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Well, I am greatly challenged on some occasions, in all honesty, as you well know, to get through one verse. This morning I made it through a whole chapter, and tonight we'll take a whole book. That's the book of Esther. You want to open your Bible, if you will, to the book of Esther, and this is in our continuing series on "Twelve Unlikely Heroes," from the Bible, the Old and the New Testament.
Through the years, we have looked at the book of Esther here at Grace Community Church and found it to be a marvelous, marvelous book. It is one of two books in the Bible in which the name of God is not mentioned. The ruler who is featured in the book, is mentioned 175 times; God is never mentioned. And yet to any reader of the book who reads with understanding, God is the main character in the book. God is putting Himself on display in amazing ways, even though He is unnamed.
Let me take you back in history. This is going to be a little bit like a lecture tonight, so hang in there. The year was 480 B.C. (I love history; you know that.) The year was 480 B.C. and a massive Persian army marched with determination to face the rebel forces of Athens and its Greek allies—Persia against the Greek powers.
Ancient sources number the Persians at a million soldiers. Or modern sources hedge on that a little bit and think it may have been hundreds of thousands. In any case, Persia is putting on a massive military display.
At the time, the Persian Empire stretched from modern-day Libya and Africa all the way to Pakistan in Asia. It was the largest empire in history, the second great empire after the Babylonian Empire. But the best we can tell, there were about 50 million people in the Persian Empire of that day. They had conquered the Babylonian/Chaldean Empire in 539 B.C. and the Persians had settled in to domination in the Middle Eastern world, and it lasted for two hundred years before they were replaced by the Greeks, who later were replaced by the Romans.
But initially the regions of Greece had been conquered by the Persians under Darius, and that would be back in 550 and following. Darius' armies had been defeated by the Athenians at the famous battle of Marathon in 490. Enraged Darius was determined to subdue his Greek enemies. He amasses a great army. He's going to go back and he's going to pay the Greeks for winning the battle at Marathon, that famous battle where a man ran 26 miles, and that is where we get the distance of modern-day marathons. So the king, Darius, had great intentions to satisfy his thirst for vengeance. However, he died before he could exact his vengeance. And the quest for vengeance fell to his son, the son of Darius. This is a man named Xerxes, Xerxes—famous name to people who know history—who lives from 519 to 465 B.C., rises to power in 486, and when he takes the throne his first order of business is to deal with Egypt in Babylon because they're giving him trouble and he has to subdue them. He's unable then to set his sights on Greece, to wreak the vengeance of his father on them. But by the year 481, he's ready to attack. So Xerxes gets together to get vengeance on Greece for what they did during his father's reign. He gets together an army of 250 thousand men. They're stacked in modern-day Turkey, and they're waiting for orders to cross into Greece. Now, in order to cross into Greece, they're going to have to have a means to get across. They're making all the plans for that and they do it. Things, however, didn't go as Xerxes expected, and his armies reached Athens, they sack the city but the Greeks ultimately defeat the Persians and drive them back out of Greece.
There's some very famous battles—the Battle of Thermopylae, the 300 Spartans, you may know that; the Battle of Salamis, where the Persian navy is completely obliterated by the Greeks. I think they lost as many as 300 of their warships. All of that simply to say there is battle history going on between the Persian Empire, the reigning world empire, and the Greeks who are about to take possession of the world as the next great empire.
Xerxes fights repeatedly against the Greeks. And he has some measure of success, but more defeat than success until finally a man comes along by the name of Alexander the Great, who is a Greek, and the Persian Empire is defeated for good. And Alexander the Great conquers the Middle Eastern world and establishes as what we know as the great Greek Empire.
Now what does all this have to do with the book of Esther? And there are a lot more details about that, by the way, in the book Twelve Unlikely Heroes, but what does that have to do with the book of Esther?
Well, it has this to do with the book of Esther: the emperor whom the Greeks called Xerxes that I've been talking about has a different name in Persian—his name is Khasayarsha; in Hebrew, Ahashverosh; in your English Bible Ahasuerus, Ahasuerus, and that's the name you're going to find in the book of Esther.
The king in the book of Esther is none other than Xerxes, the son of Darius who fought the Greeks and ultimately lost the Persian Empire to the power of the Greeks. This is the man who tried to conquer Greece with a quarter of a million soldiers. This is the man, Ahasuerus, the king in the book of Esther, who is the one who becomes the ruler of that empire after the death of his father. And he is the man who has his heart conquered by this Jewish orphan named Esther. And when the opportunity came, she would use her influence to save the Jewish race from genocide. That's the story of Esther, how one woman through the providence of God saved the Jews from genocide.
The book has her name, not because she wrote it; she didn't write it. We don't know who wrote it; maybe Mordecai wrote it, her cousin. Maybe Ezra wrote it; maybe Nehemiah wrote it or some other Jew dwelling at the time in Persia, somebody who understood the Persian scene and somebody who also understood the Jewish culture and had a detailed knowledge of both.
But whoever the author is, the real author of the story is God. Behind this richly played out labyrinth of events is divine providence, divine providence. So let's start at the beginning of the book. You can open to chapter 1; we're going to move very rapidly. The book opens by describing the expansive kingdom of Ahasuerus. And it stretches from Ethiopia, as I said, to the edges of India, all the way from modern Libya to Pakistan. He is not only the son of Darius, he's the grandson of Cyrus the Great; Cyrus the Great, the Persian ruler who decreed that the Jews could go back to their land after 70 years of captivity. That's how the book of Esther begins.
Many Jews went back to Israel under the decree of Cyrus, the grandfather of Xerxes. They went back; they rebuilt the city of Jerusalem. They rebuilt the temple, the second temple. They reestablished themselves in the land. However, there were a large number of those Jewish people who had been exiled to Babylon who remained there. They settled, they scattered, they proliferated, and they were all through that Persian Empire.
Several years into the reign of Ahasuerus or Xerxes, the book of Esther opens when he calls a six-month summit, does the king, in the capital city of Shushan, or Susa as it's called. This occurred in 483 B.C., and this is a strategic war planning meeting, a six-month war strategy session. And what is it about? The king is going to make his final preparations for the invasion of Greece that I told you about, which was unsuccessful. But he's going to make his plans. He is confident in his ability to knock off Greece, confident that his military forces are going to be triumphant.
So he ends the six-month summit of military planning with a seven-day banquet. Now look at your Bible and look at Esther chapter 1, and see the extravagant celebration that is held because of the anticipated victory. There were white and blue linen curtains, verse 6, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble pillars. The couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black marble. They served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being different from the other, with royal wine in abundance according to the generosity of the king. This is a seven-day drunken orgy, if you will.
On the seventh day of the feast, Ahasuerus, after a week of intoxication and indulgence, decides he wants to put his wife on display, right? Her name is Vashti, Queen Vashti. So he commands his wife to show up on the seventh day and present herself in her royal regalia.
Well surprisingly she says, "I'm not coming to your party." Evidently concerned that her dignity would be tarnished when she appeared before a crowd of mostly men who were mostly drunk, she doesn't go. Some have suggested she may have been pregnant with their son, a man named Artaxerxes, familiar in history. She was uncomfortable with being seen in public. She said, "I'm not coming." Ahasuerus is furious. This is public insubordination. This is public embarrassment. This is making him look bad with the royal court, as well as all the people who were there. And according to chapter 1, verses 17 and 18, he's afraid that the king...that the queen's action will start a women's liberation movement; that if the queen can get away with this, then every woman is going to do this.
So he demotes her. She's no longer the queen and he spreads the word that she is through. He announces his intention then that he's going to get a new queen, he's going to get a new queen. And he makes very clear that no one can disobey the king, not even the queen or she will be deposed and replaced.
Ahasuerus, by the way, has a violent temper and it displayed itself in this action against his queen. Just a year later, in order for his massive army to march from Turkey where they were assembled, as I said, into Greece, Ahasuerus ordered that bridges be built across the Hellespont, that's that narrow piece of water between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean—they needed to get through there to get to Greece. And the bridges were, however, destroyed in a storm before the troops were able to use them. Ahasuerus was furious that the storm had destroyed the bridges they built. He thought that they had been built inadequately by the engineers, so he gathered all the engineers together and chopped their heads off. He then was furious with the water, so Herodotus, the historian—the Greek historian—says he sent soldiers into the water with whips demanding that they lash the ocean 300 times for its insubordination. And then he sent soldiers who threw shackles into the water to bind the water and to stab the waves with red-hot irons.
This is irrational rage, obviously. But this may be a bit of an explanation of why he treated his queen the way he did. Four years pass and there's no queen. According to Esther chapter 2, verse 16, four years pass before he gets around to selecting a new queen. Why four years? The answer is found in his two-year, unsuccessful invasion of Greece, the very thing we opened by talking about. The invasion of Greece happens in that two years and it occupies him so that he can't deal with the issue of establishing a queen. Persia's two-year, unsuccessful invasion of Greece historically fits right between Vashti's demotion in 483 or 482 and Esther's coronation in 479 or 478.
He finally is so frustrated by his inability to conquer Greece that he comes back home after two years of effort. And he decides that since the war is going so terribly badly, he needs a distraction. And the distraction will be selecting a new queen. Look at chapter 2, verses 1 to 4: "After these things when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done and what had been decreed against her. Then the king's servants who attended him said, 'Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel into the women's quarters, under the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, custodian of the women.'" That's a harem, in case you were wondering. "'And let beauty preparations be given them. And then let the young woman who pleases the queen [be queen] instead of Vashti.' This thing pleased the king and he did so." Okay, this is going to be an empire-wide beauty contest and we could make sort of a general assumption that if there are 50 million people in the Persian Empire, there are 25 million women to pick from—25 million. That's the scene.
At that point, the biblical text introduces us to the two main people in the story—two Jewish people who are cousins. They live in the city of Shushan as well. They are descendants of the original Jewish captives that were taken by Nebuchadnezzar in the Babylonian captivity. They were brought to Babylon a century earlier—or their parents, I should say—brought a century earlier around 597 and following.
The older of the two is a man named Mordecai and he's roughly fifteen years older than his young cousin, an orphan named Esther. Verse 7 says that her parents had died when she was very young and so Mordecai had raised her. So here in the middle of 50 million people in the Persian Empire, there are these two Jewish people. Her name in Hebrew is Hadassah, and it means "myrtle," a plant. Her Persian name, Esther, may be related to Ishtar, one of the Babylonian gods, and it may also be because of its similarity the Persian word for "star," for "star." So she may have been named Star, or she may have been named after the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, who just happened to be the goddess of love. That was not her Jewish name, but the Jews in exile were given Persian names, like Daniel and his three friends whose original names were Azariah, Mishael and Hananiah, but they became Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego, Babylonian names. That was a custom.
Now the Bible text, look at chapter 2, verse 7—says that it just so happened that this young virgin by the name of Esther was lovely and beautiful, lovely and beautiful. She didn't go unnoticed by the king's officials, so she was collected in the group that were to go to the palace and live in the harem with the concubines and participate in the contest for the queen. Josephus, the historian, says there were 400 virgins who were taken to the palace, 400. The thing went from whatever the amount of women they saw at first, down to the 400 most beautiful women. And they were taken to the palace because they were going to be there for a year and they were going to be allowed to kind of work on themselves for a year. And at some point when that year was over, they would be presented to the king and he would be able to make his choice. One of them would be elevated to be the queen. They had a year of primping, which seems a little unnecessarily long to get fixed up. But nonetheless, I don't exactly know what all might have gone on. A year of beautification. They were to look as beautiful as possible. They were to smell as good as possible. They were to use incense, cosmetics; they were to enhance their skin; they were to enhance their hair. They were to develop pleasant fragrances. They were to be given special instruction on court etiquette—how you act in the imperial court and what all of the expectations were for someone who was around royalty. And this intensive training was to go on for twelve months. And at the end of that twelve months, each of these 400 women would have one opportunity to make an impression on the king to be selected as queen.
At the time, she would then adorn herself with whatever jewelry and whatever apparel she desired and she would be presented to the ruler. The day after her presentation, she would go back into the pool, back into the pool of waiting ladies, other concubines, members of the royal harem until the king had worked his way through the 400 and made his choice.
Esther is likely in her twenties. She has completed the year-long order, and it's her turn to appear before Ahasuerus, chapter 2, verse 16. So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tibeth, in the seventh year of his reign. And then this, "The king loved Esther more than all the other women."
That must have been a very special lady, because after you've seen hundreds, it could all kind of blur. How do you stand out, out of hundreds? And she obtained grace and favor in his sight, more than all the virgins, so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king made a great feast, the feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.
This is like a Cinderella story. Esther stole the king's heart. Esther became his queen. An obscure Jewish orphan, a child of exiled people, conquered people, is exalted to the highest position that any woman could have in the entire world at that time. This is no coincidence. There's a power working here greater than Ahasuerus, right? There's a power at work providentially, orchestrating his own purposes through the affections of the emperor. Significantly through the entire process, Esther keeps her Jewishness a secret. Mordecai told her to do that because there was much anti-Semitism in the Persian Empire. You can see that in chapter 4, verse 6. Esther would reveal that she was Jewish, but only at the very most important and necessary time.
So, Esther was chosen to be the queen. She is gone from being an obscure little Jewish orphan girl to being the queen, and it's driven by her physical beauty and her charm. Not long after Esther is crowned, and this is where the story gets fascinating, her cousin Mordecai is sitting at the entrance to the palace. He's hanging around the palace; why do you think? Who raised Esther? Mordecai, he's concerned about her. And so he hangs around the palace to get whatever word he can from her and about her. And while he's hanging around the palace, verse 21 tells us, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
He overhears a plot, a plot to kill the king, to assassinate the king. These were royal officials who guarded the king's private quarters. They had access to him and could readily kill him. They were angry. Maybe they were angry because of what he had done to Vashti. Whatever it was that infuriated them, they were plotting to take his life and Mordecai just happens to overhear this. This indicates to us that Mordecai was in places in the palace that would have been off-limits for most people and that somehow he had been able to gain a place in the palace where he could hear conversations like this, which is a good indication that he may be held some kind of official position of prominence in the imperial government, perhaps solicited for him by Esther.
When he learned of the plot against the king, he reported it immediately. The message is so the matter became known to Mordecai who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name. And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, both were hanged on a gallows. And listen to this, "And it was written in the book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king." The Persians kept records of absolutely everything. That's why we know so much about their history. And the king's chroniclers recorded what had happened—the plot—that it had been overheard by Mordecai, that Mordecai had informed Esther, and Esther had informed the king, and the king's life had been spared, and the two conspirators were hanged. Mordecai's actions were then written down in the royal record.
Why did they do that? Because those kinds of things needed to be rewarded and kings knew that. Loyalty needed to be rewarded as much as disloyalty needed to be punished. And at a future day, there would come a time when this man would be rewarded for saving the life of the king. Like all ancient monarchs, Ahasuerus was careful to honor and reward those who demonstrated loyalty to him. That's how he secured that kind of loyalty. And in order to be able to do that and do it well, they kept a record of acts of valor and special service rendered to the monarch.
Now all of that is chapter 2. You come in to chapter 3 and you're introduced to the next main character in the book which is a man named Haman, Haman. This is a man who had been exalted by the king, a capable man, a Persian man, a man who had been lifted up above other princes and other royal officials. But there's something very interesting about this man and this is key to the whole story. He was an Agagite, Agagite. It says that in 3:1-10; it says it again in chapter 8; says it again in chapter 9, it says, "Haman, the Agagite...Haman the Agagite." It keeps repeating that. That's not a small detail. It is the origin of Haman's hatred for Mordecai and his hatred for the Jews.
To understand why it's important to know that he was an Agagite, let's go back a little bit. Let's go back a thousand years, or almost a thousand years, to the Exodus from Egypt. The Israelites come out of Egypt around 1445 B.C., so were about nearly a thousand years before. And they're attacked in the seventeenth chapter of Exodus by the Amalekites, remember that name? The Amalekites attacked them. The Amalekites are descendants of Esau, the one who sold his birthright. Because the Amalekites attacked the Jews, God curses the Amalekites and God's curse in Deuteronomy 25 says, "One day they're going to be extinct." God pronounces a curse on the Amalekites. God, the God of Israel, pronounces a curse on the Amalekites.
Four centuries later, King Saul conquers the Amalekites—you remember the story in 1 Samuel—and he captures their king and his name is Agag, the Amalekite king. Saul was supposed to kill Agag; he didn't do it. He let him live. And Saul incurred the Lord's displeasure, and for that and for other things that he did that displeased the Lord the throne was removed from his family and the prophet Samuel stepped in. And you remember what the prophet Samuel did with Agag? First Samuel 15, "He hacked him to pieces." Haman was an Agagite. And though almost a millennium had passed since the curse, and hundreds of years had passed since the hacking of Agag to death, Haman knew his family history and he knew that it was a Jewish man, a Jewish prophet by the name of Samuel, who had hacked his royal ancestor to pieces.
To make it worse, Mordecai is a descendant of Kish, chapter 2, verse 5. Kish is from the tribe of Benjamin, and Benjamin is the line of Saul. They knew their history. There was deep-seeded animosity between the descendants of Saul and the descendants of Agag for obvious reasons. And though nearly...What?...550 years had passed, both Haman and Mordecai—Haman the Agagite, Mordecai the Benjamite—had not forgotten the tribal feud that was so ancient.
The hostility erupts in chapter 3, look at verse 2; we'll read verse 2 and then down to 5 and 6. "All the king's servants who were within the king's gates bowed and paid homage to Haman for so the king had commanded. He had been elevated so high that everybody had to bow to him. But Mordecai wouldn't bow or pay homage. That feud settled in his heart deeply. He had nothing but animosity toward the cursed Amalekite descendant.
When Haman saw that Mordecai didn't bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. "But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, the people of Mordecai." He decided that he couldn't just kill Mordecai, or Mordecai's people would come and kill him, so he's just going to kill all of them, all of them.
So what does Haman do? He goes to the magicians and the astrologers and he says, "I want you to determine the optimum day by looking into your mystical sources and find a day to annihilate the Jewish people and we'll have genocide all through the Persian Empire on that one day." He then goes to the king and he says to the king, "This nation, this Persian Empire is full of Jews and they are a threat to the emperor. They are a threat to your throne and to your empire. And they ought to be eliminated." And he says, "They ought to be killed all the way back to Israel. We need to go all the way back to Israel and kill all of them, even those who returned. Haman says they're a threat to your throne."
Furthermore, if we kill them all, we can confiscate all their property and all their spoils and everything they own and a vast sum of money will come into the royal treasury. Ahasuerus says, "Great idea." Hands his signet ring over to Haman so that Haman can stamp that signet ring on documents that will authorize genocide for the Jews. Haman hits the fast track, dispatches a royal decree, sends it all throughout the empire, and they did it like the Pony Express. A horse would ride as far he could ride with the message, another horse, another rider, go from there and the word was spread everywhere rapidly with fresh horses and fresh riders all across the parts of the Persian Empire and a date had been established. Look at verse 13 of Esther 3, "To destroy, to kill, to annihilate all the Jews both young and old, little children and women." All of them.
In verse 3 of chapter 4, it says, "In every province where the king's command and decree arrived there was great mourning among the Jews with fasting, weeping, wailing, and many lay in sack cloth and ashes." A message stretched across the massive Persian Empire, very rapidly, that a date had been set for the people in all their own local areas to slaughter the Jews.
When Mordecai heard about this genocidal decree, he tore his clothes, he dressed in rags, he put ashes on his head, he mourned openly. He mourned publicly at this horrendous act, the mass murder of the entire Jewish population.
Was this just simple payback by Haman? No, it's much bigger than that. Satan's involved in this. Satan is involved in efforts to obliterate the Jewish people and thus to bring to a halt God's purpose of redemption on their behalf.
Well it didn't take long for the news to reach Esther. She gets the message. Mordecai informs Esther of what Haman has succeeded in accomplishing and even gives her a copy of the royal decree. And he says to her, "Esther, you have to go to the king and plead for the lives of your people." Simple enough? Not so simple. In Persia no one, including the queen, went before the king without a personal invitation. Anybody who ventured to go into the presence of the king without being invited could be killed on the spot. Esther would not only be breaking royal protocol, but she would be risking her life.
Look at chapter 4, verse 11: "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king who has not been called, he has but one law, put all to death except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go into the king these thirty days." The king hadn't even seen her in thirty days. We have to be honest and say he had many other women. He didn't get around to Esther for a month. She was afraid of potentially violating her irrational husband who had demoted Vashti for one act of non-compliance. And Mordecai was putting Esther in a position where she could lose her life.
Well, Mordecai comes back and calls for courage. Look at verses 13 and 14, chapter 4, verses 13 to 14—famous verses. "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews," Mordecai warned his royal cousin. Look, you're dead if you do; you're dead if you don't. They're going to find out you're Jewish and you're going to be dead if you don't do anything. Don't think you're going to escape. "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place but you and your father's house will perish." Wonderful confidence, right?—in the promises of God, the covenant of God with Israel to bless and sustain and preserve them. Mordecai says, "Look, God will deliver them another way but you won't survive." And then he says this famous line, "Yet who knows whether you've come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
He affirms divine sovereignty. He affirms his confidence in the revelation of God that he would preserve his people. But he also understands that Esther can perish and he can perish and many other Jews can perish if she doesn't act.
Down in verse 16, embracing her divinely granted role, we read in verse 16, "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan and fast for me," she says. "Neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise and so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.'"
Even if it cost her life, she will do what she can to protect her people. Esther doesn't mention prayer but she does mention fasting. There was no fast without prayer. For three days, she and others prayed and fasted. Her maids, very likely, would have been other Jewish girls who joined her in that prayer. She then approaches the throne. It must have been a tense moment, the seconds that she waited to see whether the king would extend his scepter to her and welcome his beauty into his presence. To underscore his response, chapter 5, verse 3. She comes, he looked at her, he extends the scepter and he asks a question in typical royal hyperbole. "What do you wish, Queen Esther. What is your request? It shall be given to you up to half the kingdom."
Again he is wowed by her beauty and her presence. She doesn't want half the kingdom. She doesn't want any of the kingdom. She wants the lives of her people. So Esther's reply was a simple request, and here is her reply. She asks Ahasuerus to put on a banquet for Haman and for her later that day. Well, he had to do what he offered to do. She didn't ask for the half the kingdom; she did ask for a banquet for Haman—the king, the queen, and Haman. Esther 5; look at verses 5 to 8: so the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared, at the banquet of wine. The king said to Esther, "What's your petition? It will be granted you. What is your request? Up to half the kingdom, it shall be done."
"Then Esther answered and said, 'My petition and request is this: if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if pleased the king to grant my petition, fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.'"
What is this? This is banquet number one. He says, "Okay, we're here; we're at the banquet. Haman's here; I'm here." Ostensibly the idea was to tell the truth about what Haman was plotting while he was there right in front of the king. Something happened—the timing wasn't right—and she said, "Okay, here's my request, can we do this again tomorrow?" Can we do it again tomorrow? For whatever reason the timing wasn't right. She said, "Let's meet tomorrow and have another banquet."
Now Haman loved this, a banquet with the king and the queen—a private banquet with the king and the queen fit into his egotism very well. Haman left the feast feeling confident about himself and his achievement. Not only had Ahasuerus exalted him and lifted him up, agreed with his request to obliterate the Jews, but now the king and the queen had invited him not to one but two exclusive banquets, no higher honor could be given to any human than eating with the king, humanly speaking. So Haman heads back to his house.
On the way, he goes by the king's gate and he sees Mordecai and just goes crazy with rage. He goes home and he says, "I've got to get rid of this man. So I will erect gallows and will execute him in the morning—perfect solution—this descendant of Saul, this Jew." That night, Haman slept soundly. This is amazing. Dreamt of his revenge the next day.
On the other hand, Ahasuerus is back in the palace, tosses and turns—chapter 6 now—tosses and turns, can't sleep. Whatever the cause of his insomnia, he does a really strange thing. He calls for the royal records to be read to him. Go get the royal records. Well, the royal records—he had been reigning for years and the royal records went back before him to his father and his grandfather. Go get the royal records.
Well, there could be a lot to choose from. Somebody went and got the royal records. I guess he thought, like counting sheep, that the monotony of reading the royal records, like reading the phone book, would put him to sleep. So somebody brings the royal records and he starts to read. And what he reads is the account of Mordecai's action to expose the two conspirators who plotted to kill him. It was in the royal record. He had forgotten about it. Chapter 6, verse 2 and 3, it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. Then the king said, "What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this? And the king's servants who attended him said nothing has been done for him." Five years before, Mordecai had reported the plot, never rewarded. Well, an eager Ahasuerus wants to make sure he rectifies that. Meanwhile, in the morning Haman arrives back at the royal court where he works and he goes to the king and asks the king if he can authorize the execution of Mordecai. He's going to go and get permission to hang Mordecai.
But before he can say anything, Ahasuerus asks him a question, chapter 6 verse 6, "What shall be done for a man whom the king delights to honor?" He thinks it's him. "What do I do for a man I want to honor?" "Oh," Haman says, "give him a royal robe; let him ride on the king's horses. Let him have a prince to lead the horse through the city while proclaiming to the whole city, 'Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.'"
In a shocking twist of expectations, Ahasuerus says, "Hurry then, and take the robe and the horse that you've suggested and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king's gate and leave nothing undone that you've spoken." Things aren't working out the way he wanted them to work out. Humiliation, shame, rage. Haman has no choice, so he is the guy who leads the parade for Mordecai through the city. And everywhere he goes, he says, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor."
When the whole disgraceful thing is over, he goes home; he's looking for comfort from his family and friends. He doesn't find it. Verse 13 of chapter 6, "When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends everything that happened to him, his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, 'If Mordecai before whom you have begun to fall is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him but will surely fall before him.'" You're in trouble. If this is a Jewish man that is being so honored by the king, and you're trying to wipe him and all his people out, you are on the wrong side of this issue. The table's turned.
In confusion, Haman goes back to the palace, the same day, to the second banquet. Trying to steady his heart rate, sits down for another horrifying surprise. The king, again overwhelmed by affection for his queen, asks her what she wants. And here at the second banquet, she does not hesitate. Chapter 7, verses 3 and 4. "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request." Would you spare my life and the life of my people? "For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated."
Ahasuerus couldn't believe what he was hearing. To threaten the queen's life? The height of treason. The king is furious. Verse 5, "Who is he? And where is he who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?"
Sitting at the table, Haman, the noose is tightening around his neck. Surely, he thinks, the queen is not a Jew. And then with her hand pointed at the red-faced dinner guest, she says, "The adversary and the enemy is this wicked Haman." All I can say is, the king is gorged with fury—gets up, storms out into the palace garden. He remembered the empire-wide program that Haman had gotten him to authorize a couple of months earlier, how Haman had misrepresented the Jewish people as a potential threat to the empire and he had literally signed the decree into law that involved the murder of his own queen.
Well Haman's still at the dinner table. He falls at Esther's feet in front of the couch where she's at. He begged for his life. Ahasuerus, returning from the garden, blinded by anger, interrupted Haman's outstretched plea for mercy. He's down at the feet of Esther and he's pleading for mercy. And this looks very much like an assault on the queen to the king when he comes back in.
Verse 8, "Will he also assault the queen while I'm in the house?" Instantly royal guards covered Haman's face and they led him away to be executed. And how did they kill him? They hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai. What a difference a day makes. Amazing. Twenty-four hours earlier, he was on top. That was yesterday. The king said, "Take all his property, give it to the queen." The queen gave it to Mordecai and the king exalted Mordecai, chapter 8, verse 2. Chapter 9, verse 4, the king exalted Mordecai and he became to the king of Persia like Daniel had been to the king of Babylon.
What was he going to do about the decree to kill the Jews, because once a king has made a decree, he can't rescind the decree? What's he going to do? He has to issue another decree to override the previous decree. Chapter 9, verse 3 and 4, "All the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and all those doing the king's work helped the Jews because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them cause he had been so elevated. For Mordecai was great in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for this man, Mordecai, became increasingly prominent." Because the king had elevated Mordecai to such prominence, they knew the attitude that he had toward the Jews. And the word certainly would spread about the queen being a Jew as well.
He made a decree that the Jews could defend themselves against any effort to take their lives. They could prepare themselves for that day that had been established. He couldn't undo the establishment of the day but he could tell the people, "you don't have to do it, and the Jews can defend themselves." The day came, doomsday, March 7, 473 B.C. The Jews defended themselves—there were attacks; there were deaths. Over 75 thousand of the enemies of the Jews were slain as the Jews defended themselves and the king backed them up.
It was a day to remember, but not for the reason Haman had thought. That great day, March 7, 473 B.C., established a festival that the Jews celebrate today. They celebrate it at that time of the year, every year, right down the street at the Jewish synagogue. It's called, "The Feast of Purim" (P-u-r-i-m). Purim is from the Hebrew word for "lots" because Haman cast lots to determine the day on which he would exterminate the Jews. And so they took the word for lots and used it to identify that feast. It's a feast of triumph, celebration, the care of God. Listen to Esther 9:23 to 28, "So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun as Mordecai had written to them because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to annihilate them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to consume them and destroy them. But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that this wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should return on his own head and that he and his son should be hanged on the gallows. So they called these days Purim after the name Pur, therefore because of all the words of this letter, what they had seen concerning this matter and what had happened to them, the Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would join them that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year according to the written instructions and according to the prescribed time that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants." And that is to this day, a two-day holiday of feasting, rejoicing, food sharing, gift giving, memorial feasting as the Jews celebrate the fact that they were delivered from being exterminated.
Long after Haman was hanged, Mordecai and Esther continued to flourish in the royal house of King Ahasuerus. The king exalted Mordecai to second in command, and continued to love his queen. Against all odds, Esther, Mordecai and the Jews had been spared, and not only spared but elevated, elevated. Esther 10 verse 3, "For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen."
Amazing story. At this point, we'll bring it to a conclusion. Where is God in the book of Esther? Well, the real hero in the story, the real power behind the story, is never mentioned, but it is God. His hand of providence is manifest in every single tiny detail. His presence is more powerfully and dominantly visible here than maybe in any other story of this complexity in Scripture, though He's never mentioned. His providence is at work in filtering down 25 million women to one, a Jew, chosen to be queen. His providence is demonstrated in Mordecai, being in a place where he could hear a plot and warn the king. His providence, his power, his superintending sovereignty can be seen in the night that the king can't sleep and decides to read the royal record and out of all that could have been read to him, what is read to him has to do with Mordecai being unrewarded. And even Haman's timing is perfect in the purposes of God.
The invisible hand of God is evident everywhere, everywhere. The absence of God here is, I think, intentional…intentional. It is an ingenious strategy by the writer to draw the reader to think deeply about how life's circumstances are ordered to the divine purpose. These are not coincidences—too many. This is not random. There is a designer. There is a coordinator. There is a power behind all of this. God literally thunders through the book of Esther. There are no miracles in the book of Esther, but the whole thing is a miracle of divine providence. People, places, time, action—it's more than miraculous. Not Haman, not Satan using Haman, could destroy the people of God, could put an end to the Abrahamic and Davidic promises, to the promises of the preservation of the nation for the coming of Messiah and the ultimate salvation of Israel. No one, no matter how they attempt to destroy the people of God and the purpose of God, can succeed because God's covenant love for Israel will be fulfilled, is being fulfilled.
And the message for you is this. While you're going through life and trying to make sure you fix all the little pieces of your life, understand this: that there is over and in, above and below your life a divine architect ordering every detail. And if you belong to Him and are in the covenant of His love, He is accomplishing His perfect will. And you can rest in that, you can rest in that.
The Lord is still on the throne. These are challenging times, challenging days to live in. You can become pretty distressed about the way things are going, the way things are going in the world is chaotic, disconcerting, troubling, disturbing, distressing, some ways frightening. Not so in the kingdom. The divine architect is ordering our lives, those of us who belong to Him and are in covenant love with Him. He is ordering our lives to His eternal glory, every part. How wonderful to live in that confidence, amen? Let's pray.
Father, we are so encouraged by the amazing story we have heard tonight. So thankful that You are the same God today that You were then. That all things are being worked together by Your power for our good and Your eternal glory. That is those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. We thank You that we don't live in a world of random events, but that our steps are ordered by the Lord. That You have a plan that is working out for us in every single detail, fits into Your sovereign purpose. How wonderful to know that and it is inexorably and inevitably leading us to glory, to heaven. Thank You for this great revelation that takes all the fear and doubt and questioning out of life, and we live and rest in peace in Your sovereign providence. We pray in the name of Christ. Amen.
This article is also available and sold as a booklet.
This sermon series includes the following messages:
Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource.Publisher Information


text:
Apex Speed Technology Services
Apex Speed Technology specializes in improving the performance of your vehicle program. We will tailor the degree of our involvement with your project based upon your needs – from partial or full specialty equipment installation to ground-up customization of technically challenging performance enhancements. You can trust our history and the 20 years of experience we've accumulated to get the job done right.
Email firstname.lastname@example.com or call us at 310-314-2005
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Apex Speed Technology is an experienced dealer for most major brands of engine management systems. We also carry a full line of sensors, fuel system components and accessories to properly setup your engine. Together with our installation and tuning services, Apex can help you get the most out of your engine management projects.
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Apex is your one-stop shop for wire, heat shrink, glue shrink, terminals, connectors, Apex is your one-stop shop for wire, heat shrink, glue shrink, terminals, connectors, relays and more. Contact us for all your wiring supply needs.
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Email email@example.com or call us at 310-314-2005

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Newington may refer to several places:
United Kingdom[edit]
- Newington, London, a district of central London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark
- Newington, Swale, Kent
- Newington, Folkestone & Hythe, Kent
- Newington, Thanet, Kent
- Newington, Oxfordshire
- Newington, Shropshire, Craven Arms
- Newington, Belfast, Antrim Road, Northern Ireland
- Newington, Edinburgh, Scotland
- Newington, a ward of Hull City Council
United States[edit]
Other countries[edit]
- Newington, New South Wales, Australia
- Newington, Victoria, Australia
- Newington, Ontario, South Stormont, eastern Ontario, Canada
- Newington, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Historical sites[edit]
- Newington Archaeological Site, King and Queen Courthouse, King and Queen County, Virginia
- Newington Armory, Newington, New South Wales, Royal Australian Navy armament depot
- Newington Plantation, archaeological site near Stallsville, Dorchester County, South Carolina
- Newington House, Silverwater, New South Wales
- Newington Railroad Depot, a railroad station on Bloody Point Road in Newington, New Hampshire
Other places[edit]
- Newington Causeway, a road in Southwark, London, between the Elephant and Castle and Borough High Street
- Newington Junction, Newington, Connecticut
- Newington College, Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia
- Newington High School, a public high school located in Newington, Connecticut, on Route 174/Willard Avenue
- Newington Cemetery, one of the several city cemeteries in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Newington Park, a baseball grounds in Baltimore, Maryland
- Newington Gardens, park in Southwark, London, England
- Newington, Walworth (UK Parliament constituency)
- Newington West (UK Parliament constituency)
- Newington (CDOT station)
Other uses[edit]
- HMCS Newington, an 1899 Royal Canadian Navy ship, First World War
- P.C.B. Newington (1888–1964), author of a cookery book about Malaysian food
- Newington Rangers F.C., a football club in Northern Ireland
- Newington West by-election
See also[edit]
- Newington Green, a district in London
- Newington Bagpath, Gloucestershire
- North Newington, Oxfordshire
- South Newington, Oxfordshire
- Stoke Newington, a district in London
- David Shields House, or Newington, in Edgeworth, Pennsylvania, USA
- All pages with titles beginning with Newington
| disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name.
If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.


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Christie Ally Prepped Official Before George Washington Bridge Lane Closure Testimony
Philip Kwon, an Attorney at the Port Authority, Helped to Prepare Bill Baroni
An attorney with close ties to Gov. Chris Christie's administration helped prepare an official who gave now-discredited testimony that lane closures at the George Washington Bridge were part of a traffic study, officials said.
Philip Kwon, a top attorney at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, spent parts of four to five days helping to prepare Bill Baroni, then the authority's deputy executive director and its top executive appointment by Mr. Christie, before he spoke to a New Jersey legislative committee on Nov....


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Massage Race Day
Trained volunteer massage therapists will be on hand to provide a brief massage service to you. Delays may occur, do not congregate in areas where you block finishing competitors being assisted to Recovery.
The massage tent will be located in the finish precinct on Town Green.
Massage Pre & Post event
Massage is also available pre and post event at the times listed below for a cost of $45.00 for ½ hour and $75.00 for 1 hour (cash or cheque only). The massage tent will be located in the finish precinct on Town Green.
Wednesday 1 May:
Bookings are essential and can be made by contacting Bob Crombie on
0401 149 858 or by emailing [email protected]
Got A Niggle?? We can help.... Exclusive Physio services only for IRONMAN Athletes. Also including dry needling, strapping, kinesio taping. Are available both before the race to assist you have a great race and cross the finish fine and also post-race to assist with recovery.
Appointment cost is $80 for individual 1on1 consultation. Health fund rebate available.
Times available are as follows:
IRONMAN Medical/Massage Tent - Town Green
Appointments can be made https://phyx-you-physiotherapy-rehabilitation.cliniko.com/bookings#service or by calling 6584 5005.


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Quotemykaam makes it easy for you to get the best pigeon exterminators at your doorstep. You just have to select the required service type and with few clicks you can book the best pigeon control in Perambur, Chennai.
Birds can make your beautiful premises dirty. Bird droppings and bird nests may also cause some allergies and harm to the body. So it is good to keep birds away from your premises. We at Quotemykaam ensure to bring the best and cost-effective solutions for Bird Control Service in Perambur, Chennai. Our professional bird exterminators help you to get you rid of Pigeons, Sparrow, Crows, Myna, Blackbirds, Starling and other pest birds easily. Our pigeon exterminators follow most modern pigeon control methods and provide completely hassle-free service.
We provide you with customized bird control solutions - Anti Bird Net and Bird Spikes of the best quality to eradicate all birds and bird problems completely. Our expert team of bird control service providers can address bird control needs for residential properties, factories and office buildings, public buildings and large industrial plants etc.
Avinash Pest Control Service and his team are totally committed towards offering Best, Effective & Safe Bird Control Service. Provides 100% safe, hassle free bird control solution.
He use Eco-friendly bird control methods to get rid of birds and is a number one team for Bird Control service providers in Chennai ensuring you 100% Quality and Best Results. They strive to keep your home save. They are one of the most reliable bird control service provider in Chennai.
Mr. Anurag Gulati is one of the leading Bird control service provider in Bangalore. They provide durable and Eco-friendly bird control methods for both residential as well as commercial clients and have always received positive feedback from their customers.
Their pigeon control services provide protection from unwanted damages caused by other bird pests.
Not only this they also keep you informed of each and every step that they took and provide you with preventive measures as to how to prevent future infestation. Totally reliable.
Our experts provides with the following bird control methods:
Bird Gel Repellent: The non-toxic, food grade ingredient gel creates an uncomfortable surface that prevents birds to land.
Bird Spikes: Bird spikes prevents the birds from roosting by gently pushing them off balance and forcing them to alight elsewhere. The spikes are pointed upward which prevents the birds from landing on platforms and ledges. These tips does not hurt the birds. It has a stainless steel and UV- stabilised poly carbonate bases. Its upward pointed spikes prevents the birds from landing and against climate resistance. It is treated with UV light to withstand any sun damage.
Bird Netting System: The anti bird net forms a physical barrier that prevent birds from returning to their preferred nesting or roosting sites.
Yes we provide 2 years warranty on bird control service.
Property Damage: Birds can cause lots of property damage such as removing of roof tiles, gutter system can be blocked with their nests and their droppings can even deteriorate building materials.
Accidents: The slippery texture of bird's droppings may cause people to slip and cause accidents. This is important for the safety of the employees and the customers.
Negative Impacts: To avoid negative impacts on business and its reputation bird control is very important.
When it is the time for the young ones to breed they can become very aggressive while defending them and they might attack the employees and the customers.
Prevention of defacement: The uric acid present in the bird's dropping increases the damage of buildings.
Minimization of diseases: Wide range of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella which may cause food posioning are caused by pest birds such as starlings and pigeons.
Avoid contamination: Professional Bird control service helps to prevent contamination and damages on goods which is caused from bird nesting material, feathers, droppings, vomit, and mites.
Prevention of contamination to entrances and pavements: During rainy seasons slippery droppings of birds can cause a hazardous conditions on the pavements.
Devaluation in maintenance costs: Rain gutters and down pipes gets blocked with the bird's droppings which can cause overflow of water that can lead to timber decay, broken rendering, ruined decorations and even lead to serious structural damages.
Removal of smell and noise: The noises which are produced by pest birds can create an annoyance and the droppings creats a foul odour.
Decline of skin diseases: A wide range of variety of insects such as mites are carried in the bird's droppings and nesting materials which can result in skin irritation among people with sensitive skin.
Yes you can but anti bird netting and bird spikes requires skill training which can only be done by the professional bird control team. So, please allow us to do so.
One of the best quality of anti bird spikes is that it is long-lasting.
Its extremely strong and adjustable bird control product.
Bird spikes doesn't require any maintenance.
It is treated with polycarbonate which is immensely resistant to U.V rays.
Its flexible base allows it to be installed on the curved surface too.
It is available in range of colours.
They do not rust.
It can easily be glued or screwed.
Air conditioner
CCTV cameras
Window ledges, window sill
Rooftop edges
Absolutely not. The spikes used by us are not at all dangerous to birds.
Long lasting Bitumin Adhesive is used for bird spikes.
Here are some benefits of anti bird net:
Anti bird net gives a long lasting solution to bird problem.
Bird netting maintains a proper hygiene in the ducts.
It prevents contamination of water due to birds.
It keeps walls clean.
Commercial bird netting makes the workplace very hygienic.
It provides a permanent solution to all bird problems.
Commercial bird control netting is necessary for health department inspection.
Its productivity is very high.
It will save you from respiratory infection, fever and other allergies.
It provides a permanent solution to all bird problems and hence save you from daily cleaning of bird droppings.
Bird protection net doesnt require any maintenance and is weather proof.
It allows proper light, air and ventilation.
Anti bird net is extremely harmless to birds.
It is very cost-effective.
Bird protection net prevents owl and bats too.
Pigeons carry diseases that can make you seriously ill. Make it a point to act at the first sign of a bird infestation to avoid these associated health hazards.
Pigeons carry bacterium called salmonella which is deposited where pigeons or gulls discharge. This leads to Salmonellosis and Paratyphoid fever.
Histoplasmosis is a disease which is caused by a fungus, which grows in pigeon droppings. A person may breathe in some of the fungus while cleaning its droppings which in cases of high exposure can cause serious infection.
Pigeon infestation can cause ornithosis. This infection can be transmitted by Inhaling the harmful bacteria from dried droppings or handling feathers of infected pigeons.
It can lead to bird mites which are often found in nests and roosting places. They not only feed on bird blood but also bite humans.
Pigeons like to build their nest on tall buildings, roof voids and slope, balconies, ledges and pipes on the exterior and interior walls are among their favourite roosting areas. A gap of 25mm gives pigeon an easy access into the potential entry points.
Keep dustbins enclosed. Do not leave any food material around.
Always feed pets indoor.
Clean up pigeon's mess like its droppings and throw their nest away.
The pigeon control products will last for around 10-12 years.
Yes, clean up of droppings is included in our service. Our installers will remove all the compiled pigeon's and bird's droppings and debris.
Its always annoying to find pigeons on the AC duct. They create nuisance and stops the AC unit from working.
Remove all the nesting materials and bird feeders.
To stop the pigeons from landing spread bird net across the window ledge where your air conditioner is fixed.
Spreading a piece of cardboard on top of your AC unit will also prevent the pigeons from landing on it.
Early Installation: It is always recommended to get pigeon spikes installed as early as possible because it is better to keep the birds away than to snub them once they have settled.
Repairing Surfaces: Repair the surfaces before installing pigeon spikes. You can use some solid chemicals to remove any visual markings.
Eliminating things that attracts the birds: Clean up the bird's droppings and wreckage for proper installation.
Professional pigeon pest control plays a very important role in controlling the annoying activities of the pigeon as poisoning the pigeon and killing it will not solve any problem.
If you hire a professional bird exterminator then keeping pigeons away from the buildings makes the tasks easier in return it will help you to stay away from wide variety of harmless diseases which are caused by bird infestation.
Professionals offer a method that are totally safe for humans as well as other bird pests.
Feral Pigeons are the most commonly found bird pest in India invading our homes. Other than Pigeons; Sparrow, Crow, Myna, Blackbirds, Starling also create trouble for homeowners, corporate buildings, industrial buildings.
If birds find a building suitable for seeking feed and can access it easily they are most likely to nest there. Places like attics, window ledges are easily accessible to them.
Another reason is, if they find a suitable, windless locations around your house or building, they are most likely to set that place for breeding and then they are difficult to drive away from there.
The bird infestation can be categorized into three categories :
Loafing : Bird loafing means they are sleeping, sitting, standing, resting, preening, and defecating around your place but outside their breeding territory.
Roosting : Bird Roosting infestation means they have settled around your place like balcony, roof, railings and they lodge there at night.
Nesting : Bird nesting infestation refers to birds laying eggs and hatching young around your place like window ledges, AC ducts, roof, etc.
Birds roosting on roofs or ledges.
Continuous sound of bird noises, bird chirping, cries around your place.
Bird nesting material scattered about your premises.
If you find things at your place bitten with a beak or spoiled or damaged by bird fouling.
Too many bird droppings in a particular area means birds have taken that place for their roosting.
If debris from nests and feathers have blocked your guttering and drainage systems that means your place have bird infestation and can lead to more property damage.
In private or public building, you can look for bird infestation in areas like - AC ducts, ledgers, parapet walls, panel rooms and electrical rooms.
It's good to have birds around and their chirping make your mornings pleasant and refreshing. But when a large number of birds flock together in a roosting site, it can result in serious problems like :
Bird droppings and feathers carry bacteria like Salmonella and can spread number of diseases: Histoplasmosis, food poisoning, flu and more than 60 types of transmissible diseases are caused through their faeces. They can really be harmful for asthma/allergy patients.
Property Damage: Bird droppings, landing, roosting and nesting about a property or building can cause a serious damage to the aesthetic value of that property. They pose a threat to roofs and floors of the building by making it a place for their sleeping, resting, lodging, breeding. Their droppings on automobiles and vehicles can spoil them and can also spoil the appearance of a building making its entry ways dirty with their droppings. Their debris from bird nests and feather can even cause machinery damage in factories by blocking them.
Hazards and Nuisance: Bird nesting tends to produce monoxide poisoning which can kill the people. Bird's droppings also ruins vegetation and painted surface. It also attracts secondary insect infestation like bedbugs, biting mites, moths.
Cleaning the litters:Birds are attracted to the areas that are littered with paper, grass etc. Keep the areas near your home and building always clean to prevent bird infestation.
Seal the food: If your garbage doesn't have lids and if it is not properly sealed then make sure that you do it. This will prevent the birds from getting in.
Clear the access points: Holes in the roof, window sills and cracks in the wood these all encourages birds to build their nests. Seal these holes so that the birds do not get attracted to it.
Even though most birds are harmless but they can easily transmit diseases including Salmonellosis, Encephalitis and Cryptococcosis. Besides this they can also put your business at risks. In order to get rid of bird infestation as early as possible use an effective bird deterrant methods provided by an expert and professional pest controller.
Bird infestation can even spread diseases like Paratyphoid fever, Histoplasmosis and Ornithosis.
Read more about Diseases Caused By Bird Infestation.


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| June 20, 2013, 6:00 pm
It's amazing how much space, time and energy is required to grow enough food for 20 people. I've felt my feet dragging the last couple of weeks as we've had to kick into high gear harvesting and weeding. Luckily this week a new project has lifted my spirits.
Because I'm able to finally visualize just how much produce — and space to grow it — is needed to supply the masses I've enlisted, I have gone into what I like to call a "New York patio design mode" in order to squish in as many veggie varieties as possible. With this in mind, I decided to employ vertical garden ideas to grow our vegetables up at Racey Gardens.


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John Hauser
John Hauser
Kiowa Buck, 1890
13 x 8 inches
Signed Lower Right
John Hauser was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1859. He began his formal art training at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and later at the McMicken Art School. In 1901, he was "adopted" as a Sioux and named "Straight White Shield." For the next twenty years, Hauser and his wife traveled through the West and to New Mexico and Arizona, recording through drawing and painting the vanishing way of life of the American Indian. He specialized in portraiture of Western Indian people. He died in 1913 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Studied Ohio Mechanics Institute; Cincinnati AA, c. 1872; McMicken Art School with T. Noble, 1873; Royal Acad., Munich, with Gysis, 1880; in Dusseldorf and Paris until 1891
Member Cincinnati AC; Munchner Kunstler Club; Munchner Kunstverein
Work Smithsonian; Gilcrease Inst.
Resources P&H Samuels, 213


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Itasca Courthouse(218) 327-2870
Administration Committee
Judicial Resources Committee
Retired Judge Subcommittee, Chair
Representation of Children in CHIPS cases, subcommittee
New Ideas Subcommittee
Criminal Jury Instruction Guide Committee
Paralegal Task Force, Chair
Publications Committee, 1985 to 1996
Outstate Practice Committee
Past President
Law Day activities, Middle and High School students of Itasca County, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and grade school children visits to the court
American Association of University Women
Centennial Rotary Club
KOZY, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, radio show on the courts
WJJY, Brainerd/Baxter, Minnesota, radio shows on court issues
Women Aglow, Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Judge Lois J. Lang serves the Ninth Judicial District, which includes 17 counties in the northwest quarter of the State of Minnesota. Minnesota has 10 judicial districts, which are divided along county lines based on population. The Ninth Judicial District is the largest geographical district in Minnesota, encompassing approximately 30 percent of the state, and includes Aitkin, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau Counties. The Ninth Judicial District has 23 judges. Voters in all 17 counties of the Ninth Judicial District vote for the 23 judges in the district.
Judge Lang is elected to Seat No. 12 in the Ninth Judicial District and her chambers are in Itasca County. Judge Lang is in a work area including Itasca County and Koochiching County and has presided over cases in many of the 17 counties of the Ninth Judicial District.
The District Courts in the Ninth Judicial District are courts of general jurisdiction, which means that each judge hears all types of cases. Judge Lang hears criminal, traffic, civil, juvenile, family, conciliation, and probate court cases.


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As I was sipping my coffee at Starbucks recently, I overheard the following conversation between a financial advisor and his friend:
Friend: How is business going?
Advisor: It's okay, but I need to get more of the "right clients."
Friend: What is a "right" client?
Advisor B: Anyone who has money.
I had to laugh—his timing was impeccable—but in reality the advisor's answer wasn't really funny; as the saying goes many a truth is said in jest. The truth here is that there is much more to defining a "right client" than the size of his or her net worth.
A "right client" (aka target client) is a client whose wealth, other demographics and investing style fit into your business model and whose psychographics fit within your preferences.
The chart below shows typical demographics that can characterize one's target clients. I would suggest you complete this chart for your top 25 clients. Once the chart is completed, look for trends in each item to determine the demographics of the clients who fit best into your book and business model.
Were there any surprises? Is the net worth lower or higher than you expected? Is your business model, process and procedures in line with the common needs of your "right" clients? What, if any, adjustments should you be making to ensure a better client experience?
Now that you know what makes the right client, it is time to work on who. The who is determined by gaining a sense of the psychographics or the attributes relating to personality, values, attitudes, interests and lifestyles. In other words, what type of people do you enjoy working with?
Before you embark on this exercise for your clients, I would recommend you identify your own psychographics. Take some time and have a think—get a strong understanding of who you are, how you like to communicate, what type of people you like to be around and how you see the world.
Below is a chart of some typical psychographics that may be helpful in identifying your personal preferences.
Recognizing and identifying your communication style and personality traits can be challenging and may be best discovered by using a testing service such as Myers-Briggs.
Myers-Briggs focuses on two key activities: taking in information, and organizing and processing the information in order to make decisions. Some of the key questions it helps to answer for you are:
- Where do you put your attention and get your energy? Do you like to spend time in the outer world of people and things or in your inner world of ideas and images?
- Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning?
- When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances?
- In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options?
Other testing services focus on similar but different factors. No matter what type of system you employ, its purpose is to give you guidance, insight and, most importantly, understanding into your preferences.
Once you have identified your own preferences, take those top clients from the demographics exercise and create their psychographic profile. Do you see common themes? You most likely will because numerous studies and writings have shown that likeability (and trustworthiness) is directly correlated with the similarity of values, beliefs, interests and experiences. One researcher described it as "an ancient skill encoded in us by our forebears." When people connect at this basic level, they are engaging in an embryonic form of trust with each other.
In other words, as the old saying goes, people like to do business with people who are like them.
Does this mean that your "right" clients have to be exactly like you? Not necessarily. The answer depends on you and your ability to appreciate the differences between you and your clients, and to see their behaviors as a reflection of a personality type and not something to be judged. This is much easier said than done. You must want to do this and have an acute sense of awareness of both who you are and who your client is.
Case Study
Advisor B has a client who always has to be the first to have the "next best thing" and has to share his excitement regarding his new purchase to all. Advisor B felt that his client was very materialistic and could be doing something more worthy with his money. Furthermore, Advisor B likes his meetings to be efficient, to the point and action-oriented, and the client often gets distracted. This client fits Advisor's B demographic target perfectly and he wants to retain him, but is feeling some stress in the relationship.
Advisor B went through the aforementioned exercises and learned that leaving a legacy for his children and community drove his client's buying behaviors and that his communication style was very decisive and determined.
Advisor B did some introspection and discovered that instead of trying to understand who his client is and what drives him, he was judging his client's actions, attitudes and presentation style in a very negative manner because they were different from his. This prevented Advisor B from really connecting with the client and fostering a true relationship with his client.
Advisor B has two choices here:
- Keep doing what he is doing—judging
- Embrace the differences between them—understanding
Not as easy as a choice as it may seem. Embracing the concept of understanding takes acceptance, adaptability and action—in other words, the advisor must be open and able to recognize, acknowledge and experience other people's feelings. Understanding versus judging is not necessarily human nature and to embrace this way of thinking will take focus and determination—you must want to do this. If you do, it's a great opportunity to see life from a new perspective and experience a whole new world that perhaps you didn't see, service and satisfy before.
Bottom line: A greater probability of converting prospects into clients, clients into advocates and conversations into money in your pocket.


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Basic Beginner Hockey Coaching Strategies
This is the moment you've been waiting for as a coach — your chance to shine as a great hockey strategist. The game is about to begin. Your beginners are stepping onto the ice. Some lose their balance and fall. What strategies do you need to employ to have a successful game? Read on to find out!
Getting your priorities straight
First, forget trying to win the game. The kids have more important things to do, like getting to play a lot and having fun.
When you coach beginning hockey players, remember these three major coaching strategies, which lead to having a successful game:
Maximize the opportunity for players to develop their basic skills, primarily skating.
Ensure that all team members have fun.
Begin to help the kids learn a bit about the game.
The means to employing these three strategies are quite simple. First, give every player equal ice time. That lets everyone play as much as possible, so they all get time to develop their skating. Secondly, rotate all players through all positions. This gives each player a feel for the game from different perspectives. It also allows different skills to evolve, so they'll eventually find out what they're good at doing and what position they like most.
You will likely need to provide simple game instruction to help beginners start to develop some game sense. For example, typically, beginners all converge on the puck. Instruct them that the nearest player to the puck is to go after it; the others should spread out not too far away, heading toward the goal they want to score in. This will put them in a position to receive a pass or go for a loose puck.
Beginners typically try to carry the puck rather than look for pass opportunities, or they simply send the puck in any direction. So some instruction, such as "find a teammate to pass to," may be useful.
Sometimes you get a beginner who's simply lost out there, so he just stands around watching or looking for his parents in the stands. Instruct players to always be skating in the direction the puck is going, so they have a focus and at least get some skating practice. This will also increase their odds of accidentally getting involved in the play, which will give them a bit of experience and, hopefully, satisfaction.
This game strategy is about all you need at the beginner hockey level. However, beyond the game, there are a few other coaching strategies that you may want to consider further, such as keeping everybody happy, helping everyone accomplish something, and stopping periodically to take an objective look at how you are doing as a coach.
Keeping everybody happy
First of all, don't feel bad if you discover that there's just no way you can keep everybody happy! The dynamics of a team often don't allow for peace and harmony all the time. But you can use certain strategies to help you avoid the common pitfall of trying to keep everyone happy.
Be clear in your own mind about the goals you set prior to the season. Then be sure all goals are clearly defined, understood, and accepted by your staff, players, and parents. Thereafter, when someone is unhappy about an issue, you can point to the appropriate goal(s) to help keep individuals focused and help them understand your position on the issue.
Then, be consistent. You'll have times when it may seem easier to give in to a player or parent and deviate from your predetermined goals and strategies just to make someone happy. This usually results in a short-term happy for one person and a long-term unhappy for the rest of the team — and for you. If you remain consistent, everyone will know what to expect, and they'll pressure you less to make exceptions.
Generally, players want to play and parents want to see their kid(s) play. Keep that in mind as an overall strategy, and you'll keep most people happy most of the time.
Another way to keep people happy is to solicit feedback. This is particularly useful during the season if you don't feel you have a good read on participant satisfaction. Your hockey staff or parent assistants should be your first source of feedback. They should feel comfortable offering feedback any time, without you having to solicit it.
With young players, a casual mid-season team meeting following a practice or during a holiday pizza party may provide sufficient feedback. Informally ask questions: How's the season going for you? What do you like about what we're doing? What don't you like? Most players will be happy you cared to speak with them.
If you feel the need, a mid-season parent meeting could be useful. Take the approach that this should be more an information session than a parent gripe session. Control the agenda: Give parents an update on the team, report on how the team strategies are working, and lay out any changes you feel need to be made. Have at least one assistant present at these meetings so that you present a common team front. Never let discussions get personal. Issues are about the team. The kids' goals are the priority.
Helping everyone accomplish something
Both players and parents can be kept reasonably happy if you provide opportunities to experience a sense of accomplishment through games and practices. One way to do this is to set attainable goals for each practice session and to help all players reach the goals. Players will leave the rink feeling good about what was accomplished.
List these goals in your plan at the first of the year. An example for the practice following backward skating instruction is to have all players be able to skate the length of the ice backwards without falling by the end of practice. These accomplishment goals can be simple. The important thing is that they are doable, which gives the players a sense of satisfaction. It also gives the coach something — an objective measure of progress.
Another way to see accomplishment is to use simple tests to check progress. This, in turn, provides positive feedback for players. These tests can be as basic as timing players as they skate one lap of the ice. Be sure to record the results of any test you use. As skating improves, retest and show players how much faster they are. The results will help you show players what gains they are making, and you can all see what you are accomplishing as the season progresses.
Keep individual test results between you and the player or compare players to themselves, not to others on the team. Having a player suffer the embarrassment of being last on a particular test serves no purpose. However, positive pieces of information can be motivational for the team.
Positive reinforcement helps to create the environment needed for accomplishing goals. Always make tests, drills, and practices overflow with positive reinforcement. Verbal and visual encouragement, such as a high five, glove tap, or pat on the helmet, can work wonders in the development and sense of accomplishment of young players.


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SKyTeach Partners
WKU College of Education and Behavioral Sciences /School of Teacher Education
- Prepares students to serve as reflective decision makers in instructional settings for diverse learners.
- Provides high quality undergraduate and graduate programs that are designed to address student learning from a holistic perspective and incorporate knowledge and skills from multiple disciples.
- Prepares teachers to facilitate the learning at high levels and to implement best practices in schooling through collaboration.
WKU Ogden College of Science and Engineering
- Provides educational opportunities for students interested in careers in science and engineering.
- Offers a broad range of degree programs in agriculture, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, geography, geology, architectural design, manufacturing sciences, mathematics, physics and astronomy.
- Provides unique opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to transition from academia to the workplace through participation in supervised, hands-on applied research and technological projects.
UTeach/ UTeach Institute
- Innovative and highly successful teacher preparation program for students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
- Unique four-year program was initiated at The University of Texas at Austin in 1997 by Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences, and is now being replicated at 21 universities around the country.
- Primary goal is to increase the number and quality of math and science teachers nationwide.
National Math and Science Initiative
- Created to improve K-12 math and science education.
- Functions as a strategic holding company, bringing proven operating and scale-up capabilities to help grantees replicate effective educational programs to improve American competitiveness, including training and incentive programs for AP and pre-AP courses.
- Awards grants in multiple states across the country in an attempt to scale-up the two founding programs, AP and UTeach.
Bowling Green Independent /Warren County School Districts
- SKyTeach has partnerships with many school districts in the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative.
- Most of the field placements for SKyTeach courses are in BGISD and WCSD classrooms.
- Through this partnership, students get support from practicing K-12 teachers who model effective, inquiry-based classroom instruction.
Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.


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Comparing Fresh, Frozen, and Canned Produce for a Low-Glycemic Diet
Small differences can occur in the glycemic level and nutrient value of food (especially produce) depending on how it's packaged. These differences aren't always drastic, but they're good to know about anyway. Here's what you should know about glycemic loads for fresh, frozen, and canned produce:
Fresh produce is much better at retaining nutrient value; it also has a lower glycemic load. The closer your food is to its harvest time, the more nutrients it retains, which makes locally grown produce an especially good option because it hasn't had to travel from another city, state, or country. Always watch for freshness in your fresh fruits and vegetables, whether you're purchasing locally or not.
Bruises and wilting in produce may be the result of improper handling or a sign that the food is past its peak (meaning it has fewer nutrients to offer you).
Frozen produce has a slightly lower amount of retained nutrients than fresh and a similar glycemic load. These products are frozen immediately after being cleaned and processed, which helps them retain more nutrients. Frozen produce can be a great economical value during off-seasons. Just make sure you're not choosing frozen fruits that have sugar added to them.
Frozen fruits and vegetables (and even meats) are great to have on hand as a fast and easy way to round out your meals.
Canned produce loses some of its nutrients and often has a bit higher glycemic load than fresh or frozen produce. For example, raw apricots have a glycemic load of 5 whereas canned apricots have a glycemic load of 12. Heating during the canning process is part of the explanation for this higher number; the other part is that foods, specifically fruits, are often canned in light syrup. You're better off hunting for canned fruits that aren't stored in syrup when you're trying to follow a low-glycemic diet.
When it comes to vegetables, especially beans, canned foods are great convenience items, and their glycemic load is similar to that of the fresh option.


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Warren Buffett appeared live on CNBC's Squawk Box this morning, February 27, 2012, for his annual "Ask Warren" three-hour marathon.
This is part four of a transcript of his comments. (Click here for part three)
BECKY: By the way, if you were listening to SQUAWK earlier this morning, you know that Warren Buffett is bullish on housing.
Warren, you talked about how this is maybe the best place to put your money, maybe even better than the stock market?


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In 1913, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) adopted Scouting as part of the activity program for Aaronic Priesthood quorums. By providing opportunities for young men to put into practice the gospel lessons they learn in the home and at Church, Scouting programs have supported the priesthood. Under priesthood leadership, Scouting can complement the purposes of Aaronic Priesthood quorums and the Aaronic Priesthood Duty to God program in building testimonies in boys and young men.
Learn more about LDS Scouting in the Aaronic Priesthood.


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Waterproof Pet Bean Bags
Spoil Your Pet with a Throne of Their Own! Perfect for Both Indoor and Outdoor Use, These Stylish Pet Bean Bags are Waterproof, Clawproof, Weatherproof and a Breeze to Clean. Just $25 Instead of $79
- Highlights
- Fine Print
The Offer
Reclaim your couch and treat your furry friend to a luxurious pet bean bag
Measuring 70cm x 100cm x 20cm these giant comfy beds are perfect for all sized pets
The pet-proof safety zipper ensures you won't return home to a house full of beans and a guilty looking pet
Great for indoor and outdoor use with PVC coating which is weatherproof, waterproof and clawproof
Better still, the pet bean bags are super easy to clean - simply wipe them down with a damp cloth
Choose from four stylish colours to suit every decor including black, brown red or pink - make your choice at checkout
The Fine Print
Please enter delivery details at checkout. Once purchased your goods will be automatically sent to your address in approximately three to four weeks from the end of the promotion, no further action will be required
Delivery to PO Box addresses is not possible
Please note a delivery fee of $9.95 applies per item
Members can purchase up to twenty vouchers (gift vouchers aren't available for this offer, but you can purchase multiple vouchers and give the product as a gift)
Your product will be delivered to you by the supplier of the product. The estimated delivery time for this product has been provided by the supplier
Please note this offer is for the bean bag bed only, does not include polystyrene beads which can be purchased from most department stores including K-mart, Big-W and Target
Please allow more time for delivery to regional areas
Not valid in conjunction with any other offer and not redeemable for cash
Please ensure your address is correct. Incorrect addresses will incur a re-delivery fee
If you really need convincing...
Completely pet-proof, the Pet Bean Bag is suitable for indoor and outdoor pets!
Comes in a range of versatile colours to match your existing décor
The perfect gift for friends, family and every pet lover
Check out the 'Fine Print' tab for more information


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Ask The Judge: Search For Jurors
Judge O.H. Eaton Jr. answers viewer questions about the Casey Anthony trial.
Dear Judge Eaton: Is it normal to have so many jurors excused so far? -- Max, Rockledge, Fla.
This trial is not a normal trial. Capital trials never are. However, what is very unusual in this case is the length of the trial and the fact that the jury will be sequestered. Sequestration of long periods of time causes many people undue hardship. Unlike some states, jury sequestration is not the normal thing in Florida. Accordingly, a number of jurors are being excused because of the hardship jury service would cause. I have regularly had a capital jury selected by noon on Wednesday in both Brevard and Seminole counties, but none of these juries was sequestered. Scheduling a day or two of recess during a long trial allows jurors some time to catch up on their personal affairs. That cannot be done if the jury is sequestered. -- Judge O.H. Eaton
Dear Judge Eaton: It seems the defense is aiming for mature jurors. Why is that? -- Manuela, Amsterdam
Psychologists tell me that people who have had years of life experience are generally more tolerant of young people who make serious mistakes in judgment. Maybe it is because most of them have made mistakes they regret in the past. -- Judge O.H. Eaton
Dear Judge Eaton: As it has now been ruled that the Anthonys can be in the courtroom during the trial, do they get reserved seats or must they wait in line each morning to try for the general public seats? -- Bob, Orange Park, Fla.
The Florida Constitution guarantees victims of crime, or their representatives, attendance during a trial unless it will prejudice the defendant. The trial judge has ruled they may attend, and they will not have to wait in line. The courtroom where the trial will take place has a second-level gallery, and I understand that is where they will be sitting, so the jury will not see them as easily. -- Judge O.H. Eaton
MORE: Extended CoverageSTAY UPDATED: Casey iPhone App
Dear Judge Eaton: I would like to know if Cindy and George will be required to answer questions with a yes or no or will they be allowed to give reason for their answer as they have in the past? -- Dianne, Claremont, N.H.
Witnesses are allowed to expand on their answers even if the question can be answered yes or no. -- Judge O.H. Eaton


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Following Flare-Ups, Star Finally Explodes
As Dr. Soran, the bad guy in the movie Star Trek: Generations, found out, blowing up a star sometimes takes a few tries.
Such was also the case for an object called SN 2009ip. It's a star in a galaxy about 80 million light-years away. Or, rather, it was a star.
It first drew attention in 2009, when it flared up brightly in an apparent supernova—a star exploding at the end of its life. But it was soon unmasked as a supernova impostor—a nonfatal outburst from a massive star that only looks like a full-blown supernova.
Following two subsequent flare-ups, astronomers have now concluded that SN 2009ip has gone supernova at last. During a 2012 outburst, the star brightened much more than usual, becoming a billion times as luminous as the sun. And spectroscopic observations revealed that gas was racing outward at roughly 8,000 kilometers per second. Speeds that high indicate a cataclysmic explosion triggered by the collapse of the star's core. The research will appear in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. [Jon C. Mauerhan et al., The Unprecedented 2012 Outburst of SN 2009ip: A Luminous Blue Variable Becomes a True Supernova]
Astronomers now have the rare opportunity to study details of a supernova—both before and after.
—John Matson
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]