Esther Saves Mordecai

Esther 3-8:14

The story that follows in chapters 3-8 gives details of a personal conflict that escalates into a nation-wide pogrom against the Jewish people.

Mordecai refused to bow to the highest court official, Haman the Agagite. In a court with strict protocol, Mordecai’s refusal to bow was a grave insult that naturally infuriated Haman, and a feud started between the two men.

When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance to him, Haman was infuriated. But he thought it beneath him to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, having been told who Mordecai’s people were, Haman plotted to destroy all the Jews.

Read Esther 3:1-15.

There is no reason given for Mordecai’s refusal to bow. It was not against normal Jewish practice to bow to a ruler or his representative (see Joseph and his brothers in Egypt, Genesis 43:26). But Mordecai’s ancestor Saul had been an enemy of Haman’s ancestor Agag, king of the Amalekites (see 1 Samuel 15), and this may have been Mordecai’s reason. In any case, he did not follow the accepted practice, and thereby placed himself and others in danger.

Haman’s anger shifted. It had been focused on Mordecai, but finding that Mordecai was a Jew, his fury expanded to include the whole Jewish people. In a scene that formed a blueprint for anti-Semitic propaganda, Haman fed the mind of the king with ideas about a people who were different, who obeyed different laws, and who were a danger to the kingdom.

Read Esther 4:1-17

The Jews, said Haman, must be eliminated for the good of the kingdom. The king agreed, not knowing that Esther, his beloved queen, and Mordecai, the man to whom he owed his life, were both Jews. A day was set aside for the slaughter, and a decree issued to every corner of the empire.

The absolute power of the king seems strange to us, accustomed as we are to the democratic rule of law. But in Canaan and Egypt, a king was thought of as a living god. He was a sacred person who embodied, in his person, the state or kingdom that he governed. His physical body was clearly not immortal, but he was thought of as someone who was more than human, with a special and unique connection with the immortal gods. Because of this, he could do what he wanted even when, as in this case, it was clearly unjust.

Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator

Law enforcement agents have arrested another high profile figure from the West Kingston community, on an extradition warrant.

Popular dancehall artiste, Busy Signal, whose real name in Reanno Glendale Gordon, was picked up at the Norman Manley International Airport, immediately after he stepped off a flight from the United Kingdom this afternoon.

The Gleaner/Power 106 News understands that the entertainer was returning from a tour in Amsterdam.

His arrest came months after The Gleaner broke the story that a prominent entertainer was under the radar of the United States to be extradited.

‘Busy’ is said to be linked to the operations of extradited West Kingston crimelord Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.

Coke is now awaiting sentencing in the United States on racketeering charges.

His sentencing hearing is to begin tomorrow.

According one of the law enforcement officers who spoke with The Gleaner, ‘Busy’ has been under investigation since 2002.

Beenie Man returned to the island on Monday after performing at shows in The Netherlands and in Dubai in the Middle East over the past week.

“I never apologized. Jamaican people need to be more literate about life. Five years ago, we stop sing certain songs, and start focus more on dancehall to make it what it is today. I said that they (the gays) should leave us alone, don’t have us up for what we said when were young, that happened 20 years ago, nobody is the same person they were 20 years ago,” he said

“Everybody grow up, but I guess ah August mi born, so mi have to bear the burden fi everybody else. Ah me plant the oak tree that dem use crucify Jesus Christ, and my cow dem kill and make the leather that dem use and beat Him for 13 hours, and ah my hardware dem tek the hammer that dem use and nail up him hand dem, so mi ah go bear the burden dem fi everyone then, ok then,” he said, exasperatedly.

“Look here, I sell music, I do this to send all my youths to school and my grand-daughter because I am a grandfather now. I have to provide for my family. I tell these people that we, as dancehall artistes, don’t hate people, because of what they want to say or do. We don’t practise hate, we don’t want to kill gay people, we love all members of the human race, regardless of their religion, creed, race or sexual orientation,” he said.

He also addressed the sound system selectors who have been lambasting his decision to do a videotaped statement addressing his beliefs about gays.

“I told them to leave us alone, to try to understand where we are coming from, but still yu have some selectors weh go pon the mike and ah talk a bagga tings. So when the gays dem come  to the dance and want to spend $150,000, you selector bwoy, don’t tek dem money, run dem outta the dance. Dem caan use dem little birdbrain pon me, man ah lion,” he said.

“Nuff people inna dancehall who de pon tour now is because of what I said. How much food woulda eat by dancehall artistes out inna the world if I never did this? I am an international artiste with fans all over the world, mi big across the globe, I have to survive inna the real world and take care of my family.”

He also addressed fellow artiste Bounty Killer who on Monday made a statement via Twitter that he “never bawled or talked about it” when the gays banned a few of  his shows in Europe.  Killer also said that “some p—y get fraida b- bwoy through money”.

“Bounty Killer need fi tweet say ah 8 people lef inna the venue  outta 8000 fi see him perform after him ah insist say him waan close the show over Amsterdam Reggae Festival, ah dat him fi tweet, after mi perform, the show done and everybody lef…nobody never waan see him.”

Beenie Man will be shooting a video for his latest single, Dweet Again, on the Mercury riddim for the label, Chase Millz Records later this month. The single is #20 on the HYPE TV Top 20 charts.

Young actress’s pregnancy worries actor •Wife insists on DNA test

News making the rounds in the movie industry lately is the eight months pregnancy of a dark skin and highly endowed up and coming actress. The pregnancy has gradually become the latest gossip because of the people involved in it.

Late last year, this actress emerged on the scene with a top actor and director from a family that has a grip on the movie industry.

She was so active that many who sighted them together at various spots in Lagos State, concluded that they were dating each other. Many even believed that the Delta State born actress was living in the same house with the actor at that time but it was later discovered that the fair-skinned actor is her first cousin who was just trying to assist her with accommodation.

She eventually got a new place in Lekki.

At Lekki, she coincidentally was a neighbor to another top actor cum producer who had already seen her with the actor.

Within a short period, the new neighbour actor was in a romantic relationship with the actress. The affair lasted for a few months before the actress got pregnant.

At first, the actress did not know who to hold responsible for her pregnancy as she was allegedly dating more than one man at the same time.

She immediately put the pregnancy ownership on her boss, a politician from Rivers State. The fair-skinned politician rejected it and insisted that she must present a DNA test to prove his paternity.

When this failed, she sold the pregnancy story to the actor who, after giving thought to his many years of childlessness, accepted the pregnancy but informed the actress that he was already married.

Unknown to the actor, his wife had already got hint of the gossip and accepted the pregnancy too. However, by divine provision, the childless wife is now pregnant after many years and is expected to deliver her first baby for the actor, even as the actress is expected to put to bed any moment from now.

A new twist has now been introduced into the drama as the legal wife has given her husband a condition that she will only accept the actress’s unborn child only if the latter will present a DNA test to prove that her husband is the father of her child when it is born.

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met good morning this is what is happening brand new in st. ann, yuh si da picta deh d bwoy in a it name frame and that a him baby mother tashie a dem kip d dance a easter time wey name goodas gal she need fi open up har eyes dem cos a pare bun she a get, met since week mi hear say d bwoy send message to d baby modda cousin pitney say him ago pay the pitney $5000.00 fi (Edited) and d pitney tell har modda, met mi hear say when d pitney modda go home and start d war yard full street full nobody caan believe say the bwoy really do dat, mi hear say the baby modda put him out but is only a matter of time before him dawg back pon har and go back, words in the street say a regular him tell d pitney dem up deh so, met one next thing wey mi affi tell yuh bout dah bwoy yah him caan read caan spell him name, one selector did cuss him and tell him say if him spell him name him give him five thousand dollars and this bwoy go round and mek mischieve like nutten and gwaan like him innocent, him lie and a pare money him walk and borrow fi kip dance, met him walk and buy out every story wey him woman and people get in a. met d big fat roast breadfruit baby modda dem did beat har a one dance name liquorama a st. ann’s bay bus park luckily har fren dem was there mek dem nuh murda har more da morning deh, met because a she nobody nuh like d dutty bwoy and d bwoy wouldnt even understand say him nuffy get himself involve in a woman mix up dat caan read rass.

JMG INTERVIEW

Your name is kinda sexy and unique is Paul Michael your real name and if not how did you come by it?

– Yes.  Paul Michael is actually my real name.

Who is Paul Michael and where are you from?

– I am a disc jockey/ sound selector/ media personality hailing from Providence, RI, a city located between Boston & NYC.

How long have you been in the business?

– I have been in the business for almost 20 years actually.  I started playing music when I was in high school for a college radio station that a friend was affiliated with.

I notice you tend to play mostly Jamaican music or a very vast variety of our music, when did you develop your obvious love for reggae and dancehall?

– I was first introduced to reggae and dancehall music at the very young age of 12 or 13. I immediately fell in love with the music. The first stage show I ever attended was Shabba Ranks and Richie Stephens.

In your years as a dj how have the people, music and musicians changed and is it a change for the better you think?

– I have noticed a shift by reggae and dancehall artists from doing cover versions and adopting melodies of pop and R&B songs to creating music with original lyrics and melodies.  This establishes reggae/dancehall as a form of music with it’s own unique identity and that’s a great thing.

– I do feel, although technology is a blessing, it may also have some negative impacts.  Because much of the time and effort a DJ would have to spend acquiring music has essentially been eliminated by technology, many of the younger DJs and soundmen have never taken the time to actually learn the music.  As a result, I am noticing a lot less foundation music is being played and I fear a lot of very important music will eventually be lost.

You tend to go in when you are on the mic, a little different than American Djs.  What influenced that?

–      I have been strongly influenced by the Jamaican sound system style of play, however, I do inject my own personality and style over the microphone, which is a little different than the traditional Jamaican sound style.  I tell jokes and do my best to create energy and entertain the crowd.

Have you ever been to Jamaica?

– This summer will be my first trip to Jamaica.  I’m excited.

We have so many disk jockeys now, what do you bring to the table that is different as a Caucasian from the boon docks more into the reggae side of the music business?

–      It’s true, there are more DJs out there now than ever before. We all have pretty much the same music and a lot of us have dubplates. One thing that separates us from one another is our individual personalities.  I try to arrange and play music and communicate on the microphone in a way that projects my individuality and allows me to convey my unique personality to the audience.  This is what differentiates me from other DJs. It’s less about being defined by race or nationality and more about conveying your unique personality.  I just try to be myself.

Have you ever been with a Jamaican girl sexually and how was it lol?

– Ha! Yes I have. It was good. I love Jamaican girls. lol

Right now, who do you think is the hottest male and female dancehall/ reggae artist?

– There are so many talented artists out there with really good music it’s hard to really choose.  Right now, as I am answering this question, I would have to say Tifa is the hottest female dancehall artist and Konshens has the hottest current dancehall music out there for male artists.

What are you like on a regular day, I’m talking about the real person under everything, what is your life like?

– I work hard but, in my free time, my life is pretty normal.  I enjoy hanging out with friends, participating in athletics, watching movies etc…  I’m a huge fan of American Dad, Family Guy and Game of Thrones.

Where do you see your career two years from now?

– Two years from now I will hopefully be travelling and performing overseas a lot more.  I would love the opportunity to experience the Caribbean and Europe.