:21-note), also referred to by Jeremiah as the Time of Jacob's Distress (Jeremiah 30:7-note), and by Daniel as "a time of distress" - Da 12:1-note. Note also that this 3.5 year period known as the Great Tribulation is also synonymous with several other time phrases = 1260 days, 42 months, "middle of the week," "time, times, and half a time."
Moses also alludes to the time of fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10 declaring to the nation just before they entered the Promised Land
“When (Not IF but WHEN!) you are in distress (as described in Zech 12:2-3-note, Zech 14:2-note) and all these things (cf Dt 31:17) have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice. (Dt 4:30-commentary)
Comment: It is also worth noting that the Hebrew word for affliction is tsar (and the Greek word thlipsis in the Septuagint) is also used in this prophetic passage.
The prophetic promise in Zechariah 12:10 as noted above is echoed in Dt 4:30 and is also alluded to in Moses' prophecy in Deuteronomy 30:
So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you (WHEN IS WHEN? THE FULFILLMENT IS DESCRIBED IN ZECHARIAH 12-15, especially Zechariah 12:10-note WHEN THE NATION REPENTS AND BELIEVES IN MESSIAH), the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, 2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons (BELOVED THIS HAS NOT YET HAPPENED FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL! THIS HAS TO BE A FUTURE EVENT!), 3 then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 “If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth (NOTE ALL OVER THE EARTH NOT JUST ASSYRIA AND BABYLON), from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. 5 “The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. 6 “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live (CLEARLY THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED AND AWAITS THE RETURN OF THE MESSIAH!). (Deuteronomy 30:1-6-see commentary).
As noted above in Joel 2:28-31, 32-note Joel describe the outpouring of the Spirit. God would first pour out His Spirit on the Jews at Pentecost, a foretaste of the pouring out of the Spirit on Israel in Zechariah 12:10. Then the Messiah will return at the end as Israel's Deliverer (Ro 11:26) and "ALL" of the 1/3 who survive will be saved (Zech 13:8-9-note). At that time the prophecy of Joel 2 will be completely fulfilled!
The Talmud pronounces peace upon one who refers the passage to Messiah the son of Joseph, yet to be slain. They had a theory of 2 Messiahs, one to die and one to reign. The oldest interpreters of this passage however both Jewish and Christian, understood this passage clearly referred to the Messiah to come.
As an aside, the rabbinical theory of two messiahs (one to suffer and one to reign) is without scriptural support. See this small booklet on The Jewish Tradition Of Two Messiahs.
The repentant mourning is compared to the mourning that occurred when good King Josiah, the only king to provide any hint of spiritual hope to the believing remnant between Hezekiah and Nebuchadnezzar, was slain in battle at Megiddo (2 Chr. 35:20-25). The verbal confession of the people in that coming day is predicted in Isa. 52:13-53:12 (Matt. 24:30, Ro 11:25-33).
Messianic Jewish missionary Adolph Saphir comments on Zechariah 12:10 noting that
"Every Jew who, by the grace of God since the Day of Pentecost, had been brought to Christ fulfills (MORE ACCURATELY "PARITIALLY" FULFILLS) this prediction; he looks unto Him Whom he has pierced. It is the look of repentance; for only a sight of the crucified Jesus shows us our sin and grief. It is the look of supplication and faith; for He only can bless and save, and He saves all who believe. It is the look of peace and adoration; for His love is infinite, unchanging and omnipotent. It is the look which never ceases and never ends; for now the veil is taken away, and we with open face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18-note).
It is interesting and surprising that John Calvin did not see Zechariah 12:10 as Messianic but held that God was vexed ("pierced") by the Jews. Even his contemporaries refuted his spurious interpretation.
Charles Feinberg writes that...
Among Christians the prevailing view was that Zechariah spoke of Christ and so most of the Reformers (Calvin excepted)...That interpretation which refers the passage to the Lord Jesus Christ is the correct one because...
(1) the Jewish tradition referred the passge to the coming Messiah, even if it did err in assigning it to the "son of Joseph";
(2) all Jewish commentators acknowledged that the chapter spoke of the days or times of the Messiah;
(3) this view agrees with other Scriptures which represent this mourning as that of repentance. Compare Ezekiel 36:25-31. There must be sufficient cause to answer to the profundity and universality of the grief.
The heart that is in line with the purpose of God will pray fervently that the hour may not be far off when repentant Israel will look upon their pierced Messiah and own Him as their Shepherd, their Lord, their King and their Savior. (God Remembers: A Study of Zechariah).
Feinberg - In Zech 12:10 the mourning is likened to the worst domestic grief; in verse 11 the sorrow is compared to a great public calamity. The mourning of Hadadrimmon (Maximianopolis) in the valley of Megiddo was on the occasion of the slaying of the godly king Josiah by Pharaoh-Necho of Egypt. Compare 2 Chronicles 35:22–27. The Chronicles passage reveals how great was the lamentation over this king. And rightly so, for “this was the greatest sorrow, which had fallen on Judah. Josiah was the last hope of its declining kingdom…. In Josiah’s death the last gleam of the sunset of Judah faded into night.”
Will all Israel be saved in the end times?
Romans 9:1-5 Paul's Sorrow Concerning Israel - Tony Garland
Romans 9:6-13 Children of the Promise - Tony Garland
Romans 9:14-24 The Potter and the Clay - Tony Garland
Romans 9:25-33 A Remnant Will be Saved - Tony Garland
Romans 10:1-13 The Righteousness of God - Tony Garland
Romans 10:14-21 Has Israel Not Heard? - Tony Garland
Romans 11:1-6 God Has Not Cast Away The Jews - Tony Garland
Romans 11:7-15 Life from the Dead - Tony Garland
Romans 11:16-24 Two Olive Trees - Tony Garland
Romans 11:25-36 The Salvation of Israel - Tony Garland
Romans 11 Does God Have a Future for Israel? by Gil Rugh
The Jewish Problem - small book by Jewish believer David Baron (written in 1891-interesting!)
Charles Feinberg asks an interesting question about Zechariah 12:10 - How has this important passage been treated by Jewish and Christian students in the past? Early Jewish opinion favored the Messianic interpretation of this portion of Zechariah. After the Christian era the theory of two Messiahs, the first, the son of Joseph, and the second, the son of David, came into vogue. Such is the position of the Talmud and many Jewish commentators, even to this day. But McCaul rightly asks, “Why should the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem mourn so bitterly for a son of Joseph, especially as, according to Abarbanel, his death is to make way for the object of their hopes and prayers, Messiah, the Son of David?”24 There can be no Messiah, son of Joseph, because (so McCaul): (1) they, the two Messiahs, cannot exist contemporaneously in view of Ezekiel 34:22, 23 (“one shepherd”) and 37:21–24 (“one king”); and (2) the son of David cannot succeed the son of Joseph in view of Hosea 3:4, 5, for they will have no king until they seek the son of David. However, still other Jewish commentators denied any Messianic reference whatsoever (so Kimchi). The latter says, in commenting on our passage, “Our rabbies, of blessed memory, have interpreted this of Messiah, the son of Joseph, who shall be killed in the war. But I wonder, according to their interpretation, how he is here spoken Of unconnectedly, without any previous mention at all.”25 Among Christians the prevailing view was that Zechariah spoke of Christ, and so most of the Reformers. Calvin was the exception, for he held that God was vexed (figuratively said to be pierced) by the Jews. His contemporaries repudiated his view. Later writers referred it to some Jewish leader or martyr. That interpretation which refers the passage to the Lord Jesus Christ is the correct one because, as McCaul has pointed out, (1) the Jewish tradition referred the passage to the coming Messiah, even if it did err in assigning it to the son of Joseph; (2) all Jewish commentators acknowledged that the chapter spoke of the days or times of the Messiah; and (3) this view agrees with other Scriptures which represent this mourning as that of repentance. Compare Ezekiel 36:25–31. There must be a sufficient cause to answer to the profundity and universality of the grief. The heart that is in line with the purposes of God will pray fervently that the hour may not be far off when repentant Israel will look upon their pierced Messiah and own Him as their Shepherd, their Lord, their King, and their Savior.
See also - Jewish Messianic Interpretations of Zechariah 12:10
David Baron's comments continued -
"I think," said a great master in Israel, " there is nothing in the whole range of scripture more touching than the promise contained in these simple, unadorned words. As they touch the heart they fix themselves on our memory. Who can ever forget them ? They shall look unto (or " upon ") Me whom they have pierced. " And yet there is not another scripture in the Old Testament around which more controversy has raged than around "these simple, unadorned," and, to the Christian, most precious words. Jewish commentators and some rationalistic Christian writers who seem not less biased in their anti-Christological methods in interpreting the Old Testament, 1 have tried their utmost to divert this scripture from Him whose rejection and suffering unto death, and yet future recognition and penitent reception on the part of " His own " nation, it foretells.
The modern Jewish translation of the passage as given, for instance, in the "Appendix of the Revised Version," issued by the Jewish Community in England for the use of Jews, in 1896, is as follows: "And they (i.e., the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem) shall look up to Me because of Him whom they (i.e., the nations which come against Jerusalem) have pierced." This translation, first suggested by Rashi, adopted by Kimchi in his commentary on Zechariah, was fully elaborated by Rabbi Isaak of Troki 2 in his polemical work against Christianity, Chizzuk Emunah (" Strengthening of the Faith "), who thus explains: " If it should happen that any of the Israelites should be pierced, namely, in that war, even though it should be one of the most inconsiderable, they shall wonder greatly how this could happen, and will think that this is the beginning of a fall and defeat before their enemies, as Joshua did. When the men of Ai smote thirty-six of Israel, he said "Alas ! O Lord God, why didst Thou cause this people to pass the Jordan?" And again: What shall I say when Israel turn their backs before their enemies? (Joshua 7). So will it be at that time if they should see any of them pierced, they will be astonished, and look on Me on account of Him whom they pierced." This translation, however, to which English-speaking Jews have, as we have seen, officially committed themselves, only shows the length which modern Judaism will go in misinterpreting the plainest scriptures so as to evade the Christian argument drawn from them in support of the claims of Jesus of Nazareth. It is a rendering which is contrary to grammar and to the natural sense, for, first, the word eth asher cannot possibly mean "because of Him whom," but simply "whom," emphatically and definitely expressed. And, secondly, the modern Jewish rendering or paraphrase implies that the subject of the second verb of the first verse "pierced," is a different one from that of the first verb "shall look" in the same short sentence. But it is altogether unnatural to suppose that two parties were in the prophet s mind, and that "they" who "shall look" are the Jews, and "they " who "have pierced" are the Gentile nations.
Another "Jewish" rendering of the passage, equally unfair and even less tenable, but contradictory of the above, is that found in the bulky "Jewish Family Bible," which has also a kind of "official" air about it, inasmuch as it was "printed with the sanction of (the late) Rev. Dr. Adler, the chief Rabbi." The critical passage in question is translated thus: "But I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication, and they whom the nations are piercing shall look upon Me, and shall mourn over it," etc. But a translation which does not scruple to interpolate words and expressions is not worth noticing, except to point out that it can claim, at best, to be only a polemical Targum, or commentary, the chief aim of which is the elimination of all references to a suffering, atoning Messiah from the pages of the Old Testament. It is not necessary to point out to any one who can read the original that the words, "whom the nations were piercing," are not found in the Hebrew text, and are an unjustifiable gloss of the "reviser."
But there is a more ancient Jewish interpretation of this prophecy than those to which I referred, which were invented by Jews for controversial reasons; it is that, namely, which applies the passage to Messiah ben Joseph. Thus Aben Ezra, who wrote after Rashi, says: "All the heathen shall look to me to see what I shall do to those who pierced Messiah, the son of Joseph " ; and Abarbanel, after noticing the interpretation of Rashi and Kimchi, says: "It is more correct to interpret the passage of Messiah, the son of Joseph, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, have interpreted it in the treatise Sukkah, for he shall be a mighty man of valor of the tribe of Joseph, and shall at first be captain of the Lord s host in that war (namely, against Gog and Magog), but in that war shall die." This interpretation is of interest and importance to the Christian student, in so far as it shows that the disciples of Christ, when the New Testament was written, were not alone in interpreting this scripture of the Messiah. The Jewish Rabbis explained it in the same way, only they applied it to Messiah ben Joseph, who does not exist in Scripture, and is an invention of their own brains. (The Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah - 1918)
Zechariah 12:11 "In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
like the mourning: 2Ki 23:29 2Ch 35:24
NATIONAL MOURNING
AND REPENTANCE
Charles Feinberg - Zechariah has not concluded what he wishes to reveal concerning that sorrow. It is of such importance that he elaborates upon it. The manner of the mourning is detailed for us. There will be universal and individual mourning. Seclusion and privacy will be sought at this time of grief. The prophet outlines for us the way in which the nation will be divided into family groups and then further into individuals as they pour out their bitter weeping over their rejection of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. (The Minor Prophets)
Feinberg - Now the prophet would show us how universal as well as individual will be that sorrow, so he writes: “In that day the mourning shall be great in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of the Shimeites apart, and their wives apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart,” (Zec 12:11–14) As Chambers rightly states, “It is a picture of penitence as vivid and accurate as any found anywhere in the Scriptures.”19 This is the experience of Psalm 51:1-19 on a national scale....Of the three proper nouns in Zec 12:11 the LXX translates only the first as a name, erroneously rendering the other two as appellatives. (Exegetical Notes)
Kenneth Barker - The convicting work of the Spirit of God will produce national contrition or repentance, led by the civil (royal) and religious leaders. The future weeping (“on that day”) in Jerusalem will be so great that it is compared with “the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in ‘the plain of Megiddo.”
In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem - Not a little remorse but great mourning for great sin In that day during the Great Tribulation (presumably just before Messiah returns but one cannot be dogmatic - except to say it will be in this last 3.5 year period) when the Spirit of God has opened the eyes of their heart to recognize Jesus Christ as their Messiah and with brokenness they mourn, even with great mourning given the greatness of their sin against their Messiah.
Like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo - "It is like the mourning of a people for the death of a wise and good prince. It shall be like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon, where good king Josiah was slain, for whom there was a general lamentation (Zechariah 12:11), and perhaps the greater because they were told that it was their sin that provoked God to deprive them of so great a blessing." (Matthew Henry)
Stephen Ger notes the great mourning "is also compared (Zech 12:11) to the national mourning that attended the untimely death of a beloved Jewish king, Josiah (2 Chron. 35:22–27). The mourning for this messianic Jewish King will not only yield public national anguish, but private, intense, individual grief, led by the Jewish political and spiritual leadership (Zech 12:12–14). (Zechariah: Minor Prophet With A Major Message - Conservative Theological Journal 03:8 Apr 1999)
Hadad-rimmon (composed of the names of two Syrian idols), the name of a place in the valley of Megiddo. It is a proverbial expression derived from the lamentation for Josiah, who was mortally wounded near this place 2 Ch 35:22-25
However, Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of Megiddo. 23 The archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 Then Jeremiah chanted a lament for Josiah. And all the male and female singers speak about Josiah in their lamentations to this day. And they made them an ordinance in Israel; behold, they are also written in the Lamentations.
Mourning...mourning (04553)(misped from saphad= to wail, lament) is a "masculine noun depicting wailing, mourning, lamenting. It stands for deep, despairing emotional reactions by persons and animals at some calamity: the death of a patriarch (Gen. 50:10); the prospect of being slaughtered, annihilated (Esth. 4:3); the opposite of dancing for joy (Ps. 30:11[12]); at the approach of judgment from the Lord (Isa. 22:12; Jer. 6:26; Amos 5:16, 17; Mic. 1:8); economic disaster (Ezek. 27:31). It is used of mourning for a person (Zech. 12:10, 11)." (Baker)
Gilbrant - Misped is used to describe the ritual of wailing over the dead, as is the case in Gen. 50:10. Here Joseph and his attendants lamented over Jacob's death, "And [Joseph] observed seven days mourning for his father" (NASB). As is the common meaning of this noun, it is used to describe more of a prolonged mourning custom that involves certain rituals rather than mere emotive release. Scattering dust on one's head, fasting, cutting one's beard, rending one's garments and disheveling one's hair were among the observable rituals that comprised mourning rites in biblical times. (Further examples of these rituals used to express mourning can be found in Jer. 6:26; 48:38; Ezek. 27:31; and Mic. 1:8). In addition, mispfidh is used many times with respect to God's coming judgment, for judgment will bring the necessity of mourning. Three times, the word appears in Amos 5:16f to express the peoples' anguish at the Lord's passing through their midst. Oftentimes, in connection with mispfidh being used to describe a response to the Lord's coming judgment, it is also used to express repentance toward God. The Lord declares through his prophet Joel, "Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning" (Joel 2:12, NASB). (Ibid)
Misped - 14x in 13v - lament(1), lamentation(4), mourning(5), wailing(4).
Gen. 50:10; Est. 4:3; Ps. 30:11; Isa. 22:12; Jer. 6:26; Jer. 48:38; Ezek. 27:31; Joel 2:12; Amos 5:16; Amos 5:17; Mic. 1:8; Mic. 1:11; Zech. 12:11
R D Patterson on mourning with saphad and misped - By far most of the references in which this root and its derivative are found deal with the mourning rites at someone’s death (e.g. Gen 23:2; 50:10; I Sam 25:1; 28:3; II Sam 1:12; 3:31; 11:26; I Kgs 13:29f.; cf. Eccl 12:5). A such times, all who sensed the loss of the departed would come to share their grief with the members of the family. Their grief could be demonstrated in many ways: going barefoot, stripping off one’s clothes, cutting one’s beard or body, fasting (or banqueting), scattering ashes, or beating some part of the body. Some of these rituals were proscribed for the Israelite, doubtless because of pagan association (Lev 19:28). Shrill cries or loud wailing often accompanied the mourning, which in time became stereotyped and structured into formal laments. Of course, weeping, especially by the women, was greatly in evidence as the combination of sāpad with its set parallel bākâ (“weep”) attests. The growth of funerary ritual led to the employment of professional mourners, again, usually women. Mourning for the dead began immediately at death, went on as the body was carried to the tomb, was observed at the tomb and lasted at least seven days after the burial. The practice of mourning for the departed was seized upon by the prophets to warn of a coming national death in accordance with the just judgment of God. Isaiah 32:11ff. summons the women of Judah to mourn in the light of the coming judgment. Jeremiah 4:8 calls Jerusalem to repentance and mourning in the face of the Assyrian invasion. Joel 1:8, 13ff. calls on the mourning priests to lead the people in a time of heartfelt national repentance and sorrow for their sins, since the locust plague was but a harbinger of a worse judgment to come. Micah 1:8 goes wailing and mourning for Judah. A whole genre of prophetic lamentation grew up which not only stressed the need of national repentance for sin and the certainty of coming judgment but promised ultimate deliverance at the coming of Messiah (e.g. Zech 12:10–11), when in a far deeper sense the believer will reecho the Psalmist’s cry (Ps 30:10–11), “O Lord … thou hast turned my mourning into dancing!” (TWOT)
This is the same word used by God in Joel 2 calling for Israel to repent “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; (Joel 2:12) In a very real sense the mourning in Zechariah 12:11 is an answer to Jehovah's call in Joel 2:12, as it is the mourning of a broken heart, a repentant heart.
The same Hebrew word for mourning is used by David in Psalm 30 writing "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness." (Ps 30:11) Indeed for the Jews who mourned over their Messiah, their mourning and repentance would be turned by joy by the Holy Spirit.
Yes in that day there will indeed be "great mourning," but it will be followed by great joy (Zephaniah 3:14-20-commentary).
Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The LORD has taken away His judgments against you, He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You will fear disaster no more. 16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: “Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp. 17 “The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. 18 “I will gather those who grieve about the appointed feasts– They came from you, O Zion; The reproach of exile is a burden on them. 19 “Behold, I am going to deal at that time With all your oppressors, I will save the lame And gather the outcast, And I will turn their shame into praise and renown In all the earth. 20 “At that time I will bring you in, Even at the time when I gather you together; Indeed, I will give you renown and praise Among all the peoples of the earth, When I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” Says the LORD.
Hadadrimmon is literally "of Hadad Rimmon." Hadad Rimmon was a Syrian god of storm and fertility who may have been worshiped annually with rites of mourning, like the Mesopotamian god Tammuz (cf. Ezek. 8:14). The point may be that Israel's repentant sorrow will be as great as the abominable rites of mourning performed in disobedience to God at Megiddo. In support of this view, many pagan cult objects have been discovered in excavations at Megiddo. Nevertheless, a more likely view is that there was adjacent to Megiddo a site Hadad-Rimmon named for the pagan god, where mourning took place for Josiah.
NET Note - Hadad-Rimmon is a compound of the names of two Canaanite deities, the gods of storm and thunder respectively. The grammar (a subjective genitive) allows, and the problem of comparing Israel's grief at God's "wounding" with pagan mourning seems to demand, that this be viewed as a place name, perhaps where Judah lamented the death of good king Josiah (cf. 2 Chr 35:25). However, some translations render this as "for" (NRSV, NCV, TEV, CEV), suggesting a person, while others translate as "of" (KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT) which is ambiguous.
MacAthur - “Since there is no specific mountain by that name, and Har can refer to hill country, it is probably a reference to the hill country surrounding the Plain of Megiddo, some sixty miles north of Jerusalem. More than two hundred battles have been fought in that region.”
Zechariah 12:12 "The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves;
The land will mourn: Jer 3:21 Jer 4:28 Jer 31:18 Mt 24:30 Rev 1:7
every family by itself Ex 12:30
the family of the house of David by itself : Jer 13:18 Jon 3:5,6
and their wives by themselves: Zec 7:3 Joe 2:16 1Co 7:5
the family of the house of Nathan by itself : 2Sa 5:14 7:2-4 12:1 Lu 3:31
Charles Feinberg - Because of the overwhelming sorrow each family will weep apart. It will be an intense and sincere sorrow; private and public; national and individual; personal and family. The mourning will extend from the highest to the lowest in the land. The mention of the house of David shows the kings to be guilty; the house of Nathan (if this be Nathan the prophet and not Nathan, son of David), prophets guilty; the house of Levi, the priests guilty; and the house of Shimei, the ordinary Levites (Nu 3:21) guilty. The old Jewish view held that Nathan represented the prophetic order, while the Shimeite stood for the teachers.
Spurgeon - “The land will mourn (cf Jer 4:28), every family by itself.” True repentance is the distinct act of each individual. It cannot, as a rule, be performed in the mass. There is a general repentance that, like that of the Ninevites, has a special excellence about it because it affects a whole city or nation, but that is not the kind of repentance that is described here. In this case the sharpness of personal conviction of sin cuts and wounds the conscience of each individual, and a bitter cry is uttered by each one as if he were the only sinner in the world. How sincerely you and I would repent if we felt as if we were the only ones who had ever broken God’s law! Yet such repentance as that is necessary if we would be personally forgiven.
From Spurgeon's sermon "Apart" on Zechariah 12:12-14 - TRUE repentance is always accompanied by sorrow. It has been said by some of those of modern times who disparage repentance that repentance is “nothing but a change of mind.” These words sound as if there was merely some superficial meaning to them; and so, indeed, they are intended by those who use them, but they are not so intended by the Spirit of God. Repentance may be and is a change of mind; but what a change it is! It is not an unimportant change of mind such as you may have concerning whether you will take your holiday this week or the next, or about some trifling matter of domestic interest; but it is a change of the whole heart, of the love, of the hate, of the judgment, and of the view of things taken by the individual whose mind is thus changed. It is a deep, radical, fundamental, lasting change; and you will find that, whenever you meet with it in Scripture, it is always accompanied with sorrow for past sin. And rest you assured of this fact, that the repentance which has no tear in its eye, and no mourning for sin in its heart, is a repentance which needs to be repented of, for there is in it no evidence of conversion, no sign of the existence of the grace of God. In what way has that man changed his mind who is not sorry that he has sinned? In what sense can it be said that he has undergone any change worth experiencing if he can look back upon his past life with pleasure, or look upon the prospect of returning to his sin without an inward loathing and disgust? I say again that we have need to stand in doubt of that repentance which is not accompanied with mourning for sin; and even when Christ is clearly seen by faith, and sin is pardoned, and the man knows that it is forgiven, he does not cease to mourn for sin. Nay, brethren, his mourning becomes deeper as his knowledge of his guilt becomes greater; and his hatred of sin grows in proportion as he understands that love of Christ by which his sin is put away. In true believers, mourning for sin is chastened and sweetened, and, in one sense, the fang of bitterness is taken out; but, in another sense, the more we realize our indebtedness to God’s grace, and the more we see of the sufferings of Christ in order to our redemption, the more do we hate sin, and the more do we lament that we ever fell into it. I am sure it is so, and that every Christian’s experience will confirm what I say.....Another special characteristic of this mourning described by Zechariah, which also distinguishes genuine repentance for sin, is that it is personal, the act of each individual, and the act of the individual apart from any of his fellows. The watchword of true penitence is this word “apart.” How it rings out in the text (in the King James Version the word "apart" occurs 11x in Zech 12:12-14KJV)....Sham repentance can do its work in the mass; it talks about national sin and national sorrow, which generally means the mere notion of sin and the notion of repentance. But when it comes to a true work of the Spirit of God, and men do really mourn for sin so as to obtain pardon, it is a thing in which each individual stands in a personal solitude, as much apart from everybody else as if he had been the sole man that God ever made, and was without father and without mother and without descent, and had himself alone so sinned that the whole anger of God for sin had fallen upon him. A man in this condition gets alone, he bears his sin apart, quitting the company of his fellows, and all the charms that once lured him to destruction; and his lamentation on account of sin is his own sole act and deed. It wells up from his own heart, it is not borrowed from others; but, by the effectual working of the grace of God, everything about it is of himself.
The land will mourn, every family by itself - It is a general public mourning, but more importantly a private, personal mourning. Not only the capital of Jerusalem, but the whole land shall mourn, and this not only in mass but especially individually, every family and every subdivision of a family by itself.
Kenneth Barker says "The expressions “each clan by itself” and “their wives by themselves” (v.12) are doubtless intended to emphasize the sincerity of the mourning as true repentance. This is no purely emotional public spectacle. Nor are professional mourners involved. Individually and corporately, this is the experience of Leviticus 16 (the Day of Atonement) and Psalm 51 (a penitential psalm) on a national scale." (Expositor's Bible Commentary)
The family of the house of David by itself - Royalty will mourn.
And their wives by themselves - five times we see this phrase in Zechariah 12:2-14! This mourning will be so intense as to transcend even the closest ties on earth, those between husband and wife. Each will want to be alone with God in that hour.
Feinberg on wives by themselves - Five times it is mentioned that their wives will mourn apart. It has been suggested that the reference is to the Jewish custom for wives to live in separate apartments as well as to worship separately. This is to miss the inner meaning of the passage. The prophet means that the mourning will be so intense as to transcend even the closest ties of earth, those between husband and wife. Each will want to be alone with God in that hour.
The family of the house of Nathan by itself - Nathan would be representative of the prophets, but Feinberg notes "Some identify this Nathan as the prophet (2 Sa 7:2) while others think it is the younger son of David (2 Sa 5:14). If the former is intended, then the royal office and prophetic are included; if the latter is the meaning, then the highest and lowest in the royal house are in view. We cannot prove either view with finality."
And their wives by themselves - see Feinberg above.
Warren Wiersbe - Note the specific groups of people who will repent (12:12–14): David (royalty), Nathan (the prophets), Levi (the priests). Throughout Israel’s history, it has been the prophets, priests, and kings who often led the people astray. (Wiersbe's Expository Outlines of the OT)
Zechariah 12:13 the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves;
the family of the house of Levi by itself : Ex 6:16-26 Nu 3:1-4:49 Mal 2:4-9
the family of the Shimeites by itself : or, Simeon, as LXX, 2Sa 16:5 1Ki 1:8 1Ch 3:19 4:27 23:7,10 2Ch 29:14
The family of the house of Levi by itself - The priests will mourn. It is interesting that the prophet mentions these groups who would be members of one of the 12 tribes. Will they know which tribe they belong to at this time? I am not sure. But God knows and so He knows and is probably signifying the fact that the mourning among the Jews when they see their Messiah will be reflective of all having a broken heart. And as we will see in Zechariah 13:8-9, those Jews who mourn and repent and believe in Messiah are only one-third of the entire nation of Israel.
The family of the Shimeites by itself - Shimei son of Gershon, the son of Levi (Nu 3:17–18, 21)
And their wives by themselves...And their wives by themselves - see Feinberg's comment in verse 12.
Zechariah 12:14 all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves.
NATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL
This is a very poor chapter break (recalling they were not inspired), but naturally flows into the next verse (pun intended) which says
“In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity. (Zechariah 13:1-note)
Their mourning and weeping and repenting has prepared their hearts be be washed clean of their sin even as Ezekiel had prophesied
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. (Ezekiel 36:25-note)
And then washed by the blood of the Lamb and having the Spirit poured out on them (Joel 2:28-note) Zechariah says at that time
They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" (Zechariah 13:9-note)
Feinberg - Because of the overwhelming sorrow each family will weep apart. It will be an intense and sincere sorrow; private and public; national and individual; personal and family.
All the families that remain - Everyone not characterized as members of one of the groups in Zech 12:12-14 will mourn and repent after looking upon the Messiah Whom they pierced.
Every family by itself - By itself. six times and five by themselves in Zech 12:12, 13, 14. As noted the KJV has "apart" eleven times. Individual repentance is emphasized.
Constable comments that "The repeated phrases “every family by itself” and “their wives by themselves” solemnize the mourning and underline its genuineness....This would not be a national media event staged by the leaders of Israel to make a show, but individuals everywhere throughout the nation would sincerely voice their remorse."
Kelly writes "“The closest relationship is as nothing in [the] presence of sin and God as its judge. Each must be alone.”
And their wives by themselves - see Feinberg's comment in verse 12.
Steven Cole applies the truths of this incredible predictive prophecy by first asking - Why did God give this remarkable prophecy to people who lived at least 2,500 years before it would take place? It was not so that they could draw up prophecy charts and read books about how soon these things would take place. He gave these prophecies to comfort His people as they went through trials and faced threatening enemies with the solid truth that He is a mighty Savior, and that no one can touch His elect apart from His purpose. That’s how He wants us to apply it. If you have not yet repented of your sins and trusted in Christ as your Savior, God may have kept you alive until now so that today you would look on Him whom you pierced and mourn. If you have trusted in Christ, He wants you to know that no enemy, whether “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword,” or even death itself, will be able to separate you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35-39)!
Feinberg sums up Zechariah 12:10-14 - "LOOK UNTO ME” How simple yet how glorious is the way of salvation provided by our God. It is a looking away from self and man-made plans and endeavors to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In Israel’s glad conversion hour she will come into the knowledge of sins forgiven by looking unto her rejected and pierced Messiah, the crucified Saviour of sinners.
All Zechariah Resources
Sermons on Zechariah-Robert Morgan
Zechariah Commentaries & Sermons
Zechariah Devotionals & Sermon Illustrations
Zechariah-Spurgeon Devotionals & Sermon Notes
TOPIC: Prophecy
2 Peter 3:10 Commentary
Daniel 2:24-49 Commentary
Deuteronomy 4:30 Commentary
Genesis 49 Commentary
God's Plan for Jerusalem
Jeremiah 30:7-The Time of Jacob's Trouble
Joel 1 Commentary
Last-Eschatos (Greek Word Study)
Millennial Reign of Christ
Revelation 4-22 Summary Chart
The Great Tribulation
The Israel of God - Galatians 6:16
The Messianic Hope
The Millennium - Part 1
The Second Coming of Christ
Tribulation-Thlipsis (Greek Word Study)
Verse by Verse Commentary on Revelation
TOPIC: Day of the Lord
Overview: The Glory of the LORD
TOPIC: Israel
Daniel 9:24 Commentary
Matthew 24:15 Commentary
Matthew 24:16-20 Commentary
The Jewish Problem-David Baron
Western Wall-"Wailing Wall"
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The US just condemned Israeli settlement building. What Israel’s former foreign minister thinks.
October 07, 2016 · 12:15 PM EDT
Producer Yael Even Or
Host Madeleine Brand
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Former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says she believes most Israelis understand now that the best thing to do is to support a two-state solution.
The White House and State Department on Wednesday criticized the Israeli government for approving plans to create a new Jewish settlement, with up to 300 new houses, in the West Bank.
In a statement that was harsh by State Department standards, the US “strongly condemned” the move, while the Israeli foreign ministry insisted that the new houses would be built within the territory of an already existing settlement named Shvut Rachel.
Last month, America Abroad spoke with Tzipi Livni, a former foreign minister in Israel, to discuss the country's relationship with the US and the stagnated peace process. The settlement issue came up quickly.
“Settlement activities were part of a vision that in a way was my party when I was very young.”
Livni, who’s now heading the Hatnuah party, an opposition party to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is referring to the vision of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party. Livni was a Likud’s member of parliament and a minister until she left the party in 2005. Her father, Eitan Livni, was a prominent member of the Likud party and served in parliament between 1973 and 1984.
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“The idea was that after '67 we came back to places that are part of the land of our forefathers. We felt that we can live happily ever after, Israelis and the Palestinians, Jews and Muslims, between this tiny place,” explains Tzipi Livni, who left the Likud party 11 years ago.
Livni says she believes most Israelis understand now that the best thing to do is to support a two-state solution that answers the national aspirations of two peoples. Israel for the Jews and a Palestinian state for the Palestinians.
“Settlements activities were part of another vision,” she says. “A vision of greater Israel, a vision of one state, which is not my vision anymore. I believe that this is not the vision of the vast majority of Israelis.”
What does that mean in practice? Livni is pushing for Israel to annex a few “blocs” of settlements in a future agreement. While which blocs this would include can be disputed, they are characterized as the larger, more urban and dense settlements, closer to the pre-1967 borders. These are seen as less of an obstacle to a future formation of a Palestinian state. In Livni’s view, 85 percent of settlers will be able to remain in their homes in a future peace agreement, a position Secretary of State John Kerry echoed in 2013.
The new settlement plan that was just approved by the Israeli government relates to an isolated settlement. It is not part of the areas usually included as among those most likely to remain under Israeli sovereignty in a future peace deal.
Livni believes that while existing settlements will have to be addressed in a future agreement, in the meantime, freezing settlement building is important in sending a message that Israel is willing to play by the rules and is interested in peace. Israel’s security, she emphasizes, is more important than expansion.
“I believe that building more settlements, expanding settlement — it doesn't serve our vision anymore. I believe that what we need to do is to stick to our defense needs, security needs, which is very important, by saying we are willing to freeze settlements. But, yet, when it comes to Israeli security, we would not compromise on this.”
While Netanyahu didn't respond to the latest criticism from the US, last month he released a video calling the demand to evacuate settlements "Ethnic Cleansing."
America Abroad is an award-winning documentary radio program that takes an in-depth look at one critical issue in international affairs and US foreign policy every month. You can follow us on Facebook, talk to us on Twitter, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for updates.
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John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American oil industry business magnate, industrialist, and philanthropist. He is widely considered the wealthiest American of all time, and the richest person in modern history.
McGee said GoPro owns its own production equipment, while partners provide manufacturing facilities, "so we expect to make this move at relatively low cost." GoPro shares were down 0.4% in early trade.
"The current trend in global research development and library growth is as a result of the introduction of Information Communication and Technology. This paper explains the role and impact of ICT on research library development peculiar to the
Embryologist When Does Life Begin
Cern Used To Get To Other Side Of Firmament
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U Of Maryland Epidemiology
State Occupational Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities. Overview of State data available. State data presenting the number and frequency of work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatal injuries are available from two BLS programs: the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) and the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI).
{{configCtrl2.info.metaDescription}} INTRODUCTION. An understanding of the epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is critical for effective control. The global burden of tuberculosis (TB), risk factors for transmission, and the epidemiology of TB in the United States will be reviewed here.
The first record of a case of probable dengue fever is in a Chinese medical encyclopedia from the Jin Dynasty (265–420 AD) which referred to a “water poison” associated with flying insects. The first recognized Dengue epidemics occurred almost simultaneously in Asia, Africa, and North America in the 1780s, shortly after the identification and naming of the disease in 1779.
Other Maryland legislation, sponsored by Sen. for a bone marrow donor if the donor’s employer has at least 15 employees. Johns Hopkins University’s Epidemiology Research Group in Organ.
In the Epidemiology PhD Training Program at NYU School of Medicine's Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, you receive mentoring and training.
Research Interests. Scientific and regulatory issues in the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical trials; survival analysis. Education. PhD Statistics, University of Maryland, 1976. MA Statistics, University of Maryland, 1974. BA Mathematics, College of St. Thomas, 1972. In the News
Research at the Center for Tobacco Products includes studies in epidemiology, behavior, biology, economics, chemistry, engineering, toxicology, and many others.
108 jobs. You can search for jobs in more than one job field, location and organization. After selecting a. University of Maryland, Baltimore – HR purposes only.
Explore key University of Maryland: College Park information including application requirements, popular majors, tuition, SAT scores, AP credit policies, and more.
Where Can Marine Biologists Work Marine Botanist What They Do. Basically, botanists are biologists who work with plants. Marine. They can also be the owners of their own businesses. Department of Marine Biology. A&M University at Galveston, our students have countless opportunities to work with some of the top professors in their field. In MBIT: Animal Conservation, participants will explore
The University of Maryland School of Medicine plans to form an Institute. He’s a professor of medicine, epidemiology, public health, microbiology and immunology at the school and was formerly.
Mathematics K 10 Syllabus Imagine is owned by Weld North Education, a private equity firm that has amassed a portfolio of more than 10 education technology. their son seemed uninterested in mathematics in school. In those. “I strongly believe there should be very explicit language in the Science 8-10 curriculum which covers. to learn skills like using math and
To help inform best practices, a group of epidemiologists and infection prevention specialists led by Daniel Morgan, MD, MS, an associate professor of Epidemiology & Public Health at the University of.
Earn an affordable Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management online or on-site at University of Maryland University College.
Learn the kinds of careers available to those with a degree in epidemiology. See salary info. [email protected]'s epidemiology course will introduce you to the general principles, methods, and applications of epidemiology. Maryland, $74,330.
Moore, along with Sherry Perkins, executive vice president of Dimensions Healthcare, and Anthony Harris, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine,
A lightning strike or lightning bolt is an electric discharge between the atmosphere and an object. They mostly originate in a cumulonimbus cloud and terminate on the ground, called cloud to ground (CG) lightning. A less common type of strike, called ground to cloud (GC), is upward propagating lightning initiated from a tall grounded object and reaches into the clouds.
Dr. Anthony Harris, a University of Maryland professor of epidemiology and public health, said there is a "reasonable possibility" that in the next year a hospital in Maryland will have a patient who.
Students will learn the basic biology and epidemiology of major infectious diseases and health. Doctor of Medicine (MD)/Master of Public Health (MPH)
Entomology Exam 2 Quizlet BIO 311C – INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I free online testbank with past exams and old test at Texas (UT) View Notes – Entomology Final Exam Review from ENTO 208 at Texas A&M University. Final Exam Review Exam 1 Nectar drinking insects likely have _ mouthparts Siphoning A _ is. (1. Click on the course Study Set
. of Maryland School of Medicine; University at Buffalo, State University of New York; and, Colorado State University.
Scientific Method Steps For High School Entomology Exam 2 Quizlet BIO 311C – INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I free online testbank with past exams and old test at Texas (UT) View Notes – Entomology Final Exam Review from ENTO 208 at Texas A&M University. Final Exam Review Exam 1 Nectar drinking insects likely have _ mouthparts Siphoning A _ is. (1. Click on
National Cancer Institute Research Programs. The National Cancer Institute leads the National Cancer Program through its operation of research components that provide support for extramural and intramural cancer-related research and through its outreach and collaborations within the cancer community worldwide.
STAT asked. be so deadly, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency this month urged first responders to carry naloxone in case they accidentally overdose while trying to help a victim — as has already.
Welcome to the University of Maryland Undergraduate Catalog. The Undergraduate Catalog provides information pertaining to undergraduate academic programs, including course descriptions and program requirements, and sets forth the university’s academic, registration and graduation policies and.
A University of Maryland medical research institute has been tapped to. The institute works to combine research and epidemiology to combat deadly viral and immune disorders, particularly HIV.
professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "These fractures lead to serious declines in the ability to walk and carry out.
Other Maryland legislation, sponsored by Sen. and her heartbeat had accelerated so fast and so hard. Johns Hopkins.
Mitchell, the study’s senior author and a professor of medicine, epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in a prepared statement. The researchers assigned each.
Authors are Seungyoun Jung, ScD, fellow in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland. "Intake of dietary fat in adolescence associated with breast density.".
The University of Maryland, College Park is the state’s flagship university and one of the nation’s preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 41,000 students, 14,000 faculty and staff, and 352,000 alumni.
Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (SIP) IMPORTANT CHANGE FOR 2019: SIP is only for college, graduate school, and professional (e.g., medical, dental, pharmacy, etc.) school students. If you are a high school student, please apply to High School SIP or one of the high school subprograms (HiSTEP and HiSTEP 2.0).; SIP subprograms organized by the NIH Office of Intramural Training.
The University. Maryland School of Medicine brings strengths in epidemiology and biostatistics, clinical research, global health, and complementary strengths in behavioral and social sciences and.
This is the “About” page. LEE WILLIAMS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT. Lee Williams has direct management responsibilities for USCRI’s domestic Refugee, Anti-Trafficking and Unaccompanied Children programs and Field Office operations.
The researchers, whose findings appear in the International Journal of Epidemiology, compared the responses to. for Population and Reproductive Health and the Johns Hopkins University Water.
Access the undergraduate catalogue, graduate catalogue, or the catalogue archive to learn more about Loyola's courses, descriptions, and degree.
The MPH in Epidemiology is designed to provide a breadth of achievement in the five core disciplines of public health, as well as additional knowledge and.
He was an eclectic reader of nonfiction and fiction,” said his wife of 65 years, the former Dr. Patricia Ann Warrington, who had been professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine at the.
Botany In Medieval Islam
Richard Dawkins Channel 4
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March 14, 2012 / 5:45 AM / 7 years ago
"Man vs. Wild" star Bear Grylls fired by TV network
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Bear Grylls, the British adventurer and star of survival show “Man vs. Wild”, has been fired by U.S. cable television network Discovery Channel in a contract dispute.
Adventurer Bear Grylls smiles during an interview with Reuters in New York April 23, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Grylls, 37, who was dropped into hostile places to survive by eating insects, wading rapids and drinking his urine, has hosted the TV show since 2006, becoming a celebrity around the world.
But Discovery Channel said on Tuesday that “due to a continuing contractual dispute with Bear Grylls, Discovery has terminated all current productions with him.”
A spokesman for Grylls said he and Discovery had been unable to reach agreement on new programming and had parted ways.
“Bear’s goal has always been to make life-empowering shows for his many fans around the globe, and he has taken great risks to bring Discovery such award winning programming over seven seasons,” said Heather Krug, publicist for the wilderness expert.
“Unfortunately, Bear and Discovery have not been able to come to mutual agreement on new programming, and he disagrees with Discovery’s decision to terminate current productions. Bear has loved the ‘Man vs. Wild’ journey and looks forward to producing further cutting edge content again soon for his loyal audience.”
The details of the dispute were unclear but trade publication The Hollywood Reporter quoted industry sources as saying it revolved around two unannounced projects for which Grylls was contracted.
The sixth and most recent season of “Man Vs. Wild” was broadcast on Discovery in July and August 2011. It featured one episode in which Grylls was joined in a remote part of Iceland by actor Jake Gyllenhaal.
Other episodes have seen Grylls dropped by parachute into jungles and deserts, surviving for days by eating snakes, sleeping in snow holes and wrapping a urine-soaked t-shirt around his head to combat dehydration.
“Man vs. Wild”, is broadcast in Britain as “Born Survivor: Bear Grylls” and shown in some 200 countries around the world.
Grylls climbed Mt Everest at the age of 23 and served for three years in Britain’s elite Special Air Service, training in parachuting, jungle warfare and combat survival.
He also has found fame as a motivational speaker and written several books, including teenage fiction and a best-selling autobiography.
Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte
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U.S. steps up pressure on Hezbollah, offers reward for two operatives
Jonathan Landay
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday offered multimillion-dollar rewards for two officials of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah as the Trump administration prepared to unveil a strategy to counter Tehran’s growing regional influence.
Washington will pay up to $7 million for information leading to the arrest of Talal Hamiyah, head of Hezbollah’s foreign operations, and up to $5 million for Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah military operative, the State Department said.
The rewards are the first offered by the United States for Hezbollah operatives in a decade, Nathan Sales, the U.S. counterterrorism coordinator, told reporters.
“Today’s rewards are another step to increase the pressure on them and their organization,” said Sales.
Other extremists for whom the United States is offering rewards include Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of Islamic State, and Mohammad Jolani, the commander of al Qaeda’s Syrian branch.
Hamiyah has been on the department’s foreign terrorist list since 2015 and Shukr was added in 2013. The United States named Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997.
Nicholas Rasmussen, the head of the National CounterTerrorism Center, blamed the group for a litany of attacks around the world, and said it maintains a presence in “nearly every corner of the globe.”
Pointing to the arrests of two men in the United States in June for alleged activities on Hezbollah’s behalf, Rasmussen said that U.S. intelligence agencies assess that the group is seeking an ability to strike inside “the homeland.”
Sales signaled that as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s soon-to-be unveiled Iran strategy, Washington would press countries that have yet to designate Hezbollah as an international terrorist group to do so.
“Additionally, some countries have chosen to designate only Hezbollah’s military wing, leaving its so-called political wing untouched,” he said, apparently referring to the 28-member European Union. “But that is a false distinction. Make no mistake. Hezbollah has no political wing. It is a single organization, a terrorist organization, and it is rotten to its core.”
Designating the group as a terrorist organization is “not merely symbolic,” he continued.
By not doing so, he said, countries “limit other governments’ ability to freeze Hezbollah’s assets, to shut down its front companies, to eliminate its fund-raising and recruiting capabilities and to prosecute Hezbolah associated networks. The United States will need allies in this fight.”
But winning support for an intensified campaign against Hezbollah could prove difficult for the administration.
The powerful Iran-backed organization is part of Lebanon’s fragile coalition government and commands enormous support for the social services it provides.
Reporting by Jonathan Landay, writing by David Alexander; editing by Eric Beech and Jonathan Oatis
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March 1, 2019 / 5:08 PM / 5 months ago
Washington cranks up Venezuela sanctions as Guaido tours South America
Lesley Wroughton, Daniela Desantis
WASHINGTON/ASUNCION (Reuters) - The United States on Friday ramped up its attempt to dislodge Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power, imposing new sanctions and revoking visas, while opposition leader Juan Guaido said Maduro’s support among the military was cracking.
Venezuelan military officials last weekend blocked an opposition-backed effort to bring food into the country via its borders with Colombia and Brazil, leaving two aid trucks in flames and five people dead.
Guaido, who is recognized by most Western nations as Venezuela’s rightful leader, visited Paraguay and Argentina on Friday to shore up Latin American support for a transition government for the crisis-stricken nation.
But Maduro retains control of state institutions and the apparent loyalty of senior figures in the armed forces.
Following a meeting with Argentine President Mauricio Macri in Buenos Aires, Guaido said, without providing evidence, that 80 percent of Venezuela’s military nonetheless supported a change in leadership and that he would continue to seek the support of officers.
Earlier on Friday in Paraguay, he said 600 members of Venezuela’s armed forces had already abandoned Maduro’s government following the clashes over the aid.
Foreign military intervention is seen as unlikely and Guaido’s international backers are instead using a mix of sanctions and diplomacy to try to put pressure to bear on Maduro.
“We are sanctioning members of Maduro’s security forces in response to the reprehensible violence, tragic deaths, and unconscionable torching of food and medicine destined for sick and starving Venezuelans,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
The United States “will continue to target Maduro loyalists prolonging the suffering of the victims of this man-made humanitarian crisis,” he said.
U.S. sanctions block any assets the individuals control in the United States and bars U.S. entities from doing any business or financial transactions with them.
The list includes National Guard Commander Richard Lopez and five other police and military officials based near the Colombian or Brazilian borders.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who many nations have recognized as the country's rightful interim ruler, talks to Argentina's President Mauricio Macri, during their meeting at the Olivos Presidential Residence, in Buenos Aires, Argentina March 1, 2019. Argentine Presidency/Handout via REUTERS
The U.S. State Department later said it had revoked the travel visas of 49 people as it cracked down on “individuals responsible for undermining Venezuela’s democracy.”
Venezuela’s Information Ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Guaido slipped out of Venezuela last week, in violation of a Supreme Court order not to leave the country, to join the aid convoys in Colombia. There, he met with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and other regional leaders and later traveled to Brazil.
He has promised to return to Venezuela by Monday, seen as a form of direct defiance to Maduro, who has said Guaido will eventually “face justice.”
The Argentine foreign ministry said in a statement that it expects the peaceful and safe return of the opposition leader to Venezuela, without risk to him, his family or his supporters.
“Any act of intimidation or violence against the acting president, his family and his inner circle will be considered the responsibility of the Maduro regime,” the ministry’s statement said.
On Thursday, Guaido told reporters in Brazil that he had received threats against himself and his family, including prison.
Paraguayan President Mario Abdo tweeted on Friday evening that he authorized expired Venezuelan passports to be valid in Paraguay, a gesture of support for Venezuelans who have fled their home country.
Governments around the region have called on Maduro to let aid in as inflation above 2 million percent per year and chronic shortages of food have left some eating from garbage bins in order to ward off malnutrition.
Maduro has called the U.S.-backed humanitarian aid effort a veiled invasion meant to push him from power, and has insisted that there is no crisis in the country.
Russia has accused the United States of preparing to intervene militarily in Venezuela and, along with China, blocked a U.S. bid this week to get the United Nations Security Council to take action on Venezuela.
Guaido is scheduled to travel to Ecuador on Saturday to meet with President Lenin Moreno.
Reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Daniela Desantis, additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Lisa Lambert in Washington, Mayela Armas in Caracas, Alexandria Valencia in Quito, and Eliana Raszewski and Cassandra Garrison in Buenos Aires; writing by Brian Ellsworth and Hugh Bronstein; editing by Rosalba O'Brien
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Department Leadership and Staff
Steven R. Bergmann received his B.A. from the George Washington University, Washington, D.C. and his Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Physiology and Biophysics from the Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia, PA. In 1985, Dr. Bergmann received his M.D. from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dr. Bergmann was a faculty member at the Washington University School of Medicine from 1979-1996 and rose to the rank of Professor of Medicine and Radiology (with tenure) and served as Director of Nuclear Cardiology. In 1996, Dr. Bergmann returned to his native New York and joined the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, where he was the Margaret Milliken Hatch Professor of Medicine (with tenure) and Professor of Radiology, as well as Director of Nuclear Cardiology at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. He became Chief of the Division of Cardiology at the Beth Israel Medical Center in 2003. In 2009, he was named as Vice Chairman for Academic Affairs of the Department of Medicine and Professor of Medicine and Radiology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Dr. Bergmann joined the University of Connecticut in April, 2014, as Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and as Professor of Medicine and of Diagnostic Imaging and Therapeutics and became Chair of the Department of Medicine at the Princeton Medical Center/Princeton Health in 2016. He also serves as Clinical Professor and Associate Dean for Affiliate-Medical School Relationships at Rutgers/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Dr. Bergmann's research interests include the use of positron emission tomography for the quantification of heart blood flow and metabolism; the evaluation and treatment of chest pain; cardiac stress testing; and evaluation of the efficacy of therapeutic interventions designed to mitigate myocardial dysfunction. He helped develop tPA as a "clot busting" drug. He is also interested in the development of clinical pathways to improve patient care, decrease hospital length of stay, and enhance patient outcomes.
Dr. Bergmann has over 170 scientific articles in peer-review journals, and over 60 invited chapters or review articles. He co-edited the book, Positron Emission Tomography of the Heart, and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology and Coronary Artery Disease.
Dr. Bergmann's clinical expertise has been recognized by his selection to America's Top Physicians, America's Top Cardiologists, Best Doctors in America, Castle-Connolly's Top Doctors in the New York Metro area, and as one of New York's "Super Doctors." He is also listed in Who's Who in America.
Dr. Robison is the Vice Chair of Medicine and Associate Program Director of the internal medicine residency program, and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine. She completed her medical school education at New Jersey Medical School, followed by Internal Medicine residency at RWJMS. She was chief resident at RWJMS following which she then joined the faculty at Princeton Medical Center. In 1998 she was appointed the site director for the RWJMS Internal Medicine Residency at Princeton. She practices office-based primary care and hospital medicine.
Miyopa Little, Executive Assistant supports Chair and Vice Chair of Medicine, Institutional Review Board, and Intensivist Physicians at PMC.
Mae "Missy" Trammel, Administrative Assistant and Academic Support Coordinator, supports the training program which includes residents, students and interns.
Princeton Department of Medicine
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