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Thread: Investing in friend's business
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Investing in friend's business
Jurisdiction / State: Virginia
An acquaintance started a small business a couple of years ago---a "family center" offering classes and daycare. I told her I liked the model and mentioned that I would like to invest, but didn't go into specifics. (I've never directly invested in someones business.) On two occasions I was offered vending opportunities (drink machines, leotards), but declined.
The business grew and prospered as I suspected it would. Then just recently the building was condemned and the business was in jeopardy of having to close for an undetermined period of time. Not having the capital to afford a move, she contacted me once again.
I was offered a percentage of the profits and a "seat one the board" if I would pay for the move to a new, larger location (first month's rent plus security deposit). This time I jumped on the opportunity. Time being crucial, I made a personal loan with the understanding that a formal contract was to follow. The move went smoothly, over a weekend; there was no need to close.
My question is about how much I need a business attorney and how much money I can potentially save when hiring (or not hiring) one. I'm thinking I can save a lot by editing a standard or form contract myself, rather than paying by the hour for a professional to draw up one to my specifications. I'd like to create some specific options and benefits, and I think I can write in unambiguous legalese. I just need something to start with...
What basic kind of business arrangement am I looking at? A limited, silent partnership? How much should I expect to pay for a good fill-in-the-blank contract and a good attorney to look over my new wording? Is this a good way to save money?
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Would you do surgery on yourself to save money?
This is far too important (unless you want to give away your money) for a DIY effort.
This is also far more complicated than just getting her to sign a contract. You could share some of her potential profits, but you will share all of her liabilities.
Go slow, you're already on thin ice.
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Rousseff Solar Push Thwarted By BNDES Loan Ban: Corporate Brazil
BLOOMBERG - Brazil's bid to spur solar-energy projects is failing as a ban on state subsidies for foreign-made panel parts hinders sales by the world's biggest producers.
ToolboxFlag this item Connections Print August 9, 2012, 12:48 (CEST)
Buyers of equipment made by Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. (YGE), Suntech Power Holdings Co. (STP) and Trina Solar Ltd. (TSL) -- three of the world's four largest panel makers -- aren't eligible for loans at below-market rates from state bank BNDES. That leaves Campinas, Brazil-based Tecnometal Equipamentos Ltda. as the only maker of subsidized panels that turn sunlight into electricity.

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Air New Zealand (ANZ) and Virgin Australia have announced plans for their joint trans-Tasman network, effective for the upcoming northern winter schedule from November 2011 to March 2012.
The alliance will connect ANZ's domestic network of 26 ports to Virgin Australia's domestic network of 31 domestic ports.
Under the new network, ANZ will operate approximately 70% of the capacity and Virgin Australia's Pacific Blue airline will operate 30%, similar to the relative market share the airlines had prior to the beginning of the alliance.
The planned joint trans-Tasman network will see the adjustment of ANZ and Pacific Blue flight times. There will also be transferring of capacity on some routes between the two airlines where appropriate. In addition, capacity changes will occur on some routes to match demand and market conditions, said ANZ.
As a result, capacity on ANZ Auckland-Adelaide and Auckland-Perth services will go up by 16% and 4% respectively during the peak summer period.
Capacity on Christchurch markets will go down by 14% to better align with the reduced demand in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes.
"The changes better match capacity to demand and in many instances this means a greater range of flight times by removing 'wingtip flying', as well as better connections to domestic Australia and domestic New Zealand flights," said ANZ group general manager Australasia airline, Bruce Parton.
"In addition, as indicated last year, we are actively looking at a couple of potential new trans-Tasman routes which we will likely make a decision on before the end of the year," he added.
The two airlines will also align their product offerings from July, when codesharing between the carriers will begin.
The joint trans-Tasman alliance between the airlines was approved by New Zealand in late 2010, clearing the last regulatory hurdle needed for it to take effect. In January 2011, ANZ acquired a 14.9% stake in Virgin Australia.
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Book Search
1-1 of 1 results for Author: marc jeannerod (sorted by Publication Date, showing all)
Attention and Performance Xiii
Motor Representation and Control
Series: Attention and Performance Series
Compiled as a result of the Thirteenth Symposium of the Association for Attention and Performance, this collection focuses on the Symposium's theme: Organization of Action. The book is arranged in sections which provide a comprehensive view of the main issues raised during the meeting. Several...
Published February 1st 1990 by Psychology Press


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Emergent Learning: Game Targeting Early Letter Name Stage
by Chase Young
Click Here
The following game is a description of a board game designed for students in the early letter name stage of literacy development as defined by Dr. Donald Bear (Laureate Education, 2001). The game will focus on necessary developmental phonics stills in order to enable a growth along the continuum.
The materials needed for this game are a board and picture cards. The board will include a variety of consonants. The cards will have pictures of common objects in which students will be required to match the object with the initial consonant sound. Students take turns drawing cards, and matching the consonant with the picture. The student who makes it around the board first or the most number of times will be declared the winner.
The game can easily be adapted to challenge the student as they progress in orthographic knowledge. The board will include random placement of vowels. The cards will depict objects with various short vowel sounds in CVC form (for example, cat). The game is played by students taking turns drawing the cards, and identifying the correct short vowel sound in the word depicted.
The game promotes growth in the early letter name learner because of its focus on short vowel sounds. The student is able to determine beginning consonants, or the most salient sounds in words. The student may experiment with vowels, but normally associate them with the letter name. The game helps them identify, and forces the student to manipulate the vowel sounds in order to match the picture with the letter (Bear et al, 2004).
This activity will could be adapted as the learner becomes more comfortable with short vowels to identifying phonograms. The vowels should be replaced with common word families, and pictures on the cards should reflect a word family sort. Orthographic knowledge of word families are commonly seen in middle to late letter name learners (Laureate Education, 2001). Once again, the game is played by moving the student marker around the board.
Identifying and planning for instruction based on students' developmental stage, or working within students' ZPD, is extremely effective when building on student knowledge therefore enabling student growth (Vygotsky, 1962).
Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., & Templeton, S. (2004). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Laureate Education (Executive Producer). (2001). Strategies for literacy instruction, part 1 [Educational video]. Los Angeles: Author.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Pres
Readers Theater Scripts
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For Kids
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The third months of pregnancy, the date started from the beginning of the ninth week within four weeks. On the 10th week, the embryos will move into the state of fetal period. Fingers and toes can be clearly visible, the placenta began to form, and the umbilical cord will gradually grow longer. On the eleventh weekend, the pregnant woman's womb will grow into the size of a big fist. You can feel it is there if you press around the uterus. At this time, the fetal sexual organ is form. Fetal body grow one millimeter long per day and at the end of the month the fetal will reach approximately of 90 millimeters long.
On third months of pregnancy, pregnancy symptom will be more intensified, as the uterus grow, the weight of the uterus constantly apply pressure onto the bladder thus causes frequent urination. As the pregnancy move toward the 12th weeks, the uterus will move into the abdominal pelvic area, reducing pressure on the bladder, this will improve frequency phenomenon of urination.
Third Month Pregnancy Pointers
Here are the third month pregnancy pointers pregnant women have to take notes of during the third month of pregnancy. Usually most pregnant woman did not practice it due to their ignorance.
1. On the third month of pregnancy is the most vulnerable Teratogenicity fetal period, pregnant mothers must guard against viruses and all kinds of toxic chemicals. If you encounter poor appetite during this period, eat refined food. Eat food with protein-rich, fresh fruit and vegetables. Eat light and refreshing.
2. If you vomit frequently and seriously, go to the hospital for an examination, infusion therapy, it is necessary to ensure you have that sufficient sleep; the best is to sleep 1-2 hours in the afternoon.
3. Due to under the influence of estrogen in the body, from this month onwards expect some changes especially in the oral area, such as gums congestion, edema and gingival hyperplasia, easily bleeding. In medical term, this is called pregnancy gingivitis. Pregnant women must persistence brush their teeth every day and night, rinse by gargling the mouth to prevent breeding of bacteria in the mouth.
4. Take a casual walk in the parks or garden for an hour during evening. If mosquito bites, avoid applying any oil onto it.
PregnanSee is a weekly video pregnancy calendar that lets you visualize your stage of pregnancy right on your PC desktop.
Allows you to access different stages of pregnancy with just a click of a button. The video images display changes that occur through the weeks. You also get to view useful and important practical information on pregnancy. You will see real video versions of how the baby grows and develops as the weeks unfold.
More on Fourth Month of Pregnancy


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Welcome to University Synagogue
University Synagogue is a warm and welcoming Reform Jewish community in the neighborhood of Brentwood in West Los Angeles, CA, where families and friends connect with each other, engage in meaningful prayer, and discover new ways to celebrate our traditions and culture.
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Join US for Torah Off The Beaten Path
Join Cantor Shapiro for the next Shabbat morning hiking and Torah experience on Saturday, July 11 at 9:15 a.m. at Will Rogers State Park. Read more >>
The Sanctuary @ Pico Union Presents: Friday Night Live
Do you work downtown and find it challenging to get to services on Friday Night? We have the answer. Join the Sanctuary at Pico Union on Friday, July 10th, co-sponsored by University Synagogue! The first 20 tickets are free! Click here for more information!
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We are delighted to introduce Mishkan HaNefesh as the new High Holy Days prayerbook of University Synagogue. Click here to dedicate your book!
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For the latest news and happenings at University Synagogue, be sure to take a look at the latest edition of The Torch. Click here to visit our news page.


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A glimpse of Lost Antarctica
NCSE is pleased to offer a free preview (PDF) of James McClintock's Lost Antarctica: Adventures in a Disappearing Land (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).
Appeal in COPE v. Kansas
The dismissal of a creationist lawsuit seeking to prevent Kansas from adopting the Next Generation Science Standards on the grounds that doing so would "establish and endorse a non-theistic religious worldview" is now under appeal. The Associated Press (December 31, 2014) reports that the plaintiffs in COPE et al. v. Kansas State Board of Education et al. filed a notice of appeal with the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on December 30, 2014.
Congratulations to Patricia Kelley
NCSE is pleased to congratulate Patricia Kelley — a professor of geology at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and a member of NCSE's Advisory Council — on her selection as one of four Outstanding Professors of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
A voice for evolution from Leeds
The chorus of support for the teaching of evolution continues, with a position statement on evolution from Leeds Museums and Galleries.
Disappointing news from Scotland
The Scottish government rejected the proposal to ban the teaching of creationism in publicly funded schools in Scotland, according to the Glasgow Herald (December 16, 2014). The head of Curriculum Unit at the Learning Directorate told the newspaper, "I can ... confirm that there are no plans to issue guidance to schools or education authorities to prevent the presentation of creationism, intelligent design or similar doctrines by teachers or school visitors. The evidence available suggests that guidance on these matters is unnecessary."
News Search


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Ron Gilbert may have been working on the idea behind The Cave for some time now, but it was his reunion with Tim Schafer under Double Fine Productions that finally brought it to fruition. You'll be able to play the game yourself from tomorrow, so join the live stream for a taste of what's in store.
Tuesday 22 at 9am PT | 5pm GMT | 4am AEST
Watch live video from gamespot's channel on www.twitch.tv
To follow our Twitch channel for more live videos, simply click here!.


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This is one Star Wars figure a lot of fans missed. Tarados Gon was one of the last figures on the "blue" Legacy Collection packaging, and he came with an HK-47 part. If you missed him, should you fix that mistake? Read on!
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Allergies and Asthma
Understanding Allergies and Asthma
Allergies. Asthma. These closely related illnesses affect millions of individuals throughout the United States.
Combating Allergies and Asthma
Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic treats all allergic conditions, including: hay fever, asthma, hives, eczema, chronic sinusitis, chronic cough, post nasal drip, sneezing, itching, and itchy nose, skin, mouth, throat or eyes.
Our board certified allergists/immunologists also evaluate and treat insect sting allergy, aspirin, penicillin or other drug allergy, immunodeficiencies, hereditary angioedema, and mastocytosis.
Allergy shots didn't work?
Claritin, Zyrtec, Xyzal, Allegra, Nasonex, Flonase, Singulair. All treat allergy symptoms, but none actually makes you less allergic. You stop the medicine, it soon stops working. Allergy shots are unique in that if taken at the right dose for at least 3 years, they can continue to provide beneficial immunologic effects after you stop taking them. read more...
About Allergists and Immunologists
Treatment of Allergic Diseases and Related Conditions
Allergists, such as the physicians at Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic, are medical specialists in the treatment of allergic diseases and related conditions. Any physician may treat allergic diseases; however, our board-certified allergists-immunologists have the advanced training and experience in the techniques of determining what causes an allergic reaction and how best to solve the problem.
Every board-certified allergist has credentials in at least two specialties, and has completed specialty training in either internal medicine or pediatrics, with Board Certification in that specialty, followed by additional training for two or more years studying the science, cause, diagnosis, and treatment of allergic and related diseases.
Certification by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology requires not only approved training, but also successful completion of a challenging written examination.
Evaluating and Treating Allergic Conditions
On the Road to Recovery
At Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic, your care begins with a thorough examination. Before recommendations for treatment are made, a test is conducted to determine if you have allergic reactions to specific allergens. The most accurate allergy test is a skin test. In this test an extract of a suspected allergen is placed on the skin with a device that slightly penetrates the surface. If a bump surrounded by redness occurs at the site, the patient may be allergic to that allergen. Blood tests are another form of allergy testing that may be necessary under special circumstances.
While testing is invaluable, one of Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic's most effective diagnostic tools is listening, letting patients tell us about their lifestyle, habits, activities and symptoms. The professionals at Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic are skilled at evaluating allergies and asthma, and work to develop the optimum strategy for treatment and relief of symptoms. They prescribe the proper balance of prevention, medications and immunotherapy (allergy shots or drops) to achieve maximum clinical benefit.
As specialists, the allergists and professional staff are armed with information about the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies and asthma, balanced with the common sense that comes from more than 70 years of experience.
Putting Patients First
Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic prides itself on putting patients' needs first, delivering the best care in a comfortable, nurturing environment. To assure patients receive the most effective treatments, the team at Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic emphasizes those factors they consider to be the cornerstone of quality medical care, including:
About the Clinic's History
Houston's Original Group of Board Certified Allergists
Houston Allergy and Asthma Clinic was founded by Dr. Homer Prince when he started practicing allergy in Houston in 1931. Over the years, the practice grew to include Dr. Warren Raymer, Dr. Etter, Dr. Richard Jackson, Dr. D.W. Waddell, Dr. Ramon Garrido, and Dr. Frank Steyners
When the last two doctors, Ramon Garrido MD and Frank Steyners MD, were ready to retire, they turned the practice over to Dr. David Engler, Dr. Alnoor Malick and Dr. Sunil Saraf. These doctors treat patients at The Allergy Clinic, but also now run the Houston Allergy & Asthma Clinic.


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The best way to reach Lookout Louise, Greenstone Ridge's Trailhead and the crest of a remarkable outcropping, is by canoe. (Rentals available at Rock Harbor.) Paddle across Tobin Harbor reaching Hidden Lake dock at approximately 1 mile. Dock the boat and follow the shoreline trail through what is known as "good" moose habitat. The trail evolves from swampland to a steep woodland rise that further evolves to a huge boulder-strewn area that boasts Monument Rock. As the trail sweeps by Monument Rock views of Tobin Harbor unfold to the south. The trail greets Greenstone Ridge Trail junction in about 0.5 mile affording a sharp ascent for 0.1 mile to Lookout Louise. From the junction with Greenstone Ridge, Mt. Franklin and Lane Cove trails lie 4.8 miles west. Lane Cove is a favorite among backpackers in search of a quiet trail with a rewarding destination. The approximate 2 mile northbound hike takes hikers to Five Fingers with views that include small fiords and tiny islets. From Lookout Louise, views to the east are Duncan Bay, views northwest include Five Finger Bay and Belle Harbor, and due west are that of Greenstone Ridge.
The most enjoyable and safest method for exploring Isle Royale National Park is by carrying a compass and a trail map. Maps are available at all Isle Royale visitor centers.
Directions: From Rock Harbor, Technical hikers either begin on Tobin Harbor Trail (access trail near Rock Harbor Lodge) or begin by paddling to Hidden Lake Dock.
Elevation: 880 feet
Distance: 1.0 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
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Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
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Review by Wildernet Copyright © 2010 Wildernet.com all rights reserved.
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Kayak.com - Life's a trip.


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I guess I should mention what a rain chain is, it's an alternate to a downspout, it guides the water and breaks up the flow, they originated in Asia.
Step 1: You will need
2" pvc pipe
diagonal cutters
lead free solder
blow torch
heavy leather gloves
Step 2: Coiling the copper
Step 3: Separating the rings
Step 4: Making the chain
Step 5: But don't solder yet!!
PS this is where you need the gloves, copper in an excellent conductor of heat.
Nice instructable! And these suckers cost a freaking *fortune* if you buy 'em, so I think I'll make one. Thanks!


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$26,983 – $31,981 Invoice
16 / 22 MPG City/Hwy
Enter your information and a representative will contact you for this 2011 Mazda CX-9 !
The Mazda CX-9 is the automaker's midsize crossover SUV-a 7-passenger model now in its fifth year of production. It shares an engine and vehicle platform with the Ford Edge. It is available with front- or all-wheel drive (FWD or AWD).
The base Mazda CX-9 Sport features 18-inch alloy wheels, a trip computer, Bluetooth connectivity, tri-zone automatic climate control, and steering-wheel-mounted controls for the 6-speaker sound system and the cruise control. The CX-9 Touring trim includes leather upholstery with heated front seats, as well as heated mirrors. The Grand Touring trim has 20-inch wheels, keyless entry and ignition, many interior upgrades, Xenon headlights, and fog lights. Sliding second-row seats and fold-down third-row seats are standard on all CX-9 trims. Both of the back rows can fold flat, resulting in a maximum of 101 cubic feet of cargo space, according to Mazda. Maximum towing capacity is 3500 pounds.
The standard power plant in all 2011 Mazda CX-9s is a 273-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6 engine, coupeed with a 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shift controls. According to the EPA, the Mazda CX-9 delivers 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway with FWD; 16/22 with available AWD.
Standard safety features on the 2011 Mazda CX-9 include anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, stability control with rollover sensor, traction control, active head restraints, front side air bags and side curtain air bags. A rearview camera is optional on the Touring and Grand Touring trims, and the Grand Touring trim features a blind-spot warning system. In government crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Mazda CX-9 received 5 (out of 5) stars in front-impact tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the CX-9 highest-possible "Good" ratings in frontal-offset, side-impact, and rear-impact tests.
Starting MSRP for the 2011 Mazda CX-9 was $29,135.
|City/Hwy MPG
|Sport (A6)
|6 speed automatic
|273-hp / 3.7L 6-cyl
|Touring (A6)
|6 speed automatic
|273-hp / 3.7L 6-cyl
|Grand Touring (A6)
|6 speed automatic
|273-hp / 3.7L 6-cyl
$29,990–$36,540 Base MSRP
$27,175–$33,094 Invoice
18/26 MPG City/Hwy
$29,195–$44,020 Base MSRP
$27,737–$41,337 Invoice
13/20 MPG City/Hwy
$23,195–$31,495 Base MSRP
$21,848–$29,484 Invoice
18/25 MPG City/Hwy


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NASA's plans to explore Mars have been scaled down. The space agency was hoping to send an advanced robotic rover to the Red Planet in 2001, but has now decided to use a cheaper rover instead.
A more advanced rover will fly to Mars in 2003. However, NASA has abandoned plans for it to collect samples for return to Earth on a spacecraft due for launch in 2005. A rover on the 2005 mission will collect its own samples.
To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.


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American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
United States Society For Alternative & Augmentative Communication
Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Heart and Stroke Foundation
Augmentive communication. ALS Association website. Available at: http://www.alsa.org/als-care/augmentative-communication. Accessed August 13, 2014.
Augmentive and alternative communication. Assistivetech.net website. Available at:
http://atwiki.assistivetech.net/index.php/Augmentative%5Fand%5Falternative%5Fcommunication. Updated September 7, 2010. Accessed August 13, 2014.
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Indiana University Bloomington Indiana Institute on Disability and Community website. Available at: http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/?pageId=2484. Accessed August 13, 2014.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
40 year old man | Missouri City, TX, USA | Seeking women 30-38 within 125 miles
Active within 24 hours
Easy-going. Always on the go. Some would call...
Easy-going. Always on the go. Some would call me a funny guy, but comedy is discriminative. Perceptive. Attentive. Playful. Self-aware. Stylish. I try to enjoy every day, and find positives in the daily grind. I'm open to anyone really. A kind heart and soul. Someone who cares back (I care a lot). An active person who can also take time to relax. Someone who can laugh at themselves as well as me. Someone who is realistic about a partner. Also, If you like clubs with lines outside because it's so freaking amazing inside... I'm not your guy. Done with that. Looking for a woman, not a girl (with all due respect). By the way... Your pics of shooting guns, dead dear, and big fish crack me up. Should I post pics of me scrapbooking, or getting mani/pedis? I do that as much as you shoot, hunt, or fish - Never! Hahaha. Work I'm a creative type; academic and by profession (art/design/tech). I am pleased with my career, yet always looking to advance. I'm lucky to be surrounded by intelligent/creative friends and co-workers who always think (and are doing) new business. Career thoughts and doings are ever-present in my life, however quality time with family and friends is essential, so I still maintain a healthy work/life balance. Family & Friends My children are my treasures and I celebrate their youth. They grow so fast! Activity with them is constant; during fun and the daily grind. I am very close to my parents. Forever grateful for their gifts and wisdom. My friends mean so much to me. Each are unique and compliment various parts of my life. Collectively, they make me a better person. Play I dine out and have drinks with friends regularly... Bites and craft cocktails at new/progressive restaurants is my favorite part of exploring Houston. Travel, college/pro sports (watching), cycling/mtb, tennis, volleyball, camping, beaching/rivering, movies, and cooking are among some of my interests. I should mention that I LOVE music and attend concerts all the time. I'm an annual FPSF, SXSW, and ACL attendee. I'm also a big fan of just putting it all aside to relax. The daily routine is busy. I do enjoy my down time after a long day.
Camping , Coffee and conversation , Business networking , Cooking , Dining out , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Performing arts , Playing sports , Religion/Spiritual , Shopping/Antiques , Travel/Sightseeing , Watching sports , Wine tasting
Basketball, Cycling, Football, Tennis / Racquet sports, VolleyBall
I exercise 5 or more times per week.
I have Cats
I had dogs growing up and into college, so I love dogs. I'm just always on the go, and I travel for work occasionally, so my time at home can be sporadic.
Middle of the Road
Anywhere with tasty food and better than average drink selections... where conversation does not require yelling (preferably). I hang out at variety of places here in Houston.
My little girls' laughter, Fresh air, Relaxing with laptop on the www, Watching and playing sports, My iPhone, Movies, TV, Music, Travel, Concerts, Events, Openings, more...
Concerts, Art Events, Travel, Music/Food Festivals, Trendy Restaurants, Gastropubs, Movies, Walks/Runs Outside, Cycling/MTB, Pro/College Sports, Longboarding, Beaching, Rivering, more...
The Sun Also Rises
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What he is looking for
|5'11" (180cms)
|5'0" (152cms) to 5'10" (177cms)
|Body type:
|Athletic and toned
|Slender, About average, Athletic and toned
|No preference
|No preference
|No Way
|No Way, Occasionally, Yes, but trying to quit
|Social Drinker
|Social Drinker, Moderately
|Technical / Science / Computers / Engineering
|No preference
IT/Business Consultant - Designer
|$100,001 to $150,000
|No preference
|Never Married, Widow / Widower, Divorced
|Have kids:
|Yes, and they sometimes live at home (2)
|Yes, and they sometimes live at home, No, Yes, and they live at home
|Wants kids:
|Someday, Not sure
|Pacific Islander
|Asian, Latino / Hispanic, Pacific Islander, White / Caucasian
Filipino American
|Christian / Catholic
|Christian / Catholic, Christian / Protestant, Spiritual but not religious, Christian / Other
Raised and live a mostly Catholic creed, but open and not discriminative to other religions.
|Bachelors degree
|Some college, Associates degree, Bachelors degree, Graduate degree, PhD / Post Doctoral


text:
The following is an archive of a post made to our
'vox mailing list'
by one of its subscribers.
Seen on SF-LUG:
----- Forwarded message from jim -----
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:46:11 -0700
From: jim
Subject: [sf-lug] [JOB POSTING] Linux/Unix system administrator,
sf-bay peninsula, $100k to $110k
We have openings for Linux/Unix system administrators in the South
Bay/Peninsula: Cupertino, Redwood City, and Palo Alto. They are in the
$100K-$110K range.
Astreya Infrastructure Services has multiple projects available for
seasoned Linux/Unix Administrators. Ideal candidates will have 5+ yrs
experience in enterprise environments. You'll get to do a mix of
maintenance, systems installations, and configurations as well as
providing input on architecture.
Your knowledge of Linux/Unix should include LAMP Stack and Apache. MySql
would be a plus. Most importantly, you believe in systems administration
automation and you have demonstrable familiarly with various systems
monitoring tools. Basic shell scripting knowledge a must - Great PERL
skills are a strong plus! Long experience teaches us that our clients
are happiest with easy, communicative people and, in turn, reward them
with the most interesting work.
That said, a winning personality won't get you past our intensive
screening and the customers technical due diligence. You'll need to be a
problem solver and an exceptional troubleshooter - expertise in design &
implementation is helpful as well. Experience working with large scale
production websites also strongly desired.
When you join Astreya's Infrastructure Systems organization you become
part of an elite turkey-free team of systems and network engineers who
prefer the variety of assignment based work. All Astreya team members
are regular employees with good benefits including paid time off. You'll
also get all the technical and interpersonal support and problem solving
you need to be happily productive.
If you qualify it's as good as it gets in IT infrastructure work.
----- End forwarded message -----
Sent from my computer
vox mailing list
Hosting provided by:
Sunset Systems
Sunset Systems offers preconfigured Linux
systems, remote system administration and
custom software development.
LUGOD: Linux Users' Group of Davis
PO Box 2082, Davis, CA 95617
Contact Us
LUGOD is a 501(c)7 non-profit organization
based in Davis, California
and serving the Sacramento area.
"Linux" is a trademark of Linus Torvalds.


text:
News of Riverton, Lander and Fremont County, Wyoming, from the Ranger's award winning journalists.
Already state's biggest, Rendezvous school to grow
Jan 29, 2013 - By Katie Roenigk, Staff Writer
The administrative team at Rendezvous Elementary School has begun planning for next year, when even more third- through fifth-grade students are expected to attend classes in the building.
The school on North Fourth Street West, which previously housed Riverton's fourth- and fifth-graders, was remodeled last summer to accommodate the city's third-graders as well. Officials said the move helped the district more closely comply with the state's 16:1 student-teacher ratio requirement for grades K-3.
As a result of the change, about 580 students were enrolled at Rendezvous this year -- about 200 more than usual. Rendezvous has the biggest elementary enrollment in Wyoming.
Fremont County School District 25 Superintendent Terry Snyder said the student body at Rendezvous should be even bigger next year, in part because the incoming second-grade class is larger than the outgoing fifth-grade class.
Enrollment numbers show more than 220 second-graders enrolled in Riverton schools this year compared to 180 fifth-graders.
"We anticipate at least three
additional classroom needs for that space," Snyder said this week.
There are 10 classrooms dedicated to third-grade instruction at Rendezvous this year, but Snyder said 12 will be necessary in 2013-14. At the same time, he said, the number of fourth-grade sections will have to go up from nine to 10 to accommodate a few more students coming up from the third grade.
"The challenge is, can we find the space," Snyder said.
He has asked the Rendezvous staff to formulate a plan that could be presented to the School Facilities Commission next month. Meanwhile, he said he will look at ways to pay for three additional teachers that will be needed to fill the three additional classrooms at Rendezvous.


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THE whaling nations and their opponents are this week mulling over a controversial Irish proposal to allow limited commercial whaling in coastal waters in exchange for a global whale sanctuary on the open sea and an end to hunting in the name of science.
The 39 members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) believe the organisation will collapse if the two opposing camps can't soon reach a compromise.
"If the IWC doesn't make some movement, it will break up," says Michael Canny, Ireland's commissioner, who presented the proposal to the IWC's meeting in Monaco this week.
Whaling nations, led by Japan and Norway, are convinced that the IWC is shirking its main task of setting sustainable catches, and is instead being used to impose a whaling ban. On the other hand, the antiwhaling states, which include Britain, the US and Australia, complain that whalers are exploiting loopholes in the treaty ...
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Reviews and previews of the week's GAA action
An in-depth profile of Páidí Ó Sé, the Kerry football legend, whose death at the age of 57 rocked his family and th
Watch Pat Spillane and Joe Brolly on Westmeath's historic victory over Meath, their first ever Championship win in
She may have just won her 18th major medal but Katie Taylor insists that her best days are ahead of her.
Following their easy win over Kildare, Joe Brolly was full of praise for Dublin's approach to the game.
Some of the press coverage from 1990 as Ireland's exploits in Italy captured the attention of the nation (and some
25 years to the day since Ireland beat Romania to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup, we take a look back at


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Oscars 2012: Artist wins Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor
LOS ANGELES (AP) - "The Artist" won five Academy Awards on Sunday including best picture, becoming the first silent film to triumph at Hollywood's highest honors since the original Oscar ceremony 83 years ago.
Among other prizes for the black-and-white comic melodrama were best actor for Jean Dujardin and director for Michel Hazanavicius.
The other top Oscars went to Meryl Streep as best actress for "The Iron Lady," Octavia Spencer as supporting actress for "The Help" and Christopher Plummer as supporting actor for "Beginners."
"The Artist" is the first silent winner since the World War I saga "Wings" was named outstanding picture at the first Oscars in 1929 had a silent film earned the top prize.
"I am the happiest director in the world," Havanavicius said, thanking the cast, crew and canine co-star Uggie. "I also want to thank the financier, the crazy person who put money in the movie."
PHOTOS: From the red carpet to the stage, the glamour of the Oscars
The win was Streep's first Oscar in 29 years, since she won best actress for "Sophie's Choice."
She had lost 13 times in a row since then. Streep also has a supporting-actress Oscar for 1979's "Kramer vs. Kramer."
MORE: Full list of 2012 Oscar winners
"When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America go, 'Oh, no, why her again?' But whatever," Streep said, laughing. "I really understand I'll never be up here again. I really want to think all my colleagues, my friends. I look out here and I see my life before my eyes, my old friends, my new friends. Really, this is such a great honor but the think that counts the most with me is the friendship and the love and the sheer job we've shared making moves together."
Streep is only the fifth performer to receive three Oscars. Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman and Walter Brennan all earned three, while Katharine Hepburn won four.
The 82-year-old Plummer became the oldest acting winner ever for his role as an elderly widower who comes out as gay in "Beginners."
"You're only two years older than me, darling," Plummer said, addressing his Oscar statue in this 84th year of the awards. "Where have you been all my life? I have a confession to make. When I first emerged from my mother's womb, I was already rehearsing my Oscar speech."
The previous oldest winner was best-actress recipient Jessica Tandy for "Driving Miss Daisy," at age 80.
Completing an awards-season blitz that took her from Hollywood bit player to star, Spencer won for her role in "The Help" as a headstrong black maid whose willful ways continually land her in trouble with white employers in 1960s Mississippi.
Spencer wept throughout her breathless speech, in which she apologized between laughing and crying for running a bit long on her time limit.
"Thank you, academy, for putting me with the hottest guy in the room," Spencer said, referring to last year's supporting-actor winner Christian Bale, who presented her Oscar.
Would you like to contribute to this story? Join the discussion.


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Alien On A Rampage (Hardcover)
|Author: Clete Barrett/ Slade Smith
|Illustrator: Christian Slade
$10 off $75 Home, Sports, School Supplies, Fashion, & Beauty - Back to School. Use promo code BACK2SCHOOL at checkout. Ends 7/8/2015.
Learn more about Alien On A Rampage:
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Disney Pr
Sku: 225179491
Publish Date: 6/5/2012
Dimensions: (in Inches) 8.75H x 5.75L x 1.25T
Pages: 296
Age Range: 12 to 16
See more in Science Fiction
|Spending another adventure-filled summer in the Pacific Northwest at his grandmother''s hotel for visiting space aliens, eighth-grader David uncovers a plot to destroy the Earth.
From the Publisher:
David is looking forward to spending another adventure-filled summer at his grandmother's Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast--a vacation hotspot for aliens. But as soon as he meets Grandma's new repairman, an alien named Scratchull, he becoms suspicious. The only problem is that it is difficult to be sneaky when you have a ravenous alien pet attached to you. Even though no one else--including Grandma--thinks that Scratchull is an underhanded handyman, David decides to spy on him. But no one believes David when he discovers that Scratchull really is an evil mastermind with a plot to destroy the planet. Without the help of Grandma and his friends, will David be able to save Earth before it's too late?


text:
Utah Valley Women's Center is a unique women's care clinic providing the full range of gynecologic care. The gynecologists, gynecology Physician Assistants, and staff are dedicated to providing a com...
Call (801) 357-1100 for mammography screenings and breast ultrasounds.
Dr. Steffen passed the North American Menopause Clinical Competency exam.
She is one of only two Utah providers with this designation.


text:
Book your room at The Russell Hotel
Standard Room, Shared BathroomMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
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Superior Double Room, EnsuiteMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Deluxe Room, EnsuiteMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 1 infant)
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Get an overview of this hotel3-star family-friendly hotel, walk to Circular Quay
This family-friendly The Rocks hotel is located in the historical district, within a 5-minute walk of Museum of Contemporary Art and Circular Quay. Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge are also within 1 mi (2 km).
Hotel Features
A bar/lounge, a rooftop terrace, and dry cleaning are available at this hotel. Free continental breakfast and free WiFi in public areas are also provided. Other amenities include laundry facilities, a library, and a garden.
Room Amenities
All rooms are individually decorated and offer free WiFi and ceiling fans. Other amenities available to guests include coffee makers, hair dryers, and showers.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access.
This family-friendly hotel also offers a rooftop terrace, a library, and a garden. For a surcharge, a shuttle from the hotel to the airport (available on request) is offered to guests.
The Russell Hotel has designated areas for smoking.
- Airport transportation - drop-off (surcharge)
- Bar/lounge
- Designated smoking areas
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Free breakfast
- Free WiFi
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Garden
- Laundry facilities
- Library
- Luggage storage
- Number of floors - 3
- Rooftop terrace
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Total number of rooms - 30
- Year Built 1790
Family Friendly Amenities
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- Rollaway/extra beds available
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Room Amenities
- Bathrobes
- Ceiling fan
- Climate control
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free toiletries
- Daily housekeeping
- Free WiFi
- Hair dryer
- Individually decorated
- Iron/ironing board
- Phone
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Shower only
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary continental breakfast.
The Russell Wine Bar - This tapas bar serves lunch and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar.
Nearby Things to Do
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Sailing nearby
Hotel Policies
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-in time starts at 1 PM
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for AUD 30 per night.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- Fee for in-room wireless Internet: AUD 5 (for 24 hours, rates may vary)
- Rollaway bed fee: AUD 30 per night
- Onsite credit card charges are subject to a surcharge
National Rating
Official Australia STAR Rating provided by Star Ratings Australia
Star Ratings Australia assigns an official STAR Rating for accommodations in Australia. This Hotel property is rated 3 stars plus.


text:
Separate names with a comma.
i have had an account here before but no longer have the old email. is there anyway i can retrieve my account
can i get a moderator to change my sig
been working at it for about an hour with no luck..... does anybody have any detailed tips and tricks that could give me a hand?


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Welcome to Insight for Living
The Bible-Teaching Ministry of Charles R. Swindoll
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see," he replied. Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
Luke 18:35-43 NIV
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Giving the Unexpected
by Charles R. Swindoll
There are various ways to describe it: turning the other cheek . . . going the extra mile . . . doing good to those who hate us . . . loving our enemies . . . pouring coals of fire on anothers head. We may say it different ways, but the action amounts to the same thing. By doing the unexpected, we accomplish a twofold objective: (1) we put an end to bitterness, and (2) we prove the truth of the age-old axiom, love overwhelmingly conquers.
Remember Solomons statement?
When a mans ways are pleasing to the LORD,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Proverbs 16:7)
Its true. Ive seen it happen over and over again. Ive also seen occasions when it could have worked, but neither side was willing to give it a whirl.
Why are we so hesitant? What keeps us from doing the unexpected for the undeserving so that we might watch God accomplish the unbelievable? It flies in the face of our human nature. We werent raised like that. Furthermore, its a major risk. No question, it is risky. Of course, that is where faith comes in. To believe the Lord against all odds and to obey Himno matter if the action backfiresbrings a smile to His face. But some who read this are frowning, thinking, Yeah, that sounds good but nobody could pull it off.
Joseph did. After suffering years of consequences brought on by his fateful brothers mistreatment, he lived to see the day that the tables were turned. Vulnerable, needy, and at his mercy, all those ornery guys stood before him without any hope of defence. And when they discovered that it was Josephtheir long-lost younger brother whom they had deliberately wrongedthey were one nervous bunch. They knew he had them absolutely and totally cornered. Joseph was the respected prime minister . . . powerful, wealthy, surrounded by bodyguards, the ultimate model of authority. And they? Weak, broke, unprotected, guilty to the core. It was his moment to unleash his rage and torture each one to the end of his life. And why not? They had it coming . . . in spades! Instead, he did the unexpected, which shocked them down to their worn-out sandals. No grudge. No get-even, fight-back attack. Not even a tongue-lashing. Those who deserved human hatred received supernatural treatment. He forgave them . . . and the rest is beautiful history.
I can sense some cynics shrug, Well, that was then, this is now. Today, nobody takes somebodys trash and mentally recycles it into treasure. How wrong you are.
Rabbi Michael Weisser did. It happened in Lincoln, Nebraska (according to the news). For more than three years, Larry Trapp, a self-proclaimed Nazi and Ku Klux Klansman, was spreading a message of hatred through mailings and ugly phone calls. He promoted white supremacy, anti-Semitism and other messages of prejudice from his apartment, which he declared to be the KKK state headquartersand himself, the grand dragon.
Weisser became one of Trapps targets. He received numerous pieces of hate mail from the time he and his wife moved to Lincoln. The mail was followed by offensive phone calls. At first, the Weissers were so afraid they locked their doors and worried themselves sick over their safety and especially their teenagers safety. The harassment of racial slurs and obscene remarks intimidated the family as the 42-year-old, clinically blind, double amputee, Trapp, spewed out his hate-ridden venom against them.
One day Rabbi Weisser realized their fear had gone on long enough. He decided to do the unexpected. He left his message on Trapps telephone answering machine. He made call after call, all of them unanswered, speaking to the man of another side of life . . . a life free of hatred and racism. I would say things like: Larry, theres a lot of love out there. Youre not getting any of it. Dont you want some? And hang up.
One day Weisser called and Trapp answered. I said: I heard youre disabled. I thought you might need a ride to the grocery. Trapp was stunned. Disarmed by the kindness and courtesy, he started thinking.
The bitter man slowly began to soften. He called the Weissers one night and said, as Rabbi Weisser recounted it, I want to get out of what Im doing and I didnt know how.1 Weisser and his wife drove to Trapps apartment that night and talked with him for hours. Before too long they made a trade: for their love he gave them his swastika rings and hate tracts and Klan robes and hoods. That same day, Trapp gave up his recruiting job and dumped the rest of his propaganda in the trash. Eventually, the Weissers home became a hospice for Mr. Trapp. He moved into one of their bedrooms as his health declined, and the couple cared for him until his death.
Christmas is right around the corner. Could it be that your best gift doesnt need to be wrapped in colorful paper and given to someone who loves you? How about the gift of forgiveness, a cup full of kindness, a brief but sincere phone call of grace to someone who would never expect it . . . with no strings attached? An authentic extension of love to someone who doesnt deserve it. Now theres a new idea for a Christmas gift.
Yep, its risky . . . but you wouldnt be the first to try it. And if youre needing an extra boost to prompt you into action, journey back to Bethlehem and find Gods gift to us wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. Talk about doing the unexpected for the undeserving!
1. Manny Fernandez, Lessons on Love, from a Rabbi Who Knows Hate and Forgiveness, The New York Times, January 5, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/05/nyregion/05rabbi.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1 (accessed September 17, 2010). [WC: 52]
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Who was David?
In the Hebrew Bible or Christian Old Testament, David was the second king of Israel.
This name, which is written "defectively" in the older books, such as those of Samuel, but fully with the yodh in Chronicles and the later books, is derived, like the similar name Jedidish (2 Samuel 12:25 ), from a root meaning "to love." The only person who bears this name in the Bible is the son of Jesse, the second king of Israel. His genealogy is given in the table appended to the Book of Ruth (Rth 4:18-22).
Here the following points are to be noted: David belonged to the tribe of Judah: his ancestor Nahshon was chieftain of the whole tribe (Numbers 1:7 ; Numbers 2:3 ; 1 Chronicles 2:10 ) and brother-in-law of Aaron the high priest (Exodus 6:23 ). As no other descendants of Nahshon are mentioned, his authority probably descended to Jesse by right of primogeniture.
This supposition is countenanced by the fact that Salma (Salmon), the name of the son of Nahshon and father of Boaz, is also the name of a grandson of Caleb who became "father" of Bethlehem, the home of Jesse (1 Chronicles 2:51 ). David was closely connected with the tribe of Moab, the mother of his grandfather Obed being Ruth the Moabitess.
Of the wife or wives of Jesse we know nothing, and consequently are without information upon a most interesting point - the personality of the mother of David; but that she too may have been of the tribe of Moab is rendered probable by the fact that, when hard pressed, David placed his parents under the protection of the king of that country (1 Samuel 22:3 , 1 Samuel 22:1 ).
Early Years
The home of David when he comes upon the stage of history was the picturesque town of Bethlehem.
There his family had been settled for generations, indeed ever since the Israelite nation had overrun the land of Canaan. His father was apparently not only the chief man of the place, but he seems to have been chieftain of the whole clan to which he belonged - the clan of Judah. Although the country round Bethlehem is more fertile than that in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, the inhabitants joined to the cultivation of the soil the breeding of cattle (Luke 2:8).
David's father, not only cultivated his ancestral fields, but kept flocks of sheep and goats as well. The flocks were sent out every day to pasture in the neighboring valleys attended by the herdsmen armed so as to defend themselves and their charge, not only against marauders from the surrounding deserts, but also from the lions and bears with which the country was then infested. David seems to have been in the habit of accompanying his father's servants in their task (1 Samuel 17:20 , 1 Samuel 17:22 ), and on occasion would be left in full charge by himself. Nor was his post at such times a sinecure.
He had not only to keep a sharp lookout for thieves, but on more than one occasion had with no other weapon than his shepherd's club or staff to rescue a lamb from the clutches of a lion or a bear (1 Samuel 17:34 ). Such adventures, however, must have been rare, and David must often have watched eagerly the lengthening of the shadow which told of the approach of sunset, when he could drive his charge into the zariba for the night and return home.
There is, indeed, no life more monotonous and enervating than that of an eastern shepherd, but David must have made good use of his idle time. He seems, in fact, to have made such good use of it as to have neglected his handful of sheep. The incidents of which he boasted to Saul would not have occurred, had his proper occupation taken up all his thoughts; but, like King Alfred, his head seems to have been filled with ideas far removed from his humble task.
David, like Nelson, does not seem to have known what it was to be afraid, and it was not to be expected that he could be satisfied with the lot of the youngest of eight sons of the now aged chief (1 Samuel 17:12 ; 1 Chronicles 2:13 ). In the East every man is a soldier, and David's bent was in that direction. The tribesmen of Benjamin near whose border his home was situated were famed through all Israel as slingers, some of whom could sling at a hair and not miss (Judges 20:16 ). Taught, perhaps, by one of these, but certainly by dint of constant practice, David acquired an accuracy of aim which reminds one of the tales of William Tell or Robin Hood (1 Samuel 17:49 ).
Another of the pastimes in the pursuit of which David spent many an hour of his youthful days was music. The instrument which he used was the "harp" (Hebrew kinnor ). This instrument had many forms, which may be seen on the Assyrian and Egyptian monuments; but the kind used by David was probably like the modern Arabic, rubaba , having only one or two strings, played not with a plectrum (Ant. , VII, xii, 3) but by the hand (compare 1 Samuel 16:23, etc., which do not exclude a quill).
Whatever the nature of the instrument was, David acquired such proficiency in playing it that his fame as a musician soon spread throughout the countryside (1 Samuel 16:18 ). With the passing of time he becomes the Hebrew Orpheus, in whose music birds and mountains joined (compare Koran, chapter 21 ).
To the accompaniment of his lyre David no doubt sang words, either of popular songs or of lyrics of his own composition, in that wailing eastern key which seems to be an imitation of the bleating of flocks. The verses he sang would recount his own adventures or the heroic prowess of the warrior of his clan, or celebrate the loveliness of some maiden of the tribe, or consist of elegies upon those slain in battle.
That the name of David was long connected with music the reverse of sacred appears from the fact that Amos denounces the people of luxury of his time for improvising to the sound of the viol, inventing instruments of music, like David (Amos 6:5 ). (It is not clear to which clause "like David" belongs, probably to both.) The only remains of the secular poetry of David which have come down to us are his elegies on Saul and Jonathan and on Abner (2 Samuel 1:19-27 ; 2 Samuel 3:33 , 2 Samuel 3:14 ), which show him to have been a true poet.
Did David also compose religious verses? Was he "the sweet psalmist of Israel" (2 Samuel 23:1 )? In the oldest account which we have, contained in the books of Samuel, David appears as a musician and as a secular poet only, for it is obvious the poetical passages, 2 Sam 22:1-23:7, do not belong to the original form of that book but are thrust in in the middle of a long list of names of David's soldiers. The position is the same in Amos 6:5 . It is in the later books and passages that sacred music and psalms begin to be ascribed to him. Perhaps the earliest instance is the passage just cited containing the "last words" of David (2 Samuel 23:1-7 ).
The Chronicler (about 300 bc) seems to put parts of Psalms 105; Psalm 96:1-13 , and 106 into the mouth of David (1 Chronicles 16:7 ), and Nehemiah 12:36 regards him apparently as the inventor of the instruments used in the Temple service ( 1 Chronicles 23:5 ), or as a player of sacred music. So too in the Septuagint psalter (Ps 151:2) we read, "My hands made an organ, my fingers fashioned a psaltery"; and gradually the whole of the Psalms came to be ascribed to David as author.
In regard to this question it must be remembered that in the East at any rate there is no such distinction as that of sacred and secular. By sacred poetry we mean poetry which mentions the name of God or quotes Scripture, but the Hebrew or Arab poet will use the name of God as an accompaniment to a dance, and will freely sprinkle even comic poetry with citations from his sacred book. David must have composed sacred poems if he composed at all, and he would use his musical gift for the purposes of religion as readily as for those of amusement and pleasure (2 Samuel 6:14 , 2 Samuel 6:15 ).
Whether any of our psalms was composed by David is another question. The titles cannot be considered as conclusive evidence, and internal proofs of his authorship are wanting. Indeed the only psalm which claims to have been written by David is the 18th (= 2 Sam 22). One cannot help wishing that Psalm 23:1-6 had been sung by the little herd lad as he watched his father's flocks and guarded them from danger.
There are sayings of Mohammed that the happiest life is that of the shepherd, and that no one became a prophet who had not at one time tended a flock of sheep. What Mohammed meant was that the shepherd enjoys leisure and solitude for reflection and for plunging into those day dreams out of which prophets are made.
If David, like the Arab poet Tarafa, indulged in sport, in music and in poetry, even to the neglect of his charge, he must have sought out themes on which to exercise his muse; and it must have been with no little chagrin that he learnt that whereas the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, Levi, Dan, and even the non-Israelite tribes of Kenaz and the debatable land of Gilead could boast of having held the hegemony of Israel and led the nation in battle, his own tribe of Judah had played a quite subordinate part, and was not even mentioned in the national war song of Deborah.
As contrasted with the poets of these tribes he could boast in his verses only of Ibzan who belonged to his own town of Bethlehem (Judges 12:8 ). The Jerahmeelites were no doubt a powerful clan, but neither they nor any other of the subdivisions of Judah had ever done anything for the common good. Indeed, when the twelve pathfinders had been sent in advance into Canaan, Judah had been represented by Caleb, a member of the Uitlander tribe of Kenaz (Numbers 13:6 ).
He became apparently the adopted son of Hezron and so David might claim kinship with him, and through him with Othniel the first of the judges (Judges 1:13 ). David Thus belonged to the least efficient of all the Israelite tribes except one, and one which, considering its size and wealth, had till now failed to play a worthy part in the confederacy. It is difficult to believe that the young David never dreamed of a day when his own tribe should take its true place among its fellows, and when the deliverer of Israel from its oppressors should belong for once to the tribe of Judah.
In the Service of Saul
The earliest events in the career of David are involved in some obscurity.David First Meets Saul
This is due mainly to what appears to be an insoluble difficulty in 1 Samuel 16 and 17. In chapter 16, David is engaged to play before Saul in order to dispel is melancholy, and becomes his squire or armor-bearer (1 Samuel 16:21 ), whereas in the following chapter he is unknown to Saul, who, after the death of Goliath, asks Abner who he is, and Abner replies that he does not know (1 Samuel 17:55 ).
This apparent contradiction may be accounted for by the following considerations: ( a ) 1 Samuel 16:14-23 may be inserted out of its chronological order for the sake of the contrast with the section immediately preceding - "the spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon David from that day forward ... the spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul" ( 1 Samuel 16:13 , 1 Samuel 16:14 ); (b ) The fact of David becoming Saul's squire does not imply constant personal attendance upon him; the text says David became an (not his) armor-bearer to Saul.
The king would have many such squires: Joab, though only commander-in-chief, had, it seems, eighteen (2 Samuel 23:37 reads "armor-bearers"); ( c ) David would not play before Saul every day: his presence might not be required for a space of weeks or months; (d ) Saul's failure to recognize David may have been a result of the 'evil spirit from Yahweh' and Abner's denial of knowledge may have been feigned out of jealousy. If we accept all the statements of the dramatis personae in these narratives we shall not get very far.His First Exploit
The facts seem to have been somewhat as follows: It had become evident that Saul was not equal to the task to which he had been set - the task of breaking the Philistine power, and it became the duty of Samuel, as the vicar of Yahweh and as still holding very large powers, to look about for a successor. He turned to the tribe of Judah (the full brother of his own ancestor Levi), a tribe which was fast becoming the most powerful member of the federation.
The headman of this clan was Jesse of Bethlehem. His name was well known in the country - Saul does not require to be told who he is (1 Samuel 16:18 ; 1 Samuel 17:58 ) - but he was by this time advanced in years (1 Samuel 17:12 ). He had, however, many sons.
Old men in the East often foretell a great future for a young boy (compare Luke 2:34 ). Samuel saw that David was formed of other clay than his brothers, and he anointed him as he had done Saul (1 Samuel 10:1 ). But whereas the anointing of Saul was done surreptitiously and for a definite purpose which was explained at the time (1 Samuel 10:1 ), that of David was performed before his whole family, but with what object he was not told (1 Samuel 16:13 ).
His brothers do not seem to have thought the matter of much consequence (compare 1 Samuel 17:28 ), and all David could conclude from it was that he was destined to some high office - perhaps that of Samuel's successor (compare 1 Kings 19:15 , 1 Kings 19:16 ). It would have the effect of nerving him for any adventure and raising his hopes high and steeling his courage. Whether by accident or by contrivance he became attached to Saul as minstrel (compare 2 Kings 3:15 ) and subsequently as one of his armor-bearers.
He would probably be at this time about twenty years of age. It must have been after an interval of some months that an event happened which made it impossible for Saul ever again to forget the existence of David. This was the famous duel between David and the Philistine Goliath, which saved the situation for Saul for the time (1 Sam 17).
In regard to this narrative it must be noted that 1 Sam 17:12-31, 1 Samuel 17:41 , 1 Samuel 17:50 , 1 Samuel 17:55-58 and 1 Samuel 18:1-5 are lacking in the best manuscript of the Septuagint, that is, the sending of David from Bethlehem and his fresh introduction to Saul and Saul's failure to recognize him are left out. With the omission of these verses all the difficulties of the narrative vanish.
For the reason why David could not wear the armor offered him was not because he was still a child, which is absurd in view of the fact that Saul was exceptionally tall ( 1 Samuel 9:2 ), but because he had had no practice with it (1 Samuel 17:39 ). It is ridiculous to suppose that David was not at this time full-grown, and that two armies stood by while a child advanced to engage a giant. The event gained for David the reputation won in modern times at the cannon's mouth, but also the devoted friendship of Jonathan and the enmity of Saul (1 Samuel 18:1-9 ).
The next years of David's life were spent in the service of Saul in his wars with the Philistines. David's success where Saul had failed, however, instead of gratifying only inflamed the jealousy of the latter, and he determined to put David out of the way. More than once he attempted to do so with his own hand (1 Samuel 18:11 ; 1 Samuel 19:10 ), but he also employed stratagem. It came to his ears that his daughter Michal, as well as his son Jonathan, loved David, and Saul undertook to give her to David on the condition of his killing one hundred Philistines.Envy of Saul and Flight of David
The gruesome dowry was paid, and David became Saul's son-in-law. The Hebrew text states that Saul first offered his elder daughter to David, and then failed to implement his promise (1 Samuel 18:17-19 , 1 Samuel 18:21 ), but this passage is not found in the Greek. David's relation to Saul did not mitigate the hatred of the latter; indeed his enmity became so bitter that David determined upon flight. With the help of stratagem on the part of Michal, this was effected and David went to Samuel at Ramah for counsel and advice (1 Samuel 19:18 ).
There Saul pursued him, but when he came into the presence of the prophet, his courage failed and he was overcome by the contagion of the prophetic ecstasy (1 Samuel 19:24 ) as he had been on a previous occasion (1 Samuel 10:11 ). David returned to Gibeah, while the coast was clear, to meet Jonathan, but Saul also returned immediately, his hatred more intense than before. David then continued his flight and came to Ahimelech, the priest at Nob (1 Samuel 21:1 ).
It is sometimes supposed that we have here two inconsistent accounts of David's flight, according to one of which he fled to Samuel at Ramah, and according to the other to Ahimelech at Nob; but there is no necessity for such a supposition, and even if it were correct, it would not clear up all the difficulties of the narrative. There is evidently much in these narratives that is left untold and our business should be to fill up the gaps in a way consistent with what we are given. That Saul made sure that David would not return is shown by the fact that he gave his daughter Michal to a man of the tribe of Benjamin as wife (1 Samuel 25:44 ).Jonathan and David
The relation existing between Jonathan and David was one of pure friendship. There was no reason why it should not be so. A hereditary monarchy did not yet exist in Israel. The only previous attempt to establish such an institution - that of Gideon's family (Jdg 9) - though not of Gideon himself (1 Sam 8:23) - had ended in failure. The principle followed hitherto had been that of election by the sheikhs or caids of the clans.
To this Saul owed his position, for the lot was a kind of ballot. Moreover, behind all national movements there lay the power of the prophets, the representatives of Yahweh. Saul was indebted for his election to Samuel, just as Barak was to Deborah (Judges 4:6 ). Like the judges who preceded him he had been put forward to meet a definite crisis in the national affairs - the rise of the Philistine power (1 Samuel 9:16 ). Had he succeeded in crushing these invaders, the newly-established kingdom would in the absence of this bond of union have dissolved again into its elements, as had happened on every similar occasion before.
He was the only judge who had failed to accomplish the task for which he was appointed, and he was the only one who had been appointed on the understanding that his son should succeed him, for this constitutes the distinction between king and judge. Moreover, not only was Saul aware that he had failed, but he saw before him the man who was ready to step into his place and succeed. His rival had, besides, the backing of the mass of the people and of Samuel who was still virtual head of the state and last court of appeal.
It is not to be wondered at that Saul was hostile to David. Jonathan, on the other hand, acquiesced in the turn things had taken and bowed to what he believed to be the inevitable. Such was his love for David that he asked only to be his wazeer (vizier) when David came to the throne (1 Samuel 23:17 ). David's position was perhaps the most difficult imaginable. He had to fight the battles of a king whose one idea was to bring about his ruin. He was the bosom friend of a prince whom he proposed to supplant in his inheritance. His hope of salvation lay in the death of his king, the father of his wife and of his best friend.
The situation would in ordinary circumstances be intolerable, and it would have been impossible but for the fact that those concerned were obsessed by a profound belief in Fate. Jonathan bore no grudge against David for aiming at the throne, because to the throne he was destined by the will of Yahweh. To David it would never occur that he had the choice of declining the high destiny in store for him. Had he had the power to refuse what he believed to be the decree of Fate, he would hardly escape censure for his ambition and disloyalty.
David in ExileDavid as Outlaw
From the moment of his flight David became an outlaw and remained so until the death of Saul. This period of his career is full of stirring adventures which remind us of Robert Bruce or William Wallace of Scotland. Like King Arthur and other heroes he carried a famous sword - the sword of Goliath (1 Samuel 21:9 ). Having obtained it of Ahimelech, he for the first time left Israelite territory and went to the Philistine city of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10 ). Not feeling safe here he left and took up his abode in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1 ) in the country of Judah, almost within sight of his native Bethlehem.
This cave was admirably suited to the outlaw's purpose and no doubt David had many a time explored its recesses when a boy. Here he was joined by his parents and brothers, with their servants, as well as by all sorts of persons who were at war with the government, debtors, fugitives from justice, and discontented persons generally. David Thus became the chief of a band of outlaws who numbered about 400.
Of such stuff some of his bravest soldiers were made (2 Samuel 23:13 ). He had an augur, too, to direct his actions, and, after the massacre of the priests at Nob, a priest, Abiathar, carrying an ephod with which to cast lots (1 Samuel 22:5 ; 1 Samuel 23:6 ). During this period he supported himself and his men by making raids on the Philistine outposts and levying blackmail on his own countrymen (1 Samuel 25:2 ) in return for giving them his protection from the Philistines (1 Samuel 23:1 ).
Hard pressed both by Saul and the Philistines (who had established themselves even in Bethlehem) he committed his parents to the keeping of the king of Moab, and began to rove as a freebooter through the country (1 Samuel 23:5 , 1 Samuel 23:15 , 1 Samuel 23:25 , 1 Samuel 23:29 ). On two occasions David had Saul in his power, but refused to seize the opportunity of taking his life (1 Sam 24-26). Here again there are no adequate grounds for supposing we have two accounts of one and the same incident. During his wandering David's followers increased in numbers (compare 1 Samuel 22:2 ; 1 Samuel 23:13 ; 1 Samuel 25:13 ).
His chief lieutenant was his nephew Abishai, the son of his sister Zeruiah, but his brothers, Joab and Asahel, do not seem to have joined David yet. Another of his nephews, Jonathan the son of Shimei (Shammah), is mentioned (2 Samuel 21:21 ; compare 1 Samuel 16:9 ) and the Chronicler thinks many other knights joined him during this period (1 Chronicles 11:10 ). The position of David at this time was very similar to that of the brigand Raisuli of late in Morocco. That there was some stability in it is shown by his taking two wives at this time - A hinoam and Abigail (1 Samuel 25:42 , 1 Samuel 25:43 ).David Joins the Philistines
David now, abandoning all hope of ever conciliating the king (1 Samuel 27:1 ), made a move which shows at once his reckless daring and consummate genius. He offered the services of himself and his little army of 600 men to the enemies of his country. The town of Gath appears to have been an asylum for fugitive Israelites (1 Kings 2:39 ). David's first impulse on his flight from Saul had been to seek safety there (1 Samuel 21:10-15 ).
Then, however, he was the hero of Israel, whose assassination would be the highest gain to the Philistines; now he was the embittered antagonist of Saul, and was welcomed accordingly. Achish placed at his disposal the fortified town of Ziklag in the territory of the now extinct tribe of Simeon, and there he and his followers, each of whom had his family with him, took up their quarters for sixteen months (1 Samuel 27:6 , 1 Samuel 27:7 ).
The advantages to David were many. He was safe at last from the persecution of Saul (1 Samuel 27:4 ); he could secure ample supplies by making raids upon the Amalekites and other tribes hostile to Israel toward the South (1 Samuel 27:8 ); and if the opportunity presented itself he could deal a serious blow at the Philistine arms.
The position was no doubt a precarious one. It could last just as long as David could hoodwink Achish by persuading him that his raids were directed against his own tribe (1 Samuel 27:10 ). This he succeeded in doing so completely that Achish would have taken him with him on the campaign which ended in the decisive battle of Gilboa, but the other chiefs, fearing treachery, refused to allow him to do so.
David was forced to return with his followers to Ziklag, only to find that town razed to the ground and all the women and children carried off by his old enemies the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:1 , 1 Samuel 30:2 ). By the time he had recovered the spoil and returned in triumph to Ziklag the battle of Gilboa had been fought and Saul was slain. The conduct of David in his relations with the Philistines was not more reprehensible than that of the Cid who allied himself with Al -Mu'taman of Saragossa, or of Coriolanus who went over to the Volsci. David composed upon the death of Saul and Jonathan an elegy every sentence of which has become classic.
David as KingCivil War
David immediately removed from Ziklag and took up his quarters at Hebron, where he was at once anointed king over his own tribe of Judah. Thus began the cleavage between Judah and Israel. Here he was joined, apparently for the first time, by his nephew Joab. Abner, however, loyal to his former master, had Esh-baal (1 Chronicles 8:33 ), son of Saul, anointed king over the remaining tribes at Mahanaim, a fortified town east of the Jordan.
War continued between David and Abner for several years, fortune always favoring David. Seeing things were going against him Abner forced Esh-baal into a personal quarrel with himself and then transferred his allegiance and persuaded his side to transfer theirs to David (2 Samuel 3:21 ). He did not reap the fruit of his defection, as he was immediately after assassinated by Joab in revenge for the death of Asahel whom Abner had killed in self-defence (2 Samuel 3:27 ). Deprived of his chief support Esh -baal also fell a victim to assassination (2 Samuel 4:2 ). David denounced both crimes with apparent sincerity.
He composed an elegy and fasted for Abner (2 Samuel 3:33 ) and avenged the death of Esh -baal (2 Samuel 4:9 ). Yet these acts of violence laid the sovereignty of all Israel at his feet. Of the male heirs of Saul there remained only a son of Jonathan, Merib -baal (1 Chronicles 8:34 ) who was a crippled child of 7. David was therefore elected king over the nation (2 Samuel 5:1 ). His sovereignty of Judah is said to have lasted 7 1/2 years and that over the undivided people 33, making a reign of 40 years, beginning from David's 30th year (2 Samuel 5:5 ; 1 Chronicles 3:4; in 2 Samuel 2:10 the text is probably corrupt). These are round numbers.Conquests Abroad
King of all the Israelite tribes, David found his hands free to expel the foreigners who had invaded the sacred territory. His first step was to move his headquarters from the Southern Hebron, which he had been compelled at first to make his capital, to the more central Jerusalem. The fort here, which was still held by the aboriginal Jebusites, was stormed by Joab, David's nephew, who also superintended the rebuilding for David.
He was in consequence appointed commander-in-chief (1 Chronicles 11:6 , 1 Chronicles 11:8 ), a post which he held as long as David lived. The materials and the skilled workmen for the erection of the palace were supplied by Hiram of Tyre (2 Samuel 5:11 ). David now turned his attention to the surrounding tribes and peoples. The most formidable enemy, the Philistines, were worsted in several campaigns, and their power crippled (2 Samuel 5:17 ; 2 Samuel 8:1 ). In one of these David so nearly came by his death, that his people would not afterward permit him to take part in the fighting (2 Samuel 21:16 , 2 Samuel 21:17 ).
One of the first countries against which David turned his arms was the land of Moab, which he treated with a severity which would suggest that the Moabite king had ill-treated David's father and mother, who had taken refuge with him (2 Samuel 8:2 ). Yet his conduct toward the sons of Ammon was even more cruel (2 Samuel 12:31 ), and for less cause (1 Samuel 10:1 ). The king of Zobah (Chalkis) was defeated (2 Samuel 8:3 ), and Israelite garrisons were placed in Syria of Damascus (2 Samuel 8:6 ) and Edom (2 Samuel 8:14 ).
The sons of Ammon formed a league with the Syrian kingdoms to the North and East of Palestine (2 Samuel 10:6 , 2 Samuel 10:16 ), but these also had no success. All these people became tributary to the kingdom of Israel under David (2 Samuel 10:18 , 2 Samuel 10:19 ) except the sons of Ammon who were practically exterminated for the time being (2 Samuel 12:31 ). Thus, Israel became one of the "great powers" of the world during the reign of David and his immediate successor.Political Situation
There is no doubt that the expansion of the boundaries of Israel at this period almost to their ideal limits (Deuteronomy 11:24 , etc.) was largely due to the fact that the two great empires of Egypt and Assyria were at the moment passing through a period of weakness and decay. The Assyrian monarchy was in a decadent state from about the year 1050 bc, and the 22nd Dynasty - to which Shishak belonged (1 Kings 14:25 ) - had not yet arisen. David, therefore, had a free hand when his time came and found no more formidable opposition than that of the petty states bordering upon Palestine. Against the combined forces of all the Israelite tribes these had never been able to effect much.The Ark
It had been the custom of the Israelites on setting out upon expeditions in which the nation as a whole took part to carry with them the sacred box or "ark" which contained the two stone tables (Joshua 4:7 , etc.). When David had secured the fortress of Jebus for his metropolis one of his first thoughts was to bring into it this emblem of victory. It was then lying at Kiriath -jearim , possibly Abu Gosh about 8 miles Northwest of Jerusalem (compare Ps 132). Owing to the sudden death of one of the drivers, which he interpreted as indicative of anger on the part of Yahweh, David left the ark at the house of a Philistine which happened to be near at hand.
Since no misfortune befell this person, but on the contrary much prosperity, David took courage after three months to bring the sacred chest and its contents into his royal city. The ceremony was conducted with military honors in 2 Samuel 6:1 and with religious dancing and music ( 2 Samuel 6:5 , 2 Samuel 6:14 ) and festivity (2 Samuel 6:18 , 2 Samuel 6:19 ). A tent was pitched for it, in which it remained (2 Samuel 7:2 ), except when it was sent with the army to the seat of war (2 Samuel 11:11 ; 2 Samuel 15:24 ).
David, however, had already built for himself a stone palace, and he wished now to add to it a chapel royal in the shape of a small temple, such as the neighboring kings had. He was the more anxious to so do since he had much of the material ready at hand in the precious metals which formed the most valuable part of the plunder of the conquered races, such as bronze from Chalkis (2 Samuel 8:8 ), gold and silver (2 Samuel 8:11 ) and the vessels which he had received as a present from the king of Hamath (2 Samuel 8:10 ). He was persuaded, however, by the prophet Nathan to forego that task, on the ground of his having shed much human blood, and to leave it to his successor (1 Chronicles 22:8 ; 1 Chronicles 28:3 ).
Domestic LifeHis Wives and Children
In accordance with the practice of the kings of his time, David had several wives. His first wife was Michal, the younger daughter of Saul. When David fled from Saul she was given to Phaltiel, but was restored to David after Saul's death. She does not appear to have borne any children. In 2 Samuel 21:8 "Michal" should be Merab ( 1 Samuel 18:19 ). During the period of separation from Michal, David took to wife Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the wife of Nabal (1 Samuel 25:43 , 1 Samuel 25:12 ), who accompanied him to Ziklag (1 Samuel 27:3 ), when they were among those captured by the Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:5 ).
A fourth wife was the daughter of Talmai of Geshur, Maacah, whom he had captured in war (1 Samuel 27:8 ; 2 Samuel 3:3 ). When he removed to Hebron Ahinoam bore him his oldest son Amnon, and Abigail his second son Chileab or Daniel (2 Samuel 3:2 , 2 Samuel 3:3 ; 1 Chronicles 3:1 ); his third son was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, and his fourth Adonijah. His mother's name was Haggith; nothing is known about her.
Two other sons, Shephatiah and Ithream were also born in Hebron (2 Samuel 3:2-5 ; 1 Chronicles 3:1-4 ). When David added the kingdom of Israel to that of Judah, he, in accordance with custom, took more wives with a view to increase his state and dignity. One of these was Bathsheba, who became the mother of Solomon (2 Samuel 5:13 ; 1 Chronicles 3:5 ; 1 Chronicles 14:3 ). David's sons discharged priestly functions (2 Samuel 8:18 ; compare Nathan in Zechariah 12:12 ).Domestic Troubles
It was perhaps inevitable that in so large a household the usual dissensions and crimes of the harem should have sprung up in plenty. A most unvarnished account of these is given in 2 Sam 11 through 20 - it has been suggested by Abiathar the priest in order to avenge himself on Solomon for his disgrace (1 Kings 2:26 , 1 Kings 2:27 ), Solomon's mother being Bathsheba (2 Sam 11; 12). 1 Chronicles 13:1-14 recounts the wrong done to Tamar, the daughter of David and Maacah, and sister of Absalom, and how the last named, having avenged his sister's honor by killing Amnon, his oldest brother, fled for asylum to his mother's father, the king of Geshur.
Thence after two years he returned (chapter 14), only to foment rebellion against his father (chapter 15), leading to civil war between David and Judah on the one side and Absalom and Israel on the other (chapters 16; 17), and ending in the death of himself (chapter 18) and of Amasa, David's nephew, at the hands of his cousins Joab and Abishai ( 2 Samuel 20:7 ), as well as nearly precipitating the disruption of the newly founded kingdom (2 Samuel 19:43 ). The rebellion of Absalom was probably due to the fact of Solomon having been designated David's successor (compare 2 Samuel 12:24 ; 1 Chronicles 22:9 ), for Absalom had the best claim, Amnon being dead and Chileab apparently of no account.
His Officials
As David's circumstances improved he required assistance in the management of his affairs.Prophets
The beginning of his good fortune had been the friendship of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 16:13 ; 1 Samuel 19:18 ). The prophet or seer was keeper of the king's conscience and was not appointed by him, but claimed divine authority (2 Samuel 7:3 , 2 Samuel 7:1 ; 2 Samuel 12:1 ; 2 Samuel 24:11 ). Among the persons who discharged this duty for David were Gad the seer (1 Samuel 22:5 ) and Nathan the prophet (1 Kings 1:11 ). All these are said to have written memoirs of their times (1 Chronicles 29:29 ; 2 Chronicles 9:29 ).Priests
Next to the prophet came the priest. The kohen (priest) was, as the name indicates, a soothsayer or diviner. The duty of Abiathar, David's first priest (1 Samuel 22:20 ), was to carry the ephod - an object used for casting lots (1 Samuel 23:6 ), in order to decide what to do in cases where there was no other way of making up one's mind (1 Samuel 30:7 ). It is not to be confused with the dress of the same name (1 Samuel 2:18 ).
Later, at Hebron, Abiathar was given a colleague, Zadok (1 Chronicles 12:28 ), and it became their duty to carry the ark in expeditions (2 Samuel 15:24 ). Shortly after the death of David, Abiathar was deposed by Solomon for his part in Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne (1 Kings 2:26 , 1 Kings 2:27 ), and Zadok remained sole priest to the king (1 Kings 2:35 ). David's sons also acted in the same capacity (2 Samuel 8:18 ). An extra private priest is mentioned in 2 Samuel 20:26 (compare 2 Samuel 23:26 , 2 Samuel 23:38 ).Military Officers
When still an outlaw David required the services of a henchman to take command of his men in his absence. This post was held at first by different persons according to circumstances, but generally, it seems, by his nephew Abishai (1 Samuel 26:6 ). It was only after the death of Saul that his brother Joab threw in his lot with David.
His great military talents at once gave him a leading place, and as a reward for the capture of Jebus he was given the chief command, which he held against all rivals (2 Samuel 3:27 ; 2 Samuel 20:10 ) during the whole reign. David's special body-guard of Philistine troops - the Cherethites and Pelethites - were commanded by Benaiah, who in the following reign, succeeded Joab (1 Kings 2:35 ).Other Officials
The office of recorder or magister memoriae was held during this reign and in the following by Jehoshaphat (2 Samuel 8:16 ); and that of secretary by Seraiah (2 Samuel 8:17 ), also called Shavsha (1 Chronicles 18:16 ) or Shisha (1 Kings 4:3 ). There were also the counselors, men noted for their great acumen and knowledge of human nature, such as Ahithophel and Hushai.Mutual Rivalry
It was natural that there should be much mutual jealousy and rivalry among these officials, and that some of them should attach themselves to one of David's many sons, others to another. Thus, Amnon is the special patron of David's nephew Jonadab (2 Samuel 13:3 ; compare 2 Samuel 21:21 ), and Absalom is backed by Amasa (2 Samuel 17:25 ). The claim of Adonijah to the throne is supported by Joab and Abiathar (1 Kings 1:7 ), as against that of Solomon who is backed by Nathan, Benaiah, Zadok (1 Kings 1:8 ) and Hushai (compare Ant , VII, xiv, 4). Ahithophel sides with Absalom; Hushai with David (2 Samuel 15:12 , 2 Samuel 15:32 ).
Personal Character of DavidChronicles
We would obtain a very different idea of the personal character of David if we drew our conclusions from the books of Samuel and Kings or from the books of Chronicles. There is no doubt whatever that the former books are much truer to fact, and any estimate or appreciation of David or of any of the other characters described must be based upon them. The Chronicler, on the other hand, is biased by the religious ideas of his own time and is prejudiced in favor of some of those whose biographies he writes and against others.
He accordingly suppresses the dark passages of David's life, e.g. the murder of Uriah (1 Chronicles 20:1-8 ), or sets them in a favorable light, e.g. by laying the blame of the census upon Satan (1 Chronicles 21:1 ). David's success, especially as against Saul's misfortune, is greatly exaggerated in 1 Chronicles 12:2 , 1 Chronicles 12:22 . Ceremonial functions are greatly elaborated (chapter 16; compare 2 Sam 6). The various orders of priests and singers in the second temple have their origin traced back to David (1 Chronicles 16:4 , 1 Chronicles 16:37 ; 1 Ch 23 through 27), and the temple of Solomon itself is to all intents and purposes built by him (chapters 22; 28).
At the same time there may be much material in the shape of names and isolated statements not found in the older books, which so long as they are not tinged with the Chronicler's pragmatism or "tendency," may possibly be authentic records preserved within the circle of the priestly caste, e.g. we are told that Saul's skull was fastened in the temple of Dagon (1 Chronicles 10:10 ). There is no doubt that the true names of Ish-bosheth, Mephibosheth and Eliada (2 Samuel 2:8 ; 2 Samuel 4:4 ; 2 Samuel 5:16 ) were Ish -baal (Esh -baal ), Merib -baal and Beeliada (1 Chronicles 8:33 ; 1 Chronicles 9:39 ; 1 Chronicles 8:34 ; 1 Chronicles 9:40 ; 1 Chronicles 14:7 ); that the old name of Jerusalem was Jebus (1 Chronicles 11:4 , 1 Chronicles 11:5 ; compare Judges 19:10 , Judges 19:11 ); perhaps a son of David called Nogah has to be added to 2 Samuel 5:15 from 1 Chronicles 3:7 ; 1 Chronicles 14:6 ; in 2 Samuel 8:8 and 2 Samuel 21:18 , for Betah and Gob read Tebah (Tibhath) and Gezer (1 Chronicles 18:8 ; Genesis 22:24 ; 1 Chronicles 20:4 ). The incident recounted in 2 Samuel 23:9 happened at Pasdammim ( 1 Chronicles 11:13 ). Shammah the Harodite was the son of Elika (2 Samuel 23:25 ; compare 1 Chronicles 11:27 ), and other names in this list have to be corrected after the readings of the Chronicler. Three (not seven) years of famine was the alternative offered to David (2 Samuel 24:13 ; compare 1 Chronicles 21:12 ).Psalms
If we could believe that the Book of Psalms was in whole or in part the work of David, it would throw a flood of light upon the religious side of his nature. Indeed, we should know as much about his religious life as can well be known about anyone. Unfortunately the date and authorship of the Psalms are questions regarding which the most divergent opinions are held. In the early Christian centuries all the Psalms were ascribed to David and, where necessary, explained as prophecies.
The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks of the Book of Psalms simply as "David" (Hebrews 4:7 ). The Greek text, however, of that book ascribes only some 87 of the poems to David, and the Hebrew only 73. Some of these are not David's, and in the whole book there is only one which professes from its contents to be his, namely, Ps 18 (= 2 Sam 22). The occasion on which a psalm was composed is stated only in the case of thirteen psalms, all of which are ascribed to David. Each of these is referred to some incident recorded in the books of Samuel, although sometimes the citation is erroneous (see PSALMS ). The Septuagint supplies occasions to two or three more psalms; but all such statements are merely the conjectures of readers and scribes and are of no historical value.
IBSE, (in the public domain) with minor edits.


text:
Serves 24.Source:
Hy-Vee Seasons Back to School 2014.
All you need:
1/2 pound chorizo
1 tbsp Hy-Vee Select olive oil
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
4 oz smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
4 oz Hy-Vee cream cheese, softened
12 mini sweet peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/3 c. crushed Hy-Vee nacho cheese tortilla chips
1/3 c. Hy-Vee finely shredded Mexican cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
All you do:
Remove casing from chorizo, if present. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion in hot oil until tender. Add chorizo. Cook until chorizo is cooked through. Drain well.Stir in Gouda cheese and cream cheese. Stuff chorizo mixture into pepper halves, about 1 tablespoon each. Top with crushed tortilla chips.Preheat grill for direct heat over medium heat. Add peppers to grill rack and grill for about 5 minutes or until heated through.Remove to a serving platter. Sprinkle with Mexican cheese and cilantro. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 90
Carbohydrate: 2g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Fat: 8g
Protein: 4g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Sodium: 190mg
Sugar: 1g
Trans fats: 0g
Daily nutritional values:
4% vitamin A25% vitamin C6% calcium2% iron