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The U.S. is currently enjoying a healthy 4.1% unemployment rate, exactly eight years after it hit a modern high of 10%. Although this means that workers of all types currently have an easier time finding employment, college graduates typically fare better than those who only have a high school diploma. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that high school graduates have a 4.3% unemployment rate while individuals with a Bachelor's degree or higher enjoy a rate of only 2%.
While it's clear that a college degree helps one's employment prospects, studies have shown that some degrees are in much higher demand than others. To see which college majors boast the best employment numbers, StudySoup, a college learning community, decided to dig through the data to see which majors have the lowest unemployment rates for recent graduates.
To determine which majors have the lowest unemployment rates for recent graduates, StudySoup's research team looked at data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey and published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. They analyzed unemployment rates, underemployment rates, and the median wages for college graduates aged 22-27. The unemployment and underemployment rates are for individuals with a bachelor's degree or higher, while the median salary only includes individuals working full time that have earned a bachelor's degree but did not go on to complete graduate school. Figures represent the averages from 2014-2015.
Here are the top 10 majors that have the lowest unemployment rates.
Photo Credit: Sheppard Air Force Base
Family and Consumer Sciences
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%
Underemployment Rate: 44.6%
Median Wage Early Career: $30,000
Family and Consumer Sciences involve the management and economics of all community and home-based relationships, including their surrounding environment. This major can be used as a springboard for many industries, including education, nutrition and wellness, hospitality, and human development. The median salary for newcomers is only $30,000, but there's a lot of room for growth; the average annual salary for experienced workers is $60,000.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Civil Engineering
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Underemployment Rate: 18.7%
Median Wage Early Career: $54,000
Civil Engineering encompasses each aspect of designing, constructing and maintaining everything from buildings to bridges. This rapidly expanding industry is expected to grow 11% by 2026. Civil engineers who stick with their career can expect to eventually achieve a median wage of $83,540.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%
Underemployment Rate: 12.8%
Median Wage Early Career: $50,000
Nursing is a critical part of the healthcare industry, and while it's a competitive field, those with a nursing degree are in high demand. The future looks equally bright with the number of registered nurses expected to increase by 15% over the next decade.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Secondary Education
Unemployment Rate: 2.4%
Underemployment Rate: 25.6%
Median Wage Early Career: $34,500
This degree typically opens employment opportunities to teach at the high school level in both public and private schools. While the starting median wage for graduates with a degree in Secondary Education may seem low, educators who build a career in Secondary Education can work toward an industry median wage of $58,030.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Early Childhood Education
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%
Underemployment Rate: 22.8%
Median Wage Early Career: $30,000
Those who complete a degree in Early Childhood Education are well-prepared for careers as preschool teachers, child care center directors, educational consultants, and other professional positions. Though Preschool teachers typically have low salaries, there is a lot of room for salary growth at the kindergarten level. The median wage for all kindergarten teachers in the U.S. is $52,620, which is almost $24,000 more than the expected preschool teacher wage.
Photo Credit: Pexels
Nutrition Sciences
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%
Underemployment Rate: 50.1%
Median Wage Early Career: $36,000
Nutrition Sciences include a long and diverse list of career opportunities, ranging from clinical dietician to a position with the USDA. The path one takes will have a big impact on their overall salary and career prospects, but overall, the unemployment rate looks very good for individuals majoring in Nutritional Sciences. For instance, experienced dieticians boast a median salary of $58,920.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Elementary Education
Unemployment Rate: 2%
Underemployment Rate: 18.6%
Median Wage Early Career: $33,600
The Elementary Education field employs nearly 1.4 million individuals and includes teachers that are qualified to provide the basics on a diverse list of academic and social topics. As with most educational careers, starting salaries aren't very high. However, teachers that stick with the teaching profession can expect to see a gradual increase to an industry median of $55,800.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Unemployment Rate: 1.9%
Underemployment Rate: 57.3%
Median Wage Early Career: $36,000
Agriculture is a broad field, offering many areas of study for students interested in how a society produces and consumes food. Post graduation, employment opportunities range from farm management to soil science. While agriculture salaries often vary widely by occupation and location, some positions are very lucrative. For example, Soil and Plant Scientists in California see a mean annual wage of $82,350.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Special Education
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%
Underemployment Rate: 17.3%
Median Wage Early Career: $35,000
Some argue that working in special education is a calling, but for those that hear it, there are plenty of opportunities. Although most students who major in special education will find jobs as special education teachers, other positions are available as well, including roles as special education administrators and assistive technologies specialists.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Construction Services
Unemployment Rate: 1%
Underemployment Rate: 36%
Median Wage Early Career: $50,000
Undergraduates majoring in Construction Services will study topics such as building codes and specifications, construction safety, and electrical systems. Some programs even allow students to specialize in a particular field such as project management or construction technology. While the degree can be used for a number of occupations, Construction Managers typically achieve the highest earnings with a median salary of $89,300. This subsection of the Construction Services industry is also expected to experience an 11% increase in job openings by 2026.


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Lindsay Lohan, recently finished with her court ordered rehab, checked in with her Twitter followers (@lindsaylohan) on Thursday (August 8) after an encounter with former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal at an undisclosed location, presumably in Florida. The singer and actress writes:
This just happened right now! @SHAQ #shaqattack love! Such a gentleman ;) What a gift after a good cycle!

subset: commoncrawl


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The man who boasted during his campaign that he used the "best words" is trying to contain an international uproar today by saying he used the word "would" instead of "wouldn't."
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President Donald Trump: 'I Have The Best Words' | All In | MSNBC


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To ensure public safety, support security strategies and facilitate the production of this year's Oscars®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the City of Los Angeles have finalized street closure plans around the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood.
To accommodate the construction of press risers, fan bleachers and pre-show stages along the Oscars red carpet, Hollywood Boulevard will be closed between Highland Avenue and Orange Drive beginning at 10 p.m. on Sunday, February 21, and remain closed until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1.
MTA subway trains will bypass the Hollywood & Highland station after the last regularly scheduled train on Saturday, February 27, until 6 a.m. Monday, February 29. Service at the station will resume with the first scheduled train after 6 a.m.
Between Sunday, February 21, and Oscar Sunday, February 28, additional streets and sidewalks will be closed for varying periods.
Details of the closures and maps of affected areas are available from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the Sixth and the Thirteenth District City Council field offices and on the Academy's website at www.oscars.org/closures.
The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by David Hill and Reginald Hudlin, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.


text: The Philosopher's Path follows a canal through the northern part of Kyoto's Higashiyama district, starting near Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion, and ending near Nanzen-ji Temple at the base of the Higashiyama Mountains. Noted philosopher and Kyoto University professor Nishida Kitaro was said to practice meditation on his daily walk along the canal to the university, hence the name. The hundreds of cherry trees lining the path explode with a profusion of blossoms around the beginning of April each year.


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9. David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-4)
When my Grandmother Palmer was alive, she lived on a farm outside of Shelton, Washington. At the entrance to her driveway was a small lot, where a small mobile home was parked. As I recall, the woman who lived in the trailer and her husband were estranged. The husband, who had served time in prison, was prone to violence. When the husband came to the mobile home to see his wife, another man was there. An argument resulted, and blows were exchanged. Ultimately, the woman's visitor brandished a weapon and demanded that the husband leave. He left, but only while uttering threats about what he was yet to do.
A few hours later, my uncle came by to visit my grandmother. He was just entering the driveway, very near the little mobile home where the altercation occurred earlier. Unfortunately, my uncle was driving a car which looked similar to the one driven by the estranged husband's adversary parked outside the trailer earlier in the day. Gunshots rang out as the enraged husband fulfilled his vow. The rifle easily penetrated the windshield, and my uncle was instantly killed -- by mistake. The angry husband had killed my uncle, falsely assuming that he was his adversary.
Many tragic incidents occur as the unexpected outcome of a sequence of events. Certainly that is the case with King David. A little vacation from war leads to a day spent in bed, followed by a stroll along the roof of his palace as night begins to fall on Jerusalem. By chance, David sees a woman bathing herself, a sight which David fixes upon, and then follows up on with an investigation as to her identity. The woman is shortly summoned to the palace and then to his bedroom, where David sleeps with her, even though he has discovered she is the wife of Uriah, a warrior who is fighting for the army of Israel. The woman becomes pregnant, and so David calls Uriah home, hoping it will be thought that he has gotten his wife pregnant. When this does not work, David gives orders to Joab, the commander of the army, which arranges for Uriah's death in battle. It looks like the perfect crime, but David's sin is discovered and dealt with by Nathan, the prophet of God.
This sequence of events and its accompanying tragedies is the subject of chapters 11 and 12 of 2 Samuel. I have chosen to expound these chapters in three lessons. This first lesson will deal with "David and Bathsheba," as described in 11:1-4. In the following lesson, we will address the subject of "David and Uriah," as told by our author in 11:5-27. The third lesson will focus on "David and Nathan," as this confrontation is put forth in chapter 12. Our text has much to say about the sins of adultery and murder, but rest assured that it addresses much more than this. It is a text we all need to hear and to heed, for if a "man after God's own heart" can fall so quickly and so far, surely we are capable of similar failures. May the Spirit of God take this portion of the Word of God and illuminate it to each of us as we come to this study.
Preliminary Observations
Before we begin to look carefully at verses 1-4 of chapter 11, allow me to make a couple of comments about this event as portrayed in these two chapters of 2 Samuel. First, I want you to notice the "law of proportion" in this text. Only three verses describe David's sin of adultery with Bathsheba. Second, the author pulls no punches in describing the wickedness of this sin. History is not written in a way that makes David look good. Third, the sin of David and Bathsheba is dealt with historically, but not in a Hollywood fashion. Hollywood filmmakers would perform a remake of this account to dwell on the sensual elements. Nothing in this text is intended to inspire unclean thoughts or actions. Indeed, this story is written in a way that causes us to shudder at the thought of such things.
David Stays in Jerusalem
Israel is at war with none other than the Ammonites (verse 1), which may come as a surprise to you as it did to me. I thought the Ammonites had been defeated in chapter 10. I was wrong. The author is very clear on this matter. In chapter 8, the author tells how David began to engage his enemies in battle, ending the strangle-hold these surrounding nations had on Israel. David subjected the Philistines (8:1), then the Moabites (8:2), and then he took on the king of Zobah (8:3ff.). In the process, other nations became involved and found Israel too formidable an enemy to oppose again.
In chapter 10, we find David and the men of Israel deliberately insulted by Hanun, the king of the Ammonites. David had become friends with Nahash, the former king. When he died, David sent a delegation of officials to express David's respect for Nahash and his grief over this king's death. The Ammonites do not seem to wish to continue this peaceful relationship with David and Israel, so they humiliate the men whom David sent. This leads to a war between the Israelites and the Ammonites. The Ammonites recruit the Syrians as their allies against David. In their first conflict, the Syrians flee, forcing the Ammonites to retreat to "the city" (10:14; which must be Rabbah -- see 12:26ff.). The Syrians are not content with their defeat and attempt a rematch, but once again they are defeated. This causes them to give up any thought of backing up the Ammonites in their war with Israel in the future.
So you see, the Ammonites were not subjected to Israel in chapter 10, but they were deprived of Syrian assistance. Now they are on their own. The Israelites make the most of this. They ravage the land of the Ammonites and then besiege the capital (royal) city of Rabbah (11:1; see 1 Chronicles 20:1). This city of Rabbah, incidentally, is now the city of Amman, Jordan. It is not until after David's sin is rebuked by Nathan that the Israelites actually take the city (2 Samuel 12:26-31).
The author of our text informs us that it is spring, the time when kings go to war (11:1). Weather has always affected warfare. Battles have been won and lost due to the season. Winter time is not favorable to war. It is cold and wet, and camping out in the open field (as those who are besieging the city of Rabbah have to do -- see 11:11) hardly is feasible. The wheels of chariots get stuck in the mud, among other problems. And so kings usually sit it out for the winter, resuming their warfare in the spring. It is spring, Israel is still at war with the Ammonites, and it is time to finish the task of subduing them. The army assembles, under the command of Joab and his officers, and "all Israel." They all go off to complete their victory over the Ammonites, who seem to retreat in their capital and fortress city of Rabbah.
Every man who is able to fight goes to war, except one -- David. David, we are told, "stayed in Jerusalem" (11:1). David's decision to stay at home in Jerusalem becomes a devastating one. The author of Samuel does not include this fact, but the Chronicler does. In 1 Chronicles 20, we read these words:
1 Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. And Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it (1 Chronicles 20:1).
We know from the details of this text in Chronicles that it is the same time and the same war. This decision on David's part precedes a serious sin of another kind in 1 Chronicles 21:
1 Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, "Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their number." 3 Joab said, "May the LORD add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?" 4 Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5 Joab gave the number of the census of all the people to David. And all Israel were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword (1 Chronicles 21:1-5).
Joab urges David not to number the Israelites, and through the prophet Gad, God rebukes David for doing so, giving him a choice of one of three chastenings. It is a grave sin with great consequences for the nation Israel. Out of this sin, God brings about blessing for Israel, because it is on the plot of ground where David offers sacrifices to God that the temple will be built.
What I am pointing out here is that the decision on David's part -- to remain in Jerusalem -- is the beginning of woes for both David and the nation Israel. Why is it wrong for David to stay home while the rest of the men of Israel go to war against the Ammonites? First, leading the nation in war is one of the main tasks of the king:
19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles" (1 Samuel 8:19-20).
The Israelites were wrong in demanding a king, but they were not too far off in expecting that their "king" would lead them in war. The judges God had raised up for them earlier were usually men like Barak or Gideon, who would lead the nation in battle against their enemies. When God designated Saul as Israel's first king, this military role was clearly indicated:
15 Now a day before Saul's coming, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel saying, 16 "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me" (1 Samuel 9:15-16).
Saul shrunk back from pursuing the enemies of Israel at times, and it was sometimes David who stood in Saul's shoes, leading the nation in battle. This was the case, for example, when David fought Goliath, a battle that should have been fought by Saul, Israel's giant (see 1 Samuel 9:2). Up until now, David has been leading his men in battle, but in chapter 11, David suddenly steps back, sending others to fight for him. In 2 Samuel 12:26-31, the author makes it clear that David may not have been planning to be present for the formal surrender of Rabbah. Joab sends David a message, urging him to come and at least give the appearance of leading his army. If David does not come, Joab warns, David will not receive the glory, and it may go to Joab. Joab knows that David knows this is not the way it was meant to be. And so it is that David makes a formal appearance to be the "official" leader at the time of the surrender of the city of Rabbah.
David is wrong in yet another way, a way he would hardly have realized at the time. David is a prototype of the Messiah who was yet to come as God's King. When Messiah comes, it is He who brings about the deliverance of His people. It is He who will come to subdue His enemies and to establish His throne. How can David represent Messiah as he reigns by staying at home and refusing to enter the battle with the enemies of God and the enemies of God's people? Messiah will come (the second time) as a mighty warrior. If David would portray Him, then he must be a mighty warrior.
What keeps David home in Jerusalem? Why doesn't David go to the battle? I fear there are perhaps several reasons. The first is David's arrogance. God has been with David in all of his military encounters and given him victory over all his foes. God has given David a great name. David has begun to believe his own press clippings. He begins to feel he is invincible. David seems to have come to the place where he believes his abilities are so great he can lead Israel into victory, even though he is not with his men in battle.
This seems consistent with David's other great sin, which also follows his decision to stay at home. When David instructs Joab to number the Israelite warriors, Joab protests. This is something David should not do. Perhaps this is because David would find too much confidence in the number of his men, rather than in God. It certainly is a far cry from Gideon's army, pared down to a meager 300 men.
A second reason may be boredom. It is one thing to fight battles in which the enemy is quickly overcome. But the besieging of Rabbah is a whole different kind of war. This battle will not be won so quickly. It will take time to starve the Ammonites to the point that they surrender. It is not a very exciting kind of war to wage. And while they wait, the Israelite soldiers (which includes David) have to pitch their tents outside the city, living in the open field. This is no picnic, and David knows it. David's attitude seems reflected in the advertising slogan of a major hamburger chain, "You deserve a break today."
A third reason -- and I am hesitant to suggest it -- is that David may be getting soft. Let's face it, David had some very difficult days when he was fleeing from Saul. I am sure there were hot days and cold nights. There were certainly days when his food was either limited or lousy, or both. Army food has never been known as a work of culinary artistry. Now, David has moved up in the world, from barren wilderness, which Saul and his army would avoid if possible, to the hills of Jerusalem. His accommodations are better, too. He no longer lives in a tent (if he was fortunate enough to have one in those days); he lives in a palace. Why would David want to stay in a tent in the open field, outside of Rabbah, if he can stay in his own bed, in his own palace, inside Jerusalem?37
David is starting to become Saul-like, in that he is willing to let others go out and fight his battles for him. Among those David is willing to send in his place are Joab and Abishai. This Joab, we should recall, is a violent man. Joab was not the commander of the army of Israel by David's choice. David had distanced himself from Joab and Abishai because of the death of Abner (2 Samuel 3:26-30). Joab had become the commander of Israel's armed forces because he was the first to accept David's challenge to attack Jebus (1 Chronicles 11:4-6). Suddenly, David is willing to stay at home and leave the whole of Israel's armed forces under Joab's command. I do not think David is motivated by trust in Joab as much as he is his disdain for the hardship of the campaign to take Rabbah.
Like my uncle to whom I referred earlier, David is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is in Jerusalem when he should be at Rabbah. Unlike my uncle, David is in the wrong place at the wrong time because of a wrong decision. David is like the simpleton in Proverbs 7, who was foolishly and yet deliberately in the wrong place at the wrong time. Something almost had to go wrong, and it surely did!
David Stays in Bed
As I read these verses in 2 Samuel, I am reminded of the Alfred Hitchcock movie, "Rear Window." If my memory is correct, Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly star in this thriller about a photographer who is recovering from an injury and confined to his apartment. From out of his "rear window," Stewart watches his neighbors through their windows. Eventually he uncovers a murder and is almost killed himself, along with his girlfriend.
King David makes the mistake of staying in Jerusalem, rather than fighting the Ammonites with his army. He does not stay home to meditate on the Law of Moses or to write another psalm or two; he seems to stay home to stay in bed. We know Uriah went to bed when it was evening (that is, when it got dark), and it is very likely that he got up at first light (see 11:13). With David, it is very different. David does not get up until evening, that is, until it is time for a soldier to go to bed. (As a friend of mine pointed out, this is probably a habit developed over days and not just a one-time event.) It is very unlikely that David is doing any "kingly work" in the wee hours of the night. From all appearances, David is simply indulging himself.
Finally, David can stand his bed no longer. Getting up, he goes for a stroll around the roof of his palace. Most certainly, David's palace was built on the highest ground possible, so that it would afford him a commanding view of the city and the surrounding country. Virtually every other residence and building would be below David's penthouse apartment, and thus he would be able to see much that was out of sight for others. (A friend remarked after this message that a truck driver had told him a whole lot can be seen from an 18-wheeler that people in cars don't see.)
I am not suggesting that David purposed to see something he should not. More than likely he is walking about, almost absent-mindedly, when suddenly his eyes fix on something that rivets his attention on a woman bathing herself. The text does not really tell us where this woman is bathing. We only know that she is within sight of David's penthouse (rooftop). David notes her beauty. He does not know who she is or whether she is married. We cannot be certain how much David sees, and thus we do not know for certain whether he has yet sinned. If David saw more of this woman than he should (a fact still in question), then he surely should have diverted his eyes. It was not necessarily evil for him to discretely inquire about her. If she were unmarried and eligible, he could have taken her for his wife. His inquiry would make this clear.
Word comes back to David about this woman's identity:
3b And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" (2 Samuel 11:3b)
The answer comes to David in the form of a question. I take it that no one else actually saw this woman, but only David. The identification of this woman depends then upon David's description of her age, appearance, and location, and no one could be absolutely certain whether this is the woman or not -- except for David, of course, who would recognize her.
The information David receives should be sufficient for him to end the matter. If this woman is married, he has no business going any further. No matter how great his position and power, nothing gives him the right to take another man's wife. The pattern for David's actions is clearly outlined by Joseph, who was hotly pursued by his master's wife:
7 It came about after these events that his master's wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me." 8 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge. 9 "There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:7-9).
The report David is given concerning Bathsheba gives him all the information he needs, and more, if he is intent upon doing what is right. He knows Bathsheba is married and thus out of the question. He also knows Bathsheba is married to Uriah the Hittite. This is no nameless husband, someone David has never heard of before. David has to know Uriah, even if he does not know his wife. In 2 Samuel 23:39, "Uriah the Hittite" is named as one of David's mighty men, known for his bravery and courage as a soldier. If he does not know it, surely someone there among his servants would inform him.
My fear is that David chose to ignore Uriah's military record and to fix his attention upon his racial origins. It is obvious and noteworthy that David refers to Uriah as "Uriah the Hittite," while the author of Samuel refers to him only as "Uriah." The expression, "Uriah the Hittite" is a term of derision, I believe, based solely upon the fact that he is of Hittite stock. Never mind that David has Moabite blood in his veins. Let us briefly review the place of the Hittites in Old Testament history.
As early as Genesis 15:18-21, God promised Abram (Abraham) that his descendants would inherit the land of the Hittites (along with that of other peoples as well; see also Exodus 3:8, 17; 13:5; 23:23, 28, 32; 33:21; 34:11; Deuteronomy 7:1; Joshua 1:4; 3:10). Ephron, the man from whom Abraham bought a burial plot for his family, was a Hittite (see Genesis 23:10; 25:9; etc.). Jacob's brother Esau married several Hittite wives (Genesis 26:34-35; 36:2). The Israelites were commanded to utterly destroy the Hittites (Deuteronomy 20:17). The Hittites opposed Israel's entrance into the promised land (see Numbers 13:29; Joshua 9:1: 11;1-5), and the Israelites had some victories over them (Joshua 24;11). Nevertheless, they did not totally remove them and came to live among them (Judges 3:5). When David was fleeing from Saul, he learned that the king was camped nearby. He asked two of his men who would go with him to Saul's camp. One of the two, Abishai, volunteered to go with David, the other man did not. This man was Ahimelech, the Hittite (1 Samuel 26:6).
It is obvious that Uriah had forsaken his own people and their gods to live in Israel, marry an Israelite woman, and fight in David's army. He is no pagan, to be put to death. He is a proselyte. In spite of all this, I believe David looks down upon him. David has grown accustomed to having the finest of everything. His palace is the finest around. His furnishings, his food, his help, are all the finest. Now, he looks from his penthouse and sees a woman whom he regards as "fine." How can a woman so "fine" belong to this Hittite? She is fit for a king. And this king intends to have her.
And so David sends messengers to her, who take her and bring her to him. When she arrives, David sleeps with her, and when she is purified from her uncleanness,38 she returns to her house. That is that. If she had not become pregnant, I have little doubt she would never have darkened the door of David's house again. David does not seek a wife in Bathsheba. He does not even seek an affair. He wants one night of sex with this woman, and then he will let Uriah have her.
The sequence of events, so far as David is concerned, can be viewed in this way: (1) David stays in Jerusalem; (2) David stays in bed; (3) David sees Bathsheba bathing herself as he walks on his roof; (4) David sends and inquires about this woman; (5) David learns her identity and that she is married to a military hero; (6) David sends messengers to take her and bring her to him; (7) David lays with her; (8) Bathsheba goes back to her home after she purifies herself. This same sequence can be seen in a number of other texts, none of which is commendable. Shechem "saw, took, and lay with" Dinah, the daughter of Jacob in Genesis 34:2. Judah "saw, took, and went in to" the Canaanite woman he made his wife in Genesis 38:2-3. Achan "saw, coveted, and took" the forbidden spoils of war in Joshua 7:21. Samson did virtually the same in Judges 14. Let us not forget that a similar sequence occurred at the first sin when Eve "saw, desired, and took" the forbidden fruit in Genesis 3.
Does Bathsheba Share David's Guilt?
It is clear from the words of our text that David sinned. It is clear from the actions of David which follow that he sinned. It is clear from the words of God through Nathan that David sinned in a grievous manner. The problem is that many wish to view the text in a way that forces Bathsheba to share David's guilt by assuming that she somehow seduced him. I would like to pursue this matter, because I believe there is absolutely no evidence to support such a conclusion.
The inference is often drawn that Bathsheba should not have been exposing herself as she did, and that it was her indiscretion which started this whole sequence of events. Some think her actions may have been deliberate (She knew David was there and could see. . . .), while others would be more gracious and assume it was simply poor judgment. Let me point out several things from the text. First and foremost, when Nathan pronounces divine judgment upon David for his sin, Bathsheba and Uriah are depicted as the victims, not the villains. When Adam and Eve sinned, God specifically indicted Adam, Eve, and the serpent, and each received their just curse. This is simply not the case with Bathsheba. Nowhere in the Bible is she indicted for this sin. It may be that the author did not choose to focus upon Bathsheba, but even in this case, the Law would clearly require us to consider her innocent until proven guilty.
It is very clear in Samuel that the tragedies which take place in David's household are the consequence of his sin, just as Nathan indicates (12:10-12). Thus, when Amnon rapes Tamar, the sister of Absalom, it is a case of the "chickens coming home to roost." Note that it is at David's command or summons that Tamar is called to the palace, and then to Amnon's bedside. There is not so much as a hint that when Tamar is raped, it is all of Amnon's doing. Should this not strongly indicate that the same is true in Bathsheba's case, of which this second incident is a kind of mirror image?
When we read of this incident, we do so through Western eyes. We live in a day when a woman has the legal right to say "No" at any point in a romantic relationship. If the man refuses to stop, that is regarded as a violation of her rights; it is regarded as rape. It didn't work that way for women in the ancient Near East. Lot could offer his virgin daughters to the wicked men of Sodom, to protect strangers who were his guests, and there was not one word of protest from his daughters when he did so (Genesis 19:7-8). These virgins were expected to obey their father, who was in authority over them. Michal was first given to David as his wife, and then Saul took her back and gave her to another man. And then David took her back (1 Samuel 25:44; 2 Samuel 3:13-16). Apparently Michal had no say in this whole sequence of events.
To approach this same issue from the opposite perspective, think with me about the Book of Esther. When the king summoned his wife, Queen Vashti, to appear (perhaps in a way that would inappropriately display her to the king's guests), she refused. She was removed (see Esther 1:1-22). She did not lose her life, but she was at least replaced. Then, we read later in this same book that no one could approach the king unless he summoned them. If any approached the king and he did not raise his scepter, they were put to death (Esther 4:10-11). Does this not portray the way of eastern kings? Does this not explain why Bathsheba went to the king's palace when summoned? Does this help to explain why she seems to have given in to the king's lustful acts? (We do not know what protests -- like Tamar's in chapter 13 -- she may have uttered, but we do have some sense of the powerlessness of a woman in those days, especially when given orders by the king.
Now, having looked at the big picture, let's concentrate on a few details. The text informs us that David sees this woman bathing and notes that she is very beautiful. It is sometimes thought that David saw Bathsheba unclothed as she bathed herself publicly, and that the sight of her (unclothed/partially) body prompted David to act as he did. Virtually the identical words employed in our text ("very beautiful in appearance") are found in Genesis 24:16 of Rebekah, as she came to the well with a water jug on her shoulder. She was neither naked nor partially clothed. Similar (though not identical) descriptions are found, where no exposure of the woman is indicated at all (see Genesis 12:11; 26:7; 29:17; Esther 1:1). I believe one of the reasons David summons Bathsheba to his palace is that he has not seen all that he wishes.
Let's pursue this matter a little more. Bathsheba is bathing herself. We tend to assume that this means she is disrobed, at least partially. I believe Bathsheba is bathing herself in some place normally used for such purposes. Only David, with his penthouse vantage, would be able to see her, and a whole lot of other folks if he chose. The poor do not have the same privacy privileges as the rich. I have seen any number of people bathing themselves on the sidewalks of India, because this is their home. The word for bathing employed here is often used to describe the washing of a guest's hands or feet and for the ceremonial washings of the priests. Abigail used this term when she spoke of washing the feet of David's servants (1 Samuel 25:41). Such washings could be done, with decency, without total privacy. We assume far too much if we assume Abigail is walking about unclothed, in full sight of onlookers.
Incidentally, Bathsheba is washing herself in Jerusalem, from which all the men of fighting age have gone to war. Remember the words of verse 1:
1 Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem (emphasis mine).
It is not as if Bathsheba is acting in an unbecoming manner, knowing that men are around. She has every right to assume they are not. David is around, but he should not be. On top of this, she is not bathing herself at high noon; she is bathing in the evening. This is when the law prescribed (for ceremonial cleansing), and it is when the sun is setting. In other words, it is nearly dark when Bathsheba sets out to wash herself. David has to work to see what he does. I believe Bathsheba makes every effort to assure her modesty, but the king's vantage point is too high, and he is looking with too much zeal. I am suggesting that David is much more of a peeping Tom than Bathsheba is an exhibitionist. I believe the text bears me out on this.
If I am right in what I have been saying, David's sin becomes that much more wicked. In some instances a woman may purposely or unwittingly encourage the one who assaults her. In this case, there is not so much as a hint that this takes place. In fact, if I am reading the story accurately, David's "sighting" of Bathsheba is the result of her keeping the law, while David is failing his responsibilities as king.
This passage, even though we have made our way through the first four verses of it, has much to teach us. Let me seek to summarize some of its lessons.
First, the root of David's sin is not low self-esteem; it is arrogance. I am getting quite weary of hearing that the root of all evils is low self-esteem. I wonder why we see nothing of this in the Bible. David's problem is just the opposite. He has become puffed up and arrogant because of his success and status as Israel's king. He has come to see himself as different/better than the rest of the Israelites. They need to go to war; he does not. They need to sleep in the open field; he needs to get his rest in his own bed, in his palace. They can have a wife; he can have whatever woman he wants.
Second, the nature of David's sin is the abuse of power. Power corrupts, we are told, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. David has come to power. In the previous chapters, David employed his God-given power to defeat the enemies of God and of Israel. He used his power as Israel's king to fulfill his covenant with David and his promise to Saul by restoring to Mephibosheth his family property and by making him a son at his table. Now, David, drunk with his power, uses it to indulge himself at the expense of others. I want you to notice the repetition of the word "send" or "sent" in this chapter. It is a king like David who can send all the men to war but stay home himself (verse 1). It is a king like David who can send people to inquire about Bathsheba, and then to send messengers to "take" her and bring her to his palace (verses 3-4). It is a king like David who can "send" for Uriah and "send" orders to Joab to have him killed. David has the power, and he certainly knows how to use it, only now he is using that power for his own benefit, at the expense of others. This is not servant leadership.
Sexual abuse and sexual harassment are two of the ways people abuse their power. Parents begin to think they own their children, and that they can use their children to satisfy themselves, so they engage in various forms of abuse, often sexual in nature. Bosses get used to being in control and telling people what to do, and it should not be surprising to learn that they sometimes abuse their power over employees and subordinates to sexually satisfy themselves. This sin is no different from that of David.
I must press the point a little further. Of course it is wrong for David to use his power to have sex with another man's wife. But it is not right to abuse power even when sex is permissible. A husband should not abuse his power in order to have sex with his wife. And a wife should not abuse her power (of saying "No," for example) to punish or put off her husband. Within marriage, sex is simply another area of serving our mate. It is not the opportunity to lord it over our mate.
Third, prosperity is as dangerous -- and sometimes more dangerous -- than poverty and adversity. We all get weary of the adversities of life. We all yearn for the time when we can kick back and put up our feet and relax a bit. We all tire of agonizing over the bills and not having quite enough money to go around. David certainly looked forward to the time when he could stop fleeing from Saul and begin to reign as king. But let me point out that from a spiritual point of view, David never did better than he did in adversity and weakness. Conversely, David never did worse than he did in prosperity and power. How many psalms do you think David wrote from his palatial bed and from his penthouse? How much meditation on the law took place while David was in Jerusalem, rather than on the battlefield? We are not to be masochists, wanting more and more suffering, but on the other hand we should recognize that success is often a greater test than adversity. Often when it appears "everything's goin' my way" we are in the greatest danger.
Fourth, sin is sequential. Sin "happens," but it seldom "just happens." Sin does not come out of nowhere. We see this sequence in the Book of James:
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death (James 1:13-15).
David's sin did not just suddenly appear in a moment of time. David set himself up for this fall. We know he disengaged himself from the battle, choosing instead a life of comfort and ease. You and I may make the same decision, though in a slightly different way. We may choose to ease up in our pursuit of becoming a disciple of our Lord, of the disciplined life which causes us to bring our bodies under our control (see 1 Corinthians 9:24-27). We may weary of taking up our cross and begin to take up ourselves as our highest cause. We may back off in the area of separation, having become weary of being laughed at for our Christian principles. We may keep quiet, rather than bear witness to our faith, lest we be rejected by our peers. We may hold off from rebuking a fellow-believer, who is falling into sin, because the last time we tried it was very messy. When we retreat from the battle, a fall is not far away.
Sins of commission are often the result of sins of omission. David committed sin by his adultery with Bathsheba and later by the murder of her husband, but these sins were borne out of David's omissions which came to pass when he stayed home, rather than go to war. These sins of omission are often difficult to recognize in ourselves or others, but they are there. And after a while, they incline us to more open sins, as we see in David.
Within those of you who are reading this message, I know there are some who have already fallen in a similar way to David. You have already committed adultery. To you, I would say: "Stop now!" How much better it would have been if David had confessed to his sin with Bathsheba before he went on to murder Uriah. Sin is like a cancer: the sooner it is cut out, the better; the longer it is left, the more it grows. If you have fallen as David did (or in some other way), forsake your sin, confess it, find God's forgiveness, and move on.
Some of you have not yet sinned as David did, but you are already on your way. You are like David when he chose to stay in Jerusalem, and when he chose to stay in bed. You have not yet sinned in a dramatic fashion, but you are laying the groundwork for it. It's only a matter of time and opportunity. My question to you is not whether you are actively committing sin, but whether you are actively committed to Christ, serving Him as you serve others, using the power (spiritual gifts) God has given you to benefit others? Let us learn from David's omissions, rather than learn (experientially) from his commissions.
The apostle John put it this way:
7 But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us (1 John 1:7-9).
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. 7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God (1 John 3:4-9).
37 I don't think I'm exaggerating here. The interaction between David and Uriah seems to indicate that David was puzzled as to why Uriah would not enjoy the good life in Jerusalem if he had the opportunity to do so. Uriah, on the other hand, chose to live as he would have on the battlefield.
38 This reference to Bathsheba's "purification" is interesting and perplexing. The King James Version reads, "and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house" at verse 4. The New King James Version is slightly different: "and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house" (note the change from a semi-colon to a comma, and from a colon to a semi-colon). The NIV reads, "and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.)" The NRSV reads, "and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.)." There are two questions, which the text does not clearly seem to answer: (1) From what was Bathsheba purifying herself -- from her menstrual uncleanness, or from her uncleanness due to sexual intercourse? Both are dealt with in Leviticus 15. (2) When did this cleansing occur, and when was it completed? Was Bathsheba's bathing which David witnessed part of her ceremonial cleansing? If so, there may have had to be a delay before the Law permitted intercourse. Otherwise, David would have caused her to violate the Law pertaining to cleansing, since it may not have been complete. The translations which make her cleansing a past, (continued) completed event seem to be suggesting that she was now legally able to engage in intercourse, though certainly not with David. If she was still in the process of her cleansing, David's sin of adultery is compounded because it was committed at the wrong time, while cleansing was still in process. It is also possible to read the text (as does the NASB) to say that Bathsheba waited at David's house until she was ceremonially clean from her evening with David. It is interesting that nothing is said of David waiting until he was cleansed. The inference I take from this "cleansing" reference is that Bathsheba was still concerned about keeping the Law of Moses, even if David was not.


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Wednesday, February 1, 2017
The Brainy Basset Hound
31 comments :
Look at you! How precious and intelligent you look!ReplyDelete
absolutely... you look like a famous professor :o)ReplyDelete
You look great!ReplyDelete
Purrs xx
Athena and Marie
You look amazing in those glasses, B!ReplyDelete
You look very distinguished, Bentley.ReplyDelete
That is definitely a great look on you Bentley! Very professor-like!ReplyDelete
Handsome & brainy Bently.ReplyDelete
Nose nudges,
CEO Olivia
They totally make you look brainy! You look handsome in them too, but then again you always look handsome!ReplyDelete
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Your a true Einstein. You look very brainy and handsome.ReplyDelete
Very nice picture, Bently!!! You look so smart and handsome with those glasses:)ReplyDelete
We thought you were already a brainy Bassett HoundReplyDelete
Lily & Edward
you are brainy no matter what! Glasses not needed!! xoxo DakotasDenReplyDelete
You look like you are ready to receive your diploma in psychology of humans.ReplyDelete
Oh, Professor, the dog ate my homework, would you give me an extension?ReplyDelete
You look like a distinguished professor, Bentley ! PurrsReplyDelete
Oh Bentley, you look like a little professor!!!ReplyDelete
Oh you look very brainy without the glasses but I do like the look!ReplyDelete
YES fur SURE... VERY BRIGHT indeed.ReplyDelete
Yes, Professor Bentley.ReplyDelete
You look very pawfessor-like, Bentley!!ReplyDelete
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
Okay, Bentley. We'll refrain from calling you "Four Eyes." :)ReplyDelete
You look very studious, Bentley!ReplyDelete
You look so dignified and totally smart in those glasses, Bentley!ReplyDelete
You look brilliantly smart!ReplyDelete
They make you look adorable :)ReplyDelete
Now you can see as well as you can sniff!ReplyDelete
Jean from Welcome to the Menagerie
- AnonymousFebruary 1, 2017 at 7:18 PM
Albert Einstein has nuthin' on you, B. Brilliant!ReplyDelete
Love and licks,
Those glasses look great on you, Bentley! You always look brainy, but they give you that genius look for sure. :)ReplyDelete
-Purrs from your friends at www.PlayfulKitty.net
Oh, brainy AND handsome! I bet girl pups make passes at Bassets who wear glasses! :)ReplyDelete
We already knew you were smart, Bentley...the glasses just accentuate that!ReplyDelete
Jan & the crew at Wag 'n Woof Pets
Brainy and adorable! I bet you can see a squirrel or rabbit from a mile away! :)ReplyDelete


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About Kansas Hunting
Hunting in Kansas
Hunting in Kansas can be described with one word: variety. From east to west, north to south, Kansas has a rich and diverse array of habitat and game species. The hunting heritage runs deep in Kansas, and hunting is important to the quality of life and rural economies. Unique hunting opportunities wait on the eastern and western borders, and the central region provides a blend.
The physiographic regions of the state, distinguished by climatic, topographic and vegetative differences, allow such variety.
Generally, Kansas' climate is wetter in the east than the west. In fact, the southeast region may receive 40 inches of rain per year, whereas the southwest region may receive less than 15. Being familiar with the physiographic regions can help a hunter select an area of the state to correspond with the preferred type of game, as well as the style of hunting desired.
In the northcentral part of the state, the Smoky Hills follow the Smoky Hill River to the east. The Smoky Hills region is characterized by vast areas of rolling grassland and some dramatic topography. The land is farmed along the river bottoms, and this combination of permanent native cover and agriculture provides pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, turkey, and deer hunting opportunities.
The far northeastern corner of the state is the Glaciated Region. This region features gently rolling plains with broad stream valleys. It is characterized by heavily timbered, rocky hillsides and small irregular croplands. This region provides excellent deer and turkey hunting, as well as bobwhite quail, rabbit, and squirrel opportunities.
The High Plains, the western one-third of the state, is the largest and driest region. Originally shortgrass prairie and nearly treeless, most of the High Plains has seen dramatic changes due to settlement and agriculture. Many areas of the High Plains are intensively farmed, and this combination of native grass and agriculture makes this region ideal for ring-necked pheasants. The High Plains are wide open and vast.
Where untilled, native shortgrasses, yucca, sagebrush and other arid-climate vegetation support lesser prairie chickens. Antelope still inhabit the far western reaches of this region and provide limited hunting opportunities. Mule deer thrive in the region, although you also find whitetails. The Conservation Reserve Program has returned thousands of acres in this region to native grasses.
The north-south strip of grassland through the east-central portion of the state is known as the Flint Hills. Much of this region remains in native grass because a layer of rock just beneath the soil's surface prevents tillage. Vast areas of unbroken tallgrass prairie with timbered, brushy draws and streambottoms make this unique area ideal for quail, deer, and turkey, and it remains the nation's stronghold for the greater prairie chicken.
In the center of the state are the Wellington and McPherson Lowlands. These regions are characterized by several wetlands and salt marshes and form the transition zone between the west and the Flint Hills. Much of the region is intensively farmed. The combination of wetland, prairie, and croplands provides a variety of game species for hunters, from upland birds to deer, turkey, and small game. And during wet years, the wetlands and flooded croplands attract untold numbers of waterfowl.
In the southwest, the Arkansas River Lowlands follow the river from the Colorado border, east to Wichita, then south to Oklahoma. Sand and sediment carried by the river have formed sandhill grasslands along this corridor, and this area provides ideal lesser prairie chicken habitat. This midgrass prairie is dotted with sandhill plum thickets and eastern redcedars, and provides good quail, pheasant, deer and turkey hunting.
In the southcentral region, the beautiful Red Hills bring topographic relief to the land. The Red Hills are largely native grassland with bluffs, buttes and steep draws and canyons filled with cedars, sumac and sandhill plum thickets. Timbered areas follow the many spring-fed creeks and streams throughout the region. This area is known for bobwhite quail, turkey and deer hunting.
The Osage Cuestas dominate the southeastern one-quarter of the state. Rolling grasslands, limestone bluffs, and heavily timbered bottomlands mark this region. The hardwood timber provides excellent deer, squirrel, and eastern turkey hunting. Quail hunting can also be very good on the grasslands and at the edges of timber, grass, and small crop fields.
At the southern reaches of the southeastern quarter are the Chautauqua Hills. Rolling tallgrass prairie is dotted with thickly timbered bottoms and draws. Underlying sandstone protects the grasslands, and the croplands are restricted to streambottoms. The region provides excellent deer, turkey and quail hunting.
The Cherokee Lowlands distinguish the southeastern corner with thick brush and timber, and rich coal resources. In recent years, thousands of acres, once strip mined for coal, have been reclaimed to native vegetation. The Mined Land Wildlife area was donated to the department for public use. The area provides deer, quail, squirrel, rabbit and turkey hunting, as well as fishing in the hundreds of strip mine lakes.
In the far southeast lies the Ozark Plateau. This is the wettest region of the state, receiving more than 40 inches of rain annually. Heavy timber, dissected by streams and broken with small cropfields, make this area ideal for deer, turkey, squirrel, and rabbit hunting. Bobwhite quail are found on the edge areas between timber, grass, and croplands.


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Iran's Bluster and Weakness
Iran's empty threats show desperation, not security.
Iran this week punctuated ten days of naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz and threats to close it with a warning to U.S. Navy ships to stay out of Persian Gulf, which requires passage through the strait. The tough talk may have temporarily juiced oil prices, but it failed to impress militarily. Recent news reports have cited U.S. military officials, defense analysts and even an anonymous Iranian official arguing that Iran likely lacks the will and ability to block shipping in the strait. That argument isn't new: Iran's economy depends on shipments through the strait, and the U.S. Navy can keep it open, if need be. What's more, the Iranians might be deterred by the fear that a skirmish over the strait would give U.S. or Israeli leaders an excuse to attack their nuclear facilities.
The obviousness of Iran's bluster suggests its weakness. Empty threats generally show desperation, not security. And Iran's weakness is not confined to water. Though Iran is more populous and wealthier than most of its neighbors, its military isn't equipped for conquest. Like other militaries in its region, Iran's suffers from coup-proofing, the practice of designing a military more to prevent coups than to fight rival states. Economic problems and limited weapons-import options have also undermined it ability to modernize its military, while its rivals buy American arms. Here's how Eugene Gholz and Daryl Press summarize Iran's conventional military capability:
Iran…lacks the equipment and training for major offensive ground operations. Its land forces, comprising two separate armies (the Artesh and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), are structured to prevent coups and to wage irregular warfare, not to conquer neighbors. Tehran's air force is antiquated, and its navy is suited for harassment missions, not large amphibious operations across the Gulf. Furthermore, a successful invasion is not enough to monopolize a neighbor's oil resources; a protracted occupation would be required. But the idea of a sustainable and protracted Persian Shi'a occupation of any Gulf Arab society—even a Shi'a-majority one like Bahrain—is far-fetched.
Despite Iran's weakness, most U.S. political rhetoric—and more importantly, most U.S. policy—treats it as a potential regional hegemon that imperils U.S. interests. Pundits eager to bash the president for belatedly allowing U.S. troops to leave Iraq say it will facilitate Iran's regional dominance. The secretary of defense, who says the war in Iraq was worth fighting, wants to station 40,000 troops in the region to keep Iran from meddling there. Even opponents of bombing Iran to prevent it from building nuclear weapons regularly opine on how to "
Some will object to this characterization of Iran's capabilities, claiming that asymmetric threats—missiles, the ability to harass shipping and nasty friends on retainer in nearby states—let it punch above its military weight. But from the American perspective—a far-off power with a few discrete interests in the region—these are complications, not major problems. Our self-induced ignorance about Iran's limited military capabilities obscures the fact that we can defend those interests against even a nuclear Iran at far lower cost than we now expend. We could do so from the sea.
The United States has two basic interests in the region. The first is to prevent oil-price spikes large enough to cause economic trouble. Although it's not clear that an oil-price shock would greatly damage the U.S. economy, we don't want to chance it. That is why it makes sense to tell Iran that we will forcibly keep the strait open.
Iranian nuclear weapons would merely complicate our efforts to do so. For safety, both naval ships clearing mines there and tankers would want Iranian shores cleared of anti-ship cruise missiles and their radars, although doing so is probably not necessary to keep strait cargo moving. The possibility of nuclear escalation makes attacking those shore-based targets tougher. But the risk of escalation is mostly Iran's. By attacking U.S. ships, they would risk annihilation or a disarming first strike. Given that, it is hard to see how nuclear weapons make closing the strait easier.
The second U.S. goal in the region is to prevent any state from gathering enough oil wealth to extort us or build a military big enough to menace us. That means conquest. The vastness of our military advantage over any combination of Middle Eastern states makes that fairly easy to prevent. The difficulty of credibly threatening to stop exporting the chief source of your wealth makes the problem even smaller. Indeed, the odds of Iran becoming an oil super-state by conquest are so low that we probably do not need to guarantee any nearby state's security to prevent it. For example, if Iran swallowed and magically pacified Iraq, the resulting state, while a bad thing, would create little obvious danger for American safety or commerce. Still, if we did defend Iraq's borders, carrier-based airpower along with Iraqi ground forces would probably suffice to stop Iranian columns at the border. The same goes for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Because threats of nuclear attack better serve defensive goals, an Iran armed with nukes would not meaningfully change this calculus. Iran's neighbors would not surrender their land just because Iran has nuclear weapons, if history is any guide. And U.S. guarantees of retaliatory strikes could back them up, if necessary. Nukes might embolden Iran to take chances that a state worried about invasion would not. But the difficulty of subduing a nationalistic country of 75 million already deters our invasion.
The current contretemps with Iran is no reason for "maintaining our military presence and capabilities in the broader Middle East," as the secretary of defense would have it. Removing U.S. forces from Iran's flanks might strengthen the hand of the Iranian minority opposed to building nuclear weapons, though it is doubtful that alone would be enough to let them win the debate anytime soon. But even if Iran does build nuclear weapons, we can defend our limited interests in the region from off-shore.


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5 million
Game Category: Endless Runner
Join Hugo in his fight against Scylla and her minions and gather as much gold as possible by demonstrating your ultimate trolley-driving skills! Navigate dark mines, dodge trains, use power-ups and put your whole bag of tricks to work against her Evilness.
Face Scylla, Hugo's nemesis, in a direct battle where only an unparalleled set of skills can defeat her! Win incredible prizes in Daily Quests, but don't spend all that gold in one place!
Want to take a break from playing as Hugo? Of course you can do that! Hugolina is eager to hop on the trolley and join the fun. There are even loads of different outfits that you can purchase for her.
While you'll find all the classic trolleys you love, there is an exciting selection of new mine-friendly vehicles, waiting to be taken out for a ride on the tracks. Which ones do you like best?
Immerse in the gameplay and feel like you're part of the action! Just be careful: don't allow your attention to be diverted by the beautiful lava stalagmites or fiery lava fountains!
Dodge mine carts, avoid falling stalactites and stalagmites that burst upwards, speeding trains, dirt mounds and, of course, hordes of Crocos!
What will your best score be? Make your unmatched skills known to all of your friends by getting the highest scores on the Leaderboard!
You're not a real Troll if collecting things is not among your hobbies! We've added loads of exciting (and shiny!) items to collect. Add new trolleys and outfits to your collection and make sure Hugo and Hugolina always ride in style! There is also an impressive list of upgrades to purchase and employ in your fight against Scylla!
Games ArchiveSee games


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MOBILE, Ala. — Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile held a memorial service to pay tribute to the crew of Coast Guard helicopter 6535 at the unit, Friday.
Lt. j.g. Thomas Cameron, Chief Petty Officer Fernando Jorge, Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Knight, and Lt. Cmdr. Dale Taylor were aboard Coast Guard 6535 when it fatally crashed during a nighttime training flight in Mobile Bay, Feb. 28, 2012.
More than 1,000 people were in attendance with guests including family and friends of the crew, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp, the Patriot Guard Riders, representatives from the Coast Guard Foundation and local leaders from Mobile.
The service began with the color guard presenting colors. A designated family or close friend spoke on behalf of each crew member. The service ended with Lt. j.g. Andrew Bacon, friend and former classmate of Cameron, playing "Amazing Grace" on the bagpipes while a diamond formation of four MH-65 helicopters flew over the memorial site.
Capt. Tom Maine, the commanding officer of ATC Mobile, presented the newly built memorial, which now sits as a centerpiece for the unit.
"This memorial, which so many have worked so hard to bring to reality, is far more than just granite, bricks, concrete and bushes," said Maine. "It is a promise to the families and friends and former shipmates of Coast Guard 6535 that those men will never be forgotten by the men and women of ATC Mobile, nor by the hundreds of students from all over the Coast Guard who will walk by this site each day. They will be remembered by Coast Guard aviation; those now serving and those who will serve in years to come."
A previous memorial for Coast Guard helicopter 1427 was relocated to be placed in conjunction with the memorial for the crew of 6535. On Oct. 22, 1981, Lt. Raymond Brooks, Petty Officer 3rd Class Joe Hinton, Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Johnson and Lt. j.g. Robert Winter Jr. lost their lives during a nighttime training mission caused by a failure of the main rotor assembly which caused the aircraft to break apart in flight.
"The crew of 6535 as well the crew of 1427 are part of our long blue line of dedicated Coast Guardsmen who have stepped forward to serve their fellow man and put service before themselves," said Papp. "Future generations of Coast Guardsmen who walk down this path passing these two memorials… be sure that they will always be remembered; they will forever be a part of us and that's the cement that holds this monument together."


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Pure Luck
Item #: CB07994
All Products
(5 Total)
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|A who-asked-for-it remake of a 1981 Franco-Italian film called "La Chevre." The premise is the same: an accident-prone heiress disappears in Mexico, and her father tries to locate her using an equally clumsy accountant. The nebbish and an attendant tough private eye stumble and bumble south of the border until the plot arbitrarily ends. Pure awful.
|Directed by:
|Nadia Tass
|Mark Huffam.
|Martin Short, Danny Glover, Sheila Kelley, Scott Wilson, Sam Wanamaker, Harry Shearer


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Debian Security Advisory
DSA-1528-1 serendipity -- insufficient input sanitising
- Date Reported:
- 24 Mar 2008
- Affected Packages:
- serendipity
- Vulnerable:
- Yes
- Security database references:
- In the Debian bugtracking system: Bug 469667.
In Mitre's CVE dictionary: CVE-2007-6205, CVE-2008-0124, CVE-2008-1476.
- More information:
Peter Hüwe and Hanno Böck discovered that Serendipity, a weblog manager, did not properly sanitise input to several scripts which allowed cross site scripting.
The old stable distribution (sarge) does not contain a serendipity package.
For the stable distribution (etch), this problem has been fixed in version 1.0.4-1+etch1.
For the unstable distribution (sid), this problem has been fixed in version 1.3-1.
We recommend that you upgrade your serendipity package.
- Fixed in:
Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 (etch)
- Source:
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/s/serendipity/serendipity_1.0.4.orig.tar.gz
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/s/serendipity/serendipity_1.0.4-1+etch1.diff.gz
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/s/serendipity/serendipity_1.0.4-1+etch1.dsc
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/s/serendipity/serendipity_1.0.4-1+etch1.diff.gz
- Architecture-independent component:
- http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/s/serendipity/serendipity_1.0.4-1+etch1_all.deb
MD5 checksums of the listed files are available in the original advisory.


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5 Reasons to Implement a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
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by now, we're all familiar with the adage that "content is king" on the interwebs. that still may be the case — but even a king has limits. as internet users, our collective impatience seems to grow more acute with each passing month. few of us tolerate even a few seconds of delay when we're online. so no matter how irresistible your content may be, it won't gain traction if your site takes too long to load.
so what's a developer to do? if haven't already considered it, you might want to think about implementing a content deliver network (cdn) for your site. here are a few reasons why:
1.) performance
the most obvious benefit of a cdn is greater speed. because data is cached on edge servers and content requests are directed to the closest or most optimal network node, a cdn sends your data along the shortest (or most timely) route to the user. this reduces latency and packet loss, allowing for faster load times as well as improved streaming quality — which generally results in more page views.
2.) reliability
with your content delivered via a cdn, all your assets are dynamically distributed across multiple servers, so outages in one region or issues with a single hardware node won't sabotage the entire system. even if you're faced with a dos attack, the distributed infrastructure can neutralize the impact and keep your availability at 100%.
3.) scalability
as your content increases in popularity, you need to be prepared for inevitable bursts in traffic. once again, allowing your data to be distributed across a cdn makes scalability one more thing you don't have to worry about. giving your content a larger number of servers for delivery results in greater network backbone capacity, making it much easier to handle unexpected surges in new users.
4.) cost savings
of course, the other advantage of having more servers is that the load imposed on each one diminishes. additionally, implementing a cdn reduces the burden on your backbone network by offloading traffic to its edge servers. so while you'll obviously have to factor the cost of a cdn into your budget, it's likely to be vastly lower than the expense of adding new hardware — which you'll no longer need for managing content delivery.
5.) search rankings
if the previous four benefits don't give you enough reason to enhance your site with a cdn (and we're guessing they do), consider this added bonus: google and other major search engines factor page load time into their ranking formulas. by boosting your page load and downloading speeds, you'll be improving your position in search results and driving additional traffic to your site.
we'll leave you with one final thought. on top of these five resounding reasons to improve site performance with a cdn, integrated usage analytics will give you additional visibility and control over the way data is handled — allowing you to continuously optimize content delivery. you've already got the goods. now it's time to improve the experience, while strengthening your infrastructure at the same time.
Published at DZone with permission of Leigh Shevchik, DZone MVB. See the original article here.
Opinions expressed by DZone contributors are their own.


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(Cedefop Dossier) 2006, 118 pp.
Catalogue no.:TI-75-06-421-EN-C
A great variety of ICT certification schemes and systems exist throughout Europe. Certification and quality assurance in ICT education and training are extremely important for both employment in the ICT industry and as a basis for a sustainable professional career. CEPIS studied and compared, on behalf of Cedefop, existing approaches to e-skills certification in 21 European countries.
The survey aims to contribute to the current debate on promoting e-skills, to economic competitiveness, better jobs and social cohesion. It supports the current debate on skills frameworks, quality standards and the increasing attractiveness essential to this labour market segment.
The study focuses on investigating existing modes, procedures, methods and institutions responsible for e-skills certification and on their interests in sharing experience or increasing cooperation. It is intended to support and recommend joint actions to enable European policy and practice for certification, quality assurance and standardisation.


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The World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893, was the last and the greatest of the nineteenth century's World's Fairs. Nominally a celebration of Columbus' voyages 400 years prior, the Exposition was in actuality a reflection and celebration of American culture and society--for fun, edification, and profit--and a blueprint for life in modern and postmodern America.
The Fair was immensely popular, drawing over 27 million visitors, including Frederick Douglass, Jane Addams, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Henry Blake Fuller, Scott Joplin, Walter Wyckoff, Edweard Muybridge, Henry Adams, W.D. Howells, and Hamlin Garland. It was widely publicized both nationally and internationally, and people traveled from all over the world to see the spectacle. Travelers came from the East by "Exposition Flyers" --Pullman coaches traveling at the amazing speed of 80 m.p.h -- which gave "many Americans their first look at the country beyond the Alleghenies..." (Donald Miller, 74) People left their factories, their farms, and their city businesses to participate in what was touted as the greatest cultural and entertainment event in the history of the world.
The goals of the management and the reactions of the public to this massive event reveal a great deal about the state of America at the close of the Gilded Age. The early 1890s were a time of considerable turmoil in America, and the conflicting interests and ideas found full play in the presentation and reception of the Fair. It was an age of increasing fragmentation and confusion, of self-conscious searching for an identity on a personal and on a national level. The industrial, and increasingly electrical, revolutions were transforming America; the American way of life was no longer based on agriculture, but on factories and urban centers, and the end of the Gilded Age signified the advent of what Alan Trachtenberg has called the "incorporation of America," the shift of social control from the people and government to big business. The accompanying shift from a producer to a consumer society and the incredible growth of these corporations led to financial instability. Recessions and the devastating Depression of 1893, the violent Homestead and Pullman labor strikes, and widespread unemployment and homelessness plagued the early years of the decade. The frontier was closing, immigration, technological advances, and the railroads had changed the face of the country, and suddenly "Americanness" was more and more difficult to define. Americans were at once confused, excited, and overwhelmed.
The World's Columbian Exposition was the perfect vehicle to explore these immense changes while at the same time celebrating the kind of society America had become. World's Fairs, by the end of the century, were an established cultural and entertainment form with immense international influence. From the first major nineteenth century exposition, the 1851 "Crystal Palace" fair in London to Philadelphia's 1876 Centennial Exhibition to Paris' Exposition Universelle of 1889, hundreds of millions of people around the world visited over 50 international fairs in the last half of the century, finding in them not only entertainment, but cultural enlightenment, commercial opportunity, and a reflection of their age.
Even as cultural producers and consumers of the time understood the importance of the Fair as a form, so modern scholars understand that as "cities within cities and cultures within civilizations, they both reflect and idealize the historical moments when they appear." (Gilbert, 13) We are able to learn a great deal about the culture and issues of the late nineteenth century by studying fairs as important social indicators. Robert Rydell has observed that
Fairs, in short, helped to craft the modern world. They were arenas where manufacturers sought to promote products, where states and provinces competed for new residents and new investments, where urban spaces were organized into shimmering utopian cities, and where people from all social classes went to be alternately amused, instructed, and diverted from more pressing concerns. Memorialized in songs, books, buildings, public statuary, city parks, urban designs, and photographs, fairs were intended to frame the world view not only of the hundreds of millions who attended these spectacles, but also the countless millions who encountered the fairs secondhand.The Columbian Exposition was very much a part of this tradition. It attempted to redefine America for itself and the world, and in doing so introduced many themes and artifacts still prevalent in American life: the connection between technology and progress; the predominance of corporations and the professional class in the power structure of the country; the triumph of the consumer culture; and the equation of European forms with "high culture", as well as the more pedestrian legacy of Juicy Fruit Gum, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, ragtime music, and Quaker Oats. H.W. Brands, in his fascinating work on the 1890s, The Reckless Decade, points to the importance of studying this Fair and the age it informs and reflects.
For Americans living in the 1990s, the events of the 1890s would be worth exploring even if they imparted no insight into the present. Life on the edge frequently evokes the best and worst in people and societies. It did so during the 1890s, when the United States produced more than its normal quota of demagogues and dedicated reformers, scoundrels and paragons of goodwill, when the American people lived up to their better selves and down to their worse....
Yet the story of the 1890s also possesses significance beyond its inherent color and drama. How America survived the last decade of the nineteenth century--how it pursued its hopes, occasionally confronted and frequently fled its fears, wrestled its angels and demons--reveals much about the American people. What it reveals can be of use to a later generation of those people, situated similarly on the cusp between an old century and a new one.
(Brands, 5)
This project will focus on the message of this overwhelmingly popular Fair and its implications for contemporary and modern society. First, we will take a virtual tour of the Fair, pointing out its high and low points, and what they meant in the Official Fair's vocabulary, followed by a discussion of reactions to the Fair by its visitors--how, and how well, were the Fair's messages received? Finally, the focus shifts to the legacy of the Fair: the text and clues inferred by its spatial and ideological landscape, the messages that emerge with over a century of perspective, and the ramifications of its successes and failures.
So, take a step back in time, to an era when bicycles were a novelty, telephones a rarity, and phonographs an absolute revelation. To a time when the hustle and bustle of a consumer society, the immigration problem, economic instability, and feelings of cultural inferiority were foremost in Americans' minds. Does it sound familiar? Perhaps, in our investigation of this watershed event in American history--this celebration of early modernity--we can find ourselves in and learn from the messages of, and reactions to, the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893.


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Desert Scape
Regular price $24.00
Perfect for the little one in the stroller, in the carrier, toddling down the trail, or laying at the beach meditating on there new outdoor world.
- Comes in Baby & Small Toddler Size
- Fabric cut unique to each hat
- Fabrics are limited edition and are changing periodically.
- Fabric built into the brim and also the underside of the brim.
- Flexy fit with snapback
- Mesh back
- %100 made in the USA.
- Sizing Chart