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This morning we're going to talk about what the Bible has to say about moms and what God's pattern is. It is amazing, frankly, how our society has changed. It's amazing how our society's perception of a woman has changed, how the society's design for her role has changed. If you ever happen to be rummaging through any old magazines or old newspapers, the kind you see in old bookstores and in your garage and your attic somewhere and you look at the women that are portrayed in some of the ads in the past. You see mothers rocking babies and women in kitchens cooking dinner for families, using some special product or a woman sitting on a bed reading stories to her children. Pictures like that, images like that almost sound like fiction in our world today.
When you look at the woman in advertising today, you see her dressed up in a slick business suit and swinging a briefcase as she sails down a crowded street. Or you see her in tights doing aerobics, or in a skimpy bathing suit half exposed.
What is it that our society really views as the woman to be exalted? The woman to be honored? What is the excellent woman of the nineties really look like? What kind of woman is she? What is the modern superwoman?
Well I suppose if we created a composite it might go a little like this. She works, builds her career, demands equal pay, refuses to submit to her husband, demanding equality with him in everything. Has an affair or two and a divorce or two. Exercises her independence. Relies on her own resources. Doesn't want her husband or her children to threaten her personal goals. Very often has her own bank account. She hires a maid or a cleaning service, eats out at least 50 percent of the time with her family or without. Makes cold cereal and coffee the standard breakfast for everybody. Quick frozen meals, the usual dinner fare if there is a dinner fare at home. Expects her husband to do at least an equal share of housework. She is tanned, coiffured, aerobicized, shopping to keep up the fashion trends, make sure she can compete in the attention-getting contest. She puts the kids in a day-care center. Makes sure each one has a TV in his room or a radio and a CD player so they are entertained all the time and don't bother her...leaving them to the brainwashing of the immoral materialistic society that pumps whatever it pumps through those media. She is opinionated, usually, likes to be heard from and is eager to fulfill her personal goals.
That's the kind of woman that the world applauds. She can't really stayed married, can't stay happy and her kids get into trouble and sometimes drugs and often become criminals. And she is far from the woman that God has called the excellent woman to be.
What does God say a woman, a mother is to be? Well let's turn to Proverbs chapter 31, that time-honored, age-old portion of Scripture and see what it has to say because herein is God's revelation of the excellent woman. Actually it says in verse 10, "An excellent wife," here is the description.
When it comes down to what a woman ought to be, this is it. Now this is an ideal, this is a model. This doesn't describe some particular woman. This describes the ideal woman.
There is a lot to be said about women in the book of Proverbs. As you know, the book of Proverbs is a list of proverbs or statements of wisdom, and throughout the book of Proverbs there is a...there is a continual interest in women. There is a woman who appears frequently in the book of Proverbs and she is the opposite of the excellent woman, she is the adulteress. She flatters with her lips. She forsakes the covenant with her own husband to seduce someone else. The adulteress has lips that drip honey. She has a smooth tongue and she hunts for the precious life of some victim.
There is not only the adulteress but there is the noisy woman, the loud boisterous woman with whom no one wants to live and the normal man would prefer, the Proverb says, to live in the corner of the roof, in a tiny little place, then in a big house with a boisterous woman. There is the foolish woman. There is the rebellious woman. There is the quarrelsome woman. And they are all really set in contrast to this excellent wife here in chapter 31.
There is in chapter 12 verse 4 of Proverbs this statement, "An excellent wife is the crown of her husband. But she who shames him is as rottenness in his bones." Nothing better than an excellent wife. Nothing worse than the opposite.
In fact, a wife has a tremendous ability to influence a husband and a family. In 1 Kings chapter 21 there is a statement made about Ahab the wicked king, perhaps as wicked as any king in all of the annals of the history of Israel. It says of Ahab that he was wicked because he was incited to it by his wife, Jezebel.
We talk about the fact that God has designed men to be the head of the family, and that means provision and that means protection, that means leadership. Men have that responsibility. But men do not have more than and perhaps not as much as women when it comes to influence. Ahab was the man of his house, he was even the king. He was a leader. He was strong. But his life was shaped by the influence of his wife. A wife plays that role in the life of her husband and the life of her children.
So turning from the adulterous and the noisy woman and the foolish woman, the rebellious woman, the quarrelsome woman, the woman who insights her husband to do evil, we come in chapter 31 to the excellent wife. And here is laid out for us the pattern for that woman.
Now by the way, just to give you a little bit of background. You look at verse 1, it says "The words of King Lemuel, the oracle, or the speech, or the burden, which his mother taught him." Now we don't know really anything about King Lemuel, but he had a good Jewish mother. And along with chicken soup and whatever else she provided for him, she gave him some really good advice. Because he was royal and because he was going to take a position of rulership, she told him some things he really needed to know. She said to him in verse 3, "Do not give your strength to women." Don't engage yourself in sexual liaisons with other women. In other words, don't commit fornication as a single man. Keep your life pure. Do not give away your strength to women. Those are the way that destroy kings.
She gave him some further good advice. Verse 4, don't drink. Don't drink wine, don't drink strong drink because it clouds your judgment. She continued with this advice and she says to him in verse 8, "Open your mouth for the dumb." In other words, speak for those people who can't speak for themselves. Those people who are oppressed. Those people who can't defend themselves. Those people who are too small and insignificant to have a platform of self-defense. You take up their cause. You take up the rights of the unfortunate.
In verse 9 she told him, "Open your mouth and judge righteously and defend the rights of the afflicted and the needy." This is great advice from this Jewish mother to her son. "Stay away from alcohol. Stay away from sexual immorality. Take care of hurting people. Defend those who can't defend themselves. Stand for the oppressed. Support the needy and deal justly with everybody." This is how to be a good king. This is how to be a great man. And most of all, and this is what occupied the length of her speech from verse 10 to 31, "Find a good wife." Understanding the implications of a bad one, boisterous, quarrelsome, self-centered, wicked, such as Jezebel, and realizing the influence she was bound to have upon his life, his mother encouraged Lemuel to find an excellent wife.
The kind of woman she describes is the model, ideal woman. She is priceless. "An excellent wife...verse 10 says...who can find her worth is far above jewels." And she goes on to describe this woman both physically, mentally, morally, spiritually. In every dimension the character of the excellent wife and mother is unfolded here. She describes this ideal woman, this model woman by looking at six features...her character as a wife, her devotion as a homemaker, her generosity as a neighbor, her influence as a teacher, her effectiveness as a mother and her excellence as a saint.
Now this is...this is really a very important document in Jewish history. Obviously it is inspired by God, but inspired by God in a unique way that to you is not visible, and I'll tell you what that is. There are 22 verses from verse 10 to 31 and there are 22 characters in the Hebrew alphabet. Each of these verses begins with the next character in sequence in the Hebrew alphabet so that it starts with aleph, bet, gimel and so forth right on down through the Hebrew alphabet. The first letter of each of these proverbs, each verse, is the next letter in sequence. Why? Because it was easy that way to memorize this. It became an acrostic which created a formula for easy memorization and recall of these features so that every young Jewish son could be taught by his mother to memorize Proverbs 31:10 to 31 and thereby have in his mind the criteria at all times by which he was to measure the excellence of a woman. Unfortunately we don't have that benefit in English. It was a great benefit to them in Hebrew.
This kind of woman, according to chapter 19 verse 14, is a gift from God. So it presupposes prayer, that one should find such a woman. In fact, it says in verse 10, "An excellent wife, who can find?...who can find?" Now I just do want to be fair about this because I don't want you to think this is just a problem for men to find such a woman. It is also a problem to find a good man. This is a just a moment of equal time here. Chapter 20 verse 6, "Who can find a trustworthy man?" So, gentlemen, let's not be too proud before we understand they have a similar problem. But this is Mother's Day so they get it today.
Too often when a selection is made of a woman or a wife, it is made for the wrong reasons...looks, education, personality, likes and dislikes, accomplishments, style, rather than virtue, character, those things that matter. But this woman has a value that is far above jewels. The word actually describes precious stones of any kind. Some versions translate it rubies, some translate it pearls. Jewels is the best, it's just the generic word for precious stones. The point being, this is a very, very valuable woman, not easy to find. Then in verse 11 he begins to describe...she begins to describe this woman
First of all, her character as a wife, let's talk about that...her character as a wife. Verse 11, "The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain for doing so." Now, in the ancient world, you need to understand this, in the ancient world things were a bit different, even in Judaism. Women were not looked upon as God had designed them to be looked upon but grew to be seen as sort of second class. And very often men built strong friendships with other men and maintained their wives only as servants. And in some cases not even maintaining a particular devotion to intimacy with them, they had concubines for their intimate acts. And so wives could be kept at a distance and treated very often as servants. Consequently there wasn't always the devotion between the two that created trust. And so we read in some ancient documents that it was somewhat common for husbands to lock up all their valuables when they went away so their wives didn't take them.
I hope that's not the case in your home. But one of the first things that we read in this whole passage is that the husband doesn't have to lock anything up because he trusts his wife. And the trust is well founded because she's not going to do anything to harm his personal gain. I suppose the equivalent today would be, "Are you willing when you have to go out of town for the two-week business trip to leave your checkbook with your wife?" Or frankly, do you even have a choice? Or leave all the credit cards and know that perfectly...know that perfect calm that comes when you say she will never violate anything, she will never do anything that brings harm. I completely trust in her, she will never threaten what I have gained for the support of this family. That's what it's talking about. It's talking about the fact that there is an intimate relationship built on complete trust. The husband can go to work, he can go away, he can do whatever he needs to do with absolute confidence of her integrity, her wisdom and her discretion in the use of his assets and in the care of his interests. His comfort is her concern. His burdens are her's to relieve. He is at ease in absence because he knows that all he has is safe with her because she cares for him and he knows that. And love means he would never do anything that would cause him sorrow or suffering or pain or distress. He's not suspicious, he's not worried, he's not jealous because she is absolutely trustworthy. That is a great foundation for a marriage.
He will have no lack of gain. He's never going to have to become some soldier of fortune to make back what she loses. He's never going to have to cheat to gain a little more to cover the losses that she's causing. He doesn't have to be tempted to steal or to falsify some account somewhere so he can get back what she wasted carelessly.
By the way, this indicates, and I think it's an important thing to mention, that she is in charge of the domestic matters. She is in charge of using and accounting for the resources in the home. He is free to give himself to his work knowing that she will be a steward of all of that. That's part of the oikodespotes when it says in 1 Timothy 5:14 that the ruler is to be the ruler of the house, or in Titus chapter 2 that she is to be the ruler of the house. Part of that is the management of those resources that the husband goes out to earn and to provide. She helps him to profit, not loss. He has enough because she is devoted to the care of his earnings because she loves him, because she cares about him, because she seeks his good. And that's what comes in verse 12, look at the next verse. "She does him good and not evil all the days of her life."
This Jewish mother tells her son, you want a woman who always has your best interest in her heart, who always seeks to build you up, whose desire is to make you every bit of the man that you can be in every area. All the days of her life she is devoted to the well-being of her husband, good times, bad times, times of plenty, times of little, times of sadness, times of happiness, sick times, well times...her love is ever and always devoted to the successes of her husband. She is concerned about the highest spiritual principles and she never fluctuates, she seeks the very best and the noblest for the man who is her husband. She serves him as Sarah served Abraham, according to 1 Peter 3:6, and called him lord. She was committed to him. She reveals her virtue by her consistent service on his behalf. Her love is so deep it has a purity and a power and devotion that never changes. All her life long his successes, his comfort, his reputation, his joy are her delight. To live for him is her constant happiness.
And a footnote at this point. That means that when necessary because his highest good is her greatest desire, she will confront his sin and his weakness. And lovingly she will be a conscience, she will be necessarily the voice of God, never unkind, always submissive, but eager to be sure that he walks with God. She is concerned to confront his sin and his failure. That's part of desiring him to be everything he should be. That, by the way, is the essence of what it says in Titus 2:4 when it tells the young women to love their husbands, that's what it means. It doesn't mean walk around ga-ga over the guy. It doesn't mean some kind of emotion. It means when you love somebody you seek his best interests. You seek that he would be every bit the man that God would want him to be, that he would be as much as he could be spiritually, as much as he could be professionally in every way...to seek that he would be the best father, the best friend, the best worker.
And thus this woman advances her husband's respect. Go down to verse 23, "Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land." The point is, he is known as her husband and his reputation is known far and wide. He is known by everybody. What happened was, inside the gates of ancient cities there would be sort of a platform area, or a patio area, where the elders of the city would gather every day and they would adjudicate the matters that came up in the city, disputes...it was like sort of an open court where hearings were made with regard to the issues of the time in where business was carried out. And the elders of the city, the mature men of the city, sat in that place and rendered judgment.
The point being that this man has a great reputation among the leaders of the city. It is a reputation basically built by his wife. She is so faithful to the duties of her love to him, he is free to be every bit the man he can be and so he develops a tremendous reputation. That reputation is undergirded by her because she's doing everything to make him everything he ought to be. She's contributing to his spiritual development. She's contributing to the clarity with which he sees the issues of life. She's granting him the wisdom that she gains from the knowledge of God and the knowledge of God's Word. She serves him. She cares for the things behind the scenes so he's free to be everything that God would want him to be and everything that the community would benefit from. And so he is known as a man of great nobility and great respect because of the contributions that she has made selflessly to him. And also, you can be sure that she has done everything she can as well verbally to build his reputation and never do anything to tear it down. She gains nothing by tearing down her husband's reputation, absolutely nothing. If people have diminished respect for him, then they have diminished respect for her, first of all because she speaks evil of her husband and secondly because he chose someone inadequate to help him to become all he could be.
This woman has character as a wife. So much character that her husband totally trusts her in the careful management of everything that is precious and important to the family, so much so that she does him good and not evil all her life long, making him all that he can be so that his reputation is impeccable in the community. Her character as a wife.
Secondly, her devotion as a homemaker. And this takes up really the bulk of the passage, her devotion as a homemaker. This is quite remarkable. Immediately in verse 13, it's kind of an interesting transition, "She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight." Vivian Gornek(?), you wouldn't know who she is, but she teaches feminism at the University of Illinois, says, quote: "Being a housewife is an illegitimate profession." I always thought being a prostitute was an illegitimate profession, but in our day being a housewife is an illegitimate profession. Frankly, the most cruel and certainly the most damaging sexual harassment, you want to talk about sexual harassment, the most damaging sexual harassment taking place today is the sexual harassment by feminists and their governmental allies against the role of motherhood and the role of the dependent wife. That's real sexual harassment with devastating results.
But in God's order, this woman is devoted to the home. She is the ruler of the house. She manages the household. And her devotion is remarkable, really remarkable. Verse 13 tells us that she's involved in making thread out of wool and flax, or linen. And I think it's interesting to note the transition between verse 12 and 13. Verse 12 is a pretty spiritual verse. She's being her husband's conscience, she's doing him good and never evil. All the days of her life she's devoted to him being everything he could be. She seeks his spiritual benefits, spiritual welfare. She wants to comfort and encourage and strengthen him. And yet her submission and her godly virtues don't make her in to some kind of spiritual recluse, some kind of a religious nut pretending that irresponsibility and laziness is deeply spiritual while she shirks the duties of the home. She's not quite ready to become the resident theologian and do nothing but spend time in study. Immediately after the spiritual leadership of verse 12 we find her using her hands in verse 13. No place in her life for self-indulgence, no place for laziness, no place for inactivity. She is full of energy in the duties of the home. Whatever the home required, that's what she did.
She looks for flax and wool. Why? Because she wants...she has to purchase the bare product of flax and wool and then she has to spin it into thread and then she has to weave it on a loom. And then once it's woven into fabric, she has to cut it and make the garments with it. Wool? Because of winter time. It was very cold in the winter. Flax or linen? Because of the hot times. Linen was used in the summer and wool was used in the winter. The needle and the spindle served the family and she worked with her hands in delight. There's no complaint about this. It's not begrudging. She finds joy in this labor. Why? Because she loves the people for whom she does it. It is her love that drives her. The Syriac version of this says her hands are active after the pleasure of her heart.
It's not hard for her to do these things. It's not something she begrudges. It's not an unwilling thing because she loves the people she serves. She loves her work because she loves her family, she loves her husband. Its value is connected to who she does it for. Because of such deep devotion to her husband and her children, she willingly denies herself and takes on the most menial of tasks with the greatest amount of pleasure because she understands that they are an outgrowth of her deep love for those people in her family.
Verse 14, "She is like merchant ships, she brings her food from afar." Some of you are saying, "Well that's my wife, she finds these coupons and drives 30 miles to get a bargain on orange juice and eats up more in gas than we save." Well, listen, she's trying. Now we understand that benefit of that being frugal and being careful. But in those days the rub was you had to walk...you had to walk. She walked long distances to find something that her family would enjoy. It doesn't even say the price was the issue, although we could assume it was. She's like a merchant ship. I mean, he didn't say she's like somebody who takes a short trip. She's like a ship, she takes a journey to get some food that's way off in the distance, and she has to walk along way to get it. But because of the delight she has in providing it for her family, she willingly does that. She finds her complete satisfaction in the joy of serving those great distances to find the very best, certainly for the best price to bring the benefit to her family.
She's engaged, you see, in good planning, careful management, but it's not just simplistic, it's not just bread and water, there are little things that she adds to make it rich and enjoyable, even if she has to go a long way to get it.
Verse 15 says more about her devotion as a homemaker. "She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens." This is before dawn and she's up. "A lamp...a lamp is always shining." In ancient times in Middle Eastern homes, and it was the wife's duty to keep it lit, pour a little oil in after midnight, get up before dawn to make sure it hadn't all been burned up. That was her. After midnight, trimming the lamp, up before dawn to grind corn for the next day's meals, or prepare whatever had to be prepare for her husband and her children and the rest of the household. Her household is above her own comfort, above her own rest. She's up long before her husband and children so that she can give food to the household.
And it says...notice in verse 15..."And portions to her maidens." That's quite an interesting statement. The word "portions," some would take it to mean food that she's sort of feeding her maidens, but she had some young girls who worked for her. This is a picture of kind of a large estate. Remember, this mother is talking to her son who will be a king. And so there are servants there. But this woman, even though she would be a queen is not indolent or lazy, she works. And the work portions in the Septuagint, they use the Greek word erga which means work or labor. What it means is she's up early passing out the tasks to all the maidens to do their assignments through the day. So she literally gets up in the morning to plan the day's activities, prepare the day's food, pass out the tasks to all the maidens who are going to assist. She really does manage the house.
She's entrepreneurial, too. Look at verse 16. "She considers a field and buys it." Now...notice this, she knows the field is for sale and she thinks it through. She assesses the price and the value of the field and the benefit it could bring to her family. And she decides it's an appropriate thing to do. Notice the independence of this. She considers it, she thinks it through and she makes the purchase.
You say, "Well...well where does she get this money? Did she just take it out of her husband's account?" No. This is a very enterprising lady. It tells you that she purchases the field in verse 16 from her earnings. And then she has enough to plant a vineyard in it. She decides that this would be a great field to plant grapes and that that would benefit the household well. And so she takes her earnings.
Where did she get this little bit of money? Well, she had a little enterprise going. Go down to verse 24. This is an entrepreneurial lady. And what she's doing, according to verse 24, is making linen garments and selling them and supplying belts or sashes to the tradesmen. So she's got a little cottage industry going, I like this. People say, "Well, shouldn't a woman be creative? And what about their talents? And shouldn't they work?" Yes, and she's found the right place. The Word of God pictures her right in the home being enterprising enough to be making these garments, certainly probably assisted by the maidens that come alongside of her, selling them to the tradesmen who tend...who take them and export them all over the world. So she's got her own little export business going, she's working with tradesmen. And from the money that she garnered out of that enterprise she started to save it, and save it and save it, never indulging it on herself but always with a view to securing it so that in the future she could do something that would benefit everybody. She finally comes to the conclusion, she has enough, the field is for sale, that's the best investment. She buys the field, she plants the vineyard and everybody benefits. She makes wise investments.
Wonderful when a woman is enterprising and if she has the time and the inclination and the talents and abilities to do things in the home that can benefit the family, that is a marvelous thing. The sad thing is when a woman decides that she's going to go have a career at the expense of the family, at the expense of the children, at the expense of the husband and the home.
Verse 17 tells us a little more about this woman. It says, "She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong." This does not mean she went to the gym. Just want to make that clear. She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She's not soft, she's strong. And what has made her strong, and it's not just talking about her muscles, she's become strong as the result of her effort, as a result of her strength exerted in the daily tasks she becomes strong. And that's why she can do so much. Her physical constitution is strong and her arms are strong and she can work that spindle, look at verse 19. "She can stretch her hands out to the distaff and her hands can grasp the spindle." She can do that handwork. She can work with her hands, verse 13, in delight. Verse 24, she can make those linen garments. She in verse 22 even makes coverings for herself. This is a woman who is a strong woman.
Then in verse 18, "She senses that her gain is good, her lamp does not go out at night." What does it mean "she senses that her gain is good?" That all of this effort is producing goodness ot the family. She sees that what she does is beneficial for everybody and she lives for them. She is motivated by the goodness of that effort, the goodness to everybody around her. She is spurred on not by self-fulfillment, not by self-indulgence, she is spurred on by the inherent goodness of what she is doing in the lives of everyone she loves. The family is not organized in such a way that everybody has to attend to her, but rather that she is committed to give herself away for the goodness of everyone else. And in order to accomplish all that's in her heart, her lamp goes not out at night.
This is remarkable. She finds work for the hours of darkness. And you have to do a special kind of work, it's hard to do sewing work in ancient times without light bulbs, to the light of an oil lamp. It would be hard to stay warm at night during the winter because the only way you could warm the interior of a room would be to have a pat...a pan of hot coals sitting in the middle of the room, which is what they did. But she is so devoted to the needs of her family that she's up at night in the dark doing what could be done in the dark...sleeping and then up again before the light in the morning preparing for the day. Motivated by the goodness of what she does, motivated because it is so good for all the family to enjoy. She does it, to borrow the words of the New Testament, "Heartily as unto the Lord."
In verse 19, speaks of the distaff and the spindle which are implements that are part of making thread which, of course, lead to the loom where there's a weaving. And finally the fabric is made from which clothes and other things can be produced.
Verse 21, "She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet." She's not afraid of the snow. You say, "Well does it snow in Jerusalem? Does it snow in Israel?" Sure. If you were a king and you ended up on the throne in Jerusalem, it snows there about every other winter. But even when it doesn't snow, it's very cold in Jerusalem. In fact, just as a footnote so you know I'm giving you the straight story here, 2 Samuel 23:20, "Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day." Just so you know. There are snowy days.
Now, she would provide wool garments for the snowy day, but not just wool garments. It's interesting that they're scarlet...she dyes them deep red...deep red. Why? Well, wool garments deep red in color would retain more heat. We all understand that, that dark garments retain heat and white garments reflect heat. Now just dark black garments, but she makes them beautiful with a deep scarlet burgundy kind of a red. And those would be very important in the winter. As I said, all you have is a portable pan with coals to heat a room and you may have worn that wool garment not only out in the day but certainly in the night sitting in the home and maybe even to cover you when you slept. Such garments were dignified. They were beautiful. They were well made. They were functional but they were red so that they could have some beauty. She cared not just about the basic things, she cared about the enjoyment of her family.
In verse 22 she makes coverings for herself. "Her clothing is fine linen and purple." What does it mean she makes coverings for herself? It could refer to a coat, a cloak, a shawl, some kind of a wrap. It also can refer to pillows, blankets, bed covering. She made coverings for herself. She...the implication here is she made her bed beautiful. I mean, earlier in the Proverbs the prostitute did that to seduce the man. Here is the godly woman making the bed a place of loveliness and comfort. She adorns the beds of her house for herself, for her family, for comfort and for beauty. And then her clothing is fine linen and purple.
When it came...you know, you could say if you looked at this woman, by the time you get to this verse you could say, "You know, this woman has got to really look bad. I mean, she's got to be haggard. This woman gets no sleep. She goes...she doesn't go to bed till after dark. She gets up before light. She's tramping all over town buying stuff at a bargain. When she does get home she's working with the spindle. She's got to have dirty arms, dirty hands and her hair must be a fright. When does she ever pay any attention to herself? And the husband is probably going to come home and say, "You know, all this is great, but, dear, could you please do something about the way you look."
Not so. This woman appreciates the beauty that God has given her. She appreciates the fact that her husband rejoices in that beauty and enjoys that beauty. And so she's very careful and she makes sure that her clothing is not just linen, but fine linen, and not just any kind of cloth or color but purple, which was always associated with elegance. This woman knows how to take care of herself in a way that expresses her beauty and her loveliness to her husband. All...all of that stuff that she was doing and still time to grace herself. It's important, ladies. You know, there is a day when you just drive past Mervyns to a better store. You know, once in a while... Are you comprehending? Thank you, both of you. (Laughter)
This lady understood how important that charm and that beauty was in the good sense because her heart was also right. Well, I don't want to say anymore about that, I'll really be in a lot of trouble.
Verse 24 says more about this amazing enterprise that she's engaged in as a homemaker. She makes these linen garments and sells them and supplies belts to the tradesmen. The Hebrew word "tradesmen" here is quite interesting. It's the word kenaanites and that refers to the Phoenicians who were the sailors of the ancient Middle East. And what she's doing is making garments, selling them to the sailors who are the traders who take their ships off the coast of Palestine and distribute their goods all over the Mediterranean. So she's got an export business going. Belts is cloth girdles, like cummerbunds, sashes. And you see pictures of people in biblical times, you know, representations of them and they have these long robes. You'll always see them with a sash because that was the way you sort of gathered all that material in.
This is a marvelous lady. Her character as a wife, singular. Her devotion as a homemaker, exemplary. Thirdly, her generosity as a neighbor...her generosity as a neighbor. Verse 20, "She extends her hand to the poor and she stretches out her hands to the needy." It isn't that they come to her, it's that she goes to them. Isn't that good? She demonstrates not only a special devotion to her home but compassion toward those not fortunate enough to be in her home. She demonstrates compassion to the poor and the unfortunate who have needs. When it says she extends her hand to the poor, it means she gets involved in their life, she provides what they need...maybe it was food, maybe it was money, maybe it was a cloak. She stretches out her hands to the needy, she doesn't just touch those who come close to her, she goes to those who have needs. Her generosity as a neighbor. She is an utterly selfless woman.
Number four is her influence as a teacher. And this is quite remarkable and sets a very high standard. Verse 25, "Strength and dignity are her clothing and she smiles at the future." And I start there even though it doesn't talk about teaching because verse 25 is the platform for her teaching. She is clothed in verse 25 with spiritual character. She has spiritual strength and dignity.
What does that word "dignity" mean? It refers to the fact that she is elevated above common things. She is elevated about trivial things. Her life is not all about what doesn't matter. She has true class, true virtue. She has godly character. She is spiritually strong and she has elevated herself to the nobler issues. And she has the power of true character and its expressed in the fact that she smiles at the future. She has no fear. Why? Because she knows her life is right with God and that secures His blessing in the future.
You shouldn't fear the future. You shouldn't worry about the future. If your life is right with God the promise of God is unfolding blessing, isn't it? She knows in whom she trusts. She knows her life is right. She is faithful. She is pure. And therefore she can delight in what is ahead. Those who fear the future are those who experience guilt in the present. If you're overburdened by the weight of your own sin and unfaithfulness, you have every reason to fear the future because the Bible promises chastening. This woman, because of the virtue of her life, can smile at the future and know the promise of God for blessing.
So, based on spiritual strength, based on virtue and having elevated her thoughts above common things, mundane things, trivial things, worldly things...verse 26, "She opens her mouth in wisdom." And she has credibility because of her life. "She opens her mouth in wisdom...and I love this...and literally the law of kindness is on her tongue." She opens her mouth, she speaks wisdom. But that wisdom comes with kindness. She guides her family daily, including her husband, with words of wisdom from the law of God. Proverbs 1:8 tells a young man to follow the law of his mother. Her's is not a formal class, there's a place for women to teach women, women to teach children and we understand that. And women are limited in not being able to teach the church, as we read in 1 Timothy chapter 2. But women have a class that is not formal and informal...not formal but informal, it's the home. And it's all the time her classroom. It's the instruction in the flow of her life day in, day out, day in, day out she is the teacher. And out of her mouth comes, it says in verse 26, the teaching of kindness, literally the Torah of kindness, the Law of God...the law of kindness. Kindness,w what's that? That's that magnificent Old Testament word chesed, it is translated kindness, loving kindness, mercy. Its perhaps truest translation is grace. So she teaches law, God's law to her family with grace. With pleasing, kind, gracious speech her tongue is regulated. Behind the teaching of the law is the tempering of mercy, compassion. This is the noble, excellent woman.
Fifthly, we have seen her as a wife, a homemaker, a neighbor and a teacher, fifthly as a mother, her blessedness as a mother...her blessedness as a mother. Verse 27, "She looks well to the ways of her household and doesn't eat the bread of idleness." And because of that devotion to her household and because she's not lazy but she gives her life for them, verse 28, "Her children rise up and bless her, her husband also and he praises her saying, 'Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.'" There's the reward...there's the reward.
She exercises, according to verse 27, careful surveillance over everything. She manages the children. She manages the household. She is not lazy. She is not eating the product of laziness but the bread of loving hard work. And then the real satisfaction comes for her, it comes from the people she loves the most. She's given everything to them and what does she get back? They rise up and bless her and they praise her. They reverence her, literally. They honor her, they hold her in high esteem. And even her husband because she has set aside her own comfort for his, she receives from him the supreme blessing after all the years of life, he loves her more than he's ever loved her because he now understands her character better than he ever understood it.
It's so obvious that when you marry somebody in the beginning, there are lots of sort of chemical attractions and some social attractions and some other things that bring you together. But you don't have a lifetime of character in which to assess someone. It shouldn't be that somewhere down the life of that marriage you start saying, "Well, I don't love you anymore, this isn't going to work, I want out of this deal." It ought to be that the further you go down that marriage the more noble, the more wonderful, the more excellent that woman becomes so that the further along you are in that marriage, the more likely you are to say, "I wouldn't trade you for anybody in the world." That's how it ought to be. As she becomes older, as her children grow, they will appreciate her more and more and so will her husband because of her sacrifice and they will rise up and call her blessed. They will praise her and he should say of her, "Many daughters have done nobly, I've met a lot of women and some pretty wonderful ones at that, I wouldn't trade you for any of them."
As she becomes older, her children grow. They have their own children and they endeavor then to raise them as they were raised by her. She is constantly before their eyes. Her tender guidance, her wise counsel, her loving discipline, her holy example, her hard work, her unselfish giving, all of these things never cease to fill the memories of her children and so they begin to fill the lives of their children. And that's how righteousness is passed from generation to generation. And let me tell you, no woman in the work place can have that kind of influence.
She's excellent as a wife and homemaker and a neighbor and a teacher and mother and lastly, her excellence as a saint, verses 30 and 31. "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Simple point. Look pass the superficial. Charm in the Hebrew means gracefulness of form, it talks about her shape. Beauty has to do with the face. That...that is deceitful, that can all look good and really cover up a wicked heart. But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
So Lemuel's mother says, "Find a woman who fears the Lord. Therein is the beginning of wisdom. She will be praised. Give her the product of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates." What are the products of her hands? All the good she's done to others, it will now come back to her. All the sacrifice will be her's the rest of her life. Everything she did in private will come back in public as they praise her in the gates in the middle of town. She'll be famous for her godly womanhood, that's her reward.
Well, there's the mirror. We look into it and measure ourselves against it.
Father, thank You for this tremendous passage of Scripture. We've just touched the surface of it. Lord, we pray for the women of this church, knowing their love for Christ, knowing their desire to fear You and honor You, knowing their submissiveness to the Word of God, we trust, Lord, that You would lead them to be the women that this great chapter describes, that they might raise a generation of children who will pass on their virtue, that they might know the rich, rich reward that comes when the children and the husband praise them. We pray for the families of our church. We know that much lies in the responsibility of the husband, but much as well in the responsibility of the wife. We pray, Lord, that You and Your grace will forgive us for our short-comings, for all of us have fallen short of the standard both for men and women, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and, Lord, to help us pick up from the failure and to move ahead and to be obedient to be what You want us to be. We pray especially on this day that You would cause all the goodness that so many have given to their families to come back in the joy and the thankfulness and the blessing of a generation of children and of husbands who will praise them. And, Lord, thank You for the grace and the strength through Your Spirit to be what You want us to be, in Christ's name. Amen.
This article is also available and sold as a booklet.
This sermon series includes the following messages:
Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource.Publisher Information


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subset: commoncrawl


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MIAMI — Florida State's biggest weakness heading into their Orange Bowl game against Northern Illinois might be Midwestern geography.
The Seminoles concede they'd be hard-pressed to locate their opponent in an atlas.
"I could probably find Illinois," receiver Rashad Greene said. "I don't really know where the town is. Actually I don't even know the town."
It's DeKalb.
MIAMI — Florida State's biggest weakness heading into their Orange Bowl game against Northern Illinois might be Midwestern geography.
The Seminoles concede they'd be hard-pressed to locate their opponent in an atlas.
"I could probably find Illinois," receiver Rashad Greene said. "I don't really know where the town is. Actually I don't even know the town."
It's DeKalb.
"DeKalb?" Seminoles kicker Dustin Hopkins said. "Hey, next time I'll know."
"I thought it was in Chicago," quarterback EJ Manuel said.
Cue the cliche: A victory tonight would put Northern Illinois on the map. The No. 16-ranked Huskies have been widely derided as unworthy of a BCS bowl berth, which makes them eager for validation when they face No. 13 Florida State.
"We're playing a team that is going to be willing to bloody their noses and get after you," Seminoles offensive coordinator James Coley warned.
Northern Illinois (12-1) is the first Mid-American Conference team to play in the Bowl Championship Series. The Huskies made it when they cracked the top 16 in the final standings by 0.0404 points, setting off a celebration in DeKalb and a backlash everywhere else.
The BCS busters arrived in south Florida without apology.
"There are a lot of angry people out there," NIU offensive coordinator Bob Cole said. "But there are probably 120 of us in the hotel that are really happy about the whole deal. We don't really care what everybody else thinks."
The bowl berth meant 17 Huskies would see the ocean for the first time. One story about the team used the phrase "bowl bumpkins."
"We laugh at it, whatever that's supposed to mean," linebacker Tyrone Clark said. "We take this as an amazing opportunity for the MAC, the school and the players."
Actually, success is nothing new to the Huskies, who are playing in a bowl for the fifth consecutive season. Since October 2011 they have the best record in the country at 21-1.
They've won 12 games in a row, matching Ohio State and Notre Dame for the longest active winning streak. Quarterback Jordan Lynch leads the nation in rushing and total offense, and he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting.
But the Huskies barely beat Army, Toledo and Kansas. They lost to Iowa, which won only three other games. They've never beaten an opponent ranked higher than 15th.
At a news conference Monday for the head coaches, Florida State's Jimbo Fisher agreed to pose with the Orange Bowl trophy. Northern Illinois' Rod Carey declined, but not because his team is a two-touchdown underdog.
"Underdog? What is that?" Carey said. "Our kids play with a chip on their shoulder all the time. I mean, if we were favored by 21 points I'd be more nervous."
Until kickoff, it's impossible to know how seriously Florida State (11-2) will take a supposedly unimposing opponent. The matchup's a letdown for the Seminoles, who wanted to wait another week to play in Miami — in the BCS title game.
But in the days leading up to the game, the Seminoles said all the right things about Northern Illinois.
"We're not going to underestimate anybody," receiver Rodney Smith said. "Everybody is trying to say NIU doesn't deserve to be here, but as a team we're saying they're here for a reason. We're going to treat them like they're the No. 1-ranked team in the nation."
They're No. 1 in DeKalb, anyway, especially in the wake of their Orange Bowl berth.
"They've got signs all over the place in the street back home — 'Go Huskies' and 'Good Luck in the Orange Bowl,'" Cole said. "For what it has done for our community, our players, our school, it has been unbelievable."
DeKalb is located an hour west of Chicago, on the banks of the Kishwaukee River, in Rand McNally grid C-10. A good crowd at Huskies Stadium is 18,000, and the town's population of 45,000 would barely fill half of the Orange Bowl's seats.
"In DeKalb you've got your local cornfields," linebacker Clark said. "We've got a lot of space there. And you've got your daily wind. It's just a small town with a nice-size university — and a select number of people."
Added teammate Sean Progar: "There's not too much to do but play football." That's what the small-town Huskies will do tonight on their biggest stage ever.


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Parents want kids to succeed in college, and they want them to have the latest and greatest tools, but some tools just aren't right for the dorm crowd.
The iPad
I love the iPad, but it's not a laptop replacement. Some schools are building curriculum and textbook distribution specifically around the iPad, and in those cases I support the canonization of the device as a platform for all students.
But for students in schools that have yet to jump on the tablet computing bandwagon, I can't recommend the iPad. When all textbooks are digital, when the iPad multitasks as well as a computer and runs almost all of the third party software a student might need, like video editing, productivity suites and web video, then I will recommend it, but for now it's a supplement or a luxury device, something you could give to your student in addition to a laptop or desktop computer.
One idea for a cheap iPad-like experience to help students take notes on the go is to get a $69 keyboard dock for the iPad and use it with your iPod touch or iPhone. This dock gives you a full sized QWERTY keyboard and it only weighs about a pound. Your notes can go into an email program or notepad and you can transfer them to your main computer without having to lug the laptop around with you as you go.
Click HERE for a complete dorm-room shopping list.
Noise-Cancelling Headphones
I have had parents ask me if noise-canceling headphones from Bose or Creative would help drown out the cacophony of the dorm room and help their student focus. Unfortunately, the answer is no. Noise-canceling headphones cancel constant noises like the hum from an airplane engine, static, or white noise. Staccato noises like talking, music and yelling actually seem amplified when noise-canceling headphones cancel out the background noise in every day life.
A better solution is to have a few cheap pairs of in-ear headphones that fit well and seal noise out. A decent pair costs $20 to $30. They are easily lost so I think a few cheap pairs is better than one pair of really fancy earbuds.
External Hard Drive for Back-up
External storage drives have gotten very cheap and simple to use: you plug a unit into the USB port of a computer and it shows up as a new drive. They are fantastic to use as primary storage for media like music and movies, but don't expect your student to manually back up their papers, notes and data.
College kids abuse their laptops, which makes hard drive failure and data loss more probable. Laptops are frequently stolen and it behooves the serious student to have her mid-term paper, video project, or thesis backed up, but remembering to do it is another story. That's where an online back up service like Carbonite.com comes in very handy.
Carbonite automatically backs up your data to a password protected website. Once you set it up, you never think about it again -- it runs in the background and is relatively maintenance free.
Added bonus: Because the data is stored online, a student can access that data from any computer or phone with an Internet connection.
It costs less than $50 a year and they have a special offer: try for 15 days free and if you sign up they'll give you the first two months free. The offer code is ABC.
Our friends at Savings.com have helped us round up some of the hottest Promo codes for Back to School. These go fast so try 'em while they are hot.
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Students can get 5 percent off their rental order if they use the coupon code "GMA."
Buy back-to-school supplies in bulk online.
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$10 off $75. Only good until Aug. 12.


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While seven NFL teams move rapidly to fill their head-coaching vacancies, Ron Rivera and the Carolina Panthers remain in limbo. It looks like we'll finally have some progress over the weekend.
Coaching search tracker
Gregg Rosenthal provides a one-stop shop for all the latest head-coaching search news. Who are teams targeting? More ...
Rivera and Panthers owner Jerry Richardson will sit down Saturday, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. The Panthers then are expected to meet with general manager candidates.
New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross and senior pro personnel analyst Dave Gettleman are both expected to interview for the Panthers' GM job. It's very possible we won't know Rivera's future until the Panthers hire a GM.
Person's best guess is that Rivera will stick around with a first-time GM. In that scenario, Rivera likely would need a playoff appearance to stick around for another season. It's the same situation Lovie Smith faced in Chicago this season.
It's a difficult situation for any coach and GM. So many firings happened this week because the front office and the coach were not on the same page. The Panthers might be better off starting totally anew rather than saddling a new GM with a coach they aren't truly comfortable with.Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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(Page 3 of 5)
Talking about his Netflix mini-series House of Cards, naturally Fincher had more to say than mentioning it as just another example of a Hollywood makeover. The original was a 1990 BBC produced series about political power, ambition and corruption. "It was a brilliant TV show," Fincher says. "But today is a completely different universe. House of Cards was made during Thatcherism. It was a stiff-upper-lip look at parlamentary politics. Our thing is: Twitter, Newscorp, hacking – and the notion of politics when you stand for nothing. Politics above all. And that was the thing that was transposable, nothing about the actual plot. But the notion of a guy, who can be in the middle of a conversation, turn to the audience and go, 'This is what pisses me off about people like this guy.' – 'Watch. This is how politics works.' That's what it's designed to do. It's the notion of, let me show you why politics is necessary: because that's how you validate people within a bureaucracy. The collective confusion is so much more important than singular clarity."
David Fincher taking on an up-to-date, sharp-witted political drama? Sounds like an exciting prospect. It also sounds like a new artistic stance for Fincher, whose movies so far seem to have made a point of avoiding being overtly (or in any way, really) political. And certainly Fincher tackling politics will be anything but shiny propaganda. "There is nothing optimistic about it, not in the least," Fincher confirms. "But it's fun. It's very fun. It's interesting in a good way. It's the kind of shit we should be talking about, which is: Why are we pretending that there are these choices?"
Shooting for the series will kick off in March/April 2012, with an anticipated release some time next fall. "It's going to be on Netflix, so once we have five hours it's going to be on. So far the pilot is the only script we have, and it's great. It's by Beau Willimon, who wrote The Ides of March," Fincher says. (And this, listen, Fanatics:) "I don't know what my other responsibilities will be but I am going to do as many of them as I can."
In his recent Vanity Fair portrait of David Fincher, The Social Network screenwriter Aaron Sorkin had this to say: "The rumor about David is that he's gruff, harsh, and difficult to work with. The truth about David is that he's warm, honest, and an exceptionally generous collaborator. He's fine with the rumor." Going by every minute I was granted, I can only confirm Sorkin's positive observations. David Fincher is intriguingly easy to be around – for all I can truthfully say, this is true when you don't work with him –, and aside from him being a personal idol and favorite director of mine, he's a bundle of trenchant anecdotes and sharp-wit; dedicated to best-possible results and keenly enthusiastic about what he does. As much as Fincher hates branding and any kind of three-words-or-less approach, if I had to pick a label to describe my impression, I'd say 'Fincher loves movies'. Which can lead to curious conflicts.
"For the most part, people who are in the movie business don't go to movies," Fincher is ready to admit. "It's a pain in the ass. I have to be honest, I saw Moneyball for the first time last weekend. And I was like, 'How did this get to this point, where I am sitting in a theater, watching many friends of mine's movie, weeks after it opened?' – I just don't have time! I didn't get into the movie-business not to appreciate movies, and yet I find myself in the position, where I literally don't have the extra time to go see a movie. I saw the trailer for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and I loved that trailer. I love David Dencik, love these actors, love the way it's photographed. But it's cut too fast. It's not appreciative enough of the hard work that's been put into it." It takes Fincher a second to realize that he got sidetracked. He wraps the thought up with a sigh: "So you find yourself in a situation where you haven't seen a movie in a year. It's weird."
But Fincher's love for cinema goes much deeper than consumption and enjoyment. In his own work, it's about making the most of every single frame. "I never fall in love with anything. I really don't, I am not joking. 'Do the best you can, try to live it down,' that's my motto. Just literally give it everything you got, and then know that it's never going to turn out the way you want it to, and let it go, and hope that it doesn't return. Because you want it to be better than it can ever turn out. Absolutely, 1000 percent, I believe this: Whenever a director friend of mine says, 'Man, the dailies look amazing!' ... I actually believe that anybody, who thinks that their dailies look amazing doesn't understand the power of cinema; doesn't understand what cinema is capable of."
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The San Francisco 49ers were huge favorites at home Sunday against the St. Louis Rams; only they didn't come away with a win in their most disappointing effort since the New York Giants destroyed them.
Then again, they didn't lose either.
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"I don't know exactly how it feels, yet," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said after watching his team tie the Rams 24-24, via Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. "I don't know quite how to feel right how. I've asked several people, some of our players. And I think they feel like I do. Don't know quite how to feel right now. But the way I feel is that it was a good football game. A hard-fought football game, and we came out even."
In many ways, the 49ers were lucky to get the tie in the weirdest game of the year. And it should almost go without saying that a tie is much, much better than a loss. The 49ers remain two games ahead of the Seattle Seahawks in the loss column.
"It feels like we didn't even play, mentally not physically," 49ers tight end Vernon Davis said.
"I've never heard of a tie in football," safety Dashon Goldson said. "Where's everybody going? Did somebody quit? Forfeit?"
Even though some Rams players didn't know the rules, ties are a delicious part of NFL history. In the ultimate black and white sport of wins and losses, there's just no manual for how to react after kissing your sister.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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Published: 5/1/2014
In an exclusive white paper, Joe Weinman, author of Cloudonomics: The Business Value of Cloud Computing, continues his exploration of some of the less obvious (but really interesting) business advantages of cloud computing. "Time for the Cloud" explores how the technology can accelerate both time-to-market and time-to-volume, two key competitive metrics. Register to download now.


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Heir to the Empire is the first entry in The Thrawn Trilogy, written by Timothy Zahn, published by Bantam Spectra on May 15, 1991. It takes place in 9 ABY. Heir to the Empire was adapted into a comic in 1995 by Dark Horse Comics. The narration for the abridged audio book was provided by Denis Lawson (the actor who portrayed Wedge Antilles) and Marc Thompson for the unabridged 20th Anniversary Edition.
Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition was published on September 6, 2011 and contained the new novella Crisis of Faith written by Timothy Zahn which features Grand Admiral Thrawn. It takes place in 9 ABY.
Publisher's summaryEdit
Back coverEdit
It is a time of renewal, five years after the destruction of the Death Star and the defeat of Darth Vader and the Empire.
But with the war seemingly won, strains are beginning to show in the Rebel Alliance. New challenges to galactic peace have arisen. And Luke Skywalker hears a voice from his past. A voice with a warning.
Beware the dark side….
Inside flapEdit
Here is the science fiction publishing event of the year: the exciting continuation of the legendary Star Wars saga. Picking up where the movie trilogy left off, Heir to the Empire reveals the tumultuous events that take place after the most popular series in motion-picture history—masterfully told by Hugo Award-winning author Timothy Zahn.
In spring 1977 a film called Star Wars was released—and a cultural phenomenon was born. Its epic story, about a young man named Luke Skywalker, whose destiny was to save the galaxy from conquest, caught the imaginations of millions and broke all box-office records. Today Star Wars and its sequels, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, are acknowledged as the most popular series in movie history, and rank among the top ten films of all time.
The three Star Wars films form a spectacular saga of bold imaginations and high adventure. But the stories of its characters did not end there. Now for the first time, Lucasfilm Ltd., producer of the Star Wars movies, has authorized the continuation of this beloved story. In an astounding three-book cycle, Timothy Zahn continues the tale of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and the other characters made world famous by Star Wars, as he brilliantly expands upon George Lucas's stunning vision, "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away."
Heir to the Empire begins five years after the end of Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet back into barely a quarter of the territory that they once controlled. Leia and Han are married and have shouldered heavy burdens in the government of the new Republic. And Luke Skywalker is the first in a hoped-for new line of Jedi Knights.
But thousands of light years away, where a few skirmishes are still taking place, the last of the Emperor's warlords has taken command of the remains of the Imperial fleet. He has made two vital discoveries that could destroy the fragile new Republic—built with such cost to the Rebel Alliance. The tale that emerges is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story that is worthy of the name Star Wars.
Timothy Zahn is one of Science Fiction's most popular voices, known for his ability to tell very human stories against a well-researched background of future science and technology. He won the Hugo Award for his novella Cascade Point and is the author of ten Science Fiction novels, including Cobra, The Blackcollar, and Deadman's Switch, and two collections of short fiction. In 1993 he completed Angelmass and was published the very same year, afterward worked on the third book in the Star Wars cycle. Timothy Zahn lives in Oregon.
Back CoverEdit
It's five years after Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting Jedi twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights.
But thousands of light-years away, the last of the Emperor's warlords has taken command of the shattered Imperial fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the new Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build. The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale—in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars.
Plot summaryEdit
Five years after Return of the Jedi, as the New Republic holds a fragile control of the galaxy, a new threat emerges. Having been posted so far away from action, Grand Admiral Thrawn, a cunning and intelligent Chiss commander, begins to gather his Imperial forces for a strategic attack on the New Republic. With the aid of Captain Gilad Pellaeon and Thrawn's personal bodyguard Rukh, they begin to set in motion an almost unbeatable plan. They enlist the aid of a mad clone of a dead Jedi Master and use the Emperor's hidden weapons vault on the planet Wayland, which the clone guards. The chain of events caused major unrest in the New Republic.
Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker encounters Talon Karrde and his gang of smugglers. The smugglers capture him but do not turn him over to the Imperials (who would be extremely happy to receive him). The smugglers take him in just as Han Solo and Lando Calrissian come to see Karrde on the New Republic's interest to hire smugglers as traders. Then, as if things could not be worse, Grand Admiral Thrawn comes to visit Karrde just as Luke escapes. One of Karrde's employees, Mara Jade, chases Luke deep into the forest, where both ships crashed. Mara attempts to kill Luke because she believes that he killed the Emperor five years earlier during the Battle of Endor, and Mara was the Emperor's Hand at the time. However, she finds out that she needs Luke if she is to survive. Then Thrawn himself decides to interfere with Karrde's rescue attempts and tries to catch Luke and Mara first. The result is a firefight between Imperial troops and Karrde's men. In the end, Karrde wins, but has to evacuate his base. Han and Lando head to the shipyards at Sluis Van after they discover, thanks to Karrde, that Thrawn has plans there.
The insane Jedi clone from Wayland, Joruus C'baoth, comes out of isolation thanks to Thrawn and learns about Princess Leia's unborn Jedi twin children. Thus, C'baoth decides he will train them in the ways of the Force, unintentionally the dark side due to his insanity. Basically, Leia's unborn Jedi twins and Luke Skywalker will either join him or die. Luke and Leia are both pursued across the galaxy. Princess Leia is repeatedly hunted down by a species of aliens known as the Noghri. In order to keep her safe from more kidnap attempts and to give her a break from all the work in the New Republic, Han sends Leia and Chewbacca to the planet Kashyyyk, where the Wookiees can protect her. But Thrawn deduces the fact. Leia is again hunted down by the Noghri on Kashyyyk, but she has a plan. With Chewbacca's help, she manages to escape, and one of the Noghri is captured. The Noghri, Khabarakh, recognizes her scent as that of a child of the Dark Lord Darth Vader, as the Noghri had apparently been secret bodyguards of the Sith Lord. Determined to discover more about the Noghri's situation, Leia persuades him to bring her to his homeworld.
Meanwhile, the New Republic believes there is a spy among them that is leaking information on the New Republic's actions and plans to the Imperials. It is only known as Delta Source.
Just as Han and Lando reach the shipyards of Sluis Van, Thrawn launches his planned assault on the location. With a cloaking device, Thrawn is able to give an element of surprise as his mole miners (stolen from Lando) attempt to bore into the hulls of ships at Sluis Van, and steal them. But it just so happens that Rogue Squadron is at the scene. They fight off the TIE fighters while Han and Lando hatch a brilliant plan to stop the theft of ships. Thrawn is defeated in his first major offensive.
The Imperials retreat and order is restored…for now.
Timothy Zahn's working title for the book was Wild Card. Bantam vetoed this because it was too similar to Wild Cards, another series published at the time by Bantam. Zahn's next favorite title was The Emperor's Hand, which Bantam also rejected.[2] Warlord's Gambit was also a potential title, but ultimately Heir to the Empire was chosen, which was suggested by sci-fi author Lou Aronica.[3]
In addition, some of Zahn's original story elements were vetoed by Lucasfilm. Most significantly, the insane clone C'baoth was first intended to be a Dark Jedi clone of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
After Zahn had already begun work on the novel, Lucas Licensing requested that he incorporate some of the material from West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game into his work, as well as keep continuity with it.[4] Many important elements such as the Interdictor-class Star Destroyer originated in those sourcebooks.[2]
Heir to the Empire was the first Star Wars book to refer to the galactic capital as Coruscant. George Lucas would later use this name as the official galactic capital.
This book introduced two major species: the Noghri and the Chiss. Both species frequently appeared in the New Jedi Order.
All of Timothy Zahn's books set after Return of the Jedi begin the same way as the films of the original trilogy: with a Star Destroyer streaking across space.
The 1996 Russian cover depicts events and characters from Dark Empire, such as the resurrected Palpatine, rather than characters from Heir to the Empire.
- ISBN 0553073273; June 1991, Bantam Spectra, 361-page hardcover
- ISBN 0553073273; June 1991, Bantam Spectra, Signed "300 copies with Gold edge on pages in a Slip Cover" 361-page hardcover
- ISBN 0553745085; June 1991, Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, Audio cassette
- ISBN 0553296124; June 1992, Bantam Spectra, 432-page paperback
- ISBN 0553634852; October 1994, Bantam Spectra, ?-page paperback
- ISBN 0739316621; October 12, 2004, Random House Audio, Abridged cassette
- ISBN 0345528298; September 6, 2011, LucasBooks, 20th Anniversary Edition, 496-page hardcover
- ISBN 0307933555; September 6, 2011, Random House Audio, 20th Anniversary Edition, Unabridged Audiobook Audio CD
- ISBN 9780553296129; October 2016; Del Rey; US paperback, Legends edition[5]
- ISBN 80-7033-285-9; 1993, Olympia, 280-page Czech hardcover (Dědic Impéria).
- ISBN 80-7214-320-4; 2000, Baronet a.s., 376-page Czech hardcover (Dědic Říše).
- ISBN 978-80-252-1340-7; January 26, 2010, EGMONT ČR, 392-page Czech hardcover (Dědic Impéria).
- ISBN 954-528-215-0; 2001, Trud, 405-page Bulgarian paperback (Наследникът на Империята)
- ISBN 3-442-41334-6; 1992, Goldmann, 411-page German paperback (Erben des Imperiums)
- ISBN 3442269148; February 13 2013, Blanvalet, 20th Anniversary Edition, 592-page German paperback (Erben des Imperiums)
- ISBN 9789721036468; 1993, Publicações Europa-América, 348-page Portuguese paperback (Herdeiro do Império)
- ISBN 963-497-108-3; 2005, Szukits, 390-page Hungarian paperback (A Birodalom Örökösei)
- ISBN 886355932/ISBN 9788863552935; 2012/2014, Multiplater.it Edizioni, 544-page Italian paperback (La trilogia di Thrawn, Volume 1 - L'erede dell'Impero)
South AmericaEdit
- ISBN 85-7123-364-0; 1993, Editora Best Seller, 372-page Brazilian paperback (Herdeiros do Império)
- ISBN 978-85-7657-198-8; 2014, Editora Aleph, 472-page Brazilian paperback (Herdeiro do Império)
Cover galleryEdit
|Droid models
|Organizations and titles
|Sentient species
|Vehicles and vessels
|Weapons and technology
Droid models
Organizations and titles
Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
Weapons and technology
- "Star Wars Publications Timeline"—Star Wars Insider 23
- The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
- The Legendary Star Wars Expanded Universe Turns a New Page on StarWars.com
- "Launch Pad"—Star Wars Insider 150
- "The Making of A New Dawn"—Star Wars Insider 152
Notes and referencesEdit
- ↑ The Essential Reader's Companion
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 An interview with Timothy Zahn, author of Heir to the Empire
- ↑ Endnote 13 in Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition
- ↑ Introduction to The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook
- ↑ Heir to the Empire, 2016 Star Wars Legends edition
External linksEdit
- Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy: Heir to the Empire on Penguin Random House's official website (backup link)
- "Heir to the Empire -- The Making of a Novel" on Hyperspace (content removed from StarWars.com and unavailable)
- Heir to the Empire on Wikipedia


text:
by Trevor Kuss, sports information assistant
MONTEVALLO, Ala. - The Georgia College men's
cross country team competed in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC)
Championship Saturday, Oct. 20 in Montevallo, Ala., the young
harriers finishing sixth out of the 10 teams.
Junior Philip Laskey (Marrieta, Ga.) has led the team in every race this year and continued the trend at the PBC Championship as he finished 19th among 84 runners with a time of 26:59 in the 8k race. Freshman James Ryden (Atlanta) had his best finish of the year, coming in 23rd, with a time of 27:17.
Paul McNeil (Dunwoody, Ga.) came in 33rd with a time of 27:49, while Tucker Forbes (Lilburn, Ga.) finished right behind him at 39th and had a time of 28:14.
Freshman Michael Valerio (Evans, Ga.) rounded out the scoring for the Bobcats, finishing with a time of 29:06 and coming in 54th. Valerio was also named to the PBC All-Sportsmanship team.
The Bobcats will be back in action Nov. 3 as they travel to Charlotte, N.C. to compete in the NCAA Southeast Regional Championship.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at www.twitter.com/BobcatSports and www.facebook.com/gcbobcats for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCBobcats.com for more information, and to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GC Athletics Hall of Fame.


text:
She was arrested just after 10 a.m. Wednesday when she stopped at a gas station on State Road 100 in Flagler County as she attempted to pay for fuel.
A woman trying to head north after she was released from house arrest in Osceola County decided to steal a tow truck from the driver who came to her rescue when her rental car stalled on Interstate 95, according to officials at the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
But 37-year-old Angela Estrella did not get far.
She was arrested just after 10 a.m. Wednesday when she stopped at a gas station on State Road 100 in Flagler County as she attempted to pay for diesel fuel for the bright yellow rig she had stolen from Mike Frazier of Universal Towing, a sheriff's report shows.
"I've been doing this for 17 years and I've never had anything like this happen to me," said Frazier, who describes his rig as the "big yellow banana."
"She was a nice, sweet lady," he said. "I would've never expected this from her."
What Frazier didn't know is that Estrella has been accused of fleeing before.
The mother of two has pending charges in a 2012 Osceola County case that include attempted second-degree murder with a weapon, vehicular homicide and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, among others.
The violations stem from a high-speed chase on the Florida Turnpike in July 2012 where a Florida Highway Patrol trooper clocked Estrella driving 112 mph with her two children in her Toyota, an FHP incident report shows. During that same episode, FHP officials said Estrella tried to run down a trooper with her sport utility vehicle and told her children that she was trying to kill herself and them.
The trooper — knocked backward after Estrella sped toward him — was forced to shoot at her at least three times, the report states.
In Wednesday's escapade, Estrella was heading to New York in a 2014 Nissan rental car, a Volusia sheriff's report shows. An Osceola County judge had given Estrella permission to take off the ankle monitor that had been placed on her after her pretrial release in the 2012 Turnpike incident, according to Osceola County court records.
The rental car broke down near Ormond Beach, though, and a passing Volusia deputy spotted Estrella and called the tow truck for her.
That's when Frazier arrived in his $80,000 flatbed rig, ready to help Estrella.
According to the Volusia sheriff's report, Estrella asked Frazier if he could take her to New York. That, however, was too far and Frazier refused. Unfazed, Estrella then asked Frazier if she could borrow his rig, the report shows.
"I thought she was kidding and I said, 'Sure,' " Frazier said.
At that, Estrella said, "Really?" and Frazier replied, "No."
Regardless, when Frazier turned his back to call the rental car agency, Estrella jumped into the truck and sped off.
Frazier later told deputies that Estrella almost sideswiped a tractor-trailer that was also heading north on I-95.
Because Universal Towing had another truck stolen a couple of years ago, however, this one was equipped with a GPS, Frazier said.
As Estrella forged north, the company was tracking her every move until she stopped for gas at a station at 6020 State Road 100 in Palm Coast, the sheriff's report shows.
A Flagler County deputy was dispatched to the gas station and spotted Estrella inside attempting to pay for diesel fuel. A Volusia County deputy then arrived at the scene and arrested Estrella, the report shows.
Estrella, who refused to talk to deputies, was charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle under $100,000. She is being held at the Volusia County Branch Jail for Osceola County, records show.


text:
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Running Time: 47 minutes
Studio Name: All Real Bareback
Series: All Real Bareback
Director: Christian Scholer
Description: All Real Bareback 52 is packed with big, stiff dicks and greedy holes, starring Aaron Young, Joe Bexter, Alejandro Alvarez, and Mias Degroot.
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Positions: Doggy Style, Kneeling, Laying, Missionary, Side Saddle
Settings: Bedroom
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Sex Acts: Oral Sex, Masturbation, Anal Sex
Positions: Doggy Style, Kneeling, Laying, Missionary
Settings: Living Room


text:
You can read about how Call of Duty: Black Ops II changes multiplayer class-selection with the introduction of a pick-10 system. It's all explained right here. Or you can just stare at this board game prototype of the system from the creators of the game.
The only thing that would make this better is if this board game was the only way to pick your Call of Duty class and all of the load-out items were actually Skylanders-like statues that had to wirelessly communicate with the board. Right? Right??


text:
Notice is given that articles of incorporation that will incorporate APPLING FAMILY TOTAL HEALTHCARE, PC. Have been delivered to the Secretary of State for filing in accordance with the Georgia Business Corporation Code. The initial registered office of the corporation is located at 950 S. Main Street, Baxley, GA 31513 and its initial registered agent at such address is Greg Williams, MSN FNP-C.
11-16 & 11-23pd
gpn06 NOTICE OF INTENT TO INCORPORATE
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text:
Fans of secondhand shopping found holiday decor and other treasures at bargain prices during the La Providencia Guild Christmas in July Sale at the Children's Hospital Thrift Shop.
A benefactor getting ready to downsize recently donated her household collection of furniture, china and crystal to the thrift shop, said member and past president Sue Ann Gordon. Among the items were Waterford crystal and Italian 24k gold-plated crystal. The special donation inspired members to create a display to showcase the fine tableware, calling it Collector's Corner.
"It shows the best of the best," Gordon said.
But holiday decorations were the main draw and most of those placed on the shelves were gone by the end of the day.
Josefina Castellon, who stops in four times a week, found a holiday-themed kitchen apron.
"You can find inexpensive merchandise that is nice and the sales people are great!" she said.
Regular patrons anxiously anticipate the annual Christmas in July Sale. And this special Saturday was no exception. Between 150 and 200 people came through the shop in the morning and the register line extended back to the office, said Deborah Spang, chairwoman of the thrift shop.
Member Alicia Katz, who had stopped by, jumped into action and went down the line taking credit card information to keep things moving.
Other members helping customers were Joan Chandler, Judy Gragg, Janice Shafer, Fanny Belle Mound, Kris Veatch, Lurdes Munoz, Donna Michel, Nancy Johnson, Donna Salant, Lorelei Kelley and President Rosemarie Witten. Doing heavy-lifting duty all day was the chairwoman's husband, Ron Spang.
All thrift shop proceeds go to Los Angeles Children's Hospital. It is located at 3301 W. Burbank Blvd. For hours, call (818) 845-6606.
Guild member in triathlon
La Providencia Guild member Tina Kalayjian is participating in the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Nautica Malibu Triathlon on Sept. 8 at Zuma Beach and she's collecting donations for the worthy cause.
This is Kalayjian's sixth consecutive year participating. She is committed to raising at least $1,000 for pediatric cancer research at Children's Hospital. She is on the Children's Hospital team with her sister, Tanya Kalayjian-Derkarabetian and her husband, Veero Derkarabetian.
During the last five years, Kalayjian has raised more than $4,000 for this cause and last year alone the Children's Hospital team raised more than $100,000. More than 5,000 athletes are expected to participate.
The deadline for donations is Aug. 16. To donate, contact Kalayjian at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Sunrise Rotary celebrates 25th
The Burbank Sunrise Rotary Club is having its Silver Anniversary Celebration Dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Burbank Holiday Inn. Tickets are $50 and dress is business casual.
Jack O'Neill will be master of ceremonies. There will be a charity auction as well as dancing to music performed by the band Misplaced Priorities.
For tickets, call Greg Simay, club president, at (818) 842-7074.
Proceeds will go to such charities as BCR – "A Place to Grow," Burbank Temporary Aid Center, Burbank Family Services Agency, Mending Kids International, Whisper n Thunder and PACE Universal.
JOYCE RUDOLPH can be contacted at email@example.com.


text:
Yoga for Parkinson's Teacher Training Certificate Program coming in April 2014Monday, November 18th, 2013
In April 2014, TriYoga of Boston and APDA MA invite you to join them for one day, two days, or five days of yoga teacher training. The Yoga for Parkinson's Teacher Training Certificate Program has been designed for yoga teachers, healthcare professionals, and individuals with Parkinson's disease who participate in yoga.
For more information, please see the event flyer. Registration is required for this program. To register, visit http://www.triyogaboston.org/ or call 781-609-2497.
Date: April 26-30, 2014
Location: TriYoga of Boston – 60 Prospect Street – Waltham, MA 02154


text:
An arrest has been made in the murder of a man in Manchester, NH.
Arrest Made In Murder Of Man In NH
Sponsored By
Program: WBZ News EveningCategories: News, Crime, General, Local News, WBZTV
Latest Videos
WBZ ForecastEric Fisher has an updated weather forecast.
Weymouth Marks Anniversary Of Sgt. Michael Chesna's Line-Of-Duty DeathThe town of Weymouth honored Sgt. Michael Chesna on the anniversary of his death. WBZ-TV's Tiffany Chan reports.
Anti-Semitic Flyers Posted On Marblehead TemplePolice are looking for the person who posted anti-Semitic flyers on a Marblehead temple. The flyers say the Holocaust was fake news. WBZ-TV's Ken MacLeod reports.
Vigil Held For Girl Killed In Lawrence CrashThe father of the 11-year-old girl killed in the crash says he forgives the driver. WBZ-TV's Jim Smith reports.
'Unsolved New England' Author Cathy McManusAuthor and ghost hunter Cathy McManus has compiled a book about New England cold cases. It's called "Unsolved New England: 20 Cases That Rocked The Region." Cathy joined Paula Ebben and Liam Martin to discuss the book.
Congresswomen Respond To President Trump's Controversial TweetsEven as White House officials moved Monday to defend his incendiary weekend tweets, Trump refused to apologize. WBZ-TV's Mike LaCrosse reports.
WBZ Evening News Update For July 15Driver Arraigned For Crash That Killed Girl In Lawrence; Brockton Man Charged With OUI For Crash That Injured 4 Troopers; Strong Start At Encore Boston Harbor; Storms Thursday.
Crowd Gets Drenched To Mark 5th Anniversary Of Ice Bucket ChallengeThis summer marks five years since the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral and helped to raise millions of dollars worldwide in the fight against ALS. WBZ-TV's David Wade reports.
WBZ Evening Forecast For July 15Eric Fisher has your latest weather forecast.
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Congresswomen Fire Back Against President Trump's Twitter AttackThe four congresswomen spoke at a press conference Monday afternoon. Pressley referred to President Trump as the "occupant of the White House." WBZ-TV's Liam Martin reports.
Suspect In Worcester Restaurant Stabbing Should Have Been Behind Bars, Family SaysThe Dabrowski family has unanswered questions and said there were chances to stop Carlos Asencio before the attack. WBZ-TV's Bill Shields reports.
Rep. Pressley Responds To President Trump's TweetsRep. Ayanna Pressley spoke at a news conference after President Trump's controversial comments.
HealthWatch: Healthy Lifestyle Could Reduce Alzheimer's Risk; Studying Premature Babies Later In LifeLeading a healthy lifestyle could lower your risk of Alzheimer's and a study shows premature babies are less likely to form romantic relationships as an adult. WBZ-TV's Dr. Mallika Marshall reports.
Lawsuit Claims Encore Boston Harbor Is Cheating Players Of WinningsA lawsuit claims the Blackjack payout rate is lower than required and only whole dollar amounts are being paid out on slot machine winnings.
Men Arraigned For 4th Of July Shooting That Injured 8-Year-Old GirlTwo men were ordered held on $30,000 bail after a Fourth of July shooting in Roxbury that injured two people, including an 8-year-old girl. WBZ-TV's Louisa Moller reports.
Lawrence Man Arraigned After Crash Kills 11-Year-Old Girl In LawrenceThe driver charged in a tragic crash that killed a young girl was ordered held without bail during an arraignment from his hospital bed Monday afternoon. WBZ-TV's Kristina Rex reports.
Web Extra: Celebrating 5 Years Of The Ice Bucket ChallengeAn event on Copley Plaza Monday recognized five years of the Ice Bucket Challenge.
WBZ News Update For July 15, 2019Driver Charged In Crash That Killed Girl; 4 Troopers Hurt In Crash; Temps Near 90
Fresh Grocer: Honeydew MelonsFresh Grocer Tony Tantillo says you can't beat fresh honeydew melons this time of year.
WBZ Midday Forecast For July 15Sarah Wroblewski has your latest weather forecast.
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4 State Troopers Hurt After Suspected Drunk Driver Crashes Into Cruiser In BrocktonFour Massachusetts State troopers were hurt in a crash overnight in Brockton.
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Apollo 11: 50 Years LaterApollo 11's 1969 moon landing is mankind's greatest achievement. Celebrate the giant leap 50 years later with astronaut Michael Collins and others from the Apollo program as they recount the events, people and ingenuity that inspired generations.
Apollo 11: How We Got To The Moon And BackA daring challenge from the president ignited American momentum in the space race, and led to the most famous footsteps in history.
Apollo 11: The People And Technology That Got Us To The MoonNASA estimates 400,000 people contributed to putting man on the moon.


text:
Here are some locally-listed companies that possess economic moats.
Singpost possesses a great economic moat – namely it's the virtually the only provider of mail services in Singapore. No other close competitor exists to rival it due to regulatory constraints. In other words, as long as regulations do not change, Singpost has pretty much been given a license to print money.
Do note however that Singpost has also branched into other businesses whereby it possesses little or no economic moat whatsoever.
SMRT is pretty much the dominant MRT operator in Singapore. It also runs certain bus routes in Singapore.
Like Singpost, SMRT also posts extremely healthy numbers and growth despite the down turn. The nature of the service – being a necessity more than a luxury good guarantees this. Capital expenditures are much higher in SMRT than in other companies mainly due to the nature of the industry.
SPH is the dominant provider of printed newspaper and magazines in Singapore. It has done extremely well over the years. However, its economic moat has weakened somewhat in recent years with the rising popularity of the Internet.
As you can see, companies with economic moats tend to do extremely well over the years. Some of the hallmarks of economic moats (by no means exhaustive) are good ROE (>12%) and ROA (5 – 7%) with moderate leverage. Do note that economic moats are not always impenetrable and can be eroded over time.


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Cleared and Stained: Picturing a Ponyfish main content.
by AMNH on
While advances in imaging technologies have opened new pathways for scientists to study natural phenomena, researchers continue to make remarkable discoveries using techniques that have been around for decades. John Sparks, associate curator in the Museum's Department of Ichthyology, uses enzymes and dyes to reveal key anatomical structures in different species of fishes for study of their function and evolution.
Among his study subjects are ponyfishes (family Leiognathidae), a group of bioluminescent fishes common in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific that have a light organ. This internal structure, which varies among ponyfish species, surrounds the esophagus and contains luminescent bacteria, the source of the fish's light. The light organ is larger in males, which have a second species-specific anatomical feature: translucent skin patches, which allow them to use the light organ in displays to attract mates in turbid waters. (Bioluminescent organisms will be explored in the exciting new exhibition Creatures of Light: Nature's Bioluminescence, which opens at the Museum on March 31, 2012.)
In expeditions to Madagascar, Taiwan, South and Southeast Asia, and other sites, Sparks and his colleagues have collected thousands of specimens, including the Secutor ruconius pictured above. Back in the laboratory, Sparks treats the fish with a series of chemical dyes: red for tinting bones, blue for cartilage, and enzymes to make tissues transparent. Photos of the treated fish—including those featured in the exhibition Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies—show the whole body with inner organs intact in striking multicolored images that illuminate structural differences.
Sparks is using this technique, in combination with 3-D imaging, DNA analysis, and other methods, to compare the light organs of different ponyfish species and gain insight into the evolution of light-signaling systems, the role of sexual selection in ponyfish diversification, and co-evolution of the fish and the luminous bacteria abundant in its light organ.
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies is on view in the Akeley Gallery.
This exhibition is made possible by the generosity of the Arthur Ross Foundation.
This story originally appeared in the Fall issue of Rotunda, the Member magazine.