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On the internet discussion list of the Religion in South Asia (RISA) chapter of the American Academy of Religion (AAR), September 2011 saw a debate on racial concepts in Vedic India. The thread's header was: "Why is Krishna blue?" My participation in it was probably a factor in my subsequent sudden and unexplained expulsion from the list. This expulsion frees me from the commitment to secrecy about what is being said and done on the list. So now, we can give a little overview of that debate.
Early on, Prof. George Thompson put his cards on the table: "I've been telling students for 25 years that Krishna is blue because he is a non-Vedic tribal god." (8 Sep.)
A UK-based Indian Professor was not so sure: "Well, the non-Vedic nature of the god might not ensure the colour! Indeed Krsna (but perhaps Visnu too) is identified with Mayon - the dark one - in Cankam Tamil, and it is not clear which way the influence went. But on the other hand, another colour-coded non-Vedic Tamil god is Seyyon - the red one - who came to be called Subrahmanya..."
Thompson replies: "Well, the color is ensured by the etymology of the word 'krsna'. As for Visnu, he is of course an early Vedic god, though not yet a prominent one in the RV, and there is no mention of Visnu's color in early Vedic, as far as I know." (8 Sep.)
To a Chicago-based Professor who is not convinced that the dark colour of Krishna's idols refers to historical skin colour, Thompson replies: "It is clear that Krsna is a black god. There is no shame in that. And there is no shame in the view that he was a tribal god. Or an aboriginal one. Where is there lack of respect in the suggestion that Krsna was originally a non-Vedic tribal god? I think that Krsna is more interesting than his white Vedic colleagues." (9 Sep)
The professor from Chicago did not take this veiled imputation of anti-aboriginal racism lying down: "You seem to entirely misconstrue my meaning. As I took some minor pains to suggest, my issue was with evidence, not conclusion. I have no trouble with black. Black is beautiful, as they used to say. Nor, were it remotely possible to establish that Krishna was 'originally' a 'tribal god' or 'aboriginal god', would there be any shame for him or his devotees.
"My concern is not with theological shame, but with what might be called methodological shame (or its lack). Empirically speaking, of course, (that is, de facto) you are entirely correct that 'there is no shame in the view that he was a tribal god'. On the other hand, de jure, I think there ought to be rather more shame in the community of scholars who study Indian religions (and this goes for the vast majority of references in historical works to Indian 'tribes' or 'aborigines').
"Whether or not one is a 'tribal god' (whatever that might be -- and I think this is not at all clear, however people might bandy the concept about) is (ideally) normatively neutral. However, making claims about tribal this and tribal that based on fragments of ambiguous evidence, half-formed ideas about what the native communities of India might have been in the historical periods under discussion, and a healthy dose of lazy historical fantasy (in respectable circles, this is called 'historical retrodiction' or 'synthesis'), should be a matter of some shame indeed."
"There is some little evidence for communities one might call 'aboriginal' or 'tribal' in India in the ancient period. However, most of it either requires serious interpretative caution (being, after all, literary representations of marginal communities that bear marked connotations in mainstream discourses) or contradicts the typical Indological fantasy of what characterizes 'aboriginal, tribal' societies and religions."
So, this Professor imputes to Prof. Thompson an eagerness to bandy "racism" about, as well as the methodologically sloppy readiness to assume "tribal" origins. I am not the only one to suspect that George Thompson is a race hustler. A Professor from Buffalo NY dedramatizes the race issue in the Hindu context:
"I recall, many years ago, H. Daniel Smith, the Sanskrit scholar who had by then turned his focus to Hindu poster art, telling a class that the reason that Kali was represented in poster art as blue rather than black was because they couldn't use that much black in early chromolithography -- I don't recall exactly why; perhaps it seeped into neighboring colors? And the technical limitations of the poster art changed the way many people visualized Kali (as blue as well as black). Perhaps something similar is the case with Krishna?" (9 Sep.)
Thompson to the Chicago professor, 9 Sep.:
"I suppose that I have misunderstood your original post, because in fact I do agree that there is little evidence -- either positive or negative – for any claim about Krsna's origins. When we are dealing with texts that are at least 2000 years old (and in my case at least 3000), we are all, in my view, in the dark ages. I probably am more aware of this than most list members because I spend most of my time on the Rgveda. One of my little projects is to translate the cycle of hymns attributed to the rsi Diirghatamas, so I know a lot about darkness, intentional, riddling darkness.
"Color symbolism is an interesting matter but it does not lead us to the light of history. By the way, my reference to white Vedic gods was facetious (I was vaguely alluding to our White Aryan Brotherhood friends). I don't think that any of us is 'white'. 'Whiteness' is a racist concept, in my view. I will close by pointing out that the Vedic clans were not only not white; they were tribal, intensely macho, and virulently xenophobic. I've been reading Jarrod Whitaker's new book Strong Arms and Drinking Strength: Masculinity, Violence and the Body in Ancient India (I've been asked to review it). He points out that nowhere in the RV is nrmna, 'manliness,' ever ascribed to any indigenous peoples (p. 53)."
Nobody in his right mind was referring to "our White Aryan Brotherhood friends", except for George Thompson. It is only he who links the Indo-Aryans with the unrelated White Aryan Brotherhood. He wrote back on 10 September:
"[The Chicago professor] and I have gotten clearance from Deepak to continue this discussion for a bit longer. Several misunderstandings have been cleared up.
"In the introduction to my Gita translation, I claimed, on the basis of my reading of the text alone, that the doctrine that Krsna as an avatar of Visnu was not yet a settled doctrine in the Gita. Somewhat later after making this assertion, I was asked to review Angelika Malinar's book The Bhagavadgiitaa: Doctrines and Contexts published in 2007 (which is the year in which I had finished my Gita book), and she made the case for this claim at much greater length than I did, and she persuasively argued that her very learned view, and my not very learned but intuitive view, represented the current consensus.
"So, I think that it is fair to say that there was initially significant resistance to the idea that Krsna was an avater of Visnu. In most of the text of the MBh, Krsna is usually considered a mere mortal King of the Vrsnis. While the term vrsni is a good old Vedic word, it isn't used to refer to a particular tribe. The clan of the Vrsnis do not appear on the scene until epic [MBh] Sanskrit. Since I am a Vedicist most of all, I claim no expertise on the ethnography of this Vrsni clan. It might be worthwhile to pursue this, though. It may help us to learn something historically significant about Krsna's origins. But I'll leave this for those who would know more than I do.
"Through this sort of ethnographical research we may be able to get some historical insights into the origins of Krsna. In any case, I think that this kind of approach may prove to be more fruitful than color symbolism."
A very Christian Professor intervened on 9 September under the header: The Indo-European Immigrants' Self Consciousness:
"Sisters and brothers, A recent mention of Jarrod Whitaker's new book reminded me of something that I have been meaning to ask the list. I know from Ed Bryant's The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture, that the evidence that the Indo-Europeans characterized the indigenes in South Asia as 'snub nosed' is exceedingly thin. This prompts a more basic question: Assuming that the Indo-Europeans migrated into South Asia, but assuming that it was not a catastrophic invasion, that it was a movement over several centuries, etc., is there solid evidence in early Vedic literature that the migrating Indo-Europeans thought of themselves as a separate people? That they spoke a different language. Or had a different religion and mythology. Or that they were somehow ethnically distinct (if not with longer noses, than with lighter skin, or is even that too much a product of modern racism). That the immigrants labeled themselves 'Aryans' and the indigenes were labeled 'Dasyus' or 'Dasas', of something of the sort. Is the evidence good for this?"
Another Professor added on 11 september under the same header: The Indo-European Immigrants' Self Consciousness:
"In all of our excitement to discuss why Krishna is blue (from the serious to the silly), I fear this excellent question posed by [the Christian Professor] may have gotten lost in the barrage of emails. I am very interested in this topic as well, and would also appreciate some insight from our Vedic scholars."
That's when, 11 september, I intervened under this same header: The Indo-European Immigrants' Self Consciousness:
"Dear listfolk,
"The debate over whether there ever was an Aryan invasion has raged (and I mean raged) for two decades, and if there had been such evidence for the Vedic people seeing themselves as invaders and others as natives, it would have been plastered all over the affected discussion forums including this one. So no, there is no such evidence.
"Françoise Bader in her textbook of Indo-European linguistics tries to derive 'Arya' (the self-reference term of both Iranians and Vedic Indo-Aryans) from 'alia', related to Latin/English 'alien', in the sense of 'the foreigners, the invaders'. But even among the Aryan Invasion believers, she never found many takers for this rather oxymoronic explanation of a self-referential term as meaning 'the others'.
"In the Rg-Veda, the terms 'Dasa' and 'Dasyu', which are also known in ethnic meanings in Iranian languages, refer without any doubt to Iranians, i.e. fellow Indo-Europeans, whiter than or at least as white as the Vedic people. Not to Mundas or Dravidians. The Rg-Vedic Battle of the Ten Kings and Varshagira Battle (the first on the Ravi banks in West Panjab, the second beyond the Bolan Pass in southern Afghanistan, after the westward expansion rendered possible by Vedic kind Sudas's victory in the first battle), were very definitely between Iranians and Vedic Indo-Aryans. The second of these battles is also alluded to in the younger Avesta, where the same battle leaders are mentioned: Rjashva/Arjasp and Somaka/Humayaka on the Indian side, Vishtaspa/Ishtashva on the Iranian side. RV 1:122:13 mentions Ishtâshva, the Sanskrit form of Iranian 'Vishtâspa', well-known as Zarathustra's royal patron: 'What can Ishtâshva, Ishtarashmi or any other princes do against those who enjoy the protection (of Mitra and Varuna)?' Thus the interpretation of Sayana and SK Hodiwala, as reported by Shrikant Talageri, The Rigveda, a Historical Analysis, p.215-221, and also followed, at least in the names given, by HH Wilson and KF Geldner in their RV translations. It is a rare treat in studies of ancient literature when a single event is reported in two independent sources, which moreover represent the two opposing parties in the event.
"[Dear Chistian Professor], your question for evidence is an eminently good one. When people say, for example, that Krishna, though described as belonging to one of the Vedic 'five nations', is called 'black because he was a non-Aryan indigenous tribal leader', it is indeed right and necessary to ask them for their evidence.
"Kind regards,
"Dr. Koenraad Elst, non-affiliated Orientalist"
This argumentation of mine contains one non-essential mistake, viz. the Vârshâgira Battle took place on the eastern, Indian side of the Bolan pass, not on the Western, Afghan side. But it was a battle between Vedic Indians and Avestan Iranians. Terms like Dâsa, Dasyu and Asura are well-attested in Iranian but nowhere attested in "tribal" languages.
Nonetheless, George Thompson replied on 12 september, now under the header: The Indo-European Immigrants' Self Consciousness. He clearly was very angry for my accusing him of building a far-reaching thesis on no evidence at all:
"Dear List,
"We have had this argument with Mr Elst many, many times already, and I am not going to waste much time on running in circles with him again. He is a virulent Hindutvavadin. Frankly, I don't think that he has earned a place on this list.
"Bader's etymology for the term 'arya' is in fact widely accepted by competent linguists. Actually, it isn't her etymology. It is much older than she is. It has been common knowledge for several generations. Elst is not a competent linguist.
"Let me point out also another mistake that Elst makes, along with [yet another Professor]. No Indo-Europeans ever invaded India. Indo-Europeans, by the third millennium, had already fragmented into a dozen or more distinct linguistic families. Indo-Europeans weren't a race! They were a group of linguistic families, speakers of various related languages! This is linguistics 101, my friends! I can't believe that I have to give this lecture yet again on a scholarly list!
"The clans that migrated into India some 3000 plus years ago were Vedic clans, who had very close ties to the Iranian clans that migrated westward into Iran at about the same time that the Vedic clans were approaching the Indian subcontinent. They fought constantly with their Iranian cousins, just as they fought constantly with the indigenous clans of India when they finally reached the Panjab.
"Look, we have significant evidence, linguistic evidence, that clearly demonstrates that the Vedic tribes did in fact migrate into India over the course of many centuries. We have good linguistic evidence that Indra fought against tribes who had no eth[n]ic ties whatsoever with Indo-Iranian tribes (see Kuiper's list of terms that have no cognates either in IE or in Indo-Iranian). These would have to have been tribes indigenous to India.
"Elst continues to think that early Iranian and early Vedic clans thought in terms of their 'whiteness' Well, what evidence is there for that? Elst, in my view, clearly operates from a racist ideology. Look again at him.
"If you all want to explore the scholarly dark ages: this is where to look.
He is not competent to talk about Avestan. I am."
Well, well. In a context where the difference between a and â, between arya and ârya, gets confused by the occasional non-use of the â, it seems that George Thompson hasn't understood the import of Françoise Bader's use of arya. Unlike Paul Thieme and other "competent linguists" who are "older than she is", and who interpreted ârya as a derivative of arya, "other" , viz. as "inclined towards the other, hospitable, altruistic", Bader interprets ârya as a synonym of arya, viz. as "the other, the stranger" through the semantic conduit "coming from another country = ârya". (Langues Indo-Européennes, p.66) There is no evidence for this at all, except that it falls in line with the Aryan Invasion Theory; but even all the other AIT champions never thought of it, until George Thompson gave his support to it.
Then we have the champion of the racial interpretation of ancient Vedic terms slamming the open non-racial door: "Indo-Europeans weren't a race! They were a group of linguistic families, speakers of various related languages! This is linguistics 101, my friends! I can't believe that I have to give this lecture yet again on a scholarly list!" Most members even of the RISA list were perfectly aware of the non-racial import of the Rg-Veda, it is only George Thompson who opened the debate by saying in so many words that for 25 years he has been teaching that Krishna's imputed racial traits are significant for his ethnic background.
What is simply unacceptable is that the avowed racist George Thompson, once he feels the anti-racist mood on the RISA-list, accuses me of all people of racism. Ever since my first writing on the Aryan Invasion Theory, the book Indigenous Indians in 1993, I have consistently lambasted the 19th-century racial interpretation of Vedic terms. George Thompson, by contrast, has espoused that interpretation all along.
It remains a fact that Iranian refers a hundred times in a self-referential or at least partially Iranian sense to the terms which the Vedas use to name their enemies. None of the tribal languages, not even the Dravidian languages, do so. They also do not have the so-called deshi (vernacular but not attested in Sanskrit) words for Hindi plant names, which are non-existent in the non-Indian Indo-European languages only because it is no use retaining a word for a (in Europe) non-existent plant. All the Kuipers of this world cannot change that.
As a parting shot, Thompson gives this along: "If you all want to explore the scholarly dark ages: this is where to look." Just the opposite: in the Middle Ages, scholarship reputedly went by authority, which is George Thompson's method, and the Aryan Invasion method. After the Enlightenment, the scholarly method required evidence, which is my method.
Meanwhile, the list master implored me at once to let it all pass. On 12 September, he sent me a message under the all too clear header: "pls do not respond to that RISA msg":
"Dear Koenraad:
"Out of the best interest of the RISA-L listserve, please do not respond to that msg, acrimonious as it was. You are, of course, more than welcome respond off list.
"yours, Deepak, RISA-L admin"
I complied, but must say I have not been rewarded. Though I didn't react at all, I was shown the door somewhat later. By contrast, I have no information that the offending list member, George Thompson, was reprimanded in any meaningful way. He didn't apologize on- or off-list. So now, at least, I am at liberty to divulge what happened.
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Job 28 Bible Commentary
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Job 28
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete)
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Job 28
The strain of this chapter is very unlike the rest of this book. Job forgets his sores, and all his sorrows, and talks like a philosopher or a virtuoso. Here is a great deal both of natural and moral philosophy in this discourse; but the question is, How does it come in here? Doubtless it was not merely for an amusement, or diversion from the controversy; though, if it had been only so, perhaps it would not have been much amiss. When disputes grow hot, better lose the question than lose our temper. But this is pertinent and to the business in hand. Job and his friends had been discoursing about the dispensations of Providence towards the wicked and the righteous. Job had shown that some wicked men live and die in prosperity, while others are presently and openly arrested by the judgments of God. But, if any ask the reason why some are punished in this world and not others, they must be told it is a question that cannot be answered. The knowledge of the reasons of state in God's government of the world is kept from us, and we must neither pretend to it nor reach after it. Zophar had wished that God would show Job the "secrets of wisdom" (ch. 11:6). No, says Job, "secret things belong not to us, but things revealed," Deu. 29:29. And here he shows, I. Concerning worldly wealth, how industriously that is sought for and pursued by the children of men, what pains they take, what contrivances they have, and what hazards they run to get it (v. 1-11). II. Concerning wisdom (v. 12). In general, the price of it is very great; it is of inestimable value (v. 15-19). The place of it is very secret (v. 14, 20, 22). In particular, there is a wisdom which is hidden in God (v. 23-27) and there is a wisdom which is revealed to the children of men (v. 28). Our enquiries into the former must be checked, into the latter quickened, for that is it which is our concern.
Verses 1-11
Here Job shows, 1. What a great way the wit of man may go in diving into the depths of nature and seizing the riches of it, what a great deal of knowledge and wealth men may, by their ingenious and industrious searches, make themselves masters of. But does it therefore follow that men may, by their wit, comprehend the reasons why some wicked people prosper and others are punished, why some good people prosper and others are afflicted? No, by no means. The caverns of the earth may be discovered, but not the counsels of heaven. 2. What a great deal of care and pains worldly men take to get riches. He had observed concerning the wicked man (ch. 27:16) that he
heaped up silver as the dust;
now here he shows whence that silver came which he was so fond of and how it was obtained, to show what little reason wicked rich men have to be proud of their wealth and pomp. Observe here,
I. The wealth of this world is hidden in the earth. Thence the silver and the gold, which afterwards they refine, are fetched, v. 1. There they lay mixed with a great deal of dirt and dross, like a worthless thing, of no more account than common earth; and abundance of them will so lie neglected, till the earth and all the works therein shall be burnt up. Holy Mr. Herbert, in his poem called
takes notice of this, to shame men out of the love of money:
Money, thou bane of bliss, thou source of woe,
Whence com'st thou, that thou art so fresh and fine?
I know thy parentage is base and low;
Man found thee poor and dirty in a mine.
Surely thou didst so little contribute
To this great kingdom which thou now hast got
That he was fain, when thou wast destitute,
To dig thee out of thy dark cave and grot.
Man calleth thee his wealth, who made thee rich,
And while he digs out thee falls in the ditch.
Iron and brass, less costly but more serviceable metals, are
taken out of the earth
(v. 2), and are there found in great abundance, which abates their price indeed, but is a great kindness to man, who could much better be without gold than without iron. Nay,
out of the earth comes bread,
that is, bread-corn, the necessary support of life, v. 5. Thence man's maintenance is fetched, to remind him of his own original; he is of the earth, and is hastening to the earth.
Under it is turned up as it were fire,
precious stones, that sparkle as firebrimstone, that is apt to take firecoal, that is proper to feed fire. As we have our food, so we have our fuel, out of the earth. There the sapphires and other gems are, and thence gold-dust is digged up;, v. 6. The wisdom of the Creator has placed these things, 1. Out of our sight, to teach us not to set our eyes upon them, Prov. 23:5. 2. Under our feet, to teach us not to lay them in our bosoms, nor to set our hearts upon them, but to trample upon them with a holy contempt. See how full the
earth is of God's riches
(Ps. 104:24) and infer thence, not only how great a God he is
whose the earth is
the fulness thereof
(Ps. 24:1), but how full heaven must needs be of God's riches, which is the city of the great King, in comparison with which this earth is a poor country.
II. The wealth that is hidden in the earth cannot be obtained but with a great deal of difficulty. 1. It is hard to be found out: there is but here and there
a vein for the silver,
v. 1. The precious stones, though bright themselves, yet, because buried in obscurity and out of sight, are called
stones of darkness and the shadow of death.
Men may search long before they light on them. 2. When found out it is hard to be fetched out. Men's wits must be set on work to contrive ways and means to get this hidden treasure into their hands. They must with their lamps
set an end to darkness;
and if one expedient miscarry, one method fail, they must try another, till they have
searched out all perfection,
and turned every stone to effect it, v. 3. They must grapple with subterraneous waters (v. 4, 10, 11), and force their way through rocks which are, as it were, the roots of the mountains, v. 9. Now God has made the getting of gold, and silver, and precious stones, so difficult, (1.) For the exciting and engaging of industry.
Dii laboribus omnia venduntLabour is the price which the gods affix to all things.
If valuable things were too easily obtained men would never learn to take pains. But the difficulty of gaining the riches of this earth may suggest to us what violence the kingdom of heaven suffers. (2.) For the checking and restraining of pomp and luxury. What is for necessity is had with a little labour from the surface of the earth; but what is for ornament must be dug with a great deal of pains out of the bowels of it. To be fed is cheap, but to be fine is chargeable.
III. Though the subterraneous wealth is thus hard to obtain, yet men will have it. He that loves silver is not satisfied with silver, and yet is not satisfied without it; but those that have much must needs have more. See here, 1. What inventions men have to get this wealth. They
search out all perfection,
v. 3. They have arts and engines to dry up the waters, and carry them off, when they break in upon them in their mines and threaten to drown the work, v. 4. They have pumps, and pipes, and canals, to clear their way, and, obstacles being removed, they tread
the path which no fowl knoweth
(v. 7, 8), unseen by the vulture's eye, which is piercing and quick-sighted, and untrodden by the lion's whelps, which traverse all the paths of the wilderness. 2. What pains men take, and what vast charge they are at, to get this wealth. They work their way through the rocks and undermine the mountains, v. 10. 3. What hazards they run. Those that dig in the mines have their lives in their hands; for they are obliged to
bind the floods from overflowing
(v. 11), and are continually in danger of being suffocated by damps or crushed or buried alive by the fall of the earth upon them. See how foolish man adds to his own burden. He is sentenced to eat bread in the sweat of his face; but, as if that were not enough, he will get gold and silver at the peril of his life, though the more is gotten the less valuable it is. In Solomon's time silver was as stones. But, 4. Observe what it is that carries men through all this toil and peril:
Their eye sees every precious thing,
v. 10. Silver and gold are precious things with them, and they have them in their eye in all these pursuits. They fancy they see them glittering before their faces, and, in the prospect of laying hold of them, they make nothing of all these difficulties; for they make something of their toil at last:
That which is hidden bringeth he forth to light,
v. 11. What was hidden under ground is laid upon the bank; the metal that was hidden in the ore is refined from its dross and brought forth pure out of the furnace; and then he thinks his pains well bestowed. Go to the miners then, thou sluggard in religion; consider their ways, and be wise. Let their courage, diligence, and constancy in seeking the wealth that perisheth shame us out of slothfulness and faint-heartedness in labouring for the true riches.
How much better is it to get wisdom than gold!
How much easier and safer! Yet gold is sought for, but grace neglected. Will the hopes of
precious things
out of the earth (so they call them, though really they are paltry and perishing) be such a spur to industry, and shall not the certain prospect of truly precious things in heaven be much more so?
Verses 12-19
Job, having spoken of the wealth of the world, which men put such a value upon and take so much pains for, here comes to speak of another more valuable jewel, and that is,
wisdom and understanding,
the knowing and enjoying of God and ourselves. Those that found out all those ways and means to enrich themselves thought themselves very wise; but Job will not own theirs to be wisdom. He supposes them to gain their point, and to bring to light what they sought for (v. 11), and yet asks,
"Where is wisdom?
for it is not here." This their way is their folly. We must therefore seek it somewhere else, and it will be found nowhere but in the principles and practices of religion. There is more true knowledge, satisfaction, and happiness, in sound divinity, which shows us the way to the joys of heaven, than in natural philosophy or mathematics, which help us to find a way into the bowels of the earth. Two things cannot be found out concerning this wisdom:
I. The price of it, for that is inestimable; its worth is infinitely more than all the riches in this world:
Man knows not the price thereof
(v. 13), that is, 1. Few put a due value upon it. Men know not the worth of it, its innate excellency, their need of it, and of what unspeakable advantage it will be to them; and therefore, though they have many a price in their hand to get this wisdom, yet they
have no heart to it,
Prov. 17:16. The cock in the fable knew not the value of the precious stone he found in the dunghill, and therefore would rather have lighted on a barley-corn. Men know not the worth of grace, and therefore will take no pains to get it. 2. None can possibly give a valuable consideration for it, with all the wealth this world can furnish them with. This Job enlarges upon v. 15, etc., where he makes an inventory of the
bona notabiliathe most valuable treasures
of this world. Gold is five times mentioned; silver comes in also; and then several precious stones, the onyx and sapphire, pearls and rubies, and the topaz of Ethiopia. These are the things that are highest prized in the world's markets: but if a man would give, not only these, heaps of these, but all the substance of his house, all he is worth in the world, for wisdom, it would utterly be contemned. These may give a man some advantage in seeking wisdom, as they did to Solomon, but there is no purchasing wisdom with these. It is a gift of
the Holy Ghost,
cannot be bought with money,
Acts 8:20. As it does not run in the blood, and so come to us by descent, so it cannot be got for money, nor does it come to us by purchase. Spiritual gifts are conferred without money and without price, because no money can be a price for them. Wisdom is likewise a more valuable gift to him that has it, makes him richer and happier, than gold or precious stones. It is
better to get wisdom than gold.
Gold is another's, wisdom our own; gold is for the body and time, wisdom for the soul and eternity. Let that which is most precious in God's account be so in ours. See Prov. 3:14, etc.
II. The place of it, for that is undiscoverable.
Where shall wisdom be found?
v. 12. He asks this, 1. As one that truly desired to find it. This is a question we should all put. While the most of men are asking, "Where shall money be found?" we should ask,
Where may wisdom be found?
that we may seek it and find it, not vain philosophy, or carnal policy, but true religion; for that is the only true wisdom, that is it which best improves our faculties and best secures our spiritual and eternal welfare. This is that which we should cry after and dig for, Prov. 2:3, 4. 2. As one that utterly despaired of finding it any where but in God, and any way but by divine revelation:
It is not found in
land of the living,
v. 13. We cannot attain to a right understanding of God and his will, of ourselves and our duty and interest, by reading any books or men, but by reading God's book and the men of God. Such is the degeneracy of human nature that there is no true wisdom to be found with any but those who are born again, and who, through grace, partake of the divine nature. As for others, even the most ingenious and industrious, they can tell us no tidings of this lost wisdom. (1.) Ask the miners, and by them
the depth will say, It is not in me,
v. 14. Those who dig into the bowels of the earth, to rifle the treasures there, cannot in these dark recesses find this rare jewel, nor with all their art make themselves masters of it. (2.) Ask the mariners, and by them
the sea will say, It is not in me.
It can never be got either by trading on the waters or diving into them, can never be
sucked from the abundance of the seas or the treasures hidden in the sand.
Where there is a vein for the silver there is no vein for wisdom, none for grace. Men can more easily break through the difficulties they meet with in getting worldly wealth than through those they meet with in getting heavenly wisdom, and they will take more pains to learn how to live in this world than how to live for ever in a better world. So blind and foolish has man become that it is in vain to ask him,
Where is the place of wisdom,
and which is the road that leads to it?
Verses 20-28
The question which Job had asked (v. 12) he asks again here; for it is too worthy, too weighty, to be let fall, until we speed in the enquiry. Concerning this we must seek till we find, till we get some satisfactory account of it. By a diligent prosecution of this enquiry he brings it, at length, to this issue, that there is a twofold wisdom, one
hidden in God,
which is secret and
belongs not to us,
the other made known by him and revealed to man, which
belongs to us and to our children.
I. The knowledge of God's secret will, the will of his providence, is out of our reach, and what God has reserved to himself. It
belongs to the Lord our God.
To know the particulars of what God will do hereafter, and the reasons of what he is doing now, is the knowledge Job first speaks of.
1. This knowledge is hidden from us. It is high, we cannot attain unto it (v. 21, 22):
It is hid from the eyes of all living,
even of philosophers, politicians, and saints; it is
kept close from the fowls of the air;
though they fly high and in the open firmament of heaven, though they seem somewhat nearer that upper world where the source of this wisdom is, though their eyes behold afar off (ch. 39:29), yet they cannot penetrate into the counsels of God. No, man is
wiser than the fowls of heaven,
and yet comes short of this wisdom. Even those who, in their speculations, soar highest, and think themselves, like the fowls of the air, above the heads of other people, yet cannot pretend to this knowledge. Job and his friends had been arguing about the methods and reasons of the dispensations of Providence in the government of the world. "What fools are we" (says Job) "to fight in the dark thus, to dispute about that which we do not understand!" The line and plummet of human reason can never fathom the abyss of the divine counsels. Who can undertake to give the rationale of Providence, or account for the maxims, measure, and methods of God's government, those
arcana imperiicabinet counsels
of divine wisdom? Let us then be content not to know the future events of the Providence until time discover them (Acts 1:7) and not to know the secret reasons of Providence until eternity discover them. God is now a God that hideth himself (Isa. 45:15);
clouds and darkness are round about him.
Though this wisdom be hidden from all living, yet
destruction and death say, We have heard the fame of it.
Though they cannot give an account of themselves (for there is
no wisdom, nor device, nor knowledge at all in the grave,
much less this), yet there is a world on the other side death and the grave, on which those dark regions border, and to which we must pass through them, and there we shall see clearly what we are now in the dark about. "Have a little patience," says Death to the inquisitive soul: "I will fetch thee shortly to a place where even this wisdom will be found." When
the mystery of God shall be finished
it will be laid open, and we shall know as we are known; when the veil of flesh is rent, and the interposing clouds are scattered, we shall know what God does, though we know not now, Jn. 13:7.
2. This knowledge is hidden in God, as the apostle speaks, Eph. 3:9.
Known unto God are all his works,
though they are not known to us, Acts 15:18. There are good reasons for what he does, though we cannot assign them (v. 23):
God understands the way thereof.
Men sometimes do they know not what, but God never does. Men do what they did not design to do; new occurrences put them upon new counsels, and oblige them to take new measures. But God does all according to the purpose which he purposed in himself, and which he never alters. Men sometimes do that which they cannot give a good reason for, but in every will of God there is a counsel: he knows both what he does and why he does it, the whole series of events and the order and place of every occurrence. This knowledge he has in perfection, but keeps to himself. Two reasons are here given why God must needs understand his own way, and he only:
(1.) Because all events are now directed by an all-seeing and almighty Providence, v. 24, 25. He that governs the world is, [1.] Omniscient;
for he looks to the ends of the earth,
both in place and time; distant ages, distant regions, are under his view. We do not understand our own way, much less can we understand God's way, because we are short-sighted. How little do we know of what is doing in the world, much less of what will be done? But
the eyes of the Lord are in every place;
nay, they
run to and fro through the earth.
Nothing is, or can be, hidden from him; and therefore the reasons why some wicked people prosper remarkably and others are remarkably punished in this world, which are secret to us, are known to him. One day's events, and one man's affairs, have such a reference to, and such a dependence upon, another's, that he only to whom all events and all affairs are naked and open, and who sees the whole at one entire and certain view, is a competent Judge of every part. [2.] He is omnipotent. He can do every thing, and is very exact in all he does. For proof of this Job mentions the winds and waters, v. 25. What is lighter than the wind? Yet God hath ways of poising it. He knows how
to make the weight for the winds,
which he
brings out of his treasuries
(Ps. 135:7), keeping a very particular account of what he draws out, as men do of what they pay out of their treasuries, not at random, as men bring out their trash. Nothing sensible is to us more unaccountable than the wind. We
hear the sound of it, yet cannot tell whence it comes, nor whither it goes;
but God gives it out by weight, wisely ordering both from what point it shall blow and with what strength. The waters of the sea, and the rain-waters, he both weighs and measures, allotting the proportion of every tide and every shower. A great and constant communication there is between clouds and seas, the waters above the firmament and those under it. Vapours go up, rains come down, air is condensed into water, water rarefied into air; but the great God keeps an exact account of all the stock with which this trade is carried on for the public benefit and sees that none of it be lost. Now if, in these things, Providence be so exact, much more in dispensing frowns and favours, rewards and punishments, to the children of men, according to the rules of equity.
(2.) Because all events were from eternity designed and determined by an infallible prescience and immutable decree, v. 26, 27. When he settled the course of nature he foreordained all the operations of his government. [1.] He settled the course of nature. Job mentions particularly
a decree for the rain
a way for the thunder and lightening.
The general manner and method, and the particular uses and tendencies, of these strange performances, both their causes and their effects, were appointed by the divine purpose; hence God is said to
prepare lightnings for the rain,
Ps. 135:7; Jer. 10:13. [2.] When he did that he laid all the measures of his providence, and drew an exact scheme of the whole work from first to last. Then, from eternity, did he see in himself, and declare to himself, the plan of his proceedings. Then he prepared it, fixed it, and established it, set every thing in readiness for all his works, so that, when any thing was to be done, nothing was to seek, nor could any thing unforeseen occur, to put it either out of its method or out of its time; for all was ordered as exactly as if he had studied it and searched it out, so that, whatever he does,
nothing can be put to it nor taken from it,
and therefore
it shall be for ever,
Eccl. 3:14. Some make Job to speak of wisdom here as a person, and translate it,
Then he saw her and showed her,
etc., and then it is parallel with that of Solomon concerning the essential wisdom of the Father, the eternal Word, Prov. 8:22, etc.
Before the earth was, then was I by him,
Jn. 1:1, 2.
II. The knowledge of God's revealed will, the will of his precept, and this is within our reach; it is level to our capacity, and will do us good (v. 28):
Unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord that is wisdom.
Let it not be said that when God concealed his counsels from man, and forbade him that tree of knowledge, it was because he grudged him any thing that would contribute to his real bliss and satisfaction; no, he let him know as much as he was concerned to know in order to his duty and happiness; he shall be entrusted with as much of his sovereign mind as is needful and fit for a subject, but he must not think himself fit to be a privy-counsellor. He said to
(so some), to the first man, in the day in which he was created; he told him plainly it was not for him to amuse himself with over-curious searches into the mysteries of creation, nor to pretend to solve all the phenomena of nature; he would find it neither possible nor profitable to do so. No less wisdom (says archbishop Tillotson) than that which made the world can thoroughly understand the philosophy of it. But let him look upon this as his wisdom, to fear the Lord and to depart from evil; let him learn that, and he is learned enough; let this knowledge serve his turn. When God forbade man the tree of knowledge he allowed him the tree of life, and this is that tree, Prov. 3:18. We cannot attain true wisdom but by divine revelation.
The Lord giveth wisdom,
Prov. 2:6. Now the matter of that is not found in the secrets of nature or providence, but in the rules for our own practice. Unto man he said, not, "Go up to heaven, to fetch happiness thence;" or, "Go down to the deep, to draw it up thence." No,
the word is nigh thee,
Deu. 30:14.
He hath shown thee, O man!
not what is great, but
what is good,
not what the Lord thy God designs to do with thee, but what he
requires of thee,
Mic. 6:8.
Unto you, O men! I call,
Prov. 8:4. Lord, what is man that he should be thus minded, thus visited! Behold, mark, take notice of this; he that has ears let him hear what the God of heaven says to the children of men:
The fear of the Lord, that is the wisdom.
Here is, 1. The description of true religion, pure religion, and undefiled; it is to
fear the Lord and depart from evil,
which agrees with God's character of Job, ch. 1:1. The
fear of the Lord
is the spring and summary of all religion. There is a slavish fear of God, springing from hard thoughts of him, which is contrary to religion, Mt. 25:24. There is a selfish fear of God springing from dreadful thoughts of him, which may be a good step towards religion, Acts 9:5. But there is a filial fear of God, springing from great and high thoughts of him, which is the life and soul of all religion. And, wherever this reigns in the heart, it will appear by a constant care to
depart from evil,
Prov. 16:6. This is essential to religion. We must first cease to do evil, or we shall never learn to do well.
Virtus est vitium fugereEven in our flight from vice some virtue lies.
2. The commendation of religion: it is
To be truly religious is to be truly wise. As the wisdom of God appears in the institution of religion, so the wisdom of man appears in the institution of religion, so the wisdom of man appears in the practice and observance of it. It is understanding, for it is the best knowledge of truth; it is wisdom, for it is the best management of our affairs. Nothing more surely guides our way and gains our end than being religious.
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Bible Commentary
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Job 28
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Job 28
John Darby's Synopsis
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Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete)
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes


text:
Christmas is my favorite holiday and I, like many other Westchester residents, plan on eating Chinese food and hitting up the movie theater with my mom on the 25th. The problem is that, with studios trying cram in their movies for Oscar consideration, there are so many films to choose from. What are the must-sees? Which films should be avoided? I did my best to sort through the current fare, from safer bets, to calculated risks, to flat-out bombs.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Though I greatly admire both Fight Club director David Fincher and Jazz Age author F. Scott Fitzgerald, I never thought I'd see the two names together on one project — especially not one as hard-to-film as a story where a man ages backwards. Add in heavyweight actors Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett — along with some crazy-looking special effects — and you have a film that has to be at the very least interesting to look at.
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Doubt and Frost/Nixon
The best thing about movies based on plays is that they come with built-in, meaty showcase scenes delivered directly into actors' strike zones. Whether you're looking for a severe, open-ended story about possible wrongdoing in a Bronx parish or a flashy tête-a- tête between a British talk-show host and Richard Nixon, you'll find yourself awash in Oscar-worthy acting performances from basically every star in either movie: Amy Adams, Viola Davis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Frank Langella, Sam Rockwell, Michael Sheen, and, of course, Meryl Streep. If your favorite actor is in that bunch, you won't be disappointed by the performance.
Gran Torino: Anthony Michael Rivetti |
Gran Torino
It seems like Clint Eastwood is continually hedging his bets. First there were his two back-to-back Iwo Jima movies, and this year he came out with another pair of awards bait. The second, Gran Torino — about an old man (Eastwood) who has to overcome his attitudes about race to bond with his troubled Asian neighbor — has already racked up some nominations, though maybe not the ones you'd expect. (It received a Golden Globe nomination for "Best Song," which Eastwood supposedly sings.) That's not a great selling feature, but Entertainment Weekly calls the movie "at once understated and radical," and since it may be Eastwood's last acting role, it's probably worth the admission.
Revolutionary Road: François Duhamel © 2007 DreamWorks LLC |
Revolutionary Road
A movie about how soul-crushing it is to live in the suburbs of New York City — that sounds like it was made for us! Plus, it sounds like Mad Men, and everyone loves Mad Men, right? The movie is directed by Sam "American Beauty" Mendes, so expect it to be, well, harsh — but well done, especially since marks-of-quality Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet play the diasaffected couple at the center of it all.
Wendy & Lucy
This is one of those movies that's hard to find and few people have seen it — but those who have are really glad they did. Don't let the Peanuts-ish name fool you: this isn't some cutesy movie. Wendy (Michelle Williams) is a woman whose dream is kind of depressing to begin with: she wants to get a job at an Alaskan fish cannery. (Lucy is her dog, so in a way, I guess it's a little like Peanuts.) On the way to AK, her car breaks down, and things go downhill from there. In these terrible economic times, I'd all rather see a downer like this as opposed to Confessions of a Shopaholic.
The Wrestler: Niko Tavernise |
The Wrestler
Certainly grittier than a feel-good flick like Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler — about a retired pro-wrestler dealing with his stripper girlfriend and estranged daughter as he tries to get back in the ring — is being hailed as its own comeback story, rejuvenating the career of actor Mickey Rourke. If director Darren Aronofsky's previous films — like Pi or Requiem for a Dream — are any indication, the road back to the spotlight is going to be obsessive and emotionally distressing (but in a good way).
The Reader: Melinda Sue Gordon © 2008 The Weinstein Co. |
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Defiance, The Reader, or Valkyrie
All of these movies take place during World War II. They all have great actors in what I'm sure are terrific performances. There has been Oscar buzz about almost all of them. But, really, how many WWII movies can you stomach, especially over the holidays? And how do you choose? I'd go with Valkyrie, because it's directed by the man who did the first X-Men movies (the good ones), and because Tom Cruise wears an eye patch. Or The Reader because Kate Winslet is my hero, even when she's rocking Bert-style eyebrows. Or Defiance because Daniel Craig is hot. (Jamie Bell, too.) Or The Boy in the Striped Pajamas because it looks the artiest, and because Vera Farmiga is underrated as an actress. Ah, just flip a coin.
Cadillac Records
This movie chronicles the rise of Chess Records in the '50s and includes modern-day stars playing Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James (Beyoncé!), and Chuck Berry. It's gotten generally favorable reviews, but with such recognizable stars, characters, and music, it's odd to me that there aren't that many raves out there. Is everyone just all Dreamgirls-ed out and they don't want to see another musical period piece, or is this a diamond being outside by all the other high-wattage stars out there?
Marley and Me
This movie, based on the bad-dog book of the same name, just looks dopey to me. But I'm not a dog person, and I know that some people love the book. But what if I tell you that the movie is longer than two hours? Are you willing to watch a puppy misbehave for that long? Or would you want to get up in the middle and, I dunno, play fetch?
Seven Pounds
I've heard that to understand the premise of the movie is to have the twist ending spoiled. As a result, all of the marketing behind the movie — all the trailers, commercials, etc. — has only alluded to vague aspects of the plot: One man changes the lives of seven strangers! Forever! And he has a dark secret! I appreciate the lack of spoilers, but how are we supposed to figure out if we want to see it? Will Smith is in it — is that enough?
The Spirit: Lionsgate/Odd Lot Entertainment |
The Spirit
Comic-book movies are hot, and this one — about a hero who returns from the dead to protect his city in a noir-ish, hard-boiled detective kind of way — has the amazing talent of Frank Miller, visionary author of Sin City and 300 behind it. Unfortunately, Miller the director, not the writer — can a comic-book writer really direct? The trailer has some stunning visuals — but also some pretty cheesy lines of dialogue that I can't tell if it's supposed to sound hacky or not. (I'd save my money and wait for Watchmen in March.)
Yes Man
Jim Carrey can always be relied on for a few good laughs, and Zooey Deschanel is about one of the cutest/coolest actresses working today (check out her musical side-project, She & Him, for one of the most fun albums of 2008). But, really, nothing in this trailer makes me laugh, and the faux self-help premise of saying "yes!" to everything seems ten-years dated.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Time magazine says it best: "they have made what must be the worst major release in what may be the most disastrous year in recent Hollywood history… Suffice it to say that these morons have, quite simply, turned The Day the Earth Stood Still on its head and what's falling out of its pockets in that upended state is a stream of junk."
Never heard of this one? Keep it that way.
Punisher: War Zone
I love comic-book movies but I must warn you: STAY AWAY. There is not one redeeming performance, scene, exchange, moment, or second in this awful picture.
Bride Wars
This isn't coming out until January, but I'm pre-railing against it. I hate to see movies where women waste their time tearing each other down, especially if it's over something as silly as wedding. I know it makes it seem like I have no sense of humor, but I know what's funny: monkeys acting like humans. Let's see one of those movies this winter instead.
Happy holiday movie-viewing, everyone!


text:
Updated at 3:15 p.m. ET
More than 1,700 health workers in China have been infected with the new coronavirus, according to Chinese officials. Zeng Yixin, vice minister of the country's National Health Commission, announced Friday that at least 1,716 health workers had confirmed cases — and that six have died from the disease now known as COVID-19.
"At present, the duties of medical workers at the front are indeed extremely heavy," Zeng told a news conference, according to Reuters. "Their working and resting circumstances are limited, the psychological pressures are great, and the risk of infection is high."
Those cases are among tens of thousands already reported in mainland China, which has been hardest hit by the fast-spreading strain. Chinese authorities announced that confirmed coronavirus cases rose by just over 5,000 on Friday — the second spike in as many days, after a change in reporting methods drove the number higher Thursday.
Worldwide, there were at least 64,000 confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon, and more than 1,300 deaths — the vast bulk in mainland China, and particularly in Hubei province, the center of the outbreak.
The World Health Organization announced Friday that a team of 12 international investigators is expected to touch down this weekend in China and begin working with a team of Chinese experts.
"The goal of the joint mission is to rapidly inform the next steps in the COVID-19 response and preparedness activities in China and globally," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said during a briefing. "Particular attention will be paid to understanding the transmission of the virus, the severity of disease and the impact of ongoing response measures."
"With the benefit of hindsight, everybody knew that Dr. Li was right"
When Dr. Li Wenliang posted warnings on Chinese social media about cases of a novel coronavirus in late December, government officials took a dim view. The ophthalmologist working in Wuhan, where the virus emerged, was reprimanded by local police. They demanded that he retract his "falsehood."
Now, more than a week after Li himself died of the disease — the Chinese ambassador to the U.S., Cui Tiankai, acknowledges that Li's posts were accurate.
"Of course," Cui tells NPR's Morning Edition, "with the benefit of hindsight, everybody knew that Dr. Li was right."
But he stops short of acknowledging any particular mistakes made by Chinese officials or offering a direct apology to Li's family. Cui also would not explain why the top Communist Party officials in Hubei were recently relieved of their duties.
"Naturally, under such special circumstances, people who can do the job better should be given the responsibility to do it," he said. "And this is a very heavy responsibility."
Worries about the Tokyo Olympics
Questions have begun to swirl around the Summer Olympics, which are slated to begin just over five months from now in Tokyo.
Japan has reported more than two dozen confirmed cases of the coronavirus and one death from COVID-19. The Diamond Princess cruise liner has sat quarantined for days in the port of Yokohama, near Tokyo. Nearly 220 people out of some 3,700 passengers and crew have been infected with the virus. The number of cases and the country's proximity to the outbreak in China have raised concerns about holding such a massive sporting event.
The chief executive of the Tokyo organizing committee, Toshiro Muto, expressed some of these concerns himself, saying he was "seriously worried" that the spread of coronavirus "could throw cold water on the momentum toward the Games."
But officials with the WHO and the International Olympic Committee are sending a different message. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO's health emergencies program, said that the organization is "very much engaged" with the Olympics planning — but that there has been no specific discussion yet regarding the event.
"Certainly the advice we're received externally from the WHO is that there's no case for any contingency plans or canceling the games or moving the games," said John Coates, the head of an IOC inspection team.
About that cruise liner off Japan ...
The Japanese health ministry says 11 particularly vulnerable passengers have disembarked the Diamond Princess after a long quarantine period offshore. The ministry says that to do so, they had to meet at least these criteria: They had to be over 80 years old and test negative for the disease.
Thousands of passengers and crew remain under quarantine — and likely will continue to do so until it is expected to lift next week.
Meanwhile, the nearly 1,500 passengers aboard the MS Westerdam, another cruise liner, were finally allowed to disembark in Cambodia on Friday after being turned away by a string of other countries.
"I wish to thank Cambodia, especially the prime minister [Hun Sen], for demonstrating to the world the meaning of solidarity," said Tedros, the director-general of the WHO. "I hope that other countries will follow Cambodia's lead."
Tally of confirmed cases in the U.S. unchanged
That number remains at 15, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released more detailed information Friday: Of the 443 people under investigation in the U.S., 347 have tested negative and 81 others were awaiting their results.
"But we need to remember it's a rapidly changing situation, and so we have to prepare in the event that this spreads more fully," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar tells NPR's Morning Edition.
"One of the steps that we announced yesterday is we're working with our flu surveillance network," he adds. "And in Seattle, San Francisco, LA, New York and Chicago, when individuals present with flu-like symptoms, they will also be tested for the China coronavirus as part of our multilayer surveillance system."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
The Federal Trade Commission closed its 20-month investigation into Google without finding that the company had violated antitrust laws by promoting its own services in its search results.
Chairman Jon Leibowitz said on Thursday that the agency found that Google's primary reason for touting its own offerings in the search results was "to improve the user experience," as opposed to harming potential competitors.
"While Google's prominent display of its own vertical search results on its search results page had the effect in some cases of pushing other results 'below the fold,' the evidence suggests that Google's primary goal in introducing this content was to quickly answer, and better satisfy, its users' search queries by providing directly relevant information," the FTC added in a written statement about Google's search practices.
The Microsoft-backed organization FairSearch criticized the FTC's decision, calling it "disappointing and premature." The group added that the FTC's settlement "is by no means the last word in this case," noting that European authorities and state attorneys general are still investigating Google. "The FTC's inaction on the core question of search bias will only embolden Google to act more aggressively to misuse its monopoly power to harm other innovators," the group stated.
Google did agree to make a few minor changes to its services, the FTC said. Notably, the search company promised to allow companies to opt out of appearing in the vertical search engines -- like Google Local -- but still show up in the general search results.
Leibowitz said that the FTC sought that agreement to resolve "troubling allegations" that Google misappropriated rivals' content. "Google allegedly 'scraped' the user-generated reviews of local restaurants displayed on Yelp, and led consumers to believe that these reviews were its own. When some of these Web sites complained to Google about this practice, Google allegedly threatened to remove them entirely from Google's search results," Leibowitz stated.
Google also promised to make it easier for companies to run simultaneous campaigns on its own service than those of competitors. That concession resolved concerns about whether Google unfairly restricted small businesses from using third-party tools to manage ad campaigns on Google and competitors.
The FTC said in its statement that it considered whether Google's restrictions amounted to unfair competition, and that two commissioners -- Leibowitz as well as Julie Brill -- found "evidence to support strong concerns about Google's conduct in this regard."
A separate part of the FTC's investigation, which focused on patents that Google acquired when it purchased Motorola Mobility last year, resulted in an enforcement action. The FTC charged Google with unfairly excluding competitors from using some of those patents, which cover the technology used to make smartphones, tablets and other devices. Google agreed to settle those allegations by promising to allow competitors access to the patents.


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Regimented potential incident examination report
The Regimented Potential Incident Examination Report (RPIER or RAPIER) is script based incident response tool released under the GPL by Intel. It is a modular framework.
RAPIER is a Windows NT based information gathering framework. It was designed to streamline the acquisition of information off of systems in a large scale enterprise network. It was designed with a pretty simple to use GUI so that end-users could be walked through execution of the tool on a system.
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Modular Design - all information acquired is through individual modules
- Fully configurable GUI
- SHA1 verification checksums
- Auto-update functionality
- Results can be auto-zipped
- Auto-uploaded to central repository
- Email Notification when results are received
- 2 Default Scan Modes – Fast/Slow
- Separated output for faster analysis
- Pre/Post run changes report
- Configuration File approach
- Process priority throttling
Information Acquired through RAPIER
- Complete list of running processes
- Locations of those processes on disk
- Ports those processes are using
- Checksums for all running processes
- Memory dumps for all running processes
- All DLLS currently loaded and their checksum
- Last Modify/Access/Create times (MAC times) for designated areas
- All files that are currently open
- Net (start/share/user/file/session)
- Output from nbtstat and netstat
- All open shares/exports on system
- Current routing tables
- List of all network connections
- Layer3 traffic samples
- Logged in users
- System Startup Commands
- MAC address
- List of installed services
- Local account and policy information
- Current patches installed on system
- Current AV versions
- Files with alternate data streams (ADS)
- Files marked as hidden
- List of all installed software on system (known to registry)
- System logs
- AV logs
- Copies of application caches (temporary internet files) – IE, FF, Opera
- Export entire registry
- Search/retrieve files based on search criteria.


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- Holiday
- Rotisserie
- winter grilling
- prime rib
- beef
- accessories
Official Weber Website
Rib roast is the best way to show off beef on the rotisserie. Cooked on the bone, seasoned with salt and pepper, served with horseradish sauce on the side. Simple and delicious. If you are feeding carnivores, this is the recipe to make.
I call this roast a "Prime Rib", and so do grocery stores, but most of the time that's not technically correct. Prime rib has become a generic name for a beef rib roast, regardless of grade.
When the USDA grades meat, only the top 2% is graded Prime. Almost all of the meat we buy in stores is graded Choice; the vast majority of Prime grade beef goes to high-end steakhouses.
Grading is based on marbling - the amount of fat inside the muscle. Fat on the outside isn't as important; look for tiny veins of fat inside the meat. That interior fat melts during cooking, filling the beef with flavor. Prime meat is loaded with marbling. Choice meat is less marbled, but still has a decent amount of intramuscular fat.
USDA Prime meat is amazing…if you are lucky enough to find it, and can afford it. I buy Choice roasts and save expensive Prime meat for the occasional steak. I look for Certified Angus Beef, which grades out at the high end of Choice. Or, I buy from a local butcher who raises his own cattle. It never hurts to pay extra for good beef.
12-pound bone-in beef rib roast (a four bone roast)
3 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 tablespoons Morton kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
Horseradish sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup wood chips (pecan, cherry or hickory)
1. Dry brine the beef: Season the rib roast with the salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight.
2. Truss and spit the beef: One hour before cooking, remove the rib roast from the refrigerator. Truss the roast, tying it between each rib bone, then skewer it on the rotisserie spit, securing it with the spit forks. Let the beef rest at room temperature until the grill is pre-heated. Submerge the smoking chips in water and let it soak until the grill is ready.
3. Test the rotisserie Put the spit on the grill and turn on the motor. Be sure to test that your food fits and freely spins on the rotisserie. (It is crucial to test this out before you preheat the grill.)
4. Set up the grill for indirect medium-high heat: Set the grill up for indirect medium-high heat with the drip pan in the middle of the grill.
5. Cook the rib roast: Put the spit on the grill, start the motor spinning, and make sure the drip pan is centered beneath the rib roast. Add the smoking wood to the fire, close the lid, and cook the beef until it reaches your desired temperature in its thickest part, about 2 hours.
6. Serve: Remove the rib roast from the rotisserie spit and remove the twine trussing the roast. Be careful - the spit and forks are blazing hot. Let the beef rest for 15 minutes, and while the beef is resting, whisk together the ingredients for the horseradish sauce. To carve the beef, cut the bones off of the roast, then slice the roast and serve.
I pour the juices from my cutting board into a small serving dish to pass at the table.
To make carving easier, have your butcher cut the ribs free of the roast. Truss the ribs back on to the roast before cooking. Removing the ribs ahead of time makes carving easier; just snip the trussing twine and you have a boneless roast ready to carve. (It also leaves the ribs as a chef's treat while carving the roast.)
This is a large roast and will feed a crowd. Assume one pound of beef per person. Unless you have some dedicated carnivores…like my family. Then you should probably go with one bone per two people, and this roast will serve eight.
Get more holiday inspiration here! Share your #25DaysofGrilling memories with us!
Adapted from: Rotisserie Grilling by Mike Vrobel. Visit Mike at DadCooksDinner.com.


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Prior to booking a studio, users are required to successfully complete a brief thirty minute studio-specific assessment.
The assessment will cover basic studio workflows, including: setting up microphones, signal routing, cue systems and setting up and saving a recording session using Pro Tools.
ASSESSMENT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT: To register for this assessment, cardholders must attend the General Orientation for the Melrose Center, the Audio Studio Orientation, and must be at least 18 years of age.
Children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult (18+ years of age).
Required Skills: Introductory knowledge of the Pro Tools environment, signal flow and effects processing. Experience with microphones, signal routing and cue systems.
Recommended Prerequisites: Fundamentals of Sound for Audio Engineering, Pro Tools Levels 1 - 5, Microphone Theory Levels 1 and 2, Studio Signal Routing Levels 1 and 2.
You must be present at the scheduled start time to be admitted. You may only register for one Access Assessment - Audio Studio at a time.
Recommended Audience: Adult.
Mon, Jul 22 | 10:00AM to 7:00PM |
Tue, Jul 23 | 10:00AM to 7:00PM |
Wed, Jul 24 | 10:00AM to 7:00PM |
Thu, Jul 25 | 10:00AM to 7:00PM |
Fri, Jul 26 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Sat, Jul 27 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Sun, Jul 28 | 1:00PM to 6:00PM |
LYMMO Orange Line
LYNX Bus Link 3, 6, 7, 11, 13 and 51
The Orlando Public Library is the headquarters and resource center for the Orange County Library System. The Library has been located at this site since its beginnings as the Albertson Public Library in 1923. Public Reference Departments in the Orlando Public Library include Children's, Library Central, and Learning Central. The Children's Library offers spacious areas, special programs, computers and story rooms for our youngest readers and readers to be. The Technology and Education Center is located on the second floor and includes the Dorothy Lumley Melrose Center for Technology, Innovation and Creativity. The Friends of the Library Third Floor Bookstore is open daily and recycles withdrawn and donated books to the community.
Any person requiring special accommodations to participate in any class or event due to a disability may arrange for accommodations by contacting the location at which the event is held at least seven days prior to the event.
© Copyright Orange County Library System Orlando, FL All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy Accessibility Statement


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Met een ronde hals en een regular fit is deze blouse zowel stijlvol als comfortabel. De lange mouwen zorgen voor extra warmte en veelzijdigheid, waardoor deze blouse een must-have is voor je garderobe, of je nu een casual of formele look wilt creëren.
Bestel nu en ontdek waarom Axent in Herent dé kledingwinkel is voor grote maten dameskleding in de omgeving van Leuven en heel Vlaams-Brabant. Upgrade je look met deze trendy en tijdloze toevoeging aan je garderobe.
Because Axent offers brands from different designers, the sizes can vary per brand . Changing fashion trends can also influence the fit of certain articles in such a way that they deviate from the usual sizes.
You can use the following table as a guideline to determine the size.
German size |
Chest circumference cm |
Waist circumference cm |
Hip circumference cm |
44 |
103-107 |
97-91 |
112-116 |
46 |
108-112 |
92-96 |
117-121 |
48 |
113-117 |
97-101 |
123-126 |
50 |
119-123 |
105-110 |
128-132 |
52 |
124-128 |
111-116 |
133-137 |
54 |
129-133 |
117-122 |
138-142 |
Many people find it difficult to determine the exact color of an item of clothing when shopping online. Although we at Axent always do our best to display true-to-color photos and good color areas, an exact representation is not always possible. We therefore recommend that you take the photos as a guideline and contact Axent if you have any additional questions or visit us in the store.
- free shipping from 75€
Delivery is currently only possible in the following countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain.
The delivery of the ordered item takes place in Belgium either at the address specified by the customer, by collection at a postal point or post office, by collection at a Bpack 24/7 parcel machine or by collection at our store at Omleiding 7, 3020 Herent. Delivery in other countries is made either to the address specified by the customer or to the chosen post office or postal point. The chosen delivery option influences the delivery time.
If the customer opts for delivery to an address, post office, post point or parcel machine of Bpack 24/7, an e-mail will be sent when the delivery is handed over to bpost. Via the link with tracking number stated therein, the customer can track the shipment via the e-tracker of bpost. The customer who opts for collection at our store at Omleiding 7, 3020 Herent, will receive a confirmation of receipt by e-mail as soon as the shipment has arrived at the store. The customer who opts for delivery to a post office, postal point or parcel machine will receive an e-mail or text message as soon as the shipment has arrived at the chosen collection point.
The delivery period only starts after receipt of payment. We strive for the shortest possible delivery time. The delivery time is a minimum of 1 working day and a maximum of 30 days after receipt of payment for delivery in Belgium, and a minimum of 2 working days and a maximum of 30 days in other countries.
The seller is not liable for delays or failure to deliver due to the carrier.
In accordance with articles VI 47-52 of the Economic Law Code, the consumer has a period of 14 days to withdraw from the contract free of charge without giving reasons.
Each ordered item can be returned within fourteen calendar days or exchanged for another item in our store at Omleiding 7, 3020 Herent. The item must be delivered to the store in its original packaging together with the return form . The customer is either refunded or receives a voucher.
The customer can also return the item by post within fourteen calendar days. The item must then be packed in the original shipping box and sent together with the return form to the following return address: Axent, Omleiding 7, 3020 Herent.
In the event of a return, the customer is responsible for all shipping costs. The customer also bears the shipping costs for returns from other countries. If you provide an incorrect address or do not pick up a package at the post or courier service, the order will automatically be returned. In that case, the return costs will be deducted from the amount to be refunded. The return cost is €10 for parcels from Belgium and €15 for parcels from other countries.
In any case, returns are only accepted if the item is unsoiled, undamaged and unworn and is in the original packaging, otherwise the customer is liable for this reduction in value.
Consequences of the withdrawal: If you withdraw from the contract, you will receive all payments you have made up to that point, without delay and in any event no later than 14 days after we have been informed of your decision to withdraw from the contract. us back. We wait with reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have demonstrated that you have returned the goods.
If desired, the customer can also opt for a voucher. This allows a new order to be placed subject to what is stipulated in the general terms and conditions.


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I have family (my mom) in town right now which means eating food I typically wouldn't. Since starting the Four Hour Body lifestyle, I have been eating really well and drinking very little. However, this all came to a pause when my mom came in town. It's quite hard to stick to a diet when someone with great taste is in town, ready to try it all.
So here's what I have been enjoying on my cheat week, well a few of the things.
From Willi's Seafood & Raw Bar in Healdsburg:
From Absinthe Brassier and Bar in San Francisco (forgot to shoot the amazing onion soup):
Wish you were here, bet you do too!


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Dave Dorman
Eisner Award-winning artist and Air Force brat Dave Dorman has lived and traveled around the world, which has noticeably influenced his diverse body of work. Dave attended St. Mary's College in Maryland, and Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art before leaving to teach himself oil painting. Minus an instructor's influence, Dorman experimented and adapted unorthodox, oft-imitated techniques, many of which he explains in his Gnomon Workshop DVDs. Dorman's first big break was a cover for "Heavy Metal Magazine" in 1982. He followed that up with extensive work on Indiana Jones, Star Wars (fans voted him the #1 Star Wars Artist), Alien, Predator, AVP, Batman, Spiderman, G.I. Joe, Magic: The Gathering, World of Warcraft, King Kong, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and his own critically acclaimed project, The Wasted Lands.
"All I can say about Dave is WHOA! I have always admired Dave's skills and technique and to finally have a peek at how he does his magic is something every aspiring artist should be thankful for and should treasure for years to come."
- Stephan Martiniere
Creative Visual Director, Midway Games


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- Size : 15W x 25H
- Material : Silk fabric + Goldtone barrette + Rhinestone buckle
- Color : White & Gold
how this works
choose & rent
Simply browse through our collections either by designer, by item or by style.
Unsure about your wedding style?
Don't worry!! We've got that covered too!! Just do our "Find Your Style" quiz to find out what your style is!
love & SHINE
Now just relax and ENJOY YOUR DAY!!
Want to have some items to try before your big day? We have put together a bundle for exactly that. Check out how it works.
Simply pack everything back in the box and send it back to us with the prepaid return slip A DAY after your rental end date. It's that simple! You don't even need to clean it before you send it back!
WIN A 50€ coupon To complete your bridal look
Signup for our newsletters and get a chance to win a 50€ for your big day rental. Haven't decided on your dress yet? Not sure about your wedding date yet? Don't worry, the coupon is valid for 2 year* so you can still come back and get your accessories when you are ready for it.
*T&C applied


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leather type: high quality genuine leather;
tanning: vegetable tanned, vacchetta;
animal: horse;
substance: 1.5-2.0 mm or 4-5oz
Shell cordovan (or cordovan) is a vegetable tanned, world-famous leather made of a specific layer of horsehide - "cordovan". Cordovan can be found only in equine leather and, speaking scientifically, its nature is closer to cartilage than to skin. Cordovan is made by shaving tanned horse rumps. One horse rump yields only two oval pieces of cordovan - two shells, we never know what area we can work out of each rump: sometimes shells are large, other times they are small.
In a groundbreaking collaboration, we partnered with Conceria Il Ponte, a tannery adorned with gold from LWG audits and a leader in the Consortium Pelle Conciata al Vegetale in Toscana.
Buyers of this article can receive certificates affirming exceptional tanning quality and the use of eco-friendly ingredients. This leather is the first shell certified by the Consortium's official certificates.
Which Payment Methods Are Available?
We accept credit cards and bank wire.
All credit cards transactions are processed using 256-bit SSL encryption. Your credit card information is never stored.
If you prefer to pay with T&T please place an order choosing Bank wire payment option and we will send you an invoice accordingly.
Which currency am I buying in?
All of the prices on our website are in Euros (EUR, €), you'll pay in Euros.
We give indicative prices on our product pages in different currencies, however the order total in your currency depends on the exchange rate at the time of placing the order.
Please note that all refunds are made in Euros (EUR, €) and are subject to exchange rates at the time of refund, not the time of purchase.
What If My Payment Fails?
it could be because of one of the following reasons:
• You need to authorise the payment with your bank before placing another order
• You need to check that your security code matches the number on the back of the card
• The billing address doesn't match the address registered to the debit or credit card
Please note that when placing an order on our website the billing address must be the registered address
Do the prices include VAT?
For orders within Europe we are obliged to charge your local rate VAT on products and shipping. This will be shown during checkout.
If you're ordering outside the EU then you'll see the prices without VAT. Starting from July 1st 2021 we must charge the VAT based on your country's rate and transfer this tax to your country budget.
If you're ordering as a VAT-registered business, please input your company VAT number during checkout and the tax will be waved (for valid European VAT numbers only).
For orders outside of the EU the VAT rate is 0.
How Can I Cancel My Order?
You can cancel your order anytime before it was dispatched.
If you have cancelled your order, then we refunded your order. It may take up to 10 days for your bank or card issuer to make your funds available to you again.
Note that when you cancel the order we do not refund the payment processor's commission ( Stripe) because they do not refund their commission to us, so you will receive the original payment without the processing commission.
How do I return my order?
If you want to return something, you have 14 days from the delivery date to request and despatch it back to us.
Please email to us your order number from the same email address you used to place the order. Original shipping costs are non-refundable and return shipping is on you. If your products are sent back later than 14 days you'll only be eligible for a store credit.
Did not find what you are looking for? Please visit our FAQ page for more information.
Which Shipping Methods Are Available?
Domestic (European countries): Postal delivery / DHL Express
International: DHL Express
Orders ship from Slovakia, Europe.
Please note that we do not delivery to PO boxes or Service collection points.
My dearest customers from the UK. The Brexit situation makes our business with your country complicated.
The prices for you do not include VAT (meaning that you do not pay VAT in Europe), however you will be requested to pay import VAT in the UK.
Please note that we can deliver to you if the order total will be more than 160€.
More about the changes here: https://www.gov.uk/import-goods-into-uk
How much does it cost?Please note that shipping costs will depend on the value and weight of your individual order and will be calculated at checkout.
DHL Express EU: 22€ for 2kg;
DHL Express Finland & Sweden: 25€ for 2kg;
DHL Express USA, Canada: 33€ for 2kg;
DHL Express World: 43€ for 2kg;
Do You Ship Internationally?
Postal OR DHL EXPRESS delivery is available to almost all countries worldwide.
If you're shipping outside the EU you may be required to pay import duties and tax before, on or after delivery.
Deliveries to the USA with a value over $800 may attract import duties and tax. Please visit cbp.gov for info on importing to the USA. If you're looking to purchase multiple items that are over this amount and don't like the idea of import duties, we recommend placing multiple orders.
Very important: we cannot declare lower value on customs form, it is illegal and affects our VAT exemption.
What Is the Average Delivery time?
I'll do my best to meet these dispatch estimates, but can't guarantee them.
Actual delivery time will depend on many factors including the seasons and your local carrier's work.


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Buffalo Chicken Beer Cheese Dip
This needs to be made with an IPA. The buffalo sauce (which has to be Franks, let's just get that out of the way) needs a big kick to the face. The only beer up for that job is an IPA.
I made this with Ballast Point's Sculpin, one of my favorite IPA's on the planet, and as with so many great IPA's, it's made in California.
After all, we have Ballast Point's Sculpin, Russian River's Pliny, Bear Republic's Racer 5, Stone's Ruination, Drake's Aroma Coma, and AleSmith IPA.
No offense to the rest of the world, but if you love your hops, the West Coast is a great place to be.
But maybe you don't like hops. The mere thought making you want to wash your mouth out with a pale lager.
Before you decide, definitively, I dare you to have a blind IPA taste party.
Get a bottle of every beer on the above list (this will be much easier for my West Coast friends), pour them, taste them.
And don't forget to invite me. I'll bring the dip.
Buffalo Chicken Beer Cheese Dip
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into small pieces
- 8 oz sour cream
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 3/4 cup Parmesan
- 3/4 cup Mozzarella plus ½ cup mozzarella for top
- 1/3 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
- 2/3 cup IPA beer
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbs cornstarch
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- Preheat oven to 350
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat, add the chicken and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- In a food processor, add the sour cream, cream cheese, Parmesan, 3/4 cup mozzarella, Franks Red Hot, beer, garlic powder and cornstarch, process until well combined, about 5 minutes.
- Pour into an oven safe dish. Stir in chicken pieces, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
- Bake until warm and cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with blue cheese and serve warm with chips.


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Kiss Announce 40th Anniversary Ultra-Premium Trading Cards
Kiss announced a 40th-anniversary set of trading cards, which will arrive in October. The series will be delivered by Dynamite Entertainment, four decades after Donruss released the first cards in 1978.
"Dynamite Entertainment is bringing a Deluxe-Premiere trading card set to specialty retailers this fall," the company said in a statement, "featuring a select group of Kiss' fan-favorite photos and artists portraying the world-renown rock band in all their glory, plus Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley signed cards!"
The cards include an 18-card base set, plus chase cards consisting of six autographed cards, three black-and-white art cards, nine-card puzzle cards, two box-topper special cards and hand-drawn original art signed sketch cards. Autographed cards include color ink or an "ultra-rare, gold ink signature."
They will be available in foil packs that include two base cards, two sketch cards, one art Card, one puzzle card and one a autographed card. Specially designed boxes include 12 foil packs.
"Kiss trading cards are some of the most collectible memorabilia out there, they've been around since the early days of the band," bassist Gene Simmons. "These new cards add to the tradition and the lore of Kiss, and I can't wait for fans to get their hands on them."
Dynamite is also launching a new comic book series starring Kiss, Blood and Stardust, that will premiere in October. According to a press release, "an immortal cabal is taking the lives of innocents and the only ones who can stop them are Kiss! The only problem: They are dead. And now they have to make a deal with a demon to save their souls and return to Earth to fight evil!"
The band is expected to announce the largest-scale tour it's ever played in the near future, with dates believed to begin in January 2019. Fans have speculated that it could be their final trip, after Paul Stanley recently moved to trademark the phrase "The End of the Road."


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UH Commission on the Status of Women
The commission has seven goals.
- Information: The commission serves as a conduit for information between the administration and the total university community on issues that have particular relevance for women. It advises the president on the issues and needs of women in the UH system.
- Education: Both within and outside the university, the commission strives to foster an awareness, understanding and recognition of the potential, contributions, special challenges and many roles women play in a university community. It encourages the development and maintenance of curriculum in women studies.
- Safety: The commission works to promote healthy and safe campuses, where women can work and study without fear or concern for their physical well-being.
- Advancement: Through its activities, the commission promotes the advancement and recognition of women. It encourages women to seek advancement and recognition throughout the University community.
- Equity: The commission seeks the equitable integration of women in all areas of study and employment. It seeks equitable compensation and treatment for women at all levels of the organization, and in all phases of their lives.
- Full Participation: The commission encourages full compliance with state and federal laws on affirmative action and equal opportunity for women such as Title IX. CSW also works to include more women in higher level administration, senior faculty and policy-making positions.
- Acceptability: The commission strives to affect policies which will enable both men and women to succeed equally in professional and personal development within the university community.